C or D: Emitt Rhodes?

I'd wondered for eons why this guy disappeared after 1973, and just read that his ABC contract demanded 6 albums over the span of 3 years and he couldn't keep up. They sued him and he started working behind the scenes instead. Imagine chasing a guy this talented away from a recording career because he worked slowly. jfc!

RIP
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emitt_Rhodes

RIP Emitt.

https://www.brooklynvegan.com/emitt-rhodes-rip/

I'd wondered for eons why this guy disappeared after 1973, and just read that his ABC contract demanded 6 albums over the span of 3 years and he couldn't keep up. They sued him and he started working behind the scenes instead. Imagine chasing a guy this talented away from a recording career because he worked slowly. jfc!

True but then I wonder why he didn't reduce his workload by just getting Leland Sklar and Waddy Wachtel and whoever to play on his records instead of trying to do everything himself - he'd even taken up the saxophone on his final (70s) album!

He was really into doing stuff by himself. I actually was just looking at my vinyl Farewell To Paradise (his last album for ABC/Dunhill), and his liner notes are very defensive about controlling all aspects of his music as an artist.

I've always been amazed he never found work as a professional songwriter, but I guess he was a little too early for that to be a viable career path.

Farewell To Paradise liner notes (for context, I believe he already been sued by ABC/Dunhill for breach of contract before recording the album)

If gold is valuable because it is scarce, then sincerity must even be more valuable because there is so precious little of it. I'm seldom attracted to liner notes. I've only taken the time to read just a few...those I have, in so many words, praised whomever for his or her musical genius. I find it difficult to do the same.

If I possess a talent, it surely must be patience. Someone said something about the world stepping aside when a man knew what he wanted. I've known for some time and the world hasn't yet made it any easier for me. Those things I cherish most I worked long and paid dearly for. I am a recording artist not just a songwriter or musician. I have taken total responsibility of my art. Avoiding the temptation of using others to conceal my weaknesses. My works are sincere and entirety my own.

Re-Upping broken Youtubes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgmioAfzhXE

The Merry-Go-Round on Hollywood Palace w/Don Knotts

Cool! Have The Bangles weighed in yet?

Susanna tweeted, but she's the only one I follow. Dunno about the others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLYUJbvBFU4

"Birthday Lady" promo film

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypoMlWQ9xwU

"Really Wanted You" promo film.

I remember seeing a clip of him on the Whistle Test, but it's not up atm.

There's also a Palace Guard clip up ("Falling Sugar") but I don't think Rhodes is in it. The guy miming drums doesn't look like him.

That Brooklyn Vegan notice has some good stuff but too many popups. They do have vimeo embeds though, so there's that. Anyway here is a link to the doc, The One Man Beatles. https://vimeo.com/266426996

This is probably his last interview: https://mediumfidelitymusic.wordpress.com/2020/07/19/example-post-3

Flatmate who confirmed his passing is in the vimeo.

anyone ever see this?

― buzza, Sunday, January 27, 2013 3:46 PM

No!

― Leopard Skin POLL-Box Hat (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, January 27, 2013

will finally watch this!

It's kind of bittersweet and sad and depressing- surprise! - but well-done and affectionate. Now is a perfect time to watch.

A few of the singles off the last album, none of which I have listened to yet, are credited to Emitt Rhodes, Richard Thompson and The Bangles. Not 100% sure what this means.

Seems to mean backing vox by Vicki and Debbi Peterson and electric guitar by Richard Thompson. Pretty nice.

They're stray singles from a project just prior to that last album, with Thompson & The Bangles featured guests.

Seems like two of the three songs on the singles are on the album as well.

His voice seems to have followed the opposite trajectory of that of Alex Chilton’s.

XP My bad. I misread something about them not being cut for or included on that album.

They were released and then pulled a few years earlier because of a legal issue.

I’m feeling some kind of connection with Arthur Alexander, don’t know if it’s just a simple connecting of dots: huge talent with a gift for melody and melancholy but no head for business, gone into hiding for decades, some kind of last comeback that is artistically successful but goes nowhere or is cut short, the word “rainbow.”

jeez, that doc was so sad

Which one was it? Original YT link seems to be gone from your 2013 post

posted above by JRatB
https://vimeo.com/266426996

Ah I see, thx buzza

RIP, one of the great one-man bands. Also non-LP single Tame The Lion is one of the great anti-war songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q81q4AkmEaw

A little more from the guy who did that last interview, with a cameo by Paul Schrader. https://consequenceofsound.net/2020/07/emitt-rhodes-dead/

Doc was so sad it gave me nightmares. Well I might have had them anyway but still.

guy did some nice stuff i've listened to last couple days (i def mustve heard a bit over the years), but why curse anyone with 'One Man Beatles'?

Yeah, stupid title. Also I'd like to read something about Emitt Rhodes that doesn't mention Paul McCartney for a change.

i think the title probably says more about how his biggest fans perceive him. i've known a handful of beatles worshippers who are so tragically devout that it's almost like nothing else will do and acts like emmitt rhodes, badfinger, and ELO just kind of fill this void for them.

never any love for key's "fit me in" though

Some fun promo videos of his popping up on Twitter:

RIP Emitt Rhodes "Really Wanted You," 1971 promo video. Fare thee well, Mr. Rhodes. Thank you for all the great music. pic.twitter.com/K8JQa9wjiY

— Nikki Kreuzer (@NikkiKreuzer) July 19, 2020

RIP Emitt Rhodes. Heres's a 1971 promo film for Birthday Lady, somewhat surprisingly filmed at Bristol Temple Meads. The full thing is here https://t.co/Wg2ntgBjG9 and here's a promo for Really Wanted You also filmed at BTM https://t.co/u5ETQoEe4Q pic.twitter.com/y0jXOAns89

— Birmingham 81 (@Birmingham_81) July 19, 2020

Some fun video promos of his popping up on Twitter:

RIP Emitt Rhodes "Really Wanted You," 1971 promo video. Fare thee well, Mr. Rhodes. Thank you for all the great music. pic.twitter.com/K8JQa9wjiY

— Nikki Kreuzer (@NikkiKreuzer) July 19, 2020

RIP Emitt Rhodes. Heres's a 1971 promo film for Birthday Lady, somewhat surprisingly filmed at Bristol Temple Meads. The full thing is here https://t.co/Wg2ntgBjG9 and here's a promo for Really Wanted You also filmed at BTM https://t.co/u5ETQoEe4Q pic.twitter.com/y0jXOAns89

— Birmingham 81 (@Birmingham_81) July 19, 2020

Cool.

Never cared about Counting Crows, but I have a newfound fondness for their bass player for his work with Emitt.

The doc is kind of depressing and Emitt was depressed and yet the older Emitt doesn’t seem like a betrayal of the younger one, rather a natural extension thereof and there is something eminently lovable about his withdrawn yet warm presence, if I may allow myself to go there.

i think the title probably says more about how his biggest fans perceive him. i've known a handful of beatles worshippers who are so tragically devout that it's almost like nothing else will do and acts like emmitt rhodes, badfinger, and ELO just kind of fill this void for them.

I mean some Beatles fans might as well be Zappa or Dead fans, they way they go on.

Personnel
Emitt Rhodes: All instruments and voices.

Keith Olsen is an interesting interview – “Where’s the charm?” he asks when told that Emitt was working with other musicians after 40 years in an actual studio.

I think I expected that documentary to be more depressing than it was. Rhodes is a depressive but not smotheringly so. And hey, he did do an album, even if it’s hard for me to reconcile the “To Make You Feel My Love”-esque vibe of that material with anything he did earlier in his career.

Right, exactly.

Keith Olsen is an interesting interview – “Where’s the charm?” he asks when told that Emitt was working with other musicians after 40 years in an actual studio.

https://tapeop.com/interviews/33/keith-olsen/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8reWSwi_gFA

The first solo record never gets old for me. I should give Mirror more of a chance.

If it hasn’t been done yet, somebody should interview Keith Olsen about Curt Boettcher before he kicks the bucket too. Boettcher worked on Rhodes’ S/T.

But came to post this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7kR8IcJGR8

I came to watch the Merry Go Round (and Jerry Butler) but stayed for the Happy Jack dance party.

!!!

Ha, dan otm.

Came to post that today is apparently a special day for Emitt.

Just saw a Father's Day weekend photo of Emitt on F-Borad, very sweet.

New cover of "Promises I Made" by Black Keys guy mentioned here.

Feels a little too slow to me upon first listen, but the story is nice.

“And of course the Emitt Rhodes song at the end [Promises I’ve Made]. I think that was the first song I recorded, and it was on the day that Emitt died. That was what set the fire for everything because I liked this new recording set-up and how it turned out, so I just kept going”.

Sounds like he was trying to make sound like something off Abbey Road. #onethread

Sixth anniversary of the release of Rainbow Ends today.

I just won a vinyl American Dream (2nd edition) on eBay!

Wow!

Mrs. Redd is watching some new Star Trek thing and there is an Emitt-looking guy on the screen right now.

No doubt headed to the Space Lobster.

That vinyl copy of American Dream I got is gorgeous...the prior owner(s) took really good care of it. Might be my favorite Emitt release.

Also noticed some Emitt included on the playlists last shared here: Obscure Singles Heard at CVS

“Isn’t It So” is my jam.

Not sure what this adds but, one of his exes posted it so: https://www.splicetoday.com/music/the-rise-and-fall-of-singer-songwriter-emitt-rhodes-the-one-man-beatles

And then someone else close to him eplied about the relatively happy ending.

Where is that? Do you have to register to see it?

What, the reply? They mentioned it on Friendbook.

Is “Isn’t It So” about his mother? Although it is obvious written to seem as if it is about an ex.