No Sleep Til Sudbury With Brent Jensen

It's here! The second half of my chat with the lovely Erica Ehm is now live, complete with the songs that make her skin vibrate (and that John 'JD' Roberts cliffhanger conclusion). Erica's playlist was compiled as a retrospective of her life thus far, documenting childhood memories, her time at MuchMusic and the artists she befriended, motherhood and her connection to her mother, and driving Bono and the rest of U2 around Toronto in her mom's car. Erica also shares the silly reason why she was never permitted to interview U2 as a MuchMusic VJ. Enjoy!             Ehm's playlist: CSNY - Helpless U2 - I Will Follow Emmylou Harris - Ballad of a Runaway Horse 54-40 - I Go Blind Cassandra Vasik - Which Face Should I Put On Tonight Jann Arden - Good Mother   

It's a wonderful thing when you find out someone you've admired as a younger person is actually worthy of that admiration. And Erica Ehm certainly is.  Following her stint as an original MuchMusic VJ, Erica went on to write and produce Juno-winning songs, publish books, establish two successful companies, launch a speaking career, and more. In part one of our chat this week, Erica takes me through the journey that led to her MuchMusic career and beyond, with a sharp focus on the details of her 1994 Seattle interview with Kurt Cobain, one of the last he would ever give. Our discussion was so fluid that I didn't even get to the songs that make Erica's skin vibrate! But worry not - that's part two, next week's episode.         

This week on NSTS we examine the events leading up to the unfortunate death of Nirvana singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain, considered by many to be the primary architect of a musical movement that changed the face of music in the early nineties.  Despite Cobain's death being ruled a suicide, there have been plenty of assertions that he may not have died by his own hand. A number of peculiar and inexplicable events have given rise to conspiracy theories that Cobain was killed, all of which are laid out for consideration on this week's show.               

When music fans share the songs that really mean something to them and the reasons why, they're sharing a part of themselves in doing so. And Spoons singer Gordon Deppe truly does that with us this week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury. He graciously provides the backstories for the songs that have made his skin vibrate over the course of his life, and we go pretty deep in reinforcing the idea that music provides a significant connective power.  Talking with Gord about these songs was like talking to an old friend, and I appreciated the level of sentimentality he demonstrated. I could have gone on for several more hours, but that just means Gord gets an invite to come back with more songs anytime. Don't miss this.    Deppe's playlist:          The Verve - Lucky Man Oasis - Don't Look Back in Anger Jason Wade - You Belong To Me Procol Harum - Whiter Shade of Pale When In Rome - The Promise Dooley Wilson - As Time Goes By  

My pal Stephen Stanley just released an incredible live record, and he joins me to talk about it this week on NSTS. The record is called Live Static Roots, recorded in Oberhausen, Germany during his 2018 European tour. And it's killer - check it out wherever you access your music. In keeping with the live music theme, Stephen brings in seven live tracks that have made his skin vibrate over the course of his life. And as it always is with Stephen, the discussion is rich and rewarding. Does he get his No Sleep 'til Sudbury members club jacket promised to him during his last appearance on the show? Listen to find out!    Stanley's (live) playlist: Barbra Streisand - Stoney End   Harry Belafonte - Carnival Melody     Rush - Working Man / Finding My Way   The Band - Stage Fright   The Flaming Lips - The Golden Age    Bob Dylan - Desolation Row    Nina Simone - Mr. Bojangles

The great Kim Mitchell joins me this week on No Sleep 'til Sudbury for an incredibly enjoyable chat about the songs that make his skin vibrate, and his new single 'Wishes'. Kim is easily one of Canada's most accomplished musicians, from his days leading Max Webster through an illustrious, hit-laden solo career. The coolest thing about Kim is that in talking with him, you'd never know it. He's humble, funny, insightful, and very engaging, and as you'll hear, he's got some great stories - the one involving Eddie Van Halen is my favourite. If you like NSTS, this will likely be one of your favourite episodes.     Mitchell's playlist: Van Halen - Dreams Bonnie Raitt - I Can't Make You Love Me  Kacey Musgraves - Slow Burn Arc Angels - Sent By Angels Don Henley - Boys of Summer  

Last week on NSTS we talked about how Metallica formed in 1981. This week we look at another band that formed a few months earlier in the same year - Motley Crue.  Motley Crue's early years are full of wildly unbelievable events - fatal car crashes, overdoses, jail sentences, drug and alcohol debauchery, and even a conspiracy theory when you consider the mysterious tale of Matthew Trippe, who claimed he stood in for injured Crue bassist Nikki Sixx during the Shout At The Devil and Theatre of Pain periods. And in this episode, we cover it all.   

As mentioned in earlier episodes, some significant musical events took place in the year 1981. One of those events was the formation of Metallica. The band went on to achieve all kinds of ridiculous levels of success, but when I held their first album in my hands while I decided whether or not to buy it in 1983, I could have never, ever imagined. This week it's my pleasure to talk in detail about the beginnings of Metallica, a band that I absolutely worshipped as a kid - the reason why drummer Lars Ulrich's parents brought him to California from Denmark, the awkward first meeting between he and guitarist James Hetfield, the firing of Dave Mustaine, and everything else that happened in Metallica's earliest days. Don't miss it.          

This week it was my privilege to host Spoons bassist Sandy Horne on the show. I've been a fan since the early 80s, and it was great to chat with Sandy about Spoons stuff old and new, including the band's contribution to COVID-19 front line worker relief effort Back to the Basement, a virtual concert put on by abductedbythe80s.com Saturday June 13 (hence the advance airing of the episode).   In addition to details on her participation in this project, Sandy and I also chat about how Spoons was formed through she and co-founder Gord Deppe being seated beside each other in high school band, the unusual origin of the 'doot-doot-doot' chorus of "Romantic Traffic", and how a 15-year-old Rob Preuss found himself surrounded by naked women backstage at one of the band's early gigs. The way she came up with her NSTS songs is awesome too.    Horne's playlist:  Judy Garland - Somewhere Over The Rainbow The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreaming Hair Soundtrack - The Age of Aquarius Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven

Men's Health and Metal Hammer writer Joe Daly joins me from Southern California this week on No Sleep Til Sudbury, and it's great to catch up - Joe was originally scheduled to appear on one of the very first introductory episodes of NSTS back in April 2017. It's been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. Joe and I chat about the recording of The Doors first record, KISS and disco, Slayer's career trajectory and the spider bite from which guitarist Jeff Hanneman contracted a flesh eating disease, and much more.       

The Lazys singer Leon Harrison is my guest on NSTS this week, and he interviews the same way he performs - without reservation. Transplanted from Australia, The Lazys is one of Canada's hottest rock acts. Leon and I talk about the reasons behind the band's move to Canada, why it's important to recognize a band's entire catalogue beyond the hits, social media influencers, the genius of Coldplay, his online mentoring program Bandwagon, the importance behind the message in Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb", and so much more. Harrison's playlist: Silverchair - Emotion Sickness AC/DC - Shoot To Thrill Coldplay - O Rage Against The Machine - Bullet in the Head    Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

This week it's my pleasure to welcome my pal, ex-Spoons and Honeymoon Suite keys player Rob Preuss back to the show. Rob called in from his home in Queens, NY with a playlist that has a special meaning to him. As always, Rob brings impressive insights and great stories to the conversation, including his interaction with Ted Templeman during the recording of Honeymoon Suite's Racing After Midnight album, the time when Doobie Brothers' Michael McDonald hummed melody ideas into his ear, and how having less can be so much more.    

Lots of musical things happened in 1981. One of those things was Rush's release of their most popular record, Moving Pictures. Just a few years before that, they were almost dropped from their record label. This week on NSTS we look at the leadup to the Moving Pictures album, how it came together. and all of the amazing intricacies that went into it - including the physical impacts Tom Sawyer's drum tracks had on Neil Peart, who the people are on the album cover, and what the triple entendre (not just double) cover artwork really means and who was behind it.  

So much great stuff happened at the beginning of the 80s that I just had to continue going through it this week on NSTS. In 1981 MTV changed the musical landscape forever, Blondie helped to bring rap into the mainstream spotlight with Rapture, and Ozzy bit the heads off of two doves in a meeting with record executives, kicking off a long list of misdeeds that would include biting the head off of a bat, snorting ants, urinating on the Alamo, and so much more. And it's all right here on this week's show, check it out.         

John, Bon, and Bonzo: we lost three rock icons in the year 1980. Former Beatle John Lennon, AC/DC singer Bon Scott, and Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham all departed in the same year.  This week on NSTS we continue our look at 1980, focusing on these three figures - shedding light on a new theory of how Scott may have really died, the bizarre backstory of Lennon killer Mark David Chapman, and why Bonzo's headmaster said he would either be a garbage man or a millionaire.   

The 80s marked a time when music and commerce would become indelibly intertwined - record companies did away with old artist development models in favour of capitalizing on a growing new talent pool. And with MTV now providing a visual aspect to accompany a song, music would rely on image like never before. This week on NSTS we look at the bigger, brighter, and money-driven music of the 1980s, starting right at the beginning - in 1980. The creation and impact of the Sony Walkman, who The Rolling Stones song Angie was really about, the tragic death of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis, and much more. Don't miss it.        

Legendary Blood Sweat & Tears frontman and Grammy winner David Clayton Thomas joins me from his home this week to chat about his new record Say Somethin'. We also talk about the songs that make his skin vibrate, and some of the artists on his list are actually friends and collaborators, including the great Roberta Flack. Fantastic discussion with one of the true greats.       Thomas' playlist: Ray Charles - Unchain My Heart Marvin Gaye - What's Goin On Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly Otis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of the Bay Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman  

In late 1969, The Rolling Stones gave fans a free concert in response to criticism that their concert tickets had been too expensive. They were joined by a select number of other acts at Altamont Speedway in California and the concert become a festival, fashioned after Woodstock. It would be anything but. Hells Angels acted as security, and Altamont would be remembered not for peace and love, but instead for destruction, murder, and 'the end of innocence'.  And a subsequent assassination attempt of Mick Jagger in New York.   

A lot of important things happened in 1969, and one of those things was the Woodstock music festival. This week on NSTS we take a close look at Woodstock's three days of 'peace and love' - the chaos it faced in hosting more than four hundred thousand people, the artists that showed up (along with the ones that didn't), and how it came to be known as a pivotal moment in defining a countercultural generation.     

1969 was a crazy year. Led Zeppelin scared the hell out of people with their heavy rock debut(s), and Charles Manson scared people in a much different way. And The Beatles broke up, which may have scared one or two people.   Join me as I examine the above in detail, including Zeppelin's tendencies to 'borrow' from old blues artists, Manson's bizarre relationship with Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, and the shocking way in which Beatles classic Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da was actually written.