The Stueytunes Show

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Billie Holiday died in 1959, and yet over 60 years later she is still impacting music (especially jazz and pop) and politics. A victim of blatant racism, and a government with an axe to grind, Holiday struggled her entire life. The fact that she recorded (and in some cases wrote) such iconic music is a true testament to the person she was. She ultimately won and it just took us all time to realize it.

She has been the subject of books, songs (U2's "Angel Of Harlem") and films (the award winning Lady Sings The Blues starring Diana Ross). Clearly, she has never been or ever will be forgotten.

One of her trademark songs "Strange Fruit" is a song that, sadly, is as relevant today as when it first was released. Perhaps some things have changed but the roots of the actions have not.

It is a chance for us at The Stueytunes Show to look at a dazzling performer, fantastic singer, and a remarkable person.

It is time to shine the light on Billie Holiday!

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Where do you start when talking about an iconic band like U2? On this episode, we take a look at Ireland's biggest musical export. Amazingly, the band has been around since 1976, with the same lineup. That alone is practically unheard of in the rock and roll world.

From their beginnings, the members of U2 have demonstrated an awareness of social and political issues and have not been afraid to tackle them head on. Bono has gone on to become extremely influential as an activist, and counts Bill and Melinda Gates among his friends and admirers. As Gates said of Bono's activism, 'I've got money, but you have influence'.

Enjoy this episode of The Stueytunes Show as we discuss one of the world's most innovative and influential bands.

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Carole King’s landmark album ‘Tapestry’ exploded onto the music scene in 1971, and has remained an enduring piece of music history ever since. This album didn’t just open the door for female singer-songwriters, it slammed it wide open.

Carole King was already an established songwriter with Jerry Goffin, but when they divorced in 1968 she made the decision to move from New York to Los Angeles with two young kids in tow. She was a reluctant performer, and her first solo album, Writer, did not perform as well as expected. As we discuss on the show, her record company stuck with her, and this lead to her sophomore effort, Tapestry. Take a look at the track listing for that album. Most people would give anything to write just one of those songs.

King has released 25 solo albums over the years, and holds several notable records. We think her most impressive achievement is that she has written or co-written 118 songs that have made the Billboard Top 100 charts. That is astounding. What is even more astounding is that she is not a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. Thankfully, she is one of the nominees this year.

Join us for a look at the incredible career of Carole King as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic album, Tapestry.

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Interviews have been around since newspapers started printing. Politicians, atheletes, heroes, and, of course, celebrities. In the world of entertainment interviews are used to, usually, promote an upcoming project or release. Authors talk about their new book, actors discuss their lates movie, and mucisicans, for the most part, talk about their new album or tour. Usually the interviews are informative and serve their purpose. Some interviews are so successful they become albums themselves. In 1980, for example, Paul McCartney was interviewed for Musician magazine. That interview was so good that his record company released the interview as an album ("The McCartney Interview") and it actually charted!Then again, some interviews do not go as planned. There are many reasons. Sometimes the artist is tired, or indulging in a substance, or sometimes the artist just doesn't want to do an interview but must. Then again, sometimes the interviewer might ask the wrong question or pushes the artist too much. Whatever the reason there have been some real doozies. This week, on The Stueytunes Show, we look at those interviews that just didn't go as planned. In fact, they become sort of disasters.

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In 1966 NBC premiered a sitcom featuring a rock and roll band called The Monkees, featuring four actors who were chosen to represent specific character types, modelled after The Beatles.  Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork and Davy Jones were hired to fill the various roles, and it wasn't long before The Monkees stormed onto the charts, becoming one of the biggest acts in the 1960s.Behind the scenes, things weren't quite so rosy.  The Monkees were not allowed to write their own songs or play their own instruments on the show, which led the press to give them the unfortunate nickname 'The Prefab Four'.  Frustrated, angry and determined to prove they weren't just four pretty faces, the boys decided to go on tour.  In this episode of The Stueytunes Show, we examine the phenomenon that was The Monkees, including their quick rise and equally quick fall back to earth, and their various comebacks over the years.  Forgive us if after listening to our discussion you end up having songs like 'Daydream Believer', 'Last Train to Clarksville' or 'I'm a Believer' stuck in your head!

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Kenneth Womack is an expert on The Beatles. He takes the time and effort to carefully research The Beatles, and as a result has written definitive books on the band and their producer. His books include:  Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles (2007), The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles (2009), The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four (2014), and Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles (2019). These books about the Beatles are so informative that they are included in the permanent collection of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Library and Archives. He also wrote two books about their producer, Sir George Martin, Maximum Volume (2017) and Sound Pictures (2018). He is also a novelist, having written four novels, as well as contributing articles to Salon, Slate, Billboard, Time, Variety, USA Today, Smithsonian Magazine, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, The Independent, The Liverpool Echo, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. And if that was not enough, Kenneth serves as Professor of English and Popular Music at Monmouth University. He is Editor of Interdisciplinary Literary Studies: A Journal of Criticism and Theory, published by Penn State University Press, and Co-Editor of the English Association’s prodigious Year’s Work in English Studies, published by Oxford University Press. Over the years, he has shared his work with public libraries and community organizations across the nation, including audiences at Princeton University, Harvard University, the Smithsonian Institution, the Grammy Museum, and the 92nd Street Y. He has also served as an expert commentator for ABC’s 20/20 and NBC’s Access Hollywood.In 2020, he released his most recent book, John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life (2020), which details Lennon's return to the public eye after five years of being a houshusband. But there is more to the story, much more, and Kenneth reveals it all in the fantastic book. On top of everything, he is one hell of a nice guy. He is great to talk to, and he is generous with his time. He took some time to talk with us at The Stueytunes Show, and we both think you are going to enjoy our conversation.Kenneth Womack's  website

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It's the Stueytunes Show Christmas Bonus!  This episode is a little more informal since season 3 is finished, and we sit down to chat about some of our favourite Christmas songs, albums, and films.  Of course, we talk about the phenomenon that is 'White Christmas', which is the best-selling Christmas song of all time.

We also received Christmas greetings from two of our guests who appeared on the show earlier this season, and we pass them along to you.

We hope you enjoy our chat today, and on behalf of everyone at The Stueytunes Show, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and happy holidays!  All the best to you and yours in 2021, and thank you for listening!

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Selling out in music can mean a number of things.  An artist can ‘sell out’ when they perform music they hate, simply because they want a hit. Other artists ‘sell out’ when they perform in places and with people who they don’t want to, merely for a huge pay cheque. Still others ‘sell out’ by doing television commercials and letting their songs be altered to fit a product.

In the 1980s, certain huge bands made it ok for musicians and artists to sell out for the big bucks. Of course, that meant that the average fan had to endure television commercials of their favourite songs and even worse pay through their teeth for tickets to see their favourite bands play live. 

And then times changed. It became almost necessary for bands/artists to have some form of sponsorship for tours and for some bands, the only way their music could be heard was on a commercial. 

Is ‘selling out’ good or bad. Well, the answer is, it is complicated.  This week on The Stueytunes Show, we take a humorous look at music and ‘Selling Out’.

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So where do you start when you’re talking about The Queen of Rock n Roll? Born Anna Mae Bullock, she grew up in Nutbush, Tennessee and started singing from an early age in the choir at her Baptist church. She moved to St. Louis at the age of sixteen, and her life changed forever when she met Ike Turner. After impressing him with her talent, she joined his group and after entering in a relationship with him, he decided to change her name to Tina Turner. Keep in mind that this was before they got married. Foreshadowing things to come, Ike trademarked the name ‘Tina Turner’ in case she ever decided to leave him.

The partnership was a huge success, but in private Ike was abusive and controlling. We discuss that aspect of their relationship on this episode. At one point, things were so desperate for her that Tina had to borrow money from one of her backup dancers. In 1976, she finally summoned the strength to leave him, and with 36 cents and a Mobil gas card to her name she never looked back, despite setbacks with a divorce that took over two years to finalize.

They say that success is the ultimate form of revenge, and Tina Turner experienced that in spades. In the eighties her solo career hit new heights with the release of the iconic album ‘Private Dancer’. Everything that pop culture said about women needing to be younger to achieve success was turned on its head, because she was 45 years old at the time. It would not be the last time that Tina defied expectations. She’s even in the Guinness Book of World Records!

We’ll let you listen to the episode to hear the rest of what we have to say about this amazing woman. Here at The Stueytunes Show we are both big fans, and it seemed only fitting that after her recent 81st birthday we should pay tribute to The Queen of Rock and Roll. Enjoy the show!

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