Promotion Man Podcast

Bill Schnee is an internationally renowned producer, engineer, and mix master. He has received over 135 gold and platinum records and more than 50 Top 20 singles that run the gamut from Barbara Streisand to The Jacksons, Rod Stewart, Steely Dan and Whitney Houston to Dire Straits.

Bill Schnee's new book is titled Chairman at the Board and is available now he shares fantastic stories about Three Dog Night, Huey Lewis & the News, The Smiths, Boz Scaggs, All of the Beatles, Miles Davis and many many more. 

"If you love hot records and the behind -the--scenes stories of how they were made, you'll love this book. This is inside stuff everyone wants to know about, from a guy who helped make it all happen" - Huey Lewis

Recommend Music: 

Three Dog Night: "Elis Coming"

Three Dog Night: "Easy to be Hard"

Three Dog Night: "Celebrate"

Smith: "Baby its You"

Steely Dan: "Peg"

Steely Dan: "Hey Nineteen"

Huey Lewis & the News: "Couple Days Off"

This week's episode is with Bill Pfordrescher who worked with many bands and record labels but for me and Bill we met because of Ambrosia when they were signed to Warner Bros Records.

"Biggest part of me" "Thats How Much I feel" were to become huge hits for WB and I was instrumental in promoting those songs first and then the rest of my associates at WB helped take them all the way.

Bill, has wonderful stories about TOOL, Kenny Wayne Shepard and how Bill helped Kenny get signed with Irving Azoff and Eagles manager and owner of a record label. 

Another look behind the scenes of how these bands made it to the top and what happens along the way.

Bill met the infamous George Martin of Beatles fame as well and many other iconic legends.

Recommended Music:

Ambrosia: "Holding on to Yesterday"

Ambrosia: "How much I Feel"

Ambrosia: "Biggest Part of Me"

Ambrosia: "Nice, Nice Very Nice"

TOOL: "Sober"

Metallica: "Nothing Else Matters"

Cure: "Friday I'm in Love"

Kenny Wayne Shepard: "Blue on Black"

Probably one of LA LLoyd's & my favorite episode to date because you might not know his name but he positively affected your life because he was the manager for people like Alice Cooper, Blondie, Groucho Marx, George Clinton, Luther Vandross, Anne Murray, Kenny Loggins, Rick James, Gary Wright, Teddy Pendergrass and many, many more.

Mike Myers directed Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, a documentary on Shep's life, featuring Michael Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Alice Cooper, Steven Tyler, Willie Nelson and Sammy Hagar in 2013. 

Shep has had more careers in this lifetime than most anyone on this planet from films like The Duellists, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and many many more to Culinary world where he single handedly created the celebrity chef's like Emeril Lagasse, Roger Verge, Wolfgang Puck and a dozen more.

Recommended Music:

Elvis Presley: Jailhouse Rock

John Lennon: Give Peace a Chance

Alice Cooper: Eighteen

Alice Cooper: Killer

Alice Cooper continues to reinvent himself and continues to produce fantastic music and in this interview we talk about Bread Crumbs the EP and Detroit Stories the Album with amazing players like Wayne Kramer of MC5, Johnny "Bee" Badanjek of Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels & Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad fame. 

Alice talks about having dinner Elton John & Bernie Taupin and they reminisced about playing in Detroit back in the day for $3. 

We ask Alice Cooper about his car collection and it's a great part of the interview you have to hear because it's so so so good. 

Alice talks about his famous manager Shep Gordon and what a great manager and human being Shep is and to this day they still don't have a contract !!!!

Alice Cooper is back on the road and you need to see him and Ace Frehley of KISS is opening the show !!! 

Recommended Music:

ALL Alice Cooper catalog 

and "Detroit City 2020" off the Detroit Stories Album 

This has become one of my new favorite episodes with Jack Forsythe who went from radio to Record World (Industry trade magazine) to VP of Chrysalis Records. 

Jack is a fabulous storyteller so we kept bouncing from one band to another but you will hear stories about Pat Benatar who was called the kamikaze of love to Huey Lewis & the News, Billy Idol, and his shenanigans, and of course Blondie. 

Jack's stories were so good we will have him back to tell us many more. But only in the podcast, you will hear a story about how Jethro Tull beat out Metallica for a Heavy Metal Grammy award. Promotion Man Radio show is available to listen live on www.KLBJFM.com at 6 pm CST every Sunday Night. Request the show at your local classic rock radio station.

Recommended Music:

Huey Lewis & News: "Heart of Rock n Roll"

Pat Benatar: "Love is a Battlefield"

Pat Benatar: "Hit Me With Your Best Shot"

Blondie: "One Way or Another"

Blondie: "Rapture"

Billy Idol: "Eyes Without a Face"

Huey Lewis & News: "Heart & Soul"

This week's episode is about Robert Duncan who worked at Creem Magazine. Robert's adventures start with a skinny Bruce Springsteen asking Robert to meet him in Cleveland and they tour the city of Cleveland in a beat-up car of Robert's friend with Bruce sitting between them in the backseat leaning over to talk. 

Robert has fascinating stories of David Bowie & Iggy Pop, Taking a private jet with Keith Richards & Rod Wood for the New Barbarians Tour where he spills Woody's blow on the hotels white carpet and more.

Also a story about the Clash, about Lester Bangs and his depiction in "Almost Famous" and more................

Recommended Music:

Beatles: "Daytripper" 

David Bowie: "Moonage Daydream"

Rolling Stones: "It's Only Rock n Roll" 

Clash: "Rock the Casbah" 

Bruce Springsteen: "Born To Run" 

Thomas Weschler is a rock n roll photographer in Detroit and has taken over 38,000 pictures. In this episode Thomas tells us how he started by taking a picture of the Beatles off of his parent's black & white TV and selling them at school.

From Jimmy Page to Diana Ross when Thomas took a picture with Gene Simmons of KISS without makeup to Aretha Franklin, The Who where he tells a great story of selling his guitar to Pete Townshend to running into Robert Plant at a cigarette machine and he gives him a quarter.

These are fascinating stories and the best is about Bob Seger when Thomas was his road manager and Thomas taking the photo for the J Geils album Freeze Frame. 

Recommended Music:

The Beatles: "I want to hold your hand"

The Who: "Magic Bus"

Led Zeppelin: "How Many More Times"

Jeff Beck: "Ain't Superstitious"

Led Zeppelin: "I can't quit you baby"

J Geils: "Freeze Frame"

Bob Seger: "Hollywood Nights"

Danny Zelisko is a concert promoter for the Phoenix & Las Vegas marketplace. Having started his career in the mid 70's Danny has been with the biggest rock stars and sports figures and even the best comics of our generation. In Danny Zelisko's book ALL EXCESS he shares intimate stories that will make you laugh and grab your chin with a "holy cow" expression. To try to list everyone in his book would take an hour so the highlights are, Pink Floyd, Guns & Roses, John Melloncamp, Alice Cooper, James Brown, Check Berry, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor and many many more..........ALL EXCESS is a highly entertaining book.

Recommended Music:

Cult: "Fire Woman"

Ozark Mountain Daredevils: "Jackie Blue" 

Pink Floyd: "Momentary Lapse of Reason"

Perry Farrell: "Been Caught Stealing"

Guns & Roses: "Welcome to the Jungle" 

Paul Fishkin tells us how he met Stevie Nicks at the Warner Bros Records meetings in Alcapulco in 77 and Stevie had the Rumors album advance on cassette and asked George Harrison & Paul Fishkin if they wanted to come up to her hotel room and give it a listen !!

Paul formed Modern Records with a partner and Stevie signed as a partner and recording artist for her solo work. 

We also learn how "Stop Dragging my Heart" made her debut album with Tom Petty as the writer and with her on the duet. 

So many great stories in this episode that you will love to hear.

Recommended Music: 

Stevie Nicks: “Stand Back”

Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty: "Stop Dragging my Heart"

Stevie Nicks: "Edge of Seventeen" 

Stevie Nicks & Don Henley: "Leather & Lace"

Stevie Nicks & Kenny Loggins: "Whenever I call you Friend"

Tommy Nast gives us an awesome interview after he went from radio in the Northeast to Los Angeles as a partner in a trade magazine called Album Network. Album Network had enabled Tommy to befriend label executives and rock stars alike and here he tells us so many fascinating stories. Hold on to the sides!!

Tommy tells us stories about Offspring, Ozzy Osborne, Van Halen, and their manager Ed Leffler, a new up-and-coming band we love Dirty Honey, Micheal Jackson, Motley Crue, Traveling Wilbury's and seeing a reunited Led Zeppelin at Jason Bonham's wedding in England.

Tommy was loved and is still loved by all industry label executives and bands alike. Tommy tells great stories and I'm certain you will laugh out loud at a few of these here on the podcast. Enjoy. 

Recommended Music:

OffSpring: "Pretty Fly for a white guy"

Ozzy: "Crazy Train"

Van Halen "Can't Stop Loving You"

Dirty Honey: "California Dreaming"

Eddie Van Halen solo 48 seconds in "Beat It"

Motley Crue: "Kick Start my Heart" 

Led Zeppelin: "Living Loving Maid"