Batdorf & Rodney

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Batdorf & Rodney
Batdorf and Rodney.jpg
John Batdorf (left) and Mark Rodney in 1971
Background information
Origin Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres
Years active1970 (1970)–1975 (1975), 2007 (2007)–2008 (2008)
Labels
Past members

Batdorf & Rodney were an early-1970s folk rock duo consisting of John Batdorf and Mark Rodney. [1] [2]

Contents

Career

The two began performing in the summer of 1970 in Las Vegas. They toured extensively with many of the most famous acts of the 1970s. Their tours included playing at Carnegie Hall. They issued three albums on three different labels between 1971 and 1975, logging two chart hits during their final year after signing with Arista Records. Their self-titled second album featured the track "Home Again," an FM radio staple that at 6:30 was perhaps too long to be a hit single. A track from their third album, "You Are a Song," written by Jim Weatherly, was released as a single and reached number 87 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 during the summer of 1975. It also reached #19 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart. [3]

Their other hit, a non-album single, was an early version of "Somewhere in the Night," which reached number 69 in December of that year. [4] Issued concurrently with Helen Reddy's version, the song became a Top 40 hit for her in 1976 and a Top 10 hit for Barry Manilow in 1979. Another song, "All I Need," reached the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart in 1973, peaking at #79. [5]

Dissolution

Their third album, recorded under Arista Records with Clive Davis, faced creative differences. While Davis pushed for more commercially viable songs, Batdorf & Rodney were reluctant, feeling it compromised their artistic integrity. Internal strains and management changes eventually led to the duo's breakup in 1975.

After the break-up and reunion

Remaining with Arista, Batdorf soon formed the group Silver then released "Wham Bam" in 1976, the most successful single of his career, which reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. [6] In 2007, the duo reunited to record an album titled Still Burnin'.

Discography

Studio albums

TitleDetailsPeak chart positions
US [7]
Off The Shelf—
Batdorf & Rodney185
Life Is You140
Still Burnin'
  • Released: 2007
  • Label: BatMac
—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsAlbum
US CA AC
1971"Oh My Suprise"——Off The Shelf
1972"Simone"——Non-album Single
"All I Need"—79Batdorf & Rodney
"Home Again"——
1975"You Are A Song"8719Life Is You
"Life Is You"——
"Somewhere in the Night" 69—Non-album Single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

References

  1. ↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. November 4, 1972. pp. 77–. ISSN   0006-2510.
  2. ↑ Rumsey, Spencer (April 10, 2014). "Classic Radio Plays "The Thin Man" and "Casablanca" for LIU Post FM Station Benefit". longislandpress.com. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard . October 18, 1975. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart". billboard.com. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. March 10, 1973. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2017.
  7. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2018). Top Pop Albums 1955-2016. Prometheus Global Media. ISBN   978-0-89820-226-7.
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