'60s '70s '80s - Warm, Candid, Classic, Rock Interviews with Music Legends - A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

The story of American sixties Blues band, CANNED HEAT is a tragic tale of drugs, alcohol, sex and rock n Roll.  It was founded by two blues historians and record collectors, Alan Wilson and Bob Hite. This week we meet the band's sole surviving member, drummer FITO DE LA PARRA who tells us about the band's incredible journey over the past 60 years. Despite all the excesses and loss of several...

It's a mixed bag this week that I think, has something for everyone.  We meet 60s family band THE COWSILLS , or at least what's left of them - Bob, Paul and Susan Cowsill. The siblings have recently released a brand new album - their first in 30 years and I gotta say, it’s pretty good! I have a chat with them about their lives growing up in the public eye, about being the role models for the TV sh...

I’m so happy to be sharing this week’s show with you because it’s not only a super interview, it’s also a response to one of our listeners’ requests. Shayne from Sydney wrote me asking if she could possibly hear from her long time favourite, Dr. Hook. The American country- rock band's core comprised of the late Ray Sawyer and the irrepressible Dennis Locorriere who met by accident and forged a gig...

Guitarist Martin Barre was an integral part of English band Jethro Tull for many years and had been joined at the hip with founder, Ian Anderson since 1969. The two had a massive falling out which led to the band breaking up in 2011 but Martin refused to lay down his guitar and today travels solo with his own band making wonderful music. We catch up with Martin to discover the roots of Jethro Tull...

Meet Lee Loughnane, founding member of the band Chicago who shares details about the band's 38th studio album release - Born For This Moment as well as their most recent tour.  Lee reflects on the band's success over the years, including their 100 million in record sales, 21 top 10 singles, and 11 number one hits and discusses how the band has managed to stay together and remain relevant for...

This week, Irish family band, THE CORRS , joins me for an interview. They're an outfit that combines pop rock with traditional Irish themes. The group consists of the Corr siblings, Andrea, Sharon, Caroline and Jim who all hail from Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. The Corrs have released seven studio albums and numerous singles, which have reached platinum in many countries, and have sold 40 milli...

Meet one of rock’s most recognisable musicians – GRAHAM NASH . Graham’s been making music for more than 60 years - first with English band The Hollies then as Crosby Stills and Nash and later when Neil Young joined them, as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.  At 80 years young, Graham Nash has recently released a new solo album. Graham Nash: Live - a new concert album featuring the acclaimed musician...

Meet THE RUBETTES - Mick Clarke and John Richardson who founded the UK band in 1973. They were the definitive one-hit-wonder band that came together after they had that instant smash hit with 'Sugar Baby Love’. Somehow they are still at it today delighting the crowds wherever they play. But there’s so much more to these guys than what meets the eye. Find out about their unlikely path to success wh...

Englishman KENNEY JONES has spent the best part of five decades at the heart of the rock music industry. As drummer with the Small Faces, Faces and The Who, he has been involved in three of the biggest bands the music business has ever known. From the moment he started drumming in the front room of his parents home, Kenney became hooked on music. He shot to fame with the Small Faces in 1965 and ha...

His dad was known as 'The Father of Rock and Roll' but he was, unfortunately, no father to his own son. BILL HALEY JR has a new book out about his legendary dad and tells us that all Bill Haley wanted to do was get kids up and dancing again. Join me to hear that despite Bill Haley being way ahead of his time, playing ‘race music’ with a ‘hillbilly touch’ he enjoyed success for only a few short yea...

Hi my friends, Hope you’re having a good one. STEPPENWOLF have always been one of my very favourite bands so nailing JOHN KAY for an interview was something of a coup. He speaks to the media very rarely these days and when he does, it’s usually about his charitable foundation -  https://mauekay.org/ After months of hounding him, the founder and lead singer of the 60's Canadian American rock band,...

A Breath of Fresh Air loves the music and the musicians of the 60's 70's and 80's. And, if you’re a fan of 80’s music, you’re likely a huge fan of English new wave band, SPANDAU BALLET . The group was inspired by London’s post-punk underground dance scene and became one of the most successful groups of the New Romantic era. We meet lead singer TONY HADLEY who tells us all about his time with the b...

DIRE STRAITS filled giant stadiums around the world and sold hundreds of millions of records. Throughout the eighties they were one of the biggest bands on the planet. Their classic songs - 'Sultans of Swing', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Money for Nothing', 'Brothers In Arms' - formed the soundtrack of a generation and live on today: still racking up sales, still being played on the radio on every contin...

He’s a guitarist who’s played with Roxy Music since 1972; he’s produced albums and tracks for David Gilmour, Pink Floyd and Rod Stewart as well as for New Zealand’s Split Enz. Today PHIL MANZANERA has a new solo album with Crowded House's Tim Finn and he joins me this week to talk about how he and his friend collaborated on it. Phil also chats about his time in Roxy Music; how he joined the band,...

This week: It's our 100th episode of A Breath of Fresh Air so we're celebrating by bringing you the most requested artists of all time. We hear from the stars and reminisce through their classic hits. You voted for these guys so here they are. We start with the inimitable GORDON LIGHTFOOT who at 83 years of age is still going strong and currently out on tour. Gordon walks us through many of the hi...

Welshman, VERDEN ALLEN founded the British hard rock band, MOTT THE HOOPLE in the early 70's. The band was a mix of glam, metal and attitude that was bolstered by Ian Hunter's clever and thoughtful songwriting. Mott The Hoople had a tough, muscular sound but their lack of mainstream success meant its members inevitably splintered apart. Most famous for a song given to them by David Bowie, this wee...

This week: Remember the UK band, the EQUALS? If you were around in the late 60's early 70's there's no way you escaped hearing their smash hit 'Baby Come Back' all over the radio. Well, this week, founding member Patrick Lloyd joins me to tell us what it was like being one of the world's first multi-racial groups, how difficult it was for EDDY GRANT to recover from injuries sustained in a car acci...

If you, like me, have been into music for some time, the name RICHIE FURAY should be very familiar to you. He was a founding member of Buffalo Springfield with Neil Young and Stephen Stills and then formed Poco with Jim Messina. Today, Richie Furay runs solo and has just released a terrific new album of his favourite tunes, called 'In the Country'. He joins me this week to chat about the album and...

He's an Australian artist who's produced 20 singles and 7 studio albums, the first of which reached number one and stayed in the top 100 for two and a half years. He’s won countless awards and is known as the quiet achiever of the Aussie music scene. PETE MURRAY has just released a couple of new EP’s. I tracked him down to his home in Byron Bay, NSW to learn more about his latest music. BILLY SWAN...

She's young, she's passionate and she is oh so talented. I'm talking about guitarist SAMANTHA FISH who's taking the world by storm with her latest album, Faster. I caught up with Samantha to discover a young woman hell bent on making the best music she can, and she's not fussed if that pursuit costs her the opportunity to become a mother. He's responsible for one of the best one-hit-wonders of all...

Is she a one hit wonder or not? She certainly has only ever had one number one hit and it’s the song that everyone knows her for. We catch up with the gorgeous British singer, TINA CHARLES from her home in Caterham in the UK where she lives a modest life tending to her dogs, chickens and even to a skulk of foxes who visit her regularly. The man of 1000 voices TONY BURROWS has always been a group....

The First Lady of Rock is 71 years old and proud of it. SUZI QUATRO has just celebrated her 50-year long career in the music industry with a massive 2.5 hour show at London’s Royal Albert Hall that audiences are raving about. This week she's releasing a 3 cd box set, a 2 CD box set AND her latest book - her 7th! It makes me tired just thinking about it. I caught up with the irrepressible pocket ro...

Hi, this is Sandy, thanks for joining me for this week's episode. I'm so excited to be able to introduce you to three terrific musical guests. Grammy Award-winning music legend CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE  is renowned worldwide as a master harmonica player, a seasoned, truth-telling vocalist and an original songwriter rooted deep in the blues tradition. He’s won 14 Blues Music Awards, been nominated for s...

I’m excited to catch up with one of the best known and most loved singer- songwriters from the '60s and '70s.  He’s written hundreds of tunes many of which you’ll instantly recognise. The extraordinary JIMMY WEBB takes us on a journey through his life, from humble beginnings on the farm in midwest America to Hollywood where he lived the life of excess, hobnobbed with the who’s who of showbiz and w...

If you grew up in the 70's you were probably a huge GRAHAM  BONNET fan. Graham used to front Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow and Alactrazz. Now he has a new album called "Day Out In Nowhere." I caught up with Graham as he lounged in the Californian sunshine in LA. BILL MEDLEY from THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS has been enjoying a hugely successful career as a singer for more than 60 years. After Bobby Hatfiel...