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

Graham Parker reveals the story behind his debut album Howlin’ Wind. Parker recalls his journey from suburban Surrey to the London music scene, his early jobs, and the moment he found his sound – a mix of soul, R&B and sharp songwriting. He looks back at the formation of The Rumour, his partnership with Dave Robinson, and the whirlwind that led to Howlin’ Wind and Heat Treatment being released within months of each other. Parker also reflects on his later work, collaborations, and enduring independence as an artist. Throughout, we hear why his debut stands as one of the strongest opening statements in British rock. Further information Graham Parker’s Howlin’ Wind by Jay Nachman The Official Graham Parker website Podcasts also available: Bruce Thomas – Elvis Costello and The Attractions, Clem Burke – Blondie, Pete Briquette – The Boomtown Rats, Pub rock and the birth of new wave This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Graham Parker appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Billy Bragg talks about his life in music and activism, from his early days and the DIY spirit of Life’s a Riot with Spy vs Spy to new book Billy Bragg – A People’s History. He reflects on his experiences during the miners’ strike and Red Wedge, and the belief that songs can inspire people to think the world can be changed. Bragg also discusses the influence of Woody Guthrie, the meaning of progressive patriotism, and why he still finds purpose in writing songs that challenge and connect. Further information billybragg.com Podcasts also available: Will Sergeant – Echo & the Bunnymen, Rick Buckler – The Jam, Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon, Martin Carthy This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Billy Bragg appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Annie Haslam and Jim McCarty discuss the origins and evolution of Renaissance ahead of their special run of four shows. They reflect on how the band was formed after Jim’s time in The Yardbirds, Annie’s audition and early tours, the impact of lyricist Betty Thatcher, and how Renaissance found their audience in America. This is one of the rare times Annie and Jim have appeared together, and they speak openly about the changing lineups, and creative turning points that shaped the group’s sound. Further information The History of Renaissance live – Nov 21 & 22: IL Edwardsville The Wildey Theatre, Nov 28: NJ The Newton Theatre, Nov 29: NJ Lansdowne Theatre Podcasts also available: Annie Haslam, Jim McCarty (2021), John Fiddler – Medicine Head, John Lodge – The Moody Blues, Rick Wakeman This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Annie Haslam & Jim McCarty: The Story of Renaissance appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf Generator have influenced artists from David Bowie to John Lydon, yet Peter has always worked on the edge of the mainstream. In this conversation, he reflects on why revisiting the past felt strange and affirming, the spirit of progressive rock and punk, and the satisfaction of sustaining an independent musical life. Further information sofasound.com The Charisma & Virgin Recordings 1971-1986 and Joe Banks – Rock and Role Podcasts also available: Ian Anderson, Steve Howe on Dylan, Hendrix & YES, Mark Andes – Spirit, Anthony Phillips  This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Peter Hammill appeared first on The Strange Brew .

brendan b. brown of Wheatus marks 25 years since Teenage Dirtbag first turned the band from New York outsiders into a phenomenon. brendan talks about the dark story behind its lyrics, and why it continues to connect with new generations. He reflects on the freedom and struggle of going independent, and how their live shows have been driven by audience requests. Along the way he revisits fan favourites, explains the group’s love of cover versions, and looks ahead to their 25th anniversary UK tour. Further information wheatus.com – shows Podcasts also available: John Flansburgh – They Might Be Giants, Steven Page – Barenaked Ladies, Prescott Niles – The Knack, KT Tunstall This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post brendan b brown – Wheatus appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Stu Cook, bassist and founding member of Creedence Clearwater Revival, talks about the band’s early years, their rise and the chemistry that fuelled their success. He speaks frankly about working with John Fogerty, including his reaction to Fogerty’s recent re-recordings of Creedence material, and reflects on the tensions that led to the band’s split. Stu also introduces the long-lost Jackdawg recordings, made with John McFee and Keith Knudsen and now finally being released after more than three decades. Further information Jackdawg’s album Podcasts also available: Doug Clifford, Leland Sklar, Danny Kortchmar, John Illsley – Dire Straits 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 Stu Cook – Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jackdawg appeared first on The Strange Brew .

More than fifty years after Barclay James Harvest helped define a uniquely English strain of symphonic rock, John Lees remains its quietly determined heart. With John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest, he continues to balance grandeur with introspection. Their new album Relativity, revisits familiar terrain of love and the search for meaning, guided by the notion that time and emotion are intertwined. Lees reflects on the long road to completing Relativity, his formative years in Barclay James Harvest, nights recording at Abbey Road, playing John Lennon’s guitar, and why songs like Child of the Universe and Hymn still carry a plea for peace in a world that feels out of balance. Further information barclayjamesharvest.com John Lees podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Wally Waller – The Pretty Things, John Lodge – The Moody Blues, Gary Brooker – Procol Harum, Ian Anderson – Jethro Tull, Steve Rothery – Marillion 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 John Lees – Barclay James Harvest appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Archivist and producer Rob Caiger talks about the painstaking work behind Nice Records, the label dedicated to restoring classic recordings from the archives of Small Faces and Humble Pie. Caiger recalls discovering forgotten master tapes in Kenny Jones’s flight cases and explains how these finds have allowed albums like The Autumn Stone and As Safe As Yesterday Is to be heard as they were originally intended. He reflects on the creative energy of the late 1960s, the collapse of Immediate Records, and why physical records still matter in an age of streaming. Further information nicerecords.co.uk Podcasts also available: Phill Brown on Small Faces’ Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake, Andrew Loog Oldham, PP Arnold, Billy Nicholls 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 Nice and Immediate: Rob Caiger on Rescuing Small Faces and Humble Pie appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Judie Tzuke has always been slightly out of step with the story people wanted to tell about her. The industry tried to polish her into a pop star, but she was too honest, too much herself. When ‘Stay With Me Till Dawn’ hit in 1979, the press had her down as the glamorous new face of British songwriting, but in truth she was navigating personal tragedy. That contrast has never really left her work. Since then she’s written songs that feel both fragile and defiant, moving between intimacy and drama with an ease that is hers alone. Along the way there have been Elton John’s Rocket Records, Brian May turning up as a fan, Nigel Kennedy adding his bow, and more than a few albums that deserve the word “overlooked.” For Judie, music has been therapy, armour and survival kit. Stage fright, harsh critics, illness; all of it has been folded back into the songs. In this podcast, Judie reflects on her remarkable life and imminent UK Tour with Beth Nielsen Chapman. We hear her near misses, the unexpected triumphs, and the quiet resilience that has kept her in music. Further information Judie Tzuke website Judie Tsuke podcast tracks Podcasts also available: John Rhino Edwards, Sam Brown, KT Tunstall, Kate Bush – Her Life and Music 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 Judie Tzuke appeared first on The Strange Brew .

It’s Halloween night, 1975. A bunch of Irish lads are halfway through their first gig when Bob Geldof rubs out the band name on a blackboard and replaces it with something better: The Boomtown Rats. Half the set as The Nightlife Thugs, half as The Boomtown Rats. Fast-forward fifty years and I’m talking with Pete Briquette, the man who decided to pick up the bass at the first rehearsal and never looked back. We chat about the Rats’ brand-new anthology, their upcoming tour, and the realisation that their songs still pack a punch. Pete remembers how ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ broke them internationally, the thrill of hearing ‘Rat Trap’ go to number one from a pub phone box in rural Ireland, and the slightly surreal feeling of being on stage at Live Aid. He also tips us off that there are 10–15 unreleased Rats tracks still waiting in the wings. Fifty years on, the Boomtown Rats still make audiences smile, jump around, and leave a venue buzzing. Not bad for a band that started out as an escape plan. Further information theboomtownratsofficial.com Podcasts also available: Paul Rappaport, Clem Burke – Blondie, Eric Bell – Thin Lizzy, Will Sergeant – Echo & the Bunnymen, Martin Gordon – Sparks, Radio Stars 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 Pete Briquette – The Boomtown Rats appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Michael Schenker talks about new album Don’t Sell Your Soul, the second part of a trilogy that reclaims his story. Too many people think it all began with MSG in 1980, but Schenker is here to set the record straight, going back to his UFO years in the 70s when his riffs became the backbone of some of the greatest hard rock ever put to tape. He also explains why he walked away from the lure of working with Ozzy Osbourne, and why freedom and self-expression have always mattered more than money or fame. He describes why he rediscovered the songs from UFO’s classic live LP, Strangers in the Night, and the energy he chases when writing. This is Schenker reflecting on a lifetime of invention and the relentless pursuit of his own sound. Further information Michael Schenker website Podcasts also available: Herman Rarebell – Scorpions, Chris Slade – AC/DC, Eric Bell – Thin Lizzy, John Mayall 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 Michael Schenker appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Carlos Alomar reflects on a career that spans decades of innovation and collaboration. He speaks about his early years performing with Luther Vandross, and his crucial role in David Bowie’s mid-70s D.A.M Trio, alongside drummer Dennis Davis and bassist George Murray. Alomar recounts the creation of ‘Fame’ with Bowie and John Lennon, and the unorthodox recording sessions that shaped the Berlin Trilogy under the guidance of Brian Eno. He also discusses his contributions to Iggy Pop’s albums from the same period, offering insight into a fertile and experimental phase in rock history. Beyond his work with Bowie, Alomar outlines a wide-ranging career as a session guitarist for major artists and his interest in technology, which led to one of the first solo music projects. The conversation turns to his upcoming Back to Berlin tour, a live show dedicated to the legacy of the D.A.M Trio and Bowie’s creative peak in the late 1970s. Further information carlosalomar.com Podcasts also available: Gerry Leonard, Mark Plati, Earl Slick, Kevin Armstrong, Tony Fox Sales, Ken Scott, Woody Woodmansey, John Cambridge, John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson 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 Carlos Alomar: Bowie, Berlin and Beyond appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Lesley-Ann Jones talks about her new book Love, Freddie: Freddie Mercury’s Secret Life and Love. Far from a conventional biography, the book is drawn from Freddie Mercury’s private notebooks and the perspective of his newly discovered daughter, revealing a side of the Queen frontman the world has never seen. Lesley-Ann shares stories of Freddie’s childhood in Zanzibar and India, the trauma that shaped him, and his single-minded drive to succeed in music. She discusses the complexities of his relationship with Mary Austin, the hidden bond he had with his daughter, and how the flamboyant public persona of Freddie Mercury masked the spiritual, private man Freddie Bulsara. Further information lesleyannjones.com Podcasts also available: Tim Staffell: Smile, Morgan Fisher, Ian Hunter, Phil Manzanera 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 Love, Freddie: Behind the Mask of Freddie Mercury appeared first on The Strange Brew .

As Del Amitri’s frontman, Justin Currie steered a band that slipped between categories: too sharp to be lumped in with soft rock, too direct to be claimed by the indie underground. From the wry social commentary of Nothing Ever Happens to the breezy pop of Roll to Me, their songs remain lodged in the public imagination, even as the group resisted easy definition. With the release of his memoir The Tremolo Diaries, Justin offers a frank portrait of life on the road, of ageing within an industry that rarely looks back, and of coming to terms with Parkinson’s disease – a condition he writes about with candour, humour and occasional exasperation. Far from the mythology of rock’n’roll excess, the book and this discussion captures the monotony, absurdity and quiet resilience of touring life, told through the perspective of a musician whose sharpness as a lyricist translates onto the page. Further information The Tremolo Diaries: Life on the Road and Other Diseases Podcasts also available: KT Tunstall, Karl Wallinger, Steven Page, Stephen Duffy 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 Justin Currie – Del Amitri appeared first on The Strange Brew .

The Zombies bassist-turned-songwriter Chris White opens the vault on a lifetime of music that stretches far beyond Odessey and Oracle. Chris revisits his work with Duffy Power, the lost sessions that became Hellhound, and the vast family-run archive project known as The Chris White Experience. He shares stories of Argent, Michael Fennelly and Tim Renwick, as well as the little-heard 1990 Zombies reunion record New World. White reflects on songwriting as “a muscle” that has kept him creating for six decades, highlighting the craft of one of British pop’s great unsung architects. Further information Duffy Power – Hell Hound, The Chris White Experience, The Zombies Chris White: Inside the Vaults podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Chris White (2019), Colin Blunstone (2015), Colin Blunstone (2021), Rod Argent, Hugh Grundy, Bob Henrit, Russ Ballard, Michael Fennelly This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Chris White: Inside the Vaults – From The Zombies and Beyond appeared first on The Strange Brew .

When Jimi Hendrix grabbed a bass and jammed with Tomorrow in 1967, a young Steve Howe was right there. Decades later, he is still chasing fresh sounds. Steve talks about the near miss that could have seen him play in Pink Floyd, the acoustic ideas that shaped his solo work, and what lies ahead for YES. He also digs into his reworking of Bob Dylan’s songs and the return of two essential solo albums, Portraits of Bob Dylan and Natural Timbre. Further information yesworld.com Steve Howe podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Steve Howe (2023), Steve Howe (2019), Allan Clarke (2023), PP Arnold, Annie Haslam, Bill Bruford, Alan White, Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes, Tony Kaye, Rick Wakeman This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Steve Howe: Dylan, Hendrix & YES appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Step inside the legendary “tea chest tapes” with Richard Anderson from Cherry Red Records as we explore Joe Meek’s experimental musical mind. We explore a new box set unveiling Meek’s most experimental work from 1,900 newly discovered master tapes that sat untouched for over 50 years. From the producer who gave us ‘Telstar,’ this is Joe Meek as you’ve never heard him – direct from the tapes, revealing his curious mind decades ahead of its time. Further information Joe Meek – A Curious Mind Outer Space! Horror! Death Discs! The Wild West! Demos! 3CD Box Set Joe Meek – A Curious Mind podcast tracks Podcasts also available: Joe Meek with Craig Newton, Leo Lyons – Ten Years After, George Martin – Pre-Beatles Productions, Marty Wilde This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Joe Meek – A Curious Mind appeared first on The Strange Brew .

It’s been more than two decades since Sananda Maitreya last headlined a UK tour. Now, with nine dates booked, he’s returning not simply to revisit the past, but to present the “totality” of a career that’s defied the industry’s rulebook. In this interview, Sananda is frank and philosophical: on the early triumphs and bruises of Introducing the Hardline, the misunderstood brilliance of Neither Fish Nor Flesh, and a post-millennium body of work shaped by fierce independence. Along the way, he pays tribute to kindred spirits from George Michael to Sade, recalls the Beatles as his first great awakening, and reflects on the personal cost and profound rewards of following his own compass. Further information sananda.org Podcasts also available: Glenn Gregory – Heaven 17, Ken Scott on working with The Beatles and David Bowie, Sam Brown, John Lennon: 1980 Playlist, Almost Beatles Songs This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Sananda Maitreya appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Derek Shulman returns to talk about his memoir Giant Steps, charting his journey from frontman of Simon Dupree and the Big Sound and Gentle Giant to music executive behind artists including Bon Jovi and AC/DC. Derek reflects on formative moments, witnessing his father’s death, early musical ambitions, his friendship with Elton John, forming Gentle Giant with Gerry Bron’s support, and working with Tony Visconti. He shares insights on artist development, avoiding rock ’n’ roll excesses, and staging the record-breaking 1991 Monsters of Rock Moscow concert. Further information Giant Steps: My Improbable Journey from Stage Lights to Executive Heights Podcasts also available: Gentle Giant’s Derek Shulman and John Weathers, Chris Slade AC/DC, Rick Buckler – The Jam This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Derek Shulman’s Giant Steps appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Few music biographers have lived with the Beatles’ story quite like Philip Norman. Across shelves of bestsellers, Norman has charted the group’s myth and minutiae, from the Hamburg grind to Apple’s undoing. In a live conversation with Jason Barnard, he revisited his earliest encounters with the Fab Four, the writing of Shout!, and the shifting lens through which he now views John, Paul, George, and Ringo. With anecdotes drawn from time spent inside Apple Corps in 1969, and encounters with figures like Yoko Ono, Brian Epstein, and Little Richard, the evening veered between poignant reflection and mischief. Norman’s candid take on Peter Jackson’s Get Back documentary and his evolving appreciation for George Harrison made for particularly sharp moments. And as always, the question lingers: just how much more is left to be said about the Beatles? If you’re Philip Norman, quite a bit. Further information Read Me Do with Philip Norman – Substack FortyFive Vinyl Cafe Podcasts also available: Ray Ennis – The Swinging Blue Jeans, Philip Norman on John Lennon, George Harrison by Philip Norman, Mike McCartney’s Early Liverpool This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post The Beatles: How Four Lads Rewrote History appeared first on The Strange Brew .