Music Talks

Episode 2 - Thomas Power - The Ultimate Networker

July 09, 2019 Terry Smith/Thomas Power Season 1 Episode 2
Music Talks
Episode 2 - Thomas Power - The Ultimate Networker
Show Notes Chapter Markers

Search on Thomas Power, and you will see him variously described as Entrepreneur, Author, Business Adviser, Professional Speaker, and an expert on Social Media, Technology and the world of Digital. 

He is also a fun character who always has an interesting and different view on things.

In this episode, using his song choices, we plot his journey from suburban Solihull: through the early days of UK computing with ICL, Amstrad and Alan Sugar; the triumphs and challenges of the business network that was Ecademy, to the present day.

In his usual honest and disarming way, Thomas opens up about the highs and lows in his life and career and leaves us in doubt that his profile should really read "endeavoring, dependable, cub scout."

SHOW NOTES

I hope these show notes will enhance your enjoyment of this episode. If there are additional things you would like included here then please let me know. 

  • Spotify Playlist 

This playlist contains the full versions of Thomas's 6 choices together with another dozen that have connections (tenuous or otherwise) with the content of the episode. 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7DC7Kj92ze0y0DCgmtOTvj?si=vhF5Xd9DTgSuaoNitvUThQ

  • Other things mentioned in this episode 
    • Sting's book - Broken Music 
    • David Thomas - Alan Sugar: The Amstrad Story 
    • Faith's Song is the theme song for the BBC Wales Drama Series "Keeping Faith" . Available on DVD 
    • The W.B. Yeats poem is " Second Coming" . It was also the inspiration for Joni Mitchells song "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" which uses a number of lines from the poem. The song is included in the playlist 

CULTURAL CONTEXT

When Thomas talks about "the AA" he is not referring to Alcoholics Anonymous but the Automobile Association a British motoring organisation that was formed in 1905. Today it hosts a raft of services for the motorist but is still best known for its Roadside Assistance. 

ICL (International Computers Ltd)  was the last major British Computer Company. In the 1980's they sold a successful mini computer called the ME29. The ME29 was an orange color which was officially known as "Hot Tango" - never has a company and a color been more inappropriately matched. ICL was acquired by Fujitsu in 2002 

In the late 1980's Amstrad (which stands for Alan Michael Sugar Trading) had a substantial share of the PC market in the UK. Amstrad was once a FTSE 100 company but since 2007 it has been wholly owned by Sky UK whose Set top boxes it manufactured. 

CONTACT DETAILS 

Thomas Power
Email – Thomas.power@9spokes.com
Twitter – @thomaspower
WhatsApp +44 7875 695012

Terry Smith
Website - http://musictalkspod.buzzsprout.com/
Email – musictalkspod@outlook.com
Twitter - @musictalkspod
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspodcast

If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com

Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod .

You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .


Intro and Thomas's Background
The 60's - The Monkees - Daydream Believer
The 70's - Supertramp - The Logical Song
The 80's - Kool & the Gang - Celebration
The 90's - Barbara Streisand - Why Let It Go?
The 00's - John Legend - All Of Me
The 10's - Amy Wadge - Faith's Song