Rumble Talk: Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, Live 1987

RUMBLE TALK
by DJ Caterina and Rotten Kid Joe

“Is everybody sweating? That’s because it’s damn good music!”

Hey, even if you’re not sweating... are you ready to rock? Because we’re kicking off a new feature called Rumble Talk – a place where we review the best sounds in these parts...around this little plot of internet we call Audio Rumble. 
     To keep things on the up-and-up, DJ Caterina is also getting by with a little help from her friends for balance – and we don’t always agree!
     My guest this week is Joe from Facebook’s Rotten Kid's Music Den.   Joe has a great knowledge and interest in the song history of The Hooters, loves his rock 'n' roll, but also has a true appreciation for music across all genres. Join the Den if you want honest music opinions – those guys don’t bite, and it’s a great page!
    
This week’s Rumble Talk entry is a review of a live performance by Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, September 2, 1987, at Shenanigan's in Sea Isle City, New Jersey.

Band:
Tommy Conwell – vocals, lead guitar
Chris Day – backing vocals, guitar
Rob Miller – backing vocals, keyboards
Paul Slivka – bass
Jim Hannum – drums

DJ Caterina:  My blog, Audio Rumble, usually only releases one ‘archived’ song at a time, but I had a special request last year for some full concerts by Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers from the 1986-1987 era. Request granted!
     My favorite songs from this performance include "Night and Day" and "How Long You Wanna Live Anyway"…however, listening to this again today, I am very blown away by “Crazy Mixed Up World.” I mean, really! Will you listen to Jim Hannum working a groove on those drums during the break?

Rotten Kid:  “How Long You Wanna Live” is a classic Stray Cats tune! Forgot that Tommy used to do this song! But I wonder if this concert is edited from its entire length? No way in 1987 the band didn't do “I’m Not Your Man,” “Loves on Fire,” “Everything They Say is True,” “Tonight's the Night,” etc. This was the height of the Walkin’ on the Water album… and it’s an odd set list. Wonder if this is the second set of the night? All the usual songs maybe played during the first set?

DJ Caterina:  By June 1987, the band already knew they were signing with Columbia and this concert puts the five-man band together on the road for about 9 or 10 months, if not quite a year. This might have been a time where the band was trying out and/or rehearsing different songs for Rumble. For example, I notice “Smarty Pants” is played at the intro. That song is written by Tommy Conwell and doesn't show up again (as far as I know) until LList’s release of Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings' Hi-Ho-Silver.
     Also, "Maybe She's Just Not There" was played a lot around this time but did not make it to the final record - this leads me to my theory of them trying out new songs, revisiting past songs, etc. Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers went into the studio for Rumble in the fall of 1987.

Rotten Kid:  Hmmm. Very good observation, but still can't imagine them doing a show without the essential songs. Maybe they did two sets? I would guess this is only a partial show. It's almost a compilation of all the songs TCYR did live, but never recorded. Interesting.
     Back to the opening song, “Smarty Pants” – I don’t recall ever hearing this song. But I was too young for the bar shows. I did see the Young Rumblers a lot during this time period playing high schools and colleges where the shows would only be one straight show with no breaks. It could just be my poor memory that I don’t remember this song. I always remembered them opening with "Rumble."

DJ Caterina: Is it possible that they were holding the core Rumble songs for the studio recording? I mean, these would become the staple songs – "I’m Not Your Man," "Workout," plus the others you mentioned –  that the Young Rumblers would be known for. So, maybe it was just a matter of trying out newer material…at least for this concert?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It is an odd set list with some songs that were usually reserved for the three-piece band. Also, I forget that sometimes there were early and late shows….

Rotten Kid: Come to think of it -- this is a Sea Isle (Jersey shore) performance – chances are they played two long sets – I will almost bet this is the second set – first set had all the standards and then this second set would be the after midnight “fun” song set. This was a week before Labor Day in 1987 so the summer was still going strong…even when you see the Young Rumblers perform today, Tommy’s formula for song order seems to be doing all the popular songs early, and then he does covers and fun tunes for encores. His last show at Ardmore Music Hall was pretty much all covers during the encore if I am not mistaken….

DJ Caterina: You are correct, sir! By the way, Ardmore Music Hall was so packed. I can’t believe we were in the same music hall and didn’t get a chance to finally meet…next time, Joe!

Rotten Kid: So back to the tracks..."Crazy Mixed Up World" – is this an original? This is another song I don’t remember too well – the title is familiar enough but the song itself doesn’t sound familiar at all – it’s OK – not the best of his unreleased material. Guitar solo and breakdown are the best moments of the song.
     "Demolition Derby" is another song the Young Rumblers should record for a new album. This song is the heart and soul of his sound. Should be done properly in the studio. Give it a little punch and let it run wild!

DJ Caterina: This is a good version of Demolition Derby, but my favorite was probably played in Italy!

Rotten Kid: I think you are on to something, DJ Caterina – I do think these are songs considered for the album and maybe the band was holding off some of the Rumble songs – I know that I saw Tommy in concert a lot before the national album was released in 1988.
     I remember thinking “where did these songs come from” when I first heard Rumble because TYCR didn’t do them live before... Mainly I'm talking about "Tell Me What You Want Me To Be," "I Wanna Make You Happy," "Half a Heart" and "If We Never Meet Again."

DJ Caterina:  Right.

Rotten Kid: More thoughts as I listen to the rest of this concert...
“I Believe I’m In Love With You” – another song performed many times during this period. I would also add this to any potential TCYR new album. It's a great song that is pure Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. Tommy doesn't have to re-invent the wheel if he records again...just stick to what makes the band great – simple guitar-oriented songs with great hooks and melodies.
     "How Long You Wanna Live Anyway?” is a great Stray Cats cover here:  blistering guitar work – takes a different direction with this cover – makes it more rockabilly – the Stray Cats version sounds more like the Ventures mixed with punk.

DJ Caterina:  That’s an interesting opinion you have on “How Long You Wanna Live” -- my take on this version is the exact opposite. I feel that the Young Rumblers really rock this song and take it as far away from rockabilly as humanly possibly compared to the Stray Cats version. TCYR sounds way more punk and edgy to me here than the original. Are we listening to two different tracks, Joe?
     Also, this is one of my favorite tracks that I’ve come across as of late from the Young Rumblers. Such great musicianship -- and the band is so confident!  You can tell that everyone from Tommy to Paul to Jim to Chris and Rob – each man knows their strength and role. In my honest opinion, they sound like “The Best Band in America - 1987” right here…

Rotten Kid:  Whoa! That's quite a statement! Here are some more of my reviews on these songs. “Truck Drivin' Son Of A Gun” by Dave Dudley – don’t remember hearing this one much either in concert – nice and rowdy.
     And "Sweet Home Chicago" is a good one. I always felt the Young Rumblers should have put this on a record – I love Tommy’s version of this song; it’s the best I’ve ever heard. On “I Knew the Bride – Tommy always made this Nick Lowe-penned song his own; it’s a great cover and I love it.

DJ Caterina: Yeah, there is a cover of “Sweet Home Chicago” by the Young Rumblers from the Bottom Line in the fall of 1988 that is beyond amazing. That particular one has always been my favorite – it really captures the wild spirit and enthusiasm of a TCYR concert.

Rotten Kid: “Walkin’ By Myself” with lead vocals by Chris Day – another great blues-based song. They played this song countless times during this period. It's a fun song. “Reelin’ and Rockin’” – I have visions of being drenched in sweat during this one - they ended their long night many times with this song.
      The more I look at this set list I am convinced that this has to be the second set of the night – they would come on around 10:30-ish play until 11:30-ish then take a break come back on after midnight play until a bit before 2 am. 

DJ Caterina: Well, at least we can agree that the band is rockin' this performance, right?

Rotten Kid: Right. “It’s Your Life” is another song that I always thought should have been recorded for one of the albums – I like this song a lot. Let’s hope the Young Rumblers record this for a new album. A lot of artists seem to be delving into their old demos from 20 years ago and just revamping them a bit. I really like this formula – Van Halen went down this path and it helped capture their sound from the early days. I think Tommy has plenty of good material that he has never released.

DJ Caterina: I agree that the Young Rumblers have some great unused material. And it seems that Tommy himself has been re-visiting some of the older, unreleased songs in the last few years. 
     For example, in March 2013, TC updated an unreleased demo called “May We All Be Here” -- played at Coffee Works in Voorhees, NJ. The lyrics were updated...it was so great to hear!

     And even earlier in 2013, he also performed “Time’s Gonna Make It Right” – a song co-written with Jules Shear (Rumble-era) at an acoustic show at The Blockley.
     So, it seems that Tommy is slowly re-visiting these old songs. It might take awhile for anything new to arrive, but for those of us keeping track, we are very excited about it. Only time will tell!

Rumblin' Man - University of Delaware article, 1987

The Review
University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
Friday, March 6, 1987
Rumblin’ Man
by Lori Poliski, Copy Editor

                “We played to one person once. Her name was Mary. I remember thinking, ‘What do you do when there is only one person? Do you talk to her and say, so what do you want to hear next, Mar?’
                “But we played as if there were 10,000. We just wanted to play and be great!”

                A lot has changed since the summer of 1984 when Tommy Conwell and his band, the Young Rumblers, played for Mary at The Tide in Long Beach Island.
                Gone is the single-member audience. Goodbye Mary…pleasure meeting you.
                Philadelphia’s hottest rock ‘n’ roll band is rapidly climbing the ladder to success. Each nightclub and bar they play – filled to capacity with Rumbler fans – is one rung closer to the top.
                The rockin’ Rumblers have also played their fair share of big-stage shows at the Spectrum, the Mann Music Center, the Tower Theatre and JFK  Stadium, opening for the likes of Robert Palmer and The Pretenders.
                Walkin’ on the Water, their debut album, sold over 30,000 records and cassettes within a month after its release in January.
                Despite the transitions the band has undergone recently, such as adding two more members and recording an album, one thing has remained the same – Tommy Conwell still just wants to play rock ‘n’ roll, no matter how big the audience is.
                “Every show is wild – just being out there with all the people psyches you up; that’s when you get out there and start doing your thing.
                “Our number one priority, our main job, is performing,” Conwell explained. “The other things, like the publicity, the promotion and making records go along with it – it’s all fun.”
                 Doing his thing and making music has been the Bala Cynwyd, Pa., native’s main concern since he bought his first electric guitar – when he was a sophomore at Lower Merion High School.
                In fact, Steve Cass, a high school buddy of Conwell’s, recalled that then, as now, music was the driving force in his life.
                “Tommy was always into music. At lunchtime he would go off somewhere to practice. And all of his friends were musicians. They would play anywhere, like a garage or a basement.
                “He gave me a ride home from school one afternoon and he had just bought the new Police album; he played “Walking on the Moon” over and over and over...yeah, he was always into (music).”
                The rumble started a long time ago. Fans can thank his grandmother, strangely enough, for his initial interest in guitar playing. When he was a teenager, she gave him a ukulele and taught him a couple of tunes.
                “My grandmom gave me a uke and taught me two songs, ‘Who’s Sorry Now’ by Connie Francis and ‘Underneath the Bamboo Tree,’ [an old jazz tune]. I realized I could play uke chords on the guitar and I said, ‘Hey, I’m a guitar play and I didn’t even know it,’” he reminisced.
                Ever since the ukulele lessons and the lunchtime jam sessions, Conwell has made leaps and bounds to the front of the Philadelphia music scene. Several cuts from Walkin’ on the Water have received heavy air play from local radio stations, such as WMMR, WIOQ and WSTW.
                Conwell, who’s booked months in advance, plays to rowdy, animated audiences four or five nights a week. He thrills audiences with his theatrical style – crowdwalking, playing the guitar between his legs and behind his back or jumping onto amplifiers.
                “When I jump on my amp, my pants rip sometimes and that can be pretty embarrassing,” he said.
                The 24-year old Conwell formed the Young Rumblers just three years ago. Before that he played bass in the Zippers in 1982, a Newark-based acoustic punk band. A year later he was the lead guitarist for Rocket 88, a rhythm-and-blues group. The Rumblers current lineup includes original members Paul Slivka, on bass, drummer Jim Hannum, plus keyboardist Rob Miller and guitarist Chris Day.
                The life of a successful lead guitarist might sound like a non-stop party to some people, but even though Conwell like to have some fun, in his limited free time he enjoys staying at home.
                Performing comes easy to Conwell, but he said songwriting, provides the biggest challenge.
                “Writing songs is definitely the hardest thing, because it is the biggest risk. You are laying yourself on the line and I think it probably gets harder as you get bigger, too.
                “When I’m writing a song now, I’m thinking ‘Oh my god, millions of people are going to hear this’ – it’s not just, ‘Oh, a couple of drunks in a bar will like this one,’” Conwell laughed, clutching his head in mock tension.
                Even though the Young Rumblers are on the brink of making it big, there were times when Conwell doubted his talent.
                “I never really wanted to do anything else, but I thought I might have to. I used to think, “I’d like to be a musician, but I’ll probably end up teaching English.’ I just always wanted to play,” said the former university English student, who at one time worked in the music library in the Amy E. DuPont building.
                Conwell said his parents resisted his pursuit of a career in music at first, but it soon subsided.
                “I never said, ‘Hey Mom, I want to be a rock ‘n’ roll star.’ She would have sent me to a mental institution.
                “They saw that I was totally happy playing music. I was making good money, and doing something I liked to do.”
                He told them he had to either quit playing or quit school. “I can always go back to school,” he reasoned.
                Tonight, Conwell returns to the State Theatre, where the Young Rumblers had one of their first gigs.
                “There are a lot of good memories in Newark. We used to rehearse behind the big screen at the State. We learned a lot of our songs there.”
                Although Conwell is confident of his talent, he keeps his potential for success in perspective. He doesn’t think fame will change him.
                “How do you measure fame? Who knows and who really gives a sh--. I just want to be the best at what I do.”
               

Time Has Come Today (live) - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform a cover of The Chambers Brothers original "Time Has Come Today" in 1987.

Tommy Conwell Heads Chestnut Cabaret Bill - 1987

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers' Rumble. [July 9 - August 9]

A 1987 article from the Philadelphia Inquirer talks about Tommy Conwell and the Rumblers performing at the Chestnut Cabaret and getting ready to go into the studio to record RUMBLE for Columbia.

Tommy Conwell Heads Chestnut Cabaret Bill

October 9, 1987 | By David Hiltbrand, Special to The Inquirer

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers are at the Chestnut Cabaret tomorrow night with Dynagroove. Next month, Conwell goes into the studio to record his debut album for Columbia. It will be produced by Rick Chertoff and contains songs from his locally released album, Walkin’ on the Water. Sound familiar? It's the blueprint from the Hooters' path to stardom. The result should be about the same for Conwell, a smoking performer who combines the intensity of pub rocker Graham Parker with a deft pop touch and a great guitar style on his hollow-body Guild.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer Archives

The Hooters on Rockline - 1987

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers' Rumble. [July 9 - August 9] 

The first time DJ Caterina ever heard the band name "Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers" happened while listening to an episode of 'Rockline' featuring The Hooters in 1987.

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers shared the Hooters’ management company, Cornerstone.

Fine Times Magazine Ad - January 1987

An advertisement from Fine Times Magazine, January 1987. 

Feature cover story is Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers promoting their new album, Walkin' On the Water.

Daily Collegian article | Friday, June 26, 1987

Daily Collegian article

Friday, June 26, 1987

Tommy Conwell Heads 'Music Mania' Show

          The featured band, Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, is billed as "the next big thing out of Philadelphia" and their newly acquired contract with CBS Records adds strength to that statement. They play a brand of charismatic rock 'n roll featuring all original tunes from their album, Walkin' on the Water. The group has had eight shows broadcasted on Prism Television out of Philadelphia including a Labor Day concert at Veteran's Statium.
          Aside from being one of the hottest night club bands in Philly, the group has opened up for the likes of the Hooters, Bryan Adams, and they are scheduled to be the opening act for Crosby, Stills and Nash on July 3 at Hershey Park Arena. Their act is scheduled to begin around 4 p.m. and last for at least 75 minutes.           

View complete section page.

Local TV Promotion - 1987 Spectrum

Promotional video of Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers aired before concert featured on local Philadelphia TV in 1987 at the Spectrum. Interviews with local Philly DJ Joe Bonadonna and Tommy Conwell. And there's even footage of The Hooters singing Day by Day!

Fine Times Magazine - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers Feature [1987]

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers on the cover of Fine Times Magazine

Tommy Conwell

I’ll Rumble 4 Ya!
Two new band members and a debut LP bring the Young Rumblers to the brink of local stardom

By Kate Cericola
Fine Times Magazine, January 1987

Walking on the Water

     

Looking down on the crowd at Scandal’s, Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers can barely see anything beyond the waving mass of hands. Perhaps there’s a babe or two licking her lips in wanton earnest, eyes glued to the huge Guild that protrudes from the rather scrawny guy in the larger-than-life leather jacket, but Tommy Conwell is kind of busy right now.

     

The amplifiers in the tiny club, off the main strip in Ocean City, are cranked to 11 (that’s one louder than 10), forcing each driving beat of Jim Hannum’s bass drum to gently fan the hair on every head within three feet of the speakers. Paul Slivka’s ubiquitous bass line guides the ruckus at a full-throttle velocity that keeps everyone on the floor jumping like a pack of rowdy Young Rumblers.

     

Conwell dips the neck of his guitar into the crowd, chains dangling from his wrist, sweat dripping onto the hands that reach up, attempting to capture some of the magic that seems to flow from the body onstage. With Conwell’s arms slung around this old comrade,  and the name “Steve Jones” etched in the wood above the E-string are barely discernible.

     

Conwell returns to his mike, his whole body moving in synch with the right hand that drives his rhythm, as his raunchy rock ‘n’ roll voice kicks the words, “I want to smoke cigarettes and drink too much” into the mob. “But I believe in miracles, but do you believe in me? Let’s go walkin’, walkin’ on the water…”

    

His only fault is easily forgiven. He suffers from the incurable Musicians’ Curse: the ugly jamming face. With the combination of the hair, sprayed upward into stiletto-esque points, and the facial contortions, Conwell could almost pass for Billy Idol.

     

The tough-guy boots leave the stage, Conwell lands on the floor of the bar, and he goes walkin’. On a platform amidst the dancers, he plays the hulking instrument behind his head, as his hair falls limp with the weight of his perspiration. Wrenching noises spew from his amp. Sure it’s loud, but that’s rock ‘n’ roll. And while crowd-walking is the oldest trick in the book, the fans like it well enough.

     

The guitarist seems relaxed – somewhere deep inside him a voice is saying he never really has to return to the stage, but he does. He likes getting down ‘n’ dirty with the audience. He wants to be involved, where the action is – with the babes. But it’s got to end sometime.

     

Tonight they will take no prisoners. Arming themselves with grinding raw energy and a handful of rock ‘n’ roll tones, they will beat their audience into submission. But when the Rumblers leave the stage, the patrons will hunger for more.

     

It’s not a bad gig for this little bunch of ruffians. After all, they’ve only been together for two-and-a-half years. In that time, they’ve risen to the top of the local band heap – even opening for established recording artists and playing stages (the Mann, the Tower, and JFK Stadium) many local bands will only experience from a seat in the audience. With their first album, Walkin’ on the Water, in area stores, they seem destined to follow in the footsteps of their older siblings, the Hooters. 

Everything They Say Is True

Like his music, Tommy Conwell lets his rough edges show. When he’s not onstage, you’ll still find him in that leather jacket – worn, old comfortable. His blond hair still juts toward the sky, but rather than stiff it seems soft, as if it’s kept up there by the residue of shows gone by. The boots are missing – he sports a pair of old sneakers.

His concerns are simple: his music, his responsibilities to Cornerstone, and a worry that his longer hair in the latest batch of publicity pictures makes him look like Daryl Hall. He’s a bit aloof, perhaps even cocky, but occasionally his comments warrant shy laughter from the rising star.

Although he’s 24, Conwell was still an infant as recently as two years ago, according to manager Steve Mountain. “That was the great part,” Mountain says, “because he’s always been tuned in. He never learned any of those bad habits that you’ll find with bands who have been together longer.”

Almost from the start, Cornerstone has been there to hold the hands of the Young Rumblers, who were willing to learn everything their management could teach them. And while two-and-a-half years more seem like a short time to some, the first Rumblers album has been anticipated for more than a year.

The first thing Conwell learned was how to be a musician rather than a manager. “I’ve always considered myself a leader,” Conwell says. “I guess when everyone else was standing around looking stupid, I would just make a decision.” Before Cornerstone, Conwell booked gigs, drove the truck, set up and collected the money at the end of the night. Since Cornerstone now handles all this and more, Conwell has only his writing and performing to be concerned with.

“I feel I can have faith in them,” Conwell says. “I don’t have to be looking over their shoulder all the time thinking “OK, when are you guys going to screw up?”, which I’ve heard a lot of people do. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about managers, and I have yet to see any of that.”

Next, Conwell began taking voice lessons in New York and more recently a class in performance, whose graduates include Cyndi Lauper and the Hooters.

His biggest challenge, he says, is writing. “That’s about having faith in yourself. It’s the biggest test of self-confidence because you’re being vulnerable and you’re setting yourself up to be knocked down.”

His lyrics are straightforward, rebellious: “I’m not your man, ‘cause you’re looking for a hero/Baby, it ain’t me.” He claims they don’t have to be meaningful, universal, or world-conscious. They can be, but for now they’re just things that are important to him.

“I’m like music for the less discriminating palate,” he says. “My music is not always so clever or calculating. You don’t have to be in tune to what’s happening to dig the Rumblers. If you like that raw energy, that spark…”

     

Although they were originally dubbed a “rockabilly band,” perhaps because they were a three-piece with a hollow-body guitar, Conwell finds the notion ridiculous. “I consider us more of a blues band than rockabilly,” he says. Those blues influences give the Rumblers their flair, allowing Conwell to play off his audiences and improvise.

     

“I like rock ‘n’ roll,” Conwell says. “Some places you go, they call heavy metal ‘rock ‘n’ roll.’ Like ‘We like rock ‘n’ roll…like Iron Maiden.’” He laughs. “Rock ‘n’ roll to me is screaming – like Gene Vincent or ‘Come Go With Me’ by the Del Vikings. That’s fun.

     

“I like the spontaneity and the rough edges. It’s vital to have some mistakes. That just proves that there are human beings playing. I never liked music that didn’t sound like a band – Tears for Fears or Eurythmics. It sounds like a Pepsi commercial! Pop is fine – Hall and Oates or A-Ha. But I can’t do it.”

Million Pretty Girls
     

It was Halloween [1986], and the Stone Balloon was hopping when Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers took the stage. They bounced around with the same enthusiasm, but there was something different. Gone were the rugged looks of street punks. Well, they still had the same sharp-looking hair, but their leather jackets and boots were missing. Instead, the boys were wearing house dresses shang-haied from Good Will.
     

“We aren’t girls,” Conwell insists, “we were just wearing dresses.”
     

Beneath the giant guitar, Conwell’s little white knees stuck out as he rocked the bar. Even the crew were wearing dresses, and Conwell and the Rumblers repeatedly tried to force them onstage by knocking things over.
     

The crowd was loving it, as usual. A few girls may even have caught a peak up a Rumbler dress if they were lucky.
     

“Girls are funny,” Conwell says. “Sometimes someone wants to punch you out because their girlfriend likes you, which is hysterical, because you couldn’t give a shit about their girlfriend and she’s all googly-eyed over you.” How he handles the situation: “Bouncer! Management You’re pretty protected. Plus you’ve got all those friends in the audience. I’ve always had more people for me than against me…maybe I’m wrong.” He laughs.
     

“I’m not trying to make fools out of these girls,” he says, “but it’s interesting for us because we’re just your average guys.”

Do You Still Believe in Me?
     

To the ear of a true Rumbler fan, Walkin' on the Water, co-produced by Conwell and Hooters bassist Andy King, may seem like a slap in the face. For the price of the nine-track, 12-inch vinyl disc, one will find added keyboard patterns wandering behind the customary rock of the Rumblers. The rockabilly stigma has become obsolete, with the recent additions of guitarist Chris Day (formerly of the John Alexander Band) and keyboardist (and ex-Hooter) Rob Miller.
     

Conwell is confident that any shock will subside. “I got a lot of resistance from the other guys in the band,” Conwell says of the keyboards. “There was a fear that ‘Wow, we’re not the Rumblers anymore.’ And we’re not – we’re the new Rumblers, so screw the old Rumblers. Rest in peace, it’s been nice knowing you. If the old Rumblers hung around for another two-and-a-half years, I don’t think I’d like them that much. I think I’ve had about enough of that crap. It was really great, but it’s like anything. It gets old after a while.
     

“We were always three guys trying to sound like six guys, and sometimes it showed in our energy. There’s something novel about that. Now we’ve got the new guys, so we don’t have to sound like six guys. We can just relax.
     

At some point you have to think about consistency in your sound and your music,” he continues. “Not that you have to think about it, but somehow, when you’re straying too far off the mark, you know it. Like when you bring in a tune that you wrote, and it starts sounding like ELP [Emerson, Lake and Palmer] or some crap, then you know you’ve gone a little too far.”
     

This was not a problem when turning the Rumblers into a five-piece band. “I knew I was doing the right thing,” Conwell says. “I didn’t care what the other guys thought because I’m the one who’s going to have to live and die with it.”
     

Bringing the new Rumblers together was no easy task.  Conwell, who for fun takes busman’s holidays to see live bands, searched for a year before he found the right players. He admits to watching other bands, all the while pondering who he might be able to steal. Just prior to recording Walkin' on the Water, Day and Miller were inducted into the Rumblers.
    

Miller was originally auditioned for guitar, but Conwell laughs “he was probably too good for that, so we stuck him on keyboards so he wouldn’t make me look silly.”
     

For the new songs on the album, Conwell was lucky enough to collaborate with local hitmakers Eric Bazilian, Rob Hyman, and Robert Hazard (Bazilian and Hyman receive no songwriting credits, although they helped write a bridge for “Walkin' on the Water”).
     

Next, Conwell spent a week in hiding with Andy King at a house in West Virginia. They wrote “Here I Come” and arranged a few new versions of old songs. Conwell says he feels he and King are “old battlemates” after living with him for a week and working together in the studio.
     

“He understands what I’m trying to do musically,” Conwell says. “He didn’t try to force anything down my throat. I’ve been told producers can change your sound, and that would scare the shit out of me. But Andy didn’t want to change our sound, he just wanted to capture it.”
     

The Rumblers spent October and November working 12-hour days at Studio 4 in Philadelphia. While the studio environment has a tendency to make less-seasoned musicians choke, Conwell says for the Rumblers it was simply a matter of control.
     

“You have to remember what you’re doing,” he says. “Most people feel pressurized because they’re putting out money and it’s a one-shot deal. Live performance is a one-shot deal, too – it’s just easier to forget.
     

“A lot of times when I was recording, I would just imagine all the people in front of me…especially the girls,” he laughs.

I’m Home

     

Robert Palmer was waiting for the opening act to finish their set at the Mann Music Center. Onstage, three little guys were trying to make themselves sound like six. Not that the audience could tell – they all sat in their designated seats watching the Rumblers strut their finery. It can all be very intimidating, but not for the Rumblers. They’re comfortable – they’re home.
     

“You get onstage because it puts you in a position to give to people, not to receive.” Conwell says.  Playing the bigger stages is easier for the band because they don’t have to work as hard to gain the audience’s attention. At clubs, it’s different – people are drinking, guys and girls are trying to pick up or be picked up, everybody is walking around.  At the Mann there are no distractions; the Rumblers won’t have to jump off their amps to say hello. Occasionally there’s some crowd-walking; but not too often. Conwell laughs, “You don’t want to blow away the headliner, you know?”
     

The best moments are still in the clubs, though: a great night with an eager crowd, playing their favorite tunes with magic flowing from Conwell’s fingertips to the strings of his Guild.
     

“That’s what it’s all about,” he affirms.” And if there’s a mistake, tough shit. It’s flowing through you. That’s what qualifies me to be so lucky. My job is to let magic flow through me, to express energy, and feel it.
     

“Sometimes I walk around like Mr. Humble, thinking we’re just a lucky bunch of guys. But when a door is opened for you, you have to walk through. And we’re a band who walks through doors. If I seem confident, it’s because we waited two-and-a-half years to make this album, and I’m glad because I like it. And I wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true…”

He laughs again. “Well, maybe I would.”

1987 Philly Music Hall of Fame: The Hooters, Tommy Conwell

          Interviews of Eric Bazilian (with Rob Hyman) of The Hooters and Tommy Conwell at the Philadelphia Music Foundation's Hall of Fame, April 16, 1987. Mini-performance of "Rock Around the Clock" by The Hooters at end of segment.   
          The PMF inducted 10 music legends into its Hall of Fame: Marian Anderson, Pearl Bailey, Chubby Checker, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Haley, Mario Lanza, Bobby Rydell, Bessie Smith and Leopold Stokowski.