Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

Writer and Editor at Freelance

words for @ClashMagazine @whynowworld @Composer_Mag @TicketmasterUK @rocksound @LondonInStereo (RIP) et al

Featured in: Favicon

flipboard.com Favicon

smoothradio.com Favicon

goldradiouk.com Favicon

festivalflyer.com Favicon

bfn.today

rocksound.tv Favicon

bbmlive.com Favicon

exbulletin.com Favicon

my.bfn.today

Articles

Marc Bolan and T Rex's 15 greatest songs ever, ranked

Oct 10, 2024 | goldradio.com | Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

They were widely considered to be the definitive glam rock band. As the seventies dawned, T. Rex burst into the charts like a bolt from the blue with glitzy outfits, plenty of tousled hair, and rock 'n' roll riffs that struck a chord with the mainstream. Starting out as a psychedelic folk outfit Tyrannosaurus Rex, Marc Bolan's sensibilities shifted towards radio-ready pop hooks and an outlandish style which ushered in a new era of rock music.
How Paul McCartney's 1985 return to the stage at Live Aid was nearly a disaster

Sep 27, 2024 | goldradio.com | Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

By 1985, he hadn't stepped on stage for six years. In 1981, Paul McCartney decided to call it a day with his band Wings, having grown disillusioned with in-fighting and life on the road. In truth, the beginning of the end of Wings was two years prior after their UK tour in 1979, with McCartney claiming to be dissatisfied with the band's performances.
Bill Withers’ 10 greatest songs, ranked

Sep 24, 2024 | goldradio.com | Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

He had a voice that was tailor-made to move people. But a career in music came later than most to the imitable Bill Withers, who moved to California at the age of 29 in 1967 to pursue his dream after a nine-year stint in the US Navy. A smile as great and open as his heart, Bill possessed effortless cool and conveyed universal emotion in his music, like few artists before or since.
The final song The Beatles recorded before their acrimonious split

Sep 13, 2024 | goldradio.com | Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

The day they split, the world stood still. But in truth, The Beatles momentum was grinding to a stand-still long before they officially called it a day. For anyone who watched Peter Jackson's Get Back could see with their own eyes that each individual band member - other than Paul McCartney - was becoming increasingly disinterested in their group venture.
How a song intended for The Beatles became The Yardbirds' biggest hit

Aug 23, 2024 | goldradiouk.com | Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

It's not exactly like they required any help in the songwriting department. Safe to say, there were two kinds of worlds when it comes to music - the one before The Beatles and the world after The Beatles. Together Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were a perfect storm of effortless charm, graft and dedication, and unrivalled natural talent when it came to songwriting.
When Simon and Garfunkel reunited on stage for a crowd of half a million people

Aug 14, 2024 | goldradiouk.com | Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

They were one of greatest duos in the history of popular music. But Simon & Garfunkel were also one of the most tempestuous duos in popular music history, despite their gentle and evocative brand of folk rock suggesting otherwise. After enormous success soundtracking much of the politically shape-shifting sixties, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel split at the turn of the subsequent decade.
When Paul McCartney cheekily joked he’d "never again" smoke cannabis after 1984 court charge

Aug 2, 2024 | goldradiouk.com | Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

Seemingly everyone in the sixties had a dabble here and there. There was a noticeable shift towards more exploratory sounds in pop music, which in turn influenced the advent of psychedelic music that decade. One band leading the charge for that change were undoubtedly The Beatles, who moved away from the blues-indebted pop that made their name into more adventurous territory. Not to say that illicit substances were entirely behind the musical progression, but they certainly had a part to play.
When Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page rocked the 2008 Beijing Olympics

Aug 1, 2024 | exbulletin.com | Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

When an Olympic Games ends, the world's eyes immediately turn to the next host country. In 2008, China had pulled out all the stops for the Olympic Games held in Beijing that year, and therefore had to crown a spectacular competition with dignity. Filmmaker Zhang Yimou orchestrated a beautifully moving ceremony at both ends of the Games that year, piling on the pressure for London to go further four years later.
Donna Summer’s 10 greatest songs, ranked

Aug 1, 2024 | smoothradio.com | Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

She was dubbed the 'Queen of Disco' for good reason. But before Donna Summer burst into the international charts throughout the era of disco, she'd been pursuing a music career for some years beforehand. Living in numerous European cities like Munich and Vienna after settling sail from her native Boston, Massachusetts, Summer carved a path acting and singing in musicals.
Bryan Ferry announces first new song in a decade to mark release of ‘Retrospective’ boxset

Aug 1, 2024 | goldradiouk.com | Thomas Curtis-Horsfall

His musical career has spanned half a century. And the rest. Now glam-rock's most sartorially elegant icon Bryan Ferry is celebrating the landmark with a new release. Alongside his career fronting art-rock pioneers Roxy Music, Ferry has also frequently focused on his musical efforts away from the band. His first solo album, These Foolish Things, was released in 1973 shortly after Roxy Music had broken through with their lauded single 'Virginia Plain'.