Posted on 10/08/2010 9:08:19 AM PDT by Reaganite Republican
Todd Rundgren -dob 6.22.1948- is a multi-talented American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer who still tours on a limited basis, up-to and including earlier this year.
Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind -absolutely adored by critics- and supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Rundgren went on to produce a diverse range of recordings as solo artist and during the 70s/80s with the band Utopia.
He has also been successful as a producer and engineer on the recorded work of other musicians. Todd Rundgren engineered and/or produced Stage Fright by The Band, We're an American Band by Grand Funk Railroad, Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf (now ranked as the 5th biggest-selling album of all time), and then later Skylarking by new-wavers XTC in 1986.
As a musician, best-known hits include Hello It's Me -written when he was just 16- I Saw the Light which still enjoys heavy rotation on classic rock/adult contemporary radio stations, Just One Victory is long a concert favorite, and Bang the Drum All Day has become an anthem in many American sports arenas, commercials, and movie trailers.
It always surprised me when I first moved to California in 1990, nobody really seemed to know much of him... more significant back east, perhaps; but I always thought of Rundgren as a towering talent, and an incredible composer. You couldn't ask for more originality, wildly experimental actually... a true genius.
He was also a pioneer of the "power pop" genre in the early 70s along with Badfinger and Raspberries... great stuff, despite the WTF stage act and sailor pants, lol.
And a feature unique to Burt Sugarman's Midnight Special show was actual live performances, not lip synching... but Todd here makes light of the fact that although he's singing live, it's to a taped musical track... albeit one he himself played all instruments on:
Todd Rundgren- Real Man 1975
(clip only) -here-
More/links at Reaganite Republican -here-
I love the progresive rock of “Utopia”, but Todd Rundgren never topped this magnificent pop gem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXq81-cGJr4
I understand that is ALL Todd: Instruments and vocals.
Lucky dude. I’ll catch you on the mail in a bit. I have a thing I have to do from 2:00 to 3:00 EST. Later.
OMG are you right there... how did I forget Deadly Teddly?
Now THERE’s a man with his head screwed-on straight!
And I rocked out HEAVILY to him in 1979-80, lol- he was great
Thx, I put an oldie here every Friday... there’s my contribution lol
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