Famous Lost Words

In our Season 9 premiere, we feature a couple of amazing interviews with Paul McCartney.  First up, from 1976, Paul tells Canadian broadcast legend Roger Ashby about his creative process, his influences and the long shadow of The Beatles.  And from 1980, Macca describes how he ended up playing the bass originally, the inspiration for making “Sgt Pepper” and the tensions in creating The White Album.  And in chilling comments made we...

We are just a matter of days away from the start of Season 9 of Famous Lost Words.  We predict it will be one of our best seasons yet, because we are FINALLY going to release our New Wave episodes! Almost a full year after we first promised, we will feature the likes of Human League, Devo, XTC, Blondie, The Spoons, Duran Duran, Pretenders, Simple Minds, Soft Cell, Howard Jones and many more.  And for those episodes, we will welcome...

This is a special tribute edition of Famous Lost Words as we honour the life and music of Robbie Robertson.

Today, we go back in the archives for some excellent interview clips with Robbie – first from the early ‘70s when he was still in The Band – and then to 1998 as he talks about his solo work.

          Robertson talks about hooking up with Bob Dylan in the mid ‘60s and also the creation of “The Basement Tapes”.

          Th...

Today, we’re digging deep into the Famous Lost Words archives as we remember Tina Turner. 

            First up is a series of interview clips with Tina from the early ‘70s as she recalls the early days of her career – from the moment that she first jumped up on stage to her years with Ike Turner and her work with Phil Spector.  She talks about her performing style and why she didn’t much care for her own voice.  And she recalls t...

In this special tribute edition, we remember the life and career of Gordon Lightfoot.  In this episode, we have interview clips from over the years.  It's a rich treasure trove of highlights in which you'll get to know Lightfoot very well.  His thoughtfulness, his love of songwriting, his regrets, his ambition and his sense of humour.  

We'll feature a 2006 interview with musician Robbie Lane, in which Gord recalls his early years...

            We’re finishing off season 8 with a real banger! 

First up is one of the best interviews from the archives – a 2007 chat with Mike Reno of Loverboy. Mike is a gifted storyteller as he explains the origins of the band’s name, why a legacy band creates new music, and why they were embraced by MTV immediately.

            Mike also talks about their late bassist Scott Smith, who was declared missing when he was swept ove...

          This week: a fascinating in-depth interview with The Bee Gees, circa 1976. Roger Ashby talks about the recent success of the “Main Course” album (with songs like “Nights On Broadway”, “Jive Talkin’” and “Fanny”), as well as their latest album, “Children of The World”, where they dabble in disco for the first time (“You Should Be Dancing”).  They also discuss their vocal influences, including The Everly Bros and The Mills ...

David Crosby was a towering figure in music history. As a founding member of The Byrds and then with Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, he was there at the start of the folk rock era and was an essential element in the sound of those bands. His unique approach to vocal harmonies helped to define those groups and their influence is heard to this day.

  Christopher interviewed Crosby in 1989 as he was u...

Special tribute episode: 

In light of the recent passing of Lisa Marie Presley at the age of 54, we have two interviews.  One is with Lisa Marie from 2005, promoting her second album. Lisa Marie is very candid and personal during this chat with Roger Ashby and Marilyn Denis, as she talks about her music, her childhood, and trying to raise her kids in a normal way. As you can imagine, the whole thing is tinged with tragedy.

The se...

What is the great song lyric ever?  Tom & Christopher argue about Bob Dylan and Paul Simon before Tom comes up with the best (and funniest) answer.

          This week, our show features two Canadian superstars… Shania Twain and Celine Dion.

          Frist, we have Tom’s 2003 chat with Shania as she talks about touring and how her songs and concerts are a celebration.  Tom asks her about a secret staff of darker songs and fi...

What is the greatest year in music history?  Christopher and Tom weigh in and, not surprisingly, their answers are very different.  It prompts a rather lively and contentious discussion.

          Plus we pay tribute to the many artists we lost in 2022. But don’t expect this to be a mournful show.  Think of it more as a celebration of these artists.   Included this week:

• Olivia Newton-John talks about her career
• Meatloaf o...

          This week, a relaxed and very interesting chat with The Tragically Hip circa 1991.  Gord Downie and the band are promoting their second album, “Road Apples”. They talk about working in New Orleans, road testing their new songs and how many chances a song gets in the studio before they toss it out. They also talk about the time they were booked into a hip hop club as well as the time they played an Alberta gig on the worst...

This week – a 2005 interview with Madonna as she promotes her album “Confessions On A Dance Floor”.  Madonna is predictably smart and passionate about her music, but she can also be a bit cranky.   WARNING – this interview contains perhaps the most awkward moment in FLW history.

            Then, a wonderful ‘80s interview with Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders. Chrissie talks about the influences of the ‘60s on her music, how moth...

This week: an extraordinary 1989 interview with the legendary Tina Turner. Tina talks about her rise to fame, how her stage act was her own personal fitness routine, how she chooses her songs and whether or not she considers herself sexy.

            Then, a fun 2003 chat with Cher during her first farewell tour. Cher discusses the highlights of her stage show, what she loves about her fans… and why the cops were called when one o...

            This week – the finale of our epic 3-part series on The ‘60s!  It’s a show chock full of highlights…

• Van Morrison explains how “Brown Eyed Girl” almost got banned from the radio
• Neil Sedaka talks about the creation of “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”
• Gene Pitney on writing one of the ‘60s biggest hits, touring with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars and hanging with The Stones
• Dick Clark talks about the early days of ...

In part 2 of our ‘60s series, Christopher and Tom try to choose the ultimate ‘60s all-star band. Christopher puts together a great line-up, but Tom’s choices raise a few eyebrows! 

          Other highlights this week:

• Art Garfunkel tells the story behind Simon & Garfunkel’s last (and most contentious) hit, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
• The wild history of The Mamas & The Papas – as told by one of the Papas.
• James ...

This week, The ‘60s! In what promises to be an amazing series of shows, we present some of the biggest artists from music’s most impactful decade.

• We hear about the genius of Brian Wilson and the creation of the classic, “Good Vibrations”.
• The moment that the Righteous Brothers got their name and how they ended up recording two of the biggest songs in music history
• Aretha Franklin explains how success has given her freedom
...

        This week: an amazing 1993 backstage chat with Keith Richards. Keith is in his glory fronting The Expensive Winos. In fact, you can almost hear the dread at the prospect of returning to The Stones!  Keith talks about the joy of touring, how “God joins the band” at outdoor concerts and the time he taught Mick how to play “Gimme Shelter”.  He also talks about his history in Toronto, including the time he was arrested for hero...

          FLW is back with Season 8!  We begin an epic season with an in-depth 2003 interview with Sting. This is Sting at his Sting-iest, in conversation with the incomparable Marilyn Denis. He’s funny and self-deprecating, charming and a tad insufferable.  He talks about his childhood, why his grandmother called his early work “Broken Music”, the longevity of his marriage, and how the events of 9/11 affected his work.  And yes, S...