The superlatives you could use in describing Eric Burdon are many, the man truly is a legend. From starting out in the early 60's with the band The Animals he continues to perform and record as he reaches his late 70's. Over the years he's amassed many amazing tales concerning his life and music, just some of those hit stories are shared here.
It is amazing how many famous singers cite Paul Rodgers as their major inspiration. John Mellencamp went so far as to call him "the best rock singer EVER"! In the 70's he led two of the UK's greatest rock bands in Free and Bad Company. Free's "All Right Now" is just one of his huge hits, but wait until you hear how it came about.
English singer/songwriter/record producer Rod Argent is one of the great survivors. Starting out as keyboardist with The Zombies in the 60's, Rod then formed the band Argent in the 70's before beginning a solo career. The musical importance of The Zombies was recognised in 2014 when a plaque was unveiled at the site of their first rehearsal.
They will be remembered for their pioneering work in the world of "heavy metal". Deep Purple were loud, but also had great songs. There was one inspired by a fire which destroyed a Swiss casino. Another was recorded after the boys had had a big night down at the local pub, as singer Ian Gillan admits when asked by Ian Keenan.
If the Beatles are the most famous band to come out of England's Liverpool, then Gerry and The Pacemakers are the second most famous! They immortalised in song the river of their home town with their classic "Ferry Cross The Mersey" and are also remembered for the definitive version of "You'll Never Walk Alone". As you'll hear, Gerry Marsden has some great hit stories.
British singer and actress Marianne Faithfull began her career almost by accident. She was "discovered" by the manager of the Rolling Stones and it was a Jagger/Richards song that resulted in Marianne's first hit. She was there for one of The Beatles' greatest moments and as an actress also left her mark. In fact Marianne Faithfull has a unique claim-to-fame in movie history.
The keyboardist for Duran Duran, Nick Rhodes, has been part of the band since day one and knows all the band's hit stories. With Ian Keenan he discusses the band's longevity and how their videos have held up. He reveals how a "bleaching" disaster features in one Duran Duran video plus shares a recollection regarding a one-hit-wonder band he produced in the 80's.
So many great bands emerged from the UK in the 60's and Spencer Davis shares the history behind the band he famously led, the Spencer Davis Group. You'll discover just how young Steve Winwood was when they hit the charts, plus hear the hit stories behind their classics. You can also listen to another interview with Spencer Davis here.
English musician and singer/songwriter Howard Jones has been called "one of the defining figures of mid-'80s synth pop". He certainly gave us some memorable hits in the 80's including "Like To Get To Know You Well" and "No One Is To Blame". Here Howard reveals some of his musical influences as well as some great stories from his career.
"Heart-throb" and "guitar hero" were common descriptions for Peter Frampton in the 70's. He also created the biggest selling "live" album of the decade! Here Peter recalls the day he wrote two of his biggest hits, how he recorded with George Harrison on the epic "All Things Must Pass" plus tells what led to him playing on a famous movie theme.
