The Giddy Carousel of Pop

The Giddy Carousel of Pop


Smash Hits - 25 March - 7 April 1987 with Barry McIlheney (part 2)

May 11, 2020

Welcome back to The Giddy Carousel of Pop. Hold tight for a top pop ride!

In part two of our chat with former Smash Hits editor Barry McIlheney about his time at Ver Hits (October 1986 to January 1989) we continue out look at the issue of 25 March - 7 April 1987. If you missed part one, go and listen to it now!

In just three years, Barry went from being a library assistant living with his mum in Belfast to editor of Britain's brightest pop mag, via spells at Hot Press and Melody Maker. It was under his editorship that Smash Hits achieved its highest-ever circulation figures, but it wasn't all plain sailing. From going to dinner with Michael Jackson to asking the members of U2 to draw a duck, Barry takes us behind the scenes of what life was like at Ver Hits.

Artists discussed include The Mission, Mel & Kim, The Blow Monkeys, Bruce Willis, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, U2 and Genesis.

Read along with us! Find scans of the issue here http://likepunkneverhappened.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-25-april-7-1987.html and here http://michaelmouse1967.wixsite.com/smashhits-remembered/217---25th-march---7th-april-1987

And check out the playlists of pretty much all the songs featured in this issue of Ver Hits:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6dtx6oKHsXkoX7QgWk34rg?si=TntHiPUCTJajZ8NzJIg9PA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfs58mqeRNuFlkbulM8Y8ytV-lxhZB_GL

The Giddy Carousel of Pop is part of the We Made This network of podcasts.

HOSTS: Simon Galloway and Gavin Hogg
GUEST: Barry McIlheney

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