In this episode of The Paul Weller Fan Podcast, I am joined by musician, bassist, bandleader and songwriter Yolanda Charles.
As a professional bassist for 30 years, she has played with the likes of Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, Robbie Williams, Sinead O’Connor, Hans Zimmer, Squeeze, and of course, Paul Weller.
We’ll hear how a chance encounter via Jonathan Ross led to Yolanda joining the Paul Weller Band in 1993 for the Wild Wood tour (with recordings captured for Paul’s first solo live album Live Wood – released in September 1994).
She performed on the singles Hung Up, Out of the Sinking and You Do Something To Me and continued to play in the live band through the Stanley Road and Heavy Soul periods too.
In other Weller alumni connections, you can also hear Yolanda on the Talbot & White album – Off The Beaten Track, on Carleen Anderson‘s 1998 Weller produced LP, Blessed Burden and with Dee C. Lee on the single It’s Not Over with Yolanda’s band The Deep M.O.
We hear about her musical journey throughout that time period, her latest band – Project PH and even on working with Hans Zimmer on the Dune Soundtrack – which won an Oscar, a Bafta and a Golden Globe for Original Score!
Yolanda was awarded an MBE for services to music in 2020.
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