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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.
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Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band- Night Moves

"We did two hundred sixty-five shows that year 1975," says Bob Seger with a mixture of pride and amazement, as explanation on why it was so hard to find the solitary time necessary to write well-crafted songs prior to "Night Moves". The double disc "Live Bullet", recorded in Fall 1975 and released six months later, provided that precious period...by October 1976 with Night Moves containing "Rock and Roll Never Forgets","Main Street","The Fire Down Below","Come to Poppa", and the title song which Bob calls "...a little novelette."

Billy Idol- Don’t Stop

It's the all-important 1981 "Don't Stop"  EP by Billy Idol. In the last spasms of the London Punk Rock scene circa 1980, Generation X and their front man Billy Broad had the career arc of a bottle rocket, briefly filling English dance floors with the celebratory single "Dancing with Myself"and a cover of "Mony Mony". But Punk Rock's purpose of being a disruptive force to reset all the tumblers of popular music was practically fulfilled by then, and had no second act, so Billy Idol needed a new start. Billy Idol is my guest In the Studio.
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The Police- Ghost in the Machine- Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers

By the time October 1981 's fourth Police album "Ghost in the Machine"  was dispatched, the exposed roots and influences shown by the London-based trio founded by Yankee drummer Stewart Copeland, who had emerged from the dying embers of the Punk Rock scene there, were more Miles and Mingus than Johnny Rotten. "Ghost in the Machine" topped the UK sales chart, #2 on Billboard  album chart, over three million copies sold in America alone, and Rolling Stone  magazine ranking it at #322 on their Top 500 Albums of All Time list. Police commissioner Stewart Copeland and six-string sharpshooter Andy Summers are your personal Ghost...busters with me here In the Studio in this classic rock interview.
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Boston- Third Stage- Tom Scholz

"Third Stage" Boston comeback album released in September 1986 put up spectacular numbers in popularity, with three Top 20 hits on Billboard including "Cant'cha Say","We're Ready", and the #1 "Amanda", all helping to blast the album to #1 sales. Boston bandleader Tom Scholz, my guest, also brought free-agency to the music business.

John Mellencamp- Whenever We Wanted

By the time John Mellencamp released October 1991's "Whenever We Wanted" , containing the hits "Get a Leg Up" and "Again Tonight", his record-making not only made him one of the Eighties' most popular singer/ songwriters, he had already influenced the sound of his peers...twice. John Mellencamp is my guest In the Studio.

Loverboy 45th- Get Lucky- Mike Reno, Paul Dean

So when their sophomore effort "Get Lucky"  came out in Fall 1981, these Canadian rockers Loverboy were the right band at the right time. North American rock radio was waiting in anticipation for"Working for the Weekend", along with "When It's Over", "Jump" co-written by fellow countryman Bryan Adams, "Gangs in the Street", and "Take Me to the Top". Lead singer Mike Reno and guitarist Paul Dean recall how nice guys don't finish last in this  In The Studio  classic rock interview.
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Bryan Adams- Waking Up the Neighbours

Bryan Adams sold 16,000,000 copies worldwide of "Waking Up the Neighbours" since 1991, it starts to take up some real estate on the page. In this week's classic rock interview, diplomat's son Bryan Adams reminds us that he had a passport before he had a guitar.