Former Music Industry Executive And Producer Tom Werman Talks Rock
I had the pleasure of talking with famed music producer, Tom Werman last week, as his book was released. Turn It Up: My Time Making Hit Records In The Glory Days Of Rock And Roll is out now. For those who don’t know about Tom, he’s been involved in many projects, equaling up to millions of records sold.
According to the press release I received before our interview, “During his four-decade career in the recording industry, Tom Werman launched the success of REO Speedwagon, Ted Nugent, and Cheap Trick, and produced landmark albums by Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, Poison, Jeff Beck, and Blue Öyster Cult among many rock and metal superstars.” That’s a lot of rock royalty.
Of course, being here in Detroit I had to ask him about working with Ted. “We did not discuss politics, I want to make it pretty clear.” He said he learned a lot from the Motor City Madman. “We got along very well.” He said that ‘Stranglehold ‘ was the first song he ever mixed.
He told me about his pathway to success in the 70s. He spoke to the power radio had in making those songs hits. “We relied on the national promotion staff” to get the songs heard on the radio.
There were also a couple of bands that he wanted to sign that got away from him. KISS and Rush being a couple of them that he saw early on. He talked more about those bands and a couple of others that missed the mark.
We also talked about the infusion of hairbands in the 80s. “There weren’t that many acts available that weren’t like that” in the mold of the hairbands.
Tom told me what attributes bands brought that made him want to sign them. He gave an answer that varied as much as the bands he worked with.
I also got a question from producer, Jay Ruston. He wanted to know how many guys he used outside the actual bands in the recording studio. That was an interesting answer to a very intricate question.
Check out this quick, fun listen to see what Tom’s all about, below.
The Story Behind The Famous Hallway Photos At The Machine Shop - Pictures
Anyone who has any inkling of the Machine Shop knows about the hallway and the “hallway photos” that photographer Jeff “Minty” Mintline takes. It’s become quite a thing for the bands, fans, and even crews that come by the “Shop” in Flint, Michigan.
I’ll never forget the first time I was in the famous hallway at the Machine Shop. I walked in the side door and realized I was standing in it! I had no idea. “Minty” said the bands say the same thing. He says they think it’s going to be bigger, or in a different location of the venue, as did I.
I was curious as to how this whole thing started. “Minty” told me the first picture is the Exies in 2007. He said that singer Scott Stevens wanted a picture with the band. Guitarist Chris Skane said, “Let’s do it back here in the hallway.” That was the first, for a while. There wasn’t another picture taken in that location until the spring of 2010. The next bands were Smile Empty Soul and Skindred….and that’s how the hallway photos were born! You can see that first picture below.
How many band pictures have been taken? “Minty” says it’s around 1,300. As far as fans from around the world taking pictures back there? “It happens constantly” he said. I’ve personally witnessed that myself.
I was also there when one guy in a band wouldn’t do it. I’ll keep that to myself, as well as which country artist passed because they didn’t like the flash. Fair enough, I suppose.
Bret Micheals’ tour manager said that he wouldn’t do it. Owner Kevin Zink rolled with the punches and asked if the rest of the band wouldn’t mind, since many of them have played there in the past. They obliged, and while the picture was being taken, Bret walked in and asked what was going on. After he was informed of the picture, he didn’t hesitate to get in. Having been around him a few times, that didn’t surprise me at all.
According to Minty, every band is more than fired up to take a picture in the famous hallway. “It’s almost turned into a rite of passage type of thing” It really has, as the pictures prove!
Thank you to “Minty” for filling me in on the backstory, and suppling all of these killer shots! Have a look!
Meltdown started on the mighty WRIF on the evening of Halloween, 1995. Technically, his first on-air shift was the morning of November 1st. Moving to the Motor City from Buffalo, N.Y., he has built a career and family. Over his almost three-decade stint at RIFF, he's had the privilege to work with some of the biggest personalities in Detroit radio history. He boasts of being just the second-afternoon drive jock in the station's illustrious 53-year history.
Along with his love for rock music and attending concerts, he's also an avid Harley-Davidson enthusiast and hockey player. He plays year-round and manages to squeeze in a few charity games throughout the year. Meltdown writes about the Detroit Red Wings, rock music, and Detroit concert venues.
