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
Letters Don't Count
Nazz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you tried to qualify my life
You never knew the way I live
And I'm sorry I was never for changing
the things I couldn't change anyhow
And I'm sorry I'm not a different sign
And I don't believe in hiding the people
and the things in my past
I wish that we were together again
We just couldn't make it work on paper
I'll never know why but you never knew me
except for my name
Maybe you think that I have changed
but nothing can change my mind
Those changes of your own that you held so dear,
to me were just a waste of time
Making believe we know it all without enough of
an understanding going on
All of the words won't change your mind
'Cause they're lost when you put the
letter back in the drawer
If I stood before you now,
you couldn't put me away anymore
Letters don't count
Letters don't, letters don't count
Letters, letters don't, letters don't count
The song "Letters Don't Count" by Nazz is about a failed relationship where one person tried to change the other without truly understanding them. The singer expresses regret for not being able to change and be the person the other wanted them to be, but also refuses to hide their past or pretend to be someone they're not. The main message of the song seems to be that words and letters don't really mean anything if there isn't a true understanding and connection between people.
The singer acknowledges that the other person may have changed, but they themselves are unwilling to change their core self. The lines "Maybe you think that I have changed / but nothing can change my mind" demonstrate this unwillingness to compromise on who they are. The references to "letters" emphasize the idea that written words are not enough to make a relationship work, and that true understanding and connection require more than just words on a page.
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the difficulties of relationships and the importance of truly knowing and understanding the other person. It suggests that attempting to change someone without truly knowing them is futile and that communication should go beyond just written or spoken words.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever since the last time I saw you,
From the last time I saw you, things have changed.
you tried to qualify my life
You attempted to evaluate and judge my life.
You never knew the way I live
You never experienced the lifestyle that I lead.
And I'm sorry I was never for changing
I regret that I wasn't able to change for you.
the things I couldn't change anyhow
Regardless, there are aspects of myself that I'm not able to change.
And I'm sorry I'm not a different sign
I apologize for not changing my personality to suit you.
And I don't believe in hiding the people
Concealing the people and events from my past is not something I support.
and the things in my past
I stand by my actions and history, no matter how flawed they may be.
And I know you don't want to hear me say
I realize that what I'm about to say may not be something you're interested in.
I wish that we were together again
I miss the times when we were together.
We just couldn't make it work on paper
It may seem like we should have worked out, but it just wasn't practical.
I'll never know why but you never knew me
I can't comprehend why you never truly grasped my identity.
except for my name
To you, I'm simply a name.
Maybe you think that I have changed
It's possible that you believe I've evolved, but I haven't.
but nothing can change my mind
My mental state is immovable.
Those changes of your own that you held so dear,
The modifications you value so highly aren't important to me.
to me were just a waste of time
From my perspective, they were a complete waste of time.
Making believe we know it all without enough of
Pretending to be knowledgeable about the situation without fully comprehending it.
an understanding going on
There is a lack of true understanding between us.
All of the words won't change your mind
No amount of words will change your opinion.
'Cause they're lost when you put the
The words become pointless once you put them away.
letter back in the drawer
When you put away the letter, my message disappears.
If I stood before you now,
If I were to stand in front of you at this moment,
you couldn't put me away anymore
You wouldn't be able to dismiss me so easily.
Letters don't count
Letters have no value or importance.
Letters don't, letters don't count
The written word is meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
Letters, letters don't, letters don't count
No matter how many letters are written, they remain insignificant.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: TODD HARRY RUNDGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind