RPM45: Recent Episodes
Mark Kassof
We’re going back to the heyday of the 45 rpm record -- the little records with the big holes.We’re talking about the '60s '70s and '80s. We'll talk to some of the artists that had big hits back then.
Right Said Fred – brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass – had a #1 hit in the U.S. and a number of countries around the world with “I’m Too Sexy.” But while they are a “one hit wonder” in the U.S., they had multiple hits elsewhere, And they’re making great music to this day. They’re serious musicians, but they don’t take themselves too seriously, and were a blast to talk with. Check them out..I think you’ll enjoy it!
Simon Kirke is a British drummer best known as an founding member of Free - most famous for "All Right Now" - and Bad Company - which had a string of '70s hits including "Can't Get Enough," "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" and "Feel Like Makin' Love."
In the episode, we talk with Simon about...
- His teenage gig playing drums in a disco.
- How his parents gave him to years to make it as a drummer, or go back to school.
- How a lucky coin flip led him to a pub to see a band, which led him to...
- Meeting guitarist Paul Kossoff , which led him to joining Kossoff's band. Which led him to...
- Auditioning for Kossof's friend - singer Paul Rodgers - which led to...
- Formation of Free with Kossoff, Rodgers and bassist Andy Fraser.
- The motivation that led to Free's hit "All Right Now."
- Free's success and subsequent breakup, which led to...
- The formation of Bad Company, it's ups and downs, and long-tern success.
Bertie Higgins is a multi-talented guy…a singer, songwriter, film producer and performer, most famous for his 1981 Top Ten hit – Key Largo. In this episode of RPM45, we talk with him, and even have a cameo appearance from the woman who inspired his big hit.
I woke up to the sad news this morning that Mary Wilson – one of the founding members of The Supremes – died yesterday.
I interviewed Mary Wilson for this podcast in late July. In fact, she was one of the first guests on the RPM45 podcast. It was an honor. Mary looked great on our Zoom call, was extremely gracious to me and open to sharing her life experiences, including her beginnings, how she got together with her fellow Supremes. and how she kept the group going after Florence Ballard's death and Diana Ross's departure.
Even though Mary had been in the entertainment industry for six decades, she remained enthusiastic and not even thinking about retirement. Her love of performing burned brightly.
And she was committed to a cause.…To have her good friend former Supreme Florence Ballard – who died more than 4 decades earlier - commemorated on a U.S. stamp. (For more info, check out this web page: https://about.usps.com/who/csac/#process )
I found Mary Wilson a beautiful person in every way, talented, smart and inspiring. And now, in her honor, I want to share that experience with you.
Richard Monda - known to music fans as Daddy Dewdrop - had a Top 10 hit in 1971 with Chick-A-Boom (Don't Ya Jes' Love It),
But there's a lot more to his story than just one hit. He's been in entertainment almost of his whole life, including roles in major movies when he was a teen in the early '50s. His biggest role was as a young Eddie Cantor in the The Eddie Cantor Story.
Dick has got a lot of great stories to tell. And we’ve got some of them right here, including...
- His experiences in the movie business and why he left it.
- Starting out in music in record promotion, later becoming a producer and songwriter.
- The TV cartoon show and the joke that inspired Chick-A-Boom.
- Seeing his name in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- What he got out of his hit (and what he didn't).
- What his life is like now.
- And much more!
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Rick Stevers is the drummer and leader of Frijid Pink, which scored a Top 10 hit with its hard rocking version of “House of the Rising Sun” in the Winter of 1970.
What’s especially interesting about this hit is how close it came to not happening. If the group didn’t have a little extra studio time and if Rick had been dating a different girl, we probably have never heard Frijid Pink’s version.
in this episode of RPM45, Rick tells this story, and more...
- How the band got its name.
- How a little unused studio time led them to record "House of the Rising Sun."
- How his girlfriend's dad (a Detroit radio exec) helped make it a hit.
- When Led Zeppelin was their opening act.
- When they played for President Nixon.
- The band's breakup and rebirth.
- The band's new music, including the EP "Hot Pink."
- And more!
BTW, we had a Zoom problem about halfway through our talk and switched to the phone, which is why rick's audio changes halfway through.
Mark Andes is a legendary rock musician…a bassist with an incredible resume. He was a member of Canned Heat and Spirit in the late ‘60s, while still a teen. Later, he became one of the founding members of Firefall, playing on their first four albums, then spent a decade with Heart, a decade with Dan Fogelberg, and played with numerous other artists before returning to Firefall in the last decade.
Philip Wright is lead singer and drummer of Paper Lace – famous for its 1974 #1 hit “The Night Chicago Died.” But right before then, Paper Lace had another #1 hit– “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” -- in the U.K. and Australia. (It was covered by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods here.)
In this episode, we talk with Phil about...
- How he and Paper Lace got started.
- The band's big break on the TV show "Opportunity Knocks," which led to...
- Connecting with the hit songwriting team of Mitch Murray and Peter Callander, which led to...
- The band's big hits "Billy Don't Be a Hero" and "The Night Chicago Died."
- Chicago Mayor Daley's negative reaction to the song (and the band).
- What happened after the hits.
- What he's up to now, including membership in three bands!
Andy Scott was (and is) the lead guitarist of Sweet. He, along with Sweet bassist Steve Priest, drummer Mick Tucker and lead singer Brian Connolly, went through a musical evolution during the ‘70s. They started out as a bubblegum group with songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, but evolved into a legitimate rock band playing their own music.
In this episode of RPM45, Andy talks about all that, including their five U.S. hits, their days as a "glam rock" band, the real meaning of "Little Willy," and what's happened since, including their new album – “Isolation Boulevard”
After 33 episodes of RPM45, beginning in June, I thought it would be a cool year-end thing to share my favorite moments from those talks. You'll hear highlights from Judy Collins, Gino Vannelli, Gary Puckett, B.J. Thomas, Dave Mason and members of Air Supply, The Association, Blues Magoos, Brewer & Shipley, The Buckinghams, Cutting Crew, The Cyrkle, The Electric Prunes, Foghat, New Colony Six, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Standells, The Whispers, and Wild Cherry.
Our clips cover such topics as:
- How they got started in music.
- How groups got their names.
- If they knew a hit was a hit (before it was a hit).
- Their challenges getting paid for their chart success.
- What fan appreciation means for them.
- And more!
One more thing. In the episode, i refer to some YouTube videos. Here's where you'll find them:
Lawrence Welk's "One Toke Over the Line": https://youtu.be/t8tdmaEhMHE
B.J. Thomas gets wet on The Ed Sullivan Show: https://youtu.be/-GYVu1JHJ9A (rain starts at around 2:00)
New Colony Six on Kiddie A-Go-Go: https://youtu.be/hGW4cFMAcS0
Firefall was founded in 1974 by Rick Roberts, Larry Burnett, Mark Andes, David Muse and this episode's guest -- lead guitarist Jock Bartley. By the end of they decade, they had three gold albums and three Top 10 singles: "You Are the Woman," "Just Remember I Love You" and "Strange Way."
In this episode we talk with Jock about...
- How he got started in music.
- How the '70s rock scene in Boulder, Colorado boosted his career.
- How Firefall came together and got its record contract with Atlantic.
- How the group's first album "Firefall" became the fastest record to achieve gold status in Atlantic Records history.
- How the group's hits like "You Are the Woman" differed from the band's deeper cuts.
- Firefall's connection to the Southern California folk rock and country rock sound.
- How successful musicians don't make as much money as we might think.
- How the band broke apart in the early '80s.
- How he brought Firefall back with help from the resurgence of interest in classic rock.
- The group's new album "Comet," including the song "Way Back When."
Jim Stafford is the singer-songwriter famous for unique ‘70s hits including "Spiders & Snakes", "Swamp Witch," "My Girl Bill", and "Wildwood Weed.”
His great sense of humor and charm led his to success on a bunch of TV variety and talk shows and even his own summer series and regular role on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. We talk about all of it on this week’s episode of RPM45.
In the late ‘60s, there were a lot of great groups coming out of Chicago, but the most successful were The Buckinghams – with five major Top 40 hits in the space of little more than a year -- kicked off by "Kind of a Drag"...atop the charts for two weeks in early '67.
In this episode, we talk with the guitarist and singer who continues to perform with the group -- Carl Giammarese. We cover a bunch of topics including...
- How the band got a big break (and its new name) on a local weekly TV show.
- How those TV appearances led to the band's first contract with a local record label.
- How "Kind of a Drag" became a hit.
- What it was like to have a #1 record while still in high school
- Signing with CBS Records after the success of "Kind of a Drag."
- How four of the group's hits were written by a member of another Chicago group...all about his breakup with a girlfriend named Susan.
- Why the band's success didn't make them much money.
- How the band crashed when the '60s ended, and how he coped with it.
- Recording in L.A. with legendary producer Lou Adler
- Returning to Chicago and success as a jingle singer.
- The band's reunion at a Navy Pier concert.
- The '80s resurgence of The Buckinghams and other late '60s bands, fueled by Baby Boomers.
- And... MUCH MORE!
Bryan Bassett is the guitarist who may be best known for his work in Wild Cherry...he created the famous riff that kicks off the band's platinum smash 1976 hit -- "Play That Funky Music." He tells the story of that song, as well as the record's multi-racial appeal that made it Number One on both the pop and R&B charts.
But Wild Cherry marked only the start of Bryan's success in music. After he left the band, Bryan became a producer and engineer at King Snake Records, a specialty blues label. He later joined Molly Hatchet and - for the past two decades - has been a member of Foghat.
And in this episode of RPM45, Bryan tells about all of it...and more!
Roger Earl is a founding member and drummer of Foghat – an English rock band most famous for songs like Slow Ride, Drivin' Wheel and I Just Wanna Make Love to You. The band has achieved eight gold albums, one platinum and one double platinum album, and they’re still going strong.
Roger is a life-loving, fun-loving guy and we covered LOTS in our talk:
- How he got started in music.
- How he got into Savoy Brown and why he got out.
- Two explanations of how Foghat got its name.
- Foghat's audition for legendary artist manager Albert Grossman that led to a record deal with his new label.
- How Foghat fought to make Slow Ride a single, even though it was 8 minutes long.
- How his longtime friend, band mate and lead singer Dave Peverett left the band, which resulted in two versions of Foghat touring.
- Why Dave returned to the band before ultimately succumbing to illness.
- How Foghat found a new lead singer -- Charlie Huhn -- from Humble Pie and the assembly line at Ford.
- and... MUCH MORE!!!
Wayne Nelson is the bassist and vocalist of Little River Band, and has been for the past 4 decades… LRB gave us many great ‘80s hits including “Reminiscing,” “Lonesome Loser,” “Lady,” “Cool Change” and “The Night Owls” It’s gone through numerous changes since then, but carries on.
I talk with Wayne about...
- His beginnings in music in Chicago.
- Moving to L.A., and connecting with star performer and producer Jim Messina.
- How he joined Little River Band.
- His early experiences with the group, including working with legendary Beatles producer George Martin.
- The controversy and legal battles behind use of the Little River Band name.
- How the band began playing with orchestras, leading to its terrific new orchestrated Greatest Hits LP – Black Tie.
James Lowe is the lead singer and guitarist of The Electric Prunes, a psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles famous for its 1966 hit: “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night).”
The group’s music was sometimes weird, but I found James to be an easygoing, down-to-earth guy with a great sense of humor.
We talk about...
- How he got started in music
- How The Electric Prunes got its name
- How the group was discovered.
- The recording of "I Had Too Much Too Dream."
- Why he left the group.
- What he's done since.
- And...much more!
Jim Messina has done it all when it comes to making records. He’s been a recording engineer, record producer a singer, songwriter, and guitarist,. He was a member of Buffalo Springfield, pioneering country rock band Poco, and the hit-making duo Loggins and Messina.
And, on this week’s RPM45, we talk about...
- His early days in music, including his high school band and hist first album at age 16!
- Becoming a recording engineer and recording Joni Mitchell's first demo.
- Being an engineer producer and plarer in Buffalo Springfield.
- His role in the creation of Poco.
- How he got together with Kenny Loggins.
- What broke up Loggins and Messina.
- What his life is like now.
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap had an amazing run of hit records from 1968-70: "Woman, Woman,: "Young Girl," "Lady Willpower" "Over You," "Don't Give In to Him" and "This Girl is a Woman Now." In this episode of RPM45, we talk with Gary about beginnings in music, his group's success, the tough times that followed and how he came through it all. (There's also an amazing moment around 10:20 where Gary sings for us!)
We talk with Gary about...
- How he formed the band that became The Union Gap (and how it got its look and name).
- The group's partnership with producer Jerry Fuller that led to its success.
- The controversy about some of the songs' lyrics.
- His tough times in the '70s
- How how overcame the tough times and how he found his faith.
- His turnaround beginning in the '80s
- What his life is like now and what his musical plans are going forward.
In the late ’60s, psychedelic music emerged on the scene. And one of its most successful groups was Blues Magoos – most famous for their Top 5 1966 hit “We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet.” In this episode of RPM45, we talk with its organist and vocalist Ralph Scala.
In this week's RPM45: Dave Mason -- singer, songwriter guitarist -- who’s done a ton in music …from his work with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Traffic, to his own successful solo career (including his hit "We Just Disagree"), to his work with some of the biggest names in the business.
In this episode, we talk about...
- His new version of one of his classic songs -- Feelin' Alright" -- with a supergroup that includes Mick Fleetwood, Sammy Hagar, Michael McDonald and The Doobie Brothers.
- His "ins and outs": with the group Traffic.
- His work with so many other stars, including Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Cass Elliot and Michael Jackson.
- Alone Together...Again -- the new version of his classic album Alone Together, coming soon.
- And, How the music industry has become a much tougher way to make money,due to technology.
Larry Tamblyn is the keyboard player and sometimes lead singer of The Standells – famous for their 1966 hit “Dirty Water. He’s got a lot of great stories and he shares them all in a biography he just completed. But he shares quite a few with us in this episode of RPM45.
Even though they're not from Boston (surprised? I was), The Standells have become part of Boston culture, played after every Red Sox win at Fenway Park.
(Red Sox fans, be sure to listen starting at 31:20 when Larry tells us all about The Standells Red Sox connection, including playing at Game 2 of the 2004 World Series.)
But listen to the whole thing...it's good!
Unlike most guests on RPM45, Russell Hitchcock didn't dream of becoming a music star while growing up in his native Australia. He got into music only because his girlfriend pushed him to audition for Jesus Christ Superstar, where where he met his future band mate Graham Russell. Five years later, Air Supply began a string of seven consecutive Top Five hits, including "Lost in Love," "All Out of Love," and "The One That You Love."
In this episode, Russell talks about...
- His relationship with Russell Graham.
- Why Air Supply was more successful in the U.S. than his home country.
- Traveling and performing around the world.
- Air Supply's audience and its most loyal fans -- the "Air Heads."
- Air Supply's appearance on "The Bachelor."
- The band's latest double CD -- "The Lost in Love Experience." recorded with the Prague Symphony Orchestra.
- And, much more!
Trevor Steel is a songwriter, guitarist and lead singer of The Escape Club -- best known for their 1988 No. 1 US hit "Wild, Wild West" and for their top-ten 1991 hit ballad "I'll be There."
In this episode of RPM45, Trevor tell us about...
- The musical hero that motivated him to enter the music business.
- How an EMI records exec said "we don't hear a hit" on the Wild Wild West album.
- The group's mind-blowing experience as they became "overnight pop stars" in The U.S., even as "Wild, Wild West" failed to become a hit in their native UK.
- The inspiration behind "I'll Be There."
- How they never received much of the money generated by their record sales and how that led them to disband the group in the early '90s.
- How he became a successful record producer and exec.
- How the group reunited, and what they're up now.
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils have been entertaining for 50 years with their unique mix of country, rock, bluegrass and pop. In this episode, we talk with Michael “Supe” Granda - who has been a key member for all every one of those years.
He talks about...
- Growing up musically in St. Louis
- How moving to Springfield, Missouri for college "opened his ears" to different kinds of music.
- How the Daredevils got together.
- How they landed a contract with A&M records.
- How A&M paired the group with one of rock's most successful producers.
- Why they had to fight to get "If You Wanna Get to Heaven" included on their first album.
- Why "Jackie Blue" involved a sex change.
- And, MUCH more!
In this episode of RPM45, I get to indulge my inner "Chicago guy” talking with Ronnie Rice of New Colony Six…one of a number of great Chicago bands of the late ’60s. Ronnie was the writer and lead singer of the group’s two biggest hits – “I Will Always Think About You” and “Things I’d Like to Say.” He's a funny guy and I had a great time talking with him...lots of laughs! Also note (if you've listened to other episodes) that my Chicago accent comes through a lot stronger with this one, just by talking with Ronnie!
Among the things we discuss are:
- The great rock scene that Chicago had back in the late '60s.
- The NC6's transition from garage band to success with mainstream ballads.
- Why the slow roll-out of the group's biggest hits hurt their chart performance.
- Why he continues to play and loves it!
B.J. Thomas has had an amazing career, with a decades-long string of hits, including eight #1 and 26 Top 10 hits in pop, country and gospel. He's a five-time time Grammy winner, a Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, and he won an Oscar as well for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head," from the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
But aside from his stellar career, B.J. Thomas is a man I came to like very much over the time we talked, and I think you will too. Among the topics we talked about are:
- Why he wanted to be an R&B singer.
- How he came to record "Raindrops..."
- The two versions of "Raindrops" he recorded -- including the "laryngitis version."
- How performing "Raindrops" on The Ed Sullivan Show was a "wet and wild" experience.
- How drug and alcohol problems led him to a career in gospel music.
- Why he left gospel and enjoyed country success in the early '80s.
- How he overcame his upbringing to appreciate and respect all different kinds of people.
The Whispers -- twin brothers Scotty and Walter Scott, and Leavell Degree – are an L.A,-based R&B group that had a string of Top 40 hits in the early ‘80s – like “And the Beat Goes On,” “It’s a Love Thing” and “Rock Steady.” But the group and its R&B success began more than a decade earlier.
In this episode of RPM45, we talk to the Scott twins about all that, and a lot more ...
- How they got started back in the early '60s, and the help they got from San Francisco DJ Sly Stone before he became a star in his own right.
- Who sparked their string of uptempo early '80s hits that were a departure from what they'd done before.
- How they - like many artists - failed to get fairly paid for their early successes, how they turned that around, and how today's younger artists are challenging the old system.
- How they continue to perform after 50+ years, despite the deaths of key members.
- How events in our country motivated their awesome new single -- "How Long". (Check it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/tHf3jiaQGHQ)
Thanks so much to Walter and Scotty for sharing with us!
Michael Brewer and Tom Shipley are folk singers who became famous for their 1971 Top 10 hit "One Toke Over the Line." But as Michael points out in our talk, their biggest hit isn't like most of their work, which is more socially conscious and ballad oriented.
So "One Toke" isn't the only story here, but it is the biggest one. Michael tells the how "One Toke" started as a joke, how it became a hit, the controversy that followed it, and what it meant for Brewer & Shipley. Oh yeah, and that it ended up sung on a TV show where you'd never expect to hear it!
Michael also talks his music career (starting at age four), how he met Tom, their time in L.A. (hanging out with Buffalo Springfield and other notable bands), what moved the pair back to the Midwest, their times on the road, some of the surprising bands they opened for, and much more.
He's a great storyteller and he's got a lot of stories to tell. I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did...which is a lot!
Everyone knows the Supremes – three young women from Detroit who became one of the most successful groups of all time - with 12 number one hits and 21 top 10 hits. And Mary Wilson is the one Supreme who stuck through it all…through the tragic death of her friend Florence Ballard, the departure of Diana Ross for a solo career, and the "new Supremes" of the '70s.
Today we discuss her early life, her life as a Supreme and her life since. You'll hear about...
- Her experiences growing up in Detroit and how she met her fellow Supremes.
- How The Supremes "hung around" Motown Records on a daily basis until they got their chance.
- The forgotten "Fourth Supremes" -- Betty and Barbara.
- How their initial singles flopped until Motown hooked them up with the writing/producing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland.
- Her relationship with Diana Ross.
- What happened to The Supremes in the '70s after Diana left.
- What happened to Florence Ballard that led to her problems.
- Why Mary never quit music.
- How Mary moved beyond music alone to become a best-selling author.
- Her aspirations for the future.
Finally, we talk about Mary's mission to put Florence Ballard on a commemorative stamp. To help her, check out this web page for instructions: https://about.usps.com/who/csac/#process
The Cyrkle had two big hits in 1966: "Red Rubber Ball" and "Turn Down Day." They're also known for being an opening act the Beatles' final U.S. tour that same year.
But only a few years before, the band was known as the Rhondells - the #1 party band on the campus of Lafayette University - a small private school in Easton, PA.In this episode of RPM45, we talk about:
- How Beatles manager Brian Epstein became their manager.
- How John Lennon gave them their new name.
- Their experience opening for The Beatles.
- How Paul Simon co-wrote "Red Rubber Ball," and how the band turned down another Simon-penned hit.
- What band members did after their "15 Minutes of Fame." ...
- How the band got back together 5 decades later.
- And more!
It’s been almost 60 years since Judy Collins released her first album. But Judy Collins is still going strong…still writing and performing, both on record and in concert. We talk about her life, her musical journey, and (of course, since this is RPM45), her Top 10 Hit "Both Sides Now," and what it's meant for her career.
My favorite part of the interview is when Judy Collins calls out some of her fellow performers for "lying." But throughout, she is remarkably candid and forthright.
Dennis Coffey is a legendary guitarist from Detroit - a highly coveted session musician for numerous artists and labels, including Motown. As a member of Motown's house band - the "Funk Brothers" - he played on some of its biggest hits by The Temptations, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and many others.. And in 1971, he had his own Top 10 instrumental hit – "Scorpio."
Dennis talks about how Motown lost its signature sound after moving to L.A. and abandoning the Funk Brothers, how - despite all his success - he had to work on an assembly line at General Motors, and how he achieved success in a new career while still continuing in music.
Andy Kim had big hits in the late ‘60s, including the Top Ten “Baby, I Love You,” then made a huge comeback in 1974 with his #1 hit “Rock Me Gently” Andy tells great stories about his gutsy start in the music biz, his songwriting successes (including a #1 hit for a cartoon band), and how Detroit played a pivotal role in two of his records' successes.
But beyond his music, I found Andy to be a spiritual person with an inspiringly positive attitude. Check him out on this week's RPM45!
Gino Vannelli's unique mix of pop, rock, jazz and R&B took him to major success in the '70s and '80s. He had two platinum album, five gold albums, two top 5 singles in the U.S. and many more in his home country Canada. plus four Grammy nominations and seven Juno awards (Canada's version of the Grammy).
But this episode is about more than Gino Vannelli's music, because he is about much more than his music. When the rush of fame left him unsatisfied, he embarked on a spiritual quest that profoundly changed him. And continues his quest to expand his musical horizons as well. In our interview, he has a lot to say about his life and philosophy in and outside of music. I think you'll him thoughtful and interesting...I know I did!
Nick Van Eede is co-founder and lead singer of Cutting Crew, which had two Top 10 hits in the '80s, including "(I Just) Died in Your Arms"-- #1 in the U.S. and 16 other countries. Nick has great stories about his colorful history in music,including how he got discovered, the meaning of Cutting Crew's #1 hit, and when the group knew it was time to call it quits for a time. And we discuss his terrific new album -- "Ransomed Healed Restored Forgiven."
We are very grateful to have Russ Giguere of one of the late '60s greatest groups -- The Association. We talk about how the group started, its hits, how he overcame stage fright and much much more