Howie Klein
Howie started writing about bands he was booking to play his college concerts in the mid to late 60s-- The Fugs, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe, Big Brother, Hendrix, Byrds, Yardbirds, Who, Pink Floyd, Joni Mitchell, Tim Buckley, Jackson Browne, The Dead, Otis Redding, Sandy Bull, John Hammond... all the good old dance bands of the day. Then he went to Afghanistan and India and Nepal and Amsterdam for a few years. When he came back-- having missed the degradation of "corporate rock"-- he found the Ramones which him back into music. He was one of the co-founders of the first "punk" radio show in America, on KSAN in San Francisco, an indie label, 415 Records, and a new wave fanzine, NEW WAVE. And he wrote about the music he loved. Then he became the general manager of Sire Records and then the president of Reprise. Now he's a professor. From the ‘60s ‘til now his favourite singers are the Ali Brothers.
27 articles
List of articles in the library
Interview by Howie Klein, Rock's Backpages audio, 1977
Phil Lynott and Scott Gorham, mid US tour, talk about playing live, writing songs, punk, and English taxes!
File format: mp3; file size: 40.8mb, interview length: 44' 33" sound quality: ****
Interview by Howie Klein, Rock's Backpages audio, March 1977
Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander, playing San Francisco for the first time, talk about their whacky image and stage personas, being well supported by record company Epic, and how they should be written about in the Gay press!
File format: mp3; file size: 31.4mb, interview length: 34' 18" sound quality: ****
Interview by Howie Klein, Creem, October 1977
"MINK PIE, how's that!" challenged Willie, whose darkly silent, sinewy presence dominated the dimly-lit cold-water flat in Oakland. The band had been up speeding for ...
Report and Interview by Howie Klein, New York Rocker, November 1977
AC/DC PLAYED their West Coast debut at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles, with the club fully living up to its legend ...
Profile and Interview by Howie Klein, New York Rocker, November 1977
LAST MONTH the Jam travelled to America for a short promotional tour, playing dates in established new wave centers, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and ...
The Dils: West Coast Waves: The Dils
Interview by Howie Klein, New York Rocker, November 1977
THE ENGLISH NEW WAVE appears to be firmly rooted in the politics of frustration. It should be no shock that the acutely class-conscious British have ...
Interview by Howie Klein, Rock's Backpages audio, 1978
Eight months into recovery, Alice talks about coming off the booze, what it means to be "Alice Cooper", praises Etta James' cover of 'Only Women Bleed', chats about President Ford (and voting for Nixon), and opines about Patti Smith and punk rock.
File format: mp3; file size: 51.5mb, interview length: 56' 12" sound quality: ***
DMZ: Boston's Best Eschew Message
Interview by Howie Klein, Waxpaper, 1978
I SPENT FEBRUARY in London working on stories about the Clash and Tom Robinson, probably the most politically relevant things to hit rock & roll ...
The Commodores: Come Funk With Us! (But Bring Your Led Zep Records)
Interview by Howie Klein, Creem, January 1978
"NOW YOU take a group like Fleetwood Mac or the Zep," offered Benny. "It's another thing that the audiences get off into. I don't understand ...
The Sex Pistols: Sex Pistols: Tour Notes
Report by Howie Klein, New York Rocker, February 1978
In case you were incommunicado for the last month, the much-ballyhooed Sex Pistols American tour has come and gone. ...
The Clash, Joe Strummer: The Clash's Joe Strummer (1978)
Interview by Howie Klein, Rock's Backpages audio, February 1978
A typically splendid Strummer interview: He explains Ska! He digs Steve Miller! He prefers the Sun to the Guardian! He's in hospital with hepatitis! Plus stuff on gobbing, politics, the upcoming 2nd Clash album etc.
File format: mp3; file size: 25mb, interview length: 27' 17" sound quality: ***
The Nuns: Whisky a Go Go, L.A.
Live Review by Howie Klein, New York Rocker, February 1978
SOMEHOW THE NUNS manage to transcend the traditionally (like in "traditionally moronic") rivalry between San Francisco and LA. Perhaps that’s because the Nuns are as ...
The Clash's Paul Simonon (1978)
Interview by Howie Klein, Rock's Backpages audio, 4 February 1978
The Clash's bassman talks about his life pre-Clash; the Clash's politics (personal and public); his development as a musician and a showman, and a whole lot more.
File format: mp3; file size: 53.4mb, interview length: 58' 16" sound quality: ***
Fleetwood Mac, Bob Welch: Case History No. 099: Bob Welch
Interview by Howie Klein, Creem, March 1978
FLEETWOOD MAC CAUSES BRAIN DAMAGE ...
Boomtown Rats: Boomtown Rat: A Cup of Instant with Modest Bob Geldof
Interview by Howie Klein, New York Rocker, April 1978
THE LINE IN front of the 100 Club snaked endlessly down Oxford Street. The idea of standing on it — and for a Rich Kids ...
Interview by Howie Klein, KSAN San Francisco, 1 April 1978
The deeply batty Mr Erickson terrorizes KSAN's presenters, shouts at listener's phoning in, and breaks into "song".
File format: mp3; file size: 41.1mb, interview length: 44' 48" sound quality: ****
Generation X, Billy Idol: Generation X's Billy Idol (1978)
Interview by Howie Klein, Rock's Backpages audio, May 1978
The Generation X frontman talks about the evolution and nature of the band, and extemporises about the nature of punk rock and the power of rock'n'roll.
File format: mp3; file size: 46.6mb, interview length: 50' 54" sound quality: ***
Interview by Howie Klein, Rock's Backpages audio, 14 May 1978
Ms Smith regales the listeners to KSAN, San Francisco, with stories about Tina Turner, Sandy Pearlman and the Clash; sings the praises of Fred 'Sonic Smith and Tom Verlaine; gives respect to Bill Graham. She also makes Public Service announcements, and comments on the commercials!
File format: mp3; file size: 81.9mb, interview length: 1h 29' 27" sound quality: ***
The Cramps, The Mutants: The Cramps/The Mutants: Napa State Hospital, Napa CA
Live Review by Howie Klein, New York Rocker, July 1978
"LET'S DRIVE UP to the funny farm. The Cramps and Mutants are doin' a concert for the nuts; should be lotsa yuks." I wanna take ...
Interview by Howie Klein, Rock's Backpages audio, 10 October 1978
Just having left Rufus, Chaka talks about making her solo debut (featuring 'I'm Every Woman'), her Chicago roots, her dislike of disco and her surprising love of punk rock.
File format: mp3; file size: 33.9mb, interview length: 36' 59" sound quality: ***
Alice Cooper Is Back From Hell
Interview by Howie Klein, BAM, 15 December 1978
FIRST THE reality — huge smokestacks are belching soot and grime into the cramped grayish sky. It looks like a job for the Environmental Protection ...
Interview by Howie Klein, BAM, 15 December 1978
LOS ANGELES – In the stately Beverly Hills suite of offices which houses B and B Associates, Chaka Kahn's prestigious management firm, the air is ...
Aynsley Dunbar, Jefferson Starship, Journey: Aynsley Dunbar: Let There Be Drums!
Interview by Howie Klein, BAM, 16 February 1979
SAN FRANCISCO – Within the world of rock and roll there are certain performers whose distinctive virtuosity transcend their individual works recorded with a particular ...
Live Review by Howie Klein, New York Rocker, April 1979
EXCEPT FOR the fact that they're probably the best performing band around, there's something almost superfluous to Clashness about the band's shows. Wait a minute ...
The Clash: The Fillmore, San Francisco
Live Review by Howie Klein, New York Rocker, April 1979
EXCEPT FOR THE fact that they're probably the best performing band around, there's something almost superfluous to Clashness about the band's shows. Wait a minute ...
Blondie: They're A Group! Not A Girl!
Comment by Howie Klein, Relix, June 1979
SEE THE PICTURE of the blonde? That's Debbie Harry. That's NOT Blondie. Blondie's Clem Burke (drums), Jimmy Destri (keyboards), Debbie Harry (vocals), Nigel Harrison (bass), ...
Obituary by Howie Klein, Huffington Post, 6 September 2009
ON MY FIRST DAY of college freshman orientation I met the president of the student body, Sandy Pearlman. He had long hair and I figured ...
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