Music Maps Podcast

Join us for a live recording with Debsey Wykes about her book Teenage Daydream: We Are The Girls Who Play In A Band. Debsey’s early musical experiences were centred around Cambridge & her early interests included The Bay City Rollers, Queen & David Bowie. Punk arrived soon after & her tastes developed into The Damned, The Jam & The Stranglers. Her & a couple of friends have the idea to form an all girl band which becomes Dolly Mixture. They draw the attention of John Peel, get a mention in NME after only two months of rehearsals & incredibly play the largest venue in Cambridge, The Corn Exchange on only their fourth gig. After a couple of gigs with U2 & a tour with The Undertones, their debut single Baby Its You is released, a cover of the Bacharach & David track. However they don’t end up signing to Chrysalis Records & their second single is released on Paul Weller’s Respond Records. The Weller family are hugely supportive & the band want Ann Weller to manage them. They later appear on Happy Talk by Captain Sensible which leads to an appearance on Top of the Pops. The only Dolly Mixture album The Demonstration Tapes is released towards the end of the bands lifespan. The band member stayed in touch & their legacy has been kept alive by a documentary by Paul Kelly & various reissues with Bob Stanley. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We welcome legendary music writer Peter Guralnick as we take a deep dive into the fascinating relationship between Elvis Presley & his manager Colonel Tom Parker. Peter first gained access to Parker’s archives in the mid 1990s & what he found may change your view of Tom Parker & his relationship with Elvis.Parker was born in Breda, Holland in 1909 & came to the US in 1926, renaming himself Tom Parker, he creates an origin story about his life in the US & never returns to Europe. In his early years in the United States he travels as a hobo, works on travelling carnivals before beginning to manage musical artists. Scoring huge success with country stars Eddy Arnold & Hank Snow. In early 1955 Parker first hears about a singer from Tupelo, Mississippi named Elvis Presley after he draws 800 people to a nearby show. Bowled over by what he finds & the hysterical crowd reactions, Parker begins to promote Presley immediately. Parker gets Elvis off Sun Records for a more lucrative deal with RCA, after RCA meet Sun founder Sam Phillips $35,000 number to agree to the deal. His first new recording for RCA is Heartbreak Hotel. We also debunk numerous parts of the relationship between The Colonel & The King including Parker’s part in Presley’s acting career, the lack of foreign touring, the famous 50/50 revenue split & the sale of his master recordings to RCA. Parker never worked with another artist following Presley’s death, turned down a million dollar deal to write a memoir, didn’t give interviews & rarely spoke in public. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An episode we have wanted to bring you since before we recorded our first episode - the birth of British rock & roll with 2 legendary drummers, Brian Bennett from The Shadows & Clem Cattini of The Tornados. It starts at the 2i’s Coffee Bar at 59 Old Compton Street, Soho in London. Opened by 2 Iranian brothers (hence the name) the coffee bar is taken over by 2 professional wrestlers - Dr Death Paul Lincoln & Rebel Ray Hunter in April of 1956. Rock & roll bands begin to lay in the dark, sweaty basement, coming together from skiffle bands & word of mouth. For a time it was the only venue to hear original rock & roll in London & Tommy Steele is discovered there shortly after. As word gets around people begin to travel to play at the club including Bruce Welch & Hank Marvin who travel all the way from Newcastle for the chance to play. Brian & Clem go onto play with other bands including Marty Wilde, Joe Meek, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran & Billy Fury. Brian Bennett joins The Shadows & co-writes Summer Holiday while Clem Cattini is part of the first band to score a US number 1 single with Telstar, The Tornados. Adam Faith, Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Sheridan, Kris Kristofferson & Georgie Fame, Marc Bolan amongst many more attended or played at the 2i’s during its lifespan, closing in the late 60s. We also hear stories about Ginger Baker, Lulu, Keith Moon, The Beatles & Clem nearly playing with the Fab Four on their Australian tour instead of Jimmie Nicol. Clem also nearly joined Led Zeppelin & Wings but didn’t fancy either, for differing reasons. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We turn our attention to one of the most influential bands of all time, The Velvet Underground for the first time with biographer Richie Unterberger. Lou Reed grew up in suburban Freeport, Long Island listening to the first wave of rock & roll. Later at Syracuse University Reed began to write future Velvet Underground tracks including Heroin & I’m Waiting For The Man, while there he also met future Velvets guitarist Sterling Morrison. Meanwhile in Garnant, Wales a young John Cale was a musical child prodigy, later moving to Goldsmiths College in London & on to New York on a music scholarship. After graduating Lou Reeds ends up at budget record label Pickwick Records writing songs on demand for immediate release. Through Pickwick, Lou Reed & John Cale meet & Lou begins to visit John in his Ludlow Street apartment in Manhattan. Also in New York, Lou coincidentally bumps into Sterling Morrison & he joins them in what becomes The Velvet Underground, all living together in Ludlow Street. The band take their name from a pulp novel by Michael Leigh & drummer Moe Tucker replaces Angus MacLise to complete the classic lineup. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us & Paul Morley to hear all about Yoko Ono & the Avant-Garde Diaspora. We hear about her early years in Tokyo, born into an almost aristocratic background via her banker father, before her eventual relocation to New York to enter the art world.Once in New York Yoko goes on to create numerous significant works of art including Cut Piece & Grapefruit before meeting John Lennon in late 1966. Paul also gives us an overview of the avant-garde world prior to Yoko Ono, including The Incoherents, Marcel Duchamp, Fluxus & John Cage. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for a deep dive into an iconic gig venue, the legendary Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom. The building was first opened by Maggie McIver on Christmas Eve 1934 & hosts dances for the East End of Glasgow for decades, however once the big band era passes the venue begins to decline & loses popularity following the infamous Bible John murders in the late 1960s. After a brief period as a Roller Disco the venue is revived following Simple Minds filming their Waterfront video in 1983. In 1985 the famous neon sign goes up on the exterior of the building & the venue is still family ran to this day. We hear about what makes the venue so famous from its legendary acoustics, to the ceiling stars & original features & also the famous Barrowlands atmosphere. Some of the famous performances at the Barrowlands include The Pogues debuting Fairytale of New York with Joe Strummer on guitar, Noel Gallagher finishing an Oasis gig solo after Liam Gallagher walks off stage, debuting Whatever on acoustic guitar. Unknown local acts Lewis Capaldi & Rianne Downeyt play early gigs at the venue while Scottish band The Saw Doctors hold the record for the most appearances at the Barrowlands. Others to play the venue include Bob Dylan, David Bowie & dozens more. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So today we take a deep dive into the early life of Ringo Starr, how he joined the Beatles & their subsequent unprecedented success. After overcoming various serious Illnesses as a child, a young Ringo first develops an interest in drumming while in hospital recovering. His first arrives courtesy of stepfather Harry Graves & before long Ringo is drumming in skiffle bands around Liverpool before moving on to join Rory Storm & the Hurricanes where he comes known as Ringo for the first time.Having met the other Beatles briefly back in Liverpool, Ringo finds himself in Hamburg at the same time as them. After sitting in with the band for the increasingly unreliable Pete Best, Ringo is asked to join the band in 1962.  His first gig with the band takes place at Hulme Hall in Port Sunlight in August of that year. Back at The Cavern some fans take a dislike to Pete’a replacement & some dissent & altercations follow. The Beatles debut album comes out in February of 1963 & features Ringo’s debut vocal performance with the band, Boys. I Wanna Be Your Man follows on With The Beatles but by now the Starkey family home in The Dingle is besieged with Beatle fans, eventually forcing the family to relocate. The Beatles arrive in the US in February of 1964 & Ringo plays a starring role in their debut press conference in New York. Ringo goes on to become the most popular Beatle stateside inspiring a number of novelty releases about him. One of Ringo’s catchphrases becomes the title of the Beatles debut feature film A Hard Days Night later in 1964 & he receives positive reviews for his acting in the film. Other notable Ringo tracks include Act Naturally & What Goes On but it’s 1966’s Yellow Submarine which gives Ringo his first number one. Another memorable Ringo vocal is released the following year on Sgt. Pepper with A Little Help From My Friends. Some of Ringo’s most memorable drum parts appear on Rain, Ticket To Ride & A Day In The Life. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for a very special live episode to mark the release of Dreaming Of You - The Making of the Coral - the new documentary available now to rent or buy. Our starting point is the faded seaside town of Hoylake, on the Wirral Peninsula near Liverpool, where The Coral meet & come together to form the band. Before music James & Ian Skelly live in a fantasy world of Ghostbusters, Transformers, Thundercats & Turtles - aided partly by their Dad’s market stall selling toys in Liverpool. Its drummer Ian Skelly & bassist Paul Duffy who start the band with singer James Skelly eventually joins them & guitarists Bill Ryder-Jones & Lee Southall follow. Nick Power completes the lineup & James stumbles on the name The Coral & it sticks. Early influences include Captain Beefheart, Pink Floyd, The La’s, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, The Beach Boys, Dr. Dre, Peter Green & Oasis. In time this morphs into a love for The Beta Band, Super Furry Animals & Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci. A scene develops in Liverpool around The Zanzibar & The Bandwagon involving Tramp Attack, The Skylarks, The Bandits & The Zutons. The Coral begin to play regularly at The Cavern, entertaining Beatles tourists in a regular Sunday afternoon slot. The band are introduced to Deltasonic founder Alan Wills & not long after release debut single Shadows Fall. Shortly after the band sign to Sony after a gig at Night & Day in Manchester.Ian Broudie comes in as producer for what becomes the debut album which reaches 5 in the charts when released in July 2002. Hit single Dreaming Of You almost doesn’t appear on the album when the band are reluctant to include it, but ultimately have a change of heart. 2nd single Goodbye gets the band on Top Of The Pops & also gives the band the chance to build a full size Wicker Man for the accompanying video. A large headline gig takes place in a big top in New Brighton dubbed A Midsummer Nights Scream with The Libertines, The Bees, The Zutons, The Thrills & The Basements & makes the end of the first chapter of The Coral. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell116 - The Coral with James Skelly, Nick Power & James Slater (Hoylake) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AltmanJohn’s Uncles Sid Phillips & Wolf Phillips were big band conductors at the London Palladium so John grew up around the likes of Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong & Jack Benny.At a young age he played with the likes of Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, John Martyn, Nick Drake, Bridget St. John & Kevin Ayers.He joined Hot Chocolate & also found time to jam with Jimi Hendrix, have a laugh with Freddie Mercury & have Muddy Waters attend his 21st birthday party. John also had a hand in the music of Monty Python playing a key role in the Life Of Brian spinoff hit Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. Beatles spoof The Rutles featured John’s work & we hear how he recreated the famous Beatles sound on record. Moving into the world of cinema & John had a hand in the music of Pierce Brosnan’s first turn as James Bond in 1995’s Goldeneye & also in 1997’s Titanic which became the biggest movie of all time up to that point. We hear about a frantic phone call from James Cameron during the making of Titanic. John has also played on an estimated 4000 TV adverts ranging from Sheila’s Wheels to You Can Do It If You B&Q It, working with the likes of John Frankenheimer, Ridley & Tony Scott, Alan Parker, Elliot Erwitt, David Bailey & Terance Donovan. He also worked with Salman Rushdie as a lyricist, but never knew he was also a writer. Fans of Raymond Briggs’s The Snowman can hear about John’s work on Walking In The Air with Aled Jones. In the late 90s, a club in London known as 10 Room was founded, at first it started slowly but picked up once Lionel Richie & Chakak Khan turned up & played. In the coming years it hosted the likes of Nas, Will Smith, Chris Tucker, Kanye West, John Legend, Backstreet Boys, Ja Rule, Wycliffe Jean, Joss Stone & Amy Winehouse. We hear about proposed albums with Amy Winehouse & Dusty Springfield which do not come to fruition. And if that isn’t enough John throws in stories about Prince, Bjork & working on George Michael’s Faith for good measure. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jon King joins us to talk about the early years & formation of the Gang of Four - formed at Leeds University while Jon studied art. Jon was born in South London but moved to a village near Sevenoaks in Kent & while the King household rarely featured music, Jon grew up listening to Motown & Trojan Records before discovering Bob Dylan & the Velvet Underground. Another notable formative experience was bumping into John Lennon on Sevenoaks high street, the Beatles were in the area to film the video for Strawberry Fields Forever. Lennon also purchased the circus poster which inspired Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite on the same visit. Once up in Leeds, Jon blagged a trip to New York under the guise of needing to see Jasper John’s paintings in the flesh. While there he attends CBGBs & sees Richard Hell & the Voidoids, the Dead Boys & the other seminal New York bands. Gang Of Four’s first gig takes place in the basement of the Corn Exchange in Leeds & not long after Buzzcocks manager Richard Boon invited them to open for them on tour. The bands debut single Damaged Goods comes out on Fast Product Records but the band soon sign with EMI. The band’s debut album Entertainment! is released to universal acclaim & leads to a deal with Warner Brothers in the US & similar praise from the likes of Greil Marcus & Jerry Wexler. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Take a deep dive with us into the end of the Beatles, Paul McCartney in the 70s, Wings Over America, Mary Had a Little Lamb, feuding with John Lennon & more with writer Tom Doyle whose McCartney biography Man On The Run is out now. The Beatles come to an end & Paul takes refuge at High Park Farm in Scotland, taking a little time to consider his next move. Amid the Paul Is Dead rumours, Paul releases his debut lo-fi solo album McCartney followed not long after by Ram - credited to he & Linda. It is Linda who plays a key role in getting him back into music & she ends top in his next band, Wings. There are some nasty public exchanges with John Lennon culminating in the acerbic How Do You Sleep on Lennon’s Imagine album. Wings first tour is a series of unannounced gigs at universities around the UK & Wildlife becomes their debut album. Red Rose Speedway follows not long after but its James Bond theme Live & Let Die which becomes their first huge success. Not long after Wings decamp to Lagos, Nigeria to record what becomes Band On The Run, but not before losing 2 members, completing the album as a three piece (Paul, Linda & Denny Laine). Paul begins to reconnect with John Lennon & the other Beatles by the middle of the decade & also begins to play Beatles songs for the first time on the hugely successful Wings Over America tour - feeling he has enough new hits to blend in with the older material. Following a drugs bust in Japan, Wings Peters out without a formal announcement, leaving a charity gig at Hammersmith Odeon in late 1979 as their last gig. John & Paul are on better terms by the end of the decade with their final conversation coming in October 1980 on the occasion of John’s 40th birthday. Would the Beatles have re-formed had John lived into the 1980s? It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we welcome Melissa Auf der Maur to hear about her new book Even The Good Girls Cry - out now on Atlantic Books. Our starting point is Montreal as Melissa recounts growing up listening to The Cure & The Smiths, studying photography & seeing Hole & Smashing Pumpkins in one week in 1991 - both bands she would later join. On her first meeting with Hole, Melissa in forced to un-invite the band to stay at her apartment after the roommate objects after seeing Courtney Love in Straight To Hell alongside Joe Strummer. After picking up the bass at age 21, her first band Tinker open for the Smashing Pumpkins in Montreal after Melissa writes a letter to Billy Corgan. Shortly after the opportunity arises to join Hole - at first Melissa is hesitant but is soon won over after being flown to L.A. to meet the band. She took photos the whole time - ending up with an archive of over 15,000 pictures - some of which will feature in a new photo book in the Autumn. Hole are offered the chance to appear on The Simpsons - however their management inexplicably turn it down & the Smashing Pumpkins, Cypress Hill & Sonic Youth appear in their place. The band are under pressure to deliver on 1998’s Celebrity Skin album as they juggle their schedule around Courtney Love’s burgeoning acting career. Melissa leaves Hole shortly after a notable appearance at Glastonbury in 1999 & joins the Smashing Pumpkins - her favourite band. She plays over a hundred shows in just under a year - with gigs often running as long as 3 hours, with over a hundred songs to learn. Melissa reconnected with Courtney Love, Patty Schemel & Billy Corgan subsequently & today owns & operates Basilica Hudson an arts centre in Hudson, New York. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for our first episode on one of the seminal bands of the 90s - Nirvana with legendary music writer Everett True. His book Nirvana - The True Story is out now. Kurt Cobain & Krist Novoselic meet in Aberdeen, Washington but it’s in Tacoma & Olympia where the band really comes together. We hear about Kurt’s early influences including The Melvins, The Raincoats, The Pastels, Teenage Fanclub, Young Marble Giants, Bikini Kill & various releases on local label K Records. The first gig billed as Nirvana takes place at the Community World Theatre in Tacoma. Nirvana sign to Sub Pop Records in Seattle & their debut single Love Buzz comes out as part of the Singles Club series. We hear about the influence of other local bands Mudhoney & Soundgarden. The debut album Bleach is made for $600 & Everett conducts his first interview with the band not long after. The band tour the UK starting at Newcastle Riverside & Everett himself joins them onstage at a gig in Nottingham. Original drummer Chan Channing leaves Nirvana & is replaced by Dave Grohl as the band sign a major label deal with Geffen Records & producer Butch Vig comes in to help realise the sound of Nevermind. Shortly after the band debut a new song named Smells Like Teen Spirit at the OK Hotel in Seattle. The song title famously comes after Kathleen Hanna scrawls ‘Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit’ on an apartment wall. The band headline the Reading Festival in England in the summer of 1992 as Everett wheels Kurt Cobain onstage to start the gig. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate 50 years of The Undertones with guitar player Damian O’Neill. Damien kept diaries during the early years of the band & reads extracts for us throughout & he tells us about joining the band age 15 & their first gig at a local scout hall. From there The Undertones honed their craft playing regularly at The Casbah in their hometown of Derry, Northern Ireland. His older brother John O’Neill starts to write songs & they record their debut release The Teenage Kicks EP - after which John Peel plays it & becomes a fan - resulting in the songs success & an appearance on Top Of The Pops. The day after their TV debut the band return to Derry for a triumphant homecoming gig at The Rocking Chair, a local pub.Damien tells us about briefly touring with Joy Division & The Rezillos & their ill fated attempt to stage a festival in their hometown headlined by The Clash. The festival is cancelled after Joe Strummer receives a letter from local political loyalists. In return for the cancellation, the Undertones get to open for The Clash on a US tour in the Autumn of 1979. Damien also tells us about his favourite Undertones tracks, his brother John getting arrested on tour & previews the upcoming 50th anniversary gigs later this year. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we travel to Forest Hills, Queens, New York to trace the origins of the legendary punk band The Ramones. While Joey Ramone is actually the only Ramone born in Forest Hills, it is this conversation suburb of New York which creates one of the iconic bands in the history of NYC. The bands influences include 1960s Girl Groups, The Beatles, The Beach Boys & Elvis Presley. The bands first big takes place in March of 1974 with Joey Ramone on drums. They played original material from the start - with varying explanations as to why. Johnny Ramones would probably have preferred to bat for the New York Yankees than be in a band but his famous guitar sound is there from the beginning. Arturo Vega designs the famous Ramones logo however he is not paid royalties on the subsequent mass marketing of the design. New York City figure Danny Fields comes in as the bands manager & they subsequently sign to Seymour Stein’s Sire Records. The debut album clocks in at just 28 minutes & features a now iconic photo taken by Roberta Bailey who had only been taking photos for a few weeks at the time the picture was taken. Their next few albums Leave Home & Rocket To Russia repeat the trick with such classics as Rockaway Beach & Sheena is a Punk Rocker. Tommy Ramone leaves the band, breaking up the original line up having tired of touring. The band continue to search for a hit & bring in Phil Spector for the End Of The Century album. Joey & Johnny Ramond fallout & do not speak to each other for 16 years while touring relentlessly. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we bring you a very special conversation between singer/songwriter Amy Rigby & Kathy Valentine (The Go-Go’s) to mark the publication of Amy’s brand new book Girl To Country. Amy Rigby has established herself as one of America’s enduring underground/cult/indie artists, combining the insight and humor of country and folk songwriting with classic rock craftsmanship and punk DIY spirit.Kathy Valentine has been a working musician and songwriter for over 40 years, ever since she started her first band at age 16 in her hometown of Austin, Texas. After moving to Los Angeles, Kathy joined a band that would go on to make music history: The Go-Go’s. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In July of 1966 the biggest band in the world touched down in Manila in the Philippines to play 2 shows at the Rizal Memorial Stadium - and we are joined by David Guerrero whose book You Won't See Me - When The Beatles Ghosted Imelda is out now on Penguin. Why did the Beatles choose to play in the Philippines? Who made the call to tack it onto an existing trip to Japan? There are a number of bizarre incidents including a press conference at a local Naval Base, a proposed overnight stay on a boat in Manila Bay & of course the infamous no-show to visit the First Lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. Hysterical TV coverage follows & subsequently the huge security detail assigned to the band was withdrawn, as was room service back at their hotel, a large 'income tax' bill also arrives. All this takes places while the Beatles play 2 of the biggest shows of their career on July 4th 1966 - the daytime show drew a crowd of 30,000 people while over 50,000 attended the evening show (potentially significantly more since many came in through unmanned gates at the stadium). This was the Beatles final tour & they only play 1 song released in 1966 at either show, their latest single Paperback Writer. After the 2nd gig things begin to turn sour & when leaving the country the following dat the band are jostled at the airport (resulting in driver Alf Bicknell ending up with fractured ribs), the management at the airport even turn off the escalators & make The Beatles park in the main car park with the general public, not treatment they were accustomed to by 1966. On the plane out of Manila, John Lennon declares he won't tour again & the bands days as a touring act come to a close the following month after a show at Candlestick Park in San Francisco & to this day none of the Beatles ever returned to the Philippines. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we start in Brooklyn to chart the life & career of Carole King - from her beginnings as part of a local Doo Woo group through to the unprecedented success of Tapestry via New York’s Brill Building. Carole King & Gerry Goffin’s big break came when they are asked to write a hit for girl group The Shirelles - the song they hand in, Will You Love Me Tomorrow shoots to number 1 & sells over a million copies. They replicate the success with their next release The Locomotion, inspired & sang by their babysitter Eva. They have dozens of other hits as one of the key songwriting partnerships of their era including Chains, Up On The Roof, Crying In The Rain, Some Kind of Wonderful & dozens more. You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman) becomes a huge hit for Aretha Franklin in 1967 & also features on Carole’s breakthrough solo release Tapestry. The album initially receives a quiet reception upon release in 1971 but goes onto sell tens of millions of copies & its influence is still felt today as it is passed down through generations. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baz Warne frontman of The Stranglers joins us this week to talk us through his new book & to tell us a little about his recent tour & his history with The Stranglers, the Toy Dolls & more. Baz was born in Sunderland but it was while briefly living in Vancouver he first discovered the guitar. Upon returning to Sunderland, Baz sets about learning to play. His diligence is rewarded when at age 19 he is asked to join the biggest band in the north east at the time, punk band The Toy Dolls. He travels across Europe & the US multiple times with the band although his bass part is replaced on the bands biggest hit Nelly The Elephant after he leaves the band after about 18 months. His next band Troubleshooters morphs into Small Town Heroes & he spends the next 8 years hammering the circuit in the north east & across the country. In 2000 Baz is invited to audition to join The Stranglers although he initially turns down the invitation. After nailing Golden Brown he is offered the job on the spot. For his first 3 years with the band he plays guitar as the band play tour consistently - over time he starts to contribute songwriting as the band make a return to form with the Norfolk Coast album. Following the 2006 departure of singer Paul Roberts, Baz takes over as vocalist. We hear about some of Baz’s most memorable gigs including Glastonbury, The Royal Albert Hall (with Jimmy Page in attendance) & being heckled in Newcastle. Baz also shares a few memorable stories from over the years including encounters with Debbie Harry & AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roddy Bottum is best known as the keyboard player in Faith No More & his new book The Royal We is out now on Akashic Books. Roddy moves to San Francisco from L.A. in 1981 & a l;ittle while later he joins what was originally known as Faith No Man. After a few lineup changes (including a brief stint with Courtney Love as lead vocalist) the band morphs into the first incarnation of Faith No More with Roddy writing their breakthrough track We Care A Lot. The band make their first trip to the UK for a small tour including a show at Dingwalls in London. Things really start to come together when lead vocalist Mike Patton joins & The Real Thing album comes out in 1989 - backed by a top 10 single in Epic. Roddy’s keyboard sound sets the band apart from their contemporaries & a huge tour with Metallica & Guns n Roses follows. We hear about Roddy’s experiences as a gay man in this very masculine & often toxic world. The Angel Dust album follows in 1992 as the bands commercial peak continues - the band comes to an end in 1998 although a couple of reunions have took place since in 2009 & 2015. Roddy also tells us about his other project Imperial Teen, a very different sounding band to Faith No More. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we celebrate 50 years of The Undertones with the one & only Mickey Bradley - our starting point is Derry in the late 1970s as we trace the formation of the band at the O’Neill house on Beechwood Avenue. Although the initial idea for the Undertones was a folk band playing Mandolins - everything changes when they hear The Ramones & the early punk records - realising they need to speed up their songs. Vincent O’Neill leaves & younger brother Damien joins to round out the lineup with Feargal, Mickey, Billy & principal songwriter John. The first gig takes place in a local scout hall but its at Derry venue The Casbah where the band hone their craft, playing weekly for over 18 months from early 1977.Their first visit to a recording studio remarkably results in the Teenage Kicks EP & it is released via legendary Belfast record shop burgeoning record label Good Vibrations. The bands lives are changed forever when John Peel takes a liking to the record & plays it on his radio show - Mickey tells us about the varying accounts of how Peel got hold of the record. John Peel famously played Teenage Kicks twice in a row on September 25th 1978 & Sire Records head Seymour Stein heard it while on a trip to the UK, resulting in the band signing to the prestigious New York home of The Ramones & Talking Heads. Teenage Kicks also leads to an appearance on Top Of The Pops (the bands second time in a studio) & the rest is history. The Undertones have tour dates throughout 2026 & you can get Mickey’s book here.It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by an all-star panel comprising founder member of The Jam, Steve Brookes, Acid Jazz founder Eddie Piller & Dan Jennings, author of Paul Weller - The Oral History. We retrace the early years of The Jam from Steve & Paul playing in Paul’s bedroom on Stanley Road in Woking, through Bruce Foxton & Rick Buckler joining the band. However Steve dislikes the direction the band is taking & leaves before they are catapulted to success in with In The City after signing to Polydor. We hear about their early material, the early mod scene in & around London, the infuleucne of punk on Paul Weller, specifically the Sex Pistols & hoe the famous graffiti The Jam logo was born. Eddie Piller tells us about how he interviewed Paul for his fanzine at a young age while also getting Paul a McDonalds, toured across Holland & France going to Jam gigs & how close Paul was to signing for Acid Jazz in the early 90s. The story has a happy ending for Steve Brookes when he reconnects with Paul Weller in the 90s - playing on 22 Dreams & other recent Weller projects. We also find out if he might have fit into the Style Council more than The Jam. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week esteemed writer & broadcaster Robert Elms joins us to tell us about the legendary Blitz nightclub in London’s Convent Garden. Back then Central London looked very different to today - back then it was an empty & desolate wasteland of abandoned buildings & crumbling blocks. But from this rose a cultural phenomenon - starting at Billy’s as a David Bowie night & then moving onto The Blitz came a nightclub so legendary at least 70 of its regulars went onto achieve global prominence in some form. Punk had peaked & in the gap came the extravagantly dressed creatures that inhabited The Blitz - regulars included founders Steve Strange & Rusty Egan, Boy George, Sade, Gary & Martin Kemp of Spandau Ballet, Mudge Ure, Billy Idol, Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama & many more. Within 18 months of this club night starting many of its regulars are in the charts both at home and& in the US with Visage, Ultravox, Spandau Ballet, Sade, Banarama, Culture Club & more all achieving huge success. Affirmation came in July 1980 when David Bowie visited The Blitz. It was over within 18 months, drawing to an end towards the end of 1980. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us to celebrate 100 episodes of Music Maps with the mighty Kevin Rowland to discuss hew recent memory Bless Me Father & the story of Dexys Midnight Runners. We start with Kevin’s early years in Wolverhampton, the families relocation to the London suburbs & how he ended up attending the 1966 World Cup Final & briefly meeting Cassius Clay. Kevin’s tells us about his early years as a skinhead, his early musical influences including Bob Dylan & Bryan Ferry, his brief career in hairdressing & the beginnings of his first band Lucy & The Lovers. The band morphed into punk band The Killjoys with future bandmate & collaborator Kevin Archer. Kevin develops a very specific idea for a band right down to the clothes, the dancing & the unique brass sound. We hear how Kevin missed Joy Division while having a haircut, how close Dexys ever came to signing to Two Tone & their appearance on the famous Two Tone tour.Geno reaches number 1 & Dexys become much better known with their debut album Searching For the Young Soul Rebels (we also hear what actually happened with the demo tapes for the album). However just as success arrives Kevin veers in a different direction & develops a new version of Dexys with multiple new members & a different sound. This incarnation go on to score huge hits with Come On Eileen & Jackie Wilson Said both featuring on the Too-Rye-Ay album. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our starting point is the breakup of The Beatles as writer Tom Doyle joins us to talk through the life of Ringo Starr, his biography is out now. His debut album Sentimental Journey arrives in March of 1970 & is quickly followed up with Beaucoup of Blues, a set of country standards. Ringo has also began to build an acting career with The Magic Christian alongside Peter Sellars. An appearance in Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels follows. He appears on not only George Harrison’s blockbuster All Things Must Pass but also John Lennon’s Imagine album. Meanwhile he unexpectedly initially becomes the most successful of the solo Beatles, scoring a number of hits including It Don’t Come Easy, I’m The Greatest & Photograph (with the latter becoming the first Beatle to score a number 1 single). You’re Sixteen also becomes a number 1 & his third album Ringo becomes his commercial peak with all 3 other Beatles appearing. Ringo goes on to feature in the hit film That’ll Be The Day along with some not so successful releases including Son Of Dracula with Harry Nilsson & taking the lead in Caveman. The 70’s see Ringo as one of the ‘Hollywood Vampires’ alongside Alice Cooper, Micky Dolenz, John Lennon, Harry Nilsson & Keith Moon. Moving into the 1980s & Ringo unexpectedly becomes a hit on children’s television as the voice of Thomas The Tank Engine (or Shining Time Station to American viewers). The 90s see Ringo mostly out on the road with his All Starr Band but will be remembered by Beatles fans for the Anthology reunion project & the comeback single Free As a Bird. Ringo is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 & continues to perform to this day. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for a live conversation linked to the recent release of ACR:NYC - Live at Hurrah 1980, with A Certain Ratio, director Merrill Aldighieri - moderated by Dave Haslam.45 years after A Certain Ratio’s first performance in the US (at Hurrah, NYC in September 1980) the band premiere a film of the performance. The Hurrah performance took place on 12 Sept, just before the band took to the studio to record their 1981 album, To Each, so the live set included tracks that would later appear on the album. The film exudes some of the energy that the band must have felt being out in NYC at that time, and the excitement of the people they met on the way. ACR will be expanding on stories and memories from that time. The conversation includes recollections of the trip, the gig, the New York City venues of the era & features stories about Tony Wilson, Madonna, Joy Division, Grace Jones, Johnny Marr & even Robert De Niro's wife.It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us to hear all about Pulp with Mark Webber - Mark found his way into the band by way of running the fan club (Pulp People) before eventually joining full time in 1995.Mark's wonderful new book 'I'm With Pulp Are You' traces the band's history in forensic detail via the many bits of Pulp ephemera Mark collected over the years. We hear about his initial Pulp fandom, getting to know the band long before joining (his first bands first gig was opening for Pulp), his early influences including David Bowie & the Velvet Underground. One of his first sessions as a full time member was with producer Chris Thomas recording the iconic Common People & while working on the subsequent album Mark played a key role including coming up with the now famous guitar part for Disco 2000. We hear about how Pulp came to step in to replace the Stone Roses to headline Glastonbury in 1995, filling in for The Verve - opening for Oasis at Sheffield Arena, working with Scott Walker, the furore over the Sorted For E's & Whizz cover & the infamous BRIT Awards incident with Jarvis Cocker & Michael Jackson. Mark also tells us about Pulp's recent renaissance which began in 2023 with a huge gig at Finsbury Park in London, their new album More & their plans for 2026 & beyond. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us to round out 2025 by travelling back 30 years to 1995 with writer Anna Doble. Among much more we discuss the battle of Britpop with Blur v Oasis, the disappearance of Richie Edwards & the return of the Manic Street Preachers, the emergence of Supergrass, the joy of making tapes, our favourites from 1995, Pulp headlining Glastonbury, Oasis playing Earls Court, queuing up for gig tickets, Robbie Williams leaving Take That, the colossal success of Friends & of course Mariah Carey’s entry into the world of the Christmas single. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by music writer Paul Morley to guide us through the early years of David Bowie - from his early life in Brixton & Bromley through to his formative experiences in Soho, his early bands & his original desire to be a saxophone player. We find out what led to his rebranding of himself from David Jones into the David Bowie the world came to know. After meeting Marc Bolan, Bowie was signed by Leslie Conn & released his debut album in 1967, featuring the novelty release The Laughing Gnome. Space Oddity follows & after producer Tony Visconti dismissed the song as a novelty, Gus Dudgeon ends up coming in to produce. The song has a singular quality & becomes a hit although such is its uniqueness David struggles to follow it up. His 2nd album (also titled David Bowie) follows shortly after & David’s time as an unknown comes to an end. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we welcome Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie to talk us through the history of the band - starting in Glasgow in the early 1980s following in the footsteps of the success of the Sound Of Young Scotland on Postcard Records.She bands first releases appear to significant fanfare after Melody Maker featured the band on the cover before they’ve released anything - bit their debut on Chrysalis proves to be a false start. 4 years pass before their 2nd album Waking Hours appears on A&M in 1989 featuring their breakthrough single Nothing Ever Happens. Always The Last To Know becomes another hit & 1995’s Roll To Me breaks the top 10 in America.In 1998 Del Amitri make the official World Cup song for the Scotland national team after they quality for the World Cup. The bands go on hiatus in the early 2000’s but make a triumphant return in 2014 at the Hydro in Glasgow & have continued to tour periodically since & a new album came in 2021. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 introspective material appearing on their albums such as In My Room, The Warmth of the Sun & Don’t Worry Baby. They score their first number 1 in 1964 with I Get Around & go onto have a string of hits including California Girls, Barbara Ann, Wouldn’t It Be Nice & Good Vibrations. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Strip in LA. Before long she was mixing with the likes of The Byrds, Frank Zappa, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Gram Parsons & Led Zeppelin (legend has it the Zeppelin track ‘Going To California’ is about her & her friends). Her many relationships over the years include Keith Moon, Jimmy Page, Mick Jagger, Chris Hillman & Jim Morrison. Her band the GTOs were formed by Frank Zappa & went onto release an album. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 single Arnold Layne but is replaced after Pink Floyd sign with EMI by Beatles engineer Norman Smith for follow up single See Emily Play & debut album The Piper at the Gates Of Dawn. Syd Barrett's behaviour becomes increasingly unpredictable as the bands profile rises after a tour with Jimi Hendrix & their first US tour. Bassist Roger Waters begins to assert a greater influence on the band & eventually takes over as the bands principle songwriter when Syd Barrett is replaced by David Gilmour. Mark's book Shine On - The Oral History of Pink Floyd is out now. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 recording of Freedom by George Michael with Andy. What we now know as the classic Ride sound comes together organically in rehearsals & after almost signing for Warners the band come to the attention of Alan McGee & end up signing with Creation Records. The first 3 EPs come out in quick succession followed by debut album Nowhere in the autumn of 1990. Tours with Lush, Slowdive & the Pale Saints follow & 2nd album Going Blank again is produced by Alan Moulder following a positive experience with Alan mixing the previous album. The lead single Leave Them All Behind clocks in at over 8 minutes in length & breaks the top 10 of the singles chart, reaching number 9, marking probably the commercial peak of the shoegaze genre. Things start to unravel on 3rd album Carnival of Light with John Leckie producing. The album comes out in 1994 but fails to reach the heights of its predecessors - and amid tensions within the band & after quickly releasing the Tarantula album, Ride come to an end in 1996. Ride do reform in 2015 & it becomes one of the more successful reunions of recent years producing 3 albums & a number of tours & high profile festival appearances, including playing debut album Nowhere in its entirety. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 gig in Hyde Park in London the week before the crucial G8 leaders summit in Gleneagles. We hear about Bono's appearance at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton where he famously likened Tony Blair & Gordon Brown to Lennon & McCartney. Also in 2004 is the new Band Air recording headed by Nigel Godrich featuring Paul McCartney, Chris Martin from Coldplay & Bono amongst others. But Bob Geldof doesn't think another gig would have the same impact as the original Live Aid in 1985 at Wembley Stadium, but he changes his mind when Bono pitches to him 'it was 20 years ago today' with Paul McCartney opening the show with U2. We hear about the difficulty in getting Hyde Park as the venue & convincing the Royal Parks people to allow an extra 200,000 people to watch on screen in addition to the 300,000 attendees. Bob also convinces original Band Aid cover artist Peter Blake to produce a new artwork for the 2005 edition. But perhaps the toughest feat he pulls off is convincing Pink Floyd to appear for their first gig in years - we hear how he convinced them to reform & share the stage with more modern acts such as Coldplay with Richard Ashcroft, Elton John with Pete Doherty, Dido, Razorlight, , Ms Dynamite, Travis, Scissor Sisters, Mariah Carey, Joss Stone & Stereophonics with Bill Gates, Will Smith & Brad Pitt all appearing too. We hear about the near misses including the Rolling Stones & a possible mini Beatles reunion & the old guard are also represented with Paul McCartney closing the show & George Michael returning after also appearing back in 1985. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 store Oar Folk, specifically the first release Beatles albums with the UK tracklistings. While at Oar Folk the store pioneered in-store appearances & gigs from bands passing through Minnesota including Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Graham Parker, Pere Ubu, Blondie, the Dead Boys, Devo, Ian Dury, The Only Ones & The Ramones (on no less than 3 separate occasions. We hear about the important Twin Cities venues of the time - The Longhorn, The Depot, First Avenue, The Labor Temple & the 7th Street Entry, From there Peter plays a key role in the founding of legendary indie label Twin Tone records with over 300 records released over 20 years & distributed by Rough Trade. Bands based in the area during this time include Soul Asylum, The Replacements, Husker Du, the Suicide Commandos, Flamingo & more. In 1981 Peter first hears 'Radio Free Europe' the debut release by R.E.M. & they play their first gig in the area on Thanksgiving of that same year. Over the next year the band are back in Minneapolis on 3 separate occasions & Peter gets to know them & starts joining them at gigs elsewhere. The band invite him to become their Tour Manager & he unexpectedly ends up sharing a room with Michael Stipe. Peter drives the van into Shea Stadium as one of seven dates the band share with Sting & The Police. After a year or so with R.E.M. Peter joins back up with the Replacements & his time with the band comes to an end. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 founder member of The Teardrop Explodes alongside Julian Cope. He left the Teardrop Explodes to form his own band The Wild Swans & their classic debut single Revolutionary Spirit is funded by Paul's flatmate, Echo & the Bunnymen drummer Pete De Freitas, who also played on the session. It comes out on Bill Drummond's Zoo Records. After Courtney Love stays in Paul & Pete's flat for 9 months he disbands the Wild Swans & goes on to form Care with future Lightning Seeds frontman Ian Broudie. Briefly a pop star, Paul shares an unexpected encounter with Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder while making a record at AIR Studios in London. The 2nd incarnation of the Wild Swans end on Seymour Stein's Sire Records but also comes to a premature end. Inbetween Paul enjoys cult success under the name Skyray before a 3rd version of the Wild Swans comes into being & enjoys huge success in the Philippines. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/eventsInstagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 a trip to Southend on Sea with the blue rock crowd from St. Albans, Donovan is spotted & taken to Tin Pan Alley to make his earliest recordings (The Rolling Stones were also making demos on Denmark Street at the same time). Into 1965 & Donovan has key encounters with Bob Dylan (contributing to the video for Subterranean Homesick Blues) & The Beatles at the Savoy in London. He also saw the arrival of Jimi Hendrix to London in 1967 first hand. An A to Z of session players appear on Donovan's records including 3 future members of Led Zeppelin - Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones & John Bonham as he scores big hits with Mellow Yellow, Sunshine Superman & more. In 1968 Donovan travelled to Rishikesh in India with the Beatles, Mia Farrow, Mike Love & others to study with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, where he taught John Lennon a style of fingerpicking he later used on Julia & Dear Prudence. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 first session. The record sells over a million copies but they follow it up with Wake Up Little Susie which is an even bigger hit. We find out how they achieved their incredible acoustic guitar sound & hear about their pioneering techniques in the recording studio as well as their friendship with Buddy Holly. The Everlys sign with Warner Brothers in 1959 & immediately deliver their biggest hit Cathy's Clown. Their first UK tour takes place in 1960 with George Harrison & Graham Nash amongst those in attendance. The duo become a huge influence on the Beatles particularly on their early hit Please Please Me. Their guitar sound can also be heard on Bob Dylan's Highway 51 & It's Alright Me (I'm Only Bleeding). While they fall out of fashion in the US they remain a big act in the UK & Europe & make some of their best records in the late 60s despite lower sales than at their peak. The brothers split after a final show at the Knott's Berry Farm theme park in California in 1973, but they return in 1983 for a reunion show at the Royal Albert Hall in London. They record a Paul McCartney track & release a number of new records. They continue until their victory lap on a 2004 farewell tour with Simon & Garfunkel. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Fairytale In The Supermarket is followed by their debut album later in the year. The Raincoats release several further albums but the band comes to an end in 1984 however a huge resurgence in the band comes in the 90s spearheaded by super fan Kurt Cobain. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy MaxwellIt takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellRecorded at The Ivy House, NunheadMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Colchester Arts Centre, that mate turns out to be Damon Albarn. The trio begin to play together in Colchester & London after Graham moves from saxophone to lead guitar. A vacancy on bass opens up & is filled by Graham's neighbour in his Goldsmiths College hall of residence, Alex James. The first Blur (then known as Seymour) gig takes place at the East Anglian Railway Museum in the summer of 1989 & after a positive write up in the pages of Music Week, the band are signed within 6 months of forming. Blur end up on Food Records & following a name change become known for their chaotic & energetic gigs. The label are keen for the band to pursue a 'baggy' sound with the Manchester scene still prominent in 1990 & debut single She's So High is released in October of 1990. Things really take off once producer Stephen Street comes into the fold. Follow up single There's No Other Way breaks the top 10, peaking at number 8. Debut album Leisure follows in the summer of 1991 & features a 1954 Charles Hewitt photograph on the cover. Dave begins to document this early period by taking photographs, eventually taking hundreds which were edited down for the book. They cover the bands first trips to the US, Japan & Mexico & document a time when the world did not yet know Blur. You can buy Dave's book here. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 for a few years at this point touring the working men’s clubs & Mecca ballrooms of Scotland & the north of England. The band explode in popularity in 1974 & we find out about how the tartan clothing came to be so closely associated with the band, various injuries sustained, how Woody’s family dealt with the fans gathered at the family home & even starring in their own TV show. The Bay City Rollers success is replicated in the US, Australia, Japan & around the world. Famously the bands financial situation becomes messy & takes over 40 years to find a resolution meanwhile there are various revivals of the Rollers from the late 1980s onwards including a homecoming gig at T in the Park in Scotland in 2016 & today the band is thriving with a new lineup. Woody still plays with the band & has taken over as the custodian of the Bay City Rollers legacy. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 amount to 500,000 words in length & make up several autobiographies worth of information.Within its pages we hear about Freddie's early years in Zanzibar, his summer holidays in Bombay, the fantasy land of Rhye, his lifelong passion for the royal family. the Bulsara family's sudden relocation to Feltham in South London & a Freddie the world never knew. We hear new details regarding the writing or many of his most famous songs including Bohemian Rhapsody. Freddie Mercury made his home at Garden Lodge in Kensington, the contents of which were sold off in a 2023 auction raising over £40m - what might Freddie have made of the auction? Or the suggestion the house should be turned into a Graceland style exhibit? Would Queen have toured again or would Freddie have retired? It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 into becoming their manager & creates the Twin Tone label in Minneapolis for the band. It takes over 7 months to finish their debut album but before long the band begin to gain traction on college radio across the United States. The mini album Stink follows soon after & the Hootenanny album follows in April of 1983. Peter briefly breaks off from the Replacements to become tour manager for R.E.M. & the bands tour together. The sessions for what becomes the Let It Be album begin towards the end of 1983 & the album becomes the top selling record in Twin Tone history. An eventful trip to New York begins with the band making the cover of the Village Voice & playing a secret gig with Alex Chilton at CBGB's. The trip culminates in a show at Irving Plaza where Seymour Stein sees the band & later signs them to Sire Records.The Replacements appear on Saturday Night Live in support of their next record Tim but Peter's time with the band comes to a sudden end in 1986. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 hear about Lamb Of God's recent participation in the final Black Sabbath show at Villa Park in Birmingham - Back To The Beginning & Randy's longstanding relationship with Ozzy Osbourne. We discuss first hearing the Sex Pistols' Never Mind The Bollocks as a teenager as well as other significant influences including Nick Cave, Iggy Pop, Bad Brains, Judas Priest, Napalm Death, Black Flag & Henry Rollins, Randy is also an accomplished photographer & he tells us how he got into the medium, developed his skills & his love for the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 hear how music was woven into the fabric of James's life, becoming an essential part of who he is. It takes us through the struggles of raising an autistic child in a prejudiced world, and uncovers a hidden history of neurodivergence and creativity that casts new light on why notes, chords and lyrics speak so powerfully to the human mind.It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubProduced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 off to the Yardbirds shortly after & Tom ends up in Manfred Mann. It wasn’t until Tom heard Eric’s work with John Mayall he realised how far he would go. Upon joining The Manfreds, their breakthrough hit 5-4-3-2-1 had been recorded but was not yet released. It had been commissioned as a new theme for the popular music TV program Ready, Steady, Go! In the autumn of 1964 Do Was Diddy Diddy goes to number 1 in the UK & the US as part of the British Invasion, despite it almost getting dropped from the bands live set prior to release. The band become known for their Bob Dylan covers, scoring a string of hits with Dylan tracks including ‘If You Gotta Go, Go Now’, ‘With God On Our Side’ & the Mighty Quinn. Pretty Flamingo becomes their next number 1 in May of 1966 as Tom moves from bass to lead guitar. We find out about Bruce Springsteen’s love for the song. Lead singer Paul Jones leaves the band & is replaced by Mike D’Abo & Jack Bruce is briefly a member of the band before moving onto Cream to be replaced by Klaus Voorman. The band comes to a sudden end in 1969 but has reformed several times since & continues to tour to this day & you can find their tour dates here. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17X: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted, Produced & Edited by Simon CardwellMusic by Andy Maxwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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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 band by the name of Blur. She tells us about her love for Pulp, James, Suede & her well documented passion for The Wedding Present.  We also discuss issues for touring bands as a result of Brexit & how we can do more & assistance for grassroots venues to ensure new acts continue to come through. It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmapsIt is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/live/Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17Blue Sky: @musicmaps.bsky.socialX: @simonmusicmapsFacebook: E17rockbookclubHosted by Mark Hart & Simon CardwellWritten, Edited & Produced by Simon Cardwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.