Hellfire: January 2023

Monday, January 30, 2023

Hell's Kitchen Radio #505: Brothers Hellberg Rejoice!

Listen in right HERE

Listen into all my shows here!
Subscribe to my show, via

Well 2023 is starting out a bit how 2022 ended: a bit sour. My dad passed in late December, which was a real kick in the gonads, after which I was happy to see 2022 fade away. And now the first few weeks of 2023 have seen the passing of Jeff Beck, David Crosby, Tom Verlaine and more. It's starting to feel a bit how 2016 when so many musical heroes passed starting with David Bowie.

What else does 2023 have in store for us all?

Let the music play!

I invited my buddy, rock photographer Jay Blakesberg into the studio to talk about his history knowing and photographing David Crosby, and to play the music we both grew up on. There's a lot of Crosby-related tunes sprinkled throughout the show, interlaced with our colorful conversation.

Jay is nothing if he isn't a fine conversationalist.

He also was kind enough to bring a copy of his remarkable new coffee table book, RetroBlakesberg, full of photos all taken on film. I love that so many of the shows from the 80s and 90s in the Bay Area I actually attended!!!

Go to his site and check out the book. Pick up a copy. You'll be so happy you did. And if you're on Instagram, be certain to follow him.

Jay gives good radio too. I think we're going to make this a quarterly thing. That is, unless another legendary rock star dies before then. Where's Keith and Iggy? I'm seeing Iggy in a few months, so he better hold on.

Enjoy and please share.

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

Follow me on Facebook
Follow Radio Valencia on Facebook
Follow me on Instagram

Music is Love: David Crosby
Cowboy Movie: David Crosby
Long Time Gone: CSN

Interview with Jay Blakesberg

Wooden Ships: Jefferson Airplane
California: Joni Mitchell

Interview with Jay Blakesberg

Cowgirl in the Sand: Neil Young
Have You Seen the Stars Tonight: Jefferson Starship

Interview with Jay Blakesberg

Almost Cut My Hair: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
Helplessly Hoping: Crosby, Stills and Nash
Late for the Sky: Jackson Browne

Interview with Jay Blakesberg

Triad: David Crosby and Graham Nash
Lather: Jefferson Airplane
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes: Crosby, Stills and Nash

Interview with Jay Blakesberg

Guinnevere: Crosby, Stills and Nash

Monday, January 23, 2023

Hell's Kitchen Radio #504: People Like Us

Listen in right HERE

Listen into all my shows here!
Subscribe to my show, via

Here's my show from this past Monday night. It's been a challenging few weeks since my dad passed away. I like getting my shows posted within a couple of days after broadcast, but you'll have to forgive me for being so late with this.

As always I take two hours and throw pretty much everything at it.

What have you been listening to lately? Where are you getting your musical inspiration from?

This coming Monday night, January 30th tune in for my guest, rock photographer Jay Blakesberg. We'll be talking about the late David Crosby and more.

Enjoy and please share.

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

Follow me on Facebook
Follow Radio Valencia on Facebook
Follow me on Instagram

Basketball Jones: Cheech and Chong
Swing 42: Django Reinhardt
Trouble in Mind: Janis Joplin and Jorma Kaukonen

Regimental Sgt. Zippo: Elton John
3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds: Jefferson Airplane

God Bless The Child: Kenny Burrell
The Diamond Sea: Sonic Youth

Cryo For Freedom: Larry Boothroyd's Remote Communion
Woke Up Dead: JD Pinkus
I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier, Mama: John Lennon

Hot Rod Lincoln: Bill Kirchen
They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore: Kinky Friedman
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight: Bob Dylan

Back Seat Betty: Miles Davis
London: Angel Bat Dawid

Laughing: David Crosby
Pasties and a G-String: Andre Williams
In That Great Gettin' Up In The Morning: The New Gospel Keys

John Hell's Live Bootleg Bonanza - Monday 6-8PM Pacific - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (In Tribute) - 1969

John Hell's Live Bootleg Bonanza

Monday's 6-8PM Pacific
http://radiovalencia.fm

DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW RIGHT HERE!!!

Shoot, two tributes in a row here on the Live Bootleg Bonanza. And this one really stings. I grew up loving Crosby, Stills and Nash, with and without Young. David Crosby's personality has always made me chuckle. I love that he was acutely aware that he was a cantankerous sort, and was OK with that. He knew his own misgivings and made peace with it many years ago.

I also love that he was such a huge fan of Jerry Garcia. I know after the 1970 "If I Could Only Remember My Name" sessions he wanted to join the Grateful Dead. He also knew there was absolutely no place for him in that band. It's like he was being a fanboy about it.

I got to see him a week or so after he was released from prison in 1986, perform at the very first Bridge School benefit. Crosby was shaved bald and had a huge grin the whole show. I had just turned 16, and I went with one of the custodians from my high school that I used to hang out and get stoned with. I think the statute of limitations has run out on that one. HA!

I love that he was tweeting the day before he died. I almost have this sensation that he walked side-by-side with Death, as if to say "OK, let's go", stood up out of his chair and walked out the door.

I hope he's rocking out with so many of his long lost musical friends. Maybe now he and Jerry can jam into eternity?

I start out tonight with some filler from a David and the Dorks show at the Matrix in San Francisco, recorded during Crosby's solo record sessions at Wally Heider studios in December 1970. This show features Crosby on guitar and vocals, Jerry Garcia on guitar and vocals, Phil Lesh on bass, Mickey Hart on drums.

Lineage: KSAN-FM broadcast - Cyprus Remastered 2014

For the headlining show I want you to enjoy this really amazing, and very rare show, September 13, 1969, recorded by an audience member with perfect mic placement. CSN and Y were not even mentioned in the publicity for this small show at the Big Sur Folk Festival at Esalen. Joni Mitchell headlined. This show features Dallas Taylor on bass and Greg Reeves on drums.

The story goes that a guy and his girlfriend recorded this with a microphone on a wooden pole near the PA and they had a reel-to-reel (possibly an Ampex) tape recorder.

Lineage: Source: Audience > 3rd gen Reel > (unknown gen) DAT (48)

Transfer: DAT 60ES > M-Audio Audiophile USB > CD WAV > Goldwave - Resampling 44.1, minor edits and normalization to 100% > CD WAV tracking and Flac conversion

You can find my mostly-complete list of live shows right here. Have a request? Leave a comment.

Support these bands. Buy their officially released music and merch, and never ever sell live bootlegs. These are for trade only.

Stick around for my weekly music mix: Hell's Kitchen Radio, Mondays 8-10PM Pacific.

Enjoy and pay it forward.

Follow me on Facebook
Follow Radio Valencia on Facebook
Follow me on Instagram

Sunday, January 22, 2023

On The Turntable: 2022

So what did John Hell listen to in 2022? As always there was a lot of sonic goodness that came out this past year; some brand new releases, remastered sets, box sets, and rare delights. I have not included everything I added to my library, only 2022 releases. Nor have I included the hundreds of live bootlegs I downloaded.

Click on the image and go buy the record.

What music turned you on in 2022? Leave me a comment please.

Tune in Monday's 8-10PM PST to listen to all of this and more.

New releases (NOT in alphabetical order):

Tom Petty - Live at the Fillmore

Ty Segall - Hello, Hi

The Doors - Paris Blues

ZZ Top - Raw

Othered - Vol. 1

The Bogie Band Featuring Joe Russo

Oh Sees - A Foul Form

Orchestre Massako

Neil Young - Toast

Neil Young - World Record

Molly Tuttle - Crooked Tree

Neil Young and The Promise of the Real

Lou Reed - Words and Music

Mavis Staples and Levon Helm

Larry Boothroyd - Remote Communion

Lou Reed - I'm So Free

Jimi Hendrix Experience - LA Forum

Kikagaku Moyo - Kumoyo Island

Janis Joplin and Jorma Kaukonen

JD Pinkus - Fungus Shui

Frank Zappa - Erie

Iggy Pop - Free

Fantastic Negrito

Frank Zappa - '75 Zagreb/Ljubljana

Elvix Costello - Rusty

Eric Clapton - Nothing But the Blues

Dumb Numbers and Melvins

Elton John - Regimental Sgt. Zippo

David Bowie - Moonage Daydream

David Bowie - Toy

CCR - Live at Royal Albert Hall

Crosby and Nash - Another Stoney Evening

Boris and Endon - Eros

Buddy Guy - Blues Don't Lie

Bob Marley - June 3, 1977

Bob Marley and Chineke Orchestra

Bob Marley - June 1, 1977

Allman Brothers Band - Syria Mosque 1971

The Beatles - Get Back Rooftop Performance

Rolling Stones - El Mocambo 1977

The Bobby Lees - Bellevue

Peter Rowan

Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder - Get On Board

Willie Nelson - A Beautiful Time

Paul McCartney - 7" Singles

Pink Floyd - Hey, Hey Rise Up
Roger Waters - The Lockdown Sessions

Helms Alee- Keep This Be The Way

2022 Remasters:

The Clash - Combat Rock
Michael Jackson - Thriller

Prince and the Revolution - Live
DiMeola, McLaughlin, DeLucia

Pink Floyd - Animals
Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus
Muddy Waters
Floyd's Guitar Blues

John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite

Chick Corea - The Montreux Years
Ella Fitzgerald Live at Montreux

John Coltane - Blue Train
The Beatles - Beatles For Sale

2022 Anniversary Releases (all of these include many extras, including demos, alternate takes, alternate mixes, and live versions):

Neil Young - Harvest
50th Anniversary
Elton John - Madmen Across the Water
50th Anniversary