Show Notes
You already know the chorus. In fact, you've probably scream-sung it at a bar. But, what do you know about the band behind Tubthumping?
What if we told you that the biggest pub anthem of the '90s was written by militant anarchic agitators who supported striking miners, clashed with fascists, and called a crumbling Victorian mansion home?
Yep, Chumbawamba is probably a LOT more interesting than you might have imagined. In this week's episode of Tape Spaghetti, Scott & Blake trace the band’s journey from punk squatters in Northern England to Britpop chart-toppers, and the ideological tightrope they walked along the way.
Some might have accused them of selling out, but when "Tubthumping" became a global smash, the band used their spotlight for disruption: rewriting lyrics on national TV, provoking politicians, and donating profits to radical causes.
Here's what happens when anarchists accidentally write one of the catchiest pop hooks ever recorded.
More from Tape Spaghetti
What do Wilco, Cold War espionage, and creepily cryptic radio messages have in common? ...Quite a bit, actually.For decades, mysterious shortwave radio broadcasts from "numbers stations" have sent out eerie transmissions of seemingly random numbers and words representing incomprehensible messages to unknown recipients.
When you think of the first great concept albums, what comes to mind? Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band? Pet Sounds? The Dark Side of the Moon? Well, what if we told you the origins of this exceptionally innovative format actually trace back to a super bummed out Frank Sinatra, a bottle of whiskey, and 16 songs about being miserable?
Beethoven died in 1827. Chopin died in 1849. Liszt died in 1886. But, apparently, that didn’t stop any of 'em from writing new music.
What happens when the biggest band in the world starts asking engineers to do things recording equipment was never designed to do? Things get weird. But, did the Beatles really revolutionize the gear and recording techniques that changed the game?
By 1970, Elvis Presley had fame, money, guns, wicked karate skills, a collection of police badges, and the ability to get almost anything else he wanted. Then he decided he needed federal credentials. What followed was an absolutely bonkers few days.