115-629: Tom Robinson Band (TRB) are a British rock band , established in 1976 by singer, songwriter and bassist Tom Robinson . The band's debut single " 2-4-6-8 Motorway " was a top five hit on the UK Singles Chart in 1977, and their third single, "Up Against the Wall", is seen by some as a classic punk rock single; while their debut album, Power in the Darkness (1978), is regarded as a definitive late-1970s punk album. Their song " Glad to Be Gay "
230-619: A second drummer playing a separate full drumkit, such as Adam and the Ants from 1980 onwards, although other formations can also be expanded using two drummers such as Pink Fairies (1970–1971), the Glitter Band , Wizzard , Sigue Sigue Sputnik , Add N to (X) , and Rialto . Other times, the vocalist brings another musical "voice" to the table, most commonly a harmonica or percussion; Mick Jagger , for example, plays harmonica and percussion instruments such as maracas and tambourine in
345-450: A synth bass line. Two-member pop music bands such as Soft Cell , Blancmange , and Yazoo used programmed sequencers. Other pop bands from the 1980s, who were ostensibly fronted by two performers, such as Wham! , Eurythmics , and Tears for Fears , were not actually two-piece ensembles, because other instrumental musicians were used "behind the scenes" to fill out the sound. Modern bands that use this format include Ninja Sex Party . In
460-522: A Beatles parody album in the form of Deface the Music . It included "Everybody Else Is Wrong", another song perceived to have been aimed at Lennon. Later that year, Lennon was killed by Mark David Chapman , an obsessive Rundgren fan who was incensed by Lennon's remarks on religion. When he was apprehended, Chapman was wearing a promotional T-shirt for Hermit of Mink Hollow and had left a copy of Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren in his hotel room. Rundgren
575-562: A Lion and the Dresden Dolls both feature a keyboardist and a drummer. Ratatat comprises a two-guitar band that uses a drum machine for beats. W.A.S.P. guitarist Doug Blair is also known for his work in the two-piece progressive rock band Signal2Noise, where he acts as the lead guitarist and bassist at the same time, due to a special custom instrument he invented (an electric guitar with five regular guitar strings paired with three bass guitar strings). Heisenflei of Los Angeles duo
690-442: A True Star remains an influence on later generations of bedroom musicians . Rundgren is considered a pioneer in the fields of electronic music , progressive rock , music videos, computer software, and Internet music delivery. He organized the first interactive television concert in 1978, designed the first color graphics tablet in 1980, and created the first interactive album, No World Order , in 1994. Additionally, he
805-644: A Twist... (1997), an album of bossa-nova covers of his older material. His PatroNet work, which trickled out to subscribers over more than a year, was released in 2000 as One Long Year . In 2004, Rundgren released Liars , a concept album about "paucity of truth", that features a mixture of his older and newer sounds. As the Internet gained mass acceptance, Rundgren, along with longtime manager Eric Gardner and Apple digital music exec Kelli Richards, started PatroNet, which offered fans (patrons) access to his works-in-progress and new unreleased tracks in exchange for
920-557: A band are Arcade Fire and the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros . More rarely, rock or pop groups are accompanied in concerts by a full or partial symphony orchestra, where lush string-orchestra arrangements are used to flesh out the sound of slow ballads. Rhys Chatham and Glenn Branca started doing performances in the late 1970s with orchestras consisting of 10 to 100 (Branca) and even 400 guitars. Some groups have
1035-494: A bassist and a drummer, such as in the bands Radiohead , Pearl Jam , and the Byrds . Some five-person bands feature two guitarists, a keyboardist, a bassist, and a drummer, with one or more of these musicians (typically one of the guitarists) handling lead vocals on top of their instrument (examples being Children of Bodom , Styx , Tally Hall , The Cars and White Reaper ). The four-piece arrangement can be augmented to five with
1150-485: A blues rock group in the style of Paul Butterfield Blues Band . Rundgren stayed with the band for eight months, and in the process, they became the most popular group in Philadelphia. He and bassist Carson Van Osten left before they released the eponymous first album to form the rock band Nazz in 1967. By then, Rundgren had lost interest in the blues and wanted to pursue a recording career with original songs in
1265-456: A certain number of albums over a certain number of years, so he decided that every other album would be a solo album and the next one a Utopia album." A Wizard, a True Star included "Rock N Roll Pussy", a song aimed at former Beatle John Lennon . In 1974, Rundgren and Lennon were embroiled in a minor feud over comments Rundgren made in the February edition of Melody Maker magazine. In
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#17327801566971380-563: A certain way, and I wanted to see if I could put them on a record. A lot of people recognized it as the dynamics of a psychedelic trip—it was almost like painting with your head." Rundgren and Moogy Klingman established a professional recording studio, Secret Sound, to accommodate the Wizard sessions. The studio was designed to Rundgren's specifications and was created so that he could freely indulge in sound experimentation without having to worry about hourly studio costs, although he maintained that
1495-615: A company to produce 3D animation using the Toaster; this company's first demo, "Theology" (a look at religious architecture through the ages featuring music by former Utopia bandmate Roger Powell) also became a widely circulated item among Toaster users. After a long absence from touring, Rundgren hit the road with Nearly Human—2nd Wind band, which included brass and a trio of backup singers (one of whom, Michele Gray, Rundgren married). He also toured during 1992 with Ringo Starr 's second All-Starr band . A brief 1992 tour of Japan reunited
1610-603: A couple weeks on the road. Once Rundgren was finished with his production duties, he began formulating plans for an improved configuration of Utopia, but first returned to Secret Sound to record the more synthesizer-heavy double album Todd , which was more material drawing on his hallucinogenic experiences. This time, he had also formed a fascination with religion and spirituality, reading books by authors such as Madame Blavatsky , Rudolf Steiner , and Jiddu Krishnamurti . Originally scheduled for release in December 1973, Todd
1725-412: A day to beat the three-week deadline. To keep up the pace, he installed an eight-track recorder, mixer, and synthesizers into his living room so that he could continue recording after leaving the studio. For the first time in his career, Rundgren recorded every part by himself, including bass, drums, and vocals. About "an album and a half" was completed this way. He then decided to stretch the project into
1840-461: A double LP and quickly recorded the last few tracks with musicians, live in the studio. Something/Anything? , the first album officially issued under the name "Todd Rundgren", was released in February 1972, shortly after Bearsville had signed a long-term distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records . The album included many songs that would become his best-known. Included among straightforward pop songs are extended jams and studio banter, such as
1955-560: A drummer (e.g. Van Halen , The Who , Red Hot Chili Peppers , Led Zeppelin , and U2 . Instrumentally, these bands can be considered as trios. In some bands, the guitarist could also be an occasional keyboardist, like The Who, the Smiths , and Joy Division . Some bands have a keyboardist instead of a guitarist, like Bastille and Future Islands . In some rock bands, bassists could be occasional keyboardists like Led Zeppelin and R.E.M. Keyboardists are used in place of bass, performing with
2070-512: A drummer, a bassist, two custom percussionists, a turntablist , and a sampler. Brazilian band Titãs , currently a three-man band, had as many as eight members in the late 1980s, with three lead singers, two guitarists, bassist, keyboard player, and drummer. In larger groups (such as the Band ), instrumentalists could play multiple instruments, which enabled the ensemble to create a wider variety of instrument combinations. More modern examples of such
2185-436: A drummer, and a keyboardist. Although organ trios are most commonly associated with 1950s and 1960s jazz organ trio groups such as those led by organist Jimmy Smith , organ trios also exist in rock-oriented styles, such as jazz-rock fusion and Grateful Dead –influenced jam bands , for instance Medeski Martin & Wood . In organ trios, the keyboard player typically plays a Hammond organ or similar instrument, which permits
2300-621: A drummer, and typically one or more of these musicians also sing (sometimes all three members sing, e.g. the Bee Gees or Alkaline Trio ). Some well-known power trios with the guitarist on lead vocals are the Jimi Hendrix Experience , Green Day , Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble , Nirvana , and Muse . A handful of others with the bassist on vocals include Thin Lizzy (from 1970 to 1974), Primus , Rush , Motörhead ,
2415-402: A flautist. An example of a six-member rock band is Toto with a lead vocalist, guitarist, bassist, two keyboard players, and drummer. Other examples include Australian band INXS and American Blondie ; both consist of a lead vocalist, two guitarists, a keyboard player, a bassist, and a drummer. The American heavy-metal band Slipknot is composed of nine members, with a vocalist, two guitarists,
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#17327801566972530-520: A four-piece 1984–1995), NOFX, Skillet, or even the lead guitarist, such as Dire Straits , Megadeth , Weezer , and Creedence Clearwater Revival . Some bands, such as the Beatles, have a lead guitarist, a rhythm guitarist, and a bassist that all sing lead and backing vocals, with those three playing and composing on keyboards regularly, as well as a drummer. Others, such as the Four Seasons , have
2645-556: A gold record, and TRB were voted "Best New Band" and "Best London Band" for the year 1977 by listeners at the Capital Radio Music Awards. Keyboardist Mark Ambler left the band after recording the first album. Session pianist Nick Plytas was drafted in as a temporary replacement, and played with TRB at a major Anti-Nazi League rally in London's Victoria Park early that year. Keyboardist Ian Parker joined as
2760-517: A group. If you go back and listen to it, it's very sophisticated material, especially for a guy so young." Lead single " We Gotta Get You a Woman " reached number 20 on the Billboard charts. As he prepared a follow-up LP, he produced Halfnelson , the debut album by the band that would later become Sparks . Members Ron and Russell Mael later credited Rundgren with launching Sparks' career. Rundgren's industry reputation grew substantially as
2875-543: A guitarist, singer, and drummer, for instance the Doors . Some bands have a guitarist, keyboard player, bassist, and drummer, for example Talking Heads , the Small Faces , and Pink Floyd . Some bands have the lead vocalists that are also the pianist and keyboardist such as Queen and Coldplay . Some bands have the bassist on lead vocals, such as Thin Lizzy (a four-piece from 1974 onwards), Pink Floyd, Motörhead (as
2990-430: A home nearby, as well as an adjoining property to be taken over as accommodation for artists who used the studio. The Lake Hill complex on Mink Hollow Road remained Rundgren's base for the next six years. In the interim until his next solo effort, he recorded three albums with Utopia. The first, Disco Jets , was a tongue-in-cheek collection of instrumental disco tracks left unreleased until 2001. Ra (February 1977)
3105-418: A job as staff engineer and producer under Albert Grossman , which Rundgren accepted. Grossman, known for his management of folk rock acts, had just founded Ampex Records , a joint business venture with the tape company of the same name, and built Bearsville Studios , near Woodstock. Bearsville soon became its own record imprint. Grossman promised to Rundgren that he would become the "highest-paid producer in
3220-399: A large number of members who all play the same instrument, such as guitar, keyboard, horns, or strings. Women have a high prominence in many popular music styles as singers. However, professional women instrumentalists are uncommon in popular music, especially in rock genres such as heavy metal . "[P]laying in a band is largely a male homosocial activity, that is, learning to play in a band
3335-442: A lead vocalist, a lead guitarist, a keyboard player, and a bassist, with the drummer not being a member of the band. Five-piece bands have existed in rock music since the development of the genre. Aerosmith , AC/DC , Def Leppard and Oasis are examples of the common lineup of vocalist, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. An alternative lineup replaces the rhythm guitarist with a keyboard–synthesizer player (examples being
3450-412: A more conscious effort by Rundgren was made to refine his music and choice of subject matter, and to distinguish himself from his influences. Released June 1971, The Ballad of Todd Rundgren bore two singles, "Be Nice to Me" and "A Long Time, a Long Way To Go", neither of which repeated the success of "We Gotta Get You a Woman". While initial reviews of Ballad were mixed, it came to be regarded as one of
3565-606: A permanent replacement for Ambler. TRB then went to Rockfield Studios in Wales to record their next album, TRB Two . When they started recording, Chris Thomas , who had produced their first album, was at the control deck. Drummer Dolphin Taylor suggested Todd Rundgren to replace Thomas. After not being able to decide which tracks should appear on the LP, the band eventually agreed to let Rundgren choose. However, when Rundgren picked two of
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3680-668: A phone call from him one day and we just said: 'Let's drop this now.'" Initiation (1975) showed more experimentation with synthesizers, and displayed the musical influence of the avant-garde jazz fusion of contemporary acts such as the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Frank Zappa . Once again the original LP issue saw Rundgren pushing the medium to its physical limits, with the side-long suite "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire" clocking in at over 35 minutes. Released in May 1976, Faithful saw Rundgren celebrating his tenth year as
3795-516: A professional musician. The album featured one side of original songs and one side of covers of significant songs from 1966, including the Yardbirds' " Happenings Ten Years Time Ago ", the Beach Boys ' " Good Vibrations ", and two Lennon-penned Beatles songs. The arrangements of the covers were intended to sound as close to the originals as possible, and Rundgren's original songs were written as
3910-711: A reflection of his 1960s influences. He cited the song "The Verb 'To Love'" as the point in which he made the conscious decision to stop writing superficial love songs and "seek out all other kinds of subject matter to write about". Despite the lack of sales and promotion for Faithful , lead single "Good Vibrations" received regular airplay on American radio. Following the completion of Faithful , Rundgren spent two months on an eastern spiritual retreat, visiting Iran, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bali, Thailand, Japan, and Hawaii. He also opened Utopia Sound Studios in Lake Hill, New York , just outside of Woodstock, and bought
4025-525: A regiment of the army and playing instruments which may be used while marching. This word also used in 1931 to describe "one man band" for people who plays several musical instruments simultaneously. Two-member rock and pop bands (such as the White Stripes , Tenacious D , the Black Keys , Twenty One Pilots , and Royal Blood ) are relatively rare because of the difficulty in providing all of
4140-483: A reputation as a ballad singer, in marked contrast to the content on Wizard . Although critical reception to the album was mixed, Wizard became highly influential to musicians in the ensuing decades. In 2003, music journalist Barney Hoskyns called the record "the greatest album of all time ... a dizzying, intoxicating rollercoaster ride of emotions and genre mutations [that] still sounds more bravely futuristic than any ostensibly cutting-edge electro-pop being made in
4255-420: A result of his success with Runt , and for the first time in his life, he began using recreational drugs. Initially this was limited to marijuana . He said that the drug gave him "a whole different sensibility about time and space and order" that influenced the writing for his second album, Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren . The material was mostly piano ballads and still largely based on Nyro's template, but
4370-531: A reunion tour with Steve Creese on drums. They played sold-out shows at the Marquee Club in London and went on for the best part of a year before splitting again. Notes: Includes post-TRB material. Released as "Tom Robinson & the Voice Squad". Rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band
4485-445: A singer, instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader". According to Auslander, she was "kicking down the male door in rock and roll and proving that a female musician ... and this is a point I am extremely concerned about ... could play as well if not better than the boys". Many bands maintain different but consistent lineups for studio recording vs. live performances. Toxic Holocaust , for instance, consisted entirely of
4600-454: A single member within the recording studio for the first 10 years of their existence but still toured as a band with supplementary members on stage. For decades Genesis maintained two consistent lineups: Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins in the studio with Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer always additionally appearing as band members in live performances. Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948)
4715-463: A subscription fee, cutting out record labels. The songs from Rundgren's first PatroNet run were later released as the album One Long Year . Since then, Rundgren has severed his connections with major record labels and continues to offer new music direct to subscribers via his website, although he also continues to record and release CDs through independent labels. As of 2022, the PatroNet.com website
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4830-440: Is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia . He is known for his sophisticated and often unorthodox music, his occasionally lavish stage shows, and his later experiments with interactive art . He also produced music videos and was an early adopter and promoter of various computer technologies, such as using
4945-688: Is considered a British national gay anthem. Tom Robinson began gigging in London in 1976. By the end of the year, he had decided to put together a permanent band. Robinson's old friend, guitarist Danny Kustow , was the first in the permanent lineup. They ran small ads in the music papers looking for a bass player and drummer. Robinson found drummer Brian "Dolphin" Taylor . The search for a bass player continued, until Mark Ambler auditioned. Some days later, Ambler mentioned he also played keyboards; he had spent many years studying piano with veteran jazz musician Stan Tracey . After listening to Ambler playing his Hammond organ Robinson realised he would have to be
5060-679: Is largely a peer-based... experience, shaped by existing sex-segregated friendship networks. As well, rock music "...is often defined as a form of male rebellion vis-à-vis female bedroom culture." In popular music, a gendered "distinction between public (male) and private (female) participation" in music has existed. "[S]everal scholars have argued that men exclude women from bands or from the bands' rehearsals, recordings, performances, and other social activities." "Women are mainly regarded as passive and private consumers of allegedly slick, prefabricated – hence, inferior – pop music..., excluding them from participating as high-status rock musicians." One of
5175-449: Is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guitarists (a lead guitarist and a rhythm guitarist, with one of them singing lead vocals), a bassist, and a drummer (e.g. the Beatles and KISS ). Another common formation is a vocalist who does not play an instrument, electric guitarist, bass guitarist, and a drummer (e.g. the Who ,
5290-507: The progressive rock of Frank Zappa , Yes , and the Mahavishnu Orchestra . In 2017, while giving a commencement speech at the Berklee College of Music , he described the record as: ... my act of tyranny after having achieved commercial success. ... I threw out all the rules of record making and decided I would try to imprint the chaos in my head onto a record without trying to clean it up for everyone else's benefit. The result
5405-597: The 1950s and '60s, girls in their teens—in rock usually sang songs as personæ utterly dependent on their macho boyfriends...". Philip Auslander says that "Although there were many women in rock by the late 1960s, most performed only as singers, a traditionally feminine position in popular music". Though some women played instruments in American all-female garage rock bands , none of these bands achieved more than regional success. So they "did not provide viable templates for women's on-going participation in rock". In relation to
5520-424: The 1990s, Local H continued on as a two-piece when their bassist departed, with guitarist/singer Scott Lucas modifying his guitars by adding a bass pickup for the lower strings. Starting in the 2000s, blues-influenced rock bands such as the White Stripes and the Black Keys used a guitar-and-drums scheme. Death from Above 1979 featured a drummer and bass guitarist. Tenacious D is a two-guitar band; One Day as
5635-420: The 21-year-old Rundgren briefly considered working as a computer programmer, and then decided that his calling was as a producer. He moved to New York in the summer of 1969 and involved himself with the clubs of Greenwich Village , particularly Steve Paul's Scene , and met a number of Manhattan musicians and fashion designers. Michael Friedman, formerly the assistant of Nazz manager John Kurland, offered Rundgren
5750-482: The 21st Century." In 2018, Pitchfork ' s Sam Sodomsky wrote that the "fingerprints" of Wizard remained "evident on bedroom auteurs to this day". In the weeks following the album's release, Rundgren produced Grand Funk Railroad 's We're an American Band and the New York Dolls ' self-titled debut album , which were among the most significant LPs of the year. The former album reached number two on
5865-452: The Band , he traveled to Canada to record Jesse Winchester 's eponymous 1970 debut album. Immediately afterward, he said, "the Band asked me to engineer their Stage Fright sessions. I think Jesse Winchester was a kind of run-through for that, because I was pretty quick to get the sounds and they liked that." Released in August 1970, Stage Fright reached number 5 on the Billboard 200,
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#17327801566975980-576: The Conchords , the Ting Tings , They Might Be Giants (from 1982 to 1992) and T. Rex (until shortly after scoring their UK breakthrough hit , at which point they expanded to a four-piece and more). When electronic sequencers became widely available in the 1980s, they made adding in musical elements easier for two-member bands to perform. Sequencers allowed bands to program some elements of their performance, such as an electronic drum part and
6095-403: The Internet as a means of music distribution in the late 1990s. A native of Philadelphia, Rundgren began his professional career in the mid-1960s, forming the psychedelic band Nazz in 1967. After two years, he left Nazz to pursue a solo career and immediately scored his first US top 40 hit with " We Gotta Get You a Woman " (1970). His best-known songs include " Hello It's Me " and " I Saw
6210-527: The Light " from Something/Anything? (1972), which get frequent air time on classic rock radio stations, the 1978 " Can We Still Be Friends ", and the 1983 single " Bang the Drum All Day ", which is featured in many sports arenas, commercials, and movie trailers. Although lesser known, " Couldn't I Just Tell You " (1972) was influential to many artists in the power pop genre. His 1973 album A Wizard,
6325-632: The Monkees , Led Zeppelin and U2 ). Sometimes, in addition to electric guitars, electric bass, and drums, also a keyboardist (especially a pianist) plays. Additionally, rock and pop bands can also include boy bands or girl bands , which many times have bands where the members do not play any instruments but sing and dance instead. Such is the case of Menudo , the Spice Girls and K-pop bands, for example. The usage of band as "group of musicians" originated from 1659 to describe musicians attached to
6440-488: The Pity Party plays drums, keyboards, and sings simultaneously. Royal Blood and The Garden are two-piece bands that uses bass and drums along with electronic effects . The smallest ensemble commonly used in rock music is the trio format. In a hard-rock or blues-rock band, or heavy-metal rock group, a " power trio " format is often used, which consists of an electric guitar player, an electric bass guitar player, and
6555-485: The Police , and Cream . Some power trios feature two lead vocalists. For example, in the band Blink-182 , vocals are split between bassist Mark Hoppus and guitarist Tom DeLonge , or in the band Dinosaur Jr. , guitarist J. Mascis is the primary songwriter and vocalist, but bassist Lou Barlow writes some songs and sings, as well. An alternative to the power trio is an organ trios formed with an electric guitarist,
6670-595: The Pops , Radio One , EMI Records and the giddy heights of the front cover of the New Musical Express ". TRB made leaflets and fliers about their political views and sent them to everyone who attended their gigs. They gave away badges and made up T-shirts emblazoned with the band's logo and they appeared regularly at Rock Against Racism concerts. They were joined at these gigs by the likes of The Clash , Steel Pulse and X-Ray Spex . " 2-4-6-8 Motorway "
6785-769: The Rolling Stones. Ozzy Osbourne played the harmonica on some occasions with Black Sabbath . Flutes may also be used by vocalists, most notably Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull and Ray Thomas of the Moody Blues . Larger bands have long been a part of rock and pop music, in part due to the influence of the "singer accompanied with orchestra" model inherited from popular big-band jazz and swing and popularized by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald . To create larger ensembles, rock bands often add an additional guitarist, an additional keyboardist, additional percussionists or second drummer, an entire horn section , and even
6900-558: The Rundgren/Powell/Sulton/Wilcox lineup, and Redux '92: Live in Japan was released on Rhino Records. As the 90s began, Rundgren was already moving away from conventional notions of what a rock producer or recording artist should be ... While Rundgren would continue to produce records for himself, and others, many of the innovative and individual technologies and business models he embraced and/or pioneered over
7015-600: The Thirteenth Confession . When Rundgren heard the record, he was struck by "all the major seventh chords and variations on augmented and suspended chords ", and it had an immediate impact on his songwriting, especially as he began to compose more on piano. He elaborated: I know for a fact that her influences were the more sophisticated side of R&B , like Jerry Ragovoy and Mann & Weil and Carole King . ... and she also had her own very original and very jazz -influenced way of seeing things. It
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#17327801566977130-638: The UK Singles Charts. In early 1978, TRB recorded their debut album, Power in the Darkness . The UK version of the LP contained all new songs, but in the US (on the Harvest label ), the "2-4-6-8 Motorway" single and Rising Free record were combined for a six-track bonus EP that made the album almost a double. Power in the Darkness reached number 4 in the UK Albums Chart and won the band
7245-465: The US charts, while the latter became a seminal forerunner of punk rock , although Rundgren never became known as a "punk producer". Rundgren also prepared a technologically ambitious stage show with a band later to be known as Utopia Mark I, consisting of Tony Sales, Hunt Sales, keyboardist Dave Mason, and synthesizer specialist Jean-Yves "M Frog" Labat. The tour began in April and was cancelled after only
7360-492: The album still felt "kind of rushed through because the studio wasn't finished". Some of the other influences on the album included musical theater, jazz , and funk . A Wizard, a True Star was released in March 1973. At Rundgren's behest, no singles were issued from the album, as he wanted the tracks to be heard in the context of the LP. Its release coincided with the success of the "Hello It's Me" single, which gave Rundgren
7475-598: The article, he accused Lennon of striking a waitress at the Troubadour in Hollywood and called him a "fucking idiot" proselytizing revolution and "acting like an ass". In September, the magazine published Lennon's response, in which he denied the charges and referred to the musician as "Turd Runtgreen": "I have never claimed to be a revolutionary. But I am allowed to sing about anything I want! Right?" Later, Rundgren said, "John and I realized we were being used and I got
7590-685: The bands Yes , Journey , Bon Jovi , Dream Theater , and Deep Purple ). Another alternative replaces the rhythm guitarist with a turntablist , such as in Deftones , Incubus , or Limp Bizkit . Further alternatives include a keyboardist, guitarist, drummer, bassist, and saxophonist, such as the Sonics , the Dave Clark 5 , and Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs . Three guitarists may be present with
7705-468: The bass player himself. The band hit the club scene right in the middle of London's punk explosion. Their live shows got favourable reviews, and soon A&R men were attending many of their gigs. EMI Records signed the Tom Robinson Band (TRB). Robinson later described this period, saying "Within nine months we'd made the transition from signing on at Medina Road dole office to Top of
7820-486: The bill with the Brecker Brothers and Hall & Oates . Utopia played more shows throughout November and December, performing material from Something/Anything? and Wizard after a solo opening set by Rundgren on piano playing along to a pre-recorded track. On December 7, Rundgren appeared by himself on The Midnight Special performing "Hello It's Me" while dressed in jarringly flamboyant glam attire to
7935-572: The chagrin of some of his bandmates and Bearsville executive Paul Fishkin, who recalled that Rundgren looked "like a fucking drag queen". If I get that one minute of total illumination then I don't care if my whole career goes down the drain. I'd know there was an answer to everything—to existence, to death. —Todd Rundgren, September 1974 Utopia embarked on their first successful tour between March and April 1974, after which Rundgren produced Hello People 's The Handsome Devils and Hall & Oates' War Babies . The band's debut record came in
8050-450: The de facto leader of Nazz, and that a producer's credit was wrongfully withheld from him. Nazz gained minor recognition with their debut single, July 1968's "Open My Eyes" backed with " Hello It's Me ", both songs penned by Rundgren. They subsequently released three albums: Nazz (October 1968), Nazz Nazz (April 1969), and Nazz III (1971). In March 1968, New York singer-songwriter Laura Nyro released her second album, Eli and
8165-515: The first time, she asked me if I wanted to be her band leader. But the Nazz had just signed a record contract and I couldn't skip out on the band, even though it was incredibly tempting. The rest of the band struggled to accommodate his changing tastes, and tensions between all the band members had begun to build up in the interval between recording their first and second albums as a result of their shared living quarters. Tensions further increased during
8280-485: The form of the LP titled Todd Rundgren's Utopia (November 1974). It marked Rundgren's first full-fledged venture into the progressive rock genre. Utopia released several more albums between 1975 and 1985. Although they gradually rebranded toward a rock-pop sound, Todd Rundgren's Utopia remained their highest album chart showing at number 34. Keyboardist Roger Powell recalled that Bearsville wished Utopia would have "just gone away", however, "Todd's contract called for
8395-490: The gender composition of heavy-metal bands , it has been said that "[h]eavy metal performers are almost exclusively male" "...[a]t least until the mid-1980s" apart from "...exceptions such as Girlschool ." However, "...now [in the 2010s] maybe more than ever–strong metal women have put up their dukes and got down to it", "carv[ing] out a considerable place for [them]selves." When Suzi Quatro emerged in 1973, "no other prominent female musician worked in rock simultaneously as
8510-511: The greatest singer-songwriter albums of the era. In late 1971, Rundgren was recruited to finish Badfinger 's third album Straight Up , a project George Harrison had abandoned to organize the Concert for Bangladesh , in London. The album was a hit and its two singles were similarly successful, although Rundgren was not credited for the first (" Day After Day ") and thus did not receive production royalties for that single. Rundgren said that
8625-636: The highest chart showing the Band had to that point. Rundgren was dubbed Bearsville's "boy wonder". His work for the Band was followed by a second album for Winchester (which was then shelved for two years) and the album Taking Care of Business by the James Cotton Blues Band (1970). This project resulted in Rundgren meeting Cotton's keyboard player Mark "Moogy" Klingman , who in turn introduced Rundgren to keyboard player Ralph Schuckett , both of whom worked extensively with Rundgren over
8740-686: The home by the robbers as part of the crime. The new wave -tinged The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect (1982) included a cover of the Small Faces ' hit " Tin Soldier ". " Bang The Drum All Day ", an album single, was a minor chart hit. It later became more prominent and was adopted as an unofficial theme by several professional sports franchises, notably the Green Bay Packers . Disc Jockey Geno Michellini of KLOS in Los Angeles used "Bang The Drum All Day" as an unofficial kick-off to
8855-416: The keyboard player to perform bass lines, chords, and lead lines. A variant of the organ trio is a trio formed with an electric bassist, a drummer, and an electronic keyboardist (playing synthesizers) such as the progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer . A power trio with the guitarist on lead vocals is a popular record-company lineup, as the guitarist and singer usually are songwriters. Therefore,
8970-403: The label only has to present one "face" to the public. The backing band may or may not be featured in publicity. If the backup band is not marketed as an integral part of the group, then the record company has more flexibility to replace band members or use substitute musicians. This lineup often leads to songs that are fairly simple and accessible, as the frontman has to sing and play guitar at
9085-493: The landmark releases of the early 70s". "Couldn't I Just Tell You" was influential to artists in the power pop genre. Music journalist Paul Lester called the recording a "masterclass in compression " and said that Rundgren "staked his claim to powerpop immortality [and] set the whole ball rolling". Musician Scott Miller 's 2010 book Music: What Happened? calls the song "likely the greatest power pop recording ever made," with lyrics "somehow both desperate and lighthearted at
9200-466: The listener. Initially targeted for the Philips CD-i platform, No World Order featured interactive controls for tempo, mood, and other parameters, along with pre-programmed mixes by Rundgren himself, Bob Clearmountain , Don Was and Jerry Harrison . The disc was also released for PC and Macintosh and in two versions on standard audio CD , the continuous mix disc No World Order and, later,
9315-466: The more song-oriented No World Order Lite . The music itself was quite a departure from Rundgren's previous work, with a dance/ techno feel and much rapping by Rundgren. The follow-up, The Individualist (1995), featured interactive video content, that could be viewed or in one case, played; it was a simple video game along with the music, which was more rock-oriented than No World Order . Rundgren returned to recording under his own name for With
9430-432: The musical elements which are part of the rock or pop sound (vocals, chordal accompaniment , bass lines , and percussion or drumming). Rock and pop duos typically omit one of these musical elements. In many cases, two-member bands omit a drummer, since guitars, bass guitars, and keyboards can all be used to provide a rhythmic pulse. Other examples of two-member bands are MGMT , WZRD , Pet Shop Boys , Hella , Flight of
9545-423: The newer material was written or conceived under the influence of marijuana. However, by this time, he had also begun experimenting with Ritalin . He recalled, "my songwriting process had become almost too second-nature. I was writing songs formulaically, almost without thinking, knocking [them out], reflexively, in about 20 minutes." The use of Ritalin also helped him focus on the process as he worked up to 12 hours
9660-545: The next 20 years would have such an empowering effect on future artists as to render redundant record producers, big studios, and even record labels. — Paul Myers , A Wizard, a True Star: Todd Rundgren in the Studio The mid-1990s saw Rundgren recording under the pseudonym TR-i ("Todd Rundgren interactive") for two albums. The first of these, 1993's No World Order , consisted of hundreds of seconds-long snippets of music, that could be combined in various ways to suit
9775-426: The next few years. Rundgren was to produce Janis Joplin 's third and ultimately final album, Pearl (1971), but plans fell through, as the two artists could not get along with each other. Following a period where he thought he would never return to being a performing artist, Rundgren approached Grossman with the idea of what would become his debut solo record, Runt . Although his general attitude for any project
9890-739: The operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan . Later, he grew infatuated with the music of the Beatles , the Rolling Stones , the Ventures , and the Yardbirds , as well as the Philadelphia soul of Gamble & Huff , the Delfonics , and the O'Jays . At the age of 17, he formed his first band, Money, with then-best friend and roommate Randy Reed and Reed's younger brother. After graduating from Upper Darby High School in 1966, Rundgren moved to Philadelphia and began his career in Woody's Truck Stop,
10005-511: The popular children's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse in 1986. Nearly Human (1989) and 2nd Wind (1991) were both recorded live—the former in the studio, the latter in a theater before a live audience, who were instructed to remain silent. Each song on these albums was recorded as a complete single take with no later overdubbing . Both albums marked, in part, a return to his Philly soul roots. 2nd Wind also included several excerpts from Rundgren's musical Up Against It , which
10120-652: The producer, Bill Traut , "just whipped through the mixes in a day or two ... So I got it into my head, 'Well, he's gone now, so why don't we just mix it again, more like the way we want it?' Our engineer didn't mind if we went and just started diddling around on the board ... It was pretty much trial and error." He took an experimental approach to the recordings, employing techniques such as varispeed and flanging , and despite having no formal training, scored music charts for string and horn arrangements. Engineer James Lowe , who Rundgren recruited for his involvement with arranger Van Dyke Parks , believed that Rundgren had become
10235-418: The reasons that mixed-gender bands rarely exist is that "bands operate as tight-knit units in which homosocial solidarity – social bonds between people of the same sex... – plays a crucial role." In the 1960s, pop music scene, "[s]inging was sometimes an acceptable pastime for a girl, but playing an instrument...simply wasn't done." "The rebellion of rock music was largely a male rebellion; the women—often, in
10350-520: The recording of Nazz's second album, as the other members bridled at the formerly unassuming Rundgren asserting complete control of the sessions as the producer. By the time Nazz Nazz was released, Rundgren and Van Osten had both left the Nazz, so the track selection was done without any input from them. Nazz III , which included leftover tracks from the Nazz Nazz sessions, was likewise released without Rundgren's involvement. After departing Nazz,
10465-459: The same time," and a guitar solo having "truly amazing dexterity and inflection". In 2003, Something/Anything? was ranked number 173 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" . Subsequent albums, beginning with A Wizard, a True Star and the spin-off group Utopia , saw a dramatic shift away from straightforward three-minute pop. After the success of Something/Anything? , Rundgren felt uncomfortable that he
10580-528: The same time. The four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. Before the development of the electronic keyboard, the configuration was typically two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer (e.g. The Beatles , KISS, Metallica , Rise Against , Weezer , the Clash , and the Smashing Pumpkins ). Another common formation is a vocalist, electric guitarist, bass guitarist, and
10695-458: The song "didn't sound much like what [Harrison had] done" and speculated that the credit to Harrison "may or may not have been something purposeful, just some by-product of a general Beatle hubris". The Straight Up sessions lasted two weeks in September, after which Rundgren returned to Los Angeles to work on his third solo album, originally planned as a single LP. As with Ballad , much of
10810-406: The songs Taylor particularly disliked, Taylor decided that he would rather leave rather than play on the tracks. A day later Taylor had calmed down and offered to return, but Robinson refused, and Preston Heyman was recruited as an emergency stand-in. Heyman's picture was included on the album cover, but there was never any intention for him to join the band permanently. Taylor's eventual replacement
10925-746: The spoken-word track "Intro", in which he teaches the listener about recording flaws for an egg hunt -type game he calls "Sounds of the Studio". Magazine ads depicted a smiling Rundgren daring the reader to "ignore me". The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold in three years. Lead single " I Saw the Light " peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Hello It's Me", which followed late in 1973, reached number 5. According to music critic Colin Larkin , Something/Anything? has since been "rightly regarded as one of
11040-469: The style of newer records by the Beatles and the Who . As a member of the Nazz, he learned his craft as a songwriter and vocal arranger, and was determined to equal the artistry of the Beatles. In 1968, after recording four demo discs, the Nazz were signed by Atlantic Records subsidiary Screen Gems Columbia (SGC). They were flown to Los Angeles to produce their first album at ID Sound studio. Rundgren had no prior production experience and remembered that
11155-539: The weekend on Friday afternoons. "Bang The Drum All Day" was also featured in a Carnival Cruise television advertising campaign. It is now considered one of Rundgren's most popular songs. Tortured Artist marked the end of Rundgren's tenure with Bearsville Records. Rundgren signed with Warner Bros. Records , who issued his next album, A Cappella (1985), which was recorded using Rundgren's multi-tracked voice, accompanied by arrangements constructed entirely from programmed vocal samples. Rundgren scored four episodes of
11270-426: The word ... A fortunate by-product of being so out of everything all the time and always being the odd man out ... is that you have plenty of time for self-examination." He intended the songs on his next solo album to be performed on piano with minimal arrangements, apart from the bass, drums and voices. In that sense, he stated that the songwriting process appeared to be "fairly conventional". Hermit of Mink Hollow
11385-532: The work, Rundgren undertook an American tour playing at smaller venues including The Bottom Line in New York and The Roxy in Los Angeles. These shows resulted in the double live album Back to the Bars , which featured a mixture of material from his solo work and Utopia, performed with backing musicians including Utopia, Spencer Davis , Daryl Hall and John Oates and Stevie Nicks . In 1980, Utopia recorded
11500-465: The world", which later came true. Rundgren said he was initially relegated to "various old folk artists that they had who needed an upgrade: people like Ian & Sylvia , James Cotton , and other artists in Albert's stable." Shortly after producing the eponymous 1969 album by Great Speckled Bird , he was promoted as Bearsville's house engineer. Accompanied by Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm of
11615-531: Was Charlie Morgan who had played for Kate Bush , and went on to drum for Elton John for a further fifteen years. To support the album's release, the band went on tour, but by this point the TRB's infighting had taken its toll. When guitarist Kustow decided to quit in 1979 that was the end of TRB. Their last two gigs were in Torhout and Werchter , Belgium in 1979. In 1989, Robinson, Kustow and Ambler put together
11730-487: Was a complete loss of about half of my audience at that point ... This became the model for my life after that. The sound and structure of Wizard was heavily informed by Rundgren's hallucinogenic experiences. It was envisioned as a hallucinogenic-inspired "flight plan" with all the tracks seguing seamlessly into each other, starting with a "chaotic" mood and ending with a medley of his favorite soul songs. He said: "With drugs I could suddenly abstract my thought processes in
11845-674: Was a concept album based on Egyptian mythology, which prefaced a lavish tour involving an extravagant stage set with a giant pyramid and Sphynx head. Oops! Wrong Planet (September 1977), recorded immediately after the tour, signaled the start of a more pop-oriented direction for the group. By late 1977, Rundgren was in the midst of separating from then-girlfriend Bebe Buell and their infant daughter Liv Tyler . Rundgren recalled leaving his home in New York City and sequestering himself at Mink Hollow, "after I discovered that I didn't want to cohabit any longer with Bebe, in any sense of
11960-483: Was adapted from the screenplay (originally titled "Prick Up Your Ears"), that British playwright Joe Orton had originally offered to the Beatles for their never-made follow-up to Help! . Rundgren was an early adopter of the NewTek Video Toaster and made several videos with it. The first, for "Change Myself" from 2nd Wind , was widely distributed as a demo reel for the Toaster. Later, he set up
12075-496: Was being increasingly tagged as "the male Carole King ". "With all due respect to Carole King," he said, "It wasn't what I was hoping to create as a musical legacy for myself." Now relocated back to New York and experimenting with a host of psychedelic drugs , he began to think that the writing on Something/Anything? was largely formulaic and borne from laziness, and sought to create a "more eclectic and more experimental" follow-up album. His music tastes also started to lean toward
12190-509: Was born in Philadelphia on June 22, 1948, the son of Ruth (née Fleck; April 29, 1922 – April 6, 2016) and Harry W. Rundgren (1917–1996). His father was of Swedish descent and his mother was of Austrian and German descent. He grew up in the bordering town of Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania and taught himself how to play guitar with little help. As a child, Rundgren was fascinated by his parents' small record collection, which consisted of show tunes and symphonic pieces, and especially by
12305-500: Was delayed to the next February due to a vinyl shortage caused by the 1973 oil crisis . During the making of Todd , Rundgren took note of the " fusion jazz sensibility" between session musicians Kevin Ellman (drums) and John Siegler (bass). Rundgren chose them, along with Klingman and keyboardist Ralph Shuckett, to be the new configuration of Utopia. This line-up performed their first show at Central Park on August 25, 1973, sharing
12420-504: Was not aware of the connections until "way after the fact". When asked about the Melody Maker feud, Chapman stated he was not aware of the musicians' interactions in the press until years after they occurred. The year 1981 saw the album-long concept work Healing . 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 ,
12535-437: Was not originally credited to Rundgren due to his anxieties about starting a full-fledged solo career, and instead bore the moniker "Runt". The album featured a bright sound and songs inspired by Laura Nyro. It was recorded with the 17-year-old bassist Tony Fox Sales and his 14-year-old brother Hunt Sales on drums. Nazz engineer James Lowe returned for the sessions and recalled that Rundgren seemed "more able to really lead
12650-471: Was one of the first acts to be prominent as both an artist and producer. His notable production credits include Badfinger 's Straight Up (1971), Grand Funk Railroad 's We're an American Band (1973), the New York Dolls ' New York Dolls (1973), Meat Loaf 's Bat Out of Hell (1977), and XTC 's Skylarking (1986). He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021. Todd Harry Rundgren
12765-609: Was released in May 1978. Popularly viewed as his most immediately accessible work since Something/Anything? , it received more public attention and radio airplay than most of Rundgren's efforts since A Wizard, a True Star and was heralded as a "return to form" after the string of prog records with Utopia. In the US, the LP peaked at number 36, while single " Can We Still Be Friends " reached number 29. The song became Rundgren's most-covered, with versions by Robert Palmer , Rod Stewart , Colin Blunstone , and Mandy Moore . To promote
12880-446: Was that extra layer that made her influential. A lot of those chords she got from other people. But beyond the elements of her composition, I always thought it was the way she played her own material that really sold it. ... I met her right after Eli and the Thirteenth Confession . I actually had arranged a meeting, just because I was so infatuated with her and I wanted to meet the person who had produced all this music. ... after I met her
12995-579: Was their first single, released in late 1977, which got into the top five of the UK Singles Charts and stayed there for over a month. It was followed almost immediately by their next record, a four-song EP called Rising Free , which was recorded live at London's Lyceum Theatre in November 1977. It contained the songs "Don't Take No for an Answer", "Martin", "(Sing if You're) Glad to Be Gay " and "Right on Sister". The EP reached No. 18 in
13110-467: Was to "make the record [I] wanted to make and then hope the label can find a way to promote it", Rundgren ensured that any loss to Grossman would be minimal: "I didn't get an actual advance for Runt . I just asked for a recording budget to pay the studio costs. ... I had no idea how much money I even had in the bank. If I needed cash, I would show up at the accountants and they would just give me hundreds or thousands of dollars." Released in mid-1970, Runt
13225-517: Was used as a demo for their videodisc players. Rundgren's 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. He is also the co-developer of the computer screensaver system Flowfazer . During this period, Rundgren's Mink Hollow home was robbed. He and his girlfriend were tied up in
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