Brian Mac

I was running a record store in New Jersey, and we were one of the stores Billboard magazine called every week to find out what was selling. That meant promo men were always phoning and visiting asking you to promote this artist or that, whether the artist was actually selling or not. In return these pitchmen would always ask what they could do for you. Usually it was free records or concert tickets, or maybe an in store appearance from an Artist. In my case, I asked for an advance copy of the new Eric Carmen album I had heard was on the way. I’ll never forget the day the promo guy came into the store with a cassette copy of Tonight You’re Mine and played me It Hurts Too Much. I was knocked out… it was the greatest song Billy Joel never wrote… sort of a cross between “Say Goodbye To Hollywood†and something Meatloaf would have done during his Bat Out Of Hell days. Bombastic… with monster hooks, that huge sax solo in the middle… massive thundering drums… a screaming hot vocal from Eric, and Hit Record production complete with castanets and trademark Eric false ending. I never heard a bigger no brainer hit. Now I know for a fact that Arista had tried hard to promote Boats. Radio stations in New York were playing whole sides of the album uninterrupted. Remember when stations used to do that with a hot release? There were listening parties, another relic of a bygone era. I just think the public was expecting another serving of delicious pop confection as only Eric (and maybe Brian Wilson) can deliver, and didn’t know what to make of a lower key and beautifully romantic concept album, no matter how brilliant. But that promo guy told me that day in the store (I’ll never forget it) that due to a management change at the label… Arista would NOT be promoting the Tonight album. It being a success would make the old hierarchy look good and the new brass look bad. It made me quite angry at the time. I also read somewhere that Clive Davis was none to happy that Eric had delivered a Rock and Roll album but can’t confirm that 100%. This all dovetails perfectly with what Eric wrote in his post. And it happened all over again with the Geffen album. Things were going great and all of a sudden word mysteriously started getting around (or was passed) that “Lips†sounded too much like “Fire.†Game set and match… Geffen immediately stopped promoting a record that was selling quite well and a single that was rapidly approaching the top forty with a bullet. I can’t even imagine the frustration of having your livelihood affected by politics like that. On the bright side, there’s something very cool about Eric’s musical lifework. How many other artists have a career that has spanned decades… tons of hits.. a standard right up there with “Yesterday†and more lives than a cat. Still respected by everybody who knows good music… revered by many of the great artists of our day, and still able to go to dinner without being hounded by paparazzi? Maybe E was not so unlucky after all?

Just don't say anything bad about Rachel Maddow or I'll cry.

Not sure if Eric is aware of this but "Morning Joe" is a very popular political show on MSNBC... and they play Go All The Way a lot.. I've heard it at least five times especially when the Republicans were running hot and heavy in the primaries. Don't know how EC gets paid for this stuff... but just thought I'd give him the heads up on this.

I couldn't find a link to it... this might be the first airing...but on tonight's episode of The Bachelorette there was an new "Pretzel M&M" commercial featuring EC and Hungry Eyes. They even have a Hungry Eyes guy sitting at the bar. I could almost hear Eric's pockets jingling Cha ching.

Hey Wendy... Nobody likes a GLOATER! Danny killed himself with that scream. It was horrific! and funny.

WOW...If Allison had sung "Cry Baby" like that last night...she'd still be in.

Chris goes. It's a singing competition and he doesn't have the vocal chops. I like him...but he's gone. I'll go out on a limb here and say that Danny makes the bottom two for the first time ever tomorrow. We'll see.

I hate to toot my own horn here, but way back on April 1st, RIGHT HERE IN THIS THREAD, I predicted that if Adam ever did Zep's "Whole Lotta Love" he would knock it out of the park. What are the chances this could actually happen? I have chills. If he does "Without You" between now and the finale...I'm going have to launch a whole new career as a physic! MAC

"Never Again" gave me chills. I wanted to boil Clive Davis in oil for trashing his own artist. Best angry chick song since "You Oughta Know."

Take a good look at Adam. Slick his hair and part it on th sides. Imagine sideburns. Put him in leather. What have you got? A dead ringer for "Young Elvis." Born To Be Wild ROCKED!!!!

Adam is my Guy. My favorite contestant since Constantine (who is amazing in ROCK OF AGES on Broadway BTW...seen it twice already).I worry that he will get too screechy and blow it...but he appears to be playing it smart. Would love...LOVE to hear him do Nilsson's version of "Without You" or "Whole Lotta Love" by Zepplin. He has the chops to pull it off. No way Danny won't be there in the end. To me...a glorified Michael Bolten...but the little girls love him. I see him and Adam in the finale.

Tonight Kara blurted Eric's name as the kind of artist Lil Rounds should be doing. Has there ever been a season of AI where Eric Carmen doesn't get sung or mentioned? I can't remember one. Quite an honor for a semi retired artist!

Why not come out to New York on Sunday night? There are still tickets left. VIP even!

They are available if she wants them.

I have decided to attend Sunday's concert instead of Saturday. So my 2 VIP tickets are up for grabs. I will sell them to anyone on this board at cost. Please contact me at brian-mac@msn.com Thanks. See Ya Sunday!