He’s back! Twisted Sister founder and guitarist John Jay Jay French joins me via Skype this week for part one of a very lengthy chat about all manner of musical subjects.

In part one, John and I talk about the recording of Twisted Sister record Under The Blade at the site of The Battle of Hastings, best of Beatles versus best of Stones, his guitar collection, four hundred thousand dollar turntables, the summer he spent in England in 1971, and so much more. And that’s only part one!  

French’s playlist (part one):

The Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar

Rod Stewart – Every Picture Tells A Story

The Who – Baba O’ Riley

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Back by popular demand this week is insights guru, semiotician, and NSTS listener favourite Charles Leech!   

This time around Charles uses the concept of synesthesia, which is the crossing over of intrapersonal senses, as a platform to discuss his musical insights. Once again, his perspectives and acumen are absolutely mind-blowing, to the point where you may find yourself mouthing the word ‘wow’ as you listen, likely more than once. Prepare to be fascinated, friends.       

Leech’s playlist:

Heaven 17 – Let Me Go

Journey – Don’t Stop Believing

Bjork – All is Full of Love

Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy

Michael Kiwanuka – Cold Little Heart 

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Want to hear some incredible rock and roll stories from a guy who was right there, collaborating with The Pogues, Led Zeppelin, Talking Heads, and others? My guest this week is that guy, three-time Grammy winner and five-time Juno winner, mister Chris Birkett.

Chris was the chap responsible for producing Sinead O’Connor’s smash hit “Nothing Compares 2 U”, after having worked with Steve Earle, Alison Moyet, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, and David Bowie’s producer Tony Visconti. The stories he tells during his visit are incredible – jamming with Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin, the hilarious way he met Peter Gabriel, the recording technique Sinead absolutely hates, and so much more. Oh, and his band Love Affair is responsible for that megahit “Everlasting Love”. You DON’T want to miss this.  

Birkett’s playlist:

Love Affair – Everlasting Love

Omaha Sheriff – Clothes Horse

Sinead O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U

Steve Earle – Johnny Come Lately

Buffy Sainte Marie – Starwalker

Chris Birkett – Be Creative (2019 remix)          

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I was thrilled to host the great Kevin Breit this week on NSTS. Kevin has played guitar alongside the likes of Celine Dion, Norah Jones, Marc Jordan, and so many others. 

I was particularly happy to have Kevin in because he grew up in the same Northern Ontario small town I did a few years before, and after he left he was mythologized up there during my teen years. I really enjoyed the chat we had about his incredible and tasteful playlist. His musical acumen is staggering, his stories are fascinating, and his new record Stella Bella Strata is unbelievably good.   

Breit’s playlist: 

Bob Dylan – Brownsville Girl

King Curtis – Whiter Shade of Pale

Randy Newman – Wandering Boy

Rosetta Thorpe – Didn’t It Rain

Mary Gauthier – I Drink

Hawksley Workman – We’re Not Broken Yet

Joni Mitchell – Sunny Sunday

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Indie singer songwriter Jordan Paul is an exciting young talent with an awesome voice and smart songs, and he drops by the NSTS studios this week with his guitar.       

In between performances of two of his songs, we chat about Indian classical music, Radiohead’s lesser-known records, skateboard videos, his favourite musical moment, Mazzy Star, and what awaited him at a mysterious Starbucks meetup.    

Paul’s playlist:

David Bowie – Five Years

Bob Dylan – It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

Sharon Van Etten – We’re Fine

Elliott Smith – Everything Means Nothing To Me

Radiohead – Paranoid Android 

Death in Vegas – Help Yourself

Nat Bhairav – Hindustani Raag

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Singer songwriter Laura Repo drops by the NSTS studios this week with a vinyl copy of her new record This Is My Room. She also brought her guitar, and she treats us to a song from the album, “Too Soon To Miss You”.  Check it out.

Repo’s playlist:

Billie Holliday – I Thought About You

Koko Taylor – Honky Tonky

Liz Phair – Stratford on Guy

Murray McLachlan – Down By The Henry Moore

John Holt – Treasure of Love

Joan Armatrading – Get in Touch With Jesus

Dolores Keane and John Faulkner – Johnny Lovely Johnny   

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Welcome back to my chat with storied drummer David Quinton Steinberg. Last week we didn’t get to his songs, and so this week we get right into his playlist. 

The insights and stories continue as David recounts his fondness for his favourite Beatles track, Stiv Bators’ personal conspiracy theories, his first encounter with Frank Zappa, who the last real rock star is in his opinion, his chat with Gene Simmons, the grim details behind Rush’s “Nobody’s Hero”, Bowie’s connection to punk, and David’s “Karmic Boomerang” theory.         

Steinberg’s playlist:

The Beatles – Penny Lane

Badfinger – Baby Blue

Frank Zappa – Peaches En Regalia

David Bowie – Life On Mars

Dead Boys – Sonic Reducer

Rush – Nobody’s Hero

Blair Packham – Proof     

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This week’s NSTS guest has played drums with The Mods, punk legends Stiv Bators and the Dead Boys, and then Strange Advance and The Jitters. Now, he’s Rush’s lawyer. His name is David Quinton Steinberg, and he obviously has a lot to talk about. 

Which is why this is only part one of our chat. We don’t even get to David’s songs until part two for all of the amazing stories and insights he shares about hanging out with Dee Dee Ramone, getting spit on during shows, playing The Horseshoe during The Garys era, and what it was really like to be at the forefront of the punk and new wave movement as it was unfolding. Don’t miss this.  

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Bermudian songstress Heather Nova is my guest this week on NSTS. She grew up on a sailboat in the Caribbean, and her songs appear on the soundtracks of The Crow and I Am Sam, and on shows like Dawson’s Creek. Her new record, called Pearl, drops on June 28.

Heather’s list is full of skin-vibrating tunes, and we chat about Kris Kristofferson’s advice to Joni Mitchell, Heather’s reggae musician brother Mishka, seeing Patti Smith live, Neil Young’s guitar solos, and our introductions to Kate Bush. Next time she’s bringing her guitar.  

Nova’s playlist:

Jeff Buckley – Lover, You Should Come Over

Neil Young – Like A Hurricane

Patti Smith – Dancing Barefoot

Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill

Joni Mitchell – All I Want

Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees

Mishka – Above The Bones

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This week on NSTS, the great Blair Packham returns to the show for his third time, and he brings his guitar with him. We have a lengthy chat about all sorts of things, including No Sleep ’til Sudbury’s upcoming first-ever live audience recording at Hugh’s Room in Toronto on Thursday, June 27 featuring Carole Pope and Rob Preuss (get yer tickets at hughsroomlive.com!)

In addition to the great chat about The Boss, sticking it to The Man, how Tom Petty came up with “Swingin'” on the spot, heroin, and John Prine, he also noodles a Springsteen classic, some of his own tunes, and a Dylan song to close out the show that chokes me up.  

Packham’s playlist:

Bruce Springsteen – The River

Tom Petty – Swingin’

The Isley Brothers – Fight The Power

Public Enemy – Fight The Power

John Hiatt – Learning How To Love You

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