Joining Mario for this week`s rather festive Story Behind The Song was Úna Molloy who is the booker for Dublin's newest music venue, Lost Lane, which has quickly established itself as the go-to venue for both live music and clubbing - with the likes of Mother DJs, Nialler9, Donal Dineen and our own Kelly-Anne Byrne all DJing there on a regular basis.  

 As if that wasn't enough - Úna also runs the music agency Turning Pirate, and has worked with artists such as Lisa Hannigan, Booka Brass Band, Bell X1, Cathy Davey and more.

Úna picked an absolute classic for us with the "Fairytale of New York" wriiten by Jem Finer and Shane McGowan featuring Kirsty MacColl on vocals. It was originally released as a single in 1987 and later featured on the Pogues 1988 album "If I Should Fall From Grace With God

Originally begun in 1985, the song had a troubled two-year development history, undergoing rewrites and aborted attempts at recording, and losing its original female vocalist along the way, before finally being completed in 1987. Although the single never reached the coveted UK Christmas number one, being kept at number two on its original release in 1987 by the Pet Shop Boys' cover version of "Always on My Mind", it has proved enduringly popular with both music critics and the public.

 

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Joining Mario for today's panel was celebrity chef Gary O`Hanlon and broadcaster Dubland podcast co-host Suzanne Kane to discuss Christmas pressures, the crash and burn of the FAI and Mario`s complete and utter bafflement at the political system in Britain and at home.

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Joining Mario for this week`s profile interview was his first duo interview! Mario sat down with Johnny "Smacks" McMahon and Johnny B O'Brien to discuss comedy, heroes, dilemmas and their thoughts as they embark on a hotly selling  "Live at the Marquee" for the biggest Irish Live Podcast show ever – The 2 Johnnies Podcast- Summer Jam.

It’s been a meteoric rise for Johnny Smacks and Johnny B and their weekly insight into the world of Gaelic Games, Popular Culture and Riding that is the 2 Johnnies Podcast. With over quarter of a million listeners each week and sold out live shows from LA to Salthill and all points between.

When you ask @GiftGrubMario and @the2johnnies to act natural!!Listen live now to Mario`s Sunday Roast!https://t.co/4Cpq5lBBwS pic.twitter.com/tgNZl4UvVx

— Today FM (@TodayFM) December 8, 2019

The lads are also famous for their dilemma solving, they took on some of our listeners dilemmas including a shy and retiring comedian who wishes to remain anonymous but also has a big tour coming up himself!!

Better than Shakespeare https://t.co/Guc3S9K2Oc

— The 2 Johnnies (@the2johnnies) November 1, 2019

Tickets for The 2 Johnnies live at the Marquee on sale now:

Ticketmaster outlets nationwide

Or online: www.ticketmaster.ie

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Joining Mario for this weeks profile interview was Hector Ó hEochagáin,  he has just covered eight states and more than 5000 miles on the road for his current series  Ó Chósta go Cósta which airs on TG4, spending time  in ‘Breaking Bad’ territory,new Mexico and does a tour based on the popular TV series.  Visiting Arizona - It’s RV time for Hector as he hires out his own and heads for the Grand Canyon. He is absolutely astonished by the size and the beauty of this wonder of the world.

I knew I had images of the Grand Canyon in my head - but when I got close to it and through the pine trees I got glimpses of it, it took my breath away.

On to California - Hector crosses the border into his final state on this epic trip as he enters California. First stop is Slab City and then a drive through the desert to Desert Hot Springs, the home of legal Cannabis growing.

"Hector anseo!"

Joining Mario to talk about the mountain of work and preparation that went into the much loved and feel good show of the weekend - The Late Late Toy Show was costume designer Stacey Gallagher - who also was behind Mario`s costumes changes for his appearance on the Late Late Show last month!

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Joining Mario for the Story Behind The Song was "The Beat Goes On" presenter on Today FM Saturday and Sunday nights , Kelly-Anne Byrne.

The song was "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones - the year 1969 and the album was "Let It Bleed".

This song tells us about the political and social unrest at the time. There was the war in Vietnam,riots, and Charles Manson. Keith Richards wrote most of this song, the band were recording late at night in Los Angeles when they decided to use a female vocalist to sing with Mickon the track. Merry Clayton was the lady in question - she got the call , was reluctant to go as she had never heard of the band  but she showed up with curlers in her hair wearing silk pajamas, and Mick then explained to her that she's be singing the line, "Rape, murder, it's just a shot away."

She did a take of her line, then decided to "blow them out of this room" on the next take. She took the house down by taking the vocal an octave higher, her voice cracking on "murder."

The song never charted but has been noted as one of The Rolling Stones finest work, and used in 3 of Martin Scorsese`s movies.

Mario however has a different story to this song, he thinks of it as his "strutting" tune, for those times when he`s walking to Spar and thinks that he just might be in a movie scene - carrying his twix and slimline milk as the Spar blows up behind him!

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Joining Mario to put the roast together this week was barrister and journalist Aileen Hickie and comedian and journalist Michael Fry. The roast topics were coming up thick and fast - including Aileen`s bafflement at the lack of planning for the €1.6m printer for the Dáil  and its instalment, Michael's fear of small talk with retail staff and Mario`s admiration for intelligent TV critics including the late Clive James who was a master in his field.

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Joining Mario this week for "The Story Behind The Song" was Weekend Breakfast presenter on Today FM - our very own Alison Curtis!

Alison brings only the quality tunes, and picked a country and bluegrass classic that has been covered many times over the years. Its "Jolene" by the one and only Dolly Parton.

The title was inspired by an encounter with a 10-year-old fan.

"She had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me, holding [out] for an autograph,"

"I said, 'Well, you're the prettiest little thing I ever saw. So what is your name?' And she said, 'Jolene.' And I said, 'Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I'm going to write a song about that.'"

It was also noted that she wrote it about a beautiful red-headed bank clerk that used to flirt with her husband!

When Dolly performed at Glastonbury she told the crowd at the time:

"I wrote that [song] years ago when my husband … was spending a little more time with Jolene than I thought he should be. I put a stop to that. I got rid of that redhead woman in a hurry ... Had it not been for that woman I would never have written 'Jolene' and I wouldn't have made all that money, so thank you, Jolene."

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Joining Mario was musical writer and composer Lauryn Gaffney who just this year wrote, directed and produced her very own musical which ended up with its own run off broadway!

Big Shot is an original award winning Irish Musical written and composed by Lauryn Gaffney. In recent months Lauryn and team have been presented with an opportunity to bring Big Shot to New York City, where it will be seen and heard by people who can help bring her closer to her ambition of being the first female Irish composer-lyricist to have their work performed on Broadway.

The most recent production of Big Shot took place in February of this year at The Helix Theatre. For this performance, we invited Tony Award-winning Broadway producer Ken Davenport (Kinky Boots, Once On This Island) to critique the show and consult with us on the next step for our show.

Ken was so taken with the show and performance that he invited Lauryn to perform the show Off Broadway in New York for five nights as part of his musical theatre festival ‘RAVE’.

They also secured a booking at esteemed and legendary New York venue ‘Feinstein’s/54 Below’, where the cast performed a programme of songs from the show and Lauryn’s original music. It is steps from Times Square, the club is known as Broadway’s living room.

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Joining Mario for the Sunday Roast panel this morning was entertainment journalist  Melanie Finn and mentalist/magician Keith Barry. 

On the table for discussion this morning was the topic of being moody which apparently is actually a good thing! Research by University College London, found that those who have quick changing mood swings are much better at adapting to change in life, and therefore better at surviving.

So much emphasis on positive thinking but is that really realistic?

Keith is a huge forager and fisherman, he tries to catch and collect as much of the food for his family as possible. And at home he generally has at least 25 edibles growing at any one time Unfortunately when he’s fishing he catches more plastic with his rod than fish. The seas and rivers are ruined with it and the majority of it is utterly superfluous. Keith says we are in a climate emergency and over-use of plastic needs to be dealt with by growing and catching our own food we could be teaching our kids about nature and food provenance, reducing food miles and plastic packaging, and becoming more mindful humans as a result.

Huge week for Jose – and for Mario, as he is synonymous with Jose! Jose was a breath of fresh air when he arrived on the scene, he had the midas touch, an answer for everything, but then it all turned nasty. Mario thinks he turned very cynical and people felt that he started to have a negative influence on the game. For the last four years he has been viewed in a very negative light But this week as he takes on his new role, the world has gone nuts for him again – its like a big movie star is back in action

Check out the the full chat by pressing the play/listen button on screen.