Cheap Trick and The Babys

Like everyone my age in 1979, I was caught up in the Cheap Trick frenzy when they released “Cheap Trick at Budokan”.  The 45 singles of “I Want You to Want Me”, “Ain’t That a Shame” (I didn’t even know it was a cover at that time) and “Dream Police” were all snatched up by me and other teens as soon as they hit the wall at Tower Records.

Since then, Cheap Trick has remained one of my favorite bands and I’ve seen them in concert multiple times.  During their long career they’ve opened or been top billed with so, so many bands.  My favorite combinations were when Teri Nunn and Berlin opened for them in San Francisco.  The venue was intimate, they were in top form, and it was my first-time seeing Berlin – who were awesome!  I met Terri Nunn after that show (more on her separately) and I’ll never forget … it was a cold night, but she was super friendly and chatty after the show and signed “Stay Warm!” on my friend, Kelly J’s autograph. 

My other favorite was Cheap Trick, Joan Jett and Heart at the Shoreline Theater in August 2016.  I’m a huge fan of The Runaways and an even bigger fan of Joan Jett in general.  I make a point of seeing her whenever and wherever I can.  Watching Cheap Trick and Joan Jett together at Shoreline with my friend Desmond was a liquor fueled evening of flexing and dancing in a (not so) "VIP" box with wild abandon.  Yeah, the memory is a bit fuzzy. I don't remember the Heart performance at all.  But I remember the FEELING of being at the show, and it was one of my favorites. And kudos to my buddy Desi B. He's more of a Beyonce fan, but gamely put up with his "old" friend singing and dancing to ... "Oh yeah ... I know this one!" (I Hate Myself for Loving You)

I’ll talk separately about my interactions with Joan Jett – but here’s the scoop on my meeting with Cheap Trick.  Since I had taken my mom on a Malt Shop Memories Cruise in 2014 (Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love, Frankie Avalon, Chubby Checker, etc. – more on that later!), I was on the mailing list for those type of cruises and one of the first to hear about their 80’s Cruise in 2017.  I snapped up a suite immediately and invited my beautiful friend Emily to join me. (You’d be amazed at how quickly these music cruises sell out!!!)

This 80’s cruise was gonna be heaven for me – Belinda Carlisle, Morris Day, Howard Jones, Berlin, Thompson Twins, Debbie Gibson, Tiffany and on and on … but also CHEAP TRICK!  I would be a boat with Cheap Trick.  No escape for them.  I would DEFINITELY be getting autographs. Even though there were times that Emily and I were so hungover that even walking the corridors was super challenging and showing up for a celebrity discussion on stage with an MTV VJ at 11AM required hair of the dog - STAT!

We found out that Cheap Trick would be flying into one of the cruises stop ports and get on the boat for only one day – and they would be having an on-stage discussion before that evening’s performance.

Fully prepped with photos from an original press kit, I was there early front and center for their on-stage chat with/for the fans.  As expected, Rick Nielsen was the most talkative and outgoing and Robin Zander was pretty quiet and reserved.  Before you know it, their quick chat was over and they were walking off stage behind a barricade.  They weren’t going to interact with fans or sign autographs!  Fuck that.  I pushed my way to the end of the barricade and wedged myself between the last barricade and their exit door.  They had to pass me on their way out and I was able to get Robin, Rick and Dax to sign quickly as they were retreating. I think Robin signed for only me and one other person, Rick signed for 3 or 4 and only Dax stayed and signed for more people.  The lead singer is often the hardest to obtain! I say “Surrender”, Robin.

I’ve included the Baby’s here because as a group (and John Waite solo) were opening acts for Cheap Trick, in the late 70’s and mid-80’s, respectively. The thing about John Waite is that immediately people will think of “Missing You” (if you’re of a certain age), but it’s not on my list of favorite songs of his.

Reasons for not liking “Missing You”

1. I’m not a huge fan of ballads

2. I was going through a breakup during the height of its popularity and it was fucking killing me by being on the radio NON-STOP!

3. It’s very similar to “Every Time I Think of You” recorded by The Baby’s with John Waite as lead vocalist – and I prefer “Every Time”

I did like John Waite’s “Change” because it was on the “Vision Quest” soundtrack and I was fervent about all things even remotely related to Madonna.  Sometimes, I like the lesser charting hits, like the Baby’s “Midnight Rendezvous” (#72 in 1980) and sometimes I just love the album covers like their quasi-glam rock debut album “The Babys” (1976)

Back to Cheap Trick.  I’m here to contradict myself by saying that my absolute favorite Cheap Trick song is this ballad.  It hits some kind of chord with me. Still. Something/someone impactful must have been happening in my life when this song was released in 1985.