Best Andy Partridge Podcasts (2025)

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UK Subs’ Charlie Harper (81) has served 50 years in the punk wars. Give this man a medal! 32:43

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17h ago32:43

32:43

UK Subs formed in 1976 when Charlie Harper was 32. They’ve had over 80 members, some of whom he can’t remember. They never split up and are touring in 2026 to celebrate his 82nd birthday. “I vowed I’d keep playing as long at the Stones - which I’m now starting to regret!” After 50 years on the punk frontline, he’s the first to see the humour in goi…

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Fairytale of New York's full story & the imperishable genius of Steve Cropper 54:20

1d ago54:20

54:20

The boys of the NYPD choir are still singing Galway Bay, so pour yourself a measure of the Rare Old Mountain Dew and warm your toes on the following … … Steve Lillywhite (in Bali!) remembers making Fairytale Of New York and how “a fiery redhead” kicked the Chrissie Hynde duet into touch … the most recent singer-songwriter you could call “a ledge”? …

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XTC's Wasp Star at 25 1:31:36

4d ago1:31:36

1:31:36

Twenty-five years after its release, Wasp Star remains XTC’s final statement. So how does the album stand up? Is it underrated? Is it neglected? Is it eclipsed by Apple Venus? And is it in need of some more love? In this month’s episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, we head to the west of Scotland where Glasgow-based XTC fans Ste…

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The Beatles versus Capitol Records and ‘the greatest marketing hype in history’ 47:26

6d ago47:26

47:26

In 1963, Capitol Records considered the Beatles “a band who looked and sounded weird with an odd name and no leader” and refused to release their records in America, despite being owned by EMI. As author Andrew Cook points out, “the truth is stranger than fiction”. New correspondence unearthed in his fascinating Capitol Gains maps out the tortuous …

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The Undertones are 50! And no-one’s more amazed than Damian O’Neill 34:13

7d ago34:13

34:13

Glorious news! The Undertones, dependable symbols of eternal youth, are setting out on a 50th anniversary tour in 2026, still playing Teenage Kicks and Here Comes the Summer in their mid-60s. Damian O’Neill joined when he was 14 and can’t believe it either. He looks back here at … … their first gig in a scout hall - “Feargal was a Scout leader!” - …

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Jimmy Cliff, unseen Beatles and the greatest bassline on record! 1:03:41

8d ago1:03:41

1:03:41

Twenty pounds of headlines plus rants, theories and the odd slice of old hokum: served hot. Which this week involves … … Jimmy Cliff and how his versatility worked against him … the Conjuror? Eyeball Tickler? The Concert in the Egg? Hieronymus Bosch painting or late-period Oasis B-side? … Motown, Jacksons, Beatles, Chili Peppers? What’s the greates…

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Boo Hewerdine’s funny and alarming account of real life on the road 34:11

13d ago34:11

34:11

Boo Hewerdine, beloved singer-songwriter, has been onstage for 40 years in venues of every type, shape and size. He thinks of himself as a “tradesman”, a world that’s immensely satisfying but a tough call. This very funny, poignant podcast paints a vivid picture of the best and worst of times. Which include … … playing scout huts, libraries, church…

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Legendary duos who met by chance, RIP Mani & ironing to gangsta rap 59:09

16d ago59:09

59:09

News, rants, theories and curios which this week includes …. … how Mani made the Stone Roses swing … Mick & Keith, Meg & Jack, Hall & Oates, Neil & Chris … ‘Sliding Doors’ encounters that changed the landscape … the glorious sound of profanity on records! … what makes you a legend in county music? … the subtle genius of Nicky Hopkins’ session work …

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Kula Shaker’s Crispian Mills had a colourful childhood 38:14

20d ago38:14

38:14

Crispian Mills knew he’d be onstage as he’s from a “family of professional show-offs” but they begged him not to be an actor. He talks here about his extraordinary showbusiness childhood and the band that emerged from it full of psychedelia, echoes of the East and warm invitations to join the First Congregational Church of Eternal Love and Free Hug…

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The Beach Boys’ story gets more tangled by the minute 36:29

21d ago36:29

36:29

“All bands are sad stories,” Peter Doggett points out, but is there a more woven, moving and, at times, farcical tale than that of the Beach Boys? It gives the sound of them a greater melancholy and resonance with every passing year. As his fascinating new book Surf’s Up reveals, nothing that happened is straightforward and very little as simple as…

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What makes a rock star a ‘ledge’ & the daft rituals of the ‘70s disco 50:39

23d ago50:39

50:39

Five decades of rock and roll with none of the names redacted. In the despatches this week … … Kevin Rowland? Adam Ant? Toyah? Morrissey? Which Smash Hits cover stars are now ‘legends’? … a classic encounter with Van Morrison down a Bristol alley … the boy who mailed dead rodents and Boomtown Rats singles to radio stations became Pope Leo XIV! … 25…

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Rock’s fascination with the Third Reich exposed by Daniel Rachel 35:59

25d ago35:59

35:59

Musicians have flirted with Nazi imagery since the ‘60s, lampooning its theatre, absorbing its style, exploiting its shock value, even promoting its ideology. Daniel Rachel’s new book ‘This Ain’t Rock ‘N’ Roll’ points up extraordinary examples – “from Tommy Steele to Kanye West” - and how our reaction intensified over the years. Which leads us to ……

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Paul Weller – ‘gloriously chippy’ – as seen by friends, family, fans and collaborators 34:45

26d ago34:45

34:45

Dan Jennings’ podcast ‘Desperately Seeking Paul’ is so successful he’s used 250 of the interviews in a best-selling oral history. ‘Dancing Through The Fire’ has voices from right across the spectrum – family members, band members, writers, pluggers, label bosses, collaborators and famous fans. He talks to us here about … … Weller’s real name and wh…

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#14 Sir Michael Palin (Monty Python) 42:07

27d ago42:07

42:07

The Without the Beatles project in which famous artists and creatives discuss the direct impact the Fab Four had on their careers, started back in 2012. One of the first people we interviewed was Michael Palin. He found fame in the 60s as a TV presenter, before going on to become a performer and writer with Do Not Adjust Your Set, then Monty Python…

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Did rave kill dancing in couples? Stars seen in strange places? 39:32

28d ago39:32

39:32

Marking our dance card at the rock and roll hop this week you’ll find … … And Then He Kissed Me, I Saw Her Standing There, Springsteen’s All The Way Home: songs about the theatre of dancing … is there a more influential sleeve than Patti Smith’s Horses? … did Dylan invent the box-set? … records you wish you liked … when the Beach Boys were so off t…

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#13 Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi) 49:38

29d ago49:38

49:38

In 2010 we kicked off the multi-decade Without the Beatles project, and were privileged to be invited out to LA, to Richie Sambora's home, for this interview. A few years later, in 2013, Richie quit Bon Jovi because of the pressures of touring. He said at the time that he couldn't cope with 18 month world tours, but in this interview he is still ve…

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#12 Andy Partridge (XTC) 43:54

1M ago43:54

43:54

It was such a pleasure to interview Andy Partridge of XTC for Without the Beatles - the documentary back in 2012 - when the world was a very different place. Unfortunately, because of an error on my part the documentary never saw the light of day, but now that podcasts are a thing - ours in particular - it's worth putting out Andy's interview. As u…

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#11 Chris White (The Zombies) 1:05:49

1M ago1:05:49

1:05:49

The Beatles famously paved the way for the British Invasion of America after their success in 1964. One of the bands that followed in their wake was The Zombies. Although they hit in the UK too, America has always been the place they did best, and they are still thought of more highly there to this day. Chris White was the bassist and, with Rod Arg…

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XTC and the Dukes of Stratosphear with Ian Gregory, aka EIEI Owen 51:23

1M ago51:23

51:23

In this month’s episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast we return to the 2025 XTC Fan Festival to hear Ian Gregory who, under the pseudonym of EIEI Owen, was the drummer in XTC’s psychedelic alter ego the Dukes of Stratosphear. He is also the brother of Dave Gregory. What Do You Call that Noise? The XTC Podcast is sponsored by Burni…

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David Bowie and why we need him more than ever. Paul Morley looks back in wonder 30:04

1M ago30:04

30:04

David Bowie’s significance just keeps expanding and the look and sound of him never age. Paul Morley has been gripped from the start and his new book ‘Far Above The World’ explores the many reasons why. These among them … … Labyrinth, YouTube and the new ways people discover Bowie … why he’s a figurehead of a vanishing world … dressing up for radio…

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‘Bob Dylan is my father’ - and why Sam Sussman is convinced it’s true. 27:02

1M ago27:02

27:02

Sam Sussman’s mother Fran had a year-long love affair with Dylan when he was working on Blood on the Tracks – she’s mentioned in Tangled Up In Blue – and they met again in 1990. What she told him about that relationship is mapped out in the book he’s just written, Boy From the North Country, along with the firm belief that he’s Dylan’s son. Imagine…

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Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey had a ‘manifesto for success’. Here’s how it worked 34:38

1M ago34:38

34:38

Tom Bailey’s been based in New Zealand for the last 30 years, making records, DJing and avoiding British winters. He tours the UK in 2026 playing the Thompson Twins’ greatest hits and looks back here from Auckland at the first shows he ever saw and played, all this high in the mix … ... dance music and the British Invasion of America … the inspirin…

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Cowbells, maracas, gongs, castanets – classic percussion parts demonstrated! 45:48

1M ago45:48

45:48

The raw ingredients of this week’s news gently diced, simmered and served as a nutritious broth. And flavoured with the following … … why Lily Allen’s divorce album doubled the value of her house … how can you play real living people as fundamentally bad after Steve Coogan’s ‘Lost King’ court case? … the cowbell on Honky Tonk Women, the guiro on Gi…

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The Smiths’ Mike Joyce on triumph, gladioli & Morrissey when he was still ‘Steve’ 41:56

1M ago41:56

41:56

Morrissey and Marr both wrote memoirs but Mike Joyce hasn’t read either, preferring to publish ‘The Drums’, his version of one of the great success stories of the ‘80s, a book about “the beauty we’d given to people – and to ourselves”. At one point he and Andy Rourke shout, ‘Where did it all go right?”. He looks back here at … … the fateful meeting…

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Records that sound unique and why all bands need a backlash 47:11

1M ago47:11

47:11

Boarding this week’s giddy carousel of news, we ride the following ponies … … the Sliding Doors moment that made a ‘50s star a fortune … Soft Cell’s Dave Ball and the art of being the Other One in a pop duo … Bohemian Rhapsody, O Superman, I Feel Fine: records that sounded like nothing before them … what links the Prodigy, Wet Leg, Daft Punk and Do…

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Paul Young – “Big in the ‘80s! What lucky bastards we were!’ 34:59

1M ago34:59

34:59

Paul Young was the bassist in a pub band playing Led Zeppelin and Patto covers ‘til his solo soul and blues slot launched him as a singer. He’s still touring nearly 50 years later, just back from filling Mexican stadiums with Rod Stewart. And next May launching his acoustic ‘Songs & Stories Tour’ in theatres, intercut with film clips and hoary old …

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Billy Bragg – 40 years, 2,700 gigs and what he learnt from Taylor Swift 34:38

2M ago34:38

34:38

‘Billy Bragg: A People’s History’ is just out, a new and wholly original kind of memoir written by himself, friends, collaborators and fans, and packed with old snapshots, concert bills, reviews and ephemera. It’s very good indeed. He looks back here with us at … … meeting Taylor Swift – “and we both knew who the other was!” … a total of 2,700 gigs…

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Mark Kermode tells us stories about music in movies 40:41

2M ago40:41

40:41

The Graduate, Trainspotting, Jaws, Star Wars, Citizen Kane – films you can’t picture without thinking of the music. Mark Kermode has been gripped by the marriage of movie and soundtrack since Dougal and the Blue Cat (aged 6) and, with Jenny Nelson, has just published ‘Surround Sound: the Stories of Movie Music’. We talk to him here about… … Scorses…

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How many bands can you name every member of? 48:30

2M ago48:30

48:30

This week’s news put through the wringer and hung out to dry. On the line you’ll find … … Taylor Swift and Ophelia and other things pop videos turned into tourist attractions … the appeal of D’Angelo’s Voodoo: “he made albums with no disdain for the listener” …. David Hepworth and “the single most exciting thing that ever happened to me in my entir…

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The Zombies’ Colin Blunstone – a psychedelic showpiece then ‘washed up’ aged 21 36:59

2M ago36:59

36:59

The Zombies formed before the Stones and had huge hits with She’s Not There and Time Of The Season. Their baroque masterpiece Odessey and Oracle now gets ranked beside Revolver and Pet Sounds. Colin Blunstone has a solo tour in 2026 and looks back here in his wood-panelled den at the first shows he played, the people he met and being No 1 in Americ…

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Led Zeppelin’s fight for attention and how they fudged their backstory 39:42

2M ago39:42

39:42

This lavish, beautifully designed collection of late ‘60s news stories, reviews and press clippings sheds new light on the band’s roots and ascent from the days when the Kidderminster Shuttle would spell their name wrong and print their parents’ address. Richard Morton Jack, author and compiler of ‘Led Zeppelin: The Only Way To Fly’, looks back her…

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Stones, Blondie, Iggy and songs that make a movie & why we loved Diane Keaton 54:06

2M ago54:06

54:06

Shifting the pass-the-parcel of news and removing the wrapping when the music stops. Which this week happens here … … will rock bands get offered the Saudi money? … “there could be no British nightclubs in 2030” … Diane Keaton and why all men were besotted … the day Led Zeppelin played an Aqua Theatre for an audience swimming and in boats … “the op…

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Ringo and why the Beatles wouldn’t have worked without him 37:52

2M ago37:52

37:52

The look, sound, story and dynamic of the Beatles can’t be imagined without him. Nor can their success. Tom Doyle, author and drummer, examines the unexplored depths of the one at the back from 70 different angles, one per chapter, in his new memoir ‘Ringo: A Fab Life’ and talks to us here about …. … how he learnt to read by looking at his Dad’s Be…

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Rock stars we envy, Madonna as a sister-in-law & the British obsession with poshness 52:50

2M ago52:50

52:50

Steering the supercar of enquiry round the rock and roll racetrack with the occasional stop for a tyre change. Foot-to-floor moments this week include… … why are the British so hung up about posh pop stars? … the 10-second moment of his stage routine that Springsteen must find addictive … the flaming bra, the flying dress, the human horse: Lady Gag…

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Bowie, Boy George and the rise of the riotous Blitz club with Robert Elms 32:18

2M ago32:18

32:18

London’s Blitz club in 1980 had a huge impact on the way the decade looked and sounded, the launchpad for Boy George, Spandau Ballet, a new age of electro-pop and many writers, designers and photographers. The author and broadcaster Robert Elms was one of its cornerstones, “a place for people who’d outgrown the 20th Century”. We talk here about his…

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Hugh Padgham: working with XTC 1:18:04

2M ago1:18:04

1:18:04

In this month’s episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast we return to the 2025 XTC Fan Festival to hear engineer and producer Hugh Padgham remembering his work on Drums and Wires, Black Sea and English Settlement, not to mention his time with Brian Wilson, the Police, Phil Colins and many others. The episode also features a review by…

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The Prince story by 200 people who knew him - and John McKie 39:07

2M ago39:07

39:07

Prince’s commercial peak was Purple Rain but John McKie thinks Sign O’ The Times was his creative masterpiece and tracked down over 200 collaborators, girlfriends, “Prince whisperers”, assistants and admirers to piece together the story of its construction (without allowing himself to use the word “genius”). Which leads us up some colourful, spot-l…

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The three London kids who invented rock style 34:42

2M ago34:42

34:42

Paul Gorman, biographer of Malcolm McLaren and friend of the pod, tells the extraordinary story of the three young hipsters behind Granny Takes A Trip, the Kings Road store that was a magnet for rock’s glitterati in the late 60s. •⁠ ⁠Sheila Cohen, the first queen of cool; she invented the whole idea of vintage •⁠ ⁠Nigel Waymouth, who never went to …

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Danny Thompson’s bass adventures, Dylan’s women, TV satire and great sleeve art. 56:40

2M ago56:40

56:40

News, rants, theories, stories and assorted old hokum which this week stumbles into … … Kate Bush, Thunderbirds, Tim Buckley, the Blind Boys of Alabama … the magical bass adventures of Danny Thompson (and the time he headlined over the Beatles) … how Claudia Cardinale wound up on the sleeve of Blonde On Blonde … would Roxy Music have made it if the…

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Thea Gilmore on Joan Baez, Jake Thackray and Dave Pegg’s dog starting her career 26:17

3M ago26:17

26:17

We’ve always liked Thea Gilmore who once crossed America with Joan Baez in a pre-Election campaign tour and has released 21 albums (“I’ve got musical ADHD!)”. She looks back here at the first shows she ever saw and played which involves … … a deep dive into Jake Thackray – “Last Will And Testament still makes me cry” … spotting her dad in the crowd…

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How pioneer tape-rat Roger Armstrong found vintage America a whole new audience 48:40

3M ago48:40

48:40

Roger Armstrong co-founded the legendary Rock On record shop and was running the Chiswick label long before the punk rock explosion of independents, a believer that you could license rare R&B, soul and rockabilly classics while cutting new records with rising stars (Shane MacGowan, Kirsty MacColl and Joe Strummer among them). He then co-founded Ace…

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Why Van and Fairport make the perfect send-off, Robert Redford & the best-looking rock stars 47:59

3M ago47:59

47:59

On the menu at the rock and roll state banquet … … Into the Mystic, Meet On The Ledge, In My Life, Tom Waits’ Take It With Me and other perfect songs for a last farewell … the day we joined the world’s best band … Robert Redford’s blinding handsomeness and the greatest moment – all three seconds of it – in Butch Cassidy And the Sundance Kid … best-…

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John Prine, Elvis Costello and a jukebox on fire 39:25

3M ago39:25

39:25

Novelist and journalist Tom Piazza struck up a friendship with the irreplaceable John Prine in the last years of his life. This relationship, which began as a profile for a magazine, almost blossomed into an autobiography and involved a road trip in an inadvisable vehicle, has resulted in a new book “Living In The Present With John Prine”. Which in…

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Alex's star-studded week in Hollywood 44:44

3M ago44:44

44:44

Having disposed of the surprising history of pop stars who posed for Playboy, discussing whether the universe really needs another album called "Play", come up with a couple of nominations for Best Album Title Of All Time, we hear about Alex's experiences seeing Oasis in the midst of 90,000 who have never been to Manchester and how he "used the for…

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Peter Hammill on Bowie, other superfans & 47 albums of ‘self-sabotage and chaos’. 36:59

3M ago36:59

36:59

Peter Hammill, adored by Bowie, Mark E Smith and many others, co-founded Van Der Graaf Generator when he was 19. And he’s made 47 albums since, powered by “hubris, enthusiasm and sheer bloody-mindness” and celebrated in a new 18-CD box set. He talks to us here from Somerset about … … supporting Hendrix at the Albert Hall and being ‘the Shirley Bass…

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Talking Heads, where they came from and where they went - with Jonathan Gould 45:09

3M ago45:09

45:09

Has there ever been a group like Talking Heads? Jonathan Gould’s Burning Down The House explores their affluent background, the root of their ambition and the springboard of the New York scene of the late ‘70s (he was a regular at CBGB). Along with … ... the romanticised image of CBGB and the reality … their black music roots: “the same instrumenta…

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Freddie Mercury has a daughter’ – and Lesley-Ann Jones can prove it 31:44

3M ago31:44

31:44

Freddie Mercury had an affair with a close friend’s wife and, in 1977, became a father. He’s now a grandfather. That’s the foundation of a new book ‘Love, Freddie’ by his highly respected biographer Lesley-Ann Jones which details a four-year, detailed exchange with his daughter ‘B’, now 48, and the contents of the 17 notebooks he gave her before he…

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#10 Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy) 1:13:48

3M ago1:13:48

1:13:48

Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy popped into our studio to discuss his love of The Beatles, working in Abbey Road, and to reflect on a career that includes 13 solo albums, 2 Duckworth Lewis Method collaborations, the soundtrack to Wonka, and many film and TV Themes including Father Ted and the IT Crowd. Mark Hooper was on summer holidays, so friend…

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Oasis in 2026, the Troggs and what Morrissey’s only gone and done now! 52:37

3M ago52:37

52:37

All the leaves are brown and the sky’s a bit unruly but mellow fruitfulness abounds in this week’s pick of the rock and roll news. Add to basket … … is Morrissey hacked off, broke or just desperate for attention? … are stadium gigs the new tourism? … bucket hats, Man City, lads culture … how did America finally ‘get’ Oasis? … singles that weren’t o…

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Stu Rowe: collaborating with XTC 1:03:05

3M ago1:03:05

1:03:05

This episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast features a fascinating conversation with Stu Rowe recorded at the 2025 XTC Fan Festival in Swindon. Stu talks about working with Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, Terry Chambers, Barry Andrews, Peter Blegvad and Jen Olive on everything from the 3 Clubmen to Gonwards. XTC-inspired music come…