The Power Station

by | Feb 19, 2025 | Wednesday Rock Blogging | 2 comments

I hope you get a chance to see the 3-hour documentary Ladies and Gentlemen 50 Years of SNL Music – the only problem is it’s too short! One clip that didn’t make the cut was this one-time-only performance:

The Power Station were a British-American 1980s/1990s rock and pop music supergroup originally formed in New York City and London in 1984. It was made up of singer Robert Palmer, former Chic drummer Tony Thompson, and Duran Duran members John Taylor (bass) and Andy Taylor (guitar). Bernard Edwards, also of Chic, was involved on the studio side as recording producer and for a short time also functioned as the Power Station’s manager. Edwards also replaced John Taylor on bass for the recording of the band’s second album. The band was formed in New York City late in 1984 during a break in Duran Duran’s schedule that became a lengthy hiatus. The Power Station was named after the Power Station recording studio in New York, where their first album was conceived and recorded.

On 16 February 1985, the band performed “Some Like It Hot” and “Get It On” on Saturday Night Live. It was the only time that Robert Palmer performed live with the original line-up – and the band only lasted a year. The horn section for the Power Station’s Saturday Night Live appearance included saxophonist Lenny Pickett, who would join the show’s house band that fall and eventually become the show’s musical director.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_Station_(band)

Michael McDonald

by | Feb 12, 2025 | Wednesday Rock Blogging

Last year, I finally bought a brand-new car.

New cars come with the Sirius-radio trial for a few months, and I eventually saved a few favorite stations – one of which was old Channel 311, the Yacht Rock channel.

I’d didn’t expect that I would know virtually all of the songs, and it dawned on me that I must be quite a wuss for them to be so familiar! Then I watched the Yacht Rock documentary, which was fantastic and laid out the history of Yacht Rock in no uncertain terms. I agreed with all of them!

But there needs to be one caveat.

To be in the upper tier of Yacht Rock, you must have some connection to Michael McDonald.

Artists who had Michael write, sing, or produce their songs:

Dooblie Brothers, Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins. Christopher Cross, James Ingram, David Cassidy, Van Halen, Ray Charles, Barbra Streisand, Patti LaBelle, Twinkie Clark, Lee Ritenour, The Winans, Aretha Franklin, Toto, Grizzly Bear, Stephen Bishop, Jack Jones, Carly Simon, Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Thundercat.

Michael has won five Grammy awards, including Song of the Year (with Kenny Loggins) in 1980 for the yacht rock anthem, What a Fool Believes by the Doobie Brothers. Michael wrote his auto-biography and gave it the same name. I’ve read it, and his story is exactly what you’d expect to happen to a talented guy who came to L.A. in the late-1960s looking for a lucky break.

We’ve heard that song enough though.

Another song that gets overplayed on the Yacht Rock channel is the Kenny Loggins song, Heart to Heart, which is also co-written by Michael. Sirius plays the version from Kenny’s solo album, where he sings all the leads but really strains to sing Michael’s parts. This is the better version:

Today is Michael 73rd birthday too – Happy Birthday Michael!

Then there is Michael’s song stepped all over by Kenny:

Michael McDonald together for a live multi-cam shoot of the hit song, recorded for a fundraiser for the 36th Unity Telethon, supporting low income families and seniors all year long in the Santa Barbara area.

The same people got back together two months ago, and Kenny stayed in his shoes:

John Lennon

by | Dec 4, 2024 | Wednesday Rock Blogging

Today an innocent man was gunned down in midtown Mahattan, and it reminded me of John Lennon who was killed nearby on December 8, 1980. I’ll never forget listening to Jim Ladd on KLOS that night playing every Lennon song imaginable to pay respects. BTW, the war is over, and Christmas is three weeks away:

Eminence Front

by | Oct 23, 2024 | Wednesday Rock Blogging

It was on this tour in 1982 that I saw the Who at the L.A. Sports Arena. It was the loudest concert I’ve ever attended, and my ears were ringing for a week – and I was in the back!

Whoops it wasn’t the 1982 tour.

It was the 1980 tour that I saw – look at the Townshend leap:

Filner

by | Oct 2, 2024 | Wednesday Rock Blogging


One of the greatest videos in San Diego history – San Diego Mayor Filner resigned less than 30 days later. He still owns a condo in Chula Vista! Go Padres!

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