Former Dr Who and Little Britain narrator Tom Baker is from today, a virtual pop star, aiming to raise money for homeless charity Shelter this Christmas.

Tom Baker has covered The Kink’s classic “You Really Got Me”, in a mash-up style with the lyrics being read by text.

The text-to-voice technology enables mobile phone users to send SMS messages to landline phones.

Tom Baker says he’s looking forward to being the voice of text, saying, “I’m delighted to have been asked back by BT as the voice of text-to-landline. It’s rather like being Santa Claus, delivering all your festive greetings – I only wish I could hear what I’m saying!

Baker’s cover version can be download online now, all BT proceeds are going straight to shelter. BT is aiming to raise £100,000 with their new pop record.

Listen to Tom Baker and find out more about Text Aid by clicking here

Pic credit: Rex Features

Stephen Merchant, the BAFTA award-winning writer, best known for creating The Office, is the latest new presenter on BBC 6 Music.

The director and actor is to start a new music show on Sundays from January 14.

An avid fan of music, Merchant is looking forward to starting his show. Telling us what to expect, he says, “When I was a teenager I used to run a mobile disco for weddings and birthdays, so DJ-ing is in my blood. The 6 Music show will be all about the music – I love making people listen to the tunes that excite me – but obviously if things are not working, I’ll just stick on C’mon Eileen.”

Merchant has lots of experience DJing, starting off at university radio before presenting a local Bristol breakfast show.

More recently he co-hosted a popular show on London’s XFM with Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington.

A cleaned-up and digitally restored version of Hollywood classic The Wizard of Oz, is being released next month at cinemas in the UK.

The 1939 film was one of the most expensive films ever made at the time at a cost $2.7 million, but the negatives starting deteriorating soon after its cinematic release.

Artists have been working at Warner Bros Studios for the past eight months to remove dirt and scatches from the original three-strip Technicolour negatives. It took 250 hours just to clean the dust of them.

The British Film Istitute says the film now has “amazing image clarity and breathtaking colour”.

They BFI also say that the film looks as stunning as the day it originally opened and that the yellow brick road is yellower than ever.

The three times Oscar winning film opens at around 40 cinemas at cinemas around the UK.

German artists Faust are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their seminal film “Nobody Knows It Ever Happened” recorded live at London’s Garage in 1996, with a special weekend of Faust-ness in London.

Friday (December 1) sees a screening of the original live feature film at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, followed by a Q&A with founder member Jean-Hervé alongside author Andy Wilson whose new book “Faust: Stretch Out Time 1970-75” chronicles the band’s early history.

The film directed by Emyr Glyn Williams and starring Jean-Hervé Peron, Werner ‘Zappi’ Diermaier, Insa Winkler, Hans Joachim Irmler and Steven Wary Lobdell is 90 minutes of crashing sounds, amplified tools, destruction, nudity and industrial strength power all rolled into The Garage that night and Williams’ film captures every breath, snarl and shriek.

Faust will follow up their evening of film with an exclusive live show at The Corsica Arts Club as part of the Elefest ‘An Electric Storm’ festival on Sunday (December 3).

As well as playing a rare show themselves, the Krautrock pioneers have curated the evening to include artists Kling Klang and Staple Remove alongside laptop performances, art installations and electronic weirdness by Guerilla Zoo.

Both Faust nights will have Krautrock DJ’s Komische on the decks.

For more details about the ICA Faust film evening – Click here for the institute’s homepage

For more details about Faust’s rare appearance – Click here for Corsica Studio’s homepage

Hard-Fi have announced a new monthly podcast, “Rockin’ In The City” available through their website and iTunes now.

The Staines rockers are giving fans the chance to follow them from their sold-out five night residency at London’s Brixton Academy earlier this year through to making their new album, the follow up to 2005’s Mercury Music Prize nominated “Stars of CCTV.”

As well as live footage, exclusive interviews with the band reflect back on the whirlwind success of the past 18 months whilst looking to the future.

The third podcast in the series will also feature interviews with the band’s musical inspirations Paul Weller, Mick Jones, Jerry Dammers and Billy Bragg.

Footage of Hard-Fi recording their highly anticipated second album will also be made available in future podcasts.

For any fans who want to find out more about Hard-Fi’s influences, probe deeper into life on the road, or even have an input into the recording of the new album, they will be able to interact with the band via email after each podcast is made available to download.

For a taster of what to expect from Richard Archer’s boys, try this teaser:

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Rockin’ The City will be available free of charge the band’s website – Click here for www.hard-fi.com

Everyday, we bring you the best thing we’ve seen on YouTube — a great piece of archive footage, a music promo or a clip from one of our favourite movies of TV shows.

Today: Watch a tribute to the late Radio 1 DJ Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman, who passed away this week, aged 79.

This video is a collage of Top of the Pops, Fluff’s Rock Show, and Pick of the Pops in a chart rundown.

The graphics are retro-great and it’s great to reminded of Freeman’s renowned phrases such as ‘Not Arf!’

The video’s creator Sloopjohnrb sent Freeman a copy of his tribute and apparently Fluff thought it was great!

You wont stop humming the theme tune once you seen this clip.

Watch the chart rundown by clicking here now

Comets On Fire are among the bands featured in a Swedish television show about the superb San Francisco Psychedelic Rock Scene.

The show is a beautifully shot 30 minutes’ long and features interviews and live footage of Comets On Fire, Citay, Brightblack Morning Light, Howlin’ Rain, Badgerlore/Six Organs of Admittance and Michelle Cable.

Highlights are Comets on Fire treating us to an impromptu song intro at home and Howlin’ Rain inside their recording studio.

There is also live footage and snippets of promo videos interspersed throughout.

The filming in San Francisco intimately shows us the psych rock scene that the musicians live in, their homes, the cafes, the venues and even points out the streets where the bands play illegal gigs until the police move them on.

Ethan Miller of Comets On Fire and Howlin’ Rain champions the way San Francisco helps the artists thrive, saying, “it’s the “greatest city in the world for the underdog.”

The show Musik Bryan was aired in Sweden this weekend, but is being scheduled to be shown on TV around Europe very soon.

The show is also currently available online, the programme is in English with Swedish subtitles – and is really worth checking out.

The January issue of Uncut, out next week, features a special psych rock CD featuring all of the bands mentioned on this programme as well as tracks from Ghost, Oakley Hall and Black Mountain.

Watch Musik Bryan Here – Once the page opens, hit the red button that says “Se om senaste programmet” – Then choose programme: 061124

Alan Freeman, former DJ for Radio 1 and 2 has died peacefully at Brinsworth House, a care home in Twickenham, Middlesex.

The award-winning radio personality Freeman joined the BBC in 1960 after working briefly for a Melbourne radio station in his native Australia.

His radio career spanned 50 years and he was responsible for the catchphrase “Greetings, pop pickers” on his regular Sunday show, “Pick of The Pops.”

He also regularly presented on popular BBC chart show Top of the Pops in the ‘60s.

Freeman’s manager Tim Blackmore has said, “Alan was a naturally warm man who never quite understood the nature of his appeal. He cared passionately for music of all kinds, for his family and for his friends.”

Blackmore added that Freeman’s contribution to music was immense, saying, “His was the creation of the chart countdown, his was the stunning combination of rock music and classical music, and his was the creation of minimalism in the art of the DJ.

Freeman’s most recent contributions to radio were focused on opera. He presented “Their Greatest Bits” on BBC Radio 2 from 1997 to 2001.

Lesley Douglas, controller of BBC Radio 2, said he had mass appeal, saying, “The words unique and iconic are overused, but in Alan Freeman’s case, they are absolutely appropriate. He was a great broadcaster who was loved by listeners and colleagues.”

Freeman was paid tribute to at the 1987 Radio Academy Awards for his outstanding contribution to music radio, and in 1988 he was also the winner of the Sony Awards radio personality of the year.

In 1998, Alan Freeman was awarded an MBE for his services to music.

The Meteors are playing a small UK tour starting tomorrow night in Manchester.

The punk-rockabilly crossover band, credited with giving ‘psychobilly’ it’s distinctive sound are still going strong 25 years after front-man Paul Fenech formed them.

Fenech, though, is the only remaining original member, with he current line-up featuring Simon Linden on bass and Wolfgang Hordemann on drums.

The Meteors are also playing a special show celebrating this year’s 30th Anniversary of Punk featuring The Rezillos, The Damned, and The Beat.

You can see The Meteors at the following venues from tomorrow

Manchester Academy (November 28)

Sheffield The Boardwalk (29)

Newcastle Carling Academy (30)

Birmingham Carling Academy (December 1)

London Brixton Carling Academy (2)

Glasgow Carling Academy (3)