A Phil Seymour question.

Searching the threads for information on Phil Seymour only brings up his name as part of the Dwight Twilley Band and a few of his guest vocals on various CD's....(Tom Petty,Carla Olson & The Textones)....or a thread listing his "Phil Seymour 2" as one of the requested releases on CD.
I find it interesting how his first album was released with bonus tracks while the second album was not.
They included previously unreleased bonus tracks on the Collectors Choice CD of the first album,but left off his version of "Suzy Glider" that was a b-side to his first 45.
I also seem to remember a soundtrack song that he did that's also nowhere to be found on CD. The CD that The Right Stuff issued contained some great unreleased tracks as well as previously issued material,but also left off anything from the second album.
What's up with any more Phil Seymour coming out on CD.....is there legal holdups with the second album as well as other unreleased tracks?
I've also read on other sites that some of his 45's had remixed versions.
Just thought I'd start a thread with some feedback and information on Phil's work!!!!!

JF

 

Joe, I have to figure that licensing fees are the hold up. Can't imagine that Phil Seymour CDs sell a lot of copies so it must be cost prohibitive for an independent to put more tracks out. EMI doesn't seem all that interested in doing more themselves. I'd love to see a definitive CD set myself but my favorite stuff is still on that first album. There's tons of unreleased stuff on the net though its kind of hit and miss.

Oh and he had three songs on soundtracks:

Love Letters (Love Letters)
Slippin' & Slidin' (Where the Boys Are)
When I Find You (The Last American Virgin)

 

If I remember correctly, Richie Podolor produced both of Phil's solo albums, and the combination of he and a manager whose name eludes me own the rights to both those albums. They kept holding out, and it was only a few years ago that the debut album came out on collector's choice. I'm pretty sure it didn't sell that much, because the CCM website had the Phil album for way cheap - which pretty much ensures the 2nd album will never come out on compact disc.

There was a compilation called Precious to Me that came out on The Right Stuff that had a bunch of previously unreleased stuff, some of which was completed by Carla Olson. At one point, Carla told me there were plans for an extremely rare Phil live recording from Madame Wong's (or some such LA haunt) was in the cards (probably backed up by the band that became THE CALL), but sadly, it's never happened.

I was lucky enough to see Phil at the Keystone Palo Alto back in 1982, shortly before "Phil Seymour 2" came out - but for the life of me, I don't remember anything about the show - except that I got to meet him backstage afterwards! He was the first music hero of mine I actually got to meet, and I treasure the album he signed.

I also have an extremely rare cassette of songs he did with Buzz Clic from the Rubber City Rebels - that was available from Buzz back in the late 90's. It's stashed away in some box - it was okay.

I was just listening to the CCM cd the other day, and the version of "Looking For The Magic" sounds an awful lot like the version on "Phil Seymour 2"....

 

Oh, if you're a phil diehard, you'll want this for sure:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=310148772731

Contains 2 songs with Phil singing lead, and available ONLY on this compilation - WAY out of print and unlikely to be reissued....

 

"Back in Time" is great. I have 4 songs he did with the Textones. All are pretty good.

You know, I'm listening to everything I downloaded from the "net" and while the demos and other scattered things are hit and miss there's tons of strong material. The second album isn't quite up to the first album song for song but its darn good.

 

Here on Youtube is When I Find You from "The Last American Virgin" OST (1982).

 

Capitol's Right Stuff label released this Phil Seymour hits and rarities collection, Precious To Me, in 1996. It's out of print, but still available at a reasonable price from Amazon.

 

I saw Phil live as many times as I could ,when after seeing Dwight Twilley and hearing him sing Trying to Find My Baby I realized who the real voice of the band was.
When 20/20 first appeared on the scene he showed up for the encores and did Any Time At All and the same energy level occurred.
He really was great live. Although I love the first album ,sometimes the vocals don't quite capture the intensity of his live voice.
Many great memories ,one in particular was he was singing Looking For The Magic and was just screaming out that ending. Magic, indeed!
And a really nice guy to boot!

 

I'm just checking out some of his material on Youtube. "I Really Love You" and "Precious To Me" click with me, out of five or six. The good news is that I have his s/t LP around somewhere ...

 

It's on the soundtrack album, it's listed in the credits, but I've NEVER HEARD it in the movie - and I have the DVD!

 

Thanks for all the responses..."The Last American Virgin" OSt now rings a bell....those other soundtracks songs are new to me...but I''ll search them out for sure.
I also have that Textones CD....found it a few years back for cheap....glad I did...since I have the other Textones tracks...
The name Saul Davis is all over those re-issues.....so I'm guessing that's the name we're looking for!
The version of "Looking For The Magic" on the Right stuff CD is an earlier version than what appears on the second album...
I just found it weird that no songs from the second album were used on that "Precious To Me" collection...I know that album was rushed and may not be as good as the first album...but going back and listening to it now....it holds up pretty good...hey I'm a fan...what a shock that I like the second album!
There's a live album floating around on the net...don't know much about the quallity...would love to hear that!

JF

 

I figure that if any domestic label is going to reissue Phil's second album on CD, it would be either CCM or Not Lame.

Personally, I'd be interested in seeing Dwight Twilley's albums from the mid-80s, Wild Dogs and Jungle, released on CD. Perhaps Raven Records in Australia will see fit to release them as a two-fer (assuming they'll fit on a single CD).

 

It's a radio broadcast. I think everything PS ever committed to tape has made it out in some form or another. There's a lot out there.

I think I'm going to reverse my "hit and miss" statement from earlier. There are definitely some rough demos out there but the finished and/or nearly finished unreleased tracks are of high quality.

Just listening to "Telephone Line" (not the ELO song) that was supposed to be on this third album. It not only sound like a finished master but its FANTASTIC. Also the cover of 20/20's "Now" is excellent.

Overall the 3rd album seems to have been shaping up to be nearly as good as the first album - or at least edgier than his second album. Shame it never got finished.

 

Holy Cow

Richie Podolor did do both Phil's solo albums. Precious to me was a hit
and did particularly well in Los Angeles (the single)

Dwight Twilley and that other guy Hickock, helped write sing and play
but Podolor was the driving force....AND THEN

AND THEN

Phil had a terrible substance abuse problem and he was a rat,,,Neil Bogart
lay dying of cancer and Phil and Val Garay--took the tapes of the second
album got a big advance and remixed the whole thing in one weekend
at Garays record one studio, where GAray had done the hit Bette Davis Eyes
with Kim KArnes a few years before..

This essentially ruined the second album--Podolor and Bill Cooper had done
their usual painstaking mixing on the second album..But Phil needed cash to
get high, so he imposed on a sick and dying Neil Bogart, a willing Val GAray
and mixed the whole thing in two days to justify the advance...Seymour was
also a (forgive me) a thief....Richie Podolors nephew and I wrote the song
SUFFERING from the second album....Phil did not write one note or word or contribute one solitary thing--and yet it says written by Phil Seymour--Jimmy
Podolor actually wrote it, with a little help from me...To this day I have yet
to see penny one or my name on that record..

Some horrible human being Named Ferris Ashley some middle eastern dude
with an anglicized name was his manager, what his qualifications were I have no idea...I don't think he had any..

Sometime later a screaming demented and frothing at the mouth Seymour
went to RIchies---and stole the Born To Be wild gold single off the wall
so he could sell it for nasty white powders.....to this day that record is still
missing from the wall----If you go to that studio--all the original records
Three DOg Night -Steppenwolf-Iron Butterfly-Blues Image-Grateful Dead(Richie engineered Amoxxma ) ELectric Prunes, Easy Rider, Souther Hillman Furay, Sandy Nelson,

ALL OF THEM Are still on the wall--except the one Phil stole

Richie in spite of all that--somewhat forgave nasty Phil, and there are demos
and recordings,,,,,I dont know that Richie owns the rights he may,,, Frankly
PHil couldn't write songs he was propped up--Richie wrote a lot of that music
I know his name went on songs he didint write--he cowrote some of them
Anyway I have some of those recordings off the net--RIchie I know has his
mixes for the second album Call him ask him ask Bill Cooper

Joe I may have some tracks not generally available there is this website

 

Wow.

I had heard rumblings that Phil was a coke-head and into drugs, but unsubstantiated at the time.

I'd always wondered why "2" sounded rather "hollow" - that explains a lot. I never felt it was as strong as the debut, but it had some good moments - a proper mix probably would have done it a world of good.

When I saw him in '82, and met him after the show, he did seem a bit "out of it". But I was young and star-struck....

Leads to the "live recording" would be much appreciated - pm me, por favor....

 

It has "Precious To Me" and "Let Her Dance.". I have this and it sounds amazing.

 

http://digivinyltal.blogspot.com/2007/07/phil-seymour-1981-live-at-gazarris-ca.html

 

Check out the amazing site Power Pop Criminals for a lot more PS too.

 

had to check, I have this one too... original vinyl too. Great voice. Sad to hear about his bad behavior

 

I met this guy

I met this producer who says he did a few tracks on Phil shortly
before he died. I'll see if I can get ahold of those.

Look Phil did what he did. Whatever. Good singer the first album
was great. Precious to me came out right after Lennon was shot
and it was nice to hear those hooks on the radio at that sad time.

From what I hear Phil was a changed man later on.

 

Drugs can do this to a person, and he also developed terminal cancer at a relatively young age. Tragic end to a talented artist.

 

Yes, a sad story.
R.I.P. Phil.
The above mentioned Saul Davis was his original manager and Phil fired him when he got into his crazy drug period.
Saul took him back as a drummer in the Textones who he also managed and I think Phil was happy to just be drumming and singing a song or two after throwing his career away.
I would love to hear the version of "Now", Mark. I remember hearing Phil wanted to release it but Peter Case decided to keep it for the Plimsouls.

 

Dwight and Phil

Dwight writes a lot of good songs and sings fairly well. Phil
was a better singer and didin't write too many songs a few
maybe. The third guy Hickock whatever his name is the bass
player..He has a little talent writing and playing.. They were
good they got a smash hit with "I'm on Fire" and then Broke up!
Dwight had one more smaller hit "Girls" made a few decent albums

But its the same old story! The sum of the parts is greater than
the individual players. Podolor produced Dwight and he produced Phil
but he never produced them all together. Richie is a genius with pop
Had they stuck together and had a sharp producer like Podolor they
probably would have had a string of big hits.

Dwight gets some respect for his body of work, but he can barely get
his records on the market, Phil is dead what ten years now ?

The moral of the story is this. Get several hits under your belt and put
some money away before you think your'e as talented as the beatles!
Phil threw it away a second time when he pulled his shenanigans with
his second album. The irony is when your'e young you don't think about
it like that. Too bad they coulda really been contenders

 

Dwight is doing quite nicely, thank you. You probably don't remember he had a song on the mega selling Wayne's World soundtrack album - "Why you wanna break my Heart?" - performed by Tia Carrere. While it wasn't a hit in and of itself, as most of us know, it's all about the PUBLISHING, baby. Dwight scored a nice piece of coin since that album went multi-platinum, and that, combined with scoring major insurance money after the Northridge earthquake, enabled him to return to Tulsa, and build a nice home and personal recording studio. Dwight has had more than his fair share of legal hassles with the music biz (Shelter Records, his ill-timed connection to Joe Isgro), but has persevered with class and dignity.

Broke up after "I'm on Fire?" Check your facts, sir.

FROM WIKIPEDIA:

Ultimately, Twilley and Seymour went to Los Angeles to find a label, where they ironically signed with Shelter Records, a label co-owned by Denny Cordell and Tulsa's Leon Russell, in 1974. Cordell promptly changed the group's name from Oister to the Dwight Twilley Band, which set the seeds for future problems arising from Seymour's anonymity in the partnership.

Their first single, "I'm on Fire", reached #16 on the charts in 1975 with relatively little promotion, largely because the band was in England recording its first album, tentatively called Fire, with producer Robin Cable at Trident Studios. The photos used on the single's picture sleeve were low quality photo booth images due to Shelter's uncertainty about the band's "appropriate" image. The unexpected success of the self-produced "I'm On Fire" caused most of the English tracks to be relegated to a second album, thereafter known as The B Album. Leon Russell then permitted the band to record new tracks at his 40-track home studio, where one of the engineers was Roger Linn, who also contributed lead guitars and bass to some recordings.

During an appearance on American Bandstand, the band played what was to be its follow-up single, "Shark (in the Dark)", produced by Twilley, Seymour and Russell. The success of the film Jaws, however, caused Shelter to reject the single, apparently to keep the group from being perceived as a cash-in novelty act. The eventual follow-up single, "You Were So Warm" backed with "Sincerely", failed due to distribution problems; just after the single was released, Shelter Records collapsed in the midst of a lawsuit between Russell and Cordell. The Dwight Twilley Band's completed album went unreleased for 10 months due to Shelter's switch from MCA Records to ABC Records for distribution, and The B Album was left unreleased.

When the album Sincerely was finally released in 1976, it surprisingly failed as well, peaking at #138. During this time, Seymour and Twilley befriended label mate Tom Petty and contributed backing vocals on several of his tracks, creating a long-lasting friendship.

Shelter then switched distribution again to Arista Records. ABC elected to keep Petty and J. J. Cale, leaving Twilley alone on the Shelter/Arista label.
Pitcock became a credited member of the Dwight Twilley Band during touring and recording of the second album. However, that album, Twilley Don't Mind, proved to be another commercial disappointment in 1977. In 1979, Shelter once again was distributed by MCA, as they purchased ABC Records.


Phil left the Dwight Twilley Band in 1978 to pursue a solo career; he yearned for his own recognition, and was reportedly less than happy at having to sing lead on the song "Twilley Don't Mind." He also didn't like the arrangement of "Looking For The Magic"; he recorded his own version several times (once with Chris Spedding) and it was finally released on "Phil Seymour 2" in 1982.

Phil helped Dwight out in 1980/81 by recording "Then We Go Up" and "I Love You So Much" for his debut solo album, as well as "Suzy Glider" as a b-side, which generated some publishing income for Dwight, who was continuing to have legal problems with the whole Shelter Records situation. Dwight continued to record in a clandestine fashion, recording in whatever available studio was otherwise not in use.

Phil later contributed backing vocals to "Shooting Stars" (from the Wild Dogs album) - this was the last time they would ever record together.

It all came full circle when Dwight was at Phil's bedside in LA shortly before Phil succumbed to cancer.

Phil screwed up for sure. But Dwight just plain had more bad luck than he deserved!