RIP Norman "Hurricane" Smith

[T_Bone0806]

Engineer on the Beatles' recordings from the beginning to "Rubber Soul", he also crooned on the hit "Oh Babe, What Would You Say", which hit #3 in late '72.

Died March 4th at the age of 85, according to my "Beatlefest" newsletter.

[mrkelley23]

I'll be darned. I only knew him as the throwback tinny voice from the 70s. Never knew about the Beatles connection.

Thanks for the info, TBone.

RIP, Norman.

[TheConfessor]

He also worked on several Pink Floyd albums.

I've seen "Oh Babe, What Would You Say" on lists of the worst ever songs of the rock era. I disagree. I could never resist cranking up the volume whenever I heard it on the car radio. To me, it is one of the best carefree, feel good recordings ever made.

[starfish1113]

The part that shocks me is that he was 85! That means he was pushing 50 when "Oh Babe..." came out, ancient by pop music standards, especially at that time and especially for a first hit.

He wasn't quite a star (although as a child I did love his one song), so I don't think he would count, but we are close to having our first star of the rock era die of old age. I don't think it has happened yet. Yes, I know that there is always an underlying cause of death, but you know what I mean. Unless they get hit by trucks, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and probably a few others would fall into this category. Once they die, of course.

[gsabc]

The part that shocks me is that he was 85! That means he was pushing 50 when "Oh Babe..." came out, ancient by pop music standards, especially at that time and especially for a first hit.

He wasn't quite a star (although as a child I did love his one song), so I don't think he would count, but we are close to having our first star of the rock era die of old age. I don't think it has happened yet. Yes, I know that there is always an underlying cause of death, but you know what I mean. Unless they get hit by trucks, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and probably a few others would fall into this category. Once they die, of course.

Depends on how you define "old age" as opposed to "too young". Roy Orbison comes to mind. George Harrison is arguable as well.

[fantine33]

Engineer on the Beatles' recordings from the beginning to "Rubber Soul", he also crooned on the hit "Oh Babe, What Would You Say", which hit #3 in late '72.

Died March 4th at the age of 85, according to my "Beatlefest" newsletter.

I loved that song when I was a kid, I can't believe he was that old, though! Didn't know about the Beatles thing. I get him confused with O.C. Smith, so maybe that's why the age thing is throwing me.

[fantine33]

The part that shocks me is that he was 85! That means he was pushing 50 when "Oh Babe..." came out, ancient by pop music standards, especially at that time and especially for a first hit.

He wasn't quite a star (although as a child I did love his one song), so I don't think he would count, but we are close to having our first star of the rock era die of old age. I don't think it has happened yet. Yes, I know that there is always an underlying cause of death, but you know what I mean. Unless they get hit by trucks, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and probably a few others would fall into this category. Once they die, of course.

What do you define as the rock era? I'd put it back at the Sun Records stage. I know what you mean about dying of old age, where a 93 year old dies and under "cause of death" it says "he was 93". I was thinking of a few but, even though they were pretty old, I think "he was 93" was just a contributing factor, so I wouldn't count them.

This is going to be a new parlour game today as it nags at me.

[starfish1113]

The part that shocks me is that he was 85! That means he was pushing 50 when "Oh Babe..." came out, ancient by pop music standards, especially at that time and especially for a first hit.

He wasn't quite a star (although as a child I did love his one song), so I don't think he would count, but we are close to having our first star of the rock era die of old age. I don't think it has happened yet. Yes, I know that there is always an underlying cause of death, but you know what I mean. Unless they get hit by trucks, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and probably a few others would fall into this category. Once they die, of course.

What do you define as the rock era? I'd put it back at the Sun Records stage. I know what you mean about dying of old age, where a 93 year old dies and under "cause of death" it says "he was 93". I was thinking of a few but, even though they were pretty old, I think "he was 93" was just a contributing factor, so I wouldn't count them.

This is going to be a new parlour game today as it nags at me.

My very loose definition of the Rock Era would be from the Summer of 1955 (when Rock Around the Clock hit #1) to now. For artists in the Rock Era, I wouldn't include somebody who was known for a pre-Rock genre but happened to hit in the Rock era (I would include all of those schmaltzy instrumentals of the early 60s in this category). As for "old age", pretty much anybody over 75 who died naturally would fit the bill for me. These definitions can be modified based on common sense. Of which I have very little.

[starfish1113]

Come to think of it, maybe Ray Charles qualifies. I'll have to see how old he was.

[ne1410s]

I loved that song. Had no clue about the Beatles connection.

[tanstaafl2]

Come to think of it, maybe Ray Charles qualifies. I'll have to see how old he was.

Not sure Ray Charles qualifies based on several of your criteria. He died of liver cancer at 73 and so did not really die of "old age". He no doubt help his death along with his many vices.

He had also already been successful and had hits in Blues music and R&B by the early 50's. Not sure if that was quite yet "rock".

[moonie]

Ok, here's a "D'OH" moment...

I was 12 years old in 1972, and us kiddies used to listen to Musicradio WABC here in the burbs of NYC (Cousin Brucie, Harry Harrison, Ron Lundy etc) . That station was on at the beach everywhere you walked, as everyone had the station turned onto it.

Kids started getting 'cool' around 12 years old, and started talking about 'FM' radio, how WABC was getting 'uncool'. They talked about WNEW radio.. how great it was (Scott Muni, etc).

So I turned on WNEW and kept it on. Never heard Scott Muni in the afternoons, though. Wondered why. Heard the "Babe What Would You Say" just about 3 times every afternoon. ( I can still hum the sax solo to this day). I wondered why this song was being played so much for a station that was supposed to be so "cool".

Then one day I finally realized....

I WAS LISTENING TO WNEW-AM..... NOT WNEW- FM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moonie

(who has never ever told that story to anyone until now- even the Mrs. never heard it! LOL)

[ulysses5019]

Very odd......Never, ever heard of this song let alone heard it. Must not have made it to the left coast.

[ghostjmf]

tanstfaafl2 says:

Not sure Ray Charles qualifies based on several of your criteria. He died of liver cancer at 73 and so did not really die of "old age". He no doubt help his death along with his many vices.

I dunno what his other many vices were, but the one he got arrested for was heroin, which does not rot livers. Opiates are surprisingly "not bad for the the human body" unless the user is unfortunate enough to take enough to suppress their breathing & die. You can get various forms of hepatitis from injecting yourself with anything, but hepatitis, which we don't know officially that he had, doesn't cause cancer either, though it does cause liver failure.

[Rexer25]

Very odd......Never, ever heard of this song let alone heard it. Must not have made it to the left coast.

I think you hated the song, and are just suppressing the memory of it.