Dave Hill is a national treasure. Half a century after Slade’s first hit, surviving a stroke, depression and the departure of his former band mates, Dave is still going strong and entertaining Slade fans with live performances of the band’s hits - seventeen consecutive top twenty and six UK number ones to be precise.

We chat about Slade’s fourth-coming tour, their latest box set release All The World Is A Stage, what’s next on the horizon, and how Dave put on his ‘Batman cape’ to emerge as one of greatest glam rock icons of the era.

The Slade tracks featured are: Cum On Feel The Noise, Coz I Love You, Far Far Away, How Does It Feel, and My Oh My. For more information about Dave and Slade visit www.davehillslade.com 

Before becoming one of the biggest names in rock history, Status Quo honed their craft as a holiday camp act at Butlins in Minehead. Sixty years later, the same venue was the chosen to host the last performance of John Coghlan’s Quo’s farewell tour.

But John is not ready to hang up his drum sticks for good just yet….well…as he explains, he hasn’t got a dog after all. So what does a man with such a successful career behind him do? Well…make more music, of course!

The tracks features are: Rockin' All Over the World, Mystery Song and Down Down by Status Quo, and Lockdown by John Coghlan's Quo.

Photo credit: Will Ireland

Twenty years of interviewing fabulous musicians is no mean feat and I thought it deserved some kind of celebration, or at least to be marked in history for posterity.
So, I’ve recorded Cat O’nine Tales; nine special episodes of CATtales to look back on those early encounters where the recordings of the interviews no longer survive and the details only remain in written form.
After introducing my guest, I’ll give you a link address to read the interview and play some of their key hits for you to listen to whilst you enjoy it. 
Thank you to you the listeners and my fabulous guests for your support over the years, I hope you enjoy these special 9 Tales.

Tale 5:
Laura Cantrell’s country vibe struck a chord with the Cambridge Folk Festival crowd with her soft, melodious tones wooing the audience. 
Her 2000 debut album, Not the Tremblin' Kind brought the Nashville-born and New York City-based performer considerable acclaim and I was interested to learn whether the American music industry differed much from that in the UK.

This tale dates back to 2 August 2003, visit CATtales.co.uk/118 for the one with Laura Cantrell and sit back and enjoy these tunes. Visit lauracantrell.com for more information about Laura.

Feb 2017: I spend a little time with Anthrax bassist Frank Bello on the last UK date of the band’s Among The Kings tour. He chats to me about being part of ‘the big four’, the band’s very own beer, experiencing music on vinyl and why he wants to pass on the torch of playing music to the next generation.

#FrankBello #Anthrax #BigFour #Metal #Rock #interview

Feb 2017: There are some people who deserve to be in demand and bassist aficionado, Marco Mendoza, is one such person. He’s rocked the world with Ted Nugent, Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders, and collaborated with music’s great, and now he chats with me about the excesses of rock n roll, divine intervention, and playing a bit of jazz.

When he writes that autobiography, I'll be first in the queue!

#MarcoMendoza #DeadDaisies #BlackStarRiders #ThinLizzy #Whitesnake #rock #tednugent #interview

April 2016: Earl Slick Talks Bowie and Station To Station

He's played with David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono Band, The New York Dolls…and now the legendary Earl Slick chats to CAT about his Station To Station tour and an illustrious career spanning over 40 years.

#EarlSlick #rock #blues #YokoOno #JohnLennon #NewYorkDolls #DavidBowie #interview

March 2015: I caught up with rocker's Europe in Norwich on their latest tour. Mic Michaeli chats to me about the rock 'n' roll circus, the band's journey in a musical universe and their latest album War of Kings.

#Europe #EuropeTheBand #MicMichaeli #pop #rock #interview

March 2015: He's played with #Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, and #Megadeth, now Drummer Jimmy DeGrasso chats to me about Back Star Riders' transition from Thin Lizzy, what it's like touring and their new album.

#ThinLizzy #BlackStarRiders #JimmiDeGrasso #AliceCooper #rock #interview

August 2014: FM at 30

Rock band FM are celebrating being in the business 30 years. I had a little fun with them backstage at Cambridge Rock Festival, this is how it went…

#FM #rock #CambridgeRockFestival #interview

July 2014: I chat to John Jones of folk-rock band, Oysterband, at the Cherry Hinton pond at #CambridgeFolkFestival as it celebrates its 50th Anniversary.

#Oysterband #JohnJones #folk #interview

April 2014: Magnum's Harry James and Al Barrow chat about the band's 42 years history, their latest album and current tour…and why the future is in collectibles.

#Magnum #AlBarrow #HarryJames #rock #interview

Feb 2014: Rock band The Answer have recently released their 4th album and are in the middle of a 31 date tour.

I caught up with them and chatted about performing around the world, touring with ACDC and playing Download.

This is how it went…

#TheAnswer #PaulMahon #rock #interview

Dec 2013: The Darkness are just ending a headline UK tour after re-forming in 2011. Drummer Ed Graham chats about the band getting back together, touring with Lady Gaga and swimming with sharks!

#TheDarkness #EdGraham #LadyGaGa #rock #interview

Twenty years of interviewing fabulous musicians is no mean feat and I thought it deserved some kind of celebration, or at least to be marked in history for posterity.
So, I’ve recorded Cat o' Nine Tales; 9 special episodes of CATtales to look back on those early encounters where the recordings of the interviews no longer survive and the details only remain in written form.
After introducing my guest, I’ll give you a link address to read the interview and play some of their key hits for you to listen to whilst you enjoy it. 
Thank you to you the listeners and my fabulous guests for your support over the years, I hope you enjoy these special 9 tales...

Tale 4:

Roddy Frame is an absolute delight. 
It’s rare for a performer armed only with an acoustic guitar to create a sound which could be mistaken for ten men and his charismatic stage-presence completely captivates any audience. 
This style of performance is a long cry from Roddy’s days with Aztec Camera who came to prominence in the early eighties and it’s many years since he became an acclaimed solo artist performing acoustic tracks under his own name. 

This tale dates back to July 31st 2003, visit CATtales.co.uk/117 for the one with Roddy Frame and sit back and enjoy these tunes.
The tracks featured are: Good Morning Britain, Somewhere in my Heart, Oblivious, White Pony and all I Need Is Everything. Visit roddyframe.com for more information on Roddy and to listen to this again and to other tales, visit CATtales.co.uk.

Nov 2013 - Lead singer of the Dead Daisies and ex-INXS frontman, Jon Stevens, talks about life on the road, being a real-life Crocodile Dundee and his brush with death.

It's only rock 'n' roll!

#Inxs #DeadDaisies #JonStevens #Noisework #rock #interview

Nov 2013: Still Feelin' The Noize

The 70s was one of the most memorable decades in music history, not least because of the impact of glam-rock and its influence on later muscians.

There's no doubt that one of the legendary bands of that time was #Slade and I was very lucky to be able to spend an afternoon with guitarist, and one of the most genuine men in the music industry, Dave Hill, who is still 'feeling the noize'. This is a little of that conversation.

#DaveHill #rock #pop #slade #interview

Oct 2013: Texan punk rockers Bowling For Soup are back with a new album "Lunch. Drunk. Love." which sees the band return to the UK for their latest, and final, tour.

I was lucky enough to grab 5 few minutes with their lovely guitarist, Chris Burney, as the band prepared to go on stage. He rarely does interviews, so I was a lucky girl.

This is how it went.

#BowlingForSoup #ChrisBurney #rock #interview

April 2013: Getting Under Skunk Anansie’s Skin

There are few female lead-singers quite as formidable as Skunk Anansie’s #Skin.

Independent, striking, strong. Just a few words that are frequently used to describe her.

But when I interviewed her and Skunk Anansie guitarist, #Ace, recently I discovered a softer, more poignant, side to her nature.

Here’s what they had to say.

#SkunkAnansie #rock #interview

Sept 2012: From Sex Pistol to Philistine

The backwaters of North-Norfolk is not usually the place where you would expect to see an ex-member of the Sex Pistols, one of the most rebellious bands of our time.

But there, in the backwaters of North-Norfolk, for one night only, was bassist Glen Matlock performing at the Voewood Festival with his band The Philistines.

I was fortunate enough to spend an evening in his delightful company. Not the most conventional of interviews, we shared a few laughs and Glen showed the more impish side of his personality. This is how it went….

#SexPistols #GlenMatlock #punk #rock #interview

Dec 2011: Fish out of water, not!

Ex-Marillion frontman #Fish has been through the mill in recent years but even divorce and throat surgery have failed to keep him out of the water when it comes to touring. I caught up with him before one of his solo gigs when he was refreshing, frank, and honest about fame and the music business…and was delightful company too…

#Marillion #folk #rock #pop #fish #interview

July 2010: Gretchen Peters turns found objects into songs

I chatted with Getchen after her performance at the #CambridgeFolkFestival about song-writing and performing just before she was nominated for induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The stage next door was rockin' but Gretchen was so terribly interesting I wanted to share it.

#GretchenPeters #country #interview

July 2010: Questioning The Quebes

The Quebe Sisters Band are Texas’ favourite Western Swing, Hot Jazz, Country performers and when Grace, Sophia and Hulda sing their vintage style three-part harmony, audiences are mesmerised.

This is what they had to say about Texas-style fiddling, visiting the UK and what it’s like to be in a family band.

#Quebe #CambridgeFolkFestival #country #jazz #interview

July 2010: Kathy Mattea At The Coalface

Grammy-winning country artist Kathy Mattea chatted to me at the #CambridgeFolkFestival during her only UK performance of 2010 about her latest release Coal.

#KathyMattea #country #interview

One from the vaults!

March 2008: Not The Hoople….Just Ian

Iconic singer frontman of Mott the Hoople agreed to speak for a very quick couple of minutes before he went on stage on his solo tour. Not the chattiest of interviewees, Ian Hunter didn't give much away…

#IanHunter #MottTheHoople #pop #rock #interview

Twenty years of interviewing fabulous musicians is no mean feat and I thought it deserved some kind of celebration, or at least to be marked in history for posterity.
So, I’ve recorded Cat O’nine Tales; nine special episodes of CATtales to look back on those early encounters where the recordings of the interviews no longer survive and the details only remain in written form.
After introducing my guest, I’ll give you a link address to read the interview and play some of their key hits for you to listen to whilst you enjoy it. 
Thank you to you the listeners and my fabulous guests for your support over the years, I hope you enjoy these special 9 Tales.

Tale 3:

Phill Jupitus may be best known as a stand-up comedian and for his time presenting Never Mind The Buzzcocks than singing but I caught up with him just as he was about to go onstage to front a gig by the legendary Blockheads.

This tale dates back to February 28th 2003, visit CATtales.co.uk/116 for the one with Phill Jupitus and sit back and enjoy these tunes.
The tracks featured are: Sex & Drugs & Rock N Roll; Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick; What A Waste; Sweet Gene Vincent; and Billericay Dickie. To buy The Blockhead’s music visit www.theblockheads.com and to listen to this again and to other tales, visit www.CATtales.co.uk 

March 2008: One from the vault!

Critically acclaimed Folk/Americana singer-songwriter, Amy Speace has a velvety and achy voice reminiscent of Lucinda Williams. A former Shakespearean actress, she now lives in Nashville, but I caught up with her on one of her UK tours very early on in her career.

#AmySpeace #Americana #Folk #interview

July 2007: One from the analogue vault.

More of Allison Moorer please!

This edition is one from my archive of analogue recordings from 2007 with the then Mrs #SteveEarle.

Grammy nominated alternative country singer, #AllisonMoorer, was performing at #CambridgeFolkFestival when I caught up with her and chatted about her forthcoming album and what makes her tick.

#Americana #country #interview

July 2007: One from the analogue vault.

Renegade Sharon.

From her stints with the Waterboys, it seems that just putting an accordion in Sharon Shannon's hands makes her happy. Luckily for the soft-spoken Sharon, others are just as happy when she picks it up.

#SharonShannon #CambridgeFolkFestival #folk #Waterboys #interview

July 2004: One from the analogue vault!

Winner of both the Horizon Award for Best Newcomer and the Best Album Award for Sweet England at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2004, Jim Moray is single-handedly turning folk music on its head. Taking traditional English songs he re-works them electronically to create some of the most powerful contemporary recordings in the last thirty years.

#JimMoray #CambridgeFolkFestival #folk #interview

July 2003: One from the analogue vaults.

After The Teardrop Explodes finally did explode in 1983, Julian Cope continued to beguile audiences with his eccentricity to become a modern-day folk troubadour and eco-warrior author on ancient monuments.

This interview is one from my vault of old analogue recordings from 2003. Sadly, only part of it has survived but it still remains one of the most philosophical conversations I've had the pleasure of being part of.

#JulianCope #TeardropExplodes #CambridgeFolkFestival #pop #interview

July 2003: One from the analogue vault.

It had been a fairytale year for Australian trio, The Waifs, who had managed to create a stir on three continents as well as fulfilling their own personal ambitions. But despite their new found popularity, they'd managed to keep their feet well and truly on the ground.

#TheWaifs #CambridgeFolkFestival #folk #interview

July 2002: One from the vaults!

English singer-songwriter, Beth Orton, was performing at Leicester's Summer Sundae Weekender amongst a vast array of musical styles over the two day festival when I caught up with her backstage with a group of journalists.

We chatted about her performance at the Eden Project, her latest album, and her collaboration with Johnny Marr.

#BethOrton #JohnnyMarr #folk #interview

July 2002: One from the analogue vault.

This is another from my archive of old analogue recordings, a short chat with Cornershop's Ben Ayres before the band headlined at the 2002 #SummerSundae festival in Leicester's De Montfort Hall.

Hot from supporting Oasis the same afternoon in Finsbury Park, they delivered renditions of the band's number-one single Brimful Of Asha and The Beatles’ Norwegian Wood, sung entirely in Punjabi.

#Cornershop #BenAyres #pop #interview

Twenty years of interviewing fabulous musicians is no mean feat and I thought it deserved some kind of celebration, or at least to be marked in history for posterity.
So, I’ve recorded Cat o' Nine Tales; 9 special episodes of CATtales to look back on those early encounters where the recordings of the interviews no longer survive and the details only remain in written form.
After introducing my guest, I’ll give you a link address to read the interview and play some of their key hits for you to listen to whilst you enjoy it. 
Thank you to you the listeners and my fabulous guests for your support over the years, I hope you enjoy these special 9 tales...

Tale 2:

There’s so much more to Nils Lofgren than just being part of Bruce Sprinsteen’s E-Street Band.
He’s played with Neil Young, Crazy Horse, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, Patti Scialfa, and Grin as well as being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
So when I got the opportunity to I speak with him backstage on his Break Away Angel solo tour, I jumped at the chance.

This tale dates back to 16th November 2001, visit CATtales.co.uk/115 for the one with Nils Lofgren and sit back and enjoy these tunes.

The tracks featured are: Shine Silently; I Came To Dance; Cry Tough; Old School; Without You; Across The Tracks. Visit nilslofgen.com for where to purchase these and more of Nil's music, and to listen to this again and to other tales, visit CATtales.co.uk.

Twenty years of interviewing fabulous musicians is no mean feat and I thought it deserved some kind of celebration, or at least to be marked in history for posterity.
So, I’ve recorded Cat o' Nine Tales; 9 special episodes of CATtales to look back on those early encounters where the recordings of the interviews no longer survive and the details only remain in written form.
After introducing my guest, I’ll give you a link address to read the interview and play some of their key hits for you to listen to whilst you enjoy it. 
Thank you to you the listeners and my fabulous guests for your support over the years, I hope you enjoy these special 9 tales...

Tale 1:

There’s more to ex-Fairport Convention Vikki Clayton than excellent song writing, a haunting singing voice and musical talent. Beneath the quiet exterior lurks a passion for cats, a fetish for shoes and an empathy for mankind.

This tale dates back to October 12th 2001, visit CATtales.co.uk/114 for the one with Vicky Clayton and sit back and enjoy these tunes.
The tracks featured are: Shakleton’s Song; The Badger; Here Be Dragons; and The Gardener’s Bonny Daughter. Visit vikkiclayton.info for where to purchase these and more of Vikki’s music, and to listen to this again and to other tales, visit CATtales.co.uk.

Wishbone Ash are the musicians’ musicians, and original and founding member Andy Powell is happy with that. 
With over 50 years and more albums than Andy can recall under its belt, Wishbone Ash is still going strong despite seeing more than 20 band members go through the exit door and surviving an acrimonious court case. 
There may have been a few lows along the way, but there have certainly been far more highs, as Andy and the band embark on a major tour with the excitement about playing the band's newest album, Coat of Arms, and 2022 marking the 50th anniversary of their critically acclaimed album Argus.
We chat about the secret behind the band’s longevity, pioneering their signature twin-lead guitar style, what makes a good song and how nostalgia is the future.

The tracks featured are: Blowin’ Free from Argus; In Crisis from Power of Eternity; and We Stand As One from Coat of Arms.
Visit wishboneash.com for more information about Andy and Wishbone Ash, where to purchase their music, and when and where they will be performing live.

Albert Bouchard has been in the Rock game for a long time. A lover and appreciator of all things music, Albert was one of the founding members of the legendary rock group, Blue Öyster Cult, which sold over twenty million records world-wide with such classics as (Don’t Fear) The Reaper and the No. 1 hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart Burning For You.
Albert’s influence as both a drummer and a songwriter is felt throughout the genres of classic rock, hard rock, and heavy metal to this day and much has been written about Albert’s acrimonious split with the band in 1982. But Albert has no regrets. 
He worked as session musician and also went back to college to achieve a BA in music and MA in English Literacy, formed a band with his brother Jo, called Blue Coupe, and was honoured as an outstanding educator by President Obama at the White House. And now he’s back making music with the trilogy of Imaginos.

The tracks featured are: (Don’t Fear) The Reaper by Blue Öyster Cult,  Siege And Investiture Of Baron Von Frankenstein’s Castle At Weisseria from Re Imaginos; and Shadow of California from Imaginos 2 both by Albert Bouchard.
Visit AlbertBouchard.net for more information about Albert, where to purchase his music, and when and where he will be performing live.

British guitarist Steve Hackett has thrilled audiences for decades with his epic electric guitar work, first as a member of the Peter Gabriel-fronted version of Genesis and since then as a prolific solo artist.

The influence Steve has had on other musicians can’t be understated. He is considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time, is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, not to mention being a highly charming man of considerable intellect. 
Steve is now embarking on a world tour performing the hugely successful Genesis album Seconds Out and then hot on its heels, a 25 date UK tour, Foxtrot at Fifty, to mark the 50th anniversary of the legendary Genesis album, Foxtrot.

Steve talks about his passion behind his latest albums: the beautiful acoustic Under A Mediterranean Sky and the heavy rock Surrender of Silence as well as sharing how he achieves his distinctive two-handed tapping and sweep picking styles and how eternity wouldn’t be long enough to play music.

The tracks featured are: Can-Utility and the Coastliners from Genesis’ album Foxtrot, Dancing With The Moonlit Knight by Genesis from Selling England by The Pound; Mdina from Steve’s album Under A Mediterranean Sky; and Natalie from Surrender of Silence.
Visit HackettSongs.com for information about Steve, when and where he is touring, and how to buy his music. 

Original rude boy, 2-tone pioneer, and former frontman for The Specials, Fun Boy Three and Special Beat, Neville Staple has been at the forefront of the ska movement for over 40 years. Not only is his 2-Tone legacy huge, but Neville has also been credited with bringing ‘toasting’ (a forerunner of rapping) to the UK from Jamaica.
He’s performed, written or produced hit albums and singles, TV and film soundtracks (including the 2019 Spiderman blockbuster), not to mention receiving awards from MOJO and NME, as well as Silver, Gold, and Platinum Discs. He’s also received a lifetime achievement award from Coventry’s Foxford School and been awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Arden University.

The tracks featured are: Ghost Town from new album From The Specials & Beyond; Skinhead Symphony by The Specials; and Don't Let Life Pass You By and Monkey Man, again from From The Specials & Beyond. 
Visit www.fromthespecials.com more information about Neville, Sugary and the band, where to purchase music and when, and where, From The Specials will be performing live.

Steve Harley has spent over 50 years making us smile. The rebel with a cause really has done it all; achieving number one chart success, selling millions of records worldwide and writing music that will live on forever.
One of the nicest men in the business takes time out to chat with me about music and life. Steve explains: how he has achieved the purest sound possible on his latest album, Uncovered; why he wrote a third verse on Compared With You (and who it is for); what advice he has for young people getting into the music business today; how he gets irritated by the ‘woke’ society; and about his love of birds…of the feathered variety.
The tracks featured are: Make Me Smile (Come Up & See Me) from live album Anytime; Only You and Compared With You (Your Eyes Don’t Seem To Age) from Uncovered; and Seeking A Love from the Face To Face album. 
Visit steveharley.com for more information about Steve, where to purchase his music and when and where Steve & The Cockney Rebels will be performing live.

Founding member of Buzzcocks, one of punk’s most seminal bands of all time that managed to fuse rapid-fire rebellious energy with pop craftsmanship, Steve Diggle is nothing short of a punk hero. 
With a plethora of hits under his belt including the classics Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve), What Do I Get?, Everybody’s Happy Nowadays, and Harmony in My Head, Steve never imagined that he would still be flying the Buzzcocks’ flag some 45 years later. 
Steve talks about the loss of his friend and fellow band member, Pete Shelley,  how punk made people rethink their whole conscious about music, the meaning behind the song that means the most to him, and the latest Buzzcocks’ album Sonics In The Soul, due for release later this year.

The tracks featured are: the classic tracks Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve), What Do I Get? and Harmony In My Head, along with Manchester Rain and Senses Out of Control from Buzzcocks’ new album Sonics In The Soul.
To find out more about Steve Diggle and the release of the new album, visit Buzzcocks.com

Anyone living in 1982 couldn’t possible avoid signing, no dancing (well in my case anyway), to the iconic tune The Lion Sleeps Tonight by pop sensation Tight Fit. O-whim, o-whay! Lol
Famed for their skimpy jungle outfits, the single reached number one in the UK charts where it fought off competition for three weeks. More chart success followed with Fantasy Island and Secret Heart before Denise Waterman, Steve Grant and Julie Harris went their separate ways. 
But fast forward to 2010 and the original line-up responded to requests to perform again and have been singing live up and down the UK and in Europe ever since.
Fast forward even further to the present day, the band have released a long-awaited third album with the debut single Fallout, which has already been hailed by their loyal fans as a fantastic nod to yesteryear.
The tracks featured are: The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Fallout. Visit Tight Fit fan page on Facebook for more information, to vote for Tight Fit in the Heritage Chart on www.heritagechart.co.uk .

The words ‘legend’, ‘superstar’ and ‘world-renowned’ are over-used these days but when referring to Rick Wakeman, they are more than appropriate.
A classically trained keyboardist, Rick reached international stardom with the influential band that pioneered progressive rock: Yes. However, his real success came as a solo artist when he went on to sell more than 50 million records. As a keyboardist extraordinaire, he’s performed with Elton John, David Bowie and Cat Stevens, been an awarded a CBE, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and appeared as a Grumpy Old Man on BBC’s programme of the same name.
When you chat with Rick, you’re never quite sure what direction the conversation is going to go. He’s intelligent, articulate, opinionated, and amusing, in fact anything but grumpy. We talk about anything and everything, from the overcrowded internet, his hatred of ‘family’ updates in Christmas cards, being impersonated online, and his love for stargazing to the subjects to ruin every good party: religion and politics!
The tracks featured are: Catherine Howard (The Six Wives of Henry Vlll), Sir Lancelot And The Black Night (The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table), Ice (Time Machine) and Ascraeus Mons (The Red Planet). 

Visit rwcc.com for more information about Rick, where to purchase Rick’s music and when & where he will be performing live.

Back in the 70s there was no other gang quite like the aptly named Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB). With a unique combination of blurred music genres, eye-catching theatrics, and progressive rock rifts, SAHB bedazzled viewers of Top Of The Pops and The Old Grey Whistle Test alike.
At Alex Harvey’s side, for hits like The Faith Healer, Midnight Moses, and Delia guitarist Zal Cleminson menaced mockingly, portraying a half mime, half clown character that was more suitable for a  horror film than a musical performance.
Zal recounts the rise and fall of SAHB, his struggles with Nazareth, being a session player with Elkie Brooks and Midge Ure, writing a novel, and exclusively shares a track from his forthcoming album with Orphans of The Ash.
The tracks featured are: The Faith Healer and The Dolphins (SAHB), Heart’s Grown Cold (Nazareth) and The Last Train Home (Orphans of The Ash), which are available in stores and digitally on all the main streaming/download outlets.

Dance anthem Everybody’s Free is the defining song of the 90s peaking at No.6 in the UK, selling more than 6 million copies, and catapulting Rozalla to international stardom.
Hit after hit and a tour with Michael Jackson followed for the chart-topping Queen of Rave, but when musical tastes changed and girl and boy bands started to dominated the charts, dance music lists its edge.
But Rozalla is no ordinary performer. She never let her love for music subside and continued to release music, and toured the UK with Billy Ocean.
Now she’s back, proving that a single-minded passion for music will get you through, and the Queen of Rave is reclaiming her throne with no thought of relinquishing it any time soon.
The tracks featured are: I Feel It Slipping Away and I Want You Back, which are available in stores and digitally on all the main streaming/download outlets.

Steve Ellis is the Great White of soul singers who fronted 60’s mod, pop, soul group Love Affair best remembered for their stunning singles Rainbow Valley, Bringing On Back The Good Times, and of course the smash hit Everlasting Love, which become one of the defining songs of its era.
Now Brighton-based Steve (well, where else?), post-Love Affair, had more chart hits with Widowmaker, has since forged out a successful solo career, and is about to release a 10 CD boxed set.
We chat about the forthcoming release, pop sensation Love Affair, organising a tribute concert in memory of the late Steve Marriott, and how he once got arrested.

The tracks featured are: Lonely No More from Boom! Bang! Twang! and Hit The Spot from Ten Commitments. For more information about Steve and his music, visit www.SteveEllis.co.uk 

If selling over a million albums of new age, meditation, and relaxation music under the name Llewellyn wasn’t enough, multi-talented composer, James Zada, is now venturing into the world of contemporary pop music.
Driven by a deep love for nostalgic 80s and 90s evergreen classics, Fame, his debut release under the name James Zada, is packed with catchy and uplifting pop tracks all with a distinctive nostalgic feel. 
We chat about the inspiration behind the album, James’ reason for changing name, and how he won awards for his New Age music.
Thank you for listening to CATtales with me, CAT, and my guest today, James Zada. The tracks featured are: Even In The Strangest Dreams and the title track from James’ album Fame, which is available in stores and digitally on all the main streaming and download outlets. 
Visit www.JamesZada.com for more information.

American singer-songwriter Dean Friedman first entered into the international pop consciousness in 1977 with the Top 20 chart success of his infectious hit single, Ariel. 
And before anyone could attach the label ‘one hit wonder’, Dean scored again with the release of his follow up album, “Well, Well,” Said the Rocking Chair, and hit singles, Lucky Stars, Lydia, Rocking Chair, McDonald’s Girl and Woman Of Mine. 
Dean has has since become known as a songwriter par excellence and has composed and produced soundtracks for film and television including, most notably, for the TV series starring Michael Elphick, Boon.
Now he has a new album, American Lullaby, which touches on a broad range of topics from the pandemic, looming environmental disaster, racism, sexism, fractured politics, and an intractable culture war. 
The tracks featured are: American Lullaby and Too Much Stuff from Dean’s album American Lullaby which is available in stores and digitally on all the main streaming/download outlets. 

To hear Dean performing the album tune in to will his regular DeanZine ‘LiveStream’ webcasts, and a 40-city concert tour in April 2022. Visit www.deanfriedman.com for more information.

Mercury-nominated and The Icicle Works frontman, Ian McNabb has done it all. 
The band’s 1984 debut album, The Icicle Works, brought them Top 40 chart success in both the UK and US, and Ian has also maintained a highly prolific solo career working with Waterboys, Ringo Starr, Crazy Horse, Peter Buck, Lightning Seeds, and Jason Falkner amongst others.
Speaking from his home in Liverpool Ian is delightful company as we discuss long musical career and whether he’s describing a song from 35 years ago, or his latest releases Utopian and Ascending, Ian is equally happy to talk about it all.

CATtales reaches 100….and aren’t we looking good on it!

Cat celebrates 100 episodes.