In this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Paul Marshall, a former lead singer of The Strawberry Alarm Clock. In 1967 the band had a number one in the US with their song  "Incense and Peppermints". Paul would join the band in 1969 after the departure of singer and guitarist Jimmy Pitman. He would become an important component of the band, becoming their main songwriter on Alarm Clock singles "California Day" and "Girl from the City". In 1970 the band made an appearance in the film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls in which songs written by Paul were on its soundtrack. After touring the south throughout 1970 and 1971 with Lynyrd Skynyrd (then an unknown band), the Alarm Clock were without a recording contract and had different views on the musical direction of the band. Due to these reasons the band disbanded in 1971. 

Paul would stay in music after The Alarm Clock. Into the '80s, Paul wrote songs for the likes of Juice Newton and Patty Loveless. More recently he has been a long-time member of I See Hawks in L.A.  

Jack zoomed Paul to discuss his early musical beginnings, his early musical memories listening to his grand parent's 78 record collection, the impact artists such as The Everly Brothers had on him, his early work in bands, how he came to join The Strawberry Alarm Clock in 1969, the writing and recording of songs such as  "California Day" and "Girl from the City", his memories of playing live in the Alarm Clock, why the band came to an end in 1971, his songwriting work in the '80s and his recent work with I See Hawks in L.A.

"So I had been fired from this band and was wondering what I was going to do next and I was visiting my girlfriends brother, I was over at his house - he was in an apartment- and across the hall there was a party going on. I walked across the hall, cos you could do that, you could walk into a party in 1969, I walked into the party and the party was raging...I started talking to a few people and I sat down on the couch and a guy was sitting next to me and in the middle of our conversation he said "I got a real problem", I said "wants your problem?", he said "I got a band and were suppose to go on the road in two weeks and our lead singer just quit - do you know anybody who can sing lead?" - I said "well yes, I can"...I became The Strawberry Alarm Clock's lead singer" - Paul Marshall on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about how he came to join The Strawberry Alarm Clock

Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins

To hear the full on-demand version of this program, go to https://www.2nurfm.com.au/shows/vinyl-vibes

The website for Vinyl Vibes. 

If you like this content, we'd love to hear from you. 

In this episode of <a href="https://www.2nurfm.com.au/shows/vinyl-vibes">Vinyl Vibes</a>, Jack is joined by <a href="http://www.paulmarshall.net">Paul Marshall</a>, a former lead singer of The Strawberry Alarm Clock. In 1967 the band had a number one in the US with their song  "Incense and Peppermints". Paul would join the band in 1969 after the departure of singer and guitarist Jimmy Pitman. He would become an important component of the band, becoming their main songwriter on Alarm Clock singles "California Day" and "Girl from the City". In 1970 the band made an appearance in the film Beyond the Valley of the Dolls in which songs written by Paul were on its soundtrack. After touring the south throughout 1970 and 1971 with Lynyrd Skynyrd (then an unknown band), the Alarm Clock were without a recording contract and had different views on the musical direction of the band. Due to these reasons the band disbanded in 1971. 
Paul would stay in music after The Alarm Clock. Into the '80s, Paul wrote songs for the likes of Juice Newton and Patty Loveless. More recently he has been a long-time member of <a href="https://www.iseehawks.com">I See Hawks in L.A</a>.  
Jack zoomed Paul to discuss his early musical beginnings, his early musical memories listening to his grand parent's 78 record collection, the impact artists such as The Everly Brothers had on him, his early work in bands, how he came to join The Strawberry Alarm Clock in 1969, the writing and recording of songs such as  "California Day" and "Girl from the City", his memories of playing live in the Alarm Clock, why the band came to an end in 1971, his songwriting work in the '80s and his recent work with I See Hawks in L.A.
"So I had been fired from this band and was wondering what I was going to do next and I was visiting my girlfriends brother, I was over at his house - he was in an apartment- and across the hall there was a party going on. I walked across the hall, cos you could do that, you could walk into a party in 1969, I walked into the party and the party was raging...I started talking to a few people and I sat down on the couch and a guy was sitting next to me and in the middle of our conversation he said "I got a real problem", I said "wants your problem?", he said "I got a band and were suppose to go on the road in two weeks and our lead singer just quit - do you know anybody who can sing lead?" - I said "well yes, I can"...I became The Strawberry Alarm Clock's lead singer" - Paul Marshall on this episode of Vinyl Vibes talking about how he came to join The Strawberry Alarm Clock
Episode Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins
To hear the full on-demand version of this program, go to <a href="https://www.2nurfm.com.au/shows/vinyl-vibes/">https://www.2nurfm.com.au/shows/vinyl-vibes</a>
The <a href="https://www.2nurfm.com.au/shows/vinyl-vibes">website for Vinyl Vibes</a>. 
If you like this content, we'd love to hear from you.

Jack Hodgins speaks with the people behind the music you love.

Jack Hodgins speaks with the people behind the music you love.

Vinyl Vibes

Jack Hodgens talks to the people who created the music that is the foundation of today's music.

Jack Hodgens talks to the people who created the music that is the foundation of today's music.

Paul Marshall Interview- Former Lead Singer of The Strawberry Alarm Clock

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Paul Speare, former saxophonist of Dexys Midnight Runners. Paul started playing music at the age of 15 and never stopped. While working as a music teacher in Birmingham, Paul frequently did session work at a local recording studio called Outlaw Studios. Dexys Midnight Runners also frequented the studio, and at one point, they were looking for a saxophonist. Paul was put in contact with Dexys by the owner of Outlaw Studios and soon joined the band on a temporary basis. After doing his first work for the band, playing the group's number one hit Geno on the 1980 Top of the Pops Christmas special, Paul decided to join as a full-time member.

In December 1981, sessions for the group's album Too-Rye-Ay began. It was over the course of these sessions that "Come On Eileen" was recorded. Paul remained in the group for the entire recording process of the Too-Rye-Ay album, only leaving the band after the final mixing session. Paul was struggling financially while being in Dexys at the time, and with "Come On Eileen" not yet a hit or even released, he decided to leave the band. "Come On Eileen" was released as a single in the UK in June 1982, and by August 1982, the song was number one, remaining there for four weeks. In Australia, the song was an even bigger hit, reaching number one in November 1982 for five weeks. Today, the song remains as popular as ever and has secured itself as an enduring classic.

After leaving Dexys, Paul joined forces with fellow ex-Dexys musicians Jim Paterson and Brian Maurice to form TKO Horns. The band got work immediately, playing for the likes of John Watts and also the Q-Tips. After touring with the Q-Tips, TKO Horns were approached by Elvis Costello. Paul, along with the TKO Horns, went on to tour the world with Costello and was prominently featured on Costello’s studio album Punch the Clock. Today, Paul is still making music, with a recent project being his 2023 EP In Search of Avet.

Jack Zoomed Paul to talk about his early days, what inspired him to start playing instruments at the age of 15, the impact his music teacher had on him, his early session work at Outlaw Studios, how he came to join Dexys Midnight Runners, his memories of playing on the 1980 Top of the Pops Christmas special, his first recording with Dexys (Plan B), The Projected Passion Revue Tour, the recording and writing of "Come On Eileen," the group's album Too-Rye-Ay, what made Paul leave the band, the success of "Come On Eileen," his work with TKO Horns, and his recent music work.

"It was such an unusual song, I mean there's never been another song like it before or since, really. I think we all realized there was something unique about it. Whether that would translate into it being a hit record on that scale, that it was, perhaps didn't occur to us." — Paul Speare talking about Come On Eileen in this episode of Vinyl Vibes.

Hosted and produced by Jack Hodgins.

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Paul Speare, former saxophonist of Dexys Midnight Runners. Paul started playing music at the age of 15 and never stopped. While working as a music teacher in Birmingham, Paul frequently did session work at a local recording studio called Outlaw Studios. Dexys Midnight Runners also frequented the studio, and at one point, they were looking for a saxophonist. Paul was put in contact with Dexys by the owner of Outlaw Studios and soon joined the band on a temporary basis. After doing his first work for the band, playing the group's number one hit Geno on the 1980 Top of the Pops Christmas special, Paul decided to join as a full-time member.
In December 1981, sessions for the group's album Too-Rye-Ay began. It was over the course of these sessions that "Come On Eileen" was recorded. Paul remained in the group for the entire recording process of the Too-Rye-Ay album, only leaving the band after the final mixing session. Paul was struggling financially while being in Dexys at the time, and with "Come On Eileen" not yet a hit or even released, he decided to leave the band. "Come On Eileen" was released as a single in the UK in June 1982, and by August 1982, the song was number one, remaining there for four weeks. In Australia, the song was an even bigger hit, reaching number one in November 1982 for five weeks. Today, the song remains as popular as ever and has secured itself as an enduring classic.
After leaving Dexys, Paul joined forces with fellow ex-Dexys musicians Jim Paterson and Brian Maurice to form TKO Horns. The band got work immediately, playing for the likes of John Watts and also the Q-Tips. After touring with the Q-Tips, TKO Horns were approached by Elvis Costello. Paul, along with the TKO Horns, went on to tour the world with Costello and was prominently featured on Costello&rsquo;s studio album Punch the Clock. Today, Paul is still making music, with a recent project being his 2023 EP In Search of Avet.
Jack Zoomed Paul to talk about his early days, what inspired him to start playing instruments at the age of 15, the impact his music teacher had on him, his early session work at Outlaw Studios, how he came to join Dexys Midnight Runners, his memories of playing on the 1980 Top of the Pops Christmas special, his first recording with Dexys (Plan B), The Projected Passion Revue Tour, the recording and writing of "Come On Eileen," the group's album Too-Rye-Ay, what made Paul leave the band, the success of "Come On Eileen," his work with TKO Horns, and his recent music work.
"It was such an unusual song, I mean there's never been another song like it before or since, really. I think we all realized there was something unique about it. Whether that would translate into it being a hit record on that scale, that it was, perhaps didn't occur to us." &mdash; Paul Speare talking about Come On Eileen in this episode of Vinyl Vibes.
Hosted and produced by Jack Hodgins.

Paul Speare Interview- Former Saxophonist of Dexys Midnight Runners 

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Robert Upchurch, long-time member of The Trammps. Finding his musical roots in gospel music, Robert began playing the R&B club circuit in Philadelphia in the early ‘70s. He was soon discovered and signed to Golden Fleece Records, where he released his debut single, The Devil Made Me Do It, and began his journey into disco music. After Robert released his debut single, the Golden Fleece label folded, and its artist roster was bought out by Atlantic Records. The Trammps, a disco group from Philadelphia, were also signed to Golden Fleece when it folded. Now with both artists on the Atlantic label, the label wanted to see how Robert would sound with The Trammps.

Robert officially joined The Trammps, and in 1977 he sang backing on their single Disco Inferno. At first, the single was only a moderate hit, reaching number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. However, the song was later added to the soundtrack of the disco film Saturday Night Fever. Disco Inferno then experienced immense success, becoming the closing track on the 40 million-selling Saturday Night Fever soundtrack album. As a reissued single, the song was also a hit in its own right, reaching number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 32 on the Australian Kent Music Charts. Today, the song is remembered as one of the signature tracks of the disco era.

Following the group's success with Disco Inferno, into the later ‘70s, disco started experiencing massive pushback from rock listeners. Like many disco groups of the time, The Trammps’ success started to fade. The Trammps would continue to make music into the ‘80s, with their last album, This One Is for the Party, being commercially unsuccessful and only seeing a release in the Netherlands. Since then, the group has continued to play live, and Robert has remained in the group all this time.

In this episode, Jack calls Robert to talk about his early life, hearing his voice for the first time on a reel-to-reel tape recorder, his time doing gospel music, hearing rock and roll for the first time, his time playing on the R&B club circuit, how he came to be discovered and signed to Golden Fleece Records, his first single The Devil Made Me Do It, how he came to join The Trammps in 1976, the recording of Trammps songs such as Disco Party and their famous Disco Inferno, playing his first gig with the group at Madison Square Garden, how Disco Inferno came to be featured in Saturday Night Fever, the success of Disco Inferno, the band's work into the '80s, and the group's touring today.

"The first time we heard it, we were at the office of our production company, and Ron Kersey, who wrote the song, played it for us. My first impression was 'Oh no,' because, like I said, I've never liked disco. I said, 'You guys gotta be kidding, you know, come on, haha.' The other guys thought it was okay, but I just didn't feel it would do anything." — Robert Upchurch on this episode of Vinyl Vibes, talking about hearing Disco Inferno for the first time.

Hosted and produced by Jack Hodgins.

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Robert Upchurch, long-time member of <a href="https://www.thetrammps.net/">The Trammps</a>. Finding his musical roots in gospel music, Robert began playing the R&amp;B club circuit in Philadelphia in the early &lsquo;70s. He was soon discovered and signed to Golden Fleece Records, where he released his debut single, The Devil Made Me Do It, and began his journey into disco music. After Robert released his debut single, the Golden Fleece label folded, and its artist roster was bought out by Atlantic Records. The Trammps, a disco group from Philadelphia, were also signed to Golden Fleece when it folded. Now with both artists on the Atlantic label, the label wanted to see how Robert would sound with The Trammps.
Robert officially joined The Trammps, and in 1977 he sang backing on their single Disco Inferno. At first, the single was only a moderate hit, reaching number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. However, the song was later added to the soundtrack of the disco film Saturday Night Fever. Disco Inferno then experienced immense success, becoming the closing track on the 40 million-selling Saturday Night Fever soundtrack album. As a reissued single, the song was also a hit in its own right, reaching number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 32 on the Australian Kent Music Charts. Today, the song is remembered as one of the signature tracks of the disco era.
Following the group's success with Disco Inferno, into the later &lsquo;70s, disco started experiencing massive pushback from rock listeners. Like many disco groups of the time, The Trammps&rsquo; success started to fade. The Trammps would continue to make music into the &lsquo;80s, with their last album, This One Is for the Party, being commercially unsuccessful and only seeing a release in the Netherlands. Since then, the group has continued to play live, and Robert has remained in the group all this time.
In this episode, Jack calls Robert to talk about his early life, hearing his voice for the first time on a reel-to-reel tape recorder, his time doing gospel music, hearing rock and roll for the first time, his time playing on the R&amp;B club circuit, how he came to be discovered and signed to Golden Fleece Records, his first single The Devil Made Me Do It, how he came to join The Trammps in 1976, the recording of Trammps songs such as Disco Party and their famous Disco Inferno, playing his first gig with the group at Madison Square Garden, how Disco Inferno came to be featured in Saturday Night Fever, the success of Disco Inferno, the band's work into the '80s, and the group's touring today.
"The first time we heard it, we were at the office of our production company, and Ron Kersey, who wrote the song, played it for us. My first impression was 'Oh no,' because, like I said, I've never liked disco. I said, 'You guys gotta be kidding, you know, come on, haha.' The other guys thought it was okay, but I just didn't feel it would do anything." &mdash; Robert Upchurch on this episode of Vinyl Vibes, talking about hearing Disco Inferno for the first time.
Hosted and produced by Jack Hodgins.

Robert Upchurch Interview - Backing Singer Of The Trammps 

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by Issi Dye, '70s Pop Star. Issi first got into music after hearing the likes of the Everly Brothers and The Beatles. He formed his first group, Double Trouble, in 1965, beginning his career in music. In 1969, after singing backing on the Town Criers’ hit "Everlasting Love," Issi came to the attention of Festival Records and soon released his first solo single, "Incense." It would be a top 20 hit in Melbourne, bringing opportunities for further singles and TV appearances. Issi would release Family Full of Soul, his last single on the Festival label, in 1971, and it wouldn’t be until 1975 that he would release another single. During this four-year gap in recording music, Issi spent his time performing on TV and playing live shows. In 1975, now on the Image label, Issi's version of the Lloyd Price classic "Personality" was pressed as his final single.

In 1976, Issi would shift his focus from music to TV when he began hosting Issi Dye Presents Late Movies. He would continue this focus on TV into the ‘90s when he would again begin doing music as his main focus. Since the 1990s, Issi has been doing tribute shows to various artists such as Al Jolson, Johnny O'Keefe, and Bobby Darin. Issi is still performing tribute shows all over Australia.

In this episode, Issi discusses with Jack his early life growing up in Austria, his memories of hearing the likes of The Everly Brothers for the first time, his first group Double Trouble, how he came to the attention of Festival Records, the recording of hits such as Incense and One Last Kiss, his memories of supporting The Beach Boys and Roy Orbison, playing on the TV show Hit Scene, what it has been like seeing the rise of TikTok and Instagram in music, the recording of his last single "Personality," how he transitioned into TV in 1976, his journey to getting back into music in the '90s, and his current work doing tribute shows for the likes of Johnny O'Keefe and Bobby Darin.

"It's a spine-chilling time when you're sitting in your little old car... with one little radio on and you're turning it up and all of a sudden the guy goes, 'Oh, here's a song from that guy with all the hair, Issi Dye'... it's a big thrill." - Issi Dye on this episode of Vinyl Vibes, talking about hearing his hits on the radio.

Hosted and produced by Jack Hodgins

On this episode of Vinyl Vibes, Jack is joined by <a href="https://www.issidye.com/">Issi Dye</a>, '70s Pop Star. Issi first got into music after hearing the likes of the Everly Brothers and The Beatles. He formed his first group, Double Trouble, in 1965, beginning his career in music. In 1969, after singing backing on the Town Criers&rsquo; hit "Everlasting Love," Issi came to the attention of Festival Records and soon released his first solo single, "Incense." It would be a top 20 hit in Melbourne, bringing opportunities for further singles and TV appearances. Issi would release Family Full of Soul, his last single on the Festival label, in 1971, and it wouldn&rsquo;t be until 1975 that he would release another single. During this four-year gap in recording music, Issi spent his time performing on TV and playing live shows. In 1975, now on the Image label, Issi's version of the Lloyd Price classic "Personality" was pressed as his final single.
In 1976, Issi would shift his focus from music to TV when he began hosting Issi Dye Presents Late Movies. He would continue this focus on TV into the &lsquo;90s when he would again begin doing music as his main focus. Since the 1990s, Issi has been doing tribute shows to various artists such as Al Jolson, Johnny O'Keefe, and Bobby Darin. Issi is still performing tribute shows all over Australia.
In this episode, Issi discusses with Jack his early life growing up in Austria, his memories of hearing the likes of The Everly Brothers for the first time, his first group Double Trouble, how he came to the attention of Festival Records, the recording of hits such as Incense and One Last Kiss, his memories of supporting The Beach Boys and Roy Orbison, playing on the TV show Hit Scene, what it has been like seeing the rise of TikTok and Instagram in music, the recording of his last single "Personality," how he transitioned into TV in 1976, his journey to getting back into music in the '90s, and his current work doing tribute shows for the likes of Johnny O'Keefe and Bobby Darin.
"It's a spine-chilling time when you're sitting in your little old car... with one little radio on and you're turning it up and all of a sudden the guy goes, 'Oh, here's a song from that guy with all the hair, Issi Dye'... it's a big thrill." - Issi Dye on this episode of Vinyl Vibes, talking about hearing his hits on the radio.
Hosted and produced by Jack Hodgins

Paul Marshall Interview- Former Lead Singer of The Strawberry Alarm Clock

Vinyl Vibes

In 1 playlist(s)

Vinyl Vibes

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips