The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast

Eric Clapton had achieved pop success with The Yardbirds but that's not what he wanted. All Eric wanted to do was play the blues. So he left The Yardbirds to join John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers where through many miles and many gigs honed a guitar sound & style that would create a mythology around Clapton like no guitar player before. Their gigs must see happenings as once they were into a groove...

If you haven't heard, the USA is turning 250!! The Great American Experiment has endured for one quarter of a millenium and though it might not be a perfect place, it's home to both The Wolf & Action Jackson. This podcast may have been birthed while The Wolf was in the UK but as many fans of The World Cup are learning, America is a special place. And though most of our rock idols hail from the UK...

UP THE IRONS!! For the 2nd time in Season 3 of First Concert Memories we go back to an Iron Maiden show that your hosts never witnessed themselves. Why do we need another after hearing Brian Slagel, CEO/Founder Metal Blade Records, tell his story of interviewing Steve Harris afterwards on FCM 32 you might ask? How about a story from the other side of the curtain with our man Steven Michael from th...

We've been doing our podcast for almost 6 years and with that time & experience, one does find patterns or tricks of the trade that pop up regularly. As The Wolf & Action Jackson have reviewed about 200 albums on the show and listened to thousands more, the boys observed something when it comes to tracking albums. Bands rarely leave the worst song on the album for the last track; however, they oft...

We are proud to welcome Rock PR veteran Sharon Chevin who has been in the music business for more than 4 decades. What began as a deep love for rock music became a sustaining career which has taken her around the world and helped her forge friendships with some of the biggest artists on the planet. These days, Sharon promotes and manages media for prog rock legends Yes (and she wants me to remind...

Duran Duran's eponymous debut not only established their sound with funky bass and new wave synths but coincided with the launch of new US cable station, MTV. With their danceable beats, the boys stylish brand of new wave was perfect fot the 80s and perfect for MTV. It introduced a whole new generation of American music fans into Anglophiles including your hosts The Wolf & Action Jackson. We, like...

Cinderella came out of the gritty streets of Philadelphia by writing hookey riffs, shout along choruses and a fun, glammy stage show. Gene Simmons tried to get them signed but it was Jon Bon Jovi who would convince his label Mercury to get them a record contract. Led by lead singer/songwriter/lead guitarist Tom Keifer, Cinderella had hard riffs and a Sunset Strip performance style that made them p...

Happy Birthday to the one & only #SuziQuatro!! We were honored to speak with the legend herself on her new album Freedom, all she’s done in her 7 decade career & why she still loves to play live! Listen: https://megaphone.link/PAN8235644133 #legend @Suzi_Quatro Check out our new website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

We started First Concert Memories, the monthly series from The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast, we wanted to capture the passion of rock fans who were turned on (usually at a young age) by the power of a great live rock show. That passion comes from childhood and teenage fandom of bands that hit you in just the right spot in your heart, mind and time of your life. For our generation,...

By 1986, the Phil Collins machine was in full gear. After coming off big solo success with the diamond selling No Jacket Required and having played on both sides of the Atlantic for Live Aid, the public (and the record company) couldn't seem to get enough of the Genesis drummer turned lead singer. The band sought to capitalize on that momentum by sharing music writing credits (each of them wrote l...

Iron Maiden has earned their spot as one of the biggest touring acts of the new millenium through an unwavering work ethic and delivering quality in every way to their legion of dedicated fans. As they prepare to come to North and South American to wrap up their Run For Your Lives Tour, they released a career spanning documentary, Burning Ambition, for a limited theater run before the inevitable r...

Blue Oyster Cult translated their fan favorite live act into platinum with the 1975 live album On Your Feet Or On Your Knees. It not only gave the guys confidence going into recording Agents of Fortune but it gave each of them the funds to buy synthesizers that would allow all of them to write songs individually and bring more polished songs into the studio. The result was an eclectic mix of style...

By 1996, Def Leppard needed to try something different.  Their 80s heyday had long since passed and the grunge/nu metal era made them unwanted icons of a forgotten age.  They got a new wardrobe, split up to write their songs and even left the stylized Def Leppard logo off of their album Slang to tread new paths without longtime producer Mutt Lange.  Some saw it as a reaction to grunge as it sounde...

On First Concert Memories 34 we welcome friend of the show and 2 time former guest Ryan Condal, Co-Creator and Executive Producer of House of the Dragon, onto our monthly podcast about those special moments growing up when your favorite rock band is everything. Ryan transports us back to New Jersey in the late 1990's when he took his buddies and his little brother to see Rage Against The Machine w...

Stewart Copeland, drummer/composer/host extraordinaire and one time member of The Police, spoke with us on Ep 275 about his love for working with orchestras. And he praised the city of Louisville (where The Wolf finds himself after a 4 year European tour) for the quality of the city's orchestra. Because though his days in The Police may be over, his love for the music and performing has not waned....

We reviewed Blow By Blow by Jeff Beck last year and thought it was great (Ep 222) so we figured we'd also review Wired as it turns 50. And while Jeff did bring back producer George Martine (uh, The Beatles) he did choose to bring in some new blood. Most notably, he retained Jan Hammer - famous to the boys for creating the Miami Vice theme - and a jazz/new age legend in his own right. Wilbur Bascom...

Shockingly, Mick Taylor turned in his resignation to The Rolling Stones in late 1974 after the Tour of the Americas had already been booked. That changed the landscape for the band immediately so they shelved plans to make a new release in 1975 and gave us the compilation Made in the Shade. While they enlisted Ronnie Wood to fill in on the tour, they brought in multiple guitar heroes to take a cra...

Robert Plant is one of the true legends of rock n roll. His vocals made Led Zeppelin the biggest band in the world and his solo career is now in its 5th decade encompassing all sorts of different musical styles and genres. But Robert isn't a man who needs to trade on his past to get by. While he doesn't forget where he comes from, he's one to always push forward to explore new sounds and new colla...

Suzi Quatro has been rocking out live for 7 decades. Since she was a teenager with her sisters in The Pleasure Seekers in the mid-60's she has been on stage, singing, playing her bass and proving that she rocks hard, no matter what box you may try to put her in. Suzi's new album Freedom is available for purchase and download and it's a rocker from start to finish. The title track is the lead singl...

Steve Kilbey, the long-time lead singer, bassist & lead songwriter for The Church has had a career that spans half a century. As he has just taken the band around Australia on their The Singles Tour and prepare to hit the US with it this summer, we checked in with our entertaining friend for the first time since ep 200 of The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast. Though we start out as we...

As we've learned after 6 years of doing the show, once you interview someone you have a greater interest in seeing them play live. Maybe because you're invested in their career, maybe because they've shared stories of the inspiration for their music or maybe you just find them charming and want to support them. All of the above are true for Oliver Wakeman as he's been on our show several times and...

By early 1976, things were looking bleak for Rush. Despite their relentless touring schedule and 3 albums - Rush, Fly By Night, Caress of Steel - the record company wasn't happy. The band called the Caress of Steel Tour the Down The Tubes Tour as their crowds got smaller and their record didn't sell. Mercury records wanted radio friendly hits or something more like the Zeppelin-y first record or t...

The Ugly American Werewolf in London is a weekly podcast about classic rock, hard rock, progressive rock, heavy metal, early MTV, 80s music, UK vs. US chart success and all things rock! Hosted by The Wolf and Action Jackson, who interview rock legends, review classic albums and concerts of their favorite classic rock bands each week. Once a month, they welcome musicians, writers and fans to First...

In 1986 we lived in a divided country. People who were once good friends now found themselves on opposite sides of one of the most charged debates in the history of mankind. You had to choose - Van Halen or Van Hagar?!?! After their diamond seller 1984 ruled the world that summer, charismatic frontman David Lee Roth was looking at other opportunities. In 1985 he released his covers EP, Crazy from...

Here’s a clip of our interview with legendary drummer/composer Stewart Copeland of The Police. Hear the whole interview with Stewart about playing the Paralympics, his Police Deranged for Orchestra tour and speaking series here: Stewart Copeland Interview Keep up with Stewart at ⁠stewartcopeland.net⁠ Check out our new website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...