That time Steve Stevens told me that Van Halen producer Ted Templeman helped him keep his sanity on Atomic Playboys

By Steve Newton Ted Templeman is one of the most successful rock-music producers in America. You could say that he is to the United States what Bruce Fairbairn was to Canada. Templeman was at the controls for such stellar albums as Montrose‘s self-titled debut, the Doobie Brothers‘ The Captain and Me, Van Morrison’s Tupelo Honey, … Continue reading That time Steve Stevens told me that Van Halen producer Ted Templeman helped him keep his sanity on Atomic Playboys

Jeff Healey jamming with Stevie Ray Vaughan is total blues-rock heaven

By Steve Newton I feel very blessed that my role as a music writer has allowed me to interview some of the most talented guitar players of all time. And the feeling gets more pronounced when I realize how lucky I was to chat to some of the ones that left us way too soon, … Continue reading Jeff Healey jamming with Stevie Ray Vaughan is total blues-rock heaven

Before he morphed into Reignwolf I asked teenaged guitarist Jordan Cook how he got into the blues

By Steve Newton Back in November of 2001 I interviewed an 18-year-old guitarist from Saskatoon named Jordan Cook. Nowadays Cook is making sizeable waves in the blues-rock world as rowdy, sweat-soaked performer Reignwolf, but back in ’01 he was just touring around Canada with two teenage bandmates trying to make a name for himself. Near … Continue reading Before he morphed into Reignwolf I asked teenaged guitarist Jordan Cook how he got into the blues

That time Rick Wartell told me that Trouble was going over really well with the thrash-loving Pantera fans

By Steve Newton Back in October of 1992 I interviewed Trouble founder and guitarist Rick Wartell when the Chicago hard-rock quintet was touring with Pantera and heading to Vancouver for a show at the Commodore Ballroom. At the start of the conversation I mentioned how much I liked his band’s current album, Manic Frustration, and … Continue reading That time Rick Wartell told me that Trouble was going over really well with the thrash-loving Pantera fans

Bill O’Leary’s 1980 photo of Judas Priest’s K.K. Downing might be the most metal concert image of all time

Bill O’Leary photo By Steve Newton Just came across a photo by American concert photographer Bill O’Leary that blew me away, so I had to share it (with his permission, of course). It’s a live shot of Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing that was taken on July 3, 1980, during Priest’s British Steel Tour, at … Continue reading Bill O’Leary’s 1980 photo of Judas Priest’s K.K. Downing might be the most metal concert image of all time

That time I called up 18-year-old Derek Trucks just before he headed out on tour with Joe Satriani

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with slide-guitar legend Derek Trucks in March of 1998, when he was still just 18 years old. I called him up at his home in Jacksonville, Florida, the day before he was due in Texas to kick off a tour with Joe Satriani. He mentioned the possibility … Continue reading That time I called up 18-year-old Derek Trucks just before he headed out on tour with Joe Satriani

That time Tony Iommi told me that he didn’t think Ozzy Osbourne needed to record Sabbath tunes for his live album

By Steve Newton Back in January of 1984 I did my first interview with Tony Iommi, while Black Sabbath was touring behind its Born Again album. Fourteen months earlier Sabbath’s former frontman, Ozzy Osbourne, had released a double live album, Speak of the Devil, which hit stores just two months before Sabbath’s own double live … Continue reading That time Tony Iommi told me that he didn’t think Ozzy Osbourne needed to record Sabbath tunes for his live album

That time Night Ranger’s Jack Blades called me up from ZZ Top’s Eliminator tour with fresh memories of scorpion hell

By Steve Newton Night Ranger bassist-vocalist and main songwriter Jack Blades called me up from a truck stop in New Mexico back on January 13, 1984. At the time–two months before the band released its big hit “Sister Christian”–Night Ranger was opening for ZZ Top on the hugely successful Eliminator Tour, with sold-out shows all … Continue reading That time Night Ranger’s Jack Blades called me up from ZZ Top’s Eliminator tour with fresh memories of scorpion hell

That time Roger Glover called and told me that Rainbow was finished, it was time for Deep Purple (again)

By Steve Newton I did my first interview with Roger Glover back in August of 1984, two months after the release of his solo album Mask. He called me up from a “kitchen” in Vermont, and told me that he was recording an album there. At first I thought it might be another LP by … Continue reading That time Roger Glover called and told me that Rainbow was finished, it was time for Deep Purple (again)

That time Geddy Lee told me that Rush had 4,000 albums

By Steve Newton Back in April of 1997 I did my first interview with Rush bassist-vocalist Geddy Lee. At the time the group was touring behind its Test for Echo album, and that tour marked the first time Rush had taken the “An Evening With” approach, where there is no opening act and it’s just … Continue reading That time Geddy Lee told me that Rush had 4,000 albums

That time Alex Van Halen told me why his band chose “incredible guy” Bruce Fairbairn to produce Balance

By Steve Newton On January 24, 1995, Van Halen released Balance, its 10th studio album and the last of the four that featured Sammy Hagar on lead vocals. The LP–which hit #1 on the Billboard chart and sold over three-million copies in the U.S. alone–was produced by Vancouver’s Bruce Fairbairn, who had previously helmed multiplatinum … Continue reading That time Alex Van Halen told me why his band chose “incredible guy” Bruce Fairbairn to produce Balance

That time I called guitar legend Rick Derringer up for an interview but he was taking his fiance out to celebrate her birthday

The Derringer I remember from high school By Steve Newton I had a ton of guitar heroes in the seventies, and Rick Derringer was certainly up there. His work with Johnny Winter And in the early ’70s, his solo album All American Boy, his kickass band Derringer–I loved it all. So it was awesome to … Continue reading That time I called guitar legend Rick Derringer up for an interview but he was taking his fiance out to celebrate her birthday

That time Lars Ulrich told me that he was surprised by how down-to-earth Van Halen were on the Monsters of Rock Tour

By Steve Newton Back in May of 1989 I did my second interview with Lars Ulrich, who called me up from Nagoya, Japan, while Metallica was touring behind its ….And Justice For All album. A year earlier the band had taken part in the Monsters of Rock ’88 Tour, which saw them sharing the stage … Continue reading That time Lars Ulrich told me that he was surprised by how down-to-earth Van Halen were on the Monsters of Rock Tour