Rock & Roll High School With Pete Ganbarg

Pure Tone Music
  • 4.8 (33)
  • Music Interviews
  • Updated Biweekly

Season 5 Out Now! Rock & Roll High School is an interview series that tells the story of contemporary music one artist at a time - in their own words. Hosted by Pete Ganbarg -------------------------------------- About Pete: Pete Ganbarg has been doing major label A&R for over 35 years. He's a 2X Grammy award winning record producer as well as a member of the board of directors of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Pete has held senior A&R positions at Atlantic, Arista, Epic and SBK/EMI and is currently the president of Pure Tone Music. As a music publisher, Pete operates Songs With A Pure Tone and Margetts Road Music, joint ventures currently in partnership with Warner Chappell Music. Songs published by Pure Tone include 2024's Grammy winning Record of the Year, "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus, the global #1 "Ordinary" by Alex Warren, as well as hits by Benson Boone, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Katy Perry, OneRepublic, Charli XCX, Lewis Capaldi, Ed Sheeran, Andy Grammer, Lizzo, Beyoncé, and more. Pete is the recipient of two Grammy Awards for his role as producer on the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Dear Evan Hansen and the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Jagged Little Pill. At Atlantic, among the artists and projects that Pete has overseen are twenty one pilots, Halestorm, Jason Mraz, Christina Perri, Melanie Martinez, Skillet, GAYLE, Brett Eldredge, Matchbox Twenty & Rob Thomas, Theory Of A Deadman, and Icona Pop; as well as the Original Broadway Cast Recordings of Hamilton, Mean Girls, Jagged Little Pill, Dear Evan Hansen, and the multi-platinum Billboard No. 1 soundtrack album The Greatest Showman. Pete began his A&R career in 1989 at SBK Records. In 1997, he joined Clive Davis at Arista Records, where, as Senior Director of A&R, he conceived and A&R’d Santana’s 30x platinum worldwide, nine-time GRAMMY-winning album, Supernatural.  Additionally, Pete was named International Music Person Of The Year in 2023 by the music industry organization MUSEXPO.

  1. Vernon Reid (Living Colour)

    4d ago

    Vernon Reid (Living Colour)

    Vernon Reid has spent more than four decades pushing the boundaries of what rock music can be. Best known as the founder, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the groundbreaking band Living Colour, Reid helped redefine hard rock in the late 1980s by fusing rock, metal, funk, jazz, punk, and hip-hop into a sound that was entirely their own. Living Colour's debut album Vivid became a cultural phenomenon, powered by the Grammy-winning hit "Cult of Personality," while establishing the band as one of the most important and influential acts of their era. But Reid's impact extends far beyond Living Colour. In 1985, alongside the late cultural critic, writer, and musician Greg Tate, he co-founded the Black Rock Coalition, an influential organization dedicated to expanding opportunities for Black artists in rock and alternative music. Over the years, Reid has collaborated with an astonishing range of artists, including Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Public Enemy, Carlos Santana, and Meshell Ndegeocello, while also building a celebrated career as a composer for film, television, theater, and multimedia projects. Reid remains as creatively active today as ever. He was among the artists who participated in Ozzy Osbourne's landmark Back to the Beginning concert, celebrating the legacy of Ozzy and Black Sabbath alongside an all-star lineup of rock and metal musicians. More recently, he released Hoodoo Telemetry, an adventurous new solo project that further demonstrates his continuing appetite for musical exploration and sonic innovation. In this conversation, Vernon reflects on his early jazz and rock musical influences, the formation and breakthrough of Living Colour, the mission behind the Black Rock Coalition, and the artistic philosophy that has guided his remarkable career. We also discuss creativity, technology, social commentary, guitar playing, and why curiosity remains the driving force behind one of modern music's most innovative and uncompromising artists. A true original, Vernon Reid continues to challenge expectations and expand the possibilities of contemporary music. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 18m
  2. Judy Collins

    Jun 11

    Judy Collins

    Few artists have lived as many lives in music as Judy Collins. Emerging from the folk revival of the early 1960s, Judy became one of the era's defining voices, recording timeless interpretations of songs by artists such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, and Leonard Cohen, while helping introduce many of them to a wider audience. Her recording of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" became a signature hit, and her career has since spanned more than six decades of music, activism, writing, and performance. In this episode of Rock & Roll High School, Judy joins Pete Ganbarg for a wide-ranging conversation about her extraordinary journey: growing up in a musical family, discovering folk music, the Greenwich Village scene, friendships with artists including Joan Baez, Stephen Stills, and Leonard Cohen, and the stories behind some of the most important songs of her career, including "Amazing Grace," and "Send In The Clowns." They also discuss Judy's work as an author and filmmaker, her remarkable longevity as a performer, and her upcoming Sweet Judy Blues Farewell Tour, which begins July 4, 2026 and will continue into 2027. At 87 years old, Judy Collins remains a singular voice in American music — reflective, insightful, and still creating. This is a conversation with a true living legend. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    34 min
  3. Bobby Colomby (Blood, Sweat & Tears)

    Jun 4

    Bobby Colomby (Blood, Sweat & Tears)

    Bobby Colomby has had an absolutely fascinating career in music. Growing up in Manhattan, Bobby's older brothers were deeply entrenched in the city's thriving jazz scene: one was best friends with Miles Davis, while the other managed Thelonious Monk. That love of jazz rubbed off on Bobby, who, as drummer and co-founder, alongside his friends Al Kooper and Steve Katz, helped create one of the first bands to successfully blend jazz and rock: Blood, Sweat & Tears. Blood, Sweat & Tears became one of the biggest bands in America in the late 1960s and early 1970s, producing a string of hit singles and albums. Their self-titled second album earned the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1970, famously besting The Beatles' Abbey Road. The acclaimed 2023 documentary What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears? tells the incredible story of what happened next: the band's controversial State Department-sponsored tour of Eastern Europe and the swift backlash that followed. But Bobby never stopped. He discovered the groundbreaking jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius, securing Jaco a recording contract with Epic Records and personally producing his landmark debut solo album. While working at CBS Records in the late 1970s, Bobby oversaw and executive produced Destiny by The Jacksons, an album that featured the hits "Blame It on the Boogie" and "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)." The project marked a pivotal moment in Michael Jackson's artistic development as he emerged as a songwriter, producer, and creative force in his own right, serving as a precursor to his solo breakthrough, Off The Wall. Bobby's subsequent artist discoveries include Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti and piano prodigy Jesús Molina. Today, Bobby remains the owner and steward of the Blood, Sweat & Tears name and legacy. Lots of amazing anecdotes, insider stories, and music history await on this episode of Rock & Roll High School. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 34m
  4. Jonathan Cain (Journey)

    May 28

    Jonathan Cain (Journey)

    When Jonathan Cain joined Journey in 1980, the band was already successful. But with Cain’s arrival, Journey evolved into something even bigger: one of the defining melodic rock bands of all time. As keyboardist and co-songwriter, Cain helped create some of the most enduring songs in popular music history — including “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms,” “Separate Ways,” and “Who’s Crying Now” — while also writing Journey’s iconic road-life ballad “Faithfully” entirely on his own. But Jonathan’s story stretches far beyond Journey. In this episode, we trace his full creative arc: from surviving a devastating childhood tragedy and discovering music as salvation… to his early years with The Babys alongside John Waite… to Journey’s arena-rock peak in the 1980s… to his more recent evolution as a solo artist, author, and faith-driven songwriter. We also discuss Cain’s memoir, Don’t Stop Believin’: The Man, the Band, and the Song That Inspired Generations; the origin stories behind Journey’s biggest hits; the creative chemistry between Cain, Steve Perry, and Neal Schon; and Journey’s current farewell tour. This is a candid and thoughtful conversation with one of the principal architects of arena rock’s golden age. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 6m
  5. Patrick Simmons (The Doobie Brothers)

    May 21

    Patrick Simmons (The Doobie Brothers)

    When people talk about the great American bands of the 1970s, The Doobie Brothers are always part of the conversation. Across more than five decades, the band has navigated multiple eras, lineups, and styles—moving seamlessly between biker bar rock, California harmony pop, blue-eyed soul, and FM radio classics while remaining one of the most enduring touring and recording acts in rock history. At the center of that story from the very beginning is Patrick Simmons — guitarist, vocalist, and/or songwriter behind some of the band’s most beloved songs including “Black Water,” “Jesus Is Just Alright” and "Listen To The Music." In this conversation, Patrick reflects on the formation of the band in Northern California, the Doobies’ unlikely rise in the early 1970s, their evolution through multiple musical eras, and the balancing act of maintaining a band identity through decades of change. We also discuss songwriting, harmony singing, life on the road, the band’s enduring live popularity, and what it means to still be making music together more than 50 years later. This episode is a firsthand look at one of America’s defining rock bands—from someone who helped build it from day one. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 9m
  6. "Weird Al" Yankovic

    May 14

    "Weird Al" Yankovic

    For more than four decades, "Weird Al" Yankovic has done something almost nobody else in popular music has ever pulled off: he built a lasting career out of parody, satire, and sheer musical precision — while becoming one of the most beloved entertainers in pop culture history. From early homemade recordings and cult radio exposure on The Dr. Demento Show to Grammy wins, platinum albums, MTV domination, and sold-out tours, Al transformed novelty music into an art form entirely his own. Along the way, he created unforgettable classics including “Eat It,” “The Saga Begins,” “Amish Paradise,” “Smells Like Nirvana,” and “White & Nerdy,” while also proving himself to be a gifted songwriter, arranger, accordion player, and live performer. In this episode of Rock & Roll High School, Al joins Pete Ganbarg for a wide-ranging conversation about the creative process behind his parodies and originals, the changing relationship between comedy and popular music, navigating fame across multiple generations, and how he’s managed to stay both relevant and respected in an industry that rarely rewards longevity. We also discuss his 2026 Bigger & Weirder Tour, his lifelong love of music fandom, and the surprising discipline required to make funny records that actually last. This is a funny, insightful, and unexpectedly deep conversation with one of the most original musical voices of the modern era. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    57 min
  7. Everlast

    May 7

    Everlast

    Everlast has had one of the most unconventional career arcs in modern music—from his early days as a teenager with Ice-T’s Rhyme Syndicate to mainstream success with House of Pain and their iconic hit Jump Around. After a near-fatal heart episode, he reinvented himself with the deeply personal Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, which went 2X Platinum and features the breakout single What It's Like. He later won a Grammy for Put Your Lights On, his collaboration with Santana from the blockbuster Supernatural. Now, with his upcoming album Embers and Ashes, Everlast returns to the introspective sound that redefined his career. In this episode, he reflects on resilience, reinvention, and the journey behind the music. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    49 min
  8. Southern Rock Trilogy Pt. 3: Alan Walden (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Otis Redding, Capricorn Records)

    Apr 30

    Southern Rock Trilogy Pt. 3: Alan Walden (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Otis Redding, Capricorn Records)

    Few figures in the history of Southern music operated as both insider and architect the way Alan Walden did. Best known as the co-founder (with his brother Phil) of Capricorn Records and manager (and music publisher) of both Lynyrd Skynyrd and Otis Redding, Alan helped build the infrastructure behind what became known as Southern rock—long before it had a name. Alongside his brother, he was at the center of a movement that blended blues, country, R&B, and rock into something entirely new. In this conversation, Alan takes us inside the story of how two brothers from Macon, Georgia changed the complexion of the entire music business in the 1960s and 1970s. We also discuss his memoir, Southern Man: Music and Mayhem in the American South—a candid and deeply personal account of the triumphs, tragedies, and cultural forces that shaped both his career and the rise of Southern rock and soul. This is a rare look at the often unseen side of music history: the people behind the scenes who don’t just discover artists—but build the worlds they live in and help shape the course of music itself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    50 min
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About

Season 5 Out Now! Rock & Roll High School is an interview series that tells the story of contemporary music one artist at a time - in their own words. Hosted by Pete Ganbarg -------------------------------------- About Pete: Pete Ganbarg has been doing major label A&R for over 35 years. He's a 2X Grammy award winning record producer as well as a member of the board of directors of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Pete has held senior A&R positions at Atlantic, Arista, Epic and SBK/EMI and is currently the president of Pure Tone Music. As a music publisher, Pete operates Songs With A Pure Tone and Margetts Road Music, joint ventures currently in partnership with Warner Chappell Music. Songs published by Pure Tone include 2024's Grammy winning Record of the Year, "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus, the global #1 "Ordinary" by Alex Warren, as well as hits by Benson Boone, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Katy Perry, OneRepublic, Charli XCX, Lewis Capaldi, Ed Sheeran, Andy Grammer, Lizzo, Beyoncé, and more. Pete is the recipient of two Grammy Awards for his role as producer on the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Dear Evan Hansen and the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Jagged Little Pill. At Atlantic, among the artists and projects that Pete has overseen are twenty one pilots, Halestorm, Jason Mraz, Christina Perri, Melanie Martinez, Skillet, GAYLE, Brett Eldredge, Matchbox Twenty & Rob Thomas, Theory Of A Deadman, and Icona Pop; as well as the Original Broadway Cast Recordings of Hamilton, Mean Girls, Jagged Little Pill, Dear Evan Hansen, and the multi-platinum Billboard No. 1 soundtrack album The Greatest Showman. Pete began his A&R career in 1989 at SBK Records. In 1997, he joined Clive Davis at Arista Records, where, as Senior Director of A&R, he conceived and A&R’d Santana’s 30x platinum worldwide, nine-time GRAMMY-winning album, Supernatural.  Additionally, Pete was named International Music Person Of The Year in 2023 by the music industry organization MUSEXPO.

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