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Ben Harper
Ben Harper


Background information
Birth name Benjamin Chase Harper
Born October 28, 1969
Born place Claremont, California, United States
Genre(s) Folk-Rock
Blues Rock
Reggae
Years active 1992—present
Label(s) Virgin Records
EMI Group
Associated acts Ringo Starr
Fistful of Mercy
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Relentless7
Vanessa da Mata
Website Website



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Pet Shop Boys: 'BBC Was Defeatist To Axe Top Of The Pops'

July 20, 2009
Pet Shop Boys: 'BBC Was Defeatist To Axe Top Of The Pops'Pet Shop Boys star Neil Tennant has accused the BBC of being “defeatist” by axing the Top of the Pops.

The popular music chart show was cancelled in 2006, but has been returned in recent months in the form of one-off specials.

However, Tennant said the broadcaster was denying new acts the chance to celebrate their chart glory by not airing the show on a weekly basis.

“Like if JLS are number one on Sunday, they won't have that great moment of being crowned that week's Kings Of Pop,” the singer said.

In an interview with the BBC, Tennant also said it was it was the responsibility of the broadcaster to keep its “astonishing archive” of musical footage going.

"[That is] why we like the BBC, because they do things that should be done but don't always make complete commercial sense,” he said.

There have been widespread calls for Top of the Pops to return on a permanent basis in the absence of a chart programme on terrestrial television.

The recent Christmas, New Year's Eve and Comic Relief specials all attracted over four million viewers each.

But Andy Parfitt, the BBC's music controller, warned recently that, although the show had a “mythical status” with the public, viewers shouldn't “get hung up” on it.

(by Jason Gregory)



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