The first song that Todd Rundgren ever wrote
Crafting an enduring rock anthem typically demands years of artistic refinement and meticulous attention to detail. Yet, there are occasions when certain artists, such as Todd Rundgren, seem to effortlessly conjure timeless classics like ‘Hello It’s Me’ with apparent ease and little deliberate effort.
Then again, Rundgren didn’t get to be an outstanding musician overnight. Throughout his time working in the background of rock and roll in the 1960s, he normally looked to expand his craft as a musician rather than create massive chart hits. That meant he had a lot of time to play and a lot of time to listen.
Listening to almost everything under the sun, Rundgren left nothing off the table when it came time to work on music. Having an ear for production, one look at the man’s credentials shows just how versatile he can be, playing alongside legends like Ringo Starr while also becoming one of the most in-demand producers in punk history, helping get artists like The New York Dolls off the ground.
When he was still a teenager, though, Rundgren was still looking to make the kind of music he heard in his head a reality. After absorbing the sounds of rock and roll that he heard from the British invasion, Rundgren was also listening to music that would never see the light of day on the radio, including a healthy amount of jazz harmony.
Looking to combine two of his favourite genres under one roof, ‘Hello It’s Me’ was a product of Rundgren’s first songwriting session. Even though it’s not really fair for something that complicated to come out in one gulp, Rundgren admitted that the classic melodic lines in the piece might not actually be his.
When talking to Brian D’Addario of The Lemon Twigs, Rundgren remembered pinching most of the riff from jazz great Jimmy Smith, saying, “The very first song I wrote, ironically, was ‘Hello It’s Me’, which took elements of improvised playing by jazz organist Jimmy Smith. He had a live record where he did this kind of intro to a song, and I simply stole those changes and wrote something on top of it.”
While Rundgren did fess up to stealing the changes, he insisted that there was no way to have a completely original idea when starting out, explaining, “But songwriting is kind of like plagiarism, anyway, because there are only so many notes. Eventually, you’re going to have to incorporate influences, even if you’re not consciously thinking about them.”
Even though it’s sophisticated enough for rock and roll, it’s easy to imagine most of the melody coming from a seasoned jazz pro, blowing through different phrases and leaving traces of brilliance in his wake. Although Rundgren would eventually make the kind of epics that only the best in their field could have written, his entire legacy has been built on a track that might need a few co-writing credits added to it.
