Thursday, November 22, 2007

RadioIndy Review "Home Again"

Saturday, July 14, 2007

"Home Again" by John Batdorf (Acoustic/Adult Rock Artist from Los Angeles, California (CA))

"Home Again" by John Batdorf, is a very impressive acoustic adult rock CD. The CD is filled with impressive acoustic guitar work, which sounds really good on this recording. John's vocals are especially beautiful on this CD, and include rich harmonies on many tracks. The recording quality is crystal clear, which is especially effective on this acoustic, unplugged CD, and allows the lyrics to cut through nicely. The songwriting combines well thought-out and thought-provoking lyrics combined with memorable choruses. "Home Again," the title track, combines memorable acoustic guitar work and a memorable chorus, with a powerful lyrical message. "Me and You" includes clever lyrics and nice 2-part harmonies. "Something Is Slipping Away" is a remarkably beautiful song. The up-tempo "One Night Stands" is one of our favorite tracks, with it's hook-filled chorus. If you enjoy acoustic adult rock artists of the 60s and early 70s, such as Crosby, Stills, & Nash, you will enjoy this CD. Pick up a copy today!
- Review by RadioIndy staff

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

reviews from around the web #4

Gooder'n Bad Vinyl

The Best Vinyl I've Got . . . Well, mostly vinyl, and mostly good ;-)

Batdorf and Rodney - Off The Shelf (1971)

Originally Posted Monday, 2. October 2006 by


This was Batdorf and Rodney's first album. The song "Can You See Him" received the most airplay on FM radio stations. According to Mark Rodney, he did most of the lead guitar work on this song and this is his favorite song from all of their albums.

Although they first met in high school in Hollywood, California, John and Mark got musically together in the mystical desert of Las Vegas, Nevada in September 1970.

John, originally from Dayton, Ohio was in a Cowsills type band called the "Loved Ones", featuring soap opera star Patty Weaver and her brothers. He was 15 at the time. They signed with Atlantic Records chairman Ahmet Ertugen and moved west, but the band went nowhere.

Mark, who grew up in Hollywood, California came from a famous musical family. As a teenager, he played in various blues bands and jammed with famous bands like the orginal Blues Image, Jimi Hendrix, and many rock stars in Hollywood clubs.

By 1970, both John and Mark had tired of the Los Angeles scene and were both interested in the new music revolution of the 70s....acoustic music! They re-connected in Las Vegas and started playing acoustic guitars together. They were both heavily into the new sound of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Neil Young, James Taylor, and Simon & Garfunkel. After three months, they had conquered Las Vegas and had enough originals to head back to Los Angeles. By a magic coincidence, Ahmet Ertegun was in Los Angeles and offered to audition them. He immediately signed them to Atlantic Records and produced them himself in legendary Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

The group eventually recorded three albums on Atlantic, Asylum (one of their first releases), and Arista Records. The three A's! They toured for five years with groups like Bread, The Youngbloods, Loggins and Messina, Three Dog Night, Dan Fogelberg, Chicago, Seals and Crofts, and every group from that era. They had several regional hits but never broke nationally before they had enough of the business. Batdorf and Rodney were actually before groups like America, Seals and Crofts, and Dan Fogelberg. They were always considered a major influence of that sound.

Originally Posted Monday, 2. October 2006 by

reviews from around the web #3

John Batdorf

Categories: Pop/Rock/Country, Eclectic Mix

John Batdorf began his career in the 70's as a recording artist with Batdorf and Rodney. John and Mark Rodney were both heavily in the new sound of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Neil Young, James Taylor, and Simon & Garfunkel.

They made records and toured this country and Canada for most of the 70s. Now in a new millennium, John has recorded a new CD with James Lee Stanley "All Wood And Stones" along with his first solo EP, "Side One." His latest solo CD, "Home Again" is comprised of seven new originals and three songs for the Batdorf and Rodney days. This CD is an acoustic guitar and vocal enthusiasts dream come true. It was also the first time that he had a chance to work with Mark Rodney since 1975.


Copyright © 2007 ArtServe Michigan and MediaSpan



reviews from around the web #2


Originally Posted Wednesday, March 7th, 2007

MUSIC REVIEW:

Batdorf and Rodney are home again

By JIM CARNES, The Sacramento Bee

More than three decades after putting an end to Batdorf and Rodney, John Batdorf and Mark Rodney are singing together again - and it's great. Just like old times. Except with a maturity of songwriting on Batdorf's part that imbues this set with warmth and depth. Batdorf refers to "Home Again" as "the Batdorf and Rodney album that was never made," which is sure to delight a bunch of old fans.

It includes three songs from the duo's days together - the title track, which is performed here in a version that's even better than the original; "Ain't It Like Home," which Batdorf performs as a solo; and "Where Are You Now," a duet that has never appeared on a studio album - plus seven new songs.

Those two "home" songs are a clue to a major theme of this set. It's about finding a place of safety and comfort. Other fine songs include "Solitude," "Me and You" and "One Night Stands," which is only about extramarital affairs in that it's about a performer's love of his music and the one-night concert stands on the road.

This is a really fine collection.

**** out of four stars.

reviews from around the web #1






Small But Loyal Fans Still Love B&R
9/24/2007 2:00:35 PM | Chuck Collins

John Batdorf and Mark Rodney reunite on the Kent Stage (note: this show is from the recent past)

John Batdorf's uniquely passionate vocals and guitar playing landed him his first major record deal back in the 70s with Atlantic Records, and he has continued to develop and grow as an artist to this day. As the song writing and lead vocal half of Batdorf and Rodney, John began honing his craft and developing his own style back in the early 70s.

Mark Rodney, the son of a beat-era jazz trumpeter, started hanging out and jamming at clubs on the Sunset Strip while he was still a teenager. In those days you could jam with anybody at a club called Thee Experience. Jimi Hendrix, Blues Image, and Albert Collins were just a few he was lucky enough to jam with. While staying with his dad in Las Vagas, Rodney saw John Batdorf playing guitar at UNLV's "The Kitchen," Vegas's only folk club, and my life changed again. CSN, and Neil Young had come out, and we both loved those groups, so they switched to acoustic guitars, started jamming together and developed their our own sound. Batdorf & Rodney was born!

John will be performing solo the first half of the show and then will be joined by his old buddy, Mark Rodney. They will be performing all their greats from the B&R days.

So what have the guys been up to?
After the breakup, John did an album with a group called Silver and toured the country promoting their album at venues with the likes of America, Doobie Brothers, Poco and Hall and Oats. Fans devoted to his sound recognized John's voice on several radio and television projects in the 80s when he worked as a top LA studio session singer.

When he wasn't touring with bands, or producing music for a variety of clients, he never stopped writing songs. In the early 90s he partnered with fellow songwriter Michael McLean and released a handful of albums that captured a personal resonance John found with his universal songs of hope and inspiration.

Its as if with each stage in his artistic journey, he developed a greater understanding of the power music to impact our daily lives. Never one to stagnate creatively, John expanded his artistic palette from acoustic driven pop/rock to story driven melodies.

From 1996 to 2002 he worked as a TV composer for the hit series Touched by an Angel and Promised Land. Now into the second half of the new millennium, John has recorded a new CD with James Lee Stanley "All Wood And Stones" (a highly original take on early Rolling Stones songs, done acoustically with tight harmonies) along with his first solo EP, "Side One."

His latest solo CD,Home Again is comprised of seven new originals and three songs for the Batdorf and Rodney days. This CD is an acoustic guitar and vocal enthusiasts dream come true! When you listen to John sing songs about things that really matter to him, and you'll understand why they mean so much to his fans that have spanned three decades.

The Kent Stage is located at 175 East Main Street in downtown Kent , Ohio There is FREE parking behind the theater and on all city streets. Advance tickets are available at Woodsy's Music and Spin-More Records in Kent or www.kentstage.org. Tickets will also be available at the door. Doors open one hour before concert

On the Net:
www.kentstage.org
http://www.johnbatdorfmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/markrodney

Source: The Kent Stage news release

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Batdorf and Rodney at XM Radio

Posted on the home page of johnbatdorfmusic.com Saturday, November 17th, 2007 5:36 AM PST

Batdorf and Rodney at XM Radio

Mark Rodney, Bill Batstone and myself (John Batdorf) recorded a live concert yesterday (Friday, November 16th, 2007) for The Loft, XM 50 on your XM Radio dial. There was no audience and we played many of the songs from the first two Batdorf and Rodney Records. It is a little strange not having an audience but we spoke about the past and tried to set up each song with a bit of nostalgic information. The shows are described as warts and all because even though we were in a recording studio, there were no fixes or overdubs. The only re-records were another full pass at a song if the mistakes were beyond warts and all. Over all I thought we all did a pretty good job! The show is scheduled to air in February which is good timing for us. The plan is to release the XM show as a live B&R CD in the Spring of 2008. As a bonus, I have written two new songs that will be recorded in the studio and be the first new Batdorf and Rodney recordings since 1975. I really want to thank all of the folks at XM Radio, especially Mike Marrone, George Taylor Morris, Jerry Rubino, Earl Bailey, and countless others for all their support. Mike started playing Batdorf and Rodney records from his own burned CDs before they were re-released! XM Radio has continued to support "All Wood and Stones" as well as my newest solo CD, "Home Again". Thanks XM for allowing this music to get rediscovered!!!!!

On another front, a brand new self described "record company for the 21st century", Novatunes, has signed on artists like Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Leon Russell and several more acts including myself. I think they have come up with a great new concept in selling music. Check out their site below.
http://www.novatunes.com/

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

"Let It Go" #6 for October '07 on Acoustic Pie Radio

Posted by Kelley Martin on her myspace this past Sunday:

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Top 20 Songs on Acoustic Pie Radio, October 2007

As voted on by online listeners at Live365.....

Thanks for voting and thanks for listening!

~Kelley

TOP 20 SONGS
Acoustic Pie Internet Radio
October 2007

ARTIST ~ SONG ~ ALBUM

1. Steve Chizmadia ~ Little Voice ~ It Is What It Is

2. Krista Detor ~ A Red Bowl ~ Mudshow

3. Charlotte Kendrick ~ Caroline ~ North of New York

4. Willy Porter ~ Big Yellow Pine ~ Willy Porter

5. Steve Poltz ~ 10 Chances ~ Chinese Vacation

6. Batdorf & McLean ~ Let It Go ~ Don't You Know

7. Mission Street Project ~ Sanctuary Road ~ Liberty Tree

8. Corinne ~ It's Your Time ~ Bound For the Living

9. Patrick Fitzsimmons ~ Old Blue Heart ~ Live: The Birthday Shows

10. Emily Maguire ~ Back Home ~ Keep Walking

11. Dougie MacLean ~ Mary Queen of Scots ~ Who am I

12. Storyhill ~ Full Circle ~ Reunion

13. Jenn Grinels ~ Happy Birthday ~ Little Words

14. Erik Balkey ~ God's Poet Now ~ My Sacred Heart

15. Diane Zeigler ~ The Well ~ Paintbrush

16. Chris Pureka ~ Come Back Home ~ Dryland

17. Arlo Guthrie ~ Darkest Hour ~ In Times Like These

18. Antje Duvekot ~ South ~ Big Dream Boulevard

19. Tom Russell ~ Ash Wednesday ~ Love & Fear

20. Still on the Hill ~ I Saw You There ~ Before Their Time