![]() ![]() He’s asserted himself across the decades as a masterful songwriter (“Maggie May,” “You’re in My Heart,” “Young Turks”) and skilled interpreter. Through it all, Stewart has never failed to rise to the occasion in the presence of a great song. He has proved a remarkably durable talent who has been single-mindedly committed to his music, touring tirelessly and recording prolifically. Stewart charted hit singles and platinum albums in nearly every year from 1970 through 1995, and his paced has slowed only slightly since then. Though critics occasionally looked askance at his music and persona in the wake of his Atlantic crossing, the public stood by him every step of the way. In concert, he’d twirl mike stands and kick soccer balls into the audience while strutting across stages in flashy garb. He thereupon confidently assumed the mantle of glamorous Seventies rock star, anteing up such boudoir-minded love songs as “Tonight’s the Night” (a #1 hit for eight weeks in 1976) and discofied rockers like “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” (a #1 hit for five weeks in 1981). For Stewart, the picaresque tales and rootsy, knockabout rock and roll of his first five solo albums – not to mention his work with the Faces, especially on Long Player and A Nod Is as Good as a Wink (to a Blind Horse) – were largely behind him. By this time, the Faces had undergone a period of disarray as a prelude to disbanding. Rod Stewart’s career did reach a divide with the album Atlantic Crossing in 1975, which found him recording for a new label (Warner Bros.) and newly relocated to America. His first five albums – The Rod Stewart Album, Gasoline Alley, Every Picture Tells a Story, Never a Dull Moment and Smiler – appeared in a yearly procession between 19 on the Mercury label, and many consider this to be his best work. It came from his third solo album, Every Picture Tells a Story, which is a rock classic and Stewart’s finest hour. It was his first charting single in the U.S. Stewart’s solo career effectively went into orbit with the 1971 release of “Maggie May,” an enduring rock classic with a rustic, ramshackle style. Rod Stewart’s great talent resides in his synthesis of American soul (Sam Cooke, Otis Redding) and folk (Bob Dylan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott) influences, into which he distilled his own life experiences as a British-born busker and bohemian. Has anyone in rock and roll ever been both so prolific and so superb during an equivalent span? In short, Stewart was the main artist or frontman for eight albums released during a four-year period – an output remarkable for its quality and quantity. At the same time, Stewart served as the Faces’ frontman, contributing significantly to four fine group albums released during the same spell: First Step(1970), Long Player (1971), A Nod Is as Good as a Wink…to a Blind Horse (1971) and Ooh La La (1973). These four superlative solo albums were released in consecutive years. He launched a parallel career as a solo artist, developing a distinctive voice and persona over the course of a brilliant string of albums that included The Rod Stewart Album (1969), Gasoline Alley (1970), Every Picture Tells a Story (1971) and Never a Dull Moment(1972). He and guitarist Ron Wood joined founding members Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane and Kenney Jones in the wake of Steve Marriott’s departure, and the Small Faces – which soon adopted the shortened name Faces – became an enormously popular touring group, rivaling the Rolling Stones for rollicking, good-natured rock and roll.Īt the same time, Rod Stewart inaugurated one of the great musical juggling acts of all time. From there, Stewart graduated to the Small Faces. Stewart really came into his own as the singer with the Jeff Beck Group, the guitarist’s post-Yardbirds ensemble, formed in 1968. Soon after, he began turning up in mid-Sixties R&B bands: as Long John Baldry’s Hoochie Coochie Men, Steampacket and Shotgun Express. The London-born Stewart’s long-lived career extends back to 1964, when he cut his first record (the blues standard “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl”). A singer’s singer, Stewart seemed made to inhabit the spotlight. Like Cooke, Stewart delivers both romantic ballads and uptempo material with conviction and panache, and he sings in a warm, soulful rasp. Rod Stewart can be regarded as the rock generation’s heir to Sam Cooke. ![]() We are always uniquely positioned as your advocate throughout the hiring process and we won’t let you overpay.Ĭontact us for availability, price and other production details at: ![]() will help you select, book and hire Rod Stewart to perform at your corporate event, non-profit event or private performance. ![]()
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