Back in 1974, Rick Springfield was a household character – if not in person, although music fans knew his “Comic Book Heroes” album and flocked to his concerts, then as animated personage of the “Mission: Magic!” series which ran in both America and Australia, his homeland. Only when the 25-years-old recorded a follow-up to the show’s soundtrack and delivered it to Columbia, the label’s bosses were flabbergasted.
Instead of soft hooks of crafty pop their Oz-born charge had produced previously, his fresh tapes presented sharp hard rocks riffs and words that oozed lust. As a result, in early 1975 the “Springfield” platter got shelved to remain unissued until May 12th, 2023, when, digitally remastered from the original master tapes, it will finally see the light of day. A few of those pieces appeared earlier but they’re put back into the album’s context now, and augmented with two sides of a contemporary single and an entire live performance from 1974. A hidden treasure, long overdue for rediscovery.
Springfield
Original album:
1. Trash *
2. Call The Fire Brigade *
3. Eleanor Rigby
4. Child Within
5. Beethoven Street *
6. Sukaya *
7. Sweet Teezer *
8. Pearly And Me *
9. American Girls
10. Elektra *
bonus tracks – single:
11. Streakin’ Across The U.S.A.
12. Music To Streak By
Live at Northwest Speedway, Post Falls, Idaho, 1974 *:
13. Wolfman Jack Introduction
14. Music To Streak By
15. Trash
16. Call The Fire Brigade
17. Sukaya
18. Eleanor Rigby
19. American Girls
20. Elektra
21. Beethoven Street
* previously unreleased
