Memorabilia Podcast

A brilliant record by The Wannadies from 1995 to conclude the Memorabilia Podcast and a bumper episode for our final outing. We discuss the career and discography of Sweden's hugely underrated indie popsters, look back on live performances we attended, and provide a comprehensive guide through their breakthrough third LP, Be A Girl, including their Gold-certified single 'You & Me Song&...

Stardom Road was Marc Almond's first release since his near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2004. It was a long, dark path to recovery that left him unable to write songs and he required singing lessons to find his voice again. Once over that hurdle, Marc returned to the studio to work on a covers album, the concept being that the selected songs contained a narrative relating to his life. Stardom Roa...

Two years in the making, Marc's labour of love to Russia, its tumultuous history, varied culture, proud people, and its kaleidoscope of musical sounds and influences was released on October 21st 2003. Twenty years old at the time of recording this podcast, we discuss how the album came into being, the various collaborations that run throughout the record, its impact on release, the reception i...

Another magnificent album from the 90s for episode 33 of the Memorabilia Podcast and another 30th Anniversary celebration. Pearl Jam's second LP release arrived on the 19th of October 1993 with much anticipation and didn't fail to deliver. 'Vs.' (pronounced versus) has a very different sound and vibe to their debut album 'Ten', and we look at the lead-up to the recording of the record, provide a t...

Another 30th Anniversary episode for the Memorabilia Podcast, and this time it's 'The Modfather' Paul Weller and his second solo album release from September 1993, the Mercury Music Prize nominated 'Wild Wood'. The critically acclaimed record signalled his return to favour after the Style Council's fall in popularity at the end of the 80's, and the mixed reaction to his...

Our musical time machine on episode number 31 saw us land back in the summer of 1991. Specifically, one month before the release of Nirvana's masterpiece 'Nevermind', another pivotal grunge record was propelled into the world for the first time - the raucous, energetic, powerful, anthemic, yet often moving and highly emotional 'Ten' by Pearl Jam. Rick and Kate are joined by goo...

Happy 30th birthday to 'The Last Splash' released on August 30th 1993! To celebrate we have dedicated our 30th episode (did you see what we did there?!) to the album which was the second release from the Dayton, Ohio, quartet, led by principal singer songwriter, and former member of The Pixies, Kim Deal. We take a look at the formation and evolution of the group from their beginnings in 19...

During the height of his fame with Soft Cell, Marc Almond had a side project. An outlet for the less polished pop side of his persona. Dark, passionate, intense, diverse, and riveting. And that was just the musicians that were part of the collective known as Marc and the Mambas. As we publish this podcast episode in mid-August 2023, it's precisely 40 years since Marc and the Mambas released th...

Nirvana's Nevermind brought about a seismic shift in the musical landscape on release in September 1991. From the music, the attitude, and the fashion surrounding the grunge era, things would never be the same again. We discuss it all, along with the lead up to the record, the recording and production, the reaction on release, as well as taking a deep dive into the songs that made this one of...

A favourite album of Kate's receives the Memorabilia Podcast scrutiny this week as we focus our attention on the intense, brooding, magnificence that is 'Murder Ballads' by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds from 1996. Their 9th studio album release, notable for its dark subject matter and cameo appearances from PJ Harvey, Kylie Monogue, and Shane McGowan, was met with widespread critical acc...

Blur's Modern Life is Rubbish. A cracking album to celebrate episode 25 for us and the 30th anniversary of it's release on Food records in the UK on the 10th of May 1993. Unthinkable given what came afterwards that Blur were in a bit of a pickle ahead of the release of this record. We discover why they were in serious debt, in threat of being dropped by the record company, and what were th...

It's Autumn 1992 and R.E.M. are suddenly one of the biggest bands on the planet, riding the crest of a wave after the global success of their seventh studio LP - The wonderful 'Out of Time.' How do you follow that and create an album that: a) sounds radically different to anything you've produced before, is b) critically lauded and, c) every bit as successful commercially as its pr...

It's the end of March in the last year of the millenium and Marc Almond releases his tenth studio album 'Open All Night'. There's duets with Kelli Ali (Sneaker Pimps) and Siouxsie Sioux (of 'Siouxsie and the Banshees' fame), a dark undercurrent that weaves through the album, a regular backdrop of electronic beats and trip hop and some painful and bared soul lyrics. But, is...

A bumper episode for season 2, episode 2 with special guest, current Leveller and all round brilliant human being, the very talented Dan Donelly. As well as focusing on his terrific 2011 album 'Country & Northern', and hearing about the genesis of each song, we have some fun discussions about why drinking pints of Guinness in a music video isn't a great idea, and possibly being the last vangua...

We are delighted to be back with a sublime album from the late 90's to kick-off Season 2! North Carolinan trio, Ben Folds Five, released their second LP on the 18th of March 1997 with much trepidation after a challenging time recording the album, trying to perfect the sound and document 'an event' by shunning the recording studio in favour of Ben's dilapidated house in Chapel Hill....

For our final episode of Season 1, we are back in 1987 to visit the songwriting duo 'Hue and Cry' and their debut album 'Seduced and Abandoned'. Brothers Patrick and Greg Kane were raised in the Scottish town of Coatbridge and were just 22 and 20 years of age respectively when the LP was released on the 1st of November 1987. We take a deep dive in to their journey to unlikely top 10 hitmakers, rev...

We are back in 1989 for a third time and this time it's a summer release from 'The The' that gets the Memorabilia Podcast spotlight. This was Kate's LP purchased not long after its release and she talks about what the album means to her, why she purchased it, what she likes about it, and how she used to prefer listening to the record. Before we disect the LP track by track, we review some recent g...

Early July 1990 and Harry Connick Jr. releases 2 albums on the same day and a 'home video' entitled Singin' & Swingin'. One of the LP's is with his Jazz trio entitled 'Lofty's Roach Soufle', but the record we focus on in this episode is ' We Are In Love ' - a big band, jazz and swing masterclass from the 22 year old New Orleans native. Harry won his second grammy for the record in what was a m...

Our most 'recent' album covered to date is 'San Fransisco' by American Music Club, presumably named after the Californian city in which they were formed back in 1983. San Fransisco was their 7th and final album before they disbanded in 1995. There was a reformation in 2004 which lasted for a further 6 years and saw the release of 2 further LP's by the band. American Music Club were a band that Ric...

We are up to episode 17 and it's a pivotal LP both culturally and musically - The Stone Roses much revered eponymously titled debut album from May 1989. Unbelievably, the record was released on exactly the same day as an album we have already covered - our top rated LP to date - Disintegration by The Cure. A very different sound, but will we both rate it as highly as that album?  The rec...

Episode 16 of season one covers Kate's vinyl LP from 1992 - 'Up' - the debut album by London based band Right Said Fred. The usual look at where the record was purchased, how the band were formed, key personnel, what they've been up to lately and a track by track analysis of the 10 song album. This includes some impressive numbers and kudos for their first single, and bone fide mega-hit, "I'm too...

Hey hey, we're covering The Monkees! As you'll discover, this was an LP that Rick borrowed from his cousin 20 odd years ago and he hasn't quite managed to return it yet - eek! Rick's now expecting a message from cousin Dave requesting its return, but secretly hoping that he no longer owns a record player so he'll be given the nod to keep it!  Kate was researching this one and being a 'Best of...

It's summer 1990, you're 18 years old, and you head out on one of life's big adventures, to work as a courier at Eurocamp in Switzerland. Part of your job is to clean out the tents and you're seeking the perfect record to accompany your hot, sweaty, dirty labour. What would hit the spot and ease your graft as you worked from tent to tent? Well, in Kate's distant past, that album was Bryan Adam's 1...

A very special episode for the Memorabilia Podcast - our first indie superstar guest in Caretaker Race singer/songrwriter and Loft guitarist Andy Strickland. Andy kindly took the time to speak to us for over 90 minutes about his band's superb 1990 debut album 'Hangover Square'. For the first time, we also have music clips to accompany the tales behind the songwriting and producing. Thank you Andy!...

July 1988 - Kate and Rick were sweet 16, and it was very much a case of school's out for the summer. Within a week of it's release, Rick had ventured into Sheffield City Centre to purchase Kylie, by Kylie Minogue and so began a beautiful relationship that's lasted the test of time... even if that early music hasn't aged so well! That said, Kylie's debut LP went to #1 in the UK album charts and sol...