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

39:09

Jimmy Webb

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2026/10/02

When Jimmy Webb first saw Joni Mitchell at the Troubadour, he sent roses to her dressing room with a letter asking her to tea. It went unanswered. The following decade, after they had become friends, she told him she had moved the couch while clearing out her Laurel Canyon house and found the letter, and asked if he would still like to go. Webb wrote ‘Simile’ for her.He tells that story in a conversation I recorded in February 2022, ahead of live dates in the UK. Elsewhere he

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24:10

Randy Edelman

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2026/09/28

Randy Edelman is probably best known to British listeners for the records he made in the 1970s and early 1980s, including Uptown Uptempo Woman and Concrete and Clay. The Carpenters recorded his songs and took him on tour, and his records found an audience in the UK that he hadn’t found in America.Then his career took a different turn. After working his way into film scoring, Twins led to a long run of Hollywood films including Ghostbusters II, Kindergarten Cop, Gettysburg and The Last of

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25:06

Youth: From Dub and Killing Joke to The Orb, Paul...

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2026/09/25

From the dub sound systems of 1970s Ladbroke Grove to Killing Joke, The Orb, Paul McCartney’s Fireman project and Pink Floyd’s The Endless River, few musicians have moved through as many worlds as Youth (Martin Glover). In this conversation with Jason Barnard, Youth discusses the CHANT Artist Collective’s new release, Relics Of Tree Worship In Dub (Gaudi & Don Letts Roots Dub Plates), and explains why he still calls dub “an endless river” of reinvention.He goes

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41:48

Arthur Brown

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2026/08/21

Arthur Brown joins Jason Barnard, alongside his partner and collaborator Claire Waller, to talk through his new album Nature and a life spent chasing fire, water, air and earth through sound and theatre.Arthur and Claire describe the return to North Yorkshire, eight miles from Arthur’s birthplace in Whitby, after a decade of travelling together. They walk through how Nature took shape: around 100 fires tested to find a usable rhythm, a river thirty yards from the front door recorded for

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1:01:00

Robin Scott – M

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2026/08/14

Robin Scott’s career spans from acoustic songs on the 1960s folk circuit to the sequenced synth-pop of ‘Pop Muzik’ – the 1979 hit single that took him to number one under the moniker M.On this episode, he traces that journey: studying at Croydon Art College, releasing his 1969 debut album Woman from the Warm Grass, managing pub-rock group Roogalator, co-founding Do It Records, and living and working with Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood. Robin also reflects on his

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41:56

Jimi Hendrix Didn’t Know He Was a Genius – Eric Barrett

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2026/08/07

Eric Barrett spent two years, from 1968 to 1970, as Jimi Hendrix’s road manager and one of the few people the guitarist trusted. In this conversation with Jason Barnard, Barrett talks in a rare interview about his new memoir Experienced: On the Road with Jimi Hendrix and Beyond.Barrett explains how a job roadying for The Koobas led him from the Beatles’ final UK tour to Keith Emerson’s stage antics with The Nice, and eventually to a chaotic gig in Rome that almost saw him walk

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50:57

Rob Fleming – KillerStar

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2026/03/13

If you’re a David Bowie fan, the names Earl Slick, Mike Garson, Tim Lefebvre, Gerry Leonard and Mark Plati will need no introduction. But KillerStar are not a Bowie tribute, and that’s what makes them so special. On this episode, KillerStar co-founder Rob Fleming explains how the whole thing started organically; a few demos, a call to vocalist Emm Gryner, and suddenly some of the most celebrated musicians of the past thirty years were playing original music together for the first time

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1:18:36

Billy Sherwood – YES

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2026/02/27

Billy Sherwood discusses the upcoming YES UK tour featuring the complete Fragile album. He traces his path from drummer to bassist, learning the instrument by playing along to YES records, and development in groups Lodgic and World Trade. Sherwood details his first collaboration with Chris Squire in 1989, writing ‘The More We Live – Let Go,’ and his refusal to become YES’s lead singer during the Union era. The conversation centres on Squire’s final weeks, and Squire

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1:08:44

Vox – Chameleons

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2026/01/16

Vox, lead vocalist of Chameleons, discusses the group’s successful reformation and their latest album Arctic Moon. The conversation explores the Chameleons’ origins in Manchester’s late 1970s post-punk scene, their breakthrough John Peel session, and challenging relationships with CBS Records and producer Steve Lillywhite. Vox reflects on their early years and the tensions that led to the band’s original dissolution. Throughout, the conversation highlights the

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53:12

Colin Blunstone on One Year, The Zombies and New Music

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2025/12/19

In The Strange Brew’s 500th episode, Colin Blunstone returns to talk about his One Year and More live box set. Colin reflects on the development of his songwriting, collaborating with Rod Argent and Chris White and the making his early solo albums. He looks back on The Zombies and Odessey and Oracle and the lasting impact of their music. He also discusses working with Alan Parsons and his plans for live dates and new material in 2026.Further information One Year and More: Live from

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1:22:27

Matt Piucci – Rain Parade

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2025/12/12

Matt Piucci joins us for a journey through Rain Parade’s story from the early 1980s Los Angeles music scene to the present day. Across a hand-picked set of tracks, Matt looks back at the group’s earliest recordings, the friendships that grew out of the Paisley Underground, and the way their influences found their way into Emergency Third Rail Power Trip and Explosions in the Glass Palace LPs. The conversation follows Rain Parade into their Island years and the projects that kept Matt and Steven

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25:32

John McFee – Clover, The Doobie Brothers, Southern...

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2025/12/05

John McFee speaks in depth about his work with Southern Pacific, Jackdawg and his session career. He explains how Southern Pacific evolved, why Jackdawg’s album has been rediscovered, and why the focus of his songwriting is not with The Doobie Brothers. He also looks back at Clover’s time in the UK, backing Elvis Costello on My Aim Is True, and the steady flow of session work with Van Morrison, the Grateful Dead, and Steve Miller. John closes with an update on his solo project.Further

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43:56

Graham Parker

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2025/11/28

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

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51:12

Billy Bragg

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2025/11/21

Billy Bragg talks about his life in music and activism, from his early days and the DIY spiritThe post Billy Bragg appeared first on The Strange Brew .

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57:55

Stu Cook – Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jackdawg

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2025/10/31

Stu Cook, bassist and founding member of Creedence Clearwater Revival, talks about the band’s early years, their riseThe post Stu Cook – Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jackdawg appeared first on The Strange Brew .

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28:10

Pete Briquette – The Boomtown Rats

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2025/10/10

It’s Halloween night, 1975. A bunch of Irish lads are halfway through their first gig when Bob GeldofThe post Pete Briquette – The Boomtown Rats appeared first on The Strange Brew .

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25:58

Michael Schenker

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2025/10/06

Michael Schenker talks about new album Don’t Sell Your Soul, the second part of a trilogy that reclaims The post Michael Schenker appeared first on The Strange Brew .

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57:11

Carlos Alomar: Bowie, Berlin and Beyond

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2025/10/03

Carlos Alomar reflects on a career that spans decades of innovation and collaboration. He speaks about his earlyThe post Carlos Alomar: Bowie, Berlin and Beyond appeared first on The Strange Brew .

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45:53

Steve Howe: Dylan, Hendrix & YES

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2025/09/12

When Jimi Hendrix grabbed a bass and jammed with Tomorrow in 1967, a young Steve Howe was rightThe post Steve Howe: Dylan, Hendrix & YES appeared first on The Strange Brew .

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56:01

Sananda Maitreya

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest... ·

2025/08/29

It’s been more than two decades since Sananda Maitreya last headlined a UK tour. Now, with nine datesThe post Sananda Maitreya appeared first on The Strange Brew .

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