The story of Wild Thing and whatever happened to World Cup songs?

The story of Wild Thing and whatever happened to World Cup songs?

Author: Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold April 13, 2026 Duration: 54:56

Take your protein pills and put your helmet on as we voyage to the far side this week to take a picture of …

 

… the Kanye West & Wireless ding-dong

 

… Springsteen with Tom Morello, Pet Shop Boys with Johnny Marr: the fine art of the ‘special guest’

 

… when Time Magazine invented Swinging London

 

… Gregg Allman and the judge’s wife

 

… Fake Plastic Trees! Pressure Drop by the Clash! Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)! Politicians trying to be hip

 

… a primal howl from the Troggs written by the son of a golf professional from Westchester County (Chip Taylor RIP)

 

… why all bands should have ‘membership’ gigs

 

... Back Home! This Time We’ll Get It Right! Are we still making World Cup anthems?

 

… never drive a car listening to the Mahavishnu Orchestra followed by the Sun Ra Arkestra and Trout Mask Replica

 

… plus birthday guest Chuck Loncon is listening to every record he owns.


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There’s a particular kind of conversation about music that happens between friends who’ve spent a lifetime immersed in it-not as distant critics, but as participants in the culture. That’s the atmosphere you’ll find in Word In Your Ear, a podcast from Mark Ellen, David Hepworth, and Alex Gold. With a collective eighty years of writing and broadcasting for titles like Smash Hits and Mojo, and shows from "The Old Grey Whistle Test" to VH-1, they don’t just recount history; they unpack the stories behind it with the ease of a shared laugh. This podcast grew naturally from their work on the late, great magazine The Word, where they began recording over thirteen years ago, building a dedicated following who found something genuinely special in the mix. Each episode weaves together music, commentary, history, and interviews, moving seamlessly from deep-dive analysis of a seminal album to a frank chat with a surprising guest, all delivered with the warmth and wit of a late-night chat. It feels less like a formal show and more like you’ve been invited to pull up a chair in a room where the anecdotes are plentiful and the expertise is worn lightly. The result is a consistently engaging listen that treats music not as a museum piece but as a living, breathing part of our lives.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Word In Your Ear
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