When I was a student (1980-83) Sheffield had a small but perfectly formed community of Todd fans. Anyone else here see him in the Lower Refectory around then?

I'm a fan of some (but not all) of Todd's work.

Here's an interesting Rundgren fact: he inherited Eric Clapton's psychedelic hand-painted Gibson SG guitar (as used in Cream in 1967), and still owns it as far as I know.

Hi Les

Todd was playing that guitar when I saw him in Sheffield - I believe it's called The Fool (just like rare Stradivarius violins have individial names!). I'm fairly sure Todd sold the guitar, but had a copy made from it first - so it might have been the copy I saw (though Todd did say it was Clapton's. Todd plays that guitar on here:

http://www.seahaas.com/toddrundgren/videovault.html

Click on Tiny Demons.

Todd also sold a lot of other assets - including his stake in Bat Out of Hell.

Glad there are two of us on here!

I like some of his stuff - I shared a house as a student with a big TR fan and some of it rubbed off.

Hi JoeP

When were you a student? I might know that guy!

He's got a couple of good songs but I havent heard that much of his work to be honest... :( What albums would you recommend?

Hi Les

Todd was playing that guitar when I saw him in Sheffield - I believe it's called The Fool (just like rare Stradivarius violins have individial names!). I'm fairly sure Todd sold the guitar, but had a copy made from it first - so it might have been the copy I saw (though Todd did say it was Clapton's. Todd plays that guitar on here:

http://www.seahaas.com/toddrundgren/videovault.html

Click on Tiny Demons.

Todd also sold a lot of other assets - including his stake in Bat Out of Hell.

Glad there are two of us on here!

Hi Graham,

The guitar isn't actually called The Fool, that was the name of the people who painted it.

Wikapedia says:
The Fool were a Dutch design collective who were influential in the psychedelic style of art in British popular music at the end of the 1960s. The colourful art draws on many fantastical and mystical themes. The name is a reference to The Fool tarot card.

The original members were Dutch artists Simon Posthuma and Marijke Koger who were discovered by photographer Karl Ferris among the hippie community on the Spanish island of Ibiza in 1966. He took photographs of clothes designed by them and sent them to London where they were published in The Times and immediately caused a sensation. Ferris took the Fool back to London and together they opened a studio, with the Dutch artists producing clothes and art and Ferris pursuing photography. Barry Finch and an artist recorded only as Josie joined later.

Their work includes:

The colourful clothes worn by the Hollies on the cover of their 1966 album Evolution

The striking cover of the Incredible String Band's classic 1967 LP The 5000 spirits or the layers of the onion

The inner sleeve for The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

The clothes The Beatles wore for the 1967 TV broadcast of "All You Need Is Love", and also the decoration of John Lennon's Gibson J160E acoustic guitar, which appeared in the broadcast

A huge 3-storey mural painted in psychedelic colours on the facade of the Beatles' Apple Boutique in London's Baker Street, which also stocked their creations. Months later, the mural was painted over by civic order, due to protests from other local businesses, before the shop failed

The bodywork on John Lennon's Rolls-Royce. This outraged one old woman in central London who attacked it with her umbrella, shouting: "You swine, you swine! How dare you do this to a Rolls-Royce!" (He answered by obtaining another Rolls, and painting it flat-black)

Decoration to John Lennon's piano

Decoration to George Harrison's Mini car and bungalow Kinfauns (including a custom fireplace), as well as several of Harrison's guitars

Decoration to Eric Clapton's legendary Gibson SG guitar and Jack Bruce's Fender VI (six-string) bass for the 1967 Cream tour of the US

Set design for Joe Massot's 1968 movie Wonderwall. They also appeared in the film's party scene

Paul McCartney's upright piano
End Wikapedia

I read an piece in one of the guitar magazines recently which said Todd still had the Clapton guitar, but it had been damaged and repaired.

Interestingly, before Todd got it, Clapton gave the guitar to Jackie Lomax, a Liverpool mate of George Harrison, who recorded an album for Apple in 1968. George produced the album and Clapton played on it, so I assume that's where the guitar was handed over. How it came to be owned by Todd I have no idea. Perhaps he acquired it when he produced the Badfinger album for Apple in 1972?

Hi again,

Don't want to be competitve about this, but this site definitely says Todd sold the guitar 6 years ago!

http://www.ericclaptonfaq.com/guitars-amps/fool-guitar-psychedelic-gibson-sg.html

Anyway, your info did inlcude a lot of stuff I didn't know, so thanks for that!

Graham

Hi again,

Don't want to be competitve about this, but this site definitely says Todd sold the guitar 6 years ago!

http://www.ericclaptonfaq.com/guitars-amps/fool-guitar-psychedelic-gibson-sg.html

Anyway, your info did inlcude a lot of stuff I didn't know, so thanks for that!

Graham

Thanks for that Graham,
It must have been an old magazine I was reading! (or it was longer ago than I thought) :)

I saw Todd Rundgren when he played Knebworth in '76 - the Stones headlined. Quite honestly was unimpressed - the onlt song I've got of his is "I Saw The Light" - good song in a kinda "Todd plays Neil Sedaka" mode.

Heres another site with more info on The Fool guitar. It claims the Gibson SG was originally owned by George Harrison back in 1964 and he had the paint job done before giving it to Eric as a gift.

It's now possible to buy reproductions of the Fool guitar for between US$3,000 and $6,000

http://www.edromanguitars.com/guitar/gibson/fool_gib.htm

This thread has prompted me to rummage around amongst my old vinyl collection to see what Todd Rungren I'd got. I remember seeing him at the city hall and am now seriously considering a trip up to Record Collector to see if I can pick up some of his work on CD as my deck died a death a couple of years ago.

At this rate, Sheffield may again become a centre of Todd fandom!

came across this thread when searching on google for TR connection. Saw Todd last year in York with Joe Jackson and the year before twice on the Liars tour. Todd is God!!!!

Hope he makes it over to the UK with the New Cars :love:

I hope so too.... though my Todd-loving contact in Boston MA tells me that the ticket prices on the Amercian tour are extortionate!

My son likes him but im not familiar with his music.Heard a record of his on the radio the other day but cant think what they call it.Sounded good and was a slow melody kind of record. Anyone got a name for it, sorry to be vague?:help:

If it was on the radio and it was slow, it had to be Can We Still Be Friends.

If it was an uptempo song, chances are it was I Saw The Light.

Those are the only two Rundgren songs you're likely to hear on daytime radio these days.