Chart Music Podcast

[shiftwork2]

Great Big Owl, not sure if that's part of what you quoted.  On first listen there's zero change to content, tone or anything else.

[easytarget]

That's a shame, it'd be much nicer if they all talked with RP accents.


(Actually, if they really did do that for the first 10-15 minutes of this podcast while insisting that nothing had changed it would be mint and skill).

[Satchmo Distel]

Great Big Owl, not sure if that's part of what you quoted.  On first listen there's zero change to content, tone or anything else.

Al has repeatedly said they wouldn't change a thing.

[Satchmo Distel]

Listening to the chart rundown, two solo Beatles are in the Top 20 with new material, maybe for the last time ever.

[Neomod]

Oops, I actually meant pushed as in promoted.

[easytarget]

Chart Music fans may enjoy a new podcast, The Giddy Carousel of Pop, which reviews issues of Smash Hits.

Thanks for that!
This is enjoyable, obviously and massively influenced by CM - but there's plenty of room for more of that in the world.
It's "nice" compared to the much more critical tone of Chart Music, odd considering Smash Hits itself is more snarky than TOTP.

[Dusty Substance]

David Stubbs is to Chart Music as Mike The Cool Person was to The Young Ones.

[phantom_power]

I like Stubbs but I wish he would stop saying "etc etc" and "or whatever" every other sentence

[Johnboy]

Great snapshot of Melody Maker c86/87 from Stubbsy in this one.

Someone could make a great documentary out of all their recollections of their time at MM

[justin_bennett]

Just finished this episode and enjoyed the undercurrent of Sarah Bee getting progressively more annoyed with Stubbs' patter with each track.  A good pairing for this shitty episode though.

But - the whole WeTransfer thing is a pain in the arse, having to use iTunes rather than the Podcast app is shit.  First world problems and all that. Tried the first episode with the ads and fucked that off.  Could they not use the Bonus Feed on the podcast app for the Patreon gang?  Worked fine before...

[DrGreggles]

Could they not use the Bonus Feed on the podcast app for the Patreon gang?  Worked fine before...

Apparently there's a file size limit on Patreon and the full episode is too big.

[gmoney]

Though I might fall asleep during the Fairy Tale of New York chat. Fun stuff as usual otherwise, though.

[Satchmo Distel]

Sarah does a lot of research for this, which puts most of the men to shame by comparison. Stubbs tends to wing it and over-generalize.

I was rather perturbed that Stubbs found heroin addiction funny and even went back to it after Sarah had voiced her disapproval.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Just finished this episode and enjoyed the undercurrent of Sarah Bee getting progressively more annoyed with Stubbs' patter with each track.

It's always great whenever she expresses her entirely justified annoyance with the others. As Satchmo said, Stubbs' 'heroin LOL' patter in this episode was really tiresome and tasteless.

I did enjoy his MM anecdotes, though.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Also, Sarah's bang-on impression of Taylor made me laugh. [Eeyore voice]: "Level 42 make me long for a thumbscrew."

[Campbell Soupe]

Blasted through this the other day when I needed cheering up post GE, so I wasn't in the best frames of mind tbh.   I approach this era on Chart Music with trepidation: by accident of birth, 86/87 was when I came-of-age as a Pop Crazed Youngster, so I get a bit defensive.  Admittedly there was a high percentage of shit in the charts (though true of every era, surely?) but it's always a bit of a bummer hearing the cool kids bang-on about just how terrible it all is.  Yes I know!  It might be shit, but it's MY nostalgic shit, dammit!  (I'm afflicted with the same problem having Colin Baker as MY Doctor).

Will need a re-listen to come up with a cast-iron case, but fuck me, Stubbs was a miserable old fart on this wasn't he?  Taylor usually pulls off the Eeyore shtick far more entertainingly, and its often tempered by a love of the kind of stuff serious musos have a hard time stomaching (Baltimora, anyone?).   The joy of Chart Music is hearing eloquent and profane "coat-downs", but balanced with an infectious appreciation of the fluff and ephemera of proper pop.  Got none of that from Stubbs this time, he came across as bored and so above it all.  Pricey, Taylor or Pet Shop Sceptic Neil would have been better fits for this era.  Big props to Sarah who battled on valiantly as ol' Seven Days Jankers tried his best to sap any enthusiasm for all things pop and crazed, throughout.  Some shoddy pop research from Al as well - West End Girls got to no. 2?

Not heard of The Young Gods, and on Googling, wish I still hadn't...

All that AND I had to piss about downloading the full ep then import it into itunes rather than listen through the podcast app.... seven days fucking jankers indeed....

[non capisco]

"Mick Hucknall, in a suit that makes him look like Lion-O from the Thundercats at a christening...."

I'm halfway through and also finding this episode a bit uncharacteristically flat. I've been feeling fairly anhedonic since the election results so it might just be me but Stubbs going on about how he was such a feared and respected swashbuckling raconteur in the Melody Maker local back in the day like IPC's answer to Peter Ustinov did make me think "Well, say something funny now, then." You can feel Al having to work a bit harder when he's on sometimes.

[Nice Relaxing Poo]

Got most off the way through the first part and I'm going to give the rest a miss. Stubbsy was annoying me and Sarah Bee is my least favourite contributor too in terms of amusement value. Coupled with a dogshit year for music and some constraints on my time at the moment means I've other things to occupy my time with.

Not the most auspicious start for their new format and new listeners.

[Golden E. Pump]

Stubbsy felt out of touch on this one; just needlessly negative without any valid constructive criticisms of the acts. Sarah Bee is fantastic and I could almost hear her and Al thinking 'this isn't funny anymore' every time David mentioned the Young Gods. I am never sure he fits the dynamic and his episodes are usually the worst ones. Still an interesting contributor though.

I also didn't think the music on offer was that bad compared to some of the shows they've done. Not that exciting, but better than a lot of the seventies singer/songwriter stuff they've covered to death.

Still the best podcast in the world though.

[buzby]

I hope they are enjoying their advert revenue because they the way they are getting dropped in mid-conversation is proper S4C.

[DrGreggles]

I hope they are enjoying their advert revenue because they the way they are getting dropped in mid-conversation is proper S4C.

www.patreon.com/chartmusic/

[Neomod]

Nice to hear Sarah and Al's origin story.

Had Stubbs realised Seven Days Jankers was way past it's sell by date and was looking for a new catchphrase in 'The Young Gods'. If so he shouldn't have bothered.

 

[DrGreggles]

I'm going to stick up for Stubbsy here.

He was in his mid-20s when this episode aired - of course he thought it was shit!
EVERYONE thinks TOTP is shit when they're in their mid-20s and, in 1987, he'd generally be correct.

Just as Sarah would have been about 10 at the time - of course she thought it was great!
Those memories of pop music from that era will stay with you, good or bad.

Stubbsy's dry style counters the other CMP contributors well and, for me anyway, I think it's a positive.

[buzby]

www.patreon.com/chartmusic/

It's not adverts per se i'm complaining about - it's the way the way they are spliced in (presumably automatically) mid-sentence at the exact half hour mark. The worst thing is that they aren't even adverts that will get them money - they are for other Big Owl podcasts.

If you go way back through the thread you will see I have my own very petty reasons not to donate via Patreon (I did offer to buy Taylor a new washing machine though).

[Neomod]

Stubbsy's dry style

*exasperated breath into mic*

[Campbell Soupe]

Sarah's one of my favourite contributors - age and taste wise, I think I'm most aligned with her.   She doesn't do the "bants" of some of her colleagues, but she clearly puts in the ground work and is incredibly well informed.  I'll always find myself siding with her on the many occasions she's defending the poptastic against the too-cool-for-school brigade.   

Episodes like the latest do make me wonder if Al would be best sticking with his original self-imposed remit of not straying beyond Live Aid.  He clearly has a harder time engaging with much after 1985 and most of the gang were either growing out of chart music not long after, or had become jaded old hacks themselves.  I strongly disagree with the notion that pop went to total shit in the mid 80s: its hard to argue that Fairy Tale... and PSBs AOMM aren't both classics even if you can't stand them.   Just as with any other decade, good pop in the late 80s is still amazing (I'll fight anyone who says Always on my mind is anything short of genius), and lesser pop is still bland and uninteresting - it's just rebranded itself as Johnny Hates Jazz, Wet Wet Wet or Nick Berry, rather than the dull cheese of 70s MOR

Another issue could be the sheer fucking length of these things now.  Never thought I'd say it about this podcast, but maybe 4.5 hours on a topic only one third of your panel gives a fuck about, is too much?  As a High Flying whatever, I didn't listen to the cut up version, but do bite sized chunks ease the malaise?

(Actually, I don't mind Turn Back The Clock, so strike my JHJ remark.... Every Loser Wins can still fuck right off though)

Despite all that, yes, still the best podcast in the world (love ya, Al)

[buzby]

Another issue could be the sheer fucking length of these things now.  Never thought I'd say it about this podcast, but maybe 4.5 hours on a topic only one third of your panel gives a fuck about, is too much?  As a High Flying whatever, I didn't listen to the cut up version, but do bite sized chunks ease the malaise?

One thing being broken up into segments highlighted for me was that the first hour was mostly taken up by Stubbsy talking about how great Melody Maker was in the mid-80s. I listen to it while I'm doing housework and realised the first hour had ended and I'd finished cleaning the bathroom before the TOTP episode had even been mentioned.

I'm with you on AOMM, too - there is a thing on BBC4 at the moment about Fairytale Of New York (which I've never been particularly a fan of, or The Pogues in general) and when talking about them being beaten to the Christmas Number One he described the PSBs as 'two queers and a drum machine'. Charming.

[Campbell Soupe]

Don't get me wrong, I'd never campaign for less Chart Music.  When firing on all cylinders the hours fly by.  I think my foul mood ('87 was a good year for Tories too) coupled with my desire to gorge on these in one go and The Old God slagging everything off meant this felt like a slog.  Should pace myself in future....

[Campbell Soupe]

I'm with you on AOMM, too - there is a thing on BBC4 at the moment about Fairytale Of New York (which I've never been particularly a fan of, or The Pogues in general) and when talking about them being beaten to the Christmas Number One he described the PSBs as 'two queers and a drum machine'. Charming.

Didn't Chris Lowe counter, "It's just two drunks shouting at each other" or something?  Its always fun baiting Pogues fans at this time of year....And they still seem to be smarting... "We woz robbed..." etc: its over 30 years ago lads, let it go.  Despite my best efforts, and massive ubiquity, I can't hate Fairytale... it's an xmas classic.  Always on my mind, on the other hand, is a classic any time of year.

Another fun chart shenanigans fact:  PSB got SAWs very own Mike Harding to do the 12" remix of AOMM, which then further bolstered sales against Rick's When I fall In Love...

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I do think Stubbsy, unlike the rest of the CM gang, suffers from a lack of self-awareness at times. He doesn't seem to realise when he's hammered a not particularly funny in the first place joke into the ground, and his MM anecdotes, while interesting and enjoyable, tend to come across as quite self-aggrandising.

Anyway, I don't wish to sound too harsh on the guy, I think he's alright, but gimme Neil, Simon, Taylor and Sarah any day. And lovely Al too, of course. Al is mint.