Mike Ragogna
Author Archives: Mike Ragogna
Mike Ragogna
December 13, 2013
A Christmas Gift For You: A Conversation with Phil Spector & The Crystals’ La La Brooks, Chatting with The Piano Guys, Plus Pink Martini and Sidney York Exclusives
A Conversation with Phil Spector & The Crystals’ La La Brooks Mike Ragogna: Why do you think A Christmas Gift For You has become one of the most cherished holiday albums of all time? Phil Spector: Because I turned Christmas songs into real music. This album made what was just once a year songs into […]
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December 11, 2013
Conversations with The Moody Blues’ Justin Hayward and Boston’s Tom Scholz, Plus Exclusives from Molina Davina, The Blues & Greys, Reputante and Radio Raheem
MOLINA DAVINA’S “BODIES” photo credit: Karina Ordell “‘Bodies’ is about the humanly balance of passion and pain,” reveals Rebecca Davina Bortman. “I wrote this song in a moment. It just flowed out of me one night and into my cell phone. I started singing because I liked the echo in my kitchen, but what kept […]
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December 9, 2013
A Conversation With Chris Isaak, Plus an Exclusive from The Record Company
A Conversation with Chris Isaak Mike Ragogna: How ya doing, Chris? Chris Isaak: I’m doing good. It’s a sunny day in San Francisco. MR: And you’re all excited about the holidays? CI: I am! I made a Christmas album years back. You only get to sing Christmas songs one time a year and this is […]
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December 6, 2013
Conversations With Alonzo Bodden and Spyro Gyra’s Jay Beckenstein, Plus Exclusives by Make-A-Wish, Placido Domingo, Placido Domingo Jr and Danielle de Niese
MAKING A WISH WITH PAPA ROACH photo credit: Bryson Roatch “Helping others and giving back have been incredibly important to us throughout our career,” says Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix, “so when Make-A-Wish came to us and told us about Mark Guerra we were thrilled to be involved. Mark is a 19-year-old musician that has been […]
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December 3, 2013
Reissue Roundup 3: The Beatles, Eric Clapton, The Who, Frank Sinatra, CCR and Humble Pie, Plus Keith Chagall’s Kennedy Tribute
REISSUE ROUNDUP 3: THE BEATLES, ERIC CLAPTON, FRANK SINATRA, THE WHO, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL AND HUMBLE PIE It’s time to wrap up these Reissue Roundups with the latest high end batch from the Universal family of labels. The Beatles – On Air/Live At The BBC Volume 2 Is somebody keeping count–wait, what am I saying, […]
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November 27, 2013
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Beyond: Conversations with Norman Lear & Mary Kay Place
photo credit: Alex Berliner A Conversation with Norman Lear Mike Ragogna: Norman, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman is now available as a complete series in a DVD box set. To me, this was an amazing show and it’s the crowning jewel for the Norman Lear dynasty. Other than Twin Peaks it was probably the most unusual […]
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November 25, 2013
Wise Up Ghost: A Conversation with Elvis Costello, Chatting with Twenty One Pilots’ Josh Dun and Charlie Faye, Plus The Appleseed Collective’s "Pumpkin Pie" Exclusive & Recipe
A Conversation with Elvis Costello Mike Ragogna: Hello Elvis, how are you? Elvis Costello: I’m doing well, thank you very, very much. MR: You took a different approach with Wise Up Ghost than most others have with their albums. What was the mission? EC: It’s the result of our informal collaborations or collaborations with a […]
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November 20, 2013
Reissue Roundup 2: Box Sets by Donny Hathaway, Ry Cooder, Stephen Stills, Van Morrison, Yes and More
REISSUE ROUNDUP 2: Box Sets by Donny Hathaway, Ry Cooder, Stephen Stills, Van Morrison & Yes Here are more reviews of some stellar reissues that go beyond the call of duty, this time by the Warner Bros labels… Donny Hathaway – Never My Love: The Anthology Though the masses might only remember the late Donny […]
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