Radio418

Birthday parties, edible image frosting, remote gig locations, Beastie Boys...watch what happens when I start talking!

Yes, I know Record Store Day was 2 weekends ago, but I made off with such an impressive CD haul that I just had to share! But shouldn't EVERY day be Record Store Day?

Happy Birthday to me! A quick one to give big thanx, and to announce my first pledge drive for the podcast: click the "PayPal" button at foureighteen.podomatic.com to make a donation and keep the show going. Plus some JM music for your listening, dancing and dining pleasure.

At home with daughter Francesca, I explain the four chords that keep appearing and re-appearing in popular music. There's also a re-cap of some recent NYC gigging, and a few shout-outs to friends and colleagues.

A photo on Steve Gadd's Facebook page sends me down a Paul McCartney rabbit hole as I explore my love and appreciation for "Take It Away," an underrated, under-appreciated gem in Macca's solo canon. THIS EPISODE CONTAINS GRAPHIC MUSICAL JARGON AND EXTREME BEATLES OBSESSIVENESS...LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Nostalgia grips me as I remember the great TV theme music from the movie shows of my youth. Remember when they showed movies on TV? Remember when the movie shows had fully-orchestrated theme music? Me too!

I've been an obsessive Monkees geek since my teens, and my enthusiasm has not wavered, ever; even after a full summer touring with Micky Dolenz Himself! So Davy's sudden passing hits me in a few different places, and I talk about them all. Be warned: I get a little defensive and snarly on this one!

Pianist, singer, dear friend and Beatard Mike Shane thinks the bassline to Day Tripper is SO advanced that it might be someone other than Paul McCartney. Was there truth to the "Paul Is Dead" rumor? You decide...

No interview or guests this week, just a tune from the demo archives to tide you over until the family and I are back from our vay-cay in the glorious desert on the Left Coast.

My Berklee bass brother Thomas Fiorini stops by my kitchen to chat about the bass, the internet, politics, life, and how he made the courageous decision to leap head-first into the classical world as a double-bassist! Our talk is punctuated by his original songs, and the occasional visit from my daughter Francesca.
Photo: Berklee Bass Brats, 1991. L to R: Wes Wehmiller (1971-2005), Thomas Fiorini, JM.

I reflect on the passing a dear friend/family member/drummer/bandleader/human being, and we hear some of his work. More will be said about him in the future. RIP Big Daddy.

Veteran blues bassist/vocalist/songwriter and industry maven Lane Baldwin joins me for a special 2-part Radio 418, in which we visit the NAMM Show together and talk some shop. (Photo, from L to R: Aalics Bronson, Nicki Tedesco, JM & Lane On Bass at the Spector Booth @ NAMM, 1-21-12.)

Gratitude and friendship are on my mind this week, and I get a little mushy about both! I also take on the famous "12 Extremely Disappointing Facts About Popular Music," in the hopes of proving that they're not disappointing at all. (WARNING: I wind up defending Justin Bieber!) Plus my song "Time Away."

If I ever need help, who's a better consigliere than my father?  Musician/actor Paul Montagna is my first guest on Radio 418.  He talks about playing guitar in NYC during the heyday of folk music and the early days of rock n roll, and how a night in February 1964 led him to make an important purchase.  I even jam with the old man a little!

John Montagna pontificates about his profession, Brian Wilson and SMiLE, and a late-night post-Christmas vinyl binge. Plus the latest JM single, "Black Vinyl Records." (Yes, that was intentional!)