‘Automatic’ release day! First listen

Rick Springfield’s new album ‘Automatic’ is out! While you wait for the CD to come in the mail,you can listen now on mutliple streaming services. Of course I couldn’t wait so I listened to it on Spotify as soon as I could. First thing I noticed was that the songs aren’t in the same order as the album list so I skipped around so I could hear them in the same order.

1. Exit Wound – First released on July 21. Super catchy. Love the background vocals by Windy Wagner.
2. She Walks with the Angels – Beautiful and touching song about Matty Spindel, his longtime friend and studio engineer, previously released on June 16. First performed live in March 2023.
3. Come Said the Girl – This one definitely has that high-energy 80s sound. Lots of horns. RS has said that this CD is about God, love, sex and death, and this definitely falls in the third category.
4. Automatic – The song that came to RS in a dream, according to recent interviews with him. Released in June and performed live on Aug. 1 (in this video he mentions that they just made a video for this song! Whoo-hoo!) I’ve already heard the four previously released songs multiple times so not really a first impression for any of those.
5. Broke House – a sad story about a woman from an abusive house who grows up to be in an abusive marriage. He really knows how to tell a powerful story in less than 2 1/2 minutes. Made me think of the serious topics addressed in his ’70s album “Beginnings” when his record label was expecting teen idol love songs.
6. This Town – Another song with incredible lyrics. The first few lines made me wonder if it was referring to the pandemic. Full of nostalgia but also feels like a love song to his wife.
7. When God Forgets My Name – An introspective song, reflecting on his life. Interesting vocal arrangement, looking forward to seeing the lyrics because I think I missed some of it.
8. Heroes – Hey! Empowering, made me want to dance even though it’s only 5:30 a.m. Hey, hey, hey, yeah!
9. Love Ain’t Cool (Sha Do Wup) – A catchy song released on July 21. One of my favorites. Has a “Venus on Overdrive” vibe.
10. Works for Me – He sure knows how to tell a story!
11. Fake It Til You Make It – Inspirational – ‘you got to dream’
12. The Cure for Loneliness – Has a feel like the “Wait for Night” album.
13. Invisible World – This song feels like a sweet poetic dream.
14. Make Your Move – A video for this song was released about a year ago that he he said he wrote about a couple in trouble but it fit his feelings about the war in Ukraine. Windy Wagner has such a beautiful voice, wow.
15. In Case of Fire Break Glass – So many interesting elements in this one. I’ve been trying to learn audio production so I can record my own songs so I especially enjoyed how he put all the elements together. It’s not easy to get everything to flow and sound so good so the fact that he did all the instruments for this whole album, is so, so impressive.
16. Did I Just Say That Out Loud – A fun rock star story
17. Someday I Will Fly – A reflective song with a cool vibe. Does it refer to death? It feels like it might.
18. Neutron Star – Some cool sounds. Seems to be a commentary on social media and celebrity. Had to look up what a neutron star was – they are formed when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses. Clever way to address the subject.
19. Feed Your Soul – Encouraging words.
20. We Are Eternal – Beautiful. This is the one dedicated to his longtime friend and former keyboard player from the ’80s Brett Tuggle. Touching but also hopeful.

Those were my thoughts as I gave “Automatic” a first listen. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve already heard them a few times, but my favorites are “Love Aint’ Cool,” “She Walks with Angels” and “Exit Wound.” From the ones I hadn’t heard before, I especially liked “This Town,” “Come Said the Girl,” “Invisible World” and “We Are Eternal.”

What are your favorite songs from the album? I look forwarding to listening again with the lyrics in hand once I get my CD because I’m sure I missed a lot. But feeling so lucky that my favorite rock star is still releasing great new music (and touring).

Speaking of decades of great music – Rowdy Ron announced that he’ll be having another All Rick Springfield radio show in honor of RS’s birthday. If you haven’t heard one before and want to hear hours of Rick Springfield music (with no repeated songs – concert and acoustic versions, remixes, rare songs, etc) definitely put it on your calendar! Sunday, Aug. 20 at 8 p.m. Eastern. His shows are amazing! Learn more here.

Also wanted to include one more great interview, out today on the American Songwriter website, which goes over more of the craft of the songwriting for “Automatic”: “Rick Springfield on Jackson Browne, EDM and Writing 20 Songs for New Album ‘Automatic.'”

On the day before the release (more ‘Automatic’ interviews)

And there’s more press on Rick Springfield’s new album, “Automatic,” which will be released tomorrow.

People Magazine: “Rick Springfield Reveals His Secret to Staying Sexy at 73 – See His Shirtless Thrist Trap”

The headline is reminiscent of those teen magazine days (and hey, I learned some new vocabulary – thirst trap), but it’s a good article where he talks about his health and fitness regimen, his wife’s culinary skills and how he copes with depression.

USA Today also posted a new story on the album, “God, sex and death: Rick Springfield discusses the tenants of his music,” where he shares how the song “Automatic” came to him in a dream. It’s a great Q&A that goes into more detail about some of the songs on the new album, his health and his upcoming tour, which also starts Aug. 4.

(For some reason, the article is paired with a video about Rick Astley’s upcoming album and tour, but perhaps that will be corrected at some point.)

An interview with “Industry 45: From the Drum Throne” in which he talks about how he hopes that the songs on his new album will connect with fans and he also touches on his songwriting process, which I always enjoy hearing about.

He also shares some ’80s stories and talks about the 2023 ’80s tour, his Working Class DJ “80s on 8” show, MTV and his friendship with some other rockers. Lots of fun stuff and the interviewer (Shane Christopher Neal) certainly did his homework!

OK, off to work now. Happy almost release day!

Note from later in the day: One more: “Rick Springfield: Still Cute” in this podcast episode from “Literally! With Rob Lowe” (fellow Teen Beat hearthrob…)

And one more: “The Legendary Rick Springfield” (love the title) on the “And That’s What You Really Missed” podcast with Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz, stars from the show “Glee.”

‘Automatic’ interviews and reviews

This is the week! Rick Springfield’s latest album, “Automatic” will be released this Friday, Aug 4 (the same day the “I Want My ’80s Tour” kicks off).

I know, it’s hard to wait, but fortunately a new album means more interviews and articles!

Here are some recent ones to help with the wait.

“Rick Springfield builds a time machine that works on ‘Automatic'”
This review is great because it goes through the album song by song. Read it here.

I speak my truth when I say Rick Springfield is one of the great, underrated power-pop artists of all time. And in 2023, he still is. Automatic comes just a couple weeks before he turns 74. …

Rick Springfield is not only still going, but making good new music and a lot of it. Not many musicians of his generation can say the same.

Tony Hicks, Riff Magazine

“Watch Rick Springfield Talk New Album “Automatic,” Tour, Guitars His Friend Sammy Hagar and More”

Joe Rock on 98.9 WMMO interviews RS about the new album, the tour, “She Talks to Angels” ‘celebratory’ tribute to Matty, his guitar gift to Sammy Hagar, revisiting “Working Class Dog,” and the writing and recording process for “Automatic.” It’s so cool that he played nearly all the instruments on this new album! Read/watch this interview here.

A recap video from L.A. Magazine’s Engine Co. No. 28 110th Anniversary with Rick Springfield

This includes tributes from a number of celebrity guests at the event.

Rick Springfield Interview at LA Magazine Event (on July 24, 2023)

This is the actual interview from the L.A. Magazine event.

Rick Springfield Talks Dream Jessie’s Girl Cover & Unruly Concert Fans
An interview with E!News.

Rick Springfield on the Truth about ‘Jessie’s Girl,’ Honoring a Late Friend & The Joy of Performing

This interview on Daily Blast Live revisits the ‘Jessie’s Girl” question of the past, but it’s OK, I just forget that not everybody has heard this story countless times. They acknowledged how amazing it is that he played all the instruments by himself on “Automatic,” so they’re forgiven. And they asked about Matty, which is sweet.

Greg & Joni talk with Rick Springfield

This interview covers the ’80s tour and lots more. I love that the interviewer, Greg Browning, is such a longtime RS fan!

‘She Walks with the Angels’ performance and lyric video

So far the only ‘Automatic’ song that I’m aware of that has been played live at this point is “She Walks With the Angels” and this great fan video captured this March 2023 performance in Las Vegas.

That’s all I have for now, but hopefully this will help with the wait! (Plus if you visit the RS fan groups on Facebook, you can watch see performance videos from recent concerts. Before he kicks off the summer tour on Friday, he still has three concerts this week in Wisconsin. Who has three nights of concerts during the week he’s kicking off a 25-plus show summer tour? Rick Springfield, that’s who!)

2 more ‘Automatic’ songs released

In case you missed the news, two more songs off of “Automatic” were released this week: “Exit Wound (In the Shape of a Heart)” and “Love Aint’ Cool (Sha Doo Wup).”

Catchy songs! Really digging those background vocals by Windy Wagner!

Sha doo wup!

First singles off of ‘Automatic’

Those who only associate Rick Springfield as the ’80s “Jessie’s Girl” singer may be surprised to know that he’s released more than 20 studio albums, with the newest one, “Automatic” to come out on Aug. 4.

The title track was released yesterday. Here’s “Automatic,” a techno-driven song reminiscent of the Tao album, but with the social commentary feeling of “Songs for the End of the World” and some “The Snake King” aspects.

It took me a few listens before it resonated with me. My first thought that it would sound great in a movie soundtrack, like a real hip social commentary type of movie. Next thought was that it’s going to sound great live because it has some powerful energy. When I dove into the lyrics, that’s when it hooked me. It all goes so well together – the lyrics, the singing, background vocals, the production.

The second song that was released yesterday is “She Walks with the Angels.”

This one hooked me right away. At first it was because I knew that it was inspired by the memory of Matty Spindel, which I thought was really moving. The sound of this one reminded me more of the “Venus in Overdrive” album, one of my favorites. Maybe a little “Working Class Dog,” too.

It’s a really beautiful song and, according to a news release, the song includes secret references about Matty. He mentioned in the released that he wrote it in feminine wording because Matty “was very in touch with that side of himself.” I can picture Matty smiling when hearing the song and it’s still hard to believe that he ‘s gone.

This line hit hard: “I said goodbye and then I waited in the hall.”

According to an article on ultimateclassicrock.com, RS played all the guitars and keyboards on the upcoming album himself.

I can’t wait to hear the rest of the songs!

In other “Automatic” news, it looks like he’ll be doing another TalkshopLive event on June 20 at 8 p.m. Eastern, promoting autographed copies of “Automatic” on CD and vinyl. More details here.

New songs this Friday: ‘She Walks with Angels’ and ‘Automatic’

According to a Facebook post by SVR Music, the first two songs off of Rick Springfield’s new album “Automatic” will be released this Friday, June 16.

This coming Friday (June 16th) SVR Music is proud to release the first two singles from Rick Springfield‘s upcoming full-length album titled “Automatic.” The pre-save/pre-add links for all major music streaming services are included in the link below for the single “She Walks With Angels.” We’ve been privileged to hear the new music and think you’ll love it!
Rick’s “I Want My ’80s” tour launches the same day as the album release date (August 4th), and it will make for a great summer for his fans!!
SVR Music

Pre-save here.

According to a comment from SVR Music in the post, there will also be a vinyl release. Check the SVR Music Facebook page for more updates here.

One observant fan noted the words “Major Spindel” on the strap. Sweet. As mentioned in a recent concert, the song was written in memory of Matty Spindel.

‘Automatic’ release scheduled for Aug. 4 (with song list)

As announced at a recent concert, Rick Springfield’s new CD will be coming out soon and will have 20 new songs!

It’s now listed on Amazon and ready for pre-order. It’s scheduled for an Aug. 4 release (aka my birthday week… what a great gift – thanks, RS!)

Here’s the “Automatic” description:

The album, described by Springfield, as 20 new songs stylistically somewhere between “Working Class Dog” and “Tao”. Sonically, the album sees Springfield returning to his first love of guitar-based power pop and keyboards, while lyrically featuring his favored subjects of love, sex and death. “My goal was solid three-minute tunes with the biggest hooks I could come up with.” As Springfield explains, “the album is called ‘Automatic’ because the songs just kind of came out on their own.”

“Automatic” editorial review on amazon.com

Here’s the song list:

1. Exit Wound
2. She Walks with the Angels (This one was debuted at a recent show and was performed with a video tribute to Matty Spindel playing in the background.)
3. Come Said the Girl
4. Automatic
5. Broke House
6. This Town
7. When God Forgets My Name
8. Heroes
9. Love Ain’t Cool (Sha Do Wup)
10. Works for Me
11. Fake It Til You Make It
12. The Cure for Loneliness
13. Invisible World
14. Make Your Move
15. In Case of Fire Break Glass
16. Did I Just Say That Out Loud
17. Someday I Will Fly
18. Neutron Star
19. Feed Your Soul
20. We Are Eternal

I can’t wait to hear what these songs are about!

A Rick Springfield time capsule

My copy of the “Springfield” CD came in the mail yesterday. I read the liner notes right away, but since I wasn’t sure where our CD player is, I ended up listening to it in my car today. Fortunately today’s the one day a week I drive to the office so I got to listen to the whole thing more than once.

First impression on first listen:

1. It rocks! It really showcases RS’s incredible guitar playing.
   
2. On first listen, my favorites are “Beethoven Street” and “Eleanor Rigby.” (It’s bizarre to think that this was recorded only eight years after the original Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” was released.) “Streakin’ Across the U.S.A.” cracked me up – I thought it was a fun song and if I had to choose one that I could imagine hearing on a 70s hit radio station today if the album was actually released in 1974, it’s “American Girls.”
   
3. It was great to have such extensive liner notes. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone so I won’t give any details, but it included some photos from that time (caveman outfit, anyone?) and details about each song.
   
4. Songs that didn’t age well: “Trash” (‘Trash, I’ve been thinking a lot about you, trash” “I don’t care if you’re built like a car” “And it really is a plain shame, but you’re trash, yeah, I know.”) and “Electra” (“Electra, Electra, I thought that I was your number one, Electra, Electra, Watcha gonna do with that machine gun?” followed by the drums sounding like a machine gun.) Actually my first response was feeling very disturbed by that, but I realize that reaction was more to the recent shootings and remembered that it was written 50 years ago by a 25-year-old guy and realized that it probably seemed really clever at the time. (The song sounded cooler in the live version, but hearing a machine gun at a live concert would not be cool these days.)
   
5. It was fun to hear the live versions of the songs – the band sounded great and it was also cool to hear RS’s Australian accent when he spoke between songs (since that was before the acting classes where he learned to speak without his accent).
   
6. The whole CD feels like a time capsule – hearing RS songs I’ve never heard before, seeing pics I’ve never seen before and hearing stories behind the songs and learning details about that time in his life. Even the whole idea of it – songs never being released because the record label decided not to release it – is an example of how it used to be. Now artists can release their own songs whenever they want to and don’t need to depend on a record label to release music. Heck, even I have two of my songs on Spotify (though, with about 100,000 songs being uploaded on Spotify each day, it’s difficult to get your songs noticed.)

Here’s a paragraph about the album from RS’s autobiography “Late, Late at Night”:

My record dies an orphan, landing with a bruised thud on the Hollywood sidewalk after a year and a half of loving care from me. If I didn’t know it already, I learn it now: this game is not for wusses. The album, tentatively titled Springfield – Rocks Off! (yikes) is put in a warehouse somewhere, along with the crated Ark of the Covenant, never to be seen or heard again.”

Rick Springfield, “Late, Late at Night”

Never to be seen or heard again, that is, until 2023.

In other news…

RS announced the “I Want My 80s Tour,” which is Aug. 4-Sept. 17 and will include Tommy Tutone and select dates with The Hooters and Paul Young. There’s no stop in Arizona this time around so it looks like I’ll be missing this one.

Totally random piece of information: On the Rick Springfield and Us fan-based website, I just noticed that today in Rick Springfield history, RS appeared on Arizona Midday and signed his novel “Magnificent Vibration” at a Tempe bookstore in 2014. Unfortunately I didn’t see either at that time so didn’t know about the book signing beforehand so I didn’t go. However, there was an interview with RS about his book on PBS the following month, which I did see which reignited my RS crush after losing touch of his career for over 15 years and inspired this blog nearly nine years ago.

(In the Arizona Midday video, there’s a “General Hospital” clip of Noah Drake and Bobbie Spencer, aka RS and Jacklyn Zeman. I was so sad to hear that she died this week. She seemed like such a nice person. Condolences to all her loved ones.)

Also, in a video clip from a recent concert that was posted on Facebook, we learned that the new album he’s been working on will be called “Automatic” and will have 20 new songs!!!!! Whoo-hoo, can’t wait for this NEW new album to come out!

Freed from the vault: A new Rick Springfield album recorded in 1974 will finally be released

Back in 1974, Rick Springfield was signed with Columbia Records and recorded an album. And now, nearly 50 years later, it’s about to be released.

Why the delay?

According to Iconclassic Records:

Rick Springfield seemed to be on a fast track to stardom by 1974. He had it all: a batch of well-crafted commercially viable songs, a great voice, muscular musicianship and striking good looks. After scoring with 1972’s “Speak to the Sky” single, he assembled his first solo band and hit the road in pursuit of his dreams. “It was a hedonistic couple of months of rock and roll and partying and no parents,” remembers Springfield. “Songs came out of all that fire and sexual angst of being 25 and being on your own.”

But when Rick delivered his completed Springfield album to Columbia Records, the label balked. Its hard rock sound and suggestive lyrics flew in the face of the pink and perky bubblegum sound they expected. In early ’75, the Springfield album was officially shelved.

For almost 50 years, Springfield has sat in the vaults…until now. Remastered from the original tapes and expanded with unheard live performances of its material, Springfield finally takes its rightful place in Rick’s catalog.

Here’s what the expanded edition remastered CD with bonus tracks, which is due to be released on May 12, 2023, includes:

• Previously unreleased vintage Rick Springfield studio album!
• Plus rare single sides for first time on CD worldwide
• Unheard bonus live versions of 8 of the album tracks, introduced by the legendary Wolfman Jack
• 16 of 21 tracks previously unissued
• 20-page full color booklet includes unseen photos and memorabilia
• 5,000-word liner notes essay by Ken Sharp includes new commentary from Rick Springfield plus the contributing musicians and his then-manager, and full track by track discussion
• Digitally remastered from the original master tapes by Vic Anesini

Here’s the track listing:

TRACK LISTING

• Original Springfield Album
• 1. Trash *
• 2. Call The Fire Brigade *
• 3. Eleanor Rigby
• 4. Child Within
• 5. Beethoven Street *
• 6. Sukaya *
• 7. Sweet Teezer *
• 8. Pearly And Me *
• 9. American Girls
• 10. Elektra *

BONUS TRACKS

• Bonus Single – First Time on CD
• 11. Streakin’ Across The U.S.A.
• 12. Music To Streak By
• 
  Live at Northwest Speedway, Post Falls, Idaho, 1974
• 13. Wolfman Jack Introduction *
• 14. Music To Streak By *
• 15. Trash *
• 16. Call The Fire Brigade *
• 17. Sukaya *
• 18. Eleanor Rigby *
• 19. American Girls *
• 20. Elektra *
• 21. Beethoven Street *
• 
  * Previously Unreleased

LINEUP

• Rick Springfield – Guitar, Piano, Vocals
• Peter Leinheiser aka Peter Lyon – Guitar, Background Vocals
• Gabriel Katona – Keyboards, Saxophone, Background Vocals
• Les Smith – Bass, Background Vocals
• Eddie Rodriguez – Drums, Background Vocals

SPECIAL GUESTS

• Jimmie Haskell – String arrangements

The CD is currently on pre-order here.

I also just want to send a shout out to those at rickspringfield.us, a fan site for being an incredible resource for all things in Rick Springfield fandom. I just noticed that they have created a page with all the SiriusXM 80s on 8 “Working Class DJ” shows. So fun!

They even have lyrics to some of the songs coming out on this “Springfield” CD. I assume RS was disappointed that it wasn’t released then and I wonder if he ever imagined that it would finally be released nearly 50 years later and that he’d have so many decades-long fans eagerly awaiting it (and of course he would have never imagined that it would be released on CD because they didn’t exist yet).

A new TV pilot: ‘It’s a Lot’

A new pilot episode of a show starring Rick Springfield is currently in the screening process!

The pilot of “It’s a Lot!” is a sitcom written by standup comedian Dan Rosenberg, who plays a used car salesman who is the son of a famous rock star who is bankrupt after six divorces (played by RS, of course), according to an an article in The Times.

According to the article, the idea for the show came to Rosenberg after attending a RS concert in Los Angeles in the early 2000s. He met RS backstage in 2012 after purchasing a guitar for a meet and greet and got a chance to share his pilot idea with him. RS encouraged him to keep trying but he almost gave up before a chance meeting with Barry Katz, a comedy-manager who liked the idea and agreed to help with the pilot. Soon after, Rosenberg got another backstage pass to hand RS “a hard copy of the pilot and a thumb drive of the next nine rough draft episodes” and RS agreed to film the pilot episode.

Isn’t that a cool story about never giving up?

According to the article, the next step after the screening process is trying to get the show picked up by a streaming service. I personally think there’d be lots of people who would be interested in watching!

For more information about the show, visit danrosenberg.com/itsalot