Let It Roll
555 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago - ★★★★★ - 88 ratings"Let it Roll" is a podcast about the history of popular music from the 19th Century to the 21st. Proud part of Pantheon - the podcast network for music lovers.
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Episodes
Mambo hit New York hard in the 1930s, 40s and 50s
July 27, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox welcomes back Tony Fletcher to discuss the opening chapters of his book "All Hopped Up and Ready to Go: Music from the Streets of New York 1927–77." Buy the book and support the show. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can aff...
Latin Roll 1: The musics of Europe and Africa collided in Cuba
July 24, 2023 17:56 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox welcomes back Ned Sublette for the first of several conversations about his book "Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo." Buy the book and support the show. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it plea...
Chick Webb's Big Beat Style of Swing Led Directly to Rock 'n' Roll
July 20, 2023 17:00 - 59 minutesHosts Nate Wilcox welcomes Stephanie Stein Crease, the author of "Rhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat that Changed America" to discuss the great swing king, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Jordan, Benny Goodman and Webb's impact on our culture. Buy the book and support the show. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well...
80s Roll 20: Queen, Bowie & Jagger and other highs and lows of Live Aid
July 17, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a discussion of the composition and recording of "We Are The Wold." Buy the book and support the show. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcr...
Beginning the Jazz Age: Vaudeville, Minstrelsy, Spirituals and Louis Armstrong's Signifying on the Old Songs
July 13, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHost Nate Wilcox welcomes back Gary Giddins to discuss the opening section of his classic book "Visions of Jazz" including discussions of vaudeville greats Al Jolson and Bert Williams, Louis Armstrong's signifying takes on old time songs of slavery and some of the forgotten Black songwriters of 1920s Tin Pan Alley. Buy the book and support the show. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Ple...
80's Roll 19: Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones led "We Are The World"
July 10, 2023 17:00 - 58 minutesHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a discussion of the composition and recording of "We Are The Wold." Buy the book and support the show. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcr...
Black Sabbath invented heavy metal with Ozzy Osbourne and perfected it with Ronnie James Dio
July 06, 2023 17:00 - 55 minutesHost Nate Wilcox welcomes Mike Stark to discuss his oral history of Black Sabbath. Nate and Mike discuss the two classic iterations of the definitive heavy metal band. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it please consider becoming a ...
80s Roll 18: British stars came together wrap up a huge 1984 with "Do They Know It's Christmas"
July 03, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a discussion of the composition and recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas." Buy the book and support the show. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventua...
Hipgnosis designed iconic album covers for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and many more
June 29, 2023 17:00 - 55 minutesHost Nate Wilcox welcomes author Mark Blake to discuss his book “Us and Them: The Authorised Story of Hipgnosis: The visionary artists behind Pink Floyd and more.” It's a fascinating look at the intersection of rock music and visual artists in the 60s and 70s and traces the evolution of the music business through that era. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email l...
80's Roll 17: Classic Rockers Like Don Henley, Foreigner and Steve Perry Had a Big 1984 Too
June 26, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at the surprisingly strong year had by older performers like Foreigner, Journey's Steve Perry, Don Henley and Hall & Oates. Buy the book and support the show. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site...
David Bowie 75 years after his birth
June 22, 2023 17:00 - 55 minutesHost Nate Wilcox welcomes author Martin Popoff the author of "Bowie @ 75" a beautiful coffee table big summarizing Bowie's career and impact just in time for the 75th anniversary of his birth. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (eventually) transcriptions of every episode. Also if you can afford it pl...
80s Roll 16: Bruce Springsteen broke all the way through with Born in the USA
June 19, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at Bruce Springsteen's breakthrough to national superstardom with Born in the USA. Nate struggles to maintain his official stance of aesthetic neutrality. Buy the book and support the show. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up...
The Complicated Legacy of Chuck Berry, the Inventor of Rock 'n' Roll
June 15, 2023 17:00 - 55 minutesHost Nate Wilcox welcomes author R.J. Smith to discuss his new book "Chuck Berry: An American Life." Nate and R.J. discuss Berry's creation of the rock 'n' roll myth, the dichotomy between Berry's middle class upbringing and his criminal conduct and much more. CHECK OUT THE NEW LET IT ROLL WEB SITE -- We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please sign up for the email list on the site and get music essays from Nate as well as (event...
80s Roll 15: Tina Turner, ZZ Top, Cyndi Lauper & Madonna at the First Ever MTV Awards
June 12, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at the 1984 inaugural MTV Awards and some of the artists who dominated the channel that year. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn mo...
The Beatles vs James Bond: Two Very Different Visions of Britain
June 08, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHost Nate Wilcox welcomes author John Higgs to discuss his book "Love and Let Die: James Bond, The Beatles, and the British Psyche." It's an in-depth cultural analysis that compares and contrasts 007 with the greatest rock band in history. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more ab...
80s Roll 14: The Olympics, Lionel Richie, Etta James, Marvin Gaye and R&B Radio
June 05, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and some of the musicians featured there including Etta James and Lionel Richie. There's also a discussion of a man much missed at the Olympics, the late Marvin Gaye as well as a look at R&B radio in the mid-1980s. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate ...
Living Colour led the early 90's alt metal charge
June 01, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHost Nate Wilcox welcomes Kim Mack, author of the 33 1/3 series title "Living Colour: Time's Up" to discuss the 90's alt metal/funk metal band and their decision to follow up their multi-platinum debut with a challenging creative statement. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more a...
80s Roll 13: Madonna comes out of the NYC club scene, 1st House records come out of Chicago, Hi-NRG is go, Electro becomes Freestyle
May 29, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at the dance club scene that produced Madonna, her work with DJ/producer Jellybean Benitez, the emergence of House music in Chicago, the HI-NRG scene in the gay clubs and the rapid evolution of electro into Latin freestyle. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email leti...
3 Kings of Emo Rap: Juice WRLD flew high and fell fast
May 25, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox welcomes back Let It Roll intern Ivan DeHaas to continue our mini-series on the Three Kings of Emo Rap: XXXTentacion, Lil Peep, and Juice WRLD all of whom let a movement that reached millions of young Americans in the 2010s and none of them lived to be 22. This week we discuss Juice WRLD, a rapper of staggering talent who met a sudden end. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follo...
80's Roll 12: R.E.M., Black Flag, Husker Du, the Minutemen and the Meat Puppets charted an alternative course
May 22, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at a historic year for indie rock, post-punk and hardcore groups like R.E.M., Big Black, Naked Raygun, Husker Du, Black Flag and the Meat Puppets plus the whole neo-American rock scene headed up by X, the Blasters, Los Lobos and more. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview?...
3 Kings of Emo Rap: Lil Peep Couldn't Protect Himself
May 18, 2023 17:00 - 56 minutesHosts Nate Wilcox welcomes back Let It Roll intern Ivan DeHaas to continue our mini-series on the Three Kings of Emo Rap: XXXTentacion, Lil Peep, and Juice WRLD all of whom let a movement that reached millions of young Americans in the 2010s and none of them lived to be 22. This week we discuss Lil Peep, who combined trap music with emo rock to help invent the emo rap genre and died before he attained mass success. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? E...
80's Roll 11: Prince's Purple Reign
May 15, 2023 18:15 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at the rise of Prince through the early 80s and his massive triumph with the film and album "Purple Rain." Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podca...
3 Kings of Emo Rap: XXXTentacion Sowed the Wind and Reaped the Whirlwind
May 11, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox welcomes Let It Roll intern Ivan DeHaas to kick off a mini-series on the Three Kings of Emo Rap: XXXTentacion, Lil Peep, and Juice WRLD all of whom let a movement that reached millions of young Americans in the 2010s and none of them lived to be 22. We kick off the series with a look at the most problematic and possibly the most talented of the three: XXXTentacion. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] F...
80s Roll 10: The Jackson's Victory Tour was anything but
May 08, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at the biggest tour of 1984: The Jackson's Victory tour. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...
Holy Roll 6: Mahalia Jackson and the Black Gospel Field
May 04, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHost Nate Wilcox welcomes Mark Burford to discuss his book "Mahalia Jackson and the Black Gospel Field" with a focus on Mahalia's days at Apollo Records and how she navigated the music business while serving a higher calling with her music. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more a...
80s Roll 9: Run-DMC revolutionized hip-hop in the year of "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo"
May 01, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at hip-hop in 1984 from the deluge of quickie exploitation movies, an attempt at a hip-hop Soul Train, the rise of Run-DMC and the meeting of Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin that resulted in Def Jam records. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email letitrollpodcast@gmai...
HolyRoll 5: Mahalia Jackson, Queen of Gospel and Mainstream American Star
April 27, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHost Nate Wilcox welcomes back Garrett Cash to continue our discussion of gospel history with a look at the Mahalia Jackson chapter of Anthony Heilbut's classic "The Gospel Sound: Good News and Bad Times." Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...
80s Roll 8: Willie Nelson ruled the country music roost but George Strait and the Judds were coming up fast
April 24, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at country music in 1984 from Willie Nelson's collaboration with Julio Iglesias to the rising new traditionalists Reba McEntire, George Strait and the Judds. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook...
3 Kings of American Pop: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley
April 20, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourWe're re-presenting host Nate Wilcox's second 2020 discussion with the TCBCast's Gurdip Ladhar and Justin Gausman of Peter Guralnick’s "Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley" and the HBO documentary The Searcher. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. YOU HAVE SAVED THE LET IT ROLL PODCAST!!!!! Thanks to the incredible outpouring of supp...
80s Roll 7: Bob Marley's Legend album was the biggest reissue of 1984
April 17, 2023 17:00 - 57 minutesHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at Island Record's success with Bob Marley's Legend compilation, the rise of reissue labels like Rhino Records and the quest for the "next Bob Marley." Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. YOU ...
3 Kings of American Pop: The Making of Elvis Presley
April 13, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourWe're re-presenting host Nate Wilcox's first 2020 discussion with the TCBCast's Gurdip Ladhar and Justin Gausman of Peter Guralnick’s "Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley" and the HBO documentary The Searcher. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. YOU HAVE SAVED THE LET IT ROLL PODCAST!!!!! Thanks to the incredible outpouring of ...
80s Roll 6: Talking Heads' Movie Stop Making Sense Topped the Field of Rock n Roll Movies in 1984
April 10, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at the musical movies of 1984: Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense, Flashdance, Footloose, This is Spinal Tap, Repo Man and more. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. YOU HAVE SAVED THE LET IT ROL...
3 Kings of American Pop: Frank Sinatra, the Chicago Outfit and the President of the USA
April 06, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourWe're re-presenting host Nate Wilcox's second 2021 interview with Frank Sinatra biographer James Kaplan as part of a new series focused on Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. This discussion focuses on Frank Sinatra reign as the king of cool in the 1950s and early 1960s and the monumental chaos that ensued after he introduced the Joe Kennedy to the bosses of the Chicago Mob. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Em...
80s Roll 5: Michael Jackson, Annie Lennox, Boy George and Cyndi Lauper at the Grammy Awards
April 03, 2023 17:00 - 55 minutesHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at the incredibly glamorous 1984 Grammy awards when Michael Jackson reigned supreme (except for one surprise moment from Annie Lennox), Boy George gaffed, The Police were far away and Cyndi Lauper was primed for the next year's show. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? ...
3 Kings of American Pop: Frank Sinatra Made the Bobby Soxers Swoon and Made the GI's Boiling Mad
March 30, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourWe're re-presenting host Nate Wilcox's first 2021 interview with Frank Sinatra biographer James Kaplan as part of a new series focused on Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. This discussion focuses on Frank Sinatra's reign as king of the bobby soxers and bane of the red-blooded American GI in the 1940s. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Faceboo...
80s Roll 4: Van Halen, Def Leppard & Motley Crue Led the Heavy Metal Charge
March 27, 2023 17:00 - 56 minutesHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at the glam metal scene on Hollywood's Sunset Strip which was led by Van Halen, Motley Crue, & Quiet Riot as well as the international metal scene headed up by Def Leppard, Iron Maiden and the Scorpions. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected]...
3 Kings of American Pop: Bing Crosby's Incredible Influence Over America In the 1940s
March 23, 2023 17:00 - 54 minutesWe're re-presenting host Nate Wilcox's second 2020 interview with Bing Crosby biographer Gary Giddins as part of a new series focused on Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. This discussion focuses on Bing Crosby's many triumphs in the 1940s. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. YOU HAVE SAVED THE LET IT ROLL PODCAST!!!!! Thanks to the in...
80s Roll 3: Culture Club, The Eurythmics, The Human League, Duran Duran and The Police Led the 2nd British Invasion
March 20, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at the so-called "second British invasion" of the early 1980s with a special focus in MTV's role in breaking acts like Culture Club, Eurythmics, Duran Duran and Kajagoogoo in the United States, Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow ...
3 Kings of American Pop: The Young Bing Crosby Reinvented Singing for the Microphone Age
March 16, 2023 19:42 - 1 hourWe're re-presenting host Nate Wilcox's 2020 interview with Bing Crosby biographer Gary Giddins with a new introduction as part of a new series focused on Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. YOU HAVE SAVED THE LET IT ROLL PODCAST!!!!! Thanks to the incredible outpouring of support for the show we have ...
80s Roll 2: How the Late 70s Disco Implosion and Early 80's Stagnation of AOR Radio Made 1984 Possible
March 13, 2023 17:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge continue their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with a look at the pair of music biz downturns that created the space for the new pop of 1984 to triumph: the early 80's record biz recession that followed the implosion of disco and the deeply moribund state of AOR Rock radio in the early 1980s. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview?...
The Great Brill Building Songwriting Teams: Lieber & Stoller, Goffin & King, Pomus & Shuman, Bacharach & David, Sedaka & Greenfield, Mann & Weill and Barry & Greenwich
March 09, 2023 18:00 - 59 minutesHost Nate Wilcox welcomes Ken Emerson, author of "Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era." Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. SAVE THE LET IT ROLL PODCAST We're $100 from our goal to fund a year's worth of production on the Let It Roll podcast (that's 104 episodes)! The outpouring of support for the show ...
80s Roll 1: How Great a Year Was 1984 for Pop Music?
March 06, 2023 18:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Ed Legge open their discussion of Michaelangelo Matos' book "Can't Slow Down: How 1984 Became Pop's Blockbuster Year" with an overview of what made 1984 so special for pop music: Thriller, Purple Rain, Born in the USA, Like a Virgin, She's So Unusual and many many more beloved classics that all hit the radio at once and reinvigorated a moribund early 80's music scene. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to int...
Surf Rock, Motown, Girl Groups and a Second Wave of Doo-Wop Were on the Rock 'n' Roll Vanguard in JFK's America
March 02, 2023 18:00 - 1 hourHost Nate Wilcox talks to Richard Aquila, author of "Rock & Roll in Kennedy's America: A Cultural History of the Early 1960s," about the four cutting edge trends in rock n' roll in the early 1960s. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. SAVE THE LET IT ROLL PODCAST We're less than $300 from our goal to fund a year's worth of production on the L...
Alice Cooper Combined Proto-Punk and Vaudeville to Shock the World
February 27, 2023 18:00 - 1 hourHost Nate Wilcox and Cooper biographer Gary Graff discuss his new book "Alice Cooper @75", the cloud of rumor and myth that swirled around the band in the early 70s, and draw distinctions between the man Vincent Furnier, the band Alice Cooper and the solo artist of the same name. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. SAVE THE LET IT ROLL PODCA...
The Holy Trinity of Texas Gospel and a Devilish Businessman
February 23, 2023 18:00 - 1 hourHost Nate Wilcox asks Michael Corcoran to share the stories of Texas gospel greats Arizona Dranes, Blind Willie Johnson and Washington Phillips as well as the notorious Don Robey, owner of the Duke and Peacock labels. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. SAVE THE LET IT ROLL PODCAST We're less than $300 from our goal to fund a year's worth of...
Steppenwolf's John Kay Came to Hard Rock from the Toronto Folk Scene
February 20, 2023 18:00 - 1 hourHost Nate Wilcox asks John Einarson about John Kay, Steppenwolf and how the group came together out of the Toronto folk and R&B scene but had to move to California to make it in the record business. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. SAVE THE LET IT ROLL PODCAST We're less than $500 from our goal to fund a year's worth of production on the ...
Sun Records Presided Over the Dawn of Rockabilly With Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis
February 16, 2023 18:00 - 1 hourHost Nate Wilcox asks Peter Guralnick to tell the story of Sam Phillips and Sun Records. From the early days as a blues studio recording Ike Turner, B.B. King, and Howlin' Wolf to the bright yellow record label that brought Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis to the world. Buy the book and support the show. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. SAVE THE...
Bettye LaVette Took Her Time to Get to the Top
February 13, 2023 18:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Brooks Long discuss the unlikely career path of Bettye LaVette from having a top 10 R&B hit at age 16 on Atlantic Records to recording with the Memphis Fliers and the Muscle Shoals Swampers before finally breaking through in the 21st Century. SAVE THE LET IT ROLL PODCAST We're less than $600 from our goal to fund a year's worth of production on the Let It Roll podcast (that's 104 episodes)! The outpouring of support for the show has been really exciting to see. If you al...
John Lennon's Political Activism Got Him Targeted By the U.S. Government
February 09, 2023 18:00 - 1 hourHost Nate Wilcox interviews David Leaf, co-writer & director of "The U.S. Vs. John Lennon" which tells the tale of a rock star targeted for deportation by the FBI, the INS and the White House. SAVE THE LET IT ROLL PODCAST We're less than $600 from our goal to fund a year's worth of production on the Let It Roll podcast (that's 104 episodes)! The outpouring of support for the show has been really exciting to see. If you already gave, thanks so much! If you don't have the funds to give anythin...
Melvins and TAD Were at the Forefront of Seattle's Grunge Wave When It Was Still An Indy Phenomenon
February 06, 2023 18:00 - 1 hourHosts Nate Wilcox and Chris Duncan discuss the documentaries "The Colossus of Destiny: A Melvins Tale" and "Tad: Busted Circuits and Ringing Ears" and try to parse out the relationship of grunge to the thrash and alt.metal scenes, the punk/noise rock scene and the pop/glam scene. SAVE THE LET IT ROLL PODCAST We're less than $800 from our goal to fund a year's worth of production on the Let It Roll podcast (that's 104 episodes)! The outpouring of support for the show has been really exciting ...