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Front Row & Backstage

"The best music history writing online!" It's rock, records, and radio, as we go behind the scenes of my years in FM rock radio and the record biz in the '70s & '80s!

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Tune Tag #157 with Eric of TrackTen: The 1975, Charli XCX feat. Lorde, Mark Knopfler, Cavetown, Zuider Zee, Rex Orange County, Rosalía feat. Bjork & Yves Tumor, Libera

Some new names & 21st-century ones. Some "older" names arise, and we're especially happy to feature an artist I used to write letters to (and he wrote back!) in the year mentioned above!😱Ready, Eric?

Tune Tag #156 with M D Navalinski: The Doors, Emitt Rhodes, Palace Guard, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Danny Wilde, Les Dudek, Allman Bros.

Back-to-back debuts: Last week with my impressive new friend, Ali, and here, we get to know Nav through HIS music! I see some familiar names! Let's dive in, Nav!

Tune Tag #155 with Ari of Digthru: Pierce Arrow, Michael Carpenter, Eagles, Genesis, Faces, Deep Purple, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Grass Roots

We've got a rockin' guitarist with us today who's about a half-century younger than I! I'll try not to take advantage of his youth!😉Big names we've got on the board today! Let's get to it, Ari!

Tune Tag #154 with Bob Pomeroy of Upbeat Songs You Should Hear: Beatles, Kenny Lynch, Bryan Ferry, Doobie Bros., Cecilio & Kapono, Mana’o Company, Bruce & Terry, Fendertones

We go from Liverpool to Hawaii, and to the West Coast for some beach tunes! Bob's 'Stack is called Upbeat Songs You Should Hear! He (and you!) are in the right place! Here we go!

🔥Tune Tag! Dusty Wright's New Album, "Maximus Americanus": Roxy Music, George Michael, Colin Hay, Rilo Kiley, Genesis, Smashing Pumpkins, R.E.M., Dusty Wright

Tune Tag loves being part of the record-release machine! This week, it's Dusty Wright's just-released new album, "Maximus Americanus"! Available NOW wherever streaming happens!

⭐Brad's Radiohead 1st Impressions! Brain of J-Hawk Picks the 5 Songs! With Commentary!⚡

A virtual party game collab: Brain and I get together! He tosses me 5 of his fave R-Head songs (or ones he was curious to see how I'd react!), and I spin & dish! Will sparks fly, or will there be 👍s?

Tune Tag #153 with Joe Hines of American Song: Queen, U2, Stephen Bishop, R.E.M., Phil Collins, XTC, River City People, David Bowie

We get to know Joe together on this one! Looks like we'll have the '80s well-covered, don'tcha think? As we've got America 250 celebrations behind us, American Song will keep us going!

Audio File: The 4-Reel Drive of Andres, The Multi-Talented Host of The Vinyl Room

Raised in S. America, he's called the UK home almost half his life. The camera loves him, but it's not alone: Hundreds of Substack subscribers are wowed by his combo of writing, audio & video content.

Tune Tag #152 with Marty Slagter of Radio Amor, Pt. 2: Aretha Franklin, Nick Lowe, Ty Segall, James & Bobby Purify, Dan Penn, Scritti Politti, Lowest of the Low, Ricky Segall

Rhythm & Blues, Highs'n'Lows, young'n'old, rock'n'pop. Looks like Marty & I will be all over the musical map, here, for this one! And, isn't that what Tune Tag is all about? Welcome back, Marty!

🎵UK Guitar Teacher, Tom Moloney, 27, Reacts to Hearing Power Pop for the First Time, Pt. 5🎸Liverpool Express, Squeeze, Rubinoos, BBMak & More!

Tom, on his Substack: “After spending time working in the music industry, I would now like to share with you my most favourite underrated artists and albums!”

Tune Tag #151 with Keith R. Higgons of Abandoned Albums: Harvey Mason, Genesis, Replacements, Liz Phair, James Ingram, Michael Jackson, Brothers Johnson, Vanity Fare

It's not like we haven't met before! Keith and I have a small handful of fulfilling and eventful collabs under our respective and collective belts! We gladly add this Tune Tag to our collection!

Tune Tag #150 with Mark Edward Randall, Pt. 4: Diesel, George Duke, Al Kooper, Rick Nelson, Daft Punk, The Tubes, Wendy Hill, Leon Russell

Eclectic and electric from across the border, Mark just celebrated two years on Substack with his "Musings of a Broken Record"! A true CanCon🍁advocate, Mark has remarkably similar🎵tastes as I!

🔥Tune Tag (June Tag🤪WiLd cArD😜) with Samuel Thyr of Musette: Franz Schubert, Genesis, Portsmouth Sinfonia, David Bowie, Pretty Things, Maria Callas, William Walton

If we were Donny & Marie: 🎵"He's a little bit classical, I'm a little bit classic rock!"🎵Sam's enjoying his first round on the Tune Tag turntable, so let's make him feel at home!😁👍

Tune Tag #149 with Dan Epstein of Jagged Time Lapse: The Moving Sidewalks, Booker T. & The MGs, Robyn Hitchcock, Tages, Gary Myrick, Young John Watson, Stage, Roky Erickson

Veteran successful author visits the Tune Tag arena for the first time! I can't wait to tell him I just finished my first book! Maybe tomorrow, I'll get a chance to read another one.

Tune Tag #148 with Chris Hedden: Ray Charles, Sturgill Simpson, Billy Joel, B.B. King, Sunday Valley, Bobby Bland, Uncle Tupelo, Legendary Masked Surfers, Van Morrison

A handful of legends make our Tune Tag tally, but a few of these names seem new and obscure! We're happy to welcome Chris for his debut in the Tag Arena! Enjoy!

Tune Tag #147 with NickS (WA), Pt. 5: Roberta Flack, Richard Tee, Cindy Kallet, The Monkees, I'm With Her, Jim Pepper, Jamie Cullum

A little electric, a little eclectic! That's Tune Tag with Nick! He's a longtime supporter of all things FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE, and he's kind enough to cite me as the reason he started his Substack!😊

Tune Tag #146 with Matt Fish, Pt. 3: Wang Chung, Mike + The Mechanics, Lisa Hartman, Art Garfunkel, Paul Carrack, Mike Batt, Justin Hayward, Johnny Nash

3 native Houstonians in the house (including me)! I used to date one of the other two! More drama awaits, and doubtless a gaggle o' giggles, too! I'm so happy to be reunited with my good friend, Matt!

🎵Tune Tigue with Owen McTigue: Béla Bartók, Pink Floyd, Roy Orbison, Humble Pie, Genesis, Badfinger, Elton John, Mason Lively

Tune Tigue! It's Tune Tag with a Classical twist! The first song is Classical; then, off we go...a Tune Tag like the rest...but, like no other! Welcome, Owen! We're glad you're hear!👂🎶

Tune Tag #145 with Phillippa Taylor of Melody Times: Imelda May, Bailey Pelkman, Lisa Marie Presley, Michael Jackson, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Greg Phillinganes, Manhattan Transfer

Names I know have never appeared in a Tune Tag before! If you're ready to embrace the new-new with the comforting familiar, join Phillippa and I as she embarks on her maiden voyage!

Tune Tag #144 with David Levine: Fiona Apple, Steely Dan, Nelly Furtado, Crabby Appleton, Mink DeVille, Yulianna Avdeeva, Walter Becker

We're celebrating the release of David's new album, "Possessed"! Oh yeah, we're playing Tune Tag, too! Hot take: You WILL hear music and artists you've never heard before today! Let's get possessed!