Rod Stewart

The distinctive soul sound of the big-nosed, multiple-married, Scottish former Faces frontman has been impressing the airwaves for more than 50 years. He spent rather too long on the money-spinning Songbook series (another Clive Davis scam) for my taste, but he seems keener to prolong his legacy, following his recent autobiography, and new album. Here are a selection of his highlights:

Maggie May (w/DJ John Peel miming the mandolin)

Sailing

Young Turks

Rhythm Of My Heart

Can't Stop Me Now (live)

  

You know, Rod Stewart has been capable of having some awesome hits and a few baaaaad songs. Young Turks is my fav by him easily! Also a big fan of "Passion" and "Baby Jane". Never got the hype behind his biggest success .... "Tonight's The Night" though it etched in history now. Oh, "Infactuation" was fun too.   


I have a cousin whom I haven't seen in ages. He phoned me one night ('bout a decade ago') and had Rod Stewart talk to me! He's in a band and they somehow became buds. Apparently, Rod was in Mississippi on tour and had grub with my cousin before performing. He ordered a 24 piece meal from Kentucky Fried Chicken (Yuckk) and they chowed down on that and mashed potatoes. They lived out in the boonies and smoked a J by the campfire. Wish I could've been there, but from how he talked, he's a good country boy.
For the brief conversation we had on the phone, I let Rod all the talking pretty much. He was going on about the artists that have died and he spoke very highly of John Denver and John Lennon. So long ago and one of the moments you wish you could get on utube lol. Cheers~

You know, that is exactly the sort of sort of response I have been hoping for with these threads   Yeah, I think he's a nicer guy than the media image often suggests   

When I started getting heavily into music, around the end of 1990, into 1991, Rhythm of My Heart really ticked me off for some reason. But it's grown on me a lot since then. At least he does keep pushing himself as a musician (Clive Davis crap era aside  )

Discovering Rod Stewart
A further edition from this series, it rather suggested his early solo material after leaving the Faces was his apex, and things started to go downhill from the mid-70's. One typical complaint was his 5-album project for Clive Davis, "The Great American Songbook", which was purely a money-making exercise, not a critical project. I can't help thinking that 5 CDs of "The Great British Songbook" would have been a lot more challenging and interesting. His current resurgence at least puts him back in the public eye for the right reasons.

Imagine: Rod Stewart - Can't Stop Me Now
In case you still hadn't heard that his latest album contained his first new writings for 20 years, here was a runthrough of his life. His very early days were intriguingly represented by archive footage from the mid-60's, and the father he clearly still admires. Family seems to be a watchword for him. Like his friend Elton John, his career got a key boost from Long John Baldry. Bobby Womack amusingly numbered amongst the talking heads, which smacked of "whilst we have him here, let's ask his opinion on all sorts". But Rod remains a spirited force, and with his book behind him, maybe there's still more to come. Hopefully.

Rod Stewart in Rod's Christmas Concert
An Old Grey Whistle Test special from December 1976 at the Olympia in London, Rod and his band belted out, yes, a mix of the familiar and the less so. 'Get Back' might have seemed incongruous, except it was his latest single at the time. He also did 'Wild Side of Life' which I only know as a Quo song. He ended on 'Sailing', and then appeared to be cueing up for 'Stay With Me' as the credits rolled and the show ended. A worthwhile historical document, though.

Rod Stewart at the BBC
Another of these compilations, this was more generous to his Faces era, but pretty rubbish for post-70's material.

I did manage to get hold of a copy of his autobiog, which I'll get round to at some stage before Christmas with any luck...   

misery guts wrote:I did manage to get hold of a copy of his autobiog, which I'll get round to at some stage before Christmas with any luck...   

Rod: The Autobiography
Pretty impressive work, to be fair. Rod helpfully breaks up the chronological narrative with digressions about hobbies such as model railways or people who impersonate him. His love-lives are not as interesting as his musical adventures. He is quite frank about use of drugs, and when his material hasn't been up to stuff. He manages to deal with the Clive Davis-backed standards quintalogy rather swiftly, and the book ends in advance of his comeback album from last year (the paperback probably has more on it). I was bemused at the lack of mention of "In A Broken Dream", but then again, he doesn't mention "My Town" either, and it IS his book. But certainly worth the money I paid from a charity shop

He's got a new album out in a few days, "Another Country", which like his last, is almost entirely Rod-penned or co-penned

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_Country_(Rod_Stewart_album)

I was expecting a blast of country covers, so I'm happy to be surprised. Surely he wanted to try some Merle Haggard or Johnny Cash?

Rod Stewart: Live at Hyde Park
A concert in connection with BBC Radio 2's 'Festival in a Day' event. Rod was in fine mood, mixing up some less familiar material for once, including 'In a Broken Dream' and 'Gasoline Alley'. He ended with 'I Was Only Joking', interestingly. Hopefully the Clive Davis Years are long past now, and he's enjoying a late flowering.

The Story Of: Rod Stewart
Another in this mid-80's, series, mostly told by Rod himself, from his early efforts in the mid-60s, through success with the Faces, even greater success solo, his love life and his children. There's also footage from some show in 1981, I think where he covers "How Long?" and "Twisting the Night away" among others, which came as news to me. Turning "Hot Legs" into a duet with Tina Turner seems less surprising. This was from 1986, so as a snapshot gained curio value. But few actual revelations.

Rod has been given a Knighthood in the latest Honours List, so he can be described as Sir Rod Stewart from now on

Rod has been announced as the headliner for the Sunday night at next year's Isle of Wight Festival:

Rod Stewart will bring the Isle Of Wight Festival 2017 to a close next summer as the iconic singer has been confirmed as its latest headliner. The announcement comes days after the Maggie May singer was forced to cancel two dates on his current arena tour due to a throat infection.
The 71-year-old will grace Isle Of Wight's main stage on Sunday 11 June at Seaclose Park, Newport, and joins previously confirmed Canadian rockers Arcade Fire on the lineup.

His new album Blood Red Roses is #1! 

(edit - I was convinced it was Blood Red Shoes, where did I get that from? )

Children in Need Rocks 2018
Another charitable concert in which the likes of Olly Murs and George Ezra rub shoulders with veteran album-flogger Rod, who did Look In Her Eyes (presumably from his album) and Maggie May (which doesn't seem that appropriate to my mind, but anyway).

He's revealed that he's had an all-clear from a prostate cancer diagnosis 

His wife Penny has been talking this week about the cancer process, grief and relief.

Whilst Rod has been doing a good turn or two:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-49919937

A couple whose dream Las Vegas wedding was almost ruined when Thomas Cook went bust were shocked when Sir Rod Stewart serenaded them at the altar.
Andrew Aitchison and his fiancée Sharon Cook's marriage plans were in jeopardy until Delta Airlines and Caesars Palace came to their rescue.
The Liverpool couple had just said "I do" when Sir Rod rocked up with a mic.
"I wish you all the luck in the world," he told them, before launching into Have I Told You Lately That I Love You.

So someone got a happy ending anyway.

He's had some good press with a magazine article about his model railway project:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-50403561

But on the flip side, he had to pull out of a concert because of health concerns:

https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2019111880759/rod-stewart-devastated-ill-pulls-out-of-royal-variety-performance/

Then he is 74!

His current album "You're In My Heart" which I believe is another of these "ordinary concert but with an orchestra" efforts, has now been #1 for 2 weeks, making him the oldest male solo act to score a UK #1 taking that dubious tag from Paul Simon.

Reel Stories: Rod Stewart
Dermot O'Leary took Rod back to his childhood local cinema to look through clips from across his career, from one with him as a young man not even famous yet, interviewed at home as were his parents; through a short beatnik period, to mod antics with the Faces; then doing Top of the Pops with John Peel; life in the USA; appearing with Kenny Everett; performing at Motown's show at the Apollo in 1985 as Jesse Jackson and others look on, the Great American Songbook years, and finally the new album recorded at Abbey Road. He touched on his friendship with Elton John (currently not speaking), the backlash against Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? and the ups and downs of songwriting.

His album was the Christmas #1 (for what that's worth) and he turned 75 on Friday.

On the other hand, he faces an assault charge:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50993128

A police report says the altercation occurred after the singer and his companions, including his son Sean, failed to gain access to a private event on New Year's Eve.
Sean allegedly pushed the security guard and Sir Rod struck his chest "with a closed fist", the report says.
Sir Rod and his son were both charged with "simple battery".

Oh dear 

misery guts wrote:Rod has been announced as the headliner for the Sunday night at next year's Isle of Wight Festival:

Rod Stewart will bring the Isle Of Wight Festival 2017 to a close next summer as the iconic singer has been confirmed as its latest headliner. The announcement comes days after the Maggie May singer was forced to cancel two dates on his current arena tour due to a throat infection.
The 71-year-old will grace Isle Of Wight's main stage on Sunday 11 June at Seaclose Park, Newport, and joins previously confirmed Canadian rockers Arcade Fire on the lineup.

Isle of Wight Festival 2017: Rod Stewart
Somewhat better late than never, Rod ran through a predictable set of hits (as much as this shortened repeat showed).

In Concert: Rod Stewart
From back in 2002, when he was pushing the first of his Great American Songbook series. This lengthy set was helpfully boosted by material from the rest of his career. An appreciative audience approved.

Rod Stewart - The Story of the Songs
The songs selected were Sailing, Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? and Young Turks. Carmine Appice and a few others who actually worked on the tracks made a change from the usual suspect talking heads. The Rod Stewart Band, as his late 70s line-up got called, seemed to have as much fun as the Faces but without the headlines.

His new album Tears of Hercules only made #5, perhaps outgunned in a very competitive market for releases with Adele, ABBA, Ed Sheeran and this week Taylor Swift, and perhaps also after a heavily criticised performance last week (and what seemed a lack of promotion generally).

misery guts wrote:
On the other hand, he faces an assault charge:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-50993128

A police report says the altercation occurred after the singer and his companions, including his son Sean, failed to gain access to a private event on New Year's Eve.
Sean allegedly pushed the security guard and Sir Rod struck his chest "with a closed fist", the report says.
Sir Rod and his son were both charged with "simple battery".

Oh dear 

He and his son have agreed to take the rap for this 

His clearly forced performance of "Sweet Caroline" was one of the most remarked parts of the recent Platinum Jubilee concert.

The Didn't-Quite-Make-It-In-Time-For-Christmas Video Show
Kenny Everett seasonal special from 1978. Leo Sayer was also there to do "Raining In My Heart", but this was the show where Rod came for a short sit-down chat to Kenny where he intro'd him as "a star and 7/8" and also as "bum and legs". Things deteriorated from there. Ros and his band performed Maggie May and Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? (which Kenny later parodied him doing).