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Ukulele!
This week Tony and I explored all things Ukulele! Originating in the late 19th century and later absorbed into American popular music, the ukulele is often associated with novelty or informality, but its history spans Tin Pan Alley standards, folk revivals, indie...
Electric Lady Studios!
This week Tony and I hit the studio! Electric Lady Studios began as Jimi Hendrix’s answer to the high cost and limitations of rented studio time during the sessions for his 1968 album Electric Ladyland. In 1968 he bought The Generation, a defunct Greenwich Village...
Trends in Christmas songwriting
[Joe's comment] I appeared on CBS this morning, in discussion with journalist and songwriter David Pogue about What Makes For A Great Christmas Song? (video link). Here's the first part of the article: Every year at this time, some of the greatest songs in the world...
Four On The Floor!
This week Tony and I hit the floor! 'Four on the floor' refers to a rhythmic pattern in which the bass drum hits on every beat of a bar of 4, creating a steady pulse associated with disco, house, and much contemporary pop. Although now common across electronic and...
Musical Theatre!
This week Tony and I hit the West End! Songs written for the stage often outgrow their original productions, circulating in recordings, revivals, and popular culture; many have taken on new meanings in concert halls, films, sporting events and social movements....
Sampled Oldies!
This week guest presenter Johnny I’Anson and I heard some Sampled Oldies! Sampling allows artists to build new recordings from fragments of existing ones, creating audible links across decades, genres, and technologies. The examples we explored demonstrate how musical...
Time Signatures!
This week Tony and I looked at Time Signatures! Time signatures define how musical rhythm is organised, and Popular music is usually organised in what is known as 'common time' (four beats in a bar). Yet many well-known songs operate outside the regular patterns of...
Revolution!
This week Tony and I explored songs of Revolution! Throughout modern history, songwriters have used music to comment on and engage with political change, social inequality, and shifts in collective identity. Some songs engage directly with protest and revolution,...
Rhodes!
This week Tony and I discussed the Rhodes! The Rhodes piano was invented by Harold Rhodes during World War II as a therapeutic instrument for recovering airmen. Following its commercial partnership with Fender in the 1950s, the first production model - the 32-note...
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