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Culture Clash Radio - The Don's selections cross time, space and genre

Culture Clash Radio - The Don's selections cross time, space and genre.

Don Letts began his career as a DJ in 1976 at London's first punk club, The Roxy.

In those early days, very few punk records had been released, so, between energetic live sets by the likes of Buzzcocks, Siouxsie and the Banshees and his friends The Clash, Don was able to convert the young punk fans to Jamaican music by playing them his own collection of dub and reggae. Don's more laid-back soundtrack provided a welcome break from the frenzied punk sets and, as the two cultures clashed, a lasting allegiance was formed.

Embracing punk's D.I.Y. ethos, Don began filming the bands at The Roxy and compiled the footage into his first film, The Punk Rock Movie. Don went on to direct hundreds of pop videos for a variety of artists, including Bob Marley and The Clash. In 2003 he won a Grammy for his Clash film Westway to the World. He has made acclaimed documentaries on the likes of Gil Scott-Heron, Sun Ra and George Clinton, as well as the feature films Dancehall Queen and One Love.

Don has also enjoyed a parallel career as a musician, most notably with the innovative Big Audio Dynamite, which he formed with Mick Jones of The Clash in 1984. He has been responsible for a number of sought-after compilation CDs and continues to DJ at clubs and festivals, including Glastonbury and Latitude. Every week he brings his unique credentials to 麻豆社 Radio 6 Music in a show that is unlimited by musical boundaries and which, as he says, 'crosses time, space and genre'.

On Bank Holiday Monday 26th August he celebrates the sounds of the annual Notting Hill Carnival and in September, as part of the 麻豆社's Sound of Cinema season, Don features some of his favourite movie soundtrack moments and shares some of his ideas about the role that music plays in film.

2 hours

Music Played

  • Son of Dave

    Hot Summer Nights

  • King Floyd

    Groove Me

  • Arctic Monkeys

    Why'd You Only Call Me When Your High

  • King Tubby V's Wu Tang

    Money Rules Everything Around Me

  • Beck

    The New Pollution

  • The Streets

    Going Through Hell

  • Emil铆ana Torrini

    Speed Of Dark

  • SOUL TO SOUL ft. ROSE WINDROSS

    Fair Play

  • Peter Tosh

    Stepping Razor

  • Rodney P

    Success Ft. Harlieghblu

  • Jefferson Airplane

    Somebody To Love

  • Jackson Scott

    Any Way

  • High Hazels

    Hearts Are Breaking

  • William Adamson

    Burial Blues Revenge

  • Morcheeba

    Gimme Your Love

  • Elvis Costello & THE ROOTS

    Cinco Minutos Con Vos

  • Twilight Circus Dub Sound System

    Days Of History

  • Donald Byrd

    Cristo Redento

  • Dusty Springfield

    I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself

  • Asgeir

    Kings And Crosses

  • The Upsetters

    Black Panta

  • Kwes.

    36

  • Raffertie

    Rain

  • Simon & Garfunkel

    Homeward Bound

  • Big Youth/Prince Fatty

    Cool Breeze Dub Plate

  • The Whitest Boy Alive

    Ntentions

  • LosT MIDAS

    Love Undone Ft. Taylor O'donnell

  • Jimmy Cliff

    Many Rivers To Cross

  • Vangelis

    Love Theme

  • John Turrell

    Day In Day Out

  • Rico Rodriguez

    These Things Are True

  • Fat Freddy鈥檚 Drop

    Mother Mother

Broadcast

  • Mon 2 Sep 2013 00:00