In Conversation with Rob Rowe and Von Hertzog (VH x RR) – New EP “101”
Permanent Record Podcast
Episode 195: In Conversation with Rob Rowe and Von Hertzog (VH x RR) – New EP “101” Brian and Sarah are interrupting their current effort of looking back at Depeche Mode home video concert releases to bring you a terrific chat with Von Hertzog and Rob Rowe. Von and Rob comprise the excellent synth duo VH x RR, who Brian has declared to be his “favorite new band of the 2020s.” Since the completion of The Cosmos Trilogy—a series of three EPs that you should definitely check out, if you haven’t already—VH x RR has released a couple of singles here and there. But in this...
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Depeche Mode: Home Video Concert Releases (Part 2)
Permanent Record Podcast
Episode 194: Depeche Mode: Home Video Concert Releases (Part 2) Brian and Sarah’s mini-series on Depeche Mode’s home video concert releases continues in this episode. Unlike the previous episode, which covered two movies, Depeche Mode: One Night in Paris – The Exciter Tour 2001 is the only release discussed here. However, before getting into the discussion of that concert, Brian and Sarah spend a little time talking about their adventures on opening day of the latest DM concert movie, Depeche Mode: M. They don't go into details about their movie experience just yet, though; these...
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Depeche Mode: Home Video Concert Releases (Part 1)
Permanent Record Podcast
Episode 193: Depeche Mode: Home Video Concert Releases (Part 1) With our attention turned to tomorrow's premiere of Depeche Mode's latest cinematic offering "M", we thought it would be fun to make our way through all of the previously released home video concert offerings from our favorite lads from Basildon. This first installment covers two releases, which we still have on VHS (remember that your VCR was king back in 1985 and even 1993): "The World We Live in and Live in Hamburg" and "Devotional." These two films carry with them the label of "classic" in our household, so it...
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PRP/Synthpop Symphony Crossover: Red Flag Part 2 (with DJ Matt Williams)
Permanent Record Podcast
Episode 192: PRP/Synthpop Symphony Crossover: Red Flag Part 2 (with DJ Matt Williams) Brian and Sarah are once again joined by DJ Matt Williams, creator and host of the synth-tastic radio show Synthpop Symphony. Matt’s show is aired on dozens of terrestrial radio stations around the world and can also be found on podcast platforms. In the previous episode, Brian, Sarah and Matt started a discussion about the San Diego-based duo Red Flag, whose well-crafted electronic tracks were heard in countless clubs at the end of the 1980s. Their debut album, Naïve Art, was released in 1989, and...
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PRP/Synthpop Symphony Crossover: Red Flag Part 1 (with DJ Matt Williams)
Permanent Record Podcast
Episode 191: PRP/Synthpop Symphony Crossover: Red Flag Part 1 (with DJ Matt Williams) Brian and Sarah are thrilled to present the first in what will hopefully become a series of crossover episodes with DJ Matt Williams. Matt is the brains and the voice behind the amazing radio show Synthpop Symphony, which airs on radio stations in 60 countries and is also available for download on virtually all podcast platforms. As Matt states, “Synthpop Symphony is where the past, present, and future of synth-driven music collide.” And as PRP and Synthpop Symphony collide, the hosts shine a spotlight...
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End of Summer Special 2025 (Part 2) – The Alarm & Duran Duran
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Episode 190: End of Summer Special 2025 (Part 2) – The Alarm & Duran Duran Brian and Sarah are back and ready to continue their discussion of a couple of ‘summery’ songs, as the summer draws closer to an end in the Northern Hemisphere. (For those in the Southern Hemisphere, maybe think of this as a summer preview!) As in the previous episode, the first song selection comes from Sarah. She chose the 1987 single “Rain in the Summertime” by The Alarm. This song was released in advance of The Alarm’s third studio album “Eye of the Hurricane,” which Sarah explains was a...
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End of Summer Special 2025 (Part 1) - The Power Station & Bananarama
Permanent Record Podcast
Episode 189: End of Summer Special 2025 (Part 1) - The Power Station & Bananarama In the United States, the Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer. Brian and Sarah just aren’t ready to say goodbye to summer yet, so over the holiday weekend, they recorded a couple of episodes featuring songs that invoke the feeling of summer. Each episode in this mini-series will feature one song chosen by Brian and one chosen by Sarah. The first song up for discussion is the only one without the word “Summer” in the title. However, there’s no question that it makes you think of...
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Depeche Mode - Speak & Spell (1981) Part 5 (Featuring Will Crewdson)
Permanent Record Podcast
Episode 188: Depeche Mode – Speak & Spell (1981) Part 5 (Featuring Will Crewdson) With this fifth installment, Brian and Sarah wrap up their discussion of Depeche Mode’s debut album. Our hosts have been covering the US version of Speak & Spell, so there’s only one more song on that release to be discussed. Fortunately, they always do an Extra Credit section at the end of an album, so the song that’s missing from the US version will get some attention then. The last track on Depeche Mode’s 1981 release is a little ditty called “Just Can’t Get Enough.” The US...
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Depeche Mode - Speak & Spell (1981) Part 4
Permanent Record Podcast
Episode 187: Depeche Mode – Speak & Spell (1981) Part 4 Brian & Sarah are back for a Martin Gore-focused look at "Speak and Spell" as they shine a spotlight on the three middle songs on side 2 of Depeche Mode's 1981 debut. Up till now, this has been the Vince Clarke show; however, with these three tunes, we get the first song written by Martin, the first of many Martin instrumentals, and the first lead vocal by Martin! And to believe that we recorded this one on Vince's birthday!! Along the way, talk turns to a pair of old movies, a ranking of Depeche Mode...
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Depeche Mode - Speak & Spell (1981) Part 3
Permanent Record Podcast
Episode 186: Depeche Mode – Speak & Spell (1981) Part 3 In this episode, Brian and Sarah resume their look back at Depeche Mode’s debut album. As a reminder, they’re using the US track listing as they talk about the album, but for the songs contained in this episode, the track listing is the same on both sides of the pond. The next songs up for discussion aren’t singles, but that doesn’t stop our hosts from finding plenty of things to talk about. Here are just a few examples: • Sarah’s phrase ‘Erasure gallop’ is changed to ‘Vince Clarke gallop’...
info_outlineEpisode 174: In Conversation With Billy Vera (Part 2)
Our conversation with author/actor/musician Billy Vera concludes with an episode that touches on so many different aspects of this great man's career.
Billy started his professional career as a songwriter, but soon moved to a higher-profile gig as part of the duo Billy Vera and Judy Clay. After a successful album called "Storybook Children", Billy kicked off a solo career that has spanned decades, starting with 1968's "With Pen in Hand" up to the recent "Timeless" album, released in 2019.
In the mid-1980s, Billy had a number one hit with "At this Moment". In this interview, we discuss in detail his first number one hit, "I Really Got the Feeling", which Dolly Parton took to the top of the charts in 1979.
We also talk about Billy's time on both the small screen and the big screen, including an episode on Brian's favorite TV Drama, "Wiseguy."
Other topics that we cover in this second episode:
- · Compiling his hit album "By Request" for Rhino Records
- · Appearing on 80's Era TV and meeting Dick Clark
- · His appearances on and relationship with Johnny Carson
- · His star on Hollywood Boulevard and Angie Dickinson
- · Working on "Wiseguy" with Stephen J Cannell
- · Starting in acting
- · Pitching an original TV idea to Cannell
- · "Ronnie's Song" and working mob joints in NYC
- · Life and love in NYC at 18
- · Old Money vs New Money
- · Dolly Parton
- · "Timeless" and "Live at Vitello's"
- · The only "real" job he ever worked
- · Reissuing artists like Duke Ellington and Count Basie
- · Meeting and working with Fats Domino and other Doo Wop acts
- · Board of Directors of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation
- · Steaming music and today's DIY reality
- · Music Publishing
- · The story behind the Drifters' hit "Save the Last Dance for Me"
- · The job of a songwriter
- · Voice-over career
- · King of Queens
- · Meeting and working with David Hasselhoff
- · Rip It Up: The Specialty Records Story
Thanks to Billy for spending so much time with us and for sharing so many wonderful stories about this career!
You can learn more about Billy's story, his books, and his music at https://billyvera.com/
Follow him on Facebook for the latest info on his gigs and his weekly radio show: https://www.facebook.com/TheRealBillyVera
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