But there is considerably more to Mari Wilson's story than one iconic song and one iconic hairstyle. Alongside The Wilsations, she became one of the most distinctive performers of the period, bringing together pop, soul, humour, glamour and a very strong sense of theatre. Her appearances on Top of the Pops helped establish her as one of the memorable personalities of the era, while her live performances demonstrated that there was a serious vocalist and performer beneath the larger-than-life image.

Mari is just about to release a new solo album of breezy 60s influenced pop, Girl About Town, as well as performing a couple of full-band shows in the UK.

Check https://www.mariwilson.co.uk for details.

As her career developed, Mari moved beyond the pop world and explored jazz, performing extensively in live venues and building a reputation as a versatile and accomplished singer. That later work became an important part of her musical identity, allowing her to explore different material and develop a repertoire that reached well beyond the hits that had first made her famous. She has subsequently continued to combine pop, jazz and soul influences in her performances and recordings.

And now, in the latest episode of Classic Song Chats, Wilson joins Des Burkinshaw for an extended conversation about her life and career in music.

Subscribe now to make sure you never miss an episode. A few episodes with low quality video will only be available on audio sites.

You can also buy me a coffee to help support the channel - and while you're there, make a suggestion for a song you would like to see covered.

https://buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

#MariWilson #80spop #femalesinger #80sMusic #80s #MusicInterview #MusicPodcast #ClassicSongChats #DesBurkinshaw

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.

At just 17, Sheila Chandra became the lead singer of Monsoon and found herself at the centre of an extraordinary musical experiment. In 1982, Monsoon’s “Ever So Lonely” combined Indian musical influences, raga-based ideas, tabla and contemporary pop production to create something that was unlike almost anything else being heard in the British mainstream at the time. The single became a major UK hit and Sheila appeared on Top of the Pops, making a particularly powerful impression on young British Asians who had rarely seen themselves represented in that way on mainstream television.

Here is that Top of the Pops clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP6B8l1fWu8&list=RDlP6B8l1fWu8&start_radio=1

Monsoon’s success, however, was relatively short-lived. The group’s debut album, Third Eye, remains an important landmark in the history of East-West musical fusion, but Sheila soon became frustrated with the pressures and expectations of the record business. Rather than simply pursue another conventional pop career, she returned to the independent Indipop label, where she was able to develop her own musical ideas and explore the possibilities of her voice.

The result was a fascinating sequence of albums including Out on My Own, Quiet, The Struggle, Nada Brahma and Roots and Wings. These records document Sheila's evolution from pop singer to an increasingly adventurous and independent artist. She explored Indian and Western musical traditions, drones, rhythm, vocal textures and, increasingly, the human voice as an instrument in its own right.

In this interview, Sheila talks about this period of her career and the freedom that working with Indipop gave her. Her approach was unusual for the time: rather than fitting herself into an established musical category, she was gradually creating her own musical language.

That journey eventually brought her to Peter Gabriel’s Real World label.

Sheila’s Real World recordings became some of the most acclaimed and adventurous music of her career. Her trilogy of albums — Weaving My Ancestors’ Voices (1992), The Zen Kiss (1994) and ABoneCroneDrone (1996).Rather than treating the voice simply as a vehicle for lyrics and melody, Sheila explored drones, overtones, vocal ornamentation and the extraordinary range of sounds that a single human voice can produce.

In 2009, Sheila developed Burning Mouth Syndrome, a chronic condition that caused severe discomfort and made speaking and singing increasingly difficult. By around 2010–2011, singing had become impossible, effectively forcing her to retire from the profession that had defined so much of her life.

What's likely to be her final album, Echo, is released by Real World on September 25. It's a stunning collection reworked from old live tapes.

This episode is part of the first season of ⁨@ClassicSongChats⁩ in which Des Burkinshaw interviews his favourite artists, about his favourite records of all time. Season 1 artists already recorded include The Thompson Twins, Buggles, PP Arnold, Jona Lewie, Manfred Mann, 10cc, Nancy Sinatra, The Beach Boys, Men Without Hats, Talking Heads, and many more. All season 1 episodes are being released before Christmas 2026.

Subscribe now to make sure you never miss an episode. A few episodes with low quality video will only be available on audio sites.

You can also buy me a coffee to help support the channel - and while you're there, make a suggestion for a song you would like to see covered.

https://buymeacoffee.com/classicsongchats

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.

Lol Creme tells the story behind Cry - one of the most distinctive songs and promotional videos of the 1980s.

In this extended episode of  @ClassicSongChats , Lol looks back at the making of the song, which he created with legendary producer Trevor Horn, and discusses how the track evolved into the record we know today.

He tells host, Des Burkinshaw, the story behind the song's famous promotional video, exploring the ideas, technology and creative decisions that made it such an enduring piece of music-video history.

But Cry is just one part of an extraordinary career, now in it's 7th decade. Lol talks about his years with 10cc, the formation and work of Godley & Creme, and his pioneering career as a director of promotional videos, and his return to live work in recent times with the Trevor Horn Band.

He recalls working with some of the defining artists of the 1980s, including Duran Duran, The Police and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and reflects on the extraordinary creative possibilities that opened up when music and film began to collide in a new way.

From 10cc and Trevor Horn to Godley & Creme and some of the most memorable promotional videos of the MTV era, this is a rare chance to hear Lol Creme telling the story in his own words.

If you love 80s music, new wave, synth-pop, songwriting, and music history this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

#LolCreme #GodleyandCreme #KevinGodley #TrevorHorn #10cc #80sMusic #80s #MusicInterview #MusicPodcast #ClassicSongChats #DesBurkinshaw

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 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.

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.

Des Burkinshaw, your host, sat down with Tom Bailey of The Thompson Twins on Classic Song Chats, to find out.

Tom talks about the story behind their huge hit “Hold Me Now” — the song that became one of the most recognisable and enduring anthems of the era.

Tom takes us behind the music, sharing insights into songwriting, recording, production, fame and life at the height of the Thompson Twins' success.

We also revisit one of the most extraordinary moments in the band's career: their legendary Live Aid performance in Philadelphia in 1985, including the unforgettable appearance of Madonna and Nile Rodgers.

Tom also reflects on the Thompson Twins' remarkable journey, the realities of international fame, his approach to writing and producing music, and what he has learned throughout an extraordinary career.

If you love 80s music, new wave, synth-pop, songwriting, and music history this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

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.

#TomBailey #ThompsonTwins #HoldMeNow #LiveAid #80sMusic #80s #MusicInterview #MusicPodcast #ClassicSongChats #DesBurkinshaw

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 more.

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.