Topic: Chart Music Podcast 2 (Man Sound) - ITS PIPOU TIME!

[Blinder Data]

As someone who was born in 1990, has never read Melody Maker and barely watched TOTP, will I get much out of this of podcast? The reviews have been glowing but I worry I might be a generation or two beyond the target audience.

Also , just by the by, Ask" is a great song. "Spending warm sunny days indoors/Writing frightening verse to a buck-toothed girl in Luxembourg". The racist wanker was a genius lyricist, that can't be denied.

[Satchmo Distel]

I feel that on "Strangeways" generally the lyrics are more ambiguous than on the earlier albums, as if two or three different songs have been spliced together, but he lyric above is in my mind an echo of his much earlier "England is mine and it owes me a living" and "life is taking and not giving" from Still Ill. It's about an outcast who defiantly claims ownership of a land from which he has actually been excluded due to his sexuality (ill = gay, as defined by society).

[rilk]

As someone who was born in 1990, has never read Melody Maker and barely watched TOTP, will I get much out of this of podcast? The reviews have been glowing but I worry I might be a generation or two beyond the target audience.

I was also born in 1990, never read Melody Maker at the time (though have since been buying up 90s back issues on ebay) and...well always loved Top of the Pops but yes, you'll get a lot out of this if you're into yer pop music, social history, language, idiot joy... Chart Music's honestly one of the greatest pleasures in life for me at the moment.

[Brundle-Fly]

I agree. If you have even a passing interest in the history of popular culture and British society it would do you no harm to have a listen. I used to enjoy Looks Familiar on ITV (namechecked in Al's TV listings in this most recent ep) when I was a teenager because I wanted to hear about the past. I didn't have a bastard clue what powdered egg was, or ITMA or Gracie Fields but I soon did. You'll learn shit and one will almost definitely be discovering music and more by the end of CMP.

"And now on Top Of The Pops, coming in at number two, it's Kid Creole & those lovely ladeez, The Coconuts with a sensational song called Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy which isn't about Annie Nightingale." *smirks to camera

[Egyptian Feast]

The video playlists for each episode provide a lot of context for things younger viewers and Americans would be unfamiliar with, so there's no need to worry about it being before your time, Blinder. The farthest back I can remember is around 1984 (I was born a few months after the youngest contributor Sarah Bee in 1978), so a lot of the 70s/early 80s references were new to me too but I now know who, say, Ludwig and Little Blue are and I can hum the theme from Murphy's Mob.

I got up to CM#16 and am finally aware what "Hold on, here comes Jism" refers to, so I've jumped forward to #49 and will probably work forward to the new episode before going back to where I left off. It has come a long way from those early episodes; much better sound and editing for a start. I like the feature where Al reads through the contemporary issue of Melody Maker and lists the gigs each contributor could've attended. Good bit of extra scene setting.

At this stage, my ideal lineup is any combination of Parkes, Price and Kulkarni, but Taylor is the one who always makes me hiss "Yesss!" when his name is announced. I've really enjoyed every episode I've heard so far, but his appearances are on another level. I re-read that Quietus piece about Parklife for about the fourth or fifth time off the back of a 90s episode and it made me wish I had the financial power to commission a book about whatever the fuck he wanted to write about.

[Egyptian Feast]

Just finished the Shakatak discussion in #49 that led to Al's story about fishing cock pictures out of the bin at the wank factory and leaving them under his flatmate's pillow. Hysterical.

It reminded me of a crap prank pulled on me the Sunday after Diana died. I was at work while a couple of mates who'd stayed over cut out dozens of pics of her from a commerative magazine they'd got with News Of The World (some of which they married with tit pics from an old issue of Loaded or Front) and hid them in various places around the flat. I found most when I got back and was made to do a treasure hunt, but some were so well hidden I didn't find them until I was moving out, and I probably didn't catch them all. Daft twats, but there was no telly in the flat so they had to make their own entertainment.

[dr beat]

As someone who was born in 1990, has never read Melody Maker and barely watched TOTP, will I get much out of this of podcast? The reviews have been glowing but I worry I might be a generation or two beyond the target audience.

I've sometimes taken to listening to CMP while watching along with the relevant TOTP episode if available (most of them seem to be).

[badaids]

it made me wish I had the financial power to commission a book about whatever the fuck he wanted to write about.

You know what I have had exactly the same thought.  Can we get together some kind of crowdfunder to fuel Taylor writing about whatever the fuck he wanted to?

[Johnboy]

I'd welcome a transcript of everything he's said on CM so far.

[Brundle-Fly]

The audiobook* I'd like to hear from Taylor would be an analysis of 20th-century terrestrial television during the 50s/60s/70s/80s before satellite dishes came along. There would be individual chapters on drama, comedy, news, science, music etc. It could be called Taylor Parkes' Aerial View. Would you read that?

To be honest, I read books by any of them. Stubbsy's tome is very good.



*_{I say audiobook because you have to have his dour tones for the full Parkes effect. Like the way, he emphasises any alternative with a pronounced 'OR'}

[Johnboy]

Dunnon, it might be a bit specialist.

I'm coming back round to Stubbs having gone off him for a while, his last one really is well written and I'm thinking of getting Pricey's Manic Street Preachers one through my library even though I'm not much of a fan of them.

[non capisco]

Ah yes, that's right. Unless, I've forgotten their inclusion over all the episodes, I'm waiting for the coat downs/ celebrations of XTC, Bad Manners, Squeeze, Busta Rhymes, Lene Lovich, Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Thomas Dolby, The Divine Comedy, Landscape, Sugar Minnot, Telex, Morris & The Minors, Pikketywitch, White Town, Milli Vanilli, The Piranhas, Blue Rondo a la Turk, Tonight, Def Leppard, The Exploited, Kissing The Pink, Mirage, Divine, Colour Me Badd, Flash & The Pan, Crazy Frog, Big Fun, And Why Not? and Gimme Dat Ding by The Pipkins,

Big Fun have definitely been covered because Al dug up an interview where they said they got off their tits with Sinitta during a TOTP recording and called Jimmy Somerville 'Mr. Potato Head'. The episode that must have taken place during aired on BBC4 fairly recently.

The eighventies songs I most want them to cover are my two main discoveries from the BBC4 repeats, 'Twilight Cafe' by Susan Fassbender and 'Heartache Avenue' by The Maisonettes. The latter has already been proclaimed a 'tune!' by Pricey during one episode. Would also love to hear Taylor describing the lead singer of Coast To Coast, please.

[dr beat]

Yes! I bloody love those tunes.  Yer man from the Maisonettes had a bit of a 'Peter Withe' vibe about him.

[non capisco]

Yes! I bloody love those tunes.  Yer man from the Maisonettes had a bit of a 'Peter Withe' vibe about him.

Ha ha, absolutely! As John Peel said after one appearance "They look like a bunch of bailiffs".

[Neomod]

Have they covered Strawberry Switchblade yet? A near miss this episode when Since Yesterday was mentioned on the chart rundown.

[dr beat]

Ha ha, absolutely! As John Peel said after one appearance "They look like a bunch of bailiffs".

As our alumnus lfbarfe might say (hi mate), Lol Mason, at that point in time, is a bit rather David Peace-esque.

[Pearly-Dewdrops Drops]

As someone who was born in 1990, has never read Melody Maker and barely watched TOTP, will I get much out of this of podcast? The reviews have been glowing but I worry I might be a generation or two beyond the target audience.

As a new listener in a similar position to you, I would say yes. In fact I'm enjoying the show much more the further back in time they go and the further away from pop music I am familiar with.

[buzby]

Big Fun have definitely been covered because Al dug up an interview where they said they got off their tits with Sinitta during a TOTP recording and called Jimmy Somerville 'Mr. Potato Head'. The episode that must have taken place during aired on BBC4 fairly recently.

None of the three ever appeared on the same episode of TOTP. They did however all appear on the Christmas 1989 episode of Eggs 'n' Baker.

It was from a (rather candid) interview with Phil Creswick from Hate Magazine (shortly before he got done for being in posession of a large amount of chemsex drugs in his Vauxhall flat that was set up to stream gay sex shows).

It was two separate events. They did bongs with Sinitta while on the Hitman & Her tour with her, and the Somervillle incident was while recording a TV spot in Europe after he chided them for not coming out (and after being up all night after taking acid with the post-Betty Boo She Rockers).

[edon]

I have some kinship with Seedsy here, as I've just joined only to wax lyrical about CM. Tried to get my friends into it and they're not as bothered, so this is my only vessel for going on about this glorious podcast

As someone who was born in 1990, has never read Melody Maker and barely watched TOTP, will I get much out of this of podcast?

I would hope so. I too haven't read MM and only ever got to see TOTP at its very end until the BBC4 repeats started (god help them if they do end up covering one of the Andi Peters shows), but it's been absolutely essential for me in the past few months. Your own knowledge of music and culture doesn't matter, the podcast is a delight to listen to, and I applaud Al and co for managing to create something so entertainingly examinative and celebratory of old pop culture/music. Will be gutted when they stop doing this.

[edon]

In fact I'm enjoying the show much more the further back in time they go and the further away from pop music I am familiar with.

I think the most mileage can be had out of the Eighventies episodes, with it being an odd transitional period for the show and the charts generally having quite good stuff in them, although a TOTP from the early 70s is bound to be even more compelling as well. #43, where they covered one of the only existing shows from the 60s, was excellent.

The later they go, the less consistently interesting some of the talk is (though that's not to say it's bad either), and Al probably should be careful about which shows he chooses from the 90s and such. That 1991 episode they did suffered a little from having no properly big acts or notable performances to speak of, but I do suppose it also depends on what few later period TOTPs are available.

[Brundle-Fly]

Tried to get my friends into it and they're not as bothered, .

One podcast loving mate switched it off in disgust because they got a fact wrong and made a tiny criticism of his favourite band in an otherwise glowing appraisal of the song. The other friend commented it was good but the episodes are too long. I said that you're not required to listen to it all in one sitting.

[dr beat]

I have some kinship with Seedsy here, as I've just joined only to wax lyrical about CM. Tried to get my friends into it and they're not as bothered, so this is my only vessel for going on about this glorious podcast

Welcome! Hopefully plenty to enjoy elsewhere on CaB in addition to this thread.

[Nice Relaxing Poo]

I said that you're not required to listen to it all in one sitting.

I enjoy it in little 30 minute chunks and because of this have only just made past the utterly deserved shellacking they dish out to Jonathan King. I has to be one of the most vicious coat downs dished out  so far on CM. I too can remember hating the sight of his wonky smug face all through the 80s.

[Egyptian Feast]

I'm working my way through the post-COVID episodes so I can enjoy the thrill of catching a new one (hopefully with my name in the intro) on release. CM#50 was my favourite episode so far: while I don't hate Oasis quite as much as Neil (or my partner), that was a riveting coat-down, as were the pastings doled out to Jo Whiley, Madonna and Shed Seven. I always felt a bit sorry for Rick Witter for the things the press said about him, but that didn't stop it being very funny. It appears it didn't do any damage to their career either, so Witter is having the last laugh and stinking of piss.

I've only just got through the preamble for #51, but already it's given me Al's incredible story about spending a year convinced he was going to die and Taylor's well-deserved coat-down of COVID-19 ("spiteful armoured bollock" indeed), so I may have a new favourite episode by the time it's done. That money down the g-string has really paid off, I almost didn't recognise Taylor's voice with a decent mic.

The length of these was always an intimidating factor in jumping in, but the time just flies by. I wish I'd got stuck in earlier, but I've got #17 - #48 to keep me sane over the next few months, so better late than never.

[Dusty Substance]

Have they covered any bands like Deacon Blue or Del Amitri, yet? You know - Those kind of bands who never quite put out an essential LP but had enough singles scattered over the 80s to warrant buying the Greatest Hits when it came out on CD. See also Sheryl Crow in the 90s.

[edon]

I'm convinced this podcast has the best fans possible

https://twitter.com/PegsPrints/status/1297839828000804864

On a similar note, I hope they do cover PE sooner than later. Surely they did one or two TOTP performances?

[Better Midlands]

On a similar note, I hope they do cover PE sooner than later. Surely they did one or two TOTP performances?

Shut 'Em Down 1992

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I'm convinced this podcast has the best fans possible

https://twitter.com/PegsPrints/status/1297839828000804864

On a similar note, I hope they do cover PE sooner than later. Surely they did one or two TOTP performances?

That's great. And I eagerly agree with one of the replies to that tweet, I'd love to see a cover for Taylor Parkes' 20 Romantic Moments.

[RickyHamster]

Like finding out daddy wasn't away working on the rigs after all.

[beanheadmcginty]

I was so surprised by that I just Googled Taylor and Laverne and one of the first results is this very website because it turns out he used to post here. He even threatened to dish the dirt on Moran at one point. Here's all his posts:

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?action=profile;area=showposts;u=11311