There’s something about Rick Springfield that is and
always has been very real. His songs about love and
loss, greed and envy, elation and heartbreak spoke to
that part of human nature that hasn’t changed in 3,000
years. They still do.
On July 29, 2008, Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter
Rick Springfield released his newest album Venus In
Overdrive on New Door Records/UMe. The album is Rick’s
first full-length new studio work of original material
since the 2003 critically acclaimed
shock/denial/anger/acceptance. More upbeat and fun than
the dark and introspective
shock/denial/anger/acceptance, Venus In Overdrive marks
a return to Rick’s pop/rock roots. Venus In Overdrive is
simultaneously classic and current -- and definitely the
music fans have loved since Rick’s distinctive canine
companion Lethal Ron first graced the cover of his
classic album Working Class Dog.
“In a way, I think we should have called this album ‘Son
of Working Class Dog.’ The songs explore some of the
same themes, albeit from a slightly older perspective,”
notes Rick. “It’s an album about love in all of its
forms...good, bad, happy, sad, the kind that drives you
crazy...love and all of its human failings.”
A creative collaboration between Rick and his longtime
bass player Matt Bissonette, Venus In Overdrive was
recorded in its entirety in only 32 days. “We were on a
roll and just couldn’t stop. It all flowed so naturally.
Writing and recording these songs has been the most fun
I’ve had in the studio since the early 80s,” says Rick.
The first single from Venus In Overdrive is “What’s
Victoria’s Secret?” Says Rick, “It’s one of those titles
that was waiting to be written and Matt (Bissonette)
just came up with it first. 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 and we resist it. Mainly, we need to connect with
women as human beings.” Rick also notes that there are
some familiar influences in the song. “The longing,
lust, and insecurities revealed that made “Jessie’s
Girl” hit so close to home are there. It’s not ‘Jessie’s
Girl,’ but touches some of the same places lyrically and
musically.”
By contrast, the album’s title track is a different
sound for Rick Springfield. With its dance and
alternative influences, “Venus In Overdrive” is as
contemporary as “What’s Victoria’s Secret” is retro.
Still, its guitar tracks and raw sexual angst are
signature Rick Springfield. “It surprises me when people
use the word ‘influences’ like it’s always something
from the past. Bands like The Beatles and The Who made a
huge impact on my life as a musician and a songwriter,
but there are some really cool things happening in music
now that inevitably find their way into my psyche.
‘Venus In Overdrive’ evolved that way,” notes Rick.
Other songs on the album address different kinds of
relationships, including loved ones lost. “There’s a lot
of personal stuff in these songs, but we’ve tried to
craft them with a universal voice. In working on this
album, Matt and I discovered the similarities in the
relationships with our fathers -- things that were
sometimes funny and maddening.” Two songs on the record,
“Saint Sahara” and “God Blinked” pay tribute to Sahara
Aldridge, a young girl who frequently attended Rick’s
shows and who recently lost her battle with cancer. The
whole band had come to love her as a member of the
extended family and felt a great loss with her passing,
but the songs are a celebration of her life and
recognition of the people she affected in the world,
making good on a promise to give her a song she could
dance to.
In 1981 after years of struggle, the stars perfectly
aligned and Rick Springfield found himself sitting on
top of the world. In the midst of recording what would
become the quintessential pop/rock album Working Class
Dog, Rick was cast to the play the young, eligible Dr.
Noah Drake on the popular daytime drama “General
Hospital.” That same year, MTV debuted and changed the
dynamic of the music industry forever. Rick skyrocketed
to the top of Billboard’s charts with “Jessie’s Girl”
and “I’ve Done Everything For You,”. The following year,
he won a Grammy for “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.”
In 1982, Rick followed the success of Working Class Dog
with Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet. The album contained
a string of top-40 hits, including “Don’t Talk To
Strangers” which charted at #2. He was also nominated
for a second Grammy and in 1983 was nominated for a
third, in addition to garnering an American Music Award.
His 1983 album Living in Oz went platinum, resulting in
the hits “Human Touch” and “Affair of the Heart.” The
following year, his single “Love Somebody” from the
soundtrack album to the movie “Hard to Hold” (in which
Rick made his big screen debut) hit #5 on the Billboard
singles chart. Rick Springfield had solidified his place
as the preeminent power-pop artist of the decade and
today remains the genre’s greatest pioneer.
After years of balls-to-the-wall live performances,
grueling tour schedules, and recording back-to-back hit
albums with chart-topping singles, Rick decided to take
a break to spend time with his family when his first son
was born in 1985. During his hiatus, he released the
albums Rock of Life and Sahara Snow. He returned to the
concert stage in 1998 with the release of his album
Karma. Immediately, Rick was performing to sold out
crowds as fans clamored to the Internet, hungry for word
of Rick Springfield’s triumphant return to their
hometowns.
In 2003 Rick propelled his career onward, by releasing
the critically acclaimed album,
shock/denial/anger/acceptance on his own record label,
Gomer Records. Rick hit the ground running in 2005 by
releasing The Day After Yesterday, a warm and soulful
collection featuring his own interpretations of hit
songs that he wishes he had written. 2005 also saw the
release of Written in Rock, Rick Springfield Anthology,
on Sony/BMG, a 2-Disc set spanning Rick Springfield’s
recording career to date. Rick ended 2005 with his long
anticipated return to ABC’s daytime hit show, “General
Hospital,” in the role he originated nearly 25 years ago
as Dr. Noah Drake. He continues to make appearances on
“General Hospital” as Dr. Noah Drake. In 2006 Rick
released a concert DVD, Live in Rockford, which was
filmed live as part of the HDNet Concert Series at the
historic Coronado Theatre in Rockford, IL and showcases
Rick’s extremely high energy performances. Rick released
a Christmas CD entitled Christmas With You, in 2007 that
featured an extremely moving original track, “Christmas
With You”, which was dedicated to all of our fallen
troops. Also in 2007, Rick's classic album Working Class
Dog was celebrated with the release of the book A Year
In The Life Of A Working Class Dog which chronicles the
making of this pop masterpiece and Rick's rise to
superstar status. In 2009, Rick headed in a different
direction by releasing a special album, My Precious
Little One, (Gomer Records / DKE Records). This album is
the collection of lullabies Rick created for his own
family. “I wrote these original lullabies for my two
sons during the heady days of brand new fatherhood.
Since neither of them were good sleepers, it seemed like
a good idea to write some lullabies,” he said of the
collection.
To date, Rick Springfield has sold over 19 million
records with a whopping 17 top-40 hits. He has performed
for millions of devoted fans over the last three decades
and continues to play over 100 shows a year. Attracting
new fans wherever he goes with his unique brand of
audience interaction, unstoppable energy, and
unforgettable songs that have become part of the
soundtrack to people’s lives.
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