Posts

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- American Girl- San Francisco 1997

It is a miracle that "American Girl", on the 1976 debut Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers   released forty-five years ago, was ever discovered to be played on album rock radio: it was sequenced tenth, last song on side 2! Here TP and the best working band in America then stripped it down to its essence in order to "make it last all night..." during a multi-night stand at San Francisco's Fillmore in February 1997.
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Kansas- Leftoverture- 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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Boston 50th Anniversary- Tom Scholz, the late Brad Delp

In the Summer of 1975, a year before releasing what quickly became the biggest selling debut album in music history, the band Boston did not even exist . A year later Tom Scholz's seven year basement tapes would emerge out of nowhere to re-write the record books on popularity and profits ...(more) Tom Scholz is my guest for Boston's debut.
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Steve Miller- Fly Like an Eagle 50th

Sales of Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like an Eagle",  which includes "Rock 'n Me","Take the Money and Run","Wild Mountain Honey","Serenade","Mercury Blues", and the title song have exceeded five million copies of Rolling Stone magazine's Album of the Year 1976, plus a berth on that mag's 500 Greatest Albums All Time list.
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AC/DC- High Voltage @50- Angus Young

AC/DC's lead guitarist Angus Young is my guest, with priceless memories from the In the Studio archive by the late AC/DC rhythm guitarist/riffmaster Malcolm Young, for the 50th anniversary of "High Voltage".

Styx feat. Tommy Shaw- Crystal Ball- 1981 Memphis

Styx singer/songwriter/guitarist Tommy Shaw rolled out of bed and used a borrowed acoustic guitar to sing live on my afternoon show ...1981 acoustic version of his "Crystal Ball" ( with the extra verse not on the Styx version)

Billy Joel- Billy the Kid- UConn 12-76

“From a town known as Oyster Bay Long Island, Rode a boy with a six-pack in his hand...” As Billy Joel prepares to blow out the candles on seventy this week, it felt right to dust off something more akin to seventeen. There are moments…

Billy Joel-“New York State of Mind”- UConn 12-76

This timeless 1976 performance of soon-to-be classic "New York State of Mind" serves as proof positive that, even before his 1977 blockbuster "The Stranger" brought him to mass popularity, Billy Joel was a terrific live entertainer with a superb band.

McCartney’s Wings Over America Lifted Off in 1976

Paul McCartney, after the Beatles breakup, made  a much-anticipated return to the stage in 1976.
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The Band-The Last Waltz- Robbie Robertson

Interview includes the legendary "Last Waltz" concert and subsequent Martin Scorsese-directed film never included Robbie Robertson threatening to leave the band, as has been misreported for years;