Interviewing The Legends: #Rock and roll hall of fame

Showing posts with label #Rock and roll hall of fame. Show all posts

Monday, November 8, 2021

DION RELEASES NEW ALBUM WITH ALL-STAR CAST ENTITLED 'STOMPING GROUND' EXCLUSIVE ZOOM TV INTERVIEW WITH RAY SHASHO

D I O N

RELEASING NEW ALBUM

on November 19th

entitled 'STOMPING GROUND'

with guest artists

Boz Scaggs … Mark Knopfler … Eric Clapton

Peter Frampton … Patti Scialfa

Bruce Springsteen … Billy F Gibbons

Keb’ Mo’ … Sonny Landreth

Joe Bonamassa and many more!

EXCLUSIVE ZOOM TV INTERVIEW

DION and his music have long represented a special time and place, reflective of a moment when a song could mean so much. When a singer could sum up what it means to be young, in love and on top of the world. R & B, blues, doo-wop and that first wave of rock all influenced Dion’s approach to music. “I Wonder Why” was Dion’s first hit with The Belmonts and over the next two years the group earned a reputation not only for topping the charts, but for creating some of the most vital and exciting doo wop music on the American scene.

With songs such as “I Wonder Why,” “A Teenager In Love” and “Where or When,” Dion & The Belmonts earned their place in music history. The great music kept coming as Dion ventured out as a solo artist in 1960, racking up a string of #1 hits. Over an incredible four-year run he cut one classic after another from the rollicking “Runaround Sue” to the driving “Lovers Who Wander” to “The Wanderer.” He quickly rose to the top ranks of recording artists. In 1968 Dion shot to the top of the charts once again with “Abraham, Martin and John,” a song that was as much an anthem for that era as his early hits had been for theirs. What followed in the ‘70s and ‘80s was a string of acclaimed LPs, many of which reflected his early interest in roots music.

He turned increasingly to folk blues and gospel, again earning a reputation as an innovator. In 1989 Dion entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. One of the Hall’s earliest honorees, he was inducted just one year after the Beatles and Bob Dylan and at the same time as the Rolling Stones, Otis Redding and the Soul Stirrers. In over six decades he has never stopped writing, recording and performing new music. His voice is unmistakable. His music is original and entirely his own. His story is more relevant than ever.

Purchase

DION

STOMPING

GROUND

Pioneering rock n' roll singer/songwriter Dion delivers yet another powerful collection of timeless blues with Stomping Ground. It's the follow-up to his universally acclaimed Keeping The Blues Alive Records debut, Blues With Friends, from 2020. Dion has yet again enlisted the music world's most iconic and talented stars to bring his blues to life.

Available November 19th 2021 at amazon.com

ALSO

D I O N’ S

BOOK

Dion:

The Wanderer

Talks Truth

(Stories, Humor & Music)

by Dion Dimucci (Author), Mike Aquilina

Dion came up out of the Bronx in the 50s and tore through the music charts in a ferocious display of talent. He continued to make great music while slowly returning to his Catholic roots. His hard-won wisdom filters through his stories whether he's recalling how he went shopping with John Lennon and ended up on the cover of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band or what it was like to travel in the Jim Crow South with Sam Cooke.

available at amazon.com

For more information about

D I O N

Visit

www.diondimucci.com

official website

www.facebook.com/OfficialDion

facebook

https://twitter.com/thewandererdion

twitter

www.instagram.com/diondimucciofficial

Instagram

Discography

Dion and the Belmonts

Year Album

1959 Presenting Dion and the Belmonts

1960 Wish Upon a Star with Dion and the Belmonts

1967 Together Again

1973 Live at Madison Square Garden 1972

Dion

Year Album

1961 Runaround Sue

Alone with Dion

1962 Lovers Who Wander

1963 Dion Sings to Sandy

Ruby Baby

Donna the Prima Donna

Love Came to Me

1968 Dion

1969 Wonder Where I'm Bound

1970 Sit Down Old Friend

1971 You're Not Alone

Sanctuary

1972 Suite for Late Summer

1975 Born to Be with You

1976 Streetheart

1978 Return of the Wanderer

1979 Fire in the Night

1980 Inside Job

1981 Only Jesus

1983 I Put Away My Idols

1984 Seasons

1985 Kingdom in the Streets

1986 Velvet & Steel

1989 Yo Frankie

1992 Dream on Fire

1993 Rock N' Roll Christmas

2000 Déjà Nu –

2003 New Masters

2006 Bronx in Blue

2007 Son of Skip James

2008 Heroes: Giants of Early Guitar Rock

2011 Tank Full of Blues

2016 New York Is My Home

2020 Blues with Friends

2021 Stomping Ground

D I O N

APPEARS WEEK OF

DECEMBER 15TH 2021

on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

with RAY SHASHO

STREAMING at

THE CLASSIC ROCK MUSIC REPORTER

(classicrockmusicwriter.com)

Classic Rock Here And Now

Music Tried And True

Facebook LIVE

YouTube

RAY’S BEST-SELLING BOOK

ENTITLED

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE

BY RAY SHASHO

…Order yours today on (Collector edition) Hardcover or E-book at bookbaby.com and amazon.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA… JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER... RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER... ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan.

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives.

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music. The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/ Gold Award Winner

MORE BOOKS BY RAY SHASHO

Friday, August 13, 2021

ROD ARGENT LEGENDARY KEYBOARDIST/SONGWRITER WITH THE ZOMBIES CHATS ABOUT UPCOMING LIVE SHOWS WITH RAY SHASHO:EXCLUSIVE ZOOM TV INTERVIEW

R O D

A R G E N T

The Zombies:

Live From Studio Two

Worldwide Streaming Event

from

Abbey Road Studios

September 18th at 3:00 PM EDT

EXCLUSIVE ZOOM INTERVIEW

In the ever-changing world of pop and rock, it’s an achievement to write and perform even one song that stays in the public consciousness. To do it again and again, and for those songs to keep on renewing themselves decade after decade while you continue to create new ones and perform all over the world, is rare indeed. But then singer, songwriter, master of the keyboards and recording artist Rod Argent is a rare talent. Three of the classic songs that Rod wrote and helped to make hits as a member of the Zombies in the 1960s now have total airplay in America alone of over 14 million.

The US performing rights body BMI says that “Time Of The Season” stands at over seven million, “She’s Not There” at over 4.5m and “Tell Her No” is over 3 million. If you spun them 14 million times back-to-back, that would represent about 80 years’ worth of continuous music. Those and other gems in Argent’s songbook have accrued millions more plays around the world, and his work is always in incredible demand for use in commercials and films everywhere. But as much as he still loves to play those and other landmark compositions, as he and Colin Blunstone tour to global acclaim with the revitalized Zombies, Rod Argent is no history man. For some seven years, his focus was on a new band that seized the spirit of rock experimentation and became one of the most significant British groups of the first half of the 1970s. Argent made their first demos in 1968 and coalesced the following year with the band leader joined by Rodford, Bob Henrit and a formidable new writing partner, frontman and foil for Rod’s nimble keyboards, Russ Ballard.

They made their album debut with a self-titled release in 1970, and early recognition came in the form of a cover, when Three Dog Night took Liar from that first album into the American top ten. But by 1972 Argent were ready for full-on singles chart stardom of their own. The brilliant Hold Your Head Up, from their third album All Together Now, became a top five hit on both sides of the Atlantic. The following year’s equally anthemic God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll To You made the UK top 20, as the band built a catalogue of seven studio albums before disbanding in 1975.

The Zombies second coming has seen them performing with all the energy of the numerous stars of later generations who have named them as influences, from young bands like the Vaccines to such as Paul Weller, Dave Grohl and Tom Petty, who said simply: “The Zombies were and are cool.” Rod Argent’s back catalogue is one of the most distinguished on record. Or on stage, for that matter. The most exciting thing of all is that he’s still adding to it. The Zombies 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction marked a major triumph in their 5-decade career, but you can be sure they will not rest on their laurels.

The Zombies story continues on….!

THE ZOMBIES

Live From Studio Two

(Worldwide Streaming Event from Abbey Road Studios)

Sept 18th · 3:00 PM EDT

REWATCH UNTIL OCT 3, 2021 · 2:59AM EDT

2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees The Zombies will present their first and only worldwide streaming event with a live concert from the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London on September 18, 2021 at 12pm PST/3pm EST/8pm GMT.

Get your tickets now at

www.thezombiesmusic.com/live

www.veeps.com

The iconic British pop pioneers will perform a career-spanning concert in Abbey Road’s Studio Two, returning 5 decades later to the hallowed halls where they recorded their seminal album Odessey & Oracle in 1967. Fittingly, this event coincides with the start of Abbey Road’s 90th Anniversary celebrations.

The concert will be followed by an online Q&A Session from Abbey Road with founding members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone. The band will also field questions from a virtual audience of surprise celebrity guests. Buy your ticket in advance and you can send in a question for consideration to TheZombies2011@gmail.com

Livestream Ticket

$20.00

What's Included:

- Access to the livestream event "The Zombies: Live From Studio Two"

**Ticket price will increase on the day of show (September 18)**

$35.00

ROD ARGENT

Discography

Band albums

The Zombies – Begin Here (1965)

The Zombies – Odessey and Oracle (1968)

The Zombies – R.I.P. (1969)

Argent – Argent (1970)

Argent – Ring of Hands (1971)

Argent – All Together Now (1972)

Argent – In Deep (1973)

Argent – Nexus (1974)

Argent – Encore: Live in Concert (1974)

Argent – Circus (1975)

Argent – Counterpoints (1975)

Shadowshow – Shadowshow (1985)

Argent – In Concert (1995)

Argent – The Complete BBC Sessions (1997)

Argent-Blunstone – Out of the Shadows (2001) – Redhouse REDHCD

The Zombies – Live at the BBC (2003) (Expanded and re-released as 'The BBC Radio Sessions' (2016)

The Zombies – As Far as I Can See… (2004)

The Zombies – Live at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London (2005)

The Zombies – On The BBC Radio (2007)

The Zombies – Odessey and Oracle: 40th Anniversary Live Concert (2008)

Argent – High Voltage Festival (2010)

The Zombies – Breathe Out, Breathe In (2011)

The Zombies – Live In Concert At Metropolis Studios (2012)

The Zombies – Live in the UK (2013)

The Zombies – Still Got That Hunger (2015)

Solo albums

Moving Home (1978)

Ghosts (1981) (with Barbara Thompson)

Metro (1983) (with John Dankworth)

A New Age (1984) (with Robert Howes)

Second Sight (1984) (with Robert Howes)

Network Heroes (1987) (with Robert Howes)

The Advance of Man (1988) (with Robert Howes)

Red House (1988)

Rescue (1989) (with Robert Howes)

Classically Speaking (1998)

ROD ARGENT

APPEARS WEEK OF

SEPTEMBER 7TH 2021

on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

with RAY SHASHO

STREAMING at

THE CLASSIC ROCK MUSIC REPORTER

(classicrockmusicwriter.com)

Classic Rock Here And Now

Music Tried And True

Facebook LIVE

YouTube

RAY’S BEST-SELLING BOOK

ENTITLED

THE

ROCK

STAR

CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE

…Order yours today on (Collector edition) Hardcover

or E-book

at bookbaby.com and amazon.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles, by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/ Gold Award Winner

Sunday, August 9, 2020

JACK CASADY LEGENDARY BASSIST W/JEFFERSON AIRPLANE & HOT TUNA OCT 13TH 7PM PT/10PM ET ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS W/RAY SHASHO BBS RADIO

J A C K

C A S A D Y

LEGENDARY BASSIST

J E F F E R S O N A I R P L A N E

H O T T U N A

ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME MEMBER

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!

As a Founding member of the Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, Jack Casady’s full driving tone and innovative melodic bass work has defined the role of bass guitar in Rock and Roll for decades. Liberating the bass from its traditional role as part of the rhythm section, Jack s pioneering approach has brought the instrument to the forefront. With sweeping chords and stormy melodic lines Jack’s bass distinguished not only Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna but also a variety of side projects and recordings with artists including Jimi Hendrix, David Crosby,David Crosby, Warren Zevon, Country Joe and The Fish, SVT, Rusted Root and Gov’t Mule.

In September of 1965, Casady received a fateful call from his old friend Jorma Kaukonen, who had transferred from Antioch College to Santa Clare University in San Francisco and became immersed in a new music scene developing there. As Jack recalls, “Jorma told me he had joined a band called Jefferson Airplane and I kind of laughed at the name. He asked me what I was doing and seemed surprised to hear that I was playing the bass. Then he says, ‘Wait a minute. I’ve got a bass player in this band that I’m not fond of. It’s not working out, in my opinion.’ So then he says, ‘Let me call you back.’ A few minutes later he calls back and says, ‘We got this band. We got a manager. And the manager promises to pay us $50 a week whether we “work or not.” ‘ And I said, You’re on!’”

When the original singer Signe Anderson left the band to have a baby, it was Jack who convinced Grace Slick, then performing with her own band the Great Society, to join the group. The roster complete, Jefferson Airplane rocketed to superstardom in 1967 on the initial strength of their hits “Somebody To Love” and “White Rabbit,” making them a cornerstone of San Francisco’s burgeoning rock scene. Jack’s ground-breaking basswork was a highlight of Surrealistic Pillow, the Airplane’s 1967 breakthrough album. “That album was really a unique statement,” says Casady in retrospect. “There were a lot of different styles of songs contributed by everybody, including an instrumental acoustic fingerpicking original tune by Jorma called ‘Embryonic Journey.’

It was quite an eclectic album and I think it still holds up today.” Jefferson Airplane subsequently released a string of acclaimed recordings –After Bathing At Baxter’s (late ’67), Crown of Creation (’68), the live Bless Its Pointed Little Head (’69), Volunteers (’70), Bark (’71), Long John Silver (’72) and the live Thirty Seconds Over Winterland (1973). The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

In 1970, Casady and Kaukonen found time between Airplane gigs to put together another uniquely named aggregation, the blues-influenced Hot Tuna. “We formed Hot Tuna basically because we were young and had endless energy,” says Casady, “and there was so much material going into the Airplane from everybody it ended up that you’d only get a couple of songs per session.

Hot Tuna shows are an opportunity to witness two lifelong friends coming together to make extraordinary music. “I can’t remember having so much fun,” says Casady, “but also musically being so in touch and in the moment with the music as I am now; where every minute, every note counts on stage. And I find it really unique that I have a situation with a partner of over 42 years now where we can just really enjoy the craft of making music together.”

Purchase the most recent release

JACK CASADY

entitled

'DREAM FACTOR'

At amazon.com

Also

THE BASS GUITAR
OF JACK CASADY

on DVD

Jack Casady shares his ideas and techniques with learning bassists. In an informal and delightful session (Jorma provides vocals and guitar along with companionable commentary), Jack analyzes his bass parts for classic tunes from the Hot Tuna repertoire, and discusses the musical concepts that make up his unique style -- melodic lines, tonal variety, chordal work and improvisational solos. You'll see all of Jack's tricks: the use of partial chords, sustained notes, tremolos, trilling, tonal variety and many other fascinating devices.

Songs include "Ninety-Nine Year Blues," "Blues in A," "San Francisco Bay Blues," "Been So Long," "Mann's Fate" and "Water Song."

At amazon.com

For more information

about

J A C K C A S A D Y

And

HOT TUNA

Visit

www.JackCasady.com
www.JormaKaukonen.com
www.hottuna.com

Facebook: Jack Casady

www.facebook.com/jack.casady.5

Jorma’s Fur Peace Ranch YouTube channel:

www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL365E875478A7B84C

Fur Peace YouTube Channel - Over 3,000,000 views!

Many renowned artists from live concerts at Fur Peace Station.
www.youtube.com/channel/UCP7uoIzH4EPxup_Cu-ojgRA

JACK CASADY

APPEARS

OCTOBER 13TH 2020

7 PM PACIFIC/10 PM EASTERN

on INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

with RAY SHASHO

BBS RADIO ONE

www.bbsradio.com

MY NEW BOOK IS FINALLY OUT!

ENTITLED

THE

ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE

CHRONICLES, TRUTHS, CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS THAT SET US FREE

…Order yours today on Hardcover or E-book at bookbaby.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music. The second noteworthy thing is the use of high definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/ Gold Award Winner

Author Interview

Ray Shasho

By Literary Titan

The Rock Star Chronicles uses your interviews with rock legends to humanize them and preserve their contribution to the genre. Why was this an important book for you to write?

I was fortunate to have lived through two of the greatest decades for music. It was a time when radio played incredible music and rock concerts were a bargain and a happening thing to do. Rock groups featured incredibly talented musicians with guitarists and lead singers in the spotlight. There has never been a generation to match that period of music expertise and staying power. I wanted the reader to understand and realize how great a talent they really were and still are. Especially to wannabe musicians and the young. Many of the artists I have interviewed have passed on and others nearing retirement. It was important to me to tell their stories at a vulnerable period in their lives and be recognized as the greatest music legends the world will ever know.

What is one interview in this book that stands out as the most exciting one you had?

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull has always been a rock hero to me. He has written and performed complex music and always had an incredible stage presence. Going to a Tull concert back in the day was a huge event. I will admit the first time I interviewed Ian Anderson I was quite nervous. I remember when the phone rang for the interview, I thought, that’s Jethro Tull calling me! During the second interview I got him to chat about politics, religion, ancestry, and world events. I tried not to ask the same mundane music questions that have been asked of him many hundreds of times. He was intellectual and I was on my best game that day.

What do you think is one thing modern musicians have to learn from the icons of the rock and roll genre?

Bands must perform live. All the legends started performing at school dances, bars, clubs, and anywhere they could be seen by an audience big or small. If they are talented eventually someone will give them a break, but it will not be easy. Having a You Tube video with a lot of page views is a start, but it will never have the impact of playing in front of live audiences.

What do you find is a common misconception people have about music?

People that pay big money to watch an artist lip sync on stage and still call it a great show. Music lovers who go see a legendary rock band and there are no original members in the band. Ringo Starr would never bill himself as The Beatles, instead he created an All-Starr band. All generations need to do a little homework before purchasing expensive tickets to concerts nowadays. My book will certainly help identify who the real legends are.

Music is a universal language that we all share and cherish.