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

Canned Heat emerged in 1966 and was founded by blues

The band attained three worldwide hits, “On The Road Again”,

They secured their niche in the pages of rock ‘n roll history with their performances at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival (along with

The band collaborated with John Mayall and Little Richard

In September 1970, the band was shattered by the suicide of

In 2019, original bass player, Larry “The Mole” Taylor passed away with cancer.

Despite these untimely deaths, Canned Heat has somehow survived. They have played more festivals, biker gatherings and charity events than any other band in the world. They and/or their music have been featured on television and in films.

Now, more than fifty years later and with forty albums to

Fito’s book, “LIVING THE BLUES” tells the complete and

FIto de la Parra joins us this week to share tales of his incredible

I hope you enjoy the story of Canned Heat.

If you have any comments, feedback or suggestions for future guests please don't hesitate to get in touch with me through my website https:www.abreathoffreshair.com.au

Rolling Stone Magazine caled Darlene Love “one of the greatest singers of all time” but perhaps Paul Shaffer says it even more concisely: “Darlene Love is Rock N’ Roll!” – which was made official when she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bette Midler, a great fan of her work, in 2011.

She was one of Phil Spector's hand-picked early '60's girl group singers and sang some lead vocals for the Crystals, Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans. After turbulent times with Spector, Darlene also had hits under her own name.

The oldest of five children born in LA, Darlene’s father was a minister and ran a church in Texas. Darlene began singing at his church to the delight of the congregation. While attending high school in San Antonio, Darlene began joining glee clubs and a group called the Wailers that sang at school assemblies.

In 1956 the family moved back to Los Angeles. Shortly after her sixteenth birthday Darlene began singing in the church choir. It was during a choir practice that her voice caught the attention of the choir director. One day a girl that Darlene knew from church, asked her to sing at her wedding. What she didn't know was that the wedding was also an audition: Delores' bridal party included her friends Gloria Jones, Fanita Barrett, and Annette and Nanette Williams, who had a singing group called the Blossoms. They were looking to replace Annette who was pregnant.

Darlene was asked to sing with the Blossoms. Her parents at first refused to let her, but after meeting the Blossoms they relented. She started singing with The Blossoms in 1958. They recorded as a quartet and then a trio. They also did backup singing supporting Bobby "Boris" Pickett ("Monster Mash"), James Darren ("Goodbye Cruel World), Bobby Day ("Rockin' Robin") and many others.

Love was brought to Phil Spector's attention when he was looking for a lead singer for "He's a Rebel." which was to be released under the Crystal's name. When Darlene was asked if she knew about this she said "So What? The man just paid me triple scale."  She figured that it was a cute song, but it was probably going nowhere.

Love went on to record six Philles singles under her own name, including "Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home","(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Going To Marry", " and "A Fine Fine Bo”). She also appeared on Spector's Christmas Album. Love continued to sing with the Blossoms through the 60s. They were regulars on Shindig and toured with Elvis Presley in the early 70s. Love sang back-up for Dionne Warwick for ten years beginning in 1971 and later backing Aretha Franklin.

In the ‘80s Darlene branched out into acting appearing in the Lethal Weapon films and appearing in the Tony nominated 1985 the Broadway musical Leader of the Pack based on the songs of Ellie Greenwich. She also recorded two solo albums. 

In 1997 a jury awarded her in excess of $263,000 for back royalties from Phil Spector. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

Today Darlene Love is back on the charts with a new version of her Christmas song thanks to her friend Cher.

This week she joins us to share the story of her incredible journey.

For more information about Darlene Love, head to her website https://darleneloveworld.com/ and pick yourself up a copy of her book 'My Name is Love' where Darlene shares many stories including the wild parties Tom Jones used to throw and her love affair with Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers. It's the dishy and dramatic story of a woman who had it all, lost it all, but never, ever refused to give up.

If you'd like to request a guest or if you have any comments or feedback for me, please get in touch through my website https://www.abreathoffreshair.com.au

I know you're going to LOVE the story of Darlene Love this week.

Walter Trout is an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter and probably the best performer I have ever seen play live.

Walter's backstory is a page-turner you won’t want to put down. Five decades in the making; it is equal parts thriller, romance, suspense and horror. There are musical fireworks, critical acclaim and fists-aloft triumph, offset by years in the wilderness and massive narcotic binges. He has been a gunslinger in bands from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers to Canned Heat, and is now enjoying a solo career that’s taking him to new heights.

New Jersey born, Walter emerged as a luminary in the blues music landscape early on when his fascination with the guitar was sparked at a tender age. He showcased remarkable talent, performing in local bands before moving to Los Angeles in pursuit of a thriving music career.

Walter's breakthrough came when he joined the iconic blues-rock band Canned Heat in the '80s, propelling him into the limelight. Subsequently, his solo career skyrocketed, marked by the release of his debut album "Life in the Jungle" in 1990. Known for his fiery guitar solos and soul-stirring performances, Trout's discography boasts numerous chart-topping albums, including "Blues for the Modern Daze" and "Battle Scars," showcasing his prowess and deep connection with blues music.

Beyond musical success, Walter faced life-threatening health issues, culminating in a liver transplant. His triumphant return to music inspired fans worldwide, symbolising his resilience and unwavering spirit.

Throughout his journey, Walter Trout's influence on blues music remains profound. His electrifying live shows and dedication to preserving the essence of blues have solidified his legacy as a guitar virtuoso and a living legend. His enduring impact continues to inspire musicians and captivate audiences globally, and his story has to been heard to be believed.

Walter Trout joins us this week on A Breath of Fresh Air to share that story and some of his incredible music.

To learn more about Walter, head for his website https://www.waltertrout.com/

With comments, feedback or suggestions for future guests, send me a message through my website https://www.abreathoffreshair.com.au

I hope you enjoy Walter Trout's life story.

Joey Dee and the Starliters were a hot act in 1962 with the hit “Peppermint Twist.” — The Beatles opened for them and Dee helped out a young Jimi Hendrix.

Joey Dee started out wanting to be a history teacher. Every cent he made as a teenage Bandleader went into his studies. But bookings for his band grew and Joey decided to make music his profession. In 1958 Joey recruited David Brigati for the band and the two began to share lead vocal honours for the Starliters.

 In 1960, the Starliters were noticed by an agent while performing at a New Jersey nightclub and they were booked to appear at a small venue on 45th Street in New York City called the Peppermint Lounge for what was supposed to be a one-time weekend gig. During their first appearance at the nightclub, actress Merle Oberon and Prince Serge Oblinski danced the night away together there and this was reported the next morning in the press. The following night, it took barricades and mounted police to keep the crowds in line. Celebrities like Judy Garland, John Wayne, Jackie Kennedy, Nat

Joey and the guys (actor Joe Pesci and Jimi Hendrix were

Joey Dee and the Starliters filmed the movie Hey, Let's

In 1962, Joey Dee and the Starliters starred in their second

Joey Dee toured with various Starliters, including future Young Rascals Gene Cornish, Felix Cavaliere, and David's brother, Eddie Brigati.

Joey Dee continued to record and issue solo recordings from the

Joey Dee joins us this week to share his incredible story.

If you'd like to know more about Joey Dee, head for his website https://joeydee.com/ and grab yourself a copy of his book, Peppermint Twist Chronicles It's Joey's story of sex, rock and roll, Jimi Hendrix, Fighting Racism and The Mob. A tell all about the Beatles, the FBI, Joe Pesci and Dick Clark.

If you'd like to get in touch with me - comments, feedback or suggestions for future guests, please reach out through my website https://www.abreathoffreshair.com.au

I hope you enjoy Joey Dee's story.

One of Australia’s longest surviving vocal groups, the Delltones were formed in 1959. Comprising Ian ‘Pee Wee’ Wilson, Noel Widerberg, Brian Perkins and Warren Lucas.

The band performed at dances, as part of backing bands for artists such as Johnny O’Keefe. Occasionally performing a cappella covers of songs they heard on the radio, the band was influenced by 50s doo-wop vocal groups. The accidental death of Noel Widerberg, in 1962, did not deter the group from continuing.

With replacement Col Loughlan, they proceeded to tour and record, with singles such as ‘You’re The Limit’, ‘Get A Little Dirt On Your Hands’, ‘Come A Little Bit Closer’ and ‘Hangin’ Five’, all reaching the Top 5 in Australia. Later, the band took responsibility for the instrumental side of their act, and when beat music became popular, they turned to the clubs and pubs where they appeared regularly.

The band went to the UK in the late 60s, where they performed on the club circuit and recorded an album. They returned to Australia to find that they no longer had an audience, and disbanded in 1971.

They re-formed in 1981 with only one original member; the band toured often and recorded several albums, but hit singles have eluded them. They finally disbanded in 2016.

Our guest today is founder Ian "Pee Wee" Wilson. Pee Wee shares a lifetime of stories and amazing music.

To learn more about The Delltones head for their website: https://www.delltones.com/

If you have feedback, comments or suggestions for future guests on A Breath of Fresh Air feel free to contact me through my website https://www.abreathoffreshair.com.au

Status Quo are one of Britain's longest-running bands, staying together for over six decades. During much of that time, the group was only successful in the U.K., where they racked up a string of Top Ten singles over the decades. In America, the Quo were ignored after they abandoned psychedelia for heavy boogie rock in

Following that single, the group suffered a lean period for the next few years before the band members decided to refashion themselves as a hard rock boogie band in 1970. The Quo have basically recycled the same simple boogie on each successive album and single, yet their popularity has never waned. If anything, their very predictability ensured the group a large following.

The guys started out as The Spectres with Francis Rossi (vocals, guitar) Alan Lancaster (bass) drummer John Coghlan and organist Roy Lynes. The group added Rick Parfitt (guitar, vocals) and changed its name to Status Quo.

Throughout the '70s, each album Status Quo released went into the Top Five, while their singles -- including the number one "Down Down" (1974), "Roll Over Lay Down" (1975), "Rain" (1976), "Wild Side of Life" (1976), and a cover of John Fogerty’s "Rockin' All Over

John Coghlan left Status Quo in 1981 – during rehearsals for the band’s 20th Anniversary album in Switzerland. Tensions had developed and John left to form his own band. By 1983 his own band featured a selection of respected musicians, comprising; guitarist Ray Majors (ex-Mott and British Lions), bass player Ian

That same year John Coghlan teamed up with a trio of other well-known musicians called the Rockers. The four man line up

Coghlan continued to tour regularly playing with various musicians. He began working with Alan Lancaster in Australia who was

John Coghlan started working with his own band, John Coghlan’s Quo, during the late 1990s. By that time, Status Quo had scored 50 British hit singles, which was more than any other band in rock & roll history at the time.

This week John Coghlan joins us to explain what those heady days were like, why he left the band in 1981and what life holds for him today.

If you'd like to learn more about John Coghlan follow these links: http://www.johncoghlan.com/ and check out his new book SPUD https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coghlan-Quo-Steven-Myatt/dp/1899750479

To check out what Status Quo are doing these days head for https://www.statusquo.co.uk/

If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions for future guests on this show, please contact me https://abreathoffreshair.com.au/

Few singer/songwriters are as individual and eclectic as Rickie Lee Jones, a vocalist and composer who’s able to weave jazz, folk, and R&B into songs for decades.

Rickie Lee’s greatest commercial success came at the outset of her career with ‘Chuck E’s in Love’, but a restless creative spirit and a stubborn refusal to be pigeon holed into any one musical niche, ensured her on-going status as a cult hero. Her second LP, 1981's Pirates added rock and soul flavours. Others followed.

As the '90s gave way to the 2000s, Rickie Lee continued to explore new directions, experimenting with trip-hop on 1997's Ghostyhead, a personal take on faith with 2007's The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard, and taking an introspective look into her own life on 2009's Balm in Gilead. 

Assuming full control of her music when she founded her own label to release 2015's The Other Side of Desire and 2019’s Kicks, her latest offering is Pieces of Treasure. It’s an incredible album that sees her paying tribute to the Golden Age of American Song writing with jazzy accents. 

In this episode, Rickie Lee Jones tells us how she endured a stormy childhood that saw her moved around from state to state. Eventually as a teenager she fled to seek refuge in Los Angeles in the mid-'70s. There she slept on people's couches, worked a series of waitressing jobs and occasionally performing in area clubs.  

She found a measure of success when Lowell George, the ex Little Feat frontman decided to record her song ‘Easy Money’. After that, fortune seemed to smile on her as she enlisted Russ Titleman to co-produce her self-titled 1979 debut LP which featured the hit 'Chuck E's in Love'. Have you ever wondered who Chuck E is? I have and she explains all.

With that album, Rickie Lee Jones became an overnight smash sensation. Her life was changed forever and a confident, self-assured young trend-setting artist emerged, leaving behind the shy girl who'd always resided in her cocoon.

Rickie Lee Jones joins me this week to tell her story and share some of her thoughts around her musical journey.

If you'd like to know more about her, head for her website https://rickieleejones.com/ and make sure you take a listen to her latest album. It's Rickie Lee Jones at her very best.

Any comments, feedback or suggestions for future guests? Simply send me a message through my website https://abreathoffreshair.com.au/

I hope you enjoy Rickie Lee Jones' story.

Marty Wilde (born Reginald Leonard Smith) is an English singer and songwriter who was among the first generation of British pop stars to imitate American rock'n'roll.

He began performing under the name Reg Patterson until he was spotted by impresario Larry Parnes who subsequently changed his name to Wilde.

From mid 1958 to the end of 1959, Marty was one of the leading British rock singers, along with Tommy Steele and Cliff Richard. His backing group, the Wildcats featured Big Jim Sullivan on lead guitar, and Brian Locking and Brian Bennett (drums) who later joined The Shadows.

Marty appeared regularly on TV and his fan base grew exponentially. He met and married Joyce who was one of The Vernons Girls who also appeared as TV show regulars. The courtship was highly public but, after the marriage, Wilde's popularity as a teen idol declined.

Marty moved partly into all-round entertainment, appearing in musicals such as the West End production of Bye Bye Birdie and films.

He enjoyed success as a songwriter in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He has written countless songs for other recording artists including Tom Jones, Status Quo, Lulu, Adam Faith, Joe Brown, The Casuals, Mac & Katie Kissoon, Kim Wilde, Roxanne Wilde, Peter Shelley, Hot Chocolate and Capricorn

In the early 1970s, Marty reinvented himself, changing his music style to Glam Rock and became known as 'Zappo'. The singles he released under this name never charted and he reverted back to Marty Wilde shortly after.

Later on, as songwriter and/or record producer, he masterminded a string of 1980s hits for his daughter Kim Wilde. His son, Ricki Wilde also gained some notice in the music industry, working mainly in promotion and A&R.

Today Marty Wilde is 84 years old. Like many of his contemporaries, he continues to perform with nostalgia tours in the UK and beyond and is just as passionate about making music as he ever was.

He was appointed MBE for Services to Popular Music in the UK 2017 New Year’s Honours List and celebrates a rare feat – securing eight consecutive decades of British singer/songwriter success on the Official Singles and Albums Charts

Marty joins us this week to look back over his career and regales us with many 'behind the scenes' stories.

If you'd like to learn more about Marty Wilde and songs like "Endless Sleep" "Donna" and "A Teenager in Love" head for his website here

I hope you enjoy Marty Wilde's lifestory.

Over the past several decades you would have heard Louie Shelton's riffs and solos on many hits by artists such as;

THE MONKEES Last Train To Clarksville, THE JACKSON

For the past 50 years Louie has played on more hit records than any other guitarist in history.

He was also a member of the famous WRECKING CREW; a group of studio musicians who played on most of the hits from the early sixty’s, seventy’s and eighty’s.

He accompanied good friend Glen Campbell for two years on his hit TV show the Glen Campbell Good-Time Hour while at the same time was lead guitar player on other TV shows such

As a producer Louie produced the many hits of SEALS & CROFTS such as Summer Breeze and Diamond Girl. He also produced the Art Garfunkel albums and many other artists.

Today, Louie and his family have taken up residency in Australia, on the sunny Gold Coast in Queensland, where he and his wife, Donnie, share their passion for golf and life in general.

He is still going strong musically. He has a recording studio in his home and has worked with some of Australia’s most successful rock bands including Noiseworks. Over the years Louie has continued to produce several bands, including Southern Sons, Mother Hubbard, The Wolverines and Bleu Tongue, and has been involved with such artists as Tommy Emanuel, Rick Price and Human Nature.

Louie Shelton does not intend to slow down any time soon. He joins us this week to share his incredible story.

For more information about Louie head for his website https://louieshelton.com/

To get in touch with me with comments, feedback or suggestions for future guests, send me a message through my website https://www.abreathoffreshair.com.au

I hope you enjoy getting to know Louie Shelton.

In 1969, Mark Farner, along with Don Brewer (drums and vocals) and Mel Schacher (bass), formed the band Grand Funk Railroad. 

They quickly gained recognition for their energetic, bluesy rock sound. 

The band's name was a play on words, inspired by the Grand Trunk Western Railroad that ran through their hometown of Flint, Michigan. 

Grand Funk Railroad achieved massive success in the early 1970s. Their music was characterized by a blend of rock, funk, and blues. 

The band released a series of hit albums, including "On Time" (1969), "Grand Funk" (1970), "Closer to Home" (1970), and "E Pluribus Funk" (1971). These albums produced chart-topping singles such as "We're an American Band" and "Some Kind of Wonderful.” 

Known for their high-energy live performances, Grand Funk Railroad played to large crowds and set attendance records, including a legendary performance at the Shea Stadium in New York City. 

Their music resonated with the counterculture of the time and made them one of the most popular and commercially successful rock bands of the era. 

In 1972, Mark Farner left Grand Funk Railroad due to creative and contractual disputes. 

He embarked on a solo career, releasing albums like "Mark Farner" (1977) and "No Frills" (1978). He continued to tour and record as a solo artist while Grand Funk Railroad continued with a modified lineup. 

Grand Funk Railroad reunited in various lineups over the years, with Mark Farner rejoining the band for several reunions. 

Their music continued to be celebrated, and they received numerous accolades and honours for their contributions to rock music. 

Farner's guitar work and powerful vocals remained iconic in the world of rock. Some 50 years later something magical still happens when Farner takes the stage.  His voice is still strong and on key, his guitar playing still slick and lighting quick, and his trademark prancing still commands the stage and mesmerizes his audiences around the world.

“I love playing live where I can connect with people of all backgrounds,” he said. “ It’s all about the fans…and all about love.”

Mark is also known for his philanthropic work and his strong Christian faith, which has been a central part of his life. 

This week MARK FARNER joins us to share his story and incredible music.

To learn more about Mark head for his website https://markfarner.com/

To connect with me with feedback or a request for a future guest on the show, send me a message through my website https://abreathoffreshair.com.au/

I hope you enjoy Mark Farner's story.