Medium Rare Interviews

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

Al Stewart- Year of the Cat 50th Anniversary

Al Stewart joins me In the Studio in a rare interview about his breakout 1976 album "Year of the Cat". Stewart might seem to be name-dropping big time, except it's all true: sneaking backstage during a 1963 Beatles concert and talking with John Lennon; rooming in London next to Paul Simon; befriended by an unknown Cat Stevens; mc'ing at a London nightclub when another unknown, an American named Jimi Hendrix, decided to play his guitar with his teeth. But being witness repeatedly to rock history apparently accounted for nothing when Al Stewart's seventh album, "Year of the Cat", was unceremoniously turned down by every major UK record label 50 years ago.

Medium Rare

Van Halen- For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge- Eddie, Alex, Michael, Sammy

For Van Halen " For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" , we present an ultra-rare "fly on the wall" listen to the biggest hard rock band in America in 1991. The late Eddie Van Halen, brother Alex, Michael Anthony, and Sammy Hagar had the #1-selling album on the Billboard chart containing "Poundcake","Judgment Day, "Runaround", "Right Now", and "Top of the World" when we had this lively conversation. This complete interview with all four members has never been heard, & it is now quite historic with the leaving of Sammy Hagar about five years later, & the passing of Eddie Van Halen in 2020.

Medium Rare

20 More Rock Hall Snubs

Medium Rare

Peter Frampton Forgets the Words pt 2

In the conclusion to my all-new interview focusing on his brilliant all-instrumental album "Frampton Forgets the Words", delightful conversationalist Peter Frampton picks one of my favorite Stevie Wonder chestnuts to interpret, "I Don't Know Why", and explains to us how Motown, "The Sound of Young America", was in fact even bigger in his home country the UK than here; rocks out with his band on Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way"; reveals his lifelong brotherly love for David Bowie; and much more in this part two.

Medium Rare

Peter Frampton- Frampton Forgets the Words

When Peter Frampton announced in 2019 that his diagnosis with a progressive neuromuscular disease would necessitate his final goodbye tour then, no one was more concerned than me. But as you will hear in this new interview about Peter Frampton's new album, "Frampton Forgets the Words" , he has miraculously found inspiration in making every day be as meaningful, productive, and rewarding as possible.

Medium Rare

Bryan Adams- Get Up !

Five years ago Bryan Adams released a strong album, "Get Up! " Bryan was so happy to rekindle his famous songwriting partnership with Jim Vallance that he needed ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne to collaborate on Bryan's strongest new songs in years. Bryan Adams returned In the Studio exhorting us all to Get Up!

Medium Rare

Three Dog Night- Naturally 55th- Danny Hutton, the late Cory Wells

It's the 55th anniversary of Three Dog Night "Naturally". Between their 1968 debut album and the mid-Seventies, it was virtually impossible to turn on an American radio without hearing Los Angeles-based legendary hitmakers Three Dog Night and one of their twenty-one hit singles...Here is my April 2005 interview with dearly departed Cory Wells and Danny Hutton "In the Studio".

Medium Rare

Collective Soul- Ed Roland

But after selling over a million copies of the album "Hints, Allegations,and Things Left Unsaid" primarily on the phenomenon of "Shine" alone, the second album in March 1995 simply under the name "Collective Soul", and containing "Where the River Flows","Gel","December(Spit Me Out)", and the gorgeous "The World I Know" is one of the strongest sets of melodies and tasteful arrangements to come from the era. Ed Roland is my guest In the Studio.

Medium Rare

Fathers Day with Mike Rutherford, Mike + the Mechanics

Mike + the Mechanics namesake Mike Rutherford "The Living Years" hit album and now memoir, in a touching interview about the loss of his father

Medium Rare

Jethro Tull- Crest of a Knave- Ian Anderson

Beginning in 1979 and continuing all the way until 1987 with "Crest of a Knave", Jethro Tull's fate and fortunes would be quite unlike their first decade of success when the unique amalgam of blues rock, Scottish Highlands folk, and hard rock, led by my guest Ian Anderson and exemplified by "Aqualung" and the worldwide #1-seller "Thick As a Brick", packed US arenas.

Medium Rare

History of Heavy Metal pt1

the leaders of the pioneering bands who forged the foundation of Heavy Metal: Deep Purple's Ian Gillan and Roger Glover; Alice Cooper; Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS; Rob Halford of Judas Priest; the late Ronnie Montrose & his discovery Sammy Hagar; Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee of Rush