Stephen Bishop is the guy who got his guitar smashed by John Belushi in Animal House while he was singing "I gave my love a cherry that had no stone".....this guy is a friggin' legend!
Professor you’re not a RU-vidr. You’re a true journalist. You’re doing g important work documenting these periods before these singers and songwriters pass away. How bout “Dancing in the moonlight” next
RU-vid’s been a legit platform for some time now. LOTS of quality edutainment, and not even available in most traditional academic institutions. No need to denigrate this platform to elevate the Professor. This is how info is disseminated now. And what professor has traditionally been able to reach literally the entire globe before? 🌎 It’s the power of the internet, and the (relative) democracy of the platform that allows us to learn all kinds of interesting things, esp. when RU-vid’s algorithm is on point, and suggests videos that you _KNOW_ you never would’ve found on your own.
@@AllUAreIsHistory I loved that track. Hard to find. He also did that track, "Walking On Air" from the Boy Who Could Fly. That one can be found on "Bowling In Paris."
Stephen seems like a really down to earth guy. Funny as hell. Puts me a little higher in my book of people who I'll never meet, but would love to. Great songwriter, very much of a definer of the Yacht Rock sound.
My girlfriend in the late 80's roommate/friend was dating Steven and the four of us went out for dinner a few times and I got to hang at his place and play a guitar of his in a small bedroom studio. I found him to be a very gracious, humble and fun person to be around.
I was in a Woolworth's in San Antonio--I was 8 or 9--when "Luckenbach, Texas", "Used Ta Be My Girl" and "On & On" came over the store's speakers. It was like that moment was frozen forever in time, and to this day I can see what aisle I was on and what I was doing. I dont know if I was consciously aware of the significance of the moment and the impact those songs made on my barely existence of a life, but I think it shaped my taste in music. Honestly, I credit Stephen Bishop for being my first vocal teacher. Even to this day--43/44 years later, my heart is still 70s &80s classics, AND the three aforementioned songs get cranked ALLLLLLLLLL the way up. P.s. I can still hit the note in "On &On".
“It might be you” and “On and on” are timeless songs because the melody, the lyrics, the sound, the emotion and that weird immediate feeling of nostalgia that they bring cannot be replicated nor copied. The former brings a feeling of hope for love, while the latter brings that feeling of comfort with life when one has the time to sit back with a nice drink and a nice book and simply relax.
This song was a giant hit with my audiences in the 70's in the clubs and in concert. I was always very proud that I could hit that high note and sustain it at the end of the song. This is one of the few songs I wish I could have written myself. Always admired Stephen Bishop!
The opening line of that song is legend. It's too bad that Paul Davis is no longer with us. The song "I go crazy" is my #1 yacht rock song... and Seals & Crofts and England Dan & John Ford Coley. More great musicians that have passed. Their memory and music will live on.
This song was on Billboard Hot 100 for over half a year in 1977. Got up to #11 at its peak. I remember it because it was one of those non-disco songs that stood out, when it came on the radio.
My friend and I ran into him at the San Diego airport in 1979. “Are you Stephen Bishop?” “Yep. Pretty exciting, huh?” So glad I got to see him live at a little room in Las Vegas. The intense applause surprised him. “Wow,” he said. “I’m going to have to come here more often.”
I read years ago that Boz Skaggs stopped releasing albums after his divorce because his ex wife would have received a large part of the profits. I would love to know if there's any truth to that. I hope not, because it would be awfully petty (and sad) to stop creating great music just to get back at an ex. Boz and Steve Miller (LOVE your Steve Miller shirt, btw!) both lived and had their first band together in Plano Texas, I lived in the next town over, Richardson. I've loved them both since the early days. Some useless trivia: Richardson TX is where Mike Judge grew up, the guy who created "King of the Hill". There are so many places in that cartoon based on real sites around there, in fact "Arlen" is really based on Garland, TX. The "Meglomart" was a real store, but it was called the Hypermart, and it was accurately portrayed, that was not exaggerated!
@@LazyIRanch That could be true as he dropped out of the music biz for most of the 1980s, but he's recorded several albums since, the most recent being Out of the Blues in 2019.
@DogMan Not many men in the US file for divorce, 80% of marriages end because the woman leaves or forces the man to vacate his home, even if he had it before the marriage. That is one of the two main reasons marriage and children are out of fashion now, Within a generation, the median births per woman is down to 0,8 babies per female adult, down from 2,8. For the European linage majority, the births per woman is the lowest ever including
Stephen Bishop - “Careless” is a stunningly good album. Should be in everyone’s collection. He’s funny and flippant, but the songs on that record are so sensitive and vulnerable that it’s almost unbelievable one person could write them all. Lyrics, music, vocals,.. it’s just a masterpiece.
Featured artists on that album included Andrew Gold ("Lonely Boy"), Larry Carlton (Steely Dan), Eric Clapton, Art Garfunkel, Chaka Khan and Lee Ritenour (famous Jazz guitarist)!
@@johncochrane2049 They love him in the Philippines. He used to do concerts there a lot. You can find them on RU-vid. I've traveled a lot from Asian to Alaska (my birth place), to Eastern Europe. Everybody enjoyed the song when I played it on my guitar.
Professor, I will be turning 60 at the end of this year. I was DJing since 1979 and though I’m technically retired I still get a call every now and then. One of the things I loved about the craft was learning the ins and outs of songs I played. It made for great trivia and people loved the insight. Whenever I watch an episode of yours I can feel the same passion through you and you help all of us lovers of music go to places that we would never have gone without you. Your channel is gold and I can’t thank you enough for all you do!
I think I’ve said this on other interviews you did, but you really have a knack for getting the best out of the artists you interview. I’ve heard his songs a million times but had no idea who he really was and never really listened to his lyrics. It’s still not my cup of tea but I definitely have a new appreciation. And thanks to gary simon’s comment I now have a new appreciation of the great guitar smashing scene in Animal House!
There's an interesting story about how Phil Collins originally suggested a cover of the Mindbenders song "A Groovy Kind of Love" for Stephen Bishop and recorded a demo version that ended up being used in the movie Buster, which led to him recording the song himself, and it became a No. 1 hit in 1988 for Phil.
I hear “Stephen Bishop” and I immediately think of John Landis’ “Kentucky Fried Chicken” and “Show us you’re nuts!” … “Hello… how you doing? Surfin’ U.S.A.”
It's actually the other way around, I asked Phil to record me doing a demo of the song. I recommended to him to cover it as he showed an interest in recording it while producing my demo....
Whenever I’m blue or in a bad mood, I pull out On and On and by the time he puts on Sinatra and starts to cry, I’m sobbing right along with him. I’ve always loved him and even if his most of the 650+ songs are bad, there are a bunch of them that are pure gold! I love your music Stephen Bishop!! I’m a child of the 70s and I never get tired of these great and beautiful songs. Thank you Professor of Rock for chronicling my life! Thank you Mr Bishop for writing beautiful songs and your voice is amazing.
Would love for you do do an interview with David Pack of Ambrosia. Stephen is good friends with David as is Michael McDonald. Michael sang back up for Stephen Bishop and David Pack as they all belonged to the same record label. What an interesting life these gentlemen have had with writing music together, producing it and singing back up where ever they could. Thanks for your excellent interviews!
I have a soft place in my heart for songs like this, 'yacht-rock".. My parents and I would visit family in NY and Maine just about every Summer, and the car radio was constantly slipping out such songs... This was PRE-Walkman Days, kids, so what the parents wanted to listen to.. there went I. I look back on those joy-filled, endless Summers, and wish I could live them all over again. Thanks Mom and Dad.. ☺
@@shack8110 the first guy left cuz he thought he had contributed what he thought was the best he could provide for the song. Bishop wanted to try out more takes with different possibilities but had to get the other steel guitar player. When he thinks he’s got an even better solution by having this other steel guitar player sit in, it hilariously backfires cuz the style is all wrong. Turns out the first player had more of an idea of what worked with the tune. It’s funny in that sometimes you have to go through stuff to realize creatively what you have is already what will work best. Also, I’m sure Bishop would agree, that couldn’t have realized unless all that happened.
I always start off listening to these episodes thinking I’ll be mildly entertained, only to be swept up into a memory trip. Off to listen to more Stephen Bishop now. It’s been too long. 💙
There's something about these 70's guys; they really seem to be great guys and have a their act together. This interview, along with Elliot Lurie and Gilbert O'Sullivan interviews were outstanding. Keep 'em coming Professor!
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!! for interviewing Stephen Bishop!!!! This album had SO many great songs on it! I had it on a cassette tape and listened to it so many times that I nearly wore the tape out! Loved it so very much! It was really a great solace for me as a teenager. He had the smoothest voice and wrote the most beautiful songs! So very glad for the work that you are doing documenting the wonderful artist! Thanks again!
I'm on the wrong side of 76, and remember very well back in the 50's and 60's what we called "Elevator music," but not until I started following this channel did I ever hear the term yacht rock music. Live and learn! Cheers! :)
Year of The Cat is my absolute favourite song. It came around at a time in my life where it changed drastically in a good way and every time I hear it it brings me right back to 1977 and the birth pf my first child. He even surprised me with it at his wedding when it came to the mother and son dance.
Such a fantastic artist, great songwriter, amazing voice, and some of the best soft rock and movie tunes ever...Stephen Bishop is really one of my fav artists, true talent at the highest level.
Heard "On and On" on the radio on the way home this evening, then started googling Stephen Bishop and stumbled upon this interview. What a great segment! Thanks for doing this.....
Everytime I watch "Animal House" I can't stop laughing over Belushi smashing Steven's Guitar as he's singing 'I Gave My Love A cherry, That Had No Stone, I gave my love a chicken that had no bones..." one of the funniest scenes in that movie . Kudos Stephen!!!
I was young when most of these songs came out but I still remember them. Funny how people can remember all the words to songs but have hard times remembering other things (that are important), mainly talking about myself but I'm sure others will agree!! Great video PoR!!!
I remember when I first heard he was from San Diego, I was so thrilled, being a San Diego native myself, and to now hear him say he used to be taken to Tijuana for haircuts, I could relate even more because I used to be taken down to TJ to get buzz cuts too when I was a kid.
My dad did the same with me. Not a buzz cut, but any cut in the late 60s early 70s was too much. My brother and I were bribed with getting fireworks from the backrooms of the stores on Revolucion
Pandora just introduced the phrase yacht rock to me based on my faves from my walking mix and I have now realized that I am a million years old but still truly believe it can coexist with disco in my eclectic soul 😏
Grew up in the Sandy Eggo area AND was in high school when this was a hit. LOATHED disco "music" (then and now) so when this would play at a school dance, ahhh, sweet!! Great interview, Adam. Thanks!
Love the song. I was a young male rock vocalist in high school when this came out. I loved songs with melody and lyrics that told a good story. Incidentally, in the early 80s I moved from New England to Los Angeles and lived in Silver Lake for a while. Then moved to Los Feliz (adjacent). So many stars of music, film and TV in those Hollywood Hills. Flea was a neighbor.
When this song came out in 1976, I was 11 and my parents had just separated. It was the beginning of a VERY contentious divorce and affected me and my four siblings profoundly. This song really appealed to me, I think because it was both soothing and very sad. It always made me cry and still does whenever I hear it. I love it and have shared it with my (very grown) children. Thank you for bringing us this amazing interview!
On and On, I loved that song, it was a good time in my life, my daughter was born about the same time, delivered at home by me(that was a period of back to roots and nature), living in the mountains a simple life and commuting less frequently 200 miles to my recording studio that was getting so busy with big projects that there was far less time when I was really needed since most of the big projects had their own engineer, and the office staff was very competent, the two main studios were booked up 4-6 months in advance so I spent a lot of time in a simple rural mountain life cutting wood for winter and the gardens and last summer canning or drying food. That song had such pleasant tonal transitions that the sound communicated more than the lyrics.
I became a lifelong fan of Stephen’s back in ‘78 when I first heard On and On. I’ve bought all of his albums ever since. He is my all time favorite song writer. He has so many other great songs on his other albums. As well as ‘Careless’ which contains On and On, listen to his other albums: Bish; Red Cab To Manhattan; Romance in Rio and many others. He keeps on releasing new music to this day which I’m so grateful for. Stephen Bishop somehow manages to put into words what I figure we’ve all felt at some stage. His songs have everything, great lyrics, great melodies, great arrangements plus his fabulous voice. Such a talent and Stephen never fails to deliver. Yes, I admire Stephen very much for his music but I’ve also listened to numerous interviews of Stephen. It is so very satisfying when you realize that someone you admire so much is worthy of that admiration. John Cochrane
Stephen has a book coming out soon that will be full of fun anecdotes from his career. I don’t know the release details other than covid has impacted the release date.
Stephen Bishop is a delight to listen to, and not just for his gorgeous singing voice! Thank you so much, Professor, for these amazing interviews. I love how these artists feel so comfortable with you, I feel we are seeing their real personalities. It's like watching two old friends talk about good times while chilling on the front porch. Stephen looks great! He looks younger than me, but I'll forgive him for that.
I graduated from High School in 1976 and one of the first things I bought for myself (with my hard earned tip money from waitressing midnight shift at Denny's) was an all-in-one stereo radio/record player (we didn't refer to them as "turntables" back then) and double cassette player/recorder. I would always have it set to record so that if I heard a song that I wanted, I just had to click off the pause button. Now a 65 year old retiree, I just happened to spend yesterday going through my box of memories, and came across my "song lists" from those college years. Stephen Bishop, Dan Hill, Seals & Crofts, Paul Davis, Andrew Gold, 10CC, Alessi Brothers, Dean Friedman, Todd Rundgren's "Hello, It's Me", Michael Franks, Art Garfunkel (You GOTTA listen to "On Second Avenue"!!!), Eric Carmen and Paul Williams (another VERY under rated songwriter) -- so many solo singer/songwriters.... Melissa Manchester, Leah Kunkel (I Run With Trouble is another must), Jennifer Warnes (Song of Bernadette), Joan Baez "Miracles" and "Diamonds and Rust" -- Those are just the artists that I can name off the top of my head -- ALL were played on KMOX-FM out of St. Louis, MO -- Adult Contemporary was my Genre of choice in my post-disco queen days. I'd LOVE to get ahold of some of their playlists from back in the day. Sing on Bish, keep recording, and I'll keep buying those albums -- CDs -- whatever they are called these days.
@@larry2447 I still have impeccable taste -- just look at my waistline!! LOL!! Gotta look up some more Leah Kunkel -- Cass Elliott's sister and guardian of Cass' daughter. Leah is also a lawyer and was/is? married to Russ Kunkel who is/was a session drummer and on some of Bish's albums -- one of "The Whistling Bishettes". Leah sang or sings with a group called The Coyote Sisters. Looking them up for a listen just now. BTW, Eric Carmen is another.
This song was in the very air when I was a certain age and would go with my dad on errands such as runs to the dump. Beautiful Saturday morning, AM radio on and this song would be on. I loved the interview. Great fun guy.
Stephen Bishop’s Bish and Careless are still in my collection. I regard him as one of the true Romantic melody writers and he was very influential to my guitar playing and song writing. His negative spaces within his songs was brilliantly balanced and beautifully crafted with his lyrics . Madge to me was such a good story and the chords with the lyrics… brilliant. He reminded me of the old RKO pictures scores .
When I listen to Stephen Bishop songs and Tim' Hardin's It'll Never Happen Again I always think. Wow !!! those girls really did a number on these guys. The Professor tries to get Stephen Bishop to confess about the She Done Him Wrong girl in the song On and On and it was the one question I would have asked Stephen as well. You get the feeling that Stephen Bishop may have not wanted to go there. It's like the line from Separate Lives..."you have no right to ask me how I feel." Great interview and you get the impression that it's sometimes much easier to be comedic in lieu of true heartbreaking sincerity. .
Nice guy, Mr. Bishop😊. “On and On”, “It Might Be You”. “Separate Lives”. Three “Yacht Rock” greats😊. Unless u just hate “softer” music, it’s almost impossible to dislike these these tunes😊.
I was so young when Tootsie came out that I did not see it for years But when I finally did, It Might Be You was what stuck out most for me and has stuck with me ever since. I still enjoy watching the movie occasionally, but it will always be that song that makes it for me. Though I would love to hear Will There Ever Be a Sunday in Nebraska lol
I LOOOOOOOOOVE this song. Can’t even tell you how much. As a kid it prepped me for future loss and how to deal with it. One of the greatest lyrics ever So he takes a ladder steals the stars from the sky Puts on Sinatra and starts to cry on and on
I woke up this morning with this song stuck in my head, I hadn't heard it in, years? I thought, to get it out of my head, I'd listen to a "Hilarious" story from Prof.... Poof, here I am, how does that work???
One of my all time favorite singer songwriters. I have all of his albums. As a songwriter myself, his inspirations steered me in new and different directions. Funny to find out that he was friends with Kenny Rankin as I was a big fan of his, having all of his albums, as well.
....I haven't even watched it yet, and, I KNOW 'Bish' will give a GREAT interview! ....It's ABOUT TIME The Prof. snatched this unsung Yacht Rock LEGEND!! ...AND, I'm envious Prof. got his AUTOGRAPH! ..ha-HAA!!
I was the youngest of 4 and in 1977 (at age 10) all I knew of music was the music my older brothers liked (Beatles and Stones and the like). This song "On and On" was the first song I discovered for myself as something I liked separate from my brothers. It was my first favorite song and to this day it still is. I used to listen to the radio for hours just to maybe hear it one or two times a day and I just couldn't wait for it to come on again. Special memories from a great era!
Awesome interview Professor. I love On and On and have since the first time I heard it on the radio back in the 70’s. It’s one of those feel good “Yacht Rock” summertime songs, that when you hear it makes you smile and want to sing along no matter what the season. 😎
Concerning the opening line (5:35) I wasn't even 18 back then and living in a pretty small town just north of nowhere. We ALL wanted to be somewhere else and probably be someone we weren't or at least had not become yet. Yeah, these songs served a purpose, they eventually got us to where we were going.
