Retrosonic Podcast

In Part 2 of this special edition of Retrosonic Podcast we are very pleased to welcome back Harley Feinstein, the original drummer with Sparks. Harley appeared on the band's first two Bearsville Records albums "Halfnelson/Sparks" and "A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing", and their very first visit to the UK back in the early Seventies. In the previous Episode Harley told us about how he first met Ron and Russell Mael and joined the band. Now in Part 2, Harley talks about the band's first experiences in a studio with Todd Rundgren and James Lowe of The Electric Prunes and how a notorious bunch of Groupies contributed to them getting signed to Bob Dylan's manager's record label. This introduces the band to the nefarious world of the music business with it's aggressive managers and pressure to "make it". There's the enforced name change from Halfnelson to Sparks and we discover some of the hilarious, and slightly worrying, alternate names that the band might have been lumbered with. We follow the band to England and their first TV appearance on Old Grey Whistle Test and sold-out gig at the Marquee and residency at The Pheasantry and the taste of what can be achieved on record company expenses. We then find out how an ill-fated trip to Zermatt in Switzerland became the final nail in the coffin for the band at that time. Soundtracked by early Sparks songs including material from their original demo album, this is a fascinating tale of Sparks' formative years.

For more information on Harley's new project Crash 74 and their gig in London, including exclusive Paul Slattery photographs, please visit www.retromanblog.com

Steve from Retro Man Blog, Adam from The Jetsonics and Rock Photographer Paul Slattery with an eclectic mix of obscurities, overlooked classics, hidden gems and new releases plus the usual waffle, news and tales...In this Episode we play The WitchDoktors The Travellers, The Valves, PVC2, The Flamin' Groovies, Kid Congo and The Pink Monkey Birds, Duncan Reid, Thee Spivs and more...! For play-list, links to all bands and stuff please visit www.retromanblog.com

In this Special Edition of Retrosonic Podcast we are very pleased to welcome Harley Feinstein, the original drummer with Sparks. Harley appeared on the band's first two Bearsville Records albums "Halfnelson/Sparks" and "A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing", and their very first visit to the UK back in the early Seventies. In Part 1, Harley talks about the band's formative years, when they were known as Halfnelson, and his first impressions of the Mael brothers and their music.

First of all Harley talks about his latest musical project Crash 74 who he formed along with his wife Michelle, Nicky Forbes from The Revillos, Stevie Savage from The Roadholders, Dexy D'Angelo, Lee Sullivan and Paul Jensen, who played a stunning show at London's 12 Bar Club in May. Harley talks about how Crash 74 got together, and his eclectic mix of band mates!

Part 2 of "Sparks: The Bearsville/Halfnelson Years" is coming soon...

Steve from Retro Man Blog, Adam from The Jetsonics and Rock Photographer Paul Slattery with the usual eclectic mix of tunes and waffle...In this Episode we have some Garage Rock from The Fallen Leaves, Les BOF! and Shocking Blue, raucous Punk Rock from The Phobics, The Cortinas, The Snivelling Shits and Adam & The Ants. Some classic Trojan Reggae from The Fabion, a hidden Power Pop gem from The Tours, influential Rockabilly from Charlie Feathers, some Psych-Folk from 5th Dimension, Mod Soul from Fay Hallam Trinity and a Glam stomping riot from Giuda...!

For links and more information please visit Retro Man Blog at http://retroman65.blogspot.co.uk/

There's also chat about the Giuda gig at The Buffalo Bar, the Joe Strummer Mural unveiling party, ex-Sparks and Revillos members get together as Crash 74 at the 12 Bar Club and news about our album launch party for THEE SPIVS at The Half Moon Putney on June 29th.

Steve from Retro Man Blog talks to Ian Ballard, boss of the legendary Punk and Garage Rock label Damaged Goods Records. In this second episode Ian talks us through some more pivotal releases including Fabienne Delsol, Buzzcocks, Billy Childish & The Singing Loins, Pete Molinari, The Cute Lepers, Cyanide Pills, Graham Day & The Gaolers and The Wolfmen featuring ex-Adam & The Ants guitarist Marco Pirroni. We also play some of the latest Damaged Goods releases including Cowbell and Giuda and we are pleased to have some exclusive new songs from Thee Spivs and The pUKES...!

For more information on Damaged Goods Records please visit http://www.damagedgoods.co.uk

For links to all the bands featured please check out

http://retroman65.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-damaged-goods-records-story-part-2.html

Steve from Retro Man Blog and Rock Photographer Paul Slattery talk to Ian Ballard, boss of the legendary Punk and Garage Rock label Damaged Goods Records. In this first episode we play and discuss some of the label's pivotal early releases and discover how Ian started off in the business. Along the way Ian and Paul chat about their experiences with the Manic Street Preachers and Billy Childish, and there are other favourites such as Graham Day and Holly Golightly. We also have an exclusive brand new track from Thee Spivs excellent forthcoming album "The Crowd and The Sounds" which is due for release on Damaged Goods on June 24th.

Retro Man Blog is pleased to announce that we will be hosting Thee Spivs new album Launch Party at The Half Moon Putney on June 29th and the band will be playing along with support from The Fallen Leaves and The Past Tense. Check the Blog at http://retroman65.blogspot.co.uk/ for updates!

Part 2 of The Damaged Goods Story is coming soon...for more info on Damaged Goods Records please visit http://www.damagedgoods.co.uk/ and for Thee Spivs official web-site please check out http://theespivs.blogspot.co.uk/

Here's Side B of The Fallen Leaves story "Simple Songs for Complex People"...from their first gig at the home of London football to the Parliament Club featuring a guest appearance by a short Rolling Stone and using 5 hours rehearsal time in Pete Townshend's Eel Pie Island to record all of their first E.P. This episode is generously soundtracked by loads of great Fallen Leaves songs and some of their influences and favourite tunes...The Who, T-Rex, Prince Buster, Roxy Music, John's Children...and Rolf Harris...!

www.thefallenleaves.net/

Welcome to the A-Side of The Fallen Leaves story: Steve from Retro Man Blog and Rock Photographer Paul Slattery chat to Rob Symmons and Rob Green from the band about their music and history. The two episodes are generously soundtracked with lots of Fallen Leaves songs, and we also discuss and play some of the band's favourite tracks and influences from Ramones, Trini Lopez, Buff Medways, The Who, Roxy Music, Dr. Feelgood, John's Children...and Rolf Harris! Along the way we will meet some of the characters the band have rubbed shoulders with over the years including Vic Godard, Billy Childish, Bernie Rhodes, Joe Strummer, Malcolm McLaren, Paul Cook, Pete Townshend and more...So slip on your smoking jacket, pour yourself a cup of tea, get yourself comfortable on your chaise longue and listen to some fine Punk Rock for Gentlemen!

http://www.thefallenleaves.net/

Steve from Retro Man Blog, Adam from The Jetsonics and rock photographer Paul Slattery with the usual eclectic mix of tunes and chat. In this Episode we pick a classic DR. FEELGOOD number and raise a glass to WILKO JOHNSON. We try to banish the snow with the sunny sounds of ANSELL COLLINS and blast each others' ears with some Sixties Psychedelia from the Texan band HOMER and then some thoroughly British freak-beat courtesy of THE EYES. There's VIC GODARD's tribute to an American Punk legend and an instrumental Surf classic from LINK WRAY. In between there's the brand new single from THE TRAVELLERS, some hotly tipped Retro Rock from SPIDERS, noisy guitar stuff from THE PARENTS and some slinky Swedish Psych Pop from CAVIARE DAYS. If that's not enough we play a brace of Medway Delta Garage Rock tracks from GALILEO 7 and GRAHAM DAY & THE GAOLERS and then there's an 80's Indie masterpiece from FELT.

Steve from Retro Man Blog talks to Swedish singer-songwriter Mattias Hellberg about his eclectic, genre-defying career as he finishes off the recording for his new solo album. It's a varied and exciting journey - from his early days in Karlstad putting on gigs in the college canteen for bands such as Union Carbide Productions to forming his own bands including the influential Nymphet Noodlers along with future Soundtrack of Our Lives members Martin Hederos and Mattias Bärjed and Free Fall bassist Jan Martens.

Along the way we discover admirers like Wayne Kramer from the MC5, Van Morrison, Ryan Adams and Iggy Pop and his numerous collaborations and side projects. These include The Solution with Scott Morgan from Sonic's Rendezvous band, Kanzeon, The White Moose, Jaqee, Nationalteaterns RockOrkester, The Hellacopters, The Soundtrack of Our Lives and of course Hederos & Hellberg. If that wasn't enough there are also his two excellent solo albums...

The Episode is generously soundtracked with lots of great music from a selection of his many phases. We're also honoured to have some superb exclusive and unreleased songs from his forthcoming album. I'd like to sincerely thank Mattias Hellberg for his generosity and time.