Tim's Listening Party

Tim is delighted to welcome back Jim Kerr & Charlie Burchill from Simple Minds for another listening party.Previously they looked at their 1982 album New Gold Dream - make sure to check that episode out if you haven’t already - and now they become the first ever returning guests on the show, this time to talk about 1985 record, Once Upon a Time, on it’s 40th anniversary.Once Upon A Time was released on 21st October 1985 on Virgin and A&M.

This episode Tim Burgess is joined for a Listening Party by JJ Burnel from the Stranglers to talk about their La Folie, their sixth album that was released in 1981.Over their career they have refused to be defined by category or genre. They have strayed from punk, with an initially aggressive ethos, to expanding into new wave and art rock, as their output became more sophisticated but always remained interesting.La Folie was released on 9th November 1981 on Liberty.

This episode, Tim was joined by Joan Armatrading and Glyn Johns to talk about Joan’s self-titled third album from 1976.In the 1970s, Joan Armatrading became one of the first British female singer-songwriters to achieve international success thanks to her brilliant musicianship and vivid songwriting.Glyn Johns, meanwhile, boasts a CV to parallel any record producer, having worked with the Beatles, the Stones, the Who, Led Zeppelin, the Kinks, Bob Dylan, the Clash, Eagles, Eric Clapton and of course, John Armatrading.Joan Armatrading was released in July 1976 on A&M.

This episode Tim Burgess is joined by John Power from Cast.Having left legendary Liverpool band the Las, John Power, took inspiration from the last line of the last song on the sole album by the Las… ‘The change is cast’. And it certainly was.Emerging from the Britpop movement of the mid-90s, Cast gained plenty of admirers, including the Gallagher brothers, who taken them on tour with them as part of the Oasis Live 25 reunion tour.Cast’s debut album, All Change, became the highest selling debut album in the history of the Polydor label and here we are celebrating that record on its 30th anniversary.All Change was released on 16th October 1995 on Polydor.

This episode, Tim Burgess is joined by one of Britain’s best bands to talk about their brilliant debut on its 10th anniversary.Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher from Royal Blood remember their self-titled first album that gave us hits like Figure It Out and Little Monster.Their debut record went to Number One in the UK, went double platinum and won them the Brit award for Best British band in 2015. It announced this incredibly loud two-piece onto the rock music scene and Tim asked Mike & Ben how it felt to be given the title ‘the saviours of rock’.Royal Blood was released on 25 August 2014 on Warner Brothers.

This episode, Tim Burgess is joined for a listening party by Nile Rodgers, to talk about Chic’s 1979 album, their third record, Risque.Nile Rodgers, along with his band Chic’s contributed to music cannot be understated. They are one of the most important artists in the popularisation of disco music in the 1970s.Nile Rodgers himself is one of the greatest guitar players of all time, with a unique style that he continues to lend to leading artists to this very day. He also remains a hugely in-demand record producer, his CV boasting credits on some of the biggest recordings from the likes of Daft Punk, Duran Duran, Madonna, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, INXS the B52-s, Pharrell Williams and so many more.Risque was released on 30th July 1979 on Atlantic.

This episode, Tim is joined by Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol, to talk about the band’s brand new, eight album, The Forest Is The Path.Over the years, Snow Patrol have racked up multi-platinum selling albums and singles worldwide, they’ve achieved having a song with over a billion Spotify streams, as well as winning a prestigious Ivor Novello award. Having just entered their 3rd decade as a band, they continue to go from strength to strength, still one of Great Britain & Northern Ireland’s favourite bands.The Forest Is The Path was released on 13th September 2024 on Polydor.

Tim Burgess is joined for a listening party by Robert Smith from The Cure, to talk about the band’s brand new album, Songs of a Lost World.The band’s long-awaited and much-anticipated 14th album marks 16 years since their last release and has received universal acclaim from fans & critics. As well as going through the band's latest release, Robert opens up about channelling grief into his song writing, his role as the singer of the band and why he continues to wear his iconic make up. Plus, he reveals what job he dreamed of having before he was in the Cure - it might surprise you!Songs of a Lost World was released on 1st November 2024 on Fiction, Lost, Polydor, Universal & Capitol.The Cure’s Songs of a Live World, an incredible set recorded at Troxy in London, is out on December 13th, and all the royalties from the album go to War Child

This episode Tim is joined by Jon Bon Jovi.One of the biggest rock stars ever fronting one of the most successful bands of all time, they have sold out stadiums, won Grammys, been inducted into music Halls of Fame. Here, Jon goes through one of the biggest albums ever, Slippery When Wet.Jon discusses the success of singles You Give Love A Bad Name and Livin’ On A Prayer, his time working as a tea boy at the Power Station, and his love for the UK.Slippery When Wet was released on 18th August 1986 on Mercury & Vertigo.

Tom Chaplin and Tim Rice-Oxley from Keane join Tim to talk about their debut album, Hopes And Fears, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.One of the best-selling albums in UK history, it went 9xplatinum in the UK, selling over 10 million copies worldwide, and wracking up billions of streams online. The year of the album’s release, 2004, saw Keane hold the crown of being the biggest selling British artist in the country. The following year they won two BRIT Awards: Best British Album and British Breakthrough act.Tom & Tim discuss the effect of performing a huge song like Somewhere Only We Know to a crowd, which vocalists influenced Tom’s singing, and how his parents responded to hearing Bedshaped for the first time.Hopes And Fears was released on 10th May 2004 on Island.

This episode Tim is joined by Fran Healy & Dougie Payne from Travis to talk about the Man Who on its 25th anniversary.The Man Who is one of the most successful British albums of the last 25 years, spending 11 weeks at Number One, a further 134 weeks in the Top 100, and going 9 times platinum in the UK. It has sold 3.5 million copies worldwide. The album garnered critical recognition with 2 Ivor Novello Awards and 2 BRIT Awards for Best British Band and Best British Album, and led to them headlining Glastonbury in 2000. The Man Who remains an album that helped to define the British alternative music sound that followed.In this Listening Party, they talk about that Glastonbury performance that made them, how a breakup informed the album, how Fran nearly forgot Driftwood, and Fran recalls a night hanging out with Michael Stipe, Courtney Love & Morrissey.The Man Who was released on 24th May 1999 on Independiente.

For the first episode of this series of Tim’s Listening Party, Tim is joined by one of the most renowned song-writing duos in British music history, Pete Doherty & Carl Barat of the Libertines.Notorious, raucous, shambolic and ramshackle but brilliant, poetic, smart and witty, they are the indie heroes for a generation. Defined by extreme ups and downs, their music has survived through it all and so have they. Amongst a busy field of indie bands in Great British indie renaissance of the 00s, many would go as far as calling them the most important one.Now, they have returned with their first album in 9 years and their fourth record overall, All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade.Pete & Carl will be talking about that new album, recording in Jamaica, plus Carl & Tim remember a band they once formed together.All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade was released on 5th April 2024 on Casablanca & Republic.

For this very special episode, Tim Burgess is was joined for a live Listening Party by Andy McCluskey, the lead singer and bassist of one of the most influential synth-pop acts in history, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.Pioneers of electronic music, OMD were one of the earliest synthesizer-led bands to emerge from the post-punk scene, influencing many artists since, and making their presence felt in the Second British Invasion in the US with the advent of MTV. Simply put, OMD are partly responsible for the sound that defined the 80s, and the album they are discussing, Architecture & Morality, remains one of the enduring records of that era.Architecture & Mortality was released on 6th November 1981 on Dindisc.