Friday Night Extra on Phoenix FM

Tonight’s music mix included the track from Elton John from Rocket man that has been nominated for an Oscar for best original music for a film. We had five contestants for ‘Guess the year’. The feature vintage chart came from this week in 1968.

We had a chilled music mix for the last day in January 2020.

Tonight we had a feel good music mix for a damp and dreary January Friday.

Tonight we celebrated the legacy of music left by those who gave their final curtain call in 2019. Listeners commented that this was a real mix of very talented artists who had left a wonderful variety of music.

Tonight I was joined by Katherine Loveday and Louise McConnell from Kids Inspire. Kids Inspire works with children and young people recovering from traumatic experiences or dealing with emerging mental health difficulties. They told us how the charity had grown from the vision of Sue Bell twelve years ago to now having over fifty staff.

It was great to be chatting with all the guests and hearing about what Christmas means to them.

Tonight we were joined by Tom Page. Accompanying himself on the mandolin, he sang two carols and two Christmas songs.

Tonight we featured a new recording from local Band ‘The Goodbye Look’ of their version of Driving home for Christmas. Listeners who responded were 4-1 in preferring the new version. It is only available to view on You tube and the band say that it is a Christmas gift to everyone who likes their music.

We had four tracks from Ocean by Lady Antebellum. This new album on a new record label returns them to their best.

Dan Pierce joined me tonight to talk about his role as Pioneer minister at St. Francis Community church in Beaulieu and the Channels in Chelmsford. He has been in this role for eighteen months and a great deal has happened.

Tonight we played two hours of great music across the genres and decades.

11 year old Jude Ball from Maldon joined us this evening. He talked about taking part in the www.chesshomeless/sleepout next week the 22nd at Chelmsford Cathedral. THis is a sponsored event and Jude is one on 75 people who will be sleeping outside. Jude did this last year also and told us how many layers of clothes he wore to try and keep warm, and still he was cold. He told us that he felt no-one should have to sleep rough as a homeless person which he thought was a very scary thing to have to do.

Tonight we had a feature on the award winning Simon & Garfunkel album Bookends. Side one of this concept album follows a journey through aging.

Tonight we had an eclectic music mix covering the decades and the genres. This included local band The Goodbye Look on the day that their keyboard player graduated. Congratulations Michael.

Diana Ross is touring the States and in 2020 will be headlining the Glastonbury Legends stage. By then she will be aged 76 years. We looked back at her career.

It was fascinating hearing Revd. Paul Carr talk about his sabbatical in the Philippines, being a Festival Angel in Leeds and walking part of the Camino de Santiago.

It was great to welcome back Revd. Stuart for his fourth visit to the show, but the first for four years. He talked about his journey through theological college in Oxford and curacy in Chelmsford to starting his ministry in Warley in May this year.

It was great to have Tom Page with us tonight, singing three songs and staying for most of the show to join in the chat. Jonty was also back, four years since he first came into the show, and off to university on Monday. We played lots of classic songs tonight that have been very successful and clearly mean a great deal to many people.

David Pickthall joined us to talk about DPBB Live, the new album from the Big Band. The band grew out of The Brentwood School Big Band and now has over 100 registered members.

Rob Saggs returned to the show to give us an update on the work of Chess Homeless.

Sophie Griffiths, along with guitarist Olly, performed a fantastic live set this evening. She sang two of her own compositions, together with a family favourite from the catalogue of Stevie Wonder.

It was great to be joined tonight by Phoenix 98 FM’s NIkki Mills. She has an exciting new job with Revelation TV in Spain.

Our feature album tonight was the soul classic ‘What’s goin on’ by Marvin Gaye.

Mike told us about the Retreat House, a wonderful place in the Essex countryside only a few miles north of Chelmsford. Here you can stay as an individual or on an organised retreat.

Tonight I was joined by Lisa Whymark, ordinand and family worker at St. Peter’s church in Hutton. Lisa told us about her Christian journey. We also remembered the birthdays of Bob Dylan, Rosanne Cash and Guy Fletcher.

Feature album tonight was Paul Simon’s 1983 album Hearts & Bones. We celebrated Enya’s birthday and the film and music career of legend Doris Day.

Today is Bono’s 59th birthday. Musically we celebrated his birthday and that of 60s folk icon Donovan, 73 years old today.

Phil Roberts from the local branch of the Christian Motorcyclists Association told us that all the members share a passion for motorbikes and for Jesus.

Our feature album tonight was Elton John’s classic Goodbye Yellow brick road from 1973. It has sold over 30 million copies worldwide and is regarded as Elton John’s best album.

Tim Lee joined us to talk about Good Friday and what it means to those who have faith. Music tonight featured a number of tracks from various performances of Jesus Christ Superstar. All of the music tonight was from Christian artists.

Claire Abraham joined us to speak about what Lent means to her and her spiritual journey.

Tonight’s music mix included the classic album Night Owl, recorded by Gerry Rafferty in 1979. We remembered a number of artists with birthdays today.

Rob joined us for an informative and entertaining chat about the on-going work of www. chesshomeless.org We also remembered the career of Scott Walker.

Tonight we were joined by Matt Houghton, assistant curate in Ingatestone and the surround villages. We also looked at the chart of this date in 1989.

Archdeacon Elizabeth joined us to talk about Lent. Featured the chart this week in 1969.

A St David's Day special as we featured artists born in Wales, and also play a tribute to Andre Previn.

Our special guest on tonight's show was Saxsafi who played live in the studio.