Radio choice Charlotte Runcie

Moondog: Sound Of New York

RADIO 4, 11.30AM

The American musician known as Moondog was a cult figure in Sixties New York. He was blind and homeless, and taught himself music and composition by ear, composing music combining jazz and classical influences with the sounds of the city streets. Philip Glass and Steve Reich cited him as a serious influence, and his pieces have been referenced and covered by Janis Joplin and Marc Bolan. He died in 1999, but his impact is still felt, as Huey Morgan explores in this wide-ranging tribute.

Last of the Great Record Men – Seymour Stein

RADIO 2, 9.00PM

 Head of Sire Records and eminent record executive, Seymour Stein, has been in the music business for six decades. In this interview with veteran music producer and songwriter Vicki Wickham, who introduces him as “the last great record man”, Stein relates a career that’s studded with name drops and starry anecdotes. A gifted storyteller, he gives thrilling insights into how he launched the careers of musical superstars including Madonna and The Cure, and fuelled the rise of punk and new wave.