The Joy of 6

Quite frankly it’s a week of name droppers! Shaun Keaveny was joined by Alice Cooper who recounts great stories of playing live with, the then unknown, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd & then working with Salvador Dali, performing to Groucho Marx & Mae West. Matt Everitt is joined by Smashing Pumpkins' frontman, Billy Corgan who chats about his friendship with David Bowie, as you do! Then Cerys Matthews not only has Sir Tom Jones on her show but he talks about his days of hanging out with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley in Las Vegas! Well as a well as whole bunch of great stories from brilliant raconteurs; we have some fantastic live music from Blue Aeroplanes and Stealing Sheep.

So just because the Olympics are over it doesn’t mean that there are no more, radio, golds from Great Britain. Well to start off with there is, beautiful live music from Scotland’s James Yorkston, Yorkshire adds another one to the tally chart with comedian John Shuttleworth chatting to Mark Radcliffe, it all comes back to the Capital with The Kinks, Ray Davies talking about his love of London, tea, and Morecambe and Wise! Steve Lamacq is joined by not just gold but platinum selling Bloc Party about the band’s reunion and new album, 'Four'. Plus ahead of Blur’s Closing Ceremony Concert in Hyde Park, Matt Everitt caught up with Graham Coxon to find out about some of his musical first times.

6 Music celebrates 50 years of Jamaican independence with a series of special music programmes including A Month of Sundays with David Rodigan, documentary Wheel And Come Again an exploration of the sound of the loudest island on the planet by historian Colin Grant and there’s a spine-tingling acoustic set from Toots from Toots & The Maytals. Plus, Eugene McGuinness swings by to play a couple of tunes from his new album and Shaun Keaveny decamps his breakfast show to Edinburgh for some fun & frolics at the biggest arts festival in the world.

Richard Hawley pops in for a chat with Nemone & to play live and Matt Everitt’s The First Time welcomes former Guns ‘n’ Roses guitarist Slash for a career spanning interview. Plus, with Blur playing an Olympic closing gig at Hyde Park on the 12th August Steve Lamacq hosted a very special show live from the BBC’s Madia Vale studios. Alex James, Dave Rowntree, Graham Coxon and Damon Albarn treated an audience of listeners to an intimate 6 song set for what was, unbelievably their first ever 6 Music live session.

Matt Everitt’s The First Time welcomes Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon for a career spanning interview, Kevin Rowland talks to Huey about the Dexys comeback and George Martin’s son Giles Martin tells Stuart Maconie about the book ‘Abbey Road: The Best Studio In The World’. Plus, Sir Paul McCartney chats to Lauren Laverne about his very British year of performing at the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympics.

Shaun Keaveny welcomes Mark King, yes him of Level 42 fame, bass God, giving our very own rhythm king, Matt Everitt a 4 minute lesson in the bass guitar. Not content in showing off his musical skills, Matt ‘news hound’ Everitt, is joined by Sinead O’Connor. Joining Lauren Laverne is two kings of music, Ice T drops in for a chat and Jimmy Cliff performs live.

In this week's Joy of 6 you can hear Wayne Coyne from The Flaming Lips talking frankly about his life to Matt Everitt, and three more beautiful voices. First off there's Sharon Van Etten with Lauren Laverne and playing live. The once vocalist of Stereolab, now solo artist Laetitia Sadier chatting about how politics forms her music with Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie. Then as part of 6 Music Celebrates 50 years of The Rolling Stones, here's Marianne Faithfull.

Steve Lamacq catches up with Alex James from Blur with the radio exclusive of Blur’s new track ‘Under The Westway’ and tries to prise out of him any surprises for the big gig to close the Olympics! You can also hear Matt Everitt in conversation with Jack White about his recent gigs, solo album and his label Third Man Records. Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie make a couple of appearances first there’s Simon Armitage with tales from his recent troubadour experience on the Pennine Way! Then singer songwriter Regina Spektor joins them for a chat. Marc Riley has live music from Scotland’s Pictish Trail, Lauren Laverne is joined by Hollywood actor Willem Dafoe to chat about his latest movie ‘The Hunter’, and Liz Kershaw is joined by illusionist, mentalist and sceptic Derren Brown.

Stuart Maconie and Mark Radcliffe test their quantum knowledge with Professor Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, less taxing but equally enjoyable they also catch up with Paul Weller about his new album and playing festivals in the UK. A couple of thespians have been in 6 Music towers this week, Nemone is joined by actor and once artistic director to the Globe Theatre, Mark Rylance & the actress Miriam Margoyles gives Jon Holmes a great performance! Live music & chat comes in the form of with Swedish siblings First Aid Kit, and Cornershop. Then to round up Punk Britannia Captain Sensible presents his Playlist.

Highlights this week come in the form of Field Music & Jesca Hoop she tells Lauren Laverne all about the move from sunny California to not so sunny Manchester! Keeping with the Salford & LA theme, Stuart Maconie caught up with Bobby Womack. Then there's Stuart and Mark chatting to Marcus Brigstocke about playing King Arthur in Spamalot, also they catch up with Midge Ure about the 'Brilliant' new Ultravox album, it may well be but that's also what it's called. Now you may have noticed the Punk Britannia season on 6 Music throughout the month, so Liz Kershaw caught up with The Rezillos.

Now the biggest event in the last 7 days has been the celebrations surrounding 40 years on this planet of our breakfast show host Shaun W Keaveny, on this memorable day you'll hear him talking to Emily Blunt & Johnny Marr. There will also be appearances Suzanne Vega chatting to Rad/Mac about her new recordings and volume collection. Steve Lamacq has new comer Jake Bugg come in for a chat, then Lauren Laverne has Minneapolis indie rockers, Polica, and more Statesiders The Walkmen come into 6 Music towers whilst over on tour, and singer songwriter Mary Epworth also pops in to chat to Lauren about her debut album 'Dream Life'.