But hey, the guy can sing and to his credit he laughed it off all the way to the bank. Only Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 was a bigger album in 1990 per Billboard.
It's funny that he started out as a hard rock singer before transitioning into the power crooning he's best known for.
"Maybe it's the Power of Love" is the most popular track from his early rock band Blackjack.
That seemed to work out well for him. "Bolton's achievements include selling more than 75 million records, recording eight top 10 albums and two number-one singles on the Billboard charts, as well as winning six American Music Awards and two Grammy Awards." (wikipedia)
He still cranks out an album every few years. Folks in my demographic probably remember him best these days thanks to the film Office Space (where an unhappy character is stuck with also being named Michael Bolton) and the Lonely Island, with whom he guested on a funny Pirates of the Caribbean song that was featured on Saturday Night Live. He also released an amusing special on Netflix in 2017 titled Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special.
Today's his 68th birthday, so I'm rushing to get this post finished in time to publish today. You know, my little cap-tip to the guy. lol
He's also got a card in the UK edition of the MusiCards set, so assuming this blog keeps motoring along, we'll eventually revisit him again on here in a few years.
Can any of you muster up any feelings one way or the other to share about Michael Bolton? If so, go ahead and leave a comment below.
Thanks for reading. Mr. Robert Barisford Brown is next up.
I know I'm familiar with him but I can't think of any specific songs off the top of my head. Q
ReplyDeleteUgh, ugh, ugh ... I did like "Steel Bars" the first time I heard it. But mostly I wanted him OFF MY RADIO.
ReplyDeleteThe weird thing about his hard rock background is that when he first started doing the soft stuff, album rock stations played him! His version of "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" was a pretty big hit at album rock radio. Nowadays if a classic rock station played it they'd lose their audience.
ReplyDeleteMy Michael Bolton story is this, and apologies if I've told it before. In 1992 I got tickets for the big Bob Dylan tribute concert at Madison Square Garden. Bolton had recently released "Steel Bars", which was co-written by Dylan. (It is also, in my view, the only song in the world which doesn't sound like a Bob Dylan song if you sing it in a Bob Dylan voice.) With Bolton on the Columbia label which was organizing the concert, I thought for sure he'd come out and do "Steel Bars". I would have to see Michael Bolton live and have a permanent stain on my live concert history. Happily, though, he didn't end up taking part in the show. Dodged that bullet.
EXCEPT...the following month I went to a Clinton-Gore rally at the Meadowlands, a couple days before the election--and guess who comes out to sing "When I'm Back On My Feet Again"? So, yes, I now an legally obligated to disclose that I've seen Michael Bolton perform live.
How Can We Be Lovers (If We Can't Be Friends was okay. If I had to pick a song of his to listen to... it would be that one or the Jack Sparrow one. At the end of the day, I've never owned any of his albums and he's currently not on any of my Spotify playlists.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I'd like to say that I "celebrate the guy's entire catalog" all I can say is that he gave us some great moments in Office Space.
ReplyDeleteI knew him as a hard rock singer first. MTV played the crap out of "Fools Game" back in the early 80's. He couldn't sell any records doing rock but sold a TON doing Adult Contemporary.
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