In the 80's The Divinyls were one of Australia's most distinctive bands, largely thanks to the stage antics of Chrissie Amphlett. Like a female version of AC/DC's Angus Young, Chrissie appeared on stage in a short school tunic and with plenty of "attitude". The Divinyls might have been dismissed as a gimmick act if not for the songwriting talent of Chrissie Amphlett.
There has been a number of very successful "family bands" in the past, particularly out of the USA. The Osmonds, The Jackson Five and Pointer Sisters immediately come to mind along with Sister Sledge. Kathy Sledge recounts the history of the group and has the stories behind most of their hits including "We Are Family", "Frankie" and "He's The Greatest Dancer".
They will be remembered for their pioneering work in the world of "heavy metal". Deep Purple were loud, but also had great songs. There was one inspired by a fire which destroyed a Swiss casino. Another was recorded after the boys had had a big night down at the local pub, as singer Ian Gillan admits when asked by Ian Keenan.
If the Beatles are the most famous band to come out of England's Liverpool, then Gerry and The Pacemakers are the second most famous! They immortalised in song the river of their home town with their classic "Ferry Cross The Mersey" and are also remembered for the definitive version of "You'll Never Walk Alone". As you'll hear, Gerry Marsden has some great hit stories.
In the 60's one of the USA's most prolific songwriting teams was that of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. In this extensive interview you'll hear how they wrote some of the greatest hits of the era and worked with some of the greats. Neil Diamond and legendary producer Phil Spector were some of their closest colleagues and Ellie Greenwich told some revealing stories about both.
British singer and actress Marianne Faithfull began her career almost by accident. She was "discovered" by the manager of the Rolling Stones and it was a Jagger/Richards song that resulted in Marianne's first hit. She was there for one of The Beatles' greatest moments and as an actress also left her mark. In fact Marianne Faithfull has a unique claim-to-fame in movie history.
Australia's Hunters and Collectors formed in 1981 and finally called it a day in 1998. Here their singer and major songwriter, Mark Seymour, reveals the hit stories behind two of their songs which are now considered Aussie classics. One has often been used as a sporting anthem, so it may surprise you to hear that Mark Seymour wrote it as a very personal love song.
Here's a singer who's family really supported her. Taylor Dayne tells Ian Keenan that her Dad actually financed the recording of her first single plus relives the excitement of the time she met the original artist behind one of her biggest hits. Taylor Dayne also has a great story regarding how her stage name came about.
The keyboardist for Duran Duran, Nick Rhodes, has been part of the band since day one and knows all the band's hit stories. With Ian Keenan he discusses the band's longevity and how their videos have held up. He reveals how a "bleaching" disaster features in one Duran Duran video plus shares a recollection regarding a one-hit-wonder band he produced in the 80's.
One of the "late greats" claimed by cancer is Lee Hazlewood. Lee died in 2007 and this interview was recorded in 2004, before his diagnosis. Lee had plans for a comeback which included a new album with Nancy Sinatra. That's discussed as well as his amazing output in the 50's and 60's. By the way there's a Nancy Sinatra interview here on hitstories.net.
