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Cars- Shake It Up 40th anniversary- Greg Hawkes, the late Ric Ocasek

The Cars' "Shake It Up" was their first album to contain a Top Ten Billboard  hit in the title song, so 1981's "Shake It Up", with its peak at #9 on Billboard  album sales chart as well as #34 for the entire year, was seen by many  as a return to high performance by the Boston band. Keyboard player Greg Hawkes joins me In the Studio with archival interview by Cars bandleader the late Ric Ocasek on "Shake It Up" fortieth anniversary.
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Genesis- We Can’t Dance- Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, Phil Collins

On the eve of their first North American concert tour in decades, Genesis triumvirate Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, and Phil Collins  reconvened here In the Studio to reprise the world premiere broadcast which I hosted and produced with them in November 1991 for "We Can't Dance" .

Robert Cray- Strong Persuader

the breakout album “Strong Persuader” by my guest In the Studio, Robert Cray.
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Led Zeppelin IV- Jimmy Page, Robert Plant

Legendary wrestler-turned-Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant had an appropriately out-sized role in the Led Zeppelin "4" story as told here In the Studio by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

Todd Rundgren- Best pt 2

In the period 1970-89 covered by this classic rock interview for his Best pt 2 with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Todd Rundgren, he made twenty-two albums in seventeen years either as a solo artist or the leader of the multi-threat Utopia. "Prolific" seems woefully inadequate to begin to describe that enormous creative output. "Most of these albums are a result of some kind of musical adventure," Todd explains." It's a privilege that a lot of people don't enjoy."

Pink Floyd- Meddle- David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters

Judging by the sheer outsized volume of well-deserved attention heaped on Pink Floyd's 1973 game changer "Dark Side of the Moon", one could easily assume it was the Cambridge, England quartet's first of any consequence. "Meddle", containing the embryonic epic "Echoes", my guests Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and co-founder with Syd Barrett, Roger Waters unanimously maintain that "Meddle"  was their Apollo 8 musical mission which soon after allowed  Pink Floyd's lunar landing on the far side of rock history.
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Todd Rundgren- Best pt 1

...In part one of this classic rock interview I make the case that no one waiting in the wings of the Rock Hall has done more for rock music over the last half century, in more ways, than Todd Rundgren.

Lindsey Buckingham- Best Of

For two days, the quicksilver singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer Lindsey Buckingham and I sat in a small windowless room serving as his confessional, his therapeutic safe space, and we did not leave until Lindsey told me his truth about playing the role of Vincent in the real-life Van Gogh soap opera that has been his life and musical career for nearly fifty years.
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J Geils Band- Freeze Frame- Peter Wolf

Prior to the Fall 1981 release Freeze Frame , Boston's J Geils Band had released ten albums while touring relentlessly. Yet the hard-driving jump'n'jiving lead singer Peter Wolf admits that all they really had to show for the effort was half a million dollars in debt....(more)
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Kansas- Leftoverture- Kerry Livgren, Phil Ehart, Steve Walsh, Richard Williams, the late Robbie Steinhardt

By 1976, it was go big or go home for this intrepid six-man band from Topeka, Kansas. Because of the hit "Carry On Wayward Son" ( submitted by the prolific Kerry Livgren even as the band was packing up to leave rehearsals ) and radio hits "Miracles Out of Nowhere","The Wall", "Cheyenne Anthem", and "What's On My Mind ", Leftoverture   gave Kansas rock statehood to the tune of over four million sold. Livgren is joined by Richard Williams, Phil Ehart, Steve Walsh, & the late original Kansas violinist/singer Robbie Steinhardt here In the Studio.