Adam and Joe (radio show)

The Adam and Joe Show
Genre Comedy, talk, music
Running time 10.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
Country United Kingdom
Language(s) English
Home station BBC Radio 6 Music
Host(s) Adam Buxton, Joe Cornish, Edith Bowman
Producer(s) Claire Slevin, Geoff Jein, Jude Adam & Ben Appleyard[1]
Exec. producer(s) James Stirling[1]
Air dates 27 October 2007 to 31 December 2011 (as Adam & Edith: 29 December 2012)
Audio format Digital Audio Broadcasting
Streaming audio[2]
Website Adam and Joe BBC 6 Music page
Podcast Adam and Joe

Adam and Joe is a Sony Award winning radio show on BBC Radio 6 Music presented by Adam and Joe - comedians Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish. The show began in October 2007 and ran for three hours in a Saturday morning slot, originally from 9:00am to 12:00pm before moving to 10:00am to 1:00pm. After a hiatus from 26 December 2009, the series returned for three months on 2 April 2011[3] on BBC Radio 6 Music. The show also briefly returned in late 2012 with Edith Bowman replacing Joe Cornish as Adam's co-presenter.

History

Filling in for Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington, Adam and Joe first appeared on the London-only radio station XFM in 2003, leading to a series of popular podcasts. They remained at the station for three years, with their final show broadcast on Christmas Eve 2006.

In August 2007, they presented the BBC Radio 6 Music weekday morning slot for two weeks, filling in for Shaun Keaveny. This led to their own Saturday breakfast show, starting 27 October 2007, signed for a 1-year contract.[4] In October 2008, their contract was extended for another year.

On 12 December 2009 podcast, it was announced that, as of Boxing Day, the show would be put on hold while Joe was away directing the film Attack the Block.

Adam and Joe returned to BBC Radio 6 Music for three special shows during the 2010 Glastonbury Festival, each running for 2 hours over the course of the 3-day festival. In August Adam announced on his blog that they would be back in November[5] but the press release for Song Wars Volume 2 said they would be back in December. The new series started on 2 April 2011.[3]

Features

Song Wars

Adam and Joe compose a song on a given theme (often using the program GarageBand[6]). Listeners vote for their favourite.[7] Both Adam and Joe have occasionally made videos for their songs.[8][9]

An album of the first 12 pairs of songs was released on 23 June 2008 exclusively on iTunes entitled Adam & Joe, Song Wars volume one.[10][11] The album was reviewed by The Times and given 4 out of 5 stars.[12]

A second album, Adam and Joe's Song Wars Volume 2 was released in December 2010.[13]

Theme Adam's Song Joe's/Garth's Song Score
Height "Four Foot Club" "T.A.L.L." (WIN – 60% of votes) 0–1
Public Transport "Tiny Mobile Speakers" "The Public Transport Song" (WIN – 68% of votes) 0–2
IKEA Meatball Cooking Instructions "Meatballs" "Meatballs" (WIN – 68% of votes) 0–3
Specific listeners "James Rohan Neanderthal Man" (WIN – 75% of votes) "Jack Meller's Song" 1–3
Climate Change (with whistling) "Sincere Whistling Eco Song" "Global Warming Song" (WIN – 58% of votes) 1–4
I'm A Celebrity... "I'm a Celebrity Song" "IACGMOOH" (WIN – 74% of votes) 1–5
New closing credit music for a film "The Hours" (WIN – 86% of votes) "The Shining" 2–5
Christmas "Christmas Country Party Time" "All Night Garage" (WIN) 2–6
Ringtones "You Got A Call" (WIN – 79% of votes) Controversially entered three: "Phone Call", "You Funky Mother" and "Excuse Me" 3–6
Cryptozoology "Loch Ness Song" "Bigfoot" (WIN) 3–7
Educational Song for Children "Toothpaste Brush" "The Right and Wrong Song" (WIN – 97% of votes) 3–8
Internet piracy "Mind of a Pirate" (WIN – 93% of votes) "Cautionary Song about Illegal Downloading" 4–8
Songs in a foreign language "Penélope Cruz" (WIN – 93% of votes) "The Actresses of France" 5–8
Songs featuring family members "BaaadDad Rap" ft. Nigel Buxton (WIN – 90% of votes) "I'm Still Standing" ft. Grandma Joan [By Garth Jennings] 1–0
Kate Nash Parody "Bums and Binge Drinking" (WIN – 62% of votes) "Itchy Bum" 6–8
Music festivals "Festival Time" (WIN – 75% of votes) "Glastonbury Song" 7–8
Family friendly erotica "Dirty Robots" "Dr. Sexy" (WIN – 64% of votes) 7–9
New birthday songs "Happy Birthday Time" (WIN – 83% of votes) "Birthday Reply Song" 8–9
Illness "Flu" "Hayfever" (WIN – 75% of votes) [By Garth Jennings] 1–1
The Quantum of Solace "The Quantum of Solace" (WIN – 64% of votes) "The Sontum of Quolace" 9–9
Grazia Magazine "Too Beautiful for a Cranky Old Bag Like Me" (WIN – 91% of votes) "This Week in Grazia" 10–9
Credit Crunch "The Crunch" "My Credit Crunchy Song" (WIN – 68% of votes) [By Garth Jennings] 1–2
Radiohead 'Reckoner' Remix "It's Very Hard To Clear Radiohead" (WIN – 65% of votes) "Thom in the Shower" [By Garth Jennings] 2–2
Scary Songs "Nutty Room" (WIN – 86% of votes) "Hallo Mr. Ghost" 11–9
Revised T.V. Theme Tunes "Here's The News" "Antiques Roadshow "(WIN – 93% of votes) 11–10
National Treasures "Stephen Fry" "La La Lumley" (WIN – 51% of votes) 11–11
Baz Luhrmann's Australia "Australia Song" (WIN – 68% of votes) "Australia" 12–11
Ultimate '80s song "'80s Song" (WIN – 57% of votes) "Incredible Song" 13–11
The Apprentice "The Apprentice" (WIN – 66% of votes) "Song for Margaret Mountford" 14–11
Bathtime Songs "Special Bath" (WIN – 67% of votes) "Bathtime for Bowie" 15–11
Royal Wedding "The Royal Wedding Song" (WIN – 59% of votes) "Right Royal Rave-up" 16–11
Toys and Games "Party Pom Pom" (WIN – 64% of votes) "Twister" [By Garth Jennings] 3–2

"Video Wars" was a competition set by Adam and Joe for listeners to create a music video for two Song Wars songs: either Adam's song 'Jane's Brain' or Joe's song 'Meatballs'.[14] Reviewing these videos in the Telegraph, Gillian Reynolds described them as "so good they surpassed what is on TV".[15] They were right." – Gillian Reynolds, The Daily Telegraph[16] The winner was Chris Salt for his Lego animation of 'Jane's Brain.'[17][18]

Text the Nation

Listeners text or email anecdotes or ideas on a subject given by Adam and Joe, which they refer to as 'The Nation's Favourite Feature'[19]

A "Retro Text the Nation" segment was introduced as a podcast-only feature, in which listeners who did not listen live could contribute to Text The Nation. It was first introduced in February 2009 but from 12 September 2009, this was incorporated into their live show as it exceeded the limit of "new material" allowed to be produced on a BBC podcast.[20]

Black Squadron

People who listen to the show live from 9 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. are known as "Black Squadron" – a title bestowed upon them in recognition of their ability to rise early on a Saturday morning – and are often given a task to do.[21][22] From late 2009, Black Squadron's commands were issued between 10 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. instead.

The emergence of "Black Squadron" has given rise to a number of variants on the theme;

Jingles

The show's idents and jingles are mostly created by Adam. Jingles are used to introduce the different sections and features of the show. From late 2008, listeners were invited to send in original or cover versions of existing jingles.[20] Despite Adam producing the vast majority of the jingles Joe's Retro Text the Nation jingle is by far the most popular.

Adam and Garth Jennings also produced a series of pirate radio-style interludes which they interrupted songs with; as the radio station is DAB only, this was presented as a charming relic of the analogue listening experience.[24] The clips have also been used to cover up swearing in songs.

Stephenage

A social phenomenon, known as Stephenage, whereby listeners shout out 'Stephen!' in a public place. Other listeners reply with 'just coming!'.[25][26] Thereby listeners can identify each other.[27] This happens particularly at music gigs, though other situations have been reported such as a cinema and a museum, and recordings have been sent in to the show.[27]

The origins of "Stephen!" lie in one of the show's 'Text the Nation' stories about juvenilia, submitted by a listener called Steve Curran. Curran related his youthful creation of a self-referential magazine, depicting him in the style of an "Action Force" soldier. The title of the magazine was "STEPHEN!".

Boggins

Voiced by Adam, Boggins is a friendly but filthy and smelly dog who arrived in the studio after Adam 'left', and went on to tell Joe how much he loves him but also what he has been rolling in, and that he ate it as well. There was an ongoing debate as to whether Boggins should be put down or not. In the course of the Christmas show (broadcast 19 December 2009) a panto completed the Boggins story by revealing that he had been re-homed with a London street urchin. Joe was of the opinion that living on the street would result in the dog's death. During 2011 it became apparent that the child had a home and a family, who were desperate to get rid of Boggins as he was "tearing them apart as a family." Adam and Joe then took him to Glastonbury, and after the assembled listeners voted not to kill him, he was released into the mud and smells of the festival site.

Podcast

A podcast was produced beginning in January 2008. With the exception of Song Wars, all music is removed.[28] At first it consisted of about half an hour of highlights of the show; since late 2008 it has been about an hour of highlights. A simple cut retaining just the talk lasts about an hour and a half.

There is a special spoken introduction and ending, and extra jingles are added between cuts. Beginning in February 2009 there was a podcast-only section called 'Retro Text The Nation' where podcast listeners' contributions to the previous week's Text The Nation were read out.[20] Since late September 2009, this feature has transferred over to the live show, while being retained as part of the podcast.

The podcast has featured in the top ten of the iTunes Comedy Podcast Chart.[29]

While Adam and Joe were on their summer break in 2009, seven Song Wars Classics (or KQLLASSIXCQS) podcasts were released weekly in which the boys talked about their songs in a 'ludicrous way,' and including their normal, rambling chit-chat. The themes were as follows: Family Friendly Erotica, Revisied T.V. Theme Tunes, Kate Nash Parody Songs, Quantum of Solace, Internet Piracy, Grazia Magazine, and Free Choice – Adam's Flu Song and Joe's 'Umm, err symphony.'

The songs were available as MP3 file downloads from their blog.

Guests

Garth Jennings has stood in for Joe on a few occasions, and taken part in Song Wars in his place.[30] For most of 2010, Andrew Collins and Richard Herring hosted Adam and Joe's morning slot. Collins and Herring continued a few of the Adam Joe's features including 'Song Wars' altered to 'Diary Wars' (in which both presenters would read out excerpts from their own teenage diaries), and 'Text the Nation' as 'Text the Station'. Collins and Herring have appealed to listeners to create radio-jingles, this much in the same spirit as Adam and Joe's feature.

Adam and Joe show has interviewed at least three celebrity guests, including Sir Roger Moore,[31] Redd Pepper, and Seasick Steve.[32] Frank Skinner and Lauren Laverne dropped by for a brief chat during one of the Christmas shows. Adam and Joe typically conduct informal interviews with bands such as Fleet Foxes when broadcasting from festivals.

Awards

The show won a Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Radio Programme of the Year in 2008,[33] and three silver Sony Awards in 2009; two for the programme in the "Entertainment" and "Comedy" categories, and one for the "Video Wars" slot in the "Competition" category.[1] In 2010, the Adam and Joe show was awarded the Sony Gold Award for Best Comedy, the judges describing the show as "extremely funny, engaging and inclusive".[34]

Reception and popularity

The show received about 160,000 listeners a week, and 95,000 podcast downloads a week.[25]

A two-hour best-of compilation was aired on BBC Radio 2 on New Year's Day, 2009.[35]

'Without fanfare, their BBC show has quietly become essential listening, woven into the comforting fabric of Saturday mornings.' – Luke Lewis, NME[25]

'Listening to the show is like sitting in on a pub conversation between two extremely witty, frivolous, pop-culture-literate mates. ' – James Delingpole, The Times[6]

'On 6 Music, Adam and Joe lay bare the mechanisms of radio to great comic effect.' – Lesley Douglas, The Guardian[36]

'They don't get the recognition that they deserve' – Gareth McLean on TV blog, The Guardian[37]

'Adam and Joe deserve a big audience but I hope they don't get one. They are too funny, inventive, disrespectful, joyous. They are also intelligent [...] But if Radio 1, or the new Capital, or Radio 2, or even Radio 4 in one of its desperately "young" moods were to sign them up, they would change, become frantic, be obliged to fit in. At the moment they chat without putting each other down. They laugh as if they mean it. They are not mean. This attracts amiable listeners [...] How cheering to have some signals from a radio world beyond celebs, Olympics and the new football season.' – Gillian Reynolds, The Daily Telegraph[16]

Quotations

"Creatively, there are lots to be said for it really. You feel much closer to your audience on live radio and you can be a lot more relaxed and the funny things can be lots more spontaneous and therefore funnier. [...] The radio's, if not lucrative, a very rewarding hobby and it's the only thing that we do together now, so it keeps our friendship and banter alive." – Joe Cornish[38]

"This is going to sound a bit cheesy, but I swear that it's true – working at 6 Music is the most fun I've ever had working with Joe. After the death of our TV series, it's almost like we've become friends again. Being on the radio is nice – it's like hanging out again, fooling about and talking rubbish. I really enjoy it and look forward to it every week." – Adam Buxton[39]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Sony Radio Academy Awards – Winners". Radioawards.org. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  2. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/6music_aod.shtml?6music/6m_adamjoe – iPlayer: previous week's show
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/6music.shtml – iPlayer: listen live
  3. 1 2 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamandjoe/2011/03/theyre-back.shtml
  4. ↑ On Air Now: 10:00 – 13:00. "BBC 6 Music Episode Guide". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  5. ↑ "Festival News". Adam Buxton. 6 August 2010. Archived from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  6. 1 2 Adam and Joe: reluctant celebrities – James Delingpole, The Times
  7. ↑ Adam & Joe – Song Wars on YouTube
  8. ↑ AUSTRALIA SONG on YouTube – song and video by Adam
  9. ↑ QUANTUM OF SOLACE – PROPOSED THEME SONG on YouTube – song and video by Joe
  10. ↑ "iTunes link to song wars vol.1". Phobos.apple.com. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  11. ↑ Adam & Joe Official Album Page – on Facebook
  12. ↑ Adam & Joe: Song Wars: Volume One – Sophie Harris, The Times
  13. ↑ "Adam and Joe's Song Wars Volume 2". Dreamboat Records. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
  14. ↑ BBC 6 Music: Adam and Joe's Video Wars on YouTube
  15. ↑ Video Wars: The Runners-Up – 6 Music website
  16. 1 2 Gillian Reynolds on Radio – The Daily Telegraph
  17. ↑ "Jane's Brain". Oblong Pictures. 10 August 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  18. ↑ Video Wars – The Winner – 6 Music website
  19. ↑ TEXT THE NATION JINGLE ETC! – adam-buxton.co.uk
  20. 1 2 3 Joe wrote this jingle, then sung over a piano arrangement written by a listener: Adam & Joe – Retro Text the Nation on YouTube
  21. ↑ The Black Squadron (9 a.m. club) – Facebook group
  22. ↑ Black Squadron [on the radio] – Facebook group
  23. ↑ BBC – 6 Music – Shows – Adam And Joe – BBC 6 Music Website
  24. ↑ Pirate radio interludes to download – from the 6 Music website
  25. 1 2 3 Adam And Joe's 6 Music Show Is About More Than Cosy Nostalgia – Luke Lewis, NME
  26. ↑ Pictures of 'Stephen! Just Coming! T-shirts from radio show recorded at the Camden Crawl
  27. 1 2 "Stephen!" "Yes?" "I’m in trouble!" "Just coming!" – TV Cream Towers
  28. ↑ "Podcasts – Adam and Joe". BBC. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  29. ↑ "Adam executed a rabbit and 'enjoyed it'". Metro. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  30. ↑ Garth Jennings – My Credit Crunchy Song on YouTube
  31. ↑ "6 Music Programmes – Adam and Joe, 18 October 2008". BBC. 18 October 2008. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
  32. ↑ "6 Music Programmes – Adam and Joe, 29 June 2008". BBC. 29 June 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  33. ↑ "2008 Awards". Broadcasting Press Guild. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  34. ↑ "Sony Radio Academy Awards – Winners". Radioawards.org. Archived from the original on 11 April 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  35. ↑ 6 MUSIC COMPILATION NEWS! – Adam-Buxton.co.uk
  36. ↑ Great radio presenters simply make the everyday better' – Lesley Douglas, The Guardian
  37. ↑ Are Adam and Joe criminally underrated? – Gareth McLean on TV blog, The Guardian
  38. ↑ The Tall Guy – The Joe Cornish Interview – Channel 4
  39. ↑ Norfolk home for TV's Adam Buxton – David Keller, BBC Norfolk

External links

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