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SOUL MUSIC: SERIES 30 - 25. INTO MY ARMS BY NICK CAVE (320kbs-m4a/64mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 18th July 2025
"I don't believe in an interventionist God" has to be one of the most original opening lines to a song.
It's one that resonates with the people in this programme who take comfort from Nick Cave's love song.
Els from Belgium was introduced to Cave's music through her partner Guido and Into My Arms became their song. After Guido died in a road accident Els carried on going to concerts and took great comfort from hearing that song. When she later wrote to Nick Cave's blog The Red Hand Files to tell him her story about Into My Arms she was overwhelmed when Nick Cave responded.
The Reverend John Walker feels a strong connection to the song as it's one his musician son Jonny performed just for him one evening on a rainy street in Leeds City Centre as Jonny was about to pack up and leave his busking spot. That special father-son moment has become even more cherished since Jonny's untimely death in 2018.
Many different artists have recorded their versions of Into My Arms including the Norwegian singer Ane Brun who performed it as a way of dealing with the heartache of a lost relationship.
Producer: Maggie Ayre
First broadcast on Radio 4 in December 2022.
DESERT ISLAND DISCS: NICK CAVE (320kbs-m4a/133mb/58mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 26th January 2025
Nick Cave is a singer and writer who, with his band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, has released emotionally intense and provocative music since the mid-Eighties. He is also a novelist, composer and has written film scripts and soundtracks along with his writing partner and Bad Seed Warren Ellis.
Nick grew up in Wangaratta, Australia the third of four children. He formed his first band, the Boys Next Door, in 1973 while he was at school. He studied fine art at the Caulfield Institute of Technology in Melbourne but left to pursue music. In 1980 the band relocated to London, renaming themselves the Birthday Party on the flight over. In 1984 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ released their debut album, From Her to Eternity, and they have gone on to put out a further 17 albums.
In 2015 Nick lost his son Arthur who died after accidentally falling off a cliff and seven years later his eldest son Jethro died. In 2018 Nick started the Red Hand Files, an online blog in which he answers questions posed by his fans, to try and articulate his feelings about grief. He has described it as a “strange exercise in communal vulnerability and transparency.”
In 2017 he was named an Officer of the Order of Australia.
BOOK CHOICE: The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
LUXURY ITEM: A suit
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: I Am a God – Kanye West
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley
T. Rex - Metal Guru [T-Rex Catalog (Spirit Music)]
Nina Simone - My Father [Epic/Associated/Legacy]
The Saints - (I'm) Stranded [EMI Music Australia]
John Lee Hooker - It Serves You Right To Suffer [Geffen*]
Karen Dalton - Something On Your Mind [Light In The Attic]
Bob Dylan (feat. Johnny Cash) - Girl From The North Country [Columbia Nashville Legacy]
Ye - I Am A God [Rock The World/IDJ/Kanye/LP6]
Tim Rose - Morning Dew [Columbia]
MARY ANNE HOBBS - NICK CAVE AND US (320kbs-m4a/131mb/57mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 29th August 2024
Nick Cave joins Mary Anne ahead of the release of Wild God, the 18th studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the follow-up to 2019's Ghosteen. Produced by Cave and Warren Ellis, and mixed by David Fridmann, Cave began writing the album on New Year's Day 2023. With sessions at Miraval in Provence and Soundtree in London, the Bad Seeds added their unique alchemy, with additional performances from Colin Greenwood (bass) and Luis Almau (nylon string guitar, acoustic guitar).
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Wild God [Bad Seeds]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Anthrocene
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Song Of The Lake
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Conversion
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Frogs [PIAS]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - I Let Love In (2011 Remastered Version) [Mute, a BMG Company]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Joy
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Jubilee Street [Bad Seed Ltd]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree [Bad Seed Ltd]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms (2011 Remastered Version) [Mute, a BMG Company]
THIS CULTURAL LIFE - 59. NICK CAVE (320kbs-m4a/99mb/43mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 20th May 2023
Nick Cave, the Australian born singer-songwriter and author, reveals the formative influences and experiences that have inspired his own creativity. With his band The Bad Seeds, Cave is renowned for the darkness and drama of his narrative based work. His lyrics are often populated by flawed people doing bad things, but seeking redemption in love or God, or both. His musical output is diverse, ranging from rock'n'roll, to piano-based love songs. The tragic death of his 15 year old son Arthur in 2015 has informed recent work, with songs about devastating loss, grief and love explored throughout the albums Ghosteen and Carnage. Nick Cave has also written novels, poetry, a screenplay, and has recently published Faith, Hope and Carnage - a book exploring his ideas about creativity and belief.
Nick Cave talks to John Wilson about the influences of his father, an English teacher, and his mother, a school librarian, in encouraging his love of literature from a young age. He recalls seeing The Johnny Cash Show on television at the age of 10 and being spellbound by the country music star, with whom he later worked. He also remembers the life-changing effect of hearing Leonard Cohen's Songs Of Life and Death album for the first time, and the profound influence the Canadian poet and songwriter had own his own lyrics. He reveals that fellow Australian Barry Humphries was another artist who inspired his own work, having seen a Dame Edna Everage show in Melbourne in the early 1970s. Nick Cave also discusses the impact that the death of his son had on his life, work and marriage.
Producer: Edwina Pitman
NICK CAVE - IDIOT PRAYER-ALONE AT ALEXANDRA PALACE (320kbs-m4a/137mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 10th November 2020
Tom Ravenscroft sits in and features highlights from Nick Cave's Idiot Prayer-Alone At Alexandra Palace.
Nick Cave - Spinning Song
Nick Cave - Idiot Prayer
Nick Cave - Sad Waters
Nick Cave - Brompton Oratory
Nick Cave - Palaces Of Montezuma
Nick Cave - Girl In Amber
Nick Cave - Man In The Moon
Nick Cave - Nobody's Baby Now
Nick Cave - (Are You) The One That I've Been Waiting For
Nick Cave - Waiting For You
Nick Cave - The Mercy Seat
Nick Cave - Euthanasia
Nick Cave - He Wants You
Nick Cave - Higgs Boson Blues
Nick Cave - Stranger Than Kindness
Nick Cave - Into My Arms
THE NICK CAVE ARTIST COLLECTION PLAYLIST (320kbs-m4a/136mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 10th November 2020
A playlist celebrating the music of Nick Cave and its roots and branches - including those he's been influenced by and those he's influenced.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tupelo [Mute]
Elvis Presley - In The Ghetto [RCA]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Feat. PJ Harvey) - Henry Lee [Mute]
Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You [Rhino]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Jubilee Street [Bad Seed Ltd.]
Leonard Cohen - Suzanne [CBS]
Anna Calvi - Suzanne And I [Domino]
The Birthday Party - Fears Of Gun [4AD]
The Cramps - TV Set [Illegal]
Patti Smith Group - Dancing Barefoot [Arista/BMG]
Nick Cave & Shane MacGowan - What A Wonderful World [Mute]
Marianne Faithfull - Crazy Love [Naïve]
Barry Adamson (Feat. Nick Cave) - The Sweetest Embrace [Mute]
The Bootleggers (Feat. Emmylou Harris) - Cosmonaut [Sony Classical]
Cat Power - Breathless [Matador]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Rings Of Saturn [Bad Seed Ltd.]
NICK CAVE - LIVE RADIO 2 AND 6 MUSIC (320kbs-m4a/135mb/59mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 10th November 2020
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds play a session and talk to Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie on Radio 2 in 2008. Nick also chats with Jarvis Cocker about Grinderman and his writing on 6 Music in 2010, plus Grinderman session tracks.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (Live Radio 2, 2008)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Midnight Man (Live Radio 2, 2008)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - More News From Nowhere (Live Radio 2, 2008)
Grinderman - Heathen Child [Mute]
Grinderman - Palaces Of Montezuma [Mute]
Grinderman - Kitchenette [Mute]
Grinderman - Grinderman [Mute]
Grinderman - When My Love Comes Down [Mute]
NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS - LIVE GLASTONBURY (320kbs-m4a/135mb/59mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 10th November 2020
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Do You Love Me? (Glastonbury, 1998)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - From Her To Eternity (Glastonbury, 1998)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Stranger Of Kindness (Glastonbury, 1998)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - I Let Love In (Glastonbury, 1998)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Weeping Song (Glastonbury, 1998)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Ship Song (Glastonbury, 1998)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Midnight Man (Glastonbury, 2009)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Henry Lee (Glastonbury, 2009)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - There She Goes, My Beautiful World (Glastonbury, 2009)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - People Ain't No Good (Glastonbury, 2013)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand (Glastonbury, 1998)
Kylie Minogue (Feat. Nick Cave) - Where The Wild Roses Grow (Glastonbury, 2019)
NICK CAVE AND THE BIRTHDAY PARTY - PEEL SESSIONS (320kbs-m4a/136mb/60mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 10th November 2020
Exploring Nick Cave's evolving relationship with John Peel and the BBC. Nick appearing solo at King's College in London for John Peel's 40th anniversary in 2001 and, around it's own 40th anniversary, a chance to hear the Birthday Party's very first Peel session (rec. 10th September 1980), and their last (rec. 15th November 1982). Plus Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' one and only Peel session (rec. 28th March 1984), recorded while they were at work on their debut album, and still known as Nick Cave & the Cavemen.
Nick Cave - God Is In The House (King's College, London 2001)
Nick Cave - The Mercy Seat (King's College, London 2001)
Nick Cave - Into My Arms (King's College, London 2001)
The Birthday Party - Yard (BBC Session 10/09/1980)
The Birthday Party - Figure Of Fun (BBC Session 10/09/1980)
The Birthday Party - King Ink (BBC Session 10/09/1980)
The Birthday Party - Pleasure Avalanche (Radio 1 Session, 15 Nov 1982)
The Birthday Party - Deep In The Woods (Radio 1 Session, 15 Nov 1982)
The Birthday Party - Sonny's Burning (Radio 1 Session, 15 Nov 1982)
The Birthday Party - Marry Me (Lie Lie) (Radio 1 Session, 15 Nov 1982)
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - From Her to Eternity (Radio 1 Session, 28 Mar 1984)
NICK CAVE IN HIS OWN WORDS (320kbs-m4a/129mb/56mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 3rd June 2018
Nick Cave along with his Bad Seeds has been at the edge of music for four decades, putting his spin on everything from punk rock to lovesick ballads. The Australian singer songwriter is also regarded as one of the most intense and exciting live acts on the planet. From his early days growing up in Melbourne to forming his first band The Birthday Party, his collaborations with Marianne Faithfull and Kylie Minogue to his writing and acting, Nick Cave in his own words offers a glimpse into the artist's private world and the inspirations behind his music.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand (Live In Amsterdam) [Mute]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tupelo [Mute]
The Birthday Party - Big Jesus Trash Can (BBC Session 02/12/1981)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - From Her To Eternity [Mute]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat (Acoustic Version) [Mute]
Nick Cave & Shane MacGowan - What A Wonderful World
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Straight To You [Mute]
Nick Cave - Do You Love Me? [Mute]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Bring It On [Mute]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Stagger Lee [Mute]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Carry Me [Mute]
Grinderman - (I Don't Need You To) Set Me Free [Mute]
Grinderman - Heathen Child [Mute]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! [Mute]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Jubilee Street [Bad Seed Ltd]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Anthrocene [Bad Seed Ltd]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree [Bad Seed Ltd]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Loverman [Mute]
