First up is Roxy Music frontman, and successful solo artist, Bryan Ferry, who is currently celebrating 4 decades in music by releasing an album of his own songs performed by a swing orchestra.
In Johns Words "Today I'm talking to Gary Numan, who became an overnight sensation in 1979 when his post punk group Tubeway Army released the single "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and then achieved worldwide success later the same year with the release of his first solo album, and one of the cornerstones of synth pop, 'The Pleasure Principle.' Following some very lean years in the wilderness, Gary started the long and arduous task of rebuilding his career in the mid-90s, becoming a peer of many industrial and techno artists he had originally been an influence on. We catch him on tour in the UK as he gears up for the release of his 18th solo album, the much anticipated "Splinter."
He's a man who's been accused of inventing Britpop -- when his band The Auteurs released their debut album New Wave in 1993. With this and other projects such as Black Box Recorder, Haines became balefulness personified in an age of bland and chipper compliance."
In John's words, Marr is "a musical savant who indelibly altered the sound of British rock and pop music. He soundtracked the adolescence of a generation and has been a beacon of inspiration to many born since."
Moffat is "as much a poet as a singer. His lyrics come from a hard bitten Scottish literary tradition that includes writers such as James Kelman and Alan Warner. His words are as funny as they are shocking, as they are moving".
Adam Ant was a notable outlier in his genre, and was also responsible for a lot of allergic reactions in the 80s through his starting of the British face-painting craze. In John's own words, Adam Ant's "brand of pop was one of the most berserk and adventurous ever heard, and remains a symbol of what the pure flight of the imagination can achieve."
John Doran meets Tricky, to discuss missing out on working with Kurt Cobain, and how he came to be onstage with Beyonce. In Johns words "During the culturally conservative mid 90s of Brit Pop, Tricky represented what it was actually like to be British and living in a city. As his music, fashion, entire aesthetic and philosophy was the product of embracing culture clash - we needed him then to kick against the pricks, as much as we need him back now"
Lydon airs his opinions on why The Clash have no right to imitate black music and how we won't need governments for much longer. We also hear how Miles Davis terrified him and about Harvey Keitels 'method acting' with real loaded guns.
In Johns words: "The Manics appeared in the early 90's antagonizing nearly everyone they came across with their fiercely anti-fashion stance. They put out a homespun philosophy of culture alienation, boredom and despair wrapped in fake leopard skin and lipstick. They rejected slacker culture in favour of proud working class intellectualism and self-determination. Forget the Libertines, Manic Street Preachers are the last truly great mainstream British rock band"
In John's own words: "Cutting his teeth as an MC in his early teens, Dizzee wasn't even out of school when he was one of small group of rappers and producers responsible for the birth of grime. Just 10 years ago he released the genre-defining 'Boy in da Corner' which deservedly won him the Mercury Prize. Since then he has turned his attentions almost effortlessly to the pop charts. With five number 1's under his belt, I get the feeling he is only just warming up, and his eyes are squarely on the international crown."
John Doran of the Quietus meets Mark E Smith of pre-eminent rock group The Fall, in a special Christmas episode of our British Masters series where John interviews the most influential and colourful figures from British popular music history. In John's own words: "There are only a few things that separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom... the most important of these attributes, is an appreciation of the music of The Fall. This means if you do not listen to such albums as 'Hex Enduction Hour', 'This Nation's Saving Grace' and 'The Unutterable' you are worse than savage. The solution to what ails us is clear -- be less beastly, listen to The Fall"
In part two of the episode, John chats to Mark about his time in a wheelchair, the new EP and The Fall's current steady line up. In John's own words: "There are only a few things that separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom... the most important of these attributes, is an appreciation of the music of The Fall. This means if you do not listen to such albums as 'Hex Enduction Hour', 'This Nation's Saving Grace' and 'The Unutterable' you are worse than savage. The solution to what ails us is clear -- be less beastly, listen to The Fall"
Noel rose to unshakeable prominence with Oasis - one of the biggest rock groups the world has ever produced. With his band The High Flying Birds, he has just released a stellar second album "Chasing Yesterday" - which is well on its way to becoming his ninth consecutive platinum selling LP
Spanning everything from how America hated Oasis, to who can drink more out of Morrissey, Bono and Bobby Gillespie, it's a frank and direct chat with one of the UK's greatest.
Viv Albertine is unique in several ways. As one of the founding members of The Slits, Viv Albertine ruptured rock music's linear progression, effecting a genuine and shocking break with what had come before. The Slits combined dub-reggae, free jazz, early hip-hop, funk and punk into a unique new sound. Viv Albertine has recently delivered a shocking and brilliantly-written autobiography called Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.
This time round he chats with the founder of Led Zeppelin: a band long regarded as one of the greatest British musical exports of the 1970s, who released a tetralogy of self-titled albums that changed British rock forever. Page has been awarded an OBE, met President Obama and performed at the Olympics and Live Aid.
John Doran interviews Rodney Smith aka Roots Manuva, one of the most influential artists in British music history who helped to shape this country's musical landscape.
John Doran speaks to pioneering musician John Cale, founding member of The Velvet Underground. John discusses Lou Reed, David Bowie, and his latest release M:FANS. In John Doran's own words: "Born in South Wales in 1942, after studying music at Goldsmiths, Cale moved to New York, in 1963. The following year he went on to found one of the greatest rock bands of all time with Lou Reed: The Velvet Underground. After leaving the group, Cale went on to record a large and challenging body of solo work, and now, a few weeks from his 74th birthday he has returned with one of his most radical and most enjoyable albums to date: M:FANS.'
John Doran speaks to Neil Tennant from British pop duo the Pet Shop Boys. They discuss the current state of pop music, the prospect of clubbing in the Berghain at the age of 81, and 'West End Girls' being a rap record, ahead of the release of their 13th album ’Super'. In John Doran's own words: “Today I’m meeting one of the all time great conceptualists of popular music: Neil Tennant. As one half of Pet Shop Boys he has been responsible for some of the greatest singles to ever grace the top 40. Now 35 years into their career, they are enjoying a rejuvenation in both energy and sound."
John Doran sits down with former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft ahead of the release of his fourth solo album 'These People’. Ashcroft discusses fatherhood, what he misses about the North, and Bitter Sweet Symphony. In John’s own words: Today I am speaking to one of the biggest, and arguably most misunderstood pop stars of last quarter of a century: Richard Ashcroft. His band The Verve were one of the most unlikely success stories of the 1990s, predicted by no-one bar him. Nearly twenty years after the phenomenal success of Urban Hymns, Ashcroft has become ambiguous about fame, but as this rare interview proves, he has more to say than ever.
John Doran chats with the former lead singer of Pop Will Eat Itself, Clint Mansell. Since leaving the poster-boys of "grebo" behind for a solo career, Mansell has scored some of the modern history's most impressive films, from Requiem For a Dream to Black Swan. In John's own words: "Unlike any of the other interviewees on British Masters, Mansell has had two seperate musical careers of note - which, on the surface at least, don't have any connection. His rawkus grebo band Pop Will Eat Itself lurched out of Stourbridge in 1986, and while often reviled in the press they were experimental, highly popular and quite unlike anything that had come before. When they split in 96, Mansell staked everything on a fresh roll of the dice and moved to America to try and become a soundtrack composer. After scoring the Darren Aronofsky's 'Pi' and 'Requiem For a Dream' it became clear this gamble had paid off - and now he is one of Hollywood's most in demand musicians".
John Doran meets The Reggae Connoisseur, David Rodigan. They discuss how he fell in love with Jamaican music, how he realised smoking weed wasn’t for him and the time a member of the crowd liked his DJ set so much they let off a gunshot.
Shirley Collins MBE is the most important living voice in English folk music. She travelled across the southern States of the USA in 1959 recording traditional songs with Alan Lomax, she was a key figure in the folk revival of the late 60s and now, after a lengthy absence she is back making music. She is 81 years young and only just reaching the peak of her powers.
Goldie, overcame a trouble-filled childhood and young adulthood to revolutionise UK dance music, not once but several times over as one of the most prominent innovators in drum and bass. I’m speaking to him today about his return to making music, hanging out with David Bowie and his belief in reincarnation
After Bryan Ferry, Dizzee Rascal, Richard Ashcroft and his brother Noel, it’s Liam’s turn for the British Masters treatment as he tells journalist John Doran about nights out with Maradona, Steve Coogan and John McEnroe as well as his forthcoming debut solo album ‘As You Were.'
In John's own words, "Cosey's work has continually innovated, challenged and outraged since the start of the 1970s, Whether as a member of the transgressive art collective Coum Transmissions or the boundary destroying industrial group Throbbing Gristle, or as an electronic musical with her partner Chris Carter. Since the 70's, her work has brought her into direct conflict with the police, the tabloid press, the British government, the music industry and the art establishment, and despite this, she remains to this day a uniquely progressive artist."
Music is an entirely subjective thing. However we will fight anyone who denies that Liverpool’s Michael Head is one of the finest songwriters that the UK has ever produced. In host John Doran’s own words, “He has a discography recorded with The Pale Fountains, Shack and more recently The Red Elastic Band, that most songwriters would kill for. A lifetime of poor luck with record labels, the shifting tastes of the record buying public and long standing issues with drink and drugs means that he has never found the audience he deserves. Even if it’s by accident however, Mick has ended up playing the long game and future generations will come to regard him as some kind of genius, even if it’s currently a view only shared by his small but rabidly loyal fanbase."
In host John Doran's own words, "Tracey Thorn is a singular English musician whose instantly identifiable voice has towered over the pop-cultural landscape from the 1980's to the present day. After being a member of the none more cult Marine Girls, who were one of Kurt Cobain's favourite bands, Tracey's voice was then everywhere in the mid-90s due to her work with Massive Attack and most significantly as one half of Everything But The Girl, with their track 'Missing' accidentally becoming an undisputed anthem of the era. Since then, she has become a respected author and journalist and has recently returned to the musical fray with an album of disco belters called 'Record'."
Scottish masters of the sublime Mogwai found fertile new ground between post-rock, goth and indie during the 90s. Nine studio albums later, they remain to this day a blueprint of what an independent group should be. Here we induct guitarist Stuart Braithwaite as a British Master.
Originally known as the bass player in The Clash, a lifelong artist and style obsessive, Paul Simonon was one of the key architects of the aesthetics of punk. His obsession with dub and reggae helped broaden the sound of The Clash gloriously. We spoke to him in Damon Albarn's West London Studio, where they were rehearsing for their upcoming tour as one half of The Good, The Bad & The Queen.
One of the most famous and hard working faces in the contemporary musical landscape, Albarn rose to prominence as the frontman of the world bestriding Blur. He has since become known for his seemingly never ending supply of side projects and collaborations, Gorillaz being the most globally renowned. We spoke to him in his West London studio about the release of his new album with supergroup The Good, The Bad and The Queen.
Big Narstie is probably best known as a hilarious internet and TV personality, but it should never be forgotten that he is a bona fide master of the British art form of grime and has been focal to the scene for over fifteen years. He has also been outspoken on numerous issues, from the campaign to save the NHS and the drive to raise awareness about mental health. This misfit from Brixton has somehow won hearts across the nation simply by being himself and is arguably already a national treasure.
To celebrate the sixth birthday of the series we've organised something special - British Masters Live. Suede's Brett Anderson joins host John Doran to be inducted as a British Master. Suede were one of the few mainstream bands of the 1990s to truly capture the youthful zeitgeist. Their songs lionised colourful characters, urban nightlife, heavy drug use and even heavier sex all over psychedelic glam rock. Suede are now back and as strong as ever. Their new album The Blue Hour speaks of that rarest of things, a rock band having a genuine second wind.