No Guitar Is Safe Jude Gold

From hearing David Bowie strum a simple acoustic chord pattern while singing the words "let's dance" to transforming the sketch into the superstar singer's biggest hit, NILE RODGERS (in this flashback to Episode 125) relives step by step how he pulled off the feat. He also details meeting a new musician on the session — a future guitar hero that Bowie's "Let's Dance" album would soon introduce to the world: a young Texan named Stevie Ray Vaughan. (ABOUT THE "REWIND" SERIES: There is simply too much treasure in No Guitar Is Safe's ever-growing archive of back episodes not to revisit some great moments once in awhile! That is why now, between new episodes, you can expect to be hit with short, curated, "fun size," easily digestible REWIND posts in which we "roll back the tape" and listen back to a magical moment in this show's history.) This episode is presented by GUITAR PLAYER magazine and hosted by JUDE GOLD.

Chicago guitar ace DAN PETERS pushes his Gretsch 6120 to new limits by playing everything from rockabilly to blues slide to shred metal on the iconic hollowbody. Dan also deconstructs the energetic music of the West Side Winders and the Dan Peters Band — his two main original projects over the years — as well as shares his approaches to playing with star singers such as DEE SNIDER, and the art of almost falling down the stairs in a Broadway musical. This episode is presented by GUITAR PLAYER magazine and guitarplayer.com. Hosted by JUDE GOLD.

Folks, there is simply too much treasure in No Guitar Is Safe's ever-growing archive of back episodes not to revisit some great moments once in awhile! That is why now, between new episodes, you can expect me to hit you with short, curated, fun-size, easily digestible REWIND posts in which we "roll back the tape" and listen back to a magical moment in this show's history — like, for example, that time six years ago when KIRK FLETCHER blew our minds with several killer ways to play blues shuffles (which is what you'll hear on today's REWIND). And yes: If you want to hear the whole Kirk Fletcher show (it was Ep. 69), or any of the other 170 or so episodes of this show that are still up there in the feed, feel free to do so. Binge away! And don't worry: Tons of new episodes coming .... This episode is presented by GUITAR PLAYER magazine.

— JUDE GOLD, Host, No Guitar Is Safe podcast.

Today we plug in with session king and bandleader MICHAEL THOMPSON — “MT” to his friends — who is one of the most recorded guitarists in history. Thompson has worked with everyone from Michael Jackson, Shania Twain, Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Ray Charles, Fleetwood Mac, and Beyoncé to Lionel Richie, Bob Seger, Neil Diamond, Michael Bublé, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, and Earth, Wind & Fire, to name just a small fraction of the staggering roster of superstars he’s tracked with. The L.A.-based guitarist has also released multiple Michael Thompson Band solo albums over the years, including 2023’s “The Love Goes On.” Hosted by JUDE GOLD and taking place at MT’s home studio, this episode offers a deep dive into Michael’s life, career, gear and signature sound — the shimmering, melodic, funky and fully rockin’ guitar approach that made Thompson an A-list session cat for such super-producers as David Foster, Babyface and John “Mutt” Lange during the peak of the session guitar era. Presented by GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE and GUITARPLAYER.COM.

Grammy-nominated funk-jazz virtuoso WILL BERNARD plugs in! Home for the holidays, the renowned New York-based ES-335 tamer invites me into the Berkeley, California, house he grew up in, where he cranks up a Carr combo, shares some funkalicious pedalboard recipes, and offers insights he's gained from releasing tons of his own solo records, working as a hired gun, learning jazz and more from the great Dave Creamer, studying slide guitar ragas with Debashish Battacharya, talking free jazz with Ornette Coleman, and, of course, playing with the popular, major-label funk fusion ensemble T.J. Kirk. PRESENTED BY GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE, this was a great rainy-night guitar hang! Enjoy.

— Jude Gold, Host, No Guitar Is Safe podcast.

For this episode, we head out to Nashville, TN, where Smash Mouth founding guitarist GREG CAMP plugs in and shows you how he gets his magical, multi-platinum-selling "surfadelic" Jazzmaster sounds. He also details the art of writing hit songs (he wrote Smash Mouth's biggest hits, including "All-Star" and "Walkin' on the Sun"); introduces you to his new band, the Defiant; and celebrates the life and music of late, great Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell. Special thanks to Daneil Adams, who lets us listen to an unreleased track produced by the great Eric Valentine — the master behind the mixing desk on hits by Smash Mouth and so many other bands. Hosted by Jude Gold.

This episode is brought to you by Guitar Player magazine.