Archive for category: Classic Rock Interviews

These are the interviews from the most recent editions of the weekly national radio broadcast of In The Studio .

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Kinks- One for the Road- Ray Davies

"I'm probably the worst musician in the band," admits Ray Davies of The Kinks In the Studio on the forty-fifth anniversary of The Kinks live album "One for the Road". "They're very good players, and this record  shows them off as players as well." Part one of my classic rock interview.
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Robert Plant- Shaken ‘n’ Stirred

"The Principle of Moments", Robert Plant's second solo album, first convinced us that Plant could sustain a viable solo career outside of the legendary Led Zeppelin, which he fronted for twelve fabled years. But for me personally it was "Shaken 'n' Stirred" in 1985, served pre-release on a Walkman at 40,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean,  that began my professional relationship with the complicated singer. Robert Plant is my guest In the Studio.
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Dire Straits- Brothers in Arms- Mark Knopfler

Few albums from the Eighties have been so popular or aged as well as "Brothers in Arms", the fifth studio album from London's Dire Straits. Released in May 1985, Brothers in Arms contained the songs of Mark Knopfler performed expertly and produced impeccably, which proved irresistible to an international buying audience estimated at over thirty million. Dire Straits bandleader Mark Knopfler tries to explain the phenomenon of "Brothers in Arms"  and modern super-celebrity here In the Studio in this classic rock interview. "I recommend success to anybody. I can't think of anything good about fame. If you can, let me know."
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Who- Live at Leeds- Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey

Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey here In the Studio hosting the tale of The Who "Live at Leeds"from May 1970, with archival classic rock interview from the late John Entwistle.
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Doobie Brothers- What Were Once Vices…/Stampede- Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons

The surprise success from "Black Water" afforded the Doobie Brothers some creative license on their next album, "Stampede", released in April 1975. But as you will hear from Patrick Simmons, Tom Johnston, and the late Doobie drummer Mike Hossack, the non-stop grind of five years of one-nighters, stopping only long enough to record the next album, was starting to create stress fractures in the foundation of the band which  would sideline Tom Johnston with a bleeding ulcer and, ultimately, alter the sound of the Doobie Brothers for the next decade.
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Pete Townshend- Who Came First

Was "Who Came First" a question or a declarative statement in October 1972? Pete Townshend joins me In the Studio for the answer on the golden anniversary of his first of many great solo albums, which we feature here.
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ZZ Top- Fandango- Billy Gibbons, the late Dusty Hill & Frank Beard

For their 1975 "Fandango", my guests Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard in "That Little Ol' Band from Texas" ZZ Top were tellin' tall tales here In the Studio  long before Netflix or Amazon Prime were ever invented! -Redbeard
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Aerosmith- Toys in the Attic- Steven Tyler, Brad Whitford, Joey Kramer, Tom Hamilton, Joe Perry

we dust off "Toys in the Attic", the breakthrough third album for Aerosmith in  April 1975. Contrary to what you might assume, through their first two albums Aerosmith struggled to get noticed. In this classic rock interview, Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer reminded me that "Dream On" from their debut by then had been released as a single three times  and flopped twice.
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Genesis- Duke- Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins

The September 1981 release of Genesis "Abacab". The veteran English band's eleventh  studio album, nevertheless it was the first Genesis album to breach the American Top Ten album sales on Billboard , and surprisingly the first Genesis million seller. Yet it is no minor miracle that my guests Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins, and Tony Banks could make it to the Progressive Rock promised land.
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Bad Company- Straight Shooter- Paul Rodgers, late Mick Ralphs, Simon Kirke

Bad Company had elbowed their way to the forefront of the rock world by the late March 1975 release of their second album, "Straight Shooter" ,avoiding the sophomore jinx with timeless songs "Good Lovin' Gone Bad","Feel Like Makin' Love", and "Shooting Star". But as my guests Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs, and Simon Kirke share here, strange things can happen eventually when that much success is achieved that quickly in lives so young.