Best David Hepworth Podcasts (2025)

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Carol Decker of T’Pau and the ocean-going world of the 80s package tour 35:23

Play Pause

2d ago35:23

35:23

Carol Decker - another Smash Hits cover star on the podcast! T’Pau are playing dates this summer and autumn and she talks here – hilariously - about life on the ‘80s package tour circuit and the first shows she ever saw and played, which stops off at …. … does any audience beat a Butlin’s Mid-Weeker on their third pint? … from Black Mirror to PG Ti…

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The magnificent Sly Stone & Brian Wilson and the curse of our expectations 35:32

3d ago35:32

35:32

As the great Warren Zevon said, ‘Enjoy every sandwich’. The two-man canoe navigates this week’s rock and roll rivulet which sadly entails reflections on a pair of towering musical giants ‘whose legend occupied the space where activity should have been’. Things considered include … …are you born with genius or does a set of circumstances allow it to…

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Why Oasis were God’s gift to the rock press and the story of two missing teeth 41:58

7d ago41:58

41:58

Liam Gallagher calls Ted Kessler and Hamish MacBain “the Peter Cook and Dudley Moore of music journalism”. Both worked at the NME (and Ted at Q), both interviewed the band many times and have just published ‘A Sound So Very Loud’ which, in the grand tradition of Revolution In The Head, tells the story of every Oasis song ever recorded. They talk to…

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Elkie Brooks once opened for the Beatles. A lot happened in the next 65 years … 25:03

8d ago25:03

25:03

Elkie Brooks was on a package tour aged 15, supported the Beatles and the Animals, made a single when she was 19, joined the jazz-rock Dada, then Vinegar Joe (with Robert Palmer) and has since made 20 albums. She’s now out on her ‘Long Farewell Tour’ and looks back with us here from her home in Devon at … … supporting the Beatles in ’64 and an audi…

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Why they MUST make the Cat Stevens movie + rock feuds, the best video & Beyoncé in a Stetson 45:43

10d ago45:43

45:43

Facing down the leg spinners of rock and roll news while trying to wallop the odd shot across the pavilion roof. On the scoreboard this week … … has there ever been a rock feud as bitter as Trump v Musk? … what Ray Charles, Taylor Swift and Dave Clark have in common. … the 30-year golden age music video. … things Van Morrison can’t forget. … how so…

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David Harfield 25:52

11d ago25:52

25:52

Recorded on 1/30/2025 in Medellin, Colombia.

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Stuart Maconie – every character in the Beatles’ story has a story of their own 46:49

13d ago46:49

46:49

Stuart Maconie – broadcaster, prolific author – has a brilliant and original new perspective on the Beatles. His latest book With A Little Help From Their Friends identifies the 100 people who had the greatest impact on their story, from the inner circle to bit-part players – schoolfriends, girlfriends, managers, muses, support acts, advisors and e…

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The WJAHOM Interview Podcast - Mike Batt 34:26

15d ago34:26

34:26

I had an absolute blast chatting with the legend that is Mike Batt about his new book 'The Closest Thing To Crazy' and his stellar career in music. He has worked with some of the biggest talents in the music industry and he also created all those fabulous Wombles songs. Then who could forget the wonderful "Bright Eyes"! You can find more about Mayh…

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Inside the world of reissues with producer Rob Caiger 46:50

16d ago46:50

46:50

Rob Caiger is one of those special people who turned their teenage obsession with music into a job … from being the only one in ELO’s office who knew where the old tapes were … to learning that what it says on the outside of the box isn’t always what’s on the tape … through embarking on a ten-year project to put out the last Small Faces album from …

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Genuinely ‘iconic’ rock pictures, words we should ban and how Freddie Mercury still makes headlines 48:57

18d ago48:57

48:57

Hoary old tales retold – ideally in an Irish accent - and new ones prized from the giddy carousel of rock and roll news which, this week, features … … was there a better stage name than Rick Derringer? … Linda Ronstadt, Ronnie Spector, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and other new biopics under construction. … genuinely ‘iconic’ rock images – the Ziggy light…

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Martha Wainwright - ‘never nervous, always ballsy’ and onstage from the age of eight 24:27

20d ago24:27

24:27

Martha Wainwright is a key member of the Wainwright/McGarrigle clan, all of them big favourites of ours. She’s currently on her 20th anniversary tour and looks back here at the first shows she ever saw and played which involves … … growing up in a folk dynasty in Montreal. … the sight of Perla Batalla and Julie Christensen, backing singers on Leona…

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Budgie of Siouxsie And The Banshees started out in nightclub cabaret acts, aged 13 41:27

20d ago41:27

41:27

Small boy begins breeding budgerigars in Liverpool, makes enough to buy a drum kit and becomes the power behind Big In Japan, the Slits, the Creatures and Siouxsie and the Banshees. And one half of punk rock’s most famous couples. The immensely engaging Budgie has finally written his memoir, ‘The Absence’, and talks to us from Berlin about … … are …

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Books rock stars want you to read, sacked drummers and how Dylan spent his birthday 38:14

23d ago38:14

38:14

The two-man pedalo of enquiry sets out on the Bank Holiday boating lake of news pausing to consider … … Florence Welch, Dua Lipa and the rise of the rock and roll book club. … the 92 year-old that Bob Dylan supported at the Cascades Amphitheatre, Ridgefield. … the Beatles had 18 drummers! … the sad end to Billy Joel’s tour schedule. … is Hollywood …

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Dylan Jones bangs the drum for 1975, an explosion of talent and creativity 32:22

24d ago32:22

32:22

Dylan Jones – writer, former editor of i-D, Arena and GQ - was 15 in 1975 and dressed like Jimmy McCulloch of Wings (“a lot of denim and silk scarves”), a time he thinks had enormous influence on the following five decades. There are many highlights in his latest book ‘1975: The Year The World Forgot’, a lot of them discussed here with David and Ma…

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Beer Festival Special: live in E. Dulwich with the Raider, Dirts & guest, Pompey Dunc (May 25) 54:19

26d ago54:19

54:19

In this episode:Beer Festival/Football Stadium QuizJack in the GreenNunhead Cemetery Open Day and Ivy House FestivalPhoto LondonBexley Beer FestivalFouldsy's BirthdayThe Dim ReaperPEGSDeserter on SubstackPub & Beer NewsCrisp NewsDrug NewsOther NewsPub Quiz 2Readers' LettersBook CornerDesert Island Crispsps with Pompey DuncBum DosserMedia Social Sce…

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The great lost Beach Boys SMiLE album – David Leaf unravels rock’s Holy Grail 51:45

1M ago51:45

51:45

The Beach Boys’ SMiLE was abandoned by Brian Wilson in 1967 and eventually performed at an emotional gathering of the faithful in London 37 years later. For writer and lecturer David Leaf it became an obsession. He made a documentary about it in 2004 and has just published ‘SMiLE: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Brian Wilson’ drawn from detailed…

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The best songs written in seconds, Lennon’s legs and Springsteen’s chimes of freedom. 36:10

1M ago36:10

36:10

Slapping the beanburger of news on the sizzling grill of scrutiny and served with relish by Alex Gold and Mark Ellen (David’s in Spain with his bucket and spade). This week’s specials include … … Springsteen’s unprecedented speech onstage in Manchester about his nation’s “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration” and the Dixie Chicks’ car…

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Dennis Greaves, Nine Below Zero – old-school R&B, police and thieves and the agony of white clogs 41:26

1M ago41:26

41:26

Dennis Greaves took a week off from Nine Below Zero in 1980 but otherwise kept his nose firmly applied to the grindstone. They broke up in 1983 when he formed the Truth, who broke up in 1989 when he rebooted the old band. He looks back here at the first gigs he ever saw and played – a world with the attractive scent of spilt beer and tobacco – stop…

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Peter Capaldi’s life in a teenage Glasgow punk band and a public apology to the Cocteau Twins 49:29

1M ago49:29

49:29

Peter Capaldi – aka Malcolm Tucker, Dr Who, the universal screen delight and an Oscar-winning film director – was the singer in the punk band the Dreamboys in the late ‘70s who put out a single when he was at the art school in Glasgow. And then became an actor. And then - in the grand tradition of actors who’ve made albums, Hugh Laurie, Scarlett Jo…

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Alan Parsons – from the rooftop of Savile Row to Pink Floyd, Steve Harley and some singing pigs 34:42

1M ago34:42

34:42

The teenage Alan Parsons was hired as a tape op by EMI and worked with the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Steve Harley, orchestras, comedians, Pinky And Perky and countless others in the control room at Abbey Road, and saw almost 60 years of technical revolution. He’s just finished a 50th anniversary box set of Harley’s the Best Years Of Our Lives and talks …

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Mom Rock v Dad Rock, the Oasis rumour mill and Kanye West’s devious dentist. 40:10

1M ago40:10

40:10

Perched outside the Vatican Of News awaiting puffs of white smoke, which this week arrive in the following fashion … … Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend and her genius for publicity. … Jim Morrison is alive and living in Syracuse, New York!: barrel-scraping new rock documentary incoming. … Hip Hop Wealth v Rock Wealth: the $57m house Kayne West b…

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Dennis McNally saw the Summer Of Love in London, New York and California 39:54

1M ago39:54

39:54

Dennis McNally was the Grateful Dead’s publicist in the mid-‘80s, one of many reasons why he’s supremely qualified to write his new book about the birth of the counterculture in America’s West and East Coast and Britain. ‘The Last Great Dream: How Bohemians Became Hippies And Created the Sixties’, a celebration of music, beat poetry, radical thinki…

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The greatest duet, rock cameos in Miami Vice and the rebirth of Mississippi John Hurt 49:39

1M ago49:39

49:39

Passing the thermometer of conversation over the rock and roll news to see where the mercury rises, which this week includes … … the new Barbra Streisand duets album. Duets are ‘playlets’, small intense dramas that depend on human interaction, but so many are recorded separately (including, tragically, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye a…

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Al Murray and James Holland talk the ending of the war in 1945 and the afterlife of The Beatles 42:51

2M ago42:51

42:51

In which comedian Al Murray and historian James Holland talk about their new book Victory ’45 and our twin national obsessions, the Second World War and The Beatles. Includes: ….how being emotionally shut down enabled Montgomery to collect the surrender at Luneburg Heath ….how a profound sense of duty helped Harry Truman make the most dreadful deci…

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Derek Shulman – when Simon Dupree and Gentle Giant were “the darlings of the English Mafia” 42:21

2M ago42:21

42:21

Derek Shulman was at the heart of two great transformations – Simon Dupree & the Big Sound switching to psychedelia, and then sensing the prog-rock trade winds and becoming Gentle Giant. One minute he was singing Kites, the next Pantagruel’s Nativity (Gentle Giant’s rebooted ‘Playing The Fool: The Complete Live Experience’ is just out). After which…

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The entertaining fictions of Max Romeo and Robert Smith and tech that actually works! 36:27

2M ago36:27

36:27

While Mark Ellen is hanging out with the other old ruins in Athens, David Hepworth and Alex Gold compare and contrast the organisation of the London Marathon with the Travellodge in Frimley and wonder… …Rolling Stone cover stars or members of Trump’s clown cabinet? …if you were interviewed as often as a rock star would you too make stuff up? …was M…

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Beers in Borough & Bermondsey; hiding from the law in two reopened pubs (April 25) 47:37

2M ago47:37

47:37

In this episode:Pub Quiz 1Pellicle articleA Day in RyeDouble Tap TakeoverA Day in East LondonCarshaltonDeserter StoriesPub & Beer NewsCrisp NewsOther NewsPub Quiz 2Readers' LetterBook CornerBum DosserSoc Med SceneBy Deserter

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Moon Zappa remembers life with her father Frank. ‘Pagan absurdists’ aren’t great parents 49:54

2M ago49:54

49:54

Moon Zappa grew up in what appeared, on the outside, to be an enviably free-wheeling and creative household in Laurel Canyon. On the inside, not so much. Her extremely funny, soul-baring and colourful account of dysfunctional family life in her memoir Earth To Moon is as gripping as it’s unsettling. A typical day: “Your mother’s on the rampage, I n…

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Daryl Hall - ‘60s soul session work, the right shoes and a barge trip with Bob Dylan 29:14

2M ago29:14

29:14

We like to think of Daryl Hall as a kindred spirit, his home-recorded Live At Daryl’s House series with its magnificent roster of guests now racking up 90 episodes. He’s about to tour in May and talks to us here from his house in the Bahamas – straw hat, roosters crowing! – looking back at the first gigs he ever saw and played and other delights su…

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Rock star pilots, sacking Zak Starkey and bold pioneers of the psychedelic moustache 52:19

2M ago52:19

52:19

The chocolate Easter bunny of rock and roll news in highly nutritious and digestible fragments, such as … … the Who’s very public sacking of Zak Starkey. … why no band ever wants to play quietly. … how a magazine in a shop window sparked the Neil Tennant/Mark Springer album. … Katy Perry’s space ‘mission’ and the trenchant observations by her and t…

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Dave Pegg, Fairport’s “longest-serving member” (fnarr!) looks back at hippie chaos and old heroes 42:53

2M ago42:53

42:53

Dave Pegg joined Fairport Convention 56 years ago and fully deserves some sort of medal. They’re playing their 49th Cropredy in August and touring the UK later in the year. He talks to us here about the first gigs he ever saw and played which, delightfully, involves … … the night Hank Marvin took him to see Bjork. … an all-nighter in Birmingham wit…

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Withering reviews of famous albums, Jaws versus Jeeves and the genius of Blondie’s Clem Burke 52:55

2M ago52:55

52:55

Boldly pursuing tariff-free trade in rock and roll news, nostalgia, gossip and old hokum since 2007 and, this week, featuring … … the romantic allure of life as a critic. … Sting’s part in the success of ‘Adolescence’. … Mick Jagger’s long engagement to Melanie Hamrick (born when Steel Wheels came out!) … "Contained within these grooves are twelve …

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Why Sparks’ Russell Mael preferred British acts to the ‘faux honesty’ of Laurel Canyon 24:56

2M ago24:56

24:56

Sparks are touring – playing dates in the UK and Ireland in June and July – and with a new (and 28th) album, Mad!. Russell Mael looks back at the first shows he ever saw and played which entails … … sitting on the floors of LA clubs watching Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Move, the Faces, the Who and Tyrannosaurus Rex. … his Mum taking him to see th…

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The WJAHOM Interview Podcast - Abs 23:21

2M ago23:21

23:21

It was an absolute pleasure to interview uber talented soulful, sultry singer songwriter Abs recently. We spoke about her music roots and what is next for her. She also gave us a couple of exclusives! Take a listen. It was a really enjoyable chat. I hope that you like it too. Just a quick note. This is a Zoom recording and it has recorded my voice …

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Seven ‘lost’ Springsteen albums, romance in sitcoms and the age of spectacle 38:09

2M ago38:09

38:09

The runners and riders in the rock and roll steeplechase first past the post this week include … … how Ed Sheeran protects himself against song theft claims. … ‘lost’ Hendrix, Beach Boys, Amy Winehouse and Jeff Buckley records: is anything unfinished ever any good? … “The Unauthorised Breakfast Item”: can YOU tell a Bob Newhart sketch title from a …

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The WJAHOM Interview Podcast - Elizabeth Sharkey 34:57

2M ago34:57

34:57

It was a delight and an honour to interview of historian, author, music fanatic and actress Elizabeth Sharkey recently. We spoke mainly about her excellent book, 'Why Britain Rocked' which I reviewed recently. You can find my review of that book by clicking here. It was a really enjoyable chat. I hope that you like it too. Just a quick note. This i…

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Ed Tudor Pole – singer, actor, serial showman – saw the pop and punk wars as ‘pure theatre’. 39:03

3M ago39:03

39:03

Ed Tudor Pole entered punk rock from stage school and always felt he was playing a part. After being hired to act in the Great Rock’N’Roll Swindle, he formed Tenpole Tudor and had a brief and dramatic moment in the sun, all recorded in his rollicking memoir ‘The Pen Is Mightier.’ He talks here about … … his “quite posh” ancestry and a great-grandfa…

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AI’s Word In Your Ear theme tune (!!), the four stages of showbiz & taking kids to concerts 39:22

3M ago39:22

39:22

Scanning the rock and roll ether with our patent heat-seeking Ripple-Detector®️ to see what rings the bell. Which this week includes … … how reformed ‘90s pop groups all look like Paul Whitehouse characters from the Fast Show. … the mutual agony of parents taking kids to concerts. … “Tap! Tap! Tap!”, the “gacked up” sound of the Heartbreakers’ at w…

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East Dulwich & Herne Hill: beer & brewers, refurbs & expansions, love & death (March 2025) 52:31

3M ago52:31

52:31

In this episode:Pub Quiz 1Malcolm Bennett nightFirst Day of CheltenhamGold Cup DayGravesendDalstonPub & Beer NewsCrisp NewsOther NewsPub Quiz 2Meet the Brewer: Will HiscocksReaders' LettersBook CornerDesert Island CrispsBum DosserSocial Media SceneBy Deserter

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Hearing 45 year-old records you’d never played & the least likely-looking person to become a rock star 42:06

3M ago42:06

42:06

The super-trouper of scrutiny scans this week’s events and lands upon … … the man who’s played on 21,000 records. … how Joni Mitchell is still stirring it up aged 81 and why we love her for it. ... the impact of the stadium circuit on rock festivals. … the longest-surviving group in the world – bowing out at Glastonbury after 66 years! … “fake indi…

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The WJAHOM Interview Podcast - David Hepworth 32:46

3M ago32:46

32:46

I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing ace music journalist, presenter and writer David Hepworth a few days ago. He has worked on Sounds, NME and Smash Hits and is the man behind Q Magazine and Mojo. He was a presenter on the Old Grey Whistle Test and Live Aid. He has also written a great selection of fabulous music books. Including his latest…

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What Kate Mossman discovered about rock’s elder statesmen 42:56

3M ago42:56

42:56

Kate’s an old pal from our days at Word magazine. She was on the staff for six years before heading off to the New Statesman and has just put out a collection of the sizzling and revelatory profiles she wrote for us, them and the Observer about a particular sector of the musical landscape for whom she’s always carried a torch. As she wonders in ‘Me…

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How John Harris and his son found a life-changing connection through music 51:31

3M ago51:31

51:31

John Harris is an old pal from our days in the music press. You might remember him from Sounds, the NME and Select (which he edited) and he’s been one of the mainstays of the Guardian ever since, writing mostly about pop culture and politics. When his son James was diagnosed with autism and, looking for ways to connect with him and help his develop…

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Mike Rutherford looks back at 60 years onstage and the art of cheap rock theatre 26:00

3M ago26:00

26:00

This one starts with memories of Genesis at Farnborough Tech in 1972 – Batwings? Fox heads? - looks back at school bands and the early ‘70s and ends with the current Mike & the Mechanics tour. But it mostly centres on the first live shows Mike Rutherford ever saw and played which features … … his mum making him wash the Brylcreem from his hair befo…

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Mike Scott of the Waterboys remembers the shows that inspired him 16:08

3M ago16:08

16:08

The Waterboys’ new album comes with the magnificent title ‘Life, Death & Dennis Hopper’ and the band start touring in May. Mike Scott looks back here at the first gigs he ever saw and played and the performers he watched closely, which involves … the Stones “when they were still dangerous” and the connective genius of Mick Jagger, Dennis Hopper’s l…

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The lost world of teenage love songs – and the best pop song ever written! 47:16

3M ago47:16

47:16

In eager pursuit of dance and merriment, we dust down the current events. Which this week involves …. … are teenagers no longer in love? And what does this mean for pop music? … are people better musicians now than 40 years ago? And is that because you can get online tutorials explaining how to play everything? … Paul McCartney taking two buses acr…

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Nik Kershaw remembers Live Aid, snoods, fingerless gloves & a sudden male-female audience shift 27:04

3M ago27:04

27:04

Someone else we put on the cover of Smash Hits 40 years ago who’s touring in 2025! He’s playing European festivals, ‘80s packages, dates with his band and a string of solo shows billed as ‘Musings & Lyrics With Nik Kershaw’, and talks to us here about the first gigs he ever saw and played, which involves … … a bad case of Imposter Syndrome. … how t…

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Gang Of Four’s Jon King now sees the comedy in their endless self-sabotage 52:24

3M ago52:24

52:24

Gang Of Four’s moment was dramatic but brief. It was littered with times when the future seemed impossibly bright before disaster crept up with a cosh in their relentless “refusal to do the obvious”. Being a musician, he points out, is a ridiculous life best not taken seriously. His memoir ‘To Hell With Poverty!’ rightly describes itself as “rich w…

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Has politics eaten entertainment? What’s ‘perfect sound’? Plus Brian James & how to make a speech 55:34

3M ago55:34

55:34

Tyres pumped, engine cranked, chromework winking in the Springtime sun, the two-man conversational jalopy sets off on its weekly spin and visits … … the day America broke the news and showed its dark side. … Brian James RIP and Stiff’s brilliant ad campaign for the first Damned album: “Play it at your sister!” … has entertainment been dwarfed by wo…

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Film-maker Denny Tedesco on dad’s old band The Wrecking Crew and new doc “Immediate Family” 24:06

3M ago24:06

24:06

We’re long-time admirers of Denny Tedesco’s “Wrecking Crew” doc which celebrated the studio musicians of 60s Hollywood, the unseen hands who can be heard on all those Beach Boys and Spector hits. Now he’s done something similar with the musicians who were so much part of the success of James Taylor, Carole King and Warren Zevon in the next decade i…