The Rockets, "Oh Well"
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- čas přidán 10. 11. 2009
- Detroit's own Rockets doing their arrangement of Peter Green's song "Oh, Well." This was a live performance in Burbank, CA in March, 1980. This particular line-up consisted of; Jim McCarty, Johnny "Bee" Badanjek, David Gilbert, Dennis Robbins, Donnie Backus, and Danny Keylon.
- Hudba
I was listening to this song on WRIF the day the Detroit Tigers hired Sparky Anderson as Manager. Was a Great Day :)
I knew Jim McCarty back in '81. Truly a great guitar player. He lived nearby, and stopped by my place for my 30th b'day party. We jammed a bit. He told me he was once at a music industry party in L.A., and some kid comes up to him and says, "Jim, you're great, your a big influence on me". So he says to the kid, who are you? So the kid answers, "I'm Eddie Van Halen!"
gotta LOVE that story!!!
lol awesome!!
🤘
Now that's a proper full load of crap.
Another band that lost out to that damn disco!!
I grew up in Michigan and I used to hear this song on the radio all the time when I was a kid. When I moved to Arizona, I was about 24, and I'd hear "Oh Well" on the radio from time to time. But it never sounded right to me. That's because, around here, they always play the Fleetwood Mac version. They never play this far-superior version by the Rockets. The Rockets' rendition is the definitive version of this song, IMO.
Absolutely!!!
Yes they do it justice for sure. I’ve always loved a great cover…this one is one of the best
I grew up in Mi and hear the Rockets version here in Pittsburgh every so often.
@@bobsmith1616 far superior to fleetwood crap
It is inferior compared to original of Fleewood Mac.They skipped solo of original and substituted it with some crap noise. Kids like you can't tell difference between noisy crap and music. Judas Priest's version is not perfect but much better than this faulted attempt of Rockets.
Dave Gilbert, one of the most underrated front men.
I agree saw them with blue oyster cult in 1979 he hit it.
I seen them open for BOC in 1979 in Johnstown, PA. At the War Memorial !!!
Great show...
The Rockets were right on the edge off the metal bubble when it got going...killer cover that made radio a helluva lot better back in that day...
I remember they played this every hour in the Detroit Market.
Have seen the rockets 3 times
Still one of the best bands to come out of Detroit...
I used to manage a Clark gas station in Union Lake and Dave and brother Mark used to pop in all the time. Once while fishing a local lake I found 3 of the Rockets in a boat and they had been up partying all night...lol. It was a hoot.
I worked at that gas station and the one in commerce ,I was friends with Marc and David and I sang with Dave a few times at the launching pad in his back yard,their dad use to come in the Clark station for smokes and he was driving a Rolls Royce.
How cool is that?! Having the legendary Roy Orbison introduce you! And they definitely do Peter Green's classic rocker justice!
Woo Hoo. Thanks for posting. Great tune
I SAW THE ROCKET'S OPEN UP FOR KISS IN 1978.!!
Me too Olympia stadium. Detroit;; Kiss alive 2 tour Jan 78'
I saw them too.. Seattle 1979..great show..(I was a little kid..but my dad knew when a good concert was in town)
Their name is Rockets
So did I....great group, never got the accolades they deserve
I saw them open for KISS in 79 in the Dynasty tour.
I saw the Rockets in Seatte opening for Kiss Nov 21, 1979. Great show for both! Rockets did kick bad ass hard!!!
Detroit ROCKERS!
Bad Ass! Danny Keylon was my cousin. God rest his soul!
Oh-God!! This is fantastic! And Dave, you are so missed guy. RIP.
I saw the Rockets open up for Triumph back in '82 and they were great. Later on in '87, my old band was performing at a venue in the Detroit area and David Gilbert stopped in and ended up sitting in with us. He was one crazy guy, but a great singer and a lot of fun. R.I.P.
I also saw the Rockets open up for Triumph around then. It was at the Civic Auditorium in Grand Rapids, MI. I have been a fan of the Rockets since then.
@@jeffpaul6351 They were a great band. Later on my old band was performing up in Detroit back in 1987 and coincidentally, the lead singer of The Rockets, Dave Gilbert stopped in. I talked him into sitting in with us. We did Roadhouse Blues at his request. He was crazy, but a lot of fun. R.I.P.
I was lucky enough to catch these guys live back in 1979 (Notre Dame IN - ACC Auditorum). They openrd up for REO Speedwagon (Nine Lives tour) It was an incredible show! What a great band! Went out and bought the album the very next day
Saw them in South Bend as well, the opened for a very young Triumph band
Saw the same show but in Kalamazoo ,Mi. Rockets opened for REO nine lives. It was my first concert. I still have the ticket stub lol. It was great
Sweet, this was one of the first bands I ever saw live. They opened up for REO when I saw them in like 78 or 79. I have actually looked online for years for Rockets stuff.
If you think this band was good, you should check out the band Jim McCarty was in BEFORE the Rockets: Cactus, featuring Rusty Day.
Detroit's own
thanks for posting this ,gilbert was right up there with the best of them... IN THE TOP TEN ROCKNROLL VOCALIST OF ALL TIME ....
I would absolutely agree with that comment and assessment!!
Same here... They opened for Kiss at Olympia stadium (which has been torn down for years now) in Detroit. January 20, 1978 I still have the ticket stub. Never have been much of a so called groupie except for this band. Seen them in all the small hole in the wall bars even before I was of age. Great memories of great musicians that know how to jam.
I was at that same Kiss concert!! What a show!!!
Me too now I live in Belleville
Good memories…thanks for sharing
Hey I was there too. That was the first concert I ever saw. The Rockets opened for everyone back then.
The Rockets! No Ballads is a great album from start to finish. I used to have it on vinyl. Not sure where it got off to! Played that album a lot back in the late 70s-early 80s here in Michigan.
I do have No Ballads on vinyl, and it is autographed by Donny Backus on keyboards.
All the Rockets albums are great from start to finish.
@@peach495
Some are much better than others.
I’ve got two of their albums. Love the “No Ballads” record but the one with this cover kicks ass too!
Saw these guys open up for KISS in Toledo, Ohio in 1979. Great show by both bands.My first concert,
Detroit was the heart of rock and roll. Rust in peace.
Introduced by Roy Orbison?!? What an honour! Saw The Rockets open for KISS (Buffalo, NY) in 1979, definitely impressed me as a twelve-year-old hellion.
Saw the Rockets at Pine Nob in 1977, always loved there version of Lucille!!
after searching for years finally someone posted this awesome band
many thanks.................hopefully more postings to follow
from the ass kicking Rocket's
Great Voice!
Do any of you Detroiters remember a local band named Holy Smoke circa late 1970's? They used to play at Notre Dame High School (Harper Woods) gymnasium. I'd catch them every chance I got.
back in the day, way up in northern Michigan, we had a concert venue called castle farms, a great outside auditorium , there were many big name bands and these guys opened for many of them, along with mitch ryder, the Cadillac kids and a few others from the Detroit area, absolutely love this band, one of michigans finest that didn't get what they deserve
I love this song...especially the version done by the Rockets.
The original (with a few exceptions) is still the best.
czcams.com/video/Sg2D8Uo_xVI/video.html
Being a youngster at the time and excited about seeing Kiss at the Philadelphia Spectrum, I had no idea the band from Detroit, The Rockets would become one of my favorites as my family moved to the motor city in the fall of 1978. I know I am not the first and won't be the last to say, they took "Oh Well" and seasoned it, where it was meant to be and than Fleetwood Mac re-releases it to go one up and in my opinion, they stood no chance as it sucked in comparison to Dave, Jim's and Johnny's version.. Rockets did just what they always did, they rocked it, truly one of Detroits Greatest Rock Bands!
Yeah, here's another f***king Union Lake guy with a Dave Gilbert story. My dad, this guy Mike Kaczinski, and Dave would hang out at our house occasionally. My first rock star experience was Dave at my house, in the summer with a fur coat on, 90 degrees outside.
hahahahahhahaha
Mike was his body guard.
great to see this performance .. thanks!
The greatest cover of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac classic. Michigan sure had a lot of great music and musicians. Peace y'all!
Judas priest respectfully disagrees
Saw this band open for Bob Seger on Easter Sunday 1980 at the Miami Baseball Stadium... about a month or so after this taping... they completely rocked the place.
Thanks for uploading this, it's a true gem.
Saw that tour, very good and the best version of oh well made.
Thanks for posting!!!
Boom, grew up with the local bands!
saw them at Olympia in Detroit .warm up band for kiss in77 or 78 ,maybe .but they did rock out .what a great show all around
Sad to report that Bassist Danny Keylon passed away here in Asheville last night from a stroke. He was a great friend and a great player right til the end!
I saw that REO show in 79 too Bowser, in Saginaw at their civic center. Jimmy broke a string and he never even missed a beat, just kept on jammin through the entire song! Roadies kept running up and trying to hand him another guitar and he just laughed and rocked on.
LOVE that share. lol thx!
I can still remember the Rockets playing about 1982 or so at the Royal Oak Music Theatre and Jimmy just killing the feed back on the guitar on this song, while Johnny B beat the shit out of the drums and Dave was just shrieking on vocals!! TAKE ME BACK PLEASE!!!!!
yup! I was there, too! Actually found this clip cuz we were talking about it on a site of a small town I grew up in, Richmond, MI. Band played there in '79 I think, tiny theatre. this song SMOKED ASS. Whole damn show did. Saw them headline Pine Knob lots of times, too. One of my alltime fave bands. So much fun.
There is a recording of that specific song from that show at ROMT, but I believe it was only distributed to the local Detroit radio stations. They used to play it on air quite often around these here parts, and you're correct, it's a defining moment for this band playing that song!
Roy Orbison!! (the only singer Elvis said he wouldn't go on after) btw im 15
One of the only bands that could do that song justice other than Peter Greens' Fleetwood Mac. Left a mark on me when I was young just like some other select Detroit Bands.
Bruce Bodenhofer IMHO, their version is much better than Fleetwood Mac's. The song lends itself to a hard rocking edge that Fleetwood Mac just didn't have.
WTF? yeah buddy! Bringin' it back....plus...BREAKIN' UP SOMEBODY'S HOME! GO BOB!!
Fleetwood Mac was in their BLUES phase at that time because of Peter Green . It was always one of my favorite Fleetwood Mac incarnations.
This is from Midnight Special. They also did "Desire" on this show. Great rendition of Oh Well.
They opened for Kiss in 1977 at the Spectrum Philadelphia. This was my first concert.
Me too, was supposed to be AC/DC.
Truly love this version. It f’in rocks hard.
The rock show was something in it's day
Wonderful Song!
i had this and "Desire" on 45rpm back in the day. Good stuff.
“Desire” was co-written by Rocket member Dennis Robbins, who would later after leaving the Rockets in 1983, he would become a multi-platinum country songwriter, co-writing such hits like: “(Do You Love Me) Just Say Yes”, “Get Me To The Church on Cumberland Road”, “No Chance To Dance”, “Finally Friday”, “Two Of A Kind (Workin’ On A Full House”, “Too Much Month at the End of the Money”, “Home Sweet Home” and much more.
@bluedanbass thanks for this post haha awesome
I use to live just down the road from the "PINE KNOB MUSIC THEATRE". I remember the days of Dave singing for the Rockets....
Saw them in concert at Florida Atlantic University sometime in 1979 (opening band was Axe). This song stuck with me, thanks for posting it.
+varsitycamplife I was at FAU too
Very cool! That was one of my first :)
This song was usually the centerpiece of their sets!!
Saw these guys in 1978 at the Hammond Civic Center when they opened for UFO.
1977 Bill.
@@1Phepsi Been a long time bro. We were there though. I remember that show like yesterday. Just not the date.LOL.
@@billc307 🤣🤣🤣🤣
A sure sign our age is showing Bill.
One of my favorite songs from my youth.
Hell yes!!!!!!
I have a live Rockets CD from sometime in the '80s, loved this cover of Oh Well! Would put it on my mix tapes.
oh yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Love it!!✌🏼🏃♀️🏃🏻😀❤️
Would love to have this group re-group! Many good things have come out of the Detroit area- this group is one great sound KC
Unfortunately the singer here (Dave Gilbert) has been gone for many years now.
There was a project a few years back here in Detroit that reunited McCarty and Badanjek, called The Helldrivers.
They did a bunch of their classic material (Rockets, Detroit Wheels) along with some other great cover songs. They were inspired to do it by a very talented local singer (Jim Edwards), who was the only guy they'd run across (according to what McCarty told me) who could live up to Dave Gilbert's legacy. That's saying a lot.
I don't know for sure, but would be surprised if there wasn't some footage of shows they did around in the Detroit club scene out here on YT...?
hadnt heard this song since 1981 at the super dome waiting for reo to play, there were five bands and i only made it thru four
BEST band to never break out national from Detroit.
Them and the look.
Steven Schein Bittersweet Alley were pretty good too...and Rhythm Corp.
455Transam don't forget about Sponge.
455Transam they made it out of BSA
what? sponge was huge.
Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac song 🔥🔥
Oh well, it's the big O doing the introduction!
@Johnrack sweeeeeet!!!
Sadly I never seen them in concert growing up in Fenton and holly mich area but loved this band gritty rock n roll also loved their version of Lucille
Detroit rock city
Okay, first time I am seeing the band that opened for MY GODS: KISS. Had no idea what to expect, glad to see my boys give these dudes some help. Love the opening riff. Hope they were not treated to rudely by The Army ....... KISS ARMY that is.
Worked for security when they played at St. Denis Hall in Windsor back in 1981. Ron Binks. Great band
The Rockets kicked ass! I was at that Kiss show at Olympia when they opened as well. Too bad they never got huge like everyone thought they would. Was sad that Dave wrecked himself living the rockstar lifestyle. That guy was an awesome singer. If you can find "Somethin' Ain't Right", you get a true sense of how good he was. I catch McCarty with Mystery Train every so often at Memphis Smoke in Royal Oak- the guy still looks the same today as he did with The Rockets. Great guitar player.
oh god I think I am going to CRY! SOMETHIN AINT RIIIIIIGHT/I CAN TELL BY THE WAY YOU'RE/HOLDIN' ME! OMFG I HAVE MAJOR CHILLS!!
I was at that show at
Olympia 🍺
Was at that show also...my first concert. What a wild night that was, at the old Red Barn.
Take some time & listen to more of there music you will love it .........
I saw the Rockets perform here in Edmonton,Alberta,Canada at Commonwealth Stadium during the Alberta World Rock Festival on August 3,1981. All the bands which performed that day in order of appearance were The Rockets,Blue Oyster Cult, Loverboy ,Ted Nugent, Heart
If this is Keylon, thanks for the music!
a lot of the rockets lp's are hard to find. i have two of their albums the rockets (featuring oh well) and rocket roll with rollin' by the record machine. if they came to dte (formely pine knob) they would blow the roof off the place.
Big Jim 🙏
Kicks ass.
If anyones got videos of Ramona or Love Transfusion in concert, please post them.
omg what PERFECT songs!!
all available now at amazon..just released about 6 months ago
Incendiary !!! 🎸 🔌 🎶
Saw these guys open for KISS in San Diego 1979. :)
...and we may be the only two Rockets fans in San Diego? lol
Okay kids, it's rock and roll quiz time.
Name the M.C. and win big prizes!!
Let's not forget the Look,and RH Factor. Dave Edwards is a friend of mine and he is still kickin Ass!!
+American made RH Factor as in Rich Hwang? I still see him around town a lot, he's a BEAST!
"the Look" was basically the house band at the Centre Stage in Canton, Mi. Many big act bands played there along with local bands..... the Look, Salem Witchcraft and many hot local acts. "we're gunna rock how bout you"?......... Detroit Rockers fosho!
Happy Heavenly Birthday Dave. Gone too soon
This song still rocks! Amazed I never heard any other hits from them. One hit wonders? Singer reminds me if Dave Mustaine.
That's funny...he reminds me much more of Mitch Ryder, the guy McCarty and Badanjek started out with in the 60s
this is good shit
West Side Six Bar 1977
Detroit's Best Local Band
yessir westside six/silverbird saloon! Mitch Ryder hang out, lol
Saw them in 1980 opening for ZZ Top in Binghamton NY.
The ORIGINAL "Rockets"!
is there any other? yo!
These are not the Original Rockets...as they started....
Dennis Robbins went on to write some great country songs,I believe he had 2 or 3 number ones
There’s a lot more longevity possible in country music than there is in rock and roll. He made a smart transition.
Marty Robbins?
Ding ding ding ding
We have a winner.
Here's your prize.
Wait for it.
mercy!
I've always felt the Rockets hit Oh Well on the nose. Maybe I'm a bit biased jammin' with Jeff (MIck Ives & the 222's) nearly next door to Dave Gilbert's place (Union Lake)
in the late '70's.
These guys. Starz, Head pins..All passed up by the main stream back then. Sad.
Russ is not alone!!! We're all gettin older!!
You can also look up just about any album on allmusic(dot)com.
Saw them open for Kiss in 1978 Buffalo NY...
Seen them in adrian mich at college
thier attire might b retro but that is a great rip!,what a great song finally done justice.
Rocket Roll! Westside Six!