Mavis Staples

Singer-songwriter, Norman Blake, has been making music with his band Teenage Fanclub for over 30 years. He shares stories from his career with Ricky Ross, revisiting songs from their back catalogue of eleven studio albums and discussing how his writing has evolved. Norman describes the Glasgow music scene from those early days, the band's relationship with Alan McGee from Creation Records, Teenage Fanclub's American success, their musical influences and how everything comes back to The Beatles.

Kim Wilde enjoyed more chart hits than any other British female solo artist of the 1980s. In this extended conversation, she describes her love of pop music and growing up in a musical family. She shares the stories from her 40-year music career including working with her dad and brother, Marty and Ricky Wilde. Kim talks about appearing on Top Of The Pops when she was 18 years old with Kids In America, being on tour with Michael Jackson and David Bowie, her own journey into song-writing and why she gave it all up for gardening.

It's 50 years since Nils Lofgren released his debut album with Grin. As well as a successful solo career Nils is also a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. At the age of 19 he played guitar and piano on Neil Young's After The Goldrush album before becoming a member of Crazy Horse. He also co-wrote some songs with Lou Reed. Ricky Ross talks to Nils about his career, songs and being one of the most in demand American rock musicians.

Paul McCartney celebrates his late wife's photography and their love of Scotland in this conversation with Ricky Ross. The Linda McCartney Retrospective was shown in the UK for the first time at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in 2019 when this interview was recorded. Paul describes how their family home in Argyll and the people from Campbeltown, inspired this exhibition. Featuring some of Paul's most-loved songs that were written about Linda and the rest of his family.Linda McCartney became a professional photographer in the mid-1960s, known for her portraits of Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles. In 1968 she was the first female photographer whose work was featured on the front of Rolling Stone magazine, with a portrait of Eric Clapton. She later became the first person to have been photographed and shot the cover of Rolling Stone. Following her marriage to Paul McCartney in 1969, Linda’s photographs became more intimate and emotional, exploring the natural world, family life and social commentary.

Ricky Ross presents an extended interview with the successful artist who has been performing for over sixty years with The Staple Singers. Mavis Staples talks about her friendship with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Prince and Martin Luther King. In this special programme Mavis describes her career as a gospel & soul singer and a civil rights activist. This conversation was recording during Mavis' first ever trip to Glasgow during Celtic Connections in January 2011.

Steve Cropper was guitarist with the Stax Records house band Booker T & The M.G.'s where he was behind their own hits Green Onions and Time Is Tight. He also co-wrote and produced '(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay' with Otis Redding, 'Knock on Wood' with Eddie Floyd and 'In the Midnight Hour' with Wilson Pickett. Steve Cropper is also mentioned by name, "Play it Steve!" in Sam & Dave's hit 'Soul Man'. He was also a member of the Blues Brothers band and is considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time.In this extended interview with Ricky Ross from his Nashville home, Steve describes his journey into music and making some of the greatest R&B and pop songs of all time.

Albert Hammond has written some of the biggest pop songs in the last five decades recorded by Tina Turner, The Hollies, The Everly Brothers, Whitney Houston, Starship, Art Garfunkel, Julio Iglesias & Willie Nelson, Aswad, Ace Of Base and Leo Sayer. He's also enjoyed a successful career as a solo artist. In this extended conversation, he illustrates the songs that have defined his career by performing them to Ricky in the studio. Albert shares the stories of how they were made and describes his creative partnerships with fellow writers including Mike Hazlewood, Graham Lyle, Hal David and Diane Warren.

An extended conversation with singer-songwriter Graham Nash about his music and longevity.Graham Nash reveals the personal stories behind his new album This Path Tonight. Plus stories about CSNY, Joni Mitchell and why he will never work with David Crosby again.Graham Nash reveals the personal stories behind his studio album This Path Tonight. He explains why he will never work with David Crosby again. He traces his story back to when he left the Hollies for a new life in America with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The singer-songwriter describes his relationship with Joni Mitchell, his friendship with Neil Young and an encounter with Mama Cass.

Singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan shares the stories behind his songs, performs extracts from some of his biggest hits and talks about the songwriters who influenced him.

Dolly Parton is the first ever successful female singer-songwriter, writing over 3,000 songs. In this unique conversation about her writing process she describes her early days at Monument Records under the guidance of Fred Foster, turning down several requests to meet with Elvis and refusing his demand for a publishing credit on one of her biggest hits. She talks about her relationship with collaborators Porter Wagoner and Kenny Rogers, being mad at Linda Ronstadt for missing out a key lyric in one of her songs and the clause she gave Whitney Houston for the use of I Will Always Love You in The Bodyguard soundtrack. Dolly shares the stories behind her songs and the real events centred around her humble up-bringing. Plus she describes the opportunity to bring her songs to the stage for 9 To 5 The Musical and revisit the themes of the original movie in the #MeToo movement.