Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond

Peter Frampton is a classic rock guitar god who rose to international fame in the late ‘70s with his chart-topping double album, Frampton Comes Alive! Justin Richmond caught up with Frampton recently to talk about his new album of cover songs, Frampton Forgets The Words, that provides insight into his expansive 50-year career. Songs like “Loving The Alien,” a David Bowie song that Frampton says is a tribute to his childhood friend who helped revitalize his career. And George Harrison’s “Isn’t It A Pity,” which reminds Frampton of the time he jammed with George in Abbey Road studios while Phil Spector looked on from the control room. And Frampton also talks about how becoming a pinup sex symbol in the late ‘70s almost sidelined his career. Plus, how managing an inflammatory muscle disease has impacted his writing and playing.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecord

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com

Check out a playlist of our favorite Peter Frampton songs HERE.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

System of a Down’s classic Rick Rubin-produced album, Toxicity, turns 20 this year. Released in 2001 one week before 9/11, the politically charged and wildly bizarre album provided the perfect soundtrack for a world descending into chaos. Serj Tankian, the lead singer of System, is no stranger to conflict. His family is Armenian and migrated to Los Angeles from Lebanon to escape a civil war when Serj was seven years-old. Today we’ll hear Rick Rubin talk to his good friend Serj about how hearing bombs drop outside his childhood bedroom turned him into a lifelong activist. Serj also explains how a funny line about a tapeworm almost caused System to break up, and why the first time Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine heard System play, he called it music for crazy people.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecord

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

Check out a playlist of our favorite System of a Down songs HERE . And hear a playlist Serj put together of his favorite tracks HERE.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listening to Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird’s new album, These 13, is like taking a trip down South … a century ago. It’s new territory for Andrew Bird, a classically trained multi-instrumentalist from the Chicago suburbs who’s been a successful indie folk singer/songwriter and also recently acted on the fourth season of Fargo. But for Jimbo, as a Mississippi resident, some of this music can hit too close to home. Surrounded by the ghosts and old battlefields of the Civil War, some songs he finds almost too hard to sing. In 2018 Andrew and Jimbo started exchanging voice memos and new song ideas. Over the course of two years they recorded their new album the really old fashioned way—live to tape, singing into a single microphone.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecord

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

Check out a playlist of our favorite Andrew Bird + Jimbo Mathus songs HERE — enjoy!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few bands have experienced such extreme highs and lows as the Bee Gees. Throughout their decades-long career, the band of brothers managed to be both grossly underrated and one of the best-selling acts of all time. Barry Gibb and his younger twin brothers Maurice and Robin Gibb started out in the late ‘50s as a teenaged pop group in Australia. On today's episode Rick Rubin talks to Barry Gibb about how the Bee Gees' impeccable three-part harmony caught the ear of the prominent UK manager Robert Stigwood, who had a heavy hand in molding the Bee Gees into a world renowned group. They also talk through the making of some of Rick’s favorite Bee Gees songs, and Barry recalls what it was like collaborating with Barbara Streisand, who wouldn’t sing a single note before 2 a.m.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecord

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

Check out a playlist of our favorite Bee Gees songs HERE — enjoy! And to hear Barry's favorite Australian hits from his childhood, click HERE.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merry Clayton is a legendary backup singer who has managed to consistently steal the spotlight. Merry’s journey from a renowned backup singer to a solo artist was documented in the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom in 2013. Almost exactly one year after the film was released, Merry was involved in a near-fatal car accident that resulted in her losing both of her legs. After years of intensive physical therapy, Merry is back and set to release a brand new album, Beautiful Scars.

On today’s episode Merry Clayton talks to Bruce Headlam about the lasting impression hearing Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin sing in church left on her as a little girl. She also recalls how the Rolling Stones convinced her to get out of bed in the middle of the night to record backup vocals on their 1969 classic, “Gimmie Shelter,” and how Coldplay's Chris Martin was the first person to get Merry back in the studio after her tragic car accident.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecord

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

Check out a playlist of our favorite Merry Clayton songs HERE — enjoy!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marianne Faithfull has been many things throughout her half a century in music—a close confidant of the Rolling Stones, a pop star, a homeless drug addict and a critically acclaimed comeback artist. Despite a career filled with personal and professional turmoil, Marianne Faithfull has always managed to find her footing. Last year, just as Europe went into quarantine, Marianne started recording a series of spoken word renditions of 19th Century Romantic poems scored by Brian Eno, Nick Cave and her longtime collaborator, Warren Ellis. Resulting in a moving new album, She Walks In Beauty.

On today’s episode, Bruce Headlam talks to Marianne Faithfull about how contracting COVID has impacted her work. Her stalled bio-pic and why she resented being labeled Mick Jagger’s muse.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecord

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

Check out a playlist of our favorite Marianne Faithfull songs HERE — enjoy!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valerie June has helped widen the scope of contemporary Americana music. She’s one of few African American women in the category and her unique combination of gospel and Appalachian folk is a shimmering example of what's possible in the roots-music tradition. Broken Record producer Leah Rose caught up with Valerie to talk through her stunning new album, The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers. They also talk about Valerie’s new collaboration with the legendary Stax singer, Carla Thomas, and the mystical muse who inspires the chorus of voices that Valerie hears in her head.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecord

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

Check out a playlist Valerie June put together featuring her favorite imperfect voices HERE. And hear our favorite Valerie June songs HERE — enjoy!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malcolm Gladwell recently spoke with Ziggy Marley as part of the Live Talks Los Angeles series. Their conversation centers around a book of photographs Ziggy curated called Bob Marley: Portrait of the Legend. Ziggy has gone on to become a reggae icon in his own right and is now an eight-time Grammy winner, a philanthropist, author and keeper of his dad’s legacy along with the rest of the Marley family. Today we’ll hear Malcolm and Ziggy talk about the turbulence in '70s Jamaica caused by two opposing political parties. Ziggy also recalls the night gunmen ambushed the Marley house, shooting his mother and Bob—both whom thankfully survived. And Ziggy answers the question we all want to know: was the famously soccer-obsessed Bob Marley really any good on the field.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecord

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find the playlist for this episode HERE — enjoy!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since forming in 1996, Linkin Park has sold over 100 million records worldwide. Their enormous success mixing genres like hip-hop, metal and anthemic pop was spearheaded by the band’s ultra-talented founder, Mike Shinoda. In this episode Rick Rubin talks to Mike about the albums he produced with Linkin Park that helped redefine the band’s sound. Mike also reminisces about the band’s early inner-personal dynamics. And Mike talks about the community of thousands of followers he's amassed on Twitch who watch him make beats live five days a week.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecord

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find the playlist for this episode HERE — enjoy!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since his first conversation with Rick, Kenny Beats’ star has continued to rise. In the past couple of years he has produced songs with Ed Sheeran, Da Baby and Vince Staples. He’s also taken several trips to the UK, and produced over 30 songs with British artists like FKA Twigs and Slowthai. Today, Kenny explains how for the first time in the history of hip-hop, an American sub-genre made its way across the pond to the UK, only to come back to the States in an updated form that is now influencing American rappers. Kenny and Rick also talk about why they don’t care about understanding English rappers' slang, and how a group of German classical musicians are co-producing some of the biggest hip-hop records today.

Subscribe to Broken Record’s YouTube channel to hear old and new interviews, often with bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/brokenrecordpodcast and follow us on Twitter @BrokenRecord

You can also check out past episodes here: https://brokenrecordpodcast.com/

You can find the playlist for this episode HERE — enjoy!

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.