The Korgis – Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime
James Warren's 1980 Rialto single, shaped by David Lord, reached UK No. 5 and topped charts in France and Spain.
The Weeknd – Less Than Zero
On Dawn FM in January 2022, Less Than Zero pairs Abel Tesfaye with Max Martin and Oscar Holter for a clear synth-pop track that later went to French radio as a single.
What if ABBA had reunited in 1986?
In 1986, ABBA turn a private anniversary performance into a new album and their first major tour in years.
Yamaha DX7 – FM digital synthesizer, 1983
Yamaha launched the DX7 in 1983 as an affordable digital synthesizer based on frequency-modulation (FM) synthesis researched at Stanford University (John Chowning) and engineered for mass production in Japan. It offered 16-voice polyphony, a five-octave keyboard and MIDI, which helped it sit in expanding digital
Afterlife Interview with George Michael
On a London rooftop, Riffs and Beats finds George Michael in a leather jacket, Walkman still warm.
What if Serge Gainsbourg had opened a musical in Paris in 1970?
In 1970, Gainsbourg, Birkin and Jean-Claude Vannier build Les Couloirs de verre, a Paris musical that redirects songs written before Melody Nelson.
Interview of Madonna (1984)
On American Bandstand in January 1984, Madonna talks with Dick Clark after dancing Holiday, still early in the burn of her debut album.
5 things you didn’t know about Coldplay
Five Coldplay facts: a poetry-book name, Bowie’s blunt rejection, a four-person first gig in Camden, a space-only instrumental, and vegetarian backstage catering.
Interview of Kate Bush (1979)
On Tiswas in 1979, Kate Bush appears in a leather jacket during her Palladium week, between Saturday morning noise and the care of her art-pop.
What if Celia Cruz had recorded in Havana in 1961 and stayed?
Celia Cruz returns to Havana in 1961, records La Ventana Abierta and builds a Cuban career while New York salsa develops on another path.