Steve Pafford

More PMs than realities: why Britain is always going up the hill backwards

The cathedral’s glittering on coronation day Crowned heads and cardinals under military sway I approach the altar slowly in a humble shroud to receive the acclamation of the loyal crowd Give…

News

June 22, 2026

bySteve Pafford

Assessing the Girl Power of the Spice Girls — 90s nostalgia or a lasting legacy?

June 12, 2026

Perfect 10: Spice Girls

Thirty years ago five women intersected (somewhat) by happenstance and changed the face of popular music shortly thereafter. This isn’t shameless hyperbole, it’s a statement of fact. The…

June 11, 2026

byQuentin Harrison

Say No Go: The surprise rehabilitation of Daryl Hall & John Oates (No Can Do)

June 6, 2026

What did you expect to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Devon, perhaps?

News

June 4, 2026

Perfect 10: Talking ’bout Marilyn Monroe in song

June 1, 2026

Random Jukebox: Pondering Patti LaBelle’s big-haired Bond theme If You Asked Me To

May 24, 2026

Highlights

We shall overcome? Why Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On is more relevant than ever

May 21, 2026

Age to the rhythm: Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Grace Jones (and why she’s younger than you think)

Music

May 19, 2026

Perfect 10: Produced by Brian Eno

Music

May 15, 2026

The day Frank Sinatra met Manic Street Preachers in Golders Green

Music

May 14, 2026

Angel or Legend? Assessing Bob Marley

May 11, 2026

Happiness is a place called Richmond: my erstwhile neighbour David Attenborough at 100

May 8, 2026

May The Fourth Be With You: How Margaret Thatcher launched the Star Wars ‘holiday’

May 4, 2026

Mick Ronson on the wall: Heaven and Hell in Hull

April 29, 2026

Random Jukebox

Random Jukebox: The Hotrats’ Turn Ons

October 3, 2025

Random Jukebox: Garbage say The World Is Not Enough

August 25, 2025

Random Jukebox: Neneh Cherry’s Manchild

August 19, 2025

Random Jukebox: Jack White & Alicia Keys find Another Way To Die

July 8, 2025

Random Jukebox: Cyndi Lauper’s Into The Nightlife

June 22, 2025

Random Jukebox: Duran Duran’s A View To A Kill + how they took over Bond from Bowie

May 12, 2025

Random Jukebox: The Belle Stars’ Sign Of The Times

April 30, 2025

Random Jukebox: Robert Wyatt’s Shipbuilding

January 27, 2025

Exclusive audio: Neil Tennant talks David Bowie, Michael Jackson and Take That

Three decades ago, on 25 April 1996 to be precise, I conducted my first official on the record interview with a pop star: Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys. That weekday afternoon the PSB…

April 25, 2026

bySteve Pafford

The murder of Stephen Lawrence 33 years on

News

April 22, 2026

bySteve Pafford

100 words for Windsor

News

April 21, 2026

Elizabeth Sladen: forever our Sarah Jane Smith

April 19, 2026

bySteve Pafford

You’re an actor too? That time I worked with David Tennant

April 18, 2026

bySteve Pafford

It Was 11 Years Ago Today: Dusty Springfield’s Faithful found in the nick of time

April 7, 2026

The winners took it all: ABBA’s Waterloo at 52

Music

April 6, 2026

One could almost call it an altar: ten things you didn’t know about Elizabeth Taylor

March 23, 2026

Licence to flop: The trouble with Timothy Dalton

March 21, 2026

Black celebration: dissecting Depeche Mode’s Violator

March 19, 2026

Music

Even better than the real thing: 11 Irish Icons that aren’t U2

Anyone who’s ever been to Ireland knows that music isn’t just part of their cultural heritage, but also an inescapable part of everyday life. Whether it’s the traditional live bands down the…

March 17, 2026

bySteve Pafford

Trending Now

Formidable femmes: The 115 women who changed the world

It’s been a wee while since we marked International Women’s Daywith a new feature. As it’s the 115th anniversary of the earliest iteration of IWD—a sui generisFebruary 1909 event organised by…

News

March 7, 2026

bySteve Pafford

Russell Crowe: Another one who’s ballooned

Screen

March 4, 2026

byjames Harris

45 at 45(ish): Adam Ant is The Human League’s Mirror Man

Music

February 28, 2026

bySteve Pafford

Six degrees of separation: How often do you think of Fanny?

February 26, 2026

bySteve Pafford

100 words for Kenneth Williams

Historically, when it comes to Pisces peeps the water sign’s complex personality traits have given the world numerous notable names, and February 22 has been a date with more than its fair…

February 22, 2026

bySteve Pafford

Twenty Years Ago Steve Pafford did Robbie Williams in the Rudebox review

Music

February 13, 2026

bySteve Pafford

Die young, stay pretty: the intimacy and iconography of James Dean

February 8, 2026

bySteve Pafford

John Lydon at 70: “Have I mellowed? Absolutely fucking not!” – a classic interview revisited

Music

January 31, 2026

bySteve Pafford

Trending Now

Random Jukebox: Dinah Washington’s Mad About The Boy

One hundred years ago, jazz and blues singer Dinah Washington was born in Alabama. The Grammy-winning “Queen of the Jukeboxes” would leave this bitter earth behind at the tender age of 39,…

August 28, 2024

bySteve Pafford

Random Jukebox: Goldfrapp’s Human

July 31, 2024

bySteve Pafford

Random Jukebox: Chris Cornell’s You Know My Name, from Casino Royale

July 19, 2024

bySteve Pafford

Random Jukebox: Blancmange’s Living On The Ceiling

June 13, 2024

bySteve Pafford

Random Jukebox

Starman in Streatham: David McAlmont climbs the Wall To Wall Bowie

Six years ago, former Blitz kid and Animal Nightlife singer Andy Polaris checked out an annual celebration of David Bowie’s music at Streatham’s Hideaway wine-and-dine venue in south London. A…

January 25, 2026

bySteve Pafford

Remembering Robert Palmer: Bryan Ferry on Johnny & Mary

Music

January 22, 2026

bySteve Pafford

The Caped Crusader of camp: Holy Happy 60th, Batman!

January 15, 2026

bySteve Pafford

The Moolah Of Suburbia: cashing in on Bowie’s Bromley house

Bowie

January 10, 2026

bySteve Pafford

The Grand Illusion of David Bowie: David Currie book foreword by Steve Pafford

Dear me, I have to admit this is something of a tough read. A foreword for a book by David Currie that was eventually published by Legends Publishing in 2024 as a beautifully illustrated…

Bowie

January 8, 2026

bySteve Pafford

That time Neil Tennant reviewed a Duran Duran gig in Smash Hits. Talk Talk bring up the rear

December 17, 2025

bySteve Pafford

The Frank that drank: when Pet Shop Boys did dinner with Sinatra

December 12, 2025

bySteve Pafford

These are the crimes: The time David Bowie sung John Lennon’s Imagine

December 8, 2025

bySteve Pafford

Events

The Youth of Today: That time Neil Tennant interviewed Musical Youth in Smash Hits

Musical Youth were the British pop phenomenon of 1982: a group of five brummie lads inspired by New Edition and The Jackson 5 who were aged between 11 and 15 when ‘Pass The…

December 6, 2025

bySteve Pafford

Perfect 10: Grace Jones’ Alternative Island Life

Music

December 2, 2025

byCallum Pearce

David Bowie’s DNA: Spaceboy Keeps Swinging

December 1, 2025

bySteve Pafford

June Whitfield at 100: Mum and Gran’s most Absolutely Fabulous one-liners, dear

November 11, 2025

bySteve Pafford

Love is a stranger in an open car: locating Eurythmics in Little Venice

Released on 8 November 1982, Love Is A Stranger is very possibly my favourite Eurythmics single. Although its original chart position of 54 was a disappointment, the song benefitted from being…