In a special edition of Mastertapes, guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer, Richard Hawley welcomes John Wilson to the Crucible in his home town of Sheffield. Throughout his 33 (and a third?) year career as a musician (he first recorded a John Peel session at the age of 19, with his band, Treebound Story), Sheffield has always played an influential part in Richard Hawley's song-writing. His 2001 album, Late Night Final, was named after the cry of vendors selling the Sheffield Star evening newspaper on the streets, and all his solo albums since, from Lowedges and Coles Corner to Truelove’s Gutter and Hollow Meadows, immortalized Sheffield landmarks. At the end of a busy year , in which he worked on four film soundtracks, recorded a new album and debuted his first stage musical - "Standing at the Sky’s Edge" at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre (featuring a mix of his old and new songs), Richard Hawley looks and plays his way back over a 33 (and a third?) year career as a musician (he first recorded a John Peel session at the age of 19, with his band, Treebound Story). Performances include what was the world premier of 'My Little Treasures' from Richard's new album, as well as a version of 'Open Up Your Door' from the stage musical "Standing At The Sky's Edge" sung by Maimuna Memon and accompanied by Will Stewart. Playing with Richard Hawley are Shez Sheridan on guitars, Jon Trier on piano and Clive Mellor on harmonica. Producer: Paul Kobrak

John Wilson returns with another run of the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition has John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then the audience puts the questions. American Pie by Don McLean Twenty-four year old Don McLean's debut album was rejected by 72 labels before it was released by Mediarts. It was only because that label was taken over by United Artists that his follow-up received the promotion it deserved. His second album contained: a tribute to the 19th-century Dutch painter, which was cited as a personal inspiration by the late rapper Tupac Shakur; a song that was re-recorded 32 years later by George Michael in protest against the Iraq War; and an eight-and-a-half minute single that in 2017 was designated an "aural treasure... worthy of preservation as part of America's patrimony" Don McLean responds to questions from the audience and performs live acoustic versions of some of the tracks on the album.

John Wilson returns with another run of the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Modern day super-group, DAMON ALBARN, PAUL SIMONON, TONY ALLEN and SIMON TONG talk to John Wilson about their acclaimed debut album "The Good, The Bad & The Queen." Released in 2007, the album brought together Blur's front-man, the bassist from the Clash, the Afrobeat pioneer who was also Fela Kuti's drummer, and former guitarist from the Verve who co-created the Magnetic North. Described by Damon Albarn as "a song cycle that's also a mystery play about London", the record was voted the Best Album of 2007 by the Observer Music Magazine and it includes the singles Herculean, Kingdom of Doom and Green Fields. Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Tony Allen and Simon Tong respond to questions from the audience and perform live versions of their follow-up album, 2018's "Merrie Land".

John Wilson returns with another run of the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Lily Allen talks to John Wilson about her fourth and most personal album, "No Shame" Always conversational in tone and infused with a dark sense of humour, Lily Allen's lyrics never shies away from the personal - and her most recent album, released in July 2018, is no different. Set against dancehall and reggae influences, the album moved away from her usual witty sarcastic songwriting style and opted for a more "candid" approach. With tracks like 'Trigger Bang', 'Lost My Mind', 'Three' and the album title track, she tackles everything from the breakdown of her marriage and her friendships... to maternal guilt, substance abuse and, as if that's not enough, social and political issues. Lily Allen responds to questions from the audience and performs live acoustic versions of some of the tracks on the album.

In a special edition of Mastertapes to celebrate National Album Day, Elvis Costello, the consummate album artist talks to John Wilson and plays his way back through a career that has spanned five decades, premiers exclusive tracks from his new album and takes questions from the audience. From his critically acclaimed debut album, My Aim Is True, released in 1977 to his newly released Look Now, his first new album in five years, Elvis Costello has been widely recognised as one of Britain's best songwriters. From early classics like Watching The Detectives, Accidents Will Happen, and Almost Blue, all the way through to Jimmie Standing In The Rain, Unwanted Number and Under Lime his talent for wordplay has remained undimmed. He remains a composer who works across a range of styles, always mining a deep, rich seam of melodic and harmonic treasures - all of which is on display in these programmes recorded in the iconic BBC studios at Maida Vale. Accompanying him is his career-long collaborator, pianist Steve Nieve.

John Wilson concludes the seventh series of Mastertapes, the programme in which he talks to leading artists about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, the audience asks the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Cult singer-songwriter and artist Benjamin Clementine talks to John Wilson about his 2015 Mercury Prize-winning album At Least for Now. Self-taught, and inspired by a range of music from Antony & the Johnsons to Erik Satie, Benjamin emigrated from London to Paris in 2009 at the age of 19. His career was launched after being discovered while busking in the Paris metro, singing covers of James Brown and Bob Marley. At Least for Now is a dramatic album of poetic ballads that prompted comparisons to Nina Simone and gained critical acclaim for its swooping melodies and the arresting lyricism of singles such as "London" and "Cornerstone". Producer: Paul Kobrak

Jimmy Webb talks to John Wilson about his song writing career

John Wilson continues with another recording for the series in which leading artists discuss the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience asks the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Singer-songwriter David Gray talks to John Wilson about the album that catapulted him to fame in 2001; White Ladder. Featuring the hits Babylon, This Year's Love and Sail Away, the album became one of the longest-charting in UK chart history, spending almost three consecutive years in the UK top 100, and won Gray an Ivor Novello Award for the single Babylon. To date, David Gray has sold 12 million albums worldwide, received a BAFTA nomination, two Ivor Novello Awards, a Q award, two Brit nominations and a Grammy nomination. Having discussed the making of White Ladder, David Gray responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some of his best-loved tracks. Producer: Edwina Pitman

John Wilson returns with another edition of Mastertapes the programme in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé takes us back to her debut album "Our Version of Events", the UK’s biggest selling record of 2012 which spent more consecutive weeks in the British charts than any other debut album, breaking a record held for 50 years by The Beatles. Featuring the singles Next To Me, Heaven, Clown and Read all About It, the album made her a household name and she was the only artist to perform at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics. Our Version of Events went on to win the BRIT Award for Album of the Year and Emeli was named Best British Female Artist. Emeli Sandé responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album. Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme can be heard on the Mastertapes pages on the Radio 4 website. Producer: Edwina Pitman

With six Grammys, three Emmys and two Oscars (from 20 Academy Award nominations) - to say nothing of his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and membership of both the Songwriters and the Rock & Roll Halls of Fame - means that Randy Newman has one of the most crowded mantelpieces in the world of popular entertainment. In this special edition of MASTERTAPES the legendary singer-songwriter and composer talks to John Wilson about 'Sail Away' – the album that Rolling Stone magazine described as “a work of genius” when it was released forty-five years ago. Already with a good dozen years under his belt as a professional song writer (he was only 28 years old when this album was released), with 'Sail Away' we see an artist able to combine biting wit, novelistic complexity and a deep understanding of the contradictions of the American psyche with sumptuous melodies and restrained arrangements. Nowhere more so than with 'Lonely At The Top’ (originally written with Frank Sinatra in mind), ‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’ (later recorded by Tom Jones for The Full Monty), ‘God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)’ and the austere title track that kicks off the album. MASTERTAPES is recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two parts, with John Wilson initially quizzing the artist about their career defining album, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts some of the questions. Both feature exclusive live performances. Producer: Paul Kobrak

John Wilson continues with the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. The legendary TOM JONES talks to John Wilson about `Praise and Blame' - the first of a trilogy of albums that would take him back to his musical roots. Described as a musical "shape shifter" who could "slide from soulful rasp to pop croon, with a voice as husky as it was pretty" (The New York Times), Tom Jones' career has spanned six decades, selling over 100 million records. In 2010, he released an album of largely unknown gospel covers, including Sister Rosetta Tharpe's Strange Things, Pop Staples' Don't Knock and John Lee Hooker's Burning Hell. The album's stripped-down, live production (by Ethan Johns) led one critic to declare "at last Jones the artist is the match of Jones the entertainer" (The Guardian). Tom Jones discusses the making of `Praise and Blame', responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album.

John Wilson continues with the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. CRAIG DAVID talks and plays his way back to 2000 and his debut album, "Born To Do It", which went on to sell 8 million copies world-wide. Recorded and released when Craig David was only 18 years old, the album includes the hits, Fill Me In, Walking Away, Rendezvous and 7 Days. Described as a '2-step garage' and R&B album, Born To Do It draws heavily on electro beats, garage and hip hop. It became (and remains) the fastest-selling debut studio album ever by a British male solo act. Sixteen years later, a more mature Craig David released his 6th studio album, Following My Intuition, which followed in the footsteps of his debut and became his second record to debut at Number 1. Craig David talks to John Wilson, responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some to the tracks from his first No 1 album and the second which was a further 16 years in the waiting.

John Wilson returns with another edition of Mastertapes, the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. "Love, Death and the Lady" with Shirley Collins. Released in 1970 on the Harvest label (also home to Deep Purple, Kevin Ayers and Pink Floyd), Love Death & the Lady exuded a darkness that reflected Shirley's own personal loneliness at the time. With tracks like The Outlandish Knight, The Oxford Girl and Geordie, the album revolves around the themes of murder, class conflict and betrayal. Shirley Collins began the 1970s releasing what is now regarded by many as one of her finest albums... and she ended the decade by losing her singing voice through dysphonia. Yet she remains revered today by the likes of Graham Coxon, Billy Bragg, Stewart Lee, Jonny Greenwood and Angel Olsen. Shirley Collins responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of songs from her new album, the first she has released in 38 years.

John Wilson returns with another edition of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then the audience puts the questions. Graham Nash has twice been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame - once with The Hollies and then with Crosby, Stills and Nash. In May 1971 he released Songs For Beginners as a solo project (it was one of four solo albums released by each member of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in the wake of their hit album Deja Vu). Made directly following his breakup with Joni Mitchell, many of the songs are about their time together. But it's an album that also reflects his political activism and so the confessional "Simple Man" and wistful "Better Days" sit alongside the still prescient "Military Madness" and the heartfelt "Chicago". He also performs acoustic live versions of some to the tracks from his new album, which reflects back on a songwriting career that has (so far) spanned more than five decades.

John Wilson returns with another edition of Mastertapes, the programme in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then the audience puts the questions. This time John talks to Laura Marling about her 2013 album 'Once I was An Eagle.' Laura Marling was only 18 when she released her first album... only 21 one when she won the Brit Award for the Best British Female solo Artist... and only 23 when she released the album described as "a masterpiece, and... she's still only getting started" (The Daily Telegraph). Produced by Ethan Johns, Once I Was An Eagle included tracks like Master Hunter, Where Can I Go? and Saved These Words, deemed to be "her most lyrically mature work... also the most musically satisfying" (The Independent). On the strength of this album she's been referred to as one of the "greatest singer-songwriters of both her generation and generations before it" (Clash Magazine). Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed.

On the eve of the sixth series of Mastertapes (which features the likes of Laura Marling, Graham Nash and Shirley Collins) there is another chance to hear the Mastertapes special, in which Paul McCartney joins John Wilson. Recorded in the iconic BBC Maida Vale studios, they discuss songwriting, Paul's solo career in the years immediately after The Beatles, his recent collaborations with Kanye West, and working with the likes of George Martin, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and - obviously - John Lennon. He also takes questions from an audience that includes Paul Weller, Noel Gallagher and Brad Pitt. Producer Paul Kobrak.

The final programme in the fifth series of Mastertapes, in which John Wilson talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Having discussed the recording of Antonio Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons' (in the A-side of the programme, available online), Nigel Kennedy responds to questions from the audience and performs exclusive excerpts from his classical and jazz repertoire. Producers: Paul Kobrak and John Goudie.

John Wilson concludes the current series of the programme where he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Antonio Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons' with Nigel Kennedy. Having trained at both the Yehudi Menuhin School of Music and the Juilliard School in New York, Nigel Kennedy has developed into one of the most popular classical musicians of his generation. This in no small part is due to the phenomenal success of his recording of The Four Seasons in 1989. At the time he explained that he set out to use "every kind of technique I know" to communicate his feeling for the music to his listeners. Kennedy's passion for non-classical music has seen him play alongside The Who and Kate Bush, record violin-based versions of songs by The Doors and Jimi Hendrix, and release an album for the jazz label Blue Note Sessions. However, The Four Seasons retains a special place in his repertoire, and in 2015 he released a completely fresh take on Vivaldi's violin concertos. In front of an audience at the BBC Studios in Maida Vale, Nigel Kennedy talks about the album that earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling classical work of all time, and performs exclusive excerpts from the concertos that helped make him famous. Producers: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with his fifth series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 10 (B-side): Having discussed the making of 'Hedonism' (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 18th January and available online), Bellowhead respond to questions from the audience and performs exclusive live acoustic versions of some to the key tracks from the album. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 9. 'Hedonism' by Bellowhead, released in 2010 and still the best selling independent folk album of all time. The idea for Bellowhead came to John Spiers and Jon Boden when they were caught in a traffic jam on tour. The longer they were stuck in the car, the more names of friends they came up with of whom to invite - initially settling on a 'modest' line-up of 10 which then grew to an even sillier 11-piece after the recording of their first EP. In June 2015, they announced that the band would be calling it a day on May 1st 2016, and exactly two weeks after the twelfth anniversary of their first ever gig in Oxford Town Hall they will finish their farewell tour with an intimate final show in the very same venue. The tickets for this gig sold out in two minutes. Their most commercially successful album, Hedonism was recorded in Abbey Road Studios and released in October 2010. Produced by John Leckie, it served up a further mix of shanties, folk songs and dance tunes, arranged in an eclectic mix of musical styles and influences. The album includes rousing versions of 'Cold Blow The Wind', 'New York Girls' and the Jacques Brel song 'Amsterdam' The B-side of the programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard on Tuesday 19th January 2016 at 3.30pm. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with his fifth series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 6 (B-side): Having discussed the making of 'Sunshine Superman' (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 11th January and available online), Donovan responds to questions from the audience and performs exclusive live acoustic versions of some of the key tracks from the album. Producer:.

John Wilson continues with the fifth series of Mastertapes, the programme in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 7. DONOVAN talks to John Wilson about 'Sunshine Superman', which according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "ignited the psychedelic revolution virtually single-handedly" when it was released in the summer of 1966. 'Sunshine Superman' is Donovan's breakthrough third album and a radical departure from his previous work. Born in Glasgow, Donovan Phillips Leitch grew up listening to his father reading him poetry and his family singing Scots Irish folk music. He began playing guitar when he was 14 and was 18 when he had his first hit, 'Catch the Wind'. A year later he began work on the album that first introduced meditation, Celtic mythology and Flower Power to the world. Creating a unique fusion of classical, jazz, folk, pop, Celtic, Latin and Indian music, the album veered from the LA-influenced 'The Trip' and 'The Fat Angel' (written for Mama Cass) to the medieval tinged 'Guinevere' and 'Legend of a Girl Child Linda' (written for Brian Jones' ex-girlfriend Linda Lawrence who became Donovan's life-long muse and wife). Linda is also the Sunshine Super-Girl of the song 'Sunshine Superman' which topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and featured a young Jimmy Page on lead guitar. The B-side of the programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard on Tuesday 12th January at 3.30pm. Producer: Clare Walker.

John Wilson continues with his fifth series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 6 (B-side): Having discussed the making of 'Handsworth Revolution' (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 4th January and available online), David Hind and Selwyn Brown respond to questions from the audience and perform exclusive live acoustic versions of some of the key tracks from the album. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with the fifth series of Mastertapes, the programme in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 5. Steel Pulse's 'Handsworth Revolution' with David Hinds and Selwyn Brown. Originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School in 1975, Steel Pulse were initially refused live dates in Birmingham's Caribbean venues because of their Rastafarian ideals. Instead they aligned themselves With Rock Against Racism and appeared alongside the likes of the Clash, XTC, the Stranglers, Tom Robinson and X-Ray Specs. It was Burning Spear who brought the group to the attention of Island Records who in February 1978 first released Ku Klux Klan as a single - a full five months before the album itself, which also included Prodigal Son, Prediction and the title track, Handsworth Revolution. Here David Hinds and Selwyn Brown talk about the album that is widely regarded a milestone in the development of British Reggae, but also perform exclusive acoustic versions of some of the key tracks. The B-side of the programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard on Tuesday 29th December at 3.30pm. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with the fifth series of Mastertapes, the programme in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 4 (B-side): Having discussed the making of 'East Side Story' (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 28th December and available online), Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook respond to questions from the audience and perform exclusive live versions of some of the tracks from the album. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 3. Squeeze's 'East Side Story' with Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford. Originally intended as a four-sided double LP with each side using a different producer (Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello), East Side Story was released in 1981 as a single LP with 14 songs. With it Squeeze moved away from their traditional 'new wave' sound to a more varied mix of genres that took in rockabilly, R&B, blue-eyed soul, Merseybeat, and psychedelia. With tracks like Tempted, Is That Love, Messed Around and Labelled with Love (which was only on the album because eventual producer Elvis Costello persuaded Glenn Tilbrook it should be included) the album is packed with keen, precise, funny and sad lyrics about lovers, drunks, deadbeats and lonely working girls - or as Chris Difford describes them: 'suburban short stories'. Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (as well as some that weren't) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website. The B-side of the programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard on Tuesday 29th December at 3.30pm. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson returns with a new series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Future programmes in the series include Donovan discussing 'Sunshine Superman', Steel Pulse returning to 'Handsworth Revolution' and Squeeze talking about 'East Side Story' Programme 2 (B-side): Having discussed the making of 'Rhythm & Blues at the Flamingo' (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 21st December and available online), Georgie Fame responds to questions from the audience and performs exclusive live versions of some of the tracks from the album (accompanied by his sons James and Tristan Powell, as well as a few of the original Blue Flames). Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson returns with a new series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading artists about the album that made them or changed them. Future programmes in the series include Donovan discussing 'Sunshine Superman', Steel Pulse returning to 'Handsworth Revolution' and Squeeze talking about 'East Side Story' Series 5, Programme 1, A-side. 'Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo' with Georgie Fame At the age of 16, former apprentice cotton weaver, Clive Powell, successfully auditioned for pop impresario Larry Parnes who then forced him to change his name to Georgie Fame. After touring alongside Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, Georgie played the piano in Billy Fury's backing band, the Blue Flames. By March 1962 it was Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames who began a three year residency at the Flamingo Club in London's Soho. Including tracks like 'Night Train', 'Work Song', 'Baby, Please Don't Go' and 'Do The Dog', 'Rhythm And Blues at the Flamingo' captured the vibrancy and excitement of the famous and notorious club which played a significant part in the breakdown of racial prejudice in post-war British society. Here Georgie Fame talks candidly with John Wilson about the album that started it all and, together with some of the original Blue Flames (including guitarist Colin Green, saxophonist Mick Eve and trumpeter Eddie 'Tan Tan' Thornton) as well as his two sons Tristan and James Powell, play exclusive versions of some of the key tracks. The B-side of the programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard on Tuesday 22nd December at 3.30pm. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

Programme 10: B-side 'Theology' by Sinéad O'Connor John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 10, the B-side. Having discussed the making of "Theology", her 2007 album (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 15th December and available online), Sinéad O'Connor responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album which she considers her most personal body of work. Producer Neil McCarthy.

John Wilson continues with the latest series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 10: A-side 'Theology' by Sinéad O'Connor Sinéad O'Connor became a household name after her 1990 hit 'Nothing Compares 2U', penned by Prince. Since then she has released 9 solo albums including this year's 'I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss'. No stranger to controversy and with an ambivalent relationship towards the Roman Catholicism of her upbringing, Sinéad is an artist who has always followed her own vision. She found notoriety when she tore up a picture of the Pope live on American television and later or was ordained as a priest. Her interest in all faiths finds expression in her eighth record Theology, her most personal body of work to date and the one album she says she wants to take with her to the grave. Sinéad had been studying Judaic Theology in Dublin before she wrote the album, drawing mainly on psalms and scriptures of the prophets for inspiration. It also includes a tense, intimate version of "I Don't Know How To Love Him" from Jesus Christ Superstar. As one critic wrote, Sinéad "re-invigorates the ancient genre of the hymn in her own inimitable way". In the A-side of Mastertapes Sinéad talks about 'Theology' and her inspiration for writing it and also plays key tracks from the 2007 album in an exclusive acoustic set. Producer Neil McCarthy.

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 10, the B-side. Having discussed the making of 'Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds', his first studio album since leaving Oasis, Noel Gallagher responds to questions from the audience, performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album and looks forward to his next musical project "Chasing Yesterday" due out in 2015. Producer: Paul Kobrak

John Wilson continues with the latest series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 9, A-side. 'Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds' with Noel Gallagher In 2009 Noel Gallagher left Oasis – one of the seminal bands of the Britpop era with seven multi-platinum albums including: 'Definitely Maybe', '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?' and 'Be Here Now' – which became the fastest selling album in UK chart history. Two years later Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds also went to Number 1 in the UK with tracks like "Everybody's On the Run", "AKA... What A Life!" and "The Death of You and Me". Praised for its psychedelic tinges and eternal themes of love, loss and hope, it's been described as the best collection of songs "since his Morning Glory days". With tracks inspired by New Orleans ragtime rhythms and Ennio Morricone-like strings, it put paid to rumours that its creator entered into a state of inertia after the end of Oasis. Noel Gallagher said of the album: "I won't criticize anything about Oasis because I loved being in that band and I was in charge of it, but there was always the feeling: how will this go down in Wembley, with 70,000 people braying for good times? This time I didn't have to think about that. I've got a guy playing wine glasses on one song, a saw on another. This is not Oasis." Producer: Paul Kobrak

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 8, the B-side. Having discussed the making of "A Tonic For The Troops", their 1978 hit album, Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats respond to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album which brought them their first Number 1 single with 'Rat Trap'. Producer: Paul Kobrak

John Wilson continues with the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 7, A-side. 'A Tonic For The Troops' Named after a gang in Woody Guthrie's autobiography, The Boomtown Rats had a series of hits between 1977 and 1985. Signed by Mercury records the same year that punk rock exploded in Britain, it was their second album 'A Tonic for the Troops', with tracks like "She's So Modern", "Like Clockwork" and "Me and Howard Hughes", that brought them their first Number 1 hit with "Rat Trap". It's an album that treats dark themes like suicide and euthanasia in an often upbeat, pop-punk style - one critic described the track "Eva Braun" as "the happiest, cheeriest, best upbeat song about Hitler ever written." And another said "Vintage superstars who look like eyesores and sound like dinosaurs should carefully study this album." The band broke-up in 1986, but reformed in 2013 to tour the UK. This will be a unique opportunity not only to hear them talk about their album but also to see them perform exclusive versions of key tracks. Producer: Paul Kobrak

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 3. Manic Street Preachers' 'THe Holy Bible' with Sean Moore, James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire. Released a mere five months before the disappearance of main lyricist and rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards, The Holy Bible reflects his fragile mental state. On its release, Q said "even a cursory glance at the titles will confirm that this is not the new Gloria Estefan album". And with tracks like "Yes", "Of Walking Abortion", "Mausoleum" and "4st 7lb", the lyrics deal with everything from prostitution and serial killers to the Holocaust and self-starvation. With Manic Street Preachers about to take this career defining album back on Tour in December, when they played some of the songs from it for this special edition of Mastertapes, it was the first time in two decades that Nicky, James and Sean played some of them in front of an audience. Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (as well as some that weren't) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 6, the B-side. Having discussed the making of her breakthrough album 'Ayé' (in the A-side of the programme), Angélique Kidjo responds to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album which was released twenty years ago. Producer: Clare Walker

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 5. 'Ayé' with Angélique Kidjo John Wilson talks to the Grammy nominated singer-songwriter and activist from Benin about her breakthrough album Ayé released in 1994 and hears her perform exclusive versions of key tracks. With songs including "Agolo," "Adouma" and "Djan-Djan", the album has been described as "a spellbinding one-world statement" where "Kidjo treats her voice like it's a percussion instrument". One of ten children, Angélique Kidjo grew up in Benin in West Africa. But in the 1980s she moved to Paris to escape the communist regime and began synthesising the music of her native country with rock, funk, electronica and Euro-pop. Kidjo has collaborated with artists as diverse as Alicia Keys, Philip Glass, the Kronos Quartet and Peter Gabriel and been declared as the "the undisputed Queen of African Music." Her albums regularly top the World Albums Charts and her gift is said to be "to pour what could so easily be anger and frustration into songs that uplift and inspire us." Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (as well as some that weren't) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website. Producer: Clare Walker

John Wilson continues with his series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 2, the B-side. Having discussed the making of "The Holy Bible", the career defining third album (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 17th November and available online), James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire and Sean Moore respond to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some to the tracks from the album which was released twenty years ago. Producer: Paul Kobra.

John Wilson chats to Rufus Wainwright about his life-changing album, 2003's Want One. Rufus tells the stories behind some of those songs, and sings and performs solo piano. As Rufus says himself, he has no filter. The two meet in a stylishly transformed Maida Vale Studio. Rufus also sings a cappella a song he composed after the death of his mother, the singer Kate McGarrigle. The programme features footage from a young Rufus' first ever song recording, as part of a Canadian children's film.

John Wilson returns with a new series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Future programmes in the series include Manic Street Preachers discussing "The Holy Bible", Angelique Kidjo returning to "Aye" and Sinead O'Connor talking about "Theology" Programme 1. "Want One" with singer-songwriter-composer Rufus Wainwright. The son of folk singers Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, Rufus began playing the piano at the age of 6 and touring at 13. Before he had even reached voting age, he had been nominated for Best Original Song and Most Promising Male Vocalist awards. But it would be another fourteen years before he released the album that has been variously described as "obscenely lush"... a "gorgeous meditation on emotional displacement" and "a three-hankie weepie". The first part of what was intended to be a double album, Want One is full of songs about love, loss, family, addiction and popular culture, including 'I Don't Know What It Is', 'Go Or Go Ahead' and 'Dinner At Eight'. Not only does he play exclusive versions of some of these songs, in a frank and no-punches-pulled interview, Rufus also reveals what part drugs, sex, near-death experiences and extended arguments with his father played in the making of this remarkable album "Frankly, Wainwright could be singing lists of names out of the phone book and it would still be more exciting and inventive than 99% of the other albums out there" Producer: Paul Kobrak

Soul II Soul, the B-side. Having discussed the making of "Club Classics Vol 1", the breakthrough album from Soul II Soul (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 25th November and available online), Jazzie B and Caron Wheeler respond to questions from the audience. Jazzie talks more about his own roots as a musician and Soul II Soul perform live versions of tracks from the album.

John Wilson talks to Jazzie B and Caron Wheeler of Soul II Soul about their 1989 album 'Club Classics Vol 1' including the global hit Back to Life. Including exclusive performance by the whole band. Soul II Soul is one of the most successful British black groups of all time. Their ethos of 'a happy face, a thumping bass for a loving race' and the sound of their debut album, released in 1989, defined a time and place in the UK's musical history. Featuring the huge hits 'Back To Life' and 'Keep On Moving' the album took London's multicultural underground club culture into the mainstream and achieved worldwide success. 'Club Classics' mixed the sounds of a burgeoning DJ scene with Jazzie B's distinctly British take on rap and the colossal vocal talents of Caron Wheeler. Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Mastertapes is new programme in which John Wilson talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. The B-side of this programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard tomorrow at 3.30pm.

John Wilson continues with his Radio 4 series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 4 (B-side). Having discussed the making of "Gorgeous George", the career changing solo album with the world wide hit A Girl Like You (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 2nd December and available online), Edwyn Collins - together with his wife and manager Grace Maxwell - responds to questions from the audience and, with a small band, performs acoustic live versions of some to the tracks from the album which he started recording 20 years ago. Producer: Helen Lennard.

John Wilson talks to musicians about the album that made or changed them. Edwyn Collins discusses and plays from "Gorgeous George", his best known solo album which includes the hit song "A Girl Like You". Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Edwyn Collins is an Ivor Novello Award winning songwriter who has enjoyed great success both as a solo artist and as the lead singer of Orange Juice. "Gorgeous George" was produced in the studio which Edwyn built himself and highlights Edwyn's witty melodic style. 'Girl Like You' spent 14 weeks in the charts and features in the films 'Empire Records' and 'Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle'. Edwyn has also produced records for the likes of The Cribs, Space, Little Barrie and The Proclaimers, produced and starred in his own sitcom as well as creating a book of illustrations. In May 2009, he won the Ivors Inspiration Award in recognition of his struggles following a double brain haemorrhage in 2005. He has continued to record and his latest album 'Understated' was recently released on his own label. In Mastertapes John Wilson talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. The B-Side of this programme can be heard on Tuesday 3rd December at 3.30 Producer: Helen Lennard.

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 2 (B-side). Having discussed the making of "Tigerlily", her debut solo album made after leaving 10,000 Maniacs (in the A-side of the programme, and available online), Natalie Merchant responds to questions from the audience and performs live versions of some to the tracks from the album. Complete versions of the songs performed in this programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson returns with a new series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 1, A-side. "Tigerlily" with Natalie Merchant Completely self-funded (to ensure creative control),"Tigerlily" went on the sell over 5 million copies and continues to be Natalie Merchant's most successful album to date. Its bold and stripped down sound gave more emphasis to her powerful and often personal lyrics, including "Beloved Wife" (inspired by her grandfather's grief in the wake of her grandmother's passing) and "River" (written in response to the sudden and untimely death of her friend River Phoenix). The album also included the top-40 singles "Wonder" and "Jealousy", as well as her first top-ten hit as a solo artist, "Carnival". Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 2, the B-side. Having discussed the making of "If I Could Only Remember My Name", his 1971 album (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 18th November and available online), David Crosby responds to questions from the audience and performs live versions of some the tracks from that debut solo album and from his as yet unreleased solo album, "Croz" Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson returns with a new series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 2, A-side. "If I Could Only Remeber My Name" with David Crosby Double inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, David Crosby talkes John Wilson back to the making of his debut solo album, If I Could Only Remember My Name. Released in 1971, it was one of four high-profile solo albums released more or less simultaneously by each member of the legendary super-group, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. David's If I Could Only Remember My Name boasted a stellar line-up that not only included Neil Young and Graham Nash, but also featured Joni Mitchell and the leading members of both Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. Initially met with mixed reviews, the album has never been out of print and features some of his most impressive vocal and songwriting work - including the haunting Laughing, the mantra-like Music Is Love and the extended, impressionistic Cowboy Movie. The B-side of the programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard tomorrow at 3.30pm Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson returns with a new series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 1, A-side. "Life Thru A Lens" with Robbie Williams Today, Robbie Williams is the UK's best-selling solo artist of all time. But when he released his debut solo album, "Life Thru A Lens", after leaving the all-conquering boyband, Take That, it was initially met with negative reviews and was slow to take off. However, with songs like Ego A Go Go, Lazy Days, Let Me Entertain You and, of course, Angels, the album not only went on to spend more than 4 years in the charts and become the 58th best-selling album of all time, it also laid down the solid foundations for all that was to follow: nine further solo albums, seven number one singles and more BRIT awards than any other artist. Here Robbie Williams talks candidly with John Wilson about the album that started it all and they are joined in the studio by the album's co-writer and producer, Guy Chambers as well as guitarist Gary Nuttall and a string quartet. The B-side of the programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard tomorrow at 3.30pm. Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 1, the B-side. Having discussed the making of "Life Thru A Lens", the album he released after leaving boy-band Take That (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 11th November and available online), Robbie Williams candidly responds to questions from the audience and performs live versions of some to the tracks from that debut solo album, as well as his new release, "Swings Both Ways" Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson concludes the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 5, the B-side. Having discussed the making of Spandau Ballet's international hit album 'True' (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 24th June and available online), Gary Kemp and Tony Hadley responds to questions from the audience and performs live versions of some of the songs from the album, which was made 30 years ago. Producer: Helen Lennard.

John Wilson concludes the second series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 5. "True" with Gary Kemp and Tony Hadley Thirty years ago Spandau Ballet released their third album 'True'. It became a worldwide smash hit featuring tracks such as 'Gold', ''Pleasure', 'Communication' and the title track, which spent 4 weeks at the top of the charts. Singer Tony Hadley and Gary Kemp, the man who wrote all of these songs, both came to the BBC Maida Vale studios to discuss their inspiration and influence. Released in 1983 'True' became one of the stand out albums of the New Romantic movement. Recorded at the legendary Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas, Producers Steve Jolley and Tony Swain gave the band a slicker, more R&B sound aimed at squarely at the charts. The B-side of the programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard tomorrow at 3.30pm Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Producer: Helen Lennard.

John Wilson continues with the second series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 4 (the B-side). Having discussed the making of Eliza's award winning 2004 album, "Anglicana" (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 17th June and available online), Eliza Carthy and her father Martin Carthy respond to questions from the audience and perform live versions of some of the songs from the album, as well as discussing their work together with Norma Waterson as Waterson:Carthy. Producer: Helen Lennard.

John Wilson continues with the second series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 1, A-side. "Anglicana" with Eliza Carthy and her father Martin Carthy. Together Eliza Carthy and her parents Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson have consistently breathed new life and vitality into English folk music. Martin Carthy MBE has influenced the likes of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon with his interpretations of the traditional music of these shores. His guitar playing continues to inspire artists in all genres and he continues to tour and record on his own, and when working with wife Norma Waterson and daughter Eliza Carthy as Waterson:Carthy. Eliza Carthy has continued to expand the legacy of her parents work, reinterpreting and reinvigorating English folk in her own unique style. Her fiddle playing is in a class of its own and throughout her career she has experimented with unusual musical collaborations, including the hugely successful Imagined Village project. "Anglicana" was released in 2002 and gained Eliza her second Mercury nomination. It features both Martin Carthy and her mother Norma Waterson and was hailed as a new definition of what it means to be English in the 21st Century. Eliza and Martin Carthy, came to the BBC Maida Vale studios to discuss the making of "Anglicana", their constantly evolving interpretations of traditional folk songs and their work together with Norma Waterson as Waterson:Carthy. . The B-side of the programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard tomorrow at 3.30pm Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Producer: Helen Lennard.

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 3, the B-side. Having discussed the making of "Rumor And Sigh", not just his most commercially successful album, but also a high point of his career (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 10th June and available online), Richard Thompson responds to questions from the audience. He also performs live versions of some to the tracks from the album as well as classic tracks from his days with Fairport Convention. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with the second series of Mastertapes, in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 3, A-side. "Rumor And Sigh" - Richard Thompson Named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the Top 20 Guitarists of all time, Richard looks back at the making of what is not just his most commercially successful album, but also one of the high points of his career. It was album that earned him a Grammy Nomination for the Best Alternative Music Album (he lost out R.E.M.) and it captures Thompson's obsession with romantic despair and the more miserable quirks of fate. And yet, like all good tragedy, it does not sound depressing - it is instead life affirming. Richard has said that the albums he considered "successful" were those where his initial concept most closely matched the finished product. By this yardstick, 'Rumor And Sigh' was one of his most successful albums, containing such tracks as "1952 Vincent Black Lightning", "God Loves A Drunk" and "Why Must I Plead". Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with his new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 2, the B-side. Having discussed the making of "Fisherman's Blues", the career changing forth album from The Waterboys (in the A-side of the programme, broadcast on Monday 3rd June and available online), Mike Scott & Steve Wickham respond to questions from the audience and performs acoustic live versions of some to the tracks from the album which was released twenty five years ago. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

John Wilson continues with the series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 2, A-side. "Fisherman's Blues" - Twenty five years after it was first released, Mike Scott and Steve Wickham return to the album that marked a distinct change in the sound of their group The Waterboys. Featuring the ominous 'We Will Not Be Lovers', the otherworldly 'When Ye Go Away' and the much covered title track (including Hip Hop, torch song and Japanese punk versions), "Fisherman's Blues" only came about when Scots-born Mike went to stay with fiddler Steve Wickham in Dublin for a week in 1986 and ended up living in Ireland. Two years and well over 100 songs later, the album marks the band's musical journey from rock to roots, with electric guitar and sax being replaced by mandolin and fiddle. An album that mixes rock and roll with Celtic folk, a love of literature with spirituality and the British poetic tradition with punk's DIY ethic. The programme also features live performances of music from the album. The B-side of the programme, where it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions, can be heard tomorrow at 3.30pm Producer: Paul Kobrak.

Wilko Johnson responds to questions from the audience about Dr. Feelgood's 'Down By The Jetty'. John Wilson talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. The B-side. Having discussed the making of "Down By The Jetty", the debut album from Dr. Feelgood (in the A-side of the programme) Wilko Johnson responds to questions from the audience and performs live versions of some of the songs discussed. Producer: Paul Kobrak. First broadcast on Radio 4 in May 2013.

Wilko Johnson talks about Dr Feelgood's debut album, released in 1975, 'Down By The Jetty'. Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side. In this one (The A side), John Wilson talks to the guitarist and founding member of Dr. Feelgood Wilko Johnson about 'Down By The Jetty', released in January 1975 and including 'Roxette', 'She Does It Right' and 'All Through the City', the album has been cited as a major influence by the likes of Paul Weller, the Clash, Blondie and the Ramones. Wilko Johnson talks about his diagnosis with terminal cancer and his decision not to undergo chemotherapy, while he goes on a final tour. Producer: Paul Kobrak First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2013.

Rod Argent, Chris White and Colin Blunstone answer questions from an about their album, 'Odessey and Oracle'. John Wilson talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. The B-side. Having discussed the making of the Zombies' seminal 1968 album, "Odessey & Oracle" (in the A-side of the programme) Rod Argent, Chris White and Colin Blunstone responds to questions from the audience and perform live versions of some of the songs from the album, still held in such high regard. Producer: Paul Kobrak. First broadcast on Radio 4 in December 2012.

John Wilson concludes his series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Each edition includes two episodes, with John initially quizzing the artist about the album in question, and then, in the B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Programme 7. Forty five years after it was recorded, Rod Argent, Chris White and Colin Blunstone recall the making of the Zombies album 'Odessey And Oracle'. When it was released in 1968, after the band had split up, it was indifferently received. But since it has been described as: "one of the great undiscovered works of the psychedelic era" - Pitchfork; "an album that should grace any record collection... essential" - BBC; and "combining the adventure of Sgt. Pepper with the concision of British Invasion Pop" - Rolling Stone. Those who have cited the Zombies as influences include everyone from Courtney Love to the Magic Numbers and from the Arctic Monkeys to Paul Weller. 'Odessey And Oracle' (the title was mis-spelt by the designer of the cover) contained only one stereotypically summer-of-love hit ('Time Of The Season') - the darker tones and dramatic third-person feel of much of the album (including the likes of 'Care of Cell 44', 'The Butcher's Tale' and 'A Rose For Emily') makes it sound ahead of its time. Producer: Paul Kobrak.

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, Coraine Bailey Rae responds to questions from the audience about the inspiration behind her 2010 album, 'The Sea'. With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London. Corinne, together with pianist Steve Brown, performs acoustic live versions of some of the songs discussed. Producer: Paul Kobrak. First broadcast on Radio 4 in December 2012.

Coraine Bailey Rae talks about the inspiration behind her 2010 album, 'The Sea'. Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side. Both editions feature exclusive live performances of songs from the album. In this one (The A side), John Wilson takes Grammy-award-winning Corinne Bailey Rae back to the release of her follow-up album in 2010 - four years after her number one debut album. An extremely personal music collection, it explored a range of human emotions from grief and loss to love and joy. In a revealing interview, Corinne describes not just her musical upbringing and influences, but also talks movingly about the impact that the death of her husband had on the making of this album. Together with pianist Steve Brown, she performs an exclusive live version of the title track from the album. In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions. Producer: Paul Kobrak First broadcast on Radio 4 in December 2012.

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, Ray Davies responds to questions from the audience about the inspiration behind two classic Kinks albums, 'Lola' and 'Muswell Hillbillies'. With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London. Ray performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the albums, both of which were released more than forty years ago. Producer: Paul Kobrak. First broadcast on Radio 4 in December 2012.

Ray Davies talks about the inspiration behind two classic Kinks albums, 'Lola' and 'Muswell Hillbillies'. Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side. Both editions feature exclusive live performances of songs from the two albums. In this one (The A side), John Wilson takes Ray back to the early 1970s and the making of two classic Kinks albums. Marking a period of transition for the group (as they left one British record label for an American one), both were concept albums, tackling such broad themes as corruption within the music industry and the destruction of old communities via urban regeneration. In a revealing interview, Ray considers the power of the lyric and the importance of place in his song-writing. In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions. Producer: Paul Kobrak. First broadcast on Radio 4 in November 2012.

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, now the audience get to ask Brinsley Forde their questions about the inspiration behind Aswad's 1981 album 'New Chapter'. With John Wilson at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios in London. Brinsley performs live versions of some of the tracks from the album which was released more than three decades ago. Producer: Emma Kingsley First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.

Brinsley Forde talks about the inspiration behind Aswad's 1981 album 'New Chapter'. Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. In this one (The A side), John Wilson asks Brinsley about the album in question. More than 30 years since its release, Brinsley Forde talks about Aswad's third studio album. Formed in Ladbroke Grove in West London, Aswad are the band that put UK reggae on the map. They were reknowned for their fusion of styles including dancehall, funk, hip-hop and dub and for bringing strong R&B influences to the reggae scene. New Chapter, their first album for CBS, was both a watershed for the group and a benchmark for British reggae and it features tracks like 'Natural Progression', 'Ina Your Rights', 'Candles' and 'African Children'. Released in 1981, it went on to influence the likes of Maxi Priest, Soul II Soul and Massive Attack. In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions. Producer: Emma Kingsley First broadcast on Radio 4 in November 2012.

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, now the audience get to ask Paul Weller the questions about The Gift, the Jam's final album. He also performs acoustic live versions of some of the tracks from the album which was released 30 years ago. With John Wilson. Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on BBC Radio 4's website, where all the programmes of the series can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Producers: Paul Kobrak & India Rakusen First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.

Paul Weller talks about 'The Gift', the Jam's final album. Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side. In this one (The A side), John Wilson asks Paul about the album in question, and then, in the accompanying B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. 30 years after the band's split, Paul discusses 'The Gift' - the last album for The Jam. The band's only No 1 album, it marked a musical departure from the classic Jam sound to a more soul-influenced style, and it ushered in Weller's ideas for the Style Council. It was an album that didn't just focus on the state of society, it also had a lot to say about where music was going in the 1980s - and it included the classic No 1 'Town Called Malice' as well as 'Running On The Spot' and 'Carnation'. Paul also plays exclusive live versions of some of the tracks on the album. Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where all the programmes of the series can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Producers: Paul Kobrak & India Rakusen First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.

Following on from the A-side of this two-part programme, now the audience get to ask Suzanne Vega the questions about her platinum-selling Solitude Standing. We hear how the sound of the album changed from her previous album, as Suzanne decided to bring out the drums and give the sound an edge. Suzanne describes writing the song "Gypsy" for a boy she met at summer camp and how the two of them got back in touch when he realised the song was about him. And we hear how Suzanne has written a follow-up song to the album's hit song "Luka". With John Wilson. Producer: Emma Kingsley First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.

Suzanne Vega discuss her platinum-selling Solitude Standing. Series in which leading performers and songwriters talk about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios, each edition includes two episodes - the A-side and B-side. In this one (The A side), John Wilson asks Suzanne about the album in question, and then, in the accompanying B-side, the audience puts the questions. Both editions feature exclusive live performances. Suzanne explains that it was her manager who saw the potential of "Luka" and convinced her that a song with a social message could be a hit. She recalls how the tune for "Tom's Diner" came to her while she was walking down Broadway after having been to the real Tom's restaurant. And she discusses the way in which images and words were part of her life from a very early age and have influenced her work. Producer: Emma Kingsley First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in November 2012.

John Wilson launches a major new series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 1, Side B. 'Talking With The Taxman About Poetry' - Having discussed the making of his self-proclaimed 'difficult' third album (in the A-side of the programme), Billy Bragg responds to questions from the audience. He considers the state of protest songs today, reveals what music he is writing at the moment and explains what poetry he would discuss with today's taxman. And he plays excerpts from the album live in front of the audience. Future Programmes will include Paul Weller talking about the Jam's last album, 'The Gift'; Suzanne Vega recalls the making of 'Solitude Standing', the album that made her a worldwide superstar; and Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone takes us back to the seminal Zombies' record 'Odessey and Oracle' Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Producer: Paul Kobrak First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012.

John Wilson's series in which he talks to leading performers and songwriters about the album that made them or changed them. Recorded in front of a live audience at the BBC's iconic Maida Vale Studios. Programme 1, A-side. 'Talking With The Taxman About Poetry' - Billy Bragg reveals how the self-proclaimed 'difficult' third album was written and created with a guitar he bought when he was out shopping for swimming trunks (he claims he still swims naked as a result)... he explains how a film about the James Brothers helped him write "There's Power In A Union'... and describes how Andy Kershaw's inability to shut up led him to writing 'Levi Stubbs' Tears'. And he plays excerpts from the album live in front of the audience. In the B-side of the programme, it's the turn of the audience to ask the questions and Billy considers the state of protest songs today, reveals what music he is writing at the moment and explains what poetry he would discuss with today's taxman. Other programmes include Paul Weller talking about The Jam's final album, 'The Gift'; Suzanne Vega recalls the making of 'Solitude Standing', the album that made her a worldwide superstar; and Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone takes us back to the seminal Zombies' record 'Oracle And Odessey' Complete versions of the songs performed in the programme (and others) can be heard on the 'Mastertapes' pages on the Radio 4 website, where the programmes can also be downloaded and other musical goodies accessed. Producer: Paul Kobrak.