I was quite friendly with BJ and his brother Jerry those years he lived in Memphis. We both made records with Chips\u00c2\u00a0Moman at American studios. We were together a\u00c2\u00a0 lot.BJ was a sweetheart of a guy. We had more fun than\u00c2\u00a0the law allowed and in fact, they wouldn’t have allowed it. I have many BJ stories. Nothing but good memories.<\/p>\n
Elvis rented the club, The Thunderbird\u00c2\u00a0Lounge, where we were the house band for 2 New Years Eves in a row. The third year he rented TJs where Ronnie Milsap (before he became a country artist) played and hired us to play late after our New Years Eve at the Thunderbird.<\/p>\n
That first year, BJ wasn’t booked and\u00c2\u00a0 came down and we backed him. I assume\u00c2\u00a0Elvis liked us well enough as he hired us 3 years in a row. But who he REALLY liked was BJ. It was obvious. It was one REAL singer showing his like and respect for another REAL singer.<\/p>\n
Rest easy BJ<\/p>\n
David Fleischman<\/p>\n
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Hooked on a feeling gave me a crush on every pretty girl in junior high.<\/p>\n
jeffsackstennis<\/p>\n
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Bob, BJ crushed it during his Elvis Week 2019 performance with an “earthshaking acapella \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Peace in the Valley” in the words of Jon Warehouse.<\/p>\n
todaymedia<\/p>\n
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Bob, check out BJs cut \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mama\u00e2\u20ac\u009d not as well known as the hits but a great sentimental take on the subject<\/p>\n
Peter Miller<\/p>\n
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Just wanted to mention Billy & Sue, one of his earliest songs & a tale of a soldier\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s anguish when he receives a Dear John letter from Sue. I was 12 years old & didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what a Dear John letter was & thought she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d sent it to the wrong soldier! Still my favorite BJT track. Best, Jeff Hayward\/Maine.<\/p>\n
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Bob…everything you said about “Hooked on a feeling” was spot on, but you missed one thing. The song was brought into current culture by “Guardians of the Galaxy”.\u00c2\u00a0 Probably a movie that wouldn’t appeal to you..<\/p>\n
My sixth grade granddaughter know the song (Blue Swede cover) by heart. When she overnights she belts it out in the shower. Not bad for a song I danced to in high school.<\/p>\n
Gary Merker<\/p>\n
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B.J. Thomas and The Triumphs.<\/p>\n
Killer band back in the day!<\/p>\n
Peyton Prince<\/p>\n
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I was on a trip into Bowling Green , Kentucky and got snowed in..had to stay at a hotel…and B.J. Thomas was performing…I went in for the show…not really expecting much…Damn…B.J Thomas and his band blew my socks off….I was blown away..!!!!<\/p>\n
Timo Standing Buffalo Cano<\/p>\n
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I was invited to a recording session at Electric Lady as I represented some of the principals, so I speak from a combination of memory and overheard–but not necessarily accurate–comments about the production of B. J. Thomas’ Rock & Roll Lullaby. \u00c2\u00a0The record was produced by Steve Tyrell, at the time a genuine “go-to” producer (and now a successful second-career nightclub performer). \u00c2\u00a0He apparently wanted to hire the Beach Boys to sing the background vocal chorus on the record, but they declined. \u00c2\u00a0So Dave Summerville and friends did it for them (and sounded awfully close to their trademark sound). \u00c2\u00a0He wanted a Duane Eddy-type low twangy guitar sound on the recording as well, so he hired—–Duane Eddy! \u00c2\u00a0Al Gorgoni’s electric guitar closed the circle of extraordinary talent and performances. \u00c2\u00a0(Oh, and then of course there was B.J. and the remarkable music and lyrics.) \u00c2\u00a0As I understand it, this 1972’s “single” cost more than $10,000 to produce- -perhaps the most expensive (by far) ’45 recorded to that date, resulting in some considerable anguish by Scepter Records (and presumably by Steve as well). \u00c2\u00a0Talk about over-budget! \u00c2\u00a0But it was and is a masterpiece. \u00c2\u00a0All lasting and memorable creations require great vision and talent. \u00c2\u00a0This recording had them in abundance. \u00c2\u00a0That the record only reached “top 15” surprised me because it will always be among my top 3 for sheer brilliance. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Handing off to Steve for how he recalls what went down with this recording almost 50 years ago.<\/p>\n
Best<\/p>\n
Peter M. Thall<\/p>\n
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if this isn’t too late for the next “Re”, I just wanted to mention that the flip side to BJ’s\u00c2\u00a0 “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” is a great song, penned by Ashford & Simpson and singer Jo Armstead – label credit to “Simspon – Ashford – Armstead”).\u00c2\u00a0 You can hear the gospel voices, and I want to imagine that those background vocals are by Ashford & Simpson and\/or Jo Armstead, themselves, but I can’t find the data anywhere to\u00c2\u00a0validate that fantasy.\u00c2\u00a0 -but it’s a great pop-friendly song for the time, and back when we listened to our b-sides just as much as our a-sides, it was an enjoyable b-side, and now listening back, has all the [blue-eyed?] soul one would crave in such a track.\u00c2\u00a0 Not sure if it is on one of his albums…however, I’ve seen it as a Ronnie Milsap a-side, also on Scepter.\u00c2\u00a0 I almost posted about it on Instagram the very day we lost BJ, without even knowing about his condition.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s someone I would have liked to have met and seen in concert.\u00c2\u00a0 Looking back at his discography, we again lost someone that had a part of shaping the sound of that time.<\/p>\n
Sam Scozzari<\/p>\n
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Thanks\u00c2\u00a0for highlighting the career of BJ Thomas. It’s a rare thing to know who’s singing as soon as you hear the first few notes, and BJ was one of those artists.<\/p>\n
He did a great interview with NSAI’s Bart Herbison in the local “Tennessean” which ran just this past March. In it, BJ tells how he got to sing “Raindrops” after Ray Stevens turned it down, and how he sang the final “me-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee” somewhat extemporaneously, and why Burt Bacharach went along with it because BJ sang the rest of the song better than anyone else, and how the studio heads and radio programmers hated the song until the public loved it, of course.<\/p>\n
https:\/\/bjthomas.com\/story-behind-the-song-b-j-thomas-raindrops-keep-fallin-on-my-head\/<\/p>\n
Larry Butler<\/p>\n
Nashville<\/p>\n
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Thanks for your lovely words about BJ. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve enjoyed reading the remembrances of his music and place in popular music.<\/p>\n
BJ had a profound impact on my life. When I was 4, my family and I went to his concert in Illinois. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d spent countless hours listening to his music, and when he saw me singing along in the audience, he invited me on stage to sing with him. He was larger than life and sounding as fantastic as ever. BJ welcomed me and made me believe that a life in music was not only possible but absolutely natural.<\/p>\n
He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be missed.<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.nydailynews.com\/snyde\/ny-sara-niemietz-bj-thomas-20210530-y2lkcdzddfdazop6vztmbhxhy4-story.html<\/p>\n
Sara Niemietz<\/p>\n
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One of B.J. Thomas’ last albums was “The Living Room Sessions” which is a stripped down “unplugged” re-recording of his classic hits.\u00c2\u00a0 In addition to solo performances, it includes some duets with well known stars such as Vince Gill, Keb Mo and Lyle Lovett, as well as up-and-coming singers.<\/p>\n
The problem is you can’t find it anywhere! … not on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music….Amazon only had 4 copies of the physical disc at ridiculous prices.<\/p>\n
Was able to find a few videos of songs from the album on YouTube and I think these versions of his songs are fantastic.\u00c2\u00a0 In particular, the duet with Vince Gill on “I Just Can’t Help Believing” is sublime.\u00c2\u00a0 Check them out:<\/p>\n