Saturday, November 26, 2011

Interview: Todd on Sodajerker !!

http://sodajerker.com/episode-2-todd-rundgren/

In the second episode of Sodajerker on Songwriting, Simon and Brian talk to legendary writer/artist/producer Todd Rundgren (Nazz, Utopia, Meat Loaf, XTC) about his approach to the art form and the writing of hit songs like Hello it’s Me, I Saw the Light and It Wouldn’t Have Made any Difference.

Kindle edition of Paul Myers Rundgren book : "A WIZARD A TUE STAR" now available

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006305D5S/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_alp_81l0ob0GCEQ12

a japanese translated version is now available in japan

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Todd taking Jesses new custom built "Perry Morelli" guitar for a spin

Special RundgrenRadio show tonight "Moogy Tribute"

RundgrenRadio.com airs TONIGHT beginning at 8:30pm ET. Special Edition show: "Mark Moogy Klingman Remembered". We'll be celebrating and remembering his wonderful life on earth.

NY Times article on Moogy

Moogy Klingman, Songwriter and Original Member of Utopia, Dies at 61
By DOUGLAS MARTIN
Published: November 21, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/arts/music/moogy-klingman-songwriter-and-original-member-of-utopia-dies-at-61.html?_r=2&mid=535
If pop music, at its best, can be called a series of evanescent but magically eternal moments, Moogy Klingman lived the concept. He jammed with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, produced a rare album featuring Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and other superstars, and helped write the song that Bette Midler made her theme, “Friends.”

He was best known for his association with Todd Rundgren, the singer, songwriter and producer. It was Mr. Rundgren who announced that Mr. Klingman, an original member of his band Utopia, died on Nov. 15 in Manhattan. He was 61.

Mr. Klingman lived most of his life out of the limelight, though he and his groups, most recently the Peaceniks, had long been part of the New York music scene.

As Mr. Klingman’s health declined, starting with bladder cancer, Mr. Rundgren summoned him and the other original members of Utopia to play a series of concerts. They had not played together in more than 30 years. They are continuing their tour to help pay Mr. Klingman’s medical expenses. Information on survivors was not available.

Mr. Klingman produced and played keyboards on “Buckets of Rain,” Ms. Midler’s duet with Bob Dylan of the Dylan song for her 1976 Atlantic album, “Songs for the New Depression.” “Friends,” also known as “(You Got to Have) Friends,” a song Mr. Klingman wrote with Buzzy Linhart, was a hit for Ms. Midler in 1973.

Original compositions included on Mr. Klingman’s own first album, “Moogy” (Capitol, 1972), were later recorded by Carly Simon, Johnny Winter, James Cotton and Thelma Houston.

Mark Klingman was born on Sept. 7, 1950; sources differ on whether he was born in New York City or Great Neck, N.Y. His nickname from childhood, Moogy, had nothing to do with the Moog synthesizers he played.

As a youth Mr. Klingman developed a distinctive style of piano playing informed by boogie-woogie and jazz, and by the time he was 16 he was spending more time in Greenwich Village than in high school. He formed a rock group and sat in with top musicians, including Hendrix.

In 1968 he played on the soundtrack for the Jane Fonda science fiction film “Barbarella.” He met Mr. Rundgren outside the Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village that same year.

Mr. Rundgren and Mr. Klingman built a recording studio, Secret Sound, in Mr. Rundgren’s Manhattan loft. When Mr. Rundgren formed Utopia in 1973, he used members of Mr. Klingman’s band, Moogy and the Rhythm Kings, as the core.

Mr. Rundgren was scheduled to produce a “super session” in 1969 involving Mr. Clapton, Mr. Beck, Dr. John, Linda Ronstadt and other musicians. But after Mr. Rundgren’s manager refused the payment offered, Mr. Klingman, at 18, took on the project and found himself supervising his musical idols. The effort led to a single album, “Summit Meeting,” and a double album, “Music From Free Creek,” both released in England in the 1970s. The musicians used pseudonyms on the album. Mr. Clapton was “King Cool” and Mr. Beck “A. N. Other.”

In a 2001 interview with the magazine Heavy Metal Mayhem, Mr. Klingman said he had approached the sessions dreading that someone would say, “Who are you, Sonny, to tell us what to do?” No one did. “I knew when to back off,” he said.

Video; Todds tribute to Moogy .. JOV

Monday, November 21, 2011

VERY RARE RADIO SHOW OF THE ALBUM HEALING pt 1



VERY RARE RADIO SHOW OF THE ALBUM HEALING. A TOTAL OF 30 MINUTES, TODD GIVES A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF EACH SONG FROM SIDE ONE ONLY BEFORE IT'S PLAYED. THIS IS TRACK ONE "HEALER

Spirit of 76 from disco jets

ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown Rundgren Bang on the drum

Musician Rundgren happy his song is a big bang in Lambeau

Musician Rundgren happy his song is a big bang in Lambeau
By Bob Wolfley of the Journal Sentinel
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/134214368.html

Musician Todd Rundgren is not disappointed his 1983 song, "Bang the Drum All Day" is the house song of the Green Bay Packers.

That song is played at Lambeau Field whenever the Packers score a touchdown.

Chris Connelly provided a feature story about the song for ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown."

"I’m kind of happy that I’ve done something that penetrated the consciousness of the culture in this way, that everybody knows it, even if they can’t remember where they first heard it," Rundgren said. "It just popped into my head pretty much the way it got recorded. It was kind of a throwaway song on a record of songs that I thought I had worked a lot harder on."

Video: "Just one Victory" dedicated to Moogy .. last song of the tour