That time I asked Tony Iommi how Ronnie James Dio compared to Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath

By Steve Newton Since time immemorial–or at least since Dio replaced Ozzy in Sabbath back in ’79–armchair rock critics have debated the merits of the two singers. It’s hard to complain about anything Ozzy did with the band up until the awesome Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath album of 1973; then again, after three spotty LPs, Dio … Continue reading That time I asked Tony Iommi how Ronnie James Dio compared to Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath

That time Gord Downie raved to me about Tragically Hip tourmates Change of Heart and the Odds

By Steve Newton One thing I figured out about Gord Downie during the five interviews I did with him between 1989 and 1995 was that he really, really likes musicians. Especially musicians who play in bands. He was always quick to rave about the new groups he’d heard lately, or maybe the ones the Tragically … Continue reading That time Gord Downie raved to me about Tragically Hip tourmates Change of Heart and the Odds

That time Gord Downie told me about Bill Barilko and the story behind the Tragically Hip’s “50 Mission Cap”

By Steve Newton I did my second interview with the Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie in November of 1992, one month after the release of the Fully Completely album. As you may already know, that’s the best Hip album ever, partly because of the uber-Canadian song “50 Mission Cap”, which mentions a hockey card and … Continue reading That time Gord Downie told me about Bill Barilko and the story behind the Tragically Hip’s “50 Mission Cap”

That time David Gilmour told me that he didn’t miss Pink Floyd and didn’t have a fave Floyd album

By Steve Newton Back in May of 1984 I did my first (and so far, only) interview with legendary Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Gilmour wasn’t in Floyd at the time, though–he was doing press to promote his second solo album, About Face. But that didn’t stop me from asking him if he missed Pink … Continue reading That time David Gilmour told me that he didn’t miss Pink Floyd and didn’t have a fave Floyd album

That time Danny Gatton told me that he thought Lenny Breau was the biggest “Humbler” of all time

By Steve Newton Back in April of 1993 I called Danny Gatton up at his home in Washington, D.C., to interview him in advance of a show in Vancouver as part of Music West. When he picked up the phone he’d been busy cleaning out his garage, and told me that he’d come across a huge … Continue reading That time Danny Gatton told me that he thought Lenny Breau was the biggest “Humbler” of all time

That time Ronnie James Dio told me about the entity that tried to kill his wife during the recording of Rainbow’s Long Live Rock and Roll

By Steve Newton Back in 2016, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Rainbow Rising–one of the greatest metal albums of all time–I posted blogs with soundbites from interviews I did with former Rainbow members Ronnie James Dio (in 1985) and Tony Carey (in ’84). The first one I did on Carey did not go … Continue reading That time Ronnie James Dio told me about the entity that tried to kill his wife during the recording of Rainbow’s Long Live Rock and Roll

That time Robert Plant told me he wasn’t “a dumb cluck who wears tight jeans and sings fast songs about women’s parts”

By Steve Newton I often wish I could have started my journalism career 10 years earlier than I did–like in 1972 instead of ’82. Then maybe I would have had the chance to pull a Cameron Crowe and interview Led Zeppelin on its 1973 North American tour or some crazy-ass shit like that. But whoa … Continue reading That time Robert Plant told me he wasn’t “a dumb cluck who wears tight jeans and sings fast songs about women’s parts”

That time Black Sabbath riffmaster Tony Iommi told me that the first guitar he ever wanted was a Fender Strat

By Steve Newton So here’s the last of the audio excerpts from my 1984 interview with Tony Iommi, back when Black Sabbath was touring behind the Born Again album. I called him up at his home in Birmingham–or maybe he called me up, it was a while ago–and we chatted about stuff like the band’s blowing … Continue reading That time Black Sabbath riffmaster Tony Iommi told me that the first guitar he ever wanted was a Fender Strat

Tal Wilkenfeld on life’s defining points, like auditioning for Jeff Beck in an altered state

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON OCT. 13, 2016 By Steve Newton Tal Wilkenfeld has accomplished an awful lot since emigrating to the U.S. from Australia in 2002 as a teen. She’s performed with jazz greats Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter, and at the age of 20 recorded her 2007 debut album, the all-instrumental Transformation, which … Continue reading Tal Wilkenfeld on life’s defining points, like auditioning for Jeff Beck in an altered state

Jimmy Barnes goes solo with Canadian connection after Cold Chisel hits its peak

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 6, 1986 By Steve Newton What do you get when you combine the guitarist from Streetheart, the bassist from Headpins, the keyboardist from Sharp Edges, the drummer from the Bryan Adams band, and the lead singer from Cold Chisel? Well, with a little time, you get a pretty … Continue reading Jimmy Barnes goes solo with Canadian connection after Cold Chisel hits its peak

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 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”