August 9, 2024 • 45 mins
Go Under the Musical Influence of Tom Stephens answering 9 Questions about his Musical Self.
Tom Started In The Band, Has Been in Several Bands in Jacksonville, Florida by Learning to Play the Saxophone to Singing in these Bands: Flying South, Earth's End, and Judge Rock. Working on Getting a New Band Soon, Stiff Iguana! Tom's Music is Heavily into Rock, with Blues Influence and is Gonna have Other Stuff in the Side Pocket, Just in Case!.
Its Easier for me to Sing!
I Attempt to Play the Saxophone & I Sing!
We Were Supposed to Have Band Practice but we Rode Motorcycles?
I Don't Wanna Come Home & See a Stiff Iguana!
Bon Scott Stephens (Son) was Born on September 7th, Same Day as the Real Bon Scott from ACDC!
Bon, After Bon Jovi?
It's the Stupid Songs Your Mom Teaches You!
That Was a Cool Song to a Little Kid!
Yodeling Cowboy Guy?
Dad You Didn't Like 'Em when I Listened to 'Em!
You Were Always Turn that Down!
2 or 3ft Stack of 45s.
The 45 Tube was Our iPod back Then!
Whenever we Would Park in the Car we'd Put in Boston!
It was on 8 Track & We Didn't Have to Do Anything with It!
Disco It Out?
It Wasn't as Bad as When KISS Did Dynasty?
My Brother Thinks The Banana Splits Count as a Concert!
It's Not a Concert Cause It Was All on Tape!
I Can Hear that on the Record, So Entertain Me!
That was the Next Thing I was Gonna Say, Blow Something Up!
Ted Nugent's a Geek?
At 5yrs Old He Wanted to See KISS!
They Were Both on 8 Track, so Now Everyone Knows I'm Ancient!
Sometime it Would Click Over in the Middle of Your Favorite Song!
I Had a Craig Power Play in My 1st Car!
Pop in the Head Cleaner?
Joe Perry was Gone?
Doing Music in School Helped Me in Other Classes!
I Love Watching People While We Are Playing Music!
My Dream Job in High School: I wanted to be a Disc Jockey!
When I Win the Lotto, I'll Just Buy a Radio Station!
Music Discussed from Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gov't Mule, Joe Bonamassa, Buddy Guy, The Doors, Ted Nugent, Led Zeppelin, ACDC, Ohio Express, Roger Miller, Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass, The Four Freshman, Eddie Arnold, CCR, Alan Parsons, Pink Floyd, Boston, The Rockets, P Funk, The Banana Splits, Anton Fig, Paul Schafer and the World's Most Dangerous Band (The David Letterman Band), Aerosmith, Sammy Hagar, The Circle and More!
Find Out More About Tom Stephen’s Music!
Find Out More About the Band that Intro's & Outro's the Show! https://www.instagram.com/yearofoctober/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Year of October (00:49):
You are now under the.
With DJ DJJonniBravo.
DJJonniBravo (00:58):
Hello, I'm Jonni Bravo.
Today you're going under themusical influence of today's
guest, Tom Stevens on Under theInfluence with DJJonniBravo.
So Tom welcome to season two inthe band I had your son on.
I interviewed him season one,episode eight.
His name's Bon Scott Stevens,and you are his father.
(01:19):
We'll jump right into season twoin the band.
Tell me a little bit about yourmusical self.
Tom Stephens (01:23):
I'm heavily into the rock, blues influence, I
guess you would say.
I've been in several bands herein the Jacksonville area, flying
South, Earth End, Judge Rock,just to name a few.
I'm currently working.
I'm trying to get a bandtogether.
We're gonna call it Stiff Iguanaand trying to keep it more of
(01:47):
the rock blues type thing.
I've got guys out now who aregoing around seeing what other
bands are playing to make surethat we don't play the same
songs.
They are maybe the same bands,not the same songs.
I think everybody.
And this town basically playsthe same stuff no matter what
band it is.
So we thought we'd try somethingdifferent.
DJJonniBravo (02:08):
That sounds cool.
And I like the name Stiff Iguanathat's really cool.
Tom Stephens (02:12):
We got that a few years ago.
we didn't have a name for a bandWe were supposed to practice,
but we decided to go out andride motorcycles first and the
temperature dropped and we gotback to practice and one of the
guitar players said, I can'tstay.
I gotta go home.
Cause I left my iguana outsideand I don't wanna come home and
see a stiff iguana.
(02:34):
And every one of us turned eachother and went, that's the name
of the band.
But now we're finally using it,15 years later,
DJJonniBravo (02:42):
Nothing wrong with that.
that's a cool story too.
And so you're doing like more ofthe rock blues.
What kind of artists are youthinking about covering And are
you guys gonna do your own songsas well?
I'm sure.
Tom Stephens (02:54):
Yeah, we've got several songs lined up to do.
We're gonna try to do coverslike, of course Stevie Rayon.
Government Mule, Joe Bonamassa,buddy guy.
and then, we're gonna play therock stuff too.
The doors, the Led Zeppelin, TedNugent, acdc, we're gonna try
to, Shift things more into theblues rock vein, we're gonna
(03:17):
have other stuff in the sidepocket, just in case.
DJJonniBravo (03:21):
Yeah.
It sounds like you've beenhanging out England with those
bands from the sixties, like theStones and the Beatles, when
they came over, they wanted toemulate a lot of our otters, and
a lot of'em blues, not really,little bit of rock and roll.
We had some rock and roll inthere.
Yeah, it's easier for me tosing, let's put it that way,
Gotcha, gotcha.
(03:42):
And you were in some bands, youand your son were in some bands
together.
Is that correct?
He plays drums.
And what instruments do youplay?
Tom Stephens (03:50):
I play the saxophone and I sing I attempt
to play the saxophone and Ising.
How's that?
DJJonniBravo (03:56):
There you go.
So what bands were you guys intogether?
Tom Stephens (03:59):
Before we called it Flying South, he came over
and he, I guess he wasn't reallyactually in the band cause Imwe
only did one gig with him.
But our drummer had quit and Iasked him to, I gave him two
full CDs of the songs we weredoing, and I go to pick him up
the day of practice and we goover and I said, Did you listen
(04:20):
to those CDs?
He goes, yeah, I listened to thefirst three songs on the first
CD and figured if that's allit's I can do it.
And I was like, oh my God, thisis gonna be so embarrassing, And
he got over there and they wouldsay, we're gonna play this song.
And he'd go, I don't know whatthat is.
Just start playing it.
And he would join in and henailed every one of them.
(04:41):
Oh, I couldn't believe.
DJJonniBravo (04:42):
That sounds cool.
where did you get the name BonScott from?
Tom Stephens (04:46):
The first lead singer for ac dc was named Bon
Scott.
And really me and my wifecouldn't in name, agree on it,
name for a boy.
We had a girl's name, and I keptthrowing stupid names at her.
That I knew she was gonna say noto I, said, Theodore Jean after
(05:07):
Ted Nugent and Jean Simmons, andshe shot that down.
And one night I said, Bon Scott.
And she says, okay.
And I was like, I was onlykidding.
But that's the name we wentwith.
And then he was born and wefound out they were born the
same day, September 7th.
DJJonniBravo (05:29):
Oh well, that's cool.
Yeah I was thinking that it wasafter AC DC's lead singer, but I
didn't wanna speculate.
I figured I'd ask the sourcehimself and what he would say.
So that's
Tom Stephens (05:39):
a yes.
That's a.
It was funny when he was little.
Cause people go, what's hisname?
We'd say, Bon.
And they'd go, oh, afterBonjovi,
DJJonniBravo (05:49):
after Bonjovi.
And you're like, no, it's BonScott.
Even harder than that.
AC dc man.
Come on now.
All right.
Let's talk about yourdiscoveries and when did you
first discover music?
Like how old were you?
Tom Stephens (06:02):
I, discovering music is probably like anyone
else.
It's the stupid little songsyour mom teaches you when you're
little, twinkle little star orwhatever.
But if you want to go, like onthe radio or whatever the very
first song I can remember evenwanting, to listen to on the
radio And this is funny, but itwas called Yummy, yummy, yummy
(06:26):
by the Ohio Express.
DJJonniBravo (06:28):
I remember that song,
Tom Stephens (06:31):
Now granted, I was six years old, so you know, or
somewhere in there.
But you know that was a coolsong to a little kid.
You're like, that's all right.
Had no idea what they weretalking about.
But
DJJonniBravo (06:43):
so what were they talking about in the song, do
you know?
Tom Stephens (06:46):
he was talking about his girlfriend,
DJJonniBravo (06:48):
Which most songs are about, love and Right.
That kind of thing.
But yeah, for a kid, some ofthose songs, spark Memories and
Stand Out because if you listento it, it sounds like a, kid
song.
It sounds like a friendly kidsong.
Yeah.
Tom Stephens (07:02):
Before that, what my parents listened to, they
listened to, Roger Miller herbAlbert and the Tijuana Brass the
four freshmen.
And I've even got some of thoseCDs today, cause I'm.
Try to think of a song from backthen, it'll come into my mind
and I'm like lemme put the CDin.
DJJonniBravo (07:21):
Yeah.
Her Balt, he got really big notonly because he was good, but he
would throw, a sexy lady on thecover, like the whipped creams
and other delights, and peoplewould just tie his records up.
Tom Stephens (07:31):
I think that's the only album I have of his
DJJonniBravo (07:35):
I think I have another album of his too.
I think I have one that's gotsome Mexicana songs in it.
You know that he did some, yeah.
Yeah.
So was your parents, were theyboth into the same music or was
your dad into different musicthan your mom, or they just
listened to the same things?
Year of October (07:50):
My
Tom Stephens (07:50):
mom, she like what was it, Eddie Arnold?
The Yo Yodeling cowboy guy.
Oh, yeah.
but yeah, I think most of itthough they both equally liked.
I didn't find it out till yearslater.
My dad liked C Credence and theydidn't have one credence album
in the house.
Oh, wow.
(08:10):
But I got in the car with himone day.
He had a cassette tape inplaying credence and I thought
it was on the radio at first,and then I'm like, that's the
third credence song.
Are you listening on tape?
Yeah.
And I'm like, you like credence?
And he goes, oh, I've alwaysliked them.
I'm like, you didn't like themwhen I listened to him.
it was always one them turn thatdown.
DJJonniBravo (08:34):
Yeah.
Credence has some really goodtunes, some catchy tunes too
that, just.
And sing along in the car with,yeah.
Been on plenty of movies withtheir songs as well.
so your dad had a credence tape,but when you were growing up, he
told you to turn that down?
He didn't, he was playing
Tom Stephens (08:50):
no doubt,
DJJonniBravo (08:52):
and it wasn't a lot of rock and roll, music.
It was mainly like a lot of easylistening.
A lot of people had herb Bal orFrank Sinatra singing cowboys
and different things like that.
It wasn't until, Elvis.
With the pelvis and all thoseguys.
And then, Jerry Lee Lewis, whowe just recently lost, and those
guys coming out playing the rockand roll that you had this other
(09:12):
genre and then the Beatles tookit to a, then Stones took it to
another level.
Tom Stephens (09:16):
Yeah, most definitely.
DJJonniBravo (09:18):
And then you had all that Prague rock too that,
took it to some psychedelicplaces.
You didn't even think musiccould go to, and if they had the
equipment that we have now to dothe music that they wanted to
do, I'm sure it would be evenmore trippier.
It
Tom Stephens (09:33):
probably would, even though all of them claimed
that they would
DJJonniBravo (09:36):
never use it.
Yeah, they were probably justsaying that because they didn't
want to get put on some list or,not have the kids stop buying
the records.
You know what I.
Tom Stephens (09:45):
Yeah, I think I was listening to Joe Bono's
podcast and he was askingsomebody about that, and they're
like, oh no, we do it the sameway we did it.
I'm like, oh, bull crap.
If there was an easier way to doit, you would've done
DJJonniBravo (09:59):
it.
Yeah, because they were likesplicing tape and putting tape
backwards and all kinds ofdifferent things to try to get
unique sounds.
For the album.
and then you know, it got betterbecause the equipment got
better.
So I'm sure it would be justlight years beyond where it was.
Oh yeah.
Tom Stephens (10:18):
Cause I was listening to Alan Parsons was
talking about he produced andworked on Pink Floyd's, dark
side of the moon and thebeginning of money.
When you hear that cash.
He said they just recorded thecash register and then copied
and spliced the tape over andover again for the whole first
(10:38):
part of
DJJonniBravo (10:38):
that song.
Yeah, and supposedly on thatrecord too, Paul McCartney is
one of the guys talking, whenthey have a lot of guys talking.
Supposedly he's on theresomewhere.
From what I've heard, I don'tknow if that's a urban legend or
if that's actual true or not.
Yeah, I never heard that before.
Yeah, I heard it a couple times,but yeah, Alan Parsons, imagine
some of his music.
Goodness gracious.
(10:59):
That would just be, I'm tellingyou, I think it would be off the
wall with all the technologythey have nowadays.
tell me this, what is the firstsong that you remember from back
in the day that maybe that youplayed?
Tom Stephens (11:10):
like I said it has to be yummy, yummy was the first
song that I can, remember Iactually bought the 45, or my
parents bought it,
DJJonniBravo (11:20):
did you have a big stack of 40 fives that you'd
Tom Stephens (11:22):
put it player?
Yeah, I had a.
I don't know, probably about twoor three foot stack of them.
but that was the very first 45
DJJonniBravo (11:30):
ever, bud.
Did you have one of those biglong tubes that you would put on
the record player so you couldplay'em back to back?
Yeah,
Tom Stephens (11:38):
that was our.
iPod back then.
DJJonniBravo (11:40):
Yeah, that's true.
A lot of people probably don'teven know what that thing would,
be.
It's like a little tower thingyou'd put on top and I think
sometimes it would clamp down onsome record players and then
you'd put your 40 fives on thereand they would play one right
after the other.
So it was like our, yeah.
iPod our jukebox kind of thing.
Let's take a quick break andwe'll be right back.
(12:01):
Hang.
Year of October (12:18):
You are still under the influence with PJ
DJJonniBravo.
DJJonniBravo (12:25):
We are back.
I'm DJJonniBravo You're goingunder the musical influence of
today's guest, Tom Stevens onUnder the Influence with DJ
DJJonniBravo.
All right.
Let's talk about girlfriendspartners.
What's your first song for thatlong distance dedication, or
what was your first couple song?
Tom Stephens (12:42):
I'd have to say.
In the junior High Years it wasthe song Feelings, and I cannot
remember for the life.
I, can't remember the name ofthe guy's that even did it, but
it was, one of the top hits backin the seventies, and that was
the one you always wanted todance with your girl.
DJJonniBravo (13:03):
Now, was this at some kind of dance at the school
or was this just
Tom Stephens (13:06):
like dances at the school.
Like I said, this was juniorhigh after I met my wife in high
school and I don't know if itwas our go-to thing or the only
thing that was close enough tosoft music I had, but when,
whenever we would park in thecar, we would put in.
Boston, the first album and justlet it play over and over again
(13:31):
cause it was on eight track andwe didn't have to do anything
with it.
DJJonniBravo (13:35):
That's cool.
Yeah.
Boston, that's another band thatgoodness with technology cuz he
went to m i t and he built thecontraption to do his music.
So you could just imagine withthe technology that they have
nowadays, what kind of album.
he could have produced.
And that was a great albumanyway, but they have the first
three were pretty banging.
(13:55):
And I don't
Tom Stephens (13:56):
know if it's true or not, but I had read somewhere
that somebody in the band workedfor Scott's Tape and back then
they made, the Real to RealTapes and the eight track and
everything.
And they had come up with somenew kind of, and that was one of
the reasons the band Boston evenstarted is cause he wanted to
(14:18):
record a band on this tape tosee how it sounded.
DJJonniBravo (14:21):
I also know that, he got into a lot of
entanglements with the recordcompany cuz He wanted to produce
his own stuff and I think he didit in like his apartment or
something too.
He didn't want to do it like ina regular studio.
He's the one making theequipment, and they wouldn't let
him.
And I think that's why it tookthird stage so long to come out
cuz they had put those othertwo, not really back to back,
(14:43):
most albums of back to back, andthird stage took a little while
longer cuz I think they were inlitigation or something where
they wanted him to do something.
He wanted to do something else.
Tom Stephens (14:53):
But once they probably wanted probably let's
see, when did third stage come?
DJJonniBravo (14:56):
Was it eighties?
Was it 86?
Something like that?
I don't know.
It was late in the rest.
They were, they
Tom Stephens (15:01):
were probably wanting to pop it up or disco it
out or something stupid, yeah, Iknow Ted Nugent had an album.
Little Dangerous and he only didit.
Cause that's what the recordcompany wanted
DJJonniBravo (15:12):
that's what the record, they wanted him to.
Tom Stephens (15:15):
Yeah, it was like really poppy.
It wasn't Ted Nugent at all.
it was like, what the heck areyou
DJJonniBravo (15:21):
doing?
Changing it up.
Yeah.
When you have a following likethat you don't really wanna mess
with it.
Sometimes a record company makesturn left when you want to go
straight at or go, right?
Tom Stephens (15:31):
Of course.
I guess it wasn't as bad as whenKiss did Dynasty.
Yeah.
DJJonniBravo (15:36):
And they had a pretty good relationship with
their record company.
Cuz Kiss was the only thing ontheir record companies labeled
it wasn't the only thing, but itwas the only thing making money.
Tom Stephens (15:45):
Yeah, they didn't actually make money till After
Alive came out,
DJJonniBravo (15:49):
That's true.
But that one like, caused theirrecord company to make a ton of
money.
But yeah, you're right.
Yeah.
The I think the first couplerecords, they didn't do anything
until alive.
let's talk about your firstconcert or that first concert
that you.
Tom Stephens (16:02):
The very first concert, although my brother
will debate me on this, cause hethinks the banana splits count
as a concert.
Oh man.
you're probably too young toeven remember the banana splits,
but,
DJJonniBravo (16:14):
Yeah.
I don't know if I know thatgroup or not.
Tom Stephens (16:16):
They were, I don't know what you call'em.
People dressed up in animalcostumes on a cartoon show.
Oh, okay.
And they would do a little skitand then the next cartoon would
come on.
and they had little songs theywould sing and I guess they were
at the mall or something and myparents took us, he claims
that's the first concert.
I'm like, it's not a concert.
(16:37):
Cause.
It was all on tape, But the veryfirst concert I went to was
Kiss.
All right?
And probably 75, I was still injunior high for the rock and
roll over tour, and me and twoof my buddies went and my mom
and one of the other guys', momdrove us.
(16:59):
And I guess they went to awaffle house or something and
waited till the concert was overcause they didn't go to the
concert with us.
It's probably a good thing.
And I think a band named theRockets open for'em and no one
cared.
DJJonniBravo (17:13):
they're wave or kiss.
Oh yeah.
and how was the show?
How was the theatrics and allthat?
I'm sure it was,
Tom Stephens (17:20):
oh, it was awesome, man.
It wrote me for concerts for along time.
Cause I would go to otherconcerts and go, that's great,
but I can hear that on therecord, so entertain me,
DJJonniBravo (17:32):
make something blow up
Tom Stephens (17:35):
That's what I, that was the next thing I was
gonna say.
Blow something
DJJonniBravo (17:38):
up.
Blow something up.
Let's do some rock and roll man.
What's your guitar on fire orsomething?
Yeah I think I told your sonthis, or I know I've told it on
the podcast before, but I wentto a KISS show with my buddy
when I DJ'ed when we were inhigh school and this is when the
Hot and the Shade tour whenthey'd stopped doing the makeup
(17:58):
and they had three openers.
I think they had danger,slaughter, and one other band.
And then they came.
and I'm working like three jobsand I had gotten, free tickets
to this show and I know he was aKISS fan, so I figured I'd take
him, and I'm a KISS fan, but I'mnot a huge KISS fan like he was.
and I fell asleep in the show,and he has never forgiven me But
(18:18):
it was like, it was notheatrics.
It was just no makeup, they hada few Thea but he's gotta be out
there with the high heels onand, sticking out his tongue and
blowing stuff up.
it was just like any other rockshow, and I
Tom Stephens (18:30):
only saw them one time without makeup, and that
was Bon Scott's first concert.
Okay.
I took him, he was probablyabout five, I guess I took him
to here in Jacksonville, and itwas when they didn't have the
makeup.
Ted Nugent opened for him.
We walk into Coliseum seats, Idon't know, 12,000 people.
(18:55):
I don't think there was 2000people in.
And I'm with a little kid, so Ijust sit down with him.
We're watching Ted Nugent, andI'm like you wanna go down
closer?
And he goes, no, Ted Nugent's ageek.
I see kiss, so KISS comes out,then he wants to go down, so I
have to carry him.
So you can see over people andthere was a guy there and he
(19:17):
goes, Hey, a little dude, isthis his first concert?
And I'm like, yeah.
And he goes, everybody get outthe way.
This is the little dude's firstconcert.
And it was like, Moses partedred, Z people just got out of
our way.
We walked all way to the stage.
DJJonniBravo (19:34):
That is so cool.
Yeah, it just wasn't the same,without all the theatrics and
stuff.
I didn't get a chance to see himon this last tour.
Sometimes I miss shows and Ithink about'em later and I'm
like, I should have gone to thatshow, but ticket prices are just
out of this world nowadays, togo, yeah, try to go see
something.
But wanted to, rectify myselffor my friend, my DJ partner
when I went to this show withhim and take some pictures of me
(19:56):
jamming out with kiss.
But I didn't get a chance to doit, He didn't like Nugent.
Huh.
But you were a Nugent fan.
You talked about Nugent earlier,
Tom Stephens (20:04):
likes'em now, but at five years old, he wanted to
see kiss,
DJJonniBravo (20:08):
Yeah.
He wanted to makeup.
I think that's what drove a lotof kids to kiss was the makeup,
because it was such a coolthing.
I remember I think I've toldthis story before too, of being
in church, and we were doingclown makeup and one of the guys
did Peter Chris's makeup, on hisface.
And he didn't get in trouble forit.
I was surprised I was waitingfor them to drop the hammer on
(20:28):
him or something, but he didn'tget in trouble.
and then we did some kind ofshow, I don't know if it was a
magic show or what, whatever wedid.
And he's up there with Peter,Chris makeup on, and we were all
looking like clowns or whatever,but I think that's what drew a
lot of the kids to kiss plus themusic was good and the theatrics
too.
And our parents hated him.
Yeah.
That's the other thing.
Your parents really hated himand didn't want you to go see'em
(20:49):
and probably thought they wereof the devil.
That's what rock and roll gets alot of is that's the devil
music.
And it's not always that, it'ssometimes it is, but when you
see the demonn up there, withthis tongue stick out, maybe it
is.
I don't know.
But it's fun when you'rewatching it.
Tom Stephens (21:03):
me and Bon even took my grandson to go see him
when they were doing theirsupposed, this is the end of the
road tour or
DJJonniBravo (21:11):
whatever it was.
Yeah.
Now, was he a fan or is he afan?
Tom Stephens (21:14):
Oh yeah.
He would put on like the kissmeets the Phantom movie, and
then I gave him a couple.
DVDs of them in concert, he'dput them on and sing with'em all
the time.
And we take him to this concert.
My wife bought the tickets.
they were the very last row.
So he's who got these
DJJonniBravo (21:34):
tickets?
Oh man.
Tom Stephens (21:38):
But he song, every song they did, he would sing.
And Paul's older now, so hedoesn't hit some of them.
And every time he didn't hit ahigh note, my grandson would
turn around and look at me like,what the hell was that?
DJJonniBravo (21:52):
He's not singing it right.
Oh,
Tom Stephens (21:56):
man.
But he did he sung like everyword to every song they played.
I was like,
DJJonniBravo (22:00):
holy cow.
So you guys were way up in therafters, huh?
Oh.
I always say, Hey, if you're inthe building, sometimes if
you're in the parking lot, youcan still have a good show, even
though you wanna
Tom Stephens (22:11):
see'em.
Now them big shows, it really,it doesn't matter anymore.
Cause they got the big screensup, you
DJJonniBravo (22:17):
know?
Yeah.
you can basically see'em morethan what you could back in the
day.
You had to, squint.
so I don't know if you know thestory or not.
When kiss, put out their firstcomic book, they mixed their
blood in with the ink.
Yeah.
And that was supposed to be abig thing back in the day.
People were picking it up cuz itwas like comic book had their
blood,
Tom Stephens (22:36):
that's probably worth a good bit of money now if
you still have one of those.
Yeah,
DJJonniBravo (22:40):
probably one of the original ones.
I'm sure not one of the reprintsor whatever, but, and I used to
love watching Gene Simmons show,with him and his daughter and
son and his wife on tv andthey'd go and visit his mom's
house and his mom's this littleolder Jewish lady.
And he's got the full makeup onand she's, loving on him or
whatever, he'll go over there,just dressed up regular too.
(23:02):
But he had this room with Ithink he had one of everything
that they ever put out.
So whatever they put out,t-shirt or a brochure or comic
book or whatever, or figure hehad one of each one.
So you would always see him andI think that was his office or
whatever, and he'd be in that.
With all the KISS memorabilia.
KISS had a lot of memorabilia.
So if you didn't like'em youprobably had someone to
(23:25):
memorabilia if you weren't partof the KISS army, at least
anyway.
Tom Stephens (23:27):
I really didn't get anything.
I think the only thing untilafter I got married, I had a
kiss, was a program I boughtwhen they did the dynasty.
Gotcha.
But besides the albums andstuff,
DJJonniBravo (23:41):
now, so you never joined up with the KISS Army
then?
Tom Stephens (23:44):
Now I got all kinds of KISS stuff.
I got full size heads, the mounton the wall and buss, and we
went on a kiss cruise
DJJonniBravo (23:55):
Oh.
And I don't know if you probablyknow the band skid Row,
Sebastian Bach.
He's a big KISS fan and he'salways collecting, I follow him
on Instagram and even just likewithin the last three or four
months, he's picking up KISSrecords and other kiss things,
and he always gets excited, likea little kid opening.
Up his latest KISS merchandise,or whatever it is, So it brings
(24:18):
out the kit and all of us, theKiss Army.
Alright, let's talk about yourfirst music purchase.
Where was that?
Was it vinyl tape, cd, orstreaming?
Where did you purchase or whatkind of record store did you go
to now?
Tom Stephens (24:30):
The the High Express Yo Yomi.
I bought it on like I said, myparents bought it.
I didn't buy it.
I was six, but was some recordstore there in town.
I don't know what it was or.
It probably doesn't even exist.
I know it doesn't exist anymore,but as far as like an album the
first two, I got'em both thesame day, the first two actual
(24:53):
albums I got, and they were bothon eight track.
So now everybody knows I'mancient.
But it was Boston's first albumand kiss, rock
DJJonniBravo (25:03):
and roll.
Now tell the young kids outthere, listen, what A eight
track is?
An eight
Tom Stephens (25:09):
track?
It's a, what is it?
Six inches long and four incheswide maybe?
Sounds about right.
It's kind like a cassette tape,but it's all enclosed.
And you put it in the player andit takes part of the tape out to
wrap around the heads and stuff.
But it's called an eight trackcause there's four different
(25:32):
tracks on it and each of'em takeup, each side, your left and
right stereo.
But it would play through.
Let's say three songs, and thenit would click over to the next
track and there'd be three moresongs, and then it would click
over and there'd be three more.
Unfortunately, nobody ever timedthis stuff out, so sometimes it
(25:53):
would click over in the middleof a song, and it was usually in
the middle of your favoritesong.
DJJonniBravo (26:00):
of course.
There was a guy that wasrecently teaching us a class at
work, on teamwork and all thiskind of stuff.
And he teaches kids a lot.
And so he brings up he has acouple of different things and
he brings up an eight track caseand tries to ask the kids what's
in there or what that is.
(26:21):
And they have absolutely noclue.
And that case was all of his atrack.
He had a like par parliament,fuck Funk Del, I can't even
talk.
In there.
And he had a bunch of good stuffin there.
So then he, oh yeah.
Parliament
Tom Stephens (26:33):
P Funk.
That's Yeah.
I think I actually had the live
DJJonniBravo (26:38):
eight track.
So he had, a bunch of eighttracks in there.
But also what he does in one ofhis trainings is he brings out
an iPod, and he'll hold the iPodup and they'll, he'll ask how
many songs are on this iPod?
And he gets the kids to guesshow many songs are on it.
Then he holds up an album andhe, tells him this thing is two
(26:59):
sides.
So how many songs you think areon this and they guess all kinds
of stuff.
And it's only probably 10 or 12or 15 songs unless it's a double
album, and they're guessingprobably 50 songs, And then he
pulls up an a track tape outtathe case that he was showing
him.
And he holds that up and hesays, how many songs you think
is on this?
A track and they look at theiPod and they look at the record
(27:23):
and they're thinking there's allkinds of songs on that.
A track.
Yep.
I had three A tracks back in theday myself.
I used to love sitting therepopping one in and listening to
the hvac.
I don't think we had one in thecar as far as I can remember.
Tom Stephens (27:37):
Yeah, I had.
What was it called?
A Craig Power Play In my firstcar that was under the dash, you
had to add it in and it did nothave a radio in it, and you had
to buy a thing that looked likean eight track, but it was
actually a radio receiver thatyou plugged in.
To the eight track player so youcould listen to the radio.
DJJonniBravo (28:01):
Oh man.
That sounds like, when we hadthe cassette to put in our
cassette player to attach to ourCD player so we could play CDs.
It sounds similar.
I remember that too.
Yeah.
Sounds similar to that too.
Kids today don't know thestruggle, they just get in the
car and the phone syncs up withthe car and then you're playing
(28:22):
your tunes right from yourphone.
It was a struggle to even playsome music back in the day.
And then if you had a tapeplayer, sometimes your tape
would get stuck and trying toget your tape out of the tape
player that was stuck was
Tom Stephens (28:34):
just, it'd be all wound up around everything.
DJJonniBravo (28:37):
Yeah.
And it would you would worryabout the next tape you put in
there, and sometimes it was justbecause it was a cheap tape, and
other times it was because youhad a cheap stereo.
And hopefully it was, the firstone where you, it was just a
cheap tape cuz you was alwaystrying to pull it out and
Tom Stephens (28:51):
you'd get up or you needed to pop in the head
DJJonniBravo (28:53):
cleaner.
Exactly.
You needed to pop in the headcleaner.
Yeah, exactly.
So the tape could sound better,and play better, Kids today
don't know their struggle.
Guess so They just get in thecar and their phone's hooked up
and they're, my kids play dj, soit's real easy for them to do
that with their phones.
we'd have to pop in an A trackpop out an a track.
It wasn't an easy task, itwasn't an easy task at all.
(29:16):
All right let's let's takeanother break and we'll be right
back.
So stay there.
Year of October (29:37):
You are still under the influence with PJ
DJJonniBravo.
DJJonniBravo (29:43):
We are back.
I'm DJJonniBravo.
You're going under the musicalinfluence of.
Guess Tom Stevens on Under TheInfluence with DJ DJJonniBravo.
All right, Tom, so now we getinto the hard questions that
everybody loves to hate.
These next few, what is yourfavorite song?
So give us the artist band orgroup and the song title.
Tom Stephens (30:03):
That is the hardest question of all time,
but I would say as of right now,my favorite song is probably.
This train by Joe Bonamassa.
DJJonniBravo (30:18):
What makes you like that song?
Tom Stephens (30:20):
it'ss, but it, it's got the element of rock to
it and it's got a little bitelement of to it, I think.
You know how?
Cause it has so many differentchanges
DJJonniBravo (30:30):
in it.
Yeah.
Now, have you ever got a chanceto go see him at a show?
Oh yeah.
Tom Stephens (30:37):
I went to see him in St.
Augustine Amphitheater a fewyears ago.
Anton Fig from the DavidLetterman Band was his drummer.
Okay.
And I actually got his autographon a drum head.
but I wasn't able to get closeto Joe.
Cause he's famous and stuff,
Year of October (30:56):
oh, that's very cool.
DJJonniBravo (30:57):
I was at a Bengals show back in the day and I got
three out of the four Bengalssignatures on a drumhead, which
I thought was really cool.
It's a cool memorabilia to have.
It's from a show is a drum hitwith a signature on it.
Tom Stephens (31:09):
that's funny.
You said you missed a signature.
I don't know how my wife did it,but somehow she got like a meet
and greet to Aerosmith and weoriginally, we were supposed to
see him in Virginia Beach, but ahurricane was coming, so it got
canceled.
they rescheduled us for LasVegas, which was fine with me.
but I had a drum head cause wegot a meet and greet and we went
(31:33):
up and got our picture taken andthey all stood around and talked
and I was going around gettingautographs and I turned around
and Joe Perry is gone.
Wow.
And I'm like, what the hell?
Oh, we're so sorry.
He thought we were done, but thelady that was in charge of it
comes over and she said, youguys live in Jacksonville,
Florida, right?
And I said, yeah.
She says, are you coming to theshow?
(31:55):
And my wife's of course we are.
I've already got the tickets.
She says me to see seat numbersyou're in and I'll come out,
bring the drumhead, I'll comeout and we'll get Joe to sign
it.
They did.
And I was like I can't evenbelieve they went through all
that, But I'm like, this drumhead's useless to me if I don't
have everybody on it.
DJJonniBravo (32:15):
that's exactly, it's like getting all the
figures, that you want, likegetting the whole KISS squad,
but you're missing Jean Simmonsor something, wait a.
that's really a good thing thatyou were able to get, his
signature because once you havethat, it's man, I don't even
want this thing now.
It's not even worth having.
Tom Stephens (32:29):
It's funny cause I've got more pictures with
people and autographs fromdifferent people in the last 10
years that I've gotten my entirelife.
and I just happened to run into'em.
You It's not like I'm lettingpeople stand outside the
backstage door.
DJJonniBravo (32:48):
And I think they're a little bit more open
to it than they were, back inthe day it seems like everybody
would get in the bus and takeoff.
And I know that there was alwayspeople that would.
Find out where the bus was orwhatever, and stalk'em a little
bit, to try to at least say hior touch'em or whatever.
Tom Stephens (33:04):
I think a lot of the signing now is, cause they,
it's, it'll be on eBay tomorrow.
Exactly.
So they see that.
I told my wife, I said, we'regonna have to start carrying
pictures.
Our wall of fame up here, sothey know that's not what's
happening.
DJJonniBravo (33:20):
Yeah.
It's that you actually wanna geta piece and keep it, and have it
for your own collection.
When I saw Aerosmith back in theday on the pump tour in 1990.
Skid Row opened up, it was atthe Richmond Coliseum, and that
was the tour where they were ona hotel roof or it looked like a
bunch of rooftops.
I guess that was like theirstage that they had and they put
(33:42):
on a good show.
I wanted to see'em a few yearsago up at the MGM Grand they
have one outside of Washington.
And I was thinking about goingto see'em, but the tickets were
just so pricey,
Tom Stephens (33:53):
yeah.
Everybody's doing that withtickets now.
I don't know what the deal is.
I'm like, come on.
I guess people can't afford itor they wouldn't be able to
charge it but I'm like, at leasthave some$20 tickets clear in
the back or something.
DJJonniBravo (34:08):
Yeah.
There's gotta be a way you coulddo cheap tickets to a show.
And I also recently heard thatthe president is Like on it to
try to get them to, investigateor whatever, all the fees and
everything, because you get inthere and the ticket's$75 and
you go to check out it's 150.
Yeah.
Tom Stephens (34:23):
That's a Ticketmaster
DJJonniBravo (34:24):
for you.
and I remember I went to U2 showand I'd gotten a ticket, off of
the one of those sites, finding,trying to find a ticket last.
And they said I had to have aprintout.
I couldn't use my phone, andthen they were gonna put me
somewhere else and I was by the,I was all jammed up, by the time
I actually got a chance to seethe show I was like, just
couldn't even enjoy it.
Tom Stephens (34:44):
Yeah, they're getting outta hand.
There's no doubt about it.
there are bands that they'reable to tell the promoter, I
don't want any ticket to be morethan whatever.
I think Joe Barnas, the way hedoes it, he doesn't care how big
the venue is.
The first third of.
Seats are this price.
The next third is this price,and the last third is this
(35:05):
price.
And it doesn't matter if itholds 500 people or 25,000
people.
He doesn't care.
It's this price, and this price.
DJJonniBravo (35:13):
The other thing I read too was, The reason why the
tickets are so expensive isbecause they're not making as
much money like they would whenthey actually sold a record or
an A track or a tape or cd.
Tom Stephens (35:25):
Oh yeah.
Cause like back in my day, thebands, they didn't really give a
crap if they made money on theconcert.
They were doing the concert toget you to buy the.
DJJonniBravo (35:36):
when we went and saw Billy Joel, he even
explained that, he said, this isthe first time that I can think
of that I haven't had an albumI'm promoting, and something
that I have to, be out therepromoting the album and do the
concert.
So you guys will go by thealbums.
He said, you guys are alreadybuying the albums.
I'm doing the shows now becauseyou guys have bought the albums.
I'm not promoting an album.
So it was not.
What it was back in the day.
(35:57):
And so I think that's whythey're trying to recoup some of
the money and that's why they'recharging more for the concert.
Plus, it's a big production toput all those people to work
and, those, the headlinerspaying the opener and
everything.
So if they have two or threeopeners, they're paying all
those people
Tom Stephens (36:12):
I've seen some of the bands now the openers are
paying to.
DJJonniBravo (36:16):
That's probably a good way to save a little bit of
money too and to get themexposure.
But, the record company's reallypaying for it.
But the, the artist has to paythe record company back.
it's just a, evil system, thatthey gotta contend with.
And people aren't making thetype of money like Prince and
Madonna and Michael Jackson andall those stars you.
We're making, especially ifyou're in a band you're making a
(36:38):
fourth of that or a fifth ofthat, depending on how many band
members you have.
Yeah.
Well, Let's talk about yourfavorite band.
What's your favorite band artistgroup that's out there?
Tom Stephens (36:49):
If you asked me back when I was younger, it
would've been KISS acdc.
Nowadays I would have to go withSammy Hagar's, the Circle, Bonna
Masa and Government Mule.
DJJonniBravo (37:03):
Now, have you ever bought any of Sammy Hagar's
tequila?
Tom Stephens (37:06):
I have probably four bottles of it in my cabinet
right now.
DJJonniBravo (37:11):
That's some nice tequila.
You don't realize when you'reyounger and you're drinking the
cheap stuff, that there'sactually good tequila out there.
I think he makes a pretty goodtequila.
I'd like that.
Oh, you're
Tom Stephens (37:20):
talk, you're talking alright.
Yeah, Cabos great.
The first time we got it, I tookit over to Buddy Mine's house
and I'm like, all right, let'smake some margaritas.
And he goes this is supposed tobe really good tequila.
Let's do a shot of it before wemake tequila to see what it
tastes like.
That is the first time I've everdone a shot at tequila and not
did the tequila
DJJonniBravo (37:41):
shiver afterward.
Yeah, it's really nice.
It's
Tom Stephens (37:44):
now he doesn't own that anymore.
DJJonniBravo (37:47):
Oh, he does.
He sold that.
Yeah,
Tom Stephens (37:49):
he sold that and now he's got a company, what is
it, Santos?
And they make Maquila.
Okay.
Which is a blend of mosque and
DJJonniBravo (38:00):
tequila.
I still like Tolokan, Wabo.
I have a bottle of it in myhouse.
Yeah.
It's good.
And I heard other stars I thinkMetallica's got some whiskey or
something that they're.
Yeah.
So I think some people aregetting into that game, which
is, and KISS is doing cold gin.
Yeah, cold gin.
I saw that as well.
I did see that.
Of course you know they're gonnahave it.
(38:20):
They got everything out therewith KISS on it.
Are you ready for the bigfinale?
Tom Stephens (38:25):
Of course I am.
John.
Bring it on.
DJJonniBravo (38:27):
All right, let's do
Year of October (38:28):
it.
How
DJJonniBravo (38:35):
has music impacted your life?
Tom Stephens (38:38):
In probably more ways that I can think of.
I'm convinced that doing musicin school helped me.
In other classes I had, I'vemade so many great friends and
people that I consider familynow because of music.
I think it helped connect mewith both my kids.
(39:01):
Like I said, bond went todifferent concerts with me.
He's played in bands with mewhen my daughter was in her new
kids on the block phase.
Just as I was getting ready todo something I swore I would
never do and yell, turn it down,Leonard Skynyrd would come on or
the doors and I'm like, okay, Idid something right, but.
(39:27):
I love playing music, I lovewatching people when we're
playing music.
It's just been a pretty goodtime, man.
DJJonniBravo (39:35):
That's good.
Yeah.
When you can pass that legacy onto your kids.
And new kids on the block arescreaming, which, talking about
the banana, what'd you call'em?
The banana people?
What was it?
What were they called?
The banana splits.
The banana splits.
You were talking about themearlier and you were like, it's
just a tape.
When I saw new kids on theblock, I had to do a show for
(39:56):
the, the radio station in Q 94in Richmond.
And they were basically lipsyncing.
Of course the girls wouldprobably say that was a bunch of
bull, but they were, cuz theycouldn't have been dancing that
hard.
And still singing those tunes.
That was a tape.
So least she's playing someskynyrd and some doors in there
as well.
And and I know that you
Tom Stephens (40:21):
station that was my dream job when high school I
wanted to be a disc junkie.
I went down to a radio stationand sat in with a guy so he
could show me everything andtalk to me about it.
I was gonna go to, what was it?
I dunno.
It was a school in GeorgiaSchool of Broadcasting or
something, they advertise on TVsand I had talked my dad into it
(40:44):
and I was gonna go do it andthat dis young, he went, don't
do.
We've got audition tapes fromthem people.
They're not teaching themanything, so I didn't do that.
But I did get my broadcastinglicense because when I went to
take the test, they were redoingthe computer system and all you
had to do was sign a piece ofpaper saying I've read and
(41:06):
understand all the rules andregulations.
So I did that.
They sent me my license and Inever used it.
I went in the Navy and spent 20years doing that.
DJJonniBravo (41:18):
I went to vo-tech vocational education cuz I was
gonna be a draftsman.
I was gonna do stuff to designbuildings and stuff, but they
didn't have.
kids to get a teacher.
So I had three periods I had tofill up and I've always listened
to music.
I always have cans on my head,always listening to, you know,
LPs or a track.
I said that would be a good wayto spend some time.
So I was able to get my licenseand work on a couple radio
(41:40):
stations and.
It was probably good the guytalked you out of it, because
I'm sure you didn't make akilling in the Navy, but you
might have probably made moremoney in the Navy than you would
have being a disc jockey.
I could tell you that.
So he probably didn't lead youtoo far astray.
But, and it's something that youcould always do you could always
go down to the local station andtell'em you got your license.
They'll put you, they'll putyou.
(42:02):
that would
Tom Stephens (42:02):
require me to have to find the license.
DJJonniBravo (42:04):
it's probably not even really a requirement
anymore.
I know they used to have itposted in the studios, but I
don't think it's even that bigof a requirement anymore.
I could be wrong unless somebodytells me different, but I know
they used to post them inwhatever station that you were
on, I know when I left Q I don'tthink I ever got mine back.
(42:25):
and I was on several stationsafter that.
So I, like I said, I think it'sa loose thing that they probably
don't really regulate.
Tom Stephens (42:32):
It may be like CV radios, they just, you don't
need it anymore.
Who knows?
DJJonniBravo (42:36):
Yeah, it could be.
And of course I do tell youthat.
And then you'll go to a radiostation and they'll ask for it.
But you might be able to get itfrom the government.
Tom Stephens (42:43):
Yeah.
I'm sure you can, but Sure.
DJJonniBravo (42:45):
They have a copy of you on.
Or they'll have
Tom Stephens (42:48):
to retest me because everything's changed.
DJJonniBravo (42:52):
Yeah, exactly.
And it's not too much of achange.
It's a lot more digital now.
Most of the stuff that we didwhen I was doing it, and this
was probably, middle like earlynineties through the two
thousands and it was.
On air.
So it was about 70% on air andabout 30% not on the air.
So 30% of it's recorded, wherenow it's swapped, so now it's
(43:16):
30%.
That's on air and 70% isrecorded.
So when you're listening to astation, most of the time that's
been recorded, and that's noteven the guy in the studio.
When I was doing radio, we wereactually in the studio playing
the music, taking the calls,giving the tickets.
And all that kind of stuff.
Cuz that was 70%, but now it'srecorded and they're not even in
(43:38):
the studio.
A lot of those guys do it fromhome.
That would be nice.
Yeah.
So it might be something tocheck out
Tom Stephens (43:44):
or when I win the lotto, I'll just buy a radio
stay station.
We won't worry
DJJonniBravo (43:48):
about it.
There you go.
You won't have to worry aboutit.
You can just be on, on the radioanytime you want.
It'll be your.
Do you think that sumseverything up, Tom?
Tom Stephens (43:56):
Yeah.
Probably more than you wanted,but
DJJonniBravo (43:58):
I appreciate you being here.
we're gonna say goodbye, Allright.
Thanks, John.
Thanks for going under themusical influence of today's
guest, Tom Stevens on Under TheInfluence with DJ DJJonniBravo.
Go under the influence onInstagram at DJ J O N N I B R A
V O underscore under theInfluence.
Contact us by email at djDJJonniBravo dot under the
(44:21):
influence@yahoo.com and checkout my other podcast with my
son, Hero Chat Show.
Please subscribe to Under theInfluence with DJ DJJonniBravo
wherever you listen to yourpodcast.
I'm DJJonniBravo.
I'll see you next time.
Goodbye.
Year of October (44:55):
Thanks.
(45:25):
You are no longer under theinfluence with DJ DJJonniBravo
until next week.
You are now under the.
With DJ DJJonniBravo.
DJJonniBravo (00:58):
Hello, I'm Jonni Bravo.
Today you're going under themusical influence of today's
guest, Tom Stevens on Under theInfluence with DJJonniBravo.
So Tom welcome to season two inthe band I had your son on.
I interviewed him season one,episode eight.
His name's Bon Scott Stevens,and you are his father.
(01:19):
We'll jump right into season twoin the band.
Tell me a little bit about yourmusical self.
Tom Stephens (01:23):
I'm heavily into the rock, blues influence, I
guess you would say.
I've been in several bands herein the Jacksonville area, flying
South, Earth End, Judge Rock,just to name a few.
I'm currently working.
I'm trying to get a bandtogether.
We're gonna call it Stiff Iguanaand trying to keep it more of
(01:47):
the rock blues type thing.
I've got guys out now who aregoing around seeing what other
bands are playing to make surethat we don't play the same
songs.
They are maybe the same bands,not the same songs.
I think everybody.
And this town basically playsthe same stuff no matter what
band it is.
So we thought we'd try somethingdifferent.
DJJonniBravo (02:08):
That sounds cool.
And I like the name Stiff Iguanathat's really cool.
Tom Stephens (02:12):
We got that a few years ago.
we didn't have a name for a bandWe were supposed to practice,
but we decided to go out andride motorcycles first and the
temperature dropped and we gotback to practice and one of the
guitar players said, I can'tstay.
I gotta go home.
Cause I left my iguana outsideand I don't wanna come home and
see a stiff iguana.
(02:34):
And every one of us turned eachother and went, that's the name
of the band.
But now we're finally using it,15 years later,
DJJonniBravo (02:42):
Nothing wrong with that.
that's a cool story too.
And so you're doing like more ofthe rock blues.
What kind of artists are youthinking about covering And are
you guys gonna do your own songsas well?
I'm sure.
Tom Stephens (02:54):
Yeah, we've got several songs lined up to do.
We're gonna try to do coverslike, of course Stevie Rayon.
Government Mule, Joe Bonamassa,buddy guy.
and then, we're gonna play therock stuff too.
The doors, the Led Zeppelin, TedNugent, acdc, we're gonna try
to, Shift things more into theblues rock vein, we're gonna
(03:17):
have other stuff in the sidepocket, just in case.
DJJonniBravo (03:21):
Yeah.
It sounds like you've beenhanging out England with those
bands from the sixties, like theStones and the Beatles, when
they came over, they wanted toemulate a lot of our otters, and
a lot of'em blues, not really,little bit of rock and roll.
We had some rock and roll inthere.
Yeah, it's easier for me tosing, let's put it that way,
Gotcha, gotcha.
(03:42):
And you were in some bands, youand your son were in some bands
together.
Is that correct?
He plays drums.
And what instruments do youplay?
Tom Stephens (03:50):
I play the saxophone and I sing I attempt
to play the saxophone and Ising.
How's that?
DJJonniBravo (03:56):
There you go.
So what bands were you guys intogether?
Tom Stephens (03:59):
Before we called it Flying South, he came over
and he, I guess he wasn't reallyactually in the band cause Imwe
only did one gig with him.
But our drummer had quit and Iasked him to, I gave him two
full CDs of the songs we weredoing, and I go to pick him up
the day of practice and we goover and I said, Did you listen
(04:20):
to those CDs?
He goes, yeah, I listened to thefirst three songs on the first
CD and figured if that's allit's I can do it.
And I was like, oh my God, thisis gonna be so embarrassing, And
he got over there and they wouldsay, we're gonna play this song.
And he'd go, I don't know whatthat is.
Just start playing it.
And he would join in and henailed every one of them.
(04:41):
Oh, I couldn't believe.
DJJonniBravo (04:42):
That sounds cool.
where did you get the name BonScott from?
Tom Stephens (04:46):
The first lead singer for ac dc was named Bon
Scott.
And really me and my wifecouldn't in name, agree on it,
name for a boy.
We had a girl's name, and I keptthrowing stupid names at her.
That I knew she was gonna say noto I, said, Theodore Jean after
(05:07):
Ted Nugent and Jean Simmons, andshe shot that down.
And one night I said, Bon Scott.
And she says, okay.
And I was like, I was onlykidding.
But that's the name we wentwith.
And then he was born and wefound out they were born the
same day, September 7th.
DJJonniBravo (05:29):
Oh well, that's cool.
Yeah I was thinking that it wasafter AC DC's lead singer, but I
didn't wanna speculate.
I figured I'd ask the sourcehimself and what he would say.
So that's
Tom Stephens (05:39):
a yes.
That's a.
It was funny when he was little.
Cause people go, what's hisname?
We'd say, Bon.
And they'd go, oh, afterBonjovi,
DJJonniBravo (05:49):
after Bonjovi.
And you're like, no, it's BonScott.
Even harder than that.
AC dc man.
Come on now.
All right.
Let's talk about yourdiscoveries and when did you
first discover music?
Like how old were you?
Tom Stephens (06:02):
I, discovering music is probably like anyone
else.
It's the stupid little songsyour mom teaches you when you're
little, twinkle little star orwhatever.
But if you want to go, like onthe radio or whatever the very
first song I can remember evenwanting, to listen to on the
radio And this is funny, but itwas called Yummy, yummy, yummy
(06:26):
by the Ohio Express.
DJJonniBravo (06:28):
I remember that song,
Tom Stephens (06:31):
Now granted, I was six years old, so you know, or
somewhere in there.
But you know that was a coolsong to a little kid.
You're like, that's all right.
Had no idea what they weretalking about.
But
DJJonniBravo (06:43):
so what were they talking about in the song, do
you know?
Tom Stephens (06:46):
he was talking about his girlfriend,
DJJonniBravo (06:48):
Which most songs are about, love and Right.
That kind of thing.
But yeah, for a kid, some ofthose songs, spark Memories and
Stand Out because if you listento it, it sounds like a, kid
song.
It sounds like a friendly kidsong.
Yeah.
Tom Stephens (07:02):
Before that, what my parents listened to, they
listened to, Roger Miller herbAlbert and the Tijuana Brass the
four freshmen.
And I've even got some of thoseCDs today, cause I'm.
Try to think of a song from backthen, it'll come into my mind
and I'm like lemme put the CDin.
DJJonniBravo (07:21):
Yeah.
Her Balt, he got really big notonly because he was good, but he
would throw, a sexy lady on thecover, like the whipped creams
and other delights, and peoplewould just tie his records up.
Tom Stephens (07:31):
I think that's the only album I have of his
DJJonniBravo (07:35):
I think I have another album of his too.
I think I have one that's gotsome Mexicana songs in it.
You know that he did some, yeah.
Yeah.
So was your parents, were theyboth into the same music or was
your dad into different musicthan your mom, or they just
listened to the same things?
Year of October (07:50):
My
Tom Stephens (07:50):
mom, she like what was it, Eddie Arnold?
The Yo Yodeling cowboy guy.
Oh, yeah.
but yeah, I think most of itthough they both equally liked.
I didn't find it out till yearslater.
My dad liked C Credence and theydidn't have one credence album
in the house.
Oh, wow.
(08:10):
But I got in the car with himone day.
He had a cassette tape inplaying credence and I thought
it was on the radio at first,and then I'm like, that's the
third credence song.
Are you listening on tape?
Yeah.
And I'm like, you like credence?
And he goes, oh, I've alwaysliked them.
I'm like, you didn't like themwhen I listened to him.
it was always one them turn thatdown.
DJJonniBravo (08:34):
Yeah.
Credence has some really goodtunes, some catchy tunes too
that, just.
And sing along in the car with,yeah.
Been on plenty of movies withtheir songs as well.
so your dad had a credence tape,but when you were growing up, he
told you to turn that down?
He didn't, he was playing
Tom Stephens (08:50):
no doubt,
DJJonniBravo (08:52):
and it wasn't a lot of rock and roll, music.
It was mainly like a lot of easylistening.
A lot of people had herb Bal orFrank Sinatra singing cowboys
and different things like that.
It wasn't until, Elvis.
With the pelvis and all thoseguys.
And then, Jerry Lee Lewis, whowe just recently lost, and those
guys coming out playing the rockand roll that you had this other
(09:12):
genre and then the Beatles tookit to a, then Stones took it to
another level.
Tom Stephens (09:16):
Yeah, most definitely.
DJJonniBravo (09:18):
And then you had all that Prague rock too that,
took it to some psychedelicplaces.
You didn't even think musiccould go to, and if they had the
equipment that we have now to dothe music that they wanted to
do, I'm sure it would be evenmore trippier.
It
Tom Stephens (09:33):
probably would, even though all of them claimed
that they would
DJJonniBravo (09:36):
never use it.
Yeah, they were probably justsaying that because they didn't
want to get put on some list or,not have the kids stop buying
the records.
You know what I.
Tom Stephens (09:45):
Yeah, I think I was listening to Joe Bono's
podcast and he was askingsomebody about that, and they're
like, oh no, we do it the sameway we did it.
I'm like, oh, bull crap.
If there was an easier way to doit, you would've done
DJJonniBravo (09:59):
it.
Yeah, because they were likesplicing tape and putting tape
backwards and all kinds ofdifferent things to try to get
unique sounds.
For the album.
and then you know, it got betterbecause the equipment got
better.
So I'm sure it would be justlight years beyond where it was.
Oh yeah.
Tom Stephens (10:18):
Cause I was listening to Alan Parsons was
talking about he produced andworked on Pink Floyd's, dark
side of the moon and thebeginning of money.
When you hear that cash.
He said they just recorded thecash register and then copied
and spliced the tape over andover again for the whole first
(10:38):
part of
DJJonniBravo (10:38):
that song.
Yeah, and supposedly on thatrecord too, Paul McCartney is
one of the guys talking, whenthey have a lot of guys talking.
Supposedly he's on theresomewhere.
From what I've heard, I don'tknow if that's a urban legend or
if that's actual true or not.
Yeah, I never heard that before.
Yeah, I heard it a couple times,but yeah, Alan Parsons, imagine
some of his music.
Goodness gracious.
(10:59):
That would just be, I'm tellingyou, I think it would be off the
wall with all the technologythey have nowadays.
tell me this, what is the firstsong that you remember from back
in the day that maybe that youplayed?
Tom Stephens (11:10):
like I said it has to be yummy, yummy was the first
song that I can, remember Iactually bought the 45, or my
parents bought it,
DJJonniBravo (11:20):
did you have a big stack of 40 fives that you'd
Tom Stephens (11:22):
put it player?
Yeah, I had a.
I don't know, probably about twoor three foot stack of them.
but that was the very first 45
DJJonniBravo (11:30):
ever, bud.
Did you have one of those biglong tubes that you would put on
the record player so you couldplay'em back to back?
Yeah,
Tom Stephens (11:38):
that was our.
iPod back then.
DJJonniBravo (11:40):
Yeah, that's true.
A lot of people probably don'teven know what that thing would,
be.
It's like a little tower thingyou'd put on top and I think
sometimes it would clamp down onsome record players and then
you'd put your 40 fives on thereand they would play one right
after the other.
So it was like our, yeah.
iPod our jukebox kind of thing.
Let's take a quick break andwe'll be right back.
(12:01):
Hang.
Year of October (12:18):
You are still under the influence with PJ
DJJonniBravo.
DJJonniBravo (12:25):
We are back.
I'm DJJonniBravo You're goingunder the musical influence of
today's guest, Tom Stevens onUnder the Influence with DJ
DJJonniBravo.
All right.
Let's talk about girlfriendspartners.
What's your first song for thatlong distance dedication, or
what was your first couple song?
Tom Stephens (12:42):
I'd have to say.
In the junior High Years it wasthe song Feelings, and I cannot
remember for the life.
I, can't remember the name ofthe guy's that even did it, but
it was, one of the top hits backin the seventies, and that was
the one you always wanted todance with your girl.
DJJonniBravo (13:03):
Now, was this at some kind of dance at the school
or was this just
Tom Stephens (13:06):
like dances at the school.
Like I said, this was juniorhigh after I met my wife in high
school and I don't know if itwas our go-to thing or the only
thing that was close enough tosoft music I had, but when,
whenever we would park in thecar, we would put in.
Boston, the first album and justlet it play over and over again
(13:31):
cause it was on eight track andwe didn't have to do anything
with it.
DJJonniBravo (13:35):
That's cool.
Yeah.
Boston, that's another band thatgoodness with technology cuz he
went to m i t and he built thecontraption to do his music.
So you could just imagine withthe technology that they have
nowadays, what kind of album.
he could have produced.
And that was a great albumanyway, but they have the first
three were pretty banging.
(13:55):
And I don't
Tom Stephens (13:56):
know if it's true or not, but I had read somewhere
that somebody in the band workedfor Scott's Tape and back then
they made, the Real to RealTapes and the eight track and
everything.
And they had come up with somenew kind of, and that was one of
the reasons the band Boston evenstarted is cause he wanted to
(14:18):
record a band on this tape tosee how it sounded.
DJJonniBravo (14:21):
I also know that, he got into a lot of
entanglements with the recordcompany cuz He wanted to produce
his own stuff and I think he didit in like his apartment or
something too.
He didn't want to do it like ina regular studio.
He's the one making theequipment, and they wouldn't let
him.
And I think that's why it tookthird stage so long to come out
cuz they had put those othertwo, not really back to back,
(14:43):
most albums of back to back, andthird stage took a little while
longer cuz I think they were inlitigation or something where
they wanted him to do something.
He wanted to do something else.
Tom Stephens (14:53):
But once they probably wanted probably let's
see, when did third stage come?
DJJonniBravo (14:56):
Was it eighties?
Was it 86?
Something like that?
I don't know.
It was late in the rest.
They were, they
Tom Stephens (15:01):
were probably wanting to pop it up or disco it
out or something stupid, yeah, Iknow Ted Nugent had an album.
Little Dangerous and he only didit.
Cause that's what the recordcompany wanted
DJJonniBravo (15:12):
that's what the record, they wanted him to.
Tom Stephens (15:15):
Yeah, it was like really poppy.
It wasn't Ted Nugent at all.
it was like, what the heck areyou
DJJonniBravo (15:21):
doing?
Changing it up.
Yeah.
When you have a following likethat you don't really wanna mess
with it.
Sometimes a record company makesturn left when you want to go
straight at or go, right?
Tom Stephens (15:31):
Of course.
I guess it wasn't as bad as whenKiss did Dynasty.
Yeah.
DJJonniBravo (15:36):
And they had a pretty good relationship with
their record company.
Cuz Kiss was the only thing ontheir record companies labeled
it wasn't the only thing, but itwas the only thing making money.
Tom Stephens (15:45):
Yeah, they didn't actually make money till After
Alive came out,
DJJonniBravo (15:49):
That's true.
But that one like, caused theirrecord company to make a ton of
money.
But yeah, you're right.
Yeah.
The I think the first couplerecords, they didn't do anything
until alive.
let's talk about your firstconcert or that first concert
that you.
Tom Stephens (16:02):
The very first concert, although my brother
will debate me on this, cause hethinks the banana splits count
as a concert.
Oh man.
you're probably too young toeven remember the banana splits,
but,
DJJonniBravo (16:14):
Yeah.
I don't know if I know thatgroup or not.
Tom Stephens (16:16):
They were, I don't know what you call'em.
People dressed up in animalcostumes on a cartoon show.
Oh, okay.
And they would do a little skitand then the next cartoon would
come on.
and they had little songs theywould sing and I guess they were
at the mall or something and myparents took us, he claims
that's the first concert.
I'm like, it's not a concert.
(16:37):
Cause.
It was all on tape, But the veryfirst concert I went to was
Kiss.
All right?
And probably 75, I was still injunior high for the rock and
roll over tour, and me and twoof my buddies went and my mom
and one of the other guys', momdrove us.
(16:59):
And I guess they went to awaffle house or something and
waited till the concert was overcause they didn't go to the
concert with us.
It's probably a good thing.
And I think a band named theRockets open for'em and no one
cared.
DJJonniBravo (17:13):
they're wave or kiss.
Oh yeah.
and how was the show?
How was the theatrics and allthat?
I'm sure it was,
Tom Stephens (17:20):
oh, it was awesome, man.
It wrote me for concerts for along time.
Cause I would go to otherconcerts and go, that's great,
but I can hear that on therecord, so entertain me,
DJJonniBravo (17:32):
make something blow up
Tom Stephens (17:35):
That's what I, that was the next thing I was
gonna say.
Blow something
DJJonniBravo (17:38):
up.
Blow something up.
Let's do some rock and roll man.
What's your guitar on fire orsomething?
Yeah I think I told your sonthis, or I know I've told it on
the podcast before, but I wentto a KISS show with my buddy
when I DJ'ed when we were inhigh school and this is when the
Hot and the Shade tour whenthey'd stopped doing the makeup
(17:58):
and they had three openers.
I think they had danger,slaughter, and one other band.
And then they came.
and I'm working like three jobsand I had gotten, free tickets
to this show and I know he was aKISS fan, so I figured I'd take
him, and I'm a KISS fan, but I'mnot a huge KISS fan like he was.
and I fell asleep in the show,and he has never forgiven me But
(18:18):
it was like, it was notheatrics.
It was just no makeup, they hada few Thea but he's gotta be out
there with the high heels onand, sticking out his tongue and
blowing stuff up.
it was just like any other rockshow, and I
Tom Stephens (18:30):
only saw them one time without makeup, and that
was Bon Scott's first concert.
Okay.
I took him, he was probablyabout five, I guess I took him
to here in Jacksonville, and itwas when they didn't have the
makeup.
Ted Nugent opened for him.
We walk into Coliseum seats, Idon't know, 12,000 people.
(18:55):
I don't think there was 2000people in.
And I'm with a little kid, so Ijust sit down with him.
We're watching Ted Nugent, andI'm like you wanna go down
closer?
And he goes, no, Ted Nugent's ageek.
I see kiss, so KISS comes out,then he wants to go down, so I
have to carry him.
So you can see over people andthere was a guy there and he
(19:17):
goes, Hey, a little dude, isthis his first concert?
And I'm like, yeah.
And he goes, everybody get outthe way.
This is the little dude's firstconcert.
And it was like, Moses partedred, Z people just got out of
our way.
We walked all way to the stage.
DJJonniBravo (19:34):
That is so cool.
Yeah, it just wasn't the same,without all the theatrics and
stuff.
I didn't get a chance to see himon this last tour.
Sometimes I miss shows and Ithink about'em later and I'm
like, I should have gone to thatshow, but ticket prices are just
out of this world nowadays, togo, yeah, try to go see
something.
But wanted to, rectify myselffor my friend, my DJ partner
when I went to this show withhim and take some pictures of me
(19:56):
jamming out with kiss.
But I didn't get a chance to doit, He didn't like Nugent.
Huh.
But you were a Nugent fan.
You talked about Nugent earlier,
Tom Stephens (20:04):
likes'em now, but at five years old, he wanted to
see kiss,
DJJonniBravo (20:08):
Yeah.
He wanted to makeup.
I think that's what drove a lotof kids to kiss was the makeup,
because it was such a coolthing.
I remember I think I've toldthis story before too, of being
in church, and we were doingclown makeup and one of the guys
did Peter Chris's makeup, on hisface.
And he didn't get in trouble forit.
I was surprised I was waitingfor them to drop the hammer on
(20:28):
him or something, but he didn'tget in trouble.
and then we did some kind ofshow, I don't know if it was a
magic show or what, whatever wedid.
And he's up there with Peter,Chris makeup on, and we were all
looking like clowns or whatever,but I think that's what drew a
lot of the kids to kiss plus themusic was good and the theatrics
too.
And our parents hated him.
Yeah.
That's the other thing.
Your parents really hated himand didn't want you to go see'em
(20:49):
and probably thought they wereof the devil.
That's what rock and roll gets alot of is that's the devil
music.
And it's not always that, it'ssometimes it is, but when you
see the demonn up there, withthis tongue stick out, maybe it
is.
I don't know.
But it's fun when you'rewatching it.
Tom Stephens (21:03):
me and Bon even took my grandson to go see him
when they were doing theirsupposed, this is the end of the
road tour or
DJJonniBravo (21:11):
whatever it was.
Yeah.
Now, was he a fan or is he afan?
Tom Stephens (21:14):
Oh yeah.
He would put on like the kissmeets the Phantom movie, and
then I gave him a couple.
DVDs of them in concert, he'dput them on and sing with'em all
the time.
And we take him to this concert.
My wife bought the tickets.
they were the very last row.
So he's who got these
DJJonniBravo (21:34):
tickets?
Oh man.
Tom Stephens (21:38):
But he song, every song they did, he would sing.
And Paul's older now, so hedoesn't hit some of them.
And every time he didn't hit ahigh note, my grandson would
turn around and look at me like,what the hell was that?
DJJonniBravo (21:52):
He's not singing it right.
Oh,
Tom Stephens (21:56):
man.
But he did he sung like everyword to every song they played.
I was like,
DJJonniBravo (22:00):
holy cow.
So you guys were way up in therafters, huh?
Oh.
I always say, Hey, if you're inthe building, sometimes if
you're in the parking lot, youcan still have a good show, even
though you wanna
Tom Stephens (22:11):
see'em.
Now them big shows, it really,it doesn't matter anymore.
Cause they got the big screensup, you
DJJonniBravo (22:17):
know?
Yeah.
you can basically see'em morethan what you could back in the
day.
You had to, squint.
so I don't know if you know thestory or not.
When kiss, put out their firstcomic book, they mixed their
blood in with the ink.
Yeah.
And that was supposed to be abig thing back in the day.
People were picking it up cuz itwas like comic book had their
blood,
Tom Stephens (22:36):
that's probably worth a good bit of money now if
you still have one of those.
Yeah,
DJJonniBravo (22:40):
probably one of the original ones.
I'm sure not one of the reprintsor whatever, but, and I used to
love watching Gene Simmons show,with him and his daughter and
son and his wife on tv andthey'd go and visit his mom's
house and his mom's this littleolder Jewish lady.
And he's got the full makeup onand she's, loving on him or
whatever, he'll go over there,just dressed up regular too.
(23:02):
But he had this room with Ithink he had one of everything
that they ever put out.
So whatever they put out,t-shirt or a brochure or comic
book or whatever, or figure hehad one of each one.
So you would always see him andI think that was his office or
whatever, and he'd be in that.
With all the KISS memorabilia.
KISS had a lot of memorabilia.
So if you didn't like'em youprobably had someone to
(23:25):
memorabilia if you weren't partof the KISS army, at least
anyway.
Tom Stephens (23:27):
I really didn't get anything.
I think the only thing untilafter I got married, I had a
kiss, was a program I boughtwhen they did the dynasty.
Gotcha.
But besides the albums andstuff,
DJJonniBravo (23:41):
now, so you never joined up with the KISS Army
then?
Tom Stephens (23:44):
Now I got all kinds of KISS stuff.
I got full size heads, the mounton the wall and buss, and we
went on a kiss cruise
DJJonniBravo (23:55):
Oh.
And I don't know if you probablyknow the band skid Row,
Sebastian Bach.
He's a big KISS fan and he'salways collecting, I follow him
on Instagram and even just likewithin the last three or four
months, he's picking up KISSrecords and other kiss things,
and he always gets excited, likea little kid opening.
Up his latest KISS merchandise,or whatever it is, So it brings
(24:18):
out the kit and all of us, theKiss Army.
Alright, let's talk about yourfirst music purchase.
Where was that?
Was it vinyl tape, cd, orstreaming?
Where did you purchase or whatkind of record store did you go
to now?
Tom Stephens (24:30):
The the High Express Yo Yomi.
I bought it on like I said, myparents bought it.
I didn't buy it.
I was six, but was some recordstore there in town.
I don't know what it was or.
It probably doesn't even exist.
I know it doesn't exist anymore,but as far as like an album the
first two, I got'em both thesame day, the first two actual
(24:53):
albums I got, and they were bothon eight track.
So now everybody knows I'mancient.
But it was Boston's first albumand kiss, rock
DJJonniBravo (25:03):
and roll.
Now tell the young kids outthere, listen, what A eight
track is?
An eight
Tom Stephens (25:09):
track?
It's a, what is it?
Six inches long and four incheswide maybe?
Sounds about right.
It's kind like a cassette tape,but it's all enclosed.
And you put it in the player andit takes part of the tape out to
wrap around the heads and stuff.
But it's called an eight trackcause there's four different
(25:32):
tracks on it and each of'em takeup, each side, your left and
right stereo.
But it would play through.
Let's say three songs, and thenit would click over to the next
track and there'd be three moresongs, and then it would click
over and there'd be three more.
Unfortunately, nobody ever timedthis stuff out, so sometimes it
(25:53):
would click over in the middleof a song, and it was usually in
the middle of your favoritesong.
DJJonniBravo (26:00):
of course.
There was a guy that wasrecently teaching us a class at
work, on teamwork and all thiskind of stuff.
And he teaches kids a lot.
And so he brings up he has acouple of different things and
he brings up an eight track caseand tries to ask the kids what's
in there or what that is.
(26:21):
And they have absolutely noclue.
And that case was all of his atrack.
He had a like par parliament,fuck Funk Del, I can't even
talk.
In there.
And he had a bunch of good stuffin there.
So then he, oh yeah.
Parliament
Tom Stephens (26:33):
P Funk.
That's Yeah.
I think I actually had the live
DJJonniBravo (26:38):
eight track.
So he had, a bunch of eighttracks in there.
But also what he does in one ofhis trainings is he brings out
an iPod, and he'll hold the iPodup and they'll, he'll ask how
many songs are on this iPod?
And he gets the kids to guesshow many songs are on it.
Then he holds up an album andhe, tells him this thing is two
(26:59):
sides.
So how many songs you think areon this and they guess all kinds
of stuff.
And it's only probably 10 or 12or 15 songs unless it's a double
album, and they're guessingprobably 50 songs, And then he
pulls up an a track tape outtathe case that he was showing
him.
And he holds that up and hesays, how many songs you think
is on this?
A track and they look at theiPod and they look at the record
(27:23):
and they're thinking there's allkinds of songs on that.
A track.
Yep.
I had three A tracks back in theday myself.
I used to love sitting therepopping one in and listening to
the hvac.
I don't think we had one in thecar as far as I can remember.
Tom Stephens (27:37):
Yeah, I had.
What was it called?
A Craig Power Play In my firstcar that was under the dash, you
had to add it in and it did nothave a radio in it, and you had
to buy a thing that looked likean eight track, but it was
actually a radio receiver thatyou plugged in.
To the eight track player so youcould listen to the radio.
DJJonniBravo (28:01):
Oh man.
That sounds like, when we hadthe cassette to put in our
cassette player to attach to ourCD player so we could play CDs.
It sounds similar.
I remember that too.
Yeah.
Sounds similar to that too.
Kids today don't know thestruggle, they just get in the
car and the phone syncs up withthe car and then you're playing
(28:22):
your tunes right from yourphone.
It was a struggle to even playsome music back in the day.
And then if you had a tapeplayer, sometimes your tape
would get stuck and trying toget your tape out of the tape
player that was stuck was
Tom Stephens (28:34):
just, it'd be all wound up around everything.
DJJonniBravo (28:37):
Yeah.
And it would you would worryabout the next tape you put in
there, and sometimes it was justbecause it was a cheap tape, and
other times it was because youhad a cheap stereo.
And hopefully it was, the firstone where you, it was just a
cheap tape cuz you was alwaystrying to pull it out and
Tom Stephens (28:51):
you'd get up or you needed to pop in the head
DJJonniBravo (28:53):
cleaner.
Exactly.
You needed to pop in the headcleaner.
Yeah, exactly.
So the tape could sound better,and play better, Kids today
don't know their struggle.
Guess so They just get in thecar and their phone's hooked up
and they're, my kids play dj, soit's real easy for them to do
that with their phones.
we'd have to pop in an A trackpop out an a track.
It wasn't an easy task, itwasn't an easy task at all.
(29:16):
All right let's let's takeanother break and we'll be right
back.
So stay there.
Year of October (29:37):
You are still under the influence with PJ
DJJonniBravo.
DJJonniBravo (29:43):
We are back.
I'm DJJonniBravo.
You're going under the musicalinfluence of.
Guess Tom Stevens on Under TheInfluence with DJ DJJonniBravo.
All right, Tom, so now we getinto the hard questions that
everybody loves to hate.
These next few, what is yourfavorite song?
So give us the artist band orgroup and the song title.
Tom Stephens (30:03):
That is the hardest question of all time,
but I would say as of right now,my favorite song is probably.
This train by Joe Bonamassa.
DJJonniBravo (30:18):
What makes you like that song?
Tom Stephens (30:20):
it'ss, but it, it's got the element of rock to
it and it's got a little bitelement of to it, I think.
You know how?
Cause it has so many differentchanges
DJJonniBravo (30:30):
in it.
Yeah.
Now, have you ever got a chanceto go see him at a show?
Oh yeah.
Tom Stephens (30:37):
I went to see him in St.
Augustine Amphitheater a fewyears ago.
Anton Fig from the DavidLetterman Band was his drummer.
Okay.
And I actually got his autographon a drum head.
but I wasn't able to get closeto Joe.
Cause he's famous and stuff,
Year of October (30:56):
oh, that's very cool.
DJJonniBravo (30:57):
I was at a Bengals show back in the day and I got
three out of the four Bengalssignatures on a drumhead, which
I thought was really cool.
It's a cool memorabilia to have.
It's from a show is a drum hitwith a signature on it.
Tom Stephens (31:09):
that's funny.
You said you missed a signature.
I don't know how my wife did it,but somehow she got like a meet
and greet to Aerosmith and weoriginally, we were supposed to
see him in Virginia Beach, but ahurricane was coming, so it got
canceled.
they rescheduled us for LasVegas, which was fine with me.
but I had a drum head cause wegot a meet and greet and we went
(31:33):
up and got our picture taken andthey all stood around and talked
and I was going around gettingautographs and I turned around
and Joe Perry is gone.
Wow.
And I'm like, what the hell?
Oh, we're so sorry.
He thought we were done, but thelady that was in charge of it
comes over and she said, youguys live in Jacksonville,
Florida, right?
And I said, yeah.
She says, are you coming to theshow?
(31:55):
And my wife's of course we are.
I've already got the tickets.
She says me to see seat numbersyou're in and I'll come out,
bring the drumhead, I'll comeout and we'll get Joe to sign
it.
They did.
And I was like I can't evenbelieve they went through all
that, But I'm like, this drumhead's useless to me if I don't
have everybody on it.
DJJonniBravo (32:15):
that's exactly, it's like getting all the
figures, that you want, likegetting the whole KISS squad,
but you're missing Jean Simmonsor something, wait a.
that's really a good thing thatyou were able to get, his
signature because once you havethat, it's man, I don't even
want this thing now.
It's not even worth having.
Tom Stephens (32:29):
It's funny cause I've got more pictures with
people and autographs fromdifferent people in the last 10
years that I've gotten my entirelife.
and I just happened to run into'em.
You It's not like I'm lettingpeople stand outside the
backstage door.
DJJonniBravo (32:48):
And I think they're a little bit more open
to it than they were, back inthe day it seems like everybody
would get in the bus and takeoff.
And I know that there was alwayspeople that would.
Find out where the bus was orwhatever, and stalk'em a little
bit, to try to at least say hior touch'em or whatever.
Tom Stephens (33:04):
I think a lot of the signing now is, cause they,
it's, it'll be on eBay tomorrow.
Exactly.
So they see that.
I told my wife, I said, we'regonna have to start carrying
pictures.
Our wall of fame up here, sothey know that's not what's
happening.
DJJonniBravo (33:20):
Yeah.
It's that you actually wanna geta piece and keep it, and have it
for your own collection.
When I saw Aerosmith back in theday on the pump tour in 1990.
Skid Row opened up, it was atthe Richmond Coliseum, and that
was the tour where they were ona hotel roof or it looked like a
bunch of rooftops.
I guess that was like theirstage that they had and they put
(33:42):
on a good show.
I wanted to see'em a few yearsago up at the MGM Grand they
have one outside of Washington.
And I was thinking about goingto see'em, but the tickets were
just so pricey,
Tom Stephens (33:53):
yeah.
Everybody's doing that withtickets now.
I don't know what the deal is.
I'm like, come on.
I guess people can't afford itor they wouldn't be able to
charge it but I'm like, at leasthave some$20 tickets clear in
the back or something.
DJJonniBravo (34:08):
Yeah.
There's gotta be a way you coulddo cheap tickets to a show.
And I also recently heard thatthe president is Like on it to
try to get them to, investigateor whatever, all the fees and
everything, because you get inthere and the ticket's$75 and
you go to check out it's 150.
Yeah.
Tom Stephens (34:23):
That's a Ticketmaster
DJJonniBravo (34:24):
for you.
and I remember I went to U2 showand I'd gotten a ticket, off of
the one of those sites, finding,trying to find a ticket last.
And they said I had to have aprintout.
I couldn't use my phone, andthen they were gonna put me
somewhere else and I was by the,I was all jammed up, by the time
I actually got a chance to seethe show I was like, just
couldn't even enjoy it.
Tom Stephens (34:44):
Yeah, they're getting outta hand.
There's no doubt about it.
there are bands that they'reable to tell the promoter, I
don't want any ticket to be morethan whatever.
I think Joe Barnas, the way hedoes it, he doesn't care how big
the venue is.
The first third of.
Seats are this price.
The next third is this price,and the last third is this
(35:05):
price.
And it doesn't matter if itholds 500 people or 25,000
people.
He doesn't care.
It's this price, and this price.
DJJonniBravo (35:13):
The other thing I read too was, The reason why the
tickets are so expensive isbecause they're not making as
much money like they would whenthey actually sold a record or
an A track or a tape or cd.
Tom Stephens (35:25):
Oh yeah.
Cause like back in my day, thebands, they didn't really give a
crap if they made money on theconcert.
They were doing the concert toget you to buy the.
DJJonniBravo (35:36):
when we went and saw Billy Joel, he even
explained that, he said, this isthe first time that I can think
of that I haven't had an albumI'm promoting, and something
that I have to, be out therepromoting the album and do the
concert.
So you guys will go by thealbums.
He said, you guys are alreadybuying the albums.
I'm doing the shows now becauseyou guys have bought the albums.
I'm not promoting an album.
So it was not.
What it was back in the day.
(35:57):
And so I think that's whythey're trying to recoup some of
the money and that's why they'recharging more for the concert.
Plus, it's a big production toput all those people to work
and, those, the headlinerspaying the opener and
everything.
So if they have two or threeopeners, they're paying all
those people
Tom Stephens (36:12):
I've seen some of the bands now the openers are
paying to.
DJJonniBravo (36:16):
That's probably a good way to save a little bit of
money too and to get themexposure.
But, the record company's reallypaying for it.
But the, the artist has to paythe record company back.
it's just a, evil system, thatthey gotta contend with.
And people aren't making thetype of money like Prince and
Madonna and Michael Jackson andall those stars you.
We're making, especially ifyou're in a band you're making a
(36:38):
fourth of that or a fifth ofthat, depending on how many band
members you have.
Yeah.
Well, Let's talk about yourfavorite band.
What's your favorite band artistgroup that's out there?
Tom Stephens (36:49):
If you asked me back when I was younger, it
would've been KISS acdc.
Nowadays I would have to go withSammy Hagar's, the Circle, Bonna
Masa and Government Mule.
DJJonniBravo (37:03):
Now, have you ever bought any of Sammy Hagar's
tequila?
Tom Stephens (37:06):
I have probably four bottles of it in my cabinet
right now.
DJJonniBravo (37:11):
That's some nice tequila.
You don't realize when you'reyounger and you're drinking the
cheap stuff, that there'sactually good tequila out there.
I think he makes a pretty goodtequila.
I'd like that.
Oh, you're
Tom Stephens (37:20):
talk, you're talking alright.
Yeah, Cabos great.
The first time we got it, I tookit over to Buddy Mine's house
and I'm like, all right, let'smake some margaritas.
And he goes this is supposed tobe really good tequila.
Let's do a shot of it before wemake tequila to see what it
tastes like.
That is the first time I've everdone a shot at tequila and not
did the tequila
DJJonniBravo (37:41):
shiver afterward.
Yeah, it's really nice.
It's
Tom Stephens (37:44):
now he doesn't own that anymore.
DJJonniBravo (37:47):
Oh, he does.
He sold that.
Yeah,
Tom Stephens (37:49):
he sold that and now he's got a company, what is
it, Santos?
And they make Maquila.
Okay.
Which is a blend of mosque and
DJJonniBravo (38:00):
tequila.
I still like Tolokan, Wabo.
I have a bottle of it in myhouse.
Yeah.
It's good.
And I heard other stars I thinkMetallica's got some whiskey or
something that they're.
Yeah.
So I think some people aregetting into that game, which
is, and KISS is doing cold gin.
Yeah, cold gin.
I saw that as well.
I did see that.
Of course you know they're gonnahave it.
(38:20):
They got everything out therewith KISS on it.
Are you ready for the bigfinale?
Tom Stephens (38:25):
Of course I am.
John.
Bring it on.
DJJonniBravo (38:27):
All right, let's do
Year of October (38:28):
it.
How
DJJonniBravo (38:35):
has music impacted your life?
Tom Stephens (38:38):
In probably more ways that I can think of.
I'm convinced that doing musicin school helped me.
In other classes I had, I'vemade so many great friends and
people that I consider familynow because of music.
I think it helped connect mewith both my kids.
(39:01):
Like I said, bond went todifferent concerts with me.
He's played in bands with mewhen my daughter was in her new
kids on the block phase.
Just as I was getting ready todo something I swore I would
never do and yell, turn it down,Leonard Skynyrd would come on or
the doors and I'm like, okay, Idid something right, but.
(39:27):
I love playing music, I lovewatching people when we're
playing music.
It's just been a pretty goodtime, man.
DJJonniBravo (39:35):
That's good.
Yeah.
When you can pass that legacy onto your kids.
And new kids on the block arescreaming, which, talking about
the banana, what'd you call'em?
The banana people?
What was it?
What were they called?
The banana splits.
The banana splits.
You were talking about themearlier and you were like, it's
just a tape.
When I saw new kids on theblock, I had to do a show for
(39:56):
the, the radio station in Q 94in Richmond.
And they were basically lipsyncing.
Of course the girls wouldprobably say that was a bunch of
bull, but they were, cuz theycouldn't have been dancing that
hard.
And still singing those tunes.
That was a tape.
So least she's playing someskynyrd and some doors in there
as well.
And and I know that you
Tom Stephens (40:21):
station that was my dream job when high school I
wanted to be a disc junkie.
I went down to a radio stationand sat in with a guy so he
could show me everything andtalk to me about it.
I was gonna go to, what was it?
I dunno.
It was a school in GeorgiaSchool of Broadcasting or
something, they advertise on TVsand I had talked my dad into it
(40:44):
and I was gonna go do it andthat dis young, he went, don't
do.
We've got audition tapes fromthem people.
They're not teaching themanything, so I didn't do that.
But I did get my broadcastinglicense because when I went to
take the test, they were redoingthe computer system and all you
had to do was sign a piece ofpaper saying I've read and
(41:06):
understand all the rules andregulations.
So I did that.
They sent me my license and Inever used it.
I went in the Navy and spent 20years doing that.
DJJonniBravo (41:18):
I went to vo-tech vocational education cuz I was
gonna be a draftsman.
I was gonna do stuff to designbuildings and stuff, but they
didn't have.
kids to get a teacher.
So I had three periods I had tofill up and I've always listened
to music.
I always have cans on my head,always listening to, you know,
LPs or a track.
I said that would be a good wayto spend some time.
So I was able to get my licenseand work on a couple radio
(41:40):
stations and.
It was probably good the guytalked you out of it, because
I'm sure you didn't make akilling in the Navy, but you
might have probably made moremoney in the Navy than you would
have being a disc jockey.
I could tell you that.
So he probably didn't lead youtoo far astray.
But, and it's something that youcould always do you could always
go down to the local station andtell'em you got your license.
They'll put you, they'll putyou.
(42:02):
that would
Tom Stephens (42:02):
require me to have to find the license.
DJJonniBravo (42:04):
it's probably not even really a requirement
anymore.
I know they used to have itposted in the studios, but I
don't think it's even that bigof a requirement anymore.
I could be wrong unless somebodytells me different, but I know
they used to post them inwhatever station that you were
on, I know when I left Q I don'tthink I ever got mine back.
(42:25):
and I was on several stationsafter that.
So I, like I said, I think it'sa loose thing that they probably
don't really regulate.
Tom Stephens (42:32):
It may be like CV radios, they just, you don't
need it anymore.
Who knows?
DJJonniBravo (42:36):
Yeah, it could be.
And of course I do tell youthat.
And then you'll go to a radiostation and they'll ask for it.
But you might be able to get itfrom the government.
Tom Stephens (42:43):
Yeah.
I'm sure you can, but Sure.
DJJonniBravo (42:45):
They have a copy of you on.
Or they'll have
Tom Stephens (42:48):
to retest me because everything's changed.
DJJonniBravo (42:52):
Yeah, exactly.
And it's not too much of achange.
It's a lot more digital now.
Most of the stuff that we didwhen I was doing it, and this
was probably, middle like earlynineties through the two
thousands and it was.
On air.
So it was about 70% on air andabout 30% not on the air.
So 30% of it's recorded, wherenow it's swapped, so now it's
(43:16):
30%.
That's on air and 70% isrecorded.
So when you're listening to astation, most of the time that's
been recorded, and that's noteven the guy in the studio.
When I was doing radio, we wereactually in the studio playing
the music, taking the calls,giving the tickets.
And all that kind of stuff.
Cuz that was 70%, but now it'srecorded and they're not even in
(43:38):
the studio.
A lot of those guys do it fromhome.
That would be nice.
Yeah.
So it might be something tocheck out
Tom Stephens (43:44):
or when I win the lotto, I'll just buy a radio
stay station.
We won't worry
DJJonniBravo (43:48):
about it.
There you go.
You won't have to worry aboutit.
You can just be on, on the radioanytime you want.
It'll be your.
Do you think that sumseverything up, Tom?
Tom Stephens (43:56):
Yeah.
Probably more than you wanted,but
DJJonniBravo (43:58):
I appreciate you being here.
we're gonna say goodbye, Allright.
Thanks, John.
Thanks for going under themusical influence of today's
guest, Tom Stevens on Under TheInfluence with DJ DJJonniBravo.
Go under the influence onInstagram at DJ J O N N I B R A
V O underscore under theInfluence.
Contact us by email at djDJJonniBravo dot under the
(44:21):
influence@yahoo.com and checkout my other podcast with my
son, Hero Chat Show.
Please subscribe to Under theInfluence with DJ DJJonniBravo
wherever you listen to yourpodcast.
I'm DJJonniBravo.
I'll see you next time.
Goodbye.
Year of October (44:55):
Thanks.
(45:25):
You are no longer under theinfluence with DJ DJJonniBravo
until next week.
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