Join us for a deep dive into an iconic gig venue, the legendary Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom. 

The building was first opened by Maggie McIver on Christmas Eve 1934 & hosts dances for the East End of Glasgow for decades, however once the big band era passes the venue begins to decline & loses popularity following the infamous Bible John murders in the late 1960s. 

After a brief period as a Roller Disco the venue is revived following Simple Minds filming their Waterfront video in 1983. 

In 1985 the famous neon sign goes up on the exterior of the building & the venue is still family ran to this day. 

We hear about what makes the venue so famous from its legendary acoustics, to the ceiling stars & original features & also the famous Barrowlands atmosphere. 

Some of the famous performances at the Barrowlands include The Pogues debuting Fairytale of New York with Joe Strummer on guitar, Noel Gallagher finishing an Oasis gig solo after Liam Gallagher walks off stage, debuting Whatever on acoustic guitar. 

Unknown local acts Lewis Capaldi & Rianne Downeyt play early gigs at the venue while Scottish band The Saw Doctors hold the record for the most appearances at the Barrowlands. 

Others to play the venue include Bob Dylan, David Bowie & dozens more. 

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. 

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

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Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell

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So today we take a deep dive into the early life of Ringo Starr, how he joined the Beatles & their subsequent unprecedented success. 

After overcoming various serious Illnesses as a child, a young Ringo first develops an interest in drumming while in hospital recovering. 

His first arrives courtesy of stepfather Harry Graves & before long Ringo is drumming in skiffle bands around Liverpool before moving on to join Rory Storm & the Hurricanes where he comes known as Ringo for the first time.

Having met the other Beatles briefly back in Liverpool, Ringo finds himself in Hamburg at the same time as them. After sitting in with the band for the increasingly unreliable Pete Best, Ringo is asked to join the band in 1962. 

His first gig with the band takes place at Hulme Hall in Port Sunlight in August of that year. Back at The Cavern some fans take a dislike to Pete’a replacement & some dissent & altercations follow. 

The Beatles debut album comes out in February of 1963 & features Ringo’s debut vocal performance with the band, Boys. 

I Wanna Be Your Man follows on With The Beatles but by now the Starkey family home in The Dingle is besieged with Beatle fans, eventually forcing the family to relocate. 

The Beatles arrive in the US in February of 1964 & Ringo plays a starring role in their debut press conference in New York. 

Ringo goes on to become the most popular Beatle stateside inspiring a number of novelty releases about him. 

One of Ringo’s catchphrases becomes the title of the Beatles debut feature film A Hard Days Night later in 1964 & he receives positive reviews for his acting in the film. 

Other notable Ringo tracks include Act Naturally & What Goes On but it’s 1966’s Yellow Submarine which gives Ringo his first number one. 

Another memorable Ringo vocal is released the following year on Sgt. Pepper with A Little Help From My Friends. 

Some of Ringo’s most memorable drum parts appear on Rain, Ticket To Ride & A Day In The Life. 

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. 

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

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Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell

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Join us for a very special live episode to mark the release of Dreaming Of You - The Making of the Coral - the new documentary available now to rent or buy. 

Our starting point is the faded seaside town of Hoylake, on the Wirral Peninsula near Liverpool, where The Coral meet & come together to form the band. 

Before music James & Ian Skelly live in a fantasy world of Ghostbusters, Transformers, Thundercats & Turtles - aided partly by their Dad’s market stall selling toys in Liverpool. 

Its drummer Ian Skelly & bassist Paul Duffy who start the band with singer James Skelly eventually joins them & guitarists Bill Ryder-Jones & Lee Southall follow. 

Nick Power completes the lineup & James stumbles on the name The Coral & it sticks. 

Early influences include Captain Beefheart, Pink Floyd, The La’s, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, The Beach Boys, Dr. Dre, Peter Green & Oasis. In time this morphs into a love for The Beta Band, Super Furry Animals & Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci. 

A scene develops in Liverpool around The Zanzibar & The Bandwagon involving Tramp Attack, The Skylarks, The Bandits & The Zutons. 

The Coral begin to play regularly at The Cavern, entertaining Beatles tourists in a regular Sunday afternoon slot. 

The band are introduced to Deltasonic founder Alan Wills & not long after release debut single Shadows Fall. 

Shortly after the band sign to Sony after a gig at Night & Day in Manchester.

Ian Broudie comes in as producer for what becomes the debut album which reaches 5 in the charts when released in July 2002. 

Hit single Dreaming Of You almost doesn’t appear on the album when the band are reluctant to include it, but ultimately have a change of heart. 

2nd single Goodbye gets the band on Top Of The Pops & also gives the band the chance to build a full size Wicker Man for the accompanying video. 

A large headline gig takes place in a big top in New Brighton dubbed A Midsummer Nights Scream with The Libertines, The Bees, The Zutons, The Thrills & The Basements & makes the end of the first chapter of The Coral. 

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. 

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

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Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell116 - The Coral with James Skelly, Nick Power & James Slater (Hoylake)

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Altman

John’s Uncles Sid Phillips & Wolf Phillips were big band conductors at the London Palladium so John grew up around the likes of Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong & Jack Benny.

At a young age he played with the likes of Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, John Martyn, Nick Drake, Bridget St. John & Kevin Ayers.

He joined Hot Chocolate & also found time to jam with Jimi Hendrix, have a laugh with Freddie Mercury & have Muddy Waters attend his 21st birthday party. 

John also had a hand in the music of Monty Python playing a key role in the Life Of Brian spinoff hit Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. 

Beatles spoof The Rutles featured John’s work & we hear how he recreated the famous Beatles sound on record. 

Moving into the world of cinema & John had a hand in the music of Pierce Brosnan’s first turn as James Bond in 1995’s Goldeneye & also in 1997’s Titanic which became the biggest movie of all time up to that point. We hear about a frantic phone call from James Cameron during the making of Titanic. 

John has also played on an estimated 4000 TV adverts ranging from Sheila’s Wheels to You Can Do It If You B&Q It, working with the likes of John Frankenheimer, Ridley & Tony Scott, Alan Parker, Elliot Erwitt, David Bailey & Terance Donovan. He also worked with Salman Rushdie as a lyricist, but never knew he was also a writer. 

Fans of Raymond Briggs’s The Snowman can hear about John’s work on Walking In The Air with Aled Jones. 

In the late 90s, a club in London known as 10 Room was founded, at first it started slowly but picked up once Lionel Richie & Chakak Khan turned up & played. In the coming years it hosted the likes of Nas, Will Smith, Chris Tucker, Kanye West, John Legend, Backstreet Boys, Ja Rule, Wycliffe Jean, Joss Stone & Amy Winehouse. 

We hear about proposed albums with Amy Winehouse & Dusty Springfield which do not come to fruition. 

And if that isn’t enough John throws in stories about Prince, Bjork & working on George Michael’s Faith for good measure. 

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. 

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

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Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell

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Jon King joins us to talk about the early years & formation of the Gang of Four - formed at Leeds University while Jon studied art. 

Jon was born in South London but moved to a village near Sevenoaks in Kent & while the King household rarely featured music, Jon grew up listening to Motown & Trojan Records before discovering Bob Dylan & the Velvet Underground. 

Another notable formative experience was bumping into John Lennon on Sevenoaks high street, the Beatles were in the area to film the video for Strawberry Fields Forever. Lennon also purchased the circus poster which inspired Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite on the same visit. 

Once up in Leeds, Jon blagged a trip to New York under the guise of needing to see Jasper John’s paintings in the flesh. While there he attends CBGBs & sees Richard Hell & the Voidoids, the Dead Boys & the other seminal New York bands. 

Gang Of Four’s first gig takes place in the basement of the Corn Exchange in Leeds & not long after Buzzcocks manager Richard Boon invited them to open for them on tour. 

The bands debut single Damaged Goods comes out on Fast Product Records but the band soon sign with EMI. 

The band’s debut album Entertainment! is released to universal acclaim & leads to a deal with Warner Brothers in the US & similar praise from the likes of Greil Marcus & Jerry Wexler. 

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. 

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

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Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell

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Take a deep dive with us into the end of the Beatles, Paul McCartney in the 70s, Wings Over America, Mary Had a Little Lamb, feuding with John Lennon & more with writer Tom Doyle whose McCartney biography Man On The Run is out now. 

The Beatles come to an end & Paul takes refuge at High Park Farm in Scotland, taking a little time to consider his next move. 

Amid the Paul Is Dead rumours, Paul releases his debut lo-fi solo album McCartney followed not long after by Ram - credited to he & Linda. 

It is Linda who plays a key role in getting him back into music & she ends top in his next band, Wings. 

There are some nasty public exchanges with John Lennon culminating in the acerbic How Do You Sleep on Lennon’s Imagine album. 

Wings first tour is a series of unannounced gigs at universities around the UK & Wildlife becomes their debut album. 

Red Rose Speedway follows not long after but its James Bond theme Live & Let Die which becomes their first huge success. 

Not long after Wings decamp to Lagos, Nigeria to record what becomes Band On The Run, but not before losing 2 members, completing the album as a three piece (Paul, Linda & Denny Laine). 

Paul begins to reconnect with John Lennon & the other Beatles by the middle of the decade & also begins to play Beatles songs for the first time on the hugely successful Wings Over America tour - feeling he has enough new hits to blend in with the older material. 

Following a drugs bust in Japan, Wings Peters out without a formal announcement, leaving a charity gig at Hammersmith Odeon in late 1979 as their last gig. 

John & Paul are on better terms by the end of the decade with their final conversation coming in October 1980 on the occasion of John’s 40th birthday. Would the Beatles have re-formed had John lived into the 1980s? 

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. 

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

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Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell

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This week we welcome Melissa Auf der Maur to hear about her new book Even The Good Girls Cry - out now on Atlantic Books. 

Our starting point is Montreal as Melissa recounts growing up listening to The Cure & The Smiths, studying photography & seeing Hole & Smashing Pumpkins in one week in 1991 - both bands she would later join. 

On her first meeting with Hole, Melissa in forced to un-invite the band to stay at her apartment after the roommate objects after seeing Courtney Love in Straight To Hell alongside Joe Strummer. 

After picking up the bass at age 21, her first band Tinker open for the Smashing Pumpkins in Montreal after Melissa writes a letter to Billy Corgan. 

Shortly after the opportunity arises to join Hole - at first Melissa is hesitant but is soon won over after being flown to L.A. to meet the band. 

She took photos the whole time - ending up with an archive of over 15,000 pictures - some of which will feature in a new photo book in the Autumn. 

Hole are offered the chance to appear on The Simpsons - however their management inexplicably turn it down & the Smashing Pumpkins, Cypress Hill & Sonic Youth appear in their place. 

The band are under pressure to deliver on 1998’s Celebrity Skin album as they juggle their schedule around Courtney Love’s burgeoning acting career. 

Melissa leaves Hole shortly after a notable appearance at Glastonbury in 1999 & joins the Smashing Pumpkins - her favourite band. 

She plays over a hundred shows in just under a year - with gigs often running as long as 3 hours, with over a hundred songs to learn. 

Melissa reconnected with Courtney Love, Patty Schemel & Billy Corgan subsequently & today owns & operates Basilica Hudson an arts centre in Hudson, New York. 

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. 

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

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Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell

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Join us for our first episode on one of the seminal bands of the 90s - Nirvana with legendary music writer Everett True. His book Nirvana - The True Story is out now. 

Kurt Cobain & Krist Novoselic meet in Aberdeen, Washington but it’s in Tacoma & Olympia where the band really comes together. 

We hear about Kurt’s early influences including The Melvins, The Raincoats, The Pastels, Teenage Fanclub, Young Marble Giants, Bikini Kill & various releases on local label K Records. 

The first gig billed as Nirvana takes place at the Community World Theatre in Tacoma. 

Nirvana sign to Sub Pop Records in Seattle & their debut single Love Buzz comes out as part of the Singles Club series. We hear about the influence of other local bands Mudhoney & Soundgarden. 

The debut album Bleach is made for $600 & Everett conducts his first interview with the band not long after. 

The band tour the UK starting at Newcastle Riverside & Everett himself joins them onstage at a gig in Nottingham. 

Original drummer Chan Channing leaves Nirvana & is replaced by Dave Grohl as the band sign a major label deal with Geffen Records & producer Butch Vig comes in to help realise the sound of Nevermind. 

Shortly after the band debut a new song named Smells Like Teen Spirit at the OK Hotel in Seattle. The song title famously comes after Kathleen Hanna scrawls ‘Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit’ on an apartment wall. 

The band headline the Reading Festival in England in the summer of 1992 as Everett wheels Kurt Cobain onstage to start the gig. 

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. 

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

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Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell

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This week we celebrate 50 years of The Undertones with guitar player Damian O’Neill. 

Damien kept diaries during the early years of the band & reads extracts for us throughout & he tells us about joining the band age 15 & their first gig at a local scout hall. From there The Undertones honed their craft playing regularly at The Casbah in their hometown of Derry, Northern Ireland. 

His older brother John O’Neill starts to write songs & they record their debut release The Teenage Kicks EP - after which John Peel plays it & becomes a fan - resulting in the songs success & an appearance on Top Of The Pops. 

The day after their TV debut the band return to Derry for a triumphant homecoming gig at The Rocking Chair, a local pub.

Damien tells us about briefly touring with Joy Division & The Rezillos & their ill fated attempt to stage a festival in their hometown headlined by The Clash. The festival is cancelled after Joe Strummer receives a letter from local political loyalists. 

In return for the cancellation, the Undertones get to open for The Clash on a US tour in the Autumn of 1979. 

Damien also tells us about his favourite Undertones tracks, his brother John getting arrested on tour & previews the upcoming 50th anniversary gigs later this year. 

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. 

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

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Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell

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This week we travel to Forest Hills, Queens, New York to trace the origins of the legendary punk band The Ramones. 

While Joey Ramone is actually the only Ramone born in Forest Hills, it is this conversation suburb of New York which creates one of the iconic bands in the history of NYC. 

The bands influences include 1960s Girl Groups, The Beatles, The Beach Boys & Elvis Presley. 

The bands first big takes place in March of 1974 with Joey Ramone on drums. They played original material from the start - with varying explanations as to why. 

Johnny Ramones would probably have preferred to bat for the New York Yankees than be in a band but his famous guitar sound is there from the beginning. 

Arturo Vega designs the famous Ramones logo however he is not paid royalties on the subsequent mass marketing of the design. 

New York City figure Danny Fields comes in as the bands manager & they subsequently sign to Seymour Stein’s Sire Records. 

The debut album clocks in at just 28 minutes & features a now iconic photo taken by Roberta Bailey who had only been taking photos for a few weeks at the time the picture was taken. 

Their next few albums Leave Home & Rocket To Russia repeat the trick with such classics as Rockaway Beach & Sheena is a Punk Rocker. 

Tommy Ramone leaves the band, breaking up the original line up having tired of touring. 

The band continue to search for a hit & bring in Phil Spector for the End Of The Century album. 

Joey & Johnny Ramond fallout & do not speak to each other for 16 years while touring relentlessly. 

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it. 

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

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Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell

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