Rock's Backpages - Charlie Gillett

Freelance journalist from 1967, weekly column in UK weekly, Record Mirror and reviews and features for US publications including Rolling Stone, Creem, Fusion, etc. History of rock ‘n’ roll, The Sound of the City first published in New York in 1970, when full-page reviews in Time Magazine and the New York Times led to author's tour of the States and subsequent publication by Souvenir Press in UK in 1971. Included on Reading Lists on many US college courses in Media Studies; in print ever since. Revised Third Edition published in 1996 by Souvenir (UK) and Da Capo (US), with substantial photo section and a guide to compilation CDs. Making Tracks: The History of Atlantic Records published by St Martins Press, New York, 1974. Consultant to the Oxford English Dictionary; Contributing Editor for the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

From March 1972 produced/presented weekly Sunday lunchtime show on BBC Radio London, "Honky Tonk", playing the "roots" of pop music - R&B, soul, rock 'n' roll, gospel and cajun - alongside whatever contemporary music that seemed to fit. Muddy Waters, Professor Longhair, Bonnie Raitt, Dr John and Ry Cooder were among the many guests. Airplay on "Honky Tonk" for demos by Graham Parker, Elvis Costello and Dire Straits led to record deals. Moved to London’s leading commercial pop station, Capital Radio in 1980 and from ’83 pioneered the first British radio show specializing what came to be called World Music, providing the first UK airplay for Youssou N'Dour, Arrow, Salif Keita and many other African and Caribbean artists in shows successively named "A Foreign Affair", "The City Beats" and "A World of Difference". Sony Gold Award for UK Broadcaster-of-the-Year, 1991. Researched/ presented six one hour specials, "Soul Pioneers", BBC Radio 2, 1998-2000 (Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Otis Redding).

Since May 1995 has produced/presented two-hour "Saturday Night" on BBC GLR, (relaunched April 2000 as London Live) 94.9 FM. Alternate Saturdays feature a "Radio Ping Pong" session, playing records with guests including author Nick Hornby, guitarists David Byrne, Mark Knopfler, Chrissie Hynde and Manu Chao. Nominated for Best UK Weekend Music Show, Sony Awards 1999. Voted in Top Three World Music Program in worldwide competition staged by German broadcasting company, Deutsche Welle, awarded Sept 2000.

Since 1972, co-director Oval record and publishing company with partner Gordon Nelki, recording first album by Ian Dury (as leader of Kilburn and the High Roads), co-producing first album by Lene Lovich (including international hit 'Lucky Number') for Stiff Records in 1979. Oval published by Paul Hardcastle’s 'Rain Forest' and "19," the latter selling 3 million copies worldwide in ’85. 'Would You...?' by Touch and Go was the Oval label’s first top 3 hit in the UK and a top ten throughout most of Europe 1998-1999. Music consultant to advertising agencies and film companies, selecting songs for many ad campaigns including Levis, and choosing the music for three films written by Hanif Kureishi, including My Son the Fanatic in 1998.

Compilation albums include the seminal collection of cajun and local pop from South Louisiana, Another Saturday Night (originally released on Oval 1974, currently in the catalogue of Ace Records) and world music collections for Polygram's Debutante label - And The World's All Yours (1996) and And This is the World Calling (1998). Current projects: World 2000, 2-CD set for EMI Hemisphere, August 2000; Calling Out Around the World for World Entertainment Network, Fall, 2000; The Sound of the City, five-volume series of 2-CD sets, one each for New York, New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago and LA, due for release by EMI in 2001