In February I launched my new podcast ‘Roots’ on Spotify, with the aim of hearing life stories from music’s real roots, by iconic people who don’t always get to tell the story of their journeys in music.
The aim is to cover many genres, and the feedback I have had so far has been amazing. Episode One featured John Steel, founding member of legendary sixties band The Animals, and a member of the Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame. Episode Two heard Leo B Stanley as my guest, legendary Manchester DJ and founder of Identity Clothing, and the man responsible for the culture-changing ‘On The Sixth Day God Created Manchester’ slogan. My latest episode, Episode Three, features a real true icon of British Rock Music, John Coghlan.
As an original member of Status Quo, John was the key ingredient of the iconic Frantic Four lineup and quickly established himself as one of the greatest rock drummers of all time, playing on a huge amount of legendary singles and albums before leaving the band in 1981.
From the band’s first hit single ‘Pictures Of Matchstick Men’, through hits such as ‘Caroline’, ‘Paper Plane’, ‘Roll Over Lay Down’, ‘Down Down’, ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’ and so many more, John was the real root of Status Quo’s backbeat. Iconic albums such as ‘Piledriver’, ‘Blue For You’, ‘On The Level’, ‘Hello’, ‘Dog Of Two Head’, and ‘Quo’, quickly saw John become arguably the best shuffle drummer the UK rock scene had ever heard, inspiring many other drummers ever since. He also featured on the legendary ‘Live’ album, recorded over three nights at Glasgow Apollo in 1976, and recorded on the Rolling Stones mobile studio, an album which is now regarded as one of the best live albums of all time. When John left the band in 1981, the legendary Quo sound changed, but he had left behind a legacy of unmatched work.
Other bands and projects followed, including his band ‘Diesel’, a stint with bass player Alan Lancaster’s ‘Bombers’, and more recently, John Coghlan’s Quo and Quo Reimagined. John Coghlan, or ‘Spud’ as he’s affectionately known amongst fans, returned to the band in 2012 for the huge Frantic Four reunion tours, and gave Quo fans of a certain age the reunion they had always hoped for, and music fans such as myself the shows we’d always wanted to experience.
In the latest edition of my Roots podcast, which we recorded in one of John’s local pubs in the stunning Cotswolds, John tells the story of his life in music, and the real story of The Frantic Four. It is a brilliant listen, and it was a real honour to host, showing John’s side as one of the nicest and most down-to-earth rock stars you could wish to meet. Please do have a listen and share with any Status Quo or rock music fans you may know.
You can find my new podcast by searching for ‘Roots - The Dave Sweetmore Podcast’ on Spotify, and for more information and future guests please follow my Facebook and Instagram pages. The podcast is proudly sponsored by www.morethantraining.co.uk
