All About The Music

In early 1962 Decca Records had the choice of signing one of two bands? They chose The Tremeloes, who went on to have two chart-topping singles. Not a bad result! Except that the other band were The Beatles. By coincidence, my guest today has chosen BOTH of these bands… Hello and welcome to another episode of All About The Music, where I’m delighted to be in the company of psychotherapist and auth...

Music so often has big things to say about its time. And there’s something about the 80s where this really went into overdrive. My guest today was living and breathing it… Hello and welcome to another episode of All About The Music, where I am joined by Damion Burrows who, when he’s not heading up his own architectural business, can be seen on TV shows like Grand Designs: House of the Year, Your H...

What does Britain’s most famous film critic listen to in his spare time? Perhaps predictably, the odd movie soundtrack gets mentioned today! But that’s about all that’s predictable… Hello and welcome to this episode of All About The Music, where I sit down with Mark Kermode — film critic, broadcaster and, I’m proud to say, a musician mate of mine. Mark’s taste is wonderfully eclectic, stretching f...

What a joy to be contacted out of the blue by a legend of British TV. “Please Neil, let me be a guest on your podcast!” Hello and welcome to another All About The Music, where I’m delighted to say that my guest is Anneka Rice – known to all of us who owned a television in the ‘80s and ‘90s, when she was jumping out of helicopters for Channel 4’s Treasure Hunt, before achieving the impossible week-...

Love songs are as old as love itself. And there are thousands to choose from. So with Valentine’s Day almost upon us, what might make the perfect love song for your own true love? Hello and welcome to an especially romantic edition of All About The Music, with me, Neil Brand. Today I am here to help in your quest to find that special song for that very special someone. And believe me, I am throwin...

What makes the perfect Christmas song? Is there a formula for a festive hit? Call me foolhardy, but I think there might be! Hello and welcome to this special Christmas edition of All About The Music, with me, Neil Brand. Today the guest chair is empty, but instead my studio sleigh is bursting with Christmas songs – from Slade’s joyfully raucous “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day” to Chris Rea...

I love the unpredictable mix of music that guests bring to the show, and this episode is no exception – step forward jazz legend Miles Davis, and electronic producer Jon Hopkins! Hello and welcome to another All About The Music, where I’m joined by Charlie Luxton — architectural designer, familiar TV face, and lover of music with a tendency to push boundaries. Charlie’s playlist is as bold (yet of...

Paul Martin presented almost 1500 episodes of Flog It! But despite being a daily presence on our screens, how many of us knew that Paul was once a professional drummer?! Hello and welcome to this episode of All About The Music, where I’m chatting to Paul – a musician with stories as colourful as any found in the auction room, and someone for whom music and emotion are never far apart. Where else t...

I suspected we might be listening to The Beatles in this episode. Instead I got Blondie and The Monkees, neither of which were expected… both of which put a big smile on my face! Welcome to another episode of All About The Music, where I’m joined by Samira Ahmed — broadcaster, journalist and author – whose interest in music is every bit as great and varied as you’d expect from a presenter of BBC R...

What a joy to sit down with the brilliant Stephen Frost – comedian, actor, and master improviser. I’ve been lucky to know Stephen for years, but he’s loved by a great many more for his roles in The Young Ones, Blackadder, and Whose Line Is It Anyway? Stephen’s love of music is just as infectious as his onstage energy. In fact, you can feel that energy in many of his choices! He loves the hit of an...

Welcome to this episode of All About The Music, where I have the pleasure of sitting down with Bruno Tonioli – legendary dance judge, choreographer and, as I now know – wonderful storyteller (and teacher of Italian). Many will know Bruno from his decades on Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars. Fewer will know of his days choreographing the biggest stars in the business or what he real...

Hello and welcome to this second episode of All About The Music, where I’m joined by Rob Bell – presenter of many TV shows that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed from the comfort of my sofa. Rob’s explored the history of bridges, railways, lighthouses, and even nuclear submarines. But it turns out his love of music is just as entertaining and fascinating. Two things quickly became clear to me during our con...

Hello, Neil Brand here –  For this first show, I’m joined by the marvellous Keith Brymer Jones, much loved for his pottery designs and his emotional appearances as a judge on TV’s Great Pottery Throwdown.  We talk creativity, nostalgia, and the many ways in which music finds its way into his life — whether he’s at the potter’s bench, on stage with his own band, or even at his mother’s wake.   Keit...

“Famous voices. The songs that shaped them. The stories behind the music.” In All About The Music, composer, pianist and BBC broadcaster Neil Brand sits down with familiar faces from culture, comedy, and television to explore the soundtracks of their lives. From iconic anthems to guilty pleasures, each guest shares the songs that shaped them — and Neil brings those tracks to life at the piano, spa...