On April 2, 2023, the music world lost a pivotal figure in Seymour Stein. As a teenager, Stein worked for Billboard Magazine and was instrumental in the development of the standard bearer for measuring pop music success in the United States, the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 1966, Stein co-founded Sire Records with Richard Gottherer. In the earliest days of the label, much of their focus was on bringing UK underground and progressive music to US record buyers, with distribution deals with London and ABC. Stein's most fruitful alliance was with Warner Brothers, where Sire was responsible for breaking punk, new wave, and alternative artists including Ramones, Talking Heads, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Replacements, The Ocean Blue, and many more to American audiences...not to mention one of the biggest pop stars to walk the earth, Madonna. We salute the spectacular Sire Records catalogue and remember Seymour Stein this week.

Our Third Lad is a self-professed rock n' roll historian and fellow Sire Records afficionado, Brian Eichenberger from the wonderful podcast Rock n Roll Bedtime Stories. Each week, Brian and his friend/co-host Murdock go deep to discuss (and set straight) the rumor, innuendo, and hidden details that surround some of your favorite bands and songs. We're big fans of the show, and think you will be too!

It's only fitting for Brian's appearance that we tell a few titillating bedtime stories during the episode: How Seymour Stein chased Dee Dee Ramone out of his bedroom! Sire passes on a legendary guitarist! The artist who pestered Seymour in the hospital! Crazy Phil Spector! Find out who Uncle Gregg nearly punched! Fake bands and unscrupulous managers! Fake TV songs! Tiffany! So tuck yourself in tight and let us aurally cuddle with you.

Only Three Lads is a proud member of the Pantheon Podcasts family.

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