JR is one of our most recorded session drummers, playing on over 200 US Billboard Hot 100 songs and 50 Grammy winning tunes. He was Quincy Jones’ drummer of choice and played on “We Are the World” and with Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Lionel Richie, Herbie Hancock, Barbara Streisand, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga, and too many others to name. He was a member and contributing songwriter for Rufus in the late 70s/early 80s, has released two solo albums, written for soundtracks, produced other artists, and has led various combos over the years. He is currently promoting his auto-biography King of the Groove.

We discuss “Gonna Be Alright” (with Maya Azucena) from The Bronx, USA soundtrack (2020), “Flight 81” from his first solo album, Funkshui (2004), and “You’re Really Out of Line” by Rufus (written with Hawk Wolinski) from Seal in Red (1983). End song: “Tal Shia” by SRT from Vanguards of Groove (2023). Intro: “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood (1986). More at johnjrrobinson.com.

Watch JR play along to one of his songs for his group TRW. Watch SRT play a whole concert. JR refers to his reworked version of Foreigner’s “Cold As Ice” where you can clearly hear him singing the choral parts. Here’s a tune from his duo Bridge 2 Far from 1989. JR mentions his first song for Rufus (with Chaka): “Dancing for Your Love.”

 Watch him tell the story and play along to Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You.” Here he is playing along with an Eric Clapton tune that he played the studio version of. He tells the story about the intro to “Higher Love” and much more length in this interview. JR in our interview mentions his electronic drum work on “Ya Mo Be There.”

Listen to my interview with Ivan Neville, featured on “You’re Really Out of Line.”

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Django is a singer/songwriter/guitarist who released his first solo album in 1996 and has released seven albums with The Old Ceremony since 2004 plus several more solo releases.

We discuss The Old Ceremony songs “Too Big to Fail” (and listen to “Hangman’s Party at the end) from Earthbound (2024), “The Disappear” from Walk On Thin Air (2009), and “Reservations” from Our One Mistake (2006). Intro: “Beautiful” from Folding Stars (1996). More at theoldceremony.com and djangohaskins.bandcamp.com.

“Too Big to Fail” has a video. Here’s an earlier video (featuring Ed Asner!) Hear all of “Beautiful.” Watch the band live in 2023. Here he is solo acoustic. Hear Django’s new Christmas song. See him singing with the Big Star live project (also with one of my past guests, Chris Stamey).

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Iain started as Ian, the male singer in Britain’s Fairport Convention in the late ’60s, but quickly left that band to start a couple more and then move to the US for a lengthy solo career. He has in total released close to 50 albums, including many collaborations.

We discus the title track from How Much Is Enough (2024), the title track from God Looked Down (1996), and “Road to Ronderlin” by Matthews Southern Comfort from Later That Same Year (1970). End song: “St. Theresa’s Ghost” by Ian Matthews and the Searing Quartet, from Joy Mining (2008). Intro: “Book Song” by Fairport Convention from What We Did on Our Holidays (1969), which was co-written with my previous guest Richard Thompson. Learn more at iainmatthews.nl.

Hear all of “Book Song.” Hear “If You See Thro’ My Eyes,” a central early solo tune (that also features a harmony with Fairport’s Sandy Denny); this is also the title of Iain’s 2018 memoir. Listen to the big single by Plainsong, “in Search of Amelia Earhart.” (1972). Here’s one of the tunes he made with Michael Nesmith shortly after moving to America in 1973. Here’s the Baker’s Dozen 2017 duo version of “God Looked Down.” Here’s that later (2013) re-working of Matthews Southern Comfort’s “Road to Ronderlin” that Iain refers to, and here they are playing it live.

Watch Iain live with BJ Baartmans. Here he is solo. Here he is live with The Salmon Smokers. Watch Iain’s band live in 1983, and in 1994. Here he is live with Richard Thompson playing their biggest hit together, “Woodstock” by Joni Mitchell. Watch Fairport Convention live in their initial (pre-Sandy Denny) configuration.

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Loudon has released 30 albums since 1970. He’s the quintessential singer-songwriter, relying on crafty, personal lyrics delivered dynamically and typically solo with acoustic guitar (though sometimes piano, banjo, ukulele, or a cappella), though his studio work has varied in production style and orchestration level over the years.

We discuss “How Old is 75” from Lifetime Achievement (2022), “Road Ode (Live)” from Career Moves (1993), and “Be Careful There’s a Baby in the House” from Album II (1971). We wrap up by listening to “Missing You” from Last Man on Earth (2001). Intro: “The Swimming Song” from Attempted Mustache (1973). Learn more at lw3.com.

Hear all of “The Swimming Song.” Perhaps his bigger hit is the novelty song “Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road.” Here’s “The Suicide Song.” Hear the song “One Year” that we mention about a unique child-rearing situation. Here’s “Motel Blues,” the song we mention that was covered by Alex Chilton. Another he mentions is “Rufus Is a Tit Man.”

Here he is acting in Knocked Up. His most famous song from that soundtrack, “Daughter,” was actually written by Peter Blegvad. Here’s one of his recent big band covers (by Irving Berlin). Listen to his Grammy-winning album of Charlie Poole songs.

See a 2017 live version of “Be Careful There’s a Baby in the House.” Watch a whole live set from 2024. Watch him playing ukulele. Watch a live solo set from 1976. Here he is performing with his kids (who are famous in their own right).

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This Chicago singer/songwriter fronted Dolly Varden for six albums from the ’90s through 2013. He also started releasing solo records in 2003 and has just released his seventh.

We discuss “A Mile South of Town” (and listen at the end to “Oh, California”) from Ghosts (2024), the title track from The Dumbest Magnets by Dolly Varden (2000), and “Bronko Nagurski,” a 1989 recording by the early iteration of Varden, Stump the Host. Intro: “Saskatchewan to Chicago” by Dolly Varden from For a While (2013). More at stevedawsonmusic.com and dollyvarden.bandcamp.com.

Hear all of “Saskatchewan to Chicago,” and watch Dolly Varden play it live. Watch the video for the first single off the new album, “Time to Let Some Light In” and the one for “Oh, California.” Here he is live with his solo band. Hear Steve’s Funeral Bonsai Wedding album (2014).

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Though Dale is known as the long-time drummer for Washington sludge-metal band Melvins (’88-present), he’s also a guitarist and singer who led the band Altamont though four alternative rock albums (’97-’05) and has now released his third full-length, stylistically varied solo album.

We discuss “I Quit” from Glossolalia (2024) featuring Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil, “Bad Move” (co-written w/ Dan Southwick) from The Fickle Finger of Fate (2017), and “The Bit” (co-written with Buzz Osborne) by Melvins from Stag (1996). End song: “El Stupido” by Altamont from The Monkees’ Uncle (2005). Intro: “Spread Eagle Beagle” by Melvins from Houdini (1993). More at dalecrover.com.

Dale’s solo debut was an EP released under the Melvins name back in 1995. Watch the Melvins documentary. Hear the Melvins acoustic versions in full of “Bad Move” and “The Bit.” Watch Dale play “The Bit” live solo. Watch a recent Melvins live take. Watch Dale’s solo band live in 2018, and a fancily effected live take on “Bad Move” in particular. Here’s a drummer-focused song from live Melvins. Here he is playing “El Stupido” live. Hear all 10 min of “Spread Eagle Beagle.”

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If you like our podcast, check out Heavy Metal 101.

As a young person in NYC, Amy played briefly in a punk band, then in the “cow punk” band Last Roundup with her brother, and then in a vocal trio called The Shams that released an album and an EP around 1993. She finally emerged as a full front-person as a solo artist in 1997; she’s since released nine solo albums plus three more with her husband Wreckless Eric, who now serves as her producer.

We discuss “Bricks” from Hang In There With Me (2024), “Genovese Bag” by Amy Rigby and Wreckless Eric from A Working Museum (2012), and “Beer and Kisses” from Diary of a Mod Housewife (1997) feat. John Wesley Harding. End song: “Dancing with Joey Ramone” from Little Fugitive (2005). Intro: “Dark Angel” by The Shams from Quilt (1993). More at amyrigby.com.

Listen to Amy’s memoir podcast Girl to City. Watch the video for “Dark Angel.” Hear the Last Roundup 1987 album Twister. Watch The Shams live. Watch the video for “Bricks.” Watch a video by Amy and Eric. Watch the video for her new song “Dylan in Dubuque.” Watch a full live solo concert. Here she is playing “Dancing with Joey Ramone” live with Eric.

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The New York-based singer/keyboardist/guitarist issued three albums and four EPs with Nova Social (initially called Stretch) from ’98-’14 while also serving as music director for Wesley Stace’s Cabinet of Wonders variety show. After four solo releases, he’s formed a new project setting his droll lyrics in a ’60s Brazilian setting called As For the Future.

We discuss “Koan for the Music Business” (and listen at the end to “Encyclopedia of Songs”) from this project’s 2024 eponymous album, “See the Devil” by David Nagler & The Legislation from Songs of Advice and Adversity (2020 EP), and “Drunk at the Prom” by Nova Social (co-written with Thom Soriano) from For Any Inconvenience (2011). Intro: “Theme in Yellow” (feat. Jeff Tweedy) from Carl Sandburg’s Chicago Poems (2016). More at davidnagler.com, facebook.com/asforthefuture, and carlsandburgchicagopoems.com.

Sponsors: Try out online therapy at betterhelp.com/nakedly and get 10% off your first month. Check out the Let Me Ask My Dad podcast, featuring Bon Jovi co-founder David Bryan.

Watch a lyric video for “See the Devil.” Hear all of “Theme in Yellow.” Here’s a fancier video for another song from that Carl Sandburg album, “Fog,”  and one for “Chicago.” He recorded a version of the Gnarls Barkley song “Crazy” that has a nice video too. Here’s a video for the late Nova Social tune, “Turn to Crime.”

Watch David live supporting The Appointees album. Watch Nova Social performing “Drunk at the Prom” live. Watch David playing acoustic guitar and (separately) singing. Watch David backing Wesley’s crooning live, and doing a solo piano/vocal rendition of a Dead Kennedys song. Watch David conducting a choir for Jon Langford.

Listen to my Wesley Stace interview, which includes a song that David wrote the music for.

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John Wardle (named Jah Wobble by Sid Vicious) started playing bass in John Lydon’s post Sex Pistols band Public Image Ltd. in 1978, left after two albums, and has since recorded 50+ solo and collaborative albums, largely led by the bass, but spanning many genres including some particularly famous work in the world-music area.

We discuss “Last Exit” from A Brief History of Now (2023), “21 Towards Lewisham Shopping Centre” from The Bus Routes of South London (2023), “Fly Away” from Jah Wobble & Invaders of the Heart from Ocean Blue Waves (2019), and “Blowout” (a 1985 single). End song: “Visions of You” by Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart (feat Sinéad O’Connor) from Rising Above Bedlam (1991). Intro: “Public Image” by PiL from First Issue (1978).

Hear all of “Public Image” via the official video. Watch the new video for “Last Exit.” Another new video is for “I Am, I Am, I Am.” Watch the video for “Visions of You.” Watch a recent live version of the track.

Watch a video for a recent collaboration between Jah and one of my other NEM guests, Mark Stewart. Jah refers to playing with the drummer Jaki Liebezeit from Can; listen to this early release (1982) with Jaki and another Can member Holger Czukay. Listen to Jah in 2004 with his band Deep Space. Here he is with the Modern Jazz Ensemble. Watch a full live video performance on radio from 2016 with Invaders of the Heart. Here’s a recent work with one Jah’s recurrent collaborators, Bill Laswell. Here’s a video of Jah’s sons’ band that he’s featured on. Hear the brand new take on the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up.”

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Oliver is the son of Yes keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman, and has not shied from this association, displaying similar sounds and chops, and serving as Yes’ keyboardist himself for four years. His work has in part played in this prog rock space, creating concept albums with Clive Nolan, working with Yes’ Steve Howe and Peter Banks, and playing with Starcastle and (another band his father used to be in) Strawbs. However, he’s also created a few explicitly New Age albums, the Oliver Wakeman Band seems more centered on hard rock, and Oliver has an evident love for ’80s power ballads.

We discuss “Golden Sun in Grey” from Anam Cara (2024) (feat. Hayley Griffiths singing), “Is This the Last Song I Write?” from Ravens and Lullabies (2013) (an album credited to Gordon Giltrap and Oliver Wakeman; the vocals are by Paul Manzi), and “Mind Over Matter” from The 3 Ages of Magick (2001) (an album credited to Oliver Wakeman with Steve Howe). End song: “To the Moment” by Yes from From a Page (recorded 2010, released 2019). The intro is “Diving” from Oliver’s first album, Heaven’s Isle (1997). More at oliverwakeman.co.uk.

Watch the videos for Oliver’s new singles “Miss You Now” and “Inside of my Fear.” Watch Oliver play one of his Yes songs solo during the pandemic. Hear the first album Oliver did with my previous guest Clive Nolan (featuring Rick Wakeman reading poetry), Jaberwocky. Hear the harder rock side of Oliver’s output with a song we mention, “The Agent,” from the live album Coming to Town. An Asia-like tune from its source album Mother’s Ruin (2005) is “Walk Away.” Watch that band live playing an Oliver-heavy instrumental. Watch Oliver and Gordon Giltrap live playing another song we mention, “Credit Carnival.” Watch Yes with Oliver live in 2011. Here’s Oliver with Starcastle in 2009. Here’s a song by another band Oliver played with, Light Freedom Revival.

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