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Seger Talk:
Tour in 2011, CD Covers on the
Wall
Didn't you
always use to wonder who Tom Weschler was, back
in the early days? I know I did. His name was
listed on every early Seger album as the
photographer. Who was this lucky guy, I
wondered?
The questioned
was answered, in many ways, with "Travelin' Man:
On the Road and Behind the Scenes with Bob
Seger" by Tom Weschler and Gary Graff (a
fabulous book, which is now
available
in a paperback edition with a cool new cover).
In addition to providing a wealth of info about
Seger's past, Weschler has also dropped a few
hints about the future. Recently he talked to
WXKR in Toledo about Seger and "Travelin' Man"
-- and about a new Seger album and
tour.
On the tour,
Weschler said: "It's come together and they're
going to start playing in January," possibly
doing more dates than the last tour, according
to TW. You can listen to the full interview
here.
Of course,
what's on today can be off tomorrow -- but so
far, I'm holding 2011 open, and you might want
to do the same.
Regarding
Seger's next CD project, TW described a
fascinating scene in Punch's office with
everyone weighing in about their favorite
version of the album cover, with various options
pinned up on the wall. I don't know about you,
but I love hearing that insider kind of stuff.
No word yet,
though, about what's on the album. But my guess
is that you don't design a cover unless it's
close to being done.
Any way you
cut it, 2011 sounds like a great year for Seger
fans.
October 3,
2010
Seger's
Railroad Days (Keep An Eye Out for the
Police)
My interest in
Seger is matched only by my obsession with
railroads, and when the two of them come
together, it's a double win. So, when Segerfile
reader Ryan Garrett asked about the cover of
"Bob Seger Greatest Hits" -- which shows Bob
standing on the tracks -- I was surprised to
realize how little I knew about the photo. But
sometimes, all you have to do is ask.
The cover shot
of Seger obviously comes from the same shoot as
the center spread in the "It's A Mystery"
booklet. Both are credited to photographer Karen
Miller. A little googling led me to her
site
-- and a photo of fiddler Brantley Kearns in
what appears to be the same location.
I remembered
that the shot of Seger was taken somewhere in
California, so I emailed Karen and she promptly
wrote back. It turns out, those are the Southern
Pacific tracks north of Mojave, California.
The story of
how the photo was taken is fascinating. Karen
wrote:
I
love the visual and metaphorical suggestion
of the tracks leading off into the distance
and had taken the photos of Brantley there as
a sample for my own portfolio. Bob saw that
photo and really loved it. Imagine sitting in
the recording studio with Bob Seger and
having him tell you that he really loves your
work! I had to pick my chin up off of the
floor.
He is a
very cool guy to say the least. We had fun
that day. He doesn't really like to be
photographed by himself -- he always wants to
be with the band. The label (Capitol) asked
if there was anyway I could get him alone in
front of my camera -- it would be so
good.
We "stole"
the location. I knew that I should have had a
permit, but we did not really have the time
to get permission to use the privately owned
location. We used a ladder to get over the
fence.
We were in
a different location (never used on the
album) when the Highway Patrol showed up. I
thought "that's it -- photo shoot is over." I
kept shooting as fast as I could until they
got there.
I had my
head buried in the camera and finally
realized that it was taking them a really
long time to get to us. Seems they were huge
Seger fans themselves, and were just standing
by watching the action. Autographs were
signed -- they got a call - and went
screaming back down the highway, siren's
ablaze -- leaving us to complete our day.
Whew.
It was
beautiful. One of my very favorite things
about shooting musicians is the private
concerts that I always get. They are rarely
comfortable in front of the camera and would
rather sing or play their instrument to
distract themselves. I think there is an
inside photo of the band sitting on the
tracks playing their instruments. Train Kept
a Rolling' All Night Long -- Of
course!
End of a
beautiful day. Bob -- can we do some really
fast single shots of each guy? OK -- he was
happy and comfortable -- so he said yes. Lots
of jokes of course -- fun guys who are like
brothers. That shot of him became an album
cover (obviously) but also a billboard on the
fabled Sunset Strip in Hollywood.
Love that
guy. His band was fabulous too. Just a great
bunch of down to earth Certified Rock
Stars!!
   
 - Seger
and band members playing for photographer
- Karen
Miller: The train kept a runnin' all night
long.
Many thanks to
photographer Karen Miller for sharing her story.
Check out her other photos at www.karenmillerphoto.com.
October 3,
2010
Shaun
Murphy and the Trouble With
Lovin'
Over the
years, we've come to know Shaun Murphy's voice
well -- not just from Seger's albums, but from
her own. And, as of October 15, there's a new
one, Trouble With Lovin'. You can (and should)
pre-order it here
and get an autographed copy.
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Personally,
I'm still not done listening to Livin'
the Blues, Shaun's last CD, which Seger
described as "Heaven!" But I'm more
than glad to add to my collection with
her new one.
If
you live in the right places, you can
hit the CD release parties in late
October -- see her site for details.
And
no matter where you live, you can
follow Shaun on Facebook
here.
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October
3, 2010
Is This
Thing Even On?
Remember the
heady days of daily updates during the 2006
tour? Now months go by before the Segerfile is
officially updated. What the hell is going on at
Segerfile.com Headquarters?
The answer is,
I've been deep into another writing project for
the past year. So, as I've mentioned before,
updates are mostly being posted on The
Segerfile's
Facebook page
and Twitter
feed.
If Seger tours
in 2011, I'll use the update page right here at
Segerfile.com to keep up to date -- but in the
meantime, keep your eyes on the FB or Twitter
sites for the latest. Thanks. (And thanks to
Chuck Prophet for the headline.)
 - The
Segerfile's other writing project.
October 3,
2010
CDs You
Ought to Buy On Record Store Day
April 17 is
Record Store Day -- "the one day that all of the
independently owned record stores come together
with artists to celebrate the art of music,"
according to the Record Store Day website. And
even though the Segerfile is a website, not a
store, I've decided to join the celebration by
reviewing a handful of CDs, most purchased from
two of America's great independent record stores
-- Waterloo Records in Austin, Texas and Music
Millennium in Portland, Oregon.
The
disclaimer: None of them are Seger CDs. You
don't need me to tell you which Seger CDs to
buy. That's too easy -- all of them. And as good
as Seger is, sometimes you have to listen to
other music. Here's what I've been playing
lately -- seven artists that legendary music fan
Ears Two and I had the chance to hear last month
at SXSW. These are the artists that lit up the
festival, at least for me.
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Alejandro
Escovedo.
"Real Animal." Escovedo's new album,
"Street Songs of Love," will be out on
June 2. The day is marked on my
calendar. Meanwhile, if you haven't
heard "Real Animal" yet, don't wait a
day longer. Escovedo's music is as good
as any I've heard -- rocking, genuine,
heartfelt, joyous. I would never miss a
chance to hear him live.
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Chuck
Prophet.
"Let Freedom Ring." Every morning
starts like this: The alarm goes off. I
swat at it. Eventually I stagger out of
the house and drive to work. "Let
Freedom Ring" plays on the car CD. I
keep thinking I'll take it out and play
another CD. But I never do. I think
Prophet could have written half of
Dylan's last three albums, although he
didn't. He did co-write "Real Animal"
with Escovedo. A must-have and
unmissable live.
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Jon
Dee
Graham.
"It's Not As Bad As It Looks." I've
raved about JDG before, so just check
out these lyrics: "I said I love you,
and I meant no matter what. I said I
love you, but it looks like you forgot.
I said I love you, and I wonder what
you thought. But I still love you.
Whether you love me or not." That's all
you need to know. Get the
album.
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The
Krayolas.
"Americano." The Krayolas play a joyous
brand of pop-rock-folk that's hard to
label and harder to resist. Reviewers
toss out names like Dylan, The Beatles,
Elvis Costello, and The Sir Douglas
Quintet, trying to describe the sound.
I hear all that, true, but it's really
how they put it all together that makes
"Americano" so good. A freakish Austin
cold snap left them playing an outdoor
show at SXSW in 40 degree weather, and
they still rocked the place. Not to be
missed.
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Elizabeth
Wills.
"Love Comes Home." I've heard Elizabeth
Wills twice in the unlikeliest venues.
Once in the hubbub of the Austin
airport, and more recently, in a
coffeehouse that had maybe 15 folding
chairs around a small stage. And both
times, her sincerity, expressive voice
and graceful way with a song totally
captivated me. I added her to my "I
don't know why she's not famous list"
last year. I'm equally puzzled -- and
impressed -- today.
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Ruth
Moody.
"The Garden." I'm taking a leap of
faith on this one. Ruth Moody is one of
the Wailin' Jenny's and her solo album,
"The Garden," won't be released until
next Tuesday. I'm ready to buy it based
on a chance encounter: I was walking
through the noisy SXSW convention
center and heard her play part of one
song. Sometimes, you just hear
something and recognize it right away.
Her voice worked that way for me, and
the samples I've heard online sound
great. I'm hooked.
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Nakia.
"Water to Wine." An amazing, amazing,
amazing voice. Of all the artists
listed here, the most like Seger, at
least in vocal quality. His showcase at
St. David's Bethel Hall was absolutely
stunning. This heartfelt version of
Alex Chilton's Thirteen
from that set will take you back to
"Brand New Morning," and check out this
piñata-busting video of
All
Over
You.
A major talent.
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Of
course, there are plenty of great CDs you could
buy from artists who weren't at SXSW --
including four that are featured in the nav bar
to the left: The Motor City Horns, Shaun Murphy,
Reed & Dickinson and Laura Creamer. But I'm
assuming you've already bought those, right?
Whatever you buy, enjoy.
April 17,
2010
- --
The Seger File's April 1 Post Begins
here --
"Early
Seger, Vol. 13" To Get Limited
Release
Yet
another in the long line of "Early
Seger" CDs is scheduled for limited
release, perhaps as early as today. The
release was announced by Seger himself
at The Village Palace this morning
while ordering breakfast.
"I'll
have the three-cheese omelet with diced
ham and the fruit cup," Seger told
Elsie Reynolds, longtime Village Palace
waitress, "and I'll be releasing
Early Seger 13 sometime later
today."
The
announcement follows the pattern of
ever-more-casual announcements blurted
out at odd moments by Seger, who also
informed Elsie of Kid Rock's home
address, Punch Andrew's hat size and
the location of the Seger File's secret
vault of unreleased tracks.
Like
previous "Early Seger" disks, Vol.
13 will be released in limited
distribution channels, at least
initially. "Exclusive distribution
deals are the key to making this series
work," said Andrews. Revenue from the
exclusive deals helps underwrite the
project, he said.
Early
Seger, Vol. 1, for example, was
initially available only from the
official website or at Meijer stores in
the Midwest. Subsequent disks in the
series were even more limited. Vol.
13 will be the most restricted yet.
It will be distributed only by Seger
himself, who will hand the disk to
random fans whenever the mood strikes
him.
"It
may be a little inconvenient for fans,"
said Mike Boila, Seger's publishing
specialist, "but this way we totally
control distribution and reduce
production costs to practically
nothing. That's the key."
Release
of the disk was delayed while waiting
for Office Depot to put its 100-pack of
recordable CDs on sale, Boila said.
Seger's organization initially
considered recording the disk on
cassette instead, but its supply of
old, break-prone and extremely
low-fidelity cassettes are reserved for
archival purposes at the Library of
Congress.
The
best way to get a copy of Vol.
13, said one insider, might be to
stand outside Seger's gate and hope to
catch sight of the singer. "Thursday
night is garbage night," the source
said. "If you see him then, he might
burn you a copy."
Complaints
from fans who live outside of Michigan
have been common throughout the "Early
Seger" series. "Why can't I download
Seger's CD today?" one fan with an
obvious sense of entitlement and a
website complained last November, when
Vol. 1 was released. "I'm 2,000
miles from a Meijer's."
"You
should have thought of that before you
moved to Oregon," Seger's management
did not say in an imaginary reply,
which was never really issued.
 - Seger's
next CD will be distributed mainly
by his driveway gate, which looks
nothing like this gate gleaned from
a generic Google Images search,
unless by sheer cosmic coincidence
this really is his gate,
which it isn't.
The
contents of Vol. 13 is a tightly
guarded secret, known only to Seger,
Andrews, Boila, Bill Blackwell, John
Rapp, Tom Weschler, Gary Graff, Dick
Purtan, Susan Whitall, Brian McCollum,
Eric Verona, Kevin Walsh, Sammy Sergio,
Randy Cepuch, Andrew Sharp, Shellie
Altman, Rick Coates, Doug Pullen, John
Sinkevics, Steve Dickinson, Ken Settle,
Uncle Joe, Mike Marshall, Jason Brown,
Lisa Royal, Dawn Davis, Jamil Haidous,
Richard Petty, Kevin Janeway, Michelle
Hazard, Michael McShea, John Smyntek,
Ford Wong, Paul Dunn, Mark Rectenwald,
Linda Baker, Carrie Stobbs, Patricia
Larson, Jb Carlin, Jeff Slater, Charlie
Keegan, Ross Dubois, Chip Stewart,
Sandra Brown, Daniel Ickes, Karen
McEntarfer, Daniel Hawks, Lisa Regal,
Cybelle Codish, RG Man, Joni Sapp, Jack
Shaw, Michael Crawley, Karen Appling,
Bob Knoblock, Michael Good, Marie
Campbell, Marty Carlisle, Rosemary
Couture, Jack Cunningham, Alexander
Mertsh, Rick Bentley, Kathy Gregory,
Megan Pope, The Motor City Horns, Bob
Maren, Doug Brown, Bill Wolski, Bill
Cook, Gord Hunter, Ron Olson, Michael
Funk, Sean from Iowa, Peg Pollard, Mark
Morris, Allen Dodge, Tom Lacinski,
Jesse Burkhardt and several thousand
others on Facebook and
Segernet.
"It
might seem like a lot of people already
know," said Andrews, "but as long as
that guy from the Segerfile doesn't
know, we still consider it a secret."
The
most recent disk in the series,
Early Seger Vol. 12, was
composed mainly of cuts from Seger's
Face the Promise CD. "I never
felt entirely satisfied with the
sequence of the tracks on Face the
Promise," Seger said. "Vol.
12 gave me a chance to present them
in a better order."
Responding
to comments that a redo of a 2006 album
did not really constitute "early"
Seger, Punch explained that Face the
Promise "was recorded very early in
the morning. We laid down some tracks
at 11:00 a.m. That's very early for
musicians."
Meanwhile,
Seger fans are already looking forward
Seger's next release, Early 'Early
Seger' Vol. 1, a redo of the first
Early Seger disk. No word on when, how
-- or if -- it will be
released.
April
1, 2010
New
Seger Photo Book to Hit Stores
Today
Following
their wildly successful Seger book,
"Travelin' Man," photographer and
writer Tom Weschler and Gary Graff
today announced the release of the
sequel: "Stationary Man."
"'Travelin'
Man' captured all the excitement and
motion of the early days on the road,"
said Weschler. "But Bob has also spent
a lot of time off the road. 'Stationary
Man' will give fans a look at the other
side of the story."
According
to Graff, the book is filled with photo
after photo of Seger simply standing
around, doing nothing. "The photos
capture the sense of waiting that Seger
wrote about so poignantly in 'Wait for
Me,'" Graff said. "Although in some
cases it looks more like Waiting for
Godot. There's truly nothing happening
at all in the photos."
"Anyone
can take a good picture of Something,"
Weschler added. "It's not easy to get a
great shot of Nothing. Hopefully,
'Stationary Man,' achieves that."
"Travelin'
Man," now in its 30 printing, is lodged
high on the national bestseller charts
and is expected to remain there until
February 2011, when the next good book
is scheduled to be published, assuming
the prospective author stops fooling
around on his website and gets the
rewrites done by next Tuesday, which is
looking less and less likely. Details
as they emerge.
   - Taking
a stand: Weschler's lens captures
Seger in a stationary
mood.
April
1, 2010
Google
Pulls Out of China, Blames
Segerfile
After
first blaming censorship for their
decision to pull out of the Chinese
market, Google co-founders Larry Page
and Sergey Brin today revealed that a
competing website, Segerfile.com, is
the actual cause.
"That
fella at the Segerfile has been the
raspberry seed in my wisdom tooth long
enough," said Brin, oddly quoting a
line from the 1957 musical, The Music
Man. "First he launches his site before
we could launch Google. Now he's
shutting us out of China."
The
problem, Page explained, is the site's
News and Update Page, which recently
won The Scrollingest Site on the
Net award.
The
Segerfile Update page has become so
long, he said, that it is sucking up
all the bandwidth needed to serve
China.
"That
page scrolls down forever!" Brin
exclaimed. "It's unnerving. It would
take you years to read it, let alone
categorize and organize all of its
information in a search engine."
"It's
selfish and unfair," Page continued.
"If his Update page keeps growing, soon
there'll be no bandwidth left for
anyone. Why should one guy spouting off
about Seger be allowed to deprive a
billion people in China from searching
efficiently for news of Justin Bieber,
Jesse James and Dancing With the Stars?
To say nothing of soft-core
porn."
The
Google co-founders said they are so
determined to fight The Segerfile that
they have changed the corporate slogan
from "Don't Be Evil" to "Now It
Begins..."
Added
Brin: "We won't stand for it. We're
just going to keep fighting until we
run out of bandwi--
April
1, 2010.
With
apologies to the many Seger fans whose
names I left out, or included,
depending on your point of
view.
- This
is the April 1 post for 2010.
- For
more falsehoods, see the Seger
File's April 1 post for
2009,
2008,
2007,
2005
and 2003.
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Call for Alto, Tell 'Em You
Wanna Rock
He works the
crowd with his incredible sax. Thrills us with
Turn the Page. Goes up in a hot air balloon just
for us. Now it's our time to return the favor.
If you listened to WCSX last Friday, you know
Alto Reed is joining the air staff at the
station. He's lined up for a weekend show
featuring the kind of rock that ought to be on
the radio, but isn't.
So here's what
you do. Stop browsing the Internet now and call
WCSX at 248-398-9470 or 313-298-9279. Tell 'em
you want to hear "Alto Reed's Classic Rock --
Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow" and ask them
how soon it will be on. Doesn't matter where you
live -- you can listen online like I do from
anywhere.
The more
people call, the better time slot, promotion and
visibility the show gets. You're not just
calling to help out Alto -- you're calling to
support a show that will play the kind of music
that needs to be on the radio. So pick up the
phone -- it's easy.
Call today,
and call tomorrow and the day after that. Hey,
does Alto ever stop rockin' for us? No -- so
let's not stop calling until the good guys at
WCSX have heard us. And in case you need a
little extra motivation, the rumor is that
whenever Alto gets busy with a new project,
that's when Bob decides to tour. So who
knows....?
WCSX --
248-398-9470 or 313-298-9279.
March 16, 2010
A
Segerfile Update
You've
probably noticed that www.Segerfile.com hasn't
been updated in while. The reason: a major new
project that's taking almost all of my time, and
something I'm excited about. I'll be talking
more about that soon.
Until then,
it's all the more reason to check the Segerfile
on Facebook
or Twitter.
That's where the latest posts will be for
another month or two, until I can get back on
line more regularly here.
March 16, 2010
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