FT Life of a Song
316 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 6 years ago - ★★★★★ - 14 ratingsEach month FT music critics and contributors discuss the story of a song, from its origins and early recordings through cover versions good and bad. Formerly called FT Arts.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episodes
The Life of a Song: Smells Like Teen Spirit
February 05, 2016 16:07 - 6 minutes - 8.72 MBThe quintessential grunge anthem, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ hinted at the racial politics, school shootings and ennui which entangled America’s Generation X. David Honigmann traces the song’s evolution. Credit: Universal Music TV Campaign Division, Columbia, UMC (Universal Music Catalogue), Rhino Atlantic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Life of a Song: Good Times
February 05, 2016 13:26 - 6 minutes - 8.63 MBMike Hobart explores the history of Chic’s "Good Times", a last-gasp salute to disco inspired by the Great Depression and Harlem Renaissance. Credit: Atlantic Records, Sanctuary, Castle Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Life of a Song: Surf's Up
January 22, 2016 14:21 - 6 minutes - 8.93 MBA pocket symphony, “Surf’s Up” was written by Brian Wilson at the peak of his creative brilliance. David Cheal discusses the Beach Boy who didn’t surf, and how he caught the wave of emerging 1960s counterculture. Credits: Capital Catalog, Smog Veil Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Life of a Song: Mack the Knife
January 15, 2016 16:08 - 6 minutes - 8.75 MBHow did a dirge-like song about a serial killer written by a Marxist playwright and a left-wing composer become a swinging jazz classic and global commercial success? David Cheal follows a trail not yet gone cold. Credits: Naxos; Decca Music Group Ltd; Not Now Music; Delta Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Life of a Song: Sunshine of Your Love
January 08, 2016 13:39 - 5 minutes - 7.56 MBAn unforgettable track whose lyrics emerged from an all-night writing session, “Sunshine of Your Love” has been covered by Jimi Hendrix and Ella Fitzgerald. David Cheal seeks the source of the song’s primal brilliance. Credits: Legacy Recordings; Polydor Ltd; LRC Ltd; Groove Merchant Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Life of a Song: Auld Lang Syne
December 23, 2015 13:06 - 5 minutes - 7.62 MBA ballad as much about reunions as separations, Auld Lang Syne can signify everything from the year's end, to closing time in Japanese department stores. David Cheal explores the many incarnations of this sentimental Scottish song. Credit: Culburne Records; Lismor Recordings; Anti/Epitaph Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Life of a Song: The Holly and the Ivy
December 18, 2015 15:50 - 5 minutes - 7.72 MBThis much-loved Christmas Carol uses words published by Cecil Sharp in 1911. But to what extent did he graft Christian elements onto a very different original? FT arts editor Jan Dalley traces the gender shifts which define the song’s evolution. Credit: Universal-Island Records Ltd; Warner Classics See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The Life of a Song: The Holly and the Ivy
December 18, 2015 15:50 - 5 minutes - 7.72 MBThis much-loved Christmas Carol uses words published by Cecil Sharp in 1911. But to what extent did he graft Christian elements onto a very different original? FT arts editor Jan Dalley traces the gender shifts which define the song’s evolution. Credit: Universal-Island Records Ltd; Warner Classics Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Short story: ‘Winter Letter’ by Lydia Davis
December 18, 2015 12:24 - 28 minutes - 39.8 MBA new short story for the holidays, from the winner of the 2013 Man Booker International Prize. The reader is Christine Spolar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Life of a Song: To Love Somebody
December 11, 2015 15:42 - 6 minutes - 8.66 MBIt was written for Otis Redding but he never sang it, became a hit for the Bee Gees and covered by numerous bands in various genres but who was the unlikely inspiration for 'To Love Somebody'? Ian McCann tells the story. Credits: Bee Gees/Reprise; Ace Records; Sanctuary; London Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Life of a Song: Johnny Remember Me
December 04, 2015 16:02 - 7 minutes - 9.96 MBJohn Leyton's 1961 "death disc" was born out of a séance and banned by the BBC but still reached Number 1. Cathi Unsworth tells the song's eerie tale and follows the trail of tears it left behind. Credit: Puzzle Productions/DMI; Goldenlane Records; Caribe Sound; EMI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Norse code for Christmas
December 01, 2015 16:17 - 4 minutes - 6.24 MBThis year’s carol was specially commissioned by the FT with the help of Nicola Clase, Sweden’s ambassador to the UK. Jane Owen talks to Clase about the piece, which was composed by Johan Hugosson and features lyrics adapted from medieval Scandinavian rune poems. It is sung by the choir of Stockholms Musikgymnasium conducted by Bengt Ollen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Walk on the Wild Side
November 27, 2015 18:36 - 6 minutes - 8.65 MBDavid Cheal explores how Lou Reed got prostitution, transvestism, oral sex and drugs past the BBC commisariat with a group of white English 'coloured girls'. Credits: RCA/Legacy, Spectralite, Sony BMG Music Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Rocket 88
November 13, 2015 00:00 - 6 minutes - 8.84 MBDavid Cheal investigates the roots of an explosive song often cited as the first ever rock 'n' roll record. Credits: Charly Records, Gralin Music, Famous Flames Recording Company, Proper Box. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Nessun Dorma
November 06, 2015 15:44 - 7 minutes - 9.91 MBJan Dalley tells the story of the aria that united opera and football fans alike in a strange example of the power of posh music. Credits: ZYX Music, Naxos, Monument, Arista. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Beat It
October 30, 2015 00:00 - 7 minutes - 10.7 MBMichael Jackson's first foray into rock helped dismantle barriers of genre — and race — in the early 1980s music business. Maria Crawford tells the story. Credits: Epic, Mercury Records. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: I Heard It Through the Grapevine
October 23, 2015 15:26 - 5 minutes - 8.03 MBFrom the origin of the "grapevine" itself, through Motown and Marvin Gaye to The Slits' punk reinvention, Hilary Kirby charts the evolution of a classic. Credits: Motown Record Company, Motown Records, Island Def Jam Records. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Life of a song: Going Back to My Roots
October 16, 2015 12:30 - 6 minutes - 8.52 MBGoing back to the roots of Lamont Dozier's 1977 hit, David Cheal uncovers TV inspiration, Woodstockian vibes and a question mark over the authorship of that famous guitar lick. Credits: Warner Music TV, Rhino/Elektra, Marathon Media International, Orlando Julius Afro House of High Life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Goodnight, Irene
October 09, 2015 12:40 - 6 minutes - 8.45 MBFirst recorded in 1934 by Lead Belly the 'Homicidal Harmoniser', David Cheal follows the waltzing lament of 'Goodnight, Irene' through interpretations by the Weavers, Ry Cooder and Bryan Ferry. Credits: Hallmark, H&H Music, Rhino/Warner Bros, Virgin Germany. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Night on Disco Mountain
October 02, 2015 15:49 - 6 minutes - 8.58 MBDavid Cheal follows Modest Mussorgsky's dramatic 19th-century composition from orchestral standard to Disney classic and floor-filling disco anthem. Credits: Disney Records, Masterworks Jazz, Bee Gees/Reprise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Money (That's What I Want)
September 25, 2015 15:45 - 6 minutes - 8.6 MBA Motown classic and Beatles favourite that went on to become perhaps the first postmodern pop song: David Cheal on the many lives of 'Money (That's What I Want)'. Credits: Motown Records Inc., EMI, Simitar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Toxic
September 18, 2015 16:40 - 5 minutes - 7.62 MBDavid Cheal digs into the story of the Britney Spears hit Toxic finding Bollywood samples, acoustic deconstruction and a role as currency in an imagined apocalyptic future. Credits: Jive, Saregama, Beeswing Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Starman
September 11, 2015 16:43 - 5 minutes - 8.06 MB“I had to phone someone so I picked on you-hoo-hoo”: David Cheal on the song that gave David Bowie his breathrough moment. Credits: Parlophone UK, RCA Records, EMI Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Night Train
September 03, 2015 23:00 - 6 minutes - 9.25 MBMike Hobart tells the story of Jimmy Forrest’s 1952 hit, an R&B smash that and crossed over to the pop charts with James Brown’s reinvention.Credits: Maarten Eilander, Soul City Blues, The Island Def Jam Music Group Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: I'm in the Mood for Love
August 28, 2015 16:11 - 6 minutes - 9.1 MBWritten for a 1935 romcom, this song complies with the strict moral codes of the time, but turns Hollywood convention on its head, says Mike Hobart. Credits: 4:Squared Entertainment, Nostalgia Music Catalog, Universal Island Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Nature Boy
August 21, 2015 17:10 - 7 minutes - 9.78 MBNat King Cole's 1948 hit made an unlikely celebrity of its back-to-nature songwriter, and established Cole's solo career - but, says Mike Hobart, it also lived through racial bigotry and legal action before covers by Sinatra, Bowie and Lady Gaga. Credits: The Restoration Project, Columbia Records, Interscope Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Georgia on My Mind
August 14, 2015 16:06 - 7 minutes - 10.8 MBIt may have been written by a man who never even set foot in the state, but that hasn't stopped 'Georgia on My Mind' becoming a Southern anthem. Mike Hobart looks back on the song's origins. Credits: Rendez-Vous Digital,The Island Def Jam Music Group, Not Now Music and EG Jazz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: My Funny Valentine
August 06, 2015 16:00 - 8 minutes - 11.1 MBMike Hobart traces the Rodgers and Hart tune's journey from Broadway musical number to ubiquitous torch song to mood-changing jazz masterpiece Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Behind the podcast renaissance
August 04, 2015 13:35 - 19 minutes - 26.7 MBPodcasts have existed for more than 10 years but have recently seen a surge of interest, spurred by the success of the true crime drama Serial, which has been downloaded more than 70m times. What is driving the so-called “podcast renaissance”? How are they different from radio shows? And do they pose a threat to traditional broadcasting? FT technology editor Ravi Mattu is joined by literature professor Sarah Churchwell, veteran podcaster Helen Zaltzman and Mark Friend, who is responsible for ...
The life of a song: Watermelon Man
July 31, 2015 14:50 - 8 minutes - 11.1 MBHerbie Hancock's soul jazz classic 'Watermelon Man' originally drew on his 1940s Chicago childhood but went on to be given funk, disco, ska, pop and hip-hop makeovers, says Mike Hobart. Credits: Roslin Records, Columbia/Legacy, Salt & Pepper, History Of RnB Records Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Summertime
July 24, 2015 16:18 - 43 seconds - 8.95 MBThe rousing spiritual from folk opera 'Porgy and Bess' has become one of the most recorded tunes of all time, says David Honigmann, with Miles Davis, Janis Joplin and Peter Gabriel among the artists who covered it. Credits: Columbia/Legacy, Mercury Records, Hallmark Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Silver Dagger
July 17, 2015 14:16 - 43 seconds - 9.38 MBDavid Honigmann on why Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Dolly Parton and Saint Etienne have all been drawn to Silver Dagger's cautionary tale of heartache and "wicked loving lies". Credits: Sugar Hill, Saint Etienne, Columbia/Legacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Ghost Town
July 10, 2015 13:58 - 43 seconds - 9.27 MBThe Specials' 'Ghost Town' became the soundtrack to the 1981 Brixton riots. Thirty years on, its message of disaffection remains relevant, says David Honigmann. Credits: Chrysalis Records Ltd, Hyperdub, Tru Thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Hell Hound On My Trail
July 03, 2015 16:06 - 6 minutes - 8.89 MBDavid Honigmann explores one of the handful of songs recorded by the blues singer Robert Johnson, in which he is pursued by the Devil, society or his own demons. Credits: UMG Recordings, Inc., Blue Note Records, Universal Island Records Ltd., Not Now Music Ltd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Shipbuilding
June 26, 2015 15:45 - 6 minutes - 8.42 MBElvis Costello wrote the song during the Falklands War yet, David Honigmann says, its specific political subtext didn't deter Suede, The Unthanks and others from covering it. Credits: Domino Recording, Universal Music Catalogue)/Elvis Costello, Topic Records Ltd, RabbleRouser Music Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: St James Infirmary
June 19, 2015 15:00 - 12 seconds - 8.28 MBDavid Honigmann on the Louis Armstrong blues song that inspired a poem by WH Auden and recordings by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and others. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Peg
June 12, 2015 16:00 - 5 minutes - 5.01 MBRecorded by musical perfectionists Steely Dan, sampled by hip-hop trio De La Soul and recycled in other pop songs, the story of 'Peg' is one of originality and appropriation, Peter Aspden says. Credits: MCA Records Inc, Rhino, The Echo Label Limited Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: House of the Rising Sun
June 05, 2015 15:30 - 6 minutes - 5.96 MBPeter Aspden on the 'floating song' recorded by Alan Lomax in 1930s Kentucky that went on to be covered by Woodie Guthrie, Bob Dylan and, of course, The Animals. Credits: Concord Music Group, Marathon Media International, BMI See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The life of a song: Misirlou
May 29, 2015 15:45 - 5 minutes - 5.4 MBPeter Aspden tells the story of 'Misirlou', the swaying Anatolian love song that was reinvented as a 1960s surfers' anthem before gaining a massive audience with Pulp Fiction and sampling by The Black Eyed Peas. Credits: Parker Street Records, JB Production, Universal Music Group Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
May 21, 2015 23:00 - 5 minutes - 5.45 MBPeter Aspden tells the story of Burt Bacharach’s feelgood anthem ‘Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head’ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The life of a song: A Whiter Shade of Pale
May 15, 2015 16:55 - 5 minutes - 5.21 MBPeter Aspden on 'A Whiter Shade of Pale', the melancholy 1967 Procol Harum song whose melody was 'sparked by Bach' and which set off a legal battle that went all the way to the House of Lords. Credits: ANM, AP Music, DLG Digital, Demon Music Group See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The life of a song: Without You
May 08, 2015 12:15 - 5 minutes - 5.24 MBFrom heartfelt but humble song to all-conquering power ballad, Peter Aspden tells the ultimately tragic story of 'Without You' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Downtown
May 01, 2015 14:57 - 5 minutes - 4.75 MBLudovic Hunter-Tilney looks back 50 years to the time of the British Invasion and Petula Clark's evocation of Anglo-Americana. Credit: Sanctuary Records/BMG; Universal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Enter Sandman
April 24, 2015 14:47 - 6 minutes - 8.73 MBFrom a heavy metal hit to its use in the Abu Ghraib tortures, Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ strikes some sinister chords with Ludovic Hunter-Tilney. Credit: Elektra Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Me and Mrs Jones
April 17, 2015 14:54 - 43 seconds - 8 MBFrom Billy Paul’s adulterous original in 1972 to Amy Winehouse's gender-bending twist on the song 30 years later, Ludovic Hunter-Tilney gets to grips with 'Me and Mrs Jones'. Credits:Philadelphia International, 143, Island Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: It's the Hard Knock Life
April 10, 2015 14:04 - 5 minutes - 6.73 MBLudovic Hunter-Tilney looks at 'It's the Hard Knock Life' from Broadway's musical Annie and its influences on Katy Perry's 'Roar' and Jay-Z's 'Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)'. Credits:Columbia, Roc-A-Fella, Columbia See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The life of a song: Song of Solomon
April 02, 2015 14:20 - 4 minutes - 6.77 MBLudovic Hunter-Tilney reveals the Old Testament legacy in popular music: from Robbie Williams' 'Kiss me' to Perry Como's 'Song of Songs' and Kate Bush's 'The Song of Solomon'. Credits:Chrysalis, Noble And Brite, RCA Victor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Life of a song: Ice Ice Baby
March 27, 2015 15:26 - 4 minutes - 6.46 MBLudovic Hunter-Tilney uncovers the back story of Vanilla Ice’s hit Ice Ice Baby. Credits:Ultra, EMI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself
March 20, 2015 15:11 - 5 minutes - 7.72 MBDavid Cheal tells the tale of the Burt Bacharach penned classic 'I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself', from the 1964 soul of Dusty Springfield to its 2001 raw-rock treatment by The White Stripes. Credits: Philips, Stiff, Elephant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The life of a song: Guantanamera
March 13, 2015 16:00 - 5 minutes - 8.06 MBDavid Cheal traces the journey of ‘Guantanamera’, from a 19th-century Cuban national hero to a 21st-century recycling campaign, via Celia Cruz and the peace movement of the 1960s. Credits: RCA Victor, Bravo Hit, Universal Music AB, Columbia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.