Classic Album Sundays

Classic Album Sundays founder Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy chats with 808’s State’s Graham Massey to explore their breakthrough album ex:el - an electronic landmark album which reached number 4 on the UK Album Charts in 1991. It was ground-breaking with its catchy melodies sung by guests vocalists Bernard Sumner of New Order and Bjork underpinned by 808’s states heavy acid house / techno sound. Massey revealed this album was created through a deeper immersion in the new musical technology of the day and a newfound confidence drawn from the explosion of dance music culture.

CAS founder Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy and British indie-dance trio Saint Etienne explore their debut album 'Foxbase Alpha' in this podcast in an interview recorded at a Classic Album Sundays event at The British Library.
Colleen is joined by Saint Etienne bandmembers Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs recorded at a Classic Album Sundays event held at the British Library in October 2024. When the album was released on heavenly recordings in 1991, it's fusion of 60 cinematic pop, chill out grooves and deep house endeared audiences and got them a Mercury Prize nomination.

CAS founder Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy and French-African musician, producer and songwriter Wally Badarou explore his cult classic 1984 solo LP 'Echoes' in this podcast in an interview taken from a Classic Album Sundays event at KEF Music Gallery.
Badarou’s 1984 solo LP features Balearic and club classic ‘Chief Inspector’ and ‘Mambo’, memorably sampled by Massive Attack on their classic single ‘Daydreaming’. They discuss Badarou’s illustrious career as a de facto member of Level 42, his collaborations and productions with Marianne Faithfull, Fela Kuti and Salif Keita, and his run as a member of Island Records’ Compass Point All-Stars for which he performed on records by Grace Jones, Talking Heads, Mick Jagger, Gwen Guthrie, Robert Palmer and Sly & Robbie amongst many others. He also scored music for films including Kiss of the Spider Woman and more recently the award-winning documentary Dahomey.

Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy sits down with British jazz-funk pioneer and Incognito founder Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick to explore '100° and Rising' 30 years after the album's release. Incognito were pioneers of the acid jazz movement and this album released on Gilles Peterson’s Talking Loud label in 1995 had crossover appeal reaching #11 on the UK Albums Chart and #2 on the UK R&B Albums Chart. The album features some of the best British jazz and session players and included the singles ‘I Hear Your Name’ and ‘Everyday’. Tickets are free but limited.

This interview was recorded at a Classic Album Sundays event at the KEF Music Gallery with Level 42 founding members Mike Lindup and Phil Gould. They take a look back to their worldwide breakthrough LP, 1985's World Machine. This is the album in which Level 42 transitioned from a straight up jazz-funk outfit into a funky pop band and reached number 3 on the UK Album Charts. The album featured a few singles including their US Top Ten hit ‘Something About You’, the ballad ‘Leaving Now’ and the funky World Machine which was remixed by Shep Pettibone and became a dancefloor classic. Wally Badarou also co-wrote and played on the album.