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Articles by David Hepworth

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If you’ve never been to a Word In Your Ear evening before, this is how it works. 

November 7, 2015 David Hepworth 0

It usually takes place at The Islington, which is helpfully located in Islington, not far from Angel tube station and King’s Cross. The Islington is […]

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Pictures from last night’s WIYE 80s at the Islington

July 7, 2015 David Hepworth 0

    We had a corking time at the Islington last night with special guests Clare Grogan, who was talking about her time in Altered […]

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Great press for next Tuesday’s guests

March 28, 2015 David Hepworth 0

  In next Tuesday’s show at The Islington Mark Ellen and I are talking to a couple of veterans of music writing in the sixties, both of […]

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Talking Sandy Denny with Ashley Hutchings, Simon Nicol and Mick Houghton

March 14, 2015 David Hepworth 0

Thanks to everyone who came to Monday’s recording at the Slaughtered Lamb where we talked to Mick Houghton about his excellent new biography of Sandy […]

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Word In Your Ear 2014 season climaxes with Danny Baker, Smash Hits, Quantick and more

December 8, 2014 David Hepworth 0

We’ve had brilliant words in your ear over the past few weeks with Danny Baker, whose highlight was an impression of Tommy Cooper which few […]

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One small step for Word In Your Ear, one giant stride for Monday nights in the pub

September 23, 2014 David Hepworth 0

Last night’s show was our best yet. Thanks to the people at the Islington we managed to get the visuals working and so we we could put on […]

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Stevie Nicks biographer Zoe Howe added to our Ben Watt live podcast recording

September 13, 2014 David Hepworth 0

We’re delighted to say that Zoe Howe‘s joining us at our next Word In Your Ear Podcast recording at the Islington on September 22nd.  She’ll be […]

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A Quiet Word with Ben Watt at the Islington

September 8, 2014 David Hepworth 0

Ben Watt’s worn a variety of hats in the last thirty years: half of Everything But The Girl, solo artist, deejay, producer, club owner and […]

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An evening at the Islington with Simon Napier-Bell

August 25, 2014 David Hepworth 0

We had fun talking to Simon Napier-Bell at the Islington last week. You can hear the results as a podcast here or via this clip. […]

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An indiscreet podcast with Simon Napier-Bell – if you don’t want to miss any of it, you’d better be there

July 20, 2014 David Hepworth 0

There’s not a lot you can say about pop music that isn’t true. Whatever your prejudices you’ll find in the history of pop music the evidence […]

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The Word Podcast

Word In Your Ear
Word In Your Ear

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and chums cast an occasionally jaundiced eye over the goings-on in the worlds of music and entertainment.

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Tony Fletcher – teenage label boss! – remembers the Jam, the Tube and the ‘80s pop explosion
byMark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold

Tony Fletcher launched Jamming! when he was 13, wrote for the Face at 16, ran a label with Paul Weller at 17 and a year later was presenting the Tube. And was in a band signed to EMI. If anyone did more as a teenager, we want to meet them. It’s all in his coming-of-age memoir ‘Pow! When UK Punk Went Pop 1980-84’ – discussed here – which touches on …

 

…the speed, the possibilities and the riches of success in the early ‘80s – and how it felt to be at the heart of it

 

… “I knew nothing about running a label – and then discovered Paul Weller didn’t either”

 

… Madness being interviewed by “spiky-haired, Harrington-jacketed, Ben-Sherman-shirted me”

 

… when confidence meets ignorance

 

… when bands went from selling 2,000 records to 20,000 and, in America, 200,000: “Phil Oakey always carried £500 in cash”

 

… the research meetings that launched the Tube and his two-minute audition

 

… the day Leslie Ash called in sick and he covered for her on live TV

 

… Pete Townshend, 35, convinced the Who were finished

 

… discovering the inner circle within the inner circle

 

… “to the Rainbow for the Mod Revival all-dayer!”

 

… and memories of Wham!, Paula Yates and Pete Wylie and what he learnt from running labels and magazines.  

 

Order copies of ‘Pow! When UK Punk Went Pop 1980-84’ here:

US: https://www.trouserpressbooks.com/pow

 

UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/pow-when-uk-punk-went-pop-1980-84-tony-fletcher/74b193de4c1dee68

Help us to keep The Longest Continuous Conversation In Rock’n’Roll going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear


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Tony Fletcher – teenage label boss! – remembers the Jam, the Tube and the ‘80s pop explosion
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