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
She's Goin' Down
Nazz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But please don't misunderstand
I know she won't be back again
I think she's taken all she can
She's goin' down
She's comin' 'round
It's all over, she's goin' down
Don't bother waiting for the next time around
The first time, it doesn't show
And her kind, just come and go
She's like a ship, a drifting free
And now she's sinking in the sea
These lyrics speak to the end of a relationship that has been troubled for some time. The singer is acknowledging that it is good that their partner is finally taking a stand and walking away from the relationship. They are also admitting that they know their partner will not be coming back again because they have reached their breaking point.
The chorus of the song emphasizes this message that the relationship is coming to a definitive end. The singer notes that their partner is "going down" for the last time and that there won't be a next time around. They use the metaphor of a sinking ship to describe the situation: their partner has been drifting aimlessly like a ship at sea, and now they are finally sinking under the weight of the relationship.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of finality and closure. The singer seems resigned to the end of the relationship and encourages their partner to move on and not try to come back again. It's a sad song, but there is also a sense of relief that both parties can finally move on.
Line by Line Meaning
About time you took a stand
It's good that you finally stood up for yourself
But please don't misunderstand
I hope you know that I'm not trying to criticize you
I know she won't be back again
I am sure she won't return
I think she's taken all she can
I believe she has endured as much as she could
She's goin' down
She is failing
She's comin' 'round
She is starting to fail
It's all over, she's goin' down
This is the end, she is failing
She's goin' down for the last time
This is her final failure
Don't bother waiting for the next time around
Don't expect her to try again
The first time, it doesn't show
At first, it's not obvious
And her kind, just come and go
People like her appear and disappear regularly
She's like a ship, a drifting free
She is like a ship without a plan
And now she's sinking in the sea
And now she is starting to fail
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: TODD HARRY RUNDGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind