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The Big Bee Weekend, Chris Packham, Michael Johnson and Live Music from Yola

Zoe chats to Chris Packham about the Big Bee Weekend, Michael talks athletics, and Yola discusses her brand new album and has live music recorded at home in Nashville.

Yola chats to Zoe about her brand new album, Stand For Myself, and has live music recorded at home. The album reflects on Yola’s belief in the possibility of paradigm shift beyond the mental programming that creates tokenism and bigotry, which have deeply impacted her personal life and professional career. Billboard included the first single, β€œDiamond Studded Shoes” in the best songs of 2021 so far, and stated Yola as a β€œpowerhouse vocalist.” The album was produced by Dan Auerbach, who produced her previous album, β€˜Walking Through Fire’. Some of the songs began in the twilight hours of Yola’s pandemic isolation, reflecting on her personal and our collective moments of longing and awakening. She will also be performing dates with Chris Stapleton on his rescheduled tour in 2021 and will headline The Ryman Auditorium in 2022.

Zoe also looks ahead to The Big Bee Weekend with TV presenter, author and naturalist Chris Packham discussing how we can get involved and do our bit to help the bees, plus she finds out about what's happening up and down the UK. And former sprinter and 4x Olympic Gold medallist Michael Johnson dropped in for a chat about the athletics at Tokyo 2020 which kicked off today.

Plus for the final day of our Radio 2 Live in 2021 announcements, Zoe revealed Westlife will be playing exclusively for us in Belfast on Thursday the 26th of August.

Along with Adam Porter on news, Richie Anderson on travel and Mike Williams on sport, she and the team have the best start to your morning. With celeb guests, quizzes, headlines, tunes chosen by listeners, and more music that you can shake a glitterball at!

There's also a daily Pause For Thought and listeners on the line, as Zoe entertains the nation with fun for the family!

2 hours, 59 minutes

Last on

Fri 30 Jul 2021 06:30
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2

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Music Played

  • The Lightning Seeds

    Lucky You

    • Lightning Seeds - Jollification.
    • Epic.

  • Jessie J

    I Want Love

    • (CD Single).
    • Lava Music/Republic Records.

  • The Lotus Eaters

    First Picture Of You

    • New Frontiers (Various Artists).
    • Temple Records.

  • Whitney Houston

    Million Dollar Bill

    • (CD Single).
    • Arista.
    • 1.

  • Four Tops

    Reach Out I'll Be There

    • No Greater Love (Various Artists).
    • Global Records & Tapes.

  • M People

    Moving On Up

    • The Best Of M People.
    • BMG.

  • Paul Simon

    You Can Call Me Al

    • The Paul Simon Anthology (Disc 2).
    • Warner Bros.
    • 4.

  • Marshmello & Jonas Brothers

    Leave Before You Love Me

    • (CD Single).
    • Polydor.

  • Katy Perry

    Chained To The Rhythm (feat. Skip Marley)

    • (CD Single).
    • Capitol Records.

  • Bee Gees

    More Than A Woman

    • Bee Gees - Their Greatest Hits.
    • Polydor.

  • Junior Senior

    Move Your Feet

    • Smash Hits Chart Summer 2003.
    • EMI/Virgin/Universal Music.

  • Alex Party

    Don't Give Me Your Life

    • (CD Single).
    • Systematic.

  • Roger Sanchez

    Another Chance

    • Now 49 (Various Artists).
    • Now.

  • Natalie Imbruglia

    Build It Better

    • Firebird.
    • BMG Rights Management.

  • Diana Ross

    Gettin' Ready For Love

    • Motown Hits Of Gold Vol.7 (Various).
    • Hitsville.

  • The Lathums

    How Beautiful Life Can Be

    • CD Single.
    • Island.

  • Bonnie Tyler

    Holding Out For A Hero

    • The No.1 Movies Album (Various Artist.
    • Polygram Tv.

  • Westlife

    World of Our Own

    • (CD Single).
    • BMG/RCA.

  • Becky Hill & David Guetta

    Remember

    • (CD Single).
    • Polydor.

  • Riton & Nightcrawlers

    Friday (feat. Mufasa & Hypeman)

    • (CD Single).
    • Ministry Of Sound.

  • Yola

    Love On Top (Radio 2 Session, 29th July 2021)

  • Primal Scream

    Rocks

    • Dirty Hits.
    • Columbia.

  • Arrow

    Hot Hot Hot

    • The Best Summer Ever (Various Artist.
    • Virgin.

  • Gwen Guthrie

    Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent

    • Now 1986 (Various Artists).
    • Now.

  • The Gap Band

    Oops Up Side Your Head

    • Soul Years 1980 (Various Artists).
    • Knight Records.

  • Gavin James

    Sober

    • (CD Single).
    • Good Soldier Records.

Pause For Thought

Pause For Thought

I had a grooming masterclass with Gemma Collins last week - long story, and not for now - but a salon appointment will be made, when I have summoned the nerve, and received cast iron assurances of discretion. On the way back, driving through the East End of London, watchingΜύΜύcool young Muslim lads in their new white dishdashes for Eid, I noticed in a gable above a shop a motif sculpted from terracotta - a beehive teeming with bees.

Μύ

It’s a symbol of industry, much used in Victorian England when that shop was built, representing the ingenuity and graft of the great industrial cities. It’s most associated with Manchester, where the worker bee appears everywhere, from the City’s coat of arms (granted in 1842), to Ariana Grande’s arm, tattooed in tribute to the victims of the bombing following her concert at the Manchester Arena in 2017.

Μύ

I wouldn’t want to get too misty-eyed about the industrial cities of Victorian England - ten year olds working in cotton mills is nothing to be nostalgic about - but there’s another meaning to the symbol of the worker bee, and that’s solidarity. Manchester, a city I have come to love since getting hitched to a Mancunian, for all its industry and graft produces, like a beehive, a rich sweetness, tempering individualism with cooperation, profit with investment, grit with graciousness.

Μύ

Example: I was at Manchester Piccadilly getting a train to Preston at rush hour. It was rammed, and if you ever need convincing of the need to upgrade rail infrastructure in the north of England, try it yourself. I fought my way onto a train, and then saw an older woman at the end of the carriage, utterly bewildered, on her own, and obviously upset as the commuter crowd surged and jostled around her; and then somebody said, β€œAre you alright, love?” and everyone stopped. Another passenger nearby got up and offered her a seat, the crowd parted so she could take it, somebody made sure she had her coat and her bag, the lady sitting next to her asked her where she was going and promised to tell her when her stop was next.Μύ

Μύ

We are, God willing, about to restart the world. Bees will once again be teeming in the hives of industry and commerce and entertainment. I just hope we’ve learned that the harvest to bring in is not only to restore our fortunes but our solidarity also.Μύ

Broadcast

  • Fri 30 Jul 2021 06:30
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2