Classic Rock Interviews

These are the classic rock interviews and rock music interviews from the most recent weekly episodes  of In The Studio with Redbeard.

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David Bowie- Hunky Dory- David Bowie, Mick Ronson

"Hunky Dory", David Bowie's December 1971 fourth album, hard to believe when reading all of the revisionist raves now, that "Hunky Dory"  was a commercial flop, so much so that it failed to even make the Billboard Top 200 sales chart. The late great David Bowie joined me here In the Studio  for the tale, as did his original wingman, guitarist Mick Ronson, for the scoop on "Changes","Andy Warhol", and "Life on Mars?"
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Traffic- Low Spark of High Heeled Boys- Steve Winwood,the late Jim Capaldi

Not always considered a Progressive Rock band, nevertheless the title song to Traffic's most popular album, November 1971's "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" fits easily high atop any list of the most popular and creative songs of the Progressive Rock era..In my classic rock interview In the Studio prior to Jim Capaldi's death in 2005 from cancer, it is clearly evident how much Steve Winwood and Capaldi loved woodwind player ChrisWood, and each other. 
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Queen- A Day at the Races @50- Brian May, Roger Taylor

Queen songwriter/ singer/ world-class guitarist Brian May and drummer/singer/songwriter Roger Taylor tell the story of the first five Queen albums including "A Day at the Races"  in this wonderful classic rock interview 50th anniversary tribute to the late great Freddie Mercury. -Redbeard
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Eagles- Hotel California 50th- Don Henley, Joe Walsh,the late Glenn Frey

"Hotel California" by The Eagles... impressive combination of cinematic vision, songcraft, and high tech production seemed to be coming from a place in the near future to which the rest of rock would have to catch up...Joe Walsh, Don Henley, & the late Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey are my guests In the Studio for "Hotel CA" .
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YES- Fragile @55- Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman

The remarkably durable breakthrough fourth album by progressive rockers YES has turned out to be anything but "Fragile"... YES co-founder Jon Anderson is joined In the Studio by keyboard innovator Rick Wakeman who joined the band to make "Fragile".
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U2- Achtung Baby @35- Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen jr

U2 drummer Larry Mullen jr blurted out in my In The Studio classic rock interview regarding "Achtung Baby" that the Dublin-based quartet nearly broke up in the Berlin recording studio after reconvening following "Rattle and Hum"...
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Genesis- We Can’t Dance 35th- Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Phil Collins

On the eve of their first North American concert tour in decades, Genesis triumvirate Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, and Phil Collins  reconvened here In the Studio to reprise the world premiere broadcast which I hosted and produced with them in November 1991 for "We Can't Dance" .
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Led Zeppelin IV @55- Jimmy Page, Robert Plant

Legendary wrestler-turned-Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant had an appropriately out-sized role in the Led Zeppelin "4" story as told here In the Studio by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant on Led Zeppelin IV fifty-fifth anniversary.
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Todd Rundgren- Best pt 1

...In part one of this classic rock interview I make the case that no one waiting in the wings of the Rock Hall has done more for rock music over the last half century, in more ways, than Todd Rundgren.
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J Geils Band- Freeze Frame- Peter Wolf

Prior to the Fall 1981 release Freeze Frame , Boston's J Geils Band had released ten albums while touring relentlessly. Yet the hard-driving jump'n'jiving lead singer Peter Wolf admits that all they really had to show for the effort was half a million dollars in debt....(more)
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Kansas- Leftoverture 50th- Kerry Livgren, Phil Ehart, Steve Walsh, Richard Williams, the late Robbie Steinhardt

By 1976, it was go big or go home for Kansas, the intrepid six-man Progressive Rock band from Topeka, Kansas. Because of the hit "Carry On Wayward Son" ( submitted by the prolific Kerry Livgren even as the band was packing up to leave rehearsals ) and radio hits "Miracles Out of Nowhere","The Wall", "Cheyenne Anthem", and "What's On My Mind ", "Leftoverture"  gave Kansas rock statehood to the tune of over four million sold. Livgren is joined by Richard Williams, Phil Ehart, Steve Walsh, & the late original Kansas violinist/singer Robbie Steinhardt here In the Studio.
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Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band- Night Moves 50th Anniversary

"We did two hundred sixty-five shows that year 1975," says Bob Seger with a mixture of pride and amazement, as explanation on why it was so hard to find the solitary time necessary to write well-crafted songs prior to "Night Moves". The double disc "Live Bullet", recorded in Fall 1975 and released six months later, provided that precious period...by October 1976 with Night Moves containing "Rock and Roll Never Forgets","Main Street","The Fire Down Below","Come to Poppa", and the title song which Bob calls "...a little novelette."
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The Police- Ghost in the Machine 45th- Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers

By the time October 1981 's fourth Police album "Ghost in the Machine"  was dispatched, the exposed roots and influences shown by the London-based trio founded by Yankee drummer Stewart Copeland, who had emerged from the dying embers of the Punk Rock scene there, were more Miles and Mingus than Johnny Rotten. "Ghost in the Machine" topped the UK sales chart, #2 on Billboard  album chart, over three million copies sold in America alone, and Rolling Stone  magazine ranking it at #322 on their Top 500 Albums of All Time list. Police commissioner Stewart Copeland and six-string sharpshooter Andy Summers are your personal Ghost...busters with me here In the Studio in this classic rock interview.
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Boston- Third Stage- Tom Scholz

"Third Stage" Boston comeback album released in September 1986 put up spectacular numbers in popularity, with three Top 20 hits on Billboard including "Cant'cha Say","We're Ready", and the #1 "Amanda", all helping to blast the album to #1 sales. Boston bandleader Tom Scholz, my guest, also brought free-agency to the music business.
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Cheap Trick- Essential- Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander

On a maximum scale of five stars, the 1977 debut by Cheap Trick  receives AllMusic.com's highest rating. And the even more melodic, better sounding  sophomore effort "In Color" in the same year earns 4 1/2 stars. Then Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson, and Bun E. Carlos wrote and recorded the  masterpiece "Heaven Tonight" in May 1978, yet again scoring a critics' perfect five star rating. So in hindsight it would appear that recording the Rockford IL quartet's set while performing the strongest material from these three killer studio albums, in front of an adoring audience in one of the world's premiere venues, would be as obvious as a sumo wrestler in your shower stall.