The H Files with Kevin Hillier – Details, episodes & analysis

Pete Best is my first guest on the H Files with Kevin Hillier and, as a total Beatles baby, it is a great thrill to bring the stories and memories of the band's original drummer back, some sixty years on. Pete takes us from the beginnings in Liverpool to Hamburg and back to the Cavern Club just prior to The Beatles' fame and and his unceremonious sacking. Pete shares the still raw emotions of that event, plus the good times in Germany and life after, as he watched John, Paul, George and Ringo musically conquer the world. 

As you will hear, Pete is not bitter and has had a great life in music and beyond, including a new hospitality venture in the original Casbah Coffee Club, such a pivotal part of the Beatles history.      

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Skyhooks were a rare combination of fan favourite, media darlings and respected musicians. They wanted to be noticed and they were. In the first of a four-part series, The H Files brings you stories and recollections about Skyhooks from many different people, inside and outside the band. It is not a Skyhooks history lesson, more a homage to a very exciting era of music and a band that led the way with an original sound and look that captured the nation. 

Part One features Greg Macainsh, the man who wote the songs, and what game changing songs they were - Living in the Seventies, Balwyn Calling, You Just Like Me Coz I'm Good in Bed, Toorak Cowboy, Women in Uniform and Ego is Not a Dirty Word. Greg created the sound of Skyhooks and lyrically shattered the stereotypical rock song. 

Greg shares some of his thoughts on the band, the music, fame and much more. 

You will also hear from David Briggs, the former Little River Band guitarist and songwriter given the task of remastering some Skyhooks material over the years.         

Songs excerpts included in this episode in order

Toorak Cowboy  (demo with Steve Hill on lead vocals)

Living in the Seventies

Horror Movie 

All My Friends are getting Married 

Women in Uniform

Balwyn Calling

Love's not Good Enough    (3XY Rocktober Concert 1984 Hey hey It's Saturday) 

Powdertown

Carlton ( Lygon Street Limbo)     

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Peter Asher has had a career like a Russian doll. It started as an 8 year old actor working with the likes of Boris Karloff. While Peter's sister Jane became a leading actress, Peter was drawn to music and with Gordon Waller became the worldwide hit making duo Peter & Gordon. They did get some help from Peter's sister's boyfriend and Asher house lodger Paul McCartney, who wrote a few songs the duo recorded.

As Peter tells Kevin, being in a recording studio for the first time with Peter & Gordon was where he discovered his next calling - record producer. This led to running Apple Records' A&R Department for The Beatles, discovering James Taylor and relocating to America for the next phase of his incredible career.

Peter brilliantly combined being an artist manager and record producer, working with Linda Ronstadt, Cher, Barbara Streisand, Robin Williams, Steve Martin and Diana Ross to name but a few. 

It is an incredible career that is still going, both on and off stage, and it is a great privilege to have Peter Asher CBE on The H Files.     

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The British musical invasion of the sixties might have been led by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones but Manfred Mann were in the front row of that first fleet of artists that dominated the charts and became the soundtrack of a generation. Who can forget songs like Pretty Flamingo, Mighty Quinn, Do Wah Diddy Diddy, Just Like a Woman, Come Tomorrow, Fox on the Run and at least a dozen more?

Tom McGuinness was a member of Manfred Mann through those halcyon days and shares his memories of those days as the band produced hit after hit. After Manfred Mann, he enjoyed more success with McGuinness Flint and then toured and recorded extensively with The Blues Band.            Even today, Tom is performing with The Manfreds across Britain. It is a musical life chock full of great stories punctuated by the biggest hits of the day and it's all here.      

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It is another very entertaining episode of The H Files with guests Steve Kilbey and Gary Sandy. Kilbey is one of the most original, outspoken and refreshing performers in Australian music and is not shy with his views on the business. As he prepares for a career retrospective tour of the country, he is in good form about the past, present and future. 

American actor Gary Sandy was the star of WKRP in Cincinnati, a hugely successful seventies sitcom set in a radio station. Gary has carved out a successful acting career, mostly in theatre, since the heady days of playing Andy Travis, the program director of the fictitious radio station. He recalls many great stories from a very talented ensemble cast including Howard Hesseman, Loni Anderson and Gordon Jump. 

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Gilbert O'Sullivan and Dion Pride join Kevin for a chat as they prepare for their tours of Australia. Gilbert's songs have been part of our lives since he debuted back in the early seventies with unforgettable and timeless songs like Clair, Get Down and Alone Again Naturally. He talks about those songs, his songwriting, the early days and much more.  

Dion, a very talented musician in his own right, is the son of the legendary Charley Pride. He is touring the country, proudly presenting the songs that made his father famous in a faithful tribute to one of country music's biggest stars, who happens to be his Dad.    

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Brett Garsed is a hell of a guitar player and brilliant musician who came to prominence in the Whispering Jack days with John Farnham. Brett travelled the world with his guitar but has settled back in regional Victoria and chats about his latest work on the Horizon project, his solo material and the Farnham days. 

For the first time we also open the H Files Vault and find an episode of Kev's old national radio show Rocksat, which features John Farnham launching the Chain Reaction album in September 1990. The premise of Rocksat was to give radio listeners across Australia access to one of the big stars of the day at 9pm on a Wednesday night. This episode was recorded at AAV Metropolis studios in South Melbourne and had a live studio audience as well as listeners on nearly 30 stations across the country. Amazing what we did before the internet! 

Check out the Horizon project www.horizonmusic.com.au and the Guitars for Vets program at www.G4VA.org.au    

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An undisputed musical legend, Dion might be 85 but he is ageless and still rocks with the best of them. Dion and his friend Adam Jablin have collaborated to produce a new book full of Dion's great stories, life experiences and sage advice. The pair join Kevin for a fascinating chat about life and those classic Dion musical memories - The Wanderer, Ruby Baby, touring with Buddy Holly and his Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction by Lou Reed.    

Pseudo Echo has topped the charts all over the world and the band's main man Brian Canham is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Love an Adventure album by touring Australia. All those 80s memories come flooding back as Brian again takes you to Funky Town. 

Dion's book The Rock 'n' Roll Philosopher available via  https://diondimucci.com/

Get all the dates  and news for Brian   https://www.pseudoecho.net/

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Concert goers have lots to choose from in the coming months and two of the most anticipated tours are my guests in this episode. JJ Burnel, an original member of The Stranglers, shares stories from the punk days of pub gigs and punch ups through to the success of Golden Brown and Skin Deep and now as older statesmen of the UK bands from that era. Their 50th anniversary tour is about to hit Australia. 

Roachford's journey is very different from The Stranglers but on the eve of his first  Aussie tour in decades, Andrew Roachford talks about the success of Lay your Love on Me, Only to be with You, his work with Mike Rutherford in Mike and The Mechanics and meeting his musical idol Stevie Wonder.   

The Stranglers' 2025 Australian tour dates are: 

• Wednesday, March 19: Enmore Theatre, Sydney
• Thursday, March 20: The Tivoli, Brisbane
• Saturday, March 22: Forum Theatre, Melbourne
• Sunday, March 23: The Gov, Adelaide
• Tuesday, March 25: Astor Theatre, Perth 

Roachford Greatest Hits Tour

• May16. Fremantle. Freo.Social (U18's with Adult) Tickets.
• May17. Adelaide. The Gov. Tickets.
• May23. Melbourne  170 Russell. Sold Out.
• May24. Sydney. Manning Bar. Tickets.
• May25. Brisbane  The Triffid. Sold Out.

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Todd Rundgren is undoubtedly one of the most interesting musicians of our generation. He slips between musical genres with ease and has always kept the critics and fans wondering about what is coming next. On the eve of his latest Australian tour, Todd talks about a wide range of subjects including sport, his family, how to blow up AI, becoming a stage singer rather than a studio vocalist, his thoughts on producing other artists and how he makes a live studio album. All the things that make Todd such an interesting human being. 

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