Claim OwnershipSteve’s Mix Tapes
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Celebrating the art of the mixtape. Ten songs, chosen to fit with nine categories (plus one wildcard). Some curated by me, but also featuring lots of guest mixers.
56 Episodes
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My guest mixer this week is Paul Howarth
Paul, along with Tony Harris (who will also produce a mix at some point, hopefully) presents the Twilight Turntable podcast - a show dedicated to the lost art of listening to whole albums. But he's not averse to the odd mix tape too...
My guest mixer this week is Paul Garratt
Paul contacted me last September to say: "I realise that your podcast guests are becoming more well-known by the week but if you ever wanted a chat with someone you’ve never met who’s not a writer or a musician and has nothing to advertise then can I put my hand up?"
And, of course, I was delighted to have him on, especially as he selected a particularly thoughtful mix.
My guest mixer this week is Jen Ferguson
Jen, who lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, is one of those guests that I was meeting for the very first time when I interviewed her. The connection came about because I (and guest #035 Chris McAvoy) shared a house with her husband James back in our university days.
It was my new year's resolution to get more female guests on the show, and Jen is only the first of several more on the way!
My guest mixer this week is Ian Gelling
Ian is a long-standing member of the Wedding Present forum, with whom I have stood down the front at many a TWP gig over the years.
A native of the Isle of Man, he is also a huge Cardiacs fan, as will soon become apparent when you listen to his selection...
My guest mixer this week is Ethan Miller
Ethan has played in Comets on Fire, Feral Ohms, Heron Oblivion and Howlin’ Rain. Last year, he teamed up with Bill Orcutt and Steve Shelley to record the Orcutt Shelley Miller album - my number 2 album of 2025 (the #1 being this).
And yes, he's yet another that Steve Shelley put me in touch with - so thanks once again to Steve for providing me another great guest!
My guest mixer this week is Susan Pringle
Given that Christmas is a time for family, it seemed fitting that this episode should feature my mum.
She turned 80 this year but you'd never know it. She was a little nervous about doing it - especially as we had to do the interview twice, my laptop having mangled the first attempt! But I think she did a fine job, and it was a great trip down memory lane for me...
My guest mixer this week is William Benton
William is yet another guest that Steve Shelley was kind enough to put me in touch with. He is the historian and tour guide for the infamous Chelsea Hotel, as well being the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with Cat Casual & the Final Word.
My guest mixer this week is Cory Plump
Like Brian Turner last week, Cory is someone that Steve Shelley was kind enough to put me in touch with. He has played in bands such as When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth, Spray Paint and Winged Wheel and also owns the live music bar Tubby’s in Kingston NY.
It's becoming clear that Steve clearly has good taste in mixers, as Cory was a great guest and picked an excellent playlist.
My guest mixer this week is Brian Turner
Brian is one of several upcoming guests that Steve Shelley was kind enough to put me in touch with. He is the station manager of East Village Radio, was a regular on WMFU and is a good friend of previous guest Eleni Poulou (with whom he recently put out a show on Cashmere Radio). He's also been in the bands The Mad Scene, Äss, and Jowe Head & The Celestial Choir.
Not only is he a top bloke, he picked a cracking playlist...
My guest mixer this week is Vinny Peculiar
Vinny (aka Alan Wilkes) is a singer-songwriter who has put out fourteen albums of literate autobiographical pop music over a twenty-year career. Uncut described him as ‘an under sung national treasure’ and The Irish Times called him ‘the missing link between Jarvis Cocker and poet Roger McGough’. Tom Robinson of 6Music said that his ‘songs make you laugh and cry and think all at the same time.’
My guest mixer this week is Andy Gillespie
I have known Andy - a fellow Wedding Present fan - for the best part of 20 years, online. But this was the first time we'd ever met face to face (albeit via Zoom).
Originally from Middleton, Manchester, Andy has for many years lived in Simi Valley, California. As well as being on good terms with previous guests David Gedge and Terry de Castro, we also get to hear about the time he played pool with Mark E Smith and Eleni...
My guest mixer this week is Terry de Castro
Terry is a bassist, vocalist and songwriter based in LA who has played in several bands (such as Goya Dress) as well releasing music under her own name. She is also, other than David Gedge, the longest serving member of The Wedding Present, and was the bassist throughout the lifespan of Cinerama.
(Slightly dodgy internet connection in places, apologies!)
My guest mixer this week is Eleni Poulou
Eleni is a musician, composer, radio host and curator of musical events. She has released music as a solo artist and as part of a wide range of groups and collaborations. She is also the 7th ex-member of the Fall to appear on the show - her distinctive keyboard style and vocal sound having been an important feature of the last period of the group.
Eleni likes to do things her own way - an admirable quality - and so this show is different from the norm in several ways. She selected 14 tracks (and wanted add a 15th!), her mix was 2 ¾ hours long (!) and she only sent it to me the morning before our interview (she explains why in our discussion).
My guest mixer this week is Ian McCulloch
No, not that one... Not yet anyway. This Ian (my third Ian in six weeks!) is another fellow Fall enthusiast. And he's been very patient, as we recorded this nearly three months ago - hence the rather dated reference to Donald Trump's golf skills!
My guest mixer this week is Alan Edwards
Alan is both a work colleague and a very good friend, who my wife describes as my 'work husband'. Initially, we talked about him coming on the podcast as a bit of a joke, as musically (and in many other ways) we inhabit very different universes. But when I mentioned in episode #024 his offer to provide a playlist that would 'bring in the girls, gays and theys', the feedback was mostly on the lines of 'bring it on'.
So buckle up and be prepared for a rather different set of songs than you're used to...
Daryl is a music writer whose work has appeared in Mojo, Record Collector, Q, The Guardian and The Independent, and has published several books on subjects as diverse as Chic, Slade, Madonna, Peter Gabriel, Cher and Sparks.
In addition, if you have a few reissue or box set CDs in your collection, it’s fairly likely that at least one of them includes some sleeve notes written by him.
My guest mixer this week is Steve Shelley
Steve occupied the drum stool in Sonic Youth for 26 years and has played with musicians such as Michael Rother, Howe Gelb, Tom Verlaine, Ron Asheton and Mark Kozelek.
He also founded a label called Smells Like Records (now Vampire Blues), and has been instrumental in promoting the careers of artists such as Cat Power, Blonde Redhead and Lee Hazlewood.
Described on a Reddit thread as ‘the best drummer in rock history’, his most recent release is Orcutt Shelley Miller, with Bill Orcutt (Harry Pussy) and Ethan Miller (Comets on Fire/Howlin' Rain).
My guest mixer this week is Ian Clayton
Ian is an author who came up in conversation several times last week when I talked to Ian Daley, as he has had several books published by Route. They include Bringing It All Back Home (a book about searching for a soundtrack to your own life story), Song For My Father (a reflection on a lifelong search for a father figure), and It’s The Beer Talking (a book about a lifelong love affair with local pubs).
I can particularly recommend Bringing It All Back Home, a book that I found to be both funny and deeply moving.
My guest mixer this week is Ian Daley
Ian set up Route Publishing in 2000, and since 2005 has run the company from his home in Pontefract alongside his wife Isabel Galán.
Route has published several books about The Fall (including those by Steve Hanley, Simon Wolstencroft, Paul Hanley and me!) They've also put out a range of titles about Bob Dylan, as well as books by Helen O'Hara (Dexys Midnight Runners), Tom Hingley (Inspiral Carpets), Mark Hoyle (Dub Sex) and Iain Matthews (Fairport Convention).
My guest mixer this week is David Gedge
David is the sole constant member of indie legends The Wedding Present, the band that I have seen live (by some distance) the most often over their 40 year career. I have also written blogs about TWP and Cinerama.
He remains relentlessly busy with work, so I'm grateful he managed to squeeze this interview in.
N.B. We had a slightly dodgy internet connection, so the sound quality isn't always as good as I'd like it to be - apologies!
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