Take 5

• Jarvis Cocker from Pulp

  Jarvis Cocker has had a dream run. As founding member and lead singer of Pulp, he hit the highest of the highs during Brit Pop in the 90s, before embarking on a solo career that was just as celebrated. A few years ago he published a different kind of memoir called Good Pop, Bad Pop, which visually catalogued his stuff and told his story through its memories. And within that was revealed the Pulp Masterplan, a manifesto by young Jarvis of what a band would look, sound, and be like. Much of it came true.You’re about to spend time with one of the most charismatic frontmen I’ve met. But offstage, Jarvis Cocker is somewhat shy, reserved, and more than a little self-deprecating. It took me by surprise when we sat down in an old theatre in London’s Shepherd’s Bush. The Jarvis I’d grown up with, was different to the one facing me in Bush Hall. Settle in for a beautiful, funny, and poetic conversation about life, love and and endless obsession with song.Jarvis Cocker's song choices:1.The Cryin’ Shames – ‘Please Stay’2.B52s – ‘Dance This Mess Around’3.Scott Walker – ‘It’s Raining Today’ 4.Judy Dench ‘Send In The Clowns’ / Boys Town Gang ‘Can't Take My Eyes Off You’ Jarvis Cocker Mash-Up [unreleased]5.Bob Dylan – ‘Isis’00:00 Introduction and Memorable Moments00:18 Jarvis Cocker's Career and Memoir01:04 The Charismatic and Shy Jarvis02:02 Music as an Escape03:51 The Take 5 Theme of Love07:12 SONG 1: The Cryin’ Shames – ‘Please Stay’10:51 Childhood and Early Influences like The Beatles15:28 Sheffield and Moving to London18:16 SONG 2: B52s – ‘Dance This Mess Around’22:32 The Pulp Master Plan29:41 The Reality of Fame31:03 The Impact of Fame32:13 SONG 3: Scott Walker – ‘It’s Raining Today’37:50 Pulp's Reunion and New Beginnings41:25 SONG 4: Judy Dench ‘Send In The Clowns’ / Boys Town Gang ‘Can't Take My Eyes Off You’ Jarvis Cocker Mash-Up [unreleased]42:00 A Unique Wedding Story44:37 Reflections on Love and Relationships46:58 Pulp's 2025 album More48:29 Glastonbury Performance: Then and Now54:06 The Magic of Live Performances55:54 SONG 5: Bob Dylan – ‘Isis’58:29 Final Thoughts and FarewellWatch Take 5 on ABC iview:https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

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• Take 5 with Lorde

  At the age of 16, Lorde went #1 across the world. She was catapulted from the suburbs of Auckland to the Grammy's stage, winning Song of the Year. 12 years and four albums later, she's continued to defy expectations as a pop artist and is one of the most gifted songwriters of our time. This is an episode of Take 5 that was filmed for the TV series, but this podcast is an extended edit - capturing even more stories, insight, and sounds. It's an incredible conversation with one of the most thoughtful people I've met. Lorde has been going through a massive period of change. A chrysalis, taking new form. So I worked up a Take 5 theme to draw that out. And from Lucinda Williams to Westerman to something very close to home, hearing her speak about the craft of song is a rare treat.Lorde's song choices:Lucinda Williams – 'Fruits of My Labor'Bronski Beat – 'Smalltown Boy'Nina Simone – 'Suzanne'Westerman – 'Confirmation'Charli xcx & Lorde – 'Girl, so confusing featuring lorde'00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview00:49 Lorde's Early Influences and First Song Choice02:03 SONG 1: Lucinda Williams – 'Fruits of My Labor'02:33 Lucinda Williams' Impact on Lorde09:30 Lorde's Childhood and Musical Beginnings12:56 The Mystery of Songwriting14:02 SONG 2: Bronski Beat – 'Smalltown Boy'18:55 Writing songs about life experiences21:05 Reflecting on the huge success of 'Royals', The Love Club EP and being world famous at 1624:10 Reflecting on Teenage Years and Womanhood28:22 Lorde's Relationship with Her Parents30:18 SONG 3: Nina Simone – 'Suzanne'30:27 Nina Simone's Transformative Cover of 'Suzanne'31:16 Leonard Cohen's Inspiration and Poetic Imagery32:12 Nina Simone's Unique Interpretation35:39 Exploring Gender and Identity in Music36:36 Relationship break-up and personal transformation39:47 SONG 4: Westerman – 'Confirmation'42:01 The Creative Process Behind 'Virgin'44:55 Physical reactions to music46:15 SONG 5: Charli xcx & Lorde – 'Girl, so confusing featuring lorde'46:44 Charli xcx releasing 'Girl, so confusing' about Lorde48:04 Lorde's verse and working it out in the remix49:08 Articulating the complexity of female friendships54:02 Lorde reflecting on her friendship with Charli xcx55:22 Concluding Thoughts and Future PlansWatch Take 5 on ABC iview:https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

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• Kevin Bacon Takes 5 with songs of joy

  You’re about to learn a whole lot more about Kevin Bacon. The prolific actor has been on our screens for more than 40 years. It was his breakthrough part as Ren in Footloose that got him attention, but he was just getting started. Acclaimed roles in Apollo 13, A Few Good Men, The River Wild, and Mystic River would follow. In fact his filmography and range is so broad he literally had a game made up about him – Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon – where you could connect any Hollywood actor to him in six or less steps, he’s worked with that many stars.But bubbling away in the background, Kevin has always loved music. He played and wrote songs as a kid, joined his brother’s band and formed The Bacon Brothers in ’95, and shares his love of songs on the regular, across his social media.It was this thread I wanted to pull at, when I asked him to Take 5. But what emerged was a greater sense of the man himself. Deeply empathetic, very grounded, and with his heart in all the right places.Kevin Bacon's song choices:Earth, Wind & Fire – 'Happy Feelin'Spin Doctors – 'Little Miss Can't Be Wrong'John Prine & Iris DeMent – 'In Spite of Ourselves'Frank Ocean – 'Thinkin Bout You'Brandi Carlile – 'The Joke'00:00 Introduction to Kevin Bacon's Musical Journey01:00 Kevin Bacon's Love for Music02:19 Kevin Bacon's Acting and Music Synergy04:11 SONG 1: Earth, Wind & Fire – 'Happy Feelin'05:59 The Influence of Philadelphia's Music Scene09:59 Kevin Bacon's Acting Aspirations and Early Career14:38 SONG 2: Spin Doctors – 'Little Miss Can't Be Wrong'18:02 The Bacon Brothers and Overcoming Stage Fright22:53 SONG 3: John Prine & Iris DeMent – 'In Spite of Ourselves'23:28 Marriage to Kyra Sedgwick and singing together30:32 SONG 4: Frank Ocean – 'Thinkin Bout You'35:21 Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and Philanthropy39:51 SONG 5: Brandi Carlile – 'The Joke'44:28 Kevin Bacon's Musical Journey45:57 Upcoming Episodes and Podcast Details46:29 Double J Radio HighlightsWatch Take 5 on ABC iview:https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

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• Take 5 with comedian and TV star Aaron Chen

  You’re about to see a side to Aaron Chen you’ve never seen before. You might know him as George in Fisk, or Guy Montgomery’s sidekick on Spelling Bee. Maybe you cheered his win on Taskmaster Australia season 3. He’s also an acclaimed stand-up comic. But when I sat down with Aaron in his new home in New York City, I got a totally different sense of what makes him tick.This podcast is a companion to the TV episode you can see now on ABC iview. But here, you’re getting a whole lot more. More stories, silliness, and backstory to Aaron Chen. I really loved this conversation, mainly cos I had no idea what to expect. And what I walked away with was a rich portrait of a really beautiful human with his heart in the right place.Aaron Chen's song choices:Arcade Fire – 'Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)'Matt Berry – 'Take My Hand'Vampire Weekend – 'Jerusalem, New York, Berlin'Faye Wong – 'Dreams (夢中人)'Kacey Musgraves – 'Deeper Well'00:00 Introduction to Aaron Chen01:26 Aaron's Move to New York02:49 Comedy and Music03:57 SONG 1: Arcade Fire – 'Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)'04:38 Growing Up in Suburban Sydney12:06 Early Comedy Days15:29 SONG 2: Matt Berry – 'Take My Hand'16:05 First TV Show Experience20:43 Friendship with Sam Campbell25:16 SONG 3: Vampire Weekend – 'Jerusalem, New York, Berlin'25:38 Journey to America27:49 Auditioning for Fisk29:44 Meeting Kitty Flanagan30:29 Finding My Comedy Voice34:29 Faith and Grounding37:09 SONG 4: Faye Wong – 'Dreams (夢中人)'41:50 Marriage and Moving to New York44:27 American TV and Movie Roles48:30 SONG 5: Kacey Musgraves – 'Deeper Well'48:36 Final Reflections and Future PlansWatch Take 5 on ABC iview:https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

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• Melanie C's songs she 'feels in her bones'

  As one-fifth of the Spice Girls, she's one of the most famous people on the planet. But you wouldn’t know it. The Liverpudlian's down to earth beginnings define who Mel C is today.Take 5 is back on your screens for a fourth season on ABC iview, and we kicked off the series with Sporty Spice. In a beautiful HIFI bar in east London, we unpacked her remarkable story… of a kid who daydreamed about the pop stars she’d one day become friends with.This is the story of the Spice Girls you haven’t heard, where against all odds they did it their way. It’s also the story of Melanie’s path to a solo career, and her full circle return to the rave culture she grew up in.Settle in for a fireside chat with an absolute legend, in this extended uncut edition of Melanie C's Take 5.Melanie C's song choices:Stevie Wonder — 'Sir Duke'Wham! — 'Everything She Wants'TLC — 'Waterfalls'Orbital — 'Chime'The Beatles — 'Eleanor Rigby'00:00 Introduction to Mel C and the Spice Girls00:24 Mel C's Musical Beginnings00:36 Take Five Podcast and Mel C's Story01:35 The Power of Music in Mel C's Life02:50 Mel C's First Musical Influences03:38 SONG 1: Stevie Wonder — 'Sir Duke'05:43 Meeting Stevie Wonder09:22 Growing Up in Liverpool11:07 The Birth of Sporty Spice15:37 The Spice Girls' Early Days19:28 Living Together and Early Struggles20:55 Breaking into the Music Industry23:55 SONG 2: Wham! — 'Everything She Wants'30:38 Childhood Memories and First Friendships32:17 SONG 3: TLC — 'Waterfalls'35:59 Going Solo and Collaborations41:12 SONG 4: Orbital — 'Chime'42:23 Rave Culture and DJing51:33 SONG 5: The Beatles — 'Eleanor Rigby'54:44 The Beatles and Liverpool's Influence55:48 Reflecting on Spice Mania58:11 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsWatch Take 5 on ABC iview:https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

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About Take 5

Take 5: Podcasts in Family