Pop: The History Makers with Steve Blame

Steve Blame

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Apr 4, 2022 • 32min

Season 2 - Episode 11. Billie Ray Martin. Part 1 of 2

Billie Ray Martin's 'Your Loving Arms' was a top ten hit in the U.K, a massive club hit worldwide, and remains one of the great dance anthems. Her story reads like a Hollywood movie, full of twists and turns. It even contains the obligatory 'singer looks for band' advert which leads to Electribe 101. But when a second album is rejected, the band splits, Billie Ray Martin goes solo, and the album is forgotten for 30 years. Until this year!In this, Part One of a two-part interview with Billie Ray Martin, she talks about her humble working-class beginnings growing up in the Reeperbahn district of Hamburg, moving to Berlin where she gains experience on-stage in bands, and her first impressions of when she first moved to London.Look out for Part Two of this interview.Connect with me on Instagram; steve.blameAnd thanks to POP; The History Makers insanely wonderful talent booker: #ArchieCMichaelSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/pop-the-history-makers-with-steve-blame/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Apr 3, 2022 • 3min

Mini-Memories 6 - of an interview with Milli Vanilli

Rob Pilatus, once half of Milli Vanilli, died on the 3rd of April 1998. It was the eve of a promotional tour for a new Milli Vanilli album on which both he and Fab Morvan featured. The story of the downfall of Milli Vanilli is a tragic tale, they are not the only non-singers in music history, yet they felt the full force of a media backlash. This is my mini-memory of Milli Vanilli.⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/pop-the-history-makers-with-steve-blame/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 28, 2022 • 36min

Season 2 - Episode 10. Wolfgang Flür. Part 2 of 2

Part Two of this interview with Wolfgang Flür looks at more tracks on his album Magazine 1, and how Trans Europe Express inspired him to make his track Night Drive. He also talks about an emotional final meeting with ex-Kraftwerk bandmate, Florian Schneider - pictured.Make sure you listen to Part One.And connect with me on Instagram; steve.blameSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/pop-the-history-makers-with-steve-blame/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 28, 2022 • 35min

Season 2 - Episode 9. Wolfgang Flür. Part 1 of 2

Born in 1947 in post-war Germany, Wolfgang Flür made his name in the band Kraftwerk. The last time I met him was in 1997 when he released his first post-Kraftwerk album with his band Yamo. His latest album, Magazine 1, is a masterpiece, a mixture of old and new, a commentary of today's world from Flür's perspective. In the first part of this two-part interview, we talk about his own personal history, about his plea to pacifism in Say No! through the Wolfgang Borchert poem of the same name, and the track Birmingham, the home base of his main collaborator on this album, Peter Duggal.Look out for Part Two of this interview.And connect with me on Instagram; steve.blameSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/pop-the-history-makers-with-steve-blame/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 25, 2022 • 2min

Mini-Memories 5 - of interviews with Elton John on his 75th birthday.

Ross, Cher, Streisand, the world loves a Diva. But the greatest of all is probably Elton John, this is my mini-memory of interviews with Elton John. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/pop-the-history-makers-with-steve-blame/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 21, 2022 • 29min

Season 2 - Episode 7. Mousse T. Part 1 of 2

Part One of a two-part interview with Mousse T.Record producer, film composer, DJ, and judge on Deutschland Sucht den Superstar - Germany’s version of Pop Idol, Mousse T. has achieved worldwide success with his written and produced tracks Horny '98 and Sexbomb, his collaboration with Tom Jones. His songs are infused with house music and an element of fun, but when you talk to him, you realize there is much more to the Mousse T. He’s affable, thoughtful, and intelligent. And in this first part of the interview, I talk to him about his early life, his Turkish heritage, and his route into music. (And just in case you need to know the t-shirt he refers to is a Studio 54 one)Look out for Part Two of this interview.And connect to me on Instagram; steve.blameSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/pop-the-history-makers-with-steve-blame/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 21, 2022 • 32min

Season 2 - Episode 8. Mousse T. Part 2 of 2

In the final part of this two part interview with record producer, film composer, DJ, and TV judge, Mousse T., he talks about his world hits - Sexbomb and Horny '98, and what he feels he can give as a juror on Germany's version of Pop Idol.Make sure you've listened to Part One.And connect with me on Instagram; steve.blameSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/pop-the-history-makers-with-steve-blame/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 18, 2022 • 3min

Mini-Memories 4 - of an interview with Al Green

Al Green is often referred to as ‘The Last of the Great Soul Singers’. In the 1970s the masterpieces he released, like ‘Let’s stay together’ and ‘Tired of being alone’, were in part due to record producer and vocal mentor Willie Mitchell, who signed him to his label Hi Records. Mitchell's influence stretches from the Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, Wu-Tang Clan, to Kanye West. Back then, Green enjoyed seven consecutive million-seller hits. But slap-bang in the middle of his success, he was ‘born again’, brought on after his girlfriend, Mary Woodson White, poured a load of grits (boiled cornmeal) over him, causing severe burns before committing suicide. She was furious he wouldn’t marry her despite the fact that she was already married. By '76, Green had become a Reverend, and in '78, when his commercial success faded, he started recording Gospel music for which he won eight Grammys over a period of a decade. In 1988, he returned to his soul roots and alongside Annie Lennox, recorded ‘Put a little love in your heart’. A year later he released ‘The message is Love’ with Arthur Baker. By the time I met Reverend Al Green at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in '93 for an MTV News at Night special on Memphis, he had released the widely underrated album, ‘Don’t Look Back’, which featured the song ‘Love is a beautiful thing’. He played and sang for us. That particular song starts with the words ‘This is what I believe’ and towards the end references his greatest hits. When I asked him about his own influences, he cited Elvis Presley. He told me that Elvis was the forerunner, not only for him but for all others of his era. Green had bought all Elvis’s music and told me that he had met him in the urinal of a Beale Street club in Memphis, where they instantly bonded. Later, in an often repeated quote, he has said he would have shaken Elvis’s hand but it just didn’t seem appropriate at the time!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/pop-the-history-makers-with-steve-blame/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 7, 2022 • 40min

Season 2 - Episode 6. Jimmy Helms (Londonbeat) Part 2 of 2

Part Two of the podcast interview with Jimmy Helms.After chart success in the 1970s, Jimmy went back to session playing, but by the late 80s, he was desperate to get his own band together. Finally, it happened and Londonbeat hit the top of the Billboard charts in February of 1991 with I've been thinking about you. Jimmy realized a dream that he had been working for his whole life. In Part Two of this interview, Jimmy talks about how the record company wanted changes, and how that success changed everything. We also talk about one of the great parties that neither of us has a great memory of!Make sure you've listened to Part One.And connect with me on Instagram; steve.blameSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/pop-the-history-makers-with-steve-blame/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mar 7, 2022 • 43min

Season 2 - Episode 5. Jimmy Helms (Londonbeat) Part 1 of 2

When Londonbeat hit the top of the Billboard charts in February of 1991, Jimmy Helms realised a dream that he had been working for his whole life. He was approaching his 50th birthday. He had achieved chart success earlier, in 1973, with ‘Gonna make you an Offer’, a song inspired by the most famous phrase from the Godfather movie - I’m gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse. Helms has one of the greatest soul voices ever, today in his eightieth year, he continues to tour as Londonbeat. In part one of a two-part interview, Jimmy takes us through his fascinating and often groundbreaking eight decades, his beginnings in the Seminole community in Florida, racism, the musical Hair, and chart success with Gonna Make you an Offer.Look out for Part Two of the interview.And connect to me on Instagram; steve.blameSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/pop-the-history-makers-with-steve-blame/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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