Welch started his career with a show band, the Seven Souls, playing night clubs around the country. Las Vegas lounges, and chic European resorts after having a Top-20 hit on the L.A. R&B charts. While living in Europe , where he was majoring in French at the Sorbonne, he was chosen to fill the guitar spot in Fleetwood Mac . He flourished with the band as a songwriter and guitarist, and wrote and sang 22 of the 50 songs on five albums.
Welch left Fleetwood Mac to form the group Paris with Soupy Sales' son, Hunt Sales, and Jethro Tull's bass player, Glenn Cornick.. After two albums with Paris , Welch's solo career took off in 1977 with a series of albums that generated 8 top-ten singles. During this time, he appeared and often guest-hosted on TV shows like Dick Clark's New American Bandstand, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, Solid Gold and Bert Sugarman's Midnight Special.
This led to Welch hosting his own pre-MTV syndicated weekly music variety TV series Hollywood Heartbeat for Gold Key Media. His two-hour live TV musical special, "Bob Welch and Friends" was an MTV first. He continued on, recording more solo albums for RCA Records, and the worldwide sales of Welch's Fleetwood Mac and solo career record output continued to soar into the tens of millions.
During his career as a solo artist, Welch received numerous awards including Billboard's "Favorite debut artist" award and the North American Rock Radio's "#1 Pop singlenew male artist" award, as well as playing in front of the largest rock concert audience ever (over 300,000 people) at California Jam II. Both Rhino Records and Curb Records have recently released collections of Welch's solo material, and Fleetwood Mac has released a 25th anniversary boxed set, "The Chain," which includes some of Welch's work with that band, as well as re-releasing on CD all his former recordings with Fleetwood Mac.
Welch helped found AFTRA'S "Singer's Night" at the famous Bluebird Cafe, when he served on the their Board of Directors. He is currently a member of ASCAP (32 years), NSAI and is a voting member of NARAS. Bob's songs have been cut by Sammy Hagar, The Pointer Sisters, Bruce Channel, Don Nix, and most recently, by Kenny Rogers. Bob has had his material used in HBO movies, like "Tough and Deadly," and one of his compositions is featured in the Dreamworks.Steve Spielberg production directed by Cameron Crowe, "Almost Famous."
Welch has music compositions with various production music libraries such as DSM Producers in New York.
As an endorsee of Gibson guitars, Welch performed at guitar clinics at different cities in the area, such as Chicago, Memphis, and Birmingham. Welch was one of the first on-line interviews and one of the first endorsees for Compuserve's Music Forum, Bob performed on the "First Virtual Guitar Lesson" on CD ROM in conjunction with Gibson guitars for Compuserve Magazine. He continued to do the multiple interviews and rock bios for TV networks like the Disney Channel and the BBC.
Welch received an award from A.S.C.A.P commemorating over 25 years of consecutive airplay for his compositions Sentimental Lady and Hypnotized.
In 1999 Welch released a new CD , "Bob Welch Looks At Bop", a tribute to the "BE BOP" music of the 1940's. He also wrote a column for the music professionals website and magazine "artistpro.com", and is an audio consultant for A.M.D computers and for Steinburg Gmbh, the audio production specialists.
Welch was featured in a July 2002 Wall Street Journal article spotlighting "songwriting by e-mail collaboration."
Welch's song , "Sentimental Lady" featured in the November 2002 release, About Schmidt," starring Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates.
On July 8th 2003, One Way Records released Welch's CD; "Bob Welch; His Fleetwood Mac Years And Beyond"
Welch died on June 7, 2012 of an apparent suicide. He had been having health issues prior to his death.
China
Bob Welch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm sailin' round the Cape Unknown
But that China girl is waitin' there
So I know where I got to go
Oh China, I can hear you call
You see I really don't have the choices
I'm a prisoner of those oriental eyes
So I pretend to chart my courses
Oh China, I can hear you call
Oh China, Oh China, Oh China, oh yeah
Those oriental eyes are such a mystery
Yeah they are
China calls again
You see now long, long ago
I once had the power to levitate the world
With just my will
Well I thought that it was gone
How could I be so wrong
I belong to China now
Oh China, I can hear you call
The lyrics of Bob Welch's song "China" paint a picture of a sailor lost in the sea of mystery, navigating around the Cape Unknown towards a destination- China. He is captivated by the allure of a China girl and her oriental eyes. Despite charting his course, he can't help but dream about the nights in China. These lyrics suggest a longing for a place far away, perhaps one that is exotic and mystical, which serves as a respite from the mundane monotonous life of the sailor.
The song speaks to the universal human desire for adventure and the allure of the unknown that can often draw us towards it. The idea of surrendering oneself to the unknown and risking everything for a chance at something different and exciting occludes the sailor's rational judgment, as he makes his way towards his dream destination. His attraction to the place is so strong that he feels like a prisoner of those oriental eyes, and it makes him powerless, yet he still hears the call of China.
Overall, the song's captivating lyrics convey a sense of exoticism and a far-off destination that is almost otherworldly. It highlights the adventurous aspect of human nature and our inbuilt desire to see and experience the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm adrift on a sea of mystery
I am lost in an unknown world of confusion and uncertainty.
I'm sailin' round the Cape Unknown
I am navigating through uncharted territories and unknown waters.
But that China girl is waitin' there
However, there is a girl in China that I am drawn towards.
So I know where I got to go
This draws me to know exactly where I need to be.
Oh China, I can hear you call
My desire to be in China is so strong that I can hear it.
You see I really don't have the choices
Despite any other options, I feel a sense of obligation towards China.
I'm a prisoner of those oriental eyes
I am deeply captivated and entranced by the mystery and allure of the culture in China.
So I pretend to chart my courses
Although I try to maintain control over my life, my desire for China overpowers my intentions.
But I'm dreamin' of those China nights
I fantasize about being in China and the magical moments I could experience there.
Those oriental eyes are such a mystery
The unique and beautiful qualities of the people in China intrigue me.
China calls again
My attraction is so strong that I hear China's call to me once again.
You see now long, long ago
At one point in my life, I had the capability to make a great impact.
I once had the power to levitate the world
I had the ability to influence and impact the world at a grand scale.
With just my will
I had a strong sense of determination and drive.
Well I thought that it was gone
At one point, I believed this power was lost to me forever.
How could I be so wrong
However, I was mistaken and this power still exists within me.
I belong to China now
My sense of belonging towards China is powerful and undeniable.
Oh China, I can hear you call
China's allure and call towards me remains strong.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB WELCH, ROBERT L WELCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gary Backstrom
Dam I’m just discovering Bob late in life
I’m loving hearing these great songs
St James
An Amazing Talent . . . RIP ~
Charles Peak, Jr
I actually saw this many years ago on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert (1979-80). Before the video plays, you see Kirshner for a second.
Mario S. Sanchez
"china" is a real good song from the three hearts album from 1979. not as good as french kiss but as far as I am concerned a significant album🤔
Nathan Batten
Never seen this 1 before!