In this episode we invite Emmy award-winning screenwriter David Quantick to relive his days as a budding pop scribe on the NME – and to share his memories of Paul Weller, Lloyd Cole & the ignominious Morrissey. As someone who's written with Chris Morris, Armando Iannucci and Harrys Hill & Enfield, David is predictably hilarious about '80s pop – as well as about Simon Cowell & many other things. He also offers his tuppenceworth on the week's featured act Teenage Fanclub, and on our 1998 Marianne Faithfull audio interview, clips from which we hear and discuss in this episode.
Mark then talks us through new library pieces about John Lennon's dad, Led Zeppelin and Earth, Wind & Fire; Barney cites Mat Snow's 2009 interview with Mike Oldfield, triggering a Quantick memory of theTubular Bells dude being quizzed by the late Steven Wells; and finally Jasper wraps up the episode with reflections on pieces about the 2001 BRIT Awards, soundtrack composer Mica Levi & jazz titan Kamasi Washington.
Many thanks to special guest David Quantick. Read more about his work at davidquantick.com and pre-order Quantick's Quite Difficult Quiz Book here.
Pieces discussed: Style Council, Lloyd Cole, Morrissey, Simon Cowell, Teenage Fanclub, Teenage Fanclubber, Teenage Fanclubbest, Marianne Faithfull audio, Jimi Hendrix live, Allman Brothers live, Bob Marley & the Wailers live, Freddie Lennon, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones at Altamont, Earth, Wind & Fire, Mike Oldfield, Nick Tosches, BRIT Awards 2001, Mica Levi and Kamasi Washington.