Confessions of a Rock'n'Roll Cameraman: Recent Episodes
Pat Canavan and Tony Wannamaker
New episodes every Thursday!
cornrc.com
In the 1980s, Culture was being shaped by immerging digital video technology. Tony Wannamaker was one of the founders of Much Music “The Nation's Music Station”. The messages playing out in music videos. Being a blue-collar cameraman gave Tony the ability to access and document this cultural revolution through the camera lens while adding to the cultural shift itself through his visual reporting. As Pat Canavan interviews Tony about his 40-year career, the podcast delves into the Canadian identity in pop culture outside of the US narrative. We get an inside look at Tony's adventures around the world, including encounters with celebrities like Sidney Poitier, musicians David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Lenny Kravitz and more. Then we will dive deep with sharks of unknown names or celebrity status, travel to Africa to shoot the BIG 5 and meet the Masai Prince and even explore a near-death experience.
In this #podcast, Tony travels #Trinidad for #Carnival 84 with #JohnMartin, #JohnRoberts and #DeannaTaylor where we discover the birth of #MuchMusic, see the works of #PeterMinshall and Tony makes his stage debut in front of #20k people.
In this #podcast, Tony smokes #hash with a buddy and listens to #BlackSabbath at 13. As an adult, he gets to meet his hero #OzzyOsbourne and #ToniIommi twice. Pat learns that #SharonOsbourne ran all the #OzzyFests and why! At #OzzyFest, we meet the band Black Sabbeth, #RobZombie, #Slipknot and then guzzle #moonshine to refuel to get back home to Toronto from #BlossomMusicCenter in Cuyahoga Falls.
Our #Podcast follows Tony's adventures in Jamaica from 1985 to 1987 meeting #Georgie who was #BobMarley friend and the same man written about in #NoWomanNoCry . We meet #ziggymarley and the #Whalers. Then we meet the band #ThirdWorld and travel through a #Gunga cloud so thick that it gave everyone a spiritual experience!
In this PODCAST we cross the county as music ambassadors during a powerful time in Canadian History - The Meech Lake Accord. But the Indigenous voice was not heard until Elijah Harper stood up and said NO in Manitoba and Meech was derailed. At the same time, Much Music and Pepsi were going across Canada with Music, Bands and Artists tying together a country with people that governments were tearing apart with words and false ideology! Chief Doreen opens this episode! And then we talk about travelling from city to smalltown with #NationalVelvet, #TomCochrane, #JaneSiberry, #BlueRodeo, #JeffHealy #PaulJanz #muchmusic #vanhalen #steve Chief Doreen’s Algonquin name is Eagle Cloud Woman (Migiziw Wan’nakwad Ikwey) of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, a community near Sharbot Lake, Ontario. Doreen was elected in 1995 to the Shabot Obaadjiwan Council and became an Alternate to the Algonquin Representative in 1997 during a period of earlier negotiations. Doreen was elected Chief of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation in 1999 becoming her community’s representative for the Land Claim Negotiations. She was honoured by her community with a headdress in 2005 – designating her as an ancestral and elected Chief. She was selected as an ANR in the 2005 elections. Doreen is committed to negotiating a modern-day Treaty that will benefit future generations.
In this podcast, Pat and Tony talk about filming #ProjectGrizzly with #Canadian Director Peter Lynch! It's a story about inventor Troy Hurtubise building a bear-proof suit. It is also one of #NFB 's highest-grossing films. The movie is also been featured on #TheSimpsons and is one of #Quintin Tarantino's favourite films.
In this Podcast, #BrianMay from Queen meets Tony at the Sunset Marquis in Los Angeles and plays him the riff from #BohemianRhapsody. Two days later they are on the Queen Mary for the Launch of Queen's Innuendo album and Disney's new #hollywoodrecords. But like living in the future, there is a #FreddieMercury Robot Playing with the Band, #fireworks and #MichealEisner having drinks with the #Canadian boys.
In the #Podcast, Tony is with #VanHalen at #Ontarioplace with #SammyHagar in 1995. #MuchMusic is filming the live concert. Tony teaches how he moves between the band, cables, lighting, amps and pyro techniques and ends the night with a bear hug from #michaelanthony.
In this #podcast, Tony joins Much Music VJ Michael Williams at the Sunset Marquis to meet Simply Red, Little Steven and the Bruce Springsteen! And One year prior to that Robert Plant cleared his afternoon schedule to drink tea and chat with Tony and Michael about the blues and time shared with Willie Dixon and Dessie Gillespie. #RobertPlant #brucespringsteen #simplyred #sunsetmarquis
In this bizarre episode, Tony tells us about the many times Batman and the Batmobile showed up in his life! Plus we learn how a diving incident brought Tony to find the James Bond Car and the Batmobile in the same place in Keswick England. Then it's off to interview Roger Corman and attend a sexy Hollywood party with the cast of Faster Pussycat Kill Kill!
In this #podcast, Tony is in Antarctica filming penguins with famous #explorer relatives #Shackelton and #Scott. Battling seals and seasickness make this an adventure to remember!
In this podcast, we go from Jail to The Main Stage! Tony goes to Saskatchewan Federal Penitentiary with Randy Bachman. Getting handed contraband from a new prisoner makes the tensions rise. We talk about #Cancon in 1971, the new Bill C-11 and its impact on the Canadian Music scene. And then to the Much Music Video Awards #MMVA where the Guess Who and the Kravitz camp meet for rehearsal in the most U.S. VS Canada way. And then we experience the ROCK N ROLL Cameraman's moment when the stage comes alive and Lenny Kravitz and Band Rock-out to American Woman. The evening crescendos as #Kravitz introduces the #GuessWho and both bands merge into one huge rock moment. #MUCHMUSIC #AmericanWoman #LennyKravitz. www.cornrc.com
In this #podcast - While on a diving trip, Tony saves a man's life and has a near-death experience. The good news is that he is here to talk about it. We also talk about Phil Keoghan from #AmazingRace and his Canadian Show "No Opportunity Wasted" with host Bruce Kirkby. They dive with sharks to help a person get over their fear after being attacked by a tiger shark in British Columbia Canada!
While at Canada's Space the Imagination Station, In this episode, Tony meets his heroes. Astronauts like Alan Bean who walked on the moon and lived to paint about it. And Chris Hadfield who recorded David Bowie's Space Oddity and walked in space for over 14 hours. Tony even transforms a Florida #Disney family vacation into an excursion to the #KennedySpaceCenter to watch Columbia lift off!
When Tony goes to meet his hero Chuck Berry at Lulu's Bar in Kitchener, the two men almost resort to fisticuffs. That's right, hell dam ass fisticuffs! But... in this huge Seinfeld-like night we experience $$$ 20-Grand payments, Fried Chicken as a weapon, and a mysterious woman with many kids all calling out for uncle Chuck! Oh, and a piece of chocolate cake, which is nice, because you can't operate a camera with greasy fingers!
Tony comes clean to Johnny Cash about the time in his youth when he jumped the fence of the Cash Mansion to take pictures! What was Johnny's response?
What kind of impact did Johnny contribute to RocknRoll? And who were the members of the Millionaire Quartet? Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash.
Then we talk about Johnnny's ex-son-in-law Rodney Crowell, whose song inspired the Oak Ridge Boys' greatest hit ELVIRA! Tony visits The Great Bearded William Lee Golden at his estate. They soon talk music, smoke weed and are introduced to Moonshine!
What an adventure! Tony takes us on Safari to Kenya and Tanzania. We meet the Maasai Prince and hunt for the big 5 ferocious animals! These were the animals that #Ernest Hemingway and Theodore Roosevelt were famous for killing! Today we photograph them because they are endangered. Much Music's show Clip Trip was bringing international music to Canada and global awareness to environmental concerns. What does a Canadian boy do to survive? How did Tony purify water? How did he stay ahead of Hyenas? These are amazing stories!
Tony has met William Shatner 3 times and in some unusual circumstances. In this episode, we look into that time at Famous People Players, that time Shatner was accosted by Ed the Sock, that time William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were divvying up the cash after signing autographs and that time with Patrick Stewart and being on the set of Star Trek Nemesis and finally the time being in Vulcan Alberta where Spock makes it home!
The Voodoo Lounge tour was Tony's second time meeting the Stones. He's up close and personal and that allows him to see how the band has grown since working together At The Max!
You made it to part 3 - the funny one!. Pat does his impression of Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Tony Wannamaker! Tony takes us on a journey on stage at Wembley and a personal moment with Mick Jagger!
Wembley Stadium is Tony's first time meeting the Stones. He's up close and personal and that allows him to see how the band rehearses. We also talk about the IMAX technology and filming the filming of Rolling Stones At The Max!
Based on the Novelette written by Tony and Available for free on our website...Pat Canavan interviews Tony Wannamaker about the times when he was shooting camera for Much Music and meeting Madonna, Cindi Lauper, Ahha, Flock of Seagulls, Boy George and Billy Idol. Billy tried to sign Tony's wife's boobs. #CORNRC SE1EP2 Medley of the 80s. www.Cornrc.com
New episodes every Thursday!
Pat interviews Tony about what made him become interested in being a cameraman. They talk about City Tv and the New Music and how Much Music was born!