Simon Mayo Drivetime Feed

So long and thanks for all the fish

2018-05-04T06:30:49+00:00

It’s Douglas Adams of course. Said by the dolphins as they leave the earth before it’s demolished to make way for a hyper-space bypass. I’m not sure who’s the fish and who’s the earth in this analogy so let’s move on...

1) Yesterday was tough. I would never have finished with the live Sunshine On Leith from our Edinburgh show but it was Matt’s choice. A good call but he wasn’t making it easy was he? I’d have gone for Olly Murs or something
2) One more time. Thanks Nigel, thanks Matt. Wonderful professionals, wonderful colleagues.
3) Thanks to the producers of this show over 8 years. Devoted, skilled practitioners of their craft who toil to make their shows shiny and lovely.
4) And so to you dear member of the blogging vanguard. At the heart of everything. Kind, resourceful, devoted, passionate, informed and committed. Thanks for the tunes, the arguments, the news, the posts and that unshakable devotion to the show. I hope you’re going nowhere. We’re just dreaming it all up again.
5) And afore we go...for old times sake...your All Request Friday is kicking off with some 1988 tunes. Some big hair and some big hits. Please.
6) That’s it
7) Back after the break
8) Nil desperandum
9) All will be well and all manner of things will be well
10) No that really is it

Heaven help us all

2018-05-03T09:51:15+00:00

So. Farewell to Nigel. No one else can do food on the radio like Nige. Such a fabulous supporter of British products and producers, such a great member of the team. He goes back, of course, to Chris’s time on the show which makes him the longest runner of all of us. Good luck Nigel. Now I’m going to have to feed myself on Thursdays.
(I know this is relentless)

And farewell also to Matt. Where to begin. From the start he’s been such an integral part of the show, it’s difficult to think of life without him. Best sports guy, best atmosphere guy, best laughing guy, best reading guy. Apart from that, not much good. At least Liverpool won...
And so one more time for a show-friendly playlist. I’m thinking BEDTIME STORIES as Elton John reads for CBBC today. Now there’s a thought. Give us your best shot.

I try to laugh about it

2018-05-02T06:30:35+00:00

Still here, staggering on. My broken boiler still shows no signs of life-it huffs and puffs, bangs and clangs but fails to actually generate any heat. Sometime soon an engineer will turn up(another one) and peer knowingly at it, shake his/her head, mutter some incantations then shrug meaningfully. Time to boil those kettles!

Robert Webb today. His memoir ‘How Not To Be A Boy’ has been quite something. When you get a quote from JK Rowling on the cover, you know you’re on to something (not jealous at all). It’s really a meditation on masculinity and the way our expectations of boys and boys behaviour needs to change. And its very funny! And a BOYS PLAYLIST will sound just fine and dandy don’t you think?

What you gonna do when the well runs dry?

2018-05-01T07:11:10+00:00

So thanks so much for all the warm messages of support here yesterday. Knowing how much our show is enjoyed will send us into the future with a spring in our step. If you could give us time to prepare our genius, that would be appreciated.

It’s the last Tunesday today which will be a mighty thing indeed, and I reckon as its National Walking Month, a WALKING playlist is almost the same thing a brisk lap of the park. But you can bring your flip-flops.

Under them skies of blue

2018-04-30T08:33:51+00:00

Well here we are again, however briefly. It is my understanding that, as far as this blog is concerned, sadly the end is nigh. This blog has always been at the heart of everything we’ve done, continuing what Chris Evans started. All the songs all the guests all the features all get discussed here first and I have appreciated every post you’ve made. However brilliant the new show will be, I’ll miss the constant support you’ve provided over the years. There’ll be loads of ways of taking part in the new show and I hope you’ll find a swanky new birth in the new cruise liner (confusing mixed metaphors, must do better).

But the blog is not done yet! Today Wilko Johnson is back. You may remember the last time he was on talking about his terminal pancreatic cancer and his farewell tour. Well, as you’ll doubtless know, Wilko is better. In fact he’s fine. He went through a 12-hour operation to remove the tumour and everything was successful. So he has a new album and a new tour. Hurrah!

And lets try some UNPLUGGING tunes as this is Screen-Free Week, and annual (and somewhat hopeful) event, encouraging people to ‘unplug’ from digital entertainment and enjoy the world around them. Good luck with that!

While we are far away...

2018-04-20T07:16:24+00:00

Back for a day! Off for a week! Back for a week! It’s all a bit confusing I grant you but there it is. Not a bad day to be away from the studios you have to say. Round these parts, folk were clogging up the parks and pubs from the early hours. We’re all so grateful having been wrapped up with scarves and hats so recently that we grab every ray on offer. Look out for many overly-cooked faces on view today...

A 2-show day today with Lily James talking The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society based on the best selling book (can we call it TGLAPPPS?) which I enjoyed, then we’ll perform an ARF with this week’s magic year being 1970! 18 year olds can vote for the first time, the halfcrown disappears and it’s the first Glastonbury Festival with Tyrannosaurus Rex topping the bill, replacing The Kinks. It’s the seventies but it’s feeling really like the sixties. Which fabulous 45s should we play then?

Spread my wings and fly away

2018-04-18T06:59:14+00:00

A sunny April morning now, though it was a murky one at 4.30am let me tell you! What was there to be done at that time? Eat toast is the answer (along with marvelling at my own idiocy). It’ll be a long old day (and wearing a suit too, always my favourite thing).
Simon Reeve wont be impressed with that kind of thing; if you spend your time traveling and adventuring all you want (it seems) is a pair of sensible shoes and some tea bags. We can provide that. Simon after 6.

And as its the 80th anniversary of Superman today, lets assemble a SUPERHERO playlist. I’m sure a cape over my suit will be very classy.

Gone, gone, gone

2018-04-17T06:34:45+00:00

Well that was fun. Always enjoy talking to Simon Schama, his enthusiasm for his subjects is always contagious. The BBC’s arts editor might not be quite so enthusiastic (evidently!) but the rest of us can only marvel. And when you see the staggering colours on display, you now know that it is Prof Schama who has overseen the colour balance on your screen. The Civilisations series finishes next week.

Today we’re rolling on with one of those lovely Tunesdays after 6 and there is the unbridled joy of a BAT playlist. Today is National Bat Appreciation Day and you can show that appreciation by choosing a tune or two. I wonder where you might go...

Baby I remember

2018-04-16T07:14:19+00:00

Looks pretty good from here-warmer temperatures, birds are singing, flowers are blooming. Hope your weekend was a fine one all round.
Today we really do welcome Simon Schama to the show. We tried to have him on the show a while back, when his Civilisations programme was just starting but it fell through at the last minute. But we are confident it’ll happen this time. I love his programmes. Simon is such a passionate communicator. When he stands in front of the camera, telling you things about art or history or pretty much anything really, he’s a tour de force. The Civilisations programmes are all on the iPlayer so if I’m feeling stupid, that’s where to go to feel a little smarter.

And there’s a handsome looking show tonight on BBC2 called Britain in Bloom. This is the Royal Horticultural Society’s annual competition to find some fabulous community gardens-and the judges are on their way! So BLOOMING oldies will be just the ticket, as this week looks like it’s shaping up to be actually warm.

I let the melody shine

2018-04-13T06:33:48+00:00

Well yesterday’s early start was at least for a purpose-Burton On Trent was looking lovely. Today’s early start was just for the ‘fun’ of it. 3.30 am! What a fabulous time of day this is; always dark, always silent, always knackering. Still, so much to do, let’s put it to good use. Tidy. Iron. Write. Tidy some more etc. 5pm seems a long way away...

However when we get there, it’ll be 1997 to kick things off. Blimey its 21 years ago (brilliant how I worked that out). Welcome the Teletubbies, welcome Channel 5 and welcome (with spells on) Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. You might have heard of it, it did quite well. At the movies it’s Titanic, The Full Monty and Tomorrow Never Dies.

And some hot hits on your radio, depending on your favourites...

Wash your face and hands

2018-04-12T07:49:53+00:00

Ridiculously early. Dark outside and just a couple of blackbirds giving their all. The only reason for being up at this time is if you have to go to Stoke. And to be there by 9am. I mean, who really needs to be quite so energetic, so early? Benedict Allen might do this sort of thing but not me.
Ho hum and pass the buffet's egg baguette. I'll be asleep by Watford.

Then zooming back with gusto to R2 towers and another Nigel extravaganza- beef stroganoff is on the cards (named after Russian diplomat Alexander Stroganoff! Really!). Plus, with Friday 13th tomorrow, it's time for a SUPERSTITIOUS playlist. I believe I'm the least superstitious person you'll meet, walking under ladders whenever the opportunity arises etc but there's no doubting it's usefulness in songs. Fire away!

You walked into the room

2018-04-11T07:09:43+00:00

Morning all. There was a moment last night when Benedict Allen, explorer extraordinaire, explaining about his first Amazon excursion said something like 'I don't know what you were doing in your twenties Simon, but I was off to the desert...'. Well I was off to Nottingham and that was quite bold enough for me. So I'm concluding that, whatever else happens, I'm unlikely to cut it as an explorer anytime soon. Surprising huh?

Today we welcome Outnumbered creator Andy Hamilton to the show. He's been responsible for some of the funniest shows on our TV and been writing jokes you've been laughing at for longer than you'd care to know about. Here's a man who wrote for The Two Ronnies, Les Dawson, Bernie Winters and Mike Yarwood! Then there's Not The Nine O' Clock News, Smith and Jones and Drop The Dead Donkey-you get the picture. He's off on a tour called Change Management, all about managing the change that is all around you. Imagine that. Well, all help gratefully received. So let's construct a CHANGE/CHANGING playlist and see what happens...

But yes I’m still running

2018-04-10T06:53:38+00:00

It’s a wet Tuesday (of course) but the birds are singing merrily and after yesterday’s RSPB chat, I’m listening out for grasshopper warblers, swifts and nightingales. Nothing yet but I’m enjoying the process. Early risers like me take it as a blessing on our crazy hours-open the windows and enjoy the spring soundtrack...

Today is about the spirit of adventure with explorer Benedict Allen. He’s the man with 9 lives having escaped war zones, malaria, dengue fever, starvation, shootings and-get this-sowing his own chest wound up with his boot-mending kit. I might not be mentioning my back ache too much while he’s here. His latest trip was to Papua New Guinea and he hit the headlines when he failed to turn up for a flight to Hong Kong and there was great concern for his well-being. But he survived as he’d here after 6. And all you have to do is think of EXPLORER oldies. Exhausting huh?

And the only explanation I can find...

2018-04-09T06:31:28+00:00

Well here we are again. Just the one week off, but a week of quite enough bacon baguettes thank you very much. Discipline is all very well when you’re at home but when you’re away, awake early, hungry and you know the village deli offers a fine bacon baguette with sauce WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO DO? Different rules on holiday surely? So discipline is the key now-feeble breakfasts are the rule for a while (sad-faced emoji). Pass the porridge...

So here we are with the latest book club selection which is The Second Child by Caroline Bond. The tag line on the book’s cover sets it up nicely ‘What of you found out that the child you love belongs to someone else?’ It’s the story of Sarah and Phil and their children James and Lauren. Lauren has been born with a tiny but life-changing genetic flaw but they learn to adapt and thrive. Then, after 14 years, they discover she’s not their daughter after all. It’s quite a ride and you get a glimpse of it here -read a chapter the hear Caroline after 6.

And your oldie selection can focus on the North Pole Marathon today-its time for ENDURANCE tunes! It’s the coolest marathon (obviously) run on ice floes in the High Arctic Ocean. They’ll be entitled to their post-run fry up. Me, on the other hand...

Back Once Again With The Renegade Master

2018-04-05T11:07:25+00:00

Hey! Back on Monday y’all. Keep on posting...