Author: Mike Morsch Page 15 of 16

Mike Morsch is a 37-year veteran of the newspaper business, most recently as executive editor of Montgomery Media in Fort Washington, PA. He has been writing about music for the past 10 years and is also the author of "Dancing in My Underwear: The Soundtrack of My Life," also available at Biblio Publishing.
Among his favorite bands are the Beach Boys, Hall & Oates and America and he's also a supporter of local artists in the Philadelphia music scene.

Doug “Cosmo” Clifford, original drummer for Creedence Clearwater Revival, is still rocking with Creedence Clearwater Revisited.

It was a long drive, negotiating traffic in some of the major metropolitan areas on the East Coast – Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia – all in the same day, just to see one of my favorite bands.

But oh my, what a sweet and memorable payoff.

We had taken our daughter to the nation’s capital to start her college career at Catholic University (Motto: Don’t Even Think About Drinking a Beer on This Campus). It was a highly emotional couple of days, as these things tend to be when one sends a child away to college. Two-and-half days of orientation, priests dressed like the San Diego Padres mascot and me threatening any young man who dared cast a leery eye in our direction (My motto: If You Even Think About Laying A Hand on My Daughter, I Will Snap Your Arm Clean Off Your Body and Shove It in Your Ear.)

Getaway day from D.C. proved to be the same day that Creedence Clearwater Revisited – which includes original Creedence Clearwater Revival band members Doug “Cosmo” Clifford on drums and Stu Cook on bass – was performing at the Tropicana in Atlantic City that evening.

An interview with Clifford about the music and the making of the 1970 CCR album “Cosmo’s Factory,” Clifford’s namesake album, is included in The Vinyl Dialogues. So I wanted to see the show and meet Doug and hopefully Stu at the meet-and-greet before the show.

Now it sounds like a long way from Washington, D.C. to Atlantic City, N.J. and it is a couple hundred miles. Add in the concentration of people along the route – through Baltimore and Philly – and it became an even more challenging drive to make it in time for the meet-and-greet before the show.

But we negotiated the trip successfully, despite getting late word that the before the show meet-and-greet had been canceled by the Tropicana (Casino motto: Let’s See if We Can Make Mike Drive All This Way in The Rain and Traffic to Not Meet His Favorite Musicians and Still Get Him to Drop A Few Bucks in the Slot Machines.)

Disappointment, but no worries. We still had the show.

And what a show it was. Doug and Stu still got it and they’re still having fun, 53 years after they first met. They were 13 years old then, and they’re both now 69 and they look fabulous. They play even better.

Not only that, but they’ve surrounded themselves with other great musicians as well, including lead singer John Tristao (that guy can sing), lead guitarist Kurt Griffey (that guy just flat-out jams) and multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Steve Gunner (that guy does it all). (Motto: We Don’t Need John Fogerty.)

(Editor’s note: No disrespect to John Fogerty. He wrote a lot of great songs during the CCR era.)

Coming off an emotional few days with that whole college thing, my wife and I were ready to just relax and listen to some great music. Revisited played all the hits, including some of my favorites like “Hey Tonight,” “Have You Ever Seen The Rain,” “Down on the Corner,” “Who’ll Stop The Rain” and “Lookin’ Out My Back Door.”

And, of course, “Proud Mary.” That’s when it hit, all of a sudden out of nowhere, and tears started streaming down my face. “Proud Mary” doesn’t strike me as a particularly emotional song, but it was one of my parents’ favorite songs. My dad couldn’t carry a tune in a wheel barrow, but I remember him singing that song in the car along with the radio. (Dad’s motto: I Don’t Care That I Can’t Sing for Shit, I’m Singing Along With This Song Because it’s Just That Good.)

I recall my parents dancing to that song every time it was played by cover bands in the early 1970s at the Moose Lodge in Pekin, Illinois, where we’d go on Friday nights because it was catfish dinner night at the lodge and my folks loved to dance and eat catfish.

My dad died in 2006. But I called my mom the next day and told her about the show, and she reminded me of the Moose Lodge story. She remembered dancing to “Proud Mary,” too. (Mom’s motto: I Still Love Catfish and CCR.)

We did get a chance after the show to go to the dressing room and meet Doug and Stu. They are class acts and everything you’d want your musical heroes to be when you get the privilege of meeting them. Friendly, down-to-earth and engaging.

Thanks Creedence Clearwater Revisited. That was worth the long drive, right there, that memory and those tears.

And it reminded me, once again, that I truly am the fortunate son.

Southside Johnny at The Stone Pony: A real rock and roll show

By Mike Morsch

On August 3, 2014

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

Southside Johnny rocks the summer stage.

The famous Stone Pony in Asbury Park, N.J.

It was a theory that had at least the hint of possibly coming true.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were scheduled to play a July 3, 2014, show at the famous Stone Pony is Asbury Park, N.J. The venue is, as many music fans know, the place where Bruce Springsteen got his start. As did Southside Johnny – John Lyon – and his band the Asbury Jukes.

There’s a chapter in The Vinyl Dialogues, featuring an interview with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steven Van Zandt of Springsteen’s E Street Band, that details the evolution of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes in the mid-1970s, the influence of Springsteen on the band and the development of what we now know at the Jersey Shore Sound.

Over the years, it has not been uncommon for both Springsteen and Van Zandt to join Southside on stage, especially when the band is playing in or around Asbury Park or specifically, at the Stone Pony.

There’s a lot of rock and roll history that’s been made at the Stone Pony. So when I saw that Southside and the Jukes were scheduled to perform at the venue’s summer stage on July 3, I said to myself, “Hmmm. I wonder . . . .”

Let me state upfront that I’ve never seen Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band or Southside Johnny perform live. I know, I know, shame on me. My only excuse is that I grew up in the Midwest having no idea about anything New Jersey. So I came very late to the Springsteen-Van Zandt-Southside party. (I’m still not at the Jon Bon Jovi party yet.)

The point now is that I’m all-in with everything Springsteen. I’m listening and learning and enjoying all the music that I missed the first time around, starting with the early Springsteen and Southside stuff from the 1970s.

So the plan for the Southside concert was a no brainer: Seeing Southside Johnny for the first time at the historic Stone Pony. I wouldn’t want to have seen him at any other venue the first time. (John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, from “Eddie & The Cruisers” fame, was the opener.)

But in the back of my mind, I wondered: July 3 was on a Thursday, the start of a long Fourth of July four-day weekend. Maybe, just maybe, Bruce – who had finished his 2014 tour – would be hanging around Asbury Park with the family. Or maybe Van Zandt was in the neighborhood. And maybe they both didn’t have anything else to do that evening. Would it be possible that one or both of them would stop by and do a few songs with Southside in their old stomping grounds?

It had happened before at the Stone Pony. The odds seemed, at the very least, plausible.

And then Mother Nature interfered, the ratfink. It rained like hell on July 3, so much so that the Stone Pony management canceled the show since it was at the club’s outdoor summer stage, which offers no protection from the elements.

Fortunately, the show was rescheduled for Aug. 2, a date that was open on the schedule. Once again, Mother Nature threatened to interrupt the proceedings with a lot of threatening skies, but the rain held off.

The Stone Pony itself is old and it needs some work. It’s a club, not Radio City Music Hall. The ceiling is half falling down in places and people still spill beer on its floor. The summer stage outside is a general admission ticket and fans have to stand for the shows. Fortunately, you can pay an extra fee and sit in a small grandstand, which we did because my wife and I have determined that the days of standing through entire concerts has long since passed for our knees and hips.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at the Stone Pony – a real rock and roll show. It was excellent and just what I hoped the entire experience would be.

Oh, neither Springsteen nor Van Zandt showed up. I was looking for them when Southside started singing “I Don’t Want to Go Home.” That would have been some serious gravy had they popped up on the stage at that point, huh?

But Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes had this one. It was homefield advantage all the way for them. And it was just that cool, even without those other two guys.

A foot of snow inspired the Statler Brothers’ chapter

By Mike Morsch

On July 29, 2014

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

The Statler Brothers opened for Johnny Cash from 1964 through 1972.

Sometimes, all it takes is a foot of snow to provide a little inspiration. That’s how the 1972 album “Innerview” by the Statler Brothers made it into “The Vinyl Dialogues.”

In early 2014, it snowed quite a bit in the Philadelphia area, most of it I think, right in my driveway.

Snow makes me grumpy and I have threatened – to no avail – many times to whack Mother Nature upside the head with my snow shovel if she didn’t lay off my driveway.

But over the years, I have changed my philosophy when it comes to shoveling snow. I used to believe the best way to attack the issue was to wait until it stopped snowing, then go out and shovel it all at once. The problem is that if we get a foot or more of snow from one storm, it’s difficult to lift that much snow.

So in recent years – and because of an aging back – I’ve taken a different approach. I now go out several times during a storm, maybe every two or three hours, and shovel a few inches at a time. It does require going out in the storm more often, but shoveling snow three or four inches at a time as opposed to 12 to 15 inches at the end has proven easier for me.

In addition, shoveling snow is downright unpleasant and boring. It was during one such snow event in early 2014 that I decided I needed a “Shoveling Theme Song.” For no particular reason – in between cursing a blue streak at that ratfink Mother Nature – the Statler Brothers’ song “Flowers on the Wall” popped into my head while I was clearing the driveway.

“Counting flowers on the wall, that don’t bother me at all.
Playing solitaire til dawn, with a deck of 51.
Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo.
Now don’t tell me, I’ve nothing to do.”

The way I interpret that, the guy in the song keeps himself busy doing essentially nothing, even though he thinks it’s something. Those lyrics resonated with me as I kept myself occupied while doing a relatively unpleasant task three for four times in the same evening.

When I got finished with that round of shoveling, I came back inside and researched the song. It was released in 1965 and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard chart in early 1966. I was near the end of writing a book about memorable albums of the 1970s and the song and the album it appeared – the group’s debut album, also called “Flowers on The Wall,” didn’t qualify.

A little more research revealed that the Statler Brothers spent eight years, from 1964 to 1972, opening for and traveling with the great Johnny Cash. When it came time for the band to break out on its own – with Cash’s blessing – they started writing more songs and making more albums.

At about that time in 1972, the Statlers released an album called “Innerview,” which featured what would become their next big hit, “Do You Remember These,” the group’s second No. 2 single.

Of course, I wondered if I could track down the Statler Brothers and if any of them would talk to me about the album “Innerview.” The 30 chapters completed for “The Vinyl Dialogues” at that point were all about rock and roll albums. There were no country albums included, which was an oversight on my part because I am also a big country music fan.

It was fairly easy to track down the Statlers. The group retired from touring in 2002 and three of the four are retired and living in Staunton, Virginia, their hometown.

I explained the book project and made my interview request in and email and sent it to the Statler Brothers’ website. The request made its way to Debo Reid, who handles media requests for the group. He is the son of Don Reid, lead singer and songwriter on many of the Statler songs.

And Don Reid agreed to be interviewed about the album “Innerview.” What a wonderful conversation it was. Mr. Reid is articulate and humble and his recollections are detailed. He is a gentleman through and through, and despite enormous success, he has remained grounded and appreciative of all life has given him.

There was an incredible warmth and sincerity coming through the phone from Mr. Reid during the interview and I think those qualities show through in the finished chapter.

And after his retirement, Don Reid has become an author himself, so we chatted a bit about that as well. He was very much in tune with the reasons why I wrote this book and the feelings a writer experiences during a writing project.

I’ve been blessed to have had so many great interviews over the years. This was another one. It is so much fun talking to the people who made the music I grew up with.

But what I love the most about this chapter is how while shoveling snow, a Statler Brothers song popped into my head. And that simple thought led to another great interview that ended up being a chapter in The Vinyl Dialogues.

I would have never thought that when I first schlepped out to the driveway during that snowstorm.

Sweet sounds from the Philadelphia Folksong Society

By Mike Morsch

On July 2, 2014

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

Here are some of the CDs from artists who attended the Philadelphia Folksong Society music co-op at the Keswick Theatre.

Sometimes the cool just kind of sneaks up on you.

That’s what happened to me July 1, 2014, when I got invited to participate in The Philadelphia Folksong Society music co-op at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA.

My friends at the Keswick, General Manager Judith Herbst and Jennifer Muscatello, media and public relations coordinator, asked if I would be part of the event. Apparently after 38 years in the media business and now as an author, I have some insight into the starving artist business that I can share with other starving artists.

But since it was my introduction to the group and the event, I didn’t really know what to expect. Boy, am I glad I attended.

According to Noah Swistak, associate director of the Folksong Society, there are about 90 active artists in the Philly music co-op, several of whom perform at the annual Philadelphia Folk Fest, planned this year for Aug. 15-17 in Schwenksville, PA, (www.pfs.org). The society formed in 2011 as a way to include everyone under one folk umbrella and the Keswick gig provided an opportunity for those artists to meet, network with each others and share ideas.

But the best thing about this get together at the Keswick was the artists themselves. No surprise there as they are the creative people. And creative people are a good hang. Not only did I get to meet several of them, many were kind enough to offer a CD as a way to introduce me to their music. In addition, but I’m an autograph geek as well, so I went all Sharpienerd and got all the CDs signed as well.

Meeting new artists. Cool. Getting into their music. Cooler. Getting them to sign their CDs for me. Gravy.

These are people who put their hearts and souls into their music. Folks who love their craft. One can tell that just talking to them. Many, if not all, have to have day jobs to pay the bills because selling enough CDs and downloads these days is difficult and making a living getting one’s music out in front of paying customers isn’t an easy task.

I’m not a reviewer (and I’m still getting through all the CDs), but some of my favorite new friends from the evening include:

Geoff Hansplant and Dirt Track Racer (www.geoffhansplant.com). A rootsy sound with a bit of a Dylan vibe. And a cool band name.

Jeneen Terrana (www.jeneeterrana.com). I really liked the first track on the “See the Light” CD, “Benny’s in My Head.”

Dante Bucci (www.dantebucci.com). Dante was the one guy there whose work I knew. He’s a master of the handpan, which according to his website is “a melodic steel percussion instrument resembling a steel drum crossed with a UFO.” Whatever it looks like, dude can play it. I’ve seen Dante on percussion a few times over the years for Philly singer-songwriter Mutlu (www.mutlusounds.com).

April Mae and the June Bugs (www.aprilmaeandthejunebugs.com). April Mae and Dave “Catfish” Fecca have a wonderfully unique look and boogie sound, which explains the title of the CD, “It’s All About the Boogie.” “Catfish” is a cool cat, complete with a fish shirt and great facial hair. He even draws a little “catfish” next to his signature.

Black Horse Motel (www.blackhorsemotel.net). I’m about the same age as the parents of the band members, but the CD “Red Summer Spirit” makes me want to see them live. I promise not to yell, “Hey, you kids turn down that loud music!”

The John Byrne Band (www.johnbyrneband.com). Celtic/folk at its finest. Good enough to make me wish I was Irish.

Norman Taylor (www.normantaylormusic.com). Country blues and contemporary acoustic blues all rolled into one Norman. He also draws influence from, among others, ’70s rock and soul, which automatically elevates him high into my Stuck in the Seventies sensibility.

Hawk Tubley and the Bi-Temporal VI (www.hawktubley.com). In an auditorium full of cool band names, this one was my favorite of the evening. I have absolutely no idea what it means. But it’s just another in a long line of fun bands that Hawk has been a member of in his career, including The Hemorrhoids, Eat More Possum, The Freeloaders, Green Eggs and Partial to Mabel. Plus, I liked that his CD came in the same packaging that I used to get my 45 rpm records in as a kid in the 1960s.

Here’s the thing: Wherever you live, there’s likely a local music scene. And while we all like to see the big names in concert, there are some real hidden gems among the local artists. And oftentimes they open for the big names. So listen carefully to the opening acts.

Not all music is good and musical tastes are subjective. But pick out some local artists and give them a listen or go to one of their shows. If you like it, buy the CD and support their efforts.

And the first place to look in the Northeast is right here in Philly and surrounding areas. Take a listen to some of those 90 or so active artists in the Philly music co-op and support the Philadelphia Folksong Society.

You never know when the cool is gonna sneak up on you.

Daryl Hall, Amos Lee and Mutlu: ‘I’m in a Philly Mood’

By Mike Morsch

On June 26, 2014

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

Philadelphia singer-songwriter Mutlu brought some Philly soul to the Pastorius Park Free Summer Concert Series June 25, 2014, in Chestnut Hill, PA.

There are a lot of cool things about living in Philly, especially for a guy who spent the first 40 years of his life in and around the cornfields of Illinois and Iowa.

Cheesesteaks (yes, they’re that good), Phillies baseball, cheesesteaks, the Liberty Bell, cheesesteaks, Independence Hall, cheesesteaks, the Jersey Shore right next door and . . . cheesesteaks (Wiz, witout: Philly people will know what that means.)

But the coolest of the cool for me is the music scene here, specifically the Philly sound, also known as Philly soul. And for me that means Hall & Oates, The O’Jays, The Stylistics, Lou Rawls and the next generation that includes Amos Lee and Mutlu.

If you’re a Hall & Oates or Amos Lee fan, you likely know Mutlu. He’s the next generation of Philly singer-songwriters and he’s collaborated with both Hall & Oates and toured extensively with Lee providing backup vocals. Dude can sing, man.

The first time we saw Mutlu was several years ago when he was the opener for a Daryl Hall solo show at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, PA. After his set, my wife and I looked at each other and said, “Hey, that guy is really good.”

And we’ve followed his career ever since. We’ve seen him headline the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia a couple of times (and here’s a behind-the-scenes tip for you Philly folks: at Mutlu solo gigs, it’s not unusual for Amos Lee to pop up out of the crowd and get on stage to sing a few songs with Mutlu.)

So when we heard that Mutlu was one of the featured artists at the Pastorius Park Free Summer Concert Series presented by the Chestnut Hill Community Association, we were thrilled. Chestnut Hill is a wonderfully hip and artsy community north and west of Philadelphia and one of many communities in our area that offer summer concert series. Forget that they’re free, which is nice. The musical talent at these presentations, which normally are outdoors, is off the charts.

But Mother Nature wasn’t cooperating the night of the concert (June 25, 2014) – she’s obviously never heard Mutlu sing, and besides, she can be a ratfink when it comes to many of my outdoors entertainment choices – so the concert was moved to one of the local elementary schools in Chestnut Hill.

And that didn’t deter Mutlu. Did I mention that the dude can sing? He did a lot of his original stuff, but also covered songs like “Crazy Love” by Van Morrison; “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King; “I Wanna Love You” by Bob Marley; and “My Cherie Amour” by Stevie Wonder.

The highlight for me, though, was the Mutlu song “Caramel.” It’s got a Marvin Gaye “Let’s Get It On” vibe. Check out the video that accompanies this story. And check out Mutlu’s solo stuff as well at www.mutlusounds.com. Dude can sing, man.

Then go to this link, https://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/currentep.html?ep_id=81, and see the “Live From Daryl’s House” episode No. 66 featuring Amos Lee and Mutlu. Watch as the three artists pour the Philly soul all over “Caramel.”

This week, I’m in a Philly mood, baby. And you will be, too.

Grand Funk’s Mark Farner rocks the ‘Happy Together’ lineup

By Mike Morsch

On June 25, 2014

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

Mark Farner, former lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for Grand Funk Railroad, is still rockin’ on the 2014 Happy together tour.

Howard Kaylan admitted on stage Tuesday night at the Keswick Theatre that the Turtles used to be a drug band. And he added that more than 40 years later, they still are.

It’s just that now, the drugs aren’t cocaine and marijuana, they’re Lipitor and Viagra.

Bada-boom!

Mark Volman, left, and Howard Kaylan of The Turtles anchor the 2014 Happy Together Tour.

Old-age jokes worked with the packed house on June 24, 2014, in Glenside, PA, because most of us are old now. We’re not ancient, just seasoned. Classic may be a better word. And by the way, we had the best music, you young whippersnappers.

Kaylan, longtime front man for the Happy Together tour, and his Turtles partner Mark Volman, who went on to become Flo & Eddie after the Turtles disbanded in 1970, have been doing the Happy Together gig now for several years. They first started it in the mid-1980s, took some time off, and then revised the idea again in 2010. At one time, the Happy Together tour had 15 stops across the country. This year, the artists will do more than 60 shows, according to Kaylan.

Joining Flo & Eddie on the tour this year are Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis and the Playboys, mid-1960s pop star; Detroit’s own Mitch Ryder and his soulful ’60s sound; Mark Farner, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for Grand Funk Railroad in the early 1970s; and Chuck Negron, formerly of ’70s’ hitmakers Three Dog Night.

Interviews with Kaylan and Negron are featured in “The Vinyl Dialogues.” Kaylan was a particularly good interview, detailing the southern California music scene in the early 1970s for the chapter on Flo & Eddie.

Collectively, we may be too old to rush the stage anymore – nobody wants to see anybody break a hip – but that doesn’t mean we can’t still rock out. In fact, the crowd was able to stand through the entire three minutes or so of the tour’s namesake song, “Happy Together,” which was the Turtles’ only No. 1 single and in fact knocked the Beatles’ “Penny Lane” out of the Billboard Hot 100 top spot, staying at No. 1 for three weeks in 1967.

I love Gary Lewis’ hits, most notably the No. 1 “This Diamond Ring,” the No. 3 “She’s Just My Style,” and the No. 4 “Everybody Loves a Clown,” all from 1965. That was a good year to be Gary Lewis. And he still does a good job with those songs today.

Mitch Ryder’s music never much appealed to me, although I do like one of his songs, his No. 4 hit from 1966, “Devil With A Blue Dress On.” Ryder was, however, entertaining in his between-song banter and was engaging with the crowd. At one point, he even sold the fact that former heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman was in the audience, but it was all a ruse to set up a joke.

Three Dog Night has always been one of my favorite bands from the 1970s, and Negron can still sing, although he did not perform my favorite Three Dog Night tune, “An Old-fashioned Love Song.” He was also gracious enough to give a shoutout to his former bandmates Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, Jimmy Greenspoon, the late Joe Schermie, Mike Allsup and Floyd Sneed. Why Negron, Hutton and Wells – the core lead singers for Three Dog Night during the band’s heyday, don’t tour together now is anyone’s guess. Certainly there is history there, but if the Beach Boys can reunite for an anniversary tour, maybe Three Dog Night can as well.

But the highlight of the show for me was Grand Funk Railroad’s Farner. He’s still got rock star written all over him. His voice is still strong, the guitar playing is still excellent and his stage presence – complete with Mick Jagger-esque prancing – is still entertaining.

After the show, Farner even took some time to sign autographs for a couple of dozen fans or so outside the theater. Volman also came out to interact with fans. There was no sign of Kaylan, although I didn’t hang around for more than 20 minutes. He may have eventually come out. Negron, Ryder and Lewis were all escorted to a waiting van by security and didn’t interact with the fans.

It was an entertaining show. The fact that I got through it without breaking a hip was gravy.

Hall & Oates leave them wanting more at the Borgata

By Mike Morsch

On June 22, 2014

In The Vinyl Dialogues Book

You know that old adage, “Always leave them wanting more?” I’m pretty sure that just about everyone in the sold-out Borgata ballroom in Atlantic City Friday night, June 20, 2014, would have been happy to sit there for a few more hours and listen to Hall & Oates.

The recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famers performed a tight, 90-minute set, that included two encores, and certainly left me wanting more.

The thing that strikes me about Daryl and John at this stage of their careers is that they genuinely seem to still be enjoying what they do. And, no breaking news here: they’re very good at it.

Of course, all the hits were there:

“Maneater” – No. 1 from the “H2O” album (1982).
“Out of Touch” – No. 1 from “Big Bam Boom” (1984).
“Do It For Love” – No. 114 (and should have been higher) from “Do It For Love” (2002).
“She’s Gone” – No. 7 (Editorial comment: How can this not be a No. 1 song?) from “Abandoned Luncheonette (1973).
“Sara Smile” – No. 4 (Editorial comment: How can this not be a No. 1 song?) from “Daryl Hall and John Oates” (1976).
“Do What You Want, Be What You Are” – No. 39 from “Bigger Than Both of Us” (1976).
“I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” – No. 1 from “Private Eyes” (1981).
“Rich Girl” – No. 1 from “Bigger Than Both of Us” (1976).
“You Make My Dreams” – No. 5 (Editorial comment: How can this not be a No. 1 song?) from “Voices” (1980).
“Kiss on My List” – No. 1 from “Voices” (1980).
“Private Eyes” – No. 1 from “Private Eyes” (1981).

But the highlight of any Hall & Oates concert for me is anything they do from the “Abandoned Luncheonette” album. Friday night’s performance of “She’s Gone,” a song they admit they’ve played at every show for the past 40 years or so, was outstanding. As good as that song is on the record, it was simply chill-inducing to hear live at the Borgata.

The other song from “Abandoned Luncheonette” in the set list was the Oates-penned “Las Vegas Turnaround.” It’s become a favorite of mine because of the backstory that John tells about the genesis of the song, a story that’s retold in the “Abandoned Luncheonette” chapter of “The Vinyl Dialogues.”

The song is kind of a prequel to another famous Hall & Oates song that would be written by the duo and released in 1976, three years after “Las Vegas Turnaround.” If you’ve read the book or know the story, don’t give out any spoilers. If you don’t know the story, pick up a copy of “The Vinyl Dialogues.” I’m biased, but it’s the coolest story in a book full of cool stories about memorable albums of the 1970s.

So here’s my idea to enhance the Hall & Oates experience, and it’s completely selfish from a fan’s viewpoint: Make the first hour of a Hall & Oates show the “All The Hits Hour.” Add another hour to the show, and call it the “Deep Album Cuts” hour (I’ll take “When The Morning Comes” and “Had I Known You Better Then” from “Abandoned Luncheonette” as well as “Camellia” from the 1975 “Daryl Hall & John Oates” album.)

Then after a couple of encores, bring three chairs on stage – one for Daryl, one for John and one for me – and I’ll interview them. Then we’ll all go for beer afterwards. All 5,000 of us. We’ll let Todd Rundgren pick up the tab as payback for overproducing “War Babies” and making it sound like a Todd Rundgren album.

Just a thought. But that sure would eliminate the whole “leave them wanting more” thing, huh?

Stories behind memorable albums of the 1970s as told by the artists

Author: Mike Morsch Page 15 of 16

CCR provides an unexpected and wonderful memory

Southside Johnny at The Stone Pony: A real rock and roll show

A foot of snow inspired the Statler Brothers’ chapter

Sweet sounds from the Philadelphia Folksong Society

Daryl Hall, Amos Lee and Mutlu: ‘I’m in a Philly Mood’

Grand Funk’s Mark Farner rocks the ‘Happy Together’ lineup

Hall & Oates leave them wanting more at the Borgata