Don_Krider Posted August 25, 2007 Report Share Posted August 25, 2007 Just a heads up gang: if you're not reading the "Boats Against The Current" 30th Anniversary Blog folks, created by your EricCarmen.Com webmaster Mr. Bernie Hogya, you are missing some neat stuff.Bernie previously posted a demo of "Runaway" on that site at http://www.ericcarmen.blogspot.com/ , and now he has posted a playable demo of "A Temporary Hero" there (just look for the "A Temporary Hero" headline, read the story behind the song, and at the the end of the story is the link to the song).It's a beautiful lost gem from the "Boats" recording sessions (Eric's unreleased songs are better than most of the songs that have hit the Top 10 during the past 30 years, period) - God, your piano playing and the lead vocal are simply gorgeous, Eric.Kudos, Bernie!Don Krider http://www.epinions.com/content_393207123588 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reid C. Posted August 25, 2007 Report Share Posted August 25, 2007 Many thanks to you, Don. I have been remiss and never checked out the Boats Blog. I just gave the demo of Temporary Hero a listen and, OH MY GOD!!! I was flat blown away! It is a complete and utter tragedy that this fantastic and soul-wrenching piece was lost to the Boats album. Great keyboard work, wonderful tune, and vocals that we all wish we could pull off (even if only in the shower). But those lyrics. This line, "Like a Galahad in denim with a six string sword", is pure Eric Carmen, and pure magic.Bernie, would it be possible to post the lyrics to Temporary Hero someplace? They really deserve to be seen.Eric, if there ever was a compostion of yours that needs to reach everyone's ears, this is it. Truly inspiring work. I am impressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted August 25, 2007 Report Share Posted August 25, 2007 Reid C.,I just added the lyrics to the Blog and they are SPECTACULAR! A real biographical tour de force. How 'bout this line:"Just a temporary hero in the kingdom of hypeShining like a star in the nightRiding on the glory of a heartbreak songShivering in the cold morning light"WoW!Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelina Posted August 25, 2007 Report Share Posted August 25, 2007 and what was EC....about 25 or 26 when he wrote this song? WOWJohn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmichel Posted August 25, 2007 Report Share Posted August 25, 2007 I hope Temporary Hero sees the light of day soon...It really says a lot about how Eric felt about his big breakthrough...The very next album he was writing about the fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Krider Posted August 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2007 Thanks for posting those lyrics, Bernie. The quality of lyric-writing on that song and everything else connected with the "Boats Against The Current" sessions is so stunning.That color photo of Eric with Gus Dudgeon (the meeting of the sunglasses) is pretty cool (different from the shot in your book, "Marathon Man").I'd love to see any photos from the "Boats Against The Current" recording sessions of Eric with Burton Cummings, Andrew Gold (who later had hits like "Lonely Boy"), Nigel Olsson (Elton John's drummer), David Wintour (from Neil Sedaka's band), Richie Zito (Neil Sedaka), Rich Reising (later of The Euclid Beach Band), Bobby "Brown Sugar" Keys, Bruce Johnston (The Beach Boys), Jeff Porcaro (Toto), James Newton Howard (who went on to win Oscars and an Emmy for his soundtrack scores) or any of the other great players on that album --- really little has surfaced, photo-wise, from those sessions.Speaking of Bernie and Ken Sharp's book, "Eric Carmen: Marathon Man," neat stuff in there about Brian Wilson and Shaun Cassidy dropping by the studio while "Boats Against The Current" was being recorded...Don Krider http://www.epinions.com/content_393207123588 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnniekNY Posted August 25, 2007 Report Share Posted August 25, 2007 I am having trouble logging on to the blog from the above link or the web page and even my own bookmarked page! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Krider Posted August 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2007 I am having trouble logging on to the blog from the above link or the web page and even my own bookmarked page! When you say you're having trouble "logging in," I'm assuming you can pull up the page, but can't log in to leave comments on the articles (since clicking on the link above, I'm having no problem bringing up the page).If that's the case, do you have a Google account (it's free)? Once you have a Google account, it's pretty easy to log in and leave a comment on any of the posted articles.Don Krider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poor4Life Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 Like Don stated, I'd love to see photos of the sessions if they exist. All the tremendous talent on that album, it would be a shame if there was no photgraphic record of it...Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnniekNY Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 Hi don - no i am getting a blank page...i've been on it before but for some reason it's not loading. i have a google account too...hummmmm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Krider Posted August 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 Hi don - no i am getting a blank page...i've been on it before but for some reason it's not loading. i have a google account too...hummmmm.... I just clicked it and the page came up for me, so I'm not sure why it's not working for you. Maybe that other Boss from New Jersey, Bernie, has an idea?Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringer Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 Good stuff on there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierson Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 i don't know where to start....given the scant amount of EC material during his solo artistic peak (1975-1977), need it be said this like discovering a whole album's worth of lost Brian Wilson classics...and what a f'n "near" masterpiece it is... in many ways it surpasses the heights of "Boats..." (i.e. the haunting meloncholy is as poignant and moving as anything he's laid to tape)....if anything, he should see if A Girl Called Eddy would want a crack at it... pure genius!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlesteve Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 I understand why TH didn't show up on Boats as they could find all the right master tracks and were under financial and budget pressure, but once boats was released, and there was plenty of time again, why not take the discovered tracks that were good, and re-record the missing tracks for Change of Heart, which was less thematic, and contained stuff recorded during Boats as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted August 26, 2007 Report Share Posted August 26, 2007 Long ago someone sent me an album of "unreleased gems" and Temporary Hero was among them. It was my mother's favorite album. The unreleaseds are all diamonds--a veritable treasure trove of musical emotion and are among the best examples of Eric's songwriting genius. I hope they *all* get to see the light of day. --Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvthemraspberries Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 Wow I'm DEFINITELY on my way to check this out! Thanks so much for giving us a gentle reminder to go and check out the BOATS Blog on a regular basis ~ I hope somehow A Temporary Hero gets released, along with so many others of Eric's long lost gems! Okay, just came back from reading the story behind ATH, and listening to the demo...all I can say is WOW! I literally got chills at the end of the demo, just incredible!! Thanks for sharing this gem with us Bernie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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