ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 24, 1987 By Steve Newton England's Iron Maiden is different than most other heavy metal bands in a lot of ways. For one thing, they can all play their instruments, and very well. Their songs are quite complex, and the lyrics aren't simple-minded: there are no likes like … Continue reading Iron Maiden’s Dave Murray, age 30, says “it’s good to know we’ve got a few years to go yet”
That time I asked J.J. Cale what it was like growing up in Tulsa
By Steve Newton “Livin’ on Tulsa time Livin’ on Tulsa time Well, you know I’ve been through it When I set my watch back to it Livin’ on Tulsa time” Eric Clapton recorded the Don Williams song “Tulsa Time” on his 1978 Backless album, and liked it so much he recorded a live version for his Just … Continue reading That time I asked J.J. Cale what it was like growing up in Tulsa
New audio: Tim Curry, aka Pennywise, talks about “finding your clown face” on the 1990 set of Stephen King’s It
By Steve Newton The most popular story I ever posted on Ear of Newt was the interview I did with Tim Curry on the set of Stephen King’s It, when it was filming in my stomping grounds of Vancouver in the summer of 1990. On assignment for New York-based horror mag Fangoria, I got to … Continue reading New audio: Tim Curry, aka Pennywise, talks about “finding your clown face” on the 1990 set of Stephen King’s It
That time I asked Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts what he’d been listening to in his spare time
By Steve Newton Regular readers of Ear of Newt may have noticed that I, the Newt, really like posting excerpts from my four interviews with Dickey Betts. It's not just because he's a guitar legend. Or because he was in the freakin' Allman Brothers. Though that's part of it. But I also just like listening … Continue reading That time I asked Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts what he’d been listening to in his spare time
That time Link Wray told me about “Rumble” being banned in the States
By Steve Newton Back in '97 when I did my one-and-only interview with guitar legend Link Wray--who the bozos down at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame still refuse to induct--we got talking about his most famous tune, 1958's "Rumble". When I mentioned how the song had caused a lot of controversy, he got … Continue reading That time Link Wray told me about “Rumble” being banned in the States
The Age of Electric kicks off Canadian tour with killer Vancouver gig
jeff sutherland photos By Steve Newton Everybody's favourite Canadian guitar-rock band from the '90s--well, mine anyway--kicked off its 15-date Canadian tour with a show at the Commodore last night. Last April all four original members of the Age of Electric--singer-guitarists Todd Kerns and Ryan Dahle, bassist John Kerns, and drummer-vocalist Kurt Dahle--reunited for their first … Continue reading The Age of Electric kicks off Canadian tour with killer Vancouver gig
That time I asked Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark what he liked so much about Gibsons
By Steve Newton My nephew Jeff has been letting me borrow his Gibson Les Paul Standard for a while now, and, holy crap, is that one killer instrument! You wouldn't have gotten an argument about that from Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark, who used Gibson guitars to craft some of the band's finest riffs before … Continue reading That time I asked Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark what he liked so much about Gibsons
Rock and roll died today: Chuck Berry passes away at age 90
By Steve Newton The man often looked to as the originator of rock 'n' roll, Chuck Berry, died today at the age of 90. The singer-songwriter and guitar legend--best known for deathless rock numbers like “Johnny B. Goode”, "Maybelline", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Memphis", and "Nadine"--died this afternoon, St. Charles County Police Department confirmed. The cause of … Continue reading Rock and roll died today: Chuck Berry passes away at age 90
That time I asked J.J. Cale if he’d bought anything nice with his Clapton money
By Steve Newton Back in 1990 I did my first interview with J.J. Cale, who you may recall is one of the wickedest damn songwriters and guitar players that the United States of America has ever produced. A couple of years earlier there was a TV commercial for Michelob beer in heavy rotation, featuring Cale’s … Continue reading That time I asked J.J. Cale if he’d bought anything nice with his Clapton money
Drummer Steve Smith gave up Journey’s arena rock to gain Vital Information
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON MARCH 27, 1987 By Steve Newton It's a long way, in musical terms, from the commercial rock of Journey to the improvisational jazz of Vital Information. But for drummer Steve Smith, who appears at the Town Pump Friday (March 27) with Vital Information, it was a route that had to be taken. … Continue reading Drummer Steve Smith gave up Journey’s arena rock to gain Vital Information
Nude Polish mermaids get what they deserve with The Lure
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 15, 2017 By Steve Newton The last horror-musical I remember seeing was 2008's Repo! The Genetic Opera, in which director Darren Lynn Bousman of Saw II, III, and IV fame brought the worlds of nonconsensual organ transplants and operatic pseudo-metal together. In The Lure, Polish director Agnieszka Smoczynska guides the exploits … Continue reading Nude Polish mermaids get what they deserve with The Lure
That time Gary Moore told me how he scored Peter Green’s ’59 Les Paul
By Steve Newton Gary Moore has been one of my fave guitarists ever since I heard him with Thin Lizzy back in the seventies. I then closely followed his hard-rock/metal solo career in the '80s, before he got the blues bigtime in 1990. I was fortunate enough to have interviewed the legendary picker once, back in … Continue reading That time Gary Moore told me how he scored Peter Green’s ’59 Les Paul
Nick Feldman on how Wang Chung gave To Live and Die in L.A. a deeper dimension
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, MARCH 13, 1987 By Steve Newton Why would a British commercial pop outfit name themselves Wang Chung? Beats me. Maybe because Duran Duran was already taken. Or it might have something to d0 with the Chinese musical term huang chung, which means perfect pitch. "It means lots of different things," laughs Nick … Continue reading Nick Feldman on how Wang Chung gave To Live and Die in L.A. a deeper dimension