The latest in our series of Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees is Pat Benatar.

We have two interviews with Pat, both from the '80s, with broadcasters Elaine McDonald and Rick Ringer.  Benatar talks about her desire to be a mom, her tough image, her androgynous look, why performing live is a sensual (but not sexual) experience and why record companies kept turning her down, even when she brought them songs like "Heartbreaker"!

 

 

Today, we continue with our deep dive into the FLW archives to present a series of specials to honour some of the latest inductees into the R&R Hall Of Fame.

               This time around, it’s Duran Duran.  Our first set of clips come from the early ‘80s, as the guys are just on the cusp of their incredible fame.  They talk about their influences, their style and how much fun it was to make those incredible early videos.

               Then we jump ahead to 2021 with Marilyn Denis in conversation with Nick Rhodes.  The audio comes from Marilyn’s podcast – called “Marilyn Denis does a Podcast”. And you can hear the entire interview on that episode.  We’ve chosen some great highlights from that chat – including Nick’s look back at the Duran Duran legacy, the friendship within the group, getting banned by MTV and being friends with their greatest influence, David Bowie.  

Today, we begin a series of special episodes honouring some of the 2022 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

First up is Eurythmics. We've gone back into the archives for two extensive interviews with Dave Stewart as he discusses his partnership with Annie Lennox.  Dave talks about their memorable first appearance on The Grammys, working with Aretha Franklin, producing other artists and much more.

The first interview is from November of 1987 with Marilyn Denis.  The second is from 2005 with Maie Pauts.  

Hearing the news about Meatloaf's passing reminded us of this fascinating chat with Meatloaf and Tom Jokic from 2006. He is promoting an upcoming live appearance in Toronto. We talked about the power of his "Bat Out Of Hell" albums and he explains his definition of success. He also talks about his acting career. Embarrassingly, Tom's cell phone rings near the end of the interview, and Meatloaf answers it!  It's a fun moment from a very entertaining interview. 

Meatloaf passed away on January 20, 2022 at the age of 74.

We made it!  It’s the 100th episode of Famous Lost Words and our Season 7 finale. This week – some of our favourite stories ever!

• Roland Orzabal of Tears For Fears talks about his first hilarious meeting with our favourite Beatle.
• Ed Robertson explains how Barenaked Ladies made the cheapest music video in history – which ended up in high rotation at MuchMusic
• Christopher regals us once again with his epic story about having dinner in L.A. with Robert Plant, Mike Myers, Alannah Myles… and Don Rickles?
• Jann Arden tells the unusual story of how she got her record deal
• CHUM broadcaster Roger Ashby talks about partying for 48 hours in London with Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac - and living to tell about it.
• ‘60s legend Martha Reeves tells the amazing story behind her big break at Motown.
• Ivan from Men Without Hats talks about the dizzying experience of their first major concert
• Randy Bachman talks about two different experiences with the same Beatle
• Chantal Kreviazuk tells the wonderful story of the night she met her future husband, Raine Maida
• We re-visit Tom’s story about the time he embarrassed himself in front of Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli (and why he has no regrets)
• Our friend Brent Jensen (of the podcast No Sleep Til Sudbury) tells the entertaining story of the time he inadvertently interviewed one of his heroes, shirtless!
• Former Eagle Glenn Frey reacts to harsh criticism from producer Glyn Johns
• Adam Levine of Maroon 5 tells the story of the time he saved his dad from terrible embarrassment
• ‘70s star Al Stewart talks about a case of mistaken identity with a famous ‘80s duo
• And Christopher & Tom have a lively debate about this question: if you could only listen to the music of one decade, which decade would it be?

First up this week is a new interview with Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran as he talks about their new album – as well as the deep history of the band… from being banned by MTV to being influenced by David Bowie – just a few years before they became friends with Bowie – plus the importance of fashion to the overall image. This interview is from 2021 – from “Marilyn Denis Does A Podcast”.

            We also have a mid ‘90s chat with the amazing Bonnie Raitt. This is Bonnie at the top of her game. And while she is genuinely grateful for her recent success, she is clearly unimpressed and uninspired by fame. which in itself is kind of inspiring. You’ll really like our interview with her.

            In the mid ‘70s we spoke to the great Chaka Khan. Although her career has spanned decades, she remains terribly overlooked.  She first leapt to fame with the band Rufus in the ‘70s, had some massive solo hits in the ‘80s and also branched out into jazz. Christopher and Tom talk about the incredible Chaka Khan performance that they both saw on the same night – at least a decade before they met.

            To finish off the show, we invite Jay Michaels back for a game called “Who Said It”. Christopher and Jay will try to identify one of the many rock stars who have said some pretty ridiculous things.

            Just after we had put the finishing touches on this week’s show, we learned about the passing of Michael Nesmith of The Monkees.  And it reminded us that we had prepared a Monkees segment a number of months ago.  It’s an interview with Peter Tork, from about 1989 and it is exceptional. So, if you’re a big fan of the Monkees or just want to hear a great discussion of the music and spirit of the ‘60s… have a listen to the interview following the closing credits of this show.  Plus, Christopher will share his thoughts about Michael Nesmith’s extraordinary career.

This week, we have a 2014 chat with a very enthusiastic Taylor Swift, who is happily promoting her first pure pop album, 1989. It’s a brief but very entertaining chat as Taylor riffs about her fans and her new sound.

          We also have a 2020 chat between Peter Frampton and Marilyn Denis (courtesy of her show, “Marilyn Denis Does A Podcast”). Peter talks about the chaos of the “Frampton Comes Alive” era and how even he got sick of himself. Peter also talks about how his childhood friend David Bowie helped to save his career.

A new book called “They Just Seem A Little Weird” details the rise of Aerosmith, Kiss & Cheap Trick in the 1970s. Tom chats with author Doug Brod about the rivalry between KISS & Aerosmith, the unique sound of Cheap Trick and how all three bands are inextricably linked. There’s also the cautionary tale of the band Starz, a group that grew from the ashes of a one hit wonder but never managed to hit the heights of success.

And on the topic of books… do you have a big music fan in your life who loves to read? Christopher & Tom give you a complete rundown of books that would make a great gift for that person – or yourself. Whether you’re a fan of Joni Mitchell, Springsteen, Tom Petty or Steve Nicks or just want to check out some great music fiction – we’ve got some great recommendations for you!

As Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated “Get Back” film finally gets released, we celebrate with our own Beatles special.  In this episode, we focus in on the final years of The Fab Four with some incredible Beatles audio -  stuff that would definitely make Peter Jackson envious!  Joining us this week is Beatles nut Jay Michaels of Newstalk 1010 in Toronto.

Among the highlights:

• In 1969, Paul and George talk about their upcoming film “Let It Be” (which is literally the same footage that Peter Jackson uses for “Get Back). Paul seems excited about the film, George says he “can’t stand it”
• John Lennon talks about how Paul was the driving force for the band in the latter years.
• Paul talks about the influence of Yoko on John and how it affected the band’s cohesion.
• We (finally) have plenty of Ringo content too! He talks about joining the band and what led to the breakup
• John and George talk about the possibility of a Beatles reunion in the ‘70s
• McCartney remembers an emotional Liverpool concert after John’s death
• Producer George Martin reflects on the breakup of the band and reuniting with the surviving lads for the “Anthology” series
• One of the Beatles major influences, Little Richard, explains what the Beatles learned from him (Richard is no shrinking violet in this clip!)

Christopher, Tom & Jay also discuss the enduring legacy of the Fab 4. They also speculate on how the band’s music will hold up in the future. Also, what if they had stayed together? Would solo hits like “Imagine”, “My Sweet Lord”, “Photograph” and “Band On The Run” sounded different as Beatles songs?

            And each of us choose three songs that we would play for non-fans to turn them on to The Beatles.

This week – one of the biggest rock bands of the ‘80s, plus a guy who had one of the greatest award show performances ever – and then a band that defined the early new wave movement. And whaddya know...They’re all Canadian!

We start with a 1986 interview with Mike Reno of Loverboy. This was a band at the peak of their game and their fame. Mike talks about touring with Van Halen, singing with Sammy Hagar, the rigours of the road – and how he misses performing immediately after a tour ends.

            We also have a couple of brand-new interviews to share with you:

 Colin James talks about his latest album, “Open Road”. Colin also tells the bizarre story of how he got his first big break. And something happens during our Zoom interview that was very very strange – and it stopped everyone cold – and then we all cracked up. Have a listen for that.

            And we had the privilege of speaking to Martha & The Muffins – Martha Johnson and Mark Gane. They talk about their new collection of songs “Marthology”, featuring the single “Do You Ever Wonder”. Plus we discuss the success of Echo Beach and how the popularity of that song helped keep the band together, but put enormous pressure on them. And Martha talks about how her battle with Parkinson’s has ended her ability to play live – but it hasn’t stopped her from making new music. And we also discover why Martha straps on the boxing gloves on a regular basis. It’s a wonderful and inspiring chat.

            We close the show with another grueling episode of “TJ vs The VJ” – as Tom and Christopher go toe-to-toe with music trivia. Christopher fights hard to redeem himself after a couple of recent setbacks.  Does he succeed? Have a listen to find out!

This week: a brand-new interview with the legendary Randy Bachman, who talks about the early days of The Guess Who and BTO, as well as his complicated relationship with Burton Cummings. Randy also tells the very funny story about the time his own father called the cops on him.  The amazing 7-disc “Bachman Cummings collection” is now available.

We also have an entertaining 1986 chat with Neil Finn as he talks about the end of Split Enz and the creation of Crowded House. Neil, as always, is incredibly amusing and likeable 

          And we end the episode with a band that doesn’t get enough respect – Kool & The Gang.  In a chat from the mid ‘80s, Robert “Kool” Bell talks about their incredible success, how they ended up on the Band Aid song "Do They Know It's Christmas" and their connection with Jimi Hendrix and Richard Pryor. 

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, Newstalk 1290 London, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.