Shaun Ryder on Happy Mondays, Manchester and coming off drugs | Unfiltered with James O'Brien #44

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Happy Mondays and Black Grape frontman Shaun Ryder joins a starstruck James O’Brien for a rock ’n’ roll rollercoaster of an interview. We journey from Shaun’s early days in ‘monochrome’ Manchester, to the formation of the Mondays, the technicolour highs and explosive lows of band life, break ups and reformations, coming off drugs and embarking on new journeys with Black Grape. | JOE.co.uk
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[@NSW-ye3xw]

Shaun and Bez are so open and unapologetic about who they are, their honesty is what draws people to them.

[@adamfindlay7091]

Check.

[@eldel6398]

Honesty??

[@scottiedog4236]

We’ve all had a blast of Mondays songs .. Quality

[@JonnyChaos]

They say don't meet your heroes but I reckon Shaun would never disappoint.

[@AKAtAGG]

Just been watching Shaun and Bez's new channel. Led me to this - Can't tell you how much I love Shaun Ryder. An accidental poet who had more presence on stage than almost anyone I've ever seen. A proper good bloke.

[@johnnyjohnstone9125]

Ryder lived the rock and roll lifestyle and survived,respect for that man legend

[@chickensalad]

It was sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, now it's just rock 'n' roll (paraphrasing from the interview).

[@chickensalad]

@rckt cool but I was only talking about Ryder.

[@chickensalad]

@rckt I did reference the actual video in my comment though.

[@chickensalad]

@rckt I can see how you interpreted it that way. No worries man

[@meathead365]

He looks pretty fucked to me TBH

[@renzoc]

I don't care what anyone says Shaun Ryder is one of the most important artist in music history.

[@freego75]

Could not have said that better myself -ryder and bez national treasures

[@renzoc]

@@freego75 My thoughts exactly!

[@aalexjohna]

You fool.

[@Miss-Placed.1]

Shaun, Bez and the Happy Mondays were role models for me. I went through the sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll and I have to say they weren't at the forefront of my mind as role models at the time. Many a f****n brilliant night I spent dancing to them though, there was nothing like them at the time and now they're legends. I'm not a doctor or a lawyer but I'm sorted and a student at the tender age of 55. Excellent interview 😊

[@matty6848]

I can’t stand James O’Brien especially on LBC radio but I watched this purely for Shaun Ryder who is a complete legend!

[@pommygeezer9309]

I hear ya!

[@Nick-iu7ks]

Agree completely. O'Brien is a nasty piece of work

[@grrr.9998]

You're a sensitive soul.

[@beachcaster56]

O' Brian todays version of Lord Haw-Haw....

[@charliecoutts3003]

More Farage fans are ya? Mugs.

[@scottbramhall153]

Always loved happy Monday's and it's great to see shaun looking and doing well.

[@markbrooks4471]

So good to see Shaun lucid and sharp. I am just happy he made it through.

[@tonyyyyyo]

There is a beautiful honesty about Shaun . I feel a youtube Shaun Ryder fest on its way with some Bez thrown in for their great discussions and arguments over who can remember what over a cup of tea . What a life , what top fellas ! And what top music !!

[@brabbit3389]

Shaun so happy you made it through- there was a time there - late 90’s I thought you wouldn’t

[@chickensalad]

I'm a Happy Mondays and Black Grape fan from the US. Seems like a lot of Brits aren't a fan of the interviewer, but since I don't know who he is I didn't see anything wrong with the interview. Shaun's story about Top of the Pops was hilarious though.

[@jacobjorgenson9285]

@Jake Green if only you had made something of your life, you wouldn't be swimming in bitternes of your own making

[@jacobjorgenson9285]

@Jake Green the people who spew hatred have not achieved accomplishment in life.

[@MisAnnThorpe]

@@jacobjorgenson9285 Do you mean satisfaction or happiness rather than accomplishment?

[@lutherblissett8780]

@@jacobjorgenson9285 - excellent! I LOVE a bit of pop psychology.

[@markbird5461]

Read the autobiographies, listened to the music, DJ in the 90s and loved the chemicals too! What a story and genuine bloke. Wish upon a 1989 and the summer of love and house music!

[@andrewhalljoiner]

Could listen to Shaun talk all day! What a guy.

[@markrobinson5444]

I fucking love Shaun Ryder!!! The happy Monday’s , black grape! Anything he’s done has been amazing in my opinion! Genius!!

[@jansmith8872]

Great Memories Shaun, was right there with ya. Even though I was a bit younger!..Lost count how many times I trouped across the UK just to see these guys, every time was different, fkn Loved it!..can't believe I really miss the 80's but it was raw & cool!

[@epluribusbigly1354]

Great stuff from Shaun. Legend. The interviewer on the other hand. What a plonker.

[@msa-tt4bg]

You're being polite, the interviewer's an arrogant tosser.

[@gedrooney9305]

Yep, the other bloke is an insufferable twat called James O Brien

[@teodelfuego]

Wow, completely disagree

[@maximiliandonelly6292]

James works for LBC and routinely ties politicians up in knots. I like that he can do high brow subjects but also gets to interview people like Shaun and do something really interesting.

[@RikiNewtonMusicianSongwriter]

I just have so much love in my heart for Shaun Ryder. It’s Great When You’re Straight is one of my all time favourite albums - every track is killer !! I wish he’d move back to Didsbury too. Lol. Rx

[@billyshears5569]

Your picture looks a bit like a pokemon ball. Yeah love the black grape era too. Bought that the week it came out cos I loved pills thrills

[@EATDIRTYOUSCUM]

This is the best interview with Shaun and the scene where he came from... this is gold.

[@vantheman1238]

Shaun Ryder is a true legend and comes across so fantastically well.

[@staceypadgham641]

This guy needs to stop trying to finish Shaun's sentences and second guess what he's saying. People

[@theblurredcrusade.2557]

The interupter not the interviewer hey 🤬 Great listening to Shaun as always, he spent a good bit of time in Burnley and a good few of my mates knew him, he's 100% all day long 🤗

[@matthewtrow5698]

Disagree. It riffs well, he's getting Shaun to talk, it's proper conversation. It's how people talk. It's excitement from O'Brien - and if you just let Shaun riff on by himself, there'd be no fun it it. I think it's a damn good interview. The interviewer is drawing out a narrative and it is compelling. If you watch some of the stuff that's been released recently, where it's just Bez and Shaun, it's hard going. There's no tricky questions, there's no drawing out of ideas and why things happened and all sorts of stuff. The interviewer is trying to understand what is going on and to draw out a sensible narrative - and he is clearly a massive fan. It's all good. But yeah, o'brien is a total dick. Agreed on that.

[@lutherblissett8780]

@@BloodSweatAndMeth yawn

[@williamwimbourne856]

Could of watched another hour of that interview.

[@MagicofIreland]

Best Shaun Ryder interview ever

[@danielminor1693]

Love to see Shaun give O'Brien a slap

[@masstransit2]

National fookin treasure!! Who would have thought it?

[@colinrgage]

Shaun seems with it here lol keeps correcting the interviewer

[@cob1965]

James- "What does Bez do? Shuan- Freaky dancer!!

[@marcodalifultano9457]

He went to church - came back with the lead 🤣

[@timcomley3241]

Good to see Shaun doing so well never been a band that sounds like the Mondays. Great song writer #original

[@z00h]

Oh Jesus Christ, it's this O'Brien is it?

[@barrychuckle5565]

Yep. The utter scum bag.

[@patmax9005]

Thanks for The Memories Shaun 👍💚🍀

[@openplz3000]

I loved the Happy Mondays and black grape. Good to see Shaun sobered up. I would love to hear all the stories from a wild man who survived the wild. Edit: Now I'm a dentist of 27 years who doesn't smoke nor drink, but I would gave loved to hang with Shaun back in the day! I was partying at the kentucky derby and bought the first black grape album that weekend. Alot of great memories in Louisville associated with his music. Good to see we both turned out well

[@shaunmaguire6912]

didnt know they were known in america were they big?

[@openplz3000]

@@shaunmaguire6912 they got some play on college and eclectic stations. Black grape also

[@basedsouljah]

Its insane to think in some other dimension out there somewhere - there's a KZbin video of Happy Mondays live on Top of the Pops with fuckin Mani singing lead vocals on Hallelujah hahah. Shaun playing fuckin Fools Gold bassline. In another dimension, there's probably another combination of insanity lmao i love it man

[@versioncity1]

Interesting about John Cale. I often wondered how that came about. Squirrel & G Man is probably my favourite album. I imagined Cale really 'creating' that sound, but there you go, he was basically just the engineer & recorded it as it was.

[@SeasiderPhil]

JJ used to strum round MY M8 house in Blackpool along with many other faces

[@markcarey67]

Yeah, since he kind of did that with The Stooges - (the one note piano part on 'I wanna be your dog" which goes right through the song is him

[@PaulKyle-xp7zd]

Squirrel and G man were P.D's mum n dad his dad was a copper so G man Government man n his mum must have looked like a Squirrel lol

[@megaman9039]

What a character!! What an absolute legend!!!

[@SimonRobinson137]

I think the great thing about this interview is that Shaun still seems extremely articulate given the quantity of drugs he must have taken. He seems in good form which is great to see. I was 19 in '89 and just loved this period of music in the UK.

[@ifcdirector]

Simon Robinson surprisingly.

[@final_mile_music9713]

This is brilliant. I was in Manchester frequently as a kid on a Saturday with my Mum and Dad. Kid in the 70’s and really into music throughout.

[@calldyuk1751]

Gr8 Interview I felt, I know james divides opinion but I thought he done a good job here, he was patient, let shaun get his point across and appeared genuinely interested.

[@RoofLight00]

He upsets a few flag nonces and 5G Icke conspiracy brexit twats. Good on him!

[@paule6945]

100% agree.........

[@op-xv3ui]

James O’Brien does divide opinion, but it’s quite easy to sort out: the people who like him are wrong to like him.

[@RoofLight00]

..and I forgot the sad cunts who specifically come on an LBC clip to slag him off. :)

[@lutherblissett8780]

@@RoofLight00 - are you a chinless, middle class twat as well? You know, you don't have to wave flags, or believe in 5G conspiracy bollox to dislike the bourgeoisie.

[@TheSivhead]

What a great interview.

[@John_Leaves]

This interview style feels like a visit to the GP

[@suzyqualcast6269]

Ha ha ha hhmmm.

[@paule6945]

Started watching this thinking "James, your wrecking this" carried on watching and at end thought "great job james" shaun your a fucking legend, great 👍 hour of my time...........

[@GrimUpNorth_yt]

He was shite. Shaun was the only good thing about that

[@CRSmusicproduction]

Being ruler slapped by the Catholic teacher is something that John Lydon went through being a left hander in Catholic school in Islington, London.

[@suzyqualcast6269]

Its a fkn cruelty mate.

[@philpatton5652]

Nice 1 sean boss interview love ya mate Monday's were boss 8 met u an had a spliff with ya in Paris from an old Scouse scally u keep it real lar

[@hod2]

I think shaun dismisses his early stuff too easily. To me it was their best period as it didnt rely too heavily on dance beats and producers. The new early ep's album now released is just great. My favourite band.

[@jansmith8872]

Oh is it, thanks Man. Off to check it out... 😉

[@leeianson2644]

Yes,their early stuff was brilliant. The lyrics are cool as...

[@tomf4087]

Tart tart is superb

[@captainspook1]

Just stumbled in. Amazing interview skills. best interview I've seen in ages.

[@quirkypurple]

As a left hander and left footer, I can empathize with Shaun

[@kevcatnip7589]

yes also in old days a left hand smudged the ink

[@colinayers9011]

Lol me too.Gammy handed i get called

[@nigelperren5714]

Top marks Mr Ryder, still a legend.

[@scottiedog4236]

James brilliant mate .. So good look back on happy times .. The 80s was amazing right into the 90s Happy Mondays are without doubt part of music 🎼 history

[@andrewp1075]

Very good interview. Both guys on form.

[@aguitarcalledchutzpah]

Good interview!

[@henrycrinkle821]

Great interview. No idea why there's so much hate for J O'Brien. Some of the commenters on here seem obsessed with being white.

[@truthpig]

O'Brien is portrayed as the enemy of the 'white working class' because he refuses to be a racist scum-bag and declare Muslims and immigrants the cause of all our problems. That is why he is hated, and it's a bloody travesty, if you don't 'believe' in Tommy bloody Robinson, you're not proper working class, according to all the poor confused lambs our there, who have no idea why their lives have failed, so they blame foreigners...... pathetic and so very wrong, O'Brien is a leftie, so is on the side of everyone who does not have enough in life, including the white working classes. Fact.

[@najdaraj9420]

you right man.....and trying to destroy white working class......where dat comin' from???

[@neilsun2521]

O'Brien may be an 'ivory tower liberal'. Hasn't really lived in the real world; and so makes a good 'useful idiot' for the elites as a cultural marxist.

[@mickeybee]

I hate him just because he's a smug tit. And he has all the time in the world for people who agree with him, or tell him he's great, but no time, or just basic respect, for those that may disagree with him. And I hate the way he tries to be 'down with the kids' by saying 'mate' or 'y'know'......and his fake laughing.....so try-hard and contrived. He's just a tit, it's so obvious! 😂

[@nickwyatt9498]

@henrycrinkle821: Always thought he was a good interviewer, with a wide range of guests (Ryder being a case in point).

[@tostare]

It's great seeing an interview with Shaun where he's in a good mood AND not totally f*cked.

[@stevesandford1437]

SO GLAD to see Shaun SO WELL and so in control... As much as he references THE BEATLES and THE ROLLING STONES, none of those bands wrote 'Kinky Afro'... HE DID!!! (He was perhaps THE ROLLING STONES to the 90's Stone Roses THE BEATLES, in that they were EASIER to LIKE...) As TONY WILSON copped, RYDER was THE REAL DEAL... (Being THAT, doing THAT, caused him HUGE PROBLEMS!!!) I too was born in 1962... THE HAPPY MONDAYS sounded like NOTHING ELSE I HAD EVER HEARD!!! (And I loved it...) This man sound-tracked the lives of a generation of people who WERE LISTENING to popular music... (Privately, in clubs and of course live!) NOBODY before or since has EVER sounded like The Happy Mondays... WE who were were there at the time remember that... MUCH RESPECT to Shaun Ryder... xx SF

[@robertcjonesesq8241]

steve sandford agreed !!! If you don’t get the Monday’s you don’t get life !!!

[@chrisb8756]

Agree as well. Shaun is great but as a band, they are and were different class!

[@stevesandford1437]

What a KIND RESPONSE... (Thank You, Nice Person...) You so often see unkind comments on KZbin when you really are just saying something ordinary!!! And then there are people like YOU... (Thank's, Mate...) xx SF

[@ethandowse9145]

Do yOu LiKkE CAPITalS?!!?

[@docsavage8640]

more like the Faces, really

[@tostare]

Man where he's talking about top of the pops with the stone roses, i'm laughing so much i'm crying, he's on top form.

[@eleanorsimmonsphotography1150]

great interview

[@leenobody3249]

The interviewer comes across as if he is thinking ‘I am cleverer than you and I am going to show it’

[@niitsukid]

Lee Nobody yes , and I’m at least as cool as any rock or pop star ! Looks a twat wearing shorts too

[@jacobjorgenson9285]

He is , unlike you informed

[@Dude0000]

Jacob Jorgenson your spelling is ok, but your grammar is atrocious.

[@chaam4795]

Yeah, he doesn't let Sean say what he wants to say without sounding like he knows better. What I like about Sean Ryder is he is very genuine

[@lutherblissett8780]

@@Dude0000 - he's a JOB groupie......that has a poor grasp of English grammar.

[@adamsmith6594]

Thank goodness Sean took control of this interview.

[@paulmcduff1930]

Yeah ,if he was still doped up fuck knows where the interview would've gone.

[@allthingshorrorrelated]

good interview. very casual. having a chat with shaun and doing the cross word.

[@jimi6354]

Ryder mentioned watching the stones altamont, if anyone ain't seen gimme shelter watch it, it's a eye opener, hell's angels as security,say no More lol

[@ollieclixby3199]

Tooled up ‘n’ tripping Hell’s Angels, no less! Absolute recipe for disaster; seems obvious in hindsight

[@paultoomer2756]

Shaun your a fucking legend m8,you speak it how it is,just like you played it your music,I bought bummed when I was about 16 and I still play it now,30 years later,I was at tribal gathering when you doing black grape,you rocked m8

[@cassiemolly7263]

Paul Toomer *you’re*

[@paulbrown6464]

I love this interview, especially from Shaun who was, back in the day, known for his outrageous swearing, now shows how eloquent he can be

[@jamiebobbles5021]

Top Interview ✋

[@bmt3315]

Great interview

[@pannyhire]

Loved it!

[@projectresonate5142]

Shaun is a Legend. JOE great interview.

[@nigelarkwright8132]

Shauns interviews are always brill

[@anneliamohara2842]

Great interview ! Fair play Shaun ! ☘️

[@markkavanagh7377]

It's great when you're straight, yeah! God bless the Nineties!

[@neilaspin008]

Clearly a massive Bunnymen fan. impressed.

[@ColeEdits]

I WISHHHH people would ask him about his time working on GTA San Andreas... He was fucking hilarious in that... "I'm a fucking raspberry, our P!" ahahaha!

[@justinyermaw2986]

Seen Buster Bloodvessel tour as Bad Manners a couple of years ago. I can only pray Shaun and the Mondays tour again as well as Black Grape

[@latrace1986]

Good Lord, this interviewer asks a questions and cuts off Shaun right as he's answering. Wish he'd just shut up for a few minutes and let Shaun talk!

[@bonelessUnion]

Long live Shaun Ryder!

[@darrenkent9922]

You had a sheltered life James I was born in 73 my childhood was pretty much the same

[@lutherblissett8780]

He's a smug, middle-class merlot Marxist. of course he's had a sheltered life.

[@harryradley]

Fucking genius! So many effortlessly clever and insightful comments - Ryder is still the fucking man!

[@adamweston4152]

I can totally understand what Sean said about being left handed in school and in life as I had meningitis at 6months of age and as I grew up everything I did was and still is left sided or handed ,I can not use my right side for alot of tasks for example I cannot kick a ball with my right leg,I can't punch with my right side .. not that I'm violent..I hate violence but just as an example.i see things in a totally different way as my perspective is left oriented.if your not a lefty then you would not really comprehend this syndrome but in a right handed world it's very difficult.love you Sean, the Mondays have been a huge part of my life.

[@MisAnnThorpe]

@Mark Mckeown That's genuinely interesting and that's not something I'd often say about KZbin comments.

[@EXITMUSIC2011]

Legend!

[@MartinRobertFletcher]

Shaun is a God like individual for the working class up north. Where James is just what we would call. A knob.

[@GangGang-lz8gr]

👌😂😂

[@artist.sanctuary.studio.d16]

Respect lads. :D

[@ulricvoncatalyst1507]

It won't come as much of a surprise to anyone that Sean's memory's a bit faulty, but for the record the Enterprise Allowance gave you £40 a week - not that much more than you'd get on Supplementary Benefit in those days - and, given that most small businesses fail within the first year, signing back on as SHORT-TERM UNEMPLOYED was no problem at all. The EAS's main raison d'être was to massage the figures, particularly those of the long-term unemployed.

[@davidevans9462]

@@sicks6six And high unemployment keeps the wage bill down.

[@banjojobby]

Like his reference to the Bunnymen.

[@pifflepockle]

Favourite insult I ever received was a guy calling me a "Shaun Ryder freak" outside a club despite zero prior interaction

[@luckyboy407]

He lived it. How the fuck I'll never know. But he did n he's telling the story 😂 😂

[@calcarmichael8540]

This guy is a terrible interviewer. Much love for Shaun though!

[@carywhitt]

Take a shot everytime Shaun says "again" - surprise, you're dead.

[@seanuk7757]

I had the catholic left hand thing and I became an addict. I play pool and shoot a rifle left handed and play an air guitar left and real with right. I was told im lucky not to have ticks. Im from st. Helens. Apparently the rest of the country stopped doing it 100 years ago!

[@thedeadxtras9927]

Really good funny open interview, I think a lot of people would be surprised how intelligent actually is. His point about getting and staying clean is very true that you have to be ready to do it and want to do it for yourself not because family and friends, the people who love and care for you are pushing and forcing you to.

[@rumbarumba1]

Sound guy ,love Shaun and enjoyed the chat

[@loontil]

interviewer: mr modern boy understanding Respectful One earnest loves the guardian

[@chrisefc3579]

What a fucking amazing interview.

[@chrisjohnson8033]

Legend.

[@albathule3212]

best interview ive seen ... cheers Shaun

[@simongraham556]

What a fabulous interview! Always loved Shaun Ryder and the Happy Mondays. As a Mancunian (Stretford lad, but my mum’s family is from Salford) and a Madchester kid I took their music (and The Stone Roses) with me to university in 1989 and shared it with many others. Great days! The latest Black Grape stuff is fantastic as well - go listen if you haven’t heard it. Please keep making tunes, Shaun.

[@JOE_co_uk]

🙌🙌

[@johnemsley2893]

Great to hear how together SR is. As ever, excellent work from Jimmy OB

[@strappaplank6017]

I know the Bunnymen well since 80 etc, what ref does Shaun make about the Mondays name? Happy? I know happy death men etc, cheers

[@Marjopolo302]

See you in Waterford Mr Ryder !

[@marcelbuschelk1734]

luv that gingleging-weepy-freaky guitarsound

[@theshittybeatles5768]

Anyone know where i can watch the JK interview?? I watched it a few years ago.

[@matt-f1c]

hahahaha obrien loved this interview

[@ukulelelab4219]

great interview, interviewee and interviewer

[@ukulelelab4219]

@@mikehunt1528 nope