Farewell, 2023

Lots has happened in the world since I last posted and I’ve been really distracted with the news. However, I thought I should check in to recap the year since I’ve done that every other year and felt like I should keep that tradition and wrap everything up.

The main theme of this year was “Automatic” and the excitement of hearing 20 new songs – and being able to watch a new video.

There wasn’t only one CD released this year – there were two. A Rick Springfield album recorded in 1974 was finally released. It even included some Australian accent between the songs.

There was also the Working Class DJ show on SiriusXM and an “I Want My 80s Tour” over the summer. You can also watch “Rick Springfield: The Beat of the Live Drum,” “Orchestrating My Life,” “Stripped Down” and the 40th anniversary of “Working Class Dog” on tubitv.com in case you’ve missed any of those.

Then it was farewell to the fan trip – held in Punta Cana in October. It’s too bad that I never had the chance to attend one, but I’m grateful for all the shared videos from other fans so I could get a taste of it.

Here are some fan trip videos I found on YouTube of some songs played that typically aren’t included in the concert setlist.

The Snake King, Just One Kiss, Religion of the Heart

Wasted

That One

What’s Victoria’s Secret

It’s Always Something

Believe in Me

And here’s a great interview from a few months ago, which is a nice way to end the year:

Honestly, I’m not sure whether I’ll be continuing this blog, as I’ve been working on a few other projects – I just started a podcast and am finishing up a book. Plus, what else can I say that I haven’t already said over the past nine-plus years of indulging my inner teen? However, I appreciate everyone who read it – thank you – and thanks to RS for all the inspiration.

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2024!

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!