

Word In Your Ear
Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold
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.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. 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 wiyelondon.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 24, 2021 • 59min
From Tom T Hall to the Weeley Festival by way of Una Stubbs
Topics this week given a vigorous shakedown include ... the magical story-telling of the late Tom T Hall, best-preserved '80s rock stars, the construction of John Cooper Clarke's pickled onion "pork pie doorstep", the line-up and health risk of the 1971 Weeley Festival (Gnidrolog! Tir Na Nog! Castle!), a chance meeting with Una Stubbs, how Spotify changes your Greatest Hit, best opening songs on a debut album and what's the annual miserabilis of rock?Support Word In Your Ear on Patreon and gain access to every future Word Podcast early - and in full vision!: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourearKeep up-to-date with our now-legendary Word In Your Attic series on YouTube: https://youtube.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 13, 2021 • 34min
Summer in the City: Word in The Park presents ... Danny Baker
The fourth and last guest at our sun-roasted live event in Holland Park on July 17 was the ever-supercharged Danny Baker. Straw-hatted, drink-toting and delighted audience members were treated to a series of superb comic monologues which featured his idea for a Beatles movie, the South London promoter who locked himself in a portakabin to evade the wrath of his acts and a magnificent riff about how the music-hall legend Bud Flanagan conned his way onto an ocean liner (aged 14) and joined a travelling show in America. @prodnose Tour dates with Bob Harris …https://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/danny-baker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 9, 2021 • 43min
The extraordinary life of Louis Armstrong plus George Harrison rebooted
Topics subjected to the usual forensic scrutiny this week include ... Jan & Dean's role in the kidnap of Frank Sinatra Jnr, is it still the Stones without Charlie?, the Offspring drummer kicked out for being an anti-vaxxer, buying Revolver 55 years ago, Bobby Whitlock's roasting of the All Things Must Pass remix, how Tot Taylor gatecrashed the music industry in '73 and the least rock and roll leisure pursuits.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-the-grand-scheme-snatching-sinatra/id1435516849?i=1000530258036 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 6, 2021 • 23min
Summer in the City: Word in The Park presents ... Mark Lewisohn
We staged our first live event for 18 months on July 17, a sun-baked day at a spectacular outdoor venue kindly lent us by Opera Holland Park. A vast amount of fun was had. We’re putting up podcasts of all four of our guests, this one featuring the world’s pre-eminent fount of all Beatles knowledge and wisdom, the great Mark Lewisohn and including his thoughts about Peter Jackson’s upcoming Get Back movie, why Brian Epstein is underrated, a pivotal moment in the Beatles story (1961), the treasures you find when leafing through old magazines (as opposed to googling), and the revelation that Mean Mr Mustard was based on a real life character whose wife has numerous grounds for divorce. @marklewisohn https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mark-Lewisohn/e/B00J6BJQYK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share Tune In (paperback)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beatles-All-These-Years-Tune/dp/1408705753/ref=asc_df_1408705753/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=311328387040&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14467137111273568288&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045943&hvtargid=pla-525100023999&psc=1&th=1&psc=1 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 3, 2021 • 45min
The mysterious connection between Zappa and Sparks
Topics plumbed to their very depths this week include .... are tears for Olympic athletes now compulsory? The absurd names of Usain Bolt's children. The backstage chaos of the Concert For Bangladesh. Dusty Hill's mid-ZZ Top job at an airport. Can Ryan Adams ever get another record deal? Why the Sparks story is unique and extraordinary. Can you ever feel as attached to music you don't own in physical form? Bands you hated when young. Plus ... Magic Alex on impersonating members of the Stones for a living.Support Word In Your Ear on Patreon and gain early access to each and every Word Podcast... in full audio-visual glory!: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 30, 2021 • 40min
Amy Winehouse, XTC and the joy of "re-loved CDs"
Matters of high import thrashed out this week include Dylan's Shadow Kingdom livestream, the Thunder Road lyric farrago, Apple Venus and Wasp Star - separated at birth!, the best reggae album ever, laughter on records, underwhelming follow-up albums and why Hot Rats makes the perfect crime thriller soundtrack. Supporting cast includes Kevin Turvey, Philip Glass, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express and Dave "Bucket" Colwell of Humble Pie.Support Word In Your Ear on Patreon and gain access to hours of extra content: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 25, 2021 • 23min
Word in The Park #2: Lesley-Ann Jones remembers John Entwistle’s riotous funeral
We had our first live event for 18 months on a fabulous, sun-baked afternoon in Holland Park on July 17 and the writer and former Fleet Street columnist Lesley-Ann Jones was one of the four guests (there’ll be a podcast of each of them). These are her crowd-pleasing, colourful memories of Queen backstage at Live Aid, living with Raquel Welch and tea with Bowie at Haddon Hall. The Stones are in there too. @LAJwriter LAJ’s books …https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Lesley-Ann-Jones/s?rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3ALesley-Ann+Jones Podcast …https://podcasts.apple.com/sn/podcast/11-porkys-pals-lesley-ann-jones/id1463527178?i=1000442129335Support Word In Your Ear on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 21, 2021 • 23min
Summer in the City: Word in The Park presents ... Gary Crowley
In our sun-baked return to live events on July 17, we had four guests onstage at a spectacular outdoor venue kindly lent us by Opera Holland Park in West London, the first our old pal the shy, retiring, hard-to-prise-a-word-out-of-him broadcaster Gary Crowley. Stories here include the time he was invited round to the Clash HQ for an interview (when still at school), the giddying sensation of meeting Paul McCartney and some unsung heroes of '80s pop. @CrowleyOnAir Radio London …https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7z2 Gary's 'Lost '80s' CD box-sets … …https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gary-Crowleys-Lost-Various-Artists/dp/B07L51CSKHhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Gary-Crowley-Lost-80s-2/dp/B093XGSJKWSupport Word In Your Ear on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 13, 2021 • 48min
How do songs become terrace anthems?
Sports writer and old pal Nige Tassell traces the story of Sweet Caroline, You’ll Never Walk Alone and Yes Sir I Can Boogie – with fond memories of the Tranmere Rovers’ spontaneous vegan chant moment. Other piping hot topics include Dua Lipa and the stolen photo, have you ever booed a band?, the exact number of onstage hours Dylan’s played All Along The Watchtower, the magic of Freddie King and the Jayhawks, does Richard Branson like music?, indie weddings and are there any rap covers bands? @nigetassell Nige’s books …https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Nige-Tassell/s?rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3ANige+Tassell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 6, 2021 • 38min
Flat Rabbit, Mandible Rumpus ... what makes a band name work?
In which we salute Frogspawn Candy, Lord Snooty & his Pals and Steppenwolf, rejoice in the Onion's coverage of Lorde, applaud the return of the Siffleur and pop tunes that feature whistling, back Elvis Costello on song-stealing, have a CD Date Night with the Decemberists and A Tribe Called Quest (while unravelling their Lou Reed court case), and inspect a new theory about the Manson murders. Elvis Costello on song stealing …https://uk.news.yahoo.com/elvis-costello-defends-olivia-rodrigo-150635978.html Lorde in the Onion …https://www.theonion.com/lorde-slammed-and-condemned-because-it-seems-like-it-s-1847175966 Chris Pratt’s former band names …https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x9obbpaVIvw&feature=youtu.beTickets for Word In The Park on July 17th here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-word-in-the-park-a-summer-afternoon-of-socially-distanced-storytelling-tickets-152091141699 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.