Author Topic: Norbert Putnam  (Read 2191 times)

HornetAMX

  • Guest
Norbert Putnam
« on: February 28, 2008, 09:00:31 PM »
Yeah, I never heard of him either until doing some research.  I watched the Dan Fogelberg Soundstage show on PBS a few nights ago and dug the guy playing bass on that show (Jim Photoglo).  I then dug out some of my old LP's and really dug some of the basslines.  I knew Kenny Passarelli (Joe Walsh, Elton John) did some work with Fogelberg (Part Of The Plan) but the nice round P bass tones of such songs as "Hard To Say" or "Heart Hotels" always made me want to play those lines for fun.  I found out it was Norbert Putnam who played bass on many of Fogelberg's records (as well as produced a lot of them!) and found a cool article on him that I thought you may be interested in.  I'd also like to point out that the late drummer Mike Botts (Bread) also played on the Fogelberg Soundstage special. 

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep03/articles/putnam.htm

Rhythm N. Bliss

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1936
  • Steiny Spirit Mon
    • View Profile
    • MySpace:
Re: Norbert Putnam
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2008, 11:41:22 PM »
That's a great read. The name rang a bell cuz I had a girlfriend who was a Fogelberg fan & I soaked up all the info I could from her extensive record collection living with her about 25 years ago. She loved Kenny Loggins & Billy Joel too & altho' I can't tell you their bassplayers names off the top of my head, I'm sure if I saw their names now I'd say "Oh Yeah!!"
Hmmmm...I think Billy Joel's bassplayer is Doug Somethingmeyer. lol
It's all coming back to me...from a distant year of mellow rock.

HornetAMX

  • Guest
Re: Norbert Putnam
« Reply #2 on: February 29, 2008, 04:57:11 PM »
Doug Stegmeyer!  He was a great player.  Very tasteful for sure.  He committed suicide back in the early 1990's.  I'll still never figure out why he was fired from Joel's band. 


Rhythm N. Bliss

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1936
  • Steiny Spirit Mon
    • View Profile
    • MySpace:
Re: Norbert Putnam
« Reply #3 on: February 29, 2008, 05:13:56 PM »
Awwwww. Damn. That's sad. I'd be suicidal too watching the bandleader who fired me sell 150 million albums.

Strange that now that I'm a bassplayer & becoming interested in those who played bass in my fav ol' bands I'm finding out that a lot of 'em are deceased---James Dewar, Boz Burrell, Felix Pappalardi, Ken Forrsi, Randy Jo Hobbs, etc.
...& now Doug Stegmeyer. Alas

HornetAMX

  • Guest
Re: Norbert Putnam
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2008, 09:05:58 AM »
Awwwww. Damn. That's sad. I'd be suicidal too watching the bandleader who fired me sell 150 million albums.


Actually Doug Stegmeyer played on most of the "classic" Billy Joel records.  I always loved his tone.  That run he had from "The Stranger" through "An Innocent Man" produced some great stuff. 

Rhythm N. Bliss

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1936
  • Steiny Spirit Mon
    • View Profile
    • MySpace:
Re: Norbert Putnam
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2008, 01:18:06 AM »
Yeah~ Susie Q had all those albums & she & I went to see BJ  in '84 & DS was great! Doug Stegmeyer & Liberty DeVito were a great rhythm section!!
Angry Young Man ROCKS! Pretty HEAVY for a guy known as a mellow rocker.

Norbert had a good idea to focus on ROCK in Nashville in the early days.
My fav Classic Rocker is Steve Winwood, who has a home in Nashville.
He probly still has a home in England too, but Nashville is a good place to live to absorb Americana I reckon.
Nowadays Country is taking on more & more ROCK elements. Look at Shania Twain's videos. Pretty HOT!!!!
Her husband is Mutt Lange y'know. He produced AC/DC, Def Lep & Foreigner among other HEAVY Rockers.
Now a lot of Country bands do 80s Rock songs for encores.