Shows / Word In Your Ear
Word In Your Ear
Mark Ellen and David Hepworth have been talking about and writing about music together and individually for a collective eighty years in magazines like Smash Hits, Mojo and The Word and on radio and TV programmes like "Rock On", "Whistle Test" and VH-1.Over thirteen years ago, when working on the late magazine The Word, they began producing podcasts. Some listeners have been kind enough to say these have been very special to them. When the magazine folded in 2012 they kept the spirit of those…
Episodes
Word In Your EarNatalie Merchant returns playing ‘Mother Goose as an 18th Century feminist’
Natalie Merchant joined 10,000 Maniacs when she was 17, had a long and successful solo career and then began teaching children in New York State. Realising the…
Word In Your EarThe Proclaimers know the exquisite delight of your songs being sung in football stadiums
The Proclaimers have only had a handful of hits but they’re songs that have kept expanding for nearly 40 years. And the World Cup was a reminder of how far…
Word In Your EarWhat are the great singles that have entered our bloodstream? “Nobody hums an album!”
The original rock podcast - now in its 20th year! – knocks the week’s news across the conversational net. Amid the top-spin, rallies and double-faults, you’ll…
Word In Your EarMartin Simpson’s 60 years on the folk circuit ‘making people cry for a living’
Martin Simpson got backstage when he was 15 and met Jimmy Reed and Big Joe Williams and it changed his life forever. He’s been on the folk circuit ever since…
Word In Your EarThe Shadows and the chequered tale of the first British rock’n’roll band
The Shadows were the strongest brand in British pop, adored and widely imitated. When they went out of fashion, no-one wanted them to change. Bob Stanley…
Word In Your EarStiff Records’ 50th birthday! – the farcical magnificent record label and why we adored it
Stuff, nonsense, the white heat of debate and yesterday’s news today! Which this week involves … … which of these didn’t host a TV chat show – Ian Botham…
Word In Your EarElliott Smith, his life, his afterlife and the friends who believed in him
A sense of melancholy hangs over the music of songwriters whose lives were tragically short – Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley, Eva Cassidy, Judee Sill - and we’re…
Word In Your EarHow Kylie became the whole world’s sweetheart
Michael Cragg’s devotion to all things Kylie once led him to Melbourne in search of the actual carousel horse she rode in a pop video. He got a tattoo a day…
Word In Your EarSandy Denny’s life and luminous talent celebrated by Linda Thompson
‘Sandy Denny: A People’s History’ has just been published, memories from fellow musicians, old friends, producers, writers, fans and admirers. Linda Thompson…
Word In Your EarThe Abbey Road photo miracle, Glen Hansard and TV we’d pay to watch
The news slapped on the conversational barbecue and served with a side of old hokum. This week’s mixed grill includes … … our favourite story in the whole of…
Word In Your EarBowie, the Cure, Neil Young and the golden age of the video shoot
Tim Pope caught the video wave in 1981 and made hundreds of promotional clips, often three or four a week, edited at night and on-air days later. You’ll have…
Word In Your EarPauline Black of the Selecter, the girl who invented the Rude Girl
Pauline Black was seen singing Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell songs in Coventry folk clubs and recruited by a local reggae band. Then converted to ska and…
Word In Your EarTony Fletcher - teenage label boss! – remembers the Jam, the Tube and the ‘80s pop explosion
Tony Fletcher launched Jamming! when he was 13, wrote for the Face at 16, ran a label with Paul Weller at 17 and a year later was presenting the Tube. And was…
Word In Your EarIs AI wrecking rock history? – plus festivals in heatwaves and Kate Bush dancing
Testing the temperature of this week’s news to see what trips the fire-alarm, which includes … … does having a Number One still matter? … Pauline Black’s…
Word In Your EarJonathan Richman, on-the-road songs and the best-known solo ever recorded
This week’s news in a conversational cocktail-shaker and served with ice and a little paper parasol. Those Happy Hour highlights include … … six musicians who…
Word In Your EarGeorgie Fame, Ben Sidran and the golden age of ‘60s Soho
Ben Sidran was in a teenage band with Steve Miller and Boz Scaggs, a session pianist with the Stones in 1969 and carved a brilliant career as a jazz musician…
Word In Your EarSteve Hackett remembers batwings, blues clubs and Genesis on £15 a week
Steve Hackett’s seven years in Genesis get re-explored when he tours in October, along with ‘solo gems’ from the records he’s made since, the latest ‘the…
Word In Your EarMari Wilson, our favourite girl about town, takes Neasden to Chelsea
Mari Wilson has drunk deep of all that London nightlife has to offer, from a London Transport social club in Wembley to a posh venue in Chelsea via the Cooks…
Word In Your EarAll music is dance music! – and the best stage name ever
Another over-heated week put through the conversational air-conditioner, which involves … … the man who got rich writing words that could never be sung … Anna…
Word In Your EarAdam & the Ants, pop stardom and Marco Pirroni’s brief spell in the spotlight
Marco Pirroni’s moment in the sun was big, lucrative but incredibly short. It was under a year from Adam & the Ants’ first hit to their last and immediate…
Word In Your EarThe Specials are no more! Horace Panter remembers days when it was ‘like walking on air’
The Specials have officially disbanded, bowing out with a swansong album recorded in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral in 2019. Horace Panter looks back at the…
Word In Your EarIs Indie the new Good Old Days? And why are there no British country stars?
As this week’s news hurtles over the net, we sort the aces from the double-faults. The final score … … Madonna, Shakira, Chris Martin and World Cup 11-minute…
Word In Your EarKevin Rowland, the new Dexys and what he's learnt from life
We first saw Kevin in ‘77 wearing jodhpurs onstage with his art-punk band the Killjoys! He’s formed a new version of Dexys, made an album, starts a tour in…
Word In Your EarGreat rock feuds of Manchester, TV comedy & the man who invented the pop song
This week’s penalty shoot-out of news sorts the surefire hits from the over-the-bar misses. That final score again … … what Morrissey’s only gone and done now…
Word In Your EarJoan Armatrading, Tom Robinson and the great music meltdown of Summer ‘76
The blistering heat of 1976 burnt various things onto the memory – standpipes, strikes, Entebbe, ‘Confessions’ movies, Jeremy Thorpe – but most of all the…
Word In Your EarPrefab Sprout - a tale of mystery, eccentricity and pop’s most famous motorbike
Nige Tassell fell in love with the literary allusions of Prefab Sprout when at school and his new book ‘Truly Gifted Kids’ tells their unique and inscrutable…
Word In Your EarMadonna smoking, the first indie PM and have we just witnessed the nadir of pop?!
Tapping the barometer of news to see what’s blistering or stormy, which this week includes … … “The Man can’t bust our music!”: the crimes and misdemeanours of…
Word In Your EarGary Numan’s reality check – ‘I’m essentially a guy who wears make-up for a living’
Seven hundred fans have contributed to ‘Gary Numan: A People’s History’, a lavishly published compendium of memories of discovering, hearing and watching him…
Word In Your EarDavid Gray’s priceless memories of lessons learned the hard way
David Gray went through the roof with his White Ladder album in 2000 and he’s toured and recorded ever since, ending this summer’s loop at Latitude. He talks…
Word In Your EarWhy George Michael’s life is a movie plus Syd, Kirsty, Gorillaz & the worst album title ever
Digging deep in the icebox of news to choose the following lightly chilled refreshments … … 500 Miles, Wonderwall, Yes Sir I Can Boogie(?): what does it take…
Word In Your EarPeter Frampton – ‘the Face of 1968’ looks back!
Peter Frampton, for goodness sake! Part of our lives at Word In Your Ear since we were teenagers. Played guitar on national telly when he was 14. Joined the…
Word In Your EarPaul Simon’s Graceland and how the masterpiece was made
‘Graceland’ was an almighty gamble for Paul Simon, a costly, high-risk departure from the music he’d been making and a complex international venture. And a…
Word In Your EarKate Mossman has strong feelings about rock stars past their prime
Kate’s an old pal of ours from Word magazine who writes scintillating columns and profiles for the New Statesman and Observer. We loved her book ‘Men Of A…
Word In Your EarPop stars’ weddings and why Noel Gallagher’s right about World Cup music
Amid much parping of vuvuzelas, the week’s news stories sprint onto the pitch. And these make it to the quarter-finals … … Dua Lipa’s mega-wedding and its…
Word In Your EarDave Balfe remembers the Teardrops, Blur and a very big house in the country
Dave Balfe was a key player in late ‘70s Liverpool, joined Big In Japan and the Teardrop Explodes, co-founded Zoo Records and, later, Food who signed and…
Word In Your EarStar Ratings - do we love/hate/need them? Five-star debate here! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Star Ratings are now ubiquitous and inescapable and it’s not just music, films and books. Everything we encounter tends to be rated which colours our judgement…
Word In Your EarBrian Epstein & the Beatles - what he did and what he hid
Philip Norman has written books about the Beatles – and John, Paul and George - and now turns the spotlight on the man who launched them and the extreme…
- Word In Your Ear
Are we nearing Beatles Overload? plus the rock star with the most children (41!)
When the pedalo of perusal cruised the lagoon of news this week, it paused to inspect the following ... … the particular magic of the late-night DJ … a Get…
Word In Your EarThe glorious story of Funk from James Brown to Off The Wall
Old friend of the podcast Lloyd Bradley wrote Bass Culture, the defining account of reggae, and he’s now turned his attention to funk, from its deepest roots…
Word In Your EarLeo Sayer has met everyone – rock legends, sport superstars, future presidents …
Leo Sayer burst onto national telly in 1973 dressed as a Pierrot with the Show Must Go On launching a 50-year career in colourful company – songwriters, boxing…
Word In Your EarSongs about sweltering heat, Willie Nelson’s braids and is vinyl now ‘luxury goods’?
Chasing the shade and slapping the Sunscreen on this week’s overheated news, we pour a tinkling drink and reflect upon the following … … British people in hot…
Word In Your EarHow Daniel Lanois made those adventurous records with Dylan, U2 and Willie Nelson
Daniel Lanois built a studio in his basement in Quebec and began producing local acts when a teenager. Through work with Brian Eno, he went on to record U2…
Word In Your EarSiouxsie, Nico, Cocteaus, Shangri-Las, Bobbie Gentry … a celebration of the sound of Goth!
Cathi Unsworth was a teenage Goth, enthralled as much by Joy Division and the Banshees as by the Brontës, Bram Stoker and Aubrey Beardsley. We loved her book…
Word In Your EarBlondie and Clem Burke remembered by devoted pal Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go’s
Clem Burke joined Blondie in 1975. He started writing his memoir 20 years ago and just managed to finish it before he died in 2025, encouraged and assisted by…
Word In Your EarNick Lowe’s miracle payday, Rock feuds and a giant inflatable Jarvis
Panning for gold in the murky waters of this week’s news, we found the following … … is Sabrina Carpenter’s aunt the voice of Bart Simpson? … is punk now just…
Word In Your EarThe Damned at 50 and the memories (and regrets) of Rat Scabies
The Damned are – yes! - 50 years old with three of the originals still onboard. And just starting a world tour. In this immensely funny and touching podcast…
Word In Your EarShoegaze, slackers, ‘noise chasms’ and the 10-year reinvention of rock
A whole new age of psychedelia kicked off in the mid-‘80s, of dream-weavers and glorious underachievers, a complete rejection of the standard rock approach to…
Word In Your EarFamous rock locations, His & Hers records and weird things thrown onstage
This week’s news gets a thorough shake-down to see what falls out of its pockets. Which includes … … cupcakes, mobiles, rubber ducks, a dead swan: weird things…
Word In Your EarBrian Eno’s restless creative adventures with Roxy, Bowie, U2 and Talking Heads
For nearly 60 years, Brian Eno has been a “proud non-musician” who changed the way people thought and sounded while inventing whole new ways of recording. We…
Word In Your EarThe Who, Floyd, Led Zep and the great college circuit that launched 1,000 bands
Cheap tickets, warm beer, draughty halls and refectories, a whole new cobbled-together rock circuit was born in the ‘60s for an audience who watched and…
Word In Your EarPaul Simon, Bad Bunny, how songwriting changed & the scourge of Blue Dot Fever!
It’s polling day for this week’s news and these are the stories that got our vote … ... Pussycat Dolls, Meghan Trainor and how ‘Blue Dot Fever’ is wrecking…
Word In Your EarPleasure Gardens, cabaret, nightclubs, rave & 350 years of the Big Night Out
Mass commercial nightlife began in a Japanese Pleasure Garden in 1657 and it’s blossomed ever since – via Victorian Vauxhall, cabaret Paris, jazz-driven New…
Word In Your EarAndy Earl’s memories of photographing Prince, Madonna and Johnny Cash
Andy Earl helped create the new dawn of colour photography in the ‘80s pop video age and went on to shoot a series of unforgettable portraits, album sleeves…
Word In Your EarTalk Talk, a deep-dive tale of mystery and imagination
Talk Talk made just five albums, all written and recorded unconventionally and no-one’s entirely sure how they did it. And in the last two decades of his life…
Word In Your EarThe Clash, the Cramps and Penny Kiley’s teenage punk diaries
Penny Kiley moved to Liverpool in 1976, ran into punk rock and “became the person I’d never been allowed to be”, as vividly remembered in her memoir, Atypical…
Word In Your EarVan Morrison’s agent writes crime fiction as the music business sleeps
In the 70s Paul Charles wrote lyrics for an Irish prog band. Now he writes mystery novels. Inbetween he’s been agent for Tom Waits, Nick Lowe, Van Morrison…
Word In Your EarCan the Michael movie reboot Jacko? & how social media changed festivals
This week’s news stories charge out onto the pitch but which are heading for promotion? In the running at the final whistle … … “a ghoulish, soulless…
Word In Your EarAndy Kershaw & Dylan’s jar of jam plus the things people do to get gigs
Be glad for the pod has no ending! Now in our 20th year and, this week, ruminating fondly on the following … … the “underhand” selling of Geese … Morrissey’s…
Word In Your EarThe story of Wild Thing and whatever happened to World Cup songs?
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on as we voyage to the far side this week to take a picture of … … the Kanye West & Wireless ding-dong ……
Word In Your EarNo Sex Pistols in Manchester? ‘No Smiths, Nirvana, indie rock.’ Discuss!
Howard Devoto and Pete Shelley read a review of the Sex Pistols in February 1976, borrowed a car, drove to London, asked the NME where they’d find the band and…