This public service announcement from Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider mostly likely aired on an episode of Toronto Rocks’ Midweek Metal Mania show, the prototype for the Power Hour. It’s probably from 1984 or 85. I don’t know its exact origin because this comes from one of the “Balasz Tapes” — stuff originally recorded by next door neighbour George and then taped by me in one of our childhood recording sessions.
It’s lower quality because it’s a tape of a tape, but I think it’s still pretty cool.
MuchMusic’s Laurie Brown took over the Pepsi Power Hour in 1988, and for me personally, a lot of their best shows were from her era.
This interview with the young rockers named Duff McKagan and Slash (from some band called Guns N’ Roses) is definitely an anachronism. Cigarettes lit, the guys seem fairly sedated though refreshingly authentic. Their naivete is interesting in hindsight. They clearly did not see themselves becoming the mega-phenom that they are. “Guns N’ Roses is five kids, who pretty much don’t have a whole lot of influence on the rest of the world, as far as we know.”
Duff and Slash offer insight about their early years, getting signed, and touring with Iron Maiden. It’s quite obvious they are not having a good time with Iron Maiden! Laurie also asks them about the original cover to Appetite For Destruction. “We didn’t see any rape thing going on,” insists Duff. “Her bra fell off, what?” laughs Slash. Slash mockingly relents. “OK, alright fine. We were generally promoting rape…I mean come on.”
Speaker’s Corner was a place where anyone could get on TV! You would step into the recording booth, pop in some coins, and record a brief video. If you were lucky, you’d be chosen for the Speaker’s Corner TV show.! The Barenaked Ladies got their start by playing a song on Speaker’s Corner (“Be My Yoko Ono”). There were lonely people looking for love, there were eccentrics and even LeBrain and his pals (though I don’t know if our video was ever broadcast). There were also recurring people, like Brie.
Funny thing. A guy I used to work with at the Record Store named Joe Perry once said to me “I know a girl with a Poison tattoo.” He was shocked when I answered, “Is her name Brie?”
“How, how the hell do you know that?” he asked.
How could Joe have known that I was taping Speaker’s Corner the day she showed off her Poison tattoo!
You gotta give the girl credit for getting a Poison tattoo in the 1990s.
Once upon a time, John Roberts was J.D. Roberts. He wasn’t a political pundit on Fox News, he was the host of the Pepsi Power Hour! The year was 1986 and Yngwie J. Malmsteen was in the studio.
J.D. asked him about his Classical influences, and then a dumb question about turning Bach into Rock. Check it out.
While out promoting 1987’s Dream Evil, Ronnie James Dio and Craig Goldy sat for an interview with MuchMusic’s Erica Ehm. She asked him about Satanism in rock lyrics and videos.
“I had to mark the singer from a band called Glass Tiger who was quite useful. Sadly for him the pitch was in poor condition and after I chased him round for 45 minutes, he twisted his ankle and was stretchered off. I never touched him ref — honest!’ Stretchered off with ‘undisclosed injuries to his testicles’ was I believe the newspaper quotation that tells you all you need to know about the match.” — Bruce Dickinson
This video clip of a football match between Iron Maiden FC and Toronto’s finest singers and media is surely a rarity. It’s a shame that more wasn’t broadcast. On a personal level, this match meant to lot to me. My heroes (Iron Maiden) were facing off against my sister’s (Glass Tiger). And of course Glass Tiger and Co. were pummelled. I loved holding that over her head!
Look for Frew and MuchMusic alumni including Master T (Tony Young) and Kim Clark Champniss in this fun clip.
It must have been cool to be at this game. I wonder what it was like? Wait it a minute — why don’t I just ask a guy who was there?
“I was at that game. Covered it for the newspaper at U of T [that] I wrote for. Keith Sharp (then of Music Express magazine, later my boss at ACCESS) was friendly with the band. As a kid he was a goalkeeper for the Manchester City youth squad, so he had some skills, and he’d organize a match with the Maidens, who were all soccer fiends, whenever they were in town. Alan Frew (Glass Tiger) went down with a knee injury during the match… Others on the Music Express squad that I can recall were Mark Holmes (Platinum Blonde) and Maria Del Mar (National Velvet). I even got some Maiden sideline quotes for my story… And it was the first time I met Keith.” — Jamie Morrison, friend and former journalist
“Outside of Toronto…that’s Kitchener anyway.” – Dan Gallagher
This is a real treasure! A legendary interview, it does not appear to be anywhere else online. It’s also the only video I know of to have one of my old customers in it — Snake the Tattoo Man. To be fair, Snake was T-Rev’s customer first. Trevor sent him to me, because he knew I was a huge Helix fan. Snake’s first claim to fame was appearing on the Phil Donahue show. Snake has over 90% of his body tattooed, and was kicked out of a mall in London Ontario simply because of the way he looked. His next bout with stardom was when he was cast in the Helix video for “Running Wild in the 21st Century”, one of their best songs!
MuchMusic’s Dan Gallagher talked to Brian Vollmer and Snake outside Speaker’s Corner in the spring of 1990. Of course Snake’s tattoos are discussed, and a new technology called “Surround Sound” is rolled out. Which of course you won’t hear, since Much was broadcast in stereo and I was recording in mono!
Great, classic interview that I proud to bring back to the world via Youtube.
Michael Olivieri recently left Leatherwolf leaving them with only one original member! Back in ’88, they were firing on all cylinders with Olivieri and original guitarist Geoff Gayer. The pair sat down with Erica Ehm on the Pepsi Power Hour to talk about their second album, Leatherwolf.
The guys discuss recording in the Bahamas, Robert Palmer, the Triple Axe Attack, live performances, “The Calling” video concept, and where that “edge” comes from.
Leatherwolf were a great band when these two guys were in it. Check out the live clips in this interview, and hear what they had to say back in the day!
“You can’t really call what we do ‘work’. How can you call your job ‘work’?” – Spike to Steve Anthony
1990 was a memorable year for rock and roll, but one of the great surprises of the year was the return of classic UK rock and roll, in the form of new bands The Black Crowes and The London Quireboys. Both owed obvious debts to the Stones and the Faces.
Guy Griffin and Spike joined Steve Anthony in the MuchMusic studios in late 1990 to talk about the Faces comparisons, their long rise to fame, radio and more. Check out the scarves and Steve Anthony’s ridiculous hightop shoes.
Are the band sedated or just laid back? You decide in this decent interview.
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