Classic Song Chats

Brothers Pat & Greg Kane aka Hue and Cry had one of the biggest hits of the 80s with Labour of Love. In this Classic Song Chat with host, Des Burkinshaw, find out how they made it, how it affected their lives, and what made it one of the most political songs to hit the top 10.

Classic Song Chats features chats with the original artists behind some of the greatest pop records of all time. Between now and Christmas 2026, episodes will drop every few days featuring artists from the 60s to the 00s - Nancy Sinatra, Blue Mink, PP Arnold, Hue and Cry, 10cc, Pilot, McGuinnes Flint, Manfred Mann, Monsoon, Godley and Creme, Wings, The Beach Boys, Jona Lewie, Men Without Hats, Tasmin Archer and many more.

Des Burkinshaw, a former BBC/ITV music TV producer and journalist at The Times/The Mirror and contributor to Mojo, Q etc, is also a songwriter/music producer and host of the Without the Beatles podcast.

Ways to support the channel:

You can subscribe or how about buying me a coffee?!

buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

Thanks!

A video version of every episode is also available on youtube.

If you can afford to, please support the show by buying us a coffee. https://www.https://buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pilot had two huge hits in the mid-70s. Writer/Singer/Bassist David Paton is this week's Classic Song Chats guest.

He went on to become one of the country's most in-demand session bassists, and was on Kate Bush's first two albums, sang BV's for Paul McCartney on Mull of Kintyre, and toured the world with Elton John for 3 years.

In this chat with host, Des Burkinshaw, David talks about his hits, his sessions, and his extraordinary career from the Bay City Rollers to Live Aid, Kate Bush to the Alan Parsons Project.

Ways to support the channel:

You can subscribe or how about buying me a coffee?!

buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

Thanks!

Classic Song Chats features chats with the original artists behind some of the greatest pop records of all time. Between now and Christmas 2026, episodes will drop every few days featuring artists from the 60s to the 00s - Nancy Sinatra, Blue Mink, PP Arnold, Hue and Cry, 10cc, Pilot, McGuinnes Flint, Manfred Mann, Monsoon, Godley and Creme, Wings, The Beach Boys, Jona Lewie, Men Without Hats, Tasmin Archer and many more.

Des Burkinshaw, a former BBC/ITV music TV producer and journalist at The Times/The Mirror and contributor to Mojo, Q etc, is also a songwriter/music producer and host of the Without the Beatles podcast.

A video version of every episode is also available on youtube.

If you can afford to, please support the show by buying us a coffee. https://www.https://buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The catchy synth riff, the medieval promo video - but what was a Safety Dance?

Men Without Hats singer/writer Ivan Doroschuk tells Classic Song Chats' host, Des Burkinshaw, all the secrets behind the iconic 80s hit.

Ways to support the channel:

You can subscribe or how about buying me a coffee?!

buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

Thanks!

Classic Song Chats features chats with the original artists behind some of the greatest pop records of all time. Between now and Christmas 2026, episodes will drop every few days featuring artists from the 60s to the 00s - Nancy Sinatra, Blue Mink, PP Arnold, Hue and Cry, 10cc, Pilot, McGuinnes Flint, Manfred Mann, Monsoon, Godley and Creme, Wings, The Beach Boys, Jona Lewie, Men Without Hats, Tasmin Archer and many more.

Des Burkinshaw, a former BBC/ITV music TV producer and journalist at The Times/The Mirror and contributor to Mojo, Q etc, is also a songwriter/music producer and host of the Without the Beatles podcast.

A video version of every episode is also available on youtube.

If you can afford to, please support the show by buying us a coffee. https://www.https://buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Madeline Bell, one of the greatest session vocalists of the past 65 years, joins host Des Burkinshaw for another Classic Song Chat to talk about her extraordinary career - becoming a pop star with Blue Mink, working with 3 of the Beatles, arranging and singing BVs on tracks by The Stones and Joe Cocker and working with Dusty Springfield.

Madeline also shares memories of Blue Mink and her relationships with the other members of the band, giving a fascinating personal insight into one of the most distinctive groups of the late 1960s and 1970s.

But the story of Banner Man wouldn't be complete without hearing from Madeline''s co-singer in Blue Mink, Roger Cook. See last episode.

Ways to support the channel:

You can subscribe or how about buying me a coffee?!

buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

Thanks!

Classic Song Chats features chats with the original artists behind some of the greatest pop records of all time. Between now and Christmas 2026, episodes will drop every few days featuring artists from the 60s to the 00s - Nancy Sinatra, Blue Mink, PP Arnold, Hue and Cry, 10cc, Pilot, McGuinnes Flint, Manfred Mann, Monsoon, Godley and Creme, Wings, The Beach Boys, Jona Lewie, Men Without Hats, Tasmin Archer and many more.

Des Burkinshaw, a former BBC/ITV music TV producer and journalist at The Times/The Mirror and contributor to Mojo, Q etc, is also a songwriter/music producer and host of the Without the Beatles podcast.

A video version of every episode is also available on youtube.

If you can afford to, please support the show by buying us a coffee. https://www.https://buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

oger Cook joins host Des Burkinshaw for another Classic Song Chat to talk about his extraordinary career in popular music — from his early songwriting partnership with Roger Greenaway to Blue Mink and the story behind Banner Man.

Roger looks back at how his partnership with Greenaway began, the songs and experiences that shaped their work together, and how Banner Man came about during a writing session with legendary bassist Herbie Flowers.

He also shares memories of Blue Mink and his relationships with the other members of the band, giving a fascinating personal insight into one of the most distinctive groups of the late 1960s and 1970s.

In a later edition, Roger joins his partner, Roger Greenaway, to tell the story of I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, and returns to discuss his 50 year career as a writer in Nashville, including Crystal Gayle's, Talking in Your Sleep.

But the story of Banner Man wouldn't be complete without hearing from Roger's co-singer in Blue Mink, Madeline Bell. Her take on Banner Man will be out in the next week or so.

Ways to support the channel:

You can subscribe or how about buying me a coffee?!

buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

Thanks!

Classic Song Chats features chats with the original artists behind some of the greatest pop records of all time. Between now and Christmas 2026, episodes will drop every few days featuring artists from the 60s to the 00s - Nancy Sinatra, Blue Mink, PP Arnold, Hue and Cry, 10cc, Pilot, McGuinnes Flint, Manfred Mann, Monsoon, Godley and Creme, Wings, The Beach Boys, Jona Lewie, Men Without Hats, Tasmin Archer and many more.

Des Burkinshaw, a former BBC/ITV music TV producer and journalist at The Times/The Mirror and contributor to Mojo, Q etc, is also a songwriter/music producer and host of the Without the Beatles podcast.

A video version of every episode is also available on youtube.

If you can afford to, please support the show by buying us a coffee. https://www.https://buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.