Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication
Across:
1 Those running the film studios (MOGULS) took the spice out of Gospel music (took the “spice” out of “Gospel music” = goslmu = MOGULS),
4 Coming to terms with (ADAPTING) head barman (head barman = attorney general = A-G) admitting knocking back (= reversal indicator) local dope (local dope/nit = -TIN-) and tablet (pad = -DAP-) (ADAPTING),
9 Shutdown (SCOTCH) half of 18 across (half of “scotch whisky” = SCOTCH),
10 Senses (MEANINGS) popular (-IN-) legend (“leg” end = -G-) consumed by wealth (MEAN-S) (MEANINGS),
12 Spot (EYE-) the Ball (-BALL-) editor (-ED) (EYEBALLED) confronted (EYEBALLED),
13 Come together (MERGE) embraced in summer gesture (in “summer gesture” = MERGE),
14 9 across (“SCOTCH”) goes on ahead (on a head = BONNET) (SCOTCH BONNET) with one of the Red Hot Chili Peppers? (one of the Red Hot Chili/Chilli Peppers = SCOTCH BONNET chilli),
18 Drunk in Edinburgh (SCOTCH WHISKY) put a lid on the story: (put a stop to = SCOTCH) “Irish spirit (whiskey) lacks elegance (elegance) from the start” (“elegance” from the start = “e”) (“whiskey” without “e” = “WHISKY”) (SCOTCH WHISKY),
21 One of the classes (CASTE) for the players (CAST-) from Spain (-E) (CASTE),
22 It’s a depressing experience locally (downer) not starting (d) (“downer” without ‘d’ = OWNER-) boat (-SHIP) (OWNERSHIP) for possessive type (OWNERSHIP),
24 Permit (WARRANT-) is only for foundation (“only” for foundation = -Y) (WARRANTY) and might last a year if you’ve done a deal (WARRANTY),
25 Sleuth (sleuth = HUSTLE) out of place (= anagram indicator) with what the fraudsters are planning (HUSTLE),
26 Mystery (mystery = SYM-ETRY) novel (= anagram indicator) involves maiden (-M-) (SYMMETRY) providing a sense of balanced proportion to both sides (SYMMETRY),
27 Is not in the episodes (“is” not in the “episodes” = epodes = DEPOSE) to remove from The Office (DEPOSE).
Down:
1 One person relieving tension for the body (MASSEUSE) in USA seems (USA seems = MASSEUSE) wrong (= anagram indicator),
2 Legend (“leg” end = G-) gets nothing from tennis (-LOVE-), from fight in the ring (fight in the boxing = -BOX) (GLOVEBOX) or from one of handy types in golf (handy type in VW Golf car = GLOVEBOX),
3 Tests out the crystal set (“tests” out the “crystal set” = cryal = LYCRA) for those in 15 down to use (LYCRA is used by those in “cycle race”),
5 Model (= anagram indicator) reddens (reddens = DRESDEN) holding violin (CHIN-) on a (-A) (DRESDEN CHINA) piece of porcelain (DRESDEN CHINA),
6 Public health nurse on Madagascar starts (“public health nurse on Madagascar” starts = PHNOM) to write (PEN-) to hospital (-H) (PHNOM PENH) in Asian capital (PHNOM PENH),
7 Turn a blind eye to (IGNORE) foreign (= anagram indicator) region (region = IGNORE),
8 They’d make you laugh (gas men = GASMEN) in Government (G-) making up (= anagram indicator) names (names = -ASMEN) (GASMEN),
11 Traveller (GLOBETROTTER) has golf (G-) on the brain (-LOBE-) and it’s close to the bone (-T- bone) for one who likes to cheat (-ROTTER) (GLOBETROTTER),
15 Regular series (CYCLE) on Dart (dart = RACE) (CYCLE RACE) is for the tourists? (CYCLE RACE is for those doing The Tour/tourists),
16 Leading the pack (first/1ST = IS T-) caps (hats = -HAT S-) nothing? (-O) (IS THAT SO) Really! (IS THAT SO),
17 Iris (EYEPIECE) is a bit of a looker (EYEPIECE),
19 Gives threatening looks (SCOWLS) to beasty type (-COW-) left (-L-) in ship (S-S) (SCOWLS),
20 Indians’ retreat (Indian’s retreat = ASHRAM) harms a (harms a = ASHRAM) settlement (= anagram indicator),
23 Fire the imagination (ROUSE) playing (= anagram indicator) Euros (Euros = ROUSE).