Posts

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Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble- Texas Flood 40th

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble's first,"Texas Flood", turns forty. Included here in these classic rock interviews is my second interview with Stevie in late Spring 1984; legendary bluesman Buddy Guy; Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, singer/songwriter Doyls Bramhall, and biographer Joe Nick Patoski; and the songs "Pride and Joy","Cold Shot", the spectacular Hendrix cover"Voodoo Child", "Look at Little Sister","Life Without You", and two "Big" Doyle Bramhall songs, "Change It" and "Life By the Drop".

Dave Edmunds- I Hear You Knockin’- NYC 5-18-83

Dave Edmunds "I Hear You Knockin' " this superb live performance at New York City's Roseland Ballroom in May 1983.

The Fixx- Reach the Beach 40th anniversary- Cy Curnin, Adam Woods

Cy Curnin and Adam Woods In the Studio for The Fixx fortieth anniversary of the two million-seller "Reach the Beach"!

R.E.M.- Murmur 40th- Michael Stipe, Peter Buck

R.E.M. "Murmur" quietly emerged April 12, 1983 and has never left my essential music list, along with its follow-up "Reckoning". Michael Stipe & Peter Buck are here In the Studio for "Murmur" 40th anniversary. Songs include "Radio Free Europe","South Central Rain","Can't Get There from Here","Driver 8",  and an ultra-rare live acoustic performance of "Maps and Legends" from McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica.
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David Bowie- Let’s Dance 40th anniversary

"Let's Dance"  was nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1983, and if David could have moonwalked like Michael Jackson, Bowie probably would have won. it was no surprise that multi-media maven David Bowie, who seemed tailor-made then for the dawn of the MTV era in America when "Let's Dance"  was released, would later be among the first to embrace computer-generated gaming and virtual reality, which David discussed at length here, reprised on the album's fortieth anniversary.
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ZZ TOP- Eliminator 40th- Billy Gibbons,Frank Beard,the late Dusty Hill

And yes, the series of clever, campy videos on the upstart MTV video channel in America undoubtedly had much to do with that staggering (15 million just in US) level of popularity for "Eliminator" (truly ironic, since manager Bill Ham had steadfastly kept ZZ Top off of U.S. television until then). But the songwriting, musicianship, modern arranging, and state-of-the-art recording on "Eliminator" which I heard that day was truly extraordinary. Billy Gibbons, Frank Bread, & the late Dusty Hill are my guests In the Studio.

ZZ Top- Sharp Dressed Man- Los Angeles

ZZ Top with the incredibly durable original tres hombres of the late bass player Dusty Hill, drummer Frank Beard, and squankmaster Billy Gibbons taking a turn on the Hollywood red carpet with "Sharp Dressed Man" in concert in the City of Angels.
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John Mellencamp- American Fool

When JohnMellencamp’s fourth album American Fool yielded three Top Twenty hits in April 1982, including “Hurt So Good” (#2) followed by his first #1, “Jack and Diane”, only two entities were as equally relieved as John: his ambitious English manager and his long suffering US record company. The former had negotiated John’s record deal as “Johnny Cougar”...in a move which would cause the musician considerable chagrin for the better part of ten years. John Mellencamp joins me In the Studio for this classic rock interview fof his breakthrough multi-million seller "American Fool". 

Billy Idol- Don’t Stop

It's the all-important 1981 "Don't Stop"  EP by Billy Idol. In the last spasms of the London Punk Rock scene circa 1980, Generation X and their front man Billy Broad had the career arc of a bottle rocket, briefly filling English dance floors with the celebratory single "Dancing with Myself"and a cover of "Mony Mony". But Punk Rock's purpose of being a disruptive force to reset all the tumblers of popular music was practically fulfilled by then, and had no second act, so Billy Idol needed a new start. Billy Idol is my guest In the Studio.

Roxy Music- Take a Chance with Me- Radio City Music Hall 5-26-83

the ad agency for a big brokerage house  switched to Roxy Music's "Take a Chance with Me" in the latest tv ad. Here is Roxy Music and singer Bryan Ferry performing it live back in May 1983 during a broadcast from Radio City Music Hall.