By Laura Medina
Half-jokingly and partly seriously and warily, former Eurythmics front man, video pioneer, and producer, Dave Stewart quipped anecdotes and life lessons on his autobiography book tour, "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This" at a Baby Boomer/Gen-X heavy audience.
Guided by the host and KCRW DJ, Gary Calamar, Dave spin tales of him and Annie Lennox forming the Eurythmics in the midst of Britain's Punk Rock scene. Because the punk rock scene was so guitar-saturated, they decided to zag and switch to synchronizers and a proto-drum machine to stand out.
How them enjoying filming "vignettes" helped get their start on MTV because they already had three music videos under their sleeves. Their early music videos are what got them their early paychecks and record label deals. Dave has this quip, "It's one thing to get screwed and liking it. It's another to get screwed and hating it," his insight on today's music industry.
To prove he came from a Memphis Blues background, he did "Missionary Man" sans electronics but simply him strumming blues notes and a growling singer.
After an injury jammed his dreams of playing soccer, he decided to take up the guitar then copy and learned from imported Memphis blues records a friend had shipped him from there.
Because of his ground-breaking music videos, Dave was the go-to innovator among established rockers. In the Eighties and Nineties to now with Gwen Stefani, Dave is producing and composing legends he always admired.
He can't get over he composed and produced Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan. When Bob Dylan took him to a Mexican-American underground club, he decided to shoot Bob's video right then and there.
Dave came up then gave "Don't Come Around Here Anymore" to Tom Petty after hanging out with the ephemeral Stevie Nicks. He also conceptualize the video for Tom Petty.
When you buy his biogrpahy, read his experience his first and last experience with Manhattan Clam Chowder.
Oh yeah, he makes a mean Martini.
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