Nucleus - 2021 - Live at the BBC

Nucleus

2021

Live at the BBC

BBC Radio 1 Top Gear, 7 March 1970

0101. Nucleus Introduction: John Peel 0:29

0102. Nucleus Elastic Rock 4:07

0103. Nucleus 1916 (The Battle Of Boogaloo) 3:41

0104. Nucleus Orpheus 4:24

0105. Nucleus Persephone’s Jive 2:41

0106. Nucleus Twisted Track 5:08

BBC Radio 2 Jazz Club, 6 May 1970

0107. Nucleus Song For The Bearded Lady 4:27

0108. Nucleus Elastic Rock 5:07

0109. Nucleus Stonescape 1:40

0110. Nucleus Single Line 1:03

0111. Nucleus Twisted Track 5:25

0112. Nucleus 1916 (The Battle Of Boogaloo) 6:02

0113. Nucleus Persephone’s Jive 1:12

BBC Radio 1 Sounds Of The 70s, 24 July 1970

0114. Nucleus Never Carry Any More Than You Can Eat 2:04

0115. Nucleus Ballad Of Joe Pimp 4:55

0116. Nucleus 1916 (The Battle Of Boogaloo) 5:53

BBC Radio 3 Jazz In Britain, 27 July 1970

0117. Nucleus Sun Child 8:46

0118. Nucleus Introduction: Brian Priestley 0:47

0119. Nucleus Freudian Saturday 5:04

0120. Nucleus Outro: Brian Priestley 0:35

0201. Nucleus Oasis 9:53

0202. Nucleus Introduction: Brian Priestley 0:31

0203. Nucleus Jam 3:11

BBC Radio 2 Jazz Club, 11 October 1970

0204. Nucleus 1916 (Battle Of Boogaloo) 14:17

0205. Bearded Lady 10:34

0206. Nucleus We’ll Talk About It Later 9:55

0207. Nucleus Snakehips’ Dream 5:58

BBC Transcription Service Jazz London, 9 March 1971

0208. Nucleus Song For The Bearded Lady 10:24

0209. Nucleus Elastic 5:57

0210. Nucleus Snakehips’ Dream 8:08

BBC Radio 1 Top Gear, 27 March 1971

0301. Nucleus Snakehips’ Dream 8:30

0302. Nucleus Introduction: John Peel

0303. Nucleus Song For The Bearded Lady 9:45

0304. Nucleus Morning Call 4:42

BBC Radio 1 John Peel Sunday Concert, 18 April 1971

0305. Nucleus Introduction: John Peel

0306. Nucleus Song For The Bearded Lady 13:36

0307. Nucleus Snakehips’ Dream 15:32

0308. Nucleus Crude Blues Part Two 4:08

BBC Radio 3 Jazz In Britain, 19 April 1971

0401. Nucleus Introduction: Don Locke 2:58

0402. Nucleus The Dream 26:45

BBC Radio 1 Top Gear, 10 October 1972

0403. Nucleus Mayday 5:30

0404. Nucleus Belladonna 10:36

0405. Nucleus Suspension 6:08

BBC Radio 3 Jazz In Britain, Part Of A Concert Recorded On St. David’s Day, 11 March 1974

0501. Ian Carr's Nucleus New Life 6:30

0502. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 0:50

0503. Ian Carr's Nucleus Sarsaparilla 7:16

0504. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 0:38

0505. Ian Carr's Nucleus Pastoral Graffiti 7:05

0506. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 0:39

0507. Ian Carr's Nucleus Theme 3: Rites Of Man 7:03

BBC Radio 3 Jazz In Britain, 28 August 1975

0508. Nucleus With Ian Carr Snakehips Etcetera 11:06

0509. Nucleus With Ian Carr Introduction: Charles Alexander 0:21

0510. Nucleus With Ian Carr Alive and Kicking 9:11

0511. Nucleus With Ian Carr Rat’s Bag 5:58

0512. Nucleus With Ian Carr– Outro: Charles Alexander 0:16

BBC Radio 2 Sounds Of Jazz, 26 June 1977

0513. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 0:17

0514. Ian Carr's Nucleus Splat 9:39

0515. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 1:02

0516. Ian Carr's Nucleus Brain Child 6:53

0517. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 1:06

0601. Ian Carr's Nucleus In Flagrante Delicto 7:31

BBC Radio 3 Jazz In Britain, 17 March 1980

0602. Nucleus Introduction: Charles Fox 2:50

0603. Nucleus Sassy (American Girl) 10:00

0604. Nucleus Black Ballad (Ecce Domina) 7:40

0605. Nucleus Simply This (The Human Condition) 9:19

0606. Nucleus Outro: Charles Fox 0:35

BBC Radio 3 Jazz In Britain, 16 February 1981

0607. The Ian Carr Band Conversation With The Blues Part 1 9:10

0608. The Ian Carr Band Conversation With The Blues Part 2 9:14

0609 The Ian Carr Band Sidewalk 7:34

BBC Radio 3 Jazz In Britain, 8 November 1982

0610. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Charles Fox 1:30

0611. Ian Carr's Nucleus Easy Does It Now 9:32

0701. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Charles Fox 1:29

0702. Ian Carr's Nucleus The Pretty Redhead 9:05

0703. Ian Carr's Nucleus For Miles And Miles 6:35

BBC Radio 1 Sounds Of Jazz, 12 December 1982

0704. Ian Carr's Nucleus Dawn Choruses 8:30

0705. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 1:19

0706. Ian Carr's Nucleus After The Rain 9:27

0707. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 1:15

0708. Ian Carr's Nucleus You Can’t Be Serious You Must Be Joking 7:03

0709. Ian Carr's Nucleus Outro: Peter Clayton 1:00

BBC Radio 3 Jazz Today, 6 April 1983

0710. Nucleus Introduction: Charles Fox 3:29

0711. Nucleus Symptoms Of Love 9:07

0712. Nucleus She Tells Her Love 6:32

0713. Nucleus Introduction: Charles Fox 1:13

0714. Nucleus Love In Barrenness 2:22

0715. Nucleus Remorse Code 7:25

0716. Nucleus Outro: Charles Fox 0:18

BBC Radio 2 Sounds Of Jazz, 22 April 1984

0801. Ian Carr's Nucleus Something For Mister Jelly Lord 8:49

0802. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Ian Carr 1:07

0803. Ian Carr's Nucleus She Tells Her Love 8:19

0804. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Ian Carr 0:44

0805. Ian Carr's Nucleus Bouquets Pour Ma Belle 7:41

BBC Radio 3 Jazz Today, 12 February 1985

0806. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Charles Fox 0:52

0807. Ian Carr's Nucleus Chiaroscuro 7:25

0808. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Charles Fox 0:22

0809. Ian Carr's Nucleus Midnight Oil 5:04

0810. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Charles Fox 0:29

0811. Ian Carr's Nucleus Awakening 9:58

0812. Ian Carr's Nucleus Outro: Charles Fox 0:23

BBC Radio 2 Sounds Of Jazz, 14 April 1985

0813. Ian Carr's Jazz Nucleus Dawn Choruses 8:27

0814. Ian Carr's Jazz Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 1:09

0815. Ian Carr's Jazz Nucleus For Miles And Miles 8:09

0816. Ian Carr's Jazz Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 0:50

0817. Ian Carr's Jazz Nucleus Easy Does It Now 7:23

0818. Ian Carr's Jazz Nucleus Outro: Peter Clayton 0:26

BBC Radio 2 Sounds Of Jazz, 31 January 1988

0901. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 0:23

0902. Ian Carr's Nucleus Dawn Choruses 11:10

0903. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Ian Carr 0:53

0904. Ian Carr's Nucleus For Miles And Miles 11:28

0905. Ian Carr's Nucleus Open Country 29:52

0906. Ian Carr's Nucleus Outro: Peter Clayton 0:55

BBC Radio 3 Music In Our Time, 7 March 1991

1001. Ian Carr And His Band Introduction: Ian Carr 1:27

1002. Ian Carr And His Band Trio For Open Trumpet, EWI and Drums 4:43

1003. Ian Carr And His Band Duo In B Minor For Harmon-Muted Trumpet And Bass Guitar 4:38

1004. Ian Carr And His Band Quintet In A 11:23

1005. Ian Carr And His Band Introduction: Ian Carr 0:18

1006. Ian Carr And His Band Duo For Trumpet And Soprano Saxophone 3:04

1007. Ian Carr And His Band Trio In D For Flugelhorn, Guitar And Bass Guitar 5:27

1008. Ian Carr And His Band Introduction: Ian Carr 0:17

1009. Ian Carr And His Band Duo In Fast Tempo For Cup-Muted Trumpet And Drums 4:14

1010. Ian Carr And His Band Duo For Straight Muted Trumpet And Guitar 4:33

1011. Ian Carr And His Band Duo For Open Trumpet And Tenor Saxophone 4:17

1012. Ian Carr And His Band Introduction: Ian Carr 0:24

1013. Ian Carr And His Band Old Heartland 12:25

1014. Ian Carr And His Band Outro: Unknown Announcer 0:32

BBC Radio 2 Jazz Parade, 7 November 1991

1101. The Ian Carr Group Introduction: Digby Fairweather 1:01

1102. The Ian Carr Group Uncertain Seduction 8:52

1103. The Ian Carr Group Introduction: Digby Fairweather 0:58

1104. The Ian Carr Group Full Fathom Five 4:32

1105. The Ian Carr Group Introduction: Digby Fairweather 0:29

1106. The Ian Carr Group Pandemonium 13:27

1107. The Ian Carr Group Outro: Digby Fairweather 0:35

BBC .Radio 2 Sounds Of Jazz, 22 February 1987

1201. Ian Carr's Nucleus Dawn Choruses 12:56

1202. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Ian Carr 0:40

1203. Ian Carr's Nucleus For Miles And Miles 13:33

1204. Ian Carr's Nucleus You Can’t Be Serious You Must Be Joking 8:42

1205. Ian Carr's Nucleus Easy Does It Now 10:55

BBC Radio 2 Sounds Of Jazz, 7 January 1979

1301. Ian Carr's Nucleus Gone With The Weed 5:59

1302. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 1:12

1303. Ian Carr's Nucleus Out Of The Long Dark 8:17

1304. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 0:59

1305. Ian Carr's Nucleus Lady Bountiful 12:03

1306. Ian Carr's Nucleus Outro: Peter Clayton 0:14

BBC Radio 2 Sounds Of Jazz, 7 December 1980

1307. Ian Carr's Nucleus Mutatis Mutandis 8:20

1308. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 0:54

1309. Ian Carr's Nucleus Things Past 11:32

1310. Ian Carr's Nucleus Introduction: Peter Clayton 1:00

1311. Ian Carr's Nucleus You Can’t Be Serious, You Must Be Joking 7:27

1312. Ian Carr's Nucleus Outro: Peter Clayton 0:21

Ian Carr: Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Electric Piano,Electronics 

Bob Bertles: Alto Saxophone, Saxophone, Flute

Karl Jenkins: Bairitone Saxophone, Oboe,  Piano

Geoff Castle: Electric Piano, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Piano.

Brian Smith: Flute, Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute.

Phil Todd: Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute.

Tim Whitehead: Saxophone, Flute, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone 

Charlie Mariano: Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Nadaswaram 

Bill Kristian: Bass 

Chucho Merchan: Bass

Dill Katz: Bass 

Jeff Clyne: Bass

Joe Hubbard: Bass 

Paul Carmichael: Bass

Robbie Burns: Bass 

Roger Sutton: Bass 

Roy Babbington: Bass

John Marshall: Drums

Nic France: Drums 

Roger Sellers: Drums

Dave MacRae: Electric Piano

Allan Holdsworth: Guita

Chris Spedding: Guitar, Vocals

John Etheridge: Guitar

Kenny Shaw: Guitar 

Mark Wood: Guitar 

John Taylor: Piano 

Norma Winstone: Vocals

Formed by trumpeter and future Miles Davis biographer Ian Carr, Nucleus were a distinctly British jazz-rock group forged in the musical village-like cauldron of London at the end of the 60s. Within its first year alone (1970), Nucleus had caused a sensation at both the Montreux and Newport jazz festivals, and had recorded two albums (the first of nine for progressive-rock label Vertigo) and a torrent of sessions and concerts for the BBC, from John Peel’s Top Gear and Sounds of the 70s on Radio 1 to Jazz in Britain on Radio 3. Curated by John McLaughlin biographer Colin Harper and mastered by the mighty Eroc – the same team responsible for Repertoire’s acclaimed Colosseum and Pretty Things BBC sets – Nucleus Live At The BBC boasts nearly 15 hours of material spanning 1970-91. Almost four hours of that content documents the legendary founding line-up, featuring Chris Spedding (guitar), Karl Jenkins (keys, oboe), Brian Smith (saxes), Jeff Clyne (bass) and John Marshall (drums). The set is annotated by Ian Carr discographer/Jazz Journal contributor Roger Farbey. Aside from The Pretty Redhead (Hux, 2003), this is the first collection of BBC Nucleus and is assembled from numerous private collections and the BBC itself.

Over 14 hours of music expertly remastered and restored by Eroc, collated from such seminal shows as Top Gear, Sounds of the 70s and Jazz in Britain

"NUCLEUS was a band widely known for their direct approach to jazz." 

(From the 36-page booklet to Live At The BBC)

But Repertoire Records really got down to it again and helped one of the most successful jazz-rock bands from Great Britain to high "live" honors with this box containing 13 CDs and a 36-page booklet.

For 20 years - from 1969 to 1989 - the NUCLEUS, founded by trumpeter and flugelhorn player IAN CARR, determinedwith their extremely impressive fusion jazz scene, which was still extremely successful and widespread at the time, from which WEATHER REPORT and MILES DAVIS, HERBIE HANCOCK and CHICK COREA, SOFT MACHINE and BRAND X stood out and placed themselves in the perfection of their own playing and the well-known musicians around Ian Carr (CHRIS SPEDDING, KARL JENKINS, JOHN MARSHALL, ALLAN HOLDSWORTH and many more) join them on an equal footing. They were sure to be met with storms of enthusiasm and a lot of recognition, and they were treated as a major competitor to MILES DAVIS. Because at exactly the same time in 1970, he had released "Bitches Brew", an album that introduced and at the same time revolutionized the entire progressive jazz rock scene. NUCLEUScountered this work of the century with their debut "Elastic Rock" with an LP that appeared in a very similar light and, despite the rather simple album title, enjoys a very similar status.

The UK public broadcaster, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), quickly became aware of NUCLEUS and supported their participation in the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1970, giving British jazz rockers a lot of attention across Europe.

That collaboration grew into a long-term partnership, now fully reflected in this box set Live At The BBC, beginning with NUCLEUS' first 'BBC Radio Top Gear' performance presented by John Peel on March 7th, 1970 and their last on March 7th, 1970. November 1991 (albeit as THE IAN CARR GROUP) at the 'Jazz Parade'.

All the recordings were put together strictly chronologically up to the eleventh CD, i.e. the aforementioned jazz parade concert as THE IAN CARR GROUP. As a kind of bonus, CD 12 and 13 are an exception and present a total of three "Sounds Of Jazz" concert recordings from the years 1979, 1987 and 1991.

But NUCLEUS were also a band that was in constant flux and one line-up change around Ian Carr followed the next. On the one hand, of course, this resulted in an immense musical variety within the framework of their fusion jazz rock, but on the other hand it also pointed to some discrepancies. According to their website, "NUCLEUS performed to sold-out audiences at Electric Circus in Toronto and New York and became a hit with college-goers. Internal and musical feuds inevitably ensued, and the band broke up on the eve of a California tour that would have included their debut appearance at 'Whiskey a Go-Go'.”

Basically, most of the musicians in NUCLEUS came directly from the jazz and not the rock area, which gave their music a much more experimental, more jazz-oriented sound and was obviously much closer to the works of MILES DAVIS and HERBIE HANCOCK than many Rock bands of that time, who increasingly opened up their music to jazz and ended up in Canterbury, for example, regardless of whether it was CARAVAN or SOFT MACHINE and MATCHING MOLE.

The focus of all BBC live performances is of course trumpeter IAN CARR, but in the concert recordings really all the musicians involved - and there are a hell of a lot (almost as many as in a medium-sized orchestra!) - get plenty of opportunity, also as a soloist to excel on their instruments.

At the same time, the fact that many titles clearly exceed 10 minutes, even 20 minutes and sometimes even scratch the 30-minute mark, speaks for the complexity of all recordings and the corresponding freedom within the individual pieces, such as "The Dream" and "Open Country".

Carr himself spoke of a pluralistic concept in the context of his musical orientation of NUCLEUS , in which concretely composed passages stood next to improvised passages, as well as tonal and free sounds combined.

After more than 20 years, hardly anyone would have dared to dream that NUCLEUS , who released a total of 10 studio albums under the British record label Vertigo, which is largely influenced by progressive rock, would one day release such an extensive, high-quality 13-CD box set full of BBC footage is released. In addition, this box features a great soundscape, with more than 13 hours of music expertly remastered and restored

by EROC, the musical GROBSCHNITTer, who will certainly also have a very intimate relationship with NUCLEUS as a musician.

In addition to the music, the hardcover box, in which the 13 discs are packed in cardboard slipcases of the same design, contains a large number of interviews and announcements or announcements from BBC radio programs that were broadcast between 1970 and 1991. The additional 36-page booklet contains the complete NUCLEUS story, narrated by Roger Farbey plus an addendum by Colin Harper, as well as detailed information on all recordings and lots of previously unpublished photos.

CONCLUSION: In the course of their 20-year existence from 1969 to 1989, they have long since become a legend of British jazz rock, one of the first and at the same time most successful bands under the leadership of trumpeter and later Miles Davis biographer IAN CARR parallel to MILES DAVIS' "Bitches Brew" created a fascinating, very innovative fusion of jazz and rock: NUCLEUS . With " Live At The BBC - 13-CD-Box " a dream will surely come true for many lovers of this legend, because now the NUCLEUS story continues on a live basis and at the same time finds this huge box with a 36-page booklet her glorious end. Aside from The Pretty Redhead (Hux, 2003), this is NUCLEUS ' first collection-BBC recordings compiled from numerous private collections and those of the BBC itself. Thanks to EROC, most of the recordings are also an absolute feast for the ears in terms of sound technology. More is not possible!