Fountain of music

Back in the early 1980s I picked up this eponymous album by Russ Ballard. I bought it because it contained the song Voices. The FM station I listened to in Honolulu played it every now and then. The song was featured on an episode of Miami Vice. That was a sufficient recommendation (in those days) for me to buy the album.

At the time, I didn't know anything about Russ Ballard; I only knew that I liked this song. Then, while looking at my Zebop! album by Santana, I noticed the name Ballard in parentheses after one of my all time favorite songs, Winning. Turned out to be the same guy.

I had the soundtrack to an obscure movie, McVicar, starring Roger Daltrey (both in the movie and on the record.) Three songs on that were by Ballard: Just a Dream Away, Free Me, and My Time is Gonna Come, all of them fine tunes, the latter two feel like classic Who.

Why didn't I know anything about this guy?

Then I discovered that he wrote the pop hit I Know There's Something Going On recorded by Frida (Anni-Frid of ABBA.) Everything he wrote, I seemed to like, without knowing he was the songwriter.

He also wrote the song New York Groove, popularized by Ace Frehley on his "solo" album when he was with Kiss. Do you remember Liar by Three Dog Night? He wrote hits for the Pointer Sisters and Hot Chocolate: Someday We'll Be Together (not the Supremes' song) and So You Win Again, respectively. Oh, and he penned You Can Do Magic, a big hit for America.

He also wrote my all time favorite song by Rainbow, and one of my personal favorite songs ever, Since You've Been Gone.

It didn't take me long to find out that he had been the lead singer and guitarist for the band Argent. He wrote a number of songs for them, including one that Kiss made into a huge live concert anthem, God Gave Rock and Roll to You. And while Rod Argent and Chris White wrote it, Russ Ballard was the singer on the classic Hold Your Head Up.

He wrote many other songs, but these are the big ones for me. You'll need more than 30 second snippets to really appreciate his songwriting abilities, though.

I feel grateful that there are people like Russ Ballard who are compelled to create. I know they're not doing it for us, but I am glad we can reap the rewards of their efforts.