Hit songs badmouthed by their singers

[deltas69]

I thought Harper Valley WAS her concert. LMAO...Now That is FUNNY !!

 

[deltas69]

WHOOOPS..Sorry for the double shot..but still funny...

 

[Talk_Dude]

With the exception of the last sentence above, what you say applies to Styx. They had a number of Top 20 hits, but "Babe" is their biggest seller. Dennis DeYoung wrote it for his wife and claimed that it was meant to be a private song for them until he played it for the rest of the band and they wanted to release it. It's sappy and sickly sweet and made Styx a ton of money. After they broke up in the early 80's Tommy Shaw, who has some decent rock cred, went solo and at one show had his band start the keyboard riff of "Babe" fully expecting it to be mocked by the crowd (which it was). He joined in their mockery and obviously didn't play the song. He later apologized for his snarkiness, but the rift between DeYoung and the surviving members of Styx lingers on. It has a lot more to do with control issues than with "Babe", but DeYoung is not part of Styx anymore, nor is "Babe" on their set list.

What is their opinion of "Mr. Roboto" nowadays? It became (I think) their second biggest hit, after "Babe," of course (hit #3 in 1983), but now I get the feeling that its popularity has not endured, and that most fans now think of it as more of a "novelty" song. It certainly doesn't get the airplay like it once did. I'm sure that they probably still play it in concert, but what is their reaction toward the song now?

Like most bands, each band member has a different opinion. In a band like Styx, after the acrimonious break-ups and reformings, don't epxect the guys still in the band to be enthusiastic about songs written by someone who was kicked out of the band, especially about the songs he wrote that lead to the other guys kicking the other guy out.

And, just because radio people get excited about how a song sells as a single doesn't mean that professional musicians feel the same way. Listen to any interview with any serious musicians, and they almost always judge their work by how good it sounds to them, and how their audiences respond in live performances.

 

[billyg]

What is their opinion of "Mr. Roboto" nowadays? It became (I think) their second biggest hit, after "Babe," of course (hit #3 in 1983), but now I get the feeling that its popularity has not endured, and that most fans now think of it as more of a "novelty" song. It certainly doesn't get the airplay like it once did. I'm sure that they probably still play it in concert, but what is their reaction toward the song now?

From what I've read, and saw on VH-1's "Behind the Music" both Tommy Shaw and JY hate the song and the album it's from (1983's "Kilroy Was Here"). Dennis DeYoung forced them to make that concept album, the expensive video and the tour where they had to do some bad acting which caused fans to boo them or walk out.

The tour was a flop that broke the band up for a few years. Dennis DeYoung still plays the song live in his solo shows but I've yet to hear the current Styx group do it live.

 

[firepoint525]

And then you have all the "rock" bands whose biggest hit was a ballad, and they enjoyed the $$$$ from that ballad so much that ballads were (almost) all they ever released as singles from then on! Good example of this: Foreigner. They released essentially the same song as a single every three years (three times total) during the '80s. "Waiting For a Girl Like You" spent seemingly forever (well, 10 weeks) at #2 in 1981-82, then "I Want to Know What Love Is" finally gave them their first (and so far, only) #1 in early 1985. Another three years passed, and then "I Don't Want to Live Without You" went top five in early 1988. At first, they were worried that ballads would ruin their "rock" reputation, but then apparently it didn't matter to them anymore, and they put out (almost) nothing but ballads.

Give them credit, though, they knew what their fans wanted, as those three are among their biggest hits. But all three of them still sound like the same song to me.

 

[billyg]

That's one of the reasons why Foreigner split up.. Lou Gramm said that the huge success of "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want To Know What Love Is" typecasted them as a ballad band and ruined their rock image.

REO Speedwagon was the same way.. they scored a huge hit with the ballad "Keep On Lovin' You" and the "Hi Infidelity" album. But it caused a really hard rocking band to move in a softer pop-rock direction.

 

[firepoint525]

That's one of the reasons why Foreigner split up.. Lou Gramm said that the huge success of "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "I Want To Know What Love Is" typecasted them as a ballad band and ruined their rock image.

REO Speedwagon was the same way.. they scored a huge hit with the ballad "Keep On Lovin' You" and the "Hi Infidelity" album. But it caused a really hard rocking band to move in a softer pop-rock direction.

REO also had the big ballad hit with "Can't Fight This Feeling." At least it wasn't a soundalike to "Keep On Loving You."

Just curious, did anyone ever criticize a song that he/she him/herself wrote? We have examples of band members criticizing songs written by other band members, and of solo artists criticizing songs written by other songwriters.

John Lennon was very critical of some of Paul McCartney's Beatle songs, like "Hello Goodbye" and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," but we all know that Lennon did not write those, despite his name appearing on the songwriting credits. He also blamed Paul for some of the Beatles' "failed" projects, like the movies Magical Mystery Tour and Let It Be.

 

[Talk_Dude]

Just curious, did anyone ever criticize a song that he/she him/herself wrote? We have examples of band members criticizing songs written by other band members, and of solo artists criticizing songs written by other songwriters.

I can't think of examples off the top of my head, but I've heard many songwriters say that they wrote lots of songs that embarrassed them. They also said that the songs they wrote that they didn't like weren't even presented to other band members, let alone recorded.

 

[billyg]

Just curious, did anyone ever criticize a song that he/she him/herself wrote? We have examples of band members criticizing songs written by other band members, and of solo artists criticizing songs written by other songwriters.

I remember Peter Criss talking about "Beth".. He didn't think it was his best song. It was intended to be a album filler track and it wound up as the B-side of "Detroit Rock City".

Some DJ flipped the record over, and it became Kiss' biggest hit.

 

[firepoint525]

Just curious, did anyone ever criticize a song that he/she him/herself wrote? We have examples of band members criticizing songs written by other band members, and of solo artists criticizing songs written by other songwriters.

I remember Peter Criss talking about "Beth".. He didn't think it was his best song. It was intended to be a album filler track and it wound up as the B-side of "Detroit Rock City".
Some DJ flipped the record over, and it became Kiss' biggest hit.

I remember that, and thinking that it probably benefited KISS in the long run. Imagine being some 12-year-old kid buying that 45 to get "Detroit Rock City" and then hearing "Beth" on the B-side! At least, with "Beth" being the A-side, that element of surprise was gone! (Although I suppose the reverse element of surprise was possible! )

Due to the success of "Beth," Casablanca released another song with a Peter Criss lead vocal ("Hard Luck Woman") as the followup single.

 

[Talk_Dude]

Just curious, did anyone ever criticize a song that he/she him/herself wrote? We have examples of band members criticizing songs written by other band members, and of solo artists criticizing songs written by other songwriters.

I remember Peter Criss talking about "Beth".. He didn't think it was his best song. It was intended to be a album filler track and it wound up as the B-side of "Detroit Rock City".
Some DJ flipped the record over, and it became Kiss' biggest hit.

I remember that, and thinking that it probably benefited KISS in the long run. Imagine being some 12-year-old kid buying that 45 to get "Detroit Rock City" and then hearing "Beth" on the B-side! At least, with "Beth" being the A-side, that element of surprise was gone! (Although I suppose the reverse element of surprise was possible! )

Due to the success of "Beth," Casablanca released another song with a Peter Criss lead vocal ("Hard Luck Woman") as the followup single.

When Kiss was big, I had a 12 year old kid. I can't imagine my kid or any of his friends buying a 45 by Kiss. At the local record stores I shopped in back in the 1970's, there was a tiny little display of 45's way back in the corner, and only adolescent girls ever shopped there. The male contingent of the Middle School Crowd all bought albums, or else made cassette tapes of their friend's albums.

 

[bpatrick]

I heard Tony Orlando did not like any of his songs or music.

Yet, he gives them credit on one of those "Time Life" 70's CD sets. I'm sure he would like his "Yellow Ribbon" song.

I suspect there was a time, in 1977, when Tony Orlando didn't like much of anything. He was deeply affected by the suicide of his buddy Freddie Prinze and dropped out of sight for a time.

Melanie (Safka) became so identified with a song she hated, "(I've Got A Brand New Pair Of) Roller Skates," that she refused to perform at all for several years. Likewise, Don McLean has a love/hate relationship with "American Pie," and, IIRC, he also swore off touring until the song's popularity finally blew over.

 

[bpatrick]

Correction. Melanie's song was "Brand New Key." She'd
probably rather forget, too.

But it had a fast but short life. It entered the Billboard
Top 10 at number nine on Dec. 11, 1971, was number two
on Dec. 18, and number one from Christmas Day to Jan. 8,
1972; "American Pie" displaced it at number one on Jan. 15.
"Brand New Key" stayed at number two until Jan. 29, was
number three on Feb. 5, number nine on Feb. 12, then dropped
out of the top ten. Not a bad run.

 

[billyg]

When Kiss was big, I had a 12 year old kid. I can't imagine my kid or any of his friends buying a 45 by Kiss. At the local record stores I shopped in back in the 1970's, there was a tiny little display of 45's way back in the corner, and only adolescent girls ever shopped there. The male contingent of the Middle School Crowd all bought albums, or else made cassette tapes of their friend's albums.

I was 15 in 1976 when Kiss was popular, and it was the same way. Most of my male freinds just bought the albums, or if they had a car it was always the tape. Girls would always buy the 45.

When I was a kid, I only had a cheap GE phonograph and bought mostly 45's. But when I moved into Jr. High in 1974 and got my first good stereo as a birthday present (10 watt Panasonic!) and later a matching 8-track deck (which I regret buying now, but they were cool in 1975) I learned to save for albums.

 

[TheFonz]

I was 15 in 1976 when Kiss was popular, and it was the same way. Most of my male freinds just bought the albums, or if they had a car it was always the tape. Girls would always buy the 45.

When I was a kid, I only had a cheap GE phonograph and bought mostly 45's. But when I moved into Jr. High in 1974 and got my first good stereo as a birthday present (10 watt Panasonic!) and later a matching 8-track deck (which I regret buying now, but they were cool in 1975) I learned to save for albums.

Back in the '50s and early '60s, 45s ruled. LPs in those days contained mostly filler. The logic was that I could buy 5 hit 45s for the cost of an LP. The early Beatles' LPs contained one or two hits and a few cover songs. The rest of the songs were considered filler. It wasn't until later in the '60s when FM radio started playing album cuts that LPs became popular.

 

[billyg]

Back in the '50s and early '60s, 45s ruled. LPs in those days contained mostly filler. The logic was that I could buy 5 hit 45s for the cost of an LP. The early Beatles' LPs contained one or two hits and a few cover songs. The rest of the songs were considered filler. It wasn't until later in the '60s when FM radio started playing album cuts that LPs became popular.

So true, and artists like Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin etc started making great albums with little if any filler tracks. That caused LP sales to shoot through the roof in the mid-late 70's.

It's interesting that now with Ipods and Itunes most teenagers are buying more single tracks than albums again. But the music industry has reverted back to the early 60's of making albums with 2-3 hits and a lot of filler!

 

[firepoint525]

When Kiss was big, I had a 12 year old kid. I can't imagine my kid or any of his friends buying a 45 by Kiss. At the local record stores I shopped in back in the 1970's, there was a tiny little display of 45's way back in the corner, and only adolescent girls ever shopped there. The male contingent of the Middle School Crowd all bought albums, or else made cassette tapes of their friend's albums.

Depends on the size of their allowance! ;D The only 45 I ever had by them was one that I acquired at a record store for 50 cents! They often deeply discounted their 45s once those singles had left the charts. But on the occasion that I got that 45 (and maybe others), they had had a "storm sale" because their roof had caved in during a storm or something, so they deeply discounted merchandise in order to move it.

In the '80s, I bought Springsteen 45s there (also deeply discounted because I waited until they left the charts!) for the non-album b-sides! I got them deeply discounted, and some of them are actually worth more than the average '80s-era 45s now, especially the ones I got with picture sleeves!

 

[TheFonz]

Depends on the size of their allowance! ;D The only 45 I ever had by them was one that I acquired at a record store for 50 cents! They often deeply discounted their 45s once those singles had left the charts. But on the occasion that I got that 45 (and maybe others), they had had a "storm sale" because their roof had caved in during a storm or something, so they deeply discounted merchandise in order to move it.

In the '80s, I bought Springsteen 45s there (also deeply discounted because I waited until they left the charts!) for the non-album b-sides! I got them deeply discounted, and some of them are actually worth more than the average '80s-era 45s now, especially the ones I got with picture sleeves!

Another good source for cheap 45s that left the charts was juke box distributers. I remember getting five for a dollar. I'd pick out the ones in the best condition................some were unplayed!

 

[firepoint525]

Back in the '50s and early '60s, 45s ruled. LPs in those days contained mostly filler. The logic was that I could buy 5 hit 45s for the cost of an LP. The early Beatles' LPs contained one or two hits and a few cover songs. The rest of the songs were considered filler. It wasn't until later in the '60s when FM radio started playing album cuts that LPs became popular.

Not true in the case of the Beatles. There was actually more demand for songs from their albums to be released as singles, than actually were put on 45s. Consider these: "All My Loving," "Michelle," "In My Life," "Good Day Sunshine," "Taxman," and probably a few more. "Eight Days a Week" was not released as a single in the UK. "Yesterday" was only released as a single because of HUGE demand for it. (And wasn't even made a single in the UK until 1976!) Of course, it could be argued that because of the airplay that these (and maybe a few others) received, that it wasn't even necessary to put all those songs on 45. Making singles out of all of them would probably have flooded the market, and led to overkill. Better to hold a few back.

 

[TheFonz]

Back in the '50s and early '60s, 45s ruled. LPs in those days contained mostly filler. The logic was that I could buy 5 hit 45s for the cost of an LP. The early Beatles' LPs contained one or two hits and a few cover songs. The rest of the songs were considered filler. It wasn't until later in the '60s when FM radio started playing album cuts that LPs became popular.

Not true in the case of the Beatles. There was actually more demand for songs from their albums to be released as singles, than actually were put on 45s. Consider these: "All My Loving," "Michelle," "In My Life," "Good Day Sunshine," "Taxman," and probably a few more. "Eight Days a Week" was not released as a single in the UK. "Yesterday" was only released as a single because of HUGE demand for it. (And wasn't even made a single in the UK until 1976!) Of course, it could be argued that because of the airplay that these (and maybe a few others) received, that it wasn't even necessary to put all those songs on 45. Making singles out of all of them would probably have flooded the market, and led to overkill. Better to hold a few back.

When I mentioned "early" Beatles albums I was talking about the US issues of "Meet The Beatles" through "Yesterday & Today". These albums were released before FM radio was a factor. Those of us who bought those albums "back in the day" were interested in the hits and cover songs. We had no interest in the likes of All I've Got To Do, Dont Bother Me, Little Child, Not A Second, Time, Devil In Her Heart, When I Get Home, I'll Be Back, Every Little Thing, What You're Doing, You Like Me Too Much, Tell Me What You See, I'm Only Sleeping, Dr Robert, And Your Bird Can Sing, etc.