With Todd Rundgren’s initial U.S. leg of his “Arena” tour finished, I caught up with Rundgren’s current bassist Rachel Haden to find out her thoughts on the tour and to see what she’s got next on her plate. Rachel is the daughter of jazz musician Charlie Haden and one of the Haden Triplets (along with Petra and Tanya of course). Being from a family overflowing with musical talent, it was pretty much a no-brainer for Rachel to become a musician herself. She has been involved in a variety of different projects over the years including being a member of The Rentals, that dog. and has recently recorded with Neil Hamberger on his album Neil Hamberger sings Country Winners.
So here’s the RetroBlog Q&A with Rachel Haden -
retroDan:Rachel, you’ve spent the summer touring the U.S. with rock icon Todd Rundgren who has been known to tour only with a short list of “regulars” (i.e. Prairie Prince, Jesse Gress, Kasim Sulton). How did you wind up becoming his bassist? Rachel Haden: That’s a good question. I’m still asking myself that! Prairie is a good friend and recommended me. Thanks Prairie!
retroDan:What has it been like for you touring with Rundgren? any highlights? lowlights? funny stories? Rachel: It’s been a very challenging and positive experience. I have grown so much as a person and musician on this last tour. Todd has been such a mentor to me. He pushes me out of my comfort zone. He encourages me like no one else has; not only to be the best bass player I can be but also the best person I can be. There has been nothing but highlights and lowlights and funny stories. One time Prairie and I went jogging in what we didn’t know was a swamp full of mosquitos…don’t ask. We turned around quickly.
retroDan:Any favorites off the current setlist? Rachel: Yes. I would say “Today” and “Weakness” are my favorites thus far…
retroDan:I’m curious - while on tour, what do you do with your time when you’re not on stage? Rachel: I like to work out in the Hotel gym (if there is one), have a shrimp cocktail with Prairie and watch a lot of TV Land and The Food Network. I also like to take walks and people watch.
retroDan:Rundgren’s summer U.S. leg of his tour ended earlier this month. Will you continue with Rundgren when he heads over to the U.K. in November? What are your plans in the meantime? Rachel: I will be continuing with the band over in Europe and the U.K. in November. In the meantime I am continuing to write and record on Garageband in my kitchen; with the hopes of putting out a record of my own. My sisters and my brother and I are preparing for the up and coming Haden Family show August 24th at Lincoln Center.
[update: Rundgren will be touring in October as well. Dates are currently in the works. Check the TR Connection for the latest updates.]
retroDan:With your dad being a famous Jazz musician, and you and your siblings being all musically gifted, what was it like growing up with such a musical family? Was it anything like the Partridge family? Rachel: It was very fun. There was always music being played. We really enjoy singing 3 part harmony and we did that a lot. It was just part of our life, and still is!
retroDan:How often do you get to see your family nowadays? Rachel: We are all busy with various projects, so not as often as I would like.
retroDan:what were your early musical influences growing up? Rachel: I listened to a lot of 4AD artists: The Pixies, The Cocteau Twins, The Throwing Muses, Dead Can Dance, Lush, Mark kozelek, His Name Is Alive…the list will go on forever if I don’t stop here!!
retroDan:Aside from all your musical endeavors, what else do you enjoy doing? Rachel: I enjoy making salads and watching I Love Lucy. I would also like to get out a bit more. I could be a hermit at times.
retroDan:As you’ve mentioned earlier, you’re currently working on new material for your very own solo project. You have a fantastic voice. Even Matt Sharp (The Rentals) has been quoted in the past stating that your voice is the purest that he’s ever heard. Why has it taken this long for you to finally decide to record an album of your own? Rachel: I’ve been wanting to put out my own music for quite some time now. I’ve worked with various people throughout the years and no one has really stuck with me. Aside from my sisters, it’s not easy to meet musical soul mates. That’s what I want and this takes time.
retroDan:Are those demos on myspace, material for the new album? I’m really fond of the tracks “My Valentine” and “I’m Away”, by the way. Rachel: Yes. I’m hoping to re-record “My Valentine”…the production is not exactly what I had in my mind…”I’m Away” came out exactly how I imagined. I worked on that one with Jacob Holm-Lupo from Norway. I was lucky enough to be able to fly out there this past year and stay with he and his family. What a magical experience. I’d like to do a whole record there. The musicians I met were outstanding and real. Not to mention the country too. Listen to Rachel Haden’s “I’m Away”:
retroDan:What’s your typical approach to writing songs? Do you start with a musical phrase? chord progression? lyrical idea? Rachel: I start with a melody that is inspired by my surroundings or by sounds, like traffic or the drone of the refrigerator. Movies also inspire me. Then I just expand from there with chord progressions. . Lyrics usually come last.
retroDan:What’s the status of the Rentals? Will you be back with them after this stint with Rundgren? Rachel: I’m not sure what the status of The Rentals is. I have not spoken with Matt for almost a year! Let me know if you find anything out.
retroDan:Any hope for a that dog. reunion? Rachel: I would love that.
retroDan:I love your Magic Salad video on youtube. But, Rachel, is the liquid from the tuna-can really necessary??? Rachel: I know, but to each his/her own. I like it!!
retroDan:Of all the projects that you’ve been involved with, which ones are you most proud of? Rachel: All of them.
OK, and lastly, the speed round…
- What’s currently playing on your iPod? Rachel: Sun Kil Moon, Thomas Newman, Invisible Animals, Buffalo Daughter, Yann Tiersen, Ennio Morricone…
- Read any good books lately? Rachel: Not lately..I was on a kind of reading kick last year. I read like 5 books in a month! The Bell Jar, The Stranger, Steppenwolf…those were a few of my favorites.
- Favorite movie? Rachel: No one favorite movie, but I really love Fellini and Jim Jarmusch.
- Your pick: Pro tools or A tascam 4-track cassette recorder? Rachel: I’m not good at working with programs like Pro-tools and Logic. I’d prefer to work with other people if I’m going to be doing that. I do love Garageband…and of course it all started with my Tascam 4-track. How I still love her!
- A favorite quote? Rachel: All I know is I know nothing.
Thanks Rachel!
— - See Rachel Haden along with the rest of the Haden family at:
Lincoln Center’s 25th Annual Roots of American Music Festival on Sunday, August 24th, 2008.
- also be on the lookout for Todd Rundgren’s upcoming live DVD release (which features Rachel Haden on bass) that was filmed at the 14Jul08 Boulder Colorado show.
- and catch Rundgren (along with Rachel, Prairie Prince, Jesse Gress and Kasim Sulton) on tour this fall/winter. for more information about the new album Arena, visit Rundgren’s official myspace page
Credit: All photos of Rachel Haden and Todd Rundgren are by Jaime Butler. used with permission.
melodicrock.com recently posted a great interview with former Journey manager Herbie Herbert. the music industry giant never minces words and gives it to you plain and straight. Herbert confirms a lot of what Journey fans have been wondering these last few years in the interview including the Steve Augeri tape-gate, Steve Perry losing his vocal ability and his thoughts on Jeff Scott Soto and current vocalist Arnel Pineda. it’s a great read. head on over to melodicrock for the full interview.
here are just a couple of interesting quotes from Herbert:
On Steve Augeri: …And the thing is, the whole time that you were rooting and rooting and rooting for Augeri I knew that there was problems. Not because I was going to shows but because right at the beginning my company shot the Vegas show that was put out on Direct TV. And the original footage of that they insisted, you know, people at my company insisted that I come and watch. And I go, please I wanna come and watch Journey on video, what the fuck? And they said no you have to set and watch this for a minute. I go why, you know, it was like torture. So I sat down and then it was torture. I said what’s going on here? I go man he’s really, he’s missing everything. He struggled so badly that night you can’t believe it. There was hardly anything that could be saved in the lead vocal and the problem was to me at that particular time was Neal Schon was grimacing when he would miss these notes.
On Steve Perry and vocal range: ..you know if you’re a half step down from a major to a minor or whatever, you know, it’s a significant change in the tonality and everything else. And for whatever reason, the band, Journey has always had an obsession with playing the songs in the original key. Despite the logic, the unavoidable logic, that if Steve Perry was still in the band, and I know that there’s a giant public out there that would love nothing more, they’re clueless to the fact that the guy can’t sing anymore. … Journey performed (at Bill Graham’s wake in ‘91), you take these songs and you get a tape of that and they took them down two whole steps. I mean, this is from E to A. They passed G to A, you know what I mean? Knocking ‘em down hard and Steve Perry’s voice was all broken up. So, you know, forget about it. It was just so revealing. That was in ‘91 at which point that day I hadn’t seen him since 1986 Raised on Radio and that was five years. And what an ugly encounter that was with Steve Perry that day…
On Jeff Scott Soto: He has much more of an alto voice. There was a lot of material, especially Raised on Radio material like I’ll Be Alright Without You that he might have done really well on but if you’re gonna try to do the really high songs like You’ve Got Something to Hide or La Do Da or whatever, I can’t recall, I went and saw them in concert and there was a bunch of material that was so far out of his reach he was just as bad as Augeri at his worst so you can’t. If you make a change it’s gotta be an upgrade. Kevin Chalfant would have been a much better choice at that point.
that’s Herbie Herbert for you. ya just gotta love ‘em!
The time for talking’s over now, I guess it’s time to let you go. But I don’t, no, I don’t mind at all…Bourgeois Tagg’s late eighties hit “I Don’t Mind at All” is a wonderfully crafted pop song that I personally never get tired of listening to. I still vividly recall the late nights spent dissecting the song note by note with my college buddies trying to figure out exactly how to play the song on our acoustic guitars. after all these years, the song still holds up to this day and has remained a top favorite among fans of Brent Bourgeois and his former band, Bourgeois Tagg. I recently caught up with the man himself, Mr. Brent Bourgeois to talk about his music, his production work, his stint as an A&R executive at Word Records and his recent decision to walk away from the music business altogether. Read on for the exclusive Retroblog interview…
retroDan:Hey Brent! I recently learned that your son, Adrian Bourgeois, is off to a great start with his own musical career. he’s won a Sammie (Sacramento Area Music Award) for best songwriter and his debut album was recently released on C-Side Records. You must be very proud. How does it feel to have your son in the “biz”?
Brent Bourgeois: To be honest with you, I’m concerned. He’s a really good songwriter and very talented at playing just about anything, but he has that one-track mind that is disturbing to see as a parent. There is nothing inevitable in the music industry. I would like to see him finish college. There I am, turning into my father. Actually, my father was more encouraging about a music career than I am. He didn’t know what I know.
retroDan:How heavily involved were you in Adrian’s “musical” upbringing?
Brent: He was teamed-up on by me and my friends from a very early age; I gave him the Beatles, my good friend Steve Mitchell gave him the Beach Boys, and my older brother kept sending him cassettes filled with Oldies rock tunes. He didn’t stand a chance at a normal childhood. He knows more rock trivia than anyone I have ever known.
retroDan:Did he get to tag along with you to recording sessions?
Brent: Once in a while, and he would get on the drums most of the time. To this day, drums are the only instrument I would hire him on as a studio musician.
retroDan:now, you were based in Nashville for a number of years, producing other Christian artists as well as heading up the A&R dept. at Word Records. What made you decide to move back to California?
Brent: Several things; the most important being that I had made a promise to my wife to come back in five years. Eight years later, we came back. We left at the nadir of the music industry- no one was working. The idea of a thing called “the Christian music industry” had soured in my mind.
retroDan:looking through some of your production work, Larry Tagg’s name seems to come up quite often as bass player. it seems you’re having some difficulty getting rid of the guy. j/k
How is your relationship with your former partner from Bourgeois Tagg?
Brent: Funny you should ask– as I speak we are exchanging by email chapters of books that we are writing; his is on Lincoln, and mine is an historical novel. He is a very good writer.
retroDan:do you stay in touch with the rest of the gang from Bourgeois Tagg?
Brent: Not like I should. Lyle Workman lives in LA and is very busy with his successful music career, Mike Urbano lives in the East Bay and has done quite well for himself, and Scott Moon is here in Sacramento running a science fiction software company.
retroDan:What broke up the band in the first place? was this before or after Todd Rundgren took your whole rhythm section (Tagg, Urbano and Workman) out on the road to support his “Nearly Human” album?
Brent: It was before. It was my fault. I wasn’t being a good band member. I was writing introspective songs. I didn’t like the sessions we did with Peter Wolf- in my opinion he sucked out every good thing about our band right down into his Synclavier. And I seemed to be the only one who felt that way. There was a tremendous amount of pressure to have a really big hit, and I thought it resulted in decisions that weren’t in the best interests of the band. So I left. It didn’t go down well. Very soon after that, Todd asked all of us to play on his ‘Nearly Human’ album. It was weird vibes, considering, but it was a good experience. When he put his tour together, I had already gotten a solo deal with Virgin, so he took the other guys. retroDan:Since you’re a music producer yourself, i thought it’d be interesting to hear your take on all the major producers you’ve worked with in your career- namely Todd Rundgren, Danny Kortchmar, Charlie Peacock?
Brent: Todd Rundgren is much more of a musical influence than an ‘in the studio’ influence. He taught me something very important: to be really honest lyrically. His chord changes and melodic sense have obviously influenced my writing as well. As a producer in the studio, he was a disappointment. His idea of a compliment was a heavy sigh and something like, “That didn’t bother me.”
Danny Kortchmar is a nice guy. He let me do my thing and added great guitar parts. He got Steve Jordan to play on the record which was a trip. I liked working with him.
Charlie Peacock is one my best friends and a mentor in ways more significant than music.
I also worked with a guy named David Holman, who is an absolutely fantastic engineer and taught me a lot about listening and the way to get sounds.
retroDan:you seem to take a more involved role as a producer, co-writing with the artist, playing keyboards and singing background harmonies. is this your preferred way of producing?
Brent: This happens most often because it’s the expedient thing to do. It’s all part of the package; if I can play it, we don’t have to hire someone else to. If I can sing a harmony, it gets done quicker, and it’s one less background singer to pay for. The writing is only when asked. Some producers are engineers; that becomes part of their package. I’m a musician, vocalist and songwriter; it’s just part of my package.
retroDan:do you miss performing either on stage or on your own recordings?
Brent: I don’t miss performing. Well, honestly, I really don’t miss all the things that go into putting on a performance; I like the part where you’re on the stage okay, but not enough to do it anymore. I love playing in the studio, and producing young artists. I wish there were more opportunities.
retroDan:I saw you perform back in 1995, opening for the group PFR in a local church activity center. I really enjoyed hearing you perform your songs in an intimate setting like that, just you and your piano. How was that experience for you, promoting your music in a low-key manner, playing in front of an audience without a band?
Brent: It was fun playing with PFR. It was also my first experience performing in front of a Christian audience. What a trip! They liked everything! At mainstream concerts, if the crowd didn’t know who you were, it could get downright dangerous. I always felt that playing just piano and singing was boring after a couple of songs. I would have bored myself. retroDan:what’s your personal opinion about your three solo records after all these years? are you the type of artist that looks back at their work fondly or the type that is overly critical of his own work?
Brent: I can honestly say that I think my Christian record, Come Join the Living World, holds up really well to this day. A Matter of Feel feels dated because it was too programmed with a Roland Sampler. It had to do with the same kind of decisions that I left Bourgeois Tagg over- only this time I did it to myself. That record was half-a-record, really; half of those songs were pop songs I originally wrote for other people. My first record is dear to my heart because of the lyrical content; some of the production holds up better than other parts.
retroDan:what songs off of your solo records are you most proud of?
Brent: “Total Surrender” may be my favorite. “Perfect Harmony”, and “God Is Not Dead” as well. “Can’t Feel the Pain” is close to my heart. The song “Matter of Feel” is good. Listen to Total Surrender from the album Come Join the Living World
retroDan:going back to you biggest hit with Bourgeois Tagg’s “I Don’t Mind At All” - can you share a little bit about how that song came about?
Brent: Lyle Workman came over to my house and gave me a cassette with guitar music so I could co-write with him. As he was leaving, he said as an afterthought, check out the other side, too. The “other side” was the guitar part to I Don’t Mind At All. I don’t remember the song he originally wanted me to hear.
retroDan:the song is a bit unique in terms of instrumentation compared to the rest of the album. where did the idea of the XTC/Beatle-esque string arrangement come from?
Brent: It was our intention from the beginning to do a Beatles style string arrangement on it. Lyle and I hacked our way through it at Todd’s house one day. Listen to I Don’t Mind At All from the album YoYo by Bourgeois Tagg
retroDan:personally, i think your version of the Zombies’ “Time of the Season” is one of the highlights of your 1990 debut album. the vocal arrangements during the middle and outro sections are simply fantastic. why did you choose to record a Zombies cover for your debut album?
Brent: I don’t remember exactly why I did it, but I always loved the song. I thought it opened itself up to wonderful harmonies. It was one of those things that I thought was great at the time, but might seem too excessive now.
retroDan:Your 1995 release Come Join the Living World still sounds fresh and relevant after all these years. the album spawned four #1 christian radio hits and was well received by fans and critics alike. normally an artist would quickly record a follow up album to keep the momentum going but you chose a take a different path. can you share with us your reasons for not continuing as a solo artist?
Brent: If I told you, I’d have to kill you. Actually on top of what you mentioned, I had another record guaranteed by the record company. Despite four #1 songs and great reviews (what else could you want?) the album sold like cold cakes. I went to Nashville with the intention of seeing whether producing or being an artist would be the path I would take. When the record didn’t sell, it was very discouraging. I felt like “what else could I have done?” But fortunately, everything else was going just fine. I did quite a bit of writing with Michael W. Smith, and through that, went on the road with him as his music director. By the time I came back, Reunion Records was ready to pay me not to do the second record and I took the money. I think it was then that I produced Cindy Morgan’s Listen record and was offered the VP of A&R job at Word. That was the effective end of my solo career.
retroDan:the 1999 project Streams that you produced with Loren Balman seems to be an extention of your song “Restored” from “Come Join the Living World”. How did the Streams project come about?
Brent: That might be a better answer to the last question. Streams was just an extension of me sung by other artists. It is the record I am most proud of. I consider it the high point of my career.
retroDan:“The Only Thing I Need” off of Streams is one of the songs you wrote for the album. listening to the song the vocalist from 4Him seems to be mimicing your signature vocal inflections during the verses. were they working off a recorded demo of you singing that song? Listen to The Only Thing I Need from the album Streams
Brent: Well that’s gonna happen when you write a song that’s so in your own wheelhouse. If you listen to Michael W. Smith’s “Cry For Love” or “Live the Life” you can hear my demo in his singing as well. I always thought Charlie Peacock’s artists always ended sounding like him, too. The Only Thing I Need, by the way, is one of me own favorite songs. With Cindy Morgan, the task was erase her last producer’s voice out of her singing. He sang like Anita Baker, believe it or not, and it was influencing her. My job was to help her find her own voice. Same with Rachael Lampa- the best pure singer I’ve ever heard- and she was 14-15 years old! But she was influenced by Mariah and we had to squeegee it out of her.
retroDan:and how in the world were you able to get Jon “Mr. Mountains come out of the sky and they stand there!” Anderson to agree to sing on a Christian album?
Brent: He sang it because…it was there! He was there. We were there. The same thing happened on “Can’t Feel the Pain”. When I wrote the melody for that song, I swear that I was thinking of Christine McVie. When we were recording the song, Fleetwood Mac was in the next room mixing- they had a lot of time on their hands, as it basically took them two week to . Christine popped her head in when I was listening back and said, “What is that? It’s lovely.” And I said it’s meant for you to sing on, and she did. The same thing happened with Jon Anderson. I had always thought of his voice for The Only Thing I Need and by a God-sized coincidence, there he was. He saw absolutely no irony in the whole thing- Mr. New Age singing on a Christian record. Some Christian radio stations, however, were less forgiving that an “infidel” had sang on a Christian record. The nerve of us! This was one of the many little cuts that drove me from the business. Listen to Can’t Feel the Pain from Brent’s 1990 solo debut album
retroDan:You produced Cindy Morgan’s cover of Todd Rundgren’s “Love is the Answer” for her “Best Of” compilation. who’s idea was it to cover a Rundgren song?
Brent: That was Cindy’s idea, and I sure wasn’t going to talk her out of it. Ironically, she (and most people like her) knew the song from Seals and Crofts and I took her back to the Todd version.
retroDan:and isn’t it a bit odd for a Christian artist to cover a songwriter that is also known for writing songs like “Fascist Christ” and “God Said”?
Brent: Hell, no! Those sentiments are extremely overrated. Another of the things that drove me out of the Christian music world. I wasn’t meant for it, apparently.
retroDan:Did you ever get any feedback from Rundgren about Morgan’s cover of “Love is the Answer”?
Brent: He wouldn’t have heard it; if he did, he wouldn’t have cared.
retroDan:are you as frustrated as we (your fans) are about your solo albums not being in print?
Brent: Frustrated enough not to do anymore!
retroDan:will any of the albums be re-issued in the near future?
Brent: When hell freezes over and pigs fly.
retroDan:if a record company has no intention of re-releasing an album, what can an artist or fan do to get the album back out for fans to enjoy and listen to?
Brent: Terrorism is mildly effective. Disgruntled post office workers have had the right idea in the past. retroDan:You touched on the fact that you left the Christian Music industry earlier in the interview. Could you share with us a little bit more on why you left (as well as your views on the industry)?
Brent: I would preface my answer by saying two things: First, what I say here is my opinion, my side of the story. You might get a different picture by asking someone else. Secondly, I haven’t been involved in the Christian music industry except on the periphery for over five years, so I can’t really comment on the state of the industry today. My comments can only be seen as what I thought of it as I left.
There is a famous Woody Allen (or is it Groucho Marx?) quote that says, “I wouldn’t want to be part of a club that would have me as a member.” In the following criticism, be aware that I consider myself to have been part of the problem.
The Christian music industry by the time I left had become seriously compromised by its own success. Starting out as a ministry-based group of guys that banded together to find a way to get their records released, the business morphed into a multi-multi-million dollar industry ripe for being plucked by big conglomerates. The original sin was to sell to one of these companies. Not that I wouldn’t have done it if I was in their position. No one knows what they will do when millions of dollars are waved in your face unless it actually happens. The opportunity to provide for your family for the rest of your life is one that is hard to turn down. Nonetheless, the minute this happened, the Christian music industry lost its raison d’etre. Now, instead of being ministry-based organizations that also happened to be successful financially, they became another cog in the wheel of massive corporations, beholden to their business plans and quarterly P & L and ROI statements for their shareholders. These conglomerates snatched up Christian companies to grab another piece of market share away form their competitors. They didn’t (and don’t) care a whit about ministry anything. When the Christian companies sold out to secular corporations, they lost control of their business model. The attitude I saw was if you can make money and still do your ministry thing, okay, but the first order of business is to make money. If you (meaning the CEO) can’t do it, we’ll get somebody who can. My own personal interaction with this was at Word Records. Roland Lundy was the CEO at Word, had been there for 28 years, from the beginning, and was a really good, caring Christian man who cared about his artists, and treated everyone in the organization like family. Roland used to have a weekly prayer gathering on Monday mornings in the lobby for the whole company. After selling the company to Gaylord Entertainment (and they looking to prop the numbers up to resell it at a profit) the word (no pun intended) came down: quarterly numbers needed to be better; do whatever is necessary; if you can’t we’ll get somebody who can. Shortly thereafter, Lundy was fired and an entertainment lawyer, Malcolm Mimms, was picked to replace him. Mimms was a good lawyer but he wasn’t even a Christian, and the whole face and attitude of the company changed. The entire focus of the company became to jettison all unnecessary ballast so the company could be resold. The focus also increasingly became the aping of the secular music scene, a problem that wasn’t new by any means, but was actively put into overdrive.
Here’s where I readily admit I was part of the problem. That was my forte. There was really no other reason I would have been hired. I had pop sensibilities, a pop worldview, and although I was, and am a Christian, I had a very cynical view of how to get things done in that world. My method was to take things right up to line of what was acceptable in the uptight world of Christian retail, and this was a very mixed bag. Although I feel like I did some really good work (Streams, Cindy Morgan, and Point of Grace), I also actively flaunted the rules in every way I could, with a nod and a wink form my superiors. In the end, this illogical circle couldn’t continue. There was so much hypocrisy in what we were doing, and I mean we, that it felt evil and toxic.
The other big thing happening toward the end of my time there was that the entire music industry was in a freefall marking the beginning of the Internet Revolution. The value of every company was falling faster than the companies knew how to fix it. I left the company before I would have inevitably been fired, for the company soon sold to Warner Entertainment and virtually everyone who worked at the company above the level of mailboy was fired. They eliminated my position, which was VP of A&R. Record companies now are literal shells of their former selves, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They eliminated most of the creative jobs, though, and outsourced them, leaving only the accountants and lawyers. It tells you what they view as important.
In the end, although as I said I’m not close to the biz anymore, I think the Christian industry has gotten back to what it does best, and what it was supposed to do, and that is music for the church. Praise and worship. It’s a smaller business now, but that’s good, too. And I’m not in it, and that’s probably best for everyone as well.
retroDan:so, are you out of the music biz completely? or will you still be producing other artists, playing sessions, writing songs etc?
Brent: I am in all reality out of the music business. I do a little local commercial work, and help out musically with some local theater because my daughters are participants, but I don’t have any contact with anyone in the music business anymore. It’s not like they’re beating a path to my door, either. I think it’s “out of sight, out of mind”.
retroDan:Just curious - Do you actively participate in the praise and worship team at your local church?
Brent: I was the Worship Leader at Warehouse Christian Ministries in Sacramento for the first four years that I was back here. I am not leading worship anywhere now except on an occasional fill-in basis.
retroDan:So what’s next for Brent Bourgeois?
Brent: I’m writing books. I’m going to school full time to get the degree I never thought I would need. I’m raising four children. I’m watching my youngest daughter right now at a Comp soccer tournament.
retroDan:Where are you attending school and what degree are you working toward?
Brent: Right now I’m finishing up my second year at Sacramento City College, and plan to major in International Relations.
retroDan:Could you tell us more about the book you’re writing?
Brent: I am writing an historical novel about George W. Bush- specifically from 9/11 until the 2004 election. It is a re-writing of events in sort of Bizarro World, where the President is visited in three dreams like Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and undergoes a sea-change of attitude which gets him in trouble with his own party, and eventually costs him the election. It’s a lot of fun to write. If I couldn’t influence events the first time, I can make up my own version.
retroDan:Do you foresee any new recorded material from you coming our way?
Brent: Not unless the audiobook of my historical novel comes out!
retroDan:Or how making available demos, outtakes or old material from the vault on your website for fans to listen to?
Brent: No plans to do that. Can’t see that I’d have the time or the inclination.
retroDan:OK, time to wrap this up and end with the speed round!
-what are you currently listening to?
Brent: I love Imogen Heap. I liked the most recent Tears For Fears record. Sufjan Stevens is nice. I’m listening to a lot of old Stevie Wonder and Weather Report. I have a soft spot for Bjork, and for Eisley. I must mention Patty Griffin in any conversation of favorite anythings.
-what are you currently reading?
Brent: Gawd, I read so much! I just finished Mao: The Unknown Story. I usually have three or four books going at once. I also just finished House of War: The Pentagon. I read a lot. Did I mention that I read a lot?
-protools. friend or foe?
Brent: Friend. But it’s only as good as the song.
-the autotune plugin. friend or foe?
Brent: Friend. Necessary evil. Only as good as the singer.
-your favorite meal?
Brent: Mexican food, or pizza. Thai, Indian, anything spicy.
-a favorite quote.
Brent: ‘E’s not pinin’! ‘E’s passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! ‘E’s expired and gone to meet ‘is maker! ‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life, ‘e rests in peace! If you hadn’t nailed ‘im to the perch ‘e’d be pushing up the daisies! ‘Is metabolic processes are now ‘istory! ‘E’s off the twig! ‘E’s kicked the bucket, ‘e’s shuffled off ‘is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!
The Pursuit of Happiness is probably one of my all time favorite pop-rock bands from the late eighties. Led by singer/songwriter Moe Berg, the band found great success with the song “I’m an Adult Now”. i still have fond memories of my freshman suite-mates and I screaming along to this song out in front of our dorm, proclaiming our “adulthood” to anyone within shouting distance. the song was so powerful and exhilarating to sing along with. their debut album, Love Junk is pop-rock perfection with absolutely no filler. the album still sounds fresh and relevant to this day. it’s a true classic. almost twenty years since the release of Love Junk, Moe Berg is still out and about writing songs, playing clubs and even producing other bands. let’s check in with Mr. Berg and see what’s up..
retroDan:Hi Moe, I just watched your little baby girl on youtube signing the alphabet. and she appears to already have a great singing voice at 17 months!! Now, your wife Laura and your daughter Fireese have gotten a lot of press with the Smart Hands project. How in the world did the writer of such songs as “She’s the Devil”, “Hate Engine” and “Killed By Love” become a loving husband as well as a father to such a beautiful little girl?
Moe Berg: I guess you meet the right girl and everything falls into place. Being a father is quite fantastic. As Keith Richards said, “you don’t know the meaning of true love until you have kids.”
retroDan:it’s a bit dissappointing to read that you have no plans to continue to work as the Pursuit of Happiness. How hard of a decision was it for you to walk away from the band and your faithful fan-base to focus on something non-musical such as writing a novel?
Moe Berg: I’m still quite involved with music. I actually spend most of my time producing bands and writing with young songwriters. Some of my recent projects include The Clicks, The Populars, Shannon Lee Briggs and The Left. I am about to go into the studio with a band called The Holy Fields, a singer named Emily Weedon and with Robin Black and I’m writing with a really cool young kid named Mike Slute. That’s why the novel has taken almost seven years to finish. (finish? it’s STILL not finished)
As far as TPOH goes, I didn’t really walk away from them. It ended as many things end, which is naturally. Everyone went on to other things that now seem more important than the band. I still talk to everyone and really like them, which is more than many bands can say about each other. We released a best of in Canada a year and a half ago and played a weeks worth of shows. It was fun and then it was over and that was fine with everyone. We got Todd Rundgren and Ed Stasium and some rock writers to write liner notes and that was really great. I look back on all of it with fondness and a huge amount of gratitude.
retroDan:From what i’ve read, you still continue to perform in local clubs with other musicians pretty regularly. what’s this i hear about you performing a Hilary Duff cover???
Moe Berg: I actually perform very infrequently. I really don’t enjoy it that much. That show you are talking about was something I was asked to do called Boys Do Girls. They asked a bunch of male singers to perform songs by a female artist. Looking for an ‘angle’ I chose Hilary Duff mainly because she’s recorded a bunch of songs by The Matrix, which is one of my favorite songwriting/producing teams. I’m the temporary guitar player in Shannon Lee Briggs band, mainly because it lets me play country guitar. I’m part of a joke cover band called Monteforte with some of the members of TPOH and we play once or twice a year. I’ve also recently begun rehearsing with some friends to play 70’s and 80’s country covers. But serious performing of my own material is rare. The street I live on had a street party and I did a half hour set and that’s probably it for the year.
retroDan:You also seem to be having some fun by DJ-ing weekly at a local Toronto bar called the Tap. how did that come about? and what types of songs are you playing?
Moe Berg: DJing is great, the best job I’ve ever had. The Tap is my local and has been for over a dozen years. One day I told the manager, “I think I should DJ here on Saturday nights.” So they bought a rig and I’ve been there ever since. Dave Gilby, the drummer in The Pursuit of Happiness started doing Wednesday and now there is someone spinning every night. I play a lot of power pop, new alternative stuff, some rock and end the night with traditional country stuff. I post part of my playlist every week on my myspace blog.
retroDan:I want to cover some of your past work with TPOH. Now, are you able to listen to what you’ve recorded in the past and enjoy them simply as a listener or are you the type that gets too critical of your own work?
Moe Berg: As far as my past work with TPOH, I’m critical of some of it and enjoy some of it. I can’t say I listen to it very often. There is a lot of it I wish I could go back and change, some of it could have been really good with a few small tweaks.
retroDan:what songs are you most proud of?
Moe Berg: I really like Where’s The Bone, and of course I am still very proud of Love Junk. Favorite songs are Hate Engine, Pressing Lips and Angelique is a Free Spirit.
retroDan:The signature TPOH sound features female backing vocals. Sort of an odd choice for a rock band but it actually turned out to be one of the “hooks” in the TPOH sound. who came up with that idea?
Moe Berg: The girl backup vocals thing was my idea. I wanted my songs to have a lot of harmonies like Todd’s music and the Beatles and Beach Boys. I could never find guys who could sing all that great. So it was more necessity than anything else. It was a hook and a lot of people really liked that about the band. We always walked the line between pop and rock and the vocals always kept the pop element alive.
retroDan:You worked with rock icon Todd Rundgren on your debut album Love Junk as well as the followup, One Sided Story. You went into the recording sessions as a long time Rundgren fan. Did your views of him change any after working with him?
Moe Berg: It was a dream to work with Todd. Before recording the first album. we spoke on the phone many times and he came to Toronto to see us play. The night after the show, we stayed up all night and I asked him every question I’d ever wanted to ask him. So when we started the record, I’d gotten that out of my system. Working with Todd was great, it didn’t change my opinion of him at all. I really enjoyed the sessions and his company. Some nights after recording, we’d have many drinks and get into wild arguments about politics or whatever and I remember those being just amazingly fun nights. I haven’t been in touch with him much lately, but he recently played Toronto and I visited with him backstage for a while and had a beer with him the next night and it was just great to see him again. I am very proud to have worked with him and it’s still the most frequently asked question- “what was it like working with Todd?”
retroDan:Do you still listen to his music?
Moe Berg: I still listen to Todd’s music, though I must say I’ve heard some it a lot and I mean a LOT. When I was a kid (and well into my 20’s), I played Todd albums all day, every day. I still love it when I’m in a supermarket or a mall and a Todd song comes on the radio. I’m a fan and always will be.
retroDan:if you were to make a mix CD of Rundgren’s songs, what would be on it?
Moe Berg: In terms of a Todd mix tape, I wouldn’t even know what to pick. “Drunken Blue Rooster” would be the first song and “Fade Away” would be the last. In between, it would depend on the day.
retroDan:in a recent interview with Todd Bernhardt, Andy Partridge of XTC described Todd Rundgren’s studio in Woodstock as a “pretty wretched two-story shed”. he goes on to say this about the studio: “Downstairs was like a little living-room area, with a loose carpet. There was a grand piano in one corner. The room was sort of cut off by a breakfast bar, which was in terrible repair, and then behind the breakfast bar was a shower unit! And stored around by the shower unit were loads of boxes of tapes. It was in such neglect in there. It was pretty shocking, actually.” What do you remember about your time spent at Rundgren’s studio? Was it as “wretched” as Partridge described?
Moe Berg: Andy’s description of Todd’s studio is a bit harsh. That’s approximately what it looked like though I don’t recall it being shockingly unkempt. While I was there, which was after XTC, I thought it was pretty amazing. In fact, most of the mess there was beer cans and booze bottles we brought and left behind. I’ve recorded in far worse places, believe me. I really don’t understand why Andy has to be like that. Todd produced the best record they ever made. Why not just say, thank you.
retroDan:“She’s So Young” off of Love Junk is just pure melodic bliss to me. it’s probably one of my all time favorite TPOH song. Any remembrances on writing or recording that pop classic?
Moe Berg: She’s So Young was the oldest song we recorded. I’d written it years before we recorded it and, actually, there is a indy record with it as the B side. When we recorded it with Todd, it was clear he thought there was something about it. He dug out his old Vox amp for me to play and invented a new lead guitar sound for the solo.
retroDan:In “I’m an Adult Now” you wrote “Speaking of hearing, I can’t take too much loud music. I mean I like to play it, but I sure don’t like the racket. Noise, but I can’t hear anything… just guitars screaming, screaming, screaming..” What did that those lyrics mean to you then and what do they mean to you now?
Moe Berg: I’m An Adult Now was about many things but the part you refer to is a jab at all the rock and roll cliches. People think rock is better if it’s too loud, if it’s sloppy, if you’re too drunk to play. These are myths concocted by people who aren’t artists and I plan to someday write a book that exposes these myths.
retroDan:sonically, “The Downward Road” was a big step up terms of how the band sounded on record with beefier guitars and powerful drums upfront in the mix. i love how the whole record sounds. it’s a bit dissappointing that the album didn’t get the exposure it deserved. did the record label’s marketing team just drop the ball on that one or was it something to do with the musical landscape at the time?
Moe Berg: The Downward Road was a good record though it may have been a bit long. I think a couple of those songs could have easily been left of the record and that would have helped it out in terms of listenability. The reason’s for its ‘failure’ are all of the things you mentioned. Grunge had just become huge and though I don’t think our band sounded all that much different that the popular bands of that day, some of the differences may have been noticable only to the taste makers. We had always considered ourselves an alternative band but we started to become very popular and that maybe made us seem old guard to some. Ironically, we recorded a lot of it in the same studio Nevermind was recorded in. In fact, we also almost did the record with Nevermind producer Butch Vig. I had a conversation with him and he was quite into the project but scheduling interfered. Plus, we’d always wanted to work with Ed. We were also having a lot of record company problems, which certainly didn’t help at all.
retroDan:how was it work with Ed Stasium? how did that experience compare to recording with Rundgren?
Moe Berg: Working with Ed Stasium was the opposite of working with Todd. Todd’s very much a vibe guy, works really fast and really tries to capture a performance. Ed is extremely meticulous. Todd’s records took a few weeks and Ed’s took a few months. Really loved both guys, though.
retroDan:Now that you’re producing a lot of young bands and artists, do you feel that you are a more sympathetic producer compared to others since you have experience on both sides of the recording console? what’s your usual approach when working with a new band?
Moe Berg: I am a sympathetic producer, more than most but the people I was fortunate to work with weren’t unsympathetic. I always felt respected and a lot of the ideas on the records were mine. I learned alot of what I do from Todd. Todd didn’t manhandle our songs. He found the flaws and made me go back and change them. I try to use this approach with bands that I trust to come up with good ideas. retroDan:I always wanted to ask you this. Who’s that on the cover of “The Wonderful World of..”? and how does the cover concept relate to the music on the record?
Moe Berg: The girl on the front of Wonderful World was someone who wrote for a fanzine here in Toronto. The cover doesn’t relate to the music particularly but I just liked Japanese graphic design and I thought it would look cool.
retroDan:and while we’re on the subject of “the Wonderful World of..”, what made you decide on linking all the songs together? Was it something that you challenged yourself to do while writing the album or did it occur to you during the recording process.
Moe Berg: Linking the songs together was something I’d conceptualized while writing the album. Unfortunately, on reflection, some of the songs weren’t fully realized because I was thinking about them in terms of the entire piece. The album has a natural emotional arc, it starts out very optimistically and descends into a dark, depressing ending.
retroDan:One of the standouts on the album is a song called “I’m Just Happy To Be Here”. I just love how the song has a layer of sadness underneath the “happy” title.
Moe Berg: When you say there is an underlying sadness to songs like Happy To Be Here, that was reflective of where I was at the time. I was having some problems that only got worse. My solo record was even darker. I don’t think it was until I met my wife that things changed for me.
retroDan:what’s your typical approach in writing songs in general? Do you start with a particular guitar riff? Chord progression? Or does it all start with a set of lyrics?
Moe Berg: In terms of how I write songs, I have written them almost every way a song can be written. I will say that most of the stuff for TPOH and my solo record were written lyrics first.
retroDan:Do you labor over each and every word or note in a song? Or are you the type of songwriter that just bangs away at it in a creative burst and then just lets the song be as is.
Moe Berg: I do both. I wait for inspiration to hit, then spew it out. Then I go back and fix the stuff that didn’t come out fully formed.
retroDan:right around the time of your solo release Summer’s Over, you were working through some issues dealing with your Christian upbringing. now that it has been almost a decade since then, have these issues been resolved?
Moe Berg: The issues surrounding my Christian upbringing don’t trouble me any longer. At my age, it’s time to get on with life.
I guess I would call myself a Christian though not like the ones you see on TV or in the movies. God is God, he cannot be shaped by man’s neurotic needs and impulses. People make a lot of decisions about who and what God is based on their own beliefs about the world or what is convienent for their life. Real religious experiences are personal, your relationship with God is personal and the problems begin when you try to exploit God, or form clubs around your conclusions about who God is.
retroDan:You stated in the past that your solo album “Summer’s Over” was pretty self-indulgent. i’d say the set of songs were refreshingly candid and intimate. since TPOH is no more, any plans for more self-indulgence?
Moe Berg: When I said that Summer’s Over was self-indulgent, I meant/mean that I didn’t take into consideration the fact that other people would be listening to it. I don’t think I respected the listener and consequently, the record didn’t find a very big audience. When I produce bands now, I ask them to consider the fact that the record is mainly for other people’s enjoyment and how can we shape their art so that people will want to listen to it over and over again.
I’ve thought about doing another solo record and giving it away online. Now it looks like that is something more and more people are going to do so mine wouldn’t be much of a novelty anymore. I wouldn’t rule it out, but I don’t really have plans for one.
retroDan:in terms of your work, where do you get the most satisfaction? (ie. writing/performing, recording, producing, live gigs, etc)
Moe Berg: Currently I get the most satisfaction from producing. I like songwriting but most of my writing tends to be in collaboration with other writers so my enjoyment of it tends to depend on how much I like the ideas of my co-writers.
retroDan:a growing concern among music listeners is the “loudness wars” in which CDs are mastered at such a high volume that digital clipping occurs sacrificing the overall dynamic range of the recorded music. As an artist and producer, are you actively involved in the mastering stage of your music? Do you usually have the final “say-so” on the sound quality of the CD before it gets mass produced? and what are your thoughts on this tendency in the music industry to compress the sound and boost levels on mastered CDs?
Moe Berg: As far as the loudness/compression debate is concerned, I don’t really like the sound of most records these days. I think a lot of records won’t live on because of it. They’ll be like those rock records in the 80’s that had too much reverb on the snare. Music is in a terrible state right now. There is still lots of great music but most of it hasn’t been heard by the masses. You could say it’s always been like that but that would be false. There has always been good music on the radio, good bands on major labels and hit bands that were also great bands. At least until about eight years ago. I think this will be a lost decade, where most of the music produced in the 2000’s will disappear. I highly doubt future generations will have any interest in what has been produced so far this millennium.
retroDan:OK, Moe. Speed round!
- what are you currently listening to?
I listen to Willie’s Place on XM radio.
- what are you reading?
I just read Barbara Gowdy’s Helpless
- your favorite food?
Southern Barbecue, (ribs, pulled pork etc)
[retroDan:mine too!! if you're ever in NC, I'd be glad to take you to my favorite local eats!!]
- your favorite guitar?
My strat
- real tube amp or Line6 amp modeler?
Tube Amps
- pro tools or Logic Pro or a real studio?
Pro Tools
Michele Rundgren, wife of rock icon Todd Rundgren has been a fixture in the realm of all things Todd since the mid-eighties. Throughout the years, Michele has served many a role in “Todd’s World” including production manager during the “Nearly Human” recording sessions, singing backup during the ‘89-’91 tours, a TR-i dancer during Todd’s interactive tour and a rocker mom to Todd’s three sons. Beloved by Todd-fans the world over, she has made it a point to be open and accessible to all fans. and in an unprecedented move, Michele has even offered fans the opportunity to stay at their place while in Kauai. intrigued? Let’s see what Michele has to say..
RetroDan:You and Todd have called Kauai home for little over a decade now. So give us the real scoop on life in Kauai. Living in paradise can’t be as perfect as it seems. …or is it?
Michele: Most of it is perfect BUT we are the kind of people who can make anyplace we call “HOME” work….and…we chose wisely. It is frustrating for me not to have venues to perform in but the relaxed atmosphere, safety, and beauty is almost an equalizer.
When we lived on the mainland, life was hectic and could be interrupted by the negative parts of celebrity (crazy people yelling outside your kid’s bedroom window, “Todd, get out of my head!”). There is NONE of that here. Todd is not a celebrity here. He’s Rex, Randy, Keoni, & Rebop’s Dad. Or MY favorite, Michele’s husband. Because of the radio show and my Emcee work for charities people recognize me before they do him. It’s such a kick. I’m a big fish in a lagoon on Gilligan’s island.
RetroDan:a couple weeks ago you made a big announcement on Rundgren Radio that you’ll be allowing Todd Rundgren fans the chance to stay at your home while vacationing in Kauai. Can you explain how all this came about?
Michele: We couldn’t figure out what to do with all of neato crap. Todd designed the new house and wants everything in it to be specific for each room. We have collected some wild and wacky things from all over the world and thought it would be a bummer to put them all in boxes or take them to our SF place. AND,…. the market sucks for selling our house…so we thought we’d see if there was any interest in living in our world for a week. If not, it goes on the market in June with no further rentals past May.
RetroDan:So how do Rundgren fans go about renting your home?
Michele: Head over to michelerundgren.com then click on Hale O Hua Li’i which means: House of Runt
RetroDan:You mentioned previously during the “Rundgren Radio” interview that Todd isn’t included in the vacation rental but there are still some cool perks for the guests during their stay, right?
Michele: Yep. Our house is within walking distance of the radio station where I work. If you’d like to come on down and hang out while I’m on the air…. You will all be my guests. Say Hi to the folks back home, request a Todd song….or not (No Aerosmith. Please. HA!) But probably more fun…..for every guest that stays…..they get to go through Todd’s closet and choose ONE item.
RetroDan:the new Rundgren house - the dream house. Can you tell us a bit more on what your new house is like?
Michele: Since it is Todd’s dream house and he designed it, I will have to let him divulge the details.
RetroDan:Michele, you’re currently keeping busy with projects of your own. can you tell us a bit more about them?
Michele: Well, for 2 years, I have been bringing Todd’s dream house to fruition.
I am also in the final stages of writing a musical with my writing partner Debra Ryll. It USED to be called “Jihad, The Musical” but a vigilant Todd fan (I think it was Janet) e mailed Todd so he could warn me that the name had been taken. UHG. So, we’re thinking of titles.
Synopsis: Two Soccer Mom’s decide the only way to save the world is to take down organized religion….in between bake sales, car washes, and endless loads of laundry.
I have not given up on my Club idea for Kauai. It is an uphill battle for locations let alone permits and licenses. I’ll probably open it when Todd is 90!
RetroDan:you’ve mentioned in a past interview that if you had to choose between stand-up and music, you’d choose music in a heartbeat.
Michele: Even though I had great success with my stand up (I only experienced dead silence after one joke) BUT it made me realize that, in comedy, you can fail every 20 seconds. I might have been good at it but it didn’t “fulfill me”. Music does. There is something about opening your heart and voice and exclaiming it into the air……and the sharing of the emotions that come from listening and performing with the audience is better than sex.
OK, OK, now there will be some people, on the TR forums, who will go after me saying I was talking about my sex life. I AM NOT!!!!
RetroDan:Do you currently have an outlet for your singing?
Michele: I wish. The club my band performed in, every Friday night, couldn’t get it’s lease renewed. Time shares are trying to take over my paradise.
RetroDan:any recordings or demos that us fans might enjoy? Since you have Todd’s recording studio in the house, i’d like to think that you have tons of recordings of your own.
Michele:I am sad to say that I do not have any new recordings since I left the mainland. I was busy raising 4 boys, starting new schools, my radio show, theater, and Emcee work. I EmCee countless charity events. BUT!!!!! I am currently writing a record with one of our dear friends, Kenny Emerson (Kenny wore one of Todd’s wild jackets, designed by Rachel Culp, when he accepted his grammy). We’ll be recording this winter. In fact Todd and I both sang on Kenny’s next record. I will let fans know when that comes out. Todd is singing in Hawaiian and he kicked ass!
RetroDan:wow! can’t wait to hear it!!
RetroDan:years ago, back in the Utopia Times/Nexus days, i remember vaguely about a project you put together with Shandi Sinnamon called Venus Envy. Whatever happened to that? did you guys record anthing?
Michele: We did record. The Letterman gig had Gold Mountain Management signing us to a management contract. We recorded 4 tunes and shopped it. At that time Todd asked if we might collaborate on a little project he had already named, Rebop. His reasoning (and my hope) was that I would sign a record deal, record, and tour. We thought it could take up to a year before a tour would commence so we had 90 days to get pregnant. 4 or 5 labels were REALLY interested ins signing us and than……they found out that the Rebop was in production. It all went away. Second Wind would be the last tour I would sing on….I just didn’t know it.
RetroDan:So what’s it like being a “Rocker Mom”? Can you give us a glimpse of a typical day in the life of Michele Rundgren?
Michele: If I described what I do in a day, it would take up 3 pages, make men faint, and have every woman saying,….”Yep, that’s my life, too.”
RetroDan:Is Rebop now in high school? Is high school any different in Hawaii compared to the states
Michele: It IS different. My boys’ schools didn’t ALLOWED them to wear shoes to school until 9th grade. Everyone is barefoot. Our island didn’t have a school baseball program good enough for Rex & Randy so I found Mid Pacific Institute before we even moved. I check a billion coaches out and Mid Pac had the best. So, when Rex & Randy each hit 10th grade, they boarded on Oahu and came home on the week ends….except during BB season. We had to go there. Rebop goes to a private high school on the north shore of Kauai. Like Father like son…he doesn’t like school.
RetroDan:Is Rebop interested in baseball like his older brothers?
Michele: Nope. He got Dad’s computer brain. He also sings in the deepest voice I have ever heard on a skinny 15 year old. I have my fingers crossed he’ll inherit the family business. We’ll see.
RetroDan:Now Rex played for the Carolina Mudcats this year. What does he think of North Carolina? [RetroDan lives in Raleigh, NC]. I understand you and Todd fly to Raleigh quite often to watch him play. you know, you are welcome to come by and visit me anytime while you’re in town!!
Michele: Thanks for the invite but we spend most of our time at the ballpark! My eyes AND chest puffs up when I see Rex play. I can’t believe he is the same Rexy I coached 20 years ago. I am also so proud of the man he has turned out to be.
RetroDan:It was a bit dissappointing for this Todd fan in particular to see that Todd wasn’t able to schedule a TNC show or a solo show here in NC even though Todd spent a lot of time here watching Rex play! how about a solo show (with Kasim, Prairie and Jesse, of course) at the Mudcats stadium??!!!
Michele: The Mudcat’s owner would love that but we don’t think he has a very big market down there. It might look odd to have 100 fans and just the team in the stadium seats. HA!
RetroDan:well, i think you’d be surprised how many of us here are Todd fans. plus, we’d make sure to be extra loud when Todd plays at the stadium!!!
RetroDan:Fee Waybill of the Tubes was recently interviewed on Classic Rock Revisited in which he still seemed a bit bitter about how the rest of the Tubes chose to do Love Bomb with Todd Rundgren instead of staying with Producer David Foster like he wanted. What are your thoughts on Fee’s dim view of Todd and Love Bomb (which personally is my favorite Tubes album by the way).
Michele: Fee doesn’t have a dim view of Todd. He still comes to see Todd and I talk to him a few times a year. I love Fee. The rest of the band was VERY happy that TR produced us. David Foster had replaced some of the band members with session guys on our hit record “Outside Looking Inside”.
With Love Bomb, David wanted TOTAL control over songs and musicians…meaning The Tubes could have one side of the record and DAVID would have the other. Would YOU do that? David was also one of the people who kept telling Fee to leave the band and go solo. I think it would have been better for Fee’s career to have Foster produce but not better for The Tubes. RetroDan:Nearly Human and the whole “Big Band” tour during those years (89-91) is probably my all time favorite Todd period. in recent years, Todd had mentioned doing a similar big production tour like a R&B Soul revue type deal. He even mentioned doing it with Donald Fagen. Have you heard anything about that?
Michele: It came close. Donald had to first go out to support his solo record and then shocked us all by touring again as Steely Dan. I helped produce a benefit concert for our school with Donald & Todd (of course I hired myself as a background singer. So cool to be singing background vocals on the old SD hits). The crowd LOVED it. Maybe someday.
RetroDan:is it really true that “Arena Rock” will be Todd’s next project?
Michele: Arena Rock, MAN!
RetroDan:any words of wisdom for the retroblog.net readers here?
Michele: If you can get through the laundry, concentrate on doing what makes you happy. Geez, maybe I’d better follow my own advice!
RetroDan:OK Michele, one last thing…the speed-round!!
- Your favorite meal?
Dungeness Crab with garlic bread - Your current favorite CD?
It changes every week - Your current favorite TV show?
I haven’t had time to watch TV for 3 months! - currently reading?
I always read three books at a time.
Alan Greenspan The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World
Bill Clinton Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World
and Re-reading Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens’ latest books - the last movie you watched?
I took Rebop to see SuperBad (I admit it…I laughed my ass off) - a favorite quote.
“I love you, Mom.”
The time for talking’s over now, I guess it’s time to let you go. But I don’t, no, I don’t mind at all… Bourgeois Tagg’s late eighties hit “I Don’t Mind at All” is a wonderfully crafted pop song that I personally never get tired of listening to. I still vividly recall the late nights spent dissecting the song note by note with my college buddies trying to figure out exactly how to play the song on our acoustic guitars. after all these years, the song still holds up to this day and has remained a top favorite among fans of Brent Bourgeois and his former band, Bourgeois Tagg. I recently caught up with the man himself, Mr. Brent Bourgeois to talk about his music, his production work, his stint as an A&R executive at Word Records and his recent decision to walk away from the music business altogether. Read on for the exclusive Retroblog interview…
?
, holds up really well to this day. 
feels dated because it was too programmed with a Roland Sampler. It had to do with the same kind of decisions that I left Bourgeois Tagg over- only this time I did it to myself. That record was half-a-record, really; half of those songs were pop songs I originally wrote for other people. My first record is dear to my heart because of the lyrical content; some of the production holds up better than other parts.
that you produced with Loren Balman seems to be an extention of your song “Restored” from “Come Join the Living World”. How did the Streams project come about?
. I usually have three or four books going at once. I also just finished 
. I read a lot. Did I mention that I read a lot?
retroDan: Hi Moe, I just watched your 
Michele Rundgren, wife of rock icon Todd Rundgren has been a fixture in the realm of all things Todd since the mid-eighties. Throughout the years, Michele has served many a role in “Todd’s World” including production manager during the “Nearly Human” recording sessions, singing backup during the ‘89-’91 tours, a TR-i dancer during Todd’s interactive tour and a rocker mom to Todd’s three sons. Beloved by Todd-fans the world over, she has made it a point to be open and accessible to all fans. and in an unprecedented move, Michele has even offered fans the opportunity to stay at their place while in Kauai. intrigued? Let’s see what Michele has to say.. 
RetroDan: years ago, back in the Utopia Times/Nexus days, i remember vaguely about a project you put together with Shandi Sinnamon called Venus Envy. Whatever happened to that? did you guys record anthing?
with Todd Rundgren instead of staying with Producer 
like he wanted. What are your thoughts on Fee’s dim view of Todd and Love Bomb (which personally is my favorite Tubes album by the way).
and 
latest books
