Todd Rundgren Reveals His John Lennon Encounter: “Bundle of Rags

Todd Rundgren on Songwriting, Psychedelics, and Lost Melodies

I Saw the Light is extraordinarily brilliant. How did you write it? Eamonmcc

I was still learning about songwriting and by the time I got to Something/Anything? [1972, featuring I Saw the Light] I was slipping into formula – verse, chorus, bridge and so on, always about the girl or boy who broke your heart.I moved my hands about the keyboard and 20 minutes later that song was done. It’s partly why I went wholly off the grid for my next album, A Wizard, a True Star [1973] – because I realised I couldn’t keep cranking out songs in 20 minutes about that one relationship in high school. The prettiest girl in school had suddenly taken a shine to me – I think because I had long hair, which was also the reason her dad made her break up with me, which messed me up pretty bad.

Wikipedia says A Wizard, a True Star was “heavily informed by Rundgren’s hallucinogenic experiences”. Were you actually taking LSD? mjhmjh

I didn’t smoke or drink anything until my first album [Runt, in 1970]. In my first band they’d smoke pot and the rehearsal would turn into a 30-minute giggling session. Then, when I was 21 I was living in [rhythm section] the Sales brothers’ house and their mom said “I can’t believe you’ve never had a drink” and got me drunk. Then my best friend who was studying to be a psychiatrist suggested I try psychoactives. I trusted him implicitly, so I did.I was taking drugs occasionally throughout the building of the studio.Not when we were doing the music – I had to run the sessions – but I remember lying on my back as high as a kite trying to do the wiring. Through psychoactives I discovered there was more going on in my head than that high school relationship.

In your book The Individualist you said that when you were travelling around you wrote a song but didn’t have a recorder, so kept replaying it in your head until you got back to the States. Which song was it? JanetDM

I believe it was Lost Horizon. I was in a little hotel room in Kathmandu and a song started going round in my head. The only way I could remember it was to visualise a piano keyboard and practice the piano part on the imaginary keyboard, so when I got back I was able to play it. You never know when a song will hit you. I once woke up in the middle of the night with Bang the Drum All Day in my head. It wasn’t a song I’d normally have written, but I’ve realised that my subconscious doesn’t stop when I go to sleep.

Did Levon Helm really chase you around the studio when the Band were making Stage Fright?

Your DIY approach to recording albums was apparently a huge influence on Prince, and Bebe Buell has spoken of a young and star-struck Prince Rogers Nelson waiting to meet you backstage at a show.Do you have any recollection of this? TheManWithoutFear

No recollection whatsoever, which isn’t to say it didn’t happen. Prince took the play-every-instrument thing to another level. I wanted to write beyond what I could play and realised there are better players, whereas he tailored the songs to his capabilities as a player. So the drums are simple, certainly not like Stevie Wonder’s, who was a crazily funky drummer. I thought some of Prince’s stuff was great but some of the lyrics made no sense to me at all. I don’t know what the hell Purple Rain is. Is it some kind of pollution?

Did you keep the amusing letters that John Lennon sent you? kaipahead

I met him at a party in the period he was drinking with Harry Nilsson and misbehaving all over Hollywood.He looked like a bundle of rags in the corner and as a Beatles fan I was disappointed that he had nothing to say. Later I was being interviewed by NME and I said something along the lines of that you can’t be a revolutionary and preach one thing if you’re behaving in another way, and that became the headline. John wrote a letter ostensibly to me but as an open letter in NME. There was a kerfuffle. Then one day

Todd Rundgren on the New York Dolls,Collaboration,and Staying Youthful on Tour

Todd Rundgren,the prolific musician and producer,recently discussed his work with the New York Dolls,his approach to recent albums,and the importance of live performance in a new interview.

On producing the New York Dolls’ Debut:

Rundgren acknowledged the divisive reception of the new York Dolls’ first album. He agreed with the assessment of a UK television presenter who labeled them “mock rock.” While often categorized as punk due to their influence on bands like the Sex Pistols – with John Lydon specifically citing them as a key inspiration – Rundgren explained the Dolls’ own musical aspirations. “Technically the New York Dolls wanted to be the Rolling Stones: that album cover is straight from the Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? era,” he said. He also noted the appeal for rock critics, stating, “The more cynical rock critics like Lester Bangs liked them because it was the kind of music a rock critic could play – three chords.” Despite their celebrity status at max’s Kansas City, Rundgren pointed out that the band members largely resided on Long Island, some still living with their mothers.

Reflecting on Recent albums:

Rundgren discussed his perspective on several albums from his extensive catalog, including Liars, State, and White Knight. He described Liars as a transitional work following his shift away from conventional record label structures and towards the internet. State was an attempt to revisit and update techniques he’d pioneered in the 1970s, incorporating advancements in electronic and drum’n’bass music. White Knight marked his first critically important collaborative effort, allowing him to move away from solitary creative work. His most recent album, Space, involved completing unfinished demos submitted by other artists.

The Importance of Live Performance:

Rundgren emphasized the rejuvenating effect of touring. “Playing live keeps me youthful,” he stated. “My body likes me to get out there for two and a half hours each night. It’s like an aerobic exercise, or a marathon.” He is currently working on a new record, planned for completion after his current touring schedule.

Todd Rundgren is currently on tour, with upcoming dates including:

* Subscription Rooms, Stroud – October 26
* Alexandra Theater, Birmingham – October 28
* London Palladium – October 29