Medium Rare Interviews

Rare classic rock interviews by Redbeard from the vast In the Studio archive

Grand Funk- Closer to Home- Mark Farner, Don Brewer

Grand Funk "Closer to Home" interview with Mark Farner and Don Brewer In the Studio.

James Taylor- Gorilla 50th Anniversary

James Taylor is my guest here In the Studio as we mark the golden anniversary of May 1975's "Gorilla".

Echoes In the Studio 2025- In Memoriam

This Memorial Day weekend, we present our annual tribute to rockers now gone with "Echoes In the Studio", a fond farewell to some of those musicians we have lost, in their own words and, in some cases, through personal memoirs by other musician peers. In this part one of four, we salute Tina Turner, Jeff Beck, Meat Loaf, Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac, Procol Harum's Gary Brookr and Keith Reid by Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, and Stevie Nicks.

Echoes In the Studio- Voices of Fallen Rockers pt 2

In memoriam : the echoes In the Studio of Neil Peart of Rush, Walter Becker of Steely Dan, Ric Ocasek of The Cars, Paul Barrere of Little Feat, plus David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Chris Squire & Alan White of YES, Chris Cornell. Part two.

Echoes In the Studio pt3- Eddie Van Halen, Tom Petty, Charlie Daniels, Stevie Ray Vaughan

For Memorial Day Weekend 2025: "Echoes In the Studio", the voices of & tributes to fallen rockers. Part three of four.

Bachman Turner Overdrive- Four Wheel Drive- Randy Bachman

Bachman Turner Overdrive In the Studio with Randy Bachman for "Four Wheel Drive" 50th anniversary.

Night Ranger- 7 Wishes @40- Jack Blades

Night Ranger's Jack Blades grants "7 Wishes" forty years later with the first American band to break big simultaneously on radio & MTV with "Don't Tell Me You Love Me","You Can Still Rock in America", the mid-'80s phenomenon "Sister Christian", and"Four in the Morning" here In the Studio.

Jethro Tull- Benefit @55- Ian Anderson

They were the changes  in musical direction and key personnel made on Jethro Tull's critical preceding third album,"Benefit", in April 1970, which provided the oxygen in "Aqualung" 's tank a year later. Ian Anderson is my guest for your "Benefit".

Van Halen- Women and Children First- Eddie & Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth

It always seemed that the Van Halen 1980 third album, "Women and Children First" , suffered from "middle child syndrome". David Lee Roth, bass player/ harmony singer Michael Anthony, drummer Alex Van Halen, and fretmeister Eddie Van Halen remind us of a time 45 years ago when Van Halen was establishing itself as America's premiere hard rock band with songs "And the Cradle Will Rock" and "Everybody Wants Some!".

Lynyrd Skynyrd- Nuthin’ Fancy- the late Gary Rossington, Leon Wilkeson, Ed King

"Nuthin' Fancy" indicated a creative well running low for Lynyrd Skynyrd which would only worsen soon on "Gimme Back My Bullets".  No doubt the non-stop pace of nearly constant touring partly was to blame, but there was something darker and even more sinister which no one outside the band knew, nor anyone in it would admit. This tour had casualties...United once again in Eternity, Gary Rossington, Leon Wilkeson, & Ed King played it like they felt it here In the Studio.

Badfinger- Straight Up- the late Joey Molland & Mike Gibbins

It was over fifty years ago that US audiences were introduced through a Paul McCartney song,"Come and Get It", to a little-known English band The Iveys, soon to be rechristened Badfinger and to become second only to The Beatles in sales on the Apple Records label.

Steely Dan- Katy Lied- Donald Fagen, the late Walter Becker

Steely Dan's 1975 fourth album, "Katy Lied", is a perfect example of a "sleeper", but it's not simply the passage of time that obscures its many-faceted brilliance. Here are Donald Fagen & the late Walter Becker interviewed.

Damn Yankees- Tommy Shaw, Jack Blades, Ted Nugent, Michael Cartellone

The Nineties' first supergroup Damn Yankees actually lived up to the hype in February 1990: containing Styx singer/songwriter/guitarist Tommy Shaw, Night Ranger's singer/songwriter Jack Blades, drummer Michael Cartellone, and whackmaster Ted Nugent, the Damn Yankees  debut sold a whopping two million copies. They're all with me In the Studio.

James Taylor- Mud Slide Slim @55

James Taylor is still recording wonderfully satisfying albums like "American Standard", and being chosen to open brand new live music venues, fifty-five years after the album "Sweet Baby James" captured the country's attention. Now that’s finding the keys to a real time machine. James Taylor joins me In the Studio.

Van Morrison- Moondance/Tupelo Honey

This ultra-rare, fascinating Van Morrison interview with the reclusive "Howard Hughes of Rhythm 'n' Blues" is nothing short of a revelation...