Mike Atkinson

8th May 1982, with Arthur Baker

keeping the 1982 vibe going with this edition of the Record Mirror Disco Charts podcast featuring a very engaging guest, none other than Arthur Baker. very fun and very interesting, lots of familiar names from the poll pass by: open.spotify.com/episode/3WmS...

Well I Ask You - Eden Kane I Believe (In Love) - Hot Chocolate Birdie Song (Birdie Dance) - The Tweets Peace - Sabrina Johnston Follow Me - Uncle Kracker Jar Of Hearts - Christina Perri

Which Decade S5E9: a Heritage Chart comeback, some persistent shapeshifters, France's Candle In The Wind, diva-house's purple patch, Kid Rock's mate reveals multiple levels, and Parkycore in its purest form.

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Track listing in the ALT text.
Voting deadline: Mon Oct 20

Zorba's Dance - Marcello Minerbi Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me - Gladys Knight & The Pips Say I'm Your Number One - Princess Waterfalls - TLC Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson Are You With Me - Lost Frequencies

Which Decade Results: Dan joins us from Idaho, we find a damp biscuit in the back of the snack cupboard, and a whoops-excuse-me threatens to derail the entire episode.
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Arthur turned out to be a top bloke: good-natured, knowledgeable, forthcoming, and greatly amused by some of James’ more withering reviews.

Record Mirror Disco Charts Podcast #9, with Arthur Baker.

If 20 year-old electro-funk fanatic me had known that one day he would be talking to Arthur Baker in granular detail about the music of 1982, he might have spontaneously combusted. This is a wonderful episode, and a particular thrill to publish.

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Tenor Saw: Ring The Alarm, Papa Levi: Mi God Mi King, Naturalites & Realistics: Picture On My Wall, Frankie Paul: War Is In The Dance & Pass The Tu Sheng Peng, Saint/Eastwood: Another One Bites, Shirley James/Danny Ray: Why Don’t You Spend, One Blood: Get In Touch With Me, various Eek-A-Mouse.

Zorba's Dance - Marcello Minerbi Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me - Gladys Knight & The Pips Say I'm Your Number One - Princess Waterfalls - TLC Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson Are You With Me - Lost Frequencies

NEW WHICH DECADE: Marcello Minerbi, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Princess, TLC, Kelly Clarkson, Lost Frequencies.

An accelerating plate-smasher, two country covers, a hidden rivalry revealed, "alternative is a relative concept", and a gateway-drug flat-smasher.

shows.acast.com/which-decade...

Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones I Don't Like Mondays - Boomtown Rats Swing The Mood - Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin Beat Again - JLS Senorita - Shawn Mendes/Camila Cabello

Which Decade Results: Nick's Sweaty Brown Envelope.

New Patreon subscriber Mike joins us for a look at the voting for S5E6, where a last place sends Trev "incandescent with rage", a JLS/Morrissey hypocrisy is posited, and Nick takes delivery of a clammy gift.

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There was a cola in the 1970s called Zing, which my sister and I both loved.

…and now I’m reading your book: wow, stories for days!

So proud of this podcast and honoured to have been invited by @whichdecadetops.bsky.social and Greg Wilson to chitchat about the Futurist / Electrodisco sounds of my formative music years. #RecordMirror

Record Mirror Disco Charts Podcast #8, with DJ Paulette

For the latest episode of Record Mirror Disco Charts, @djpaulette.bsky.social joins us for a detailed look at a Futurist/Electro-Disco Top 20 from April 1981: an era when electronics, fashion and politics fused, and when our future fascinated us more than our past.

shows.acast.com/record-mirro...

Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones I Don't Like Mondays - Boomtown Rats Swing The Mood - Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin Beat Again - JLS Senorita - Shawn Mendes/Camila Cabello

Here's our latest Which Decade episode in full - track listings are in the ALT text.
shows.acast.com/which-decade...

Queer Nottingham Book Launch, 18th September, 630pm-830pm, Nottingham Central Library.

I'll be playing 1980s gay classics (IN A LIBRARY!) in September, for the launch of CJ DeBarra's excellent history of Queer Nottingham (in which I am quoted several times, along with many other people who were there at the time).

Beat Again - JLS Senorita - Shawn Mendes/Camila Cabello

S5E7 Part 3/3: JLS, Shawn Mendes/Camila Cabello.
Concluding this episode: an emotionally blackmailing eye-roller, and a steamy alleged long con.
shows.acast.com/which-decade...
Your voting deadline is 6pm UK time, Sunday 31st August.

Swing The Mood - Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin

Which Decade S5E7 Part 2/3: Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers, Ricky Martin.
Glenn Miller connects to hard house, and después de mí el diluvio!
(31 minutes, Part 3 drops tomorrow.)
shows.acast.com/which-decade...

Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones I Don't Like Mondays - Boomtown Rats

Which Decade S5E7 Part 1/3: Rolling Stones, Boomtown Rats.
An interstitial Brian Jones sandwich and Bob's prescient regret open our latest episode (24 minutes, Part 2 drops tomorrow).
shows.acast.com/which-decade...

Last Night Was Made For Love - Billy Fury Circles - The New Seekers I'm A Wonderful Thing, Baby - Kid Creole & The Coconuts Disappointed - Electronic When You Look At Me - Christina Milian Feel The Love - Rudimental ft John Newman

Which Decade Results: The Clarinet Clarification, aka The Chapin Gateway, aka The Tennant Easter Egg. Tough week, tight scores, but a long overdue triumph!

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Record Mirror Disco Charts Podcast #7 with Irvine Welsh

@irvinewelsh.bsky.social is our latest guest for the RMDC podcast, talking about a Disco Top 20 from September 1978, and answering a few questions about his new disco album, Men In Love (a soundtrack to his new novel of the same name)

shows.acast.com/record-mirro...

Strongly recommended - this is an amazing, beautiful project.

Comic strip showing a punk/Ted "unity gig" in Summer 1977, starring the Sex Pistols and Shakin' Stevens.

If only this had actually happened (history suggests that it very nearly did!)

But there aren't many worse things that a musician could be remembered for, are there? Or are there? Maybe Ozzy'd beg to differ. He recounts the tale of how he recently looked over a rehearsal place and, while having lunch in the local pub, was collared by the waitress who wanted to know what brought him down that way and who he was. "So I said, 'Oh I'm a performer, and she said, 'Oh, really? Who do you work for?' and I says, 'Ozzy Osbourne, and she goes, 'Oh, I know him, he's the one who bites the heads off things!" I thought, what a f***ing epitaph! I've sold God knows how many millions of records but on my gravestone it'll have 'Ozzy Osbourne, born, died, bit the heads off...' What a ring legacy! Ozzy Osbourne — the real batman! Ha ha ha ha! I suppose there's one good side to it, at least somebody'll remember me..." As if anyone could possibly ever forget a character like Ozzy Osbourne.

We'll remember you for more than that, Ozzy.
(Record Mirror, 25th April 1987.)

Cardiacs – Nottingham Rescue Rooms, Thursday November 15 Cardiacs have been described as “prog-punk”. It’s an imperfect description, but perhaps as close as you’ll get. Their music is complex and intense, combining the disciplined intricacy of progressiv…

November 2007: here is my Penetrating Critical Insight for the local paper. mikeatkinson.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/c...
Genuinely one of my favourite gigs ever ever ever (I regularly think about this). The "capsule" review cannot begin to describe the experience.

I reviewed a show on a whim, never having heard a note, and we were completely blown away by its brilliance (and wonky time-signature mosh pit). Asking at the merch stand for a good starter CD, I was recommended that very album. Thing is, it just doesn't stand up for me on record at all, alas.

Last Night Was Made For Love - Billy Fury Circles - The New Seekers I'm A Wonderful Thing, Baby - Kid Creole & The Coconuts Disappointed - Electronic When You Look At Me - Christina Milian Feel The Love - Rudimental ft John Newman

Which Decade S5 E6: a proto-auto-erotic Brightside, Granny Atkinson's Theme Tune, Man Owns Ties: The Soundtrack, The Supergroup Conundrum, Indie Swedes do Millennial R&B, and Propagating The Species with Clive Owen.

shows.acast.com/which-decade...

Voting deadline: Sunday 27 July, 6pm.

When You Look At Me - Christina Milian Feel The Love - Rudimental ft John Newman

Which Decade Part 3/3: Indie Swedes do Millennial R&B, and Propagating The Species with Clive Owen.
shows.acast.com/which-decade...
The voting deadline for this episode is 6pm UK time, Sunday 27th July

I'm A Wonderful Thing, Baby - Kid Creole & The Coconuts Disappointed - Electronic

In today's Which Decade Part 2: Man Owns Ties: The Soundtrack, and an all-star collab leads us to ponder The Supergroup Conundrum.
shows.acast.com/which-decade...

Last Night Was Made For Love - Billy Fury Circles - The New Seekers

In Part 1 of the latest Which Decade: a proto-auto-erotic Brightside, and Granny Atkinson's Theme Tune.
shows.acast.com/which-decade...

Excellent stuff, and of particular interest since we just did JH’s first disco chart on the podcast, with Alexis P (my favourite episode to date). The high number of YT embeds crashed it on my phone, but I pasted the URL into textise.net and hey presto.

S5E6: Billy Fury, New Seekers, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Electronic, Christina Milian, Rudimental ft John Newman | Which Decade Is Tops For Pops? Get more from Which Decade Is Tops For Pops? on Patreon

Our latest episode is live on Patreon, and it will be dropping onto podcast platforms from Monday, in three daily episodes.

www.patreon.com/posts/s5e6-b... (7 day free trial available)