CATtales

June 2020: Matthew Ferraro’s written, arranged and produced original music for Academy Award winning films like The Insider and The Incredibles, as well as Emmy Winning TV shows such as Futurama, Dune, and Olive the Other Reindeer. If that wasn’t enough, he also includes video games Spiderman and X-Men, BBC Radio 4 productions and hundreds of commercials amongst his portfolio, and he’s even produced a score for prayers by Pope John Paul II. The California Arts Council deemed Matthew Ferraro’s work to be “orchestral journalism” which seems very fitting given that he has just released his debut single created especially for a new short documentary film simply called Falling.

#MatthewFerraro #PopJohnPaulII #Spiderman #X-Men #TheIncredibles #Falling

June 2020: When Suzi Quatro burst onto the music scene in 1973 there were almost no women in rock and certainly none who played bass, sang lead vocals and completely rocked. A trailblazer, she re-wrote the rule book for women in rock & roll and went on to sell more than 50 million records. Fast forward to 2020 and Suzi has added other strings to her bow – she’s an author, actress, radio-presenter and a poet and now, ‘Suzi Q’, a documentary of her life has been released with the promise of a film on the way.

Amongst other things, we chat about Suzi Q. Due to my confusion over conflicting information online, staggered release dates for international markets and DVD launches, we didn’t get off to the best start but got there in the end. 

#SuziQuatro #Rock #Interview #SuziQ #documentary 

Photo Credit: Anita Corbin, First Women

June 2020: With a career spanning over 40 years, Saxon have established themselves among Europe's greatest metal acts. Touring regularly, the band have sold more than 13 million albums worldwide counting eight UK Top 40 albums and numerous singles amongst them and have savoured success in Europe, Japan, and the United States. Now, I chat with lead singer Biff Byford about his outlook on life after a heart by-pass operation, the launch of his debut solo album The School of Hard Knocks, writing new Saxon material, and using the internet during lock-down for virtual concerts.

#BiffByford #Saxon #Metal #Rock #SchoollofHardKnocks 

June 2020: Little did drummer John Coghlan know when that he joined Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster in the newly-formed band The Spectres back in 1962 his life was on a course for rock stardom. The addition of Rick Parfitt, a change of name and touring strategy later, chart-topping success beckoned for Status Quo which became one of the most successful rock bands of all time.  With over 60 UK chart hits, twenty-two reaching the Top 10, they appeared on Top Of The Pops more than any other band. Opening Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in 1985 and achieving a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, Status Quo have written their place in music history. 
#JohnCoghlan #StatusQuo #JohnCoghlansQuo #rock #covid19

June 2020: In this show I’m joined by Sepp Osley, frontman and co-founder of progressive rock band Blurred Vision the week in which their second album Redemption is due to be launched. We chat about how the world has changed very little since Sepp and his family fled war-torn Iran in the 1980s, how the band came to prominence through adapting Pink Floyd’s Another Brick In The Wall into a protest song, and why John Lennon and Bob Dylan have been such an influence on their music.

#sepposley #blurredvision #covid19 #johnlennon #georgefloyd #rock

June 2020: Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Martin Simpson is hailed as the hardest working man in folk music and, after years of relentless touring, has welcomed a little breathing space imposed by recent events. Widely acknowledged as one of the world’s finest guitarists, Martin is a true virtuoso, and has produced an impressive catalogue of solo albums as well as being in demand for collaboration as far reaching as Hollywood.  After over 40 years he is still producing music of astonishing power and passion, has been honoured with multiple Folk Awards, and has a fascination for bugs, butterflies and moths. #MartinSimpson #Folk #Music #Covid19

May 2020: Peggy Seeger is totally unique. A singer of traditional Anglo-American songs, she has carved a special niche for herself on both sides of the Atlantic and is considered to be one of the most influential folk singers of all time. Classically trained, Peggy plays no less than six musical instruments, has recorded 23 solo albums, contributed to more than a hundred others and her partner, the late Ewan MacColl, wrote First Time Ever I Saw Your Face in her honour. A well-known activist she uses music to broadcast her messages on nuclear, ecological and feminist issues and now, at almost 85, she continues to perform and still has something new to say.

#PeggySeeger #Folk #activist #EwanMacColl #Covid19

May 2020: This tale is about a true rock original. He’s a vocalist, bassist, a songwriter and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.  No other rock musician has carved such a distinctive style and contributed to the sound of progressive and hard rock. From his first band Trapeze in the late 60s through Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, to Black Country Communion, he’s the ‘voice of rock’, believes that ‘love is the answer and music is the healer’ and now he’s the latest member of super group The Dead Daisies.

#GlennHughes #DeepPurple #BlackSabbath #BlackCountryCommunion #VoiceofRock #TheDeadDaisies 

May 2020: My guest today really needs no introduction. She’s appeared in the 1978 film Jubilee, and Quadrophenia the following year. Her early hit singles included It’s A Mystery and I Want To Be Free, and by 1982 she had made two platinum-selling albums. And, after more than 40 years in the music business, she is as creatively hungry as she was in her teens. She is a singer, an actress, a writer, a punk, rebel, and an icon...but most importantly, she’s an independent, strong woman who doesn’t take any prisoners. 
#Toyah #ToyahWillcox #ItsAMystery #IWannaBeFree #Sensational #Humans #Quadrophenia #Jubilee #Music #Interview #Singer #Actress #Punk #Pop #RobertFripp 

May 2020: With over 100 million albums, four Grammies, three Brits, an Ivor Novello Award and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, John Illsley has done it all. 

Playing a pivotal role in the success of Dire Straits, John has been credited with the creation of the band’s original sound and is the only member, other than Mark Knopfler, to make it all the way from the first album in 1977 to the final concert in 1992.

With the band a little more than a memory, John has released numerous solo albums, has a tour where he reveals all about his time in Dire Straits, and spends his relaxation time producing excellent pieces of art. 

#JohnIllsley #DireStraits #Covid19 #interview 

Image (c) Judy Totton