Fifty Years of Fun

Follow Fifty Years of Fun
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

The audio fanzine where two distinguished gentlemen from California discuss & conduct interviews around the first 50 singles on Creation Records, in order.


    • May 19, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 3m AVG DURATION
    • 13 EPISODES


    Search for episodes from Fifty Years of Fun with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Fifty Years of Fun

    CRE009 - THE LOFT “Why Does the Rain” w/ Peter Astor (The Loft, The Weather Prophets, The Attendant, Ellis Island Sound, Wisdom of Harry, Louis Chavez, Damp Jungle; author)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2022 78:37


    ** Fifty Years of Fun's Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun ** It's a huge one!! Maybe the first CLASSIC single on Creation, and boy are we excited about it. It's worth the wait! Did you doubt us? I bet you did! Moves, technical problems, floods! Shit happens, as one says. At the end of the episode, you'll hear how Pete Astor's flat flooded and we had to put off the interview (but it's mainly our fault!) And, we apologize but Matt's mic is fucked up in the first segment. But we did it! 80s glam metal tragedies get coverage! Links: The Loft: All songs available on the recent Ghost Trains & Country Lanes compilation: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/the-loft-ghost-trains-country-lanes-studio-stage-and-sessions-1984-2015-2cd/ Richard Hell “Time”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toNDJOItyqg Push with Seal and Oisin from The Weather Prophets “Traffic”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSN0TTvZSTE Damp Jungle “Picture of a Girl”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_sehoQZots Devon Irons & Doctor Alimantado “Vampire”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7gtK3LyLUE Heidi Berry “Firefly”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-g1gwo_4OI —————————————————— Stuff that comes up: Creation Records Roky Erikson Farmer's Boys Andrew Weatherall The Jam Eric Clapton Biff Bang Pow! Pacific Heidi Berry Oasis Dave Morgan Funkapolitan The Canaries DC Gore The Attendant Lou Reed 4AD The Out Club John F.C. Turner Vivian Kubrick Tom Verlaine The Fuck Pigs Alan Lomax The Stooges The Damned Fleetwood Mac Stevie Nicks Hanoi Rocks Lee Perry Devon Irons Doctor Alimantado The Subterraneans Nick Kent Razzle The Sex Pistols The Clash David Westlake The Servants Wild Summer, Wow! The Living Room The Beatles Pop Group Otis Redding Curtis Mayfield Scritti Politti The Loft Weather Prophets Leonard Cohen Go-Betweens The Anal Dwarves Push Featuring Seal Orange Juice Danny Kelly Seal Primal Scream Bobby Gillespie Alan McGee Richard Hell Television Personalities Peter Astor A-Ha Joe Foster Neo Boys 23 Skidoo Rolling Stones “Aftermath” Bob Dylan “Love and Theft”] Stimulin Galliano ——————————————————————— ** Fifty Years of Fun's Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun ** Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

    CRE008 - JASMINE MINKS - “Where the Traffic Goes” w/ (Part 1) Simon Down (Pink Label, The Legend!, early Creation label involvement) and (Part 2) Tom Reid & Martin Keena (The Jasmine Minks)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2022 94:39


    ** Fifty Years of Fun's Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun ** Holy shit we are back once again. We have careers, ok?? It's our double issue! This ep we are trying MULTIPLE new things. We have someone chatting with us in the first half (Simon Down's number is on the back of this single so we had to talk to him!), and THEN we have TWO band members at the same time which is a new one for us. This really got our podcast editing knuckles a-crackin'! This really is the ultimate ep for any Minks fans out there—we get DEEP and DIRTY into some seriously nerdy shit. You will love it. We are proud of this one and it's seriously fun if you like the deep details. Links: Jasmine Minks “Where the Traffic Goes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxG9I4hmrtw Jasmine Minks “Mr. Magic”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoHv4meA0Bw Jasmine Minks' bandcamp: https://thejasmineminks.bandcamp.com/ ——— Stuff that comes up: Alan McGee Pink Label Creation Records The Jasmine Minks Joe Foster Television Personalities That Petrol Emotion June Brides Phil Wilson McCarthy The Undertones Dick Green Patrik Fitzgerald The Legend Everett True Laughing Apple Biff! Bang! Pow! Jesus & Mary Chain Oasis Primal Scream Three Johns The Mekons The Nightingales The Ramones The Loft Zarjaz Tronics / Ziro Baby Rough Trade Link Wray The Third Man Orson Welles Momus El Records Ed Down Jah Wobble Public Image Limited The Byrds We The People The Buzzcocks The Fall The Jam Jaco Pastorius Japan Beach Boys The Doors Felt Bodines House of Love ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ** Fifty Years of Fun's Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun ** Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

    JAZ001 - Pat Fish & The Jazz Butcher Special w/guest David Barker (Glass Records)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2022 72:55


    ** Fifty Years of Fun's Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun ** Back again!! We took a winter break, but we are back with a special tribute to the recently passed frontman of The Jazz Butcher. We start off talking about Scott's history with the ‘Butcher, and then we chat with longtime Butcher supporter, David Barker. ————————————————————————— Links: Link to Scott's Jazz Butcher mix: https://www.patreon.com/posts/59744631Jazz Butcher website: http://jazzbutcher.com/ Jazz Butcher “Big Saturday”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVgd7oIHuEI Jazz Butcher: “Southern Mark Smith” (single version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af3J3cBBn38 The 90s prank call every U.S. band member who toured in the 90s has heard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAeqfk5m0Y8 ————————————————————————— Stuff that comes up: Jazz Butcher John Cale Elliot Sharp Pacific Lemon Kittens Danielle Dax The Tonix Woodentops Jacobites NRBQ Mekons Rolo McGinty John Cale English Subtitles Max Eider Pat Fish Cherry Red Glass Records Elliot Sharp In Embrace Bron Area Rip Rig & Panic Antena Everything But the Girl Bauhaus Religious Overdose David J Kevin Ayers Syd Barett Velvet Underground Lou Reed John Rivers Kevin Askins Swell Maps Felt Alan McGee Roadrunner Jonathon Richman Mark E. Smith Brix Smith The Fall KLF Camper Van Beethoven Spacemen 3 Sisters of Mercy Andrew Eldritch Big Time Records Go-Betweens Alex Chilton Redd Kross Dream Syndicate Love & Rockets REM Green On Red Tom Waits Paperhouse Teenage Fanclub The Pastels Rain Parade Oasis ———————————————————————— ** Fifty Years of Fun's Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun ** Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

    CRE 007 - BIFF BANG POW! “There Must Be a Better Life” w/ Dave Evans (Biff Bang Pow!, Twelve Cubic Feet, Jesse Garon and the Desperadoes, producer, early live sound man for The Jesus & Mary Chain)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2021 57:28


    ** Fifty Years of Fun's Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun ** We're back with a bang! One of the absolute best early Creation singles gets a detailed excavation by your hosts. Matt goes to great lengths to not say “great.” Our guest guides us through the early Living Room days and tells us some recording tidbits. Don't slip up! Links: Songs: BBP - “TMBABL”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IebtIg8UZ4 BBP - “TCEM”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgFtQFv_Y8I Rain Parade “Look Around”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eMIyM6u0wA Twelve Cubic Feet “Hello Howard”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtWih7mjLoA&t=38s Jesse Garon “And if the Sky Should Fall”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N1jW_mqxcg Pop Will Eat Itself “Mesmerised”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQCG8MOpO0A Dave's Tour Diary which links back to his Facebook page: https://indiethroughthelookingglass.com/2020/09/26/creation-records-package-tour-europe-1984/ ————————————————————————— Stuff that comes up: Creation Records Alan McGee Jesus & Mary Chain Joe Foster Tony Fletcher Jasmine Minks Nightingales Go-Betweens Primal Scream Pop Will Eat Itself Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes Biff Bang Pow Twelve Cubic Feet Pastels My Bloody Valentine Joe Foster The Legend! The Rain Parade Paisley Underground —————————————————————————— ** Fifty Years of Fun's Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun ** Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

    CRE006 - THE X-MEN "Do the Ghost" w/ Tim Hosking (The X-Men, The Fish Hildas, Ug & the Cavemen)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2021 51:33


    Your friendly hosts explore the first of two X-Men singles on Creation, learning all about the garage trash & psychobilly scenes around early-mid ‘80s London. Guest Tim Hosking, bass player for the X-Men also helps us get to the bottom of the Fish Hildas mystery, and he lets us know how you can use a glass pie case to mic up chime bars. We learn a lot on this one! Links: Do the Ghost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hks-DXYK1A Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJPR5rr5kgQ The Fish Hildas “How I Itch to Stitch My Pitch”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCP-gfctt3E X-Men Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thexmenspiral ———————— Stuff that comes up: X-Men Creation Records Alan McGee Joe Foster garage trash psychobilly The Meteors The Cramps Clapham South Escalators Thee Headcoatees Thee Milkshakes The Sting-Rays The Prisoners Quickspace Th' Faith Healers The Fish Hildas Ug & The Cavemen Flaming Stars Jesus & Mary Chain Big Beat Records Alec Palao ———————— ** Fifty Years of Fun's Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun ** Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

    CRE005 - THE PASTELS “Something Going On” w/ Stephen McRobbie (The Pastels, Buba & The Shop Assistants, The Paintings, Geographic record label)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2021 63:33


    The first of three fantastic Pastels singles for Creation brings us in contact with a true pillar of pop music, Stephen Pastel. Not only do we get into the details of the release of this single and the band's history prior to Creation, we dip into the full span of the still-active band's career. Listen for Stephen's Alan McGee impersonation; we're gathering a compilation of those for future release. The band's early works are only spottily available on streaming services, but the band is currently in the process of reissuing various albums. Most of the band's post-1990 catalog is available on streaming services through Domino Records. ———————— Links: Songs: “Something Going On”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FWayIxCGcY “Stay With Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r63N1phPO5E “Truck Train Tractor”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8AtJnYwEuI Pastels' Links: Band page: thepastels.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/pastels_the ——————————— Stuff that comes up: Creation Records The Pastels Television Personalities Buba & The Shop Assistants The Paintings Orange Juice Fire Engines Teenage Fanclub My Bloody Valentine Alan McGee Bobby Gillespie Primal Scream Andrew Innes Loop Glass Records Joe Foster John Rivers The Loft Jesus & Mary Chain The Legend! Jerry Thackray Everett True Rough Trade Geoff Travis Richard Boone New Hormones Buzzcocks QQQ Magazine Strawberry Switchblade Rose McDowall The Roches Formica Tops This is Memorial Device (Book by David Keenan) ————————— ** Fifty Years of Fun's Patreon page: patreon.com/fiftyyearsoffun ** Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

    CRE004 - THE JASMINE MINKS “Think!” w/ Jim Shepherd (The Jasmine Minks)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2021 59:21


    You can count on us to take a while but bring the goods! Just a purely incredible single, and frontman Jim even PLAYS THE A-SIDE for us!! We get to the bottom of the fretless bass mystery and we learn a lot more about the Aberdeen, Scotland-based ‘Minks, the first Creation band to come from outside the Communication Blur crowd. Stay tuned for three more Minks singles to come, all fucking CLASSICS. Links to the songs in question are included below, and we highly recommend the “Cut Me Deep: Anthology 1984 1984-2014” compilation on Cherry Red on 2CD and streaming services. ———————— Links: Songs: Jasmine Minks “Think”: https://youtu.be/Do7aRXQPKGc Jasmine Minks “Work for Nothing: https://youtu.be/ADzG6TO4s2Y Jasmine Minks “Nothing Can Stop Me”: https://youtu.be/zttghAZNgWk Minks Links: Minks' Bandcamp: https://thejasmineminks.bandcamp.com/ Jim's Twitter: https://twitter.com/behappydadda?lang=en Jasmine Minks Anthology: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/cut-me-deep-the-anthology-1984-2014/ ———————— Stuff that comes up: Byrds Wilf Smarties Alan McGee Orange Juice Television Echo & the Bunnymen Jasmine Minks Jim Shepherd Joe Foster Television Personalities Revolving Paint Dream Buzzcocks Primal Scream Biff Bang Pow Dave Musker Billy Fury Cliff Richard Jesus & Mary Chain ------------------------------------------------ Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

    CRE003 - BIFF BANG POW! “Fifty Years of Fun” w/ Dave Musker (Television Personalities, Revolving Paint Dream, Jasmine Minks, X-Men)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2021 53:47


    We're back!! Farfisa Dave is an incredible guest and such a good sport; we are so excited about this one! Dave was the keyboard/piano player on the TVP's dark classic LP The Painted Word, as well as hired hand on basically all of the early Creation singles. Dave also did sound in Alan McGee's early club, The Living Room, and he apparently was doing sound for the first Jesus & Mary Chain show in London. (And yes, the clanky sound you hear during the interview is his teacup hitting the saucer.) Links to the songs in question are included below, and we highly recommend you check out the Biff Bang Pow! compilations available on CD and on streaming services. —————————— LINKS: Songs: BBP! “Fifty Years of Fun” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpjZqKEhNXI BBP! “Then When I Scream”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWIKLZ_iNbI Jackie Edwards “Keep On Running”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdJGyf-iJE4 Spencer Davis Group “Keep On Running”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrxHcSZBU38 Teenage Filmstars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsJGl-LZF5U —————————— BBP & TVPs streaming links: BBP's The Singles As and Bs: https://open.spotify.com/album/4ZvKQzPNI2k5ti1JGp4Gfd?si=AhiDXsT3TxmBfLc0kffsHw BBP's Waterbomb (best of collection): https://open.spotify.com/album/7aseYjnUQdpUYAwxtoLf9c?si=WQ14W6xkTjusYdQXv0aiZA TVPs' The Painted Word: https://open.spotify.com/album/5tHPUWkWOYLbwDArQB7X8U?si=lQIQIgmGTz601holul3L9w —————————— Infamous Euro tour photos: https://indiethroughthelookingglass.com/2020/09/26/creation-records-package-tour-europe-1984/ —————————— Stuff that comes up: Creation Records Laughing Apple Spencer Davis Group Jackie Edwards Dan Treacy Jowe Head Biff Bang Pow! The Living Room Television Personalities Revolving Paint Dream The Electric Prunes Alan McGee Joe Foster Fire Engines Orange Juice Slumberland Records Jesus and Mary Chain Jasmine Minks The Byrds Teenage Filmstars Ed Ball Andrew Innes Primal Scream The Doors The X-Men The Legend! Everett True Dick Green -------------------------------- Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music.

    CRE002 - Revolving Paint Dream - “Flowers In The Sky” w/ Ken Popple (Biff! Bang! Pow!, Revolving Paint Dream, Laughing Apple)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2021 72:38


    It may have taken a minute or two (it'll get more regular, promise!), but this is the best episode yet. Your hosts' chat gets extra trippy, and fungi may have been ingested to celebrate a record of such psychedelic magnitude. Come on in! Ken Popple, drummer on the single in question (as well as on almost all of the Biff!Bang!Pow! records), turns out to be the perfect guest. We hope he comes back. Enjoy! Links are included below, and we highly recommend you check out the Revolving Paint Dream compilation available on CD (Rev-Ola) and on streaming services. Links of note: Revolving Paint Dream “Flowers In the Sky”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDXOLilMA3s RPD “In the Afternoon”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYt-v6-RG6I Lord Fayrebank (Ken's new project): https://lordfayrebank.bandcamp.com/track/out-on-the-lake Feature on our guest voiceover specialist Rose Melberg: https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/rose-melberg-feature Stuff that comes up on the episode: Revolving Paint Dream Andrew Innes Alan McGee Bobby Gillespie Primal Scream Laughing Apple Television Personalities Meat Whiplash Jasmine Minks Biff! Bang! Pow! Lord Fayrebank Teenage Fanclub The Bananas Rough Trade Creation Records JC Brouchard The Legend! Genesis Yes Fotheringay Fairport Convention Sleaford Mods Lensmen Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music and to Rose Melberg for spectacular voiceover reading.

    CRE001 - THE LEGEND! - “73 in 83” w/ Jerry Thackray a.k.a. Everett True (THE LEGEND!, journalist)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2021 83:23


    Here it is!!! Matt & Scott finally get to the first proper release on Creation. (Quality takes time, right??!) Your hosts debate the merit of the (much-maligned-in-its-time) record that started it all, and then they talk to the man himself, JERRY THACKRAY a.k.a. THE LEGEND! a.k.a. EVERETT TRUE. Best known for his writing in the NME and Melody Maker, as well as for his and books on NIRVANA, WHITE STRIPES, and THE RAMONES, Mr. Thackray is a fascinating and Zelig-like character. And we LOVE his later (post-Creation) EPs (links below), so you'll hear a few clips of those as well. It's a sprawling and wild ride, but trust us, it's worth sticking around for the whole thing. There's music, there's sadness, there's drama, there's brushes with fame. It's got everything, even a live song. Links of note: The Legend! “73 in 83” (CRE001): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DPe-2HuApE The Legend: “Talk Open”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNc8tbK89E0&t=43s Everette True's first interview with Young Marble Giants: http://www.collapseboard.com/the-first-interview-i-ever-did/ Everett True's Song-A-Day on Youtube (almost up to 300!!): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQwfu13Cg4of5pFAbXiWD2w Stuff that comes up: CREATION RECORDS The Legend Television Personalities Revolving Paint Dream The Laughing Apple Marine Girls The McTells Go-Betweens Daniel Johnston Bruce Pavitt Jad Fair / Half Japanese Bobby Gillespie The Smiths The Pastels Oasis John Peel Cherry Red Stephen Pastel Cannanes Huggy Bear David Nichols Young Marble Giants Biff! Bang! Pow! Soup Dragons Jasmine Minks John Robb / Membranes Twelve Cubic Feet (great band) Alan McGee Geoff Travis The Ramones Rough Trade The Go Team, Beat Happening, Calvin Johnson, Tobi Vail, Bikini Kill Kill Rock Stars Sub Pop Graham Fellows Nirvana …And the Native Hipsters Talulah Gosh & Amelia Fletcher Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for our theme music

    CREATION ARTIFACT 002 - Television Personalities flexi/Communication Blur fanzine #2 w/Bjorn Copeland (musician, artist, BLACK DICE/FLACCID MOJO)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2021 55:29


    OUR SECOND (pre-season) EPISODE!! Scott & Matt get practice overcoming a few technical issues and talk to an old friend. This episode is a little more free-wheeling and loose! We talk about the TVP's flexi and the second (and final!) issue of Alan McGee & Jerry Thackray (THE LEGEND!)'s pre-Creation fanzine, Communication Blur. We then have a visit from old friend and member of BLACK DICE, Bjorn Copeland. We chat about zines, music, fashion, and beer. It's a fun one! Links of note: TVPs' "Biff Bang Bow": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0AthbITD1c TVPs' live "Picture of Dorian Gray": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CeXDJD07Xc (Both of these tracks are available on the TVPs' "Some Kind of Happening" reissue, Fire records, 2019) and since we both love it so much: Eyeless in Gaza "New Risen": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri-arERZino Things that come up in the episode: Television Personalities/TVPs Biff! Bang! Pow! The Creation John's Children Les Fleur De Lys Cherry Red Alan McGee Jerry Thackray Zarjaz Tronics Joe Foster Kaleidoscope Sounds Eyeless in Gaza Microdisney Mike Alway Black Dice Eric Copeland Satisfact Henry's Dress Seen Studio Primal Scream The Pastels Special thanks to the Reds, Pinks & Purples for the theme music and Johnny Flores for technical assistance.

    CREATION ARTIFACT 001 - Pastels/Laughing Apple flexi w/guest Tony Fletcher (author, musician, podcaster)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2021 87:38


    OUR FIRST EPISODE!!!! Scott & Matt kick off the first episode of the Creation Records audio fanzine with a discussion of the first of two flexi singles that came with Alan McGee & Jerry Thackray (THE LEGEND)'s pre-Creation fanzines, Communication Blur. In addition to some digging into the flexi & the zine, the boys interview TONY FLETCHER, esteemed author (bios on R.E.M., Keith Moon, Wilson Pickett), who in his fanzine Jamming, wrote a piece on the state of music in 1982 that ended up being a key piece of Creation origin story. Links of note: “The Story that Spawned Creation”: https://www.ijamming.net/Jammingmagazine/Jamming!MagazineCreation.html Tony Fletcher's web site (with link to Jamming archive): https://tonyfletcher.net/ Tony's podcast: https://shows.acast.com/onestepbeyond Things that come up on this episode: The Legend Bobby Gillespie Primal Scream The Laughing Apple The Pastels Strawberry Switchblade Revolving Paint Dream Dan Treacy Television Personalities Patrik Fitzgerald The Jam Paul Weller Paul McCartney Pete Townsend Acid House The Homosexuals REM Special thanks to The Reds, Pinks & Purples for the theme music and to our guest narrator, Rose Melberg.

    PRE000 (Trailer)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2020 0:40


    Fifty Years of Fun podcast trailer. First episode coming soon!

    Claim Fifty Years of Fun

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel