Join us as we take a deep dive into the Scottish post-punk scene, Postcard Records & C81 as we explore the history of cult band Josef K. 

Josef K met at Firrhill High School in Edinburgh & music brought them together with punk quickly becoming a key influence following the iconic The Clash gig at Edinburgh Playhouse in May of 1977. 

Another band which become a key influence were Subway Sect who joined The Clash on that bill. 

They soon develop their distinctive sound with 2 rhythm guitars & no lead. A few gigs with future label mates Orange Juice follow but The Go-Betweens sign to Postcard Records before Josef K eventually become their 3rd signing. 

A couple of legendary gigs follow in Glasgow & Edinburgh with Orange Juice & The Go-Betweens tagged with ‘The Sound of Young Scotland’. 

Their time with Postcard is relatively short-lived & once Aztec Camera sign to the label, Josef K are left as something of an afterthought. 

Support slots with Magazine, Bauhaus, The Cure, Teardrop Explodes, Echo & the Bunnymen follow & the band’s debut album Sorry For Laughing is recorded in 1981 but ultimately is not released. 

Josef K the the unusual decision to re-record their debut album. Shortly followings its eventual release the band abruptly break up. For a band with such a brief history they have lingered in the consciousness & had significant influence since. 

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

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Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written & Produced by Simon Cardwell

Edited by Andy Maxwell 

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We welcome Jah Wobble to tell us about his time with PiL (Public Image Limited).

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

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We start with how he joined the band, touch upon his youth with John Lydon, who came up with the name of the band & the brief early involvement of Richard Branson. We hear about how Keith Levene & Jim Walker joined the band (and Jim's departure later) as well as signing with Virgin Records shortly after. Jah describes the chaotic finances of the band & the key part photographer Dennis Morris played in the story.

We hear about how the innovative PiL band logo came to be & the arrival of the debut album First Issue arrives in late 1978 followed by the novel idea of playing gigs on Christmas Day & Boxing Day at the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park.

Jah explains how PiL songs nearly always start with the baseline & build from there & how this played into the Metal Box album which follows in November 1979 & how the famous metal container cover came about. We hear a couple of unusual stories including Chris Blackwell's brief involvement & the prospect to sign with Island Records in the US along with a meeting with Martin Scorsese to discuss the soundtrack for Raging Bull.

Factory Records gets a mention as a label which may have been a better fit for the band in hindsight - we also hear about the bands first US tour in early 1980 - Jah tells us how the audiences compared to back at home as well as how this tour ultimately became his last appearances with the band as he left upon returning to London.

All this & more - if you like this episode please leave us a review or star rating on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written & Produced by Simon Cardwell

Edited by Andy Maxwell 

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Biographer Lesley-Ann Jones joins us to talk about Paul McCartney's time in Scotland living on High Park Farm near Campbeltown.

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. 

We talk about his decision to buy this property in a remote part of Scotland, his & John Lennon's links (or lack of) to Scotland, Linda's role in Paul & his family spending more time there & the privacy it subsequently afforded them. We move onto discuss some of the key songs written at the farm over the years including Heart of the Country, The Lovely Linda & That Would Be Something as well as some that were recorded there in Paul's home studio such as Back To The Egg & McCartney II. We discuss the impact of Linda McCartney's photos taken at the farm which later appeared on the cover of Ram & the inner sleeve of McCartney I. Moving on we really dig into the writing, recording, release, video shoot & more for Mull of Kintyre - how Paul came to meet & work with the Campbeltown Pipe Band, the huge success of the song in the UK, its comparable lack of success in the US, the various videos & TV appearance which followed & how the song fit upon its release in 1977, the year of punk.

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Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written & Produced by Simon Cardwell

Edited by Andy Maxwell 

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Carrying on our chat with Tim Booth we continue on the early years of James with the recording of their first demo, signing to Factory Records & making their debut release with the Jimone EP in November 1983.

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. 

From there Tim tells us about meeting The Smiths & playing with them at the Hacienda & subsequently touring Ireland with them & later joining the Meat Is Murder Tour in 1985.

James are touring with Johnny Marr across the USA in the autumn & Tim tells us how this came about.

We also hear about leaving Factory Records in 1985 & ending up on Sire Records - debut album Stutter is produced by Lenny Kaye. The follow up Strip Mine doesn't appear until 18 months after it was recorded & we hear about that what let do these delays.

We also get to ask Tim about the famous Anti Clause 28 gig with the Stone Roses at the International, signing to Rough Trade in 1989 & releasing the Gold Mother album which leads to the huge success of Come Home & Sit Down.

Tim talks us through writing, releasing & re-recording Sit Down. We talk about a few of the bands bib gigs from this era including the G Mex & the roof of the Piccadilly Hotel in Manchester as well as Alton Towers in 1990 in front of 30,000 fans.

The Seven album also comes out in 1990 & we touch on that & then hear about how the band met & worked with Brian Eno We move onto this year's Yummy album - the bands first number 1 in the UK Chart & talk through some upcoming festival appearances throughout 2024.

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

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Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written & Produced by Simon Cardwell

Edited by Andy Maxwell 

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

Tim Booth joins us this week to talk about his new book 'When I Died For The First Time' out now on Constable (imprint of Little Brown).

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. 

We talk about his writing influences from Doris Lessing & Patti Smith to Frank Herbert & then how his experiences in James influenced his writing. We also talk in depth about James latest UK number 1 album Yummy as well as their recent appearance at Glastonbury 2024 & their other appearances they have coming up over the summer & an autumn USA tour with Johnny Marr.

Moving onto James we start with Tim meeting the band at Manchester University Student's Union, joining initially as a dancer but graduating to lead singer within 4-5 months. Tim talks us through some of the bands early gigs including the first gig in Blackburn along with early appearances at the Hacienda & the International inManchester. We find out how they came up with the name James & signing to Factory Records & Tony Wilson - with more to come in part 2.

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Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written & Produced by Simon Cardwell

Edited by Andy Maxwell 

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

Helen O'Hara joins us as we talk through her early career from getting a knock on the door to play with Kevin Archer's The Blue Ox Babes to later joining Dexys Midnight Runners.

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. 

We talk about being renamed Helen O'Hara by Kevin Rowland & joining Dexys as one of the Emerald Express shortly after & Helen's difficult decision to join the band & turn down an offer to join the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra. recording for the first time with the band at AIR Studios in London with producers Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley.

Helen's first gig with Dexys comes at Exhibition Park in Newcastle for a Radio 1 show, where the band also unveiled their new look. Soon after the band recorded & released the Too-Rye-Ay album which spawned the number 1 single Come On Eileen - Helen explains the importance of the Top Of The Pops appearances in breaking the song.

The Bridge Tour follows in 1982 & the Jackie Wilson Said single follows & again becomes a hit. Join us for all this and more.

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

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Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written & Produced by Simon Cardwell

Edited by Andy Maxwell 

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

This week we make our first visit to Birmingham to trace the history & early years of Dexys Midnight Runners

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. 

We find out how Kevin Rowland & Kevin Archer formed the band, the strict rules for membership, how the various members came to join.

Writer Nige Tassell, talks us through some of the stories, myths & legends from his new book Searching For Dexys Midnight Runners - published by Nine Eight Books.

We start with early punk band project The Killjoys, how they jump to the soul inflected sound of Dexys, how it went against the grain at the time, the various venues the band played around Birmingham including gigs with Joy Division & UB40.

Nige tells us about the brief possibility of Van Morrison coming in to produce the debut album Searching For The Young Soul Rebels - how the record was made, the heist that ensued after the recording with the master tapes.

Bernie Rhodes brief involvement before the first single Dance Stance is released - signing to EMI after his departure. The huge success of Geno which followed & took the band to number 1 in the charts - how the label didn't want it as a single.

We then detail how the bands fragment quickly leading to 5 members of this original lineup leaving at once to form The Bureau.

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

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Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written & Produced by Simon Cardwell

Edited by Andy Maxwell 

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

Join writer John Niven to have a chat about Bob Dylan & the Band & the time they spent in Woodstock.

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. 

John talks us through his idea for a fictional book set when the Band were living in Big Pink & recording with Dylan in the basement downstairs. We discuss how Dylan & the various members of The Band came to be in Woodstock, how the Basement Tapes recordings came about, Bob Dylan's prolific songwriting in Woodstock, the lifestyle The Band were living in the relative anonymity of Woodstock & the surrounding area.

We also talk about the new material Dylan wrote which is covered by others before he has even cut any of them himself (This Wheel's On Fire by Julie Driscoll, Too Much Of Nothing by Peter, Paul & Mary, Tears of Rage by Ian & Sylvia, The Mighty Quinn - a number one single for Manfred Mann, a few tracks by The Byrds & Fairport Convention).

We mention some of John's favourite tracks from the eventual release of the Basement Tapes in 1975 & the various bootlegs available over the years, plus the original bootleg release The Great White Wonder.

How the Band's songwriting improved suddenly & exponentially, signing with Capitol for their debut album Music From Big Pink (a deal broker by Dylan manager Albert Grossman), the impact the area ultimately had on their writing both for Dylan & The Band. We give our take on Bob Dylan's painting which ends up as the cover artwork for the first Band album & then we move onto the influence The Band subsequently have on music - the birth of the Americana genre & alt.country plus more.

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

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

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Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written & Produced by Simon Cardwell

Edited by Andy Maxwell 

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

Join writer John Niven to have a chat about Bob Dylan & the Band & the time they spent in Woodstock.

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. 

John talks us through his idea for a fictional book set when the Band were living in Big Pink & recording with Dylan in the basement downstairs. We discuss how Dylan & the various members of The Band came to be in Woodstock, how the Basement Tapes recordings came about, Bob Dylan's prolific songwriting in Woodstock, the lifestyle The Band were living in the relative anonymity of Woodstock & the surrounding area.

We also talk about the new material Dylan wrote which is covered by others before he has even cut any of them himself (This Wheel's On Fire by Julie Driscoll, Too Much Of Nothing by Peter, Paul & Mary, Tears of Rage by Ian & Sylvia, The Mighty Quinn - a number one single for Manfred Mann, a few tracks by The Byrds & Fairport Convention).

We mention some of John's favourite tracks from the eventual release of the Basement Tapes in 1975 & the various bootlegs available over the years, plus the original bootleg release The Great White Wonder.

How the Band's songwriting improved suddenly & exponentially, signing with Capitol for their debut album Music From Big Pink (a deal broker by Dylan manager Albert Grossman), the impact the area ultimately had on their writing both for Dylan & The Band. We give our take on Bob Dylan's painting which ends up as the cover artwork for the first Band album & then we move onto the influence The Band subsequently have on music - the birth of the Americana genre & alt.country plus more.

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

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written & Produced by Simon Cardwell

Edited by Andy Maxwell 

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

Thurston Moore returns for the 2nd part of our chat.

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. 

Bumping into Joey Ramone on the way to CBGBs for the first time, Wayne County, meeting Lee Ranaldo at a gig, being introduced to Kim Gordon via a mutual friend, the downtown art world including Jean-Michel Basquiat, his early band The Coachmen, even Madonna gets a mention. We also detail the formation of Sonic Youth & how he came up with the iconic band name.

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

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

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Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written & Produced by Simon Cardwell

Edited by Andy Maxwell 

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