E61: Colleen "Cosmo" Murphy on David Mancuso and Lydia Lunch
Rock's Backpages - A podcast by Barney Hoskyns, Mark Pringle, Jasper Murison-Bowie - Mondays
In this week's episode, Mark and Barney are joined by the delightful Colleen "Cosmo" Murphy to mark the 50th anniversary of David Mancuso's legendary first Loft party in New York City. Colleen talks about her friendship with Mancuso and about her own musical journey as a revered DJ (not to mention host of Classic Album Sundays). Barney notes the week's featured writer Daryl Easlea — and specifically his pieces on Elvis Presley the movie star and (tying in with this week's reissue of his excellent book Everybody Dance) Chic protegée Norma Jean Wright. Colleen concurs that the latter's 'Saturday' (1978) is a stone disco classic. The New York theme continues with discussion of the week's new audio interview, featuring No Wave queen and fearless transgressor Lydia Lunch talking to Martin Aston in 1989. We hear a clip of Lydia holding forth on her staunch refusal to be part of any cultural mainstream — and conversation ensues about her huge influence and complicated relationship with radical feminism. Finally, Mark talks us through such new additions to the RBP library as a 1969 Jimi Hendrix interview from the L.A. Times, Nick Kent's 1978 encounter with Elvis Costello, and Sean O'Hagan's account of his 1998 trip to Belfast with U2. A second clip from the Lydia Lunch audio takes us out of the episode… Many thanks to special guest Colleen Murphy; like her Facebook page at Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy and visit classicalbumsundays.com. Pieces discussed: David Mancuso, The Art of Deejaying without Deejaying, DJ Cosmo, Norma Jean Wright, Elvis in Hollywood, 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong, Lydia Lunch audio, Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, Disco Demand, Elvis Costello, Was (Not Was), U2, Viv Stanshall, Primal Scream, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Them Crooked Vultures and Sister Rosetta Tharpe The RBP podcast is part of the Pantheon Podcasts network.