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Sound of Song

Sound of Song is a three-part BBC documentary series hosted by composer and musician Neil Brand, exploring the magical elements that come together to create our favourite songs. Songs are the soundtrack of our lives and it takes a kind of genius to create a true pop masterpiece. But, as Neil Brand argues, there is more to consider in the story of what makes a great song. Neil looks at every moment in the life cycle of a song - how they are written, performed, recorded and the changing ways we have listened to them. He reveals how it is the wonderful alchemy of all of these elements that makes songs so special to us.

Episode 1 - The Recording Revolution


Episode 1 - The Recording Revolution
Neil Brand investigates how songs were recorded for the first time, the listening revolution in the home that followed and the birth of a new style of singing that came with the arrival of the microphone - crooning.

Episode 2 - Reeling and Rocking
Neil Brand explores the magical elements that come together to create great songs by recreating some of the most memorable and innovative recording sessions in music history.

Episode 3 - Mix It Up and Start Again
From the synthesisers of symphonic rock to the mixes of disco and the samplings of hip hop, music was transformed by the arrival of digital technology and the computer, which gave some songwriters more power but others much less.


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