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Johnnie Walker's Long Players

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Johnnie Walker's Long Players: Series 7

Johnnie Walker's Long Players: Series 7: Episode 1: Simply Red & The Verve

Music: Classic Pop & Rock

Episode 1

Episode 1: Simply Red & The Verve

Series 7

Simply Red & The Verve

BBC Radio 2 - Johnnie Walker's Long Players, Series 7, Simply Red & The Verve

Johnnie and David Hepworth return for a new series with two big sellers from the 1990s.

Johnnie and David Hepworth return for a new series with two 1990s big sellers from The Verve and Simply Red; they enjoy key tracks and archive interviews from those involved.

If you attended a dinner party in the 1990s the chances are the host or hostess would probably have chosen two of the biggest sellers of the decade to play on their CD player at the start and then final part of the evening. One bright, soulful and bubbly and one more moody and atmospheric.

Johnnie is joined by journalist and broadcaster David Hepworth to look at these albums - Stars, the 1991 fourth album by Simply Red (not really a group in David's opinion, just a vehicle for a brilliant singer who didn't always like being in the solo spotlight) and 1997's Urban Hymns by The Verve (who were a group, although legal problems with their key song, as outlined by David, led to their disintegration).

With the help of BBC archive interviews from Mick Hucknall and Richard Ashcroft, Johnnie and David play key tracks and discuss the fact that the manufacturers couldn't produce the CDs fast enough in this era, as well as the sounds produced on Stars by American producer Stewart Levine (who had previously worked with Randy Crawford, Minnie Riperton and The Crusaders) and then the huge efforts that finally paid off for Wigan's finest with a run of hits including Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Drugs Don't Work and Lucky Man.

Amazing music. Played by an amazing line up.

Radio 2: Amazing music. Played by an amazing line-up. The home of great music, entertainment and documentaries

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Johnnie Walker's Long Players

Series 7

Episode 1: Simply Red & The Verve

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