Spinner

Bryan Ferry Interview: 'Jazz Age,' Working on 'Great Gatsby' and the Future of Roxy Music

David Chiu — 2013-03-12T15:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive

Press Here

Throughout his career, Bryan Ferry has always epitomized a sense of style, cool and sophistication both in his music and onstage persona. With the legendary Roxy Music, the British vocalist produced an influential body of work from 1972's self-titled debut record to 1982's Avalon. In addition to his role as the leader of Roxy Music, Ferry maintained a solo career that has included interpreting popular standards and contemporary songs by artists such as the Velvet Underground, Al Green, Bob Dylan and the Beatles.

But his most recent album, The Jazz Age, which was released last November, is noteworthy for the fact that he doesn't sing on it. Performed by the Bryan Ferry Orchestra, The Jazz Age features Roxy Music songs and Ferry's solo material ("Avalon," "Love Is the Drug" and "Slave to Love," among others) reworked as instrumentals and performed by other players in the style of '20s jazz. Even the sound of the record makes one feels like he or she is listening to a vintage recording coming out of an old phonograph.

Ultravox's Midge Ure Hopes for Full-Band U.S. Tour After 25 Years Away

David Chiu — 2013-01-25T15:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Peter Wafzig, Redferns

Midge Ure, the singer and guitarist for the synthpop group Ultravox, had a very eventful 2012 -- a year marked by the British quartet's first new album in 25 years -- featuring Ure, Chris Cross, Billy Currie and Warren Cann -- and a European tour. Yet Ure isn't exactly taking a break after completing those Ultravox concerts. This month, he's in the midst of a solo tour of the States, where he hadn't performed for more than 10 years. But that's a relatively short hiatus given that Ultravox hadn't played together in America for over two decades.

"It was always a bit of a bone of contention with Ultravox," Ure tells Spinner, "that we used to tour quite regularly in America. And because of technical limitations, we used to have to do five-hour sound checks because the equipment at the time was incredibly basic -- basic synthesizers, basic electronics. So we could never open up for another band, we could never do a package tour with other artists, which would have been the natural next step for Ultravox. We got a bit frustrated that we never really kind of pursued the American market the way we would like to have."

Lenny Kaye and 'Nuggets': 40 Years of a 'High-Class Oldies Album'

David Chiu — 2012-12-18T14:15:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Elektra

Before he would achieve recognition as the guitarist for Patti Smith, Lenny Kaye wrote reviews and articles for Rolling Stone in its early years and was hired as a freelance talent scout by Elektra Records in 1970. During that period, Elektra president Jac Holzman told Kaye about a record he wanted put out consisting of songs that were either hidden on records or minor hit singles. The result? Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968.

"In a way, it seemed to me that these songs were in a twilight zone," Kaye tells Spinner, "between what was then the AM format -- catchy three-minute singles with a good chorus and a hook -- and the more expansive album-oriented music that developed in the '60s when all these artistic parameters were kind of pushed aside, and a certain sense of possibility came into the music where you could think expansively and imaginatively beyond certain time lengths and song lengths and song constructs. Having lived through it as a teenager, I felt very much connected with it in terms of my own artistic growth and what I could see as the possibilities within music."

Duran Duran's John Taylor Memoir Q&A: Drugs, Rehab and 'Wanker' Sting

David Chiu — 2012-10-16T13:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Exclusive, Spinner Interview, Book Club

Amazon

As Duran Duran bassist John Taylor reveals in his newly-published memoir, In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death and Duran Duran, he grew up as a self-described nerd in Birmingham, England, whose preoccupations included toy models and cars. Eventually, music piqued his interest and he formed Duran Duran with friend Nick Bates (better known today as Nick Rhodes) in 1978.

With Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor and Simon Le Bon joining later, Duran Duran became one of the biggest bands in the world with their singles "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Rio" and "The Reflex," and popular stylish videos on MTV. Yet offstage, success also brought on a set of personal issues for John, who fell into the drug and groupie-heavy work of rock 'n' roll.

It wasn't until the early '90s that Taylor finally confronted his personal demons and checked into rehab. Gradually he turned his life around, marrying for a second time, raising a family and rejoining Duran Duran in the early 2000s. The band has since released a fine return-to-form record in All You Need Is Now and toured around the world.

We recently spoke with Taylor, now 52, about his personal problems, a run-in with a then up-and-coming band called the Police and Duran Duran's heyday.

Tift Merritt Duets With Andrew Bird, Finds Musicial Sweet Spot on 'Traveling Alone'

David Chiu — 2012-10-02T15:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Parker Fitzgerald

With her brand-new record, Traveling Alone, New York singer-songwriter Tift Merritt has in some ways gone back home in a figurative sense. First, after being on two different labels for her previous four albums, she signed on with Yep Roc Records, which is based in her native state of North Carolina. Second, Merritt sonically went for a rootsy approach on the new album (which comes out today) compared to her last record, the beautiful See You on the Moon.

"See You on the Moon," she tells Spinner, "we wanted to have some freedom to build out from the guitar, and not just assume that it was a four-piece band/four-on-the-floor drums -- [and] kind of play around with texture a little bit more. [Traveling Alone] was a very back-to-basics, live-off the-floor, 'let's perform and be real musicians,' and then just take a picture of that. I think that was very much on purpose."

The Dream Syndicate Reunite for 30 Years of 'Wine and Roses,' Praise Japandroids

David Chiu — 2012-09-25T14:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, Exclusive

Guy Kokken

Even though '80s band the Dream Syndicate have been dormant for nearly 25 years since their breakup, the group's music had recently been recognized in the press by Japandroids. One of the songs on Japandroids' acclaimed 2012 record Celebration Rock, is "The Nights of Wine and Roses," which is similarly named after the Dream Syndicate's 1982 debut album, The Days of Wine and Roses. And they even invited Dream Syndicate founder and singer, Steve Wynn, to their show in Brooklyn, New York.

"I know about them," Wynn tells Spinner about the Canadian duo. "Somebody sent me an interview where the singer [Brian King] was saying that Live at Raji's was the biggest influence on their new record, which is very flattering and also an unusual choice because people always talk about Medicine Show and The Days of Wine and Roses. But I always thought that in a way, it's not the best record we made, [but] the one that most typified what we did, so that was kind of cool."

Jim Croce's Widow Reveals Their 'Love at First Sight,' His Struggles With Money, Fidelity and Her Sexual Assault

David Chiu — 2012-07-31T14:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Exclusive, Book Club

GAB Archive, Redferns

Jim Croce was a standout of the early-'70s singer-songwriter era with his hits "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)" and "Time in a Bottle." Tragically, at the height of his fame, Croce died in a plane crash in Louisiana in 1973. He was only 30.

Though his songs projected an easygoing persona, Croce's success hid his professional and personal struggles, as told in a recently-published book about the singer, I Got a Name: The Jim Croce Story, written by his widow Ingrid Croce.

"The contracts that we signed back then were onerous," she tells Spinner. "We made $200 a week until Jim died. He was out there performing, he was on TV and radio and his albums were selling, but he died penniless. It was a very big conflict for him -- he graduated from college, his parents were bugging him, 'You got a college degree. What are you doing with it?' He hated disappointing anyone, he couldn't say no. So he was really caught in the middle of wanting to do what he knew he had to do, which was to write songs and make music, but he had a family to raise. Our son [A.J.] had been born and it was really financially difficult to make it work."

Buddy Guy Q&A: Starving in Chicago, Meeting Muddy Waters and the Night Stevie Ray Vaughan Died

David Chiu — 2012-06-27T14:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Exclusive, Spinner Interview, Book Club

Da Capo Press

Mention Sept. 25, 1957 to blues guitar legend Buddy Guy and he could immediately tell you of its significance: On that date, the-then 21-year-old left his home state of Louisiana for Chicago. As he writes in his memoir, When I Left Home, "I think of this date as my birthday. Fact of the matter is, it's my second birthday. It's when I was born again. My life before Sept. 25, 1957 was one thing, and my life after was something else."

When I Left Home, co-written with David Ritz, begins with Guy in Louisiana where his earliest experience with guitar playing was through tin cans and screen wire as a youngster. After moving to the Windy City, Guy met Muddy Waters and became a session player at the legendary Chess Studios. He also describes in the book about meeting and working with other greats such as B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, and the Rolling Stones, as well as his partnership with harmonica player Junior Wells.

A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Guy, 75, spoke to Spinner to talk about aspects of his extraordinary life that includes overcoming his initial shyness at performing, living without food, meeting Muddy Waters and performing with Stevie Ray Vaughan on the night he died.

In the book, you wrote that your first encounter with music was hearing the birds sing.

I was born on a farm. My mother was singing in church. There were no instruments -- they would sing that old spiritual stuff in the church on Sunday. The birds have a lot to do with it and then the church, the spiritual singing that they would moan and groan. My grandmother used to say, "I'm moaning this song. When I moan, the devil don't know what I'm talking about." And that's when the blues kind of touch you. When I look out and see somebody in the audience, I'd say, "Somebody's mad, but if you sit here for an hour and a half, or two hours, I'm gonna make you smile and forget about that anger that you got. You can pick it up when you leave. But if you watch me, I'm gonna make you forget about it."

Scissor Sisters' Ana Matronic Dishes on Duran Duran, Drag-Queen Lingo and Playing the Tower of London

David Chiu — 2012-05-29T15:15:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, RPM

thefunstar.com

Scissor Sisters are looking to have a very busy summer both here and abroad. In addition to their own show dates in the U.S., beginning June 15 following the release of their new album, Magic Hour, the group is also going to perform in London in late July in a very unique setting.

"We're playing a musical festival in a run-up to the Olympics," co-singer Ana Matronic tells Spinner. "So they're having what they called the River of Music all along the Thames at historical sites and we're at the Americas stage, which just happens to be at the Tower of London. That is so crazy. To be able to have that opportunity to do things like that is yet again something else that exceeds any dream that I had had with this band. I feel so, so fortunate to be able to do this and to get to have fun while doing it."

Scissor Sisters' Ana Matronic Hails Obama's Support of Gay Marriage

David Chiu — 2012-05-17T13:30:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

thefunstar.com

News of President Obama's remarks from last week that he supports gay marriage brought forth praise from music stars -- among them Alicia Keys, John Legend, Jay-Z, Chuck D and Ricky Martin. Now adding to the group is Scissor Sisters co-singer Ana Matronic.

"It was a great thing," she tells Spinner, speaking from London. "Let's not forget he's in a campaign year, so he said, 'I support gay marriage, but I think states should decide.' So it was good on the one hand, but on another hand, it was like, 'OK, I can see he's campaigning and doesn't want to lose those swing votes.' But I completely understand. I'm really happy -- it's a step in the right direction."

Donovan Q&A, on Dylan Rivalry, Helping Paul McCartney Write 'Yellow Submarine'

David Chiu — 2012-05-16T13:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Exclusive, Spinner Interview

Jeff Kravitz, FilmMagic

Forty-seven years after the release of his first single, "Catch the Wind," Donovan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Coinciding with the honor was the release of a double-disc compilation of his music, The Essential Donovan, which covers the years 1965 to 1973, and contains four songs that had either not been issued in the U.S. or available in the U.S. in CD form.

Donovan, who turned 66 on May 10, says that he has been inspired him to perform live again, which he'll be doing this summer and in the fall. During a visit to New York, he spoke to Spinner about being inducted into the Rock Hall, the new anthology set, the early days with Bob Dylan, his friendship with the Beatles, and his involvement with the David Lynch Foundation, which promotes Transcendental Meditation.

Congratulations on your recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. How does it feel to finally get in?

Awards have been coming as the work gains in weight and critical acclaim and historical meaning. But this one is the largest, it's more like an Academy Award because so few are awarded every year and it's by our peers. This, for me, is important because from the very early day of committing myself to being a voice for a generation -- and I did intend that -- because I came from the tradition of folk music, introducing ideas from Bohemia and what we called the underground ideas that I felt were needed by the millions of young people in the world to save this planet from absolute destruction, deterioration, pollution and poison from a modern age.

Frankie Rose Interview: Hurricanes, Ray Bradbury and Being a Good Leader

David Chiu — 2012-04-06T15:45:00 00:00

Filed under: News

Lauren Bilanko

Frankie Rose's single "Know Me," from her new album Interstellar, was born out of some unusual circumstances. First, it was the last track to be recorded for the album, which similarly happened to Rose's previous record with her band the Outs. Second, the New York City resident had a spot of bad weather to contend with.

"'Know Me' was recorded the night Hurricane Irene was supposed to hit us. We were scared the studio might actually flood, so we were really down to the wire, and I think we did the entire song in one day. I was waiting for this epic hurricane that never came. I was in a vocal booth making up lyrics. It was a total surprise and shocker that it ended up being the single and it's my favorite song on the record."

Those who are familiar with the former Crystal Stilts/Vivian Girls/Dum Dum Girls member will notice something different in her sound on Interstellar, a shift from the '60s-styled girl-group pop of Frankie Rose and the Outs to a work that contains elements of New Wave and modern rock.

Whitney Houston Remembered: 'I Wanna Dance' Songwriters Mourn 'Sad Ending'

David Chiu — 2012-02-15T15:22:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Patrick Demarchelier

Whitney Houston 's early hits in the mid to late '80s were mostly ballads, such as 'Saving All My Love For You,' 'The Greatest Love of All' and 'Didn't We Almost Have It All,' but the singer also brought an infectious energy to more uptempo material. Two of those memorable upbeat songs -- 'How Will I Know' (1985) and 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)' (1987) -- both went No. 1 on the Billboard charts and were written by the songwriting duo of George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam.

"I must say that we were fortunate to have Whitney sing our songs," Rubicam tells Spinner after Houston's death last Saturday. "She just nailed them both with her incredible voice, taking them to heights that I'm certain only she could have done."

Merrill and Rubicam -- who are also the musical act Boy Meets Girl, known for their song 'Waiting for a Star to Fall' -- were originally commissioned by their publishing company to write a song for Janet Jackson.

Kami Thompson's 'Love Lies': Richard Thompson's Daughter Releases Debut LP

David Chiu — 2012-02-03T17:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, New Music, Exclusive

Jana Chillieno

Kami Thompson's path to a music career seems like a natural one given where she comes from: Her parents are the British folk rock performers Richard and Linda Thompson, and her brother Teddy is also a musical artist. Yet for Kami, joining the family profession started out with hesitation.

"I didn't think I'd be any good," she tells Spinner. "Yet to be disproved, but you either have to get stuck in at some point or stop harping on about it, consequences be damned."

Thompson released her debut album, 'Love Lies,' in the U.K. last October, and it's now out in the States. "I've been doing a little bit more singing," she says. "I've done a couple of tours and written enough songs. I figured I should record them. It was the right time because I had the songs and it was time to go."

Prince's Relationships With His Dad, Michael Jackson and Record Label Examined in New Unauthorized Biography

David Chiu — 2011-12-20T12:45:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, Book Club

Jordan Strauss, WireImage

Thirty-three years since his debut album 'For You,' Prince continues to fascinate both in his music and his personal life. There is no question that he is a true original whose superstardom was cemented with the success of 'Purple Rain.' The key word that could best describe Prince's long career is "control," from producing, writing and recording his own material; to his participation in the careers of such acts as the Time, the Family (now known as fDeluxe) and Vanity 6; and to calling the shots in his creative and business decisions.

Prince's life and and career are what author Ronin Ro has documented in his recently-published unauthorized biography, 'Prince: Inside the Music and the Masks.' "I wanted to basically tell his story chronologically," Ro, who has written the books 'Dr. Dre' and 'Have Gun Will Travel,' tells Spinner. "I also wanted to try to get into not just the fun of [Prince] making music, but to show the fun that he had in maintaining his career no matter what was going on. I wanted to get into his ups and downs [and] how he never gave up."

One aspect that the book touches on is Prince's relationship with his father, jazz musician John Nelson (aka Prince Rogers), which is in real life was different from the dramatized version in the film 'Purple Rain.' "We all know the stories of how his pop left [after his divorce from Prince's mother]," says Ro. "[Prince] actually seemed to feel bad when the father left and he wanted to continue playing music on his father's instruments [that were left behind in the house]. But it seemed, according to his own testimony, that the mother and the stepfather didn't want him doing that. That was one critical factor."

MTV's Ballsy Beginning, Race Issues + Rise to Power Examined in New Oral History

David Chiu — 2011-12-08T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Book Club

Courtesy of Adam Curry

Beginning with the Buggles' 'Video Killed the Radio Star,' MTV kicked off its music-video programming on Aug. 1, 1981. Back then, the network started as an up-and-coming all-music channel; by the mid-'80s, MTV became a crucial promotional vehicle for artists and the record labels. In its first 10 years, it was a springboard for then-new acts like Duran Duran and Madonna, and it showcased the musical styles of those times such as New Wave, hair metal, hip-hop, dance and grunge.

In 'I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution,' their recently published oral history of the channel, authors Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum focus on the period from 1981 to 1992, which they describe as the "Golden Age of MTV." Featuring numerous interviews with musicians, actors, directors and former MTV executives and VJs, 'I Want My MTV' offers insightful perspective and outrageous stories about the network and the era. The book also reveals the behind-the-scenes stories of videos such as Michael Jackson's
'Thriller' and Madonna's 'Like a Virgin.'

Spinner recently spoke with Marks about MTV's early years and how things changed at the network when original shows like 'The Real World' and 'Beavis and Butt-Head' emerged in the '90s.

Why did you and Rob decide to write the book? Did it have to do with the 30^th anniversary of the network?

That was one of the hooks. We were both the same age of viewers who grew up with MTV. We felt there wasn't a book that looked at MTV at a couple of different angles, one from the music-video angle and examined the genesis of the music video as we know it today. We also looked at the company, which was then a brash start-up, and how it grew into the behemoth that it is now. We also found there were a lot of people who feel very warmly toward that era when MTV stood for when all their programming was music video-related. They felt somewhat betrayed, I think, by MTV's current direction or no direction in the last five or so years. So we thought there was an audience that wanted to relive this golden era.

Chris Cornell Explores Suicide on 'Songbook,' New Soundgarden Due in the Spring

David Chiu — 2011-11-23T15:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, New Music, Exclusive, Q + A

Deena Cavallo

Most people will always associate singer Chris Cornell with the hard rock sound he made with his band Soundgarden. But over the years, Cornell has incorporated different styles in his own solo work -- such as pop and hip-hop elements -- while still maintaining his distinctive gritty and stirring vocals.

Now the artist is adding another new wrinkle to his career: Acoustic music. This past spring, Cornell did an unplugged tour, performing music from his solo career as well as his work with Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog. A collection of those live songs make up his new record, 'Songbook,' which includes the haunting and melancholy 'Cleaning My Gun,' a track that has never been appeared on any of his albums.

Cornell recently embarked on the second leg of his 'Songbook' tour that runs through Dec. 17. Following the completion of his solo dates, Cornell and the other members of Soundgarden -- who are finishing their first new studio album in about 16 years -- will tour Australia starting Jan. 20. In an exclusive interview with Spinner, Cornell talks about the motivation behind going acoustic, the new material on 'Songbook' and the latest news on Soundgarden.

Where did the idea of 'Songbook' come from?

After I had written and recorded the song 'Seasons' that ended up on the 'Singles' movie soundtrack. Surprisingly it did well and got a lot of airplay. People played it and liked it. It wasn't really even written for any particular purpose -- ['Singles' director] Cameron Crowe just heard it and wanted it in his film. That led to some other things. I did an acoustic version of a Soundgarden song, 'Like Suicide,' for a film because they asked for something like that. When I was first started thinking about doing solo work and started [my first solo album] 'Euphoria Morning,' I've definitely heard from fans and a lot people have asked me, "So you're gonna make an acoustic record, right?" I didn't do that, but I always felt like someday I've got to make good on that promise.

John Fogerty Performs Creedence's Full 'Cosmo's Factory' and Hits in New York

David Chiu — 2011-11-18T13:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

Larry Marano, Getty Images

Over the years, John Fogerty has played the Creedence Clearwater Revival hits in his shows as a solo performer. But on Thursday night in New York, the singer revisited his storied past in a more in-depth way as he and his band performed CCR's 1970 classic album 'Cosmo's Factory' in its entirety as part of a two-night stand at the Beacon Theatre. (Fogerty will play CCR's 'Green River' there tonight, Nov. 18).

To the fans, the live performance of 'Cosmo's Factory' was an opportunity to revisit Creedence for the full-album experience and not just for the memorable songs, which that record had a string of: 'Travelin' Band,' Marvin Gaye's classic 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine,' 'Up Around the Bend,' 'Lookin' Out My Back Door,' 'Run Through the Jungle' and 'Who'll Stop the Rain.' Fogerty did all those last night, but he also explored the other tracks from the record such as the hard-charging 'Ramble Tamble' that kicked off the evening and the rockabilly feel of 'Ooby Dooby,' previously recorded by Roy Orbison.

Cat Martino and Sufjan Stevens Act Like 'Geeky Kids' on 'Yr Not Alone'

David Chiu — 2011-11-09T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News, New Music, Exclusive

Andre Costantini

A couple of years ago, New York singer-songwriter Cat Martino had back injuries that were compounded by a lack of health insurance. As she now says of that time, it was hard for her to figure out what was going on or how to get better. While at home, Martino came across her boyfriend's pedal board and out curiosity stuck a microphone in it.

"It was really cool," she tells Spinner, "because all of a sudden, there was just this choir sound around me. I could make my voice sound like a bass, and I could make rhythms. It was really just a fun thing to do."

That discovery marked an evolution in her sound, pushing her beyond her previous folk-influenced style. Having recently sung backup on albums and tours by Sufjan Stevens and Sharon Van Etten, Martino steps out on her own with her record 'Yr Not Alone.'

Nile Rodgers on His Battles With Cancer and Cocaine, Chic's Rock Hall Snub and Producing Bowie and Madonna

David Chiu — 2011-10-25T16:00:00 00:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, Spinner Interview, Book Club

Roy Cox

Guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers' impressive and astounding musical credits reads like a history of popular music. In the mid '70s, with the late Bernard Edwards, Rodgers founded Chic, the great R&B/funk band who had a string of smash hits during the disco era, such as 'Le Freak,' 'I Want Your Love' and 'Good Times'; both he and Edwards also wrote and produced the hits 'We are Family' for Sister Sledge and 'I'm Coming Out' and 'Upside Down' for Diana Ross. After Chic's career wound down in the early '80s, Rodgers became a superstar producer and has worked with numerous acts including David Bowie, Madonna, Duran Duran, the B-52s, the Thompson Twins, the Vaughan Brothers and Mick Jagger.

Rodgers' recently published memoir, 'Le Freak,' talks about his musical achievements, but it only tells a part of his life story. Like his biological father, Rodgers success as a producer was accompanied by a serious drug addiction. When it got out of control in the early '90s, Rodgers went into rehab and has since become clean and sober for almost 20 years. But then, in October 2010, he revealed he was battling another obstacle: An "aggressive" form of prostate cancer.

In this interview with Spinner, Rodgers talks about the origins of Chic. working with Bowie, Madonna and Duran Duran, the cocaine-fueled moment that turned him around and his cancer treatment.

How are you feeling since your cancer surgery?

It's up and down, in and out. It's really weird for me. There's no straight line to recovery and healing. Especially for the first five years, it's sort of an up and down rollercoaster. Right now, you caught me in the middle of a cycle where I had a test a week or a two ago and I haven't gotten the results yet. It's a weird period.