Hi everyone, welcome to another episode of The Talk Music Podcast!
This episode is a particularly special one for me on a personal level, as I take a trip back to my days as an A&R scout for RCA Records in New York —when I had the incredible opportunity to work closely with none other than GENE SIMMONS.
During that time, I discovered and signed the rock band GYPSY ROSE out of Sarnia. I eventually went on to manage the band and co-produce their debut album PREY alongside my longtime friend Gary Furniss—who, for the past 32 years, has served as President of Sony Publishing in Canada. My guest for this episode is the unique sounding gravel-voiced singer songwriter from that album, MICHAEL ROSS.
In our conversation, Michael and I dig deep into how we first met, how we ultimately connected with Gene himself and how I secured getting Gypsy Rose signed to RCA and Simmons Records. We also share our experiences working with him as the executive producer of Prey—and what it was really like collaborating and hanging out with Gene behind the scenes.
Before we get into our deep dive, I’ll be featuring a clip of the album’s single “Poisoned by Love.” At the time, the video had gone into heavy rotation on MTV and the song was beginning to climb the U.S. charts… until, suddenly, everything came to a halt.
It’s a fascinating story from a time when rock ruled the airwaves, CDs were selling in the millions, and MTV could change a band’s life overnight. A must-listen for anyone who remembers the golden age of rock.
Enjoy!
","author_name":"Tom (Toomas) Treumuth"}