Virginia Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Not sure if this is the exact show I saw (up front too!) back in high school, but he was definitely wearing that same shirt. (I saw him in Norfolk with Foreigner). He was really good and even better live; I think he hit the scene at a tough time though (rock teetering on the edge). Also, I didn't see a thread for him already; if I missed one please move/delete as needed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhbRlhQgj_Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the chase Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Things were going great for Billy ..... until...... "Hey Billy Baby! I got a great idea for your next video.. How's about a male version of FLASHDANCE? IT WILL KILL...Trust me!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepscoda Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 I always dug his music……7th grade, The Stroke was all over the radio……….I would tell all the older kids who listened to him that he was just another zeppelin rip off……..LOL But he had some GREAT rock songs, to this day I can’t turn off his stuff when it comes on , I can only turn it louder and roll the windows in the truck down for all to hear. Don’t Say You Love Me didn’t get the airplay it deserved IMHO…..but at that point, the record companies had their ears tuned to the Northwest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virginia Posted July 20, 2013 Author Share Posted July 20, 2013 Yes, I agree that the timing of what was happening in the music scene was working against him when he was hitting his peak as a rock singer. He has continued to make music since (http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2009/Aug/Gearing_up_with_Billy_Squier.aspx) although more quietly perhaps. His favorite gear is interesting too I think a lot of his music has aged well also; I'm interested to hear some of his more recent work. The concert we saw ('81?) was really good; I took a pic of him from our front row vantage point and he is wearing that same blue t-shirt, with the same guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles J. White Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 The song which was bad enough, combined with the presentation of the song in the video spells "pussy music"... Things were going great for Billy ..... until...... "Hey Billy Baby! I got a great idea for your next video.. How's about a male version of FLASHDANCE? IT WILL KILL...Trust me!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepscoda Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 ^ Thats when things went way down hill..........to make matters worse, he was opening for Ratt on that tour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virginia Posted July 20, 2013 Author Share Posted July 20, 2013 The Chase and Charles; that wasn't my favorite either. I had Don't Say No and Emotions in Motion and I think I also had Tale of the Tape, his first album; but not that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planted Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Love Billy Squier!! Fellow Mass hole, too! I don't care, I still love him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallas Knebs Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 to this day I can’t turn off his stuff when it comes on , I can only turn it louder and roll the windows in the truck down for all to hear. we covered his songs like no other- until the peach tank top hit MTv. "Thud....crickets." Great live then and now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sems Fir Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 I'm a big fan of Billy Squier. I met him a couple of years ago at a local blues festival and had him sign a festival t-shirt and Creatures of Habit cd. I chatted with him briefly and confirmed that he spoke with Jimmy Page in New York about possibly working together before Jimmy and David got together for the Coverdale / Page album. Billy at one point was going to join Bad Company as well. I videotaped his portion of the blues festival concert which I haven't shown publicly. He even does Bad Company's "Can't Get Enough". For me the best concert I've ever been to was seeing Billy at the long gone nightclub called "The Sting" in New Britain Connecticut in 1991. I still have the concert t-shirt and even though it says Boston he was in Connecticut. I even own the original acetates to the band Piper. I purchased them when Eddie Kramer put his stuff up for sale at Backstage Auctions. Billy was up for a trade. Someday I have to send them to him. http://www.behindthetoys.com/images/archive/rob/Billy%20Squier.htm I have most of his catalogue either on vinyl or cd. Even the single "Too Much" which is done in the style of Black Dog. I even purchased my 'Cuda Barracuda from Billy's hometown. It's unfortunate he gets a bad rap as he's made some great material through the years. Robert www.behindthetoys.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagittarius Rising Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Billy Rocks!!! Saw him with Pat Benatar back in 81', great show. Really like the grove of Love is the Hero w/ Freddie Mercury and Lady with a Tenor Sax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the chase Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 The Chase and Charles; that wasn't my favorite either. I had Don't Say No and Emotions in Motion and I think I also had Tale of the Tape, his first album; but not that one. Love Billy Squier!! Fellow Mass hole, too! I don't care, I still love him. He had some great stuff. As a Mass transplant, I love to see anyone do well from Massachusetts. I loved his Drummer the late Bobby Chouinard. He had a big fat drum powerful sound with lots of projection. John Bonham was obviously a huge influence. But that video.. When that came out, I felt like Apollo Creed's manager, Duke doing the slow motion ..... NOOOOOOOOO. I mean ... who would have ever thought that video was a good idea? It was kind of like Peter Frampton following up one of the all time greatest Live albums with *gasp* I'm In You ... then SGT Pepper.. Dumb dumb dumb... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TypeO Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Always liked Billy Squier. I think his first album, Tale of the Tape, is often overlooked because of the huge success of his second, Don't Say No. Both of the following songs remain my favorite BS tunes, along with In The Dark. The Big Beat seemed to spawn The Stroke, but the former remains the better tune IMO. Also, one of the most sampled tracks - along with Levee - of all time. You're welcome, Hip-Hop/Rap genre. His first album seemed more fresh and original, while succeeding, albeit more successful, albums were a little too polished and intentional. Of course, to be fair, that's probably fairly common for most first albums relative to later albums. I think You Should Be High, Love had a cool Zeppelin / Aerosmith vibe to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virginia Posted July 24, 2013 Author Share Posted July 24, 2013 Sems Fir and everyone else, thanks for the updates; I've been out of town and offline for a few days. That reminds me, I found a Piper album at a used record store way back then, I probably still have it (I'd forgotten about that). How did we even find out about those things back then, before Google?! I'm glad to see such positive feedback here. I thought he was great in concert and I'm glad he is still making music today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Loved Billy Squire from the first time I heard "The Stroke" and "My Kinda Lover", when they first came out. Still remember buying "Don't Say No" from Recordtown in the local mall back in the day. Unfortunately I have never had the opportunity to see him live.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireOpal Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 It's really unfair what happened to him. I wasn't his biggest fan or anything, but he is definitely talented. To see someone's career tank because of ... I don't know what you'd call it, male anxiety or homophobia, is absurd. I'm a big fan of Billy Squier. I met him a couple of years ago at a local blues festival and had him sign a festival t-shirt and Creatures of Habit cd. I chatted with him briefly and confirmed that he spoke with Jimmy Page in New York about possibly working together before Jimmy and David got together for the Coverdale / Page album. Billy at one point was going to join Bad Company as well. I videotaped his portion of the blues festival concert which I haven't shown publicly. He even does Bad Company's "Can't Get Enough". For me the best concert I've ever been to was seeing Billy at the long gone nightclub called "The Sting" in New Britain Connecticut in 1991. I still have the concert t-shirt and even though it says Boston he was in Connecticut. I even own the original acetates to the band Piper. I purchased them when Eddie Kramer put his stuff up for sale at Backstage Auctions. Billy was up for a trade. Someday I have to send them to him. http://www.behindthetoys.com/images/archive/rob/Billy%20Squier.htm I have most of his catalogue either on vinyl or cd. Even the single "Too Much" which is done in the style of Black Dog. I even purchased my 'Cuda Barracuda from Billy's hometown. It's unfortunate he gets a bad rap as he's made some great material through the years. Robert www.behindthetoys.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the chase Posted August 1, 2013 Share Posted August 1, 2013 It's really unfair what happened to him. I wasn't his biggest fan or anything, but he is definitely talented. To see someone's career tank because of ... I don't know what you'd call it, male anxiety or homophobia, is absurd. I don't know if that was it.. "The Stroke" wasn't exactly a "macho song" either, but it was a major hit ... The video for Rock Me Tonight is for whatever reason annoying.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainsong07 Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 ^ Thats when things went way down hill..........to make matters worse, he was opening for Ratt on that tour. I saw this tour in Philadelphia in late September or early October 1984. Billy was indeed the headliner of this tour & Ratt opened. Billy opened the show with the second single from Signs of Life album. He recorded the live footage for the song's video that night & played it twice in a row to get plenty of crowd shots. The audience went crazy both times & it was a really party atmosphere throughout the show. Highlights include an almost 8 minute Lonely Is The Night, a great sing along ala Freddie Mercury during The Stroke. Reach For The Sky from SOL was stellar performance as it is on the record. Keep Me Satisfied from Emotions In Motion was a guitar lovers dream, a real show stopper! Even the live version of Rock Me Tonight went down a storm! I saw him again on his next tour in 1989 for Hear N Now & he still delivered. I missed his last tour when he played in Atlantic City while my daughter was being born. I'm quite sure I made the right choice! But should the opportunity arise to see him again, I'm going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecube Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 Back then in the early 80s, I thought that was Robert Plant singing those songs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stryder1978 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 Back then in the early 80s, I thought that was Robert Plant singing those songs... ...you need your Zep card revoked! I'm reporting this to SAM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virginia Posted September 1, 2013 Author Share Posted September 1, 2013 ^ ^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hecube Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 The come and get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles J. White Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 This was a fun tune of his: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2YLev30oGo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clinton P. Desveaux Posted December 13, 2016 Share Posted December 13, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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