Rodriguez on 60 Minutes -- anyone else see this?

Dave W · October 08, 2012, 06:29:43 PM

I saw this guy on Letterman a couple of months ago. No idea who he is, the song was pleasant but nothing I thought was memorable. Letterman mentioned a movie about him that he thought was fascinating.

Then I saw this story on 60 Minutes last night, it's now up on their website: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7424704n

Never heard of him, virtually no one ever heard of him here, yet he was famous in South Africa although he never knew it and never saw a penny from half a million album sales.

It's a remarkable story. IMHO it's worth 14 minutes of your time.

fur85 · October 08, 2012, 07:10:45 PM

Great story, nicely done by 60 Minutes. Agree it's worth the time to watch.

Henry Grimes has a somewhat similar story, only as a free jazz bassist there will never be a movie about him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Grimes

clankenstein · October 08, 2012, 09:52:23 PM

Very interesting.i was listening to him over here in new Zealand in the early 80s

nofi · October 09, 2012, 04:36:59 AM

amazing story! i love a happy ending. should be required viewing for every piss ant with a guitar and an attitude.

godofthunder · October 09, 2012, 05:12:06 AM

I caught this on 60 min. as well, great story. I wonder if he will recoup some $ from all those record sales.

uwe · October 09, 2012, 07:01:07 AM

It's a small world, Edith and I were rummaging through a Stockholm CD store this weekend - I buy the new Kiss and a couple of Rory Gallagher remasters, she buys Simon & Garfunkel plus Steeleye Span, old folkie she is. We hear this singer/songwriter music in the store, interesting lyrics, sounds like a younger Dylan in places, we both like, we ask, we buy. It's the "new" Rodriguez CD that came out sidelong with the film.

The new Kiss you ask? Catchier than Sonic Boom, more Paul Stanley type pop hooks, some awfully evident theft from other songs/other bands (I would not have believed that even the Bros Chaim and Stanley would have the chuzpah to recycle exactly the MC 5's Kick out the Jams riff for an "own song" and they don't just cite it, but play it throughout in the verse!). Busy, lovably old-fashioned (rock and roll elements and all) and as usual heavy-handed bass playing by Gene, very distorted, but you immediately recognize it's him - didn't he use an old Ripper for recording this one?). It's a bit a mix of Crazy Nights (the hooks) and Rock'n'Roll Over (the abrasive sound). Some of the songs sung by the new guys, i.e. not Gene or Paul, are among the best.

Dave W · October 09, 2012, 10:28:00 AM

Quote from: godofthunder on October 09, 2012, 05:12:06 AM
I caught this on 60 min. as well, great story. I wonder if he will recoup some $ from all those record sales.

Judging from a few of the comments below the online video, the documentary has more about what might have happened to the money. This article says "Indeed, the fate of the proceeds from the record sales remains the film's big unanswered question, though the audience is left with its suspicions."

uwe · October 09, 2012, 12:06:11 PM

Well, wouldn't it have all been in Financial Rand, those were hard to convert and get out of the country?! I recommend the CD to anyone who doesn't automatically groan about late sixties/early seventies singer/songwriter music. After the way poor JT has been bashed in another thread you never know!

Aussie Mark · October 09, 2012, 05:21:20 PM

Are you guys saying that "Sugar Man" wasn't a massive hit in the US? Wow - that song was huge here in the 70s.

gweimer · October 09, 2012, 06:44:49 PM

Quote from: Aussie Mark on October 09, 2012, 05:21:20 PM
Are you guys saying that "Sugar Man" wasn't a massive hit in the US? Wow - that song was huge here in the 70s.

Well, I was not only in college back then, but also did some time on the college radio station. I had more obscure albums and bands than most, and this is the first I've ever heard of him.

Dave W · October 09, 2012, 08:12:39 PM

Quote from: Aussie Mark on October 09, 2012, 05:21:20 PM
Are you guys saying that "Sugar Man" wasn't a massive hit in the US? Wow - that song was huge here in the 70s.

As far as I can tell, it was never released here, period.

Quote from: gweimer on October 09, 2012, 06:44:49 PM
Well, I was not only in college back then, but also did some time on the college radio station. I had more obscure albums and bands than most, and this is the first I've ever heard of him.

Agreed, Gary, a total unknown here. That's what makes the story so compelling here.

Dave W · October 09, 2012, 08:14:45 PM

Quote from: uwe on October 09, 2012, 12:06:11 PM
Well, wouldn't it have all been in Financial Rand, those were hard to convert and get out of the country?! I recommend the CD to anyone who doesn't automatically groan about late sixties/early seventies singer/songwriter music. After the way poor JT has been bashed in another thread you never know!

Whatever happened, the Rand had nothing to do with it; the US didn't impose sanctions until years later, and even so, I'm sure labels got paid in US dollars.

Aussie Mark · October 09, 2012, 08:47:08 PM

Nobody has heard of Rush in Australia, so I guess the Rodriguez scenario makes us even.

Pilgrim · October 09, 2012, 10:13:09 PM

I was spinning records from 1968 through 1973, and this is the first I ever heard of the gent. I caught part of the story.

fur85 · October 09, 2012, 10:21:34 PM

He could rock too...

His politics may have been part of his obscurity in the US.