Interviews 1987 | Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers

Interviews from 1987, including a brief interview with WMMR's Pierre Robert and the Young Rumblers.

Downtown Train - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers (1986)

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers recorded live at the Empire Rock Club, Philadelphia, USA on December 19, 1986. Performing Tom Waits' "Downtown Train."

White Christmas - Beru Revue with Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers

  

A live cover version of the seasonal classic White Christmas by Beru Revue and Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers - the 80's!

Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings - Run Rudolph Run

Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings performance of Run Rudolph Run, live at The Stone Pony - from the 90's! Audio only.

Update: Don't call it a comeback! Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings have been on my iPod for years - performing December 17.

Philadelphia local events and things to do in Philadelphia, PA | Eventsburgh | Tommy Conwell and the Lil Kings .... THE COMEBACK!

Live at Blockley Pourhouse 2011

This weekend, DJ Caterina trekked 1,462.7 miles from Dallas to Philadelphia to see Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform the last of an epic two nights at The Blockley Pourhouse, Nov. 4 and 5.

Nov. 4 - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers and The Peace Creeps (Richard Bush of The A's).

Nov. 5 - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers and Smash Palace.

Gems included on Saturday night's set list included a new song - "just for the fans" - Whatever This Crowd Wants, a couple of songs performed by guitarist Chris Day and the never-recorded but legendary fan fave, Demolition Derby. The performance also included covers; Time Has Come Today and Back in the USA.

Brief concert clips below of Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers at the Blockley Pourhouse on Nov. 5, 2011.

It's On This Weekend!

Text courtesy of Benchmark: 

The Blockley invites you to Turn Back the Clock!

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers return to the old Chestnut Cabaret on Friday November 4th, and Saturday, November 5th, for a very special 2-night reunion run.

Tommy and the Rumblers rocked The Blockley last November to a sold out audience - their first Philly headline play in nearly 15 years! 

Complete with old friends Richard Bush and Smash Palace; dinner seating; and a VIP meet and greet with Tommy and the boys; it promises to be an epic weekend of music!

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers Present Two Nights at the Blockley [2011]

Tickets still available for Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers playing the Blockley Pourhouse for two nights in November. 

An announcement from Tommy Conwell via e-mail from tommyconwellstore.com:

Hey, you guys! We're doing it again, only this time we're doing 2 nights. We're gonna beef up the sound system a little bit, and maybe (MAYBE!) whip out some unrecorded oldies. Richard Bush from the A's is opening the first night with his band The Peace Creeps, and Smash Palace is opening the second night! Pretty good openers, huh? Tix are $25, but if you come both nights it's $40 total, and the band is gonna have a little get together with the combo ticket holders, who also are gonna get a signed poster, which hopefully will be pretty cool. I hope I didn't get anything wrong here, but the main thing is... it's going to ROCK!

        Cheers,

        Tommy

Tommy also made the special announcement during a WYSP Alumni guest spot on August 30.

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers

Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5, 2011 

Blockley Pourhouse 

3801 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19104 

Walkin' On the Water Radio Interview, 1986 - Tommy Conwell, Paul Slivka

A December 1986 interview with Tommy Conwell and Paul Slivka on 93.7 WSTX-FM with Bob Bowersox.

Tommy and Paul discuss the new release of Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers' first independent album on Antenna Records, Walkin’ On the Water. Tommy reminisces about the first Young Rumblers gig at University of Delaware in Newark - Skid Row Beach Party, Feb. 24, 1984.

The boys also talk about the addition of two new members: Chris Day and Rob Miller and Walkin' On the Water's record producer, Andy King, bass player for The Hooters.

You can purchase the Walkin' on the Water CD at the Tommy Conwell Store.

Cover Song | Let Me Love You Too - Boni

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

Guitarist/songwriter - Javier Hernández Boni - accidentally stumbled across Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers' Guitar Trouble in the early 1990’s and subsequently took the music to Let Me Love You Too and recorded Por Que No? for his first solo record. Sounds pretty vanilla, except for the fact that Boni is from Spain and is a guitarist for one of Europe ’s biggest classic rock bands. 

Read this transcontinental story prepared by Mario Martin, manager of Barricada:

Javier Hernández Boni is the rhythm guitarist and 50% singer of Barricada, a Spanish rock and roll band that has been together since 1982. Boni is a shy guy, seems quiet and calm. Everything changes when he is playing live; when he becomes a savage guitar player! Boni’s guitar influences include Rory Gallagher, Slade, Sisters of Mercy, The Recovers, Sex Pistols, and The Clash.

In 1992, Boni went into the studio to record Peligroso Animal de Compañía [translation: Dangerous Pet], being helped by a couple of friends and his brother playing drums, as well as two Barricada band members. This was a personal experience for Boni, to play with close friends and his brother.

Boni wrote all of the lyrics on Dangerous Pet but two of them. The first written by Barricada's other lead singer, Enrique Villarreal, and a second song, based on a song written and performed by Tommy Conwell titled, "Let Me Love You Too."

For some reason, Boni seemed to like that song so much and chose it for his very first solo album. (The song was actually discovered by Boni’s brother.) 

Today, it is very common for Spanish recording artists to record cover versions of very popular songs. Boni decided to take the risk of recording a cover version of a song not known at all in Spain. So, he took the music and a few parts of the lyric and recorded Por Que No? (translation: "Why Now?”)

His record, Dangerous Pet, was a personal success; he never toured for the album because his drummer/brother had an accident and broke a hand. Boni’s dream was to record a solo album, and if it wasn’t possible to play with his brother, he didn’t mind not touring. His success was to record it.  Nowadays, Boni still records and plays with Barricada, harder and louder than never!  http://www.barricada.com.es/

In the Pocket - "You Can't Sit Down" Fan Video

Steve Acito's fan video compilation from In the Pocket's all-star Philly jam at World Cafe Live, celebrating the release of their new single, "You Can't Sit Down." 

 "The Dovells had a signature Philly sound. I remember hearing 'You Can't Sit Down' as a kid and thought it rocked," explains Uosikkinen. "When it came time to record it for In The Pocket, I knew the only guy who could pull this off with total command was Tommy Conwell. And he does not disappoint!"
                                                                    - David Uosikkinen

Musicians include David Uosikkinen, Graham Alexander, Eric Bazilian, Richard Bush, Tommy Conwell, Jay Davidson, Greg Davis, Rick DiFonzo, Jeffrey Gaines, Cliff Hillis, Rob Hyman and Jerry Blavat. 

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers Live (1989)

Videos of Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers performing "Gonna Breakdown and "Workout" at the Pennsylvania State Fair, in Bensalem, PA, Memorial Day, 1989.

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers On Japanese TV

This is epic! Two performances from Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers promoting "Rumble" on Japanese TV - "Love's On Fire" and "I'm Not Your Man" - plus interview with Japanese translators!

   

Thanks to our friend Yuki [@y2joohgal on Twitter] in Osaka, Japan for the videos.

Tommy Conwell and Young Rumblers – MTV Walk On, 1988

An interview with Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, featuring Chris Day and Rob Miller. 

Promotion for Rumble, 1988. With Adam Curry.

New Video from In the Pocket - "You Can't Sit Down"

New video from In the Pocket: "You Can't Sit Down" featuring Jerry Blavat, members of @thehooters, Tommy Conwell and more at songsinthepocket.org. A portion of the proceeds benefits Settlement Music School.

Wow. The 80's. When DJ Caterina discovered the music of the Hooters as a youngster in Texas. And the Hooters introduced DJ Caterina to Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. Worlds collide!
      Check out the video for the making of You Can't Sit Down and be sure to purchase the song on iTunes or Amazon!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Courtesy of In The Pocket: Songs of Philadelphia

Featuring

David Uosikkinen - The Hooters - drums

With

Graham Alexander - Cast of 'Rain' on Broadway - bass

Eric Bazilian - The Hooters - guitar/vocals

Tommy Conwell - Tommy Conwell & the Young Rumblers - lead vocals/guitar

Jay Davidson - Steve Winwood, The Funk Brothers - sax/vocals

Rob Hyman - The Hooters - keyboards/vocals

And a special appearance by Jerry Blavat!

"The Dovells had a signature Philly sound. I remember hearing You Can't Sit Down as a kid and thought it rocked," explains Uosikkinen. "When it came time to record it for In The Pocket, I knew the only guy who could pull this off with total command was Tommy Conwell. And he does not disappoint!"

Celebrate the release of IN THE POCKET's new single, "You Can't Sit Down " with a rockin' party and an all-star Philly jam at WORLD CAFE LIVE on Tuesday, April 12th at 7pm.

To purchase tickets go to:

http://tickets.worldcafelive.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=3883

The jam at World Cafe Live includes players from all three songs, All My Mondays, Open My Eyes, and You Can't Sit Down. The band includes David Uosikkinen, Graham Alexander, Eric Bazilian, Richard Bush, Tommy Conwell, Jay Davidson, Greg Davis, Rick DiFonzo, Jeffrey Gaines, Cliff Hillis and Rob Hyman. Plus, a special appearance by Jerry Blavat, the heart and soul of Philadelphia's music scene for over 50 years.

And perhaps a few surprises!

Connected: Or How We Should All Just Mind Our Own Business and Listen to Cheap Trick

The following is a research article for my grad student program at UT-Dallas in Emerging Media and Communications. The research speaks on the influence of others on activities and their actions around us. I made it fun and talked about Cheap Trick.

     In the case of the book "Connected," by Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD and James H. Fowler, PhD, it appears that we, the people, at least scientifically speaking, cannot help but be influenced by the people surrounding us and the activities of people that flurry around us. For Chapter One’s [In the Thick of It] grim description of a series of family-connected murders in the Mediterranean, I even drew out a graph to keep up with the connections of who went after who and why.
     In the study of network science and theory, Christakis and Fowler take on what seems an almost common sense approach to their revelations, which makes the book an easy read. I was even curious about some of the research items that were on the jacket cover. For example, “You will never date your ex-partner’s current partner’s ex.”
     For some reason, I was thinking that singer Shania Twain had actually broken some unwritten human code, because she recently completed that task (divorcing her ex-husband and then marrying that same ex-husband's best friend) – but the authors brought this question (p.99) about in the context of high school relationships, not multi-million dollar celebrities in their 40's.
     As such, the study of network science and theory takes a simple question, and attempts to answer with, again, results that seem to be common sense answers. For example, take the question that I saw on Twitter the other day:

@hearitlive A buddies older brother turned me on to Cheap Trick when I was 9 - i thought he was pretty cool. Does that still happen?

     So the way that we listen to music now...is it the same way that we used to listen to music and DOES that kind of activity (older kids influencing younger kids) even happen anymore?
     I think it’s a legitimate question. Kids used to have turntables in their rooms and big 12” x 12” works of art [that held the LP] to look at while listening to their favorite bands play their favorite song, lyrics usually included with the LP cover sheet. Younger brothers and sisters and the friends of the younger brothers and sisters would sneak into that bedroom and find albums that they were not listening to or had never heard of, exposing them to a different music style or band that they never would have heard about on their own. A pre-teen might hear The Doors for the first time, and because they were so much younger than the teenager, would be even that much more influenced by the experience of hearing this band's music.
   Today, everyone is rockin’ the earbuds. Not many people I know buy CD’s. And although there has been a slight resurgence in discovering music on LP’s and people enjoying the experience of hearing music on a turntable. In Dallas,  Half-Price Books usually has a good stream of young adults checking out their LP section most weekends. It seems like the music experience, aside from attending a concert or commenting on the latest episode of American Idol on Twitter, has trending towards becoming a solitary experience.
     And because there seems to be such an over-saturation of the market, in terms of avenues and modes of availability in which you can access different types and styles of music (streaming, iTunes, used CDs, SoundCloud, bootleg) -- and not just 'The Hits' -- the way that young kids are even exposed to new (or even old) bands changes every day. The authors might agree.
     Therefore, I think that Connected can shed light on a lot of questions such as:

• Why certain musical acts don’t get into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame? 
• How diseases and/or contagions spread through certain communities and not others?

     Connected was written in 2009 and already some statistics have changed. For example, the average user on Facebook now has 130 friends, not 110.
     This number is still below of what the author's discuss as Dunbar's theory (p. 248) - 150 being the the limit as to which humans have the ability to recognize, monitor and assess other people within their network without being overwhelmed by not knowing who is who, friendly vs. hostile, etc.
     One interesting aspect of of this theory is that modern armies have remained small even to this day, "...suggest[ing] that communication is not the crucial factor. More important is the human mind's ability to track social relationships, to form mental network maps that track who is connected to whom and how strong or weak, cooperative or aggressive, those relationships are."
     As the authors discuss the Internet and its impact on social relationships, they discuss how e-mail was the earliest versions of our online social networking ability. And just as e-mail was condensed so that one e-mail address came to represent one identity, so too will we soon have one profile that "allows one to traverse many virtual worlds and social networks." (p.274) However, we may be required to share our friends on Facebook, but I can still choose to participate minimally.
     As the number of our online social circle grows past what we can truly feel comfortable controlling, will people begin to segment their interests into different personalities and/or profiles? How much will this compartmentalization change the value structure of the identity represented?  

"You Can't Sit Down" with Tommy Conwell, Hooters

Courtesy of the Philadelphia Enquirer:
Author: Michael Klein [3/6/2011]

Friday afternoon saw a gathering of Hooters and other rock-and-rollers at Elm Street Studio in Conshohocken to remake the Dovells' hit "You Can't Sit Down." Standing up for the creative process were Eric Bazilian, Graham Alexander (who plays Paul McCartney in Rain on Broadway), Rob Hyman, Tommy Conwell, David Uosikkinen, Jay Davidson, and Jerry Blavat (characteristically ad-libbing). The single, part of Uosikkinen's project known as In the Pocket: Essential Songs of Philadelphia, will be available for downloading next month at songsinthepocket.com. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Settlement Music Schools.

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform "Back in the USA" - 1989

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform cover of Chuck Berry's "Back in the USA" at the Pennsylvania State Fair, in Bensalem, PA, Memorial Day 1989.

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers on iTunes

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. Now on iTunes! At long last!
          Also, don't forget that you can still purchase music and other great items at the Tommy Conwell Store...

Here Comes Tommy Conwell, Red Hot and Ready for Success [1987]

Here Comes Tommy Conwell, Red Hot and Ready for Success

By Carrie Stetler and The Morning Call
April 24, 1987

By next year, Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers should be famous. "And if there's any justice in this world, it won't be a miserable, heartbreaking experience," says Conwell, lead singer of the Philadelphia-based band, which performs tomorrow night at Kutztown University. 

Although he jokes about the psychological ravages of success, Conwell knows that, at least, he's got no reason to worry about his climb to the top. Since January, when Conwell and the Young Rumblers released their debut LP, "Walkin' On The Water," every major record label in the county has offered them a contract. As yet, the band is still deciding who to sign with.

Big-time producer Rick Chertoff (who produced hit debut albums for Cyndi Lauper and The Hooters) wants to produce Conwell's next album and recently helped him get a guitar-playing spot on one track of singer Patty Smyth's latest LP, "Never Enough." Through it all, major Philadelphia radio stations continue to give Young Rumblers singles like "Walkin' on the Water" and "Here I Come" heavy airplay.

As if that's not enough, Conwell has become an object of adoration. After the bands' live shows, people routinely come up to Conwell and tell him how much they love him. Because he's so good-looking, teen-age girls scream when Conwell and the Young Rumblers (who are also good-looking) play high school gigs. Throngs of teen-agers line up at record stores just to get his autograph. It's no wonder that Conwell, 25, occasionally worries if he's becoming conceited. " . . . Sometimes it's confusing, like 'Oh jeez, people are telling me I'm great and I don't want to get a big head . . . ' " he confessed during a recent telephone interview. 

Stardom, possible stardom, even local stardom, can make some people selfish and amoral. Conwell, however, has adjusted to it well enough to remain a nice, slightly introspective guy. This not only makes him a pleasantly honest telephone interviewee; it makes him the kind of of rock star women like for being "sensitive." 

The lyrics to Conwell's love songs are tenderly direct and sincere; so is his aching, throaty delivery. "Take my hand/ Take your turn/ Love's on fire/ But it won't burn," he sings reassuringly during the chorus to "Love's on Fire." On another song, Conwell insecurely asks a girl he's broken up with: "Do you still believe in me?" Add to these sentiments catchy melodies and plaintive guitar hooks and you have the stuff romantic bubblegum music is made of. "I write best when I'm in love," Conwell admits. " . . . I need someone to write to. I'm not an angry writer; I'm not an angry person. I think I stuff my anger somewhere so I don't have to deal with it." 

Don't be misled by such gentleness, however. Conwell doesn't consider himself a future centerfold for Tigerbeat, the teen fanzine. He wants to appeal to both sexes and all age groups, and believes that so far he's pretty much succeeded. 

"I don't think our band would ever woo kiddie magazines," Conwell says, reflecting upon the nature of upcoming Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers publicity. 

". . . I don't want people (at our live shows) to scream because I'm wearing tight pants; I don't necessarily want them to scream. They can do what they want, as long as they like the music, that's alright with me . . . I wouldn't want to be like Bruce Hornsby and have all my fans over 30, but I wouldn't want to be like a-ha or Duran Duran either." 

Although they're certainly cuter and dreamier than Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon (though perhaps not as cute as Nick Rhodes), Conwell and the Young Rumblers are diverse and skillful rockers, too. Their live cover versions include everything from 1960s acid rock hits to Roger Miller's country and western crossover classic, "King of the Road." Most of Conwell's fast songs have a blues-rock edge, and he's no slouch on the guitar. He is, in fact, a serious musician. As a University of Delaware student he performed in a punk band, a pop combo, a jazz quartet, and a blues band, all at the same time. "Needless to say, I wasn't on the dean's list, but I had hell of a lot of fun," Conwell recalls fondly. 

A native of Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, Conwell founded the Young Rumblers "on Feb. 24, 1984." The present lineup is composed of members that Conwell met in and around the Philadelphia area: bassist Paul Slivka, drummer Jim Hannum, guitarist Chris Day and keyboardist Rob Miller (a former Hooters member). Despite an awkward beginning ("Plenty of people are surprised that we lasted for even a year," Conwell says), the band quickly became The Next Big Thing. 

In the last few months, people have been telling them that any day now, they will be famous rock stars. Conwell thinks he can handle it when and if the time comes because he and the band have worked hard for their success: playing six nights a week, driving themselves to obscure venues in small Pennsylvania towns, taking performance classes and singing lessons, and constantly trying to improve their songwriting and musicianship. 

"Now if we do have whatever success we're gonna have in the future, I'm not going to feel guilty." Conwell says evenly. "I'm not going to feel confused about it and I'm not going to feel uncomfortable. And when someone comes up and tells me 'Hey, we love you,' which they do sometimes, I don't have to say 'Aw schucks, get out of here.' I can just say thank you and not get weird about it. I can just take it for what it is." 

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform at 8 p.m. tomorrow at Keystone Hall, Kutztown University, Kutztown. Tickets are available at Ticketron, the usual area ticket outlets and are expected to be available at the door. The concert is presented by Makoul Productions. For information, call 821-0906. 

Carrie Stetler is a free-lance writer on entertainment for The Morning Call.