Johnnie Walker's Long Players

In 1986 Paul Simon travelled to South Africa to record new songs with local artists. He has said the resulting album 'Graceland' is his greatest work and that the title track is his favourite composition. The album sold 14 million copies worldwide and spawned the classics 'You Can Call Me Al', 'Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes' and 'Under African Skies'.

Paul will be discussing the making of the album, his collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo and many others, the unprecedented (at the time) double win at the 1987 Grammys, the iconic Chevy Chase video and the five year Graceland Tour.

Most importantly Paul will talk about his time in the political crossfire, as his decision to create an African-American fusion of world music led to him being accused of breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa, designed to end the Apartheid regime.

In a special edition of the series, Johnnie talks to one of his musical heroes, Paul Simon

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Johnnie Walker looks at some favourite classic albums. This week it's David Bowie's Hunky Dory and the follow up to Ziggy Stardust - 'Aladdin Sane'.

Both produced by Ken Scott (with help from Bowie as the 'actor' on 'Hunky Dory' and arrangements by Mick Ronson on 'Aladdin Sane') at the legendary Trident Studios during 1971 & 1972, 'Hunky Dory' was the first album to feature the subsequent Spiders From Mars line up and 'Aladdin Sane' followed the breakthrough 'Ziggy Stardust' album and fitted between legs of the famous tour.

Very much a fan favourite, the first album combines the huge hits 'Changes' and 'Life On Mars' with cult classics like 'Kooks' and 'The Bewlay Brothers' and pays sideways tribute to heroes like Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground.

Aladdin Sane' is a tougher sound with 'Drive In Saturday', 'Panic in Detroit', a cover of 'Let's Spend The Night Together' and 'The Jean Genie' being the stand out tracks.

The programme features highlights of the albums, with comment and cultural history from Johnnie and broadcaster and critic David Hepworth alongside archive interviews with many of the key players.

Hunky Dory and Aladdin Sane, recorded before Bowie's surprise comeback this year.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Elton's seventh studio album was produced by Gus Dudgeon at the Honky Chateau in France, with some preparation and recording in Kingston, Jamaica.

It features the famous Marilyn Monroe tribute, Candle in the Wind, as well as three successful singles: Bennie and the Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, alongside cult favourites like Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding.

The programme features highlights from the double album, with comment and cultural history from Johnnie and broadcaster and critic David Hepworth, alongside archive interviews with many of the key players.

Johnnie Walker looks at favourite albums. This week Elton John is on the Yellow Brick Road

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Transformer' was produced by Mick Ronson and David Bowie (both of whom were influenced by the Velvet Underground) and contains some of Reed's best work - 'Walk on the Wild Side', 'Perfect Day' and 'Satellite of Love', some written in the VU days. Novices could be forgiven for thinking it was Lou Reed's 'Greatest Hits'.

Still Crazy' was Paul Simon's fourth solo studio album, winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1976. It also reunited him with his former partner Art Garfunkel (on the track 'My Little Town') for the first time since 1970.

Simon also recruited a veritable 'Who's Who' of english speaking (and Belgian) world class players and singers (including Patti Austin, Toots Thielemans, Valerie Simpson, Tony Levin, Ralph McDonald, Phoebe Snow, David Sanborn, Hugh McCracken, Bob James and Michael Brecker) for the tracks which included '50 Ways To Leave Your Lover' and 'Gone At Last'.

The programme features highlights from the albums with comment and cultural history from Johnnie and broadcaster and critic David Hepworth alongside archive interviews with many of the key players.

Another chance to hear Transformer and Still Crazy After All These Years, from 2012.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

The former broke Yusuf Islam (then known as Cat Stevens) in the United States and has created many well known cover versions. His second album of 1970 included 'Where Do the Children Play?', 'Hard Headed Woman', 'Wild World', 'Sad Lisa' and 'Father and Son'.

Van Morrison's third solo album followed his move to Woodstock, New York with his family. He wrote the album in the months following the release of 'Astral Weeks' and it was recorded in New York City in 1969 and released in 1970. The track listing is a wonder in itself, tracks included 'Into The Mystic', 'And It Stoned Me', the title song, 'Glad Tidings' and 'Crazy Love'.

Johnnie highlights more favourite LPs - this week it's Tea for the Tillerman and Moondance

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Rod persuaded his friends from the Faces to play on the album, according to the rather vague sleeve credits, along with great characters such as Danny Thompson, Madeline Bell and Long John Baldry. Highlights were Reason To Believe, Maggie May and Mandolin Wind.

Ronnie Wood, as well as writing Rod's title track, later took up a role in The Rolling Stones. In 1978 their 14th album, Some Girls, marked his first appearance as a full member. Guests on the record, which featured Beast of Burden, Respectable and Miss You, included another Face Ian McLagan, Don Was and John Fogerty.

The programme will feature highlights from the albums with comment and cultural history from Johnnie and broadcaster and critic David Hepworth alongside archive interviews with many of the key players.

Classic LPs this week are Some Girls by the Stones and Rod's Every Picture Tells a Story.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

So combined huge hits (backed up by ground breaking videos and concepts) with extraordinarily personal, experimental, haunting and memorable pieces such as In Your Eyes, Red Rain and Mercy Street. Peter talks about the unexpected recording history behind Sledgehammer and the endurance test that was the video shoot, with the talented team who went on to make Wallace and Gromit.

Peter describes the creation of the songs and the change to his previous thoughts, techniques and style. It was the first of his solo recordings to have a title (albeit it just one simple word) and an unadulterated portrait on the cover. He was also delighted to bring world music and artists such as Youssou N'Dour to a much wider audience.

Johnnie and Peter talk about the Otis Redding gig, which they both attended in Brixton in the 1960s and which made such a huge impression on everyone in the room, as well as the influence that the Stax sound had on some of the songs on the album.

Peter also plays some of the early demo versions and tracks that didn't make it onto the final release, discusses his live stage work and highlights the freedom that the success of So gave him.

Another chance to hear Peter Gabriel discussing his 1986 landmark album, So.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Another chance to hear the programme, originally recorded in October 2012, featuring highlights from the album, with interview clips, comment and cultural history from Johnnie and broadcaster and critic David Hepworth, both of whom have spent time with the Boss and the E Street Band.

Don Henley linked up with his friends JD Souther, Sheryl Crow, Edie Brickell, Jim Keltner, Patty Smyth & Bruce Hornsby for his third solo album The End Of The Innocence in 1989 and it became his biggest seller outside The Eagles. Listen out for Don's archive interview with the late Roger Scott for BBC Radio, recorded soon after the album's release.

Johnnie Walker continues his look at classic albums with two 80s big sellers from the USA.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Like many of the albums in the series Johnnie and David realised that although they love the R.E.M. singles you hear on the radio every day, it's been a while since they listened to the whole of Automatic For The People. In a similar vein to The Joshua Tree, the album, released in 1992, yielded many hit singles - Drive, Man On The Moon, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight, Everybody Hurts and Nightswimming as well a mixture of unpredictable tracks, haunting hymns and hard political rock songs. Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones added beautiful orchestral arrangements.

The programme features highlights from the albums, with interview clips, comment and cultural history from Johnnie and broadcaster and critic David Hepworth. In 1994 Johnnie introduced U2 live on the BBC from the RDS in Dublin and David introduced R.E.M. on Whistle Test in the early days of their career.

Johnnie Walker continues his look at classic albums with major hits from U2 and REM.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Johnnie and David discuss The Who from 1971 and Neil Young from 1970. With both artists it's hard to choose their finest albums, but Who's Next and After The Goldrush must be high up on most lists.

The programme includes archive clips from Pete Townshend and Neil Young and includes Baba O'Reilly, Won't Get Fooled Again, After The Goldrush , Southern Man and Only Love Can Break Your Heart.

Johnnie Walker continues back in time with early-'70s hits from The Who and Neil Young.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

David believes that 1971 is the annus mirabilis for the rock album, as proved by previous programmes on Who's Next and Hunky Dory. It also saw the release of the flagship album for confessional songs from the flagship writer at New York's Brill Building. As David says 'a bit like the scriptwriter becoming the lead actor', the then 29 year old Carole King decided to perform many of the love songs she had written (and co-written), for artists like Aretha Franklin and The Shirelles, on her own album.

Tapestry features her friends James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Russ Kunkel and Danny Kortchmar and has sold more than 25 million copies across the world.

Twenty one years on, the independent and inventive Annie Lennox decided to record her solo debut at home, with a producer well known for his work with the Art Of Noise, the Pet Shop Boys, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Grace Jones - Steve Lipson. The resulting album Diva, although more electronic and dependent on new technology than Tapestry, was just as well received by a new generation and successful in an equally crowded market.

Join Johnnie and David for a new series of Long Players in the spring.

Annie Lennox's quadruple-platinum 1992 album Diva, and Carole King's 1971 megahit Tapestry

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Brian Wilson's masterpiece came out of his desire to emulate The Beatles and Crowded House finally got the audience acclaim they deserved, although this particular fraternal partnership between the Finn brothers was not to last long.

David Hepworth joins Johnnie to listen to classic albums Woodface and Pet Sounds.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Otis Redding recorded Otis Blue over a weekend in 1965 for Stax with Steve Cropper, Donald Duck Dunn, Wayne Jackson and Al Jackson.

Dusty Springfield recorded Dusty in Memphis for Jerry Wexler in 1968, although the title maybe somewhat misleading, as we will discover. The latter featured Dusty's meticulously chosen song list from Goffin & King, Randy Newman (who will feature in a later programme), Bacharach & David and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, amongst others.

David Hepworth and Johnnie Walker have different views on the albums but adore the great tracks including Son Of A Preacher Man, Breakfast in Bed, So Much Love, Respeect, I've Been Loving You Too Long and Satisfaction.

Dusty Springfield and Otis Redding are up for discussion and listening pleasure tonight.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Sadness for Beatles fans, but new solo hopes with Abbey Road and All Things Must Pass.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Another chance to hear Johnnie and David on The Hounds Of Love, Kate Bush's most successful album to date, last heard memorably at the Olympic Stadium last summer and the first solo effort from the Genesis drummer Phil Collins, hugely successful but performed with his heart on his sleeve.

Another chance to hear Johnnie and David on Kate Bush and Phil Collins from the 1980s.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

JW and David round off the series with Tuesday Night Music and Heart Like a Wheel.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Ricky talks about his early life in Dundee, moving to Glasgow and getting a publishing deal before he forms Deacon Blue.

He also remembers recording the album Raintown at London's Air Studios, near the BBC, in Oxford Circus and hearing the album played on the radio for the first time - by Johnnie on Radio 1 on a Saturday afternoon.

Ricky talks about the band members, who remain good friends and the difficulty of contacting Lorraine to record her vocals, as she lived in a flat without a phone as well as the huge success of their second album.

Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross joins Johnnie to discuss their first two albums.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

The programme includes archive interview clips from Stevie Wonder, his co-producers (and their amazing work with very early computers and synthesisers as Tonto's Expanding Head Band), Rod Temperton (the man behind Heatwave and the title track for Thriller) and Bruce Sweden.

David Hepworth joins Johnnie to discuss Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

They also listen to Aretha Franklin's Lady Soul from 1968. Johnnie remembers the time he spent with Aretha and her record company colleagues when he left Radio Caroline in the late 60s. The programme makes use of extensive archive BBC interviews with Aretha, Bobby Womack (who played on the album alongside King Curtis, Joe South, Eric Clapton, Spooner Oldham and The Sweet Inspirations) and the extraordinary studio team led by Jerry Wexler and Arif Mardin.

Back to Black from 2006 and Lady Soul from 1968.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Recorded in 1972, John Martyn's Solid Air was released in February 1973 and received tremendous reviews and acclaim. At the Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2008 Eric Clapton sent a message to John, who was receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, saying he was so far ahead of everything else it was inconceivable.

Solid Air crossed over many genres - folk, jazz, blues, soul and rock. May You Never became a staple of John's live set for the rest of his life and the title track was dedicated to his great friend Nick Drake, who died eighteen months after it was released.

Nick provides the second album featured tonight - 1970's Bryter Layter. As producer Joe Boyd says in the archive interview clips featured in the programme, he rarely meets anybody who doesn't fall in love with the album after the first hearing.

The second of Nick's three albums features beautiful arrangements from his friend and fellow Cambridge University student , the late Robert Kirby, plus contributions from John Cale (of The Velvet Underground), Doris Troy and Fairport Convention's Dave Pegg, Dave Mattacks and Richard Thompson.

Johnnie and David enjoy two cult classics from the 1970s - Solid Air and Bryter Layter.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Amazing performances come from Procul Harum (with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra), Frank Sinatra (at The Sands), The Who (at Leeds University), Sam Cooke (in Harlem), Otis Redding (on The Stax Tour of Britain in March 1967), The Rolling Stones (in America in 1969), The Allman Brothers (at the Fillmore East), Delaney and Bonnie (on tour with Eric Clapton) and Simon and Garfunkel (breaking attendance records in Central Park). Johnnie and David also reveal their favourite concerts and tours, with David nominating Bob Marley at The Lyceum in London.

In a change to the usual format, Johnnie and David discuss their favourite live albums.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

With the help of archive BBC interview clips from Blondie's Deborah Harry, Chris Stein, producer Mike Chapman, Elvis Costello, Attractions Bruce Thomas and Pete Thomas and producer Nick Lowe, they discuss Parallel Lines and This Year's Model from 1978.

David remembers his early job driving Elvis Costello around radio stations and fast moving gigs and hanging around the extraordinary team who ran Stiff and the early new wave record labels.

Two new wave artists who still enjoy success on both sides of the Atlantic.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Johnnie and David examine Steely Dan's jazz influenced and intriguing third album Pretzel Logic from 1974 and the 'go-to' studio musicians Toto and their collection of massively radio friendly songs on Toto IV from 1982.

David reveals some interesting facts about Barrytown, the most perfect pause in pop and Toto's collective cv.

Two LPs, one loved more by critics than the other, feature: Toto IV and Pretzel Logic.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Both bands had worked hard for their worldwide success, finding it hard to break through in the late 1970s, but enjoyed enormous wealth and success in the era of Live Aid and MTV (with which they were both linked).

Their lead singers had both enjoyed careers outside music, in education and journalism respectively, and are very articulate in the BBC archive interviews featured.

Synchronicity was the fifth and final album from The Police. It was recorded at Air Studios on the island of Montserrat and in Quebec. As David says the album is 'shot through with shades of the Library' - it is a thinking person's album with many references to Carl Jung and psychology. Above all it contains some very successful songs including Every Breath You Take, which, in royalty payment terms, is more lucrative than the entire Police catalogue combined. Johnnie and David discuss its brilliance and the fact that Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland initially thought it was too simplistic to go on the album.

The second album featured on the programme really launched a new digital format, the Compact Disc in 1985, and took six months to record, again in Montserrat. Dire Strait's Brothers In Arms followed their live album Alchemy and 1982 studio album Love Over Gold and was a huge success. In its first year of release the entire worldwide manufacturing capacity was overwhelmed by the demand for it; other record companies had to fight to get their CDs made.

Johnnie and David highlight Synchronicity by the Police and Dire Strait's Brothers in Arms

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Named the American Beatle by the fab four, Harry Nilsson wrote beautiful and intriguing songs and achieved his biggest success with the cover of a song from the Apple Records band Badfinger. That track, the Grammy award winning Without You, features alongside Coconut and Jump Into The Fire on Nilsson Schmilsson.

Richard Perry also worked his magic on Barbra Streisand for Stoney End, with musical support from Randy Newman (who also worked on and was the subject of 1970's Nilsson Sings Newman), Larry Carlton and Eddie Kendricks. The album was an interesting collection of covers from the likes of Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Carole King and Gerry Goffin and Newman and Nilsson.

Two 1971 albums produced by Richard Perry, from two vocal maestros - Nilsson and Streisand

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

In the last of the present series of Long Players, Johnnie Walker and David Hepworth guide you through a loose history of their favourite compilation albums, samplers and Greatest Hits.

From The Rock Machine Turns You On and Oldies but Goldies to Bob Marley's Legend.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Both albums contain classic tracks, much loved by the bands and fans and have iconic artwork and sleeves, one involving a cake made by Delia Smith, who was just starting her career on the Daily Mirror.

The Stones ended the decade saying a tragic farewell to Brian Jones (who plays congas and autoharp on Let It Bleed) and welcoming Mick Taylor to the fold.

Led Zeppelin achieved an extraordinary sound in the Hampshire Victorian mansion Headley Grange and created one of the most popular tracks in radio history with Stairway To Heaven.

Archive contributions come from Mick Jagger (talking to David for Whistle Test), Keith Richards, his friend the late Bobby Keys and engineer Glyn Johns alongside Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Led Zeppelin's manager Peter Grant.

Johnnie and David Hepworth revisit Let It Bleed and Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

David describes Lucinda Williams as a 'remarkable and unique performer... who made her masterpiece when she was 45'. It took her eighteen years to make four albums and 1998's Car Wheels on A Gravel Road was her fifth. The Grammy winning album had production input from Roy Bittan (from The E Street Band), Ray Kennedy and Steve Earle.

As well as key tracks, Lucinda herself features, in an archive interview with Johnnie, recorded at the time of the album's release; she talks about her late father - the rebellious poet and academic Miller Williams - and her childhood, spent moving around different areas of the United States.

Lucinda also wrote a song for and appeared on the eighteenth studio album from Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball - recorded in atmospheric New Orleans by rock producer Daniel Lanois (famed for his work with Peter Gabriel, U2 and Robbie Robertson). The album was released in 1995 and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording in 1996.

David recalls meeting her in the queue for the buffet at the Q Awards and being utterly charmed and also says that although she has made scores of albums and some are better than others, there are no bad ones - 'not a single turkey.

Johnnie has found more archive interviews he conducted with Emmylou around the release of the album, commenting on her childhood, guests on the album (who included Neil Young, Steve Earle and Larry Mullen Jnr), and the criticism she received for breaking the mould.

Johnnie Walker and guests revisit Wrecking Ball and Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Phil remembers auditioning for The Stranger, not knowing that he was being considered alongside Sir George Martin, and saying he wanted to harness Billy's stage energy and just have fun in the studio.

Billy remembers the characters in Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, his muse on She's Always A Woman and his initial negative feelings about Just The Way You Are.

Tumbleweed Connection was written at the same time as the eponymous Elton John album and Elton talks about deciding where tracks would go with producer Gus Dudgeon. He thinks people preferred Tumbleweed because it was looser. As David Hepworth points out it's probably the finest Wild West concept album, written by two cowboys, from Pinner and Sleaford, who had, at the time, yet to even visit the United States.

Johnnie and David also discuss Elton's career changing performance at Hollywood venue The Troubadour and the subsequent newspaper review, with comments from the Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn and Troubadour owner Doug Weston.

Johnnie and David Hepworth discuss early albums from Elton John and Billy Joel.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

The album includes the tracks Someone Somewhere in Summertime, Promised You A Miracle, Glittering Prize, Hunter And The Hunted and The Big Sleep. It featured three different drummers, including Mel Gaynor, who was to join the band permanently once recording was finished. Herbie Hancock played keyboards on one track and it is said to have been a huge influence on U2.

Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr of Simple Minds talk about New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84).

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Both changed the fortunes of the bands, ultimately causing The Eagles heartache, which would lead to their break up, over a money making follow up.

Things were better for Fleetwood Mac - making the new American members (of the previously mostly British Blues group) grateful that they could give up their day jobs forever (without playing a single note at an audition) and paved the way, after much hard work, for success beyond their wildest dreams.

They hear archive from Glenn Frey, Christine McVie, Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks.

David mentions he simply had to both leave and check out of the Beverley Hills Hotel, where the Eagles sneakily captured a cover photo and discovers the true inspiration for Rhiannon and how Fleetwood Mac, with their ninth line up in eight years, got a second chance, in a business which rarely gives you any hope.

Johnnie and David Hepworth enjoy Hotel California and Fleetwood Mac's eponymous 1975 album

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Tom Petty says he felt like an outlaw - spending all day in court fighting record companies and then spending all night recording an illegal album. The Heartbreakers were an amazing live band but had to learn how to record a polished album in the studio with Jimmy Iovine, best known for his work with Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, Patti Smith and Meatloaf at the time, who made them perform 60 takes on one track.

The success of The Joker gave Steve Miller the freedom and time to really plan his next album. He recalls how he recorded the title track five times and played it live for three years, before it was released. In the end the album yielded three big hit singles after taking just eleven days to record and three days to mix.

Johnnie and David enjoy the breakthrough album Damn the Torpedoes and Fly Like an Eagle.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Queen were asked to supply songs for Duran Duran video director Russell Mulcahy's film Highlander (starring Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery) and these (including the title track and Brian May's Who Wants To Live Forever) feature on the album alongside One Vision, inspired by Martin Luther King and the optimism of Live Aid. David Hepworth, who was part of the BBC presentation team on the day at Wembley, talks about Queen stealing the show and changing the appeal of stadium rock forever.

Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith met as teenagers in Bath and released their first recordings (as part of the band Graduate) in 1980. Four years later, as Tears For Fears, they recorded large parts of their follow up to The Hurting in the same city, at the home studio of their keyboard player (and co-writer of Shout) Ian Stanley. Songs From The Big Chair became part of the second British invasion of the American pop charts in the mid eighties, selling more than five million copies there, with success spreading across Europe and the rest of the world.

Johnnie and David enjoy A Kind of Magic from 1986 and Songs From the Big Chair from 1985.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Johnnie is joined by journalist and broadcaster David Hepworth to look at these albums - Stars, the 1991 fourth album by Simply Red (not really a group in David's opinion, just a vehicle for a brilliant singer who didn't always like being in the solo spotlight) and 1997's Urban Hymns by The Verve (who were a group, although legal problems with their key song, as outlined by David, led to their disintegration).

With the help of BBC archive interviews from Mick Hucknall and Richard Ashcroft, Johnnie and David play key tracks and discuss the fact that the manufacturers couldn't produce the CDs fast enough in this era, as well as the sounds produced on Stars by American producer Stewart Levine (who had previously worked with Randy Crawford, Minnie Riperton and The Crusaders) and then the huge efforts that finally paid off for Wigan's finest with a run of hits including Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Drugs Don't Work and Lucky Man.

Johnnie and David Hepworth return for a new series with two big sellers from the 1990s.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

They also enjoy the extraordinary get together in Bob Dylan's garage for a B side, that became 1988's Traveling Wilburys Vol 1. Each member was a huge fan of another and they all adored the modest, but blessed Roy Orbison. As David points out even though George Harrison was desperate to be back in a group, who would pass up the chance to record with a Beatle and Bob Dylan.

Johnnie and David Hepworth pay tribute to the genius of Jeff Lynne and his famous friends.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

As David says they were hyper-real, pin sharp and bigger than anything you had ever heard before, what's more despite the fact that new technology made everything sound completely fresh, they haven't dated. Johnnie describes one track as perhaps the most perfect pop single ever.

ABC had gold lame suits and an almost cinematic widescreen quality on 1982's The Lexicon Of Love and Frankie Goes To Hollywood mixed controversy with videos, marketing and production that would have given Cecil B DeMille a run for his money, on their 1984 double album Welcome To The Pleasuredome.

Johnnie and Smash Hits editor David Hepworth look at two 80s hits with a shared producer.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

For the first time in the series, rather than hearing archive interview clips from Suzanne, the programme recorded her memories recently, which also means she can look back, with the benefit of hindsight, at the subject of some of the songs then, who is now her partner in real life.

Suzanne still features many of the songs from her eponymous album in her stage set and as Suzanne mentions, like so many great hit singles, the track Marlene On The Wall nearly ended up in her waste paper basket.

Joni's album contains several of her most loved songs, such as Big Yellow Taxi, Woodstock and The Circle Game. Johnnie and David discuss the fact that often in Joni's records, when sounding her most confessional it may be song writing artifice, but conversely she can smuggle in the most personal secrets without any of us realising.

Johnnie and David look at Suzanne Vega's debut and Joni Mitchell's Ladies of the Canyon.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

It's an innovative, exciting and acclaimed debut from one of the greatest bands in the world. This was the start of a road which took them to sales of more than 200 million (and still counting today) across the world.

The friends, who came together just across the road from BBC Broadcasting House at the Regent Street Poly, took full advantage of the thriving Underground movement and experimental clubs like UFO in 1967 to demonstrate the unique lyrics, astounding music, ground breaking special effects, breath taking sound experimentation, visual imagery and social commentary which was both ahead of its time in the sixties and still unparalleled in huge arenas, playing to millions, decades later.

Taking its title from the seventh chapter of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, the long player is Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

Johnnie is joined by former architecture student and founding drummer with the band - Nick Mason and his friend Aubrey 'Po' Powell, who grew up in Cambridge with the original band's sensitive genius and founding song writer, the late Syd Barrett and David Gilmour (who joined in 1968) and is artistic director of the band, co-founder of Hipgnosis (who designed most of their album sleeves and photography) and curator 'Their Mortal Remains', which chronicles Pink Floyd's entire history at London's V&A Museum.

Piper at the Gates of Dawn, with Aubrey Powell and Pink Floyd founding drummer Nick Mason.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Johnnie talks to the legendary Justin Hayward about an album, and some of the singles and BBC sessions around it, which changed everything for a band he had recently joined in 1967 - The Moody Blues, plus a composition which could be one of the most recognisable and best loved signature songs in the world.

Johnnie hears about lots of BBC sessions, a new instrument, the Mellotron, a change in direction, the advent of stereo sound and a record company demonstration disc - all of all which led to a collaboration with an orchestra and the resulting concept album Days Of Future Passed.

Johnnie finds out how a signature song and an orchestral concept album changed everything.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour was originally a double E.P. in the UK and an album in the US (and became a CD album much later here) and Smiley Smile was a compromise taken from Brian Wilson's totally unique but incomplete magnum opus Smile. Both bands released two albums in 1967 and The Beach Boys Wild Honey is also mentioned.

They hear archive clips from The Beatles, Kenny Everett, film director Richard Lester, session musician extraordinaire Carol Kaye, Van Dyke Parks, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Brian Wilson and his first wife Marilyn.

Difficult times are mentioned in the year of the Summer Of Love as Brian Wilson stayed in the studio with The Wrecking Crew and the touring Beach Boys returned to be asked to just provide vocals. Things weren't much better on this side of the pond as the Fab Four found the huge acclaim for Sgt Pepper somewhat diminished by the response to the BBC black and white television Christmas screening of their very colourful and unscripted film about adventures on a bus trip. As ever the compositions shine through - Good Vibrations, Heroes and Villains, Darlin, Fool On The Hill, I Am The Walrus, Baby You're A Rich Man and All You Need Is Love are all featured.

Johnnie is joined by David Hepworth for two revolutionary LPs which weren't really albums.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

The show begins with Chas Chandler who left The Animals (with the idea of becoming a manager and producer) and sold his bass guitars to fly an unknown guitarist over from America. He had discovered Jimi, who had been touring with people like Little Richard and relocated to Greenwich Village to play songs like Hey Joe and thought that the UK was the perfect market for him. David bought Are You Experienced in 1967 and couldn't believe just how good he was (as backed up by a recent meeting with engineer Eddie Kramer) and Johnnie saw an early Jimi live performance at a Radio Caroline Night Out he was hosting in Chislehurst with Admiral Robbie Dale.

Johnnie and David hear archive from Jimi himself, Chas Chandler, Noel Redding, Eric Clapton, publicist Keith Altham, Trevor Burton of The Move, Kathy Etchingham and Brian May. They also find out how The Wind Cries Mary was created and who came up with the idea to steal the headlines with some lighter fuel and a wooden guitar.

The second album featured is The Who Sell Out with its spoof Pirate Radio Jingles and commercials alongside tracks like Tattoo and I Can See For Miles. As David says the album is weird and wonderful and shows what extraordinary strides they took in just one year, going from the BBC's Saturday Club to the Monterey Pop Festival, the All You Need Is Love worldwide TV broadcast and having the seeds planted for the rock opera Tommy.

Johnnie and David finish their look at some of the groundbreaking albums from 1967.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

In this Soundtracks special focusing on the power of sound and music in the darkness of your local cinema, they also showcase Strauss and Also Sprach Zarathustra - from Stanley Kubrick's 2001 - for many their first exposure to classical music.

Other memorable artists and films featured, often with BBC archive interview clips, include Burt Bacharach's compositions for Butch Cassidy and Hal David talking about their first collaboration on the original spoof Bond caper Casino Royale (with Dusty Springfield), Isaac Hayes remembers recording the drum and guitar sound on Shaft, Bruce Springsteen on Philadelphia being the first film he ever wrote and sang a song himself for, Marvin Gaye announces that Trouble Man is one of his finest works, Harry Nilsson describes how his songs were rejected and so he covered Fred Neil's song Everybody's Talkin' for Midnight Cowboy, Quentin Tarantino, Gerry Rafferty and film music supervisor Karyn Rachtman talk about K-Billy's Super Sounds Of The Seventies and the use of Stealers Wheel in Reservoir Dogs, journalist Nik Cohn, critic Mark Kermode and the Bee Gees on the chartbusting success of the Saturday Night Fever film and soundtrack and Paul Simon explains how The Graduate was made to fit with his songs.

Johnnie and David focus on the power of music in the darkness of your local cinema.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Peggy and Frank had worked with famous band leaders and this was the era when songs were becoming more popular than dance tunes. Both these albums brought singers to the fore and made people (and the music industry) take them more seriously. There was also a different attitude towards female and male torch songs.

As David says Peggy had the pulse of the blues through her work and became known to most people because of her work on Fever and the Walt Disney classic Lady And The Tramp.

They enjoy great BBC archive from Peggy, her biographer Peter Richmond, granddaughter Holly Foster Wells and also Frank, Buddy Greco, Tony Bennett, Nelson Riddle and Paul Williams.

David talks about Frank's amazing ear and professionalism during live performances and studio recordings and tracks his moves in music and film to more adult, serious material.

Johnnie and David go back to the mid 1950s for two absolute classic long players.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

In a new interview Neil (speaking from New Zealand especially for the programme) looks in depth at the second of their Finn Brothers releases - Everyone Is Here, with some archive BBC interview comments from Tim.

The album was recorded in 2004 in New York state with celebrated producer Tony Visconti, then completely reworked in Los Angeles with Mitchell Froom.

David Hepworth talks about the times he spent with them in London, Sydney and New Zealand and makes a statement about one track on the album being better than anything that Neil or Tim ever released in their long and distinguished careers.

In another new interview, recorded in his home studio, World Party's Karl Wallinger talks about leaving the Waterboys, his love of other artists and joyous music through history (and the accusations of creating reinventions). Karl also talks about always looking to the future and his message of saving the planet in 1990's Goodbye Jumbo.

David was on the editorial management team when World Party's second Grammy nominated release was made album of the year with a five star review by Q Magazine.

Goodbye Jumbo and Everyone Is Here with new interviews from Neil Finn and Karl Wallinger.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

They pose a puzzler about albums that keep the big hit single until the very end of the record and look at Canadian Katherine Dawn Lang's musical history (and ancestry) in different genres, her incredible voice, duets with Roy Orbison and Tony Bennett and her many award nominations.

Nanci's father was a Welsh tenor in a Barbershop Quartet and her mother loved jazz, so she was singing from an early age and started playing the guitar at the age of 6 and writing from the age of 12. She dreamed of places featured in Storms and other albums, like Africa and Europe, while looking at the vast plains of Texas.

Like k.d., Nanci often mixed genres and worked with legendary British rock producer Glyn Johns on this album. She also didn't like the way that, in American Country music at the time, female singers often became victims with their song writing (with the exception of her heroines, friends and collaborators like Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton).

You'll also hear BBC archive interviews with KD and Nanci - often conducted by Johnnie himself.

Johnnie and David enjoy k.d. lang's Ingenue from 1992 and 1988's Storms by Nanci Griffith.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Barry, Robin and Maurice had enjoyed record breaking success with their contribution to the John Travolta film and then there was a disco backlash, but the first three tracks on their fifteenth album were all big hit singles. As Robin says in an archive interview nobody wants to sell 70 million records and be played everywhere on every television and radio programme.

Gerry Rafferty (and indeed the Bee Gees) featured in the opening Soundtrack special from this series, when his group Stealers Wheel contributed to the emerging success of Quentin Tarantino and after some legal difficulties splitting from that group, he finally released his second solo album City To City. In fact the title was inspired by his trips back and forth between lawyers in London and Scotland over six years. Archive interviews feature Billy Connolly, sleeve artist, playwright and Tutti Frutti creator John Byrne, co-producer Hugh Murphy and Gerry himself.

We also discover that record companies sometimes do (and sometimes don't) suggest the best tracks for singles, that Gerry had an amazing ability to double track his vocals and that a saxophone solo, with a session fee of £35 and played millions of times all over world still generates urban myths about the late Bob Holness.

Gerry Rafferty's City To City from 1978 and the Bee Gees' 1979 album Spirits Having Flown.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

As ever we have sourced some archive BBC clips where David talks about Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, the character of Ziggy and we also hear from Queen's Roger Taylor (who took Freddie Mercury to the first Ziggy Stardust gig), David's lifelong friend George Underwood, and Spider's Trevor Bolder and Mick Woody Woodmansey, alongside classic tracks from David's fifth album.

David and Johnnie discuss the album and Hunky Dory, the amazing work of producer Ken Scott and Mick Ronson and pose a question about record sales. David mentions that this sounded like a new era. Johnnie also says that the record company said there's no single on this and, as with Roxy Music, sometimes the big hit comes later or gets added on. They also remember the Starman appearance on Top Of The Pops and the fact that David looked so happy.

The second album is Roxy Music by Roxy Music which introduced us to their trademark sound and eye for fashion, sleeve design and musical innovation, plus the first works of Brian Eno, which Bryan Ferry remembers gave them a new palette of sounds. Tracks including Re-Make/Re-Model, If There Is Something and Ladytron as well as the separate single Virginia Plain are featured along with comments from Bryan, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson.

Two hugely influential albums released on the same day in 1972 from David Bowie and Roxy.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

As ever we have sourced some archive BBC clips where David talks about Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, the character of Ziggy and we also hear from Queen's Roger Taylor (who took Freddie Mercury to the first Ziggy Stardust gig), David's lifelong friend George Underwood, and Spider's Trevor Bolder and Mick Woody Woodmansey, alongside classic tracks from David's fifth album.

David and Johnnie discuss the album and Hunky Dory, the amazing work of producer Ken Scott and Mick Ronson and pose a question about record sales. David mentions that this sounded like a new era. Johnnie also says that the record company said there's no single on this and, as with Roxy Music, sometimes the big hit comes later or gets added on. They also remember the Starman appearance on Top Of The Pops and the fact that David looked so happy.

The second album is Roxy Music by Roxy Music which introduced us to their trademark sound and eye for fashion, sleeve design and musical innovation, plus the first works of Brian Eno, which Bryan Ferry remembers gave them a new palette of sounds. Tracks including Re-Make/Re-Model, If There Is Something and Ladytron as well as the separate single Virginia Plain are featured along with comments from Bryan, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson.

Two hugely influential albums released on the same day in 1972 from David Bowie and Roxy.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

As they discover both artists were signed to the same historic record label, EMI, which left both bands alone to get on with their projects. They asked for (and got) complete artistic freedom and could take as long as they liked. Coldplay ended up with something like 60 songs from which they kept eight to add to the thirteen on the album (including the hidden track, which is played). This track list changed many times over many sessions and some fans therefore regard it as their fifth album. David also confesses that he would never be a success as a record company talent scout as he would never sign a band with Cold in their name -

Both albums were huge successes and David believes that the record company probably thought, certainly with Radiohead, that like Pink Floyd, decades previously, time and freedom would yield something like Dark Side Of The Moon.

As usual key tracks are heard, alongside archive interview clips from Thom Yorke, Ed O'Brien, Jonny and Colin Greenwood of Radiohead and Coldplay members Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion.

Huge successes for British bands and a British record label with OK Computer and X&Y

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

For our second episode of the final new series Johnnie and David Hepworth listen to Radiohead's third studio album from 1997 - OK Computer and Coldplay's third, X & Y, from 2005.

As they discover both artists were signed to the same historic record label, EMI, which left both bands alone to get on with their projects. They asked for (and got) complete artistic freedom and could take as long as they liked. Coldplay ended up with something like 60 songs from which they kept eight to add to the thirteen on the album (including the hidden track, which is played). This track list changed many times over many sessions and some fans therefore regard it as their fifth album. David also confesses that he would never be a success as a record company talent scout as he would never sign a band with Cold in their name -

Both albums were huge successes and David believes that the record company probably thought, certainly with Radiohead, that like Pink Floyd, decades previously, time and freedom would yield something like Dark Side Of The Moon.

As usual key tracks are heard, alongside archive interview clips from Thom Yorke, Ed O'Brien, Jonny and Colin Greenwood of Radiohead and Coldplay members Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion.

Huge successes for British bands and a British record label with OK Computer and X&Y

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

In a BBC archive interview with the late Roger Scott, Tina Turner talks about recording the album in just two weeks, with her vocals down in one week and the album being ready for release in a month. Tina also acknowledges the work of the British Electric Foundation.

In a brand new interview, recorded with Joe Jackson in Portsmouth for the programme, the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist talks about moving to New York and the different influences on the album. Interestingly he thought he was not making a best seller and had different feelings about the best potential single (not Steppin' Out). He also describes his agreement with Bruce Springsteen about music videos in the MTV era.

As usual excerpts from key tracks are heard, including What's Love Got To Do With It, Private Dancer, Let's Stay Together, Better Be Good To Me, Another World, Target, Steppin' Out, Breaking Us In Two and Real Men.

The 80's albums that changed everything for Tina Turner and Joe Jackson are discussed.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

In a BBC archive interviews David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and record company executive Seymour Stein (who coined the phrase ‘new wave' to describe bands like them, who felt they were more modern than the punks) talk about song writing, eccentricity, always challenging themselves by doing unexpected things, as well as their demise and legacy.

In a brand new interview, recorded with Andy Partridge in Bath for the programme, the co-founder and primary songwriter and vocalist talks through the historical references in the songs and the album cover, the recording process (in the same studio, with the engineer who created the In The Air Tonight sound), a BBC ban and the fact that the best albums are like films - each song is a scene, so it's best to have them in the correct order, you can take one out, but you won't get the full experience.

As usual some key tracks are heard, including And She Was, Creatures Of Love, Perfect World, Stay Up Late, Road To Nowhere, Generals And Majors, Respectable Street and Towers Of London.

New Wave heroes Talking Heads and their 1980s touring partners XTC are the key albums.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

Johnnie and David Hepworth turn the spotlight onto two key long players – in 1985 the Village Voice critics poll voted Talking Heads Little Creatures album of the year. Five years earlier the American band had toured with Britain's XTC (and released Remain In Light). In 1980 the Swindon genii released one of their most successful albums on both sides of the Atlantic - Black Sea.

In a BBC archive interviews David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and record company executive Seymour Stein (who coined the phrase ‘new wave' to describe bands like them, who felt they were more modern than the punks) talk about song writing, eccentricity, always challenging themselves by doing unexpected things, as well as their demise and legacy.

In a brand new interview, recorded with Andy Partridge in Bath for the programme, the co-founder and primary songwriter and vocalist talks through the historical references in the songs and the album cover, the recording process (in the same studio, with the engineer who created the In The Air Tonight sound), a BBC ban and the fact that the best albums are like films – each song is a scene, so it's best to have them in the correct order, you can take one out, but you won't get the full experience.

As usual some key tracks are heard, including And She Was, Creatures Of Love, Perfect World, Stay Up Late, Road To Nowhere, Generals And Majors, Respectable Street and Towers Of London.

New Wave heroes Talking Heads and their 1980s touring partners XTC are the key albums.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

The very different characters Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson wrote Supertramp's biggest seller and broke America by putting its meal based culture centre stage in Breakfast in America in 1979.

As we discover in a brand new interview with Supertramp member John Helliwell (recorded in Manchester) and archive clips of Roger Hodgson, the Anglo American band behind Crime of the Century and Even in the Quietest Moments went into the Village Recorder studios in Los Angeles right after Steely Dan had finished recording Aja.

John also mentions that, at the time of recording, he was still in touch with the waitress Kate who portrayed the Statue of Liberty for them on the cover of Breakfast in America and served them Orange Juice on stage on the subsequent tour. Sadly, she has now passed away.

Donald Fagen released the first of his four solo albums to date in 1982, with a memorable late night radio station cover, which David describes as more Steely Dan than Steely Dan and looking ahead to a Jetsons style life in the future. On The Nightfly Donald looks back on his childhood in the 50s, living in the suburbs close to Bruce Springsteen, and we hear excerpts from an archive BBC interview, recorded with him at the then tender age of just 34.

Johnnie and David enjoy the sublime playing of Donald Fagen alongside the Brecker Brothers, Larry Carlton, Rick Derringer and one of the most recorded drummers in history James Gadson- whose collective CVs include the finest recordings of Joni Mitchell, The Crusaders, Miles Davis, Charlie Mingus, Todd Rundgren, James Taylor, Bill Withers, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Beck and Quincy Jones amongst many others.

A solo debut for Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and the biggest seller for Supertramp.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

The very different characters Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson wrote Supertramp's biggest seller and broke America by putting its meal based culture centre stage in Breakfast in America in 1979.

As we discover in a brand new interview with Supertramp member John Helliwell (recorded in Manchester) and archive clips of Roger Hodgson, the Anglo American band behind Crime of the Century and Even in the Quietest Moments went into the Village Recorder studios in Los Angeles right after Steely Dan had finished recording Aja.

John also mentions that, at the time of recording, he was still in touch with the waitress Kate who portrayed the Statue of Liberty for them on the cover of Breakfast in America and served them Orange Juice on stage on the subsequent tour. Sadly, she has now passed away.

Donald Fagen released the first of his four solo albums to date in 1982, with a memorable late night radio station cover, which David describes as more Steely Dan than Steely Dan and looking ahead to a Jetsons style life in the future. On The Nightfly Donald looks back on his childhood in the 50s, living in the suburbs close to Bruce Springsteen, and we hear excerpts from an archive BBC interview, recorded with him at the then tender age of just 34.

Johnnie and David enjoy the sublime playing of Donald Fagen alongside the Brecker Brothers, Larry Carlton, Rick Derringer and one of the most recorded drummers in history James Gadson– whose collective CVs include the finest recordings of Joni Mitchell, The Crusaders, Miles Davis, Charlie Mingus, Todd Rundgren, James Taylor, Bill Withers, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Beck and Quincy Jones amongst many others.

A solo debut for Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and the biggest seller for Supertramp.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums

One from 1980 changed the fortunes of a Sheffield electronic band and gave us some of the most played tracks in the world (more than 89 million Spotify streams for Don't You Want Me alone).

The other, the much respected debut, was often used to demonstrate the highest quality HiFi systems, from Scottish perfectionists The Blue Nile, who have only released four albums since 1984.

Johnnie and David listen to archive interview clips from Phil Oakey, Joanne Catherall and Susan Sulley of The Human League and there is a brand new rare interview recorded with Paul Buchanan of The Blue Nile in Glasgow.

David remembers that as editor of Smash Hits at the time, he often fell out with the biggest band of the day, but he was impressed that The Human League had a great story about discovering Joanne and Susan. Strange haircuts and cinematic videos are of course remembered.

David also talks about the people he knows who describe The Blue Nile as the finest band in the world and how he himself enjoys listening to them and feeling a little bit sad at the close of the day. Johnnie describes A Walk Across The Rooftops as something which should be heard in its entirety with your full attention, despite the fact that this was the start of the era of taking music with you on the move.

Fortunes change for The Human League and The Blue Nile create perfection.

Johnnie Walker looks at classic albums