NOW We're Talking Podcast

To mark the end of the 1980s in style we take a look back over NOWs 1-16 in the form of our first ever SHIT Awards!  We're celebrating the very best, and worst, music of our journey so far and catching up with a few old friends along the way.  So come and be a table-filler at our star-studded event and enjoy rubbing shoulders with Kent, Barlow, Sharkey and many more!

It's finally here, the end of era, just the second disc of NOW That's What I Call Music! Volume 16 to negotiate before we can round off the 1980s in style with our very own awards ceremony!  In a disc bursting with 18 prime pop platters we are treated to a 'sexy' slowdown and Jimmy Somerville teaches us how to say goodbye in several languages.  Plus, the Gary Preservation Society draw first blood, Herbie Hide gets knocked out and we talk VR porn!

We've reached the final NOW of the 80s with the first disc of NOW That's What I Call Music Volume 16, which arrives amid a backdrop of yet more political upheaval.  We discuss Michael Jordan's wedding, meet 'Santa Barbara Windsor' and go trainspotting with Queen!  Plus, Jacob fails the Pepsi challenge again, we play Kent or No Kent and Barlow sparks a manhunt!

For our 30th episode we're looking at the second disc of NOW That's What I Call Music Volume 15, we're still firmly in the grip of the colossus that is House Music, but there's a New Jack Swing in town!  This week we talk Whoopie as Bond, Doonesbury and sexy rabbits.  Plus, we discuss the proud Norfolk tradition of dogging... with Audrey Hepburn!

We're going all the way back to the summer of 1989 to bring you the first disc of NOW That's What I Call Music Volume 15, a surprisingly carefree offering considering the global turmoil of the time!  This week we discuss the incredible Wendy James, Kisses on the Bottom, imperative verbs and the tyranny of Paul Potts. Plus, we 'celebrate' the 100th single of a NOW veteran!

We're rounding off volume 14 of NOW That's What I Call Music! by looking at the second disc, with yet more house music and a sprinkling of SAW's fairydust on a Page 3 idol!  As well as regular features Around the World and Off the Record, we discuss Simon Climin', rejoice at the denouement of a NOW stalwart and Jacob reveals his deep hatred for a British musical theatre icon!

And so we come to 1989, with the end of the eighties in sight, we look at the first disc of NOW That's What I Call Music Volume 14.  1989 was also the year of one of the most infamous editions of the BRIT awards, so we discuss what went down that fateful night at the Royal Albert Hall.  We also talk autoerotic asphyxiation, SAW's pop song drive-thru, Phil's spare heart and we find out if every rose really does have it's thorn!

Time to pop on some cycling shorts and get moving, we've got at least 500 miles to cover here as we begin to reflect on the musical landscape of 1988 and wrap up the 'XIII'-th volume of NOW That's What I Call Music! with a second disc which hails the arrival of the moral panic-baiting genre, Acid House!  This week we talk Ian Rush's 'tache, find out what happens in Barlow's lock-up and discuss what it's like to be a 'Gamber'!

In this week's episode we're taking on the first disc of NOW That's What I Call Music! Vol. 13; and with 1989 just over the horizon, the only way is up!  Barlow teaches us how to play 'Pilchards', we reach out to those forced into pop stardom against their will and Kent takes Barlow on a trip to Wollongong!

This week we're kicking back with some high-grade Angel Delight and looking at the second disc of NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 12.  Martin and Jacob reveal their key change ritual and Sabrina reveals more than she intended, as we mark the end of the reign of the Kent Music Report!  Is it curtains for Kent?  Find out on another totally tubular edition of the NOW We're Talking Podcast!

It's our first episode of 2019!  We've managed to escape winter's icy grip for a while and we're travelling all the way back to the glorious summer of '88, with the first disc of NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 12 in tow!  Can master hard disk thief Tracey Chapman be thwarted in time for Mandela's birthday party?  How much reggae is too much reggae?  What is the most absorbent Priest?  You'll find the answers to these questions right here in the latest instalment of the NOW We're Talking Podcast!

Say hello to 2019 in style, with our quiz-tastic New Year Special!  Featuring a fiendish test from Barlow, a 'featured artists' quiz, some NOW knowledge brainteasers and 'Football or Dancehall'.  Pens and papers at the ready!

It's time for our Christmas Special, where we each choose two Christmas songs that we love, and one that we hate!  Sit back and enjoy some Yuletide cheer as we reveal our Christmas classics and hear a holiday message from some of our regular guests!

Two little ducks, 22!  Eyes down for a full house as we finish off NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 11 with a second disc chock-full of early House Music!  As we are subjected to yet more of S.A.W's High-NRG atrocities we discuss puberty, Kent's after-party routine and Barlow sensationally reveals the truth behind his charity The Gary Preservation Society!

In this week's episode we look at the first disc of NOW That's What I Call Music Volume 11 and roundup 1987 in music with a look at the epic battle for Christmas No.1.  We welcome a former president to our growing cast of characters, discover we've got Eddy Grant all wrong and give our views on an unprecedented NINE solo acts!

It's Episode 20!  That means we're 10% of the way through our mission!  In an episode full of bendy guitars and Bendy Bens, we look at the second disc of NOW That's What I Call Music Volume 10; with a huge international hit and a Christmas Classic thrown in for good measure! So long, 1987, and thanks for all the songs!

This week we're hopping on our Gig Ponies and moseying into the great blue yonder of NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 10!  Heading ever closer to 1988, Disc 1 sees us regaled by stories of the Smash Hits house, Barlow throws some serious shade and we hear about the invention of the bread buffer!

In this week's episode we finish reviewing NOW That's What I Call Music Vol.9, looking at disc 2 of the most hit-packed NOW so far!  With candidates for best video and worst video so far, we hear a tale of infidelity from Gary Moore, discover Gary Barlow's crusade to save his name and learn about the decline of the session farter!

In Episode 17 we get stuck into NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 9, with a first disc crammed with heavy hitters! We discover the best selling records of 1986 and reveal a very NOW-centric battle for Christmas no.1.  Along the way we discuss giant wotsits, ratatouille and Lionel Blair's 'professional' credentials!

We're putting on our Jimmy Jams and Terry (Lewis) Socks and settling in for a look at NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 8, Disc 2.  We wrap up 1986 in music and find out who won the BRITs before delving into a high quality entry into the NOW pantheon.  Featuring a loved up Kent, a visit from (fake) Gary Barlow and Billy Bragg's cereal preferences!

We've locked the coordinates for November 1986 into our pop time machine and we're bringing NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 8 Disc 1 along for the ride!  This week we face a deluge of Nile Rodgers production, the relegated pioneers of Rap Rock duels and meet Simon Mills, the dullest man in pop!

This week we'll be wrapping up NOW That's What I Call Music vol. 7, looking at Disc 2 and the VHS.  We find ourselves mining a rich seam of mid-eighties balladry and early Hip Hop, including an entry in the infamous Roxanne Wars!  Along the way we discuss Coco Rocks, meet The Osbourne's meat recipient and ask 'what animals are Queen'?

In this week's episode we're saying hello to NOW That's What I Call music volume 7 and looking back over 1985 in music, with a hotly contested race for Christmas No.1!  We hear the incredible tale of how Martin got his name, pitch an idea for Toy Story 4 and find out if Kent can pull himself together in time to deliver his report!

This week we're wrapping up NOW That's What I Call Music vol.6 and looking at Disc 2.  We're joined once again by David Kent, who tells us about his online business portfolio.  We also discuss the best name in pop, Post Hardcore vs New Wave, Only Fools and Horses; and Jacob covers himself in glory, twice!

As we edge ever closer to 1986, it's time to get busy with NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 6, with a couple of candidates for best song so far!  We find out why Elton needs Bernie, Simple Minds get both barrels and Feargal Sharkey gives us his greatest moment!

We made it to episode 10!  This week we look at disc 2 of NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 5.  Despite a number of setbacks we managed to pull this one out of the bag and continue our odyssey through the mid-eighties.  We spend entirely too much time discussing Mick Hucknall's manhood, get way too heated about Katrina and the Waves, and bid a sad farewell to one of our favourite has-beens!

We've made a quantum leap forward almost a full year, to August 1985 and the release of NOW That's What I Call Music vol. 5... Is it even possible to cram a year's worth of music on to two LPs?  Turns out it can be done! By leaving out many, many good songs.  But don't worry, there's still plenty to chew on, from a lover with a career-killing name to a wedding dance staple... of sorts, all with A View To A Review.  We'll also take a look back over 1984 and find out who the biggest winners and losers were in the world of Pop!

It's time to wrap up NOW That's What I Call Music vol. 4 and throw on the second disc!  We're waving goodbye to 1984, glad to be alive and relatively unscathed from the year of Big Brother, Doublespeak and evil Milk Snatchers.  Before we leave we finally abandon the imposter Michael Kent to an uncertain fate, stranded in the past, leaving us free to discuss ghost sex, test out some theories with Tesla and narrowly avoid dying of shock when we discover the last song is... actually good!?  There's definitely something strange going on, who you gonna call?

Stinking colds and invading cats can't stop us as we hurtle through the mid-eighties, stopping only to discuss NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 4.  In episode 7 we look at Disc 1 of a unique volume, and discover a possible enemy in the ranks of the pop compilation market!  Join us as we talk famous fathers, Elton's outfits and reveal the secrets of goth culture!

In Episode 6 we look at Disc 2 of NOW That's What I Call Music Vol. 3, which starts brilliantly and slowly veers off into bizarre territory, with German Reggae and a bit of Art Rock thrown in for good measure.  Let us take you on a journey through 1984 as we discuss guilty pleasures, green-screen dos and don'ts; and try to free Dr. Mabuse!

In Episode 5 we delve into Now That's What I Call Music Volume 3!  As the NOW team step up the quality of their selections, we rise to the occasion with our silliest episode yet!  So turn on, tune in and drop out as we skip straight to the chorus, discussing belly button fluff, energy drinks and asking the important questions, like "where's Blakey?"  along the way!

It's episode 4 and what begins with a Titan from Frankie Goes to Hollywood soon descends into a Mad Max style pop wasteland!  So join us as we plumb the depths of NOW vol.II's second disc.  Highlights include the contents of Thomas Dolby's fridge, Harry's sensational walk-out and throwing shade at Status Quo!

We've reached 1984 and 'Now That's What I Call Music II' is the new killer app for young pop pickers.  The Cold War still looms, but New Wave is riding high.  Come with us as we discuss such topics as the infamous Saturday Superstore incident, the Madness of Michael Caine and then almost come to blows over Joe Fagin's pub rock stomp!

Welcome to NOW We’re Talking, a new podcast where three men attempt to review the entire UK series of Now That’s What I Call Music, a famous pop compilation album that has reached its 100th incarnation.

Welcome to NOW We’re Talking, a new podcast where three men attempt to review the entire UK series of Now That’s What I Call Music, a famous pop compilation album that has reached its 100th incarnation.