As time goes by, rumours and stories about musicians and performers often become distorted to fit the more outrageous, dramatic, or desperate side of things. This is often the case for Syd Barrett, one of the founding members of 'The Pink Floyd' as they were termed in the mid-sixties. Barrett is often depicted as a musical genius who became troubled - a lost figure who spent years wandering in the wilderness after parting from the band at an early stage. Ian Priston revisits Syd's story through a Fingal's Cave podcast (for all dedicated Pink Floyd fans) and takes the time to chat and listen to the real story without all the rock 'n' roll baggage. Thankfully, some of the darker rumours are dispelled thanks to an open and honest interview with Rosemary Breen, Syd's sister. At last, maybe the real Syd (Roger Barrett the artist) is revealed by someone with sensitivity and the authority to tell things as they really were post-Floyd, away from all the journalistic hype.

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Produced and Shared by : Fingal's Cave Podcast

Justin Hawkins talks about the music industry, or 'the music trade', as he more accurately puts it (as from a musician's perspective), and the issues surrounding the fascinating and sometimes challenging lifestyle of a musician in candid podcasts that are both entertaining and well put together - a reflection of the ethos surrounding The Darkness and his other musical projects. Hawkins enjoys a good chat and opens up his honest views on a variety of musical and personal subjects while wearing an array of sensible outfits.

A word or two from Justin himself...

Shared by Justin Hawkins Rides Again : The Darkness

Rick Beato (pronounced be-ah-toh) has a wealth of musical knowledge and a lifetime of stories covering some of the most important and formative decades of musical development ever. Beato has been involved in playing and production to a high level for most of his working life, but surprisingly, he has stepped back from production to take the time to document how things were and how things are likely to be in the future as a kind of unique musical witness statement, which he delivers from his equipment-packed studio (Black Dog Sound Studios) in Georgia. The result is a fascinating array of views, analysis, top-notch interviews, and even rants - all backed with real passion and technical knowledge, both musically and in terms of modern-day copyright issues. Along with the stories, Beato is also an educator and offers guitar tuition courses and presentations for those about to navigate such a complex industry.

A word or two from Rick himself...

Shared by Rick Beato

Were your ears glued to the radio for The Friday Rock Show (Tommy Vance) or The Saturday Rockshow (Alan Freeman) during the 80s and 90s? Now you can revisit or discover the voices and times of these two great rock vendors along with their iconic jingles, and the artists of the time through selected shows shared by David Garnett on MixCloud - both shows were produced by Tony Wilson for BBC Radio 1.

The Rock Shows - Revisited

You can also listen to the latest incarnation of the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show presented by Daniel P Carter

Shared by David Garnett Playlist: Radio Bits : Steveo99

Since the late seventies, Mark Ellen and David Hepworth have contributed to the music industry as authors and presenters through some of the biggest journalistic outlets of the time. This included the print publications Record Mirror, NME, Time Out, and The Word magazine. They have also presented early radio shows and the music TV show The Old Grey Whistle Test (1982). They continue to document and catch up with news, views, and musical legends with new online podcasts and music events under the title Word In Your Ear.

Jet Records was a recording label and management company that was established in 1974. This playlist explores the myths and legends surrounding Jet, and takes a deeper look at some of the associated artists that contributed to the label's success. The playlist features Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, and includes one of the best ever Ozzy Osbourne interviews with music broadcaster, Billy Pinnell.

Shared by: tedblight : UKRockHistory : manintheclinic : Chris Stewart

A second playlist features some of the artists that were associated with Jet...

Playlist - Artists

A vast and comprehensive collection of podcasts, interviews, and features about music and the music business from the mid-sixties onwards. Includes a podcast featuring a book about the Marquee Club in London from Robert Sellers and Nick Pendleton, son of founder Harold Pendleton (Marquee : The Story of the World's Greatest Music Venue published by Paradise Road).

External Links

Death Metal is often seen as the extreme end of the metal genre in terms of the raw energy and attitude that's put into the often violent subject matter. Many don't get it or just loath it. Others love it, but why?
Academic and author William Forde Thompson takes a look at the psychology behind the more extreme and emotional ends of the music spectrum.

Article authors: William Forde Thompson and Kirk N. Olsen. Shared by theconversation.com

The official video followed by a documentary from BBC Three featuring a focus on the track Common People from PULP (1995). How it came about, and a reflection of the music scene and the band at the time.

Shared by PULP : Victor Hugo Silva

King of that Hammond sound, Brian Auger talks about early meetings with Jimi Hendrix, how the musicians used to network, and how the music industry developed.

Shared by Beat-Club : StaggStreetVideos : Jazz on MV : Care Visions Healthy Ageing : WDR Rockpalast

John Robb originated, and writes for, the music culture website Louder Than War which emanates from a punk perspective, and broadens out to include various genres of music, along with news, film and book reviews, and some amazing interviews from a variety of journalists and contributors. Robb is a journalist and author, and musically active with the bands Goldblade and The Membranes. He is also a curator of the literary and music focussed festival Louder Than Words

This is a fascinating story from the winner of 600 electronic music records, won in a competition run by DJ John Peel back in 1998 (a prize from his own collection). Luckily, the prize went to someone who understood the significance, and the genre. The result is a shared back-story and samples of the records presented as a two hour production on Mixcloud.

Shared by peel600 (External Link)

A tribute to Charlie Watts (1941-2021). Interviews and clips about his playing and musical interests.

Shared by TubeworksVideo : The Rolling Stones : Deltics IORR : Rolling Stones Data : NME : Music Reserves

A tribute to professional drummer Viola Smith (1912-2020), with additional live footage including Frances Carroll and The Coquettes. This interview is from Tom Tom Magazine - a publication featuring female percussionists and drummers from all over the world.

Shared by Tom Tom Magazine (see playlist for additional videos)

Louder is an extensive resource for music related news, articles, and information. Incorporates the magazine publications Classic Rock Magazine, Metal Hammer, and Prog Magazine, and also covers indie, blues, and punk. This playlist is a selection from the Must See and Breaking Bands YouTube Channel playlists for Classic Rock Magazine and Metal Hammer. A metal focussed Metal Hammer Spotify playlist is linked below.

Future Publishing Limited  Playlist videos shared by Louder

Tony Stratton-Smith, or 'Strat', was a lover of sport and a true entrepreneur in the world of music and entertainment. His relaxed persona and sense of fun was deceptive in that he was successful in managing some well-known artists. He eventually founded and managed Charisma Records with help from his PA, Gail Colson, from 1969 to 1983 (subsequently under Virgin Records until 1986). He tended to sign new artists and music that was not so mainstream, and was a regular around the Marquee Club, and the pubs in the Soho area of London. Stratton-Smith was also involved in the release of British movies Monty Python and Holy Grail (1975), and Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (1980). He died in 1987 aged 53. Some of the artists he spotted and supported feature in this playlist.

Shared by (see playlist)

Update:
Strat!: The Charismatic Life & Times of Tony Stratton Smith Book now released - published by Wymer Publishing

This playlist features tracks that are associated with producer and label owner Peter Eden. Drummer turned record executive and manager, and later, children's TV writer and record store owner, Eden was involved in some of the more creative musical development of progressive jazz during the late sixties and early seventies. An atmosphere of a particular musical climate pervades as things progress through folk to British Jazz, with recordings released on Dawn, Pye, and Decca's Deram label (1966 - 1979) and later, Eden's own Turtle Records label. A true music fan and songwriter, Eden encouraged, supported, and produced a diverse roster of musicians including the likes of Donovan, The Crocheted Doughnut Ring, and jazz saxophonist, John Surman.

Shared by : see playlist

A YouTube playlist from the writer and broadcaster Andy Kershaw. A diverse mix mostly covering the sixties to the eighties. Kershaw is one of a few DJs with true worldwide musical knowledge, and he connects listeners with musicians and rich musical cultures that are rarely given exposure.

YouTube Playlist shared and curated by Brian McGeeney

Chris Charlesworth is an author and journalist who was on the ground during the seventies, and around the top names in the music business at the time. Charlesworth worked for the weekly publication Melody Maker as music journalist and news editor. He was also involved with music management and production companies later on. He currently runs a blog called Just Backdated, which is a fascinating insight and archive of the stories and artists from past decades. If you really want to know, ask someone who was there.

Chris Charlesworth appears in a documentary specifically about the Melody Maker entitled Melody Makers from film maker Leslie-Ann Coles (released 2019).

External Links

A collection of interviews featuring members of the British punk band The Damned. It's been forty-five years since the release of the single New Rose, and to celebrate, Dave Vanian, Rat Scabies, Captain Sensible, and Brian James will play venues in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, and London late 2022.

Shared by Wah Wah Wah : UnionSquareMusic : Highlight Media : The Damned : Scooped Mids

DJ John Peel and Tony Wilson (TV Presenter and owner of Factory Records) both championed one of the most transient and unique bands that were around from the 70s to 2000s - or 'the worst band I've ever seen' according to an early implied accolade from radio producer John Walters after seeing them for the first time. The Manchester based band The Fall were acerbic and chaotic, fronted by vocalist Mark E Smith and his crazed American preachers' schwa. Repetition, quirky intonation, tapes, and spoken word gave a lyrical style that set the sound to a large extent, backed with a flow of input from various musicians as they came and went. There were regular releases on various labels, finally ending with Cherry Red Records after the death of Smith in early 2018. The Wonderful and Frightening World Of... is the title of The Fall's seventh album (1984), and a TV Movie documentary directed by Dione Newton (2005) also uses this reference for a full length documentary, but most of all, the title accurately describes The Fall as they were.

Shared by Ed Blaney : Noisey : Gav McCaughey : Darren Wilshaw

A documentary film about Robert Lloyd and his long musical history with The Prefects and The Nightingales. Stewart Lee is the writer and conduit for this real and unique story of life in music, with all the humour and strife that goes with it. Directed by Michael Cumming and produced by James Nicholls, this film demonstrates the art of film making for love rather than money. The result is a great and well presented story with a very British angle. Nicholas Munro's mighty King Kong may have failed to conquer Birmingham in the seventies, but The Nightingales are still going. This playlist covers the back-story.

See the official website for details of where to watch the full film.

Shared by King Rocker : Indie City : The Nightingales : Merlin7huna : firerecordings : GingerBeardMark

Legends : A playlist from BBC Music showcasing some of the memorable performances at the Glastonbury Festival from 1994 onwards.

Shared by BBC Music (see playlist)

A tribute to Don Everly (1937-2021) and his brother Phil (1939-2014). The Everly Brothers wrote a string of hits during the 1950s that featured the close harmonies and R&B / rock n' roll classics they were famous for. They later moved on to Nashville country, country rock, and rockabilly. Eventually they went on to pursue solo careers from the early seventies, and reunited as The Everly Brothers in the early eighties.

Shared by Everly Brothers International

A specialist UK based radio station from writer and musician Andy Phillips. Care and dedication is applied to a comprehensive presentation of progressive rock, a genre associated with themes that are given the time and the space to progress through full and complete musical ideas. King Crimson, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Pink Floyd are early examples. The station runs on Mixcloud and features discussions, best of shows, and new music. The YouTube channel offers more under the name ProgAxia.

Shared by Andy Phillips

Peter Jenner is a British manager and producer who was involved with the management and development of acts such as Pink Floyd (during the Syd Barrett era), T.Rex, Ian Dury, The Clash, Billy Bragg, and many others under Blackhill Enterprises with Sumi Nishihata (his wife) and Andrew King, and later, Sincere Management (without King). Jenner uses his knowledge of economics and extensive management and industry experience as a platform to publicize the issues surrounding copyright, publishing, and royalties within the music business. Distribution, exposure, and income are even more vital in the digital age, and this playlist focuses on introducing the man, and his views on the music business as it stands today.

Shared by CnBConvention : UKRockHistory : Fast Moving Targets : Tom Weber Films : Innovation In Music

The music of Detroit and Chicago meets Northern England during the sixties and seventies. A documentary about the dance and social phenomenon known as Northern Soul. Includes memories of the primary clubs running all-night dance events playing soul and Motown music, along with occasional live guest appearances in venues including The Twisted Wheel in Manchester, The Torch in Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool Mecca, and The Casino in Wigan.

Also looks at the obsessive record collecting, rare releases, and the DJs around at the time, along with the baggy trousers, long skirts, and the event patches collected by club members.

Written by Alan Byron and directed by Alan Byron and Wayne Allen (2012) Shared by northernsoulsongs aand Flick Vault

The history of dubstep from a UK perspective, related as a personal journey of discovery from Timbah.On.Toast. The UK dubstep community and attitudes of past and present times are opened-up against a backdrop that is atmospheric and inspiring, yet desolate and familiar in ways that can only occur in UK culture. This isn't researched journalism. This is from someone who has lived the lifestyle. Highly watchable and informative even if this is not your genre.

Written, produced, and shared by Timbah.On.Toast

This short documentary features the history of the music scene in London during the eighties, and The Marquee Club in particular.

Written, produced, and shared by Jo Obrien