by Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold
<p>Mark Ellen and David Hepworth have been talking about and writing about music together and individually for a collective eighty years in magazines like Smash Hits, Mojo and The Word and on radio and TV programmes like "Rock On", "Whistle Test" and VH-1.</p><br><p>Over thirteen years ago, when working on the late magazine The Word, they began producing podcasts. Some listeners have been kind enough to say these have been very special to them. When the magazine folded in 2012 they kept the spirit of those podcasts alive in regular Word In Your Ear evenings in which they spoke to musicians and authors in front of an audience. </p><br><p>Over these years they've produced hundreds of hours of material. As of the Current Unpleasantness of 2020, they've produced yet hundreds of hours more with a little help from guests kind enough to digitally show them around their attics such as Danny Baker, Andy Partridge, Sir Tim Rice and Mark Lewisohn. For the full span of the Word In Your Ear world, visit <a href="http://www.wiyelondon.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wiyelondon.com</a>.</p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4234399">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
3/7/2007
Email Addresses
1 available
Phone Numbers
0 available
April 20, 2025
<p>The chocolate Easter bunny of rock and roll news in highly nutritious and digestible fragments, such as … </p><p> </p><p>… the Who’s very public sacking of Zak Starkey.</p><p> </p><p>… why no band ever wants to play quietly.</p><p> </p><p>… how a magazine in a shop window sparked the Neil Tennant/Mark Springer album.</p><p> </p><p>… Katy Perry’s space ‘mission’ and the trenchant observations by her and the ‘crew’ – “I can’t put it into words but I looked out the window and we got to see the moon!”</p><p> </p><p>… The Thing In The Cellar, Dogs Are Everywhere, Roadkill … Pulp song or episode of The Good Life?</p><p> </p><p>… the brilliant new ‘One To One: John & Yoko’ documentary and how we miss the days when rock stars went on live chat shows and said the first thing that came into their heads.</p><p> </p><p>… why musicians are fundamentally different from other entertainers.</p><p> </p><p>... perilous domestic gadgets of the ‘60s.</p><p> </p><p>… the allure of songs about space.</p><p> </p><p>… “Ray’s at the controls!” When Ray Charles went walkabout on the band’s private plane.</p><p> </p><p> … Pete Townshend: “We need bigger weapons!”</p><p> </p><p>… Ben Watt DJ-ing in ear defenders.</p><p> </p><p>… Ray Davies, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman …? Who grew the first psychedelic moustache?</p><p> </p><p>Plus birthday guest Al Hearton on Kris Kristofferson, John Travolta, Bruce Dickinson, Gary Numan and the rock and roll/aviation crossover.</p><br><p><strong>Find out more about how to help us to keep the conversation going: </strong><a href="https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear</a></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4234399">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
April 17, 2025
<p>Dave Pegg joined Fairport Convention 56 years ago and fully deserves some sort of medal. They’re playing their 49th Cropredy in August and touring the UK later in the year. He talks to us here about the first gigs he ever saw and played which, delightfully, involves …</p><p> </p><p>… the night Hank Marvin took him to see Bjork.</p><p> </p><p>… an all-nighter in Birmingham with John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Chris Farlowe and Spencer Davis. </p><p> </p><p>… memories of his “school hero” Denny Laine.</p><p> </p><p>… the fine art of getting it together in the country: life at the Angel pub in Little Hadham – “flea-bitten, enough hot water for one person and a lorry crashed through the wall into Dave Swarbrick’s bedroom”.</p><p> </p><p>… the link between ticket sales and high blood pressure.</p><p> </p><p>… what not to do when you meet McCartney.</p><p> </p><p>… a night on the whisky with Rick Danko that ended in hospital.</p><p> </p><p>… how a band lasts 58 years without falling out.</p><p> </p><p>… the Island albums that made their reputation but never earned them any money.</p><p> </p><p>… unsung Birmingham acts: Denny Laine & the Diplomats (Bev Bevan on drums), Steve Gibbons in the Uglys, Jeff Lynne in the Idle Race.</p><p> </p><p>… narrowboats, pewter ale jugs, outdoor settees, Matty Groves, Meet On The Ledge and other cornerstones of the Cropredy experience.</p><br><p>… Dave Swarbrick’s “small holding” and further assorted knob gags.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Fairport Convention tickets here: </strong><a href="https://www.davepegg.co.uk/gigs/fairportgigs/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.davepegg.co.uk/gigs/fairportgigs/</a></p><p> </p><p><strong>Cropredy tickets here: </strong><a href="https://www.fairportconvention.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.fairportconvention.com/</a></p><br><p><strong>Find out more about how to help us to keep the conversation going: </strong><a href="https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear</a></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4234399">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
April 15, 2025
<p>Boldly pursuing tariff-free trade in rock and roll news, nostalgia, gossip and old hokum since 2007 and, this week, featuring …</p><p> </p><p>… the romantic allure of life as a critic.</p><p> </p><p>… Sting’s part in the success of ‘Adolescence’.</p><p> </p><p>… Mick Jagger’s long engagement to Melanie Hamrick (born when Steel Wheels came out!)</p><p> </p><p>… "Contained within these grooves are twelve convincing arguments against the capitalist system" and other vicious reviews revisited.</p><p> </p><p>… when Bob Marley recorded ‘Sugar Sugar’ by the Archies.</p><p> </p><p>… Al Bowlly’s menacing ‘Midnight, The Stars And You’ and how film soundtracks change your relationship with music.</p><p> </p><p>… what Mike Chapman had to tell Blondie to make ‘Parallel Lines’ a hit.</p><p> </p><p>… little-known pop fact no 97: Dave Pegg was at the same school as the man who invented the internet!</p><p> </p><p>… "I can lose weight but you will always be the director of Brown Bunny” – cracking film review one-liners from Roger Ebert.</p><p> </p><p>… the Jaws film and the Jeeves musical: both came out 50 years ago, both riddled with catastrophe. One broke box office records, the other died like a louse in a Russian’s beard.</p><p> </p><p>… Gabrielle Drake - “If you’re going to be in a flop, best it be a huge one.”</p><p> </p><p>… why Elvis Costello and Al Stewart should hit the lecture circuit.</p><p> </p><p>… and David Hemmings, inconsolable, in a shower. </p><p> </p><p>Plus birthday guest Chuck Loncon stages a quiz.</p><br><p><strong>Find out more about how to help us to keep the conversation going: </strong><a href="https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear</a></p> <a target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href="https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/4234399">Get bonus content on Patreon</a><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
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