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Ben Watt

Michael Berkeley's guest is musician and writer Ben Watt.

Musician and writer Ben Watt released his first single when he was just 19. In 1981, on his first day as a student at Hull University, he met Tracey Thorn and together they formed the duo Everything But the Girl – taking their name from the slogan of a local furniture shop. Over the next twenty years, they had 12 top 40 singles and 7 top 20 albums. Since then Ben has experimented in dance and electronic music, run his own record label and returned to songwriting with the release of two solo albums.

Ben has also written two acclaimed books. The first about his experience of a life-threatening autoimmune disease and the second, a poignant portrait of his parents. Most recently, he’s returned to making music with his wife Tracey Thorn in a new Everything But the Girl Album.

Available now

37 minutes

Last on

Sun 7 May 2023 12:00

Music Played

  • William Grant Still

    Summerland (3 Visions)

    Performer: Bruce Levingston.
    • Citizen.
    • Sono Luminus.
    • 201.
  • Wes Montgomery Trio

    Mi Cosa

    • Guitar On The Go.
    • Riverside.
    • 8.
  • Quincy Jones

    Brown Ballad (feat. Toots Thielemans)

    • Smackwater Jack.
    • A&M JAZZ.
    • 6.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Sapphische Ode, Op. 94 No. 4

    Performer: Phyllis Spurr. Singer: Kathleen Ferrier.
    • DECCA.
  • Gonzalo Rubalcaba

    Silencio (Silence)

    • Solo.
    • Blue Note Records.
    • 3.
  • Laurie Spiegel

    The Unquestioned Answer

    Performer: Laurie Spiegel.
    • Unseen World.
  • Dean McPhee

    Sky Burial

    • Blast First Petite.
  • Peteris Vasks

    Songs of Love - IV. Then Time Stopped

    Ensemble: Signum Saxophone Quartet.
    • Echoes.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 9.
  • Josiah Steinbrick & Sam Gendel

    Mouthfeel 5

    • Full Bloom.

Broadcast

  • Sun 7 May 2023 12:00

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