That time Kate Bush told me about creating the music video for her new single “Running Up That Hill”

By Steve Newton Back in November of 1985 I did a phone interview with Kate Bush, who was promoting her new album The Hounds of Love at the time. Three months earlier she’d released the single “Running Up That Hill”, which I really liked, but I hadn’t yet seen the new video for it. So … Continue reading That time Kate Bush told me about creating the music video for her new single “Running Up That Hill”

The Everly Brothers get legendary in Vancouver with the help of guitar great Albert Lee

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 18, 1986 By Steve Newton The Legends of Rock and Roll series, which takes place Sundays at the Expo Theatre, has had some pretty dismal moments so far. But with acts like The Ventures, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles still to come, the token appearances of people like … Continue reading The Everly Brothers get legendary in Vancouver with the help of guitar great Albert Lee

That time Tony Iommi told me about the guys from Black Sabbath blowing up singer Ian Gillan’s boat

By Steve Newton Back in January of 1984 I called Tony Iommi up for a chat at his home in Birmingham, England. I was pretty psyched, since Sabbath albums like Paranoid, Volume 4, and Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath had meant a lot to me as a metal-loving teenager in the ’70s, growing up in the wilds of … Continue reading That time Tony Iommi told me about the guys from Black Sabbath blowing up singer Ian Gillan’s boat

That time Ronnie James Dio got me and my nephew Jeff backstage on the Sacred Heart Tour

By Steve Newton I did my one and only interview with Ronnie James Dio back in December of 1985. The metal legend, 43 at the time, was headed to Vancouver for a show on his Sacred Heart tour, with opening act Yngwie Malmsteen‘s Rising Force. I’d been a fan of his since I first heard Elf … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio got me and my nephew Jeff backstage on the Sacred Heart Tour

Tony Carey not happy that I blogged about his ancient issues with Rainbow

By Steve Newton Whoa! I woke up to an angry Facebook message from rocker Tony Carey this morning. Turns out the singer, songwriter, and keyboard great was none too impressed with the blog I posted yesterday, which included audio from 1984 of him denouncing his previous band, Rainbow, and in particular guitarist Ritchie Blackmore. “Why … Continue reading Tony Carey not happy that I blogged about his ancient issues with Rainbow

Tony Carey found no beauty in Rainbow: “I wouldn’t tell Ritchie Blackmore if his hair was on fire”

By Steve Newton Back in May of 1984 I did a phone interview with Tony Carey, who at the time was basking in the success of a solo career that had produced such radio-friendly hits as “A Fine, Fine Day” and “The First Day of Summer”. He’d first caught my ear as the keyboardist for … Continue reading Tony Carey found no beauty in Rainbow: “I wouldn’t tell Ritchie Blackmore if his hair was on fire”

That time Roger Glover got pissed off when I mentioned how loud Deep Purple was: “that’s a bullshit statement”

By Steve Newton Most rock freaks as old as me remember back to 1985 when Deep Purple had reunited its classic Mark II lineup and was headed out on tour behind its Perfect Strangers album. When the band set its sights on Vancouver I was pretty psyched about getting the chance to interview Roger Glover–and … Continue reading That time Roger Glover got pissed off when I mentioned how loud Deep Purple was: “that’s a bullshit statement”

That time Tony Iommi told me that a second Black Sabbath album with Ian Gillan would probably turn out better than Born Again

By Steve Newton A few days ago I posted a blog that featured a snippet from my 1984 interview with Tony Iommi, in which he talked about blowing up Black Sabbath singer Ian Gillan’s boat during the recording sessions for Born Again. As any Sabbath fan knows, the band only made one album with Gillan … Continue reading That time Tony Iommi told me that a second Black Sabbath album with Ian Gillan would probably turn out better than Born Again

Uli Jon Roth recalls the friction between Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker on the 1998 G3 European tour

By Steve Newton Back in 2016 I had a nice chat with German guitar maestro Uli Jon Roth. As we were talking about Uli Jon Roth’s Ultimate Guitar Experience–the tour he was on with Jennifer Batten and Andy Timmons–I mentioned a previous guitar tour he was part of, the G3 European Tour of 1998. That … Continue reading Uli Jon Roth recalls the friction between Joe Satriani and Michael Schenker on the 1998 G3 European tour

That time Ronnie James Dio told me a fib about Priest and Maiden contributing songs to Hear ‘n Aid

By Steve Newton On May 20 and 21, 1985, the charity project spearheaded by Ronnie James Dio, Hear ‘n Aid, recorded its video/single “Stars” at A&M Studios in L.A. “Stars” was a one-time collaboration featuring an array of the biggest hard rock/heavy metal artists of the ’80s. Contributing lead vocals on the track were Dio, … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio told me a fib about Priest and Maiden contributing songs to Hear ‘n Aid

Bass god Stu Hamm compares Joe Satriani to Steve Vai and raves about Jaco Pastorius

By Steve Newton Way back in October of 1991 I did an interview with bassist Stu Hamm, a giant of the four-string who was best known for his work with guitar heroes Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. He had recently released his album The Urge, and was headed to Vancouver for a club gig. At … Continue reading Bass god Stu Hamm compares Joe Satriani to Steve Vai and raves about Jaco Pastorius

That time Ronnie James Dio got ticked off when I asked him about stepping into Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes in Black Sabbath

By Steve Newton There’s no denying that Ronnie James Dio did an incredible job replacing Ozzy Osbourne as the singer in Black Sabbath. The moment I heard “Neon Nights”, the opening track on Dio’s first Sabbath album, Heaven and Hell, I knew the heavy-metal stars had aligned. The music had way more power and feel … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio got ticked off when I asked him about stepping into Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes in Black Sabbath

Bruce Dickinson in ’83: “It would be unthinkable to make an Iron Maiden album without Martin Birch”

By Steve Newton Back in June of 1983 I did a phone interview with Bruce Dickinson in advance of Iron Maiden’s show in Vancouver on the Piece of Mind tour. During the course of our conversation Dickinson claimed that it would be “unthinkable” for Iron Maiden to make an album without producer Martin Birch, who … Continue reading Bruce Dickinson in ’83: “It would be unthinkable to make an Iron Maiden album without Martin Birch”