We all know who Ronnie James Dio is! This legendary metal singer had a stellar career with his time in Rainbow, Black Sabbath (and Heaven & Hell) as well as a solo artist. In this episode, Tom & Mark along with guest host TJ Coyne dive deep into our Top 20 songs of Ronnie's career! We talk about Ronnie's long career as well as each run down our Top 20 for all to enjoy... and debate! We'll post our choices on our Facebbok page and we encourage you join in and let us know your top Dio songs too! Enjoy!
Danny Vaughn is an American singer that has performed with Waysted, Tyketto and Vaughn and now performs and releases under his own name as well.Danny Vaughn is a product of Steiner education. At lower school, he was placed into a choir. “My first public performance was singing Pie Jesu in soprano. I remember the audience craning their necks to see who the little kid who sang the solo was. My best-loved experience, during those days, was singing in harmony. It stayed with me ever since.” His schooling taught Vaughn to read and enjoy classical music, though his teenage years were filled with a love for the pop classics, especially Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel: anything that provided harmonizing, folk-rock, edged with the baroque.After leaving school, Danny played in several local cover bands, many of them playing classic covers in rock-joints around Rockland County New York. “One day I got a message that the Welsh rock guitarist Paul Chapman (Skid Row, UFO) was looking for me. I brushed it aside, but my curiosity got the better of me and I called the number. I was invited to do an audition down in Florida, for Paul's new project: DOA, and recorded a demo with him that he took to the UK to shop with the record companies there. But that went by the wayside when Pete Way invited Paul to join Waysted instead. Of course they'd already found themselves a talented vocalist in Fin Muir. So that was that!” “But in 1985, they had a falling out with Fin and I was invited to learn a bunch of Waysted and UFO songs just days before a huge show at Ramat Gan football stadium, in Tel Aviv. I endured. It was my trial-by fire-audition for a band I continued to play with till 1987.” 1987 Vaughn formed Tyketto, a band he was in until 1994 when he was replaced by future Journey singer Steve Augeri. Tyketto split up in 1996, but have played mini-tours with Vaughn and other original members at various times since 2004. The reunited Tyketto also released two albums Dig In Deep (2012) and Reach (2016), The band has started a new chapter with a couple new members joining recently and 2023 will see the band return to live concert action.Danny talks about all that and more on episode #51 of podcast right here!
Neil Carter is an English musician who has worked in diverse genres throughout his career. Classically trained, he became a professional rock musician at the age of 17 and initially had his first "mainstream" experience with singer-songwriter Gilbert O'Sullivan. He subsequently played guitar and keyboard for the hard rock bands Wild Horses, UFO, and guitarist Gary Moore. He is credited for co-writing a number of Gary Moore's songs including the worldwide hit "Empty Rooms". At the age of 30 he left the rock world behind and developed a different career as both teacher of woodwind instruments (saxophone and clarinet) and as an ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) examiner. 2010 saw an unexpected return to rock with Gary Moore, playing festivals across Europe and a tour of Ukraine and Russia. Future tours and a Celtic rock album were to follow but this was curtailed by the death of Gary Moore in February 2011. On 30 April 2019, Neil would return to UFO for their 'Last Orders' tour, following the death of Paul Raymond. The tour began in June 2019 in Germany and continued into 2022 after being postponed from 2020 due to the COVID 19 pandemic. The future of UFO is to been determined but for now please enjoy our conversation with Neil Carter!
Sword is a Canadian heavy metal band from Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec, that was formed in 1981 and is still active to this day. To date, they have released three studio albums, one compilation and one live albumIn 1981, Rick (vocals) and Dan Hughes (drums) formed the band and they were joined by guitarist Mike Plant and bassist Mike Larocque in the first lineup of the band. They signed their first recording contract in 1984 with Aquarius Records and released two albums for the label in the late 1980s; the debut album Metalized in 1986 and its follow-up Sweet Dreams in 1988.They toured in the support slots for Motörhead and Alice Cooper, and the group also opened for Metallica on their Master of Puppets tour in 1986.Rick Hughes also went on to form Saints & Sinners and released a self-titled album with them in 1992, which is still revered by many hard rock fans worldwide.Throughout their career, Sword sold in excess of 180,000 albums and the band has been more active since 2011 when they reunited for a show and they have since played various festivals in Canada and Germany. In 2016, they released Live Hammersmith, recorded while they were on tour supporting Motörhead in 1987.Sword's third studio album (their first in 34 years!) titled III was released on November 25, 2022. So check out our interview with Rick Hughes to hear about all things Sword (as well as Saints & Sinners!).
Steve Mann was born and raised in London, England. After college he took up classical guitar, studying at the John Williams School in London he joined his first professional band Liar in 1977. They released two albums.He then formed Lionheart with Dennis Stratton (Iron Maiden) and Rocky Newton (MSG, etc.). Hailed by Sounds magazine as "the first NWOBHM Supergroup", Lionheart toured extensively before securing a record deal with CBS in 1984. At various times Lionheart counted amongst its ranks luminaries such as Frank Noon (Def Leppard), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Les Binks (Judas Priest), Clive Edwards (UFO) and Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep). In 1986 Steve joined Michael Schenker to form The McAuley Schenker Group and recorded two albums (Perfect Timing & Save Yourself). The former was recorded in 1986 at PUK Studios in Denmark with overdubs at Rudolf Schenker's Scorpion Sound Studio, and the record was produced by the late Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin). Frank Fillipetti took the production chair for Save Yourself, recording in LA. This album bore the hit single Anytime, a ballad penned by Mann and Robin McAuley and the track reached #6 on the US Billboard charts.While playing with Schenker he was guesting with The Sweet, becoming a permanent member after leaving MSG in 1991. Then around 1994 Mann guested with Eloy, a progressive rock band from Germany who achieved fame during the 1970's. His guest appearances for the band, both live and on record, continued till 2012. In 2016 he received a call from Michael Schenker asking if he was interested in forming a new version of the band called Michael Schenker Fest which was to include his 3 original singers, Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet (Rainbow) and Robin McAuley along with the rhythm section of Ted McKenna and Chris Glen (ex-Rainbow singer Doogie White would also join in 2017). Needless to say he jumped at the chance and the band has been on the road ever since.In 2016, Lionheart also had the opportunity to reunite with original members Dennis Stratton, Rocky Newton, Clive Edwards along with Lee Small on vocals. In 2017 the band went into my studio to record a new album called Second Nature, which was critically acclaimed, A 3rd Lionheart album was released in 2020 and titled The Reality of Miracles and Mann also joined forces with British singer Chris Ousey for the debut Ousey/Mann album Is Anybody Listening in 2022.Steve Mann continues to tour with Michael Schenker as well as writing for a new Lionheart and even his own solo album. Keep up to date with all his happenings at www.stevemann.net where you can link to all his social sites as well!