Tag: Bruce Fairbairn

Vancouver rockers Crisis find steady club work but want to record and take over the world next week

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 8, 1983 By Steve Newton "It was actually pretty simple," says Gary Langen, describing how he came to be the newest member of Vancouver's hard-rocking club act Crisis. "I just picked up the phone, called the booking agent, and said 'Hi, does anybody need a drummer?'" That phone call has proven … Continue reading Vancouver rockers Crisis find steady club work but want to record and take over the world next week

That time I asked Jon Bon Jovi if he was worried about following up his latest album, Slippery When Wet

By Steve Newton I did the third of my three interviews with Jon Bon Jovi in June of 1987, when his band was touring behind its third LP, Slippery When Wet. That album was recorded at Vancouver’s Little Mountain Sound with producer Bruce Fairbairn and was a huge hit, spawning such #1 singles as "You Give Love a … Continue reading That time I asked Jon Bon Jovi if he was worried about following up his latest album, Slippery When Wet

That time AC/DC producer Bruce Fairbairn requested some Chip & Pepper swag for the band, adding “these guys are small”

By Steve Newton Big things come in small packages, so they say, and in the world of hard rock there isn't anything bigger than AC/DC. But man are those guys tiny--or some of them are, at least. I mean, check out this backstage photo from an AC/DC concert in 2001. That's me on the right … Continue reading That time AC/DC producer Bruce Fairbairn requested some Chip & Pepper swag for the band, adding “these guys are small”

That time I asked Jon Bon Jovi if recording at Little Mountain Sound had much to do with the success of the new Slippery When Wet LP

By Steve Newton I did the third of my three interviews with Jon Bon Jovi in June of 1987, when his band was touring behind its third LP, Slippery When Wet. That album was recorded at Vancouver's Little Mountain Sound and produced by Bruce Fairbairn, as was its followup, 1988's New Jersey. At one point … Continue reading That time I asked Jon Bon Jovi if recording at Little Mountain Sound had much to do with the success of the new Slippery When Wet LP

That time Jon Bon Jovi told me that his band’s new Slippery When Wet album was just meant to be a fun summertime album

By Steve Newton I did the third of my three interviews with Jon Bon Jovi in June of 1987, when his band was touring behind its massively successful third album, Slippery When Wet, which went on to sell over 12-million copies in the U.S. alone. A year earlier the group had barely caused a stir … Continue reading That time Jon Bon Jovi told me that his band’s new Slippery When Wet album was just meant to be a fun summertime album

Krokus guitarist Fernando von Arb says that The Blitz producer Bruce Fairbairn is a very normal human being

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON FEB. 1, 1985 By Steve Newton Swiss heavy-metalists Krokus were scheduled to play the Commodore Ballroom late last year, but touring commitments with Sammy Hagar forced cancellation of the gig. And it's too bad, because--since the band is touring behind their strongest LP yet--the show promised to be an exciting one for … Continue reading Krokus guitarist Fernando von Arb says that The Blitz producer Bruce Fairbairn is a very normal human being

10 minutes on the phone with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry in 1988

By Steve Newton Aerosmith released their first five albums while I was teenager, so I freakin' loved Aerosmith. I played a lotta air guitar to Joe Perry's licks back in the day, so it was a kick to interview him for the first time in January of 1988, after the Permanent Vacation LP came out. … Continue reading 10 minutes on the phone with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry in 1988

Ear of Newt and the Tapes Archive present the Alex Van Halen 1995 interview

By Steve Newton Here's a special treat for all you Van Halen freaks out there--even the ones who liked the Sammy years. For the first time ever the entire audio of my 1995 interview with Alex Van Halen is being offered to the public for free, thanks to a partnership between Ear of Newt and … Continue reading Ear of Newt and the Tapes Archive present the Alex Van Halen 1995 interview

Joe Perry credits Bruce Fairbairn and Little Mountain Sound with aiding Aerosmith’s rebirth

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 13, 1993 By Steve Newton Vancouverites may wonder what it is about this town that makes a big-time Yankee rock band like Aerosmith want to come all the way from Boston to make records here. It is the scenery? The night-life? The days when it doesn't rain? When Joe Perry calls … Continue reading Joe Perry credits Bruce Fairbairn and Little Mountain Sound with aiding Aerosmith’s rebirth

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

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