Mulligan Stew With Terry David Mulligan

On the occasion of Bruce Allen’s birthday, I thought I’d sit down for an early morning Zoom call. Bruce has a roster of talent that plays the World’s stages, so you can find him at 8 am just finishing a call to South Africa. He’s a full-speed guy. Never outworked,  no matter what the project. In over 50 years Bruce has become one of the best artist managers in the entire music business.  Bruce Allen Talent. After a start with BTO,  Bruce decided to take a chance on a young singer/songwriter Bryan Adams. They agreed to be a team with a handshake and started to make music history. His roster now includes legend Anne Murray, Michael Bublé (there’s a story), Jann Arden, mega-producer Bob Rock and his first band in a while The Offspring.   In the 23 minutes that I have his attention, Bruce tells tales about The state of the current music business.. The loss of Gordon Lightfoot Bryan Adams – his place today Jann – she’s busy Mully Michael Bublé – we trade Bublé stories. Love it Bob Rock and Gord Downie – amazing st

Two very special friends. Both are culinary leaders in Canadian food. Ned Bell.  Executive Chef and co-partner at Naramata Heritage Inn. A spokesperson for multiple culinary and seafood sustainability movements. A true force….leading by doing. He’s the chef ambassador for the province of BC through the Buy BC Program. He’s a week away from launching the 4th annual BC Seafood Festival. On Mt Washington, Vancouver Island June 23-25. Lots to talk about with Ned and his event next weekend. To Ned’s West on Vancouver Island is the official end of Canada. In Tofino.  A surf and food heaven. Lisa Ahier started her SoBo restaurant as a food truck, making tacos for the surfers and then the tourists. Her restaurant has become the epicentre of life in Tofino. Surrounded by fancier and slicker dining, Lisa just does what her heart asks of her…give your community a place to gather, eat and celebrate how lucky you all are to be there. Lisa’s written and released her second book Together at Sobo.  The celebration continues.

In 2016  stellar  Canadian band 54.40 released an album La Difference: A History Unplugged. It was a brilliant reworking of their greatest hits. You could instantly tell it was one of their songs but the instrumentation and overall sound had been changed and made fresher. It brought new life to older songs and I thought it was a great move. Clever and classic.  It takes a band working together to allow each member to express what they feel about a song they’ve been playing for years. 7 years later, here comes The Northern Pikes. They also have a nice collection of hits and the commitment to reimagine those hits and bring new life to them. Acoustically inspired. Before Covid changed the World,  they had planned to release a 30th-anniversary salute to their landmark album Snow in June. A collection of Pikes songs driven by one of the best radio hits ever released in Canada – She ain’t Pretty. This interview takes us through the group think about how to carry on and what it would sound like. The Pikes have just

Two Canadian icons join forces and become partners in music. One is/was Gord Downie. Lead singer and songwriter of The Tragically Hip. Truly beloved. And hugely missed after losing his fight to cancer but going out in a blaze of a song with The Hip and the last Cross Canada Tour. The other is Bob Rock. Known for his production work with Metallica, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Ron Sexsmith and The Tragically Hip. Bob tells the story of how they became friends and how Gord contacted him and asked if he had any tracks he hadn’t used because he had  words he hadn’t used..” so let's put them together” The album took years to complete but when they last met. Gord says to Bob “Please finish it” Bob Rock on Gord Downie and their album Lustre Parfait Saturday on MulliganStew.ca  

All  5 guests are Artistic Directors of their folk festivals.  Four are in a group discussion about surviving the Covid years, this year's artist lineups and celebrating the renewal of live music. The fifth is a single interview with Terry Wickham,  Artistic Director of the Edmonton Folk Fest. Yes, they’re all competitors but they’re also participants and partners. So when Covid and lockdown took over our world they formed a group to help and support each other. The guests are   Fiona Black –  Vancouver Folk Music Festival (July 14-16) Thefestival.bc.ca Chris Frayer –  Winnipeg Folk Fest. (July 6-9) Winnipegfolkfestival.ca    Sue Panning – Canmore Folk Festival (Aug 5-7) Canmorefolkfestival.com  Kerry Clarke – Calgary Folk Fest (July 27-30)  Calgaryfolkfest.com  Terry Wickham – Edmonton Folk Fest (Aug 10-13) Edmontonfolkfest.org    We’ll find out how Vancouver Folk Fest survived the near collapse of their festival. How they all worked together, as a community, to support one another. Also, their talent lineup

Welcome to the Long Weekend Edition of the Mulligan Stew Podcast... And because it’s a long weekend, we have a longer podcast – two of them actually. Starting things off is the birthday boy Bruce Allen – One of Canada’s most successful talent managers EVER!! Bruce and his world-class team are responsible for planning,  leading and supporting the careers of Bryan Adams, Michael Buble, Bob Rock, Jann Arden and The Offspring. When you get the attention of Bruce all bets are off. You can fire questions off in every direction. The thing is you have to be prepared to have the answers smack you upside the HEAD. I wanted Bruce’s thoughts on the loss of our mutual friend Red Robinson – The Last DJ.  And the loss of Gordon Lightfoot as well. Then we talked about the state of today's music business. Like throwing a steak to a pit bull. Bruce then launches into an update on the 2023 years of Offspring,  Jann, Bryan, Michael and Bob Rock. Rock has released an album with the late Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip. It's ama

Can a 3-year-old change the direction of a band? This week the return of the force known as Paul Janeway – leader of  St Paul and the Broken Bones. Checking in from Birmingham Alabama. We’re going to be talking about their latest album Angels in Science Fiction Paul tells us it's a turning point for the band after 10 years together. Even though the core members are mostly unchanged,  this is not the soul band that swept over all of music in 2012 with the EP Greetings from St Paul and the Broken Bones. Now 5 albums later they’re taking their fans in another more introspective direction., The funk and groove can still be found but now Paul is writing and singing about being a father and his conversation with his wife about “do what kind of  world are we bringing our daughter into?” They had a daughter. Songs with lyrics like “Dust to Dust” “Try your best to make a difference. Starting with the people around you” Songs about denial, fear, and acceptance. There’s a renewed sense of spirituality throughout the alb

The Stew is Bruce Cockburn..bringing stories of  his 35th album O Sun O Moon. Plus memories of Gordon Lightfoot and his place in the music of the World and especially Canada. Answers the question: Was/is Gord the Sound of Canada? Could you hear the space and place in his songs? The Podcast is the complete interview with Bruce Cockburn on the release of his 35th album O Sun O Moon. And his thoughts on the music of and the loss of Gordon Lightfoot.

Christopher Waters has been writing about wine for two decades. He is the wine and spirits columnist at The Globe and Mail, education director of IWEG Drinks Academy and a WSET certified instructor at the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, Brock University. For 21 years, he was the editor/co-founder of Canada's largest circulation wine publication, VINES, and author of the nationally syndicated column, Waters & Wine. An internationally recognized wine judge.  Chris has developed and conducted masterclasses and seminars and moderated panels for organizations, such as The Wine Marketing Association of Ontario, Wines of British Columbia, Wines of Chile, Wines of Germany and Wines of South Africa. That’s what the bio says. Here’s what it didn’t tell you. Anyone with a passionate interest in all things wine has always sought out the wine column in The Globe and Mail. It has a history of getting the facts and figures right.  With not a whiff of hype anywhere, the column becomes a tutorial that can

AC Newman returns to The Stew with the 7th New Pornographers studio album Continue as a Guest.   The New P’s have been acclaimed since forming in Vancouver 1997.  They were dubbed a Super Group.  They weren’t  so much super as stellar. A great blend of melodies,  hooks, word puzzles and fine harmonies. Pitchfork has described the band's sound as "peppy, gleeful, headstrong guitar pop",[3] while Stereogum called the band's debut album Mass Romantic as "one of the greatest and most immediate power pop albums ever rendered” I found Carl at home in Woodstock NY. Having followed the band’s early years in Vancouver,  we had lots to talk about.

The Vivian Line is unlikely to land on anyone’s hip/hot list. Rather Sexsmith, now pushing 60, is content to churn out radiant, sublime, transcendent music that unobtrusively exists in its own delicate bubble, inviting us in to join him on his unique musical path. American Songwriter Ron Sexsmith’s albums have always had a generally laid-back vibe, but in recent years this has become ever more wistful and soothing, a listening experience rather like snuggling up in a favourite blanket and letting your troubles wash away. Sign me up.   Folk Radio UK Those already deeply appreciative of Ron’s songwriting chops include a stellar list of vocalists to have recorded Sexsmith compositions. That group includes such international stars as Rod Stewart, Emmylou Harris, Nick Lowe, plus Canadian favourites Michael Bublé, Feist and k.d. lang. Sexsmith’s work has also elicited effusive praise from the likes of Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Steve Earle and Chris Martin, to name just a few. Over the course of a recording ca

A native of Vancouver but currently residing in Nashville, where he works as a solo artist, sideman, and record producer,  Steve has forged an impressive career full of highlights and awards, including:  7 Juno Awards as artist/producer, 18 times nominated 3 times named "Producer Of The Year" at Western Canadian Music Awards 4 times named "Producer Of The Year" at Canadian Folk Music Awards Recipient of many other awards including Maple Blues Awards, Grand Prix De Jazz De Montreal, Blues Blast Awards, and many Western Canadian Music Awards and Canadian Folk Awards as an artist and producer Steve’s multi-faceted career has brought him to countless international festivals, working on the stage and in the studio with an extensive cast of musicians, including John Hammond, Sonny Landreth, Van Dyke Parks, David Hidalgo, Colin James, Jim Byrnes, Jill Barber, Dave Alvin, Joe Henry, Tim O'Brien, Fats Kaplin, Colin James, The McCrary Sisters, Matt Chamberlain, Del Rey, Birds of Chicago, Allison Russell, Long John Ba

Our Special Guest on Episode 248  is Dan Mangan. Yes, he was just a co-host on The Juno Couch. We had already done this interview before the Couch was a thing. And we didn’t really get to talk during our Juno special because we were busy with all our other guests.   The focus here is Dan’s new album Being Somewhere. This interview is the complete conversation.   Dan also openly reveals the vocal health issues he’s been dealing with. "I managed to put all of the stress in my body, into my jaw. I’m dealing with it now. There’s a softer touch to the vocal delivery” Complete interview on Mulligan Stew Podcast and the Terry David Mulligan YouTube channel.  

Juno Couch:  a luxurious seating area where artists may gather during Juno Weekend and exchange opinions, questions and minor insults. All for the entertainment of music fans everywhere. Music can also be played from the stage conveniently located right next to the Couches. Just for the record, the Juno Couch only happens when the awards are hosted in Alberta. It's been co-hosted by Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo – except for this year. Year one was in the bar lobby of the Hotel MacDonald, Year two was in a restaurant at the base of the Calgary Tower and Year Three was on the streets of Calgary. Just over a week ago, Edmonton hosted the Junos Awards. Right across the street from the Juno home base was CKUA Radio. A perfect home for the Juno Couch because we already had two couches and a performance area. Jim Cuddy was playing Juno Cup hockey to raise funds for Music Counts—Canada’s music education charity. Jim made a guest appearance from the rink via The Net. My co-hosts this year were Tom Wilson (Blackie and the R

The Oscar Awards are always one of the stand out events of any year! This year is no exception.  It is, after all,  the year following The Slap!! Oscars  take place Sunday March 12 Live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. For many delightful  years I was the co-host and then host of Movie Television for CityTV. The key to the success of MT across Canada and around the World was the support staff. We talked film 24-7. That’s what I wanted to recapture with this Episode of The  Mulligan Stew Podcast. Film fans and film friends just riffing  thoughts and calling out the possible winner of various awards.   Actor/Actress Supporting actor/actress Director Screenplays Adapted Screenplay Film of the year   Our guests and my dear friends are – Lorraine Clark – Associate Producer Alfred Tonna – Post Production Director & Segment Producer. Dan Duford – Producer. Between we four, we have visited 100’s of film sets capturing the story of the film and 1000’s of media junket interviews with the stars. Have a listen an

There’s really no such thing as an overnight success! Dreams can be experienced but it takes the work of time to find the crossroads between dreams and reality. The Bros. Landreth dreamt of making music, just like their Dad Wally in Winnipeg. Wally wanted that too because he kept spinning vinyl at home,  like a music teacher. But no schlock..only the good stuff. Little Feat, The Eagles, Neil Young, CS&Nash, and Bonnie Raitt. Years later the Brothers are playing at the Winnipeg Folk Festival when they were approached by the headliner – none other than Bonnie Raitt. She asked if they would send her songs to record because they reminded her of her friend Lowell George from Little Feat. David and Joey Landreth wrote and rejected many songs. They felt they weren’t up to Bonnie's standards but eventually – again years later – they sent a song they had recorded Made up mind. Just so happens it’s the same song Bonnie heard them play and she said – that’s the song. Two years later the boys hear from friends in Nas

Legendary artist/producer/songwriter Booker T Jones takes us through his life and music on The Stew and Podcast and YouTube. Leading the house band at Stax records in Memphis. Working with Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Rufus Thomas, and Wilson Pickett. Also, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young, backing Otis at the Monterey Pop Festival and leading his own band Booker T and the MG’s.  His thoughts on the most memorable person he met and his induction into The  Rock Hall of Fame. Lots of stories and music to go with it. Booker leads a 10-piece Stax Revue Band on stage at Jack Singer Hall Saturday, Feb 25.  

Terry Wickham, long-time Producer of Edmonton Folk Fest responds to the possible demise of the Vancouver Folk Fest and how it may affect other Festivals. He also talks about the state of today's touring industry. Off stage and on. Let’s face it, music production and essential business is changing rapidly. Costs are skyrocketing. Artists are finding new and creative ways to make a living and extend their careers. Will your favorite festival still be up and running by the Summer? Have a listen. Is there anyone or anything that can save Vancouver Folk Festival? Maybe it’s you.

Jimmy will be so proud! His Mom and Dad are guesting on the  Mulligan Stew Podcast. Jimmy is the 10-year-old son of Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet of Whitehorse. Jimmy likes the music his Mom and Dad make so much that he’s sitting in on drums during house rehearsals. Luke and Melissa have just released their 8th album I’m not crying You’re crying. What started as a possible lockdown country covers project quickly turned into writing their own songs, as though they were writing and singing in the 70s. In Nashville. What’s best about this album is they sound like they’ve been writing and singing country all their musical life. Which is what they did. When they met and started Whitehorse it was as a country band. So, they’ve come full circle. Through the blues and back into country. This podcast tells the tales of those years and their relationship. It’s a winner and so are Jimmy’s parental unit. www.whitehorsemusic.ca

Two Words – Jann Arden Long time friend. A completely singular artist. In concert she’ll have you laughing so hard it will be through tears. Then she sings – man does she sing – and you’ll find yourself freely flowing more tears. I have been blessed to have had a close-up focus on this life and career. For over 35 years Jann and I have crossed paths and occasionally stopped to talk with a microphone between us. While I was busy telling music and film stories Jann was nominated for 19 Junos – Winning 8. Won MuchMusic awards and now is on Canada’s Walk of Fame. She’s been acting, hosting, judging, recording, and touring with her small group and with orchestras large and small. Basically, with the support and guidance of manager Bruce Allen, Jann Arden has become a Canadian Super Star. These two interviews are from our archives. The first is from April 2016 – at the Junos in Calgary where she was co-hosting. I attended a press conference and she was completely surrounded by the media ..so I went off to the corne