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Episoder

• E228: Maureen O'Grady on Rave + Pet Sounds + Miles Davis audio 26.05.2026 1t 22min

  In this episode we're joined by a legend of '60s pop journalism to discuss her days at Rave magazine and her friendships with the stars of that swinging decade. Maureen O'Grady talks about the lucky break that brought her to Boyfriend magazine and her long friendship with the great Penny Valentine. She recalls her early interviews with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones before we digress into the role the UK played in hailing the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds as a game-changing masterpiece. Plus we ask our guest about Rave and its groundbreaking 1967 issue featuring Jimi Hendrix on its over. The conversation concludes with Maureen's reminiscences of the '70s, a decade in which she worked as a publicist for — among many other artists — Gladys Knight, Glen Campbell and, erm, Gary Glitter. We then celebrate Miles Davis' 100th birthday by listening to clips from the late Richard Cook's 1985 audio interview with that dark magus of avant-garde jazz. Jasper and William talk us out with their thoughts on pieces about the importance (or otherwise) of pop lyrics (2001) and the abuse meted out to female partners — from Yoko Ono to Courtney Love — of male rock stars (2025). Many thanks to special guest Maureen O'Grady. Pieces discussed: The Who did you say?, The Flower Game, The Beach Boys Visit the Animals, The Beach Boys: Complex and Intricate, Brian Wilson Remembers Pet Sounds on the Album's 50th Anniversary, Miles Davis audio, No Language, Just Sound — Looking Well Beyond the Lyric Sheet and Yoko Ono is now getting acclaim, but why do rock stars' female partners get so much abuse?.
• E227: An LGBTQ special with Barry Walters + a Grace Jones audio interview 11.05.2026 1t 14min

  For this episode we're joined all the way from San Francisco by Barry Walters to discuss his new history of LGBTQ music. And in our first recording since the retirement of Mark Pringle, William Pike becomes an official co-host of the RBP podcast... Barry reflects on his upbringing in Rochester, N.Y., his move to New York City, and his early writing for the Village Voice. We then hear about his years as pop critic for the San Francisco Examiner and the inspiration of gay disco icon Sylvester. Along the way our guest touches on some of the other artists he writes about in Mighty Real, including the Village People, k.d. lang and Grace Jones. We hear clips from Richard Cook's 1985 audio interview with the amazing Grace and discuss her unique contribution to LGBTQ culture. After William mentions a recently-added library piece about Ray Davies (1977), prompting a discussion of the Kinks' watershed hit 'Lola', Jasper talks us out with his thoughts on Kylie Minogue (2011) and his deep reverence for Spanish superstar Rosalía (from whose O2 show the previous evening he is still reeling...). Many thanks to special guest Barry Walters. Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969–2000 is published by Viking and available now from all good bookshops. Visit Barry's website at barrywalterswriter.com. Pieces discussed: Grace Jones audio interview (1985), Ray Davies live at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Kylie Minogue: The Albums 2000–2010 and Rosalía: Lux.
• E226: A Liverpool special with Penny Kiley and Paul Du Noyer 13.04.2026 1t 14min

  For this episode we're joined by not one but two very special guests to talk about one of the great music cities. Penny Kiley is the former pop columnist for the Liverpool Echo, contributed regularly to Melody Maker and has just published the superb memoir Atypical Girl. Paul Du Noyer, meanwhile, wrote beautifully for the NME in its glory years and edited both Q and MOJO; he is also the author of 2002's exceptional Liverpool: Wondrous Place. We ask our guests about everything from the Beatles to Frankie Goes to Hollywood via Eric's, the Real Thing and the "crucial three" of Pete Wylie, Julian Cope and Ian McCulloch. We also hear riveting clips from Simon Garfield's 1999 audio interview with (Sir) Paul McCartney. After paying tribute to NME legend Keith Altham, Mark quotes from interviews with Miami soul star Betty Wright (1977) and Southern country-rocker Charlie Daniels (1979). Finally, Jasper rounds things off with his thoughts on Terris – apparently "the best new band in Britain" (2000). Many thanks to special guests Penny Kiley and Paul Du Noyer. You can find Penny's music writing on her Substack at pennykiley.substack.com; Atypical Girl is published by Polygon and available from all good bookshops. Find Paul's writing and details of his books online at pauldunoyer.com. Pieces discussed: Beatles Find Show Biz Isn't All Fun, The Real Thing haven't souled out, Liverpool's Cream: Bag Company, Articles, interviews and reviews from Penny Kiley, The Teardrop Explodes: Teardrops Rising, Eric's: An Undignified Death, Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Royal Court, Liverpool, Paul McCartney audio, Betty Wright, Charlie Daniels' million-dollar miles and Make way for Terris — the best new band in Britain.
• E225: Adele Bertei on New York's No Wave scene 30.03.2026 1t 6min

  In this episode we welcome back the marvellous Adele Bertei — five years after she first guested on our show — to talk about her amazing new book No New York. Beginning with a definition of the postpunk sub-genre "No Wave", the former Contortion recalls her experience of living in Manhattan's perilous East Village in the late '70s and playing organ behind the unhinged James Chance. She also pays tribute to the many fearless women who "shaped the scene", first and foremost the formidable Lydia Lunch. Our guest recalls working as a go-fer for Brian Eno and then being a crucial part of the No New York album the former Roxy Musician oversaw in 1978. We hear not just about Chance's Contortions and Lunch's Teenage Jesus & the Jerks but about Mars, DNA, the Bush Tetras and finally Adele's own funky feminist troupe the Bloods. After collective reflections on No Wave's slow dissolution — and Adele's subsequent '80s adventures with the likes of Thomas Dolby — Barney and Jasper rave about the week's featured artist Robyn and the week's featured audio, in which the late Chip Taylor reminisces about such classic hit songs as 'Wild Thing' and 'Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)'. Finally, Mark quotes appropriately from a 1978 Talking Heads interview and Jasper enjoys a Caroline Sullivan diss of Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP from 2000. Many thanks to special Adele Bertei. No New York: A Memoir of No Wave and the Women Who Shaped the Scene is published by Faber and available now. Pieces discussed: Nobody Waved Goodbye: Bands At Artists Space, Brian Eno's No New York compilation, Sons and Daughters of No New York: DNA, Robyn: Blonde Ambition, Robyn, Röyksopp: "There's This Idea That You're An Oddball, Far Up At The Top Of The World", Robyn: Brixton Academy, London, Chip Taylor audio, The Talking Heads sing more songs about buildings and food⁠, Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP and It's no wonder Dylan didn't take the fight to Beijing — he was never very political.
• E224: Jimmy McDonough on Neil Young + Gary Stewart + Al Green audio 16.03.2026 1t 5min

  For this episode we invite the very entertaining Jimmy McDonough to join us — all the way from Portland, Oregon — and discuss his career as "the king of the crazy biographers". Our guest explains how he moved (back) to New York from Indiana in the '80s and how he got his foot in the door at the Village Voice with a 1988 profile of country singer Gary Stewart, the subject of his new book. We then hear about the long and painful saga of his extraordinary Neil Young biography Shakey (2002) — and his singular approach to the biographical trade. Clips from Amy Linden's 1995 audio interview with Al Green give us the opportunity to ask Jimmy about his 2017 biography of the Reverend Green, after which we finally get to the 40-year gestation of I Am from the Honky Tonks and the story of his obsession with his doomed honky-tonk hero. He explains why the book felt like a mission and why Gary Stewart could and should have been a country superstar. After Mark quotes from featured writer John Morthland's review of the Monterey Pop Festival (with a namecheck for the late Country Joe McDonald) and from a 1975 interview with Tammy Wynette – another of our guest's biographical subjects — Jasper wraps things up with remarks on the Australian Folk Bitch Trio and the man who manages Yungblud (and "eats challenges for breakfast"). Many thanks to special guest Jimmy McDonough. Gary Stewart: I Am from the Honky-Tonks is published by Wolf+Salmon and available for pre-order now. Pieces discussed: Why did Neil Young try to squelch Shakey?, Gary Stewart: Honky-Tonk Puree, Gary Stewart: Out of Hand, John Morthland articles, Monterey International Pop Music Festival, Three Dog Night: Why Do The Underground Put Us Down?, Tammy Wynette, "I Eat Challenges For Breakfast": Yungblud's Manager Tommas Arnby and Folk Bitch Trio. 
• E223: AOR Special with Paul Rees + Boston audio interview 02.03.2026 1t 3min

  For this episode we welcome former Q/Kerrang! editor-in-chief Paul Rees to RBP Towers to discuss his riveting new book Raised on Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine & Payola. An oral history of AOR (or Album-Oriented Rock), Raised on Radio gives us an eagerly-awaited chance to enthuse about an oft-maligned genre we all happen to adore. The conversation takes in most of AOR's major practitioners, from Kansas and Toto to Journey and Survivor, and incorporates clips from John Tobler's 1979 audio interview with Tom Scholz and Brad Delp of Boston. After we've exhausted these guilty-till-proved-innocent pleasures, Mark quotes from newly-added library pieces about Siouxsie & the Banshees (1982) and Chic's Bernard Edwards (1987), then Jasper talks us out with his reflections on archive interviews with George Clinton (1997) and Brutalist composer Daniel Blumberg (2025). Many thanks to special guest Paul Rees. Raised on Radio is published by Constable and available now from all good bookshops. Pieces discussed: More Than a Feeling: The 20 Greatest AOR Tracks of All Time!, American revolution: Aerosmith, Boston, Kansas and co., Hard Pop, Suburban Rock, Hall & Oates: Blue-Eyed Philadelphia Soul, The Buzz On Boz Scaggs, Nirvana: Smells like Success, Boston (1979), Heart, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Bernard Edwards, George Clinton: Funkamental and The Brutalist's score.
• E222: Jeff Walker & Kim Gottlieb on Tom Waits + Gram Parsons 16.02.2026 1t 17min

  For this episode we're joined — all the way from Laurel Canyon — by the husband-and-wife tag team that is Jeff Walker and Kim Gottlieb(-Walker). Married for 53 years, Jeff and Kim have worked in diverse capacities in the music business and talk about their experiences over those five-plus decades. We start with the couple's work together on monthly freesheet Music World, focusing on their 1973 encounters with Tom Waits and Gram Parsons (plus a 15-year-old Cameron Crowe tagging along). After audio clips of both Waits and Parsons, we hear a 1987 clip of Gram's great singing partner Emmylou Harris talking to Adam Sweeting about... Gram Parsons. Interweaving tales of Jeff's life as a publicity director and Kim's career as a photographer, we hear about Island Records, Jamaica and the couple's close relationship with Bob Marley, concluding with Jeff's account of being with Bob after the chief Wailer was shot by gunmen in 1976. After Jasper offers his thoughts on Bad Bunny's ICE-breaking half-time show at the Super Bowl, Kim channels her late '60s protesting self and eloquently summarises her feelings about staying sane in Trump's dystopian America. Finally, Mark quotes from newly-added library interviews with Captain Beefheart (1979) and David Thomas (1985), while Jasper hails Joe Muggs' 2021 piece about Joel Culpepper. Many thanks to special guests Kim Gottlieb-Walker and Jeff Walker. Visit Kim's website at lenswoman.com and read Jeff's writing on Rock's Backpages. Pieces discussed: Tom Waits: Thursday Afternoon, Sober as a Judge, Jackson Browne, Techno-Rock: Six Teutons And What Do You Get — A Programmed Sequencer And The Doppler Effect, Emmylou Harris audio, Captain Beefheart Pulls A Hat Out of His Rabbit, David Thomas: Unscrambling the egg man and Joel Culpepper: Almost Famous.
• E221: Phast Phreddie Patterson on the world's biggest record collection 02.02.2026 1t 2min

  In this episode, we talk to Fred Patterson, aka Phast Phreddie, about his work at the ARChive of Contemporary Music, plus his own magazine Back Door Man and his band Thee Precisions. Beginning with his early musical life teaching classes with Don Waller at UCLA's Experimental College, we hear about how he named Back Door Man after a Howlin Wolf song and wanted to cover "hard core rock n roll". Phreddie remembers how different it was working with R. Meltzer compared to Lester Bangs, who both contributed to the mag. Next, we hear about where Thee Precisions got their name and how they were intended as a garage rhythm 'n' blues combo that might fit into south central L.A.'s rockabilly scene without doing rockabilly.  After telling us about moving across the country to help set up a record shop in Albany, Phreddie then takes us back to the ARChive of Contemporary Music's original mission statement to collect two of every record and explains how they operate. Three clips from a 1977 Mary Wilson audio interview prompt Barney to wonder whether the Supremes are the greatest girl group of all time. To wrap things up, we pay tribute to Sly Dunbar of Sly & Robbie before Mark and Jasper talk us out with highlights from pieces including interviews with Isaac Hayes and De La Soul.   Many thanks to special guest Phast Phreddie Patterson. Find out more about the ARC at arcmusic.org. Pieces discussed: Articles, interviews and reviews from Phast Phreddie Patterson, The L.A. Rock Explosion, Gun Club: You Can't Go Home Again, Phast Phreddie Finds His Calling, Building the ARC, Not Fade Away: The ARChive of Contemporary Music, Collecting Gone Mad: The ARChive of Contemporary Music, Mary Wilson audio, Sly & Robbie: The Reggae Heartbeat – Freedom Into Form, Sly and Robbie: Laying Reggae's Bottom Line, Alan Price, Cat Stevens, Isaac Hayes, Ronnie & Clyde and De La Soul.
• E220: Bob Stanley on Saint Etienne + Connie Francis + Bob Weir R.I.P. 19.01.2026 1t 8min

  Content warning: This episode contains discussion of rape (40:37–42:20). In this episode we ask Bob Stanley about his career as a writer and member of the beloved Saint Etienne, whose swansong year this is. We start with Caff, the '80s fanzine which set out the eclectic pop aesthetic that underpinned Saint Etienne, proceeding from there to Bob's memories of life on Melody Maker in the late '80s and early '90s. A clip of our guest's erstwhile MM colleague Simon Reynolds talking about Saint Etienne in 2021 is the cue for a general discussion of the trio's evolution over the last 35 years – and for an explanation of their (very amicable) decision to call it a day after a tour this September. Revisiting the epic "story of pop" that was Bob's 2013 tome Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! leads to clips from Hank Bordowitz's 1997 audio interview with the late Connie Francis, the Jersey girl who in the late '50s and early '60s was arguably the biggest female pop artist in America. After Mark pays a lifelong Deadhead's tribute to the late Bob Weir, he quotes from newly-added library pieces about the Nice (1967), Tom Wolfe (1969) and Paul McCartney (1979). Finally, Jasper sees us out with his thoughts on interviews with Ini Kamoze (1995) and D'Angelo (1998). Many thanks to special guest Bob Stanley. Visit his website at bobstanley.co.uk and find Yeah Yeah Yeah in all good bookshops. Pieces discussed: Saint Etienne, St. Etienne: Holier Than Thou, Saint Etienne: Cats Eyes and Legless, Bill Haley, Bob Stanley: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! – The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyoncé, Connie Francis was a trailblazing pop star haunted by tragedy, Connie Francis audio, The World According to Cliff, Alone again gratefully: Bob Weir proves he's more than Dead, The Nice, Tom Wolfe, Paul McCartney, Ini Kamoze, Voodoo Chile: D'Angelo and Yungblud.
• E219: Thurston Moore on free jazz + Sonic Youth + Derek Bailey 02.01.2026 1t 26min

  For this episode we're joined by Sonic Youth legend Thurston Moore to discuss his new book Now Jazz Now: 100 Essential Free Jazz and Improvisation Recordings, 1960-80. We start by recapping on the story our guest told in his acclaimed 2023 memoir Sonic Life. In the course of the conversation about his early musical life in Florida and Connecticut we hear a clip from Steve Roeser's 1994 audio interview with him. Discussion of early influences such as the Stooges takes us back to Thurston's stint in the late J.D. King's New York band the Coachmen – and then on to Sonic Youth itself. Our guest's friendship with neo-gonzoid scribe Byron Coley – a brilliant guest on our podcast last summer – takes us up to the present and the publication of Now Jazz Now. A general conversation on the subjects of "free jazz" and "improv" ensues, taking in clips from Thurston's pal David Toop's 1995 audio interview with the late Derek Bailey. After Mark has quoted from newly-added library pieces about Bill Evans (1972) and OMD (1984), Jasper talks us out with his thoughts on James Brown's 1994 loaded encounter with the Beastie Boys. Many thanks to special guest Thurston Moore. Now Jazz Now is published by Ecstatic Peace Library and available from ecstaticpeace.net/now-jazz-now. Pieces discussed: Sonic Youth, Sonic Youth And the Blast First Axis, Derek Bailey audio, Cecil Taylor: Ladies and gentlemen, please adjust your re-entry goggles, David Toop: Gorilla Noises & Mains Hum, Bill Evans: Living Time With Evans, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark: OMD and The Beastie Boys: Still Ill.
• E218: James Brown on Sounds + NME + Loaded + the KLF 15.12.2025 1t 38min

  For this episode we're joined in our Hammersmith HQ by James ("The Hardest Working Man In Show Business") Brown. The former NME star and founder of "lads' mag" progenitor loaded takes us back to his Yorkshire boyhood in Headingley. He recalls his parents' record collection, the first gigs he attended as the class "smart-arse" at Lawnswood School... and his acclaimed '80s fanzine Attack On Bzag! Our guest's account of how he came to contribute to Sounds leads to clips from the late Andy Gill's 1991 audio interview with the KLF, the maverick duo of Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty whom James championed in the paper's pages in 1987. After waxing nostalgic about his days at the NME, James gives us the origin story of the hugely successful loaded ("for men who should know better") and talks us through the publishing phenomenon it triggered. A discussion follows of '90s sexism and its connection to the misogyny of today's "Manosphere". Many thanks to special guest James Brown. Animal House: Music, Magazines, Mayhem is published by Quercus and available now from all good bookshops. Zine Age Kicks is available through James' Instagram, @jamesjamesbrown. Pieces discussed: The Beastie Boys: Keep Taking The Tabloids, Mark E Smith, Nick Cave & Shane MacGowan: The Three Horsemen Of The Apocalypse, The KLF audio⁠ and The decline of lads' mags: Unloaded, and now the party is over.
• E217: Susan Compo & Derek Ridgers on punks, goths and new romantics 02.12.2025 1t 19min

  In this episode we welcome not one but two wonderful guests to RBP Towers. Susan Compo and Derek Ridgers have been trans-Atlantic pals for decades and first met on a FourFourTwo assignment to interview and photograph the L.A.-expats "soccer" team Hollywood United. Starting with Susan's punk years in Southern California, we hear about her memories of seeing the Sex Pistols live in Dallas and Tulsa in January 1978. She also talks about her trip to London the year before, prompting Derek's recall of the punk scene he began photographing at clubs such as Vortex and the Roxy. Derek then rewinds his story to his late '60s days at Ealing School of Art when fellow student Freddie Mercury nicked his girlfriend in a local pub. The conversation oscillates between Susan's reflections on her career move – from music journalism to short stories about star-crossed Goths – and Derek's memories of the New Romantic "movement" he documented so brilliantly in early '80s London. In between clips from John Tobler's 1984 audio interview with Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley, Derek talks about his approach to his chosen medium. After touching on Derek's years at Loaded magazine and Susan's terrific books about Warren Oates and David Bowie, we discuss our shared passion for football/"soccer" before paying tribute to Derek's former NME colleague Jack Barron. Jasper then talks us out with quotes from newly-added library pieces about Grandmaster Flash (2000) and Boy George (2024). Many thanks to special guests Susan Compo and Derek Ridgers. Susan's books, include Malingering and David Bowie and The Man Who Fell To Earth are available from all good bookshops. You can visit Derek's website at derekridgers.com and his latest book, Hello, I Love You, is published by IDEA.  Pieces discussed: The Sex Pistols Shoot To The Top, The Cure: Happily Ever After, White Noise/White Sands: The Bowie Who Fell to Earth, Gary Kemp on the RBP podcast, New Romantics, Electro-Disco: Night Moves, Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley audio, Jack Barron, Nick Cave: The Needle And The Damage Done, The Stone Roses: Bliss This House, Gregory Isaacs: Gregorian Rants, Gong: The Gong Remains The Same, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash in the Game of Life⁠ and ⁠Boy George⁠.
• E216: Pete Paphides on ABBA + Stevie Wonder + Broken Greek 17.11.2025 1t 31min

  In this episode we're joined by Pete Paphides, former rock critic for the London Times and author of 2020's acclaimed memoir Broken Greek. We start with our guest's unique "'Starman' moment" – seeing the Brotherhood of Man lip-sync to the ghastly 'Save Your Kisses for Me' on Top of the Pops in 1976 – and then plunge straight into a celebration of his favourite pop group ABBA. We hear about his love of the Swedes' countless classic songs; his interviews with Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson; and how the quartet was indirectly responsible for his marriage to fellow scribe Caitlin Moran. Pete talks us through his journalistic odyssey from ill-fated pubescent fanzine Pop Scene via the longer-lasting Perturbed to Jim Arundel's mentoring of him at Melody Maker. Talk of his tenures at Time Out and The Times leads to his memory of "falling back in love with music" after years of being glutted with free records. The 60th anniversary of the release of 'Uptight' takes us into clips from Amy Linden's 1995 audio interview with the musical colossus that is Stevie Wonder – and a broad discussion of the Motown legend's creative evolution from 'Uptight' to Songs in the Key of Life. After Mark quotes from a 1963 review of the Beatles' first album Please Please Me, Jasper talks us out with his thoughts on Jaan Uhelszki's 2015 interview with the extraordinary Joanna Newsom.
• E215: Simon Price on Melody Maker + Manics + Radiohead audio 03.11.2025 1t 31min

  For this episode — the first to feature RBP's editorial co-ordinator William Pike — we're joined by Melody Maker legend Simon Price for a discussion of his career, his championing of Manic Street Preachers, and Radiohead's first tour since 2018. Beginning in the South Wales town of Barry, we hear about Simon's boyhood, his formative pop passions and the first of his distinctive sartorial metamorphoses. He recalls his late '80s move to London and the years at Melody Maker that took in his first interviews with fellow Welshmen the Manics and his integral involvement in the Neo-glam sub-genre known as Romo. Our guest's review of the first Radiohead album provides the cue for clips from Amy Linden's 1997 audio interview with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. We hear Thom talking about the just-released OK Computer and about his beef with Melody Maker itself: this prompts a general discussion of the band's standing as they prepare for the first date of their European tour. After reflecting on the 13 years he spent reviewing gigs for the Independent on Sunday, Simon discusses the gestation of 2021's Curepedia, the "Cure A-Z" he assembled for White Rabbit books. We conclude the episode with tributes to jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette and keyboardist David Ball, phlegmatic foil to Soft Cell frontman Marc Almond. Many thanks to special guest Simon Price. Curepedia: An A–Z of the Cure is published by White Rabbit and available from all good bookshops. Pieces discussed: Articles, interviews and reviews from Simon Price, Manic Street Preachers: Drags to Riches, Radiohead: Pablo Honey, Radiohead audio (1997), Jack DeJohnette: More Than One Way, Soft Cell: Cell Division and The Tainted Life of Soft Cell
• E214: Lisa Verrico on Vox + Oasis + Billie Eilish + My Bloody Valentine 20.10.2025 1t 19min

  In this episode we invite the highly entertaining Lisa Verrico to join us from her native Glasgow and talk us through her career from IPC's Vox magazine to The Times. Commencing with her memory of first hearing Prince's 'Little Red Corvette' as a kid on holiday in Spain, our guest recalls her days of raving (and working in radio) before describing how she got her foot in the door at Vox. Hair-raising Mancunian encounters with Happy Mondays and Mark E. Smith serve as preludes to Lisa's hilarious 1994 interview with Oasis. We hear her "bootleg recording" of the Gallagher brothers' competing impersonations of Mick Jagger on the band's impromptu rendition of 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'. A broad discussion of what the '90s meant for pop culture takes in Lisa's memories of Oasis hanger-on Evan Dando and of the altogether different My Bloody Valentine. Clips from a 1989 audio interview with the latter's Kevin Shields and bandmates prompt reflections on MBV's extraordinary sound and their somewhat dysfunctional relationship with Creation's Alan McGee. We return to Lisa's own story by asking her what happened after Vox folded in 1998 — and how she wound up  reviewing (and interviewing) for The Times for 25 years. We also discuss how much the live music experience has changed in that time. Finally, we hear about our guest's 2019 trip to L.A. to interview 17-year-old superstar-in-the-making Billie Eilish. After paying heartfelt tribute to cult neo-soul star D'Angelo — note that news of the death of former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley only reached us after this episode was recorded — Mark quotes from a 1984 interview with jazz giant Wynton Marsalis and Jasper takes us out with his thoughts on Joe Muggs' 2011 interview with the great James Blake. Many thanks to special guest Lisa Verrico. You can find her writing in The Times.  Pieces discussed: Oasis: Shake'n'vac, Evan Dando: Baby I'm Bored, Evan Dando: "I get the feeling I'm being bullshitted", Evan Dando: The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get, Evan Dando: Different Drum, My Bloody Valentine audio, Billie Eilish, D'Angelo: Soul Asylum, On D'Angelo and the Birth of Neo-Soul, D'Angelo: Black Messiah, Wynton Marsalis: The Hottest Lips in America and James Blake: Point Blake.
• E213: Michael A. Gonzales on TLC + The Source + DJ Kool Herc 06.10.2025 1t 15min

  In this episode, the great R&B/hip hop writer Michael A. Gonzales joins us online from Baltimore to look back on his long career. We start with our guest's formative musical memories, from hearing Isaac Hayes' 'Theme from Shaft' and meeting Little Anthony & the Imperials to seeing the Jackson Five live at Radio City Music Hall in February 1975. His earliest inklings of New York's rap scene take us back to his 2008 piece about the trailblazing DJ Kool Herc playing block parties in the Bronx of the early '70s. We hear about Michael's first pieces for The Source, arguably the most important hip hop magazine of the late '80s and '90s, and about his collaboration with Havelock Nelson on the 1991 book Bring the Noise. We also discuss a Barry White interview he did for Danyel Smith at Vibe and learn about his friendships with fellow writers from Barry Michael Cooper to Amy Linden. The latter's audio interview with TLC ties in with Michael's own writing on the hugely successful Atlanta trio, and we listen to clips of Chilli, T-Boz and Left Eye talking to Amy in late 1998 about their upcoming third album FanMail. After Mark quotes from pieces about the Velvet Underground (1967) and Earth, Wind & Fire (1974), Jasper talks us out with his thoughts on reviews of Radiohead's Kid A (2000) and – by RBP's William Pike – the Bug Club live in London last month. Many thanks to special guest Michael A. Gonzales. Find him on Substack at substack.com/@michaelagonzales1 and on Instagram @bigmikeg151. Pieces discussed: Michael A. Gonzales, D.J. Kool Herc: The Holy House of Hip-hop, Barry White: Blackberry Jam, TLC Marks 20 Years of CrazySexyCool, TLC (1998), The Velvet Underground and Nico (Verve), Earth, Wind and Fire: The Sound of the Streets, Orrin Keepnews' Milestones, Radiohead: Kid A and The Bug Club at the MOTH Club.
• E212: Greil Marcus on Mystery Train + Sex Pistols + Jamie Reid 22.09.2025 1t 9min

  In this episode, we ask one of the greatest music writers of the rock and roll era to talk about Mystery Train as he celebrates its 50th anniversary with a brand-new edition of his classic book. Talking to us from Oakland, 6,000 miles away in his native Northern California, Greil Marcus looks back on the pivotal moments that led to his starting work on Mystery Train in the fall of 1972: his experiences as a student at Berkeley, his discovery of film critic Pauline Kael and his early writing for Rolling Stone. From there we focus on the book's extraordinary chapters about Sly Stone and Elvis Presley before relating its overarching theme – America as an "invented nation" – to the Trump administration's assault on the diversity that produced so much great art from Walt Whitman and Herman Melville to Robert Johnson and Randy Newman. A somewhat abrupt switch takes us over to our side of the pond and our guest's second book: the vast "secret history of the 20th Century" that was 1989's Lipstick Traces, along with the 1993 collection of his punk writings entitled In the Fascist Bathroom. Clips from Paul Moody's 2018 audio interview with Jamie Reid – the subversive graphic designer who became Malcolm McLaren's principal partner in iconographic crime – prompt Greil's reflections on what made (the) Sex Pistols such a vital sea-change in the subculture of rock and roll.  Many thanks to special guest Greil Marcus. The 50th anniversary edition of Mystery Train is published by Faber and available now. Pieces discussed: Greil Marcus⁠, ⁠Greil Marcus: A Life In Writing⁠, ⁠The Band: We Can Talk About It Now⁠, ⁠Jamie Reid audio⁠, The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Parlophone)⁠, Ray Davies: A Study In Frustration, The Pet Shop Boys: Hip, Clever and Pop and The Black Keys Acknowledge Their Muses on Delta Kream.
• This Episode Goes 2 11: A Spinal Tap special with Alexis Petridis 12.09.2025 33min

  For this special "bonus" episode of the Rock's Backpages podcast — fittingly number 211 (geddit?) — we're joined once again by The Guardian's Alexis Petridis for a discussion of timeless rock mockumentary This is Spinal Tap and its breathlessly-awaited sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues... With reference to A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever, the newly-published "story of Spinal Tap" told by Rob "Marty DiBergi" Reiner — with help from our good friend David Kamp (an excellent podcast guest back in 2021) – we reflect on what made the original 1984 film so special and what challenges its 2025 sequel faced. Along the way we celebrate the satirical genius of Michael "David St. Hubbins" McKean, Harry "Derek Smalls" Shearer and Christopher "Nigel Tufnel" Guest (as well as the latter's subsequent masterpieces from Waiting for Guffman to A Mighty Wind) and ponder the wisdom or otherwise of including cameos by Sirs Elton John and Paul McCartney in the new film. Meanwhile our highly-respected guest — who of course ghosted Sir Elton's autobiography Me — recalls his own close encounter with Tap in 2009. This end does not continue. Pieces discussed: Spinal Tap's Metal Memories, Spinal Tap: It's an Ill Wind..., Spinal Tap: Wembley Arena, London and Spinal Tap: Still smelling the glove.
• E210: Alexis Petridis on Acid House + The Guardian + CMAT + KISS 08.09.2025 1t 13min

  For this episode we're joined by the immensely respected Alexis Petridis, The Guardian's principal pop critic since September 2001. Our guest tells us about his childhood in Yorkshire, his teenage years in Buckinghamshire and his initiation into the Acid House scene while at Cambridge University. Work experience at MixMag in the mid-'90s led to his becoming that dance/clubbing monthly's Features Editor – and then to a slightly less felicitous eight months as editor of Select. A short digression on "Britpop nostalgia" leads us to discussion of the changing role of music journalism and to our guest's near-quarter-century tenure at "the Graun". Jasper quizzes him about his encounters with Daft Punk and we bring matters up to date by discussing the fabulous Irish singer CMAT, whom Alexis interviewed this summer. The episode concludes after Mark introduces clips from Mat Snow's 1992 audio interview with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, 50 years after the double album Alive! made them a '70s rock phenomenon. Many thanks to special guest Alexis Petridis. Find his writing in the pages of the Guardian. Alexis Petridis: 'I used to dream about owning every record in the world', How Music Criticism Lost Its Edge, Britpop nostalgia, Suede: Roll Over, Jimmy Dean, Why Daft Punk's New Album Has Given New Life To The Music Business, A Celebration of Prince, CMAT interview and KISS audio.
• E209: David Nathan on Dionne Warwick + the Bee Gees + Michael Lydon R.I.P. 26.08.2025 1t 19min

  In this episode we invite David Nathan to look back on his illustrious 60 years as "the British Ambassador of Soul". Our guest commences by recalling his gateway into Black American music: the covers of Shirelles and Miracles classics included on the first two Beatles albums. He furthermore describes the thrill of seeing Motown star Mary Wells supporting the Fab Four at Kilburn's State Cinema in October 1964, followed by his founding of the Nina Simone Appreciation Society. We hear about the Soul City record store David ran with the legendary Dave Godin – and about John Abbey's trailblazing Blues & Soul magazine, for which our guest began writing in 1968. Barney quotes from David's 1968 B&S profile of Aretha Franklin, with whom he later enjoyed a long friendship. The release of Make It Easy on Yourself – a box set David compiled of Dionne Warwick's immortal Scepter recordings – is the cue for us to hear clips from his 2012 audio interview with the Bacharach & David muse... and to learn about another "soulful diva" who became his close friend. We bring our guest's story more up-to-date with his reflections on yet another diva/pal, the one and only Chaka Khan. Mention of the former Rufus frontwoman's favourite producer, Arif Mardin, leads to discussion of Main Course, the Mardin-helmed album on which the Bee Gees "went disco" 50 long summers ago. David then reminisces about his own disco dalliances in '70s New York and his mid-'80s coastal switch to L.A.  We wrap up by paying tribute to another key white writer on Black R&B and soul: the late Michael Lydon, whose voice can be heard in this episode introducing his fabulous 1977 audio interview with the wicked Wilson Pickett. Mark and Jasper talk us out with their thoughts on (and quotes from) pieces recently added to the RBP library, including Jim Farber's 1978 interview with Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White and Ian Winwood's 2001 trashing of Creed live in Louisville. Many thanks to special guest David Nathan. Visit his website at davidnathan.com. Dionne Warwick: Make It Easy On Yourself – The Scepter Recordings 1962-1971 is out now on SoulMusic Records. Pieces discussed: Aretha Franklin: Aretha's Artistry, Dionne Warwick (2012), Chaka Khan: Back...From Back In The Day, Back on course with the Bee Gees, How the Bee Gees got into Disco: An Oral History of Main Course, Arif Mardin: Producer, Wilson Pickett (1977), Return of the Wicked Pickett, Top Tunes: The Beach Boys, Bobby Womack: Bobby's got Understanding, Earth Wind & Fire: Extraterrestrial R&B, Creed live and From Kingston with love.