John Gjerdrum

There’s no denying that songs are built on the human experience, and few things are more universal than the sky above us. What’s a great song that has SUN or MOON in the title?

If your life had a walk-on song every time you made an entrance, what would it be? I’m going with “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”.

Who is your favourite session musician? Some of the most popular bands and artists have used session musicians. The Stones, Beatles, Steely Dan and the Byrds are a few that have made their music even more memorable by hiring session musicians. My pick…Nicky Hopkins.

What’s a great song that mentions a type of food or drink in the lyrics? Most songs seem to be about love and heartbreak, but food and drink show up in lyrics more than you’d think.

In your opinion, who is the most influential female recording artist of your generation? There’s no doubt that women have shaped the course of music history, not only as songwriters, musicians or vocalists but as innovators, producers and business leaders.

The Who had a reputation for being one of the loudest during live performances. It didn’t help that when I saw them in 75’ at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, I was about a hundred feet away from the speakers. My ears rang for days. What’s the loudest concert you’ve ever been to?

Every time the topic of one-hit wonders comes up, the first song that I think of is Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum. Released late 1969, the organic percussion and the heavily distorted electric guitar had me wanting more. What’s another great one-hit wonder?

Your younger self is blasting what song in the car right now? Mixed cassette tapes was my choice, so it was never one particular artist. But, every time I see this question, I recall AC/DC’s Back in Black album blasting from almost every passing car. Those were fun times.

I got in the car yesterday and instead of tuning into all-news radio, I decided to switch to my local classic rock radio station. I was barely out of the driveway when Highway Star came on. This might just be the ultimate driving song. What’s your ultimate driving song?

Which albums recording sessions do you wish you could have attended? Due to a fire at the Montreux Casino, Deep Purple was forced to move to the Grand Hotel, where they recorded in the corridors and hallways. The result was Machine Head, one of my all-time favourite albums.

You CAN’T use BLACK or WHITE! What’s a great song that has a colour in the title?