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Todd Rundgren: Multi-Instrumentalist, Songwriter & Record Producer (1 Viewer)

McGarnicle said:
He's awesome. Hello It's Me is one of my all time faves.
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Me, too (imo he is a genius). I think there are a few versions. It is on Something/Anything, which is his most popular and best selling album. It was a double album, like Todd (below). On the first three album sides, he basically played everything - drums, bass, rhythm and lead guitar, piano/synths, lead and backing vocals, than on the fourth side, played with the likes of Rick Derringer and the Brecker Brothers. At the time (long before Prince) McCartney's first solo album was one of the only other comparable "one man band" efforts (John Mayall did something similar in the blues idiom, and perhaps this describes some of the body of work of fellow gifted multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and synth pioneer, Stevie Wonder).  

Background

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Something/Anything%3F


Partial list of the albums Rundgren engineered and/or produced in the '70s & '80s (from his above wiki bio):

During the 1970s and 1980s, Rundgren engineered and/or produced many notable albums for other acts, including the Band's Stage Fright (1970), Badfinger's Straight Up (1971), Grand Funk Railroad's We're an American Band (1973), the New York Dolls's New York Dolls (1973), Hall & Oates's War Babies (1974), Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell (1977), and XTC's Skylarking (1986).

He also released a lot of music from the '70s on with his sort of prog/fusion genre, Utopia band vehicle, which we'll hopefully have occasion to talk about more later in the thread.   

 
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Utopia's 1980 Beatles tribute album "Deface the Music" is a well executed lark.  It doesn't stand up to the genuine article but gives the Rutles a run for their money.



 
SaintsInDome2006 said:
I've been to ohhh about 4-5 of his concerts.
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Just once for me, at the House Of Blues in Hollywood, CA, forget what year or tour, maybe about 10 years ago?

More albums:

Initiation - Discs 1 & 2 

Background

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initiation_(Todd_Rundgren_album)

Excerpt - "The album is one of the longest single LPs of all time, totaling almost 68 minutes of playing time. Due to the length of the LP, Rundgren sped up the master tape to eliminate 2-3 minutes per side as well as EQ'ing and limiting the recording's dynamic range to fit the entire album onto one piece of vinyl. The album's original inner sleeve included a "Technical Note" stating "Due to the amount of music on this disc (over one hour), two points must be emphasized. Firstly, if your needle is worn or damaged, it will ruin the disc immediately. Secondly, if the sound does seem not loud enough on your system, try re-recording the music onto tape". All CD copies contain the same audio and it is unknown if the dynamic range has been restored on these pressings."



 
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He was on Live from Daryl's House twice and they played a lot of each others' tunes and covers. Really good stuff, all available on YouTube. Not sure how to direct link here from iPad.

 
Hermit Of Mink Hollow (big hit was Can We Still Be Friends), a return to Something/Anything, both the more pop ethos as well as one man band MO and album construction - I think this was also the second best selling title in his back catalog, after S/A.  

Background

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermit_of_Mink_Hollow



 
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McGarnicle said:
He was on Live from Daryl's House twice and they played a lot of each others' tunes and covers. Really good stuff, all available on YouTube. Not sure how to direct link here from iPad.
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Here is episode 40 - which is the second time they got together.  This one is at Todd's house in Hawaii - love it, but not as much as episode 23 at Daryl's house.  

I cannot find the earlier episode as a whole but can piece most of it up via separate YouTube clips.

Several pieces from ep. 23 mixed in with some from ep. 40

- Want of a Nail/Can We Still Be Friends/Wait For Me/Sweet are  in the mix linked just above

- Others are linked below that I can find.  Its a bummer that some of the other scenes aren't readily available - there are some good stories between them in between songs.

Expressway to Your Heart - a Philly 60s Soul Survivors hit (they both are from Philly with many similar/exact influences)

Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel - off the AWATS album

You Got It

Watch Your Back 

 
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38 minutes ago, Eephus said:

Utopia's 1980 Beatles tribute album "Deface the Music" is a well executed lark.  It doesn't stand up to the genuine article but gives the Rutles a run for their money.

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Thanks, I haven't heard that before but will definitely check it out.

Guessing you know this already, Eephus, but for the benefit of the thread, Rundgren and Lennon had a brief intersection. After Rundgren criticized Lennon in the British publication Melody Maker (he later explained he thought Lennon was a hypocrite for being moralizing, didactic and preachy, taking people like McCartney to task while making drunken scenes during the infamous "Lost Weekend" period in LA during the mid-70s), Lennon responded with the hilarious below letter. Lennon was capable of a scathing, withering, excoriating wit, so all things considered, and given the context, this seemed pretty gentle, if not exactly conciliatory. At some level, it seems like he respected him. Even if he had somewhat of a point, Rundgren had somewhat of a reputation himself for being cocky, arrogant and aloof, I actually haven't read the article that prompted it (context can be found in the below link), but sounds like he deserved whatever Lennon gave. :)  Rundgren later explained once he realized Melody Maker just wanted the unwitting controversy for marketing purposes, he declined the forum for a follow up rejoinder in the publication, claimed they instead talked on the phone, but weren't buddies or anything. What stands out most from the exchange for me is a reminder of Lennon's brilliantly quirky, off beat, mordant and trenchant wit. Aside from the obviously massive and incalculable loss to music, we tragically lost a lot more - his larger than life soul and spirit.     

http://trconnection.com/trconn.php/article=lennon.art


John Lennon's letter to Todd


AN OPENED LETTUCE TO SODD RUNTLESTUNTLE. (from dr. winston o'boogie)

Couldn't resist adding a few "islands of truth" of my own, in answer to Turd Runtgreen's howl of hate (pain.)

Dear Todd,

I like you, and some of your work, including "I Saw The Light", which is not unlike "There's A Place" (Beatles), melody wise.

1) I have never claimed to be a revolutionary. But I am allowed to sing about anything I want! Right?

2) I never hit a waitress in the Troubador, I did act like an ###, I was too drunk. So shoot me!

3) I guess we're all looking for attention Rodd, do you really think I don't know how to get it, without "revolution?" I could dye my hair green and pink for a start!

4) I don't represent anyone but my SELF. It sounds like I represented something to you, or you wouldn't be so violent towards me. (Your dad perhaps?)

5) Yes Dodd, violence comes in mysterious ways it's wonders to perform, including verbal. But you'd know that kind of mind game, wouldn't you? Of course you would.

6) So the Nazz use to do "like heavy rock" then SUDDENLY a "light pretty ballad". How original!

7) Which gets me to the Beatles, "who had no other style than being the Beatles"!! That covers a lot of style man, including your own, TO DATE.....

Yes Godd, the one thing those Beatles did was to affect PEOPLES' MINDS. Maybe you need another fix?

Somebody played me your rock and roll ##### song, but I never noticed anything. i think that the real reason you're mad at me is cause I didn't know who you were at the Rainbow (L.A.) Remember that time you came in with Wolfman Jack? When I found out later, I was cursing cause I wanted to tell you how good you were. (I'd heard you on the radio.)

Anyway, However much you hurt me darling; I'll always love you,

J. L.

30th Sept. 1974

 
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Other Rundgren fun facts (again from his wiki bio):

"During the mid-to-late 1970s, Rundgren regularly played the eye-catching psychedelic Gibson SG (known variously as "Sunny" or "The Fool"), which Eric Clapton had played in Cream. After he had stopped using it ca. 1968, Clapton gave the guitar to George Harrison, who subsequently 'loaned' it to British singer Jackie Lomax. In 1972, after meeting at a recording session, Lomax sold the guitar to Rundgren for $500 with an option to buy it back, which he never took up.[13] Rundgren played it extensively during the early years of Utopia before retiring the instrument for a short time in the mid to late 1970s, which in that time he had the guitar restored having a lacquer finish applied to protect the paint and replaced the talpiece and bridge to stabilize tuning, bringing the guitar back out on tour during the 1980 Deface the Music tour and using it on and off throughout the 1980s until 1993 when he permanently retired the guitar, eventually auctioning it off in 1999; he now uses a reproduction given to him in 1988 by a Japanese fan.[14]"

"Rundgren has long been on the cutting edge of music and video technologies. His music video for the song "Time Heals" was among the first videos aired on MTV, and a video he produced for RCA, accompanied by Gustav Holst's The Planets, was used as a demo for their videodisc players. His experience with computer graphics dates back to 1981, when he developed one of the first computer paint programs, dubbed the Utopia Graphics System; it ran on an Apple II with Apple's digitizer tablet."

"Rundgren composed music for the 1986 television series Pee-wee's Playhouse and Crime Story as well as the movies Undercover (a/k/a "Under Cover") (1987), and Dumb and Dumber (1994), plus background cues for several other television series. He hosted a syndicated radio show called "The Difference" in the early 1990s."

"In late 2005, the Boston-based band The Cars were planning to re-form despite bassist Benjamin Orr's death and lack of interest on the part of former lead singer Ric Ocasek. Rumors followed that Rundgren had joined Elliot Easton and Greg Hawkes in rehearsals for a possible new Cars lineup. Initial speculation pointed to The New Cars being fleshed out with Clem Burke of Blondie and Art Alexakis of Everclear. Eventually it was revealed that The New Cars were to complete their lineup with veteran bass player and former Rundgren bandmate Kasim Sulton and studio drummer Prairie Prince of The Tubes, who had played on XTC's Rundgren-produced Skylarking and who has recorded and toured with Rundgren."

"Rundgren has three sons; Rex (born 1980) and Randy (born 1985) with his long-term girlfriend Karen Darvin, and Rebop with current wife Michele. Rex is a minor league baseball player (Infield position), who, as of 2012, plays for the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Drillers.[30]

From 1972 to 1979, Rundgren had a longterm relationship with model Bebe Buell. During their cohabitation, sometimes they were on-and-off. In 1976, Buell became unexpectedly pregnant from her brief relationship with Steven Tyler. On July 1, 1977, Buell gave birth to future actress/model Liv Tyler. But Buell initially named the daughter Liv Rundgren and claimed that Todd Rundgren was the biological father to protect the child from Tyler's drug addiction. Rundgren and Buell ended their romantic relationship shortly after Liv's birth, but Rundgren put his heart and soul into the "white lie". At age eight, Liv was made aware of her real parentage, that she is in fact Steven Tyler's biological daughter.[31][32][33]

According to Tyler "...Todd basically decided when I was born that I needed a father so he signed my birth certificate. He knew that there was a chance that I might not be his but…" He paid to put her through private school, and she visited him several times a year.[34]

Tyler maintains a close relationship with Rundgren. "I'm so grateful to him, I have so much love for him. You know, when he holds me it feels like Daddy. And he's very protective and strong."

 
Bob Magaw said:
Thanks, I haven't heard that before but will definitely check it out.

Guessing you know this already, Eephus, but for the benefit of the thread, Rundgren and Lennon had a brief intersection. After Rundgren criticized Lennon in the British publication Melody Maker (he later explained he thought Lennon was a hypocrite for being moralizing, didactic and preachy, taking people like McCartney to task while making drunken scenes during the infamous "Lost Weekend" period in LA during the mid-70s), Lennon responded with the hilarious below letter. Lennon was capable of a scathing, withering, excoriating wit, so all things considered, and given the context, this seemed pretty gentle, if not exactly conciliatory. At some level, it seems like he respected him. Even if he had somewhat of a point, Rundgren had somewhat of a reputation himself for being cocky, arrogant and aloof, I actually haven't read the article that prompted it (context can be found in the below link), but sounds like he deserved whatever Lennon gave. :)  Rundgren later explained once he realized Melody Maker just wanted the unwitting controversy for marketing purposes, he declined the forum for a follow up rejoinder in the publication, claimed they instead talked on the phone, but weren't buddies or anything. What stands out most from the exchange for me is a reminder of Lennon's brilliantly quirky, off beat, mordant and trenchant wit. Aside from the obviously massive and incalculable loss to music, we tragically lost a lot more - his larger than life soul and spirit.     

http://trconnection.com/trconn.php/article=lennon.art


John Lennon's letter to Todd


AN OPENED LETTUCE TO SODD RUNTLESTUNTLE. (from dr. winston o'boogie)

Couldn't resist adding a few "islands of truth" of my own, in answer to Turd Runtgreen's howl of hate (pain.)

Dear Todd,

I like you, and some of your work, including "I Saw The Light", which is not unlike "There's A Place" (Beatles), melody wise.

1) I have never claimed to be a revolutionary. But I am allowed to sing about anything I want! Right?

2) I never hit a waitress in the Troubador, I did act like an ###, I was too drunk. So shoot me!

3) I guess we're all looking for attention Rodd, do you really think I don't know how to get it, without "revolution?" I could dye my hair green and pink for a start!

4) I don't represent anyone but my SELF. It sounds like I represented something to you, or you wouldn't be so violent towards me. (Your dad perhaps?)

5) Yes Dodd, violence comes in mysterious ways it's wonders to perform, including verbal. But you'd know that kind of mind game, wouldn't you? Of course you would.

6) So the Nazz use to do "like heavy rock" then SUDDENLY a "light pretty ballad". How original!

7) Which gets me to the Beatles, "who had no other style than being the Beatles"!! That covers a lot of style man, including your own, TO DATE.....

Yes Godd, the one thing those Beatles did was to affect PEOPLES' MINDS. Maybe you need another fix?

Somebody played me your rock and roll ##### song, but I never noticed anything. i think that the real reason you're mad at me is cause I didn't know who you were at the Rainbow (L.A.) Remember that time you came in with Wolfman Jack? When I found out later, I was cursing cause I wanted to tell you how good you were. (I'd heard you on the radio.)

Anyway, However much you hurt me darling; I'll always love you,

J. L.

30th Sept. 1974
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:lmao:   I was a big Creem & Circus magazine fan and that made it in there - still had them up to a few years ago (they were ok but not close to pristine). 

 
Intro - seventh track from Something/Anything, unlike anything I have heard on another album, Rundgren puts on his engineer cap and talks about SOUND and the STUDIO :)

Excerpts on the making of his best selling album, particularly sides 1-3 which he did himself (from wiki background above).


Sides 1-3


By the time Rundgren started recording the album, he had already achieved commercial success as a solo artist, and a producer,[2] and this increased his self-confidence. He had also become dissatisfied with other musicians playing on his recordings, recalling, "I'd never played drums or bass before, though I would hector those that did."[3] This led him to decide to record the entire album by himself using multi-tracking.

Rundgren wrote the material for the album at a prolific rate. He attributed his productivity to Ritalin[4]:18 and cannabis, stating that the drugs "caused me to crank out songs at an incredible pace. 'I Saw the Light' took me all of 20 minutes."[5] He found some of the other songs quick to write, too, noting "they were all basically starting out with C Major 7th, and I'd start moving my hand around in predictable patterns until a song came out."[6]

The majority of backing tracks on the first three sides of the album were recorded at I.D. Sound Studios, Los Angeles, engineered by James Lowe with assistance from John Lee.[4]:4 The studio was one of the first independent units in LA, and Lowe believes Rundgren chose it due to the ability to work hands-on without record company interference and having all the latest technology and equipment.[7] Rundgren played every instrument in turn, starting with the drums, noting it "was the logical place to start,"[4]:20 with each instrument laid down on top. While recording the drums, Rundgren would try and hum the song in his head to remember where he was, but "if I would screw up, then I would change the song afterwards, to fit the mistake that I had made, because it was easier than going back and fixing it."[8]:1:24 In retrospect, Rundgren felt he might have performed better with a click track, being a novice drummer at the time, but concluded that the end result "sound like a band".[3] He didn't think his lack of technical proficiency on the instrument was a particular handicap, saying that "people comprehend what you're playing, and it has a greater impact."[9]:7:35 Engineering the album, Lowe recalled he was "mostly working in the dark", and that Rundgren would leave spaces for instruments during recording, spontaneously developing a song as it was being recorded. "I was never sure exactly where the song was going until we'd put down about four or five tracks."[7]

In addition to recording at I.D. Sound, Rundgren took an 8-track recorder and some studio equipment, installing it at his rented home on Astral Drive, Nichols Canyon. 'Intro' and 'Breathless' were recorded here, along with various guitar and keyboard overdubs.[4]:7[7] A version of 'Torch Song' was also recorded, but was scrapped due to excessive background noise.[4]:7 Rundgren recalled that recording at home meant he could spend time working on pieces of technology or production, such as programming a VCS3 synthesizer, at his leisure without wasting anyone else's time.[4]:20 The artwork on the original gatefold sleeve was also shot in this apartment.[7] Despite working long hours each day in both I.D and at home, with minimum breaks for sleeping and eating, Rundgren said he enjoyed the recording experience, and "wouldn't have had it any other way."[10]:16:10



 
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We Gotta Get You A Woman is my favorite song by Rundgren

Still have a bad taste in my mouth over The Cars kerfuffle 

 
For me, A Wizard, a True Star and Todd are kind of like Rundgren's Sgt. Peppers and Pet Sounds.

The soaring, anthemic, concluding track Just One Victory from AWATS (pretty cool, psychedelic cover art, too, while on the subject). Other than McCartney, not a lot of others musician's names come immediately to mind that represent a comparable confluence of the ability to play perfect power pop, psychedelia, rock, that can and do play every instrument, rhythm and lead, backing and lead vocals, write, have the golden ears in the studio of an engineer, the creativity to unleash a virtually limitless array and palette of sounds and the work ethic to realize them. Rare skill set.       



 
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The lead in's to the Spark of Life are perfect.  How About A Little Fanfare (instrumental) and I Think You Know.    

They all kind of run together ...that is one of the big things I miss about listening to albums vs. single cuts.

You lose the intent and spirit behind the album.



 
Can We Still Be Friends (from Hermit Of Mink Hollow), all Todd Rundgren, like the layered synths and stacked vocals



 
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The New Cars was an interesting career path for 57 year old Rundgren in 2005.  Eliot Easton and Greg Hawkes wanted to get the band back together but Ben was dead and Ric and David said no.  Todd said yes and brought along Utopia mate Kasim Sulton and drummer Prairie Prince from the Tubes.  They toured, released a live album with three new studio tracks but the general public was unmoved.

"Not Tonight" was the single and a conscious effort to recreate the Cars classic sound.  It's aight but the real gem is "More" which closed The New Cars only album.  It has a darker post-punk sound with a pure pop chorus and a typically concise guitar solo from Easton.

There's no YouTube link for "More"


Here's a TV performance of "Not Tonight"


I wouldn't bother with the live covers of the original Cars material.

 
Eephus - The New Cars "More" spotify link for those with spotify ...

Has more of a Utopia sound than "Not Tonight" which Todd writing a Cars song ...which still sounds good.  

ETA:  spotify link is acting goofy ...to be revisited.

 
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Speaking of Prairie Prince, one of my favorite Rundgren produced albums (as an aside, Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell was a massive hit which he admitted helped fund some of his more artistic, exotic and arcane musical excursions, it is in the VH1 Classic Albums series, with Todd interviews and possibly studio multi-track breakdowns) is Remote Control by The Tubes. Haven't heard it in a while, but used to play it a lot when it came out. Great album cover art (very Brave New World-like). :)

Background (the late keys player Vince Welnick later joined the Grateful Dead)

Excerpt (did not know this) -  "Remote Control is the fifth album released by The Tubes. This was their first to be produced by the studio "wizard" Todd Rundgren (the other being 1985's Love Bomb). It is a concept album about a television-addicted idiot savant based on the book Being There by Jerzy Kosinski."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Control_(The_Tubes_album)





 
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Skylarking by XTC (I'd link except for - COVER STRANGER DANGER) is another Rundgren produced album, oft cited as the band's pinnacle, and probably one of his better engineered efforts, which is saying a lot, though this was said to be a very difficult project, particularly for guitarist/vocalist Andy Partridge, who didn't mesh well with Rundgren's production style and studio demeanor - though later he and the rest of the band acknowledged the album owed a lot to his unique engineering talents, extending even to orchestration gifts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skylarking 

With Ringo's All Starr Band - I Saw The Light





 
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God, I just saw this thread and, even before opening it, I imagined Binky doing flips like the church dancers in "The Blues Brothers". Link

A couple of random thoughts.........

Todd is a ####### genius. I can't stand a lot of his stuff, and I bet he'd take that as a compliment.

Like Harry Nilsson, he's woefully underrated. Both of those guys made some of the weirdest, most idiosyncratic music of the 70s. Artists like Yes and ####### ELP got all kinds of raves for their album-length farts but, because they worked from a pop/soul background, Todd & Harry got almost none. They both had more finesse in their little fingers than any of those pretentious "art" rockers.

Todd got Grand Funk to #1 :wub:

Todd has a wonderful, soulful voice and could probably have had a singles career to rival someone like Smokey Robinson's, post-Miracles. 

 
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Good points (thread retroactively dedicated to Binky - hoping he drops some Utopia knowledge and links).

Todd is a freaky mashup of Carole King's voice and song writing (AWATS and Todd were written PARTIALLY in response to being called a male Carole King - who he made clear he likes a lot, but any artist prefers to be known for their own inimitable style and contributions, he was certainly no exception - to the point of committing "career suicide" by following up hit machine Something/Anything with the for many, inscrutable AWATS and Todd), McCartney's multi-tasking instrumental genius (very few could pull off something as audacious as McCartney's first and second solo albums and Band On The Run, or Rundgren's Something/Anything and Hermit Of Mink Hollow, where they basically play everything), Hendrix-like guitar chops, Sun Ra's pioneering synth exploration temperament, Zappa's quirky, off-beat, subversive perspective and brilliantly irreverent and hilarious sense of humor, Brian Eno's production/engineering ability and the artistic integrity of King Crimson's Robert Fripp to be refractory to slavish seduction by the siren call of lowest common denominator market forces as well as creating a viable alternative to label dictates and their distribution monoploy, following their respective muse and internal compass wherever it led them for nearly a half century, with little or no consideration to the mechanisms of conventional pop/rock stardom, commercial riches and their attendant trappings. 

McCartney and Rundgren (not that I am comparing their game OVERALL, but purely the trait and attribute of being generalists - like the latter, the former had staggering, stupefying range, from Yesterday lushness to Helter Skelter's blisters on Ringo's fingers :) ) are both musical Renaissance men.

Rundgren did a tour for AWATS in 2009 (and Todd in 2010), below is a four part interview (VIDEO 30 minutes).



 
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One of the more popular Rundgren/Utopia bootlegs, I think from their first British Tour, Hammersmith Odeon '75 (Luther Vandross on backing vocals - this would have been AFTER he was discovered by David Bowie and played on Young Americans)



 
Good recent general article/interview while on tour supporting his EDM album Global

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/todd-rundgren-hates-the-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-loves-edm-and-might-be-a-techno-psychic/Content?oid=5721015

A warning to all the aspiring musicians out there: Whatever you might be planning to do with your career, Todd Rundgren probably got there first. Melodic pop-radio hit-maker? Check, thanks to singles like "I Saw The Light," "Hello It's Me," and the deathless '80s earwig, "Bang the Drum All Day." Recording studio wizard? Yep — Todd produced and played every instrument on his 1972 double-album, Something/Anything? Creator of intricate prog-rock epics? Done and done — courtesy of his cult favorite side-project, Utopia. And the list goes on — from his eclectic resume as a producer (he helmed both the New York Dolls' debut album and Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell) to performing the first ever interactive concert in 1978, which allowed a television audience to choose his setlist through a two-way broadcasting system, to his being one of the first artists to understand the potential of the internet (more on that later).

Rundgren first came to prominence in the late 1960s with a Beatles-esque pop-rock band called the Nazz, but all along he's nursed another passion. "I have always had a, not a love affair, really, but a comfort level with technology," he says. "My dad was an engineer at a DuPont factory in Philadelphia, and he knew electronics and mechanics and all kinds of things. He had a big workbench full of tools, and he was always bringing home these innovations from DuPont. They'd come up with some new, interesting side effect from trying to design paint, I guess. I grew up with an interest in and a lack of intimidation by technology. So I've always been a little bit ahead of everyone else from a technological standpoint, just because I cared to know."

Thanks to that comfort level, Rundgren has been able to take his music in directions that occasionally surprised even him. "I don't always have a purpose in or an application for the technology," he says. "Sometimes that doesn't come until later. For instance, when I first got involved with computers, it wasn't computers and music — it was computers and graphics that I was interested in. And much later, the computers evolved to the point that they supplanted a lot of the other hardware that we used to make records, and so I didn't shy away from that. But things have to get to a certain level of accessibility, I suppose. In other words, I wasn't the first to start recording digitally, because it was so expensive [laughs]. But once the technology came down to where I could afford it, then I went digital. That's my modus operandi — a combination of the technology and the accessibility, how easily I could get my hands on it."

In fact, that merging of interests led Rundgren to realize long before anyone else did that the future of the music business would be heavily influenced by the internet. "I was involved in a project in the early '90s under the aegis of Time Warner Cable," he says. "They wanted to have on-demand music services in people's homes. And essentially I designed the system to deliver that, and then we had to go and find music to put on the servers. It seemed so obvious, but the meetings that we had with the record labels, the reactions ranged from horror to some of them raising possibly legitimate concerns that they weren't ready to confront yet. They didn't see how quickly the train was coming. They said, 'We'll deal with this eventually, but right now we don't know how to divide up the royalties, we don't know what to do about artists and management and their attitudes about this.' They had some real issues but no solutions, and since they refused to come up with any, they essentially failed."

So given Rundgren's knowledge of and ability with technology of all stripes, one would assume that when he talks about incorporating electronic dance music into his new album, Global (out in April), he was attracted to the machinery involved in EDM. But it's actually just the opposite. "It's an interesting phenomenon," he says. "A DJ, somebody who's not really playing anything, is standing up on a platform surrounded by a million LEDs, and that doesn't seem to make a difference to anyone. The audience, because of the nature of the music, suddenly becomes unified. Fifty-thousand people are jumping up and down to the same rhythm, which is something fundamental about music and something we tend to forget about the tribal roots of music. It was originally something sacramental instead of just a form of entertainment. And I'm fascinated with that aspect of it — taking simple sonic elements and using them a certain way within a certain setting to essentially transform an unruly mob into a single organism."

So as we consider Rundgren's ever-adventurous musical output, his 50-year career, his hit singles, the millions of albums sold, and scores of musicians influenced, one final question comes to mind: How the hell is this guy not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet?

Don't ask Rundgren, because he doesn't give a damn. "I really don't care," he says with a laugh. "This is an institution that arose within my lifetime. It doesn't have the same cache as a Nobel Peace Prize or some historical foundation. If I told you about how they actually determine who gets into the Hall of Fame, you'd think that I was bull####ting you, because I've been told what's involved. It has to do with who's in already. Who's in already carries a lot of weight when it comes to who gets in. It's very weird. All it takes is one veto from one person who's got a bug up their ### about a certain artist, so that artist is never getting in as long as that person is a voting board member. It's just as corrupt as anything else, and that's why I don't care."

Rundgren doesn't hold back on his feelings on the Academy either, "When Marisa Tomei won the Oscar for that Joe Pesci movie, everyone's jaw was on the floor, because they could see the value of the award," he says. "It has no value at all."

* Hello It's Me - original version by The Nazz, his first song credit in '68 (what an auspicious debut!!). Starts a lot slower, with much more spare and austere instrumental/vocal arrangements, does build somewhat, I prefer the later faster tempo version, he would call this initial iteration "dirgey". :)

Background (wiki)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_It%27s_Me

Hello It's Me was the first original song by Todd Rundgren.[5] It was first recorded in 1968 by Rundgren's band Nazz and was included on their self-titled debut album. Although released as the B-side of the group's debut single "Open My Eyes" it was picked up in preference to the A-side by Boston radio station WMEX, where it rose to #1, and was subsequently picked up by other stations. It first charted in 1968 at #66 on the U.S. charts.

Rundgren's songs in this early phase of his career were heavily influenced by the work of Laura Nyro, but in a 2005 interview he revealed that the basic structure of the song was adapted from the introduction of a Jimmy Smith recording:


...the main influence for Hello It's Me was an eight bar intro that Jimmy Smith played on a recording of When Johnny Comes Marching Home.  He had this whole sort of block chord thing that he did to set up the intro of the song.  I tried to capture those changes, and those changes became what are the changes underneath Hello It's Me."  I then had to come up with melody and words, but the changes are actually almost lifted literally from something that was, from Jimmy Smith's standpoint, a throwaway.

— Todd Rundgren, puremusic.com [5]


Rundgren recorded an uptempo version of Hello It's Me on his 1972 solo album Something/Anything?. Although a remake of the original, this new version became widely popular and has since become a staple of the classic rock genre. An edit of this version was released as a single in 1973 and became Rundgren's only major pop hit, reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.



 
I think McCartney is a pretty good comparison as a "jack of all trades and master of a bunch of 'em", but Todd really didn't give a flying #### what the public thought whereas Paul really did. To me, that's what makes Paul even greater - he hamstrung himself and still kicked all kinds of ###. Michael Jackson is another who played to the crowd and still beat everyone else at their own game.

Todd is more like Prince to me. "Oh, hits matter? Here's one. Now go away and leave me alone".

 
13 hours ago, Bob Magaw said:

Speaking of Prairie Prince, one of my favorite Rundgren produced albums (as an aside, Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell was a massive hit which he admitted helped fund some of his more artistic, exotic and arcane musical excursions, it is in the VH1 Classic Albums series, with Todd interviews and possibly studio multi-track breakdowns) is Remote Control by The Tubes. Haven't heard it in a while, but used to play it a lot when it came out. Great album cover art (very Brave New World-like). :)

Background (the late keys player Vince Welnick later joined the Grateful Dead)

Excerpt (did not know this) -  "Remote Control is the fifth album released by The Tubes. This was their first to be produced by the studio "wizard" Todd Rundgren (the other being 1985's Love Bomb). It is a concept album about a television-addicted idiot savant based on the book Being There by Jerzy Kosinski."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_Control_(The_Tubes_album)



 
For those not involved in the recent Jukebox 50 draft - 1 song for each year (1960 - 2015), pick 50 of those years.  I didn't get in the draft but played the home game version and decided to try and get as much Todd & Todd influenced music in there.  Because he is most often thought of as the "Hello Its Me" soft tune guy I wanted to make 2 lists - 1 with softer tunes he is more known for and one with some harder stuff that is less known and just as good.  

The priority for selection is - Todd/Utopia/Nazz doing Todd/Utopia songs  >  Todd/Utopia doing covers > Other artists doing Todd songs > Songs directly related to strong Todd  influences/connections (similar artists or artists he has produced) > Songs/groups with similar sound or secondary connection to Todd as reflected at Allmusic/Last fm.  

TODD RUNDGREN - 50 YEARS ...THE SOFTER STUFF



Year


 


Song - Softer Todd/Todd Related


Artist


Theme Related


1960


 


Will You Love Me Tomorrow 


Shirelles


Key influence Carole King composer, Motown/Philly Sound influence


1961


 


Please Mr. Postman 


Marvelettes


Motown/Philly Sound influence, key influence Beatles hit


1962


 


Really Got A Hold on Me 


The Miracles


Key influence Smokey & Motown/Philly Sound influence


1963


 


In My Room 


The Beach Boys


Key influence Beach Boys (Todd later had a hit with Good Vibrations cover)


1964


 


Things We Said Today 


The Beatles


Key influence Beatles composer & artist


1965


 


Ooo baby 


The Miracles


Key influence Smokey & Motown/Philly Sound influence (part of a Todd Motown medley)


1966


 


Shapes of Things 


The Yardbirds


Key influence Yardbirds composer & artist


1967


 


Just Walk Away Renee


The Left Banke


Similar sounding composer & artist, combo Motown/baroque rock  


1968


 


Hello It's Me


Nazz


Todd composer & driving influence on group (bigger hit as solo artist)


1969


 


Forget All About It 


Nazz


Todd composer & driving influence on group


1970


 


We Gotta Get You A Woman


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1971


 


Be Nice to Me


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1972


 


I Saw the Light


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1972


BONUS


Dust In The Wind


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1973


 


Does Anybody Love You?


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1973


BONUS


Zen Archer


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1974


 


Izzat Love?


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1974


BONUS


Last Ride


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1975


 


Real Man


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1976


 


Love of the Common Man


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1976


BONUS


Cliché


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1977


 


Love Is the Answer


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1978


 


Too Far Gone


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1979


 


Wait For Me 


Hall & Oates


Similar sounding composer & artist, friends & has produced them,  did this song at Daryl's House 


1980


 


Rock Love


Utopia


Todd composer & driving influence on group


1981


 


Time Heals


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist, in first 10 videos ever played on MTV


1982


 


I'm Looking at You But I'm Talking to Myself


Utopia 


Todd composer & driving influence on group


1982


BONUS


Avalon


Roxy Music


Roxy Music/Eno style/sound closely associated 


1983


 


Don't Hurt Yourself 


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1984


 


If I Didn't Try


Utopia


Todd composer & driving influence on group


1985


 


Mated


Utopia


Todd composer & driving influence on group - my & wife's wedding song


1986


 


OPEN


 


 


1987


 


The Right Stuff 


Bryan Ferry


Roxy Music/Eno style/sound closely associated 


1988


 


Footprints 


Squeeze


Beatlesque influenced sound & catchy singles ties to Todd


1989


 


Parallel Lines


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1990


 


That is Why 


Jellyfish


Recognized with Rundgren sound  influence on sound


1991


 


Change Myself


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1991


BONUS


Who's Sorry Now


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1992


 


Pretending to Care 


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer, much prefer his version - couldn't fit it in year


1993


MISSING


Will You Still Love Me 


Bryan Ferry


Roxy Music/Eno style/sound closely associated 


1994


 


Property


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1995


 


Beloved Infidel


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1996


 


Sleep to Dream 


Fionna Apple


Carole King/Laura Nyro big influences - same as Todd, piano singer/composer


1997


 


A Dream Goes on Forever - W/Twist


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist, bossa nova - very different from original


1998


 


OPEN


 


 


1999


 


It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference 


Alison Krauss


Todd composer …& better original - just not room


1999


BONUS


One


Aimee Mann


Nilsson song, associated with Rundgren


2000


 


Buffalo Grass


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


2001


 


Bluebird is Dead (Jeff Lynne song)


Todd Rundgren


ELO/Jeff Lynne similar sounding artist - from Jeff Lyne/ELO tribute album


2002


 


There Goes My Inspiration 


The Rubinoos


Todd song, Rubinoos are a Rundgren influenced band


2003


 


Can We Still Be Friends 


Kate Markowitz


Todd composer - had a bit hit with this


2004


 


Sweet


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


2004


BONUS


Soul Brother


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


2005


 


Landed


Ben Folds Five


Sound is strongly Rundgren influenced, piano singer/songwriter


2005


BONUS


In My Life


Ozzy Osbourne


Key influence Beatles composer 


2006


 


International Feel - Daft Punk (movie)


Todd Rundgren


Movie soundtrack for Daft Punk's Electroma movie/album.


2007


 


Going To A Town 


Rufus Wainwright


Sound is strongly Rundgren influenced, piano singer/songwriter


2008


 


Courage


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


2009


 


Range War 


Patterson Hood 


Todd song, Rundgren a big influence on Drive By Trucker's lead singer 


2010


 


OPEN


 


 


2011


 


Take It All (Badfinger-Todd produced)


Todd Rundgren


Todd produced this original song with Badfinger, part of a Todd [Re]Production album


2012


 


OPEN


 


 


2013


 


Heart Full of Soul


Chris Isaak


Key influence Yardbirds song - love Chris Isaak


2014


 


How Can You Really 


Foxygen


Strongly Rundgren influenced band


2015


 


Hide Your Love Away 


Todd Rundgren


Part of a Beatles tribute album, Todd is a regular with Ringo's All Starrs

 
See above.

TODD RUNDGREN - 50 YEARS - THE ROCKIER/HARDER STUFF

Tough to get it too bangin' in the real early 60s so just stayed the influences.



Year


 


Song - Rockier Todd/Todd Related


Artist


Theme Related


1960


 


Shop Around 


The Miracles


Key influence Smokey & Motown/Philly Sound influence


1961


 


 


 


 


1962


 


Locomotion 


Little Eva


Motown/Philly Sound influence, Todd produced this #1 hit song for Grand Funk RR


1963


 


Money, That's What I Want 


The Beatles


Motown/Philly Sound influence, key influence Beatles hit


1964


 


You Really Got Me 


The Kinks


Key influence Kinks hit


1965


 


My Generation - The Who


The Who


Key influence Who hit


1966


 


Happenings 10 Years Ago 


The Yardbirds


Key influence Yardbirds hit, Todd later covered 


1967


 


Magic Me 


Nazz


Todd composer & driving influence on group, this is a part of the group's 1st demo 


1967


BONUS


Tin Soldier (Was taken in FGB draft)


Small Faces


Small Faces - big influence, TAKEN for official draft


1968


 


Open My Eyes  (n/a - New Cars version closest)


Nazz


Todd composer & driving influence on group, psychedelic Who influenced


1969


 


Hang on Paul


Nazz


Todd composer & driving influence on group, about Paul McCartney


1970


 


Devil's Bite


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1971


 


Parole


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1972


 


Black Maria


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1973


 


When the #### Hits the Fan/Sunset Blvd.


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1973


BONUS


Is It My Name?


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1974


 


Heavy Metal Kids


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1974


BONUS


Everybody's Going to Heaven/King Kong Reggae 


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1975


 


The Seven Rays


Todd Rundgren's Utopia


Todd composer & artist


1976


 


Black and White


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1977


 


Trapped


Utopia


Todd composer & artist


1978


 


Determination


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1979


 


TV is King 


The Tubes


Todd co-wrote this song, produced the album, played guitar/keyboards & vocals


1980


 


Last of the New Wave Riders


Utopia


Todd composer & driving influence on group


1981


 


Shine


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1982


 


Hammer in My Heart


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1982


BONUS


Lysistra


Utopia


Todd composer & driving influence on group


1983


 


Hideaway


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1984


 


Itch in My Brain


Utopia


Todd composer & driving influence on group


1985


 


Fix Your Gaze


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1986


 


OPEN


 


 


1987


 


Heartbreak Beat 


Psychedelic Furs


Todd produced them, many related influences-Beatles/Roxy/Bowie/Trex


1988


 


I Am The Walrus 


Oasis


Similar Beatlesque sound, many related influences-Beatles/Kinks/Small Faces/Who


1989


 


The Want of a Nail


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1990


 


All the Young Dudes 


Bruce Dickinson


Related artist song-Bowie/Mott song, loved Iron Maiden lead singer cranking it out 


1991


 


Second Wind


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1991


 


Public Servant


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1992


 


OPEN


 


 


1993


 


Slut - Big Star


Big Star


Todd song, similar artists, many related influences-Beatles/Kinks/Yardbirds/Who/Beach Boys


1994


 


Worldwide Epiphany


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1995


 


Woman's World 


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


1996


 


You Cried Wolf - Night


Night


Todd song - don't know jack about them otherwise


1997


 


One Angry Dwarf & 200 Solomn Faces 


Ben Folds Five


Sound is strongly Rundgren influenced, piano singer/songwriter


1998


 


OPEN


OPEN


 


1999


 


OPEN


OPEN


 


2000


 


Yer Fast (And I Like It)


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


2001


 


One World 


Head Cleaner


Todd song, don't know these guys but good cover 


2001


BONUS


10358 Overture 


Bobby Sutliff & Mitch Easter


ELO/Jeff Lynne similar sounding artist - from Jeff Lyne/ELO tribute album


2002


 


No One Knows 


Queens of the Stone Age


Linked by heavy influences from Cream, Marc Bolan, Jimi Hendrix 


2002


BONUS


She Said She Said


Black Keys


Key influence Beatles composer 


2003


 


So Says I 


The Shins


Rundgren influenced band with a similar sound


2004


 


Liar


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


2005


 


Jumpers


Sleater-Kinney


Sounds fits the Todd groove, one of the weaker ties, no documented connection


2005


BONUS


The Denial Twist


The White Stripes


Linked by Robert Johnson & common early influences - Kinks/NY Dolls


2006


 


Needles in the Camel's Eye 


The Wolfmen


Great Eno song who's early style fit with the Roxy


2006


BONUS


Not Tonight


The New Cars


Todd co-wrote song in the Cars style & lead vocals/guitar


2007


 


Born to Synthesize 


Lindstrom


Todd song from Initiation album


2008


 


Mad


Todd Rundgren


Todd composer & artist


2009


 


Couldn't I Just Tell You 


Sweet & Hoffs


Todd composer - hit song


2010


 


OPEN


 


 


2011


 


Love In Vain (Robert Johnson song)


Todd Rundgren


Todd artist, from blues guitar tribute album - Todd Rundgren's Johnson


2012


 


Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere? 


Todd Rundgren


Who song from the Who tribute album


2013


 


OPEN


 


 


2014


 


OPEN


 


 


2015


 


Itchycoo Park 


Hollywood Vampires


Small Faces song - strong influence on Todd  

 
I've been listening to a LOT of McCartney and Lennon recently, after sticking with the Beatles in recent years. A revelation for me, especially McCartney. Lennon used to criticize him relentlessly for being superficial, and McCartney may have responded that Lennon could be heavy handed, lacking tact and restraint (though that was no doubt part of his greatness, that he was so uninhibited and outspoken), preachy and hypocritical. I like them both a lot. Maybe part of Lennon's vocal exchange was ego-driven to be recognized as the most important Beatle, and McCartney wouldn't have initiated it out of respect but extended push back when he felt the need to defend himself.

A few observations (brief Rundgren digression):

Lennon's "first" two mainstream solo debuts (not counting the pre-breakup stuff), POB and Imagine, are the critical darlings for good reason. They are great, probably his best, and somewhat and to a degree he never recaptured them. But after giving Mind Games AND Walls and Bridges a listen, I think they are underrated and stand up very well, really enjoyed them after not having listened to them in a while. BTW, it would have been cool and interesting to see what kind of engineering/studio magic Todd could have worked on Lennon's already magical voice and guitar in the '70s, in some kind of Spector-less parallel universe (some of those recordings were actually very spare, maybe Spector only mixed, as Lennon didn't allow him to get his signature "Wall OF Sound" mitts on the console earlier in the recording chain for very good reason, he knew the kind of unvarnished sound he was "looking" for).

While any subjective impression can say as much or more about the person proferring it, in the end, OVERALL, I find listening to McCartney more enjoyable (don't get me wrong, I like Lennon a lot). Anyway, some of Lennon's criticisms reminded me of when Louis Armstrong formed the All Stars and travelled the world playing a very similar repertoire. Since he was with no exaggeration the most important and greatest jazz artist (living or dead), purists and some fellow musicians were disappointed he decided at some point to stop pushing the envelope and making stylistic breakthroughs, instead being content to settle into a comfortable niche (though arguably many of them failed to realize he could still be great in any genre, imo), and mugging for audiences. Sympathetic critic Gary Giddins (wrote a bio and co-directed a companion biopic/doc) noted that it was fundamentally alien to Armstrong's thought process to make a rigid distinction between being an artist and showman. Not sure if relevant, but I think McCartney's father may have inculcated a deep early appreciation for show tunes and melodies, and perhaps that genre flexibility and willingness to borrow from greatness wherever he found it helped shape HIS greatness (Armstrong loved to listen to famous opera arias, presumably for solo ideas, but also for enjoyment).            

 
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