Ep570: Full Throttle with Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman

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Radio Birdman’s Deniz Tek shares tales from his memoir Full Throttle, from early Stooges & MC5 memories, Lou Reed’s part of the Radio Birdman story, becoming a doctor, flight surgeon and piloting the band through their final 50th-anniversary shows.

“Full Throttle” book here | Deniz’ solo work

Topics Include:

  • Deniz Tek joins from Hawaii, crediting moderation and coffee for longevity.
  • His memoir Full Throttle arrives October 27th.
  • Birdman documentaries revealed bandmates’ hidden frustrations and poor communication.
  • Murray Engelhart’s Retaliate First illuminated the scene surrounding the band.
  • Mum taught him to read; his Turkish migrant dad drove achievement.
  • Engineering at Michigan, then medicine, partly to dodge his dad’s classes.
  • A non-rock-loving father still bought his first electric guitar.
  • Mum’s old 78s, then Beach Boys and Beatles records with allowance.
  • First sighting of Iggy: behind the counter at Discount Records.
  • MC5’s high energy versus the Psychedelic Stooges’ oil-drum noise experiments.
  • How the Stooges lifted jazz riffs the night before recording.
  • Three months of lessons, then learning guitar by ear from records.
  • Australia’s vibrant 1967 scene had become stale covers by 1972.
  • AC/DC as early rivals; Birdman skipped the suburban pub slog.
  • A Lou Reed no-show launched the Oxford Hotel residency.
  • Rob Younger, already a fan, loved Deniz’s firsthand Detroit stories.
  • Music first, medicine second: a day job buys creative freedom.
  • Flow state links medicine, flying, and music, alongside discipline and checklists.
  • Emergency medicine’s surprises and over 100,000 patients seen.
  • Joining the Navy as a lieutenant; guards saluting his car.
  • Playing Philippine bars with shipboard band Dust in the Rotor Heads.
  • New Race bootlegs traced to Ron Asheton’s sold rough-mix cassette.
  • Albert Studios tape stash discovered; New Race reissue now underway.
  • Ending Radio Birdman at 50 years and the setlist-building dilemma.
  • Prime Minister Albanese hangs backstage

Phonots by Jeremy Belinfante

High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide

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