Ep127: James Williamson - Iggy & The Stooges

James Williamson co-wrote and played on the Iggy & The Stooges landmark LP 'Raw Power', thus laying a cornerstone of modern music. Today he shares his story, joining The Stooges, the making & butchering of Raw Power, Kill City, Ready to Die & more, as well as his diversion into IT and corporate executive life in Silicon Valley. Topics Include: reflecting on his music career's twists and turns Williamson discusses balancing technology career with musical achievements Explains meeting Ron Asheton through The Chosen Few band Describes witnessing early Stooges formation and psychedelic phase Details joining Stooges after Funhouse album was recorded Discusses Stooges' transition from performance art to structured songs Describes band's drug problems leading to initial breakup Explains how Bowie and management discovered Iggy in New York Contrasts Detroit rock style with London's glam scene Details technical recording problems during Raw Power sessions Explains why Bowie's mix emphasized guitars over rhythm section Discusses management tensions and promotional issues after Raw Power Describes songwriting partnership with Iggy Pop over the years Explains transition from music to electronics and computing Details early Silicon Valley career at AMD and Sony Discusses keeping Stooges history private during tech career Explains receiving royalties through BMG publishing Comments on fan collecting of rare Stooges recordings Discusses Kill City remixing project with engineer Ed Cherney Explains origins of "I Got A Right" single release Details creation of Relict project using unreleased Stooges material Describes meeting Frank Meyer through Cheetah Chrome recommendation Outlines formation of Pink Hearts with Petra Hayden Dismisses possibility of future Stooges projects without original members How to listen to The Vinyl Guide Listen & follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! …or listen on Android or RSS …or download & listen on our free Apple & Android apps! You can also SUPPORT OUR PODCAST by becoming a patron at Patreon.com/vinylguide !    About The Vinyl Guide If you like records, just starting a collection or are an uber-nerd with a house-full of vinyl, this is the podcast for you. Nate Goyer is The Vinyl Guide and discusses all things music and record-related.