Rumble - LP

Tommy Conwell on the back of the 1988 LP "Rumble."

Buzz Zeemer - Plaything

Cover art by Tommy Conwell.

Buzz Zeemer is a band now in the history books - Tommy Conwell playing guitar and performing backing vocals with lead singer/songwriter Frank Brown of Flight of Mavis fame. DJ Caterina discovered Buzz Zeemer in 2004, about 9 years after the release of Plaything.DJ Caterina proclaims Buzz Zeemer to be "the best band to ever exist without being signed to a major recording label contract".

Tracks 
1. Break My Heart
2. Don't Hang Up *** 
3. I Live Next Door
4. Crush
5. Sometimes
6. Lost and Found
7. Porch
8. What the Hell I Got
9. Goin' Home
10. Don't Pull Away
11. Everything You Should
12. She Don't Care

*** DJ Caterina fave.

"Hi-Ho-Silver" Cover and Inner Sleeve

Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings' Hi-Ho-Silver! is available in digital format only at the Tommy Conwell Store. 

Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings at Grape Street

Back cover of Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings' debut indie record, "Sho' Gone Crazy, 1997.

According to Dan Gross at The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Conwell, Little Kings reunite 94.1 Free FM's Tommy Conwell is reuniting with his old band, the Little Kings - not the Young Rumblers - for a show at 11 p.m. at Grape Street Philadelphia (4100 Main, the former Grape Street Pub) in Manayunk.

Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings are currently playing live at Grape Street Philadelphia. And DJ Caterina is in Dallas....*sigh*.

I'm Not Your Man, Record Single

A picture sleeve with 45 rpm record of Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers' single, "I'm Not Your Man."

On the flip side is "Workout (Part 2)" -- an instrumental-only version of that track.

Label: CBS Records, Inc.
Year: 1988

Charlie Gracie | Still 19

Charlie Gracie has a CD entitled I'm All Right...

"Contributing their musical talents on this CD were Tommy Conwell, whose smooth guitar playing is featured on Still 19..." -

Source: CD Baby
(Update:  CD Baby retired their music store in March of 2020.) 

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers | 8 x 10 Glossy Photo

A Rumble-era 1988 promotional photo for Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers.
From left: Chris Day, Paul Slivka, Tommy Conwell, Rob Miller, Jim Hannum

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers - Guitar Trouble Era | 8 x 10 Glossy Photo

A 1990 "Guitar Trouble" promotional photo for Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers.

The Young Rumblers line-up is from left: Billy Kemp, Rob Miller, Paul Slivka, Tommy Conwell, and Jim Hannum. 

Tommy Conwell's Young Rumblers Promo Pin

A pin for Tommy Conwell's Young Rumblers, the 3-piece band formed in 1984 and played until 1986.

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers - MTV Spring Break 1991

"Hello Spring Breakers!" 

A TCYR video performance from MTV Spring Break in 1991. Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform:

- I'm 17
- Nice 'n Naughty
- I'm Not Your Man

Tommy Conwell Guitar Solo - Patty Smyth's "Isn't It Enough"

A guitar solo by Tommy Conwell is featured on the Patty Smyth single, "Isn't It Enough" from the CD, Never Enough. 

The song can also be found on the CD, Patty Smyth Greatest Hits featuring Scandal.



Watch this rockin' 1987 live performance of the song on Late Night with David Letterman. 

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers Guitar Trouble Setlist

The following image was originally found on www.mpprojects.com/tc. 

Playlist from a Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers concert during the band's 1991 Guitar Trouble tour. 

This is DJ Caterina's brief attempt at identifying the songs on the list -- and I think I'm right:

Rock With You
Hard as a Rock 
Love's On Fire
Guitar Trouble
She's Got It All
I'm Home
Do Right
Everything They Say is True
I'm 17
Moanin'
Let Me Love You Too
Nice n' Naughty
Here I Come
Walkin' on the Water
I'm Not Your Man
Workout

Encore

Sweet Home Chicago [?]

Jail House Rock

Keep on Smilin’ (Wet Willie cover performed by Billy Kemp)

Livin' in the USA (Chuck Berry cover)

Baseball cap - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers

Hey! That looks like a Guitar Trouble-era Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers baseball cap.

Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings - Sho' Gone Crazy

Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings release "Sho' Gone Crazy" in September 1997. A departure from the Young Rumblers, Tommy takes a more jazz-blues-rock fusion departure, although many at the time will mistake it for just another entry in the "swing music" scene that was popular in the late 1990s. 

Tracks:
1. Pony Time
2. All God's Children Wanna Rock
3. Moanin'
4. Bad Haircut
5. Goin' On Down Here
6. Want You To Feel Good Too
7. Mashed Potatoes
8. Let Go
9. Get Down and Ride
10. Betty Jean
11. That's All
12. Bottle Woman
13. It's Raining
14. Boogie Pickin'

Season's Greetings Philadelphia - Kinda Christmasy by Tommy Conwell

Season's Greetings Philadelphia (1997, Record Cellar Productions) features local Philadelphia musicians singing original Christmas songs. Tommy Conwell's track:

#3. Tommy Conwell - Kinda Christmasy (Tommy Conwell, ASCAP)
Tommy Conwell - DRUMS, GUITARS, PIANO, BASS, VOCALS





 

Also on this CD is one of DJ Caterina's favorite Christmas tunes, Psychedelic Santa by Buzz Zeemer. Tommy is the lead guitarist for Buzz Zeemer.

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers | Sticker

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers "Rumble" sticker. 

Size is 5 ¾” x 3” with $1.00 off coupon on back.

If We Never Meet Again - Sheet Music

Sheet music for piano, vocal, and guitar for "If We Never Meet Again." Words and music by Jules Shear and recorded by Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers.

Long Live Rock - Tommy Conwell and the Dipsomaniacs

Tommy Conwell's cover of The Who's "Long Live Rock" with The Dipsomaniacs is featured on the CD, FDR's Tribute to The Who. FDR is a small New Jersey indie label - the CD is a collection of twenty-one songs recorded by a "who's who" of the best power-pop/indie-rock bands from the New Jersey/Philadelphia area.

With back-up from Philly's own The Dipsomaniacs, this performance is solid! Great guitar work from Tommy -- this recording captures the spirit of Tommy Conwell live in concert. Long live rock!

Who's Not Forgotten, FDR's Tribute is a collection of twenty-one songs recorded by a "who's who" of power-pop/indie-rock bands from the New Jersey/Philadelphia area.

Promotional CD - Rumble, Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers

Promotional "Rumble" CD with a fabric cover. The CD is a tiny 3½ x 3½ inches. The singles are:
- "I'm Not Your Man"
- "If We Never Meet Again"
- "Gonna Break Down"

I'm Seventeen CD Single

I'm Seventeen CD single from Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. This CD single has a special mark that reads 'Promotion Only Not For Sale.'


Included with the CD are brief excerpts from the album "Guitar Trouble" which include:

- Let Me Love You Too
- What Once Was
- Guitar Trouble

If We Never Meet Again - CD single

If We Never Meet Again CD single, LP version, 1989. Also with two other tracks -- Workout and Everything They Say Is True.

Per the CD cover on back:

All tracks produced by Rick Chertoff and taken from the forthcoming LP, MC, CD - Rumble.

Guitar Trouble - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers

Guitar Trouble is the sophomore release from Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers on CBS/Columbia Records. You can usually find a copy on eBay.

What DJ Caterina owns:
- cassette tape (my original from 1990)
- CD (at least 3)
- CD with original long box
- album (very rare!)

Tommy Conwell Autograph

 

An autograph from Tommy Conwell.

At age 15, DJ Caterina and her brother met Stevie Ray Vaughn at the Midland International Airport in West Texas. SRV shook my hand (as well as my brother's) -- and we did not get his autograph. 

I convinced my brother that we should leave him alone since he was in the middle of breakfast. But SRV was soon surrounded by other autograph-seekers  -- and DJ Caterina's brother has never let me live that down. 

So when DJ Caterina hears her brother complain for the 457th time every Thanksgiving how we met Stevie Ray Vaughn and didn't get his autograph...yeah, I'm OK with that.

Walkin' on the Water Poster | 1987

Walkin' on the Water-era poster from Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. 

Poster is signed and dated by Tommy Conwell (1987).

Poster is 26" x 31".

Walkin' on the Water LP | 1986

Walkin' on the Water LP, autographed by Tommy Conwell in 1987. Released in 1986, Walkin’ on the Water has nine songs.

Side 1
1. Here I Come (3:05, Tommy Conwell, Andy King)
2. Love's on Fire (4:29, Tommy Conwell, Robert Hazard)
3. Walkin' on the Water (3:27, Tommy Conwell)
4. I'm Home (3:16, Tommy Conwell)
5. Million Pretty Girls (2:22, Tommy Conwell)
Side 2
6. I'm Not Your Man (3:46, Tommy Conwell, M. Rauer)
7. Do You Still Believe In Me (3:40, Tommy Conwell)
8. Everything They Say Is True (4:22, Tommy Conwell, Robert Hazard)
9. Tonight's The Night (2:47 Tommy Conwell)
 
According to the former website, MPProjects.com...

"...the independent and first release from Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers sold more than 70,000 copies in the Philadelphia region alone. A Philly rock radio station sponsored a contest in 1987 and received an astounding eleven million postcards from high school students trying to win a free concert with the Young Rumblers."

Love's On Fire | Million Pretty Girls, Rare 3-Track promotional CD

A 1989 rare 3-Track promotional CD from Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. Released to radio stations in support of the Young Rumblers' debut album on a national label, "Rumble."

Tracks:

1. Love's On Fire - The song comes in at 3 minutes and 52 seconds. It is the radio-ready version. Tommy's guitar solo at the beginning is missing.

2. Love's On Fire - This is the unedited album version from "Rumble." Tommy's solo at the beginning is intact.

3. Million Pretty Girls - A live version of a Young Rumblers classic.

People in the Scene: Tommy Conwell [2003]

Reprint from March 2003 Origivation

Interview by Anthony Caroto, Editor

Since the early eighties, Tommy Conwell has owned the stage wherever he performs. From his infamous days with the Young Rumblers to his current gigs with the Little Kings and 94.1 WYSP, Tommy has continued to deliver great music and make Philadelphia proud.

Will we ever see another Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers reunion?

We did one in 2000 and one in November of 2002. Another one may happen on the Fourth of July, 2003 at Dewey Beach, Delaware.  Beyond that....Hey....I'm a businessman! 

What advice would you offer bands today?

Play anywhere you can for experience and exposure. Make it a goal to get an established manager; someone who has already gotten someone else where you want to go. Use each rejection as the start of a dialogue; ask what would make you more attractive in whatever situation you are seeking. Be nice! If you want to make a friend in the business, listen more than you talk. Ignore people who say you can’t do it. That’s what they told every single one of your heroes. Someone’s gonna make it…..why not you?

Who are some of your influences?

Jimmie Vaughan, Hound Dog Taylor, Danny Gatton, Fats Domino, The Heartbreakers (Johnny Thunder’s band, not Tom Petty’s), Brewer Phillips, Chuck Berry, Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, early Miles Davis, Barry Harris, Bud Powell, Chet Baker, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, NRBQ, Barrance Whitfield and the Savages, Kid Dynamite, Speeddealer, Simon and the Bar Sinisters, and...the pop music of my youth.


With Philadelphia being such a mecca of glam in the late 1980’s, how did you keep yourself ahead of the game without being swallowed by the fad or better yet, succumb to it?

I don’t know if it was a “mecca of glam.” If you mean pop metal, like Cinderella and Heaven’s Edge…I hated that shit. Absolutely hated it. Still don’t get it! If you mean pretty-boy pop like the Hooters, I was pretty much a part of that. It seemed like a good idea at the time to take blues music and do something contemporary with it. At the time “contemporary” meant hair spray and tight black jeans and shiny pop music. We wanted to be famous and we weren’t gonna get there playing straight blues music. So, we gave ‘em some of what they wanted and some of what we wanted. That’s show-biz! Selling out only sucks if you don’t get paid enough. We did alright.
 
You’ve worked with so many big names in the music industry. Were you ever star struck?

Hanging out with Robert Plant was pretty freaky. He was real nice. I was psyched to meet Chrissy Hynde. Thorogood was awesome. The Ramones. Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols. Lux Interior of the Cramps.

Definitely the most star struck I ever was occurred at a CBS convention in Boca Raton, Florida. A lot of acts on the label were there- LL Cool J, Alice Cooper, New Kids on the Block- Jimmie Vaughan and Kim Wilson from the Fabulous Thunderbirds, my heroes, were there, and I was talking to them when we got called into the dining room for dinner. We got in line together. I thought, “Oh shit…I’m gonna sit next to these guys!” We went in and I sat down RIGHT BETWEEN THEM! I couldn’t believe it. I was ecstatic! About thirty seconds later, our manager came over and said, “You can’t sit there.” Some record company douchebag wanted to sit with them. Son of a bitch!

How did you land a local music gig at 94.1 WYSP?

It pays to be nice. Karen Buck, Marketing Director at WYSP, worked there when she was just a kid and we (TCYR) were getting airplay. She’s always been a friend. When the job opened up, she called me, and I said “OK!”
 
How would you compare the local scene today to twenty years ago?

Bands are getting good younger. Recording is a lot easier, cheaper, and better.
 
Which local bands do you think really have a shot at the BIG TIME?

I don’t care about the big time. I don’t need some record company to tell me who rocks and who doesn’t; they tend to get it wrong at least as often as they get it right, so who are they to set the standard? Usually the bands I like have little or no commercial potential!

How will you like to be remembered?

He took a licking and kept on ticking!

With the December closing of the Stone Balloon, Delaware loses a part of its musical history

With the December closing of the Stone Balloon, Delaware loses a part of its musical history 
by Michael Pollock
Out and About Magazine, December 2005

  

  
     When Newark’s Stone Balloon shuts its doors for the final time on Saturday, Dec. 17, it will take with it the memories of more than 33 years of musical performances. But the stories, it seems, have a life of their own. 
     Founder and former owner Bill Stevenson remembers that sweltering August night in 1974 when a young Bruce Springsteen wouldn’t leave the stage. Elvin Steinberg, who took over the bar in 1985, recalls bumping into Ray Charles in his upstairs dressing room after Charles’ appearance that same year. Current general manager Tim Tully can still picture the 100-plus kids on the roof of what is now the Learning Station, all hoping to get a glimpse of Metallica when they played in 1989. 
     Today’s customers, many of them UD students, are too young to recall any of these shows. For them the Balloon has come to symbolize Thursday Mug Nights, long lines, overflowing toilets, and DJ dance parties. The thrill of discovering a new band on stage is long gone. 
     Current owner Jim Baeurle, 42, remembers when Train played the Balloon two years ago. Though it was a sold-out show, Baeurle says only 12 of the tickets were sold to students. “It’s a different kid that goes to the university now,” he states. “It’s a tougher school to get into, and [the students] don’t go out as much. When I went here we’d be at the Balloon three or four nights a week.” 
     Baeurle will be tearing down the Balloon and replacing it with condos. He says one of the main reasons he decided to close the bar is the lack of support for live music. “It’s dramatically less than what it was 10 years ago,” he says. “When I grew up, you followed a local band wherever they played, because you felt like you needed to support that band. That’s completely evaporated now.”         
     Baeurle says the immediacy made possible by downloading has also hurt business. “There are so many other ways to get music now,” he says. “People might like a song but they don’t want to invest anything in the band. They don’t even want the album—they just like one song. I can’t tell you how many albums I bought based on one song where I ended up falling in love with the band.” 

Mastering the Middle Man 

     If Baeurle had been running the Balloon in the ’70s and ‘80s, he wouldn’t have had to worry about the fate of live music. It was flourishing, and the Balloon was the best place in Delaware to find it. National acts like Cheap Trick, Hall and Oates, Todd Rundgren, Robert Palmer, Dr. John, Blood, Sweat and Tears, the Average White Band, Canned Heat, and David Crosby all paid visits, while local bands like Jack of Diamonds, Dakota, and Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers cut their teeth in front of packed crowds. 
     By the mid-‘80s, owner Bill Stevenson, who had run the bar since it opened in February 1972, was facing money troubles. He sold the Balloon to a group of local investors who attempted to transform it into a cabaret-style venue. The makeover didn’t go over well with customers and soon the owners were looking for a way out. They sold the bar to Elvin Steinberg, who quickly restored the Balloon’s reputation for cutting-edge music. “Elvin Steinberg saved the Balloon,” says Stevenson, now 57, who had a major falling out with the investors. 
     Among the acts Steinberg booked during his tenure: Ray Charles, Joe Jackson, Iggy Pop, Metallica, Joe Walsh, and Violent Femmes. Steinberg also was responsible for bringing in Love Seed Mama Jump, an energetic rock band that quickly won over audiences. A key to Steinberg’s success during this time was his mastering of the middle agent structure. Middle agents would acquire tour schedules and identify gaps between dates, allowing smaller venues in nearby cities to score big names. For bands, it’s a chance to squeeze in an extra show and make more money. 
     In his new book, Stone Balloon: The Early Years, Bill Stevenson tells the story of how he almost got the Rolling Stones to play the bar because of this strategy. The band was looking for a nearby location to play a few songs the night before their Philadelphia concert in September 1981 and had contacted the Stone Balloon. Much like the Metallica show years later, there was to be no advertising or mention of the Stones’ appearance, or the gig was off. The night of the show, Stevenson arrived at JFK Stadium early to meet the band. They were preparing for the following night’s performance, but a wind storm had kicked up, making their sound check impossible. Stevenson hung around for four-and-a-half hours trying to persuade the band to forget about their sound system and come to Newark. At 11:30 p.m., he realized it was a lost cause. “Every time I see something about the Rolling Stones, I think of what could have happened,” he writes.

A Step Up from Other Places 

     Stevenson writes that the Stones selected the Balloon because of the bar’s reputation as a first-rate rock club. It’s the Balloon’s definitive characteristic over four decades of presenting live music. “There’s not a better gig in terms of crowd participation,” says Jefe, lead singer and guitarist in Burnt Sienna, a local cover band that started playing the bar in 1997. “A lot of places you’ll play, people are only into it at their own leisure. But at the Balloon, they know what to do from the get-go.” 
     Tommy Conwell, a former DJ on WYSP whose group, the Young Rumblers, was a popular crowd-draw in the late ‘80s, remembers how well the Balloon treated its bands. “Playing the Balloon was a big deal for a band like us,” he says. “It was a step up from most of the places we had played.” 
     To show his appreciation for the local artists that have played the bar, Baeurle has invited Conwell and all five of the original Rumblers for a headlining performance on the Balloon’s last night. The death of the club represents not only the loss of a local institution, but a loss for the area’s live music scene.
        Baeurle expects smaller Newark venues like East End Café and Deer Park Tavern to pick up the slack, but admits it won’t be the same on Main Street. 
     “There’s definitely a void now,” he says. —The Stone Balloon will hold a three-night farewell beginning with its final Mug Night on Thursday, Dec. 15. A “Newark Locals Goodbye” featuring a book signing with Bill Stevenson and a performance by Club Phred will be held on Friday, Dec. 16. On Dec. 17, the Stone Balloon closes its doors for the final time with “The End of the World as We Know It,” featuring performances by the Snap and headlined by Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. Tickets for Thursday and Friday are required and will be sold at the door. Tickets for Dec. 17 can be purchased through Ticketmaster. 

Behind the Balloon

• Former owner Bill Stevenson booked Bruce Springsteen to play the Balloon in 1974 after being blown away by The Boss’s performance at New Jersey’s Stone Pony (though Stevenson says the bar itself was a dump). Springsteen was paid just $2,500—considered then to be a huge figure—for a show that lasted five hours and well past closing time. 
• Meatloaf, who weighed more than 300 pounds during his heavier days, required the use of oxygen tanks during several Balloon performances because of his breathing problems. 
• As he recalls in his book, Stone Balloon: The Early Years, owner Bill Stevenson had plans to seduce Pat Benatar when she played the club in 1980. Benatar, however, ended up getting engaged to one of her band members the night of her performance. 
• An unknown Jane’s Addiction opened for Iggy Pop during a show in the late ‘80s, but got booted after urinating on a wall and stage-diving in their underwear during Iggy’s set. They hold the distinction of being the only band that’s ever been kicked out of the Balloon. 
• During Metallica’s legendary 1989 show, a crowd surge knocked down the metal railings near the stage, leaving exposed nails near the pit. Remembers Tim Tully, who was a doorman at the time: “We had to send all the bouncers and bartenders down there so nobody would get impaled.” 
• Before Eddie Murphy’s musical performance in the early ‘90s, former owner Elvin Steinberg was surprised to see him hanging out inside the Balloon. After a closer look, Steinberg realized it was actually Eddie’s brother Charlie (of Chapelle’s Show), who was busy playing pinball.
• Hootie and the Blowfish played the Balloon to an audience of about 20 people and were paid just $600. 

Last Concert at the Stone Balloon

The following is an excerpt from an article originally found on www.mpprojects.com/tc.

December 2005

I traveled last weekend from Dallas to Philadelphia to see my favorite band play live for the first time. Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers reunited for the closing of the Stone Balloon, a club in Delaware that has featured great musical acts over the last thirty years like Ray Charles, Cheap Trick, The Ramones, Metallica, and Bruce Springsteen.

Philadelphia Airport
After my arrival, the first order of business was to drive forty minutes south to Delaware . Since I had never traveled to this part of the country, I wanted to do a "dry-run" drive for getting to the concert later. Once I found the club, I decided to walk around the area.

I went around the back and saw some guys standing at the back door. I asked if any of them worked at the club. In the conversation, I mentioned that I had just taken a flight in from Dallas to see the concert, when one of the guys came forward and said, “Well, come on in to the club – you came a long way to see this band!" This guy was Chris Day, guitarist for the Young Rumblers. I didn't realize it was him until he told me his first name. As it turns out, the band was getting ready for their rehearsal -- and as I walked into the venue... there was Tommy -- onstage! Chris said that he didn’t see a problem with me being there to watch them practice since I had come such a long way for the concert.

Soundcheck
I found an inconspicuous corner to watch the guys set up onstage. (I was so excited to be there!) Some of the sound crew started chatting me up about my trip -- when Tommy walked by, one of them said “Hey Tommy! This girl came all the way from Dallas to see you.” And Tommy said “Are you Catherine?” and greeted me with a big hug. Then right before rehearsal, Tommy called me over and told me to take the stairs on the side to get on the stage. He then introduced me to each of the Young Rumblers as the fan/college DJ who came all the way from Dallas to see the Young Rumblers play live for the first time ever. I was so honored! (Chris announced that he was the one who let me into the club in the first place!)

Rehearsal
The band kicked off rehearsal with Here I Come.The band gave me permission to take pictures for the entire rehearsal. It was so great to hear all my favorite Young Rumblers' songs – and I knew the words to every song they rehearsed – even Space Cowboy!

Showtime!
The concert later on in the evening was absolutely incredible. It was so great to be there, to share in the history of the event, and to see the last concert at The Stone Balloon with Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. 

Although the reunion of the Young Rumblers was an event unto itself, Tommy made sure that the emphasis was on everyone realizing that it would be the last night for music at The Stone Balloon. 

One of the more poignant events of the evening was when he shared his memories of all the people who had played there, including how he had once sat outside on the steps listening to music being played inside and onstage when he was too young to get in. He ended each of his tributes and remembrances with a thoughtful “Cheers, cheers…”

The Stone Balloon ended its last show with a class act, indeed!