Ep127: James Williamson - Iggy & The Stooges
The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds
Nate Goyer
4.7 • 579 Ratings
🗓️ 18 June 2018
⏱️ 57 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
James Williamson co-wrote and played on the Iggy & The Stooges landmark LP 'Raw Power', thus laying a cornerstone of modern music. Today he shares his story, joining The Stooges, the making & butchering of Raw Power, Kill City, Ready to Die & more, as well as his diversion into IT and corporate executive life in Silicon Valley.
Topics Include:
- reflecting on his music career's twists and turns
- Williamson discusses balancing technology career with musical achievements
- Explains meeting Ron Asheton through The Chosen Few band
- Describes witnessing early Stooges formation and psychedelic phase
- Details joining Stooges after Funhouse album was recorded
- Discusses Stooges' transition from performance art to structured songs
- Describes band's drug problems leading to initial breakup
- Explains how Bowie and management discovered Iggy in New York
- Contrasts Detroit rock style with London's glam scene
- Details technical recording problems during Raw Power sessions
- Explains why Bowie's mix emphasized guitars over rhythm section
- Discusses management tensions and promotional issues after Raw Power
- Describes songwriting partnership with Iggy Pop over the years
- Explains transition from music to electronics and computing
- Details early Silicon Valley career at AMD and Sony
- Discusses keeping Stooges history private during tech career
- Explains receiving royalties through BMG publishing
- Comments on fan collecting of rare Stooges recordings
- Discusses Kill City remixing project with engineer Ed Cherney
- Explains origins of "I Got A Right" single release
- Details creation of Relict project using unreleased Stooges material
- Describes meeting Frank Meyer through Cheetah Chrome recommendation
- Outlines formation of Pink Hearts with Petra Hayden
- Dismisses possibility of future Stooges projects without original members
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If you like records, just starting a collection or are an uber-nerd with a house-full of vinyl, this is the podcast for you. Nate Goyer is The Vinyl Guide and discusses all things music and record-related.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, this is James Williamson from Iggy and the Stooges, and you're listening to The Vinyl Guide. All righty, well, thank you, James, and hey, everyone, it's Nate here, host of The Vinyl Guide. And wow, what a show we have for you today. We've got a stooge in the house. James Williamson, songwriting partner of Iggy Pop, the man who brought you raw power, Kill City, ready to die. |
| 0:22.1 | He is here on the show today, talking about his history with the Stooges, dealing with David Bowie, |
| 0:28.0 | the behind-the-scenes shenanigans and audio stuff-ups that resulted in raw power. |
| 0:33.0 | His journey through the world of tech, where he spent several decades in Silicon Valley |
| 0:37.3 | before returning |
| 0:38.6 | to his music and touring worldwide with Iggy and the Stooges. |
| 0:43.5 | Welcome to the Vinyl Guide, the podcast for record collectors and music nerds. |
| 0:48.3 | Here's your host, the biggest record nerd of them all, Nate Goyer. |
| 0:51.7 | Today on the Vinyl Guide interview, we are honored to have Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee |
| 0:56.6 | and guitarist of Iggy and the Stooges James Williamson. |
| 0:59.9 | James, there was a time not long ago you thought your music career was totally behind you. |
| 1:05.4 | Do you reflect much on those twists and turns in your life? |
| 1:09.2 | Well, you know, I can't help but reflect on it from time to time. |
| 1:15.0 | But I, you know, I feel like it's been a progression of events that just sort of made things |
| 1:24.4 | happen out that way. |
| 1:25.8 | You know, I think probably the way most people go about their lives. |
| 1:30.4 | You know, I, I, but I've been very fortunate by the same token because I had the opportunity to play |
| 1:40.3 | with a great band and I had the opportunity to see a lot of cool things happen in technology. And then I got the opportunity to play with a great band and I had the opportunity to see a lot of cool things happen in technology |
| 1:45.5 | and then I got the opportunity to play with them again and get some recognition for it. And |
| 1:51.9 | then and now I'm playing with a bunch of other great people. So between music and being in technology, |
| 2:00.8 | is there any particular favorite of yours? |
| 2:03.7 | Well, you know, I guess I don't, I don't, I wouldn't say one over the other, |
... |
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