70s Robert Palmer...Who knew?

[Marc valero]

I am going to have to go back and listen to his early tunes again. I did a little review of one of his early albums for a radio trade paper back in the day.

 

[bass12]

Reminds me of this gem:

 

[DJ Bebop]

Always liked his recordings. He was the James Bond of rock - cool, sophisticated but at the same time a real rocker.

edit: and those girls in his videos.

 

[MynameisMe]

Don't forget his collaboration in Power Station on the 80s. The Taylor boys from Duran Duran as well as others.
I remember a rockin version of " Bang A Gong".

 

[2saddleslab]

Don't forget his collaboration in Power Station on the 80s. The Taylor boys from Duran Duran as well as others.
I remember a rockin version of " Bang A Gong".

Loved that and his version of Sneaking Sally Through The Alley.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Vinegar Joe were one of the first real bands I saw as a very young teenager... the front line of Robert Palmer and Elkie Brooks was awesomely good. Shame RP left us way too young. Elkie Brooks lives round this way, not sure what she's doing these days...

 

[MynameisMe]

And this one:
Some Like It Hot.

 

[LBS-bass]

 

[Deleted member 165050]

 

[PWRL]

I've liked his music since I was a kid, I guess. He's one of those guys who had a couple of overplayed radio songs that were the tip of the iceberg. One of the things I love about his stuff is how different some albums are from others.

 

[Michedelic]

OK, so I'm late to the game.

Somehow I went down a Robert Palmer worm hole. First off, the dude was ridiculously talented. He played everything. He wrote. He sang. He collaborated. If you're into that kind of thing, he was even a fashion icon in the 80s.

But his 70s stuff is stupid good. Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley album has The Meters, Lowell George, Steve Winwood, Gordon Edwards, Bernard Purdie.... a who's who from that era.

Double Fun has Every Kind Of People written by Andy Fraser (sure sounds like him on bass too). Secrets has Bad Case Of Loving You. All of the 70s Palmer albums have ridiculously good players. Even Clues from 1980 has some cool playing on it, albeit a little more "synthy" by then.

Any of you guys into his earlier stuff? What's your hidden gem? I didn't listen to every track on every album.

Yeah, ‘74/‘75 is when I first heard him, “Sally” and all that. The Meters and Little Feat’s Lowell George played on that. But I did hear VG’s “Rock and Roll Gypsies” before.

He always played second banana to Elkie Brooks, but she definitely had the stuff. His “Clues” album had some material co-written with Gary Numan...

 

[LBS-bass]

I've liked his music since I was a kid, I guess. He's one of those guys who had a couple of overplayed radio songs that were the tip of the iceberg. One of the things I love about his stuff is how different some albums are from others.

I like the first album because it has a heavy Little Feat kinda vibe to it. Not like anyone could out-feat Little Feat. They were a truly underrated band that didn't get nearly their due.

 

[wmhill]

That's OK. Moon Martin wrote it and sang it in D. Dm to be exact. He had a lot of strange uses for minor chords. His only hit "Rolene" is the same way.

I used to play Rolene a couple of decades ago. You are probably the second person I've come across that knows that song (our keyboard player who suggested it being the first). The crowd never danced, just looked at us like we were nuts.

 

[BASSKADET]

 

[Bassiclees]

His versions of "You Are In My System" and "Every Kind of People" are all time fave songs to play bass to.
"Every Kind..." is as much of a bass first pop melody as any song.

 

[JimmyM]

I used to play Rolene a couple of decades ago. You are probably the second person I've come across that knows that song (our keyboard player who suggested it being the first). The crowd never danced, just looked at us like we were nuts.

It got a lot of airplay in Orlando at the time. Can't recall any bands playing it, though. Well live and learn.

 

[SDC1-ClickClack]

IMHO, the hidden Robert Palmer gem is not the stuff that is better known, but his 1979 album SECRETS. The most well-known song from that album is "Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)," and there was also a cover of Todd Rundgren's "Can We Still Be Friends?" — but for me, the best songs are "Jealous," "What's It Take?", and "Remember To Remember." I'm not familiar with any of the players in the band that recorded this album with him, but I love the feel: loose, but not sloppy; funky rock with occasionally an almost Jamaican groove.

 

[DrFunkenstien]

Big fan of anything featuring George Porter Jr. Dude’s funky. I particularly like Meters backing work with Dr. John. Good ol’ NOLA funk.

Robert Palmer had the chops to impress Toussaint to take him under his wing at such a young age...in fact I think he produced most of those albums in the 70s. This cover always makes me smile. Love the piano solo:

 

[Michedelic]

I used to play Rolene a couple of decades ago. You are probably the second person I've come across that knows that song (our keyboard player who suggested it being the first). The crowd never danced, just looked at us like we were nuts.

Martin had some other great tunes...


He died about a year ago.

 

[kesslari]

Sneakin' Sally was on my regular play list in high school. The first 3 songs on that record go together as pure gold.