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Articles by Steve Swift
Terry Funk: Hardcore Legend, Softcore Crooner
The sadly-missed Terry Funk famously advised us to ‘Fight Forever’. He didn’t say ‘Sing Forever’ and this album is a good example of why. Not much is known about ‘Great Texan’. It was released in 1984 on the Invitation label which was a Japanese record imprint and it’s packed full of Japanese musicians. The music is played to a high standard. It’s the songs which are the issue.
WrestleMania III book is bigger than the big event
Keith Elliot Greenberg needs no introduction and yet I seem to be embarking on one. This is a man who has written so regularly and eloquently on wrestling for WWF Magazine, The Village Voice, Maxim and many others. He’s an author too, with books on John Lennon’s murder, the cult of the death of James Dean and an unpublished book about the Iron Sheik which many wish was available.
Samantha Irvin drops a musical love letter on Valentine's Day
Sometimes we want our stars to remain unchanged, don’t we? We don’t want to stymie their personal or professional growth. But sometimes we just feel more comfortable when they’re just doing what we’re used to seeing them doing, being what we’re used to them being. For the past few years, Samantha Irvin (real name Samantha Johnson) was a well-loved WWE ring announcer. And then, in late 2024, she stopped. Fans wanted to know why. There’s a simple answer, and one that’s also more complicated.
Ho, ho, ho all the way through Taya’s ‘L.A. Christmas’
There are many who think Taya Valkyrie is not utilized enough in AEW. Many others can be added to that list; it’s a crowded area and there isn’t much rotation, so some will be in shadow. There are many ways to deal with this. Some include: Work your way to main event status Ask for your release Don’t ask for your release but grouse about it Get more eyes on your product And that last point is about putting more eyes on you. In this reality TV world, its often you that gets sold, not what you can do.
Is the Leila Grey track a ‘Baddie’?
Leila Grey is a wrestling success story, from Ohio Valley Wrestling to a feature player in AEW and she’s only been doing it for three years. But is she a “Baddie”? Musically, that is. Now, I’ll admit I’m not a fan of Jade Cargill and after aligning herself with her as one of her Baddies supporters, her departure to WWE may well have put a crimp in her style. She bears no grudge, as Grey told ThePopBreak.com: “I am very happy for Jade.
‘One Fall To A Finish’ finishes trilogy on British wrestling
“Harry Potter! That’s what I remember first about Greg Lambert. The chant that rang around the sports hall every time Greg “The Truth” Lambert appeared, fresh-faced and sporting a pair of round glasses. This was the early 2000s at Horwich Leisure Centre near Bolton, North West of the UK and FWA were delivering the wrestling. Greg Lambert was a heel, a mouthpiece, a cowardly manager and we loved to hate him. That was FWA and for a time, it was brilliant.
Revisiting WWF’s ‘The Wrestling Album’ track by track
My father yells, “What you gonna do with your life?” And there he is. It’s the video to Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and that man wagging his finger at her is Lou Albano. Captain Lou Albano, WWF well-loved manager. And he’s there because of the Rock ’n’ Wrestling connection. Now, this piece isn’t about that, its about a certain musical WWF product of variable quality. But it’s important to put it in context. That context is about… Legitimacy. Yes, legitimacy.
‘WrestleMania XL: Behind the Curtain’ needed more Cody
Ooh, it’s finally here! WrestleMania XL: Behind the Curtain! The WWE shows us the mechanics of matchmaking and interpersonal wrestling relationships! It does, to a certain extent as would be expected, and this hour-long YouTube documentary, released on July 3, is as dry as the Gobi Desert. If only there was more Cody Rhodes, he understands the human story here as he’s right in the middle of it, the rest is business. You’ll know the story, surely.
Just who is Sexyy Red and why was she on NXT?
Sexyy Red was at NXT on Tuesday night. There was lots of hype ahead of time: “One of music’s biggest stars is coming to NXT when rapper Sexyy Red makes her way to the WWE Performance Center.” But it begs many questions, including … Is She A Big Event? Billboard seemed to think so, writing, “As hip-hop celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, Sexyy Red became a dominant force in the cultural conversation around the genre and where it’s headed next,” in a story from January 2024.
The Iron Sheik would appreciate Rikishi’s new song
“Hip Hop music has always been a part of my life. When I started my wrestling journey, I always had a tape playing in the car on the road from city to city. As I start this new adventure in music, I wanted to pay homage to the hip hop and reggae artists that motivated me through the years.” This from the X account of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi Fatu: Hip Hop music has always been apart of my life.
NASCAR on NBC podcast: Atlanta: A wild night in the rain; William Byron’s amazing run and good fit with Rudy Fugle; how long will the great racing last on the new surface? on Apple Podcasts
NASCAR on NBC analyst Steve Letarte on the strategic stress that Cup crew chiefs faced with thunderstorms looming at Atlanta Motor Speedway; why teams’ “war rooms” now need to include amateur meteorologists; race winner William Byron’s impressive rally from 36th to first; the championship-caliber partnership of Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle; why Kyle Larson’s right-front tire exploded; NASCAR’s decision to hold the yellow flag; how long can Atlanta’s new pavement produce such high-quality...
My First Job: Steve Swift Original
What was your first job? Worked on my grandparents’ dairy farm growing up, first job outside of that was for JA Street and Associates as a carpenter (while finishing college) then as a project manager. How did you get your first job? Needed a job while in college, my brother-in-law was a superintendent for JA Street and needed help, so I started working as a carpenter’s helper. How long did you work there? I worked for JASA for eight years total before moving to Speedway Motorsports.
See For Me: A Terrifically Taut Thriller
Sometimes we don’t have to have an auteur, post ironic, pastiche piece. Sometimes we just need a damn good thriller and that’s exactly what See For Me gives you. Not that it doesn’t have directorial flourishes and themes to enjoy, but it’s the thrills that keep you engaged from beginning to end. Sophie was a promising downhill skier, until blindness took her dreams away.
The New Magnum Album Tells Us The Monster Roars
Magnum have nothing to prove. Songwriter and guitarist Tony Clarkin with vocalist Bob Catley will have been at it for 50 years this year—with a five year gap in the middle, but impressive. They’ve had the hard-to-musically-place years, the successful years and the knowing what they’re good at years. The Early Years Those first Magnum albums, 1978’s Kingdom Of Madness, II and Marauder were chock full of ideas, some Rock, some Hard Rock, some Prog and a big dollop of Pomp.
It's Taken 40 Years For Michael James Pollard's Two One One
Recently I spoke to Michael James Pollard about being discovered for his music 40 years on. It’s worth a look, Michael’s fun to read. As a precis, Michael received a call out of the blue one day from someone who had found a cassette in a charity shop. It had Michael James Pollard on it, and when he read the song titles to him, he got excited, because he produced the music in 1982 and only sent two tapes out—one to John Peel and one to Kid Jensen.
A Triumph: Arena Pleasers Open the Vaults
Triumph are often forgotten in Rock, aren’t they? There are those other Canadian rockers, what are they called, Tush? Thrush? Anyway, they’re so much more popular than those Triumph boys. Aren’t they? Now I love Rush as well and there has to be space for two ’70s and ’80s Canadian successes. Because Triumph were a success.
David Gedge Talks About The Wedding Present's 24 Songs
24 Songs it is, then; ‘I think it would put a lot of bands off, really.’ David Gedge is right. The precision. The different writing feel. The oddness. Some bands wouldn’t take a project like 24 Songs on. But some bands aren’t The Wedding Present. And some bands are not led by David Gedge, who constantly challenges himself. So What Is 24 Songs? It’s a 7 inch single every month. The Wedding Present have sort of done this before with Hit Parade, but this is different, this is a subscription.
Rush Album Moving Pictures Gets Some More Pictures
Alternate Moving Pictures — What Moving Pictures? It’s a seminal Rush album. You know Rush, the marvellously long-lasted band who moved from Prog to ’80s almost and back to Prog with a little bit of Pop. Moving Pictures was their first number 1 in their homeland of Canada. It went to number 3 in the album charts both in the US and the UK. But more than that. It was an album which moved the band somewhere else.
Mensa Deathsquad Run Towards the Light
Sorry, I don’t smoke. When he asks you if you’ve got a light, that’s not what he means. The he is Brandon Phillips. The band is Mensa Deathsquad. This single is “Light,” but it isn’t. It’s called Electronic Darkwave, but it isn’t that either. So What Is It? There’s that bubbly, b-boy synth bass backing and coaxing vocal, easing in a needling guitar—could be a bit of Post Punk as the vocals become more concerned and start to list real or imagined slights. The chorus?
Best In Show : The MacGuffin Makes It
Stop Naming Nuts! That’s what Harlan Pepper’s mother used to shout at him. He’s so credulous, his rather hangdog features mimic his bloodhound Hubert’s face rather well. Harlan is a simple soul, but that isn’t to pass judgement on him. He has an interest, which is right at the centre of Best In Show. Harlan is a gentle, happy, wonderful soul. And there’s a cast full of them in Christopher Guest’s Best In Show.
"Is It Safe?" Marathon Man's Interrogation Scene
Think of Marathon Man and one thing may come to mind. Is it safe? Yes, it’s very safe, it’s so safe you wouldn’t believe it. Is it safe? No, it’s not safe at all, it’s…very dangerous…. Fear of dentists, isn’t it? That’s what people say? Like this Falkirk Herald writer? “I’ve been scared of dentists ever since my childhood experience at the hands of an evil old blighter.” I too was terrified in my childhood by my dentist.
The Ritualists Make Being Baroque And Bleeding Sound Good
We need to be Baroque & Bleeding. We need the Ritualists. We’re just not sure. We don’t feel strong. We feel our own mortality. Don’t we, at the moment? Not all of us, but a lot. Our artistic life is so important, so vital to our lives and music seems central to that, as Pitchfork said: At the peak of the pandemic, musicians and fans on the precipice of boredom adapted to a new normal in the most natural way they could: by organizing and creating.
Michael James Pollard: Discovered After Forty Years
Michael James Pollard takes my photos. Well, he used to when I was an actor. I thought I might have some new photos of my new face (long story) done recently and he was the only photographer in mind. And he told me an extraordinary story. A story of being discovered. 40 years late. Credit; self portait “I’ve just checked, it was March last year.” He still sounds amazed.
Tom Morello: The Atlas Underground Flood
You have to admire Tom Morello. Well, it’s not a law or anything, but since Rage Against the Machine ended, this singular guitarist has not stunted himself in musical exploration. There’s the Classic Rock and Indie meld of Audioslave, his fabulous rap collaboration with Boots Riley, Street Sweeper Social Club and Rap Rock conflagration Prophets of Rage. That just scratches the surface.
We Are Scientists Tell Us How They Got Huffy
We Are Scientists have just released their best album. Well, I think so anyway. It’s called Huffy and you like their danceable style, you’ll surely be in your element. So I asked Keith Murray, the vocaliser and guitarist of WAS how delighted he was. He laughs. ‘It’s pretty easy for us to delight ourselves,’ he accepts. ‘I think we’re too close to this one right now to be terribly objective about it, but it does feel like a particularly satisfying record for us.
The Darkness' Motorheart Goes Through the Gears
There’s a difference between having fun and making comedy. The Darkness are doing the former but not the latter. That needs to be mentioned because so many people discount them as a laugh. Background Mind you, Lowestoft’s finest haven’t done themselves any favours. Huge success with the debut, Permission To Land, huge arrogance in the overblown, apparently drug-fuelled One Way Ticket To Hell…And Back and internal divisions.
Gov't Mule Make Light Work Of A Heavy Load
This has an inevitability about it. When you’re a great exponent of Southern Rock with a dash of Funk on the side, the Blues are never far away and Gov’t Mule have visited it in Heavy Load Blues. With real class. Band mainman Warren Hayes told the Gov’t Mule website, ‘For me, personally, it’s kind of been on my list of things to do for years’. He also reveals that it could have been a solo or Mule record. It’s important that it’s an album in the Gov’t Mule canon. It continues their journey.
Mute: A Short Film That's Long On Quality
‘Panties, panties, panties..’ So says Monette in Mute: he’s enjoying the telling of a tale. Perhaps a little too much, because this is not just any tale: this is a confession. Mute is a 23 minute film based on Stephen King’s short story, a story which spoke to director Kyle Dunbar. His intention wasn’t to mess too much with the original, ‘being a devout fan I wanted to make one of his stories and render it justice with the right cast’ he says.
ABBA Release Voyage --- But Is It an Arrival?
ABBA have nothing to prove at this point, do they? Benny said so himself. They have huge sales, they’ve crisscrossed the globe doing it live and their songwriting craft is now revered in certain quarters. But it isn’t just about the music. This is a soap opera. 40 years since the last ABBA album The Visitors and they are back with Voyage. And there’s more than just a reunion. They were in relationships. From the ‘I Still Have Faith In You’ video Which didn’t endure. That personal story will delight some.
Nick Vivid: A Well Kept Secret No More
Nick Vivid walks to his own beat. Exhibit A: new album No More Secrets. What is it? Loads of things. Dance. New Wave Funk. New Soul. Singer songwriter styles. And it really works. If takes self belief to shrug at the prevailing musical trends and do your own thing. Not sure Nick Vivid even saw them. As he says, ‘For years, I was miserable chasing the dreams and ideals of others.’ The pandemic helped him musically.
Carry On, Wayward Son: Will Ferrell's Comedy And Infantilism
“This guy could not hold my jock sweat.” “I could hold it all day long, try me!” This is not two schoolkids squabbling. These are two Olympic figure skaters, and the exchange, from one of my favourite comedy films, Blades Of Glory, is the epitome of Will Ferrell’s comedy. Childishness in the face of high stakes: here it’s the Olympics. In Anchorman, it’s live TV. In Step Brothers, life itself and what you want it to be for you.
Salt Ashes: Killing My Mind --- The Darkness at the Edge of the Dancefloor
Salt Ashes doesn’t really care what you think about her music. That much is clear in the certainty of Killing My Mind. After all Veiga Sanchez, otherwise known as Salt Ashes, says, ‘I’ve learnt over the years to be unapologetic with music and what I want to say and to allow whatever is inside to come out.’ So what’s come out? Gloriously smooth dancefloor diamanté. Credit: Rio Carceiro Yeah, there is a lot of it about, but the name tells it like it is.
Lizzie & The Makers: Dear Onda Wahl Is a Love Letter to Music
The Bluesy riff is familiar, Lizzie & The Makers tell us. Yes, but on this second album, Dear Onda Wahl, it’s done with stunning style. Band from NYC. Release number three. Just happens to be… Brilliant. Cor! That slide is rough as a badger’ behind, a little piano under it and ghostly organ leading us to an opened out, blues drenched chorus. The guitar then wipes itself off for a cleaner slide solo—‘Lover By Proxy’ is a brilliant opener.
Warning: a Timely and Provocative Tech-Drama
In 2002 Adam Curtis produced a documentary series, The Century Of The Self. It was primarily about psychoanalysis and PR working to control crowds who can be dangerous in a time of mass democracy. ‘Warning’ absolutely knows this. Of course, that is now managed nicely by social media. This is truly the time of The Self. If psychoanalysis and PR focused on you, the consumer, social media allows it to be concentrated on you entirely.
Saudade Find Fun in Joy Division
I’ve always wanted to cover ‘Day Of The Lords.’ In my opinion it is the heaviest of Joy Division’s songs. – Randy Blythe, Lamb Of God. What’s The Deal? Saudade are an odd supergroup. Are they a supergroup? Gill Sharone from Dillinger Escape Plan, Randy, Dr Know from Bad Brains, Mickie Jayson of Cro-Mags fame, the Madeski from Madeski, Martin & Wood and Robert Thomas Jr of Weather Report. Phew! Actually, it’s a Super Supergroup. But not one we might expect.
Dashcam: An Interview with Christian Nilsson And Larry Fessenden
Dashcam is a very fine piece of work. It’s airless, claustrophobic; one of those thrillers which make you believe that everything is a conspiracy. And maybe it is. The central character, Jake, is in his apartment with his screens. He’s working his way up to being a reporter by cutting a piece together for his ass of a boss. So far, so usual for so many.
Habibi Drop EP Somewhere
This is different. Different to what Habibi, that Brooklyn based band, have given us before. They don’t do what you expect, producing an EP, Cardamon Garden, which had songs sung in Farsi. They’ve presented two albums of brittle, Psyche-touched ’60s harmony music. Their output doesn’t go many places—it’s already starting in a place you might not expect. But now they’ve gone somewhere they haven’t before. The dancefloor. That much is clear in the lamé and tinsel curtains of the press shots.
Duran Duran Celebrate Their Past But Look To The Future
Can it really be 40 years since Duran Duran broke out of the Rum Runner club and released their first album? I feel old. So think how Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor must feel with the release of Future Past. They haven’t all been together at the same time over all those years of course. And this is their 15th album, so they haven’t exactly been overworked in creating new material.
UDO Tell Us It's Game Over: This Interview Explains Why
Udo Dirkschneider is almost 70 years old. And he doesn’t figure to be suffering from Metal fatigue just yet. The Heavy Metal Icon of Accept and his own band UDO has just released his most accessible album yet. Game Over contains all the heavy hitting but has some mature melody too. Udo is an affable man with a very easy going, almost genial approach. He has a lot to be happy about. There’s that album for a start. ‘Thank you very much. I’m really happy with the album.
The Wedding Present : The Gift That Keeps On Giving --- 24 Songs
Why not a few? Why not a slew? That’s what Stephen Sondheim asked us in “More” and The Wedding Present’s David Gedge must have been listening, because he’s decided to give us a song a month. A 7″ every 30 days or so. 24 of ’em. Well, it is called 24 Songs. That’s loads. 24 songs? Over 12 months? They’ve done this sort of thing before. And it’s so good to hear they’re doing it again.
Dashcam: Is Someone Lying to Us?
Dashcam is Christian Nilsson’s first feature. He’s already racked up the number 1 movie in the US though. There’s a tale to tell about that, of course. The film is the 30 minute long Unsubscribe, available from Vimeo and a nice modern social media based scare. As Christian told me recently, he and actor Eric Tabach hit upon an idea and reverse engineered it to produce a product. That idea? It’s called four walling. During the pandemic, only a few films were in theaters, certainly no blockbusters.
The Charlotte Roval's brief but very memorable history: "Taking risks is the DNA of NASCAR"
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The Charlotte Roval's brief but very memorable history: "Taking risks is the DNA of NASCAR" Episode Summary A narrative history of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, which has become a highly anticipated stop on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit and a beacon for new tracks and future schedule changes. Episode Notes Exploring the brief but very memorable history of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval through the voices of those who helped create and raced on the dynamic road course.
By Greg Walter, Aric Almirola, Steve Swift, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Marcus Smith, Nate Ryan Verified, Mario Andretti
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Simplecast
Crest Of A Wave Stuff: The Puppet On A Chain Boat Chase
On the Scene is our new series where we take an in-depth look at particular singular scenes from films and examine their significance. In this first edition, Steve Swift takes a look at the boat chase from Geoffrey Reeve’s 1970 thriller, Puppet on a Chain, and sees how the groundwork was laid for the cinematic chase scenes that followed after it… That Live And Let Die speedboat sequence is good, isn’t it? Groundbreaking. Or is that water-breaking? Either way, it’s a bit special.
We Are Scientists Get Huffy
We Are Scientists are not prepared to do what you want. That much is certain from their albums. They’ve come from a tightly wound feel on 2005’s With Love And Squalor and 2010’s Barbara. Then they picked up a sweet ’80s feel and even split their time with Art Brut on the collaborative mess of last year’s wonderful Wasabi. Now they’ve got Huffy about it. It’s good to have the NYC duo back. They say they make music that they like and this album is full of expected music. Until it isn’t.
"Taking risks is the DNA of NASCAR" on Apple Podcasts
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40 min A narrative history of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, which has become a highly anticipated stop on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit and a beacon for new tracks and future schedule changes. 40 min Top Podcasts In Sports More by NBC Sports
By Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney, Marcus Smith Verified, Nate Ryan Verified, Mario Andretti, Aric Almirola, Steve Swift, Jimmie Johnson, Greg Walter
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Apple Podcasts
Where Does Anthony Joshua Go Next?
Where does Anthony Joshua go next? Well, according to him he gets back to training, ready for the next challenge. And that challenge is a mandatory rematch, isn’t it? Hold on there, hold on. Business says yes, of course it does. Boxing says it’s not as simple as that. If Anthony Joshua goes back into a fight with Oleksandr Usyk, I believe he will be soundly beaten. Anthony Joshua is a real athlete. A high level athlete. And he has said he wanted to beat Usyk by boxing. Bad choice.
Barry Adamson's Memoir: Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars
Barry Adamson’s memoir is called Up Above the City, Down Beneath the Stars and it couldn’t be better phrased. This a man who has risen with angels and dined with demons. You may not know him and that’s no problem. He hasn’t exactly made himself apparent. You won’t see him on Strictly Come Dancing or even in the charts. He likes the road less travelled. So why does he merit a memoir? Well, his bass will grace albums from bands you may love.
Doro Pesch Experiences Triumph and Agony Live
Sex sells. Apparently. And that, we should accept, happened somewhat in Rock and Metal in the ’80s. It still happens now. But not with Doro Pesch. She’s been playing Metal for almost 40 years. And now she’s released a live version of her most popular album, Triumph and Agony The lead singer of Warlock could have been objectified. She’s blonde. Conventionally good looking. And a woman. There weren’t many in Metal when Warlock debuted in 1984.
Melissa Etheridge Offers Us One Way Out
Melissa Etheridge is a survivor. Personally. Musically. And so it’s entirely correct for her to block off some of the exits for One Way Out—this is honest and open. And these songs from the early days that Melissa has remembered writing are just that. She’s been a success from the off and that was 33 years ago. Her self-titled debut hit 22 on the Billboard charts.
Andy Partridge 'Hello Selection' enjoyed!
Some good wrestling matches this week...just a blip... 13:51 May 14, 2021 09:09 May 4, 2021 They listened to my concern about Factions, but will it make a difference? 19:22 April 22, 2021 They just do things and forget them 5 minutes later... 13:28 April 16, 2021 2 weeks to the special 500th episode and it seemed that way... 07:32 April 6, 2021 Was last week's off the pace programme a blip?.. 06:47 March 16, 2021 At least it's not Filthy Island...
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