My page is where you’ll find out a bit about me and get to hear the more in depth versions of some of my recent interviews.
Bye From Tim March 26
First off, thank you so much if you have called, text or emailed me to wish me well. I appreciate it so much that you would take the time to do that. I still can't believe it's 11 years after I first walked through the doors at The Radio Network and that I am leaving. First stop is Thailand, then Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, back to Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. After 3 months of South East Asian adventures it's off to Canada in July for a year. Vancouver looks amazing - looking forward to it.
I always knew the song below fit with me for various reasons, including that I've known for some time that I needed to spread my wings. It was Lindsey Buckingham's farewell song to Fleetwood Mac (Stevie Nicks in particular) and featured on a solo album of his called "Out Of The Cradle." Hope you like it, it's called "Soul Drifter." Until next time!
Hi From Tim March 24 - More Fat, Less Heart Attack!
How so? Turns out it's not just about cutting out saturated fats from your diet to be healthy, but actively replacing them with polyunsaturated fats. The Harvard Medical School has found evidence to suggest that the more polyunsaturated fats you eat, the lower your chance of a heart attack. Check out the full article.
CLICK HERE
Hi From Tim March 22 - My Final Week At Easy Mix
It's been a huge process for me packing up all my stuff and it's been made even more drawn out by my tendency to hoard and my further tendency to get reminicsing about everything when I'm sorting out my hoardings! Looking back on 11 years of Easy Mix has been fun as well as sad in some respects when I realise that my time at the only work place I have ever known is coming to an end. Going through all those boxes and drawers of photos and concert stubs and signed bits and pieces I realise I've achieved a lot of my dreams. But as Bono once said, when you get to where you think the top of the ladder is you realise you're actually still near the bottom. And I've got to keep on climbing!
Hi From Tim March 18 - I Leave Two Weeks Today!
I can't believe how fast this is coming around and how much I still have left to do before I go. I packed up all my books yesterday and this morning and they filled nine cardboard boxes. Ali has been hassling me for years because a large chunk of my books are about black civil rights history - something that I'm passionate about and have always found fascinating. Ali tells people that I've never read the books and that I only have them to impress my black friends! Outrageous.
I have to say though, without them on my shelf I feel like my apartment looks a lot less learned than before and I secretly didn't mind people looking at my books and going "hmmm, my word he is learned." At least that's what I thought they were thinking. Maybe they were thinking what Ali says!
Hi From Tim March 16 - Another Day, Another Tribute
Two days in a row! T-Bone Wolk was the music director for Hall & Oates and one of my all time favourite bassists. He also played with Billy Joel, Roseanne Cash, Jewel and so many more. But it was with Hall & Oates that he made his biggest mark. So integral was he to the band that Daryl Hall desrcribed him as the "&" of "Hall & Oates." One of the funkiest bassists ever (not just one of the funkiest white bassists!), T-Bone could play every instrument under the sun. His recent death from a heart-attack has left Darly and John devastated with Daryl saying it's like losing his right arm.
Check out this brilliant live performance of "Maneater" with T-Bone at his very best.
Hi From Tim March 15 - RIP Peter Graves
The actor Peter Graves has died of a heart attack at the age of 83 and while he's best known for starring in "Mission Impossible" I will remember him most fondly for starring in "Airplane." He'd never done a comedic role before this back in 1980 and he is absolutely hilariious as the dodgy deadpan pilot. Check out the original trailer below.
Hi From Tim March 12 - Packing Up My Lego
Today was emotional! For the first time since I was a kid I took apart all my Lego. I know it sounds a bit strange, but all these years I've been living with all my pirate and medievil Lego still set up and on display in my bedroom and living room. Most people who visit think it's great with a small minority clearly finding it a little odd, but who cares.
Unfortunately, one of the realities of moving to another country is accepting that you can't take everything with you so today I packed away all my Lego sets into individual bags with their instructions, ready for me (or my future kids) to build. Knowing how much playing with Lego was a part of my childhood (and knowing how much looking at Lego has been part of my adulthood) it was the moment when I realised this is really happening; I have 2 weeks left on Easy Mix and less than 3 weeks left in New Zealand.
It's only fitting that we watch one of the multitude of Lego movies that are up on YouTube. I made plenty of these videos myself using stop-motion, though I suspect this following movie is more of the CGI variety.
Hi From Tim March 11 - I Leave NZ Three Weeks Today
It's hard for me to believe, but it's just three weeks until I leave the country, first for three months in South East Asia and then as of mid July, a year in Canada.
My whole life I've been pretty settled in that I lived in one house in Malaysia in the 80s, one house in West Auckland in the 90s and one apartment downtown this past decade. So I'm not really used to moving, unlike a lot of my friends who change flats every year. In many ways this is very scary, but it's also very exciting and I know that it's time for me to go.
My final day on Easy Mix is Friday March 26 - be listening for one last final farewell!
Hi From Tim March 9 - Check Out Me And My Ol' Buddy Michael McDonald
I've just been sent this photo from backstage before the concert on Friday night - check it out plus my review of the show from my entry on March 6.
Hi From Tim March 8 - The Highlight Of The Oscars Bar None!
Apologies for the dodgy quality, but this had to be seen; Ben Stiller's Avatar Spoof.
Hi From Tim March 6 - Meeting Michael McDonald
Another week, another horrendous name drop! Forgive me this again, but I do have to mention meeting Michael McDonald because he is for me, one of the all time greatest singers. He has a voice that can at once seem so deep that it comes from the very depths of his soul and almost simultaneously be in near falsetto. Just listen to "It Keeps You Running" or "Takin' It To The Streets" or "What A Fool Believes" or "I Keep Forgettin." Pure soul, pure brilliance.
I was lucky enough to meet Michael backstage before the concert on Friday night that he did alongside the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band and Boz Scaggs. There were only six of us at the meet 'n' greet and everybody seemed really nervous except for me - I was just excited to meet him. So with everyone nervously laughing at his jokes and stammering questions like "Wh wh wh wh what do you think of Ne Ne New Zealand?" I decided to take control. I've interviewed Michael a couple of times in the past and he is a lovely guy and he likes to tell a story so I asked him about his role in the movie "The 40 Year Old Virgin."
If you haven't seen the movie, there is a character who works in an appliance store that constantly plays Michael McDonald DVDs on rotate. This came about because Michael is friends with one of the producers and one afternoon after church Michael took along his buddies from church and his family to see the movie. He should've known from the title that it wasn't going to be the most wholesome movie ever, but he didn't. So there he was, squirming as he sat next to his 14 year old daughter!
A lovely, humble man and one of my biggest musical heroes. Check out this video of his early solo hit "I Keep Forgetting."
Hi From Tim March 4 - Romantic Comedies That Guys Are Allowed To Like
We were talking about this with some friends last night and I said without any hesitation that "Definitely Maybe" starring Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin and Isla Fisher should be top of that list. It is funny, sad, real, political and you genuinely don't know what will happen in the final scene. I love this movie so much that I try to explain it as being a "political drama with romantic elements" but everyone always laughs when I say that. So yes, it is a romantic comedy, but it has so much more depth than most in the genre and I am happy to say that as a guy, this is one good movie!
Hi From Tim March 3 - The Quarry That's Now A Suburb
A mate of mine owns a hair salon out on Lunn Ave by the Mt Wellington quarry and he offered me a free cut so I couldn't say no. Other than that it was a great cut (80 Lunn Ave - ask for Frank), I couldn't believe how much that whole area has changed. The quarry used to have nothing in it and now it's an entire suburb. Along the ridge line is a whole bunch of cafes and bars and businesses with a great view down into the new suburb that is literally down in the quarry. I know Auckland well but I had no idea this place now existed so if you're out for a Sunday drive this weekend check it out.
Hi From Tim March 2 - Karen Carpenter Would Be 60 Today
Like so many music legends, Karen Carpenter was incredibly young when she died, just 32. If she was still alive today would be her 60th birthday - check out this fantastic 10 minute tribute from various friends, fans and celebrities.
Hi From Tim March 1 - Top 10 Travel Destinations People Think Are Bad But Are Actually Great
I'm always reading travel articles and blogs (not just the ones written by me) and I found this one about places that don't deserve their bad reputations. Like Iran, Columbia and Queens, NY for example. If you're into travel, click on the the link below.
CLICK HERE
Hi From Tim March 1 - Early Start For Fleetwood Mac Fans!
There's another huge concert this week to follow last week's stunner from Cliff and the Shadows, this time it's the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs. Both the Napier and Auckland concerts are almost sold out so don't delay. Today I found out what time each act is on and it's unusually early so I thought I'd post this on the website just in case you turned up at 8pm and discovered you'd missed Mick - oh no!
AUCKLAND:
6.30pm - Mick Fleetwood
7.45pm - Michael McDonald
9.30pm - Boz Scaggs
NAPIER:
7.00pm - Mick Fleetwood
8.15pm - Michael McDonald
10.00pm - Boz Scaggs
Hi From Tim February 26 - Meeting Cliff Richard & The Shadows
I've been a Cliff fan from day one - Mum and Dad had all the tapes (tapes!) when I was a kid so this is the music of my childhood even though I'm only 28. It's fair to say that me and Jen Bainbridge were two of the youngest people at the concert last night, but we didn't care and we sang along to every song.
The concert itself was nearly three hours long and was exclusively made up of Cliff & the Shadows hits (as opposed to Cliff's solo career) and was outstanding. My highlights included one of their lesser known hits "Time Drags By" which has the best harmonies Cliff, Bruce Welch and Hank Marvin ever recorded and with the three of them singing together it reminded me of early Bee Gees. Another highlight was the Shadows instrumental set with classics like "Apache" and "FBI" - seeing Hank Marvin playing that strat guitar just metres away from me is something I've always wanted to do.
After the concert Jen and I were lucky enough to go backstage and we hung out with Bruce and drummer Brian Bennet. Both these guys were lovely and Bruce and I had a great chat about how years after Cliff and the Shadows had parted, he reteamed with Cliff to become his producer and mastermind songs like "Devil Woman," "Miss You Nights" and "We Don't Talk Anymore."
Jen and I left and were on such a high that we went and did karaoke for an hour before walking to the Hyatt hotel and waiting for a taxi home. Just as we were waiting a car pulled up and I half jokingly said "I bet that's Cliff and Hank" and sure enough it was! They'd been out to dinner in Parnell and were more than happy to let us accost them. We chatted for a few minutes, Cliff remembered that I'd interviewed him on his 65th birthday and he signed my favourite album of his, 1977's "Small Corners."
We got the feeling that both Cliff and Hank and Brian and Bruce got a real kick out of the fact that we were young and such genuine fans. In fact, it was Hank who said "Where's your camera? Let's have a photo!"
Great guys, true music legends. And when they're not writing their own songs they cover some pretty good songs! Check out Shadows doing the Bee Gees below.
Hi From Tim February 25 - Pelican Attacks Weatherman
I don't know how it came to be that TV weathermen also have to be doing something with absolutely nothing to do with weather when they do their reports, but never-the-less, this is pretty funny.
Hi From Tim February 25 - Part 6 Of 6 In My Herald On Sunday Central America Series: Guatemalan Highlands
This is the final article in my Central America series and is all about the Guatemalan Highlands where we saw the very best and possibly the very worst of the country. And I'll never forget that altitude sickness!
CLICK HERE
Hi From Tim February 24 - The Seatbelt Safety Ad With A Difference
An ad company in England decided to go for a different tactic with their seatbelt safety campaign and the result is this YouTube hit that's been viewed more than 1.5 million times. And don't worry, there's nothing graphic or shocking about it.
Hi From Tim February 23 - What's Wrong With Whitney?
Maybe it wasn't the worst thing in the world that Whitney Houston's sole NZ concert for March 6 was cancelled. This footage is from her first concert in Australia last night and she's received scathing reviews from both fans and critics. Watching this, I'm less worried about her voice and more-so her state of mind. Sure her voice isn't quite what it was, but it's made worse by her erratic behaviour. Like many of her old fans, it was great to see her making a comeback and to hear she'd cleaned herself up, I'm just worried she may have slipped back into some of those dangerous habits.
Hi From Tim February 22 - Part 5 In My Herald On Sunday Central America Series: Rio Dulce, Guatemala
Click on the link below to find out about one of the strangest waterfalls in Central America and where to find Guatemala's finest showers!
CLICK HERE
Why Do Kiwi Journalists Ask Such Dumb Questions?
Today there was the Tom Jones press conference ahead of his concert at Villa Maria on Sunday. Ali mc-ed the event and did a great job, unfortunately she couldn't do anything about the inane questions that the other media put forward. How about this one: "So Tom, is it really unusual to be loved by anyone?" Tom: "No, it's not unusual."
This is the sort of nonsense we choose to say to someone who's sold more than 100 million records and been a pop culture icon for nearly 50 years? I will never forget being at a Burt Bacharach press conference a couple of years ago and this idiotic presenter from TV3 started proceedings by asking him if it had been hard having a daughter who'd recently committed suicide. I sat their gobsmacked and embarrassed, so much so that I rang Burt the next time and apologised for my pathetic fellow journalists.
Luckily, in the case of Tom Jones, Ali and I sat down and came up with some decent questions - be listening tomorrow morning to hear them.
Hi From Tim February 17th - The Best Ever Version Of "Hallelujah"
This week's Album of the Week is "Recollection" by kd lang and it features two versions of Leonard Cohen's classic "Hallelujah." This song has been recorded by dozens upon dozens of major artists, but kd owns it as far as I'm concerned. She recently performed the song again at the opening of the Winter Olympics, but it is this performance below from 2005 that is my favourite.
Hi From Tim February 16th - Billboard Magazine's Sexiest Song Ever
Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" has been named as the sexiest song of all time by Billboard Magazine. Yes, the lyrics about seeing a dirty movie and getting "horizontal" afterwards are pretty racey, but Olivia herself seems so wholesome that all the song reminds me of is leg warmers and bad exercise routines. This song below though, well that's a different story! Hands down the sexiest song I've ever heard, this is "Close The Door" by Teddy Pendergrass.
Hi From Tim February 15th - No More Homework!
I've read lots of studies over the years that show that there is no direct link between the amount of homework that a student does and their grades in school. Some of the research suggests that homework is dished out to placate parents who mistakenly think a lack of homework is indicative of poor teaching. If you've got kids in school, check out this article. It's all about a Kiwi principal who has made public his banning of homework at his school - good on him!
CLICK HERE
Hi From Tim February 10th - The Ronan Keating Interview In Full
Here it is, enjoy.
CLICK HERE
Hi From Tim February 9th - The Stunning New Boyzone Song
Ali and I interviewed Ronan Keating on Sunday and I told him that I thought this was the finest Boyzone song yet and all the more poignant that it features vocals from the late Stephen Gately. The video is heartfelt and touching and Ronan says he still can't bear to watch it. Make sure you listen today to hear more of our interview with Ronan where he talks about this song and losing Stephen.
Hi From Tim February 8th - Hanging With Ronan
Yesterday Ali and I toddled off to Sky City Grand Hotel and interviewed Ronan Keating. I've spoken to him before but it was over the phone so interview him in person was great. Over the course of this week Ali and I are playing highlights from the chat so be sure to listen to both breakfast and drive if you're a Ronan fan. Tomorrow (Tuesday) hear Ronan discuss the heartbreak of losing his Boyzone bandmate Stephen Gately, plus I'll give you a little snippet of the stunning new Boyzone song, the last to feature vocals from Stephen.
Hi From Tim February 5th - Waitangi Day
Hope you have a great weekend and enjoy your Waitangi Day tomorrow. Strange to think that one of the emerging factors in the whole Tina Rangatiratanga flag debate is a commercial one - the Harawira family profit from sales of the flag. Dover Samuels said today that the flag stands for total sovereignty. If that's the case then its only redeeming feature is that it looks good. But looking good is never what flags are about - it's what they represent. And with this flag, nobody seems to know what it represents, hardly a good choice as a unifying symbol.
Hi From Tim February 4th - AC/DC Tonight!
You're right, they are not exactly Easy Mix favourites, but I do have a soft spot for AC/DC. The reason I like some of their songs, particularly "Back In Black" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" is that they have great melodies and great riffs and they make you move. Those two songs in particular could be adapted to disco, r&b and funk very easily which as much as any AC/DC fan would hate to admit, proves that they are actually good examples of "pop," albeit at the rocky end of the scale. And there's nothing wrong with pop at all.
I won't be at the concert but instead listening from a friend's house in Western Springs. And before you read my entry from yesterday, I am aware this makes me sound like a cheapskate!
Hi From Tim February 3rd - When You're Accused Of Being Stingy
A good mate of mine told me he thinks I'm stingy. This has really bugged me because what he is getting at is that I am not generous and I like to think that I am very generous. I try to go out of my way for my friends and that sometimes means opening the wallet but I hardly think the frequency of wallet-opening is a proper guage on whether someone is a good friend.
It's a fascinating conumdrum for me because all I'm thinking about now is all the generous things I've done for friends over the years, sometimes the sorts of things that you keep quiet about that most people have no knowledge of. And that is how it should be. But when you get accused of being tight, it cuts pretty deep. I suspect that the wobbly definition of whether someone is stingy / cheap / tight / ungenerous is tied into how often they buy expensive rounds of drinks for everyone. And if that's the definition, then I am a bad friend. A bad friend who doesn't like to throw his money down the toilet on $60 rounds of beer.
Hi From Tim February 2nd - Michael Jackson Tribute At The Grammys
Like all good tributes, this reminds you of just how good the person being paid tribute to was. Listen to the superstars sing their lines of "Earth Song" and then how Michael Jackson leaves them for dead (no pun intended) on his interspersed lines. Plus, look how funny everyone in the audience looks with their 3D glasses!
Hi From Tim February 1st - Do Strange Things Really Happen When It's A Full Moon?
It was a stunning full moon over the weekend and I was having a chat with a mate of mine who is adamant that strange things always happen when this occurs. Some people claim this is due to the water in our bodies and the moon's gravitational pull throwing people off-kilter, but there might be a slightly less kooky explanation. Check out this fascinating article below.
CLICK HERE
Hi From Tim January 29 - Happy Long Weekend If You're An Aucklander
It's a long weekend but if you are working on Monday then we have something in common! I will be working Monday morning so Ali can have a sleep in. Other than that, I'm playing cricket tomorrow at Lloyd Elsmore Park (come and support my North Shore team - we don't tend to have many fans watching so it would make a nice change) and have a friends birthday on Saturday night, should be good times. Hope you have a great weekend, talk soon.
Hi From Tim January 27 - Neil Young Singing "Pants On The Ground"!
Well, sort of. This is actually American comedian Jimmy Fallon pretending to be Neil Young singing the American Idol sensation "Pants On The Ground." If you've missed this phenomenon, scroll down to my entry from January 22nd where it's all explained.
Hi From Tim January 26 - A Tribute To Paul Newman Who Would Be 85 Today
I've always been a Paul Newman fan but you have to believe me that it's only by coincidence that I happen to be wearing my Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid T-shirt on his birthday. What are the odds! One of the things I've loved about Newman the most was that he made more money from sales of his salad dressings than he did from his films, but he gave all the money away to charity. What compelled him to do it? Watch this tribute and find out.
Hi From Tim January 25 - What If There Was A Sequel To Titanic?
With the news that Avatar has now grossed more money than Titanic to become the highest grossing film ever (US $1.3 billion outside the States and counting) we needed some good Titanic news. And here it is! What if there was a sequel? What if Jack's body had been frozen and preserved and all he needed was a little thawing out?
Hi From Tim January 22 - American Idol's Latest Audition Sensation....And He's 62!
The cut-off age for Idol auditions is 29, but somehow this old codger snuck through, impressing the judges with an original song that has now become a YouTube hit. Check out General Larry Platt and the soon to be hit "Pants On The Ground."
Hi From Tim January 20 - The Best Wedding Proposal I've Seen In Years
If you've seen the film 500 Days Of Summer that came out last year you will know that classic scene where Joseph Gordon-Levitt dances in public to the Hall & Oates song You Make My Dreams. This is just after he has successfully wooed the girl of his dreams and it is totally brilliant and totally hilarious.
Today I found this clip of a guy named Ricky who lives in Texas who decided to recreate that scene before proposing to his girlfriend. Other than her saying "yes", the fact that all their friends were there too makes this even cooler! Check it out.
Hi From Tim January 19 - Ricky Gervais Hosting The Golden Globes - Was He Funny Or Not?
Ricky's had some very harsh reviews following his hosting of yesterday Globes, but the highlights here I think are pretty funny. Critics have said he made people feel awkward (doesn't he always?) and that some of his jokes about the Third World were insensitive considering what's happened in Haiti.
His best lines were great though, and I particularly liked what he said about actors being better than normal people - enjoy!
Hi From Tim January 18 - The Funniest Seinfeld Clip That Never Made It
With me moving overseas in a couple of months I have a lot of stuff to either sell or put into storage, including my DVD collection. A few years back I voiced DVD commercials and I got DVDs for free - in fact, well over 300 of them! So yesterday I was off to Real Groovy Records with 100 of these to sell.
As I was sorting through the piles of what to keep and what to sell, I flicked on a Seinfeld DVD (definitely on the "keep" pile) and remembered all the things about that show that made it my all time favourite. Such an intelligent show with aspects of all those characters in each of us, as much as we may not want to admit it. But within all of that, there was still room for the physical comedy of Kramer which makes me laugh as much as anything. Check out this clip below which is mainly of bloopers including the final scene of Kramer / Michael Richards falling over - hands down one of the funniest things I have ever seen.
Hi From Tim January 11
Welcome back for 2010! Hope you had a good holiday. I've been working through the holiday period but have managed to sneak in lots of games of tennis, lots of swimming and even a couple of nights away in Matarangi in the Coromandel.
My latest plan is to fly out of New Zealand on April 2 for Bangkok. I will have three months in South East Asia exploring areas I haven't seen there before, like the south west of Thailand, Java in Indonesia, Bali, southern Cambodia and Laos. And as always, I will be back in the country I grew up in and a place that still feels like my second home, Malaysia.
Initially I was thinking of exploring Europe but have decided to hold off on that until I have a bit more money. I was also going to do a month long trip through India, but it will be the monsoon season when I was planning on going. Instead I am now planning to live and work in Canada for a year which will allow me to see more of the States which has always been one of my big priorities. So three months in South East Asia, then back to NZ for a week and then off to Vancouver! Scary but exciting stuff, but the reality that a number of my friends are already living in Canada will make this all the more easy.
Until then I will be lurking around Easy Mix and The Radio Network so keep an ear out and once again, thank you for all the wonderful support. 2010 is going to be a very big year of change and challenge and adventure but I know that for me it is vital that I don't rest on my laurels and go off and do this.
Whatever challenges come your way for 2010, I wish you all the very best as well. And don't forget to read my travel articles! I will post links to these on my Twitter page.
Hi From Tim December 24 - My Herald On Sunday Travel Series Part 4 - Flores & Tikal, Guatemala
This is part four in my latest series and is all about the stunning Mayan pyramids of Tikal, near one of Guatemala's prettiest towns, Flores. Find out by clicking on the link below the connection these pyramids have with both Star Wars and Jurassic Park - Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were fans!
CLICK HERE
Hi From Tim December 8 - My Herald On Sunday Travel Series Part 3 - San Ignacio, Belize
This article is all about some enormous caves in Belize which are regarded as the most historically significant in all of Central America.
CLICK HERE
Hi From Tim December 4 - Bon Voyage
This is something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember and that's to go and travel the world and live overseas for time while I'm in my 20s. I don't know when I will be back but keep your eyes posted for travel articles from places like the States and Greece and my old faves like South East Asia. I have a couple of ideas for books that I want to write and the lure of music and radio will never be far.
I have worked at The Radio Network in Auckland for 11 years and I know in my bones that now is the time to set sail, even if only for a while. It's been so much fun doing the show with Ali and working alongside all my other friends and of course, it's always been such a thrill to have heard from the people who've listened and enjoyed what I've done over the years. If that's you, then my sincerest thanks.
My final show with Ali will be on Christmas Day but you will hear me on and off until I leave the country in March. All the best, thanks again and keep listening!
Merry Christmas,
Tim
Hi From Tim November 15 - My Herald On Sunday Travel Series Part 2 - Caye Caulker, Belize
Here is part 2 out of 6 in my current series on Central America. I loved this place so much, a tiny little island in the Caribbean off the coast of Belize. The link is below.
CLICK HERE
Hi From Tim October 27 - My Herald On Sunday Central American Travel Series
Every year I like to go somewhere warm and exotic and have an adventure and this year I found myself in Central America. I am doing a series of six articles for the Herald On Sunday and the stories are appearing once a fortnight for the next couple of months.
Here is the link to the first article, all about Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula: CLICK HERE
Hi From Tim October 9 - Our Friend Harry Connick Jr & The Hey Hey It's Saturday Racism Row
This whole incident has brought out a truly ugly side in some people. Harry said he loves "Hey Hey It's Saturday" and that he loves Australia - it feels like home to him. But he also wanted to point out that just because the Jackson Jive performance wasn't intended to be racist, that doesn't make it OK. Harry has since been abused with all kinds of vitriol from people claiming he's easily offended and too PC.
These people are clearly unaware that "Blackface" is one of the most offensive phenomenons of the 19th and 20th centuries in the States and during the first half of the 20th century black characters would be typically portrayed in a negative, stereotypical and derogatory fashion by white actors with their faces painted. Judge for yourself in the clip below, but I think Harry spoke eloquently and with sensitivity both for his home country and for the country he was in.
To hear our interview with Harry about his new album just click back to Who's On and go to the Breakfast Page.
Hi From Tim Oct 6 - The Myth Of The New Zealand Climate
I love New Zealand, let's get that out of the way. But I am forever surprised by how many foreigners, particularly people from the UK, think that we have some kind of paradisic sub-tropical climate. Granted, the weather for most of the North Island (except Wellington) and for places like Marlborough in the South Island is probably about 20% better than the UK, but that is more testament to how horrific their weather is than how good ours is.
On the news last night there was an English tourist stuck in the snow between Taupo and Napier and he said: "If this is summer then I'm not too impressed!" I have two problems with this statement. One is that it isn't summer, it's mid-spring. Two, he is probably unaware that our October is the same as a Northern Hemisphere April. I've been in England in July and it's been freezing (and then a week later they apparently had a heat-wave).
So all in all, our weather is not that flash. A month ago I was playing tennis in a singlet in the beautiful spring sunshine - today I'm sitting inside huddling in my heaviest winter coat. That game feels like it must've been last summer!
Hi From Tim Sept 22 - Yet Another Massive Interview For Easy Mix - The First Lady Of Musical Theatre Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige is celebrating 40 years as the dominant female of musical theatre. Think of every major musical seen in the last 40 years, from Cats, to Chess, to Evita, to Les Miserables, to Hair, to Sunset Boulevard and so many more, Elaine Paige has done it all. She has also overcome breast cancer, prejudice for her height (she's just under 5 feet) and depression. And at one stage she nearly gave it all away to become a nurse with Dustin Hoffman somehow changing her mind.
Listen out for the interview with Elaine Paige on Thursday October 8 where we'll discuss all of this and more. And don't worry if you're Susan Boyle fan, I will definitely ask her about the rumours the two will soon be working together. Her Auckland concert is at the Aotea Centre on Friday November 6.
Hi From Tim Sept 9 & Oct 7 - Both Fleetwood Mac Interviews: Lindsey Buckingham & Mick Fleetwood!
We had the genius of Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham, on our show talking about why he's never been happier, what he wants for his 60th birthday, what his wife thinks of his onstage chemistry with Stevie Nicks, what he regards as his biggest contribution to the band, the possibility of new Fleetwood Mac music, how he suprised Michael Jackson in a toilet in 1985 and the special connection he has with Beach Boy Brian Wilson.
Lindsey Buckingham interview part 1
Lindsey Buckingham interview part 2
A couple of weeks after interviewing Lindsey we had Mick Fleetwood on the show. What a legend, what a legacy and yes, what a soap opera he and the band have lived through. I interviewed Stevie Nicks once and she said that New Zealand was the only country the band hadn't done an encore in because Lindsey got angry at Stevie for singing the wrong part in a song and threw his guitar at her before they all stormed off the stage. Lindsey told me he doesn't remember this happening at all and when we interviewed Mick he says he thought it was a lighting rig that had fallen down and he went on the radio the next day to apologise!
CLICK HERE to listen to Mick explaining what he believes happened onstage in New Zealand 30 years ago.
CLICK HERE to listen to Mick discuss feelings about the song "Sara" as well as plans for a Fleetwood Mac movie.
Tickets for Fleetwood Mac's first concert on Dec 19 have sold out but some remain for Dec 20 - both at the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth. Best of all though, we will be giving away great tickets closer to the dates - stay listening!
Hi From Tim September 6 - The Best Fleetwood Mac Song You Never Knew
I've loved these guys since I was a kid and thought I knew all there was to know about them. I'm not a big fan of the blues and so have largely ignored their pre-Stevie Nicks / Lindsey Buckingham material, but have everything they've done since those two joined, including all the respective solo albums.
And then today something happened. I sat down and listened to the "Mystery To Me" album that I'd picked up the other day. The album was not a big seller and came out 2 years before the band re-exploded in 1975 with "Say You Love Me" and "Rhiannon" etc. I heard the song "Why" by Christine McVie once and was so entranced that I swear I listened to it about 20 times in a row. It is truly majestic and I can't believe it has been hidden from me all these years! It now tops "As Long As You Follow" as my favourite Christine song.
It's always so much fun to discover a new favourite song by one of your favourite artists and I haven't felt this way about a song since I found "Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away" by Stevie Wonder. I did a similar thing with that one, lifting the needle over and over again on my record player just to hear it again and again and again.
Fleetwood Mac are in NZ in December for 2 concerts. I know they are minus Christine McVie and I also know that despite that they will still be incredible, but as a tribute to the less flashy of the Fleetwood Mac gals, have a listen to this rare love song of a failed romance that is despite being sad, still optimistic.
Hi From Tim September 1st - Barry Gibb Interview, Celebrating 50 Years Of The Bee Gees
As I'm sure you know, it is Bee Gee Barry Gibb's birthday today! There are only two people in the history of music who have written more US / UK number hits than Barry - John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Click below for all the highlights from our birthday interview with my hero - hear about his close friendship with Michael Jackson, his plans to finally work with brother Robin again for the first time since Maurice died, what he really thinks of the "Saturday Night Live" skit with Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon "The Barry Gibb Talk Show" as well as his love of a mystery potion called "Zamu."
Memories of touring NZ, working with Robin again - CLICK HERE
Listening to his own music, thoughts on Sound Relief - CLICK HERE
Losing Maurice & Michael Jackson - CLICK HERE
Thoughts on the 4 CD set Mythology, family life - CLICK HERE
What he really thinks of SNL's Barry Gibb Talk Show - CLICK HERE
Special message for Kiwi fans - CLICK HERE
Review Of Jersey Boys - The Story Of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Over the weekend me and Ali went to Melbourne with some of our lovely Easy Mixers to see what has become the most highly acclaimed and successsful Broadway play of the decade - Jersey Boys.
I love all music and have always been a fan of Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons, but it intrigued me just why this has been so spectacularly successful. There are plenty of super famous popular music acts who've had their back catalogues turned into musicals so why has this one eclipsed all the rest? It turns out that the script is brilliant and fast paced, the music is obviously captivating and the story - which is based on truth - is surprisingly gritty. There is scandal, gambling addiction, divorce, mob and mafia connections, group breakups, blackmail, death, reconciliation and more. And of course, some of the best pop music ever made.
One thing that stood out for me and Ali was that all four members act as narrators for each of the musical's four acts. This is done through the dipping of lights and the quietening of the music and what could have been gimmicky was somehow seemless. In short, you could go and see Jersey Boys having never heard of their songs and you would come away knowing their complete backstory and chances are, you'd now be a fan. It was so fast-paced and snappy that even those with the shortest attention spans couldn't fail to be grabbed.
Hi From Tim August 24 - Listen Out For More Massive Interviews - Fleetwood Mac!
One of the most successful and best loved bands in history return to New Zealand for the first time in nearly 30 years this December. FLEETWOOD MAC are performing one concert only at the stunning Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth on December 19 with tickets going on sale on September 9.
We will be giving away tickets closer to the concert, but listen out in the coming weeks for not one, but two major 'Mac interviews. First will be guitarist Lindsey Buckingham chatting with me on September 9. Lindsey and I will discuss everything from the possibility of new Fleetwood Mac music, his reputation as one of the most distinctive guitarists ever, why New Zealand was the only country they didn't do an encore in, how his wife copes with the sexual tension between him and Stevie Nicks and much, much more. Be listening September 9!
And if that doesn't satisfy your Fleetwood Mac cravings, in early October I'm interviewing the man who's drumming has provided the beat for every Fleetwood Mac song from Albatross to Say You Love Me, Go Your Own Way to Little Lies, Dreams to Tusk, Gypsy to Sara - the man himself MICK FLEETWOOD!
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Hi From Tim August 13 - I'm Back!
Can't believe I'm back - 6 countries in 40 days. Everyone keeps asking "what was the highlight?" which is actually a really tricky question because there were so many highlights. So here's a couple that seem to be standing out for me:
Swimming with turtles in my favourite country in the world, Malaysia.
Having two days at Lord's watching the Ashes cricket with someone I'm thrilled to call a friend, Martin Crowe. I was in Heaven meeting cricket legends like Derek Underwood, Rahul Dravid and Courtenay Walsh.
Meeting up with Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees - my biggest musical hero and comfortably the most humble music legend I've ever met. Expect new music from Barry and Robin next year.
Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC where Martin Luther King Jnr did the legendary "I Have A Dream" speech.
Sunbathing by the pool in Miami Beach - was great to do nothing for a change!
Snorkeling through caves with a torch near Tulum in Mexico - something I'd never done before.
Climbing through caves in Belize to see 1400 year old Mayan skeletons - the remains of a sacred sacrificial site discovered only 20 years ago.
Flores, Guatemala. This beautiful town is a little island on a fresh water lake. Great food, shopping, people and best of all, every hotel has a roof top perfect for evening parties and lazing in a hammock.
And forgive my cheesiness, the people were the biggest highlight! There are so many reasons I love travelling, but meeting interesting people and forging close friendships with people all over the world is right at the top of the list. The Intrepid tour I did through Mexico, Belize and Guatemala has given me so many new friends from countries like Ireland, England, Slovenia and of course, Guatemala (thanks to our leader, the sensational Sammy Hidalgo - the funniest man in Central America. Plus he nearly has 500 friends on Facebook - you wouldn't read about it!)
Keep an eye out for a series of articles about my trip, soon to be published in the Herald On Sunday.
Here is a small sample of my holiday photos. Click on the stop button to slow down the rotate if need be.
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Hi From Tim June 24 - Singing Paul Simon In Hanoi
I know it's seriously lame to promote your own clips on YouTube but forgive me this one discrepance. One year ago exactly I was having the time of my life doing an Intrepid tour through Vietnam and Cambodia - cannot wait to get back there. One night we went out to a live music bar in Hanoi and I got persuaded to get up there with the house band and sing two of my all time favourite songs: Slip Slidin Away by Paul Simon and Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers. I know the sound is shocking and really all you can hear is the ringing of the jangly guitar, but if you kindly put that to one side, with possibly misplaced confidence I reckon you can hear some pretty decent vocals. You be the judge.
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Hi From Tim June 15 - Simon & Garfunkel's First NZ Tour In 25 Years!
What a show! Me and Ali loved the concert, heading along to the 2nd show on Sunday night. I've listened to Simon and Garfunkel my whole life and to see them live was magic. Someone at the concert (probably my father's age) said to me "You're a bit young to be here!" I told him that I'd been listening to S&G my ENTIRE life whereas he has only been listening since his 20s which he thought was an interesting take on things. It's true though - Mum and Dad had all the tapes and records and they bought the "Concert In Central Park" as soon as it came out back in 1981 - the same year I was born.
So many highlights, but the way they now share the vocals on "Bridge Over Troubled Water" made it even better than I thought it would be. There is an indefinable power to that song that elevates it beyond being "just" a great song - it is truly one of the greatest songs ever. And the fact that Paul Simon, who would go on to write so many other astonishing songs, wrote BOTW when he was still in his 20s makes it even more amazing.
Ali recorded some of the concert on her famous Ali-machine - have a listen to Paul and Art talking about how they first met.
Listen here
We also dug out some old interviews with Paul and Art. Here they are explaining that "Mrs Robinson" was originally called "Mrs Roosevelt," and how it came to be used in the classic film "The Graduate."
Listen here
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Hi From Tim June 12 - Celine Dion vs The Band
Celine Dion has just done a remake of one of my all time favourite songs and when I say "all time", I'm going to go out on a limb and say "top 10!" My word. It's a stunning, emotional history lesson of a song that makes me yearn for a Canadian winter even though I've never been there and hate the cold. The song is called "Acadian Driftwood" - check out Celine's version first before hearing the original by The Band.
Celine is singing with a fellow French Canadian Zachary Richard and they've done a good job, but what cracks me up is the vitriol from some fans of The Band who are clambering over each other to attack this version. I've always thought that astonishing songs like "Acadian Driftwood", songs that mean the world to the fans that know them but are largely unknown outside of the diehards, wholly benefit from cover versions. Some people get so caught up in the "how dare she murder my song" rubbish that they forget that the reason the song was remade is that somebody else liked it too! It shows it's a good song and for a song as special as this, it deserves a new audience. Even better, fans of Celine's will listen to it and track down the original which still sends shivers up my spine. For the real deal, set aside 6 and a half minutes and prepare to be blown away!
PS. If you know a little French, see if you can decipher my favourite part of the song, the French-sung ending.
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Hi From Tim May 25 - The Paradox of Muhammad Ali
One of my favourite cliches (and there are many) is that we don't find good books, good books find us. I always think of this when I stumble across books that blow my mind and give me opinions I can pass off as my own, but they were hardly books I sought out in the first place.
This has happened countless times for me with books like Nathan McCall's blunt memoir about growing up in the civil rights era "Makes Me Wanna' Holler" and Madeleine Albright's brilliant analysis of religion and politics, "The Mighty & The Almighty." These books literally changed the way I think and I the first one I bought at an airport bookstore in Chicago and the second selling for $10 at the Warehouse in Sylvia Park, Mt Wellington. I haven't seen either book for sale anywhere else and had never heard of them until I found them, or if you forgive my cheesiness, they found me.
The latest addition to this category is called "Sound & Fury" - a dual biography of Muhammad Ali and his friend, the legendary broadcaster Howard Cosell. I didn't know this book existed, but fell upon it at Borders a few days ago. I read it in three days and it's hands down the best book I've ever read about Muhammad Ali and more than that, it's up there with the most important books I've ever read.
Just as Cosell has been oversimplified into caricature, the book also explains how Ali has been oversimplified into myth. Boxing aficiandos will always debate whether he was the greatest in the ring and personally, if he wasn't the greatest ever he certainly came pretty close. But what seems almost universal is the idea of Ali as some kind of living saint - a beacon of peace in a troubled world. "Sound & Fury" goes beyond the myth and makes Ali a whole lot more real and even more captivating.
The book is written by a friend of both Ali's and the late Cosell, Dave Kindred. He is a heralded journalist, a white man, who befriended Ali at the height of his "all white men are blue-eyed devils" rhetoric. We are reminded of Ali's racism not just towards whites (which while disturbing is at least is based on injustices to blacks), but also towards blacks. Calling chief foe Joe Frazier a "gorilla" and an "Uncle Tom" is as demeaning a remark as any black man could make to another.
But as you read the book, you realise these are just a couple of the endless paradoxs that comprise Ali. He could preach the hate of Elijah Muhammad on the one hand, but on the other show he didn't have a racist bone in his body. He was so astonishingly charismatic, inspiring and downright hilarious that we would forgive him comments suggesting that the KKK had the right idea - that segregation was correct.
Ali's intriguing friendship with Cosell is the backdrop of the book. Ali was beautiful, young, black, barely literate and a champion sportsman; Cosell was craggy, old, white, a former lawyer and had never boxed, never played football. When Ali was blacklisted and not allowed to fight for three years due to his refusal to be drafted to Vietnam, it was Cosell who stood up for him more than anyone.
"Sound & Fury" is a story of an unlikely friendship and the way Kindred humanizes Ali is stunning. A devout Muslim who constantly cheated on his wives; a brilliant, articulate poet who could barely read and write; a man who preached that white men were devils who's public friendship with whites broke down so many barriers; a political figure who couldn't place Vietnam on a map; a man who admits to now reading his Bible more than the Qur'an; as funny as any stand-up comic who was portrayed as strangely downcast in the film "Ali", a loudmouth in his youth, a near mute now; The Greatest, The Champion, but naive as a child.
All of this makes up the intrigue and appeal of Ali. He was flawed, but so is everyone. Much of the controversy he spouted were the words of an impressionable young man searching for justice in the unjust USA of the 1960s. The true story of the ultimately great, warm and generous man is so much more interesting than the sanitized versions we normally get. What is never misunderstood about him is that he has always been an inspiration and that remains as strong as it ever was.
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Hi From Tim May 14 - 30 Years Since Starsky & Hutch!
People often say to me I was born in the wrong era because I love so much stuff from the 60s and 70s and have a tendency to wear aviator sunglasses with open-necked shirts that expose my chains and hairy chest. Sometimes I agree with them and sometimes I say "You know what? I'm pleased I was born when I was (1981) because I get to enjoy all those bands and all those tv shows all at once! Starsky & Hutch is one of those shows for me and this month it's 30 years since it had it's final tyre-squealing episode.
I loved the action, the car-chases, the wise-cracks, the mateship, the way the bad guys were so baaad and how cool Starsky, Hutch and Huggy Bear were. I grew up watching the reruns and as soon as it came out on DVD I bought all four boxed sets. It was during the peak of my Starsky & Hutch fanboy obsession, round about three years ago, that I had the pleasure of interviewing the man who played Starsky, Paul Michael Glaser. I met him at his home in Santa Monica, LA and we spoke for 40 minutes.
As it turned out, very little of the interview was about Starsky & Hutch and most of it was about his truly incredible, moving life story. This is a man who lost both his wife and daughter to AIDS. I couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth and as well as recording what he was saying, I made a full transcription of the interview.
Over the last couple of days I've been re-reading my notes from the interview and have decided that the material is so strong that I will submit it as a feature article to a magazine - I will keep you posted. But as a little taster, read this quote that Paul Michael Glaser said to me and have a listen to some highlights from the interview:
“You don’t learn from things going well, you learn from things when they don’t go well and there’s a reason for that. It gives you the opportunity to make choices and grow from it. All too often in our society that lesson is not taught.”
I hadn't thought about his words in a long time, but re-visiting them now they really struck a chord. Check out more at his website paulmichaelglaser.org
Glaser Part 1 - Thoughts on the violence in Starsky & Hutch.
Glaser Part 2 - Losing his wife and daughter.
Glaser Part 3 - Why he doesn't believe things happen for a reason.
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Hi From Tim May 6 - Swine Flu Is Not The Apocalypse!
It did make me laugh a little bit that the one year I decide to go to Mexico, swine flu decides to take over the world. More....
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Hi From Tim - "The Wrestler & Andy Gibb"
At home yesterday I cracked out some of my old Andy Gibb lps. More...
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New Zealand's murder rate is down by half in the past 20 years
We hear so much bad news about crime that I thought it would be a good idea to show these stats. Most people are always convinced all forms of crime are on the increase. though muchof this is perception based on the media.
The Figures:
Annual murder rate in New Zealand (per million people)
1926 - 1970 .................6
1985 - 1992 .................21
1994 - 1998 .................15
1999 - 2003 .................14
2004 - 2008 .................12
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For the fun of it, here is what I reckon my top 10 concerts ever are:
1:U2
2:Bruce Springsteen
3:Bee Gees
4:Coldplay
5:Alicia Keys
6:Lionel Richie
7:Stevie Wonder
8:Justin Timberlake
9:Neil Finn & Friends 7 Worlds Collide
10:Sheryl Crow
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Brief Bit About Me
I’m passionate about lots of things but music, travel, cricket and politics would be the things at the very top of the list. I have 2,500 albums at home and love most genres except for house music and death metal – not quite so keen on those.
Tim looking a bit doughy-eyed with his favourite gal Sheryl Crow, December 2008.
Favourite artists are too many to mention, but if forced to pick a top 10 I’d have the Bee Gees, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie / Commodores, Hall & Oates, Sheryl Crow, U2, Fleetwood Mac, The Temptations and Paul Simon.
Tim with Ron La Pread, Clare Healy and Stevie Wonder, October 2008
I hate winter so every year I try and escape somewhere warm. This is probably due to growing up in Malaysia for the first decade of my life. If it wasn’t for this sensational job, I’d love to do nothing but travel. Keep an eye out for my travel articles which appear in the Herald On Sunday. Recent adventures have been in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, the US, the UK, France and Belgium.
Tim's favourite island in the world, Tioman, Malaysia
The plan this year is to go back to my favourite island in the world, Tioman Island (Malaysia) for a week in July, have a week in London watching the Ashes, 3 days in Washington DC catching up with Barack before 2 days in Miami enroute to Central America. The final 2 weeks of the trip will be in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Should be a hoot.
Tim posing in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, September 2008
I’ve played cricket every year since 1992 and currently play for North Shore Cricket club. I shouldn’t brag so forgive me for mentioning that last year I was thrilled to get the ‘player of the year’ award from the club. I’ tried to do the same this year but had to settle for the "best allrounder" award which isn't too bad and considering some of the talented young jumbucks at the club, I'm pretty pleased. If you’re not just a fan of easy mix music but also moderately perplexing in-swing medium pace bowling and explosive though generally brief power hitting then you’d enjoy my cricket.
Tim playing one of his hits on Tioman Island, Malaysia, July 2008
Most of my heroes may be musicians, but there are plenty who aren’t and those tend to be likes of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Colin Powell and for non musical reasons (as well as musical) Bruce Springsteen and Bono. And towering above all of them, Martin Luther King Junior. I love a good political debate, history was my best subject in school and there is something in particular about not just US politics, but that country as a whole that has always intrigued me. Can’t wait to go there again this year but what I really want to do is find a year in my life and spend it driving across North America. One day.
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All About Soul
This was the part of my job that was the most rewarding. The Commodores are one of the great soul / R&B acts and their former bassist Ronald La Pread co-hosted with me a documentary style music showcase every Friday night from 7-8pm for more than 2 years. With me away for nearly 6 weeks and Ron spending much of this year in the USA, we have unfortunately had to rest the show for the time being. Watch this space though!
Ron has become a great mate over the years and is now a fully fledged Kiwi since moving here back in the mid 80s. He is hands down the best storyteller I know and his tales of growing up in the segregated south (Tuskegee, Alabama), of jamming with Stevie Wonder, of beating Rod Stewart in celebrity soccer, of playing tennis at Berry Gordy’s house, of touring the world with the Jackson 5, of being the first black group to sell out Madison Square Gardens 3 nights in a row, are totally compelling.
Through Ron I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of my biggest heroes, including Ron’s old pals Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder.
In 2008 we won the “Best NZ Produced Music Feature” award at the New Zealand Radio Awards.
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Recent Interviews
I've been so lucky to interview so many of my biggest heroes over the years and here are a couple of recent additions to the list. Listen below for the Barry Gibb talking about 50 years of incredible music, the legendary Lionel Richie about being part of the Motown family and the election of Obama and Paul Michael Glaser's(Starsky) emotional discussion about and his late wife and daughter.
