I am very saddened by the passing of Billy Hinsche. He was a multi-instrumentalist and solid talent who earned fame with the pop band Dino, Desi, and Billy in the 60s and later joined the Beach Boys as a session musician. I was honored to have interviewed him back in 2009.
Rest in Peace, Bill.
Singer-songwriter Emitt Rhodes, a pioneer of power pop has passed away at age 70. At an early age, Emitt was a rising star in the pop scene during the mid-’60s, as he played in multiple bands, including The Palace Guard and The Merry Go Round. He then signed onto A&M Records and released a series of critically acclaimed solo albums in the 1970s, each one had great songwriting and musicianship. His reputation as a “One-Man Beatles” was earned as his melodic style was often compared to Paul McCartney. Rhodes also wrote all of the songs on his albums. On Emitt Rhodes, Mirror, and Farewell to Paradise, he played all of the instruments and sang all of the vocals while recording himself in his home recording studio on a 4 track recorder.
After a label contract dispute, Rhodes’ left the music business for a time. He still tried to come back, but efforts in the next few decades were frustrated. It wasn’t until power pop musician Chris Price showed up to his house unannounced and coaxed Emitt to record a follow up to his last solo LP, Farewell to Paradise. In 2016 the new album Rainbow Ends, a collaboration with Price was released and it was a wonderful return to the spotlight for Emitt. He was an inspiration to many artists and will continue to be remembered for years to come. Rest in peace, Mr. Rhodes — you were someone special to all of us. Visit his page on The Power Pop Hall of Fame written by Chris Price.
Marty Rudnick released his timeless album “More Songs About Cars and Girls” in 2006 on his Sandbox Records label. It’s been a favorite of many fellow power-pop fans for years. Marty was also a very successful audio engineer, remastering many artists’ work to perfection. Marty passed away this month, and even though I didn’t know him in person, we’ve been Facebook friends for years.
DJs Adam Waltmire (Pop Garen Radio) and Micheal McCartney (The Time Machine) knew him well and told a few stories about him online. He was a true musical talent as a multi-instrumentalist and singer. And he loved other talented musicians as well. RIP, Marty… we’ll always have those songs about cars and girls.
Here is a FREE download cover of Paul Simon’s “The Boxer” with Marty Rudnick, Ken Carmassi, and Tommy Dunbar.
Here is another FREE song with Marty and The Agony Aunts as part of a “Single Of The Month Club”
I was told by some to prepare for a wave of rock and roll deaths, but it still shocks us when our rock idols (who are now 70+ or older) are gone. Add Ric Ocasek of the Cars to the list, and although he wasn’t considered a power-pop artist at the time the band was active, it makes sense to retrofit the band into the genre. The Cars topped the charts in the late 1970s and 80s, with 13 top-40 singles and thrived in an era when the synth keyboard ruled over the guitar gods of old. The band’s sound was critical in the transition to new wave rock and thankfully Ocasek was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year. He was 75 years old. In honor of his passing, you should play the Benjamin Orr sung “Drive,” penned by Ocasek, and his wife model/actress Paulina Porizkova was featured in the video below. RIP Ric, we will drive you home.
Pete Shelley was always someone I admired, not just for his excellent work with The Buzzcocks, but his solo work too. His music literally pushed the late 70’s sneering punk aesthetic into the realm of pop and new wave. Some people have argued that maybe The Buzzcocks were power pop — and they wouldn’t be wrong, but they could easily be classified as the first punk-pop band too. The Buzzcocks were also one of the most influential DIY bands of its day, when they self-released their debut EP Spiral Scratchin 1977, setting a strong example for the future of independent music. Pete Shelley had died of a heart attack aged 63, but he made a dent in the musical landscape that will be felt by his fellow homosapiens for years to come.