Palmer and Bowie were the two most handsome guys in music biz.
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70s Robert Palmer...Who knew?
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Watching Robert Palmer videos on MTV at Bars is how I graduated College, I think.
Vinegar Joe were a properly rocking band. Never saw RP live but... As a teenager my second ever proper gig was Elkie Brooks live in ’81. I’d asked for tickets to see Elkie and Thin Lizzy as my birthday present that year (I had eclectic tastes in my teens!).
The first gig was Lizzy - who rocked, of course and I managed to work my way right down the front in between Phil and Scot - result. Then a week later it was Elkie - fully seated gig full of mums and dads (and grandparent age folks too) - plus just a smattering of rock fans. She was just into her MoR, easy listening hits period phase at that point. So she came on stage and did a short, 30 minute “hits” set. Then she turned to the audience and said, “Right, that’s enough of that old rubbish, let’s kick things up a gear!” And she and the band ripped into an hour long set of rock ‘n’ roll (the early solo albums she did were produced by Lieber and Stoller!!), heavy blues and Vinegar Joe material. It was fabulous - as was the shell shocked looks on the faces of those who had only ever heard the recent mellow chart hits!
And to be honest, my ears rang louder and longer after Elkie than Thin Lizzy!
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More of a jazz (with a smattering of blues) artist these days. Saw her about 10 or so years ago doing a load of jazzy stuff at one of those “bring a picnic” summer gigs at Ascot race course (supported by the jazz fusion guitarist Tony Remy and his band). That was a good night!
Palmer, Bowie, Bryan Ferry, and Rod Stewart were the best dressed guys of late 70's/early 80's rock, at least until Clapton went full on Armani.
But truly, Palmer was the one to "wear it well".
No one rocked a suit like Robert, and we would have killed to have his tailor, back then.
The James Bond of rock, indeed. Consider him shaken, and very stirred!
Have been in his corner since Vinegar Joe. An amazing talent and persona that exuded cool without apparently trying, and left us way too soon.
I liked his take on the Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis hit from Cherelle, and the video looks like the result of a bar wager "I bet we can make a video for less than $500, we'll just crash a Vogue cover shoot my buddy is working, and bribe the models with lunch!" Turns out this wasn't terribly far from the truth.
He was self aware, and made it obvious that he held talent to be more important than image. In this video, he lets us "peek behind the curtain" and see the shyness of "the most suave guy in rock and roll".
Consider the subject matter of the lyrics, and watch for the soul glimpse at 0:31 and 1:18. Totally self deprecating, almost breaking the fourth wall.
As an aside, in the 90's I met seven women who all claimed to be the drummer in this video. I guess good, but not memorable, looks can be a resume enhancer.
But truly, Palmer was the one to "wear it well".
No one rocked a suit like Robert, and we would have killed to have his tailor, back then.
The James Bond of rock, indeed. Consider him shaken, and very stirred!
Have been in his corner since Vinegar Joe. An amazing talent and persona that exuded cool without apparently trying, and left us way too soon.
I liked his take on the Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis hit from Cherelle, and the video looks like the result of a bar wager "I bet we can make a video for less than $500, we'll just crash a Vogue cover shoot my buddy is working, and bribe the models with lunch!" Turns out this wasn't terribly far from the truth.
He was self aware, and made it obvious that he held talent to be more important than image. In this video, he lets us "peek behind the curtain" and see the shyness of "the most suave guy in rock and roll".
Consider the subject matter of the lyrics, and watch for the soul glimpse at 0:31 and 1:18. Totally self deprecating, almost breaking the fourth wall.
As an aside, in the 90's I met seven women who all claimed to be the drummer in this video. I guess good, but not memorable, looks can be a resume enhancer.
Well, Lowell George does play on five tracks of Sally, then you have The Meters on some of those; LF certainly drew much inspiration from them.
Back in the day I really liked them. Pretty sure I had the cassette. To be a kid again...
Man, I'm so glad this thread took off! I'm learning a lot.
In my younger years I worked in record stores and Palmer was a "find" of mine; I'd spin his early, obscure LPs in the store(s) at every opportunity and customers would often inquire, favorably, about "Who is that?" I was a big, big fan of his eclectic, tasteful records, happy to "spread the word."
So imagine my surprise when, years later, staying as a guest in the Kabuki Hotel in San Francisco's Japantown, I exit my room into the hallway and run into a very well dressed guest leaving his room. I said to myself, "That's Robert Freaking Palmer!!!"
Not being a shrinking violet, I immediately glommed him, asked him what he was doing in San Francisco. I almost spit my teeth out when he replied that he was in town "auditioning for the Jefferson Starship," a match NOT made in heaven, in my estimation.
Thankfully, we all dodged that bullet. Very nice man, BTW.
So imagine my surprise when, years later, staying as a guest in the Kabuki Hotel in San Francisco's Japantown, I exit my room into the hallway and run into a very well dressed guest leaving his room. I said to myself, "That's Robert Freaking Palmer!!!"
Not being a shrinking violet, I immediately glommed him, asked him what he was doing in San Francisco. I almost spit my teeth out when he replied that he was in town "auditioning for the Jefferson Starship," a match NOT made in heaven, in my estimation.
Thankfully, we all dodged that bullet. Very nice man, BTW.
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The horror of RP and "We Built This City" gives me the willys.
That whole medley--Sailing Shoes, Hey Julia, and Sneaking Sally Through the Alley--is pure gold. Palmer was chameleon who excelled in so many different genres: rock, soul, R&B, blues. A master.
I sing lead on Bad Case and it's always a blast. We do it in E.
I sing lead on Bad Case and it's always a blast. We do it in E.
He was a great musician and came from West Yorkshire, England, where I live. I saw him at Leeds University many years ago. He went straight from one number to the next for the entire show - wonderful stuff! Gone far too soon, RIP Robert.
Killer track, 'Give me an Inch' has James Jamerson on bass.
Long ago I met a musician that was in his backup band and he told me Robert loved to party and if you were in his band he expected you to be able to keep up with him.
Long ago I met a musician that was in his backup band and he told me Robert loved to party and if you were in his band he expected you to be able to keep up with him.
No shame in looking. I do it too - every time. And I'm only doing the backing vocals in our version.
Glad this thread popped up. I've heard a lot of the songs that (every kind of
) people have mentioned here but haven't heard them in a lot of years. There's also some great stuff I never knew about. Gonna have to dive deeper into his catalog.
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