Robert Palmer dead at 54. He suffered a heart attack last night.
Robert Palmer pretty much defined the stylized, video-friendly music of the 80's. He's one of those artists who has MTV to thank for his fame; I believe more people were fans of his videos featuring leggy backup singers than his actual music.
He was a barely known quasi-soul singer until the 1980 release of his album Clues. Looking for Clues and Johnny and Mary were great, quirky songs that preceded the new wave explosion of the early 80's.
Following that album, he released Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley, featuring members of Little Feat, and this effort showed off his funky and soulful side, something which the Robert Palmer fans from his new wave cycle would barely even recognize.
In 1983, he released Pride, which contained the funkadelic You Are In My System, gaining him a bit of popularity.
His break came at the height of the new wave craze in 1985 with the release of Riptide, featuring Hyperactive and Addicted To Love - the song that most people associate Palmer with and the one that shot him to fame.
His next album. Heavy Nova, came out in 1988 and he garnered a hit with that one also, the catchy Simply Irresistible. At this point, his songs began to all blend into eachother, as he used the same basic formula for each subsequent hit.
In 1985 he joined up with other 80's new wave stars Michael des Barres, Andy Taylor, John Taylor, Tony Thompson and Bernard Edwards to form the "super" band Power Station. They scored big with Some Like it Hot and a remake of Marc Bolan's Bang A Gong.
For those who know only of Palmers post 1985 efforts, it would be worth your while to check out his earlier stuff and to realize that the man was more than a video star with catchy riffs.
Rest well, Mr. Palmer.
Article comments
1 - jefito
"Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley" actually predated "Clues" by a good six years, and to call him 'barely known' before "Clues" ignores the facts. While it's true that he didn't enjoy megaplatinum success until "Riptide" in 1985, he'd had quite a few Top 40 hits before then.
It's also unfair to say that his post-'85 output "blended together"--while the singles released by EMI did indeed follow a pattern, the albums they were culled from continued to reflect Palmer's fascination with a dizzying array of musical styles. From the bizarre metal/bossa nova mix of "Heavy Nova" (hence the title) to the Big Band albums "Don't Explain" and "Ridin' High" to the world/Top 40 experiment "Honey" to his last two albums, the genre exercises "Rhythm & Blues" and "Drive," his restless spirit never tired.
An artist whose work is definitely far from reflected in his chart output. Start with "Sneakin' Sally" and pick any album you like from there.
2 - michele
My mistake. It was actually the re-issue of Sneakin Sally Through The Alley I was referring too. Newer Palmer fans didn't listen to it until that re-release.
And yes, the other cuts from the later albums were in no way as formulaic as the hits that were culled from them.
3 - Phillip Winn
I've long recommended that everybody I know pick up both Addictions Volume 1 and Addictions Volume 2. It's hard to see how anybody could go wrong with either album, and most people are surprised at how many songs they recognize.
Plus, the liner notes are pretty funny.
4 - jefito
Agreed. There's also a lesser-known compilation titled Woke Up Laughing that compiles Palmer's favorite experiments in world music. Quite a few of them were remixed for the project, and again, the liner notes are pretty amusing. I'd recommend Laughing before the Addictions CDs, but really, I think he's one of those artists whose catalog you need to hear all of before you can really 'get'...
5 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Michele, arriving late today I didn't know anything about this. It makes me very sad - I am amazed he was that young. I love the early period, and especially the Little Feat album. I even like Vinegar Joe, the last band he was in before he went solo. I also think Power Station is way underrated: "Some Like It Hot" and "Bang a Gong" are amazing blendings of metal and disco. Rock it.
His '80s hit period is also extremely appealing - the image he crafted of the jaded Euro-sophisticate sort of took the Bryan Ferry image to its furthest extension.
6 - Natalie Davis
Indeed, Eric, Power Station was way underrated. "Some Like It Hot" was, dare I say, simply irresistible.
But I really loved his earliest stuff and the Little Feat collaboration. Gosh, his fabulous voice and that combination of elegance and mischief...
Man, this is depressing.
7 - Eric Olsen
I like the image of "elegance and mischief" very much - beauty Nat!
8 - Mike
Actually, Michael des Barres replaced Palmer when he left Power Station. They had one palmer-less single on the soundtrack to "Commando".
9 - Natalie Davis
And interestingly, he said that he didn not consciously construct any image at all. Palmer was not given to rock-'n-roll excesses; he just thought he should dress nicely if he was performing in public. As for the videos, he insisted that he had nothing to do with those girls. He said that when he viewed the first one, he was stunned to see those blank-faced girls. And he said he was embarrassed by and for the women who would come to his concerts and sit in the front row dressed like the emotionless babes. To him, I believe, it was about the music, not the image.
10 - andrea
Yes, i feel pretty sure if my memory serves me right that the whole concept was not his idea at all.It was a French director's concept or something. Did you know that it was the first video to be shown when MTV Europe was launched?