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Now Hear This by kmfm's Johnny Lewis

14:57, 03 March 2010

Johnny Lewis
Johnny Lewis

One thing that producing and presenting The Vinyl Years brings home time and again is the top quality music and musicians from that era.

Although studio technology was developing, the majority of the singles and albums relied much more heavily on the ability of the players and singers - there was less opportunity to 'fix' glitches and create impressive vast soundscapes then than there is in the digital age.

A bit of reverb, double tracked vocals and overdubbed guitar or keyboard solos were about it. And even when The Beatles made the quantum leap with the breathtaking Sgt Pepper album and The Beach Boys did much the same with Pet Sounds, they were still using basic tape to tape technology and skills, bouncing sounds from track to track to build up their musical palette.

Musicians really had to be on the top of their game in the studios during that period and I am sure that I will be finding out more from them in a series of interviews I have lined up for The Vinyl Years.

On Sunday, March 7, we have Vanity Fair coming in for a chat - remember Early In The Morning and Hitchin' A Ride? Pop classics.

Then on March 14 I will be talking to Reg Presley from The Troggs. Reg is a great songwriter and I don't think The Troggs ever got the real acclaim they deserved. The band turned out terrific pop hits - Wild Thing for example, which Jimi Hendrix went on to do a blistering rock version; Love Is All Around that Wet Wet Wet covered and which was a massive number one, pumped up by its link to Four Weddings And A Funeral; and With A Girl Like You, simply a really classy 1960s pop classic.

Other Vinyl Years stars lined up for a chat include Mike Pender from The Searchers, Billy Ocean and Peter Sarstedt. Pop history on your airwaves - don't miss them.

Catch up with Johnny every weekday and Saturday from 6am to 10am, and every Sunday on The Vinyl years from 7pm to 10pm.

Emailjlewis@kmfm.co.uk

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