Om Bang! 101 Songs about Nuclear War from the 1980s
A podcast delving into 101 amazing songs from the 1980s that dealt with the threats posed by nuclear war.You'll hear us discuss the biggest hits of the decade (did you even know they were about nuclear war?), songs that you might have forgotten and that need to be heard again, and songs that you may never heard.Every fortnight, Dave and Pank will be exploring some of the best known hits from around the world, to lesser-known deeper cuts. Every genre of 80s music gets a look-in: punk, new wave, funk, soul, rock, heavy rock, indie, reggae, disco.We will be discussing the songs from a musical and cultural perspective. What else was happening in the world of television and literature to help paint this nuclear landscape?With every podcast, we will update our Spotify playlist with the songs we are going to discuss. Have a listen to the tunes, and then the chat, or the chat.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=05f85de012a84bfbPresenters: Dave and PankOpening and end music:(Waiting for the) Heatwave by Fay Ray , appears courtesy of Fay Ray, written by John Lovering.With thanks to Richie for voice, Rachel for art and Shivam for techDo email us at bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comMessage us at @bangpodcast.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It’s Episode 21 – and we say a warm goodbye to 2025 and our first season of podcasts.It has been an absolute delight to engage with listeners from around the world and we though that – at this festive time of year – they should have the last say on our 101 songs. Thank you to the listeners, artists, fellow podcasters and family who have contributed to this episode.Don’t forget – our full playlist is available at:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlAnd all 21 episodes are available for you to enjoy. Thank you for being part of our nuclear family.See you in January for Season 2 – Bang! 101 (more) Songs about Nuclear War from the 1980s-ish.Compliments of the season to you all.Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie Wheeler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is What We've Waited For (00:34:30)
A warm winter’s welcome to Episode 20. Our countdown is finally complete and in this episode we discuss tracks 98 to 101 ending with arguably the greatest nuclear song of the 80s or any other era.We start with “Nuclear War” by Jimmy Cliff; we weren’t originally planning to include it in this episode but the sad passing of Jimmy Cliff last week made it’s inclusion a necessity (and it’s a great tune too). Our next track is the Christmas pastiche “Christmas at Ground Zero” by Weird Al Yankovic. The song takes on a much darker mood when watched in conjunction with the video which uses American “Duck and Cover” film – all of which serves to demonstrate the futility of it all.Perennial Christmas favourite “Stop the Cavalry” by Jona Lewie is up next. A song that surely needs no introduction to our UK listeners but it may come as a surprise to find out that it was never intended to be a Christmas song.Finally, what else could we finish our list of 101 songs with apart from “99 Red Balloons” by the mighty Nena? She was also kind enough to introduce this episode for us. We discuss this great song along with other great highlights from her extensive back catalogue.Our playlist is updated to show all 101 songs and now we are asking listeners to contribute to our next episode in a fortnight’s time which will be a review of the first series. We’d love a voice note giving us your favourite tune from the list and, as it’s that time of year, your favourite Christmas song as well. Use our email address as below.Thanks for staying with us and don’t forget our 19 previous episodes.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlMake sure you contact us before 10th December 2025 if you want to get a voice note in for our final episode of the season:Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie WheelerWith sincere thanks to NENA for her wonderful message. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Come, Armageddon, Come. (00:49:25)
Welcome to Episode 19. Our countdown is almost complete and in this episode we discuss tracks 93 to 97. And they are all huge.We start with “Nuclear Device” by The Stranglers (1979, but who’s counting?); a very upbeat song about a particularly controversial Australian politician who was involved in the sale of uranium for nuclear weaponry. Our next track is the wonderful “Let’s All Make a Bomb” by Heaven 17 – one of the most memorable bands of the 80s. The nuclear message is as clear as the capitalist one. There’s a rare video of this which is worth looking at, even though the song was not a single.Morrissey’s “Everyday is Like Sunday” is next. With the memorable lyric “Come Armageddon, Come”. Whatever emotions he conjures up now, his place in the list is assured.We then discuss “Missiles” by The Sound. We think this is a thoroughly under-appreciated song by an under-celebrated band. Their lead singer, Adrian Borland, died in tragic circumstances, but his legacy is huge.Perennial favourites Level 42 end this episode with their hugely memorable hit “The Sun Goes Down (Living it Up), a reflective but danceable tune about making the most of life in the face of impending doom.Our playlist is updated at 97 songs! What are the final 4….? To end the episode Dave and Pank become film critics to discuss the latest Kathryn Bigelow nuclear war thriller "A House of Dynamite".Don’t forget our 18 previous episodes.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlKeep in touch and connect:Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie Wheeler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Run Around in the Radiation (00:53:24)
Don’t be afraid - it’s Episode 18. And with Halloween just done, it’s time to unleash some Goth heroes on you all, as well as our very special guest, Kirsty Harris.We start with “Black Planet”, Sisters of Mercy’s dark, foreboding warning of a post-nuclear world. Check out the video that features the original Monkeemobile. Our next song is “A Strange Day” – Robert Smith standing on a beach (unsurprisingly) ruing the last day on earth. “Cities in Dust” is one of the greats by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The song was inspired by Siouxsie’s trip to Pompeii but it is obviously symbolic of the fragility of our planet in the flash of an explosion.We move on to the precursors of the mighty Cult – Southern Death Cult and their wonderful polemic “Moya”, which draws powerful comparisons between nuclear annihilation and the ravaging of Native American lands.We end with a lesser-known gem. Bauhaus’ bassist David Jay released “Can’t This Shadow of Fear” as a solo single. It’s well worth checking out.Kirsty Harris is a remarkable artist whose main theme is nuclear tests and the resulting mushroom clouds. Her stunning work depicts detonation on an enormous scale, but captures the beauty of the brutality. Dave and Pank visited her exhibition in South London and were lucky to interview her. She talks about her involvement with nuclear campaigning with her parents and her love of 80s music.Visit her website and check out the works for yourself: kirstyharris.comOur playlist now stands at 92 songs! Just 9 left. Our previous episodes are all here for you to enjoy too.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlDon’t forget our socials:Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie WheelerBrief snippet of Robert Smith from Roskilde Festival 2017 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This Ain't No Party. This Ain't No Disco. (00:44:00)
It’s Episode 17. With the recent news that MTV is to cease broadcasting in large parts of Europe and South America, we thought we might try and find songs by artists who appeared on MTV on its very first day…. And we were not disappointed, as 5 songs we had planned to discuss anyway all fell into that category.Buggles opened up MTV’s account, and we remember their catchy wartime hit “Clean, Clean”, complete with arcade game tank video. Trevor Horn has already featured in our podcasts as a producer so it’s a pleasure to include one of his own compositions.Fischer-Z, fronted by the legendary John Watts, released the album Red Skies over Paradise from which the amazing, fearful and brooding “Cruise Missiles” was a memorable album track.Next, comes the anti-world leader hit from Genesis – “Land of Confusion”, which was all the more memorable for its Spitting Image based video featuring the band, US and UK leaders in warmongering mood, and a cast of a hundred well known puppets.We then discuss the excellent song “Bunkers” by British post-punk band The Vapors. Again, their album “New Clear Days” had (unsurprisingly) a Cold War theme, and this was the one we chose.We conclude the episode with one of the greatest songs by one of the greatest bands – “Life During Wartime” by Talking Heads. Despite not being a hit at all, there are few music fans who wouldn’t recognise the album and live versions as being hugely influential.All 5 artists had at least one song played on MTV’s opening day of pop-videos.Our playlist now stands at 87 songs! Only 14 to go…. Our previous episodes are all here for you to enjoy too.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlDon’t forget our socials:Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie WheelerIdent intro from MTV. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People Say It Could Never Happen Here. (00:43:57)
Welcome to Episode 16 – in which we discuss 5 songs by artists who were hugely successful in the 70s but kept their legacies alive with their 80s output. The Cold War provided sufficient ammunition for many - who might have been driven to obscurity by punk and post-punk – to make innovative new music and find even more fans. The artists couldn’t be bigger.Pink Floyd’s “Two Suns in the Sunset” is our first song. From “The Final Cut” album, it sees Roger Waters in both quietly contemplative and searingly powerful form.There now follow three “frontiers”:Peter Gabriel’s “Games Without Frontiers” is one of the greatest and best known 80s songs – enigmatic but catchy (and also the source of a few misheard lyrics).It’s time for some Queen – or rather solo – as we look at Roger Taylor’s “Strange Frontier”. Taken from the 1984 album of the same name, it is one of his best solo tracks.“New Frontier” is from Donald Fagan’s “The Night Fly” album. Steely Dan produced some of the finest albums of the 70s and the quality did not fall when Fagan released this wonderfully upbeat and retrospective track.Our final song is “Sick of You” by Lou Reed. It is a stream of invective against just about everything and everyone in 1980s New York. Our playlist is now a whopping 82 songs – enjoy them all. Our previous episodes are all here for you to enjoy too.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlWe love to hear from you via:Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie Wheeler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
"They've done it. They've done it." (00:58:47)
It’s Episode 15, and we are delighted to welcome writer and journalist Chas Newkey-Burden. Chas has written eye-opening articles about life under a nuclear threat for The Spectator magazine and Metro newspaper. But his real obsession is the 1984 British film “Threads”, about the lives of the people of Sheffield in the run-up to, during and after a nuclear attack. It is truly horrifying and contributed a huge amount to the cultural landscape of Britain in the 80s. Chas discusses the film with us, his recent trip to sites in Sheffield that appeared in the film, and his future “Threads” related plans. It’s quite a listen.As ever, there is music to discuss – and in the spirit of “Threads” we look at songs that deal with life after a nuclear attack. We start with 80s indie favourites Modern English and their wistful “I Melt With You”; we move on to the brilliant duet between Eurythmics and Elvis Costello called “Adrian”. Next is Billy Idol who finds himself in surprisingly restrained mood with “The Dead Next Door”. The under-celebrated – but brilliant – Microdisney are our next band with their wonderful “Town to Town” (thanks to one of our listeners for this suggestion). Chas himself chooses our last song – “Protect and Survive” by the Dubliners – it’s satirical and uplifting.Our playlist is now bursting at the seams with 77 songs….https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlStay in touch!Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening & closing music:(Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie WheelerIntroduction to the film "Threads" taken from BBC 1984. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Have You Ever Seen this Kind of World? (00:53:52)
Welcome to Episode 14. This time Dave and Pank travel around the world to hear what other countries were singing about nuclear war.We start in Nigeria, with the inspirational and innovative William Onyeabor (and an acknowledgment of the great Fela Kuti). William’s song “This Kind of World” captures, ialwith joyful synth abandon, the fears he had about the way the planet was going.We then move to South Africa, and progressive punk band Dog Detachment’s fiery and fearful “Third World War”. We then discuss one of South America’s most outspoken and important bands – Los Prisioneros, whose wistful “Pa Pa Pa” pleads for a better world.The Japanese heavy metal scene in the 80s was huge, and nothing blasted louder than Loudness with their commentary on the American Star Wars policy, “SDI”. We then look at the influential Russian band Kino and much lamented singer Victor Tsoi, who proclaimed “I Declare my Home” to be a nuclear-free zone.We end by asking our listeners to help identify a mystery 80s band with their unknown track. Listen to find out…We have put together an extra playlist to cover a whole section of nuclear war songs from around the globe. Give it a listen at:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/43QBqIr32rnu28lRXfrl1P?si=atRU76eLS0-pRXEDrAWRmwand on Apple musichttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-world-music/pl.u-PDb4oqgILlLYypPAnd, of course, our main playlists are always updated.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlStay in touch!Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie Wheeler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Scarred For Life (00:59:20)
It’s Episode 13…. And it’s lucky for us, as we welcome the two creators of “Scarred for Life”, Stephen Brotherstone and Dave Lawrence.“Scarred for Life” have published 3 magnificent volumes that cover the dark side of 70s and 80s pop culture. Almost everything, from horror films, books, music, shows and video games are covered in detail. The books have then led to live shows and, in recent years, the hugely successful podcasts, in which celebrities have discussed their childhood scars and fears.The 5 songs we discuss in this Episode all feature in Scarred for Life volume 3 as well as in our original list. We start with Nik Kershaw’s irresistible “I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”. We are all fans. A more circumspect discussion follows about Sting’s “Russians” and its intentions. Ste then is given free rein to eulogise about Fishbone’s (one of his favourite bands) “Party at Ground Zero”. We then return to the Top 40 and discuss Elton John’s “Nikita”, that video and, believe it not, the “answer” song to it. We round off with a favourite of the 80s, Kim Wilde, whose “Suburbs of Moscow” was the better choice to our “Stone”. The boys go on to tell us about how it all started, and what’s next. Thanks to them both for joining us.Once again, our playlists are updated:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlStay in touch!Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening & closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie Wheeler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Hands that Threaten Doom (01:01:32)
Let there be rock! It's our heavy metal episode. Fuelled by listener demands, we've been exploring 80s nuclear war metal songs. In addition to our usual 5, we run down 20 of the best metal nuclear songs, from Maiden to Megadeth, Saxon to Sepultura. And we pay a special tribute to the beloved Ozzy Osbourne.We are lucky to have brilliant contributions from metal fans and podcaster. Metal Bill gives us this thoughts on Metallica’s epic “Fight Fire with Fire”. His regular podcast “Music from a Lifetime” covers a variety of rock albums in great depth. Paul Moody, long time Queen podcaster and now hosting “Weirdies”, horror movie podcast, gives us his thoughts on the metal genre and nuclear war generally, before delving into Judas Priest’s fabulous “Some Heads are Gonna Roll”. Long-time listeners join us too. Andrew Holloway shares his memories of “Nuclear Attack” by Gary Moore and Greg Lake of ELP; Maiden superfan Walt Romney tells us his recollections of “2 Minutes to Midnight” and David Wilson gives us great insight into Megadeth’s “Set the World Afire”.In addition to our usual playlists, we have compiled a special heavy metal playlist with all 20 of the songs in this podcast:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2rt1dxPQ33Zjx4lC5gtKWk?si=618cbb00a1e64a30https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/heavy-metal-bang/pl.u-6mo4E8WtByBgKXlOur main playlists:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlSocials:Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie WheelerCredits to “Scarred for Life” and Tim and Joanna Smolko’s fine work “Atomic Tunes”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the Shadow of the Mushroom Cloud (00:49:03)
It’s 12 noon in London, 7am in Philadelphia and around the world, people are getting ready for Episode 11. July 13th 1985 saw one of the greatest concerts of all time, as the world of rock and pop united to raise money and awareness for famine in Africa.The very greatest artists performed their greatest hits, and we discuss 5 of those artists now. Of course, there were controversies about the event, which are put into even sharper focus as we look back 40 years. But, as a spectacle and as a means of raising awareness for generations to follow, it remains unforgettable.We start (naturally) with Hammer to Fall by Queen. Freddie’s performance was stunning that day and this (we think) is the only Nuclear song performed that day. We then move on to Time Will Crawl by David Bowie. His performance of “Heroes” at Live Aid was simply unbeatable. We then cross the pond to Philadelphia. Tina Turner performed with Mick Jagger in the American leg of the concert and we discuss her post-nuclear anthem “We Don’t Need Another Hero” from “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Our next song is “P.O.E.” by Adam Ant. His one song at Live Aid came from the same album. While he now regrets performing at Live Aid, we are glad he did. Finally, U2’s “Seconds” is one of their many Cold War songs. Their performance of “Bad” lives long in the memory.As ever, our playlist is updated on Spotify and Apple! Give it a listen – 59 songs to enjoy.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlIf anything we say interests you then do get in touch via our socials:Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakGuitar lick: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie WheelerOpening words of Live Aid – Richard Skinner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is Not a Test (00:45:13)
Welcome to Episode 10!Almost half way there. In the last episode we explored Cold War tunes of Australian and New Zealand. In this episode we look at the genuine funkatomic bombs that America produced in the world of jazz-funk and hip hop. There were so many examples to choose from, but we have settled on a list of 5 songs from artists with a huge impact on their genres, if not the chart positions of some of our other selections.First, the prescient and stunning “B-Movie” by Gil Scott-Heron, a spoken word piece of poetry that covers all of the issues that people faced in 80’s America. At 12 minutes in length, it is an awesome piece of work.An accidental microphone gaffe by President Reagan gave rise to Bonzo Goes to Washington’s (aka Bootsy Collins and Jerry Harrison together with producer Arthur Russell) amazing “5 Minutes”, an early example of sampling and looping that laid the foundation for what was to follow.The world of jazz-funk owes an enormous debt to Sun Ra, and his angry, but very laid- back, jam entitled “Nuclear War” is our next song. Born in 1914, Sun Ra’s musical legacy is too long to mention here.The Bus Boys “D-Day” is yet another example of a Cold War song that deals with the most unpleasant of issues, but with funky abandon. And we end with the wonderful “America” by Kurtis Blow, a wonderful hip-hop beat with rap is the background to this amazing history lesson. Watch the video for this too….Our playlist is updated on Spotify and Apple! Now 4 hours long, you can find all of the tracks that we have discussed in the episodes so far. We’ve even chucked in a couple of bonus tracks…https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlPlease keep in touch. We love to hear from you on socials and e-mail.Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie Wheeler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Funkatomic Bombs From Australia (00:56:49)
It’s Episode 9!Welcome – once again the guests come thick and fast as we explore the nuclear themed music of the 80s from two lands down under – Australia and New Zealand. Our special guests this episode are Vitabeats - Lissa and Andrew Barnum. They released the magnificent “Spot the Spanner” album in 1985, which included their funkatomic beat “Boom Box”, together with outlandish video. We discuss their musical journey, from LA to the countryside in New South Wales via the studios and record shops of Sydney and London.We then discuss Aussie favourites Icehouse and their wonderful “Sunrise”, full of poignant imagery. “Soviet Snow” by Shona Laing” is next. Part-orchestral, part-pop, it deals with the issue of the nuclear winter.Would it be possible to have an episode about Australian music without at least a mention of Men at Work or Midnight Oil? “It’s a Mistake” is a fondly remembered hit coming in the same year as “Down Under”, and the video has the same slapstick comedy as some of the other songs we’ve discussed in this series.Finally, “US Forces”: Midnight Oil’s constant activism and music about critical Australian and world issues make them stand apart from many of their peers. And thanks to our friend Michael Smith (Lord of Adders Black podcast) for his excellent contribution to this discussion.Our playlist is updated on Spotify and Apple! Give it a listen – it’s now 3 hours long. Something for everyone. A bonus track is included this week, “One Nation under the Bomb” by Conflict is added in tribute to their lead singer Colin Jerwood who died recently.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlOur socials:Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie Wheeler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Look Now, Look All Around... There's No Sign of Life. (00:59:38)
Welcome to Episode 8 – with our very special guest, Sylvia Patterson, influential music journalist who was at Smash Hits Magazine when it was at the peak of its popularity. She has written for the biggest publications in music and interviewed and toured with the biggest names in pop and rock music and has written two wonderful memoirs: “I’m Not With the Band” (2016) and “Same Old Girl” (2023).All of the songs discussed in this episode are by artists who were (either once or very many times) featured on the iconic covers of Smash Hits. We start with the Thompson Twins surprisingly rock-ish anthem “Bombers in the Sky”. Then we move on to “White Train” by Bananarama, which was the B-side to the huge hit “Venus”. Scottish duo Strawberry Switchblade’s wistful “Since Yesterday” wasn’t even widely known to be a nuclear song until Rose McDowall’s revelation in 2015. Our last two songs come from 2 of the biggest British bands of the 80s; Depeche Mode’s eery synth classic “Two Minute Warning” and Duran Duran’s era defining “Planet Earth.Sylvia gives her insights and anecdotes about all our artists – they’re a joy to hear. We discuss with Sylvia Smash Hits’ contribution to the nuclear debate and, more generally, how they dealt with the pressing issues of the day.And – as if all that wasn’t enough – we launch our very own line of Bang Nuclear Podcast Tea Towels….Our playlist is updated on Spotify and Apple! Give it a listen – it’s now 3 hours long. Something for everyone.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlOnce again, our thanks to you all for keeping in touch via our socials:Instagram: bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky: @bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit: r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail: bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie Wheeler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Someone Pushed the Button Down (00:40:14)
It’s Episode 7 and, to coincide with the recent Eurovision Song Contest, we look at artists who have either been in Eurovision or have some indirect links with it….We start with UK champions Bucks Fizz and their forlorn nostalgia in “I Used to Love the Radio” before moving on to Swedish winners and pop pioneers ABBA – 2 songs form part of our discussion :“Soldiers” and “The Visitors”.German megastar (and the voice of Enigma) Sandra Lauer’s cover of Wishful Thinking’s “Hiroshima” is next, followed by the mesmeric performance of Klaus Nomi on “Total Eclipse”. The Eurovision link there is pretty tenuous as is the next song's – the dark but sunny “Vamos a la Playa” by Italian duo Righeira.We end with a genuine Eurovision nuclear war song – “Nuku Pommiin” by Finland’s Kojo. It scored nul points in 1982 but we give it douze every day….Our playlist is updated on Spotify and Apple! Give it a listen:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=4da04b17ed3347eahttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlOnce again, our thanks to you all for keeping in touch via our socials:Instagram:bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky:@bangpodcast.bsky.socialFacebook: Bang Nuclear PodcastReddit:r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail:bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music: (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray, appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork: Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer: Shivam PathakOpening words: Richie Wheeler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A Witch Hunt and a Nuclear Party (00:55:57)
It's Episode 6, and this time the theme is "Angry Young Britain". We explore songs from bands who raged against the injustices of the day and welcome a very special guest. Four of them hail from the Midlands - The Specials, UB40, The Beat and The Au Pairs and Swindon's finest, XTC.The Au Pairs' lead singer is the great Lesley Woods and she spoke to us about the song "America" - a damning indictment of American foreign policy - and of the pervading nuclear threat - of that era. She also breaks some very exciting news.... the title of this episode is drawn from the lyrics.Our discussion begins with The Specials' dark but danceable "Man at C and A". We then move on to UB40's bleak "The Earth Dies Screaming"... a 4 minute intro before a word is sung. After our interview with Lesley, we then move on to "Dream House in NZ" - again, its dark lyrics make you want to move your feet. We then finish with XTC's wonderful "Living Through Another Cuba" - another up-tempo ska-infused tune that reminds us of a time when the world was on the brink....Thank you to all who have been loyally following and enjoying our podcast. Our playlist of all songs discussed is updated with each podcast:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=55356228bc354821https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlKeep in touch – we love your feedback and your song suggestions that have resulted in us extending beyond the 21 shows that we had planned!Instagram - bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky - @bangpodcast.bsky.socialReddit – r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail – bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music – (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray. Appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringOpening words - Richie WheelerArtwork – Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer – Shivam Pathak Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hello? Is Anybody Home? (00:46:05)
Welcome to Episode 5 and thanks for being part of our ever growing nuclear family.There’s not a male vocalist in sight, as we discuss 5 entirely different but outstanding female vocalists of the age. We start with Blondie’s Atomic – paying tribute to the fabulous drummer, Clem Burke; then Hazel O’Connor’s anthemic Eighth Day from the soundtrack to “Breaking Glass”. We then move on to Anne Clark’s bleak but gripping “Poem for a Nuclear Romance”, and then a complete change of mood as we do the Neutron Dance along with the Pointer Sisters. To end with, we discuss one of the most remarkable songs of the 80s – O Superman (For Massenet) by Laurie Anderson. Sorry but we sing a tiny bit of opera… Our playlist of all songs discussed is updated with each podcast:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=55356228bc354821https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlKeep in touch – we love your feedback and your song suggestionsInstagram - bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky - @bangpodcast.bsky.socialReddit – r/bangnuclearpodcastEmail – bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music – (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray. Appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork – Rachel Malbon Assistant Producer – Shivam Pathak Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
So Glad We've Almost Made It.... (00:45:57)
Welcome to Episode 4 of Bang! (Number 1 in Goodpods Rock and Pop charts for March 2025)We discuss one of the biggest and best loved songs of the 80s… “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears….. Over 2 billion streams on Spotify alone! We then move on to the wistful protest of Billy Bragg’s “Between the Wars”; then Kate Bush’s haunting and fearful “Breathing”.We then move on to with the wonderful, drily ironic (but jolly) “How I Learned to Love the Bomb” by Dan Treacy’s influential (ask MGMT) band, Television Personalities (with a nod to the Young Ones “Bomb” episode). We finish with the jazz-funk groove of The Stanley Clarke Band’s “Don’t Turn The Lights Out”. You will want to dance to this one.We are really enjoying the listener feedback – so keep it coming….Our playlist of all songs is updated with each podcast....https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=2d5f3c48a0b6424chttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlInstagram – bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky - @bangpodcast.bsky.socialEmail – bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comReddit – r/bangnuclearpodcastOpening and closing music – (Waiting for the) Heatwave – Fay Ray. Appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork – Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer – Shivam Pathak Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
(Waiting for the) Heatwave (00:58:38)
In this episode, we are delighted to welcome Tony Travis of Fay Ray for an interview, in which we discuss his band, the album and the song that is the title of this episode and our regular intro and outro music. Thanks to Tony for joining us.We then move on to Deacon Blue's beautifully descriptive and evocative "He Looks Like Spencer Tracy Now"; Young Marble Giants' short but stoically beautiful "Final Day" and The Jacksons' plaintive nuclear lullaby "Be Not Always".The podcast ends with our discussion of the 80s behemoth "Two Tribes" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood (Annihilation Mix). Is there a greater nuclear war song?Our accompanying playlist is updated!https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=f40fdf0f2d204115https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlKeep in touch - we love to hear from you.Instagram - bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky - @bangpodcast.bsky.socialEmail - bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comReddit - r/bangnuclearpodcastOpening and closing music - (Waiting for the) Heatwave - Fay Ray. Appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork - Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer - Shivam Pathak Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nuclear Melodies for Atomic Crimes (00:40:50)
In our 2nd episode, we start by paying tribute to the great Rick Buckler and discuss The Jam's 1980 classic "Going Underground"; then we move on to the calm and reflective "Glad It's All Over" by Captain Sensible; a lesser known but vibrant 80's tune "Fall Out" by Data; then Tom Robinson's beautiful but melancholic "War Baby". Our final tune is the unforgettable Prince classic "1999" - who even knew it was a nuclear war song?Thanks to all who have listened to and subscribed to Episode 1. Do keep in touch with us. We love to read your comments, feedback and excellent suggestions.Keep up with the playlist on:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=de3812871fb2425ehttps://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/bang-101-songs-about-nuclear-war-from-the-1980s/pl.u-6mo4j9KFByBgKXlInstagram - bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky - @bangpodcast.bsky.socialEmail - bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comReddit - r/bangnuclearpodcastOpening and closing music - (Waiting for the) Heatwave - Fay Ray. Appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John LoveringArtwork - Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer - Shivam Pathak Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to the Red Skies... (00:43:07)
Welcome to Episode 1 of Bang! 101 Songs about Nuclear War from the 1980s.In our first episode, "Welcome to the Red Skies...", we discuss the perennial classic, "Enola Gay" by OMD; Hot Chocolate's lesser known but super-cool "Mindless Boogie"; two wonderful songs that should have been much bigger hits in the UK - "Red Skies" by The Fixx and "Forever Young" by Alphaville; and Ultravox's darkly anthemic "Dancing with Tears in Our Eyes". Dave tell us why he made the list in the first place and Pank recalls, with fondness, "Not the 9 O'Clock News".We hope you enjoy our first podcast. Do get in touch:Follow the list as it builds up on https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vLjQBbJEhiDaFNOTz9snD?si=e334bd71aae4411aInstagram - bangnuclearpodcastBlue Sky - @bangpodcast.bsky.socialEmail - bangnuclearpodcast@gmail.comOpening and closing music - (Waiting for the) Heatwave - Fay Ray. Appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John Lovering.Intro voice - RitchieArtwork - Rachel MalbonAssistant Producer - Shivam Pathak Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bang! 101 Songs about Nuclear War from the 1980s (00:02:17)
In this trailer, Dave and Pank tell you what to expect when, on 17th February 2025, we launch the first episode of our podcast.(Waiting for the) Heatwave appears courtesy of Fay Ray. Written by John Lovering. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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