Welcome back to Those Who Are About To Dive: Chronicling Colosseum, Track by Bloody Track, where the track list occasionally takes a polite step aside so history can walk straight into the room and pour itself a drink.

THIS EPISODE:

Dr.’s Digressions — Mark Clarke: Mach II

Mark Clarke returns to the Den, and what begins as a simple question — “What was your first recorded track with Colosseum?” — detonates into a two-hour guided tour through five decades of rock mythology.

We confirm the answer: “Downhill and Shadows” from Daughter of Time — Mark’s first committed Colosseum studio performance. Nervous. Half an hour to cut it. Jon Hiseman says, “That’s great.” History moves on.

From there?

Strap in.

Mark walks us through:

• The Tony Reeves fallout and the awkward politics of taking the Colosseum bass chair
• Zeppelin at the Hyatt House (yes, that Hyatt House)
• Motorcycles in hallways and six-packs glued to elevator walls
• Felix Pappalardi, Mountain, and the tragedy that followed
• Eddie Van Halen at 15 asking for an autograph at the Whisky
• The truth about the mysterious guy on the Colosseum Live cover
• Mick Ronson, Ian Hunter, Larry Coryell, Jack Bruce, Levon Helm, Mick Taylor, Hamish Stewart, Ringo’s orbit, and the quiet gravity of Liverpool

And through it all, the recurring theme: Colosseum may have been a “well-known secret” among musicians — but the musicians were absolutely listening.

We also get deep into “Tonight” from Restoration — the song that brought Clem Clempson to tears in the studio.

There are brandy stories.

There are backstage politics.

There is honesty about egos, genius, and the difference between myth and memory.

Most importantly, there is this: After all the tours, the supergroups, the near-misses and the legends…Mark still wants to get on the plane.

Still wants to jam at soundcheck.

Still hugs Clem after a great show.

That’s not nostalgia.

That’s DNA.

No verdicts rendered this week.

Just lived history from a man who was there when it was all new.

Recommended Indulgences — Mark Clarke Edition

(Administered not for correction, but for pleasure.)

• Colosseum — “Downhill and Shadows” (Daughter of Time)
• The first step into the fire.
• Colosseum — “Tonight” (Restoration)
• The tear-trigger. Listen closely.
• Colosseum — “Hesitation” (Restoration)
• Modern Colosseum with undiminished passion.
• Colosseum Live (1971)
• Drop the needle. Meet the mystery man.
• Colosseum LiveS – The Reunion Concerts
• Energy restored. No nostalgia tax.

• Ian Hunter — All of the Good Ones Are Taken
• Mountain — particularly the Pappalardi era
• Mick Ronson solo work
• Larry Coryell live material
• Jack Bruce — Songs for a Tailor onward
• Average White Band (Hamish Stewart era)
• Sydney Christmas (as instructed by Mark himself)

• Best consumed after dark
• Volume slightly higher than socially acceptable
• Consider a modest whiskey (avoid brandy)
• Do not Google the Live cover guy — embrace the mystery
• Allow time for emotional whiplash

• Sudden desire to jam at soundcheck
• Renewed respect for bass players
• Mild resentment that Colosseum didn’t fully crack America
• Increased tolerance for long solos
• A creeping suspicion that rock history is far stranger than advertised

Next episode: we return to the tracks.

But for now —

The Doctor is in.

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Welcome back to Those Who Are About To Dive: Chronicling Colosseum, Track by Bloody Track, where the rules are flexible, the digressions are mandatory, and occasionally the universe hands you a guest who rewrites the evening entirely.

THIS EPISODE:

Episode 7 — Dr.’s Digressions: Mark Clarke, Mach I

For this special digression episode, Chaz Charles and Dr. Glund are joined by Mark Clarke — bassist, vocalist, and one of the great connective figures in British rock. What follows is not an interview, not a résumé run-through, and certainly not a polite Q&A. It’s a long, winding, first-person account of arrival — how a kid from Liverpool ends up inside Colosseum, and how one door quietly leads to many others.

Mark reflects on walking into Colosseum at a pivotal moment, what it meant to serve a band built on listening as much as playing, and how those early lessons carried forward. From there, the conversation opens naturally into the wider map: Tempest, Uriah Heep, Rainbow, Mountain, Billy Squier, and the strange but very real skill of adapting without losing yourself.

Along the way, Mark talks about personalities, pressure, learning curves, and the differences between bands that demand attention and bands that demand volume. There are stories of late nights, long tours, shifting scenes, and the practical realities of surviving decades in music without turning into a caricature of yourself.

The Doctor largely lets this happen.

This episode is about connections rather than conclusions, about experience rather than mythology, and about what it feels like to move through multiple eras of rock without ever stopping to announce it. No tracks are dissected, no verdicts rendered — just one musician telling his story the way he remembers it, with the room listening. Oh, and we do pause for some important musical milestones along the way. No prescription this episode, the Dr. is handing out mandatory meds.

This is Dr.’s Digressions at full stretch: unplanned, unhurried, and exactly where the show needed to go.

You are strongly encouraged to learn more about the philanthropic efforts and concerts by the Benevolent Artists National Charity - visit thebanc.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Those Who Are About To Dive: Chronicling Colosseum, Track by Bloody Track, a podcast conducted in a spirit of serious inquiry, mild confusion, and the firm belief that music deserves more attention than most people are prepared to give it.

THIS EPISODE:

“The Road She Walked Before” — Track 6 from Colosseum’s 1969 debut Those Who Are About to Die Salute You.

Chaz and Dr. Glund turn their attention — deliberately and at length — to one of the album’s quieter offerings. “The Road She Walked Before” is examined not for bombast or virtuosity, but for its restraint, its pastoral calm, and its alarming willingness to let you slip into a psychedelic lounge lizard personae while awaiting Ann Margret in a trippy dance scene. Where earlier tracks loom, threaten, or march ominously, this one simply stands there offering the listener a cocktail or a shag...or both.

It is agreed, after some discussion, that this is best listened to in tight mod clothing with pointy shoes and tight sweaters...listening to the latest groovy sounds on a futureistic hi-fi in mixed company. Or at lest one of us thought as much...

We digress , as the program is joined by the Dr.'s good friend, Jimmy Kunes — veteran vocalist, Savoy Brown and Cactus (yes Van Halen fans, THAT Cactus) frontman, former member of Humble Pie, and current commander of The Kunes Clark Band, who arrives bearing stories, context, and an impressive lack of self-importance. Straight talk, great stories, and a friendship forged in a passion for music that binds them.

What follows is a controlled detour through British blues history, including but not limited to: London in the late ’60s, the long middle stretch of a working musician’s life, and the revelation that Love — Arthur Lee’s Love — was the band on Dr. Glund’s t-shirt the day he and Jimmy met, thereby elevating a wardrobe choice to the status of historical document.

Meanwhile, “The Road She Walked Before” remains quietly at the center of the room, doing what it does best: reminding everyone that Colosseum knew exactly how to provide quality Tiki-lounge entertainment for libatious gatherings.

Recommended Indulgences to Satisfy the Voluptuary

(Listener Discretion Encouraged, Authority Not Recognized)

Administered not for correction, but for pleasure.

Dosage may be increased arbitrarily.

Recommended Conditions

Best consumed after dark, preferably when one’s responsibilities have become theoretical

Volume set slightly higher than advisable

Headphones encouraged; lights discouraged

Pairs well with a visky, a comfortable chair, and the patience to let a quiet song finish its sentence

May be taken alone or in the company of someone who understands when not to speak

• The Kunes–Clark Band (working on a new record) 
• Jimmy of Facebook (follow for live updates)
• National Wrecking Company (heavy stuph man)
• Love (Arthur Lee) (because the t-shirt matters)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Those Who Are About To Dive: Chronicling Colosseum, Track by Bloody Track, where Chaz Charles and Dr. Glund continue their unhurried excavation of Colosseum’s debut album. If you’re looking for tidy conclusions, brisk pacing, or polite opinions, you’re still in the wrong ocean.

THIS EPISODE:

“Beware the Ides of March” — Track 5 from Those Who Are About to Die Salute You (1969)

Chaz and the Doctor dig into one of Colosseum’s most ominous early originals, written by Dave Greenslade and Jon Hiseman. Organ-led, processional, and unapologetically severe, “Beware the Ides of March” pushes the band further from blues convention and deeper into jazz-rock territory. Comparisons inevitably arise — including nods to A Whiter Shade of Pale — before landing on what truly separates this track: intent, tension, and a band moving with one collective will.

Mid-episode, the conversation turns electric when the hosts stumble into a 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival performance of the song. What follows is a real-time reckoning with Colosseum at full power — ferocious, disciplined, and startlingly ahead of their time. The live version reframes the studio cut entirely, underscoring just how dangerous this band could be when the reins came off.

From there, the show takes a single, focused digression into Bloodline and their 1994 track The Storm. Used as a modern comparison point, the discussion centers on patience, atmosphere, lineage versus conviction, and music that only reveals itself if the listener is willing to stay put. A firsthand story about seeing a teenage Joe Bonamassa hidden behind an amp adds texture without rewriting history.

The Glundian tests are applied.

No sellout detected.

Mind expanded.

The warning stands.

This episode is part music history, part live discovery, and part reminder that some tracks demand your full attention — and repay it.

Recommended Indulgences to Satisfy the Voluptuary

(Listener Discretion Encouraged)

Administered not for correction, but for pleasure.

Dosage may be increased at will.

Recommended Conditions

Best consumed after dark, preferably when nothing important remains undone

Volume set slightly higher than advisable

You are quite prepared to rock out; Spock display optional

Headphones encouraged; lights optional

Pairs well with a visky, a comfortable chair, and the firm decision not to check one’s phone

May be taken alone or in the company of someone who understands when not to speak

Prescribed Listening

Bloodline — Cell Block 7 (1994)

A driving blues-rock cut powered by groove and forward motion. Chosen here not to match the mood of “Beware the Ides of March,” but to match its commitment — a band digging in, locking tight, and letting momentum do the work.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Welcome back to Those Who Are About To Dive: Chronicling Colosseum Track by Bloody Track with Dr. Glund, where Chaz Charles and the good Doctor once again ignore the clock, misplace the agenda, and wander willingly into the long, strange corridors of rock history. If you’re expecting structure, restraint, or anything resembling public radio discipline, you are — once again — in the wrong ocean.

This episode opens with Chaz and Dr. Glund catching up on life, podcast feedback, and the ongoing disbelief that Dr. Glund is a real person and not an AI construct. The Joshua Light Show gets a nod, and before long, the duo launches into their signature blend of music nerdery and digression, setting their sights on the fourth track of Colosseum’s debut album, “Debut.” They marvel at the oddity of its placement and length, speculate on the logic behind the running order, and debate whether it was ever intended as a single.

THIS EPISODE:

Debut — Track 4 from Those Who Are About To Die Salute You (1969)

Chaz and the Dr. listen to both the studio and a rare live version, dissecting everything from the modulated effects (is that a Leslie?) to the martial drum patterns and the “Eddie Van Halen of the horn.” The conversation drifts through the musicianship, the live energy, and the quirks of the mix. The pair agree that every track on the album holds its own, but does it ultimately passe the three crucial conversations that comprise the Glundian Tests? Getting through the gauntlet of volumptuary inquiry isn't just “Walking in the Park” after all!

The episode then digresses into a tribute to Arlen Roth, “master of the Telecaster,” with anecdotes about Danny Gatton, guitar clinics, and the Hot Licks series. Chaz and Dr. Glund swap stories about guitar heroes, fretboard wear, and the joys of discovering new music as an old phart.

Pour something strong.

Turn it up.

And remember: it’s track by bloody track.

Here’s lookin’ at ya, Clay Cole.

Let’s have a visky.

YOUR PRESCRIPTION

• Recommended Indulgences to Satisfy the Voluptuary
• Administered not for correction, but for pleasure.
• Dosage may be increased at will.
• Recommended Conditions
• Best consumed after dark, preferably when nothing important remains undone
• Volume set slightly higher than advisable
• Headphones encouraged; lights optional
• Pairs well with a visky, a water pipe, a comfortable chair, and the firm decision not to check one’s phone
• May be taken alone or in the company of someone who understands when not to speak

Prescribed Listening:

Arlen Roth

The master of the Telecaster and Hot Licks legend.

Danny Gatton

A Telecaster hero, gone too soon.

Possible Side Effects:

• Loss of interest in tidy genre boundaries
• A sudden urge to defend horn players in unrelated conversations
• Temporary belief that track order is a cosmic mystery

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Those Who Are About To Dive: Chronicling Colosseum Track by Bloody Track with Dr. Glund, where Chaz Charles and the good Doctor once again ignore the clock, misplace the agenda, and wander willingly into the long, strange corridors of rock history. If you’re expecting structure, restraint, or anything resembling public radio discipline, you are — once again — in the wrong ocean.

This episode opens in classic form: a psychedelic light show pulsing behind Dr. Glund’s head, memories firing in all directions, and stories from a time when buying concert tickets meant physically driving into the city and hoping for the best. Cream at the Café A Go Go. Zeppelin opening for Iron Butterfly. Triple bills that would make modern promoters faint. The Joshua Light Show at the Fillmore East, melting faces before anyone knew that was a job description.

From there, things drift — productively — into British blues obscurities, record-store decisions based entirely on album covers, and a deep dive into Juicy Lucy, a band remembered fondly in Glund’s household for reasons both musical and… visual. Vertigo Records, management lineages, swampy grooves, steel guitars, and the lost art of discovering music without algorithms all get their due.

Eventually — inevitably — the conversation circles back to Colosseum.

THIS EPISODE:

“Mandarin” — Track 3 from Those Who Are About To Die Salute You (1969)

An instrumental statement, and a bold one. Chaz frames “Mandarin” as a bass-forward declaration, an early example of Colosseum planting a flag that says this is about music first. Tony Reeves’ fuzz-drenched bass tone sparks a sprawling discussion about the history — and rarity — of bass solos in rock, leading the guys through Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Geddy Lee, and eventually landing squarely on Cliff Burton and “(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth.”

For Chaz, “Mandarin” reads as a precursor — risky, abrasive, and ahead of its time.

For Dr. Glund, it’s something else entirely.

The Glundian tests are applied without mercy. While the musicianship is undeniable and the intent respected, “Mandarin” ultimately fails to expand the mind — at least as it was heard back then. It’s a track that demanded attention the band wasn’t always willing to give, a moment that sent listeners to the kitchen for a beer or outside for a smoke, not out of disrespect, but confusion.

And yet — the balls to put it there, third track on a debut album?

That earns respect.

This episode is part music history, part oral tradition, and part live excavation of how tastes form, harden, soften, and evolve over time. There are no rankings, no cleanup passes, and no apologies — just two aging music freaks following the sound wherever it leads, even when it leads somewhere uncomfortable.

Pour something strong.

Turn it up.

And remember: it’s track by bloody track.

Here’s lookin’ at ya, Clay Cole.

Let’s have a visky.

YOUR PRESCRIPTION

Recommended Indulgences to Satisfy the Voluptuary

Administered not for correction, but for pleasure.

Dosage may be increased at will.

Best consumed after dark, preferably when nothing important remains undone

Volume set slightly higher than advisable

Headphones encouraged; lights optional

Pairs well with a visky, a comfortable chair, and the firm decision not to check one’s phone

May be taken alone or in the company of someone who understands when not to speak

Juicy Lucy

British blues rock with grease under the fingernails.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juicy_Lucy

Tempest

(Jon Hiseman · Mark Clarke)

A short-lived but dangerous convergence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_(British_band)

Michael Anthony

(Van Halen — live bass solo)

Cliff Burton

(Metallica — “(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth”)

• Loss of interest in tidy genre boundaries
• A sudden urge to defend bass players in unrelated conversations
• Temporary belief that instrumental tracks deserve patience

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Those Who Are About To Dive: Chronicling Colosseum, Track by Bloody Track with Dr. Glund, where Chaz Charles and the good Doctor once again fire up the mics, fumble with file links, and let the music take them wherever it damn well pleases. If you’re here for polish and pretense, you’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere around Southampton.

This episode opens not with Colosseum, but with a moment of reverence. Before getting to the business at hand, Chaz and Dr. Glund pause to honor the passing of Chris Rea — a guitarist’s guitarist, a slide master, a reluctant pop star, and a deeply soulful player whose music quietly shaped generations. What begins as a tribute quickly becomes a full-on digression: stories of Clapton seeking out Rea’s slide technique, European blues scenes, Albert Hall footage, and the strange fate of artists whose biggest hits never quite reflect who they really are.

From there, the conversation eventually — inevitably — finds its way back to Colosseum.

This episode’s track:

“Plenty Hard Luck” — Track 2 from Those Who Are About To Die Salute You (1969)

If “Walking in the Park” was the invitation, “Plenty Hard Luck” is the shove. Chaz and Dr. Glund dig into the track’s ferocity, the horn arrangements that cut instead of decorate, and the sheer physicality of a band operating at full tilt. The Dr. admits to once being suspicious of saxophones in rock music — a youthful blind spot he now happily owns — while he beams through stories of seeing Cream, Hendrix, and the Grateful Dead in basement clubs where Marshall stacks barely fit and ice cream sodas were the house specialty.

Along the way, the episode drifts (productively) into record-store lore, liner-note archaeology, British blues lineage, and the lost art of discovering music by feel, curiosity, and blind faith in a cool album cover. The Glundian tests are applied, the verdict is unanimous, and “Plenty Hard Luck” emerges as a track that doesn’t charm — it commits.

Pour something strong, cue it up loud, and dive back in. Here’s lookin’ at ya, Klay Kole—let’s have a viskey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the first episode of Those Who Are About To Dive: Chronicling Colosseum Track by Bloody Track with Dr. Glund, where two aging music freaks with the longest podcast name in all of recorded history—Chaz Charles and the one-and-only Dr. Glund—light up the memory banks and take a deep, hazy plunge into the psychedelic waters of Colosseum. If you’re expecting NPR, you’re in the wrong ocean, pal.

This isn’t your dad’s music podcast—unless your dad spent the '60's and ‘70s in a cloud of vinyl dust and questionable smoke. Chaz and Dr. Glund riff about everything from the practice of pROCKoctology to prog rock, spinning tales of wild jam sessions, lost 8-tracks, and the kind of musical rabbit holes you only find when you’re a little sideways...

THIS EPISODE: “Walkin' in the Park” by Graham Bond - the first track from the first record - Those Who Are About To Die Salute You. They debate the merits of jazz horns in rock, and get gloriously lost in digressions about legendary drummers, forgotten bands, and the sacred art of the extended guitar solo. This being the first iteration of the band and the group that laid the foundation for all the live recordings to come, the guys go deep and deeper into the version that took Chaz's head "clean-off" when he first heard it sitting around those first hazy hits in Dr. Glund's Den of Audio Iniquities so many moons ago...

It’s part musicology, part history, and all about chasing that next sonic high—no fact-checkers, no gatekeepers, just two dudes with mics, opinions, and a bottomless stash of stories. So spark up, tune in, and hang on as the guys toast to old friends and new obsessions. This is podcasting with no brakes, no bones, and no apologies—just pure, unfiltered love for the music that blows your mind. Here's lookin' at ya Klay Kole, let’s have a viskey...

YOUR PRESCRIPTION

Recommended Indulgences to Satisfy the Voluptuary (Listener Discretion Encouraged)

• Administered not for correction, but for pleasure.
• Dosage may be increased at will.

Recommended Conditions

• Best consumed after dark, preferably when nothing important remains undone
• Volume set slightly higher than advisable
• Headphones encouraged; lights optional
• Pairs well with a visky, a comfortable chair, and the firm decision not to check one’s phone
• May be taken alone or in the company of someone who understands when not to speak

Tempest

(Hiseman + Mark Clarke + Alan Holdsworth)

A short-lived but dangerous convergence: volcanic drums, elastic bass, and guitar lines that bend time, harmony, and common sense. Less a band than a weather system.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_(British_band)

Allan Holdsworth

(Future homework. Infinite notes.)

A guitarist who treated scales as suggestions and gravity as optional. Liquid phrasing, alien harmony, and a lifetime spent playing the notes between the notes.

Notably, Eddie Van Halen listened closely.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Holdsworth

Juicy Lucy

(Paul Williams. Blues-rock filth.)

British blues rock at its greasiest: loud, unrepentant, and sweat-stained. The sort of music that smells faintly of warm valves, spilled beer, and questionable decisions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juicy_Lucy

Paul Williams

(Juicy Lucy / Tempest vocals)

A voice built for the front of the room — raw, lived-in, and unapologetic. Less a singer than a delivery system for grit, groove, and intent.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Williams_(rock_musician)

• Loss of interest in tidy genre boundaries
• Spontaneous volume escalation
• Extended listening sessions of questionable length
• A sudden urge to defend drummers in unrelated conversations
• Mild disdain for overproduced recordings
• Temporary belief that fifteen-minute songs are, in fact, quite reasonable

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before the first album.

Before the first track.

Before the first judgment.

Prologue — is the ceremonial opening of Those Who Are About To Dive—a short, intentional prologue that sets the tone, the rules, and the philosophy of the series to come.

Hosted by Chaz Charles, and guided by the watchful ear of Dr. Glund, the original pROCKtologist, this episode explains why Colosseum matters, how this show will approach their music, and what every track will be measured against.

No rankings.

No greatest hits.

No shortcuts.

Just the canon—examined track by bloody track—through the lenses of musicianship, intent, and underground truth.

If you’re here for a casual listen, this may not be your show.

If you’re here to understand the music—welcome.

Those Who Are About To Dive is a narrative, track-by-track exploration of Colosseum—the pioneering British jazz-rock band that fused blues, brass, virtuosity, and fire long before genres learned how to name it.

Hosted by Chaz Charles, the series journeys through every studio album by Colosseum, Colosseum II, and the band’s reunion era—in strict chronological order. No compilations. Some of the important live albums. The recorded canon, examined with care, context, and conviction.

Each episode treats a song not as background music, but as a case study—its creation, its players, its sound, and its place in history—guided by the show’s resident oracle, Dr. Glund, the original pROCKtologist. Every track faces a simple but ruthless standard:

• The guitar must rock
• The music must expand the mind
• It must never—ever—sell out

With deep research, cultural context, and a storyteller’s voice, Those Who Are About To Dive is part music history, part ritual, and part judgment—built for serious listeners, musicians, and anyone who believes great records deserve more than a casual spin.

This is not a hits podcast.

It’s a deep dive into musicianship, intent, and legacy.

Where tracks become trials.

Where legends face inspection.

And no song escapes…

The Examination.

The dive begins. Now coming to The Boneless Podcasting Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.