John Richards

Good morning, happy Friday, and welcome to The Morning Show with the delightful John Richards! Thanks for being with us today! -- Happy birthday to US!! On this date in 1972, KCMU (now KEXP) broadcast for the first time ever! -- Ten years later, on this date, Duran Duran released "Rio," their second studio album. Yesterday, May 9th, Duran Duran announced the reissue of their first five studio albums - Duran Duran, Rio, Seven and the Ragged Tiger, Notorious, and Big Thing. Long out of print, this exciting reissue marks the first time this iconic collection will be available in the original 1LP and 1CD format, with remastered audio, since their initial release. The albums will be available via Warner Music from 5th July.: duranduran.com

Happy birthday to Bono today! -- Bono was born Paul David Hewson in Ballymun, Dublin on May 10th 1960, a second son to Bobby and Iris, and a younger brother to Norman. The family lived at number 10 Cedarwood Road in Ballymun which is in North Dublin. With a Protestant mother and Catholic father, Bono grew up with a strong religious faith but avoided becoming attached to one particular denomination. His mother died in 1974 (within days of the death of her own father) when Bono was just 14 years old, an event that was to have a strong influence on his later songwriting. Read more of Bono's biography: www.threechordsandthetruth.net

It's Karl Hyde's birthday today; he was born on this date in 1957. -- Rick Smith and Karl Hyde were music industry veterans by the time the former broke his leg on an American tour supporting Eurythmics in 1989. Hyde stayed on to play session work for Prince but on his return found Smith working in the studio they jointly owned with Darren Emmerson – whom he’d never met – absence it seemed having made the heart grow raver. Underworld's ...first long player was the eclectic Dubnobasswithmyheadman, described breathlessly at the time as “The most important album since The Stone Roses and the best since Screamadelica”. Cowgirl was the track on which Emmerson, operating in what was ostensibly a band but with the instincts of a DJ, took his sabotage overground,": arcticreviews.co.uk

On May 10th, 1982, New Order released the single "Temptation." -- This was the first song the group produced themselves, splitting with Martin Hannett, who the band credit for teaching them the mechanics of recording. "Producing ourselves we get more satisfaction," frontman Bernard Sumner told The Face in 1983. "We know what we want and we can do it. With Martin the songs often turned out different, sometimes better, sometimes not." - (This one turned out pretty well, don't you think?)

Happy birthday to Ministry's debut album, "With Sympathy," out on May 10th, 1983. -- Did you know that Al Jourgenson hated this album and disavowed it for a long time? “I won’t even say the title,” he says. “Because I did not write that f**king record. I had nothing to do with that record except my face is on it and my voice is on it. They wrote the lyrics, made me cut my f**king hair, bought me a wardrobe, assigned me management. I was literally a product of the old-school star-making machine.” : post-punk.com

Another album birthday! On May 10th, 1988, Prince released his tenth studio album, "Lovesexy," -- "I did Lovesexy in seven weeks from start to finish, and most of it was recorded in the order it was on the record. There were a couple of funky things I did at the end, but it’s pretty much how you hear it.” --Mr. Prince : discography.prince.com

Basement Jaxx released their debut album "Remedy" on May 10th, 1999. (That's a quarter-century ago, according to math.) -- Basement Jaxx is South London production duo Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton.: www.allmusic.com

The previous song, Basement Jaxx's "Same Old Show," sampled multiple elements of this tune from The Selecter. -- The Selecter is an English 2 Tone ska revival band, formed in Coventry, England, in 1979. The Selecter are led by their iconic frontwoman Pauline Black OBE.

On May 10th, 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as South Africa's first Black president. -- Enjoy this biography of Nelson Mandela: www.nelsonmandela.org

"One Step Beyond" was originally written by Jamaican ska singer Prince Buster as a B-side for his 1964 single "Al Capone." The song was covered by Madness for their debut studio album of the same name, which was released in 1979. -- Here's the official video: www.youtube.com

This is "transcendental outernational funk and psychedelic jazz from mystery L.A.- based collective Sun Atlas." Little is known about Sun Atlas. The group members are hidden behind masks and costumes to keep their identities secret and to put the focus entirely on the music and oneness. A sense of community and universal spirit as an alternative to idolization and individualism is heavily reflected in their eclectic musical style.: mocamborecords.bandcamp.com

In 1967 (on this date), Young MC is born Marvin Young in South Wimbledon, London, England. -- Hear something familiar? Yes, that's the theme from "Shaft" that's being sampled here. You're also hearing a sample of Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache".

Young M.C. sampled this song by Incredible Bongo Band. The tune itself was composed by Jerry Lordan and released initially by the British group The Shadows in 1960.

The drum break in Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache" has been sampled innumerable times, including by The Roots for "Thought @ Work." -- The Roots will be at ZooTunes on Sunday, July 21st, 2024. -- See The Roots performing "Thought @ Work" live in 2010: www.youtube.com

Ahhh....the Friday song. This one's for Ryan on his last day of work as he leaves to start his own business...From your friend Jason!

Donovan Leitch, Scottish singer and songwriter, is 78 years old today! He was born in Glasgow in 1946. : www.allmusic.com -- Donovan performed "Sunshine Superman" live (with Jimmy Page) at the Royal Albert Hall in 2017: www.youtube.com --

On May 10th, 1977, The Brothers Johnson released "Right on Time," featuring their cover of the Shuggie Otis classic "Strawberry Letter 23". Did you know this cover was produced by Seattle's own Quincy Jones? -- "Hello, my love, I heard a kiss from you Red magic satin playing near, too..." You can sing all the "ooh--ooh--oohs." Do you know the rest of the lyrics?: genius.com

Another anniversary! Spoon released their fifth studio album, "Gimme Fiction," on this date in 2005. -- See Spoon performing this song live at the Austin City Limits Festival in 2022: www.youtube.com

Weezer's self-titled debut (also called "The Blue Album") was one of several great albums that were released on May 10th, 1994... This album was produced by The Cars' Ric Ocasek. Here's a 30-year retrospective on the debut that "launched L.A.’s nerdiest band": www.latimes.com

Sunny Day Real Estate's debut album "Diary" turns 30 today!! -- "Diary, virtually defined emo in the '90s, laying much of the groundwork (along with Weezer) for the genre's end-of-decade indie prominence. Although emo existed (both as a term and as a style) prior to Diary, it hadn't yet risen out of the deepest hardcore punk underground, save for a few bands on the Dischord label. For all intents and purposes, Diary was the album that made emo accessible, fusing its gnarled guitars and nakedly emotional vocals with more than a hint of melodic Seattle grunge." tinyurl.com

Sonic Youth's eight album was also released on May 10th, 1994. -- "The record is a noise-rock masterpiece that took the term “alt.rock” forward. There was no tour in support of the album, due to Kim Gordon’s pregnancy at the time, but that didn’t matter. The weirdness and confidence the band put forward on this major-label release is almost impossible to conceive of today. This was an art-rock band making an art-rock album, creating something new and emboldening themselves to continue on their own path without worry.": www.udiscovermusic.com

Yes, this one, too! On this day in 1994, G. Love & Special Sauce released their debut album, "G. Love and Special Sauce". The album was certified Gold after selling 500,000 copies. -- "The Things That I Used to Do" is a blues standard written by Guitar Slim.

Good morning 🌞 and happy birthday! I'm on my way to a brewers conference, Can you play The Bug Club - Quality Pints song that you played yesterday? Cheers and have a great weekend! -Kate (near Hood River today) -- In recent years, Welsh duo the Bug Club — Tilly Harris (bass, vocals) and Sam Willmett (vocals, guitar) — have been on a prolific tear. A press release on Wednesday, May 8th, boasts that the band has “released ten singles, two albums, two EPs, three things nobody knew how to describe, and an album under a different band’s name, all since 2021, and while playing 200+ gigs a year.” That hard work has now paid off in a record deal with Sub Pop, who are now sharing the band’s new single “Quality Pints.”

"Middle Class Revolt," The Fall's sixteenth album, was released in May, 1994. -- "Hey! Student" was a rewrite of a very early Fall song called "Hey! Fascist," performed live in 1977-78. Want to hear that original?: www.youtube.com

Hey hey. Ben in Maine really feeling the loss of Steve Albini and his disdain for fascists and capitalists. Can you play Kerosene by Big Black? Thanks! -- Rest In Peace, Steve Albini, who has died at age 61: pitchfork.com -- See a live performance of "Kerosene" from London in 1987: www.youtube.com

John Ritchie, aka Sid Vicious, was born on this date in 1957. He died in February 1979, at age 21. -- John Simon Ritchie would later take his stepfather's surname, calling himself John Beverley. As the story goes, future bandmate John Lydon had a pet hamster. This hamster's name was Sid. One day, Sid the hamster bit Beverley. Then, Beverley shouted out: "Sid is really vicious!": allthatsinteresting.com

Speaking of Sex Pistols...John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) went on to form PIL...In 2002 he was named among the 100 Greatest Britons following a UK-wide vote. On May 10th, 1989. PIL released their seventh studio album, "9." (It actually was their ninth full-length release, including the live albums "Paris au Printemps" and "Live in Tokyo." --

Another May 10th release...this one came out in 1993! -- My goodness! Watch Blur perform "Advert" in Wembley Stadium last September: www.youtube.com

With Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kanneberg’s guitars scraping against each other as well as harmonizing to the lyrics while drummer Steve West is all over his f**king snare drum, “Unfair” leaps out of the starting gates at a full gallop, but somehow builds to a whole new level while Malkmus holds the last syllable of “Beverleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.” And he’s only just beginning.." Enjoy this tribute to "Unfair.": medialoper.com

Morning dudes! Could we keep some kool jams going? I'm thinking Pavement, Beck. Anything from one of those guys would hit just right this morning. Cheers! Aaron in Sodo -- Beck will be at the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, WA on Wednesday, July 3rd. -- The main riff for this song is from "I Can Only Give You Everything" by Them, a Belfast R&B band led by a young Van Morrison in 1965. The drums in the chorus and drum breaks come from Pretty Purdie’s “Soul Drums”.

This was the first track on the Icelandic band's fifth full-length LP -- the name translates to "With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly". The album was originally going to be recorded in English, but the band decided that singing in Icelandic felt more natural to them. -- Watch a live performance of "Gobbledigook" in Montreal in 2008: www.youtube.com

Lester Piggott was a famous British jockey. His name is included in the title of the song, because it has, according to Tim Booth, "a racing beat." -- During recording, producer Brian Eno “went white and sat down” as Booth sang, later stating he had “just experienced one of the highlights of my musical life”.

Johnny Marr said he wanted the intro to the Smiths’ "How Soon Is Now?" to be as potent and recognizable as "Layla." But instead of writing a catchy melody or bombastic riff, he took an entirely different approach by crafting a hypnotic, pulsating groove by running his rhythm electric guitar track through four amps to generate a lush, complex stereo tremolo effect. -- Here's how he achieved that unique sound: www.guitarworld.com

OMD will be at the Moore Theatre on Thursday, September 12th. They'll be at the Fox Theater in Oakland on September 15th. -- Andy McCluskey originally wrote "Maid of Orleans" on May 30th, 1981, the 550th anniversary of Joan of Arc's death.

Don't miss the video for Ultravox's signature song, "Vienna": www.youtube.com

This is a very personal song written by Sting. He had recently separated from his first wife, actress Frances Tomelty, and was not getting along with the other two members of the band. Instead of repressing or deflecting the hurt, Sting dives headlong into it on this track, crowning himself the "King Of Pain." Sting said in Musician magazine: "I conjured up symbols of pain and related them to my soul. A black spot on the sun struck me as being a very painful image." -- The mallet instrument that plays throughout this song is a xylophone played by drummer Stewart Copeland. In an interview, he explained: "Those chords Sting had on a little Casio, which has a kind of clinky sound. We thought, Let's make it a little more organic and play it on the xylophone."

Good morning......my sweet boyfriend (Russ from Lake Union) has been staying with me for the past ten weeks being my caregiver after a bad accident and surgery recovery. Well, today he goes under the knife and I'd like to dedicate a song-- Cuts You Up It's my turn to be a caregiver now. :) --Leslie in Redmond -- Peter Murphy was asked what it is that cuts you up and spits you out. He replied: "The path of discovery, self-knowledge, wisdom... once you feel you have it. Then the path will spit you out or off the way and ruin your assumptions of this path. In fact, a great mighty necessity for those spiritual seekers or so-called 'holy state' desires when getting arrogant." Murphy has spent his life on this path of discovery, which is chronicled in his music. Two years after this song was released, he moved to Turkey, where he explored Muslim worship music and immersed himself in Sufism, a branch of Islam.

Featuring Tanya Donelly from Throwing Muses, Breeders, and Belly on vocals. -- Thanks so much for listening today! Happy birthday, KEXP!!