Archive for the ‘Interviews Archive’ Category

Interviews A-Z List

Saturday, October 4th, 2014

I have interviewed hundreds of major names in music and creative business over the years, and most likely thousands of people in total, and this group of fantastic people keeps growing.

People often ask “Who was your favourite interview?”, but that is like naming your favourite child. What I think, however, is with the vast majority of interviews I almost always come out of the interview feeling better than going in. There’s nothing quite like hanging out with an inspiring human being to lift the soul.

I have kept recordings of the majority of the interviews, sadly a few have been lost through the years, and am currently writing recollections of my favourite moments from the archive planning to be published in 2023.

Here is (I hope) a comprehensive A-Z list:

Adam Driver (actor)

Adrian Sherwood (On-U-Sound, Tackhead)

Air

Al Stewart

Alan McGee (Creation Records founder)

Alan White (Yes)

Alec Empire

Alesha Dixon (Mis-Teeq)

Alexandra Burke (stage actor)

Alex Davies (KiNoBi gin distiller)

Alicia Keys

Allstars Collective

Alt-J

Amel Larrieux (Groove Theory)

Amos Lee

AmPm

Ana Johnson (musician and pro-snowboarder)

Anna Tsuchiya

Andrew Lloyd Webber

Andrew Weatherall (DJ, producer)

Andy Summers (The Police)

Ani DiFranco

The Answering Machine

Anthony Daniels (Star Wars’ C-3PO actor)

Aqualung

Arctic Monkeys

Ari Up (The Slits)

Armand van Helden

Art of Noise

Arto Lindsay

Asian Dub Foundation

Asobi Sekusu

Astrid Klein (architect)

Aswad

Audio Active

Autechre

Avenue Q Broadway cast

Average White Band

Backstreet Boys

The Baker Brothers

Bananarama

Band of Horses

The Bangles

Basement Jaxx

Basia

Beastie Boys

The Beautiful Girls

Ben Kweller

Ben Westbeech

Bernard Butler (Suede, The Tears)

Bic Runga

The Big Pink

Billkin (actor, singer)

The Bishops

BJ Fox (comedian)

The Black Ghosts

Black Kids

Blood Red Shoes

Bluey (Incognito, Citrus Sun)

Bobby Caldwell

Bobby McFerrin

Bombay Bicycle Club

Brand New Heavies

Brigade

Bruce Foxton (The Jam)

Buffalo Daughter

Candy Dulfer

Carl Barat

Carly Rae Jepson

Celeste

The Chapman Family

Charice

The Charlatans

The Chemical Brothers

Che’Nelle

Chiga Ogawa (Goldfinger women’s event founder)

Chris Broad (Abroad in Japan YouTuber)

Chris Mosdell (lyricist)

Chris Wells (voice actor)

Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders)

Circa Waves

Clara Chong (filmmaker)

Clean Bandit

Clementine

Cloudberry Jam

CNCO

Collabro

Coldcut

Coldfeet

Coldplay

Coach Kardan (life coach)

Corduroy

Cornershop

Courtney Pine

Craig David

The Crusaders

Crystal Kay

CSS

Daniel Ho

Daniel Monteverdi (Latina Corp. founder)

Daniel Powter

Darcey Bussell (ballet dancer)

The Darkness

Dave Broom (whisky journalist)

Dave Koz

David Benoit

David Gray

David Guetta

David Morales (Dj, producer)

David Sylvian (Japan)

DCappella

Deanne Tonking (hooper)

Deborah Ann DeSnoo (film and television director)

Declan McKenna

Dedachi Kenta

Delphic

Dennis Morris (music photographer)

Dex Pistols

Dido

Dimitri From Paris (DJ, producer)

DJ Alex From Tokyo

DJ Kentaro

Don Letts (Big Audio Dynamite)

Donna Burke (voice of the Shinkansen bullet train)

Donny McCaslin

The Draytones

The Drums

Duran Duran

Ebony Bones

Ed Sheeran

Eddi Reader

Editors

Elektrons

Eliane Elias

El Presidente

Emilianna Torrini

Endigo

The Enemy

Enya

Eric Benet

Erykah Badu

Eskobar

Faithless

Fancy

Fatboy Slim

Felix Da Housecat

The fin.

Flippers Guitar

Foals

Fourplay

Frankie Knuckles (DJ, producer)

Franz Ferdinand

Freyja Dean (artist)

The Futureheads

Gang of Four

Gaz Coombes (Supergrass)

Geoff Muncey (Fabric nightclub)

Gilbert O’Sullivan

Gilles Peterson (DJ, broadcaster)

Giovanca

Giovanni Allevi

Glasvegas

Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols)

Go Chic

The Go Team

Goldie

Gorky’s Zychotic Mynci

Gota Yashiki

Gotye

Grizzly Bear

Gwen Stefani

Hank Santos (Broadway actor)

Hanson

The Heights

Helen Noir (DJ)

Hilary Cole

Hird & Yukimi Nagano

Holly Cole

Holly Knight

Holly Valance

Hot Chip

The Hot Sardines

Hotei

Howard Jones

Hugh Bonneville (actor)

Hurts

I Am Robot & Proud

Ian Broudie (Lightning Seeds)

Ian McCulloch (Echo & The Bunnymen)

Ilja Alexander

Incognito

Inhaler

Ivan Kovac (cinematographer)

Ivan Lins

Jack Penate

Jackie Boyz

Jaco Pastorius

Jade & Steve I

Jaicko

Jakob Lusensky

Jamaica

Jamie Cullum

Jamie Lidell

James Bowen and Bob the Cat (A Street Cat Named Bob writer)

James Morrison

James Nepaulsingh (artist, life coach, music producer)

James Taylor Quartet

Janet Kay

The Japanese Popstars

Jason Derulo

Jason Mraz

Jay Sean

Jazzanova

Jazzmatazz

Jazzie B (Soul II Soul)

Jeff Solorio (Dita eyewear founder)

Jem

Jeremy Hackett (fashion brand founder)

Jesse Harris

Jet

Jim Kerr (Simple Minds)

Jim Lambie (artist)

Jimmy Barnes (Cold Chisel)

Jimmy Choo (shoe designer)

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (music producers)

Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)

JJ (Maydenfield)

Joe Sample

Joe Sumner (Fiction Plane)

John Boyega (actor)

John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

John Lydon (Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd)

John Mayer

John Oates (Hall & Oates)

Johnny Hates Jazz

Johnny Marr (The Smiths, The Cribs)

Jonathan Barnbrook (David Bowie album jackets designer)

Jonathan Sherr (actor)

Jose James

Jose Parla (artist)

Josh Whitehouse (actor)

Joss Stone

Joyce

Judi Dench (actor)

Julia Baird (sister of John Lennon)

Julia Longbottom (British Ambassador to Japan 2021~)

Jungle

Junichi Yamamoto (Hikari Genji)

Junko Onishi

Justin Chadwick (film director)

Kai

Kaiser Chiefs

Kamasi Washington

Karen White

Karl Hyde (Underworld)

Kasabian

Kathleen Reilly (metalworker artist)

Katsura Sunshine (rakugo comedian)

Keane

Keith

Keith Reilly (Fabric nightclub founder)

Kelly Rowland (Destiny’s Child)

Ken Ishii (DJ)

Ken Lloyd (musician and my second cousin!)

Kenney Jones (Small Faces, Faces, The Who)

Kerry Ellis (West End stage actor)

The Kills

Kin Shiotani (illustrator, writer)

Kindness

Kings of Leon

Kitaro

Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

Koyata Aso (katsudo-benshi)

Kraftwerk

Kyte

Lady Salsa

Lalah Hathaway

Last Days Of April

Late of the Pier

Laura Mvula

Lawrence Watson (rock photographer)

Lemon Jelly

Leo (koto player)

Leo Sayer

Les McKeown (Bay City Rollers)

Lightspeed Champion

Limahl (Kajagoogoo)

Lin Nishitani (oceans advocate)

Linda Lewis

Lindsay Kemp (dancer)

Linton Kwesi Johnson

Lisa (M-Flo)

Lisa Loeb

Little Barrie

Little Mix

Lizz Wright

Local Natives

Locksley

Los Campesinos

Louie Vega (DJ, producer)

The Maccabees

Madeleine Peyroux

Mademoiselle Yulia (DJ)

Manhattan Transfer

Mani (Primal Scream)

Manic Street Preachers

Marcus Miller

Maria Muldaur

Mark Dytham (architect)

Mark Owen (Take That)

Mark Robinson (writer)

Mark Ronson

Mark Stewart (The Pop Group)

Maroon Five

Martin Bashir (documentary maker)

Martin Fry (ABC)

Martyn Ware (Heaven 17, Human League)

Masa Hidaka (Fuji Rock Festival founder)

Masayoshi Sukita (David Bowie photographer)

Massive Attack

Mathew Herbert

Mathew Sweet

Matt & Kim

Matt Bianco

Matt Burney (British Council Japan Director)

Matthew “Matty” Healy (The 1975)

Maxi Priest

Maximo Park

Metronomy

The Metros

M-Flo

MGMT

Michael Buble

Michael Kiwanuka

Michael Monroe (Hanoi Rocks)

Mick Jones (The Clash, Big Audio Dynamite)

Mick Talbot (The Style Council)

Mickey Thomas (Starship)

Midge Ure (Ultravox, Band Aid)

Midnight Juggernauts

Mike Skinner (The Streets, The D.O.T)

Mitsuko Watanabe (Vogue Japan editor)

Miyavi

Moby

Mogwai

Monday Michiru

Monolake

Monty Alexander

The Morning Benders

Mouse On Mars

Mr Scruff

Mutemath

My Chemical Romance

The Mystery Jets

Naoki Shimizu (Summer Sonic festival founder)

Naomie Harris (actor)

Natasha Bedingfield

Natty

Neil Barrett (fashion designer)

Nelly Furtado

Neon Neon

New Young Pony Club

Nicholas Pettas (karate and kickboxing champion)

Nicola Conte

Nik Kershaw

Nile Rodgers (Chic, music producer)

Noel Gallagher (Oasis)

Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim)

OK Go

Olivia Newton-John

Olly Alexander (Years & Years)

Olly Murs

Omar

The Orb

Orbital

Oyvind Naesheim (Nobu Hong Kong chef)

Panic At The Disco

Patrick Wolf

Paul Madden (British Ambassador to Japan 2017-2021)

Paul McCartney

Paul Smith (fashion brand founder)

Paul Tunkin (Blow Up club)

Paul Weller (The Jam, The Style Council)

Pet Shop Boys

Peter Barakan (broadcaster)

Peter Hook (New Order)

Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music)

The Pistolas

Pixie Lott

PP Krit (actor, singer)

Prefuse 73

The Punk Piper

The Qemists

Rainer Schmidt Walk (Bert Kaempfert music estate manager)

Ralph Fiennes (actor)

Randy Bachman (Bachman Turner Overdrive)

Rasmus Faber

Ratko Backo (artist)

Raul Midon

Ray Hayden

Ray Parker Jr

Reggie Watts

ReN

Reverend & The Makers

Richard Branson (Virgin Group founder)

Richard Collasse (Chanel Japan CEO)

Richard Tognetti (Australian Chamber Orchestra)

Richard Winsor (stage actor)

Richard Woods (artist)

Rick Astley

Ride

Rina Sawayama

Robbie Dupree

Robin Gibb (Bee Gees)

Roger Dean (Yes album jackets artist)

Roland Kelts (Japan pop culture specialist)

Roisin Murphy

Rooster

Rox

Royksopp

Rumer

Ryukyu Underground

Sagisu Shiro

Sam Fender

Sam Moore

Sam Sparro

Sananda Maitreya (Terence Trent D’Arby)

Sandro Chia (artist)

Sarah Bareilles

Sasha Bailey (photography curator)

Sasuke

Scissor Sisters

Scouting For Girls

Sergio Mendes

Shakatak

Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive)

Silversun Pickups

Simian Mobile Disco

Sinead O’Connor

Snow Patrol

Somegoro Ichikawa (kabuki actor)

Sparks

Speech (Arrested Development)

Spiritualized

Squeeze

Stephen Jones (milliner)

Stereophonics

Steven Haynes (beauty pageant entrepreneur)

Steve Appleton

Sting (The Police)

Stone Foundation

The Stranglers

The Strypes

StuartO (voice actor)

Stuart Varnam-Atkin (bunraku puppetry expert)

The Subways

Surfaces

Suzanne Vega

Swanton Bombs

Swing Out Sister

Switches

Tahiti 80

Taio Cruz

Take Dake (bamboo instrument group)

Take That

Tank & The Bangas

Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders

Teenage Fanclub

Temples

These New Puritans

Thom Browne (fashion designer)

Thomas Dolby

Those Dancing Days

Tiffany Rossdale (transgender spokeswoman)

Tim Deluxe (DJ, producer)

Tim Hitchens (British Ambassador to Japan 2012-2016)

Tim Rice (lyricist)

Ting Tings

Todd Rundgren

T.O.K.

Toku

Tom Sachs (artist)

Tom Tom Club

Tommy Emmanuel

Tomoyuki Tanaka (Fantastic Plastic Machine)

Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet)

Trevor Horn (The Buggles, music producer)

Tricky

Tristan Prettyman

The Troubadours

The Twang

TV On The Radio

Two Door Cinema Club

Underworld

U.S.E.

Us3

Utada Hikaru

The Vaccines

Valerie Simpson

Vanessa Carlton

Victor Davies

Victoria Broackes (V&A museum David Bowie is, Pink Floyd curator)

The Vines

The Wedding Present

The Whip

White Lies

William Saito (software entrepreneur)

Win Morisaki

Wolf Alice

The Wombats

Yelle

Yoshimasa Kanze (noh performer)

Young Punx

Zachary Alford (David Bowie drummer)

10CC

120 Days

The 1975

2 Banks of 4

2 Many DJ’s

3 Oh 3

4 Hero

80 Kids

808 State

!!! (Chk Chk Chk)

Virgin Megastore Tokyo Events Guests:

Charlie Watts (The Rolling Stones)

Janet Jackson

Jessica Simpson

Lenny Kravitz

Muse

Ray Manzerek (The Doors)

Press Conferences:

David Bowie

Madonna

Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody movie)

Random Bumping Into:

Dionne Warwick at Blue Note Tokyo

The Jacksons at InterFM radio studio Tokyo

Liza Minelli on Omotesando, Tokyo

Best “Worst” Interview:

Grace Jones in Sydney 1988. I remember it was an amazing interview with Miss Jones in full-flight recorded at her hotel, but when I got back to the studio the recorder had run out of battery power and I had a completely blank tape. I learnt from that day on to always have a back-up recorder.