It was a turning point in popular culture. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were arrested in early 1967 on drug charges stemming from a party that Richards held for close friends. Local police, tipped off by an opportunistic newspaper, raided the festivities, setting off a series of events which led to a media frenzy, and the arrest and eventual temporary imprisonment of both band members. What was supposed to be a show of force by the old guard establishment on the young hedonistic hippies, ended up with an entirely different outcome.
Author Simon Wells chronicles the events down to every lurid detail in his new book, Butterfly on a Wheel – The Great Rolling Stones Drugs Bust. Wells talks with Icon Fetch about dispelling many of the rumors surrounding the affair, including the legendary Marianne Faithful Mars’ bar incident. He also touches on how he obtained his evidence, and the lasting impact that the overturned charges had on popular culture.
Australian songwriter Paul Kelly has put a new twist on the past. His new 8-CD box set, The A to Z Recordings, features recently performed live versions of 100 of his best songs in alphabetical order. The collection comes housed in a handsome booklet featuring photographs, old concert posters, paintings and pictures of artists that influenced Kelly’s music over the years.
He’s also written an accompanying book, How to Make Gravy, which he describes as a “mongrel memoir, that tells the story behind each song on the set. Icon Fetch talks with the prolific writer about the origins of the concerts which spawned the box set, how he chose the particular 100 (he’s written over 300), and some of the inspirations behind his best songs.
The Hobart Brothers and ‘Lil Sis Hobart, made up of songwriters Freedy Johnston, Jon Dee Graham, and Susan Cowsill, first came together during the annual SXSW Music Festival in Austin, and found that they each shared a common history of working in the kitchens of numerous restaurants in their younger days (Hobart is a reference to the most famous industrial dishwasher). After recording demos last year, the band launched a successful Kickstarter program that helped fund At Least We’ve Got Each Other, the band’s debut album. Icon Fetch talks with Freedy Johnston about how they put this unique band together, and how they used modern technology to help collaborate from long distance. He also talks about his forthcoming solo album and his breakthrough hit, 1995’s “Bad Reputation.”
Pianist David Lanz continues his homage to the Beatles with his new CD, Here Comes the Sun. Like his first tribute, Liverpool: Re-imagining the Beatles, this album takes classics by the Fab Four and reworks them with stunning results. Lanz returns to Icon Fetch to talk about choosing this new batch of songs, how “I Am the Walrus” took several months to arrange, and why he decided to include songs by George Harrison this time around. He also touches on an upcoming 25th anniversary edition of his landmark Cristofori’s Dream album.
I See Hawks in LA continue the California folk rock that was pioneered by bands like the Byrds, then twisted and re-imagined by visionaries like Gram Parsons. They’ve just released their fifth album, New Kind of Lonely, which is the band’s first all-acoustic outing. The record still contains their signature dark humor, sharp picking and tight harmonies, all elements the band has perfected over their decade-long existence. Icon Fetch talks with lead singer Rob Waller about recording the new disc live, the story behind some of their twisted tales of suicide and overdoses, and the multitude of ways their unique name has been butchered by clubs around the country.
Norman Greenbaum is known for the 1970 smash hit “Spirit in the Sky.” The song’s unique paring of gospel-inspired lyrics with psychedelic rock backing helped it sell a whopping two million records in its first year of release. But, it’s the song’s universal message that continues to make it one of the most-played oldies on the radio. It’s also been included in almost 50 different movies, in numerous commercials, and even in the hugely-successful Rock Band 2 video game. Icon Fetch talks with Greenbaum about the strange origins of his one big hit, his new, specially-designed website, and how he feels about being called a “one hit wonder.”
The Good Lovelies provide some much-needed sunshine in these winter months with the release of their third long-player, Let the Rain Fall. The Toronto-based trio mixes elements of folk, bluegrass and swing and tops it off with delectable harmonies that bring to mind the Andrews and McGuire Sisters, groups of a forgotten era. Icon Fetch talks to one-third of the band, Sue Passmore, about their (mostly) positive songs, why they often switch instruments on stage, and their decision to cover a rap song on the new record.
Mitch Ryder stormed out of Michigan with the Detroit Wheels scoring mid-60’s hits with “Jenny Take a Ride,” “Devil With the Blue Dress On,” and “Sock it To Me-Baby!” For a shining moment, he was one of the few American artists that could rival the British bands in intensity. But, after the hits dried up, Ryder’s career collapsed in a haze of drugs and shady management deals. He managed to pick himself up and find a whole new adoring audience in Europe.
He’s just written his autobiography, Devils and Blue Dresses – My Wild Ride As a Rock and Roll Legend (Cool Titles), and released a brand new album produced by Don Was called The Promise. Icon Fetch talks with Ryder about doing music his way and the possibility of a musical based on his life. He also tells a great story about how John Lennon saved his life.
Richard Barone returns to Icon Fetch with a brand new album Collection 2: Before and Afterglow, featuring demos and rare tracks spanning his entire career, including a brand-new reworking of the classic “Sidewalks of New York,” plus covers of songs by ELO, Nilsson, and Bobby Fuller. There’s even a seldom heard track from the Snails, Barone’s first band way back in 1976. Icon Fetch talks with the former frontman for the Bongos about unearthing these tracks from his library, writing his autobiography, Frontman, and plans for the 25th anniversary of his landmark solo album Cool Blue Halo. He also discusses a track he just recorded for the Occupy This Album project called “Hey, Can I Sleep on Your Futon?”
Singer Chris Willis first teamed with French DJ David Guetta back in 2001 for the club hit “Just a Little More Love.” Over the next ten years, the duo would put together a string of international dance hits including “Love Don’t Let Me Go,” “Money,” “Love is Gone,” and “Gettin’ Over You,” which also featured Fergie and LMFAO. Now, Willis is stepping out on his own for his first solo EP Premium / Songs From the Love Ship v.1, which has already yielded the number one Billboard Dance track “Louder (Put Your Hands Up).” Icon Fetch talks with the Dayton native about his early roots in the church, the story of hooking up with Guetta, and filming the crazy video for “Gettin’ Over You.”
