If get this right, there will be many cover versions by future bands. I shall try and link live versions if they exist from the tellybox or a film, the sound quality may not be the best, but there is nothing like watching a real talent live.
Dave Bentley, Python Lee Jacksons keyboard player and singer, wrote ‘In a Broken Dream‘ in the 1960s and in 1970 he brought in Rod Stewart as a session musician and to do the lead vocals for the song, before he was successful with the faces and his solo career, and he was paid by being bought a new set of seat covers for his car although he was not credited on the record label. It was released in late 1970 and wasn’t a hit at the time but following the Rod Stewarts rise to stardom it was re-released in 1972 and became a US and UK hit.
I became a big admirer of Rod as soon as I heard this brilliant tune. Rod is another of those very few artists where you can select live version of every tune.
He has an enormous back catalogue, I hope I have picked some of your favourites as well.
Sir Roderick David Stewart CBE (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 250 million records worldwide. He has had 10 number-one albums and 31 top ten singles in the UK, six of which reached number one. Stewart has had 16 top ten singles in the US, with four reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. He was knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to music and charity. Stewart’s music career began in 1962 when he took up busking with a harmonica. In 1963, he joined The Dimensions as a harmonica player and vocalist. In 1964, Stewart joined Long John Baldry and the All Stars before moving to the Jeff Beck Group in 1967. Joining Faces in 1969, he also maintained a solo career releasing his debut album that year. Stewart’s early albums were a fusion of rock, folk music, soul music, and R&B. His third album, 1971’s Every Picture Tells a Story, was his breakthrough, topping the charts in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, as did its ballad “Maggie May“. His 1972 follow-up album, Never a Dull Moment, also reached number one in the UK and Australia, while going top three in the US and Canada. Its single, “You Wear It Well“, topped the chart in the UK and was a moderate hit elsewhere.
After Stewart had a handful more UK top ten hits, the Faces broke up in 1975. Stewart’s next few singles were ballads with “Sailing“, off the 1975 UK and Australian number-one album, Atlantic Crossing, becoming a hit in the UK and the Netherlands (number one), Germany (number four) and other countries, but barely charting in North America. A Night on the Town (1976), his fifth straight chart-topper in the UK, began a three-album run of going number one or top three in North America, the UK and Australia with each release. That album’s “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)” spent almost two months at number one in the US and Canada, and made the top five in other countries. Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977) contained the hit “You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)” as well as the rocker “Hot Legs”. Blondes Have More Fun (1978) and its disco-tinged “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” both went to number one in Canada, Australia and the US, with “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” also hitting number one in the UK and the top ten in other countries. Stewart’s albums regularly hit the upper rungs of the charts in the Netherlands throughout the 70s and in Sweden from 1975 onward.
After a disco and new wave period in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Stewart’s music turned to a soft rock/middle-of-the-road style, with most of his albums reaching the top ten in the UK, Germany and Sweden, but faring less well in the US. The single “Rhythm of My Heart” was a top five hit in the UK, US and other countries, with its source album, 1991’s Vagabond Heart, becoming, at number ten in the US and number two in the UK, his highest-charting album in a decade. In 1993, he collaborated with Bryan Adams and Sting on the power ballad “All for Love“, which went to number one in many countries. In the early 2000s, he released a series of successful albums interpreting the Great American Songbook. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked him the 17th most successful artist on the “Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists”. A Grammy and Brit Award recipient, he was voted at No. 33 in Q Magazine‘s list of the Top 100 Greatest Singers of all time As a solo artist, Stewart was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and he was inducted a second time into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Faces.
Faces / Rod Stewart – It’s All Over Now – 70s Live Show. Recorded about 1971, great Rolling Stones cover.
Rod Stewart – Reason To Believe (Live at Royal Albert Hall 2004) – awesome ballad.
Rod Stewart and The Faces- Maggie May– TOTP 1971 – The one with John Peel on the mandolin.
Rod Stewart – Every picture tells a story (Live Philadelphia 1988)
The Faces I Know I’m Losing You live at the BBC, about 1972. Not that well known, but good to hear The Faces again.
Rod Stewart and The Stereophonics – Handbags and Gladrags – had to be the one with The Stereophonics.
Rod Stewart (Live in the Final concert of the Faces 1975) – You Wear It Well – another iconic ballad.
Rod Stewart & Faces- Angel – Top Of The Pops 70s. Jimi Hendrix song this.
Rod Stewart & The Faces You Can Make Me Dance,Sing Or Anything – Last recording with The Faces
Jerry Lee Lewis & Rod Stewart – What’s Made Milwaukee Famous (has made a loser out of me) – A Jerry Lee song, could not resist finding this version.
Rod Stewart – Sailing (rare original live performance audio) 1975. Played so much we probably do not like it these days! The ultimate typical anthemic Rod Stewart ballad.
Rod Stewart and Ron Isley – This Old Heart of mine 1989 – Great tune this.
Rod Stewart – Tonight’s The Night (Live 1976) – classic Rod Stewart ballad.
Rod Stewart – “The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II)“, HD, Live in Montreal, 2013.
Rod Stewart – First Cut Is The Deepest – TOTP 1977 – This so good. A Cat Stevens song.
Rod Stewart You’re in My Heart at Isle of Wight 2017, classic
Rod Stewart – Young Turks – (Young Hearts) – Live 1981
Rod Stewart – Baby Jane (live)
Rod Stewart – Twistin’ The Night Away – Live Vagabond Heart – Just because this Sam Cooke song is brilliant.
Rod Stewart – Downtown Train (Live) – Awesome
Rod Stewart Rhythm Of My Heart 2018 – beautiful.
My other most favourite Rod tune is this: Rod Stewart – I Don’t Want To Talk About It – This so good, here are the lyrics, I just cannot help singing along to this:
I can tell by your eyes that you’ve probably been cryin’ forever,
And the stars in the sky don’t mean nothin’ to you, they’re a mirror.
I don’t want to talk about it, how you broke my heart.
If I stay here just a little bit longer,
If I stay here, won’t you listen to my heart, whoa, heart?
If I stand all alone, will the shadow hide the color of my heart;
Blue for the tears, black for the night’s fears.
The star in the sky don’t mean nothin’ to you, they’re a mirror.
I don’t want to talk about it, how you broke my heart.
If I stay here just a little bit longer,
If I stay here, won’t you listen to my heart, whoa, heart?
I don’t want to talk about it, how you broke this ol’ heart.
If I stay here just a little bit longer,
if I stay here, won’t you listen to my heart, whoa, heart?
My heart, whoa, heart.
Singalong, enjoy and be happy!
Links to previous Legend articles:
Featured image: “Rod Stewart at HSN” by sergio_leenen is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.
© Phil the ex test manager 2022
