Tag Archives: podcast

Shows

#257 – Paul Haney – Billboard Comparison Book

How many #1 hits did the Beatles have?  How long did Thriller stay on the album charts?  Did Milli Vanilli really have that many charting singles?  These are all questions that have been answered thanks to the staff of Record Research.  Joel Whitburn began compiling the chart data of Billboard magazine back in the early Seventies.  Since then, his company has released hundreds of books, covering the pop, soul, and country charts, even delving into the Big Band era.  But, their latest book is a real find – it’s called The Comparison Book, and for the first time, the chart data from the top three music magazines – Billboard, Cashbox, and Record World, have been compiled in one handy reference book.  We talk to one of the men who helped put this together – from Record Research, Paul Haney.

Shows

#256 – Peter Case – Hwy 62

Los Angeles, California: Peter Case in his studio (Photo: Ann Summa).

Peter Case has had a long and diverse career, which began in the mid Seventies with his first band the Nerves. They didn’t sell a lot of records, but ended up being very influential on many bands that came after. Case fronted the Plimsouls through the mid-Eighties, scoring an MTV hit with “A Million Miles Away.” After his band broke up, and right in the middle of the BIG Eighties, he embarked on an acoustic solo career – embracing roots music, and garnering several Grammy nominations. Now Case is back with his first new album in five years called Hwy 62, and in a way he’s come full circle, with this new record once again embracing acoustic roots music. We talk the five-year gap in between studio albums; how he got hooked up with Ben Harper, who plays great guitar on the record; and the crowd funding campaign he’s running to fund his upcoming tour.

Shows

#255 – Alexander Wright of 2Ton Bridge – Pennies on the Shore

2Ton Bridge is Alexander Wright, a hands-on troubadour with a voice of reason, digging deep into rich musical soil. We reviewed the new music and said it has the ability to “take you out of your current surroundings.” Wright sings, and plays acoustic guitar & banjo, and he’s backed by a crack band of seasoned veterans. Wright recently released a Digital 45 of two songs – “Pennies on the Shore” and “I’m a Hoot Owl” – a pair of samples of full length album promised in early 2016. Both songs were produced by roots master and former member of Lone Justice Marvin Etzioni.

Shows

#254 – Omar & the Howlers – The Kitchen Sink

Guitar Player Magazine described Omar Dykes – “his guitar playing slices like a freight train pullin’ a load of Texas tone, and his voice has the kind of delivery that could shatter a beer stein.” Dykes has been making music for over 50 years, and he’s showing no sign of slowing down.  2014 was a particularly emotional year for him – he lost four dear friends that had been a part of his career.  Using music as his catharsis, he’s created one of his strongest albums to date called the Kitchen Sink.  In addition to the new songs, he gives us the origins of the archival tracks on the new disc.  Plus, he talks about how being retired is actually helping his songwriting, and the time he met Johnny Cash.

Shows

#252 – Kinky Friedman – The Loneliest Man I Ever Met

In Texas, everything is larger than life, and that includes Kinky Friedman, the cigar-smoking, self-proclaimed Jewish cowboy, who first got noticed with his debut album, Sold American from 1973. He toured with Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review, and he’s even been on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. He’s a songwriter, satirist, author, politician, entrepreneur, and animal lover. Yet, it’s been an eternity since Friedman released a new album (Reagan was in his first term).

Well now’s as good a time as any for The Loneliest Man I Ever Met, featuring some Friedman originals, plus his take on songs by Dylan, Johnny Cash & Warren Zevon. There’s even a duet with Willie Nelson.  We talk with Friedman about smokin’ with Willie, running for Governor of Texas, and who he thinks would be the perfect ticket for the 2016 Presidential Election. Warning – mature content

Shows

#251 – Keith Elliot Greenberg – James Dean’s Final Hours

It was 60 years ago that James Dean, his star just beginning to rise, died in an auto accident. The crash, and the events surrounding Dean’s death have been shrouded in mystery. Author Keith Elliot Greenberg attempts to put some of those pieces together in a new book, Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die: James Dean’s Final Hours, from Applause Books.

We talked with Greenberg back in 2010 about another book Dec 8, 1980, the day John Lennon Died.  Greenberg went back to Dean’s hometown to talk with some of his family members and classmates.  He also profiles Dean’s mechanic, Rolf Wutherich, who was the passenger who survived the crash, and chronicles the strange circumstances that surrounded Dean’s crashed car.

Shows

#250 – Jon Anderson – Anderson/Ponty Band

Legendary vocalist Jon Anderson led the progressive rock band Yes for almost 40 years – his soaring voice can be heard on such classic albums as Fragile, Close to the Edge and 90125. The work he did with that band brought a level of sophistication seldom heard in popular music. Anderson stepped away for a solo career in 2008.

His latest project returns him to a band format – and has been a long time in the works – bringing together two icons of music – Anderson and violinist Jean Luc Ponty – calling themselves the Anderson/Ponty Band – they’re getting ready to release the appropriately titled Better Late Than Never – and our planning a world tour.

We chat with Anderson about why it took so long for this project to finally become a reality.  He also talks about the passing of his former bandmate, Yes bassist Chris Squire, and how Yes is still not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Shows

#249 – Johnny Mathis – The Singles Collection

Johnny Mathis.

Johnny Mathis has spent 60 years singing and recording the music he loves. He’s enjoyed unprecedented worldwide success and his hits have included “Chances Are,” “Wonderful Wonderful,” “Misty,” and “It’s Not For Me to Say.” He’s also been a pioneer at the same time – in ways you might not even realize. For instance, he was the first artist ever to release a Greatest Hits album.

He’s getting ready to celebrate his 80th birthday – and to commemorate, Columbia/Legacy Recordings has put together Johnny Mathis – the Singles, a 4-CD box set that brings together 87 non-LP tracks for the first time in one collection. We talk to the legendary vocalist about making an early career choice between sports and music, befriending basketball legend Bill Russell, working with Mitch Miller, and the stories behind some of his most-beloved songs.

Shows

#248 – Marshall Crenshaw – #392 The EP Collection

Marshall Crenshaw first gained notoriety with his 1982 debut album which featured the MTV hit “Someday Someway.” A few years back, he came up with a unique way to deliver music to his fans – he set up a subscription service where, beginning in early 2013, he delivered six EP’s over the course of two years on both vinyl and digital downloads. Each EP had a formula – one new song, one cover song, and one reworked cover of an old Crenshaw composition, plus a bonus track.

Well, he completed that project, and now he’s decided to put the best of the series in an album form – hence #392 The EP Collection. We talk to Crenshaw about his thoughts on completing this project, why he decided to cover the Carpenters, and how under-appreciated Bobby Fuller’s music is.