E228: Maureen O'Grady on Rave + Pet Sounds + Miles Davis audio

About this episode

Maureen O'Grady discusses her experiences in '60s pop journalism, her friendships with music icons, and the significance of Pet Sounds and Miles Davis.

In this episode we're joined by a legend of '60s pop journalism to discuss her days at Rave magazine and her friendships with the stars of that swinging decade. Maureen O'Grady talks about the lucky break that brought her to Boyfriend magazine and her long friendship with the great Penny Valentine. She recalls her early interviews with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones before we digress into the role the UK played in hailing the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds as a game-changing masterpiece. Plus we ask our guest about Rave and its groundbreaking 1967 issue featuring Jimi Hendrix on its over. The conversation concludes with Maureen's reminiscences of the '70s, a decade in which she worked as a publicist for — among many other artists — Gladys Knight, Glen Campbell and, erm, Gary Glitter. We then celebrate Miles Davis' 100th birthday by listening to clips from the late Richard Cook's 1985 audio interview with that dark magus of avant-garde jazz. Jasper and William talk us out with their thoughts on pieces about the importance (or otherwise) of pop lyrics (2001) and the abuse meted out to female partners — from Yoko Ono to Courtney Love — of male rock stars (2025). Many thanks to special…

People in this episode

Hosts: Barney Hoskyns, Mark Pringle, Jasper Murison-Bowie

Guest: Maureen O'Grady

Topics covered

• 60s pop journalism
• interviews with music legends
• impact of Pet Sounds
• Rave magazine history
• Miles Davis
• female partners of rock stars

Keywords

• Maureen O'Grady
• Rave magazine
• Pet Sounds
• Miles Davis
• 60s pop
• Beatles
• Rolling Stones
• female rock stars

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rave magazine, Boyfriend magazine, Rave

Books & works: Pet Sounds, The Who did you say?, The Flower Game, The Beach Boys Visit the Animals, The Beach Boys: Complex and Intricate, Brian Wilson Remembers Pet Sounds on the Album's 50th Anniversary, Miles Davis audio, No Language, Just Sound — Looking Well Beyond the Lyric Sheet

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