Classic Rock Icons BADFINGER Release Full-Length Album Of Collabs Featuring Veteran Stars Of Rock, Blues & Pop!
Includes performances by Matthew Sweet, Todd Rundgren, Rick Wakeman, The Legendary Pink Dots, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson, Rick Springfield, Sonny Landreth and more!
Los Angeles, CA - You’ve grooved to Matthew Sweet’s “Baby Blue,” played air piano along with Rick Wakeman on “Come And Get It,” and swooned hearing Rick Springfield’s voice on “Love Is Gonna Come At Last” - but now the wait is finally over as the full-length collaboration between Joey Molland’s Badfinger and a stellar line-up of special guest superstars is finally released! No Matter What - Revisiting The Hits gathers an immense amount of talent on one album - in addition to the aforementioned, guests include Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson, blues legend Sonny Landreth, eclectic art rockers The Legendary Pink Dots and many more - who offer their unique twists on some of Badfinger’s biggest, most era-defining hits from the Paul McCartney-penned “Come And Get It” to “Day After Day,” to the monster ballad “Without You.” The latter was originally released by Badfinger in 1970 but became a global phenomenon when Harry Nilsson recorded a version in 1971, and then it conquered the airwaves again in 1994 courtesy of Mariah Carey’s bombastic version, and now Rock Hall Of Fame nominee and producer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire Todd Rundgren offers a passionate rendering of the song that is by itself worth the price of admission to this great collection.
No Matter What - Revisiting The Hits will be available on both digipak CD and in superb-looking tri-color (red, white & blue) vinyl!
TRACKLIST: 1. No Matter What feat. Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) 2. Come And Get It feat. Rick Wakeman 3. I Don’t Mind feat. Carl Giammarese (The Buckinghams) 4. Day After Day feat. Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Terry Reid & Manchester String Quartet 5. Love Is Gonna Come At Last feat. Rick Springfield 6. Baby Blue feat. Matthew Sweet 7. Midnight Caller feat. The Legendary Pink Dots 8. Suitcase feat. Sonny Landreth 9. Sweet Tuesday Morning feat. Albert Lee 10. Without You feat. Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren’s A Wizard, A True Star…Live To Be Released on RAINBOW SWIRL VINYL on March 5, 2021!
Rock Hall Of Fame nominee and revered musician/producer/songwriter, Todd Rundgren performs a very special live concert featuring the entirety of his classic 1973 album A Wizard, A True Star!
Recorded 2009 in Akron OH, this special concert was released on crystal clear DVD and CD last year and now has been pressed on deluxe RAINBOW SWIRL vinyl! 2LPs in a gorgeous gatefold jacket featuring images from Todd Rundgren’s truly epic multi-media concert event - a front-to-back recreation of his enormously popular and influential 1973 album, A Wizard, A True Star!
Vinyl
Track List: LP1 SIDE A 1. International Feel 2. Never Never Land 3. Tic Tic Tic It Wears Off 4. You Need Your Head 5. Rock and Roll Pussy 6. Dogfight Giggle 7. You Don't Have To Camp Around 8. Flamingo
LP1 SIDE B 1. Zen Archer 2. Just Another Onionhead-Da Da Dali 3. Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel 4. Does Anybody Love You
LP2 SIDE A 1. Medley: I'm So Proud / Ooo Baby Baby / La La Means I Love You / Cool Jerk 2. Hungry for Love 3. I Don't Want to Tie You Down
LP2 SIDE B 1. Is It My Name 2. When the Shit Hits the Fan / Sunset Blvd 3. Le Feel Internacionale 4. Just One Victory
CD
Track List: 1. International Feel 2. Never Never Land 3. Tic Tic Tic It Wears Off 4. You Need Your Head 5. Rock And Roll Pussy 6. Dogfight Giggle 7. You Don't Have To Camp Around 8. Flamingo 9. Zen Archer 10. Just Another Onionhead - Da Da Dali 11. Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel 12. Does Anybody Love You? 13. Medley: I'm So Proud, Ooh Baby Baby 14. Medley: La La Means I Love You, Cool Jerk 15. Hungry For Love 16. I Don't Want To Tie You Down 17. Is It My Name? 18. When The Sh*t Hits The Fan - Sunset Blvd 19. Le Feel Internacionale 20. Just One Victory
About Todd Rundgren:
A Wizard, A True Star. The title of Todd Rundgren's 1973 solo album aptly foreshadows the contributions of this multifaceted artist to state-of-the-art music. As a songwriter, video pioneer, producer, recording artist, computer software developer, conceptualist, interactive artist, and author, over the past 50+ years Rundgren has made a lasting impact on the form, content, and delivery of popular music. His seminal album Something/Anything? (1972), on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts and acted as his own producer, catapulted Rundgren into the superstar limelight, prompting the press to unanimously dub him “Rock's New Wunderkind.” His 21 solo albums, plus 14 with his prog rock/power pop ensemble Utopia, spawned such hit singles as “I Saw The Light,” “Hello It's Me,” “Can We Still Be Friends,” “Bang The Drum,” and with his band Utopia, “Love Is The Answer.” As a producer, Rundgren has brought his creativity to bear on nearly one hundred albums, including with Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, The Psychedelic Furs, The Tubes, XTC, Grand Funk Railroad, Hall & Oates, The Band, and Meat Loaf’s 50-million-selling Bat Out Of Hell.
Los Angeles, CA – If you grew up in the ‘70s, chances are you had a poster of actor/musician/singer Rick Springfield adorning your bedroom wall and at least one Badfinger vinyl in your record collection. Now these two icons of ‘70s rock have joined forces on a new single that recreates a classic hit from Badfinger’s catalog, the 1979 power pop favorite “Love Is Gonna Come At Last” originally released on the album Airwaves. This new version features not only Springfield’s powerful vocals, which seemed to have only grown more resonant with time, but also his deft and intricate guitar work that intertwines beautifully with Badfinger’s Joey Molland’s own ample voice and driving bass guitar. It’s truly a match made in rock heaven!
Springfield shares, “Badfinger has always been one of my all-time favorite bands. In fact, I am often asked by journalists ‘What is the one song you had wished you had written?’ and my answer is ‘Baby Blue’. What a perfect song! Their music was and is immortal.”
Look for a full-length Badfinger album with special guests Todd Rundgren, Rick Wakeman, Matthew Sweet, Rick Springfield, Sonny Landreth and more coming later this year!
Los Angeles, CA - Music hipsters of the world UNITE and celebrate what is sure to be one of this year’s most talked-about musical collaborations. Multi-hyphenate Todd Rundgren, famously heralded by Rolling Stone as Rock’s Renaissance Man meets up with the equally iconoclastic Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo on “Down With The Ship,” a new song that is being released today on all digital platforms.
The duo share writing duties as well as trading vocal roles on the track, which draws inspiration from reggae and African rhythms not unlike Rundgren’s evergreen 1983 hit “Bang The Drum All Day.” Lyrically, however, the song cuts with a much sharper edge, as Rundgren puts it, “It’s just a little parable about what happens when you align yourself with a treacherous leader.”
Todd Rundgren To Launch Live Virtual Television Series “The Todd's Honest Truth”
Todd Rundgren, dubbed “Rock's Renaissance Man” in 1972 by Rolling Stone, will be premiering his bi-weekly live interactive virtual television series “The Todd's Honest Truth” on his 72nd birthday, June 22, 2020 at 6pm PDT/9PM EDT. A new episode will then go live every other Friday beginning July 3 in the same time slot.
Famously outspoken and opinionated (he was among one of Bill Maher's most frequent guests on the original “Politically Incorrect”), Rundgren will host the show live from his Kauai property, interlaced with his throwing to pre-recorded packages shot in front of a green screen to provide mood-appropriate settings (a recurring segment dubbed “The Word of Todd”, in which he will be waxing eloquent on any number of topics).
He will also be answering audience questions in real time, there will be a live chat window open for viewers to interact, and Todd will encourage audience members to submit content which he will curate in between shows and select standouts for inclusion on upcoming episodes.
“Forty years ago I reserved a transponder on a satellite, hoping to broadcast to homes across the world. Apparently, that satellite got lost or blew up or something so a dream was put on hold… until now! And I don't even have to leave my house!!!”, Rundgren explained.
The virtual box office to purchase tickets for “The Todd's Honest Truth” episodes is open as of today:
The series is being produced in partnership with Future Beat, the leading company producing VIP package experiences for concert tours — futurebeat.com. Todd's longtime manager, Panacea Entertainment chairman Eric Gardner, is executive producing.
In addition to an unlimited number of “general admission” tickets priced at $15 per episode (which includes access via VOD for anyone who missed a live stream), forty virtual one-on-one meet & greet packages will be available for $95 per episode, which will include shipping of an item of exclusive series-related merchandise.
In other news, Todd Rundgren and some well known guest artists are re-recording his 1973 anthem “Just One Victory” and giving it away for free to the Democratic National Committee for use by candidates throughout the US running for public office this fall. Participants include Joe Walsh and Paul Shaffer, along with Don Was, who is co-producing with Todd.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Rundgren began playing guitar as a teenager, going on to found and front Nazz, the quintessential '60s psychedelic group. In 1969, he left the band to pursue a solo career, recording his debut offering, Runt. But it was 1972's seminal Something/Anything?, on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts, and acted as his own producer, that catapulted Todd into the superstar limelight, prompting the press to unanimously dub him “Rock's New Wunderkind.” It was followed by such landmark LPs as The Hermit of Mink Hollow and A Wizard, A True Star; evergreen hit singles include “I Saw The Light,” “Hello It's Me,” “Can We Still Be Friends,” and “Bang The Drum.”
Tickets On Sale December 10, 2018 at 10AM Local Time
Citi Presale Begins December 04, 2018 at 10AM Local Time
Los Angeles - Current Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee Todd Rundgren will be embarking on the world’s first hybrid concert/book tour this spring, highlighting both his hits as well as “deep tracks” spanning his 50-year career.
Produced by Live Nation and presented by SiriusXM, the North American leg of the tour starts in Atlanta, GA and hits major markets before wrapping in San Francisco, CA. The North American dates will be preceded by dates in Europe/UK and followed by dates in Japan. Full itinerary is below.
Rundgren’s long-awaited autobiography, The Individualist: digressions, dreams and dissertations, is being released by Cleopatra Press on December 21, documenting his life through his 50th birthday. The concert set list will mirror that time period, consisting of song selections from the inception of his musical career through 1996, with intros & stories behind the songs and Rundgren’s impressive career.
He will be playing back-to-back shows in the ten North American markets in order to be available for books signings and local TV and radio appearances on the second show day in each city. Tickets go on sale Monday, December 10 at 10AM Local Time. Two-day ticket packages, along with single-day tickets, will be available in each North American market.
Citi is the official presale credit card of the Todd Rundgren – The Individualist Tour. As such, Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale tickets beginning Tuesday, December 4th at 10AM local time until Sunday, December 9th at 10PM local time through Citi’s Private Pass program. For complete presale details, visit www.citiprivatepass.com.
FOR INTERVIEW REQUESTS CONTACT: Paul Maloney, Panacea Entertainment paul@panacea-ent.com
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The Individualist: digressions, dreams and dissertations is available now for pre-order at:
Amazon.Com: Pre-order Todd: https://www.amazon.com/Individualist-Digressions-Dreams-Dissertations/dp/0997205652
April 1 - Theater am Mareintor - Duisburg, Germany
April 2 - Laeiszhalle - Hamburg, Germany
April 3 - Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands
April 6 - Eventim Apollo - London, UK
April 10 - Buckhead Theatre - Atlanta, GA
April 11 - Buckhead Theatre - Atlanta, GA
April 13 - State Theatre - Washington, DC
April 14 - State Theatre - Washington, DC
April 16 - Town Hall - New York, NY
April 17 - Town Hall - New York, NY
April 19 - Berklee Performance Center - Boston, MA
April 20 - Berklee Performance Center - Boston, MA
April 23 - Athenaeum Theatre - Chicago, IL
April 24 - Athenaeum Theatre - Chicago, IL
April 27 - Danforth Music Hall - Toronto, ON
April 28 - Danforth Music Hall - Toronto, ON
May 01 - Fillmore - Philadelphia, PA
May 02 - Fillmore - Philadelphia, PA
May 05 - Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square - Cleveland, OH
May 06 - Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square - Cleveland, OH
May 09 - The Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA
May 10 - The Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA
May 12 - Palace of Fine Arts - San Francisco, CA
May 13 - Palace of Fine Arts - San Francisco, CA
May 22 - Sumida Triphony Hall - Tokyo, Japan
May 23 - NHK Hall - Osaka, Japan
TODD RUNDGREN
A Wizard, A True Star. The title of Todd Rundgren's 1973 solo album aptly sums up the contributions of this multi-faceted artist to state-of-the-art music. As a songwriter, video pioneer, producer, recording artist, computer software developer, conceptualist, and interactive artist (re-designated TR-i), Rundgren has made a lasting impact on both the form and content of popular music.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Rundgren began playing guitar as a teenager, going on to found and front The Nazz, the quintessential `60's psychedelic group. In 1969, he left the band to pursue a solo career, recording his debut offering, the legendary Runt. But it was 1972's seminal Something/Anything?, on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts, and acted as his own producer, that catapulted Todd into the superstar limelight, prompting the press to unanimously dub him 'Rock's New Wunderkind'. It was followed by such landmark LPs as The Hermit of Mink Hollow and the above mentioned A Wizard, A True Star, as well as such hit singles as “I Saw The Light,” “Hello It's Me,” “Can We Still Be Friends,” and “Bang The Drum.”
In 1974, Todd formed Todd Rundgren’s Utopia (renamed and reconfigured in 1976 as Utopia), an entirely new approach to the concept of interactive musicianship, and embarked on an extensive round of touring and recording. Standout Utopia offerings included Oops! Wrong Planet, Adventures in Utopia, and Oblivion. Along the way, Todd Rundgren’s Utopia combined technical virtuosity and creative passion to create music that initially, for millions, defined the term "progressive rock”, and subsequently, as Utopia, the term “powerpop.”
Rundgren's myriad production projects include albums by Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, Psychedelic Furs, Meat Loaf, XTC, Grand Funk Railroad, and Hall And Oates. Rounding out his reputation as rock's Renaissance Man, Rundgren composed all the music and lyrics for Joe Papp's 1989 Off-Broadway production of Joe Orton's Up Against It (the screenplay commissioned by The Beatles for what was meant to have been their third motion picture). He also has composed the music for the hit film Dumb and Dumber, as well as series, including Pee Wee’s Playhouse and Crime Story.
In 2012 Rundgren performed his iconic 1973 album A Wizard A True Star in concert in its entirety for the first time ever, and several years later did the same with a double bill: Todd & Healing. He has toured with Ringo Starr as an erstwhile member of the All-Starr Band since 1989, and continues to perform with symphony orchestras both domestically and internationally. His latest studio album, White Knight, was released last May, and this past spring he toured North America with original Utopians Kasim Sulton and Willie Wilcox for the first time in 33 years. His long-awaited autobiography The Individualist, will be in stores December 21. He embarks on the world’s first hybrid concert/book tour this coming April/May, highlighting music across his 50-year career.
Last year on successive weekends he was awarded honorary doctorates from both the Berklee School of Music and DePauw University.
In 1998 Todd debuted his new PatroNet technology which for the first time allowed fans of a musical artist to subscribe directly to the artist’s musical output via the Internet. This caps a long history of groundbreaking early multimedia "firsts", including:
• 1978: The first interactive television concert, broadcast live over the Warner/QUBE system in Columbus, Ohio (the home 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 (by microwave), linking 40 cities around the country.
• 1979: The opening of Utopia Video Studios, a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art facility. The first project produced by Todd there is Gustav Holst’s The Planets, commissioned by RCA Selecta Vision as the first demonstration software for their new videodisc format.
• 1980: Creation of the first color graphics tablet, which wa
s licensed to Apple and commercially released as The Utopia Graphics Tablet.
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• 1981: “Time Heals,” the first music video to utilize state-of-the-art compositing of live action and computer graphics (produced and directed by Todd), becomes the eighth video to be played during the launch of MTV on August 1, 1981.
• 1982: The first live national cablecast of a rock concert (on the USA Network), simulcast in stereo to over 120 radio stations.
• 1982: The first two commercially released music videos, one of which was nominated for the first-ever Grammy awarded for “Best Short Form Video” in 1983.
• 1992: The first commercially available music downloads via CompuServe.
• 1993: The release of No World Order, the world’s first interactive record album on CD-i.
• 1994: The release of The Individualist, the world’s first full-length Enhanced CD.
• 1994: The world’s first interactive concert tour.
• 1998: Launches PatroNet, the world’s first direct artist subscription service -- predicts that someday "music will be sold by the pound".
• 2016: The production of the world's first full length concert shot with multiple Virtual Reality 360º cameras.
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
Rock Legend TODD RUNDGREN Headlines Cleopatra Records First Ever SXSW Showcase!
Los Angeles, CA - One of the few remaining truly independent, privately owned record labels in existence today, L.A.-based Cleopatra Records has been championing underground music and outsider artists since its inception in 1992. Now, the label has teamed up with the biggest music festival dedicated to discovering and promoting new talent, SXSW, to announce the first ever official Cleopatra Records showcase. Headlining this special event is legendary songwriter/producer/guitarist, Todd Rundgren, an artist well known for pushing the boundaries of rock and pop with his distinctive flair for the eccentric and unusual. Todd’s newest album, White Knight, was released by Cleopatra Records in May of last year and features guest performances by Trent Reznor, Robyn, Joe Satriani & more.
In addition to Rundgren, the showcase will also bring together some of the label’s newest acts including dreamwave artist Pastel Ghost, whose first album Abyss has been reissued by Cleopatra and will also see their forthcoming album released later this year on the label. Alternative metal cabaret act from Mexico, Descartes A Kant, partnered with Cleopatra for their newest album Victims Of Love Propaganda in May of last year while L.A.’s own death rock architects, Egrets On Ergot, released Surfeit Of Germütlich last October. Electronic duo United Ghosts will issue their Cleopatra debut later this year while local Texas band Nite, consisting of twin brothers Kyle and Myles Mendez, saw their newest release Reborn launched in July of 2016. Each of these bands demonstrates the label’s fondness for uniquely creative acts and a commitment to supporting truly artist-driven music.
The official SXSW showcase for Cleopatra Records will be held at Elysium in downtown Austin, TX on March 15th. The first band will start at 8pm.
TODD RUNDGREN SPANS GENERATIONS AND GENRES ON ‘WHITE KNIGHT’ OUT MAY 12 ON CLEOPATRA RECORDS
ALBUM FEATURES GUESTS ROBYN, TRENT REZNOR, DAM FUNK, DARYL HALL, DONALD FAGEN, JOE WALSH, BETTYE LAVETTE, JOE SATRIANI + MORE
Los Angeles – Todd Rundgren – the iconic songwriter, recording artist, producer and innovator – will release his newest album ‘White Knight’ on May 12 via Cleopatra Records. The 15-track collection features a dynamic range of original songs and deft studio work by Rundgren, with an incredible array of guests to match, including Dam Funk, Donald Fagen, Daryl Hall, Bettye Lavette, Robyn, Joe Satriani, Joe Walsh, and others. Recently Pitchfork unveiled album track “That Could Have Been Me” featuring Robyn.
Above: Todd Rundgren photo by Lynn Goldsmith; Robyn photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images for Governors Ball
The songs on ‘White Knight,’ all Rundgren originals or co-writes with some of the album guests, range from hip-hop flecked funk and dystopian synth rock to soaring ballads and crisp power pop. Album opener “Come” swirls with oscillating rhythms and sweeping layers of synths.
More squiggling synths drive the feature with Daryl Hall, “Chance For Us,” giving way to a rich sax solo and a punchy, squelching bass line. Robyn soars on the pop anthem “That Could Have Been Me,” while Todd and Donald Fagen harmonize on the timely political jab “Tin Foil Hat.” “‘Cause the man in the tin foil hat / is sitting on the throne tonight / it kinda feels like a coup e’tat / but its gonna be great, tremendous, amazing and all that.”
“It’s easy to get used to playing to your own audience, even if you are absorbing and experimenting with new ideas. I wanted to collaborate not just for the musical possibilities, but also to play for new audiences and expose my fans to the range of artists I enjoy working with.” – Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren will tour throughout 2017 with headlining dates kicking off in late April. Tour dates below with more to be announced shortly.
TRACK LIST – Digital/CD version:
1. Come
2. Got Your Back featuring KK Watson w/Dam Funk
3. Chance For Us featuring Daryl Hall w/Bobby Strickland
4. Fiction
5. Beginning (Of The End) featuring John Boutte
6. Tin Foil Hat featuring Donald Fagen
7. Look At Me feat. Michael Holman
8. Lets Do This with Moe Berg
9. Sleep with Joe Walsh
10. That Could Have Been Me featuring Robyn
11. Deaf Ears with Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
12. Naked & Afraid feat. Bettye LaVette
13. Buy My T
14. Wouldn’t You Like To Know feat. Rebop Rundgren
15. This Is Not A Drill featuring Joe Satriani with Prairie Prince, Kasim Sulton
Vinyl version:
1. Come
2. Got Your Back featuring KK Watson w/Dam Funk
3. Chance For Us featuring Daryl Hall w/Bobby Strickland
4. Fiction
5. Beginning (Of The End) featuring John Boutte
6. Tin Foil Hat featuring Donald Fagen
7. Lets Do This with Moe Berg
8. Sleep with Joe Walsh
9. That Could Have Been Me featuring Robyn
10. Deaf Ears with Trent Reznor
11. Buy My T
12. This Is Not A Drill featuring Joe Satriani with Prairie Prince, Kasim Sulton
TOUR DATES:
April 29 – St. Louis, MO – River City Casino and Hotel
May 2 – Burnsville, MN – Ames Center
May 3 – Waukegan, IL – Genesee Theater
May 5 – Columbus, OH – Express Live!
May 8 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
May 10 – North Tonawanda, NY – Riviera Theater
May 11 – Tarrytown, NY – Tarrytown Music Hall
May 13 – Kingston, NY – Ulster PAC
May 14 – East Greenwich, RI – Greenwich Odeum
May 17 – Salisbury, MA – Blue Ocean Music Hall
May 18 – Portland, ME – Aura
May 25 – Ft. Myers, FL – Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
May 27 – St. Petersburg, FL – The Mahaffey Theater
June 10 – Syracuse, NY – OCC Campus 35th Syracuse Jazz Festival
Todd Rundgren’s BOX O’TODD Limited Edition Live Box Set To Be Released
Los Angeles – Purple Pyramid records will be releasing a special limited edition collector’s box titled BOX O’TODD featuring previously unreleased live in-studio recordings from the early ’70s by legendary guitarist/songwriter/producer, Todd Rundgren! All shows were originally broadcast on the radio at the time.
This unique box features both stripped down solo performances by Rundgren as well as full band recordings with The Hello People, and includes some of Todd’s most well-known songs including “Hello, It’s Me,” “I Saw The Light,” “It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference” and many more!
In addition to three full-length CDs, the box set comes with a 20-page booklet featuring a full set of insightful liner notes by Dave Thompson and full color photos plus a signature guitar pick, 3 collectible pins, and a backstage pass!
Track List:
DISC 1 – Live From Philadelphia 1971 with the Hello People (originally broadcast on WMMR-FM)
1. Banter & Soundcheck
2. Believe In Me
3. Lady On The Terrace
4. I Got My Pipe
5. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference
6. Rock All Over Again
7. Everybody In The Congregation
8. Broke Down & Busted
9. Tonight I Wanna Love Me A Stranger
10. Ooh Baby Baby
11. Hold Me Tight (Excerpt)
12. Before I Grow Too Old
13. Be Nice To Me
14. I’m Feelin’ Better
15. The Ballad (Denny & Jean)
DISC 2 – Ultrasonic Studios 1972 with the Hello People (originally broadcast on WLIR-FM)
1. Broke Down & Busted
2. Georgia Swing
3. Outside Love
4. Piss Aaron
5. A Dream Goes On Forever
6. I Saw The Light
7. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference
8. Feels So Good to Be Alive
9. Mad Red Ant Lady
10. Blaze
11. Lady On The Terrace
12. Slut
DISC 3 – Counterpart Studios Cincinnati 1973 with Utopia (originally broadcast on WKRQ-FM)
1. Intro
2. I Saw The Light
3. A Dream Goes On Forever
4. Piss Aaron
5. Lord Chancellor’s Nightmare Song
6. Hello It’s Me
7. Banter
8. Utopia Theme
9. Black Maria
10. Hungry For Love
11. The Ikon (Segments)
Todd Rundgren At The BBC Four-Disc Collection Released By Esoteric Recordings
An extensive 4 disc clamshell boxed set featuring 3CDs & a DVD (NTSC Region Free) featuring all of Todd Rundgren’s BBC radio & television performances between 1972 & 1982!
London, UK – Todd Rundgren fans rejoice! Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the first ever official release of TODD RUNDGREN AT THE BBC. This four-disc collection comprises three CDs and a DVD (NTSC / Region Free) featuring all of the surviving radio and television broadcasts in the BBC archive transmitted on radio and television in the UK between 1972 and 1982. The set features on CD Todd’s solo 1972 BBC Radio One “In Concert” performance, recorded soon after the release of his seminal album “Something Anything”, the classic 1975 performance by Todd Rundgren and Utopia at Hammersmith Odeon, London, (including a previously unreleased track “Something’s Coming”) – on the first ever UK concert tour of Todd Rundgren and Utopia, a 1977 performance at the Oxford Polytechnic by Todd Rundgren and Utopia (promoting the “Ra” album), and a DVD featuring three different performances for the classic “Old Grey Whistle Test” series; the 1975 Todd Rundgren and Utopia session, a film of Todd Rundgren & Utopia at the Bearsville Picnic in 1977 (performing “Singring and the Glass Guitar”) and the entire recordings made for a 1982 solo Todd Rundgren Whistle Test special (including two songs not featured on the original TV broadcast).
This set is sure to delight the legions of Todd Rundgren fans and is a superb document of Todd’s continuing development as both a solo artist and with his band Utopia between 1972 and 1982.
“Todd Rundgren at the BBC” has been remastered and authored from the original BBC masters and is presented in a clamshell box with a booklet featuring a new essay.
*An extensive 4 disc clamshell boxed set featuring 3CDs & a DVD (NTSC Region Free)
*Featuring all of Todd Rundgren’s BBC radio & television performances between 1972 & 1982
*With 30 previously unreleased tracks on CD & DVD including two never broadcast songs from Todd's 1982 Old Grey Whistle Test special
*Remastered from the original BBC master tapes
*Includes illustrated booklet
CD Disc 1
Todd Rundgren:
1. I Saw the Light
2. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference
3. Piss Aaron
4. Hello It’s Me
5. Be Nice to Me
6. Black Maria
BBC Radio One “In Concert”
Recorded at the Paris Theatre, London 6th July 1972
First broadcast 15th July 1972
Todd Rundgren & Utopia:
7. Real Man
8. The Seven Rays
The Old Grey Whistle Test – 14th October 1975
CD Disc 2
Todd Rundgren & Utopia:
1. Freedom Fighters
2. Mister Triskets
3. Something’s Coming
4. The Last Ride
5. Sunset Boulevard / Le Feel Internacionale
6. Heavy Metal Kids
7. The Wheel
8. Open My Eyes
9. Sons of 1984
10. Do Ya
11. Couldn’t I Just Tell You
Recorded at Hammersmith Odeon, 9th October 1975
First broadcast on BBC Radio One on 1st January 1976
CD Disc 3
Todd Rundgren & Utopia:
1. Communion with the Sun
2. Love of the Common Man
3. Sunburst Finish
4. Jealousy
5. Windows
6. Singring and the Glass Guitar
7. Utopia Theme
Recorded at Oxford Polytechnic, 25th January 1977
for BBC Radio One
DVD Disc 4 - NTSC /Region Free
Todd Rundgren & Utopia:
1. Real Man
2. The Seven Rays
The Old Grey Whistle Test – 14th October 1975
Todd Rundgren & Utopia:
3. Bearsville Picnic
Featuring “Singring and the Glass Guitar”
The Old Grey Whistle Test – 2nd May 1978
Todd Rundgren:
4. Love of the Common Man
5. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference
6. Too Far Gone
7. Can We Still Be Friends
8. The Song of the Viking
9. Compassion
10. Lysistrata
11. Tiny Demons
12. Time Heals (promotional video)
13. One World
14. A Dream Goes on Forever
Todd Rundgren and Utopia Live At The Electric Ballroom, Milwaukee 23rd October 1978 To Be Released On Two-CD Set By Esoteric Recordings
London, UK - Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release in the Todd Rundgren Archive series. "Live at the Electric Ballroom” was recorded in Milwaukee on the 23rd October 1978 and captures Todd Rundgren and Utopia in fine form. Recorded for an FM radio simulcast, this concert has remained in the vaults until this two-CD release which features the entire concert. Featuring such classic material as “Real Man”, “Can We Still Be Friends”, “Black Maria”, “The Seven Rays”, “Couldn’t I Just Tell You”, “Hello, It’s Me” and many more, the concert has been mastered from the original broadcast tapes.
This Esoteric Recordings release features an illustrated booklet with new essay notes.
PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TWO CD SET OF TODD RUNDGREN & UTOPIA’s ENTIRE CONCERT AT THE ELECTRIC BALLROOM, MILWAUKEE IN OCTOBER 1978!
Superstars Of Classic Rock Honor The Music & Legacy Of The Doors Feat. Members of Deep Purple, Foreigner, Yes, Rainbow, Mountain, Moody Blues, ELP and Others!
Featuring Todd Rundgren, Ian Gillan, Edgar Winter, Steve Morse, David Johansen, Larry Coryell, Mark Farner, Patrick Moraz, Mick Box, Keith Emerson, Lou Gramm, Leslie West, Thijs Van Leer, Steve Cropper, Rick Wakeman, Roye Albrighton, Nik Turner, Billy Sherwood, Steve Hillage, Zoot Horn Rollo and Others!
Los Angeles, CA - A star-studded syndicate of rock virtuosos have gathered together to pay tribute to one of the best loved and most influential bands of all-time, The Doors, on a new CD release titled Light My Fire - A Classic Rock Salute To The Doors to be released by Purple Pyramid Records on June 24th! Produced by the extraordinarily talented Billy Sherwood, the album features brand new interpretations of classic Doors cuts that defined an entire generation, songs such as “Light My Fire,” “Riders On The Storm,” “Break On Through (To The Other Side),” “Love Her Madly,” “L.A. Woman,” “People Are Strange,” and lots more!
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear some of The Doors’ peers and prodigies tackle these seminal songs. Not one but TWO members of the quintessential prog rock band Yes, keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman and lead guitarist Steve Howe, joined Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan on the signature song, “Light My Fire,” which as Wakeman explains, “has always been one of those iconic tracks that keyboard players listen to because of the fact that there are so few tracks with keyboard/organ solos on them compared to our six-stringed buddies.
It’s also a solo area that is totally open to interpretation so whatever you do is not comparable to the original, so it was an absolute joy to do.” Howe likewise enthuses, “I was delighted to play on this album as The Doors were a band I heard a lot as everywhere I went in the late ‘60s their music was playing, at friend’s, in restaurants, gigs & bars throughout London. I’m sure I saw them play at Middle Earth, a then hip club. Then, when the reissue more recently came out, I got totally back into their music, especially ‘Light My Fire.’”
Another keyboard legend, Geoff Downes, likewise extolled the genius of Doors’ organist Ray Manzarek saying, “It was a real privilege to be asked to participate in this project. Ray Manzarek was one of the pioneers of keyboard playing in rock music, and had a major influence on me and many others. His style was totally unique, and an integral element into what made The Doors sound the way they did.”
1. L.A. Woman - Jimi Jamison (Survivor), Ted Turner (Wishbone Ash) & Patrick Moraz (Moody Blues) 2. Love Me Two Times - Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Thijs van Leer (Focus) & Larry Coryell 3. Roadhouse Blues - Leslie West (Mountain), Brian Auger & Rod Piazza 4. Love Her Madly - Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) & Mick Box (Uriah Heep) 5. Riders On The Storm - Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow), Tony Kaye (Yes) & Steve Cropper (Booker T. & The M.G.’s) 6. The Crystal Ship - Edgar Winter & Chris Spedding 7. Intro (People Are Strange) - Keith Emerson, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter & Joel Druckman (John Fahey) 8. People Are Strange - David Johansen (NY Dolls) & Billy Sherwood (Yes) 9. Touch Me - Robert Gordon, Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Steve Morse & Nik Turner (Hawkwind) 10. The Soft Parade - Graham Bonnet (Rainbow), Christopher North (Ambrosia) & Steve Hillage (Gong) 11. Hello, I Love You - Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep) & Roye Albrighton (Nektar) 12. Spanish Caravan - Eric Martin (Mr. Big) & Elliot Easton (The Cars) 13. Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) - Todd Rundgren & Geoff Downes (Yes / Asia) & Zoot Horn Rollo (Captain Beefheart) 14. Break On Through (To The Other Side) - Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad) & Chick Churchill (Ten Years After) 15. Light My Fire - Ian Gillan (Deep Purple), Rick Wakeman (Yes) & Steve Howe (Yes) 16. The End - Pat Travers & Jimmy Greenspoon (Three Dog Night)
Warner Music Group A new biography that explores the varied and quirky career of Todd Rundgren is a now available for purchase as part of Warner Music's Single Notes short-form eBook series. A Wizard, A True Star: The Unusual Career of Todd Rundgren was written by Australian rock journalist David Nichols, who delves into the multi-talented artist's sonic excursions into many rock genres as a band member, solo artist and producer.
Other digital books in the Single Notes series are available that focus on The Grateful Dead, The Ramones, The Stooges, Duran Duran, Rick James, Chic and Soft Cell.
You know... I have to say that the coolest thing about creating Retrokimmer.com is the amazing musical education I began receiving and it continues everyday. How lucky I am to meet all these historic musical legends and they feel comfortable sharing their stories with me. From all over the globe I am receiving lessons on rock, classical, jazz, and soul music from fans and musicians alike.
It began when I started working with Dennis "Machinegun" Thompson the legendary drummer of the MC5. Working with Dennis on Machinegun's Blog he began choosing music that influenced him. One of the songs he chose was Todd Rundgren's "Bang the Drum All Day". I knew the song but I had no idea it was Todd's song!! How did I miss that?
My favorite album of Todd's is Something/Anything? My pal Teri and I would play this record over and over driving her parents out of their house!
But my all time favorite Todd Rundgren song is "Can We Still Be Friends" One of the themes of my entire life I suppose.. A lot of people have covered this song. Robert Palmer had a big hit with his cover. Still the original with Todd on vocals is best...
I just love this video with Darryl Hall and Todd together on vocals...
Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings as solo artist, and during the seventies and eighties with the band Utopia. He has also been prolific as a producer and engineer on the recorded work of other musicians.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Rundgren engineered and/or produced many notable albums for other acts, including Straight Up by Badfinger, Stage Fright by The Band, We're an American Band by Grand Funk Railroad, Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf (now ranked as the fifth biggest-selling album of all time), and Skylarking by XTC. In the 1980s and 1990s his interest in video and computers led to Rundgren's "Time Heals" being the eighth video played on MTV, and "Change Myself" was generated on commercially available Amiga Computers.
His best-known songs include "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw the Light" which have heavy rotation on classic rock radio stations, and "Bang the Drum All Day" featured in many sports arenas, commercials, and movie trailers.
