History of NAZZ |
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 มี.ค. 2022
- The Nazz is much more than the launch pad for 70s Superstar Todd Rundgren. The Nazz created some cutting edge hard rock in the late sixties that holds up extremely well today. This Pop Goes the 60s video gives the full history of the band and plays clips of all their best tracks!
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Wow.. thank you so , so much for this wonderful , well done doc .. Carson was my dad, and I so wish he was still here to see it ❣ He would thank you sincerely. A lot of this history I was unaware of, though I have always loved listening to his old Nazz records.. it is so bittersweet any time I hear their music
Hello, Leland - how nice for a family member to touch base. Yes, I wish your Dad could have seen this too, but I'm glad you did. He was a great player and he left a legacy behind he can be proud of. Thanks for the warm comment.
@@popgoesthe60s52this entire interaction just warmed my heart on a bad day. Just thought I’d mention it haha
You must be very proud. Your Dad was not only a really solid bass player, but a great animator. God Rest his soul. ❤
@@bobbytropo2314 It warmed my heart that it warmed your heart!! 😁 It's SO awesome to think people are still out there appreciating my Dad and his insanely huge talent. He received a Disney Legend award about 6 months before he died and that's the one word I think of that best describes him : Legend. He's one of so few people who actually achieved "success" by doing what he loved, and he did it humbly without stepping on people in the corporate world of Disney. He was an amazing example.
@@MyMuzikVideos578 thank u SO MUCH for your appreciation of him!!
Began listening to the Nazz in 1968. A very under appreciated band.
I found the Nazz through Todd’s later solo release of “Hello, It’s Me”. This is one of my favorite groups and they should have been so much bigger!
One of America's BEST bands ever. The drummer could have replaced Keith Moon and Todd is just a genius on another level.
Stewkey is my grandpa!! I loved watching this ❤️
Hello! Thank you for watching and I'm sorry to hear of his passing. I still love his vocal on Not Wrong Long - killer.
When I was a teenager in the 70’s(!), I worked in a boutique record shop in the Philadelphia area. My boss had a copy of NAZZ NAZZ on the wall behind the counter, where we displayed the expensive albums( imports, rarities, etc.). It had some absurd price on it (maybe $100.00) which was justified by it being out-of-print, or something like that… It was NOT a pirate. We were well educated in the tell-tale signs of illegitimacy, and we were able to verify the authenticity of all our pricey collectibles. Someone did eventually buy it at the arbitrary price my boss was asking for it. Then I graduated high school, and my days as a hipster record store dude came to an end…🐼
Yeah I remember Nazz albums selling in the $50-60 (in late 70s money)range in northeast Philly so yeah $100 in center city and the burbs was real as a heart attack lol. (Do you remember if it was a red vinyl copy?) Thankfully Rhino put an end to that silliness
As an 80s college student, I became a Todd Rundgren fan, and thus found Nazz when researching his career. I purchased all three of the original LPs at my favorite used record shop for $2 each - and these songs have been part of my life ever since. Considering the re-recorded mop-up nature of the third record, it is shocking how well it stands up next to the others - "Only One Winner", "Take The Hand", and "It's Not That Easy" are all beautiful. "Some People", "Kicks" and "How Can You Call That Beautiful" all rock admirably. As always, awesome job with your deep dive into a band that deserves to be remembered.
Thank you, Michael - much appreciated!
The Bangles did a nice cover of "Open My Eyes", which shows that they have exquisite musical taste.
when they first started they were the Bangs and I believe Susana Hoff's is/was married to Matthew Sweet
Well done! This group is unfairly overlooked. It sounds ahead of its time.
"Open My Eyes". Masterpiece! Always loved the phasing FX too.
“The Nazz” was a famous Lord Buckley comic routine from the 50’s about the hipster that was Jesus of Nazareth. The Yardbirds named their song as a light-hearted tribute… even though it was a great electric blues-rock workout!
Matt-keep up the great insights into these 60’s tune masters! You certainly have to fit a fairly hefty amount of info in a limited amount of time!🙂✌️🎶👍
Exactly. And thus the line from Ziggy Stardust, "He was the Nazz with God-given ass".
I learned about Todd early on in life. My Dad was a Utopia fan and I was introduced to the album he released called "Faithful". One side was covers of Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix. The Beach Boys, and The Yardbirds. I had to dig deeper and ultimately found the Nazz. Why we don't talk about Todd more is beyond me.
Fantastic job! As a teenager in '69, I stumbled across the first 2 Nazz albums in my local record store and fell in love with them immediately. I still think that they are some of the best rock albums ever. I was a huge Todd R. fan for years and had dinner with him a couple of times. A nice guy , but a little cynical. His first several solo albums were great, as was a lot of the Utopia stuff. All in all, Todd is one of the most talented and innovative musicians of our time.
"A CASTLE OF GEMS"...Many masterpieces the enlightened minds of NAZZ have written for the joy of their FANS...!!! HYPNOTIC SOUNDS quite ahead for those years...!!! WONDERFUL YEARS the "70s: we were lucky enough to have a "soundtrack" so full of good music that despite the passage of time it WILL NEVER GO OUT OF FASHION 💔❤☮
Great GREAT BAND! Listening to the first two albums every so often reminds me of every girl I fell in love with from 1968-71!! There must have been at least three of those angels in the audience when they played in Baltimore (of course there were many more afterwards). “Beautiful Song” especially, carved on a mythic oak tree with initials I can still imagine. Tx very much …
I remember the surprise of Todd Rundgren’s writing in the 1960s. It was fascinating to hear his ideas at the time, genuinely new and finely wrought.
I just recently, 2023, saw him sharing a bill with Daryl Hall. My copy of album #2 is translucent red as shown here. I thought that might be rare but I guess not.
Great episode Matt. I know all the episodes must be time and research intensive, but your efforts are very much appreciated in bringing to light music and musicians who might otherwise be overlooked.
Thank you, Neal. Yes, these are very time consuming but I enjoy making them and sharing what I've learn with other fans. I hope to leave a library of mini-documentaries like this so these bands won't be forgotten.
@@popgoesthe60s52 These should be archived in every hall of fame and music library!
The Nazz was a great live performance band and absolutely a Philly band. A few blocks from the Factory was a small club called The Trauma where Nazz was essentially house band full a long time.
Thank you for featuring this group especially the original version of "Hello it's Me" which in my opinion far exceeded in sonic depth the version Rundgren released years later as a solo artist. Stewkey's vocal as the reverb enhanced atmosphere and quality high harmonies gave a starkness to the opening line "hello it's me", that banging on a few chords on a piano that just so abjectly fails. If the presenter's fact is authentic, that the engineers back in the day let him fool with the board, its no wonder he had a great future later in his career as a producer. And that is not meant as a slight.
Thank you for the insightful comment, Spacly.
Yes! I love both versions of Hello it’s Me, which is one of my favorite songs of all time. Thanks for doing this video, Spacly!
I was in a band at the time called the Ultra-Modern Trio and absolutely loved the first two LPs. Certainly, not every cut, but the songs I liked really resonated with me on an emotional level. I live in Europe now, but someplace in my storage unit in Virginia, I still have the original 2 LPs. Thank you for this thoughtful walk down memory lane. PS. Since I was never able to see them live, we figured out how to connect our record player to a Marshall 100 and a couple of Sunn 200'2 amps and turned them to 11, i.e., NAZZ LIVE. Sincerely appreciated!
After your Left Banke video, I was unable to stop listening to them on Spotify - until now. Nazz has officially replaced the Left Banke for workout music, etc. Another great example of music that had some influence, but never got the recognition. Really feel for guys like Stewkey who were so close to making it big - only to be left behind in the Rundgren wake (but cannot fault Todd for that) and then quitting Fuse before Cheap Trick took off.
Yeah, the music world is not for the faint of heart. Hard to keep Rundgren down! Glad to hear you are diving into the Banke and now Nazz!
Interesting. My memory tells me that Todd's next band was Runt (1970), and that's how I remember "We Gotta Get You a Woman", but my memory is getting old. Anyway, I always liked Nazz, and of course Todd's musical history is legendary. Thanks for this interesting background! Always enjoy.
The first release was "Runt", and it was supposed to be the band name, but the front cover photo was just a large photo of Todd, so it was already clear that it was totally his project. The second album was also credited to Runt, but as the album title was "The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren", it was made even more clear. After that the Runt name was dropped, and reissues of those albums were presented as solo works, with his name added to the cover of the first album.
Todd played most of the instruments on the runt albums, before putting out a bunch of solo albums, where he played everything.
As with other entertainers, I appreciated them until they took politics to the microphones. After that, Todd was seen online, playing guitar on the streets, with a stop sign backdrop.
This is really cool. Became a HUGE TR fan around 1971. Discovered Nazz later. Nazz Nazz is just classic. Hang On Paul, imo, has one of TR’s best solos ever. Thx for this! A LOT I didn’t know.
Thank you for watching, James!
I agree with your comparison of the rhythm section of the Nazz with that of the Small Faces. Both powerful driving bands when they did the harder stuff.
"She's Goin' Down" and "Open My Eyes" got a lot of airplay on WFMU in New Jersey.
Under The Ice is a five and a half minute drum solo. Amazing. Always loved The Nazz. Great video!
I don't know Matt's biography, but he should be a college professor or lecturer of musicology. Thank you Mr. Matt . . . .
Reason why "The Mad Room" is a classic to me.
Should have been huge, even with the oversaturation of great music at the time. They truly stood out as top tier
Another great look into a great ‘60s act.
Thanks Leaman!
Never heard any of their stuff beyond "Open My Eyes" This episode was a real eye opener, so to speak...
Thanks a million for highlighting the too-short-lived history of Nazz. Many garage bands (like the one I was in) during the late 60s latched onto their music because it was (a) accessible and (b) had to be played LOUD. But the main attraction was that they were an American band that didn't sound like some kind of British invasion rip-off. They were unique and very edgy. I have their first two LPs plus the double CD anthology, "Open Our Eyes" and you are so right about their songs still holding up very well decades later. I did get to see them in concert when they played at a teen club called "The Flare" that was held on weekends in a National Guard Armory in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas but Runt was already gone by then so it was a bit of a let-down. Still, they richly deserve the recognition you so graciously gave them on your show. Still waiting on your take on "The Move" but I figure you'll get around to them sooner or later. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for the background. I found absolutely no info on any of the replacement players after Todd and Carson left. How would you rate the guitarist you saw?
@Flirolas The Flare! I haven't heard that name since... well, back then lol. OC boy here. I didn't catch that show, BUT I saw the original band at the free show they did in Lee Park, I guess at the time of the pop festival. And yeah, they were killer live. Thanks for the memories! ATB!
I try, but I am not always able to get through too many episodes, of the 'Vinyl Community' which is just members showing off records. I find your shows are well researched and very interesting. I always come away learning some new info. Thank you
Thank you David, that is a high compliment.
Delighted for the feature on these guys - excellent band. To refer to them as "power pop" is to sell them short - great singing, playing, and writing. Thanks so much!
Thanks so much for this episode! I was given the first album by a high school friend who was getting into Funk while I was getting into harder rock, and I was knocked over when I heard that album. I still prefer the Nazz’s version of “Hello It’s Me” to Rundgren’s later solo version. I never knew their history, though, so this was great.
Thanks for watching and for the warm comment, RJ!
Might be the only time ive ever seen any TH-cam content creator mentioning the soul survivors 👍
As always you got the best 60s music focused content cheers
That's very flattering, Gregory. Much thanks.
Nazz was WAY ahead of their time!!
We loved the 1st Nazz LP !
promoted as the US Beatles . Nazz was good but that was unfair
I bought the first Nazz album in the UK when it was first released (1968?). I still have it.
With 450 comments so far, I'm sure somebody already brought this up, but "The Nazz" was a rap from Lord Buckley and it was his jive-talk recounting of the story of Jesus of "Nazz"areth, i.e. The Nazz. I can never know if the Yardbirds or Beck himself pulled that word from Buckley, but his records were very popular in bohemian hip circles, which I expect the Yardbirds did mingle with. So I'm going to say, yeah, that's where it comes from.
I had and repeatedly played the second album. A Beautiful Song is a masterpiece of interweaving orchestral and hard guitar-based rock. Had to Cry Today makes me do just that. I've tried to learn it, but the chords are too sophisticated for my clumsy fingers, so I do it accapella. Under the Ice, Not Wrong Long and Rain Rider are terrific hard rockers with meaning.
So cool to see a vid about The Nazz. Even better from a guy who sounds like a real fan like me.
This was a fun one and I always thought their story was interesting. Had they come on the scene a year earlier, their records may have made a bigger impact.
EXCELLENT The NAZZ was ! 😊
Greetings Matt ✌ Just today on The Underground Garage on SXM I was listening at work The Nazz-Open My Eyes which is one my ALL time favorite songs (Love that riff!!!) along with the Nazz version of Hello its Me, and as soon as I got home from work I see you released a video on The Nazz- How Cool!!! 👍- Back in 98 I saw Todd Rundgren with Ringo Starr's All Star Band at the Berkeley Community Theatre and one thing that is etched in my memory is his guitar playing with Jack Bruce doing Cream songs-That was Killer!!! On that Beatle Note, in 1973 there was this hilarious Feud between Todd and John Lennon in Melody Maker magazine, Where Todd criticized John for his Revolutionary antics and public demeanor which in response Todd got a taste of John's Nasty quick wit and really laid into Todd by calling him-Sodd Runtlestuntle and Turd Runtgreen, Lennon ended the lashing with- However much you hurt me darling, I'll always Love You.(Classic Lennon LOL)
Hey Ernie - Yes I have read the exchange between him and Lennon. Lennon eventually called him for a truce because he realized the media was fueling it. I saw him in the All Star Band too!
Excellent video matt. Great history of a very overlooked band. 🎸 👌
I've never heard of this band, or any of their songs. I'm about to learn a lot over the next 29 minutes. Thanks for this!
Ditto
As always...pure gold. I loved the Nazz and Todd was smart to release Hello Its Me on his own - always a great song. He turned into a great producer as the years went on. Watching this right now I just realized how much his Only One Winner sounds like an early version of his We Gotta Get You a Woman...love it man, as always!
I've read that Stewkey retired from music to support his pregnant wife. One of his jobs was as a limousine driver, so since he worked weekends and weekday nights he didn't have time to perform live
This was so well done! I wish more band histories were done in this fashion where everything is on topic...no side-stepping or other unnecessary filler. Thumbs up!!
I have many more coming... working on 2 right now!
I backtracked from Todd to the Nazz. I've read a lot but but Matt's conversation really brings things into line.
I grew up in Philly. Around 67 or 68, a music hall called The Trauma had some big name groups. The Nazz opened for a couple of shows I saw there and they were fantastic. They had quite a local following.
Thanks for that information, Marc. There is so little information on their live playing in those formative years - much appreciated!
Got my Nazz crash coarse in 1979. A bandmate was a huge Nazz fan so I remember all these songs. Great memories :-) Like The Creation and Big Star, The Nazz seem to have needed that one breakout hit to reach fame (if not fortune). These 3 bands are by no means footnotes. They've left us all some incredible music. Is it me , or does the piano on You Are My Window have that Wilson/Parks/Smile kindavibe? This was a fantastic trip down Memory Lane Matt. Another masterful offering. Thank you sir. Cheers, RNB
Thank you, Rick!
I'm ashamed to say I've never heard of this band. Thank you for educating me. On a related note...the song "Hello It's Me": I've never been a huge Todd Rundgren fan, but for some reason this song just reaches into my body and pulls this sad chord. The song doesn't remind me of a lost love and I have no emotional connection that relates to a past event in my life...but I always feel melancholy when I hear it come on...which is fine, its shows the power of the song and music in general.
Yes, Rundgren is good that way... he seems to write from deep down sometimes. Glad you liked discovering these guys!
If you're not a big Rundgren fan why would you be ashamed to have not heard of nazz?
Well done all the way, excellent narrating style, I could listen for hours to this man telling such real life stories of musical bands.
Thank you for the kind words, Benoit.
Uncanny - I was just thinking about The Nazz, and now this shows up. I'm a huge Todd Rundgren fan.
Interesting early version of "Hello, It's Me" - the self-penned tune he would resurrect and re-record just a few years later as a solo artist. Love that first album.
Excellent choice for this topic!
Thanks, Knight Vision!
Todd Rungren also produced Cheap Trick's 1983 Album called Next Position Please. Rick Nielsen has often said how great and easy was to work with Todd.
You have a great honest style. It was very endearing on the touchy subject of Sometime In New York City. Nice insight into why Todd’s vocals may have been removed from some of these songs. Still, they kept You Are My Window intact. My favorite Nazz tune is Forget All About It.
Hey John - thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed it!
Great show about ‘the NAZZ. Matt, I learned a lot…..and I hope you do a series of podcasts on Todd’s prolific later career!!!!!
There was so much to retain not only on The Nazz - but Todd Rundgren. Very talented musician. He played piano on " Trouble Trouble" on Foghat debut Lp ( which my aunt bought me by accident - I wanted " Energized" Lp) great album anyway. Thanxamillion!!
The original Nazz Nazz album was pressed in translucent RED vinyl. After a couple of decades Rhino Records re-released it, also in translucent RED vinyl. After having it a while, and no turntable, I sold it on eBay for a nice sum :) Now I have it on CD. I love this album, always have, always will :)
I'm a kid in my late teens and have been obsessed with the 1960s since I was little. Not just the music but the whole package. I was in the record store last month and stumbled across the Nazz debut in the used section. I had no idea what it was but the cover was the most 60s looking thing I'd ever seen so I just had to buy it, having no idea if I had just bought garbage or not. Just as I thought the album was absolutely awesome. What a great sound. I guess that's what it felt like buying records before the internet? I just finished your Jefferson Airplane series as well and was thrilled, really awesome videos. And if I may post a suggestion, I'd love to see you cover Sam the Sham and the Pharoah's or Canned Heat!
I'd like to see a video on The Easybeats. History (at least from an international perspective) seems to be pushing them as a footnote to AC/DC. Easybeats' keymembers Harry Vanda and George Young (Angus and Malcolm's big brother) produced early AC/DC records, and a lot of Australian hits. They also wrote ''Walking In The Rain'' (Grace Jones), ''Love Is In The Air'' (John Paul Young), and recorded under the name Flash And The Pan. A lot of meat on the Easybeats bone.
I've had several requests for them so I may move them up on my list. Some really great songs that are not very well known in America.
@@popgoesthe60s52 that'll be great. They had tons of great stuff before Friday on my mind when still in Australia
I had the 45 of Friday On My Mind as a teenager in the 60s, flip side was Made My Bed Now I Got To Lie In It.
Thanks for doing this History of the Nazz! By 1973, age 15, my introduction to Todd Rundgren, and "serious" music listening, was through the boyfriend of the older sister of a school-mate. My friend and I skipped out of afternoon classes one day to listen to the new second Steely Dan album on his father's killer stereo system. His sister had the same idea, along with her BF, Ronnie (who became one of NE Ohio's biggest rock musicologists, and legendary record store owner). He insisted we listen to Todd's third solo album, Something/Anything, which we did. That experience was eye and ear opening, not only because of the music, but because of how Ronnie introduced Todd as a kick ass guitarist, all around musician, songwriter, singer, engineer, producer, the whole enchilada! I was genuinely impressed with that first listen. Ronnie encouraged me to continue delving into everything else he had released to that point, his two previous solo albums, and the three Nazz albums.
That was easier said than done because other than the first Runt album, the others were out of print, copies were becoming rare, and could cost a pretty penny! For years I looked for available copies, without luck. Then one day in late 1977, I stopped in a grimy electronics store to shop for something other than music. To my surprise, the store had 8-track tapes for sale, and among the titles were original label (not bootleg or dups) sealed copies of The Ballad Of TR, and Nazz Nazz! The store owner wanted $40 per tape, which was a lot for me at the time, but I happily handed over that amount. At first listen, they were everything I was hoping they would be, and more!
Consider that by that point in time, I had become a working musician (bass, guitar), and my listening experience had broadened out considerably from rock, to prog, jazz and classical. So many classic bands and recordings had been released by that point. Musically, Todd had matured well beyond the songs recorded on those early albums. Still, for me, the music on those tapes filled so many gaps. Loved then, and loved now!
Wow the Nazz on 8-track! Thanks for sharing your Nazz journey!
I have been a fan of Nazz since 1971 and learned some things I did not know about the band. One of my classmates when I was in trade school was from Upper Darby, PA. He was friends with Todd Rundgren and was surprised I knew about Nazz.
Thanks for the comment, Joseph!
Thank you for the history lesson about Nazz. I have always known them as Nazz but I see them called The Nazz. This is similar to The Eagles who always stated that their name was just Eagles. Just a thought.
@@josephboychak358 Yeah, Rundgren calls them "the Nazz" in interviews and introduces them as "the Nazz" in the intro to Loosen Up. Plus their name is base on "The Nazz are Blue" AND most importantly, it's easier to say "the Nazz" in a sentence than just "Nazz." I used both in the video.
I was pleasantly surprised when you mentioned The Guess Who in your video. I have been a fan of theirs since 1969. I was fortunate enough to see them after the Share The Land album came out and right before the Artificial Paradise album was released. As an aside, the original packaging of Artificial Paradise is brilliant, imho.
Guess Who related, Randy Bachman and his son Tal did live TH-cam broadcasts every Friday night starting in late 2020 and for most of 2021. They called this the Friday Night Train Wreck and broadcast as Bachman & Bachman. They did their take on other artist songs and played Guess Who and BTO songs. They did some of the early Guess Who songs from 1967 and later.
They would take song suggestions from people who watched their broadcasts. I commented that perhaps they could do a Badfinger. Tal read my comment and the next week they did songs with the theme being the word bad. I believe these are episodes 51 and 52 or 52 and 53. Being a fan it was a thrill to have them mention my name on two of their broadcasts. I have recently received a few items that Burton Cummings personally autographed which adds to my Guess Who thrills.
Once again, thanks for the Nazz history lesson and I apologize for my rambling.
@@josephboychak358 Hey Joseph! I am a Guess Who fan so I'll have to check out that youtube broadcast. Thanks!
The Twilights album behind you! 9.50 is one of my favourite tracks from 1967. Terry Britten also wrote Whats Love Got to Do With It for Tina Turner. Glenn Shorrock went on to the Little River Band. I believe that Todd is touring Australia in 2024.
I’ve owned Nazz 2 since 1969. My dad who wouldn’t have known the difference between The Rolling Stones and the Beatles brought it home from work (he managed a K Mart). It was like excess inventory. I became a Todd fan. For the next 50+ years I thought I had a rare red vinyl promotional copy. Until today and with Matt’s show I find they were all red vinyl. Still pretty cool. Flash forward 40+ years Todd was doing a show in my city, Oshkosh WI. I knew someone on the programming committee and I asked her if she could get Todd to sign it. I knew Todd was not exactly fan friendly but she got it done. The record came back signed “Todd 2019”. It was 2017 at the time but I guessed Todd was a little spaced out as to what year it was.
What a great story from you Dad on down to the Oshkosh show. I live in Milwaukee, so I know exactly where your town is. I was informed by 2 commenters here that there is a black vinyl version that is much rarer than the red.
Thanks for delivering a great, insightful look at The Nazz. One of my all time favs !
I had an encounter in April 1973 with “Sick Man of Europe” at a restaurant, called the Norse Shalet in my hometown of Stoughton, Wisconsin. I was a third grader at the time, and my elementary school was literally a block away from that place. When we saw a U-Haul style truck all painted in white with a bunch of hippies loading big equipment in and out me and my pal ran over there… “ Neato! Are you guys in a rock band?”
( no kidding, you little monster )
It was Stewkey who took the time and chatted with me and my buddy, and patiently explained that yes, indeed they were rock ‘n’ roll musicians, and had to set up equipment and do a sound check in preparation for the nights performance in the basement of that restaurant. That encounter was burned into my memory since April 1973, and I was impressed how that young and talented musician took the time to be so nice to a couple of school kids.
Very cool! Thank you for sharing that.
Excellent depth here. Even though I own their first 3 I’d never really given them much more thought than open my eyes and hello it’s me. I certainly didn’t know of their connection to the electric prunes or van dyke parks. I always learn so much here. I think nazz nazz also came out on black vinyl, which is rarer but has no more value than the red. Oh man, anytime you can work in a small faces reference, I’m all in.
Ah, I didn't know that came out on black vinyl. I will have to keep my eye out for that one! Thanks, Earhead.
There's another comp with demo's and alternatives you didnt mention here that I picked up some time in the 90's called "Nazz from Philadelphia" Just thought I'd mention it.
Again, another top rundown on what I always thought was an underrated band from that era. Thanks for your insightful channel! keep up the good work! xx
Thank you, sir Punk. I don't think I've seen that comp.
Loved it. Have always appreciated Todd's songwriting and producing. Knew of the Nazz because of "Open My Eyes." May have to delve further into the catalog. Thanks Matt.
They have some very worthwhile songs - rockers, pop, ballads.
Matt,
You and Rick Beato are a one two punch against ignorance of rock and roll nuts and bolts and R&R history.
Thank you, Scott. It's very flattering to be lumped in with Beato!
I always though that The Nazz had a pop sounding rock sound, kind of a cross between The Monkees and a legit British rock band, like The Kinks. They almost sounded Wrecking Crew studio backed, slick and polished. That's a testimony to their talent.
Never heard of nazz but hello it’s me was huge up in Boston always on radio. I always thought it was Todd rundgren solo. I went to his performance sometime late 80s on landsdowne st . Didn’t know the vast majority of his music but bang on the drum was a worthwhile one to witness in performance
Correction at 27:54: The "13th & Pine" CD, "Nazz From Philadelphia" LP and "Sydney's Lunchbox" 45, all on the Distortions label, were NOT bootleg's, but legitimate items licensed from Stewkey's master tapes. These limited edition recordings were released in 1997-1998 to help Stewkey with his medical expenses while he was awaiting a liver transplant. Stewkey is alive and well in still living in the Philadelphia area.
Thanks for the correction.
Excellent episode. I had NO idea that first album was so good.
a great band thanks
fan since '68
North Jersey's underground FM station, WMFU played "Open My Eyes" and "She's Going Down" a lot. They also had Earth Opera's "American Eagle Tragedy" in heavy rotation. I saw them at Drew Univesity when they opened for Jefferson Airplane.
Superb Matt! LOVE the Nazz, I also first bought the Best Of back in the mid-80s, but at that time the studio LPs had yet to be reissued, so I went the collector route & amassed a Nazz collection of originals...and this is back when record collecting meant Goldmine magazine as the closest thing to eBay, Nazz records were Yike$$$$ !! But I managed to find all of the SGC originals including some promos of the singles. [Interesting observation, for a record that charted so low, Open My Eyes/Hello It's Me had at least 4 different label variations so it was either in print longer than expected, or manufacture was farmed out to many plants] Also, Nazz Nazz was also issued on black vinyl in a 2nd pressing, which is much rarer than the red vinyl, kind of a twist there.
They are likely the perfect power pop band. Wonderful job as always.
Thank you, Chris. I hadn't known about the black lable version of Nazz Nazz. I appreciate the kind words.
First I ever heard the black vinyl was more rare! I have one. My early high school crush had a red one, autographed by Stewkey, her older sister’s crush. Great Band! Beautiful girls that really got hip to great east coast talent. My next favorite band of the time was The Small Faces.
I remember having a NAZZ album with Hello It’s Me on it as a teenager in the 60’s. It was on red vinyl.
Nazz Nazz came out on red vinyl, but I don't think that the first did. I did buy each album as they came out, and the first was on black vinyl.
Well, I just got to the part where you played "Loosen Up". I hadn't heard that when I made my previous comment. It was true genius.
Another great informative and entertaining video, Matt! I didn't know about the Nazz as a kid in the 1960s, but I heard Todd's solo material on the radio all the time in the early '70s and I didn't like it at all. In the late '80s or so I bought the first three albums of the Nazz on CD and man alive, what a powerhouse rock band these guys were putting out magnificent material!
Love the research you put in to these videos. Thanks so much, very entertaining!
My pleasure. Thank you for letting me know.
Thanks for sharing the Nazz. I haven’t heard them in years
Hello It's Me is one of my all time favorite songs. Nice to find out where it started. Don't remember the group Nazz, but some of the songs you played sound very good. Love your passion for the music Matt. Love your videos. You are the best! Thanks for all your hard work.
I appreciate the kind words st.rose!
I had the first two albums back in the day. Nazz and Nazz Nazz and I had the red pressing of Nazz Nazz. I sold it for 50 cents. Smart boy I was back then.
Great Band!!!❤
What a great band NAZZ when I first heard the first album I was who is that and play that album again that's how much it made a mark on me. l I love all the members of the band Nazz and have followed Todd's career ever since to me the greatest American artist of his generation.
Enjoyed! I love Todd Rundgren as he basically got Sparks a record deal with Bearsville Records and produced their first album as the band "Halfnelson" in 1971. He is a musical genius too. P.S. Never heard much music by the Nazz but love what I've heard and might get their box set someday soon, especially when you mention Steppenwolf's "At Your Birthday Party" when talking about their 2nd album, as that is my favorite Steppenwolf album!
Hey Larry! Yeah, I didn't know the connection to Sparks. I also didn't know Jim Lowe work with Sparks as well. Everything is connected! Thanks for stopping by.
@@popgoesthe60s52 I interviewed James Lowe about 8 years ago and he made a lot of discussion about being with Todd at that time and also the Sparks. The interview was in some electric prunes Facebook groups about 2 years back.
Oh my gosh what a brilliant video! Thank you so so much… that was such a fun and informative watch. I love Nazz so so much and I’m always sad that there’s not more content to dig into from them, videos and photos and stuff. So thank you for satisfying my Nazz hunger haha!
You are so welcome, April! Thank you for commenting.
Thanks for another amazing episode Matt! Pretty sure that Todd is a space alien! His record (no pun intended) as a writer, producer, arranger and player is second to none! All the best to you my friend!
As always, another in-depth perspective on pop music history. I always come away well educated. Thanks sir.
Well researched video on Todd's first commercially successful band. I enjoyed it thoroughly; however, it would be cool to see a video on Todd's post Nazz career, especially the development of Utopia, from a progressive concept to prog pop in it's late 70s, 80s iterations. Keep up the fantastic work!!!
Thank you, Mark!
Thanks again, Matt. You showed some Nazz bootlegs, and I happen to have another one, called "From Philadelphia."
I really liked Under the ice, Heavy !!
Love my man Todd! Thanks for the history of Nazz.
I love Nazz. I have my 8 track of Nazz Nazz.
I love Paris with Nooney, the bass player from Jethro Tull and the singer from Fleetwood Mac
Black Book from their Cd is good.
Great show!
Great piece as always Matt....keeping the history alive. Thanks for all you do....This band should have been bigger. Funny how fate seems to determine outcomes...
Thanks, David. Plenty more coming, so stay tuned!
Excellent bio of the band. Never really got into them but always been a fan of Todd's solo career.