Best Mark Tennant Podcasts (2025)

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E216: Pete Paphides on ABBA + Stevie Wonder + Broken Greek 1:31:03

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1h ago1:31:03

1:31:03

In this episode we're joined by Pete Paphides, former rock critic for the London Times and author of 2020's acclaimed memoir Broken Greek. We start with our guest's unique "'Starman' moment" – seeing the Brotherhood of Man lip-sync to the ghastly 'Save Your Kisses for Me' on Top of the Pops in 1976 – and then plunge straight into a celebration of h…

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E215: Simon Price on Melody Maker + Manics + Radiohead audio 1:31:28

3d ago1:31:28

1:31:28

For this episode — the first to feature RBP's editorial co-ordinator William Pike — we're joined by Melody Maker legend Simon Price for a discussion of his career, his championing of Manic Street Preachers, and Radiohead's first tour since 2018. Beginning in the South Wales town of Barry, we hear about Simon's boyhood, his formative pop passions an…

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E214: Lisa Verrico on Vox + Oasis + Billie Eilish + My Bloody Valentine 1:19:46

1M ago1:19:46

1:19:46

In this episode we invite the highly entertaining Lisa Verrico to join us from her native Glasgow and talk us through her career from IPC's Vox magazine to The Times. Commencing with her memory of first hearing Prince's 'Little Red Corvette' as a kid on holiday in Spain, our guest recalls her days of raving (and working in radio) before describing …

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E213: Michael A. Gonzales on TLC + The Source + DJ Kool Herc 1:15:36

1M ago1:15:36

1:15:36

By Barney Hoskyns, Mark Pringle, Jasper Murison-Bowie

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E212: Greil Marcus on Mystery Train + Sex Pistols + Jamie Reid 1:09:59

2M ago1:09:59

1:09:59

In this episode, we ask one of the greatest music writers of the rock and roll era to talk about Mystery Train as he celebrates its 50th anniversary with a brand-new edition of his classic book. Talking to us from Oakland, 6,000 miles away in his native Northern California, Greil Marcus looks back on the pivotal moments that led to his starting wor…

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This Episode Goes 2 11: A Spinal Tap special with Alexis Petridis 33:56

2M ago33:56

33:56

For this special "bonus" episode of the Rock's Backpages podcast — fittingly number 211 (geddit?) — we're joined once again by The Guardian's Alexis Petridis for a discussion of timeless rock mockumentary This is Spinal Tap and its breathlessly-awaited sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues... With reference to A Fine Line Between Stupid and Cleve…

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E210: Alexis Petridis on Acid House + The Guardian + CMAT + KISS 1:13:51

3M ago1:13:51

1:13:51

For this episode we're joined by the immensely respected Alexis Petridis, The Guardian's principal pop critic since September 2001. Our guest tells us about his childhood in Yorkshire, his teenage years in Buckinghamshire and his initiation into the Acid House scene while at Cambridge University. Work experience at MixMag in the mid-'90s led to his…

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E209: David Nathan on Dionne Warwick + the Bee Gees + Michael Lydon R.I.P. 1:19:27

3M ago1:19:27

1:19:27

In this episode we invite David Nathan to look back on his illustrious 60 years as "the British Ambassador of Soul". Our guest commences by recalling his gateway into Black American music: the covers of Shirelles and Miracles classics included on the first two Beatles albums. He furthermore describes the thrill of seeing Motown star Mary Wells supp…

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E208: Byron Coley on Beefheart + Lydia Lunch + Terry Reid R.I.P. 1:23:36

4M ago1:23:36

1:23:36

For this episode we're joined online from northwest Massachusetts by the legendary Byron Coley, champion of all things weird and non-mainstream. After describing his somewhat peripatetic childhood, our guest explains – very amusingly – why as a teenager he hated the Beatles and what led him eventually to the more subversive sounds of the Mothers of…

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E207: Val Mabbs on Record Mirror + Jimi Hendrix + Walker Bros. + Ozzy R.I.P. 1:24:32

4M ago1:24:32

1:24:32

For this episode we're joined by the excellent Val Mabbs, who talks to us about writing for Record Mirror in the late '60s and early '70s. We start with our guest's early life as a mod in Hertfordshire – and her memories of seeing the Who/the High Numbers in 1964/5. Val then explains how she got her foot in the door at the Mirror and recalls collea…

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E206: John Niven on rock fiction + Bobby "Blue" Bland + Lou Reed audio 1:13:27

5M ago1:13:27

1:13:27

In this episode we welcome novelist and screenwriter John Niven to "RBP Towers" to ask him about his career and his acclaimed novels. We start with the Wishing Stones, the post-C86 combo for whom John played guitar in the late '80s, and progress swiftly to the subject of his caustic 2008 classic Kill Your Friends — the UK's drug-riddled music indus…

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E205: Tony Cummings on soul music + The Sound of Philadelphia 1:22:54

5M ago1:22:54

1:22:54

In this episode we welcome the great soul scribe Tony Cummings to Hammersmith to discuss the subject of his classic 1975 book The Sound of Philadelphia. Tony travelled all the way down from his adopted Stoke-on-Trent to answer our questions about his earliest musical passions in his native Plymouth and the launch of his pioneering '60s fanzines Sou…

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Aiden Joiner: 15 Year Old Elvis Tribute Artist That Some Say is Elvis Reincarnated 32:21

5M ago32:21

32:21

Send us a text A 15-year-old Elvis Tribute Artist that many feel is Elvis reincarnated but looks like Joaquin Phoenix! He is the only singer in his family. The attraction started in second grade after his best friend dared him to dress up as Elvis for Halloween, which began the love affair for the King of Rock n Roll. Aiden also sings Johnny Cash, …

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E204: Chris Bohn in Europe + Sly Stone & Brian Wilson R.I.P. 1:37:40

6M ago1:37:40

1:37:40

For this episode we're joined in our Hammersmith lair by the highly respected Chris Bohn, known better these days by his alias Biba Kopf (cue a nod to Berlin Alexanderplatz author Alfred Döblin...) The veteran NME contributor and sometime editor-in-chief of The Wire talks about his long career as a Europhile connoisseur of extreme and out-there mus…

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Re-released: Donna Presley, First Cousin to ELVIS/Grew Up at Graceland/Author 53:17

6M ago53:17

53:17

Send us a text Join Donna along with Elvis Tribute Artists, Harry Shahoian & Nathan Pittorf along with myself on 6 day Elvis Christmas Theme Cruise to the Caribbean! November 30-December 6, 2025. Information: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/file:///C:/Users/tommy/Downloads/1-USE%20ONLINE%20-FLYER%20113025%20CEL%20ECL%20ELVIS%20X…

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E203: Jonathan Gould on Talking Heads + Otis Redding + Richard Manuel 1:34:40

6M ago1:34:40

1:34:40

For this episode we're joined – all the way from Brooklyn – by acclaimed author and sometime drummer Jonathan Gould. The native New Yorker recalls his early musical epiphanies, his introduction to the drums and his studying under famed jazz drummer Alan Dawson in mid-'70s Boston. He also reminisces about his years in Woodstock, N.Y., and his associ…

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E202: Paul Gambaccini on the radio + Rolling Stone + Beyoncé audio 1:05:08

6M ago1:05:08

1:05:08

In this episode we welcome the great Paul Gambaccini into RBP's world and ask him about his 50+ years as one of Britain's best-loved broadcasters. "The Great Gambo" tells us about his early radio days at Dartmouth College's WDCR station and explains how he slipped his foot in the door at Rolling Stone in 1970. He then recounts his first meeting wit…

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E201: Bob Merlis on Warner Bros. + Little Feat + Neil Young audio 1:19:52

7M ago1:19:52

1:19:52

For this episode we're joined – all the way from L.A. – by special guest Bob Merlis. The former head of publicity at Warner-Reprise Records in Burbank talks us through his musical odyssey from his Brooklyn childhood to his continuing PR work for the likes of ZZ Top and Carlene Carter. We hear about Bob's start at Record World in late '60s New York …

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E200: Celebrating 200 episodes of the Rock's Backpages podcast 1:21:27

7M ago1:21:27

1:21:27

In this special episode we celebrate the last four years with clips from twelve of the best 100 shows we've recorded in that time. Following an intro from Spandau Ballet mainmain Gary Kemp speaking in January 2023, we reflect on what we have (or haven't) learned over those four years, then play and discuss clips from these episodes: Record Mirror l…

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E199: Phil Sutcliffe on Sounds + Gang of Four + Eric Clapton 1:16:11

8M ago1:16:11

1:16:11

For this episode we're joined by veteran music scribe Phil Sutcliffe to discuss his years on Sounds, Q and MOJO. We start by hearing about our guest's Beatles-obsessed adolescence in the North London suburb of Barnet, then follow him up to Manchester University and his subsequent apprenticeship on the Newcastle Evening Chronicle. Phil explains how …

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E198: Havelock Nelson on Hip Hop + Missy Elliott + Atlantic Records 1:09:39

8M ago1:09:39

1:09:39

For this episode we're joined all the way from Harlem in New York City by venerable hip hop writer Havelock Nelson. The first rap editor at industry bible Billboard talks about his early years in his birthplace Guyana and his love of marching bands in the country's capital Georgetown. From there we hear about his family's move to Brooklyn in 1973 a…

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E197: Siân Pattenden on Select + the Bangles + David Johansen 1:17:11

9M ago1:17:11

1:17:11

For this episode we're joined in person by the delightful Siân Pattenden, author of the Agatha Bilke and Magical Peppers children's book series. We start by asking our guest about her early years as a child actor and teenage playwright before she describes the fanzines she published with her pal Nicky Fijalkowska. We hear how these helped to get he…

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E196: Daniel Wolff & Danny Alexander on Dave Marsh + Curtis Mayfield 1:15:44

9M ago1:15:44

1:15:44

In this episode we welcome not one but two guests and ask them to talk about their long-time friend and mentor Dave Marsh. Daniel Wolff and Danny Alexander co-edited 2023's Marsh anthology Kick Out the Jams: on the eve of his 75th birthday they reflect on his powerful writing, his impassioned politics and his career from Creem and Rolling Stone to …

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AI After 50 - Episode #5 - Developing an AI Mindset 18:03

10M ago18:03

18:03

Episode #5: Developing an AI Mindset – AI After 50 Welcome to another episode of AI After 50, the podcast for experienced professionals looking to develop their AI skill set and stay professionally indispensable. I’m Mark Tennant, and if you’re over 50, you’re in the right place to become AI-literate, AI-confident, and AI-empowered. This week, we’r…

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E195: Danny Goldberg on Led Zeppelin + Nirvana + Gil Scott-Heron 1:18:59

10M ago1:18:59

1:18:59

In this episode we're joined by music-biz legend Danny Goldberg to discuss his dealings with Led Zeppelin and Kurt Cobain — and the school days he spent with the great Gil Scott-Heron. Danny takes us back to his short-lived stint at Berkeley and his first port of call on returning to his native New York: clerking at trade bible Billboard, a job tha…

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AI After 50 - Episode #4 - AI is a Behavioral Shift, Not a Technological Shift - ChatGPT Advanced Voice 14:56

10M ago14:56

14:56

EPISODE #4: AI is a Behavioral Shift, Not a Technological Shift Is AI a technological revolution, or is it really about behavior? In this episode, we break down why adapting to AI is less about mastering the technology and more about shifting your mindset—especially for professionals over 50. I’m joined by Sol, a ChatGPT Advanced Voice,, to discuss…

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E194: Gene Sculatti on San Francisco + the Band's Garth Hudson R.I.P. 57:47

10M ago57:47

57:47

In this episode, we invite the excellent Gene Sculatti to talk us through his career from Crawdaddy! magazine to the Atomic Cocktail radio show he still hosts at Luxuria Music. Commencing in San Francisco in the summer of 1960 — when Gene first heard Dion's 'Lonely Teenager' — we ask our guest about his lifelong love of surf music and the Beach Boy…

Mark Tennant Podcasts

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AI After 50

AI After 50

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Rock's Backpages

Barney Hoskyns, Mark Pringle, Jasper Murison-Bowie

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Before the Lights

Tommy Canale

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Second Mind

Second Mind

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E216: Pete Paphides on ABBA + Stevie Wonder + Broken Greek 1:31:03

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E215: Simon Price on Melody Maker + Manics + Radiohead audio 1:31:28

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E214: Lisa Verrico on Vox + Oasis + Billie Eilish + My Bloody Valentine 1:19:46

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E213: Michael A. Gonzales on TLC + The Source + DJ Kool Herc 1:15:36

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E212: Greil Marcus on Mystery Train + Sex Pistols + Jamie Reid 1:09:59

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This Episode Goes 2 11: A Spinal Tap special with Alexis Petridis 33:56

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E210: Alexis Petridis on Acid House + The Guardian + CMAT + KISS 1:13:51

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E209: David Nathan on Dionne Warwick + the Bee Gees + Michael Lydon R.I.P. 1:19:27

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E208: Byron Coley on Beefheart + Lydia Lunch + Terry Reid R.I.P. 1:23:36

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E207: Val Mabbs on Record Mirror + Jimi Hendrix + Walker Bros. + Ozzy R.I.P. 1:24:32

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E206: John Niven on rock fiction + Bobby "Blue" Bland + Lou Reed audio 1:13:27

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E205: Tony Cummings on soul music + The Sound of Philadelphia 1:22:54

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Aiden Joiner: 15 Year Old Elvis Tribute Artist That Some Say is Elvis Reincarnated 32:21

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E204: Chris Bohn in Europe + Sly Stone & Brian Wilson R.I.P. 1:37:40

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Re-released: Donna Presley, First Cousin to ELVIS/Grew Up at Graceland/Author 53:17

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E203: Jonathan Gould on Talking Heads + Otis Redding + Richard Manuel 1:34:40

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E202: Paul Gambaccini on the radio + Rolling Stone + Beyoncé audio 1:05:08

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E201: Bob Merlis on Warner Bros. + Little Feat + Neil Young audio 1:19:52

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E200: Celebrating 200 episodes of the Rock's Backpages podcast 1:21:27

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E199: Phil Sutcliffe on Sounds + Gang of Four + Eric Clapton 1:16:11

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E198: Havelock Nelson on Hip Hop + Missy Elliott + Atlantic Records 1:09:39

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E197: Siân Pattenden on Select + the Bangles + David Johansen 1:17:11

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E196: Daniel Wolff & Danny Alexander on Dave Marsh + Curtis Mayfield 1:15:44

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AI After 50 - Episode #5 - Developing an AI Mindset 18:03

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E195: Danny Goldberg on Led Zeppelin + Nirvana + Gil Scott-Heron 1:18:59

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AI After 50 - Episode #4 - AI is a Behavioral Shift, Not a Technological Shift - ChatGPT Advanced Voice 14:56

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E194: Gene Sculatti on San Francisco + the Band's Garth Hudson R.I.P. 57:47