Inspired by a variety of British Invasion groups, from the omnipresent Beat… Read Full Bio ↴Inspired by a variety of British Invasion groups, from the omnipresent Beatles to cult favorites the Move, Todd Rundgren and his Woody's Truck Stop colleague Carson Van Osten formed Nazz in 1967. Taking their name from an obscure Yardbirds song, Nazz were arguably the first Anglophiles in rock history. There had been many groups that drew inspiration from the Beatles and the Stones, but none had been so self-consciously reverent as Nazz. One of their first singles, "Open My Eyes," twisted the riff from the Who's "I Can't Explain," and much of their music felt like homages to Brit rock from the Kinks to Cream, thereby setting a precedent that was followed by scores of North American guitar pop bands from the Raspberries to Sloan.

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

Plenty Of Lovin
Nazz Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got plenty of love for you
Golden rings for your fingers too
Well I can dance and tell jokes too
If you'll buy me a drink of my favorite brew
Let's make plans full of fun and games
I'll sing you a song, you can call me names
I'd love to hear anything you say
Just another few dollars, I'll be on my way

I've got plenty of love for sure
A mind that's clean and a heart that's pure

So let's get together for a couple more
'Cause I've got plenty of love that's for sure

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Nazz's song Plenty Of Lovin' seem to be about a man who is looking for a woman with whom he can share his love and life. The song conveys a sense of his willingness to entertain and please his romantic interest, as he sings about how he can dance, tell jokes and buy her drinks. He seems to be trying to win her affection by being charming and humorous. The man also expresses how devoted he is to the woman he is pursuing, describing his love as pure and his mind as clear. He wants to spend more time with her and share more of his love.

The song is a simple and catchy tune that is easy to follow along with. The lyrics are delivered with a playful tone, making it a fun and enjoyable song to listen to. The song is fairly short, clocking in at under two minutes, which may have been intentional in order to keep it light and not too serious.

Overall, Plenty Of Lovin' is a sweet and charming song that speaks to the joys of falling in love and the desire to express one's affection for another person.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got plenty of love for you
I have enough love for you

Golden rings for your fingers too
I can provide you with precious jewelry

Well I can dance and tell jokes too
I'm talented in dancing and making jokes

If you'll buy me a drink of my favorite brew
If you'll buy me my favorite drink, I am willing to entertain you

Let's make plans full of fun and games
Let's plan a fun and playful time together

I'll sing you a song, you can call me names
I'll sing to you, and you can tease me

I'd love to hear anything you say
I am interested in listening to you

Just another few dollars, I'll be on my way
I'll leave after receiving a small amount of money

I've got plenty of love for sure
I am full of love

A mind that's clean and a heart that's pure
I have a clear mind and a pure heart

So let's get together for a couple more
I suggest we spend more time together