By Steve Newton I did my first interview with American rock legend John Fogerty back in August of 1997, when he was touring behind his fifth solo studio album, Blue Moon Swamp. Two nights earlier he’d performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, so at one point in the conversation I asked him if … Continue reading That time I asked John Fogerty if “Fortunate Son” was a favourite tune of his
By Steve Newton Back in August of 1997 I did my first interview with John Fogerty, and boy was I psyched about talking to that guy. He’s the ultimate triple-threat musician, if you ask me, because I don’t think there’s anyone who can sing, play guitar, and write songs quite as well as John Fogerty … Continue reading That time John Fogerty told me that dobro player Jerry Douglas was his favourite musician in all the world
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 13, 2012 By Steve Newton When the Straight calls Sheepdogs singer, songwriter, and guitarist Ewan Currie, he’s hanging out in rainy Toronto, just hours away from playing at the 60th anniversary of the fabled Horseshoe Tavern. The gig has special significance for Currie, since the Horseshoe was the … Continue reading The Sheepdogs’ Ewan Currie wanted to tell John Fogerty that he liked 60 of his songs
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, NOV. 1, 2007 By Steve Newton There’s nothing sweeter in the world of rock ‘n’ roll than the sound of John Fogerty railing against warmongers, as he’s been doing so successfully ever since Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” blasted onto the radio back in ’69. On Revival, his best … Continue reading Album review: John Fogerty, Revival (2007)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 10, 2009 By Steve Newton Fans of John Fogerty’s southern swamp-boogie might not be thrilled by his latest CD, which—apart from a rootsy remake of his 1986 stomper “Change in the Weather”—is a collection of country music covers. It’s a throwback to his 1973 solo debut, The Blue … Continue reading Album review: John Fogerty, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again (2009)
By Steve Newton I’ve just been watching the TV news, and apparently there’s quite an uproar among Celine Dion fans because she wasn’t included in Rolling Stone‘s new list of “The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.” Well, here’s another uproar for ya: why the hell isn’t Phil Lynott’s name on the list? You know, … Continue reading Rolling Stone shockingly omits Phil Lynott from its Top 200 singers list. And Paul Rodgers too!
The Big Lebowski screens at the Rio By Steve Newton MONDAY AND TUESDAY: screenings at the VIFF Centre of director Lisa Cortés’s new music documentary, Little Richard: I Am Everything. WEDNESDAY: 25th anniversary screening at the Rio Theatre of Joel and Ethan Coen’s comedy The Big Lebowski, starring Jeff Bridges as “The Dude”. White Russians … Continue reading Newt’s top 10 things to do in Metro Vancouver this week, April 24 to 28
Jack de Keyzer plays Blue Frog Studios By Steve Newton FRIDAY: American metal legends Megadeth, featuring guitarist-vocalist Dave Mustaine, play the Abbotsford Centre, with guests Bullet for My Valentine and ONI. FRIDAY: screening at the VIFF Centre of director Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1955 suspense classic Les Diaboliques, starring Simone Signoret and Vera Clouzot. In French with … Continue reading Newt’s top 10 things to do in Metro Vancouver this weekend, April 28 to 30
By Steve Newton John Fogerty proudly inducted the Ventures into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, but I learned of his affection for the instro-rock legends years before that. When I interviewed original Ventures rhythm-guitarist Don Wilson back in 1997 I asked him if he’d had a lot of people tell him … Continue reading That time the Ventures’ Don Wilson and I shared our fondness for John Fogerty
By Steve Newton I’ve long felt that John Fogerty was the biggest triple-threat in rock: as a songwriter, singer, and guitarist, few can match him. I’ve also always hated how, for years after the breakup of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fogerty couldn’t even perform the incredible CCR songs he’d written, for legal reasons. The old CCR … Continue reading That time I asked Elliot Easton if he felt like a mercenary playing John Fogerty’s licks in Creedence Clearwater Revisited
By Steve Newton After more than 40 years as a professional music writer, lord knows I’ve seen a lot of concerts. But one of the bands I really regret not seeing live was Van Halen with David Lee Roth. Oh sure, I saw them with Sammy Hagar a few times–at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium in … Continue reading Looks like my old buddy Ferg got to see Van Halen with David Lee Roth
By Steve Newton Steve Vai is one of those guitarists where you watch him play and you’re like: “How the hell does he do that!?” This is the first interview I did with him, when he was only 29, touring with Whitesnake, and had just released his solo album Passion and Warfare. During the first … Continue reading 10 minutes on the phone with 29-year-old Steve Vai in 1990
By Steve Newton There might be a more impressive triple-threat musician–singer, songwriter, and guitarist–than John Fogerty. But I have no idea who it is. 20. “Long As I Can See the Light” (Cosmo’s Factory, 1970) 19. “Penthouse Pauper” (Bayou Country, 1969) 18. “Susie Q” (Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1968) 17. “Someday Never Comes” (Mardi Gras, 1971) … Continue reading Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 20 best songs, from wicked to freakin’ awesome
