By Steve Newton If you were a rock-loving Canadian teenager in the mid-seventies you no doubt heard "Roxy Roller", the big hit by Vancouver glam-rock band Sweeney Todd, on the radio. It wasn't one of my personal favourite tunes, but I do remember buying the album, because back in '76 I was all about the … Continue reading That time Nick Gilder told me about Bryan Adams taking his place in Sweeney Todd
That time Ann Wilson told me about the heartfelt dedication on Heart’s “These Dreams”
By Steve Newton I was a huge fan of Heart back in the seventies. I remember they played a show at the hockey rink in my hometown of Chilliwack, B.C. when I was just out of high school. With Ann Wilson's killer voice, Roger Fisher's killer guitar, and killer songs like "Magic Man" and "Crazy … Continue reading That time Ann Wilson told me about the heartfelt dedication on Heart’s “These Dreams”
Andy Powell on the awesomeness of Wishbone Ash’s Argus, up-and-comer Doyle Bramhall II, and “old friend” the Flying V
brian ferguson photo By Steve Newton I loved Wishbone Ash in the seventies. The dual lead-guitar stylings on albums like Argus and There's The Rub really turned my crank. So it was cool to finally do a little interview with founding member Andy Powell back in 2003, before the band played a gig at Vancouver's … Continue reading Andy Powell on the awesomeness of Wishbone Ash’s Argus, up-and-comer Doyle Bramhall II, and “old friend” the Flying V
That time I asked Klaus Meine if the Scorpions were blowing Van Halen off the stage on the Monsters of Rock Tour
By Steve Newton Way back in July of 1988 I made the trek from Vancouver to see the Monsters of Rock Festival at the Seattle Kingdome. The lineup featured Van Halen, Scorpions, Metallica, Dokken, and Kingdom Come, and at the time--since David Lee Roth was no longer in VH--I was particularly psyched to see the … Continue reading That time I asked Klaus Meine if the Scorpions were blowing Van Halen off the stage on the Monsters of Rock Tour
That time Doyle Bramhall II told me that he was “all over” B.B. King and Eric Clapton’s Riding With the King
By Steve Newton I absolutely loved the B.B. King and Eric Clapton album Riding With the King when it came out in 2000. It was a shoo-in for my Top 10 Albums of the Year list, alongside other guitar-centic offerings like Joe Satriani's Engines of Creation and Steve Vai's The 7th Song. But with such … Continue reading That time Doyle Bramhall II told me that he was “all over” B.B. King and Eric Clapton’s Riding With the King
That time I asked the Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston if he thought “Listen to the Music” would be a hit as soon as he wrote it
By Steve Newton I was a teenager in the seventies, so yeah, I liked the Doobies. Toulouse Street, The Captain and Me, What Were Once Vices are Now Habits--it was all good. Back in 1991 it was cool to interview singer-guitarist and cofounder Tom Johnston, 'cause he wrote my fave Doobie Brothers tune, "Ukiah". That … Continue reading That time I asked the Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston if he thought “Listen to the Music” would be a hit as soon as he wrote it
That time Jason Bonham told me about taking Bonzo’s spot to jam with Led Zeppelin as a teen
By Steve Newton Led Zeppelin freaks may recall the first time John Bonham's son Jason performed with his dad's old band, back in 1988 as part of the Atlantic Records 40th anniversary concert. But that was only young Jason's first "official" performance with Zeppelin. When I did my first interview with 23-year-old Jason a year later he … Continue reading That time Jason Bonham told me about taking Bonzo’s spot to jam with Led Zeppelin as a teen
That time Warren Haynes told me that it felt strange being chosen best slide player over Johnny, Sonny, and Ry “the man”
By Steve Newton Warren Haynes is one helluva slide-guitar player, as anyone who's heard him will attest. There's a reason why Dickey Betts brought him along to handle Duane Allman's slide parts when he rejoined the Allman Brothers back in '89. When I interviewed Haynes in November of 1998 he'd won the latest Guitar Player … Continue reading That time Warren Haynes told me that it felt strange being chosen best slide player over Johnny, Sonny, and Ry “the man”
That time I told Edgar Winter that my fave tune on They Only Come Out at Night was “Round & Round”
By Steve Newton The Edgar Winter Group blew my 15-year-old ass away when it released They Only Come Out at Night in November of 1972. I mean, Rick Derringer and Ronnie Montrose together on the same album? Seventies guitar-rock heaven! "Free Ride" and "Frankenstein" were the big radio hits on that album, but I've always … Continue reading That time I told Edgar Winter that my fave tune on They Only Come Out at Night was “Round & Round”
That time Steve Kilbey told me that the Church “rocks like a bitch” on the Gold Afternoon Fix Tour
By Steve Newton Back in June of 1990 I interviewed Steve Kilbey of Aussie pop-rock band the Church. The quartet was touring behind its Gold Afternoon Fix, the followup to its hugely successful Starfish album, which you may remember for the catchy tune "Under the Milky Way". At one point in the conversation I asked … Continue reading That time Steve Kilbey told me that the Church “rocks like a bitch” on the Gold Afternoon Fix Tour
That time I asked Johnette Napolitano about Concrete Blonde covering Thin Lizzy
By Steve Newton Concrete Blonde were a pretty great L.A. rock band from the mid-'80s. I interviewed singer, bassist, and main songwriter Johnette Napolitano back in June of 1990, three weeks after the release of the group's most popular album, 1990's Bloodletting, which featured the hit "Joey". That album was produced with Chris Tsangarides, who'd … Continue reading That time I asked Johnette Napolitano about Concrete Blonde covering Thin Lizzy
That time Zakk Wylde and I agreed that Lynyrd Skynyrd were right to return with Johnny Van Zant
By Steve Newton The first time I interviewed Zakk Wylde, back in 1994, he was still a member of the southern-rock band Pride & Glory, which was previously known as Lynyrd Skynhead. So knowing he was a huge Skynyrd fan, I asked him how he felt about the surviving band members getting back together seven years … Continue reading That time Zakk Wylde and I agreed that Lynyrd Skynyrd were right to return with Johnny Van Zant
That time Randy Hansen told me that everything became clear to him when he first heard Jimi Hendrix
By Steve Newton If there ever were a guitarist who deserved being paid tribute to, it's Jimi Hendrix. Randy Hansen has been doing just that for decades now, and few Hendrix aficionados have complained. I interviewed Hansen back in August of 2001, and he told me about the first time he heard his idol. Have … Continue reading That time Randy Hansen told me that everything became clear to him when he first heard Jimi Hendrix