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
Some People
Nazz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some people think they were bred out of grace
Some people think they're alive out of glory
Some people think through the hole in their face
Some people are so fine
And some people ain't you, and some people ain't me
And some people are something that I don't ever want to be
Some people think that I'm acting naively
Some people think we don't look square at each other
Spite is the main driving force in my life
The lyrics of Nazz's song "Some People" provide commentary on the various ways in which people view themselves and others. The song begins by acknowledging that some people believe they were born with innate wisdom or bred with a certain level of grace. However, the lyrics soon turn cynical as it highlights that some people are not as exceptional as they think they are, and some people are something that the singer never wants to be.
The song also delves into the idea of perception and how it can shape people's opinions of someone. The lyrics mention that some people believe the singer is naive or not thinking things through while also touching on the fact that some people might not be willing to face the truth or look at each other honestly.
The final line of the song "Spite is the main driving force in my life" adds another dimension to the overall message of the song. It suggests that despite the criticisms and judgments of others, the singer is focused on using negativity and animosity as fuel for their actions.
Overall, the lyrics of "Some People" by Nazz provide an insightful commentary on human nature and the various ways in which we perceive ourselves and others.
Line by Line Meaning
Some people think they were born out of wisdom
Some individuals believe that they were born with inherent wisdom.
Some people think they were bred out of grace
Certain individuals feel that they were born with grace and elegance.
Some people think they're alive out of glory
Some people believe they exist in a state of glorification.
Some people think through the hole in their face
Certain individuals only think in terms of their superficial appearance.
Some people are so fine
Some individuals possess a high degree of attractiveness and desirability.
And some people ain't you, and some people ain't me
Not everyone is alike, and we cannot expect everyone to be the same as ourselves.
And some people are something that I don't ever want to be
Certain personalities and traits are undesirable to me, and I would never choose to have them.
Some people think that I'm acting naively
Some individuals believe that I am behaving naively, without full understanding or awareness.
Some people think I'm not thinking things right
Some individuals think that I am not considering all aspects of a situation or problem correctly.
Some people think we don't look square at each other
Some people believe that we are not being honest or straightforward with each other.
Spite is the main driving force in my life
Bitterness and ill-will motivate me to achieve my goals.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TODD HARRY RUNDGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind