Gregg Philbin - REO - which bass?

lowend1 · May 29, 2012, 12:31:25 AM

I was just listening to something from my formative years - REO's "You Get What You Play For" live album, released in '77 IIRC. At the time Gregg Philbin was the bassist, prior to the arrival of Bruce Hall and also before Kevin Cronin's er, presence finally robbed them of their rock n roll dignity a couple of albums later. "157 Riverside Avenue" was a cornerstone of their set, and included a bass solo (at 3:16):

Gregg is pictured on the LP with both a reverse Thunderbird and an Alembic (I think). I have also seen video of him with a J-Bass. Question is, which bass is he playing on the cut in question? Something tells me it's the Alembic...

Pekka · May 29, 2012, 03:39:25 AM

Sounds like an Alembic to me.

nofi · May 29, 2012, 07:33:44 AM

"that's regis on bass guitar". the bastard son of regis philbin? i always wondered about that remark but regis phibin has no son named greg. $:-\$

lowend1 · May 29, 2012, 08:46:23 AM

Regis was already semi-(in)famous by the 1970s, so Cronin's intro was probably nothing more than a pop culture reference.
From Wikipedia:
"Philbin gained his first national exposure in 1967 as Joey Bishop's sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show[20] on television (1967–1969). In a Johnny Carson-Ed McMahon vein, Bishop would playfully tease Philbin and Philbin would take the barbs in stride. Philbin, however, got his feelings wounded when he learned from the network grapevine that ABC executives were dissatisfied with his work and his thick accent. In response, Philbin, during the opening of one of the programs in 1968, suddenly stopped the show with an unplanned diatribe about 'not being wanted and letting down" the program and abruptly quit on air. A few nights later, assured by Bishop that all was well and the barbs were not personal, Philbin returned, in perhaps one of the oddest developments in live late night television history. When The Joey Bishop Show was canceled, Bishop returned the favor and walked off the show on the air unannounced, leaving Philbin to successfully carry the night on his own."

Dave W · May 29, 2012, 01:58:25 PM

Is that yah final anseh?

JZumbro · June 08, 2012, 12:34:54 AM

My first concert at age 15 was shortly after that album came out. The old City Auditorium in St. Joe, Mo., which was so old I wasn't sure it would survive the show. Philbin played a Jazz as I recall, certainly not the Thunderbird.

A great show, it was basically exactly the same as the album. They were not famous yet and really rocked. I saw them again a couple of years later after "You Can Tune a Fish" came out, and while they hadn't gone completely soft yet success seemed to have taken the fire out of their performance. Bruce Hall was the bassist then, and he is a fine bass player, but they just didn't have the energy they had the first time. I saw them two nights in a row that year. Rainbow, with Ronnie James Dio, opened for them both nights. Blackmore smashed a guitar the first night. The second night they cut Rainbow short because they were filming REO for the Midnight Special (or maybe it was Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, my memory is hazy....). This was at Kemper Arena in Kansas City. I never saw that Midnight Special, so I don't know if it ever aired. I would love to see it.

Edit: this was it.

lowend1 · June 08, 2012, 06:45:00 AM

I think it's from the old "In Concert" program. Both Kirshner and MS were filmed live, with unique signage behind the band - this is a lip synch to the LP track - and it has the distinct "filmed look" of the In Concert tapings.

Great song and album, and a killer bass line by Bruce Hall on this one. By the next album, Cronin had pretty much overshadowed Gary Richrath in terms of songwriting, which was the beginning of the end, so to speak. I saw them on the tour for the live album in '77, just after Bruce Hall joined. It was a three-band bill, special radio station concert for WNEW-FM in NYC. REO headlined, Starz was the second act - the opening band was Judas Priest, on their first US tour, supporting "Sin After Sin". Tickets were $3.50.

gearHed289 · June 08, 2012, 09:05:33 AM

Ha! Starz went on AFTER Priest? I barely remember them and the song Fallen Angel. I thought they were Aerosmith wannabes.

lowend1 · June 08, 2012, 01:00:21 PM

Quote from: gearHed289 on June 08, 2012, 09:05:33 AM
Ha! Starz went on AFTER Priest? I barely remember them and the song Fallen Angel. I thought they were Aerosmith wannabes.

Yup. Priest were a footnote to everybody there, I think, except me and the six classmates I was with. We all had gotten Sad Wings of Destiny very early on and were thrilled to see them. Oddly, we had all been raving about Starz for a couple of months - until one guy showed up at school with a copy of Sad Wings and said "Forget about Starz - you've GOT to hear these guys".

Highlander · June 08, 2012, 02:02:42 PM

I tried to find a video of Greg Philbin with that Thunderbird shortly after starting that (vid) thread but drew a complete blank and only found Fender vids... had almost all their vinyl stuff at one time but have virtually nothing now...

I had several Starz singles and one LP - quite enjoyed some of their stuff; used to play this somewhat overtly loud - sort of basic fodder really...

REO did not come over here that often - only saw them with Bruce Hall, but loved one of his songs...

nofi · June 08, 2012, 02:13:18 PM

starz is from atlanta. not one of our prouder musical moments.

Highlander · June 08, 2012, 02:56:20 PM

Ah'v seen wurse...

lowend1 · June 08, 2012, 06:56:37 PM

Quote from: nofi on June 08, 2012, 02:13:18 PM
starz is from atlanta. not one of our prouder musical moments.

I think just Michael Lee Smith is from Atlanta. The rest of the band were NJ-based. I see Richie Ranno out and about in my neck of the woods from time to time. Starz was basically an outgrowth of The Looking Glass, with a pinch of Stories.

nofi · June 09, 2012, 06:57:23 AM

orville davis and brendan harkin were both from atlanta. davies played bass for atlanta hard rock band hydra. harkin, a local band i can't remember. btw davis is now a playing country music somewhere out west.

lowend1 · June 09, 2012, 09:48:08 AM

Quote from: nofi on June 09, 2012, 06:57:23 AM
orville davis and brendan harkin were both from atlanta. davies played bass for atlanta hard rock band hydra. harkin, a local band i can't remember. btw davis is now a playing country music somewhere out west.

Harkin played in Looking Glass with Joe Dube and original bassist Peter Sweval, right? I also saw the later incarnation of Starz, with Davis on bass and Bobby Messano (another Jersey boy) on guitar. I remember Davis from Rex!