TODD'S GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

This month marks Todd Rundgren's fiftieth year as a recording artist, with the self-titled debut album by Nazz being released in October 1968.

The album was not commercially successful and neither was the first single, "Open My Eyes."

In Boston WMEX Music Director and DJ Ron Robin accidentally played the flip side, “Hello It’s Me,” liked it, and added it to the station's playlist. Reaction was strong and "Hello It's Me" became a number one hit at WMEX in 1968.

Several weeks later it was on the playlist of Boston's other Top 40 radio station WRKO and eventually at other stations across the country. 

The band recorded a follow-up which was intended to be a double album but was later shortened to a single record. 

Rundgren wrote most of the songs and sang lead vocals on much of the material, although tracks with Stewkey Antoni lead vocals were featured heavily on the album that was released, cleverly titled Nazz Nazz.

Rundgren left the band shortly after the follow up was released, and went to work in record production before finding success as a solo artist, first with "We Gotta Get You A Woman" and then with a cover of his own song from the first Nazz record, "Hello It's Me."

A third album (Nazz III) was released without the band's consent, replacing Rundgren's vocals with Antoni's.