The Talk Music Podcast Tom (Toomas) Treumuth

Hi everyone! On this week’s TALK MUSIC podcast, I’m thrilled to interview Derbyshire, UK native and guitar ace, the legend CHRIS SPEDDING

Having recently seen him play live with ANTON FIG on drums and KEITH LENTON on bass, I can vouch that, at 79 years young, Chris still has it! His illustrious career includes session work with Cream bass player Jack Bruce, Harry Nilsson, Elton John, Brian Eno, Tom Waits, Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, Joan Armatrading, John Cale, Roger Daltrey and Paul McCartney (“Give My Regards to Broad Street”), to name a few. 

Spedding has also worked as a producer, mixer and musician on a number of projects by Toronto-area punk rock acts: Teenage Head, Forgotten Rebels, Viletones, the Curse, the Ugly, the Demics, the ‘B’ Girls, the Mods, the Sinisters, Toby Swann, Johnnie Lovesin and Art Bergmann. Our chat also includes his time spent touring and recording with ROBERT GORDON, his involvement in how he ended up producing the first demos for the SEX PISTOLS, and how ‘MOTORBIKIN” became a top 20 hit in the UK. 

I also had the pleasure of working with Chris many years ago when I produced a version of the track “New York City” by the Demics that ended up on his solo album CAFE DAYS which I released on my Hypnotic label. Enjoy! 

For this new TALK MUSIC podcast I was thrilled to also have HARRY PIWERKA join me as a co-host. Harry and I went to high school together and reconnected a while back. As it turns out, he’s also a great musician and was a part of the Toronto's vibrant music scene in the 70’s as a member of the band MORNINGTON DRIVE. Harry is also friends with our guest, BASSIST extraordinaire and all round musician and NICE guy JEFF JONES. 

His long esteemed history of performing bass duties for some of Canada’s great artists is really impressive. Jeff has played and recorded with TOM COCHRANE (and RED RIDER) for many years now (and still does) and is also on call regularly for BURTON CUMMINGS, who he's now performed with for over 20 years! 

Jeff also performed with Alex Lifeson and drummer John Rutsey in the first incarnation of RUSH, serving as their primary singer and bassist in the summer of 1968. He was replaced by GEDDY LEE in September 1968 before their second performance. 

When Jeff was just a teenager, he tasted fame early when he joined the group OCEAN who went on to have the MILLION selling hit song “Put your Hand in the Hand”. He has also spent time performing with GOWAN, MOLLY JOHNSON and the Infidels, RONNIE HAWKINS, released a well received solo album and also performs sometimes as a duo with GERRY FINN.

We go deep into his past including his beginnings when he came to live in Toronto from Chicago and our chat encompasses his entire career. ENJOY! 

Hi everyone! On this new TALK MUSIC episode, we're going to do something I haven't done yet: go deep into the harder-edged genre of Metal and Hard Rock. My guest is MICHEL LANGEVIN, the founder/drummer extraordinaire of French-Canadian progressive sci-fi metal act, VOIVOD, who counts DAVE GROHL as a fan, has toured with RUSH, been featured on OZZFEST and once included ex-METALLICA bassist JASON NEWSTEAD in their lineup. 

VOIVOD is a band I respect immensely and hold in very high regard, and I was thrilled to be associated with them in the 90’s when I released two of their albums, NEGATRON and PHOBOS, on my Hypnotic Label worldwide. They are revered around the world by everyone who loves unique and distinctive harder-edged music, and they just celebrated 40 years of recording and performing! I go deep on their amazing career arc starting from their very beginnings in Quebec and progressing across their 16 studio albums! 

I loved my chat with Michel and I'm excited for everyone to hear it. Enjoy! 

Welcome to a new season of THE TALK MUSIC podcast! I just wanted to say BIG THANKS to all the guests who have chatted with me so far! Our episodes regularly chart in the Top 20 on Apple Podcast, so thanks SO MUCH to our listeners!

I’m excited to kick off this 2024 season with Part 2 of my conversation with top music executive DEREK SHULMAN. If you missed Part 1, go back and listen as we discuss his career as singer for prog sensation GENTLE GIANT.

This engaging chat charts his transition from musician to music executive, and features stories such as signing BON JOVI, AC/DC, BAD COMPANY, PANTERA and DREAM THEATRE. As President of the label ROADRUNNER, Derek signed NICKELBACK and SLIPKNOT. We end our interview with his advice to artists starting out now and looking to navigate our ever evolving business. Enjoy! 



The Talk Music Podcast features host Tom Treumuth, a Multi-Platinum music producer/manager/entrepreneur. The focus is on both Canadian and Global music commentary.

Over his 40 year music career, Tom Treumuth has worked across all aspects of the music industry, including as a talent scout for RCA New York and producing over 60 albums, with 8 achieving Gold and Platinum status (Honeymoon Suite, Helix, Big Sugar). His Hypnotic label released over 100 albums across all genres via A&M/Universal including artists such as Big Sugar, Anvil, Voivod, Figgy Duff, the Look People, Grimskunk, Chris Spedding and many others. 

Tom also owned and ran a recording studio, was a booking agent and was signed as a songwriter to RCA Publishing in New York. Tom loved artist management and during his career managed Honeymoon Suite, Lee Aaron, Platinum US rock group Steelheart and Hamilton born Kazzer ( Pedal to the Metal) who Tom signed to Columbia Records in New York. Tom also managed and Co produced rock act Gypsy Rose whom he signed to RCA in New York where he worked closely with Gene Simmons. More recently, Tom was Co-Managing Director of indie label Frostbyte (Universal) where he was involved in signing the Headstones and Matt Good. Tom also co-founded Latitude 44, a tech conference in Toronto and was Artistic Director for Estonian Music Week. Tom’s career started as a keyboard musician in True Myth, who recorded the world's 1st digital rock album on Warner Music.

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I’ve loved chatting with all my amazing guests this year, but for our Season 3 finale, this one is extra special.

DEREK SHULMAN was the lead singer of my favourite band GENTLE GIANT. They, along with YES and GENESIS (among others), were pioneers known for the complexity and sophistication of their music. Our chat covers Gentle Giant's entire 11 studio album career, with stories about their beginnings, hanging out with Elton John, working with Producer Tony Visconti, opening for Black Sabbath and headlining big arenas in Quebec. 

After leaving Gentle Giant, Derek became one of the most successful music executives of all time! Next season will open with PART 2 of our conversation where Derek shares about signing BON JOVI as VP of Polygram, and AC/DC, BAD COMPANY, PANTERA and DREAM THEATRE as the President of Atco/Warner in the US. As President of indie label Roadrunner, Derek went on to attain powerhouse status for the label by signing NICKELBACK and SLIPKNOT. 



The Talk Music Podcast features host Tom Treumuth, a Multi-Platinum music producer/manager/entrepreneur. The focus is on both Canadian and Global music commentary.

Over his 40 year music career, Tom Treumuth has worked across all aspects of the music industry, including as a talent scout for RCA New York and producing over 60 albums, with 8 achieving Gold and Platinum status (Honeymoon Suite, Helix, Big Sugar). His Hypnotic label released over 100 albums across all genres via A&M/Universal including artists such as Big Sugar, Anvil, Voivod, Figgy Duff, the Look People, Grimskunk, Chris Spedding and many others. 

Tom also owned and ran a recording studio, was a booking agent and was signed as a songwriter to RCA Publishing in New York. Tom loved artist management and during his career managed Honeymoon Suite, Lee Aaron, Platinum US rock group Steelheart and Hamilton born Kazzer ( Pedal to the Metal) who Tom signed to Columbia Records in New York. Tom also managed and Co produced rock act Gypsy Rose whom he signed to RCA in New York where he worked closely with Gene Simmons. More recently, Tom was Co-Managing Director of indie label Frostbyte (Universal) where he was involved in signing the Headstones and Matt Good. Tom also co-founded Latitude 44, a tech conference in Toronto and was Artistic Director for Estonian Music Week. Tom’s career started as a keyboard musician in True Myth, who recorded the world's 1st digital rock album on Warner Music.

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This week's Talk Music Podcast features a really interesting chat with BARRY BERGMAN, a highly respected song expert who has published over 250 songs by major artists such as CHER, KISS, JOAN JETT, MICHAEL BOLTON and many others, including hits for hard rockers LEE AARON, HELIX and US act KIX where their ballad DON’T CLOSE YOUR EYES sold 2 million copies. He’s also had a worldwide TOP 10 hit with DON’T SHED A TEAR by Paul Carrack and signed AC/DC to their first publishing deal for North America. He then discovered and signed MEATLOAF where he was also responsible for breaking the single “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” from the Bat Out of Hell album, one of the biggest selling albums of all time on the Sony/Epic label. 

Barry then founded, and was president of, the INTERNATIONAL MANAGERS FORUM (later renamed to MMF) which now has chapters all around the world including Canada. As president, he was instrumental and successful in helping lobby the US government for change to certain music related intellectual laws.

I really found Barry’s life fascinating as he simply wouldn’t take NO for an answer as he made his path through the complexities of the music industry as a publisher, manager and overall music consultant. In my opinion, his keen knowledge of the music business is second to none. Listen to the podcast to find some info about seminars he puts on a few times a year where he talks about how to be successful in a now DIY industry where you need to market and promote yourself properly and he will also critique your songs.

In 2018, Barry was inducted into the PERSONAL MANAGERS HALL OF FAME in Las Vegas. Enjoy with song clips throughout the podcast of some of Barry’s successes.