
Alan Warner
Novelist
2
APPEARANCES
2
PODCASTS
012
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Sep 8, 2026
Alan Warner of The Foundations: The Story Behind “Build Me Up Buttercup” and a Lifetime of Timeless Music
1:09
1:19
1:26
1:33
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1:01Tony MantorHOST
Can you take us back to the beginning? How did the band first come together, and what inspired its formation?

Alan WarnerGUEST
Um, basically, I w- I was, um, doing, like, a freelance, well, which, what I called freelance at the time.

Alan WarnerGUEST
Um, I s- put an advert in, and I, I s- I was starting to get calls, you know, and I was getting a few gigs here and there.

Alan WarnerGUEST
But then also, um, I was getting into the more of the soul kinda stuff, soul and R&B and tamla.

Alan WarnerGUEST
And I thought, hang on a minute, you know, I'd, I'd like to be in one of these kind of bands, you know? So, um, I kinda put that aside and then put an advert in for, um, you know, to join a soul band.
11 MINS LATER
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13:05Tony MantorHOST
Now, when you look back, are there memories of lessons you might have learned the hard way rather than listening to someone that could have given you solid, good advice?
Tony Mantor interviews - Alan Warner the founding member of The Foundations.
1:09
1:15
1:22
1:27

Alan WarnerGUEST
I put an advert in and I was starting to get calls, you know, and I was getting a few gigs here and there.

Alan WarnerGUEST
But then also I was getting into the more of the soul kind of stuff, soul and R&B and Tumblr.

Alan WarnerGUEST
And I thought, hang on a minute, you know, I'd like to be in one of these kind of bands, you know.

Alan WarnerGUEST
So I kind of put that aside and then put an advert in for, you know, to join a soul band.
21 MINS LATER
T
22:32Tony MantorHOST
If someone were to make a documentary about the Foundations, what do you think would be the central story? What would you want audiences to take away, not just about the music and hit records, but about the journey, the friendships, the challenges, and of course the band's groundbreaking place in music history? In the end, what do you hope people would remember most about the Foundations and the legacy you've left behind?