Rick Springfield has sold fifteen million records and after nearly thirty years in show business, he still performs with the reckless abandon of a twenty-something rock star. Springfield's h... Read allRick Springfield has sold fifteen million records and after nearly thirty years in show business, he still performs with the reckless abandon of a twenty-something rock star. Springfield's hit song, "Jesse's Girl" became the anthem of the 1980's-- a time when his feathered hair, ... Read allRick Springfield has sold fifteen million records and after nearly thirty years in show business, he still performs with the reckless abandon of a twenty-something rock star. Springfield's hit song, "Jesse's Girl" became the anthem of the 1980's-- a time when his feathered hair, tightly-suited body and boyish face became hallmarks of the era.
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Storyline
Parents, Sergeant Norman and Eileen Springthorpe, welcome Rick as their second son, and do not discourage his early interest in guitar playing although they advise him to seek a steady career, and place music as a hobby. But Rick begins to join a series of bands. First, The Shadows, and then Shorty Boys.
In 1967, Rick withdraws from school to join his third band, Rock House, as singer/guitarist, and in 1968, Rock House tours war-ravaged Vietnam to entertain troops under dangerous circumstances for four months.
In 1969, Rick joins fellow Australians John D'Arcy, Darryl Cotton and Beeb Birtles to form his fourth band, Zoot, a pop group attired in pink costumes, this lasting until 1971, when Rick leaves for Los Angeles, California, to attempt a solo career.
In the States, Rick receives his stage name of Springfield, when he signs with Capitol Records, and his agent submits Rick's photographs for a teen magazine, propelling him to a new audience. But when critics circulate rumors that Capitol has fabricated this "talentless" teen idol, Rick Sprinfield's career hopes begin to diminish severely, and the rumors follow him after he signs with Columbia Records, and from here, Rick is again dropped from another label.
By age 25, Rick Springfield cannot accept the notion that his music career has peaked when critics refer to him as a "has-been," but says that he finds comfort with his first love, as he shares his residence with the lovely Linda Blair, when she is only fifteen, with her mother's blessing. This lasts for one year, but Linda and Rick remain on amicable terms.
By 1980, Rick signs with RCA records, to record the album "Working Class Dog," which neither he nor his new agent claims to expect to perform well in terms of airplay or record sales, and so Rick studies an acting course, appears on various programs, and receives an offer to perform as a regular on the daytime television drama "General Hospital."
In 1981, with a rapid succession of events, Rick loses his father, while his television popularity as Doctor Noah Drake begins to soar opposite the lovely Jacklyn Zeman as Nurse Bobbie Spencer, and, as we perhaps know by now, "Working Class Dog" creates in Rick Springfield a very famous recording artist with hits as "I've Done Everything for You" and the Number-One smash, "Jessie's Girl."
(One possible goof here would be that this episode claims that the record tops the singles' charts at #1 for about a year, but what they mean is that the record stays in the Top-100 for the better part of the year, peaking at #1 for two weeks, in August of 1981).
Well, twenty years later, fifteen million adoring fans can't be wrong (even though they scream their way through Rick's concerts as they age from 15 to 35, and going strong, and the musicians claim to love such a show of attention), all helping to earn Rick seventeen Top-40 records (as of February, 2001).
This episode doesn't identify Rick's wife nor elder son, but does mention younger son, Joshua. The wife would be Barbara Porter, and the elder son Liam. But it does discuss Rick's arrest for spousal verbal abuse as a result of well-meaning neighbors' reporting a late-night shouting match altercation at the Sprinfield residence, before law enforcement authorities detain Rick overnight, but do not file charges. But he openly apologizes to fans anyway and then continues with his concerts.
At the time of this interview, Rick has taken a break from touring and film and television acting, to star in the Las Vegas production "EFX-Alive" for a year's booking. (And, yes, he does ask "You know?" a lot, which, of course, most of us often repeat without being influenced by Rick's diction.)
Interview Guests for this episode consist of Rick Springfield (Self), Eileen Springthorpe (Mother), Linda Blair (Actress/ex-fiancée), Jacklyn Zeman (Actress/co-star), Steve Binder (former Manager), Tom Skeeter (former Manager), Darryl Cotton (Zoot Bandmember), Jack White (Drummer), Sammy Hagar (Singer/Musician/Songwriter), Keith Olson (Record Producer), and David Wild (Senior Editor, "Rolling Stone"), with Kevin Bacon (Host), and Leif Anders (Narrator).
Still Photographs include Norman, Eileen, elder son and Rick Springthorpe; John D'Arcy, Darryl Cotton, Beeb Birtles and Rick Springthorpe of Zoot; Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland of the Police; Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor and Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran; Billy Idol, and Barbara Porter, Liam and Joshua Springfield.
Archive film footage includes Rick Springfield, Lynda Carter, Jacklyn Zeman, Leslie Charleson and David Lewis, plus various musicians and excitedly screaming fans.
Rick's song performances here include "Speak to the Sky" (1971-72), "Believe in Magic" (1974), "I've Done Everything for You" (1981), "Jessie's Girl" (1981), "Don't Talk to Strangers" (1982), "It's Always Something" (1983), and "Love Somebody" (1984).
Television Clips include Rick Springfield in scenes from "Mission: Magic!" (1973), "The New Adventures of Wonder Woman" (1978), "General Hospital" (1981), and "Human Target" (1992), in addition to Video Clips of Rick's song performances with Shorty Boys, and soloing in Los Angeles clubs, in concerts and Music Videos.
- WeatherViolet
- Jun 19, 2010
Details
- Runtime45 minutes