Geri’s 90s - My Drive To Freedom
Multi-award winning singer Geri Horner is set to take BBC Two viewers back to the 90s for the next instalment in the BBC Music: My Generation season.
Published: 25 January 2017
It was a decade of hope, opportunity and change, in all areas of life, a decade of FREEDOM!
Programming across TV and Radio will take a look back at some of the seminal moments from the decade through the eyes of the people who were there. BBC Music: My Generation airs in five instalments, with the fans and the musical icons of the time giving their unique perspectives. So far the season has explored the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Following in the footsteps of Tom Jones, Keith Richards, Boy George and Soul II Soul frontman Jazzie B, Geri’s 90s - My Drive To Freedom will see the former Spice Girl reflect on her own incredible journey: from turning 18 as a working-class girl in Watford at the dawn of the decade, through to international fame and fortune with the Spice Girls, followed by great success as a solo artist at the end of the 1990s.
Along the way she worked as a TV presenter, joined a girl band, enjoyed a close friendship with her pop idol pin-up George Michael and became the iconic face of Cool Britannia, as Ginger Spice in her famous Union Jack dress.
Set against a backdrop of key political, social and cultural moments - the release of Nelson Mandela and the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of Margaret Thatcher and the election of New Labour, the tragic death of Princess Diana which united the nation in mourning, the launch of the World Wide Web... Geri's Nineties: The Decade That Made Me focuses on the great moments in pop culture in the decade leading up to the new Millennium including the rave scene, boy bands, Brit Pop and Girl Power.
Geri says: "It was a decade of hope, opportunity and change, in all areas of life, a decade of FREEDOM! The freedom to be yourself, to make your own choices as expressed through music, fashion and politics. Personally it was a journey of self-discovery, reflecting on some amazing things I am incredibly grateful to have experienced. I think the Nineties was a very optimistic decade that proved that regardless of who you are and where you come from, you can evolve and change and dreams can come true.”
The documentary will feature interviews with some of Geri's friends and family, plus many central personalities from the decade.
Jan Younghusband, Head of Music TV Commissioning, says: “We are thrilled that Geri has agreed to share her first-hand insights as a leading woman in music, and how the influences of her life have shaped her as a performer. This will be a unique glimpse into the real world of the female global superstar in music and what it takes to be top of her game.”
Geri’s 90s - My Drive To Freedom is produced by Len Brown, directed by Andy Baybutt and executive produced for Outline Productions by Bridget Boseley. It was commissioned by Jan Younghusband, Head of BBC Music TV Commissioning, and will be executive produced by Emma Cahusac for BBC Music.
Other programming in the season
The People’s History of Pop: Closer Than Close 1997- 2010
Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox looks at the time when the internet opened up new worlds for music fans and brought them closer to their musical heroes than ever before.
The show starts in the years leading up to the year 2000 - a time when information overload and uncertainty about new technologies was creating an anxiety about the future. The programme hears from fans who loved a band that were tackling this millennial angst head on with a new album: Radiohead with their 1997 album OK Computer.
The programme also meets people who had begun to change the relationship between fans and bands - a fan who saved his favourite band Travis from the bad press reviews of their second album with a letter written to Melody Maker in 1999 and a chart pop fan who managed to meet his favourite pop heroes with an ingenious, homemade piece of memorabilia.
Along the way Sara will hear the remarkable stories behind photos and signed set lists from Amy Winehouse; the one-off fan club magazine from The Libertines and footage of a gig in Pete Doherty's flat; and footage of the moment when Adele gave her stage over to two very surprised fans. With the arrival of file sharing in the early 2000s, a fan recounts how the unconventional rise of the Arctic Monkeys was all thanks to fans sharing music on online forums and MySpace. And as technology developed, we see how a fan's canny use of YouTube opened up the Grime scene of East London to the world.
Viewers will also get an insight into the new clubbing trends - from the outfits, photos and magazine articles saved by a pioneer of a new, fan-powered tribe on the dancefloor - the Crasher Kids - who became the identity of Sheffield club Gatecrasher, to a fan whose flyers chart the rise of UK Garage, which went from the airwaves of pirate radio and Sunday night club scene in London to the top of the charts. In the 2000s, fans could decide who their pop stars were going to be and we meet a mother and daughter whose lives were changed by Will Young, who in return changed his life by voting for him in Pop Idol.
People’s History of Pop was made by Seven Wonders Productions and executive produced by Steve Condie.
Classic Album: Primal Scream - Screamadelica
As part of the season, BBC Four will broadcast Classic Album: Primal Scream - Screamadelica. Screamadelica both defines a generation and transcends its time. Primal Scream’s seminal album was released in 1991, and synthesized the band’s rock n roll roots with the dance culture of that time. For many, the album’s sound and imagery came to be regarded as quintessential symbols of the acid house era, perfectly catching the spirit and mood of the early 90s.
Using rare archive footage and special performances, this film tells the story of Screamadelica and its hit singles and dance anthems Loaded, Movin’ On Up, Come Together and Don’t Fight It, Feel It. From the formation of the band in Glasgow to winning the first-ever Mercury prize, the band members explain the record’s inception with insights from main producer Andrew Weatherall, Creation Records founder Alan McGee and many others involved with or inspired by the record.
Amy Winehouse In Her Own Words
BBC Four will also be broadcasting Amy Winehouse In Her Own Words - a brief portrait of Amy Winehouse the artist threaded together from extracts from interviews she gave to the BBC for a variety of documentary projects, including Glastonbury, Later... with Jools Holland and the Jazz and Soul Britannia series, blended with performances from across her career.
Winehouse had a strong relationship with many parts of the BBC, from when she launched herself as an artist back in 2004. In her short musical career the North London native changed the landscape of modern pop culture, won countless awards, achieved critical acclaim and garnered global success, before passing away at the tender age of 27.
Amy Winehouse In Her Own Words was produced by Sasha Duncan and executive produced by Mark Cooper, Head of BBC Music Television.
BBC Radio 2 will be supporting the season with a range of programming with a 90s focus. Across the schedule a number of shows will feature content relating to the decade, including a 1990 themed Pick Of The Pops (Saturdays, 1pm-3pm) presented by Paul Gambaccini and a special in which Trevor Nelson looks at the A-Z of 90s R&B in Trevor Nelson’s Rhythm Nation (Saturdays, 8pm-10pm).
Also on Radio 2, three one-hour programmes - The Electronic 90s – (Tuesday 21 February) will celebrate a decade of dance music.
Presented by Nemone, who also presents Electric Ladyland on BBC Radio 6 Music (Saturdays, midnight-2am), the series will look at how electronic music launched into the stratosphere in the 1990s, sound-tracking everyday life, whether you were a dance music fan or not.
Rock and mainstream pop music was remixed; and from humble bedroom DJ beginnings electronic music became ‘super-sized’ - with thousands of party-goers descending on enormous aircraft hanger style clubs. Huge brands such as Cream in Liverpool and Trade at Turnmills in London offered up clothing, compilation CDs, and club culture lifestyle choices - and made celebrities of those in command of the decks, giving rise to the Superstar DJ.
British dance music of the 1990s would take on many forms - from Techno, Trance, and Trip Hop, to Drum and Bass, Big Beat and Chill-Out. The beeps, bleeps and musical sweeps ruled the charts, travelled round the world, and helped advertise anything from family cars to luxury yoghurts.
Nemone chats to some of the biggest names in 90s dance music about their work - from Goldie, the architect of Drum and Bass opus Timeless - to Moby, whose 1999 album Play became a worldwide phenomenon.
BBC Radio 6 Music will join in again in March as the season reaches the 1990s by exploring the alternative music of that decade.
On Friday 3 March, 6 Music celebrates the alternative 90s, as the station imagines what it would have sounded like had it existed on the same date in back in 1994.
(1994 is arguably the best year from the 90s. It was the beginning, but more importantly not the peak, of Britpop - with the release of Definitely Maybe and Parklife. The alternative dance crossover happened with Prodigy’s Music For A Jilted Generation and Orbital, alongside Future Sound Of London, Sabres Of Paradise and many others.
Beck was breaking through; Portishead and Massive Attack, Suede and Manics released their greatest records in Dog Man Star and Holy Bible, grunge got dark with Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy and Hole’s Live Through This, as well of Kurt Cobain’s death. All of this plus Pulp breaking through, Jeff Buckley released Grace, and Underworld released Dubnobasswithmyheadman. Primal Scream were battling with The Black Crowes as to who would be the new Rolling Stones, while the actual Stones released Voodoo Lounge. Not forgetting Green Day’s enormous Dookie, REM’s Monster, Frank Black’s Teenager Of The Year, Pavement’s Crooked Rain and so much more.)
Across the week, bands visiting various shows across the network will record their very own versions of 90s tracks, and weekend programme presenters will also shine a spotlight on the decade through a range of shows.
Huey Morgan will broadcast a show of beats and riffs, looking at American guitar rock and hip hop from the 90s; record producer Steve Levine will stand in for regular 6 Music presenter Iggy Pop and look at how technology changed music, most notably with sampling and the rise of bedroom recording. And Steve Lamacq, who was presenting the Evening Session on Radio 1 in 1994, will host a World Cup of 90s music.
And BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show will also feature Grunge and Nu Metal tracks from the 90s, curated by presenter Daniel P. Carter.
BBC Radio Scotland show Get It On…With Bryan Burnett (Thursday 9 March) will run a 90s theme with listener requests, an interview with a famous musician from the decade and will also be sharing some fashion insights from Scottish fashion historian Jade Halbert.
Over on BBC Radio Ulster Kerry McLean will reflect the 1990s playing 90s hits and exploring fashion, food and films of the decade in her daily 3pm-5pm show between 6th-9th March.
BBC Radio Wales will be reflecting the decade across its schedule. Eleri Sion (1pm-4pm, weekdays) will host a week of 90s Afternoon Delight tracks, and will be joined by a music guest from the decade, and film reviewer Gary Slaymaker will pick his favourite films of the 90s. Bethan Elfyn’s show (7pm-10pm, Saturday) will look back at the 90s with a special focus on the bands and fallout from Cool Cymru. Lynn Bowles (2pm-6pm, Sundays), who also presents on Radio 2, will play an hour of female-fronted bands of the 90s and will also be joined by a special guest synonymous with the decade. And Alan Thompson (11pm-1am, Sundays) will take a look back at a classic 90s album.
AF2
