Has Kamala Harris’s campaign ushered in a new era of optimism?
Was the pent-up demand already there, just waiting to be released?
And was Taylor Swift’s Eras tour just a harbinger of a new era? And the nearly overnight success of Chappell Roan indicative of this newfound optimism?
Let’s be clear, there’s been a lot to be pessimistic about. The ’08 crash. Covid. And the hulking giant, income inequality. People thought not only could they not get ahead, but they were falling behind. And they were angry.
But something funny happened along the way, the younger generations detached. This is where Biden and the Democrats had it wrong. They looked on paper and saw what Joe had done, they looked at it as a math problem as opposed to an emotional one. People were beaten down, they were depressed, they wanted a ray of sunshine, ergo Harris’s great success.
And contrary to all the naysayers saying that the VP should have been Shapiro, to lock up Pennsylvania, the only people who have something negative to say about Walz are Republicans. Arguing about when he resigned from the National Guard after decades of service.
It’s laughable, when Trump skated service completely.
This is why the “weird” descriptor has worked so well. There’s no anger, no analysis of inane positions. Just a description of Trump and Vance as the other, out of step with the mainstream, not fully comprehensible.
Meanwhile, all Trump is selling is anger.
I can’t watch the convention. Life is too short. If there are any highlights, I’ll catch them later online.
There’s a lot of ink on Biden’s speech, which is ultimately irrelevant. It was the equivalent of giving him a gold watch before he rides into the sunset. Despite the hosannas, David Brooks was totally thumbs-down, saying the speech lacked intimacy, identity, all the elements that rile up the public in support of you. That it was just the usual political dreck and Joe was losing with this strategy and was going to lose again.
Actually, Biden’s complete strategy was to portray Trump in a negative light. You don’t want THIS guy, he’s going to end democracy!
Well, it turned out that plan didn’t work. The public is tired. They just can’t fight the usual bogeyman one more time, they can’t get it up.
But then the candidate was changed and this tsunami of energy and hope was unleashed. Suddenly, there were double digit increases amongst young people and those of color in support for the Harris/Walz ticket. The somnambulant awakened, the youngsters became active. And the weirdest thing is everybody believes their vote counts, and many of these people weren’t even planning to vote at all!
And speaking of weird, RFK, Jr. self-immolated. Never mind the issue of residence, the bear in Central Park was a bridge too far. Unfathomable to people who’ve never even encountered a bear outside of a zoo, never mind put it in their vehicle and then dumped it in a major city. RFK, Jr. was now laughable, indefensible, and his numbers tanked.
And RFK, Jr.’s position was one of no. No vaccines! The CDC is the enemy!
What he and the Republicans want is chaos. That’s what happens when you tear down government. As for the police, statistics tell us crime is going down. We want order. While not suppressing our individual rights. But somehow those in the hinterlands believe they have a lock on this, even when there is little law enforcement in the area.
Patriotism. Somehow the Democrats have reclaimed this. Turns out you can question your country and still love it.
As for Walz, he’s everyman. People can relate to him and his background. He’s not rich, he doesn’t own stock. He’s a man of the people. Not the people with rifles telling the government to stay away, but the people abiding by the rules who want a level playing field.
And all the Republicans are doing is attacking Harris.
She too could self-immolate, you can’t predict the future, faux pas are lurking around every corner, but in truth her candidacy is not even about her, it’s about what she represents. Hope.
Yes, that’s what Obama rode all the way to the White House, hope. But we were sold a bill of goods. Congress was locked, other than the Affordable Care Act nothing was passed and the division between the parties grew and Trump won.
Trump won because of dissatisfaction. But homey don’t play that no more. At some point you’ve got to have a plan.
As for Trump’s term in office, the only people who view that positively are those committed blindly to support him. Those who actually lived through the era remember the chaos. In truth, we want to stop thinking about politics, we want to get on with our lives, we don’t want to believe death and destruction is right around the corner. We’re sick of fear.
I’m not saying there are not issues. But if you don’t marvel at Shawn Fain’s success with the UAW, you must be an owner. As for all this negativity about unions… That’s an old paradigm. The corrupt officials. In a world where the federal minimum wage is less than ten dollars and manufacturing jobs have cratered, people want justice, they’re for the little guy. It’s less about you taking mine than all of us in it together for the benefit of everyone!
This is another way in which Trump bats zero. It’s always about him. Solely about him. Everybody sees that. Those who vote for him believe the goodies will trickle down to them, even though he benefited the usual fat cat Republicans in office, but the rest of the public ain’t buying it. They’re not looking for a narcissist.
Think about it, last year’s big hero was Barbie. The movie was dominated by pink.
As for “Oppenheimer”… A veneration of intelligence, of both the man and the viewer. It wasn’t dumbed-down for lowest common denominator acceptance.
This is what the movie studios don’t understand. They refuse to pivot to give the public what it wants. They make fewer movies in narrower verticals and even though some of these flicks do business, the overall numbers keep going down. You’ve got to break the trend.
Kind of like this spring’s rap battle between Drake and Kendrick. Questlove declared it the end of hip-hop. Insiders and acolytes were hanging on to every diss. But most of the public? They’d seen this movie before, they didn’t care, and what did it all mean anyway, two rich entertainers arguing about…exactly what? Their personalities, their choices? What about my personality and my choices!
Optimism does not mean no edge.
Then again, today’s rock is all edge and no substance, and is also negative. Look at the history of rock, it had many upbeat moments. The whole lifestyle was upbeat. Sure, people were drinking and drugging and f*cking, but that’s why they signed up, that’s what we all wanted before AIDS and sober living, never mind smartphone cameras. The world changed, but rock did not, and then it evaporated.
Grow your hair long, don your leather jacket, sport your tattoos…maybe you feel good about yourself but most people see you as out of touch, stuck in a past that is never coming back.
People need to be optimistic or they can’t go forward. Life is just too difficult sans sun. Sans belief you’re mired in the mud, sunk in depression. People won’t glom on to any false hope, but if everyone believes, they’re eager to jump on the train.
Which is why you’ve got these Zoom calls for Harris. Everybody wants to play. And every niche, in a world comprised of niches, is included. I attended a Deadheads for Harris Zoom. Likeminded people want to hang together, and feel that there’s a way forward.
And I could sit here and say how many ways Trump has it wrong, but that’s the change, it doesn’t matter, he’s selling black and Harris and Walz are selling white. No one wants to hear him spew about how bad it is, how this or that person is evil, they’re sick of it, they want something more positive.
And this does not only apply to politics. This optimism is and will continue to infiltrate all verticals. Sure there were scandals at the Olympics, then again there was Steph Curry’s three-pointer, and Simone Biles and… People felt nationalistic, Paris was not a downer. As for the people claiming that bunch of misfits were recreating the Last Supper…
Some of us are misfits. Actually, I’d augur all of us are misfits. Those were heroes, those were outsiders brought in. Does everything have to be seen through a negative lens? Does religion have to permeate every pore? Can’t we just have a good time?
But not be totally hedonistic?
The right keeps talking about the takers. Where on the left, people know they’re working hard and that being on welfare is no picnic, never mind being homeless. Are we just going to ignore America’s problems, throw our hands in the air, or are we going to dig in and address them, knowing progress is difficult, that not everything works out, but that does not mean you should stop trying.
This is a sea change in America. It’s been happening over the last four years and D.C. certainly hasn’t recognized it.
People want to leave the past behind. They want a fresh slate. They want something to believe in.
That’s what Swift delivered. That’s what Chappell Roan is delivering even more. You may not understand it, you may not care about it, but you must evaluate what it represents.
Everybody keeps painting the sixties as a dark era. And sure, there was Vietnam, protests, but there was also a hell of a lot of fun. Believe me, the Dead and the Airplane were having fun. Woodstock was all about fun.
That’s what people want, fun. When they’re not working hard.
And they want meaningful work. And they want to be heard.
All you have to do is give them opportunity.
When you keep telling them how bad things are, how the system is rigged, they are not energized. You’ve got to light a match to build a fire.
And that’s what Harris has done.
I don’t even care if you’re voting Republican. You’ve got to recognize how America has changed. We want things to work. We want progress. Enough with the negativity, we want to party like it’s…
Tell me about a band whose road numbers increased after they stopped having hits.
Tell me about a movie sequel that did better than the original.
Of course there are exceptions. Nitpicking is not the point. The point is if you’re not changing, you’re falling behind.
This is what is hobbling Trump. It’s no longer 2016. Eight years later the world has changed. Not only do we have all these new voters, Trump no longer represents the outsider throwing the long ball, up against the usual suspects. Now Trump is a usual suspect. And that ain’t working for him.
Of course Trump could still win. It’s only about seven states, and although Nate Silver has Kamala triumphing, things don’t look so good over at the WaPo. And never forget, if someone only has a twenty five percent chance of winning, that does not mean they cannot win.
But who is buying Trump’s spiel who did not buy it before?
And what are the odds that everybody who bought it last time is on board this time?
This is a completely different question from whether those with Republican values will vote for him. We’ve seen even the brass hold their nose and fall in line for him. But this election is about very few people. Are nicknames, insults and falsehoods going to convince those on the fence, the undecided?
Trends change. I guarantee what you’re doing today won’t be in vogue eight years from now.
Meanwhile, everybody will keep telling you to do the same damn thing.
Change course and a healthy chunk of your audience will abandon you. Furthermore, the odds of success in your new vertical are not good, just ask David Bowie. He had commercial misfires before he won once again. As for Garth Brooks, he wanted it both ways, changing his name for his rock album, which ultimately satisfies no one. People need to believe in you. Otherwise they won’t follow you to the next destination.
Look back, even the titans had very brief careers. The Beatles’ studio albums were all released in one decade. And that’s half a century ago. And as hard as they tried, no member of the band could achieve the ubiquity of the original band. Sure, Paul had huge commercial success following the same template he established with the other three, but John Lennon gets more respect because he widened his horizons, he experimented.
If you’re not willing to fail, you’re not going to succeed.
It’s nearly impossible to make it, to garner an audience. And once they get it, people are afraid to lose it. The more success you have, the less eager you are to experiment. But Neil Young did, and he outsold, and has more cred than Crosby, Stills or Nash, even though some of his records were commercial turkeys, relatively speaking.
This is where the labels come into play. This is one reason they’re faltering now. Because they’re providing the same thing they have for nearly two decades. And public tastes have changed. Once upon a time, hip-hop was new and fresh, and there are exceptions, but so much is calcified today. The audience has seen the movie, they’re looking for something different.
Nirvana killed the hair bands, but where do you go from there? There’s a harder edged modern sound that has its own format, Active Rock, but it reaches a fraction of the number of people rock did in the past.
And distribution makes a difference too.
Used to be even Tower Records carried a limited stock. Now streaming services have everything, meaning you’ve got to compete against the greats of music history, and that’s difficult. And if you’re doing a poor job of imitation, I’d rather hear the original, as most people would.
And the world changes nearly instantly today. Trump got shot not even two months ago and not only does it seem like ancient history, it has nowhere near the gravitas, the import, of what it had back then and usual suspect prognosticators believed it would continue to have.
Stratospheric peaks are no longer the poles holding up the big tent. Today you need a lot of peaks, maybe not as high, but without them, there’s no reason for the audience to continue to pay attention, it moves on.
And complaining gets you nowhere. If you think you’re going to win by carping about Spotify payments, you’ve already lost. And I hate to tell you, if you win, and continue to win, there’s a ton of money for everybody. But it’s easier to complain about the game than figure out how to break through yourself.
You’ve got to change it up. Even if you do it as well as you did the first time around, the public saw it the first time around, it’s no longer as incredible. There might be a bit of money involved, but very little excitement.
Post Malone’s recording career was going in the wrong direction. But now he’s gone country and it looks like he’s following the yellow brick road all the way to Oz.
And somehow Post did it with authenticity. Evidencing country roots. And he did it live before records. Which is the opposite of the way it used to be. Do something different on stage and even though few people were there, word can spread.
You cannot be a prisoner of your audience. It just isn’t comprised of enough people. This is Trump’s failure. He’s playing to the converted, not the uncommitted he needs to win.
As for Kamala… Most people still don’t know who she is. All they know is it’s no longer two aged men inured to the old system running for President. This is how much people wanted change. They’ve come out of the woodwork in support of…exactly what? Well, I don’t think it’s Harris herself, but what she represents, the new, the different, the young.
Harris is just like the new act replacing the old.
And you’ve got to make the news. The paper reports what has already happened. But news outlets need stories. Stunts can garner eyeballs, but how do you sustain viewership? Remember when BuzzFeed was all the rage? All those listicles? Well, they shut down their news department and no one has forwarded me one of those listicles in years. Turns out BuzzFeed didn’t have a second act.
Same deal with Yahoo. And AOL.
But with music, you can always rely on your catalog, your hits. But usually, these acts complain that they’re no longer on the chart, that no one wants their new music. That’s right, they don’t want new music that sounds just like the old. And blindly following trends doesn’t work either, all those rock bands who made disco records in the late seventies in a dash for cash ended up losing credibility, never mind not having success.
But reinvention, pushing the envelope is hard. It’s easier to rely on the tried and true.
But people always want the new. Look at the Sphere.
But that’s not the only place to look.
The public always wants something different, even though it says it wants the same and doesn’t know it wants the new until it does.
This is why market research doesn’t work in music, never mind anywhere else. How did Apple become the most valuable company in the world? By going by Steve Jobs’s gut. He famously did no research. He gave people what they needed, not what they wanted.
And this is all amorphous. It’s one thing to decide to change, it’s another thing to figure out where to go.
And don’t count on any support. Your audience will complain that you’ve changed. Your percentage partners don’t want to make less, they’ll tell you to stay the course.
So it’s down to you.
An artist challenges conceptions. Pushes people. Both irritates and thrills them. Which is why people who’ve never heard “Blitzkrieg Bop” know who the Ramones are.
Even the MLB changed the rules. The games were just too long. Going or watching is now a completely different experience.
But we haven’t had a new sound in decades, whereas we used to have one every four or five years.
And the landscape is amorphous. It’s a long hard struggle. There are no rockets to the moon. And TikTok is a game of chance.
No, it comes down to you.
Change is hard, but it’s the only way to continue to win and have impact, the only way to keep yourself in the conversation, to dominate it.
You never fail to take me back to the music I grew up with.
And I immediately wanted to be with you at The United Theatre.
So off I went, and what a show it was 🙂
“10cc – Donna – United Theater – Los Angeles, CA August 15, 2024”
With love and appreciation
Paul Holdom
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Hey, Bob: you really said it beautifully in your piece on 10cc.  I’ve been a lifelong fan since the beginning, and in fact saw them in 1978 in Cleveland on the same tour that you saw them.  I was delighted to see that they were touring the States this summer. Jill and I caught the show in Kent, OH on July 30. It was everything you said in your piece and more!!  In fact, they were so great that we trekked down to Cincinnati on Aug. 4 to see them again!! It was another perfect performance. Yes, it is no longer the full original band, but they did not lack for singing skills. In fact, their harmonies were staggering both nights. Your reference to The Beach Boys was right on-I don’t think there is another live band who can pull off those intricate vocal arrangements night after night. The word missing from the reviews I’ve read is “intelligence,” and it applies both to the words they have written and arranged, but to their tasteful playing as well.  Also, their collective sense of humor is…well…ridiculous! If 10cc’s music is new to anyone out there, let me suggest a silly but brilliant song from the “Deceptive Bands†album called, “I bought A Flat Guitar Tutorâ€, in which the words they sing are also the names of the chords to the song!!!!!  Think about THAT!!  Rumor has it that the band will return to the States next year.  If it happens, do not miss this unique and talented band.  They blew us away all over again.  Thanks for telling your audience about them.
Jimmy Fox
PS: in reading this back, I think I sound like a groupie. I guess maybe I am.  Damn, what a band!!!!!!!
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Bob: Couldn’t agree with you more. The a cappella version of DONNA and their rendition of FEEL THE BENEFIT were worth the price of the ticket. Prior to this L.A. show, like you I last saw 10cc at the Santa Monica Civic in 1978. Emailing you from Oakland Airport after seeing 10cc for the second time in 48 hours (at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco). By the way, I brought friends (now converts) to both shows – just like I did back in the day.  Bob Paris
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Spot on, Bob.
I was also at Santa Monica Civic on November 1, 1978.
Early in my tenure at Virgin Megastore, 10cc released a “reunion” album of sorts, and I hoped for a US tour, but that just couldn’t happen in the new musical climate of 1992.
Thursday night was magnificent beyond my expectations. I literally bought my tickets solely to witness “Feel The Benefit” once again after 46 years.
Many of my “music business” colleagues were sitting amongst me, also participating in my many standing ovations.
I felt like we were in some private club for a few hours.
10cc is as relevant now as they were 51 years ago…
Bruce Kilgour
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Thanks for writing this review Bob.
My wife and I saw 10CC two weeks ago in Cincinnati. Admittedly, I was only familiar with three of their songs – I’m Not in Love, The Things We Do for Love, and Dreadlock Holiday. We were more than pleasantly surprised with the show. So many great tunes and musicianship.
We expanded our appreciation of the band’s work hearing tunes like Donna, Rubber Bullets, Silly Love, etc. for the first time.
Great to see the three veterans of the band and Andy Park was impressive with vocals and the number of instruments he played – sometimes simultaneously.
I’m glad you had the same impression we did with their show.
Steve Edwards
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You are spot on! Saw them in Phila last month. Art for Art’s Sake, Wall Street Shuffle, The Things We Do For Love, I’m Not in Love and Dreadlock Holiday. Wow! While they played those songs, I couldn’t help but think that if you told me in 1976 that I’d be watching them perform fifty years later well, you know the rest…
Would have loved to hear Graham sing No Milk Today but he stayed true to the music and the band…the things we do for love.
jeffsackstennis
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My wife, Carmen, and I went to see 10CC’s final show on the tour at the Palace of Fine Arts theater in San Francisco last night, Saturday. Much like your comments, we were blown away. The place seemed sold out, with 1000 seats. I was not a super fan; I always liked them and have most of their records, but I have not listened to them often or in-depth for years. I did not fit the demographic last night. Nearly everyone knew and sang along with the band on every song, even the new song done with Brian May. They did not phone it in. They were authentic, great musicians and performers who seemed to enjoy themselves. I was going to tell you how much we enjoyed them and this ground-breaking experience, and then your note came into my email box. I would have watched the show over again, too. Thanks for mentioning this excellent performance. It was one of the best shows we have seen in memory, and we often go out to listen to live music.
Steve Greene
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We were there, Bob. Yes, it was wonderful. Brought tears to my eyes and took me back to 1974. Donna was my intro, Sheet Music was my education. I’m so glad they came to our town.
Daniel Rosen
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With 10cc, you had four people who could all write…Â and all sing a hit song. That was pretty incredible. I saw them in my hometown earlier this month. All I had heard was that it was their first appearance in Saint Louis since 1975, which seemed impossible for such an important band. So I bought tickets without checking who was still in the band.
When I got there and realized that Gouldman was the only original band member left, I was kind of bummed. But I did not go home disappointed. Material that good just needs an airing by somebody. And in Gouldman’s loving and capable hands, with the help of some more-recent 10cc members, that material came off great. (As you expounded upon)
You had mentioned the Jewishness of Jonathan Richman and Joey Ramone in your Greg Kihn obituary. Surprised you didn’t mention it here. The Times of Israel called 10cc “the most successful three-quarters Jewish band in history.” And they were from Britain, not Brooklyn! I think it came through in their humor, all the way back to when they were known as Hot Legs and recorded “Neanderthal Manâ€.
Emmett McAuliffe Esq.
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What a great experience 10cc are today Bob!. We hosted them in the ICC Sydney smaller theatre (2,000 seats) back in June 2023 and it was a real blast. Exceeded everyone’s expectations. UP there being one of the tightest bands of the year. It didn’t sell to the back row,  but it should have. They did 20 dates on the Australian leg, Talk about a work ethic. Your readers should see this one if they can, it won’t disappoint, as you already know.
Don Elford
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One of the best I have ever seen live, and I have seen many.
Graham Williams
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Amen to That Bob – 10cc – Genius’s at work – observational brilliance and fabulous music sprinkled with sardonic humour – irresistible I always loved them – mostly recorded by an unsung genius from Stockport near Manchester called Richard Scott – the engineering is amazing.
Warm Regards
Jonathan Miller
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I recall buying Sheet Music, I think I was about 14. It was like nothing else I was listening to at the time – which ranged from Elton John to Sparks and everything in between. I bought all their records through Deceptive Bends—I thought they were the best band I had ever heard, and was particularly blown away by The Original Soundtrack. I also had the thrill of meeting Godley and Creme when I was 17 and working as an intern for WYSP in Philadelphia, when they came in for an interview.
When my daughter was in high school, which was a small independent school that Daniel Pink referred to in his book Drive as “turning the ‘one size fits all’ approach of conventional schools on its head”, I had the delight of teaching a class on the music of 10cc. It was a fantastic experience I’ll never forget.
Hope you continue to experience the joy of having seen 10cc!
warm regards
Debra Bouchegnies
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They were a huge on Montreal FM.stations (CHOM FM) And not just the hits (I’m not in love, Things We Do For Love etc)
I’m talking about :
Rubber Bullets
Wall Street Shuffle
The Dean and I
The Worst Band In The World
Thanks for the trip down memory lane
David Boloten
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I was wondering if you were at 10cc! We’ve never met, but I’m of the same vintage and we have very similar tastes (I’ve seen 10cc twice, last Thursday and on Nov. 26, 1975 at the Santa Monica Civic; I think I missed the ’78 show because I was in my 2nd year of law school). And of course I knew every word, as did everyone around us. While I missed Eric Stewart, Lol Creme and Kevin Godley (to this day the SM Civic show is among my favorites), I had no complaints about Fenn, Burgess, Park or Hayman. They were every bit as wonderful as you noted. Probably better. But that first show was amazing, and included Une Nuit a Paris, which I still love. (I loved the SM Civic. Among many others I saw there: Joe Cocker/Mad Dogs; David Bowie, Johnny Winter, J. Geils, Peter Frampton, Traffic, Supertramp, Derek & the Dominoes, ELP, ELO, Steely Dan, Lou Reed, Roxy Music, Sparks. . .)
Jeffrey Wruble
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Great review Bob, I bought The Original Soundtrack soon after my wife and I separated in ’75, me 25, she 21, I swear it and How Dare You got me through my divorce with many wry smiles.
Tony Barnes from downunder
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10CC were always the dog’s bollocks. Some of us have always known….since Hotlegs!
I’m envious, NO 10cc tour for Toronto or Canada, BUMMER!
In so far as Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, pfft.
Olie Kornelsen
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Saw them back in 1978 in Germany when I was in the army, it was a great show, jealous you just saw them!!
Doug Gillis
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Bob, I was a massive fan, and upon trying to lure friends into the web, I said, they are what the Beatles would have become if they had stayed together!, bloody tourists was every bit the equal to sheet music, in my opinion, doug bell, Bellevue Cadillac Band
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So great you enjoyed 10cc Bob.
One of The Great 1970’s  –  but now receding in the public consciousness – British bands like SuperTramp, ELO, Barclay James Harvest and Manfred Mann’s  Earthband amongst others…
although as you say they sounded like no one else, perhaps they are akin to being the UK’s Steely Dan in terms of their unique qualities?
Stephen Budd
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These guys wrote great songs! Besides what you mentioned, there was “I’m Mandy Fly Me,†“Life Is A Minestrone,†“Good Morning Judge,†“Dreadlock Holiday,†“For You and I,†a multitude of riches. I’m sorry they didn’t come through my neck of the woods, I would have gone to the show!
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Carl Nelson
Woodstock, MD
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I saw them the week before last in Nashville with my son who insisted that we go. Very small crowd but that meant I got to stand right in front of Graham Gouldman all night. It was like a private show. And boy can they still play. “I’m Mandy Fly Me†has lost none of its weird magic.
They don’t write or sing ‘em like that anymore.
Best
David Vawter
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In some ways, the funnier, Â pop side of progressive rock. 10cc are pioneers, and I had a Gizmotron, an original version.
“I’m Not in Love†is a masterclass in creative studio production.
Total fan. Glad to hear they “wowed†you
fritzdoddy
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Absolutely love your enthusiasm – this email is a perfect example!
I’m Mandy, Fly Me and Good Morning Judge are my favourites. Feel The Benefit is right up there too – what a band – as good as Lennon/McCartney as songwriters imho.
Cheers
Andy Fordyce
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I love love love 10cc!
I am envious… good for you!
Brad Merritt
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Such a great band – and it’s so fun to play songs by these guys for my wife and tell her “yea, that’s the same band that did the song “â€I’m Not in Loveâ€â€
“Dreadlock Holiday†freaked her out-nope not a reggae band !!
Thanks for always keeping us hip to the good stuff.
Craig Carrick
Clarkston, MI
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Barry Lyons and our crew saw 10cc — the original four — play the Buffalo State College gym right after I’m Not In Love (on Mercury) hit and place was still half-empty.  We were on to them early from their singles on UK (distributed by London not Mercury). A spectacular show captured somewhere on cassettes by my snuck-in Sony TC-224. Guess I need to look for ‘em.
Btw, Graham Goldman’s new solo album is pretty, pretty good too.
Richard Pachter
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Started with Sheet Music, worked my way back, and then kept buying their LPs thru Deceptive Bends. What a band! “I’m Mandy, fly me…”
Ross Field
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Hi Bob. Smiling throughout your entire review! Had the exact same experience of pure musical joy! Saw them in a 1,200 seat theater outside of Philly.  You could tell there were a lot of die hard fans. I only knew the three hits but knew that they were a very talented band and I was intrigued after your interview with Graham on your podcast. Every song was brilliant! I go to see a lot of live music and I have to say that I haven’t heard an audience roar with gratitude in a very long time!
Gary Sender
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I WAS AND AM STILL A 10CC FAN FROM DAY ONE. BOUGHT THEIR FIRST ALBUM THE WEEK IT CAME OUT. AND EVERY OTHER ALBUM AFTER. i had tickets for a show in Detroit late 70’s/early 80’a but was cancelled. Never got to see them. Glad you did. Twice now. Great band. Great songs.
Lee Bryan from Detroit. Take care.
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Hey Bob, my name is Dan Birkbeck, my friend Dick Huey sent me your review on the 10cc show in LA. It’s a shame that probably only music nerds read what you wrote, as I am not aware of the publication and accordingly would never have been exposed. What you have created was a perfect rehash of what I saw on their last show at the San Francisco Palace Fine Arts. a little background…
My brother passed away from prostate cancer two years ago much too young at the age of 62. He used to listen to this crazy band 10 CC in our family’s basement growing up in Michigan. Of course, as his little brother, I couldn’t help but be ruptured by what I heard. “Feel the Benefit†is one of my all-time favorite songs, and I began sobbing when they played it and I experienced the beauty and clarity you describe. Well, I didn’t know majority of the songs as you apparently do,but  I appreciated them with the same enthusiasm . Thank you for doing what you do and your summary brought me goosebumps.
All my best, keep it up.
Dan Birkbeck
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Being a Brit and one of my oldest Music Biz friends Steve Parker being their (10cc) booking agent I know and love this band, the big problem they have is that people know the name but don’t immediately put the songs to them, it has taken a few years of promotion to put the two together but now they are selling out Theatres and they are really an amazing band and so talented and of course the songs to match.
An amazing night out, probably one of your best shows.
Kindest,
Sir Harry Cowell
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Hi Bob,
I was hoping you were there and was looking forward your perspective.
I couldn’t agree more. The folks all around me knew every song in the setlist (easy to find nowadays) but we still high-fived in delight at the opening bars of such golden nuggets as ‘Clockwork Creep’ and ‘Feel The Benefit’. Oh, we wanted to hear the hits for sure. But 10cc is a band whose oeuvre is more defined by their ‘deep cuts’ than a small handful of hits, many of which never crossed to the US.
My first exposure to 10cc was ‘Rubber Bullets’ which received heavy rotation on KYA AM in San Francisco. I went straight to my local record shop (Banana Records) and put it on my dad’s system while he was at work. Yes, their debut is riddled in pastiche but oh my what a biting sense of satire lurked behind every track. And the production! I was gob smacked by the details in every track.
Of course, we now know that each of the original members had been in ‘the biz’ for quite some time and that they had their own recording studio (Strawberry) and had recorded dozens of singles and albums for other artists or under other monikers before making their debut album.
But it was ‘Sheet Music’ that stripped away the 50s/60’s pastiche and now here was a band that had all of the potential to be “The New Beatles”. I didn’t grow up with the Beatles. 10cc were my Beatles and their second album was my ‘Revolver’.
Sadly, after only two more brilliant albums the band split into two and all that potential fell by the wayside. Both factions still produced some fine music, ‘Freeze Frame’ by Godley & Creme is a masterwork, but the palpable magic of those four original members making music together is sadly lost.
The current touring band does a remarkable job of reminding us of an amazing body of work that still resonates when expertly performed by a caring and capable band of musicians who know what these songs mean to the fans.
Bravo.
Lee Elliott
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That’s such a great review Bob, however, many of us in attendance were not “super fans†of 10cc. I was going to law school and working full time and listening to their music in the car on cassette, years before my music business career started. My “date†wasn’t born yet. However, like everyone else in attendance at the beautiful Ace Theater, we found ourselves in what I would call a progressive pop/rock experience, with each member of a cohesive band excelling on each part. This was not formula music. There were tempo changes, style changes, key changes and fun intellectual lyrics, in each of the songs, with loads of the harmonies I love. Everyone knows “The Things We Do For Love†and it is a great song, but how often do you hear “new music†(new to me anyway) and become captured by an incredibly brilliant performance.
And why are all the great bands I am seeing from the UK? So far this year it’s been Alan Parsons, Al Stewart, what’s left of the Moody Blues, a live version of the Beatles’ White Album at the Grammy Museum, with Jeff Lynn’s ELO next weekend, Ringo Star a couple of weeks later, and British Lion and Tony Moore (of Iron Maiden heritage) in the wings.
I grew up in LA, but the British Invasion carried me away and gave birth to new sounding American pop, which was competing along side with the California country/folk/pop/rock artists hanging in Laurel Canyon and Hollywood and the Motown sound.
So, I find myself with all these great classic bands playing music from a lifetime ago that you hear in current movies and Netflix. The music still works.
The 10cc concert was a delightful surprise and shows that there is still a place for good artistry in a world of instant everything. Thursday night we found ourselves captured in a timeless moment that was everything but instant. I’m happy that you were there Bob, supporting good live music like we were.
David Chatfield, Harmony Records.
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I’m really sorry I didn’t catch this tour.
I knew ALL about 10CC from the outset because I knew ALL about Graham Gouldman’s songwriting prowess (“Bus Stop,” “Listen People,” “Look Through any Window,” “No Milk Today,” “For Your Love,” etc., and I knew Eric Stewart had been in the Mindbenders (“Groovy Kind of Love”). I even had (and still have) “The Graham Gouldman Thing” album, on RCA, production credit: Peter Noone. I got the first UK label singles and the first two albums – which I believe were through London in the USA, not Mercury. Harvey Lisberg, who managed both Herman’s Hermits and 10CC, and therefore also Graham Gouldman (I think they might have even been brothers-in-law at one point) knows more about the move from UK to Mercury. I interviewed Jonathan King back then for, I think maybe Zoo World, in the UK label’s NYC offices. A likeable and very smart record guy with great ears who went through some rough times later in life but is still around today.
There’s so much great music in the 10CC catalog, but I usually go all the way back to “Rubber Bullets” and “Donna.”
Toby Mamis
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From: Jonathan King
Thanks for the mention in your wonderful review of 10cc.
Had lovely lunch with Graham a few months ago.
All members of 10cc (my name) still speak to me. The problem is – none of them speak to each other!
I wanted them (and Genesis) to do a VOYAGE (we published Abba and I used to pick singles from demos) – so brilliant but better suited to my two bands – both of whom had spectacular solo careers as well as in groups. But only Graham agreed and even Peter G wasn’t convinced (I fear Phil C will not be around much longer).
Nothing to do with me anymore. But I witnessed the pure joy at Voyage (still sold out every night). My music ought to be available to the future generations (most at Voyage were my grand children’s age).
Anyway – again – so loved your review! Bet you wouldn’t feel the same about an Iron Maiden gig.
JK
x
P.S. I had a dream that they were huge in America and there was a giant billboard in Times Square saying “10CC No1 on the Billboard chart”. I phoned them the next day (having picked up Donna for release) and said “You have a name – 10cc”.
One of STORM’s first “hits” was the sleeve he did for me on Sheet Music (the name, by the way, should be said with a Mexican accent – sounding SHIIIIT!). One of the great things about 10cc was we shared an identical sense of humour. I was essentially the 5th member which was why it was so sad they were tempted away after two albums and then basically fell apart without me (as the “glue” – both personally and creatively).
I worked for him for several years in the 80’s; first as a backline tech, then Lighting Designer and Monitor mixer.
One of a few artists I consider friend and not just employer.
Did more than my share of cross country drives, playing clubs and colleges and big shows as they came along.
Fast forward 20 years and I’m helping his son’s band do gigs in the SF Bay Area, in between my day gig with Neal Schon.
Greg was a great guy to work with throughout the various gigs and venues. big or small. And we played them all.
He took them all in stride.
I remember the day he brought his son Ry into the rehearsal studio, just a teeny baby.
In 1986, he had a young Bay Area guitar player playing alongside him, a young Joe Satriani on lead guitar.
Just before Joe went off the planet.
His family is requesting donations be made to The Alzheimer’s Association in his name in lieu of flowers.
Rest in peace, Greg
Allen (The Alien) Craft
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Thanks so much for a moving and well-deserved homage to the wonderful Greg Kihn who, like Hamlet, has shuffled off this mortal coil. Always liked that metaphor for passing on and in truth, one of the few Shakespeare lines I can easily quote. But Greg deserves as such for he was a literary rocker and a published author himself and a member of the storied rock ’n roll class of 1949 which includes Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, Lionel Richie and … myself. It’s fitting that you put Greg’s story squarely in context of The Modern Lovers/Beserkley epoch in which I was a peripheral player. First saw The Modern Lovers when they opened for the New York Dolls at the fabled Mercer Arts Center in 1972. For the record, more signings and memorable bands came out of the Mercer Arts Center than CBGBs (including KISS) not to mention the first staging of “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest†before it went on propel Jack Nicholson to icon status. Don’t want to disparage CBGBs but there were other equally important rock clubs in NYC during NYC’s 70’s golden age, first and foremost being Max’s Kansas City where the Velvet Underground played there last gigs and where Bruce Springsteen did one of his first. Impossible now to imagine the buzz that was happening around both the Dolls and Modern Lovers at the time, both equally primed to become the next big thing and both now nearly forgotten except with the real aficionados like you Bob.
I got to know Greg when he covered my song “Anastasia†on his 1994 album “Mutiny†and we did a memorable show at New Jersey’s Playpen club  later that year along with Marshall Crenshaw and John Eddie. I left a message for Bruce Springsteen that I would be there and true to form he showed up and got on stage with us and we sang whatever songs we all knew including a very extended version of “Gloria†of course. When Greg Kihn met Bruce for the first time back stage his opening was memorable, “Hey Bruce, I’m the guy from Baltimore Jack!†to paraphrase “Hungry Heart†(Greg being from Baltimore). There’s a photo of all of us together that night, looking so young although we were deep into middle age if such a thing exists in rock ’n roll. Personally, I prefer perpetual adolescence …
But back to Rock History, both the Dolls and Modern Lovers imploded before they had a chance to conquer the world and a few years later, after I signed with RCA Records, both Jerry Harrison and Ernie Brooks from the Lovers joined my band and contributed immensely to my 1976 album “Night Lights.†Jerry, of course, when on to fame and fortune with the Talking Heads and Ernie toured with me in Europe for decades before finally forsaking Paris’ charms and returning to the beauty of Long Island City. I stuck it out in the City of Light and thanks to European audiences and continental indie record labels I’ve had a 50 year career. Can’t complain …
Always though I’d meet Greg again somewhere down the road but as all of us baby boomers know too well that road is becoming less and less crowded …
From Paris,
Elliott Murphy
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So sad to hear about Greg Kihn. He was my favorite of the great power-pop artists from the late 70s. My oldest surviving rock t-shirt is my Beserkley (Home of the hits!)/Greg Kihn Band black and gold number, now almost 50 years old (it still fits!). He had a ton of charisma, and a great pop sensibility. One Sunday night in the early 80s, my friend Mark and I went to The Bottom Line to see him play, probably after the first Beserkley records but before his big hits. To our shock, the place was empty, maybe 50 people in the place, two of them strangely being The Edge and Bono. Greg came out, surveyed the sparse gathering, and with a wry smile, said, “All right, let’s rock this place!” and proceeded to burn the house down. I was happy yet a little disappointed when he scored hits with songs that were clearly inferior to the material on his first few records, but I’ve never been one to quite figure out the tastes of the hoi polloi.
Irwin Cohen
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
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I saw Greg Kihn about 20 years ago or so in a tent by Lake Decatur on a cold Memorial Day weekend in Decatur, Illinois. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. No frills, just pure Rock and Roll. Before the show I was walking into a rest room and he was walking out and we had a brief conversation concerning our love of Buddy Holly. I asked if he would do a Buddy song during his show and damned if he didn’t drop in a snippet of Peggy Sue into Roadrunner. It was wonderful. May he rest in Rock and Roll peace.
Peace and Love
Tim Clary
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So sad to see this. Â Back in the early 80’s, I was a Keystone Club Card holder and was entitled to see most shows at the Keystone’s Berkeley and Palo Alto and the Stone in SF at no cost. Â I probably saw Greg Kihn and the Rubinoo’s 3 – 4 times each. Â Loved Greg Kihn’s music and while his greatest (i.e. most popular) hits were indeed Jeopardy and the Breakup Song, he had a great repertoire of deeper cuts than somehow didn’t achieve the same level of popularity – Sheila, Museum, Remember, Madison Avenue Man, Tell Me Lies, Valerie . . . the list goes on. Â And can’t forget his covers of Bruce Springsteen’s For You and Rendezvous. Â From the late 80’s until a couple of years ago, I forgot about him until I saw a local Sacramento band that featured a member of the Rubinoos. Â That brought back memories of those Keystone Days and I curiously googled Greg Kihn in the hopes he might still be playing clubs, county fairs, or in some other gigs. Â His website and Facebook pages didn’t contain much information and didn’t reference any live shows after 2019. Â I had a hunch he might be ill and gave up the hunt, but still had hopes there might be a Beserkely Records reunion at some point. Â Hadn’t thought about him much lately until I saw this message. Â Sadly, I guess I can give up the hunt for a live show, but you’ve prompted me to take another trip down memory lane via his record catalog. Â Thanks for recognizing one of the best rockers to come out of the East Bay.
Greg was the first DJ to talk on-air about Netflix. I know because I booked it about 2000. We were just starting to make noise and no one was ready for a DVD in the mail. I wanted the most charismatic and curious DJ in the Bay. Of course it was Greg at KFOX in San Jose. No one else came close. Yes, Greg was 1 of the first storytellers of the Netflix idea. Man, he made morning commutes great. RIP
P.H. Mullen
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Nothing takes you back to your youth like a song.
“Greg Kihn Live at the Country Club 1981 – The Breakup Song”
And in an instant I’m 11 again, feeling like I’m part of the radio. Tapping those drum breaks on our kitchen table, strumming my tennis racket in time. Watching Greg on “Solid Gold” when my parents went out for dinner.
We had less, but dreamed more.
Thanks for the music, Greg. And the remembrance, Bob.
Jon Regen
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So sorry to hear of Greg’s passing. While he was building his career he was playing acoustically live all over the UC Berkeley campus from 74-77. Â He was always a consummate story teller and a bright highlight for my college experience. Â May his memory be as much of a blessing for others as it was for me.
Richard Drapkin
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Spring break, Daytona Beach, 1983: the local radio station played “Jeopardy” every single hour and we never got tired of hearing it!
Mark B. Siegel
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42 years ago on August 7, 1982, my friends and I saw Greg Kihn open for Duran Duran, Elvis Costello & the Attractions and Blondie outdoors at Parade Stadium in Minneapolis. The cost? $15 in advance and $16 day of show.
Kihn’s voice was a bit rough that day, as he explained they had been up late on the drive from Madison or Chicago.
His band worked hard! I saw them 3-4 other times at Headliners in Madison and at clubs in Milwaukee.
And you were right. He was one of us. Approachable. The band signed all of our albums (I believe they had 4-5 albums before Rockihnroll with the “Break-Up Song†was released in ‘81).
His death hit me hard. Time is passing for us all. Get out and see a concert tonight.
Gary Judson
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I live in San Jose even though I can’t really afford to. Listened to Greg on KFOX “classic Rock” most every morning until I followed Stern to satellite. Even post terrestrial I would switch it back to FM to hear The Greg Kihn show. He was down to earth, loved the music and the artist and the process. He knew all the back-stories behind the band and the song, and you could catch him playing some small spot around the bay area from time to time. When you heard him on his show you could tell he knew his place and he was fine with it.
“And then the juke box plays a song I used to know” ah-ah-ah   ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.
Bob Menafra-Manager
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Thanks for this Bob.  I saw the one and only Greg Kihn Band in the Chicago before and after the hits. Great live show.  I owe my renewed passion for vinyl records to Greg Kihn (3000+ records).  I gave up my vinyl for CD’s in the 80’s.  Could never find a CD from GK.  Later in the 90’s when he was a DJ in San Francisco, I found his email and sent him a mail as to why no CD releases.  He promptly answered that he would not or could not put them on CD.  Since I add all his records he suggested maybe I just get a new turntable.  I did and this is where I am today.
Love your work
Take care
Tom Hicks
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I’m sorry to hear about Greg Kihn. I got to see him in Philly at a club date, he did a killer cover of Dylan’s Highway 61. My buddy Bob and I would buy a record and the other would tape it. I’m pretty sure I have the first three records. I loved the album title puns.
Sorry to see him go.
Gary Jackson
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Way back when I managed a record store, I sold a lot of Greg Kihn records when absolutely no one knew who he was because I played them in-store (as well as The Modern Lovers and The Rubinoos). Kihn’s Madison Avenue Man is on many of my playlists. I’m sorry to hear he’s gone but – for me – he never really went away because the music still stands up.
Mike Campbell
Programming Director
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Bob: Â This post captures how i am feeling this morning. Â Well played as usual. Â Grateful that i woke upready for the day but feeling more sentimental with each new passing. Â Greg Kihn was hardly a hero of mine but he certainly was a musical figure that captures a moment that seems more hopeful and a part of the soundtrack of the boomer generation. Â Â Best,
Andrew Zacks
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I love that you wrote about Jonathan Richman.
Penn Jillette turned me on to him a few decades ago (Penn shared a Massachusetts upbringing with JR). Yeah, he had the pared-down punk sensibility, but he also had a smile, and wit. Where the rest of the punk and post-punk scene were screaming in your face, he was singing sweet paeans to “That Summer Feelin'” and his “Fender Stratocaster.” He defied labels, and did it with self-confidence, ease, and best of all: humor.
Gary Stockdale
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Great write up. I loved those two hits of his. When I lived in the Bay Area for awhile I enjoyed hearing him as a DJ. He was very good and came with great stories.
Kyle JF
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Bob – so glad you wrote about Jonathan (no relation) in your recent newsletter.  We (me, Laurie Anderson) interviewed him for our book about Lou Reed in 2023. I worked with him throughout the process of getting him involved in the book, sending him proofs, edits etc. He doesn’t plug in at all (no smartphone, cell phone, PC) and everything done via snail mail. But he does love to talk on the phone (we still talk a few times a year). He is exceptional in every way.  Best wishes, Scott Richman
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It was 1978 and my college radio station, KCR in San Diego, was putting on a college radio convention. The concert that night featured Dyan Diamond and the main attraction Greg Kihn. Greg may not have made it nationally at that time, but in the Bay Area he was well known. The members of KCR from San Francisco brought Greg’s music to us all and we ate it up. Greg always put on a great show, giving everything he had. After the show, we had a party at the hotel room and my friend Sootie and I were trying to get some IDs for the radio station. Greg’s manager kept pushing us away, but Greg was all for it (and I think he had a thing for my friend Sootie). Finally, we slipped away from his manager and Greg, Dyan, Sootie and myself locked ourselves in the bathroom. With his manager banging on the doors, we got a handful of great IDs. For my young self, it was a favorite moment of my life up to that point. I am so glad I have these memories. By the way, Greg’s live show probably had my favorite version of Roadrunner and his cover of Rendezvous was wonderful. RIP Greg.
Bruce Greenberg
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Hey Bob.
Greg Kihn was a good guy. He used to stop by our radio station (KMET/LA) to say hi and man oh man, we played the crap out of The Breakup Up Song and Jeopardy. So sorry to hear this. F#ck Alzheimer’s.
Hugh Surratt
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Dear Bob, Thanks so much for acknowledging Greg Kihn (and also the Modern Lovers/Jonathan R.). I was so sad to hear he died (and heard he had Alzheimer’s, even worse). I booked Greg and his band (and all the Bezerkley bands) so often at my various clubs and they were always a pleasure. This month was not a good one for deaths (Kenny Wardell, a Bay Area radio legend); and Kevin Chisholm, production manager at the clubs and Santana mover) and I dread seeing who comes next. I feel guilty for being so healthy (although that’s not a guarantee of anything, really) and feel pain every time someone dies. It’s like holes appearing in my inner universe, a Swiss cheese brain thing. I’m so happy you spotlighted Greg and his accomplishments. Thank you,
queenie taylor
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Great piece on a stellar human being.
My buddy Steve and I befriended him and his band when they played in Vancouver WA, and joined them for about two hours of hot chocolate and laughs at Denny’s. He was one of us, and a real character.
He wrote some super-fun mysteries as well.
F*ck Alzheimer’s.
Don Crouch
Redmond, OR
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Greg Kihn is STILL on my playlist, that dude was a master of what I call power pop, and which I adore. And listen to his version of “I Fall To Piecesâ€!  Everytime we lose one of these soundtracks to our lives, they take a little piece of us with them.  Greg Kihn RIP…
Young Hutchinson
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Saw Greg Kihn a few years back on a bill in Phoenix with Tommy TuTone, Loverboy and Rick Springfield. Had also seen him back in the late 70’s opening for Journey. Good shows both nights. I remember he did a good version of “For your Love†live. RIP Greg.
-Bill Tibbs/ Canada
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On Jonathan Richman, what is truly fascinating is that the Modern Lovers album was recorded in 1972 in multiple sessions for Warner Bros and A&M.  He also did demos with Kim Fowley in 1973. The album didn’t get released by Berserkley until 1976!  He was truly ahead of his time.
Check out this thoughtful piece by Dean Wareham (a Richman acolyte), of Luna, who also asks: imagine if Modern Lovers had been released in 1973? Maybe kids looking to create art through music would have been infuenced by Jonathan Richman instead of Bread and the Doobie Brothers.
This absolutely sucks. The album that got me was “With The Naked Eye.” “Beside Myself” was tremendous, but it was “Rendezvous,” the Springsteen cover, that hooked me forever. This is the definitive version, I don’t care what anybody says. There’s a live video on YouTube I’ve been watching for years, whenever I need a boost. The band’s in a club, Greg’s wearing a striped T-shirt, they kick it off, he leans into the mic, says “This one’s for the Boss” and the rest is freaking heaven. I always wanted to be up on that stage with him, feeling what they all felt. Which must have been a taste of rock and roll heaven.
Matt Auerbach.
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One fine day in about 1983, I was 13 years old and fully addicted to MTV.  My neighborhood in Marin County, CA was chock full of rockstars….so a sighting was not unusual.
But this day, I was casually riding my bike and jumping over breaks in the sidewalk when out of nowhere a fancy sports car (I think an Alfa Romeo) came flying out of the canyon and down the mountain. It ran the stop sign and started to make the left turn full speed on a collision course with me and my Diamond Back. The driver locks up his breaks and screeches to a halt, missing me by only inches!!
When I looked u
p at the driver, it was Greg Kihn…my brush with death was quickly replaced by the grace of a real rockstar!  He gave me a smirk and kind of nod….and was on his way. I remember it like it was yesterday. I thought he was even cooler than before.
Chris Stacey
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Man, I’m 52. So “Jeopardy†and “The Breakup Song†were FM hits when I was in my “10’s.†But even then, the sound of “power pop rockâ€- or whatever we want to call it, radio rock, leapt out of the speakers- even to an impressionable kid.  Song power, baby!!  It felt just edgy enough, just smart enough, just sardonic enough, just mainstream enough.
You’re right- the days of a Tommy Tutone, The Knack, or a Greg Kihn being your radio friends are over. But at a young age, this stuff grabbed me- it was the sound of grown ups playing guitars and telling relatable stories.
And those clever Kihn album titles….
When I read the news today about Greg’s passing I texted a friend and said “why am I way more affected by Greg Kihn’s loss than I should be?†and he knew exactly what I meant.
End of a whole era- these guys, not necessarily legends per se, but journeymen rockers sharing stories and connecting with the people through rock and roll.  I’ll never forget the magic and connection I felt to radio when the Greg Kihns of the world were making records.  Something innocent and pure and direct about it…
So thanks Greg, and may your music Kihntinue to live on the airwaves…
Jeff Babko
The Valley
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If an artist was on the Beserkley label, you knew that they were worth checking out, because Trouser Press magazine was our bible, which made us insiders. In the 70s, I had friends who were Bruce fans (I was not) based on his first two albums. Since Greg Kihn had covered Bruce’s “For You”, we went to see him at My Father’s Place in Roslyn on Long Island. The club was a tiny place under an overpass (your car was covered with bird crap by the time you went home). Friends from college worked there, so we had no problem getting in. Greg Kihn put on an amazing show for a small audience, his choice of covers was spot on (he did an uptempo version of Patsy Cline’s “I Fall to Pieces”), and we went back to see him every time he came to town. Did I think about him in the last 20 years? Probably not, but after I heard the news of his passing, I dug out the old albums and started googling (see below).
As for Jonathan Richman, one never knew if he was on the spectrum (we used a different term back then), but he played My Father’s Place too, and we saw him multiple times. We kept waiting for him to break character, but that’s who he was. No one else was singing silly songs about Martians or the ice cream man. But by the 80s, he never broke through big time. And when he was in that “Mary” movie, did anyone (besides me and your audience) know who he was, or what a goof it was to see him there?
I was probably in the audience at this Greg Kihn show:
I brought in Greg Kihn and his label Beserkly Records to Elektra/Asylum records in LA 81.
We had two big hits with Greg Kihn, Jeopardy, and The Breakup Song.
I discovered Berserkly Records at my first job in Miami, in 75, in a warehouse working for TK Records, Tone Distributors, in Hialiah.
Deep in the warehouse among stacks of records, mostly R&B, I saw the Modern Lovers record, the first one, with Roadrunner on it.
I always preferred bands straight out of the garage, The Modern Lovers were that.
I drove all over Fla to promo Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers, the record fell on deaf ears, except one station in Tampa, WQSR, and it’s PD Steve Huuntington..
Then to NYC for Elektra, and the Associate National Rock job.
Few years later on to Los Angeles to head the Rock Dept.
Elektra was once a great label back in the mid  70’s, but by the time I got to LA the label was coming apart.
They did have Television who I still maintain were at the top of the Punk Pile, outstanding band, featuring Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, who also made two note worthy solo LP’s as well.
EA’a LA roster was in shambles, save for the classic artists (Eagles, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt).
EA was being run by a guy who came out of WEA, a salesman, who championed Richard Simmons as the second coming for a tiffany label.
Finally they signed The Cars, a good band who made fine records, but the live shows.. not so much.
Radio initially would not touch The Cars, nuts, but that was Radio back then, saying it was too punk. Might have been their wardrobe.
A year later I got a call from Lee Abrams saying their research was saying CARS.
Well then..
I left EA and called Rick Carroll  at KROQ who I had met once, asking if I could syndicate Rock of The 80’s.
We had 11 markets playing KROQ music in 82-86, SF, San Diego, Philly, Dallas and most importantly our first client, SEATTLE, six years before Nirvana.
Paramount TV bought Rock of the 80’s Show, and I had the pleasure of introducing new music to the American audience.
Rock of the 80’s was THE FIRST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC FORMAT, period.
Now, the Rock format is called Alternative.
When the Rock Hall of Fame did a salute to Alternative, I tried to get Rick Carroll and the DJ’s at KROQ a plaque or some recognition, not even a mention.
I do hope WPIX and Meg Griffin received notice, as they did set the bar high, they were the real Champions, as well as KROQ.
In 88 I did the same with Tone Loc’s, Wild Thing, KROQ first played it and became their #1 most requested record ever at that time.
Lee Masters at MTV did the same for me, after we had lunch at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in LA.
MTV put Wild Thing in power.
KROQ and MTV both in power, a mic drop moment if there ever was one.
Game on, game over.
Tone Loc LP was the first Black Hip Hop artist to debut at #1 in Billboard in 89.
Just sayin…..
Marty Schwartz
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He was also one of the first to cover a Springsteen song (“For You”) and I was lucky enough to hear “Roadrunner” on the radio when it was new as in Jersey we would pump WPIX-FM in the record store all day during the all too brief period when Meg Griffin and her then husband Joe From Chicago had their wonderful From Elvis To Elvis format going.
Mike Marrone
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I too got into Beserkley Records due to the Modern Lovers. My high school class was Lee Abrams’ target audience when he was creating AOR at WQDR in Raleigh. In college I broke free when Chris Stamey lived in the same dorm and turned us on The MC5, Stooges, and Modern Lovers.
So I kept buying Beserkley albums which I could do because Jefferson Holt worked at the record store on Franklin Street. And I bought Greg Kihn and Rubinoos album.
In November of 1981 I was playing speed chess for money at a club near campus in, well, Berkeley and picked up a paper that said Greg Kihn Band was playing an armory up in Santa Rosa.
I drove up to Santa Rosa and am still glad I did. GKB put on a solid rock n roll show with songs we could dance to in an armory up in Santa Rosa.
Art Menius
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Ha! For some inexplicable reason the first time I heard ‘Pablo Picasso’ was when John Cale did it. Wonderfully, an absolutely killer version,I might add. For some reason I missed it when Jonathan released it.
Ross Field
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Thanks for this, Bob. How important that first Modern Lovers album is, and how Berserkley was their platform. There was also the “Berserkley Chartbusters†comp, containing the taste of where Jonathan was going with “New Tellerâ€, and sharing the comp with the Rubinoos, Greg Kihn, and Earthquake.
– Bob Crain
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Thank you Bob for writing about the Modern Lovers and Jonathan Richman..as a member of the music business scene in Boston back in the 70’s and 80’s
I knew of Jonathan Richman especially being around the WBCN crowd…He played on the station baseball team and was what I thought of as a “character” I guess…after leaving a tour manager job…and when Jonathan was signed to Beserkley, the DJ Maxanne Sartori recommended me to Matthew “King” Kaufman as a road manager for him… Matthew flew me out to Berkeley and I stayed at the “House of Beserkley” ..there were musicians in and out and Greg Kihn was obviously the most successful…I went to a few of his gigs..a very nice man… Jonathan had some gigs set up when we returned to Boston …they were acoustic
I believe… but he refused to use a PA and was definitely doing things his way…I can admire that now and realize it was part of what made him so great…
but it was not easy doing the job I was hired for.. so we parted ways…but I will always remember how much fun it was being in the Beserkely world for a while…
Peter Wassyng
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What a great tribute to those who just weren’t famous enough but gave us wonderful music. Jonathan was my neighbor in Boston as the M.L. put out their first tracks. At BCN we played a lot of songs cut by local artists we loved. We had Roadrunner on a 8 trk cartridge and hit it hard.
Nothing like it and I’ll take them over the Ramones for sure. Jonathan is so authentic and real. Picasso was a favorite obviously. But just when you try to figure someone out, I was talking to him about how the station was forming a softball team to play listeners in surrounding towns. He said, I’m in. I couldn’t believe it. Turns out he was a terrific athlete and could hit the sh*t out of the ball.
Greg deserved more time making music. Sad as you say.
