The Hustle

You couldn't plan for Stan Bush's career if you tried. He came on strong in the early 80s as a rising rock singer, but he carved a niche for himself when he was featured on soundtracks for movies like Kickboxer, Bloodsport and, most famously, Transformers - The Movie in 1986 which featured his signature song "The Touch". Of course that song was resurrected a decade later when Dirk Diggler sang it to great effect in Boogie Nights. Stan has always delivered consistently strong AOR rock that feels like it's still 1987, including his latest album, 2020's Dare to Dream. Along the way he's won an Emmy and been inducted into the Transformers Hall of Fame. Stan shares his unique story with us this week. Enjoy! 

Super producer Daniel Lanois has just released the album of the year. This legendary record maker (U2, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, etc),  has created the music we all need right now with the just released Heavy Sun. Lanois mixes his masterful knack for atmosphere with his love of gospel music to create a healing gumbo for these tense times. In this conversation, Daniel explains his approach to producing, what musical project is getting him excited, and he shares stories about the artists listed above. Daniel also performs a new song for us that will change your life. I wish all of us had as much soul and calm as Daniel Lanois. Enjoy! 

We're excited to put out a special bonus episode with former Grand Funk Railroad frontman Mark Farner! On April 6th Mark is releasing a brand new live DVD From Chili with Love featuring many GFR and solo hits and even a couple new tracks. This conversation is quite unique as we focus on things like the current state of the country and how many of his songs reflect it, his fitness regimen, what it was like working with Todd Rundgren, Ringo Starr and Frank Zappa, and his born again Christianity. He's also brutally honest about his feelings about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition, Mark works passionately with America's veterans including www.vsf-usa.org. There's no one quite like Mark. Enjoy! 

This week we are honored to welcome one of the greatest and most underrated guitarists of all time, Echo & the Bunnymen's Will Sergeant! The first four Bunnymen albums are core to the foundation of the post-punk coming out of the UK in the early 80s. Hits like "The Killing Moon", "The Cutter", "Rescue" and many more will never ever die. After taking a break, Will and frontman Ian McCulloch reformed in the late 90s and have been going strong ever since. In this rare long form interview, Will gives his feelings about the band's legacy, how involved (or not) he's been in the creation of the music the last 20 years, his opinions about himself as a guitarist versus his contemporaries, and the stories behind many songs. If you're a fan, you will love this conversation! 

www.willsergeant.com

www.patreon.com/thehustlepod

Producer/engineer/mixer Phill Brown can say he was in the room when songs like "All Along the Watchtower", "Sympathy for the Devil", "Stairway to Heaven" and "I Shot the Sheriff" were recorded. He also worked with legends like Sly and the Family Stone, Bowie, Traffic (and Steve Winwood), and Roxy Music. Can you believe this? Two of his longest collaborations were with Robert Palmer on his first few albums and Talk Talk on their last few when they were inventing a new kind of music. He's written a book about it all called Are We Still Rolling? that tells these stories and many more. Phill is one of our best guests ever and this is an instant classic. Sit back and enjoy this fantastic story time! 

Punk rock has produced some of music's greatest characters, but tops of all is probably TSOL frontman Jack Grisham. Jack was there for the band's first two albums Dance With Me and the game changing Beneath The Shadows before deciding to explore other genres and finding some success with The Joykiller in the 90s. He eventually returned to the fold and has been at the helm ever since. Jack talks openly about homelessness, sobriety, his marriages, the punk ethos, the books and movies he's created, and much much more. There really is no one like Jack, bless him! 

This week we welcome back drummer Tris Imboden to talk about Kenny Loggins's 1979 classic Keep The Fire! Tris was a member of the incredible band that recorded this beauty and that featured the Grammy winning smash "This Is It". Tris fills us in on how the songs came to be and what it was like working for him. Not to mention what the deal is with that cover! Enjoy! 

This week is our first producer of 2021, 2x Grammy winning producer/engineer/mixer Bill Schnee! Bill was an integral part of creating the soft rock sound of the 70s that we think of thanks to his work with artists like Carly Simon, Art Garfunkel, Pablo Cruise and Leo Sayer. Not to mention the Grammys he won for engineering the Steely Dan albums, Aja and Gaucho. This legend releases his memoir next week - Chairman at the Board - and recounts some stories from his amazing career with us. Huey Lewis and the News, the Pointer Sisters, and a fascinating Thelma Houston story also make appearances in this one. Bill is a smart, humble guy, but his ears and his talent helped make the 70s what it was. Enjoy! 

Thanks to his Satanic masterpiece "Fire" from 1968, Arthur Brown will forever be known as "The God of Hellfire". That spine-tingling hit topped the charts all over the world and cemented his image as the banshee with fire on his head and paint on his face. But Arthur has been a musical explorer ever since making progressive music in the spirit of Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa one minute, but then an album made entirely on a drum machine or dedicated to dancing the next. We get into the inspiration for his "crazy" persona, his spiritual side, what he did for a living during the lean years, and how he came to lend his voice to an all-star charity single "House of the Rising Sun". Enjoy getting to know this mysterious figure! 

Wayne Hussey's knack for writing deep, beautiful pop songs about struggles with the divine and a penchant for darkness are unlike anyone else. He has led his formidable band The Mission for over 35 years, giving a voice to the confused and unsure with songs like "Tower of Strength", Butterfly on a Wheel" and "Wasteland"among many others. Wayne discusses how his Mormon upbringing may have influenced his art, his short time in Dead Or Alive and Sisters Of Mercy, how he feels about being labeled "goth", the stories behind many of the songs, and how he pulled off the "modern Band Aid" with his TOS2020 Remission charity single. He's one of a kind! Enjoy!

www.themissionuk.com

www.patreon.com/thehustlepod