The Giddy Carousel of Pop

The Giddy Carousel of Pop
The Giddy Carousel of Pop

Welcome aboard The Giddy Carousel of Pop! We are a Smash Hits appreciation podcast dedicated to the swingorilliant British pop magazine which ran from 1978 to 2006. In each episode, we take an old issue of Ver Hits (usually from the 1980s but may slip a year or two either side of that) and discuss what’s on its pages, looking at who’s riding high on the carousel and who’s heading down the dumper. We always have a guest to help us along the way, so we’ll be talking to the readers, the writers, and who knows, maybe even the odd pop star who appeared in its pages. Hang on tight!

  1. Smash Hits - 25 February - 10 March 1987 with Ian Wade

    27 AUG

    Smash Hits - 25 February - 10 March 1987 with Ian Wade

    Buy us a coffee and help keep the carousel spinning: https://ko-fi.com/giddypoppod Welcome back to The Giddy Carousel of Pop, a podcast about Britain's brightest pop mag, Smash Hits. Fancy that! In this episode, Gav and Si are joined by music journalist and author of '1984: The Year Pop Went Queer' (Nine Eight Books), Ian Wade, for a spin on the carousel back to February 1987 and an issue edited by former Smash Hits staffer Neil Tennant. Along the way, we discuss Boy George, Carly Simon, Mental As Anything, Beastie Boys, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Man 2 Man, Cutting Crew, Freddie Mercury, The Christians, Taffy, The Style Council and a whole lot more. It's an action-packed issue and edition, make no mistake! Read along with us. Like Punk Never Happened: https://likepunkneverhappened.blogspot.com/2017/02/february-25-march-10-1987.html Smash Hits Remembered: https://michaelmouse1967.wixsite.com/website-9/215-25th-february-10th-march-1987 And check out the playlists of pretty much all the songs featured in this issue of Ver Hits! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1bJiADfYJDxA6zxuCZ403r?si=0ddd7c8e91dd486c YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfs58mqeRNuGspnZ_92728IsD_MBzrN0N&si=qbSced9geDm7mAWr HOSTS: Simon Galloway and Gavin Hogg GUEST: Ian Wade CONTACT DETAILS: Website: https://giddypoppod.home.blog/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/giddypoppod.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GiddyPopPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giddypoppod/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@giddypoppod X: https://twitter.com/GiddyPopPod

    2h 37m
  2. Smash Hits - 4-17 October 1979 with Simon Price

    4 MAR

    Smash Hits - 4-17 October 1979 with Simon Price

    Buy us a coffee and help keep the carousel spinning: https://ko-fi.com/giddypoppod Welcome to The Giddy Carousel of Pop! In this episode, Gav and Si are joined by pop critic, author, DJ and Chart Music podcast regular, Simon Price. The carousel spins us back to October 1979, Simon's very first issue, and inside we discover punk, mod, disco and a whole lot more! We also discuss Simon's recent book on The Cure, Curepedia. This episode is dedicated to the great Neil Kulkarni. Read Simon's tribute to Neil on The Quietus: https://thequietus.com/articles/33777-remembering-neil-kulkarni-simon-price Curepedia: https://store.whiterabbitbooks.co.uk/products/curepedia Read along with us. Like Punk Never Happened: https://likepunkneverhappened.blogspot.com/2009/10/october-4-17-1979.html Smash Hits Remembered: https://michaelmouse1967.wixsite.com/website-14/22-4-october-17-october-1979 And check out the playlists of pretty much all the songs featured in this issue of Ver Hits! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5N56zc6peiXkNFmZEgnz6F?si=8a1dcabbd07948a7 YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfs58mqeRNuGa2zdqWbr3qRMVWhX-qHaL&si=2w5U6zApeFqbtXWN HOSTS: Simon Galloway and Gavin Hogg GUEST: Simon Price CONTACT DETAILS: Website: https://giddypoppod.home.blog/ X: https://twitter.com/GiddyPopPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GiddyPopPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giddypoppod/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/giddypoppod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@giddypoppod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2h 23m
  3. Phew, Eh Readers? The Life and Writing of Tom Hibbert with Jasper Murison-Bowie & Caroline Grimshaw

    2 FEB

    Phew, Eh Readers? The Life and Writing of Tom Hibbert with Jasper Murison-Bowie & Caroline Grimshaw

    Welcome to The Giddy Carousel of Pop! In this episode, we take a trip to the Carousel's reading room to talk to find out all about Phew, Eh Readers?, a new book collecting selected works of Smash Hits and Q scribe Tom Hibbert, with the book's co-editor Jasper Murison-Bowie and designer (and former Smash Hits staffer) Caroline Grimshaw. We also hear from Hibbert's Smash Hits colleagues Barry McIlhenney, Sylvia Patterson* and Mark Ellen who share their memories of working with him. Here's the book blurb: The influence of Tom Hibbert's music writing across print, radio, TV and podcasts is incomparable. From his genre-defining work at Smash Hits to his 'Who the Hell ... ?' profiles for Q magazine and beyond, this book brings together many of Hibbert's funniest writings. Compiled by Barney Hoskyns and Jasper Murison-Bowie at Rock's Backpages, the archive of music journalism, Phew, Eh Readers? showcases some of Hibbert's greatest pieces. Presented thematically and chronologically, they highlight his marvellously eccentric perspective on life and popular culture. Many leading writers and journalists attest to Hibbert's genius. This compendium supplements his writing with new reflections on Tom from some of his peers, colleagues and admirers, including Mark Ellen, Bob Stanley, Tom Doyle, Chris Heath, Sylvia Patterson, along with his widow Allyce. Phew, Eh Readers? is a must-read homage to one of the most influential writers of our time, a man who left an indelible mark on our cultural landscape. HOSTS: Simon Galloway and Gavin Hogg GUESTS: Jasper Murison-Bowie & Caroline Grimshaw *Sylvia Patterson clip from Word In Your Ear episode 225: https://shows.acast.com/word-in-your-ear-2/episodes/5fe229acf896715ee8319696. Many thanks to Mark Ellen & David Hepworth for letting us borrow this snippet. CONTACT DETAILS: Website: https://giddypoppod.home.blog/ X: https://twitter.com/GiddyPopPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GiddyPopPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giddypoppod/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/giddypoppod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@giddypoppod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min
  4. Smash Hits - 11-24 March 1987 with Chris Heath

    22/12/2023

    Smash Hits - 11-24 March 1987 with Chris Heath

    Buy us a coffee and help keep the carousel spinning: https://ko-fi.com/giddypoppod Welcome back to The Giddy Carousel of Pop, a podcast about the Britain's brightest pop mag, Smash Hits. Award-winning journalist, author and Smash Hits legend Chris Heath (Details, Rolling Stone, GQ, Pet Shop Boys, Robbie Williams) joins us on the carousel as it spins back to March 1987. Chris gives us a taste of life at Ver Hits as he visits Boy George at home, goes on the road with the Beastie Boys, chats to Mental As Anything on the phone and a whole lot more. Read along with us. Like Punk Never Happened: https://likepunkneverhappened.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-11-24-1987.html Smash Hits Remembered: https://michaelmouse1967.wixsite.com/website-9/216-11th-march-24th-march-1987 And check out the playlists of pretty much all the songs featured in this issue of Ver Hits! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3gyM5zFIxn86GOEVadM66B?si=789ffade0b664824 YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfs58mqeRNuGdJPq2PMYAkOJbtKDjVpmf&si=U4hSREwJ7ShDwYrf Ronnie Carnwath's radio show: https://cobwebsandstrange.weebly.com/ HOSTS: Simon Galloway and Gavin Hogg GUEST: Chris Heath CONTACT DETAILS: Website: https://giddypoppod.home.blog/ X: https://twitter.com/GiddyPopPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GiddyPopPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giddypoppod/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/giddypoppod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@giddypoppod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2h 5m
  5. Smash Hits - 23 December 1982 - 5 January 1983 with Miki Berenyi

    27/10/2023

    Smash Hits - 23 December 1982 - 5 January 1983 with Miki Berenyi

    Buy us a coffee and help keep the carousel spinning: https://ko-fi.com/giddypoppod Welcome back to The Giddy Carousel of Pop, a podcast about the Britain's brightest pop mag, Smash Hits. In this episode we go back to December 1982 with musician Miki Berenyi (Lush, Piroshka) for a slice of life as a true pop kid! Along the way we discuss Tears For Fears, Madness, Culture Club, the results of the 1982 Smash Hits poll and a whole lot more! New York looms large throughout, but did Miki ever own a pair of legwarmers? Listen and find out! Read along with us. Like Punk Never Happened: https://likepunkneverhappened.blogspot.com/2022/12/december-23-1982-january-5-1983.html Smash Hits Remembered: https://michaelmouse1967.wixsite.com/website-4/106-23rd-dec-1982-5th-jan-1983 And check out the playlists of pretty much all the songs featured in this issue of Ver Hits! Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/07ltx30UgdidlX6ECD8XzQ YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfs58mqeRNuH_BLygDxzC2aDbGL7OAk2c&si=PHNZmHaXPG0qE1zA HOSTS: Simon Galloway and Gavin Hogg GUEST: Miki Berenyi CONTACT DETAILS: TwiXter: https://twitter.com/GiddyPopPod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GiddyPopPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giddypoppod/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/giddypoppod.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@giddypoppod Website: https://giddypoppod.home.blog/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    2h 7m
5
out of 5
43 Ratings

About

Welcome aboard The Giddy Carousel of Pop! We are a Smash Hits appreciation podcast dedicated to the swingorilliant British pop magazine which ran from 1978 to 2006. In each episode, we take an old issue of Ver Hits (usually from the 1980s but may slip a year or two either side of that) and discuss what’s on its pages, looking at who’s riding high on the carousel and who’s heading down the dumper. We always have a guest to help us along the way, so we’ll be talking to the readers, the writers, and who knows, maybe even the odd pop star who appeared in its pages. Hang on tight!

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