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Rick Wakeman

The Great Debates: Prog Rock

February 6, 2022 by KC Editor 1 Comment

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In our first Great Debate we talk to Matt Goodluck, prog rock obsessive (check out Matt’s bio below). The topic is obviously prog rock, the debate occurs on multiple fronts, including what makes good prog rock, who the true greats are and even some gear talk.

To listen / watch:

  1. Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or:
  2. Video: watch the embedded video or check it and previous episodes out on our YouTube Channel:

Content mentioned during the show (links will open in new tab):    

Pet Sounds – Beach Boys

Freak Out – Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention

Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles

King Crimson – In The Court of the Crimson King

Prog Archives

Rush – 2112

Ready Player One – Ernest Cline (highly recommended!)

Keith Emerson official website

Rick Wakeman official website

Overview of prog rock keyboards

Yes – Fragile

Yes – Close to the Edge

Watch Rick Wakeman live, on ice

Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd – Meddle

ELP – Tarkus

ELP – Brain Salad Surgery

ELP play Fanfare for the Common Man

Haken

Frost

Big Big Train

Jordan Rudess

Richard Barbieri

Rikard Sjoblom

Desert Island Discs: Lamb Lies Down on Broadway – Genesis, Hemispheres – Rush, Close to the Edge – Yes, Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd, Discipline – King Crimson

Matt’s biography:

I grew up in Adelaide and by my early teens I had developed an obsession with music, starting with 80’s heavy metal. After discovering Rush, everything changed and it took me down the rabbit hole of prog rock. This led to reading everything I could get my hands on about the 70’s heavyweights like Yes, King Crimson, Genesis and ELP as well as the new wave of 80’s bands like IQ, Marillion, Pallas and Pendragon. I was hooked!

At age 20, I decided to leave home and I flew to the UK for what was intended to be a 6 month working holiday. I stayed in Europe for 7 years!

Due to connections with a number of independent English prog bands that I had become a fan of, I found myself on the doorstep of Pendragon/Arena keyboard player Clive Nolan and ended up living with him for the duration of my time in England. I became the go-to merch guy for a number of prog bands in the scene including Arena, Threshold, Pendragon and IQ and would regularly tour throughout Europe with them. Outside of this, I began working as an assistant for Clive’s record label Verglas Music, formed with ex-Marillion drummer Mick Pointer. Essentially a cottage industry formed to release albums by their band Arena, this was a pioneering business model at the dawn of the internet age in the early 90’s. My role included promotion, marketing, graphic design and helping to book tours for the band.

After 4 years in the UK, my visa had become an issue and so it was time to move on. I then moved to Germany and became a record label assistant for InsideOut Music, Europe’s premier label for progressive music. Here I worked with a wide array of artists including members of Dream Theater, King’s X, Toto, Marillion and Genesis as well as the new wave of prog bands like Spock’s Beard, Devin Townsend, The Flower Kings and Symphony X.

I returned home to Adelaide at the end of 2001 but retained my connections within the prog scene overseas. I continued to take on small projects for my old colleagues from time to time. One such job was working on the liner notes for various classic album re-issues for a number of Krautrock artists such as Klaus Schulze, Amon Duul II and Holger Czukay.

In 2009, I was asked to be the tour manager for Swedish band Pain Of Salvation who were supporting Dream Theater on their national Australian tour. This was an intensive role that involved booking accommodation and travel, instrument and equipment hire, publicity and promotion, merchandising, budgeting and finance, graphic design, stakeholder liaison and much more. It was very stressful but ultimately rewarding and a good chance to reconnect with both bands, who I had previously worked with.

That early obsession with prog fueled a desire to be involved in (a fairly niche area of) the music industry and I feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of it. I’ve been very fortunate in my life to meet and work with many artists that I grew up listening to as a fan.

Today I find myself on the stage rather than just backstage as I now get to tour the country as lead vocalist for Echoes of Pink Floyd – Australia’s premier Pink Floyd tribute act.

Don’t forget to click on any of the subscribe links to automatically have each episode download, or just click play on the player above to listen right here.

We’re always keen to hear from you: drop us a line via the website, Facebook, or Twitter.

If you’re a keyboard player, we also have a regular email newsletter with interesting news from the industry just for you.

To help us keep the podcast running like a fine oiled machine, we do have a Patreon account if you’d like to contribute the cost of a small cup of coffee a month and receive bonus content

Finally, check out our podcast guest playlist on Spotify to get a taste of each guest’s creations.

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Big Big Train, Frank Zappa, Frost, Haken, Jordan Rudess, Keith Emerson, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Richard Barbieri, Rick Wakeman, Rikard Sjoblom, Robert Fripp, Rush, Yes

Michael Whalen, Future Shock / Film and TV Composer

June 21, 2021 by KC Editor 1 Comment

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In one of the wider ranging conversations we’ve ever had, we speak with Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated keyboardist and composer Michael Whalen. As you’ll hear, that is only two strings to his bow and Michael has some fascinating insights into the music industry and making a living from music in the digital age.

Links to content mentioned during the show (links will open in new tab):

Deep Work by Cal Newport

Michael’s Future Shock project

Simon Phillips

Tony Levin

Karmic Dreams

Elias Music

Michael J Fox in a 1987 Pepsi Commercial

Duran Duran – All She Wants Is (from the Big Thing album)

Herb Pilhofer

Frank Zappa and his Synclavier

Good Morning America Theme

Arif Mardin

Myndstream records

Gustavo Santaolalla

Rick Wakeman’s Twitter Account

Rick Wakeman’s RRHOF acceptance speech

Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers

Grace Jones – Slave to the Rhythm

Not discussed (yet) but well worth the read: Michael writes on digital rights and tracking your income

Tag a keyboard player: Tom Brislin

Desert Island Discs: Greatest Hits Vol. 1 – Earth, Wind and Fire, Works Vol. 1 – Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Duke – Genesis, Silk Degrees – Boz Scaggs, Toto IV – Toto.

Don’t forget to click on any of the subscribe links to automatically have each episode download, or just click play on the player above to listen right here.

We’re always keen to hear from you: drop us a line via the website, Facebook, or Twitter.

If you’re a keyboard player, we also have a regular email newsletter with interesting news from the industry just for you.

To help us keep the podcast running like a fine oiled machine, we do have a Patreon account if you’d like to contribute the cost of a small cup of coffee a month.

Finally, check out our podcast guest playlist on Spotify to get a taste of each guest’s creations.

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Arif Mardin, Daniel Lanois, Duran Duran, Grace Jones, Mark Isham, Maurice Jarre, Michael Whalen, Nick Rhodes, Rick Wakeman, Simon Phillips, Tony Levin

Alan Hewitt, Moody Blues / Alan Hewitt & One Nation

May 21, 2021 by KC Editor Leave a Comment

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Alan Hewitt has had a mammoth career in film, TV and live performance. As the current keyboard player for The Moody Blues as well as leading his own band, Alan has a huge ongoing career to reflect on. 

Links to content mentioned during the show (links will open in new tab):    

Alan Hewitt & One Nation – We’re One Nation

Duffy King

Billy Ashbaugh

Alan performing with The Moody Blues

Patrick Moraz

Morton Downey Jr Show

Swimming Upstream movie (which obviously does not involve Dawn Fraser)

Tom Holland’s Twisted Tales

LA Rockestra – Symphony of Rock

Alan performing at the haunted Ryman auditorium

Tag a keyboard player: Rick Wakeman, Brian Auger, Tony Banks, Jordan Rudess

Desert Island Discs: Heavy Weather – Weather Report, Romantic Warrior – Chick Corea, Close to the Edge – Yes, Brain Salad Surgery – Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

Don’t forget to click on any of the subscribe links to automatically have each episode download, or just click play on the player above to listen right here.

We’re always keen to hear from you: drop us a line via the website, Facebook, or Twitter.

If you’re a keyboard player, we also have a regular email newsletter with interesting news from the industry just for you.

To help us keep the podcast running like a fine oiled machine, we do have a Patreon account if you’d like to contribute the cost of a small cup of coffee a month.

Finally, check out our podcast guest playlist on Spotify to get a taste of each guest’s creations.

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Brian Auger, Jordan Rudess, Moody Blues, Patrick Moraz, Peter Gabriel, Rick Wakeman, Tony Banks, Yes

Clive Nolan, Arena / Pendragon / Shadowland

September 28, 2020 by KC Editor 1 Comment

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If you think it’d be hard being in one successful band, try being in three on top of a bunch of other projects. Clive Nolan is best known for his keys work with Pendragon and Arena, but as you’ll hear he’s up to a lot more than that.

Links to content mentioned during the show:

Clive’s recently released book    

Mick Pointer

Genesis – Seconds Out

Matt Clifford

Korg  01/W

Roland A-90

Arena – Paradise of Thieves

She  – The Musical

‘Dragon Fire’ Chorus

Beowulf saga

Desert Island Discs:  The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table – Rick Wakeman, Seconds  Out – Genesis, Symphonie fantastique – Berlioz, The Best of Monty Python, Phantom of the Opera  – Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Clive’s Top 5 Stephen King books: ‘Salem’s Lot, The Shining, Doctor Sleep, Mr Mercedes and sequels, Dark Tower books.

Don’t forget to click on any of the subscribe links to automatically have each episode download, or just click play on the player above to listen right here.

We’re always keen to hear from you: drop us a line via the website, Facebook, or Twitter.

If you’re a keyboard player, we also have a weekly newsletter with interesting news from the industry just for you.

To help us keep the podcast running like a fine oiled machine, we do have a Patreon account if you’d like to contribute the cost of a small cup of coffee a month.

Finally, check out our podcast guest playlist on Spotify to get a taste of each guest’s creations.

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Arena, Beowulf, Clive Nolan, Korg 01/W, Korg Kronos, Marillion, Matt Clifford, Mike Pointer, Pendragon, Rick Wakeman, Roland A-90, Shadowland

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