Pete Feenstra chatted to Mike Armstrong for Get Ready To ROCK! Radio and playing tracks from the compilation ’10′. First broadcast 14 September 2025.

Website [Release date 27.06.25]

2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the release of London singer/songwriter, Michael Armstrong’s self-titled debut album. He’s not done too badly since then including performing at Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert, on stage and shoulder to shoulder with his all-time idol, Paul McCartney.

A songwriting trip to LA hosted by singer-songwriter Ben Folds, which he claims was ‘life changing’. He also performed live with his own band in London’s Pall Mall at the annual New Year’s Day Parade TV concert, broadcast, beamed to a global audience of over 500 million!

’10′ is a collection of some of his favourite album tracks and singles, including previously unavailable radio edits and rarities across his 10 years in the music business. There is also a previously unreleased single, a cover of The Beatles’ ‘Getting Better’. It marks another collaboration with Warren Bennett, and the song was previously only available as a video in 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ album, ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’.

Michael Armstrong is one for fellow lovers of well-crafted pop songs that have that timeless feel and sound. Prime example being ‘The Cola Paranoia’, a melodic pop treat and topped off by guest guitarist Elliot Randall of Steely Dan fame.

His version of Billy Joel’s ‘Allentown’ is a proper showstopper, again made that little bit extra special in the slowed down version he sings and the strings arrangement by Simon Lockyear.

One of this reviewer’s personal favourites ‘Radio Days’ makes the album. A perfect piece of pop perfection! Long time collaborator Warren Bennett adds his musical magic to ‘Periscope’, which sounds like a long-lost 10cc or ELO tune or perhaps something Cats In Space would record. ‘Each Other’s Eyes’ also has an ELO vibe – what’s not to love in the layered harmony vocals!

There are a few covers on this fifteen track compilation, and aside from the aforementioned ‘Allen Town’ and ‘Getting Better’, there are spirited takes on Madonna’s ‘True Blue’ (which sounds like the Doobie Brothers!) and the Pretenders’ ‘Don’t’ Get Me Wrong’.

‘10’ is a perfect place to start for new listeners to Michael Armstrong’s music and for existing fans a timely reminder of how many good songs he’s recorded in a relatively short time scale. Timeless pop tunes and we love ‘em! ****

Review by Jason Ritchie

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 16 November 2025.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This 600th show was first broadcast on 18 November 2025

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Power Plays w/c 1 December 2025

We feature all the artists selected in this sequence in 2025.

Featured Albums w/c 1 December 2025

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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