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Melanie, Traffic's Dave Mason and David Paton from Pilot

  1. Melanie, Traffic's Dave Mason and David Paton from Pilot Sandy Kaye 52:00

Scottish musician DAVID PATON led the band Pilot to huge success in the 70s, with two major hits, Magic and January. David talks about how he came up with the idea for both songs, what it was like working with Kate Bush and Elton John and how he gets a buzz each time his grandson reacts to hearing them.

We all know MELANIE SAFKA as the singer who became famous for her performance at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. She went in unknown and emerged a celebrity. Melanie joins me this week to tell us how terrified she was at the time. She talks about her song writing process, her frustration with the music industry and how one of her best loved songs was inspired by her experience with fasting and a vegetarian Diet.

Lauded as one of the greatest guitarists of the 60s and best known for his work with the English band Traffic, DAVE MASON discusses his work both with the band, and on his own. He tells us about his friendship with Jimi Hendrix, his experience playing with Paul McCartney, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton and about his song writing today.

Would you like to suggest a guest? All you have to do is send me your request through the website https://www.abreathoffreshair.com.au

If you like what you’re hearing join me on my facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/SandyKayePresents or on my twitter account https://twitter.com/sandykpresents  

You can also connect with me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/sandykayepresents/ or on linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandy-kaye-7b35a317/

Like to know more about David Paton and Pilot?  https://www.davidpaton.com/

To learn more about Melanie check out her page https://www.melaniesafka.com/

And to find out what Dave Mason is up to today, head for https://www.davemasonmusic.com/

I hope you enjoy this weeks’ show!

Warm regards

Sandy

Hello, I’m Sandy Kaye. A freelance broadcaster, journalist and producer who has spent more than 35 years on both sides of radio and television microphones. I’ve worked with every TV network in Australia, have produced and presented for countless radio stations around the country and have hosted my own commercial radio talk-back show. I’ve even held the distinction of being Sydney’s first female newsreader on radio – way back when!

Today my passion is A Breath of Fresh Air which allows me to immerse myself in one of my favourite things – music. I just love all kinds of music and am fascinated by the people who make it. In particular, it’s the music of the '60s '70s and '80s that takes me back to my youth and means so much to me.

As a journalist, I’m all about digging deep into the classic hits of our time.
I bring you intimate, warm, fireside chats with the artists who tell us about their lives both then and now.
We learn about what makes them tick, who they are in their professional and private lives and how they went about making the soundtrack to our lives.

'A Breath of Fresh Air’ is exceptional - exceptional not because of me, but rather because of the stories that some of the best-known musical artists choose to share with me.

I created this podcast to honour them. It’s all about THEIR lives, THEIR stories, THEIR music, told now, in THEIR voices, before they’re lost forever.

I see my podcast as a personal labour of love, but also as an archival legacy for music fans and practitioners alike, both current and future, who otherwise might never know of the amazing people who helped build the industry.

I really hope you enjoy each and every episode of A Breath of Fresh Air.