Chart Music Podcast

[Satchmo Distel]

I think he also has an email right at the end about Paul Newman in Swansea, unless that's a different Simon.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Price said in the Q&A that Baker is the NME writer he most admires.

Quite right too, Baker is a brilliant writer. I love the fact that, by his own cheerful admission, he always used the NME singles page as an excuse for writing loads of glib yet very funny jokes, as he didn't really give a toss about the dour post-punk records he had to review.

He was into soul, funk and disco, so he'd always sing the praises of geniuses such as Nile Rodgers while giving, say, Howard Devoto short shrift (I'm generalising, he did genuinely like some punk and post-punk, but he was always puckishly suspicious of po-faced posturing). 

Also, wasn't that famous Freddie Mercury interview headline - 'Is This Man A Prat?' - one of Dan's? He didn't write the article, but I think the headline was his handiwork. I could be wrong.

[Brundle-Fly]

Quite right too, Baker is a brilliant writer. I love the fact that, by his own cheerful admission, he always used the NME singles page as an excuse for writing loads of glib yet very funny jokes, as he didn't really give a toss about the dour post-punk records he had to review.

He was into soul, funk and disco, so he'd always sing the praises of geniuses such as Nile Rodgers while giving, say, Howard Devoto short shrift (I'm generalising, he did genuinely like some punk and post-punk, but he was always puckishly suspicious of po-faced posturing). 

Baker put this into Room 101
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDBFcgXplpI

[daf]

Just checking - is the latest podcast only available as a 64K file?

I can still get it on itunes and from the main website, but due to missing some browser updates on my computer, I can't get on to the Patreon site no more, so I don't know if a higher quality version is available there.

[sweeper]

Idly considering what I'd like to hear on the pod that they haven't covered yet.

Looking forward to Neil getting stuck into Oasis.

Any of them on KLF, preferably Trancentral performance, though I've a feeling that they'll hate it.

I've got the sense before that Taylor is an Iron Maiden fan, so him on that.

And any mid-80s Kate Bush - did they do her already? Can't remember.

Anything else?

[buzby]

Any of them on KLF, preferably Trancentral performance, though I've a feeling that they'll hate it.

I suspect the same, unfortunately.

And any mid-80s Kate Bush - did they do her already? Can't remember.

They have done Kate Bush - Neil & Taylor on Episode 7 (22/08/85). Simon has also mentioned her on one of his episodes and recounted how her wide eyed staring and used to terrify him as a child. He is a big fan of hers though.

Anything else?

I'd rather they got the inevitable New Order coating down out of the way sooner rather than later :(

[sweeper]

I'd rather they got the inevitable New Order coating down out of the way sooner rather than later :(

It's a shame that their TOTP appearances are so ropey, as it doesn't help matters much. Hopefully it would end up being the True Faith video, as who could have a problem with that? Or the Baywatch Regret.

[buzby]

It's a shame that their TOTP appearances are so ropey, as it doesn't help matters much. Hopefully it would end up being the True Faith video, as who could have a problem with that? Or the Baywatch Regret.

Al would no matter which performance they got - he's already stated mutiple times that he hates them for taking themselves too seriously and being too 'arch' (though as you say, how can anyone say the band that did the Baywatch appearance take themselves too seriously?)

Their only really ropey performance was Blue Monday, but that's the most famous one which everybody knows.

[sweeper]

Bernard's dancing during Fine Time? Good god.

[buzby]

Bernard's dancing during Fine Time? Good god.

Yeah, but it sounds ok at least. There's Hook's passive agressive sulking in the corner too on that one.

[boki]

Anything else?

Don't think they've covered Shakey's performance of A Little Boogie-Woogie yet, have they?  So much to unpack with that, including at least a couple of regualr CM tropes and the fact that it was co-written by a certain Yew-know-who.

[DrGreggles]

Something dawned on me the other day on a re-listen to one of the recent episodes.

There are certain things on CM that are never explained beyond their first appearance, meaning that references to The Old Sailor, Chicken Steven and, of course, BA Cunterson will make absolutely no sense to anyone who hasn't heard the episode in question.

This is yet another good thing about the nation's favourite podcast.

[phantom_power]

Have they done Bowie? Erasure? The Housemartins?

[Natnar]

I suspect the same, unfortunately.They have done Kate Bush - Neil & Taylor on Episode 7 (22/08/85). Simon has also mentioned her on one of his episodes and recounted how her wide eyed staring and used to terrify him as a child. He is a big fan of hers though.I'd rather they got the inevitable New Order coating down out of the way sooner rather than later :(

Kate is also mentioned on one of the mid 90's episodes when Tori Amos crops up. Simon describes Tori as "Shakin Bush".

[gilbertharding]

Something dawned on me the other day on a re-listen to one of the recent episodes.

There are certain things on CM that are never explained beyond their first appearance, meaning that references to The Old Sailor, Chicken Steven and, of course, BA Cunterson will make absolutely no sense to anyone who hasn't heard the episode in question.

Worse - because although I have listened to every single episode, I have done so mainly at work. I must have been doing something which needed a fair bit of concentration at the exact moment Bummerdog was first mentioned and explained, because I have absolutely no idea what that is. If I'd realised the significance at the time, I would have rewound and got it clear. But the moment is lost now.

[gilbertharding]

Kate is also mentioned on one of the mid 90's episodes when Tori Amos crops up. Simon describes Tori as "Shakin Bush".

As opposed to Bush, who are "Shakin Pumpkins" (probably).

[sweeper]

Don't think they've covered Shakey's performance of A Little Boogie-Woogie yet, have they?

No, christ, that's going to be amazing. 

And Joy Sarney, of course, and I sense that's being intentionally held back.

[daf]

Bummerdog (. . . ) I have absolutely no idea what that is.

Seem to remember it's

Spoiler alert

the trad. arr. randy school playground stray dog - who got the nickname for attempting to shag - or "bum" if you will - anything that moved

[close]

[Better Midlands]

Seem to remember it's

Spoiler alert

the trad. arr. randy school playground stray dog - who got the nickname for attempting to shag - or "bum" if you will - anything that moved

[close]

Did Peter Kay do a bit about this phenomenon (without the bumming)? Im sure someone has if not him.

[DrGreggles]

Bollockdog never got the credit he deserved!

#Justice4Bollockdog

[non capisco]

Bollockdog never got the credit he deserved!

#Justice4Bollockdog

Absolutely! Bummerdog was all well and good but of the two dog stories at the start of 'Soul Rail Replacement Service' it was Bollockdog that really had me doubled up laughing on Waterloo Bridge. (Walking not driving, thankfully).

I'd really like them to cover Legs and Co's routine to Jonathan Richman's 'Egyptian Reggae' which I've become a bit obsessed by lately. I think it's initially on a Savile episode but it's so...remarkable it gets repeated during a weird episode that a twitchy, nervous looking Elton John hosts. (Can't think why Elton would have appeared so strangely on edge in the late 70s.) So maybe that one.

[non capisco]

And Joy Sarney, of course, and I sense that's being intentionally held back.

100%.

[jamiefairlie]

Al would no matter which performance they got - he's already stated mutiple times that he hates them for taking themselves too seriously and being too 'arch' (though as you say, how can anyone say the band that did the Baywatch appearance take themselves too seriously?)

Their only really ropey performance was Blue Monday, but that's the most famous one which everybody knows.

Being arch and taking yourself too seriously seem to be somewhat contradictory criticisms. They'd by and large given up on being serious by the time they were on TOTP anyway, I can't imagine what he'd think of their pre-Blue Monday footage.

[Satchmo Distel]

Their fanbase might have taken them too seriously. Sometimes bands get blamed for how they get latched on to by pseuds.

[buzby]

Their fanbase might have taken them too seriously. Sometimes bands get blamed for how they get latched on to by pseuds.

Joy Division always had a fanbase at their concerts that was a mix of long raincoat students on one extreme and basically football hooligans at the other (both Ian and their manager Rob Gretton were hardcore Man City fans too), and it wasn't unusual for their gigs to end in a fight (see the infamous Bury Riot, when the crowd trashed the venue after Ian was too unwell to sing and they got some of their friends to fill in. The same situation carried over into New Order - there was always a bit of a football mob element at their shows, usually most noticeably Hook's Vikings' fan club.

I did mention earlier in the thread that I suspect the MM lot probably won't like them as they always had a rather fractious relationship with the music press - even their friends like Paul Morley usually got taken the piss out of, and some journalists they were openly hostile to.

[jamiefairlie]

Joy Division always had a fanbase at their concerts that was a mix of long raincoat students on one extreme and basically football hooligans at the other (both Ian and their manager Rob Gretton were hardcore Man City fans too), and it wasn't unusual for their gigs to end in a fight (see the infamous Bury Riot, when the crowd trashed the venue after Ian was too unwell to sing and they got some of their friends to fill in. The same situation carried over into New Order - there was always a bit of a football mob element at their shows, usually most noticeably Hook's Vikings' fan club.

I did mention earlier in the thread that I suspect the MM lot probably won't like them as they always had a rather fractious relationship with the music press - even their friends like Paul Morley usually got taken the piss out of, and some journalists they were openly hostile to.

Yeah i get the JD 'hooligan' element (this was common with lots of punk bands though) but I saw New Order a lot from early 81 to late 83 and there was a huge change in the demographic at gigs during that time, such that I couldn't really be arsed seeing them from 84 on. The nobend element  seemed to increase as their music became more 'poppy' and their on-stage behaviour and appearance changed.

[famethrowa]

Something dawned on me the other day on a re-listen to one of the recent episodes.

There are certain things on CM that are never explained beyond their first appearance, meaning that references to The Old Sailor, Chicken Steven and, of course, BA Cunterson will make absolutely no sense to anyone who hasn't heard the episode in question.

This is yet another good thing about the nation's favourite podcast.

I think if I started listening now, Al's distended and speaker-rattling AYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYUP would be a major roadblock to going any further.

[Johnboy]

I would say the CM chart rundown near the beginning which is just a list of unexplained in-jokes wouldn't entice a new listener

[sweeper]

Completely disagree on these. The feeling that you're accessing a little enclave with it's own referents and in-jokes is precisely why I enjoy this podcast. You are expected to keep up with it, rather than it making itself accessible to you. I love that, the sense of confidence. Plus the knowledge that it'll turn some people off.   

This was also the feeling I got from reading the music papers when I was young and knew nothing about culture, and exactly what made it addictive to me. It felt like I had to work to keep up, and like it was something worth knowing about. 

[Cardenio I]

Completely disagree on these. The feeling that you're accessing a little enclave with it's own referents and in-jokes is precisely why I enjoy this podcast. You are expected to keep up with it, rather than it making itself accessible to you. I love that, the sense of confidence. Plus the knowledge that it'll turn some people off.   

This was also the feeling I got from reading the music papers when I was young and knew nothing about culture, and exactly what made it addictive to me. It felt like I had to work to keep up, and like it was something worth knowing about. 

+1