Word In Your Ear

Word In Your Ear

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold

Mark Ellen and David Hepworth have been talking about and writing about music together and individually for a collective eighty years in magazines like Smash Hits, Mojo and The Word and on radio and TV programmes like "Rock On", "Whistle Test" and VH-1.Over thirteen years ago, when working on the late magazine The Word, they began producing podcasts. Some listeners have been kind enough to say these have been very special to them. When the magazine folded in 2012 they kept the spirit of those podcasts alive in regular Word In Your Ear evenings in which they spoke to musicians an...

Justin Hayward – ‘60s package tours, lost profits & the highpoint of the Moody Blue

Justin Hayward – ‘60s package tours, lost profits & the highpoint of the Moody Blue

Nights In White Satin - 260 million streams on Spotify - is still the central plank in the set Justin Hayward’s touring in October. He talks to us here about the first shows he ever saw and played, the ballroom circuit of the mid-’60s remembered in particularly vivid detail and involving the odd burst of song - “My kind of town, Great Yarmouth is …!”. Along with … … the appeal of “a Moody Blues crowd”. ... “Name Singer seeks guitar player”: the Melody Maker ad that got him into the Marty Wilde b

Feb 20, • 28:32

Your guided tour of David Bowie’s London with Paul Gorman’s stories about its key locations

Your guided tour of David Bowie’s London with Paul Gorman’s stories about its key locations

No musician is more closely associated with London or left more footprints than Bowie, and you can trace its influence on his life and work (and vice versa) through a series of landmarks from the suburbs to the centre. Author and curator Paul Gorman has just published an annotated street-map – David Bowie’s London - listing the places that played a formative role in his world and music, the places he rehearsed, performed, filmed and recorded, the homes of friends and managers, his schools and th

Feb 18, • 55:16

Eddi Reader - busking, singing radio jingles and “men you put on the shoulder-pads for”

Eddi Reader - busking, singing radio jingles and “men you put on the shoulder-pads for”

We first saw Eddi Reader singing with the Gang Of Four on Whistle Test in 1982. This eventful pod traces her story from seven kids in a two-bedroom council flat (“me in the toilet with a guitar singing Your Cheating Heart”), to the Scottish folk clubs, busking with circus acrobats on the Left Bank, to radio jingles, life as a backing singer and the rapid rise of Fairground Attraction who reformed last year, 34 years after they split in 1990. It's highly entertaining from the kick-off, not least

Feb 18, • 40:27

Why all great pop stars are cartoons, Bowie doing mime and people whose voices we’ve never heard

Why all great pop stars are cartoons, Bowie doing mime and people whose voices we’ve never heard

Passing the Dutchie 'pon the left-hand side, we sift through this week’s events, rants and theories which absorbingly include … … that Drake v Kendrick Lamar beef in full! … was Bowie only as good as his collaborators? … Kingmaker, Toploader, Feeder, Slayer, Longdancer, Widowmaker …. has there ever been a good band with a name ending ‘-er’? …… seeing the Jam at the Hope & Anchor. … John Lennon was not a working-class hero. Bob Marley shot no sheriffs. Joe Strummer’s daddy wasn’t a bankrobber. St

Feb 17, • 46:29

Bob Marley in London, Chappell Roan’s outburst & records that sound best in the dark

Bob Marley in London, Chappell Roan’s outburst & records that sound best in the dark

Direct from the Government Yard in Trenchtown where, over cornmeal porridge by a log wood fire, the events of the week are gently appraised, among them … … how Bob Marley, the Walker Brothers, the Byrds, Hendrix, Ramones, Blondie and Nirvana “got the dust of England on their boots”. … Chappell Roan’s demands for “a living wage” in a business built on inequity. … why audio books surprise you in ways the print edition can’t. … Beyonce? Best Country album? You sure? … “separate immediately”: Marsha

Feb 10, • 45:21

The rise of David Bowie and the Spiders From Mars through the eyes of Woody Woodmansey

The rise of David Bowie and the Spiders From Mars through the eyes of Woody Woodmansey

The teenage Woody Woodmansey was offered the job of under-foreman in the Vertex spectacle factory in Hull but then got a call from Bowie inviting him to move to London and play drums on his new album - “plus food and somewhere to stay”. It took him all weekend to decide. And involved some cultural readjustment when he did. 56 years later he’s a founding member of Holy Holy and touring the UK in May – along with Tony Visconti and Glenn Gregory – performing songs from Bowie’s breakthrough early ‘7

Feb 6, • 36:41

So Long, Marianne Faithfull plus the Shipping Forecast as read by Nick Cave

So Long, Marianne Faithfull plus the Shipping Forecast as read by Nick Cave

In a courageous stand against AI technology, a pair of old lags communing via two cocoa tins and a piece of string attempt to put the rock and roll world to rights. Which this week involves … … what David saw in the HMV record store in Oxford Street “that shook me to the ground”. ... music that only works played loud. … Marianne Faithfull - there’s no middle ground between Sacred Figure and Outrageous Diva. … why ‘60s fame is like no other fame. … is there a more enduring example of bad press th

Feb 4, • 53:40

Did Britain invent the rock band? - plus our new laws about music & Garth Hudson RIP

Did Britain invent the rock band? - plus our new laws about music & Garth Hudson RIP

When we get off of this mountain, you know where we want to go? Straight down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. While surveying the week’s events as we paddle, which involves … … the genius of Garth Hudson and the magnificent way he looked - “part lumberjack, part Old Testament prophet, part Brahms.” … how Glyn Johns invented the sound of the Eagles. … Carrie Underwood’s Inauguration catastrophe. … only male voice choirs or gospel groups should be allowed to perform National Anthems!

Jan 30, • 37:25

Howard Jones has ‘the best job in the world’

Howard Jones has ‘the best job in the world’

We put Howard Jones on the cover of Smash Hits in 1983 billed as ‘the Most Promising New Act’ and, 15 albums and 42 years later, he’s about to set out on another tour, a double-bill with ABC. He looks back here at the first shows he ever saw and played which involves …… rehearsing his Live Aid slot backstage to an audience of one: David Bowie. … pioneering the “one-man show” in the early days of Moogs and drum machines. … Emerson Lake & Palmer firing cannons onstage at the Isle of Wight in 1970

Jan 28, • 20:49

Andy Fairweather Low’s teenage psychedelic stardom

Andy Fairweather Low’s teenage psychedelic stardom

Another great hero on the podcast! We first heard Andy Fairweather Low with Amen Corner on jukeboxes in the late ‘60s and he’s touring the UK from February. Ten albums and countless collaborations later, he looks back here at teenage life on the psychedelic circuit and the first shows he saw and played, stopping off at … … the Stones in Cardiff in ’64 - “they opened with Talkin’ ‘Bout You and it hit me like a virus.” … Amen Corner – “you gauged how good a gig was by how many people fainted.” … b

Jan 23, • 28:03

A 3-part rant about LPs sold as ‘antiques’, TikTok & the shameful AI Michael Parkinson

A 3-part rant about LPs sold as ‘antiques’, TikTok & the shameful AI Michael Parkinson

David feels a rant coming on. Mark lights the blue touchpaper, pulls on a tin hat and retires to a safe distance as they consider … … the US closure of TikTok: has a single governmental act ever had such impact on the music business? … film posters, Dinky Toys, “obscure vinyls”: the new record stores that are effectively antique shops.   .. why Virtually Parkinson is breath-takingly awful and an insult to the interviewers’ art.   … Melania Trump’s monstrous payday. … Bob Dylan joining TikTok - “

Jan 20, • 50:10

The unstoppable Francis Rossi – open the fridge door and he’ll do 30 minutes

The unstoppable Francis Rossi – open the fridge door and he’ll do 30 minutes

Something happens when he walks out under the lights. He can never predict what but he’s programmed to perform. As he has for over 60 years and will again when he sets out on a 63-date tour in April peppered with stories of an extravagant life and billed as ‘an evening of Francis Rossi songs from the Status Quo songbook and more’. He looks back here at the acts that showed him the way (Gene Pitney, Slade, ZZ Top, Mott the Hoople and “my uncles, the Stones”), Butlins in Clacton, the “elfin” David

Jan 18, • 33:21

Graham Nash beat the Beatles in a talent contest

Graham Nash beat the Beatles in a talent contest

We both first heard Graham Nash just over 60 years ago when the Hollies’ Just One Look was on the BBC’s swinging Light Programme and we’ve followed him ever since, not least his transformational shift in the late-‘60s from suburban Salford to the wood cabins of Laurel Canyon. He’s touring the UK in October, An Evening of Songs and Stories with Peter Asher in support, and looks back here at the first shows he ever saw and played, which involves … … Bill Haley in 1958 – “he opened the curtains and

Jan 14, • 13:14

The Dylan biopic, Sam & Dave and why 2025 is the most important year in our lives.

The Dylan biopic, Sam & Dave and why 2025 is the most important year in our lives.

Though you might hear laughing, spinning, swinging madly across the sun, it is in fact just two old lags reviewing the current events, which this week include … … the made-up scene in A Complete Unknown which Dylan apparently insisted was included. … the Day of the Locust: do the LA fires spell the end of the Hollywood Dream? … why does no-one write songs about world events anymore? … the unwelcome return of AJ Weberman. … can you date records made between 2000 and 2025? … Sam & Dave, Booker T &

Jan 13, • 45:48

Johnnie Walker, pop’s golden year and what’s wrecking rock documentaries.

Johnnie Walker, pop’s golden year and what’s wrecking rock documentaries.

It’s perishing cold in our frostbitten London HQ but we warmed our toes around a blazing conversational fire and roasted the following chestnuts … … “the job of pop records is to be better than the year before”. … the real reason new music tends to sound the same. … Johnnie Walker – “his voice was his instrument”. … The Kinks, The Shangri-Las, the Beach Boys, the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Righteous Brothers and the relentless change and variety of “the annus mirabilis” of the pop single. … “N

Jan 5, • 36:50

How Dylan and Leonard Cohen punctured the Summer Of Love plus the birth of blockbuster album

How Dylan and Leonard Cohen punctured the Summer Of Love plus the birth of blockbuster album

Among the walnut shells, wrapping paper, dried tangerine peel and broken toys beneath the Christmas Tree Of News we found a few unopened presents, among them … … Marine Homicide Unit solving murders in Scottish waters or former rock star dumping toxic waste? A crime drama Stackwaddy special. … Roy Bittan, Duke Ellington: how musical “professors” date back to ragtime. …’Suzanne’ and the other three songs Leonard Cohen gave away. … Mary Martin, unsung connector and catalyst of folk-rock. … how the

Dec 31, 2024 • 44:51

Why we have enough Christmas hits plus the greatest songs about money

Why we have enough Christmas hits plus the greatest songs about money

Deck the halls with beers and Stoli! The nutcracker of scrutiny was applied to this week’s noisettes of news and the following discussed over a glass of port …   ... are a lot of new song catalogues just blogs set to music? … can any actor be convincing playing someone really famous? … Robbie Williams’ Better Man: it’s the way forward! Who can his CGI’s monkey play next? … why no-one writes songs with opinions anymore. … Lola Young’s ‘charming’ press release. ... when Elvis met Nixon (and was “c

Dec 23, 2024 • 40:22

Bill Bailey celebrates “the things that make us human”.

Bill Bailey celebrates “the things that make us human”.

The tremendous Bill Bailey is staging “a magical, musical mystery tour of the mind, along with other pressing matters” for 42 nights in London from December 28, a celebration of what makes us human in an age threatened by AI. There'll be “a laser harp”. There’ll be electronic drum balls played by audience members. There'll be extracts from Kraftwerk’s lost album of children’s songs. He talks to Mark here about the first live entertainment he ever saw and first shows he played himself, which happ

Dec 21, 2024 • 30:07

How Al Stewart struck gold, the folk boom and a flat-share with Paul Simon

How Al Stewart struck gold, the folk boom and a flat-share with Paul Simon

The 17 year-old Al Stewart played electric guitar in a dance band in Bournemouth in 1963. When he borrowed an acoustic and sang Masters Of War in the break, he heard the sweet sound of applause. The next night he played three Dylan songs and sensed which way the wind was blowing. He talks here about moving to London, playing at Bunjies and becoming the compere at Les Cousins as his now 60-year career began to lift off. And about his Farewell Tour which kicks off in the UK in October 2025, a comb

Dec 19, 2024 • 40:16

‘Mystique is dead’: what Gary Kemp learnt in 40 years of making and selling records

‘Mystique is dead’: what Gary Kemp learnt in 40 years of making and selling records

Gary Kemp has been posting reels of his recent visits to old haunts in Soho where he and his early bands used to rehearse, this in the run-up to releasing a third solo album, ‘This Destination’, in January. We talk to him here about how records were made and promoted in the ‘80s and how radically that’s changed today. Which includes … … “all media is now about getting and keeping people’s attention”. … the first time he heard one of his songs on the radio. … Bowie, Bolan, Queen and Elton John a

Dec 18, 2024 • 49:45

The afterlife of Hallelujah and the day David sold his old singles

The afterlife of Hallelujah and the day David sold his old singles

We ran our patent heat-sensing Scrutiniser®️ over the week’s news and here’s what set the bells off … … are buskers now more expensive live entertainment than Taylor Swift? … a Dickensian oik in Chapel Market and other riddles of modern etiquette. … ‘Holiness and horniness’: how Hallelujah rebooted Leonard Cohen and became a one-song industry. … the teenage self-promotional flair of Robert Plant and Marc Bolan. … are singles a social experience and albums a solitary one? … “Would you like a frui

Dec 17, 2024 • 51:39

The greatest sax solo, YMCA, musical one-night stands and Tom Hanks’ wise advice

The greatest sax solo, YMCA, musical one-night stands and Tom Hanks’ wise advice

Paddling the three-man conversational kayak across the rock and roll rapids this week involved … … Olive Mess, Candied Yams, Gorilla Biscuits …? Challenging indie act or seasonal vegan recipe? … the amount YMCA earned through Donald Trump and why the man who wrote it is complaining. … Tom Hanks’ valuable words of wisdom. … Neil Tennant’s favourite bridge in a pop song (and it’s not We Can Work It Out or I Will). … musicians and the modern world of the “one-night stand” c

Dec 9, 2024 • 41:03

How ‘60s pop was sold and the first news stories launching the hits

How ‘60s pop was sold and the first news stories launching the hits

Joni Mitchell called it “stoking the star-maker machinery behind the popular song”. Every record sent out for review used to come with a press release knocked together by an over-excited PR before terms like “psychedelia” or “prog” had been invented. They were scanned once for the odd fact or quote and usually chucked in the bin. Richard Morton Jack has tracked down scores of these handouts from 1962-1972, and the news stories they sparked, and published them in the sumptuous ‘Pressing News’, a

Dec 8, 2024 • 45:21

The Beatles ’64 movie - one of us loves it, the other doesn’t. Plus Rod’s tweets & Trump’s guitars

The Beatles ’64 movie - one of us loves it, the other doesn’t. Plus Rod’s tweets & Trump’s guitars

Reversing into tomorrow! This week’s news events given a vigorous once-over include … … what will a Trump guitar be worth in 30 years’ time? … the average age of a Glastonbury goer and how it sells its TV coverage.   … “the Beatles in America was like Cortez arriving in South America, the clash of two civilizations. How did this film manage to balls the story up so catastrophically?”  … Leonard Bernstein’s daughter’s dreams about George Harrison and the Fabs v the all-American alpha male. … who

Dec 2, 2024 • 49:24

How R.E.M. changed the game and why there’ll never be another band like them

How R.E.M. changed the game and why there’ll never be another band like them

R.E.M. considered themselves missionaries against the prevailing pop culture – no solos, no old-school stagecraft, no printed lyrics, no lip-syncing, no hard-sell videos, no obvious leader – and mapped out a whole new route to international success. Peter Ames Carlin, whose books include biographies of Springsteen, Brian Wilson and Paul Simon, talks to us here about ‘The Name of this Band is R.E.M.’, what they pioneered and how it rearranged the rock and roll furniture. Which involves … … w

Dec 1, 2024 • 36:26

Fairport, Nick Drake, Traffic and why Island Records was a sumptuous visual delight

Fairport, Nick Drake, Traffic and why Island Records was a sumptuous visual delight

Neil Storey worked in the Island press office in the ‘70s and ‘80s and has set out on mammoth undertaking, to compile a series of gorgeous, album-sleeve-sized books telling the story of virtually every record the label released in its pioneering history and talking to all involved - musicians, producers, designers, photographers, label staff – and collecting old music press ads and ephemera from the time. This latest edition, ‘the Island Book Of Records 1969-1970’, has transported us back to our

Nov 29, 2024 • 33:02

Danny Baker - the panjandrum of unstoppable anecdote with a taste of his upcoming tour

Danny Baker - the panjandrum of unstoppable anecdote with a taste of his upcoming tour

Danny Baker, the act you’ve known for all these years, is kicking his legs up again in 2025 on a thundering new theatre tour, ‘Aye Aye! Ahoy Hoy!’ “Dead men tell no tales,” he points out, “so we might might as well get ‘em all told now.” This will be another barnstorming one-man circus - as, naturally, is this barrelling conversation with the two of us which collides with the following … … being shot, Welsh cake, an olive green Humber, goldfish, when videos were the size of a loaf of bread, why

Nov 27, 2024 • 50:55

The Band Aid recording, the birth of the tape loop and the power of the movie theme tune

The Band Aid recording, the birth of the tape loop and the power of the movie theme tune

This week’s events piled into a pipe and enthusiastically smoked include … … our memories of being at the Band Aid recording in Sarm studios, November 25 1984. … why it was the last dance of the mass media and why nothing could have the same impact now. … the “household name” that made all the difference. … the real reason Bob Geldof could be involved. … James Bond, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, the Spaghetti Westerns … how music is the real DNA of fi

Nov 25, 2024 • 57:57

How Toyah & Robert’s kitchen show became an Xmas rock’n’roll ding-dong

How Toyah & Robert’s kitchen show became an Xmas rock’n’roll ding-dong

One of our rays of sunshine in the dark days of Lockdown was Toyah and Robert’s Sunday Lunch, fizzing clips of the two of them in their Dorset kitchen, him playing off-brand rock and roll, her singing in extravagant finery, occasionally on an exercise bike. Their version of Metallica’s Enter Sandman got 8.6m views alone. One time they were dressed as bees, another re-staging Swan Lake wearing tutus. This has now flowered into an all-the-trimmings Christmas show with a full rock band touring in D

Nov 23, 2024 • 24:09

John Lydon on the genius of Frankie Howerd, Tommy Cooper and the fine art of Spoken Word

John Lydon on the genius of Frankie Howerd, Tommy Cooper and the fine art of Spoken Word

John Lydon is among us in 2025 - with Public Image in May and on his Spoken Word tour in September. Entertainment is guaranteed, as it is in this podcast with Mark where he considers … Norman Wisdom, Frankie Howerd, Tommy Cooper and the “sadness in all comedians”, stage fright, the day his dad threw him out of the house, why PiL is like opera, Ray Davies, Bryan Ferry, the “crippled emotions” of youth, why people open their hearts to him, the ghost of Johnny Rotten in Gladiator 11, the lost world

Nov 20, 2024 • 37:16

The poshest pop star ever, music in Xmas ads and song lyrics we can still recite

The poshest pop star ever, music in Xmas ads and song lyrics we can still recite

In which we feed the week’s events through our heat-seeking Fun-Filter®️ to see what makes the bell ring. Which includes … … Richard Ashcroft in the new John Lewis Christmas ad. … U2 v Coldplay, the Beatles v Pink Floyd – rock bands and the “diploma divide”. … why can we still recite entire song lyrics we learnt when teenagers but can’t remember the shopping list we wrote this morning? … “they couldn’t find their backside with the flashlight”. … the new form of tribute g

Nov 18, 2024 • 42:34

Robert Hilburn on the lifetime achievement of Randy Newman

Robert Hilburn on the lifetime achievement of Randy Newman

He’s written some of the darkest entries in the American songbook but became world famous with a sunny celebration of friendship on the soundtrack of “Toy Story”. Inbetween can be found a staggering range of songs dealing with everything from short people to Vladimir Putin, from performing bears to the Louisiana Flood., from ELO to the Great Nations Of Europe, all of which show up in this authoritative new biography from Robert Hilburn, for years the rock writer of the Los Angeles Times. Topics

Nov 13, 2024 • 30:21

Peter Perrett of the Only Ones – teenage life, a wondrous return and a 35-year lost weekend.

Peter Perrett of the Only Ones – teenage life, a wondrous return and a 35-year lost weekend.

After many years of invisibility, Peter Perrett of the Only Ones is out, about and on tour again and talks to us here about the first gigs he ever saw and played, which involves … … what time he goes to bed. … “he writes better lyrics than Elvis Costello and is prettier than Billy Idol”: why Nick Kent’s review was an insult. … seeing the Small Faces in 1966, the Floyd with Syd at Middle Earth, Dylan at the Isle of Wight, Fairport Convention, Geno Washington, Lou Reed in 1972 (“a h

Nov 12, 2024 • 29:22

Does ‘celebrity endorsement’ still work? - and how Quincy Jones invented the blockbuster

Does ‘celebrity endorsement’ still work? - and how Quincy Jones invented the blockbuster

Things this week that sent the needle into the red included … … the last dance craze the whole world noticed. ... “Rock stars used to be anti-establishment. Now they ARE the establishment.” … artworks, flags, bespoke I-Ching Coins … would YOU pay £1,350 for a box set? … why Quincy Jones made records like a movie director. ... how Dylan’s Biograph and Springsteen’s live box started a gold rush. … “an unprecedented event in popular recording". … Hot Night, Starli

Nov 11, 2024 • 50:10

The genius of George Harrison and why he’s still underrated

The genius of George Harrison and why he’s still underrated

The most streamed Beatles song – 700 million plays more than any other – is not by Lennon/McCartney but George who, as author Seth Rogovoy points out, is still widely considered “an economy-class Beatle” though his contributions were central to the success of their records. Seth’s new book ‘Within You Without You: Listening to George Harrison’ sets out to right this monstrous wrong! As does this conversation with the two of us which covers … … did My Sweet Lord’s court case puncture his sense of

Nov 9, 2024 • 39:55

Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds - his Year Zero moment, Imposter Syndrome and seeing the Beatles (aged 7)

Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds - his Year Zero moment, Imposter Syndrome and seeing the Beatles (aged 7)

Ian Broudie and the Lightning Seeds are about to set out on their 35th Anniversary Greatest Hits Tour – aka “beery parties”. He talks to us here about the first bands he ever saw and played in, which involves … … memories of the Liverpool School of Language, Music, Dream and Pun. … the secret of seeming enigmatic: “Never finish your sentences …” … how Three Lions brought a whole new audience and the irony of a singer who didn’t front his biggest hit. … why the Ramones and Talking Heads made him

Nov 4, 2024 • 31:06

Kraftwerk, Cream, Nirvana, savage reviews, fantasy girlfriends and a naked Nick Cave ‘plush doll’

Kraftwerk, Cream, Nirvana, savage reviews, fantasy girlfriends and a naked Nick Cave ‘plush doll’

Our crack pair of inquisitors tackle the week’s events and sift out the good, the bad and the riveting, which includes … … whatever happened to savage reviews? … “For God’s sake, keep the robots out of music!”: the 50th birthday of Kraftwerk’s Autobahn. … a Naked Nick Cave Plush Doll (£24) and some Jonny Greenwood olive oil. … strange tales about the making of Disraeli Gears. … what keeps Kamala Harris awake at night. … the staggering bill at Murray the K’s ‘Music In The Fifth Dimension’ in 1967

Nov 3, 2024 • 47:51

Life with the Lennons, fame, friendship, the FBI and the Lost Weekend – by Elliot Mintz.

Life with the Lennons, fame, friendship, the FBI and the Lost Weekend – by Elliot Mintz.

Elliot Mintz, then a West Coast radio presenter, met the Lennons in 1971, the start of a close, unique and extraordinary friendship and hours of late-night phone calls. And he’s finally written a book about it, We All Shine On: John, Yoko & Me, which records the isolated, complicated life they led imprisoned by their celebrity, at times joyous and outlandish, at others bleak and uncomfortably revealing. All bases covered here, among them … … “his view of Paul changed with days and temperature –

Oct 30, 2024 • 43:40

How Goth took over, farewell Phil Lesh and the curse of teenage stardom

How Goth took over, farewell Phil Lesh and the curse of teenage stardom

Brushing aside the cobweb spray and luminous flashing skulls, we ring rock and roll’s doorbell in pursuit of both tricks and treats. Among which you’ll find … … the gothification of entertainment … Harry Potter, Creedence Clearwater and Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings. … Donald Trump dancing to Jeff Buckley.  … why Phil Lesh was the heart and soul of the Grateful Dead. … John Cooper Clarke playing a 23,000-seater and the rise of Spoken Word. … Bah! Humbug! The full horror of Halloween and its

Oct 28, 2024 • 51:48

When Mark King of Level 42 was the 11 year-old singing drummer in a novelty act

When Mark King of Level 42 was the 11 year-old singing drummer in a novelty act

Mark King and Level 42 have just announced 2025 tour dates and he talks to us here about … … the value of what you learn in covers bands from being ignored. … why being thrown out of home for being thrown out of school was the best thing that ever happened to him. … Level 42’s first gig, kicked off after four songs. … Chile, Turkey and other new markets on the “flatter world” tour circuit. ... supporting the Police, Tina Turner, Queen and Madonna in the ‘80s. … how John McLaughlin (from Doncaste

Oct 25, 2024 • 46:24

King Crimson, red hair dye and a singing Jack Russell: the boisterous memoir of Jakko Jakszyk

King Crimson, red hair dye and a singing Jack Russell: the boisterous memoir of Jakko Jakszyk

This is an extraordinary story on many levels – about the power and sanctuary of music, about what it took for bands to get noticed in the ‘70s, about how a teenager obsessed with King Crimson eventually joined the band and about the struggles of “a rabid Henry Cow fan trying to get on Top of the Pops”. Jakko Jakszyk is a fabulous storyteller, both in his memoir ‘Who’s the Boy With The Lovely Hair?’ and on this podcast with the two of us. Among the highlights … … two things musicians need to kno

Oct 22, 2024 • 39:19

Obsessive fans, Dylan’s reading list and how Taylor Swift tickets are the new codeword for wealth

Obsessive fans, Dylan’s reading list and how Taylor Swift tickets are the new codeword for wealth

Applying our patent wheat-chaff separator to recent rock and roll events, we filter out the following … … “They’ve got the guns but we got the numbers”: whatever happened to political songs? … the life of Libby Titus and the afterlife of Love Has No Pride. … when gigs become stalking with a musical component. … how Taylor Swift Tickets became the new currency. … the most disappointing album of all time (we know the answer). … who’s the Zeppo Marx of rock and roll? … the old music/football analo

Oct 21, 2024 • 51:04

Britpop, its peaks and its spiritual godfather: a Golden Age rebooted by Miranda Sawyer

Britpop, its peaks and its spiritual godfather: a Golden Age rebooted by Miranda Sawyer

You’ll know Miranda Sawyer from the Observer and the radio and, possibly, from her days at Smash Hits and Select magazines that form the foundation of her new book, Uncommon People: Britpop and Beyond in 20 Songs, a time spent watching, interviewing and hanging out with the collection of misfits and outsiders fast becoming the last great musical movement this country ever saw. This pans in on the period between April 1993, Select’s ‘Yanks Go Home’ cover, and August 1997 when Oasis released Be He

Oct 17, 2024 • 41:44

Zappa and Elvis as fathers (!), Billy Joel’s house sale and the curse of too much choice

Zappa and Elvis as fathers (!), Billy Joel’s house sale and the curse of too much choice

Our record-breaking partnership faces a fresh set of spin bowlers on the rock and roll pitch but rifles a few shots over the pavilion roof, among them … … the time Elvis let his daughter ride her pony through the house. … when Moon Zappa (10) found naked hippies making candles in the garden. … “Can you get that? It might be someone important.” The Queen when her mobile rang. … Billy Joel’s daily commute to work by helicopter. … John Peel, Elton John, Robert Christgau … who’s listened to the most

Oct 14, 2024 • 44:18

Hugh Cornwell on how the drummer has the best seat in the house

Hugh Cornwell on how the drummer has the best seat in the house

Hugh Cornwell is preparing for his “All The Fun Of The Fair” tour which begins in November and here he talks to David Hepworth about:….why rehearsals are best in bursts….why he no longer carries keyboards….the special magic of going to see Chuck Berry with Richard Thompson….how the two of them have recorded “Tobacco Road” for an Alzheimers benefit record…being at the Marquee when Clapton, Beck and Page all played with the Yardbirds….playing the Golders Green Ionic with Helen Shapiro….how there a

Oct 10, 2024 • 24:03

Kris Kristofferson, a lost Tom Petty film and rock stars and the curse of the selfie

Kris Kristofferson, a lost Tom Petty film and rock stars and the curse of the selfie

We aimed the airgun of enquiry at this week’s rock and roll side-stall and dislodged the following coconuts … … sports star, Rhodes scholar, bohemian: why Kris Kristofferson was a whole new breed of American hero. … the letter his parents wrote disowning him. … how he invented the crossover hit. … echoes of his life in Five Easy Pieces. … Fellini’s La Strada and the story of ‘Me And Bobby McGee’. …. ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’ a

Oct 7, 2024 • 45:18

How Christine McVie saw Fleetwood Mac and the real reason she left them – by Lesley-Ann Jones

How Christine McVie saw Fleetwood Mac and the real reason she left them – by Lesley-Ann Jones

Christine McVie - one of only two British girl rock musicians in the ‘60s and part of the greatest pop soap opera of all time. Neither in the backline or the frontline but occupying a unique middle ground. Packed it in for 16 years then returned to the fold. Lesley-Ann Jones’ fresh and emotional memoir Songbird follows “the trajectory of a male rock star played by a woman”, the home she was keen to escape, the outer limits of life in Fleetwood Mac’s “toxic Camelot” and the rigours of holding her

Oct 4, 2024 • 37:56

Nick Heyward dressed like Cary Grant – then the Jam, XTC and Talking Heads. “It’s all about clothes, hair and shoes.”

Nick Heyward dressed like Cary Grant – then the Jam, XTC and Talking Heads. “It’s all about clothes, hair and shoes.”

Nick Heyward was one of our favourite cover stars when we were at Smash Hits in the ‘80s, the days when hardcore Haircut One Hundred fans turned out in Fair Isle sweaters and Sou’Westers. He now lives mostly in Florida, he’s made nine solo albums – one magnificently titled Open Sesame Seed - and he’s toured again with his old band after ten years’ painful separation. Touring the UK in October, he couldn’t be more upbeat about the road ahead – “I can do anything!” – and looks back here at the fir

Oct 3, 2024 • 33:12

In the studio with Nick Drake, Fairport, John Martyn & the String Band: John Wood remembers a golden age

In the studio with Nick Drake, Fairport, John Martyn & the String Band: John Wood remembers a golden age

“There was no Command-Zed back then!” John Wood engineered or produced some of the most magical, timeless and affecting records ever made - by Nick Drake, John Martyn, the McGarrigles, Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, John Cale, Squeeze and many more. He’s 85 now and looks back here at a luminous career that started with mastering singles at Decca and transferred to Sound Techniques, the mecca he co-founded in an old cowshed in Chelsea when takes were spontaneous and even the tape-op was part o

Oct 2, 2024 • 48:44

Ian Hunter – joining Mott The Hoople, Bowie, Hamburg and being “enthused into craziness”.

Ian Hunter – joining Mott The Hoople, Bowie, Hamburg and being “enthused into craziness”.

Ian Hunter – an image so familiar you’d recognise his silhouette - now lives in Connecticut and he’s just released expanded versions of two of his best-selling solo albums, You’re Never Alone With A Schizophrenic and Short Back N' Sides. He’s 85, born before any of the Beatles. We talk to him here about life growing up in the ‘40s and ‘50s when your father’s a copper and “music wasn’t allowed in the house”, and touch upon … … the debt he owes Freddie ‘Fingers’ Lee. … café jukeboxes full of Littl

Oct 1, 2024 • 31:19

Bryan Ferry, Maggie Smith and why Ian Hunter is a movie in waiting

Bryan Ferry, Maggie Smith and why Ian Hunter is a movie in waiting

As the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness draws in, we poke the embers of this week’s rock and roll bonfire and rake out the following chestnuts … … Maggie Smith on ‘70s chat shows. … when Radiohead meets Shakespeare. … the strange, circuitous and downright disgraceful launch of Francis Ford Coppola’s majestically bonkers Megalopolis. … Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter: the slow ascent of two ‘overnight sensations’. … is it big events anymore or just a low-level

Sep 30, 2024 • 46:44

When Cocteau Twins followed the Ramones onstage and why 1979 was the Golden Age - by Simon Raymonde

When Cocteau Twins followed the Ramones onstage and why 1979 was the Golden Age - by Simon Raymonde

Simon Raymonde’s affecting and beautifully written memoir ‘In One Ear’ records life in the ‘60s growing up with a father who wrote and arranged for Dusty Springfield, Helen Shapiro and the Walker Brothers, the impossibly shy promotional activities of the Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil and the struggles and eventual jackpot of the Bella Union record label he founded. He’s so perceptive, observant and self-mocking and we loved this energetic podcast which, among much else, lands upon …   ... w

Sep 27, 2024 • 45:10

The deep secret of Abba’s “music without nostalgia” and the time they met the Pistols

The deep secret of Abba’s “music without nostalgia” and the time they met the Pistols

Abba’s biographer Jan Gradvall met and interviewed Abba many times and builds a fresh picture of their internal chemistry in his new book Melancholy Undercover. Highlights of this illuminating pod include … … how Sweden rejected their early hits for not being sufficiently “socialist”. …. the discomfiting early life of Anni-Frid Lyngstad. … what Max Martin and Denniz Pop thought made Abba’s music so durable.  … Strindberg, Bergman, the climate, the eight months of darkness and the role of melanch

Sep 25, 2024 • 46:59

Fond memories of lost ‘80s London, Morrissey v Marr and the film they should make about Toyah

Fond memories of lost ‘80s London, Morrissey v Marr and the film they should make about Toyah

A free-form spontaneous jam this week - the Dark Star of podcasts – which navigates the outer reaches of the rock and roll stratosphere by way of the following … … was Michael Stipe’s father a military helicopter pilot in Korea? … our fantasy Odd Couple tragi-comedy: Morrissey and Marr in a thin-skinned middle-aged flat share.   … how the Golden Egg launched Roxy Music. … can anyone name more than one member of Coldplay? … did Paddy McAloon’s mum make the sets for the Clangers? … the ’80s versio

Sep 23, 2024 • 55:54

Swinging London & the Wombles seen from an electric-blue Rolls-Royce. Mike Batt looks back

Swinging London & the Wombles seen from an electric-blue Rolls-Royce. Mike Batt looks back

Mike Batt still wrestles with the emotional legacy of the Wombles, the act that simultaneously made him and cast a shadow over the rest of his career, not least his early days as a songwriter at Liberty Records, discussed here, hired after he’d answered the same ad as Elton John and Bernie Taupin, a time when A&R men wore kipper ties and had Picassos on their wall. He forged a path through psychedelia and into TV and films, taking huge financial risks with musicals, orchestral works and big-sell

Sep 20, 2024 • 30:10

Joe Boyd – Little Richard, Nick Drake, Tight Fit and why everything sounds the way it does

Joe Boyd – Little Richard, Nick Drake, Tight Fit and why everything sounds the way it does

Joe Boyd produced Fairport Convention, Nick Drake and many others, released acts from all over the globe on his Hannibal label and has just written a mighty and definitive account of the history of popular music, And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain, tracing the way different sounds from different countries became interwoven. Nobody is better qualified to write this book as you’ll discover from this enthralling conversation. Among the highlights … … “if Mick and Keith had had Spotify there’d have been

Sep 18, 2024 • 48:18

Screaming Jay Hawkins 75, Dave Grohl 1

Screaming Jay Hawkins 75, Dave Grohl 1

With Mark Ellen rambling in the West Country it’s left to David Hepworth to talk Alex Gold down from the ledge in the light of the Dave Grohl news and discuss:•⁠ ⁠just how many offers come the way of rich and famous rock stars•⁠ ⁠whether his recent admission will in any way detract from the most winning smile in rock•⁠ ⁠is this an opportunity for Jon Bon Jovi to step up?•⁠ ⁠how a quick word from Taylor Swift is worth all the five star reviews in the world•⁠ ⁠Nick Lowe’s infallibly entertaining s

Sep 16, 2024 • 46:11

One Day author David Nicholls – prog rock, Live Aid and making tapes for girls

One Day author David Nicholls – prog rock, Live Aid and making tapes for girls

The Netflix series of David Nicholls’ worldwide hit novel One Day was Top Ten in 89 countries and he’s been heavily involved in its soundtrack album, a process as enjoyable, he says, as devising the compilation tape the fictional Emma made for Dexter in 1989 featuring the Smiths, Prefab Sprout and Public Enemy. We talk to him here about the glorious pitfalls of using pop music to broadcast your personality. All bases covered, from the Geoff Love Orchestra to Joy Orbison, along with … … prog

Sep 13, 2024 • 35:11

Nick Lowe – war stories, wise decisions and the event in 1970 that made him think again

Nick Lowe – war stories, wise decisions and the event in 1970 that made him think again

Old friend of the podcast, Nick Lowe has just released his 15th solo album, Indoor Safari, and he’s about to tour with Los Straitjackets. This absorbing conversation looks back at 60 years onstage and takes in the following … … the secret of a long career. … why he resolved “not to get that famous again”. … touring Germany aged 15 in Brinsley Schwarz’s dad’s Dormobile. … the Small Faces at the village hall in Hornchurch. … to the Six Bells for seven pints with “photographer for all occasions” Je

Sep 12, 2024 • 32:27

The Buskers’ Hall of Fame – from Moondog and Billy Bragg to Don Partridge and “the skating Sikh”.

The Buskers’ Hall of Fame – from Moondog and Billy Bragg to Don Partridge and “the skating Sikh”.

Louis Armstrong, Wild Man Fischer, Irving Berlin and Lucinda Williams all started out as buskers and Cary Baker’s ‘Down On The Corner’ traces the romance and influence of street players from Ancient Rome via Chicago’s Maxwell Street to Elvis Costello outside the CBS conference and beyond. Cary, David and Mark chuck coins in the conversational hat, among them …  … the turban and rollerblades stagewear of Harry Perry aka “the Skating Sikh”.… Blind Arvella Gray who took up busking because of a gun

Sep 10, 2024 • 39:03

Who should follow John Lydon with a Spoken Word spectacular?

Who should follow John Lydon with a Spoken Word spectacular?

We applied dynamic pricing to this week’s news and various stories trebled in value, among them … … further adventures in the Oasis ticket fiasco. … the greatest band name ever. … the only rock star born under Adolf Hitler. … Marianne Faithfull? Ian Anderson? Elvis Costello? Musicians you’d rather hear talk than play. … rock stars telling jokes. … “if it isn’t hard to get it’s not worth having.” … is hype generated from above or below? ... the return

Sep 9, 2024 • 38:09

David Hepworth on the glory, comedy and tragedy of rock stars who can't retire

David Hepworth on the glory, comedy and tragedy of rock stars who can't retire

David’s seventh book in his ‘orange series’ is just out and you’re guaranteed to love it. He and Mark discussed ‘Hope I Get Old Before I Die’ at a sold-out launch event at Waterstones in Piccadilly on the evening of September 3, recorded here. Among the highlights you’ll find … … the rock career as a three-act play. … the tour that started the Age Of Spectacle. … why Live Aid was the dawn of pop nostalgia. … the rock star who retired from retirement. … Woodstock – “the S

Sep 4, 2024 • 53:13

The Oasis reunion – feuds, cash, symbolism and the desire to repair our imperfect lives

The Oasis reunion – feuds, cash, symbolism and the desire to repair our imperfect lives

David, Mark and our token bucket-hatted parka monkey Alex tackle the return of Oasis, its grip on the public imagination and why they’re the biggest band of the last 30 years, which includes … … the Gallaghers’ mixed fortunes since 2009. … who won the battle of the underdogs. … “Noel has a thousand buttons, Liam has a thousand fingers”. … why the ‘90s was just like the ‘60s, a golden age of British pop culture. … no whizz-bangs required, no

Aug 31, 2024 • 33:36

Are comedians more competitive than rock stars?

Are comedians more competitive than rock stars?

In a concerted effort to put the world to rights, David and Mark ruminate upon the following …… Kylie and the Wiggles? Canned Heat and the Chipmunks? Real or invented pop star/childrens’ entertainer collaborations... the charmed life of Greg Kihn.… will the BBC have any archive left if it keeps cancelling presenters?… why Inside Llewyn Davis works and so many other biopics fail.… the full story of the statement Springsteen made with the Born To Run cover shoot.… Stewart Lee’s long-running beef w

Aug 28, 2024 • 44:15

Johnny Beatle’, early Blondie, Led Zeppelin’s plane and seven fabulous years at the Melody Maker.

Johnny Beatle’, early Blondie, Led Zeppelin’s plane and seven fabulous years at the Melody Maker.

Rock journalism as an occupation is rapidly heading in the direction of the watch-mender or lamplighter so Chris Charlesworth’s account of life at the Melody Maker in the ‘70s is already starting to feel like an historic document. ‘Just Backdated’ covers a time when the rock press set the agenda, sold over half a million copies a week and was courted by attention-seeking musicians of every rank, a lost world remembered in this conversation with Mark Ellen which includes … … the unwritten ru

Aug 22, 2024 • 45:55

One-word rock star mimicry, bands who shouldn’t reform & the best thing about Taylor Swift

One-word rock star mimicry, bands who shouldn’t reform & the best thing about Taylor Swift

With David asleep on a French sun-lounger beneath a copy of Summer Lightning, Alex and Mark pour themselves a cold drink and consider … … the great ska floor-fillers. … taking kids to rock concerts. … the fate of all bands: “as musicianship improves, vocals decline”. … left-field Beatles songs reworked as nursery rhymes. … why 2-Tone had pop’s “triple threat” (and the genius of Mike Barson). … of the five big acts with all original members intact, only one should re

Aug 19, 2024 • 42:01

The extraordinary story of Arthur Lee, Love and the 1966 flop which became a hit for the ages

The extraordinary story of Arthur Lee, Love and the 1966 flop which became a hit for the ages

Love’s official biographer John Einarson tells David Hepworth the star-crossed tale of the band who made the least psychedelic album of the psychedelic era. Their conversation takes in:….Lee’s growing up between Memphis and L.A., dealing with the problems of looking more like Johnny Mathis than Otis Redding.….how being indulged as a youngster by his family made him a tyrant as a band leader.….growing up with a prodigious musical talent but without the mastery of a single instrument.….refusing to

Aug 15, 2024 • 34:04

Buddy Holly airlines and the inimitable Bob Dylan

Buddy Holly airlines and the inimitable Bob Dylan

As Mark Ellen goes shrimping at Frinton David Hepworth and Alex Gold links hands across the Atlantic to discuss:….why a quick turn around Mount Hood in a Cessna should never be confused with pleasure….why all the highly-rated albums are actually over-rated.….why Timothee Chalamet has no hope of being able to capture more than one facet of Bob Dylan….the name of the only music-related location in the whole of Oxford Street which has managed to survive the great hollowing-out….why there really is

Aug 12, 2024 • 38:59

“Pop music is 80 per cent about hair”, remaking classic albums and why CDs are so hard to love

“Pop music is 80 per cent about hair”, remaking classic albums and why CDs are so hard to love

A small Pastis, a game of boules and a conversation putting the rock and roll world to rights, which this week includes … … why Debbie Harry and Mick Jagger worked so well on the small screen. … Elvin Pelvin on the Bilko Show and how Elvis was modelled on Tony Curtis. … An American Werewolf In London, The Birds, Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, Don’t Look Now, Nightmare On Elm Street and other old movies being rebooted. … how Patti Smith based an entire career on looking l

Aug 4, 2024 • 50:25

Queen, Bowie and other residents of Rockfield Studios remembered by the cook’s daughter

Queen, Bowie and other residents of Rockfield Studios remembered by the cook’s daughter

Rockfield is a converted farmhouse in the Welsh countryside where, for over 50 years, bands have lived while recording. In the ‘70s Tiffany Murray’s mum was the in-house cook, filling Motorhead to the brim with boeuf bourguignon and Black Sabbath with salmon en croute. Her touching memoir My Family And Other Rock Stars – hailed as “a rock and roll Cider With Rosie” – sees a succession of visiting bands though the wide eyes of a child and in a wholly new light - Freddie Mercury is the man who “sm

Aug 2, 2024 • 31:59

57 years of Fleetwood Mac: author Mark Blake's fond encounters and fresh revelations

57 years of Fleetwood Mac: author Mark Blake's fond encounters and fresh revelations

Mark Blake calls Dreams: the Many Lives of Fleetwood Mac a “mosaic biography”, their almost six-decade saga presented as a series of enthralling short stories with titles like ‘Mick Fleetwood’s Great Epiphany’ and ‘Rumours: A Doomed Romance in Six Acts’. It opens in fact with a “cast of characters”, the 18 one-time members, as if dramatis personae in a play, a play that gets more outlandish and dumbfounding with every new discovery and much of it based on his interviews and meetings with most of

Jul 31, 2024 • 45:56

Ron Sexsmith doesn’t need a teleprompter. He can do 40 Dylan songs at the drop of a hat

Ron Sexsmith doesn’t need a teleprompter. He can do 40 Dylan songs at the drop of a hat

Beloved Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith, old pal of the pod, is touring the UK in November, two of the nights at the Palladium, and looks back here at the first shows he saw and played himself. Which delights include … … what you learn playing Canadian bars aged 16. … seeing Elton John in a 75,000-seater stadium when he was 12. … early memories of the Kinks and the Who. … why every gig is “a mini-battle”. … Bob Dylan’s courage to do what the crowd don’t expe

Jul 30, 2024 • 35:14

Without John Mayall … no Cream, Fleetwood Mac, Status Quo or Led Zeppelin?

Without John Mayall … no Cream, Fleetwood Mac, Status Quo or Led Zeppelin?

Passing the baton of discourse on the rock and roll racetrack, our Olympian hosts sprint in the following direction … … watching Toumani Diabaté play in the pitch-black Malian night. … Laurel Canyon, the Brain Damage Club and the great fire of ‘79. … the Kinks in Fortis Green Road, the Beatles in Chiswick House and other alternative London rock landmarks. … is Cerrone’s Supernature nicked from the Days Of Pearly Spencer? … lower-level graduates from the John Mayall

Jul 29, 2024 • 52:36

Best album sleeves, what’s ruined singing and pop as ‘empowerment porn’

Best album sleeves, what’s ruined singing and pop as ‘empowerment porn’

Once again the ping-pong ball of conversation is batted across the rock and roll net and these are the scores on the doors … … how to wreck the national anthem. … cover versions that are better than the original. … the genius of Bob Newhart - "nutty Walt", Abraham Lincoln and that gag about country music. … virtue signalling in rock magazines. … why we connect with pop stars on the slide. … how Tainted Love went from the Northern Clubs to the top of the Americ

Jul 21, 2024 • 42:19

Who is Lawrence and why did Will Hodgkinson write a whole book about him?

Who is Lawrence and why did Will Hodgkinson write a whole book about him?

There’s something romantic about glorious failure and Will nails it perfectly in ‘Street Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence’. Over 40 years plagued by bad luck and self-sabotage with Felt, Denim and Mozart Estate, Lawrence has pursued fame and success while refusing to do what’s required to achieve them. Will spent 12 months wandering the streets of London with him to paint a fond, touching and extremely entertaining portrait of the worst-equipped pop star attempting a comeback, a man on a ho

Jul 18, 2024 • 38:42

 Backstage at Live Aid, the first Knebworth and bands that don’t get on

Backstage at Live Aid, the first Knebworth and bands that don’t get on

Employing controversial VAR technology, we re-examine various events on the rock and roll pitch and suggest a new perspective. Those key moments include … … the “bucolic frolic” at Knebworth 50 years ago as seen from 100 yards away just past the burger van and featuring Tim Buckley, Alex Harvey, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Van Morrison, the Doobie Brothers and the Allman Brothers Band. And a stark naked Jesus. … when did the Age of Spectacle begin? … how Two-Way Family Favouri

Jul 15, 2024 • 52:54

How Joni Mitchell joined the boys’ club and why we don’t need a comeback – by Ann Powers

How Joni Mitchell joined the boys’ club and why we don’t need a comeback – by Ann Powers

Broadcaster and music writer Ann Powers lives in Nashville and grew up listening to Kate Bush and Blondie. The siren call of Blue sparked a life-long and deep-rooted devotion and her new book Travelling: On The Path Of Joni Mitchell takes a different tack from the standard biographies, mapping the context of the songs, the forces that drove her, the steel will it took to succeed and the love affairs that shaped her and her music. All discussed here. As is this ... … the scale of your ambiti

Jul 12, 2024 • 46:21

Twist And Shout? Spiral Scratch? Corey duBrowa celebrates the best and rarest EPs ever made

Twist And Shout? Spiral Scratch? Corey duBrowa celebrates the best and rarest EPs ever made

The first EPs appeared in the late ‘40s and ‘50s (Frank Sinatra, Elvis) hitting a magical sweet spot between the album and the single and they’ve cast a spell ever since, an exotic reminder that record labels are part of the packaged goods business. Music writer Corey duBrowa stumbled across one by Oingo Boingo in the original Licorice Pizza store in Long Beach, California, when he was 13 and began a lifelong collection that eventually led to ‘An Ideal For Living: a Celebration of the EP’, a boo

Jul 8, 2024 • 38:51

What songs should be longer or shorter?

What songs should be longer or shorter?

The rock and roll ballot-box is stuffed with votes and the exit polls suggest how this week’s debate might play out. Along these lines … … is there still such a thing as British music? … John Lennon as a lavatory attendant. … Pink Floyd’s miming lessons. .. how Neil Finn cheered up the All Blacks. … the staggering difference in the UK album charts in the weeks the last two Labour Prime Ministers were elected (1997 and 2024) - male British bands v international female sol

Jul 7, 2024 • 45:26

Dylan Jones – Clegg’s women, Hague’s pints and “the wiring behind celebrity culture”

Dylan Jones – Clegg’s women, Hague’s pints and “the wiring behind celebrity culture”

We’ve known Dylan since the days he was editing i-D, Arena and GQ and he’s been a regular on our podcasts talking about his books on Live Aid, the ‘80s, David Bowie and Wichita Lineman. And he’s finally written his memoir, These Foolish Things, full of insights and stories about glam rock, punk, the Blitz, four decades of the magazine world and the people he interviewed and shepherded into awards shows. You’ll hear the delightful clang of the odd dropped name here, along with … … Shirley Ma

Jul 3, 2024 • 37:34

Happy accidents, whooping at gigs and why the album review star system doesn’t work anymore

Happy accidents, whooping at gigs and why the album review star system doesn’t work anymore

In which we hoof a few balls round the rock and roll pitch and try to stick some in the net. Extracts from the live match commentary include …. … “Whipping Post!” “Paint it black, you devil!”: when did the audience become part of the show? … the special, unrepeatable thing about Bill Evans At The Village Vanguard. … GambleGate and the most we’ve ever bet on anything. … why young musicians today are so good. And why most Americans could outplay the British. … ‘60s Jamaica

Jun 30, 2024 • 49:32

Pop football chants, Reg ‘Reg’ Snipton sings Joni Mitchell & the tale of John Lennon’s watch

Pop football chants, Reg ‘Reg’ Snipton sings Joni Mitchell & the tale of John Lennon’s watch

The two-man tandem of curiosity wobbles its way down the rock and roll cyclepath pausing here to admire the view … … “We’re captive on the carousel of TIME-AH!!”: tuneless Northern club singer Reg “Reg” Snipton performs Ver Greats. … is going to gigs alone becoming a thing? ... why Phil Oakey was a better musician than any of ELP. … Seven Nation Army in football stadiums - and does Jack White make any money from it? … what rock stars spend their fortunes on. … peopl

Jun 24, 2024 • 51:39

Only Clare Grogan knows how it feels to burst onstage from a giant birthday cake

Only Clare Grogan knows how it feels to burst onstage from a giant birthday cake

Clare Grogan, a regular on our podcasts and rarely off the cover when we were at Smash Hits, is on tour again with Altered Images and playing festivals in the summer – indeed her fabulous description of the bus ferrying her, Midge Ure, Nik Kershaw, Kim Wilde and Living in A Box to the stage at Rewind sounds like an old Smash Hits cartoon come to life. As she points out, “the ‘80s revival has gone on longer than the decade itself.” We don’t know anyone who enjoys and appreciates being a pop star

Jun 21, 2024 • 38:36

The wit and charisma of Kate Bush by Graeme Thomson: going too far makes you what you are

The wit and charisma of Kate Bush by Graeme Thomson: going too far makes you what you are

Graeme is an old friend of the podcast. We’ve talked to him in the past about his books on Phil Lynott and John Martyn. ‘Under The Ivy: the Life And Music of Kate Bush’ first appeared in 2010, and was revised in 2015 after her Before the Dawn concerts and it’s now been updated again as, despite no new music or public appearances, her worldwide reputation has rocketed through the roof. We look back here at various key points in the story including ... … why the way she made recor

Jun 18, 2024 • 43:46

For the love of Françoise Hardy, Ben Sidran and the TV comedy Twenty Twelve

For the love of Françoise Hardy, Ben Sidran and the TV comedy Twenty Twelve

Among the logs tossed on the conversational bonfire this week to combat mid-June’s British winter you’ll find …… ‘I Managed Van Morrison’ and other films screaming to be made. … how it feels to watch someone play from the best seat in the house.… Françoise Hardy, her unsmiling photos and legions of besotted male admirers (ie us and everyone else). … the time she met Dylan and Nick Drake. … Juliette Greco, Edith Piaf and the handful of French stars who made it across the Channel.…&

Jun 17, 2024 • 41:18

Stewart Lee knows the rigours of ‘animal costume work’ and why great comedy is about shock

Stewart Lee knows the rigours of ‘animal costume work’ and why great comedy is about shock

Stewart Lee – beloved writer, columnist and stand-up - was on the podcast in 2022 talking about the first records he bought, immensely funny and fascinating, and we’ve been praying for an excuse to get him back since. And it’s here! - he’s on tour again and his ‘Basic Lee’ show is on Sky/Now TV on July 20. This covers his first memories of live entertainment - in the audience and as a performer – and the people who influenced him and stops off at the following stations … … why the Wombles w

Jun 15, 2024 • 48:50

How Springsteen went “six deep”, fictional rock hacks and who’s more conservative than Liam Gallagher?

How Springsteen went “six deep”, fictional rock hacks and who’s more conservative than Liam Gallagher?

You’ll always find us in the kitchen at parties, near the hoppy summer ale and sausage rolls and, and this week discussing … … he hasn't changed his look or sound for 30 years: is there a more conservative concept than Liam Gallagher? And how he became the one-man Oasis. … the eye-watering sum Kevin Hart made from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. … Loudermilk, Rob Gordon in High Fidelity and other Rock Snob stereotypes in fiction - “I’m a Rock Snob? It comes with the territory bein

Jun 11, 2024 • 46:24

Jon Savage - Dusty’s wig, Bowie’s bombshell and how gay pop culture changed music

Jon Savage - Dusty’s wig, Bowie’s bombshell and how gay pop culture changed music

“I thought Dave Davies of the Kinks was a girl. When I discovered he was a boy, that’s when I got interested.” Jon’s an old friend of the podcast and the author of some highly regarded and influential books about pop and its repercussions, ‘England’s Dreaming’ and ‘1966: the Year The Decade Exploded’ among them. His latest is ‘The Secret Public: How LGBTQ Performers Shaped Popular Culture 1955-1979’ which looks at five particular moments and the pivotal people in the mix at the time. We couldn’t

Jun 9, 2024 • 34:04

“Abba’s success is more about us than them”: Giles Smith looks back at a 50-year love affair

“Abba’s success is more about us than them”: Giles Smith looks back at a 50-year love affair

Giles was 12 when he watched Abba win Eurovision in 1974 and was instantly besotted – and thus required to spend the next 20 years wrestling with The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name. His thunderingly funny, fond and illuminating book – My My!: Abba Through The Years – traces their story, looks at the snobbery and critical mauling they endured and figures out how they made records so universally popular and which still move him to tears 50 years later. It’s also the best example of any book we’

Jun 8, 2024 • 37:38

the Architect of Mod: how Peter Meaden restyled and launched the Who - by Steve Turner

the Architect of Mod: how Peter Meaden restyled and launched the Who - by Steve Turner

Peter Meaden was a key figure in the Mod movement. He changed the world view of Andrew Loog Oldham, which shaped the early Stones, and he managed the Who, remodelling their look and sound, writing their first single and turning them into Mod figureheads. Steve Turner interviewed him in 1975, an exchange that's now the centrepiece of his new book 'King Mod: the Story of Peter Meaden, the Who and the Birth of a British Subculture', and the NME's published extract in 1978 paved the way for the Mod

Jun 6, 2024 • 39:49

Great album trilogies, suing Madonna and "the pantheon of psychedelic heaviosity"

Great album trilogies, suing Madonna and "the pantheon of psychedelic heaviosity"

This week the conversational Super-Trouper of Enquiry lights up the following …... why care when "rock critics get it wrong"? ... the dreadful death of the Allman brothers' dad. ... is there any other branch of entertainment where you can be two hours late onstage?... has any show got worse reviews than Eddie Izzard's one-woman Hamlet?... the unlikely tale of how Iron Butterfly changed the course of Atlantic Records. ... three, the magic number: the accidental album trilogies of S

Jun 3, 2024 • 47:11

The spectacular Dead & Co, songs performed backwards & happy birthday Diamond Dogs!

The spectacular Dead & Co, songs performed backwards & happy birthday Diamond Dogs!

Tuning into this week's rock and roll soundwave to filter signal from noise, we cranked up the volume on the following ...... 'Zuma Nester Rock' and the eternal curse of rock stars' kids' names. ... Bowie's spat with Robbie Williams at Netaid. ... celebrating awkward sods like Kevin Rowland.... why Paul Carrack has seen it all.... 'Lewis' Armstrong, 'Hoosker Doo' and others we've been pronouncing wrong. ... AI does David Hepworth and Mark Ellen!... the Underground/Overground album

May 26, 2024 • 43:29

Why They Might Be Giants now perform an entire song backwards

Why They Might Be Giants now perform an entire song backwards

They Might Be Giants – old school fiends John Flansburgh and John Linnell – have been making elliptical, funny and adventurous records for over 40 years and writing music for children, advertising and TV comedies. We talk to John Linnell here about songwriting, early shows in art spaces, the way you saw the world when a "wiseacrey teenager" and what you can expect from their autumn tour. Which, incidentally, will include the "pointlessy difficult exercise" of performing Sapphire Bullets Of Love

May 22, 2024 • 27:04

Guy Chambers - writing with Robbie, a tangle with Bowie & half a bagel with Paul McCartney

Guy Chambers - writing with Robbie, a tangle with Bowie & half a bagel with Paul McCartney

Guy Chambers was a teenager in Liverpool and at John Lennon’s old school - "same headmaster, Mister Pobjoy". He remembers the Beatles, Queen, Abba and Jesus Christ Superstar sparking his interest in the "perfect song package" and went on to work with Tina Turner, Rufus Wainwright, Kylie, Diana Ross and scores of others. He talks here about early shows he saw, records bought and his own tour in the autumn, "An Evening With Guy Chambers", stopping off at various points on the way, among them .....

May 21, 2024 • 36:35

Alan Edwards, pop PR – ‘Bowie was like King Arthur and the Spice Girls like the Pistols’

Alan Edwards, pop PR – ‘Bowie was like King Arthur and the Spice Girls like the Pistols’

We’ve known Alan Edwards since the days when we’d ring him for a quote from Blondie or the Stranglers in the late ‘70s and he’s still one of the key figures in music PR. He’s looked after the Stones, Prince, Michael Jackson, Blondie, Amy Winehouse, the Beckhams and many others. No-one is better positioned to see how that world has changed, from the pre-Google days when you could invent a story and the press would happily buy it to a 21st century where his flat was burgled in pursuit of lucrative

May 20, 2024 • 42:16

Rock’s image-makers, men on dancefloors and why bands can’t act like bands anymore

Rock’s image-makers, men on dancefloors and why bands can’t act like bands anymore

This week’s items slapped on the rock and roll barbecue and lightly grilled include … … why Eurovision will never avoid political controversy. … when AI does David Hepworth! … what’s the secret of NTS radio? … “there are two types of wedding disco, ones that start with Abba's Dancing Queen and terrible ones.” … Tony Hall’s prophetic preview of Revolver in May '66 – “they shatter convention and may well have a far-reaching effect on the whole future of music”. …

May 19, 2024 • 55:09

Paul Carrack has seen it all – beat, soul, prog, pub rock, pop & the perfect ‘slow burn’ career.

Paul Carrack has seen it all – beat, soul, prog, pub rock, pop & the perfect ‘slow burn’ career.

We’ve followed Paul Carrack for 50 years, a big hit single – How Long – when he was with Ace, 19 albums, countless sessions (the Smiths, Eagles and Pretenders among them) and a touring band member with Squeeze, Roxy Music, Roger Waters and Nick Lowe. He once put out an album called ‘I Know That Name’ as for so many people he’s still under the radar. His newsagent assumes he’s called “Mike” as he was the singer in Mike & the Mechanics. He's touring the UK in the autumn and looks back here at …&nb

May 16, 2024 • 37:30

Nige Tassell was so obsessed with Dexys he’s tracked down all 24 ex-members

Nige Tassell was so obsessed with Dexys he’s tracked down all 24 ex-members

Nige Tassell used to go to school in full donkey-jacket-and-woolly-hat ensemble to express his boundless devotion to Dexys Midnight Runners. Forty years later he set out to find and interview everyone who’d ever been a member. For some, their time in the ranks was a joyful, career-launching delight. Others felt it was like a slightly chilly and controlling cult. They all took a while to recover and they all had extraordinary stories to tell in his latest book ‘Searching For Dexys Midnight Runner

May 15, 2024 • 35:19

Why Nick Mason’s “cottage industry” band plays just early Pink Floyd

Why Nick Mason’s “cottage industry” band plays just early Pink Floyd

Missing being on tour and exasperated by internal disputes, Nick Mason set out to tour small-scale venues with his band Saucerful Of Secrets in 2018. They’re mid-way through another world tour (Gary Kemp’s the main singer and one of the guitarists). He doesn’t miss the stadium circuit where “you need a golf cart to get from one side of the stage to the other” and they play only the early psychedelic Floyd material, from their first singles up to (but not including) the Dark Side of the Moon, whi

May 14, 2024 • 27:29

Let It Be revisited, the wisdom of Steve Albini and a woeful tale about Steve Marriott

Let It Be revisited, the wisdom of Steve Albini and a woeful tale about Steve Marriott

We were at the Curzon Mayfair on May 7 for the premier of the rebooted Let It Be in all its burnished finery and came away with a ton of things to unravel, among them … … what we never knew when the film came out 54 years ago. .. seeing it in the shadow of Peter Jackson’s Get Back. … how the edit was overtaken by events and the tangled reasons it turned out the way it did. … why Lindsay-Hogg’s amphitheatre concept would never have worked. … the divine symbolism of the Be

May 12, 2024 • 53:26

The genius of Little Feat, the Man with the Twang & pop’s greatest scandal in the making

The genius of Little Feat, the Man with the Twang & pop’s greatest scandal in the making

We stuck a few coins in this week’s Wurlitzer and these were the tunes that got played … … when records became all about sound not songs. … Fonzworth Bentley, Puff Daddy’s butler, the man who held an umbrella over him on the beach at Cannes. … what Henry Kissinger, Martha Stewart and Leonardo DiCaprio kept very quiet about. … Manchester’s Co-Op, a tale of unprecedented hopelessness. … what’s the definition of a song? And can you steal a record? … the magical skill o

May 5, 2024 • 46:14

Steve Diggle of the Buzzcocks remembers the day “a terrible beauty was born”

Steve Diggle of the Buzzcocks remembers the day “a terrible beauty was born”

Steve Diggle met Pete Shelley when the Pistols played Manchester in 1976 and the Diggle-fronted Buzzcocks are now on a world tour that began in Mexico and takes in North and South America, Europe and Australasia before winding up at the 100 Club where they played the Punk Festival 48 years ago – “we’ve come full circle”. He looks back here at the first shows he saw and played himself and talks about Silverhead, Status Quo, Leo Sayer dressed as a clown, George Best, the Groundhogs, The History of

May 3, 2024 • 30:18

Rock snobbery, the seven wives of Gregg Allman & the greatest solo on a pop record

Rock snobbery, the seven wives of Gregg Allman & the greatest solo on a pop record

This week’s theories, rants, ruminations, recollections, weak gags and free and frank exchanges of view alight upon the following … … is pop music now all about identity? …. the recording of the Animals’ House of the Rising Sun and other apocryphal tales. … has any act been as ubiquitous since Frankie Goes to Hollywood in 1984? … or has anyone inspired a greater level of personal devotion than Taylor Swift? … Peter Green, a shotgun and his accountant.&n

Apr 29, 2024 • 1:03:52

Harold Bronson of Rhino Records kept a 40-year rock and roll diary…

Harold Bronson of Rhino Records kept a 40-year rock and roll diary…

File this under ‘right place, right time’. Harold Bronson was a teenager in mid-60’s Los Angeles and saw every act imaginable. Then wrote for the Daily Bruin and Rolling Stone and interviewed everyone that interested him. Then managed a music store and co-founded Rhino Records, pretty much inventing the idea of the top-end reissue – “Sooner or later everyone ends up in a box.” All of this is in his memoir, ‘Time Has Come Today: Rock and Roll Diaries 1967 – 2007’, and many of its cast of thousand

Apr 28, 2024 • 39:55

The “amniotic throb” of modern pop, the eternal life of the Top Gear theme and the Blue Nile’s lucky break

The “amniotic throb” of modern pop, the eternal life of the Top Gear theme and the Blue Nile’s lucky break

With Mark Ellen in foreign parts David Hepworth and Alex Gold light cigars, pass the port in the correct direction and discuss…..…..the fact that there is only one way to play a Beatles song and that is the way the Beatles did it.…..the chances that Taylor Swift is reaching her imperial phase and nobody is prepared to tell her what she really needs to hear.….the very good reason that all contemporary pop records do literally sound the same.…the 50th anniversary of Richard and Linda Thompson’s “I

Apr 21, 2024 • 47:48

Hollywood Babylon, the inspired gimmickry of Catch A Fire and the luck of Ron Wood

Hollywood Babylon, the inspired gimmickry of Catch A Fire and the luck of Ron Wood

We lobbed the feathered arrows of enquiry at the rock and roll dartboard this week and these got the highest scores … … rock stars v the new league of the Super-Rich. … package tours of the mid-‘60s – eight acts, an interval, a compere plus God Save the Queen. … ‘Hits, Flops and Other Illusions’ by Edward Zwick and the fantastic tale about arrogance, money-squandering and Julia Roberts at the Halcyon Hotel.... pop music used to be about persuading people to cut loose; now it’s abo

Apr 15, 2024 • 58:43

Neil Tennant remembers life “with dyed red Bowie hair and clattering platforms”

Neil Tennant remembers life “with dyed red Bowie hair and clattering platforms”

Neil’s an old friend from our days back at Smash Hits in the early ‘80s. The first Pet Shop Boys demos were played on the office tape machine, though he was a bit self-conscious about “the one with the rap on it”. He’s always had a journalistic capacity for story-telling, remembering everything in famously entertaining detail, and we had so much material from this reunion we turned it into a two-part podcast. Here’s a taste of what you’ll find in this second half ... … “every group has to h

Apr 11, 2024 • 43:54

Richard Thompson – “you know it’s time to go when the audience starts throwing chairs”

Richard Thompson – “you know it’s time to go when the audience starts throwing chairs”

Richard Thompson first appeared onstage aged 14 playing Beatles covers in a school group “so bad we were pelted with pennies”. Sixty years later his range of operations includes touring solo and with his band, occasional reunions with Fairport Convention, residencies on Adriatic cruise ships and running a Guitar Camp in the Catskill Mountains (along with his sons and grandson). Much has he seen and learned about live entertainment along the way and he talks to us here from his home on the Americ

Apr 10, 2024 • 24:01

Neil Tennant remembers the pop press and “the last great era of forward-looking songs"

Neil Tennant remembers the pop press and “the last great era of forward-looking songs"

Neil’s an old friend from our days back at Smash Hits in the early ‘80s. The first Pet Shop Boys demos were played on the office tape machine, though he was a bit self-conscious about “the one with the rap on it”, and he’s one of the few people who’s seen the music press from every angle - as a reader in the ‘70s, as a writer and interviewer and as a musician on its front covers. We had so much great material from this wide-ranging conversation that we’ve turned it into a two-part podcast. Here’

Apr 9, 2024 • 36:37

 The Stones’ clothes, our love affair with Abba & rock’s most appalling spectacle

The Stones’ clothes, our love affair with Abba & rock’s most appalling spectacle

We lobbed the cracked wooden ball of enquiry at the rock and roll coconut shy this week and a few choice items dropped off their perch, among them …… was Kate Bush ‘the Queen of Prog’? … ELP, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple playing to 350,000 people on a Speedway track. … the three things that sparked the Abba revival. … the Further Adventures of Desmond and Molly Jones, Mean Mr Mustard, Polythene Pam, Father McKenzie, Rocky Raccoon, Maxwell Edison, Rose and Valerie, Sweet Loretta M

Apr 8, 2024 • 47:26

Big Characters we have loved and why the Clash wouldn’t last ten minutes in 2024

Big Characters we have loved and why the Clash wouldn’t last ten minutes in 2024

We’ve applied our celebrated sheep/goats separation technique to the rock and roll pasture and shepherded the following into this week’s pod … … Beyoncé and why it’s hard to connect with songs written by committee. … are we too old for biopics? … Marvel films, the Arctic Monkeys and other things you either love or avoid. … reviewing Human Touch and Lucky Town in a high-security studio (and how you can only tell if an album’s any good if you’ve lived with it f

Mar 31, 2024 • 46:51

How Paul Cook broke into Hammersmith Odeon to see the Who, Slade, Queen & Alex Harvey

How Paul Cook broke into Hammersmith Odeon to see the Who, Slade, Queen & Alex Harvey

Paul Cook’s post-Pistols band the Professionals were once, rather surprisingly, on the cover of Smash Hits - “the pinnacle of our success!” – and they’re including the 100 Club on their upcoming tour, the location of another career highlight. He talks to us here about how the first time he played live was also the Pistols’ first appearance (Saint Martin’s College of Art - “utter chaos”), how their old Denmark Street rehearsal room is now an AirBnB (Rotten’s cartoons still on the wall), old punks

Mar 28, 2024 • 18:16

Sharleen Spiteri saw Joe Strummer onstage and thought “that’s what I want to be”

Sharleen Spiteri saw Joe Strummer onstage and thought “that’s what I want to be”

exas are touring in the autumn and she talks to us here about what’s required to make it all look easy, a conversation that includes … … why working in a Glaswegian hair salon was the perfect preparation for pop stardom. … the difference between the first second onstage and everything that follows. … the advantage of being a singer with an instrument. … seeing Jim Kerr in his mother’s blouse at Tiffany’s in Glasgow when she was 15. … how Dusty Spr

Mar 26, 2024 • 35:14

Album sleeves as lifestyle statements and 5 seconds that made Phil Manzanera a fortune

Album sleeves as lifestyle statements and 5 seconds that made Phil Manzanera a fortune

The all-seeing telescope of truth scanned this week’s rock and roll heavens and noticed a few patterns emerge, among them … … the real story of the writing of Layla and who nicked what from where. And who didn’t get paid. … why Sally Grossman was on the cover of Bringing It All Back Home. … album sleeves with overflowing ashtrays that screamed ‘welcome to my bohemian world!’ – Soft Machine’s Third, Man’s Rhinos, Winos + Lunatics, Back Street Crawler …

Mar 25, 2024 • 36:40

Phil Manzanera Part 2: an insider’s guide to Roxy Music (and a great Bob Dylan story)

Phil Manzanera Part 2: an insider’s guide to Roxy Music (and a great Bob Dylan story)

Phil Manzanera – who thought “every day in the band felt like Christmas” – has just published his memoir, Revolución to Roxy, and talked to us about it in front of a rammed and captivated audience at London’s 21Soho, an evening so full of detail, intrigue and revelation we’re putting it out as two podcasts. This is the second. He lifts the bonnet of the Roxy Music “art collective” in its various line-ups and shows you how the engine worked and why the idea of Eno onstage was “frightening”. He re

Mar 24, 2024 • 43:07

Phil Manzanera’s enviable life in Roxy Music and beyond

Phil Manzanera’s enviable life in Roxy Music and beyond

Phil Manzanera – whose relatives include a Colombian pirate, a spy and an Italian opera musician - has just published his memoir, Revolución to Roxy, and talked to us about it in front of a packed and enthralled house at London’s 21Soho, a life so fascinating, detailed and colourful we’re releasing the conversation as a two-part podcast. Here’s Part One which looks back at an exotic childhood in Hawaii, Caracas and Cuba – with first-hand memories of Castro’s revolution in 1959 – and then his sch

Mar 22, 2024 • 38:45

Fish is bowing out to become a Hebridean shepherd. What’s he learnt in 45 years onstage?

Fish is bowing out to become a Hebridean shepherd. What’s he learnt in 45 years onstage?

Fish has announced a Farewell Tour in 2025. “I’ve been there, done that and sold the t-shirt.” He’s moving to a croft on a remote Scottish island with nesting eagles, a flock of sheep named after the Hibernian FC team of 1972 and part-ownership of what’s just been voted “the best beach in the world”. Getting there is like the journey in Brigadoon. This covers a wide range of bases, among them … … how the fall of the Berlin Wall changed the tour circuit. … his first gig as “

Mar 20, 2024 • 46:11

The extraordinary story of Steve Harley’s greatest hit

The extraordinary story of Steve Harley’s greatest hit

Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) was a slow-paced, vicious dirge about the band members who forsook and betrayed him which magically evolved into what appeared to be an optimistic love song, a radio staple that never stopped selling. David and Mark remembered its transformation.Subscribe to Word In Your Ear on Patreon for early - and ad-free - access to all of our content, plus a whole load more!: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com

Mar 18, 2024 • 6:57

Great divorce albums, Powerpop snobs and dark tales of 1999

Great divorce albums, Powerpop snobs and dark tales of 1999

Various items set off the alarm in the rock and roll bag-check this week and were hauled back for closer inspection, among them … … when did records first try to sound like the past? … why Karl Wallinger and Robbie Williams fell out over She’s the One. ... how Marillion and Chuck D changed the digital landscape. … the only word for the sound of Free is “lascivious”. … Blood on the Tracks, Here My Dear, Shoot Out The Lights, Tapestry, Tunnel of Love and other accounts of

Mar 17, 2024 • 1:01:10

Stephen Fall’s reviewed 3,333 of his albums. Buy the book!

Stephen Fall’s reviewed 3,333 of his albums. Buy the book!

Stephen Fall wrote reviews of his records, one a day, to make him a better listener. A decade later he published them in a book so colossal that we drop it on a desk to prove it’s passed the Boff Test. ‘Reviewing My Record Collection: 3,333 Albums from A to Zuma’ is a laudable labour of love, records he bought years ago and revisited, records he found in charity shops and took a punt on, records with reputations, records that deserve “a mauling”, records he wants the world to hear, records arran

Mar 14, 2024 • 22:35

It’s Arthur Brown, the god of hellfire … paging Health & Safety!

It’s Arthur Brown, the god of hellfire … paging Health & Safety!

Arthur Brown – enduring psychedelic godfather – is out on tour again 57 years after first performing Fire in a flaming metal crown. He’s nearly 82. This is the most old-school podcast we’ve ever done, talk of seeing Salvador Dali in his audience in a Paris nightclub, jazz bands on the back of trucks, his grandmother’s hotel being bombed in WW2, the birth of Flower Power, gigs at the UFO club, Palaeolithic art, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, panicked security personnel with fire blankets an

Mar 12, 2024 • 20:28

Suzi Ronson - Bowie’s stylist - knows why rock and roll is all about hair

Suzi Ronson - Bowie’s stylist - knows why rock and roll is all about hair

Suzi Ronson was working in a hairdressers in Beckenham in 1970 when a Mrs Jones dropped in for a shampoo and set talking gaily about her son, “an artistic boy who plays guitar and piano”. The same son who’d had a hit with Space Oddity and occasionally drifted down the High Road in a dress. Within weeks she’d become the first rock stylist, transforming Bowie’s hair, image and stage clothes and launching him in the direction of Ziggy Stardust and an international audience. She was a key part of hi

Mar 11, 2024 • 37:48

How the Beatles invented pop video and acts we love who always sound the same

How the Beatles invented pop video and acts we love who always sound the same

Nutritious items on the rock and roll tasting menu this week include … … the curious life of Tom Verlaine, his grocery cart and his 50,000 books. … was March 9 1984 the worst week ever for the British album charts? … what all great records have in common. … Yesterday’s news today! ‘Soundies’ at the cinema and the Scopitone colour video jukebox. … why A Hard Day’s Night was the greatest advert for the magical qualities of the Beatles and the scene that was the

Mar 10, 2024 • 33:51

Is social media killing pop music? And where have all the bands gone?

Is social media killing pop music? And where have all the bands gone?

Caught in the piercing super-trouper of perusal this week … ... the BRITS 2024, a howling embarrassment. … Medieval Beatles! She Came In Through the Privy Window, Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Kestrel, Comely Rita, I’m Happy Just To Joust With You … … the wisdom of Tony Hancock. … The Last Dinner Party and other ‘art concepts’. … the Pattie Boyd/George Harrison/Eric Clapton love triangle. … the days when “forming a band was a conspiracy against

Mar 4, 2024 • 43:08

For Henry Normal comedy is like “sugar and salt”

For Henry Normal comedy is like “sugar and salt”

Henry Normal set up Baby Cow Productions with Steve Coogan, co-wrote the Royle Family, Coogan’s Run and Mrs Merton and produced Gavin & Stacy and Red Dwarf. He’s been a central plank in British comedy since the early ‘90s and, throughout it all, developed his own stage show built around poems and stories. He’s touring the UK with Brian Bilston. This podcast is full of hard-won insight into what makes comedy work and how the best poetry connects with “a greater truth”. And much besides including

Mar 3, 2024 • 28:40

Steve Howe of Yes tells a few tales from topographic oceans

Steve Howe of Yes tells a few tales from topographic oceans

Steve Howe talks to us from the old house and studio in Devon where they rehearsed ‘The Yes Album’ in 1970. He’s been recording there for 54 years and is part of the current line-up about to set out around Europe. He looks back here on what he’s learnt from 60 years onstage and mentions … … the effect of seeing Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins and The Animals in 1964. … playing old Shadows tunes at the Barnsbury Boys School in Holloway, aged 14. … how Yes songs evolved and th

Feb 29, 2024 • 32:20

The evergreen record that’s 50 years old & Jeremy Thorpe at a hippie commune

The evergreen record that’s 50 years old & Jeremy Thorpe at a hippie commune

As this week’s rock and roll steeplechase thunders out over the jumps, the following runners and riders make it past the post … … “First he changed music. Then he changed the world!” and other over-cooked biopic sells. … Billy Joel returns by the miracle of Artificial Ignorance. … what you learn from visiting rock stars’ childhood homes. … what’s Malta done to deserve a four-day Liam Gallagher festival? … the one thing that’s never changed about Country Music. … how

Feb 25, 2024 • 59:31

Richard Coles has faced every audience imaginable, one armed with pea-shooters

Richard Coles has faced every audience imaginable, one armed with pea-shooters

The Reverend Richard Coles is back on tour with his ‘Borderline National Trinket’ show and talks to us from his home in Sussex where he’s “the only person in the village who hasn’t won a BAFTA”. This looks back at his life – “a CV like the work of a fantasist” - and what he’s learnt from 50 years of watching various types of stage entertainment and playing to audiences ranging from the Wollaston Over-‘60s Methodist Ladies Fellowship to a bunch of delinquent Spanish pop fans with catapults. And h

Feb 23, 2024 • 30:44

For Jah Wobble driving tube trains was even more thrilling than playing Glastonbury

For Jah Wobble driving tube trains was even more thrilling than playing Glastonbury

Jah Wobble - aka John Wardle - wrote ‘Dark Luminosity: Memoirs of a Geezer’ in 2009. It’s just been reworked, expanded and republished and it’s well worth reading, full of detail about growing up in the East End, unexploded bombs, pickling factories, grim schooldays, record shops and clubs, the bands he saw and his arrival at Kingsway College where he met John Lydon and Sid Vicious and became a cornerstone of the punk rock inner circle. And then two challenging years as the bassist of Public Ima

Feb 20, 2024 • 35:46

Steve Wright and other great radioheads, McCartney’s bass & the non-profits of Python

Steve Wright and other great radioheads, McCartney’s bass & the non-profits of Python

Pausing occasionally to spark a Senior Service and sink a milk stout, we kick cans down this week’s rock and roll boulevard stopping off at the following hotspots … … the “Grunge Dripdown”: why Pearl Jam can play 60,000 seaters. … the Elton Line, the Dury Line, the Bragg Line, the Kirsty Line …. What the London Overgrounds should have been called and why. ... how Steve Wright made radio and sowed the seeds of the Fast Show and Stella Street. … actors w

Feb 19, 2024 • 51:19

Max Décharné reboots the golden age of the Teddy Boys

Max Décharné reboots the golden age of the Teddy Boys

If a film director wanted to flag up incoming violence in the late ‘50s, the camera would fall upon a couple of Teds lurking in the street outside. The teenage Keith Richards remembers razors, bike chains and bloodshed at dance halls and there was an infamous Teddy Boy murder on Clapham Common that plunged the nation into frantic, media-led moral panic. Max Décharné sets out to reclaim the Teds from their “Cro-Magnon, knuckle-dragging cliché” in his new book Teddy Boys and relives this dangerous

Feb 18, 2024 • 35:02

Guy Garvey remembers the Grumbleweeds in panto, Santana fantasies & a song nicked from Roy Castle

Guy Garvey remembers the Grumbleweeds in panto, Santana fantasies & a song nicked from Roy Castle

Guy Garvey and Elbow start touring the UK in May and he looks back here at the first shows he saw growing up in Bury in the ’70s - when his five elders introduced him to punk, prog, folk, soul and Elton John - and proudly admits he still doesn’t know the names of the guitar strings. Look out for … … the secrets of the “Vanity Thrust” and other 21st Century stagecraft. … the time they supported the Stones. … being with the same band members for 34 years and each “wanting to be a di

Feb 14, 2024 • 27:03

Lulu, when Prince did a bad thing and how the Beatles changed the shape of the human head

Lulu, when Prince did a bad thing and how the Beatles changed the shape of the human head

This week the two-man kayak of curiosity tackles the following rock and roll rapids … … when was the last time there was a truly universal hit? … why Waylon Jennings walked out of We Are The World. ... the story of Everybody’s Talkin’ and Midnight Cowboy. … why the Beatles’ 1964 American invasion was the biggest surprise party in the world and how the Maysles Brothers’ doc became the template for A Hard Day’s Night. … the secret haikus of Wes Anderson. … the b

Feb 12, 2024 • 53:04

Musicians and their mothers and the records we could never sell

Musicians and their mothers and the records we could never sell

We spun the week’s rock and roll roulette wheel and this is where the balls landed … … why all rock biopics are worth seeing once. … ‘demixing’: we spent ages perfecting records. Now we’re unperfecting them. … the adorable hand-drawn flyer the 15 year-old Robert Plant made for his band Blacksnake Moan 60 years ago – “the weirdest, wildest sound in R&B!” … are all musicians driven by the urge to please their mums? … Pyjamarama, Crazy Diamond, Cigarettesnalcohol and

Feb 4, 2024 • 47:31

Tom Hibbert (the world’s funniest music writer) and why Madonna should be sued

Tom Hibbert (the world’s funniest music writer) and why Madonna should be sued

Our piercing Hubble Telescope Of Truth scans the rock and roll heavens to see what new patterns emerge, among them … … running into Rod Stewart at a friend’s funeral. … the priceless spectacle of rock critics dancing. ... Prefab Sprout and the fine art of bathos – “We were songbirds, we were Greek Gods, we were singled out by fate/We were quoted out of context - it was great!” … the best songs about being in a band. … Jackson Browne’s Running On Empty (and its hymn to se

Jan 28, 2024 • 46:23

TV's greatest musical moment - and are we still allowed to laugh at hopeless old rock bands?

TV's greatest musical moment - and are we still allowed to laugh at hopeless old rock bands?

Applying our patent ACME wheat/chaff separator to the rock and roll cornfield, this week’s podcast reaps the following harvest …. … Stray, Budgie, Fat Mattress, Atomic Rooster … ropey bargain-bin fixtures reborn as costly and collectible vinyl classics. … Neil Or No Neil: Let’s Impeach the President, The Lone Ranger And Tonto Fistfight in Heaven … spot the fake Shakey song title. … what they did with the Beatles’ Twist And Shout in the opening sequence of True Detective 4.&n

Jan 22, 2024 • 50:10

Graham Gouldman knows where to alphabetically file 10cc records

Graham Gouldman knows where to alphabetically file 10cc records

In March Graham Gouldman and 10cc are coming your way and here he talks to David Hepworth about:- seeing Cliff and the original Shadows at his first live show- playing live in the sixties, when a band would plug all three guitars into the same amp- where he keeps his fifty guitars- what’s going on when it all goes quiet on the 10.c.c. tour bus- the songs you have to play for the audience- the ones you play for yourself- what goes through his head every night when he’s standing in the wings- the

Jan 21, 2024 • 17:25

Annie Nightingale (“the great goth auntie”), choirs on pop records & the music they sent into space

Annie Nightingale (“the great goth auntie”), choirs on pop records & the music they sent into space

We stuck a coin in this week’s jukebox of news and cranked up the volume and these were the tracks that got played … … fond memories of Annie Nightingale at Radio One and Whistle Test. … the delicious melancholy of Sunday night pop radio. … how David Gilmour writes songs. … sex, clothes, gangsters: the eternal allure of Bonnie & Clyde. … how the first Police album (including three hit singles) was recorded by a former doctor in a four-track studio above a dairy in Leathe

Jan 15, 2024 • 53:01

Jim Gordon - the supernatural gift and tragic fate of “the greatest rock drummer” with Joel Selvin

Jim Gordon - the supernatural gift and tragic fate of “the greatest rock drummer” with Joel Selvin

Jim Gordon played the drums on Wichita Lineman, Good Vibrations, the Byrds’ Mr Tambourine Man and hundreds of other recordings we all own and worked with pretty much everyone including Steely Dan, Tom Waits, Tom Petty, Randy Newman, John Lennon, Frank Zappa and the Everlys. He toured with Delaney & Bonnie and Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs And Englishmen package and was a member of Derek & the Dominos. He played with a “bounce, a lilt, a boiling undercurrent” that added a whole new melodic dimension and

Jan 13, 2024 • 33:21

Great albums now 50 years old, the best gag ever & the haircut that launched folk-rock

Great albums now 50 years old, the best gag ever & the haircut that launched folk-rock

Leaping across puddles, walking between the raindrops, its collar turned to the cold and damp, our weekly podcast builds a defence against the rigours of the rock and roll weather and offers shelter from the storm. Remain warm and dry with the following … … the 11 musicians who turned down a Knighthood, MBE etc. … why Dylan & the Band’s 1974 tour set the template for all tours to follow. … Rod Stewart minus the hair: unimaginable. … the old duffers’ perfect New Year’s Eve.&nb

Jan 7, 2024 • 53:36

Noel Coward, Gallagher & Squire’s superpower summit & the art of the Bob Dylan backbeat

Noel Coward, Gallagher & Squire’s superpower summit & the art of the Bob Dylan backbeat

Amid the detritus of tangerine peel, half-eaten chocolates, broken toys and jars of home-brewed chutney beneath the rock and roll Christmas tree we found various items still unwrapped and awaiting this week’s podcast, among them … … how to create the Dylan Blonde On Blonde shuffle in under two minutes. … “Middlesex Hepworth!” David’s triumph on University Challenge and an inside view of the whole experience. … Noel Coward revisited through the 21st century lens in the ‘Mad About T

Dec 31, 2023 • 54:57

Hipgnosis album art, the hardest working man in showbiz & the moment the world went mad

Hipgnosis album art, the hardest working man in showbiz & the moment the world went mad

We check this week’s luggage on the rock and roll baggage carousel and remove the following items for inspection … … The People v OJ Simpson and why it’s worth re-watching. … the only two convincing films about magazines and journalism. … bands that look like mini-cab drivers. … David’s upcoming appearance on University Challenge (cue the voice of Roger Tilling: “Middlesex Hepworth!”) ... the source of the phrase “Bring on the empty horses!” … why someone call

Dec 18, 2023 • 48:34

Denny Laine, the Move’s catastrophic court case & the man who's made 700 albums in 2 years

Denny Laine, the Move’s catastrophic court case & the man who's made 700 albums in 2 years

This week’s wheat/chaff separation process sifts the following from the rock and roll cornfield … … Tony Secunda, his gangsterish suits and the publicity stunt that backfired spectacularly. … our old Word magazine pal Rob Fitzpatrick talking about the Japanese composer Michiru Aoyama who's released an album a day since December 2021, each 20 minutes 20 seconds long. And the role of streaming in the ambient music boom. … the life of Denny Laine and the great “chamber pop” hit he wr

Dec 10, 2023 • 59:19

The Beatles as seen by their roadie, co-conspirator & friend Mal Evans – and Kenneth Womack

The Beatles as seen by their roadie, co-conspirator & friend Mal Evans – and Kenneth Womack

Mal Evans was the Beatles’ right-hand man, their bouncer, bodyguard, gofer, chauffeur, drug-runner, roadie, fellow party animal, confidante and friend. Along with Neil Aspinall he was the man who allowed the band to function daily and catered to their every need. He was such a central cog in the machine that Ringo declared, “now Mal’s left, the Beatles are really over.” Mal’s son delivered his archive of photos, manuscripts and memorabilia to the author, lecturer and world-renowned Beatles autho

Dec 5, 2023 • 43:31

A drink to Shane MacGowan, Spinal Tap rebooted and lunch with Randy Newman

A drink to Shane MacGowan, Spinal Tap rebooted and lunch with Randy Newman

Belfast author and old pal of the pod Stuart Bailie joins us to remember the lost captain of the good ship Pogues and we touch on Shane’s “feral” early life and the character he constructed to keep the world at bay; his place in the Irish literary pantheon, his intelligence worn lightly and Joycean use of language; the night they drank the proceeds from Fairytale Of New York; why the band’s St Patrick’s Day shows were three-day events and a magnet for lost Celtic souls, and how they became good

Dec 4, 2023 • 40:31

Pauline Murray’s kids have finally found out what Mum did in the Punk Wars

Pauline Murray’s kids have finally found out what Mum did in the Punk Wars

Pauline Murray kept a diary when she and Penetration were on the punk rock frontline and her vivid and emotional memories appear in a new memoir, Life’s A Gamble, beautifully illustrated with personal photos, press cuttings, late ‘70s gig listings and other lovingly archived memorabilia. It teleports you back to a time when pop music made daily headlines and battles were lost and won in fragrant dancehalls and knackered vans on motorways. As does this podcast, recorded with an audience at London

Dec 3, 2023 • 41:36

Glen Matlock and the ‘Sliding Doors moment’ that sparked the punk rock fuse

Glen Matlock and the ‘Sliding Doors moment’ that sparked the punk rock fuse

Glen Matlock came to our live podcast recording at London’s 21Soho at the end of November and lit up the audience with tales from his new memoir ‘Triggers’, stories of his early life in the late ‘50s and ‘60s, his brief and riotous shift in the Sex Pistols and his colourful adventures since. The full cast list includes Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, the DJ Mike Raven, Gary Glitter, John Peel, Kenneth Horne, Malcolm McLaren, Nick Kent, Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane, Midge Ure, Wally Nightingale, Blondie and Bil

Dec 1, 2023 • 1:02:35

Does anyone know more about rock stars than Jenny Boyd?

Does anyone know more about rock stars than Jenny Boyd?

You wonder why her life hasn’t been made into a movie. Jenny Boyd’s mother had so many children she didn’t realise her daughter had quit school and become a model. The world of London clubs and fashion magazines was the start of 60 years’ close observation of rock stars in every context leading, eventually, to the publication of ‘Icons of Rock’, her interviews with 65 musicians. Among the highlights in this pod she talks about...… what life’s like when your sister marries a Beatle.… the day a be

Nov 29, 2023 • 45:50

Who’s next for an AI movie, first use of sampling & rock stars in unsuitable clothes

Who’s next for an AI movie, first use of sampling & rock stars in unsuitable clothes

We ran our metal detector over this week’s rugged rock and roll terrain and dug deep when it beeped. Among those prime locations … … the secret of Top Gear’s golden age. … is Bob Dylan a “cold weather concept”? … why Holger Czukay’s ‘Movies’ is a pivotal record. … Daryl Hall’s restraining order on John Oates: inter-band fall-out scales brave new heights. … the ground-breaking ingredient in ‘He’s Gonna Step On You Again’ by John Kongos. … why Joni Mitchell, Lee Perry

Nov 27, 2023 • 1:00:34

Kanye West & the billion dollar gym pumps plus the album sleeve that changed the game

Kanye West & the billion dollar gym pumps plus the album sleeve that changed the game

The week’s rock and roll luggage was put through the scanner by our sharp-eyed security chiefs and the following items kept back for scrutiny …… 82 year-old jazzer in lucrative samples windfall!… is there a more excruciating ‘mum’ moment than the 12 year-old Elijah Blue Allman’s in the Cher video If I Could Turn Back Time?…. the staggering sum total of what the Beatles did on 30 July 1963.… “Mailbox money”: how Phil Manzanera made more from a hip hop record than from 15 years of Roxy Music… why

Nov 21, 2023 • 38:40

The 2-Tone story - Daniel Rachel remembers the school playground “turning black and white”

The 2-Tone story - Daniel Rachel remembers the school playground “turning black and white”

As if by some magical alignment of the planets, the Specials, Madness and the Beat were all listening to the same music and developing the same look at precisely the same time, though completely unaware of each other. And when they started releasing records, the 10 year-old Daniel Rachel was transfixed. What happen next is recorded in his hectic and engrossing book, Too Much Too Young: the 2-Tone Records Story, the huge characters, the daily dramas, “the dance sensation that’s sweeping the

Nov 18, 2023 • 44:29

Why Kirsty MacColl was so funny, honest, original and impossible to sell – by Jude Rogers

Why Kirsty MacColl was so funny, honest, original and impossible to sell – by Jude Rogers

Jude Rogers – writer, broadcaster, old pal of the pod - first heard Kirsty MacColl when she was nine and felt a connection ever since. She’s just written the sleevenotes for ‘See That Girl’, the best, most diverse and exquisitely packaged compilation of her music ever assembled, an eight CD box-set of singles, rarities, unheard songs, live and Glastonbury appearances, demos, BBC sessions and collaborations, along with an entire unreleased album. As Jude points out she wasn’t overlooked, but

Nov 14, 2023 • 27:49

Mystery people on album sleeves, Elton dressed as a hornet and Leonard Cohen’s favourite song and why

Mystery people on album sleeves, Elton dressed as a hornet and Leonard Cohen’s favourite song and why

This week’s winning hand from the rock and roll card deck includes … … a silver salute to musicians who don’t dye their hair. … did Al Pacino play Phil Spector? Roger Daltrey as Franz Liszt? Was Gary Oldman Joe Strummer? … rock stars you’d swap lives with. … the “theme-park-ification” of pop music. … the mysteries of rock and roll are slowly evaporating. As Tom Waits said: “before the internet, we used to wonder. I miss the wondering.” … the immortality of the Flori

Nov 13, 2023 • 53:38

Slade, a rambunctious reminder of a vanished world by Daryl Easlea

Slade, a rambunctious reminder of a vanished world by Daryl Easlea

Slade were as revolutionary as T. Rex or Roxy Music, Daryl Easlea points out. At one stage they were outselling Bowie and Bolan. They were the band that hauled the sedentary early ‘70s audience to its feet. The sound of the Ramones was built around ‘Slade Alive!’ and you can feel them in the bones of the Pistols and Oasis. We talk here to Daryl about his funny, energetic, nostalgic and affectionate new book, ‘Whatever Happened to Slade?: When The Whole World Went Crazee’, stopping off at various

Nov 9, 2023 • 33:05

The KLF torched £1m "and are haunted by it daily". John Higgs knows why

The KLF torched £1m "and are haunted by it daily". John Higgs knows why

John Higgs' brilliant and wide-ranging book 'The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band Who Burned A Million Pounds' came out ten years ago and just keeps on selling. It sold initially to the fans who bought their records. Then to those absorbed by the fringe figures in their mythology - Ken Campbell, Alan Moore, Robert Anton Wilson, the Discordians. And then to people who just wanted a staggering and barely believable story about the attacks by two free-wheeling cultural terrorists on the worlds of art

Nov 7, 2023 • 47:10

What did we think of the Beatles' last hurrah?

What did we think of the Beatles' last hurrah?

"The Beatles gave us a continuing soundtrack of unparalleled charm and reassurance", Derek Taylor said. "As long as they kept on delivering fresh songs along with the morning milk, everything was right in our optimistic world". It happened again on Thursday. Is the old magic still there?Also on the menu in this week's podcast...... Fact or fiction? The extravagant adventures of Bill Drummond and why burning £1m still haunts the KLF.... does it matter if musicians falsify their past? Paging Buffy

Nov 5, 2023 • 1:00:38

For Ian Broudie & the Lightning Seeds, 'Three Lions' has been a blessing and a curse

For Ian Broudie & the Lightning Seeds, 'Three Lions' has been a blessing and a curse

There are broadly three Ian Broudies in the public imagination. One is the songwriter with a catalogue of softly psychedelic left-field pop tunes. The second is the record producer behind Echo & the Bunnymen, the Fall, the Coral and Terry Hall. The third is the co-composer of our new national anthem. He talks here about early life in Liverpool and the records that enthralled him (See Emily Play, Autobahn), what he learned from his mentor Roger Eagle (who ran Eric's Club), a life-shifting moment

Nov 3, 2023 • 44:19

Billy Sloan, the man who interviewed Grace Jones in a bath

Billy Sloan, the man who interviewed Grace Jones in a bath

Billy Sloan, Glaswegian broadcaster and music columnist, has written his memoir, ‘One Love, One Life’, about a career that’s allowed him to point his microphone at an astonishing array of musicians and started back in the old analogue world of tight-deadline newspaper journalism where you hammered out your Chuck Berry interview as the rolls of film were biked back to the office to be processed. This covers a lot of ground including … … the moment that changed his life. … why the London

Nov 2, 2023 • 38:02

The greatest guitarist & the strange tale of Mike Raven - plus a leaked Radio One memo!

The greatest guitarist & the strange tale of Mike Raven - plus a leaked Radio One memo!

We spin the reels of the rock and roll fruit machine this week and get the following pay-outs … … the preposterous present they gave Bobby Charlton when he retired. ... “the leaning man from Alabam”. … ‘Skinny Minnie Shimmy’ by Lattie Moore And The Emperors and other apparently fictitious rock and roll hits. … a Radio One DJ who was also an actor, erotic sculptor, travel writer, sheep farmer, flamenco guitarist and ballet dancer. Why has no-one made a film of the life of Mike

Oct 30, 2023 • 44:08

Pin-Ups’ 50th, Morrissey The Eternal Teenager and what the Stones should be writing songs about

Pin-Ups’ 50th, Morrissey The Eternal Teenager and what the Stones should be writing songs about

Toothsome hors d’ouvres, mains and ‘items from the trolley’ on the rock and roll menu this week include … … Bowie’s Pin-Ups v Ferry’s These Foolish Things: who won?… the worst band name in history and why. … the fan who hired a plane to fly a message past Morrissey’s record label. … the Stones’ Hackney Diamonds: best album since Black And Blue or tedious riff-less dirge? … why only solo acts can tell stories onstage. … why the Dutch love the Byrds. … thi

Oct 23, 2023 • 53:32

The “gangsterish” charm of Andrew Loog Oldham and Immediate Records, by Simon Spence

The “gangsterish” charm of Andrew Loog Oldham and Immediate Records, by Simon Spence

The godfather of British independent labels, Immediate, was started in 1965 by the Stones’ manager Andrew Oldham and Tony Calder, its winning slogan: “happy to be part of the industry of human happiness”. As Simon Spence correctly puts it, “it all got very messy”. Oldham tended to fall out with people and then threaten to kill them. Simon’s excellent book, ‘Immediate: the Rise And Fall of the UK’s First Independent Record Label’ has the details (he also co-authored Oldham’s two memoirs, ‘Stoned’

Oct 21, 2023 • 41:12

Denmark Street, London's Tin Pan Alley, where the Sex Pistols met Pink Floyd and a luverly bunch of coconuts, by Peter Watts

Denmark Street, London's Tin Pan Alley, where the Sex Pistols met Pink Floyd and a luverly bunch of coconuts, by Peter Watts

As it emerges from the upheaval of Cross Rail, music historian Peter Watts looks at this densely-packed thoroughfare between Charing Cross Road and Covent Garden, which started off selling sheet music, grew into the place where many writers sold their tunes for a few quid while a wise minority hung on and made fortunes, a street that continues to provide a home for music businesses to this day. Includes.......the Victorian "rookeries" of St Giles...how a coal mining accident made the street's fi

Oct 19, 2023 • 27:02

Madonna’s karaoke show, albums that sound their covers and whatever happened to protest music?

Madonna’s karaoke show, albums that sound their covers and whatever happened to protest music?

Spicy and nutritious items in the rock and roll bouillabaisse this week include … … Roger Waters at the Palladium: a masterclass in how to insult an audience. … “without Andrew Loog Oldham, the Stones would have been Manfred Mann.” … the only rock star who can tell a story onstage. … Nempnett Thrubwell, Hinton Blewett, Glaister Fagan … Leafy Somerset hamlet or venerable reggae dubmeister? … the money Dave Grohl made from Nirvana (and it’s less than you’d imagine). …

Oct 17, 2023 • 54:08

Jarvis v Jacko and why drummers are like goalkeepers. Let Pulp’s Nick Banks be your guide

Jarvis v Jacko and why drummers are like goalkeepers. Let Pulp’s Nick Banks be your guide

Nick Banks - nephew of the great Gordon Banks – saw a note pinned by his favourite band to a wall in 1986, his Sliding Doors moment: ‘Pulp Want Drummer. Call Russell or Jarvis’. What happened next he records in his memoir ‘It Started There: From Punk To Pulp’. We talk to him about life in Sheffield in the ‘70s and ‘80 and why it took 15 long years for Pulp to crack it. Among the highlights … … why punk rock was like “Harry Potter’s Sorting Hat”. … what drummers bring to groups. …

Oct 12, 2023 • 39:14

Smoking on album sleeves, Smash Hits The Musical and records you own but have never played

Smoking on album sleeves, Smash Hits The Musical and records you own but have never played

Engaging blips on the rock and roll radar this week include:- … Iron Maiden album title or novel by Jeffrey Archer? … selling Ringo’s ashtray. … the Blood Doner: the Hancock script that keeps on giving. … “Terrible album title. Terrible album cover, too.” The start of Rolling Stone’s review of which immortal record? … how come acting runs in families but writing and music don’t? … Smash Hits: the Musical - you heard it here first. And why the Live Aid musical will w

Oct 9, 2023 • 1:00:28

Echo & the Bunnymen, why the rock press were “divs” and the secret of good hair by Will Sergeant

Echo & the Bunnymen, why the rock press were “divs” and the secret of good hair by Will Sergeant

Will Sergeant’s just put out the second volume of his memoirs, both of them Sunday Times best-sellers, Echoes and the first edition, Bunnyman. Here he revisits the Liverpool of the ‘60s and ‘70s in extraordinary detail - the clothes, the records, the gangs, the school days, the early shows he saw - and the many reasons he wanted to form a band. On the agenda … … ‘rockist’ cliches the Bunnymen detested. … why America loved early ‘80s British groups. … the powerful appea

Oct 8, 2023 • 43:00

An Insider’s Guide To Goth by Cathi Unsworth (via Cruella De Vil and the Cure)

An Insider’s Guide To Goth by Cathi Unsworth (via Cruella De Vil and the Cure)

Crime novelist Cathi Unsworth turned Goth in her teens in rural Norfolk fired by a cocktail of Dennis Wheatley, the Damned on the Peel show and the dark arts of the York Festival “Gothtopia” bill in 1984. She devoted long hours to trying to construct Robert Smith’s “tarantula hair” and acquiring black lace garmentry. Something about its music and folklore chimed with a life marooned in the middle of an East Anglian beanfield pondering tales of Shuck, the fabled fire-eyed ghostly hound alleged to

Oct 4, 2023 • 36:33

Nick Drake – a whole new perspective by Richard Morton Jack

Nick Drake – a whole new perspective by Richard Morton Jack

Richard Morton Jack interviewed over 200 people when assembling what’s unquestionably the best, most colourful, comprehensive, revealing and accurate portrait of Nick Drake ever published. We talked to him about ‘Nick Drake: The Life’ at a live podcast recording at 21Soho on September 25 and explored various remote corners of this sad, surprising and eternally gripping story, among them …. … the fate of the tape of the 20-year old Drake playing for the Stones in Morocco in 1969. … what

Oct 3, 2023 • 37:10

Gary Numan, unlikely sex symbols and U2’s £1,000 night in the desert

Gary Numan, unlikely sex symbols and U2’s £1,000 night in the desert

Spice-filled items tossed into the conversational cooking-pot this week include:- … our charming encounter with Gary Numan, possibly the world’s most contented man. … the next step in the age of spectacle: the sensory bombardment of U2’s shows at the Las Vegas Sphere and the crippling cost of experiencing it. … Taylor Swift’s genius for publicity and the subtle art of connecting with “Joe Six-Pack”. … the shockingly unwise and unfathomable pronouncements of Roger Waters

Oct 2, 2023 • 54:34

Does Gary Numan regret throwing the glo-stick that hit David Bowie?

Does Gary Numan regret throwing the glo-stick that hit David Bowie?

Gary Numan is about to set out on a UK acoustic tour, some of it in churches and one date in a cathedral. He talks here - from the Scottish estate house he’s just bought – about some of the first shows he saw and what he’s learnt about live performance. This includes ... … the peculiar effect of seeing Nazareth at the Rainbow in 1973. … the fate of the £5 note he’d asked Queen to autograph. … why he doesn’t talk onstage, and why that’s about to change. … what musicians take f

Oct 1, 2023 • 26:52

Why a sumptuous new book about the Island label is “like entering the record shop of your dreams”.

Why a sumptuous new book about the Island label is “like entering the record shop of your dreams”.

Neil Storey is an old pal from our magazine days who worked in the press office at Island. He looked after U2, Bob Marley, Steel Pulse, the B-52’s and many others. About 15 years ago he began the mammoth task of compiling a series of books telling the story of virtually every record the label released in its pioneering history, tracking down and talking to all those involved - musicians, producers, designers, photographers, label staff – and collecting old music press ads and ephemera from the t

Sep 27, 2023 • 39:46

Mojo’s 30th birthday plus bands whose t-shirts you’d wear even if you didn’t have any of their records

Mojo’s 30th birthday plus bands whose t-shirts you’d wear even if you didn’t have any of their records

Both of us were involved in the launch of Mojo 30 years ago in the autumn of 1993 and we dug out our copies of the first issue. As editor Paul Du Noyer said on page 3, it was “our confirmed intention to pitch a wang-dang-doodle – all night long, if necessary.” The cover story was about a sequence from Eat The Document, the film by DA Pennebaker of Bob Dylan’s ’66 tour that was never released and could only be seen on bootleg VHS cassettes. And this bit was so rare and controversial it had even b

Sep 25, 2023 • 54:42

The “unknown woman” in McCartney’s photos, the Human League and a new U2 game

The “unknown woman” in McCartney’s photos, the Human League and a new U2 game

This week’s pod was recorded just after we saw ‘Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm’ at London’s National Portrait Gallery, a warm and winning show that starts with him as a wide-eyed fan trying to take pictures of his heroes and soon switches to his shots of the whole world trying to photograph him. We talk about his pictures of French jazzers, Paris boulevards, backstage rooms at TV shows, models, paparazzi, light entertainment stars, screaming fans, American police guns, Mia

Sep 18, 2023 • 39:43

Pulitzer Prize winner David Remnick takes the long view of Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Macca and more

Pulitzer Prize winner David Remnick takes the long view of Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Macca and more

David Remnick got his Pulitzer for his reporting on Russia. These days he edits The New Yorker, in which capacity he has had close encounters with some of music’s legends during their final acts, some of which is gathered in “Holding The Note”, a collection of his writings on music. From his ill-lit Manhattan eyrie he talks to David Hepworth of many matters, including:….what was in the handbag which remained on the piano during Aretha Franklin shows….what it was like being on the receiving end o

Sep 17, 2023 • 29:13

The Stones return, rock’n’roll marriages and Freddie’s 50 kimonos

The Stones return, rock’n’roll marriages and Freddie’s 50 kimonos

Recorded together in Mark Ellen’s attic! Among the conversational footballs booted round the park this week you’ll find:- … Freddie’s “exquisite clutter”: would YOU buy one of his bonzai plant-holders, his catsuit with ballet shoes and a $0.5m silver bangle? … when did the story change from “the Stones are old, knackered and ought to give up!” to “the Stones are old, brilliant and should carry on forever!”? ... do all enduring legacies need an element of tragedy? … who calls

Sep 12, 2023 • 46:10

Plaid shirts? Brown ale? A smoke-stained pub rock special with Simon Matthews

Plaid shirts? Brown ale? A smoke-stained pub rock special with Simon Matthews

Fired by the rock and roll revival of 1970 and a post-Easy Rider taste for American music, a circuit of some 35 London pubs filled with bands playing fizzing, small-scale shows that never sounded quite the same on record, bands whose moment in the sun was ultimately wrecked by the arrival of punk rock. This pod – and Simon’s book ‘Before It Went Rotten: the Music That Rocked London Pubs 1972-1976’ – raises a dimple jug to some of its forgotten heroes including Meal Ticket, Roogalator, Ducks Delu

Sep 6, 2023 • 31:54

What Kevin Armstrong learnt as the sideman for Bowie, McCartney, Morrissey, Sinead and Iggy Pop

What Kevin Armstrong learnt as the sideman for Bowie, McCartney, Morrissey, Sinead and Iggy Pop

Kevin Armstrong was the guitarist in the band David Bowie asked him to assemble for Live Aid and toured and recorded with him many times. Playing the guitar intro to Rebel Rebel in a stadium, he says, is “like lighting a match”. Start the Passenger with Iggy Pop and you’re greeted with “a great mass of love”. His memoir, Absolute Beginner, is “a window onto the high table of rock and roll” and full of insights into life in studios and on the road and the fathomless levels of diplomacy often requ

Sep 5, 2023 • 30:33

Which acts will “go down in history” and what matters more than their music?

Which acts will “go down in history” and what matters more than their music?

We dipped the shrimping net of curiosity in the rock and roll rockpool this week and transferred the following items to the podcast bucket … … who now regrets being the “little tyrant” that broke up their band 30 years ago? … who was the real Bungalow Bill and how did the song about him change his life? … Bing Crosby and Paul Whiteman are almost forgotten. Are the Doors and the Kinks heading the same way? … the unique and extraordinary Bill Wyman, “more a witness to the Rolli

Sep 3, 2023 • 51:11

Bob Dylan - why he signs autographs left-handed and other mysteries solved by Ray Padgett

Bob Dylan - why he signs autographs left-handed and other mysteries solved by Ray Padgett

Ray Padgett lives in Vermont, first discovered Dylan when he was 16 in the 21st Century and was fascinated and besotted, later launching the newsletter ‘Flagging Down the Double E’s’ and now publishing the enthralling ‘Pledging My Time’, a collection of his interviews with over 40 people who’ve worked, performed and recorded with the inscrutable old rogue. Both the book and this fast-moving, whip-smart and very funny conversation are revelatory and highly recommended, the podcast shedding light

Sep 2, 2023 • 25:06

Achtung Baby, rock fantasy friends and the band that inspired the Bad News Tour

Achtung Baby, rock fantasy friends and the band that inspired the Bad News Tour

Its tyres pumped, its engine tuned, its air-con still on the blink, the rock and roll charabanc trundles off on its circuit which, this week, makes the following stops … … the singer who sold vials of her tears as part of a merchandise range. … when Billy Bragg entered a Paul Simon lyric in his school poetry contest and only got 7 out of 10. … why our favourite music still tends to be the stuff we heard in our teens. … how Bill Graham’s “Electric Ballroom Experience” cha

Aug 29, 2023 • 47:48

Robbie Robertson, Billy Connolly, Bridge Over Troubled Water and the “fake history” of Punk

Robbie Robertson, Billy Connolly, Bridge Over Troubled Water and the “fake history” of Punk

Even podcasts take “annual leave” but we’re back and once again propelling the two-man Pedalo of Enquiry down the rock and roll seafront stopping off at sundry wave-rippled spots, among them … … what Chuck Berry said about the Clash. … a band whose keyboard player is the King’s second cousin. … the song Art Garfunkel sang for years without realising it was about him. … Billy Connolly’s bicycle gag and other things you couldn’t get away with now. … Ian Hunter remembering

Aug 21, 2023 • 1:03:30

Sinead O’Connor, that Morrissey outburst, over-long films and the pitiful plight of roadies

Sinead O’Connor, that Morrissey outburst, over-long films and the pitiful plight of roadies

The mellifluous melody and soaring counterpoint of this week’s podcast were comprised of the following notes … … Morrissey’s broadside on the treatment of Sinead O’Connor – and her electrifying moment at Dylan’s 30th Anniversary tribute two weeks after she’d torn up a picture of the Pope on Saturday Night Live. … two unsettling events in the later life of Randy Meisner. … Adele revives the old Las Vegas business model (at about £8m a night). … the eternal mystery of Bob

Jul 31, 2023 • 53:18

Tales of Hipgnosis sleeves (and the new film) and why the world needs Steely Dan more than ever

Tales of Hipgnosis sleeves (and the new film) and why the world needs Steely Dan more than ever

Blips on the rock and roll radar this week include … … Things You No Longer See, No 97: the celebrity airport arrival shot. .. do we, in all honesty, need Roger Waters’ re-interpretation of the Dark Side Of The Moon for it is upon us on October 6? … is there really an Edinburgh Fringe show called ‘Bald Man Sings Rihanna”, ‘A Shark Ate My Penis’ or ‘In The Court Of The Crimson Ting: Prog Rock in A Reggae Style’? … a 1976 clip of Elton John as the jobbing pian

Jul 24, 2023 • 1:15:08

PP Arnold remembers life in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue aged 17

PP Arnold remembers life in the Ike & Tina Turner Revue aged 17

Pat “PP” Arnold was hired as an Ikette by Ike & Tina’s Revue in 1965 and set off a 2,000 mile tour of America, coming to London a year later to support the Rolling Stones. Offered a record deal by Andrew Oldham, she lived in England for many years becoming “the First Lady Of Immediate” with a wide circle of friends and collaborators including the Small Faces, Cat Stevens, Hendrix, Rod Stewart, Nick Drake and the Bee Gees, all recorded in her memoir 'Soul Survivor'. Here she looks back at:-

Jul 19, 2023 • 35:24

The things Bruce and Bing have in common and the adventures of Punch in 1976 clubland

The things Bruce and Bing have in common and the adventures of Punch in 1976 clubland

As Mark Ellen had taken his shrimping net to the coast Alex Gold steps into the breach to talk to David Hepworth about….how solo acts like Bing Crosby and Bruce Springsteen get to play the common man in a way they never could if they were in a band….the extraordinary sight and sound of the band called Punch trying to make their name on “Opportunity Knocks” in the vanished land of 1976….what to do with your wedding ring if you find yourself on the world’s largest cruise liner….Cat Stevens’ “Fathe

Jul 17, 2023 • 45:12

Nick Drake - and what Richard Morton Jack learnt from 200 people who knew him

Nick Drake - and what Richard Morton Jack learnt from 200 people who knew him

In his new biography “Nick Drake: The Life”, Richard Morton Jack set out to correct the misconceptions spread by magazines and former biographies, some ending up on Wikipedia. This involved talking to as many people as he could track down who’d met and remembered him, from key players like Joe Boyd, Francoise Hardy and Drake’s sister Gabrielle to the girl who played the cello on ‘Cello Song and a childhood friend who wrote a poem about him in the school magazine. The result is, by some margin, t

Jul 14, 2023 • 49:57

Cathi Unsworth was a teenage goth. Think “Robert Smith’s tarantula hair” and “cider like turps”

Cathi Unsworth was a teenage goth. Think “Robert Smith’s tarantula hair” and “cider like turps”

Growing up in remote rural Norfolk, crime writer Cathi Unsworth had a Goth conversion, a condition from which, she happily admits, you never fully recover. And never want to. She discovered Dennis Wheatley’s ‘To The Devil A Daughter’, heard Siouxsie & the Banshees on the Peel Show and saw a picture of Robert Smith in a magazine which she stuck by her bedroom mirror to help her construct his spectacular dishevelment. She’s just published ‘Season Of The Witch: the Book of Goth’, a highly entertain

Jul 13, 2023 • 33:05

Wham!, Rock Follies and lost ‘70s prog foot-soldiers Renia – we will remember them!

Wham!, Rock Follies and lost ‘70s prog foot-soldiers Renia – we will remember them!

Filling the spinnaker of enquiry on the careering, two-mast schooner of rock and roll this week you will find … … the prog drummer who made a fortune. ... did Brian Wilson bring a horse into a recording studio? Or write a symphony for drums? Or have an idea involving a hen in tennis shoes? … why the New York Times review of the new Wham! documentary is ridiculous and wrong. ... the eternal allure of The Larry Sanders Show – “Madam, I killed a man like you in Korea!” … th

Jul 10, 2023 • 49:12

Cocteau Twins song or Farrow & Ball paint colour? plus the day Beatlemania began

Cocteau Twins song or Farrow & Ball paint colour? plus the day Beatlemania began

This week we paddle the two-man kayak of curiosity across the rock and roll seafront and make a few stops on the way, among them … … “the future is always in the past”. … the pure theatre of the E Street Band and its cast of characters – “our lives are repaired by the fact that they’re still together”. … the growing appeal of Country & Western - and even “shronking” jazz – as you get older. … Bless the Barn, Featherwash and Franny Wisp, Portlandia’s low-volume crowd-pleasers.

Jul 3, 2023 • 52:36

Grotesque/brilliant sleeves plus does upping the price make a ticket more desirable?

Grotesque/brilliant sleeves plus does upping the price make a ticket more desirable?

Sizzling hot topics patted back and forth across the ping-pong net of conversation this week include …… the republishing of Giles Smith’s Lost In Music, one of the funniest books ever written about our real life relationship with pop stars, records and being in bands. Giles – and Nick Hornby – kick-started a whole new literary vogue. … has Cate Blanchett won Glastonbury? … why do we update book jackets but never change a record cover? … how the Stones’ Steel Wheels tour changed th

Jun 27, 2023 • 1:00:29

Harvey Lisberg – managing 10cc, meeting Elvis and “Peter Noone’s extra tooth”

Harvey Lisberg – managing 10cc, meeting Elvis and “Peter Noone’s extra tooth”

Aged 21 in 1963, Harvey Lisberg wanted to be the next Brian Epstein and ended up managing Herman’s Hermits and 10cc, among others, before relaunching the snooker stars Jimmy White and Hurricane Higgins. We thoroughly recommend his just-published memoir ‘I’m Into Something Good’ and this wide-ranging encounter takes in … ... the unique division of labour in 10cc and the magnificently doomed invention of ‘the Gizmo’. … the perils of $100,000’s credit in Las Vegas casinos. … life for

Jun 23, 2023 • 32:34

Record shops in movies and what Glenda Jackson did that no other actor ever dared try

Record shops in movies and what Glenda Jackson did that no other actor ever dared try

This week’s pod veers off the conversational highway to break out its picnic hamper at the following leafy locations …. … the Stackwaddy game: metal band or clawed demon from Dante’s Inferno? … when bands stopped being good-looking. … Paul Simon’s Seven Psalms: how long can you give a record before it clicks? … Tony ‘TS’ McPhee of the Groundhogs (RIP) and the great British blues underground: cue the scent of damp greatcoats. … does anything capture the time better than a

Jun 21, 2023 • 58:34

Revenge songs, Nick Drake and that sorry tale about Primal Scream

Revenge songs, Nick Drake and that sorry tale about Primal Scream

The super-trouper of gentle enquiry alights this week upon … … why bands are at their biggest when they’re over the hill. … Fats Waller v Morrissey song titles: can YOU tell your Waller from your Wallower? … how could Dylan have written Queen Jane Approximately aged only 24? … why you should hear Pieces Of Treasure by Rickie Lee Jones, particularly the track All The Way. … the social media bin-fire that’s shredding the reputation of Bobby Gillespie and how Twitter loves

Jun 18, 2023 • 47:20

Word In The Park 2023 #4 – Clare Grogan's adventures in TV, film and music

Word In The Park 2023 #4 – Clare Grogan's adventures in TV, film and music

Forty years ago Clare Grogan was on the cover of Smash Hits yet again and was the fourth guest at our garden party on June 3. Here she remembers the key events that have happened since which include meeting Bill Forsyth and the success of Gregory’s Girl (and why she only saw it for the first time recently), touring with Siouxsie & the Banshees when still at school, life as a pop star in the golden age, being Kristine Kochanski in Red Dwarf and its obsessive fans, her time in Father Ted, Kim Wild

Jun 16, 2023 • 26:00

Word In The Park 2023: How the Beatles and James Bond shaped us all

Word In The Park 2023: How the Beatles and James Bond shaped us all

The first record by the Beatles came out on the same day as the first James Bond film. Over sixty years later they still send their differing forms of Britishness out into the world. John Higgs has written a book, “Love And Let Die”, about how closely they have been intertwined over the years, about how they stood for very different sorts of masculinity, how they changed the way we wanted to dress and behave and how they have, between them, shaped the British psyche of today.Love And Let Di

Jun 15, 2023 • 20:58

Word In The Park 2023 #2 – 60 years of the Bee Gees with Bob Stanley

Word In The Park 2023 #2 – 60 years of the Bee Gees with Bob Stanley

Author, DJ, member of St Etienne and a regular on our podcasts, Bob Stanley was the second guest at our sun-baked garden party in the auditorium of Opera Holland Park on June 3 talking about his new book “Bee Gees: Children Of the World”. He feels – and very rightly – that in some quarters they’re still the punchline to a heartless joke and deserve infinitely more critical respect. This illuminating conversation touches on the “teenage delinquent” years in Manchester, their struggles in Australi

Jun 11, 2023 • 22:33

Word In The Park 2023: 60 years of the Stones with Lesley-Ann Jones

Word In The Park 2023: 60 years of the Stones with Lesley-Ann Jones

It’s a barely believable sixty years since the Rolling Stones put out their first single, “Come On”, so we asked Lesley-Ann Jones, the author of “The Stone Age", along to talk about them and how they have related to the women in their lives, from Brian Jones’s strange relationships with his Cheltenham girlfriends, Mick Jagger’s powerful attraction to women who look like him, the sexual competition that raged between him and Keith Richards and the mid-life crises of Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman.

Jun 8, 2023 • 18:46

What bands are becoming unfashionable?

What bands are becoming unfashionable?

This week’s rock and roll gumbo includes the following spicy and nutritious ingredients … … “the internet is designed to let middle-aged men think they’ve had the last word”. … will the Royal Blood storm-in-a-teacup do them more good than harm? … Barry Gibbs’ beard. … what ‘Three Lions’ did to the Lightning Seeds’ Scottish, Welsh and Irish fanbase. … old memories of Kevin Coyne and Marjory Razorblade. … why no band is ever “forgotten”. … what’s so sacred about

Jun 6, 2023 • 37:35

Which is the most two-faced world - movies, music or daytime TV?

Which is the most two-faced world - movies, music or daytime TV?

Fond and appraising enquiry of recent events, this week featuring … … we now feel we have to approve of artists/musicians/writers before we can say we like what they do. When did all this start? … a new Stackwaddy game – Hari-Krishna Stomp Wagon? Starchelle Chicago Bear? Flaming Lips song title or exotically named winner of Crufts’ Best In Show? … in defence of men with bad reputations eg Evelyn Waugh, Martin Amis, John Lennon … … re-pressed versions of albums that were 70p i

May 28, 2023 • 38:42

Farewell Tina Turner – “all you needed was Nutbush City Limits and a Watneys Party 7”

Farewell Tina Turner – “all you needed was Nutbush City Limits and a Watneys Party 7”

A special extra podcast recorded just after hearing the news. We can barely remember a time when we weren’t aware of her. This looks back at the Ike & Tina R&B hits of the ‘60s, the Ikettes dance routines and how he copyrighted her stage name, the story of the recording of River Deep Mountain High with Phil Spector, Proud Mary on the Ed Sullivan Show, supporting the Rolling Stones, her unique vocal style and the way she sold the drama of the songs … and then the greatest comeback imaginable: the

May 25, 2023 • 23:40

Robert Johnson, Shakespeare and the rock star image of Martin Amis

Robert Johnson, Shakespeare and the rock star image of Martin Amis

Put through the boil-wash of enquiry and hung upon the washing line of truth this week you’ll find the following one-size-fits-all garments … … which acts are fading from memory and who’ll be remembered in 50 years’ time? … how Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen and Warren Zevon addressed mortality – (‘My Ride’s Here', ‘Enjoy Every Sandwich’ ...). … actors who’ve made albums. … the photo that changed the perception of Johnny Cash. … why you should watch the Pet Shop Boys’ new BBC

May 24, 2023 • 51:34

Is there a more annoying rhyme than “arms” and “charms”?

Is there a more annoying rhyme than “arms” and “charms”?

Further nutritious items on the pod’s tasting menu this week include … … the story of Tubular Bells and how the Exorcist sent its sales through the roof. … beneath the surface of every band is a drama waiting to kick off: the View’s reunion gig was “a brotherly bust-up that went too far”. … one of the following didn’t endorse a credit card, but which? – Beyoncé, Michael Jackson, Kiss, the Wu-Tang Clan, U2 and the Sex Pistols. … crimes in rhyme perpetrated by Tom W

May 15, 2023 • 28:51

How a nine-year-old boy kick-started Rock’n’Roll (and other stories)

How a nine-year-old boy kick-started Rock’n’Roll (and other stories)

Where the Gold Bracelets of Sincerity and Wisdom and the Rod of Equity and Mercy meet the piping hot music news agenda in a weekly podcast and alight upon the following …. … the greatest singer of sad songs we’ve ever heard. … the extraordinary tale of the B-side of ‘13 Women And Only One Man’. … songs you couldn’t record these days. … Rufus Wainwright’s re-recording of Neil Young’s Harvest – but CAN modern technology possibly make it sound any better? … Noel Coward in t

May 9, 2023 • 47:26

Groups that look like a check-out line at B&Q? We have a winner!

Groups that look like a check-out line at B&Q? We have a winner!

Encountering the cheerful ping-pong bats of conversation this week you’ll find … … the most unprepossessing rock band on God’s green earth. … Ed Sheeran v Marvin Gaye – “the case continues”. But does anybody genuinely copy anyone else these days? … Springsteen and Michelle Obama and their irresistible thirst for publicity. … the return of the Stack Waddy game: Spencer Birtwistle? Wilfred Mott? … Bernard Cribbins sitcom character or former member of the Fall?

May 2, 2023 • 56:18

“Well I walked up to her and I asked her if she wanted to dance.”

“Well I walked up to her and I asked her if she wanted to dance.”

Items run up the flagpole this week include … … our memories of the exquisite agony of teenage dances, especially Dave’s at the Mecca Ballroom in Wakefield, 1965. ... unforgettable things said and done by Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. … rock stars with Brian Jones’s hair. … do we care more about the people who make music than the music itself?… a point from Massive Attack – “is the discussion ‘should AI recreate music?’ or is it ‘Why is contemporary music so homoge

Apr 25, 2023 • 53:40

Jack Nitzche, a “pleat-faced” guitarist and the time Sly Stone got married onstage

Jack Nitzche, a “pleat-faced” guitarist and the time Sly Stone got married onstage

Dipping our shrimping nets this week into the ever-bountiful rock and roll rock pool we find … … Dylan, Madonna, Pharrell Williams, Michael Jackson, Nick Cave and Keith Richards – which one didn’t write a children’s book? … S Club 7, Miles Davis’s sessionmen and others apparently ripped off by the heartless, skinflint music industry. … the unsung story of Jack Nitzsche, “the man with the golden touch”, his part in the Stones’ baroque period and the recordings he made in Barking To

Apr 18, 2023 • 1:11:39

John Cooper Clarke reveals “the performing poet’s worst enemy”

John Cooper Clarke reveals “the performing poet’s worst enemy”

The “bargain basement Baudelaire” is setting out on a UK tour in April and tells Mark Ellen here about the earliest shows he saw and played, memories which happily include … … the subtle art of crowd control. … seeing Bob Hope when he was 9 and the strange impression of the adult world that suggested. … the dress code that barred him from a Hendrix gig. … auditioning for Bernard Manning at the Embassy Club and what he learnt from him. … “I was Little Richard’s gear

Apr 13, 2023 • 29:44

“Fred Flange”, Barry Cryer meets the Pretenders and what we’ve learnt about the Velvet Underground

“Fred Flange”, Barry Cryer meets the Pretenders and what we’ve learnt about the Velvet Underground

This week’s trawl of the rock and roll outer limits alights, among others, on the following sizzling hot topics … ... a lost Beatles tape and the night they played Stowe School 60 years ago. … the return of the Stackwaddy game: were there really ‘60s New Zealand pop groups called the Chapta, Hi-Revving Tongues and the Kal-Q-Lated Risk? … Todd Haynes’ brilliant Velvet Underground documentary and how the band spawned pop’s greatest look- and sound-alike movement. And could Lou Reed

Apr 10, 2023 • 50:22

The inscrutable King Crimson exposed by their documentary-maker Toby Amies

The inscrutable King Crimson exposed by their documentary-maker Toby Amies

“Being on tour with King Crimson,” in the words of their film director, “is like being with the school rugby team and, at the last minute, the games teacher falls ill so they send them out with the maths master. But the team starts winning ...” Is there another band remotely like them? Their leader believes in discipline and cold showers in the morning. He practices four hours a day. Life in the group was “wretched” from 1969 to 2013. Adrian Belew says it made his hair fall out. The running gag

Apr 8, 2023 • 34:50

Paul Weller as a songwriter? Dylan Jones unpacks his “Imperial Phase"

Paul Weller as a songwriter? Dylan Jones unpacks his “Imperial Phase"

Paul Weller’s been writing songs for 50 years now and he’s chosen over 100 of his lyrics for the new and gorgeous, picture-packed publication ‘Paul Weller: Magic – A Journal Of Song’, each accompanied by his memories of how and why he wrote it compiled from interviews with long-time admirer, multiple author and old pal of the podcast, Dylan Jones. No-one was better qualified for the job. The teenage Dylan saw the Jam countless times in London pubs and has followed Weller closely ever since, a so

Apr 7, 2023 • 31:37

What’s Paul Jones of the Manfreds learnt from 60 years onstage?

What’s Paul Jones of the Manfreds learnt from 60 years onstage?

The Manfreds start their 60th Anniversary Tour in September with Paul, Mike D’Abo and Tom McGuinnness in the line-up. He talks to us here about the first and best shows he’s seen and … … being told “there’s a soul/R&B singer in Birmingham and if he ever comes to London you’re finished”. … how Brian Jones “opened up a secret door”. ... “stealing from Tennyson” for the lyrics of 5-4-3-2-1. … being with Mick Jagger and Long John Baldry watching Alexis Korner calling

Apr 6, 2023 • 25:10

Do we still need film and album reviews? Plus Seymour Stein and Keith Reid’s last fandangos

Do we still need film and album reviews? Plus Seymour Stein and Keith Reid’s last fandangos

In which we cast a warm but appraising glance in the direction of the week’s news and alight upon the following sizzling topics … … the best media job in the world. … the most played record in the history of the BBC. … the Avengers franchise “is just a giant ATM for Marvel and produces argument-proof movies”. … the most influential thing about John Peel wasn’t the music he liked. … found: the owner of the VW van on the cover of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. … Seymour

Apr 5, 2023 • 51:29

Why Andrew Lauder is the unsung hero of the record business

Why Andrew Lauder is the unsung hero of the record business

Andrew Lauder started the Radar, F-Beat and Demon labels, worked at Liberty, Stiff and United Artists and signed (or licensed) and helped shape the careers of countess acts we’ve loved over the years, among them the Bonzos, Hawkwind, Captain Beefheart, JJ Cale, Nick Lowe, Creedence Clearwater, Elvis Costello, Can, Dr Feelgood, Stranglers and the Stone Roses. He was one of the main architects of the whole world of independent labels. Mick Houghton has written his memoir – Happy Trails – and talke

Apr 4, 2023 • 39:37

Is U2’s new Songs Of Surrender album just plain *wrong*?

Is U2’s new Songs Of Surrender album just plain *wrong*?

Whistling, clicking our heels, swinging round lampposts and lobbing the odd shiny florin to a flaxen-haired child, this week’s free-wheeling navigation of the rock and roll boulevard alights upon the following hot topics … … why Indie music is like student drama. … what the Beatles achieved in “the 585 most productive minutes in the history of recorded music" (aka the recording of Please Please Me) and the albums released the same day every decade after. … Death & Vanilla, F

Mar 29, 2023 • 44:31

15 minutes with Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake: it all started on Blackpool Pier (aged two) …

15 minutes with Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake: it all started on Blackpool Pier (aged two) …

Teenage Fanclub are touring the UK in November. Norman tells us here about some of the first and best shows he’s seen and played and life in the group's early days. Which involves … … the band that made him want to start a band. … the Wombles at a YMCA when he was 12. … selling a fridge and a washing machine to buy recording time. … the bouncing balcony of the Glasgow Apollo when the Clash played in ‘78. … having a wee next to Steve Cropper. … the age at which audie

Mar 22, 2023 • 17:28

Is U2’s new Songs Of Surrender album just plain wrong?

Is U2’s new Songs Of Surrender album just plain wrong?

Whistling, clicking our heels, swinging round lampposts and lobbing the odd shiny florin to a flaxen-haired child, this week’s free-wheeling navigation of the rock and roll boulevard alights upon the following hot topics … … why Indie music is like student drama. … what the Beatles achieved in “the 585 most productive minutes in the history of recorded music" (aka the recording of Please Please Me) and the albums released the same day every decade after. … Death & Vanilla, F

Mar 20, 2023 • 39:06

Genuinely rotten albums by brilliant artists plus the band that started cancel culture

Genuinely rotten albums by brilliant artists plus the band that started cancel culture

Sauntering in carefree, conversational mode down the rock and roll bridleway this week, pausing briefly to lean against a tree and tootle upon a mouth-organ, we came across the following … … bands with no original members left - Lynyrd Skynyrd, Motorhead, the Crickets, the Ramones, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Drifters … any more? … things musicians are obsessed with. … albums by acts we love without a single redeeming feature – Blondie’s The Hunter? Bob Dylan’s Saved? The Dea

Mar 15, 2023 • 44:22

For the love of Wayne Shorter & David Lindley - and are U2 really U2 without Larry Mullen?

For the love of Wayne Shorter & David Lindley - and are U2 really U2 without Larry Mullen?

Things in the crosshairs this week include … … why it took 34 years to get De La Soul on a streaming service. … Radio 2’s ham-fisted handling of the departure of Ken Bruce – and are R2 and Greatest Hits Radio two bald men fighting over a comb if music radio seems doomed to die? … the new fun-sized Axl Rose. … U2’s stand-in drummer Bram van den Berg is like “Jimmie Nicol on stilts”. … the BBC and Glastonbury re John Peel: never name anything after a celebrity! ... “J

Mar 9, 2023 • 41:44

Is Karen Carpenter pop music’s saddest story?

Is Karen Carpenter pop music’s saddest story?

Karen Carpenter died 40 years ago at the age of 32, a life mapped out in a new biography by Lucy O’Brien called Lead Sister. It’s a chilling, cautionary tale of how she and her brother became international stars and the devastating personal repercussions that were the consequence. Our conversation with Lucy covers the waterfront and includes … … the perils of “helicopter parents”. … why Richard was “The Chosen One”. … a disastrous association with Nixon. … destabilising

Mar 5, 2023 • 29:12

Was the pop boom of 1996-2006 a comedy or a tragedy?

Was the pop boom of 1996-2006 a comedy or a tragedy?

The teenage Michael Cragg was obsessed with the “glorious shiny ludicrous pop” of the period that began with the Spice Girls, included Hear’Say, Five, Steps, Atomic Kitten, Blue and countless others and ended with the closure of Popworld and Smash Hits ten years later, a tale less about music than the media that covered it and the machinations of the industry. All the key leading players – bands, managers, songwriters, critics – are interviewed in his sparkling and soon-to-be-published account o

Mar 2, 2023 • 38:06

What the Beatles said about the Stones plus the most expensive live music in London

What the Beatles said about the Stones plus the most expensive live music in London

This week’s crackling logs on the conversational fire include … … the attractively unchanging sound of Joe Henry’s 15 albums (the man PRs still sell as “Madonna’s brother-in-law”). … the 45th anniversary of David and Mark’s first meeting – at an Earth Quake gig at Salford University on February 10 1978. … Neil Tennant’s letter to Janice Long. … the recommended TV tribulations of Kleo, East German intelligence operative. … “Is it a nut? Is it a boy? Is it a wino? No, just

Feb 28, 2023 • 1:00:48

Was Chuck Berry the strangest man in the history of rock?

Was Chuck Berry the strangest man in the history of rock?

Of all the figures who built rock and roll back in the 1950s, Chuck Berry was arguably the most influential and certainly the strangest. In a new biography, which could never have been written when he was alive, R.J. Smith tells a story which is still hard to believe. His conversation with David Hepworth includes:* how the nerd Charles Berry discovered the key to impressing women* How a reckless streak a mile wide saw him put away as a teenager* How a comic turn developed into the greatest act i

Feb 27, 2023 • 29:39

Word Down Your Way: 15 minutes with Mark Everett – E from Eels - about shows he's seen and played

Word Down Your Way: 15 minutes with Mark Everett – E from Eels - about shows he's seen and played

Eels are touring the UK in March/April and E talks here about what he’s learnt about live performance from being onstage or in the audience. And this includes … … a valuable lesson from watching Leon Russell’s deserted matinee at a racetrack in Maryland. … his mum’s reaction to him singing Plastic Ono Band songs in the car when he was 10. … seeing George Harrison (aged 11) with his sister. … the fascination of formerly big bands now quietly on the way back do

Feb 26, 2023 • 16:30

What’s the best age to be and when are we at our most stupid?

What’s the best age to be and when are we at our most stupid?

Given the once-over this week in vigorous pursuit of edification and amusement … … should a Fawlty Towers sequel be illegal? … over-refreshed audiences wrecking Jukebox Musicals. … our hunt for the elusive album sleeve with the long-haired girl/Afghan hound. … how acts signal their popularity now the charts no longer matter. … critics who attacked people who attacked back. … the Beatles and ‘the genius of personality’. … how the parental credit card fuels the S

Feb 22, 2023 • 44:35

Burt Bacharach, Waters v Gilmour and how to save the BRITS

Burt Bacharach, Waters v Gilmour and how to save the BRITS

The dazzling super-trouper of gentle enquiry is trained this week upon:- … Sam Smith’s inflatable suit. … “TV kills everything”. … What do producers actually do? Old pal Kate Mossman joins us to talk about the inscrutable working methods of Rick Rubin, “the golden ratio”, the significance of his beard, the concept of being “Rubinised” and his transformation of Johnny Cash (and how the same thing worked later for Loretta Lynn, Glen Campbell and Willie Nelson). … Lawyers will b

Feb 16, 2023 • 41:36

15 minutes with Midge Ure about shows he's seen and played

15 minutes with Midge Ure about shows he's seen and played

Midge Ure starts a UK tour in April (with Band Electronica) and talks here about bands that left an impression and what he’s learnt about live performance. This includes … … audiences “wanting their pound of flesh”. … lessons learned from watching Derek Nimmo in panto. … “cheesy” stage effects - eg Bowie’s mirrorball in Space Oddity. … Stan Webb of Chicken Shack charging offstage at Green’s Playhouse in Glasgow with a 100 foot guitar lead. … being “a human ju

Feb 9, 2023 • 14:34

George Harrison and the T-Bone steak, rock fantasy football teams & spot the AI lyrics!

George Harrison and the T-Bone steak, rock fantasy football teams & spot the AI lyrics!

Conversational footballs punted about the park this week include … … why George Harrison’s trip to Benton, Illinois, in 1963 would make a great Netflix drama – the $400 Rickenbacker, the local gig billed as “the English Elvis”, the roller-skating waitresses. “I’m in a band called the Beatles back home and we’re doing quite well.” … buskers being allowed to use amplification is a monstrous invasion of our private space: discuss. … is Deliveroo the new generation gap? &nb

Feb 7, 2023 • 50:38

Ron Sexsmith - heading your way in April – remembers “life-changing” shows seen over the years

Ron Sexsmith - heading your way in April – remembers “life-changing” shows seen over the years

Ron Sexsmith starts a UK tour at the end of April and talks about what he’s learnt about live performance, which includes:- … “notes from girls” after winning the High School Variety Show. … playing for drunks in his local bar when he was underage and being hidden when the police arrived. … Elton John at the Rich Stadium in Buffalo (and being a member of the Fan Club). … his first performance, singing ‘Ben’ by Michael Jackson. … the influential low-key stagecraft o

Feb 6, 2023 • 20:10

Joel De’ath, “the Indiana Jones of rare vinyl”, describes his hunt for the Holy Grail

Joel De’ath, “the Indiana Jones of rare vinyl”, describes his hunt for the Holy Grail

Joel worked for various labels - Mushroom, Atlantic and Sony among them - and was the man who signed the Darkness. Training to become a psychotherapist, he began trading in rare records, travelling all over the country to buy collections and, during Lockdown, starting a special “mystery vinyl” service where he’d send people albums he thought they’d like based on their musical taste. He talks here in fascinating detail about what an emotionally charged world this is, seeing peopl

Feb 5, 2023 • 46:55

Peter Asher: singer, producer, manager, main role model for Austin Powers

Peter Asher: singer, producer, manager, main role model for Austin Powers

Peter Asher started out as a child actor in films with John Mills, Alastair Sim and Boris Karloff. He was in the Adventures of Robin Hood with his sister Jane but they were eventually “demoted to peasant children”. He then formed Peter & Gordon, had a global number one with A World Without Love (written by his sister’s boyfriend who was living in the family home) and then began a career in production and management that’s still thriving today. This is full of wonderful stories and features …&nbs

Feb 2, 2023 • 31:49

Farewell Tom Verlaine – plus terrible records we can’t help loving

Farewell Tom Verlaine – plus terrible records we can’t help loving

Things featured this week in hot pursuit of entertainment and enlightenment … … seeing Television in 1975 for £1.50 - support act, Blondie. … Kaleidoscope, Country Joe & the Fish, Fairport Convention and other origins of the Tom Verlaine guitar sound. … the mystery voices on The Dark Side Of The Moon, the Clare Torry story and how Pink Floyd used Abbey Road as an instrument. … “It’s Not You It’s Me”: more classic records that leave us cold – eg Pet Sounds and Humb

Feb 1, 2023 • 49:34

The Long Ryders are heading your way - and it all began with a “red negligee” …

The Long Ryders are heading your way - and it all began with a “red negligee” …

The Long Ryders are touring in May and our old pal Sid Griffin tells us what to expect and looks back here at … … Herman’s Hermits and the Dave Clark Five playing on a steamboat. … his first live performance aged 16 in a glam-rock red dress at a barbecue in Kentucky (fee a colossal $100) playing Paul Revere, Kinks and Byrds covers. … seeing Big Joe Turner with the Lee Allen Orchestra (11-piece horn section!). … the Everly Brothers’ first reunion. … a barely known Carole

Jan 29, 2023 • 15:44

Farewell David Crosby plus “classic” records that leave us cold

Farewell David Crosby plus “classic” records that leave us cold

David Crosby was famous for nearly 60 years, a celebrity sustained by records, tours, brushes with the law and serial disagreements with old pals and collaborators (he was the very definition of a non-team player). We look back fondly at various stops along the way - his upscale background, his role in the Byrds, his ‘Will Scarlet in Robin Hood’ haircut and unsexy cape ensemble, CS&N as the soundtrack to a West Coast American fantasy, the time the Beatles played him the unreleased A Day In The L

Jan 26, 2023 • 35:16

Suzanne Vega: she started at Carnegie Hall and she's coming to a town near you in February

Suzanne Vega: she started at Carnegie Hall and she's coming to a town near you in February

Suzannne Vega is touring throughout the UK in February. Here she talks to David Hepworth about what she’s learned about live in the course of:….starting off on stage with Pete Seeger at Carnegie Hall….taking her sister to see Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden…learning about communication from the jazz bassist Richard Davis…laying in sufficient snacks for the rehearsal period….playing your old hits again and again….saying your prayers before going on stage….watching Stan Ridgway do the best sho

Jan 24, 2023 • 14:22

Jeff Beck “had a boom-tish anecdote about every step of his life”

Jeff Beck “had a boom-tish anecdote about every step of his life”

Our old pal from Word magazine Kate Mossman adored Jeff Beck and the whole range of his recordings and interviewed him recently for the New Statesman. This pod features the outlandish techniques he developed, his cars and Afghan hounds, his “six wives”, his unchanging look (with occasion detours into “satin leggings and boxing boots”), the “Clapton is God” myth, his job offer from the Stones, falling out with the Yardbirds and the Jeff Beck Group, great musical ventures and occasional lapses of

Jan 18, 2023 • 1:05:12

Tony King – friend, adviser and confidante: you can see why the Beatles, Stones and Elton thought he was the best company imaginable

Tony King – friend, adviser and confidante: you can see why the Beatles, Stones and Elton thought he was the best company imaginable

Tony King was there when it all started, working for Decca in the late ‘50s, plugging records on Housewives’ Choice and Family Favourites and looking after visiting Americans like the Ronettes, Roy Orbison and Phil Spector. He went on to become a close friend of many of the acts he worked with and his memoir ‘The Tastemaker’ is full of wonderful tales and revelations about all of them. As is this podcast which includes … … the day Reg Dwight changed his name (and getting him session work wi

Jan 17, 2023 • 31:13

The greatest singer of all time? (we know the answer)

The greatest singer of all time? (we know the answer)

… in which we amble fearlessly into the New Year in tireless pursuit of amusement, stopping off at various stations along the way, among them … … can any song be completely original? … meeting Sun Ra. … the time Gianluca Vialli kissed David’s wife’s hand. … does streaming make us more adventurous? … did Frank Zappa ever appear in Miami Vice? … tortuous puns in music memoir titles. ... singers we’ve had enough of.... Sam Cooke humming. … some ra

Jan 9, 2023 • 40:13

The transformational role of the bus in ‘60s pop: discuss!

The transformational role of the bus in ‘60s pop: discuss!

Things explored this week in pursuit of entertainment and diversion … … Neil Tennant interviews Malcolm McLaren and other delights in Smash Hits, January 1983. … “there’s no such thing as a finished record!” … the link between Cliff & the Shadows and the Merry Pranksters. … a touching interview with Jim Morrison’s father and sister about the son/brother who cut them off completely - plus would Jim Morrison have made it in the age of social media? … pop stars’ school repo

Jan 1, 2023 • 1:02:05

The deliciously eccentric life and art of Ivor Cutler by his biographer Bruce Lindsay

The deliciously eccentric life and art of Ivor Cutler by his biographer Bruce Lindsay

The full and extraordinary story of “the Zelig-like” Cutler – poet, performer, broadcaster, playwright, surrealist, humorist – is mapped out in Bruce Lindsay’s exceptional new book, ‘Ivor Cutler: A Life Outside the Living Room’. Most of us discovered him through the patronage of fans like John Peel – or first saw him as part of the Magical Mystery Tour cast – but this fascinating conversation covers the early years too, his time as a progressive schoolteacher, the formative influence of Kafka an

Dec 28, 2022 • 30:44

The things rock made us wear

The things rock made us wear

Army greatcoats, plastic trousers, cowboy boots, scoop-neck t-shirts with bell sleeves … the list of laughable clobber and accessories we briefly thought were acceptable because rock stars wore them is delightfully long and shameful.Also in the crosshairs this week …… the rudest line the Beatles ever wrote. … Randy Newman – ‘the poet of the unworthy thought’.… do bands with comic lyrics get the credit they deserve?… a double Stackwaddy: real or invented Christmas singles.… falling though a

Dec 21, 2022 • 1:02:38

Strokes producer Gordon Raphael on the serendipitous creation of 'Is This It'

Strokes producer Gordon Raphael on the serendipitous creation of 'Is This It'

Gordon Raphael was the sonic architect of arguably the two most important and influential albums of the noughties - The Strokes' 'Is This It' and its follow-up 'Room On Fire', and in this special Word In Your Ear chat with 'Magic' Alex Gold he talks about the creation of those seminal records alongside other key moments in his life as told in his memoir 'The World Is Going To Love This: Up From The Basement With The Strokes', including working with Regina Spektor and the impact of seeing her per

Dec 20, 2022 • 37:26

Jet Black, exotic Americans and Oscar Hammerstein’s joke

Jet Black, exotic Americans and Oscar Hammerstein’s joke

In which we boldly tackle the burning issues des nos jours in our restless forage for entertainment. Nutritious items on the tasting menu this week include … … albums whose cover was over half the sell. … was Jet Black older than all the Beatles and Stones? Dave Greenfield and Edgar Allan Poe – separated at birth. … that brief moment when Creedence Clearwater were the biggest thing on the planet. … what people paid for the wooden balls on the Rumours cover and one of Christin

Dec 12, 2022 • 43:15

Word Down Your Way: Danny Baker with a taste of his thunderous one-man stand-up circus, back on the road in 2023

Word Down Your Way: Danny Baker with a taste of his thunderous one-man stand-up circus, back on the road in 2023

Danny’s done two hysterically funny, cartwheeling canters round the UK in the last few years and sets out again in February for 49 nights with ‘At Last …The Sausage Sandwich Tour’, another ‘panjandrum of unstoppable anecdote’. His memories of old rock and roll and theatre shows are high in the mix in this crackling exchange. Among the highlights … … Anita Harris at the ABC in Yarmouth. … appearing with the Millwall squad and Jimmy Tarbuck singing ‘New York New York’ in top hat and tail

Dec 11, 2022 • 28:32

Stories Christine McVie told us - including “Freddie King fixed my puncture”

Stories Christine McVie told us - including “Freddie King fixed my puncture”

In which the piercing searchlight of conversational scrutiny points in the direction of … … Christine McVie’s early adventures, our burning love for Chicken Shack’s ‘40 Blue Fingers’, her Sliding Doors moment in a Dickins & Jones window display, supporting the Shadows at the 2I’s coffee bar in ‘59, writing Songbird, the forgotten years of Kiln House and two film clips that point up Fleetwood Mac’s luckless mid-‘70s slog with the bank-breaking success to come. … records you never connec

Dec 5, 2022 • 34:12

Phil Jump tells the story of the legendary Badlands - and the day he took Steve Van Zandt to Brian Jones’s grave

Phil Jump tells the story of the legendary Badlands - and the day he took Steve Van Zandt to Brian Jones’s grave

Phil and his brother Steven started a market stall in Cheltenham in the mid-‘80s and made enough money selling rare records to open the world-famous Badlands (now occupying three floors of an old coach house). It’s been thriving ever since specialising in Springsteen and Dylan, collectible vinyl, books and box-sets and branching out into concert package tours all over Europe. Here he talks about the first records he ever bought, XTC at Cheltenham Town Hall, the cassette and CD booms, the return

Dec 3, 2022 • 46:41

A farewell to Wilko – “Dr Feelgood didn’t play the music, the music played them.”

A farewell to Wilko – “Dr Feelgood didn’t play the music, the music played them.”

… in which we remember watching and talking to the magnificent Wilko Johnson and look back at extraordinary moments in his life – the hippie trail to India, his appearance on Question Time, the three albums the Feelgoods made in a year, how they discovered what made them unique and the effect on everyone from Television to the Clash, Gang of Four, Blur and Franz Ferdinand of the band “who could start a fight in an empty room”. Plus … Pet Shop Boys on the Archers. … the 40th anniversary

Nov 28, 2022 • 53:52

Kenneth Womack – author of 12 Beatles books – dives “back through the looking glass”

Kenneth Womack – author of 12 Beatles books – dives “back through the looking glass”

Ken’s a world authority and he’s been on the pod twice before, talking about his books about George Martin and the last days of John Lennon. He’s just revised and updated the one he wrote in 2007, ‘Long And Winding Roads’, partly to add new observations and material, especially in the light of Peter Jackson’s Get Back, and partly because the beleaguered world now needs the Beatles more than ever. It’s written like a literary biography, as much about the art as the story. This covers the waterfro

Nov 27, 2022 • 39:37

If you could only listen to one act all week who would you choose?

If you could only listen to one act all week who would you choose?

Further free-wheeling conversational detours include … … “like the consequences of mating Patti Smith with a Hoover vacuum cleaner”: barbed reviews in the Rolling Stone Record Guide.… ‘Bowie and Bing in a bauble’? The Taylor Swift ‘Merry Swiftmas’ t-shirt? Real or fictional Christmas accessories.… the four tracks by women - and there are only four! – among the 66 records Bob Dylan considers in The Philosophy Of Modern Song. … “and any eye for detail caught a little lace along th

Nov 23, 2022 • 57:48

Dylan’s love letters and the one album that never lets you down

Dylan’s love letters and the one album that never lets you down

Things run up the flagpole this week in pursuit of entertainment … … Irish/American punk rock group or 19th Century criminal gang? … the eternal dependability of the first Stones album. … does ANYONE not like ska? …. seven “legends” you can still see for under £30. ... the now-for-sale cache of ‘50s love letters by a besotted Bob Dylan (and would you want anyone reading your teenage correspondence?). … the story of Bill Wyman trying to leave the Stones 30 years ago

Nov 17, 2022 • 1:00:45

Twitter and World Cup chaos, Jaco Pastorius, gruesome 18th C combat and other matters of high import

Twitter and World Cup chaos, Jaco Pastorius, gruesome 18th C combat and other matters of high import

On the radar this week in an enquiring, celebratory or goat-getting capacity … … has the World Cup balloon already been unmendably punctured? … and is the same thing happening to Twitter? … “if social media had come along earlier would Sergeant Pepper exist?” … Richard Osman-created fictional sleuth or rock stars’ real names: you decide. … a chance meeting with Jaco Pastorius. … speaker-testing moments of bass guitar brilliance. … the general public armed with

Nov 9, 2022 • 36:21

Trevor Horn’s adventures in modern recording with ABC, Frankie, Yes and Rod Stewart

Trevor Horn’s adventures in modern recording with ABC, Frankie, Yes and Rod Stewart

The teenage Trevor Horn could be found playing bass in dance bands on the Top Rank circuit supporting acts like Tommy Cooper (and singing Long-Haired Lover From Liverpool and Hi-Ho Silver Lining). He began writing songs for Tina Charles, had a worldwide hit with Buggles and went on to produce Dollar, ABC, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Malcolm McLaren, Grace Jones, Pet Shop Boys and countless others. In this terrific exchange he talks about life in covers bands (“big money, £150 a week”), how the Fa

Nov 4, 2022 • 33:37

Farewell Jerry Lee Lewis and is ‘Talking Book’ the most influential record ever made?

Farewell Jerry Lee Lewis and is ‘Talking Book’ the most influential record ever made?

… in which we remember the luminous music and diabolical life of the last of the old rock and roll guard standing. And this includes … the weird old America he came from (backwoods country, religious sects with their transporting songs), the career-cancelling British tour in 1958, the electrifying Live at The Star Club album, the Steve Allen Show breakthrough and the Seven Wives of Jerry Lee Lewis. Much to applaud, much to deplore. … and some of his deathless lyrics eg ‘39 And Holding’ – ‘D

Nov 1, 2022 • 50:35

Why did Sheila Rock walk out of a New Order shoot?

Why did Sheila Rock walk out of a New Order shoot?

Sheila’s portraits of ‘80s musicians and the club circuit filled the pages of magazines like the Face and Smash Hits at the time and now feature in her book ‘80s: Sound And Vision’. You’ll know a few from album sleeves too. She talks here about some favourites – Nick Logan in the Face office, Bryan Ferry, Bowie with Marc Bolan, Martin Fry in the famous gold lamé suit, Siouxsie in ‘Japanese chic’, Steve Strange and the day Frankie Goes To Hollywood turned up dressed as cowboys and swinging a lass

Oct 28, 2022 • 29:08

What’s the connection between Liz Truss, Bruce Springsteen and Revolver?

What’s the connection between Liz Truss, Bruce Springsteen and Revolver?

In the crosshairs this week … Sampha, Skepta? Mercury Prize winner or Italian sports-shoe brand? Was Revolver really the Beatles’ most “consequential” album? James Corden v Balthazar: fame in the age of social media. Liz Truss, Steven Gerrard, Bruce Springsteen and knowing “what it’s like to have failed with the whole world looking on”. Danny Baker’s selling 12,000 records: unsettling life-stage moments when you put your foot on the ball and look around the pitch. T

Oct 27, 2022 • 33:46

Craig Brown - our greatest living satirist – has a theory about Keith Richards

Craig Brown - our greatest living satirist – has a theory about Keith Richards

Craig was on the pod last year talking about his glorious Beatles book ‘One Two Three Four’ and he’s just published a collection of his writing called ‘Haywire: the Best of Craig Brown’ – Private Eye diaries, columns, reviews, essays and other assorted comic gems. It’s very good indeed. “Satirists,” he reminds you, “are on the side of things going wrong.” Here are just a few of the topics that stumble into view in this very funny and illuminating ramble – John Stonehouse, the strange life of Art

Oct 26, 2022 • 28:36

Simon Sebag Montefiore knows the five best songs about history ever written

Simon Sebag Montefiore knows the five best songs about history ever written

One of them is Sympathy For The Devil. The Stranglers are in the Top Five too, as are the Strawbs. The best-selling historian and documentary-maker has spent the last three years working on his monumental, all-encompassing new book, ‘The World: A Family History’, much of it hammered out to the sound of very loud music. And he’s made a playlist to accompany it that connects with this vast human drama – Billie Holiday, Billy Bragg, Ava Max and Elvis Costello all in the mix. He talks here abou

Oct 24, 2022 • 25:19

All of your rock heroes have had work done

All of your rock heroes have had work done

In which we waspishly suggest the odd nip and tuck is now standard practice - and name a few obvious suspects. And alight upon … … Nick Hornby’s new book and the connections he’s found between Dickens and Prince. … support acts we’ve seen who became household names. … David’s dinner with Jess Phillips MP and what happened the day JK Rowling got a tour of the House of Commons. … the former hospital orderly who walked into Muscle Shoals studios and had a worldwide h

Oct 19, 2022 • 40:20

King Crimson, Dave Vanian’s shoe and seeing one of the world’s most famous women on a train

King Crimson, Dave Vanian’s shoe and seeing one of the world’s most famous women on a train

Things picked up by the ankles this week and given a light shaking to see what falls out of their pockets … … why King Crimson is like no other band on God’s green earth. ... a sweet story about a Let It Rock writer David's just met at a book event. … a McCartney Stackwaddy game. … when did rock souvenir posters become a thing? ... why Robert Crumb didn’t apologise. ... how we scored on the new life Questionnaire. … “the longer I practice, the luckier I get”.&n

Oct 12, 2022 • 46:03

50 years of Nuggets, Ian Brown’s karaoke and is there a band name worse than Jealous Nostril?

50 years of Nuggets, Ian Brown’s karaoke and is there a band name worse than Jealous Nostril?

Things given a grilling this week in hot pursuit of revelation and entertainment … .. would YOU pay £45 to see Ian Brown and some backing tracks? … the life of the late Joe Bussard, collector of 25,000 78s “who partied like it was 1929”. Joe thought real jazz ended in 1933 and the last great country record was Jimmy Murphy’s I’m Looking For A Mustard Patch. We love this man. ... career-shrinking band names. … Chunkz, Pieface and the Beast: new adventures in stadium-filling en

Oct 5, 2022 • 44:41

Hilary Mantel, Zappa track or ad slogan and the day Beefheart sold Aldous Huxley a vacuum-cleaner

Hilary Mantel, Zappa track or ad slogan and the day Beefheart sold Aldous Huxley a vacuum-cleaner

In powerful pursuit of amusement and distraction we aim the piercing supertrouper of scrutiny this week in the direction of … … why Ry Cooder MUST write a memoir. … records that sounded like nothing you’d ever heard before, eg the Message by Grandmaster Flash and Donna Summer’s I Feel Love. ... nighttime footage of the State Funeral rehearsal. … why ‘Delhi Crime’ on TV makes the Wire’s Baltimore look like Stoke Poges. … dinner with the “fantastically indiscre

Sep 28, 2022 • 1:03:08

Our farewell to the most famous person in the world (and the story of a brief encounter)

Our farewell to the most famous person in the world (and the story of a brief encounter)

The Eiffel Tower dimmed its lights, the radio played “music for a solemn occasion” and this week’s pod is a reflection about the woman who’s been Queen all our lives (and we’re old enough to remember the national anthem being played in cinemas), why she looked so heroically bored, her diplomatic approach to clapping, whether she viewed life “through binoculars held the wrong way round” and how hard it will be – and how long it will take - to adjust to a world without her. And the wonderful tale

Sep 9, 2022 • 27:13

You’re not going to Duran Duran’s Halloween party dressed like that!

You’re not going to Duran Duran’s Halloween party dressed like that!

Among the thoughts, theories and assorted old hokey in the firing line this week you will happily find … … rock biopics someone ought to be making … memories of Drummie Zeb and Aswad at Nottingham Boat Club … the time British Forces radio turned down Whitney Houston … the “awful fat man that spoilt Lady Di’s memorial for everyone” … the slight return of the Stackwaddy game - Prince’s pseudonyms! … Louis Armstrong at Batley Variety Club … Pete Drummond’s hilario

Sep 5, 2022 • 55:37

Celebrity mash-ups! An afternoon with Billy Joel, Ivanka Trump, Bono, Geldof and Rupert Murdoch

Celebrity mash-ups! An afternoon with Billy Joel, Ivanka Trump, Bono, Geldof and Rupert Murdoch

Welcome to this week’s pod in which various white-hot topics are brought in for questioning, among them … … Whatever happened to Dando Shaft? … Alastair Sim, Terry-Thomas and flowsy saxophones in The Belles of St Trinian’s … Does it matter if music-making acts are fictitious or that rappers are artificial and produced by computer graphics and AI? … how many people were in Keith Tippett’s Centipede (the clue’s in the name)? … Titus Groan and Demon Fuzz … is there any

Aug 31, 2022 • 48:02

The horror, the horror! Why you MUST see the new Woodstock ’99 documentary

The horror, the horror! Why you MUST see the new Woodstock ’99 documentary

In bold and vigorous pursuit of entertainment we steer via the following topics … … Thora Hird with a rifle. … acts who wrote rejected songs for Bond movies. … the legend of Van Duren. … hilariously awful revelations about the private plane use of Taylor Swift, Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg etc on @CelebJets. … is pop music now largely about an old thing re-discovered? … the late Judith Durham of the Seekers and other great ‘stirring’ voices of our time.&

Aug 10, 2022 • 52:58

In praise of Bernard Cribbins, Clive James and the noble art of guitar-smashing

In praise of Bernard Cribbins, Clive James and the noble art of guitar-smashing

Our weekly stroll through the sunlit uplands of rock and roll visits the following topics …… Bob Dylan’s worst lyrics… musicians in movies, actors who made albums (Judi Dench?) and the slight return of the Stackwaddy game… why Hole in The Ground is the greatest comedy record ever made, plus the staggering versatility of Bernard Cribbins… the contents of the basket at the beginning of Two-Way Stretch… the incomparable comic genius of Clive James… the achingly self-conscious Barack Obama summer re

Aug 3, 2022 • 42:54

Why half the people at a gig don't really want to be there

Why half the people at a gig don't really want to be there

While Mark Ellen is away in his French chateau, David Hepworth goes off on one about Bruce Springsteen tours and why you can't use "dynamic pricing" in the world of live music and why the concert-going audience can always be divided into the bringer and the brung.Plus Alex Gold explains why he chose to go to southern Italy in the middle of an unprecedented heat wave with not one but two pairs of Doc Martens while also throwing light on the eternal mystery of why young men will put up with discom

Jul 24, 2022 • 36:55

Dave Grohl reaches ‘Meldrew age’, Be Here Now’s 25th birthday and the sex life of Dave Davies

Dave Grohl reaches ‘Meldrew age’, Be Here Now’s 25th birthday and the sex life of Dave Davies

In which we paddle our conversational canoe through the rock and roll backwaters, stopping off this week at … … the closure of Word magazine ten years ago and what we miss – and don’t miss - about it. … who in their right mind in this day and age would possibly want to be famous? … Bruce Findlay, the country’s only famous record store owner. … the energetic sexual activities of Dave Davies in his new memoir and the uniquely mid-‘60s British concept of ‘kinkiness’. … Dave

Jul 21, 2022 • 50:57

How much of ‘Indie’ is just shoes and hair?

How much of ‘Indie’ is just shoes and hair?

High in the conversational mix this week … … the return the Stackwaddy game! - do Ben & Jerry’s do a Bohemian Raspberry? Are there really Apple Music genres called Pillow Talk and Countrypolitan? … Errol Flynn and his dachshund water-skiing. … James Caan’s opening scene in Misery.… is Nick Kyrgios the first ‘rap’ tennis star? … why ‘Indie’ doesn’t tolerate non-conformity (or success) – plus Razorlight and other bands who let you down. … bizarre combinations of cele

Jul 11, 2022 • 58:50

Chris Blackwell remembers the “underdogs, rejects and misfits” he signed to Island Records

Chris Blackwell remembers the “underdogs, rejects and misfits” he signed to Island Records

Nearly every Island act seemed impossibly hip, characterful and charismatic and much of that was down to the vision and long-term belief of the man who founded the label and ran it for 30 years. Chris Blackwell beams in from Goldeneye, the Ian Fleming estate he bought in Jamaica, to remember Errol Flynn and his dachshund waterskiing, the wit and charm of Noel Coward, record-buying trips for the local jukeboxes and sound-systems and the story of Millie’s My Boy Lollipop, and talks about his relat

Jul 8, 2022 • 38:54

Danny Baker and Graham Gouldman at our live McCartney 80th birthday special!

Danny Baker and Graham Gouldman at our live McCartney 80th birthday special!

On June 18, along with four guests, we held a party for Paul McCartney on his 80th in front of a big crowd in the magical tented arena at Opera Holland Park in West London. This was a lot of fun from start to finish, fond memories, forgotten songs, new angles, personal meetings, fresh theories and fascinating unknown tales.In this second part of the show Danny Baker talks about a lost masterpiece, does the McCartney walk, fights the corner for some of his least loved songs, puts him in perspecti

Jul 4, 2022 • 48:41

Paul McCartney in the Park: our 80th birthday special (Part One!)

Paul McCartney in the Park: our 80th birthday special (Part One!)

On June 18 we laid on a celebration of all things McCartney on his 80th in the magical tented arena at Opera Holland Park in West London. People came from all corners of the globe. It turned out to be a feast of fond memories, forgotten songs, fresh perspectives, personal encounters, original theories and fascinating unknown tales. In this first half, David and Mark talk to the broadcaster Geoff Lloyd – who once had him on his radio show and gave him random instruments to see if he could ge

Jul 2, 2022 • 55:45

What links The Day Of The Jackal, Supertramp, the Sun and James Callaghan?

What links The Day Of The Jackal, Supertramp, the Sun and James Callaghan?

Appetising items on our lavish tray of conversational hors d'oeuvres this week include:- Billie Eilish, 20, (“the youngest at headliner at Glastonbury”) and pop stars who started even younger – “Little” Stevie Winwood, Stevie Wonder, Ranking Roger, Annabella Lwin, Alex Chilton and Peter Frampton. “The poison of criminal violence and gang warfare” (supposedly Brighton in 1948) and other highlights of Brighton Rock. The Stones – what they heard when the screaming stopped and the Hyd

Jun 28, 2022 • 34:56

The new Elvis movie and why we loved it

The new Elvis movie and why we loved it

Among the things of great import we ran up the flagpole this week:- Why Baz Lurhmann’s new movie will do for Elvis what Get Back’s done for the Beatles. Highlights of our Word In Your Park show – what happened on Geoff Lloyd’s McCartney radio special involving a flugelhorn? What was Andy Miller wearing and why? What obscure McCartney track did Danny Baker say was a masterpiece? What did Graham Gouldman nick from Things We Said Today when writing hits for the Hollies? The John Peel

Jun 20, 2022 • 43:49

Why music is largely about everything but music

Why music is largely about everything but music

Topics off the leash this week include … The Talent v Charisma pie chart you can apply to any act. “Double-concentrated Liam” versus “diluted Noel”, an update on the Oasis land-grab. A second helping of the “Pete Doherty swaps crack for Camembert” story. Liverpool taxi-driver, 25, claims to have never heard of the Rolling Stones: could this be possible? Pop stars infinitely older (or younger) than you imagined. Learning to speak fluent tabloid – “the Here Comes The

Jun 14, 2022 • 20:28

Jeff Beck, Johnny Depp and how to ‘rockwash’ your tarnished reputation

Jeff Beck, Johnny Depp and how to ‘rockwash’ your tarnished reputation

We give the week a spirited shakedown to see what falls out of its pockets. And this includes … The late Ronnie Hawkins – road hog, stunt diver, bootleg liquor smuggler! Who’s the only original rock and roller now still alive? If you went to see Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp lumbered on to “jam”, how monumentally hacked off would you be? Kiss have handed in their lunchpails and eyebrow pencils. Shouldn’t more hoary old rock acts “retire out of self-respect”? What Danny Boyle

Jun 7, 2022 • 42:36

Has any actor played a rock star convincingly?

Has any actor played a rock star convincingly?

Framed in the piercing super-trouper of perusal this week … The highs and lows of Danny Boyle’s new Sex Pistols biopic. The best in-car music for road trips (Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Rufus Wainwright …). How do Thom Yorke’s children feel about their father’s brilliant new album (the Smile) still sounding like the work of a bleating teenager? The late Alan White (of Yes), a working drummer since the age of 13. Has social media destroyed the celebrity interview by rev

May 31, 2022 • 1:01:46

You spent HOW MUCH on speakers?

You spent HOW MUCH on speakers?

This week we've been mainly talking about....Could The Smile be the first side-project to eclipse the mothership?Is the kitchen the place we mainly listen to music these days?Bob Neuwirth - the man who helped Dylan become DylanVangelis - the man whose music was more famous than the filmWhy do American newspapers make pop records sound as dull as set books?Here's friend of the pod Owen Parker.https://www.owenparker.co.uk-----------------Make a pact to make better coffee. If you haven’t tried Pact

May 23, 2022 • 41:18

Can bands still “sell out”? - plus 50 years of Exile On Main Street and RIP the iPod

Can bands still “sell out”? - plus 50 years of Exile On Main Street and RIP the iPod

Entertainments, thrills and diversions at the end of the rock and roll seaside pier this week include … Things we want to see in a Bob Dylan museum. Why the upcoming Spinal Tap sequel fills us with excitement and dread in equal measure. The pub in Cornwall that Vogue magazine tried to sue. Is ‘Exile’ the best Stones album or just their most fashionable? And a new book about Nellcôte – “urchins living in wealth and splendour”. The brief return of the Sta

May 17, 2022 • 39:41

The world’s rarest records and the sartorial splendour of the satin tour jacket

The world’s rarest records and the sartorial splendour of the satin tour jacket

The dazzling super trouper of gentle enquiry is trained this week upon:- Our recent encounter with John Lydon – his high viz shirt, his smoking habit and his usefully commercial righteous indignation about the upcoming Danny Boyle-directed ‘Pistol’ TV series. Why Spinal Tap was a blessing and a curse for their real-life drummer Ric Parnell (RIP). The magnificent bucolic frolic held in the memory of the Old Grey Whistle Test producer Mike Appleton. The sad fate of Jackie Wilso

May 12, 2022 • 38:59

Kate Rusby (12) bought Bon Jovi tapes on hire purchase from Casa Disco in Barnsley

Kate Rusby (12) bought Bon Jovi tapes on hire purchase from Casa Disco in Barnsley

Folk deity, songwriter and festival figurehead, Kate Rusby was raised on Planxty and De Dannan but staged a rebellion with Smash Hits and “storytelling songs” by A-ha. High in the mix in this splendid pod are “people who sing like a bird”, Nanci Griffith, Nic Jones’ Penguin Eggs, being on Top Of The Pops with Ronan Keating, “2p bus rides anywhere in Yorkshire”, Lyle Lovett, stage fright in Hyde Park, winning a folk competition aged 15, Dan Tyminski as George Clooney and why she’s evangelical abo

May 11, 2022 • 36:39

It’s our fantasy seven-decade Queen’s Jubilee line -up!

It’s our fantasy seven-decade Queen’s Jubilee line -up!

… which may or may not feature Noel Coward, Slade, the KLF and the Spice Girls. Other key items in pursuit of entertainment this week include:- When did British pop turn female? The glorious notion that boyfriends who don’t work out are “Near Mrs”. The best band this decade! (clue: it’s Wet Leg). The endlessly rewatchable qualities of Moneyball and The Big Short. Cary Grant: “All men want to be Cary Grant? I want to be Cary Grant!” The singular magic of the Hot

May 3, 2022 • 40:08

You’re either a t-shirt act or a non t-shirt act: discuss

You’re either a t-shirt act or a non t-shirt act: discuss

White-hot topics examined this week include:- The sweeping return of Britpop (Shed Seven, Reverend and the Makers, how did they get so huge?) Has Nick Mason won Pink Floyd? Has Liam Gallagher won Oasis? Record shops that shaped our lives like the Record Bar in Wakefield. The amazing Nick Cave merchandise range (now encompassing tea-sets, crockery, tiles, wallpaper, jewellery and “the Warren Ellis Pure Exploitation Egg Cup”). What Frank Sinatra claimed was a “filthy Commu

Apr 26, 2022 • 51:24

Which band played the Old Grey Whistle Test and was then completely forgotten?

Which band played the Old Grey Whistle Test and was then completely forgotten?

Among the key questions being booted round the block this week in hot pursuit of entertainment:- Why is the billing of the Rolling Stones as just “Stones” on the current tour posters a monstrous affront to human decency? Why are Mozart and PG Wodehouse “like two peas in a pod”? Is there a better literary simile than “the drowsy stillness of the afternoon was shattered by what sounded like GK Chesterton falling on a sheet of tin”? Would pub rock, punk and the ‘80s club boom ha

Apr 22, 2022 • 35:48

‘Streaming Killed the Skit Track’ plus Toastface Grillah and the Sgt Peppermill

‘Streaming Killed the Skit Track’ plus Toastface Grillah and the Sgt Peppermill

Among the delights this week:- Pink Floyd’s single for Ukraine (the best peace anthem ever?) and the song Bruce Springsteen played the night Saddam Hussein’s statue came down in Baghdad. A man who has 227 Kiss albums. Warners’ talent scout Andy Wickham (RIP), the house hippy who opened the door for Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Gram Parsons and a-ha (a movie waiting to happen). The members of Big In Japan (a book and documentary waiting to happen).&nbsp

Apr 13, 2022 • 45:03

We spot Will “Slapper” Smith’s biggest mistake at the Oscars and salute Ben Sidran’s foot

We spot Will “Slapper” Smith’s biggest mistake at the Oscars and salute Ben Sidran’s foot

Will Smith did something at the Academy Awards which showed what he cared about most - did you notice it too? Our blow-by-blow account of the moment everyone missed. * Plus … a man who has 25 Big Country albums (and other unlikey acts whose records we obsessively collect).* Is there any band still going after 50 years with more original members than Roxy Music?* The enduring joy of Joe Jackson’s Look Sharp! and Night And Day.* And the kind of thing they let you put on an album cover 50 year

Apr 4, 2022 • 31:03

No Top Of The Pops. No NME or Smash Hits covers. What do bands dream of now?

No Top Of The Pops. No NME or Smash Hits covers. What do bands dream of now?

In which we salute the charismatic Taylor Hawkins – and the magnetic appeal of brothers in arms (Taylor & Dave, Pete and Carl, Bruce and Clarence, John and Paul) - invent some rock and roll retirement homes (Itchycoo Park, Barrytown, In The Land Of Grey And Pink), stage an album sleeve style-off and wonder if ‘80s hair will ever make a comeback. Other things mentioned in despatches include Cruising With Ruben & the Jets, the Wailing Wailers, Broadcast News, Working Girl and whether Strawberry Sw

Mar 28, 2022 • 29:19

How did ‘New Boots And Panties!!’ get released without a parental advisory sticker?

How did ‘New Boots And Panties!!’ get released without a parental advisory sticker?

Entertaining things subjected to wry and rigorous scrutiny this week include:- * The most bizarre and tenuous rock autobiographies – eg the tell-all revelations of Elvis Presley’s nurse, Primal Scream’s tambourine player, Sinatra’s valet and the girl who made John Lennon a cheese sandwich.* How Roger Daltrey wound up living in a van.* Aimee Mann v Steely Dan and the curious world of support acts.* Would you rather see a “legend” or the next big thing? * The noble tradition of song stea

Mar 24, 2022 • 41:08

There’s only been one truly original group and we know who they are

There’s only been one truly original group and we know who they are

Have you ever heard a band but couldn’t work out where their sound came from? We’re saying: only once. What connects the Sweet’s Blockbuster! to Willie Dixon’s Hoochie Coochie Man? How can Noel Gallagher complain that musicians can’t afford instruments when instruments have never been cheaper? Why is songwriting now like VAR? Has anyone had more preposterous names than the offspring of Grimes and Elon Musk? How did Nile Rodgers transform Let’s Dance? … plus literary theft, smoking in films, Eno’

Mar 14, 2022 • 49:55

There’s only been one truly original group and we know who they are

There’s only been one truly original group and we know who they are

Have you ever heard a band but couldn’t work out where their sound came from? We’re saying: only once. What connects the Sweet’s Blockbuster! to Willie Dixon’s Hoochie Coochie Man? How can Noel Gallagher complain that musicians can’t afford instruments when instruments have never been cheaper? Why is songwriting now like VAR? Has anyone had more preposterous names than the offspring of Grimes and Elon Musk? How did Nile Rodgers transform Let’s Dance? … plus literary theft, smoking in films, Eno’

Mar 14, 2022 • 49:55

Which bands were ALL good–looking? 15 contenders considered...

Which bands were ALL good–looking? 15 contenders considered...

There’s “pop star good looks” - as opposed to “film star good looks” - and there’s “indie good looks” ... but which acts were a hundred per cent hot? Plus … is there any such thing as an original pop song? How did the Linn Drum make us accept the mechanical? What’s the source of a lot of canned laughter? What was Springsteen’s great act of betrayal? And we explore the benefits of Nord VPN by way of South Korea’s favourite comedy and Peter Sellers and Bernard Cribbins in Two-Way Stretch. And birt

Mar 7, 2022 • 39:01

Why $15m for Britney Spears’ memoir is “a bargain” and the curious tale of A Whiter Shade Of Pale

Why $15m for Britney Spears’ memoir is “a bargain” and the curious tale of A Whiter Shade Of Pale

In which we skip the light fandango through live recordings full of extraneous noise – hecklers on a Lou Reed track, barking dogs on a Joe Henry album, the audience chatter on Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard – remember why Gary Brooker’s voice was so affecting and applaud PJ O’Rourke’s wisdom about the art of childrearing. And turn cartwheels in the direction of a guesthouse run by a member of Horslips, an early sighting of “Little” Stevie Winwood, the Queen track not to play at funerals and

Feb 28, 2022 • 44:43

Why do all bands seem ludicrous apart from the ones you personally like?

Why do all bands seem ludicrous apart from the ones you personally like?

Piping hot topics fondly booted round the park this week include … are any actors ever convincing when playing a famous rock star? Does it matter if movies “based on a true story” are largely fiction? Why David’s never got on with Love’s Forever Changes. Did Entertainment Weekly exist just to provide a pleasant lifestyle for the people who worked on it? Plus … the connection between Captain Beefheart and blue cheese, Eddie Izzard’s drilling cats, memorable art theft, tambourine players in rock a

Feb 21, 2022 • 53:18

Does anyone capture the spirit of a place better than Van Morrison’s Belfast? – plus some underrated ‘70s tracks

Does anyone capture the spirit of a place better than Van Morrison’s Belfast? – plus some underrated ‘70s tracks

Among the items for your distraction and entertainment this week … Do people still form bands? The tangled story of the Aqualung artwork. The skull-cracking number of albums released every day. Instructions on record sleeves – “Horslips: “file under reasonably popular”. The Atom Heart Mother cow. The Wagatha Christie legal costs. Art critics’ lofty pronouncements about the fate of “the average band”. The link between the 12-inch sleeve and the shield of the native American warrior. And the thril

Feb 14, 2022 • 55:07

The story of Don Henley’s the Boys of Summer, £10k headphones and ‘I’m Getting Buried In The Morning’ …

The story of Don Henley’s the Boys of Summer, £10k headphones and ‘I’m Getting Buried In The Morning’ …

In the crosshairs this week … how Mike Campbell’s masterpiece was almost eaten by machinery, who made five great albums in five years?, “a mix is never finished it’s merely abandoned”, Robert Plant at Kidderminster Harriers, hand-written notes from Half Man Half Biscuit, god bless Alex Harvey, the expulsion of the vax-free Woody Woodmansey and birthday guest Keith Adsley explains the Temple of Seitan. Mike Campbell talks about the Boys Of Summer …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxBYBnPJfGQS

Feb 8, 2022 • 41:59

Morrissey v Marr, Neil Young v Spotify, Albarn v Swift – it’s a Pop Tiffs special!

Morrissey v Marr, Neil Young v Spotify, Albarn v Swift – it’s a Pop Tiffs special!

Who invented the rock spectacle? Has Adele got a touch of Imposter Syndrome? What was Barry Cryer’s gag about the Pretenders? Which bands devised their own mottos? Who’s Floating Points? How did they mic up the bagpipes on the Jeff Beck’s Truth? What the juggins is “paralinguistics”? Where did the Velvet Underground reunion go wrong? Plus a birthday visit from patreon supporter Kevin Rose, aka the manager of Athenlay Park U12.Subscribe to Word In Your Ear on Patreon and receive every future Word

Jan 31, 2022 • 58:05

The pleasing eccentricities of Jonathan Richman plus Natalie Umbrella-Stand, Christina Aqualibra and “Neil Aspinall: The Movie”

The pleasing eccentricities of Jonathan Richman plus Natalie Umbrella-Stand, Christina Aqualibra and “Neil Aspinall: The Movie”

A candlelit episode boldly addressing the burning issues du jour, among which you’ll find … Is old music killing new music?; actors that should play rock stars (Keeley Hawes IS Kirsty MacColl, Martin Freeman IS Noel Gallagher); legendary Procol Harum roadie and whistle-blower Kelloggs; a riot at a Dutch Stones gig in '64; fast songs done as ballads; a roll-call of Smash Hits’ pop nicknames; Magic Alex in a strip club in High Wycombe (cue the old gag “my mother doesn’t know I’m in advertising, I

Jan 24, 2022 • 49:30

Ronnie Spector, the Day Of The Jackal and why no-one screams at musicians with beards

Ronnie Spector, the Day Of The Jackal and why no-one screams at musicians with beards

What’s the difference between “chin music and beard music”? What’s the most you’d pay for a ticket? What happened when the Pope went record shopping? Will the Beatles’ Get Back be used in management instruction videos? What 45s sound good at 33? Who’s the classic Dad Rock band? ... these and other burning issues are addressed in this episode along with Fleetwood Mac: The Rugby Shirt Years, Brian Epstein’s A Cellarful Of Noise and the powerful romantic fantasies of the Ronettes’ first album.&nbsp

Jan 17, 2022 • 46:49

The inventor of the rock logo and why Rick Wakeman’s owed a fortune

The inventor of the rock logo and why Rick Wakeman’s owed a fortune

In which we choose a new National Anthem, tell the story of Hamish Grimes and the Clapton graffito, salute the best moments in Frasier and feel the powerful effect of the 'You Can All Join In' sampler on male fashion. Plus … swearing, albums to test your hi-fi and David Hepworth’s fantasy rock band in 1963. Our Spotify playlist of new National Anthems …https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ZGUB014llDjmDyH1nPK7K?si=ox2lqc5IRW6-c-efaZdKaQ Subscribe to Word In Your Ear on Patreon and receive ever

Jan 10, 2022 • 36:07

The Summer Of Soul movie, Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense and listening to 1,000 albums a year

The Summer Of Soul movie, Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense and listening to 1,000 albums a year

In which we look at Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, the Staple Singers and Gladys Knight in the fabulous Harlem concert film from 1969. And think what possessions we might bother to keep in a house fire. And wonder if Stop Making Sense is the greatest live performance ever filmed. And talk to someone – birthday patron Andrew Slattery, no less! – who listened to 1,000 albums in 2021. Plus ... Coldplay's recording retirement and the short list of acts who still make good records after 25 years.Subscribe

Jan 3, 2022 • 42:13

Rock memoirs that need to be written, the Porridge Christmas Special and Hunky Dory’s 50th birthday

Rock memoirs that need to be written, the Porridge Christmas Special and Hunky Dory’s 50th birthday

In which we salute the comic genius of Ronnie “Fletcher” Barker and Fulton “Mackay” Mackay, fantasise about autobiographies still to come (Neil Tennant, Pet Clark, John Paul Jones, Noel Gallagher), are mildly appalled by the new My Sweet Lord video and play two bracing rounds of Spot the Genuine Christmas single (Beck’s Little Drum-Machine Boy? Half Man Half Biscuit’s Deck The Halls With Buddy Holly?). Gary Chrimble to all, and a gear New Year!Subscribe to Word In Your Ear on Patreon and receive

Dec 19, 2021 • 28:13

Mike Nesmith, Don’t You Want Me and Sly Stone’s drum machine

Mike Nesmith, Don’t You Want Me and Sly Stone’s drum machine

In which we remember the lightness of touch and winning gallows humour of Mike Nesmith and the interesting ways he made and spent his fortunes. And it’s 50 years since There’s A Riot Goin’ On, the most radical record to ever top the US charts, and 40 years since the girls transformed the Human League. Plus Hepworth’s “confessions of an amateur weed smoker”, the less you pay for records the better they are, and the gloriously daft reason ELO’s first album was called “No Answer” in the States. New

Dec 13, 2021 • 36:07

Alternative Xmas songs, Zappa’s worst year, Milk Almond and the Happy Mung Beans

Alternative Xmas songs, Zappa’s worst year, Milk Almond and the Happy Mung Beans

In which we remember the “Smoke On The Water” fire at Montreux Casino, the soft melancholy of some underrated Christmas records, wonder which documentaries could get a Get Back remake and address the burning issues of the day: eg worst perms in rock, Ed Sheeran & Elton John, vegan bands in waiting, legendary pop recluses and what our ‘most played’ Spotify tracklist says about us.Subscribe to Word In Your Ear on Patreon and receive every Word Podcast before the rest of the world!: https://www.pat

Dec 7, 2021 • 44:20

Sex In The Sixties - let Peter Doggett be your guide

Sex In The Sixties - let Peter Doggett be your guide

Peter’s been on the pod before talking about the Beatles and Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and he’s just published a fascinating account of the ‘60s sexual revolution, a time when a new and unimaginable freedom collided spectacularly with the hand-wringing Victorian values of the media. We talked to him at the West Hampstead Arts Club about Mick Jagger v Mary Whitehouse, the Avengers, Jenny Fabian’s Groupie, Bond movies, Germaine Greer, the Killing of Sister George, Dirk Bogarde, Cliff Richard as

Dec 4, 2021 • 39:35

John Illsley tells the Dire Straits story

John Illsley tells the Dire Straits story

Recorded at the West Hampstead Arts Club - we're back in the outside world! - the band’s bassist remembers their label’s hopes of selling 5,000 copies of their first album in the autumn of ’77. His just-published memoir recounts the rollercoaster that followed, from the London pub circuit to Compass Point, Live Aid, the gigantic world tours that took in the Eastern Bloc, the sales-boosting arrival of MTV and the CD boom, and how it felt to land back on earth when they called a halt in the mid-‘9

Dec 2, 2021 • 45:53

Sondheim, the Band Aid recording and the first F-word on record

Sondheim, the Band Aid recording and the first F-word on record

In which we remember being at Sarm Studios 37 years ago as Bob Geldof and Midge Ure marshalled the troops, and look at the reaction to the Get Back movie, Alan Hull, Al Stewart’s energetic love life, Billy Preston and others flown in to keep bands together, Lenny Kaye’s record-filing ruse and why John Illsey had the best job in the world. Plus the return of the Stackwaddy Game - spot the made up musical genre (Skweee, Simpsonwave, Soyabilly etc).Subscribe to Word In Your Ear on Patreon to receiv

Nov 30, 2021 • 36:36

Lenny Kaye nails some moments “when the universe shifted”

Lenny Kaye nails some moments “when the universe shifted”

Lenny Kaye’s just published ‘Lightning Striking: Ten Transformative Moments In Rock And Roll’, events in particular times and places that changed the landscape, among them (and discussed here) Liverpool in 1962, New York in 1975 and Seattle in 1991. In the digital world, will we ever have that kind of local music scene again? His fascinating observations include driving to San Francisco for the Love-In, the world of CBGBs, Norwegian Black Metal, life in the Patti Smith Group and some of “the ecc

Nov 26, 2021 • 36:11

Elvis Costello, aka rock’s “greatest communicator”

Elvis Costello, aka rock’s “greatest communicator”

In which we watch a breathtaking 40-minute piece of oratory by EC that takes in David Hockney, TikTok, Laurel & Hardy, what Pete Thomas did during Lockdown and how to avoid your new album being “just another bucket of herring tossed into the stream”. And go to the Premiere of Peter Jackson’s Get Back. And remember some slightly hopeless second albums (ABC, Stones, Arctic Monkeys, Tracy Chapman) and some prime examples of the “front-loaded” LP (Let’s Dance, the Joshua Tree etc). And delight in di

Nov 24, 2021 • 41:17

Inscrutable album covers and Hunky Dory’s 50th birthday

Inscrutable album covers and Hunky Dory’s 50th birthday

In which we salute the great ‘60s pop writer and Beatles associate Maureen Cleave, find a copy of Melody Maker from the week Hunky Dory was released (the Rainbow opens, Lindisfarne banned from Brighton Dome after fans dance in aisles! etc), talk to Chris Topham of the Plane Groovy label about the vinyl crisis (there’s a seven-month wait to get a record pressed), check the map of the biggest-selling music acts from each UK county and get to the root of the old Sounds headline “My naked bath-night

Nov 18, 2021 • 37:43

McCartney’s lyrics & the Tom Tom Club plus Lionel Blair and other rhyming slang immortals

McCartney’s lyrics & the Tom Tom Club plus Lionel Blair and other rhyming slang immortals

In which we kick about with music at weddings, spin-off groups, the bracing challenge of Trout Mask Replica, why pop music needs no awards, the Lionel Blair gag on I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, a 42-disc boxset, skippable album tracks, the Stones still playing Midnight Rambler, McCartney on LP Hartley, Hamlet and Dylan Thomas, and rhyming slang we’d never heard – eg lunch: “a pint of Shaun Ryder, two Bills and a Giorgio Armani”. Plus the tragedy of the Astroworld Festival. That Lionel Blair a

Nov 10, 2021 • 46:26

Happy 50th to the Pink Moon recording sessions!

Happy 50th to the Pink Moon recording sessions!

In which we debunk the eye-watering Adele Hyde Park ticket prices, note the crowd-losing absence of choruses in Nick Drake songs, remember the strangest onstage guests, marvel at McCartney’s childhood memories and applaud Steve Van Zandt’s theory about the beginning and end of rock music. And birthday patron Giles Fraser is piped aboard plus his proposition about rock and roll legacy.Giles Fraser's Let's Fly: https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/contemporary/lets-fly/Subscribe to Word In Your Ea

Nov 4, 2021 • 38:30

Daniel Rachel hears 100 hours of Beatles audio – “it’s like the DNA in a crime scene”.

Daniel Rachel hears 100 hours of Beatles audio – “it’s like the DNA in a crime scene”.

Daniel Rachel, old pal of the pod, has just published ‘Like Some Forgotten Dream: What If The Beatles Hadn’t Split Up?’, much of it drawn from his access to the Let It Be tapes and full of enthralling details about the highs and lows of the band’s last year. This includes precisely what happened after George stormed out in Jan ’69, the stories of Gimme Some Truth, Cold Turkey and All Things Must Pass, missed press news opportunities, the Scottish car crash, the Toronto Peace Concert and a fantas

Nov 1, 2021 • 49:42

Tim Burgess: how Tim’s Twitter Listening Party raised the sum of human happiness

Tim Burgess: how Tim’s Twitter Listening Party raised the sum of human happiness

One of the great Lockdown success stories now has a book attached. This magnificent invention started in March last year and, at one point, Tim was hosting 10 Listening Parties a day. He looks back here at some of the ones he loved the most and how the Four Lions movie got the ball rolling. And talks about the Beach Boys, Iggy Pop, Discharge, Vashti Bunyan’s horse-drawn trip to the Hebrides and (aged 13) seeing Crass in a scout hut in Winsford. https://timstwitterlisteningparty.

Oct 24, 2021 • 28:48

The best five tracks of the ‘70s and massive applause for Paul Simon (80)

The best five tracks of the ‘70s and massive applause for Paul Simon (80)

In which we watch the Harmony Game (the fabulous doc about the making of Bridge Over Troubled Water), wonder if the British are qualified to play Country, hear the new Let It Be outtakes (the Fabs playing ‘Fancy My Chances With You’ and George ordering cauliflower cheese), consider the genius of Every Breath You Take, the Stones dropping Brown Sugar and the moment dance music changed from songs to grooves, and salute the Apple Scruff who sang on Across the Universe. The new Let It Be outtak

Oct 20, 2021 • 46:46

Kacey Musgraves’ naked TV appearance restaged by Alex Gold

Kacey Musgraves’ naked TV appearance restaged by Alex Gold

In which we remember when one of the Stones was in the Air Force, the agony of loons pants, the genius of Irene Handl (and her screen roles: Mrs Crumbling, Miss Harker-Parker, Miss Slenderparts) and Bowie as the Goblin King in Labyrinth. Plus Cliff Richards’ new ‘perv breeks’, Steve Van Zandt visits Brian Jones’ grave, the best short songs, when haircuts wreck a band and Ian Martin’s live review of Rick Astley doing the Smiths. Irene Handl and Peter Sellers in Shadows on The Grass: https://

Oct 14, 2021 • 45:50

Richard Balls: the intoxicating songs and chaotic life of Shane MacGowan

Richard Balls: the intoxicating songs and chaotic life of Shane MacGowan

‘A Furious Devotion' is just out, written by Richard Balls after long conversations and nights spent with Shane and interviews with members of the Pogues, old girlfriends, former teachers and collaborators (Nick Cave, Sinead O’Connor and Christy Moore among them). This covers childhood times in Tipperary, his ‘genius’ school years, fierce debates about his Irish identity, the full story of Fairytale of New York, his marriage, how the band put up with him and the cussed old curmudgeon he is today

Oct 11, 2021 • 46:20

The late Commander Cody and other enthusiastic smokers

The late Commander Cody and other enthusiastic smokers

White-hot, pressing topics kicked around the rock and roll park this week include … can heavy metal ever be sexy?, why the Beatles would have made the greatest Unplugged act, the return of Scritti Politti, good deals in charity shops, what made Status Quo swing, how Jim Morrison wrecked the legacy of the Doors, the Floyd and the Stones discovering disco, Barry Ryan RIP and why Best Record polls in old music papers still get our goat. Rock stars smoking: https://art-sheep.com/old-photographs

Oct 5, 2021 • 46:19

"Mrs Robinson, you're trying to seduce me!"

"Mrs Robinson, you're trying to seduce me!"

In which we re-watch the Graduate, wonder when Yes songs stopped making sense, salute the best rock stage names and the Björn Ulvaeus song credit campaign, ponder the curious UK launch of Rolling Stone, note the bands who never did cover versions and wonder if - and this may be stressful - Queen could become more popular than the Beatles. Keith Adsley's beard-losing fund-raiser: https://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/new-recovery-home-opens-in-city-8344686?fbclid=IwAR2R1AlZgV2qsTqYh9JrWSdMlw3yhB-zt

Sep 30, 2021 • 46:42

Tony Fletcher and a rock press version of “the Beano Christmas Annual”

Tony Fletcher and a rock press version of “the Beano Christmas Annual”

‘The Best Of Jamming!’ is a powerfully nostalgic collection of extracts from the fanzine Tony launched in 1977 when he was 13, born of the lost age of spraymount, cow gum, Tippex, typewriters and cut-and-paste issues stapled together on the bedroom floor. He looks back at the hand-drawn covers, letters from Paul Weller, cash loans from his Mum, in-office debates (“Can we have American acts on the cover?”) and the magazine’s eight glorious years on the edge of insolvency, a story someone really o

Sep 27, 2021 • 39:37

A Rock Snobbery Special plus 50 years of the Old Grey Whistle Test

A Rock Snobbery Special plus 50 years of the Old Grey Whistle Test

.. where we consider the brave new world in which Rick Astley plays the Smiths, a documentary explores the reasons people detest Kenny G and Rolling Stone rather self-consciously revise their list of the Best 500 Songs Of All Time (should they declare 2001 the new Year Zero and just reset the clock?). And featuring ... worst supergroups, acts who've never put out any cover versions, bands who arrived at the venue but never played and Morrissey answering the phones on Rock Around the Clock.

Sep 21, 2021 • 45:34

Acts with embarrassingly duff names and the absurd notion of “a real fan”

Acts with embarrassingly duff names and the absurd notion of “a real fan”

Among the white-hot news items fondly examined this week you’ll find … the eternal wars in Fleetwood Mac, how we broadcast our love of bands before the rock t-shirt arrived (involves a canvas bag, a biro and the words ‘Chicken Shack’), Michael Chapman, Dumpy’s Rusty Nuts, the one good thing about the pandemic, albums that were too long and a night featuring a navy surplus greatcoat and the non-appearance of the Move’s Ace “The Singing Skull” Kefford.Subscribe to Word In Your Ear on Patreon and g

Sep 14, 2021 • 42:54

"Pop music + distance = sadness"

"Pop music + distance = sadness"

In which we consider the melancholy of Abba (and find a 45 year-old bar of Abba soap), applaud the hidden message in Lee Perry's Cow Thief Skank, wonder how Judee Sill would be marketed today, remember the Beach Boys' purple patch and note the only two things of any worth ever achieved by Iron Butterfly.Support Word In Your Ear on Patreon and gain access to each Word Podcast early... and in full audio-visual glory!: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Aca

Sep 7, 2021 • 40:22

For the love of Charlie Watts

For the love of Charlie Watts

In which we wonder if it's the Stones without the drummer, tell the whole story of the "work five years and 20 years hanging around" interview, salute the great Charlie album sleeve moments and investigate "the Rolling Stones wobble". And there's Reading Festival '79, the Nirvana Nevermind saga and other random folk on record sleeves (the US marine on a Smiths cover, the Russian presidential candidate on a Pulp album, Supertramp's singing waitress, the Bauls of Bengal) and a search for the origi

Aug 31, 2021 • 56:57

John Cooper Clarke’s wonderfully unvarnished memories of real life in the ‘50s and 60s

John Cooper Clarke’s wonderfully unvarnished memories of real life in the ‘50s and 60s

‘I Wanna Be Yours’, the superb memoir by “the bargain basement Baudelaire”, is now out in paperback, much of it an account of growing up in Salford. Here he looks back at the days when “the Rialto cinema was my babysitter”, seeing Little Richard aged 11, the fine details of the Beatles’ tailoring, old TV ads, Stanley Holloway, Joe Loss, “Woodman, Spare That Tree”, the Mecca ballrooms, the Bernard Manning audition that launched his career, the pure sensory overload of hearing rock and roll in fai

Aug 27, 2021 • 39:02

From Tom T Hall to the Weeley Festival by way of Una Stubbs

From Tom T Hall to the Weeley Festival by way of Una Stubbs

Topics this week given a vigorous shakedown include ... the magical story-telling of the late Tom T Hall, best-preserved '80s rock stars, the construction of John Cooper Clarke's pickled onion "pork pie doorstep", the line-up and health risk of the 1971 Weeley Festival (Gnidrolog! Tir Na Nog! Castle!), a chance meeting with Una Stubbs, how Spotify changes your Greatest Hit, best opening songs on a debut album and what's the annual miserabilis of rock?Support Word In Your Ear on Patreon and gain

Aug 24, 2021 • 58:56

Summer in the City: Word in The Park presents ... Danny Baker

Summer in the City: Word in The Park presents ... Danny Baker

The fourth and last guest at our sun-roasted live event in Holland Park on July 17 was the ever-supercharged Danny Baker. Straw-hatted, drink-toting and delighted audience members were treated to a series of superb comic monologues which featured his idea for a Beatles movie, the South London promoter who locked himself in a portakabin to evade the wrath of his acts and a magnificent riff about how the music-hall legend Bud Flanagan conned his way onto an ocean liner (aged 14) and joined a trave

Aug 13, 2021 • 33:55

The extraordinary life of Louis Armstrong plus George Harrison rebooted

The extraordinary life of Louis Armstrong plus George Harrison rebooted

Topics subjected to the usual forensic scrutiny this week include ... Jan & Dean's role in the kidnap of Frank Sinatra Jnr, is it still the Stones without Charlie?, the Offspring drummer kicked out for being an anti-vaxxer, buying Revolver 55 years ago, Bobby Whitlock's roasting of the All Things Must Pass remix, how Tot Taylor gatecrashed the music industry in '73 and the least rock and roll leisure pursuits.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-the-grand-scheme-snatching-sinatra/id

Aug 9, 2021 • 43:22

Summer in the City: Word in The Park presents ... Mark Lewisohn

Summer in the City: Word in The Park presents ... Mark Lewisohn

We staged our first live event for 18 months on July 17, a sun-baked day at a spectacular outdoor venue kindly lent us by Opera Holland Park. A vast amount of fun was had. We’re putting up podcasts of all four of our guests, this one featuring the world’s pre-eminent fount of all Beatles knowledge and wisdom, the great Mark Lewisohn and including his thoughts about Peter Jackson’s upcoming Get Back movie, why Brian Epstein is underrated, a pivotal moment in the Beatles story (1961), the treasure

Aug 6, 2021 • 23:03

The mysterious connection between Zappa and Sparks

The mysterious connection between Zappa and Sparks

Topics plumbed to their very depths this week include .... are tears for Olympic athletes now compulsory? The absurd names of Usain Bolt's children. The backstage chaos of the Concert For Bangladesh. Dusty Hill's mid-ZZ Top job at an airport. Can Ryan Adams ever get another record deal? Why the Sparks story is unique and extraordinary. Can you ever feel as attached to music you don't own in physical form? Bands you hated when young. Plus ... Magic Alex on impersonating members of the Stones for

Aug 3, 2021 • 45:26

Amy Winehouse, XTC and the joy of "re-loved CDs"

Amy Winehouse, XTC and the joy of "re-loved CDs"

Matters of high import thrashed out this week include Dylan's Shadow Kingdom livestream, the Thunder Road lyric farrago, Apple Venus and Wasp Star - separated at birth!, the best reggae album ever, laughter on records, underwhelming follow-up albums and why Hot Rats makes the perfect crime thriller soundtrack. Supporting cast includes Kevin Turvey, Philip Glass, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express and Dave "Bucket" Colwell of Humble Pie.Support Word In Your Ear on Patreon and gain access to hours of

Jul 30, 2021 • 40:06

Word in The Park #2: Lesley-Ann Jones remembers John Entwistle’s riotous funeral

Word in The Park #2: Lesley-Ann Jones remembers John Entwistle’s riotous funeral

We had our first live event for 18 months on a fabulous, sun-baked afternoon in Holland Park on July 17 and the writer and former Fleet Street columnist Lesley-Ann Jones was one of the four guests (there’ll be a podcast of each of them). These are her crowd-pleasing, colourful memories of Queen backstage at Live Aid, living with Raquel Welch and tea with Bowie at Haddon Hall. The Stones are in there too. @LAJwriter LAJ’s books …https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Lesley-Ann-Jones/s?rh=n%3A2

Jul 25, 2021 • 22:41

Summer in the City: Word in The Park presents ... Gary Crowley

Summer in the City: Word in The Park presents ... Gary Crowley

In our sun-baked return to live events on July 17, we had four guests onstage at a spectacular outdoor venue kindly lent us by Opera Holland Park in West London, the first our old pal the shy, retiring, hard-to-prise-a-word-out-of-him broadcaster Gary Crowley. Stories here include the time he was invited round to the Clash HQ for an interview (when still at school), the giddying sensation of meeting Paul McCartney and some unsung heroes of '80s pop. @CrowleyOnAir Radio London …https://

Jul 21, 2021 • 23:21

How do songs become terrace anthems?

How do songs become terrace anthems?

Sports writer and old pal Nige Tassell traces the story of Sweet Caroline, You’ll Never Walk Alone and Yes Sir I Can Boogie – with fond memories of the Tranmere Rovers’ spontaneous vegan chant moment. Other piping hot topics include Dua Lipa and the stolen photo, have you ever booed a band?, the exact number of onstage hours Dylan’s played All Along The Watchtower, the magic of Freddie King and the Jayhawks, does Richard Branson like music?, indie weddings and are there any rap covers bands?&nbs

Jul 13, 2021 • 48:22

Flat Rabbit, Mandible Rumpus ... what makes a band name work?

Flat Rabbit, Mandible Rumpus ... what makes a band name work?

In which we salute Frogspawn Candy, Lord Snooty & his Pals and Steppenwolf, rejoice in the Onion's coverage of Lorde, applaud the return of the Siffleur and pop tunes that feature whistling, back Elvis Costello on song-stealing, have a CD Date Night with the Decemberists and A Tribe Called Quest (while unravelling their Lou Reed court case), and inspect a new theory about the Manson murders. Elvis Costello on song stealing …https://uk.news.yahoo.com/elvis-costello-defends-olivia-rodrigo-150

Jul 6, 2021 • 37:58

Bob Geldof: an unmissable hour of insight into rock stardom

Bob Geldof: an unmissable hour of insight into rock stardom

Nobody is better qualified to talk about music as he's seen it from every angle. Bob Geldof broke into the Beatles' hotel room aged 12. He saw Dylan and the Stones when he was 13. Radio Luxembourg sent him messages from the ether. He worked out why the great lyrics work ("and the best opening line"). He studied the stagecraft of a host of musicians and formed a band of his own. He felt the lure of "screaming stadium whores and sex on tap". He staged Live Aid. And he ended up a close friend of ma

Jul 3, 2021 • 1:17:15

Rock band gangs you want to join

Rock band gangs you want to join

Matters of high import discussed this week include ... having a 'date night' with your old CDs. Can the one-piece jumpsuit ever return? The whole Billie Eilish apology saga. Do all first girlfriends have names like Deidre Birchwood? What pop location deserves a blue plaque? Why Court And Spark outranks Blue. The Foo Fighters' Bee Gees moment. Rock's second best year. And would you pay $998 to get some All Things Must Pass garden gnomes? Plus James Brown, Black Grape, Chicken Shack, Duckwort

Jun 29, 2021 • 47:14

If the England Squad were a rock band which would they be?

If the England Squad were a rock band which would they be?

In which we shake down the piping hot topics du jour, among them ... the 50th anniversary of Glastonbury, the genius of Miles Copeland's management method, the new six-hour Beatles movie, Bob Geldof on what it takes to be a rock star, would Oasis have worked in the '70s, why current songwriters are afraid to experiment, and whatever happened to Terry Reid? Terry Reid at the first Glastonbury in 1971 ...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFtPnpDMxyITickets for Word In The Park in London's Holla

Jun 21, 2021 • 41:11

DJ Princess Diana

DJ Princess Diana

In this week's pod we explore whether Apple's new spatial audio is actually worth it, ponder urgent listener questions such as "is pop music all about cymbals?" and "should we be paying attention to Van Morrison right now?" and chat to old pal Paul Burke about advertising in music and why the art of discotheque DJing is a little bit like foreplay.http://www.paulburkecreative.com/Tickets for Word In The Park in London on July 17th here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-word-in-the-park-a-summer-a

Jun 14, 2021 • 51:30

Joni Mitchell's golden month remembered

Joni Mitchell's golden month remembered

This week's burning hot topics include .... the 50th birthday of Joni Mitchell's 'Blue’. Songs about the joy of spending "a bankroll big enough to choke a donkey". When Whistle Test went all Tomorrow's World. Books or records: which could you survive without? Is there the Who without Pete Townshend? Films we've watched the most. Music that's unfailingly cheerful. Is "Play Loud" the daftest thing ever put on an album cover? Was there ever a posher musician than James Lascelles of Global Village T

Jun 8, 2021 • 47:18

Favourite critics and pop star stamps

Favourite critics and pop star stamps

In which we salute some much-loved writers (Clive James on Rod Stewart: "he was hopping about like a bifurcated marrow"), investigate the Friends Reunion, predict the next pop acts on postage stamps (a round of Stamp Waddy, anyone?) and tackle the burning issues of the day - aka What's the longest you've ever waited for a band to appear? And who's best: Britney Spears or Taylor Swift (and which would you want to organise your bungee jump)?Tickets for Word In The Park on July 17th here: https://w

May 31, 2021 • 41:29

Bernie Marsden on the blues boom, "mailbox money", UFO and Whitesnake

Bernie Marsden on the blues boom, "mailbox money", UFO and Whitesnake

Bernie's memoir - 'Where's My Guitar?' - is just out in paperback and this highly entertaining encounter with the old rock and roll trouper features his early bands (Clockwork Mousetrap, Skinny Cat), Cream and Fleetwood Mac at Dunstable's California Ballroom, auditioning for Renaissance and East Of Eden (then turning the job down), 'secret police' on the Wild Turkey tour, thumping Phil Mogg, Mickie Most's butler and Rolls Royce car phone, sessions for Hot Chocolate, the Spinal Tap moment of Whit

May 26, 2021 • 48:29

The Bob Dylan million dollar 80th birthday bash

The Bob Dylan million dollar 80th birthday bash

In which three old lags who've been following Dylan most of their lives - David Hepworth, Sid Griffin and Mark Ellen - offload a passionate personal theory and fly the flag for a favourite track. As Sid points, "How many times do you find yourself saying, 'Who does that? Only Bob Dylan!'" Includes 'Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues' as a quiz and the three albums sleeves where he wears the same jacket. Also .... the John Lydon/Pistols/Danny Boyle legal stand-off and memories of the much-loved Fred Del

May 24, 2021 • 52:10

Richard Thompson on Fairport and Sandy Denny's "Gustav Mahler emotional see-saw"

Richard Thompson on Fairport and Sandy Denny's "Gustav Mahler emotional see-saw"

In which the beloved entertainer talks about his memoir 'Beeswing: Fairport, Folk and Finding My Voice 1967-1975', a rich and circuitous ramble that features Jimmy Shand, Louis Armstrong, a school band with Hugh Cornwell, sitar lessons with Andy Summers, the word game that invented 'Unhalfbricking', the genius of Sandy Denny, the 'backstabbing' folk community, the perils of the British stiff upper lip, a cardboard cut-out of Nick Drake, the Henry the Human Fly photoshoot, disinfecting sheep, the

May 19, 2021 • 47:10

Burglary and bluebeat in a brilliant new Madness documentary

Burglary and bluebeat in a brilliant new Madness documentary

In which we look at the light-fingered early lives of Camden's Magnificent Seven and the soundtrack of the Pursuit of Love, note the collapse of the BRITs and the Oscars and tell the extraordinary tale of the writer who thinks Bob Dylan's his dad. Plus ... Never Mind The Quality, Feel the Length (long things that only work because they're long - eg the Irishman, the Dead's Dark Star, Lawrence Of Arabia). And... what items of girls' clothing is Alex wearing this week? The Madness doc ...http

May 18, 2021 • 40:59

Joel Selvin on "a sylvan moment in Hollywood history"

Joel Selvin on "a sylvan moment in Hollywood history"

The great Joel Selvin has just published 'Hollywood Eden: Electric Guitars, Fast Cars and the Myth of the California Paradise', a thumping account of the West Coast pop revolution between 1958-1968 beginning with the rise of Jan & Dean and ending with "the greatest record ever made", Good Vibrations. He beams in from San Francisco, a substantial cigar on the go, to talk about the shamefully uncelebrated Nancy Sinatra's pioneering records (and '57 pink Thunderbird), the Beach Boy who invented the

May 13, 2021 • 36:15

Bob Marley RIP (who died 40 years ago on May 11)

Bob Marley RIP (who died 40 years ago on May 11)

In which we remember the Wailers' London shows and what made them unique, salute the fond but sceptical rock photographs of our old friend Ken Sharp, unravel the brilliant mechanics of Jerry Seinfeld's 'Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee', discover why Steve Martin gave up comedy, tell an old Barry Cryer gag and play a bracing round of 'Irritating Electoral Candidate or Fun-Loving Calypso Songbird?' (Lord Buckethead? Attila the Hun? etc).Tickets for Word In The Park here: https://www.eventbrite.co

May 11, 2021 • 42:05

Rickie Lee Jones promotes "thumping good read"!

Rickie Lee Jones promotes "thumping good read"!

Forty-two years after her meteoric ascent, Rickie Lee Jones has put out a memoir, 'Last Chance Texaco: Chronicles of a Troubadour'. And this we strongly recommend, a candid, salty, high-octane account of her breakthrough and early adventures criss-crossing America, many of which were turned into songs. Among her cast of fellow travellers are her Vaudevillian song-and-dance grandparents, Tom Waits, Dr John, Lowell George, Lenny Waronker and Chuck E Weiss, all of whom feature in this delightful po

May 6, 2021 • 28:36

Does every act have a gimmick?

Does every act have a gimmick?

In which we're joined by old pal Kate Mossman who's had a colourful encounter with Tom Jones, we look at the legal battle for Nirvana's logo and the bands who sell more t-shirts than records, we're convinced we know why the England Squad don't make football singles any more, we dig out some surely bank-busting white labels and play a round of Hip Hop Star or Character From A '60s Comic?Kate's terrific piece about Tom Jones in the New Statesman ...https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/music-theatr

May 4, 2021 • 57:02

The eternal battles between Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf

The eternal battles between Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf

In which we shake down the Bat Out Of Hell saga and Morrissey v the Simpsons, wonder what happened to the Bay City Rollers billions, explore Richard Thompson's theory of folk-rock snobbery, salute pop memoirs that end early and remember how people reacted when Kraftwerk and the Ramones first appeared. And announce our Word in the Park live event in July! ... WORD IN THE PARK TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-word-in-the-park-a-summer-afternoon-of-socially-distanced-storytelling-tick

Apr 27, 2021 • 33:19

On Jagger's ropey new single and what made the Stones a dance band

On Jagger's ropey new single and what made the Stones a dance band

A world-put-to-rights-special that tells the story of the man who hid in a crate on a three-day flight with only a book of Beatles song lyrics for entertainment, looks at the stupidity of 19 year-olds, considers Rob Lowe’s belief that "there's no point in being famous today", predicts that CDs will become as treasured and collectable as vinyl, and wonders if musicians could still play if as pissed as they claimed to be. Also includes Shit-faced Shakespeare and a round of Song Title By the World'

Apr 22, 2021 • 53:50

Tessa Norton and Bob Stanley on the folklore of the Fall

Tessa Norton and Bob Stanley on the folklore of the Fall

Tessa and Bob are lifelong Mark E Smith devotees and have just published 'Excavate: the Wonderful And Frightening World of The Fall', a collection of essays inspired by the band’s unique and eternally beguiling back catalogue and divinely cranky modus operandi - along with artwork, ephemera, lyrics sheets, letters to fans and self-written press releases. It's an atlas that navigates the Fall’s outer reaches rather than an investigation of the man himself "as you can't look directly at the s

Apr 17, 2021 • 38:09

Original gangs that are still together

Original gangs that are still together

In which David delivers a tremulous rant about the curse of the two-minutes' silence at sport events, we note the Duke of Edinburgh's Beatles connection, rummage through the BBC's 'black box', salute the longest-lasting line-ups (Damned, Golden Earring, ZZ Top, Blind Boys of Alabama?), weep at the worst rock and roll tattoos, remember the Bowie album with three different covers and play 'Oi! band member or friend of the Krays?' and 'no-frills Seventies drummer or cast member of Corrie?'Want excl

Apr 12, 2021 • 46:41

What pop music will still be around in 200 years' time?

What pop music will still be around in 200 years' time?

In which we applaud Paul Simon's light-fingered songwriting skills, delight in the fake Roxy Music rejection letter, trace the origins of rock's black uniform (which Keith Richards reckons has it roots in cowboy movies), discover powerful new chemical benefits from being in bands, reveal the Spandau Ballet hit based on If I Had A Hammer, hear Philip Roth's advice to an aspiring novelist and play rock band or children's entertainment option (Angry Beavers?).Want exclusive early access to every fu

Apr 6, 2021 • 56:07

"It ain’t 'alf been a gas this time!"

"It ain’t 'alf been a gas this time!"

In which we play theatrical moments from great live albums - Humble Pie, ELP, the Stones, James Brown, Sinatra & Count Basie, Free, the Who, the Allman Brothers ("Whipping Post!") - relive the wit and wisdom of James Blunt on Twitter, examine the raw agony of having a rock star as a parent (warning: Eve Hewson's Bono story involves public dancing to the Backstreet Boys in a dressing-gown) and reveal whose tour rider includes "oxygen tanks and a doctor available to give mid-set B-12 injections".W

Mar 29, 2021 • 43:51

A 1971 Special on Nick Drake and Led Zeppelin at the Nottingham Boat Club

A 1971 Special on Nick Drake and Led Zeppelin at the Nottingham Boat Club

In which we're joined by old pal Trevor Dann who was one of the 200 people sitting on the floor of the Nottingham Boat Club 50 years ago hearing the unreleased Stairway To Heaven ("maximum volume as it was on the river and there were no houses next door"). Plus memories of Nick Drake in 1971 (Trevor wrote the memoir Darker Than The Deepest Sea) - the underwhelming live shows, the mistakes on his album sleeves, the family tensions, why his legend is still expanding and what he might be doing if h

Mar 25, 2021 • 41:36

The enduring magic of the mixtape

The enduring magic of the mixtape

In which we relive the joys of cassette mixtape pop snobbery, discover a rock star's mum who was a WW2 secret agent, name the best songs about mothers, salute Tony "Ian Faith" Hendra RIP and his part in Spinal Tap (and his National Lampoon gags eg 'Yoko Is A Concept By Which We Measure our Pain'), note the coded messages in Dylan's 'Bringing It All Back Home' sleeve and play 'Lee Perry Tune or Item of Jamaican Cuisine?'Want exclusive early access to every future Word Podcast - and in full audio-

Mar 15, 2021 • 47:41

Enthralling 200-year musical history of London in 39 minutes!

Enthralling 200-year musical history of London in 39 minutes!

In which Paul Du Noyer talks about his new book ‘In The City: A Celebration of London Music’ – the music hall roots of the Kinks, Small Faces, Dury, Squeeze and Madness, Broadside Ballads and how Champagne Charlie, Marie Lloyd, skiffle, rock and roll, the Stones, stage school brats like Lily Allen and the stars of grime are all linked to a common story-telling tradition. Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mar 13, 2021 • 43:00

The undignified history of the Ponytail In Rock

The undignified history of the Ponytail In Rock

In which we salute Chris Barber and Bunny Wailer, listen to Robert Fripp's £80-a-pop personal message service, marvel at the Kings Of Leon's new crypto-currency, relive the agony of the Bob Harris vinyl flood, wonder if Bob Weir's was the only decent rock ponytail, reconnect with the Drifters, Lonnie Donegan and Lewis Taylor ("the great undiscovered jewel of 20th C popular music"), and play 'Van Morrison song or Richard Littlejohn headline?', 'Oasis track or children's book?' and '50s wrestler o

Mar 8, 2021 • 57:06

Happy 50th, Nick Drake and the Stones 'farewell' tour!

Happy 50th, Nick Drake and the Stones 'farewell' tour!

In which we try the Obama/Springsteen pod, view astonishing footage of Sinatra recording in 1965, watch films we've never seen (eg "Life Of Brian" - merchandise at the stoning scene? "Two rocks and a bag of gravel"), remember the Stones' satin-clad tax-dodging flit to the south of France, applaud the greatest one-man albums ever made, and play 'Children's book or rare psychedelic single?', 'European rave palace or Gwyneth Paltrow lifestyle accessory' and 'Spot the fake DJ' (Spinston Churchill?).

Mar 1, 2021 • 1:00:48

A guided tour chez Dolly Parton!

A guided tour chez Dolly Parton!

In the event of the temporary indisposition of Mr Mark Henry Ellen his part is taken for today's podcast by Mr Alexander Karl Gold and he and David Hepworth talk on the subject of which other songwriter-band leaders might arguably give Ray Davies a run for his money when it comes to sustained creation of brilliant singles, what it's like to go to Dolly Parton's home town and the contrasting accounts of the popular song experience which are available in the films "Framing Britney" and "Travelling

Feb 23, 2021 • 46:08

The Greatest Love Songs Ever Written

The Greatest Love Songs Ever Written

... a Valentine's Day Special (which naturally involves Jackie DeShannon and Lucinda Williams), the curious case of Bruce Springsteen, the Jeep ad and the shot of tequila, and the 50th birthday of Tapestry. Plus Stack Waddy: 'leafy English village or colourful minor celebrity?' and 'Tom Waits track or story by Damon Runyon?'Want exclusive early access to every future Word Podcast - and in full audio-visual glory! - alongside a whole host of additional exciting, enlightening and entertaining cont

Feb 15, 2021 • 46:32

Tom Lehrer, payola and the Midnight Train to Georgia

Tom Lehrer, payola and the Midnight Train to Georgia

In which we navigate by way of pay-for-play bribery, Elvis Costello's mum, the songs the Bonzos taught us, the man who helped cook the Beatles' books, the eternal trials of posh pop stars, and Farrah Fawcett-Majors and the story of the Midnight Plane To Houston. And play 'Pulp song or episode of Are You Being Served?'The Bee Gees record a message for Pete Paphides' ansaphone in 1997 ...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcKi3-pYutQ&lc=UgwqHWpFK3w9utgLeH54AaABAg&feature=em-commentsWant exclusive acc

Feb 8, 2021 • 42:59

The story about Phil Collins, George Harrison and the congas ...

The story about Phil Collins, George Harrison and the congas ...

In which the conversational spotlight alights upon the great Hilton Valentine (RIP), adventures with the KLF, Phil Collins' disastrous session for All Things Must Pass, DJ EZ's marathon, Clare Torry on the Great Gig In The Sky, Carey Mulligan v Variety magazine and John Otway's version of House of the Rising Sun. Plus be prepared to play ... "Rave DJ or Household Cleaning Product?" and "Queen track or fantasy novel by George RR 'Games Of Thrones' Martin?".Want exclusive early access to every fut

Feb 1, 2021 • 58:28

Where Dolly and Phil Spector meet PG Wodehouse ...

Where Dolly and Phil Spector meet PG Wodehouse ...

A snow-filled scenic ramble featuring the appeal of Dolly Parton for the under-fives, the Cilla Black/Phil Spector chart battle of '65 (and Phil's unsettling appearance at the Q Awards), a John Lennon birthday lunch in Paris, the post-Brexit future for musicians on tour, Midge Ure, Tucky Buzzard and Eddie Izzard ... plus a bracing round of 'Wodehouse character or rock musician?' and 'Morrissey song title or quote from Oscar Wilde?'.Midge Ure on the impact of Brexit on touring the EUhttps://twitt

Jan 27, 2021 • 55:23

It's all gone Sea Shanty!

It's all gone Sea Shanty!

In which we're joined by Sam Pope - the man who shantyised Eminem - on the new mass appeal of seafaring folk tunes, applaud the value of Happy Music (and name the tracks that never let you down), wonder why no-one's made a biopic about Fleetwood Mac, Blondie or the Ramones, and watch Fran Lebowitz in Pretend It's A City and wish we could have had breakfast with Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington. And play 'Film noir or Springsteen song?' and 'Reggae soundsystem or Marvel superhero?'.Sam Pope on T

Jan 18, 2021 • 49:09

Neil Young and the concert that invented 'the whoop'

Neil Young and the concert that invented 'the whoop'

In which we tell the story of James Taylor's tattoo, Bowie's coded message to Hermione, Tracy Chapman v Nicki Ninaj, Gerry Marsden stealing George Harrison's girlfriend, and the real life girls from Valerie and My Sharona - plus bracing rounds of 'Republican Senator or Country Music star?' and 'Joanna Newsom song title or vegetarian restaurant in Brighton?'. And the lost Wombles-style Oasis tribute album (What's the Story) Tobermory?. James Taylor's tattoo story is at 4.20 ...https://youtu.

Jan 11, 2021 • 42:41

The priceless mishaps of Fleetwood Mac

The priceless mishaps of Fleetwood Mac

Surely the only podcast on God’s Earth that covers Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera, Pulp’s Disco 2000, Zulu, voter fraud in Citizen Kane, Mother’s club in Birmingham, Prudence Farrow, the Alan Parsons Project, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly!, the Maharishi, ‘Lennon Remembers’, Gothmog (lieutenant of Morgul) and ‘Is it a craft beer or a Mercury Prize Nominee?’ The Beatles recording of ‘There You Go Eddy’, a song about Hunter Davies …https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=beatles+there+you+are+eddy+youtube

Jan 7, 2021 • 44:20

Word Podcast Gold

Word Podcast Gold

In which we list the prog hallmarks – Byron, classically trained virtuosity, overtures! – and remember Yes at the LSE and the Bournemouth Winter Gardens. And why does Prog tend to be male and British? Plus Frank Zappa, Blixa Bargeld, the death of Mitch Mitchell, songs about earthquakes, lost rock venues, Dylan visiting Neil Young’s childhood home and how it feels to shake hands with John Lee Hooker. Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jan 2, 2021 • 48:40

Word Podcast Gold

Word Podcast Gold

In which we list the prog hallmarks – Byron, classically trained virtuosity, overtures! – and remember Yes at the LSE and the Bournemouth Winter Gardens. And why does Prog tend to be male and British? Plus Frank Zappa, Blixa Bargeld, the death of Mitch Mitchell, songs about earthquakes, lost rock venues, Dylan visiting Neil Young’s childhood home and how it feels to shake hands with John Lee Hooker. Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jan 2, 2021 • 48:40

Word In Your Attic 88 (audio version) - Glen Colson: sake and whelks with Viv Stanshall, anyone?

Word In Your Attic 88 (audio version) - Glen Colson: sake and whelks with Viv Stanshall, anyone?

Press wrangler and wingman to the stars, Glen Colson on his Mackeson-flavoured memories of life at Charisma Records, preserving the bullet holes in his parents' pub, drumming for the Bonzos at the Leicester Top Rank, a teenage Kate Bush auditioning in a doctor's waiting room, the 'three-sided' Monty Python album, the malodorous Stiff Records office ("people used to sleep there"), Graham Parker and his albino ferret, Larry Wallis and his pet snake, Ian Dury and his violent roadies, John Arlott, D

Dec 31, 2020 • 0:00

To the sunlit uplands of the new Let It Be movie!

To the sunlit uplands of the new Let It Be movie!

Surely the only podcast that's ever included tantalising Beatles film outtakes, the knock-down sale of Michael Jackson's Neverland, 'the Great Fatsby' by Leslie West, Frank Sinatra, E17 with sleigh bells and and Ladbaby's We Built This City On Sausage Rolls. Plus we play energetic rounds of 'Farrow & Ball paint colour or Tyrannosaurus Rex track?' and 'Lilith Fair acoustic act or Lush beauty product'?Want exclusive early access to this - and every future - Word Podcast, and in full audio-visual g

Dec 28, 2020 • 45:27

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 365 - to the sunlit uplands of the new Let It Be movie!

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 365 - to the sunlit uplands of the new Let It Be movie!

Surely the only podcast that's ever included tantalising Beatles film outtakes, the knock-down sale of Michael Jackson's Neverland, 'the Great Fatsby' by Leslie West, Frank Sinatra, E17 with sleigh bells and and Ladbaby's We Built This City On Sausage Rolls. Plus we play energetic rounds of 'Farrow & Ball paint colour or Tyrannosaurus Rex track?' and 'Lilith Fair acoustic act or Lush beauty product'? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 27, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 364 - in stout defence of the Bee Gees

Word Podcast 364 - in stout defence of the Bee Gees

In which we dust down a great new Bee Gees doc (How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?), applaud Bill Bailey, remember the absurdity of the Best Guitarist polls (and then name our favourite guitarists), mine the folklore of John Le Carre for possible band names (the Scalphunters, Madame Ostrakova), shake down the ‘river of dimes’ world of music copyright, and play a bracing round of ‘Black Metal Band or Item Of IKEA Furniture? Bill Bailey doing U2 having a Catastrophic Technical Failure …https://www.b

Dec 21, 2020 • 48:55

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 364 - in stout defence of the Bee Gees

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 364 - in stout defence of the Bee Gees

In which we dust down a great new Bee Gees doc (How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?), applaud Bill Bailey, remember the absurdity of the Best Guitarist polls (and then name our favourite guitarists), mine the folklore of John Le Carre for possible band names (the Scalphunters, Madame Ostrakova), shake down the ‘river of dimes’ world of music copyright, and play a bracing round of ‘Black Metal Band or Item Of IKEA Furniture? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor

Dec 20, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 363 - $300m for Dylan catalogue "a bargain"

Word Podcast 363 - $300m for Dylan catalogue "a bargain"

In which we salute the Taylor Swift publicity machine and the "sixth Stone" Ian Stewart, marvel at the money-spinning value of song copyrights (Dylan, Gershwin, Third Man Theme etc), listen to albums in the dark, point up McCartney's superhuman achievement on June 14 1965 and spot fictitious music magazines (the Amazing Pudding?) and emo bands (Moose Blood?). Ian Leslie's 64 Reasons To Celebrate Paul McCartney ...https://ianleslie.substack.com/p/64-reasons-to-celebrate-paul-mccartneyWant exclusi

Dec 14, 2020 • 47:08

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 363 - $300m for Dylan catalogue officially "a bargain"

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 363 - $300m for Dylan catalogue officially "a bargain"

In which we salute the Taylor Swift publicity machine and the "sixth Stone" Ian Stewart, marvel at the money-spinning value of song copyrights (Dylan, Gershwin, Third Man Theme etc), listen to albums in the dark, point up McCartney's superhuman achievement on June 14 1965 and spot fictitious music magazines (the Amazing Pudding?) and emo bands (Moose Blood?). Ian Leslie's 64 Reasons To Celebrate Paul McCartney ...https://ianleslie.substack.com/p/64-reasons-to-celebrate-paul-mccartney Get bonus c

Dec 13, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 362 - does anyone form a band any more?

Word Podcast 362 - does anyone form a band any more?

Choice items discussed include Dua Lipa's 5-million-tickets-sold online show, the full list of Altamont catastrophes, the magic of the rock press 'on the road' feature, Maslow's hierarchy of needs (oh yes!), Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter's move into military defence and US Spy Satellites, David's disastrous cinema outing, whether going to gigs is now largely about the 'being there' on social media, cult Xmas singles and the mystery of Griselda Pugh & the Horses of Instruction.Want to receive this - and ev

Dec 7, 2020 • 49:55

Word Podcast 362 (audio version) - does anyone form a band any more?

Word Podcast 362 (audio version) - does anyone form a band any more?

Choice items discussed include Dua Lipa's 5-million-tickets-sold online show, the full list of Altamont catastrophes, the magic of the rock press 'on the road' feature, Maslow's hierarchy of needs (oh yes!), Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter's move into military defence and US Spy Satellites, David's disastrous cinema outing, whether going to gigs is now largely about the 'being there' on social media, cult Xmas singles and the mystery of Griselda Pugh & the Horses of Instruction. Get bonus content on Patreon

Dec 6, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 361 - & when did YOU last listen to Apple Jam?

Word Podcast 361 - & when did YOU last listen to Apple Jam?

In which we look at pop conspiracy theories (eg Britney Spears), the Christmas songs that work for 2020, the 36 different versions of the new McCartney album, the howling mundanity of Arsene Wenger's Desert Island Discs, folk box-sets made in China, Gary Barlow in Sainsbury's, "America's truth crisis" and mangled celebrity band names. And the time David spent Christmas alone. The #FreeBritney story in Vanity Fair …https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/11/the-oracle-of-britney-spears The ‘Harry S

Nov 30, 2020 • 54:12

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 361 - and when did YOU last listen to 'Apple Jam'?

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 361 - and when did YOU last listen to 'Apple Jam'?

In which we look at pop conspiracy theories (Britney Spears!), the Christmas songs that work for 2020, the 36 versions of the new McCartney album, the howling mundanity of Arsene Wenger's Desert Island Discs, folk box-sets made in China, Gary Barlow in Sainsbury's, "America's truth crisis" and mangled celebrity band names. The #FreeBritney story in Vanity Fair …https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/11/the-oracle-of-britney-spears The ‘Harry Smith B Sides’ in the New York Times ...https://www.nyt

Nov 29, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 360 - George Clooney's $14m hand-out: the Movie

Word Podcast 360 - George Clooney's $14m hand-out: the Movie

In which we fantasise about what happened after Clooney gave 14 friends $1m in cash, note the sale of Dylan's private letters, miss the great North London record shops, unravel Radio 1 v the Pogues, pitch pop stars' dogs against Nigerian Highlife entertainers and name the second greatest Christmas record ever made.--------------Want to receive this - and every future - Word Podcast before the rest of the world, and in full audio-visual glory, in addition to a whole host of other exciting, enligh

Nov 23, 2020 • 46:38

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 360 - 'George Clooney's $14m hand-out: the Movie!'

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 360 - 'George Clooney's $14m hand-out: the Movie!'

In which we fantasise about what happened after Clooney gave 14 friends $1m in cash, note the sale of Dylan's private letters, miss the great North London record shops, unravel Radio 1 v the Pogues, pitch pop stars' dogs against Nigerian Highlife entertainers and name the second greatest Christmas record ever made.Bob Dylan chronological playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4yakVhk1BBXS3nXUEMh1RR?si=qRSBLUjPRzCdC97yreie_g Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Nov 22, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 359 - for the love of Bo Diddley

Word Podcast 359 - for the love of Bo Diddley

Acts that wrote songs about themselves (Animals, Monkees, Manfreds, Devo, NWA, Ants etc), Lloyd Cole does handwritten lyrics to order, the welding of Bob Dylan, Des O'Connor's UK tour with Buddy Holly, the West Wing v The Thick Of It, amusingly named skate-punk bands and does Terminator X own a black ostrich stud farm in North Carolina?Want to receive this - and indeed every future - Word Podcast before the rest of the world, and in full audio-visual glory, alongside a whole host of other exciti

Nov 17, 2020 • 48:04

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 359 - for the love of Bo Diddley

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 359 - for the love of Bo Diddley

Acts that wrote songs about themselves (Animals, Monkees, Manfreds, Devo, NWA, Ants etc), Lloyd Cole does handwritten lyrics to order, the welding of Bob Dylan, Des O'Connor's UK tour with Buddy Holly, the West Wing v The Thick Of It, amusingly named skate-punk bands and does Terminator X own a black ostrich stud farm in North Carolina? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 16, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 358 - best track on the Beatles' #1 revealed!

Word Podcast 358 - best track on the Beatles' #1 revealed!

On the menu this week - the genius of the late Geoffrey Palmer in the Kipper And The Corpse and Reginald Perrin ('rum cove, Johnny Woman' etc), four anniversary albums - Badfinger's No Dice (Nov '70), Prince's Dirty Mind ('80), the Traveling Wilburys' Vol 3 ('90) and the Beatles' #1 (2000), pop careers that kicked off early, fictitious new age groups, pseudonymous secret gigs, the joy of CNN and the entertaining notion of Trump fleeing to a secret bunker to evade ruinous lawsuits.Want to receive

Nov 9, 2020 • 42:01

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 358 - best track on the Beatles' #1 revealed!

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 358 - best track on the Beatles' #1 revealed!

On the menu this week - the genius of the late Geoffrey Palmer in the Kipper And The Corpse and Reginald Perrin ('rum cove, Johnny Woman' etc), four anniversary albums - Badfinger's No Dice (Nov '70), Prince's Dirty Mind ('80), the Traveling Wilburys' Vol 3 ('90) and the Beatles' #1 (2000), pop careers that kicked off early, fictitious new age groups, pseudonymous secret gigs, the joy of CNN and the entertaining notion of Trump fleeing to a secret bunker to evade ruinous lawsuits. Get bonus cont

Nov 8, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 357 - Andy Neill on Ready, Steady, Go!

Word Podcast 357 - Andy Neill on Ready, Steady, Go!

In which the author of 'Ready Steady Go!: the Weekend Starts Here' talks about the show that revolutionised pop TV - the people who made it, the acts that appeared, the dancers, the clothes, the James Brown shock-the-nation-special, the Troggs auditioning in reception, the '60s scene-makers packing its Green Room and how it captured what Mick Jagger calls "the wonderful chaos of the times". Andy's book is the most detailed and affectionate tribute imaginable and you're strongly advised to take a

Nov 7, 2020 • 37:08

Word Podcast 356 - when Sean Connery met Carly Simon

Word Podcast 356 - when Sean Connery met Carly Simon

In which we tell the real story of Stardust (the new Bowie biopic), lampoon Kanye West's Kardashian hologram, brace ourselves for the arrival of 'synthetic media', dream up the fictional indie band generator, name some great autumnal albums (eg the Finn Brothers' Everyone Is Here) and remember Roger Moore and Dorothy Squires' cavalier mistreatment of records. The Kardashian hologram ...https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54731382Computer inventions of fictitious people ...https://thisp

Nov 2, 2020 • 35:17

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 356 - when Sean Connery met Carly Simon and her sister ...

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 356 - when Sean Connery met Carly Simon and her sister ...

In which we tell the real story of Stardust (the new Bowie biopic), lampoon Kanye West's Kardashian hologram, brace ourselves for the arrival of 'synthetic media', dream up the fictional indie band generator, name some great autumnal albums (eg the Finn Brothers' Everyone Is Here) and remember Roger Moore and Dorothy Squires' cavalier mistreatment of records.The Kardashian hologram ...https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54731382Computer inventions of fictitious people ...https://thispe

Nov 1, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 355 - it was 40 years ago today ...

Word Podcast 355 - it was 40 years ago today ...

In which we salute Jerry Jeff 'Mr Bojangles' Walker and Spencer Davis (at the ABC in Wakefield!), comedians with catchphrase singles, the marketing genius of Lily Allen and the grand tradition of pop songs about - how can we put this? - "self-love".Want to receive this - and every future - Word Podcast before the rest of the world, and in full audio-visual glory, alongside a whole load of other exciting, enlightening and entertaining benefits? Of course you do. Make sure you're signed up to our

Oct 27, 2020 • 36:51

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 355 - it was 40 years ago today...

*EARLY ACCESS* Word Podcast 355 - it was 40 years ago today...

In which we salute Jerry Jeff 'Mr Bojangles' Walker and Spencer Davis (at the ABC in Wakefield!), comedians with catchphrase singles, the marketing genius of Lily Allen and the grand tradition of pop songs about - how can we put this? - "self-love". Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 26, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 354 - Rob Halford

Word Podcast 354 - Rob Halford

Rob Halford - still proudly "a big daft kid" - remembers old music hall acts at the Wolverhampton Grand, wearing polyester suits and kipper ties when the manager of Harry Fenton's, slogging round Europe in a Transit van, booze, drugs, bullwhips, "being head-to-toe in leather", standing in for Ozzy, coming out on MTV and "wearing my sister's purple top Old Grey Whistle Test". Rob's memoir Confess ...https://www.amazon.co.uk/Confess-Rob-Halford-ebook/dp/B07ZL2ZQSFRob on Instagram@robhalfordlegacy

Oct 23, 2020 • 35:48

Word Podcast 353 - can you be too handsome for rock & roll?

Word Podcast 353 - can you be too handsome for rock & roll?

In which we remember Peter Frampton and the second golden age of the Scream Idols (and his hard-nosed manager Dee Anthony), are weirdly gripped by the recent screening of Cliff's Summer Holiday, look at rock stars' cars, Krautrock acts and rejected album titles, and name "the shabbiest sleeve notes ever written".Want to receive this - and indeed every future - Word podcast before the rest of the world, and in full audio-visual glory? Course you do. Make sure you sign up to our fantastic Patreon

Oct 19, 2020 • 40:57

EARLY ACCESS: Word Podcast 353 - can you be too good looking for rock and roll?

EARLY ACCESS: Word Podcast 353 - can you be too good looking for rock and roll?

In which we remember Peter Frampton and the second golden age of the Scream Idols (and his hard-nosed manager Dee Anthony), are weirdly gripped by the recent screening of Cliff's Summer Holiday, look at rock stars' cars, Krautrock acts and rejected album titles, and name "the shabbiest sleeve notes ever written". Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 18, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 352 - our favourite '80s albums

Word Podcast 352 - our favourite '80s albums

In which we salute National Album Day by digging out some much loved '80s LPs, the Telegraph’s Neil McCormick tells us about the tyranny critics now endure from aggrieved pop fans and we invent fictitious Emo bands and live album titles.To receive this - and indeed every future - Word Podcast before the rest of the world, and in glorious audio-visual magnificence - make sure you're subscribed to our brilliant Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on A

Oct 11, 2020 • 46:30

EARLY ACCESS: Word Podcast 352 - our favourite '80s albums

EARLY ACCESS: Word Podcast 352 - our favourite '80s albums

In which we salute National Album Day by digging out some much loved '80s LPs, the Telegraph’s Neil McCormick tells us about the tyranny critics now endure from aggrieved pop fans and we invent fictitious Emo bands and live album titles. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 10, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 351 - Lennon at 80

Word Podcast 351 - Lennon at 80

In which we unearth NME's best albums and singles polls from the '70s (Jethro Tull? Spirit? Country Joe?), invent fictitious Calypso and Blues stars, rave about Call My Agent, remember Lennon's Aunt Mimi and Steve Strange versus Mick Jagger, wonder if it's curtains for the age of the movie star and hear our producer Magic Alex on the joys of "flying and explosions" as he binge-watches all 23 Marvel movies.Want to receive this - and indeed every future - Word podcast before anyone else, and in gl

Oct 5, 2020 • 41:35

Word Podcast 351 - Lennon at 80 and the mystifying mysteries of the mysterious Marvel movies

Word Podcast 351 - Lennon at 80 and the mystifying mysteries of the mysterious Marvel movies

In which we unearth NME's best albums and singles polls from the '70s (Jethro Tull? Spirit? Country Joe?), invent fictitious Calypso and Blues stars, rave about Call My Agent, remember Lennon's Aunt Mimi and Steve Strange versus Mick Jagger, wonder if it's curtains for the age of the movie star and hear our producer Magic Alex on the joys of "flying and explosions" as he binge-watches all 23 Marvel movies. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 4, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 350 - do we still need Greatest Album lists?

Word Podcast 350 - do we still need Greatest Album lists?

We look at Rolling Stone's new Best 500 Albums update and think ... where's the 80s? Where's the British stuff? Where's the jazz, country, dance music, electronic, heavy metal? Is it just the classics plus hip-hop? Is it as useful as Elvis Costello's Best 500 albums in Vanity Fair or Dave Marsh's 1001 singles? Plus Michael Kiwanuka, the Mercury Prize and the Booker. And '80s Peel Show acts with amusing names.If you'd like to receive this - and indeed every future - Word Podcast before the rest o

Sep 29, 2020 • 42:59

Word Podcast 350 - do we still need these Greatest Album lists?

Word Podcast 350 - do we still need these Greatest Album lists?

We look at Rolling Stone's new Best 500 Albums update and think ... where's the 80s? Where's the British stuff? Where's the jazz, country, dance music, electronic, heavy metal? Is it just the classics plus hip-hop? Is it as useful as Elvis Costello's Best 500 albums in Vanity Fair or Dave Marsh's 1001 singles? Plus Michael Kiwanuka, the Mercury Prize and the Booker. And '80s Peel Show acts with amusing names. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio

Sep 28, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 349 - famous records whose timing speeds up

Word Podcast 349 - famous records whose timing speeds up

Old pal Owen Parker on Street Life, Message In A Bottle, Superstition and other recordings that accelerate and the nightmarish complexity of playing stadiums to a click-track. Plus we predict the fate of CDs, invent 'record collection wallpaper' and look at Vertigo label landfill prog bands and the songs of John Shuttleworth.If you'd like to receive this - and indeed every future - Word podcast before the rest of the world, plus a veritable treasure trove of other benefits, make sure you sign up

Sep 22, 2020 • 31:23

Word Podcast 349 - famous records whose timing speeds up

Word Podcast 349 - famous records whose timing speeds up

Old pal Owen Parker on Street Life, Message In A Bottle, Superstition and other recordings that accelerate and the nightmarish complexity of playing stadiums to a click-track. Plus we predict the fate of CDs, invent 'record collection wallpaper' and look at Vertigo label landfill prog bands and the songs of John Shuttleworth. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 21, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 348 - David Hepworth book launch Crowdcast

Word Podcast 348 - David Hepworth book launch Crowdcast

Mark Ellen talks to David Hepworth about his new book "Overpaid, Oversexed and Over There" which describes how British imitations came out from under the shadow of American originators in the early 60s, how a handful of acts from the UK went on to command the heights of the worldwide music industry, the things they learned, the things they taught and the transatlantic traffic in sounds and styles which led from the Beatles to Boy George. Also includes: the amazing story of the Dave Clark Five, t

Sep 18, 2020 • 47:00

Word Podcast 347 - ‘Emma Peel’, ‘Sandie Shaw’ and other puns

Word Podcast 347 - ‘Emma Peel’, ‘Sandie Shaw’ and other puns

In which we rope in a real musician – aka our producer Magic Alex – to discover why bands always play their big hits too fast (‘are you a dragger or a pusher?’), decode stage names (Perry Farrell, Lipps Inc, Fay Fife ...), delight in Trump’s recent campaign trail faux pas with John Fogerty’s Fortunate Son and remember pop exploitation films (Gonks Go Beat!) and ill-advised rock star advertising capers.If you'd like to receive this - and indeed every future - Word Podcast before the rest of the w

Sep 16, 2020 • 44:21

Word Podcast 347 - ‘Emma Peel’, ‘Sandie Shaw’ and other puns we missed

Word Podcast 347 - ‘Emma Peel’, ‘Sandie Shaw’ and other puns we missed

In which we rope in a real musician – aka our producer Magic Alex – to discover why bands always play their big hits too fast (‘are you a dragger or a pusher?’), decode stage names (Perry Farrell, Lipps Inc, Fay Fife ...), delight in Trump’s recent campaign trail faux pas with John Fogerty’s Fortunate Son and remember pop exploitation films (Gonks Go Beat!) and ill-advised rock star advertising capers. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 15, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 346 - when punk rock stars are pensioners

Word Podcast 346 - when punk rock stars are pensioners

In which we dig out a Smash Hits from ‘79 (entirely written by D Hepworth), wonder if Ian Brown’s gone stir crazy, watch it kick off between Dylan and the Beatles (in ’66), navigate the enriching waters of NTS Radio, remember when Kevin and Perry went Mancunian and stage a stand-off between ‘60s folk revivalists and punning rock memoir titles (‘Kiss And Make-Up’ – Gene Simmons’; ‘I Did It Otway!’ etc). Smash Hits, Sept ‘79https://www.flickr.com/photos/51106326@N00/sets/72157622155198859/ NTS Rad

Sep 8, 2020 • 39:02

Word Podcast 346 - when punk rock stars are pensioners

Word Podcast 346 - when punk rock stars are pensioners

In which we dig out a Smash Hits from ‘79 (entirely written by D Hepworth), wonder if Ian Brown’s gone stir crazy, watch it kick off between Dylan and the Beatles (in ’66), navigate the enriching waters of NTS Radio, remember when Kevin and Perry went Mancunian and stage a stand-off between ‘60s folk revivalists and punning rock memoir titles (‘Kiss And Make-Up’ – Gene Simmons’; ‘I Did It Otway!’ etc). Smash Hits, Sept ‘79https://www.flickr.com/photos/51106326@N00/sets/72157622155198859/ NTS Rad

Sep 7, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 345 - Justin Quirk on glam metal

Word Podcast 345 - Justin Quirk on glam metal

Author Justin Quirk on ‘the direct link between Kiss and Trump’. Writer and highly entertaining metal connoisseur Justin Quirk – the man behind Nothin’ But A Good Time: the Spectacular Rise and Fall of Glam Metal – on the age of big hair, frocks coats, cowboy boots and fabulously cartoonish stage acts that began with MTV in ’83, developed a ‘slow puncture’ with Guns N’Roses and was killed off by Nirvana in ‘91 - includes the WWF Wrestling connection, the ‘branding exercise and pyramid selling sc

Sep 4, 2020 • 41:39

Born To Run's 45th birthday starts here

Born To Run's 45th birthday starts here

In which we're joined by our producer Magic Alex for a scenic tour of 'Landfill Indie' ("the Libertines were our Beatles!"), check the musicians incensed by Trump's use of their music, applaud the best wearers of Shorts In Pop (where Andrew Ridgeley meets Bob Weir), navigate the mob-handed hook-and-track systems of 21st Century songwriting, and invent fake psychobilly bands and rock star film cameos.If you'd like to receive this - and indeed every future - Word podcast before the rest of the wor

Sep 1, 2020 • 48:06

Word Podcast 344: Born To Run's 45th birthday starts here

Word Podcast 344: Born To Run's 45th birthday starts here

In which we're joined by our producer Magic Alex for a scenic tour of 'Landfill Indie' ("the Libertines were our Beatles!"), check the musicians incensed by Trump's use of their music, applaud the best wearers of Shorts In Pop (where Andrew Ridgeley meets Bob Weir), navigate the mob-handed hook-and-track systems of 21st Century songwriting, and invent fake psychobilly bands and rock star film cameos. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 31, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 343 - Kenneth Womack on Lennon's last days

Word Podcast 343 - Kenneth Womack on Lennon's last days

Author, renowned Beatles authority, 'Pop Professor' and old pal of the pod Kenneth Womack talks about 'John Lennon 1980: the Last Days In The Life', his riveting account of events in the Dakota and beyond. Things covered in fascinating detail: the fond and complex relationship with McCartney, the tangled friendship with Dylan, TV watched, stuff bought and sold, the return to the studio and not-so-secret recordings, the withering album reviews, the future plans and the trials of a life lived at t

Aug 30, 2020 • 39:11

Word Podcast 342 - a close inspection of Bowie's dentalwork

Word Podcast 342 - a close inspection of Bowie's dentalwork

In which we look at Chris Frantz's memoir and its exasperated take on David Byrne (bang goes the Talking Heads reunion), revisit late '60s Laurel Canyon, unravel some Zappa album titles, marvel at brave new adventures in vinyl sales and how Freddie Mercury's teeth got the Pistols their big break, and get Hilary Mantel's tilt on Madonna ("the plain girl's revenge").To receive this podcast - and every future one - before the rest of the world, and in glorious audio-visual splendour, subscribe to o

Aug 26, 2020 • 52:23

Word Podcast 342 - a close inspection of David Bowie's dentalwork

Word Podcast 342 - a close inspection of David Bowie's dentalwork

In which we look at Chris Frantz's memoir and its exasperated take on David Byrne (bang goes the Talking Heads reunion), revisit late '60s Laurel Canyon, unravel some Zappa album titles, marvel at brave new adventures in vinyl sales and how Freddie Mercury's teeth got the Pistols their big break, and get Hilary Mantel's tilt on Madonna ("the plain girl's revenge"). Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 25, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 341 - Joe Banks

Word Podcast 341 - Joe Banks

Writer and counter-cultural connoisseur Joe Banks joins us to talk about Hawkwind: Days Of The Underground, his sparkling account of the rise and 51 year trajectory of the unsung revolutionary heroes. All the following are entertainingly included - their 'creation myth' in the white heat of Ladbroke Grove and days as the house band of Radical Politics, the sci-fi adventure with Michael Moorcock and Robert Calvert, the Silver Machine saga, the pioneering rock theatre of Space Ritual, their roles

Aug 22, 2020 • 38:19

Word Podcast 340 - power shift in favour of rock audience!

Word Podcast 340 - power shift in favour of rock audience!

In which we salute the game-changing inventions of the Stones, Kinks and Louis Armstrong, watch the song catalogue sales boom, wonder if the age of spectacle is over, spot the fake alt.country and dark metal bands and take a closer look at the Williams twins v Phil Collins.To receive this Word Podcast - and indeed all future ones - before the rest of the world, subscribe to our marvellous Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com

Aug 19, 2020 • 48:58

Word Podcast 340 - the power shift in favour of the rock audience has begun!

Word Podcast 340 - the power shift in favour of the rock audience has begun!

In which we salute the game-changing inventions of the Stones, Kinks and Louis Armstrong, watch the song catalogue sales boom, wonder if the age of spectacle is over, spot the fake alt.country and dark metal bands and take a closer look at the Williams twins v Phil Collins. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 18, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 339 - David's day at Donna Summer's house

Word Podcast 339 - David's day at Donna Summer's house

In which we applaud the great rock and roll name changes (eg the late Wayne Fontana), get unsettled by 'Stan' culture and over-zealous Taylor Swift supporters, take the temperature of the Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, remember some footballers' hits and wonder how any rock star could be gauche enough to display their gold discs.To receive this - and every - Word Podcast ahead of the rest of the world, subscribe to our frankly marvellous Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus

Aug 13, 2020 • 43:25

Word Podcast 339 - David's day at Donna Summer's house

Word Podcast 339 - David's day at Donna Summer's house

In which we applaud the great rock and roll name changes (eg the late Wayne Fontana), get unsettled by 'Stan' culture and over-zealous Taylor Swift supporters, take the temperature of the Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, remember some footballers' hits and wonder how any rock star could be gauche enough to display their gold discs. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 12, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 338 - Shea Stadium revisited

Word Podcast 338 - Shea Stadium revisited

In which we we marvel at the Beatles' 12-song set 55 years ago (four of them covers), applaud a virtual gig in the Natural History Museum, ponder Alan Bennett and Ellen DeGeneres, wonder when musicians became "creative artists", spot the fake band (Canadian rock acts v 1972's 'Giants of Tomorrow'), and remember Fame, Bugsy Malone and the great Alan Parker. I'm Down at Shea Stadium ...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6D11NTWwUBackstage at Shea Stadium ...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QElpSMJiLv

Aug 5, 2020 • 42:52

Word Podcast 338 - Shea Stadium revisited

Word Podcast 338 - Shea Stadium revisited

In which we we marvel at the Beatles' 12-song set 55 years ago (four of them covers), applaud a virtual gig in the Natural History Museum, ponder Alan Bennett and Ellen DeGeneres, wonder when musicians became "creative artists", spot the fake band (Canadian rock acts v 1972's 'Giants of Tomorrow'), and remember Fame, Bugsy Malone and the great Alan Parker. I'm Down at Shea Stadium ...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6D11NTWwUBackstage at Shea Stadium ...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QElpSMJiLv

Aug 4, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 337 - David Mitchell

Word Podcast 337 - David Mitchell

Novelist David Mitchell on Utopia Avenue, his fictional account of life in a band (Sunday Times No 1 best-seller!) - plus Bucks Fizz at the Malvern Winter Gardens, the lure of Marillion, the effect of Abba on tooth enamel, "the high register vocabulary" of Rush, the novelistic tangles of the White Album and Tales From Topographic Oceans, and Bowie's piercing predictions about the internet in 1999 - plus "the Greatest Record Ever Made".@david_mitchell Utopia Avenue …https://www.amazon.co.uk/Utopi

Aug 3, 2020 • 45:56

Word Podcast 337 - David Mitchell on why writing about the rock boom of 1967 is "an open goal"

Word Podcast 337 - David Mitchell on why writing about the rock boom of 1967 is "an open goal"

Novelist David Mitchell on Utopia Avenue, his fictional account of life in a band (Sunday Times No 1 best-seller!) - plus Bucks Fizz at the Malvern Winter Gardens, the lure of Marillion, the effect of Abba on tooth enamel, "the high register vocabulary" of Rush, the novelistic tangles of the White Album and Tales From Topographic Oceans, and Bowie's piercing predictions about the internet in 1999 - plus "the Greatest Record Ever Made".@david_mitchell Utopia Avenue …https://www.amazon.co.uk/Utopi

Jul 31, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 336 - Happy Anniversary...

Word Podcast 336 - Happy Anniversary...

... 50 and 40 years ago this week! In which we salute the magnificent Peter Green (and hear Owen Parker's memories of recording with him in the '90s), look back at the great Q headlines - CarelessTalk Costs Wives! The Hoarse Foreman of the Apocalypse! - flick through a Melody Maker from 1970, spot the fake deejay, applaud the recent Springsteen radio shows and find Bob Marley & the Wailers photographed in lift.To receive this podcast early - and in full audio-visual glory - subscribe to our Patr

Jul 27, 2020 • 43:08

Word Podcast 336 - Happy Anniversary: 50 and 40 years ago this week!

Word Podcast 336 - Happy Anniversary: 50 and 40 years ago this week!

In which we salute the magnificent Peter Green (and hear Owen Parker's memories of recording with him in the '90s), look back at the great Q headlines - CarelessTalk Costs Wives! The Hoarse Foreman of the Apocalypse! - flick through a Melody Maker from 1970, spot the fake deejay, applaud the recent Springsteen radio shows and find Bob Marley & the Wailers photographed in lift. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 26, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 335

Word Podcast 335

Live Aid's "2,000 million global audience": surely some mistake? In which we remember Lady Di rollerskating in Kensington Palace with Duran Duran on her Walkman, invent fake rap stars and Mod Revival bands, applaud the world's first DJ, light a candle for Judy Dyble, relive a Nick Lowe parlour game and watch a sensationally dreadful pop documentary.Subscribe to our Patreon for exclusive content and benefits: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See

Jul 17, 2020 • 40:15

Word Podcast 335 - Live Aid's "2,000 million global audience": surely some mistake?

Word Podcast 335 - Live Aid's "2,000 million global audience": surely some mistake?

In which we remember Lady Di rollerskating in Kensington Palace with Duran Duran on her Walkman, invent fake rap stars and Mod Revival bands, applaud the world's first DJ, light a candle for Judy Dyble, relive a Nick Lowe parlour game and watch a sensationally dreadful pop documentary. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 16, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 334 - Graeme Thomson on John Martyn

Word Podcast 334 - Graeme Thomson on John Martyn

Graeme Thomson on John Martyn's "lifelong grudges and huge, messy explosion of records"Music writer, author and old pal from Word magazine, Graeme Thomson on his spledid new book, "Small Hours: the Long Night of John Martyn", a tale involving immaculately delicate music, dark undercurrents, Glaswegian folk clubs, Nick Drake, Lee Perry, Joe Boyd, countless chaotic relationships, oceans of booze and a manager with two broken ribs. @GraemeAThomson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Hours-Long-Night-Mar

Jul 13, 2020 • 39:56

Word Podcast 334 - Graeme Thomson on John Martyn's "lifelong grudges and huge, messy explosion of records"

Word Podcast 334 - Graeme Thomson on John Martyn's "lifelong grudges and huge, messy explosion of records"

Music writer, author and old pal from Word magazine, Graeme Thomson on his spledid new book, "Small Hours: the Long Night of John Martyn", a tale involving immaculately delicate music, dark undercurrents, Glaswegian folk clubs, Nick Drake, Lee Perry, Joe Boyd, countless chaotic relationships, oceans of booze and a manager with two broken ribs. @GraemeAThomson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Hours-Long-Night-Martyn/dp/178760019X https://www.amazon.co.uk/Graeme-Thomson/e/B001JS877A%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_

Jul 12, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 333: when band members go "off brand"

Word Podcast 333: when band members go "off brand"

In which we shudder to imagine life in a group with Brian Jones, David Crosby, Dennis Wilson etc, chew tobacco with Charlie Daniels, invent reggae acts, ponder the predicament of Kasabian and Lady Antebellum, remember Garry Shandling and Hitchcock's Rear Window and tell the hoary old Richard Pryor story.Subscribe to our Patreon for exclusive content and benefits: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 10, 2020 • 44:59

Word Podcast 333: when band members go "off brand"

Word Podcast 333: when band members go "off brand"

In which we shudder to imagine life in a group with Brian Jones, David Crosby, Dennis Wilson etc, chew tobacco with Charlie Daniels, invent reggae acts, ponder the predicament of Kasabian and Lady Antebellum, remember Garry Shandling and Hitchcock's Rear Window and tell the hoary old Richard Pryor story. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 9, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 332: what makes an album cover 'classic'?

Word Podcast 332: what makes an album cover 'classic'?

In which we ponder American pop showbiz v shambling British charm, bands v solos acts, Will Farrell's Eurovision movie, Ed Sheeran's bank balance, Beyoncé at Glastonbury, which rock star will live the longest and Disco v Grunge in the Stack Waddy game.Subscribe to our Patreon for exclusive content and benefits: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 3, 2020 • 50:15

Word Podcast 332: what makes an album cover 'classic'?

Word Podcast 332: what makes an album cover 'classic'?

In which we ponder American pop showbiz v shambling British charm, bands v solos acts, Will Farrell's Eurovision movie, Ed Sheeran's bank balance, Beyoncé at Glastonbury, which rock star will live the longest and Disco v Grunge in the Stack Waddy game. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 2, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 331 - It's the Bob Dylan Lyric Generator!

Word Podcast 331 - It's the Bob Dylan Lyric Generator!

In which we ponder rock and roll stage names, the immortal gag that launched Billy Connolly, KT Tunstall versus the streaming system and best guests on chat shows - and the only British Prime Minister to ever host one. That PM and his chat show ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4kS15y5MDEKT Tunstall on the Broken Record Campaign ...https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08hw0xlSubscribe to our Patreon for exclusive content and benefits: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Pa

Jun 27, 2020 • 41:53

Word Podcast 331 - It's the Bob Dylan Lyric Generator!

Word Podcast 331 - It's the Bob Dylan Lyric Generator!

In which we ponder rock and roll stage names, the immortal gag that launched Billy Connolly, KT Tunstall versus the streaming system and best guests on chat shows - and the only British Prime Minister to ever host one. That PM and his chat show ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4kS15y5MDEKT Tunstall on the Broken Record Campaign ...https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08hw0xl Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 25, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 330

Word Podcast 330

In which we contemplate pop stars' statues, 50th anniversary albums, excruciating things actors do in Lockdown, fictitious Monsters of Rock, the curious tale of Madonna's Ray Of Light and the best/worst things about Oasis. The Southsea Alternative Choir with Love’s Johnny Echols doing Alone Again Or …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Oeg5J028uI ... and (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding with Nick Lowe …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1yfkye_qR4The London Symphony demonstrating t

Jun 20, 2020 • 46:56

Word Podcast 330

Word Podcast 330

In which we contemplate pop stars' statues, 50th anniversary albums, excruciating things actors do in Lockdown, fictitious Monsters of Rock, the curious tale of Madonna's Ray Of Light and the best/worst things about Oasis. The Southsea Alternative Choir with Love’s Johnny Echols doing Alone Again Or …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Oeg5J028uI ... and (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding with Nick Lowe …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1yfkye_qR4The London Symphony demonstrating t

Jun 18, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 329

Word Podcast 329

In which we spot the fake Country & Western song titles and ponder the man who launched the Undertones, Classics that leave us cold, eternally comforting sitcoms and the analogue childhood of Andy Partridge.Subscribe to our Patreon for exclusive content and benefits: http://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 12, 2020 • 38:54

Word Podcast 329

Word Podcast 329

In which we spot the fake Country & Western song titles and ponder the man who launched the Undertones, Classics that leave us cold, eternally comforting sitcoms and the analogue childhood of Andy Partridge. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 11, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 328 - There's no fame like LP cover fame!

Word Podcast 328 - There's no fame like LP cover fame!

In which we play the Stackwaddy Game with power pop and the UFO club, wonder how come artists remake their classic albums, explain why nobody truly wanted Little Feat to be massive, ponder the one relationship in a rock star's which matters more than marriage and look at a bunch of album covers which accidentally made a few members of the public famous.Get access to each podcast before it goes public (and in vision as well as sound) by becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/wordin

Jun 6, 2020 • 41:06

Podcast 328 - There's no fame like LP cover fame!

Podcast 328 - There's no fame like LP cover fame!

In which we play the Stackwaddy Game with power pop and the UFO club, wonder how come artists remake their classic albums, explain why nobody truly wanted Little Feat to be massive, ponder the one relationship in a rock star's which matters more than marriage and look at a bunch of album covers which accidentally made a few members of the public famous.To experience this podcast in its full audio-visual glory please see our brand new Classic Tier. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. Se

Jun 5, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 327 - It's three lemons in a row...

Word Podcast 327 - It's three lemons in a row...

... for Richard Thompson!In which we ponder the hellhounds on Robert Johnson's trail, the song Randy Newman's second wife let him write about his first, the BBC's upcoming re-run of Live Aid and the longest-running rock and roll marriages.Get early access to every Word Podcast via our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 29, 2020 • 45:12

Podcast 327: It's three lemons in a row for Richard Thompson!

Podcast 327: It's three lemons in a row for Richard Thompson!

In which we ponder the hellhounds on Robert Johnson's trail, the song Randy Newman's second wife let him write about his first, the BBC's upcoming re-run of Live Aid and the longest-running rock and roll marriages. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 28, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 326 - the Sony Walkman's 40th birthday...

Word Podcast 326 - the Sony Walkman's 40th birthday...

... and how Astrid Kirchherr invented Indie.In which we update the Pink Floyd wars, remember launching Q and marinade in the calming qualities of Lee Sklar's lockdown bass adventures.Lee Sklar – on bass guitar!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSNv41kVJs0 Curt Smith and daughter …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSf5-TelBuw Astrid Kirchherr’s portraits of the Beatles …https://www.invaluable.com/artist/kirchherr-astrid-4euya6a1cw/sold-at-auction-prices/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast.

May 22, 2020 • 53:03

Word Podcast 326: the Sony Walkman's 40th birthday and how Astrid Kirchherr invented Indie

Word Podcast 326: the Sony Walkman's 40th birthday and how Astrid Kirchherr invented Indie

In which we update the Pink Floyd wars, remember launching Q and marinade in the calming qualities of Lee Sklar's lockdown bass adventures.Lee Sklar – on bass guitar!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSNv41kVJs0 Curt Smith and daughter …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSf5-TelBuw Astrid Kirchherr’s portraits of the Beatles …https://www.invaluable.com/artist/kirchherr-astrid-4euya6a1cw/sold-at-auction-prices/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 21, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 325 - Fairport's momentous year...

Word Podcast 325 - Fairport's momentous year...

... and the curious tale of the Beatles-busting Sgt 'Nobby' Pilcher.In which we play the Stack Waddy game, ponder the fate of live rock and roll and investigate the B-side that gave Joan Jett a career and "the power ballad that ended the Cold War". The Arrows’ I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AT_Pbtyid0 Pyewackett – they exist!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaiU4OAnf-o Scorpions’ Wind Of Change …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4RjJKxsamQ Little Richard …https://www.youtub

May 15, 2020 • 49:04

Word Podcast 325

Word Podcast 325

Fairport's momentous year and the curious tale of the Beatles-busting Sgt 'Nobby' Pilcher.In which we play the Stack Waddy game, ponder the fate of live rock and roll and investigate the B-side that gave Joan Jett a career and "the power ballad that ended the Cold War". The Arrows’ I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AT_Pbtyid0 Pyewackett – they exist!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaiU4OAnf-o Scorpions’ Wind Of Change …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4RjJKxsamQ Little Richa

May 14, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 324 - How to impersonate Roy Orbison...

Word Podcast 324 - How to impersonate Roy Orbison...

... and other pop parlour games.In which we get Alexa to play Stack Waddy, Carly Simon meets James Bond, we wonder if girls make passes at rock stars in glasses, and remember Millie, Dave Greenfield, Florian Schneider and the first edition of the Face.Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Kitchen Disco …https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpr0kvlQpx0 John Fogerty’s back garden …https://www.loudersound.com/news/marshmallows-a-golden-retriever-and-a-view-john-fogerty-raises-the-bar-on-lockdown-videos Doobie Brothers

May 8, 2020 • 58:43

EARLY ACCESS Word Podcast 324 - How to impersonate Roy Orbison and other pop parlour games

EARLY ACCESS Word Podcast 324 - How to impersonate Roy Orbison and other pop parlour games

In which we get Alexa to play Stack Waddy, Carly Simon meets James Bond, we wonder if girls make passes at rock stars in glasses, and remember Millie, Dave Greenfield, Florian Schneider and the first edition of the Face.Made exclusively available early to you, dear Patron. Thanks for your continued support. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 7, 2020 • 0:00

Word Podcast 323 - this week's lockdown winners are...

Word Podcast 323 - this week's lockdown winners are...

... the Incredible String Band, Mr Chalk and Mrs CheeseIn which we celebrate the 50th birthday of The Who's "Live At Leeds", wonder why the Incredible String Band suddenly sound so right and talk about what all those living room performances tell us about Rock Star's Homes.The case of the missing hit.https://tinyurl.com/y9ymj7saToyah and Robert Fripp dance in the kitchenhttps://youtu.be/gIPuHzCvXMMCat Stevens somewhere warm enough to leave the door openhttps://youtu.be/yXuq6XpoasESupport us via

Apr 30, 2020 • 47:41

Word Podcast 322 - playing Pink Floyd Snap...

Word Podcast 322 - playing Pink Floyd Snap...

... reading old music papers, and telling Alexa to button it.In a packed programme David and Mark continue their quest to second-guess Amazon's mysterious lady DJ, remember the man who used to buy the Beatles' cars, look at how Pink Floyd's investment problems led to their embrace of disco, read out some small ads from old music papers, wonder whether rock music without an audience is really worth the trouble and recite the names of our new Patreons in a very exciting new way. Get bonus content

Apr 23, 2020 • 44:59

Word Podcast 321 - How long does lockdown have to last...

Word Podcast 321 - How long does lockdown have to last...

... before we play unplayable albums?Just how desperate do you have to be before you give John and Yoko’s “Two Virgins” or Michael Nesmith’s “The Prison” a spin? Also in this episode, another round of Alexa’s Favourites, more people sign up to be Patreon patrons, getting Lene Lovich’s autograph on a train ticket, exactly when people started having their pictures taken on the Abbey Road zebra, and travel back in time to when Bob Dylan played Earls Court and the compact disc was about to make the

Apr 16, 2020 • 33:45

Word Podcast 320 - paying tribute...

Word Podcast 320 - paying tribute...

... to the special talents of John Prine & Adam SchlesingerAlso in the episode: pink moon over London, waking up to birdsong, Brinsley Schwarz at the Fillmore and the strange majesty of old Melody Maker headlines. Plus name-checks for our inaugural patrons. If you'd like to joint them see below. And don't forget to catch up with our brand new "Word In Your Attic" with Mark Billingham at https://youtu.be/JQoTS0mKeVM.John Prine and Iris DeMent doing "In Spite Of Ourselves"https://youtu.be/P8tTwXv4

Apr 8, 2020 • 30:07

Word Podcast 319 - another unashamedly trivial podcast...

Word Podcast 319 - another unashamedly trivial podcast...

... in which Mark Ellen and David Hepworth discuss milk in rock, read your correspondence and invent a game you can play with Alexa.Massively encouraged by the fact that nobody tried to physically stop them doing it again, Mark and David podcast from their lofts to anyone who has nothing better to do for the next half an hour. Subjects covered include: the musical tastes of "Parks And Recreation"'s April Ludgate, when dad bought his hifi on hire purchase, why the current lockdown is good news fo

Apr 1, 2020 • 29:07

Word Podcast 318 - A "for the duration" podcast

Word Podcast 318 - A "for the duration" podcast

In which Mark Ellen and David Hepworth talk about Joni Mitchell, Krakatoa and the importance of dressing properly while WFH.Since they're spending a proportion of the Current Unpleasantness talking to each other anyway. Mark Ellen and David Hepworth thought they may as well record some of it, explaining what's happening with Word In Your Ear in the light of the current situation, how they're getting by at home, what they're reading, what they've been listening to and what it might all mean for t

Mar 26, 2020 • 28:57

Word Podcast 317 - Pete Paphides

Word Podcast 317 - Pete Paphides

Pete Paphides' acclaimed "Broken Greek" is, as David says when introducing him, the best book written by a former Smash Hits reader and looks set to do for unjustly uncelebrated popular music what Nick Hornby did for football in "Fever Pitch". This chat encompasses: Abba, West Brom, the Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Mind Your Language, shopping for singles at Woolworths, living above a chip shop, hoping to be adopted by the Brotherhood Of Man and making the amazing discovery that John Lennon and Pau

Mar 13, 2020 • 53:49

Word Podcast 316 - Dan Franklin

Word Podcast 316 - Dan Franklin

Dan Franklin's first book "Heavy" chronicles his life-long love affair with heavy music in all its different manifestations, from Meat Loaf to Sunn 0))), and argues that it deserves a lot more respect than it gets as a rule. It's a story that takes us from a cassette copy of a Guns N' Roses album thrust into the hands of a puzzled eight-year-old, via the fields of Donington and the mosh pits of Camden to the lengths a new father will go to free a Type O Negative CD from the mangled remnants of a

Mar 13, 2020 • 42:17

Word Podcast 315 - John Mitchinson and Andy Miller

Word Podcast 315 - John Mitchinson and Andy Miller

John Mitchinson and Andy Miller do the award-winning Backlisted podcast which, as they like to say on the tin, "brings new life to old books". They're also big music fans so we thought they would be the ideal people to come along and talk in their own inimitable style about what they feel are some of the best and sometimes overlooked examples of the genre. That's how come, in a wide-ranging discussion we came to touch on "Dino: Living High In The Dirty Business Of Dreams" by Nick Tosches, "Black

Feb 24, 2020 • 1:02:54

Word Podcast 314 - Bethan Roberts

Word Podcast 314 - Bethan Roberts

We were delighted to welcome Bethan Roberts to Word In Your Ear to talk about her novel “Graceland”. This is based on the most important relationship in the life of Elvis Presley. His mother Gladys brought him up single-handedly when his father went into prison, she encouraged his singing, she feared for what the girls would do to him and what the managers might take from him, wished he didn’t have to go away so often and would have preferred him to be a furniture salesman married to a nice loca

Feb 18, 2020 • 41:14

Word Podcast 312 - Mike Barnes

Word Podcast 312 - Mike Barnes

In his new book "A New Day Yesterday", an account of progressive rock in the 1970s, Mike Barnes tells the story of how this peculiarly British musical form was born out of the Small Faces' "Itchycoo Park" and the Graham Bond Organisation and went on to flourish throughout the 70s in the universities of Britain and the arenas of the United States. He talks to Mark and David about all the issues that matter: capes, mellotrons, seated audiences, prolonged soloing, the real names of the members of Q

Jan 22, 2020 • 55:32

Word Podcast 313 - Sid Smith

Word Podcast 313 - Sid Smith

When Sid Smith first finished his definitive biography of King Crimson in 2001 he thought, not unreasonable that would be that. But then Robert Fripp reactivated the band and so Sid had to take up his pen once more. This has resulted in an even more definitive work "In The Court Of King Crimson". He came to Word In Your Ear to run Mark and David through the key facts of their extraordinary rise and their exceptional longevity, what it's like to spend six weeks on the road with a bunch of musical

Jan 22, 2020 • 53:42

Word Podcast 311 - Alexis Petridis

Word Podcast 311 - Alexis Petridis

Alexis Petridis was very lucky Elton John chose him to help tell the story in his best-selling memoir "Me". Elton John's equally lucky Alexis agreed because without him it probably wouldn't be half as good as it is. In fact it's two stories: the first is the story of a musical career that seems to be headed nowhere until a chance meeting with a lyricist began a partnership which operated in an unprecedented way and led to unprecedented success; the other is a personal story of how a very tense l

Dec 5, 2019 • 58:41

Word Podcast 310 - Barney Hoskyns

Word Podcast 310 - Barney Hoskyns

On December 7th Thomas Alan Waits celebrates his 70th birthday and to mark that occasion we asked Barney Hoskyns, the author of his biography "Lowside Of The Road", to talk about what makes Waits one of the rare examples of a misfit who has prospered on his own terms. It's all here: developing his shtick entertaining the line of customers outside, choosing to dress in a way that had gone out of style twenty years before, living his character twenty four hours a day, being taken in hand both per

Dec 5, 2019 • 53:44

Word Podcast 309 - Andrew Collins

Word Podcast 309 - Andrew Collins

It's always good to welcome Andrew Collins back to the pod. Andrew was with us most recently to talk about the new edition of his official biography of Billy Bragg. This time he's got his movie hat on, as befits the man who writes about films for the Radio Times and presents "Saturday Night At The Movies" on Classic FM. Since 2019 has been such a bumper year for music biopics we asked him to remind us what are the best of breed in ten categories ranging from fiction to festivals and everything i

Oct 18, 2019 • 52:21

Word Podcast 308 - Graham Parker

Word Podcast 308 - Graham Parker

Graham Parker had an unusual career trajectory. "I didn't pay my dues until after I had some success," he says. In the wake of his greatest triumph, 1979's "Squeezing Out Sparks", he broke up his partnership with the Rumour and moved to America. Here he was the unwitting beneficiary of a record business which had difficulty adapting to a changed world. In the 80s and 90s, he says, they actually gave him too much money. A few years back he resumed his partnership with the Rumour, who were all pr

Oct 18, 2019 • 55:53

Word Podcast 307 - Dylan Jones

Word Podcast 307 - Dylan Jones

The big hit records of today are assembled. The great records of 1968 were made. In a few cases they just happened, seemingly brought into being by some higher power over and above the efforts of any one individual. In his new book “Wichita Lineman: Searching In The Sun For The World's Greatest Unfinished Song” Dylan Jones traces the combination of inspiration and chance which makes this “the world’s greatest unfinished song” and, more to the point, arguably the greatest pop record ever made. Ge

Sep 15, 2019 • 35:23

Word Podcast 306 - Daniel Rachel

Word Podcast 306 - Daniel Rachel

Daniel Rachel talked to everyone from Noel Gallagher to Tony Blair for his new book “Don’t Look Back In Anger” and he came in to Word In Your Ear to talk about how Kate Moss, David Beckham, Alan Macgee, Damien Hirst, Alastair Campbell and many others, knowingly or otherwise, managed to shape Britain’s last feelgood decade, which began with Spike Island and finished with the death of Diana. We guarantee, this will change the way you think about the era you lived through. Get bonus content on Patr

Sep 15, 2019 • 47:15

Word Podcast 305 - Dave Lewis

Word Podcast 305 - Dave Lewis

When Dave Lewis first went to see Led Zeppelin at the Empire Pool, Wembley in 1971 it cost him 75p. When they played their final show at the O2 in 2007 he was on Robert Plant's guest list. From the germ of his teenage scrapbook he built a small empire, based on his fanzine "Tight But Loose", which has produced a staggering range of titles dedicated to every aspect of Led Zeppelin's career. His book "Evenings With Led Zeppelin" has the distinction of being literally the heaviest book ever to feat

Aug 21, 2019 • 51:55

Word Podcast 304 - Ian Penman

Word Podcast 304 - Ian Penman

For more than forty years Ian Penman has been one of the best writers about music in the country. His new book, "It Gets Me Home, This Curving Track", is made up of essays about James Brown, Prince, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, John Fahey and other musicians who have a strange fascination for him. Ian came to the Islington to talk about his career as a writer, the book and his plan to write a book about searching for music in charity shops. Be warned. This is the kind of book that will send you

Aug 21, 2019 • 51:24

Word Podcast 303 - Will Birch

Word Podcast 303 - Will Birch

Is Nick Lowe the only musician of his generation who has actually got better as he’s got older? How did he survive the Famepushers hype? How did England’s most laid-back musician become the Midas of the punk era? What’s the secret of his success as a producer? What does he understand that most other musicians don’t? Will Birch, a musician himself, has known him a long time, and has written “Cruel To Be Kind”, the definitive biography of one of our great musical institutions. Get bonus content on

Jul 24, 2019 • 52:54

Word Podcast 302 - Peter Doggett

Word Podcast 302 - Peter Doggett

Fifty years ago to the week the first Crosby, Stills and Nash LP was released in the UK, holding out the prospect of brotherly love in close harmony. Thus begun half a century of bitter infighting, chemical and sexual excess, regular break-ups and tearful reunions, all of which is documented in lip-smacking detail in “Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young” by one of our favourite authors Peter Doggett. He came along to the Islington to talk to Mark and David about it. Get bonus content on Patreon Hoste

Jul 24, 2019 • 51:07

Word Podcast 301 - The Analogues

Word Podcast 301 - The Analogues

On Sunday the Dutch group The Analogues, who have set out to play the Beatles songs that the Beatles never played live, using the same equipment that was used fifty years ago, recreated the whole of "Abbey Road" in Studio 1 at Abbey Road. Mark and David were there and they haven't stopped babbling about it since. Hence we thought they should share their enthusiasm with the wider public. This conversation was recorded via Skype which is prone to the odd drop-out but we trust you'll find it worth

Jul 2, 2019 • 35:03

Word Podcast 300 - Mick Houghton

Word Podcast 300 - Mick Houghton

In his new book "Fried and Justified", veteran PR Mick Houghton writes about his experience as the man whose job it was to get these bands and many others written about in the NME and Melody Maker, back in the days when thousands of bands formed, toured and split up purely in order to achieve their ultimate ambition, which was getting on the cover of a weekly music paper. Have we really seen the last of all those mad haircuts, all those dramatic break-ups, all those madly controversial interview

May 15, 2019 • 54:16

Word Podcast 299 - Anne Dudley

Word Podcast 299 - Anne Dudley

In a departure from our usual way of doing things we were delighted to welcome Art Of Noise-nik, ABC arranger and purveyor of fine soundtrack music for everything from "Poldark" to "The Hustle" Anne Dudley to talk about a career that has been largely spent behind the scenes. Subjects covered include: the surprising things you can learn from working with people with no musical talent, why everything in a film is provisional, how to suggest a chord to Paul McCartney, the uncanny ear of George Mich

May 15, 2019 • 52:30

Word Podcast 298 - Gary Crowley

Word Podcast 298 - Gary Crowley

Gary Crowley has just put together “Gary Crowley’s Lost 80s”, a lovingly-curated four CD set of the kind of oldies that the radio station computer doesn’t automatically reach for. It’s the kind of stuff that might have soundtracked his teenage discos, his nights at the Wag, his shows on Capital Radio and GLR or served to warm up the crowd as he presided over shows by Wham or the Style Council. He came along to Word In Your Ear to talk to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth about his extraordinary care

Apr 17, 2019 • 46:44

Word Podcast 297 - Eamonn Forde

Word Podcast 297 - Eamonn Forde

In 2007 private equity firm Terra Firma borrowed a lot of money from Citibank to buy EMI, the UK’s most venerable music company. Their plan was to transform this most traditional of companies to meet the challenges of a new age. A year later the economic crash came along to make what was already a difficult job even harder. Eamonn Forde covered what was going on at EMI for The Word as the smart guys from the city tried to grapple with the idiosyncrasies of a business which is strangely touchy-fe

Apr 17, 2019 • 51:47

Word Podcast 296 - A Fabulous Creation

Word Podcast 296 - A Fabulous Creation

David Hepworth's new book "A Fabulous Creation" is about the era of the LP, from "Sgt Pepper" in 1967 to "Thriller" in 1982. The book was launched at Foyles in Charing Cross Road with a chat between David and Mark Ellen in front of a packed house. This was illustrated with the usual magic lantern show which you can probably reproduce in your head. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 26, 2019 • 59:27

Word Podcast 295 - Midge Ure

Word Podcast 295 - Midge Ure

We were delighted to welcome Midge Ure to the Islington to talk about growing up in Glasgow, becoming a teen idol by accident, being offered a slot in the Sex Pistols, almost becoming the Next Big Thing, assisting at the birth of the Cult With No Name, becoming a temporary rock star with Thin Lizzy, becoming a genuine rock star with Ultravox, writing the biggest hit in chart history, getting his slot at Live Aid pinched by his mate Bob Geldof, appearing on "This If Your Life", "Celebrity Master

Feb 16, 2019 • 1:12:51

Word Podcast 294 - David Hepworth & Friends

Word Podcast 294 - David Hepworth & Friends

In introducing this session, which was inspired by David Hepworth's new book "Nothing Is Real" Mark Ellen said "I've know this man for over forty years and I've never won an argument with him". On this occasion the two of them were joined by old friends, writer Jude Rogers and broadcaster/podcaster Geoff Lloyd, to chew over some of David's theories, such as why the Beatles were underrated and why you should never play pop records at funerals, and to add a few of their own, which cover such topic

Nov 10, 2018 • 1:07:53

Word Podcast 293 - Mark Blake

Word Podcast 293 - Mark Blake

Peter Grant was the former all-in wrestler turned manager whose reputation was built on his knack for making sure his bands got paid. In this respect didn't hurt to have the build of a screen heavy and the reputation of a gangster. When Led Zeppelin got paid it was in quantities so large that they had to be taken away from the venues in carrier bags from supermarkets. In "Bring It All Back Home" Pink Floyd and Queen biographer Mark Blake tells the full story of Peter Grant from his time as a war

Nov 9, 2018 • 54:08

Word Podcast 292 - Kenneth Womack

Word Podcast 292 - Kenneth Womack

Kenneth Womack, who actually teaches a course in the Beatles at Monmouth University in New Jersey, has just published "Sound Pictures", the second part of his mammoth biography of Beatles producer George Martin, and he came to Word In Your Ear to talk about it. There was plenty to cover: from his childhood in the Depression through a transformation thanks to the Fleet Air Arm and the Guildhall School of Music to an apprenticeship at EMI which led him to produce everyone from Flanders and Swann t

Oct 17, 2018 • 1:03:04

Word Podcast 291 - Billy Bragg

Word Podcast 291 - Billy Bragg

Billy Bragg joins us to talk about Izal medicated toilet paper, the Beatles, Joe Henry, the restorative effects of finishing the evening signing tea towels, Bovingdon tank museum, an old copy of the East London Advertiser, meeting Bob Dylan, watching old Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movies, the importance of accountability, what the Clash could do and what they couldn't do, meeting Ray Galton in the pub, what poems could each of us recite from memory, Lead Belly, the cultural importance of TV

Oct 11, 2018 • 1:08:06

Word Podcast 215 - Chas Hodges

Word Podcast 215 - Chas Hodges

For all the people who have been asking to hear the long version of our chat with Chas Hodges, who was our guest in the podcast on June 1st 2012, here it is. It's all here: growing up in Edmonton, playing in Joe Meek's house band, hearing "Revolver" on acetate, playing with Heads, Hands and Feet, the amazing story of Chas and Dave and much more. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 23, 2018 • 58:57

Word Podcast 290 - Mark King

Word Podcast 290 - Mark King

In the entire firmament of those who busted the charts in the 1980s there was nobody more reliably sane than Mark King of Level 42. Before they start on their 2018 tour he came in to the Islington to entertain an enthralled house with his account of importing the first Mahavishnu Orchestra album into the Isle Of Wight, turning up on Lenny White's doorstep in America at the age of seventeen, treating the bass as a percussion instrument, his ride on the giddy carousel of chart success in the 80s,

Sep 20, 2018 • 1:00:02

Word Podcast 289 - Mark Kermode

Word Podcast 289 - Mark Kermode

Ever since first hearing the siren call of The Rubettes' "Sugar Baby Love", Mark Kermode, TV and Radio's Mr Movie, has been possessed by a determination to find out how it feels to be on stage with a band and to make the noise that bands made. His new book "How Does It Feel?" recounts every step on that journey, from making his own guitar while at school through leading his own bands The Bottlers and The Dodge Brothers and masquerading as the musical director of Danny Baker's late-night chat sho

Sep 18, 2018 • 49:25

Word Podcast 288 - Seymour Stein

Word Podcast 288 - Seymour Stein

We couldn't get over the fact that Seymour Stein actually met Buddy Holly. It shouldn't surprise us really because after all he is 76 and his first job in the music business was at Billboard when he was a teenager. It's well known that as the boss of the Sire label he signed the Ramones, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, the Undertones and Madonna. What's less well-known is the part played in the Sire story by Focus, the Deviants and the Climax Blues Band. The full story is written in "Siren Song" wh

Jun 28, 2018 • 47:34

Word Podcast 287 - Stuart Baillie

Word Podcast 287 - Stuart Baillie

Stuart Baillie's book, "Trouble Songs" is, as he told us at this Word In Your Ear, his personal story as well as the story of music and the Troubles. Born in Belfast in 1961, Stuart came to London to work on the NME, returning to Belfast in the late 90s to run a music project in the city. His book paints a rich picture of a place with unique virtues as well as unique problems. It's the story of how entertainment has reflected both and how live music re-emerged from behind the ring of steel and c

Jun 28, 2018 • 49:25

Word Podcast 286 - Kenney Jones

Word Podcast 286 - Kenney Jones

Drummer with the Small Faces, the Faces and the Who, supplier of the distinctive drum sound on the Rolling Stones' "It's Only 'N' Roll", guest at Mick Jagger's wedding in 1971, Kenney Jones is one of the few people born in Stepney in 1948 who wound up owning his own polo club. It's all in his newly-published autobiography "Let The Good Times Roll". He came to the Islington to talk to David and Mark about it. The new air conditioning was working and a splendid time was had by all. Get bonus conte

Jun 12, 2018 • 1:17:11

Word Podcast 285 - Simon Mayo

Word Podcast 285 - Simon Mayo

Award-winning broadcaster and podcaster, successful novelist and former Word subscriber Simon Mayo makes his debut on the pod to talk about his ascent of the greasy pole of broadcasting, his experience fronting the Radio One Roadshow in the days when that was a very big deal, his radio husband Mark Kermode, his radio wife Jo Whiley, his first adult novel "Mad Blood Stirring", soon to be a major motion picture, and the real reason why Dave Lee Travis always got the biggest cheer. Get bonus conten

Jun 7, 2018 • 1:07:42

Word Podcast 284 - Andrew Collins

Word Podcast 284 - Andrew Collins

It was a delight to catch up with Andrew Collins on the occasion of the publication of "Still Suitable For Miners", his biography of Billy Bragg which was initially published in 1998 and is now updated with additional material. He talked to David and Mark about the days when a biographer had a carrier bag of clippings instead of the internet, how the self-described big-nosed bastard from Barking managed to turn himself into a national institution and kept his brand burning bright for the best pa

Jun 7, 2018 • 50:26

Word Podcast 283 - Neil Innes

Word Podcast 283 - Neil Innes

In the sixties Neil Innes wrote and sang many of the deathless masterpieces of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. In the late 70s he was the leading light of the pre-fab four, The Rutles, still the greatest and most affectionate of Beatles parodies. He lives in France now. On a visit to the UK to take part in a tour marking the 40th anniversary of the Rutles, he dropped in to the Islington to talk to old skool fans Mark and David about wooing women with fruit, meeting the Beatles on the stairs at Abbey

May 5, 2018 • 55:45

Word Podcast 282 - Garth Cartwright

Word Podcast 282 - Garth Cartwright

Virgin, Harlequin, One Stop, Dobells, Rock On, HMV, Cheapo Cheapo, Disci, Andy's, Woolies, Our Price and a million and one places called The Spinning Disc. It doesn't matter where you did your record shopping in the far long-ago, they're all in "Going For A Song", Garth Cartwright's information-packed survey of UK record shops past and present. In this podcast he talks to Mark and David about record retailing in this country from the days of the cylinder through the danceband boom of the thirtie

May 4, 2018 • 54:21

Word Podcast 281 - Sir Tim Rice

Word Podcast 281 - Sir Tim Rice

Tim Rice didn't particularly like musicals. He was a rock and roll fan turned junior exec. In fact when Tim Rice met Andrew Lloyd Webber in the late 60s he had his eyes on a nice job running one of EMI's overseas outposts. But then there was Jesus Christ Superstar which was performed by the Grease Band and recorded at Olympic and sold in quantities nobody knew anything could sell and the next thing he knew he was a giant of the musical theatre and was writing with and for everyone. The perspecti

Apr 12, 2018 • 1:03:01

Word Podcast 280 - Richard Newman

Word Podcast 280 - Richard Newman

It was born in an unpromising flat in Tottenham, came to fruition in an old manor house in Oxfordshire, became, by accident, the soundtrack of a horror film that is still frightening people 45 years later and led, also by accident, to the foundation of one of the few British brands that's still a household name. It changed the lives of everybody who had anything to do with it. Richard Newman is the only person to have spent time talking to all the people who were involved and his book, 'The Maki

Apr 11, 2018 • 35:58

Word Podcast 279 - Ian Anderson

Word Podcast 279 - Ian Anderson

When Ian Anderson left the family home in Blackpool to make his name in the music business his father flung him hid old overcoat. "It'll be cold out there," he said. That was more than fifty years ago. 2018 sees the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the first Tull album "This Was". This anniversary is being marked by a special tour which begins in April. When Ian was our guest at Word In Your Ear he talked about: going to the police station as a 15-year-old because he wanted to be a copper,

Feb 14, 2018 • 1:01:04

Word Podcast 278 - Danny Baker

Word Podcast 278 - Danny Baker

In the course of a packed conversation with David Hepworth the Damon Runyon of Bermondsey touches upon Keith Chegwin and the Third Ear Band, carrying a coffin and recovering from cancer, the breathtaking profanity of Hughie Green and the staggering stupidity of certain BBC executives, the difficulty of dealing with 12-year-old TV producers who are labouring under the misapprehension that they understand pop history and what happened when he and Danny Kelly decided it was finally time to try gett

Dec 14, 2017 • 1:27:44

Word Podcast 277 - Robert Forster

Word Podcast 277 - Robert Forster

Robert Forster's new book 'Grant And I' features strongly in many people's lists of the music book of the year. He came to WIYE to talk to Mark and David about growing up in Brisbane, bonding with Grant McLennan over their shared affection for Ry Cooder, forming a band with like-minded people rather than people who could play, getting near enough to success to be able to taste it and why no band has anything new to say after twenty minutes. Robert's been on the podcast before and remains one of

Nov 23, 2017 • 55:15

Word Podcast 276 - Armando Iannucci

Word Podcast 276 - Armando Iannucci

Armando Iannucci's Hear Me Out is a collection of pieces about his first love, classical music. He decided early on that the Deep Purple and Lou Reed records favoured by his older brother didn't speak to him in the way that Holsts's Planet Suite did. His book explains why. In this wide ranging chat with Mark and David Armando talks about how it felt to not share the general enthusiasm for the sound of now and what he says to people when they try to get him on the dance floor at parties. Get bon

Nov 18, 2017 • 46:30

Word Podcast 275 - Dylan Jones

Word Podcast 275 - Dylan Jones

As a teenager Dylan Jones was one of that generation who saw David Bowie on “Top Of The Pops” in 1972 and felt he was talking directly to them. As an art student he worked as an extra on a Bowie film and even gave him a light for his cigarette. As the editor of such magazines as Arena and GQ he went on to interview Bowie numerous times. Now he’s put together “David Bowie: A Life”, a massive oral history of the man’s life and brilliant career. It draws on the recollections of everyone from old sc

Oct 23, 2017 • 1:12:46

Word Podcast 274 - Chris Difford

Word Podcast 274 - Chris Difford

"My Dad said that if I joined a rock band I would be an alcoholic, a drug addict and skint. Turns out he was right." So writes Chris Difford in "Some Fantastic Place", a startlingly candid autobiography. An old friend of the pod he came along to Word In Your Ear to talk to Mark and David about the strange dynamics within bands, the reason musicians don't talk to each other, the attractions of relaxants and stimulants and the challenges of managing Bryan Ferry. Amazing stuff. Get bonus content on

Sep 17, 2017 • 50:39

Word podcast 273 - with Daniel Rachel

Word podcast 273 - with Daniel Rachel

The guest on our snug Chesterfield was Daniel Rachel, who won the Penderyn Prize for best music book of 2017 for his "Walls Come Tumbling Down", a triumphant oral history of the story of Rock Against Racism, 2-Tone and Red Wedge. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 16, 2017 • 46:04

Word podcast 272 - Johnny Rogan and Sid Griffin

Word podcast 272 - Johnny Rogan and Sid Griffin

Johnny Rogan almost didn't make it to this Word In Your Ear. He was so absorbed in a discussion about biography with friend of the podcast Mark Lewisohn that he had a small traffic accident that almost sidelined him for the evening. Anyway, he made it and brought along both volumes of his mammoth new account of their complex career. To help tell their story we were also delighted to welcome another friend of the pod Sid Griffin. It's all here: the folk revival, Swinging London, psychedelia, squa

Jul 23, 2017 • 1:13:13

Word Podcast 271 - with Sarfraz Manzoor

Word Podcast 271 - with Sarfraz Manzoor

Usually our guests are talking about freshly-published books. It's actually ten years since Sarfraz Manzoor put out Greetings From Bury Park, his memoir about growing up in a traditional Pakistani family in Luton with an obsession with Bruce Springsteen. With the prospect of the story being transferred to the screen in the offing, Sarfraz came along to talk to David Hepworth about how he found parallels between Springsteen's songs and the challenges he faced in his life and how his desire to ide

Jul 18, 2017 • 35:40

Word Podcast 270 - Uncommon People

Word Podcast 270 - Uncommon People

We loved them because they could do things we could never do. We adopted them as our fantasy friends when we were teenagers and were still measuring ourselves against them forty years after. David Hepworth talks about his best-selling book "Uncommon People" which traces the history of the cult of the rock star from Little Richard to Kurt Cobain. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 7, 2017 • 34:55

Word Podcast 269 - Thomas Dolby

Word Podcast 269 - Thomas Dolby

Thomas Dolby’s career has seen him sharing a helicopter with a terrified David Bowie over Wembley Stadium, labouring on the nightshift at a New York studio in search of noises that Foreigner might like and dropping in on Michael Jackson at home in the days before scandal consumed him. All this and a good deal more is in his memoir The Speed Of Sound, which also covers his pop success and his adventures at the heart of the great Internet revolution. He came to Islington to talk to Mark Ellen and

May 25, 2017 • 57:04

Word Podcast 268 - John Ingham

Word Podcast 268 - John Ingham

John Ingham used to sign himself Jonh Ingham when he covered the very early stirrings of punk rock in 1976 for Sounds. Although he was a writer by trade he took along his camera because literally nobody else was taking pictures and he recognised that early punk was above all things colourful. Forty years later he’s got those pictures out from storage and published them in a fabulous new book called Siprit Of 76: London Punk Eyewitness, which has pictures of all the key players - the Sex Pistols,

May 21, 2017 • 45:37

Word Podcast 267 - Miranda Sawyer and Barry McIlheney

Word Podcast 267 - Miranda Sawyer and Barry McIlheney

David Hepworth started at Smash Hits in the late 70s, Mark Ellen joined in the early 80s, Barry McIlheney arrived in the middle of the decade and Miranda Sawyer came along in the late 80s. Therefore they were well placed to talk about such key Smash Hits experiences as being pinned to a door by Jimmy Pursey, taking Bananarama to Burger King, asking U2 to draw a duck and getting a bit tired and going home halfway through a Stone Roses interview. All this and more in this bumper ish. Get bonus con

Apr 30, 2017 • 57:31

Word Podcast 266 - Tom Doyle on Elton Hercules John

Word Podcast 266 - Tom Doyle on Elton Hercules John

“Captain Fantastic” is Tom Doyle’s account of Elton’s most tumultuous decade, the 70s, during which time he assumed every role from bedsitter poet to intercontinental hell raiser, from singing frontiersman to singing hornet, from Pinner to Philly and back. He came along to Word In Your Ear to talk to us about the eternal puzzle that is Elton. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 30, 2017 • 43:58

Word Podcast 265 - David “Ram Jam” Rodigan

Word Podcast 265 - David “Ram Jam” Rodigan

There’s a rich British tradition of well brought up young men from the leafier suburbs developing a fixation on music from a very different culture and somehow getting themselves a job playing said music on the radio. Nobody has done it more successfully and more unexpectedly than David Rodigan. For a part of the career he’s run it alongside his work as an actor. No wonder there’s so much interest in turning his book “My Life In Reggae” into a film. It’s a story rich in humour and packed with in

Apr 6, 2017 • 49:40

Word Podcast 264 - Tessa Niles and Gina Foster talking BVs

Word Podcast 264 - Tessa Niles and Gina Foster talking BVs

We were delighted to be joined by two of the UK’s most respected providers of backing vocals and harmonies, who between them have sung with everybody from David Bowie at Live Aid on down. They showed us aspects of their vocal techniques, instructed us in the diplomatic arts required to rub along on tour when the members of the band aren’t speaking to each other and explain why the wordless refrain has gone the way of the whalebone corset. You can find the full story in Tessa’s book “Backtrack”.

Mar 29, 2017 • 50:36

Word Podcast 263 - Jon Savage shortcast

Word Podcast 263 - Jon Savage shortcast

In this shortcast Jon Savage talks to David Hepworth about his new compilation album, “1967 - The Year Pop Divided”. Forty-eight tracks of psych-flavoured pop, rock and soul from the last year before music went off into its own ghettoes, from the Byrds to Captain Beefheart, from Rex Garvin and the Mighty Cravers to the Shag, from the Thirteenth Floor Elevators to Gladys Knight and the Pips, from the Monkees to The Mickey Finn. “Do the lyrics have anything in common? Yes. Drugs." Get bonus conte

Mar 7, 2017 • 18:00

Word Podcast 262 - Tony Fletcher

Word Podcast 262 - Tony Fletcher

In Which Tony Fletcher tells us about Wilson Pickett, who was impossible as a child, inimitable as a singer and incorrigible as a success, and how he came to write “In The Midnight Hour”. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 19, 2017 • 1:05:26

Word Podcast 261 - Barney Hoskyns

Word Podcast 261 - Barney Hoskyns

In which Barney Hoskyns talks to us about Woodstock and the part it played in the lives of Dylan, the Band, Albert Grossman and Van Morrison, as related in his book “Small Town Talk”. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 13, 2017 • 55:41

Word Podcast 260 - Jeff Evans

Word Podcast 260 - Jeff Evans

In which Jeff Evans returns from researching the full history of "Rock and Pop On TV" for his new book and talks to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth about not just "Six Five Special" but also "Cool For Cats", not just Legs and Co but also Ruby Flipper, not just "The Tube" but also "The White Room", and wonders whether, now that we have You Tube, we have finally come to the end of music television as a genre. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 9, 2017 • 53:02

Word Podcast 259 - with Paul Gambaccini

Word Podcast 259 - with Paul Gambaccini

In which Paul Gambaccini, that son of New York who became an institution of British broadcasting, talks to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth about how the Beatles changed his life, how he got into broadcasting, what brought him to Britain, his experience of Radio One in the 70s, his recent ordeal at the hands of the Metropolitan police – fully documented in an amazing book "Love, Paul Gambaccini" – and how this experience has changed his view of the BBC and the Labour Party but not the British peopl

Jan 29, 2017 • 1:16:16

Word Podcast 258 - Mick Houghton & Adam White

Word Podcast 258 - Mick Houghton & Adam White

In which Mick Houghton, the author of a book about the legendary folk-rock label Elektra, and Adam White, the man behind a huge tome about the history of Motown, talk to David Hepworth about the unique challenges faced by independent labels, the charismatic men who founded them, the occasionally difficult stars they had to deal with and what keeps both Jac Holzman and Berry Gordy going at an age when most people are happy just to look at their great-grandchildren. Get bonus content on Patreon Ho

Dec 11, 2016 • 1:15:55

Word Podcast 257 - Richard Houghton

Word Podcast 257 - Richard Houghton

In which Richard Houghton, the author of “I Was There”, a collection of first-hand reminiscences from people who saw the Beatles back in the sixties, from under-attended dance halls in England to over flowing stadia in the United States, talks to David Hepworth about how he wrinkled out their stories. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 9, 2016 • 29:33

Word Podcast 256 - Paul Morley on David Bowie

Word Podcast 256 - Paul Morley on David Bowie

In which David Hepworth talks to legendary journalist and author Paul Morley about how David Bowie inflamed his young imagination and his new book The Age Of Bowie. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 22, 2016 • 58:07

Word Podcast 255 - Hunter Davies

Word Podcast 255 - Hunter Davies

In which David Hepworth talks to legendary journalist and author Hunter Davies about his time as a fly on the wall with the Beatles in the middle sixties and his newly-published Beatles Book. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 17, 2016 • 53:20

Word Podcast 254 - Sylvia Patterson

Word Podcast 254 - Sylvia Patterson

In which we talk to the irrepressible Sylvia Patterson on how music provided some much needed structure in her chaotic teenage life and her career as a writer on Smash Hits, NME and beyond. Contains: Manics, Mick Hucknall, Happy Mondays, Blur and many more. Sylvia’s book is “I’m Not With The Band”. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 26, 2016 • 1:08:37

Word Podcast 253 - Derek Ridgers

Word Podcast 253 - Derek Ridgers

In which we talk to Derek Ridgers, who began taking pictures at Eric Clapton’s Rainbow concert and was there to document the brief moment when punk was invented in London. Some of these pictures are collected in his new book “Punk London 1977”. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 25, 2016 • 38:31

Word Podcast 252 - David and Caroline Stafford

Word Podcast 252 - David and Caroline Stafford

In which we talked to the husband and wife team behind Maybe I'm Doing It Wrong: The Life And Times Of Randy Newman about this uniquely fascinating artist and whether he'll be remembered for"Short People" or "Toy Story". Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 22, 2016 • 55:47

Word Podcast 251 - Alan Shypton on Harry Nilsson

Word Podcast 251 - Alan Shypton on Harry Nilsson

In which Harry Nilsson biographer Alan Shypton reflects on the man with the voice of an angel and the thirst of a medium-sized nation. We're a bit late with this, but Alan's book 'Nilsson: The Life Of A Singer-Songwriter' is such an absorbing account of a life packed with incident that it's better late than never. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 13, 2016 • 54:22

Word Podcast 250: 1971 - Never A Dull Moment

Word Podcast 250: 1971 - Never A Dull Moment

In which David Hepworth instructs Mark Ellen in the theory behind his best-selling book about the the annus mirabilis of the rock album, “1971: Never A Dull Moment”. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 23, 2016 • 1:06:50

Word Podcast 249 - with Zoë Howe

Word Podcast 249 - with Zoë Howe

In which friend of Word In Your Ear and Essex correspondent Zoë Howe talks about the Doctor Feelgood frontman, subject of her new book Lee Brilleaux: Rock’n’Roll Gentleman. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 17, 2016 • 45:51

Word Podcast 248 - with Graeme Thompson

Word Podcast 248 - with Graeme Thompson

In which Word contributor and biographer of George Harrison Graeme Thomson talks about the short but action-packed passage of the “literally clubbable” Phil Lynott, the subject of his authorised biography “Cowboy Song”. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 13, 2016 • 53:05

Word Podcast 247 - with Jon Savage

Word Podcast 247 - with Jon Savage

Jon Savage has written celebrated histories of Punk Rock and the Teenager. Now he turns his attention to 1966, the year when pop went fuzzy at the edges, when psychedelic drugs, protest about Vietnam and anxiety about nuclear war helped inspire some of the greatest pop music ever made, by everyone from Bob Dylan to the Stones to Norma Tanega. He talked to David Hepworth about it in front of an audience at The Islington. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

Nov 20, 2015 • 40:57

Word Podcast 246 - with Howard Sounes

Word Podcast 246 - with Howard Sounes

Howard Sounes has already written revelatory biographies of Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney. Most recently he’s turned his attention to Lou Reed. In Notes from the Velvet Underground he recounts the extraordinary life and career of one of rock’s most memorably irascible characters, someone who occasionally pulled a gun on even close friends and allies. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 19, 2015 • 41:19

Word Podcast 245 - Elvis Costello

Word Podcast 245 - Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello joins us to talk about his blockbusting memoir "Unfaithful Music And Disappearing Ink". The conversation takes in such vital issues as: growing up in a house full of acetates and publishers demos, the reason The Attractions ran on to the stage in 1977, Nick Kent’s tackle on display in the garden of the pub opposite Island Records, playing support to the Natural Acoustic Band in 1971, listening to the radio in the 60s, what he learned from Burt Bacharach and why the White House is

Oct 31, 2015 • 28:32

Word Podcast 244 - The Skypecast

Word Podcast 244 - The Skypecast

David Hepworth and Mark Ellen talk bout Tracey Thorn’s Naked At The Albert Hall: The Inside Story Of Singing and John Seabrook’s The Song Machine: Inside The Hit Factory via the miracle of Skype. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 22, 2015 • 22:22

Word Podcast 243 - The Peelcast

Word Podcast 243 - The Peelcast

David Cavanagh, the author of “Good Night and Good Riddance: How Thirty-Five Years Of John Peel Help Shape Modern Britain”, and Trevor Dann, WIYE’s go-to guy on all matters radio, talk about John Peel: his radio style, his complicated personality, his contribution to the national heritage and where he would be broadcasting today if he were still around. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 17, 2015 • 39:32

Word Podcast 242 - Chris Salewicz

Word Podcast 242 - Chris Salewicz

Chris Salewicz joined us to talk about “Dead Gods: The 27 Club” which deals with the rock stars who never got past their twenty-seventh birthday. His list includes: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse and others. What they all had in common was a family background not as happy as you would like and a sub-conscious fear of dealing with adult life. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 17, 2015 • 45:46

Word Podcast 241 - The McCartneycast

Word Podcast 241 - The McCartneycast

WIYE McCartney Special. Paul Du Noyer, who’s interviewed him more than anyone (much of which is reflected in his new book, “Conversations With McCartney), and Laura Barton, who need her cat after him, discuss a national institution with Mark Ellen and David Hepworth. Best look, best song, best story, it’s all here, including the answer to the perennial question - what was Paul McCartney’s best song for The Beatles? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info

Sep 25, 2015 • 59:06

Word Podcast 240 - with Patrick Woodroffe

Word Podcast 240 - with Patrick Woodroffe

Patrick Woodroffe is the world's foremost live show lighting designer. He's the man the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder and many others ask for by name. He's been behind some of the most ambitious and technically demanding stage presentations, from vast crowds on Copacabana Beach to a world TV audience for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. He talked to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth about his work in front of an audience at the Islington. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on A

Sep 24, 2015 • 43:31

Podcast 239 - with Peter Doggett

Podcast 239 - with Peter Doggett

Peter Doggett is one of the most respected authors in the music field, with highly-praised works devoted to David Bowie and the Beatles to his name. Here he talks to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth about his magnum opus “Electric Shock”, a panoramic history of popular music from the gramophone to the iPhone. This was recorded in front of an audience at the Islington. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 13, 2015 • 49:41

Word Podcast 238 - Mick Wall

Word Podcast 238 - Mick Wall

Mick Wall has been a leading light of rock journalism at the heavier end for over thirty years, playing an important role in the development of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Guns N’ Roses and many others. Here he talks to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth about his experiences, as recorded in his new book “Getcha Rocks Off”. This was recorded in front of an audience at the Islington. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 30, 2015 • 1:04:29

Word Podcast 237 - Live Aid

Word Podcast 237 - Live Aid

On the 30th anniversary of the day four people who were there — Janice Long, Dylan Jones, Mark Ellen and David Hepworth — talk about what it was like, how it didn't quite happen as planned, how people and press reacted at the time and what it changed about music and media. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 11, 2015 • 52:59

Word Podcast 236 - Clare Grogan

Word Podcast 236 - Clare Grogan

One of our oldest pals talks about Altered Images, Gregory's Girl, the joys of the oldies circuit and how motherhood led her to write Tallulah and the Teen Stars, the latest in a series of Young Adult books about the adventures of thinly-disguised versions of Smash Hits favourites. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 11, 2015 • 32:42

Word Podcast 235 - Johnnie Walker

Word Podcast 235 - Johnnie Walker

In this special Word In Your Era recording the UK's most legendary disc jockey talks to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth about playing records on the radio in the 70s, about sneaking Lou Reed up Auntie's skirt, avoiding the Bay City Rollers and going to an authentic record company sponsored orgy. Happy days. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 24, 2015 • 44:52

Podcast 234 - Johnny Rogan

Podcast 234 - Johnny Rogan

Mark Ellen and David Hepworth talk to Johnny Rogan, biographer of Morrissey and Van Morrison, about Ray Davies, the subject of his latest book, “A Complicated Life”. Recorded at the Islington in front of an audience at Word In Your Ear. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 8, 2015 • 52:26

Podcast 233: Mick Taylor’s got the shits…

Podcast 233: Mick Taylor’s got the shits…

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry talk to “Magic” Alex Gold about his playing ukulele in Alaska, schlepping the length and breadth of Britain to play to one man and Fido and learning the entire repertoire of the Rolling Stones in just one day. Plus: Tidal, Rick Buckler, the unquiet life of AC/DC and how to leave your records in your will. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 30, 2015 • 1:02:06

Word Podcast 232 - Rick Buckler

Word Podcast 232 - Rick Buckler

Rick Buckler was the drummer of The Jam. His book "That's Entertainment" tells the story of how a teenage covers band from Woking became Britain's most popular group of the late 70s and early 80s, how it all came to an end and the likelihood of it being started again. He talked about it to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth at a Word In Your Ear event at the Islington. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 23, 2015 • 41:21

Word Podcast 231 - Richard Goldstein

Word Podcast 231 - Richard Goldstein

Richard Goldstein was the world's first rock critic. He wrote the "Popeye" column for the Village Voice during the British invasion of New York, rubbing shoulders with the Stones, Dylan, Janis Joplin and Brian Wilson. His book "Another Little Piece Of My Heart" is a unique record of a tumultuous era seen up-close. He talked about it to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth at Word In Your Ear is Islington. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 9, 2015 • 48:50

Word Podcast 230 - Norman Jopling

Word Podcast 230 - Norman Jopling

Norman Jopling worked for Record Mirror in the 60s. He wrote the first story about the Rolling Stones, he took competition winners to meet the Beatles on the set of Help!, he saw the arrival of a new world at the Isle Of Wight Festival in 1969. His book "Shake It Up Baby!" is a vivid diary of that frenetic decade. He talked about it to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth at Word In Your Ear is Islington. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 8, 2015 • 41:46

Word Podcast 229 - Fairport Convention

Word Podcast 229 - Fairport Convention

Mark Ellen and David Hepworth talk to founder members of Fairport Convention Ashley Hutchings and Simon Nicol about Sandy Denny, the subject of "I've Always Had A Unicorn", a new biography by Mick Houghton. Recorded in front of an audience at the Slaughtered Lamb in Clerkenwell. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 13, 2015 • 1:15:12

Word Podcast 228 - The Bobcast

Word Podcast 228 - The Bobcast

On the day Bob Dylan's album "Shadows In The Night" was released, top Dylan interpreter Barb Jungr and musician and writer Sid Griffin, talked to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth about how they first came to Bob Dylan, their favourite Dylan look, their favourite album and song and what it is about his music that keeps them coming back. This was recorded in front of a live audience. You'll just have to imagine the pictures. Next time make sure you're there. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Aca

Feb 7, 2015 • 1:37:24

Word Pod 227 - Mark Billingham and Martyn Waites

Word Pod 227 - Mark Billingham and Martyn Waites

Mark Ellen and David Hepworth talk to Mark Billingham and Martyn Waites about Great Lost Albums which celebrates some of the records which you may not have actually heard but surely nonetheless exist in some fold of rock’s rich tapestry. We’re talking of course of David Icke & Tina Turner’s collaboration, the first Velvet Underground and Lulu album and Bob Dylan’s legendary collaboration with Liberace. This was recorded in front of an audience at the Islington in London’s swinging Islington. Get

Jan 4, 2015 • 30:39

Richard Balls and Mark Lewisohn

Richard Balls and Mark Lewisohn

Mark Ellen and David Hepworth talk to Richard Balls, the author of Be Stiff: The Stiff Records Story about that label’s unique contribution to the iconography, lore and humour of the British record scene. Plus Mark Lewisohn pauses in the middle of the sisyphean task of writing his mammoth history of the Beatles to tell us how he’s getting on. This was recorded in front of an audience at the Islington in London’s swinging Islington. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv

Jan 4, 2015 • 1:08:40

Word Podcast 225 - Remembering Smash Hits

Word Podcast 225 - Remembering Smash Hits

Mark Frith and Sylvia Patterson join Mark Ellen and David Hepworth to remember Britain's brightest - includes extremely rare 1982 Christmas flex. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 7, 2014 • 1:49:56

Word Podcast 223 — Danny Baker

Word Podcast 223 — Danny Baker

Part of Danny Baker’s epic November performance at The Islington in which he talked about his new book “Going Off Alarming”. Believe it or not, Mark Ellen and David Hepworth are in there as well. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 23, 2014 • 32:32

Word Podcast 223

Word Podcast 223

In which Mark Ellen, Fraser Lewry and David Hepworth consider U2's album, the rum work done in the name of the "rock doc" and the proper duties of a household cat Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 8, 2014 • 49:59

Word Podcast 222 — Zoe Howe

Word Podcast 222 — Zoe Howe

Zoe Howe, author of a new book about Stevie Nicks, talks to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth in front of an audience at the Islington. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 29, 2014 • 29:17

Word Podcast 221 — Ben Watt

Word Podcast 221 — Ben Watt

In an interview recorded in front of an audience at The Islington, Ben Watt talks to David Hepworth and Mark Ellen about "Romany and Tom", his acclaimed memoir of his parents, and his award winning solo album "Hendra". Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 24, 2014 • 1:01:16

Word Podcast 220

Word Podcast 220

Legendary artist manager, entrepreneur and speaker on all things music business Simon Napier-Bell talks to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth about his new book “Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay” (the dodgy business of popular music) in front of a packed house at The Islington. Includes: Lottie Collins, Wham, Irvin Berlin, The Beatles, Japan, the Yardbirds, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, One Direction, Pet Shop Boys and just about everybody else in the music business. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast.

Aug 25, 2014 • 1:06:20

Word Podcast 219

Word Podcast 219

Includes: world debut of enthralling new parlour game Rock Poker; Neil Finn’s Two-Way Family Favourites; the two tribes of Adam Ant Nation; Justin Timberlake’s moveable feast; why long-form TV is a sinister plot to steal our lives; a pathetic attempt to read a whole paragraph of Mark Ellen’s book “Rock Stars Stole My Life” without laughing; plusuncalled for interjections from Fraser Lewry’s amazing wi-fi rabbit and your questions answered. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.

May 5, 2014 • 1:05:36

Word Podcast 218 - Where's The Crisps?

Word Podcast 218 - Where's The Crisps?

March 2014: Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry convene over cakes to discuss: why all rock docs are legally bound to feature Bono, the touching story of Harry Nilsson's last marriage, what Jimi Hendrix really got up to in Marrakesh, whether Ginger Baker is in fact a bit of a bore, Fraser's day trip to North Korea and the book what Mark wrote. And Vikings. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 10, 2014 • 1:02:23

Word Podcast 217 - with Bob Harris

Word Podcast 217 - with Bob Harris

Men kicking stars! Smoking on TV! Having to introduce music you didn't like! Getting picked on in public! All this and more in our Whispering Bobcast in which the great man plays 70s Rock Bingo, recalls cramped sessions with the Wailers in tiny continuity studios, the years when he couldn't go out for fear of being set upon by punk rockers, his memories of eating celery with Van Dyke Parks and making friends with John Lennon, his sacking from Radio One, his re-hiring by Radio Two and the launch

Jun 22, 2012 • 20:28

Word Podcast 216

Word Podcast 216

This week we're joined by Jude Rogers and Eamonn Forde to kick around the following subjects: the stylistic chasm between Grace Jones and Ed Sheeran at the Jubilee concert, the desirability of Macca finishing with Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, whether Madness playing Our House on top of the Palace was the most spectacular bit of staging ever seen at a pop show, what we have learned from Twitter about Nick Heyward, Richard Coles and "the girls side of the playground", the sounds and smells our children wil

Jun 8, 2012 • 19:34

Word Podcast 215 - with Chas Hodges

Word Podcast 215 - with Chas Hodges

We're joined in the pod by Chas Hodges, who you'll know from such hits as "Gertcha" and "Ain't No Pleasing You". But you ought to also know him from his time in Joe Meek's house band, his stint on tour with the Beatles as a member of Cliff Bennett's Rebel Rousers, his time with pioneering country-rock band Heads, Hands and Feet and his manifold and honourable contributions to sessions galore. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 1, 2012 • 20:49

Word Podcast 214 - with Graham Gouldman

Word Podcast 214 - with Graham Gouldman

Graham Gouldman wrote For Your Love for The Yardbirds, Bus Stop for The Hollies, Tallyman for Jeff Beck, No Milk Today for Herman's Hermits and I"m Not In Love and lots of others for 10cc. He has worked with Kirsty MacColl, Kasenetz-Katz, Andrew Gold, Gary Barlow, The Ramones, Mickie Most, John Paul Jones, Neil Sedaka and the Manchester City FA Cup squad of 1972. He's got a new record coming out called Love & Work. You think we ran out of things to talk about? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted

May 19, 2012 • 18:15

Word Shortcast - The Blockheads

Word Shortcast - The Blockheads

Chaz Jankel - co-author of Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, Sweet Gene Vincent and Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - looks back at the rollicking rise of the Blockheads, and Derek "The Draw" Hussey contemplates Ian Dury, the man whose shoes he fills in the current Blockheads line-up. Contains their charming performance of A Little Knowledge, the greatest piece of music recording in Word podcast history, we're saying. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio

May 11, 2012 • 23:21

Word Podcast 213

Word Podcast 213

Kate Mossman, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry go through John Peel's Record Collection and ponder what you can tell about personality type from flicking through anyone's accumulated spines. We also wonder whether Alabama Shakes anxiety indicates the impossibility of trying to like things just because other people do, discuss rock's vanishing instruments, and attempt to come up with preferable alternatives to the big Duran Duran/Stereophonics/Paolo Nutini/Snow Patrol Olympic showdown. Get bonus c

May 4, 2012 • 21:42

Word Podcast 212

Word Podcast 212

Over the last week we've welcomed three authors into the pod: Stanley Booth went on the road and down to Muscle Shoals with the Rolling Stones in 1969 and eventually wrote all about it in the ultimate access all areas on tour book, The True Adventures of The Rolling Stones; Paul Charles is one of the UK's leading live music agents and he's also the author of The Last Dance, a new novel set against the background of the Irish showband scene of the 60s; Andrew Martin is a journalist and author who

Apr 27, 2012 • 1:04:28

Word Podcast 211 - with Andrew Collins

Word Podcast 211 - with Andrew Collins

This bumper edition covers: the only other person called Levon, why celebrities always feel the need to put one over on interviewers in public forums, who Record Store Day is supposed to be benefiting, the upsides and downsides of travelling in south-east Asia and podcasts about farming and Shakespeare. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 21, 2012 • 16:16

Word Podcast 210

Word Podcast 210

Things we've been talking about this week include the great NME mis-selling scandal of the 90s, the grisly details of MC Hammer's 1998 bankruptcy, and the days when you could see Neil Young and have enough change to buy a bag of chips on the way home. Also: Pugwash drop in to talk about getting fan mail from Jeff Lynne and play a song from their new album, and we discuss an amazing documentary called Dreams Of A Life. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i

Mar 31, 2012 • 16:05

Word Podcast 209 - with Melvin Benn

Word Podcast 209 - with Melvin Benn

Latitude and Reading/Leeds promoter Melvin Benn remembers his first event - an anti-Thatcher gig in ’79 - while elsewhere there’s the unadulterated chaos of Axl Rose and girlfriend at Reading (the festival he helped save from bankruptcy), memories of Nirvana, the time he and Michael Eavis defended Worthy Farm against anarchists with petrol bombs, and the revelation that promoters can “play God” with the weather conditions. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m

Mar 22, 2012 • 16:32

Word Podcast 208

Word Podcast 208

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry debate whether there really is such a thing as a ropey Beatles record, the best food they've ever had at a gig, and the ethics of flying in samples during live performances. Plus Mike Doughty, talking about his career and his extraordinary memoir The Book Of Drugs. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 17, 2012 • 17:39

Word Podcast 207 - with Mark Billingham

Word Podcast 207 - with Mark Billingham

The UK’s premier crime-thriller writer Mark Billingham enters the pod and subjects his obsessions to forensic enquiry - among them The Smiths, Genesis, Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. There’s some sound advice – "if you get caught shoplifting, at least nick something fashionable". There’s his four minutes dancing onstage with Elvis Costello and the time Morrissey let him to use some Smiths lyrics in one of his novels. And the fatwa from furious Phil Collins supporters. Get bonus content on Patreo

Mar 9, 2012 • 18:22

Word Podcast 206 - with Scritti Politti

Word Podcast 206 - with Scritti Politti

We talk about great unexpected shows. David Hepworth goes to see Randy Newman and finds himself sitting behind some people who are clinically incapable of resisting the temptation to talk. Plus Green Gartside and Rhodri Marsden of Scritti Politti drop in to sing a couple of songs and talk about buying old Little Feat albums in the 70s. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 2, 2012 • 17:21

Word Podcast 205 - with Robin Hitchcock

Word Podcast 205 - with Robin Hitchcock

The wildly prolific songwriter – and leader of The Soft Boys, Egyptians, Venus 3 and, currently, The Floating Palace collective – tackles life’s big issues. Such as why The Beatles were doomed as solo projects, the magic twin poles of the Syd Barrett lyric method, and the rigours of playing an entire set of David Bowie classics. Plus some riveting stuff on the ‘78 gig circuit and the Battle Of The Somme. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 25, 2012 • 18:02

Word Podcast 204

Word Podcast 204

Nige Tassell comes up from Somerset and (fatally) brings us something to drink. Before it takes effect we cover the following stuff: David Hepworth wonders why the best venues for rock and roll are always the ones built long before rock and roll was ever thought of. We ask when did school choirs start singing Adele songs and is this entirely a good idea? We have a quick chat and a song from Band Of Skulls, and Nige shares some of his most treasured old cassettes with us. Get bonus content on Pat

Feb 19, 2012 • 18:40

Word Shortcast - Eliza Carthy

Word Shortcast - Eliza Carthy

On February 27th Eliza Carthy plays the pub across the road in one of our Word In Your Ear series of live shows. In this special shortcast she tells David Hepworth what kind of music was playing in the house when she was growing up, how she had a thing for Rick Astley and how her boyfriend made her give her Barbies away to the charity shop. Bastard. A few tickets for the show, which features Eliza plus full five piece band, supported by Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo plus Left With Pictures

Feb 15, 2012 • 12:15

Word Podcast 203

Word Podcast 203

This podcast has lots in it: Mark Ellen taking a blunt instrument to his phone, the debt Madonna’s half-time Superbowl show owed to Elizabeth Taylor’s quiet entrance into Rome in the movie Cleopatra, the feminizing of pop, the people who’ve made more than one great album, how we know Lady Gaga isn’t a real blonde and the likelihood of a movement like punk getting swallowed up by Facebook. Plus a visit from Dodgy to talk up their new record Stand Upright In A Cool Place, Fraser’s recipe for a war

Feb 11, 2012 • 16:44

Word Podcast 202 - with Nick Coleman and Phantom Limb

Word Podcast 202 - with Nick Coleman and Phantom Limb

This podcast features interviews with two fascinating guests: Nick Coleman talks to David Hepworth about his excellent new book The Train in The Night, which touches on all kinds of things: why boys feel the need to define themselves by their tastes, what it’s like listening to a Nazareth album with your dad, how the brain eventually rewires itself to make up for the information it’s missing and the fact that people like us actually have far more records in our heads than even the biggest jukebo

Jan 29, 2012 • 16:59

Word Podcast 201: The Basscast

Word Podcast 201: The Basscast

In celebration of James Medd’s stupendous piece in Word 108 on the secret world of the bass guitarist, Medd and Mark Ellen present a podcast with session wizard and bon viveur Guy Pratt – who tells tales of working with Pink Floyd, The Smiths, Jimmy Page, the dictatorial Madonna and David Coverdale (who he impersonates immaculately). And explains the correct pronunciation of “Whitesnake” and how he did a Sophie Ellis-Bextor hit in 17 minutes. He also peels off the world’s greatest bottom lines o

Jan 18, 2012 • 16:47

Word Shortcast: Neil Cowley

Word Shortcast: Neil Cowley

Neil Cowley dropped by the office the other day to talk about the Neil Cowley Trio, their new album The Face Of Mount Molehill, his time as a sideman with everyone from The Pasadenas to the Brand New Heavies, his part in the musical career of Sue Perkins and how the best place to learn to play jazz is in your local garden centre. We liked him so much we’ve put it out as a short podcast on its own. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 13, 2012 • 28:05

Word Podcast 200

Word Podcast 200

We celebrate 200 editions of the Word Podcast in the room upstairs in The King and Queen in Foley Street, W1, scene of Bob Dylan's first ever appearance in the UK. Subjects covered included: the on and off wedding arrangements of Sinead O'Connor; Kate Mossman being pursued the house Benny Hill-style by Kevin Ayers and Fraser's legendary misdirection of the Princess Of Wales. The audience lines up to compete in our legendary Rock and Roll Spelling test and plays thirty seconds of a rock classic o

Jan 7, 2012 • 16:23

Word Podcast 199

Word Podcast 199

The Word helicopter takes off from just the battlements of Graeme Thomson’s castle in Edinburgh, hugs the coastline on its way south, dropping off at the massive Victorian folly occupied by Mark Hodkinson on the borders or Yorkshire and Lancashire and then makes a detour into Berkshire where it lands on the vast rolling lawns of John Naughton’s massive country seat. Finally it hovers over Cast Iron Studios in Caledonian Road to record two tunes and some chat with The Miserable Rich. Get bonus co

Dec 21, 2011 • 19:52

Word Podcast 198

Word Podcast 198

In a seasonal departure from our usual routine we bring you at this special time the voices of some of our valued contributors from all over the country, picking the books, DVDs and records that they have found most interesting this year. In this first instalment David Hepworth talks to Jim Irvin, Andrew Collins and Jude Rogers. In addition we've got The Rifles in the pod, performing songs from and talking about their new album Long Walk Home. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See ac

Dec 15, 2011 • 18:37

Word Podcast 197

Word Podcast 197

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry range across: a star-studded carol service, what Verdi could do that Dylan couldn't, and story of "Wally!" In addition Kate Mossman joins us to talk to folkie Jackie Oates who also plays a couple of songs from her new record "Saturnine". Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 2, 2011 • 16:15

Word Podcast 196 - with Richard Strange

Word Podcast 196 - with Richard Strange

This week we welcome to the pod Renaissance Man, art rock avatar, club pioneer, movie actor and very tall man Richard Strange. As Kid Strange he fronted the 70s rock band the Doctors of Madness, who were supported by everyone from the Sex Pistols to Joy Division. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 26, 2011 • 17:33

Word Podcast 195

Word Podcast 195

In this podcast: the legit release of the Rolling Stones’ “Brussels Affair”, the things that Jimmy Savile did and did not do, Paul Du Noyer remembering Jackie Leven, your misinterpreted songs thread, Fraser explaining why he features on a Guns N’Roses b-side, the Black Sabbath reunion(s) and a couple of songs from Emily Barker and the Red Clay Halo. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 18, 2011 • 17:53

Word Podcast 194 - with Nile Rodgers

Word Podcast 194 - with Nile Rodgers

Nile Rodgers enters the pod to talk us through his story: the man who created the only triple platinum single in the history of Atlantic Records, led Chic through the ups and downs of disco and went on to produce Diana Ross, David Bowie, Duran Duran and Madonna. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 12, 2011 • 17:12

Word Podcast 193 - the Smilecast

Word Podcast 193 - the Smilecast

Andy Gill joins us to recount the full story of The Beach Boys' Smile, recounting Brian Wilson's odd partnership with the ever-voluble Van Dyke Parks, the stubbornness and luxuriant chest hair of Mike Love, the underwater misadventures of Dennis Wilson, the often misrepresented Dr Eugene Landy and the trans-Atlantic battle for supremacy between the former Pendletons and the Beatles. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 31, 2011 • 1:09:11

Word Podcast 192 - with Steve Lillywhite

Word Podcast 192 - with Steve Lillywhite

Sitting in the home studio where he recorded the vocals for Fairy Tale Of New York, Steve Lillywhite talks about working with Eddie & The Hot Rods, the Pretenders, U2, Simple Minds, Brian Eno and Jared Leto and almost everybody else. He also advances his case as the judge that American Idol really needs. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 25, 2011 • 52:22

Word Podcast 191

Word Podcast 191

David Hepworth and Mark Ellen remember the Tom Hibbert cookery course, talk about what was in the George Harrison film and what should have been in it, what Tony Bennett does that rock bands don't and the correct way to pronounce Yngwie Malmsteen. Plus we're announcing how you'll be able to get the full podcast in future only if you're a subscriber to the magazine. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 8, 2011 • 45:38

Word Podcast 190 - the Gastropodcast

Word Podcast 190 - the Gastropodcast

Our own Andrew Harrison and celebrated food photographer Patrice de Villiers join us to talk about Love Music Love Food: The Rock Star Cookbook, a mammoth undertaking published in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. It features the likes of Brett Anderson, Noel Gallagher, Mick Hucknall, Cliff Richard, Tinie Tempah, Paul Weller and many others talking about and being photographed with their favourite food. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 5, 2011 • 37:11

Word Podcast 189 - with Jonathan Coe

Word Podcast 189 - with Jonathan Coe

We're joined in the pod by author Jonathan Coe, he of The Rotter's Club. We talk prog in riveting detail, look back at his days as a rock hack at The Wire, explain the use of music in Billy Wilder movies, and hear a a newly recorded track from his reformed college loungecore act The Peer Group. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 27, 2011 • 41:57

Word Podcast 188 - the Bowiecast

Word Podcast 188 - the Bowiecast

We're joined in the pod by two card-carrying Bowie experts – Peter Doggett - author of the superb new book "The Man Who Sold The World: David Bowie And The ‘70" and Word’s long-serving associate editor Paul Du Noyer. On the way we learn Bowie’s tortuously complicated childhood, his unproduced rock opera, the lost recordings and the four times Paul got to interview him. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 22, 2011 • 46:20

Word Podcast 187 - The 40 Noises That Built Pop

Word Podcast 187 - The 40 Noises That Built Pop

Rhodri Marsden visits us in the cupboard to talk about his "40 Noises That Built Pop" feature, to reveal how some of the sounds in the list were arrived at and the instruments that gave birth to them. Also up for discussion: Rhodri's first date hell Twitter sensation. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 15, 2011 • 44:49

Word Podcast 186 - The Queencast

Word Podcast 186 - The Queencast

Kate Mossman joins us in the pod to talk about being obsessed with Queen when her classmates were into Nirvana, and how you can never assume that young people go along with what their generation appears to be going along with. Plus: is picking the music for your own funeral the poor man's Desert Island Discs? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 10, 2011 • 41:07

Word Podcast 185 - with Thomas Dolby

Word Podcast 185 - with Thomas Dolby

Thomas Dolby joins us to talk about working with Trevor Horn, David Bowie, Prefab Sprout and Joni Mitchell; operating as musical director of TED, spending an evening at Michael Jackson's, making money through polyphonic ringtones and just generally trying to do things in a different way. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 3, 2011 • 57:45

Word Podcast 184 - with David Ford

Word Podcast 184 - with David Ford

David Ford joins us in the podcast to talk about his terrific new book, I Choose This, which proves there's no success like failure, and to reveal how Jeff Buckley's influence on an entire generation of musicians wasn't entirely benign. Also: Kate Mossman introduces Amy LaVere. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 17, 2011 • 53:34

Word Podcast 183 - Amy Winehouse, and our boat trip

Word Podcast 183 - Amy Winehouse, and our boat trip

Jude Rogers and Kate Mossman join us in the podcast to talk about the short life and sad death of Amy Winehouse. Also in this edition: our Sunday afternoon cruise down the Thames with Neil Finn & C.W. Stoneking. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 26, 2011 • 50:06

Word Podcast 182 - The Britpopcast

Word Podcast 182 - The Britpopcast

Our final Latitude recording: Andrew Harrison is joined by Stuart Maconie and Louise Wener to look back at Britpop: why it happened, what is was like, and where it all went wrong. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 19, 2011 • 50:02

Word Podcast 180 - Latitude Day Two, with Robin Ince & TMBG

Word Podcast 180 - Latitude Day Two, with Robin Ince & TMBG

Robin Ince joins us in the Word lounge to talk about Mills & Boon and why Robert Smith should never be a crowd marshall, and the chaps from They Might Be Giants talk to David Hepworth and answer audience questions about set lists. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 19, 2011 • 41:58

Word Podcast 181 - Latitude Day Three

Word Podcast 181 - Latitude Day Three

In the third of this year's Latitude podcasts, Absolute Radio's Geoff Lloyd talks David Hepworth and Mark Ellen through the pain of losing his record collection and reveals a genuine piece of backsgage gossip, and we hear from I Am Kloot and C.W. Stoneking. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 18, 2011 • 56:45

Word Podcast 179 - Latitude Day One, with Simon Armitage

Word Podcast 179 - Latitude Day One, with Simon Armitage

In the first of a few podcasts recorded in the Word "Lounge" at Latitude, Britain's premier poet Simon Armitage talks to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth about why Bob Dylan is not actually a poet, and K.T. Tunstall talks about the challenges of playing festivals and her time as Anne Frank. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 16, 2011 • 49:46

Word Podcast 178 - with John Hiatt

Word Podcast 178 - with John Hiatt

The 40 Noises That Made Pop, our upcoming riverboat cruise featuring C.W. Stoneking and his Primitive Horn Orchestra, what's going on in The Word Lounge at this weekend's Latitude Festival, and the great John Hiatt joins David Hepworth to talk and sing songs from his new album. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 13, 2011 • 45:53

Word Podcast 177 - The Beatlecast

Word Podcast 177 - The Beatlecast

We're joined by Peter Doggett, author of "You Never Give Me Your Money" to discuss discuss what the Beatles wanted after the Beatles, why they could never get it, and how the four young men who shook the world turned into four middle-aged men who had to deal with the aftermath. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 5, 2011 • 1:01:42

Word Podcast 176 - with Tony Wadsworth

Word Podcast 176 - with Tony Wadsworth

In this podcast Tony Wadsworth reviews his career at EMI, from the days when older employees still recalled visits from "Mr Lennon" through the reformation of the Parlophone label and the high noon of Britpop to 360-degree deals with Robbie Williams up to the uncertain future faced by traditional record labels today. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 22, 2011 • 56:43

Word Podcast 175 - with Brett Anderson

Word Podcast 175 - with Brett Anderson

Suede's Brett Anderson clambers into the pod with Andrew Harrison and Eamonn Forde to discuss the band's successful return, how rehearsals can be difficult when your drummer lives in Thailand, why locking your 17-year-old guitarist in a room until he comes up with a song is a good idea, and the truth about the small role played by Ricky Gervais. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 18, 2011 • 47:09

Word Podcast 174 - with Danny Baker

Word Podcast 174 - with Danny Baker

Danny Baker returns to the pod – with David Hepworth and Mark Ellen – having just got “the green light” after months of particularly unsavoury hospitalisation. Discover how he celebrated this news, marvel at his rant against the "pinheads, nitwits and souless creeps" at the BBC, and remembers John Mayall’s tight-fitting loin-cloth and his almost-encounter with Bob Dylan. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 15, 2011 • 45:59

Word Podcast 173

Word Podcast 173

Adrift in the pod this week are Mark Ellen, Kate Mossman and Fraser Lewry, who discuss a night out at Desert Island Discs, interviews that went wrong, and take Qs from The Massive about 100 issues of Word. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 4, 2011 • 56:43

Word Podcast 172 - The Bobcast

Word Podcast 172 - The Bobcast

Now Bob Dylan's seventy so it seems only decent to dedicate a podcast to him, his enduring fascination and his work. In this we're joined by Andy Gill, our resident Dylan scholar, author of Bob Dylan: Stories Behind The Songs. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 24, 2011 • 1:04:37

Word Podcast 171 - with Van Dyke Parks

Word Podcast 171 - with Van Dyke Parks

The magnificent Van Dyke Parks enters the pod to deliver wry and extremely fond and funny memories of working with Grace Kelly, Alec Guinness, Randy Newman, Brian Wilson, Joanna Newsom and his brief membership of Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 12, 2011 • 59:09

Word Podcast 170 - with Neil Tennant

Word Podcast 170 - with Neil Tennant

Neil Tennant joins the Word podcast where he reminisces about the days when he was "Doctor Bitz", talks about the most ridiculous things the Pet Shop Boys have been asked to do, discloses why they're going on tour with Take That, reveals the name of the best song ever written and answers some of your questions. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 5, 2011 • 56:54

Word Podcast 169 - with Delta Maid and Daniel Tashian

Word Podcast 169 - with Delta Maid and Daniel Tashian

This week's 'cast features guest appearance from Delta Maid, who talks to Mark Ellen and Kate Mossman about how you can get the blues in Liverpool, and Daniel Tashian, the leader of The Silver Seas from Nashville, Tennessee, described by Danny Baker this week as "the best band in the world." Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 21, 2011 • 1:00:33

Word Podcast 168 - with Nick Lowe

Word Podcast 168 - with Nick Lowe

Nick Lowe on meeting Keith Moon, Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson and recalling – in agonising detail – the moment the fresh-out-of-jail Keith Richards joined Rockpile at New York’s Bottom Line. Includes “World Premiere” performance of a new Nick Lowe tune! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 15, 2011 • 59:48

Word Podcast 167: Top Of The Pops Special

Word Podcast 167: Top Of The Pops Special

Janice Long, Jude Rogers and Andrew Harrison convene in the pod to discuss Top Of The Pops, that Michael Jackson statue, and the t-shirts of rock. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 8, 2011 • 47:59

Word Podcast 166 - with Christian Ward

Word Podcast 166 - with Christian Ward

Christian Ward joins us this week to discuss what happened to singers who can enunciate, work out what the deuce Elton John is singing about in "Sacrifice", talk about the links between British pop and comedy, remember Pinetop Perkins and Elizabeth Taylor and answer your questions. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 25, 2011 • 49:27

Word Podcast 165 - with Ian McMillan

Word Podcast 165 - with Ian McMillan

Ian McMillan joins us in the pod to talk about: playing John Cage’s silence on Desert Island Discs, the only way to be a football supporter and stay sane, the lyrics of Pete Sinfield and the usefulness of being able to make that whistling sound between your teeth. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 17, 2011 • 48:05

Word Podcast 164: Precious Memories and Inky Fingers

Word Podcast 164: Precious Memories and Inky Fingers

Pete Paphides joins David Hepworth and Mark Ellen in the pod with a load of old music papers. It's all here: bad puns, mistaken critical judgements, and momentous news announcements tucked away at the bottom of the page. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 11, 2011 • 57:50

Word Podcast 163: cough buttons in Japanese toilets

Word Podcast 163: cough buttons in Japanese toilets

Andrew Collins drops in to help kick around a few thoughts about comedians doing karaoke, the new Radiohead album, whether Krautrock would be more popular if it had happened 40 years later, and tips for the Oscars. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 25, 2011 • 48:43

Word Podcast 162: From the Brits to Beechams

Word Podcast 162: From the Brits to Beechams

Mark Ellen, Fraser Lewry and David Hepworth on the effective apartheid between the r&b and folkie factions currently making up British pop, why British acts can't make speeches, and why people hate Mumford & Sons. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 17, 2011 • 45:12

Word Podcast 161: Gary Moore remembered

Word Podcast 161: Gary Moore remembered

Rob Fitzpatrick talks about meeting Elton John in the flesh, Roy Wilkinson describes his father's role in the family business, which is British Sea Power, and we talk to people who worked with Gary Moore, who died last weekend. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 10, 2011 • 31:05

Word Podcast 160: what does a Wichita Lineman actually do?

Word Podcast 160: what does a Wichita Lineman actually do?

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry wonder whether anybody is really heartbroken when bands break up, wonder what a Wichita Lineman does and why bands pick such uncommercial names, and answer your questions. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 4, 2011 • 59:38

Word Podcast 159: Keith Moon & good spelling

Word Podcast 159: Keith Moon & good spelling

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry on Iron Maiden: Flight 666, your questions, class and pop, "Seventies" Mike Johnson's fiendishly difficult rock and roll spelling test and the drumming genius of Keith Moon. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 28, 2011 • 45:33

Word Podcast 158: Is rock dead?

Word Podcast 158: Is rock dead?

In which Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry chew on the big topics de jour: is rock dead? And did the 80s kill proper music? Plus, David Hepworth comes up with a list of great records made in that unjustly maligned decade. Warning: contains an unexpected intrusion and a controversial opinion about Morrissey. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 14, 2011 • 50:48

Word Podcast 157: Elton's sunglasses & Richard Thompson's beret

Word Podcast 157: Elton's sunglasses & Richard Thompson's beret

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Fraser Lewry feature in the first podcast of 2011 which includes: Captain Beefheart remembered and mis-remembered, the likelihood of anyone with four drawers devoted to sunglasses finding room in their lives for a child, the terrible choice between Spandau Ballet versus Duran Duran and why Richard Thompson really should be cast in any remake of "It Ain"t Half Hot Mum". Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 7, 2011 • 47:31

Word Podcast 156

Word Podcast 156

This week's guest was snowed in and so David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Fraser Lewry sort out previously unfinished business. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 3, 2010 • 46:53

Word Podcast 155 - with Will MacDonald

Word Podcast 155 - with Will MacDonald

This week we're joined by Will "Wiiill" Macdonald, who talksl about his time as the producer of TFI Friday at the height of Britpop. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 16, 2010 • 52:42

Word Podcast 154

Word Podcast 154

In which Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry review last week's brilliant "Word In Your Ear" gig, report back from viewings of Bruce Springsteen's "The Promise" and Rush's "Beyond The Lighted Stage". Plus Matt Priest talks to the Charlatans' Jon Brookes. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 9, 2010 • 56:57

Word Podcast 153 - with Darrell Scott

Word Podcast 153 - with Darrell Scott

Joining Kate Mossman and Mark Ellen in the pod is songwriter and session guitarist Darrell Scott, currently touring as a member of Robert Plant's band. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 29, 2010 • 39:37

Word Podscast 152 - with Jac Holzman

Word Podscast 152 - with Jac Holzman

David Hepworth talks to Jac Holzman, who signed Judy Collins, Tom Paxton, Love, The Doors, the Incredible String Band, Carly Simon and The Stooges, on the occasion of Elektra's 60th anniversary. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 21, 2010 • 46:34

Word Podcast 151 - with Dougie Anderson

Word Podcast 151 - with Dougie Anderson

Dougie Anderson joins Mark Ellen and David Hepworth in the pod to mount a stout defence of Belle and Sebastian, Alex Harvey, John Gordon Sinclair and more. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 12, 2010 • 53:03

Word Podcast 150 - with Devon Sproule & Paul Curreri

Word Podcast 150 - with Devon Sproule & Paul Curreri

Devon Sproule and Paul Curreri join Mark Ellen and David Hepworth in the pod, while David talks to the men at De Wolde music about the joys of production music. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 5, 2010 • 45:56

Word Podcast 149 - with Sean Wilentz

Word Podcast 149 - with Sean Wilentz

David Hepworth speaks to Sean Wilentz on the phone from Los Angeles. Wilentz is professor of history at Princeton University, resident historian on Bob Dylan's website, and the author of 'Bob Dylan in America'. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 23, 2010 • 28:25

Word Podcast 148 - with Dom Joly

Word Podcast 148 - with Dom Joly

Dom Joly joins us in the pod to talk about his new book The Dark Tourist, Kate Mossman describes what it's like to share an ocean liner with a load of people who just want to boogie, and we talk to Andrew Losowsky about "Stranded", the magazine he put together when he was stuck in Ireland because of the Icelandic ash cloud. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 16, 2010 • 41:00

Word Podcast 147 - with Phill Jupitus and Trevor Dann

Word Podcast 147 - with Phill Jupitus and Trevor Dann

Two old radio hands join us in the pod this week to talk about what’s been did and what’s been hid in the world of radio. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 9, 2010 • 54:06

Word Podcast 146 - a quick chat with Andrew Harrison re: iTunes

Word Podcast 146 - a quick chat with Andrew Harrison re: iTunes

Andrew Harrison reports back from last night's Apple unveiling. What does it all mean? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 2, 2010 • 10:58

Word Podcast 145 - with CW Stoneking

Word Podcast 145 - with CW Stoneking

This week's podcast features CW Stoneking, who arrived straight from the airport to play and talk to Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry, plus concert industry watcher James Drury about the likelihood of the UK live business experiencing a meltdown such as has apparently occurred in America this summer. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 27, 2010 • 52:57

Word Podcast 144 - with Wilko Johnson

Word Podcast 144 - with Wilko Johnson

Wilko Johnson joins Mark Ellen, "Seventies" Mike Johnson and Fraser Lewry in the pod, with tales of the false economy of cheap suits, speed versus alcohol, going round to Strummer's house, seeing The MC5's Wayne Kramer sprayed gold, being left-handed before Hendrix, and the still painful story of his ejection from Dr Feelgood. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 11, 2010 • 33:26

Word Podcast 143 - with Robin Ince

Word Podcast 143 - with Robin Ince

Robin Ince joins Kate Mossman and Mark Ellen to impersonate John Peel, discuss Mills & Boon, crab opera, 1970s stag films, Darwin's Origin Of Species and the Edinburgh Fringe, and eat Victoria sponge cake live. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 4, 2010 • 1:03:55

Latitude Podcast II

Latitude Podcast II

In the second podcast direct from the Latitude site Kate Mossman talks to John Grant and Mark Ellen talks to promoter Melvin Benn. Subjects covered include: the importance of putting your poetry tent in the right place, translating in a New York hospital, Christmas discos in August, presenting a birthday cake on stage and why you can take Tom Jones out of showbiz but you can never take showbiz out of Tom Jones. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat

Jul 18, 2010 • 56:10

The Latitude Podcast

The Latitude Podcast

Our first podcast from the site at Latitude features Rob Young writer of Electric Eden, and Geoff Lloyd, who's here broadcasting from the site for Absolute Radio. Recorded in the luxurious surroundings of our Portkabin audio suite, it covers Vaughan Williams, Mark's posh digs in Worbleswick, the correct response to a fellow camper who sings the blues in the middle of the night, The National, how to distinguish between a real beard and a fashion beard, how Tom Jones lets himself go at Christmas a

Jul 17, 2010 • 57:55

Word Podcast 140 with Robert Forster

Word Podcast 140 with Robert Forster

Former Go-Between Robert Forster joins us in the Word podcast to play a couple of songs and talk about hair care, bridge-opening, the likelihood of Mick Taylor rejoining the Rolling Stones, the statistical jiggery-pokery that meant Spain pinched what should by rights be New Zealand's World Cup and the 48th anniversary of the Rollin' Stones first ever gig. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 12, 2010 • 50:45

Word Podcast 139 with Jim White and Mat Priest

Word Podcast 139 with Jim White and Mat Priest

In which we welcome our man Jim White back from the World Cup to deliver a first person account of the cack-handedness of FIFA, the inability of England players to hold instructions in their head for more than two minutes, and the irresistible attraction of 40 blondes in orange mini skirts. We also mark Ringo Starr's 70th birthday today with Mat Priest of Dodgy, a drummer who knows what's involved in being Ringo in a Beatles tribute band. Happy Birthday, Ringo, from all of us. Get bonus content

Jul 7, 2010 • 39:15

Word podcast 138 with Laura Barton

Word podcast 138 with Laura Barton

Author and journalist Laura Barton joins us to talk about her novel "Twenty-one Locks" and the huge subject of music at weddings. Plus: Glastonbury, Engerland and London sight-seeing tips. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 30, 2010 • 55:06

Word Podcast 137 with Mary Gauthier

Word Podcast 137 with Mary Gauthier

David Hepworth talks to Mary Gauthier about her search for her birth mother and how it led to her new album "The Foundling". Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 25, 2010 • 20:39

Word Podcast 136

Word Podcast 136

We're joined by Ian McMillan and James Medd. Features: live vuvuzela performances, actual impressions of Keats, the ethics of Kindie rock, how many free tickets is too many tickets and why we all miss Hovis Presley. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 17, 2010 • 50:55

Podcast 135

Podcast 135

The singer and songwriter brings his guitar and uke to talk about writing, co-writing, winning prizes and not winning prizes, getting caught short at a Bob Dylan concert and glancing encounters with superstars. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 10, 2010 • 51:15

Word Podcast 134

Word Podcast 134

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Fraser Lewry marvel at the myth of Exile On Main Street, and are joined by Kate Mossman for an impromptu review of the new Sex and the City movie. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 28, 2010 • 49:05

Word Podcast 133: with Neil Hannon

Word Podcast 133: with Neil Hannon

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry are joined in the pod this week by a be-suited Neil Hannon, who popped into Word Towers on his way to the Ivor Novello awards and played us a few songs. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 20, 2010 • 44:15

Word Podcast 132

Word Podcast 132

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry are joined in the pod by returning guest Andy Murray, where we talk about Andy's time at Stiff Records and look back at the election, while Mark receives some genuine David Gilmour guitar strings and joins Fraser singing a short song about horses. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 13, 2010 • 57:50

Word Podcast 131

Word Podcast 131

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry play Rock Trumps™ and reveal which music festival does a roaring trade in meat cleavers, discuss what Billy Preston was up to as an 11-year-old, marvel at a bunch of session men playing The Beatles with mind-boggling precision, and recall Louise Wener's days as a singing waitress aboard a floating restaurant in Boston. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 5, 2010 • 48:58

Word Podcast 130 - with Eamonn Forde

Word Podcast 130 - with Eamonn Forde

Eamonn Forde joins us in the pod to talk about: a childhood without music in the wilds of Norn Iron, the worst jobs we've ever had, how to stop a circus mule, the legacy of Malcolm Maclaren, Lyndon Johnson ringing up to order some trousers, legendary penises in rock and who, if anyone, really killed rock journalism. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 9, 2010 • 57:29

Word Podcast 129 - with Andrew Collins

Word Podcast 129 - with Andrew Collins

Andrew Collins joins us in the pod to mark Rolf Harris Day and take part in talks about: Erykah Badu's bottom, International Record Store Day, and the likelihood of the cassette making a return. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 30, 2010 • 58:20

Word Podcast 128 - with Jude Rogers

Word Podcast 128 - with Jude Rogers

The do's and don'ts of wedding dances, how to crowd surf and things we don't do anymore. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 24, 2010 • 41:19

Word Podcast 126 with Philip Ball

Word Podcast 126 with Philip Ball

Philip Ball, author of "The Music Instinct: how music works and why we can't do without it", entertains and instructs Kate Mossman and David Hepworth (with examples at the pianoforte). Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 17, 2010 • 35:50

Word Podcast 127

Word Podcast 127

Includes: Mike "Seventies" Johnson's rock spelling test, Rob Fitzpatrick on promo copies, Mark Ellen on medieval pop groups and "Magic" Alex Gold with details of our upcoming A Word In Your Ear gig. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 5, 2010 • 52:42

Word Podcast 125

Word Podcast 125

Mark Hodkinson from Pamona Publishing joins David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry to talk about how bands were formed in the years after punk, the inevitable power struggles that take place within the ranks of those bands, the effect that fame has on personality, what it takes to succeed, and the economics and practicalities of running a small independent publishing house in the era of Amazon. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 24, 2010 • 1:03:03

Word Podcast 124

Word Podcast 124

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry head to Gold Top studios in north London to talk to Neil Brockbank, producer of Nick Lowe. A believer in recording live with the musicians, he describes the changes that have taken place in the way music is recorded from the Beatles through Frank Sinatra to Ricky Martin and beyond and looks at the implications that has for what we listen to. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 12, 2010 • 58:05

Word Podcast 123

Word Podcast 123

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry enter the pod to examine the new, more-words-than-ever edition of The Word as it arrives - minty fresh - from the presses. They also do their best to answer your questions. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 5, 2010 • 51:44

Word Podcast 122 - with Idris Elba

Word Podcast 122 - with Idris Elba

Fraser Lewry, Andrew Harrison and David Hepworth take the pod to meet the man you know as "The Wire"'s Stringer Bell and may soon know as Driis. Plus a report from last Friday's social, some reflections on the Word's One Hit Wonders Playlist and a discussion of what it's like to be with really, really good-looking people. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 25, 2010 • 52:59

Word Podcast 121 - Phil Smee, reissue man

Word Podcast 121 - Phil Smee, reissue man

Reissues consultant and designer Phil Smee joins us to talk about what records are *really* rare. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 22, 2010 • 1:02:19

Word Podcast 120 with Steve Lamacq

Word Podcast 120 with Steve Lamacq

Steve Lamacq joins us in the pod to improvise on a theme of indie. In a wide-ranging conversation we cover what it's like to listen to spend your Sunday afternoon listening to demos, have Richey Manic carve his arm in front of you, "discover" Coldplay, talk to the parents of 17-year-olds with stars in their eyes, hang about backstage and live on a diet of cider and crisps. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 12, 2010 • 1:04:49

Word Podcast 119 - The Christmas Special

Word Podcast 119 - The Christmas Special

David Hepworth, Andrew Harrison and Fraser Lewry on X Factor, The Thick of It, Porky Peckham, why vinyl should be French and the difference between real Christmas and Christmas according to pop records and TV shows. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 18, 2009 • 51:23

Word Podcast 118 - All about swearing

Word Podcast 118 - All about swearing

WARNING! THIS PODCAST CONCERNS SWEARING AND CONTAINS LOTS OF EXAMPLES. AVOID IF LIKELY TO OFFEND. Peter Silverton talks about his book "Filthy English" with Mark Ellen and David Hepworth. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 3, 2009 • 50:03

Word Podcast 117 with Mark Hagen

Word Podcast 117 with Mark Hagen

The man who puts together special music stuff for BBC radio and TV talks about how he gets what he wants and why he can't get all of it. With Mark Ellen and David Hepworth. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 24, 2009 • 59:43

Word Podcast 116

Word Podcast 116

Special guests Thomas Walsh and the guys from Pugwash/Duckworth Lewis Method join Mark Ellen and David Hepworth to talk about: cricket, taping The Move off Whistle Test, how U2 own Dublin and how the average musician has more chance of sleeping with Five Star than travelling five star. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 12, 2009 • 45:21

Word Podcast 115 with Danny Baker

Word Podcast 115 with Danny Baker

Danny Baker talks about touring with Ian Dury, record shopping with Elton John, when Virgin used to be above a shoe shop, the trick David Bowie uses to avoid answering questions, what happened when a salesman called on Viv Stanshall, the greater glory of King Crimson and the fallacy peddled by punk. Mark Ellen and David Hepworth listen. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 20, 2009 • 1:07:55

Word Podcast 114

Word Podcast 114

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry discuss Amy Winehouse's bosom problems, Carly Simon's pension and Bob Dylan's winter wonderland. Plus your questions answered. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 14, 2009 • 47:26

Word Podcast 113

Word Podcast 113

Andrew Harrison, Eamonn Forde and Fraser Lewry on Letterman, live albums, death metal, and why Lily Allen wins at the internet. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 7, 2009 • 34:48

Word Podcast 112 - the smell of record shops

Word Podcast 112 - the smell of record shops

David Hepworth, Rob Fitzpatrick and Fraser Lewry on the things they'll miss about record shops and the things they won't. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 17, 2009 • 1:03:56

Word podcast 111 (The Nelson)

Word podcast 111 (The Nelson)

In which Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry talk about: D-Day, the Gallagher family spat and the best place to get a rotary-valve flugelhorn. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 1, 2009 • 42:37

The Word Podcast is back from its holidays

The Word Podcast is back from its holidays

Mark Ellen, Barry McIlheney, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry on Annie Leibowitz's mortgage difficulties, Bob Dylan's wandering around New Jersey and all sorts of other things. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 20, 2009 • 47:55

Word Podcast 109

Word Podcast 109

Andrew Collins joins David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry to discuss our teenage TV crushes, classic cartoon images, what to do with an old VCR and what book not to take on a holiday in North Korea. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 30, 2009 • 51:18

Word Podcast 108

Word Podcast 108

The Mercury Music Prize shortlist: an enticing menu of thrilling new listening or the musical equivalent of geography homework? Eamonn Forde, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry exchange their prejudices about the shortlist, look at the effect that Twitter has had on the opening weekends of movies and wonder how we'd feel if we were confronted by the paparazzi. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 23, 2009 • 47:53

Podcast 107: College Ents Special

Podcast 107: College Ents Special

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and the real Andy Murray talk about the days when the big bands played colleges, why everybody's so obsessed with 1969 and the sheer strangeness of a 19 year old without a mobile. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 15, 2009 • 1:02:33

Podcast 106: At war with the iPod generation

Podcast 106: At war with the iPod generation

David Hepworth talks to Patrick Hennessey, the author of "The Junior Officers Reading Club: Killing Time And Fighting Wars". Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 13, 2009 • 29:19

Word Podcast 105

Word Podcast 105

David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry on the distractions of the Great Outdoors, the strange noises made by Australians and the agony of 24/7 sports coverage. Plus Amy Pickard reports from inside Michael Jackson's memorial service. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 9, 2009 • 36:34

Podcast 103: Paul Du Noyer on London's music

Podcast 103: Paul Du Noyer on London's music

To mark the publication of his book "In The City: A Celebration Of London Music" Paul du Noyer talks to David Hepworth about the ties that bind Marie Lloyd and Dizzee Rascal, the blues that came up from Richmond and the line from Gilbert & Sullivan to the Sex Pistols. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 1, 2009 • 39:36

The Word's Legendary Glastonburycast

The Word's Legendary Glastonburycast

Mark Ellen, Kate Mossman, Caitlin Moran, Andrew Harrison and Fraser Lewry report direct from Glastonbury 2009. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 27, 2009 • 28:35

Word Podcast 102

Word Podcast 102

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Barry McIlheney and Paul Du Noyer on: Father's Day, what to do if your daughter wants to be a bloke, the disappearance of local papers and that meeting at the BBC. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 16, 2009 • 48:53

Word Podcast 101

Word Podcast 101

David Hepworth, Fraser Lewry, Rob Fitzpatrick and Greg Milner, author of "Perfect Sound Forever", chew over: why Def Leppard records sound the way they do, how popular culture has got too popular, how to get back from Wembley on your bike during a tube strike and the trial and execution of Charles I. Recorded from Skype. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 12, 2009 • 46:44

Word Podcast 100

Word Podcast 100

Live from Abbey Road with Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Andrew Harrison, Kate Mossman and Fraser Lewry. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 3, 2009 • 1:00:50

Word Podcast 99: it's question time

Word Podcast 99: it's question time

We answer your questions (when is Rod Liddle's column starting?) and you answer ours (can any fictional hero talk about a record without sounding like a knob?). Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 28, 2009 • 42:23

Word Podcast 98: talking Monkey Tennis

Word Podcast 98: talking Monkey Tennis

David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry are joined by Word's TV critic Barry McIlheney and TV producer Aris Roussinos to talk about why popular TV is the way it is. Plus: why albums are so-called, Fraser's sacred harp singing weekend and how *you* can be on our 100th podcast. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 20, 2009 • 41:08

Word Podcast 97

Word Podcast 97

Andrew Harrison, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry on: the relationship between reggae and specialty meats, the return of Danny Baker to 5Live, the 2008/9 season's best clichés and more bands who were just a laugh; plus a bonus Motown shopcast. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 12, 2009 • 58:18

Word Podcast 96

Word Podcast 96

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry on: customised gigs, the last music news man and the cost of Brewers Droop in 1975. Plus special preview of the Kinks Shopcast. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 5, 2009 • 58:22

Word Podcast 95

Word Podcast 95

David Hepworth, Jude Rogers, Eamonn Forde and Fraser Lewry take the Bob Dylan argument into extra time. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 28, 2009 • 57:25

Word Podcast 94

Word Podcast 94

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry provide a warm hand on Peter O'Toole's entrance, discuss the challenges of karaoke, the stupid things boys do and whether Morrissey should just get over it. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 21, 2009 • 53:08

Word Podcast 93

Word Podcast 93

David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry run a skeleton service during the holiday period. Includes: your letters, Hair Metal and, girls, what men are really thinking about. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 8, 2009 • 38:45

Word Podcast 92: happy birthday, 45

Word Podcast 92: happy birthday, 45

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Kate Mossman pick at random from a bag o' wax, wonder whether Sting has lost his looks and answer readers tropical fish questions. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 2, 2009 • 39:35

Word Podcast 91

Word Podcast 91

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry on: forming bands in Stoke Newington, the reunion of Spandau Ballet, people who can sing and people who can't plus a plug for Luke Haines' book. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 27, 2009 • 43:16

Word Podcast 90 - St Patrick's Day Special

Word Podcast 90 - St Patrick's Day Special

Barry McIlheney joins Andrew Harrison and David Hepworth to talk about the marketing of irishness, the triumphs and embarrassments of Comic Relief, what we would do with Mick Jones's lock-up and your memorable examples of onstage bad behaviour. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 17, 2009 • 43:03

Word Podcast 89

Word Podcast 89

Kate Mossman, Mark Ellen and David Hepworth on: reviewing albums, what we really think of the BBC, getting obsessed with Bob Dylan and Glenn Campbell, visiting the Decemberists and what not to do in a snowstorm. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 9, 2009 • 44:08

Word Podcast 88

Word Podcast 88

Andrew Collins, Mark Ellen and David Hepworth on: Neil Young's car, U2 getting the BBC into bed, the future of the album review, the only sensible way to set the prices of concert tickets, the most uncalled-for reprises in entertainment history and the sheer pointlessness of roof-top concerts. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 3, 2009 • 56:35

Word Podcast 87

Word Podcast 87

Special podcast in which David Hepworth and Fraser Lewry talk to our music business specialist Eamonn Forde about how 2009's winds of change will affect you, the music fan. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 24, 2009 • 46:33

Word Podcast 86

Word Podcast 86

Mark Ellen and David Hepworth welcome Barry Mcilheney to discuss the largest gathering of men over 35 since the AGM of Fathers For Justice, Van Morrison's spectacular new teeth and lots more. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 17, 2009 • 38:20

Word Podcast 85

Word Podcast 85

Mark Ellen and David Hepworth listen spellbound as Andrew Harrison explains Spotify, Twitter and other contemporary marvels. Plus, instrumental filler tracks padding out albums and what we can all learn from Christian Bale and Pilot Sully. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 10, 2009 • 33:32

Word Magazine Podcast 84

Word Magazine Podcast 84

In which Mark Ellen, Matt Hall and David Hepworth revisit the Editor's mauling at the hands of Alvin "Get Some" Stardust, pick over the Radio Two Folk Awards and predict a comeback for the package tour. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 3, 2009 • 35:04

Word Podcast 83 -  remember Diamond White?

Word Podcast 83 - remember Diamond White?

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall on: Diamond White and the other poisons we used to take; Aretha Franklin's unfortunate way of chopping words into syllables; Kenneth Williams lavatory and other important issues. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 23, 2009 • 40:20

Word Podcast 82 - Amy loses a contact lens

Word Podcast 82 - Amy loses a contact lens

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall on the history of applause, the lonesome death of William Zantzinger and the remaking of Minder. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 16, 2009 • 47:42

Word Podcast 81

Word Podcast 81

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall treat an enthralled nation to the details of what they did on Christmas Day, how they wish they had a Christmas like Paul Weller's, Gwyneth Paltrow's top diet tips, a key lesson about parenthood, whether we would buy insurance from Iggy Pop and the things that the British are good at apart from soldiering, tailoring and character acting. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 7, 2009 • 43:57

The Word's Hidden Track

The Word's Hidden Track

Editor Mark Ellen and his ukulele make late bid for Christmas number one. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 30, 2008 • 1:24

The Word Christmas Podcast 2008

The Word Christmas Podcast 2008

This brief 'cast was recorded live at the office Christmas Party and features members of the editorial team revealing what was in Secret Santa's sack. Merry Christmas. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 23, 2008 • 5:03

The 80th Birthday of the Word Podcast

The 80th Birthday of the Word Podcast

In honour of which David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Matt Hall mislay their glasses, lose their train of thought, repeat themselves and let the irascible side of their natures rip. This podcast is also known as "do you want a biscuit?" Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 17, 2008 • 39:43

Word Podcast 78

Word Podcast 78

David Hepworth, Andrew Harrison and Matt Hall on: why Jerry Dammers is not joining the Specials reunion and what you should watch after "The Wire". Plus Arwa Haider on learning about Britain through 70s sitcoms. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 11, 2008 • 37:07

Word Podcast 78

Word Podcast 78

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall on: Brian Eno's acapella evenings, the magic of song titles and a solution to the problem of chattering punters. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 3, 2008 • 39:29

Word Podcast 77

Word Podcast 77

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall welcome Jude Rogers to talk about: Michael Jackson's bank account, how monkeys talk, what Bono is buying Brian Eno for Christmas, the startling mediocrity of Simon Cowell and what it's like to share an elevator with Bubbles. This podcast features a cameo appearance from Janet with some toast. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 26, 2008 • 44:21

Word Podcast 76

Word Podcast 76

David Hepworth, Barry Mclheney and Matt Hall on Big Bill Broonzy in Belfast, the year 1972 in gigs, Brian Eno and the Singing Postman, Kanye West versus Leonard Cohen at the O2, your thoughts on Prog, the Enid at the Marquee, Reg Varney's real claim to fame, what Martina Navratilova is doing on "I'm A Celebrity...", the dirty secret of Stephen Fry's cab and finally have a guess how much money big TV stars are getting paid. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m

Nov 20, 2008 • 50:09

Word Podcast 75

Word Podcast 75

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall on listening to Prog Rock in your living room, the late Mitch Mitchell, the people who have strangely not been given a Brit and boiling an egg on the San Andreas fault. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 14, 2008 • 45:34

Word Podcast 74

Word Podcast 74

David Hepworth, Rob Fitzpatrick and Matt Hall on: what's going to happen at Obama's inauguration, what it's like to "jam" with Earl Slick and how to get from 1 to 106 in band names. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 6, 2008 • 43:26

Word Podcast 73

Word Podcast 73

Andrew Collins, Mark Ellen and Matt Hall on Manuelgate, the search for a band whose name contains every number between 1 and 100 and more. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 29, 2008 • 40:36

Word Podcast 72

Word Podcast 72

David Hepworth and Matt Hall with Jonathon Green, the editor of the Chambers Dictionary of Slang. If you think you might be in any way offended by the ripeness of the language used in this podcast, please don't listen. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 24, 2008 • 53:34

Word podcast 71

Word podcast 71

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall on: why Ringo won't sign, how to pass yourself off in the Mob, premiership footballers who look like characters in "The Wire", members of bands who did nothing and Graeme Thomson's book about death in popular song. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 16, 2008 • 59:25

Word Podcast 70

Word Podcast 70

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall read your mail re: quadraphonic, eight-track, Hollywood stars using cheap hair colour and the dumbest things in entertainment. Plus: how Peter Mandelson got out of listening to one of Mark Ellen's stories. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 9, 2008 • 47:57

Podcast 69

Podcast 69

David Hepworth, Andrew Harrison and Matt Hall on: sons and daughters of Grantham, the madness of the eight-track tape, great local radio disasters, the joy of hearing unmixed session recordings and the morality of forcing a senior citizen to listen to Ten Years After. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 2, 2008 • 50:14

Word Podcast 68

Word Podcast 68

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall on Rick Wright and other musicians who didn't get their fair share of credit, a brilliant TV film about pre-adolescent heavy metal and Mark's early adventures as a pop video extra. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 18, 2008 • 49:22

Word Podcast 67

Word Podcast 67

David Hepworth, Andrew Harrison and Matt Hall attempt to define music, ponder the rights and wrongs of pop music at funerals and wonder whether all fans are nutcases. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 9, 2008 • 47:59

Word Podcast 66

Word Podcast 66

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall report on their holidays, remember the Olympics and wonder about the connections between the Beatles and the Space Race. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 2, 2008 • 52:48

Word podcast 65

Word podcast 65

In which the "Indie Professor", Dr Wendy Fonarow, talks to David Hepworth and Matt Hall about "audience zones", guest list checking, backstage pass-wearing and many other aspects of the highly ritualised world of indie. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 1, 2008 • 45:46

Word Podcast 64

Word Podcast 64

Martin Fry joins Mark Ellen and David Hepworth to talk about 80s production techniques, the bitter antipathy in the "Top Of The Pops" Green Room back in the day, his new album "Traffic" and who exactly he should expect to meet when his wife takes him to the Cartier Polo this weekend. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 23, 2008 • 41:32

Word Podcast 63 - Two Drummers Chatting

Word Podcast 63 - Two Drummers Chatting

David Hepworth talks to Mathew Priest from Dodgy and Maurice Bacon from the Love Affair about their plans to right ancient wrongs on behalf of the drumming fraternity. Warning: contains paradiddles.http://www.twodrummers.com/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 15, 2008 • 44:26

Word Podcast 62

Word Podcast 62

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall on new rules for festivals, the wonders of the Album Cover Atlas, ideas for the Hard Rock Park and the slight return of the HORA Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 9, 2008 • 42:43

Glastonbury Podcast! with extra crackle!

Glastonbury Podcast! with extra crackle!

Andrew Harrison, Kate Mossman, Mark Ellen and Caitlin Moran report from the site. They're having a good time so listen round the crackle. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 28, 2008 • 24:18

Word Podcast 60

Word Podcast 60

David Hepworth, Matt Hall and Rob Fitzpatrick on what Google has done to our memories, having your picture taken with a rock star, lunchtime showcases in strip clubs, being up to here with Stuff, why we don't want the bonus track and naming streets after rock stars. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 25, 2008 • 44:48

Word Podcast 59

Word Podcast 59

In which Mark Ellen, Andrew Harrison and Matt Hall talk about Chris Martin's interview flounce, how girls can make any instrument attractive, how you can't retire in pop, the disappearance of John Deacon and Dostoevsky in pop. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 18, 2008 • 33:38

Word Podcast 58

Word Podcast 58

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall on the smallest groups in rock, musical ringtones, Bob Dylan's paintings and the nightmare of broken broadband.www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 11, 2008 • 43:10

Word Podcast 57

Word Podcast 57

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall on how the late, great Bo Diddley invented rock and roll, soul legends living in British provincial towns, Amy Winehouse's embarrassment in Rio and the more controversial lyrics of Rolf Harris. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 3, 2008 • 47:51

Word Podcast 56

Word Podcast 56

David Hepworth, Paul Du Noyer, Rob Fitzpatrick and Matt Hall on the great Eurovision debate, the inventor of the mobile disco and the great days of Woolworths. Plus Ron and Russell Mael talk to Andrew Harrison about the challenges of doing "a season" of your own work. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 28, 2008 • 58:02

Word Podcast 55

Word Podcast 55

Mark Vidler of Go Home Productions lets us in on the secrets of the mash-up; Andrew Harrison, Matt Hall and David Hepworth discuss Paul Weller and private education, the Amy Winemouse video and the bizarre things we found on YouTube. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 19, 2008 • 47:22

Word Podcast 54

Word Podcast 54

Kate Mossman reports back from the N'awlins Jazz and Heritage Festival, Hugh Phillimore of Cornbury explains why you wouldn't want to run your own festival and Mark Ellen is left reeling after a close encounter with Jonathan Richman. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 14, 2008 • 31:24

Word Podcast 53

Word Podcast 53

In which Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Andrew Harrison and Matt Hall discuss the impossibilty of bad behaviour in the age of the phonecam, truly anal ways of cataloguing your records, the real reason that actors don't come out in Hollywood and Andrew's Radiohead feature.www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 7, 2008 • 51:15

Word Podcast 52

Word Podcast 52

Clare Grogan joins David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Matt Hall to talk about: what it's like to be inside a cake on stage at Wembley, the sad loss of Humphrey Lyttelton, what the stagehands thought of Tommy Steele and what to do if your daughter says "Daddy work, Mummy wine". Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 29, 2008 • 46:42

The Word Podcast 51

The Word Podcast 51

Andrew Collins, David Hepworth, Matt Hall and Fraser Lewry on being a heavy metal teenager, the magic of "Gavin and Stacey", hacking Mark Ellen's Wikipedia entry and how to see 50 species of bird in a day. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 23, 2008 • 46:26

Word Podcast number 50!

Word Podcast number 50!

In which David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Matt Hall discuss Wikipedia with Steve Bowbrick. Plus rock stars who look like old lesbians, Bjork live and the Chinese representative at the World Music Awards. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 16, 2008 • 46:10

Word Podcast 49

Word Podcast 49

The things Arthur Brown could do with the brazier on his head, the genius of "Gavin & Stacey", the prissiness of indieboys and the sexual discoveries of James Brown - all chewed over by Jude Rogers, Mark Ellen, Matt Hall and David Hepworth.www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 8, 2008 • 47:05

Word Podcast 48

Word Podcast 48

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall talks about the ticketing controversy with writer James Medd and Joe Cohen of seatwave.com; the squad system of rock bands; the inaccurate chording of Keith Richards; the God-like genius of Bernard Cribbins; the correct spelling of Shakespear's Sister; and the hunting and gathering role of Digital Dad. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 1, 2008 • 47:11

Word Podcast 47

Word Podcast 47

Danny Goffey and Gaz Coombes of Supergrass talk to Mark Ellen and David Hepworth on the eve of the release of "Diamond Hoo Ha". Includes: the difference between busking and begging, the importance of a right hand man and studios you can only get to by boat. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 25, 2008 • 39:13

Word Podcast 46

Word Podcast 46

In which David Hepworth. Matt Hall and Mark Ellen are joined by Chris Difford to talk about DJ-ing in pubs, tunes on TV ads, songwriting summer schools, the new Word tee shirts and "The Last Temptation Of Chris".www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 19, 2008 • 53:52

Word Weekly 45

Word Weekly 45

In which Mark Ellen and Rob Fitzpatrick talk to John Niven about the vicious, mad world of the a&r man as depicted in his new book "Kill Your Friends". Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 11, 2008 • 31:16

Word Weekly 44

Word Weekly 44

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Kate Mossman and Matt Hall argue about whether you need to listen to records to review them and tell some brilliant jokes. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 3, 2008 • 54:25

Word Podcast 43

Word Podcast 43

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Matt Hall and Tom Whitwell explore the secrets of the click track, Autotune and Pro Tools to work out why records sound the way they do, talk about the groups they thought would make it but didn't and tell the one about the dead man who helped Madonna write a hit. www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 26, 2008 • 52:19

Word Podcast 42 (the Brits)

Word Podcast 42 (the Brits)

9.30 the morning after the Brits - Mark Ellen, Andrew Harrison and Rob Fitzpatrick take apart the annual prize giving. Contains strong feelings. www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 21, 2008 • 32:53

Word podcast 41

Word podcast 41

In which Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall invite their country cousin John Naughton to speculate about why people insist on shooting pop records into space, which was the swearingest show in TV history and what it's like to take a rock star out for dinner on Valentine's Day.www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 13, 2008 • 49:50

Word podcast 40

Word podcast 40

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen, Matt Hall and Rob Fitzpatrick on tidy beards in show business, the Great Steve Harley Speech incident, John Martyn's powerful thirst and Phil Collins and the interior decorator. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 7, 2008 • 52:39

Word Podcast 39

Word Podcast 39

Andrew Harrison, Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Matt Hall talk about Morrissey's throat and the death of celebrity, the pioneering days of the UB40 fan club, the irritating sound of Alex James first thing in the morning and why rock stars can't make speeches.www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 31, 2008 • 51:40

Word Podcast 38

Word Podcast 38

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Rob Fitzpatrick and Matt Hall discuss the record players their parents had, white men in reggae, old codgers in bands and Wreckless Eric's only item of furniture. www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 24, 2008 • 53:31

The Word Weekly Podcast 37

The Word Weekly Podcast 37

Mark Ellen, Andrew Collins, Matt Hall and David Hepworth talk about the future of EMI, the merchandising of books and disguising yourself as a member of Carter USM in order to gain sexual favours - after necking half a can of an energy drink. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 16, 2008 • 48:35

Word Weekly Podcast 36

Word Weekly Podcast 36

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Matt Hall and Trevor Dann on Elvis's birthday, Michael Jackson at Fulham and why radio plays the music it does.www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 9, 2008 • 47:18

The best of the HORA

The best of the HORA

Like everybody else we fill up our New Year's schedules with repeats: here we present a handful of our favourite apocryphal rock anecdotes, featuring Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Elton and more.www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 30, 2007 • 35:20

Live from the Word office party!

Live from the Word office party!

The only media organisation to podcast on Christmas Day brings you this brief, alcohol-laced missive from the Word Christmas party. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 24, 2007 • 7:56

Word Weekly 33

Word Weekly 33

In which Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Barry McIlheney and Matt Hall prepare for Christmas. What it's like to be on the front row, why short people can't win at gigs and why it's a mistake to dance to a drum solo. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 21, 2007 • 31:02

Zepcast (Word Weekly Podcast #32)

Zepcast (Word Weekly Podcast #32)

It's the Zepcast!Our man Mark Ellen wetfoots it back from the O2 to deliver every last detail of what was really going on when Led Zeppelin played the most anticipated gig of the year. How they got on stage, what they were wearing, what they played, how they played it, what it all meant, what they're likely to do next and what Liam Gallagher thought of it. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 11, 2007 • 39:40

Word Weekly 31

Word Weekly 31

Mark Ellen, Matt Hall, David Hepworth and special guest Jim White discuss what DVD's the Word reader might like for Christmas, how not to enjoy the hospitality on an Easyjet, and where to go clubbing in Mali.www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 6, 2007 • 55:26

Word Weekly 30

Word Weekly 30

From "...Englishmen giggling..." to "...he operated a crow...", encompassing Amy Winehouse, the mysterious ukulele fiends of old London town and a man who took miming to insane lengths. With David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Matt Hall. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 27, 2007 • 47:26

Word Weekly 29

Word Weekly 29

Mark Ellen, Matt Hall, Andrew Harrison and David Hepworth 'fess up about miming to records in their bedrooms, ponder the magical ability of rock stars to regrow their hair, and wonder if gigs should have a 'clapping section'. www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 20, 2007 • 44:46

Word Weekly 28

Word Weekly 28

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Matt Hall and Paul Du Noyer talk ukuleles once more, piano players who are only loved by their mothers, and why you should never roadie for Budgie.www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 13, 2007 • 47:06

Word Weekly 27

Word Weekly 27

Ukulele action from Ellen, together with loads of stuff from the boards, and memories of seedy rented accommodation in north London sometime in the early seventies. To find out more go to www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 6, 2007 • 43:38

Word Weekly 26

Word Weekly 26

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen, Andrew Harrison and Matt Hall on goats for Christmas, why the kids do need an education actually, and is TV the new rock n' roll? www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 31, 2007 • 42:46

Word Weekly 25

Word Weekly 25

David, Mark, Rob and Matt discuss Ronnie Wood's autobiography, a rock 'What If?' and why Blind Faith wouldn't be welcome in our brave new world.www.wordmagazine.co.uk Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 23, 2007 • 44:37

Word Weekly 24

Word Weekly 24

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen, Andrew Collins and Matt Hall discuss Kenny Rogers's effect on the English rugby team, great live introductions and the one about Primal Scream and Luton Airport. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 17, 2007 • 54:43

Word Weekly 23

Word Weekly 23

Brought to you in association with Ikon Films release "Once". Tell us which Irish band the film's star Glen Hansard is associated with and which song you never wish to hear from a busker again and the Gibson Epiphone guitar that Mark Ellen is "playing" can be yours. Answers to - competition@wordmagazine.co.uk. Details at www.wordmagazine.co.uk/once Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 9, 2007 • 48:24

Word Weekly 22

Word Weekly 22

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Andrew Harrison on how not to DJ at a party, how much to pay for a Radiohead album and the saddest life in the history of pop. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 2, 2007 • 39:30

Word Weekly 21

Word Weekly 21

In which David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Rob Fitzpatrick talk James Brown's will, Eric Clapton's autobiography and Ozzy Osbourne's chickens. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 26, 2007 • 46:50

Word Weekly 20

Word Weekly 20

In which Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Andrew Harrison read their fanmail and design their ideal record shop. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 20, 2007 • 52:59

Word Weekly 19

Word Weekly 19

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Jude Rogers ask 'what was Britney Spears doing?' at the VMA awards, continue collating the definitive list of records to clear a room, and hear a testimonial from a reader in Scotland explaining how the podcast banishes the worst of heebie jeebies. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 12, 2007 • 37:23

Word Weekly 18

Word Weekly 18

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Matt Hall on unlistenable records, the enduring appeal of bootlegs and why the Rolling Stones should get a MOBO Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 6, 2007 • 49:44

Wordcast Best Of #1

Wordcast Best Of #1

Less a repeat, more a chance to meet up with old friends, and hopefully some new ones you missed first time round. Includes evidence of a worrying obsession with Jeremy Clarkeson, instructions on what not to do when swimming with sharks, and Mark Ellen's not very successful dinner date with Chrissie Hynde. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 26, 2007 • 34:59

The Word Weekly 17

The Word Weekly 17

In which David Hepworth, Rob Fitzpatrick and Matt Hall discuss the passing of Tony Wilson, the crap groups you like and the good ones you don't. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 22, 2007 • 45:22

Word Weekly 16

Word Weekly 16

David Hepworth and Mark Ellen talk to Jim Irvin, who reports back from what could be the most disastrous live show in the history of pop Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 6, 2007 • 42:18

Word Weekly 15

Word Weekly 15

Brought to you in association with the Rolling Stones "Biggest Bang" DVD, Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Paul Du Noyer discuss Charlie Watts's sock drawer, the least promising names for a rock star and the story of Van Morrison and the level crossing. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 1, 2007 • 45:20

Word Weekly 14

Word Weekly 14

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Barry McIlheney on double acts, rock oxymorons and the liberties that TV producers take Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 17, 2007 • 44:42

Word Weekly 13

Word Weekly 13

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Rob Fitzpatrick lounge around at Cornbury and raise a cinnamon twist to the memory of George Melly. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 9, 2007 • 41:54

Word Weekly 12

Word Weekly 12

David Hepworth and Mark Ellen are joined by Andrew Collins to talk about the Concert for Diana, Prince's plan to give away his new album and the strange thing about the Spice Girls reunion. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 4, 2007 • 46:08

Word Weekly 11

Word Weekly 11

Glastonbury special with Mark Ellen, Andrew Harrison and Jude Rogers reporting from the site while David Hepworth stays in the dry and wonders about Big Gigs Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 25, 2007 • 19:19

Word Weekly 10

Word Weekly 10

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth & Andrew Harrison contemplate George Michael's piano, famous people that we didn't recognise and the one about the rock star and the paté de foie gras. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 18, 2007 • 43:37

Word Weekly 9

Word Weekly 9

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Rob Fitzpatrick talk about the man we call Laughing Len, what makes a great rock and roll venues and one man's terrible Elvis Costello faux pas. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 12, 2007 • 39:41

Word Weekly 8

Word Weekly 8

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Andrew Harrison on Paris Hilton in chokey, DJs who pretend to play records, movie stars who can't sing and rock stars who can't act. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 5, 2007 • 37:44

Word Weekly 7

Word Weekly 7

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Jude Rogers sing the praises of vinyl, talk about failed comebacks and the etiquette of demo tapes while Nick Lowe is our first guest anecdotist. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 30, 2007 • 55:12

Word Weekly 6

Word Weekly 6

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Andrew Harrison see if they've got enough dosh to by EMI and contemplate the most expensive gig in the history of the world Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 24, 2007 • 46:31

Word Weekly 5

Word Weekly 5

Mark Ellen and David Hepworth talk to Trevor Dann about what - if anything - is the matter with music radio Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 15, 2007 • 27:27

Word Weekly 4

Word Weekly 4

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, Rob Fitzpatrick and Kerry Shale on Prince's curious plans for the Millennium Dome, the indecipherable Bob Dylan and the strange things boys do to pay tribute to their favourites. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 9, 2007 • 27:07

Word Podcast 3

Word Podcast 3

Neil Aspinall's extraordinary life with the Beatles, Rock Stars Kids and the story about Elton and the parachutists Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 2, 2007 • 30:06

Word Weekly 2

Word Weekly 2

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and Andrew Harrison on great rock names, the strange tale of Van Morrison's harmonica and why Live Earth will not end global warming Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 25, 2007 • 21:01

Word Weekly Podcast 1

Word Weekly Podcast 1

In the first weekly podcast from The Word, Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Andrew Harrison discuss summer festivals, the worst rock hacks' clichés and Mark talks about what it's like to deal with Phil Spector. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 18, 2007 • 24:24

One-two-cast

One-two-cast

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Rob Fitzpatrick discuss the best and worst ways to start a show Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 7, 2007 • 28:59

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