Holt Vinyl Vault: Recent Episodes
Weaver Hawkins
Record shop Holt Vinyl Vault in North Norfolk shares great tunes from its racks through its regular themed podcasts - hosted by staff members Postmaster Flash, Sheila A. Devotion and Piers Hitman Hawkins
Sheila A Devotion and Hitman Hawkins bring you a wide variety of tunes including contemporary artists Laura Veirs and Bill Callahan, former Beach Boy Brian Wilson and and jazz maestro Art Blakey.
The Holt Vinyl Vault crew return to the airways with a broad selection of top tunes from the shop's racks, including a new regular-ish feature Who Made Who!
First Holt Vinyl Vault show for Poppyland Radio. The whole team rock up with a broad selection of tunes from the shop's racks, including a special focus on John Martyn.
Postmaster Flash picks some top tunes from Britain's leading reggae label, including tracks by the Heptones, Susan Cadogan and John Holt.
Hitman Hawkins has a chronological delve through the Hip Hop box and comes up with some gems from across the decades, kicking off with an '82 classic from Grandmaster Flash, throwing in a bit of Mary J Blige and House of Pain, and finishing with some Trip Hop and some Hip Hop funk.
Sheila Take-A-Bow has a rifle through the indie singles boxes and revisits some magnificent live cuts from the likes of Husker Du and Sonic Youth, along with some more contemporary studio recordings from Maximo Park and Razorlight.
The Holt Vinyl Vault Gang choose their favourite releases from 2021 - top tunes from the Staves, Sufjan Stevens, The Curator, Elia Y Elizabeth and more. No Adele or Little Simz here, but then we're not Radio 2!
With their visas about to expire, Flash and Hitman career across the States in search of musical legends. Starcrawler, George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis... there's no telling who they might, quite literally, run into!
Postmaster Flash plots a route around the United States in a quest to visit the birth places of some of his favourite recording artists. While, Hitman is in the driver's seat, Flash fumbles with the maps...
Postmaster Flash discovers some amazing original versions of songs made famous by other people and tasks Hitman Hawkins to share his musings on this week's podcast. Paul Anka does it his Way, the Hollies' He Ain't Heavy is exposed as a lightweight, while it turns out that Phillip Goodhand-Tait and Roger Daltrey are Oceans apart...
Hitman Hawkins takes a trip back to 1970s New York and spends 30 minutes in the company of the bands who put CBGBs on the map - Ramones, Blondie, Patti Smith etc
In a nod to Nick Hornby's High Fidelity (particularly the film version featuring Jack Black), Hitman Hawkins pulls eight titles from the racks that any self-respecting music lover really should own. There's Dylan; there's Joni; there's Sly Stone; there's some others!
Sheila A Devotion selects some cracking TV theme tunes that (mostly) sound as good today as they did when they first aired - and with composers such as Mike Post and Quincy Jones, it's hardly surprising!
Hitman Hawkins heads to the Jazz Lounge armed with a bottle of Jack to deliver a late night session from greats including Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson, Stan Getz, and Kenny Dorham...
Postmaster Flash - and Hitman Hawkins are inspired by John Grant's recent triumphant return to the live circuit to take inventory of the Vinyl Vaults Electro-pop offerings...
In honour of the late Charlie Watts, the Vinyl Vault spins a few favourites in memory of the latest Stone to cease Rolling. It's a nice mix of tunes that demonstrates the band's - and Charlie's - versatility...
Enjoy a Postmaster Flash-back as Vault boss Andrew recalls his teenaged excitement at breaking out the latest Led Zeppelin opus in Seventies Southend.
Sheila A Devotion and Piers Hitman Hawkins gather up some intriguing cover versions from the shop shelves for this this week's podcast.
A fabulous selection of tunes from the Vinyl Vault racks, selected by Hitman Hawkins and Sheila A Devotion. As the dynamic duo are Reunited after the Summer break, expect to hear Peaches & Herb, along with the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Hall & Oates, and one-off duos such as Aretha Franklin & Whitney Houston.
Postmaster Flash rekindles his love of quirky US duo Sparks as he revisits the early years of the band's illustrious output!
Postmaster Flash returns with his Punk Icons strand, looking at the ultimate punk singles band, the Sex Pistols.
A selection of top tunes from some of the biggest names in rock and pop, including first press Jimi Hendrix and Curtis Mayfield, plus debut albums from the Eagles, Luther Vandross and Cyndi Lauper!
Sheila A Devotion inhabits her Eighties persona to present some of her favourite tunes from that decade in the first "live" recorded Vinyl Vault podcast. How did she do? Not bad, we think...
Hitman Hawkins celebrates the Record Store Day Yacht Soul release by rounding up the original recordings that inspired the new compilation. It's a Yacht Rock rollercoaster don't you know!
Postmaster Flash charts the period of transition for Joy Division after the death of Ian Curtis, as they morphed into New Order and established themselves as a force on the British dance music scene with the release of Blue Monday.
Sheila A Devotion goes in search of music with a message, including top tunes from the worlds of folk, hip-hop, soul, indie and pop. On the upside, her taste is exemplary; on the downside, these records are still disturbingly relevant today!
Hitman Hawkins returns to the Vault's Northern Soul room for some well-known stompers, cool oldies, LP-only gems and more.
Super-fan Postermaster Flash - with a little help from Hitman Hawkins - takes a quick spin through Patti Smith's early years in the latest in the Vinyl Vault's Punk Icons series.
Postmaster Flash follows up his birth of Heavy Metal pod with a look at the softer sounds of 1970. Along with the likes of Cat Stevens, ELP and Joni Mitchell, there's another dose of Black Sabbath at their trippy best.
Hitman Hawkins finds himself still trapped in the Eighties as he surveys the phenomenon known as Silicon Soul - all those shiny, sparkly, digitally enhanced pop-soul outfits from the latter half of that decade. From Johnny Hates Jazz and Love & Money to Wet Wet Wet and the Kane Gang - all the sharp suits and slick production can't detract from some fine songwriting and heartfelt performances. They really were good, yer know!
Postmaster Flash takes a fresh look at Punk stalwarts the Stranglers and discovers a new-found affection for the men in black.
In this week's Vinyl Vault podcast, Hitman Hawkins spins some classic Eighties British Soul, from the decade when British soul music really came into its own. There's Sade, Stansfield and Soul II Soul - and that's just the artists beginning with "S"!
Lend an ear to some of the top singer-songwriting talent among the fairer sex. No ladies of the canyon this time though as Hitman Hawkins casts the net wider and hauls in a stellar catch. There's some household names here, but also some who have fallen off the radar but are long overdue an encore. Let's hear it for the girls!
Sheila A Devotion is back on the road again in the US, where she plots her route with the help of The Doors, The Monkees and Dean Martin, among others. Along the way she gets a spelling lesson from Bobbie Gentry and parties in Las Vegas with beardy rockers ZZ Top!
Postmaster Flash sets his sights on the world of Afrobeat and delivers a veritable potpourri of sounds from the African continent and beyond...
Postmaster Flash climbs into his leathers for a trip back to 1970 - Year Zero for Heavy Metal. From Black Sabbath and Deep Purple to the Stooges and Spirit - this is where it began!
This week's Vinyl Vault podcast surveys the world of Dutch psych-pop. You know who we're talking about - Shocking Blue, Golden Earing(s), Les Baroques, and Brainbox (precursors to Focus). Honestly - smoke enough weed and what do you expect?
It's Punk Icons 2, as the Vinyl Vault picks favourites from the Siouxsie Sioux back catalogue.
Hitman Hawkins has been back in the Soul Cellar, searching out some brilliant tunes from Seventies. There's fabulous grooves from the likes of Sly Stone, Frederick Knight and Yvonne Elliman, along with a Marc Bolan collaboration from Gloria (Tainted Love) Jones!
Postmaster Flash peruses the Chess Records archives and finds some musical gems from some of the biggest names in blues. There's Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy and many more... along with plenty of the usual musical trivia.
Postmaster Flash takes a trip through the annals of Freakbeat - you know, when those British '60s beat bands took a bit of a psychedelic turn. Tune in, turn on and drop out to the tones of Wimple Winch, the Mirror, and of course, Martin Cure & the Peeps...
For some people, Summer's not Summer without attending at least one folk festival - sleeping under canvas; a finger permanently stuck in one ear; a fiddle workshop; the heady smell of the chemical toilets. Hitman Hawkins is one of the those people, so it was only a matter of time before he raided the Vinyl Vaults folk section for a podcast. Now, you too can get that Summer feeling, courtesy of Fotheringay, Kate & Anna McGarrigle and John Renbourne, just to name a few...
It seems, more than ever, the Clash have a song for every occasion, which makes them the perfect candidate to kick off our Punk Icons series. After conversing with Postmaster Flash, Hitman & Devotion deliver a Punk pod for our times... Turn on "Radio Clash" and consider this: how "Safe" is your "European Home"?
Holt Vinyl Vault acquired a small batch of Motown recently, so Hitman Hawkins has pulled a few titles for our latest podcast. There's some bona fide classics, tasty collectibles, and more - plus the best-ever (if slightly dodgy) Motown jingles from the days of yore!
If Postmaster Flash was stuck on a desert island and could choose only one style of music, dub reggae would be his pick. Here he selects some reggae favourites from the Vinyl Vault shelves, but, again, hands over the role of "pod host" to the minions, Sheila B and Hitman. Will he never learn?
Hitman Hawkins explores the Vault's extensive Jazz collection in search of tunes with a Latin leaning. There's stone-cold classics from the likes of Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, along with more unusual selections from Duncan Lamont (he wrote the theme tune to Mr Benn, you know) and Grover Washington.
Bored with lockdown, Sheila A Devotion and Hitman Hawkins decide to take an imaginary tour of the US, taking their direction from some classic tunes. While they might supply a tremendous soundtrack, never ask these guys to plot your route!
Stick the pop corn in the microwave, cos this week, Sheila A. Devotion braves the, slightly sticky, red carpet that leads to the Vinyl Vault's soundtrack department, and selects some musical gems that shined on the silver screen. There's leg-warmers, stetsons and tattoos aplenty...
Back in the day, Hitman Hawkins spent time in Nashville licensing country artists for UK release, so who better to demonstrate the breadth of a genre that overlaps jazz, blues, folk, pop and rock. It's all in there, and the Vinyl Vault's got it all. Yeehaw indeed!
Sheila A Devotion and Hitman Hawkins take a trip down memory lane - or, to be more specific, London's New Cross Road - in search of indie-disco. Did they really walk out of an Oasis gig. How many pints did Hitman have to drink to get into the Stone Roses at Ally Pally? Was Thursday night at Nottingham's Rock City really the hottest ticket in town?
Postmaster Flash picks the tunes and supplies the words for this Elvis special, but foolishly lets Hitman and Sheila A Devotion present the show. Tune in and remember why Elvis really was the King, and top up on your Woody Harrelson trivia
Vinyl Vault soul supremo Hitman Hawkins takes a quick flick through the dance racks in search of some Northern floor-fillers. From oldies to modern, crossover to contemporary - it's all here!
The Vinyl Vault team mark the five-year anniversary of David Bowie's passing by selecting some favourite tunes from the world's greatest popular artist.
The Vinyl Vault team recall some favourite albums of the past year. There's a right mix, and they're not all big names - but they were all big hits in the shop.
The mince pies are flying as the whole crew gathers in the Vault to share Yuletide cheer and their festive favourites from the shop's racks. Tom Waits shares a Christmas card from a hooker, there's some Country corn on the back-burner, and then there's the best ever modern-day Christmas tune - no contest!
Postmaster (Potty Mouth) Flash and Piers Hitman Hawkins stick it to the Man with their review of some of Punk's finer moments, from undisputed classics such as the Undertones Teenage Kicks to more obscure gems like the Normal's Warm Leatherette. Who remembers Bill Grundy?
Sheila A. Devotion and Piers Hitman Hawkins are joined in the Vault by an Eighties icon as they spin some classic tunes and reminisce about big hair, shoulder pads and guinea pigs...
The record-shop crew look back on some great Beatle moments to mark the anniversary of the release of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, and the tragic murder of John Lennon.
Vault mid-week crew, Sheila A. Devotion and Piers Hitman Hawkins are swigging cocktails in the Easy Listening Lounge in the company of such luminaries as Sergio Mendes, Julie London and Tony Bennett. Find out the answers to such pressing questions as why Leo Sayer got the chop from the Burt Bacharach tribute album, and more...
Vault boss Postmaster Flash (aka Andrew Worsdale) and staffer Piers Hitman Hawkins rifle through the racks of the Holt Vinyl Vault record emporium in search of some guitar greats. Picks include Latin rocker Carlos Santana, blues master Rory Gallagher, and folk hero Bert Jansch...
Holt Vinyl Vault record shop shares some top tunes from its brilliant stock. Episode 1 focuses on America's West Coast sound.