By Steve Newton It’s a sunny Saturday afternoon and I’m not quite up to mowing the lawn yet, so I figure I’ll just post another audio excerpt from my one-and-only conversation with American guitar legend Link Wray. It’s from just over 20 years ago–June 21, 1997, to be precise–when Link was in Dallas, on a … Continue reading That time I asked Link Wray if he’d sign the Ear of Newt guitar
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
By Steve Newton I realize I’ve mentioned it before–maybe more than once–but holy crap do I love J.J. Cale. He left us in 2013, but my fondness for the guy hasn’t dwindled at all since he shuffled off this mortal coil. He was the personification of laidback cool–not to mention criminally underrated guitar prowess. My … Continue reading That time J.J. Cale told me that any help I could give him, he’d appreciate
By Steve Newton It’s been a sad week for fans of the Allman Brothers Band, following the news of original drummer Butch Trucks’ death at the age of 69. I never got the opportunity to interview Trucks–although I have chatted with his nephew, Derek, and fellow ABB founding members Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts. During … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me the secret of the Allman Brothers’ longevity
david bastedo photo By Steve Newton Here’s an audio excerpt from the last of the five interviews I did with Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie, back in October of 1996. At the time the Hip was touring behind its fifth full-length album, Trouble at the Henhouse, and were by far the biggest band in Canada. … Continue reading That time Gord Downie got all “cunty” when I picked his scab about the Hip’s perplexing lack of success in the States
By Steve Newton In the Year of Our Lord, 1974, Mountain was one of my favourite bands. Back then I played the crap out of their new live album, Twin Peaks, marvelling at how totally rockin’ a cowbell could sound on “Mississippi Queen”. And Leslie West’s guitar playing wasn’t too bad either. Four years later another American … Continue reading That time Leslie West told me that Eddie Van Halen inspired him to get back into guitar after rehab
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
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 3, 1991 By Steve Newton If you were ever a big fan of the Blues Brothers, chances are you appreciate a few chuckles tossed in with your listening. Blues Traveler singer/harmonica player John Popper certainly does. In fact, it was his love of comedy that first got him started on the … Continue reading Blues Traveler’s John Popper went from the Blues Brothers to Paul Butterfield to Elmore James to Hendrix
By Steve Newton When I interviewed Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts back in July of 1991, the band had just released its Shades of Two Worlds album, its second to feature the amazing Warren Haynes as a fully-fledged member. As on the previous year’s Seven Turns album, Betts and Haynes had written or cowritten the vast majority … Continue reading That time Dickey Betts told me about Gregg Allman’s writer’s block
By Steve Newton The first time I interviewed Yngwie Malmsteen, back in December of 1985, he was touring with Ronnie James Dio as opening act on the Sacred Heart tour. He was only 22 at the time, and four years earlier had spent a very brief stint in the Swedish army. Like, two days. When … Continue reading That time Yngwie Malmsteen told me that he escaped the Swedish army by threatening to shoot himself
By Steve Newton Yngwie Malmsteen is famous for his blistering speed on the fretboard, but his choice of reading material isn’t nearly as well known. The first time I interviewed the Swedish guitar legend, back in 1985, he had recently released his second solo album, Marching Out, which included a thank you to Stephen King. Turns … Continue reading That time Yngwie Malmsteen told me that he was inspired by Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, and Leonardo da Vinci
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 2, 1992 By Steve Newton Talk about the harried, high-pressure life of a traveling blueswoman! In her Phoenix, Arizona hotel room, Sue Foley is getting it from all sides. It’s check-out time, and room service is banging on the door; she’s playing Tucson that night, and her fellow musicians are out … Continue reading Telecaster queen Sue Foley didn’t pick up a guitar to get chicks–or even guys, for that matter
By Steve Newton When I interviewed Dickey Betts back in July of 1991, the Allman Brothers Band had just released its tenth studio album, Shades of Two Worlds, the second to feature the amazing Warren Haynes from Gov’t Mule as co-guitarist. Betts and Haynes wrote four of the eight songs on Shades together, while Betts composed … Continue reading That time I asked Dickey Betts what his fave tune was on the new Allman Brothers album
