Famous Lost Words

Upon hearing the news of the passing of Olivia Newton-John, we want to revisit an entertaining 1978 chat with her. Olivia talks about her breakout as a country artist, her place in the music world, and working with John Travolta in her new movie, "Grease". Olivia Newton-John passed away August 8, 2022 at the age of 73.

When we learned about the passing of Andy “Fletch” Fletcher from Depeche Mode, we agreed that it would be a good idea to go back into the archives and revisit an interview from 2005.  It’s only 9 minutes long, but it covers a lot of ground… In the interview, Fletch talks about: their breakout in the early ‘80s – and why their style and sound pissed off some rock critics the loyalty of their fans their current album “Playing The Angel” and single “Precious” why “Violator” was perhaps their best album how their music is largely about “pain & suffering” keeping the band together and how sometimes “tension is good”           The interview was conducted by Maie Pauts in September of 2005.

As we wind up our tribute to the recent Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees, we present an excellent series of interview clips with Carly Simon.  Just as she is in her songwriting, Carly is direct, honest and sensitive. She talks about how critics can be terribly hurtful (and how one review set her off), her inspiration for writing, her relationship with then-husband James Taylor and why she occasionally took her fans out to lunch. It's an entertaining interview!

This week, we’re honouring the newest inductees into the R&R Hall Of Fame.  This time, it’s Lionel Richie.  This chat is from 2001 and it’s Lionel in conversation with Marilyn Denis.  He talks about his favourite songs from his solo career and The Commodores – and his biggest regret. He also talks about working with Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson and much much more.  This interview is originally from episode 506.

The latest in our series of Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductees is Pat Benatar. We have two interviews with Pat, both from the '80s, with broadcasters Elaine McDonald and Rick Ringer.  Benatar talks about her desire to be a mom, her tough image, her androgynous look, why performing live is a sensual (but not sexual) experience and why record companies kept turning her down, even when she brought them songs like "Heartbreaker"!    

Today, we continue with our deep dive into the FLW archives to present a series of specials to honour some of the latest inductees into the R&R Hall Of Fame.                This time around, it’s Duran Duran.  Our first set of clips come from the early ‘80s, as the guys are just on the cusp of their incredible fame.  They talk about their influences, their style and how much fun it was to make those incredible early videos.                Then we jump ahead to 2021 with Marilyn Denis in conversation with Nick Rhodes.  The audio comes from Marilyn’s podcast – called “Marilyn Denis does a Podcast”. And you can hear the entire interview on that episode.  We’ve chosen some great highlights from that chat – including Nick’s look back at the Duran Duran legacy, the friendship within the group, getting

Today, we begin a series of special episodes honouring some of the 2022 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. First up is Eurythmics. We've gone back into the archives for two extensive interviews with Dave Stewart as he discusses his partnership with Annie Lennox.  Dave talks about their memorable first appearance on The Grammys, working with Aretha Franklin, producing other artists and much more. The first interview is from November of 1987 with Marilyn Denis.  The second is from 2005 with Maie Pauts.  

Hearing the news about Meatloaf's passing reminded us of this fascinating chat with Meatloaf and Tom Jokic from 2006. He is promoting an upcoming live appearance in Toronto. We talked about the power of his "Bat Out Of Hell" albums and he explains his definition of success. He also talks about his acting career. Embarrassingly, Tom's cell phone rings near the end of the interview, and Meatloaf answers it!  It's a fun moment from a very entertaining interview.  Meatloaf passed away on January 20, 2022 at the age of 74.

We made it!  It’s the 100th episode of Famous Lost Words and our Season 7 finale. This week – some of our favourite stories ever! Roland Orzabal of Tears For Fears talks about his first hilarious meeting with our favourite Beatle. Ed Robertson explains how Barenaked Ladies made the cheapest music video in history – which ended up in high rotation at MuchMusic Christopher regals us once again with his epic story about having dinner in L.A. with Robert Plant, Mike Myers, Alannah Myles… and Don Rickles? Jann Arden tells the unusual story of how she got her record deal CHUM broadcaster Roger Ashby talks about partying for 48 hours in London with Led Zeppelin and Fleetwood Mac - and living to tell about it. ‘60s legend Martha Reeves tells the amazing story behind her big break at Motown. Ivan from Men Without Hats talks about the dizzying experience of their first major concert Randy Bachman talks about two different experiences with the same Beatle Chantal Kreviazuk tells the

First up this week is a new interview with Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran as he talks about their new album – as well as the deep history of the band… from being banned by MTV to being influenced by David Bowie – just a few years before they became friends with Bowie – plus the importance of fashion to the overall image. This interview is from 2021 – from “Marilyn Denis Does A Podcast”.             We also have a mid ‘90s chat with the amazing Bonnie Raitt. This is Bonnie at the top of her game. And while she is genuinely grateful for her recent success, she is clearly unimpressed and uninspired by fame. which in itself is kind of inspiring. You’ll really like our interview with her.             In the mid ‘70s we spoke to the great Chaka Khan. Although her career has spanned decades, she remains terribly overlooked.  She first leapt to fam

This week, we have a 2014 chat with a very enthusiastic Taylor Swift, who is happily promoting her first pure pop album, 1989. It’s a brief but very entertaining chat as Taylor riffs about her fans and her new sound.           We also have a 2020 chat between Peter Frampton and Marilyn Denis (courtesy of her show, “Marilyn Denis Does A Podcast”). Peter talks about the chaos of the “Frampton Comes Alive” era and how even he got sick of himself. Peter also talks about how his childhood friend David Bowie helped to save his career. A new book called “They Just Seem A Little Weird” details the rise of Aerosmith, Kiss & Cheap Trick in the 1970s. Tom chats with author Doug Brod about the rivalry between KISS & Aerosmith, the unique sound of Cheap Trick and how all three bands are inextricably linked. There’s also the cautionary tale of the band Starz, a group that grew from the ashes of a one hit wonder but never ma

As Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated “Get Back” film finally gets released, we celebrate with our own Beatles special.  In this episode, we focus in on the final years of The Fab Four with some incredible Beatles audio -  stuff that would definitely make Peter Jackson envious!  Joining us this week is Beatles nut Jay Michaels of Newstalk 1010 in Toronto. Among the highlights: In 1969, Paul and George talk about their upcoming film “Let It Be” (which is literally the same footage that Peter Jackson uses for “Get Back). Paul seems excited about the film, George says he “can’t stand it” John Lennon talks about how Paul was the driving force for the band in the latter years. Paul talks about the influence of Yoko on John and how it affected the band’s cohesion. We (finally) have plenty of Ringo content too! He talks about joining the band and what led to the breakup John and George talk about the possibility of a Beatles reunion in the &

This week – one of the biggest rock bands of the ‘80s, plus a guy who had one of the greatest award show performances ever – and then a band that defined the early new wave movement. And whaddya know...They’re all Canadian! We start with a 1986 interview with Mike Reno of Loverboy. This was a band at the peak of their game and their fame. Mike talks about touring with Van Halen, singing with Sammy Hagar, the rigours of the road – and how he misses performing immediately after a tour ends.             We also have a couple of brand-new interviews to share with you:  Colin James talks about his latest album, “Open Road”. Colin also tells the bizarre story of how he got his first big break. And something happens during our Zoom interview that was very very strange – and it stopped everyone cold – and then we all cracked up. Have a listen for that.          

This week: a brand-new interview with the legendary Randy Bachman, who talks about the early days of The Guess Who and BTO, as well as his complicated relationship with Burton Cummings. Randy also tells the very funny story about the time his own father called the cops on him.  The amazing 7-disc “Bachman Cummings collection” is now available. We also have an entertaining 1986 chat with Neil Finn as he talks about the end of Split Enz and the creation of Crowded House. Neil, as always, is incredibly amusing and likeable            And we end the episode with a band that doesn’t get enough respect – Kool & The Gang.  In a chat from the mid ‘80s, Robert “Kool” Bell talks about their incredible success, how they ended up on the Band Aid song "Do They Know It's Christmas" and their connection with Jimi Hendrix and Richard Pryor.  Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard

The Doobie Brothers went through massive changes during their first commercial peak in the mid ‘70s. This week, we’ll feature both eras of the Doobies – the Tom Johnston era and the Michael McDonald years. They talk about the origin of the band’s name, the stories behind their biggest hits and the health issues that led to McDonald joining the group. All told, these interview clips from the various members tell a fascinating tale of a band that rose again after a near tragic situation.           We also have a brand new interview with Myles Goodwyn of April Wine! Myles talks about the heyday of April Wine, including the infamous Stones concert at Toronto’s El Mocambo club.  Plus, we chat about Myles’ new song “Some Of These Children (They Never Grew Up)” – a powerful lament about the children of Canada’s residential schools. And finally, Myles and Tom take a moment to hilariously recount April Wine&rs

      In 1978, Steven Tyler and Aerosmith made the mistake of starring in the movie flop “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”. It was beginning of a downturn for the band’s fortunes. This week’s interview comes from that time period – as they gamely try to hype the film and talk about the band’s past success. Tyler even explains why they dropped one of their biggest hits from their setlist. We also hear from Joe Perry – who talks about his love of touring – and all the things that come with it.           Alicia Keys was in great spirits when she talked to us in 2005 as she told us some very funny stories from her career – including an embarrassing story in which she tripped and came crashing to the stage in front of an important showcase of journalists and music executives.           With the recent loss of Don Everly, we uncovered some rare cli

In our Season 7 debut, we feature a fantastic 1989 interview with The Rolling Stones. Burying the hatchet after the turmoil of the mid ‘80s, Mick and Keith are positively giddy as they talk about the “Steel Wheels” album and tour.  Keith says he knew they were going to be okay when they spent 5 minutes in a room together and didn’t want to kill each other. We also pay tribute to the late, great Charlie Watts with a clip of him describing how Keith Richards originally turned him onto rock and roll.           Plus, we have some very rare clips of Ray Charles as he talks about one of his biggest hits, as well as the musical freedom he enjoyed. Meanwhile, Tom tries to stump Christopher on some trivia about artists (like Ray) whose records have become official U.S. state songs.           Another rare find is a 1984 interview with The Clash. It’s a fascinating and slightly chaotic chat about

Our Season 6 finale is a celebration of Canadian music as we speak to some of Canada’s greatest performers about their cities and experiences. -        Randy Bachman on the Winnipeg concert that changed his life. -        Blue Rodeo on how a trip to New York made them better musicians and prepared them to conquer the Toronto scene and the Canadian charts. - Nelly Furtado on how her diverse upbringing influenced her music- Chantal Kreviazuk talks about her Indigenous heritage and the hometown concert that affected her deeply-        Legendary MuchWest host Terry David Mulligan recalls the incredible concert performance that announced the arrival of Bryan Adams-        Mike Campbell from Much’s “Mike & Mike’s Excellent Adventure” talks about giving The Tragically Hip one of their early big breaks.- Barenaked Ladies explain why they got a bottle of champagne from the guys in Rush- kd l

Our first all-‘90s episode reflects the wildly divergent music of that decade: The Goo Goo Dolls talk about their unexpected success Posh Spice explains Girl Power amid the early days of Spice-mania Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty recalls the stories behind their biggest hits Amanda Marshall gets a huge boost from Elton John Jewel goes from living in a van to wearing a $14,000 dress to the Grammys Tom Cochrane reaps the rewards of years of hard work Ed & Steve from Barenaked Ladies reminisce about when they first met Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs talks about covering a song by one of her heroes Plus, we’ll share some ‘90s Cool Song Facts about the likes of TLC, Boyz II Men, Nirvana, Guns N' Roses, The Fugees, Salt N Pepa and Oasis! Special shout out to Dale Smith, who was our go-to guy for interviews in the '90s! Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 70 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toron

This week: an incredible 2004 Janet Jackson interview, recorded just weeks after her infamous Super Bowl appearance. Janet is reticent at first, but then she relaxes and talks about everything from her childhood, her love of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder (who were family friends), her personal life, her live performances and yes, the Super Bowl. A great chat.  We also have an early ‘80s interview with Robert Palmer as he explains the secrets behind his music. He also talks about how he tries to revolt against the idea of style, which is very odd for a guy with such a stylish image. With the recent passing of BJ Thomas, we uncovered an exceptional 1989 interview with BJ and Roger Ashby.  BJ reveals how his troubled relationship with his father spurred him to a career in music. BJ also talks about his biggest hits, his friendship with Elvis and how Bob Dylan (!) was the first choice to record “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”. Tom breaks down some Cool Song Facts about Guns N