Rick Springfield returns to St. Louis, with new album all about the journey of love
October 1, 2008 - 11:52AM
ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The music of this Grammy-award winning artist is an "Affair of the Heart" for countless "American Girls," and on Friday night many will get the chance to see him live at The Family Arena.Since the release of Rick Springfield's first LP, "Working Class Dog," more than 27 years ago, his music has been on the charts and in the hearts of fans worldwide. Springfield has withstood the test of time, and his latest release, "Venus in Overdrive," is proof of that this 59-year-old rocker's still got it.
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Springfield said the recent album is about "love in all forms" and the first single, "What's Victoria's Secret?", would be familiar in tune to many fans.
"It's one of those titles that was waiting to be written," Springfield said. "It's about the sexualization of women and the dichotomy most men feel. As males we want that on one hand, but then it scares the hell out of us if we resist it."
Springfield co-wrote the album with Matt Bissonette, his longtime bass player. They recorded it in 32 days.
"This is the first time I've ever co-written an album with anyone," he said.
He said the album reflects love's journey.
Two songs on the record, "Saint Sahara" and "Oblivious," pay tribute to a young girl, Sahara Aldridge, who frequently attended Springfield's shows and bonded with the band and has since died.
Other songs on the album address different kinds of relationships.
"There is a lot of personal stuff in these songs but we have tried to craft them so they still have a universal voice," he said.
Springfield, was born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on Aug. 23, 1949, in Australia. His family moved to England when he was around 10. It was there that Springfield discovered what he wanted to do with his life.
Although he had been playing the piano since the age of 9, it was during his teenage years when he learned to play the guitar, which changed his life forever.
He said it was during this time he saw The Shadows perform.
"It was the first time I'd seen a Fender Stratocastor used," he said.
Springfield said it was then that he realized the power of young guys who write and play music. He later returned to Australia, and formed his first band, Rock House. The band landed a gig in Vietnam, during the height of the conflict.
While the band didn't last long it led him to the wildly popular Australian teen band, Zoot. In Zoot, Rick honed his songwriting and performance tactics, so much so that he was plucked out of the group to try his hand at solo music.
By 1971, Rick had top hit in Australia, "Speak to the Sky." The song landed in the U.S. top ten and another song, "Beginnings," found it's way into the top 20.
In 1974, Rick was asked to create music and star in an animated series called "Mission Magic." In 1976 he recorded, "Wait for Night" and started working as an actor to earn a paycheck.
In 1980, he recorded "Working Class Dog" on a shoestring budget, recording on off hours when the studio time was cheaper. It was there that he met his future wife, Barbara Porter. In 1981, he landed his breakout role as Dr. Noah Drake on "General Hospital" and released "Working Class Dog, " which included the popular hits "Jessie's Girl" and "I've Done Everything for You." In 1982, he was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
In 1984, Springfield starred in the movie "Hard to Hold" and also married Porter. The couple has two sons.
Springfield has sold more than 19 million records with 17 top-40 hits. He has preformed for millions of devoted fans and continues to play more than 100 shows per year.
He said he is looking forward to 7:30 p.m. show on Friday, in which John Waite is opening.
"St. Louis and I go way back," he said. "The fans there are great."
Visit www.rickspringfield.com to find out more about the artist or to listen to his new release.
Tickets to the show are available at all MetroTix locations, online at www.metrotix.com, or charge by phone at (314) 534-1111 or toll free at (800) 293-5949. Tickets Range From $44 to $76.
cynthia_ellis@thetelegraph.com
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