Let It Roll

"Let it Roll" is a podcast about the history of popular music from the 19th Century to the 21st. Proud part of Pantheon - the podcast network for music lovers.

Music History
Music Commentary
Music Interviews
301
Motown's Power Came From the Funk Brothers
Author Allan “Dr Licks” Slutsky joins Nate to discuss his book “Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson.” In this episode, Allan and Nate discuss the Funk Brothers -- the legendary session band that played on hundreds of hits for Motown Records, their leader bassist James Jamerson, the great drummer Benny Benjamin, how they worked with the great songwriter producers of Hitsville such as Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, Holland Dozier Holland and more. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
52 min
302
Technoroll 3: UK DJ Culture Develops With North...
Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. In this episode, Nate and Ryan discuss the uniquely British dance culture called Northern Soul where the kids of the British rust belt just wouldn't let go of their favorite up-tempo 60s soul and kept the style alive into the 1980s. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
43 min
303
The Bee Gees Rose, Fell, Rose Again, Fell Again...
Author David N. Meyer returns to discuss his book "The Bee Gees: The Biography" with host Nate Wilcox. Dave and Nate discuss the Brothers Gibb's Australian apprenticeship, their sudden rise in late 60's London, their breakup and fall from popularity, their disco rebirth, second fall and Barry Gibb's behind the scenes role in the creation of modern pop. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
59 min
304
Technoroll 2: The First DJs On the Radio and In...
Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness continue their discussion of “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton.  In this episode, Nate and Ryan go way way back to the beginnings of the 20th Century and discuss the very first radio DJs -- including Sybil True the first female radio DJ who started in 1913 -- and the first club DJs including the now-infamous Jimmy Savile. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
59 min
305
Freddie Mercury and Queen Earned Rock Immortality
Author Mark Blake returns to tell host Nate Wilcox about his books “Is This the Real Life?: The Untold Story of Queen” and "Freddie Mercury: A Kind of Magic." In this episode, Mark and Nate discuss Queen and their brilliant lead vocalist Freddy Mercury, how they conquered the world of classic rock in the 70s, how they fell out of favor in the US in the 1980s, Freddie’s tragic death and more. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
60 min
306
Technoroll: The History of DJ-Based Music - Reg...
Today hosts Nate Wilcox and Ryan Harkness are joined by producer Stephie Haynes to introduce the series and our main source book “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - The History of the Disc Jockey” by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton.  In this episode, Nate, Ryan and Steph discuss their personal history with dance music and the introductory chapter of "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life", the connection it makes between DJs and shamans, DJs and conductors and DJs and musicians. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
56 min
307
New Edition & New Kids On The Block Perfected I...
Host Nate Wilcox speaks with Maria Sherman author of "Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands from NKOTB to BTS" for a discussion of the history of Boy Bands from Franz Listz, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and the Jackson 5 to K-Pop. Most of the conversation focuses on Maurice Starr's 80's groups New Edition and New Kids on the Block and Lou Pearlman's *NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
54 min
308
Jimmy Page Before Led Zeppelin: Session Man & Y...
By the time he formed Led Zeppelin in 1968, Jimmy Page was a rock and roll veteran with years of touring, gigs as a hired gun session man and a member of The Yardbirds under his belt. He applied the lessons he learned in the trenches to form the mightiest band of the rock era. Host Nate Wilcox discusses Jimmy Page with author Brad Tolinski, who has interviewed Page more than anyone else alive. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
56 min
309
How Willie Nelson, Doug Sahm, Stevie Ray Vaugha...
Host Nate Wilcox welcomes back author Joe Nick Patoski to tell us how musicians like Doug Sahm, Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Butthole Surfers kicked off the transformation that turned a sleepy college town into ATX, the home of Austin City Limits and South by Southwest. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
110 min
310
Chess Records Brought Chicago Blues, Rock & Rol...
Host Nate Wilcox welcomes Nadine Cohodas author of "Spinning Blues Into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records" to discuss the storied label. They cover the Chicago Blues and Rock and Roll that earned the label much of its fame but focus much of their attention on Etta James, Fontella Bass and other legends of soul music who cut for Chess in the 50s and 60s. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
63 min
311
Gram Parsons' Disastrous Career Made Him a Legend
Host Nate Wilcox welcomes Gram Parsons biographer David N. Meyer to discuss Parsons' tragic life and innovative music. Nate and David discuss Gram's unique family circumstances, his beginnings as a teen rocker, transition to wannabe folkie, the International Submarine Band, the Byrds & Sweetheart of the Rodeo, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Emmylou Harris and Parson's tragic death. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
60 min
312
Wu-Tang Clan, Nas and Notorious B.I.G. Brought ...
Host Nate Wilcox and his cohorts Alexei Auld and Eugene S. Robinson discuss season 2, episode 4 of Hip-Hop Evolution "A New York State of Mind" which covers Nas, the Wu-Tang Clan and Biggie Smalls aka The Notorious B.I.G. This is the last episode of our first mini-series on Hip-Hop Evolution. Eugene and Alexei will be back to discuss the 3rd and 4th seasons with Nate later in 2021. Let It Roll is Proud to be a part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
55 min
313
Tribe Called Quest & De La Soul Led the Native ...
Host Nate Wilcox and his cohorts Alexei Auld and Eugene S. Robinson discuss season 2, episode 3 of Hip Hop Evolution "Do The Knowledge" which returns to New York to cover The Bridge Wars and Native Tongues groups like De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest. Let It Roll is Proud to be a part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
63 min
314
Too $hort, MC Hammer, E-40, Digital Underground...
Host Nate Wilcox and his cohorts Alexei Auld and Eugene S. Robinson discuss the second episode of Hip Hop Evolution’s second season, “Out The Trunk: The Bay" which takes us to Northern California to talk about Too Short, MC Hammer, Digital Underground and a young 2Pac Shakur. Let It Roll is Proud to be a part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
57 min
315
The 2 Live Crew, Geto Boys and UGK Come Out of ...
Host Nate Wilcox and his cohorts Alexei Auld and Eugene S. Robinson discuss the first episode of Hip Hop Evolution’s second season, "The Southern Way", which looks at the first Southern rappers to make a national impact: Florida’s 2 Live Crew and Texas’ Geto Boys and Underground Kings. Let It Roll is Proud to be a part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
63 min
316
Ice-T, Eazy-E And N.W.A. Bring Gangsta Rap To T...
Host Nate Wilcox and his cohorts Alexei Auld and Eugene S. Robinson discuss the fourth episode of Hip Hop Evolution "The Birth of Gangsta Rap" which takes us from Schooley D in Philly to Ice T, Eazy E and NWA in Los Angeles. Let It Roll is Proud to be a part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
61 min
317
Run-DMC, Def Jam and Public Enemy Herald The Go...
Host Nate Wilcox and his cohorts Alexei Auld and Eugene S. Robinson discuss the third episode of Hip Hop Evolution "The New Guard." The show focuses on the dawn of hip-hop's golden age and the emergence of Run-DMC, Def Jam Records, Public Enemy and Eric B. & Rakim. Let It Roll is Proud to be a part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
64 min
318
The Sugarhill Gang & Afrika Bambaataa Put Rap O...
Host Nate Wilcox and his cohorts Alexei Auld and Eugene S. Robinson discuss the second episode of Hip Hop Evolution "From the Underground to the Mainstream." The episode covers the early New York rap battles caught on bootleg cassettes, Hip-Hop's move from the Bronx to Manhattan and alliance with punk as well as the first hit rap records, The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper’s Delight", and Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock.” Let It Roll is Proud to be a part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
56 min
319
Hip-Hop Is Born In The Bronx: We Dig Hip-Hop Ev...
Host Nate Wilcox is joined by Alexei Auld and Eugene S. Robinson to talk about the first episode of Netflix' Hip-Hop Evolution: The Foundation. The conversation covers DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash. Let It Roll is Proud to be a part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.
56 min
320
Yo La Tengo Surfed The Indie Rock Wave
Host Nate Wilcox and Yo La Tengo biographer Jesse Jarnow discuss the Hoboken band's relentless touring, massive repertoire and how independent radio, record labels and record stores helped them make Indie Rock as big as it ever got. Based on Jarnow's book "Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock" the conversation focuses on the circumstances that allowed a band this eccentric to attain a degree of mainstream success. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
59 min
321
Bing Crosby Ruled The 1940s
Bing Crosby biographer Gary Giddins joins host Nate Wilcox to discuss Bing Crosby’s incredible run during the World War 2 era. The 1940s were a period when Crosby set still-unbroken records for single sales, won an Oscar for his acting, sang for a radio audience in the tens of millions and led Hollywood’s war effort. The conversation focuses on Gary's second book on Crosby, "Bing Crosby: Swinging on a Star: The War Years, 1940-1946." Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
52 min
322
The Beatles' Story Changes With The Teller
Host Nate Wilcox talks to historian Erin Torkelson Weber about the meta-narrative of Beatles history. Weber is the first to apply the methods of modern historiography to the books about The Beatles in her book "The Beatles and the Historians: An Analysis of Writings about the Fab Four." Join us for a lively discussion of the four major narratives that have dominated Beatles history: The Fab Four Myth, Lennon Remembers, Shout! and the Mark Lewisohn era. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
53 min
323
Dolly Parton Had A Vision Of Superstardom Beyon...
Author Alanna Nash joins host Nate Wilcox to talk about her book “Dolly: The Biography.” Nate and Alanna discuss Dolly Parton’s humble origins, almost supernatural talent and precocious drive as well as Nashville’s reaction to the book, one of the first critical biographies written about a country superstar. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
50 min
324
Marley Marl, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie & The J...
Author Ben Merlis joins host Nate Wilcox to talk about his book “Goin’ Off: The Story of the Juice Crew and Cold Chillin’ Records.” Ben tells Nate the story of one of the top hip-hop crews of the Golden Age and the record label that assembled and promoted them. They discuss the innovative producer Marley Marl, the great MC Big Daddy Kane, the wildcard genius Biz Markie, MC Shan’s feud with KRS-One and more. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts.
51 min
325
Elvis Presley: Decline And Fall
Today Gurdip Ladhar and Justin Gausman of the TCBCast join host Nate Wilcox to wrap up their discussion of Elvis Presley’s life and career based on Peter Guralnick’s “Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley” and HBO’s “The Searcher.” Nate, Gurdip and Justin discuss the long, slow dissolution of Elvis Presley in the 1970s, the role of Col. Tom Parker and the work and accomplishments of the falling king. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts.
108 min