Music Talks

My guest in this episode is award winning author and playwright Gabriel Bergmoser. Gabriel is one of my youngest guests at 32 but, as you will hear, he has packed a lot into those years and he describes himself as ‘crime author, playwright, podcaster, actor, dog lover and massive Springsteen fan’. He was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia when he was a few months old and that has been home over since. He now lives in Melbourne but does a great job of painting a picture of what growing up in rural Australia was like for a creative, non-sporty boy who was an aggressively average student (his phrase not mine!) A visit to the cinema to see ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ lit his creative spark and it has stayed with him ever since. A quick glance at his Wiki page (Gabriel Bergmoser - Wikipedia) will show how prodigious and successful he has been over the past 10 years. Highlights include winning the Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award in 2015 and four years later signing a two-book deal with Harper Collins. The first of the books was ‘The Hunted’ which was a worldwide success and resulted in a book deal with Faber in the UK and a subsequent film deal. Despite all that success Gabriel is clear eyed about the reality of being a creative in 2023 and the fact that there will always be ups and downs whoever you are. Similarly, he delivers a strong message about hard work and application being more important than talent and the need at times to ‘Just Do It’. As you would expect he tells a great story around each of his song selection which were: 90’s Kiss Me Sixpence None the Richer 00’s Mr. Brightside The Killers 10’s Unbelievers Vampire Weekend 20’s Dorothea Taylor Swift If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is Paul Webb who comes to the show via an introduction from a previous guest Nick Sheppard (Ep.53) – Many thanks Nick. Paul is a self-confessed ‘Music Talks Junkie’ and I love the fact that he listens to the episodes on his journey to and from Fly Fishing. Originally from the UK he’s lived in the U.S for over 30 years and now has the joy of living in Bend, Oregon which I am very jealous of having had a couple of delightful holidays there and at one point we seriously considered retiring there. Music is a clear passion for Paul, both listening but also playing guitar. He describes himself disparagingly as ‘a hack’ but I hardly think that’s fair particularly given he’s a left hander who plays right-handed. His musical passion is complemented by several others including: · Family – his wife Talley and their two children Ellis & Dylan. · Climbing – Paul shares several fun, inspirational stories about climbing as well as one about climbing the Royal Arches in Yosemite and almost not making it down. · Cycling – with three friends he did The Race Across America, which is 3200 miles in 7 days. This was the inspiration for one of his song choices and the title of the episode. He also shares openly and movingly about the challenges his son Ellis faced with addiction and how he came very close to death. I’m delighted to say that Ellis is now well into his recovery and in Paul’s own words is thriving. Paul finishes his song selections with a performance of an original song by himself and his younger child Dylan. There’s a great story behind it and the performance is just exquisite. Paul’s song selections are: 60’s - Moon River Audrey Hepburn 70’s - Carillon Sky 80’s - Love Is A Stranger Eurythmics 90’s - Signe Eric Clapton 00’s - Fix You Coldplay 10’s - Catch & Release (Deepend Remix) Matt Summers 20’s - Made It Out of Clay Dylan Webb If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is Giorgos Gavriil who generously allowed me to use his English name of ‘George’ through our chat. Born in 1975 in the port city of Piraeus in Greater Athens, George continues to live in Greece but has moved to the mountains from the sea where he lives with wife and his two young children. He was a late bloomer in terms of music but when things clicked in his late teens there was no looking back. He describes himself as ‘compulsive’ and ‘obsessive’ and this has driven a lifelong passion that’s produced a deep love and an encyclopaedic knowledge of popular music. In recent years those same characteristics have driven his learning to play guitar which he impressively practices an hour a day! George was good enough to provide me with his list of 101 Favourite Albums and it makes for fascinating reading. We tale about some of those albums during the episode but if anyone would like to see the full list, please email me at musictalkspod@outlook.com There is a strong theme of passion and emotion that runs through all of George’s song selections and it’s a list I really love. His song selections were: 70’s Mind Power James Brown 80’s Tango Till They’re Sore Tom Waits 90’s Love You Should’ve Come Over Jeff Buckley 00’s A Thousand Kisses Deep Leonard Cohen 10’s Conversation 16 The National 20’s Love Is The Main Thing Fontaines D.C. Enjoy :-) If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is Craig Colby, a master storyteller with a successful 30-year award winning career in television working for The Sports Network and the Discovery Channel amongst others. In 2017, the opportunity of losing his job presented itself and he set up his own story telling company Colbyvision. He now spends his time helping production companies broadcasters and business owners make top-notch programs & tell their stories. He also has one of my favourite Lockdown stories. Craig connected with people over Facebook by wearing a different hat each day for 125 days and people then shared their hats in the comments. At the behest of his mother this then became his first book ‘ALL CAPS: Stories That Justify an Outrageous Hat Collection’ which won the Non-Fiction Category at The Canadian Book Awards in 2022. Craig comes to Music Talks via my dear friend Jesse Jackson from the Set Lusting Bruce Podcast. Jesse’s intro mail included the great line ‘Craig’s book is Music Talks with hats!’ – how could I resist. The book is available on Amazon but if you are in the UK and want a physical copy it currently ships from the U.S. but believe me its worth the wait! It’s no surprise that Craig has a compelling story to tell with lots of great insights and observations. He also put a lot of work into making song selections that have a personal connection but also have a connection to what was going on in the wider world. Craig’s song selections were: 60’s - Love Child - Diana Ross & The Supremes 70’s - Don’t Take Away The Music - Tavares 80’s - Modern Love - David Bowie 90’s - Fumbling Towards Ectasy - Sarah McLachlan 00’s - Lonesome Day - Bruce Springsteen 10’s - Tightrope - Janelle Monae 20’s - As It Was - Harry Styles Enjoy :-) If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is Marian Jago, Senior Lecturer in Popular Music and Jazz Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Marian comes to Music Talks through the miracle and wonder of social media and a shared love of the music of Bruce Springsteen. I saw a post in a fan group on Facebook that said, ‘my course on Bruce Springsteen’ and that was Marian. We got into a dialogue and to my amazement she was teaching her course ‘Three Minute Records’ at my local university in Edinburgh. Inevitably we talk about Bruce and the course, but we cover a lot more ground than that in this episode. Prior to becoming an academic Marian was a Producer of Live Concerts and Events before dedicating herself to becoming a Jazz Saxophonist. It’s a remarkable story of commitment and determination where she gets to meet, and is consistently helped by, a host of jazz luminaries from Canada and the US, and this culminates in Lee Konitz the composer and saxophonist being her tutor for eight years. Like many people I have a very romantic view of the life of a professional musician and Marian does a great job of painting a picture of the harsh reality whilst also saying ‘this was the happiest time of my life’. Though now living in Edinburgh Marian is Canadian and that is a theme that runs through our conversation and not just in terms of some of her choices. Regarding choices Marian is transparent about her dislike of rules and authority and so she submitted two sets of song choices to me for the episode – ‘The Rule Abiding List’ and ‘The Alternative List’. You will need to listen to get the full story but here is the ‘Rule Abiding List’. 70’s - Another Brick in The Wall - Pink Floyd 80’s - Down in The Bottom - Colin James 90’s - The Obvious Child - Paul Simon 00’s - It’s Alright with Me - Murley-Bickert-Wallace 10’s - At Transformation - The Tragically Hip 20’s – If I Was The Priest - Bruce Springsteen Outro – Welcome to Hard Times - Charley Crockett Enjoy 😊 If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is Brian MacKay who was introduced to Music Talks by Roy Sharples my guest in Episode 61. (Thanks Roy!) Bryan is just 50 and works in a third sector charity. He lives in Peterhead, a large fishing port in Aberdeenshire, with his wife, 4 children and a Cockapoo acquired during Covid. Like me Bryan is the youngest in his family but in his case, he had three older sisters and on his own admittance was spoilt rotten as a child. Since 2015 he has been a keen runner and next month, he will run his first Marathon and an Ultra Marathon is the eventual goal. That sort of commitment and determination can also be seen in Bryan’s obsessive love of bands and music, and he has some great stories to tell, including how Lana Del ray made him late for work.!. His musical taste is genuinely wide ranging, and I can’t wait to pull together the Playlist for this episode as he touched on so many great artists in our chat. Bryan’s song choices are: 70’s - Please Mr. Postman - Carpenters 80’s - Waterfall - The Stone Roses 90’s - Dead Flag Blues - Godspeed You! Black Emperor 00’s - Slow Show The National 10’s - Video Games Lana Del Rey 20’s - Death Is Not The End Embrace If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is Henrik Johnson, who is my first guest from Sweden. Henrik was born and grew up in a small town called Karlskoga which is between Stockholm and Oslo. Whilst not ‘desperate to get out ‘he left Karlskoga at the first opportunity and has subsequently lived & worked on three continents including stints in Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Greece. For the past 20 years home has been Southern California where he lives today in Newport Beach with his wife Lisa and their 6-year-old daughter Sarah. Henrik’s story is one of grabbing opportunities when they come up (even if it takes you to a war zone) , making what you enjoy your guiding light and recognising that necessity is the mother of invention. It also contains a brilliantly romantic story of him, very uncharacteristically, inviting Lisa his wife on a sailing holiday in the Caribbean after their first date! Like many of my guests Henrik shares a twin passion for music and technology and you can see this running through his music choices. Not surprisingly though he starts with Abba and the delights of Eurovision, and because of the brilliant story above I made an exception and allowed Henrik to choose his first dance song at his wedding for the 2010’s His song choices are: 70’s Waterloo Abba 80’s Just Can’t Get Enough Depeche Mode 90’s Friday I’m In Love The Cure 00’s Nothing But You (PvD Radio Mix) Paul Van Dyk 10’s What A Wonderful World Louis Armstrong 20’s You Are Gareth Emery If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest on this episode is Christina Boubalou who comes to the show via an introduction from a previous guest Roy Sharples (Ep.61). Thanks for the intro Roy, and your continued support. I’m delighted to say that Christina is my first guest from Greece, and she is a true Athenian. She has lived there all her life and continues to live there today along with her husband who was her best friend in high school! Christina always thought she would become a chemist but through a set of happy accidents she started her working career in 1997 in the music industry with Virgin Records. She later moved into Marketing & PR in the corporate world but describes her time in the music industry as ‘the best job I ever had’. In her own words she has always been ‘obsessed with music’ and on numerous occasions it has been her ‘saviour and salvation’. She talks fondly about the challenges of getting to hear music and see live shows in Greece and for me that was a timely reminder of how spoiled we were musically growing up in the UK or the US. At the end of the day though music lovers will always find a way. Whilst I wasn’t aware when Roy made the introduction Christina is also a big fan of Springsteen and on July 23rd she will be in Munich for the first time to see him live, I just wish I could be there with her 😊 In addition to her song choices Christina also chose a word to describe each decade and I have included these below. Enjoy! 70’s - Birth Love Is The Drug Roxy Music 80’s - Dream Livin’ On A Prayer Bon Jovi 90’s - Adulthood Dance Of The Bad Angels Tim Booth, Angelo Badalamenti 00’s - Reinvention Hung Up Madonna 10’s - Maturity Jenny Of Oldstones Florence + The Machine 20’s - Cycle Nightshift Bruce Springsteen If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is friend and colleague Mike Palmer. A Middlesborough lad, Mike moved to Manchester in 1984 to study Computing at UMIST where his degree supervisor was Bernard Richards, one of Alan Turing’s last students. Mike has never left the Northwest and he and his family have become committed ‘Mancophiles’, not least because of the great environment the city provides for music and the arts. Mike is a passionate music lover but it’s words that really impact him and as per the title of the episode on occasions make him cry. Similarly, recorded music is great but for him it’s all about the live performance. He inherited this love from his parents (who met Ella Fitzgerald!) and he and his wife Gerri have passed that on to his two daughters Emily and Anna. Consequently, each of his song choices are from bands he has seen live. Mike has a wealth of great stories including: · The Clash at Manchester Apollo in 1981 · Bowie at Murrayfield in 1983 on the Let’s Dance Tour · The Smiths at Middlesborough Town Hall Crypt in 1984 · Chatting with Michael Stipe at Leeds Warehouse in 1984 · Asking Don Letts to move out of his seat at a Big Audio Dynamite gig in 1986 · Radiohead at Glastonbury in 1997 · The XX at a secret venue under Victoria Station with 60 people in 2013 · The joy of attending Green Man every year with about 20 family and friends Mike’s song choices are: 70’s (White Man) in Hammersmith Palais The Clash 80’s New England Billy Bragg 90’s Fake Plastic Trees Radiohead 00’s One Day Like This Elbow 10’s Make Me Feel Janelle Monae 20’s The 345 Self Esteem If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is author, speaker & entrepreneur, Penny Power, OBE. I first met Penny in the late 90’s when she had just started the first Social Network, Ecademy with the declared aim of helping business people achieve success through online tools, community, and friendship. At that time there were a lot of people talking about online tools but very few talking about community, friendship and love , all of which have permeated Penny’s work throughout her career. The intro to her 2018 book ‘Business is Personal’ says ‘Penny has poured her heart into this book, and it is incredibly revealing’ and I feel very privileged that she did the same in our conversation. It would be easy for Penny to paint a rose-tinted picture of the journey she has been on, and she is the first to say she has much to be grateful for. But alongside that, life has thrown up some massive challenges, awful luck, and real tragedy. Penny takes us through both sides of that story in the open, honest, and authentic way that is her trademark and I find it genuinely inspirational. I always tell my guests: ‘it’s completely up to you how you want to approach the episode and the story you want to tell. All episodes are a mix of music nerdery and life story but the balance between them is different for each guest/episode which is one of the joys for me. This is an episode that is more focussed on the life story, but Penny’s song choices enhance her story so much and I would be surprised if you don’t choke up to at least one of them (and I’m very glad I allowed Penny two songs from the same artist) Her song choices are: 60’s Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da The Beatles 70’s Solitaire Carpenters 80’s One Moment in Time Whitney Houston 90’s Get There Oleta Adams 00’s I Didn’t Know My Own Strength Whitney Houston 10’s Just the Way You Are Bruno Mars 20’s The Rose Bette Midler If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode has two names! In his day to day life he is Noury Bernard-Hasan , or in true rock star style simply ‘Noury’ to anyone who knows him. However, for the last 15+ years he has also been a semi-professional Blues musician and he performs under the name of ‘Son Jack Jr’. Born in 1962, shortly after his parents emigrated to England from India, Noury grew up around West Kensington and the Hammersmith Road. His love of music started at an early age when he was given his first guitar by Manny Elias who went on to be the drummer with Tears for Fears in their heyday. Noury was not a fan of Progressive Rock or Disco and in 1973 the film American Graffiti resulted in in a dalliance with playing Rock & Roll over the next couple of years. But all that changed on his 15th Birthday (7/02/77) when he went to The Nashville Room and saw a band he’d never heard of – The Jam! The world was never the same for Noury after that night and subsequently he was in a band who released an album and were well known on ‘the London Scene’. As is so often the case though the band eventually petered out and in the early 80’s, encouraged by his girlfriend at the time, Noury enrolled on a programming course convincing himself this was another creative outlet. Cobol and writing Capex systems for Hertz didn’t initially deliver against that brief but it did lead to a successful 30-year career with Microsoft and then Amazon from which he recently retired at the end of last year. Whilst working for Microsoft he moved to Seattle in 1997 which reignited his interest in music and resulted in a massive life change. In the city of grunge Noury developed an interest and then a deep passion for the Blues which kick-started his semi pro career as Son Jack Jr. His passion for the Blues comes across loud and clear in this episode and I for one learnt a lot. It’s also great to hear him talk how he got to support Charlie Musselwhite and Chuck Berry amongst others. Noury moved back to the UK in the summer of 2020 with his wife and their 17-year-old daughter and in December of last year he announced his retirement from corporate life. Which of course leaves a lot more time for music. A new band is being put together as we speak, and I can’t wait to see them live. I hope you enjoy our conversation half as much as I did. If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is renowned UK illustrator Ian Wright. His work as a commercial illustrator has spanned four decades, starting with his illustrative cover of The Undertones’ Teenage Kicks 7” single in the late 1970s, progressing with his illustrative artwork in The Face magazine in their 1980s heyday and his famous weekly black and white portraits for the New Musical Express (NME). Ian’s subsequent work has involved collaboration with many famous names and brands including Issy Miyake, Givenchy and portraits of Sun Ra, Motorhead and Grandmaster Flash. In a delightfully wide-ranging chat, in both musical choices and subject matter, amongst other things we talk about: · Ian’s love of Radio, initially inspired by his dad ‘streaming’ Radio Luxembourg into his bedroom on a Friday night · The life-changing impact of Hendrix’s appearance on the Happening for Lulu show in January 1969 · The influence of Bob Harris and John Peel · Developing a passion for Reggae in the 70’s that continues to this day · What is was like working on NME & The Face in the 80’s · Pete Townsend making him a coffee (Ian doesn’t drink coffee) · Moving to New York in the 00's & working to a soundtrack of the (then unreleased) Beatles Remasters · Coming full circle and in March last year getting his own Radio show on Charlie Bones Do!! You!! Radio (https://doyouworld/) Ian’s song choices are appropriately wide ranging and were: 50’s Summertime Ella Fitzgerald. Louis Armstrong 60’s If 6 Was 9 The Jimi Hendrix Experience 70’s Dub With A Difference Harry Mudie 80’s Kalimankou Denkou The Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir 90’s All Is Full Of Love Bjork 00’s King In My Empire Rhythm & Sound 10’s Rock The Machine Lisa O’Neill 20’s Time Is Precious SAULT If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

This time of year isn’t just the season of goodwill it’s also the season of “Best Of” lists and it’s part of the musical year that I love. It’s always good to know that things you like are also enjoyed by others but the real joy for me is gaining new insight into albums I’ve enjoyed or discovering albums that I have missed. My hope is that this episode will do some of that for you. As in previous years I am joined by my Podcast pal Steven Routledge and we both talk through our Top 10 albums and play a short clip from each of them. In this part we count down from 5 to 1 and reveal our personal Favourite Album of the year. You can use 'Chapter Markers' to see our choices (they are shown as artist & album) and also listen to individual choices if you wish. You can also hear the full versions of the clips we played at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2DYWpMMNT0lovGTEgPyOOq?si=b287b1928ec346f8 I'm afraid this requires a cut & paste Finally please do let me know what you think of these choices and particularly if there is new music you like. You can do that by emailing me at musictalkspod@outlook.com , I really look forward to hearing from you. Happy New Year to you and lets hope 2023 will be another great year for music. If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

This time of year isn’t just the season of goodwill it’s also the season of “Best Of” lists and it’s part of the musical year that I love. It’s always good to know that things you like are also enjoyed by others but the real joy for me is gaining new insight into albums I’ve enjoyed or discovering albums that I have missed. My hope is that this episode will do some of that for you. As in previous years I am joined by my Podcast pal Steven Routledge and we both talk through our Top 10 albums and play a short clip from each of them. In this part we count down from 10 to 5 and in Part 2 (released on 29/12/22) we go from 5 to 1. You can use 'Chapter Markers' to see our choices (they are shown as artist & album) and also listen to individual choices if you wish. Please do let me know what you think of these choices and particularly if there is new music you like. You can do that by emailing me at musictalkspod@outlook.com , I really look forward to hearing from you. Have a great Christmas and here’s to 2023 being another great year for music. If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

This is part 2 of my chat with Dermot McCormack which was an absolute delight to do and so much fun. As was the case in Pt.1 the episode has some great music choices and a wealth of fantastic stories including Dermot : and so many more! Dermot's song choices were: And with that final song selection all that is left to say is "Happy Christmas" If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is Dermot McCormack. Given his name it will be no surprise to hear that Dermot was born in Dublin in 1969 and grew up in the working-class area of Ballyfermot in the city. In the early 90’s, after a formative year in France and a summer spent in the US, he emigrated to the US which is still home to him today. For a long time, he lived in New York, but he recently moved with his wife Donna to the sunshine and sand of Manhattan Beach in California. Whilst his degree was in Electrical Engineering, he has spent his working life at the intersection of Technology, Music, Content & Entertainment. He has worked at several major companies including Viacom, AOL & MTV and highlights for me include him being part of the team that produced Rock Band Beatles Edition, powering all the music in Tesla’s and owning a Podcast company! Like all my guests Dermot has a deep love of music and wide-ranging tastes, with Tom Waits, Ska and a certain Irish band called U2 being deep favourites. Whatever your views on U2 I challenge you not to be moved and inspired by Dermot’s story of walking 10 minutes from home in 1983 to see U2 at Phoenix Park and 17 years later having dinner with Bono where he was given the nickname ‘Digital Dermot from Dublin’. Dermot's song choices in this Part. 1 episode are: 60’s Here Comes The Sun The Beatles 70’s I Hope That I Don’t Fall In Love With You Tom Waits 80’s Ghost Town The Specials 90’s One U2 Enjoy :-) If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

This is Part 2 of my Music Talks chat with Geoff Sutton. If you enjoyed Part 1 you will be delighted to hear that the stories and music just ‘keep on coming’ (as they used to say on the radio!) In this episode Geoff talks about a whole host of things including: · His time at The Daily Mirror, The Sunday Express and Today · Visiting Cuba · Becoming a father to his two children Helen and Daniel · Joining Microsoft in 1996 to launch MSN News & start of an 18-year journey · Almost being sacked by Bill Gates because of the ‘ iLoo Project’ · Working on the People’s Vote Campaign · Learning to play the Saxophone in Lockdown · Becoming a Powerboat Skipper His Music choices are: 90’s - Chan Chan Buena Vista Social Club 00’s – All Fall Down Kanye West, Syleena Johnson 10’s – Waiting All Night Rudimental (Ft. Ella Eyre) 20’s – Betty et Zorg Gabriel Yared Enjoy :-) If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is Geoff Sutton. The stereotype of a Microsoft employee is a Computer Sciences nerd in a check shirt and chinos. Whilst they do exist Geoff is a great example of the diversity of background and experience that existed in the company as was my previous guest Neil Jordan (7 years as a Choirister at Windsor Castle) and indeed myself with my English Lit Degree (specialist subjects - Anglo-Saxon Poetry and Medieval Mystery Plays) Geoff joined Microsoft in 1996 to set up MSN News after 16 years as a journalist, including spells at the Daily Mail, Today, Sunday Express and Daily Mirror. It’s no surprise then that he has a raft of stories and in this episode, we hear hilarious and fascinating stories about his time on Mail Showbiz including: · Running with Madonna · Being a waiter at Bill Wyman’s Wedding · A one-off appearance as Elvis on the West End Stage · Motivating Boy George to kick his heroin addiction · Princess Di and Fergie pretending to be WPCs at Annabel’s He then moved over to News and had the challenging experience of covering three major tragedies in the UK in 87/88 namely the King’s Cross Fire, the explosion and sinking of the Piper Alpha Oil Platform and Lockerbie Terrorist Attack. \ Born in Hackney but today Geoff lives in Bermondsey with his wife Asli and he has two grown-up children Helen and Daniel. He is a lifelong Arsenal fan, and he describes his early teens as being all about “Football and Music’. His passion for both continues to shine through and that includes learning to play the Saxophone in lock down (but more on that in Part 2!) . His song choices in this episode are: 60’s – Three Coins in The Fountain Frank Sinatra 70’s – No Action Elvis Costello 80’s – Club Tropicana Wham Enjoy 😊 If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

Neil is a 30-year I.T. veteran, the last 23 years of which have been spent at Microsoft where today he is the WW General Manager for Retail & Health Innovation. Born in Bristol he now lives in Kirkland, WA with his wife Ciara and their three young children Oliver, Archie and Ophelia, and their cat Boris. Despite a love of technology, that started at a young age, Neil’s story at its core is a musical one and he describes himself as having a lifelong ‘addiction’ to music, whether that be listening, playing, or singing. During our chat he describes the impact of music on himself in numerous ways including ‘soothing, stimulating, solace, a release, healing and of course magic’. Some of his performance highlights include: · As a teenager being in a 6 piece Acapella group, ‘Ok Chorale’ who performed at the BBC, made records, & won an award at the Edinburgh Fringe · Getting a Choral Scholarship at Trinity College Cambridge and travelling all over the world performing at the highest level · Being a Tenor Lay Clark at St. George’s Windsor Castle and singing in the chapel each day · Singing the Tenor Solo at the Queen’s 70th Birthday celebration and having a ‘nice chat’ with her afterwards · Getting a chance side-gig with the Seattle Opera that he thought was for one show (Tosca) which lasted for nine years. He also talks very honestly about having to leave the role in Windsor Castle due to the breakdown in his singing voice and facing the challenge of vocal nodules in recent years. Neil is a real student of music and I guarantee you will learn something from our chat. I am also pretty sure it will be the only time you will hear the phrase ‘crazy enharmonic chord progression’ on Music Talks. Neil’s song selections were 60’s Good Vibrations The Beach Boys 70’s More Than A Feeling Boston 80’s He Knows You Know Marillion 90’s Something To Save George Michael 00’s Just Listen Ocean Lab 10’s Ophelia The Lumineers 20’s Happiness Is Easy Talk Talk Enjoy 😊 If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is Michael Elliott a DJ, radio exec, writer and a man who has overcome a lot of adversity to get to a better place today. He lives in Raleigh NC and is a southerner born and bred with all the challenges and contradictions that brings. An only child he was born with cataracts in both eyes and was partially blind until the age of 50. He grew up surrounded by a music loving family and imagination and creativity were his best friends. He developed an interest in radio at an early age and used to sit in on the morning show at his local station which led to a career of almost 30 years in radio, spanning being a live DJ through to senior management. In 2012, after long term challenges with alcohol he found sobriety which continues to this day despite several subsequent life changing challenges. During this period, he also met the love of his life Liz who he is now happily married to. Liz encouraged him to pursue his passion for music and writing and he is now a contributor to the pioneering roots music authority No Depression and his writing has also appeared in PopMatters, Americana UK, Albumism, and The Bitter Southerner. He has interviewed and produced profiles on musicians as diverse as Isaac Hayes, Charlie Daniels, Little Richard, Kurt Vile and Daniel Lanois. In September 2021 he published the critically acclaimed biography of John Hiatt entitled “Have A Little Faith’ with a foreword by Elvis Costello. Do please look at Michael’s website https://michael-elliott.com/ where you will find numerous plaudits for his book from people such as Bonnie Raitt, Rosanne Cash and Rodney Crowell. Michael’s song choices were: · 70’s - East Bound and Down Jerry Reed · 80’s - Sweetheart Like You Bob Dylan · 90’s - Buffalo River Home John Hiatt · 00’s - Get Ur Freak On Missy Elliott · 10’s - Drunk In Love Beyonce (feat. Jay-Z) · 20’s - I Don’t Live Here Anymore The War on Drugs (feat. Lucius) Enjoy ! If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod . You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .