Louis Johnson. It’s been a tough few weeks for fans of classic soul and R&B with the deaths of Ben E. King, then Hot Chocolate’s Errol Brown, followed by blues giant B.B. King and now Brothers Johnson bassist Louis Johnson. Johnson has died at the age of 60 and he leaves this world widely regarded…
Tag: Music
RIP Ben E. King & Hot Chocolate’s Errol Brown – An Aretha Franklin Cover + What ‘Emma’ Is Really About
Errol Brown. A belated RIP to two soul stars who’ve recently passed away. Other than their time of departure from this world, both the American Ben E. King (76) and the Brit (by way of Jamaica) Errol Brown (71) were also linked by being disproportionately known for solitary songs. The serious and the slightly silly,…
My Favourite Interviews, A Montage Including Barry Gibb, Lionel Richie, Lindsey Buckingham, Sheryl Crow, Paul Michael Glaser and More
With Barry Gibb, February 2013. Over the course of my broadcasting career I’ve been incredibly fortunate to interview so many people I admire, from music legends to sporting heroes to movie stars to Prime Ministers. People often want to know who was the funniest, friendliest, the most down-to-earth and of course, the worst. The truth…
6 Of The Best, Most Underrated Eagles Songs – Including A Heartbreaking Gram Parsons Tribute
The Eagles as they look today. Nearly a month late (apologies), here’s a list of my favourite half dozen underrated Eagles songs. I saw their first of two concerts in Auckland last month and while in part it was everything you’d expect from an Eagles show – perfect harmonies, precision of performance etc – there…
Barry Gibb Unveils Autobiographical New Track: ‘The Home Truth Song’
Barry Gibb. Sandwiched between a couple of classic early-period Bee Gees recordings, Barry Gibb unveiled a spirited new song during his 12-song set at the Miami Beach Centennial concert last week. Following the soul of perhaps the most covered Gibb song To Love Somebody* and before the Beatle-esque foot-stamper Lonely Days, Barry inserted a track…
‘Blurred Lines’ And The Blurred Lines Of Copyright Infringement – Why This Decision Is All Wrong
Marvin Gaye. The ruling in the copyright infringement case against Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke is ridiculous. Like any good student of 70s R&B, the first time I heard Blurred Lines – the Thicke / Williams / T.I. collaboration that became the biggest hit of 2013 – I knew it wasn’t only inspired by Marvin Gaye, but inspired by…
Chris Martin Was Right – Rihanna Can Sing Anything – ‘FourFiveSeconds’ By Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney, Rihanna, Kanye West. I remember Coldplay’s Chris Martin once saying the reason he so badly wanted to write a song for Rihanna was that she could sing anything. One listen to FourFiveSeconds, the brand new Rihanna / Kanye West / Paul McCartney collaboration, and you understand Martin was so, so right. Princess Of…
Uptown Funk Live On Ellen – Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson & The Most Electrifying Live TV Performance In Years
This is hands down the most electrifying live performance of a song on a TV show I’ve seen in years. It’s not everyday you can get everyone in a radio newsroom united behind one computer to watch a five minute video from start to finish. But this is Uptown Funk! Last Thursday about ten of us…
Sunglasses Inside Episode 2 – Happy New Year With Rod Stewart & His Tartan Suit
Happy New Year! 2015 is here which is ridiculous. I remember the mayhem of that rainy night in Paihia, Northland, New Zealand in 1999/2000 so vividly that I really cannot believe it was 15 years ago. There were torrential downpours, midnight pashes, 111 calls on brick cellphones for severed toes and many other mild shenanigans…
Pilot Episode Of ‘Sunglasses Inside’ – Linking Current Affairs To Music – The 3 Amazing Xmas Songs You Didn’t Hear This Year
Merry Christmas and welcome to the very first episode of Sunglasses Inside. Exciting times with this high budget show! This is a pilot episode of what may become a regular feature on the Roxborogh Report. The initial two-minute episode has me discussing three sensational Christmas songs (by Sheryl Crow, Hall & Oates and…
RIP Joe Cocker – Why He Was Perfect For The Wonder Years
Joe Cocker. Joe Cocker, what a voice. The news has come through that the soul singer – one of the most distinctive soul / R&B singers England ever produced – has died aged 70 of lung cancer. I never saw him live but everyone who did during his regular visits to New Zealand always raved…
When The Bee Gees Performed The Greatest Live Medley In Brit Awards History
Maurice, Robin and Barry Gibb, 1979. Today, December 22nd, would’ve been the 65th birthday for Bee Gee twins Robin and Maurice Gibb. I was with friends playing backyard cricket on a New Zealand summer’s evening, January 12th 2003, when I got a phone-call saying Maurice had died. Fast-forward nearly a decade and it was under…
