In this episode, we have one of the greatest heavy metal vocalists of all time, Ronnie James Dio. At the time of the interview in 1985, Dio was 43 years old and was promoting his Sacred Heart album and tour. 

In the interview, Dio talks about filling Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes in Black Sabbath, a mystical experience that almost killed his wife, his thoughts on Ritchie Blackmore’s playing, and his metal all-star project Hear ‘n Aid.

The interview is conducted by a new Tapes Archive contributor, Canadian music journalist and author Steve Newton. During his four decades as a freelance music writer, he has interviewed everyone from AC/DC to ZZTop. We highly recommend that you head over to his Patreon page patreon.com/earofnewt and check out over 340 of his exclusive interviews. For only $5, you get full access. We are not paid for this endorsement; we truly feel it’s money well spent.

Link to Newton's Patreon page: https://bit.ly/3WQBr9S

For zero money, you can head over to Newton’s website, earofnewt.com, where he has posted more than 3,000 of his interviews, album reviews, concert reviews, and horror movie reviews.

Link to Newton's website: https://bit.ly/3ij9GIa

00:00 - Intro

01:41 - Start of the Ronnie James Dio interview

01:53 - The Sacred Heart tour

02:42 - His project Hear ’n Aid and whose playing on it

04:05 - How he writes music while watching sports

04:33 - What his first instrument was and if he liked it

05:10 - His love for classical music and how it relates to guitar players

06:21 - Why anyone can like classical music

07:15 - What other singers he admires

08:12 - How well Sacred Heart is doing sales wise

08:58 - If the PMRC has affected him

09:24 - If he’s interested in the occult

09:53 - His strange mystical experience while recording Rainbow’s “Long Live Rock ’n’ Roll”

10:15 - An evil spirit who tried to kill his wife, Wendy Dio

10:55 - Filling Ozzy Osbourne’s shoes in his former band Black Sabbath

12:50 - What he thinks of Ozzy’s solo music

13:37 - If he thinks Heaven and Hell paved the way for a resurgence of heavy metal

13:49 - His favorite tunes he did with Black Sabbath

14:19 - If he wants to produce other bands

14:55 - If it’s true he has a degree in Pharmacy

15:05 - If he’s still friends with Ritchie Blackmore and what he thinks of his guitar playing

15:41 - His thoughts on Yngwie Malmsteen

16:05 - His kindness to Steve Newton

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In this episode, we have Black Sabbath’s guitarist and the godfather of heavy metal, Tony Iommi.

At the time of the interview in 1984, Iommi was 36 years old and was promoting Black Sabbath’s Born Again album and tour.

In the interview, Iommi talks about Ian Gillian joining Black Sabbath and blowing up his boat, thoughts on Ozzy Osbourne remaking old Sabbath tunes, the Born Again live show, Randy Rhoads, and how he really did disturb the priest. 

The interview is conducted by a new Tapes Archive contributor, Canadian music journalist and author Steve Newton. During his four decades as a freelance music writer, he has interviewed everyone from AC/DC to ZZTop. We highly recommend that you head over to his Patreon page patreon.com/earofnewt and check out over 340 of his exclusive interviews. For only $5, you get full access. We are not paid for this endorsement; we truly feel it’s money well spent.

Link to Newton's Patreon page: https://bit.ly/3WQBr9S

For zero money, you can head over to Newton’s website, earofnewt.com, where he has posted more than 3,000 of his interviews, album reviews, concert reviews, and horror movie reviews.

Link to Newton's website: https://bit.ly/3ij9GIa

00:00 - Intro

01:44 - Start of Tony Iommi Interview

02:07 - Ian Gillian joining Black Sabbath

02:21 - Playing Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water

03:02 - Why Ronnie James Dio left Black Sabbath

03:22 - The addition of Bev Bevan from ELO

03:58 - If former Sabbath drummer Bill Ward will be back

04:13 - The story behind Black Sabbath’s song Disturbing the Priest

04:50 - Blowing up Ian Gillian’s boat

05:18 - The comparison between Black Sabbath’s debut album and Born Again

06:10 - His thoughts about former bandmate Ozzy Osbourne’s music

06:22 - What he thought of Randy Rhoads

06:34 - On Ozzy remaking old Black Sabbath songs

07:06 - Black Sabbath’s influence on other bands

07:46 - What music does he listen to

08:11 - A very surprising favorite song of Iommi’s

08:23 - Talks about Born Again’s live show.

09:33 - Iommi plays a bit of a joke on Newton

09:58 - Why growing up he did not think he would play the guitar

10:26 - His main influences on guitar

10:48 - How he doesn’t actually play a Gibson SG

11:58 - His current amps

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In this never before-heard 2016 interview, Vai talks with author Greg Renoff about the landmark David Lee Roth album Eat ‘Em and Smile. At the time, it was the 30th anniversary of the iconic album.

In the interview, Vai talks about the song he thought he wrote but didn’t, the jock that wasn’t happy with Vai, the rumored Kim Mitchell song, and the infamous Lucky Strike reunion show that didn't happen.

The interview is conducted by Greg Renoff. Renoff is the author of two Amazon best-sellers and a must-read for music fans. Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal and Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music. If you haven't read these books, do yourself a favor and go get them now. 

Read Greg Renoff's article based on this interview over on Guitar World. https://bit.ly/3eMS1Xf

00:00 - Intro Steve Vai interview

01:20 - Start of Steve Vai interview

02:00 - The first time David Lee Roth called Vai

02:17 - Pete Angelus and the Fabulous Picasso Brothers

02:42 - Who was involved with the choreography

03:19 - If Aerosmith was involved

04:44 - Was the Kim Mitchell song Kids in Action recorded?

05:16 - Other possible guitar players

05:56 - What Vai has no memory of

06:58 - The song Vai thought he wrote, but didn’t

09:39 - What Roth’s name for Kids in Action was and why

10:18 - Leaking to the press

10:53 - Getting a hold of Roth

12:25 - Early memories with Roth

13:54 - The jock vs Vai story

15:00 - The very first Roth concert he played

16:23 - How Roth was his final mentor

17:49 - If Roth’s movie was originally for Van Halen

18:34 - If he’d do a reunion with the Eat ‘Em Smile band

19:27 - The infamous Lucky Strike concert

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PLEASE WATCH ON YOUTUBE.

https://youtu.be/ui_kEJ7C3O0

The documentary has hundreds of Vai-centric facts and stories that even the most ardent fan will not have known. Complete with a Vai’esque quirky sense of humor, the video covers Vai’s life growing up, attending Berklee College, playing with several artists like Frank Zappa, Alcatrazz, the David Lee Roth band, and Whitesnake, the recording of both his solo albums Flex-Able and Passion and Warfare, plus Vai’s role in the movie Crossroads, and how he helped create the JEM guitar.

To watch the video version https://youtu.be/ui_kEJ7C3O0

Other information, photos, etc. can be found here: https://bit.ly/3B9P0ZH

Link to Arlen Roth's SoundCloud https://bit.ly/3cLQHTL

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PLEASE WATCH ON YOUTUBE.

You can watch the video version here. https://youtu.be/A6GTf6rOepQ

We take a look at Black Sabbath's masterful third album Master of Reality.

For more information including other credits, articles, and images, please go here. https://bit.ly/385aj2L

Timestamps:

00:00 - Start

00:43 - Intro

01:19 - Evil Woman and Paranoid

02:29 - Changing Management

03:07 - Jim Simpson is fired

03:37 - Sabbath plays Top of the Pops

04:22 - Was Sabbath a bubblegum band?

05:13 - John Peel hates on Sabbath

06:04 - Sabbath’s Peel Sessions

06:35 - John Peel talks about Sabbath

07:05 - Sabbath’s ban on singles

07:41 - Sabbath and Satan

08:54 - First attempt going to the US

10:14 - Confusion with Black Widow

11:31 - Sabbath using Satan for their benefit

13:08 - Coming to America

13:55 - The trial of Charles Manson

14:35 - Arriving in the United States

15:01 - Sabbath’s first concert in the United States

16:20 - Blowing the Small Faces off the stage

16:43 - Playing the West Coast

17:02 - Smoking Angel Dust with Joe Walsh

17:55 - Was there a parade in Sabbath’s honor?

18:40 - Ending the year 1970

20:06 - First day in the studio

20:42 - Spanish Sid

21:14 - Weevil Women 71

21:30 - Paranoid comes out in the United States

21:52 - Myponga Festival

22:13 - Denied entry to Japan

22:44 - The Four Musketeers

23:10 - Touring the United States for Paranoid

23:50 - Playing Union Catholic High School

25:53 - Returning to England

26:31 - Ozzy and his first family

28:10 - Master of Reality will be heavy

29:05 - Tunning down

30:17 - Why they called the album Master of Reality

30:37 - Sweet Leaf

33:51 - Ghost Titles

34:28 - After Forever

34:49 - Geezer Butler as a priest

37:59 - Children of the Grave

39:15 - Mars Bringer of War

40:13 - The Haunting

41:04 - Orchid

42:07 - Lord of this World

44:14 - Solitude

45:52 - Tony Iommi in Jethro Tull

47:35 - Into the Void

49:09 - Soundgarden does their version of Into the Void

51:35 - Various versions of Master of Reality

53:25 - Master of Reality Radio promo

54:02 - Black Sabbath’s Golden Ticket

55:01 - Reception of Master of Reality

55:46 - Nobody but the public digs Sabbath

57:00 - Outro

57:36 - Credits

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PLEASE WATCH ON YOUTUBE.

https://youtu.be/CH8c4TKrIOo

Sabotage is the sixth studio album by metal pioneers Black Sabbath, released in 1975. It was recorded in the midst of litigation with their former manager Patrick Meehan. The stress that resulted from the band’s ongoing legal woes infiltrated the recording process, inspiring the album’s title.

This documentary looks at all the drama surrounding the band at the time and how shady managers took advantage of Sabbath’s kind nature. The video also examines every song on the album and offers up unearthed facts some fans may have never known.

– Intro

– Writing and Recording Sabotage

– The Tale of the Mangers

– Why Sabbath needed to break away from their first manager

– Don Arden’s thugs

– Jimmy Page gets Threatened

– Don Arden making moves

– The introduction to Patrick Meehan Jr.

– Jim Simpson sues the band

– Some Sabbath Success

– Sabbath starts to crack

– Tony Iommi collapses

– A religious freak tries to stab Tony

– Manipulation by Management

– California Jam Festival

– Quotes from Ozzy/Geezer/Tony on Meehan

– The dark reality of their finances

– The worst part

– Does Sabbath even need a manager?

– Don Arden comes back

– The shadow cast from Patrick Meehan

– Crap Compilations

– Meehan robbing Sabbath

– Sabbath is beginning to fracture

– Crank it up! “Hole in the Sky”

– “Don’t Start (Too Late)”

– Symptom of the Universe

– “Megalomania”

– “Thrill of It All”

– “Supertzar”

– “Am I Going Insane (Radio)”

– “The Writ”

– The band Queen diss track

– “Blow on the Jug”

– The Making of Sabotage’s Album cover

– Reception of Sabotage

– One more stick in the gut by Meehan

– Closing thoughts

– Who made this video?

Credits:

Editor/Writer/Voice/Producer: Alan Berry

Co-Writers:

Mark Enochs

Jason C, aka Godshifter

For all credits go here https://www.thetapesarchive.com/black-sabbath-sabotage-documentary/

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In this episode, we have the Ramones’ frontman, Joey Ramone. At the time of this interview in 1988, Ramone was 37 years old and was in Japan for a tour.

In the interview, Ramone talks about whether he considers The Ramones a punk band, the most exciting time in music history, how most bands lack originality, and whether rock and roll have paid him back for all of The Ramones' contributions. 

The interview is conducted by Steve Harris. To learn more about Steve, please check out our podcast-only interview with him, which is out now. You can find the podcast at thetapesarchive.com.

In the interview, Ramone talks about:

• The distinctive sound of The Ramones
• How most bands lack originality
• The most exciting period for music
• His admiration for David Byrne
• What The Ramones did with their influences
• Why he loved The New York Dolls
• His thoughts on David Johansen
• Whether he considers The Ramones a punk band
• Whether he considers himself a punk
• How the Ramones are commercial without trying to be commercial
• How he feels about bands like Bon Jovi and Poison
• Whether there is a flaw in the kids that likes that type of music
• How The Ramones are a multi-dimensional band
• Why they wrote "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg" and participated in “Sun City”
• Ramones Aid
• Whether decades from now will he be still singing “Blitzkrieg Bop”
• Why the Rolling Stones can go on forever
• How The Ramones are always changing
• His reaction to hearing that The Ramones are a big influence in Japan
• Whether he thinks rock and roll has sufficiently paid him back for all The Ramones’ contributions

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A never-before-published and first known interview with Boston's original singer Brad Delp.

At the time of this interview in 1978, Delp was 27 years old and was in the midst of recording Boston’s second record.

Two years earlier, Boston released what would become the best-selling debut album of all time until Guns ‘N Roses’ first album.

Full transcript The Tapes Archive

In the interview, Delp talks about how the second album is coming along, if the band Boston is a democracy, his feelings on a recent insult from Elvis Costello, and his self-doubt.

00:00 - Intro

01:04 - Where is the new album? (Start of interview)

01:42 - The flooding of Tom Scholz’s basement

02:59 - Whether the band has recorded any new songs

04:28 - What happens when Tom gets a song idea

05:22 - How the record company feels about a two-year delay between albums

06:51 - Whether he was surprised by the success of the first album

07:17 - His self-doubt

08:45 - The history of Boston and how he got involved in the band

10:40 - The cover songs they played

11:08 - His love for the Beatles

12:42 - How they got signed to Epic Records

14:59 - What type of record deal they got

16:14 - Their “horrendous” early concerts

17:16 - Playing with Black Sabbath

17:59 - What his thoughts on Elvis Costello saying about Boston, “They may sell 9 million records, but they’re about as exciting as a plate of tripe.”

19:21 - Looking up to Rick Derringer

20:40 - How many overdubs were made on the first album

22:03 - What kind of an audience Boston has

23:30 - How the Beatles got him into music

24:16 - Whether the band Boston is a democracy

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A never-before-published interview with Adrian Belew from 1981.

Full transcript The Tapes Archive

In this episode, we have a multi-instrumentalist and the secret weapon for so many bands, Adrian Belew. At the time of this interview in 1981, Belew was 31 years old and was promoting King Crimson’s album Discipline. In the interview, Belew talks about various aspects of playing with the Talking Heads, Frank Zappa, David Bowie, and King Crimson. He goes in-depth on King Crimson’s Discipline, he tells the story about when he got jumped by a gang and finishes the interview telling Marc about his deep love for his family.

In the interview, Belew talks about:

• What brought him to King Crimson
• Where is currently with the Talking Heads
• How he expresses his own personality in the band
• The “D” section of Elephant Talk and the meaning behind it
• His part in the writing of the album
• How he gets that elephant sound
• What the lyrics in the song Indiscipline represent
• The song Matte Kudasai
• What Frame by Frame is about
• How his being in the band frees up Robert Fripp
• How well Fripp and drummer Bill Bruford get along
• If King Crimson as a band has malice and ill will as a constant part of its daily diet
• The dynamics of King Crimson
• His own plans for solo work
• The meaning of the song Thela Hun Ginjeet and how he was beaten up by a gang
• Why they don’t play 21st Century Schizoid Man
• Younger audiences
• What he thinks is attracting new fans to King Crimson
• What his solo albums will be like and who’s playing with him
• His fascination with rhinos
• Where he grew up
• Starting with David Bowie
• His assessment of the King Crimson’s show at the Metro
• How he looks like Mark Knopfler
• How he was blasted the night Fripp called him
• His surprise when Fripp wanted to call the lineup King Crimson
• The very beginnings of his career
• His first band
• If he is the most famous alumnus from his high school
• If Frank Zappa was tough to work for
• His Bob Dylan impersonation
• If had any problems with Zappa’s lyrics
• Why he left Zappa’s band
• His deep love for his family

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In this episode, we have a founding member of The Who, Pete Townshend. At the time of this interview in 1996, Townshend was 51 years old and was promoting his greatest hits record. In the interview, Townshend talks about his plan to no longer make records, the remixing process of Quadrophenia, what’s now important to him, and finding a Jimi Hendrix master in his warehouse. 

The interview is conducted by Steve Harris. To learn more about Steve please check out our podcast-only interview with him, which is out now.

Full transcript

00:00 - Intro

01:00 - Start of Pete Townshend interview

01:38 - His non-defined image of himself

04:19 - His ability to write story-oriented albums

05:41 - Why it’s very hard to write songs

06:51 - His plan to no longer make records

08:26 - Why he is releasing a compilation album

09:33 - The notion that he hates the Japanese

11:30 - Developing Quadrophenia for a concert theater piece

12:57 - Which album he thinks is The Who’s best

15:08 - The backstory of when The Who revived ‘Quadrophenia’ for Prince’s Trust Concert

18:58 - Remastering old Who albums

20:23 - Writing chamber plays

21:32 - The difficulty of working in movies

22:26 - His lack of enjoyment for music theater

23:28 - What connects music from the ’50s and animation

24:37 - What’s important to him now

26:12 - The remixing process of Quadrophenia

26:57 - The previous poor mastering process of Who records

28:36 - Finding a Jimi Hendrix master in his warehouse

29:38 - The unfinished rock opera “Lifehouse”

32:04 - The mods 30 years later

33:35 - What he found hypocritical playing Black music

37:39 - Chapter 25

39:01 - The songwriting that went into “My Generation”

41:32 - Kurt Cobain and the song “My Generation”

43:18 - Seeing Jimi Hendrix a couple of weeks before he died

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