Woolleys Beat

Selling over 30 million albums, 11 top ten hits with 3 chart toppers, 10cc’s success and musical innovation is never in dispute. With 50 years in the business, Graham Gouldman talks about his early years, the success of their Strawberry Studios in Stockport and the songwriting that has made him work with some of the greatest names in the pop business. (Recorded in 2021 to celebrate 10cc's 50 y...

In the second part of the interview talking with Sweet's guitarist, Andy Scott talks about Blockbuster! and beyond... Competing with the other Glam rockers of the 70s, Sweet up their game and show more maturity in their songwriting. Andy opens up candidly about the loss of fellow band members Steve Priest and Mick Tucker.  (Recorded in 2021, this is part 2 of 2.) Listen to part 1   here...

In 2007, Sam inexplicably lost her original singing voice and thinking her career may be over, started her own ukulele school. Now she's back with a new voice and sound that will please her fans... In this podcast, we talk with Sam about her career since she entered the pop charts with the haunting 80s ballad "Stop". Sam also reveals how her talented parents helped her during her early years and w...

Former Stranglers' frontman Hugh Cornwell is literally coming out of the wilderness...  As the man regularly described as the poet laureate of the punk era, you can bet his latest album Moments of Madness will ease his fans coming out of Covid. In this podcast, Hugh talks about working on his latest video with award-winning US animator Jesse Bond, his early years after leaving the Stranglers,...

On the latest II Divo tour, Steven Labrie joins the trio after the sad loss of Carlos Marín. With a new tour underway and a new album, we caught up with one of its members Sébastien Izambard on the eve of their upcoming Christmas tour... Talking candidly on hearing the sad news that Carlos had died, Seb was not in a good place at that time. We also talk about his love of Motown, the Christmas tour...

Judie Tzuke is currently on her third Woman To Woman UK tour with Beverley Craven, Julia Fordham, and Rumer and is the songwriter of their latest charity single Humankind supporting Greenpeace and Wildlife Aid UK... Not many kids can come home from school to witness Andrew Lloyd-Webber tinkling the ivories on their piano. To a young Judie Tzuke, this was her induction into the world of music. In t...

Back in the 1970s, Sweet was one of the most successful pop groups to come out of the glam rock musical era. Now fifty years on, guitarist Andy Scott is the only surviving original member of the band. In this interview with Andy from his country home in Wiltshire, he reveals how the group came to be formed and how a chance encounter in Germany with T. Rex's Marc Bolan made them up their 'glam' gam...

Former Ikette is a true Soul survivor. Now with a new autobiography of the same name just published, London's First Lady of Soul has had a very interesting life to tell.  After experiencing racism and sexual exploitation throughout her early career and in her personal life, P.P. decided to turn her back on her American life to move to join the 'Swinging 60's' jet set life in London after supp...

In this podcast, the former singing milkman retraces his musical roots on his beloved home on the Isle Of White... Young Terence Perkins was spotted in a talent show and was touted as the next Perry Como. After finding fame went on to have a No.1 with a Sam Cooke song.  In this interview, Craig talks about the time when he topped the bill in Liverpool and was supported by four young local boy...

One of the 80's true survivors, the lead singer of Then Jerico knows how it is to give his fans his all. Shattering his feet during one such performance is a testament to that... As a little boy, he always wanted to be a stuntman but decided it was safer to be a musician. Boy was he wrong!  In this revealing interview, Mark talks candidly about his musical career and how he came to learn with...

Now a Northern Soul legend, Tommy Hunt's life hasn't been easy... Experiencing racial abuse in the Army when he wanted to see his ill mother, Tommy took his destiny in his own hands. Joining the doo-wop group The Flamingos gave Tommy a step up from what could have been a tougher road. Success was his destiny and he's worked with the best down the years - Elvis, Gene Vincent, and Buddy Holly to nam...

In our first part of talking with Leo, we look back at his early career. Dressing up as a clown wasn't easy. Leo also talks about life in Australia and his new album Northern Songs which covers many Beatles classics. He also shares some funny anecdotes about meeting the fab four (Leo was a big fan) and reveals which one gave him advice about his hair! A revealing insight into the 70's legend as he...

As a paperboy, Don McLean remembers very well that fateful morning when he saw the news about the death of Buddy Holly. Now 62 years on, that resulting song American Pie has been voted one of the best songs of the Century... Now on tour celebrating its 50th anniversary, Don opens up candidly about those songs and how early swimming lessons taught him how to keep his voice in tip-top condition to t...

Kimberley Rew & Lee Cave-Berry are obviously upbeat about the extensive airplay these guys have been having lately... Kimberley is no stranger to success. He wrote Katrina & the Waves' biggest hits. In 1985, ‘ Walking On Sunshine’ gave them a top ten hit and she followed this with the UK’s last Eurovision winner ‘ Love Shine A Light’ which done even better commercially.  The Bangles c...

He was the superstar who topped the UK and US single charts in the 70s with songs of endearing tunefulness, unabashed sentiment and existentialist musings... Today, Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan continues to be regarded with tremendous affection and his songs remain well-loved around the world. Gilbert O'Sullivan set out to be a guitarist. This all changed when the Beatles came along...

Rod Clements has been there from the early days of his folk roots... Lindisfarne is one of the biggest bands to come out of the North East and the recent BBC4 Documentary presented by Sam Fender pushes the legendary band back once more into the spotlight.  Rod talks about the early days, guesting on a chart-topping record and eating sickly sausage rolls with Gazza! Hear why Lindisfarne are fl...

A star of the screen and stage, the most famous fox in the World (sorry Michael J.), Basil Brush takes time out to chat about his long career... Currently starring in panto at the Theatre Royal in Windsor in Jack & The Beanstalk, Basil reveals why he still looks so young since he burst onto our screens back in 1962. He reveals who he'd like to work with and now he's got a new Charity record ou...

Celebrated Scottish singer and actress Barbara Dickson OBE talks about her incredible career from the folk circuit to treading the boards... Recorded in late 2020. Barbara gives an insight into her faith and personal life from working the Scottish folk circuit working alongside the likes of the Humblebums with Billy Connolly and Gerry Rafferty who became good friends in the early days. Appearing i...

The self-proclaimed Rock & Roll's Greatest Failure's defining moment came in an improvised 1977 Old Grey Whistle Test live performance that made him an overnight sensation.  This English singer-songwriter has built up a cult following down the years through extensive touring, a surreal sense of humour and a self-deprecating underdog persona . In this episode, we talk about that plus worki...

From his early days in the Q Tips, Paul Young's soulful voice has taken him all around the World... In this podcast, we chat with him about his early life and career before his recognition as one of the most recognisable voices of the 1980's. He reveals which of the many prestigious musical concerts down the years hold special memories for him. Now helping him heal after the sad loss of his wife b...

A man who reached dizzy heights, Mark Wynter has been up there with the best of them...literally Playing the lead role in Barnum, Wynter has done it all. Appearing on the small screen as well as treading the boards, this episode focuses on his musical career. After a brief encounter with Lionel Bart, his rise to fame quickly followed with numerous chart hits in the '60s. (part 1 of 2) Series 2: Ep...

Singer Tony Christie has been around the block a bit - Amarillo and Las Vegas to name a few... With the recent release of his autobiography 'The Song Interpreter', we thought it time we caught up with Tony to talk about his incredible career. Songs like 'Is This The Way To Amarillo', `I Did What I Did For Maria', Avenues & Alleyways' in the 1970s have all achieved critical acclaim and sound as...

To celebrate the new release the 50th Anniversary Box Set of Rory’s eponymous 1971 debut album will be released on September 3rd, we chat with his long-time guitarist Gerry McAvoy about working with arguably the greatest rock guitarist this planet has ever seen... In this podcast, Gerry talks about the early days when he joined Taste through to playing on Rory's last three albums before his untime...

American singer-songwriter Dean Friedman talks about his latest studio masterpiece American Lullaby and his career to date. After bursting on the scene with the catchy Ariel, Dean failed to make an impression on the American public when a certain song about a famous restaurant chain hampered (or should that be hamburgered!) his blossoming career. Across the rest of the world though, Dean's clever...

From the moment he was born, blues played a big part in Jimmy Thomas’s life growing up in Osceola in Arkansas. Raised by his aunt and uncle, it was their family friend Albert King who nicknamed him ‘Popeye’ and would go on to influence him throughout his life and play a very important part in his career. In this podcast, we talk about Jimmy's early roots and being such a focal point of Ike Turner'...