Thursday, April 30, 2015

John Mellencamp On Tour

It first caught my attention two years ago. The importance of selling concert tickets six months to a year away from the physical show. Is there a method to the madness? Does it open the door for the artist to appear in more cities? John Mellencamp's out on the road until the end of August. Being on that stage each night carries more than a need to sell albums.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Michael Sweet Talks About Being With Boston

Front Man Michael Sweet on what it was like to fill some pretty big shoes. Michael's got a brand new music project going on with former Dokken lead guitarist George Lynch. Catch the entire interview with him on iHeart Radio.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Jagger In Dance Studio Before Tour

Yesterday Mick Jagger Tweeted a photo of himself in a dance class. Today we're talking to the Rolling Stone about why dance lessons are so important. Mick Jagger is getting ready to hit the road. He posted a photo on Twitter showing him in a dance studio with the caption, "Warming up my moves for the ZIP CODE tour! See you very soon North America." So after all these years, Jagger is still working to perfect his energetic behavior on stage, which he tells us is a result of him not being able to stand still while singing. "I do what I feel is appropriate... I don't want to do anything that is too ridiculous." The Rolling Stones' tour starts on May 24th in San Diego.

Monday, April 27, 2015

David Coverdale on Whitesnakes New Purple Album

David Coverdale. The former front man of Deep Purple. MTV's Rock God from White Snake. The Purple Album from Whitesnake is out May 19th. David calls it a labor of love. For the band it was an incredible opportunity to take from the past and give to the present. Full interview coming...

Friday, April 24, 2015

Jeff Lynn Gets His Star

John Lennon once called Jeff Lynn and his orchestra SOB's. Which stood for Sons Of The Beatles. Yesterday Jeff Lynn got his place in history. A star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Tom Petty talks about why. Plus Jeff's reaction. ELO frontman and Traveling Wilbury Jeff Lynne hasn't made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet, but if the kind words of Hall of Famers Joe Walsh and Tom Petty at Lynne's Hollywood Walk of Fame induction today (Thursday) are anything to go by, it shouldn't be long. The two combined to speak for about 12 minutes, or about 12 times longer than Lynne's acceptance speech. Walsh went first and was hilarious. He started by asking the crowd of a couple of hundred fans and friends to let out a yell every time he mentioned an Electric Light Orchestra song title, and he worked in lots of them. Then he went through a list of "things you may not know about Jeff Lynne. Here are just a few: Then it was Petty's turn and he couldn't have offered higher praise for Lynne. When it was Lynne's turn, he spoke for less than a minute. Something he said in thanking people for coming may have explained why. We caught up with him after the ceremony and asked about having a star in front of the Capitol Records tower, near his friends in The Beatles and fellow Wilbury Roy Orbison. Among many friends and family who attended the ceremony were Olivia and Dhani Harrison, Heartbreakers' guitarist Mike Campbell, producer Peter Asher, legendary record executive Jerry Moss, film director Richard Donner and Ringo Starr's wife, actress Barbara Bach.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Randy Bachman's Once In A Life Time Moment For You

Before there was Face Book and Twitter. Bands depended on Radio to be their way to get to fans of music. Randy Bachman from BTO and Guess Who hasn't lost his winning connection. He talked to me about looking for riffs. He's got seven songs that need a guitar player. He's come to Radio to find you.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Carlos Santama amd Neal Schon Are Back

Neal Schon of Journey. He says the album he's making with Santana will soon take over the world." He writes in a Facebook post that Santana 4, the album that he is working on with Carlos and original Santana band members Gregg Rolie, Michael Shrieve and Michael Carabello, will be wrapped up this week, adding that it "sounds amazing." Schon adds that he hopes "management gets it together for us to tour together as I WILL Tour with Carlos either way. It’s way too happening to not. World domination once again.” If Carlos has his way, he would like to do a tour where Journey opens followed by the original Santana line-up with Schon, and then the current Santana line-up.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Boston Is Ready To Hit The Road

Tommy Jr has been a major part of his father's success in the group Boston. This summer he's going to be spending some time with me in the radio station production room... to learn the ins and outs of commercials that motivate people to purchase. If you're gonna invite a Rock Stars son to your studio... you've gotta bring Dad... but the son does the interview. Boston hits the road on April 30th

Monday, April 20, 2015

The 2015 Inductions Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame

The inductions were last night. The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame has new members and I have their reactions.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Today Is National Record Store Day

This is not meant to freak you out. But these are record stores. An incredible place to get lost for an hour or an entire day. Today is National Record Store Day. Put down your smart phone and Ipods and go experience the true journey of what its like to be a fan of music. Joe Elliot from Def Leppard talks about his first albums. Record Store Day, a celebration of independent music shops, is tomorrow. Among this year's special releases are: U2 - a deluxe double-vinyl version of their latest album, Songs of Innocence. Dire Straits - Honky Tonk Demos, two 12-inch singles containing the previously issued demo of "Sultans of Swing," "Water of Love," "Down to the Waterline" and "Wild West End." George Thorogood and the Destroyers' debut album on blue vinyl. Bruce Springsteen - remastered versions of his first seven albums on vinyl. The Animals - No. 2 EP, a 10-inch vinyl edition of the band's third British EP, which was never released in the U.S. Gregg Allman - Live, a 10-inch vinyl picture disc with concert renditions of "Whipping Post" and "I'm No Angel," as well as performances with Jackson Browne and Zac Brown. Jeff Beck - first three singles on seven-inch vinyl. Blue Oyster Cult - 1992 Bad Channels soundtrack makes its vinyl debut. Bob Dylan and The Band - The Basement Tapes on vinyl numbered and signed by The Band's Garth Hudson. The Kinks' first two British EPs, Kinksize Session and Kinksize Hits, reissued on singles. Paul McCartney - 1967's The Family Way: Original Soundtrack Recording gets a vinyl reissue after being out of print for decades. Metallica - original demo on cassette. Robert Plant - previously unreleased live material on vinyl. David Bowie - Side by Side, a white/clear vinyl seven-inch of "Kingdom Come." One side features the original Tom Verlaine version and the other has Bowie's rendition from the Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) album. The second release is a seven-inch picture disc of "Changes." The Who - blue vinyl seven-inch of their latest single, "Be Lucky," from The Who Hits 50. Down n' Outz - Joe Elliott's side band - 12-inch vinyl EP with covers of Elton John's "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding," Mott the Hoople's "Marionette" and two others. Foo Fighters - Songs From the Laundry Room, a collection of demos that Dave Grohl recorded before the band's first album. Grohl is Record Store Day Ambassador and will lead the Foos through a set on Saturday at the Record Connection in Niles, Ohio, which is near Warren, Ohio where he was born in 1969.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

New Music Coming From Don Henley

Don Henley's got a new collection of tunes. A Country album called Crass County. The album from Henley features Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss and Vince Gill, with former Tom Petty Don Henley plans to release his country album, Cass County, in the late summer or fall. Don talks about the album which he says will help usher in a stronger Americana sound.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

John Lodge Turns His Moody Blues Into Wine

Classic Rocker John Lodge has always been a bit moody with his blues. As a songwriter he's always relied on the lay of the land to help him landscape the perfect richness of a song. Today he's turned that art into a new set of songs with an incredible wine to dine with.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Stevie Ray Vaughan Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame

On Saturday in Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will induct a group of artists that includes the late Lou Reed, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, the late Paul Butterfield and his Butterfield Blues Band, Ringo Starr, Bill Withers, The "5" Royales, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts and Green Day. Each day this week we'll profile one or two of the inductees, starting with Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Butterfield Blues Band. It seems strange to talk about blues great Stevie Ray Vaughan and David Bowie in the same sentence, but it was Bowie who gave Stevie Ray his big break after seeing him perform in Montreux, Switzerland in 1982. Bowie said, “Stevie completely floored me. I probably hadn’t been so gung-ho about a guitar player since seeing Jeff Beck in the early '60s.” Stevie played on Bowie's 1983 Let's Dance album and was signed to Epic Records by the legendary John Hammond. Stevie's star rose quickly with five studio albums in seven years before he lost his life in a 1990 helicopter accident. John Mayer will induct Stevie; his brother Jimmie Vaughan will accept and perform in his honor.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Jon Bon Jovi Reality TV Show

The creative mind that doesn't stop. Jon Bon Jovi in the off season of touring has created a new TV Reality Show. Jon Bon Jovi's got a new job. He's the executive producer of a TV show called If I Wasn’t a Rock Star. The weekly series will put focus on musicians going home... trying to do an everyday life and styleAs executive producer... Jon will be asking “Who says you can’t go home?” Only this time, he’s brought cameras along.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Alice Cooper Halloween Mask

For 40 years Alice Cooper has kept his mask away from mass marketing. That's about to change. The man that welcomed us to his nightmare will turn this Halloween into a scare.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Joan Jett Will Be Inducted By Miley Cyrus

Before I hit the radio airwaves. I was that punk ass teenage boy hot in love with this completely unknown girl rock band called The Runaways. When life spun me into a radio jock on KOOK in Billings, Montana I exploded with excitement when Joan Jett crossed the buried in history lines and began a solo career that would open a can of kick ass and spread it all over the next three decades. The bad ass chick is headed into the Rock Roll Hall of Fame on April 18th She talks about whats required to become a girl in Rock.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Dylan and McCartney?

Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney have never collaborated as songwriters. Is that about to change? Paul McCartney talks about the opportunity. Paul McCartney's bucket list. Creating music with Bob Dylan. Dylan recorded a version of The Beatles' "Things We Said Today," written by Paul, for last year's The Art of McCartney tribute album. Paul tells us that was the one track on the album that really jumped out at him. "I think he did a really stunning version of it. Certainly out of left field. It's not a normal version of it, but it's great. I thought it was lovely."

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Here Comes More Bad Company

Bad Company has reissued their 1974 and 75 Classic Rock albums. You'd think the members of the band would be fired up and ready for more on the road experiences. Paul Rogers is incredibly grateful that fans of the band still remember. Bad Company's first two albums -- 1974's Bad Company and 1975's Straight Shooter -- have been given the deluxe makeover and are out tomorrow (Tuesday). Each one has been remastered and comes with added rare or unreleased tracks. They are also available in vinyl editions with some of the CD bonuses. The Bad Company reissue adds a dozen tracks, eight of them previously unreleased, including a demo for the ballad "The Way I Choose," an alternate take of the title track and an unedited version of "Superstar Woman," which Paul Rodgers redid in 1983 for his solo album Cut Loose. Straight Shooter contains 14 bonus tracks, 13 of them previously unreleased, including a stripped-down version of "Shooting Star," a remix of "Good Lovin' Gone Bad," "See the Sunlight" and "All Night Long." We spoke with Rodgers about the reissues and he is "amazed that there is still a tremendous interest in this music... I'm happy to be remembered. That's a great thing."

Monday, April 6, 2015

Boz Scaggs A Fool To Care

Boz Scaggs has spent some time studying the music of the south. With the journey. He's invited Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams. The new collection of songs is called A Fool To Care. In his words, "Now that he's heard the tracks over and over... its time to take it on the road. Boz Scaggs will begin sharing the songs from A Fool to Care -- mixed with his past classics -- April 11th at the Tampa Bay (Florida) Blues Festival.

Friday, April 3, 2015

Ringo's First Band

He's one of the most famous drummers of all time. Yet do you know which band gave him his first break? A Rock u Mentary is in the works. Ringo Starr talks about Rory and the Hurricanes Before the Beatles. Ringo Starr was part of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Guess who might be getting back together in a Rock u Mentary? Ringo Starr leads off his new Postcards From Paradise album with "Rory and the Hurricanes," a song about his experiences with his pre-Beatles group, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. We asked him whether he's aware of recent reports that a bio-pic about Storm -- who died in 1972 in what may or may not have been a double suicide with his mother -- is in development.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Kip Winger Is More Than A Front Man

The strangest parts of the Rock n Roll journey aren't the obscure albums and music that bends to the notes of a different drum. It's the stories that unwrap behind the scenes. The collection of artists that we know from other bands that step in to do brilliant studio work... and the listener never realizes it. Kip Winger does more than sing in a 90's Metal Band.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

The Who That Could've Been The What?

Did you know? Out of all the times you've cranked up The Who... the band's fame was the end result of two movie makers? The Rock-u-Mentary is out. It's a different side of the Who which made lead you to thinking about The What? 015... The year The Who made it to 50. And from the ashes of challenge and change. Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend have decided to tour. Directors, Producers and historians are playing a different game. They're making movies. Pete Townshend's iconic guitar-smashing routine may have only been limited to small London clubs if it hadn't been for two men who stumbled upon him and his band mates in the early '60s. In Lambert & Stamp, two aspiring filmmakers helped transform that unknown rock outfit into the sonic powerhouse The Who. Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert simply wanted to make an underground movie about musicians when they found original members Roger Daltrey, Townsend, and John Entwistle. The two eventually scrapped everything to manage the group of peculiar musicians to superstardom.