Posts

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The Police- Outlandos d’Amour @45- Sting, Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland

"Outlandos d'Amour' has a certain grotesque, naive charm about it," Sting confesses in this 45th anniversary interview about the Police debut,"but 'Regatta de Blanc'  was infinitely a much better record." Police founding drummer Stewart Copeland, guitarist Andy Summers & Sting join Redbeard here In the Studio.

Little Feat- Dixie Chicken 50th- Bill Payne, the late Paul Barrere

If only the world's most acclaimed rock musicians voted for election into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Little Feat would have been inducted on the first ballot years ago. The list of famous Little Feat fans included the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Palmer, and Robert Plant just for starters. But for most of the Seventies, they didn't sell many albums...
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Jackson Browne- Running On Empty

Jackson Browne In the Studio with Redbeard for the backstory to December 1977’s "Running on Empty", his biggest seller.
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Queen- News of the World- Brian May

With the release of November 1977's "News of the World" , Queen had succeeded as four real "mates" on an international scale, which  would continue only to increase for the next decade. With four writers and vocalists, the band had a surplus of strong songs, while Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury possessed such an operatic voice that it's easy to forget that both Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor also sang lead on select songs. Brian May is my guest In the Studio.

Queen- We Will Rock You- London 10-28-77

Like a cosmic rarity, here is an aural snapshot of  a star going into the white-hot state of supernova: Queen in a London studio performing live for the BBC with a then-new song, "We Will Rock You". Equal parts promise and serving notice, this stuff is historic, essential, and bloody epic!

Queen- Spread Your Wings- London 10-28-77

Queen always was one of those top-tier bands who could really sing and play their highly arranged material live, and here is ample proof of that fact in a rare live-in-studio performance of "Spread Your Wings" from Autumn 1977, broadcast on…

Billy Joel- Only the Good Die Young reggae demo

Just for fun, check out this previously unreleased demo of Billy Joel leading his band through a reggae version of "Only the Good Die Young", no doubt in tribute to the popularity  of Bob Marley and the Wailers in 1977 when Billy Joel's The…
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Steely Dan- Aja- Donald Fagen,the late Walter Becker

Two purveyors of progressive pop, rock, and jazz in Steely Dan, singer/piano player Fagen and the late guitarist Walter Becker,  discuss  "Aja" with Redbeard In the Studio on the gem's 45th anniversary.
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Supertramp- Even in the Quietest Moments- Roger Hodgson

The wonderful music on Supertramp's "Even in the Quietest Moments", peaking at #16 on Billboard and #12 in their native UK, sounds to my ear as vital today as ever, somehow frozen in time like the snow atop the grand piano on the album's cover. One of the Supertramp singer/ songwriters, guitarist Roger Hodgson joins me here In the Studio for a rare classic rock interview while sharing spectacular live performances from transitional album “Crisis? What Crisis? “ plus sublime songs "Give a Little Bit","From Now On","Downstream" and "Even in the Quietest Moments".
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Jethro Tull- Songs from the Wood- Ian Anderson

Realize that "Songs from the Wood" by Jethro Tull, released way back in February 1977, was already the English folk/progressive rockers' tenth album! There was nothing that sounded remotely like the ancient pastoral songs and instrumentation on "Songs from the Wood"  then on the all-important American rock radio. Ian Anderson is my guest In the Studio  for "Songs from the Wood".