Entertainment For Lively Minds
Six rounds of milk and alcohol, barkeep - it's the Wilko Johnson podcast!
The star of Oil City Confidential is in the big chair - plus guitar. A cruel cocktail of file corruption and dud battery purchase (the failed batteries used during this recording are pictured, below) has excised the first five minutes of this week's recording - Wilko demonstrating his finger-shredding 
rhythm-and-lead technique and some fond talk of life on the Canvey delta.
But tons of good stuff remains - and he regales Mark Ellen, "Seventies" Mike Johnson and Fraser Lewry with tales of the false economy of cheap suits, speed versus alcohol, going round to Strummer's house, seeing The MC5's Wayne Kramer sprayed gold, being left-handed before Hendrix, and the still painful story of his ejection from Dr Feelgood. Get in!
Visit our podcast page for more information on the podcast, or stream the latest release below.
I wish that could have gone on for longer
Wilko Johnson's voice(singing and speaking) is a thing of great character.
Superb stuff
I can't think of a more perfect podcast guest than Wilko, a man who sounds like he's stepped out of the pages of a Dickens novel. Listening to his stories, delivered in that wonderful nasal drawl, and hearing him stab at his guitar in that instantly recognisable raw style, was a blummin' joy from start to finish.
How COULD you have lost the first five minutes, you nincompoops!
Oh, all right. It was so good, I forgive you.
The legendary lost five minutes
My theory is that Wilko did the whole podcast (plus a Backstage version) in the first five minutes and you had to stop and ask him to string it out a bit and go a bit slower.
Soooo looking forward to this one.
A pedant writes
Not sure the Milk & Alcohol reference is totally relevant as Wilko had left the band by the time of the Private Practice album.
(Sorry)
Can't wait to hear it.....
.....tomorrow. Will be downloading, kicking back with my headphones on.
Love the Feelgoods, Love the movie and Wilko is an absolute hero.
Superb guest for a podcast................all this praise and I haven't even heard it yet.
Top bloke...
Listening to that brings back great memories for me of going to see Wilko at the Half Moon in Putney. I always remember thinking that he seemed so much more involved in his performance than other guitar players I had been to see.
Half Moon
Is this still going? I remember seeing Wilko supporting the Fabulous Thunderbirds there. Wilko had Norman Watt-Roy on bass too. The T-Birds were also good, although Jimmy Vaughan was an appalling lech with some of younger ladies in the audience.
Yes indeed, and he's playing there soon...
http://www.halfmoon.co.uk/
If shouting 'Encore!'
at my ipod worked, I'd do it.
Agreed
Best podcast for a long time. More please.
That black telecaster...
For you guitarheads out there...
Excellent film!
I love stuff like that - bringing an old instrument back from the dead.
Something Else!
That gig with Chuck Berry,Bo Didley, Eddie Cochran etc. must have been one hell of a gig!
Even more impressive though is the fact that Eddie had been dead for 12 years!!
We know, we know
If you stream the version above, you'll hear that that bit has been edited out. But we couldn't edit the iTunes version without people who'd already downloaded it having to do so again, so we left it. What Mark meant to say (that intro wasn't scripted) was "Bill Haley".
It's seat-of-the-pants stuff, this, honest.
Chuck Berry,
Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis, The Move, Bo Diddley, Lord Sutch, Gary Glitter, Wizzard, Heinz, Joe Brown, Bill Haley And The Comets, MC5, The Platters, The Drifters, and The Coasters. No Deddie Cochran.
Great podcast
but did I really hear Mark Ellen use the words "terrible groups like Wishbone Ash"?
That's a bit uncalled for, surely?
Ah but
If I had a pound for every time Mark has mentioned the Ash on the podcast I'd have enough to buy Live Dates, Argus and New England!
Wishbone Ash
I agree with Mojoworking. I thought that comment was the only negative part of what was a highly entertaining podcast. Perhaps Mr Ellen can explain why he blurted this out? Talking through the seat of his pants perhaps?
At the very least, he should be sat in corner and made to listen to Argus for an hour or two!
It was great to hear Wilco. I only saw the Feelgoods once (in Belgrade). They were terrific.
Agree
Anyway Ello clearly loves the Ash so I don't know why he said it. He shoulf be required to learn the lyrics of "Leaf and stream" as a penance.
"I find myself beside a stream of empty thoughts...." etc etc
Mick Green tribute show?
Does anyone have any more info on the Mick Green tribute that Wilko mentioned briefly in the podcast?
I'll be at the Half Moon on September 04th to catch him, if any London Bloggers fancy a pint or two and a bit of jumping about to some raw rocknroll maybe I'll see you there!
excellent stuff
can I also add thanks for still doing podcast over the summer hols, the BBC seems to have shut up shop leaving podcast fans bereft of listening so cheers it's much appreciated!
Top 'cast
Highly enjoyable 'cast with a terrific guest and Ello on fine form. May I also say, credit where it's due, lately the 'cast sound has been excellent. Well done Fraser, we bleat when it's bad, recently it has been top.
Thank you for a great podcast
Wilko was a joy to listen to. His guitar playing was a bit wonky at times, but that was all part of the charm. He has such warmth & such a strong personality; it was a real pleasure. One of the most enjoyable podcasts for a long time.
An excellent podcast
I really enjoyed hearing Wilko - a great character.
The MC5 film he talked about was (I'm pretty sure) "A True Testimonial" and it's a great film. Unfortunately it only received a limited release round some film festivals, before it was caught up in an ugly legal dispute. I was lucky enough to see it in London
If it ever comes out, I commend it to the Massive - it's one of the best rock & roll films I've seen and it shows the MC5 as a dynamite live act as well as showing how they fell apart.
Some links :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MC5:_A_True_Testimonial
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mc5-a-true-testimonial/
http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/mc5/MC5film.html
What he said ^
It's a brilliant movie.
It's just so, like, unfair...
Critical reception was overwhelmingly positive.
The New York Times described the film as "riveting".
The Boston Globe said it was "everything a rockumentary should be and usually isn't".
The Washington Post called it "one of the best movies of the summer". Wayne Kramer, the MC5's guitarist, said it was a "wonderful film".
John Sinclair, the band's one-time manager, said Thomas had done "a fine job".
Time Out London ranked it #48 on a list of the "50 Greatest Music Films Ever".
and then...
With the lawsuit, distribution of MC5: A True Testimonial ended and plans for a DVD release in May were canceled.
I haven't seen it...oh bollocks!
It's out there on the Interweb though... DVD quality...
Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh
Currently at work and going on a "work's do" this evening.
Out all weekend, so won't be able to listen to the podcast until monday!
Damn it.
Marvellous...
God, I'm proud of my fellow Essex-er. He's bloody marvellous, I could listen to him all day.
I even got a bit of a tear in my eye* when he mentioned Irene and how he couldn't get excited in the same way without her.
Great podcast.
*I am pre-menstrual, mind.
I had a little teary moment there, too, JoLean
Do you think the Massive wochaps are gradually synchronising their cycles, like female flatmates supposedly do?
(And no, boys, synchronised cycles is not team orders in the Tour de France).
Supposedly...
Hardly a statistically significant sample but my FPO and two daughters are, so I'm told, in perfect alignment.
I lock myself in the studio for a week once a month...
Excellent stuff
The best podcast since the Danny Baker one. A great shame we couldn't have had longer with the great man, but perhaps that's an excuse to get him back at some point in the future.
Funnily enough
I listened to the Danny Baker podcast for the first time yesterday (as a newbie I'm still catching up).
What a wonderful, uplifting experience it was! Danny's infectious enthusiasm is always a joy and he was on top form here.
Best podcast so far
Wilko is the man
Same gig, absolute class
Another eulogy
is in order. I just caught up with this podcast, felt moved to comment on it, and found from the comments that plenty more felt the same way.
So nice to hear someone from rockbiz for whom the word discretion does actually mean something - even when talking of people who can no longer answer back.
What a lovely bloke - and I too found myself in a "teary moment". The performances were great too and wonderfully informal- more enjoyable than many a "polished" recording.
Worth Seeing the Wilko Johnson Band
just for Norman Watt-Roy alone - the man is a Legend.
I love it when Wilko talks to his guitar in 'Don't let Your Daddy Know'.
Dylan Howe is a hell of drummer too.
Couldn't agree more...
Thanks Badlands - I was going to say the same thing....I saw the band at the tiny Plough Arts centre in Torrington a few weeks ago - great stuff, and NWR is an absolute legend. Spookily, he is mentioned in Blockheads context elsewhere in Word this month - I was thinking he must be a Dickensian creation, but I don't think Chas ever mentioned bass guitar. The Feelgoods were extraordinary because, for me, they made me realise that we'ed lost (at the time) so much pleasure of the simple, basic stuff that was rock and roll. They were certainly hugely influential and I'm so glad that they are now getting some recognition for that....shame the punks decided that all that had gone before was rubbish and they had somehow invented it all, which so many seem to buy into to this day...
Superb
First item in the podcast catch-up queue after holidays and must doff the cap.
That's really what radio should sound like, all the time. I'm not pre-menstrual and I got a wee but teary myself.
Can't tell you how grateful I am, it'll be listened to over and over.
A tour de force, stunning return to form, five stars, 10/10 etc
amusing moment
Wilco is explaining how a problem in the band was that they were all booze hounds and he was a teetotaller when Mark Ellen chimes in with but you didn't mind a bit of amphetamine did you? .....pregnant pause , stutter Wilco aaah well err yeah
So much for the saint amongst the sinners
Wilco is explaining how a
Wilco is explaining how a problem in the band was that they were all booze hounds and he was a teetotaller when Mark Ellen chimes in with but you didn't mind a bit of amphetamine did you? .....pregnant pause , stutter Wilco aaah well err yeah
So much for the saint amongst the sinners
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