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That time back in ’84 when I asked Virgin Steele singer David DeFeis what the metal scene was like in New York

By Steve Newton I was playing some of my old interview cassettes from the ’80s a while back and came across a short conversation I had in 1984 with David DeFeis, the singer and main songwriter for New York metal band Virgin Steele. At the time he was promoting the band’s second album, 1983’s Guardians … Continue reading That time back in ’84 when I asked Virgin Steele singer David DeFeis what the metal scene was like in New York

That time the Cult’s Ian Astbury told me that he thought session drummer Mickey Curry was “totally wasted” with Bryan Adams

By Steve Newton Back in January of 1992 I interviewed the Cult vocalist Ian Astbury while his band was touring behind its fifth studio album, Ceremony. That LP–and the one before it, the Bob Rock-produced Sonic Temple–had featured American session drummer Mickey Curry, who is best known for his work recording and touring with Bryan … Continue reading That time the Cult’s Ian Astbury told me that he thought session drummer Mickey Curry was “totally wasted” with Bryan Adams

That time I asked John Sykes if he thought Thunder and Lightning ranked among the best of the Thin Lizzy albums

By Steve Newton Back in May of 1989 I interviewed British guitar great John Sykes, who was promoting the debut album by his power trio Blue Murder. Six years earlier Sykes had played on Thunder and Lightning, the final studio album by Thin Lizzy. So at one point in the conversation I asked him rather … Continue reading That time I asked John Sykes if he thought Thunder and Lightning ranked among the best of the Thin Lizzy albums

10 minutes on the phone with Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers in 1991

By Steve Newton Back in July of 1991 I did the second of my four interviews with American guitar legend Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band. Two weeks earlier the band had released its tenth studio album, Shades of Two Worlds, which Dickey had written most of the material for. Here’s the first ten minutes … Continue reading 10 minutes on the phone with Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers in 1991

That time Nigel Mogg of the Quireboys told me about being the nephew of Phil Mogg from UFO

By Steve Newton Back in November of 1990 I did an interview with Nigel Mogg, bassist for the Quireboys (who were known in North America as the London Quireboys.) At the time the band was touring behind its debut album, A Bit of What You Fancy, which was a rollicking platter full of Faces-style boogie … Continue reading That time Nigel Mogg of the Quireboys told me about being the nephew of Phil Mogg from UFO

That time Geddy Lee told me how Rush views the mixing process

By Steve Newton Back in April of ’97 I did my first interview with Rush bassist-vocalist Geddy Lee, while the band was touring behind its Test for Echo album. For that disc the band had brought in studio ace Andy Wallace to mix, a process that Lee had referred to in the latest Rush bio … Continue reading That time Geddy Lee told me how Rush views the mixing process

That time Jeff Keith called me up and told me what Tesla had been up to since releasing its debut album

By Steve Newton Back in June of 1988 Tesla frontman Jeff Keith called me up from his home in Sacramento in advance of his band’s Canadian tour with Def Leppard. Early in the interview I asked Keith what the group had been up to since releasing its debut album, Mechanical Resonance, a year and a … Continue reading That time Jeff Keith called me up and told me what Tesla had been up to since releasing its debut album

That time heavy-metal god Tony Iommi told me that he wasn’t into new-wave, but he liked the music from Flashdance

By Steve Newton Way back in January of 1984 I did my first interview with heavy-metal master Tony Iommi, famous for creating the most powerful hard-rock riffs known to man. At the time Iommi was touring behind Black Sabbath’s much-maligned Born Again, which is quite possibly the raunchiest Sabbath album ever recorded. At one point … Continue reading That time heavy-metal god Tony Iommi told me that he wasn’t into new-wave, but he liked the music from Flashdance

That time Alex Van Halen told me how ideas for Van Halen songs sprang from Eddie just noodling around

By Steve Newton When I interviewed Alex Van Halen on August 9, 1995, Van Halen was in the midst of a North American tour in support of its tenth album, the Bruce Fairbairn-produced Balance. As on all Van Halen albums, the songwriting credits on Balance were shared between all four members. At one point in … Continue reading That time Alex Van Halen told me how ideas for Van Halen songs sprang from Eddie just noodling around

That time I asked John Fogerty if “Fortunate Son” was a favourite tune of his

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with American rock legend John Fogerty back in August of 1997, when he was touring behind his fifth solo studio album, Blue Moon Swamp. Two nights earlier he’d performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, so at one point in the conversation I asked him if … Continue reading That time I asked John Fogerty if “Fortunate Son” was a favourite tune of his

Ten years after Van Halen’s 1984, David Lee Roth ponders how condom use changes lyrical content

By Steve Newton Back in 1994 I did my first interview with David Lee Roth while he was promoting his Nile Rodgers-produced Your Filthy Little Mouth album. At one point in the conversation Roth started discussing how the changing times over the past decade–since his last album with Van Halen, 1984–had affected his life and, … Continue reading Ten years after Van Halen’s 1984, David Lee Roth ponders how condom use changes lyrical content

That time I asked Alex Van Halen how much longer he expected Van Halen to keep on rocking

By Steve Newton Back in August of 1995 I interviewed Alex Van Halen, legendary skin-basher for Van Halen, while the band was touring behind its Bruce Fairbairn-produced Balance album. That tour had been dubbed “The Ambulance Tour” by Eddie, due to his hip problems and Alex rupturing three vertebrae in his neck. So as the … Continue reading That time I asked Alex Van Halen how much longer he expected Van Halen to keep on rocking