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John Lennon – The Walrus and Number 9

By de_admin | May 28th, 2013

Dennis Elsas with John Lennon

Without question, my most memorable interview and on-air experience to date, was on September 28, 1974, a Saturday afternoon I spent with John Lennon. I’m very honored that the interview plays a very prominent part in the new PBS American Masters film, LENNONYC .

I had met him just a few weeks before at the Record Plant recording studio and casually asked him if he’d like to come up to the station to talk about his forthcoming album Walls and Bridges. I doubted anything would come of it, since none of the Beatles had ever visited our station before. When he showed up eager to talk, bringing with him some obscure 45’s he wanted to share with the audience, I didn’t know what to expect.

What began as an opportunity to promote the new album, turned into two hours of rare Beatle stories, insights into his immigration struggles, and John as the DJ, introducing and commenting on all the music, commercials and weather. Highlights from the interview were used in the Beatles Anthology and various documentaries. The complete show is part of the permanent collection of the Paley Center For Media (formerly the Museum of Television and Radio). Here are some favorite moments.

Ben Folds

By de_admin | May 28th, 2013

Ben Folds & Dennis

The first time I met Ben Folds in Dec 2001 he was just starting out on a brand new chapter of his career. His three piece band Ben Folds Five had achieved significant critical and commercial success from 1995-2000 but now he was going to try it as a solo performer. He had come to WFUV to promote his newly released album Rockin’ the Suburbs. Just the night before he had performed to an enthusiastic sold-out crowd at New York’s Bowery Ballroom for the first time in a long time without a band. “Since maybe I was twelve” he joked with me.

The interview went well and it would be the first of several sessions that I had with Ben on-the-air including a great broadcast from the The Museum of Television and Radio. I wound up introducing him live at venues ranging from Roseland to Radio City Music Hall and appearing as the opening announcer for his Ben Folds Live album.

The last ten plus years have been busy and eventful for Ben. There have been a series of solo albums, tours, assorted musical projects, a few marriages, and a very successful stint as a judge for the NBC TV a-capella competition show The Sing Off. Recently he reunited with the original members of Ben Folds Five to record a brand new album and this summer they will be be out for a full nationwide tour.

I really enjoyed this first meeting and Ben and his piano sounded terrific in live performances of both old and (at the time) new songs. We explored his musical influences ranging from Little Richard to Elton John, the challenges of being a new father, and I tried to be diplomatic in finding out just why the original band had broken up.

Click here to listen to the full audio.

Elton John

By de_admin | December 9th, 2012

Dennis Elsas & Elton John

Elton John was a frequent and welcome guest at WNEW-FM in the 1970’s. One of his most historic visits happened November 29, 1974, the day after Thanksgiving, when he stopped by to co-host my show. The night before he had performed at Madison Square Garden and welcomed a “surprise” guest on-stage. Though no one could have imagined it at the time, it would turn out to be John Lennon’s final concert performance and we discussed how it happened.

Jerry Garcia – The Grateful Dead

By de_admin | December 9th, 2012

Jerry Garcia

When I met up with Jerry Garcia for a PM Magazine TV interview in a NY hotel room in late Fall 1984, the Grateful Dead were about to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The band had already begun to attract a second generation of Deadheads — extremely loyal fans who may have been too young to experience the 60’s firsthand, but were determined to embrace the experience in every way possible.

Jerry was in town to play a show with John Kahn at the nearby Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ. It was just one of several side projects he would often pursue. Relaxed and happy, it was surprising and sad when just a few months later he entered a difficult period that lasted nearly two years plagued by drug and health issues. Happily he and the band recovered to record 1987’s In the Dark, the album that would provide them with their first (and only) Top 10 single “Touch of Grey” (and the introduction of Cherry Garcia ice cream). “The long strange trip” would continue for almost eight more years until his untimely death in August 1995.

Memo From Scott Muni Regading The Grateful Dead

My first Dead working experience (not just as a listener) was as part of a historic broadcast on December 5, 1971, from New York’s Felt Forum a mid-sized theatre within Madison Square Garden. As was often the case that year, The New Riders of the Purple Sage were the opening act for the Grateful Dead. A Bill Graham production, it was the first live radio broadcast of the Dead in New York City and one of their earliest ever. We had the broadcast at 102.7 WNEW-FM and as the new kid on the staff, I was back at the studio to handle the station ID’s and be ready in case anything went wrong. In his role as Program Director, the legendary Scott Muni outlines the evening’s events as they are expected to unfold in this wonderful memo.

Bill Wyman — The Rolling Stones

By de_admin | December 9th, 2012

Dennis Elsas with Bill Wyman

He’s played with a band called Willy and the Poor Boys and still performs with the Rhythm Kings, but Bill Wyman remains best known as the long time bass player for The Rolling Stones. He joined the Stones in Dec 1962 and for the next thirty years recorded and performed with the group as they became “the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band”. Recently he reunited with them briefly as a special guest on stage as they kicked off their 50th anniversary celebration.

After leaving the Stones in 1992 to focus on getting his personal life straightened out, he has written numerous books, continued to play and record music and even opened a successful London restaurant called Sticky Fingers. An avid collector of many things, Wyman has often been called the Rolling Stones archivist. His impressive coffee table style Rolling With The Stones book is a wonderful insight into the band’s history, filled with a remarkable collection of photos, posters, ticket stubs, and stories that only he could tell.

I spoke to Bill Wyman in the fall of 2002 when the book was released and among the many subjects we covered, I wanted to learn the definitive story of how the band got their name.

Andrew Loog Oldham — The Rolling Stones

By de_admin | December 9th, 2012

Rolling Stones

Andrew Loog Oldham began working as a young publicist in London in the early 1960’s, just as the British music, fashion and social scene were starting to explode. He was first an assistant to designer Mary Quant and then helped to promote The Beatles for Brian Epstein. He was just 19 years old when he went to see a relatively unknown group called The Rolling Stones. Before long he was their manager, producer and is generally credited with creating their “bad boy” image.

He left the Stones in 1967 and continued his work in the music business with his label Immediate Records which had a stellar roster of artists including Small Faces and The Nice.

In recent years he has published several entertaining autobiographies and memoirs, the latest is called Rolling Stoned. Currently he can be heard daily as a disc jockey on Sirius/XM’s Underground Garage sharing his vast knowledge of the music he presents and offering insights and opinions that are wonderful to listen to.

I spoke with Andrew in October 2012 when he came to WFUV to promote “Charlie is My Darling” a cinema verite film that chronicles the Stones on tour in Ireland in 1965. Finally completed more than 45 years after its original filming we get to view the Stones backstage and on-stage with some amazing footage I had never seen before. As part of the informal backstage rehearsal scenes, Mick and Keith sing bits of assorted Beatles’ songs along with working on new songs they’ve recently written.

I had always wondered how and why the Stones had come to record and release Lennon and McCartney’s “I Wanna Be Your Man” as their second single. I asked Andrew about his reported chance meeting with John and Paul in London’s Leicester Square and he filled me in on the details

Ronnie Wood – The Rolling Stones

By de_admin | December 9th, 2012

Dennis Elsas with Ron Wood

There are a lot of different ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve, but I’ll always remember 12/31/82 as the one I got to spend with Ron Wood. Stopping by my show to promote an upcoming appearance, Ron and his entourage were clearly in a holiday mood. With a rock ‘n’ roll lineage that includes the Jeff Beck Group, the Faces, and the Stones he had some great stories to share, plus a comment about their upcoming album Undercover that made me hope the FCC wasn’t listening.

Phoebe Snow

By de_admin | December 9th, 2012

Dennis Elsas & Phoebe Snow

Phoebe Snow arrived on the music scene with her debut album in 1974 which contained the haunting song “Poetry Man.” Her beautiful voice was matched with impeccable production from Phil Ramone, and the song’s mysterious lyrics helped to establish her as a major new artist.

Though she never achieved another commercial hit quite as big, her stature as a musical performer and personality continued to grow. Everybody loved Phoebe and welcomed her to the stage and airwaves when she chose to perform.

It was a choice that wasn’t always easy for Phoebe. Her career often took a backseat to caring for her daughter Valerie who was born in December 1975 with severe brain damage. Phoebe was determined to be her primary caregiver and continued to do that until Valerie’s death in March 2007.

In October 2007 she was just beginning to resume her career with a series of shows at New York’s Birdland club. I welcomed her to WFUV, joking that she could use our Studio A as a rehearsal stage as long as we could listen in. Phoebe was in great spirits, superb voice, and shared some wonderful stories with me including finally revealing exactly who that “Poetry Man” was.

Sadly, Phoebe passed away April 26, 2011, but her beautiful voice lives on in the wonderful recordings she left us and this very memorable studio session.

Click here to listen to the full audio.

Dion

By de_admin | December 9th, 2012

Dennis Elsas & Dion

Dion is a rock ‘n’ roll original. Born Dion Francis DiMucci and raised in the Bronx, NY he initially achieved fame with the distinctive doo-wop sound of the Belmonts in the late 1950’s. Dion’s career rose to a higher level after going solo in 1960 with hits like “Ruby Baby,” “Runaround Sue,” and “The Wanderer.” Like many American rock singers his star faded a bit in the mid-60’s, but resurged in 1968 with the success of the very timely “Abraham, Martin and John.”

I would have been excited to talk with Dion in almost any location, but to have him and his guitar sitting across from me in WFUV’s Studio A (in January 2006) just a few blocks away from the Little Italy section of the Bronx where he had grown up, was truly magical. We talked about the neighborhood, his early love for Hank Williams, country music, and the influence of the blues and how that all came together in the release of his then latest album Bronx In Blue. What was even more fun for me were his stories of how some other musical threads and sounds had influenced some of my favorite “oldies but goodies.” Take a listen.

Click here to listen to the full audio.

Levon Helm – The Band

By de_admin | April 19th, 2012

Dennis Elsas with Levon Helm

Levon Helm is an American treasure. Beginning as a drummer with Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, later working with Bob Dylan and then as a founding member of the legendary Band, he was always regarded as a “musician’s musician.” In recent years that respect continued to grow and Levon’s Midnight Ramble sessions at his Woodstock studio became sold out must see events with a stellar list of all-star performers and celebrities.

He’s also an accomplished film actor with critically acclaimed performances in Coal Miner’s Daughter and The Right Stuff. His book This Wheel’s on Fire provided an insiders look into the Band’s storied history.

In 1996 Levon was diagnosed with throat cancer and his distinctive singing voice was silenced for awhile. When he stopped by for a live studio visit in November 2000 he sat in on drums with a local band, The Electrix, unable to sing, but lighting up the room with his energy and enthusiasm. We spoke about his history, the dawn of the new century and since it was Thanksgiving weekend, reminisced about The Band’s farewell performance, dubbed The Last Waltz.

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