Let's Rock with Eric Martin of Mr. Big

Back to the 80s Radio - Special Guest: Eric Martin from Mr. Big!

Get ready for an unforgettable episode of Back to the 80s Radio! Today, we’re turning the dial up to 11 as we welcome a true icon of 80s rock: Eric Martin, lead singer of the legendary band Mr. Big! From their chart-topping anthem "To Be With You" to electrifying rock ballads that still resonate today, Eric takes us on a journey through the golden era of glam, hard rock, and soaring harmonies.

Join Toscano and The Chang as they dive into Eric's memories of the 80s, his rise to fame, backstage stories, and how Mr. Big’s music continues to inspire generations. It’s a backstage pass to the decade that rocked the world.Tune in, crank up the volume, and let’s go Back to the 80s! 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/back-to-the-80s-radio--5883226/support.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You remember the first time you tried these games, space
cap buck with practice con y'all. See when you first
tried coke, you said no, thank you, but hey, hey,
let's try and coke again, because once you got that
new wave taste, you want to try it again and
again and again. Practice apciate, catch the way of the coca.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm shouting Stevens, and you must listen
to Back to the Eighties Radio. It's the law.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Now.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
I lean into my uh into my headphones. I'm gonna
tell you something, Justice brothers, I love to hate and
how dared you put it on the radio?

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Who said that?

Speaker 4 (01:15):
Ladies and gentleman, This is the time to introduce to
you a man. But before we do that, this is
the one and only Back to the Eighties Radio show.
And I got introduced to you a man who thinks
he's tougher than a Zodi's leather jacket. He is louder

(01:36):
than a Marshall Stack cranked up to eleven, and angrier
than d Snyder being told to done it down. He
is the heavyweight champion of metal elitism and the undisputed
hater of anything with too many sins. The man who
believes that winger is only acceptable if you play it backwards,

(01:58):
and it spells metal fools, because beneath that tough headbanging
exterior lies a gentle little lamb who secretly cries during
Miles Away and knows everywhere to mister Mister's broken wings. Yes,
ladies and gentlemen, he may sneer at New Wave and

(02:19):
call power ballads the betrayal of the rift. We've caught
him air drumming to be with you in the parking lot.
Give it up the metal maestro with a secret soft
spot for glam rock love songs. The Chang. How do
you like that intro that lasted five minutes?

Speaker 3 (02:38):
Wow?

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Wow, it almost feels as devastating as Mike Tyson must
have felt when he realized he has to take a
knee to that woosy Jake Paul yet flattering in a
bad way, and so many fictitious statements I could have worn.

(03:00):
I was watching Fox News Richard Nixon, Donald Trump, Hulk Hogan,
and Howard Cosell at the same time. Because the magnetoth
of hate that you threw at me, I have to say, sir,
I am both applauding you and discrediting you.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
You tell me which is better speaking knowing being Howard Cosell.

Speaker 4 (03:25):
Yes, I figured that well, ladies and gentlemen. As we mentioned,
this is the one and the lead back to the
eighties radio, and we do have a great show despite
all the hate you just heard.

Speaker 5 (03:38):
Ow Wow the liver broke, the blood look and the desert.
Oh how the RecA Bob steam boy, Bob, pase.

Speaker 6 (03:57):
Samna pay the rent. I'm gonna pay our check.

Speaker 7 (04:09):
The time passed out, I t some.

Speaker 8 (04:14):
Back along step let's get it done. I can't think
that's when I'm this.

Speaker 7 (04:36):
And I don't recee while the man side balance.

Speaker 6 (04:44):
I couldn't think that's when another bon.

Speaker 7 (04:52):
I don't we see why the man side b.

Speaker 9 (05:00):
Time has come to say best Bab to pay the
fat nap to play up, shut up.

Speaker 5 (05:18):
The foul stab a pop to some from tent Topies
by Young the Western Desert Lives, Sa breeze forty five degrees.

Speaker 7 (05:35):
Chin pastop the same as Bab.

Speaker 8 (05:42):
To pay the rent, pay sham the time passtop a
fath alongst Let's give it back. I three, That's when

(06:12):
I'm the sn I see why my.

Speaker 10 (06:20):
Beads a.

Speaker 7 (06:26):
P look you, that's.

Speaker 8 (06:27):
When another farding. I see why my beads at.

Speaker 7 (06:42):
Times side back.

Speaker 9 (06:46):
The body lest somebody else shut the.

Speaker 6 (06:50):
Time best pop a backsta the lost.

Speaker 11 (06:55):
That when I give it back, you can dispense with

(07:38):
the pleasantries. You're listening to Tscano and Chain. You don't
know the power of Back to the eighties.

Speaker 12 (08:17):
Harry Ruman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnny Ray Superser, The
Gotter Wincher, Jodi Maggio, John McCauley, Richard Mister Student Baker Television, North.

Speaker 13 (08:27):
Korea, South Korea.

Speaker 14 (08:28):
Marrilan Borrow, Rosenberg's Asparay Permun John Randall, The King and
I and the Catcher in the Right, Eisenhower Vaccine, England's
got a new queen biotic satire by start.

Speaker 6 (08:51):
The fire, there was all this is the worst time
we start.

Speaker 14 (09:00):
We beIN band the Trigon Science Joseph Stalin, Allen can
and that's the River Company of Rocabella Cappandella, Communist Block,
Roy conn One, Bonn.

Speaker 15 (09:11):
Fuscanini, Dang Clunkin.

Speaker 16 (09:13):
Then footballs rock around the Clark Einstein, James Deen, Brookns
got Away, the team Dating Bucket, Peter bad Vispdy This
day like Bondo, Bood depend.

Speaker 8 (09:25):
Alabama, Bruise Chap and print his mat pricking my shopper
in the show very start the time. That's all this
man is the master turn we needed to start the fire.
We did n the trick to ban al right pass
the night.

Speaker 17 (09:45):
Mickey Man of Carol spotted in the showing the brand
on the River an shot to go California Baseball start
for the homicide Children of the Little Mind.

Speaker 9 (10:00):
He had in space Monkey Mupia.

Speaker 16 (10:03):
Bullo, Castro and lit Ano due to Simon great Tail
and Kennedy took me a side.

Speaker 8 (10:11):
Down the condo start the fire. It's always father and
sister of the time. We didn't start the fire, but
we isn't married and to trying to fight.

Speaker 9 (10:25):
And coming away a demonstrators in the strange.

Speaker 6 (10:29):
Landill and Berlin, Mediam.

Speaker 18 (10:31):
Bigs Engage and Flownce of the Rabia, British Beetlemady of
Old Miss John Glenn Diston Bean's palliser for all Malcolm
ex British politicians as.

Speaker 6 (10:43):
JFK blown away. What us do I have to say
to start the fire.

Speaker 7 (10:49):
Was always father and sister siland.

Speaker 15 (10:53):
We didn't start to find him.

Speaker 13 (10:55):
Don't be dead night.

Speaker 6 (10:57):
But we're trying to fight, but.

Speaker 18 (10:59):
The Sochi then you Jim Nixon back again, mood Shot
with stock Water game from the Rock Picking Ring and
Palestine Terror.

Speaker 7 (11:08):
On the Airline, Iatoleus.

Speaker 13 (11:10):
And the rat Russians in Afghanistan.

Speaker 18 (11:12):
We're the button Salad Rider in the Suicide Foreign Death,
Pomus ben Ains Cracking Bernie and Hypodermics on the shore
Chinas on.

Speaker 6 (11:21):
The Martial Law, the Roller Color Wars, I can't start
the bio was all the fuss.

Speaker 7 (11:31):
Long time we start the vile men still.

Speaker 19 (11:46):
Start the file. Stop stop.

Speaker 6 (12:06):
Stop stop.

Speaker 4 (12:14):
Back to the eighties radio. You heard the One and
Only Billy Joel with we Didn't Start the Fire. Before that,
we heard Beds Are Burning from Midnight Oil nineteen eighty
seven album with these fiery themes in chang As. You know,
people join us today. We've got a sad state of
affair going on in the state of California where we reside,

(12:36):
and people all over the world know what's going on here.
We're basically losing Los Angeles to fire.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
So my heart goes out to everybody in my hometown
of Los Angeles, California. Stand tight, stand together, be there
for each other, and remember, we will get through this,
because if we don't, then if we have no one
else to blame but ourselves and the people we put
in charge of us.

Speaker 4 (13:01):
Yeah, don't forget. If you do find yourself in a
situation where you can do your best to help out,
do that and don't crust anything that you know is
in koher. Always go to the trusted sources like American
Red Cross. We know the hardships that everybody's going through,
and our hearts and souls go with you, even though

(13:24):
there are no correct words to say when you lose
people that you love and all your possessions.

Speaker 2 (13:30):
You know what, Let's give a special shout out to
everybody out there fighting the fires, whatever form it is.
If you're working at the campsites where people are having
to come and stay, if you're working with the Red Cross,
or you firefighters balls out right now in front of it,
your families, shout out to you.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
You are the heroes.

Speaker 2 (13:49):
No one talks about anybody that has been devastated or
on the worry of devastation. Hey, shout out to you.
You can get through this. And remember Tuskana. One thing
before we end this topic. Anybody out there who is
doing okay and have things that they can do. You know,
it would mean a lot more than going on social

(14:10):
media and giving some prayer hands and some care hands
or a heart or a gift of sadness. You know,
if you folks out there have stuff in your garage
and your closets that you don't need. Families are going
to need kids clothing, Families are going to need kitchen housewares.
Families are going to need blanket sheets, possibly old beds.

(14:32):
Families are going to need shoes. You know, families are
going to need everything. It takes that you look around
in your house that you have the double of the amount,
so you know what, give a care out there, because
it's going to go a long way. That's all I
got to say, Tuscano.

Speaker 4 (14:48):
Well, on that note, ladies and gentlemen, the show continues
here back to the Eighties Radio and giving out our
email in case you want to write to us let
us know a topic that you'd like for us to
discuss the in near future. Go ahead and do that
at back the number two the Eighties Radio at gmail
dot com, and you can also visit our social media.

(15:08):
You guys know where to find us. All over the world.
We want to thank you guys for taking your time
and listen to back to the eighties radio. We've got
a great show tonight, because tonight we're going to be
interviewing a very very amazing front man from a band.

Speaker 3 (15:22):
It's a big show.

Speaker 4 (15:23):
It's a big show, big music. We're going to be
interviewing Eric Martin from the the Los Angeles eighties band
Mister Big. That's right. If you want to hear Eric
Martin from the band Mister Big, don't go away.

Speaker 6 (16:10):
Storm good beds, guys, really cool in a jail, the road.

Speaker 15 (16:20):
And legs come crash into.

Speaker 7 (16:24):
The ground, comasize, the falling stops, the wall sens.

Speaker 6 (16:35):
We love a man out the side of bringing the.

Speaker 7 (16:45):
Shops down in a noms.

Speaker 6 (16:57):
Out of another time job So talking talk to come
by a man, joins amrall Son of the.

Speaker 1 (17:27):
Chal co.

Speaker 7 (17:31):
Ill Way the stars to John.

Speaker 6 (17:37):
Man, So John take the ship, John.

Speaker 7 (17:44):
How my son's listening?

Speaker 6 (17:54):
Shot so that out and buck so that.

Speaker 13 (19:10):
We don't spot.

Speaker 6 (19:14):
Let's all get.

Speaker 20 (19:18):
The foe lands with the tubers of fence.

Speaker 13 (19:22):
Oh time, so good.

Speaker 6 (19:26):
By you, in said by you and sad when the
sans comes to the.

Speaker 7 (19:32):
Side, said the message when on the wall, so.

Speaker 6 (19:39):
I tay got to the side.

Speaker 10 (19:44):
Pass, but SA down and another say lock out.

Speaker 6 (19:58):
Time the mo.

Speaker 4 (20:34):
You probably don't know how much words can hurt, but
cyberbullying is real. Whether it's in person or behind the screen,
just a comment or an unnecessary share, words can hurt us.
All words can affect lives. Words can even end lives.
This message has been brought to you by your friends

(20:55):
at care at the eighties cruise. Go to the eighties
Cruise dot com for more information.

Speaker 21 (21:34):
Where a mother of the young guy mom said to
me what a woman gets herself and never shake a
free I don't part of war that.

Speaker 6 (21:44):
A suple side got a fan of funny at fixed
a lens.

Speaker 13 (21:53):
Such the human size.

Speaker 7 (21:57):
Slap slap.

Speaker 22 (22:01):
When I'm far to cut up and don't sure.

Speaker 8 (22:05):
Then I get shoot rush every time went us it
was kidding noose. I one did get two that I said,
you look bound.

Speaker 6 (22:21):
I knock up there.

Speaker 22 (22:22):
I got your Dada says pretty well, and he have me.

Speaker 6 (22:27):
Ain't got time race you call? Then I find no
pity till my class on the town. Then I just died.
I'm walking back.

Speaker 13 (22:36):
Last she took the sheep inside it.

Speaker 6 (22:44):
Stop gonde t buy my when I'm free to cut
up and.

Speaker 8 (22:50):
Don't said I you shoes rush every time with rush,
it was kidding enough warm.

Speaker 6 (22:59):
I didn't do that right, And we tell the.

Speaker 15 (23:04):
Church they wore and as.

Speaker 7 (23:07):
About didn't do that.

Speaker 13 (23:28):
Why she's such a demon?

Speaker 6 (23:29):
Say I thought of love.

Speaker 15 (23:51):
Perhaps I could ride.

Speaker 10 (23:58):
Willn't go with that.

Speaker 13 (24:00):
A body starts way.

Speaker 10 (24:06):
Can do them rast.

Speaker 15 (24:11):
Until it can't.

Speaker 5 (24:15):
Do them.

Speaker 15 (24:19):
Now, I never getting.

Speaker 7 (24:25):
What the human fast.

Speaker 6 (24:38):
They can do that fast, but.

Speaker 16 (24:40):
They can do that.

Speaker 6 (24:42):
They can do the worst, but they can do the best.
They can do them rast. They can do it rast,
they can't do it fast.

Speaker 2 (25:16):
Welcome back to back to the eighties radio with Tuscano
and Chang. That was Tesla with Modern Day Cowboy off
the LP Mechanical Residence, followed up by Oh No other
than It's.

Speaker 4 (25:29):
A big, big, big big show, Mister Big.

Speaker 2 (25:32):
Addicted to that Rush also nineteen eighty nine with their
debut self titled album Mister Big.

Speaker 4 (25:41):
All right, ladies and gentlemen, we've got a special treat
for you before our special guest comes on board, and
that is we've got that trivial question all the day,
if you guess the trivia question of the day. Correctly,
you're going to win yourself a back to the Eighties

(26:01):
Radio T shirt. You need to listen to the entire
interview that we're gonna have right now with Eric Martin
from Mister Big, and you might hear the answer to
the following trivia question. Now, are you guys ready?

Speaker 11 (26:16):
All right?

Speaker 17 (26:16):
Here we go.

Speaker 4 (26:17):
This is the trivia question and it's up to you
to let us know via our email and you're going
to write in at back the number two the Eighties
Radio at gmail dot com. And the question is what
year was their hit song to be with You written?
First person who writes in and lets us know will

(26:37):
go ahead and win that prize. So that's our trivia
question for the day. And now the moment you've all
been waiting for, we have the man, the myth and
the legend, And unlike chang In myself, it's not in
his own mind. This is the one and only Eric
Martin from Mister Big, joining us from a beautiful city

(27:01):
of what Eric, Where are you? Where are you at?

Speaker 1 (27:03):
I live in.

Speaker 3 (27:03):
Marin County, about twenty five miles from San Francisco the
Goldigate Bridge. I live up in the mountains, a lot
of trees. The ocean is maybe that way, and it's

(27:24):
really beautiful here. But I don't spend a lot of
time here because I traveled a lot. I've been around
the world and a Yai yai maybe two or three
times this year with my band.

Speaker 4 (27:39):
Mister Big and a little band named mister Big.

Speaker 3 (27:44):
That mister Big. Yeah, actually we're on our our big
finish tour. It's a it's it's almost gone for two
years now, and when it's over, it's over. It's not
we're not going to hang on and more power to
him to it don't matter what they call it, and
you can snicker and go farewell to you. I've been

(28:04):
to the tenth farewell to it doesn't matter. It's you know,
they keep coming back. Every time they want to quit,
they keep coming back. Right, well, mister Big, it'll be over.
We don't want to cops all sound. I had a lawyer,
Arthur around the table say, you know, we should audit
all the record. We're not going to tour more. That's
just the way too. And short. I didn't almost hate

(28:28):
to be with you till four years and hopefully that
play one or two show and I didn't leave your couch.
Any something happens, but it's normans royalties and performance. It
will just be chaoffs and all that, you know, small
or something. You know, I got another apartment something like that.
Probably the same as you. Again, they probably it always

(28:52):
you have to struggle right up with it for a
really long time because well, I mean, I'm mainly here
to be with you. You know, it becomes kind of
embarrassing sometimes. You know, you go into a bar to
have a beer and you're sitting there and it's like
and if somebody recognized you, mainly you know, the manager
of the club or something, and you're like, oh my god, right,

(29:16):
it just feels a little gatchy. But I a couple
times everybody says they hear it, and I never hear it.
But a couple of times I've heard addict to that
rush on the radio in the car. And when I
say a couple of times, like ten years, twenty years,
I mean I've only heard it a few times. When

(29:37):
it came out in nineteen eighty nine, I heard of
it a lot, and I was so proud of myself
and proud of the band, and I this sounds like
a movie, but the first time I heard it, I
was driving over the Golden Gate Bridge and it was just,
you know, Alcatraz to my right, the fairlongs to the left,

(30:00):
and here I am listening to Dick that rush.

Speaker 2 (30:02):
It was.

Speaker 3 (30:03):
It was a pretty amazing moment. I still remember those days.
I mean, if you're you know, my memory hasn't done
that bad, but I remember nineteen eighty nine.

Speaker 4 (30:15):
So Eric, every time you hear to be with you,
whether it's outside, it's at a restaurant or a bar
or whatever, it's got to be like when you go
to a guitar center and you hear Stairway to Heaven
being played.

Speaker 3 (30:27):
Right, people play it. I'm asked to play it all
the time, like I'm going to do something. In twenty
twenty five, I got back to back tours again, but
not mister big. It's solo stuff and I'm part of
a rock opera in Europe. But I'm going to do
something called Rock Legends. Clever Name Now Joe Lenn Turner,

(30:49):
Paul Shartino from Quiet Rightight Now, and Mark Starachi lead
singer from a band called Crocus. Very you know metal
but mainly European stars on it. But it's rock. You
know you're talking quiet right. Joe was in Rainbow and

(31:13):
Deep Purple, and they go, we would like you to
play to be with you. I'm like, come what what?
And I love singing to be with you? Don't even
go there when people go, oh, do you still like
to play more than words? Nuno and Gary? Do you
still like playing love song? Jeff Keith from Jessla Eric
Martin and I feel like I'm chang right now talking

(31:36):
to the third person. But Eric Martin loves singing to
be with you no matter what, hanging out with all
these rock dudes singing, you know, oh baby baby, it's
a what I'm the one? Who what's Jesus?

Speaker 4 (31:50):
Come on, man, They've got others, ladies and gentlemen. They've
got others. You know you mentioned. And now I'm going
to go back to this because it has something to
do with to be with You. Now, this is of
course back to the eighties, so mainly we want to
talk about stuff in the eighties.

Speaker 3 (32:06):
To Be with You was actually written at sixteen years old.
I had help writing part of it in nineteen eighty eight,
like around that time, maybe even a little earlier. And
so it's still in the eighties. So when I wrote
to Be with You, I was just trying to impress

(32:28):
my sister's girlfriends. I didn't even think of anything about,
you know, getting a record deal. But yeah, I rewrote
it nineteen eighty eight, I think eighty seven eighty eight,
with a guy named David Graham, who really helped out
a lot. I mean, my version was still the same melodies,

(32:49):
same lyrics, but he came with a couple cool Beatle
esque moments to it. When it goes after the solo
dah da dah dad and all that stuff, it modulates
like the Beatles used to do and added a few
words and it just made it, you know, a lot better.

(33:11):
So and anyway, first time I said that, by the way, yeah,
he actually helped out quite a bit. Well, you'd never
know when somebody's going to come over, hey, could you?

Speaker 2 (33:21):
Hey?

Speaker 3 (33:21):
Aren't you that guy?

Speaker 2 (33:23):
You know?

Speaker 3 (33:23):
It used to be where I got it. I got
to tell you this really quick story when when I
joined me and me and Billy she and started Mister Big,
and then Paul Gilbert came and then Pat Torpy and
our first tour in nineteen eighty nine were travel around
the United States and nobody knew who me and Pat were,

(33:44):
or kind of Paul maybe you know a few people
that might have seen racer Rex in La, you know,
but everybody knew who Billy Shean was. So so, you know,
there's a loading dock at the you know, in the
back of the club usually in the and the crews
loading the gear out, and I'm back there just kind

(34:05):
of looking at the fans and they're going, hey, hey,
you're the singer. Dude, you're you're the singer. I'm like
Eric Martin. I'm like, we don't care. Hey, where's Billy
she And where's Paul Gilbert and uh? And then you know,
to be with you comes out and this happened once,

(34:26):
and I embellish and I tell the story. It happens
all the time, but it happened once where this guy
comes up to me and he goes, hey, you're and
I'm like, Eric Martin, he goes to be with you guy.
So you know, it's a curse and a and a
and a and a beautiful thing.

Speaker 2 (34:44):
You know, we know that a good friend of the band,
mister Herbie Herbert, your manager, what did he mean when
he told you, kats say, good body, your families.

Speaker 3 (34:53):
The Herbie Herbert story. So Herbie Herbert managed Journey and
I and Herbie managed me and as a solo artist
back in nineteen eighty three, I was on Elektra Records
and it was the Eric Martin Band, and he got
me a deal on Capitol Records as a solo artist
in eighty five to about eighty seven, and then managed

(35:16):
mister Big and he I played him to Be with
You over the years, and he always felt like it
was a hit. And when we had, you know, we
did our first album, and I'm glad we didn't do
To Be with You on the first album. It just
wouldn't have you know, it just I don't think it
would have blown, you know. And we caught the public
on a good day putting that ballot out. But Herbie

(35:40):
pushed the hell out of it to Atlantic Records. They
were gonna they wanted to say it's over, you know,
lean into an album. I mean, after all those songs,
I mean, there were some great songs on it, Green
cint At Sixties, Mine, Daddy Brother Alive and kick In.
There was some really good songs that you build a
career on a band like this, you know, you have

(36:03):
a vision. If you're anybody worth your assault in a
record company going, you know, these guys can write songs.
They're virtuosos. Look at the dynamic duo of Billy Shanna,
Paul Gilbert, Pat Torpy, amazing drummer Eric Martin. He's no slouch,
you know. You know, you'd think you'd build a career
on it. But they didn't. Hear to be with you.

(36:23):
And Herbie Herbert heard it, and he pushed for it
until it was number one. He made that happen. Just
Take My Heart was was a single that came out
after that, and it didn't go number one, but it
was like in I think in America, but in the

(36:45):
rest of the world. And then a long career. He said,
a place because you're going to be gone after you
know cliche. It is the gift that song and finally

(37:09):
put me on the map. Oh God, him quoting the
Billy Shean thing. He used to say stuff like, uh,
it puts stamps in our passport and you know all that.
Herbie Herbert, who passed away a couple of years ago,
was my mentor, almost like a father figure to me.
He wasn't just a manager. I mean like he would.

(37:30):
He was a musician too, as a song guy, and
he could like he booked the tours for Journey, He
booked the tours for mister Big, and he went on
to manage like hugely popular other you know bands, Steve Miller,
Rock Set Europe, even Enough's enough. He was my champion.

Speaker 2 (37:52):
We're going to take a break right here with Toscano
and change back to the eighties radio missed and we
were talking about to be with you, And here it
is for your ears.

Speaker 3 (38:02):
And your listening pleasure.

Speaker 6 (38:03):
Don't you go in hold on, little girl, show me work.

Speaker 10 (38:07):
He's turnting you.

Speaker 6 (38:09):
Stand up, little girl, broken.

Speaker 21 (38:13):
Hot, can't feed that back when and through heads through
fait betwist of.

Speaker 6 (38:19):
Both of you.

Speaker 23 (38:21):
So come on, David, come on over. Let the thing
you don't want to show you who's.

Speaker 6 (38:32):
Deep inside? Up your fee to two on the line.

Speaker 24 (38:42):
Line just to be the day to be with you, Bill,
you come be that so you can be on time
for once.

Speaker 22 (38:55):
Wait up, who cares about little boy?

Speaker 6 (38:59):
That not too much hass in it all go down?

Speaker 21 (39:04):
Came over psoffering down to come on, baby, come on over.

Speaker 6 (39:10):
Let me be the one to her over lost world.

Speaker 15 (39:17):
Yeah, keep inside out.

Speaker 8 (39:20):
Your fee too too on the line when list cats
as STUPI the nest to be with you.

Speaker 23 (39:36):
Whippy below we can be together the baby you can
make my luck with wile I can make.

Speaker 10 (39:45):
You stop to smile.

Speaker 6 (40:10):
When it's true, it's true, thad be.

Speaker 21 (40:13):
Twist no, both of you come on there, come on out,
but letting me be the one to show you the
one who wants to be with.

Speaker 6 (40:27):
You the world inside out. You don't feel it too
on the line that just still be the nest to
be with you the woman, and shut up with your side.

(40:56):
Feel it's.

Speaker 10 (40:59):
A line.

Speaker 6 (41:00):
Wear it on my last cat Stull, be the nest
to be with you, Just to.

Speaker 10 (41:10):
Be the last to over ride.

Speaker 6 (41:31):
She can't go fa choking back way left.

Speaker 7 (41:39):
A dark boone, sound the toss bone, give me out.

Speaker 6 (41:51):
He gets a weak and.

Speaker 15 (41:55):
Says, jake out fast.

Speaker 6 (42:00):
You know it's off to the bay. Died day by
day than for him by day. Now got und until

(42:23):
you can jot snacking can take a brazy in the.

Speaker 7 (42:31):
Gop to had been drowned in their.

Speaker 6 (42:38):
Little half away can take the bird noise and dead
boys go out day what you got about it?

Speaker 10 (43:14):
By day.

Speaker 15 (43:19):
It comes.

Speaker 6 (43:37):
And that's a way.

Speaker 20 (43:39):
They don't say that the two Guns, though.

Speaker 6 (43:46):
Its time of new cat.

Speaker 8 (43:53):
To the mute, sell back and then take a breazy.

Speaker 25 (44:47):
Reality back in the indies radio you heard to Be
with You by Mister Big and after that thirty Days
in the Hole.

Speaker 4 (44:59):
If you're just joining, we've got Eric Martin from mister Big. Eric,
at what point did it really hit you that you'd
finally made it?

Speaker 3 (45:08):
I thought I made it ten times when I was
you know, about twenty three, maybe twenty four. Eric Martin band,
Sucker for a Pretty Face. I got a record deal
on Elektra, and I thought I had made it, and

(45:28):
we toured around the United States with it. It was
called Sucker for a Pretty Face. We were kind of
I'm not gonna We were a great rock and roll band.
We had two guitar players. I played keyboards and sang,
and we had another keyboard player and I was upfront
singer as well, bass player and drummer. We were really

(45:49):
good rock and roll band, but we were also kind
of like the poor Man's Night Ranger. They had already
they came out before us, and they had the same
kind of vibe. Anyway, we did great, and then the
record company fired five hundred people in their company. So
you know, I felt like I made it. A bunch
of tab Capitol records the same thing. And after that,

(46:14):
you know, it was only about a year maybe when
Billishian came calling me. But like at that time I
had some irons in the fire and I felt like
I was gonna make it, like so many times, and
then even mister Big, I mean, our first album didn't
go I mean it went gold after the record was

(46:38):
out and we were moving on to lean into it.
It went gold because it was just sat there, you know,
like somewhere and it probably went gold. But like, I
don't even think I have a gold album from the
first album. I was skeptical too, you know, because I
kind of went, oh, man, I've had so many chances
and somebody goes, you're gonna make it. I just have
a feeling. I was like, don't chase it.

Speaker 19 (46:59):
You know.

Speaker 3 (47:01):
We were at a funky little club called Finkies at
Daytona Beach in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was one of
those bars. It was kind of like a wet bar
where it's kind of the back of it's open to
the ocean, sand and sort's like a lot of wet
feet and then on the front, you know, it's like

(47:23):
peanut shells on the ground. You know, it's like funky.
And we get there to the club. You know, it's
just like a routine every you know, we're we're on
this lean into a tour and we're doing good, right,
and we had to be with you was on the
the on MTV, but not heavy rotation at all. They
play it like, you know, a couple of times three

(47:43):
o'clock in the morning or something. But we walked into
the place. All the gear a you know, funky gear
is on the stage and there's no manager or there's
no sound man there. Excuse me, we're there that we
there that early. We get in, we're helping the crew
and taking stuff off. Well, I didn't do shit, you know,

(48:06):
I'm a singer. I don't do I don't lift. I'm like,
d D, what am I gonna do? Like how many
times have I heard this? We got it just could
sit down. I went in the back and I was
playing this pinball machine and had this big screen and
it was MTV and I'm like, they go, okay now
from mister big and I'm like, oh, cool. You know,
I don't think I've ever seen it on MTV. I

(48:29):
mean I've been on the road, you know. And then
they go, yeah, the number one video on MTV, and
I'm like, I couldn't wait to finish this game and
go tell the guys he and then the guy says,
and the number one song in the country, because I mean, like,
does mister Big, does any band from that eighties and
nineties or whatever even read Billboard Magazine? Please, We're like

(48:52):
looking at Cream and Circus and well that's the seventies,
but like you know what I mean, Hip Parader and
whatever came out in the eighties. But and then I
was like, doing one of these we're number what, number
one in the country. And I told the guys of
the band and it came up to him. I go, guys,
can I talk to you? And they're like, what, you know,
the same guess who I met? Oh yeah, And this

(49:16):
is how I said it too, because I'm trying to
make get a momentum. And I go, guys, we're number
one on MTV. And Pat Torpy's there, you know, putting
on his drum shoes or whatever, and he goes, woh,
that's cool. And I go and we're number one in
the country and everybody's like Billy and Paul was like,
holy kidding, you're kidding me. Pat's like, I did you

(49:40):
just say? We were beaming because we've been on the
road back to back since eighty nine. Now it's not
that long, but still back to back. Harley anytime coming
home and we're looking around and we're at Finky's and we're,

(50:00):
oh my god, we're gonna probably you know this. We
we I don't know. We had like big dreams. Everybody
was like, going, I'm gonna buy a car, I'm going
to do that. I was like, I'm gonna buy one
of those cell phones. That came out to me. Was
a really exciting moment. And then that night at Finkey's
line around the block. A couple of days later or

(50:22):
a couple of weeks later, we're playing these big theaters
and we're not We're not opening anybody. We're not. It
was just evening with mister Big and then we got
picked up for the Rush tour.

Speaker 2 (50:37):
But ye chang here I got to ask you a
question upon this journey. You guys in Barton, what was
the biggest part of the journey and the hardest part
for you.

Speaker 3 (50:47):
Way before mister Big started coming together, I was I
either I had an apartment and then I lost it,
and then I had to go live with my dad twice.
So I was on the couch, you know. You know, hey, Eric,
you got to make your couch in the morning, you know,
pillow and the blanket in the whole bed.

Speaker 12 (51:08):
It was.

Speaker 2 (51:08):
It was.

Speaker 3 (51:09):
It was rough. And even in mister Big, the making
the record, you know, no, not making the record, got
making the demos and getting record companies to come and
see us doing showcases and they all passed. They go,
we don't get it, you know, I don't. Atlantic Records

(51:29):
finally showed up and they you know, and they signed us. Yeah.
Everything was a struggle. I mean I didn't make Harley
any Doe. Oh dude, this this, this is a classic.
I had a publishing deal for like thirty five thousand
bucks and it's like, wow, No, I had to live

(51:50):
on that thing for about a year. When to when
even like lean into it and to be with you
came out and all that kind of stuff. I had
a lawyer at the time say, you know, we should
audit the record company. I'm like, don't do that, don't
do that, and blah blah blah. Long story short. I
didn't get paid to be with you till four years

(52:12):
after the record came out. How about that? Yeah, And
I lived, I didn't live on the couch anymore, and
I performance royalties and I not performance payoffs and all that,
and I you know, I think I got another apartment
or something like that, probably the same apartment. You know,
they probably staved it for me. It always has been

(52:34):
a struggle for for a really long time. I mean, look,
when I finally did get paid and then the careers
started taking off, there was great. But I've had a
lot of ups and downs moments, even when you're you're
on MTV and and oh yeah, everybody thinks you're rich.
I got better food when I was on the road,
you know, like I come home and I'm refrigerators empty.

Speaker 2 (52:57):
You know, it was.

Speaker 3 (52:58):
I wasn't homeless, but was it was. It was a struggle.
And I'm getting older and I'm like going, oh man,
what's going on here? Before Billy Sheon called me and
this was like in eighty eight, I had Electra jumped
the Eric Martin ben That was a long time ago.
Capitol records drop me, and I was like, now what

(53:19):
do I do? Do I go back to the bars
and whatever? And I remember, and this might sound funny
to people, but I'm actually a good friend with this
gentleman that I'm gonna mention. But I had some agents
that said, Okay, we're going to turn you into the
next Michael Bolton, and you're going to be a solo
guy and you're going to be playing this ballads and
smartiest steps.

Speaker 1 (53:38):
You know.

Speaker 3 (53:39):
I was thinking smarmy at the time, but not really.
Michael Bolton had a great career, you know, doing was
he was a rock and roll guy back in the
early eighties, and then you know, he went on to
be like people say, Michael Boublelet, but there was a
Michael Bolton first, you know. But anyway, and he's great,
He's a super cool guy. I didn't want to be

(54:01):
the next Michael. I didn't want to be the next anybody.

Speaker 16 (54:03):
You know.

Speaker 3 (54:04):
It's either I'm gonna be Eric Martin or I'm going
to go back to the bars and play in the
own hometown and try to get that big following in
a small pond thing. Again. You know, I didn't want
to quit. I was thinking, man, I got to keep
doing this. Yeah, that's the sad part, just trying to

(54:24):
keep going. That's actually not the sad part. Every little
obstacle was an experience for me, you know, and gave
me a you know, a hard rock coating, you know, basically,
and made me stronger and able to leave tall buildings
in a single bount.

Speaker 4 (54:43):
We all have a favorite thing from the nineteen eighties?

Speaker 19 (54:48):
What was yours?

Speaker 4 (54:49):
What's your favorite part of all of the eighties. It
could be anything. It could be your music, it could
be others music. It could be movies, it could be
I think it could be anything. What was your favorite
part of the eighties.

Speaker 3 (55:00):
Well, I was younger, and I had like really cool
long hair, and I had and I loved I've been
married twice, I was courting those girls, you know, back
in the eighties, you know, So I loved every minute
of it. I could do without all the drama that
with some of it. But oh, I love the clothes.

(55:25):
Oh my god. I So I'm packing to go to
Japan in about three days, right and I'm searching the
closet for all the stuff that I haven't worn yet,
and I found this sort of you know, one of
those kind of suction zip block bags that you put
old clothes in and I'm like, she gotta pull it out.
And I In nineteen eighty three, I was in I

(55:48):
had the Eric Martin band on Elektra, and I saved
the clothes that I did like an MTV. They only man,
they only played it, you know, twenty times. Maybe I
was so that was my big luck right there. But
I found the clothes that I wore, and like, first
of all, so skinny, I mean size twenty two maybe,

(56:12):
And now I'm not anymore anyway. But I love the clothes.
I love the hairstyles. I mean, yeah, I had a mullet.
I had a mullet once, although I didn't call it
a mullet. I call it a bono. It was like
in the name of love things. It was like, it's
not a mullet, it's a bono or whatever. Stripes pants.

(56:33):
You don't see those anymore. Striped pants back in the day.
I remember that and big huge metal belts, and we
weren't playing metal. It was like pop, well I was.
Most of the bands I was in were more like
ude heavy, but like power pop kind of bands. Parachute pants, oh,
my god, I rocked my parachute pants capezios and we're

(56:55):
so poor too. Coupezios were like these. It looked like
a ballet shoe that a lot of rock and roll
guys wore. I think I saw Rick Springfield wearing them,
and I'm like, oh, I got to have it. So
I wore it to every gig, but I couldn't afford
another pair, so I just like when it got scuffed up,
I just took white out and just whited out. So
I have this awesome eighty story. It's my first gig,

(57:19):
first big gig. It's nineteen eighty three, and it's before
Eric Martin band in nineteen eighty three. It was nineteen
eighty Actually this is when this happened. A band called
four one five from La the area go to San Francisco.
It was pretty much the same band, different drummer. So

(57:40):
we're playing at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium and it's man,
I think my my family took me to see the
Harlem Globetrotters there. I mean, I was like, it was
so long ago, but it was. It was heritage type place,
a legendary place. And we're opening to Rick Springfield, which

(58:02):
was kind of a hero of mine back in the eighties.
And we play the gig screaming girls never heard that before,
very beatlesque, very shay stadiums outing.

Speaker 16 (58:12):
You know.

Speaker 3 (58:13):
And so after the show, Oh, let me tell you
what I was wearing. So I'm wearing kpezios again, white out,
you know on the shoe, and then purple pants I
don't know where that came from. And a pac Man
shirt and it could have been a misspac Man shirt.
I thought it was hip and had a kind of shaggy,
kind of chopped up hair, maybe a little bit of

(58:35):
a rat tail. And I go outside and there's like
one hundred girls and they're still screaming, and they want
my autograph. And I hadn't signed my autograph for anyone
ever except you know, like on my school book at
school and over everything. My mom goes, Eric, are you here.
I'm like, you know, anyway, I'm signing all these autographs

(59:00):
and they're going, oh God, you're great, I love you you.
And I hear this horn hawk it's like popp and
it's my mother and she goes, Eric, let's go, we're
going home. Let's go. It is the funniest thing ever.
I'm like, well, look at this, I'm a star. You know.
That was one of the million times I thought I

(59:21):
made it too, you know, looking back on it, it
was I felt like it did. Who cares if I
didn't make it?

Speaker 10 (59:28):
Then?

Speaker 3 (59:28):
Man, I felt like I made it.

Speaker 2 (59:30):
Brother man, Which out of all the albums you guys
created in mister Big, is your most favorite and you
hold closest to your heart.

Speaker 3 (59:39):
Yeah, my first album in nineteen eighty three, Sucker for
a Pretty Face. I'm really proud of that record. It
sounds amazing. Kevin Elson produced it. He produced all those
great Journey records, all the ones with all the you know,
huge shits on him. I did it in Doraville, Georgia

(01:00:02):
with Oh God. It was Kevin Elson and Rodney Mills
who had done the Atlanta Rhythms section, and he worked
with Leonard Skinner guys for years. He's he's worked on
so many records. But it's really good songs from the
for the Day and it sounds amazing. And I we

(01:00:22):
did a cover of Stopping the Name of Love but
like heavier, you know, and those guys that were in
that band. It was I mean, it was Dave Jacobson,
the keyboard player, Mark Ross guitar player, and Tom Duke
bass player, but the lead guitar player, john Nyman, he

(01:00:42):
for the last I think it's sixteen years, maybe longer.
He's been in the band yan T and then the
drummer Troylketta was in Tesla. You know Pete Well and
then Eric Martin. He's no slouch. He got in that
band mister Big, and so we did do something eventually,

(01:01:03):
but I'm really proud of that Sucker record. And then
later on in life, and I loved all the records
that I was part of, but later on in life,
even after all the records we've ever done, Lean into
It by mister Big was was my favorite. Not just
because they had the hits on it. It was just

(01:01:24):
another Kevin Elson again, you know he was he had
the Midas touch.

Speaker 4 (01:01:31):
So Eric, now we're going to take it down a
few notches, maybe go a little bit on the sad note.
But we all know the unfortunate passing of Pat and
obviously that affected the entire band. It affected you personally,
but did it affect you on a professional level as

(01:01:51):
far as your participation with mister Big and you're either
your singing at some point or your songwriting.

Speaker 3 (01:01:58):
I don't think so. I think I've done the same
ever since. I know, I felt, you know, life is short,
and I did you know when Pat Torpi passed away,
it was we were in a weird headspace as a
band because he was we felt so bad for him.

(01:02:21):
He was sick for a really long time. He had
Parkinson's and it just other things, complications and everything. And
we had taken him on the road with us, you know,
we had we had to get a sub drummer, this
gentleman named Matt Starr, great drummer. He played with us,
and Pat played like a cocktailed kid on the side.

(01:02:42):
He had to come with us. We were going to quit,
We're going to not ever play again. If Pat said,
I just don't want to and even thanked us for
you could you could feel it every night, going, man,
I'm so glad I'm out here and that you know,
willowing Way at home just you know, dealing with my illness.

(01:03:05):
But I don't know about songwriting, but I but my
whole vibe changed. Yeah, Like I said, we were in
a weird band headspace for a long time. And then
when he when he came out on the road with us,

(01:03:26):
it changed us. We became really we were tighter as friends.
We talked a lot more.

Speaker 6 (01:03:36):
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:03:36):
It's almost like Pat was like, remember, you know, I
don't know how you aren't, but you know, like my mom, Well,
my mother passed away right in two thousand and nine
when actually mister Big we were on one of our
many hiatuses and mister Big got back together in that

(01:03:58):
in January of two thousand and nine. But my mother
passed away the next day. I told my mother. She
was in hospice, and I told my mother about mister
Beg and the next day she passed away. And anyway,
your mother is like the hub of the family, you know.
Everybody comes to the mother's house for Thanksgiving and Christmas

(01:04:18):
and all that. And Pat Torpy was like that. He
was our anchor and he brought us together. And when
he passed away, we all didn't know what to do.
It was really difficult. When he passed away, we just
stopped everything for about a year or two. I don't yeah,

(01:04:43):
I don't know about the songwriting. I don't know if
it changed back. I couldn't tell he or not, but
it definitely changed my psyche. Oh man, I cried so
much even when he was on the road with us too,
because he could sing amazing. He was my you know,
don't take that the wrong way at home. I'm not

(01:05:04):
saying we were the Beatles, but like he was my
like if I was John Lennon, he was my Paul McCartney.

Speaker 1 (01:05:10):
We were.

Speaker 3 (01:05:11):
We were so tight when we sang together, more than
anybody in the bandy. Everybody sang great, but not like
me and Pat. And he could still really do it.
But like his drumming what she was his passion, you know,
he couldn't do anymore. And I could see the frustration.

Speaker 10 (01:05:28):
In him.

Speaker 3 (01:05:29):
And then he got used to it and he was like, oh,
well this is the way it is now, playing like
a little conga drummer a little sometimes you play. I don't.
I'm not down playing it, saying playing a little, but
it was playing this cocktail kid made him feel comfortable.
But did it, you know, I don't know, but uh.
And like I was so sad all the time, you know,

(01:05:52):
with him there, But I also in a way, I
was just so happy that he was there because when
he was gone, we he did play a series of
shows we opened to No we did a double bill,
I think, or we opened to Extreme in Australia, and
we had we were contractual, contractually obligated to play these gigs.

(01:06:19):
And when Pat passed away, it was like, God, are
we going to do these gigs? I mean, I guess
we could, you know, so we did it with Matt
alone and no offense to Matt. But like you know,
I'm up on stage singing and I'm so used to
going like this, you know, to the drummer, like usually
it's like speed it up.

Speaker 26 (01:06:38):
But like.

Speaker 3 (01:06:40):
I always look back to Pat, or I used to
grab his cymbals. You always go no, no, no, no, no,
I go, you know, like right when it's like and
you hit the symbol and it's like, you know, right
when it supposed to happen, and he would do it,
but I do it. I go and he goes, don't
don't and I I I love that moment. I love

(01:07:02):
that we shared that, you know, And God, I'm going
to start doing my oprahy Oprah Winfrey moment right now
started on here. No No I can't, I can't. I
can't now up those tears and bottle up. But I
look back and he wasn't there in Australia and really
messed me up. And I think it messed Billy and

(01:07:23):
Paul up too, because we played Australia and we played
some Southeast Asia shows and then we just called it.
We didn't break up, but we didn't know what to
do for about a year or two and then then
we we we started playing again. But yeah, it was
never it didn't It was never the same until it

(01:07:46):
was didn't until it was okay to put put our
toes in the water, again, you know. And I think
about I think about Pat all the time that I
mean it that just never goes away. And I'm sure
I'm Billy. She and and Pat Torpy were like the
best of friends. And I loved Pat. I what I

(01:08:06):
shared with Pat was just from a musician point, Oh
he was so much. He was awesome to sing with.
I missed that, you know. I had that back in
the day with this guy john nyman Uh from New
York Martin Band in the early eighties, and then when
I met Pat, and then over the years, you know,
singing with I had, I had girls singers, singing background

(01:08:29):
vocals with me and everything, and they were amazing. But
I I didn't have my my singing partner, and he
he was my singing partner. And that's that hurt, that
that bums me out. And even to this day, our drummer, now,
Nick did I'll try to say this, Nick, Nick di
Virgilio is our drummer now, and uh, he sings great,

(01:08:53):
and he does remind me a lot about of Pat,
his drumming styles and his vocal but you know, still
not the same thing. But I missed Pat Torpie as
a It's just a civilian, you know. He'd always cooked.
He'd always say this to me all the time. I'm
a singer, So you know, we complained. We whine about shit,

(01:09:14):
you know. So I go, oh, no, I don't like
that song. We should be doing this, or you know,
why don't we play this, or you know, just something.
You know, I've always come up. I had a lot
of ideas and I got to say it, you know.
So Pat would go, Eric, don't rock the boat. We're
almost home. I haven't seen my wife in three months, Chip,

(01:09:34):
But shit.

Speaker 4 (01:09:36):
I missed that, all right, So onto a lighter side, Eric,
do you still keep in touch with fellow eighties musicians,
whether it be friends from the eighties, what have you.

Speaker 3 (01:09:49):
Till this day, I'm friends with I like that. I'm
friends with everybody that I've ever played with in the eighties.
I wouldn't say that in the nineties, I swear to God.
Just the other day I went this friend of mine,
Mike Whittington. He's a bass player for a band called

(01:10:09):
the Pulsators. They've been around for decades, kind of reggae
and rock. But anyway, we've gotten together, me and him
and a couple of friends from the eighties.

Speaker 26 (01:10:22):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:10:22):
And but the other day, just the other day, like
five days ago, fifteen guys from the eighties that we
all played together in bands. Some made it, some didn't,
but we all had fun. We went to a little
restaurant called the Washoe House in Petaluma, California, and it

(01:10:43):
was all the guys. It was even a recording guy
who did our demos back in the day. But the
guys who made it was like we were kids and
we did some great things. But me, a guy named
Davy Vaine, he played in a still plays Vane v
a I n you know, still plays out there all

(01:11:05):
over the mainly in Europe. Paul Taylor, who is in
the band winger as a keyboard player, and he played
with Cinderella and Tom Keefer and everything, the Mayhew brothers,
Tom and Mike. They worked for Guns n' Roses and
have been for decades. But we were all kids in
the eighties and there's like, you know, thirteen more guys

(01:11:27):
every drummer, singer, guitar player. There was a lot way.
I was looking over my shoulder there a little bit.
There was about five singers at the table. Not good, Okay,
I don't like that, but but we we all kept
in touch over the years. We broke red and and
those guys had the wine. I don't drink anymore, but they, yeah,

(01:11:48):
they all. I say that all the time, famous last words,
but I haven't for a couple months now.

Speaker 2 (01:11:53):
Boys and girls worth take a pause in the big show.
We have to take a big break. We're gonna give
you a double big shot of mister Big.

Speaker 3 (01:11:59):
You're listening to.

Speaker 2 (01:12:00):
Back to the eighties radio with Tuscanaw and Chang.

Speaker 3 (01:12:04):
Don't you go nowhere?

Speaker 6 (01:12:08):
Mh. He led the day.

Speaker 9 (01:12:48):
Legends to decide, I will spend the.

Speaker 6 (01:12:55):
Nother day stop cuting the same by myself. Let's do
stop to let this I go I'm so.

Speaker 9 (01:13:13):
Okay, okay, oh no shat back up where.

Speaker 6 (01:13:25):
Change your shirt?

Speaker 27 (01:13:35):
Change to say okay, don't we'll get too easy, you know?

Speaker 10 (01:13:54):
Told me?

Speaker 6 (01:13:59):
Now you know you're free to.

Speaker 26 (01:14:03):
The neighbors a up blood, see my say thesps too.
It's not slack to stack to me, I'm saying, until
you get ride back to square.

Speaker 7 (01:14:23):
So to call me happy? Can't you say?

Speaker 6 (01:14:40):
Can't you say I can't testing what you do. Don't

(01:15:18):
tell me I'm not to tell them. You can't tell that?
And I know my kidding. I've got that time. Try
it to see bad.

Speaker 7 (01:15:46):
Try trying to tell me sae.

Speaker 4 (01:16:28):
Hey, if you listen to rock and roll radio in
the eighties, then listen to this tuscano and chang. They
will transport you back in time, back to the eighties.

Speaker 7 (01:17:08):
What I wanna be long jim.

Speaker 6 (01:17:17):
To leave a man on that last.

Speaker 22 (01:17:22):
I got to win the games I had the ball.

Speaker 20 (01:17:28):
Tell me like, yes, Mama, tell me boy baby na
let my mind wait.

Speaker 6 (01:17:36):
Just don't away babo no like to.

Speaker 10 (01:17:40):
The way time.

Speaker 7 (01:17:42):
Whoy because I didn't know to keep saying it's fine?
Why I mother want you to mind the time?

Speaker 6 (01:17:57):
Why you kiss me be winking? A minute to turn
me up?

Speaker 9 (01:18:04):
Why be absolutely wish you would have to.

Speaker 13 (01:18:14):
Just when you get too much.

Speaker 6 (01:18:19):
I don't know, Fama slaving chest for the first one game.

Speaker 7 (01:18:26):
Per mother's gonna just caick in the.

Speaker 6 (01:18:32):
Should I comes on the table.

Speaker 8 (01:18:34):
There ain no mo day abe who Yeah, I didn't
have to keep the dead and fee.

Speaker 7 (01:18:50):
I'm a hound for my hand.

Speaker 6 (01:18:53):
Why ye.

Speaker 13 (01:18:57):
Kiss me flicking then to turn me?

Speaker 10 (01:19:04):
Wow?

Speaker 6 (01:19:34):
Way yeah what yeah?

Speaker 10 (01:19:48):
That's right to me?

Speaker 6 (01:19:50):
Also me, all to me, all to me, all the
name f.

Speaker 16 (01:20:20):
To me?

Speaker 4 (01:20:29):
All right, the one and only back to the eighties
radio you are listening to mister Big would wind me
up from their self titled album nineteen eighty nine and
had enough. All right. I know you've been all over
the world. Where have you had your biggest show?

Speaker 1 (01:20:46):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:20:47):
I've done some great shows recently too, But the greatest
show ever was mister Big. It was from the cusp
of the eighties. But it was like little nineties, early
nineties Santo's Beach in Sal Paula, Brazil. One hundred thousand

(01:21:07):
people and we're the headliner. It was on a beach,
no lights, you know, lights and spart lights and stuff
like here, but had like a what do I call
it a catwalk?

Speaker 2 (01:21:18):
Right?

Speaker 3 (01:21:18):
But it went all the way down the beach. It
was rolling stone style, and it was one hundred thousand
people in its super everything felt like one hundred and
five degrees outside. And it's the sun's gone down, the
moon's coming up, so that lit up.

Speaker 2 (01:21:35):
The beach.

Speaker 3 (01:21:37):
And I'm walking down this catwalk and I'm looking back
and I see the screen, these gigantic screens and it's
me and I've gone like this with my microphone. Whoa, right,
totally totally have my own moment, and it's all slow motion.
I go, wow, this is a trip. And I'm looking
down at the audience and like they're taking their clothes off.

(01:21:58):
It's hot, right, so boobies and slow motion microphone and
they you know, it was like it was amazing. That
is the biggest show that I've ever done. And I
was blown away. I was like, holy shit, I go whoa.
And I even like I'm looking back, do you see this?
You know, they probably didn't understand a word I'm saying,
but like, still, yeah, that was the biggest show that

(01:22:19):
I have ever done. But I've been pretty close. I've
played this heavy metal, the biggest heavy metal festival in
the world. It's it's in Vakan w A c K
E N. You got to look it up Vakan. All
heavy metalers know what this is. It's the mecca of

(01:22:40):
heavy metal. It's in Germany. I've done it five times.
I've done it twice with mister Big and three times
with a rock opera that I'm a part of called Avantasia,
and that's like ninety thousand people. But five times. But yeah,
but then I've done these times. Little clubs. There was

(01:23:01):
a club in a Marin County called Uncle Charlie's And
for those you know who maybe I don't know, if
you're Huey Lewis and the News fans, that was the
Power of Love video. You know, the DeLorean pulls up
to the club and there's like dump doom doom doo

(01:23:21):
do do do you know they do it? Hue was
Huey's a friend and that band was huge and I
was such a fan. I used to go to all
their shows back in the day. But anyway, Uncle Charlie's,
I've done gigs there where it maybe I mean maybe
it holds two hundred people maybe and packed, you know,

(01:23:44):
building a following and just sweating my ass off singing
these awesome songs from eighty three, eighty five, eighty seven.
It was it was amazing. I know, I know, I'm
mister big mouth. I'm like talking to a mile a minute.
But my last show at Uncle Charlie's, we're up on stage.

(01:24:07):
It's our last song. Good night everybody, okay, take care
and the crowd cheers, and we go back in the
dressing room and there are people are It's not last
call yet, so they're still drinking a little bit, but
people the management are putting the chairs on the tables
that are in the back, and I see Neil Sean

(01:24:29):
come walking in. He used to come into my gigs
a million times. But he comes walking in, but he's
got a friend with him that looks very familiar, wearing
a transco. So Neil goes, hey, Neil and his buddy
want a jam. I'm like, they just got here like
my last two songs, and I'm like, God, the show's over, bro,

(01:24:50):
But I go, okay, let's do it. So we pretended
like it was an encore. There was no encore, but
we came back out. Chairs are still on the table
there and half the crowd is in there, and half
the crowd is outside high five in each other, smoking,
you know, going oh hopefully, think saying god, Eric Martin

(01:25:10):
band was great. Anyway, it's Neil Sean comes up and
he brings his friend Eddie van Halen.

Speaker 2 (01:25:19):
Right on.

Speaker 3 (01:25:19):
So so there I'm half the crowd. I'm being nice.
I'm saying, maybe fifty people are left and chairs are
still up on the table. And we played You Really
Got Me. It was like twenty five minutes long. There's
only like two verses maybe right, but it like that,

(01:25:40):
it's two verses six times. And oh dude, it was
my solo days too, so it was Eric Martin. But
Eric Martin ban right eight and it was I think
it was eighty five, and I'm wearing a purple suit.
Well I was doing with the purple thing, but I'm

(01:26:01):
wearing like a reddish purple shark skin suit. And I
got my Bono hair right, not wearing Kypezias at that time.
I went Converse All Star Chuck Taylor's and from eighty
five on, never wear anything else and going hair, you know,
even girlfriends. I got you some boots. I'm likenx nay

(01:26:22):
on the boots. You know, and there's pictures of it
on the internet, no video, but it's my band, and
they're all it was me. Danny Medlin eighties guy that
plays around here, Paul Taylor from Winger, Mugs Kane Jonathan
Kane's brother on drums, and here we are singing girl,

(01:26:47):
you really got girl. You you know it was great.

Speaker 4 (01:26:53):
I've been really thinking about it. And after you talk
to us about what your eighties' greatest show was, so
my son comes up to me, he says, Dad, isn't
is there a reason why bands today can't replicate the
eighties sound? You know, mister Big does it. Other bands
do it from the eighties, But what about the new bands,
the new rock bands, Why can't they replicate an eighty sound?

Speaker 3 (01:27:16):
Yeah, you know, that's a good question. You know, our band,
like we did a lot of bands from that eighties
went into the nineties and we experimented with the like
the new you know, because you remember a grunge kind
of took over and it took and it completely wiped

(01:27:37):
us out. We're on stage and then we're paint and
houses the next right. I mean, I'm just equating that.
I'm just saying that maybe we wanted to follow what
people were doing, you know, like maybe they're a lot
of Look, we stay true to our roots, like you know,

(01:27:59):
Ozzy and all the heavy metal guys, you know, stand
true to it. And I a lot of the eighties
guys we got a little scared on it because they
started making fun of us with our clothes and our
hair and uh, you know, pirate blouses. Sure, you know, oh,

(01:28:20):
Eric Martin does wear his sheriff's badge on his vest
or cowboy boots and spurs. We got a little scared
on that. So we kind of changed our whole vibe.
Thank god. We did change a little on the clothes scene,
you know, but the music changed a little bit. And
then we realized that are that you know, like we're

(01:28:44):
trying to appease these new fans that we kind of
realized that our music's handed better when it was, you know,
because we were when we were in the eighties, we
were we derived is that the right word. We were.
We were inspired and influenced by the seventies, and so

(01:29:06):
a lot of eighties rock and roll bands were and
they just you know, altered it for the eighties and
the nineties. They did the same thing. But yeah, we
realized we're a lot better doing the eighties and nineties stuff,
you know, our early stuff, I mean still to this day.
But also like we did this new album ten and

(01:29:29):
it me and Paul wrote it and we're and it's
very light compared to Addicted that rush and even like
Daddy Brother Lover Little Boy from nineteen the nineties and stuff.
But my theory was we'd already done that, and I wasn't.
I just it. You gotta have a little evolution. You

(01:29:52):
got to experiment a little bit, but you don't want
to experiment too far where you lost your place in line.
So I like your kids question.

Speaker 2 (01:30:03):
Now.

Speaker 3 (01:30:03):
I like where he's coming from because I feel the
same way. And I think our band we still when
you see us live, it's like nineteen eighty nine. You know,
that ten album. It was just me and Paul. It
could have been a little heavier, but it wasn't. But
I still love it, and I love it more than
I the last record that we did, defind Gravity. But yeah,

(01:30:28):
I mean, even when I was writing with Paul, I
go and I wrote some music, but Paul wrote the
majority of music, and I wrote melodies and lyrics and
I'm like, look and hey, have you got an addict
to that Russian there and that little tricks here and
goes nope, And like our thing was, we didn't want
a copycat the first album and the second album, Biggie

(01:30:48):
the Legendary Chang.

Speaker 2 (01:30:50):
Of course, I got to ask you a personal question,
and not what your bell size is or how along
you're What is the great Eric Martin doing right now
in twenty twenty five? Please enlighten us, my brother.

Speaker 3 (01:31:03):
Okay, I'm going to I have an alter ego when
I play in Japan, not just mister big I have
this thing. It's called mister Vocalist and it's kind of
a jpop thing. It's very Michael Bolton, Michael Bloueblet vibe.
But you know I do. I haven't done it in
fifteen years. I did it on Sony Records. It's really

(01:31:25):
now and you hear is that the same guy that
sings that to.

Speaker 12 (01:31:28):
Be with you?

Speaker 3 (01:31:29):
Tune yup? But it's very smooth and very very jpop.
Is like a mixture of soul and R and B
with a little bit of rock in it, but very smooth. Anyway,
I'm doing that just for nine days and then and
I'm also and a record came out called Mister Vocalist

(01:31:49):
Complete Best Mister Vocalist. I know, very contrite. You know.
When I first heard it, I was like what And
the first album sold three hundred thousand records, and I'm like,
I am mister Vocalist. One cool thing from the eighties.
There's a record company called Metallic Blue. How about that
very eighties sounding record? And they put out three unreleased

(01:32:14):
coincide with another company called Avalon Records in Japan put
out three unreleased records from the eighties, uh four, one,
five that you band I was in, and then Eric
Martin band and that album that I was talking about,
Soccer for a Pretty Face. This CD right here, it's

(01:32:36):
me Troy La Kenna from Tesla Whyante like a lot
of great players on this, but Eric martinma, these are
the original sessions. I don't know if it's the cell
of fans on it. So it's kind of thing weird
focus here, but succer for Pretty Face Original Sessions twenty
six songs the record. The first record only had like

(01:32:59):
ten songs on it, but this is the original sessions.
This is the song that should have, could have, would
have made it on the record and didn't but still
had legs, you know. But I'm really proud of that.
That's only that one record, and then the other two
four to one five records four one five, Area Could
four one five and four to one five Boys' Night

(01:33:20):
Out and Very power pop rock records.

Speaker 2 (01:33:23):
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:33:24):
I'm really proud of that because it came out yesterday
in Japan, and I'm telling you, those things have been
collecting dust forever. They were, like I had, I just
had the cassette. Somebody dug up the old masters and
turn them into like state of the art sounds surround sound.
I'm like, I played it the other day and I'm like, well,

(01:33:47):
I was like what some of the you know, it's
old pop rock, like very songs are like three minute tunes.
I'm like, wow, that doesn't sound like mister Big. There's
no other Well, there's some great guitar playing on it.
But I'm really proud of that. I don't know about salivating,
but get out check it out online. It's pretty damn.

Speaker 2 (01:34:08):
Good boys and girls, lady and gentlemen, big and little.
You are listening to Back to the Eighties radio with
Tuscano and Chang and mister Eric Martin, We're gonna take
you right now on a little bit of a tinted
trip Green Tinted Sixties Mind from the Lean into It album.

Speaker 7 (01:35:00):
Put You Be Looking Around in the sixties, May Tell
the Brassic Times to child very basis, Magna.

Speaker 10 (01:35:42):
Pay check till.

Speaker 7 (01:35:50):
Do tell me about Guy Basic, Tell.

Speaker 6 (01:35:56):
Me that its Timbo, I can Sidney By.

Speaker 7 (01:36:03):
And went Dreams. But all that you can see to buy,

(01:36:39):
I went Joins Small to Wetlands a time, watch the
fun all.

Speaker 6 (01:36:49):
It's easy as a host to dress.

Speaker 4 (01:36:59):
Sixteen back to the eighties Radio. You just heard, mister

(01:37:34):
Big Green Tinted Sixties Mind.

Speaker 2 (01:37:36):
Eric.

Speaker 4 (01:37:37):
It has been an incredible pleasure having you on the
show here, and we hope it is not the last
time I loved it.

Speaker 7 (01:37:44):
I was excited.

Speaker 3 (01:37:46):
I was so excited to meet you, but I'm a
very excited when I was back to the eighties, I
were like, Oh, this is gonna be fun.

Speaker 2 (01:37:52):
Finally, Eric, you have given us and our listeners a
big oh. Thank you for joining the program. Miss the
Big Everybody give him a rout of a plus or
I'll give you a big ass who Mister Eric Martin,
thank you for being with Tuscano and Changang.

Speaker 3 (01:38:07):
Yeah, we'll do this again and it'll be just as
screwed up perfect Chang and Tuscano.

Speaker 2 (01:38:15):
It's almost that time that we have to say good
night in a big, big way, my good friend.

Speaker 4 (01:38:20):
It is Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a pleasure.
Thank you for joining us this week. Don't forget. We
are going to be back next week, bigger, better and
better on. Behalf of mister big On, behalf of the
Di's Kano and Chang Hour of desire.

Speaker 2 (01:38:35):
Good night before we release you to a big, fantastic
we can remember, live a smile. Tomorrow is a better day.
Whatever does not kill us makes us stronger. Don't let
these fires or what have you keep you down. Keep
us locked and loaded and on your mind, and we
guarantee we will take your mind away from life. Boys

(01:38:57):
and girls, remember it is a wild world rolled out
there from mister big in a big way.

Speaker 3 (01:39:02):
See you next week.

Speaker 22 (01:39:06):
Line no wave lost everything to you.

Speaker 3 (01:39:21):
So you want to stop something.

Speaker 22 (01:39:24):
It's freaking my heart. Don't leave, baby on't breathe.

Speaker 9 (01:39:29):
In if you want to leave, take good care.

Speaker 26 (01:39:34):
If you have a lot of nice things to wear,
do a lot of nice things turn bad out there.

Speaker 6 (01:39:47):
Baby, it's a wild.

Speaker 13 (01:39:52):
It's hard to get bad. Mister bos bad.

Speaker 6 (01:40:00):
A baby, it's a wild world.

Speaker 3 (01:40:05):
I always remember you like a track.

Speaker 13 (01:40:12):
You know, I've seen a lot.

Speaker 6 (01:40:13):
Of what the world can do.

Speaker 22 (01:40:16):
It's breaking my heart too because I never WoT see
and sad.

Speaker 6 (01:40:23):
Don't be a bad girl.

Speaker 20 (01:40:25):
What if you want, I mean, take good care. I
can make a lot of nice breads outda.

Speaker 6 (01:40:32):
Just remember there's a lot.

Speaker 10 (01:40:34):
Of bed.

Speaker 6 (01:40:40):
Oh the baby, it's a wild world.

Speaker 13 (01:40:47):
It's hard to get back.

Speaker 10 (01:40:49):
Just a mom s five.

Speaker 13 (01:40:54):
O baby, Baby, it's a wild.

Speaker 20 (01:40:59):
And always remember you like child, baby, love you if

(01:41:21):
you wanna leave, take a care.

Speaker 22 (01:41:24):
You make a lot of nice brows out there.

Speaker 13 (01:41:28):
Remember there the love a better.

Speaker 7 (01:41:36):
Oh bab baby, it's a wild world.

Speaker 13 (01:41:42):
Talk to good bye bo stile.

Speaker 7 (01:41:47):
Yeah yeah, yes, babymbers while world.

Speaker 13 (01:41:54):
That always RELI you like child, my.

Speaker 6 (01:42:03):
Baby, it's a wived.

Speaker 13 (01:42:09):
T to get back.

Speaker 6 (01:42:11):
Just ps my, Yeah, it's.

Speaker 10 (01:42:18):
A live world.

Speaker 3 (01:42:24):
Okay, she's gotta look at you in this way.

Speaker 6 (01:42:27):
Damn you, Jane, take me back.