NEW ARTICLE in UK MAGAZINE: September 09
RODNEY BINGENHEIEMER posted by P.i.X on the 11/09/09
K-Roq, LA’s no.1 radio station has been home to Rodney’s radio show since 1976. He has been responsible for breaking the careers of Joan Jett, David Bowie, The New York Dolls, Siouxie and the Banshees, The Sex Pistols, The Gogos and more recently Kasabian. Rodney talked to me about his baptism into rock ‘n’ roll and his current passions.Rodney Bingenheimer has his own star on Hollywood Boulevard right outside the knitting factory...Rodney On The Roq... yeah!
The P.i.X- What was your first outing into rock ‘n’ roll?
Going to the Beach Boys concert in San Jose. The Rolling Stones were playing there too and I just thought wow!
How did you get to be at the recording of River Deep Mountain High?
I was doing errands and stuff at Gold Star Studios, I was working for Sonny and Cher, which was one of my first jobs. I was down at Wallichs Music City in Hollywood and I bumped into Brian Wilson and I said, ‘Phil Spector is recording down at Gold Star do you wanna come with me?’ So we went and they were recording River Deep Mountain High… yeah… it was amazing and Mick Jagger was there too!
You opened Rodney’s English Disco in the early seventies and pioneered glam rock how did that happen? Can you tell me about your club?
It was the only English disco in L.A, we were serving English beer and steak and kidney pie, it was for all ages but a lot of the regular club kids were really young. I only played English music except Iggy, Alice Cooper, Suzi Quatro and the New York Dolls, stuff like that and they all used to come to the club too... The English stuff I played was lots of David Bowie, T Rex and The Sweet...Keith Moon used to hang out at the club a lot and he used to like to dress up in a Gestapo Nazi uniform and go crazy when I played surf music like Jan and Dean or the Beach Boys!
Joan Jett did an interview for the P.i.X!
She did? I was just on set with Joan Jett and Cherie Curie; they're making a movie about The Runaways and there’s someone playing me and my club is featured. Joan Jett used to be one of the regular club kids she was sixteen and really a huge fan of Suzi Quatro and Cherie Curie (The Runaways singer). She went on to be an actress and was in the Twilight Zone, Foxes and most importantly This Is Spinal Tap!
Legend... This movie is the making of her book Neon Angel its starring Kristen Stewart Dakota Fanning and Riley Keough, Elvis’ granddaughter.
Didn’t Elvis come to your club?
Yeah that was overwhelming, really magic he was very nice it was like seeing god or something, he was surrounded by body guards we had to close the club for him, Suzi Quatro was on the tables singing All Shook Up.
You love Suzi Quatro?
Yes! She and Alice Cooper had two of the best songwriting partnerships ever- Mike Chapman (also Blondie’s producer) and Nicky Chinn. I meet up with Mike Chapman regularly at Canters Deli as he’s always on the lookout for new bands to work with.
You love girl singers?
I like guys bands too, I like Kasabian (Rodney sings a little bit of Kasabian’s Fire which I enjoy) and I like the Arctic Monkeys and Tinted Windows.
You made some t-shirts with 3 girls wearing tight clothes?
Oh that’s Lori Maddox, Sable Starr and Nancy. I was dating Nancy; they were the regular club girls. There’s this great company that are doing copies of original designs worn by rock stars in the seventies… wornfree.com
Who would you say is the most rock ‘n’ roll person you know?
Oh ...Joey Ramone was a great collector of rock ‘n’ roll music ...Joey and Johnny Ramone.
Would you say you’ve been to rock ‘n’ roll high school?
Ha – ha! I’m in the movie... I’m driving the Ramones around a limousine.
Thank you Rodney!
myspace.com/rodneyontheroq
words – Louise Prey
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Today, as always, Rodney represents the young. He plays music you can't hear anywhere else in America on the radio - local L.A. artists, punk, imports, and psychedelic 60's music; and he supports it with his continuous involvement in the L.A. and world-music scenes. In short, the key to Rodney Bingenheimer's success is his Janus-like ability to recognize the past - while always looking toward the future in music.
tune in every Sunday night from Midnight till Three! (PST)
In the Los Angeles area turn your radio station dial to 106.7FM KROQ
And streaming on the web WWW.KROQ.com
check your times zones
pacific time- midnight till three
eastern time 3:00am till 6:00 am
London - 8:00 am -11:00am
And call Rodney to make a request during the show. It is a LIVE SHOW, so please call in! Even though not EVERY song requested can be played, Rodney DOES try to get your requests on the radio! In the greater Los Angeles area call 520-1067 or 1-800-520- 1067
And if you're out of state and streaming on the web you can call 1-323-520-1067
So if you have a band you would like to pitch to Rodney, you should just mail it to Rodney care of KROQ. He will have it physically in his hands maybe a week or longer after you post it. And Comments too! Please leave both though. We love mail :) And we really love all the great comments we have been receiving :)
Everyone has been great!
But please remember to leave room for everyone. Don't fill up comments with self promotion or SPAM cause truly it's just not fair to all those who leave funny jokes and nice comments. We will delete all self promotion no matter who puts it up, sorry..
Send all band cd's to Rodney care of KROQ at:
KROQ
5901 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Click here to visit:
SPEECH BY THE BANGLES at Rodney's Star Ceremony
Video by Penny Lane
Rodney with Sam, Paulie and the Bangles
Rodney and family Zelda, and Sharon(thanks to "Leenylulu" for these pix)!
PRESS RELEASE!! Rodney RECEIVED his OWN star on Hollywood Boulevard on March 9th at 11:30 a.m. (in front of the Knitting Factory). THANKS to ALL of you for your bulletins, blogs, videos and pics!
The concert SOLD OUT at the Henry Fonda Theater.
Who I'd like to meet: With the Bangles. Photo by Nancy Saltzman
The Bangles With a Cosmo Topper in the background. Photo by Nancy Saltzman
And to see more pictures of Rodney visit www.wireimage.com. They have great pics of him at premieres and events =)
Rodney! Thanks for making a dream come true! I heard you play my song OLD SCHOOL DANCE tonight on your show, thanks for the support and I can't wait to meet you. All the best, Moon Trent
Rodney your such a GODHEAD! :) hey can you check out my music please http://www.myspace.com/highestechelonpossible that woul a great deal to me without you the commercial music landscape would suck thank you soo much Rodney! <3
From Mike Chapman's DREAMLAND label, 1980. Never got a CD reissue, this once had an original video (but Mike is apparently clueless about those) that aired on Video Concert Hall and this is the first I've even seen any audio!
hey, Rodney, I saw you drivin' down Fountain Ave. the other day. If i would have recognized you earlier I would have waved hi, or maybe even jumped in front of your cool vintage ride.
Could you imagine the front page of the Times? "Rodney B runs over adoring fan...."
YOU have Been MY GREAT FRIEND!! and theres NO Where Id Rather BE!! ***THANK YOU RODNEYYYYY *BIGGEST HUGS & BEST WISHES ALL 2010 & BEYOND!!!! **THANK YOU!!!!!***
Rodney, you are so cool. I used to listen to you back in the mid-late Eighties. Loved the music you brought over from England. I don't like how KROQ turned out but it doesn't matter because I live in Washington now. Thanks for sharing your coolness to the world. :)
**THANK YOU!!!!!***
