Back to NOW!
By Pop Rambler
Back to NOW!Dec 13, 2020
NOW 57 - Spring 2004: David Manero
So, where were you in 2004?
The pop charts were as fast moving as Dame Kelly Holmes in Athens and every week brought another selection of shiny pop hits. 29 tracks topped the charts across the twelve months as pop buyers rushed to purchase the newest CD singles from their latest favourites. And unless you were the sparring, fall-out potty mouthed pair Eamon or Frankee , it was generally a one week reign at No.1! Phew!
The airwaves and TV reigned supreme in making and breaking the big hits of the year. Reality was biting all over the place; Chris Moyles and Terry Wogan were having breakfast with us daily whilst championing their own brands of hit makers such as Jungle champion Peter Andre (again!) and Katie Melua on the Beeb, whilst ITV was delivering a second slice of star making with Pop Idol. Michelle? Sam and Mark? And let’s not forget Fame Academy’s Alex and Alistair (you may already have)! The Svengali spotlight was shining brightly - if briefly - on plenty of 15 minute pop stars in 2004.
Britney was back with Toxic (and lots of left over wedding cake), Pharrell was producing just about everyone. Cover versions (and the instruction manual Cha Cha Slide!) were filling the dancefloor, Love Actually was delivering hits for Girls Aloud and Sugababes and both Keane and Snow Patrol opened their accounts with some mobile phone waving anthems that we’d hear again in different forms over the years!
Frank Ferdinand and Scissor Sisters too! Huge hits and even huger (is that even a word?) albums indicated that 2004 was a year of contrasts, contradictions, pace and change. Music was bristling but it was never boring! Oh, and don't forget your NOW ringtones people!
Join Radio 2 producer David Manero and I as we head back to the noughties to explore NOW57; the hits, the misses and everything else in between.
And find out why Kelly, Ozzy and DJ Casper probably won't be returning our (Nokia 3310) phone calls.
NOW 43 - Summer '99: Daryl Easlea
Summer 1999.
The End of the Century beckons.
As we prepared to send the clocks back to zero, millennium bugs threatened our very existence. David Bowie foretold us (well Jeremy Paxman, at least) that we were on the cusp of something exhilarating and terrifying and what this new Internet was going to do was unimaginable.
Party over, oops out of time..?
Not a bit of it, as the team at NOW That’s What I Call Music activate their latest release and it’s a hot one! The Popworld was in overdrive and the key word everywhere was Positivity. The kaleidoscope that was the ‘fin de siecle’ UK charts was encompassing something for everyone - Boybands!, Girlgroups! Solo stars from Girl groups! Superstar DJs! Even Hollywood film directors providing us with lifestyle coaching!
NOW43 had it all! Whilst the future pop masterminds such as Max Martin and Gregg Alexander plotted world domination for the next decade, pop fans revelled in this millennial musical feast! We were definitely at the end of something and whatever was coming next, NOW! was going to take us all the way!
Join writer, DJ, music consultant and millennial pop generalist Daryl Easlea as we relive the hits, misses and memories of this unforgettable last summer of the 20th century. As we unashamedly wallow in the ‘optimistic daftness of pop’, find out which track always saves a middle-age spread dance floor, who were 'the choppy haired trip hop darlings of ’99’, which act on the LP we are now calling the ‘Fisher Price Beta Band’ and why Cilla Black and Petula Clark have more to do with the pop stars on this LP than you may think!
And discover why Mel B (G?) and Cartoons probably won’t be returning our calls.
As The Chemical Brothers (euphorically said) HERE WE GO!
Back to NOW - We Are One!
Over the past twelve months, thirteen wonderful guests have joined me to open up gatefold sleeves, slip out cassette inlays and flick through CD booklets of their chosen compilation albums.
And in doing so, we’ve not only shared some great musical memories, we’ve also explored the shifting pop cultures of the past four decades and have recognised how these various artists collections do indeed stand as fond time capsules for our journeys through life.
So for this episode, here are some memorable moments - a compilation, if you will - from the first year of Back to NOW - including some previously unheard and extended clips.
In this anniversary episode, find out which NOW album Bob Stanley thinks was his first, the line up for Band Aid 1974(!), the Rebel MC's 'must have' items on tour and (in all its glory) the full horror Womble Hysteria!
Don’t forget you can hear the full episodes now at your favourite podcast sites and join in the conversations with myself Iain at the Poprambler Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
I would like to say a massive thank you to all of my guests who’ve taken time to join me this year. It’s been privilege and a joy sharing in your musical journeys and as they say, we couldn’t have done it without you.
And to everyone that has listened and engaged in the podcast - thanks for all of your support and choosing Back to NOW!
The series now continues and I look forward to more guests, memories and stories coming very soon. Thank you everyone and stay tuned for more variously compiled pop!
NOW 16 - Autumn ‘89: Siân Pattenden
Ten years have seen huge growth in music sales and an explosion of genres, with rock morphing through glam metal and beyond, disco had danced through electro towards a new house, and hip hop had grown from the streets of New York to become an emerging and exciting influence on global pop culture. The nineties are almost here, but first the Now That’s What I Call Music team are set upon closing this unforgettable decade with some fireworks.
NOW 16 provided the narrative for this time and as you would expect contained the diverse snapshot of the UK Charts we had come to expect from the country’sfavourite compilation LPs. Tears for Fears were back, Back, BACK with a huge slice of psychedelic love power pop in tune with the chart’s positive vibe, alongside fellow returning performances from the likes of Tina Turner, Wet Wet Wet and the sensual Kate Bush. However, as always, the album also celebrated the diversity and excitement of the charts with the vibrance of the ever growing dance and hip hop scenes thanks to Technotronic, Neneh Cherry, De La Soul and Rebel MC. Throw in some glorious pop gems from the likes of Shakespear’s Sister, Deborah (not Debbie) Harry and Jimmy Somerville and you have the technicolour pop party that is NOW 16!
And did we mention three bonus tracks on the CD as well? Phew!
Join author, artist (www.raw-art.co.uk) and host of the Bigmouth podcast Siân Pattenden as I as we explore the pop culture landscape as the 80s turned into the 90s. Expect a swingorilliant serving of pop stories from Siân’s time at Smash Hits (who controlled the office stereo?) as well as shiny tales and musings including (amongst other vital things) how Erasure enlisted neighbouring indie rockers for some ‘drama’, being on tour with Big Fun (and Sonia!) and which NOW 16 star made ‘advances’ on the young Miss Pattenden! And does anyone know anything about the whereabouts of Fresh 4 and Lizz E?
Parties have to end, history speeds on, and things always turn out to be much more complicated than they first appear. And, as 1989 teaches us, everything will sooner or later change again. John Harris.
NOW 10 – Autumn ’87: Justin Quirk
As always, the NOW! team were on hand to gather up all that was happening across the charts and NOW 10 provides a fascinating snapshot of a very distinctive moment in time – both in the world of culture and beyond.
From Freddie Mercury’s grandiose operatic Olympic opening to M/A/R/R/S cutting and pasting up the rulebook of dance through a variety of 80s ‘sophistipop’ and not forgetting a sizeable gathering of shiny Glam Metal stars, this volume certainly had it all!
Join Justin Quirk, writer of ‘Nothin’ But A Good Time – The Spectacular Rise and Fall of Glam Metal’ and myself as we navigate the hits, misses and memories of NOW 10 and autumn 1987.
Find out why metal and disco are more closely linked than you may think, what makes Bananarama a national treasure, what happened to a-ha’s video mannequins (yes, really!) and what really turns a Festive Fairtytale into a Christmas Classic.
And , we’re still not expecting a callback from Hue and Cry…
NOW 13 - Autumn '88: Pete Paphides
It's November 1988, and the latest chapter in the successful NOW compilation series is launched - and looking at the cover, it really is heading out of this world!
And what an interesting period Autumn 1988 was! Shiny pop classics from the likes of Yazz, Erasure and Brother Beyond rubbing shoulders with seasoned artists rediscovering the glories of the charts - that's you Bryan Ferry, The Hollies and Tom Jones!
Meanwhile new and exciting dance acts were looking to the next decade with Inner City, Bomb the Bass and The Beatmasters flying the dancefloor flag. Oh, and did we mention ACIEED?
Rap was (weirdly) looking back to the 60s and several experienced acts of the 1980s were having a slight 'identity crisis'. What do you do, when you're not really the Next Big Thing anymore?
Join author, journalist and broadcaster Pete Paphides as we explore an LP packed with interesting tracks that tell an even more interesting story of pop as the eighties began to draw to a close. And having Pete onboard, we also discuss his exciting new record label Needle Mythology and his wonderful 2020 biography 'Broken Greek' - a story of chip shops and pop.
Find out how the Isley Brothers infiltrated (at least) three tracks, what makes a classic Big Eighties Ballad, the band that were auctioned off to Stock, Aitken and Waterman, which artists on NOW 13 have 'the kindest faces' and what links Trevor and Simon and Wee Papa Girl Rappers.
And find out why Hue and Cry probably won't be returning our calls.
Now, That's What I Call Music: Alexis Petridis
And so it was, that a poster of a certain pig signalled a change in how various artists would be viewed and consumed from NOW on. As the first Now That’s What I Call Music LP curated thirty of the years biggest hits, the story of pop in 1983 was much more.
Whilst the popstars of the 80s were either splitting up, missing the chart mark or simply going stratospheric in the US, the pop path was blown wide open to a range of new stars, one hit wonders and some hugely memorable moments.
And a shimmering summer soundtrack signalled that one of the decades most colourful years would be remembered for many great reasons. And a few others too...
Join writer and chief music critic for The Guardian Alexis Petridis as we revisit the iconic first NOW LP and explore the pop culture of 1983 that launched it. Along the way find out which pop act made the first (and possibly biggest) impact on Alexis, why Summer ‘83 is still so memorable and which of the acts on that double album won’t be returning our calls.
NOW 8 - Autumn '86: Johnny Kalifornia
NOW 11 - Spring '88: Mark Wood
And as always, NOW That’s What I Call Music is there to capture the charts in all of its late 80s bombast as symbolised by Volume 11 and THAT wonderful, mirrored skyscraper cover.
The Pet Shop Boys are reigning supreme in their imperial phase, the girls are conquering the charts from Kylie to Belinda and Vanessa to Sinead.
But change is in the air as the decade draws to a close and as the BPM increase so does the excitement – a whole side of House signals that dance music has the charts and the UK under arrest!
Join Universal Music’s Mark Wood and I as we revisit his musical influences and why NOW11 is such an important time capsule for him.
Along the way expect starring roles for Kylie, Bomb the Bass, Blondie and The Wombles (!) and find out all about one of Mark's biggest musical passions - what The Guardian describe as ‘Britain’s Greatest and Strangest Nightclub’ - Duckie.
I Know You’re Gonna Dig This!
Compiling Stories: Bob Stanley
Bob is a founder member of Saint Etienne, and a regular contributor to amongst others, The Guardian, The Times and Record Collector. Bob has compiled and produced an enviable collection of compilation albums for his own record label Croydon Municipal and with a host of collaborators for Ace records.
Bob shares his love for 70s compilations albums, library culture, the joy of discovering forgotten tracks and the wonderful nature of sequencing that the likes of K-Tel and Ronco provided us with.
We also explore the evolution of NOW through the 80s, how dance music came to the fore in the ‘90s and why we love collecting music in the UK.
With the launch of his latest compilation, Café Exil: New Adventures in European Music 1972-1980, Bob also provides an insight into his own process of creating compilation albums; where inspiration comes from, his favourites and what themes he is looking to curate next.
NOW - The Christmas Album: Ian Wade
NOW 2 - Spring ’84: Simon Philo
As the year began, the first NOW LP was dominating the charts, but its successor was not far behind.
As sequels go Now, That's What I Call Music 2 was pretty spectacular, bagging the top spot in the LP charts for five weeks and proving that the most successful compilation series in history was well and truly here to stay.
To explore the album, I'm joined by Simon Philo, lecturer in Popular Music in Society and American Studies at the University of Derby. In a 25-year career in higher education, he has made it his mission to introduce as many students as possible to the joy of popular music.
Simon is also the author of British Invasion: The Crosscurrents of Musical Influence (2015) and Glam Rock: Music in Sound and Vision (2018) and presents shows on Radio Free Matlock and Stranger Radio.
As well as revisiting the LP - the big tracks, the forgotten tracks and those great one-hit wonders, Simon and I also explore the pop culture that shaped his musical journey towards the Spring of 1984 and beyond.
Expect supporting roles for Kate Bush, The Dooleys, Dollar, Cyndi Lauper, The Smiths and Thomas Dolby. Discover why Matthew Wilder and Re-Flex probably won't be returning our calls, the record Simon threw out of his pram and what the difference really is between a banger and a clanger.
And as it is 1984, a healthy dose of Global Nuclear Annihilation thrown in too.
NOW4 - Autumn 1984: Richard Drew
Richard and I explore the pop landscape of autumn 1984 and whilst NOW 4 was gearing its assault of the album charts, a new compilation LP was preparing to HIT back.
Richard also shares some of his personal musical memories and influences; how his mum sold the Beatles to America, how OMD rescued him from Trevor Horn and how one lunch break he found himself duetting with Paul McCartney.
Expect supporting roles in this episode from a neon lit array of stars including Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Ultravox, Hazell Dean and find out why ‘Ice And The Falling Rain’ may just be the great lost 80s classic!
NOW 5 - Summer '85: Simon Galloway
NOW 17 - Spring ‘90: Michael Mulligan
Whilst the top of the artist album charts celebrated classic artists such as Phil Collins, Elton John and the Carpenters, the first full year of the compilation chart was exploding with an eclectic mix of dance -and the Top 40 singles chart was becoming increasingly exciting, varied and fast moving as the decade took shape - and NOW17 took a great snapshot of it all!
Joining me for this episode is Michael Mulligan.
Michael has made a name for himself working in all manner of music retail, lending his expertise as a consultant for record labels and mining the archives for overlooked gems. He is also the author responsible for books including 'The Story of NOW in 100 artists', published to celebrate, not surprisingly, the release of NOW 100. And most recently, Michael contributed the insightfully crafted sleeve notes to the soundtrack reissue of Julien Temple’s 1986 film adaptation of Absolute Beginners.
So, come back to Spring/Summer 1990 and celebrate how the decade memorably kicked off. Expect starring roles from Erasure, Depeche Mode, Candy Flip, The Charlatans, Beats International, Cliff, Des Lynam(!) and why Sydney Youngblood won't be returning our calls! backtonow.music.blog/
NOW 7 - Summer ‘86: Pete Selby
Pete and I travelled back to the summer of 1986 to discuss NOW 7. Along the way we also chatted about musical memories growing up, influences and the compilation market that led to the success of LPs such as the NOW and HITs series in the 1980s.
Expect starring roles in our conversation for - amongst others - Lovebug Starski, Wham!, Peter Gabriel, and honourable mentions for Mike Batt, the Grange Hill cast and (genuine forgotten 80s) Debbie Aimee!
I hope that you will enjoy sharing in our '86 memories and insights. If you do, please spread the word and let me know your thoughts at www.backtonow.music.blog or on Twitter with myself, Iain, @poprambler.
Back To Now! Trailer
As we open up the gatefold vinyl sleeves, unfold the cassette inlays or slip out CD booklets, we will also consider the wider world of pop culture and how our favourite compilation albums shaped our lives at and now fondly stand as time capsules for our own musical journeys.
The episodes will invite a range of guests to share their memories, stories and insights. Along the way we will discuss what makes the best compilations, the key tracks, the missing tracks and everything else in between. Expect the big LPs, the forgotten LPs and the chance to relive great compiled music memories from across the years.
So look out for the Back To Now podcasts. Available at www.backtonow.music.blog , via the PopRambler Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages with myself, Iain, and through your favourite podcast sharing platforms.