Richard Thompson - LIVE AT THE BBC is a compilation of audio and video recordings made by Richard Thompson for the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

. The set consists of 3 CDs and a DVD. The included material was recorded over a number of years. The earliest tracks dating back to 1973, the most recent to 2009. Most of the material was recorded for various TV

BBC Television

BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...

 and radio

BBC Radio

BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...

 shows broadcast by the BBC. About 40% of the included material was performed by Richard and Linda Thompson.

CD Disc 1

All songs written by Richard Thompson except where noted

1. "The Little Beggar Girl"
2. "Dragging the River"
3. "The Great Valerio"
4. "The Neasden Hornpipe"
5. "I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight"
6. "Hokey Pokey (The Ice Cream Song)"
7. "Georgie On A Spree"
8. "I'll Regret It All In The Morning"
9. "A Heart Needs A Home"
10. "Wishing" (Holly
    Buddy Holly
    Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
    
    , Montgomery)
11. "I'm Turning Off A Memory" (Haggard
    Merle Haggard
    Merle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
    
    )
12. "A Man In Need"
13. "Withered And Died"
14. "New-Fangled Flogging Reel/Kerry Reel" (Trad. Arr Thompson)
15. "Shoot Out The Lights"
16. "Just The Motion"
17. "Back Street Slide"
18. "Night Comes In"
19. "Dimming Of The Day"
20. "Modern Woman "

• Tracks 1 to 4 were recorded in January 1973 for John Peel's
  John Peel
  John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
  
   radio show.
• Track 5 was recorded in January 1974.
• Tracks 6 to 11 were recorded in February 1975 for John Peel's
  John Peel
  John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
  
   radio show.
• Tracks 12 to 18 were recorded in concert at the Paris Theatre in May 1982.
• Tracks 19 and 20 were recorded for the BBC Radio
  BBC Radio
  BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
  
   show "Folk on 2" in 1982.

CD Disc 2

All songs written by Richard Thompson

1. "She Twists The Knife Again"
2. "You Don't Say"
3. "When The Spell Is Broken"
4. "The Angels Took My Racehorse Away"
5. "Valerie"
6. "Jennie"
7. "You Don't Say"
8. "Fire In The Engine Room"
9. "Wall Of Death"
10. "Nearly In Love"
11. "Valerie"
12. "When The Spell Is Broken"
13. "Two Left Feet"
14. "Turning Of The Tide"
15. "How Will I Ever Be Simple Again"
16. "Ghosts In The Wind"
17. "Shoot Out The Lights"
18. "She Twists The Knife Again"
19. "Withered And Died"
20. "The End of the Rainbow "

• Tracks 1 to 3 were recorded in July 1985 for Andy Kershaw
  Andy Kershaw
  Andy Kershaw is a British broadcaster, known for his interest in world music.His shows feature a mix of country, blues, reggae, folk music, spoken word performance from the likes of Ivor Cutler, and other music from around the world.- Early Life :Kershaw and his sister, fellow broadcaster Liz...
  
  .
• Tracks 4 to 10 were recorded in concert at the Hammersmith Palais
  Hammersmith Palais
  The Hammersmith Palais de Danse, later simply the Hammersmith Palais, was a ballroom and entertainment venue in London that operated from 1919 until 2007...
  
   in November 1986.
• Tracks 11 to 20 were recorded in July 1985 for Andy Kershaw
  Andy Kershaw
  Andy Kershaw is a British broadcaster, known for his interest in world music.His shows feature a mix of country, blues, reggae, folk music, spoken word performance from the likes of Ivor Cutler, and other music from around the world.- Early Life :Kershaw and his sister, fellow broadcaster Liz...
  
  .

CD Disc 3

All songs written by Richard Thompson except where noted

1. "Gethsemane"
2. "Outside of the Inside"
3. "Wall Of Death"
4. "Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen"
5. "Kidzz"
6. "Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed" (Richard Thompson and Linda Thompson)
7. "The End of the Rainbow"
8. "One Door Opens"
9. "Outside Of The Inside"
10. "Let It Blow"
11. "Old Thames Side"
12. "Dad's Gonna Kill Me"
13. "Down Where The Drunkards Roll"
14. "I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight"
15. "Needle and Thread"
16. "So Ben Mi Ca Bon Tempo" (Orazio Vecchi
    Orazio Vecchi
    Orazio Vecchi was an Italian composer of the late Renaissance. He is most famous for his madrigal comedies, particularly L'Amfiparnaso.- Life :...
    
    )
17. "The Cutty Wren" (Trad. Arr Thompson)
18. "See My Friends" (Ray Davies
    Ray Davies
    Ray Davies, CBE is an English rock musician. He is best known as lead singer and songwriter for the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother, Dave...
    
    )
19. "Time’s Gonna Break You"
20. "William Brown" (Trad. Arr Thompson)
21. "Meet On The Ledge"

• Tracks 1 to 3 were recorded in September 2001 for Andy Kershaw
  Andy Kershaw
  Andy Kershaw is a British broadcaster, known for his interest in world music.His shows feature a mix of country, blues, reggae, folk music, spoken word performance from the likes of Ivor Cutler, and other music from around the world.- Early Life :Kershaw and his sister, fellow broadcaster Liz...
  
  .
• Tracks 4 to 7 were recorded in April 2003 for Andy Kershaw
  Andy Kershaw
  Andy Kershaw is a British broadcaster, known for his interest in world music.His shows feature a mix of country, blues, reggae, folk music, spoken word performance from the likes of Ivor Cutler, and other music from around the world.- Early Life :Kershaw and his sister, fellow broadcaster Liz...
  
  .
• Tracks 8 and 9 were recorded in May 2004.
• Tracks 10 to 15 were recorded in July 2007 for Tom Robinson's
  Tom Robinson
  Tom Robinson is an English singer-songwriter, bassist and radio presenter, better known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson Band...
  
   show on BBC 6 Music
  BBC 6 Music
  BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
  
  .
• Tracks 16 to 18 were recorded in December 2008 for Bob Harris
  Bob Harris (radio)
  Robert Brinley Joseph "Bob" Harris, OBE , known as "Whispering" Bob Harris, is British radio host who currently works for BBC Radio 2, presenting music two nights a week...
  
  .
• Tracks 19 to 21 were recorded in January 2009.

DVD

All compositions by Richard Thompson except where noted

1. "Jet Plane In A Rocking Chair"
2. "A Heart Needs A Home"
3. "Night Comes In"
4. "I'm A Dreamer" (Sandy Denny
   Sandy Denny
   Sandy Denny , born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny, was an English singer and songwriter, perhaps best known as the lead singer for the folk rock band Fairport Convention...
   
   )
5. "I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight"
6. "Shoot Out The Lights"
7. "You're Going to Need Somebody"
8. "Dargai" (James Scott Skinner
   James Scott Skinner
   James Scott Skinner was a Scottish dancing master, violinist, fiddler, and composer.Skinner was born in Banchory, near Aberdeen. His father was a dancing master on Deeside. James was only eighteen months old when his father died. When James was seven, his elder brother, Sandy, gave him lessons in...
   
   )
9. "Dimming Of The Day"
10. "Pavanne" (Richard Thompson and Linda Thompson)
11. "Just The Motion"
12. "Fire In The Engine Room"
13. "She Twists The Knife Again"
14. "Wall Of Death"
15. "When The Spell Is Broken"
16. "Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed"
17. "The Wrong Heartbeat"
18. "Tear Stained Letter"
19. "She Twists the Knife Again "

• Tracks 1 and 2 were recorded in March 1975 for The Old Grey Whistle Test.
• Tracks 3 to 9 were recorded in August 1981 for the show "A Little Night Music".
• Tracks 10 and 11 were recorded in January 1981 for Jake Thackray and Songs
  Jake Thackray and Songs
  -Personnel:*Jake Thackray - vocals and guitar*Alan Williams - string bass*John Etheridge - guitar-References:** and track listings at jakethackray.com...
  
  .
• Tracks 12 to 18 were recorded in April 1985 for Polydor
  Polydor Records
  Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
  
   and broadcast on BBC Television
  BBC Television
  BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
  
   in August 1985.
• Track 19 was recorded in August 1985 for The Old Grey Whistle Test.

Personnel

Musicians:

• Richard Thompson - guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  , vocals
  Singing
  Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
  
  
• Linda Thompson
  Linda Thompson (singer)
  Linda Thompson is a British singer. Born Linda Pettifer in Hackney, Thompson became one of the most recognised names—and voices—in the British folk rock movement of the 1970s and 1980s, in collaboration with her former husband and fellow British folk rock musician, guitarist Richard...
  
   – vocals
• Simon Nicol
  Simon Nicol
  Simon John Breckenridge Nicol is a guitarist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He was a founder member of British folk rock, or electric folk group Fairport Convention and is the only founding member still in the band...
  
   – guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
   and backing vocals
• Timmy Donald - drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  
• Pat Donaldson
  Pat Donaldson
  Pat Donaldson is a bass guitarist.The 2i's Coffee Bar in Old Compton Street, Soho was a legendary hang-out for early rock artists of Britain. It was here that Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard and Terry Dean played. Albert Lee and Pat Donaldson played here while they were members of Bob Xavier and the...
  
    - bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  
• Ian Whiteman - piano
  Piano
  The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
  
  
• John Kirkpatrick  - accordion
  Accordion
  The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
  
  , concertina
  Concertina
  A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
  
  
• Pete Zorn
  Pete Zorn
  Pete Zorn is an American multi-instrumentalist who plays roots music. He is best known as a longstanding member of Richard Thompson's touring band, where he serves as backing vocalist and plays acoustic guitar, mandolin, saxophone, flute, and tin whistle.Although he frequently tours with Thompson,...
  
   - bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
   and backing vocals
• Dave Mattacks
  Dave Mattacks
  Dave Mattacks is a rock and folk drummer. Best known for his work with Fairport Convention, Mattacks has also worked both as a session musician, and as a performance artist...
  
   – drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  
• Clive Gregson
  Clive Gregson
  Clive Gregson is an English singer/songwriter, musician and record producer. He has toured in bands, provided backup for well-known musicians, and written songs that have been covered by Kim Carnes, Norma Waterson and Nanci Griffith.-Solo:At the end of 1984 Gregson released his first solo record,...
  
   - guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  , backing vocals
• Christine Collister
  Christine Collister
  Christine Collister is a Manx folk, blues and jazz singer-songwriter. She was born and grew up on the Isle of Man and first came to public attention in 1986 as the singer of the theme song for the BBC's television adaptation of Fay Weldon's book The Life and Loves of a She-Devil.Prior to this, in...
  
   - backing vocals, percussion
  Percussion instrument
  A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
  
   and acoustic guitar
• Gerry Conway
  Gerry Conway (musician)
  Gerald Conway is an English folk and rock drummer/percussionist, best known for having performed with the backing band for Cat Stevens in the 1970s, Jethro Tull during the 1980s, and currently a member of Fairport Convention as well as his side projects...
  
   - drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  
• Rory MacFarlane - bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  and backing vocals