074: Jody Stephens (Big Star, Golden Smog, Those Pretty Wrongs)

The Trap Set with Joe Wong

Joe Wong

Joewong, Drums, Comedy, Performing Arts, Arts, Drummers

4.8 • 709 Ratings

🗓️ 8 June 2016

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Jody Stephens drummed for Big Star, a band that was criminally overlooked during its initial lifetime but eventually became monumentally influential. Jody tells Joe about how he fell in love with drums, why he studied accounting and marketing, his creative role in Big Star, and how he has stayed busy at Memphis's legendary Ardent Studios.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, folks, today we're trying something new.
0:02.7	If you have any lingering questions at the end of the episode, email them to us at
0:07.6	the trapset at gmail.com, and our guest, Jody Stevens, will answer them in a follow-up episode
0:13.9	to be posted in the next couple weeks.
0:16.4	That's the trapset at gmail.com.
0:19.2	Now on to the show.
0:20.1	The trap set will always be available for free, but we rely on donations from our listeners.
0:25.4	Please visit our website at the trapset.net and click donate.
0:29.2	Subscribe to our show on iTunes, and if you enjoy what you hear, give us a review.
0:37.4	Oh! you. This is Joe Wong.
0:46.3	Welcome to the Trap Set, where each week we explore the lives of drummers.
0:52.3	I want to play something for you.
0:55.0	The Down the street, the same of things we did last week,
1:17.6	You're hearing In the Street by Big Star, featuring my guest Jody Stevens on drums. Formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1971, Big Star was modeled after the Beatles,
1:33.3	with the songwriting duties shared by the prodigiously talented duo of Alex Chilton and Chris Bell.
1:40.3	The band was rounded out by bassist Andy Hummel and Stevens, who elevated the songs with brilliantly composed beats and an effortlessly perfect groove.
1:51.0	In 1972, Big Star released its first album to enthusiastic critical acclaim.
1:56.0	One reviewer observed that every song was good enough to be a hit single.
2:00.0	The band was poised to be a hit single.
2:05.5	The band was poised to enjoy massive success, but problems with their label and distributor prevented their music from reaching an audience commensurate with their talents.
2:13.7	Big Star managed to record two additional classic albums, but due to a combination of tragedy and internal tension, the band broke up in 1974.
2:23.3	Despite working in obscurity during their first run, Big Star is now known as one of the most important bands of their generation,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Joe Wong, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Joe Wong and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.