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Episode 34 : Amy Linden on Amy Winehouse + Kanye West + Nico + Bobby Womack

5 July 2019

In this week's episode, Mark Pringle and Barney Hoskyns welcome special guest Amy Linden to reminisce about reading Creem at her local library and falling in with the punk scene in San Francisco in the late '70s... and then about writing for Vibe, Spin and XXL. Amy shares stories of chasing Amy Winehouse and detesting Kanye West.

The trio listen to excerpts from a 1976 Bobby Womack audio interview in which the maverick soul man – who died five years ago this week – talks about recording at Muscle Shoals with white musicians and tells of how Wilson Pickett's voice replaced his own on early recordings for Atlantic Records.

Ahead of the opening of Maxine Peake's Nico Project in Manchester, the former Christa Päffgen is featured as artist of the week on RBP, sparking discussion of a late interview in which she claims she'd like to be a farmer – or the captain of a ship.

Finally, Mark presents archive highlights that include an account of what it's like to play a Rolling Stones gig (supposedly penned by Brian Jones), a Randy Newman interview in which he playfully describes himself as "lovable and friendly and perfect in every way" and a De La Soul interview that prompts Amy to mock Mark's pronunciation of their name mercilessly.

Find Amy's podcast, ImmaLetYouFinish, on Spotify, Instagram @immaletyoufinishny and Twitter @finishimma.

Produced by Jasper Murison-Bowie