BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Goes Round And Round Again For Coventry Ring Road’s 40th Birthday
Music mogul, Pete Waterman has described BBC Coventry & Warwickshire’s latest venture as ‘making musical history’, with their cover of ‘Let’s Go Round Again’ – an ode to Coventry’s iconic Ring Road as it marks its 40th anniversary.
Pete Waterman says: “It must be the first time in British Record Music History that someone has dedicated a song to a Ring Road.. . This is part of musical history”
For most locals it smoothly transports nearly 40,000 vehicles a day around its 2.2mile long tarmac but its short slip lanes fill visitors with dread. Over 200 people have taken part in the creation of a film to commemorate the road’s special birthday.
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire gathered together a SuperGroup, fronted by their Breakfast Show presenter Shane O’Connor for a new cover version of The Average White Band’s well-loved song ‘Let’s Go Round Again’.
The choice of song follows a public vote held in conjunction with The Coventry Telegraph. The song reflects Coventry’s musical 2-tone heritage as well as some of the best of its musical talent. Coventry was the birthplace of 2-Tone and the song also features two members of The Specials (Horace Panter on bass and Neville Staple on vocals – a full listing of musicians and artists can be found below). You can hear the song here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p025jhw9
No song is complete without a music video and the radio station filmed the people of Coventry & Warwickshire who will become the stars of the show, alongside the Ring Road itself. The project has brought the city together to celebrate one of its safest roads, from babies to 90 year olds, the local fire brigade, road workers and the leaders of the City Council.
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Editor, Sarah Harness says “BBC Coventry and Warwickshire is all about local pride and passion – and this project has been a fantastic chance to reflect the great sense of fun that is apparent in Coventry. Whether you love it or hate it we couldn’t let the anniversary pass by unnoticed, and people from all over the patch have been incredible in helping us tell its story in a really innovative way.”
The film will be released online for the anniversary by BBC Coventry & Warwickshire and will be available here from 19th September: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbccoventryandwarwickshire
Coventry City Council have organised a Drive in Movie event for the anniversary where the film will receive its big screen premiere, followed by iconic car movie The Italian Job (scenes from the original were shot in the city’s sewers). The Drive in Movie will be held in a car park nestled under one of the Ring Road’s flyovers.
For information, photo galleries, teasers and more about this project please visit and like BBC Coventry & Warwickshire’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bbccoventryandwarwickshire
