Playlist - 25th July 2020

Dub Syndicate – Ravi Shankar No.1 (China mix) – Leghorn
The Bug x Rider Shafique – Burn – Intercranial Recordings
Al Wootton – A clean heart – Trule (Witness)
Ghost/Omar Tosh – Come back again – Acid Rain
Nick Edwards – Old things – Bandcamp
Shinichi Atobe – Lake 2 – DDS (yes)
Tom Richards – Big House Tune - Nonclassical (Heavier Sideways)
Wu Fei - Bass guzheng etude in C major – wufeimusic.com
David Toop – All I desire – Room40 (Apparition Paintings)
Daniel Blumberg – Bound – Mute (On&On)
Ghost Phone – Ize Kashmir – Ghost Phone (Ghost Phone 002)
Richard Skelton – For the Application of Fire – Phantom Limb (These Charms May Be Sung Over a Wound)
Dmitry Evgrafov - Humble In Heart – Fat Cat (Surrender)
Mumia - Ave do Deserto – Lugar Alto (Mumia)
Molero - Jaguar Capybaras – Holuzam (Ficciones Del Trópico)
Insert3 / Fenny
Pozi - The Nightmare - PRAH Recordings.
fra fra - Naked (You enter and leave this world with nothing) – Glitterbeat (Funeral songs)
Sprouthead Uprising - I+I Must see Jesus Version - Arka Sound (Songs of Jesus)
Hedvig Mollestad - A stone’s throw – Rune Grammofon (Ekhidna)
Sun Ra Arkestra – Seductive Fantasy – Strut (Demons at Play)
Albert Ayler – New Generation – Impulse (New Grass)
Jayne Cortez & the Firespitters – There it is – Bola Press
Little Walter – Instrumental – Chess
Little Walter – Sad hours – Chess
Little Walter – Rollercoaster – Chess
Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois & Roger Eno – Prophecy Theme – Polydor (Dune OST)

Playlist - 18th July 2020

This edition of On the Wire is dedicated to the memory of Senator John Lewis, fearless fighter in the causes of freedom, justice, truth and equality.

Dub Syndicate – Ravi Shankar Pt.1 (China mix) – Leghorn
Joe Higgs – Hard times don’t bother me – Micron

Max Romeo – Revelation time – 17 North Parade
I Roy – Message to the top - 17 North Parade
Max Romeo – Hammer and sickle - 17 North Parade

Rupie Edwards On the Wire Pt.1

Rupie Edwards - Handicap – Success
Rupie Edwards - If You Can’t Beat Them – Success
The Underground People - Rub Off A Dub – Peaceful Road ‎
Bob Andy - The Way I Feel – Peaceful Road
Shortie the President - A Rub A Dub – Peaceful Road (Jamaica)
Rupie Edwards All Stars – My Piano and I Success (Jamaica)
Tommy McCook - Bubbling Horns - Dub
Tommy McCook – West of Parade – Dub (Jamaica)
The African Brothers – Mysterious Nature – Dip DL 5014 (UK)
The African Brothers - Mystery of Nature – Dip DL 5014 (UK
Rupie Edwards All Stars – Mystery of Nature Version –Success blank (Jamaica)
Johnnie Clarke – Everyday Wandering (Wandering Wandering) – Big Hit! (USA)
Rupie All Star - Buck Shot Dub – Success
Rupie Edwards – Buck Shot – Success (Jamaica)
Rupie Edwards - Irie Feelings – Success (Jamaica)
Rupie All Stars – Feeling High – Success (Jamaica)
I Roy - Tiger from Bengalie – Success
I Roy – Christmas Dub Wise – Success (Jamaica)
Errol Dunkley - Down Below – Opportunity Records (Jamaica)
Rupie Edwards All Stars – Down Below Version - Opportunity Records (Jamaica)
Joe Lewis – Frazer Down Below – George Floorman (Jamaica)
Rupie Edwards All Stars - Young, Gifted & Black (Instrumental) – Success
Rupie Edwards – Return of Herbert Spliffington – Success blank (Jamaica)
Rupie Edwards & Linford Anderson – Promotors (sic) Grouse – Success RE 902 (UK)

Selection by Harry Wise


Mungo's HiFi x Marina P ft Tippa Irie & Dennis Alcapone – The Beat Goes SKA! – Scotch Bonnet
Cosmic Shuffling - Eastern Ska - Fruits 7
Soom T - Sold Out to the Devil - X-Ray Productions 2020
Stalawa - Traitor ft Blessed San (Epoch Remix) - Foreign Mind Records

Freddie McGregor live On the Wire Sunday 26th October 1986

Blackout JA, Daddy Freddy, Liondub – Revolution – Liondub International
Mr Williamz - Voodoo Nana - Street Rockaz Family
O.B.F. & Nazamba - Hot Beer - Dubquake
Ojah - Rebels Dub – Alchemy Dubs
Vibronics & Daddy Teacha - DubInfinity - Roots Youth

Early 90s JA 7” digidub version to version

 Admiral Tibet - Seek Jah First Version - African Star
Hopeton Lindo ft Computer Paul - Pampered Not Battered Dub - Irie pen
Jungle and Sluggy feat. Raf - Jah is guiding I / Jah Jungle Mix - Grade One
King Shark - Thank be unto him version - Green Farm
Yami Bolo - Leave out the badness Dub - Xterminator
Beres Hammond - Preacher Man Version - Star Trail
Dutchie Gold ft Jazzwad - Nuh Lazy Man - Two Tough
Johnny Osbourne - I want you dub - Fitzmar Productions
Gregory Issacs - Two Time Loser Version - Kingston 11
Courtney Candy ft Law & Order - Can't take it no more - Famous
Luciano - Chant Down Babylon Dub - Xterminator
Jr Delgada ft I Paul - Mona Lisa Dub - Intelitec Muzik
Dennis Brown - True True True Dub - Digital B
Junior Reid - No Loafting Dub - J R Productions
Yami Bolo - Joe the Boss Version - Tappa Records

C Jones meets Ale X - Tajine Dub – Echo Beach

Another Statement from Steve Barker and the On the Wire team

Oh, you are well tuned now,
But I’ll set down the pegs that make this music,
As honest as I am
Iago in Act 2, Scene 1 of Othello

A week is a long time in radio. Since last weekend Matthew Jones from Lancaster launched a change.org petition (https://www.change.org/p/save-on-the-wire-bbc-radio-lancashire) now with signatures past the 1,000 mark and increasing daily. Many friends and listeners, from Lancashire, the U.K. and worldwide have contributed to an incredibly supportive, and sometimes moving, set of comments which will be sent on to BBC managers and trustees.

Also, I’ve done interviews with The Guardian and the Lancashire Evening Post but neither have yet appeared at time of writing. During the week BBC Radio4’s Feedback programme devoted their first half to BBC cuts and On the Wire was raised by Ian Stevens, from Wrexham, followed by some commentary by Jim Waterson the Guardian’s Media Editor - the fact that Ian Stevens listens from outside Lancashire references the increased listenership and capacity to access radio via the internet and latterly BBB Sounds, the hierarchical monstrosity that zaps out everything below its celebrity-laden top layers - whereas the real answers could lay within its redesign.

It seems that everyone who wrote in with letters of support for On the Wire has received a standard reply from John Clayton, station manager at BBC Radio Lancashire. In his reply John now says “On The Wire remains ‘rested’ but not ‘axed’.” This is the first time I have heard this and no one has spoken to me about the programme’s status and possible future. He goes on to say “the challenge is to work out if and how the programme can still be accommodated within our reduced schedule” then raises further questions about competition amongst specialist shows for schedule space and funding.

If friends of On the Wire wish to continue their support us then best extend to other dimensions, such as your councillor or MP if you are in Lancashire or the wider North West and anywhere else to the BBC Trustees who are open and available to listeners views on the services the Corporation provides and can be found https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/whoweare/bbcboard/ contact at where you can find the email address, twitter handle and phone number. In the meantime if you wish contact me direct then please use stephenjbarker@gmail.com
Forward Ever!
Steve

Playlist - 11th July 2020

Lancashire looms
Dub Syndicate – Ravi Shankar No.1 (China mix) – Leghorn
I Roy – Tribute to Michael Holding – Errol T

Pedro Lima – Maguidala – Bongo Joe
Siti Muharam - Machozi ya Huba – On the Corner
YĪN YĪN - Chông Ky – Bongo Joe

Martin Hendrixx – Ennio – On U Sound
Scott Walker – Saccho & Venzetti – Ace Records

Andy (Madhatter) - TTED / DETT Mix (Part 2)
Big Tony & TF Crew - Doing What We Do Best (TTED)
EU - EU Freeze 85 (TTED)
Big Tony & TF Crew - Let's Party (TTED)
TTED All Stars - Good to Go-Go (TTED)
Chuck Brown & Soul Searchers - We Need Some Money (DETT)
Trouble Funk - Trouble Funk Express (DETT)
Slim - In the Mix (DETT)
Trouble Funk - Say What (DETT)
Hot Cold Sweat - Meet Me At The Go-Go (DETT)
Mass Extension - Happy Feet (TTED)
Trouble Funk - Good To Go (TTED)
Hot Cold Sweat - Move Like That (DETT)
Arcade Funk - Search & Destroy) (DETT)
Tilt - Arkade Funk (DETT)

Fenny mix:
Etuk Ubong - Mass Corruption - Night Dreamer (Africa Today).
Falle Nioke and Ghost Culture – Loneliness - PRAH Recordings.
Chouk Bwa and the Angstromers – Vodou Ale - Bongo Joe (Vodou Ale)
Nil by Nose - Journey – PUMF (Godspunk vol 21)

Pete (Big Man) mix
Roy Ayers & Al Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge – Synchronised Vibration - Jazz Is Dead Records
V. feat Yameen Allworld - Into the Light - BBE Music
Louie Vega & Elements of Life - Jungle Fever (DJ Jazzy Jeff Mix) - Vega Records
Opolopo & Anagela Johnson - Stay This Way - Reel People Music
Tres Men - Cosmic Lust - Playwright records
Sean McCabe feat. Lem Springsteen - Connection - Good Vibrations Music
Artwork - Time Is Now - Pasqua Records
Shapeshifters feat Billy Porter - Finally Ready
Grace Love & the True Fire - Fire - Grace Love Records
Mulata Astatke & Black Jesus - Agogo Records

Bamao Yendé & Le Diouck – Okocha' – Because Music
Piezo – Ox - Hundebiss
Shabjdeed and Al Nather Wen Ward Hundebiss

Ai Aso – Floating Rhythms – SOMA
Robert Millis – Only here for a short while -The Helen Scarsdale Agency

Statement from Steve Barker and the On the Wire team

The last time On the Wire was broadcast on the BBC was on 14th March this year - the 1850th edition of the show - the week after that lockdown happened and all BBC local stations went on to a basic structure with minimum staff. This week the BBC announced that, as 'part of its future plans', the basic structure for local radio would remain as it is now and all late broadcasting would be shared across the local network, those slots would eventually be competed. For On the Wire this inevitably means the end of its relationship with the BBC.

For me personally and the On the Wire team, no BBC representative has taken the trouble to formally inform us that On the Wire is not required, discuss any possible future for the programme or even thanked us for running the show without break since 1984..... or even said anything at all, save the local manager telling me by a quick phone call that I would not be getting another contract and he was really sorry ......

Since that last broadcast we have continued on Mixcloud and we intend to keep on putting out shows every week at Saturday midnight with no changes to our modus operandi other than we could run over time a bit ........... So, thanks to you all for your support and friendship over the years, whether you are a listener or involved in music. We are sure you will agree there is no other show “like On the Wire” on UK radio, and although we will be on Mixcloud it will never be quite the same. We did not leave the BBC, the BBC left us ....

If you feel moved to voice your opinion then I know the BBC is always open to feedback, best write to the station manager at BBC Radio Lancashire john.clayton@bbc.co.uk and copy to the Head of BBC Local Radio chris.burns@bbc.co.uk

Playlist - 4th July 2020

Dub Syndicate – Ravi Shankar Pt.1 (China mix) – Leghorn
Shielding – Dunsta
Kelman Duran – Busy Signal – Bredda remix – Boomkat Editions (Hasina)
Josey in Space – Bboy – RVNG Intl
Shackleton & Zimpel – Primal Forms – Cosmo Rhythmatic
Pole – Fading – Concentric Records
Mabe Fratti - Desdel el  Amor También Podemos Despedirnos + El Sol Sigue Ahí  (With Gibrana Cervantes)– Tin Angel Records
Elysia Crampton – Homeless (Q’ara) – Pan (ORCORARA 2010)
Ceu – Ocitocina (charge) – Six Degrees Records (AKPA!)
Lucretia Dalt – Disuelta – RVNG Intl. (No era solida)
Heather Leigh – Du Fromme – Boomkat Editions (Glory Days)
Julianna Barwick - In Light ft Jonsi – Ninja Tune (Healing is a Miracle)
Martin Buscaglia – Leroy - Love Monk (Basta de music)
Howl in the Typewriter - Amnesiac Smile - PUMF (Godspunk vol 21)
Shiran - Ya Ahl San'ah - Batov Records (Glsah Sanaanea with Shiran)
The Original Magneticlight Parade - Smoke and Mirrors - Bearsuit Records
K-Lone – In the Pines – Wisdom Teeth (Capa Cira)
Veselmes – Lucifer Rising – Byrd Out (I Know Where You Live Vangelis!)
Ian Arkley – Out from –Opa Loka Records (One)
Claire M Singer – Rionnag a Tuath – Touch (Touch:Isolation)
Shirley Collins – Wondrous love – Domino
Eduardo Suarez “Borealis” – Montanas de Azabache – Tompkins Square (IAX)
Green Gartside – Tangled man – Rough Trade
Josh Kimbrough – Sunbathing Water Snake - Tompkins Square (Slither, Soar & Disappear)
Brigid Mae Power – Head Above the Water – Fire Records
Motohiko Hamase – Pascal variant – We Release Whatever the Fuck We Want (Anecdote)