Wednesday 10pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

Donald Fagen
Photo: Joseph Sinnott

Donald Fagen was born in Passaic, New Jersey, on January 10, 1948, to Jewish parents, Joseph “Jerry” Fagen, an accountant, and his wife, Elinor, a homemaker who had been a swing singer in upstate New York’s Catskill Mountains from childhood through her teens. His family moved to the suburb of Fair Lawn around 1958 and soon after to a house on Bedford Road in the Kendall Park section of South Brunswick, New Jersey. The transition upset him; he detested living in the suburbs. He later recalled that it “was like a prison. I think I lost faith in [my parents’] judgment… It was probably the first time I realized I had my own view of life.” His life in Kendall Park, including his teenage love of late-night radio, inspired his album The Nightfly.

Fagen became interested in rock and rhythm and blues (R&B) in the late 1950s. The first record he bought was “Reelin’ and Rockin'” by Chuck Berry. At age eleven, he was recommended music by a cousin and went to the Newport Jazz Festival, becoming what he called a “jazz snob”: “I lost interest in rock ‘n’ roll and started developing an anti-social personality.” In the early 1960s, beginning at age twelve, he often went to the Village Vanguard, where he was particularly impressed by Earl Hines, Willie “The Lion” Smith, and Bill Evans. He regularly took the bus to Manhattan to see performances by jazz musicians Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis. He learned to play the piano, and he played baritone horn in the high school marching band. He developed a lifelong fondness for table tennis. In his late teens he was drawn to soul music, funk, Motown, and Sly and the Family Stone. He has also expressed admiration for the Boswell Sisters, Henry Mancini, and Ray Charles.

After graduating from South Brunswick High School in 1965, he enrolled at Bard College to study English literature, having been inspired by Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. At Bard he met musician Walter Becker. With a revolving assortment of musicians which included future actor Chevy Chase, Becker and Fagen formed the bands the Leather Canary, the Don Fagen Jazz Trio, and the Bad Rock Band.[9] Fagen described his college bands as sounding like “the Kingsmen performing Frank Zappa material”. None of the groups lasted long, but the partnership between Fagen and Becker did. The duo’s early career included working with Jay and the Americans, for which they used pseudonyms. In the early 1970s they worked as pop songwriters for ABC/Dunhill Records, which released all of Steely Dan’s 1970s albums. – Wikipedia

Wednesday 10pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

Michael John Kells Fleetwood (born 24 June 1947) is a British musician and actor, best known for his role as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood, whose surname was merged with that of the group’s bassist John “Mac” McVie to form the name of the band, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Born in Redruth, Cornwall, Fleetwood lived in Egypt and Norway for many of his childhood years as his father travelled with the Royal Air Force. Choosing to follow his musical interests, Fleetwood travelled to London at the age of 15, eventually combining with Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer and Bob Brunning, at Green’s behest, to become the first incarnation of Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood would remain the only member to stay with the band through its ever-changing line-up.

After several album releases and line-up changes, the group moved to the United States in 1974 in an attempt to boost the band’s success. Here Fleetwood invited Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to join. Buckingham and Nicks contributed to much of Fleetwood Mac’s later commercial success, including the celebrated album Rumours, while Fleetwood’s own determination to keep the band together was essential to the band’s longevity.[1][2] He has also enjoyed a solo career, published written works, and flirted briefly with acting and vinification, as well as opened blues-themed restaurants in Alexandria, VA and Hawaii. – Wikipedia

Wednesday 10pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

John Roy Anderson (born 25 October 1944), known professionally as Jon Anderson, is a British-American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he co-founded in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. He was a member of the band across three tenures between 1968 and 2008. Anderson is a current member of Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman.

Anderson is also noted for his solo career and collaborations with other artists, including Vangelis as Jon and Vangelis, Roine Stolt as Anderson/Stolt, and Jean-Luc Ponty as AndersonPonty Band. He has also appeared on albums by King Crimson, Tangerine Dream, Iron Butterfly and Mike Oldfield.

Anderson released his first solo album, Olias of Sunhillow (1976), while still a member of Yes in 1976, and subsequently released 13 more albums as a solo artist. Anderson became an American citizen in 2009. In 2017, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Yes. – Wikipedia

Wednesday 10pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

This week on Rock Talk as discussion and music from Lita Ford.

Lita Rossana Ford (born 19 September 1958) is an English-born American rock guitarist, actress, vocalist and songwriter who was the lead guitarist for the Runaways in the late 1970s before embarking on a solo career in the 1980s.

Wednesday 10pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945), is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and of Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and fourth in Gibson’s “Top 50 Guitarists of All Time”. He was also named number five in Time magazine’s list of “The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players” in 2009.

In the mid-1960s Clapton left the Yardbirds to play with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. Immediately after leaving Mayall, Clapton formed the power trio Cream with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce, in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and “arty, blues-based psychedelic pop”. After Cream broke up, he formed blues rock band Blind Faith with Baker, Steve Winwood, and Ric Grech. Clapton’s solo career began in the 1970s, where his work bore the influence of the mellow style of J. J. Cale and the reggae of Bob Marley. His version of Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” helped reggae reach a mass market. Two of his most popular recordings were “Layla”, recorded with Derek and the Dominos; and Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads”, recorded with Cream. Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton’s grief was expressed in the song “Tears in Heaven”, which was featured on his Unplugged album.

Clapton has been the recipient of 18 Grammy Awards, and the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2004 he was awarded a CBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music. He has received four Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In his solo career, Clapton has sold more than 130 million records worldwide. In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for recovering substance abusers. – Wikipedia

Wednesday 10pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English songwriter, singer, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist who co-founded the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). In 1972, two years after the group’s formation, he took over its leadership and wrote, arranged, and produced virtually all of their subsequent records. In 1988, under the pseudonyms Otis Wilbury and Clayton Wilbury, he co-founded the supergroup Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty.

After ELO’s original disbandment in 1986, Lynne released two solo albums: Armchair Theatre (1990) and Long Wave (2012). In addition, he began producing various artists. His songwriting and production collaborations with former Beatles led him to co-produce their Anthology reunion singles “Free as a Bird” (1995) and “Real Love” (1996). Lynne has received three Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the award for Outstanding Services to British Music.

In 2014, Lynne reformed ELO and resumed concert touring, the same year he received a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars in his home city. In 2015, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2017, Lynne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of ELO. – Wikipedia

Wednesday 10pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

This week Dominic Forbes chats with Don Henley.  Following we feature an hour of Eagles and Don Henley music.

Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and founding member of the Eagles. Henley was the drummer and co-lead vocalist for the Eagles from 1971 to 1980, when the band broke up, and from 1994 to 2016, when they reunited. Following a year-long break due to Eagles founder Glenn Frey’s death, Henley reformed the band in summer 2017 for the Classic West and Classic East rock festivals, hiring Vince Gill and Deacon Frey to replace Glenn and becoming the last remaining original member. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as “Witchy Woman”, “Desperado”, “Best of My Love”, “One of These Nights”, “Hotel California”, “Life in the Fast Lane”, “The Long Run” and “Get Over It”.

After the Eagles broke up in 1980, Henley pursued a solo career and released his debut album I Can’t Stand Still, in 1982. He has released five studio albums, two compilation albums, and one live DVD. His solo hits include “Dirty Laundry”, “The Boys of Summer”, “All She Wants to Do Is Dance”, “The Heart of the Matter”, “The Last Worthless Evening”, “Sunset Grill”, “Not Enough Love in the World”, and “The End of the Innocence”.

The Eagles have sold over 150 million albums worldwide, won six Grammy Awards, had five No. 1 singles, 17 Top 40 singles, and six No. 1 albums. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and are the biggest selling American band in history. As a solo artist, Henley has sold over 10 million albums worldwide, had eight Top 40 singles, won two Grammy Awards and five MTV Video Music Awards. Combined with the Eagles and as a solo artist, Henley has released 25 Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. He has also released seven studio albums with the Eagles and five as a solo artist. In 2008, he was ranked as the 87th greatest singer of all time by the Rolling Stone magazine.

Henley has also played a founding role in several environmental and political causes, most notably the Walden Woods Project. From 1994 to 2016, he divided his musical activities between the Eagles and his solo career. – Wikipedia

Wednesday 10pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

This week Dominic chats with Bobby Kimball.  Followed by More music Toto.

Toto is an American rock band formed in 1976 in Los Angeles. The band’s current lineup consists of Joseph Williams (lead vocals), David Paich (keyboards, vocals), Steve Porcaro (keyboards), Steve Lukather (guitars, vocals), plus touring members Lenny Castro (percussion), Warren Ham (saxophone), Shem von Schroeck (bass) and Shannon Forrest (drums). Toto is known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard rock, R&B, blues, and jazz.

Paich and Jeff Porcaro had played together as session musicians on several albums and decided to form a band. David Hungate, Lukather, Steve Porcaro and Bobby Kimball were recruited before the first album release. The band enjoyed great commercial success in the late 1970s and 1980s, beginning with the band’s eponymous debut released in 1978. With the release of the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Toto IV (1982), Toto became one of the best-selling music groups of their era.

Widely known for the Top 5 hits “Hold the Line”, “Rosanna”, and “Africa”, the makeup of the group continues to evolve. Hungate left in 1982, followed by Kimball in 1984, but who rejoined the band in 1998 until 2008. Jeff Porcaro died in 1992 of a heart attack. Hungate rejoined Toto as a touring musician and later a band member. In 2008, Lukather announced his departure from the band, and the remaining band members later went their separate ways. In the summer of 2010, Toto reformed and went on a short European tour, with a new lineup, to benefit Mike Porcaro, who had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and was no longer an active member of the band. He died in 2015.

The band has released 17 studio albums, and has sold over 40 million records worldwide. The group has been honored with several Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. – Wikipedia

Wednesday 9pm: Dominic Forbes Rock Talk with Martin Barre

Join Dominic Forbes with his interview of Martin Barre of Jethro Tull.  Music featured in this hour Thick As A Brick, Locomotive Breath, Aqualung, Cross Eyed Mary.  Immediately following join us for Jethro Tull our Feature Artist at 10pm.
 
Martin Lancelot Barre (born 17 November 1946) is an English rock musician best known for his work with progressive rock band Jethro Tull, with whom he recorded and toured from their second album in 1969 to the band’s initial dissolution in 2012. In the early 1990s he initiated a solo career that has now spawned four studio albums plus several guest appearances.

He has also played the flute and other instruments such as the mandolin, both on stage for Jethro Tull and in his own solo work.

On the first album that Barre recorded with Jethro Tull, Stand Up, he said that he was: “terrified because I had just joined the band. It really showed a change in direction for the band and when it was accepted and became a successful album, we gained a lot of confidence. We extended that confidence into the making of Benefit, in which we were a lot more at ease.” On the next album, the world success Aqualung, Martin was more confident, stating that in the recording: “Everybody [the band] had input into the making of the album.”

In the following period, his solos blended virtuosity with classical music, like on Minstrel in the Gallery, where the opening track has a four-minute solo, or his piece (shared with Barrie Barlow) “Conundrum” and “Quatrain” in Bursting Out. Martin declared that much of the material from Jethro Tull catalogue was written by himself and Ian Anderson, with Ian getting the credit for writing the lyrics and having the initial idea for the music, which: “then I, or someone else in the band, contribute parts to it.” There are two albums where he is credited for having put “additional material,” both classics Songs from the Wood and Heavy Horses, which Martin has already stated to be two of the albums which show his best playing. Curiously, his favourite album in Jethro Tull is the most controversial of the band’s career, Under Wraps, which contains two tracks co-authored by him. On his work with Jethro Tull, Martin also stated: “I’m quite pleased with my playing on Crest of a Knave, which was basically me, Ian and [bassist] Dave Pegg working in the studio for two months, so I had ample time to put a lot of myself into that album.” He is credited in only another two tracks of Jethro Tull albums: “Hot Mango Flush,” from J-Tull Dot Com and “Winter Snowscape” from The Jethro Tull Christmas Album. For his contribution to Jethro Tull music, Martin stated: “I’ve done bits and pieces on albums. Sometimes it’s a riff; sometimes it’s a little segment of music … I don’t mind taking a small role in the writing, and a larger input into the arrangement and playing.”

About the end of his involvement in Tull, Barre stated in 2015 that “It’s important that people realize there will never be a Jethro Tull again. There will be two solo bands: the Ian Anderson Band and the Martin Barre Band, and long may they exist, and long may they enjoy playing music. I’m not being pedantic. I always hate to hear, “Oh, you’ve left Jethro Tull.” I haven’t really. Ian wanted to finish Jethro Tull, wanted to stop the band completely.” – Wikipedia

Tuesday 10pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

Today on Rock Talk join Dominic Forbes with Michael Schenker.

Michael Schenker (born Michael Willy Schenker, 10 January 1955) is a German rock guitarist, best known for his tenure in UFO, in addition to his solo band. Nicknamed the “Blonde Bomber”, he first rose to fame as an early member of Scorpions, then achieved fame in the mid-1970s as the lead guitar player for UFO. Since leaving UFO in 1978, he has been leading the Michael Schenker Group in various incarnations. He has rejoined UFO three times, producing an album each time. He is the younger brother of Rudolf Schenker, who is still a guitarist with Scorpions. His career has had many ups and downs, partly due to a long history of alcoholism and personal problems; still, Schenker continues to perform and record. He has been called “a legendary figure in the history of metal guitar.” – Wikipedia

Tuesday 10pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. He originally found commercial success as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple.

Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan started and fronted several local bands in the mid-sixties, and eventually joined Episode Six when their original singer left. He first found widespread commercial success after joining Deep Purple in 1969. After an almost non-stop workload, during which time he recorded six albums in four years, and problematic relationships with other band members, particularly guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, Gillan resigned from the band in June 1973, having given a lengthy notice period to their managers.

After a short time away from the music business, he resumed his music career with solo bands the Ian Gillan Band and Gillan, before a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath. He rejoined a reformed Deep Purple in 1984, but was fired in 1989. He rejoined the band for a second time in 1992 for their twenty-fifth anniversary, and following the recruitment of guitarist Steve Morse in 1994, has helped transform the group into a regular touring outfit, which he has fronted ever since.

In addition to his main work—performing with Deep Purple and other bands during the 1970s and 1980s—he sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, performed in the charity supergroup Rock Aid Armenia, and engaged in a number of business investments and ventures, including a hotel, a motorcycle manufacturer, and music recording facilities at Kingsway Studios. More recently, he has performed solo concerts concurrently with his latter career in Deep Purple, and his work and affinity with Armenia, combined with his continued friendship with Tony Iommi since his brief time in Black Sabbath, has led him to form the supergroup WhoCares with Iommi. His solo career outside of Deep Purple was given a comprehensive overview with the Gillan’s Inn box set in 2006.

Tuesday 11pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

Tuesday 11pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

This week on Rock Talk a discussion with Neal Morse of Spock’s Beard

Spock’s Beard are an American progressive rock band formed in Los Angeles.

The band was formed in 1992 by brothers Neal (lead vocals, keyboards) and Alan Morse (vocals, guitars), John Ballard (bass) and Nick D’Virgilio (drums). Ballard was replaced by Dave Meros before the release of their debut album, The Light (1995), and Ryo Okumoto (keyboards) joined soon after. Neal Morse left the band following the release of their sixth album, Snow (2002), and D’Virgilio took over as the band’s frontman. In 2011, D’Virgilio also left and was replaced by Jimmy Keegan (drums) and Ted Leonard (lead vocals) from Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep (2013) onwards. To date, the band have released twelve studio albums, and numerous live releases.

The band, particularly the Neal Morse line-up, are considered to be at the forefront of modern progressive rock music. Four of their first six albums featured in the Prog Report’s “Top 50 Prog Albums 1990-2015”, with the The Light and Snow featuring in the top ten.

 

Tuesday 11pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

This week on Rock Talk “Those That Left The Bands Just Before They Got Famous”  Also a Discussion with the lead singer from Judas Priest.

Tuesday 11pm: Rock Talk with Dominic Forbes

This week on Rock Talk Dominic Forbes chats with Neil Murray.    Philip Neil Murray (born 27 August 1950) is a Scottish bass player, best known for his work in Whitesnake, The Brian May Band, Black Sabbath and with Gary Moore.