Quarantine island, all-time top five: John Batdorf

 

johnbatdorfmusic.com

Singer-songwriter John Batdorf is best known for his work with '70s folk rock duo Batdorf & Rodney and the country rock group Silver, which scored a hit in 1975 with "Wham Bam Shang-a-Lang." Today, people might recognize that song from the soundtrack to the 2017 Marvel film "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." 

After Silver split in 1978, Batdorf turned to session work until relaunching his solo career in 2004 with "All Wood and Stones," an acoustic Rolling Stones tribute album and collaboration with James Lee Stanley. He's since gone on to release seven more studio albums, and is in the process of putting out a series of online singles to be compiled into an album titled "Singles Anyone?" You can check that out here. Since 2015, he has called Eagle Crest home.

As with so many musicians around the country, Batdorf turned to live streaming performances in the wake of COVID-19. His second live stream concert will take place at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 4 (check the Facebook event page). For more information, find Batdorf online at johnbatdorfmusic.com.

What was the first album you purchased?

If I am not mistaken, it was "Dawn" by The Four Seasons.

What was the first concert you attended?

The Young Rascals. The show was in West Covina, California, in 1967. The band I left Ohio with, and Luv’d Ones opened the show for the Rascals. It was a thrill for me as a 15-year-old kid from Ohio to be on the same stage with such a great band.

Who was the first musician who made you want to be a musician?

My father was a musician and he taught me how to play guitar, but it was seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan and hearing Buffalo Springfield on the radio that truly made up my mind.

Who is the last musician you listened to?

The Beatles on XM Radio.

What are your desert-island quarantine top five albums?

The Beatles/White Album

The Beatles /Abbey Road

CS&N First Record

Peter Gabriel /So

Buffalo Springfield / Retrospective