Music Maps Podcast

Maybe I'm Amazed - A Story of Love & Connection in 10 Songs is one of the music books of the year it tells the story of how writer John Harris connects with his autistic son James via the music of The Clash, The Velvet Underground, The Beatles, Kraftwerk, Ian Hunter, Magazine, The Band, Wire, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, Amy Winehouse & more.

We hear how music was woven into the fabric of James's life, becoming an essential part of who he is. It takes us through the struggles of raising an autistic child in a prejudiced world, and uncovers a hidden history of neurodivergence and creativity that casts new light on why notes, chords and lyrics speak so powerfully to the human mind.

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/live/

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell

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

We go back to the sixties this week as we welcome Tom McGuinness to tell us about his various number 1s as a member of Manfred Mann. 

A chance meeting with a young Eric Clapton at the Station Hotel in Richmond led to them forming The Roosters, it fizzles out but the are both briefly involved in another band, Casey Jones & the Engineers. 

Eric drifts off to the Yardbirds shortly after & Tom ends up in Manfred Mann. It wasn’t until Tom heard Eric’s work with John Mayall he realised how far he would go. 

Upon joining The Manfreds, their breakthrough hit 5-4-3-2-1 had been recorded but was not yet released. It had been commissioned as a new theme for the popular music TV program Ready, Steady, Go! 

In the autumn of 1964 Do Was Diddy Diddy goes to number 1 in the UK & the US as part of the British Invasion, despite it almost getting dropped from the bands live set prior to release. 

The band become known for their Bob Dylan covers, scoring a string of hits with Dylan tracks including ‘If You Gotta Go, Go Now’, ‘With God On Our Side’ & the Mighty Quinn. 

Pretty Flamingo becomes their next number 1 in May of 1966 as Tom moves from bass to lead guitar. We find out about Bruce Springsteen’s love for the song. 

Lead singer Paul Jones leaves the band & is replaced by Mike D’Abo & Jack Bruce is briefly a member of the band before moving onto Cream to be replaced by Klaus Voorman. 

The band comes to a sudden end in 1969 but has reformed several times since & continues to tour to this day & you can find their tour dates here. 

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/live/

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell

Music by Andy Maxwell

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

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

Join us as we welcome our local Member of Parliament here in Walthamstow, Stella Creasy to Music Maps by way of Manchester & Colchester. 

Stella grew up in Manchester where she loved the Stone Roses & her Mum taught A Guy Called Gerald at school. As a teenager she was unexpectedly uprooted to the suburbs in Colchester where she discovered a local band by the name of Blur. 

She tells us about her love for Pulp, James, Suede & her well documented passion for The Wedding Present.  

We also discuss issues for touring bands as a result of Brexit & how we can do more & assistance for grassroots venues to ensure new acts continue to come through. 

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/live/

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

Blue Sky: @musicmaps.bsky.social

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written, Edited & Produced by Simon Cardwell

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

Join us & celebrate the 40th anniversary of Live Aid which took place on July 13th 1985. And to do that we are joined by John Kennedy, one of the original trustees of the Band Aid Trust. 

One morning in November 1984 John was surprised when his office door flung open & Bob Geldof walked in. Insisting that John gave him one hour of his time, it led to a lifelong commitment. 

Following unprecedented attention from the media & the public, Bob Geldof decides he has to put on a concert, eventually it is decided this will take place not only in London but also in Philadelphia on the same day. 

Some were easier to persuade than others, but the star studded lineup at Wembley Stadium eventually includes Elton John, Queen, U2, George Michael, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, The Who & of course Status Quo. 

Phil Collins performs at both shows after travelling on Concorde & John himself ends up in the Royal Box with princess Diana. 

Join us to find out how this all unfolded from someone who was there from the very beginning & continues to be involved on a daily basis today. 

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/live/

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

Blue Sky: @musicmaps.bsky.social

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted, Written, Edited & Produced by Simon Cardwell 

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

Join us for a live episode of Music Maps Podcast with John Robb recorded live at the Walthamstow Trades Hall. 

We are also joined this week by James from The Oasis Podcast & Sam Shiner to discuss the return of Oasis last week in Cardiff & the 2025 tour. 

John takes us through the highlights from his new book Live Forever: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of Oasis we start back in the 70s with the Gallagher brother’s childhood in Manchester. 

Eventually settling in Burnage, Noel Gallagher finds a guitar lying around the house & learns to play it while beginning to pick up Greatest Hits compilations from local record shop Sifters, listening to the Beatles, Slade, The Jam, The Smiths & the Sex Pistols. 

Acid House is another key influence & Noel begins to frequent the Hacienda but its a gig at the International 2 featuring James & the Stone Roses which becomes key as younger brother Liam also attends & subsequently joins local band The Rain, founded by Paul Arthurs (AKA Bonehead). 

Meanwhile Noel Gallagher is touring the world working for the Inspiral Carpets & is amazed to hear Liam has joined a band asap till then he had expressed no interest in music. 

After attending an early gig Noel eventually joins the re-named Oasis & the band rehearse diligently at the Boardwalk in Manchester.

Alan McGee famously spots Oasis at King Tut’s Way Way Hut in Glasgow in 1993 & manager Marcus Russell enters the equation via Johnny Marr. 

After the buzz created by the Columbia white label demo, Supersonic becomes the first single in the spring of 1994. 

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/live/

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

Blue Sky: @musicmaps.bsky.social

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted by Mark Hard & Simon Cardwell

Written, Edited & Produced by Simon Cardwell 

Recorded by Rob Donnelly-Jackson

Recorded at the Walthamstow Trades Hall

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

Stuart Maconie is well known as the host of The Freak Zone on BBC Radio, he has written for NME, The Times, The Guardian & many more.

His books have been widely published & include Long Road From Jarrow, The Nanny State Made Me, Cider With Roadies & Pies & Prejudice. 

His new book is published by HarperNorth - With a Little Help From Their Friends - The Beatles Changed the World. but Who Changed Theirs?

We discuss a number of people who have an impact on the Beatles lives & career, from the more obvious such as Brian Epstein or George Martin to the obscure including John Mustard (of Mean Mr. Mustard fame) & Harry Graves (Ringo Starr’s stepdad who bought him his first drum kit). 

We touch on the many former members of the Beatles - some more well known such as Pete Best & Stuart Sutcliffe, and some less familiar such as early bassist Chas Newby & Tommy Moore who skipped a Beatles gig to fulfil a shift at Garston Bottle Works. 

Others such as temporary drummer Jimmie Nicol were unable to move on from their brief tenure with the band while others such as photographer Astrid Kircherr were forever linked with the Beatles. 

There are those who let the band slip through their fingers such as Allan Williams & Dick Rowe as well as those that stayed loyal to the Fab Four such as fan club founder Freda Kelly. 

Find out about the £5 flat fee Ivor Arbiter received for designing the iconic Beatles logo still used today or the £200 received by Sgt. Pepper cover designer Peter Blake. 

Another curio is George Harrison’s 1963 visit to the US to visit his sister Louise - the only time a Beatle would visit the country without being treated like a superstar. 

A handful of people have received a credit on a Beatles track including Billy Preston who the band had met back in Hamburg & who joined them for the Get Back sessions as seen in the documentary. 

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/live/

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

Blue Sky: @musicmaps.bsky.social

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted, Written, Edited & Produced by Simon Cardwell 

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

Part 2 of our deep dive into the New York music scene of the 2000's with Lizzy Goodman - we pick the story back up with the Anti-Folk scene with gives us the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol & Regina Spektor.

We find out how the Yeah Yeah Yeahs came to be & the connections between Detroit & New York around this time. The Strokes were the first band to break big & they helped through others that came in their wake including Regina Spektor, Kings of Leon & The Killers.

Was the perceived privilege of The Strokes more in the media than in real life? And was it overblown compared to reality?

Also coming out of New York around this time but in reality a completely different world was DFA Records, James Murphy & what becomes LCD Soundsystem. We find out how it unfolded & 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/live/

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

Blue Sky: @musicmaps.bsky.social

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written, Edited & Produced by Simon Cardwell 

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

We welcome Lizzy Goodman as we travel to New York City to discuss her seminal oral history of the NY scene Meet Me In The Bathroom - the Rebirth and Rock in Roll in New York City 2011 - 2011. 

Lizzy met Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi a couple of years before the band broke but it’s actually Jonathan Fire*Eater who are the first band to break, signing to DreamWorks. Their success is short lived & the subsequent album flops. 

9/11 becomes a catalyst for what follows as Is This It is released a couple of weeks after & the Strokes play a key show at the Hammerstein Ballroom. 

In a pre-social media world Lizzy keeps track of the Strokes burgeoning success largely via email. Yet it’s the coverage in the UK media via The Face & the NME which breaks many of these bands. 

Ryan Adams is also in New York around the same time & shared a manager with the Strokes but Interpol are the next band to break & they sign with Matador. 

This & more in Part 1 of our 2 part discussion with Lizzy. 

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/live/

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

Blue Sky: @musicmaps.bsky.social

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted by Mark Hart & Simon Cardwell

Written, Edited & Produced by Simon Cardwell 

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

Join us & legendary photographer Glen E. Friedman to talk through his beginnings photographing skateboarding before transitioning into the world of punk rock & hardcore photographing Black Flag, Minor Threat & Bad Brains. 

Glen also talks us through the creation of his influential fanzine 'My Rules' & his eventual transition more into hip hop photography with the likes of Run DMC, Beastie Boys, LL Cool J & Public Enemy. 

A few iconic photos from Glen’s archive include the cover of Check Your Head by the Beastie Boys, another iconic cover - It Takes a Nation of Millions by Public Enemy & some of the earliest pictures of Run DMC. 

You can see more of Glen’s work here & his books are available to order directly from Akashic Books.  

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/live/

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

Blue Sky: @musicmaps.bsky.social

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted, Written, Edited & Produced by Simon Cardwell. 

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