Tommy Solo's famous friends – Details, episodes & analysis

Terry Draper of Klaatu fame has been releasing solo albums for years. His regular routine is to release a new record every year in time for Christmas.
His usual process was interupted last year by health issues which he is now recovering from.
So for this current project, he dug into the vault and resurrected several old demos from decades ago, along with a fresh crop of new material.
This time around, I was honoured to play guitar on three of his songs. I was among 17 players who helped Terry on this one.

We discussed the making of Infinity and more in this episode.

Get Terry's music and merch at www.terrydraper.com

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Tommy Solo
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Chris Birkett is a world renowned musician/record producer who has worked with such top shelf artists as Sinead O'Connor (he produced Nothing compares 2U) , Mel Brooks & Def Leppard.

His own music has often taken a back seat to his work helping others to create hits, but now he has a brand new album of his own to celebrate. 
"She's my guitar" is a blend of neo soul/Latin flavoured original material.
He told me that the guitar has saved his life more than once.

We discussed this and a lot more in this episode.

Sit back & enjoy the ride.

Check out Chris' new album at the following site:

https://chrisbirkett1.bandcamp.com/album/shes-my-guitar

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Honey Moon Suite started gaining momentum globally in the early 1980s & they've barely looked back since then.  They've released over a dozen albums over the years & have just released the fruits of their labour over two years in a global pandemic. Teaming with American producer Mike Krompass, known for his work with Steven Tyler, Smash Mouth etc. Honey Moon Suite have once again broken the mold with "Alive". 
I spoke with lead guitarist & principle songwriter for HMS, Derry Grehan about this new album & the importance of writing & producing songs for the people who have followed them loyally for decades... among other things. 
This is a good one. 

https://musicinmotionent.com/category/honeymoon-suite/

https://frontiers.shop/products/honeymoon-suite-alive-cd#:~:text='Alive'%20has%20been%20produced%20by,Dead%20Man%20and%20Smash%20Mouth.

https://www.facebook.com/HMSLive

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Darby Mills, is mostly known as the lead singer for the classic Canadian rock band "The Headpins".
Before the pandemic hit, she was on the rise under her own banner with the Darby Mills project. She had several what she considered "glass ceiling" shows cancelled during the 1st major Covid-19 lock down.
In this episode, we talk about how she & her band mates have done their best to adjust & adapt to new technologies in order to stay fresh during the past 16 months.
She also told me about her personal ordeal & grief when she hadn't been allowed to visit her elderly father due to the pandemic & then losing him to Covid-19.
Not one to be deterred, Darby Mills has solid plans to continue making music for her dedicated group of fans moving forward.
www.darbymills.com

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Rocket Norton is a lifelong musician having rose to fame in the 1970s with the Canadian classic rock band, Prism. He has played primarily drums over the years, but has also sang & played guitar with a few acts.
Prior to Covid-19, things were going really well for Rocket. He had a thriving day business & had successfully published a couple of fictional novels. He was also playing small concerts with "The Authentics" in and around the Vancouver area.
Like everyone else, his day business was drastically impacted by Covid. And then, he was diagnosed with Cancer.
In this new "Rounding the corner episode, we discuss all this and more.

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Terry Draper established himself as a member of the classic Canadian band Klaatu.
For some time the general public was convinced that Klaatu was really the Beatles recording incognito.
While these rumours did bolster record sales, they also created situations that ultimately caused the break up of the band.
In this episode Terry & I discuss where he was at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic & how he & his Wife have stayed both safe & sane over the past year & half.
This is another of my "Rounding the corner" series of shows so, we do indeed talk about how awesome it feels to finally be coming out of the darkness & back into the light.
https://terrydraper.com/

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Cassius Khan & his family knew that he was a very gifted musician at a very early age.
He is one of the very few, if not the only classical Indian musicians who can play the Tabla & sing simultaneously.
When he was seven years old, he heard an Ellen McIlwaine record from his Father's Vinyl collection & was mesmerized by the Goddess of Slide guitar instantly.
After years of classical training in Indian music, in fact twenty years later he received a random phone call from Ellen herself who invited him to play a show with her.
This lead to a long term musical partnership between the two of them. Their Mystic Bridge album was nominated for a Juno award in 2007.
In this episode, we discuss Cassius' award winning personal musical journey & share his memories of Ellen.
https://www.cassiuskhan.com/

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In this, the second in our "Rounding the corner" series, I talk with the legendary Heavy Metal drummer from the iconic band Anvil.
We discussed where they were when the pandemic hit & how they managed to stay focused on their music throughout the duration of all the lockdowns etc..
We also talked about how the world is counting on as many people getting vaccinated as possible so that we can get back to some sense of normal.
Anvil has completed pre production on a brand new album & they have plans to start touring again. Let's just hope that the naysayers, conspiracy theorists & anti Vaxxers don't blow it for the rest of us!

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Jonathan Holiff, the son of Saul Holiff who managed Johnny Cash through the Country music legend's most prolific years was already an established member of the television production elite. And when he uncovered his late Father's artifacts & memorabilia in a storage locker, he knew that he had something special. The 2012 award winning, globally distributed documentary "My Father & the Man in black" was the end result of his discovery.
Recently more historical gems about Johnny Cash's career under Saul Holiff's watch have been uncovered.
In this episode we discuss the new documentary in the works with the working title "When Johnny Cash got his Moose".
This is the tale of how so much of the Country music Icon's career resulted from his time spent in Canada.

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John McGale was a huge influence on me growing up in the same neighbourhood in North Bay, Ontario. He was 3 years older than me & already playing in tight bands by the time he was 12 or 13 years old. Us younger kids would flock to the basement windows of the house where John & his earliest bands would rehearse. They were like our own local Beatles in a way. I got to know John a little early on, because I was the kid who played his guitar on the front steps of my Grandmother's house & John was always attracted to all things musical, so he would sometimes stop by & give me a tip or two. When I entered high school, John was the school's social convenor, not only responsible for booking bands like Crowbar, Fludd, Foot in cold water etc. to play our dances, he also organized our annual talent shows, which I allways took part in. He connected me with one of the first drummers I played with among other things. A few years after high school John had already hit the bright lights seeking his fame & fortune & we would hang out, bar hopping etc., whenever we were both home for Christmas or whatever.
John is mostly known for his role as guitarist & manager of Quebec band Offenbach.
He's also played with many other notable acts including the Buzz Band which he formed with bandmates Breen Lebeuf & Jerry Mercer of April Wine fame.
In this episode we discuss the difficulty of being a full time musician during Covid-19 & how it feels to finally see a light at the end of this very dark tunnel.
John met his untimely demise in a car crash on his way home from doing what he did & loved best, playing music on his 65th birthday.
I'm re releasing this interview in his memory. R.I.P. John McGale

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