Advertise on podcast: Mega Music Memories

Peter Cunnah and Alan Mackenzie from D:Ream are our guests on the latest episode of Mega Music Memories. D:Ream had three UK Top 10 hits in the 1990s and 12 Top 40 releases, including most famously, Things Can Only Get Better which spent four weeks at the top of the UK singles chart in 1994. After going their separate ways in 1995, Pete and Al bumped into each other again totally by chance in 2008, prompting them to collaborate on their third studio album entitled In Memory Of... a few years later.  The guys have been working on music together ever since and in 2021 released their fourth album Open Hearts Open Minds.

Fragma's former vocalist Maria Rubia is our guest on the latest episode of Mega Music Memories.  The multi-talented singer, songwriter, actress, model, TV presenter and DJ shot to fame in January 2001 when she collaborated with the German trance group on the single Everytime You Need Me, which got to number 3 in the UK chart and earned Maria a silver disc. Maria went on to achieve further Top 40 success later in 2001 with her solo track, Say It, collaborated with Akyra on a dance mix of Here Comes The Rain Again by Eurythmics and with Double N on Forever And A Day, which was used as the theme tune for reality TV juggernaut Big Brother in Denmark and Sweden. As well as reflecting on her overnight success and time in the spotlight - such as appearing on Top Of The Pops on a precariously tall and small platform - Maria talks to us about what she's been doing since including her inspiring journey back to health after a period using a wheelchair. We also hear about what's next for Maria, including a film role and new music she's working on that's expected to be out this summer with international DJ and producer Chelsea Singh.

Our guest on this episode of Mega Music Memories is American singer Kym Sims, who won the hearts of UK music fans in 1991 when her track, Too Blind To See It, climbed to number five in the singles chart, spending seven weeks in the Top 10.  Two more singles were released from Kym’s album, also called Too Blind To See It - with Take My Advice and A Little Bit More climbing to number 13 and 30 in the chart respectively in 1992.  Kym talks to us about her early years recording jingles for TV ads; the stunning success of Too Blind To See It; working with house music legend Steve “Silk” Hurley; her songwriting credits including Keep On Walkin’ by CeCe Penistone; and her more recent music working with writer Thomas Arambula and house music producer Scott Featherstone.

We hear from Rozalla on the latest episode of Mega Music Memories. Rozalla is best known for her epic dance anthem Everybody's Free (To Feel Good), which was a smash hit all around the world in 1991 and is still adored today by millions of fans. Rozalla's had eight top 40 hits in the UK and was the support act for Michael Jackson on the European leg of his Dangerous tour in 1992. Rozalla tells us about her early life growing up in Africa, the mind-blowing success of Everybody's Free (To Feel Good), what it was like to be on tour with Michael Jackson and Billy Ocean and she also talks to us about the music she's released in recent years - including her latest single I Want You Back - and her new album which is coming out later this year. The 'Queen of Rave' also regales us with some brilliant anecdotes from her career about real A-list superstars including Al Pacino, Liz Taylor and Diana Ross to name just three.

On the latest episode of Mega Music Memories we talk to Steve Grant and Denise Waterman from the 1980s pop group Tight Fit. Alongside Julie Harris, Steve and Denise grabbed everyone’s attention in 1982 when their cover version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight shot to the top of the UK and Irish singles charts and their follow-up track, Fantasy Island, also broke the top five in both countries. Tight Fit are releasing new music again 40 years after first capturing our hearts, with their latest single, Fallout, being released towards the end of last year. Steve and Denise reflect on their remarkable early careers and the peak of their chart-topping fame and tell us about what they’ve both been up to since, taking us right up to the present day where they’re due to release their new album later this year.

What's she gonna look like with a chimney on her?! In our latest episode we talk to Maya Days who famously sang those words on Feel It - her chart-topping collaboration with The Tamperer. Maya explains what the song's all about and where that famous line came from - clearing up a few popular misconceptions along the way. She talks to us about what it was like working with The Tamperer and riding high in the charts with UK Top 10 singles If You Buy This Record Your Life Will Be Better and Hammer To The Heart.  As well as being a successful recording artist, Maya is a huge star on Broadway too and she tells us about her career-defining roles of Mimi in Rent, Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar and the title character in Aida. Maya also discusses her TV and film career, which includes a recurring role acting alongside the likes of Glenn Close, Rose Byrne and Ted Danson in the critically-acclaimed series Damages.

Angie Brown is our guest on this episode of Mega Music Memories. Angie is best known for her work as a vocalist for Bizarre Inc. Angie blasts out the fierce lyrics on Bizarre Inc's smash hit I’m Gonna Get You, which peaked at number three in the UK singles chart in 1992. She was also the female voice on Mark Morrison’s world famous number one single from 1996 - Return Of The Mack. Angie's worked with some of the biggest artists and bands in the world during her 30-year career including Kate Bush, Heaven 17, Neneh Cherry, Beverley Knight, The Stereophonics, The Happy Mondays, Midge Ure, Grace Jones and The Rolling Stones. And she had a front row seat as house music was exploding in the UK in the late 80s and early 90s.

Alan Fitzsimons from the 90s boyband OTT is our guest on this episode of Mega Music Memories. Alan, along with Niall O'Neill, Alan Mates, Glen Clark and Keith Cox, had three top 10 hits in Ireland in 1996.  Their domestic success brought them to the UK in 1997 where their songs Let Me In, Forever Girl and All Out Of Love reached numbers 12, 24 and 11 respectively on the UK singles chart before The Story Of Love also reached number 11 in 1998. The boys were regulars on the television and radio, including notable appearances on Top Of The Pops where they bucked the trend at the time by singing live. Among other things, Alan talks to us about what it was like as a very young man being in a successful boyband in the 1990s on both sides of the Irish Sea, what he got up to when the boyband days came to an end and his time on the TV talent show The Voice Of Ireland.

We caught up with Alida Swart from the 1990s girlband Vanilla in the latest episode of Mega Music Memories. Alida, alongside Sharon Selby and sisters Frances and Alison Potter, formed Vanilla in 1996 and gained notoriety a year later with their hugely memorable hit No Way No Way, which peaked at number 14 in the UK singles chart.  A performance on Top Of The Pops, regular television appearances and a second top 40 single, True To Us, followed for the girls before they eventually went their own separate ways. No Way No Way heavily sampled Piero Umiliani’s piece of music, Mah Na Mah Na, which is most closely associated with The Muppets. It was a divisive single and one that certainly captured people’s attention and is still very well-remembered and frequently played to this day. Alida fills us in on what went on behind the scenes with Vanilla, clarifies some details and addresses various myths about the band and their music head-on.  She also tells us what all the Vanilla girls are up to now and we even get to listen to snippets of some of the group’s unreleased tracks.

The lead singer of No Mercy - Marty Cintron - is our guest on the latest episode of Mega Music Memories. Backed up by twin brothers Ariel and Humberto Hernandez, Marty stormed the world of pop music in 1996 as No Mercy's most famous track Where Do You Go sold millions of copies worldwide and the band's debut album, My Promise, went platinum in Germany, Australia, Austria and Switzerland. No Mercy released a variety of other tracks that performed successfully across Europe and the US including Please Don’t Go, When I Die, Kiss You All Over, Hello How Are You and their first single Missing, which was a cover of Todd Terry’s remix of the smash hit single by Everything But The Girl.  Marty tells us about his early career and how No Mercy got started and gives us amazing insight into all the incredible highlights that followed. He reflects on what makes 90s music so popular and the differences in the music industry between then and now. Marty also tells us about being back on the road as No Mercy post-Covid and gives us a glimpse of what's in store for the future.

I was delighted to interview Anna Kumble - better known as Lolly - in the latest episode of the podcast.  Lolly exploded onto the UK pop music scene in 1999 with three consecutive top 10 singles, including the smash hit Mickey, which peaked at number four in the charts.  A second album and two more top 20 hits followed in 2000 before Anna decided to move on from Lolly to pursue a successful TV presenting career as well as going back to her roots in the theatre and starting a family. A hugely intensive and highly successful two-year period saw Lolly rack up an incredible five appearances on Top Of The Pops as her refreshing new sound of pure, unabashed pop music quickly secured a loyal and adoring fanbase. Anna tells us about the original concept of Lolly, how it felt at the height of her success and gives us an insight into what went on behind the scenes. She also talks us through what she's been up to since - including some new tracks - and tells us about a successful fan-led campaign to get Lolly's music onto digital streaming platforms.

We speak to Daz Sampson in this episode of the podcast. Daz is most famous for being the UK entry into the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 with his top 10 single Teenage Life. He also had success as part of Bus Stop in the late 90s and Uniting Nations in the mid-00s as well as being well known for his collaborations with huge artists such as Carl Douglas, Randy Bachman and Glen Campbell. As well as being involved in numerous other projects over the years, Daz has also had a surprising but successful career as a football manager in Poland, Guam and the United States. He tells us all about his ups and downs in the music industry, his parallel career in football and spills all the gossip on his Eurovision adventure. Daz also gives us the lowdown on what he's up to now, including his efforts to go back to Eurovision and what happened when he took part in the competition to represent Belarus in the contest.