Welcome to another show where Patrick and Keith play music to one another hope to have you dear listener, along for the two hours programme duration.

Patrick unearths a great set of moving tracks; some taken from a variety of Original Soundtracks and others due to the fact that they are simply bloney fine songs !

Keith has recently, and for no discernable reason, been thinking about the best music from men in black suits…

Patrick writes:

The influence of Jazz on 1980’s British Pop

Jazz’s influence on 1980s pop was more about the texture and sophistication it brought to the music—through musicianship, harmonic choices, and an undercurrent of improvisational flair. While jazz wasn’t often front-and-center, it played a vital behind-the-scenes role in elevating the sound of a decade obsessed with polish and innovation.

In 1980’s ,a subgenre often referred to as “sophisti-pop” emerged in the UK, blending pop with jazz, soul, and new wave aesthetics. These artists emphasized smooth vocals, saxophone solos, and refined arrangements.

The saxophone—especially the tenor sax—became a hallmark of emotional expression in ’80s pop, often used for dramatic solos. This trend was clearly rooted in jazz tradition.

Keith writes: 

I have long been taken by the notion of rock stars NOT dressing up in capes, draping snakes around their necks or wearing strange future-medieval space gear.

A simple, black suit, vintage or otherwise I find to be very refreshing. In this episode I feature some of the more sartorially sensible…..

Blue Rondo A La Turk – “Klaktoveidsestein”  “Chewing The Fat” –1982

Patrick writes:

It blends swing-era horn arrangements, bebop-inspired lines, and Afro-Cuban percussion with the post-punk/new wave energy of early ’80s London.

The strange title is likely a creative reinterpretation or misspelling of Parker’s “Klactoveesedstene”, a bebop standard whose own title is famously enigmatic. Parker was known for his abstract naming—some say it was meant to be humorous or cryptic, reflecting the complexity of his music.

Bob Dylan – “Blood in My Eyes” – “World Gone Wrong” – 1993

Keith Writes:

World Gone Wrong was the twenty ninth Dylan and was released in October 1993. 

It was Dylan’s second consecutive collection of traditional folk songs, performed acoustically with only with guitar and harmonica. The songs remain dark and tragic which is similar to his previous album Good as I Been to You

Dylan released a promotional music video for “Blood in My Eyes”which was directed by the Eurythmics‘ Dave Stewart. The video, was shot on Camden High Street in North London in July 1993 and it is intercut with footage of a top-hatted Dylan lip-synching the song in a cafe with additional footage of Dylan wandering around the streets of London outside. Well worth seeking out.

Level 42. – “Dune Tune”  “Level 42”  – 1982

Patrick writes:

Amid-tempo, atmospheric groove that blends funk, jazz, and ambient textures, showcasing Level 42’s jazz-fusion influences.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – “The Mercy Seat” – “B Sides and Rarities” – 2005

Keith Writes:

“The Mercy Seat” is a song written by Nick Cave and Mick Harvey – see below.

Acoustic version of the song from the album “Tender Prey”, (Recordedin 1989 at Hansa Ton Studios, Berlin). 

Robert Wyatt – “Shipbuilding”  “Nothing Can Stop Us” – 1983

Patrick writes:

Written in response to the Falklands War (1982) between the UK and Argentina, but its message remains broadly resonant. Sparse piano (played by Steve Nieve, from The Attractions) dominates the arrangement.

The Band – “Rag Mama Rag” – “The Band” – 1969

Keith Writes:

The Band, also known as “The Brown Album”, is the second studio album from The Band, and was released on September, 1969

Critic Barney Hoskyns claims that the song sounds like it “came straight out of turn-of-the-century New Orleans”.

It was also released as a single, reaching number 16 on the UK Singles Chart, the highest position for any single by the group.

Sade – “Is It a Crime”  “Promise”  – 1985

Patrick writes:

A lush, jazz-inflected ballad that blends torch song melancholy, soulful longing, and smooth jazz instrumentation, all held together by Sade Adu’s understated but deeply expressive vocals.

Johnny Cash – “Personal Jesus” – “American IV” – 2002

Keith Writes:

American IV: The Man Comes Around was, amazingly, the sixty-seventh studio album by Johnny Cash and the last to be released during his lifetime. 

It was released on November 5, 2002 and It is the fourth entry in Cash’s American series of albums, considered by some critics to be his finest work towards the end of his life.

Producer Rick Rubin asked Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante to re-work an acoustic version of Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore song, “Personal Jesus“, which featured a simple acoustic riff that stripped down the song to a blues style. The backing vocals were provided by various artists, including Fiona Apple, Nick Cave, and Don Henley.

Thomas Dolby – “I Scare Myself”  “The Flat Earth”  – 1984

Patrick writes:

A sleek, noirish reinterpretation of a song originally written and recorded by Dan Hicks in the 1970s. Dolby’s version transforms the quirky, swing-tinged original into a haunting, jazz-inflected electro-ballad—a blend of sophistication, vulnerability, and technological polish that’s emblematic of Dolby’s unique place in 1980s pop.

Mick Harvey – “Photograph” – “Two of Diamonds” – 2007

Keith Writes:

Two of Diamonds is the fourth solo studio album by Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey,

The album contains both original compositions and covers of songs by P J Harvey, Bill Withers, Emmy-Lou Harris and the track that I have chosen was written by Chris Bailey of Australian band The Saints.

Sting – “Shadows in The Rain”  “Dream Of The Blue Turtles”  – 1985

Patrick writes:

One of several tracks on “The Dream of the Blue Turtles” where Sting reinvented Police-era material through a jazz lens.

Tom Waits – “Warm Beer and Cold Women” – “Nighthawks at the Diner” – 2007

Keith Writes:

Nighthawks at the Diner is the third studio album by singer and songwriter Tom Waits, released in October 1975.

It was recorded over four sessions in July in the Los Angeles Record Plant studio in front of a small invited audience and was set up in such a way as to to recreate the atmosphere of a jazz club.

The Pogues – “Streets of Sorrow / Birmingham Six” – “If I Should Fall From Grace with God” – 1988

Keith Writes:

If I Should Fall from Grace with God is the third studio album by The Pogues, released on 18 January 1988.

The song “Streets of Sorrow”/”Birmingham Six” is one of the band’s most overt political commentaries.

The first half of the song is a ballad composed and sung by Phil Woodsabout the life of Irish independence leader Michael Collins. It was originally a much longer standalone song, but the band felt it would work better as a shorter introduction to MacGowan’s more up-tempo second half of the song, which is about the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four, two groups of Irish people imprisoned in the UK for terrorism offences. 

Their sentences were later found to be unsafe, and the Guildford Fourhad their convictions quashed and were released in 1989, followed by the Birmingham Six in 1991

Working Week – “Venceremos”  “Working Nights”  1985

Patrick writes:

A powerful, politically charged jazz-pop anthem notable for its blend of Latin jazz, soul, and socialist internationalism. It’s both a musical manifesto and a tribute to Victor Jara, the Chilean singer-songwriter and activist murdered in the 1973 Pinochet coup. 

The National – “About Today ” – “Cherry Tree” – 2004

Keith Writes:

Cherry Tree is an EP by the American indie rock band The National, released in July 2004.

An alternative version of the song “About Today” was featured in the 2011 movie “Warrior”.

Everything But The Girl – “Crab Walk”  “Eden” –  1984

Patrick writes:

The Eden version of “Crabwalk” is subtle and atmospheric, ending the album on a cool, reflective note. It’s part of the broader jazz-inflected mood that defines Eden—a record that sits alongside early works by The Style Council, Working Week, and Everything But The Girl’s own labelmates on Blanco y Negro.

Tindersticks – “Snowy in F# Minor” – “Tindersticks” – 1995

Keith Writes:

Tindersticks is the second album by the British alternative band Tindersticks, released in 1995. It is often referred to as The Second Tindersticks Album to distinguish it from the band’s first album, which was also called Tindersticks.

The album’s artwork features black and white photographs of the band being fitted for suits at Timothy Everest‘s in London.

Thomas Lang – “Scallywag Jaz”  “Scallywag Jaz”  – 1987

Patrick writes:

A standout track from his 1987 debut album, and it perfectly captures the unique fusion of Sophisti-pop, jazz, and blue-eyed soul that defined his early work. Lang emerged from the Liverpool scene with a refined, almost cinematic musical sensibility, and this title track serves as a confident artistic mission statement: suave, smart, and slightly subversive.

John Martyn – “Who Believes in Angels” – “Piece by Piece” – 1986

Keith Writes:

An album that made no particular waves back when it was issued. However, there are some wonderful moments and the track chosen is typical of the quality that is evident throughout.

The Creatures – “Right Now”   “Feast” – 1983

Patrick writes:

A bold, brassy, and theatrical reinterpretation of a 1962 jazz-pop number, transformed by Siouxsie Sioux and Budgie into something wholly distinctive: post-punk cabaret with a sultry, defiant edge. Released in 1983, the track is one of the earliest and most striking examples of the post-punk world embracing retro stylings—not as nostalgia, but as reinvention.