As Del Amitri’s frontman, Justin Currie steered a band that slipped between categories: too sharp to be lumped in with soft rock, too direct to be claimed by the indie underground. From the wry social commentary of Nothing Ever Happens to the breezy pop of Roll to Me, their songs remain lodged in the public imagination, even as the group resisted easy definition.

With the release of his memoir The Tremolo Diaries, Justin offers a frank portrait of life on the road, of ageing within an industry that rarely looks back, and of coming to terms with Parkinson’s disease – a condition he writes about with candour, humour and occasional exasperation. Far from the mythology of rock’n’roll excess, the book and this discussion captures the monotony, absurdity and quiet resilience of touring life, told through the perspective of a musician whose sharpness as a lyricist translates onto the page.

The Tremolo Diaries: Life on the Road and Other Diseases

Podcasts also available: KT Tunstall, Karl Wallinger, Steven Page, Stephen Duffy

This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms

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The Zombies bassist-turned-songwriter Chris White opens the vault on a lifetime of music that stretches far beyond Odessey and Oracle. Chris revisits his work with Duffy Power, the lost sessions that became Hellhound, and the vast family-run archive project known as The Chris White Experience. He shares stories of Argent, Michael Fennelly and Tim Renwick, as well as the little-heard 1990 Zombies reunion record New World. White reflects on songwriting as “a muscle” that has kept him creating for six decades, highlighting the craft of one of British pop’s great unsung architects.

Duffy Power – Hell Hound, The Chris White Experience, The Zombies

Chris White: Inside the Vaults podcast tracks

Podcasts also available: Chris White (2019), Colin Blunstone (2015), Colin Blunstone (2021), Rod Argent, Hugh Grundy, Bob Henrit, Russ Ballard, Michael Fennelly

This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google apps and all usual platforms

If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi

The post Chris White: Inside the Vaults – From The Zombies and Beyond appeared first on The Strange Brew .

When Jimi Hendrix grabbed a bass and jammed with Tomorrow in 1967, a young Steve Howe was right there. Decades later, he is still chasing fresh sounds. Steve talks about the near miss that could have seen him play in Pink Floyd, the acoustic ideas that shaped his solo work, and what lies ahead for YES. He also digs into his reworking of Bob Dylan’s songs and the return of two essential solo albums, Portraits of Bob Dylan and Natural Timbre.

yesworld.com

Steve Howe podcast tracks

Podcasts also available: Steve Howe (2023), Steve Howe (2019), Allan Clarke (2023), PP Arnold, Annie Haslam, Bill Bruford, Alan White, Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes, Tony Kaye, Rick Wakeman

This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms

If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi

The post Steve Howe: Dylan, Hendrix & YES appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Step inside the legendary “tea chest tapes” with Richard Anderson from Cherry Red Records as we explore Joe Meek’s experimental musical mind. We explore a new box set unveiling Meek’s most experimental work from 1,900 newly discovered master tapes that sat untouched for over 50 years. From the producer who gave us ‘Telstar,’ this is Joe Meek as you’ve never heard him – direct from the tapes, revealing his curious mind decades ahead of its time.

Joe Meek – A Curious Mind Outer Space! Horror! Death Discs! The Wild West! Demos! 3CD Box Set

Joe Meek – A Curious Mind podcast tracks

Podcasts also available: Joe Meek with Craig Newton, Leo Lyons – Ten Years After, George Martin – Pre-Beatles Productions, Marty Wilde

This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms

If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi

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It’s been more than two decades since Sananda Maitreya last headlined a UK tour. Now, with nine dates booked, he’s returning not simply to revisit the past, but to present the “totality” of a career that’s defied the industry’s rulebook. In this interview, Sananda is frank and philosophical: on the early triumphs and bruises of Introducing the Hardline, the misunderstood brilliance of Neither Fish Nor Flesh, and a post-millennium body of work shaped by fierce independence. Along the way, he pays tribute to kindred spirits from George Michael to Sade, recalls the Beatles as his first great awakening, and reflects on the personal cost and profound rewards of following his own compass.

sananda.org

Podcasts also available: Glenn Gregory – Heaven 17, Ken Scott on working with The Beatles and David Bowie, Sam Brown, John Lennon: 1980 Playlist, Almost Beatles Songs

This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms

If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi

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Derek Shulman returns to talk about his memoir Giant Steps, charting his journey from frontman of Simon Dupree and the Big Sound and Gentle Giant to music executive behind artists including Bon Jovi and AC/DC. Derek reflects on formative moments, witnessing his father’s death, early musical ambitions, his friendship with Elton John, forming Gentle Giant with Gerry Bron’s support, and working with Tony Visconti. He shares insights on artist development, avoiding rock ’n’ roll excesses, and staging the record-breaking 1991 Monsters of Rock Moscow concert.

Giant Steps: My Improbable Journey from Stage Lights to Executive Heights

Podcasts also available: Gentle Giant’s Derek Shulman and John Weathers, Chris Slade AC/DC, Rick Buckler – The Jam

This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms

If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi

The post Derek Shulman’s Giant Steps appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Few music biographers have lived with the Beatles’ story quite like Philip Norman. Across shelves of bestsellers, Norman has charted the group’s myth and minutiae, from the Hamburg grind to Apple’s undoing. In a live conversation with Jason Barnard, he revisited his earliest encounters with the Fab Four, the writing of Shout!, and the shifting lens through which he now views John, Paul, George, and Ringo.

With anecdotes drawn from time spent inside Apple Corps in 1969, and encounters with figures like Yoko Ono, Brian Epstein, and Little Richard, the evening veered between poignant reflection and mischief. Norman’s candid take on Peter Jackson’s Get Back documentary and his evolving appreciation for George Harrison made for particularly sharp moments. And as always, the question lingers: just how much more is left to be said about the Beatles? If you’re Philip Norman, quite a bit.

Read Me Do with Philip Norman – Substack

FortyFive Vinyl Cafe

Podcasts also available: Ray Ennis – The Swinging Blue Jeans, Philip Norman on John Lennon, George Harrison by Philip Norman, Mike McCartney’s Early Liverpool

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The post The Beatles: How Four Lads Rewrote History appeared first on The Strange Brew .

In the second part of his live interview, Paul Jones charts his path beyond Manfred Mann, through film and stage work, and his return to music with The Blues Band. Recorded at the Cat Club, Paul recalls the cult 1967 film Privilege, before turning to sessions featuring Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Paul McCartney. He reflects on a riotous tour with The Who and Small Faces, and how a renewed passion for blues led him to form a band that would last over four decades. There are tales of radio shows, and turning points; some missed, like a sitcom that made Richard Beckinsale a star, and others embraced, like his work with Dave Kelly and The Manfreds. Paul Jones remains, as ever, a storyteller with more than a few surprises up his sleeve.

Recorded live at The CAT Club, Pontefract 19 June 2025

themanfreds.com

Podcasts also available: Becoming Paul Jones (2025), Paul Jones (2022), Peter Asher, Tom McGuinness, Mike d’Abo

This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms

If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi

The post Being Paul Jones: Reinvention, Longevity and the Call of the Blues appeared first on The Strange Brew .

In the first of a two-part interview, Paul Jones reflects on his formative years, from singing in cathedral choirs and discovering jazz, to forming a skiffle group and falling in love with the blues. Speaking live at The Cat Club, Paul offers sharp and often funny insights into his early career: turning down a young Brian Jones’s offer to front what would become the Rolling Stones, joining Manfred Mann, and helping take the group to the top of the charts with hits like ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’ and ‘Pretty Flamingo.’ But as the music grew increasingly pop-driven, Paul made the bold decision to walk away and pursue a solo path, one that proved even harder to control.

Recorded live at The CAT Club, Pontefract 19 June 2025

themanfreds.com

Podcasts also available: Paul Jones (2022), Mike Vickers, Tom McGuinness, Mike d’Abo,

This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms

If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi

The post Becoming Paul Jones: Early Influences, Manfred Mann and Making It appeared first on The Strange Brew .

As the voice and driving force of The Swinging Blue Jeans, Ray Ennis helped shape the sound of Merseybeat, blending trad jazz and beat music into hits including ‘Hippy Hippy Shake’ and ‘You’re No Good.’ Ray reflects on the Cavern Club days, where The Beatles supported them, the group’s Hamburg education, and the missed chances that might have made them transatlantic giants. Even today, Ray remains wry, clear-eyed, and passionate about music. This is a rare insight into an artist who was at the centre of Britain’s 1960s pop revolution.

The Swinging Blue Jeans – Hippy Hippy Shake! by Peter Checksfield

Ray Ennis podcast tracks

Podcasts also available: Mike McCartney’s Early Liverpool, Mike Pender – The Searchers, Tony Hazzard, Tony Waddington

This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms

If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi

The post Ray Ennis – The Swinging Blue Jeans appeared first on The Strange Brew .