Archives
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Episode 11: Gary Brooker
I went to school with Gary; Westcliff High School for Boys. He was a couple of years senior to me. My favourite school memory was playing the school’s grand piano […]
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Episode 10: Heatwave
In the mid to late 70s the British record label GTO records was most famous for middle-of-the-road music and in particular The Dooleys. At that time, newly released records were […]
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The Brian Clough Interviews
The year is 1978. Nottingham Forest has yet to win the European Cup, but they have won the league and are holders of the League Cup. It’s the time when […]
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Episode 9: ENO and Rik Kenton in Roxy Music “We are going to discover America soon” 1972 Trent Poly
One Friday night in November 1972 a pioneering rock phenomenon came to Nottingham, providing a new exciting and revolutionary sound. The band played at Nottingham Trent Polytechnic [now Trent University]. […]
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Episode 8 SPARKS
SPARKS It’s April 1974 and American brothers, Ron and Russel Mael, better known as Sparks are on tenterhooks over whether their first single, ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both of Us’ would make the all-important British charts. Their record label decided that one final push was necessary and I was asked to interview them. I did, and when they had their chart entry BBC Radio 1 was desperate for an interview with them. It turned out that my recording was the only one in the UK and it was aired on their show, ‘Rockspeak’ on the first Friday in May. They explain the lyrics are about singer Russel is fed up with the tedium of where he is living and magnifying it into a movie situation… or is it? We compare the old American Sparks with the new line-up in Britain and why the split occurred. I challenge them that they may have moved to this country because it would be easier to get noticed. They parry this with how important our cold climate is to productivity. In Los Angeles you would be foolish to be inside making music when the sun is shining outside. Ron shows me his hands and the chilblains that have resulted from living here. I ask about his Charlie Chaplain moustache. ‘Charlie who?’ In the end they admit that Ron has been approached for a new Chaplain film. They were in film fashion shoots and advertising hamburgers. We discuss their US producer the legendary Todd Rundgren and why they split from him and are now with new producer, Muff Winwood.
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Episode 7 : Some Chicken: Jess Chicken hears a lost tape of Nottingham’s first punk group
It’s 1977 and punk is making its mark. The Sex Pistols were prominent, especially after their headline-grabbing f-word TV interview with Bill Grundy that previous December. It was a wonderful […]
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What bands have you missed live? Stories please.
Love hear your stories of whom you have missed and reasons. I missed Hendrix!
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The Nottingham Boat Club memories
John describes the Nottingham Boat Club. Genuinely interested in your memories. Who have you seen there? What made the gig special? Any good stories? Let us preserve the history of […]
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Fragments of Rock Feature on BBC 6music
Very Proud that the legendary Marc Riley has watched the interview with Marc Bolan and gave a lovely summary. We get the mention at 22 mins 30 ish. Have a […]
Interview with Chaz and Dave 1982 – Fragments of Rock
A Pint And A Half Of Vinyl Playlist – Apple Music
A Pint And A Half Of Vinyl – Spotify Playlist