Mastertapes

Richard Hawley at the Crucible Apr 22, 2019

In a special edition of Mastertapes, guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer, Richard Hawley welcomes John Wilson to the Crucible in his home town of Sheffield.

Throughout his 33 (and a third?) year career as a musician (he first recorded a John Peel session at the age of 19, with his band, Treebound Story), Sheffield has always played an influential part in Richard Hawley's song-writing. His 2001 album, Late Night Final, was named after the cry of vendors selling the Sheffield Star evening newspaper on the streets, and all his solo albums since, from Lowedges and Coles Corner to Truelove’s Gutter and Hollow Meadows, immortalized Sheffield landmarks.

At the end of a busy year , in which he worked on four film soundtracks, recorded a new album and debuted his first stage musical - "Standing at the Sky’s Edge" at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre (featuring a mix of his old and new songs), Richard Hawley looks and plays his way back over a 33 (and a third?) year career as a musician (he first recorded a John Peel session at the age of 19, with his band, Treebound Story).

Performances include what was the world premier of 'My Little Treasures' from Richard's new album, as well as a version of 'Open Up Your Door' from the stage musical "Standing At The Sky's Edge" sung by Maimuna Memon and accompanied by Will Stewart.

Playing with Richard Hawley are Shez Sheridan on guitars, Jon Trier on piano and Clive Mellor on harmonica.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

Don McLean - American Pie Dec 24, 2018

John Wilson returns with another run of the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition has John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then the audience puts the questions.

American Pie by Don McLean Twenty-four year old Don McLean's debut album was rejected by 72 labels before it was released by Mediarts. It was only because that label was taken over by United Artists that his follow-up received the promotion it deserved.

His second album contained: a tribute to the 19th-century Dutch painter, which was cited as a personal inspiration by the late rapper Tupac Shakur; a song that was re-recorded 32 years later by George Michael in protest against the Iraq War; and an eight-and-a-half minute single that in 2017 was designated an "aural treasure... worthy of preservation as part of America's patrimony"

Don McLean responds to questions from the audience and performs live acoustic versions of some of the tracks on the album.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen Dec 17, 2018

John Wilson returns with another run of the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios.

Modern day super-group, DAMON ALBARN, PAUL SIMONON, TONY ALLEN and SIMON TONG talk to John Wilson about their acclaimed debut album "The Good, The Bad & The Queen."

Released in 2007, the album brought together Blur's front-man, the bassist from the Clash, the Afrobeat pioneer who was also Fela Kuti's drummer, and former guitarist from the Verve who co-created the Magnetic North. Described by Damon Albarn as "a song cycle that's also a mystery play about London", the record was voted the Best Album of 2007 by the Observer Music Magazine and it includes the singles Herculean, Kingdom of Doom and Green Fields.

Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Tony Allen and Simon Tong respond to questions from the audience and perform live versions of their follow-up album, 2018's "Merrie Land".

Lily Allen - No Shame Dec 10, 2018

John Wilson returns with another run of the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Lily Allen talks to John Wilson about her fourth and most personal album, "No Shame"

Always conversational in tone and infused with a dark sense of humour, Lily Allen's lyrics never shies away from the personal - and her most recent album, released in July 2018, is no different. Set against dancehall and reggae influences, the album moved away from her usual witty sarcastic songwriting style and opted for a more "candid" approach. With tracks like 'Trigger Bang', 'Lost My Mind', 'Three' and the album title track, she tackles everything from the breakdown of her marriage and her friendships... to maternal guilt, substance abuse and, as if that's not enough, social and political issues.

Lily Allen responds to questions from the audience and performs live acoustic versions of some of the tracks on the album.

Elvis Costello Oct 13, 2018

In a special edition of Mastertapes to celebrate National Album Day, Elvis Costello, the consummate album artist talks to John Wilson and plays his way back through a career that has spanned five decades, premiers exclusive tracks from his new album and takes questions from the audience.

From his critically acclaimed debut album, My Aim Is True, released in 1977 to his newly released Look Now, his first new album in five years, Elvis Costello has been widely recognised as one of Britain's best songwriters.

From early classics like Watching The Detectives, Accidents Will Happen, and Almost Blue, all the way through to Jimmie Standing In The Rain, Unwanted Number and Under Lime his talent for wordplay has remained undimmed. He remains a composer who works across a range of styles, always mining a deep, rich seam of melodic and harmonic treasures - all of which is on display in these programmes recorded in the iconic BBC studios at Maida Vale. Accompanying him is his career-long collaborator, pianist Steve Nieve.

Benjamin Clementine - At Least For Now Dec 18, 2017

John Wilson concludes the seventh series of Mastertapes, the programme in which he talks to leading artists about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, the audience asks the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances.

Cult singer-songwriter and artist Benjamin Clementine talks to John Wilson about his 2015 Mercury Prize-winning album At Least for Now.

Self-taught, and inspired by a range of music from Antony & the Johnsons to Erik Satie, Benjamin emigrated from London to Paris in 2009 at the age of 19. His career was launched after being discovered while busking in the Paris metro, singing covers of James Brown and Bob Marley.

At Least for Now is a dramatic album of poetic ballads that prompted comparisons to Nina Simone and gained critical acclaim for its swooping melodies and the arresting lyricism of singles such as "London" and "Cornerstone".

Producer: Paul Kobrak

Jimmy Webb Dec 12, 2017

Jimmy Webb talks to John Wilson about his song writing career

David Gray - White Ladder Dec 04, 2017

John Wilson continues with another recording for the series in which leading artists discuss the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience asks the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Singer-songwriter David Gray talks to John Wilson about the album that catapulted him to fame in 2001; White Ladder. Featuring the hits Babylon, This Year's Love and Sail Away, the album became one of the longest-charting in UK chart history, spending almost three consecutive years in the UK top 100, and won Gray an Ivor Novello Award for the single Babylon. To date, David Gray has sold 12 million albums worldwide, received a BAFTA nomination, two Ivor Novello Awards, a Q award, two Brit nominations and a Grammy nomination. Having discussed the making of White Ladder, David Gray responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some of his best-loved tracks. Producer: Edwina Pitman

Emeli Sande - Our Version Of Events Nov 27, 2017

John Wilson returns with another edition of Mastertapes the programme in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions.

Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé takes us back to her debut album "Our Version of Events", the UK’s biggest selling record of 2012 which spent more consecutive weeks in the British charts than any other debut album, breaking a record held for 50 years by The Beatles.

Featuring the singles Next To Me, Heaven, Clown and Read all About It, the album made her a household name and she was the only artist to perform at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics. Our Version of Events went on to win the BRIT Award for Album of the Year and Emeli was named Best British Female Artist.

Emeli Sandé responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album.

Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme can be heard on the Mastertapes pages on the Radio 4 website.

Producer: Edwina Pitman

Randy Newman - Sail Away Aug 28, 2017

With six Grammys, three Emmys and two Oscars (from 20 Academy Award nominations) - to say nothing of his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and membership of both the Songwriters and the Rock & Roll Halls of Fame - means that Randy Newman has one of the most crowded mantelpieces in the world of popular entertainment.

In this special edition of MASTERTAPES the legendary singer-songwriter and composer talks to John Wilson about 'Sail Away' – the album that Rolling Stone magazine described as “a work of genius” when it was released forty-five years ago.

Already with a good dozen years under his belt as a professional song writer (he was only 28 years old when this album was released), with 'Sail Away' we see an artist able to combine biting wit, novelistic complexity and a deep understanding of the contradictions of the American psyche with sumptuous melodies and restrained arrangements. Nowhere more so than with 'Lonely At The Top’ (originally written with Frank Sinatra in mind), ‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’ (later recorded by Tom Jones for The Full Monty), ‘God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)’ and the austere title track that kicks off the album.

MASTERTAPES is recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two parts, with John Wilson initially quizzing the artist about their career defining album, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts some of the questions. Both feature exclusive live performances.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

Tom Jones - `Praise and Blame' Jan 30, 2017

John Wilson continues with the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios.

The legendary TOM JONES talks to John Wilson about `Praise and Blame' - the first of a trilogy of albums that would take him back to his musical roots.

Described as a musical "shape shifter" who could "slide from soulful rasp to pop croon, with a voice as husky as it was pretty" (The New York Times), Tom Jones' career has spanned six decades, selling over 100 million records. In 2010, he released an album of largely unknown gospel covers, including Sister Rosetta Tharpe's Strange Things, Pop Staples' Don't Knock and John Lee Hooker's Burning Hell. The album's stripped-down, live production (by Ethan Johns) led one critic to declare "at last Jones the artist is the match of Jones the entertainer" (The Guardian).

Tom Jones discusses the making of `Praise and Blame', responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album.

Craig David - Born To Do It Jan 23, 2017

John Wilson continues with the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios.

CRAIG DAVID talks and plays his way back to 2000 and his debut album, "Born To Do It", which went on to sell 8 million copies world-wide.

Recorded and released when Craig David was only 18 years old, the album includes the hits, Fill Me In, Walking Away, Rendezvous and 7 Days. Described as a '2-step garage' and R&B album, Born To Do It draws heavily on electro beats, garage and hip hop. It became (and remains) the fastest-selling debut studio album ever by a British male solo act.

Sixteen years later, a more mature Craig David released his 6th studio album, Following My Intuition, which followed in the footsteps of his debut and became his second record to debut at Number 1.

Craig David talks to John Wilson, responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some to the tracks from his first No 1 album and the second which was a further 16 years in the waiting.

Shirley Collins - Love, Death And The Lady Jan 16, 2017

John Wilson returns with another edition of Mastertapes, the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios.

"Love, Death and the Lady" with Shirley Collins.

Released in 1970 on the Harvest label (also home to Deep Purple, Kevin Ayers and Pink Floyd), Love Death & the Lady exuded a darkness that reflected Shirley's own personal loneliness at the time. With tracks like The Outlandish Knight, The Oxford Girl and Geordie, the album revolves around the themes of murder, class conflict and betrayal.

Shirley Collins began the 1970s releasing what is now regarded by many as one of her finest albums... and she ended the decade by losing her singing voice through dysphonia. Yet she remains revered today by the likes of Graham Coxon, Billy Bragg, Stewart Lee, Jonny Greenwood and Angel Olsen.

Shirley Collins responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of songs from her new album, the first she has released in 38 years.

Graham Nash - Songs For Beginners Jan 09, 2017

John Wilson returns with another edition of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then the audience puts the questions. Graham Nash has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame - once with The Hollies and then with Crosby, Stills and Nash. In May 1971 he released Songs For Beginners as a solo project (it was one of four solo albums released by each member of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in the wake of their hit album Deja Vu). Made directly following his breakup with Joni Mitchell, many of the songs are about their time together. But it's an album that also reflects his political activism and so the confessional "Simple Man" and wistful "Better Days" sit alongside the still prescient "Military Madness" and the heartfelt "Chicago". He also performs acoustic live versions of some to the tracks from his new album, which reflects back on a songwriting career that has (so far) spanned more than five decades.

Laura Marling - Once I Was An Eagle Jan 02, 2017

John Wilson returns with another edition of Mastertapes, the programme in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then the audience puts the questions.

This time John talks to Laura Marling about her 2013 album 'Once I was An Eagle.'

Laura Marling was only 18 when she released her first album... only 21 one when she won the Brit Award for the Best British Female solo Artist... and only 23 when she released the album described as "a masterpiece, and... she's still only getting started" (The Daily Telegraph).

Produced by Ethan Johns, Once I Was An Eagle included tracks like Master Hunter, Where Can I Go? and Saved These Words, deemed to be "her most lyrically mature work... also the most musically satisfying" (The Independent). On the strength of this album she's been referred to as one of the "greatest singer-songwriters of both her generation and generations before it" (Clash Magazine).

Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed.

Paul McCartney May 28, 2016

On the eve of the sixth series of Mastertapes (which features the likes of Laura Marling, Graham Nash and Shirley Collins) there is another chance to hear the Mastertapes special, in which Paul McCartney joins John Wilson. Recorded in the iconic BBC Maida Vale studios, they discuss songwriting, Paul's solo career in the years immediately after The Beatles, his recent collaborations with Kanye West, and working with the likes of George Martin, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and - obviously - John Lennon. He also takes questions from an audience that includes Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher and Brad Pitt.

Producer Paul Kobrak.

Nigel Kennedy (the B-Side) Jan 26, 2016

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Nigel Kennedy questions about his record-breaking 1989 recording of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Nigel also performs exclusive excerpts from his classical and jazz repertoire.

Producers: Paul Kobrak and John Goudie.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2016.

Nigel Kennedy (the A-Side) Jan 25, 2016

Nigel Kennedy talks about his record breaking 1989 recording of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Nigel Kennedy. talks to John Wilson about the best-selling classical work of all time.

Having trained at both the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music and the Juilliard School in New York, Nigel Kennedy has developed into one of the most popular classical musicians of his generation. This in no small part is due to the phenomenal success of his recording of The Four Seasons in 1989. At the time he explained that he set out to use "every kind of technique I know" to communicate his feeling for the music to his listeners.

Kennedy's passion for non-classical music has seen him play alongside The Who and Kate Bush, record violin-based versions of songs by The Doors and Jimi Hendrix, and release an album for the jazz label Blue Note Sessions. However, The Four Seasons retains a special place in his repertoire, and in 2015 he released a completely fresh take on Vivaldi's violin concertos.

Nigel Kennedy talks about the album that earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records, and performs exclusive excerpts from the concertos that helped make him famous.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producers: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2016.

Bellowhead (the B Side) Jan 19, 2016

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Bellowhead questions about their 2010 album, 'Hedonism'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Bellowhead also perform exclusive live acoustic versions of some to the key tracks from the album.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2016.

Bellowhead (the A Side) Jan 18, 2016

Bellowhead talk, and play tracks from their most successful album, released in 2010, 'Hedonism'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Donovan talks to John Wilson about what is still the best selling independent folk album of all time.

The idea for Bellowhead came to John Spiers and Jon Boden when they were caught in a traffic jam on tour. The longer they were stuck in the car, the more names of friends they came up with of whom to invite – initially settling on a ‘modest’ line-up of 10 which then grew to an even sillier 11-piece after the recording of their first EP.

In June 2015, they announced that the band would be calling it a day on May 1st 2016, and exactly two weeks after the twelfth anniversary of their first ever gig in Oxford Town Hall they will finish their farewell tour with an intimate final show in the very same venue. The tickets for this gig sold out in two minutes.

Their most commercially successful album, Hedonism was recorded in Abbey Road Studios and released in October 2010. Produced by John Leckie, it served up a further mix of shanties, folk songs and dance tunes, arranged in an eclectic mix of musical styles and influences.

The album includes rousing versions of ‘Cold Blow The Wind’, ‘New York Girls’ and the Jacques Brel song ‘Amsterdam’

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2016.

Donovan (the B Side) Jan 12, 2016

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Donovan questions about his 1966 album Sunshine Superman.

According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it 'ignited the psychedelic revolution virtually single-handedly' when it was released in the summer of 1966.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Donovan also performs exclusive live acoustic versions of some of the key tracks from the album.

Producer: Claire Walker

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2016.

Donovan (the A-Side) Jan 11, 2016

Donovan talks about his psychedelic revolution inspiring 1966 album Sunshine Superman.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Donovan talks to John Wilson.

Sunshine Superman, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 'ignited the psychedelic revolution virtually single-handedly' when it was released in the summer of 1966.

It was Donovan’s breakthrough third album and a radical departure from his previous work.

Born in Glasgow, Donovan Phillips Leitch grew up listening to his father reading him poetry and his family singing Scots Irish folk music. He began playing guitar when he was 14 and was 18 when he had his first hit, Catch the Wind. A year later he began work on the album that first introduced meditation, Celtic mythology and Flower Power to the world.

Creating a unique fusion of classical, jazz, folk, pop, Celtic, Latin and Indian music, the album veered from the LA-influenced The Trip and The Fat Angel (written for Mama Cass) to the medieval tinged Guinevere and Legend of a Girl Child Linda (written for Brian Jones’ ex-girlfriend Linda Lawrence who became Donovan’s life-long muse and wife). Linda is also the Sunshine Super-Girl of the song Sunshine Superman which topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and featured a young Jimmy Page on lead guitar.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Clare Walker

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2016.

Steel Pulse (the B Side) Jan 05, 2016

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask David Hinds and Selwyn Brown questions about Steel Pulse's 1978 debut album, 'Handsworth Revolution'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

David and Selwyn also perform exclusive live acoustic versions of some of the key tracks from the album.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2016.

Steel Pulse (the A Side) Jan 04, 2016

David Hinds and Selwyn Brown talk about Steel Pulse's 1978 debut album, 'Handsworth Revolution'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

The A-side, David and Selwyn talk to John Wilson.

Originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School in 1975, Steel Pulse were initially refused live dates in Birmingham’s Caribbean venues because of their Rastafarian ideals. Instead they aligned themselves With Rock Against Racism and appeared alongside the likes of the Clash, XTC, the Stranglers, Tom Robinson and X-Ray Specs.

It was Burning Spear who brought the group to the attention of Island Records who in February 1978 first released Ku Klux Klan as a single – a full five months before the album itself, which also included Prodigal Son, Prediction and the title track, Handsworth Revolution.

Here David Hinds and Selwyn Brown talk about the album that is widely regarded a milestone in the development of British Reggae, but also perform exclusive acoustic versions of some of the key tracks.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2016.

Squeeze (the B Side) Dec 29, 2015

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford questions about Squeeze's 1981 album, 'East Side Story'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Chris and Glenn also perform exclusive live versions of some of the tracks from the album.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2015.

Squeeze (the A Side) Dec 28, 2015

Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford talk about Squeeze's 1981 album, 'East Side Story'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Glenn and Chris talk to John Wilson.

'East Side Story' was originally intended as a four-sided double LP with each side using a different producer (Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello). It was released in 1981 as a single LP with 14 songs. With it Squeeze moved away from their traditional ‘new wave’ sound to a more varied mix of genres that took in rockabilly, R&B, blue-eyed soul, Merseybeat, and psychedelia.

With tracks like Tempted, Is That Love, Messed Around and Labelled with Love (which was only on the album because eventual producer Elvis Costello persuaded Glenn Tilbrook it should be included) the album is packed with keen, precise, funny and sad lyrics about lovers, drunks, deadbeats and lonely working girls – or as Chris Difford describes them: ‘suburban short stories’.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2015.

Georgie Fame (the B Side) Dec 22, 2015

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Georgie Fame questions about his 1963 debut album, 'Rhythm & Blues at the Flamingo'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Georgie also performs exclusive live versions of some of the tracks from the album (accompanied by his sons James and Tristan Powell, as well as a few of the original Blue Flames).

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2015.

Georgie Fame (the A Side) Dec 21, 2015

Georgie Fame talks about his 1963 debut album, 'Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Georgie talks to John Wilson.

At the age of 16, former apprentice cotton weaver, Clive Powell, successfully auditioned for pop impresario Larry Parnes who then forced him to change his name to Georgie Fame.

After touring alongside Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, Georgie played the piano in Billy Fury’s backing band, the Blue Flames. By March 1962 it was Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames who began a three year residency at the Flamingo Club in London’s Soho.

Including tracks like ‘Night Train’, ‘Work Song’, ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go’ and ‘Do The Dog’, 'Rhythm And Blues at the Flamingo' captured the vibrancy and excitement of the famous and notorious club which played a significant part in the breakdown of racial prejudice in post-war British society.

Here Georgie Fame talks candidly with John Wilson about the album that started it all and, together with some of the original Blue Flames (including guitarist Colin Green, saxophonist Mick Eve and trumpeter Eddie 'Tan Tan' Thornton) as well as his two sons Tristan and James Powell, play exclusive versions of some of the key tracks.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions. Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2015.

Noel Gallagher (the B-Side) Dec 09, 2014

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Noel Gallagher about High Flying Birds', his first studio album since leaving Oasis, With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Noel also performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album and looks forward to his next musical project "Chasing Yesterday".

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2014.

Noel Gallagher (the A-Side) Dec 08, 2014

'Noel Gallagher's discusses his album High Flying Birds.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Noel talks to John Wilson.

In 2009, Noel Gallagher left Oasis – one of the seminal bands of the Britpop era with seven multi-platinum albums including: 'Definitely Maybe', '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?' and 'Be Here Now' – which became the fastest selling album in UK chart history.

Two years later Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds also went to Number 1 in the UK with tracks like "Everybody's On the Run", "AKA... What A Life!" and "The Death of You and Me". Praised for its psychedelic tinges and eternal themes of love, loss and hope, it's been described as the best collection of songs "since his Morning Glory days".

With tracks inspired by New Orleans ragtime rhythms and Ennio Morricone-like strings, it put paid to rumours that its creator entered into a state of inertia after the end of Oasis.

Noel Gallagher said of the album: "I won't criticize anything about Oasis because I loved being in that band and I was in charge of it, but there was always the feeling: how will this go down in Wembley, with 70,000 people braying for good times? This time I didn't have to think about that. I've got a guy playing wine glasses on one song, a saw on another. This is not Oasis."

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2014.

The Boomtown Rats (the B-Side) Dec 02, 2014

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Bob Geldof & the Boomtown Rats questions about "A Tonic For The Troops", their 1978 hit album.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

The band also performs live versions of some of the tracks from the album which brought them their first Number 1 single with 'Rat Trap'.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2014.

The Boomtown Rats (the A-Side) Dec 01, 2014

The Boomtown Rats discuss their 1978 second album 'A Tonic for the Troops'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Bod Geldof and The Boomtown Rats talk to John Wilson. Named after a gang in Woody Guthrie's autobiography, the band had a series of hits between 1977 and 1985. Signed by Mercury records the same year that punk rock exploded in Britain, it was their second album 'A Tonic for the Troops', with tracks like "She's So Modern", "Like Clockwork" and "Me and Howard Hughes", that brought them their first Number 1 hit with "Rat Trap".

It's an album that treats dark themes like suicide and euthanasia in an often upbeat, pop-punk style - one critic described the track "Eva Braun" as "the happiest, cheeriest, best upbeat song about Hitler ever written." And another said "Vintage superstars who look like eyesores and sound like dinosaurs should carefully study this album."

The band broke-up in 1986, but reformed in 2013 to tour the UK. This will be a unique opportunity not only to hear them talk about their album but also to see them perform exclusive versions of key tracks. In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast in December 2014.

Manic Street Preachers (the A-Side) Dec 01, 2014

Manic Street Preachers talk about their third, career-defining, 1994 album The Holy Bible.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Manic Street Preachers - Sean Moore, James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire.- talk to John Wilson.

Released a mere five months before the disappearance of main lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards, The Holy Bible reflects his fragile mental state.

On its release, Q said "even a cursory glance at the titles will confirm that this is not the new Gloria Estefan album". And with tracks like "Yes", "Of Walking Abortion", "Mausoleum" and "4st 7lb", the lyrics deal with everything from prostitution and serial killers to the Holocaust and self-starvation. For the first time in two decades, Nicky, James and Sean from Manic Street Preachers play songs from 'The Holy Bible' in front of an audience.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2014.

Angélique Kidjo (the B-Side) Nov 25, 2014

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Angélique Kidjo questions about her 1994 breakthrough album, 'Ayé'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Angélique also performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album.

Producer: Clare Walker

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2014.

Angélique Kidjo (the A-Side) Nov 24, 2014

Angélique Kidjo, the "Queen of African music" discusses her 1994 breakthrough album, 'Ayé'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, the Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and activist from Benin talks to John Wilson.

She also performs exclusive versions of key tracks, including "Agolo," "Adouma" and "Djan-Djan".

The album has been described as "a spellbinding one-world statement" where "Kidjo treats her voice like it's a percussion instrument".

One of ten children, Angélique Kidjo grew up in Benin in West Africa. But in the 1980s she moved to Paris to escape the communist regime and began synthesising the music of her native country with rock, funk, electronica and Euro-pop.

Kidjo has collaborated with artists as diverse as Alicia Keys, Philip Glass, the Kronos Quartet and Peter Gabriel and been declared as the "the undisputed Queen of African Music." Her albums regularly top the World Albums Charts and her gift is said to be "to pour what could so easily be anger and frustration into songs that uplift and inspire us." In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Clare Walker

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2014.

Manic Street Preachers (the B-Side) Nov 18, 2014

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Manic Street Preachers - James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore - questions about their 1994 album, 'The Holy Bible’.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

The band also performs acoustic live versions of some to the tracks from the album.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2014.

Rufus Wainwright Nov 11, 2014

John Wilson chats to Rufus Wainwright about his life-changing album, 2003's Want One. Rufus tells the stories behind some of those songs, and sings and performs solo piano. As Rufus says himself, he has no filter. The two meet in a stylishly transformed Maida Vale Studio.

Rufus also sings a cappella a song he composed after the death of his mother, the singer Kate McGarrigle.

The programme features footage from a young Rufus' first ever song recording, as part of a Canadian children's film.

Rufus Wainwright (the A-Side) Nov 11, 2014

Singer-songwriter-composer Rufus Wainwright talks about his breakthrough 2003 album, ‘Want One’.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Rufus talks to John Wilson.

The son of folk singers Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, Rufus began playing the piano at the age of 6 and touring at 13. Before he had even reached voting age, he had been nominated for Best Original Song and Most Promising Male Vocalist awards.

But it would be another 14 years before he released the album that has been variously described as "obscenely lush"... a "gorgeous meditation on emotional displacement" and "a three-hankie weepie". The first part of what was intended to be a double album, Want One is full of songs about love, loss, family, addiction and popular culture, including 'I Don't Know What It Is', 'Go Or Go Ahead' and 'Dinner At Eight'.

Not only does he play exclusive versions of some of these songs, in a frank and no-punches-pulled interview, Rufus also reveals what part drugs, sex, near-death experiences and extended arguments with his father played in the making of this remarkable album In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2014.

Soul II Soul (B-Side) Dec 10, 2013

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Jazzie B and Caron Wheeler questions about Soul II Soul's debut 1989 album, 'Club Classics Vol 1'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Jazzie talks more about his own roots as a musician and Soul II Soul perform live versions of tracks from the album.

Producer: Helen Lennard

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2013.

Soul II Soul (A-Side) Dec 09, 2013

Jazzie B and Caron Wheeler discuss Soul II Soul's 1989 debut album, 'Club Classics Vol 1', which included the global hit 'Back to Life'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Jazzie B and Caron talk to John Wilson.

Soul II Soul is one of the most successful British black groups of all time.

Their ethos of 'a happy face, a thumping bass for a loving race' and the sound of their debut album, released in 1989, defined a time and place in the UK's musical history. Featuring the huge hits 'Back To Life' and 'Keep On Moving' the album took London's multicultural underground club culture into the mainstream and achieved worldwide success. 'Club Classics' mixed the sounds of a burgeoning DJ scene with Jazzie B's distinctly British take on rap and the colossal vocal talents of Caron Wheeler.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Helen Lennard

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2013.

Edwyn Collins (B-Side) Dec 03, 2013

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Edwyn Collins questions about his 1994 album, 'Gorgeous George'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

With a small band, Edwyn performs acoustic live versions of some to the tracks from the album which he started recording 20 years ago.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2013.

Edwyn Collins (A-Side) Dec 02, 2013

Edwyn Collins discusses his 1994 album 'Gorgeous George', featuring the single 'A Girl Like You'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Edwym talks to John Wilson.

Edwyn is an Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter who has enjoyed great success both as a solo artist and as the lead singer of Orange Juice.

"Gorgeous George" was produced in the studio which Edwyn built himself and highlights Edwyn's witty melodic style. 'Girl Like You' spent 14 weeks in the charts and features in the films 'Empire Records' and 'Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle'. Edwyn has also produced records for the likes of The Cribs, Space, Little Barrie and The Proclaimers, produced and starred in his own sitcom as well as creating a book of illustrations.

In May 2009, he won the Ivors Inspiration Award in recognition of his struggles following a double brain haemorrhage in 2005. He has continued to record and his latest album 'Understated' was recently released on his own label.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Helen Lennard

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2013.

Natalie Merchant (the B-Side) Nov 26, 2013

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience ask Natalie Merchant questions about her 1995 solo album, 'Tigerlily'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Natalie also performs live versions of some to the tracks from the album.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2013.

Natalie Merchant (the A-Side) Nov 25, 2013

Natalie Merchant discusses 'Tigerlily', her 1995 solo album made after leaving 10,000 Maniacs.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, Natalie talks to John Wilson.

Completely self-funded (to ensure creative control),'Tigerlily' went on the sell over 5 million copies and continues to be Natalie Merchant's most successful album to date. Its bold and stripped down sound gave more emphasis to her powerful and often personal lyrics, including 'Beloved Wife' (inspired by her grandfather's grief in the wake of her grandmother's passing) and 'River' (written in response to the sudden and untimely death of her friend River Phoenix).

The album also included the top-40 singles 'Wonder' and 'Jealousy', as well as her first top-ten hit as a solo artist, 'Carnival'.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2013.

David Crosby (B-Side) Nov 19, 2013

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience questions David Crosby about his 1971 album, 'If I Could Only Remember My Name'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

David also performs live versions of some the tracks from that debut solo album and from his as yet unreleased solo album, "Croz"

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2013.

David Crosby (A-Side) Nov 18, 2013

David Crosby discusses the making of his 1971 album If 'I Could Only Remember My Name'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In the A-side, the double-inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame talks to John Wilson.

Released in 1971, If 'I Could Only Remember My Name' was one of four high-profile solo albums released more or less simultaneously by each member of the legendary super-group, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

David's album boasted a stellar line-up that not only included Neil Young and Graham Nash, but also featured Joni Mitchell and the leading members of both Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead.

Initially met with mixed reviews, the album has never been out of print and features some of his most impressive vocal and songwriting work - including the haunting Laughing, the mantra-like Music Is Love and the extended, impressionistic Cowboy Movie.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2013.

Robbie Williams (A-Side) Nov 12, 2013

Robbie Williams discusses the 1997 hit 'Life Thru a Lens', his first post-Take That album.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

This is the A-side.

Robbie Williams is the UK's best-selling solo artist of all time. But when he released his debut solo album, "Life Thru A Lens", after leaving the all-conquering boyband, Take That, it was initially met with negative reviews and was slow to take off.

However, with songs like Ego A Go Go, Lazy Days, Let Me Entertain You and, of course, Angels, the album not only went on to spend more than 4 years in the charts and become the 58th best-selling album of all time, it also laid down the solid foundations for all that was to follow: nine further solo albums, seven number one singles and more BRIT awards than any other artist.

Here Robbie Williams talks candidly with John Wilson about the album that started it all and they are joined in the studio by the album's co-writer and producer, Guy Chambers as well as guitarist Gary Nuttall and a string quartet.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2013.

Robbie Williams (B-Side) Nov 12, 2013

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, the audience questions Robbie Williams about his 1997 album, 'Life Thru a Lens', made after he left Take That.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Robbie Williams candidly responds to questions from the audience and performs live versions of some to the tracks from that debut solo album, as well as "Swings Both Ways"

Producer: Paul Kobrak.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2013.

Spandau Ballet (B-Side) Jun 25, 2013

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp and Tony Hadley respond to audience questions about their 1983 hit album, 'True’.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Gary and Tony answer questions from the audience and perform live versions of some of the songs from the album.

Producer: Helen Lennard

First broadcast on Radio 4 in June 2013.

Spandau Ballet (A-Side) Jun 24, 2013

Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp and Tony Hadley discuss their 1983 international hit album, 'True'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In this one (The A-side), Gary and Tony reflect on Spandau Ballet's third album, 'True', which became a worldwide smash hit featuring tracks such as 'Gold', 'Pleasure', 'Communication' and the title track, which spent 4 weeks at the top of the charts.

Singer Tony Hadley and Gary Kemp, the man who wrote all of these songs, discuss their inspiration and influence with John Wilson.

'True' became one of the stand out albums of the New Romantic movement. Recorded at the legendary Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas, producers Steve Jolley and Tony Swain gave the band a slicker, more R&B sound aimed at squarely at the charts.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Helen Lennard.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2013.

Eliza and Martin Carthy (B-Side) Jun 18, 2013

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, Eliza and her father Martin respond to audience questions about her fifth solo album, 'Anglicana'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

They perform live versions of some of the songs from the album, as well as discussing their work together with Norma Waterson as Waterson:Carthy.

Producer: Helen Lennard

First broadcast on Radio 4 in June 2013.

Eliza and Martin Carthy (A-Side) Jun 17, 2013

Eliza and Martin Carthy talk about their critically celebrated 2002 folk album, 'Anglicana'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In this one (The A-side), Anglicana with Eliza Carthy and her father Martin Carthy talking to John Wilson.

Together Eliza Carthy and her parents Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson have consistently breathed new life and vitality into English folk music. Martin Carthy MBE has influenced the likes of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon with his interpretations of the traditional music of these shores. His guitar playing continues to inspire artists in all genres and he continues to tour and record on his own, and when working with wife Norma Waterson and daughter Eliza Carthy as Waterson:Carthy.

Eliza Carthy has continued to expand the legacy of her parents work, reinterpreting and reinvigorating English folk in her own unique style. Her fiddle playing is in a class of its own and throughout her career she has experimented with unusual musical collaborations, including the hugely successful Imagined Village project. "Anglicana" was released in 2002 and gained Eliza her second Mercury nomination. It features both Martin Carthy and her mother Norma Waterson and was hailed as a new definition of what it means to be English in the 21st Century.

Eliza and Martin discuss their constantly evolving interpretations of traditional folk songs and their work together with Norma Waterson as Waterson:Carthy.

In The B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Helen Lennard

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2013.

Richard Thompson (B-Side) Jun 11, 2013

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, Richard Thompson answers questions from the audience about his 1991 solo album, 'Rumor and Sigh'.

This is not just his most commercially successful album, but also a high point of his career.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

He also performs live versions of some of the album tracks, as well as classic tracks from his days with Fairport Convention.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on Radio 4 in June 2013.

Richard Thompson (A-Side) Jun 10, 2013

Richard Thompson talks about his critically acclaimed 1991 album 'Rumor and Sigh'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In this one (The A-side), Richard talks to John Wilson.

Named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the Top 20 Guitarists of all time, Richard looks back at the making of what is not just his most commercially successful album, but also one of the high points of his career. It was album that earned him a Grammy Nomination for the Best Alternative Music Album (he lost out R.E.M.) and it captures Thompson's obsession with romantic despair and the more miserable quirks of fate.

And yet, like all good tragedy, it does not sound depressing - it is instead life affirming.

Richard has said that the albums he considered "successful" were those where his initial concept most closely matched the finished product. By this yardstick, 'Rumor And Sigh' was one of his most successful albums, containing such tracks as "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", "God Loves A Drunk" and "Why Must I Plead".

The B-side of the programme is where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2013.

Mike Scott & Steve Wickham of the Waterboys (the B-Side) Jun 03, 2013

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, Mike Scott and Steve Wickham answer questions from an audience about The Waterboys album, from 1988, 'Fisherman's Blues'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

The duo also performs exclusive live versions of some of some to the tracks from the album.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2013.

Mike Scott and Steve Wickham of the Waterboys (the A-Side) Jun 03, 2013

Mike Scott and Steve Wickham talk about The Waterboys 4th album, from 1988, 'Fisherman's Blues'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In this one (The A-side), John Wilson talks to Mike and Steve about the album that marked a distinct change in the sound of their group The Waterboys, 'Fisherman's Blues'.

Featuring the ominous 'We Will Not Be Lovers', the otherworldly 'When Ye Go Away' and the much covered title track (including Hip Hop, torch song and Japanese punk versions), "Fisherman's Blues" only came about when Scots-born Mike went to stay with fiddler Steve Wickham in Dublin for a week in 1986 and ended up living in Ireland.

Two years and well over 100 songs later, the album marks the band's musical journey from rock to roots, with electric guitar and sax being replaced by mandolin and fiddle. An album that mixes rock and roll with Celtic folk, a love of literature with spirituality and the British poetic tradition with punk's DIY ethic.

The programme also features live performances of music from the album.

The B-side of the programme is where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2013.

Wilko Johnson (the B-side) May 29, 2013

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, guitarist and founding member Wilko Johnson responds to questions from the audience about Dr Feelgood's 'Down By The Jetty'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Wilko also performs exclusive live versions of some of the songs discussed.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.

First broadcast on Radio 4 in May 2013.

Wilko Johnson (the A-side) May 29, 2013

Wilko Johnson talks about Dr Feelgood's debut album, released in 1975, 'Down By The Jetty'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In this one (The A side), John Wilson talks to the guitarist and founding member of Dr. Feelgood about 'Down By The Jetty', released in January 1975 and including 'Roxette', 'She Does It Right' and 'All Through the City', the album has been cited as a major influence by the likes of Paul Weller, the Clash, Blondie and the Ramones.

Wilko Johnson talks about his diagnosis with terminal cancer and his decision not to undergo chemotherapy, while he goes on a final tour.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2013.

The Zombies (the B-Side) Dec 17, 2012

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, Rod Argent, Chris White and Colin Blunstone answer questions from an audience about their album, 'Odessey and Oracle'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Rod, Chris and Colin perform live versions of some of the songs from the Zombies' album, still held in such high regard.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.

First broadcast on Radio 4 in December 2012.

The Zombies (the A-Side) Dec 11, 2012

John Wilson concludes his series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances.

Programme 7. Forty five years after it was recorded, Rod Argent, Chris White and Colin Blunstone recall the making of the Zombies album 'Odessey And Oracle'. When it was released in 1968, after the band had split up, it was indifferently received. But since it has been described as: "one of the great undiscovered works of the psychedelic era" - Pitchfork; "an album that should grace any record collection... essential" - BBC; and "combining the adventure of Sgt. Pepper with the concision of British Invasion Pop" - Rolling Stone.

Those who have cited the Zombies as influences include everyone from Courtney Love to the Magic Numbers and from the Arctic Monkeys to Paul Weller. 'Odessey And Oracle' (the title was mis-spelt by the designer of the cover) contained only one stereotypically summer-of-love hit ('Time Of The Season') - the darker tones and dramatic third-person feel of much of the album (including the likes of 'Care of Cell 44', 'The Butcher's Tale' and 'A Rose For Emily') makes it sound ahead of its time.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.

Corinne Bailey Rae (the B-Side) Dec 10, 2012

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, Coraine Bailey Rae responds to questions from the audience about the inspiration behind her 2010 album, 'The Sea'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Corinne, together with pianist Steve Brown, performs acoustic live versions of some of the songs discussed.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.

First broadcast on Radio 4 in December 2012.

Corinne Bailey Rae (the A-Side) Dec 04, 2012

Coraine Bailey Rae talks about the inspiration behind her 2010 album, 'The Sea'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

Both editions feature exclusive live performances of songs from the album.

In this one (The A side), John Wilson takes Grammy-award-winning Corinne Bailey Rae back to the release of her follow-up album in 2010 - four years after her number one debut album. An extremely personal music collection, it explored a range of human emotions from grief and loss to love and joy.

In a revealing interview, Corinne describes not just her musical upbringing and influences, but also talks movingly about the impact that the death of her husband had on the making of this album. Together with pianist Steve Brown, she performs an exclusive live version of the title track from the album.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on Radio 4 in December 2012.

Ray Davies (the B-Side) Dec 03, 2012

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, Ray Davies responds to questions from the audience about the inspiration behind two classic Kinks albums, 'Lola' and 'Muswell Hillbillies'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Ray performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the albums, both of which were released more than forty years ago.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.

First broadcast on Radio 4 in December 2012.

Ray Davies (the A-Side) Nov 27, 2012

Ray Davies talks about the inspiration behind two classic Kinks albums, 'Lola' and 'Muswell Hillbillies'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

Both editions feature exclusive live performances of songs from the two albums.

In this one (The A side), John Wilson takes Ray back to the early 1970s and the making of two classic Kinks albums.

Marking a period of transition for the group (as they left one British record label for an American one), both were concept albums, tackling such broad themes as corruption within the music industry and the destruction of old communities via urban regeneration. In a revealing interview, Ray considers the power of the lyric and the importance of place in his song-writing.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.

First broadcast on Radio 4 in November 2012.

Brinsley Forde (the B-Side) Nov 26, 2012

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, now the audience get to ask Brinsley Forde their questions about the inspiration behind Aswad's 1981 album 'New Chapter'.

With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London.

Brinsley performs live versions of some of the tracks from the album which was released more than three decades ago.

Producer: Emma Kingsley

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.

Brinsley Forde (the A-Side) Nov 20, 2012

Brinsley Forde talks about the inspiration behind Aswad's 1981 album 'New Chapter'.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

Both editions feature exclusive live performances.

In this one (The A side), John Wilson asks Brinsley about the album in question.

More than 30 years since its release, Brinsley Forde talks about Aswad's third studio album.

Formed in Ladbroke Grove in West London, Aswad are the band that put UK reggae on the map. They were reknowned for their fusion of styles including dancehall, funk, hip-hop and dub and for bringing strong R&B influences to the reggae scene. New Chapter, their first album for CBS, was both a watershed for the group and a benchmark for British reggae and it features tracks like 'Natural Progression', 'Ina Your Rights', 'Candles' and 'African Children'.

Released in 1981, it went on to influence the likes of Maxi Priest, Soul II Soul and Massive Attack.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions.

Producer: Emma Kingsley

First broadcast on Radio 4 in November 2012.

Paul Weller (the B-Side) Nov 19, 2012

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, now the audience get to ask Paul Weller the questions about The Gift, the Jam's final album.

He also performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album which was released 30 years ago.

With John Wilson.

Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on BBC Radio 4's website, where all the programmes of the series can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed.

Producers: Paul Kobrak & India Rakusen

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.

Paul Weller (the A-Side) Nov 13, 2012

Paul Weller talks about 'The Gift', the Jam's final album.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In this one (The A side), John Wilson asks Paul about the album in question, and then, in the accompanying B-side, the audience puts the questions.

Both editions feature exclusive live performances.

30 years after the band's split, Paul discusses 'The Gift' - the last album for The Jam.

The band's only No 1 album, it marked a musical departure from the classic Jam sound to a more soul-influenced style, and it ushered in Weller's ideas for the Style Council. It was an album that didn't just focus on the state of society, it also had a lot to say about where music was going in the 1980s - and it included the classic No 1 'Town Called Malice' as well as 'Running On The Spot' and 'Carnation'.

Paul also plays exclusive live versions of some of the tracks on the album.

Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where all the programmes of the series can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed.

Producers: Paul Kobrak & India Rakusen

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.

Suzanne Vega (the B-Side) Nov 13, 2012

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, now the audience get to ask Suzanne Vega the questions about her platinum-selling Solitude Standing.

We hear how the sound of the album changed from her previous album, as Suzanne decided to bring out the drums and give the sound an edge.

Suzanne describes writing the song "Gypsy" for a boy she met at summer camp and how the two of them got back in touch when he realised the song was about him.

And we hear how Suzanne has written a follow-up song to the album's hit song "Luka".

With John Wilson.

Producer: Emma Kingsley

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.

Suzanne Vega (the A-Side) Nov 06, 2012

Suzanne Vega discuss her platinum-selling Solitude Standing.

Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them.

Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side.

In this one (The A side), John Wilson asks Suzanne about the album in question, and then, in the accompanying B-side, the audience puts the questions.

Both editions feature exclusive live performances.

Suzanne explains that it was her manager who saw the potential of "Luka" and convinced her that a song with a social message could be a hit.

She recalls how the tune for "Tom's Diner" came to her while she was walking down Broadway after having been to the real Tom's restaurant.

And she discusses the way in which images and words were part of her life from a very early age and have influenced her work.

Producer: Emma Kingsley

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.

Billy Bragg (the B-Side) Nov 05, 2012

John Wilson launches a major new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios.

Programme 1, Side B. 'Talking With The Taxman About Poetry' - Having discussed the making of his self-proclaimed 'difficult' third album (in the A-side of the programme), Billy Bragg responds to questions from the audience.

He considers the state of protest songs today, reveals what music he is writing at the moment and explains what poetry he would discuss with today's taxman. And he plays excerpts from the album live in front of the audience.

Future Programmes will include Paul Weller talking about the Jam's last album, 'The Gift'; Suzanne Vega recalls the making of 'Solitude Standing', the album that made her a worldwide superstar; and Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone takes us back to the seminal Zombies' record 'Odessey and Oracle'

Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed.

Producer: Paul Kobrak

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.

Billy Bragg (the A-Side) Oct 30, 2012

John Wilson's series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios.

Programme 1, A-side. 'Talking With The Taxman About Poetry' - Billy Bragg reveals how the self-proclaimed 'difficult' third album was written and created with a guitar he bought when he was out shopping for swimming trunks (he claims he still swims naked as a result)... he explains how a film about the James Brothers helped him write "There's Power In A Union'... and describes how Andy Kershaw's inability to shut up led him to writing 'Levi Stubbs' Tears'. And he plays excerpts from the album live in front of the audience.

In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions and Billy considers the state of protest songs today, reveals what music he is writing at the moment and explains what poetry he would discuss with today's taxman.

Other programmes include Paul Weller talking about The Jam's final album, 'The Gift'; Suzanne Vega recalls the making of 'Solitude Standing', the album that made her a worldwide superstar; and Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone takes us back to the seminal Zombies' record 'Oracle And Odessey'

Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.

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