The Hustle show

The Hustle

Summary: What does it take to maintain a career in music? We track down members of bands that flirted with stardom and find out what their lives are like now. How did it feel to get that first big break? What was fame like at its peak? What was the transition back into normal life like? And what have you been doing since?

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  • Artist: Jon Lamoreaux
  • Copyright: Copyright 2015 . All rights reserved.

Podcasts:

 Episode 126 - IN MEMORIAM - Dennis Dragon of the Surf Punks | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:52:52

Prior to being the drummer of the legendary Surf Punks, Dennis Dragon earned his bona fides co-producing a little song his brother Daryl was working on with his wife, Toni. Well, that tune became "Love Will Keep Us Together" and Daryl and Toni became the Captain and Tennille. The success from that song propelled him to a long career in production and audio-engineering, but along the way he befriended Drew Steel and the two started the Surf Punks almost as a lark. Their 1980 debut album My Beach became an underground benchmark for teenage boys everywhere. Sadly, we learned the morning this episode is being released, that Dennis passed away on Sept 25th, two months after this interview took place. You'll hear that he was as lively and nutty as ever with no signs of poor health. As of today, the cause of death has not been released. We are glad we did our small part in honoring him before he left us.   http://www.dennisdragon.com https://www.facebook.com/Surf-Punks-The-Band-115696401918109/

 Bonus - Matthew Nelson of Nelson | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:46:32

Nelson basically owned 1990 and '91. But, despite having four top 40 hits and selling five million copies of their debut album After The Rain, the Nelson twins, Matthew and Gunnar, couldn't get a follow up released for five years and by then tastes had changed and the moment had passed. Still, the brothers have carried on entertaining crowds playing their own music, doing Christmas concerts, and even performances showcasing their famous dad Rick's material. They've never gone away, show business is in their blood after all. Today, After the Rain will be re-released on vinyl, making those songs rife for rediscovery. Matthew discusses how their careers were affected by grunge, how the image overwhelmed their talent at times, and what the plans are for the near future. He's a total pro!   http://www.matthewandgunnarnelson.com/

 Episode 125 - Kiki Dee | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 01:08:01

Everyone remembers Kiki Dee for her #1 duet with Elton John, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" from 1976. But, did you know she is approaching 55 years in the music business? After starting out as a teenager with singers like Dusty Springfield, she "rocketed" to stardom when she was signed to Elton's Rocket Records in the early 70s (after a stint at Motown) and eventually topped the charts. Though there have been ups and downs, she's stayed at it all these years. For the last several years she's been collaborating with musician Carmelo Luggeri on a string of soulful albums that incorporate more global textures. She's a sweet lady that doesn't do a lot of interviews, so we're especially lucky to have her!     http://www.kikiandcarmelo.com/kiki-dee/

 Episode 124 - Marshall Crenshaw | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 01:33:18

After bursting out in the early 80s with one of the greatest debuts in modern rock history, and, thus, rock critics falling all over him as the next big thing, Marshall Crenshaw has settled into a career as a sort of highly respected cult artist. He may not be the household name his fans think he deserves to be, but he's forged a steady career playing by his own rules and gaining mounds of street cred in the process. Here we talk about the decision to work with producer Steve Lilywhite on his second album Field Day (which has just been remastered and reissued on vinyl), the tensions between him and Warner Bros., the movies he's worked on like La Bamba and Walk Hard, and some of his collaborators (Gin Blossoms, Was (Not Was), Smithereens). It is not a stretch to say that Crenshaw is one of the greatest songwriters of the modern era and a true national treasure.   http://marshallcrenshaw.com/

 Episode 123 - Robert LaRoche of the Sighs | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 01:30:03

The Sighs were an excellent power pop/rock band in the early 90s with a ton of promise. They released a stellar debut album, What Goes On, in 1992 that was produced by the great Ed Stasium and were starting to get some traction, but ultimately fell victim to almost every pitfall on the "shoulda been" checklist - label was sold, no marketing, poor distribution, internal label politics, etc. Frontman Robert LaRoche has continued to soldier on undaunted, despite it never being easy. Today, he's primarily a sideman for singer Patricia Vonne and does some solo stuff on the side, as well as other odd jobs when necessary. But, these are good days for him and Sighs fans as they just released their 3rd album last week, Wait On Another Day, which deserves to be heard. Robert gives great interview - self-aware, funny stories and talented. Also, we talk to one of our listeners in Houston who presents an idea on how to provide some relief for victims of Hurricane Harvey.    https://open.spotify.com/user/129134325/playlist/7cZZiwboEVMB1ObhaPb5vM http://www.thesighsmusic.com/ http://robertlarochemusic.com/

 Bonus - The Songwriting and Collaboration Panel from the Nashville Rock n Pod Expo | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:58:10

Jon was honored to host this panel at the Rock n Pod Expo with four amazing songwriters. Former guests Walter Egan (ep 23) and Robert White Johnson (ep 27), joined future guests Gunnar Nelson and Anthony Corder of Tora Tora each providing a unique glimpse into their individual processes, the stories behind some of their biggest hits, and the influential and big-name collaborators they've worked with over the years. I wish the sound quality was better, but it's still a fascinating historical document of four talented artists. 

 Episode 122 - Oleta Adams | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 01:36:10

The story on Oleta Adams is that she was discovered playing piano in a Kansas City hotel bar by the guys from Tears For Fears, who then brought her in to sing on their 1989 album The Seeds of Love, thus launching her stellar solo career. As you'll find from our conversation, it wasn't exactly that simple. Oleta had been toiling away for over a decade on the hotel entertainment circuit before Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith followed through on the promises many before them had made and broken. She did break big duetting on their hit "Woman in Chains" before nailing her own solo hit "Get Here" in 1991. Since then Oleta has had a steady solo career, but despite her success she's never ventured far from her roots. At the end of the day, success has really just given her the freedom to be herself. She also put out a new album this year called Third Set which harkens back to her roots. She still sounds amazing!   http://oletaadams.com/

 Bonus - The (Notorious) Expo Retro | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:36:49

Now that the smoke has cleared and most people were fine with what I said, I'll go ahead and put this out even though most of you have heard it by this point. This is the original version, maybe slightly more unfiltered than what came out in the revised version. My only regret is that I forgot to mention a couple of our beautiful fans I got to meet there. Love you guys. I corrected it in the second version, but let's let this original recording be the one that remains. 

 Episode 121 - Russ Ballard | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 01:38:15

Russ Ballard is one of the most successful songwriters of the rock era. Artists from Ace Frehley to America have scored with tunes written by the man. Russ has also shepherded a successful solo career which, oddly, never took off quite as strongly as the success others were having recording those same songs. We talk about why that might be as well as his days in Argent and earlier, what makes a good pop song, and we get insight into some of the people he's worked with after over 50 years in the business! He also has some genius career advice for Roger Daltrey. You'll be blown away by how many hits he's responsible for and how diverse his style is!    https://www.facebook.com/RussBallardMusicOfficial/

 Bonus - Gary Corbett Live From the Nashville Rock n Pod Expo | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:27:29

These days, Gary Corbett may be best known for his time in Cinderella and as the touring keyboard player with Kiss. What everyone may not know is that he actually comes from a pop background. He started out in the new wave band Tom Dickie and the Desires, but his first brush with success was when Cyndi Lauper recorded a little song he co-wrote called "She Bop". That tune went on to be a huge hit and his career has been building ever since. This led to working with artists like Debbie Gibson and the great Lou Gramm and even some of the Marleys! He's seen a lot and had a wide-ranging career and he was kind enough to let us talk to him live at the Rock n Pod Expo. 

 Episode 120 - John Parr of Beloved 80s Movie Soundtrack Fame | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 01:21:26

John Parr was one of the most promising artists of the 80s. He broke out in 1984 with the decent-sized hit "Naughty Naughty" (#23), but then he hit the jackpot when his theme for the movie St. Elmo's Fire, "Man In Motion", topped the charts in 1985. This should have launched him into the stratosphere with other heavyweights like Bryan Adams and Eddie Money, but it didn't. Once again, label politics stifled what should have been a big career. John did carry on for a few more years, recording several more movie themes along the way (Running Man, Three Men and a Baby, American Anthem, Quicksilver), but wasn't given the support he deserved. Ultimately, he's had the last laugh though, as "Man In Motion" has never gone away and he's very active on the 80s tour circuit. He's a wonderful man who's been though a lot and come out the other end victorious. Plus, you'll remember how much fun his music is. Enjoy!   http://www.johnparr.net/

 Episode 119 - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Senior Pop Editor at Allmusic | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 02:11:52

We go in a slightly different direction with this week's guest, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Senior Pop Editor at Allmusic! "Tom" has been with the publication since the beginning making him one of the most frequently read music critics in the world. We break this conversation into three parts - 1) how does Allmusic work, 2) the current state of music criticism, and 3) our personal bests and worsts. We also play a handful of his favorite songs. It's a fascinating look at a writer whose name is to music criticism what Leonard Maltin or Roger Ebert are to movies. You'll want to have a notebook handy for this one! 

 Episode 118 - Steve “Eddie” Rice of Eddie and the Tide | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 01:23:15

Eddie and the Tide were a great Bay Area rock band of the early 80s that mixed heartland rock with some new wave flair, much like contemporaries Huey Lewis and the News and Greg Kihn. Over the course of the decade, they released five great albums (the second was produced by Eddie Money), but while their sound got sleeker and sleeker, no doubt for commercial purposes, that mass crossover never quite happened and the band called it quit as the decade was ending. These days, they may be best known for the song "Power Play" which was featured on the Lost Boys soundtrack, which turned 30 last week! Today Steve is a normal working man in Nashville, but he occasionally puts out excellent solo albums. One of my favorite discs of the last five years is his 2014 album The Eddie Rice Project, which is a soulful examination of an up and down life in hindsight. Enjoy!   http://www.eddieandthetide.com/

 Episode 117 - Trevor Steel of The Escape Club | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:57:06

The Escape Club had one of the biggest and most inescapable hits of the 80s with their 1988 number one blockbuster "Wild Wild West". Contrary to popular belief, they are not one-hit-wonders, and cracked the code again in 1991 when their balled "I'll Be There" hit the top 10 as well. Frontman Trevor Steel discusses the effects a number one smash has had on his life and, surprisingly, it isn't the consistent windfall huge hits have been for other guests we've featured on the show. He's had to pivot over the years to other roles within the music industry and Escape Club's fortunes have fluctuated. The band still do their thing occasionally, releasing an excellent album called Celebrity in 2012. He's a really good guy and honest about the ups and downs.   https://www.facebook.com/theescapeclub/

 Episode 116 - Froilan Sosa of Nuclear Valdez | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:48:11

Nuclear Valdez were an excellent and highly buzzed about alternative rock band out of Miami in the late 80s. A lot of the hype centered around what shouldn't be that unique of a thing, but is, the fact that they were all Hispanic. Their debut album, 1989's I Am I with it's debut single "Summer" made a splash and the band was invited to perform on one of the very first MTV Unplugged episodes. Unfortunately, the label never put their full muscle behind the band (even though similar artists like the Alarm and Jane's Addiction were seeing big success) and after a second album, 1991's Dream Another Dream, the guys called it quits. Lead singer Froilan Sosa reflects on this time in his life and how he processed it all. The good news is that they released a new album on Record Store Day called Present From the Past, which is a collection of songs they were working on back in the 90s. And, they are playing a reunion gig in Miami this Saturday (7/29)! Great band - deserved more.   https://nuclearvaldez.com/

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