Our #NeilYoung At 80 show is off and running. First 2 tracks..Tonight’s The Night and Birds. NP Down By The River. Gotta a feeling this is going to be quite the show! Come join me on the BBC Radio Ulster airwaves. #NeilYoung80

Great chat just now with #danjennings about #DancingThroughTheFire, his new “oral history” of #PaulWeller It deserves all the acclaim it’s getting and at 700 odd pages it’s a proper labour of love. Full BBC radio special coming soon!

@ralphmclean.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... This was fascinating with a superb playlist. Had to dig out Rei Momo specially

The great #NeilYoung hits 80 next week. Let’s celebrate with a radio birthday party shall we? Fav NY songs and stories please!! #neilyoung80

I’ve brand new music from #RodneyCrowell, #LucindaWilliams, #GreazyAlice and more on the radio show tonight plus an in-depth look at Two Sides To Every Story by the great #GeneClark from 1977. 8pm on the BBC airwaves fellow roots ramblers! #ralphmcleancountry #highmoonrecords

Exploring the revolutionary side of #JohnLennon & #YokoOno with an in-depth exploration of #PowerToThePeople boxset with Steven Cockcroft of @beatlespod.bsky.social on the radio show tonight from 8. Come together over this! @johnlennonofficial.bsky.social @yokoono.bsky.social #mercuryrecords

Nice two page spread in today’s Sunday Life for my chat with #JonBonJovi about his recent health issues, his love of Ireland and what we can expect when #BonJovi return to Croke Park next year.

On Monday night’s radio show I’ll be joined by Steven Cockcroft of @beatlespod.bsky.social to discuss this beauty of a boxset. Come together….over this! #powertothepeople #JohnLennon #JohnAndYoko

A Brucey bonus for you on the radio show tonight. Going deep into the new #BruceSpringsteen #Nebraska boxset. BBC Radio Ulster & Sounds from 8. Spread the word Boss fans! @brucespringsteen.net

Right now! Hit the BBC Sounds App if you want to check it out later. #BonJovi

RADIO: The Divine Comedy Two Hour Special with Ralph McLean. LISTEN AT: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m... 👉 More info in alt text. #TheDivineComedy #NeilHannon @ralphmclean.bsky.social

Great piece on #LucindaWilliams in the new @mojomagazine.bsky.social by my mate #AndyFyfe. Lucinda is one of the most honest artists in music today and a true survivor. Will dig out a few classic tracks for Wednesday’s country show.

Great and informative show I went to see the deep blue last night The harmonies were superb and the Show is full of enthusiasm and joy As you say something special is happening with this group Keep up with the great tunes

I’ve a bit of a #TalkingHeads special on the radio show tonight on @bbcradioulster & @BBCSounds I’ll be talking history with author #JonathanGould and playing some classics alongside some lesser heard gems. Hope you can join me from 8. @harpercollins.bsky.social #burningdownthehouse

Unbelievably 2026 will mark 10 years since #BapKennedy left us. A collection of previously unheard songs is set for release soon. It is, unsurprisingly, beautiful. I’m going to be playing a couple of tracks from it on the radio show tonight on BBC Radio Ulster & Sounds from 8.

I’m putting together a 2 hour #NeilHannon #DivineComedy special for the end of the month. I’ll be talking with Neil, there’ll be exclusive session tracks and lots of DC classics of course..which is where you come in. Let me know your favourite Neil numbers here! @divinecomedyhq.bsky.social

No radio show tonight folks. Off for football coverage. Back Tuesday night with some Prince magic for you.

Happy 85th birthday John. #JohnLennon

The #LongRyders have been confirmed for #KilkennyRoots next May so I’m celebrating with an indepth look at the band’s debut album Native Sons on the radio show tonight. Join me and band leader Sid Griffin for a journey back into the 80s Paisley Underground LA scene from 8.

Only the very finest record collections can boast a Spinal Tap Stonehenge picture disc you know! #spinaltap #onelouder #toomuchperspective

In tribute to #ChrisDreja, who passed away last week, I’m having a bit of a #Yardbirds rave up on the radio show tonight from 8. Five Live Yardbirds from 1964 is my #ClassicLiveAlbum of the week with Chris and a young Eric Clapton on top form.

On #ralphmcleancountry tonight #MaryChapinCarpenter talks about her latest album Personal History. Also new music from Willie Nelson, Joan Shelly, Josh Ritter and more. It’s going to be a good un, I can feel it in my bones and they never lie! 😂

You’ve seen him on #BlueLights now hear him behind the decks on Radio Ulster! My old mate #MichaelSmiley is back picking all the tunes with me tonight from 8 on BBC Radio Ulster & Sounds and he’s chosen some real gems. Spread the word people!

The Zombies arrived in #AbbeyRoad studios just after the Fabs in 1967 and recorded #OdysseyAndOracle perhaps the ultimate slice of baroque and roll heaven. I’m talking with singer #ColinBlunstone about it and his life in music on the radio show tonight from 8. @bbcsounds.bsky.social #TheZombies

A great programme celebrating the career of Danny Thompson. Thx as always, Ralph @ralphmclean.bsky.social @tomstewart1984.bsky.social @folkloresociety.bsky.social @whisperingbob.bsky.social www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Can’t wait to get back to #RalphsRecordClub in Lisburn on Friday night after the summer break. Queen’s A Night At The Opera is the vinyl we’ll be playing and discussing. Tickets in link. I hope to see you there on Friday from 8pm. islandartscentre.com/book/vinyl-i...

Finally got to listen to this yesterday just before it disappeared from BBC Sounds. It's a remarkable box set that has been the soundtrack to my summer. Your show was wonderful and you gave the set the appraisal it deserves. Superb broadcasting, and thank you.

Hearing bass legend Danny Thompson has left us. From Pentangle to Nick Drake, John Martyn to Kate Bush there’s no one he didn’t elevate with his groove. Will pay tribute with a track on the radio show tonight from 8 on BBC Radio Ulster & Sounds. #DannyThompson

Celebrating #JimCapaldi of #Traffic on the show tonight from 8 with tracks from #DearMrFantasy, a tribute boxset that features the likes of @paulwellernews.bsky.social @joewalsh.bsky.social #yusufislam and @stevewinwood001.bsky.social 20 years gone but not forgotten. @cherryredrecords.bsky.social

Spending a little quality time with the greatest music mag ever. I mean come on who else has the gonads and indeed good taste to put garage punk legends #TheMonks on the front cover? @shindigmagazine.bsky.social rocks!

Both as lead singer of #TheZombies and as a solo artist #ColinBlunstone has made some truly beautiful records. I’m talking with Colin later today about the peerless #OdysseyAndOracle and a beautiful new Zombies doc #HungUpOnADream. Will share on the radio show soon.

So..#Queen #ANightAtTheOpera is our next big vinyl night at the #islandartscentre in Lisburn next Friday followed by #LedZeppelin IV in Nov. We’ve more to come in 2026 so tell me..what albums would you like to see featured? Any style or any vintage. Hit me! #ralphsrecordclub

It’s a long way from the Peguis First Nation in Manitoba to Belfast city. Talking with #WilliamPrince about his life in music on the show tonight. Also new music from Willie Nelson, Margo Price, Holly Carter and more. #RalphMcLeanCountry from 8 on BBC Radio Ulster and Sounds.

🔔 Programme starting now on BBC Radio Ulster #NeilHannon #TheDivineComedy @ralphmclean.bsky.social

Neil Hannon is in conversation with yours truly this evening from 8 on BBC Radio Ulster & Sounds. Talking new #DivineComedy, writing songs for #Wonka, the joys of modern touring and the ever present God like genius of #ScottWalker in his life…amongst other stuff. @divinecomedyhq.bsky.social

I’ve the first of a couple of specials with the great #NeilHannon of #TheDivineComedy coming up on BBC Radio Ulster & Sounds tonight from 8. It’s a shorter catch up with Neil this evening but a 2 hour special with more chat and session tracks will be along soon! @divinecomedyhq.bsky.social

Monday 8th September: BBC Radio Ulster Time: 8-10pm BST Listen at: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m... 'Talking new Divine Comedy albums, wonderful Wonka soundtracks and loads more.' The show will be available on BBC Sounds after broadcast. #NeilHannon #TheDivineComedy @ralphmclean.bsky.social

Three Stetson hat wearing Texans and a baldy twit from Lisburn walk into a backstage bar…..sounds like the set up to the worst gag ever right? Hanging out with #Midland ahead of their big Belfast gig tonight. Hear our chat on Wednesday night’s country show. #midland

Lovely chat just now with #NeilHannon talking new #DivineComedy albums, wonderful #Wonka soundtracks, #ScottWalker and loads more. Neil is an old pal and he’s always great company. Hear our chat this Mon night on BBC Radio Ulster from 8pm. @divinecomedyhq.bsky.social #rainysundayafternoon

The ghosts of Conway and Loretta are looking down on us so we can’t go wrong can we? Classic sounds tonight on #RalphMcLeanCountry and new tunes from #Midland #MollyTuttle #RodneyCrowell #EmmaSwift and more. 8pm on BBC Radio Ulster or listen whenever via the BBC Sounds app.

I’ve got some prime 1975 #BobMarley for you on the radio show tonight. Don’t say I do nothing for ya! Also spinning some #JoeStrummer #TheSpecials & #HothouseFlowers On air 8pm as per usual. #ralphmcleanshow @bbcradioulster @BBCSounds

Happy birthday Sir Van Morrison. Still gigging at 80. Like the song says..fair play to you! Our #AstralWeekend continues all day on BBC Radio Ulster & there’s a ton of Van treats (inc all my Top 80 countdown shows) at bbc.co.uk/musicni #VanMorrison #vanmorrison80

My Van Top 5 albums. What’s yours? #vanmorrison80 #vanmorrison www.facebook.com/share/r/16Dj...

Finally diving really deep into the #BruceSpringsteen #TracksII boxset on Monday’s radio show. It’s a daunting prospect taking on 7 whole albums of new material but it’s been worth the effort. Some real gems in there. Hope you can join me for 2 hours of Boss sounds on Mon from 8.

Three of the finest #MickeyNewbury albums have just been reissued by @fatpossumrecords.bsky.social and I’m going to feature one a week on the next 3 #RalphMcLeanCountry shows starting tonight with this masterpiece from 1971 #FriscoMabelJoy. Sublime songwriting. #BBCSounds #bbcradioulster

Going deep into The Making Of Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake on the radio show tonight from 8. Spread the word! #NickDrake #FiveLeavesLeft

#VanMorrison80 #VanTheMan @ralphmclean.bsky.social 🎵Van Morrison Top 80 🎵 Part Four - the final 20 tracks (20-1) All Listener Choices 🎂 BBC Sounds 📡📻 Check out all previous episodes at The Ralph McLean Show www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

It’s the final part of our Van Morrison 80 At 80 countdown tonight from 8 on BBC Radio Ulster and Sounds. Numbers 20 through to number one ahead of Van’s big birthday this weekend. Some belters in there as you’d expect. #vanmorrison80 @vanmorrison.bsky.social

#VanMorrison80 #VanTheMan @ralphmclean.bsky.social Van Morrison Top 80 🎵 Part Three - the third 20 tracks (40-20) All Listener Choices 🎂 BBC Sounds 📡📻 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Talking with these two diamonds of the Irish music scene on the show tonight. #RoryFriers from #ASIWYFA and #MichaelKeeney from #TheDarklingAir They’ll be talking about Rory’s new Home EP, #BelfastFestival & more. @bbcradioulster & @bbcsounds from 8. Pass it on!