Famous Lost Words

Burton Cummings & Randy Bachman reflect on “American Woman” 50 years after it reached #1 for The Guess Who! Gordon Lightfoot writes a classic that is so good, another songwriter "borrows" from it! Kim Mitchell explains what “Go For Soda” is REALLY about (and no, it's not about drunk driving), Gino Vannelli talks about the deeper meaning behind “Black Cars” and Grammy & Juno winner Alessia Cara tells us why her big hit “Wild Things” has the most meaning to her. Also – how a Rod Stewart song completely changed the life of a Canadian songwriter and why the Beach Boys turned down a song that ended up selling more than 10 million copies for a singer from Winnipeg.  Plus, on a hilarious episode of When Rock Stars Attack – Myles Goodwin of April Wine takes on the city of Toronto! 

We kick off Season 5 with a special Canada Day episode!  It’s the stories behind some of the biggest Canadian hits of all time – told by the artists themselves. Geddy Lee of Rush explains how Neil Peart changed a song called “Louie The Warrior” into "Tom Sawyer". Tom Cochrane witnesses tragedy and writes his most celebratory song. Carly Rae Jepsen talks about (and sings) "Call Me Maybe". Ed Robertson explains why the biggest hit by Barenaked Ladies was pretty much an accident. We also find out the stories behind the Canadian classics “Takin’ Care Of Business”, “Echo Beach” and “Oh What A Feeling”. And how Shawn Mendes dug deep for a song about mental illness that came from a very personal place.  Plus, Tom asks co-host Christopher Ward about writing one of the biggest Canadian rock hits of all time.  

Upon hearing the news of Little Richard's passing, we honour his life and career with some classic interview clips of Richard talking about his humble beginnings.  He also talks about how "Tutti Frutti" came to be.  Plus, we have Christopher's lively conversation with Little Richard from the late '80s.  

50 years ago today, “American Woman” went to #1 on the Billboard charts – a first for a Canadian rock band. In two new interviews, we speak to Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman about the song’s creation and its meaning. As you might expect, Burton and Randy agree on some details, but disagree on many others.  Even the politics of the song in the era of Vietnam and Nixon is up for lively debate.    We also talk to Randy and Burton about their years apart and what brought them together again last year.  And you’ll also hear the moment in which Burton does NOT like the direction of our interview!      It’s a wildly entertaining and informative chat about one of the greatest songs in Canadian history – with two of this country’s most iconic artists.

In honour of Kenny Rogers, we present this special tribute edition of Famous Lost Words. When Kenny passed away, we immediately searched our interview archives and found some great audio from the early '70s and '80s. Kenny talks about how his biggest hits came about - from the psychedelic sound of "Just Dropped In..." to the controversial hit "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" to the very funny story about "Lucile".      Kenny also opens up about dealing with fame, connecting with his audience and enjoying life. In light of his passing, we think these conversations take on an added resonance.     Famous Lost Words will return in a few weeks with Season 5.

          In our Season 4 finale, we have incredible archival interview clips from George Harrison – talking about the history of The Beatles, while he was still in the group! He discusses the early days and what he liked and disliked about The White Album. He also talks about the just-completed Abbey Road, which contained some of his best work.  A guaranteed mind-blower for Fab Four Fans!  We also have a 2002 interview with Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor from Blue Rodeo.  Greg & Jim talk about the value of hit singles, how they have endured through musical fads and why they absolutely love touring!           Plus we have amazing the stories behind three big hits from the ‘70s!

We have an early career interview with Rihanna from 2005!  She talks about being signed by Jay-Z, how she eats, breathes and sleeps music and how she embraces fashion. It’s a charming chat. We also have an amazing interview with Jann Arden from October of 2001. In this funny yet intimate chat, Tom asks Jann whether her songs are a true reflection of herself. Her answer is both surprising and illuminating. And if you’re a songwriter, you’ll love Jann’s take on how she crafts a song (sometimes she writes with the TV on!) And we close out the show with some Cool Song Facts about David Bowie – including why Bowie was shocked after seeing the movie “Purple Rain”.

          This week, part 2 of our 1978 interview with Paul McCartney as Paul talks about the joy of songwriting and striving for inner peace. We also play a clip from Christopher’s 1989 interview with Sir Paul as he discusses the creation of the classic “Eleanor Rigby”.           We also have Tom’s brand new interview with Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies.  Ed remembers the early days of the band with Steven Page and explains why onstage mistakes are sometimes the most memorable part of a performance.  We also discuss how BNL made the cheapest video of all time (which ended up in high rotation on MuchMusic) and why the band was really let down by Lisa Kudrow and Matt LeBlanc from “Friends”.  It’s a great chat.           And we close out the show with some amazing ‘70s audio from Ann & Nancy Wilson of Heart.  Ann talks about

          This week, the great Paul McCartney looks back at some of his biggest post-Beatles hits in this 1978 interview. He also reflects on the breakup of the Beatles and talks about dealing with John Lennon’s pointed song “How Do You Sleep?”.  Paul also talks about getting shafted by Warren Beatty (funny story) and how The Beatles originally had a banjo player (funnier story)!           Also, Tom has a brand new interview with Canadian singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk.  Chantal looks back on her career and talks about working with other artists, including Drake, Kelly Clarkson and others!  Some were great experiences… others… not so much.  Plus Chantal talks about her documentary “I Will Break Your Heart” (now available on Crave TV), which takes a close look at her marriage to Raine Maida. It’s a funny, deeply personal and gossipy chat!

          What do pretentious rock stars sound like? Have a listen to this episode with The Eagles! Sure, Hotel California is a classic, but Don Henley and Glenn Frey make it sound like it’s a soundtrack for how to live a purposeful life. Henley & Frey DO make some excellent points as well, but Christopher and Tom spend a lot of time having fun at their expense!           We also have an incredible early ‘70s interview with the great Diana Ross, reflecting on the early days of The Supremes. She also talks about her great affection for The Jackson Five and tries to answer the question of who really discovered them!           And in one of our favourite segments ever, Canadian legend Bob Ezrin talks about producing Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”.  Bob explains how Roger Waters was both the best and worst person to work with – and the struggl

          With the success of the movie “Rocketman”, we thought we’d dig deep into the archives for an Elton John interview.  In this in-depth chat, Elton talks about why he had to leave Reggie Dwight (his real name) behind, how people misunderstood his music (because of the success of “Your Song”) and how he NEVER thought “Bennie & The Jets” could ever be a hit!  (Warning – this episode contains a moment with our co-host Tom trying to sing the high part to “Crocodile Rock”. Please keep all dogs away from your speakers during unfortunate moment.)           We also have a great chat with Carly Simon from the late ‘70s.  Carly talks about working with her then-husband James Taylor, how she dealt with a brutal critic and how she sometimes hangs out with fans.           And finally, we feature at

    Judge for yourself...  Christopher & Tom both agree this could be the best interview in our collection.  It’s George Michael from 2004, talking about his early days with Wham!, his personal struggles with fame, plus the embarrassment and freedom that accompanied his very public coming out.  It’s George at his most revealing. A funny, touching and ultimately heartbreaking interview from one of music’s greatest and most tragic figures. Plus, we have a great early ‘70s chat with the incomparable Cher, who talks about her music, her wardrobe (which she calls her work clothes) and why every warned her NOT to marry Sonny Bono!

It’s one of the most entertaining interviews from our archives!  Beyoncé in conversation with Marilyn Denis from 2006, upon the release of her "B'Day" album.  Beyoncé talks about her upbringing (how her dad made her run and sing at the same time), her inspiration, her movie career and her relationship with Jay-Z, which was still new at the time.  Not only is Beyoncé forthcoming and relaxed, Marilyn Denis puts on a master class in how to conduct an interview with a superstar!  It’s a must listen! 

We’re back with Episode 1 of Season 4! This week, we pay tribute to the late Neil Peart with a very extensive series of interviews with Rush. Although Geddy Lee does most of the talking in these clips, we will hear from Neil when he was just 25 years old. Hosts Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic reflect on Neil’s enormous influence and the great pride he took in his craft.  Also this week – now that Peter Frampton has finished his farewell tour for health reasons, we listen to a 1976 chat with Peter just as “Frampton Comes Alive” was becoming one of the biggest selling albums ever. Peter is grappling with his newfound success which he finds very gratifying, but also quite mystifying. Don’t forget to get caught up on past episodes of Famous Lost Words – and to rate and review us!

This week - a brand new interview with the legendary Gordon Lightfoot, who talks about his earliest days as a struggling singer-songwriter, writing the Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald and why he decided not to sue Whitney Houston over the song "The Greatest Love Of All". The new documentary about Gordon's Life, "If You Could Read My Mind", is in theatres across Canada this weekend!   Plus, Alan Frew joins us live in studio. Alan talks about the heady days of Glass Tiger in the mid '80s, the biggest crowd he ever played for - and how his buddy Rod Stewart ended up singing on Glass Tiger's greatest song.

This week - when we talked to Def Leppard in 1980, they were barely out of their teens.  They talked about their hometown of Sheffield, being the opening act for the Human League and why they couldn't believe their good luck.  Tom and Christopher debate whether they deserve to be in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.    We also have a brand new interview with Lawrence Gowan – known to most Canadians simply as Gowan – but to Americans he's the guy who replaced Dennis DeYoung in Styx.  Larry tells the amazing story of how he got the job with Styx and tells us the harrowing (and hilarious) tale of how a video shoot almost ended up with him being thrown in a Mexican jail!

In celebration of tonight's series finale of "The Big Bang Theory", Tom talks to Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson about the incredible story behind the writing of the BBT theme - and why he needed his wife to help him out while he was in the shower!  Great story about one of the classic TV themes of all time.  Plus, Ed briefs us on BNL's summer tour plans. 

This week - one of our favourite interviews ever. When Tom talked to Alanis Morissette in 2002, she told us about dealing with the intense hurricane of fame from Jagged Little Pill and how it almost derailed her life completely.  Alanis also discusses what she looks for in a guy, how her art reflects her life and why she never feels guilty for the money she makes.  It's an intensely revealing and often very funny interview.  We also have an early '80s chat with Lou Reed. Although Lou is known to give terrible interviews, he is relaxed and pretty charming here as he discusses his work with The Velvet Underground and the real reason "Walk On The Wild Side" became a hit. (His answer is pretty amusing).  

This week, we go back 50 years with incredibly rare interview clips Simon & Garfunkel as they talk about how one song changed everything for them – and how even Paul Simon himself was surprised when it became a hit. We also have a 2014 chat with Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Cara – who has been red-hot for the last five years with pop songs that stand out for their depth and honesty. PLUS we have a brand new interview with the amazing Gino Vannelli – in which we play HIM a clip of himself from 40 years ago.  Gino talks about the brazen way he landed a deal with A&M Records (and why Herb Alpert almost had him arrested) and how he strives to inject something unique into every song he writes.

It's another special '80s edition! Huey Lewis talks about the beginning of The News, making hits for the radio, and why "I Want A New Drug" could never have been their first single.  Andy Bell from Erasure explains how he convinced his idol, Vince Clarke, to hire him - and how he went from groupie to colleague. He also tells us about the moment that changed his life - and the lives of many others. Sheena Easton joined us in 1981 just as "Morning Train (9 to 5)" was barreling up the charts. She talks about not being quite ready for fame. And in a brand new interview with Sandy Horne and Gord Deppe, The Spoons talk about their impressive run of hits in the '80s and some of their "pinch me" moments!