Rick Derringer

Only saw him live once: when he was a guitarist for Alice Cooper.

Great player.

 

I have the blues discs Rick did for the Blues Bureau label in the 90s
This one here is a smoker:

 

Excellent guitar player. So-so songwriter.

Problems with alcohol didn't help his career trajectory.

 

I love that album!

 

He was more recognized in the 70's, when he was most active. Unfortunately his best work was done for other people so he doesn't have the enduring name recognition that his contemporaries have. And regrettably they tried to market him to the teen idol crowd as a solo artist which didn't really work ultimately.

 

Who's that on the cover of Spring Fever?

 

Rick Derringer channeling David Cassidy.

 

Yes glam rock and lots of gender bending. Bowie, Jagger, Marc Bolan, Lou Reed, Edgar Winter everyone was doing it. The first Alice Cooper album they were all wearing dresses in the photo.

I used to see Rick all the time in my neighborhood he kept wearing make-up and dressing rock star glam for a long time.

 

Seriously........?
I always thought it was his wife or something.

 

This. I like All American Boy a lot, too.

 

Don't forget his stint as a Grammy Award-winning producer for Weird Al Yankovic!

 

You guys like Sweet Evil better than the “Derringer” album?

 

Only because of its place in time for me.

 

Not better, no, but it’s close to as good.

 

I like “Derringer”slightly better. The only thing I’ve heard other than that is the live album. I kinda gave up on Rick after that.

 

I 4get the exact story (but I could ask for retelling from the friend that told me) but for the small local gig he did in 2000 here the contract, or part of the contract, was for a bottle of something. He didn't seem like a drunk though and was very nice/obliging talking to fans & signing stuff. He signed some CDs for me and although I don't recall our conversation I do recall - since I just looked at 'em - that he draws a star over the "i" in Rick for the "." when he signs his name.

Some other random Derringer thoughts:

- The 2fer single CD I have on Wounded Bird for Spring Fever/ Sweet Evil is ACTUALLY just a 1fer with only Sweet Evil. To get Spring Fever on CD I had to buy the 2fer single CD set on BGO of All American Boy / Spring Fever

- I still have the first album I bought of him (Derringer) which I bought on cassette. I started my entry into the world of buying music with cassettes, I did not have a turntable or a "real" stereo until a few years later!

- I saw him open for Aerosmith at the Spectrum in Philly back then, think it was around '76 (for the Derringer album). Fireworks rained down from the upper levels during his set and Aerosmith's until - and my memory is obviously foggy on this - Aerosmith threatened to leave if it didn't stop (or maybe a fire marshall or something stopped the show and announced it would end if the dangerous fireworks "bombs" did not). I remember Rick was wearing a denim jacket on stage like on the cover of Derringer Live and he pulled it off and threw it into the crowd at one point. Although I thought it would be cool to be up near the stage and be able to get that jacket & wear it to school the next day, at the same time I was glad to be relatively safe on the first level under the overhang of the 2nd level without exploding m-80's landing on top of us. It was pretty scary and I think I saw a girl being carried out at one point.

- In later years he "found God" and playing live he changed the lyrics for some of his classic songs to praise The Lord/Jesus etc. Far be it from me to criticize anyone for their religious faith but it turned me off entirely hearing unexpected new verses and iconic choruses in Still Alive and Well changed to praise Jesus.

I actually forgot about the praise the Lord stuff until now, but remembering it makes sense as far as him playing with Phil Keaggy as shown earlier in this thread by another poster (Phil is a major convert/Christ worshiper but I expected that seeing him live he was going to sing about his faith, but was shocked hearing Derringer doing it and changing lyrics in his old classics).

 

Rick Derringer produced all of my favorite Weird Al albums. Love him for that alone.

 

I was just reading through re: Rick's band The McCoys having their Single bumped from #1 the week Yesterday was released by The Beatles.

Saw this clip of Rick w/ Ringo and The All-Starrs where he shares the story in concert. Great stuff from his Solo catalog!