GREAT mid'70's LA band - Dwight Twilley Band - "I'm On Fire" live in '77..

[old mark]

Twilley was a really fine singer and writer, and sadly the record company just released this and went belly up...he is still around - I just found an old CD called
"Sincerely" that I have never forgotten since the '70's - I still remember some of the words and have not heard it since then!

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txzh5mwgXFQ&feature=related

Link is for a live clip, and the band really cooks...but the punkers hated them and their company never pushed them.

I really loved this band, and I'm excited to find a live clip.

I also found a used CD on Amazon!

mark

[Amerigo Vespucci]

1. I won a one-hour "Guest DJ" spot on KOME when Twilley was at his peak...

I played his song "Rock & Roll 47," which...sadly...I couldn't find on YouTube to post here.

The chorus was unbelievably hook-y:

"Cause you'll break my heart

You'll break my heart

You'll break my hear-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA..."

Something like that. It got played to death on FM radio at the time.

While you're giving a shout-out to Twilley, let's also acknowledge the late, great Phil Seymour...every bit as responsible for those classic albums as Twilley himself.

Phil Seymour

Phil Seymour (born May 11, 1952 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, died Aug 17, 1993 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) was an American power pop drummer, singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known for the singles "I'm On Fire" (with the Dwight Twilley Band) and "Precious to Me". He had a major role in the seminal pop group Dwight Twilley Band, including co-writing many of their songs. His solo work is also highly revered among fans of the power pop musical genre.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Seymour

:toast:

[old mark]

2. I didn't know he died - he was just a kid! Very talented guy...

I was looking for a clip of "TV", one of my favorite songs of all time, but I found a used CD with it, so bought it.

This band had so much potential it was a shame they got the timing all wrong.

mark

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. He had "Tom Petty Potential," but he lacked Tom Petty's agility

I heard all of the Twilley stuff at the same time I heard "American Girl," "Breakdown," etc.

The difference? Petty's still out there, releasing one of his most critically acclaimed albums in 2010 ("Mojo"), and Twilley is a rock and roll footnote who surfaces every now and then.

There were a few other artists of that era who had similar moments of brilliance...Bram Tchaikovsky, The Durocs, The Rubinoos...pretty much any act on the Bezerkely Records label.

:toast:

[old mark]

4. Greg Kihn and the Rubinoos - Amazing that anyone else knows who they are!

read Twilley's WIKI article - the guy has zero luck with record companies...he knows the right people, but he just can not get over the hump...a shame because he writes some great songs.


link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_Twilley


mark

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. I saw the Rubinoos at the Keystone Palo Alto (one of Jerry Garcia's favorite venues)...

...the thing I can tell you from seeing them live is that they rocked a lot harder than anyone would have suspected from their records.

Another fave from the same era was "The Tyla Gang" and their album "Yachtless"...available via Amazon's MP3 downloads:



http://www.amazon.com/Yachtless-Tyla-Gang/dp/B0000843AI

The go-to song on this album was "New York Sun"...an angst-filled power pop tune in the mold of Graham Parker & The Rumour's best stuff.

:toast: