I'm In Love With That Song Podcast

See "Description" for details. His career spanned over 60 years; he toured around the world (playing 200 shows a year, well into his 70's), and released more than 50 albums. But B.B. King will be remembered primarily as one of the most influential guitarists in history. His impact is so embedded in the DNA of the guitar that no player is untouched by his influence...

Graham Parker arose from the UK Pub Rock scene, a back-to-basics sound that was a precursor to Punk. Along with his band, The Rumour (which included guitarist Brinsley Schwarz, a legend in his own right), he recorded a handful of essential albums in the '70's and has released a string of great records throughout his long career. A notable songwriter with a distinct edge and a wonderfully biting voice, he's influenced many artists that followed...

When the band released their first 2 albums in 1968 & 1969, they set off a musical revolution; the psychedelic sounds of the '60's were out and a return to the roots was back in style. "Whispering Pines" is their most haunting, beautiful ballad, with a lead vocal from Richard Manuel that's so vulnerable it makes you ache to hear it. The Band were at their peak during this time, with every member writing & performing at their best.

I will admit that I can be prone to hyperbole, but I'm convinced this is The Best Album Of The 1980's and one of the greatest albums of all time. It is a perfect album. A magnificent song cycle that reveals something new each time you listen to it. A masterwork of songwriting and production. I could go on... This song is a blast of pure pop; catchy, clever and concise-- 3 minutes and 20 seconds of pop genius.

Forget talking about "women who rock", Sass Jordan is one of the best rock vocalists out there, male OR female. This Canadian singer & songwriter is not well known in the USA, which is a shame because she's got a voice that's unique, powerful and compelling. This song is from her 1994 album, "Rats", which is her hardest-rocking album (and, in my opinion, her best). Check out this song, then go find more music by Sass Jordan.

One of the most underappreciated bands in rock. Undaunted by the ups & downs of the fickle music business, Cheap Trick have played over 5000 shows and released 20 albums, including "Rockford" in 2006, one of their best albums ever. I could've picked any song from this album-- it's that good-- but I settled on "If It Takes A Lifetime". If you don't have this album in your collection, don't wait-- Go get it now.

A great hard rock & power pop band that somehow fell through the cracks in the late '70's, Starz had all the ingredients to make it big-- a band of seasoned professionals with a charismatic frontman, a big-name manager, and a record deal with Capitol Records... but while bands like Foreigner, Styx & Boston sold millions of records, Starz just couldn't break thru to a larger audience. Too bad, because these guys had some great rock tunes...

Aretha Franklin recorded over 40 albums during her career; this episode, we revisit a song from her breakthrough album, "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" from 1967. This was actually her 11th album (!), but it was the first one recorded for Atlantic Records and it's the one that made her a legend. Aretha Franklin was probably the single most influential singer of our time-- just listen to any episode of American Idol for proof...

Who's the greatest singer in rock history? You could make an argument that it's Glenn Hughes. He's played & recorded with Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Gary Moore, KLF... and released a collection of great solo albums. He's an amazing hard rock vocalist & bass player, but my favorite stuff is when he's getting funky-- real funky. This track combines the funk with the hard rock - the best combo since Reese's put peanut butter in their chocolate. Crank It Up!

Every artist wants to pay tribute to the people who inspired them. No one's ever done it better than The Replacements' tribute to Alex Chilton. This song has a great hook and a chorus that stays with you... It's stayed with me so long that I named this podcast after it.