Famous Lost Words

A few days ago, Tom finally got to speak with Canadian guitar legend Rik Emmett of Triumph. Rik was a bucket list guest for Tom, who could hardly contain himself! There’s a very special reason why Rik was talking to us. On Monday, May 5, 2025 Coalition for Music Education will celebrate Music Monday with a cross-country sing-along to raise awareness for music education. The annual event celebrates the unifying power of music as thousands of Canadians join in singing and performing the Music Monday anthem at their schools and other community events. Hold On the uplifting, inspirational song by classic Canadian hard rock power trio, Triumph has been chosen as the 2025 Music Monday anthem. Rik tells us about the creation of “Hold On” 46 years ago and how it marked a change in his artistic growth as well as the fortunes of the band. He also discusses the importance of music education, a cause that is deeply personal to him. You can see Rik perform in person at a special “Intimate Evening with Rik Emmett” – Friday, March 21 at Black Bellows in Collingwood Ontario. It’s an interactive evening of performances and storytelling, hosted by Brent Jensen of the “No Sleep Til Sudbury” podcast. Rik’s excellent memoir, “Lay It On The Line”, is now available. This special bonus episode of Famous Lost Words is brought to you by Storyphora. Storyphora is a media company that offers communications solutions, recently expanding to include digital content like promotional video clips, video podcast production, social media design, and much more. Go to Storyphora dot com for details.

This episode of Famous Lost Words is dedicated to legendary Canadian broadcaster John Donabie, who passed away a few days ago. John’s interviews have been prominently featured on Famous Lost Words and he also joined us on a couple of occasions to share his incredible stories. And great broadcaster and a wonderful man, John Donabie will be missed. For this, the last episode of season 10, we have quite a collection of artists. First up is a rather feisty 1988 interview with Canadian legend Gordon Lightfoot. We already have lots of Lightfoot content in the archives, which we put together for our tribute to him upon his passing in 2023 – one of our most listened to episodes. But we came across this 1988 interview just a few days ago – and it’s a good one. Gord is looking back on his career as he approaches his 50th birthday. But Lightfoot is pretty spirited in this chat with Gord James. Next up is a fascinating chat with Todd Rundgren. We’re date stamping these clips at about 1979 as Todd talks about his solo music, his work with the band Utopia and his fascination with new technology, including the early days of music videos. This guy’s mind never stops. Then we have an early ‘80s chat with Pat Benatar as she chats with broadcaster Ingrid Schumacher about life on the road and the price of fame. Plus, we have a special bonus cut as Pat ponders her long-term influence on other aspiring musicians. And we finish up with some Cool Song Facts, and we run the gamut here – with information spanning centuries, from Beethoven to Paul Simon to Earth Wind & Fire. Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville. It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

This week, a real cross section of artists, which speaks to the depth and diversity of our interview archive. First up is Pink Floyd. We have a short but interesting chat with David Gilmour from 1984 and he promotes his solo work, but also wrestles with the past and future of Pink Floyd. Then we have an awesome 1979 chat with legendary Canadian producer Bob Ezrin as he talks about Pink Floyd’s The Wall – and as many fans know, Bob was instrumental in the creation of that album – and he has lots to say about it – from the development of the theme, to Roger Waters’ LACK of musical imagination (at least at the outset) to the planning of the ambitious tour that was to follow. Fascinating stuff from a guy who’s NOT afraid to share his opinions. Then we have a chat with Chad Kroeger and the guys from Nickelback from 2014. This was around the time that the whole backlash against them was just starting to heat up. They address it head on – and do a very good job too! Then we travel back to 2004 with Gwen Stefani, upon the release of her first solo album. Gwen is a bundle of energy who cannot be contained – and you can hear the passion, emotion and even insecurity that drives her. We also have a short but fun segment with the Black Eyed Peas from 2005 – a boy did THEY ever own the charts in that decade. We also remember the classic ‘60s Girl Groups, with cool facts from the amazing book “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” Our favourite story is about the vocal group that you’ve likely heard thousands of times over the years, but never knew by name. Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville. It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

2024 marked the 40th anniversary of MuchMusic – which, for our non-Canadian listeners, was essentially Canada’s version of MTV. And while MTV had a profound impact on the music industry, MuchMusic arguably had a massive impact on Canadian culture. So, we’re going to spend a bit of time talking about MuchMusic – and since Christopher is the original Much veejay, it’s kind of a no brainer. In fact, most of Tom’s “in-depth” research for this episode came from Christopher’s excellent book, “Is This Live: Inside The Wild Early Years of MuchMusic, The Nation’s Music Station”. So in other words, Christopher did ALL of the heavy lifting for this episode! To help us tell the Much story is one of our favourite people – and a MuchMusic veejay from the early years – Laurie Brown! Laurie explains about the freedom accorded to her and the other veejays in creating compelling content (while staying within the confines of a miniscule budget) and the camaraderie of the Much family. Other highlights: - Laurie talks about interviewing music legends like David Bowie - Christopher tells a story about an unknown big-haired band that made their first Canadian TV appearance on his show City Limits. That band was Bon Jovi. - Audio from Duran Duran, who couldn’t believe their luck as they flew to exotic locations to film the videos for the Rio album. - We’ll talk to one British band that looked back on some of the early videos… and cringed! - Laurie and Christopher discuss dealing with the absolute mayhem of the legendary and chaotic “Intimate & Interactive” interviews. - Peter Gabriel and David Bowie, who themselves released game-changing videos, discuss the promise of music videos as an art form. - Former MUCH veejay Bill Welychka talks about the responsibility and pressure of interviewing major artists – especially to the fans of those artists. - Christopher & Laurie explain why they had to stop playing the most popular video on the station. - We discuss how MUCH provided the connective tissue between Canadians, their culture, and the musicians that benefitted from exposure on MuchMusic. All in all, it’s a MUCH-needed deep dive into the early days of The Nation’s Music Station! Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville. It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

Today, we’re celebrating what would have been the 90th birthday of Elvis Presley. There’s been a lot written and said about The King over the years, but in this episode, we’re going to let Elvis do a lot of the talking. We have some amazing audio from the early years. Most of these clips are from the mid to late ‘50s – and they capture a lot of the excitement – and the freshness of Elvis Plus we have clips from the people who were there… - his label mate Carl Perkins talks about touring with Elvis and Johnny Cash before any of them were well known. - Dick Clark describes how Elvis was seen as a sort of villain compared to the likes of Pat Boone - Ed Sullivan explains why Elvis could only be shown from the waist up on his third visit to his show. - His collaborators in the late ‘60s explain the stories behind his comeback hits. All of these clips are from around the time that these events happened – so they capture history as history was being made. Plus, we’ll hear from some of the people who worked with Elvis over the years who will tell the stories behind some of his biggest songs. Also, Tom asks Christopher to explain how a trip to Graceland in 1987 with a bunch of Elvis fans led to the creation of “Black Velvet”, which of course was a massive worldwide hit for his musical partner and friend Alannah Myles. And best of all, we hear from the two people who knew Elvis best – his daughter Lisa Marie (in a 2005 chat) and his widow Priscilla (from 2006). Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville. It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

This week, part three of our celebration of ‘70s rock! Our previous two episodes consisted of interviews that, for the most part, had not been heard on our show before. But we realized that there were also a number of artists that people were asking about… like Aerosmith, Heart, April Wine… and to the chagrin of Christopher and the joy of Tom… KISS!What we’re going to do is take highlights from those previous episodes and play the best parts. And we’ll tell you where you can find the original interviews. It’s a continuation of the ‘70s rock series but almost like a greatest hits package.Included in this episode is the brutal rivalry between Aersomith and KISS, which at times got pretty ugly. Plus we have Steve Miller from his heyday and Tom Petty from around the time of his breakout album, Damn The Torpedoes. Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville. It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

          We start this episode with Tom telling the story of how he almost got fired from his job – and how it almost meant the end of Famous Lost Words before it even started! Then we continue with our series on ‘70s Rock.  Last week we featured Boston, The Doobie Brothers, Jethro Tull, BTO and others.  This week, more from that era, including a great series of interview clips with Mick Jones and Lou Gramm of Foreigner, with the latter taking a big swing at the former's dictatorial ways.           Then a very interesting interview with Journey, right from the time when they are about to take off – but haven't yet had a major hit.           We also have another early career interview with ELO – and the struggle to marry classical and rock and make it work in a live setting.           Plus, Dennis DeYoung from Styx explains how a Chicago disc jockey changed the fortunes of that band.           Then, in a clip from the mid ‘70s, Steve Priest of Sweet tells us how they changed their image before they hit North America – and explains the story behind Ballroom Blitz.           And for Canadian rock fans, we have Prism and Trooper telling us about ambitious plans, their biggest hits, and the toughest Canadian audience to play for. Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

We've been doing this show for almost 7 years and we're finally doing series of episodes on that much maligned and much beloved genre… ‘70s rock! This week, we have classic interviews with the likes of Brad Delp, the phenomenal lead singer of Boston, who we lost far too soon.  Delp talks about his humble beginnings as well as the obsessive leader of the group, Tom Scholz. We also have some great clips from the Doobie Brothers.  One is from their mid-‘70s heyday, one is with Michael McDonald – and then we have Tom's 2018 conversation with guitarist Patrick Simmons.  And there's a very good reason you haven't heard this interview sooner… but it's an embarrassing one (for Tom)! Also, Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull talks about the very funny origin of the band's name and the story behind their first hit And we take care of business with one of the most popular bands in Canadian history - BTO! And Christopher talks about one of the greatest musical experiences of his life – and it happened just a few weeks ago!  Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

This week, an excellent 2005 interview with Roger Hodgson, as he reflects on the glory days of Supertramp, his post-breakup years and his relationship with his former bandmates.  Roger also tells the very entertaining stories behind two of Supertramp's biggest hits.            We also have Tom's chat with the wonderful Natasha Bedingfield from the early 2000s.  Natasha is a very good singer and songwriter – and we do a pretty deep dive in a very short time.  And at least once per show, we usually mention how likeable an artist is – and Natasha is this week's MLA – Most Likeable Artist.            Last season, we did a couple of in-depth episodes about Soul & R&B music – and they were a lot of fun.  Since then, we have discovered another half-dozen soul artists that had massive hits in the ‘70s – and so we've put a bit of a highlight reel together to put the spotlight on these artists that no longer get the attention they deserve.            And finally… what was it like to live in the shadow of a Beatle?  We have two fascinating interviews – one with Yoko Ono – talking specifically about the haunting song that she and John Lennon were working on the night of his death.  And we have Julian Lennon talking about the complicated relationship he had with his dad, and how he and Yoko finally managed to make peace.  These are short clips, but very revealing.   Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

First up this week is an extraordinary 1992 interview with Lindsey Buckingham.  Lindsey recently turned 75 and is still creating music, but it's so interesting to hear him more than 30 years ago. Although the interview was ostensibly to promote his solo work, Lindsey talks a lot about Fleetwood Mac – from the early days all the way through to Tango In The Night.  And we even have a bonus clip of Stevie Nicks talking about her frustration with Lindsey when he spent two years working on the Tusk album.             We also have the incredible story of the making of a hit.  In this case, the hit is “Beth” by KISS – The story is incredible because the star is an eleven year old girl – and even though she's a little older now, her tale of how she helped make Beth a hit is very entertaining.             Plus, we talk about one of the most influential women in music.  She not only had a couple of hits herself, she's also responsible for three of the most important and influential hip hop singles ever made.  Her name is Sylvia Robinson, and we'll hear a classic clip from her and we'll discuss her legacy!             And finally, we close out the show with an interview with Eric Carmen, who passed away in May of this year.  Eric was the lead singer of the Raspberries and then had a very successful solo career.  Eric was very strongly opinionated – and you can hear his drive and determination in the clips that we found.    Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.  

          We are back with Season Ten!  Christopher and Tom begin by talking about their favourite interviews ever.            Then, we launch into one of the best interviews you'll ever hear with one the most reluctant rock stars ever – Robert Plant.  This 2005 interview with our friend Bill Welychka is very revealing.  And within that interview is three episodes of “When Rock Stars attack… which are all pretty funny.           Then, we talk about the making of the film, album and song “Purple Rain”, which came out 40 years ago.  And we'll talk to the author of a book about that movie – and all the stories behind that.  (By the way, you can also hear the long version of that Purple Rain chat in the Famous Lost Words podcast feed, including how Stevie Nicks almost got involved and why Prince decided to call up the guys from Journey.)           And we have a wonderful segment with the legendary BB King – which includes one of my favourite stories – about how he used to quiet down an unruly audience.            All that, plus some Music News about the very contentious lawsuit over who gets to use the name The Guess Who.  And that story has a very good ending if you're a fan of Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman. Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

Season Ten of Famous Lost Words is coming soon! - You're days away from hearing Robert Plant take pot shots at just about everyone, including himself.   - You'll hear the unusual story of how an 11-year-old was directly responsible for the first big hit by Tom's favourite band.  – We have Lindsey Buckingham talking about his solo career, Fleetwood Mac, and Stevie Nicks  – A blues legend reveals his ingenious strategy in dealing with an unruly crowd.  – Roger Hodgson remembers the height of Supertramp's popularity and the pain of their breakup  – You'll hear Gordon Lightfoot in the feistiest interview from the archives. – We'll also have Cool Song Facts, plus a two-part special on ‘70s rock, featuring the likes of Foreigner, Styx, Boston, ELO, Pink Floyd and many more. – And of course, we can't forget about “When Rock Stars Attack”, when ego-driven musicians rail at the unfairness of being popular and well-paid. - We'll also celebrate the 40th anniversary of MuchMusic – which is pretty handy since Christopher is the original Much VeeJay!  And we'll recruit at least one Much veteran to help us out! Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.  

FLW Special - Purple Rain at 40           In this very special episode, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of the film “Purple Rain”.  The overwhelming success of the movie made Prince the first artist in history to have the same project simultaneously #1 on the singles, albums, and movie charts in the United States.           We speak to one of the foremost Prince experts; author and podcaster Alan Light.  Alan talks about the creation of Purple Rain the song, the album and the movie.  He also reveals… How the version of the title track that we're all familiar with was recorded in one take at a fundraiser. It was also the first time that 19-year-old Wendy Melvoin had played with the band. Movie executives didn't want to cast Prince in the lead role, and suggested much more famous star (who would have been badly miscast!) How Prince tried to recruit Stevie Nicks to help with the lyrics for “Purple Rain” - and why she said no. How the movie has held up well (for its live performances) and been held up to ridicule (for its acting performances and misogyny). Prince's tenuous relationship with Morris Day & The Time – and his greatest musical regret. Alan Light is the prolific author of many music biographies, including his books about Tupac Shakur, Nina Simone and The Beastie Boys.  He also collaborated on “My Cross To Bear”, the Gregg Allman autobiography and Peter Frampton's “Do You Feel Like I Do”.  Other books include “The Holy Or The Broken” – a great history of the Leonard Cohen masterpiece “Hallelujah”; and of course, “Let's Go Crazy: Prince and the making of Purple Rain”.   Alan is also the co-host of the “Sound Up” podcast with his good friend Marc Goodman.

With Taylor Swift being a big part of the pop culture conversation lately, we thought we'd present three Taylor interviews from our archives, one that has never been heard on FLW. From 2019 – a great chat with Taylor and broadcaster Shannon Burns, talking about Swift's album “Lover” and how it reflects a more positive outlook than the moodier “Reputation”. She also talks about putting “Easter Eggs” in her work as part of a fun dialogue with her fans. (Bonus content for Swifties: Taylor talks about her first meeting with her cat, “Benjamin Button”) From 2014 – Taylor joins Roger Ashby and Marilyn Denis to promote “1989”, her first pure pop album. Swift explains why she needed to be honest with her fans about the new direction of her sound. She also talks about the big house party she threw for Swifties.  From 2010 – our earliest TS interview in which she tells interviewer Richie Favalaro about her album “Speak Now” and what that album means to her. She also explains how she was surprised that fans could relate to her songs even when they were specifically written for one person. She also talks about performing onstage with Katy Perry. Plus, we have some Cool Taylor Facts! Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

A Famous Lost Words drinking game?  Is this REALLY a good idea? Tom proposes a non-alcoholic version that is based solely on his own (many) verbal quirks. For our last episode of season 9, we begin with Carly Simon in conversation with broadcaster Ingrid Schumacher in 1987.  This was a great year for Carly because she had just worked on the soundtrack for the movie “Heartburn” and her new album “Coming Around Again” would prove to be a comeback for her. She talks about work with Mike Nichols on “Heartburn”, tussling with Clive Davis on song choices and how her close friend Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis convinced her to write a book.             Following that is a really fun encounter with the guys from Train, from a morning show encounter with Roger Ashby and Marilyn Denis.  The interview, from 2012, captures the goofiness of lead singer Pat Monahan.  Then, we have an early ‘80s chat with Gary Wright, who passed away in September of 2023. Gary only had three significant chart hits, but he was a well-respected musician who worked with George Harrison on a number of projects.  He also made synthesizers a staple on Top 40 radio.             We close out the show with a great chat with Triumph, a band that started in a bowling alley in Mississauga, Ontario forge their place in rock history.  The Canadian power trio are legendary here in their home country, but also had a great run in the U.S. and beyond.  Bassist Mike Levine has a ton of fun chatting with broadcaster Rick Ringer in this very entertaining and lively 1983 interview.

This week, a very good example of the wide range of artists in the Famous Lost Words archives…             First up is a collection of early ‘70s conversations with Crosby, Stills & Nash, where David, Stephen and Graham cover the entire history of the group.  Plus, maybe Tom's worst interviewing moment when Stephen Stills takes him to task for asking what we thought was a reasonable question.  That's this week on When Rock Stars Attack! Plus, the excellent story behind one of the best hits of the ‘70s – from an important band that preceded CSN. It's a story of intrigue and double-cross and it's also pretty funny And we have an early ‘80s chat with reggae legend Peter Tosh – as he talks about working with Mick Jagger as well as the importance of marijuana to his religion, his creative process and his life. And we close out the show with a really fun new chat with Canadian rocker Lee Aaron – who has come a very long way since her Metal Queen days.  We talk about her career, the fine line between promotion and exploitation and how she felt being inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame just a few weeks ago.   Tom & Christopher also talk about the band breakups that affected them the most.  Christopher's answer was both unexpected and frankly hilarious!   Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

 This week, part 2 of our series on R&B, Soul, Disco and Hip-Hop!  As usual, we have a great collection of interview clips with some of the greatest artists of the genre. -        Tina Turner breaks down her performing style (and explains why she didn't like her voice) -        Michael Jackson recalls the earliest days of The Jackson 5 -        The O'Jays explain how they initially rejected one of their biggest hits -        Nona Hendrix talks about the recording and controversy of the classic soul hit, “Lady Marmalade” -        Gloria Gaynor tells the story of having to fight to release “I Will Survive” -        The Commodores talk about learning the tricks of the trade from The Jackson 5 -        Donna Summer reveals the song that inspired “Love To Love You” -        How Arrested Development created hip-hop music to reflect a different side of the African-American experience -        Anita Baker tells Marilyn Denis about her style (or lack of style) -        Diana Ross talks about the early days of The Supremes -        Plus, revealing clips from Barry White, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Jully Black, The Chi-Lites, Deborah Cox, Lenny Kravitz, Billy Paul, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr and Lou Rawls.   And we'll tell the amazing story about the birth of hip-hop in an NYC house party on August 11, 1973.   Plus, Tom tells us about a whole bunch of Cool Soul Facts!   Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

            It's part 1 of our epic two-part celebration of Soul, R&B, disco and hip-hop!  We've gathered an incredible collection of interview moments with some of the greatest artists of the genre. We'll hear from: Gladys Knight & The Pips – Gladys breaks down every element that goes into making a great record. She also rightly insists there should be a Grammy Award for backing vocals. Earth Wind & Fire – talk about the rise of disco and their place in music Destiny's Child – Michelle and Kelly talk about Beyonce's leadership and vision. the late great Sam Cooke talks about his jump from spiritual music to the ballads that made him famous Smokey Robinson talks about the battles the Motown Records faced back in the days of Civil Rights struggles Wyclef Jean explains why The Fugees never followed up their biggest album. The guys from Chic talk about creating the greatest hits from the disco era. Rihanna fondly remembers the big break that took her from Barbados to Jay-Z's office Chaka Khan explains how one of her favourite artists wrote her first major hit All told, it's a powerful, danceable, funky episode!

In this special episode, we pay tribute to the late Myles Goodwyn, the lead singer and songwriter of April Wine. Myles was seemingly in good health and spirits in late September as he and April Wine were inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.  Goodwyn was also inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall Of Fame. We feature two segments from the Famous Lost Words archives.  First up is Tom's 2021 interview with Myles who told wonderful stories about the history of April Wine and their early struggles, first brush with fame, their feud with a famous rock critic, their gig with The Rolling Stones at the El Mocambo in Toronto - and their crossover success in the early '80s.  He also talked about his latest music - and in particular one song that addresses the residential school crisis. We also feature a phone chat with Myles circa 1977 in which he talks about Canada's star system.   Both segments capture Goodwyn's personality and deep love of music. Myles Goodwyn passed away on December 3, 2023 at the age of 75 in Halifax Nova Scotia.  

            In what can only be described as a hell of a coincidence, this week we feature a series  of clips with Daryl Hall & John Oates.  These are particularly interesting in light of the news of Daryl suing John, and even asking for a restraining order against his old friend and bandmate.  First up is both guys from 1981, around the time of the “Voices” album. Then about a year later in '82, it's Daryl Hall talking to us about the H20 album.             And then for our podcast listeners there's some bonus content – it's Tom's 2018 interview with John Oates. In which John talks about how he and Daryl bonded over their love of music.  John also tells the story behind the hit “Maneater” in which he explains that the maneater isn't about a woman, it's about a city.             After Hall & Oates, we'll chat with Steven Page, formerly of Barenaked Ladies and now a member of the very quirky new Canadian supergroup the Trans-Canada Highwaymen.  Their new album is a bit surprising on a number of levels.  We'll talk about that plus some of Steven's favourite memories of his time with Barenaked Ladies (including his reunion with BNL at the Juno Awards).             Then, we have a hidden gem from the FLW archives – so hidden that we didn't even know it existed until we discovered a few days ago!  It's a 2007 interview with the wonderful Brandi Carlile.  It's great to capture a moment in time from when an artist is first starting out.  Brandi is so candid and refreshing in this early-career chat.             Plus, Christopher and Tom argue about the greatest debut albums ever.  Tom is impressed by Christopher's choices, while Christopher is mortified by Tom's! Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

          This week... an absolute gem – a 2004 interview with Prince. You've never heard him sound so loose and relaxed as he talks about playing live, his legacy, working with his incredible band and his fight with his record label.           He's also very funny.  After one fan asks about Prince's legendary vault of unheard music, Prince looks at the guy and says “Hmmm….I'm trying to figure out if you fit the profile of a bootlegger”…           Prince also explains why he loved the people of Toronto (where he lived for a while in the early 2000s) and he jokes about the Canadian accent. And there's a subtle moment where Prince seems to take a shot at a famous rock star – and Christopher & Tom try to guess who he meant.   In light of the recent passing of Jimmy Buffett, we have some great clips of Jimmy talking to us in 1978.  This is during the peak of his chart success and he's in excellent spirits, discussing his music, specifically the album “Son Of A Son Of A Sailor” (with the hit single “Cheeseburger In Paradise”.  He explains that he “doesn't know too many chords” but that doesn't seem to stop him.  Jimmy is very content at this point in his career… little did he know what the next 40 years held in store!   We wrap up the show by talking to legendary MuchMusic VJ Bill Welychka, as he talks about his new book “Happy Has-Been”, an excellent memoir of his life as an entertainment journalist, including his encounters with the biggest names in music.  Bill is not only a friendly guy, he's a true talent with an impressive list of accomplishments. In our chat, Bill talks about working with Christopher, interviewing Prince (this week's featured artist) and almost getting killed while interviewing Green Day in a golf cart! (Bill's only concern at that moment was to protect the TV equipment!) Bill's book, ““Happy Has-Been - Exciting Times and Lessons Learned by One of Canada's Foremost Entertainment Journalists” is available now.  Partial proceeds go to The White Ribbon Campaign and also women's shelters across Canada. Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

            This week – it's the finale of our epic three-part celebration of New Wave!  Among the shows highlights… ⁃ Phil Oakey of Human League talks about his musical ineptitude as well as the League's worst concert ever⁃ Chrissie Hynde explains the meaning behind the Pretenders breakout hit “Brass In Pocket”⁃ OMD discuss how a love song about an infamous war plane became their first hit⁃ Boy George takes a shot at pretentious music journalists and explains how Culture Club got their record deal.⁃ Gary Numan discusses his transition from punk to new wave⁃ The guys in Madness explain the real reason for their high energy live performances⁃ The English Beat explain how their most senior member, Saxa, was in fact the most young-at-heart⁃ Ottawa's Eight Seconds talk about their big break and working with the legendary producer Rupert Hine⁃ On “When Rock Stars Attack”, Jim Kerr of Simple Minds takes down that vile species known as Rock Critics⁃ And our guest co-host, Rob Preuss, talks about teaching Rami Malek how to convincingly play piano for his Oscar-winning role as Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody” Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

          What is the greatest New Wave album of all time? Christopher and Tom (along with our special guest, Rob Preuss of The Spoons) break down the results of our recent listener survey.  They also answer the question: Is The Clash REALLY a new wave band??           Plus, we feature some amazing interview clips from the archives… David Byrne talks about creating the stage show for Stop Making Sense – and explains why his Canadian grade school education put him ahead of his American classmates! The great Kate Bush talks about her songwriting style The guys from Squeeze reveal some hilarious alternate album titles Joe Jackson talks about creating his masterpiece, “Night & Day” (and also provides the most awkward moment of the episode!) Plus interview with Martha & The Muffins, The Jam, Soft Cell and more! Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

This week, we kick off our most ambitious series yet – it's the music of New Wave.  We dove deep into the archives for classic interviews that encompass the “twitchy, but tuneful” music of the early ‘80s.  And for this episode, Christopher and Tom welcome former Spoons keyboardist (and Broadway music director) Rob Preuss!  Rob is a New Wave geek who was not only in the middle of the explosion of new music, but he worked with, toured with and talked with some of the biggest names of the genre.  And he has GREAT stories to tell! Among this week's crop of New Wave artists… John Taylor talks about the original formation of Duran Duran and how fashion was an important part of the band's image. Deborah Harry talks about the pushback she got for her onstage image. She also explains the genesis of the song “Rapture” (the first song with rap vocals to go to number 1) The guys from Devo explain how they were once paid 75 dollars to STOP playing their music! And on “When Rock Stars Attack – it's Elvis Costello vs Led Zeppelin… and Andy Partridge of XTC vs Todd Rundgren! Our podcast listeners will hear bonus segments with The Boomtown Rats (Bob Geldof talks about the creation of their biggest hit) and Paul Young (who fights a battle between fame and artistry) So many synths!  So little time!  Enjoy part one of our celebration of New Wave! Special shout-out to our friend Rob Wells, who created a synth-y version of our theme music.  Thanks Rob!  Check out Rob's podcast - "Women In The Music Industry" Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

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 weeks before the death of John Lennon, Paul talks about the price of fame.             Also this week, a great series of interview clips with The Spinners.  Singer Pervis Jackson (whose deep voice makes Tom & Christopher sound like chipmunks) explains the deep history of the band (going all the way back to the ‘50s!) and the profound effect producer Thom Bell had on the band during their heyday in the ‘70s.  He also tells the stories behind the hits “Could It Be I'm Falling In Love” and “Then Came You”.              And we'll also revisit our recent tribute to Robbie Robertson, featuring some great interview clips from the ‘70s when he was still with The Band – in which he talks about hooking up with Bob Dylan in the ‘60s – and how The Basement Tapes were created. Plus, a wonderful chat with Robbie from 1998 as he discusses his solo albums and his film work with Martin Scorsese.  Plus, Elton John talks about how he was more influenced by The Band than he was by Dylan. Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.  It is in the Top 20% of worldwide podcasts based on the number of listeners in the first week.

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 a member of one of the bands to provide a running commentary on the music of New Wave.  Plus, we'll reveal the results of our poll for the Greatest New Wave album of all time. We will also have a two-part series on Soul, R&B, disco and hip-hop – everyone from Aretha Franklin to Chic to Destiny's Child to The Fugees.             We'll start the season with an extraordinary set of interview with Paul McCartney.  The first one is from 1976, when Paul is dealing with the fact that most interviewers want to talk about The Beatles and NOT the Wings.  The second is from 1980, when Paul ends up giving us one of the most complete summaries of The Beatle years that we've ever heard, including the tension behind the White Album and the creation of Abbey Road. We'll also feature interviews with Prince, Carly Simon, Triumph, Hall and Oates, Todd Rundgen and many others.  Plus, TJ vs The VJ and some Cool Song Facts! That's season 9 of Famous Lost Words, coming soon!

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”.           Then, Robbie talks about his 1998 album “Contact From The Underworld of Redboy”.  He explains to interviewer Dale Smith how thrilling it was to create music that celebrated his indigenous heritage.  We also tell the story Robbie's first celebrity encounter – with Buddy Holly.  And we hear about how Robbie wrote his first songs. Plus – Elton John explains how he was influenced by The Band much more than he was by Dylan.           Robbie Robertson passed away on August 9, 2023 at the age of 80.  The Band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. 

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 the breakthrough cover version of the CCR hit, Proud Mary – a song that became a trademark.             Then, we'll revisit Christopher's 1989 conversation with Tina – as she talks about her album “Foreign Affair”.  She discusses her early influences and also describes how she re-arranged a song and made it her own, until it became “The Best”.             And we'll finish off with an extraordinary interview with Tina from the year 2000, in conversation with Marilyn Denis.             Tina talks about mentally preparing for her concerts, the secret to her longevity and why her greatest inspiration was NOT a performer, but a former first lady of the United States.  She also talks about why she loved touring with Lionel Richie and why she had a falling out with Elton John.             And we'll hear Tina interacting with some of her fans in a way that is truly inspiring.  Plus, she pushes back at people who criticize other female performers.   All in all, it's an in-depth and astonishing collection of incredible moments. Tina Turner passed away on May 24, 2023 at the age of 83.

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 playing small clubs in Toronto - and how other artists would mine his catalogue for themselves. How early covers of his songs put him in the rarefied company of the likes of Bob Dylan. The stories behind massive hits like "Sundown". "If You Could Read My Mind" and "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald". We feature Tom's 2019 chat with Gordon, in which Gordon reacts to some of the old audio we have of him talking about his earliest club gigs.  Christopher also talks about his first encounter with Gordon backstage in Peterborough. We chat with Lightfoot biographer Nicholas Jennings about Gordon's great gift as a songwriter and dedication to the craft. We also reveal some of the singers regrets. Plus, we talk about the time that Gordon almost sued the writer of Whitney Houston's hit "The Greatest Love Of All".

            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 overboard by a large wave while sailing off the coast of San Francisco.             Mike then tells us the stories behind some of Loverboy's biggest hits, including “Turn Me Loose”, “Working For The Weekend” and “The Kid Is Hot Tonite”.               Following the Loverboy chat, we have an amazing series of clips from Chuck Berry – the very first inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Chuck breaks down a number of his biggest hits – and then veers off in a strange direction. But Chuck has a lot to say and it's all good.  Great to have so much audio from one of the pioneers of rock and roll.               Next up is Tom's very weird chat with Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols.  Johnny talks about The Pistols' legacy and why life with Public Image Ltd was a much more rewarding experience.  Johnny also uses the opportunity to bash the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Strangely, Tom actually forgot we had this interview in our archives!  It's definitely worth a listen!               And for our podcast listeners, Christopher has a very special tribute to the late Burt Bacharach, the musical genius behind dozens of hits that spanned decades.  Bacharach passed away on Feb 8, 2023 at the age of 94.   Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 70 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, Newstalk 1290 London, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville. 

          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 Bros.  The brothers are in fine form!           Then we chat with Nancy Wilson of Heart in 1982. The group has just been streamlined to a quintet and Nancy couldn't be happier – now having more of a chance to shine. Nancy is so charming and friendly in this chat – even when she's talking about serious causes like the anti-nuke movement.  She also talks about the band's Canadian roots.           And finally, we jump ahead to 2011 with an excellent interview with Michael Buble.  Marilyn Denis has a blast talking to Michael about his recent marriage… and what his future wife REALLY thought about Michael on the night they first met.            He also explains the advice that David Foster gave him and why he doesn't get nervous before a big concert.  It's a wildly entertaining conversation between Michael and Marilyn!  

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 undergoing a resurgence that would last more than 30 years... and that's after everyone had written him off.  The interview is amazing... capturing Crosby's gregarious nature, love of storytelling, and his deep love for music.     We also have a series of clips from around 1970, as Crosby talks exuberantly about Crosby, Stills & Nash. He explains why they chose the name, even though it sounded like a law firm and why he had such a strong connection to his bandmates. We also talk about Crosby's legacy and the latter day arguments that tore his friendships apart. Yet, after his passing, those friends chose to remember him fondly.  David Crosby passed away on January 18 2023 at the age of 81.

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 second interview is with Priscilla Presley a year later in 2006.  Priscilla was promoting a line of linens, but Roger and Marilyn talk to her about everything from Lisa Marie to being married to Elvis, to their divorce, to the one book about Elvis that she would recommend.  Both interviews are fascinating to hear.  

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 finds out about the moments that changed her life.           Then, we fast forward to 2015 as Shania talks to Marilyn Denis about her Vegas residency.  All told, it's a pretty revealing set of interview clips with Shania. We also have a 1992 interview with Celine Dion, just as she was starting to experience superstardom. Her gratitude is sincere and heartfelt. She also talks about her then-manager (and future husband) Rene Angelil and how her first audition for him made him break down in tears.           And we finish up with a fascinating interview with the late great Warren Zevon.  Sure, Warren is best known for the 1978 classic, “Werewolves Of London”, but his skills as a songwriter were deeply admired by other artists.  In these interview clips, Zevon talks about creating “Werewolves”, dealing with critics and writing songs about the darkest parts of life, but doing it with humour.  We'll also talk about Warren's deep gratitude to David Letterman.        Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, Newstalk 1290 London, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville. 

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 on how “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” could appeal to people of any era Ronnie Hawkins on his love of Canadian music, and other sordid tales Jerry Lee Lewis in one of the most weirdly chilling clips in our collection Dan McCafferty explains how Nazareth got their name Plus a clip from the most listened to episode in FLW history And on When Rock Stars Attack – Jann Arden takes hilarious aim at an American singer. We finish the show with another edition of the epic smackdown that is “TJ vs The VJ” as Tom & Christopher try to stump each in a test of musical knowledge.   Famous Lost Words is heard in 31 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, Newstalk 1290 London, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.   

          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 possible night – it was the day that Gretzy got traded to L.A.           Then, we have a 1980 chat with Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick.  This is a weirdly fun series of clips, as the band breaks down their history… going all the way back to the American Civil War???  And Rick talks about the wild success of “I Want You To Want Me” from their “Budokan” album.  This is a fun segment.           Bo Diddley was one of rock's pioneers. And in a couple of brief clip, Bo tells us about his previous career and then how he helped propel rock and rock to popularity. It's great to hear rock history from an artist who was there at the beginning!           And we finish off the show with a very entertaining chat with Nick Lowe. Nick talks about his history as an in-demand producer and how breaking the rules is so much easier when you don't know them in the first place. He also tells us about working with Dave Edmunds and Elvis Costello. And we also find out the funny story behind Nick's nickname, “Basher”.       Famous Lost Words is heard in 31 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, Newstalk 1290 London, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville. 

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 motherhood affected her life and how her anger with the world is a motivating force.  It's  a great chat with the great Pretender.             Also, we have some weird and wonderful clips from the legendary Frank Zappa. Frank is both strongly opinionated and very clever in these. Christopher has been waiting a long time to play them for you!             And we finish off the show as Christopher and Tom go toe-to-toe on another edition of the epic smackdown known as TJ vs The VJ!

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 of her wigs went missing from the tour! It's an hilarious interview with Marilyn Denis and Roger Ashby.             And finally, the incredible Melissa Etheridge from 1996, when she was promoting her new album “Your Little Secret”. She tells us the charming backstory of the album's title as well as the inspiration behind her first hit, “Bring Me Some Water”.  Melissa also explains how she managed to “un-tabloid” her personal life by being so open about it.  And finally she talks about performing her Janis Joplin tribute at “Woodstock 25”.             Plus, Christopher and Tom talk about the greatest debut singles of all time, from “I Want You Back” to "More Than A Feeling" to “Baby, One More Time”.  (And for some reason, Tom feels compelled to sing “Rock Lobster”, but you can fast forward past that part.)         Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, Newstalk 1290 London, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.

            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 American Bandstand and how the idea of watching “teenagers dance on TV” was a hard sell to the station owners Frankie Valli explains how Clark Gable inspired one of the Four Seasons' biggest hits The Hollies on how they got their name and their first taste of international fame. Blood, Sweat & Tears talk about playing at Woodstock – and why their performance wasn't included in the movie Freddy Cannon – on how one of his concerts was interrupted by a bunch of stampeding horses. Connie Francis talks about the moment her life changed forever Tom has a great chat with Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals The legendary Sylvia Tyson explains how the music of “Ian & Sylvia” holds up Carole King talks about the extraordinary gift of her songwriting partner, Jerry Goffin Lulu talks about landing the role (and title song) for “To Sir With Love” Interview clips with Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Shirelles, The Byrds, Procol Harum, The Fifth Dimension, Moody Blues, Del Shannon, The Impressions and Bobby Vee. Plus – how an Aretha Franklin recording session almost devolved into a fistfight. Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, Newstalk 1290 London, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.

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 Brown describes his music in the most James Brown way Pete Townshend talks about The Who's breakthrough Stevie Wonder tells the story behind one of his biggest hits of the decade Tommy James describes the chaotic recording session for “Mony Mony” The stories behind Gerry & The Pacemakers greatest songs And we hear from a band who had their biggest hit… AFTER they broke up! Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, Newstalk 1290 London, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.

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 Graham Nash talks about the formation of CSN Ronnie Spector talks about dating John Lennon and being pulled off a UK tour by Phil Spector BECAUSE she was dating John Lennon. Chubby Checker explains the phenomenon that was The Twist – and why Zsa Zsa Gabor was the catalyst for its massive success. Plus Petula Clark, Herman's Hermits and the Spencer Davis Group And in one of the best interviews in our collection, Ben E. King talks about his tumultuous years in The Drifters. He also explains the amazing story of how “Stand By Me” changed his life after it was rejected by his bandmates! Famous Lost Words, hosted by Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic, is heard in more than 100 countries worldwide and on radio stations across Canada, including Newstalk 1010 Toronto, CJAD 800 Montreal, 580 CFRA Ottawa, AM 800 CKLW Windsor, Newstalk 1290 London, 610 CKTB St Catharines, CFAX Victoria, AM1150 Kelowna and 91x in Belleville.

        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 heroin.  PLUS, at the end of the episode, we feature a bonus 1979 interview with Keith and Mick Jagger backstage after the Stones played two shows as part of Keith's sentence for the drug bust.           Cyndi Lauper is one of the most charming and fun people to be around.  In 2003, she chatted with Roger Ashby and Marilyn Denis in a conversation that has to be heard to be appreciated. Cyndi talks about her influences, performing on the Cher farewell tour, and the time her 5-year-old son wandered onto the stage while she was singing.           And we finish off with a mid ‘70s interview with Steve Miller, at the peak of his popularity.  Like his music, Steve is very direct in this chat.  But it's obvious he doesn't have a lot of time for the concept of fame.  He's more worried about his chickens!  He also expounds upon his theory that hippies almost ruined his beloved San Francisco.