Famous Lost Words

We’ve been doing this show for almost 7 years and we’re finally doing series of episodes on that much maligned and much beloved genre… ‘70s rock!

This week, we have classic interviews with the likes of Brad Delp, the phenomenal lead singer of Boston, who we lost far too soon.  Delp talks about his humble beginnings as well as the obsessive leader of the group, Tom Scholz.

We also have some great clips from the Doobie Brothers.  One is from their mid-‘70s heyday, one is with Michael McDonald – and then we have Tom’s 2018 conversation with guitarist Patrick Simmons.  And there’s a very good reason you haven’t heard this interview sooner… but it’s an embarrassing one (for Tom)!

Also, Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull talks about the very funny origin of the band’s name and the story behind their first hit

And we take care of business with one of the most popular bands in Canadian history - BTO!

And Christopher talks about one of the greatest musical experiences of his life – and it happened just a few weeks ago! 

Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

This week, an excellent 2005 interview with Roger Hodgson, as he reflects on the glory days of Supertramp, his post-breakup years and his relationship with his former bandmates.  Roger also tells the very entertaining stories behind two of Supertramp’s biggest hits.
            We also have Tom’s chat with the wonderful Natasha Bedingfield from the early 2000s.  Natasha is a very good singer and songwriter – and we do a pretty deep dive in a very short time.  And at least once per show, we usually mention how likeable an artist is – and Natasha is this week’s MLA – Most Likeable Artist.
            Last season, we did a couple of in-depth episodes about Soul & R&B music – and they were a lot of fun.  Since then, we have discovered another half-dozen soul artists that had massive hits in the ‘70s – and so we’ve put a bit of a highlight reel together to put the spotlight on these artists that no longer get the attention they deserve.
            And finally… what was it like to live in the shadow of a Beatle?  We have two fascinating interviews – one with Yoko Ono – talking specifically about the haunting song that she and John Lennon were working on the night of his death.  And we have Julian Lennon talking about the complicated relationship he had with his dad, and how he and Yoko finally managed to make peace.  These are short clips, but very revealing.

 

Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

First up this week is an extraordinary 1992 interview with Lindsey Buckingham.  Lindsey recently turned 75 and is still creating music, but it’s so interesting to hear him more than 30 years ago. Although the interview was ostensibly to promote his solo work, Lindsey talks a lot about Fleetwood Mac – from the early days all the way through to Tango In The Night.  And we even have a bonus clip of Stevie Nicks talking about her frustration with Lindsey when he spent two years working on the Tusk album.

            We also have the incredible story of the making of a hit.  In this case, the hit is “Beth” by KISS – The story is incredible because the star is an eleven year old girl – and even though she’s a little older now, her tale of how she helped make Beth a hit is very entertaining.

            Plus, we talk about one of the most influential women in music.  She not only had a couple of hits herself, she’s also responsible for three of the most important and influential hip hop singles ever made.  Her name is Sylvia Robinson, and we’ll hear a classic clip from her and we'll discuss her legacy!

            And finally, we close out the show with an interview with Eric Carmen, who passed away in May of this year.  Eric was the lead singer of the Raspberries and then had a very successful solo career.  Eric was very strongly opinionated – and you can hear his drive and determination in the clips that we found. 

 

Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

 

          We are back with Season Ten! 

Christopher and Tom begin by talking about their favourite interviews ever. 

          Then, we launch into one of the best interviews you’ll ever hear with one the most reluctant rock stars ever – Robert Plant.  This 2005 interview with our friend Bill Welychka is very revealing.  And within that interview is three episodes of “When Rock Stars attack… which are all pretty funny.

          Then, we talk about the making of the film, album and song “Purple Rain”, which came out 40 years ago.  And we’ll talk to the author of a book about that movie – and all the stories behind that.  (By the way, you can also hear the long version of that Purple Rain chat in the Famous Lost Words podcast feed, including how Stevie Nicks almost got involved and why Prince decided to call up the guys from Journey.)

          And we have a wonderful segment with the legendary BB King – which includes one of my favourite stories – about how he used to quiet down an unruly audience. 

          All that, plus some Music News about the very contentious lawsuit over who gets to use the name The Guess Who.  And that story has a very good ending if you’re a fan of Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman.

Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

Season Ten of Famous Lost Words is coming soon!

- You’re days away from hearing Robert Plant take pot shots at just about everyone, including himself.  

- You’ll hear the unusual story of how an 11-year-old was directly responsible for the first big hit by Tom's favourite band.

 – We have Lindsey Buckingham talking about his solo career, Fleetwood Mac, and Stevie Nicks

 – A blues legend reveals his ingenious strategy in dealing with an unruly crowd.

 – Roger Hodgson remembers the height of Supertramp’s popularity and the pain of their breakup

 – You’ll hear Gordon Lightfoot in the feistiest interview from the archives.

– We’ll also have Cool Song Facts, plus a two-part special on ‘70s rock, featuring the likes of Foreigner, Styx, Boston, ELO, Pink Floyd and many more.

– And of course, we can’t forget about “When Rock Stars Attack”, when ego-driven musicians rail at the unfairness of being popular and well-paid.

- We’ll also celebrate the 40th anniversary of MuchMusic – which is pretty handy since Christopher is the original Much VeeJay!  And we'll recruit at least one Much veteran to help us out!

Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

 

FLW Special - Purple Rain at 40

          In this very special episode, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of the film “Purple Rain”.  The overwhelming success of the movie made Prince the first artist in history to have the same project simultaneously #1 on the singles, albums, and movie charts in the United States.

          We speak to one of the foremost Prince experts; author and podcaster Alan Light.  Alan talks about the creation of Purple Rain the song, the album and the movie.  He also reveals…

• How the version of the title track that we’re all familiar with was recorded in one take at a fundraiser. It was also the first time that 19-year-old Wendy Melvoin had played with the band.
• Movie executives didn’t want to cast Prince in the lead role, and suggested much more famous star (who would have been badly miscast!)
• How Prince tried to recruit Stevie Nicks to help with the lyrics for “Purple Rain” - and why she said no.
• How the movie has held up well (for its live performances) and been held up to ridicule (for its acting performances and misogyny).
• Prince’s tenuous relationship with Morris Day & The Time – and his greatest musical regret.

Alan Light is the prolific author of many music biographies, including his books about Tupac Shakur, Nina Simone and The Beastie Boys.  He also collaborated on “My Cross To Bear”, the Gregg Allman autobiography and Peter Frampton's “Do You Feel Like I Do”.  Other books include “The Holy Or The Broken” – a great history of the Leonard Cohen masterpiece “Hallelujah”; and of course, “Let’s Go Crazy: Prince and the making of Purple Rain”.   Alan is also the co-host of the “Sound Up” podcast with his good friend Marc Goodman.

With Taylor Swift being a big part of the pop culture conversation lately, we thought we’d present three Taylor interviews from our archives, one that has never been heard on FLW.

• From 2019 – a great chat with Taylor and broadcaster Shannon Burns, talking about Swift’s album “Lover” and how it reflects a more positive outlook than the moodier “Reputation”. She also talks about putting “Easter Eggs” in her work as part of a fun dialogue with her fans. (Bonus content for Swifties: Taylor talks about her first meeting with her cat, “Benjamin Button”)
• From 2014 – Taylor joins Roger Ashby and Marilyn Denis to promote “1989”, her first pure pop album. Swift explains why she needed to be honest with her fans about the new direction of her sound. She also talks about the big house party she threw for Swifties. 
• From 2010 – our earliest TS interview in which she tells interviewer Richie Favalaro about her album “Speak Now” and what that album means to her. She also explains how she was surprised that fans could relate to her songs even when they were specifically written for one person. She also talks about performing onstage with Katy Perry.
• Plus, we have some Cool Taylor Facts!

Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

A Famous Lost Words drinking game?  Is this REALLY a good idea? Tom proposes a non-alcoholic version that is based solely on his own (many) verbal quirks.

For our last episode of season 9, we begin with Carly Simon in conversation with broadcaster Ingrid Schumacher in 1987.  This was a great year for Carly because she had just worked on the soundtrack for the movie “Heartburn” and her new album “Coming Around Again” would prove to be a comeback for her. She talks about work with Mike Nichols on “Heartburn”, tussling with Clive Davis on song choices and how her close friend Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis convinced her to write a book.

            Following that is a really fun encounter with the guys from Train, from a morning show encounter with Roger Ashby and Marilyn Denis.  The interview, from 2012, captures the goofiness of lead singer Pat Monahan. 

Then, we have an early ‘80s chat with Gary Wright, who passed away in September of 2023. Gary only had three significant chart hits, but he was a well-respected musician who worked with George Harrison on a number of projects.  He also made synthesizers a staple on Top 40 radio.

            We close out the show with a great chat with Triumph, a band that started in a bowling alley in Mississauga, Ontario forge their place in rock history.  The Canadian power trio are legendary here in their home country, but also had a great run in the U.S. and beyond.  Bassist Mike Levine has a ton of fun chatting with broadcaster Rick Ringer in this very entertaining and lively 1983 interview.

This week, a very good example of the wide range of artists in the Famous Lost Words archives…

            First up is a collection of early ‘70s conversations with Crosby, Stills & Nash, where David, Stephen and Graham cover the entire history of the group.  Plus, maybe Tom’s worst interviewing moment when Stephen Stills takes him to task for asking what we thought was a reasonable question.  That’s this week on When Rock Stars Attack!

Plus, the excellent story behind one of the best hits of the ‘70s – from an important band that preceded CSN. It’s a story of intrigue and double-cross and it’s also pretty funny

And we have an early ‘80s chat with reggae legend Peter Tosh – as he talks about working with Mick Jagger as well as the importance of marijuana to his religion, his creative process and his life.

And we close out the show with a really fun new chat with Canadian rocker Lee Aaron – who has come a very long way since her Metal Queen days.  We talk about her career, the fine line between promotion and exploitation and how she felt being inducted into Canada’s Walk Of Fame just a few weeks ago.

 

Tom & Christopher also talk about the band breakups that affected them the most.  Christopher's answer was both unexpected and frankly hilarious!

 

Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

 This week, part 2 of our series on R&B, Soul, Disco and Hip-Hop!  As usual, we have a great collection of interview clips with some of the greatest artists of the genre.

-        Tina Turner breaks down her performing style (and explains why she didn’t like her voice)

-        Michael Jackson recalls the earliest days of The Jackson 5

-        The O’Jays explain how they initially rejected one of their biggest hits

-        Nona Hendrix talks about the recording and controversy of the classic soul hit, “Lady Marmalade”

-        Gloria Gaynor tells the story of having to fight to release “I Will Survive”

-        The Commodores talk about learning the tricks of the trade from The Jackson 5

-        Donna Summer reveals the song that inspired “Love To Love You”

-        How Arrested Development created hip-hop music to reflect a different side of the African-American experience

-        Anita Baker tells Marilyn Denis about her style (or lack of style)

-        Diana Ross talks about the early days of The Supremes

-        Plus, revealing clips from Barry White, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Jully Black, The Chi-Lites, Deborah Cox, Lenny Kravitz, Billy Paul, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr and Lou Rawls.

 

And we’ll tell the amazing story about the birth of hip-hop in an NYC house party on August 11, 1973.

 

Plus, Tom tells us about a whole bunch of Cool Soul Facts!

 

Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.