Todd Rundgren - Best of Todd Rundgren Songbook

Photo by Danny OConnor

A Wizard, a True Star. The title of Todd Rundgrens 1973 solo album aptly sums up the contributions of this multifaceted artist to state-of-the-art music. As a songwriter, video pioneer, producer, recording artist, computer software developer, conceptualist, and, most recently, interactive artist (re-designated TR-i), Rundgren has made a lasting impact on both the form and content of popular music.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Rundgren began playing guitar as a teenager, going on to found and front the Nazz, the quintessential 60s cult group. In 1969 he left the band to pursue a solo career, recording his debut offering, the legendary Runt. But it was 1972s seminal Something/Anything?on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts, and acted as his own producerthat catapulted Todd into the superstar limelight, prompting the press to unanimously dub him Rocks New Wunderkind. It was followed by such landmark LPs as The Hermit of Mink Hollow and the above-mentioned A Wizard, a True Star, as well as such hit singles as I Saw The Light, Hello, Its Me, Can We Still Be Friends, and Bang the Drum All Day.

In 1974 Todd formed Utopia, an entirely new approach to the concept of interactive musicianship, and embarked on an extensive round of touring and recording. Standout Utopia offerings included Oops! Wrong Planet, Adventures in Utopia, and Oblivion. Along the way, Utopia combined technical virtuosity and creative passion to create music that, for millions, defined the term progressive rock.

Rundgrens myriad production projects include albums by Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, Psychedelic Furs, Meatloaf, XTC, Grand Funk Railroad, and Hall & Oates. Rounding out his reputation as rocks Renaissance Man, Rundgren composed all the music and lyrics for Joe Papps 1989 off-Broadway production of Joe Ortons Up Against It (the screenplay commissioned by the Beatles for what was meant to have been their third motion picture). He also has composed the music for a number of television series, including Pee-Wees Playhouse and Crime Story.

In early 2010 Rundgren performed his iconic 1973 album, A Wizard, a True Star, in concert in its entirety for the first time ever, and in 2011 did the same with a double bill: Todd & Healing. His latest two studio albums, Todd Rundgrens Johnson, a collection of classic Robert Johnson songs, and (re)Production, covers of songs Todd has produced for other artists, were released in the U.S. in April 2011 and September 2011, respectively. In the summer of 2012 he toured with Ringo Starr (for the third time).

In 1998 Todd debuted his new PatroNet technology, which for the first time allowed fans of a musical artist to subscribe directly to the artists musical output via the Internet. This caps a long history of groundbreaking early multimedia firsts, including:

• 1978: The first interactive television concert, broadcast live over the Warner/QUBE system in Columbus, Ohio (the home audience chose each song in real time during the concert by voting via QUBEs two-way operating system).
• 1978: The first live nationally broadcast stereo radio concert (by microwave), linking 40 cities around the country.
• 1979: The opening of Utopia Video Studios, a multi-million-dollar state-of-the-art facility. The first project produced by Todd there is Gustav Holsts The Planets, commissioned by RCA SelectaVision as the first demonstration software for their new videodisc format.
• 1980: Creation of the first color graphics tablet, which was licensed to Apple and released as the Utopia Graphics Tablet.
• 1981: Time Heals, the first music video to utilize state-of-the-art compositing of live action and computer graphics (produced and directed by Todd), becomes the second video to be played on MTV (after Video Killed the Radio Star).
• 1982: The first live national cablecast of a rock concert (on the USA Network), simulcast in stereo to over 120 radio stations.
• 1982: The first two commercially released music videos, one of which was nominated for the first-ever Grammy awarded for Best Short Form Video in 1983.
• 1992: The release of No World Order, the worlds first interactive record album on CD-i. Also the first commercially available music downloads via CompuServe.
• 1994: The release of The Individualist, the worlds first full-length Enhanced CD.
• 1995: The worlds first interactive concert tour.
• 1998: Launches PatroNet, the worlds first direct artist subscription service.

Words and Music by
Todd Rundgren

1983 WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP.

All Rights Reserved Used by Permission

Words and Music by
Todd Rundgren

1971 (Renewed) WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP., HUMANOID MUSIC and SCREEN GEMS MUSIC, INC.

All Rights on behalf of HUMANOID MUSIC and SCREEN GEMS MUSIC, INC.
Administered by WARNER-TAMERLANE PUBLISHING CORP.

All Rights Reserved Used by Permission