Todd Rundgren - Solo, with Utopia, and selected productions.*

To say nothing about the way XTC hated working with him on Skylarking. Daryl Hall has mentioned how he hated the experience of War Babies, but it appears he and Todd have mended their fences.

 

Here's what the article says about that:

When Rundgren took over the production of Badfinger’s Straight Up from George Harrison (then busy with the Concert for Bangladesh), Grossman demanded an unheard-of fee for his wunderkind. “He asked for a s#$^load of money, more than any producer had ever been paid,” says Rundgren. “And they paid it because it was Albert Grossman.”

 

I remember Andy Partridge referring to Todd as a schoolmaster somewhere! In the end XTC realized that the results were exemplary though the process was rather unbearable.

I saw Hall and Oates with Todd a few years back. Daryl referred to him as Brother Todd. Todd used the cats from the H & O band when he did his set as well. They humanized some of the tunes from Liars that became less technologically inclined in a live sense.Hall, Oates and Rundgren ended off the show trading off on tunes and then ended the show with Love Train. And Todd did Daryl's internet series as well. They seemed to be pretty chummy reminiscing about the old days back in Philly!

Todd and Daryl Live at Daryl's House:

http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/currentep.html?ep_id=22

 

I don't think Todd actually worked with Badfinger again on A$$. Rather, they issued leftover tracks from the Straight Up sessions on A$$.

 

From Wikipedia:

Although recordings for the album began as early as 1972, shortly after the release of Straight Up, A SS wasn't released until November 26, 1973 in the United States and May 1974 in the UK. The album was originally delayed because of production quality, as the band attempted to produce the album themselves after producer Todd Rundgren departed the project with just two songs recorded. After a first version of the album was rejected by the label, Apple engineer Chris Thomas was hired as a first-time producer to improve the overall recordings and make new track selections

 

My fave, the last track on Side One. Always wished Todd would have covered this song as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVYqR0bnoqQ

 

Great tune. I loved how Laura reinvented that song. So that would be Todd covering Laura who was covering Goffin/King?! It always comes back to Carole doesn't it?

The Drifters version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP8OVzVzR6o

Carole's version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MopbhuZ2Bh0

It's funny how the student(Laura) taught the teacher(Carole),it's truly ironic....I wonder if King heard Laura's version before she remade her own song. They both recorded it at virtually the same time....

 

The article was originally from Mojo Magazine. Here's a slightly more easy-to-read version:

http://home.comcast.net/~toddstuff/articles/TR-199802-Mojo/TR-199802-Mojo.html

 

Friedman on Rundgren yet again:

"Todd wouldn't take any advice, not even from Albert," says Mike Friedman. "He was just impossible to deal with, he knew everything, and he always wanted to be five miles down the road from where he was. The bottom line was that the public didn't buy it. He wasn't Stevie Wonder — another guy who could do it all but who knew how to make commercial records."

When he produced other artists, however, he had a sure commercial touch, such as Grand Funk Railroad's We're an American Band. "When Albert Grossman told me he was gonna make me the highest-paid producer in the world, I thought, What a weird idea," Todd recalls. "With the Badfinger record, he asked for a sh@#load of money and got it. And it ratcheted up again when I did Grand Funk. I got $50,000 upfront, unheard-of in 1973."

As a solo artist he was an artiste and was becoming a tin man in terms of units sold ...as a producer he was commercial gold. Ah the irony of the rock and roll biz. It's funny how he hasn't been indicted into the Hall of Shame for his production work alone,isn't it?

 

Read the notes to the Rhino collection of H&O Atlantic stuff. It wasn't pleasant. But I am glad they mended fences. Life's too short.

 

An irony is that Atlantic reportedly refused to sign Meat Loaf because Todd was going to produce him, and Atlantic was angry at Todd because of the poor sales of War Babies.

 

Never heard that! Yikes!

 

I had no idea of Todd's rep behind the controls. I knew he was a good producer but didn't know he was so hard to work with.

 

BUMP. I know between the imminent arrival of the Xmas holiday and the dying-down of commentary on Ballad of TR, things are liable to get a little quiet on this thread - but I'm sure we don't want to have to rescue it from being completely buried by umpteen hundred other threads either.

No doubt right around the corner: Todd's commercial high water mark - S/A?.

 

Just uploaded a groovy BBC radio show on Todd's productions...

http://rapidshare.com/files/438951372/Record_Producers_-_Todd_Rundgren_-_Extended.mp3

It's worth a listen for any Todd-heads who dig such far out sounds. It's a hip party daddio and it freaks me out!

Have a mellow Xmas, cats and kittens!

 

Something/Anything

We'll move on now to the next album in TR's catalog:

Something/Anything?

Released in 1972, is Todd Rundgren's third solo album. It peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold three years after its release, and remains the singer-songwriter's best-selling album. In 2003, the album was ranked number 173 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The album featured Rundgren's only major pop hit as an artist. "Hello It's Me", recorded earlier by Nazz and featured on side four of the record, reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following year. Rundgren had expected "I Saw the Light" to be his big hit.

Rundgren played every instrument (as well as sang every vocal) on the first three sides of the double LP, while a band accompanies him on the fourth.

In the liner notes, the first side of the album is described as "a bouquet of ear-catching melodies", the second as "the cerebral side", the third as "The kid gets heavy", and the fourth is titled "Baby Needs a New Pair of Snakeskin Boots (A Pop Operetta)".

The first five thousand issues of the LP were pressed on colored vinyl — the first half of the album on red vinyl, the second on blue.

The song "Couldn't I Just Tell You" has had a major influence on artists in the power pop musical genre, with music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine of the All Music Guide calling it one of "the great songs that provided power pop with its foundation".

Track listing
All songs written by Todd Rundgren except as indicated.

Side one

"I Saw the Light" – 2:56
"It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" – 3:50
"Wolfman Jack" – 2:54
"Cold Morning Light" – 3:55
"It Takes Two to Tango (This Is for the Girls)" – 2:41
"Sweeter Memories" – 3:36

Side two

"Intro" – 1:11
"Breathless" – 3:15
"The Night the Carousel Burnt Down" – 4:29
"Saving Grace" – 4:12
"Marlene" – 3:54
"Song of the Viking" – 2:35
"I Went to the Mirror" – 4:05

Side three

"Black Maria" – 5:20
"One More Day (No Word)" – 3:43
"Couldn't I Just Tell You" – 3:34
"Torch Song" – 2:52
"Little Red Lights" – 4:53

Side four

"Overture—My Roots: Money (That's What I Want) / Messin' With The Kid" (Janie Bradford, Berry Gordy, Mel London) – 2:29[5]
"Dust in the Wind" (Mark Klingman, Rundgren) – 3:49
"Piss Aaron" – 3:26
"Hello It's Me" – 4:42
"Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me" – 3:56
"You Left Me Sore" – 3:13
"Slut" – 4:03

Personnel

Todd Rundgren – all instrumentation and vocals

Additional personnel (side four only)

Todd Rundgren – vocals, piano on 1 2 3 4, guitars on 5 6
Mark Klingman – organ on 1 2 3, piano on 5
John Siomos – drums on 1 2 3
Randy Brecker – trumpet on 1 2
Mike Brecker – tenor sax on 1 2
Barry Rogers – trombone on 1 2
Rick Derringer – guitar on 1
Dennis Cooley – vocals on 1 2
Richard Corey – vocals on 1 2 3
Cecilia Norfleet – vocals on 1 2
Vicki Robinson – vocals on 1 2
Hope Ruff – vocals on 1 2 3
Robbie Kogale – guitar on 2 3
Stu Woods – bass on 2 3
Jim Colgrove – bass on 4
Amos Garrett – guitar on 4
Ben Keith – pedal steel on 4
Billy Mundi – drums on 4 5
Gene Dinwiddie – tenor sax on 5
Serge Katzen – conga on 5
Bugsy Maugh – bass on 5
Ralph Wash – guitar on 5
Jim Horn – tenor sax on 6
John Kelson – tenor sax on 6
Brook Baxes – vocals on 6
Anthony Carrubba – vocals on 6
Henry Fanton – vocals on 6
Edward Olmos – vocals on 6
Hunt Sales – drums on 6
Tony Sales – bass on 6
Charlie Schoning – piano on 6
Rick Vito – guitar on 6

 

Though I'd owned and loved the album since it was released, I don't think I ever really noticed the list of musicians from side 4. Wow. Ben Keith. Jim Horn. And . . wait . . Edward Olmos?! So say we all!!

 

Ahh, didn't know about the coloured vinyl. Explains the different coloured discs on my Rhino cd, although the colour coding is reversed from what you say, the first disc being blue.

 

Also Vicki (Sue) Robinson - later had the hit "Turn The Beat Around."

 

I'm fortunate enough to own the MFSL CD set of S/A? (outer box worn, discs mint). Are the master tapes in pretty good shape? You'd think so, with a MoFi issue.

 

Bought a double lp on the strength of that one amazing perfect single. My friends said I was insane. I had the last laugh.

 

This is the only solo album I have by Todd Rundgren. I bought a used copy of the MFSL CD. Before my only knowledge of Todd was through his work with Utopia. I've only had the chance to listen to this album through twice so far, but it has given me a profound respect for TR's song writing ability. I'm looking forward to exploring more of his catalog.

 

I envy you in a way. I've been a fan since the mid-70s, and have heard everything, most of it when it came out (and some when it was played live before being released). You have a rich and varied experience ahead of you.

 

I have not listened to this one in years, and after reading the new Todd book, and seeing this thread, I dug it out. The Night the carousel burned down is stuck in my brain for two weeks now. Dust in the wind is one of my all time fav Todd songs.

 

He didn't write it, but yea, it is a great song.