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The very first song ever written by reluctant Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer Todd Rundgren became a "Great Song of the '70s!"
Eventually. Todd wrote "Hello It's Me" in 1967 as a slow ballad about the breakup of a relationship for his pre-solo career band, Nazz. In 1968, it was released as the B-Side of a single called "Open My Eyes." A number of radio stations thought "Hello It's Me" was a better song, so they flipped the single and played it enough to send it to #71 on the Hot 100. It was then decided to re-release the song as an A-side, but it didn't do much better, peaking at #66 in 1969. Then, in 1972, while Todd was recording his debut solo album, "Something/Anything," he decided to start from scratch and record an entirely different version of the song--making it more upbeat. This time, he hit pay dirt. In 1973, the new version of "Hello It's Me" climbed to #5 on Billboard's Hot 100, and #9 on Canada's Adult Contemporary Chart. Today, the song is a staple on oldies and classic rock stations...and most everyone agrees that "Hello It's Me" by Todd Rundgren is a "Great Song of the '70s! Todd:
Nazz:
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