The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest music ever recorded

John McFee speaks in depth about his work with Southern Pacific, Jackdawg and his session career. He explains how Southern Pacific evolved, why Jackdawg’s album has been rediscovered, and why the focus of his songwriting is not with The Doobie Brothers. He also looks back at Clover's time in the UK, backing Elvis Costello on My Aim Is True, and the steady flow of session work with Van Morrison, the Grateful Dead, and Steve Miller. John closes with an update on his solo project. Further information Jackdawg's album Podcasts also available: Stu Cook – Jackdawg and Creedence, Pete Briquette – The Boomtown Rats, Jorma Kaukonen – Jefferson Airplane, John Mayall This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google apps and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post John McFee – Clover, The Doobie Brothers, Southern Pacific, Jackdawg appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Graham Parker reveals the story behind his debut album Howlin' Wind. Parker recalls his journey from suburban Surrey to the London music scene, his early jobs, and the moment he found his sound – a mix of soul, R&B and sharp songwriting. He looks back at the formation of The Rumour, his partnership with Dave Robinson, and the whirlwind that led to Howlin' Wind and Heat Treatment being released within months of each other. Parker also reflects on his later work, collaborations, and enduring independence as an artist. Throughout, we hear why his debut stands as one of the strongest opening statements in British rock. Further information Graham Parker's Howlin' Wind by Jay Nachman The Official Graham Parker website Podcasts also available: Bruce Thomas – Elvis Costello and The Attractions, Clem Burke – Blondie, Pete Briquette – The Boomtown Rats, Pub rock and the birth of new wave This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all usual platforms If you like what I do please support me on Ko-fi The post Graham Parker appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Billy Bragg talks about his life in music and activism, from his early days and the DIY spirit The post Billy Bragg appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Annie Haslam and Jim McCarty discuss the origins and evolution of Renaissance ahead of their special run of The post Annie Haslam & Jim McCarty: The Story of Renaissance appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Peter Hammill and Van der Graaf Generator have influenced artists from David Bowie to John Lydon, yet Peter The post Peter Hammill appeared first on The Strange Brew .

brendan b. brown of Wheatus marks 25 years since Teenage Dirtbag first turned the band from New York The post brendan b brown – Wheatus appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Stu Cook, bassist and founding member of Creedence Clearwater Revival, talks about the band's early years, their rise The post Stu Cook – Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jackdawg appeared first on The Strange Brew .

More than fifty years after Barclay James Harvest helped define a uniquely English strain of symphonic rock, John The post John Lees – Barclay James Harvest appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Archivist and producer Rob Caiger talks about the painstaking work behind Nice Records, the label dedicated to restoring The post Nice and Immediate: Rob Caiger on Rescuing Small Faces and Humble Pie appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Judie Tzuke has always been slightly out of step with the story people wanted to tell about her. The post Judie Tzuke appeared first on The Strange Brew .

It's Halloween night, 1975. A bunch of Irish lads are halfway through their first gig when Bob Geldof The post Pete Briquette – The Boomtown Rats appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Michael Schenker talks about new album Don't Sell Your Soul, the second part of a trilogy that reclaims The post Michael Schenker appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Carlos Alomar reflects on a career that spans decades of innovation and collaboration. He speaks about his early The post Carlos Alomar: Bowie, Berlin and Beyond appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Lesley-Ann Jones talks about her new book Love, Freddie: Freddie Mercury's Secret Life and Love. Far from a The post Love, Freddie: Behind the Mask of Freddie Mercury appeared first on The Strange Brew .

As Del Amitri's frontman, Justin Currie steered a band that slipped between categories: too sharp to be lumped The post Justin Currie – Del Amitri appeared first on The Strange Brew .

The Zombies bassist-turned-songwriter Chris White opens the vault on a lifetime of music that stretches far beyond Odessey The post Chris White: Inside the Vaults – From The Zombies and Beyond appeared first on The Strange Brew .

When Jimi Hendrix grabbed a bass and jammed with Tomorrow in 1967, a young Steve Howe was right The post Steve Howe: Dylan, Hendrix & YES appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Step inside the legendary “tea chest tapes” with Richard Anderson from Cherry Red Records as we explore Joe The post Joe Meek – A Curious Mind appeared first on The Strange Brew .

It's been more than two decades since Sananda Maitreya last headlined a UK tour. Now, with nine dates The post Sananda Maitreya appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Derek Shulman returns to talk about his memoir Giant Steps, charting his journey from frontman of Simon Dupree The post Derek Shulman's Giant Steps appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Few music biographers have lived with the Beatles' story quite like Philip Norman. Across shelves of bestsellers, Norman The post The Beatles: How Four Lads Rewrote History appeared first on The Strange Brew .

In the second part of his live interview, Paul Jones charts his path beyond Manfred Mann, through film The post Being Paul Jones: Reinvention, Longevity and the Call of the Blues appeared first on The Strange Brew .

In the first of a two-part interview, Paul Jones reflects on his formative years, from singing in cathedral The post Becoming Paul Jones: Early Influences, Manfred Mann and Making It appeared first on The Strange Brew .

As the voice and driving force of The Swinging Blue Jeans, Ray Ennis helped shape the sound of The post Ray Ennis – The Swinging Blue Jeans appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Few musicians of Mike Batt's vintage are still pushing creative boundaries with the same fervour that defined their The post Mike Batt on songwriting and his symphony appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett discusses his new live album The Lamb Stands Up Live At The Royal The post Steve Hackett: The Lamb Stands Up appeared first on The Strange Brew .

What do you get when you mix a band of power pop visionaries into the jaws of crooked The post Bob Jackson – Badfinger appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Al Jardine reflects on the life and legacy of Brian Wilson and his own musical path. In the The post Al Jardine appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Dylan Jones has long been one of British journalism's more discerning cultural archaeologists, whether digging into David Bowie's The post 1975: The Year the World Forgot appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Don Powell revisits the defining moments of Slade's rise, from their rough-edged Black Country beginnings and Chas Chandler's The post Don Powell – Slade appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Once dismissed as maudlin hitmakers and later scapegoated for the death of disco, the Bee Gees were always The post Main Course: Bob Stanley on the Bee Gees' Reinvention appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Jack Bruce was never just the bass player, he was Cream's secret weapon: the rare musician who could The post Fresh Cream Revisited appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Still blooming after all these years, Daryl Hooper, organ grinder-in-chief and musical engine of The Seeds, proves that The post Daryl Hooper – The Seeds appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Mike McCartney never meant to form a pop group, he was too busy cutting hair and cutting up The post Mike McCartney's Box of Scaffold appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Kate Bush's Never for Ever album didn't just mark her ascendancy, it broadcasted her metamorphosis into a true The post Inside Kate Bush's Never For Ever appeared first on The Strange Brew .

David Freiberg, has a résumé that reads like a syllabus in West Coast rock history. In this podcast, The post David Freiberg – Jefferson Starship appeared first on The Strange Brew .

John Corabi has spent decades stitching together a career from heart, with a voice weathered by years on The post John Corabi – The Dead Daisies appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Derek Shulman and John Weathers never looked back, and maybe that's why Gentle Giant's music still stares you The post Gentle Giant's Derek Shulman and John Weathers appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Jon King reflects on his memoir, To Hell with Poverty, and the tumultuous birth of Gang of Four. The post Jon King – Gang of Four appeared first on The Strange Brew .

The Primitives crashed into pop history with their 1988 anthem, and four decades later, Paul Court and Tracy The post The Primitives appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Wolfgang Flür, Kraftwerk's rhythm architect back when their beats still had human fingerprints, revisits his journey from sticks The post Wolfgang Flür – Ex Kraftwerk appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Ashley Hutchings, the man who helped to write the British folk-rock playbook, hits 80, and instead of slowing The post Ashley Hutchings appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Over decades in rock promotion, Paul Rappaport was both a champion and a confidant to artists, witnessing their The post Promoting Pink Floyd, Springsteen and the Stones: Paul Rappaport Remembers appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Founding member of The Specials, Lynval Golding, traces his journey from Jamaica to Coventry, reflecting on the racism The post Lynval Golding – The Specials appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Four decades after Turning Japanese burned its way into pop history, The Vapors prove they're more than a The post The Vapors appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Parthenon Huxley's career has made him a guitar slinger, hitmaker, and survivor of rock's revolving door. From the The post Parthenon Huxley's Electric Light Odyssey appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Gerry Leonard: the six-string sorcerer who conjured sounds Bowie didn't even know he needed. From Dublin's backstreets to The post Gerry Leonard on David Bowie appeared first on The Strange Brew .

It was announced today, 18 February 2025 that Rick Buckler passed away. In October 2022 Rick reflected on The post Rick Buckler remembered appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Over sixty years of pounding the skins, watching the world change while The Animals' songs stay raw and The post John Steel on 60 years of The Animals appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Ian Burden (The Human League) and David M. Allen (programming and engineering) recall the making of Dare by The post The Making of The Human League's Dare appeared first on The Strange Brew .

Mark Plati played a key role in David Bowie's career as a producer, engineer, musician, and live musical The post Mark Plati on David Bowie appeared first on The Strange Brew .