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Joel Selvin

Joel Selvin

Joel Selvin (pictured with Steve Miller in 2005) is an award-winning journalist and music critic who covered pop music for the San Francisco Chronicle for more than 35 years. His writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, the Los Angeles Times, Billboard and Melody Maker, and he has contributed liner notes to dozens of recorded albums. Selvin is also the bestselling author of more than twenty books about pop music, including Fare Thee Well: The Final Chapter of the Grateful Dead’s Long, Strange Trip; Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock’s Darkest Day; Here Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues and Hollywood Eden: Electric Guitars, Fast Cars & the Myth of the California Paradise. Joel lives in San Francisco.

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Little Richard (1969)

Interview by Joel Selvin, Rock's Backpages audio, November 1969

The Bronze Liberace looks back at songs like 'Tutti Frutti' and 'Good Golly Miss Molly'; the Beatles' cover of 'Long Tall Sally'; recording in New Orleans; Miss Ann Johnson and her Tik Tok club in Macon, Ga.; touring in the '50s and his outrageous stage act; appearing in movies such as The Girl Can't Help It; finding God in '57; returning to rock'n'roll in '62 and befriending the Beatles; on why young black audiences aren't interested in him; the Black Panthers, Black Muslims and racism, and his long experiences of police harassment...

File format: mp3; file size: 36.5mb, interview length: 38' 04" sound quality: **

The Faces, The Small Faces: The Small Faces: First Step

Review by Joel Selvin, Rolling Stone, 28 May 1970

THE SMALL FACES are now into a more sophisticated and mature commerciality. The addition of Rod Stewart as vocalist and Ron Wood on lead guitar ...

Little Richard: The Rill Thing

Review by Joel Selvin, Rolling Stone, 17 September 1970

AS INCREDIBLE AS IT may seem, Little Richard is as great as he says he is. His new album, the first in three years, is ...

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Pendulum: Creedence Got a New Kind of Bag

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, Rolling Stone, 24 December 1970

BERKELEY — Creedence Clearwater Revival is rolling again, and in several directions, with their upcoming new album, Pendulum. ...

Allman Brothers Band: The Allman Brothers Band: What Southern Boys Can Do With Rock

Profile and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 February 1971

THE SOUTH is the fatherland of rock. Though not specifically indigenous to that area, rock's basic roots are steeped in the musical lore and tradition ...

Otis Rush Keeps On Pushin'

Interview by Joel Selvin, Rolling Stone, 27 May 1971

SAN FRANCISCO — Otis Rush is tired. After finishing four weeks recording a new album, that's no surprise. But Otis has been tired for a ...

Clarence Carter: Slippin' Away With Clarence Carter

Interview by Joel Selvin, Rolling Stone, 5 August 1971

SAN FRANCISCO – Clarence Carter leaves his Holiday Inn room on the arm of his road manager, who looks familiar. It's Rodgers Redding, and it's ...

Captain Beefheart A Success?

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 December 1972

NOTE: Nobody was ever more fun to hang out with than Don Van Vliet. We took a number of dinners over the years, including one ...

Bonnie Raitt: "I Don't Want to Be a Star," Says Blues Singer Bonnie Raitt

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 December 1972

DON'T LET her looks fool you. Behind that golden-haired, dimpled face lurks a lusty, rowdy blues mama. So what if she went to Radcliffe, her ...

Tower of Power: It's More Starvation Than Success for Rock Musicians

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 January 1973

THOUGH THERE is plenty of big money floating around the recording industry, few rock bands ever see any. ...

Johnny Mathis: Superstar Johnny Mathis Still Thinks About Jazz

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 February 1973

WHEN JOHNNY Mathis takes the Circle Star Theater stage next Friday, it will be the George Washington High star athlete's first appearance here in over ...

Sopwith Camel: New Orleans House, Berkeley

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 May 1973

KEEPING ALIVE the best San Francisco acid-rock tradition, Sopwith Camel can't be pinned down into an easy category. A Camel performance is likely to begin ...

Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield Blues Band: Mike Bloomfield — Superstar — Had It All and Didn't Know It

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 September 1973

"I DECIDED I didn't believe all that tortured genius crap," Mike Bloomfield, the 30-year-old musician explained, "that some how there was a corollary between pain ...

Graham Central Station, Sly & the Family Stone: Larry Graham Has Left the Shadow of the Family Behind

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 January 1974

SOME PEOPLE might call Larry Graham cocky. The 27-year-old soul musician seethes with talent and finally has the means to unleash it. No doubt he ...

Crosby and Nash: The Crosby-Nash Whale and Fieldworkers Benefit

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 December 1974

AT THE END of the Bob Dylan tour earlier this year, Asylum Records president David Geffen threw a party at the swank Beverly Wilshire Hotel ...

Harry Nilsson: Nilsson Ratings: Injured, Brilliant

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 April 1975

NOTE: The interview had to wait until we watched the latest episode of the PBS series, The Ascent of Man. I asked Harry about the ...

Doobie Brothers: One Guitarist On, One Guitarist Off

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, Rolling Stone, 5 June 1975

SAN FRANCISCO – Three years ago, the Doobie Brothers lived on food stamps in San Jose, playing at ramshackle area clubs for as little as ...

Elton John, Wings: Elton John: Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (MCA); Wings: Venus And Mars (Capitol)

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 June 1975

Two Instant Hit Packages Full of Extra Goodies ...

Jeff Beck, Mahavishnu Orchestra: Jeff Beck, The Mahavishnu Orchestra: Winterland San Francisco CA

Live Review by Joel Selvin, Rolling Stone, 3 July 1975

JEFF BECK seems determined to be taken seriously as a significant rock instrumentalist, stepping out from behind his British pop star facade. Not only his ...

Toots & The Maytals: Toots' Soulful Reggae — Direct from Jamaica

Profile by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 October 1975

THE FIRST American album by Toots and the Maytals, Funky Kingston (Island 9330) introduces Jamaica's most soulful reggae to this country virtually as well as ...

Captain and Tennille: Sahara Tahoe, Stateline NV

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 26 October 1975

Gushy Tennille, Deadpan Captain ...

Kris Kristofferson, Barbra Streisand: Bill Graham Staged a Concert And Barbra Streisand Sang

Report by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 April 1976

TEMPE, ARIZ. – Phil Ramone, one of the country's top recording engineers, is rather unused to working in the mid-day sun, since recording studios, like ...

The Tubes: Tubes at the Garden of Eden: Can They Sell It Out?

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, Circus, 6 July 1976

THE BICENTENNIAL year has been a busy one for The Tubes, bull goose loonies of the San Francisco rock world. Shortly after ushering in New ...

The Band: And The Band Played On... The Band's Last Waltz

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 November 1976

IT WAS UNDOUBTEDLY the single biggest collection of rock stars ever to perform on one stage: 17 musicians played Bob Dylan's ‘I Shall Be Released’, ...

The Meters, The Neville Brothers: It's Hard to Read the Meters

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 May 1977

"IF WE'RE SO good, how come we ain't rich?" reads the caption in The Figaro, New Orleans' underground newspaper, accompanying the story detailing the demise ...

Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe: England's Elvis — The New Sensation on the Rock Scene

Report by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 October 1977

OUT OF nowhere comes a musician with no apparent past who looks like a good bet to become the biggest new sensation on the rock ...

Nick Lowe: Provocative "Pure Pop" Emerges from British Rock

Profile by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 April 1978

WITH THE release of his first solo album, Nick Lowe steps forward as one of the most provocative new talents to emerge from the British ...

ABBA: The Phenomenal Swedes Have Yet to Conquer America

Profile by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 May 1978

FREQUENTLY dismissed as vapid and sterile, Abba may well be the world's most popular rock band currently, but the Swedish quartet clearly has a ways ...

The Honeycombs, John Leyton, Joe Meek, The Tornados: A Tribute to Joe Meek— Far Out Before His Time

Retrospective by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 October 1978

THROUGHOUT his career, British record producer Joe Meek showed a strong and consistent fascination with outer space and supernatural themes. A kind of backroom electronic ...

Rick Nelson: High Sierra Theater at the Sahara, Lake Tahoe

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 October 1978

THE CLUSTERS of signs reading "Rick Nelson Now" hanging in the Sahara Tahoe casino reveal the hand of Colonel Parker, the famed manager of Elvis ...

The Flamin' Groovies Come Home

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 October 1978

AFTER EIGHT YEARS of silence in the band's hometown, the Flamin' Groovies suddenly made two San Francisco performances in less than a month. "I'm stopping ...

The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson: David Leaf: The Beach Boys and the California Myth (Grossett & Dunlap, 192 pp., illus, $7.95 paper)

Book Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 October 1978

Beach Boys' Brian — A Classic American Tragedy ...

Jack Nitzsche, Graham Parker: Jack Nitzsche: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Interview by Joel Selvin, Melody Maker, 23 December 1978

Pop legends don't come much more elusive than veteran producer Jack Nitzsche, who apprenticed himself to Phil Spector. After his success with Mink DeVille, he's currently ...

Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious: Sid Vicious: A Rocky Lifestyle Played Out to Its Extreme End

Obituary by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 February 1979

EPITAPH FOR a punk: Even before his somehow not too surprising drug overdose death at age 21, Sid Vicious already scrawled his name indelibly in ...

Ry Cooder: Bop Til You Drop (Warner Brothers Records 3358)

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 July 1979

An Astonishing Digital Bop ...

Blondie, The Knack, Suzi Quatro, Sweet: Long Overdue Recognition For Producer Mike Chapman

Profile by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 August 1979

WITH HIS productions of the multi-platinum Blondie LP, Parallel Lines, and Get the Knack, which earned a gold album faster than any other debut album ...

Fleetwood Mac: Tusk (Warner Brothers Records 3350)

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 October 1979

The Big Mac Tusk ...

Madness: One Step Beyond (Sire Records 0085)

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 February 1980

The Nutty Sound ...

Elvis Costello & the Attractions: Get Happy!! (Columbia Records 36347)

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 March 1980

Among Costello's Best ...

Journey: Departure (Columbia Records 36339)

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 March 1980

THIS IS the third in a series of albums that began with the platinum Infinity and continued with Evolution. ...

Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield Blues Band: Mike Bloomfield 1943-1981

Obituary by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 February 1981

SLUMPED DEAD in his car seat from an apparent drug overdose was Mike Bloomfield, 37, arguably the greatest white blues guitarist of his generation. He ...

Prince Reveals His Dirty Mind

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 March 1981

WHO COULD resist a handsome young black gentleman, dressed like a stripper, who sings songs celebrating such unlikely topics as incest and oral copulation? ...

Buddy Miles: Changes: Buddy Miles Back in Town

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 May 1982

THEM CHANGES (Part Two): In an alley behind the Chronicle building, loud, bright rock music drifted out of a rehearsal hall. Inside, behemoth Buddy Miles,  ...

Darlene Love, Phil Spector: Darlene Hits Local Scene, Reviving an Old Spector

Profile and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 July 1982

THE FAMOUS sound of Phil Spector will hit Bay Area stages for the next three nights when Darlene Love makes a round of local appearances. ...

Bruce Springsteen: Nebraska (Columbia 38358)

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 October 1982

IN AN ARTISTICALLY daring move virtually unprecedented in the record business, Bruce Springsteen refused to succumb to pressures to follow up the No. 1 success ...

The Beach Boys, Charles Manson, Dennis Wilson: Manson and Drugs — A Beach Boy's Troubled Life

Retrospective by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 January 1984

DENNIS WILSON, the Beach Boy who drowned a week ago last Wednesday, never got that many headlines in life. He may have been the most ...

Marvin Gaye: David Ritz: Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye (McGraw-Hill; 367 pages; $16.95)

Book Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 May 1985

The Sordid Story of An R&B 'Angel' ...

Ronnie Lane: Inspiring Rocker

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 June 1987

Ronnie Lane: Wolfgang's, San Francisco ...

Grateful Dead: Without a Net (Arista Records)

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 October 1990

Grateful Dead Work Is No Sweat ...

U2: Zooropa (Island Records)

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 July 1993

U2 Flies Off on a Tangent: Group's new album Zooropa is slow and plodding ...

Whitney Houston Hit: The Bodyguard Soundtrack Has Shot at Sales Record

Report by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 July 1993

Astonishingly, six months after release, the rather unremarkable collection of songs is already halfway toward eclipsing the 40 million sales mark set 10 years ago ...

Frank Sinatra: Duets (Capitol Records)

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 October 1993

Frank Sinatra Does It His Way On Duet Album; Ol' Blue Eyes outshines 13 stars ...

Country Joe & The Fish: Country Joe McDonald

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, March 1994

ONE FIGURE straddles the two polar events of the '60s – Woodstock and the
 Vietnam War – and that's Country Joe McDonald. In fact, such ...

Counting Crows: Anatomy of a Hit

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 April 1994

They weren't supposed to be a huge success, but Counting Crows had an amazing demo tape, an influential record company, good luck and great timing. ...

Smashing Pumpkins: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 April 1994

GIVEN Smashing Pumpkins' penchant for cheesy psychedelic touches to decorate their end-of-the-world sonics, the red-hot rockers seemed the perfect act to star at the gala ...

Johnny Cash: Cool Cash — The Man in Black's Latest Risk Pays Off

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 September 1994

New generation of fans embraces touring legend ...

Esquivel: Space-Age Bachelor Pad (Bar/None Records, $14.9)***

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 December 1994

ESQUIVEL A BIT LIKE MANCINI ON SPEED ...

Linda Ronstadt: Ronstadt Proves She Can Go Home Again

Profile and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 March 1995

LINDA RONSTADT settled comfortably into a couch in her record company offices. The cream-colored ensemble she was wearing emphasized her preternaturally translucent skin. She has ...

Merle Haggard: Pop Quiz: Q & A with Merle Haggard

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 April 1995

WITH TWO tribute albums appearing coincidentally at the same time, country music great Merle Haggard may seem to be experiencing a sudden resurgence — not ...

Ry Cooder, The Everly Brothers, Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks: Lenny Waronker: A Record Executive's Pride and Joy

Profile and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 June 1995

Warner Bros. re-releases Lenny Waronker's early masterpieces ...

Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia: Private Funeral For Garcia

Report by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 August 1995

MEMBERS OF THE Grateful Dead and the widow of Jerry Garcia spent yesterday making plans for a funeral, while tributes continued to roll in and ...

Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead: Jerry Garcia: The Last Post

Obituary by Joel Selvin, MOJO, October 1995

SERENITY KNOLLS lies at the bottom of a dead end road in northern Marin County, California. The main building stands above a parking area surrounded ...

Jonathan Richman: Jonathan Vaporizes

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 December 1995

BAY AREA cult favorite Jonathan Richman is close to signing a recording deal with Vapor Records, the new label run by Neil Young and his ...

Tom Waits Benefits Friend, Audience

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 February 1996

IT TOOK A friend in trouble to get Tom Waits back on stage. ...

Jefferson Airplane: Still a Bumpy Ride

Report by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 February 1996

Jefferson Airplane members not overjoyed about induction into Rock Hall of Fame ...

Dean Martin: That's Amore — The Best of Dean Martin (Capitol) ****; Sleep Warm (Capitol) ****

Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 May 1996

Dean Martin's Easy Charm ...

The Sex Pistols: Taking Another Shot

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 June 1996

Prototypical punks the Sex Pistols are back together — so take cover ...

Sheryl Crow, Kevin Gilbert: Kevin Gilbert: More Than "The Piano Player"

Report by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 September 1996

Dumped by Sheryl Crow after propelling her to success, brilliant musician Kevin Gilbert died before finding his own ...

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco

Live Review by Joel Selvin, MOJO, March 1997

AFTER MORE THAN FIVE YEARS OF THE IMMENSE SUCCESS THAT followed the popular breakthrough of Full Moon Fever, Tom Petty wondered what to do. His ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Introduction & Voices ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter I: A Little Prince ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter 2: Really A Rhythm and Blues Cat ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter 3: Boys, Girls, Black, White ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter 4: Pussycat à Go Go, Electric Circus ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter 5: Playing Toilets ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter 6: As Big As Life ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter 7: There Is Going To Be a Riot ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter 8: Guns And Dogs ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter 9: Sly's Last Chance ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter 10: Time To Go ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter 11: Only Kidding ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Chapter 12: Nobody Believed Anymore ...

Sly & the Family Stone: On The Record: Sly & the Family Stone

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, Simon & Schuster, July 1997

Discography ...

Jackie Brenston, Ike Turner, Ike & Tina Turner, Joe Louis Walker: Pop Quiz: Q & A With Ike Turner

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 September 1997

ONLY A HANDFUL of ex-husbands have been as publicly vilified as Ike Turner, but what Tina Turner's undoubtedly justified public excoriations have obscured is the ...

Prince: A Peek At Prince

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 October 1997

THE ARTIST TALKS via e-mail, which gives him a chance to use his funny language ...

Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac: Q&A With Lindsey Buckingham

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 October 1997

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM may be the least enthusiastic member of Fleetwood Mac, but his guitar playing and passionate vocals have been the anchors of the group's ...

Backbeat — Earl Palmer's Story By Tony Scherman (Smithsonian Institution; 196 pages; $24.95)

Book Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 July 1999

Earl Palmer Laid Down the Rhythm of Rock 'n' Roll ...

Buena Vista Social Club, Ry Cooder: Buena Vista Brings Back Old Cuban Sound

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 September 1999

WHEN CUBAN music finally returned to the United States, it picked up where it left off. ...

Crosby Stills Nash & Young: Deja Vu All Over Again: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young reuniting for a new album and their first tour in 25 years

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 October 1999

"CSNY2K'' IS coming. The title for the 41-city Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tour that starts in January may seem obvious, but it did give ...

Joni Mitchell's Dull Twist On Standards

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 May 2000

NOBODY SINGS Joni Mitchell like Joni Mitchell. ...

Merle Haggard: Real Country music may be dead, but its last true cowboy, Merle Haggard, carries on the original sound

Profile and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 June 2001

COUNTRY MUSIC is over. There are lots of rock singers wearing cowboy hats these days, but genuine country music is all but dead and gone. ...

Shuggie Otis: The Resurrection of Shuggie Otis

Retrospective and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 June 2001

INSPIRATION INFORMATION disappeared shortly after its 1974 release, and the world soon forgot about Shuggie Otis, the promising young rock musician who made the record. ...

Sly & The Family Stone: Lucifer Rising

Retrospective by Joel Selvin, MOJO, August 2001

THE ENGLISH TUDOR MANSION AT 783 BELAIR ROAD HAD BEEN built for Jeanette MacDonald, the Hollywood screen actress who starred in all those '30s operettas ...

Fred Neil: The Other Side Of This Life: Fred Neil, 1936-2001

Obituary by Joel Selvin, MOJO, September 2001

"FREDDIE TAUGHT me a lot," says David Crosby, speaking exclusively to me on the death of Fred Neil. "He was an amazing folk singer, probably ...

Boz Scaggs: Worth Waiting For

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 September 2001

Boz Scaggs took his time – more than seven years between new albums. ...

Phil Spector: Over The Wall!

Retrospective by Joel Selvin, MOJO, May 2003

Phil Spector, the most famous producer on the planet, is currently on bail after an actress was shot dead at his L.A. mansion. To a ...

Boz Scaggs on But Beautiful

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 July 2003

WITH HIS new album hitting No. 1 on the jazz charts, Boz Scaggs is a changed man. "I'll use what I've learned in this process ...

David Bowie: Ever-changing Bowie

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 January 2004

AFTER YEARS of hiding behind characters he created, David Bowie, 57, knows who he is. Although he is no longer making records on the leading ...

David Bowie: HP Pavilion, San Jose

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 January 2004

HE ASKED IF the audience was having a good time. He grinned incessantly, made snappy patter between songs, showed off his remarkable wardrobe and hair. ...

Tom Waits: Barroom Bard's Next Round

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 October 2004

TOM WAITS SIPS coffee at the Formica counter of the Chinese takeout and doughnut shop, looking out on the intersection of Mission and 24th streets. ...

The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Dandy Warhols: The Dandy Warhols/Brian Jonestown Massacre: Dig!

Film/DVD/TV Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 October 2004

ANTON NEWCOMBE of the Brian Jonestown Massacre doesn't receive the most ringing endorsements from his friends. "He's more than just a jerk," says his record ...

Remembering Ralph J. Gleason

Retrospective by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 December 2004

NOTE: I’ve never done a more personal piece of journalism. Ralph was a distant figure on my horizon, but his presence surrounded me; from reading ...

Donovan (2005)

Interview by Joel Selvin, Selvin On The City, KSAN 107.7, 2005

Mr Leitch looks back at his 40 years in music, from scoring hash in Goodge Street to recording with Rick Rubin, via Alice Cooper, Linda Lawrence and more.

File format: mp3 File size: 35.1mb Interview length: 38' 19"; Sound quality: ****

Chris Isaak (2005)

Interview by Joel Selvin, Selvin On The City, KSAN 107.7, March 2005

The American icon, together with sidekick Kenney Dale Johnson, spins some favourites and sings a couple of tunes too!

File format: mp3 File size: 32.2mb Interview length: 35' 13"; Sound quality: *****

The Meters: New Orleans' ambassadors of funk, the Meters, revel in long-overdue respect and earn still more

Report and Interview by Joel Selvin, SF Gate, 21 November 2005

ART NEVILLE sat on the arm of a backstage sofa at the Fillmore Auditorium, smoking a cigarette and sipping a little white wine before showtime. ...

Booker T & The MGs, Booker T. Jones: Booker T. Jones (2006)

Interview by Joel Selvin, Selvin On The City, KSAN 107.7, 2006

The Booker T & The MGs mainman talks about the Stax years, working with the likes of Otis Redding and Albert King, making 'Green Onions', and on to later projects with Santana, Neil Young and Boz Scaggs.

File format: mp3; file size: 25.5mb; Interview length: 27' 5"; sound quality: *****

Booker T & The MGs, Booker T. Jones: Booker T. Jones (2006) [transcript]

Audio transcript of interview by Joel Selvin, Rock's Backpages transcripts, 2006

This is a transcript of Joel's radio interview with the great M.G.s mainmain. Listen to the audio of this interview. ...

Tom Waits (2006)

Interview by Joel Selvin, Selvin On The City, KSAN 107.7, 2006

Tom Waits talks about some of his favourite artists - William Burroughs, Daniel Johnston, Johnny Cash, and being the adult when working with Keith Richards!

File format: mp3 File size: 24.7mb Interview length: 26' 56"; Sound quality: *****

Tom Waits (2006) [transcript]

Audio transcript of interview by Joel Selvin, Rock's Backpages transcripts, 2006

This is a transcription of Joel's audio interview with Tom. Listen to the audio of this interview. ...

Phil Elwood, 1926-2006

Obituary by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 January 2006

Beloved Bay Area jazz and blues critic ...

The Beau Brummels: Decades In Obscurity, Beau Brummels Front Man Surfaces To Remind Us What The Fuss Was All About

Profile and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 February 2006

SAL VALENTINO WAS washed up. "No one called in a long time," he says. "No one knew where I was."There were even reports of his ...

T Bone Burnett (2006)

Interview by Joel Selvin, Selvin On The City, KSAN 107.7, June 2006

T-Bone Burnett guests on Selvin On the City ( KSAN Underground Radio 107.7, San Francisco), talking about production, the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Ralph Stanley, Jakob Dylan and more.

File format: mp3 File size: 27.2mb Interview length: 29' 44"; Sound quality: *****

Madonna: HP Pavilion, San Jose

Live Review by Joel Selvin, SF Gate, 1 June 2006

Madonna follows her glitzy, exhausting script to the letter. The Madonna circus rolls in — but it's not about the music ...

Grateful Dead, The Tubes: Vince Welnick, 1951-2006

Obituary by Joel Selvin, SF Gate, 30 June 2006

WHEN VINCE WELNICK signed on to play keyboards for the Grateful Dead, some people said it probably saved his life. He had five good years ...

The Four Seasons (2006)

Interview by Joel Selvin, Selvin On The City, KSAN 107.7, December 2006

Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio chat about the Jersey Boys musical, about Bob Crewe, the Disco years and the lost Seasons/Beach Boys album.

File format: mp3 File size: 31.3mb Interview length: 34' 14"; Sound quality: ***

NRBQ's Big Al Anderson (2007)

Interview by Joel Selvin, Selvin On The City, KSAN 107.7, 2007

Big Al takes us through life post-NRBQ, becoming songwriter to the Nashville Hat Act Stars, and looks back to the tough days on the road with NRBQ.

File format: mp3 File size: 33.5mb Interview length: 36' 25"; Sound quality: *****

The Beau Brummels' Sal Valentino (2007)

Interview by Joel Selvin, Selvin On The City, KSAN 107.7, 3 May 2007

Sal Valentino takes us through the history of The Beau Brummels, from being produced by a young Sly Stone for Tom Donahue's Autumn Records to the Warners years, working with Van Dyke Parks and Randy Newman, and the Triangle and Bradley's Barn albums.

File format: mp3 File size: 31.2mb Interview length: 34' 02"; Sound quality: *****

Allen Toussaint: Toussaint Explores Life Outside Big Easy

Profile and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 May 2007

ALLEN TOUSSAINT never left New Orleans. He spent virtually his entire distinguished career playing piano, singing, writing songs and making records with other people in ...

Summer of Love: 40 Years Later

Retrospective by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 20 May 2007

1967: The stuff that myths are made of ...

Grateful Dead: For The Unrepentant Patriarch Of LSD, Long, Strange Trip Winds Back To Bay Area

Profile and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 12 July 2007

THE SMALL, barefoot man in black T-shirt and blue jeans barely rates a second glance from the other Starbucks patrons in downtown San Rafael, although ...

Chris Clark - US: Chris Clark: An unsung soul singer resurfaces

Retrospective and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 August 2007

CHRIS CLARK was a tall, blond 20-year-old Air Force brat out of Marin County when she signed with Motown Records as the label's first white ...

The Human Be-In

Retrospective by Joel Selvin, MOJO, Summer 2007

ALL THROUGH the previous year, word filtered out of San Francisco about remarkable happenings and a strange new community of youths gathering around the city's ...

A Brief History of Ska

Guide by Joel Selvin, SF Gate, 23 March 2008

SKA EMERGED IN Jamaica as a kind of ham-fisted combination of American rhythm & blues and Caribbean folk styles, such as calypso and mento, in ...

Ry Cooder (2008)

Interview by Joel Selvin, Selvin On The City, KSAN 107.7, 23 November 2008

The meastro of roots and Americana talks about his recent work - I, Flathead, Chávez Ravine - and looks back to the making of his first album and subsequent career.

File format: mp3 File size: 32.4mb Interview length: 35' 27"; Sound quality: *****

Celine Dion: HP Pavilion, San Jose

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 February 2009

CELINE DION makes faces when she sings. She crinkles up her nose. She arches her eyebrows. She winks and darts quick little smiles after she ...

Merle Haggard Stands Tall

Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 29 March 2009

AS LONG AS people speak of country music, the music of Merle Haggard will live. As his career nears the half-century mark, Haggard's imprint is ...

Van Dyke Parks

Profile and Interview by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 February 2010

Eccentric Van Dyke Parks finally reaches S.F. ...

Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young: Buffalo Springfield together again on Bridge bill

Live Review by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 October 2010

FOR A GROUP from rock's Pleistocene era that managed only one real hit in the band's short life and haven't appeared together onstage in 43 ...

Rock of Ages Musical Exhumes '80s Power Ballads

Report by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 February 2011

THERE HAVE BEEN few musical sins committed in the name of rock 'n' roll as egregious as the power ballad. Not really rock and not ...

Phil Everly never got to soar as a solo act

Obituary by Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 January 2014

Phil Everly never got to be his own man. He was always – and always will be - Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers. ...

Bert Berns, Solomon Burke: Cry to Him: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns

Book Excerpt by Joel Selvin, 'Here Comes The Night' (Counterpoint Books), April 2014

In these two excerpts from Joel Selvin's splendid new biography of Bert Berns, the soul hustler from the Bronx oversees the 1961 session for Solomon ...

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