Trevor Steel of The Escape Club

Right Said Fred – brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass – had a #1 hit in the U.S. and a number of countries around the world with “I’m Too Sexy.” But while they are a “one hit wonder” in the U.S., they had multiple hits elsewhere, And they’re making great music to this day.  They’re serious musicians, but they don’t take themselves too seriously, and were a blast to talk with.  Check them out..I think you’ll enjoy it! 

Simon Kirke is a British  drummer best known as an founding member of Free - most famous for "All Right Now" - and Bad Company - which had a string of '70s hits including "Can't Get Enough," "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" and "Feel Like Makin' Love."

In the episode, we talk with Simon about...

• His teenage gig playing drums in a disco.
• How his parents gave him to years to make it as a drummer, or go back to school.
• How a lucky coin flip led him to a pub to see a band, which led him to...
• Meeting guitarist Paul Kossoff , which led him to joining Kossoff's band. Which led him to...
• Auditioning for Kossof's friend - singer Paul Rodgers - which led to...
• Formation of Free with Kossoff, Rodgers and bassist Andy Fraser.
• The motivation that led to Free's hit "All Right Now."
• Free's success and subsequent breakup, which led to...
• The formation of Bad Company, it's ups and downs, and long-tern success.

Bertie Higgins is a multi-talented guy…a singer, songwriter, film producer and performer, most famous for his 1981 Top Ten hit – Key Largo. In this episode of RPM45, we talk with him, and even have a cameo appearance from the woman who inspired his big hit.

I woke up to the sad news this morning that Mary Wilson – one of the founding members of The Supremes – died yesterday.   

I interviewed Mary Wilson for this podcast in late July. In fact, she was one of the first  guests on the RPM45 podcast.  It was an honor. Mary looked great on our Zoom call, was extremely gracious to me and open to sharing her life experiences, including her beginnings, how she got together with her fellow Supremes. and how she kept the group going after Florence Ballard's death and Diana Ross's departure.

 Even though Mary had been in the entertainment industry for six decades, she remained enthusiastic and not even thinking about retirement.  Her love of performing burned brightly.

And she was committed to a cause.…To have her good friend former Supreme Florence Ballard – who died more than 4 decades earlier - commemorated on a U.S. stamp.  (For more info,  check out this web page: https://about.usps.com/who/csac/#process ) 

I found Mary Wilson a beautiful person in every way, talented, smart and inspiring. And now, in her honor, I want to share that experience with you.

Richard Monda - known to music fans as Daddy Dewdrop - had a Top 10 hit in 1971 with Chick-A-Boom (Don't Ya Jes' Love It),

But there's a lot more to his story than just one hit. He's been in entertainment almost of his whole life,  including roles in major movies when he was a teen in the early '50s. His biggest role was as a young Eddie Cantor in the The Eddie Cantor Story. 

Dick has  got a lot of great stories to tell.  And we’ve got some of  them right here, including...

• His experiences in the movie business and why he left it.
• Starting out in music in record promotion, later becoming a producer and songwriter.
• The TV cartoon show and the joke that inspired Chick-A-Boom.
• Seeing his name in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• What he got out of his hit (and what he didn't).
• What his life is like now.
• And much more!

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Rick Stevers is the drummer and leader of Frijid Pink, which scored a Top 10 hit with its hard rocking version of  “House of the Rising Sun” in the Winter of 1970.  

What’s especially interesting about this hit is how close it came to not happening. If the group didn’t have a little extra studio time and if Rick had been dating a different girl, we probably have never heard Frijid Pink’s version.  

in this episode of RPM45,  Rick tells this story, and more...

• How the band got its name.
• How a little unused studio time led them to record "House of the Rising Sun."
• How his girlfriend's dad (a Detroit radio exec) helped make it a hit.
• When Led Zeppelin was their opening act.
• When they played for President Nixon.
• The band's breakup and rebirth.
• The band's new music, including the EP "Hot Pink."
• And more!

BTW, we had a Zoom problem about halfway through our talk and switched to the phone, which is why rick's audio changes halfway through.

Mark Andes is a legendary rock musician…a bassist with an incredible resume. He was a member of Canned Heat and Spirit in the late ‘60s, while still a teen. Later, he became one of the founding members of Firefall, playing on their first four albums, then spent a decade with Heart, a decade with Dan Fogelberg, and played with numerous other artists before returning to Firefall in the last decade.  

Philip Wright is lead singer and drummer of Paper Lace – famous for its 1974 #1 hit “The Night Chicago Died.” But right before then, Paper Lace had another #1 hit– “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” --  in the U.K. and Australia.  (It was covered by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods here.)

In this episode, we talk with Phil about...

• How he and Paper Lace got started.
• The band's big break on the TV show "Opportunity Knocks," which led to...
• Connecting with the hit songwriting team of Mitch Murray and Peter Callander, which led to...
• The band's big hits "Billy Don't Be a Hero" and "The Night Chicago Died."
• Chicago Mayor Daley's negative reaction to the song (and the band).
• What happened after the hits.
• What he's up to now, including membership in three bands!

Andy Scott was (and is) the lead guitarist of Sweet. He, along with Sweet bassist Steve Priest, drummer Mick Tucker and lead singer Brian Connolly,  went through a musical evolution during the ‘70s. They started out as a bubblegum group with songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, but evolved into a legitimate rock band playing their own music. 

In this episode of RPM45, Andy talks about all that, including their five U.S. hits, their days as a "glam rock" band, the real meaning of "Little Willy," and what's happened since, including their new album – “Isolation Boulevard”

After 33 episodes of RPM45, beginning in June, I thought it would be a cool year-end thing to share my favorite moments from those talks. You'll hear highlights from Judy Collins, Gino Vannelli, Gary Puckett, B.J. Thomas, Dave Mason and members of Air Supply, The Association, Blues Magoos, Brewer & Shipley, The Buckinghams, Cutting Crew, The Cyrkle, The Electric Prunes, Foghat, New Colony Six, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Standells,  The Whispers, and Wild Cherry.

Our clips cover such topics as:

• How they got started in music.
• How groups got their names.
• If they knew a hit was a hit (before it was a hit).
• Their challenges getting paid for their chart success.
• What fan appreciation means for them.
• And more!

One more thing.  In the episode, i refer to some YouTube videos. Here's where you'll find them:

Lawrence Welk's "One Toke Over the Line":  https://youtu.be/t8tdmaEhMHE

B.J. Thomas gets wet on The Ed Sullivan Show:  https://youtu.be/-GYVu1JHJ9A (rain starts at around 2:00)

New Colony Six on Kiddie A-Go-Go: https://youtu.be/hGW4cFMAcS0