Paul Weller Fan Podcast

My latest guest is the former music mogul and legendary concert promoter Tim Parsons. It was a real joy to hear his stories from starting out as a "humper" (someone to move equipment) at an ELO gig to promoting Jasper Carrott, punk bands and heavy metal and the mighty Midland Concert Promotions which started in started in January 1978 with Tim and Maurice Jones. It as part of MCP, that Tim worked...

I'm delighted to be joined by musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer - Rod Argent. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Rod is the keyboardist, founder and leader of the English rock band The Zombies. Their second album Odessey and Oracle is often mentioned by Paul Weller as his all time favourite. Rod has had an incredible career - continuing to perform live and release n...

My latest podcast guest - Scottish singer and songwriter, Dot Allison made a welcome return to music in 2021, after taking some time out to raise a family, with the beautifully brilliant Heart-Shaped Scars - an album which included "Very special thanks" to a wide variety of people including our podcast subject matter - Paul Weller! Her new album featured in Paul's list of favourites from 2021, and...

Ernie McKone is a UK-based bass player, producer and tutor whose speciality is jazz, funk, Latin and soul. With so many connections to Paul Weller and the likes of Mick Talbot, Steve White, Carleen Anderson, Jacko Peake and Matt Deighton over the past 30 plus years - there are some great stories to dig into. In 1997, Ernie joined the Paul Weller live band - taking over from Yolanda Charles - and h...

Barrie Cadogan is not only one of the most talented and well-respected guitarists around, having played with Primal Scream, Johnny Marr, The The, Steve Mason, Texas and, of course, Paul Weller - he also fronts his own band - Little Barrie. A classic British power trio in the lineage of Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Little Barrie started off as a solo guise for Barrie, using the nickname g...

Steve ‘Tufty’ Carver is my very special guest on this episode - recorded in front of a live audience at London's Cockpit Theatre. Woking born and bred, Steve has been friends with Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton, and Rick Buckler for over 45 years. Known to everyone as Tufty - he calls himself ‘a friend, fan and eventually a "roadie" with The Jam’, and shares plenty of stories - from watching his mates...

In this episode, recorded in front of a live audience at London's Cockpit Theatre, my guest is the Legendary broadcaster, TV presenter, journalist, A&R man, promoter and DJ - Gary Crowley. We dig in to his love of The Jam as a teenager to the creation of his own fanzine, interviews with Paul and Mick for The Style Council to Capital, GLR & XFM studio sessions and plenty of stories from his 40 year...

Hear my exclusive chat with musician Andy Crofts from the Paul Weller Band just hours ahead of their support slot with Madness at London's Royal Albert Hall and days before they head out on tour across England & Scotland. We also chat about the beautiful abstract painting that he has created, in light of the crisis in Ukraine, and the auction to raise money for War Child. Entitled, The Resistance,...

With Paul Weller and his band heading out on their latest tour in a matter of days, it's a real delight to be joined by one of the current line up - singer-songwriter, musician & keys player for PW - Tom Van Heel. Tom's entry into the crew is one of my favourite stories yet - what a magical experience he's had so far. We chat Saturns Pattern through to Fat Pop - live in the U.K., Europe, USA, Cana...

Episode 86 hears from legendary booking agent Martin Hopewell - a man who was a key part of the Weller set up for 28 years from The Jam in 1977 to The Style Council to Weller solo - right through to Studio 150. From smaller boutique agency Cowbell through to World Service which became part of the mega super agency Primary Talent… Listen for some amazing stories from the chaos of a punk festival in...

It was a sheer delight to welcome actor and musician, Max Beesley onto The Paul Weller Fan Podcast. What a talent! - piano, vibes, drums and percussion - song-writing - production - and a successful TV & movie acting career to boot!. The Paul Weller Movement kicks off... Even though he was just 18 at the time, Max played a key part in those early days of Paul's solo career with The Paul Weller Mov...

On Episode 84 of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I am joined by singer, musician, activist & campaigner, Rhoda Dakar. We hear how her career began as lead vocalist with all female 2Tone band, The Bodysnatchers in 1979 and kick off the podcast with a great Paul Weller connection through The Jam and Rhoda being banned from seeing them live in concert in the late 70s / early 80s!. We hear about Red Wedg...

My latest podcast guest is Tracie! AKA Tracie Young. The singer, 80s popstar, TV Presenter & Radio Broadcaster talks about 80s hairdos, The Jam, The Style Council, Respond Records, her solo career, touring and recording with Paul Weller along with the truth behind the second album that lay in the vaults for over 25 years. Big thanks to Mr Cool's Dream - Iain Munn for his great book for help with t...

Omar is without doubt, one of the greatest soul music talents the UK has produced in the last 35 years. He's a genuinely unique artist, with a sound of his own that is so immediately identifiable, that you will know you are hearing an Omar track within seconds - the stamp of true originality. In this latest episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, we hear about his musical DNA, the special letters...

My latest guest is Roger Nowell, Head Roadie / Guitar Tech for Paul Weller, a man who has been part of the crew since 1999. We talk about The Jam, playing with Paul on record, and travelling all over the world looking after his guitars and those live performances. Incredibly, I joined Roger at Paul Weller HQ - Black Barn Studio in Surrey - at the end of their 2021 tour - a tour that came to an ear...

On this episode I’m joined by the fabulous force of nature that is Nicole Nodland. Not only was she personal photographer to global superstar - Prince - living at Paisley Park, touring the world with the band and documenting his life on photo and film - but her portfolio including icons such as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, George Clinton and more recent artists such as Lana Del Ray, Sam Smith and D...

On this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I am joined by another music industry legend Eddie Piller. Not only is he the Founder & MD of the magnificent Acid Jazz Records but he's also a Radio Presenter, Writer, DJ, Podcaster, Producer, Manager and Festival Curator. A legendary figure in the Mod scene and beyond, he was also the man that Paul Weller turned to play records at his fiftieth birt...

In this episode I’m joined by Grammy Award winner, Singer, Songwriter, Producer - one of the pioneers of U.K. soul music - Junior Giscombe… We dig in to some great Weller connections from The Council Collective single Soul Deep to Red Wedge to joining The Style Council at Wembley and his own impressive back catalogue.  Find out more with links to videos, albums and the blog at www.paulwellerfanpod...

Tom Doyle is an acclaimed music journalist, author, and long-standing contributor to music magazines Mojo and Q. His work has also appeared in Billboard, The Guardian, The Times, and Sound on Sound. Over the years, he has been responsible for some great interviews with Paul Weller along with key magazine profiles of Paul McCartney, Elton John, Yoko Ono, Keith Richards, U2, Madonna, Kate Bush, and...

Chris Parry was, once, the drummer of New Zealand band The Fourmyula who went on to work for Polydor in the UK - going on to sign The Jam in February 1977. Chris first saw the band on 22nd January 1977, where they supported Bearded Lady at The Marquee in London (after Shane MacGowan had told him to check them out!). The band were signed for a £6,000 advance and 6% royalty rate which initially cove...

My latest guest is Honorary Councillor - Barbara Snow - a widely respected and popular vocalist, trumpeter, pianist, composer and arranger, who has also established a significant reputation as an educator of some note. She now teaches the piano at Royal Russell School, Croydon. Barbara played trumpet in the live band for the debut tour in October 1983 - small venues in Europe as warm ups prior to...

My latest guest is Chris Bostock - a musician, songwriter and music producer, known for his work with JoBoxers, Subway Sect, Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys, The Style Council, Spear of Destiny, The X-Certs and The Stingrays.  As a Honorary Councillor, he played on Café Bleu - the official debut album released by The Style Council - playing on Here’s One That Got Away and double bass on The...

My latest podcast guest - Camelle Hinds was an Honorary Councillor from January 1985 - playing bass in The Style Council band on tour and on the LPs from Our Favourite Shop through to the final rejected Modernism LP. We'll hear about special memories of that time - including Live Aid and the famous 3 nights at Wembley, with a 15 piece string section, that was captured on film for the Showbiz video...

Derek D Souza started taking photos of Paul Weller over 40 years ago – snapping The Jam at various gigs and soundchecks before the famous shoot at Chiswick House in London. Attending concerts across London, he would smuggle his kit in and take photos at every opportunity, sending the best ones in to their fan club. His photographs, taken with a low-budget, manual camera from the midst of crowds in...

My latest very special guest is Conor O Brien, otherwise known as the multi-award-winning singer-songwriter behind the band Villagers. We dig in to a love of Paul's music (and vice-versa) along with collaborations over the years from US tour support to The Black Barn Sessions and writing together for True Meanings - and even their recent performance together at The Roundhouse in London. Villagers...