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Classic Song Chats

Classic Song Chats

By: Des Burkinshaw
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Imagine sitting down with your favourite pop artists, performers and writers, and getting the chance to grill them on their most famous song? Of course, if you did, you'd probably talk to them about the rest of their career too?

Des Burkinshaw, after 40 years of interviewing people for a living - whether producing music shows for the BBC & ITV or writing for publications like The Times, Mojo and even the Daily Mirror pop page during Britpop - got out his little black book and has spent the summer doing just this. He also dug out 5-6 archive interviews done for an ITV pilot that never happened. As a journalist, fillmmaker, anorak and songwriter/musician he covers everything from inspiration to fame, synths to royalties.

Beginning on August 21 2026, season 1 features the following songs/interviews:


Nancy Sinatra on These Boots Are Made For Walking

Paul McCartney on Band on the Run and Hey Jude

Tom Bailey of The Thompson Twins on Hold Me Now

Lol Creme of Godley & Creme on Cry

Lol Creme, Eric Stewart and Kevin Godley of 10cc on I'm Not in Love

Trevor Horn of Buggles on Video Killed the Radio Star

Tom McGuinnes of McGuinnes Flint on When I'm Dead and Gone

Mari Wilson on Just What I Always Wanted

Sheila Chandra of Monsoon on Ever So Lonely

Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway on I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing

PP Arnold on The First Cut is the Deepest

Madeline Bell and Roger Cook on The Banner Man

Tasmin Archer on Sleeping Satellite

David Paton of Pilot on Magic! and January

Jona Lewie on You Will Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties

Dicken of Mr Big on Romeo

Dionne Warwick on Walk on By

Martha and the Muffins on Echo Beach

Ivan Doroschuk of Men Without Hats on The Safety Dance

Pat and Greg Kane of Hue and Cry on Labour of Love

Paul Jones of Mandred Mann on Doo Wah Diddy and Pretty Flamingo

David Byrne of Talking Heads on Once in a Lifetime


And many more to come.




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

Des Burkinshaw Art Music Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Echo Beach - Martha and the Muffins. Classic Song Chats with Mark Gane and Martha Johnson.

    Echo Beach - Martha and the Muffins. Classic Song Chats with Mark Gane and Martha Johnson.
    19 Oct 2026

    Echo Beach, one of the greatest New Wave singles of all time. And here to tell the story of the song and the band, are writer, Mark Gane, and singer, Martha Johnson, of Martha and the Muffins.


    Classic Song Chats features chats with the original artists behind some of the greatest pop records of all time. Between now and Christmas 2026, episodes will drop every few days featuring artists from the 60s to the 00s - Nancy Sinatra, Blue Mink, PP Arnold, Hue and Cry, 10cc, Pilot, McGuinnes Flint, Manfred Mann, Monsoon, Godley and Creme, Wings, The Beach Boys, Jona Lewie, Men Without Hats, Tasmin Archer and many more.

    Des Burkinshaw, a former BBC/ITV music TV producer and journalist at The Times/The Mirror and contributor to Mojo, Q etc, is also a songwriter/music producer and host of the Without the Beatles podcast.


    Ways to support the channel:

    You can subscribe or how about buying me a coffee?!

    buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats


    Thanks!

    A video version of every episode is also available on youtube.

    If you can afford to, please support the show by buying us a coffee. https://www.https://buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 3 min
  • Living in the Past - Jethro Tull. Classic Songs Chats with Ian Anderson

    Living in the Past - Jethro Tull. Classic Songs Chats with Ian Anderson
    18 Oct 2026

    Back in 1969, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull came up with a flute-driving progressive rock song in 5/4 time that unexpectedly became a hit that inspired many, including Sting.


    In this interview with host, Des Burkinshaw, Ian Anderson tells the story behind the song, but also ruminates on a wide range of subjects outside music.


    Classic Song Chats features chats with the original artists behind some of the greatest pop records of all time. Between now and Christmas 2026, episodes will drop every few days featuring artists from the 60s to the 00s - Nancy Sinatra, Blue Mink, PP Arnold, Hue and Cry, 10cc, Pilot, McGuinnes Flint, Manfred Mann, Monsoon, Godley and Creme, Wings, The Beach Boys, Jona Lewie, Men Without Hats, Tasmin Archer and many more.

    Des Burkinshaw, a former BBC/ITV music TV producer and journalist at The Times/The Mirror and contributor to Mojo, Q etc, is also a songwriter/music producer and host of the Without the Beatles podcast.


    Ways to support the channel:

    You can subscribe or how about buying me a coffee?!

    buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats


    Thanks!

    A video version of every episode is also available on youtube.

    If you can afford to, please support the show by buying us a coffee. https://www.https://buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 12 min
  • How Long - Ace. Paul Carrack on the 70s soul classic.

    How Long - Ace. Paul Carrack on the 70s soul classic.
    16 Oct 2026

    Paul Carrack sang 3 of the biggest hits of all time - How Long by Ace, Tempted by Squeeze and The Living Years by Mike + The Mechanics. In this Classic Song Chat with host, Des Burkinshaw, Paul goes into the ins and outs of being a band in the 70s, how a career can unfold unexpectedly and why his son started looking up to him when he found out he did session work for The Smiths.


    Classic Song Chats features chats with the original artists behind some of the greatest pop records of all time. Between now and Christmas 2026, episodes will drop every few days featuring artists from the 60s to the 00s - Nancy Sinatra, Blue Mink, PP Arnold, Hue and Cry, 10cc, Pilot, McGuinnes Flint, Manfred Mann, Monsoon, Godley and Creme, Wings, The Beach Boys, Jona Lewie, Men Without Hats, Tasmin Archer and many more.

    Des Burkinshaw, a former BBC/ITV music TV producer and journalist at The Times/The Mirror and contributor to Mojo, Q etc, is also a songwriter/music producer and host of the Without the Beatles podcast.


    Ways to support the channel:

    You can subscribe or how about buying me a coffee?!

    buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats


    Thanks!

    A video version of every episode is also available on youtube.

    If you can afford to, please support the show by buying us a coffee. https://www.https://buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 3 min
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