Music Maps Podcast

This week we take a deep dive into the AOR scene of the 1980s, re-appraising some often overlooked bands & music.

We start with the story of Boston, where an MIT graduate named Tom Scholz spends 7 years practicing & making demos before coming up with ‘More Than a Feeling’ & achieving huge success.

Meanwhile Ann & Nancy Wilson form the female fronted band Heart - scoring several number 1 singles.

Journey are put together in a different way, assembled by manager Herbie Herbert. Initially there is resistance from the existing band embers when Herbert brings in lead singer Steve Perry, finding him working on a turkey far in California. But that stance softens once commercial success appears.

Meanwhile in the midwest of the US bands such as REO Speedwagon & Styx are forging their own path based largely on work ethic - playing a lot of gigs & building a local following.

Toto come together via the Los Angeles session musician scene & have previously played on Michael Jackson’s Thriller amongst hundreds of sessions.
The producers are significant part of AOR, specifically Mutt Lange who brings Def Leppard to prominence & is instrumental in Foreigner’s huge fourth album.

Bands like Van Halen & Bon Jovi are on the periphery but manage to sustain their success beyond some of the others as the scene fades once drugs, changing fashions, song doctors & a well worn formula bring one end to the glory days of AOR.

In 2007 David Chase chooses ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ to close the final episode of The Sopranos, opening the song & the genre open t a whole new audience. As of today the track has 2.9 billion streams on Spotify.

Toto also find a new audience via the track Africa appearing in Stranger Things.

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it.

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell
Music by Andy Maxwell
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for a deep dive into Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska with writer Warren Zanes, author of Deliver Me From Nowhere which was recently made into a Hollywood movie.

In late 1981 Bruce Springsteen is coming off his biggest success to date with The River album & tour plus his first hit single, Hungry Heart.

But rather than offer more of the same Springsteen offers a curveball - a quiet, almost ghostly sounding record with no hit singles, no tour & not even any interviews to support it.

Springsteen had recently relocated to a house in Colts Neck, New Jersey, where he recorded the bulk of the album on the evening of January 3rd 1982 on a TEAC 144 home recorder.

Influenced by the films of Terence Malick, specifically Badlands, the writing of Flannery O’Connor & the first couple of Suicide albums, Springsteen recorded what were intended as home demos in a bedroom.

Later attempts to re-record the material with the E Street Band proved largely fruitless & they eventually went back to the original water damaged cassette recording, which was released as the finished album.

The album proved hugely influential to the likes of Steve Earle & Matt Berninger (The National) & even Johnny Cash recorded two of its tracks.


It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it.

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell
Music by Andy Maxwell
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are joined by author Rachel Brodsky to talk about the life & career of Stevie Nicks. Rachel’s new book Lessons & Lace is out now.

Stevie Nicks was born in Phoenix & moved around a lot as a child, finally settling in Los Angeles.

Her grandfather AJ Nicks was a country singer who would take her to saloons her played in as a child.

She grew up listening to the likes of the Everly Brothers & Buddy Holly before receiving her first guitar at age 16 & begins to take music more seriously.

After meeting Lindsay Buckingham at Menlo-Atherton High School she ends up joining local band Fritz. They achieve a degree of success in the LA area opening for Jimi Hendrix & Janis Joplin.

Before long Stevie Nicks & Lindsay Buckingham break off on their own & perform as a duo, releasing one album on Polydor.

The album is not a success & they both join Fleetwood Mac shortly after, Mick Fleetwood being the driving force in getting them to join.

The strong relationship between Stevie Nicks & Christine McVie becomes the backbone of Fleetwood Mac for decades to come.

The first album featuring Buckingham & Nicks is self-titled & becomes a success spawning the hit single Rhiannon.

However it is the second album they are a part of Rumours which propels them into the stratosphere & makes Stevie a huge star.

Follow up Tusk does not achieve the same level of commercial success but becomes a cult classic over time, meanwhile Stevie embarks on a successful solo career including a hit with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.

Tango In The Night is another success with Fleetwood Mac & there are various reunions, tours, fallouts & dramas over the years.

Stevie Nicks continues to be hugely influential today & has appeared with Harry Styles & been name checked by Taylor Swift & Olivia Rodrigo.

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it.

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell
Music by Andy Maxwell
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Reynolds joins us to talk about his new book Still in a Dream: Shoegaze, Slackers and the Reinvention of Rock, 1984–1994.

Against a backdrop of Margaret Thatcher’s third term in Downing Street & Stock, Aitken & Waterman’s domination of the pop charts a new scene begins to emerge.

Starting with the Cocteau Twins & developing to include My Bloody Valentine & more, a noisy & dream like sound which comes to be known as Shoegaze.

At the same a more melodic sound appears represented by the likes of the Smiths, Felt, The Pastels & the C86 scene.

Over in America Sonic Youth achieve notable success & are joined by Dinosaur Jr & Pavement amongst others.

Grunge arrives in the early 90s while Britpop & Oasis appear in the UK< drawing this period to a close.

In recent years the shoegaze sound has reappeared by a sleuth of young bands while many of its originators including Slowdive, Lush & My Bloody Valentine have toured in larger venues than they played originally.

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it.

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell
Music by Andy Maxwell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for a live recording with Debsey Wykes about her book Teenage Daydream: We Are The Girls Who Play In A Band.

Debsey’s early musical experiences were centred around Cambridge & her early interests included The Bay City Rollers, Queen & David Bowie.

Punk arrived soon after & her tastes developed into The Damned, The Jam & The Stranglers.

Her & a couple of friends have the idea to form an all girl band which becomes Dolly Mixture.

They draw the attention of John Peel, get a mention in NME after only two months of rehearsals & incredibly play the largest venue in Cambridge, The Corn Exchange on only their fourth gig.

After a couple of gigs with U2 & a tour with The Undertones, their debut single Baby Its You is released, a cover of the Bacharach & David track.

However they don’t end up signing to Chrysalis Records & their second single is released on Paul Weller’s Respond Records.

The Weller family are hugely supportive & the band want Ann Weller to manage them.

They later appear on Happy Talk by Captain Sensible which leads to an appearance on Top of the Pops.

The only Dolly Mixture album The Demonstration Tapes is released towards the end of the bands lifespan.

The band member stayed in touch & their legacy has been kept alive by a documentary by Paul Kelly & various reissues with Bob Stanley.

It takes anything from 5 to 40 hours to prepare each episode of Music Maps - if you’d like to make a contribution to help us cover the costs & time of producing these episodes for you, you can do so at this link: ko-fi.com/musicmaps

It is hugely important for us to get positive reviews & star ratings - if you have enjoyed Music Maps & can spare the time to do either we would hugely appreciate it.

You can see our upcoming live events here: https://rocknrollbookclub.co.uk/events

Instagram: @rocknrollbookclube17

X: @simonmusicmaps

Facebook: E17rockbookclub

Hosted, Produced & Edited by Simon Cardwell
Music by Andy Maxwell
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.