Song of the Week – I’m On Fire, Dwight Twilley Band

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In the mid to late 70s the Dwight Twilley Band was trying to find its niche. Their brand of rockabilly influenced rock (power pop, really) didn’t have a clearly segmented audience like so many other genres of the day like southern rock, progressive rock, glam, punk or even disco/funk.

Yes, there were a few others travelling down the same road – Cheap Trick comes to mind – but to me, Twilley was closer to Springsteen in his approach.

His first album, 1976’s Sincerely on Leon Russell and Denny Cordell’s Shelter Records, contained a genuine power pop classic – “I’m On Fire”.

This song has snap, crackle and pop. Right out of the gate, the guitars sizzle and the cymbals crash. Dwight Twilley and partner Phil Seymour, two Oklahoma boys, “one up” the best of the British Invasion.

Both the song and album suffered from the poor distribution that Shelter was known for, so they never attained the popularity they deserved. But that’s what the SotW is for!

Enjoy… until next week.