No Sleep 'til Sudbury with Brent Jensen: Recent Episodes
Brent Jensen
Author and music critic Brent Jensen hosts a wide range of music fans from all walks of life to discuss their special playlists and the stories behind them.
My pal Sean Kelly wears a few different hats. He's primarily known as a Juno-nominated guitarist who's played with Nelly Furtado, Lee Aaron, Coney Hatch, Helix, and several other acts. He's also a music teacher, and the author of three books.
He joins me today to talk about his newest work, the upcoming book entitled Battle Axes: A Hard Rockin' History of Pointy Guitars. The book examines the cultural and musical evolution of those wildly shaped guitars we've all seen, beginning with Gibson Flying Vs and Explorers, and progressing through later models produced by Hamer, Jackson, Charvel, Dean, and others. Throughout the book, Sean talks to some of the guitarists who helped put these companies on the map - Def Leppard's Phil Collen, GN'R's Gilby Clarke, Triumph's Rik Emmett, Twisted Sister's Jay Jay French, and even Metal Method's Doug Marks! Let the guitar geekery begin.
One July evening in northern Ontario back in 1994, I had a very unusual liaison with a person from the United States who would appear and then disappear within a span of about 12 hours, never to be heard from again.
Until she reappeared on the No Sleep 'til Sudbury podcast almost 32 years later.
After listening to last month's NSTS episode featuring the guitarists who auditioned to replace Ace Frehley in KISS, friend of the show and co-host of the Famous Lost Words podcast Tom Jokic dropped by the NSTS studios with a list of other interesting musical substitutions, featuring artists like Dave Grohl, Stevie Nicks, Lenny Kravitz, and The Doors.
According to Tom, Eddie Van Halen asked a well-known female singer to join the band before they asked Sammy Hagar, who was asked by The Grateful Dead to replace Jerry Garcia(!). Lots of interesting discussion in this episode.
When Ace Frehley left KISS in 1982, a lot of guitar players lined up to take his place. Many of them, upon not getting the gig, went on to do great things. Two of those guitarists were Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora and Slash from Guns N' Roses. And, Eddie Van Halen was also rumoured to be in the mix.
This week on the show I consider the ramifications of all of this - rock history as we know it would be significantly different. Sambora joining KISS would have prevented Bon Jovi from becoming Bon Jovi, and "Sweet Child o' Mine" could have been a KISS song. All of the bizarre possibilities involving these guitarists and others who auditioned are considered in this episode.
West coast band 54-40 is a group we all know and love up here in Canada. Last week 54-40 guitarist Dave Genn called in to the show to talk about their new record Porto, which drops this Friday, January 23rd. I've heard it, and so should you – quite honestly, it's really good.
Dave shared some great stories during our chat. Among them: his night out with Ronnie Wood and witnessing a funny Stones soundcheck moment; his piano teacher's icy response to Dave's fondness for Shaun Cassidy; and the very unorthodox way by which he found out that The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" is his favourite song.
Here's the second half of my chat with Rik and Ian live from Rik's place. We couldn't talk about the upcoming Triumph tour as it hadn't been formally announced yet, and I was sworn to secrecy.
But, there was so much more to cover - the retirement of Ian's longtime band Lunch at Allen's, how Ian used to get accosted by women at his shows and the hilarious commentary that ensues, the lyrics Rik and Ian chose to be engraved in their CSHOF awards, Rik's inspiration behind the lyrics of "Fight The Good Fight", and to add a Christmas flavour to this year-end episode, we wrap up with Rik and Ian sharing some Christmas party stories from years past.
Merry Christmas to NSTS listeners everywhere - I sincerely hope you have a wonderful holiday, however you celebrate. Thank you for listening.
I joined Rik Emmett and Ian Thomas at Rik's home recently to talk to them about being inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame together. This episode is the first of two parts.
The conversation was fantastic, complete with a look back on the ceremony, plenty of fascinating details about their songwriting tendencies, how Rik and Ian's mothers taught them how to sing harmonies, the fact that they both had a hit called "Hold On" (and whose charted higher), and how when they wrote their music, they both hoped it would be of some use to future generations. Was it ever.
And now for something completely different!
Catherine Fearns is a fascinating human being. Hailing from Liverpool and joining me from Geneva, Switzerland, she's a pianist, a composer, a guitarist, an author of six books, and an absolutely wonderful person to talk music with.
I contacted her because of a stunning video I saw on YouTube of her playing an Iron Maiden song on the piano, masterfully so. One of the most compelling guests I've had on the show in some time.
Terrible news recently that one of rock's most authentic guitar players, Ace Frehley, passed away unexpectedly. I was obsessed with Ace and KISS as a kid, and they provided me with a lot of great memories from back then.
CHUM-FM producer and Famous Lost Words co-host Tom Jokic joins me in person to dig through those memories, he being a massive Ace fan as a child himself. Together, we go through our top Frehley songs and ruminate over The Spaceman's unusual life spectrum.
The country music genre has undergone some pretty significant changes, with some particularly radical shifts coming within the last few years. Bree Taylor is an artist that embraces those shifts. She's been described as a cross between Carrie Underwood and Joan Jett, infusing her brand of country with a rock and roll grit that's getting a lot of attention lately.
Bree joins me on NSTS this week to bring me up to speed on where she's at - songwriting in Nashville, when her new record drops, her recent and upcoming shows, and what her special "Daddy-Daughter" song is (it's not country, and it's not a ballad).
It's that time, folks. Time to set everything else aside and really think about why Night Ranger never quite reached the same heights of fame as their rock brethren.
Was it the clothes? The saccharine? The genre confusion? Tim Durling, author of Sing Me Away: The Night Ranger Album Review, is here to help us make sense of the mystery that is Night Ranger - why didn't the band who wrote "Sister Christian" and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" take over the world? Join us and find out.
Heavy episode. Songwriter and producer Rob Wells has worked with some of the industry's biggest stars - Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Adam Lambert, and loads of others. He feels music. In this episode Rob drops by my studio and there are laughs, misty eyes, and some really meaningful musical insights.
Rob talks about how he almost killed Dave Grohl at The Grammys, the day he met his producer idols in LA, and how his very special perceptions of the first Superman movie as a 7-year-old boy in Peterborough prepared him for a career as an award-winning songwriter and producer. Rob Wells is a quality person. Listen to him validate the singular purpose of No Sleep 'til Sudbury, and see if it doesn't make you even just a bit emotional.
In a lot of ways, the No Sleep 'til Sudbury podcast was created for people like this week's guest, emerging singer songwriter Becky Prokova. The range of emotions she evokes with her song selection is deep, and the stories she shares to accompany them are equally compelling - how she moved to LA to become a star, breaking swim records with Switchfoot, crashing cars with Coldplay, and her granting of her grandfather's wish.
Becky and I also talk about her newest single "Long Ride", an incredible song in its own right. I highly recommend you give it a listen, along with this episode.
Here's part two of the two part series featuring Rik Emmett live at Black Bellows in Collingwood, hosted by NSTS.
In this set, Rik takes us through some songs by Jimmy Webb and Brian Wilson (RIP) that he wishes he'd written, along with insights into how they were composed. We also go through some Triumph material and the stories behind those songs, and wrap up with a Q&A with the audience. This was an incredible evening, and Rik made it fun and memorable.
As the host of No Sleep 'til Sudbury for the past eight years, I've been fortunate enough to enjoy some pretty gratifying experiences. This one ranks up there with all of them.
Doing the show live in front of an audience was something I'd always wanted to do, and to do it alongside the legendary Rik Emmett just made it that much more unforgettable. Rik has always been one of my favourite guests, and as he always does, he made this night easy. I'm proud to call him a friend and I'm grateful for his contributions. Special night indeed.
Former Jitters frontman and songwriter extraordinaire Blair Packham drops by this week to talk about his brand new record The Impossible Dream, and he brought his guitar to do a couple of the album's songs for us. In addition to playing the tracks, Blair shares the stories behind the songs, which leads to some conversation around Canadian history, touring hijinks, and why he sometimes has to close his eyes while he performs.
Here’s part two of my hang with Rik Emmett, live from Eli’s Loft, to talk about his newest project Ten Telecaster Tales. As always, the conversation is rich, insightful and a lot of fun. Rik performs four tracks from the record that accompanies the book, for the very first time since they’d been recorded. In turn, he talks about performance as communion, from the smallest (this one for NSTS listeners) right up to Triumph’s US Festival appearance. He also shares great insights about the reggae influence in “Fight The Good Fight” and how he was asked to hurriedly come up with a single by the record company for the The Sport of Kings album that resulted in “Somebody’s Out There”. On Friday, March 21 at 8pm, Rik and I will be recording two episodes of No Sleep ‘til Sudbury with a live audience at Black Bellows in Collingwood, Ontario. Go to www.blackbellows.com for details.
He's back! The legendary Rik Emmett returns to No Sleep 'til Sudbury, or rather we return to his home studio, Eli's Loft, to discuss his new Ten Telecaster Tales project.
It's always plenty of fun hanging out with Rik - the stories, the music, the insights, the voices he can do...in addition to talking about Ten Telecaster Tales, Rik and I go way off track and talk about his violin lessons, his way-too-tight pants days, little known Beatles facts, his three wedding rings, and lots more.
Later this month on Friday, March 21, Rik and I will be recording two LIVE episodes of NSTS at Black Bellows in Collingwood, Ontario. Don't miss it!
Executive chef and massive music fan Christian Pritchard drops by the No Sleep 'til Sudbury studios this week, armed with some great songs and stories.
Christian, a Type II diabetic, discusses his plans to develop dishes geared more towards a healthier lifestyle, and also how much the No Sleep 'til Sudbury podcast sucks because he was only able to talk about five songs that make his skin vibrate (he was thus granted six).
It was my pleasure to host executive producer Stuart Coxe on the program this week. Stuart's credentials include producing CBC TV news program The National, developing the Dragons Den and Shark Tank TV programs, and working alongside Gord Downie on the Secret Path multimedia project. Stuart has since founded his own production company called Antica Productions, focusing on podcasts, television and film.
He comes to the show bearing soundtracks to discuss, and his stories featuring his work with Downie, will.i.am, Ron Sexsmith and NASA's Space Shuttle are incredible.
It's that time once again, and this year I thought I'd combine music history and Christmas music to close out the 2024 No Sleep 'til Sudbury programming schedule.
Christmas music actually evolved from Gregorian chanting to celebrate the winter solstice and the return of longer days, as far back as the 4th century. From there, a number of eras were responsible for the gradual development of the 'carol' onward through the centuries, and in this episode we touch on all of them. Merry Christmas everyone!
CHUM-FM producer, Famous Lost Words podcast host and friend of the show Tom Jokic makes his return to NSTS this week with a brand new angle.
Tom does a segment on his podcast called "When Rock Stars Attack", a hilarious take on snippy-ish musician interviews found in the CHUM-FM and MuchMusic archives. Today he graciously shares some of these clips with us, featuring Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr, Jann Arden, April Wine's Myles Goodwyn, and a Beatles skirmish involving George Harrison and Paul McCartney. Lots of laughs and great conversation.
Ah, the eternal question - of all of those truly great Beatles albums, which one is the best?
In this special episode of No Sleep 'til Sudbury, we go through the discography of the one of the greatest musical groups of all time, and arguably, the band that started it all, to determine their best work. Which album is it? Press play and find out.
Jazz singer songwriter Lori Cullen calls into No Sleep 'til Sudbury this week to talk about The Thunder and The Bay, her new record dropping this Friday, June 7.
Lori goes in a slightly new direction with this release, introducing elements of electronica and taking the material to new places - the songs are airy, colourful and dynamic. And with her selection of songs that make her skin vibrate, she completely stumps me - I'd never heard of any of them, a first for NSTS. But as always, it's all about the discovery.
We'd crossed paths previously over the years, but today Andy Kim sits down with NSTS for his first complete episode. The occasion is significant - on May 10, 2024 Andy's megahit "Rock Me Gently" turned 50.
Andy shares the tremendous story of growing up in Montreal tenement housing and hearing "Be My Baby" for the first time, which compelled him to move to New York City and co-write smash hits like "Sugar Sugar". This gave way to him being handed his gold record for "Rock Me Gently" by John Lennon, hanging out with Phil Spector, Cher, Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and others, and forging an unforgettable career in music.
In the NSTS interview seat this month is Eye Eye and Bill Wood and the Woodies frontman Bill Wood, talking about the songs that have shaped him over the course of his life.
In tandem with these songs, Bill shares some fascinating behind-the-scenes details of Eye Eye's success and navigating the pressures of their record company, his Steve Earle-inspired revelation, the early days on the road with The Oh Nos, and the many projects he currently has in the works, including a reunion project of sorts with Eye Eye guitarist Andy Ryan.
Singer songwriter and friend of the show Stephen Stanley makes his long awaited return to NSTS this week, joining me live to chat about his excellent new record, Before The Collapse Of The Hive.
The new record is a triumph - Stephen once again weaves vivid visual landscapes as an accomplished lyricist, but this time he goes further by fusing his familiar brand of rootsy Americana to new elements, resulting in a much different record than Jimmy & The Moon. We go through the songs together, and Stephen dissects them with his usual wit and insight. No wonder the guy's been on the show like, 46 times.
Friend of the show and vocal powerhouse Sandra Bouza drops by for a cup of coffee and a chat about her incredible new record, A Sound in the Dark.
Sandra turns the tables and asks me to go through MY favourite tracks from the record, followed by an exclusive live performance of a brand new and very personal song she just wrote.
A few months ago filmmaker Sean Menard released his MuchMusic documentary entitled 299 Queen Street West, celebrating the history and cultural significance of what would come to be known as "The Nation's Music Station".
I attended the premiere screening at Roy Thomson Hall in downtown Toronto, spoke to Rick Campanelli, Denise Donlon, Ed the Sock, Sook-Yin Lee, Bill Welychka, and other Much alum as they walked the red carpet, and offer my personal thoughts on the film here.
In the last episode of 2023, No Sleep 'til Sudbury welcomes legendary pro football running back Michael 'Pinball' Clemons, a man who's equally celebrated for both his athletic achievements and his neverending kindness and generosity.
Pinball and I discuss the accomplishments of his charitable foundation and the upcoming "Christmas with the Clemons" gala, a fundraiser in service of marginalized youth. We also find out what Christmas songs can be heard in the Clemons house over the holidays.
This week on No Sleep ‘til Sudbury I’m joined by writer, musician, and fellow Sudbury kid Sean Barrette. Sean has written a book entitled Heartstrings – First Guitars, and it’s a very interesting project involving some notable guitar players and the stories they share with Sean about their very first guitars.
Of course, we also talk about the songs that make Sean's skin vibrate, as well as the ever-compelling Friday night pizza playlists he puts together using his old iPod.
Welcome to part two of my latest NSTS chat with the very talented and always entertaining Rik Emmett, live from his home.
Last week we talked about his new book entitled Lay It On The Line, and this week we discuss some of the other stuff he’s been working on - including reworked versions of some old Triumph classics and a new project called Ten Telecaster Tales. And guess what? Rik was kind enough to give us our own exclusive little taste of some of these songs.
He's back!
Rik Emmett's new book, Lay It On The Line, is the focus of our latest chat live from the newly renovated music room of Rik's home. As usual, the discussion is funny, insightful and highly entertaining - not unlike his new book.
In part one of our two-part conversation, the insights are particularly interesting. Rik sheds light on his motivations behind writing songs like "Fight The Good Fight", "Magic Power", and "Hold On", how a Triumph album cover tried to capture a Beatles motif (but with lasers!), how "Suitcase Blues" prepared his fans for a post-Triumph Rik Emmett, and so much more.
I have no idea how this happened, but my pal Famous Lost Words host Tom Jokic and I taped an episode of the show in early May of this year that's just getting up now.
Anyway, Tom is in fine form once again, recounting stories from his interviews with Lisa Marie Presley, Meat Loaf, and the late great Gordon Lightfoot (who had passed just days before we taped this). Tom even brought along a clip of Gino Vannelli telling him the amazing story of how he was signed by Herb Alpert. Enjoy, and be sure to check out the podcast Tom co-hosts with Christopher Ward, Famous Lost Words. It's a fantastic listen.
The previous episode of little known behind-the-scenes facts about your favourite rock artists and records that aired a little while back was so popular with you guys that I decided to do another one.
This time around, we look at stuff like what the actual "song from 1962" referenced in Bob Seger's "Night Moves" is (and that it was in fact from 1963), how OMD and Depeche Mode's influence over ZZ Top resulted in the biggest hit record of their career, what that strange noise is at the beginning of The Police's "Roxanne", and SO much more!
Speaking of The Redwood Theatre...
It was the site of my conversation with my pal Rob Preuss as we talked about his exciting new project, Rob Preuss and Friends. This episode was taped back in April, but I explain why in the intro - before Rob does his own show intro (and outro at the end of the show).
If you're in the Ottawa area this weekend, you can see the Rob Preuss and Friends show at Bar Robo on Saturday July 22. He also plays the El Mocambo on Saturday, August 26th. Don't miss it!
I knew it would be enjoyable, but I have to say that this was one of my favourite all-time NSTS conversations. Songwriter to the stars Rob Wells joins me at my home this week, and the musical geek out session we have is off the charts.
In addition to bringing in some fantastic songs, Rob shares his astonishing story about how a kid from Peterborough was eventually tapped to write songs with Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Nick Lachey, The Backstreet Boys, and Weezer. We also discuss his imaginary finger theory, and the similarities between Neil Degrasse Tyson and Bruce Springsteen. Do NOT miss this.
This week on NSTS I welcome Chris Sisam, formerly an executive with Corus Radio and The Edge and manager of 90s pop band Wild Strawberries, who's now doing some very interesting things in the music publishing and royalties space.
Chris offers some interesting insights into how the financial aspect of the music business works, and touches on Clarence Clemons' sax solo in Jungleland, Springsteen's rehearsal requirements, Don Henley's acerbic comment to the crowd at an Eagles Toronto show, and one of his favourite lyrical lines of all time.
This may be the first time a live banjo performance is heard on No Sleep 'til Sudbury. Former Stompin' Tom bandleader and banjo player Duncan Fremlin returns to the show this week, and he brings along his Doogie and Dun partner, Juno-nominated singer songwriter Douglas John Cameron.
In addition to sharing the albums that were formative in their musical lives, the two perform a medley of songs from their shows, including a take on Stompin' Tom's "Sudbury Saturday Night" that you have to hear to believe. Talented chaps and great people.
Most of us like the trivia and the behind-the-scenes stuff. So this week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury, we feature some little-known facts related to some of your favourite musical artists. For example:
The unusual recording request Axl Rose made during the Appetite for Destruction sessions. The hilarious misunderstanding that led to a lyric change for The Cars. Why Aerosmith whipped themselves with an actual bullwhip in the studio. Scorpions singer Klaus Meine's confusion over American female fans who flash the band during shows. Metallica's sly nod to David Bowie in "Master of Puppets". And so much more.
Whiskey Jack frontman, former Stompin' Tom Connors bandleader, and author Duncan Fremlin drops by this week to chat about his new book entitled My Good Times With Stompin' Tom.
Duncan's a Soo boy, and he ignites the Sault Ste. Marie - Sudbury rivalry right out of the gate. We do manage to have a civilized conversation about his years spent touring with Stompin' Tom Connors however, and about the songs that make his skin vibrate. He even got invited back for another episode - maybe Soo guys aren't so bad after all.
Last week, we were stunned by the news that guitar legend Jeff Beck had died. This week, No Sleep 'til Sudbury returns to pay tribute to a man who was considered by many to be one of the greatest guitar players ever.
Our tribute reflects on the highs and lows of Beck's haphazard musical journey - being fired from the Yardbirds, the brief triumphs of two different Jeff Beck Groups, throwing guitars off stage, his love/hate relationship with Rod Stewart, being temporarily deafened during a GN'R soundcheck, his collaborations with everyone from Seal to Ozzy Osbourne, and much more. Through it all, he'll always be recognized as one of the very best there ever has been.
As the year comes to a close, I wanted to share a fun and personal Christmas music playlist that gets a lot of airtime at the Jensen house around this time every year. Last year's holiday playlist contained more familiar Christmas tunes - this one, less so. But I do hope there's something on it you like. Here's the playlist link on Spotify.
Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays to each and every No Sleep 'til Sudbury listener. It fills me with joy that I can share things like this with you, and I appreciate your support very sincerely. Cheers everyone!
A few weeks back my pal former Brighton Rock and current Storm Force guitarist Greg Fraser and I sat down to chat about his new single, a cover of Alanis Morissette's "Uninvited".
As is usually the case when the conversation is good, the show ran long and we didn't get to Fraze's skin vibrating songs. So, here they are - welcome to part two of our chat.
Fraze's playlist:
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow - Man On The Silver Mountain
Boston - More Than A Feeling
Van Halen - Eruption/You Really Got Me
Vandenberg - Burning Heart
Alcatrazz - Island In The Sun
A few weeks back my pal former Brighton Rock and current Storm Force guitarist Greg Fraser and I sat down to chat about his new single, a cover of Alanis Morissette's "Uninvited".
As is usually the case when the conversation is good, the show ran long and we didn't get to Fraze's skin vibrating songs. So, here they are - welcome to part two of our chat.
Fraze's playlist:
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow - Man On The Silver Mountain
Boston - More Than A Feeling
Van Halen - Eruption/You Really Got Me
Vandenberg - Burning Heart
Alcatrazz - Island In The Sun
An old friend of the show drops in this week to talk about his band's haunting new single - a cover of Alanis Morissette's "Uninvited".
Former Brighton Rock and current Storm Force guitarist Greg Fraser talks about how the band came up with the unorthodox choice, how former Honeymoon Suite keys player Ray Coburn helped develop the idea, and all the events that led up to the single's release.
I love discovering new music, and I also love sharing those discoveries with others. This week's guest on NSTS is indie singer songwriter Annabelle Chvostek, and her music is definitely worth sharing.
Annabelle’s latest record is called String of Pearls, recorded in both Canada and Uruguay, and features jazz, tango, and classical musicians from both countries. We chat about how the record was made, her relationship with Bruce Cockburn, 90s art rock, Joni Mitchell, and the influence of The Beatles' Abbey Road record.
Chvostek's playlist:
The Beatles – Come Together
Joni Mitchell – Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire
Sarah Vaughn – Honeysuckle Rose
PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love
Bruce Coburn – Night Train
I love discovering new music, and I also love sharing those discoveries with others. This week's guest on NSTS is indie singer songwriter Annabelle Chvostek, and her music is definitely worth sharing.
Annabelle’s latest record is called String of Pearls, recorded in both Canada and Uruguay, and features jazz, tango, and classical musicians from both countries. We chat about how the record was made, her relationship with Bruce Cockburn, 90s art rock, Joni Mitchell, and the influence of The Beatles' Abbey Road record.
Chvostek's playlist:
The Beatles – Come Together
Joni Mitchell – Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire
Sarah Vaughn – Honeysuckle Rose
PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love
Bruce Coburn – Night Train
Former Spoons and Honeymoon Suite keyboardist Rob Preuss and I are working on a special and very exciting new project together, one that we originally started talking about five years ago. It's in full production now, and this week he calls in to NSTS to talk about it.
Specific details won't be divulged until the project is in its later stages, but in keeping with the No Sleep 'til Sudbury theme, Rob brought in a handful of instrumental songs that may or may not be part of it. Enjoy!
Preuss' playlist (available on Spotify):
Spoons - Trade Winds
Split Enz - Wail
Gary Clark - A Jackson in your Kitchen
Andrew Lloyd Webber - Entr’Acte
Gary Numan - Trois Gymnopedies (First Movement)
Elton John - Song For Guy – Elton John
Walter Murphy - A Fifth of Beethoven
Former Spoons and Honeymoon Suite keyboardist Rob Preuss and I are working on a special and very exciting new project together, one that we originally started talking about five years ago. It's in full production now, and this week he calls in to NSTS to talk about it.
Specific details won't be divulged until the project is in its later stages, but in keeping with the No Sleep 'til Sudbury theme, Rob brought in a handful of instrumental songs that may or may not be part of it. Enjoy!
Preuss' playlist (available on Spotify):
Spoons - Trade Winds
Split Enz - Wail
Gary Clark - A Jackson in your Kitchen
Andrew Lloyd Webber - Entr’Acte
Gary Numan - Trois Gymnopedies (First Movement)
Elton John - Song For Guy – Elton John
Walter Murphy - A Fifth of Beethoven
Something rather unexpected, highly improbable, and absolutely moving happened to me last week, and I was so inspired by it that I wanted to share it on the show.
It's a personal story about how Metallica's very first record impacted two 14 year old kids, almost 40 years apart. One of those kids was my stepdaughter. The other kid was me.
Something rather unexpected, highly improbable, and absolutely moving happened to me last week, and I was so inspired by it that I wanted to share it on the show.
It's a personal story about how Metallica's very first record impacted two 14 year old kids, almost 40 years apart. One of those kids was my stepdaughter. The other kid was me.
You're likely familiar with a question that's been all over the internet lately - "what's up with Bon Jovi's singing voice?"
There are a lot of theories and a lot of positions out there, but I personally think there's a little more to it than aging, COVID-19, the absence of Richie Sambora, or technical issues. And this week on NSTS I share my perspective.
You're likely familiar with a question that's been all over the internet lately - "what's up with Bon Jovi's singing voice?"
There are a lot of theories and a lot of positions out there, but I personally think there's a little more to it than aging, COVID-19, the absence of Richie Sambora, or technical issues. And this week on NSTS I share my perspective.
The legend of Elvis Presley is tremendous, but his entire story arc is tragic. Towards the end of his career, the poor kid from Tupelo, Mississippi who became the King of Rock and Roll was lonely, exhausted, and depressed, eventually succumbing to the pressures of his own fame.
Is it conceivable to think that his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, a man with a dark history who lied about his real identity until the very end, was responsible for the death of Elvis Presley?
Former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters caused a bit of a stir recently for speaking his mind.
This week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury I take a closer look at the man and all the things I've personally learned about him over the past couple of weeks.
I recently saw something on the internet involving one of my childhood heroes, Metallica's James Hetfield, that gave me pause.
Over the years we’ve seen a progressive humanization of Hetfield, but now we’ve gone beyond the expected arc. And it got me thinking about where we've been and where we are on a greater scale. And this week on NSTS, we talk about it.
Sometime next year, pop cultural icons KISS will play their final show after more than 50 years of fire, blood, and bombast. For the first time in half a century, KISS will no longer be.
KISS masterfully deployed the power of nostalgia to leave a significant and indelible mark on millions of rock fans of my vintage. Now, as they approach their end, I look back at what the whole thing really meant.
Something terrible happened.
The derecho thunderstorms that left parts of southern Ontario without power for two days on May 20 also left me without a podcast episode.
The file containing part two of my chat with Nick Walsh was lost in the power outage, and while I've been trying to recover it since, it's gone. Very, very disappointing, but Nick graciously agreed to do it over again so you can find out what his NSTS selected songs were.
However, Nick's schedule is busy, so it may be a while. In the interim, I've decided to share a previously unreleased episode from 2018 I did with Big Sugar frontman Gordie Johnson about the upcoming tribute show for his recently-deceased bass player Garry Lowe. Gordie was calling in from his car and I initially shelved it because of the sound quality, but it's actually not bad at all.
Cheers everyone.
It took a while, but former Slik Toxik and current Famous Underground and Classic Albums Live singer Nick Walsh finally sat down with NSTS to talk about a few of the songs that make his skin vibrate.
Because our chat was so lengthy, we didn't quite make it to those songs in part one of his time with us - but we did talk about his recent promotion at Classic Albums Live, Doin' The Nasty on Spotify, what he learned when Slik Toxik opened for Yngwie Malmsteen, what his dad thinks of Famous Underground song "Love Grenade", and why he'll never do a Slik Toxik reunion. Come back to find out what Nick's songs are in the next episode!
There haven't been many times over the 240 odd episodes of the No Sleep 'til Sudbury podcast I've done where I've been lost for words. But I was here.
The wonderful and immensely talented Sandra Bouza joined me at my home this week for the first live NSTS performance since 2020, and as usual, she was a delight. And this time I was not only impressed by Sandra's performance, but also by her courage.
Bouza's playlist:
Alanis Morrisette - That I Would Be Good
Deftones - Be Quiet and Drive
Emiliana Torrini - On The Sunny Road
Ella Fitzgerald - Misty
Joan as Police Woman - Anyone
In the last episode of No Sleep 'til Sudbury, we paid tribute to the memory of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. But what about Dave Grohl?
We thought it was important to celebrate an individual who despite his having brought joy to millions of people, has suffered some tremendous heartbreak.
This week's episode is dedicated to Dave.
It's always difficult when artists we admire pass on, but it's a little more difficult when it happens so long before their time.
This week on NSTS we pay tribute to Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, an incredible musician and, as Queen's Roger Taylor described him, "sunshine in human form".
The infinitely talented Nelson Sobral returns to the show this week, and I'm delighted to host him.
His new record Second Arrow just dropped, featuring the single "Dancing Fool" and soon-to-be megahit "In The Middle Of The Night". Nelson shares the context behind the Buddha-inspired title of his new album, and we chat about the old blues greats, difficult times, and how bad I am at rolling the 'R' when pronouncing his surname.
Sobral's playlist:
The Rolling Stones – Rocks Off
Bettye Swann – Don’t Touch Me
Ray Charles – A Song For You
Mattie Leon – Boy
Hank Williams – I’m So Lonely I Could Cry
Completely by coincidence, my guest on NSTS this week is none other than longtime CHUM-FM Morning Show producer Tom Jokic. He was scheduled to appear in my studio two years ago to the day for his episode, but was forced to cancel due to a new concern people were calling COVID.
Exactly two years later, Tom makes good on his appearance by turning up here in person to recount some of the great stories he's amassed not only as a producer, but also as the cohost of Famous Lost Words, the excellent podcast he hosts alongside MuchMusic alum Christopher Ward. Great stories, great conversation - Tom's among the best in the business.
Jokic's playlist:
The Rolling Stones – Shattered
The Bee Gees – Nights on Broadway
Crosby, Stills, and Nash – Suite Judy Blue Eyes
Alanis Morrisette – You Oughta Know
Max Webster – The Party
Andy Curran's image occupied a space on my teenage bedroom wall. The guy is an icon. But he's also an extremely humble human being and a fantastic conversationalist.
Andy joins me on NSTS this week to talk about the new musical project he's working on with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson called Envy of None, an experimental, industrial-flavoured musical foray that sounds nothing like Coney Hatch or Rush. We also chat about his obsession with shinny hockey, Creem magazine, the letter he wrote to the Scorpions fan club as a kid, and his upcoming doubles tennis match with Alex, Geddy, and Steve Harris from Iron Maiden.
Curran's playlist:
Massive Attack – Angel
Scorpions – He’s a Woman, She’s a Man
James Gang – Stop (live 1971)
Stone Temple Pilots – Sex Type Thing
Jeff Beck - Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers
Singer songwriter Justine Giles is an amazing talent. And she's a Sudbury girl!
Justine joins me this week to talk about her upcoming new single "Save Myself" which drops Friday, February 18. We also chat about albums versus singles, the impacts of Alanis Morrisette, Stompin' Tom Connors, and of course, Justine's fave places to play in Sudbury.
Giles' playlist:
Serena Ryder - Weak In The Knees
Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts
Sara Bareilles - Basket Case
Matt Nathanson - Washington State Fight Song
Rihanna - Stay
Music therapist, author and speaker Jennifer Buchanan joins me this week on NSTS to discuss her new book, entitled Wellness, Wellplayed: The Power of a Playlist. The book focuses on how music playlists can improve mental health, making Jennifer pretty much my ideal guest.
Jennifer and I talk about first concerts, being brought to tears by music, pre-Alanis Morrisette Alanis, the ultimate feelgood song of all time, and the staying power of Shaun Cassidy.
Buchanan's playlist:
Shaun Cassidy - Da Doo Ron Ron
Whitney Houston - Greatest Love of All
Alanis Morrisette - All I Really Want
Adele - Rolling in the Deep
Bob Marley - Three Little Birds
Last year Alex Huard, host of Release Day, and I created a video series called Thursday Night Record Club, where I introduce Alex, who is a rock fan but substantially younger than I am, to some records from my day he wasn’t previously familiar with – Van Halen, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, the Stones, and others. This week, he's my guest on NSTS to talk about the songs he discovered as we recorded TNRC that made his skin vibrate.
Huard's playlist:
Led Zeppelin - Your Time is Gonna Come
Van Halen - Somebody Get Me a Doctor
Aerosmith - Seasons of Wither
The Rolling Stones - Can't You Hear Me Knocking
The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (entire album)
Happy New Year! NSTS kicks off 2022 with music biz veteran and indie act champion Darryl Hurs.
Darryl has been a massive supporter of independent artists for decades, and he provides some fascinating insights on today's music industry and what it means to be an indie artist in the digital age. We also chat about grunge deep cuts, Eddie Vedder being the last surviving grunge singer, how U2 took over the world, and Prince as a guitar player.
Hurs' playlist:
Olivia Vedder – I Am My Father’s Daughter
Glen Hansard – Falling Slowly
Prince – Purple Rain
U2 – Kite
Temple of the Dog – Times of Trouble
Harm and Ease – Cut Me Loose
Alice In Chains – Nutshell
Pearl Jam - Indifference
In this final No Sleep 'til Sudbury episode of 2021, I decided to share some of my favourites from the Christmas playlists heard in the Jensen house throughout the holiday season.
You may be surprised at some of these selections, particularly the very first Christmas album that plays every year as the tree goes up on the last Friday evening in November. Some surprises and a few facts behind the songs - like why "Peace On Earth" had to be written on the spot for David Bowie's duet with Bing Crosby, the Christmas song that's actually a protest song, and who was originally supposed the sing the female part of "Fairytale in New York".
To all my listeners and friends - the happiest of holidays to each and every one of you, near and far. Merry Christmas!
The playlist can be accessed in Spotify here.
This week marks the return of super awesome singer songwriter Christina Martin to the show. Christina's new single is called "Stay With Me", now available wherever you get your music.
Always a great chat with Miss Martin - this time around we cover the making of her new video for the single, the focus she's placing on making her music more accessible to her fans with disabilities, how she accidentally met Patty Griffin, the lost art of being a pen pal, and how we're going to get rich together.
Martin's playlist:
Patti Griffin – When It Don’t Come Easy
Tori Amos – Baker Baker
Tina Turner – Simply The Best
Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You
Seela - Hard Times Hit
Canadian 80s New Wave legends Martha Johnson and Mark Gane of Martha & The Muffins join me on No Sleep 'til Sudbury this week to chat about their new record, called Marthology: In and Outtakes.
Martha and Mark are wonderful people with great stories. Topics discussed include The Wizard of Oz, seeing The Beatles live, how limitations create style, the time Chris Isaak wrote a song in a closet during a party, and the fascinating reason the chorus of "Echo Beach" is heard only at the end of the song.
Martha’s playlist:
Laura Mvula – Green Garden
Bob Marley – Waiting in Vain
The Beach Boys – God Only Knows
Judy Garland – Over the Rainbow
The Beatles – Eight Days A Week
Mark’s playlist:
The Beatles – Tomorrow Never Knows
Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Steve Reich – Music For 18 Musicians
Jo Stafford – The Nearness of You
King Crimson – 21st Century Schizoid Man
My guest on NSTS this week is Evan Denley, an up-and-coming Canadian folk rock singer-songwriter who's been described as Bob Dylan meeting Dallas Green at a Neil Young show.
Evan's second release of 2021, "Coming Undone", was written in response to a culmination of two things - the breakup of his former band The Yonge Collective, and the threat of the oncoming pandemic. His new video for "Building Walls" is also available on YouTube.
Denley's playlist:
Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real - Entirely Different Stars
Boygenius - Salt in the Wound
John Mayer - Gravity
Hozier - Foreigner's God
Father John Misty - Please Don't Die
My pal Rik Emmett returns to NSTS this week for part two of our chat about his new poetry book Reinvention, and we cover a lot of ground indeed.
As he did in part one, Rik shares some fascinating glimpses into his personal history via the new book, and this episode runs the gamut - dealing with the death of loved ones and with our own mortality, some lighter moments including a hilarious story featuring Coney Hatch's Andy Curran, and even a live musical performance from the man himself. Go out and grab Rik's new book of poetry Reinvention, you won't be disappointed.
He's back! Triumph frontman Rik Emmett, and now Rik Emmett poet, takes over the No Sleep 'til Sudbury podcast for the next two weeks to talk about his new book of poetry, called Reinvention.
This isn't a rock star vanity project. It's a personal, emotional glimpse into Rik's life history and a look at the world from his perspective, written with tremendous candor. As always, Rik and I have some fun discussing the work - he plays and sings, and forces me to read one of my favourite passages aloud (I should have done multiple takes).
Back by popular demand! The great Barney Bentall returns to NSTS this week to talk about his new instrumental record called RanchWriters, a collaboration with his Spirit of the West pal Geoffrey Kelly.
There are hints of Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake on the new record, and Barney and I discuss how the project came together, the details of how it was recorded on his ranch, and how it's a tribute to the memory to Spirit of the West's John Mann. Barney's skin vibrating songs are, of course, also included.
Last week we looked at Guns N' Roses singer W. Axl Rose from a factual, historical viewpoint of his life and career. This week we go beyond that, and take a closer look at Rose from a more personal perspective. Not just as a musician, but as an influential pop culture icon.
In other words, last week we talked what the music sounds like. This week, we talk about how it feels.
NSTS is back this week with part one of a two part series featuring Guns N' Roses frontman W. Axl Rose, one of the intriguing, beguiling, and mysterious figures in rock and roll history.
In part one we examine the rise of Rose - how a delinquent kid from Lafayette, Indiana would lead a band of rock and roll street urchins on to absolute global domination, and all of the insanity that took place along the way.
A few weeks back we lost one of the greats - ZZ Top bassist and singer Dusty Hill.
This week on NSTS we pay tribute to Hill by looking back on his life, including his cello-playing high school days, how he came to be the bass player in ZZ Top, the time he accidentally shot himself in the abdomen, and the events leading up to his death.
Ten years ago we lost Amy Winehouse, a shepherd of the pop culture past whom Bob Dylan called "the last real individualist".
This week NSTS examines the highs and lows of Winehouse's tragic life - her love for the girl groups of the 60s, her rise to fame, the struggles she endured with substance abuse, and her very sad and untimely end.
Creem magazine writer Jeffrey Morgan returns to the show this week to unveil his very unusual NSTS skin vibration playlist. When I express my lack of understanding in his choices, Jeffrey uses the movie "The Man Who Fell To Earth" to explain. And it does make sense.
Jeffrey and I also discuss his Van Halen Diver Down record review for Creem, with began with a warning that it was "an exceptionally vicious kick in the teeth to Van Halen fans everywhere". The band was not at all pleased about the scathing review, and Jeffrey contends that as a result, Van Halen recorded a much better follow-up with 1984. Can he prove it? Listen and find out.
Morgan's playlist:
Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music A1
Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music A2
Neil Young - Arc
Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music A3
Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music A4
Remember Creem magazine? Remember Lester Bangs? This week's NSTS guest, author and rock critic Jeffrey Morgan, worked for both of them. His new book, Rock Critic Confidential, opens with the original handwritten letter Morgan received from Lester Bangs, on Creem letterhead, inviting him to write album reviews for the magazine in 1974.
Rock Critic Confidential is a fantastic read done in the style of a magazine, and includes all of the greatest moments of Morgan's writing and photography career. In Part One of my discussion with him, we talk book highlights - Morgan's chat with KISS from 1974 when they played a Toronto strip club, the time he administered a Rorschach inkblot test to Gary Numan, his three-hour lunch with Lou Reed, and chats with Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Stan Lee, and more.
Dark and mysterious Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards vanished on February 1, 1995, and was never heard from again.
Was it a suicide, or was it staged to look like one? This week NSTS examines the life of the intellectual poet, the events leading up to his disappearance, and the clues left behind that led some to believe Edwards is still alive.
It's my privilege this week to be joined once again by Canadian great Murray McLauchlan, who returns to the show to discuss his new record Hourglass, available everywhere July 9.
Murray always has some great stories for me, and he brings in another handful of songs that mean something to him. We chat about Sinatra, Tom Thomson, Ray Charles, the healing power of music, and what it really means when people crave fame.
McLauchlan's playlist (on Spotify):
Bob Dylan - Blowin' in the Wind
Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman
Frank Sinatra - I've Got You Under My Skin
Ray Charles - Come Rain or Come Shine
Blossom Dearie - Now At Last
This week on NSTS we look at the life and death of one of rock's most polarizing icons, singer Scott Weiland.
Weiland has always been an intriguing figure, with a voice like Bowie crossed with Lennon, a wild and chaotic stage persona, and a decidedly perplexing personality. This episode examines that personality in depth through Weiland's own eyes, and also from the perspectives of those closest to him amidst the madness.
Alex Huard is the host of a great series called Release Day, a program that promotes new album releases by independent artists that don't have the marketing reach of a major label.
Alex and I have been talking about collaborating on something new for a while now, and we finally landed on something that came together very organically as a result of him listening to No Sleep 'til Sudbury. This new project, called Thursday Night Record Club, is going to be a lot of fun. We discuss the details of TNRC this week, along with Alex's skin vibrating songs. Check it out!
Huard's playlist (on Spotify):
Tom Petty - Learning to Fly
Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash - Girl From The North Country
Olafur Arnalds - 3055
James Taylor - Fire & Rain
Classified - All About You
My old pal Zero from The Kings makes his return to the show this week to talk about what's going with the band lately - new videos, new records, and a few pretty prestigious awards received for their classic single "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide".
Z wanted to do something a little different for his skin vibration segment, and he did. These are the songs he listens to in the wee hours when he's not rocking out - opera!
Z's playlist (in Spotify):
Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli - The Prayer
Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye
Pavarotti, Carrerras, and Domingo - Nessun Dorma
This is an absolutely fascinating story.
A song appeared on the internet in 2007, with no information surrounding its name, the artist responsible for the song, or when and where it was recorded. To this day, despite the search for this information going viral, the mystery remains unsolved.
This week on NSTS we dig into this phenomenon, and consider the notion of something being unknowable in such an information-rich age.
We could all use a little more 'happy', couldn't we? And this week, an infusion of musical happiness comes compliments of Chris Stamper.
Chris and I met through working together with The Awesome Music Project, an organization that promotes music's influence in improved mental health. He recently wrote an article outlining how music contributes to maintaining a positive mental attitude, which included five of his 'happy' songs. So of course, it was a no-brainer to invite him to talk about them on NSTS.
Stamper's playlist (full playlist on Spotify):
The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up
The Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed
Bill Withers - Lovely Day
The Beatles - Eight Days A Week
Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine
Rock documentary The Story of the Hard Luck 5 tells the fascinating tale of New Jersey band Rye Coalition, a group loved by Dave Grohl and signed by one of the world's largest record labels. They seemed destined to take over the world, until it all imploded.
Rye Coalition drummer Dave Leto joins me this week to recount the unbelievable series of events the band experienced, along with some great stories about Dave Grohl and Interscope mogul Jimmy Iovine.
Leto's playlist (on Spotify):
Neil Young - Birds
Prince - The Beautiful Ones
Donny Hathaway - Jealous Guy
The Rolling Stones - She Smiled Sweetly
Pixies - Where Is My Mind
Shortly after it occurred, it was widely believed that the death of INXS singer Michael Hutchence was the result of autoerotic asphyxiation - a sex game gone wrong.
This week on NSTS I wanted to dig a little deeper to shed some additional light onto the circumstances surrounding Hutchence's unfortunate passing, because there was a whole lot more going on than just sex games - a larger, important truth exists under the tabloidification.
The energy and enthusiasm that guitarist Sean Kelly brings to describing the songs that make his skin vibrate is unparalleled. Sean takes the notion of skin vibration very literally with his songs, and it was a joy for me to experience his excitement during our chat on NSTS this week.
In addition to his enthusiasm, Sean shares impressive musical insights and an honest sentimentality that makes this show special. Highlights include a funny Dee Snider conversation, why he never wants to meet Pye Dubois, the unique way the new Lee Aaron record was written, and so much more. Sean Kelly is living his dream, and it's a lot of fun to behold.
Kelly's playlist (in Spotify):
Kim Mitchell – Kids In Action
Urge Overkill – Sister Havana
Mott the Hoople – All The Young Dudes
Thin Lizzy – Cowboy Song
Daniel Lanois – The Maker
Andy Curran is back on NSTS this week to talk about the five-ish songs that make his skin vibrate - he actually sneaks a few extra tunes in! Before that, we finish up last week's discussion detailing how Coney Hatch's excellent new new live record Live at the El Mocambo came together.
Along with the song discussion, there are more incredible stories. Andy recounts how Robin Zander took his request and played his favourite Cheap Trick song for him during their Toronto show, what it was like seeing an unknown opening act called AC/DC open for UFO at Massey Hall in Toronto, and much more. Don't miss this.
Curran's playlist (on Spotify):
Aerosmith - Nobody's Fault
Cheap Trick - Auf Weidersehen
Tom Petty - Into The Great Wide Open
Deep Purple - Highway Star
AC/DC - Overdose
(Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love)
As a Coney Hatch fan from waaaaay back, it was a privilege for me to host Coney singer and bassist Andy Curran this week. The band has released their new live record, Coney Hatch Live at the El Mocambo, recorded in October 2020 at the historic Toronto venue.
Andy has some tremendous rock stories, and he shares many of them with me in this episode - playing tennis on the road with Iron Maiden's Steve Harris and getting pelted with cutlery on stage opening up for Judas Priest among them. You don't want to miss this.
Since its inception, Heavy Metal has spawned a countless number of subgenres. Black Metal is one of them, and in the early 1990s Norwegian Black Metal became more than just a musical subgenre. It developed into a violent, deeply sinister belief system.
In this episode of No Sleep 'til Sudbury, we examine the dark origins and horrifying transgressions associated with the genre - Satanism, murder and corpse mutilation, church burnings, and the disturbing extremism of Norwegian Black Metal's purveyors.
Longtime NSTS listeners know that I love speaking with up-and-coming musical talent on the show. And I anticipate that country singer songwriter Nelson Sobral will be a well-known name fairly soon.
Nelson's imaginative with the instrumentation he utilizes in his country-inflected material, a nod to his sophisticated musical tastes - something he credits to his mother. We talk Crowes, Otis Redding, The Ronettes, Howling Wolf....and we see things very, very similarly.
Sobral's playlist (available in Spotify):
The Ronettes – Be My Baby
The Black Crowes – Sting Me
Willie Nelson – Can I Sleep in Your Arms
Otis Redding – I Love You More Than Words Can Say
Howlin’ Wolf – 300 lbs of Joy
This week on NSTS I welcome back one of the industry's 'good guys', Jitters frontman Blair Packham. Blair is a friend and it's always a pleasure to have him on the show.
In addition to chatting about the new record he's currently working on and his skin-vibrating songs, we also discuss how his dad inadvertently named his last record, the interesting story behind how Blair became acquainted with Crowded House's Temple of Low Men record, what Malcolm Gladwell sees him as, and how he really feels about Elvis Costello's lyrical cleverness.
Packham's playlist (available in Spotify):
Ron Sexsmith - Speaking With The Angel
Elvis Costello - Shipbuilding
Tom Petty - Dreamville
Crowded House - I Feel Possessed
John Legend - Everybody Knows
This week on NSTS I speak with someone whose parents I watched on television as a kid - her mom is Cindy Williams, who played Shirley from Laverne & Shirley, and her dad is Bill Hudson of the Hudson Brothers. Her name is Emily Taylor Hudson, and she's a super talented singer songwriter with brand new music available.
Emily and I have a really great chat in this episode. Her new single is "Hearts We Wanna Break", from her EP entitled Love is a Dirty Word. We also talk about her deep appreciation for the classics - old school Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles' "Julia", and more. Wonderful discussion.
Hudson's playlist (found here on Spotify)
The Beatles - Revolution
Enya - Caribbean Blue
Marvin Gaye - Ain't That Peculiar
Joni Mitchell - The Last Time I Saw Richard
Sting - If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
As he did in life, Doors frontman and rock icon Jim Morrison also commands mystique in death. The circumstances surrounding his death are mysterious and unclear - if he did in fact even die.
This week No Sleep 'til Sudbury examines the multiple theories associated with Morrison's passing, including the assertions made by some who claim he's alive and living on a farm in Oregon under the name Bill Loyer.
It's here. NSTS episode number 200! While much has changed since the very first episodes of No Sleep 'til Sudbury were released in April 2017, the premise of the show remains the same - to celebrate music's power to connect us and enrich our lives.
The last four years have been quite a trip, I must say. The conversations and exchanges, the new friendships, and the shared music have all made for some truly life-enriching experiences, ones I feel very fortunate to have enjoyed. I wasn't sure what would happen when I clicked on 'publish' that very first time back in 2017. But I couldn't be more glad I did.
Episode 200 is a tribute to all of these experiences, and a tip of my hat to all of the people who delivered them to me. As No Sleep 'til Sudbury turns 4, I sincerely thank everyone, guests and listeners alike, for making it all possible.
My guest this week is Jonathan Gross, a former rock critic, Rolling Stone contributor, and music promoter who brought Run DMC, The Beastie Boys and other New York City hip hop acts up to Canada in the early 80s.
The chat that Jonathan and I have about his songs is sentimental, funny, and fascinating all at the same time. Bad breakups, getting to first base (and a half), the beauty of nostalgia, the 70s Toronto music scene, Steve Rubell, Jon's relationship with Ric Ocasek of The Cars, The Beatles versus The Stones... it all gets covered in this episode.
Gross' playlist (Spotify – NSTS Episode 199 - Jonathan Gross):
Hall & Oates - She's Gone
Goo Goo Dolls - Name
Boston - More Than A Feeling
The Cars - My Best Friend's Girl
The Beach Boys - Surfer Girl
Back in November when he was still known as Jordan Paul, Ellis Meek was scheduled to appear on the show as part of the NSTS Steam Whistle live on location series. He declined as a safety precaution, feeling slightly under the weather, but as it turned out Ellis became seriously ill with COVID.
This week he returns to NSTS to talk about his recovery, how his illness impacted him, and his new outlook on life. His Spotify playlist is available here: Spotify – NSTS Episode 198 - Ellis Meek
Meek's playlist:
The Beatles – It’s All Too Much
Lonnie Holley – All Rendered Truth
Harry Nilsson – One
Neil Young – Bandit
Jefferson Airplane – Today
Ray Coburn, original Honeymoon Suite keyboard player and current Roger Hodgson keys man, is my guest this week on NSTS, and we have a wonderfully giddy chat about our favourite music.
We cover all kinds of ground in this episode - the genius of Brian Wilson, the peculiar ambivalence of The Carpenters, the spirituality of George Harrison, what it's like to perform alongside former Supertramp frontman Roger Hodgson, the beauty of musical nostalgia, and so much more. And to close the show, Ray also very graciously asks what my skin vibrating songs are. Highly enjoyable conversation.
NEW FEATURE! A Spotify NSTS playlist is now available to you so that you can listen to the songs as we discuss them. Here's the link to this week's playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5A2fPMtOs5QMo5LQW1yCJO
Coburn's playlist:
George Harrison – Isn’t It A Pity
Emerson Lake & Palmer – Endless Enigma and Fugue
Joni Mitchell – Court & Spark
The Carpenters – Goodbye To Love
The Beach Boys – Surf’s Up
Goddo bassist, rock icon, and author Greg Godovitz is my guest this week on NSTS. His new book is called Up Close and Uncomfortable, reaching back to his earlier days before the musical career he describes in his first book, Travels With My Amp.
Greg shares a few of his stories on the show, including his adventures with the Sinister Scout Master, his friendship with famed producer Eddie Kramer, his exposure to Black Magic in England, and much more. We also talk about his next book project, which I suggest should be called "The Third Verse Is The Same As The First" (Goddo fans will get it).
Godovitz's playlist:
The Beatles - Here, There, and Everywhere
The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
The Beatles - In My Life
The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
The Rolling Stones - Time Is On My Side
If you want to have a great chat about music, Montreal-based radio personality, podcaster, and musician Jeremy White is your guy. He's my guest this week on NSTS, and it was a discussion I thoroughly enjoyed.
Jeremy touches on all kinds of topics - how Yngwie Malmsteen almost killed him, the bionic ears of Mutt Lange, why Eddie Van Halen should never be called a shredder, how the 80s impacted KISS and Alice Cooper, and so much more. But most importantly, his outlook on music reminded me how important it is to be less critical and to just enjoy music for what it is - that a good song is just a good song.
White's playlist:
Van Halen – Top of the World
Shania Twain – She’s Not Just a Pretty Face
Def Leppard – Armageddon It
KISS – Unholy
Bryan Adams – Don’t Drop That Bomb On Me
I haven't seen my pal, former VH1 veejay and current Q104.3 New York on-air personality Ian O'Malley, for more than a year. We decided last week we'd catch up via the show and talk about the songs that have been making his skin vibrate lately given the current times.
O'Malley can always be relied upon to bring some very compelling conversation, and some great stories too - this time around we chat about John Mayer, Judas Priest's Rob Halford, and an incredible tale about Stevie Ray Vaughn.
O'Malley's playlist:
Stevie Ray Vaughn - Life Without You
John Mayer - In Repair
Judas Priest - Tyrant
Extreme - When I'm President
Famed music producer Phil Spector died in jail a few days ago, and his legacy begs the question - was he a musical genius who committed murder, or a murderer who happened to be a musical genius?
This week NSTS breaks down the bizarre life of Phil Spector, from the question of his parents being relatives, through his legendary successes as a songwriter and producer, his culture of abuse and cruelty, his alcohol and drug-crazed gun-wielding episodes in the studio, and his conviction for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson.
Given the interest in NSTS Episode 171, "Bizarre Musical Conspiracy Theories", I elected to return to the territory this week and examine perhaps the greatest rock and roll hoax of them all - the 'Paul is Dead' conspiracy theory.
Such an interesting phenomenon to delve into - the assertion that Beatle Paul McCartney secretly died in a car accident in 1966 and was replaced by a lookalike, with all kinds of hidden clues subsequently provided by the remaining Beatles on album covers and in song lyrics. This week's episode looks at the most intriguing aspects of the theory, including the impacts the phenomenon would have on pop culture in the decades to follow.
It's my pleasure this week to host Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go's on NSTS from her home in Austin, Texas to chat about her fantastic memoir All I Ever Wanted, and of course, the songs that make her skin vibrate.
Kathy and I have a great down-to-earth discussion about the incredible events she's experienced in life, both good and bad. She also shares what she had really hoped to convey in her book, how music helped her to feel normal, and how that unorthodox electronic handclap found its way into my favourite Go-Go's song, "Head Over Heels".
Valentine's playlist:
David Bowie - Rebel Rebel
Rod Stewart - Maggie May
Kenny Burrell - 'Round Midnight
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil
Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
Happy New Year everyone, good to be back. We're going to kick the year off with a chat I had with a good friend of mine from England, bestselling author and editor of Bass Player magazine, mister Joel McIver.
Joel's writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, Classic Rock, and loads of other publications, and in having written more than 30 books on bands like Metallica, Queens of the Stone Age, Motorhead, and others, often alongside members of those bands, Joel has earned the trust, respect, and friendship of countless musicians. In this episode Joel and I discuss his latest book project, an upcoming official biography of an Icelandic folk metal band called Skalmold. Fascinating, super interesting cultural learnings in this discussion. And at the top of the show, some great bonus stories about having completely unlimited backstage access at the very first Big Four show in Poland, hanging out with members of Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax.
McIver's playlist:
Skalmold - Skotta
The Beatles - Across The Universe
Hana - Chimera
Slipknot - Eyeless
Morbid Angel - Maze of Torment
I had mentioned earlier that I left Rik's house after taping this year's NSTS Christmas special with almost four hours of material. After considering options, I decided to create THREE episodes, one more than the usual two we produce every year. So technically, we can consider this a bonus episode!
This is just all fun, fantastic content. Laughs, insights, analysis, and intimate acoustic performances from Rik, including Burt Bacharach's "Alfie" and a breakdown of Marcus King's "Goodbye Carolina", concluding with a composition of his own, "Cobalt Blue". A perfect close to the year; regularly scheduled NSTS shows resume in January 2021.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Emmett/Jensen Xmas 2020 playlist:
Burt Bacharach - Alfie
Marcus King - Goodbye Carolina
Rik Emmett - Cobalt Blue
Welcome back to No Sleep 'til Sudbury's 2020 Christmas special, live from legendary Triumph frontman Rik Emmett's home studio.
In this episode, Rik continues to deconstruct the songs that make our skin vibrate, this week's picks being Lulu's "To Sir With Love", The Beatles' "And I Love Her", and "Planet Caravan" from Black Sabbath. Rik sings and plays them section by section, breaking them down with fascinating technical analysis and humour, insight, and some great stories. He and I have been doing the Christmas shows for a while now, but his enthusiasm still amazes me. Another incredible episode you don't want to miss.
Emmett/Jensen playlist:
Lulu - To Sir With Love
The Beatles - And I Love Her
Black Sabbath - Planet Caravan
I am SO excited to share this with you. Legendary Triumph guitarist Rik Emmett is back for his annual NSTS Christmas episodes, but in planning this year's content, we decided we would do something different...
Rik told me earlier this year that he had exhausted his list of Christmas songs that make his skin vibrate. But, in keeping with the theme of that special warmth Christmas brings, he proposed an idea - that I offer five songs that make MY skin vibrate, and in turn he would bring five songs to match mine that make him feel a similar way. He also proposed to do two things - illustrate why these songs make us feel this way by demonstrating on his guitar how they're composed, and, outline the science behind how our brains process music. Crazy! Nobody works harder on their NSTS appearances than Uncle Rikky, and I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed working with him on this. You really do not want to miss these shows, trust me.
The Emmett/Jensen Christmas 2020 playlist (Episode I):
Stereophonics - Handbags and Gladrags
Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed
The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
What better way to wrap up the Steam Whistle live on location sessions than with my dear pal, the incredibly gifted Stephen Stanley? In this finale episode, Stephen and I cover a lot of ground - his new record, his new radio show, his new t-shirt...!
In addition to sharing some fantastic skin-vibrating songs, Stephen also shares some great stories, like the time when he was introduced as "Steve and Stan Lee", his experiences in America with Lowest of the Low, R.E.M.'s Peter Buck playing his guitars during a Horseshoe gig, and how an owl both terrified him and inspired him to write a very special song which he performs live for us. Thanks and sincere apologies to Lisa Taillefer (in fact pronounced 'tie-fair') and everyone at Steam Whistle for making the live on location series an unforgettable experience.
Stanley's playlist:
The Flaming Lips - Mother Please Don't Be Sad
David Bromberg - Mr. Bojangles
Drive By Truckers - Thoughts & Prayers
The Weather Station - Robber
Daniel Romano - (Gone Is) All But A Quarry of Stone
Friend of the show and one-woman hurricane Suzi Kory drops in this week for episode four of the No Sleep 'til Sudbury Steam Whistle live on location series recorded at the Steam Whistle Roundhouse in downtown Toronto.
As she always does, Suzi brings her unique high-energy blend of engagement, inspiration, and lots of laughs. And this time around as an added bonus, she's joined by guitarist Jeff Brown for her NSTS singing debut, performing her single "Outlaw".
Kory's playlist:
Joan Baez - Diamonds and Rust
Bellamy Brothers - Let Your Love Flow
Little River Band - Cool Change
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird
John Lennon - Woman
Back by popular demand, R&B songstress Sandra Bouza returns to the show as my guest for part three of the NSTS Steam Whistle live on location series.
Her first appearance on the show got a lot of attention, and now she's back with a new list of songs and another searing acoustic performance. Highlights of our chat include Janis Joplin, her very unique way of forgiving others, Blood on the Tracks, and Sandra's tendency to surreptitiously sneak extra songs into her NSTS playlist.
Bouza's playlist:
Andreya Triana - Woman
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Jill Scott - You Don't Know
Bob Dylan - Simple Twist of Fate
Howling Wolf - Smokestack Lightning
Sandy Horne and Gord Deppe of The Spoons join me this week for Episode II of the No Sleep 'til Sudbury multi-show series live on location from the Steam Whistle Roundhouse facility in downtown Toronto.
Sandy and Gord have both been on the show solo previously, so we thought it would be cool to have them come in together and play, and fool around with the idea of skin vibrating songs. They attempt to guess each others' selections, which results in a lot of laughs and also sheds light on some interesting Spoons trivia. And, they perform a great song from their new record called "Landing Lights". Really fun episode.
Deppe's playlist:
Liam Gallagher - It Doesn't Have To Be That Way
Post Malone - Circles
The Weeknd - Feel It Coming
Horne's playlist:
Original Theme From Star Trek
Styx - Light Up
Beethoven - Moonlight Movement Number 14
Welcome to the special NSTS five-episode series created in partnership with the Steam Whistle Brewery, recorded live on location at their Roundhouse facility in downtown Toronto. This is a cool project I've been working on for a while, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.
Steam Whistle is a brand I've always liked, but it wasn't until I learned more about their deep affinity for music and the arts that I became a real fan. As such, the collaboration between Steam Whistle and No Sleep 'til Sudbury was a natural fit, and I was happy to put together a series of episodes with them that showcases some of my favourite talents and favourite people - Stephen Stanley, The Spoons, Sandra Bouza, and Suzi Kory. As an introduction to this series, I wanted to speak with Steam Whistle VP and music fan Tim McLaughlin, who shares some history and some of the great things they've done for indie artists, as well as how Steam Whistle came to be known as The Cathedral of Beer. And trust me, if you're into music and beer, this is most definitely a place of worship. Cheers!
This coming Friday, October 30, Glass Tiger will be doing something they've been waiting to do for more than three decades. And in what I believe is a global exclusive(!), Glass Tiger keyboard player Samuel Reid is on No Sleep 'til Sudbury this week to talk about it.
I don't want to ruin the surprise, and if I list the songs Sam brought in, I'd be giving it away.
So what are you waiting for? Press play already!!!
If you're a regular No Sleep 'til Sudbury listener, you know that I love hosting up-and-coming artists whom I think are special. And this week, I welcome a very special talent - R&B singer Sandra Bouza.
There's a story behind this episode - one that didn't start out so well, but now has a happy ending. This episode was originally recorded live at The Spoke Club on Friday, December 13, 2019, but for unknown reasons there were technical issues with the file that rendered it unusable (the Friday the 13th thing freaks me out a bit). Recently, I was finally able to recreate a copy of the episode, and it sounds great - particularly Sandra's incredible voice. My biggest disappointment initially was that Sandra did something special for me during our chat, a totally spur-of-the-moment gesture that was potentially lost forever - but thankfully, it's been reclaimed for the whole world to hear. Check it out!
Bouza's playlist:
Buffalo Springfield - For What's It's Worth
Amy Winehouse - What Is It About Men
Erykah Badu - Window Seat
Neil Young - Old Man
Radiohead - Electioneering
As an Edward Van Halen fan from the age of twelve, it was necessary for me to commemorate him on NSTS upon learning of his passing last week. I feel fortunate to have a platform to offer this tribute.
Even though we didn't know each other at all, I felt like I'd lost an old friend. Without him knowing, we made some pretty incredible memories together, Eddie and I. We should be so lucky in our lives to have experienced something that thrills us with so much intensity. And for me, Ed did that. He'll be missed, but never truly gone.
Hey! This is part two of my chat with author and MuchMusic veteran Christopher Ward. We finally get to the songs that make his skin vibrate, and hearing Christopher's take on them was a great experience for me.
Highlights of our music geekfest discussion include Bob Dylan's revenge themes, the inspiration behind him writing Alannah Myles megahit "Black Velvet", who "Son of a Preacher Man" was initially written for, and the time he danced with The Temptations on Much. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Ward's playlist:
Aretha Franklin - Chain of Fools
The Beach Boys - Till I Die
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
Dusty Springfield - Son of a Preacher Man
The Temptations - Just My Imagination
Yes, original MuchMusic VJ, author, and songwriter Christopher Ward and I geeked out gleefully over little-known music facts this week on NSTS. And yes, as a result it's a two-episode series. Hey, we had a lot to talk about!
Since his earliest days as part of the Second City troupe befriending an unknown Mike Myers, Christopher has had a lot of stories to tell. He's interviewed Paul and George of The Beatles, attended Live Aid, dined with Robert Plant, raised the ire of Elvis Costello, danced with The Temptations, and embraced the chaotic madness that was MuchMusic in its heyday. And in this first episode of two, we cover most of that and more. Enjoy!
Remember Wide Mouth Mason? I never forgot 'em - always loved the band, and I listen to them regularly. In November they're celebrating the 20th anniversary of their album Stew by releasing a special version of it on vinyl, and WMM drummer Safwan Javed called into the show to talk to me about it (and of course, the songs that make his skin vibrate).
Safwan is an incredible musician and a great dude, and we have some good laughs during our chat. He's got some incredible stories from Wide Mouth Mason's days opening up for The Rolling Stones and ZZ Top - having dinner with Charlie Watts, being invited to Billy Gibbons' house for BBQ and homemade guacamole, and more. And what a playlist! Really enjoyed this chat with Safwan, check it out.
Javed's playlist:
Marvin Gaye - Inner City Blues
Black Uhuru - Anthem
Kool Moe Dee - I Go To Work
Tinariwen - Cler Achel
Amjad Sabri and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - Rang
It's here! The third and final part of the special No Sleep 'til Sudbury Honeymoon Suite series featuring HMS singer Johnnie Dee and guitarist Derry Grehan. It was a real pleasure to be a part of this very laid-back conversation between two legendary musicians who have been in the trenches together for decades.
In this series finale, Johnnie and Derry discuss the music that makes each other's skin vibrate - they chat about their playlists in terms of what they expected to see from each other, what surprised them, what they would add to their own lists, and which specific Honeymoon Suite songs give them goosebumps. Plus more great stories, including the time Ratt singer Stephen Pearcy visited their tour bus.
Welcome back to No Sleep 'til Sudbury's three-part Honeymoon Suite musical discussion series. This week is part two, in which fleet-fingered HMS guitarist Derry Grehan joins me to chat about the new single and the songs that make his skin vibrate.
He immediately won me over with his playlist, particularly the Van Halen and Deep Purple picks. There's a song I wasn't expecting in his list but Derry shares the reasoning behind it, along with some other great stories and a great Ted Templeman impression to boot! Don't miss this.
Grehan's playlist:
Grand Funk Railroad - Are You Ready
Alice Cooper - Eighteen
Van Halen - I'm The One
Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up
Deep Purple - Burn
In the first of a three-part Honeymoon Suite series, HMS singer Johnnie Dee joins me this week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury to talk about the band's new single, "Find What You're Looking For", and also of course, the songs that make his skin vibrate.
For Johnnie, it's all about lyrics and melody in music. The songs he brings to the show reflect his love for sentimentality and purity in music, and in our discussion, I was reminded of how important it is for him to convey a genuine purity of his own through Honeymoon Suite's songs. Really enjoyable chat.
Dee's playlist:
Chris Cornell - The Promise
Bruce Springsteen - Stones
Coldplay - The Scientist
Sting - Fragile
Ian Hunter - Standing in my Light
CHUM-FM Morning Show producer and Famous Lost Words cohost Tom Jokic is my guest this week on NSTS. Tom's been in the music industry for decades, and has some great stories from his time spent interviewing some of the biggest names in the business. His Famous Lost Words podcast, which he hosts alongside MuchMusic alumni Christopher Ward, unearths those archived interviews for our listening pleasure.
During our chat Tom shares some tales from his past, along with the songs that make his skin vibrate - not to mention the one that makes his skin crawl.
Jokic's playlist:
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
Bruce Springsteen - My City of Ruins
Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
KISS - Detroit Rock City
Following our examination of the conspiracy theory surrounding Kurt Cobain's death, this week on NSTS we look at other music-related conspiracy theories - ranging from the ridiculously far-fetched, through to the maybe kinda believable.
Did Supertramp and the Freemasons try to warn us about the September 11 attacks with clues hidden in their Breakfast in America album cover, 22 years earlier? Did David Bowie reference Kanye West's rise to fame with Ziggy Stardust and Blackstar? Did Elvis fake his own death in order to hide from the mob? All of these theories and more are addressed in detail this week on the No Sleep 'til Sudbury podcast.
It's here! The second half of my chat with the lovely Erica Ehm is now live, complete with the songs that make her skin vibrate (and that John 'JD' Roberts cliffhanger conclusion).
Erica's playlist was compiled as a retrospective of her life thus far, documenting childhood memories, her time at MuchMusic and the artists she befriended, motherhood and her connection to her mother, and driving Bono and the rest of U2 around Toronto in her mom's car. Erica also shares the silly reason why she was never permitted to interview U2 as a MuchMusic VJ. Enjoy!
Ehm's playlist:
CSNY - Helpless
U2 - I Will Follow
Emmylou Harris - Ballad of a Runaway Horse
54-40 - I Go Blind
Cassandra Vasik - Which Face Should I Put On Tonight
Jann Arden - Good Mother
It's a wonderful thing when you find out someone you've admired as a younger person is actually worthy of that admiration. And Erica Ehm certainly is.
Following her stint as an original MuchMusic VJ, Erica went on to write and produce Juno-winning songs, publish books, establish two successful companies, launch a speaking career, and more. In part one of our chat this week, Erica takes me through the journey that led to her MuchMusic career and beyond, with a sharp focus on the details of her 1994 Seattle interview with Kurt Cobain, one of the last he would ever give. Our discussion was so fluid that I didn't even get to the songs that make Erica's skin vibrate! But worry not - that's part two, next week's episode.
This week on NSTS we examine the events leading up to the unfortunate death of Nirvana singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain, considered by many to be the primary architect of a musical movement that changed the face of music in the early nineties.
Despite Cobain's death being ruled a suicide, there have been plenty of assertions that he may not have died by his own hand. A number of peculiar and inexplicable events have given rise to conspiracy theories that Cobain was killed, all of which are laid out for consideration on this week's show.
When music fans share the songs that really mean something to them and the reasons why, they're sharing a part of themselves in doing so. And Spoons singer Gordon Deppe truly does that with us this week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury. He graciously provides the backstories for the songs that have made his skin vibrate over the course of his life, and we go pretty deep in reinforcing the idea that music provides a significant connective power.
Talking with Gord about these songs was like talking to an old friend, and I appreciated the level of sentimentality he demonstrated. I could have gone on for several more hours, but that just means Gord gets an invite to come back with more songs anytime. Don't miss this.
Deppe's playlist:
The Verve - Lucky Man
Oasis - Don't Look Back in Anger
Jason Wade - You Belong To Me
Procol Harum - Whiter Shade of Pale
When In Rome - The Promise
Dooley Wilson - As Time Goes By
My pal Stephen Stanley just released an incredible live record, and he joins me to talk about it this week on NSTS. The record is called Live Static Roots, recorded in Oberhausen, Germany during his 2018 European tour. And it's killer - check it out wherever you access your music.
In keeping with the live music theme, Stephen brings in seven live tracks that have made his skin vibrate over the course of his life. And as it always is with Stephen, the discussion is rich and rewarding. Does he get his No Sleep 'til Sudbury members club jacket promised to him during his last appearance on the show? Listen to find out!
Stanley's (live) playlist:
Barbra Streisand - Stoney End Harry Belafonte - Carnival Melody Rush - Working Man / Finding My Way The Band - Stage Fright The Flaming Lips - The Golden Age Bob Dylan - Desolation Row Nina Simone - Mr. Bojangles
The great Kim Mitchell joins me this week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury for an incredibly enjoyable chat about the songs that make his skin vibrate, and his new single 'Wishes'. Kim is easily one of Canada's most accomplished musicians, from his days leading Max Webster through an illustrious, hit-laden solo career.
The coolest thing about Kim is that in talking with him, you'd never know it. He's humble, funny, insightful, and very engaging, and as you'll hear, he's got some great stories - the one involving Eddie Van Halen is my favourite. If you like NSTS, this will likely be one of your favourite episodes.
Mitchell's playlist:
Van Halen - Dreams
Bonnie Raitt - I Can't Make You Love Me
Kacey Musgraves - Slow Burn
Arc Angels - Sent By Angels
Don Henley - Boys of Summer
Last week on NSTS we talked about how Metallica formed in 1981. This week we look at another band that formed a few months earlier in the same year - Motley Crue.
Motley Crue's early years are full of wildly unbelievable events - fatal car crashes, overdoses, jail sentences, drug and alcohol debauchery, and even a conspiracy theory when you consider the mysterious tale of Matthew Trippe, who claimed he stood in for injured Crue bassist Nikki Sixx during the Shout At The Devil and Theatre of Pain periods. And in this episode, we cover it all.
As mentioned in earlier episodes, some significant musical events took place in the year 1981. One of those events was the formation of Metallica. The band went on to achieve all kinds of ridiculous levels of success, but when I held their first album in my hands while I decided whether or not to buy it in 1983, I could have never, ever imagined.
This week it's my pleasure to talk in detail about the beginnings of Metallica, a band that I absolutely worshipped as a kid - the reason why drummer Lars Ulrich's parents brought him to California from Denmark, the awkward first meeting between he and guitarist James Hetfield, the firing of Dave Mustaine, and everything else that happened in Metallica's earliest days. Don't miss it.
This week it was my privilege to host Spoons bassist Sandy Horne on the show. I've been a fan since the early 80s, and it was great to chat with Sandy about Spoons stuff old and new, including the band's contribution to COVID-19 front line worker relief effort Back to the Basement, a virtual concert put on by abductedbythe80s.com Saturday June 13 (hence the advance airing of the episode).
In addition to details on her participation in this project, Sandy and I also chat about how Spoons was formed through she and co-founder Gord Deppe being seated beside each other in high school band, the unusual origin of the 'doot-doot-doot' chorus of "Romantic Traffic", and how a 15-year-old Rob Preuss found himself surrounded by naked women backstage at one of the band's early gigs. The way she came up with her NSTS songs is awesome too.
Horne's playlist:
Judy Garland - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreaming
Hair Soundtrack - The Age of Aquarius
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Men's Health and Metal Hammer writer Joe Daly joins me from Southern California this week on No Sleep Til Sudbury, and it's great to catch up - Joe was originally scheduled to appear on one of the very first introductory episodes of NSTS back in April 2017. It's been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait.
Joe and I chat about the recording of The Doors first record, KISS and disco, Slayer's career trajectory and the spider bite from which guitarist Jeff Hanneman contracted a flesh eating disease, and much more.
The Lazys singer Leon Harrison is my guest on NSTS this week, and he interviews the same way he performs - without reservation.
Transplanted from Australia, The Lazys is one of Canada's hottest rock acts. Leon and I talk about the reasons behind the band's move to Canada, why it's important to recognize a band's entire catalogue beyond the hits, social media influencers, the genius of Coldplay, his online mentoring program Bandwagon, the importance behind the message in Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb", and so much more.
Harrison's playlist:
Silverchair - Emotion Sickness
AC/DC - Shoot To Thrill
Coldplay - O
Rage Against The Machine - Bullet in the Head
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
This week it's my pleasure to welcome my pal, ex-Spoons and Honeymoon Suite keys player Rob Preuss back to the show. Rob called in from his home in Queens, NY with a playlist that has a special meaning to him.
As always, Rob brings impressive insights and great stories to the conversation, including his interaction with Ted Templeman during the recording of Honeymoon Suite's Racing After Midnight album, the time when Doobie Brothers' Michael McDonald hummed melody ideas into his ear, and how having less can be so much more.
Lots of musical things happened in 1981. One of those things was Rush's release of their most popular record, Moving Pictures. Just a few years before that, they were almost dropped from their record label.
This week on NSTS we look at the leadup to the Moving Pictures album, how it came together. and all of the amazing intricacies that went into it - including the physical impacts Tom Sawyer's drum tracks had on Neil Peart, who the people are on the album cover, and what the triple entendre (not just double) cover artwork really means and who was behind it.
So much great stuff happened at the beginning of the 80s that I just had to continue going through it this week on NSTS.
In 1981 MTV changed the musical landscape forever, Blondie helped to bring rap into the mainstream spotlight with Rapture, and Ozzy bit the heads off of two doves in a meeting with record executives, kicking off a long list of misdeeds that would include biting the head off of a bat, snorting ants, urinating on the Alamo, and so much more. And it's all right here on this week's show, check it out.
John, Bon, and Bonzo: we lost three rock icons in the year 1980. Former Beatle John Lennon, AC/DC singer Bon Scott, and Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham all departed in the same year.
This week on NSTS we continue our look at 1980, focusing on these three figures - shedding light on a new theory of how Scott may have really died, the bizarre backstory of Lennon killer Mark David Chapman, and why Bonzo's headmaster said he would either be a garbage man or a millionaire.
The 80s marked a time when music and commerce would become indelibly intertwined - record companies did away with old artist development models in favour of capitalizing on a growing new talent pool. And with MTV now providing a visual aspect to accompany a song, music would rely on image like never before.
This week on NSTS we look at the bigger, brighter, and money-driven music of the 1980s, starting right at the beginning - in 1980. The creation and impact of the Sony Walkman, who The Rolling Stones song Angie was really about, the tragic death of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, and much more. Don't miss it.
Legendary Blood Sweat & Tears frontman and Grammy winner David Clayton Thomas joins me from his home this week to chat about his new record Say Somethin'.
We also talk about the songs that make his skin vibrate, and some of the artists on his list are actually friends and collaborators, including the great Roberta Flack. Fantastic discussion with one of the true greats.
Thomas' playlist:
Ray Charles - Unchain My Heart
Marvin Gaye - What's Goin On
Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly
Otis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman
In late 1969, The Rolling Stones gave fans a free concert in response to criticism that their concert tickets had been too expensive. They were joined by a select number of other acts at Altamont Speedway in California and the concert become a festival, fashioned after Woodstock.
It would be anything but. Hells Angels acted as security, and Altamont would be remembered not for peace and love, but instead for destruction, murder, and 'the end of innocence'. And a subsequent assassination attempt of Mick Jagger in New York.
A lot of important things happened in 1969, and one of those things was the Woodstock music festival.
This week on NSTS we take a close look at Woodstock's three days of 'peace and love' - the chaos it faced in hosting more than four hundred thousand people, the artists that showed up (along with the ones that didn't), and how it came to be known as a pivotal moment in defining a countercultural generation.
1969 was a crazy year. Led Zeppelin scared the hell out of people with their heavy rock debut(s), and Charles Manson scared people in a much different way. And The Beatles broke up, which may have scared one or two people.
Join me as I examine the above in detail, including Zeppelin's tendencies to 'borrow' from old blues artists, Manson's bizarre relationship with Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, and the shocking way in which Beatles classic Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da was actually written.
There have been times when I wasn't sure we would hit this milestone. But here we are, almost three years after the very first episode of No Sleep 'til Sudbury aired, at episode number 150. Wow.
To celebrate, I went through the last 50 shows and put together some moments I thought represented the show at its best - insightful musical conversation, laughs, tears, and great musical performances. I regret not being able to use all of the material, as I've had so many incredible guests, conversations, and performances, but this isn't a bad rendering. Sincere thanks to all my loyal listeners around the world - this episode is for YOU. Enjoy, and stay safe!
With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing social distancing and isolation, cancellations and schedule alterations are a must. But fear not, listeners - First 30 CEO and massive music fan Amy Davies is my guest this week.
In light of coronavirus concerns, Amy brings in a list focused on 'feelgood' music to lighten the mood and lift the spirits. We have a fun chat, and she shares stories about her embarrassing Queen lyric misinterpretation, how she hustled free drinks from Aussies, and her years living in London. We also mistakenly identify The Newlywed Game as 'The Honeymoon Game'. Perfect fare for a quarantine.
Davies' playlist:
Nina Simone - Feeling Good
Queen - Don't Stop Me Now
Jennifer Lopez - Let's Get Loud
Spirit of the West - Home for a Rest
Cold Chisel - Khe San
I was happy to welcome country sensation and friend of the show Kelsi Mayne back to the Sirius XM studios this week to chat about music and perform her new single "As I Go".
Kelsi is one of the hottest young country artists in North America right now, and her video for "As I Go" is getting a lot of attention. Keep an eye on her, she's definitely on her way up.
Mayne's playlist:
Free - All Right Now
Tenille Towns - Jersey on the Wall
Ashley McBryde - Girl Goin' Nowhere
Chris Stapleton - Whiskey and You
Miranda Lambert - Pushin' Time
Shania Twain - You've Got A Way
Allen Stone - Brown Eyed Lover
Black Crowes drummer and author of the new book, "Hard To Handle - The Life and Death of The Black Crowes", Steve Gorman calls in to the show from Nashville this week.
Steve is funny, gracious, and unflinchingly honest about his time in the Black Crowes. The stories are astonishing, and he shares insights on SCTV and Kids in the Hall, what his favourite Crowes record is, where the cowbell double tap on "Wiser Time" came from, and of course, some songs that make his skin vibrate.
Gorman's playlist:
Television - Marquee Moon
AC/DC - Riff Raff
Illiterate Light - American Boy
Not many people can say they changed the cultural landscape of a city. This guy can. Legendary concert promoter Gary Topp is my guest this week on NSTS.
Topp and his business partner Gary Cormier would come to be known as The Garys, a concert promotion colossus that introduced Toronto to Punk and New Wave, having brought bands like The Police, MC5, Talking Heads, and The Ramones to the city for the first time. They were also responsible for the riot that was The Last Pogo, but I'll let Gary tell that story. Don't miss this.
Former Wargasm bassist, writer, and friend of the show Bob Mayo joins me this week on NSTS to chat about more songs I've never heard.
Regular listeners will remember that Bob has told some pretty courageous personal stories on the show previously, and that he's an incredibly authentic individual. Recently he was asked to give a talk at MIT about, in his own words, how heavy metal didn't necessarily save his life, but certainly gave him one. Bob is definitely the real deal.
Mayo's playlist:
Blue Oyster Cult - The Golden Age of Leather
Gillan – Abbey of Thelema
Immolation – Fostering the Divide
Voivod – Neutrino
Wishbone Ash - Lifeline
As discussed last week on NSTS, 1991 was the year that grunge exploded. However, the scene was still very much in its infancy - hard rock and heavy metal were still the most dominant version of rock.
So this week, in addition to talking about U2, Garth Brooks, and Lollapalooza, we look at the two most powerful heavy rock bands of 1991 - Guns N' Roses and Metallica. Axl Rose made history doing something no artist had ever done before with the Illusion records, and the recording of Metallica's Black Album was so intense that three of the four band members would get divorced before it was completed. Don't miss this.
I'm pretty stoked about this week's episode, which focuses on the rise of the Grunge movement of 1991 - the stories behind how Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and other acts came to found this musical movement.
The most interesting aspect of what people understood to be 'grunge' is that many of the bands thought to represent the genre, including Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and Alice In Chains, really weren't grunge at all. So what were they really? And what was really responsible for the eradication of hair bands in 1991? Hint: it wasn't grunge...
Guitarist and friend of the show Greg Fraser calls in to NSTS this week. He's got a brand new band called Storm Force, with a brand new record, Age of Fear - and it's been getting a lot of attention around the world since its release last week.
Because he's such a great Canadian, Fraze brings in five Canuck tunes that make his skin vibrate. As always, we have some laughs and a great musical chat that includes catching Geddy Lee on an off day and Lars Ulrich's opinion of Streetheart.
Fraze's playlist:
Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush - World Anthem
Triumph - Magic Power
Goddo - AnacanaPanacana So Walk On
Streetheart - What Kind Of Love Is This
Rush - 2112 Overture
This week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury, I examine the year of 1978 through some of the most bizarre and fascinating events that shaped it musically, including Richard Branson trying to have Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten join Devo as their new singer after the Pistols broke up.
The facts behind the untimely deaths of Sid Vicious, Keith Moon, and Chicago's Terry Kath are also discussed, as is the ill-fated KISS solo albums strategy, and the massively far-reaching influence of New Wave. Don't miss it!
Singer songwriter and friend of the show Suzi Kory drops by the NSTS studios this week to talk about her recent gig at the Horseshoe. Her new single "Settle of the Dust" just dropped, and you can check it out wherever you listen to music.
Always a lot of fun to have Suzi on the show - she's funny, insightful, and loves to talk about music, navigating social media trolling, and the "Love Revolution". Check it out.
Kory's playlist:
John Lennon - Imagine
Kacey Musgraves - Rainbow
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man
Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers - Islands in the Stream
KISS - I Was Made For Loving You
Happy New Year, everyone! To kick off 2020 I welcome a very special and unique guest to the show. Jon McMurray has been described as the man with no memory, following a severe head injury he sustained in his 20s. However, he does remember music - and it's the bridge back to his previous life.
His attitude is incredibly inspiring, as is his story, which he graciously shares with us this week through the songs that helped him recover after he awoke from his coma.
McMurray's playlist:
David Bowie - Space Oddity
Beastie Boys - Something's Got To Give
Sloan - I Can Feel It
A Tribe Called Quest - Can I Kick It?
Rheostatics - Fan Letter to Michael Jackson
Welcome back to the 2019 No Sleep 'til Sudbury Christmas special, featuring none other than the legendary Rik Emmett. In Part II of this year's special, Rik and I return to his home studio to chat about the controversy behind Christmas classic "Baby, It's Cold Outside", who wrote the Jeopardy theme, the back side of the beat, and so much more. And, he performs another Christmas classic.
Once again, Rik approaches his favourite Christmas tunes with humour, passion, and insights that introduce a entirely new level of understanding of music most of us tend to enjoy superficially. Cheers to him for being an incredible guest once again this year.
This concludes the NSTS programming schedule for 2019, returning the first week of January. To my valued listeners, all over the world - I wish you a very Merry Christmas and an amazing 2020. I appreciate your loyalty, and it's been my privilege to have you tune in this past year. All the very best to you. Happy holidays!
Emmett's playlist:
Sammy Davis Jr. - Baby, It's Cold Outside
Diana Krall - Christmastime Is Here
Vinyl Cafe - Dave Cooks The Turkey
He's back! My pal Rik Emmett has joined me once again this year on No Sleep 'til Sudbury for two special Christmas episodes of the show, live from Rik's home.
I love working with Rik on this stuff, because he's so enthusiastic about it and puts in so much preparation. He killed it again this year, with more compelling perspectives, historical insights, and hilarious stories - all while playing his guitar. And this year folks, Rik performs TWO songs. Do not miss this.
Emmett's playlist:
James Taylor - The Christmas Song
Michael Buble - Let It Snow
Tuck Andress - Jingle Bells
Joni Mitchell - River
Film director Sergio Navarretta and screenwriter Alessandra Piccione are the founders of SNAP Films, and they are also my guests on NSTS this week. They're here to talk about The Cuban, their new movie starring Lou Gossett, Jr., and also Arctic Dogs, a new movie they worked on with Alec Baldwin, Heidi Klum, and John Cleese.
We have a great chat about their NSTS playlist, in addition to the criticality of selecting the music for The Cuban, the best places to eat in New York, Afghan culture, and much more.
The playlist:
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
Frank Sinatra - New York, New York
Lucio Dalla - Caruso
Billy Joel - Piano Man
Ibrahim Ferrer - Quizas
Zeb & Haniya - Paimona
Flute! We have flute!
British producer, guitarist, and Grammy & Juno winner Chris Birkett makes his return to the show, bringing with him Free Spirits collaborator and flautist Shari Tallon to talk about their new record, called 11:11.
They play two songs from the record, and as always, Chris has some entertaining stories - this time around, they involve Dexy's Midnight Runners and Thomas Dolby. Check it out!
Birkett's playlist:
Thomas Dolby - Commercial Breakup
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno
Steve Earle - Copperhead Road
The Free Spirits - The Power of our Love
The Free Spirits - Follow The Light
His story began with a broken neck.
Joining me this week is performance physiologist, author, speaker, and music fan Dr. Greg Wells, and he shares his incredible story of coming back from a life-altering injury to achieve extraordinary heights. The playlist he provides serves as a guiding soundtrack to this journey.
Wells' playlist:
The Who - Baba O'Reilly
INXS - Kiss The Dirt
The Tragically Hip - In View
Bryan Adams - Summer of 69
Foo Fighters - Times Like These
This week I host someone I used to stay up late to watch as a teenage sports fan - broadcast legend Mark Hebscher. Since his days hosting the innovative Sportsline, Mark has done a number of other things including having written a new book entitled The Greatest Athlete You've Never Heard Of.
Hebsy is also a massive music fan, and we chat about all sorts of stuff - Mick Taylor, Paradigm Phantoms, being introduced to Los Lobos, why catchers paint their fingernails, and how he got to hear an early version of The Hip's "Ahead By A Century" as it was being written by the band.
Hebsy's playlist:
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man
Traffic - The Low Spark of High Heeled Shoes
The Rolling Stones - Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Los Lobos - Theresa
The Tragically Hip - Ahead By A Century
Sometimes people just blow your mind with their depth of musical knowledge. Professor and author Rob Bowman did that to me this week on the show.
This guy operates on a completely different plane, folks. His musical knowledge is matched only by his passion for it. He's been hired to write for the Stones, Dylan, Rush, and so many others. We talk about his latest book The Flyer Vault, and also Zeppelin's first time in Canada, which Beatles song has eight different hooks, the importance of musical experimentation in live contexts, and the unusual way Keef recorded the demo for Jumpin' Jack Flash. Unreal.
Bowman's playlist:
The Rolling Stones - Jumpin' Jack Flash
Bob Dylan - Trying To Get To Heaven
Patti Smith - Horses
Public Enemy - Fight the Power
James Brown - Cold Sweat
I finally talked former Tragically Hip manager Jake Gold into coming to the studio to do a NSTS episode.
As you can imagine, he told some terrific stories - about how he came into contact with the Hip for the first time, what the Road Apples record was originally supposed to be called, the dark stories surrounding "Locked in the Trunk of a Car". But also the special reason why a Cat Stevens song made his list, and what he and Andy Frost thought of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer". Don't miss this.
Gold's playlist:
Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes
The Tragically Hip - Locked in the Trunk of a Car
Bob Marley - the Redemption Song
Cat Stevens - Father and Son
Genesis - Supper's Ready
I have so much in common with Steve Jones. We both grew up in small towns in Northern Ontario, used music to cope through our small town isolation, went on to write music-based books, and now we both speak on what can be learned from music and applied to various aspects of work and life. And this week, we sit down and shed light on our intriguing similarities.
We chat about Sudbury, The Violent Femmes, Bob Marley's Canadian connection, the story behind that little laugh that can be heard if you listen closely at the beginning of The Police's "Roxanne", and how the music we both chose offered Steve and I the community we desperately needed as kids. A truly enjoyable conversation for me.
Jones' playlist:
Morrisey - Suedehead
Bob Marley - Redemption Song
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Warren Zevon - Lawyers, Guns, and Money
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run
This week marks the first time I've ever hosted a full band in the NSTS studios, and that band was the very talented Jessica Rhaye and the Ramshackle Parade. Jessica's new record Just Like A Woman dropped last month, and the band stopped in to talk about it and also to discuss some skin-vibrating songs - each band member brought in one each.
They wrap the show by playing Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" live, and you're not going to want to miss it. It's damn good.
Rhaye's playlist:
Robyn Hitchcock - 1974 (Chris)
Joe Henry - Our Song (Clinton)
John Hartford - The First Girl I Loved (Bill)
Buffy Sainte Marie - You Got To Run (Sandy)
Jann Arden - Unloved (Jessica)
My pal Kevin Comeau, guitarist of Crown Lands, drops in this week for an impromptu chat on the latest with the band and what it's been like opening up for Jack White and Rival Sons across North America.He came up with his song list on the drive over.
As always, Kev and I have a great chat, and after we talk about Crown Lands heading down to Nashville to record the new album, the conversation goes into some interesting places - his interest in coffee on tour, why Saskatchewan is so underrated, Jack White's vocal warmup routine, The Goonies, Tool and modal jazz, and if bands were sandwiches, what Crown Lands, Motorhead, and Queensryche would be. I love this guy.
Comeau's playlist:
All Them Witches - Am I Going Up
Elder - Dead Roots Stirring
John Carpenter - Escape From New York Soundtrack
Haim - Nothing's Wrong
I've been talking forever about music's ability to elicit an emotional response. My guest this week is musician Rob Carli, and he's created a special campaign that embodies this very idea - The Awesome Music Project.
Rob and his business partner Terry Stuart created The Awesome Music Project as a collection of stories detailing music's transformative impact on people, which eventually developed into a book and a campaign whose goal is to build a community that can accelerate mental health solutions using music. The book is incredible, full of stories from celebrities and everyday people alike, who have been positively impacted by music in some way. It launches everywhere Thursday October 10, Mental Health Day, and it's available for pre-order on the AMP website. This is a great cause, one I fully endorse. Buy the book now!
Carli's playlist:
Skye Wallace - Not Ready for This To Start
Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song
Rheostatics - Queer
Tame Impala - Led Zeppelin
Anderson Paak - Make It Better
Aretha Franklin - Eleanor Rigby
Vampire Weekend - Rich Man
Garage rockers Alissa Klug and Brendan Albert of Queens & Kings join me on the show this week, celebrating the release of their hot new single and video "You Got Me".
We play a snippet from the single and talk about some songs that make their skin vibrate, along with other stuff like stage fright, photography, Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder, and where the intensity in their music really comes from. Check it out.
Queens & Kings playlist:
PJ Harvey - Grow Grow Grow
The Kills - Last Day of Magic
Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike
Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows
Bucky James & Alissa Vox Raw - Walkin' the Fine Line
Julian Taylor drops by the NSTS studios this week to talk skin-vibrating tunes. His new record Avalanche is a funk and soul tour de force, and if you haven't heard it yet, you should. Julian is a super talented musician and songwriter who should be a lot bigger than he is.
We chat about his old band Staggered Crossing, a band I've loved since the late 90s, and lots of other stuff - the Funk Brothers, what sounds good and what doesn't sound good driving in his new '66 Mustang, bagpipe solos, hanging with Noel Gallagher, and more. But my favourite part of his visit was him playing an acoustic version of Staggered tune "Further Again". You're gonna love it.
Taylor's playlist:
Sturgill Simpson - All Around You
Mipso - People Change
The Frighteners - Nothing More To Say
Greyhounds - What's On Your Mind
John Farnham - You're the Voice
No Sleep 'til Sudbury is back with Canada's Queen of Punk, Bif Naked!
Bif's achieved a lot of things - topping charts with hit singles, beating cancer, and performing in Lilith Fair to name a few. We talk about the 20th anniversary of Lilith Fair and lots more - Desmond Child, New Wave, where I Bificus came from, Sudbury, protest songs, Iron Maiden and Madonna, and her upcoming seniors burlesque school. I love this woman.
Naked's playlist:
Foxy Brown - Hot Spot
Asking Alexandria - Moving On
Grimes - Realiti
Tarkan - Kuzu Kuzu
Belly - Now They'll Sleep
Youssou N'Dour - No More
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
My guest this week is Brainsights CEO Kevin Keane, whose organization measures brain activity and more specifically, emotional and physiological reactions to stimuli. Fascinating stuff.
Not surprisingly, Kevin also possesses a massive appreciation for the propensity for music to make our skin vibrate, and he shares some incredibly personal experiences he's had in this regard. Conversations like this one define why I do this show.
Keane's playlist:
Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey
Elton John - Your Song
Radiohead - High and Dry
Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer
Pearl Jam - Black
Fela Kuti - Suffering and Smiling
The conclusion of my discussion with Twisted Sister founder and guitarist John 'Jay Jay' French airs this week, and what a discussion it was. His playlist is centred around John's summer spent in London in 1972 and the music he experienced there, but the span of our discussion is limitless.
We talk about motivational speaking, the similarities of our top five records, continued reinvention, the one question he would ask The Beatles, riding a stolen motorcycle on Broadway in New York in the 60s, his perspectives on previous Twisted Sister members who abused alcohol, the details behind each of the six beers he's ever had over the course of his life, and how The Rolling Stones and his other records got him through the day. He's also a stickler for music trivia, and he tests my knowledge on the British Invasion (spoiler alert - I fail).
French's playlist (Part II):
Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up
Curtis Mayfield - Super Fly
The Temptations - Papa Was A Rolling Stone
He's back! Twisted Sister founder and guitarist John Jay Jay French joins me via Skype this week for part one of a very lengthy chat about all manner of musical things.
In part one, John and I talk about the recording of Twisted Sister record Under The Blade at the site of The Battle of Hastings, best of Beatles versus best of Stones, his guitar collection, four hundred thousand dollar turntables, the summer he spent in England in 1971, and so much more. And that's only part one!
French's playlist (part one):
The Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar
Rod Stewart – Every Picture Tells A Story
The Who – Baba O’ Riley
Back by popular demand this week is insights guru, semiotician, and NSTS listener favourite Charles Leech!
This time around Charles uses the concept of synesthesia, which is the crossing over of intrapersonal senses, as a platform to discuss his musical insights. Once again, his perspectives and acumen are absolutely mind-blowing, to the point where you may find yourself mouthing the word 'wow' as you listen, likely more than once. Prepare to be fascinated, friends.
Leech's playlist:
Heaven 17 - Let Me Go
Journey - Don't Stop Believing
Bjork - All is Full of Love
Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
Michael Kiwanuka - Cold Little Heart
Want to hear some incredible rock and roll stories from a guy who was right there, collaborating with The Pogues, Led Zeppelin, Talking Heads, and others? My guest this week is that guy, three-time Grammy winner and five-time Juno winner, mister Chris Birkett.
Chris was the chap responsible for producing Sinead O'Connor's smash hit "Nothing Compares 2 U", after having worked with Steve Earle, Alison Moyet, Dexy's Midnight Runners, and David Bowie's producer Tony Visconti. The stories he tells during his visit are incredible - jamming with Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin, the hilarious way he met Peter Gabriel, the recording technique Sinead absolutely hates, and so much more. Oh, and his band Love Affair is responsible for that megahit "Everlasting Love". You don't want to miss this.
Birkett's playlist:
Love Affair - Everlasting Love
Omaha Sheriff - Clothes Horse
Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
Steve Earle - Johnny Come Lately
Buffy Sainte Marie - Starwalker
Chris Birkett - Be Creative (2019 remix)
I'm thrilled to host the great Kevin Breit this week on NSTS. Kevin has played guitar alongside the likes of Celine Dion, Norah Jones, Marc Jordan, and so many others.
I was particularly happy to have Kevin in because he grew up in the same Northern Ontario small town I did a few years before, and after he left he was mythologized up there during my teen years. I really enjoyed the chat we had about his incredible and tasteful playlist. His musical acumen is staggering, his stories are fascinating, and his new record Stella Bella Strata is unbelievably good.
Breit's playlist:
Bob Dylan - Brownsville Girl
King Curtis - Whiter Shade of Pale
Randy Newman - Wandering Boy
Rosetta Thorpe - Didn't It Rain
Mary Gauthier - I Drink
Hawksley Workman - We're Not Broken Yet
Joni Mitchell - Sunny Sunday
Indie singer songwriter Jordan Paul is an exciting young talent with an awesome voice and smart songs, and he drops by the NSTS studios this week with his guitar.
In between performances of two of his songs, we chat about Indian classical music, Radiohead's lesser-known records, skateboard videos, his favourite musical moment, Mazzy Star, and what awaited him at a mysterious Starbucks meetup.
Paul's playlist:
David Bowie - Five Years
Bob Dylan - It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
Sharon Van Etten - We're Fine
Elliott Smith - Everything Means Nothing To Me
Radiohead - Paranoid Android
Death in Vegas - Help Yourself
Nat Bhairav - Hundstani Raag
Singer songwriter Laura Repo drops by the NSTS studios this week with a vinyl copy of her new record This Is My Room. She also brought her guitar, and she treats us to a song from the album, "Too Soon To Miss You". Check it out.
Repo's playlist:
Billie Holliday - I Thought About You
Koko Taylor - Honky Tonky
Liz Phair - Stratford on Guy
Murray McLachlan - Down By The Henry Moore
John Holt - Treasure of Love
Joan Armatrading - Get in Touch With Jesus
Dolores Keane and John Faulkner - Johnny Lovely Johnny
Welcome back to my chat with storied drummer David Quinton Steinberg. Last week we didn't get to his songs, and so this week we get right into his playlist.
The insights continue, as David recounts his fondness for his favourite Beatles track, Stiv Bators' personal conspiracy theories, his first encounter with Frank Zappa, who the last real rock star is in his opinion, his chat with Gene Simmons, the grim details behind Rush's "Nobody's Hero", David Bowie's connection to punk, and David's "Karmic Boomerang" theory.
Steinberg's playlist:
The Beatles - Penny Lane
Badfinger - Baby Blue
Frank Zappa - Peaches En Regalia
David Bowie - Life On Mars
Dead Boys - Sonic Reducer
Rush - Nobody's Hero
Blair Packham - Proof
This week's NSTS guest has played drums with The Mods, punk legends Stiv Bators and the Dead Boys, and then Strange Advance and The Jitters. Now, he's Rush's lawyer. His name is David Quinton Steinberg, and he obviously has a lot to talk about.
Which is why this is only part one of our chat. We don't even get to David's songs until part two for all of the amazing stories and insights he shares about hanging out with Dee Dee Ramone, getting spit on during shows, playing The Horseshoe during The Garys era, and what it was really like to be at the forefront of the punk and new wave movement as it was unfolding. Don't miss this.
Bermudian songstress Heather Nova is my guest this week on NSTS. She grew up on a sailboat in the Caribbean, and her songs appear on the soundtracks of The Crow and I Am Sam, and on shows like Dawson's Creek. Her new record, called Pearl, drops on June 28.
Heather's list is full of skin-vibrating tunes, and we chat about Kris Kristofferson's advice to Joni Mitchell, Heather's reggae musician brother Mishka, seeing Patti Smith live, Neil Young's guitar solos, and our introductions to Kate Bush. Next time she's bringing her guitar.
Nova's playlist:
Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should Come Over
Neil Young - Like A Hurricane
Patti Smith - Dancing Barefoot
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
Joni Mitchell - All I Want
Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
Mishka - Above The Bones
This week on NSTS, the great Blair Packham returns to the show for his third time, and he brings his guitar with him. We have a lengthy chat about all sorts of things, including No Sleep 'til Sudbury's upcoming first-ever live audience recording at Hugh's Room in Toronto on Thursday, June 27 featuring Carole Pope and Rob Preuss (get yer tickets at hughsroomlive.com!)
In addition to a great chat about The Boss, sticking it to The Man, how Tom Petty came up with "Swingin'" on the spot, heroin, and John Prine, he also performs a Springsteen classic, some of his own tunes, and a Dylan song to close out the show that chokes me up.
Packham's playlist:
Bruce Springsteen - The River
Tom Petty - Swingin'
The Isley Brothers - Fight The Power
Public Enemy - Fight The Power
John Hiatt - Learning How To Love You
Singer songwriter Lily Frost is one in a million. She's funny, super talented, insightful, and an absolute blast to have on the show.
Lily's new record Retro Moderne drops June 7, and we chat about it before getting into the songs that make her skin vibrate, along with all the topics that arise from them - Joni Mitchell's grumpiness, The Dirts, Pinochet, guys who sing in falsetto, the Seattle Freeze, The Jerky Boys, and the criticality of 'the swell'. Then we talk about random unrelated stuff for the last portion of the show.
Frost's playlist:
Jeff Buckley - Lilac Wine
Jennifer Castle - Sailing Away
Patrick Watson - Lighthouse
Ray Lamontagne - My Own Way
Lhasa de Sela - El Desierto
Chopin - Nocturne #1 in B Flat Minor
Frazey Ford - I'm Done
Staples Singers - Will The Circle be Unbroken
You won't meet many people more genuinely passionate about music than my pal and friend of the show Bob Mayo. He joins me from Massachusetts this week with a new batch of songs that make his skin vibrate, and as always, he enlightens me on a few things.
Bob can always be counted on to bring in fascinatingly obscure tracks, because he's a believer in us discovering music we may have never heard of. He also brings in a few of my favourites. On both fronts, the conversation is great - we chat about who REALLY plays lead guitar on the early Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, and KISS records, the most controversial Scorpions album covers, the hard rock band Billy Joel played in, Black Sabbath's creative challenges, the Golden Earring we didn't know, spaceships getting swallowed up by black holes, what the greatest rock song of all time really is, and so much more. I love talking to this guy.
Mayo's playlist:
Golden Earring – She Flies on Strange Wings
Aerosmith – Combination
Rush – Cygnus X-1
Motorhead – Orgasmatron
Montrose – Space Station #5
Ursa Major – Sinner
Scorpions – We’ll Burn The Sky
Black Sabbath – Megalomania
The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again
Ramones – I Wanna Be Sedated
I was delighted to be joined in studio this week by Chalk Circle vocalist and guitarist Chris Tait. I listened to him a lot as a teen (still do), so it was great to have him in for a conversation about his playlist AND my favourite Chalk songs.
I won't spoil it, but Chris does something really cool with his playlist here. Every song has a place on the list for a very specific reason, and I was impressed at how the whole thing was carried out. Great stories too, including the fact that he actually argued against having Chalk Circle's biggest hit, "April Fool" as a single - he didn't even want it on the album(!). Really great conversation.
Tait's playlist:
Bay City Rollers - Saturday Night
Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
Rush - Working Man
The Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated
The Skids - Into The Valley
Echo & The Bunnymen - The Cutter
Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It
David Bowie - Space Oddity
Matthew Sweet - Divine Intervention
Blinker The Star - September Already
Earth, Wind, & Fire - September
Vullpeck - Dean Town
Juno award-winning musician, producer, songwriter, and actor Marc Jordan joins me this week to talk about the songs that make his skin vibrate.
Marc has written songs for Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Bette Midler, Cher, and others, and we talk about that and some other stuff too - like why we love the art that we do, the band he plays in with Murray McLauchlan and Ian Thomas, how "Walk On The Wild Side" is a missing link between musical genres, and his new solo record, Both Sides. Check it out at https://nosleeptilsudbury.org
Jordan's playlist:
Madeleine Peyroux - You're Going to Make Me Lonesome When You Go
Rod Stewart - This
Chet Baker - Almost Blue
Marc Jordan - Walk On The Wild Side
Renee Fleming and YoYo Ma - Mew York Tendaberry
NIIA - Last Night in Las Felez
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Midnight in Harlem
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome The Kings' guitarist and founder, Mister Zero!
Everybody knows The Kings megahit "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide". This week, band founder Mister Zero drops by to talk about how the song came together, why it's two songs in one, Bob Ezrin's contribution to the recording to the song, The Kings appearance on American Bandstand, the night he and Kings singer David Diamond were out with Blondie's Debbie Harry at an Iggy Pop show, who his favourite guitar player is, and so much more. Check it out!
Zero's picks:
Nat King Cole - Stardust
Bruce Springsteen - Sandy (4th of July Asbury Park)
The Beatles - She Loves You
Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love
Glen Campbell - Gentle On My Mind
Frank Sinatra - One For My Baby
Blondie - Rapture
In episode 106, international woman of mystery Audra Santa makes her return to No Sleep 'til Sudbury. And, she brought an electric guitar and an amp with her!
This time around, Ms. Santa and I chat about her upcoming gigs, her chance encounters with various Barenaked Ladies, the mystique of Kate Bush, Arkells' very noble Juno gesture, and the examination of her dark side. All this and a live performance too. You're welcome.
Santa's playlist:
Tori Amos - Caught A Lite Sneeze
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
Barenaked Ladies - Lovers In A Dangerous Time
Fever Ray - If I Had A Heart
Arkells - Relentless
Cubicolor - Mirror Play
Haelos - Dust
It was my privilege to welcome legendary Canadian musician Murray McLauchlan to the show this week. I grew up listening to his music, and he's an engaging conversationalist with some pretty terrific stories.
Join us as we talk about the unique musical charity Murray supports, the time John Prine opened up for him, his insightful interpretations of Ray Charles, his opinion of grunge, why Blossom Dearie always makes him cry, microwave popcorn, and how he, Jim Croce, Tom Waits, and his other musical counterparts of the day used to sit around trying to impress each other with new songs.
McLauchlan's playlist:
John Mayer - In The Blood
Tony Joe White - Polk Salad Annie
Ray Charles - Come Rain or Come Shine
Chet Baker - Little Girl Blue
Blossom Dearie - Now At Last
Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall
John Prine - Paradise
Dr. Gillian Turnbull, professor and author of Sonic Booms: Making Music in an Oil Town, returns to the NSTS studios this week with a whole new batch of tunes to talk about. It's always fun to host Gillian - she's a really smart woman who really feels music.
Listen in as the good doctor discusses Kathleen Edwards' gift, the life of a cowboy, her love of yodelling, a topless Neko Case, who she wants to be when she grows up, and the time she made Jack White cry. And at one point, Gillian actually turns the line of questioning on me and things get kinda deep for a few moments. Fantastic conversation.
Turnbull's playlist:
Cowboy Junkies - Sun Comes Up, It's Tuesday Morning (live)
Kathleen Edwards - Maria
k.d. lang - Big Boned Gal
Suzy Bogguss - Night Rider's Lament
Maggie Bjorklund - Insekt
Calexico - Maybe on Monday
Neko Case - Sleep All Summer
Neko Case - Ragtime
97.7 HTZ-FM music director and on-air personality Siobhan Woodrow joins me this week to chat about a most impressive list of skin-vibrating tunes.
The HTZ-FM website says she loves punk rock, and she clearly does - L7, Rancid, and Mr. Bungle grace her list - but it's balanced with songs by Stevie Wonder, Janis Joplin, and Lauryn Hill. She explains this perspective during our chat, in addition to talking about what it was like to have to announce the news of Chris Cornell's death on air, who her favourite singer is (you'll never guess), and why you never outgrow punk rock. All in suitably salty language.
Woodrow's playlist:
Patti Smith - Summer Cannibals
L7 - Shitlist
Stevie Wonder - Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Janis Joplin - Turtle Blues
Elvis Costello - I Want You
Mr. Bungle - Pink Cigarette
The Clash - Police On My Back
Rancid - Nihilism
Lauryn Hill - I Find It Hard To Say
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
My guest on NSTS this week, singer Stacey Kay, is no stranger to the spotlight. She's advanced to the final rounds of America's Got Talent, performed live at Massey Hall with k.d. lang, and has been praised by the likes of Fergie and David Foster. She's also a proponent of positive body image and speaks on the topic at schools.
During our chat, Stacey tells some great stories about going viral with a rap in a Walgreen's aisle, how she really feels about Bob Dylan's voice, what an 11 o'clock number is, and the k.d. lang Coke can conspiracy. Great lady, great conversation.
Kay's playlist:
Queen - Somebody To Love
Travis Barker - Let's Go
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You
Pentatonix - Natural Disaster
Justin Timberlake - Drink You Away
Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind
Christina Aguilera - Lady Marmalade
Juno-nominated jazz songstress Barbra Lica joins me in the NSTS studios this week for show number 101. CBC Radio 2 recently called Barbra one of Canada's top female jazz singers, and you'll see why after listening to her perform at the end of this episode.
Barbra brings with her a fine assortment of tasteful songs, some of which I've added to my own personal playlist. I've also been playing her single "You're Fine" lately, which comes highly recommended. Enjoy!
Lica's playlist:
Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On
Dala - Horses
Melody Gardot - If The Stars Were Mine
Rachael Yamagata - I'll Find A Way
Gillian Welch - Barroom Girls
Ella Fitzgerald - They Can't Take That Away From Me
Norah Jones - Carnival Town
I thought it would be prescient to celebrate the one hundred episode milestone with a look back at some of the great moments that took place on the way to getting here. Of those there were many, and while I regret not being able to include them all, I did gather a good number of them for this special retrospective.
There are laughs, tears, insights, insults, interesting facts, and some incredible conversation compliments of the wide array of guests I've been lucky enough to have - Stephen Stanley, Kelsi Mayne, Ron Tite, Tara Slone, Christopher Long, Rachel Sumner, Rik Emmett, Ron MacLean, Suzi Kory, Terry Moshenberg, Andrea Ramolo, Jay Jay French, Brad Jemmett, Kevin Comeau, Bob Mayo, Sean Beaudoin, Rob Preuss, Amy Sweezey, Phil Collen, Greg Fraser, Audra Santa, Jeffrey Lee Campbell, Alan Cross, and so many others.
THANK YOU for listening. I honestly could not have done it without you. Here's the next hundred, true believers.
NSTS episode 99 features Ashley Jane and Timor Wientzek of folk pop duo In The City. It's always a treat to have organic musicians on the show, and these two did not disappoint. They were good enough to perform their current single "Best Time", a moving song about loss.
During their visit, we chatted about Ryan Adams covering Taylor Swift, Jon Bon Jovi's mp3 dilemma, Tragically Hip lyrics, Timor's emotional reaction to Joni Mitchell, the pros and cons of streaming, and why Ashley called me 'every musician's dream'. Awww!
In The City's playlist:
Phoebe Bridges - Emotional Motion Sickness
Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now
The O'Pears - Find the Sun
Haerts - Your Love
Big Thief - Shark Smile
Big Red Machine - I Won't Run From It
Barr Brothers - Defibrillation
The happiest person on planet Earth, singer Suzi Kory, returns to the NSTS studios this week to chat about all sorts of fun things.
It's always a pleasure to host Suzi, and during this episode she catches us up on everything she's currently doing - her foray into country music, the video shoot for her latest single Pretty Little Things, learning to play guitar, and who her girl crush is. Bonus: I tell Suzi a deep dark secret about Dolly Parton from my childhood.
Kory's playlist:
The Dixie Chicks - Not Ready To Play Nice
Miranda Lambert - Tin Man
Elie King - Ex's and Oh's
Little Big Town - Girl Crush
Dolly Parton - Jolene
This episode is definitely for the low-fi indie rock crowd. I travelled to Seattle late last year and chatted with co-founder of premier indie label Barsuk Records Barry Gordon at the Starbucks Center. My good pal Kevin 'Wyatt' Reid also drops in for a few laughs.
Barry's music IQ is deep and sophisticated, and we talk about his role in discovering Death Cab for Cutie, watching Arcade Fire ascend to fame, loving The Smiths and Rush simultaneously, how to play 'guess-the Pitchfork-score', The Strokes as an opening act, and Bowie's unmistakeable influence on indie rock. It's fascinating to listen to Barry's musical acumen, coulda talked with him all day. Enjoy!
Gordon's playlist:
Throwing Muses - Two Step
Ramona Falls - Clover
Sugar - Explode and Make Up
Death Cab For Cutie - Company Calls Epilogue
Maria Taylor - Xanax
Morrissey - Southpaw
David Bowie - Lazarus
This week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury we welcome Canadian Folk Music nominee and super cool lady Andrea Ramolo. She's currently touring her newest record Homage, a collection of Leonard Cohen songs, and she was good enough to take a few minutes to chat with me about the songs that make her skin vibrate.
Andrea is a self-proclaimed 'lover of the darkness' in music, and her playlist reflects it. We have an extended chat about Fleetwood Mac's drug of choice, the story behind her very personal album Nuda, the song she made a point of listening to every morning, whether music matters as much anymore, 'getting clear', and the brilliance of Ryan Adams. When she comes back, we're doing an all-Adams playlist. For real.
Ramolo's playlist:
Janis Joplin - Kozmic Blues
Jonathan Byrd - The Law and the Lonesome
Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
I Will Give You Everything - The Skydiggers
Sam Cooke - Bring It On Home To Me
Glory Box – Portishead
Oh My Sweet Carolina - Ryan Adams and Emmylou Harris
Because the Night - Patti Smith
Nina Simone - Feeling Good
Kansas City - The New Basement Tapes
Famous Blue Raincoat - Leonard Cohen
Friend of the show and Brighton Rock guitar slinger Greg Fraser returns to NSTS this week, with quite a different batch of songs - this time around, it's all rock.
It's always fun chatting with Fraze, he's a great guy and he and I love a lot of the same music. We cover off the important stuff - his favourite KISS song, watching Poison's bass player get punched in the face, Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstein approach to building guitars, Buffalo's 97 Rock, how Brighton Rock's hits were written, Mick Ronson as a roommate, and how their record company always wanted Brighton Rock to be more like Honeymoon Suite. Fraze even finds a way to bend the show rules to slip an extra song into his list, that scammer. Very fun episode, check it out.
Fraze's playlist:
Thin Lizzy – Warriors
Van Halen – Unchained
Judas Priest – No Surrender
UFO – Only You Can Rock Me
Michael Schenker – Armed & Ready
KISS – Flaming Youth
Led Zeppelin – The Song Remains The Same
(Special mention) AC/DC – Rock N Roll Damnation
Audra Santa caused something of a sensation on the internet recently. The video for her latest single "Afterglow" was censored by Facebook for 'failing to uphold advertising standards'. Of course, you can watch the video and decide for yourself.
Audra is a fantastic conversationalist with a strong female voice, and our chat continued long after the episode wrapped. What was captured on the actual show, you ask? The brilliance of Johnny Cash's "Hurt", sexual empowerment, Portishead's "Dummy", Thunder Bay, Audra's work in the Indigenous community, whether skipping the first two songs on Radiohead's "In Rainbows" is necessary, and the importance of reconciling spirituality and sexuality. And if that's not enough, the lady plays a song for you too. You're welcome.
Santa's playlist:
David Bowie - Lazarus
Johnny Cash - Hurt
Madonna - Human Nature
The Boudoir Project - Naked
Portishead - Glory Box
Foals - Late Night
Daniel Johns - Preach
Florence & The Machine - Big God
Radiohead - Reckoner
Here's something different for you this week. Something I've thought about doing for a while now. It's a privilege for me to have guests of No Sleep 'til Sudbury play their music on the show, and there have been some really special musical performances across the 90+ episodes we've done so far. So I figured, why not assemble a few of them and make a unique live music playlist of my own?
And so I have. Join me as I look back on some of my favourite NSTS performances, stripped-down versions of great songs from incredibly talented musicians, played with an intimacy and a purity that made my skin vibrate as they unfolded in front of me. Maybe yours did too.
The NSTS live performance playlist:
The Stephen Stanley Band - Melinda
Kelsi Mayne - Woman Waiting
Carl Dixon (with Ron MacLean) - Won't Back Down
Rob Preuss - Romantic Traffic
Christina Martin - Impossible To Hold
Barney Bentall - Something To Live For
Rik Emmett - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Barney Bentall is an incredible songwriter and a terrific man. It was a real pleasure hanging out with him, capped with an unplugged performance of a song of his I've loved since my teens, "Something To Live For". Talk about skin vibration.
Barney and I cover a lot of stuff - his four-night stand at Hugh's Room in Toronto as part of a Gordon Lightfoot tribute, the sabbatical he took from music to chase cows in minus 20 weather, Springsteen's Nebraska, the very first record he ever owned, Ron MacLean's Juno Cup mixtape, and the story behind his cover of the Hip's "Bobcaygeon" as a tribute to Gord. Don't miss this.
Bentall's playlist:
Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue
Gordon Lightfoot - Shadows
Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
Tom Petty – Free Falling
The Band - King Harvest Has Surely Come
KD Lang - Love Is Everything
The Tragically Hip - Bobcaygeon
Happy New Year, NSTS is back!
We kick off the year by hosting former Sting guitarist Jeffrey Lee Campbell. Jeff toured the world with Sting in 1987 on his Nothing Like The Sun tour, and he details that whirlwind period of his life in his new book, Do Stand So Close: My Improbable Adventure as Sting's Guitarist.
Jeff obviously has some incredible stories, and he shares some of them on the show - headlining Madison Square Garden with Sting, his years with the Broadway smash Mamma Mia!, and what it was like to give Jon Bon Jovi guitar lessons. Jeff imparts all kinds of musical wisdom during our conversation, and if you're a music fan in any capacity you're gonna love this chat.
Campbell's playlist:
Prince – Do It All Night
Dyke & The Blazers – Let A Woman Be A Woman (And A Man Be A Man)
Jimi Hendrix – Wait Until Tomorrow
Humble Pie – Hot N’ Nasty
Sly & The Family Stone – Family Affair
Gregory Porter – Take Me To The Alley
Frank Sinatra – Silent Night
Here's the second and final portion of my time spent with the great Rik Emmett, going over the Christmas songs most special to him. Our first episode from last week was a massive success, earning the most downloads of any NSTS show in 2018. Hope you enjoy this one just as much.
This week Rik once again provides tremendous insight into the writing of some of our favourite holiday tunes, all while playing portions of them on guitar. He also shares some personal details about the playlists the Emmett family listen to during Christmas, and why. Rik graciously wraps up the show by playing one of my faves, a highlight I won't forget. Doing these shows with Rik was the perfect way to wrap what's been an absolutely incredible year. Thanks sincerely to each and every one of you, faithful listeners. My very best to you and your families over the holiday season. I'm outta here, programming resumes January 8, 2019 - Merry Christmas!
Emmett's playlist:
Bobby Helms - Jingle Bell Rock
Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Larry Carlton - My Favourite Things
The Yellowjackets - Go Tell It On The Mountain
Vince Gill - Breath of Heaven
Time to get into the Christmas spirit, friends. And who better to help us do that than Triumph guitar wiz and Christmas music guru Rik Emmett?
Rik has once again graciously invited me into his home, this time to record two special NSTS episodes featuring his favourite Christmas songs (Rik insisted it be two episodes - there was simply too much ground to cover). In addition to sharing an immense amount of fascinating musical knowledge and enthusiasm, Rik also takes down one of his electric guitars from the wall to play some of the songs that make his skin vibrate. If you have ANY interest in music whatsoever, you cannot miss this. For me, it just doesn't get any better. What a way to close out a fantastic year, folks. Enjoy!
Emmett's playlist:
Vince Gill - Winter Wonderland
Bing Crosby - I'll Be Home For Christmas
Judy Garland - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song
Leroy Anderson - Sleigh Ride
This week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury I'm joined by former Sportsnet sportscaster and current Outta The Park podcast host Barry Davis. Barry's a big music fan (and the frontman of a Tom Petty cover band!), and we had a really terrific chat.
Among the topics covered by Barry and I are obscure Beatles facts, the future of Van Halen, what Barry's calf tattoo says, Sam The Record Man, Bowie's diet of milk and red peppers, and how Don Felder blew it. Great discussion.
Davis' playlist:
The Beatles – In My Life
John Lennon – Beautiful Boy
Tom Petty – You and I Will Meet Again
Van Halen – Dreams
Green Day – When September Ends
David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes
Eagles – Take It To The Limit
She's a meteorologist. She's an author. And she's a big music fan. This week it's my pleasure to welcome my pal Amy Sweezey to the show to talk about our mutual love for 80s hair bands!
Amy and I have a terrific chat about the power of nostalgia, the pressures associated with forecasting the weather, Ron MacLean, suicide, KISS dress ups, Hee Haw, the Vietnam War, music therapy, and how a Tom Cochrane song found its way onto her radar.
Sweezey's playlist:
Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar On Me
AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long
Nancy Sinatra – These Boots Are Made For Walkin'
The Rolling Stones – Paint It Black
Tom Cochrane – Life is a Highway
Patsy Cline – Crazy
Ron Kenoly - Majesty
This week's NSTS guest needs no introduction. Canadian broadcaster Alan Cross returns to the show to talk tunes!
As always, Alan and I have a great musical chat. Highlights include the future of rock, his new gig with Q107, his first impression of U2's "Vertigo", his days as a DJ, some great Beatles recording stories, and what's buried very, very deep in the mix of Pearl Jam's "Alive".
U2 - Vertigo
Nine Inch Nails – Head Like A Hole
Pixies – U Mass
The Beatles – Hey Jude
Rush – 2112
Pink Floyd – One of These Days
Pearl Jam – Alive
Radio and television broadcaster Todd Miller is my guest on NSTS this week, and he brings with him songs from a wide array of musical genres. I do love when that happens.
In this episode Todd and I chat about the career twists and turns of Judas Priest, radio playlist secrets, the dulcet tones of jazz artists Weather Report, the AC/DC song he never needs to hear again, and why Monty Python is good for you.
Miller's playlist:
Judas Priest – A Touch of Evil
Gary Moore – The Messiah Will Come Again
Jeff Beck – Where Were You
John Entwistle – Too Late The Hero
Weather Report – A Remark You Made
David Gilmour – The Blue
Monty Python – Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
This week we're doing something a little different.
My guest is Toronto Tabla Ensemble artistic director Ritesh Das, in to talk about his new album Bhumika that launches November 9. Ritesh has performed with The Tea Party's Jeff Martin, Loreena McKennitt, and other notable musicians, and he takes me through the history and cultural significance of the tabla, a percussion instrument originating in the Indian subcontinent.
Das' playlist:
Bhumika
Sare Nau
Faceoff
Casual
Sare Panch
Regenesis
New Routes
This year's Halloween episode guest is former Spoons and Honeymoon Suite keyboardist Rob Preuss. Rob took me to a studio on 72nd Street in New York City so he could play the spooky songs that make his skin vibrate on piano.
Rob is a ridiculously talented musician and an insightful mind. Rather than go through a specific list of songs, we go over some of the songs you'd expect and some you may not. And I learn a few things in the bargain - like the fact that the theme song from The Simpsons is basically the Devil's Interval, the degree to which Gene Simmons terrified Rob as a kid, and how changing the key of Spoons' Romantic Traffic can make it sound like a funeral dirge.
Country singer songwriter Kelsi Mayne drops by the NSTS studios this week, and she brings guitar player Annette Haas along to play her latest single "Woman Waiting" live.
Kelsi and I chat about her favourite place to play in Nashville, what separates Nelly from other hip hop and rap artists, what she has to wear when she raps, who her famous 'home girl' is, and how alarmingly different audiences are to play for today.
The internet is calling Kelsi Mayne Canada's next great country singer. Listen to these harmonies and you'll see why.
Mayne's playlist:
Wynonna Judd – No One Else on Earth
Aretha Franklin – Never Loved a Man
Little Big Town – Girl Crush
Brothers Osborne – Shoot Me Straight
Extreme – More Than Words
Nelly - Country Grammar
Justin Timberlake featuring TI – My Love
My pal Stephen Stanley is with me in studio this week, and I always love having him in. He was gracious enough to bring his guitar with him to play two songs from his excellent Jimmy & The Moon album - if you haven't heard it yet, you really must.
Mister Stanley brings in a collection of songs representative of his band's recent European tour. Some I knew, some I didn't, but I liked 'em all. Stephen shares his tour experiences through the songs, and it makes for a really interesting conversation. We also address the month-long 'self-prohibition' he imposed on himself following the completion of the tour, and the possibility of him breaking it after we wrap the episode. Will he, or won't he? Listen and find out!
Stanley's playlist:
David Corley - Zero Moon
Prinz Grizzley - Irene
Shane Joyce - The Spider
Van Morrison - Song of Being a Child
Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billie Joe
Kate Fenner - This Divorce
Warren Zevon - Something Bad Happened To A Clown
The very talented Christina Martin drops by the NSTS studios with her guitar player Dale Murray this week to play tunes and talk music.
Christina's latest record Impossible To Hold is full of really fantastic songs, and she plays a couple of my faves live amidst chatting about Columbia House, Paul Westerberg, the night she became a vampire, what it was like to have Don McLean open for her, the power of Tom Petty's lesser known tunes, and the grading system her husband uses to rate her bottom.
Martin's playlist:
Don McLean - Vincent
Tom Petty - Room at the Top
Shawn Colvin - Even Here We Are
Annie Lennox - Love Song For A Vampire
David Bowie - Where Are We Now
Stevie Nicks - Stand Back
The Pretenders - I'll Stand By You
This week on the show I welcome broadcaster and former educator Stephen Hurley to the NSTS studios. In addition to going through Stephen's skin-vibrating songs, our chat is centred around music education, and the fact that in schools, music is often a subject when it should instead be an experience.
I love talking music with guys like Stephen, because he's an old soul that truly cherishes music for what can be learned from it, and what it can tell us about ourselves. The highlights of our chat include critical points in music's evolution, Sting's bass lines, Elton John's piano playing ability, the importance of having a musical 'pusher', and our differing opinions involving Eric Clapton. Fun episode.
Hurley's playlist:
The Eagles - Desperado
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
Vanity Fare - Hitching a Ride
The Band - The Weight
Neil Young - Long May You Run
Looking Glass - Brandy
Garfield - Give My Love To Anne
Cat Stevens - Father and Son
Eric Clapton - Lay Down Sally
It doesn't get much better than this, folks. Coney Hatch frontman Carl Dixon comes back for his second episode, and who should turn up to sit in but our pal Canadian broadcasting icon Ron MacLean!
I love hanging out with these guys, and this episode was a real treat for me to do. Lots of laughs and so many great music and sports stories...Lee Trevino's response to Tom Watson's open fly, Gord Downie's surprise answer when he was asked if he was a poet or a rocker, the song that triggered Phil Esposito's trade, the challenges Alannah Myles faced on the road, and much more.
All this, and we wrap up with a Tom Petty group singalong with Carl on guitar. You don't want to miss this.
Dixon's playlist:
Queen - Now I'm Here
The Who - The Real Me
The Black Crowes - Descending
Alannah Myles - Sonny Say You Will
Bob Dylan - Simple Twist of Fate
Santana - The Nile
Fleet-fingered Brighton Rock lead guitarist Greg Fraser calls into the show this week to talk tunes. Greg is an incredible player and a great dude, and our conversation was a lot of fun.
Topics of interest include technology's impact on today's music, our favourite Zeppelin tracks, the Sudbury-Soo rivalry, Al DiMeola, Steve Harris' favourite song, Michael Schenker's unique response to Greg's dinner invite, and hanging backstage at the Junos with Liona Boyd.
Fraser's playlist:
Elton John - Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me
Elton John - Your Song
The Beatles - Yesterday
Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song
Liona Boyd - Air on a G String
UFO - Love To Love
UFO - Try Me
The No Sleep 'til Sudbury podcast is back with the incredible and irrepressible Molly Johnson. She's got fire, she's got insight, and the lady has stories.
What a discussion - Molly talks to me about the American civil rights movement, what Aretha smoked, Rick James' real name, the politics of tuna, where Jim Cuddy got his voice from, how The Police formed, the genius of Gord Downie, and what all the greatest singers actually have in common (it's not what you think!)
Johnson's playlist:
Mozart – Symphony 46
Measha Brueggergrosman – Hymn to Freedom
KD Lang – Hallelujah
Aretha Franklin – Respect
Miles Davis – Birth of the Cool
Moe Koffman – Curried Soul
Blue Rodeo – Try
The Tragically Hip – Bobcaygeon
The Staples Singers – Anything with Pops on guitar
Neil Young – Harvest Moon
If you're a fan of the show, this will be one of your favourite episodes. Singer and vocal coach Teresa Cirillo drops by the No Sleep 'til Sudbury studios for a very honest and personal chat about the music that makes her skin vibrate.
Teresa is enthusiastic, genuine, upbeat, and she doesn't hold back one bit. We talk about the peculiar coterie of characters that comprised Michael Jackson's entourage, what happens to women when Chris Isaak sings, how many octaves Freddie Mercury could cover, Simply Red's connection to her fear of death, the number of people who have cried on my show (including herself), and her Pitbull ban. To close out the episode, Teresa very vehemently invites Jann Arden to guest on No Sleep 'til Sudbury. So, Jann...what do you say?
Cirillo's playlist:
Chris Isaak - Wicked Game
Live - Lightning Crashes
Simply Red - Holding Back The Years
Kaleo - Way Down
Jann Arden - I Would Die For You
Queen - The Show Must Go On
Michael Jackson - Human Nature
Big Wreck - That Song
Eros Ramazotti - Musica E
Dulce Pontes - Cancao Do Mar
Ethnomusicologist, professor, and writer Gillian Turnbull is my guest on the show this week. Gillian is a fascinating woman with a powerful social voice, and she provides some great commentary with lots of laughs.
Tune in to hear about her boozy encounter with Jim Cuddy, her theory as to why Billy Joel doesn't get as much respect as Springsteen, her love for Rush, and her affinity for Neko Case's scatological emphasis - the lady drops an F-bomb with style.
Turnbull's playlist:
Blue Rodeo - Cynthia
Ian Tyson - Elko Blues
Billy Joel - Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl
Courtney Barnett - Pedestrian at Best
Neko Case - Where Did I Leave That Fire
Jason Isbell - Elephant
NQ Arbuckle - Hospitals
Rush - Working Man
Jim White & Aimee Mann - Static on the Radio
Beyoncé & Dixie Chicks - Daddy Lessons
My pal Ron MacLean comes back to the No Sleep ‘til Sudbury studios again this week to chat about ten more songs that make his skin vibrate. It’s an absolute joy to hang out with Ron - he’s funny, whip smart, super gracious, and he knows his music.
In this episode Ron and I discuss his ritual for listening to music in the car, his affinity for Tom Petty, Todd Rundgren, and Carl Dixon, his Olympics exploits, the bond we share through an old French Canadian folk song, Blue Rodeo and smoked sausages, and why music is better when the mistakes are left in. Ron also opens up about Gerry Rafferty in a way I didn’t expect, but certainly appreciated. Great man, great storyteller. Great episode.
MacLean's playlist:
Rod Stewart - Maggie May
England Dan and John Ford Coley - Love is the Answer
Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
Willie Nelson Merle Haggard - Pancho and Lefty
Brandi Carlile - The Joke
Boston - More Than a Feeling
Talking Heads - What a Day That Was
Tom Petty - Swingin'
Catherine McKinnon – Dominique
Blue Rodeo - Lost Together
One of Canada's greatest ambassadors, broadcasting icon and massive music fan Ron MacLean joins me on No Sleep 'til Sudbury this week. Like most Canadian sports fans I've been a fan of Ron's for decades, and it was my privilege to chat with him about the songs that make his skin vibrate.
In sharing his love for the songs that moved him over the course of his life, Ron offers the clever quips I've come to expect from him, along with some things I didn't, and I'm thankful to him for sharing so much more of himself beyond what we ordinarily see on television. In this episode, we talk about how he prepares for Hockey Night In Canada, Don Cherry having a 'little bone' to pick with Gord Downie at the Junos, a poem he wrote for Matt Mays, his hesitation to include a Loverboy song in his playlist, and why The Tragically Hip deep cut "The Wherewithal" is special to him. All this and a Tom Petty impression too. Brilliant.
MacLean's playlist:
Santa Esmeralda - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Matt Mays - Take It On Faith
Men at Work – Overkill
Pagliaro - Some Sing Some Dance
Junkhouse - Out of My Head
Loverboy - Turn Me Loose
Mudcrutch - I Forgive It All
Prism - Take Me To The Kaptin
Anne Murray - You Needed Me
Tragically Hip - The Wherewithal
This week, friend of the show and entrepreneurial juggernaut Terry Moshenberg drops by the studio for his second kick at the NSTS can with an all-new batch of great tunes.
Over the course of our chat, Mosh and I talk about his latest capers, cannabis and 'little people' wrestling, Pink Floyd's crazy Billboard run, the power of nostalgia, Bob Dylan's electric period, the beauty of mistakes, and the mighty League of Rock.
Moshenberg's playlist:
Pink Floyd - Money
Bob Dylan - Sweetheart Like You
Bruce Springsteen - Wild Billy's Circus Story
Bruce Springsteen - Incident on 57th Street
Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey
Van Morrison - Coney Island
Mark Knopfler - Sailing to Philadelphia
Bruce Springsteen - Lost in the Flood
This week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury we did things a little differently - we taped the episode live from former Triumph frontman Rik Emmett's home. Yep - Rik was gracious enough to welcome me in with open arms and cold beer, and he even sang and played some guitar during our chat.
Through 70 episodes of doing this show, I've been fortunate enough to enjoy some pretty incredible experiences. Doing Rik's episode was up there with the very best of those. He was a perfect guest - open, funny, engaging, musically savvy, and humble. His song choices were excellent, and his genuine sentimentality warmed my heart. You do NOT want to miss this episode.
Emmett's playlist:
Molly – Biff Rose
Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel) – Billy Joel
A four-way guitar instrumentals tie from Pat Metheny
Scarlet Ribbons – as performed by Harry Belafonte
Shadow of Your Smile – as performed by Tony Bennett
Back by popular demand, singer Suzi Kory returns to the studio for Episode 069 of the No Sleep 'til Sudbury podcast with a new batch of songs that make her skin vibrate.
This time around Suzi talks about sharing the mic with Steven Tyler, what her hidden agenda is in bringing in French songs, her plans to convert me into a hippie, Lana Del Rey's connection to Axl Rose, and why she's the Forrest Gump of rock and roll.
Kory's playlist:
Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights
Aerosmith - Dream On
Celine Dion - Le Blues de Businessman
Lana Del Rey - Ride
Sarah McLaughlin - The Path of Thorns
Talking with this week's NSTS guest Bob Mayo was a genuine pleasure. In this episode, Bob speaks honestly and courageously about his upbringing, and I commend him for that. He brings in the songs that helped him get through the difficulties he faced during his high school days, and speaks frankly and articulately about how they provided a sense of security to him as a kid.
A lot of my personal favourites get talked about, including Van Halen, Sabbath, Priest, and a heartbreaking story about making a friend through KISS, and I'm reminded of the similarities between us as we chat about these bands and what they can mean to people who truly needed them. Bravo, Bob.
Mayo's playlist:
Cheap Trick – The House Is Rocking
Van Halen – I’m The One
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
Gillan – Mister Universe
Judas Priest – Steeler
KISS – I Want You / Take Me
Motorhead – Too Late Too Late
BONUS: Fleetwood Mac – Albatross
This week I'm joined by Dr. Malcolm Galloway, a neuropathologist, musician, and actor from London, England.
I invited Malcolm on the show to expand the breadth of our consideration of music beyond the typical, in the interests of how we interpret it. In our discussion about the songs that make his skin vibrate, Malcolm intertwines the emotionality of music with the technical aspects that contribute to that emotionality, making for a very interesting conversation spanning Prog, David Gilmour's kidney disease, the criticality of musical timing, the Minimalists' impact on classical music, and ABBA.
Galloway's playlist:
Warm Wet Circles – Marillion
Eight Lines - Steve Reich
Drowning - All About Eve
The Rite Of Spring - Igor Stravinsky
Quartet from the musical Chess
Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
I'm joined this week by entrepreneurial juggernaut Terry Moshenberg, founder of The League of Rock.
Terry's a true blue old school rock and roll disciple, and we have a great chat about the Seventies, Mark Knopfler, the gypsy lifestyle, The 27 Club, John Holmes (not that one), the last real rock and roll band, and a true story Terry tells about running away to the Jersey Shore that could have easily been a Springsteen song.
Moshenberg's playlist:
Little Feat - Spanish Moon
Bob Dylan – All Along The Watchtower
Bruce Springsteen – Lost In The Flood
Bruce Springsteen – It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City
The Allman Brothers – Whipping Post
Dire Straits – Telegraph Road
Little Feat – Time Loves A Hero
Coney Hatch's Carl Dixon is one of Canada's most respected musicians, and he's also my guest this week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury. Carl is funny, humble, thoughtful, and sentimental, and it was a pleasure hosting him. I invited him to bring in his guitar and he did, treating us to a song from his new record to wrap up our chat.
Carl tells great stories from his days recording the first Coney Hatch record with Kim Mitchell producing, including how the solo from "Monkey Bars" came to be and who inspired the lyrics to "Devil's Deck". We also chat about his experiences fronting The Guess Who, his time serving as a musical Swiss army knife in April Wine, the horrific car accident which almost ended his life, and the songs that choke him up as he talks about them.
You don't want to miss this.
Dixon's playlist:
Grand Funk Railroad – Aimless Lady
Foo Fighters – Learn To Fly
Jethro Tull - Skating Away
Johnny Winter – Jumping Jack Flash
John Fogerty – Almost Saturday Night
Thin Lizzy – Fight or Fall
Status Quo – Whatever You Want
New York City author and singer/songwriter Chris Campion joins me on the show this week. Chris gets what we're doing on the show and he welcomes the result of his honesty - we have a laugh that his playlist is solely comprised of songs by middle-aged white men.
In this episode we have a great talk about the vitriol of YouTube commenters, our mutual fondness for "Send In The Clowns", electric convulsive therapy, Anne Frank, the two Aerosmiths, and how Rod Stewart navigated the 80s. He also does a mean Tom Waits impersonation.
Campion's playlist:
U2 - The Electric Co.
Neutral Milk Hotel - Two Headed Boy
Tom Waits - Innocent When You Dream
Wilco - Radio Cure
Canadian rock singer Suzi Kory is a woman who goes after what she wants. And in NSTS Episode 62, you'll see that she gets it.
Suzy drops by the studio to talk about the songs that make her skin vibrate, and she shares some pretty incredible stories in the bargain - meeting Axl Rose and Jim Cuddy, playing The Whiskey in Los Angeles, and her views on what sexiness truly is. It would be a mistake to underestimate this woman, friends.
Kory's playlist:
Guns N’ Roses – Welcome To The Jungle
Barbra Streisand – Make It Like A Memory
Notre Dame de Paris – Bohemienne
Stevie Nicks – Landslide
Blue Rodeo – After The Rain
It's my distinct pleasure to introduce this week's No Sleep 'til Sudbury guest, former Joydrop lead singer and current Sportsnet Hometown Hockey co-host Tara Slone. Tara joins me in person to talk about the songs that make her skin vibrate, and the result is a great discussion in which she graciously shares some fantastic stories, insights, and laughs.
In this episode T and I have an emotional chat about Bowie's final album, the soundtrack to her grade 9 crush, how Hall & Oates made a surprise appearance on her final playlist, the impact of The Ramones on her life, and the artist that she and Ron McLean both love. And if that's not enough, she even does a little singing!
Slone's playlist:
George Michael - Father Figure
David Bowie – Blackstar
Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Knock Me Down
Ramones – Rock and Roll High School
Toto – Rosanna
Pretenders – Middle of the Road
Tom Petty – Only a Broken Heart
Mew – The Zookeepers Boy
Leh-Lo – 2 out of 3
Blinker the Star – Below the Sliding Doors
Hall and Oates – One on One
On the 40th anniversary of the release of the KISS solo records, friend of the show and KISS lunatic Chris 'The Pink Chief' Long joins me this week from Florida to talk about the songs from those records that make his skin vibrate (spoiler alert - they all do).
I wisely limited The Chief to 6 selections, and here's what he came back with:
Chief's playlist:
Paul Stanley - Tonight You Belong To Me
Paul Stanley - Hold Me Touch Me
Ace Frehley - Rip It Out
Ace Frehley - Speeding Back To My Baby
Gene Simmons - See You Tonight
Peter Criss - I'm Gonna Love You
Returning to the studio for NSTS episode #60 is former Jitters frontman Blair Packham, to cover off the songs we didn't get to during his first appearance in episode #58.
Blair is a compelling guest for a lot of reasons, two of those being his great sense of humour and the visceral insight he provides while dissecting the songs that make his skin vibrate. During this week's chat Blair and I discuss the particulars of Squeeze's songwriting, the dark origins of MTV's Unplugged series, Blair's Jitters days playing alongside bands like Rheostatics and Blue Rodeo, and a reconsideration of Bob Marley.
Packham's playlist:
Squeeze - Is That Love?
Jules Shear - This Primal Fire
Bob Dylan - It's All Over Now Baby Blue
Bob Marley - War
The Beatles - Hey Bulldog
This week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury I'm thrilled to host one of my favourite guitar players from my early teen years, Autograph's Steve Lynch. Steve was one of the earliest innovators of fretboard tapping. After hearing Autograph's 80s megahit "Turn Up The Radio" in my car recently, I called Steve up to do the show and talk about the songs that make his skin vibrate.
Steve brings in some great tunes and recounts some cool stories from his Autograph days on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip, including how the band shot guns in the studio to incorporate into their snare drum mixes, and how Van Halen's tour manager warned Steve not to tap during their set because it was "Eddie's thing" when they opened for VH in 1985.
Lynch's playlist:
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for The Devil
Led Zeppelin - Ramble On
Charlie Sexton - Cry Little Sister
Jimi Hendrix - The Wind Cries Mary
Small Faces - Itchycoo Park
The Beatles - And I Love Her
Led Zeppelin - The Rain Song
Canadian veteran singer songwriter and former lead singer of The Jitters Blair Packham joins me live in the studio this week to talk about the multitude of projects he has on the go these days, and he brings in some great songs and tremendously thoughtful lyrical insights to chat about. Blair really gets the show's gist, and his perspectives bolster some great discussion.
Blair and I talk about our common fondness for sad songs, our love for John Prine and Elvis Costello, the absurdity of musical guilty pleasures, and whether or not people will be talking about latest musical trend reggaeton in twenty five years. Probably not.
Packham's playlist:
Steve Goodman - The Dutchman
John Prine - Far From Me
Elvis Costello - I Want You
Jennifer Warnes - Song of Bernadette
Ron Hynes - A Good Dog Is Lost
Seattle novelist and friend of the show Sean Beaudoin returns with more cool tunes in episode 57 of No Sleep 'til Sudbury. Sean consistently brings in really great songs, often by artists I've never heard of, so it's always great and very educational to chat music with him.
Sean's songs all represent an individual theme and this time around, we cover musical plagiarism, selling out, platform shoes with fish in the heels, death threats from metal fans, and the potential for Sean to seek Canadian asylum. I'd happily offer it to him.
Beaudoin's playlist:
Joe McPhee - Shakey Jake
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Get Down Moses
Bert Jansch - Black Waterside
Truckfighters - Desert Cruiser
Paul Pena - Cosmic Mirror
It was my pleasure to host Grapes of Wrath vocalist/guitarist Kevin Kane in the studio for Episode 56 of NSTS. I really admired this band during my university years, as a lot of their songs really resonated with me and still do. Kevin still performs with Grapes, but is now also a member of The Northern Pikes, another great Canadian band.
Kev and I have a great chat about the songs that make his skin (as he puts it) "wiggle", in addition to other things, such as how Steve Winwood got his Hammond organ sound, Jimmy Page as a hired gun, his obsession with the Stones' Exile On Main Street, why Chuck Berry records are scary, the making of the "All The Things I Wasn't" video, and what the four components of a classic album really are. And, as he often does, David Bowie works his way into the conversation.
Kane's playlist:
Shack - Natalie's Party
Talk Talk - Desire
Go Betweens - Cattle and Cane
Sloan - The Good In Everyone
Queen and David Bowie - Under Pressure
Roy Harper - Commune
The Rolling Stones - Rocks Off
Bob Mayo joins me via Skype from the Boston area for this week's episode of No Sleep 'til Sudbury. Bob is the former bassist of thrash metal act Wargasm, and he writes an absolutely killer music blog called Mayonoise which I highly recommend.
Bob discusses some impressive insights on Cheap Trick and the oft-overlooked depth of their lyrics. We also discuss Blue Oyster Cult's relationship with Black Sabbath, Dave Mustaine's attitude, our perspectives on AC/DC's formula, and why we'll be friends for a very long time.
Mayo's playlist:
Motorhead - The Hammer
Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper
Cheap Trick - Auf Weidersehen
AC/DC - Gone Shootin'
Megadeth - Holy Wars/The Punishment Due
Budgie - Napoleon Bona Parts I and II
Opeth - The Grand Conjuration
My guest this week touches on all the aspects that make for a really great show - engagement, keen insight, great stories, interesting little known facts, honesty, and humour. CEO of content marketing agency Church + State with a background in comedy, Ron Tite brings in the songs that make his skin vibrate for a variety of reasons, and the result is an extremely enjoyable conversation.
Ron recounts a Johnny Cash show where he was too drunk to perform, Erica Ehm's take on The Barenaked Ladies, and the Beastie Boys' opinion of Slayer guitar solos being inserted into their songs. He also tells some cool stories about Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, Moby, and Eddie Murphy. Brilliant episode.
Tite's playlist:
George Jones - Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes
The Beastie Boys - No Sleep 'til Brooklyn
She Stole My Beer - Sparks Off The Guardrail
Luciano Pavarotti performing Puccini - Nessun Dorma
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
NSTS episode 53 is part two of my chat with former Melody Maker journalist Chris Charlesworth. Chris has so many personal stories about rock stars like David Bowie that I just sit back and let him lay them all out.
Chris talks about Bowie's death and what it was like to be his press officer, which ABBA member had stage fright, how the bass player is the secret weapon of most bands, and the celebrity he found himself sitting behind at Wembley during a Stone Roses show.
Charlesworth's playlist:
David Bowie - Heroes
ABBA - One Of Us
REM - Perfect Circle
Stone Roses - Ten Storey Love Song
Gillian Welch - Elvis Presley Blues
If you want to hear some absolutely fascinating stories about Elvis, John Lennon, and the guys from Led Zeppelin and The Who, listen to this episode. Legendary Melody Maker journalist and former Omnibus Press managing editor Chris Charlesworth is someone who occupied the inner circles of many a rock star in the 60s and 70s, including those named above along with several others.
Over the phone from the UK, Chris provides some highly-detailed insights regarding his relationships with Pete Townshend and The Who, what it was like to FLY LED ZEPPELIN'S PLANE (!), and Chris' experiences with John Lennon, including John's phone call to Chris saying it was 'Johnny Beatle' calling.
Incredibly entertaining personal stories about rock's largest legends, from an equally legendary rock writer. Do not miss this.
Charlesworth's playlist:
Elvis Presley - Mystery Train
The Who - Substitute
The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
The Beatles - Don't Let Me Down
Led Zeppelin - Rock and Roll
Former Spoons and Honeymoon Suite keyboardist Rob Preuss is a great man and a great Canadian. And he makes his return to the No Sleep 'til Sudbury podcast with a fun Canuck twist!
Rob brings in five songs that make his skin vibrate that were hits in Canada but nowhere else in the world (with the exception of maybe one of them). He's always been hilarious and super knowledgeable during our musical chats, and this conversation is no exception. We talk about the importance of musical democracy, The Wrecking Crew, The Partridge Family, Miss Saigon, and the myth behind the piano track on "Takin' Care of Business". Great, great fun.
Preuss' playlist:
Sweet Blindness - National Poddy
BTO - Takin' Care of Business
Rufus Wainwright - Foolish Love
Ray Materick - Linda Put The Coffee On
The Kings - This Beat Goes On/Switchin To Glide
We made it to 50! Joining me to celebrate are legendary Toronto on-air personality Lee Eckley and rising stars Cody J.R. Bowles and Kevin Comeau of Crown Lands.
We figured we'd do something a little different for the 50th episode. The Crown Lands boys showed up with some gear, and while talking about the songs that make our skin vibrate, we jammed out a greasy Queen cover with Eckley on drums, Kev on bass, Cody singing and playing bongos, and me on guitar. I thank my guests for their patience with my mediocre guitar playing, and I appreciate them letting me in on the fun. Like the jam, the production of this episode is loose and raw, just as I like my rock & roll to be.
The 50th episode playlist:
Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker
Bob Dylan - Time Out Of Mind (album)
Genesis - Watcher of the Skies
Queen - The Show Must Go On
AC/DC - Sin City
Queen - Dragon Attack (jam)
Author of the new book The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern: A Complete History David McPherson joins me for a chat in Episode 49 of No Sleep 'til Sudbury. The book is an excellent testament to one of Canada's greatest all-time live music institutions, The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto.
We discuss the 70th anniversary of the 'Shoe and some of the really great shows that have taken place there, and why live music is still so important today. We also chat about my favourite John Prine tune, KD Lang's incredible voice, The Black Crowes, and my beloved Joni Mitchell.
McPherson's playlist:
John Prine - Hello In There
KD Lang - Hallelujah
Neil Young - Cortez The Killer
Jimmy Buffett - He Went To Paris
Joni Mitchell - The Circle Game
Brother Zakk Wylde talks to me from his tour bus in Akron, Ohio about two lists of songs that make his skin vibrate - the first one is the 'exclusive' list best not shared beyond the tour bus, and the second being the more PG version. Zakk's hilarious and still a super genuine guy.
During our chat he tells some great Ozzy stories complete with a spot-on Oz impression, the importance of payola, what made Randy Rhoads so great, rock and roll genealogy, and what ingredients go into the Zakk Wylde 'soup'.
Wylde's playlist:
Elton John - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (album)
Al DiMeola - Land of the Midnight Sun (album)
John McLaughlin - Anything
Frank Marino - The Power of Rock and Roll (album)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I (album)
Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman (album)
In episode 47 of No Sleep 'til Sudbury, Rheostatics guitarist and prolific author Dave Bidini returns to the studio with a few more songs to discuss.
This time around we talk about a new Rheostatics record, Spanish roosters, Michael Stipe, the unsettling science experiment that was Devo, and the late great Stompin' Tom Connors.
Bidini's playlist:
Ian Tyson - Gallo de Cielo
REM - It's The End of the World
Neil Young - Thrasher
Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
Stompin' Tom Connors - Bridge Came Tumbling Down
Dave Bidini is a very interesting individual and one hell of a storyteller. Despite having a cold, Dave drops by the Spoke Club studio for Episode 46 to share the songs that make his skin vibrate.
He tells some unbelievable stories about Stompin' Tom Connors wearing disguises to Rheostatics gigs, what it was like to record with Jimmy Page's amp and Bob Marley's ghost in the Bahamas, and what plays in the jukebox at Dave's home.
Bidini's playlist:
Queen - Love of My Life
Small Faces - Afterglow
Bikini Kill - New Radio
Propogandhi - Call Before You Dig
Dusty Springfield - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
Up-and-coming indie singer songwriter Shawn William Clarke joins me in downtown Toronto for No Sleep 'til Sudbury episode 45 with the songs that make his skin vibrate.
Shawn and I talk about the subtle eeriness of Supertramp, Dylan's Sinatra turn, mysterious Scottish band The Blue Nile, the record shop scene in Cologne, the importance of album track listing, and the pros and cons of today's music industry.
Clarke's playlist:
Supertramp - School
Miles Davis - In A Silent Way
Bob Dylan - Ballad in Plain D
The Blue Nile - The Downtown Lights
Land of Talk - This Time
Back for his No Sleep 'til Sudbury sophomore turn from the UK is my pal Joel McIver, one of my favourite writers and one hell of a good man. Joel proposed an idea for his second episode which I instantly liked - songs he believes will still be popular 100 years from now.
Some of these song selections perplexed me when I first saw Joel's list, but the man's rationale stands up and it makes for some great discussion. We talk about the childish filth found in some Beatles lyrics (!), what it means to be a 'git', the curious popularity of the Foo Fighters, and the perceived future of heavy metal and popular music in general. Enjoy!
McIver's playlist:
The Beatles - Back in the USSR
Black Sabbath - War Pigs
David Bowie - Changes
Fairport Convention - Come All Ye
Foo Fighters - Times Like These
Ice T - New Jack Hustler
Elvis Presley - That's All Right Mama
Former Lowest of the Low guitarist Stephen Stanley returns to the studio following his NSTS Xmas episode with a whole new batch of songs.
We talk about our views on Clapton, what the backstage area is like at the Horseshoe Tavern, the nostalgic power of KISS, seated versus standing at a rock show, American rock music's sweet spot, and the peculiar production techniques used to motivate Clash guitarist Mick Jones.
Stanley's Playlist:
Johnny Mathis - Moon River
Eric Clapton - I Shot The Sheriff
KISS - Detroit Rock City
Tom Petty - Shadow of a Doubt
The Clash - Spanish Bombs
Bob Dylan - Simple Twist of Fate
Shawn William Clarke - In Conversation
Happy New Year, friends. We're back at it with none other than drum colossus Mike Portnoy, formerly of Dream Theater and now playing with rock supergroup Sons of Apollo.
Mike is an elite musician, widely considered to be one of greatest drummers in the world. He's also a great guy and a great guest. During our conversation we geek out on Bowie, KISS, and Radiohead, and he shares his experiences playing drums for Twisted Sister, his theory about Rush fans, the recent spate of rock and roll deaths, and how Dream Theater was like a musical Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.
Portnoy's playlist:
The Beatles - A Day in the Life
The Who - We're Not Gonna Take It/See Me Feel Me/Listening To You
David Bowie - Space Oddity
Yes - Heart of the Sunrise
Radiohead - Paranoid Android
Alright, we're doing something a little different tonight. Episode 41 is a previously unreleased, impromptu episode recorded during a night of drinking with my neighbour and close friend, mister Johnny Belton. The episode was recorded in early 2017 and shelved, but I decided recently it would be fun to put out there. We had a lot of fun doing it, so I thought the listenership may enjoy this organic, more informal version of NSTS. And hey - it's Christmas.
On that topic, this will be the last episode to air before the holiday break - NSTS will return Tuesday, January 9 with a very well-known rock star guest.
I wish you the very best the holiday season can bring my friends, and I thank you sincerely for listening. Happy holidays!
Belton's playlist:
Max Webster - The Party
Soul Asylum - Misery
Bruce Springsteen - Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
The Clash - Train in Vain
Frank Zappa - Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?
Living Color - Cult of Personality
The Rolling Stones - Waiting on a Friend
Former Lowest of the Low frontman Stephen Stanley joins me on episode 40 to do a Christmas edition of No Sleep 'til Sudbury. We chat about his new group The Stephen Stanley Band and their excellent new record, Jimmy & The Moon, and then we get into the holiday tunes that make his skin vibrate.
Also discussed is the ironic fact that many Christmas songs were in fact written by Jewish composers, the amazing career of Darlene Love, and how Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" continues to be reviled year after year. Poor Macca.
Stanley's playlist:
Andy Williams - Sweet Little Jesus Boy
Barbra Streisand - The Christmas Song
Bob Dylan - Do You Hear What I Hear
Elvis Presley - Holly Leaves and Christmas Trees
John Denver - Aspenglow
Ray Coniff Singers - Jolly Old St Nick Medley
Sandler & Young - Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Darlene Love - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Joining me on the show this week is author and radio & television host of Living Fearlessly Lisa McDonald, who brings in all manner of musical genres with her No Sleep 'til Sudbury skin vibration playlist. We chat about Led Zeppelin drum samples, the Radiohead Toronto stage collapse disaster (she was there), and lovely "Mimi on the Beach" composer Jane Siberry. All this in less than 25 minutes - Lisa could have brought in a second playlist! And by the way, the name we can't come up with at the beginning of the program? It's Andrew Lloyd Webber. McDonald's playlist: Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman - Time To Say Goodbye Enigma - Return to Innocence Tori Amos - A Sorta Fairytale Radiohead - High & Dry Jane Siberry - Love is Everything
Everyone's favourite curmudgeon Chris 'The Pink Chief' Long calls into the show - not to talk about songs that make his skin vibrate, but to share his view of the world from the DJ booth. He gets a pass for flouting the show format though, because music is still the theme, and the stories he tells about the people he's interacted with as a DJ are so sad, bewildering, and compelling. People may open up to the bartender, but according to Long, they REALLY open up to the guy responsible for their soundtrack for the evening. And in some cases, pull the odd gun on him.
If you're a Canadian music fan of my vintage, you'll surely remember The Spoons and Honeymoon Suite. Rob Preuss played keyboards in both those bands, and he tells some great stories from those days in Episode 37 of No Sleep 'til Sudbury.
He joined The Spoons when he was only 15 (!), went on to Honeymoon Suite from there, and then later became the associate musical director for Broadway production Mamma Mia, and also played some piano in the Phantom of the Opera orchestra pit. During our conversation he stays true to the basic format of the show, talking about the songs that have made his skin vibrate over the course of his life and why. We also discuss our mutual childhood fondness for David Cassidy. Great guest, great chat.
Preuss' playlist:
Honeymoon Suite - Bad Attitude
Billy Joel - Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Helen Reddy - Angie Baby
Genesis - Deep in the Motherlode
The Partridge Family - Summer Days
Episode 36 of No Sleep Til Sudbury takes place in Wilton, Connecticut, conducted from two comfy chairs inside the home belonging to my pally from the valley, mister Ian O'Malley.
I'd heard a lot of the hilarious stories from his VH1 days previously, but not these - among them his drunken nickname for Sting, Keith Richards' preferred method of quaffing scotch, and Roger Waters' rules when meeting fans. O'Malley is one hell of a storyteller, and he blends sentiment with humour without peer. You gotta hear this.
O'Malley's playlist:
Pink Floyd - On The Turning Away
The Rolling Stones - Slave
The Police - Invisible Sun
Tom Petty - Wildflowers
Rush - 2112
Want your mind blown? Listen to this episode.
Semiotic researcher Charles Leech drops by to explain how and why we get goosebumps when we hear certain songs, and how rock music almost didn't exist if not for a guy called Palestrina.
Charles relates some utterly fascinating facts and logic surrounding the science of music in this episode. I'm still shaking my head.
Leech's playlist:
Palestrina - Missa Papae Marcelli
Richard Wagner - Prelude, and Liebestod
New Order - The Perfect Kiss
Grouplove - Tongue Tied
The Beatles - She Loves You
Dear Rouge - Wanna Wanna
Silversun Pickups - Drained
Annie Lennox - Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
Colin Hay - I Just Don't Think I'll Get Over You
Nick Drake - River Man
Jamie Blaine is a guy I could talk music with for days and days. In Episode 34, Jamie and I contemplate Halloween and talk about some Halloween-ish bands and their music. You know - KISS, Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, and so on.
No real playlist this time, but the chat is great and gets a little deeper than I anticipated.
Happy Halloween!
Hunters Bay Radio 88.7FM's on-air personality and afternoon drive host Sarah Coombs joins me for Episode 33 of the No Sleep 'til Sudbury episode series. Sarah is doing some very cool stuff at Hunters Bay Radio - no format! Just like WKRP!
Sarah's playlist features a little bit of everything - some aggression, some sadness, some happiness, and some chill. And, something impossibly cool happens at 4:03. Check it out!
Coombs' playlist:
Sinead O'Connor - Troy
Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name Of...
Nine Inch Nails - Something I Can Never Have
The Pixies - Broken Face
Martin Sexton - Diggin' Me
Making his triumphant return to the No Sleep 'til Sudbury show for episode 32 is mister Jay Jay French, back to talk about Lou Reed, David Bowie, The Beatles, and loads of other things.
Jay Jay also concedes that the Canadian Rockies are better than the American Rockies, what he stole from Judas Priest, the songs he used to soundcheck with Twisted Sister, and the Eagles song they used to cover(!). He also gives me a metaphor that I'm totally stealing for my next book.
French's playlist:
The Beatles - Side Two of Abbey Road
David Bowie - Oh! You Pretty Things
David Bowie - Changes
AC/DC - Whole Lotta Rosie
Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes
Velvet Underground - White Light, White Heat
Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side
Lou Reed - Satellite of Love
Oasis - Live Forever
Oasis - Don't Look Back in Anger
Stephanie Riley drops by the show in NSTS Episode 31 to discuss some very personal sentiments related to her having read All My Favourite People Are Broken. I'm fascinated that her stories actually lend validation to the purpose of Broken, which is to urge people to look more deeply into the reasons why they're so emotionally compelled by certain songs. So not only are people actually reading my books, they're learning things from them!!
All this, folks, and the soothing calypso sounds of Boney M too.
Riley's playlist:
Jose Feliciano - Feliz Navidad
Boney M - The Brown Girl in the Ring
Brenda Russell - Piano in the Dark
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Whitney Houston - Didn't We Almost Have It All
Eric Carmen - Hungry Eyes
The Dells - Heart is a House For Love
Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child of Mine
Taylor Dayne - Love Will Lead You Back
Quincy Jones - You Put a Move On My Heart
The Dock 104.1FM on-air personality Josh Duncan joins me in Episode 30 to talk Motorhead, Sabbath, Nirvana, and a little Simon & Garfunkel.
Josh and I have a great chat, including the strange emotional dichotomy of The Hip's final show, the last record I was actually excited about buying upon its release, the irony of alternative becoming mainstream, and Ozzy's unfortunate 80s Bea Arthur phase.
And by the way, Josh's dog is named Ronnie James Dio. True fact.
Duncan's playlist:
Motorhead - Ace of Spades
Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence
The Tragically Hip - Grace, Too
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Black Sabbath - War Pigs
Bob Marley - Three Little Birds
Steppenwolf - Snowblind Friend
Bad Religion - New Dark Ages
In Episode 029 of No Sleep Til Sudbury, my pal and massive punk rock fan Colin Lumsden returns to the studio to further discuss the songs that stir him emotionally, all the while continuing to impress me with incredible degrees of knowledge.
During our discussion we consider the contradictions of punk as a mainstream concept, that the lack of musicality in punk is in fact the entire point, and the fact that I may or may not have a soul.
Not many people I know get more out of music than Lumsden does. Towards the end of the interview he makes some very powerful confessions with brutal honesty, in turn capturing the very essence of everything I've tried to do with this show.
Lumsden's playlist:
Oasis - Don't Look Back in Anger
Rancid - Honor Is All We Know
Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK
Social Distortion - I Was Wrong
John Lennon - Imagine
It's my distinct pleasure to host one of the nicest guys in rock and roll in Episode 28 of NSTS, Def Leppard guitarist extraordinaire Phil Collen.
Phil and I cover a lot of ground in our chat - Hysteria's 30th anniversary, Sting's sublime bass lines, that he was asked to join Iron Maiden in 1981, his blues band Delta Deep, what he learned about being a guitar player from Mutt Lange, and the fact that my high school art class pencil sketch of he and Steve Clark was given an A+. Wish I had saved that thing.
Collen's playlist:
David Bowie - Moonage Daydream
Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
Al Green - Tired of Being Alone
The Police - Walking on the Moon
Sly and the Family Stone - If You Want Me To Stay
Jimi Hendrix - Fire
Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks
In Episode 27 of NSTS, Brad Jemmett and Kent Bailey both return to the studio for the fourth and final installment of their Golden Age of Hip Hop segment, and it's Bailey's turn to trash talk Jemmett's playlist. And he doesn't pull punches.
House of Pain, 2 Live Crew, and Jeru the Damaja all get talked about, but Bailey saves the best for last when he critiques Jemmett's last pick. Check it out!
My jackass friends Brad 'Jammer' Jemmett and Kent 'Blaze' Bailey are back for the third installment of their little hip hop exercise, and after we finish winding Blaze up for playing the French horn in high school band, Jammer goes through Blaze's playlist from Episode 10. Quite critically. Lots of trash talk.
Listen along as we talk Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, Wu Tang Clan, and how Blaze's high school girlfriend looked like MC Lyte.
Colin Lumsden is a personal friend, a highly intelligent business executive currently working in the field of higher education, and a massive music fan. In the first of this two-part series with Colin, he eloquently shares his deep knowledge of punk rock, the personal reasons why it compelled him so much as a younger man, as well as some incredibly insightful perspectives on the genre and others.
We also discuss the very unique and scientific way in which he derived his playlist, which impressed but did not surprise me. This is a really great chat.
Lumsden's playlist:
The Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever
Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down
Dead Kennedys - Where Do Ya Draw The Line
The Fratellis - For The Girl
Green Day - Coming Clean
Canadian rock journalist Mitch Lafon joins me in NSTS episode 24 with a classic hair metal playlist that brings me back to my high school days.
Join us as Mitch talks about the disappointment that was Montreal rock radio in the 80s, and why he's tight with Slash and Alice Cooper. He even teaches me a dirty little secret I didn't know about German rockers Scorpions!
Lafon's playlist:
Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Whitesnake - Still of the Night
Scorpions - Big City Nights
Poison - Talk Dirty To Me
Honeymoon Suite - All Along You Knew
Alice Cooper - Ballad of Dwight Fry
Bryan Adams - Heat of the Night
Twisted Sister founder and guitarist Jay Jay French joins me in episode 23 to discuss Sister, his slew of new and intriguing projects, and of course, his playlist.
Jay Jay and I talk about my first ever concert (Twisted Sister opening for Iron Maiden) and his frigid trek across Canada in December 1984, how his guitars (like his wife's shoes) seem to copulate overnight, how Johnny Cash approached him for his autograph in Toronto, why 1967 was such an important year in music, and what it was like to audition for KISS in 1972 before Ace Frehley joined the band.
All this and a chat about his unusual obsession with The Beatles too!
French's playlist:
Chuck Berry - School Days
The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand
Bob Dylan - Don't Think Twice It's Alright
Paul Butterfield Blues Band - Born in Chicago
Albert King - Crosscut Saw
Pink Floyd - See Emily Play
David Bowie - Five Years
Seattle editor and author of Welcome Thieves Sean Beaudoin joins me via Skype to talk about one of the most unique and compelling playlists ever submitted to the No Sleep Til Sudbury podcast series.
Sean supports his playlist with eloquence, interesting facts, and hilarious stores surrounding his experiences with these songs. Listen along as he tells us what his father thought Husker Du really meant, why being at a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds show is akin to witnessing the inner workings of a cult, the dangers of being a Blue Oyster Cult fan, why he turned his Firm t-shirt inside out, and how he proved he was a real Captain Beefheart fan.
Beaudoin's playlist:
The Doors - The Changeling
Soft Machine - Hope for Happiness
Syd Barrett - Octopus
Miles Davis - On The Corner
Stiff Little Fingers - Suspect Device
Blue Oyster Cult - Hot Rails To Hell
The Minutemen - Ain't Talkin Bout Love
Captain Beefheart - Lick My Decals Off, Baby
Husker Du - Pink Turns To Blue
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand
In the most candid episode of No Sleep Til Sudbury to date, comedian and Sirius XM on-air personality Allison Dore shares some very honest and personal insights from her formative years as reflected through the playlist she created for the show.
Musically and emotionally, there's a little bit of everything. Allison takes us through her love/hate relationship with cowboys, her perspectives on Steve Earle, and our weakness for the 'crafty' types. But most importantly, Allison shares an important message surrounding mental health that shouldn't be ignored.
Dore's playlist:
Hank Williams Jr. - Family Tradition
The Beastie Boys - She's Crafty
Steve Earle - Angry Young Man
Steve Miller - The Joker
The Emotions - Best of My Love
Blue Rodeo - Try
Britney Spears - Stronger
Destiny's Child - So Good
Lennon Stella and Maisy Stella - Joy Parade
In NSTS episode 020, I'm joined by New York filmmaker Chris Cassidy to talk about his upcoming documentary Dennis and Lois, which chronicles the fascinating story of a couple who have lived out their rock and roll dreams for more than 30 years.
Chris' playlist is centred around the film's soundtrack, featuring an assortment of bands that interacted with Dennis and Lois. As we discuss the songs, Chris shares the details behind the towel containing Joe Strummer's DNA, how Dennis and Lois procured the dirty socks of the Gaye Bykers on Acid, and what it was like to watch bands at CBGB alongside Lou Reed playing pool.
As this is an independent documentary film, a Kickstarter campaign has been launched and contributions can be made here. Dennis and Loisis slated for a late 2017 release.
Cassidy's playlist:
The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop
The Mekons - Where Were You?
The Happy Mondays - Dennis and Lois
Fat White Family - Whitest Boy on the Beach
The Bogmen - Oceans Apart
Killer Dwarfs singer Russ Dwarf and I get his birthday festivities started a day early in Episode 019 of No Sleep Til Sudbury, as Russ takes me through the playlist of songs that make his skin vibrate over a few Sapporos.
All the important stuff gets covered - classic Sudbury landmarks like The Coulson and the Brockdan, opening for Iron Maiden at Wembley and Hammersmith, The Dwarfs' very first gig in Oshawa, and what it's like to sing Rush songs alongside Rush's own Alex Lifeson.
Happy birthday, Russ!
Russ' playlist:
Alice Cooper - Generation Landslide
Rick Derringer - Uncomplicated
Rush - Anthem
Max Webster - On the Road
Motorhead - Killed By Death
Look who's back! The Pink Chief, Chris Long, makes his triumphant return to the No Sleep Til Sudbury podcast.
In this episode, The Chief completely flouts my format and does something completely different - no playlist in favour of his confession of a guilty pleasure. And it wouldn't be Chris Long if there wasn't some controversy.
Fun episode. I love this lunatic.
Canadian kid and fleet-fingered guitarist for hot new heavy blues band Crown Lands Kevin Comeau brings his guitar into the studio for Canada Day, replacing my usual intro music with some tasty slide guitar. He even plays us out with a little bit of Rush in the spirit of the day.
Kev's band Crown Lands just won the 97.7 HTZ-FM 2017 Rock Search and their new album, called Rise Over Run, drops shortly. Kev brought in an incredible playlist of the songs that make his skin vibrate, and he makes me look bad with his eloquent and highly knowledgeable discussion of said songs. The kid is wise beyond his years, folks.
Comeau's playlist:
Rush - Xanadu
Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand In Mine
Bob Dylan - Boots of Spanish Leather
Yes - Heart of the Sunrise
King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King
Fleetwood Mac - Silver Springs
Paul Simon - Graceland
Tycho - Awake
Canadian TV personality and MuchMusic alum Bill Welychka finally gets his invite to guest on NSTS Episode 16, fresh off of my appearance on his morning show on CKWS TV.
During our chat Bill touches on The Hip's take on Jacques Cartier, his Aerosmith backstage listening experience, Liam Gallagher always being on his best behaviour in his presence, and just how expensive Justin Bieber's time can be.
Welychka's playlist:
The Tragically Hip - Nautical Disaster
Oasis - Live Forever
The Cure - A Hundred Years
George Jones - He Stopped Loving Her Today
Aerosmith - Cryin'
Blue Rodeo - Hasn't Hit Me Yet
Rush - Time Stands Still
Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
Following in the footsteps of his childhood Scarborough bestie, my old dorm brother Brad 'Jammer' Jemmett drops by with his own hip hop playlist, and trash talks his old mate Kent Bailey (whom you'll remember from Episode 10) and his rap preferences.
I personally learned a lot in this episode, albeit things I should have probably already known. But I refuse to embarrass myself in text - you'll have to listen to the episode to find out just how little I know about Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest, and Deee-Lite's "Groove Is In The Heart".
Jemmett's playlist:
Grandmaster Flash - The Message
NWA - Fuck The Police
Eric B and Rakim - Paid in Full
Public Enemy - Fight The Power
Maestro Fresh Wes - Let Your Backbone Slide
A Tribe Called Quest - Can I Kick It?
House of Pain - Jump Around
Jeru the Damaja - Come Clean
50 Cent - In Tha Club
In Episode 14 my homegirl from the South, Jo Watson, joins me to discuss the songs that make her skin vibrate, and to hack on each other a bit as we always do.
Listen as Watson confesses her love for sexy women and her crush on Tom Petty, props up the Zac Brown Band, and pulls one of my favourite songs from the Stones' Exile On Main Street out of her playlist hat.
Watson's playlist:
Bruce Springsteen - My City of Ruins
The Black Crowes - She Talks To Angels
Credence Clearwater Revival - Green River
Mudcrutch - I Forgive It All
Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
Pure Prairie League - Amie
The Zac Brown Band - Free / Into The Mystic
The Rolling Stones - Sweet Virginia
In Episode 13 leading Canadian music correspondent, public relations wizard, and Sirius XM radio host Eric Alper joins me via Skype.
Among other things, we discuss the Genesis gateway between Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, the jazz inflections that can be found Talk Talk's "Life's What You Make It", and the importance of Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly. We also count the number of genres Sheena Easton has performed within over the course of her underrated career.
And, of course, KISS find their way into the conversation. Again.
Alper's playlist:
Genesis - Abacab
Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It
My Bloody Valentine - Soon
Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire
Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue
Sinead O'Connor - I Am Stretched On Your Grave
Prince - U Got The Look
Drive-By Truckers - You Got Another
Drive-By Truckers - Daylight
It was my privilege to host the legendary Alan Cross in Episode 12, voice of that iconic Canadian music doc we've all listened to at some point in our lives - The Ongoing History of New Music.
As Alan and I talk about the songs that make his skin vibrate, he tells some incredible stories about the things he touched in Abbey Road Studios, how he perplexed Paul McCartney, and his hilarious discussion with Pete Townsend about the instrumentation in "Won't Get Fooled Again".
And after we get through his list, we geek out over David Bowie.
Cross' playlist:
The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
Peter Gabriel - Secret World (extended live version)
Oasis - Rock and Roll Star
Stone Roses - I Am The Resurrection
Paul McCartney and Wings - Live and Let Die
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Pink Floyd - Mother
The Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Whoa!!! My man Jamie Blaine takes over the show all the way from Nashville and plays the role of host, allowing me to get in on the fun and talk a little bit about the songs that make MY skin vibrate.
Jamie does an outstanding hosting job, taking me through that very wide spectrum of emotions that all my songs conjure up - the cocaine, the Quaaludes, and everything in between.
My playlist:
AC/DC - Sin City
Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed
Led Zeppelin - Down By The Seaside
Aimee Mann - Wise Up
Motley Crue - Looks That Kill
Stereophonics - Handbags and Glad Rags
Stone Temple Pilots - Sour Girl
Lake Street Dive - Rental Love
KISS - Sure Know Something
No Sleep Til Sudbury takes a complete left turn in Episode 10 as my close pal Kent Bailey drops by to give me a tutorial on the history of Hip Hop. Even if he was a suburban white kid, dude knows his stuff. Listen along as Bailey discusses his traumatic introduction to music, his resemblance to Canadian rapper Kish, the Funky Drummer sampling phenomenon, and so much more. He even namechecks a Slayer band member! That's my boy. Bailey's playlist: The Beastie Boys - No Sleep Til Brooklyn Maestro Fresh Wes - Let Your Backbone Slide Slick Rick - I Shouldn't Have Done It MC Lyte - Cold Rock a Party NWA - Straight Outta Compton Wu Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M. EPMD - Strictly Business A Tribe Called Quest - Award Tour Nas - Halftime Public Enemy - Welcome To The Terrordome
My old promo tour buddy from Florida Chris Long, also known as The Pink Chief, joins me in Episode 9 to riff on music like no one else can. This dude is a lunatic, and I love him for it.
During our chat, Long calls out the sterility of New Country, wonders what Keith Richards is whispering in Mick Jagger's ear, comes clean about his fantasies, and turns the tables on me with some questions of his own.
The Chief's playlist:
The Rolling Stones - Hot Stuff
Led Zeppelin - Tangerine
The Black Crowes - Sometimes Salvation
Sara Groves - Less Like Scars
Elton John - Ticking
Todd Rundgren - Hello It's Me
My brother from Tennessee, Jamie Blaine, writes for like 70 different magazines and still has time to drop by the show for a few laughs, bless his heart.
Listen in as we talk about the peculiarity that is Krokus, what it must have been like for Gene and Paul to hear Ace's solo album for the first time, Lemmy's beautiful ugliness, and Jamie's woeful Rush experiment.
Turns out he does some great impressions too!
Blaine's playlist:
Black Sabbath - Solitude
Ace Frehley - Snowblind
Ted Nugent - Stranglehold
Motorhead - One Track Mind
Don Felder - Heavy Metal
Rush - Xanadu
Prince - Computer Blue
Plasmatics - Put Your Love In Me
Learning design specialist and close friend Rachel Sumner drops by in Episode 7 with a highly inspiring and very interesting spin on the No Sleep Til Sudbury playlist concept, as she presents a collection of British female songwriters that taught her how to 'feel' as a British woman in her formative years. And, she scores additional points for being a Joni Mitchell fan.
Sumner's playlist:
Kristy McColl - A New England
Alison Moyet - Love Letters
Eddi Reader - Patience of Angels
Sharlene Spiteri - When We Are Together
Gabrielle - Dreams
Amy Winehouse - Love is a Losing Game
Adele - Make You Feel My Love
Ellie Goulding - On My Mind
In Episode 6, Robin Washington's love of music is only slightly eclipsed by her gift for being a wisecracking smartass. Listen as she discusses her grandfather's pimp tendencies, her hilarious account of listening to The Black Crowes' Amorica record on Spotify, her adoration of Prince, and her complete disdain for me.
Washington's playlist:
Stacey Q - Two of Hearts
Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke
Michael Jackson - Working Day & Night
Fleetwood Mac - Silver Springs
Alice in Chains - No Excuses
The Black Crowes - Wiser Time
A Tribe Called Quest - Award Tour
Our Lady Peace - Naveed
Sting - If I Ever Lose My Faith In You
Prolific UK author, respected music journalist, and all-around great guy Joel McIver joins me via Skype from across the pond to discuss all manner of things, including the dark details inside Soft Cell's lyrics, a Ronnie James Dio children's song (seriously!), and the curious punk rock absurdity behind Kim Wilde's "Kids in America".
All this and Cannibal Corpse and The Beatles too!
McIver's playlist:
Ronnie James Dio/Butterfly Ball - Sitting in a Dream
The Beatles - Help!
Soft Cell - Bedsitter
Kim Wilde - Kids in America
Metallica - Disposable Heroes
Slayer - Reborn
Mahler - Symphony #5 in C#m: IV Adagietto
Sisters of Mercy - Marian (Version)
Miles Davis - Freddie Freeloader
Cannibal Corpse - The Time To Kill Is Now
Faith No More - Ricochet
David Bowie - Lady Grinning Soul
Psychologist and distinguished music freak Dr. Liam Ennis joins me via Skype to chat about things like the goings-on inside Al Green's crazy church in Memphis, why certain Beatles fans want to spit in his face, his favourite Tragically Hip lyric, and who has the absolute best rock and roll scream in the history of the genre.
The Good Doctor's playlist:
The Who - Young Man's Blues
The Tragically Hip - Flamenco
Al Green - Love and Happiness
Bruce Springsteen - State Trooper
Speed Trap Town - Jason Isbell
The Beatles - Helter Skelter
Tom Waits - Downtown Train
Neil Young - Helpless
In episode 3 my pally from the valley, longtime New York radio and entertainment personality Ian O'Malley, joins me over Skype from Connecticut to talk about the songs that represent the incredible adventures he's had during his 35 years in the business.
O'Malley's stories are always epic, and he shares a few of them with us during our chat - a hilarious encounter with Judas Priest's Rob Halford during a barbeque at former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach's house in New Jersey, Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx's unfortunate $50 dollar sneeze, singing along backstage to "Train Kept A Rollin" with Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler, and what it was like to meet Kurt Cobain and Nirvana at the soundcheck for their first appearance on Saturday Night Live, among others.
O'Malley's Playlist:
Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart
Extreme - More Than Words
Skid Row - Monkey Business
Judas Priest - Painkiller
Poison - Nothin But A Good Time
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
My favourite on-air personality in the Greater Toronto Area, Lee Eckley from 94.9 The Rock, brings over some beers and a great list of classic rock and jazz songs to discuss.
And you're gonna love the Rick James story he tells at the end of the episode.
Eckley's playlist:
Big Star - Thirteen
Todd Rundgren - I Can't Stop Running
Chris Squire - Hold Out Your Hand
Mick Taylor - Giddy Up
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
The Beatles - Tomorrow Never Knows
Frank Zappa - Inca Roads
Phish - Waste