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Play It Again Sam: Defunct Sounds Revisited

Cerys explores the disappearing sounds of everyday life, from dial-up internet and phone boxes to early computers, with Stuart Fowkes and Jacqui Garrad.

Cerys explores the disappearing sounds that transport us through time, from dial-up internet, phone boxes and cassette players to milk floats, football rattles, film projectors and the familiar noises of everyday life now fading from view.

She’s joined by Stuart Fowkes of Cities and Memory, who shares recordings from his vast sound archive and reflects on why certain noises can unlock such vivid memories of places, technologies and moments we thought we had forgotten.

Jacqui Garrad from The National Museum of Computing also guides Cerys through the evolution of computers in sound - from mechanical calculators, Enigma and Colossus to WITCH, the Elliott 903 and the arrival of home computing and dial-up internet.

Cerys brings it all together with hand-picked favourites from her classic shelves and standout new discoveries.

Produced by BBC Audio for BBC Radio 6 Music.

28 days left to listen

3 hours

Last on

Yesterday 10:00
BBC Radio 6 Music

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Music Played

  • The Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra

    Medley: Main Title / Prologue

    • Casablanca (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
    • Top Tracks.
    • 1.

  • The Clash

    I Fought The Law

    • Hits Back.
    • Sony Music UK.

  • The Warner Bros. Studio Orchestra

    Play It Sam... Play "As Time Goes By"

    • Casablanca (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
    • WaterTower Music.

  • Dooley Wilson

    As Time Goes By

    • Casablanca (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
    • Top Tracks.
    • 20.

  • Snoop Dogg & Pharrell Williams

    Drop It Like It's Hot

    • Drop It Like It's Hot.
    • Geffen.

  • Natalie Wildgoose

    A Dream in Winter

    • state51 Distribution.

  • Pink Floyd

    Money

    • EMI.

  • Fadoul

    Sid Redad

    • Rights'Up.

  • James Brown

    I Got You (I Feel Good)

    • Polygram TV.

  • Kate Bush

    Babooshka

    • EMI.

  • Kora Koumakan

    Sömbè N'nafan

    • JAMBULANCE MOVEMENT RECORDS.

  • Blumi

    Jaguar

    • Capitane Records.

  • Pentangle

    I've Got A Feeling

    • Sweet Child.
    • Castle Communications.
    • 7.

  • Yosi Horikawa

    Bubbles

    • Wandering.
    • First Word Records.
    • 1.

  • Dolly Parton

    9 to 5

    • Dolly Parton: The Ultimate Collection.
    • BMG/RCA.

  • Lalo Schifrin

    Mission: Impossible (From \"Music From Mission: Impossible\" Original Television

    • Music From Mission: Impossible (Original Television Soundtrack).
    • Geffen.
    • 1.

  • Can

    Moonshake

    • Liberty/United Artists Records Ltd..

  • Broadcast

    City In Progress

    • The Noise Made By People.
    • Warp Records Limited.

  • Stuart Dempster

    Secret Currents

    • The Orchard Enterprises.

  • William Basinski & Janek Schaefer

    ... on reflection (five)

    • Temporary Residence Ltd..

  • The For Carnation

    A Tribute to

    • The For Carnation.
    • Touch and Go Records.
    • 2.

  • Toquinho

    Carolina Carol Bela

    • Mr Bongo.

  • Rosinha de Valença

    O Samba da Minha Terra

    • Um Violão em Primeiro Plano.
    • RCA Records Label.
    • 10.

  • CeDell Davis

    Can't Be Satisfied

    • Even the Devil Gets the Blues.
    • Sunyata Records.

  • Toshiyuki Hiraoka

    Cuckoo

    • not on label.

  • The Ozark Mountain Daredevils

    Standing On The Rock

    • Ozark Mountain Daredevils.
    • A&M.
    • 6.

  • Natalie Wildgoose

    In The North

    • In The North.
    • state51 Distribution.
    • 1.

  • WONDERFULSOUND

    Sea Organ

    • Rights'Up.

  • Bob Dylan

    Highway 61 Revisited

    • Highway 61 Revisited.
    • Columbia.
    • 7.

  • Asha Bhosle

    Piya Tu Ab To Aaja

    • Saregama India.

  • Johann Abraham Peter Schulz & Thomas Bloch

    Largo

    • Naxos.

  • Oklou & underscores

    harvest sky

    • harvest sky (remixes).
    • True Panther / Atlantic.
    • 3.

  • The Blackbyrds

    Walking In Rhythm

    • Afrodisiac (Various Artists).
    • Universal Music Tv.

  • Aretha Franklin

    Spanish Harlem

    • Aretha Franklin - Queen Of Soul.
    • Atlantic.

  • Jacqui McShee & Jemima Rice

    Army Dreamers

    • Dressed 2 Kill - OMP.

  • Oasis

    Cigarettes & Alcohol

    • Creation Records.

  • Myer U Clark

    Real Love (6 Music Session, 19 Jul 2026)

  • Cephas Azariah

    wishyouwerestillhere

    • not on label.

  • Jack Bruce

    The Consul At Sunset

    • Harmony Row.
    • UMC (Universal Music Catalogue).
    • 11.

  • George Jones

    Just One More

    • "Just One More"… with George Jones.
    • MD NFM.
    • 1.

  • Eminem

    Stan (feat. Dido)

    • Curtain Call: The Hits.
    • Interscope.

Broadcast

  • Yesterday 10:00
    BBC Radio 6 Music