It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, we speak with drummer Pete Best, one of only 3 living men who can rightfully claim the designation “former-Beatle”. We discuss his two year role in the band's development, which took them from teenaged amateur rockers, to road-hardened seasoned musicians – culminating with the band' signing with EMI Records, and his infamous firing from the g...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, we feature a wide-ranging, cathartic interview with LOU GRAMM, the former lead singer and principal co-songwriter for 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees Foreigner. Topics covered include his early life growing up in Rochester, a parent-defying trek to a 1965 Rolling Stones concert, the lean years with his first band Black Sheep (including...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, legendary Texas blues guitarist and founding member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jimmie Vaughan talks about his life in music, starting in his early teens working with Dallas's best established bands, sharing stages with major acts like Jimi Hendrix. Jimmie discusses both his and his baby brother, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan's roles in the 1...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, we revisit my 2007 interview with singer/guitarist DENNY LAINE, who tragically passed away this week at the age of 79. Our conversation covered his entire career including his early influences, forming his first band Denny & The Diplomats (with future Move/ELO drummer Bev Bevan), and co-founding two of the most celebrated musical acts of the...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, record producer, arranger, musician, and music business veteran TONY VISCONTI discusses his life both in and out of the recording studio, working with future legends like David Bowie and Marc Bolan at the start of their careers, straight through to superstardom. Additionally, Tony recounts how a kid from the streets of Brooklyn became an indi...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, record promoter / press liaison / artistic director TONY KING discusses his seven decades as a behind the scenes figure in rock & roll, whose work proved vital in both the careers and lives of artists like Roy Orbison, John Lennon, Elton John, and most notably The Rolling Stones, as tour press director for over 20 years. From his days as a yo...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, guitarist and hit songwriter for one of rock's most mythical and influential bands The Doors, ROBBY KRIEGER talks about his early years as a Jewish kid living in an upper-middle class “waspy” neighborhood, and how a penchant for blues slide-guitar earned him a slot in the now iconic quartet. We also discuss the band's early gigs, the story be...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, we feature 1960's hit-maker TOMMY JAMES, who along with his band The Shondells, released a string of classics including “Crimson and Clover”, “Mony Mony”, “Hanky Panky”, “I Think We're Alone Now”, and others. Tommy discusses how he went from a middle-America upbringing, to working and recording for Roulette Records, which in reality was a fro...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, we feature true rock royalty – producer, session musician, A&R man, and omnipresent figure throughout the rock era, AL KOOPER. We discuss a career that began at age 15 playing guitar with The Royal Teens (“Short, Shorts”), and later included playing Hammond on Bob Dylan's “Like A Rolling Stone”, French Horn & organ on The Rolling Stones “You...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, renowned rock sideman / guitarist EARL SLICK regales us with tales along his musical journey, starting in the clubs of New York City to years of touring the world and recording with David Bowie, as well as working on sessions for what would be John Lennon's final albums “Double Fantasy” and the posthumous release “Milk & Honey”. We also talk...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of the legendary band Traffic, DAVE MASON talks about his sometimes-tumultuous tenure with the band, and how moving from England to the United States over fifty years ago introduced him to a slew of like-minded musicians from Gram Parsons to Cass Elliot. Mason also discusses his session work...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, founding member and drummer of The Yardbirds, JIM McCARTY talks about the band's multi-decade career, starting out as England's most authentic rhythm & blues band, that gave rise to guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and helped usher in progressive and heavy rock. We discuss the backstory behind classics like “For Your Love” and...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, Tuscon native CHRIS O'DELL tells how she parlayed a chance meeting with Beatle's publicist Derek Taylor into a career behind the scenes in the world of rock, first as secretary for The Beatles owned Apple Records, personal assistant to The Rolling Stones on their “Exile On Main Street” tour, then later as one of rock's first female Tour Manag...

On today's episode of the It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, we sit down with DENNIS LOCORRIERE, the voice behind a laundry-list of Top 40 hits released by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show (later shortened to Dr. Hook) between 1971-1985, including “Sylvia's Mother”, “When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman”, “Sexy Eyes”, “Sharing The Night Together”, and the inimitable “The Cover Of Rolling Stone”. H...

On this episode of the It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, we talk to drummer GINA SCHOCK, the outspoken, hard-rocking heartbeat behind rock's first #1 charting all-female band, The Go-Go's. Gina gives us a peek into her inner sanctum, pulling out some of her favorite 45's from an immense collection of not only vinyl, but additionally forty plus years of Go-Go's memorabilia – much of which is feature...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, we visit with American folk-rock troubadour and founding frontman of The Lovin' Spoonful, JOHN SEBASTIAN. We talk of his childhood in NYC as the son of show-business parents, growing up around frequent house guests like Woody Guthrie, Burl Ives, and godmother Vivian Vance. He recounts his early start in the Greenwich Village folk scene, co-fo...

On today's episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast we speak to ALLAN CLARKE, former singer and songwriter for the legendary British Invasion band The Hollies. Topics include his longtime partnership with Graham Nash (including his eventual departure to form CSN&Y), their first U.S. Concert tour on a bill with Little Richard (whose group featured then-unknown guitarist Jimi Hendrix), what re...

On today's episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, famed drummer for the iconic band The Doors, JOHN DENSMORE tells of his tenure with the legendary act that pushed the artistic limits, and in the process created some of rock's most enduring music. We also discuss several of the individuals who influenced him personally, professionally and spiritually, detailing anecdotes from his latest m...

On today's episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, we have a multi-topic, jam-packed conversation with heavy-metal's most prolific bass player, RUDY SARZO. The former Cuban refugee turned metal-master details his embrace of the LA heavy rock scene of the late-70's - including how working with his friend the late Randy Rhoads in Quiet Riot landed him the bass player spot in Ozzy Osbourne's...

On today's episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, the World's Most Dangerous keyboardist, PAUL SHAFFER talks highlights from his 50 years in show business, including dropping the “F-bomb” on network television, his "conversation" with Mick Jagger backstage at Saturday Night Live, how backing up his hero James Brown left The Godfather of Soul wanting more, and the time a spontaneous on-mic...

On today's episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, heavy rock drumming pioneer and innovator CARMINE APPICE recounts his illustrious and musically-varied career, starting with his days in the 1960s hard psychedelic band Vanilla Fudge, to his years on the road with Rod Stewart (including co-writing two of his classics “Do You Think I'm Sexy” and “Young Turks”). He additionally sets the reco...

On this episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, rock's first celebrated female bass-playing frontwoman, SUZI QUATRO talks about leaving behind her native Detroit (as well as her resentful, former band-mate sisters) to achieve super-stardom across the pond with mega-hits like “Can The Can”, “The Wild One”, and “Devil Gate Drive”. And after a handful of cameo appearances on Happy Days as fic...

On today's episode of The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, founding member and former frontman/keyboardist for Styx, DENNIS DEYOUNG sits down for a wide-ranging, no-holds barred interview talking everything from lazy rock journalism, to his new and final studio album, to the true reasons behind why Styx are no longer the multi-platinum-selling band a generation of loyal fans remember from the 1970...

On today's show, powerhouse drummer BEV BEVAN gives us a bird's eye view of what it was like to be a founding member of two of rock's biggest acts - notorious 1960's British band The Move, and 1970's world-dominating rock juggernaut, Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Additionally, he covers his early days working with Denny Laine, touring in the mid-1980s with Black Sabbath, and future plans with hi...

Frontman/guitarist for 70's supergroup Argent and prolific songwriter, RUSS BALLARD joins The It's Only Rock And Roll Podcast, covering a career which began as a teen and included writing rock classics like “Liar” (Three Dog Night), “New York Groove” (Hello / Ace Frehley), “Since You've Been Gone” (Rainbow), “Winning” (Santana), “God Gave Rock & Roll To You” (Argent / Kiss), and his 1984 solo hit...