Kerry Livgren - In His Word - Part 4 - Tossed About Like A Ship on the Ocean
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- Kerry discusses songwriting and the recording of the first 4 lps, appearance on Don Kirshner's "Rock Concert" and the meeting of his future wife Vicci.
As you'll soon discover, I'm not a professional interviewer. As a lover of history, it was important that Kerry's legacy not be lost to the elements of time, and wanted to document his stories and recollections for his family...we thought it good enough to share with the general public.
All video production by Corey Wilson.
What’s on my mind and the wall just blew me away from the very first time I heard. It brand new. And I still love it today! Awsum lp!
Thank you...glad they are bringing others enjoyment and allowing more individuals into the world of my friend...
Such a powerful gift of music that the Lord entrusted to your friend, I've always thought of Kerry fondly even more so when I heard his testimony about his coming to faith and salvation. Thank you John for sharing these personal insights from Mr. Livgren.
Man, what a fascinating interview. I'll never hear the lyrics of Wayward Son the same again.
John, Thanks so much for this video series! I lived down the road (Urish Rd) from Kerry's parents in Topeka and Kerry's sister Emalie road our bus when they lived on 10th st back when Kansas 1st few albums came out. I was a huge fan and he was kind enough to attempt a correspondence to a tape I'd sent him back in '86. A good friend of mine was one of the temporary owners of Kerry's Les Paul and I've got a snap shot of him playing it at a gig we did in the late 70's. ... and it's great to be able to hear all these stories following his stroke's miraculous recovery. TBC was also my home church when I lived there and Kerry's testimony is always such an encouragement of God's providential plan through many prayers both years ago and today. Blessings!
I purchased leftoverture in 1976 on a 8 track tape that album and boston's debut album were the crown jewels of my collection I also had a Kansas belt buckle that I wore proudly !!
I well remember the BUZZ about Kansas around 1974-75. At that point they were still unknown to mainstream rock but became an overnight sensation in the world of underground FM prog rock. In the fall of 75 the King Bisquit Flower Hour featured them live in concert which was the first time I remember hearing them, although I had probably already heard the first album on the underground FM station I listened to (WGTB) the year before. Being featured live on King Bisquit absolutely rocketed Kansas to the top of prog rockdom at that point. The title track of the "Song for America" album is really what riveted those of us who were prog fans. It couldn't have come at a better time as prog rock was at its absolute zenith and for those of us who were American fans of prog rock, we now felt we had a prog band that could compete on equal footing with the likes of England's Yes, Genesis etc. Per what Kerry says in this interview, commercially, their mainstream success didn't come until "Leftoverture" was released in 1976. The timing was impeccable because prog rock began a sharp decline around 1976 which is why I argue that Kansas single handedly carried the prog baton until 1977 when Rush released "Farewell to Kings" - after "Point of No Return" the prog rock baton was handed off to Rush who carried it into the early 1980's (the prog material on Leftoverture and Point of No Return is some of the finest ever written). So with Kansas what you ended up with and even to this day still have to some degree, was two bands in one; i.e. the prog rock band prog fans all came to know and love versus the commercially succesful band with hits that charted like "Dust in the Wind" that non prog rock fans remember.
Some strange parallels with the band Rush, including:- both drummers (Peart and Ehart) flew to the UK (around the same time, yet they did not know each other) and tried to infiltrate the music scene there before admitting defeat and returning home; also the front cover art of both band's 2nd album (Fly By Night & Song For America respectively) is almost identical!
@@jeffsimon9594I never thought about the front covers of those second album covers having ornithological coolness for both respectively, LOL. Interesting. Of course, Song For America is an eagle and Fly By Night is an owl. Kansas first three albums didn't do all that well which was always a head scratcher for me. There were certainly several songs across those three albums that were worthy of rock POP play. Don Kirchner really liked them but even he told them their next album was their last chance. Fortunately for Kansas they had Kerry who wrote most of the material for Leftoverture including "Carry On". By the time Leftoverture was released, they had already become well known as an incredibly tight live act. Both the album and that fact really took them to the next level. Point of no Return cemented their stardom.
Thanks for getting this committed to history.
Really enjoying this documentary. Love Kansas. Been a fan for over 30 years.
I love the story about Kerry and Vicky
Terrific interview from one of the musical heroes of my youth! I am happy to see that he is looking well after his recent health scare. Fascinating story about how Carry on Wayward Son was written. I no longer have a copy of Kerry's book Seeds of Change, but I seem to remember Kerry writing in that book that Carry on Wayward Son was written specifically as a sequel and continuation of the lyrical themes of The Pinnacle from Masque. Well, regardless how it was written, it fits very well with The Pinnacle. Great stuff - thanks for the interview.
Love these interviews with Kerry! Thanks for sharing them!
what a great love story!
Kansas is like The Beatles to us early Kansas fans from the State of Kansas . I first saw them as White Clover in Garden City. 2 nites at The Ale House
That was the first Don Kirshners Rock Concert I ever watched.
I remember that show vividly. Think I was 13. They killed it!
@@michaelmangrum5460 so that would probably make you 60 right now
@@OldTroll11 Nothing wrong with 60, I can still move a 800 pound log by myself.
@@michaelmangrum5460 Lol didn’t say it was bad just did the math from me being fifteen at the time
@@OldTroll11 Those numbers are getting scary big aren't they! Where's my Viagra !?!?
My wife wrote the song "Dust in the Wind" as a folk song and named it. She was never given any recognition for her creativity and her struggle only to be take away by selfless people. This song was inspired by her terrible disability and nothing else...
I would like to hear more of this if this is true ...
@@ericklein5927 Everything I have said true. The everything was writen in 1974. My wife about 18 years of age recoverying from Multiple Sclerosis, at Toronto Rehab.
@@TRICKER152 so Kansas took this song and made a huge hit and you guys have gotten absolutely nothing?
@@TRICKER152 that's terrible
You need to give evidence of this. You said that she wrote it, and then you said that she inspired it. That is not the same thing.
You have to give evidence for any kind of public accusation.
So who wrote "Carry On Wayward Son," and the many other very unique songs that Kerry wrote? Very intricately designed songs, with lyrics that show his search.
She wrote the music and words, and named the song " Dust in the wind".
Thanks!
I don't recall....we have many more segments to discover the answer to that question....although I do have an answer somewhere, as I have a cassette tape somewhere of an interview with Mama Livgren...
Hey Kerry!
The 2nd and 3rd LP my not have been successful as far as radio play but in my mind they were among the best songs by Kansas.
They're .my favorites by far.
He reached backed to "Love is a Dream" to get that last instrumental part of "The Wall"
Masque is a great record.
It also has way cool sleeve art
From Kerry's hat, I get the impression perhaps he had ambitions to work for the White Star Line?
I LOVE Masque and Leftoverture.
Sorry for the drop out of the audio...UA-cam was insistent that we were violating copyright laws with the inclusion of the song,"Carry On Wayward Son", which has now been removed.
wheres parts 5 and 6??? this is classic LP stuff
They shuold be easy to find, search this title and change the number for each. Usually they come up in sequence somewhere in the right column. Not all have followed in immediate order. For me right now 5 is next.
Kerry Livgren did not have permission to take the song "Dust in the Wind". This song was copied and taken in its entirety from a Canadian named Cathy from Toronto.
John,
Thank you. Did you ask how their parents were reacting when they were pursuing their dreams as teenagers?
Not sure if that will be in the segments, but I do have than answer given I also interviewed Mama Livgren.
*""THE KANSAS SONG *""THE WALL,"" WAS I THOUGHT TO BE A VERY TEARFUL SONG AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS FIRST BROADCAST ON FM RADIO"""!!!!* *""THERE WERE ALOT OF THINGS HAPPENING AT THAT TIME AS I RECALL""!!!!!!!!!!!*
So who want's to put together a Kansas tribute band and name it "Fesk"? Let's make it happen! lol
Make Fesk great again!
Good lord has Kerry Livgren lost weight.
A stroke had the same effect on my dad.
sound quality too poor for me to follow.
Whats up with the Commie Beret?
idiot
IDIOT x's 10
Piffle
Maybe he borrowed your "Stool-infused" shampoo(p)...Gomer!!
He didn’t have a raspberry one?