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
See What You Can Be
Nazz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things that you're trying to hide
When words slip up, you drag them under,
making me stand outside
But from all I can see,
you've become somewhat frightened of me
But my thoughts run high of what we could be
If we didn't stop to think
I want you to see what you can be
See what we can be if we try
Here is a thing we can't skip over
I think you should be around
What one can do, can two do better,
don't try to drag the thing down
If I thought I could be
something more than I thought I could be
I would take off and fly if it were me
I don't need to be reminded
of the things I don't believe in
In Nazz's song "See What You Can Be," the lyrics hint at a complex relationship between two individuals, with one person's fear holding them back from exploring what the two could be together. The song starts with an invitation to talk through some of the things that the other person may be keeping hidden. The use of the words "drag them under" suggests that there may be a bit of resistance on behalf of the other person – potentially indicating that they are afraid of how they will be perceived if they reveal too much.
The artist then speaks to the fear that seems to be holding back the other person, acknowledging that they may be scared or nervous of discovering what they have the potential to be together. However, the artist believes that if they don't stop to think too much about what could go wrong, they have the ability to become something incredible together. This is reinforced by the repetition of "see what you can be, see what we can be if we try" – suggesting that the artist is holding out hope that the other person will take the chance and see what they can be together.
However, the song ends with a subtle reminder that sometimes people need space to find themselves and to explore their own beliefs. The line, "I don't need to be reminded of the things I don't believe in" could be interpreted as a nod towards the idea that sometimes, people need to be left to form their own beliefs and make their own decisions. Nazz is encouraging the person they are singing to, to take a chance on themselves and on the potential relationship, but they are also acknowledging that sometimes, people have to be left to decide for themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's talk about the things you wonder
Let's discuss the things that are on your mind and cause you to be curious
Things that you're trying to hide
The things that you are keeping hidden from others
When words slip up, you drag them under,
When you make a mistake with your speech, you try to hide it or suppress it
making me stand outside
This makes me feel excluded and left out
But from all I can see,
Based on my observations
you've become somewhat frightened of me
You seem to be scared of me to some degree
But my thoughts run high of what we could be
I am optimistic about the potential of our relationship
If we didn't stop to think
If we didn't overanalyze and hesitate
of what could go wrong on our way there
If we didn't focus on the potential negative outcomes along the way to our goal
I want you to see what you can be
I want you to realize your full potential
See what we can be if we try
Imagine what we could achieve together if we both put forth effort
Here is a thing we can't skip over
There is something important that we cannot ignore
I think you should be around
I believe it would be beneficial for us to spend time together
What one can do, can two do better,
Two people working together can accomplish more than just one person alone
don't try to drag the thing down
Don't bring negativity into the situation
If I thought I could be
If I believed that I could
something more than I thought I could be
If I thought I was capable of achieving more than I previously believed
I would take off and fly if it were me
I would seize the opportunity and succeed
I don't need to be reminded
I am already aware
of the things I don't believe in
I don't need anyone to remind me of what I do not have faith in
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: TODD HARRY RUNDGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind