It was 50 years ago when a little-known Swedish group won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest and became one of the biggest groups in the history of pop... By Ian Woolley It seems ABBA mania has been around forever, yet in fact, when the group broke up in late 1982, as...
"I don't do regrets and I have never have. I think the mistakes you make are there for a reason and they are meant to teach you”... By Ian Woolley It's been an incredible 50 years for the leather-cladded singer and musician since she topped the charts with 'Devil Gate...
The Zombies' lead singer looks back at his solo career... By Ian Woolley Published in the February issue of the Beat, we talked with Colin Blunstone about his long friendship and respect with Rod Argent, conserving that amazing voice and the inevitable split of the...
“Christmas for me is all about memories of childhood and excitement when you went to bed early and I got up with my sister Carol at 4 am looking for presents. Now it’s all about my lovely grandkids and their excitement, it’s all about family”... By Ian Woolley So says...
"One day we rocked up at Nottingham University with our band and asked to play a free gig. The head was apprehensive until we told him we had Paul McCartney outside with us"... By Ian Woolley The American drummer recalls the bizarre moment when the ex-Beatle decided...
For as long as he can remember, Sidney Barnes's life in music was clearly mapped out from a young age. Singing with schoolmates including a certain Marvin Gaye... By Ian Woolley As a singer, songwriter, and producer, Barnes wrote songs for all the talented artists...
The 82-year-old soul singer certainly come a long way from Florida. These days his group Londonbeat are still filling the dance floors around Europe in a new direction that he could have never foreseen... By Ian Woolley The Londonbeat singer's story begins in his home...
Currently baring all on stage in the musical Calender Girls, the New Seekers singer is also about to bare all in her upcoming autobiography... By Ian Woolley It's now been 50 years since they topped the UK charts with their first No.1 'I'd Like To Teach The World To...
"At one point in the early 70s, Philadelphia music was as popular as Motown. People were coming from all over the States to record here because they wanted to capture that Philly sound". So says Airrion Love whose home city gave birth to one of the 70s' most...
In the second part of the Troggs story, we talk with Peter Staples... By Ian Woolley Starting out in the Senators, Peter played rhythm guitar before Chris Britton of the Redwoods approached him as they were looking for a replacement bass player. Peter explains "For a...
As long as there is Woody, the Bay City Rollers tartan flag will forever fly at full mast... By Ian Woolley As the original guitarist of the Bay City Rollers, 66-year-old Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood is now the only original member of the pin-up 1970s boy band to tour....
"I felt it a bit weird standing on stage at 75 singing I can't control myself"! By Ian Woolley So says the Troggs guitarist Chris Britton. Deemed by many to be the first 'Punk band of British pop', The Troggs and the unique blend of raw rock music has influenced the...
Without a doubt, one of the most popular TV shows of the '60s and '70s was Opportunity Knocks. Presented by Hughie Green it started life on the radio... By Ian Woolley When it was first heard on the BBC in 1949, it showcased the talents of many people who would...
Dave Wakeling always wanted to have the voice of an angel and that voice was Smokey Robinson. Fitting then that it would be a Smokey song that would propel his band the Beat into the ska revolution... By Ian Woolley For the past 35 years, the Beat's founder has...
As lead singer of the group Christie, things may have turned out differently had the group he offered his song to in the first place not rejected it... By Ian Woolley The pivotal moment in the Jeff Christie Story was in 1970, the year he offered "Yellow River" to the...
As songwriter, singer, and bass player of the 70s band Pilot, David Paton has done it all in his long and successful career... By Ian Woolley Working with some of the biggest names in pop history, his life is laid out in his new autobiography called simply ‘Magic, The...
"They could all sing as good as me or better and they were getting songs from all kinds of people"... By Ian Woolley Woodwork lessons were never boring for Brian Poole and his classmate Alan Blakley. In the first part of our exclusive interview with Brian, we talk...
Sometimes events in history can get lost in time. The more I researched and dug deeper, Altamont had become a dirty word to be buried in the fading minds of pop history like some forgotten mine that had been rusting for over fifty years. Yet what lies underneath stays...
"I must have been the only guitarist on the planet that didn't learn to play from Burt Weedon's 'Play In A Day' book"... By Ian Woolley So says the ex-Argent guitarist and singer as he hinted at finally writing his life story. "Oddly, I've been looking into my past...
Not many kids can come home from school to witness Andrew Lloyd-Webber tinkling the ivories on their piano. To a young Judie Tzuke, this was her induction into the world of music... By Ian Woolley With another new album on the horizon, Judie Tzuke has been very...
“I feel we have a spiritual relationship as she crossed so many boundaries. She did so much so young and I’m sure that one day my song will be played in front of Carole King and she will cry." By Ian Woolley Eddy Grant is a true survivor in every sense of the word......
By Ian Woolley Barry Blue was one of the few artists who never failed to have a chart hit and for two successful years in the ’70s, he was a chart regular but these days it seems, a lot of people have forgotten about Barry. Until now that is. I'm also guessing you are...
By Ian Woolley Lennon put a black Rickenbacker around my shoulders as I played a bit of Chuck Berry. A surreal moment which was pretty cool at the time... So said Al Stewart about the time he blagged his way backstage to meet the Beatles in Bournemouth. The...
Breakfast with: Nicky Stevens – Brotherhood of Man.
With the 64th Eurovision Song Contest looming, I thought it was time to look back some 43 years to the UK’s biggest success story of the competition.