Chris Bourke

When The Beatles stepped off their plane in Wellington, June 1964 thousands were there to greet them, this despite New Zealand having no network TV, barely any pop music on the radio and just… Audio

How did Elvis Presley influence New Zealand music? In this Kings Birthday special Blue Smoke pays tribute to the King of Rock & Roll. Chris Bourke introduces interpretations of songs recorded by… Audio

In this special Anzac Day episode of Blue Smoke, Chris Bourke explores New Zealand music during wartime, from the First World War to the Korean War, uncovering overlooked gems and forgotten songs… Video, Audio

Popular music is not pure; it respects no borders. The only truly indigeneous music from Aotearoa is likely to be bird song. But many birds migrate and bring back jazz, country, rhythm and blues… Audio

Predictions that robots would be creating hit pops songs are a virtual reality: artificial intelligence is on a playlist near you. This episode of Blue Smoke looks back to the 70s and 80s and the… Audio

For years, the idea of a thriving New Zealand film industry was a dream that seemed against the odds: financial, and the cultural cringe. But eventually regular film production began. This episode of… Audio

All New Zealand musicians found it hard to get heard with original material in the late 1970s. It was especially tough for female musicians outside the mainstream. The women’s music movement realised… Audio

Since the Rolling Stones first toured here in 1965, New Zealand musicians have always shown the band respect. With the release of the Stones’ new album Hackney Diamonds, this episode of Blue Smoke… Audio

Launched in June 1977 Rip It Up, was a free monthly music magazine, distributed through record shops nationwide. Now 13 years more years of Rip It Up, from 1986 to 1998, are able to be read online… Audio

After 21 years, Kim Hill has hosted Saturday Morning for the final time. In the final hour of the show, the beloved broadcaster chats to long-time colleague Bryan Crump about some of her favourite… Video, Audio, Gallery

Today's music feature looks back at the tracks that have become hits after playing in New Zealand films. Audioculture contents editor Chris Bourke talks to Jesse about the music that made the local… Audio

The news that the Oxford English Dictionary has added 'chur' and 36 te reo words to their collection prompted AudioCulture's Chris Bourke to look into the history of the word. Audio

Has it ever snowed in New Zealand on Christmas Day? Over the years our musicians have rearranged Christmas to suit, and our songwriters have added some sunshine to the playlist. This episode of Blue… Audio

This episode of Blue Smoke goes beyond the reef, to explore music of the Pacific. Besides featuring Auckland-based expatriates such as Bill Sevesi and Bill Wolfgramm, Chris Bourke venture back to the… Audio

In 1980 a compilation of New Zealand bands from the 60s was released. It inspired post-punk bands to keep it short and snappy, and created an interest in our pop history. This episode of Blue Smoke… Audio

In 2017 a ground-breaking compilation of New Zealand funk was released - Heed the Call. It inspired others to dig deep and see what funk they could find. This episode of Blue Smoke gets on the good… Audio

For nearly 100 years the Main Trunk line was the superhighway of Aoteoroa, taking passengers, livestock, and cargo from Johnsonville to Geraldine and beyond. Countless musicians have heard the… Audio

Jim Carter, the lap-steel guitarist on the original recording of 'Blue Smoke', and guitarist on several significant early New Zealand pop records, died in October 2022, aged 103. This episode of Blue… Audio

New Zealand's most successful record producer of the late 70s was only active for five years. He had hits with Hello Sailor, Th' Dudes, Golden Harvest, and Patsy Riggir. Then he left the industry he… Audio