Archive for category: Medium Rare

Rare musician interviews by Redbeard not part of the weekly radio series .

Scorpions- Blackout- Klaus Meine, Rudolph Schenker

‘Blackout”, the March 1982 big breakthrough in the US for the irrepressible Scorpions. Over the decades I've had countless famous musicians claim that rock & roll had become their life, but only John Kay of Steppenwolf and the members of The Scorpions knew that playing rock music could COST them their lives...

Jo Jo Gunne 50th Anniversary- Jay Ferguson

When artist manager-turned-media mogul David Geffen started his first Los Angeles-based record label Asylum Records, his first signing was Jackson Browne and his third deal was with the Eagles. Who was Geffen's second signing? Hometown heroes Jo Jo Gunne. singer/songwrite/pianist Jay Ferguson reveals all kinds of influences when he told me, "If Sly and the Family Stone and Little Feat had a love child, it would have been Jo Jo Gunne!" Here In the Studio Jay tells the innocent tale of "Run Run Run","Shake That Fat","Babylon"," 99 Days","Barstow Blue Eyes", and"Take It Easy".

Bryan Adams- So Far So Good/ So Happy It Hurts

"So Happy It Hurts" is the Canadian rocker's fifteenth (!) studio album, and he's not even old enough to get the Early Bird Special down at Denny's. Adams became a star way back in late 1984 with "Reckless", one of the Eighties' biggest sellers, then in 1991 absolutely crushed it with "Waking Up the Neighbours", an all-time biggest selling album in history. Bryan Adams' seventh studio album, "18 'Til I Die" , was a #1 seller in the UK and Top Five sales internationally. But when  "18 'Til I Die" came out in June 1996, US rock radio programmers decided, in spite of the music actually on the album to the contrary, to brand Bryan Adams a love song balladeer, not rock enough, not alternative enough, not cool enough. Adams finally addresses the issue with tongue firmly in cheek on the song "Kick Ass" from "So Happy It Hurts" with the help of the brilliant British pillar of Python humor, John Cleese, who has been skewering pompous pundits for half a century. Also listen to the infectious "Never Gonna Rain Again" which could be Bryan Adams' next big hit.

Jefferson Airplane- Surrealistic Pillow- Grace Slick, the late Marty Balin & Paul Kantner

To carve in three dimensions the zeitgeist of the Summer of Love in 1967 America, you would have to chisel the Jefferson Airplane's second album "Surrealistic Pillow" into any Mt. Rushmore of Rock...Jefferson Airplane co-founder singer/songwriter Marty Balin (who passed away 2018), Grace Slick, and rhythm guitarist/songwriter Paul Kantner,  who died in 2016, joined me for this landmark recording "Surrealistic Pillow" released the first week of February 1967.

Jethro Tull- The Zealot Gene- Ian Anderson

Not since "Aqualung" over half a century ago had Ian Anderson addressed the historic  characters and iconography of the Old and New Testament Bible this head on, mixed with twentieth century and even current events, as on "The Zealot Gene" by Jethro Tull. Ian Anderson is my guest here In the Studio.

Jackson Browne-

This interview with Jackson Browne features highlights"Doctor My Eyes","Jamaica Say You Will", and "Rock Me on the Water" from his January 1972 debut; "Late for the Sky" 's  title song as well as "Fountain of Sorrow" from 1974; his commercial breakthrough and multi-million seller "The Pretender" in November 1976 with "Here Come Those Tears Again" and the timeless title song; and a 2010 live acoustic version of the 1977  Jackson Browne mega-hit "Running on Empty".

David Bowie- Toy

The late David Bowie was already sowing the seeds of the fabled "Toy" project, which would remain unreleased until 2022, even as I watched him perform live at New York City's Kit Kat Klub on November 19, 1999 and then sit with me In the Studio for this in-depth interview. -Redbeard

The Doors 60th Anniversary- the late Ray Manzarek

In January 1967 when John Densmore's snare drum cracked like a rifle shot before Ray Manzarek's nimble fingers made their intricate run of baroque-sounding notes on that reedy Farfisa organ, all on the introduction to jazz/flamenco guitarist Robbie Krieger's composition "Light My Fire", it clearly and boldly announced a unique approach to rock and roll that really has no peer. And all of that before Jim Morrison stepped up to the microphone to introduce one of the greatest voices and hedonistic personalities in rock history. Not unlike Creedence Clearwater Revival from the same period, no other American bands put out more albums in less time which were more influential in the last 50+ years. And like CCR, no one ever sounded like The Doors ever since. Here is Doors co-founder the late Ray Manzarek with me In the Studio to mark The Doors anniversary. -Redbeard

Humble Pie- Rockin’the Fillmore- Peter Frampton, Jerry Shirley

...(cont) Humble Pie the full fiery amalgam was unleashed of Small Faces veteran Steve Marriot's megawatt blue-eyed soul voice , the thundering rhythm section of ex-Spooky Tooth bass player Greg Ridley and drummer Jerry Shirley, with the melodic lyrical lead guitar of a teenage Peter Frampton. Frampton and Shirley join me In The Studio for this classic rock interview on the golden anniversary of Humble Pie "Rockin' the Fillmore"..

Ted Nugent- Free for All 50th Anniversary

Ted Nugent's "Free for All" fifty years ago changed the national  radio reception and over-amped its way onto the Billboard album chart in 1976, becoming the second of his three consecutive multi-platinum sellers. Tyrannosaurus Ted is my guest In the Studio.