Famous Lost Words

For the Season 11 finale, we present part two of our series on the ‘80s.  We continue in the alt-rock/indie/new wave vein from our last episode – where we featured the likes of U2, The Cult, Bryan Ferry, Fine Young Cannibals and more. This week, we continue with: Robert Smith of The Cure in conversation with Christopher. Robert is painfully shy and yet quite revealing and is, in Tom’s words, “downright lovable”. The B-52s, who remember their early days and the struggle to continue after the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson. Dave Gahan and Martin Gore from Depeche Mode in a short chat with Christopher. Peter Garrett and the late Rob Hirst of Midnight Oil talking about being famous in Australia and trying to win over audiences in the Canada and the U.S. Toronto’s Jane Siberry, who was recently inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, talks about her unique vision for her music – and why she carries around a “very soft bat” to ward off her fa

          We start by talking about “songs that are factually incorrect”, with artists like U2, Alanis, Journey, Fleetwood Mac, Toto, ABBA and Pitbull being taken to task.  Christopher and Tom have a ton of fun ranting about these “egregious” errors.           Speaking of U2, we feature at 1985 interview with bassist Adam Clayton as he and his mates come to grips with the growing popularity of the band.  Adam talks about playing for screaming fans (not ideal) and comparisons between U2 and Bruce Springsteen.           The remainder of the episode includes other artists from the ‘80s.  Some highlights: Ian Astbury of The Cult talks about spending five years of his youth in Canada – and how he didn’t much care for it. Brian Ferry of Roxy Music discusses the importance of solo work Roland Gift talks about Fine Young Cannib

  Have you ever heard a song and thought it was by a completely different artist?  Christopher thought that a Beatles song was actually Bob Dylan, Tom thought “Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress” was by CCR, and both thought that some of the early America songs were actually Neil Young.           Speaking of America, we’ll feature some clips from them from their ‘70s heyday this week.  And we’ll also talk about how one of their best songs contains some of their worst lyrics.           But before we get to that, we have some incredible interview moments with the legendary Carole King as she reflects on her early career – when she was a teen mom crafting some of the most memorable songs of the early sixties – and then to her breakout as a solo artist in the ‘70s.            And speaking of legends, we have some am

First up this week is an excellent 1982 chat with John Mellencamp, back when he was known as John Cougar – in conversation with Rick Ringer.  John can be a bit tough on interviewers, but he seems really comfortable with Rick and it makes for a fun chat.  It’s just as John was starting to take off with songs like Hurts So Good and Jack & Dianne.  And he was fresh off his first appearance on Saturday Night Live.             And what happens when you have only 5 minutes to talk to one of the biggest artists in the world?  Marilyn Denis faced that dilemma head on in 2013 when she had mere moments to chat with Lady Gaga.  And what she does in that time is extraordinary – you get a lot of info and personality in a very short time.              John Waite had a moment in 1984 when he hit number one with the song “Missing You” – and that&rs

          The music industry has a history of not being fair to its artists.  Christopher and Tom begin this episode by talking about artists who did not get the credit they deserved.  Little known names like Martha Wash, Frank Sampedro and Rory Dodd get a brief, but well-deserved moment in the spotlight.           Also this week… an excellent 2008 interview with Sheryl Crow, in conversation with Marilyn Denis and Roger Ashby.  This conversation gets quite deep – as it covers her music, her fight with breast cancer, standing up for her beliefs and her very public breakup.  A lot of info in a small amount of time.            Then, we have a follow up chat with Rik Emmet of Triumph… Tom spoke to Rik a few months ago about his song “Hold On” becoming the Music Monday anthem for the Coalition For Music Education.  But t

 This week, much to Christopher’s chagrin, we do a deep dive into Yacht Rock!  We’ll hear from Toto, Steely Dan, Doobie Bros, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, Boz Scaggs, Seals & Crofts, Little River Band, Orleans and… Earth, Wind & Fire?  (That last one leads to a spirited disagreement between Tom & Christopher)           Among the highlights of this episode: -        Michael McDonald explains the evolution of the Doobie Brothers’ sound -        Christopher Cross talks about his debut album, which contained several Yacht Rock classics. -        Steve Porcaro explains how a group of session players and friends morphed into Toto -        Kenny Loggins remembers working with Stevie Nicks on “Whenever I Call You Friend” -    &n

First up, Christopher and Tom talk about artists who have come back when many people had bet against them – from Tina Turner to The Rolling Stones to Miley Cyrus to The Chicks.           In light of the recent Oasis reunion, we have some incredible clips of both Liam and Noel Gallagher from almost 25 years ago, years before their split and decades before their reunion.  It’s a great, and often very funny, collection of comments and insight from the brothers.           Plus, we talk to our good friend Bill Welychka, whose interviews with Liam and Noel are what we’re highlighting this week.  And Bill has some great insights into the brothers.           Speaking of brothers, The Kinks were fueled by the Davies brothers, Ray and Dave – and they, like the Gallaghers, created incredible music while also feuding bitterly with each other.  This c

          Did you know that the original name of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” was “Starlight” or “Dark Side Of The Moon” by Pink Floyd was going to be called “Eclipse”.  Christopher and Tom start the show with a chat about the original titles of great albums – from the very good… to the very dumb.           With the recent announcement of the new Rush tour with a new drummer, we thought we’d present a really great collection of clips from the Famous Lost Words archives.  They are mostly with Geddy Lee and Neil Peart in the early ‘80s talking about the first nine Rush albums.  Plus, we have a bonus clip of Christopher in conversation with Geddy in 1987 – today’s show is a must for any Rush fan. And we’ll close out the show with a tribute to KISS lead guitarist Ace Frehley.  After Ace’s passing, Tom re

          We start the episode with a chat about artists that drastically changed their sound over the years – from the Beatles to Cher to Alanis to Herbie Hancock to Bob Dylan to Fleetwood Mac to Beyonce. Speaking of artists that changed their sound, how about the Bee Gees?  They started out as a folky pop band and changed their sound to R&B in the mid ‘70s to out and out disco by 1977.  We have an excellent 1989 Brad Giffen interview with Barry Gibb as he talks about the groups desire to keep going in spite of the backlash they faced after Saturday Night Fever.  It cast a long shadow on them, but they endured by writing hit songs for other artists.           Then, we have a really fun chat with Jason Mraz from 2012 and 2014.  You get a real sense of who he is - an almost old school hippy vibe that’s really endearing.           Plus, some

We kick off Season 11 with the question: “what have we learned so far?”  Our listeners chimed in with their comments and Christopher and Tom expound on lessons both sublime and absurd.           Then, we get to the good stuff, with an incredible lost 1993 interview with Paul McCartney that was only discovered in the Famous Lost Words archives a few weeks ago!           Paul talks about how he chooses what songs to play in concert, how The Beatles would hash out songs in the studio, plus his dedication to vegetarianism and environmental causes.  It’s an excellent chat with Paul and interviewer Dale Smith, a Beatles fan who is totally in his element.           Then, Tom & Christopher share some Cool Song Facts about the Beatles post breakup.  This is when things were getting pretty ugly between the Fab Four.  Nevertheless, there are touc

When we heard about the death of Supertramp founder Rick Davies a few hours ago, we wanted to pay tribute to him. Rick and the rest of the group were no strangers to us.  Since Canada was very instrumental in the story of Supertramp from the mid ‘70s on, they visited our CHUM-FM Toronto studios often.     As a Supertramp fan, I am intrigued by the dueling personalities of Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson.  By 1979, when they were promoting Breakfast In America, they admitted that they hadn’t worked closely together since Crime Of The Century, which in my opinion still stands as a masterpiece. To hear more from Supertramp, check out episode 606 when we hear from both Rick and Roger as they deal with their fracturing partnership.  Today I discovered an interview that I hadn’t previously heard. It’s from 1988 and Supertramp is still coming to terms with the departure of Roger Hodgson. But we also hear Rick’s fierce determination to carry on and to continue

Ozzy Osbourne has passed away at the age of 76, mere days after his "Back To The Beginning" concert on July 5. We revisit this segment from our first season, which featured an interview with Ozzy from the early '80s.  He's in great spirits.  Hope you enjoy it.  

Connie Francis has passed away at the age of 87. Here from the archives is an extraordinary interview with Connie and broadcaster Brian Thomas from 1985.  (Recorded at CHUM-FM in Toronto) Connie talks about her big break (on American Bandstand) and the incredible personal battles she dealt with in her life.  A true survivor.  

It’s a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Live Aid! Live Aid was grand in scope and ambition. It was largely the brainchild of an unlikely hero, Bob Geldof, the Irish singer who fronted The Boomtown Rats, and who had helped assemble the all-star cast of Band Aid. Watched by 1.5 billion people, Live Aid eventually raised $127 US million for famine relief in Africa. But beyond that, Live Aid was also a cultural touchstone that showed the power of pop music and the determination of millions of people to make a difference in the world.   Hours before the event took place, Christopher Ward had a chat with organizer Bob Geldof, who, in his intense way, told of the importance of Live Aid.  He disputes the cultural significance in favour of the pragmatic view of delivering much needed aid to African famine relief.  It’s an extraordinary interview with a man who is firing on all cylinders, almost to the breaking point.    And of course, we also talk about the music, including:

In light of the passing of Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, we feature some extraordinary audio of Brian from the mid '60s.  Wilson is exuberant as he talks about listening to the radio and dissecting his favourite songs.  He also explains why he decided to retire from touring with the Beach Boys in the mid '60s. We will also hear highlights from Christopher's late '80s interview with Carl Wilson, who pulls no punches when he speaks of Eugene Landy, Brian's guru who held an inordinate amount of control and power over Brian's life and career. In a 1995 interview, Mike Love talks about Brian's prowess in the studio, particularly his creation of the "pocket symphony", "Good Vibrations". We also discuss Brian's struggle with mental health and his comeback years later.  

A few days ago, Tom finally got to speak with Canadian guitar legend Rik Emmett of Triumph.  Rik was a bucket list guest for Tom, who could hardly contain himself! There’s a very special reason why Rik was talking to us.            On Monday, May 5, 2025 Coalition for Music Education will celebrate Music Monday with a cross-country sing-along to raise awareness for music education. The annual event celebrates the unifying power of music as thousands of Canadians join in singing and performing the Music Monday anthem at their schools and other community events. Hold On the uplifting, inspirational song by classic Canadian hard rock power trio, Triumph has been chosen as the 2025 Music Monday anthem.              Rik tells us about the creation of “Hold On” 46 years ago and how it marked a change in his artistic growth as well as the fo

This episode of Famous Lost Words is dedicated to legendary Canadian broadcaster John Donabie, who passed away a few days ago.  John’s interviews have been prominently featured on Famous Lost Words and he also joined us on a couple of occasions to share his incredible stories.  And great broadcaster and a wonderful man, John Donabie will be missed. For this, the last episode of season 10, we have quite a collection of artists.  First up is a rather feisty 1988 interview with Canadian legend Gordon Lightfoot.  We already have lots of Lightfoot content in the archives, which we put together for our tribute to him upon his passing in 2023 – one of our most listened to episodes.  But we came across this 1988 interview just a few days ago – and it’s a good one.  Gord is looking back on his career as he approaches his 50th birthday.  But Lightfoot is pretty spirited in this chat with Gord James.            N

This week, a real cross section of artists, which speaks to the depth and diversity of our interview archive.            First up is Pink Floyd.  We have a short but interesting chat with David Gilmour from 1984 and he promotes his solo work, but also wrestles with the past and future of Pink Floyd.  Then we have an awesome 1979 chat with legendary Canadian producer Bob Ezrin as he talks about Pink Floyd’s The Wall – and as many fans know, Bob was instrumental in the creation of that album – and he has lots to say about it – from the development of the theme, to Roger Waters’ LACK of musical imagination (at least at the outset) to the planning of the ambitious tour that was to follow.  Fascinating stuff from a guy who’s NOT afraid to share his opinions.           Then we have a chat with Chad Kroeger and the guys from Nickelback from 2014.  This was around the

2024 marked the 40th anniversary of MuchMusic – which, for our non-Canadian listeners, was essentially Canada’s version of MTV.  And while MTV had a profound impact on the music industry, MuchMusic arguably had a massive impact on Canadian culture.           So, we’re going to spend a bit of time talking about MuchMusic – and since Christopher is the original Much veejay, it’s kind of a no brainer.            In fact, most of Tom’s “in-depth” research for this episode came from Christopher’s excellent book, “Is This Live: Inside The Wild Early Years of MuchMusic, The Nation’s Music Station”.  So in other words, Christopher did ALL of the heavy lifting for this episode!    To help us tell the Much story is one of our favourite people – and a MuchMusic veejay from the early years – Laurie Brown!  Laurie explain

Today, we’re celebrating what would have been the 90th birthday of Elvis Presley.  There’s been a lot written and said about The King over the years, but in this episode, we’re going to let Elvis do a lot of the talking.  We have some amazing audio from the early years.  Most of these clips are from the mid to late ‘50s – and they capture a lot of the excitement – and the freshness of Elvis Plus we have clips from the people who were there… -        his label mate Carl Perkins talks about touring with Elvis and Johnny Cash before any of them were well known.  -        Dick Clark describes how Elvis was seen as a sort of villain compared to the likes of Pat Boone -        Ed Sullivan explains why Elvis could only be shown from the waist up on his third visit to his show. -        His collaborators in the late &