Playing lead guitar and bass, respectively, Rundgren and Van Osten were joined by drummer Thom Mooney (formerly of the Munchkins) and lead vocalist/keyboardist Stewkey (born Robert Antoni). Nazz had their first gig in July 1967, landing an opening slot at a Doors concert. By September, the group received some financial support from the local record store Bartoff & Warfield, who also put them in touch with John Kurland, a record promoter who was looking for a guitar pop band. Kurland took a shine to Nazz and signed on as their manager. Throughout the fall, they practiced in their new home base of Great Neck, New York. Kurland and his associate, Michael Friedman, prevented the band from gigging regularly, believing that a lack of performances would increase demand for the group. The managers were convinced that Nazz could be marketed as a sharp, stylish boy band for the teenybopper audience, and helped the quartet members to refashion themselves in that mode.
With a wardrobe of clothes and an album's worth of material ready, Kurland and Friedman had Nazz sign with SGC Records -- an offshoot of Atlantic Records and Columbia-Screen Gems -- in the summer of 1968. Their debut album, Nazz, appeared in October, supported by the single "Hello It's Me." Although the song would later become a major hit for Rundgren as a solo artist, the dirgey original version barely scraped the national charts, largely due to mismanagement. The managers wanted that Nazz played only large halls, which was virtually impossible for an unknown, unproven band with a newly released debut album. As a result, most of the group's publicity was limited to glamour shots and puff pieces in teen mags. Ironically, many of the articles emphasized the band's "electrifying" live performances.
"Hello It's Me" managed to reach number 71 on the charts, and the record -- particularly the Nazz's self-production of "Open My Eyes" and "Hello It's Me" -- attracted some good notices. Taking this as a cue, Nazz headed to England to cut their second album, but they became embroiled in work visa problems. Undaunted, they returned to America and began work on an ambitious self-produced double album named Fungo Bat. By the time it was released in April 1969, it was trimmed to a single album and titled Nazz Nazz. Although the project's scale was diminished, the music remained dizzyingly diverse, as the record ran the gamut from psychedelic rockers to pop ballads. One problem emerged, however. In the process of editing, much of Rundgren's newer, Laura Nyro-influenced material -- which he had sung himself -- was left on the shelves. Neither the management nor his bandmates gave Rundgren much encouragement to sing, nor was his new introspective direction warmly received by his colleagues. Faced with a no-win situation, Rundgren left the group not long after their summer 1969 tour; by that time, Van Osten had already departed the band.
Stewkey took control of the Nazz, erased Rundgren's vocals from the album sitting in the vaults, and replaced them with his own. The result was released as Nazz III in 1970, but it stiffed. Mooney departed the group, later to play with such bands as the Curtis Brothers, Tattoo, and Paris. Stewkey joined Fuse, an Anglophile power pop group featuring future Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen. Mooney also played with Fuse, but left before Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson joined and the group became Sick Man of Europe.
Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Crowded
Nazz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not enough time to do the things I want to do
Faces, so many faces
Not enough time to search through all of them for you
See you know what I mean
When I say that nothing should come between
As long as I know that you are where you want to be
Happy, we'll stay happy
As long as I know that's your way of loving me
The first verse of Nazz's "Crowded" draws attention to the overwhelming experiences and emotions that come with everyday life. The singer feels as though there's not enough time to do everything he wants to do, and there are too many faces in his life to search for the one he truly wants to be with. He then explains that nothing should come between him and his potential love interest.
The chorus assures that the singer is willing to do anything for his love interest to be happy, as long as she is where she wants to be. He acknowledges that her way of loving him is what makes him happy and keeps them both content.
Overall, "Crowded" depicts the struggles of finding love in a busy and chaotic life. Despite the odds, the singer is willing to put in the effort to make the relationship work with his love interest.
Line by Line Meaning
Crowded, my life's so crowded
My life feels overwhelmed and chaotic with too many things going on at once.
Not enough time to do the things I want to do
I feel like I don't have enough time to accomplish everything I desire.
Faces, so many faces
There are many people in my life that I encounter on a regular basis.
Not enough time to search through all of them for you
I don't have enough time to dedicate to finding the right person for me amongst all of the people I know.
See you know what I mean
I'm confident that you understand my point of view.
When I say that nothing should come between
There should be no barriers or obstacles in our connection and relationship.
For you, I'd do anything for you
I am willing to go to great lengths to make you happy and to show my love for you.
As long as I know that you are where you want to be
I need to know that you are content and fulfilled in your life before I can be truly happy in our relationship.
Happy, we'll stay happy
As long as we both prioritize each other's happiness and contentment, our relationship will remain strong and positive.
As long as I know that's your way of loving me
I feel loved and appreciated when you show me that you are happy and fulfilled in your life, because it means that we have a strong foundation for our relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROBERT STEWKEY, ROBERT STEWKEY ANTONI, THOM MOONEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind