I was quite friendly with BJ and his brother Jerry those years he lived in Memphis. We both made records with Chips Moman at American studios. We were together a lot.BJ was a sweetheart of a guy. We had more fun than the law allowed and in fact, they wouldn't have allowed it. I have many BJ stories. Nothing but good memories.
Elvis rented the club, The Thunderbird Lounge, where we were the house band for 2 New Years Eves in a row. The third year he rented TJs where Ronnie Milsap (before he became a country artist) played and hired us to play late after our New Years Eve at the Thunderbird.
That first year, BJ wasn't booked and came down and we backed him. I assume Elvis liked us well enough as he hired us 3 years in a row. But who he REALLY liked was BJ. It was obvious. It was one REAL singer showing his like and respect for another REAL singer.
Rest easy BJ
David Fleischman
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Hooked on a feeling gave me a crush on every pretty girl in junior high.
jeffsackstennis
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Bob, BJ crushed it during his Elvis Week 2019 performance with an "earthshaking acapella “Peace in the Valley" in the words of Jon Warehouse.
todaymedia
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Bob, check out BJs cut “Mama” not as well known as the hits but a great sentimental take on the subject
Peter Miller
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Just wanted to mention Billy & Sue, one of his earliest songs & a tale of a soldier’s anguish when he receives a Dear John letter from Sue. I was 12 years old & didn’t know what a Dear John letter was & thought she’d sent it to the wrong soldier! Still my favorite BJT track. Best, Jeff Hayward/Maine.
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Bob...everything you said about "Hooked on a feeling" was spot on, but you missed one thing. The song was brought into current culture by "Guardians of the Galaxy". Probably a movie that wouldn't appeal to you..
My sixth grade granddaughter know the song (Blue Swede cover) by heart. When she overnights she belts it out in the shower. Not bad for a song I danced to in high school.
Gary Merker
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B.J. Thomas and The Triumphs.
Killer band back in the day!
Peyton Prince
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I was on a trip into Bowling Green , Kentucky and got snowed in..had to stay at a hotel...and B.J. Thomas was performing...I went in for the show...not really expecting much...Damn...B.J Thomas and his band blew my socks off....I was blown away..!!!!
Timo Standing Buffalo Cano
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I was invited to a recording session at Electric Lady as I represented some of the principals, so I speak from a combination of memory and overheard--but not necessarily accurate--comments about the production of B. J. Thomas' Rock & Roll Lullaby. The record was produced by Steve Tyrell, at the time a genuine "go-to" producer (and now a successful second-career nightclub performer). He apparently wanted to hire the Beach Boys to sing the background vocal chorus on the record, but they declined. So Dave Summerville and friends did it for them (and sounded awfully close to their trademark sound). He wanted a Duane Eddy-type low twangy guitar sound on the recording as well, so he hired-----Duane Eddy! Al Gorgoni's electric guitar closed the circle of extraordinary talent and performances. (Oh, and then of course there was B.J. and the remarkable music and lyrics.) As I understand it, this 1972's "single" cost more than $10,000 to produce- -perhaps the most expensive (by far) '45 recorded to that date, resulting in some considerable anguish by Scepter Records (and presumably by Steve as well). Talk about over-budget! But it was and is a masterpiece. All lasting and memorable creations require great vision and talent. This recording had them in abundance. That the record only reached "top 15" surprised me because it will always be among my top 3 for sheer brilliance. Handing off to Steve for how he recalls what went down with this recording almost 50 years ago.
Best
Peter M. Thall
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if this isn't too late for the next "Re", I just wanted to mention that the flip side to BJ's "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" is a great song, penned by Ashford & Simpson and singer Jo Armstead - label credit to "Simspon - Ashford - Armstead"). You can hear the gospel voices, and I want to imagine that those background vocals are by Ashford & Simpson and/or Jo Armstead, themselves, but I can't find the data anywhere to validate that fantasy. -but it's a great pop-friendly song for the time, and back when we listened to our b-sides just as much as our a-sides, it was an enjoyable b-side, and now listening back, has all the [blue-eyed?] soul one would crave in such a track. Not sure if it is on one of his albums...however, I've seen it as a Ronnie Milsap a-side, also on Scepter. I almost posted about it on Instagram the very day we lost BJ, without even knowing about his condition. He's someone I would have liked to have met and seen in concert. Looking back at his discography, we again lost someone that had a part of shaping the sound of that time.
Sam Scozzari
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Thanks for highlighting the career of BJ Thomas. It's a rare thing to know who's singing as soon as you hear the first few notes, and BJ was one of those artists.
He did a great interview with NSAI's Bart Herbison in the local "Tennessean" which ran just this past March. In it, BJ tells how he got to sing "Raindrops" after Ray Stevens turned it down, and how he sang the final "me-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee" somewhat extemporaneously, and why Burt Bacharach went along with it because BJ sang the rest of the song better than anyone else, and how the studio heads and radio programmers hated the song until the public loved it, of course.
bjthomas.com/story-behind-the-song-b-j-thomas-raindrops-keep-fallin-on-my-head/ Larry Butler
Nashville
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Thanks for your lovely words about BJ. I’ve enjoyed reading the remembrances of his music and place in popular music.
BJ had a profound impact on my life. When I was 4, my family and I went to his concert in Illinois. I’d spent countless hours listening to his music, and when he saw me singing along in the audience, he invited me on stage to sing with him. He was larger than life and sounding as fantastic as ever. BJ welcomed me and made me believe that a life in music was not only possible but absolutely natural.
He’ll be missed.
www.nydailynews.com/snyde/ny-sara-niemietz-bj-thomas-20210530-y2lkcdzddfdazop6vztmbhxhy4-story.html Sara Niemietz
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One of B.J. Thomas' last albums was "The Living Room Sessions" which is a stripped down "unplugged" re-recording of his classic hits. In addition to solo performances, it includes some duets with well known stars such as Vince Gill, Keb Mo and Lyle Lovett, as well as up-and-coming singers.
The problem is you can't find it anywhere! ... not on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music....Amazon only had 4 copies of the physical disc at ridiculous prices.
Was able to find a few videos of songs from the album on YouTube and I think these versions of his songs are fantastic. In particular, the duet with Vince Gill on "I Just Can't Help Believing" is sublime. Check them out:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAiidjv3TEUwww.youtube.com/watch?v=V35b9ZohXyYwww.youtube.com/watch?v=uXifrNP6alcwww.youtube.com/watch?v=HWxknAnBx7w This album deserves to be heard!
Best Regards,
Phil Stanley
Phuket, Thailand
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My recently passed client of 40+ years, Mac Davis, wrote “In the Ghetto”. Of course Elvis made us all lots of $, but Mac mentioned a few times he would have loved to hear B.J. sing it. Two Texas guys who remained humble…..in Mac’s repertoire “It’s Hard to be Humble” was his laugh at success. B.J. loved that song too!
Jim Morey
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