Best Simon Cardwell Podcasts (2025)

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93 - The Beach Boys with Peter Doggett (Hawthorne, California) 49:44

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3d ago49:44

49:44

The story of the Beach Boys begins in Hawthorne, California in the late 1950s as the band come together led by Brian Wilson, originally as The Pendletones & Dennis Wilson suggests they focus on surfing themed material. They sign with Capitol Records in 1961 & soon have chart success with Surfin’ Safari, Surfin’ USA & Surfer Girl. There is also more…

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92 - Pamela Des Barres 46:51

11d ago46:51

46:51

Join us to discuss a music book classic ‘I’m With The Band - Confessions of a Groupie’ with Pamela Des Barres. Pamela’s first touchstone in music was the Beatles & she became on obsessive Beatlemaniac after the Fab Four arrive on US soil in early 1964. The following year she met Captain Beefheart & it opened up a new world to her on the Sunset Stri…

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91 - Pink Floyd with Mark Blake 53:55

18d ago53:55

53:55

Join us & writer Mark Blake to hear about the formation & early years of Pink Floyd - from their beginnings in Cambridge, ultimately relocating to London where the band gets going. Syd Barrett's songwriting develops quickly & before long the band are playing iconic gigs & 'happenings' at UFO, the Marquee & the Roundhouse. Joe Boyd produces debut si…

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90 - Ride with Steve Queralt (Oxford) 53:29

25d ago53:29

53:29

This week we are joined by Ride bassist Steve Queralt to discuss his new album Swallow - which is out now on Sonic Cathedral featuring contributions from Emma Anderson (Lush) & Verity Susman (Memorials). We also delve into the history of Ride starting in Oxford in the late 1980s where Steve met Andy Bell & Mark Gardner at college, even making a rec…

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89 - Live 8 with Paul Vallely 1:18:56

1M ago1:18:56

1:18:56

This week we travel back 20 years to 2005 with writer Paul Vallely to hear about Live 8, the G8 summit, Bob Geldof & Bono & more. So it starts in 1997 with the landslide general election win for Tony Blair & New Labour. The government will ultimately be sympathetic to the issues of debt & aid which come to the fore eight years later with the huge g…

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88 - R.E.M. Twin Tone Records, Big Star & more with Peter Jesperson 1:07:07

1M ago1:07:07

1:07:07

We are joined by Peter Jesperson as he tells us about his time spent with R.E.M. & his role in Twin Tone Records in the twin cities of Minneapolis/St.Paul. We also squeeze in a couple of stories about his time around Alex Chilton & the 1993 Big Star reunion. Peter's career began importing records into Minneapolis from the UK at legendary record sto…

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87 - The Wild Swans with Paul Simpson (Liverpool) 1:10:53

2M ago1:10:53

1:10:53

This week we get to talk about one of the best music books of recent years Revolutionary Spirit by Paul Simpson. Paul was born in Liverpool but grew up in Lancashire alongside future members of Echo & the Bunnymen - Les Patterson & Will Sergeant. After relocating back to Merseyside Paul was frequented legendary Liverpool venue Eric's & became a fou…

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86 - Donovan 52:34

2M ago52:34

52:34

It is truly a pleasure to welcome Donovan to Music Maps - a true legend of the 60s. His book The Hurdy Gurdy Man is available on Penguin. We start with his early life in Glasgow in the 1950s & the family relocate to Hatfield in Hertfordshire when Donovan was a teenager. His early influences included Buddy Holly, Hank Williams & Jack Kerouac. After …

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85 - The Everly Brothers with Barry Mazor 1:06:43

2M ago1:06:43

1:06:43

This week we travel back to the 1950's & 60's to hear all about one of the most influential acts of all time The Everly Brothers with biographer Barry Mazor. Don & Phil's Dad Ike was a musician & the brothers are already playing live & on the radio as children. They sign with Cadence Records in 1956 & record the iconic Bye Bye Love at their very fi…

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84 - The Raincoats with Audrey Golden 50:33

2M ago50:33

50:33

This week we discover the history of The Raincoats - formed by Gina Birch & Ana De Silva in 1977 after they meet at Hornsey Art College in London. The Sex Pistols & The Slits are influences on the burgeoning band & they end up signing to Rough Trade. The classic all female lineup debuts at Acklam Hall in London in January of 1979 & debut single Fai…

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83 - LIVE Street Level Superstar with Lawrence, Will Hodgkinson & Sian Pattenden 59:08

2M ago59:08

59:08

Join us for a LIVE episode with Lawrence, Will Hodgkinson & Sian Pattenden to discuss STREET LEVEL SUPERSTAR - one of the best music books of all time. We retrace Lawrence’s career from Felt & Denim to Mozart Estate & through to the present day. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a con…

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82 - Blur with Dave Rowntree (Colchester) 44:17

3M ago44:17

44:17

Join us & take a trip to Essex as we focus in on the early years of Blur with drummer Dave Rowntree. His new photograph book is called No One You Know: Early Blur Photos. We begin in Colchester where a young Dave meets future Blur guitarist Graham Coxon on the local music scene. Graham later invites Dave to a mate's gig at local venue the Colcheste…

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81 - The Bay City Rollers with Stuart 'Woody' Wood (Edinburgh) 47:33

3M ago47:33

47:33

This week we travel north of the border to talk about the history of the Bay City Rollers, one of a handful of British bands to have a number 1 single in the UK & the US. Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood is our guest & he tells us about going the band after working as a roadie for them first. Once officially a member Woody joins the band, who are without a hit …

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80 - Freddie Mercury's Notebooks with Lesley-Ann Jones (Garden Lodge, Kensington) 1:02:36

3M ago1:02:36

1:02:36

This week we have a world exclusive - we are the first podcast to discuss Freddie Mercury's recently discovered diaries/notebooks with biographer Lesley-Ann Jones. You may have seen it reported in the press that Freddie Mercury left 17 volumes of notebooks to a daughter hardly anyone knew existed - we find a bit more out about these diaries which a…

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79 - The Replacements with Peter Jesperson (Minneapolis, Minnesota) 1:19:30

3M ago1:19:30

1:19:30

In May 1980 an unknown Paul Westerberg walked into Oar Folk Records in Minneapolis & handed Peter Jesperson a demo tape. When Peter eventually got round to playing it he was bowled over by what he heard & asked to come & see them play live. All does not go to plan as the band are thrown out of the venue as Peter arrives at the venue. He later falls…

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78 - Lamb Of God with Randy Blythe 1:13:57

4M ago1:13:57

1:13:57

Join us this week on Music Maps as we dive into the world of metal with Randy Blythe, the frontman of Lamb of God. Hear about his journey from a small-town punk rocker to global success. Randy tells us about the early years of Lamb Of God, when they all worked day jobs in addition to the band, through to signing for Epic Records in 2004. We also he…

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77 - Maybe I'm Amazed with John Harris & Keith Cameron 1:06:09

4M ago1:06:09

1:06:09

Maybe I'm Amazed - A Story of Love & Connection in 10 Songs is one of the music books of the year it tells the story of how writer John Harris connects with his autistic son James via the music of The Clash, The Velvet Underground, The Beatles, Kraftwerk, Ian Hunter, Magazine, The Band, Wire, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, Amy Winehouse & more. We h…

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76 - Manfred Mann, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton & the Sixties with Tom McGuinness 1:20:53

4M ago1:20:53

1:20:53

We go back to the sixties this week as we welcome Tom McGuinness to tell us about his various number 1s as a member of Manfred Mann. A chance meeting with a young Eric Clapton at the Station Hotel in Richmond led to them forming The Roosters, it fizzles out but the are both briefly involved in another band, Casey Jones & the Engineers. Eric drifts …

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75 - A Complete Unknown & Bob Dylan at Newport with Elijah Wald 1:19:52

4M ago1:19:52

1:19:52

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74 - DETOURS - Stella Creasy on Walthamstow, Blur, Pulp, Suede, The Wedding Present & more 51:16

5M ago51:16

51:16

Join us as we welcome our local Member of Parliament here in Walthamstow, Stella Creasy to Music Maps by way of Manchester & Colchester. Stella grew up in Manchester where she loved the Stone Roses & her Mum taught A Guy Called Gerald at school. As a teenager she was unexpectedly uprooted to the suburbs in Colchester where she discovered a local ba…

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73 - Live Aid 40th Anniversary with John Kennedy (Wembley Stadium) 1:08:29

5M ago1:08:29

1:08:29

Join us & celebrate the 40th anniversary of Live Aid which took place on July 13th 1985. And to do that we are joined by John Kennedy, one of the original trustees of the Band Aid Trust. One morning in November 1984 John was surprised when his office door flung open & Bob Geldof walked in. Insisting that John gave him one hour of his time, it led t…

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72 - Oasis with John Robb LIVE plus 2025 Tour instant review (Manchester) 1:15:26

5M ago1:15:26

1:15:26

Join us for a live episode of Music Maps Podcast with John Robb recorded live at the Walthamstow Trades Hall. We are also joined this week by James from The Oasis Podcast & Sam Shiner to discuss the return of Oasis last week in Cardiff & the 2025 tour. John takes us through the highlights from his new book Live Forever: The Rise, Fall and Resurrect…

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71 - The Beatles with Stuart Maconie (Liverpool) 59:16

5M ago59:16

59:16

Stuart Maconie is well known as the host of The Freak Zone on BBC Radio, he has written for NME, The Times, The Guardian & many more. His books have been widely published & include Long Road From Jarrow, The Nanny State Made Me, Cider With Roadies & Pies & Prejudice. His new book is published by HarperNorth - With a Little Help From Their Friends -…

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70 - Meet Me In The Bathroom with Lizzy Goodman - Part 2 (New York City) 59:41

5M ago59:41

59:41

Part 2 of our deep dive into the New York music scene of the 2000's with Lizzy Goodman - we pick the story back up with the Anti-Folk scene with gives us the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol & Regina Spektor. We find out how the Yeah Yeah Yeahs came to be & the connections between Detroit & New York around this time. The Strokes were the first band to bre…

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69 - Meet Me In The Bathroom with Lizzy Goodman - Part 1 (New York City) 55:08

6M ago55:08

55:08

We welcome Lizzy Goodman as we travel to New York City to discuss her seminal oral history of the NY scene Meet Me In The Bathroom - the Rebirth and Rock in Roll in New York City 2011 - 2011. Lizzy met Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi a couple of years before the band broke but it’s actually Jonathan Fire*Eater who are the first band to break, signin…

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68 - Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains & more with photographer Glen E. Friedman 1:07:35

6M ago1:07:35

1:07:35

Join us & legendary photographer Glen E. Friedman to talk through his beginnings photographing skateboarding before transitioning into the world of punk rock & hardcore photographing Black Flag, Minor Threat & Bad Brains. Glen also talks us through the creation of his influential fanzine 'My Rules' & his eventual transition more into hip hop photog…

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67 - Isle of Wight Festival & more with John Giddings 59:11

6M ago59:11

59:11

Join us & legendary promoter and agent John Giddings to discuss the Isle of Wight Festival, its history, and the challenges of managing such a significant event and the evolving dynamics between the festival and the local community. We hear about some of John's most memorable experiences at the festival over the years from biblical rain in 2012 to …

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66 - Greenwich Village & Bob Dylan with Rolling Stone's David Browne 1:28:26

6M ago1:28:26

1:28:26

This week we welcome David Browne, a senior writer at Rolling Stone, to talk about his book Talkin' Greenwich Village & to explore the musical history of Greenwich Village from its heyday in the 50s & early 1960s through to it's decline in the 80s. Many of the areas venues were originally jazz venues hosting the likes of Billie Holiday, John Coltra…

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65 - The Beatles - John & Paul - A Love Story In Songs with Ian Leslie (Liverpool) 1:15:11

7M ago1:15:11

1:15:11

In this episode of Music Maps we finally talk about The Beatles as we welcome writer Ian Leslie to discuss his new book on Faber: 'John & Paul: A Love Story In Songs'. We focus on their early years from meeting at Woolton Village Fete in July 1957, with Paul McCartney joining the Quarrymen shortly after. The dynamic in the Quarrymen changed after P…

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64 - Mudhoney & Superfuzz Bigmuff with Steve Turner 43:21

7M ago43:21

43:21

In this episode we welcome back Mudhoney guitarist Steve Turner & pick things up with the formation of Mudhoney - first Mark Arm joins Steve’s band The Thrown Ups & they meet drummer Dan Peters soon after. Matt Lukin joins soon after to complete the lineup & Mudhoney come into being on New Years Day of 1988. Their first gig follows in April 1988 & …

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63 - New York City with Photographer, Musician & Writer Ali Smith 59:32

7M ago59:32

59:32

This week we welcome Ali Smith, a New York photographer, musician, and writer of the memoir 'The Ballad of Speedball Baby.' The conversation explores Ali's formative musical influences growing up in New York, her experiences in the punk scene, particularly at the iconic CBGBs, and the evolution of her band Speedball Baby. We discuss the challenges …

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62 - The Fall with Funky Si 50:49

7M ago50:49

50:49

In this episode of Music Maps, we welcome back Simon Wolstencroft, the former drummer of The Fall. His book You Can Drum But You Can't Hide is out now on Route Publishing. Funky Si joined The Fall in 1986 after his previous band The Weeds had opened for them. Following a meeting at Mark E. Smith's house in Prestwich it became official. 'Hey Luciani…

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61 - The Rolling Stones with Gered Mankowitz 1:12:03

8M ago1:12:03

1:12:03

This week we are joined by legendary photographer Gered Mankowitz to discuss his time with the Rolling Stones, focusing on 1965 to 1967. Gered shares how he entered the world of music photography via a meeting with Peter Sellers, later opening his own studio in Central London, aged 17. A photograph of Marianne Faithfull led to a meeting with Andrew…

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60 - The Spice Girls with Michael Cragg (Maidenhead) 49:00

8M ago49:00

49:00

In this episode of Music Maps we are joined by Penderyn Prize winning writer Michael Cragg to dig into the history and impact of the Spice Girls. We explore their formation in 1994 via an audition process & their early days sharing a house in Maidenhead. Originally they are known as Touch & original member Michelle Stephenson leaves after 3 months …

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59 - Christine McVie & Fleetwood Mac with Lesley-Ann Jones (Smethwick) 50:26

8M ago50:26

50:26

In this episode of Music Maps, hosts Mark Hart and Simon Cardwell welcome back Lesley-Ann Jones to discuss her latest book on Christine McVie from Fleetwood Mac. The conversation explores McVie's early life, her musical influences, and her journey through the music industry, including her early career with Chicken Shack and her later success with F…

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58 - David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, Prince, The Spice Girls & more with legendary music PR Alan Edwards (Soho) 1:11:06

8M ago1:11:06

1:11:06

This week we are joined by legendary music PR Alan Edwards - we discuss Alan's journey from the early days of punk in London, seeing the Sex Pistols at the Nashville, The Stranglers & their infamous Battersea Park gig, promoting Blondie in Britain, visiting Prince at Paisley Park, playing football with Bob Marley & an early PR gig with The Who, Ala…

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57 - Buzzcocks with Steve Diggle (Manchester) 1:06:33

9M ago1:06:33

1:06:33

This week we welcome Steve Diggle, original founder member of Buzzcocks, to discuss his memoir 'Autonomy: My Life as a Buzzcock'. The conversation explores Steve's early life in Manchester - growing up in the suburb of Bradford, the influence of music in the 60s, and the formation of Buzzcocks amidst the early UK punk scene. Steve shares personal a…

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56 - Punk Diaries - The Clash, The Slits, Sex Pistols, X-Ray Spex & more with Angela Jaeger 50:51

9M ago50:51

50:51

Angela Jaeger is our guest to discuss her unique Punk Diaries 1977-1981 book documenting her experiences in the punk rock scene in New York & London. Angela shares her journey growing up in the East Village, her encounters with the likes of Lydia Lunch, Joe Strummer, Viv Albertine & John Belushi. She was right in the thick of the vibrant New York p…

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55 - The Dream Syndicate, R.E.M, U2 & more with Steve Wynn 52:41

9M ago52:41

52:41

We welcome back Steve Wynn from the Dream Syndicate for Part 2 of our conversation, delving into the band's experiences touring with U2, the departure of band member Kendra, and the challenges of recording their follow-up album with A&M Records. We discuss the bands extensive touring with R.E.M. as well as their dramatic rise, the conscious shift i…

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54 - The Clash with Don Letts (Ladbroke Grove) 55:04

9M ago55:04

55:04

We welcome Don Letts to discuss his experiences with The Clash - from directing every music video the band made to joining them on the pivotal White Riot tour in 1977, his initial impressions on meeting the band, the key gig with the Sex Pistols at the Nashville with Joe Strummer’s 101ers. Don shares anecdotes about filming the band, trips to Ameri…

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53 - Brian Jonestown Massacre with Joel Gion (San Francisco) 51:10

9M ago51:10

51:10

This week we welcome Joel Gion of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, to discuss his memoir In The Jingle Jangle Jungle and the vibrant music scene of San Francisco in the 90s. We explore Joel's early experiences in the city, his journey to becoming a musician, the early Shoegaze scene in San Francisco including seeing Lush, Ride & The Jesus & Mary Chain…

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52 - The British New Wave of Heavy Metal with Michael Hann (Kingsbury) 1:29:20

10M ago1:29:20

1:29:20

Michael Hann is our guest to explore the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, focusing on its origins, key figures, and the cultural impact of the movement. The conversation delves into the role of Neil Kay in promoting heavy metal, the emergence of local bands, the DIY aesthetic of self-released records, and the significance of venues and radio in sha…

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51 - LIVE - Cosey Fanni Tutti & John Doran on Re-Sisters, Delia Derbyshire & Margery Kempe 44:25

10M ago44:25

44:25

Join us for a live episode of Music Maps recorded at the legendary Walthamstow Trades Hall with John Doran in conversation with artist, writer and musician Cosey Fanni Tutti about her life, her new book 'Re-Sisters', and her connections to influential figures like Delia Derbyshire and Margery Kempe. The discussion features the impact of the Radioph…

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50 - Granadaland - Tony Wilson, The Sex Pistols, Rosetta Tharpe, The Beatles TV Debut & more with David Nolan 46:25

10M ago46:25

46:25

David Nolan takes us on a tour of Granadaland - including Tony Wilson & his various TV programmes such as So It Goes & The Other Side of Midnight, the Beatles TV debut in October 1962, the Sex Pistols TV debut followed in 1976. Muddy Waters and Sister Rosetta Tharpe also performed on Granada TV in 1964 & the network also produced key music recordin…

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49 - Don Letts on Bob Marley, Patti Smith, Trojan Records, The Beatles, Kings Road & more (Brixton) 47:51

10M ago47:51

47:51

Don Letts shares his rich musical journey, starting from his childhood in Brixton, where he experienced a blend of Jamaican and British music. He reflects on the cultural impact of radio and television on music consumption, the profound influence of The Beatles, and his personal connection with Bob Marley. Letts also discusses the rise of reggae in…

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48 - Neil Innes - Bonzo Dog Band, The Rutles, Monty Python, The Beatles & more with Yvonne Innes 44:23

11M ago44:23

44:23

Yvonne Innes joins us to explore the life and legacy of Neil Innes, touching on his early days in Soho, his experiences with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and his connections with Monty Python and The Beatles. Yvonne shares personal anecdotes about their life together, the creative process behind Neil's music, and his impact on children's television.…

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47 - Arthur Russell with Richard King (New York City) 59:31

11M ago59:31

59:31

In this episode we delve into the life and music of Arthur Russell, exploring his eclectic style, early influences, and the New York Lower East Side music scene that shaped his career. Richard shares insights from his book 'Travels Over Feeling: Arthur Russell', discussing Arthur's unique approach to music, his connections with notable figures, and…

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46 - Pulp - Different Class 30th Anniversary with Nick Banks 58:15

11M ago58:15

58:15

Today we are joined by Pulp drummer Nick Banks to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Different Class. It starts with Jarvis Cocker bringing in a rough cassette of a new track named Common People, it proves a difficult song to nail in the studio but once Chris Thomas comes in as producer it is honed into the bands first bonafide hit single, reachin…

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45 - Oasis - Definitely Maybe 30th Anniversary with Johnny Hopkins (Part 2) 58:05

11M ago58:05

58:05

In this episode of Music Maps, Johnny Hopkins, former head of press and publicist for Oasis at Creation Records, shares his journey into the music industry, his early obsession with music, and the pivotal moments that led to Oasis's rise. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contributi…

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44 - Oasis - Definitely Maybe 30th Anniversary with Johnny Hopkins (Part 1) 55:00

12M ago55:00

55:00

On May 31st 1993 Alan McGee walked into King Tut's War War Hut in Glasgow & stumbled upon Oasis - immediately after the gig he rang Creation Records Press Officer Johnny Hopkins to enthuse about his new discovery - the calls were repeated every hour throughout the night. Johnny joins us this week for the first part of our conversation about the beg…