Lost Bands of Yesteryear #3 - BIG STAR 

I never travel very far without a little Big Star. Big Star is never forgotten

Finally a succinct and precise telling of the forgotten greats . Always thought Big Star had a little more melancholy grit than like bands at the time . A side note : Chris Bell's passing took place on Alex Chilton 's 28 th birthday

Elliott Smith and Paul Westerberg got me here.. I will say that I'm truly a Big Star fan too, and thankful that their influence led me to their music.

Big Star belongs in the Rock and Roll HOF.

While all my compatriots in the army back in '73 were listening to the usual assortment of bombastic "classic rock" (biggest misnomer ever!) icons, I was trying to drown them out with the Flamin' Groovies "Teenage Head," Brinsley Schwarz's "Nervous on the Road" and of course Big Star's "#1 Record" That was EXACTLY the sort of rock and roll I wanted to hear and why the popular music of the 70's was such anathema to me. When I was hitchhiking around the country after ETS'ng in '74, I carried a copy of "Radio City" with me in my backpack and played it for the numerous people who picked me up and invited me to stay at their place for an evening before hitting the road again. I still can't believe how that album didn't change the world! For years I did my best to proselytize for Alex and Chris and Jody back when they were virtually unheard of and hopefully convinced a few hundred to find their two albums (not much a fan of the 3rd) in used record stores. FINALLY, they got to be regarded as a "lost" seminal band and it was great to see the documentary made a few years ago. By my count, they should have had at LEAST six #1 singles and in a far better world than this, they would have. Glad to see this on RU-vid and hope that some of the uninitiated might take a gander (or a goose if they have one).

I’m always struck by the LOUD and COMPLEX guitar weave between Bell and Chilton. Certainly doesn’t hearken back to the British Invasion or reflect the often bombastic guitar style of their era. They were just 20 years old when they made their only record together. It still blows my mind. This is an ABSOLUTELY first-rate video documentary. All I can say is thank you.

Excellent job! 5 Stars! Thank you for putting this together. It was well researched and fun! If I may, I would just like to add, as a kind of sidebar, the unlikely role that Ivo Watts- Russell of the UK label 4ad , played in Big Star's resurgence. His project, This Mortal Coil recorded two Big Star songs (Holocaust and Kanga-Roo) on their first LP as well as two Chris Bell songs (You and Your Sister and I Am the Cosmos) on their third LP. It was the 4ad connection, I believe, that led to the late Jeff Buckley's fixation on Big Star ( he had started playing a walloping version of Kanga- Roo on his live shows) and his subsequent move to Memphis shortly before his death. Just my conjecture, anyway. Keep up the good work and Prayers for you and your son. ❤

One of the all time great bands, if they had done nothing but September Gurls, they would be legends. Thanks for sharing.

Great presentation. The attention to detail about the career of Big Star, Alex Chilton, Chris Bell was on a higher level than other articles and journalism I've read about the band. All three of Big Star's albums are recognized as classic gems, but Stax Records distribution was horrendous. The records weren't in the shops. I remember Creem Magazine promoted both # 1 Record and Radio City intensely back in the 1970s, but I could never find their albums locally until the early 1990s.

Found out about Big Star through Teenage Fanclub, Scottish indie band from late 80s. Alex Chiltern was one of those talented but troubled guys with great pop sensibility. love The Letter by The Boxtops. Looks like Ian Hunter's first solo LP behind you (top right)!

So ahead of their time!! PLAY LOUD

Big Star is one of the greatest bands of that era.

I love Big Star.

NEVER heard of this band. Will REALLY have to check out their music.

A proper forehead slapping moment, for a band known about but, shamefully, barely listened to. A top notch bio indeed of a band whose influence really should demolish their ‘lost’ status ... but of course, that is the whole damn point of this series. Thanks. Again.

This is all very interesting. Love it. I had Alex spend a weekend at my apt. in Germany in the early 2000s when tried to get away from his bandmates from the BoxTops as they were doing some as he put it cringy reunion tour. I had no idea really who he was, only vaguely from what my ex-wife told me who was friends with him when she had lived in New Orleans. So I got to meet him completely out of context and thoroughly enjoyed this man's company. And... I was aware of his punk/indie endeavours in the late 70s/early 80s but only now I really start watching docus about big star for what he is apparently best known. Well, long story short. I really like the clip. Thank you! :) And if I may leave you with a little guitar quote of what Alex said to me as he was chain smoking joints in my kitchen: "Damn, I wish I had figured out how much more you can do playing keys I would've ditched the guitar a long time ago" said with a twinkle but I knew he felt he should've explored more forms of musical expression. Little life lesson here maybe...I hope he got to explore the piano enough before he passed. RIP Alex

Greatest band that never happened

there are seven Alex Chilton tracks on the Ork Records compilation New York, New York. The album is considered punk. I'm guessing these tracks are much different than the (earlier) Big Star work.

Big Star are rad. I love that Ian Hunter record you have back there. I found that one last year in PA.

My all time favourite band. I found out about them from listening to Elliott Smith.

Keep them coming. Documenting this history is valuable.

Great stuff and well done, those first two Big Star albums are as good as anything else of that era and should’ve sold much better. But time has been kind to them, undeniable legacy and influence on so many other bands that followed. Chilton was a true musical chameleon.

Thank you for doing this. You made me cry. These guys were such an influence and inspiration. Prayers for your son

Deep history - good work bro!

I found this band with the "thirteen" cover by Elliott Smith. Truly underrated band.

Thanks Again, I feel as though You Read My History on RU-vid. Forgotten Fret Master and Lost Bands Everyone One are Unique and Are my Favorite . I Bet the next Lost Band Will be The Sensational Alex Harvey 🤘🏽🤘🏽 👍🏽

Merci for this. I learned a lot since I was unfamiliar with them.

Superb work as always -

Make sure y’all hit the 👍! Cause this is awesome! Thanks, Jason!

Thanks for this! I just read the Alex Chilton biography A Man Called Destruction. It's pretty darn good. Cheers.

Nice job mate, even as a big fan I learned a few more things about them, Radio City was their peak, a stunning mix of 60's pop, 70's power and soul and funk influences, a totally unique record.

This was wonderful, thank you for this history.

Great overview 👍

Awesome video just found your channel!! Very well done

Because of this video i looked up their music. I love Big Star! Thanks for introducing so many bands the rest of us missed!

'September Gurls' is a great song.❤

Excellent video; well researched and presented. I had not been aware of Big Star but I am off to give them a listen now.

Wow. Thank you so much for this. I just recently learned about Big Star and I’m gobbling up everything I can fine. All the pictures and the stories are incredible. Nice work.

So glad to have found your channel! Very well done information well researched. Thank you friend. Subscribing and grabbing my coffee and settling down to binge watch.

As a Memphian I think it's so cool that so much music has come from -- and through -- Memphis. Thanks for this video!

Thanks for the reveal.. sweet and sad story. Going to check Big Star out .. ‘love your videos here, always informative leaving us all a little wistful and better for knowing the individuals and groups through your presentation !!

I never really heard Big Star’s jangle as coming from early Brit-pop, I always heard more American folk-rock in their sound, like The (early) Byrds and Buffalo Springfield (especially “When My Baby’s Beside Me”). I like all the “Never heard of them, I’ll check them out” comments. I hope new listeners’ appreciation won’t be diminished by the fact that Big Star were so influential, one might end up wondering, “What’s the big deal? I’ve heard this all before.” Remember folks, Big Star did it first. And if they NOW sound familiar, it’s because of that wide net of influence they had. My hope is that new listeners can still hear how unique the band was at the time. The first Velvet Underground only sold a few thousand copies upon its release, but the saying goes that everybody who bought it started a band. Big Star is like that too.

I've rediscovered Radio City recently. What an album. Thanks for the video 😊🤟

Excellent choice of bands to cover. I saw the documentary and I read one of the bios but there was still stuff in your presentation that I didn’t know (or maybe I’d just forgotten it?). I was one of those people who’d heard of Big Star, probably from a mention in the pages of Trouser Press. I was fortunate enough to then find a copy of the first album, at a yard sale in 1980. And, oh what an album!

Great video. I love Big Star, although I was a bit late to the party. You summed it all up nicely when you said, "It may have taken 30 years, but Big Star go their due." Very well said.

well done

Cool video - i've LOVED Big Star since someone introduced me to 3rd in the early 90s (I own one of those 250 copies of the 3rd promo vinyl and an original pressing of #1 Record) but your video fleshed out some things for me i didn't know previously. Nice job! I'll check out more of your channel. I think you did miss one important item tho, in the early 90's during their second resurgence (after the 80's Bangles/Replacements/REM/This Mortal Coil) Ryko did officially release 3rd as well as a disk of Chris Bell's solo work. A lot of 90s kids like myself really dug into them via those records.

I had never heard of Big Star until listening to this video. So I listened to their 1st album. I'm amazed that I hadn't heard of them. Very well crafted. Sounded like a mix between George Harrison and David Gates of Bread. The song "When my baby's beside me" is my favorite. Thank you for this video. Amazing

Lovely!

The Boxtops was owned by a Memphis DJ, Roy McNamara (?) . All records were studio musicians. Concerts and tours were never the same personnel. They were who Roy picked for the band at that time. I had two friends who played in a version of The Box Tops. They said their jobs depended on who Roy wanted in that spot at the time. It was Alex and whoever Roy wanted.

My bother loves these guys. I don’t know them. I’ll send him this

Your good at this GH. Really enoyed this, as always

Nice retrospective - still listen to em on the regular

I discovered Big Star through That’70s Show. They used, “In The Street”, as their theme song. For the second season they got Cheap Trick to record it. They retitled it, That ‘70s Song.

suggesting Jonathan Richman and Modern Lovers as a forgotten band

Interesting , never heard of this band but will check them out .

Never heard of them. They must have had talent

I came late to #1 Record. But once I did it was on constant rotation for nearly a year.

Good overview of likely the most overlooked band of the '70's. Can't believe that the relatively new music video of September Gurls has only 80,000 views? Oh well, it's a Big Star "thing." Take care, stay well, & ✌!

Best band⭐❤️❤️❤️

i have every one of those albums behind you.

Big Star had a great sound as a band. What is sad is Alex Chilton giving up the singing style that made the Box Tops so good.

I found out about Big Star through Little Steven's Underground Garage. On one of the episodes, they played When My Baby's Beside Me off of Number 1 Record. Btw, it seems there are still some Big Star Markets still around.

In the early seventies I remember reading a very positive review of their No. 1 Record release in America's Cicus Magazine. I was really open to new music at that time being only a teenager at the time and really hoped to find their album here in Australia. Unfortunately it wasn't available here and it was only in the nineties that I found it and subsequent Big Star releases and found out how great they were. They certainly deserved greater success than they achieved. Up there with all the best bands ever. Love their music.

At one time all 3 Big Star LPs were in Rolling Stone Magazine's top 500 of all time.....

great band

Love your videos and find them very informative. In Big Stars' case I listened to an hour's worth of their tunes from their first two albums. I think for my taste their acoustic and particularly the use of 12 strings makes for a nice sound. Unfortunately I fail to hear any vocal quality equivalent to the singing on "The Letter". I just can't get into the vocals and compared to their contemporary artists it is possible other listeners at the time just could not either.

I think you need to do "The Pretty Things" and "SF Sorrow". they and it SHOULD be the ones regarded in the way The Who and Tommy were at the time.

I thank The Replacements for introducing me to Big Star!!! Great band, but unfortunate story!

At 3:40, who is in the photograph on the left? The older guy on the right (as you’re looking) is George Klein, a famous Memphis DJ and part of Elvis’ inner circle. George was a great guy. I used to see him often in his later years.

Big stars 3rd-sister lovers… the very best… “ children by the millions scream for Alex Chilton” you know it…

Love BIG STAR.. was so surprised to see it show up in "Stargirl". and more so when Grace Vanderwaal did her cover. ( which is not the version in the film)...

What’s the lovely background music ? great guitar sound

Super appropriate follow up question, have you done a video on another forgotten band? The Replacements?

The Guy forgot about that seventy show that's how I learned about big star

Any of Chiltons collaboration with Tav Falco's Panther 🔥 burns genius and fuzz

A marvelous history on Big Star........can you please do one on The Raspberries???

Watch the big star doc nothing can hurt me

I love Radio City myself. Of course I prefer Closer over Unknown Pleasures from Joy Division as well. That's just me. Could an episode on The Long Ryders be in the near future?

20,000 copies of Radio City sold after release?! What a racket!

Fine presentation. Man, BS&T was trying to lose everything good when they wouldn't keep the great Al Kooper but took the easy road to the middle with David Bloated Thomas. Big Star is certainly overlooked though Alex might be right to later say they might be overrated when some say it's the best rock and roll ever. Their best songs like Thirteen and September Gurls are timeless and they have so many good songs. Alex and Big Star were never afraid to try covers by the Velvet Underground, The Troggs' "With a Girl Like You" or Eddie Floyd's "I Never Found a Girl", even with Teenage Fanclub.

Big Star is the US Badfinger!

Did I just listen to 20 minutes of "Key to Your Heart" by The Mini Vandals?

I really enjoyed this little retrospective on Big Star, and I actually even learned a few things! The only little complaint I have is the loop of the instrumental in the background. Over and over, it gets really annoying. Why not put a few clips of Big Star and Alex Chilton music making your short even more interesting?

Make a video about "The West coast pop art experimental band". You are not regretted!Greetings from Greece

Best band ever? No. My favorite band… yes.

I proudly wear my Big Star shirt to many local shows I play in my Buffalo, NY hometown. Only the real cool people know who they are.

You sure manage to keep pulling another rabbit out of the hat👍

Big Star’s third album has been released as “Complete” 3 cd’s (yes, three cd’s one of Alex’s very good demo’s - one of rough, very good rough mixes, and the finished product) - of the sessions for the third Big Star album. Great stuff highlighted by the great Chilton compositions Jesus Christ and Thank You Friends and many others. Such a great release!!

Have you considered covering Moby Grape? They had a similar trajectory. They started out promising then due to the usual mismanagement and destruction of the humans involved have fought for their legacy ever since. Their output 67-71 is as essential as Big Star. Three minute propulsive hooky songs written,sung,and performed by all group members. And an enigmatic front man who would be ejected from his band and go on to record an elusive and influential solo LP.(Skip Spence). The surviving members perform to this day.

Jim Dickinson had to have Alex removed from the studio when mixing their second album. “It was him or me.” One of them had to go!

Id love to think that Chris Bell is somewhere where he can see his vision wasn’t all for naught.

In late 78 I met Alex outside CBGB at a Cramps show and had a wonderful time but my room mate at time told me don't bring him home he is homeless and will not leave, So I lost the chance to sit on my bedroom floor and play with him big mistake

big star are very known here in uk, as a VERY COOL cult band , I e, small sales and big respect!!

What I’ve always wondered is what happen to Alex’s Box Top voice during this band? He had this big soulful voice in that and then in Big Star it’s like a different person

Jody Stephens was a beautiful man. there. I said it.

There are many bands who fit the catagory of what might of been. Sometimes that's true sometimes these bands were a dead end in reality. There is a romantic air about some bands that had short careers

No mention of The Replacements.

Powerpop = Badfinger + Raspberries + Big Star.

What's the intro song to this episode ?