Classic Album Sundays

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CAS Worldwide: Interpol ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’ Jun 20, 2021

Show notes

Following the horrific events of September 11th, 2001, New York was a scarred city that was determined to move on and rebuild. Members of Interpol had watched the scene unfold from the rooftops of their buildings and through the surreal spectacle of 24 hour news coverage. A strange atmosphere had taken over the city: unusually high levels of mutual kindness between strangers gave way to a new sense of clarity. Sam Fogarino recalls: “It was weird in the band, too. For a short period of time, it felt like, ‘Let’s just shake hands and move on. We’re not doing a record.’ Everything seemed so trivial.”

The band kicked off the recording process just over a month later, opting for the home studio of producer Peter Katis, far away in Bridgeport, Connecticut: an isolated location, removed from the social and narcotic distractions of New York. Turn On The Bright Lightsmarked the beginning of a longstanding relationship between Interpol and Katis – an accomplished, Grammy-winning engineer who would also record seven albums with indie-rock darlings, The National.

Read more about your favourite albums here: classicalbumsundays.com

My Classic Album: Sister Sledge on ‘We Are Family’ Jun 13, 2021

Show notes

Sister Sledge join Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy at Kings Place as part of the ‘Venus Unwrapped’ series to discuss their iconic We Are Family album.

We Are Family is one of the most iconic dance albums of all time and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Its title track is an enduring classic that has resounded at key life moments with people from all backgrounds. Debbie Sledge and Kim Sledge join Classic Album Sundays founder/broadcaster Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy to look back to the creation of the album that also includes hits He’s the ‘Greatest Dancer’, ‘Lost in Music’, and ‘Thinking of You’ and to the greater cultural context of disco and it’s legacy. The session will also feature a vinyl replay of the Chic-produced album immersing fans in some of the most joyous sounds of the Seventies.

Read more about your favourite albums here: https://classicalbumsundays.com/

This Woman’s Work: The B-52’s Jun 06, 2021

Show notes

Here’s another edition of This Woman’s Work, a series of stories from Classic Album Sundays where we highlight classic albums by female musicians, women who continue to influence the world of pop culture and inspire others. This time, we’re looking at the debut album of a band that seems to have landed here from some groovy planet. Four decades ago, the B-52s arrived on the Athens, Georgia, party scene with killer guitar riffs, their silly but eerie lyrics, and their sky-high beehive wigs. Read more about your favourite albums here: https://classicalbumsundays.com/

Album Inspirations: John Harris on Radiohead ‘OK Computer’ May 30, 2021

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Classic Album Sundays presents The Guardian’s John Harris giving us his personal story behind Radiohead’s ‘OK Computer’ at Camp Bestival. Read more about your favourite albums here: https://classicalbumsundays.com/

CAS Worldwide: Talking Heads ‘Remain In Light’ May 23, 2021

Show notes

This episode of CAS Worldwide looks at Talking Heads Remain In Light. Recorded at Compass Point Studios and produced by Brian Eno the album drew on the influence of artists such as Fela Kuti. The album also pushed to dispel notions of the band as a mere vehicle for frontman and songwriter David Byrne. Read more about your favourite albums here: https://classicalbumsundays.com/

My Classic Album: Jazzie B on Soul II Soul ‘Club Classics Vol. One’ May 16, 2021

Show notes

We were honoured to be joined by Jazzie B OBE at The British Library to look back on Soul II Soul ‘Club Classics Vol. One’ as part of National Album Day 2019. Jazzie B revolutionised black British music when he founded the band Soul II Soul. Their debut 1989 album became an international phenomenon; its blend of soul, reggae and funk landing perfectly amid the exploding house music culture of that year. The global musical landscape was changed forever. Read more about your favourite albums here https://classicalbumsundays.com/

This Woman’s Work: The Patti Smith Group 'Horses' May 09, 2021

Show notes

From what is arguably one of the most arresting opening lines on a debut album, to the mournful romanticism of its final track, Patti Smith’s Horses is one of the most significant records in American music history. Just like the gritty downtown New York scene from which it sprang, Horses is marked by a sense of urgency and liberation. In this instalment of “This Woman’s Work,” Classic Album Sundays founder Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy is joined by Lenny Kaye and KT Tunstall to explain how the word freedom defines the album through and through: the social and sexual freedom of the era, the artistic freedom born of a city in crisis, and the freedom of rock ’n’ roll. Read more about your favourite albums here: https://classicalbumsundays.com/

Album Inspirations: Gilles Peterson on Sun Ra May 01, 2021

Show notes

Gilles Peterson speaks with CAS founder Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy about the influence of Sun Ra and why he believes “Sun Ra was the man, the ultimate artist for any vinyl collector”. Sun Ra was a one-off in the annals of jazz. As author Robert L. Campbell describes, “He claimed to be the last of the swing band leaders, yet dosed classic songs with LSD. He wrote poetry about the “coming space age” and claimed to be a citizen of Saturn. He dressed himself and his band in gold- lame and lectured on the Creator’s message to the cruel and deceitful Earthman. He named himself after an Egyptian God. Was this guy for real? Sun Ra was very much for real.” Read more about your favourite albums here: https://classicalbumsundays.com/

CAS Worldwide: Kraftwerk ‘The Man-Machine’ Apr 24, 2021

Show notes

This week’s episode looks at Kraftwerk The Man-Machine. As the title suggests, this album successfully blends the boundaries between human and robot to the point where it’s unclear quite exactly what Kraftwerk are. Read more about your favourite albums here: https://classicalbumsundays.com/

My Classic Album: Orbital ‘In Sides’ Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

Electronic music pioneers Orbital joined us as part of our celebrations for National Album Day 2018 to look back their iconic fourth album In Sides. Orbital were interviewed by Classic Album Sundays founder and BBC 6music host Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy on the making of the album and its lasting legacy. Read more about your favourite albums here: classicalbumsundays.com

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