In the mid 70's Australian singer Linda George was in constant demand for TV variety shows, in recording sessions and as also a member of Brian Cadd's Bootleg Family Band. In 1973 she was named "Best New Female Artist" at the King of Pop Awards and had solo hits with a cover of a Gladys Knight song and her take on "Mama's Little Girl".
This interview will be of particular interest to Aussie music fans as Promises were huge on TV's "Countdown" in 1979. Singer Leslie Knauer really stood out in the video for "Baby It's You", though it wasn't a hit in their USA homeland and almost didn't happen at all! In Australia Promises had a follow up success and fans of "big hair" might enjoy this clip.
Fans of The Doors will know that their first hit was "Light My Fire" and that Robby Krieger wrote it. Not only did he compose some of The Doors greatest hits but he's also acclaimed as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Here Robby Krieger also tells about the one song the band never played after Jim Morrison's death.
For some Kiki Dee will bring back memories of just one song - her #1 one duet with Elton John, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". It was a huge hit and she does fondly reminisce about her work with Elton (and the jokes he played on her), however there were other hits for Kiki including one of the best love songs of the 70's.
The former manager of Elton John, Queen and Kiki Dee has some great stories to tell. John Reid was there when Queen first went to the top of the charts with "Bohemian Rhapsody". For 28 years he managed Elton John's career and has some great stories about Elton's generosity. He also managed the Motown Record label in the UK and had success with that too.
In the second part of this interview with Alan Parsons there's more of the stories behind the hits of the Alan Parsons Project as well as more about his work as a record producer. He is of course famous for working with The Beatles but did you know he also produced hits for Steve Harley and Pilot? If you missed Part 1 it's here.
This is Part 1 of a chat with Alan Parsons of the Alan Parsons Project. He tells how he went from being a recording engineer to leading his own band, whilst at the same time not touring or having his photo taken very much. He recalls his ground-breaking work with Pink Floyd and why he argued with Al Stewart. Make sure you hear Part 2!
Few artists have had as many different names as the late Alvin Stardust. He adopted his most famous moniker when he became a "glam-rocker", though his work as a singer goes much further back in time. He talks about the various names of his career and has an amazing story about an incredible autograph collection he amassed on a guitar his mother gave him.
In 2012 Australian music fans mourned the loss of Darryl Cotton. He first came to attention as singer of the Zoot which also featured Rick Springfield and Beeb Birtles of the Little River Band. Darryl has a great yarn about how an Australian Rock Icon gave Zoot their name, talks about the hit he wrote for Mississippi and reveals the story behind "Same Old Girl".
Bands don't come much bigger than Fleetwood Mac. Co-founder Mick Fleetwood always has plenty of hit stories and did you know that he played on a huge Warren Zevon hit? What about Mick Fleetwood's acting role as an alien? "Rhiannon", "The Chain" and "Tusk" are a few of the hits discussed in this chat from 2003 as the Mac toured for the "Say You Will" album.
