DOUG HOPKINS (The Gin Blossoms) -- Rare1983 interview with The Psalms on KUPD (Phoenix).

Mary Mccann of KUPD (Phoenix) interviews Doug Hopkins and his pre-Gin Blossoms band, the Psalms in 1983. The interview also includes future Gin Blossom, Bill Leen. It was recorded from the radio broadcast on a portable cassette recorder, so the audio is in mono.

[@Alloykenneth]

To hear Dougs voice again. RIP Doug I'll never forget all those nights we parted at 6 east.

[@Uncannyguitar]

Holy shit an interview with Doug! Never thought I’d see the day

[@pfaprado]

He was developing into an amazing songwriter. I was born a little before he was gone, so I'd like him to know that he influenced a lot of young people like me. I hope he is in peace right now 🙏

[@jamestidwell8693]

I remember listening to this in Richard Flower's (the singer) living room and him telling me stories of Bill and Doug. That was in the mid 90's and he had this on cassette . RIP Richard.

[@sarabennewitz9533]

As Doug's little sister, I have probably been to more Psalms shows than anyone...great use of a fake ID!

[@lastnamefirst4035]

Hello was a big fan of your brother-sue

[@Rockesb888]

That’s awesome. Big fan of his work, what a brilliant song writer.

[@kennethpetroni7911]

Jesus of Suburbia 🙏

[@djmdallas72]

Omg! Do you have some cool stories and maybe song lyrics and stuff of his to share ?

[@frikkenI23]

awesome. His music (or what we have of it) really touched my heart all the way over here in Norway when I first heard it some years ago, and continues to do so.

[@ponzo1967]

I was going through some of my old Guitar School transcriptions and Doug Hopkins is credited with both words and music to Hey Jealousy. I think it's some exceptional song writing and thought I would check this dude out. After learning what I now know I understand why his song writing credits ended with that album. What a shame man this guy had a bright future or at minimum a lucrative future because he obviously had gotten very good at crafting songs. "The past is gone but something might be found to take it's place." Beautiful RIP Doug Hopkins ✌️

[@cowsongs]

These were good songs. I was not aware of them when I was consuming REM voraciously in the early 80s. Listening to Doug Hopkins on this interview, he was happy to be playing, enthusiastic about his future, and he had so many good things coming his way. He had so much to live for. So sad how alcohol can destroy people. Heartbreaking, really.

[@rmick66]

It wasn’t just alcohol, he also suffered from crippling depression.

[@caiusmadison2996]

Had no idea there was life before the Gin Blossums... this is awesome.

[@suekentmusic]

What a find. Thank you for posting this rare interview. This really showcases Doug's personality and wit. Bill Leen is pretty funny, too.

[@richardhouse1292]

He was an amazing guitar player

[@netscape8281]

He doesn't get any credit for his guitar work. But the chords that he played on guitar are so distinctive and memorable.

[@LostHorizons0]

It’s crazy I was 1 when this interview happened. I was a gin blossoms fan as a kid but didn’t know anything about Doug until my 30s. I grew up rural area with no mtv or cable on it a dirt road so we were lucky to get to Walmart 35 miles away to buy cds I heard off the radio. Gin blossoms was one of them. Now after all these years I’m finding so much more about why they had good songs and it was 100 % because of Doug it’s also the reason why their new music isn’t the same. Rip dude was an amazing song writer

[@jasonpeters9865]

Hopkins Def loved REM

[@tattoofthesun]

This is freakin killer!!!!! So damn Pylon, REM, Talking Heads 77, Joy Division, Cure, B-52’s first album

[@tattoofthesun]

This is also very Chronic Town REM era, Smiths, Cure’s first albums, Souixe & Banshees, Bauhaus, early Devo, Pylon, B-52’s first album etc

[@noelbgood8845]

That guitar work is just amazing

[@candiceyoung8244]

Awsome. Ah how well I remember the days when cassettes were the big deal at peaches in Atlanta. I feel very old

[@matthewpaddison8071]

Wow. What a gem..

[@mydreamquest]

Pretty decent sound quality; nice job cleaning up this sound!

[@rhgamecock1]

Very cool. Thanks for uploading.

[@Dykstra1979]

So cool. We had a college radio , 88X St X

[@pilbender]

Who records something like this off the radio? Who does this? Who keeps it for 40 years? Who does this? I got rid of my cassettes 20 years ago. If I did have a recording like this, I wouldn't have kept it. Who does this? Thanks for sharing, but seriously... who does this? Give us the rest of the story, no matter how mundane.

[@jasonpeters9865]

"No great Cathedral? " ref to REMs first gig at abandoned church?

[@juancruzgaona3]

Similar al EP de R.E.M. de Chronic Town en 1983

[@thepsalms--atribute2686]

The band was influenced by REM, among others such as Echo & the Bunnymen

[@rmick66]

… and Springtime brought me the frightful laugh of an idiot.

[@rachelrumann5673]

That is not a photo of Mary the Bone Momma McCann

[@jamestunstall8174]

It sounds too polished for a diamond in the rough.

[@JoeyArmstrong2800]

Love Doug's songwriting but The Psalms were nothing to get excited about. Echo & the Bunnymen derived.

[@LostHorizons0]

And most of those bands are joy division derived who cares the music is good. What’s to get excited about is to hear him in his youth still making great music filled with passion something that does not exist today.