We sometimes forget … especially in this day and age of mostly “disposable” radio with each genre playing the exact same tunes from the exact same “proven” play list … with deejay patter held to an absolute minimum (assuming there’s even a deejay present) … but it was amazing to witness the outpouring of love as Chicago said goodbye to WLUP / The Loop this week.
This station was a part of our lives for 41 years … and during that time it remained true to its calling … fine, classic, rock and roll. Although their best years were well behind them, they carried on the tradition nonetheless … and while I was never much of a Mancow fan, he has kind of taken on the roll of poster boy for the station these past several years.
The glory days of this radio station, however, cannot be beat … Steve and Garry … Buzz Killman … Jonathan Brandmeier … Kevin Matthews … even Danny Bonaduce. We were all younger then but this vibe tapped perfectly into what a young 20-something wanted to hear … and although some of it sounds juvenilely insane today, a whole lot of it still holds up incredibly well. (Along the way even guys like Bob Stroud, Mitch Michaels and Bobby Skafish made stops there.) In fact, WDRV / The Drive did a very tasteful salute to their long-time competitor as their way of saying goodbye to their formidable foe.
And, in what can only be described as the most fitting farewell ever, the last live voice ever heard over The Loop’s airwaves was that of Steve Dahl, who broadcast his four hour program on Friday as a simulcast between WLS 890 AM and WLUP 97.9 FM … again, a brave (and rarely seen) form of unity between the radio ranks of a very major market.
Congratulations to all on a job well done. It HAS to feel good that you made your mark and you made a difference with such a wide audience of fans. It’s work you can be proud of, saluted by your peers. We’ll miss ya. (Damn – now I gotta go reset another button in the car!) kk
On a related “good news” radio report, FH Reader John LaPuzza files this positive report:
More proof that listeners bond with their deejays …
This Facebook post sent in by Frank B, celebrating the 15 anniversary of Harry Harrison broadcasting his final show on WCBS-FM …
Here is a GREAT Tower Records story, submitted by Gary Theroux …
The passing of the founder of Tower Records brought back this memory. One day I was in one of my most frequent haunts, Tower Records on Sunset in Hollywood, when a customer mistook me for an employee. Holding up a Jimmy Reed album he said, "Hey -- is this any good?" Glancing over, I saw that the customer was John Belushi. "It’s not bad, "I replied, “but there are better." I moved over to the Jimmy Reed bin and began flipping through. "Here's one I think you'll like," I said, passing an album to John. "There's also this double LP if you want a more comprehensive overview of his career." Belushi was enthused. "Got any John Lee Hooker?" "Sure," I smiled, as I began to help him pick out LPs by about a dozen blues stars over the next 20 minutes. John had a lot of questions about each artist and I answered every one of them. He was thrilled that a Tower "employee" was taking so much time to help him. He finally shook my hand with enthusiasm and grinned, "I'll take all of these." "Fine," I said, pointing toward the registers. "Just take 'em up to the counter." I then watched as John gleefully purchased his LPs and, yellow Tower shopping bags in hand, strode out of the store to a car which had been idling in the parking lot the entire time. And, just like that, John Belushi was gone.
The next day I opened the L.A. Times to read of his death. With the story was a photo taken inside Belushi's bungalow at the Chateau Marmont down the street from Tower Records. Scattered all over the floor were the very albums I had picked out for his pleasure.
I've always wondered if John ever got the chance to hear any of them.
Gary Theroux
"The History of Rock 'n' Roll"
The next day I opened the L.A. Times to read of his death. With the story was a photo taken inside Belushi's bungalow at the Chateau Marmont down the street from Tower Records. Scattered all over the floor were the very albums I had picked out for his pleasure.
I've always wondered if John ever got the chance to hear any of them.
Gary Theroux
"The History of Rock 'n' Roll"
The Saturday Survey:
>>>#25 - Beach Boy fan Phil might enjoy seeing the great "Slip On Through" rising to #25 this week. (Clark Besch)
THANK you, Clark -
Yes, this Beach Boys fan was overjoyed (and completely surprised) at "Slip On Through" being on ANY chart at that time - They produced great songs and good albums but were ignored simply because of their early surf / summer / car hits. Slip On Through was a "new" Beach Boys sound that led off the shimmering Sunflower line-up, thanks to the emergence of drummer Dennis Wilson.
Phil
Kent,
I've got a question and that is why the song by Bubble Puppy was posted? As you probably know, it didn't chart nationally until about a year later and also didn't make out local survey until a year later. In fact, I've got the record filed here at home under the year 1969. I figured that this was a mistaken posting. I looked twice on the survey posted and read what was said but couldn't find any reference to the song. Just curious that's all. Still a good song to post
Larry Neal
Totally my goof.
I mentioned the Balloon Farm single “A Question Of Temperature” and then posted the Bubble Puppy tune by mistake instead. So we’ll fix that right now by putting the RIGHT tune in today’s post! Sorry about that! Just going too fast again! (kk)
MICKY DOLENZ appeared this morning on Fox 35's Good Day Orlando -
L-R: Danielle Knox; Jayme King; Micky Dolenz; and Amy Kaufeldt.
(submitted by David Salidor)
Todd Rundgren's Utopia Reunite!
Reuniting for First North American Tour in 32 years –
Releasing Limited Edition “The Road To Utopia” Box Set
FOR 32 YEARS, FANS HAVE BEEN CLAMORING FOR A REUNION - The wait is over.
No longer able to turn a deaf ear to the unceasing requests from fans and the media alike, Todd Rundgren, Kasim Sulton, Willie Wilcox and Ralph Schuckett are reuniting for their first North American tour since the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded. Presented by Sirius XM and produced by Live Nation, TODD RUNDGREN’S UTOPIA will be performing across North America beginning on April 18.
In celebration of the upcoming reunion tour, Friday Music will be releasing a 7-disc box set, THE ROAD TO UTOPIA: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS (1974-82). This limited edition collection will bring each of their seven classic albums to life, now in first-time CD digipak gatefold covers featuring the original album artwork elements, rare inner sleeve art, newly written commentary from the band, and more. The box set has a scheduled street date of April 20. Fans can pre-order now at Friday Music, Amazon and Record Store Day.
Todd Rundgren’s Utopia was formed in 1974 out of Todd’s desire to explore new musical territory. Starting as a prog-rock-progenitor septet the band’s music ranged from extended synth experiments to four-song albums, while their live shows were distinguished by their ahead-of-the-curve video backdrops and computer-generated music.
In 1976 the band evolved into “Utopia”, the shiny mainstream power-pop rock quartet, uniting Todd Rundgren on guitar, Willie Wilcox on drums, Roger Powell on keyboards, and Kasim Sulton on bass. Known for their hallmark lyrics, lush inventive background vocals and a voracious appetite for the highest level of musicianship. Utopia became known as the quintessential “musician’s band”. Every member took his turn singing lead on every album, and all songwriting was collaborative.
By 1980, Utopia had developed into a hit-making entity in its own right. Standout Utopia albums included Oops! Wrong Planet, Adventures in Utopia, and Oblivion, spawning hits including “Rock Love,” “Set Me Free,” “Mated,” and “Love Is The Answer”, which also became a global #1 for England Dan and John Ford Coley.
Utopia’s tours, among the first to aggressively incorporate then-state-of-the-art video technology, produced at Todd’s groundbreaking Utopia Video Studios, featured some of the most lavish and audacious stage productions in rock history. Their headline concerts frequently featured opening acts as future superstars Cheap Trick and The Cars, and the band performed at some of the 70’s most epic rock festivals, including Knebworth Castle in the UK --- once with the Rolling Stones in 1976 and twice with Led Zeppelin in 1979, before a combined audience of over 1,200,000 (amongst them a Who’s Who of rock royalty, including Paul McCartney and David Gilmour) .
Always on the bleeding edge, Utopia chalked up a long history of groundbreaking media “firsts”, including:
• 1978: The first interactive television concert, broadcast live over Warner/QUBE, the experimental interactive cable system in Columbus, Ohio (the home television audience chose each song in real time during the concert by voting via QUBE’s 2-way operating system).
• 1978: The first live nationally broadcast stereo radio rock concert (via microwave), linking 40 cities around the country.
• 1982: The first live national cablecast of a rock concert (on the USA Network), simulcast in stereo to over 120 radio stations.
In 1986, after ten years of non-stop recording and arena touring cycles, the band declared they were “going on sabbatical”, and Todd, Willie, Roger and Kas each embarked on their own career paths.
What’s been happening with the Utopians during the world’s longest ever sabbatical?
Todd Rundgren returned to his stellar solo recording and producing career. His myriad production projects ranged from Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, XTC, and Psychedelic Furs to Grand Funk Railroad, Hall & Oates, and Meat Loaf’s seminal Bat Out Of Hell, while his solo offerings catapulted Todd further into the superstar limelight with hits like “Can We Still be Friends”, and “Bang The Drum”; in addition to his own tours, Todd has been an erstwhile member of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band for the past 28 years.
Kasim Sulton continued touring and recording with a long list of diverse artists including Joan Jett, Hall & Oates, Blue Oyster Cult, Patti Smith, Celine Dion, and Meat Loaf. In 1993 Kasim joined Meat Loaf’s live band after the release of Bat Out Of Hell II, touring extensively and becoming his Musical Director. In 1999 he produced Meat Loaf’s critically acclaimed VH1 Storytellers album. Releasing four solo albums of his own, Kasim has continued his long musical relationship with Todd as the bass player in his solo bands.
Willie Wilcox continued to pursue his songwriting career. Having written songs for & performed with Luther Vandross, Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, Meat Loaf, Hall & Oates, and Kylie Minogue positioned Willie perfectly for his segue into television writing. He was the senior staff composer for NBC Universal in NY for 5 years and composed the current show theme for CNBC’s “Mad Money,” launched a major audio post production facility in Miami with clients MTV & VH1, penned famed boxer Manny Pacquiao’s ring walk music, and continues to maintain his position as senior audio director at Scientific Games, the number one gaming company in the world, where he recently completed the surround sound audio production on the blockbuster Michael Jackson game, “King Of Pop!”
Ralph Schuckett: Ralph’s tenure with Todd Rundgren’s Utopia segued into composing themes & scores for TV & Film including “Kate & Allie” & “Another World.” As chief composer for “4 Kids Productions” he scored numerous feature films & animated TV series including; “Pokémon,” “Yugioh,” “Sonic X,” “Kirby,” & “One Piece.” He has recorded and /or toured with Carole King, Hall & Oates, Whitney Houston, George Benson, and Rodney Crowell, and provided arrangements on recordings for Billy Joel, Michael Bolton. and Joan Osborne. As a songwriter / producer Ralph has worked with Belinda Carlisle, Sophie B. Hawkins, and Clarence Clemons.
As fate would have it, in early April Todd, Kas, Willie and Ralph will find themselves back in Woodstock New York, 32 years later, right where it all started, rehearsing their newest stage spectacle.
TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA North American reunion tour, featuring Todd, Kasim, Willie, & Ralph, begins on April 18 and ends on June 5 (tour dates below). Tickets and more information are available at Live Nation, Ticketmaster and all Ticketmaster outlets.
THE FIRST REUNION ON-CAMERA INTERVIEW – WATCH HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e3Wrps2zr0
TODD RUNDGREN’S UTOPIA TOUR DATES
APRIL 18 JIM THORPE PA, PENNS PEAK
APRIL 20 ENGLEWOOD NJ, BERGEN PAC
APRIL 22 HOUSTON TX, HOUSE OF BLUES
APRIL 23 DALLAS TX, MAJESTIC THEATER
APRIL 25 BROWARD FL, BROWARD PAC
APRIL 27 ST PETERSBURG FL, MAHAFFEY THEATER
APRIL 28 ATLANTA GA, TABERNACLE
APRIL 29 DURHAM NC, CAROLINA THEATER
MAY 1 HUNTINGTON NY, PARAMOUNT THEATER
MAY 2 WASHINGTON DC, WARNER THEATER
MAY 3 NEW YORK NY, TOWN HALL
MAY 5 PHILADELPHIA PA, TOWER THEATER
MAY 6 BOSTON MA, ORPHEUM THEATER
MAY 7 RIDGEFIELD CT, RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE
MAY 9 ST LOUIS MO, PEABODY OPERA HOUSE
MAY 10 CINCINNATI OH, TAFT THEATER
MAY 12 MILWAUKEE WI, PABST THEATER
MAY 13 MINNEAPOLIS MN, STATE THEATER
MAY 15 GRAND RAPIDS MI, 20 MONROE LIVE
MAY 16 TORONTO ONT, MASSEY HALL
MAY 17 DETROIT MI, THE FILLMORE
MAY 19 CLEVELAND OH, HARD ROCK LIVE
MAY 20 CLEVELAND OH, HARD ROCK LIVE
MAY 22 CHICAGO IL, CHICAGO THEATER
MAY 24 DENVER CO, PARAMOUNT THEATER
MAY 26 LAS VEGAS NV, THE JOINT @ THE HARD ROCK
MAY 27 PHOENIX AZ, COMERICA THEATER
MAY 29 LOS ANGELES CA, THE WILTERN
MAY 30 SAN FRANCISCO CA, THE MASONIC
JUNE 1 SEATTLE WA, MOORE THEATER
JUNE 2 PORTLAND OR, REVOLUTION THEATER
JUNE 4 SACRAMENTO CA, CREST THEATER
JUNE 5 RIVERSIDE CA, FOX PAC
No longer able to turn a deaf ear to the unceasing requests from fans and the media alike, Todd Rundgren, Kasim Sulton, Willie Wilcox and Ralph Schuckett are reuniting for their first North American tour since the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded. Presented by Sirius XM and produced by Live Nation, TODD RUNDGREN’S UTOPIA will be performing across North America beginning on April 18.
In celebration of the upcoming reunion tour, Friday Music will be releasing a 7-disc box set, THE ROAD TO UTOPIA: THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS (1974-82). This limited edition collection will bring each of their seven classic albums to life, now in first-time CD digipak gatefold covers featuring the original album artwork elements, rare inner sleeve art, newly written commentary from the band, and more. The box set has a scheduled street date of April 20. Fans can pre-order now at Friday Music, Amazon and Record Store Day.
Todd Rundgren’s Utopia was formed in 1974 out of Todd’s desire to explore new musical territory. Starting as a prog-rock-progenitor septet the band’s music ranged from extended synth experiments to four-song albums, while their live shows were distinguished by their ahead-of-the-curve video backdrops and computer-generated music.
In 1976 the band evolved into “Utopia”, the shiny mainstream power-pop rock quartet, uniting Todd Rundgren on guitar, Willie Wilcox on drums, Roger Powell on keyboards, and Kasim Sulton on bass. Known for their hallmark lyrics, lush inventive background vocals and a voracious appetite for the highest level of musicianship. Utopia became known as the quintessential “musician’s band”. Every member took his turn singing lead on every album, and all songwriting was collaborative.
By 1980, Utopia had developed into a hit-making entity in its own right. Standout Utopia albums included Oops! Wrong Planet, Adventures in Utopia, and Oblivion, spawning hits including “Rock Love,” “Set Me Free,” “Mated,” and “Love Is The Answer”, which also became a global #1 for England Dan and John Ford Coley.
Utopia’s tours, among the first to aggressively incorporate then-state-of-the-art video technology, produced at Todd’s groundbreaking Utopia Video Studios, featured some of the most lavish and audacious stage productions in rock history. Their headline concerts frequently featured opening acts as future superstars Cheap Trick and The Cars, and the band performed at some of the 70’s most epic rock festivals, including Knebworth Castle in the UK --- once with the Rolling Stones in 1976 and twice with Led Zeppelin in 1979, before a combined audience of over 1,200,000 (amongst them a Who’s Who of rock royalty, including Paul McCartney and David Gilmour) .
Always on the bleeding edge, Utopia chalked up a long history of groundbreaking media “firsts”, including:
• 1978: The first interactive television concert, broadcast live over Warner/QUBE, the experimental interactive cable system in Columbus, Ohio (the home television audience chose each song in real time during the concert by voting via QUBE’s 2-way operating system).
• 1978: The first live nationally broadcast stereo radio rock concert (via microwave), linking 40 cities around the country.
• 1982: The first live national cablecast of a rock concert (on the USA Network), simulcast in stereo to over 120 radio stations.
In 1986, after ten years of non-stop recording and arena touring cycles, the band declared they were “going on sabbatical”, and Todd, Willie, Roger and Kas each embarked on their own career paths.
What’s been happening with the Utopians during the world’s longest ever sabbatical?
Todd Rundgren returned to his stellar solo recording and producing career. His myriad production projects ranged from Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, XTC, and Psychedelic Furs to Grand Funk Railroad, Hall & Oates, and Meat Loaf’s seminal Bat Out Of Hell, while his solo offerings catapulted Todd further into the superstar limelight with hits like “Can We Still be Friends”, and “Bang The Drum”; in addition to his own tours, Todd has been an erstwhile member of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band for the past 28 years.
Kasim Sulton continued touring and recording with a long list of diverse artists including Joan Jett, Hall & Oates, Blue Oyster Cult, Patti Smith, Celine Dion, and Meat Loaf. In 1993 Kasim joined Meat Loaf’s live band after the release of Bat Out Of Hell II, touring extensively and becoming his Musical Director. In 1999 he produced Meat Loaf’s critically acclaimed VH1 Storytellers album. Releasing four solo albums of his own, Kasim has continued his long musical relationship with Todd as the bass player in his solo bands.
Willie Wilcox continued to pursue his songwriting career. Having written songs for & performed with Luther Vandross, Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, Meat Loaf, Hall & Oates, and Kylie Minogue positioned Willie perfectly for his segue into television writing. He was the senior staff composer for NBC Universal in NY for 5 years and composed the current show theme for CNBC’s “Mad Money,” launched a major audio post production facility in Miami with clients MTV & VH1, penned famed boxer Manny Pacquiao’s ring walk music, and continues to maintain his position as senior audio director at Scientific Games, the number one gaming company in the world, where he recently completed the surround sound audio production on the blockbuster Michael Jackson game, “King Of Pop!”
Ralph Schuckett: Ralph’s tenure with Todd Rundgren’s Utopia segued into composing themes & scores for TV & Film including “Kate & Allie” & “Another World.” As chief composer for “4 Kids Productions” he scored numerous feature films & animated TV series including; “Pokémon,” “Yugioh,” “Sonic X,” “Kirby,” & “One Piece.” He has recorded and /or toured with Carole King, Hall & Oates, Whitney Houston, George Benson, and Rodney Crowell, and provided arrangements on recordings for Billy Joel, Michael Bolton. and Joan Osborne. As a songwriter / producer Ralph has worked with Belinda Carlisle, Sophie B. Hawkins, and Clarence Clemons.
As fate would have it, in early April Todd, Kas, Willie and Ralph will find themselves back in Woodstock New York, 32 years later, right where it all started, rehearsing their newest stage spectacle.
TODD RUNDGREN'S UTOPIA North American reunion tour, featuring Todd, Kasim, Willie, & Ralph, begins on April 18 and ends on June 5 (tour dates below). Tickets and more information are available at Live Nation, Ticketmaster and all Ticketmaster outlets.
THE FIRST REUNION ON-CAMERA INTERVIEW – WATCH HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e3Wrps2zr0
TODD RUNDGREN’S UTOPIA TOUR DATES
APRIL 18 JIM THORPE PA, PENNS PEAK
APRIL 20 ENGLEWOOD NJ, BERGEN PAC
APRIL 22 HOUSTON TX, HOUSE OF BLUES
APRIL 23 DALLAS TX, MAJESTIC THEATER
APRIL 25 BROWARD FL, BROWARD PAC
APRIL 27 ST PETERSBURG FL, MAHAFFEY THEATER
APRIL 28 ATLANTA GA, TABERNACLE
APRIL 29 DURHAM NC, CAROLINA THEATER
MAY 1 HUNTINGTON NY, PARAMOUNT THEATER
MAY 2 WASHINGTON DC, WARNER THEATER
MAY 3 NEW YORK NY, TOWN HALL
MAY 5 PHILADELPHIA PA, TOWER THEATER
MAY 6 BOSTON MA, ORPHEUM THEATER
MAY 7 RIDGEFIELD CT, RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE
MAY 9 ST LOUIS MO, PEABODY OPERA HOUSE
MAY 10 CINCINNATI OH, TAFT THEATER
MAY 12 MILWAUKEE WI, PABST THEATER
MAY 13 MINNEAPOLIS MN, STATE THEATER
MAY 15 GRAND RAPIDS MI, 20 MONROE LIVE
MAY 16 TORONTO ONT, MASSEY HALL
MAY 17 DETROIT MI, THE FILLMORE
MAY 19 CLEVELAND OH, HARD ROCK LIVE
MAY 20 CLEVELAND OH, HARD ROCK LIVE
MAY 22 CHICAGO IL, CHICAGO THEATER
MAY 24 DENVER CO, PARAMOUNT THEATER
MAY 26 LAS VEGAS NV, THE JOINT @ THE HARD ROCK
MAY 27 PHOENIX AZ, COMERICA THEATER
MAY 29 LOS ANGELES CA, THE WILTERN
MAY 30 SAN FRANCISCO CA, THE MASONIC
JUNE 1 SEATTLE WA, MOORE THEATER
JUNE 2 PORTLAND OR, REVOLUTION THEATER
JUNE 4 SACRAMENTO CA, CREST THEATER
JUNE 5 RIVERSIDE CA, FOX PAC
Hey Kent:
DINOSAUR EXHIBIT will be at SPACE in Evanston on Saturday, June 16. Jerry Goodman (violinist with the FLOCK and Mahavishnu) will be joining us.
Wanted to give you a heads-up.
Tickets are on sale now: www.evanstonspace.com
Quent Lang
This is a very hot ticket and the show sold out last time. Get yours now to see these vintage rockers prove they’ve still got it all night long! (kk)
And finally, if you’ve got about an hour and a half to kill … and have always wondered how that whole Wizard Of Oz / Dark Side Of The Moon mash-up thing really worked … you can go over to the link provided to see what Ultimate Classic Rock has put together. (It’s been talked about for decades now … here’s your chance to decide for yourself if it really makes any sense at all!!!) kk
