By Steve Newton I was fortunate enough to have interviewed Canadian guitar wizard Jeff Healey three times. Man could that guy wail on the Strat! The first interview took place in June of 1988, when he was just 22, and still three months away from releasing his incredible debut album, See the Light. When I … Continue reading That time I called up 22-year-old Jeff Healey and asked him about his role in the upcoming bouncer flick Road House
My nephew Jeff didn’t mind getting a Pink Floyd box set for his 50th birthday
shey gonzales photo By Steve Newton A bunch of us got together in Penticton over the weekend to gather around an old friend and celebrate the upcoming 50th birthday of my nephew Jeff. He's a big Pink Floyd fan. He's got Pink Floyd artwork all over his house. He even took me to see Roger … Continue reading My nephew Jeff didn’t mind getting a Pink Floyd box set for his 50th birthday
The Vat owner Terry Cave puts his beloved Red Deer venue up for sale
By Steve Newton Just heard that my long-time friend, musician and proprietor Terry Cave, has put his much-loved Red Deer pub, The Vat, up for sale. "Terr Bear" made the announcement on the Vat's Facebook page today: Hi everyone. It's with mixed emotions that I am making this announcement. After 21 years of having the … Continue reading The Vat owner Terry Cave puts his beloved Red Deer venue up for sale
That time Richie Sambora told me why Bon Jovi switched producers from Bruce Fairbairn to Bob Rock
By Steve Newton Bon Jovi may have been hugely popular back in the day, but I actually enjoyed guitarist Richie Sambora's solo debut album, Stranger in This Town, more than any Bon Jovi band release. I even preferred Sambora's lead vocals over Jon Bon Jovi's, especially on solo tunes like "Ballad of Youth". So it … Continue reading That time Richie Sambora told me why Bon Jovi switched producers from Bruce Fairbairn to Bob Rock
That time 18-year-old Kenny Wayne Shepherd told me about meeting his idol Stevie Ray Vaughan
By Steve Newton I've interviewed Kenny Wayne Shepherd four times, 'cause I'm a sucker for folks who can play the shit out of a Strat. The first time was back in December of 1995, when he was only 18 and touring behind his platinum-selling debut album, Ledbetter Heights. At one point in the conversation I … Continue reading That time 18-year-old Kenny Wayne Shepherd told me about meeting his idol Stevie Ray Vaughan
That time I asked Justin Hayward if he knew the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” was special as soon as it came to him
By Steve Newton As April Wine once said, "I Like to Rock". I like to rock as well, but once in a while a beautiful, gentle ballad is, as Ted Nugent once said, "Just What the Doctor Ordered". But enough about April Wine and Ted Nugent. This little blog's about a softer-rockin', more prog-oriented band … Continue reading That time I asked Justin Hayward if he knew the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” was special as soon as it came to him
That time I asked Elliot Easton if he felt like a mercenary playing John Fogerty’s licks in Creedence Clearwater Revisited
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
That time Wayne Kramer told me about the MC5’s political consciousness in the ’60s
By Steve Newton I missed out on the MC5 when they were a major musical force on the American counterculture scene in the late '60s. And it's not just 'cause I'm Canadian. I was only 11 when their groundbreaking Kick Out the Jams debut album came out, and at that point all I listened to … Continue reading That time Wayne Kramer told me about the MC5’s political consciousness in the ’60s
That time Joe Satriani told me how his mind works when he’s playing wicked guitar on stage
By Steve Newton Some guitarists learn how to play by ear, and others--like Joe Satriani--learn how to play by the book. Satch knows music theory better than most, so when I did my first interview with him back in 1990--just after the release of Flying in a Blue Dream--I asked him how that relates to … Continue reading That time Joe Satriani told me how his mind works when he’s playing wicked guitar on stage
That time Randy Hansen told me about recording his atmospheric, Hendrix-style guitar parts for Apocalypse Now
By Steve Newton Back in August of 2001 I interviewed Jimi Hendrix tribute artist Randy Hansen because he was coming up from Seattle for a gig at a Vancouver club. This was right around the time that Apocalypse Now Redux, an extended version of Francis Ford Coppola's epic 1979 Vietnam war movie, was being released. … Continue reading That time Randy Hansen told me about recording his atmospheric, Hendrix-style guitar parts for Apocalypse Now
That time Bob Rock told me that he just wakes up in the morning and music is what he does
By Steve Newton Being a rock journalist in Vancouver during the '80s and '90s meant that I was close to where a lot of the top-selling albums of the time were made. That was mainly down at Little Mountain Sound, where local producers, engineers, and mixers--guys like Bruce Fairbairn, Bob Rock, and Mike Fraser--were tweaking … Continue reading That time Bob Rock told me that he just wakes up in the morning and music is what he does
That time Steve Vai told me about the “cornball arrangements” on his Zappesque debut album Flex-Able
By Steve Newton When I did my first interview with Steve Vai, just after he'd released Passion and Warfare in 1990, we got to talking about his previous album, Flex-Able. Turns out the success of Passion and Warfare was pushing sales of the six-year-old Flex-Able, even though the music on it was the opposite of … Continue reading That time Steve Vai told me about the “cornball arrangements” on his Zappesque debut album Flex-Able
That time Guess Who guitarist Randy Bachman told me about creating the riff for “American Woman”
By Steve Newton Canada doesn't seem to have an overabundance of rock-guitar heroes. Sure, you've got your Lenny Breau when it comes to jazz, and your Jeff Healey if you're talkin' blues. But when it comes to Canadian rock-guitar heroes, I can't think of tons. Alex Lifeson, Kim Mitchell... Obviously Neil Young, but isn't he … Continue reading That time Guess Who guitarist Randy Bachman told me about creating the riff for “American Woman”