Kings of the Rogue - TODD RUNDGREN..Peter Garrett and Tim Robbins steal the show in rehearsals with Marianne Faithfull and the stellar line-up of Rogue's Gallery - a concert tribute to songs of the sea
http://player.video.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/#6qI8UWWN7al3mIjVTm7OI3sTQwIoKuXJ
The "almost" official blog for everything Todd Rundgren Related........................................................................................................................................................................... Please visit the sister facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Ma4utopia?ref=hl
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Q&A: musicradar.com >Todd Rundgren on recreating A Wizard, A True Star
http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/qa-todd-rundgren-on-recreating-a-wizard-a-true-star-234318
Q&A: Todd Rundgren on recreating A Wizard, A True Star
How his 1973 prog opus returned to stage
Terry Staunton, Tue 26 Jan 2010, 8:50 am UTC
As well as touring with the likes of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, producing just about every rock staple from New York Dolls to Meat Loaf and being name-dropped and sampled by today's geeky hipsters Simian Mobile Disco and Hot Chip, Todd Rundgren's solo records remain among his most celebrated works. None so more than 1973's seminal A Wizard, A True Star.
As Rundgren prepares to bring his prog opus in its entirety to London's Hammersmith Apollo on 6 February, we caught up with him about what it takes to recreate a classic on stage.
Have you played the whole of the album live before?
TR: "I've never attempted to do the whole thing, although I had done segments of it with backing tapes. But it was never an option to do the entire record until now. The genesis for this idea came from a promoter who had noticed the record was getting a lot of name checks from younger artists, most noticeably Hot Chip, but it seemed it was generally getting discovered by a much wider and younger audience."
"The London show was gonna be the first time we did it, but word got through to my American fans and we thought it wouldn't be right to make them go all the way to England for the premier. So we did about 10 days worth of shows in the US last September, which was probably a good thing."
"[A Wizard, A True Star] was getting a lot of name checks from younger artists, most noticeably Hot Chip, but it seemed it was generally getting discovered by a much wider and younger audience""If I'd had to mount the show for the first time in a town in another country that I wasn't so familiar with, I might not have had the support mechanism in place that I would have in America."
Did the US run help iron out any problems you might have had? The whole undertaking seems quite a challenge.
TR: "Well, it was a challenge, but that was fairly soluble by making sure I had the right group of musicians. I had to get the right band around me, but we also had the advantage of technological evolutions over the last 30 years or so."
"There was no way I could have played the whole record live around the time it first came out. There are so many sounds that would have been difficult to reproduce back in the day."
Can you give any specific examples of that?
TR: "Not really, because I kind of cheated along the way. We have samplers nowadays, so it was easy for me to go back to the original master tape and lift any sound I wanted off it. We did that a bit, here and there, but not too extensively. We were able to get fairly close to most of the instruments without recourse to that."
"In some cases there are sounds or treatments to instruments where we no longer have access to the original devices, but I don't what to give too much away. I don't want to dissect what we've done before the London audience has a chance to hear it."
Next: recruiting the band and "anti-conceptual and neo-Dadaism
How did you recruit the band for these shows?
TR: "I think one of my most astute decisions was to get Greg Hawkes from The Cars to play a lot of the synthesizer parts, because he actually owns a lot of the same instruments I used in the studio back in 1973. I don't have them any more, I parted company with most of them over the years, but Greg is more than capable of reproducing most of the peculiar noises!"
"The concept of the album was actually anti-conceptual, a kind of neo-Dadaism. There weren't supposed to be a lot of standard rules, and if there were you were free to break them""It was also great to get Kasim Sulton on bass and Prairie Prince on drums, because although they weren't on the record it kind of gives the fans a little Utopia reunion, a little added bonus. We've also got Ralph Schuckett on keyboards, which is a nice link to the original record."
You've said in the past that you don't like the record being described as a concept album. Why is that?
TR: "The concept of the album was actually anti-conceptual, a kind of neo-Dadaism. There weren't supposed to be a lot of standard rules, and if there were you were free to break them. There was a method to the madness, in a way. I'd made Something/Anything? the year before and had got three hit singles from it, but I didn't want to be an artist who'd found a formula for success and just carried on mining it."
"I was already making more money as a producer. It was never in my mind to build myself and comfortable and commercial base, to become a household name. Critics were starting to refer to me as the male Carole King, and as much as I love Carole King I didn't want to be marginalised in such a way."
"Aside from that, I was just thinking differently about the possibilities of the studio and what habits I'd developed as a songwriter - and if it was possible for me to escape those habits. The studio shouldn't be a place where you go to just record your songs, it should be approached as a musical instrument itself and you owe it to yourself to explore the possibilities it holds."
"Making A Wizard... helped me realise that there doesn't have to be a standard song format, that the music you make doesn't have to even be musical in the traditional sense. I just wanted to utilise the sounds of my own environment, like the sounds of my dogs fighting with each other, for example."
"To continue recording standard songs would have been like filling in a form. There's more to life than a verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus about a relationship that went bad. I'd done that, it was time to do something different."
Next: something for the "hardcore fans"
Have you been to see other artists recreating complex albums, such as Brian Wilson with Pet Sounds or Smile, or The Zombies with Odessey And Oracle?
TR: "I didn't catch any of the Wilson shows, but I saw The Zombies not long ago and it struck me as being a little lounge-y. It maybe wasn't altogether their fault, because they were playing in a casino and I think a lot of the audience just wanted some background music while they ate their dinner."
"I'm not sure those kind of shows are meant for anyone but hardcore fans, so it was kind of a waste of their expertise. Everyone was sat still in their seats for the whole thing. You come and see me and I'll get you on your feet right at the start and keep you there!"
Todd Rundgren performs the British Premiere of A Wizard, A True Star at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday 6 February 2010. Box Office: 08700 603 777. Book Online: www.seetickets.com.
Q&A: Todd Rundgren on recreating A Wizard, A True Star
How his 1973 prog opus returned to stage
Terry Staunton, Tue 26 Jan 2010, 8:50 am UTC
As well as touring with the likes of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band, producing just about every rock staple from New York Dolls to Meat Loaf and being name-dropped and sampled by today's geeky hipsters Simian Mobile Disco and Hot Chip, Todd Rundgren's solo records remain among his most celebrated works. None so more than 1973's seminal A Wizard, A True Star.
As Rundgren prepares to bring his prog opus in its entirety to London's Hammersmith Apollo on 6 February, we caught up with him about what it takes to recreate a classic on stage.
Have you played the whole of the album live before?
TR: "I've never attempted to do the whole thing, although I had done segments of it with backing tapes. But it was never an option to do the entire record until now. The genesis for this idea came from a promoter who had noticed the record was getting a lot of name checks from younger artists, most noticeably Hot Chip, but it seemed it was generally getting discovered by a much wider and younger audience."
"The London show was gonna be the first time we did it, but word got through to my American fans and we thought it wouldn't be right to make them go all the way to England for the premier. So we did about 10 days worth of shows in the US last September, which was probably a good thing."
"[A Wizard, A True Star] was getting a lot of name checks from younger artists, most noticeably Hot Chip, but it seemed it was generally getting discovered by a much wider and younger audience""If I'd had to mount the show for the first time in a town in another country that I wasn't so familiar with, I might not have had the support mechanism in place that I would have in America."
Did the US run help iron out any problems you might have had? The whole undertaking seems quite a challenge.
TR: "Well, it was a challenge, but that was fairly soluble by making sure I had the right group of musicians. I had to get the right band around me, but we also had the advantage of technological evolutions over the last 30 years or so."
"There was no way I could have played the whole record live around the time it first came out. There are so many sounds that would have been difficult to reproduce back in the day."
Can you give any specific examples of that?
TR: "Not really, because I kind of cheated along the way. We have samplers nowadays, so it was easy for me to go back to the original master tape and lift any sound I wanted off it. We did that a bit, here and there, but not too extensively. We were able to get fairly close to most of the instruments without recourse to that."
"In some cases there are sounds or treatments to instruments where we no longer have access to the original devices, but I don't what to give too much away. I don't want to dissect what we've done before the London audience has a chance to hear it."
Next: recruiting the band and "anti-conceptual and neo-Dadaism
How did you recruit the band for these shows?
TR: "I think one of my most astute decisions was to get Greg Hawkes from The Cars to play a lot of the synthesizer parts, because he actually owns a lot of the same instruments I used in the studio back in 1973. I don't have them any more, I parted company with most of them over the years, but Greg is more than capable of reproducing most of the peculiar noises!"
"The concept of the album was actually anti-conceptual, a kind of neo-Dadaism. There weren't supposed to be a lot of standard rules, and if there were you were free to break them""It was also great to get Kasim Sulton on bass and Prairie Prince on drums, because although they weren't on the record it kind of gives the fans a little Utopia reunion, a little added bonus. We've also got Ralph Schuckett on keyboards, which is a nice link to the original record."
You've said in the past that you don't like the record being described as a concept album. Why is that?
TR: "The concept of the album was actually anti-conceptual, a kind of neo-Dadaism. There weren't supposed to be a lot of standard rules, and if there were you were free to break them. There was a method to the madness, in a way. I'd made Something/Anything? the year before and had got three hit singles from it, but I didn't want to be an artist who'd found a formula for success and just carried on mining it."
"I was already making more money as a producer. It was never in my mind to build myself and comfortable and commercial base, to become a household name. Critics were starting to refer to me as the male Carole King, and as much as I love Carole King I didn't want to be marginalised in such a way."
"Aside from that, I was just thinking differently about the possibilities of the studio and what habits I'd developed as a songwriter - and if it was possible for me to escape those habits. The studio shouldn't be a place where you go to just record your songs, it should be approached as a musical instrument itself and you owe it to yourself to explore the possibilities it holds."
"Making A Wizard... helped me realise that there doesn't have to be a standard song format, that the music you make doesn't have to even be musical in the traditional sense. I just wanted to utilise the sounds of my own environment, like the sounds of my dogs fighting with each other, for example."
"To continue recording standard songs would have been like filling in a form. There's more to life than a verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus about a relationship that went bad. I'd done that, it was time to do something different."
Next: something for the "hardcore fans"
Have you been to see other artists recreating complex albums, such as Brian Wilson with Pet Sounds or Smile, or The Zombies with Odessey And Oracle?
TR: "I didn't catch any of the Wilson shows, but I saw The Zombies not long ago and it struck me as being a little lounge-y. It maybe wasn't altogether their fault, because they were playing in a casino and I think a lot of the audience just wanted some background music while they ate their dinner."
"I'm not sure those kind of shows are meant for anyone but hardcore fans, so it was kind of a waste of their expertise. Everyone was sat still in their seats for the whole thing. You come and see me and I'll get you on your feet right at the start and keep you there!"
Todd Rundgren performs the British Premiere of A Wizard, A True Star at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday 6 February 2010. Box Office: 08700 603 777. Book Online: www.seetickets.com.
RundgrenRadio tonight
RundgrenRadio.com airs this Tuesday night at 8:30pmET with a special show featuring the entire "Forum's Worth of Toons" fan tribute CD including the artists comments about their particular song(s)! It's gonna be a good one folks so don't miss it!
www.rundgrenradio.com
www.rundgrenradio.com
Monday, January 25, 2010
Todd article from the Dec '09 issue of Classic Rock magazine
click on each picture to see full size
thanks chelababy for scan
thanks chelababy for scan
Saturday, January 23, 2010
the producers replay link... this is a must listen
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00qbzqv/Record_Producers_The_Extended_Cut_Todd_Rundgren/
one of the best segements on todd rundgren in years
Thursday, January 21, 2010
todd PR trailer
Hello There,
Please find the official BBC 6 Music Radio trailer for the “Record Producers: Todd Rundgren” documentary that will air on BBC 6 Music Radio in England on January 23rd at 22:00 GMT. Please feel free to upload the attached MP3 of the trailer or stream it on your website, blog or forum.
Please link visitors to your site to the BBC 6 Music Todd Rundgren page here for further info about the documentary – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qbzqv
The documentary will be available on demand online from Sunday January 24th from BBC i.Player.
Click here to visit the BBC i-Player page – http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio/bbc_6music
Please find the official BBC 6 Music Radio trailer for the “Record Producers: Todd Rundgren” documentary that will air on BBC 6 Music Radio in England on January 23rd at 22:00 GMT. Please feel free to upload the attached MP3 of the trailer or stream it on your website, blog or forum.
Please link visitors to your site to the BBC 6 Music Todd Rundgren page here for further info about the documentary – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qbzqv
The documentary will be available on demand online from Sunday January 24th from BBC i.Player.
Click here to visit the BBC i-Player page – http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio/bbc_6music
Interview: TR a wizard reborn in london
http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/todd-rundgren-a-wizard-reborn-in-london/
Todd Rundgren will make a dozen costume changes when he showcases the celebrated album A Wizard, A True Star in London next month – and he’ll do them all on stage!
“When I decided to do the whole of this record live, I thought about the best way to make it really theatrical,” Rundgren told Classic Rock.
“At first I was gonna bring in acrobats, clowns and animals – to make it something of a circus. But that just wasn’t practical. But I knew that this couldn’t just be about the music. I needed a striking visual element. So what I’ve done is create a dressing room on stage.
“During the gig, I make about 12 changes, in a dressing room mocked up behind a curtain. This gives everything a certain magic feel, because I am effectively changing right in front of the fans! And there’s the tension of wondering whether I can get it done in time to make my musical cue.
“So, I’ll be relaxed and singing something like Never Never Land, then have to dash and change while the band carry on. I hope the audience find it interesting.”
Although Rundgren has so far performed the iconic 1973 album at four shows in America last December, the original idea was to do it solely in London.
“The suggestion was first made when I toured the UK in November 2008. The promoter told me that the record had become really popular with electronic artists and DJs. There was a real buzz about it. He felt that if I performed the whole album at a gig in London, and got some of these talents involved, then I could reach a younger audience.
“Then people in America got to hear about the idea and, not wanting to be left out, sorted out some dates at the end of last year. So the London one, instead of starting it all off, has come a lot later.”
Rundgren is remaining virtually faithful to the style and running order of the album, although there is one major shift.
“The song International Feel is now at the end of the set. Because it sits a lot better there. When the album came out, I had to split the music into two ‘acts’, really. Which were the two sides of the vinyl. So I had to make some arbitrary decisions. Now, I can visualise it as one continuous piece, which was the idea in the first place. So far, the reaction to this from fans has been fine – it hasn’t shocked them too much!”
Rundgren has admitted that he wanted to do the whole of this album when it first came out. What stopped him?
“Technology wasn’t up to it. I’d have had to get so many musicians involved to make it work, and that just wasn’t practical. Now, I can use samples if necessary. It all makes more economic sense.”
Right now, the plan is to do A Wizard, A True Star in London at the Hammersmith Apollo on February 6 (for tickets go here) and then in Amsterdam, at the Paradiso two nights later. But that’s not the end… only the end of the beginning.
“I will also take it out to other cities, where my popularity is still such that I know I can sell tickets. That’ll happen in the spring. So, this will carry on for a while.”
And there’s a DVD in the works, which Rundgren is currently putting together.
“We filmed all of the US dates, and right now I’m going through all of the footage on my laptop. The idea will be not only to put out a live DVD, but also a box set with all of those shows in their entirety. That’ll be one thing, I assume, only dedicated fans would want.
“What we did was video simulcast all of the gigs, and then specifically shoot one concert. So, we’ve multi-camera angles for it all. It means I’ve got so much to go through, but it’s worthwhile, and these days it’s so much easier to edit.”
Rundgren doubts that he will ever take a similar approach with any of his other albums, believing that none really lend themselves to such exposure.
“One thing with A Wizard, A True Star is that it’s nearly an hour long. It represents that period when I looked beyond the pop song, and started to invest in sounds and experimenting with what you could do with music. I’d had enough of writing songs about the same subject over and over again – the girl with whom I’d split up eight years earlier. So, it was time to move on.
“Why was it such a long record in an era when most were about 40 minutes in length? Because I lost track of how it was turning out, to be honest – which I regularly did! Fortunately, we managed to get away with it, even though there was some loss of frequencies at the bottom end on the vinyl format back then.
“The problem is that none of my other records are long enough to turn into self-contained shows. Hermit Of Mink Hollow (1978) has been mentioned. But how would that work? Just me on stage… as it was on the record.”
One final thing: Rundgren doesn’t want this to be viewed as a nostalgia trip and nothing more…
“No artist likes to be seen that way. I believe that I’m bringing something new and fresh to what I did in 1973. Come along and see for yourself.”
Todd Rundgren performs the British premiere of A Wizard, A True Star at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London on Saturday, February 6. Box office: 08700 603 777. Book online: http://www.seetickets.com/
Todd Rundgren will make a dozen costume changes when he showcases the celebrated album A Wizard, A True Star in London next month – and he’ll do them all on stage!
“When I decided to do the whole of this record live, I thought about the best way to make it really theatrical,” Rundgren told Classic Rock.
“At first I was gonna bring in acrobats, clowns and animals – to make it something of a circus. But that just wasn’t practical. But I knew that this couldn’t just be about the music. I needed a striking visual element. So what I’ve done is create a dressing room on stage.
“During the gig, I make about 12 changes, in a dressing room mocked up behind a curtain. This gives everything a certain magic feel, because I am effectively changing right in front of the fans! And there’s the tension of wondering whether I can get it done in time to make my musical cue.
“So, I’ll be relaxed and singing something like Never Never Land, then have to dash and change while the band carry on. I hope the audience find it interesting.”
Although Rundgren has so far performed the iconic 1973 album at four shows in America last December, the original idea was to do it solely in London.
“The suggestion was first made when I toured the UK in November 2008. The promoter told me that the record had become really popular with electronic artists and DJs. There was a real buzz about it. He felt that if I performed the whole album at a gig in London, and got some of these talents involved, then I could reach a younger audience.
“Then people in America got to hear about the idea and, not wanting to be left out, sorted out some dates at the end of last year. So the London one, instead of starting it all off, has come a lot later.”
Rundgren is remaining virtually faithful to the style and running order of the album, although there is one major shift.
“The song International Feel is now at the end of the set. Because it sits a lot better there. When the album came out, I had to split the music into two ‘acts’, really. Which were the two sides of the vinyl. So I had to make some arbitrary decisions. Now, I can visualise it as one continuous piece, which was the idea in the first place. So far, the reaction to this from fans has been fine – it hasn’t shocked them too much!”
Rundgren has admitted that he wanted to do the whole of this album when it first came out. What stopped him?
“Technology wasn’t up to it. I’d have had to get so many musicians involved to make it work, and that just wasn’t practical. Now, I can use samples if necessary. It all makes more economic sense.”
Right now, the plan is to do A Wizard, A True Star in London at the Hammersmith Apollo on February 6 (for tickets go here) and then in Amsterdam, at the Paradiso two nights later. But that’s not the end… only the end of the beginning.
“I will also take it out to other cities, where my popularity is still such that I know I can sell tickets. That’ll happen in the spring. So, this will carry on for a while.”
And there’s a DVD in the works, which Rundgren is currently putting together.
“We filmed all of the US dates, and right now I’m going through all of the footage on my laptop. The idea will be not only to put out a live DVD, but also a box set with all of those shows in their entirety. That’ll be one thing, I assume, only dedicated fans would want.
“What we did was video simulcast all of the gigs, and then specifically shoot one concert. So, we’ve multi-camera angles for it all. It means I’ve got so much to go through, but it’s worthwhile, and these days it’s so much easier to edit.”
Rundgren doubts that he will ever take a similar approach with any of his other albums, believing that none really lend themselves to such exposure.
“One thing with A Wizard, A True Star is that it’s nearly an hour long. It represents that period when I looked beyond the pop song, and started to invest in sounds and experimenting with what you could do with music. I’d had enough of writing songs about the same subject over and over again – the girl with whom I’d split up eight years earlier. So, it was time to move on.
“Why was it such a long record in an era when most were about 40 minutes in length? Because I lost track of how it was turning out, to be honest – which I regularly did! Fortunately, we managed to get away with it, even though there was some loss of frequencies at the bottom end on the vinyl format back then.
“The problem is that none of my other records are long enough to turn into self-contained shows. Hermit Of Mink Hollow (1978) has been mentioned. But how would that work? Just me on stage… as it was on the record.”
One final thing: Rundgren doesn’t want this to be viewed as a nostalgia trip and nothing more…
“No artist likes to be seen that way. I believe that I’m bringing something new and fresh to what I did in 1973. Come along and see for yourself.”
Todd Rundgren performs the British premiere of A Wizard, A True Star at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London on Saturday, February 6. Box office: 08700 603 777. Book online: http://www.seetickets.com/
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
interview; todd rundgren the producer BBC
BBC 6 Music radio will air a fascinating 90-minute documentary on
"The Record Producers: Todd Rundgren" on Saturday January 23rd
at 22:00. As part of BBC Radio's critically acclaimed "Record
Producers" documentary series, the 90-minute special will air on
BBC 6 Music two weeks before Rundgren performs the British concert
premiere of his psychedelic 1973 album "A Wizard, A True Star"
at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday February 6th (Box
Office: 08700 603 777 / Book Online: www.seetickets.com).
Read the official BBC 6 Music Todd Rundgren documentary page here -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qbzqv
The Record Producers documentary will also include dialogue of Rundgren
discussing some of his most popular albums including A Wizard, A True
Star and Something/Anything, and will give listeners exclusive access to
the original multi-track tapes of two songs from Rundgren's most
successful production as a record producer – Meat Loaf's
multi-million selling "Bat Out Of Hell".
The documentary will be followed by a 30-minute companion programme
"The Producer's Playlist" where, Record Producer Steve
Levine will present a selection prime cuts from Patti Smith, New York
Dolls, Hall & Oats and Utopia, all produced by Rundgren, whose own solo
recordings also feature on the show.
Click here to access further information about the "The
Producer's Playlist" - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qcjyv.
Visitors to the BBC 6 Music website can listen live or play the show via
BBC i-Player - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio/bbc_6music.
A 60-minute edition of the Rundgren documentary will be aired on BBC
Radio 2 on February 27th at 22:00 - (5 PM EST)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0072fbv.
Don't miss the British concert premiere of Todd Rundgren's
"A Wizard, A True Star" live at the HMV London Hammersmith
Apollo on Saturday February 6th.
For further details about the Hammersmith Apollo concert -
www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/meanfiddler/Todd_Rundgren_wizard.htm
"The Record Producers: Todd Rundgren" on Saturday January 23rd
at 22:00. As part of BBC Radio's critically acclaimed "Record
Producers" documentary series, the 90-minute special will air on
BBC 6 Music two weeks before Rundgren performs the British concert
premiere of his psychedelic 1973 album "A Wizard, A True Star"
at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday February 6th (Box
Office: 08700 603 777 / Book Online: www.seetickets.com).
Read the official BBC 6 Music Todd Rundgren documentary page here -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qbzqv
The Record Producers documentary will also include dialogue of Rundgren
discussing some of his most popular albums including A Wizard, A True
Star and Something/Anything, and will give listeners exclusive access to
the original multi-track tapes of two songs from Rundgren's most
successful production as a record producer – Meat Loaf's
multi-million selling "Bat Out Of Hell".
The documentary will be followed by a 30-minute companion programme
"The Producer's Playlist" where, Record Producer Steve
Levine will present a selection prime cuts from Patti Smith, New York
Dolls, Hall & Oats and Utopia, all produced by Rundgren, whose own solo
recordings also feature on the show.
Click here to access further information about the "The
Producer's Playlist" - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qcjyv.
Visitors to the BBC 6 Music website can listen live or play the show via
BBC i-Player - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio/bbc_6music.
A 60-minute edition of the Rundgren documentary will be aired on BBC
Radio 2 on February 27th at 22:00 - (5 PM EST)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0072fbv.
Don't miss the British concert premiere of Todd Rundgren's
"A Wizard, A True Star" live at the HMV London Hammersmith
Apollo on Saturday February 6th.
For further details about the Hammersmith Apollo concert -
www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/meanfiddler/Todd_Rundgren_wizard.htm
Monday, January 18, 2010
Interview :quicktime audio>> Billy James new book about todd
copy and paste this link to hear interview
http://webtalkradio.net/index.php/show-podcasts/71-the-pop-culture-road-trip
-with-chris-epting/4829
Legendary manager, producer, and rock and roll impresario Marty Thau shares stories from his incredible life in the business featuring the New York Dolls, The Ramones and more - and his Red Star Records is still going strong today as Red Star Digital Music. Then, Billy James discusses his new book, "A Dream Goes on Forever - The Continuing Story of Todd Rundgren - The Utopia Years." It's the second book James has written on the Wizard and this is a must listen for any Todd fan.
http://webtalkradio.net/index.php/show-podcasts/71-the-pop-culture-road-trip
-with-chris-epting/4829
Legendary manager, producer, and rock and roll impresario Marty Thau shares stories from his incredible life in the business featuring the New York Dolls, The Ramones and more - and his Red Star Records is still going strong today as Red Star Digital Music. Then, Billy James discusses his new book, "A Dream Goes on Forever - The Continuing Story of Todd Rundgren - The Utopia Years." It's the second book James has written on the Wizard and this is a must listen for any Todd fan.
youtube interview: KASIM 12/2/09 capital chaos
KASIM SULTON (interview) on CAPITAL CHAOS 2009 @ The Crest Theater~Sacramento, California 12-2-09
Kasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist, and singer. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free", Utopia's only top 40 hit in the US. As a solo artist, Sulton hit the Canadian top 40 in 1982 with "Don't Break My Heart".
http://www.kasimsulton.com/
Sulton has been a frequent collaborator, bassist and singer on many of Todd Rundgren's projects and solo tours.
http://www.kasiminfo.com/
Sulton started his musical career playing piano for Cherry Vanilla before gaining a place in Todd Rundgren's Utopia in 1976. During his time with Utopia they recorded nine albums and toured extensively.
http://www.kasimstore.com/
He has toured with Meat Loaf, Hall & Oates, Cheap Trick, Blue Öyster Cult, Richie Sambora, Patti Smith and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. As a studio musician, he has played on albums by Patti Smith, The Indigo Girls and Steve Stevens, and appeared on an album of traditional Irish music by Eileen Ivers. He was a member of Joan Jett's backing band, The Blackhearts, touring with them and playing on Jett's album Up Your Alley (1988) as well as contributing a number of tracks to her compilation album The Hit List (1990).
http://www.youtube.com/user/kasimsulton
Sulton was the bassist on the Meat Loaf album Bat Out of Hell. He and Thommy Price collaborated on an album, Lights On, which Sulton co-wrote. The song "No T.V. No Phone" was featured in the 1987 film The Allnighter, starring Susanna Hoffs.
http://www.myspace.com/kasimsulton
Sulton sang background vocals on Meat Loaf's album Bat out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, joining his backing band, The Neverland Express, and touring for three years on the Everything Louder Tour. He also recorded on Meat Loafs album Welcome to the Neighborhood, arranging and singing background vocals on most of the tracks. He went on to become Musical Director for Meat Loaf, rehearsing Meat Loaf's band, Neverland Express, in preparation for touring. The Very Best of Meat Loaf album was released with three new tracks, one of which, "Is Nothing Sacred", was later re-recorded as a duet with Patti Russo and produced by Sulton, with the track reaching #15 on the UK charts. Sulton also produced the Meat Loaf StoryTellers album, and toured with the band on the Night Of The Proms Tour in Europe and the "Meat Loaf Just Havin' Fun for the Summer" and "Winter" Tour in the US and Europe, where he and Patti Russo both served as opening acts. He also toured on Meat Loaf's "Couldn't Have Said It Better" tour where he played a short solo acoustic set to open the concert at most venues. One of Meat Loaf's shows on this tour was filmed for the dvd Bat out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Kasim also toured on the 2005 "Hair of the Dog" Tour and the 2006-2007 "Bat Out of Hell III" tour, and he is featured as bassist/backing vocalist on the album. In summer 2008, he will rejoin Meat Loaf for the Casa de Carne tour.
Article: CRAWDADDY
http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2010/01/18/todd-rundgren-a-wizard-a-true-star/
Todd Rundgren: A Wizard, A True Star
by: Ric Hickey
Todd Rundren’s
A Wizard, A True Star
(Bearsville, 1973)
At the time of its release in 1973, Todd Rundgren’s sprawling art-pop masterpiece A Wizard, A True Star ascended no higher than number 86 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. But in the intervening years, the record has enjoyed a cult-favorite status like few other albums of the classic rock era. Though it garnered no hit singles, the album does boast a handful of Rundgren fan favorites, like “Zen Archer” and “Just One Victory”, songs that have been staples of Todd’s ever-evolving live show for over three decades.
Unlike any other record of its time, A Wizard, A True Star blended the Beatles’ Abbey Road medley mentality with the ambition of Zappa, the unbridled energy of fusion, and of course Rundgren’s own explosive imagination. The result was a sparkling pop record that, though it enjoyed success among Reungren’s small fanbase at the time of its release, would languish in relative obscurity for several years before it began to get the recognition it deserved. A Wizard, A True Star: Was the title alone perhaps an indication of an advanced sense of self-deprecating humor that would forever be lost on the general public and well beyond the comprehension of the masses? Even in an era when Zappa’s oddities and the prog-rock freak-outs of many others were quite common, it seemed both critics and the record-buying public needed time to soak up the subtleties of A Wizard, A True Star before its greatness began to become apparent. Almost as if it took a few years to properly digest.
For sure, many variants of rock music became simpler, less demanding to the listener, and almost watered-down sounding as the ’70s wore on. Whether it was the soft rock “California sound” that first blossomed in the early ’70s or the angry punk of just a few short years later, it all aimed for a gut-level target. To his never-ending credit, Rundgren never stooped to that level. He has, throughout his career, made brainy rock music for brainy people, and his reward is a devoted cult following of hardcore fanatics that trail his every move and support his every musical whim even as he has pursued his muse down some unexpected avenues.
The album opens with an ominous synthesizer line, as “International Feel” eerily unfolds like a sonic snake turning itself inside out, only to reveal a shimmering sheath of diamond melodies. Originally from the Broadway production of Peter Pan, the placement of “Never Never Land” in the number two slot always struck me as a brilliantly far-reaching gesture. So early in the proceedings! To croon with aching sincerity this long-lost Broadway ballad full of flowery chords and sappy sentiment, as a launching pad for the maze of maniacal self-examination to follow?
This is the listener’s first clue of the rapidly dawning revelation that this album is comprised of many short little ditties that segue seamlessly and continuously throughout. Side one in particular has long since been considered both the prototype and the Gold Standard of Pop Collage, blending sparkling segments into the blindingly brilliant sum of its perfect parts. Among the stream of gems that follow is “Flamingo”, one of this writer’s favorite tunes on the record. A clever and playful instrumental, a tiny symphony for synthesizers, “Flamingo” is reminiscent of some of Zappa’s Hot Rats era stuff.
Later, we hear Rundgren’s elastic and electric voice stretch and soar in an unlikely medley of ’60s cover tunes, beginning with the soft and sentimental trilogy of “I’m So Proud”, “Ooh, Baby Baby”, and “La La Means I Love You.” (For such a goofball, apparently he can really nail a ballad when he wants to.) Rundgren shifts gears for the medley’s final segment, a crazed remake of the frenetic ’60s dance pop track “Cool Jerk.” Employing some unexpected rhythm shifts to dizzying effect, Rundgren’s frantic performance seems to skip and jump and fold over on its perky, patchwork self. Other highlights of the album include “Is It My Name?”, a climactic outburst of guitar histrionics, and the album’s anthemic closer “Just One Victory.”
Though the album was released 36 years ago, A Wizard, A True Star could well be seen as something of a career retrospective. Considered by many to be his magnum opus, it’s got all the hallmarks of Rundgren’s music: Humor of both the cerebral and cornball varieties, advanced musicianship, beautifully crafted pop songs and ballads, a couple of ironic rockers, a handful of covers, and perhaps most poignantly, some surprisingly insightful lyrics that reveal a vulnerability and yearning for truth and love and understanding. The meditative “Zen Archer”, the melancholy lamentations of “I Don’t Want to Tie You Down”, and the bittersweet “Sometimes I Don’t Know What to Feel” are all perfect examples of Todd Rundgren’s soul-searching lyrics, echoing introspection, and self-administered “rock therapy” as prayer.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Live Recording and the USB stick !!
Todd Rundgren, the legendary rock musician and record producer, who has worked with everyone from Patti Smith, Meatloaf and the New York Dolls, today announced that his February 2010 London and Amsterdam "A Wizard A True Star" concerts will be released on USB stick.
The European AWATS concerts will take place at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Friday 6th February, followed by the Paradiso, Amsterdam on Sunday 8th February. Fans who attend the concerts will be able to buy the entire two hour concert on USB stick at the merchandise stand directly after the shows. The USB stick will include two hours of live performance audio, including "Todd Rundgren's Johnson"; a 45-minute set of Rundgren performing Robert Johnson songs, followed by a 75-minute set of the highly anticipated "A Wizard A True Star" album performed in it's entirety.
For further info about, and to pre-order the `Wizard' USB stick - http://www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/concert_online/toddrundgrenwizardusbstick.htm
The Rundgren "Wizard" USB concert sticks are the brainchild of Cologne-based live recording entertainment company Concert Online whose live recording concert USB stick roster includes KISS, Simply Red, Madness, Foreigner and Simple Minds.
The all-star line-up for the European AWATS gigs includes former Utopia band members Ralph Schuckett (keyboards, vocals) and Kasim Sulton (bass, vocals), plus former Cars member Greg Hawkes (keyboards, vocals), Jesse Gress (guitar, vocals), Bobby Strickland (saxophone, vocals) and Tubes drummer Prairie Prince.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
RundgrenRadio tonight 8:30
www.rundgrenradio.com
Rundgren Radio TONIGHT 8:30pm ET with special guest Clayton Call, a professional photographer, drummer, & Todd fan. Clayton witnessed live concerts of every version of Utopia & took photos at some of the most famous of the Todd/Utopia shows. Some of his shots were used for the Sanctuary CD release 1979 Old Waldorf show.
If time allows we will also be airing a 1993 interview featuring Todd on the Howard Stern show!
Rundgren Radio TONIGHT 8:30pm ET with special guest Clayton Call, a professional photographer, drummer, & Todd fan. Clayton witnessed live concerts of every version of Utopia & took photos at some of the most famous of the Todd/Utopia shows. Some of his shots were used for the Sanctuary CD release 1979 Old Waldorf show.
If time allows we will also be airing a 1993 interview featuring Todd on the Howard Stern show!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
interviews: get ready to rock .....uk tour
Dear Michael,
The UK's Get Ready To Rock radio website is going to stream a new Todd
Rundgren "AWATS" interview on their website this weekend.
Todd recently spoke with GRTR to celebrate the forthcoming London AWATS
concert at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Friday February 6th!
Check today's announcement from GRTR.
Regards,
Peter Noble
Noble PR Consultancy Ltd.
***********
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio - January 2010
http://www.getreadytorock.com/radio/
http://www.getreadytorockradio.com/todd_rundgren.htm
The UK's Get Ready To Rock radio website is going to stream a new Todd
Rundgren "AWATS" interview on their website this weekend.
Todd recently spoke with GRTR to celebrate the forthcoming London AWATS
concert at the HMV London Hammersmith Apollo on Friday February 6th!
Check today's announcement from GRTR.
Regards,
Peter Noble
Noble PR Consultancy Ltd.
***********
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio - January 2010
http://www.getreadytorock.com/radio/
http://www.getreadytorockradio.com/todd_rundgren.htm
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
RundgrenRadio 1/5/10 Moogy Klingman
Before we talk about the next show, make sure you've listened to last week's "Best of 2009" show!!! www.rundgrenradio.com. Please take a listen :-).
OK, on to this week's show, Moogy will be joining us again and he will be supplying ""more kewl never heard Todd/Utopia stuff"!! We will also be airing a recording of Moogy's John Siomos memorial speech. 8:30pm ET at www.RundgrenRadio.com.
OK, on to this week's show, Moogy will be joining us again and he will be supplying ""more kewl never heard Todd/Utopia stuff"!! We will also be airing a recording of Moogy's John Siomos memorial speech. 8:30pm ET at www.RundgrenRadio.com.
INTERVIEW: 6 PART INTERVIEW BY STEVE HARRIS JAPAN 1988
Todd Rundgren interviewer by Steve Harris on Jan. 23, 1988 in Tokyo, Japan.
UPPED ON YOUTUBE BY futsal1958
UPPED ON YOUTUBE BY futsal1958
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