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Jim's tribute to Steve Popovich - His Friend & Music Industry Legend

Posted by:
Jacqueline 02:20 pm UTC 06/13/11


Jim wrote the following to be read by Karla DeVito at the funeral of Steve Popovich. Steve was a man so very important to Jim, to Bat Out Of Hell, to the history of music and, of course, to countless friends and family he leaves behind.

Jim has asked me to share his thoughts with you - as you are extended family.

Godspeed, Steve.
Love, Jacqueline
------
From Jim:

I wrote “ROCK & ROLL DREAMS COME THROUGH” in 1982 for my one CD, BAD FOR GOOD, but had to change it when I did it with Meat in 1993, for Bat Out Of Hell 2—as someone said, I’ve written one song in my life—but its full of lots of movements and about 200 hours long…

To quote from that:

“ONCE
UPON
A
TIME
WAS
A
BACKBEAT

ONCE
UPON
A
TIME
ALL
THE
CHORDS
CAME
TO
LIFE

AND
THE
ANGELS
HAD
GUITARS
EVEN
BEFORE
THEY
HAD
WINGS

IF
YOU
HOLD
ONTO
A
CHORUS
YOU
CAN
GET
THROUGH
THE
NIGHT


I
TREASURE
YOUR
LOVE

I
NEVER
WANT
TO
LOSE
IT

YOU'VE
BEEN
THROUGH
THE
FIRES
OF
HELL,
AND
I
KNOW
YOU'VE
GOT
THE
ASHES
TO
PROVE
IT


I
TREASURE
YOUR
LOVE

I
WANT
TO
SHOW
YOU
HOW
TO
USE
IT

YOU'VE
BEEN
THROUGH
A
LOT
OF
PAIN
IN
THE
DIRT,
AND
I
KNOW
YOU'VE
GOT
THE
SCARS
TO
PROVE
IT


REMEMBER
EVERYTHING
THAT
I
TOLD
YOU,
AND
I'M
TELLING
YOU
AGAIN
THAT
IT'S
TRUE

YOU'RE
NEVER
ALONE,
'CAUSE
YOU
CAN
PUT
ON
THE
'PHONES,

AND
LET
THE
DRUMMER
TELL
YOUR
HEART
WHAT
TO
DO


KEEP
ON
BELIEVING,
AND
YOU'LL
DISCOVER
BABY


THERE'S
ALWAYS
SOMETHING
MAGIC

THERE'S
ALWAYS
SOMETHING
NEW

AND
WHEN
YOU
REALLY
REALLY
NEED
IT
THE
MOST,
THAT'S
WHEN
ROCK
AND
ROLL
DREAMS
COME
THROUGH

THE
BEAT
IS
YOURS
FOR
EVER

THE
BEAT
IS
ALWAYS
TRUE

AND
WHEN
YOU
REALLY
REALLY
NEED
IT
THE
MOST,
THAT'S
WHEN
ROCK
AND
ROLL
DREAMS
COME
THROUGH,

FOR
YOU!”


For me, the soul of Pops was in those words.
I also, for no specific reason, remember:

Driving home from after a WMMR show, in a limo with Popi and Harvey Leeds and a few other CBS big wigs & they were saying, in 1978 mind you, that it was time to get back in the studio: “Look guys, we sold 300,000 now—eventually we’ll hit gold @ 500,000—that’s the time for another record!.” I was horrified, and expressed it. They looked at me like I was from Mars & said sarcastically:

“Ok Mr. Record man, how much do YOU think it’ll sell?”

And I said, not pausing, 10 million.

Then came the storm of ridicule, mockery & reiterations of how foolish I was.

I basically withered under the abuse & there was a long pause—until Pops said gently: “10 million huh? Is that domestic or foreign?”

God I loved him then, as I always did & would forever.

He had family members coming to visit, & rightly or wrongly, I thought they were from Russia or eastern Europe. He asked me if I could write a song for them.

I came up with “It’s Only Rock And Roll Balalaika”

I could go on forever but I wont. I deeply loved Pops & I’ll always cherish that I was privileged to know him.

Steve Popovich is WHY rock n roll dreams come through. Not TRUE, he wasn’t God, but “came through”, like offering a rescue line or salvation. He wasn’t God but he WAS A&R and promotion FOR HIM.




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Previous: re: NJC: Alpocalypse - Brian 11:04 am UTC 06/19/11
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