1981’s Greatest Songs Countdown: Stevie Nicks, Quarterflash, Alan Parsons Project and a Beatles Reunion

The Mamas & the Papas: The Truth Behind Mama Cass, “California Dreamin’” & the Pipe Story

I love the Mamas and the Papas. They had such a unique style with hits like California Dreamin' and Monday Monday, but today I have a really strange tale. It’s one that most people haven’t heard. How a lead pipe falling at a construction site allegedly gave Cass Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas one of the most iconic voices of the '60s, the ability to sing three octaves higher. As the story goes, Cass auditioned for the up-and-coming band but was initially denied because her range was not good enough. Then Cass was at a construction site and got hit in the head with a pipe, and when she came to, her range drastically expanded. And Cass got into the group because of it and had an incredible career. But did this really happen? And if not, why was the story told in the first place? Was there another reason why she was initially rejected? Well, one of the biggest creeps in music history originally cut her from the band for being overweight. Buy Cass would have the last laugh with a dozen hit. We’re delving into another fascinating case of fact vs. fiction, through the songs of the Mamas and the Papas, including California Dreamin', and CREEQUE ALLEY next on Professor of Rock. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

The Women Who Inspired Rock Classics: Top 10 Femme Fatale Songs

Alright guys, you better watch your step… We are about to count down the greatest “femme fatale” songs of the rock era. And every one of these songs is based on a real woman… and they are all a little bit dangerous. Including one foul-mouthed model-turned-actress named Kelly LeBrock who changed me from a boy to a man after watching 1 particular 80s film. This 80s fox cussed like a sailor and told jokes I can’t repeat on here or even in public. When John Oates met her, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It inspired him to write one of the most dangerous hits of the 80s: Maneater. Then, there’s the story of one of rock's biggest bands, Bon Jovi, that might not have cracked the mainstream if not forvolatile, party girl actress Diane Lane who tore through the band. She inspired two of their biggest hits after dating the singer and the guitarist back to back or at the same time. Plus there’s the hitmaker Phil Collins whose biggest muse was his ex-wife, whom he loathed. Yet every time he thought of her, he spun her memory into hit after hit after hit. … turning his bankrupt marriage into a very profitable venture. The knives are coming out for this one. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Let’s get into it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

The True Story of Player’s #1 Hit “Baby Come Back”

Peter Beckett, lead singer of the band Player, tells the story of the group's huge number one hit, Baby Come Back, the smooth 70s classic that has now become a yacht rock standard. It was just covered by Keith Urban for his new album. Peter’s wife left him. He got off tour, and she had abandoned their home together, taking everything with her. He never saw her again. He poured his pain into the one-hit wonder. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll”: The Accidental Guitar Hero and the Hit Nobody Expected

Behind the platinum records and the sold-out arenas, the music world hides a shadowy world of surveillance, syndicate deals, and criminal acts that most fans don’t know about. Today we're pulling back the curtain on some dark true crime stories on our latest edition of Rock and Roll True Crime. Including Mariah Carey, one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, who was imprisoned inside a $22 million fortress rigged with hidden cameras, armed guards, and recording devices held by 1 of the most powerful men in the business. He would punish her more by sabotaging her career. Then there’s the group of obsessive Lynyrd Skynyrd fans who broke into a cemetery under cover of darkness, smashed open a marble mausoleum, and tried to pry open a rock star’s casket to settle an urban legend about a t-shirt. Plus the Allman Brothers Band, the Southern rock icons who got so tangled up with a ruthless criminal syndicate their lead singer had to take the witness stand to testify against their road manager. It tore the band apart. And finally, Dave Navarro, the rock star who came face to face with his mother's killer after a decade of trying to capture him. It’s all coming up next.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

How The Byrds Changed Music Forever with “Mr. Tambourine Man”

Coming up next on of the most important interviews I’ve ever done with one of the greatest legends in rock history. He was the leader of a band that was competing with the Beatles and the Stones and the Beach Boys and Bob Dylan back in the 60s in the quest to take music to higher ground. We’ve shown pieces of this interview before but today show the full uncut, never-before-seen sit-down with Roger Mcguinn of the Byrds including the story of their #1 hit Mr. Tambourine Man that Bob Dylan gave them, Dylan never had a number one hit himself, he gave his away and the Byrds did justice with it. Also the story of Turn! Turn! Turn! the nearly 3000 year old song that he and the Byrds took to #1. Plus the story of the song he wrote for the classic film Easy Rider and the song He wrote as a scathing diss track against manufactured bands… Many think it was a direct shot at the Monkees, who were outselling many of the biggest bands of the time, including the Beatles. See what he says about it. Let’s get into the stories of some of the greatest songs ever from a SUPERGROUP that not only included Roger McGuinn but David Crosby, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman, and Gram Parsons. A band that helped birth Entire new musical genres, including folk rock, psychedelia, and Country rock. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].