The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest music ever recorded

Few works of musical theatre receive the recognition they deserve, and The Kibbo Kift is a prime example. Written by Judge Smith, co-founder of Van der Graaf Generator, and composer Maxwell Hutchinson, this ambitious rock musical told the stranger-than-fiction story of a breakaway anti-war scouting movement in 1920 that transformed, over two turbulent decades, from idealistic woodland campers into uniformed street-fighters for an alternative economic theory. It played Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre and reached Sheffield’s Crucible in 1977 under director Mel Smith, then slipped into the margins of rock history. The recordings had a precarious existence. Union rules blocked a proper studio cast album, leaving only a patchwork of demo tapes and studio cuts. For decades these circulated in rough form, hardly doing justice to the material. Now, thanks to Think Like a Key, who tracked down, restored and remastered all surviving recordings,The Kibbo Kift can finally be heard as it deserves. In this interview, Judge Smith talks about the history of this remarkable lost musical, and why its strange subject matter resonates today. Further information The Kibbo Kift: The 1976 Rock Musical Judge Smith website Support The Strange Brew The Kibbo Kift podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Peter Hammill, The Genesis That Time Forgot, Tony Banks, Hawkwind’s Days of the Underground This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Google apps and all usual platforms The post The Kibbo Kift: The Lost Rock Musical appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Duncan Mackay spent the 1970s at the keyboard of British popular and progressive music, often invisibly, yet seldom far from its most defining moments. MacKay first built a reputation in South Africa which brought him back to England where he joined Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, just as ‘Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)’ reached number one, and it was at Abbey Road during those sessions that he first encountered producer Alan Parsons. That relationship drew him into the Alan Parsons Project and, through the same circle, into the studio with Kate Bush, on whose first three albums he played. He later joined 10cc after an impromptu jam with Rick Fenn led to an invitation to Strawberry Studios South, arriving in time for ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ and another number one. He also recorded with Camel and served as musical director for Elkie Brooks while maintaining a solo career. Now based in South Africa and working in his home studio he is free to undertake the most enjoyable recording project of his career, his new album with Mauritz Lotz, A Beautiful Madness. Further information Duncan Mackay & Mauritz Lotz – A Beautiful Madness Duncan Mackay podcast tracks Support The Strange Brew Podcasts also available: Alan Parsons, Steve Harley, Jim Cregan – Cockney Rebel, David Paton – Part 1, Eric Stewart – 10cc – Part 2, Graham Gouldman This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Duncan Mackay – Cockney Rebel, Alan Parsons Project, Kate Bush, 10cc appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Rat Scabies needs little introduction as the thunderous drummer of The Damned. His collaborator in One Thousand Motels, Chris Constantinou, has had a career that has taken him from the studio with Chas Chandler, to the Live Aid stage at Wembley with Adam Ant, and into the recording booth with Sinéad O’Connor. Rat and Chris describe how they first met through The Mutants, a collaborative project that assembled an unlikely roll-call of rock veterans including Wilco Johnson, Wayne Kramer and Norman Watt-Roy. That project proved too unwieldy to tour so they stripped it back, formed a two-man core, and called it One Thousand Motels. The result was 2% Out of Sync, an album that has taken almost six years to find its way onto vinyl, and into listeners’ hands. Further information One Thousand Motels – 2% Out of Sync – vinyl Rat Scabies and Chris Constantinou podcast tracks Support The Strange Brew Podcasts also available: Rat Scabies, Paul Cook – Sex Pistols, Don Powell – Slade, Jim Lea – Slade Part 1, Jim Lea – Slade Part 2 This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Rat Scabies and Chris Constantinou appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Jason Barnard is joined by music writer and artist Chris Wade to talk about The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. They discuss how the US tour ban pushed Ray Davies inward, the extraordinary run of Kinks singles, and what it means to preserve an England that probably never existed in the first place. Davies kept returning to the village green and its characters into the early 70s with the Preservation albums. The record’s influence spread slowly, and today it is treasured as one of the great British albums ever made. Further information Recorded at The CAT Club in July 2025 Chris Wade website Podcasts also available: The Kinks 1940-71, Shel Talmy, Bob Henrit – The Kinks, Argent, The Roulettes, The Kinks – Strange Brew tribute, Philip Norman on the Beatles, Bee Gees’ Main Course with Bob Stanley This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Google apps and all usual platforms The post The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Andrew Sandoval talks about THE KINKS – ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT, The Day-By-Day Story Pt 1: 1940-1971, the new book he co-authored with the Doug Hinman. This is the most comprehensive record of the Kinks’ early career ever assembled. Andrew and Jason Barnard cover what it actually took to document The Kinks, from chasing down Shel Talmy’s original studio invoices (Pye Records kept almost no paperwork). They dig into Ray Davies’ songwriting arc, the commercial failure of Village Green Preservation Society and Arthur, the on-stage fight in Cardiff that nearly ended the band in 1965, and the years of visa problems that kept the Kinks out of America. There’s also a discussion of Ray’s unreleased material that were better than most bands’ released work, why Ray refused to release ‘Pictures in the Sand’ for decades, and how the Granada Television deal that funded Arthur eventually fell apart. Further information beatlandbooks.com Podcasts also available: Shel Talmy, Bob Henrit – The Kinks, Argent, The Roulettes, The Kinks – Strange Brew tribute, Philip Norman on the Beatles, Bee Gees’ Main Course with Bob Stanley This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Google apps and all usual platforms The post The Kinks 1940 to 1971 appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Lou Gramm discusses his long-awaited album Released and how it brings unfinished songs back to life. Gramm also opens up about Foreigner’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the politics that delayed their recognition, and the emotional moment of finally taking the stage to accept the honour. The podcast explores the rekindling of his relationship with Mick Jones, overlooked Foreigner albums such as Mr. Moonlight and the short-lived Shadow King project, both of which Gramm believes deserve far greater attention. Further information Lou Gramm – Released Lou Gramm podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Lou Gramm – 2022, Kelly Hansen – Foreigner, Michael Schenker, Bernie Marsden – Whitesnake, Mark Farner – Grand Funk Railroad, Barry Goudreau – Boston This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Lou Gramm on Foreigner appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Tom Doyle digs into the remarkable, and surprisingly chaotic, story of Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles decade. Tom’s book Man on the Run, reissued to coincide with the official documentary of the same name, charts McCartney’s journey from 1969 to 1981: from morning drinking on a Scottish farm to headlining Madison Square Garden. Tom covers Linda’s role in keeping Paul from the brink, the brotherly war-and-reconciliation with John Lennon, the near-collaboration that almost happened in New Orleans in 1975, Denny Laine’s loyal lieutenancy, the extraordinary circumstances behind Band on the Run, the rise and fall of Wings, and the moment John Lennon’s murder brought the freewheeling seventies era to a sudden stop. Further information Man on the Run and Ringo: A Fab Life by Tom Doyle are available now. (Ringo: A Fab Life, US release May 2026). Podcasts also available: Denny Seiwell, Howie Casey – Paul McCartney and Wings, Mike McCartney’s Early Liverpool, Eric Stewart – 10cc/Paul McCartney, solo, Dave Mattacks This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s appeared first on The Strange Brew .

If you’re a David Bowie fan, the names Earl Slick, Mike Garson, Tim Lefebvre, Gerry Leonard and Mark Plati will need no introduction. But KillerStar is emphatically not a Bowie tribute, and that’s what makes them so special. On this episode, KillerStar co-founder Rob Fleming explains how the whole thing started organically; a few demos, a call to vocalist Emm Gryner, and suddenly some of the most celebrated musicians of the past thirty years were playing original music together for the first time in years. Now, with new album The Afterglow, the collective grows with the Webb Sisters bringing their vocal talents to an already extraordinary lineup. Rob discusses five KillerStar tracks that demonstrate why they sound like no one else today. Further information killerstarband.com KillerStar podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Mike Garson, Gerry Leonard, Mark Plati, Earl Slick, Kevin Armstrong This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Rob Fleming – KillerStar appeared first on The Strange Brew .

It’s been over a decade since I last spoke to Steve Ellis, and it felt like no time had passed at all. That’s the thing about Steve, he just pulls you straight back in. The prompt for this catch-up was his latest release, Love Affair – Edinburgh Live 1995. The story of how it came to exist, a phone call at 7pm asking if they could record a live album that same night, is pure Steve Ellis. From there we tumbled into his soul and Motown roots, the mod scene, and his deep connection with Steve Marriott and the Small Faces. Then there’s the legendary Eros fountain stunt – the arrest and how it helped send ‘Everlasting Love’ to number one. On the solo front, we cover his friendship and collaborations with Paul Weller and Roger Daltrey. And as a parting shot, Steve reveals a new album is in the bag, and by the sound of it, well worth the wait. Further information Steve Ellis – Facebook Mod Music: The London years 1963 – 1966 – Brian Carroll Steve Ellis podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Steve Ellis – 2015, Morgan Fisher – Love Affair, Steve Cradock, Steve Cropper, Phill Brown on Small Faces – Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Steve Ellis – The Soul Survivor appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Billy Sherwood discusses the upcoming YES UK tour featuring the complete Fragile album. He traces his path from drummer to bassist, learning the instrument by playing along to YES records, and development in groups Lodgic and World Trade. Sherwood details his first collaboration with Chris Squire in 1989, writing ‘The More We Live – Let Go,’ and his refusal to become YES’s lead singer during the Union era. The conversation centres on Squire’s final weeks, and Squire making Sherwood promise to stay with YES and keep the band moving forward. He also reflects on his extensive tribute album work, and YES’s current recording process for albums The Quest and Mirror to the Sky. Further information yesworld.com billysherwood.com Billy Sherwood podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Steve Howe (2025), Steve Howe (2023), Steve Howe (2019), Bill Bruford, Alan White, Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes, Tony Kaye, Rick Wakeman, Chester Thompson, Colin Moulding – part 2 This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Billy Sherwood – YES appeared first on The Strange Brew .

The guitar player who helped define pub rock in the 1970s is still making records. Brinsley Schwarz’s latest album, Shouting at the Moon, asks the same question that runs through much of his recent work: why can’t we get it together before it’s too late? The podcast then moves back to when his eponymous band became accidental pioneers of a movement they never quite intended to lead. There’s the infamous 1970 trip to New York’s Fillmore East that went spectacularly wrong, the moment Van Morrison left him “completely dumbstruck”, and the five years that followed when the band decided to simply get good. Between stories about Dave Edmunds’ backhanded compliments and 45-minute versions of ‘Niki Hoeky’, Schwarz reveals a musician who found his sound early and never saw much reason to abandon it. He remembers Bob Andrews with genuine affection and admits he didn’t write much during the Brinsleys because Nick Lowe was better at it. Further information Brinsley Schwarz – Shouting At The Moon Brinsley Schwarz podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Graham Parker, Mark Wirtz, Pub rock and the birth of new wave, Bruce Thomas – Elvis Costello and The Attractions This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Brinsley Schwarz appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Across Big Big Train’s shifting line-ups, Greg Spawton’s songs connect the earliest records to their latest album, Woodcut. Greg selects eight tracks from Big Big Train’s catalogue that help tell their story; songs about Winchester Cathedral’s medieval foundations, record-breaking steam locomotives, and stories plucked from newspaper headlines, transforming historical curiosities into explorations of human endeavour. Further information bigbigtrain.com Greg Spawton podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Bruce Soord – The Pineapple Thief, Roine Stolt – The Flower Kings, Steve Hackett on Genesis Revisited and Hackett Highlights, Tony Banks, Steve Howe This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Greg Spawton – Big Big Train appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Mike Garson traces his extraordinary creative relationship with David Bowie from the Ziggy Stardust era through to his final live dates. Garson reflects on how his classical and jazz background allowed him to follow Bowie’s restless stylistic shifts, and how reinvention sat at the heart of their collaboration. Along the way, he revisits key moments including working on Aladdin Sane, Young Americans, The Buddha of Suburbia, Outside, Heathen and Toy, plus stories of Mick Ronson and the Bowie Band alumni. Further information Dublin Bowie Festival 2026 – 24 February to 1 March mikegarson.com Mike Garson podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Gerry Leonard, Mark Plati, Earl Slick, Carlos Alomar, Kevin Armstrong, Tony Fox Sales, Ken Scott, Woody Woodmansey, John Cambridge, John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Mike Garson remembers David Bowie appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Ric Sanders, the fiddle player who has been an integral part of Fairport Convention for 40 years, takes us on a journey through his extraordinary musical life. From his early days discovering electric violin, to his simultaneous membership in both Soft Machine and the Albion Band, Sanders’ career reads like a who’s who of British jazz-fusion and folk-rock. Speaking with characteristic warmth, Sanders discusses the upcoming Fairport Spring 2026 UK Tour and provides insights into life on the road. Beyond Fairport, Sanders reveals the rich tapestry of collaborations that have shaped his musical journey: moments following Indian violin legend L. Shankar on stage, late-night jam sessions with Nigel Kennedy in Malvern pubs, and the influence of Ashley Hutchings. He also discusses his ongoing projects, from the Ric Sanders Trio to his recent work with Rosalie Cunningham. While Ric considers himself “a very lucky little fellow” it’s clear that luck has been matched by extraordinary talent and a passion for making music. Further information Fairport Convention Spring Tour 2026 Ric Sanders podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Ashley Hutchings, Rosalie Cunningham, Gordon Giltrap, Dave Mattacks, Chris Leslie, Simon Nicol (2023), Dave Pegg This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Ric Sanders – Fairport Convention appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Steve Berlin revisits Los Angeles during its most volatile creative period, the late 1970s and early 1980s, when rent was $170 a month and sewage regularly seeped into the Cathay de Grande, the basement club where Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs held their Monday night residency. Berlin recalls producing and playing on their newly reissued album Pigus Drinkus Maximus and joining Los Lobos after they’d spent years developing east of the LA River, completely off the west side scene’s radar. He also addresses the Graceland controversy head-on: Paul Simon’s failure to credit Los Lobos for writing the music to ‘All Around the World or The Myth of Fingerprints.’ Berlin also discusses his work with REM, producing Faith No More, and offers a moving tribute to Mavericks frontman Raul Malo. Further information Pigus Drunkus Maximus Steve Berlin podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Steve Wynn – The Dream Syndicate, Matt Piucci – Rain Parade, John Cowsill and Vicki Peterson, Harold Bronson – founder of Rhino Records This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Gods Walking the Earth: Steve Berlin Remembers the LA Music Scene That Made Los Lobos and Top Jimmy appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Vox, lead vocalist of Chameleons, discusses the group’s successful reformation and their latest album Arctic Moon. The conversation explores the Chameleons’ origins in Manchester’s late 1970s post-punk scene, their breakthrough John Peel session, and challenging relationships with CBS Records and producer Steve Lillywhite. Vox reflects on their early years and the tensions that led to the band’s original dissolution. Throughout, the conversation highlights the Chameleons’ status as one of the most influential guitar bands of the 1980s, whose atmospheric sound has cemented their legacy as Manchester’s most underrated musical export. Further information chameleonsband.com Chameleons podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Steve Diggle – Buzzcocks, David Gedge – The Wedding Present, Peter Perrett – The Only Ones, Andy Gill – Gang of Four, Barry Adamson – Magazine This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Vox – Chameleons appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Damon Minchella, founding bassist and songwriter of Ocean Colour Scene, and longtime collaborator with Paul Weller and Richard Ashcroft, talks about his time in music. Damon reflects on a remarkable career spanning Britpop’s rise, creative battles with major labels, his friendship with Oasis, and performing with The Who for Live 8 and Paul McCartney for War Child. He also discusses his autobiography You’d Look Good on a Donkey, the realities behind Ocean Colour Scene’s success, and how a life-changing injury led him into academia while continuing to tour at the highest level. Further information Damon Minchella: You’d Look Good On A Donkey: Britpop, Basslines & Bad(Ish) Decisions Podcasts also available: Steve Cradock, Stephen Street, Billy Bragg, Lynval Golding, Bruce Foxton This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Damon Minchella – Ocean Colour Scene appeared first on The Strange Brew .

In 1968, a group of Luton apprentices started creating a rock opera. Chris Stokes and his band Genesis (not that Genesis) conceived a concept album with baroque piano arrangements and experimental passages, then packed it away and got on with their day jobs. For over 50 years, this album and other material spanning a decade, existed only on deteriorating tape and acetates. Chris recorded with various lineups from the mid-1960s including The Mantis Set, Genesis, and Sunday Painter, mostly at home on a Revox tape machine; self-financed, largely improvised, never properly released. Then Diomorphodons from Hand of Glory Records bought a battered Hohner keyboard on eBay for £10, heard a sample track, and discovered a treasure trove of lost British psychedelia. Chris and Diomorphodons share highlights from this incredible archive, with the bulk of these tracks heard in public for the first time. Further information handofglory.co.uk A Story By The Genesis The Genesis – podcast tracks Podcasts also available: The British Psychedelic Sounds of 1967, A Kaleidoscope Of Sounds Psychedelic & Freakbeat Masterpieces, Arthur Brown, Hawkwind’s Days of the Underground, Pete Brown – Cream/Jack Bruce This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post The Genesis That Time Forgot: Unearthed British Psychedelia appeared first on The Strange Brew .

James Warren joins us to talk through a life in songs, from the playful invention of Stackridge to the studio-bound success of The Korgis. James reflects on writing Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime, why its acoustic reworking finally restored a lost verse, and how choices around touring shaped the band’s fate. Along the way he discusses working with George Martin, later reformations, and highlights from recent Korgis releases. Further information thekorgis.com James Warren podcast tracks Podcasts also available: James Warren (2017), Chris Difford, Gordon Haskell, Steve Harley, Karl Wallinger This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post James Warren – Stackridge, The Korgis appeared first on The Strange Brew .

In The Strange Brew’s 500th episode, Colin Blunstone returns to talk about his One Year and More live box set. Colin reflects on the development of his songwriting, collaborating with Rod Argent and Chris White and the making his early solo albums. He looks back on The Zombies and Odessey and Oracle and the lasting impact of their music. He also discusses working with Alan Parsons and his plans for live dates and new material in 2026. Further information One Year and More: Live from Union Chapel Colin Blunstone website Colin Blunstone 2025 podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Colin Blunstone (2021), Colin Blunstone (2015), Chris White (2025), Chris White (2019), Rod Argent, Hugh Grundy, Russ Ballard, Mike Hurst, Alan Parsons This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Colin Blunstone on One Year, The Zombies and New Music appeared first on The Strange Brew .