The Secret Life of Songs
Award-winning music analysis podcast, The Secret Life of Songs, returns with a new series exploring classic songs from the 1970s and 80s. Hear how the fallout from the disappointed hopes of the 1960s was explored in the work of Sly Stone and Joni Mitchell, how the unearthly new sounds unlocked by radical new music technology was used to express both utopian and dystopian impulses by Giorgio Moroder and the originators of Detroit Techno, and how the era’s most divisive cultural concept - postmodernism - was uncannily reflected in the output of the era’s most divisive pop band - ABBA. All of this - and more - is presented by host Anthony in his inimitable style: deftly weaving fine-grained musical analysis, historical context and philosophical reflection with his own impassioned recreations of the music to produce embodied, thoroughly grounded and deeply personal insights into these wonderful songs.
Winner of the bronze award in 'Best Arts & Culture Podcast' at the British Podcast Awards 2021.
The Secret Life of Songs
Series 1 trailer
‘The Secret Life of Songs’ is a new podcast series exploring ten classic pop recordings to get to the heart of why they mean so much to us. Hosted by Anthony T Jackson, a songwriter, it’s intended for musicians and non-musicians alike, a personal, reflective journey through some of pop’s greatest songs. The first three episodes will be released on May 21st, 2020, then fortnightly on Thursdays after that.
The series is intended for anyone who loves music - musicians and non-musicians alike - who might want to hear a bit more about why songs affect us in the way they do. It’s a personal, reflective journey through some of pop’s greatest songs, but it’s also a celebration of the role song plays in our lives, the way that songs find their way into our deepest experiences and help shape our understanding of the world.