James Williamson co-wrote and played on the Iggy & The Stooges landmark LP 'Raw Power', thus laying a cornerstone of modern music. Today he shares his story, joining The Stooges, the making & butchering of Raw Power, Kill City, Ready to Die & more, as well as his diversion into IT and corporate executive life in Silicon Valley.

Topics Include:

• reflecting on his music career's twists and turns
• Williamson discusses balancing technology career with musical achievements
• Explains meeting Ron Asheton through The Chosen Few band
• Describes witnessing early Stooges formation and psychedelic phase
• Details joining Stooges after Funhouse album was recorded
• Discusses Stooges' transition from performance art to structured songs
• Describes band's drug problems leading to initial breakup
• Explains how Bowie and management discovered Iggy in New York
• Contrasts Detroit rock style with London's glam scene
• Details technical recording problems during Raw Power sessions
• Explains why Bowie's mix emphasized guitars over rhythm section
• Discusses management tensions and promotional issues after Raw Power
• Describes songwriting partnership with Iggy Pop over the years
• Explains transition from music to electronics and computing
• Details early Silicon Valley career at AMD and Sony
• Discusses keeping Stooges history private during tech career
• Explains receiving royalties through BMG publishing
• Comments on fan collecting of rare Stooges recordings
• Discusses Kill City remixing project with engineer Ed Cherney
• Explains origins of "I Got A Right" single release
• Details creation of Relict project using unreleased Stooges material
• Describes meeting Frank Meyer through Cheetah Chrome recommendation
• Outlines formation of Pink Hearts with Petra Hayden
• Dismisses possibility of future Stooges projects without original members

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About The Vinyl Guide

If you like records, just starting a collection or are an uber-nerd with a house-full of vinyl, this is the podcast for you. Nate Goyer is The Vinyl Guide and discusses all things music and record-related.