Coming Soon: Your Backstage Pass The good news: You're about to get a backstage pass. The bad news: The pass won't take you backstage at a Seger show. It takes you backstage at the Seger File. Here's what I mean. Every few years, I get the urge to upgrade the site. (Remember when it first came online in those dark, pre-Google years? I do. I remember going to the Portland Public Library, getting a three-day old copy of the LA Times, photocopying the review of a Seger show, coming home, retyping the review on my Macintosh G3 and posting it on the site, using the slowest dial-up modem ever made. And that, sonny, is how news of Seger travelled back in the horse-and-buggy days of the Internet.) Because of that slow modem, I believed the information superhighway should be all words and no photos. Only when the modem got replaced did I add photos and, later, photo galleries. Then came The Vault -- still the most complete source of information about Seger's unreleased work -- and then the Ken Settle Annex, and finally the Tour pages. From what I've heard, some websites now offer strange "interactive" functions that allow readers to create "user-generated content." I doubt if that will ever catch on. Where's the fun in reading an update about Seger if first you have to write the update yourself? So instead, I'm adding a backstage area. What's back there, you ask. Simple. The same things you keep in your back room at home. Junk. Stuff I haven't bothered to post anywhere else. Things I don't want to throw away, but which don't seem to have a place. A 1980 Seger ticket stub from Wembley Arena. A disco Night Moves remix from Japan. A link to some old video. And anything else you want to send me. If it's backstage-worthy, I'll include it. Look for the Backstage Area to open soon. Just remember, you're in Segerworld, where "soon" means "anytime before the next lunar eclipse." You'll know when it's up, because the pass below will become a link. April 23, 2008 -- The Seger File's April 1 Post Begins here -- "Michigan City" Release Delayed Until June The release of Seger's upcoming CD, Michigan City, has been moved back to June, according to reports in the Free Press and the Olean Times Herald. The delay was caused when Seger listened to the masters and decided to put finishing touches on a couple of tracks. As previously reported, most of Michigan City was written and recorded around the same time as Face the Promise. "I wanted Face the Promise to be an album full of rockers," Seger said. "These are the ballads and medium tempo songs that didn't seem to fit on that CD." Eric Darken, Olean Times Herald, April 1, 2008. "After Seger's "Promise," Comes an Album of Quiet Reflection." The title song, "Michigan City," follows a familiar Seger theme. The song is written from the point of view of someone whose dreams didn't come to pass. But instead of looking wistfully at the emptiness they've left (as in "Jody Girl" for example), "Michigan City" celebrates those early, inspired moments when the dreams were still real. Even dreams that don't come true can give us hope, the song seems to say. In terms of actual narrative, the person in the song is leaving Michigan, and pulls over in Michigan City, Indiana to consider whether the journey is really a wise one. Inspired by the promise of the future, he decides to travel on. I believed in myself back in Michigan City I believed that a better world, I could find I believed in myself back in Michigan City And I believed That I could leave My past behind. "Michigan City" is one of Seger's longest songs, clocking in at 6:23. It started out as a duet. "Originally, it was one of the songs I recorded with Patty Loveless," Seger said. "But in the end it sounded like a man's story. Fortunately, I was able to re-record it with Bruce Springsteen. We had always wanted to do something together and this turned out to be the perfect opportunity." Steve Brewster, Pampa Bowling News, April 1, 2008. "Bob and Bruce Meet Up for 'Michigan City.'" Once the vocal tracks were done, Seger began adding layers of instrumentation, as he normally does, looking for his trademark full, rich sound. An album of quiet introspection and social commentary: The back cover shows the electric chair at the state prison in Michigan City. Over the next two months, Seger added three guitars, horns, strings, keyboards, wind instruments, drums, congas, timpani, handclaps, castanets, theremin, harpsichord, ukulele, an accordion, a men's choir, finger cymbals, harmonica, steel drums, bagpipes, whistling, the Blue Man Group, and back-up singers. "There still seemed to be something missing," Seger said. "I kept adding more and more. We even brought an Aeolian Wind Harp into the studio and tuned it down half an octave. Then finally I began taking things away." The more he took away, the more the song started to reveal itself, Seger said. "I got it down to just three tracks: Bruce and me and one guitar. Then I took the guitar away. That sounded really good, it had a very raw and exposed feel to it. Then I took the vocals away. That sounded perfect." According to Seger, that was the breakthrough moment: "I went back to every cut and removed everything," Seger said. "We got it down to rich, dark silence all the way through. It has the feel of being out in the woods on a night when not a leaf is moving, not a single bird or animal is calling, and you can't hear yourself breathe. It's that kind of silence." Paul Liem, Ocean Way Tribune, April 1, 2008. "Nothing Sounds Better Than Nothing on Seger's New CD." Getting all of the songs down to absolute silence took a while, since the CD is nearly an hour and ten minutes long. But ultimately it was worth the effort. "Punch didn't get it at first," Seger said. "He suggested adding tambourine. But after the third listen, he really started to like it. The band loves it too." Now that there is no sound, the CD sounds great, Seger said. "It's an amazing effect. It's like listening to the rain on a day when it isn't raining." The CD (originally titled Seger Without Seger) was mastered and ready to be pressed when Seger detected a faint audio hum on one of songs. A perfectionist, Seger went back into the studio to clean up the track. "Tomb-like silence," Seger said. "That's what I'm after," adding that the CD may not even be ready in June. "This could take a while," he said. April 1, 2008 Gawker Media Plans Facelift for Seger File Gawker Media, the celebrity gossip powerhouse, says it is planning a redesign of Segerfile.com, complete with a new editorial focus, starting immediately. Gawker Media, which also owns sites such as Defamer, Fleshbot, Gizmodo and Wonkette , purchased a majority share of the Seger File three months ago, saving the fan site from Chapter 11 filings in the wake of the subprime credit crunch. "The Seger File was an okay site," said Gawker Media CEO Will Denigrate. "But its priorities were all wrong. There was way too much emphasis on music and next to nothing on Bob's personal life. When we took over, we were stunned to find a complete lack of rumors, embarrassing snapshots, innuendo, medical records, court documents -- all the juicy stuff." Eddie Bayers, Paradiddle Times-Herald, April 1, 2008. "No Gossip, No Mud, No Fun on Seger Site." As a result, Denigrate continued, the site was dull. "You could spend all day on the Seger File and never find out what the guy eats for breakfast, let alone what kind of car he drives. And forget about three-day drunken blackouts, shouting matches or public meltdowns. The site gave the impression that Seger sat around all day writing music and being a normal dad. Who wants to read about that?" All that is about to change. Denigrate said Gawker will give Bob what they call The Full Britany -- 24/7 paparazzi, daily garbage can reconnaissance, bribing the cleaning staff and high-tech audio surveillance. "If someone sneezes and Bob doesn't say 'Bless You,' you'll read about it here," Denigrate said. When all else fails, the site will simply make things up. "We've got a great feature next month showing Bob and Punch coming out of the Turkish Baths at The Body Zone. With Photoshop, we can fake anything. Basically, what we do for Britany, we'll do for Bob. Except the underwear shots." Seger File founder and former editor Scott Sparling said he was forced to sell the site when creditors demanded payment. A possible merger with Segernet.com fell through at the last moment. "Given the different strengths of the two sites," Sparling said, "there seemed to be a lot of synergy." Segernet CEO Eric Verona and The Seger File's Scott Sparling during merger negotiations. The combined site was to have been called Filenet.com. It would have offered files of all types, including nail files, wood files and assorted rasps, as well as a wide variety of nets. But competition from big-box stores such as Home Depot and Lowes proved to be too great. "In the end, the creditors took control. I deeply regret that they sold out to a heartless media conglomerate with no sense of right or wrong," Sparling said. "Personally, I would never believe a thing you read on Gawker." Later that day Sparling was seen coming out of the Turkish Bath House, where he spent the day drowning puppies. Depraved Puppy Murderer at Sex Club. Gawker Media Photo. ©2008 All Rights Reserved. April 1, 2008 Segerfile Writer Caught in Tryst With High-Priced MP3s Once, he stood as a shining example of all things Seger. But the proprietor of one of the web's largest Seger sites revealed today that he has been caught in a liaison with high-priced mp3s -- many of them indie, folk and alt-country mp3s. The scandal came to light when an anonymous customer on iTunes mistakenly clicked "Buy Shopping Cart" instead of "Buy Song." Since Apple provides no "Undo" button, his in-basket was instantly flooded with over a hundred non-Seger mp3s, including several by The Be Good Tanyas. iTunes launched an investigation, and soon identified the user as Client No. 9,873,246. Later that day authorities revealed him to be the founder of the Seger File. "I have acted in a way that violates the public pretense of right and wrong," he said in an oddly worded statement. "I have failed to live up to the standards expected from unofficial web sites produced by uncompensated fans in their spare time. I will not be taking questions. Thank you very much." Later, his distraught wife told FOX news that she knew something was wrong as soon as she saw the Visa bill. "I always assumed he was in the computer room listening to Seger. Now I find out he has Meg Hutchinson all over his iPod." Investigators also discovered Spottiswood and His Enemies, Amy Cook, Back Door Slam and the Quebe Sisters on his playlists. "We were shocked," said Seger's longtime manager Punch Andrews. "Here we are faithfully putting out an album every 11 years, assuming that fans are listening to nothing but Bob. Then something like this comes along and shakes your faith." "He seemed like a decent enough guy," an area man said. "If he'd been cheating with Tom Petty, I could understand it. But The Be Good Tanyas? Talk about depraved. I can't understand a word Frazey Ford is singing. And one of those chicks has a banjo." April 1, 2008 Seger Trivia Winners Congratulations go out to Michael Slater, winner of this month's Seger Trivia Contest, for correctly identifying Seger's first No. 1 album. Slater wins a copy of last year's concert DVD, Live at Cobo. Runners-up Lane Vancouver, Dimi Webster, Trick Bradley and Harp Maitland will all receive a copy of the double CD from the show. Thanks to everyone who entered and watch for next month's contest. April 1, 2008 This is the Seger File's April 1 Post. I feel guilty about it already. And about this. And this and this. A Year After Cobo: Nakia, Paul Thorn and the Anti-Seger at SXSW "Miracles will happen. I promise you!" -- Jon Dee Graham, closing his set at the Continental Club, March 15, 2008. It's been a year now -- one full year since Seger brought down the house at Cobo Hall, closing out his Face the Promise Tour on March 17, 2007. And since then? No concert DVD, no re-release of FTP with added tracks, and nothing definite on a summer or fall tour. I'm not complaining. No matter how much he gives us, we'll always want more, and waiting is something we're good at. Still, there has to be new music coming in. The program that runs my brain demands it; otherwise the system tends to crash. So when Ears Two, my longtime friend and comrade-in-music, suggested a South by Southwest trip, I jumped. The festival, which ended Saturday, yielded plenty of new bands, or at least bands that are new to me -- including two I think every Seger fan should check out. Looking for Commitment First, a caveat: this is not a list of bands that ruled at SXSW. I have no idea who ruled. I'm off the grid, as far as buzz goes. To find out which bands supposedly caught fire at SXSW (or to read yet another puff piece on Vampire Weekend), I'd have to get myself a copy of Spin, just like you. No, what blew me away at SXSW, time after time, was not buzz, but commitment. Some acts turn on the amps and perform. I mean that in a negative sense. What you're seeing is something they've contrived for you to see. It might be very entertaining, but ultimately it's an act. Then there are the ones that would do what they do, no matter what. They're not performing. It's the music -- the pure, intense feeling of it -- that drives them. Everything they do is in service of that feeling. If you're lucky enough to be in the audience, you get to watch. But it's not really being made for your benefit. Artists like that, they're all in. They're shoveling coal onto the fire with every note and with every ounce of energy -- and yeah, I mean that as a reference to Seger because that's the kind of commitment he brings, though of course he wasn't at SXSW. Must-See #1: Nakia But Nakia and His Southern Cousins were. And if you love the James Brown/Wilson Pickett/Memphis side of Seger -- the full force vocals of "Come to Poppa," "Fire Down Below," and "Ain't Got No Money" -- you should definitely check out Nakia. After listening to more than 600 sample mp3s as part of our pre-festival planning, both Ears Two and I ended up with Nakia (pronounced naw-KEE-a, or so I claim) on our Must-See lists. That alone says a lot. But when we heard him live -- in Lamberts, a club with maybe 50 people present -- we were totally blown away. His show was tight and high energy and full of life, and something about his music lifted my spirits in just the same way Seger's music can. This guy is good. The problem is, you might have to go to Austin to hear him. Currently, when he tours outside of Austin, he doesn't take his band. But you can hear "Playing the Cards," the sample that attracted Ears Two and I, at the SXSW site. And check out his tasty Wilson Pickett cover here. The samples don't give a full sense of what it's like hear him live -- just as Seger's early recordings didn't really capture the energy of the live shows. I don't know if Nakia and his band have quite reached Live Bullet form yet, but they're on their way. I'd definitely bet my cards on him. Must-See #2: Paul Thorn But what if you love the Chuck Berry/harder-rocking/"Get Out of Denver"/"Wreck this Heart" side of Seger? In that case, the man you want to talk to is Paul Thorn. Thorn is a rocker who is thoroughly confident and friendly -- he's having so much fun on stage, you just can't stop smiling. Sound familiar? His sample mp3, "Long Way from Tupelo" convinced Ears Two and I to see him at The Tap Room at Six in Austin. But you won't have to travel to the Live Music Capital of the World to see him. You can check his video here, or see him on March 19th on Conan O'Brien on March 19 or April 22 on Jimmy Kimmel. Thorn's on his way up; catch him at the small clubs while you can. Johnette Napolitano There were other artists who skulled me in equally intense but very different ways. One was Johnette Napolitano. When she played on Wednesday night, I felt I was in the presence of some holy, expletive-drenched, righteous force of nature. Napolitano, who used to be in Concrete Blonde, is crazed. She would tell you that herself. Though it wouldn't be necessary. You sense it immediately. She is out of control in a way that seems completely necessary and liberating, and her voice soars and transports. When her set was over, I just wanted more. Fortunately, Billboard editor Tamara Conniff was there. Conniff leapt up on stage at the end of the show and demanded that Johnette come back, under threat of, well, some sort of erotic craziness I actually would have liked to have seen. But Johnette came back. It was one of three encores and one of two standing ovations that I saw in 59 shows. I mashed, or uh, stole, some audio of Napolitano singing "Joey" at her SXSW gig from somebody else's blog. I apologize for the theft. But I had to do it in order to get rid of the video portion. Trust me, you don't want to be distracted by video while this plays. You want to close your eyes and just listen deeply to the pain and the yearning and the realness of this. It's a long way from Segerland, and it won't be everyone's cup of tea. But it made me feel alive. Paddy Casey Paddy Casey had the same effect, though his music is very different. I was ticked off at the beginning of his show because it was being filmed for some media outfit, and the stage director wanted Ears Two and I to stand closer to the stage so they could make the crowd look bigger than it really was. In other words, they wanted to add some fakeness. That kind of crap would have ruined most shows for me. But when Casey got to "Whatever Gets You True," and "Fear" and "It's Over Now," I forgot about me. I actually disappeared for a while and music filled up the space where I had been. Ever have that happen to you at a Seger concert? Well, yeah. I don't have to steal any video to give you a sample of his voice. He'll be on Letterman April 3rd. And he'll be on your radio soon, if he isn't already. The Anti-Seger Then, of course, there was the Anti-Seger, Mr. Van Morrison. By Anti-Seger, I don't mean he's against or opposed to Seger in any way. (Though he did once complain that Seger was "doing my act." To which I retorted, "well, someone should, since you're not doing it." But I don't think Van heard me, since I was 2,000 miles and several years away.) No, I just mean that Van Morrison does the opposite of what Seger does, at least onstage. Van played none of his hits. In fact, he didn't play a single song I recognized. He certainly didn't give a rip whether the crowd wanted to hear Saint Dominic's Preview or not. So some folks were not particularly thrilled with his set. Also, there were lots of instrumental solos, which, though tasty, weren't all that tasty, considering we were standing on a hard concrete floor in the heat, and we were there to hear Van's genius, not tasty solos. By the end, a lot of people were ready to get on with SXSW. (By virtue of his time slot, he was essentially the opening act). I'd done some research, however, so my expectations were different. I knew he wouldn't play any hits, and I knew he wouldn't give us too much of a look inside -- he kept his sunglasses on the whole time. But Van's genius is Van's genius. His voice is, all by itself, an instrumental solo. You don't get much enunciation with Van. And halfway through the set, when he started pumping his arm and throwing stiff, little punches in the air…at that point, I was flying. Nobody defines commitment like Van Morrison. Who else? Tom Freund is a name you're going to hear. Ben Harper, having produced Freund's upcoming album, sat in with him, and the set was fantastic. Kim Taylor proved she has a lot more than the obvious Joni Mitchell roots in her music, while Sara Bareilles proved she more Joni roots than you'd expect from her iTunes hit. Patricia Vonne rocked. I missed seeing The Silos set when A.J. Croce (who was playing in the same time slot and who had barely made my "maybe" list) knocked Ears Two and I out with his opening song. It's gotta sound weird to trade The Silos for A.J. Croce, but if you were in the room, you would have done the same thing. Trust me. I know you. The Miracle of Escovedo Then on Saturday, the last day, the miracle happened. By that time, the Texas heat had fried many of the circuits in my Oregon brain, and for complicated reasons, Ears Two and I ended up in a taxi, taking a long and misguided ride, while the unprovoked (or barely provoked) driver let loose on Ears Two and threatened to toss us out of the cab. Then, when we got where we were going, the complicated thing we wanted to see turned out to be a bust. So we did what men will do when everything falls apart. We started walking. When we had walked a good mile, we heard some music coming from behind a fence. It sounded pretty good, so we crossed the street and made our way in. The place was Maria's Taco Xpress, and the music was coming from a fenced in courtyard, where people sat eating tacos and drinking beer. It didn't take Ears Two long to figure out what had happened. Like fools, like blessed men, we had wandered unknowingly into Alejandro Escovedo's annual SXSW party at Maria's. The first band was great. I wish I could remember their name right now. Ears Two will know. And then Alejandro played and it was just absolutely freaking amazing. The music and the place -- everything. I can't explain it to you. I tried to explain it to my wife and son a couple hours ago and started crying right in the middle, like I haven't done since my dad died, and my wife had to cross the living room and give me a hug and tell me she was glad I had gone to Austin even though it meant four days away from the family. I don't know why I would cry about a thing like that, except maybe when miracles are given to you, that's what you do. Or what I do. Of course, people in Austin and a lot of other people have known about Escovedo for years. I don't why I hadn't, but there it is. Maybe the music gods planned it that way. Maybe I had to wait all this time so I could hear the right band in the right place at the right time with the right friend. Whatever it was, Escovedo's set had it all -- like that night at Cobo Hall a year ago, it was something I'll never forget. Jon Dee Graham After that, all that was left to do was to walk to the Continental Club and listen to the sound of two dinosaur's fighting, which is Jon Dee Graham and his band, the Fighting Cocks. I've probably written enough about JDG here in the past, considering this is supposed to be a site about Seger. But in case it isn't glaringly obvious, this is also a site about me. And for me, all I can say is, until I stood in the roar of JDG's music and Alejandro's music, there were still places in my soul that hadn't been touched. You might not feel the same way, or maybe you would. What I know about us -- you and me -- is that Seger gets in just as deep. Touches something just as important. No one can explain why. That's just the way it is with us. I didn't start out writing about cathartic and soul-affirming music experiences thinking it would lead back to Cobo. I didn't start out intending to do anything except type up my notes. But great music cuts deep pathways in us. It surprises us in so many ways. Great music is, in fact, a miracle. And when miracles are put in front of you, you take them. Written March 16, 2007; posted March 18, 2007 More Cover Songs Suggestions keep coming in for songs that Seger could cover and knock out of the park. Here's the latest batch, along with your reasons for your choice. The list starts with one of my all-time favorite rockers. "Double Yellow Line" by the Music Machine. Imagine Seger doing this -- now that would be an unimaginable kick. WOW. Doug Burkhardt "In the Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett. It suits Bob's vocal style and I can just hear Alto's awesome sax blowing in the background like the original! Second choice: "Mustang Sally." I can hear Bob's growl on that one! R J Nungesser "Cold Cold Rain" by the Amazing Rhythm Aces. No doubt about it -- the music in the track already is very, very Segeresque. Ron Ferrell "The River" by Garth Brooks. Just listen to the awesome lyrics about sailing his vessel, as the song says. I would say that would be Bob Seger. I hope someday he will record this. Dave Brown "We're an American Band" by Grand Funk Railroad. John Hilling "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan. Oldtimefan "November Rain" by Guns N' Roses. Imagine Bob unique voice replacing Axel's harsh voice and Bob's own rocking guitar sound over Slash's solo. It would be mind blowing. Ford Wong "You Can Leave Your Hat On" by Joe Cocker (written by Randy Newman). That would be killer. Second choice: Buddy Miller's "I Worry Too Much." Paul Dunn "Runaway Train" by Soul Asylum. I think there's some good opportunity for his voice and a sax solo or 2. Michael McShea "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica. Since Metallica slaughtered "Turn the Page," I thought it would be fun for Bob to make one of their songs sound better! Second choice: Bob Seger and Melissa Ethridge should do a duet together. Shellie Altman As some of you have pointed out, Seger could knock almost any song out of the park -- case in point, America the Beautiful. Not to mention Little Drummer Boy. But while we're in this, uh, hiatus, waiting for summer tour news, it's fun to imagine pulling out some CDs and saying "Hey, Bob -- listen to this." March 8, 2008...wasting ti-ime...got to...fi-ind..a way back 'cross that double yellow li-i-i-i-ne....   Songs For Seger -- Your Cover Choices A month ago -- as a way of marking the Seger File's tenth year online -- I threw a question out to everyone: What song would you like to hear Seger cover? Now the month has past, and man, did you come up with some great choices. Some of these songs I've heard before, of course, but there are some I've missed, starting with the first one on the list. Somehow I'd never heard the Waylon Jennings song, and I hadn't heard the Sam Cooke tune in a long time. Several others were new to me, too. In case some are new to you, or you need to refresh your memory, versions of many of them are posted on YouTube. Here's the highlights from the songs you sent in, along with your comments. And, down below, my suggestion for a song I think Seger could send to Number 1. Songs Seger Should Cover -- Your Choices "Wild Ones" by Waylon Jennings. I think Seger would sound great singing it. Jesse Torres "Standing Outside The Fire" by Garth Brooks. To me it just inspires passion, just like so many of Seger's songs -- the desire to go your own way, the ability to reach just a little bit further than you think you can. Marie Campbell, suggested by Steve Brosnan "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke. Seger's voice suits itself nicely to old soul classics and this one is right up there with the best of all time. Cooke's classic has been covered exceptionally well throughout the years (in fact, some consider Otis Redding's version to be superior), and Seger's version would easily take its place in that list. Jason Brown "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who. It would just be neat to hear Bob sing it, Second choice: Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door." Mike Taylor "Memphis in the Meantime" by John Hiatt. Second choice: Randy Newman's "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (as recorded by Joe Cocker.) Bob Vogt "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals. Second and third choice, the Eagles "Desperado" and CCR's "Who'll Stop the Rain." Ears Two. ''Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon. I love the song. Warren was a great artist and writer… Bob could do it justice. Bob seems to be the only one that can really do a cover of someone else's songs and make them as good or better. Daniel Hawks "Rock n Roll Music" by Chuck Berry. Second choice, "The Midnight Special," as covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Carol Domanus "Black is Black" by Los Bravos. Because Alto reed would play a mean sax into it and it would be in the same speed as Shakedown. Other choices: Otis Redding's "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay," Aretha Franklin's "Respect." Jamil Haidous "Walking In Memphis" by Marc Cohn. Bob singing about Elvis would be something that I would find enjoyable. I think the song has the right tempo for Bob's inimitable voice and style. I can just hear those high notes now. Teresa Parmentier "Midnight Special" as covered by CCR. Other choice: "Spirit in the Sky" T.K. "Summer Rain" done by Johnny Rivers. That has always been one of my favorite songs and I think Bob would be able to do a fantastic job with it. Mary Ann Dotson "The Long Run" by the Eagles. I realize it was a hit for them, but I think Seger would take this over the top. And with the Silver Bullet Band, this could send this song over the edge. Scarecrow Kunkel "Water Or Gasoline" by Blackie And The Rodeo Kings. It rocks like a very rocking thing and contains the great line: "Got a feeling stingin' like a new tattoo…back across my mind.'' Gill Comer "Heart of the Night" by Poco. The unforgettable sax solo in the middle would be great with the Silver Bullet Band. Second choice:"Ophelia" by The Band. John Shaw. "The End is Not in Sight" by the Amazing Rhythem Aces. Just listen to it! Johnny Mosteller "Maggie Mae" by Rod Stewart. Seger would give it a great sound that is true to the original, but still unique enough to make it a "Bob Seger song" and not a remake of that old geezer Rod Stewart's classic. Chip Stewart. "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails, also covered by Johnny Cash and Christina Aguilera. Bob would come to my house and sing it softly into my ear, and then....well, my brain would melt, ooze out my ears and leave a puddle on the floor. Rosemary in Bay City Great songs. Thanks very much to everybody who sent in a suggestion. Now all we gotta do is get Bob to give a listen. And as promised, here's my choice. I gave some thought to Paul Thorn's marvelous "Long Way from Tupelo." I considered Doug Brown's funky "Streets of Ann Arbor" -- yes, that Doug Brown. But in the end, nothing could top this for me: Jon Dee Graham's "Remain." It's heartfelt, simple, and incredibly real. See if you agree. The audio track is an excerpt from the new documentary on Jon Dee Graham called Swept Away. Individual tracks, including the full version of "Remain" are available here. Ears Two and I will get a chance to hear Graham later this month at SXSW, and maybe Paul Thorn as well. (And if we're lucky enough to get into Van Morrison's show, I'll be sure to wear my Seger File t-shirt.) So here's the next question for you. What hot new bands should we not miss in Austin? March 2, 2008 Your Turn: What Song Should Seger Cover? From "River Deep, Mountain High" to "Real Mean Bottle," Seger has covered a lot of great songs over the years, making them even greater in the process. Think "New Coat of Paint," "Nutbush," "Let It Rock," "Mary Lou"...the list goes on. In fact, in what you might call the modern era -- from the Beautiful Loser album on -- only one album, Against the Wind, has not contained a cover song. (I'm counting "Fortunate Son" on the CD version of Like a Rock.) So what about it? What song should Seger cover on his next CD? (Yes, assuming there is one, which I do, based on certain cloud formations and anagrams found in the original liner notes for Smokin' O.P.'s.) To put it another way, what previously recorded song is out there just waiting for Seger's genius to breathe new life into it? Send me your top choice and a short explanation why. In another week or so, I'll print your answers. I've got one in mind, obviously, that I think would be a gem. But maybe someone out there can top it. Send your choices to sparling@segerfile.com. (FYI -- A cover song by my definition means a song written and previously released by someone other than Seger.) February 18, 2008 Seriously, Onion, Why Bob? The second-most entertaining site on the web did a wonderful little riff Wednesday on the standard rock 'n roller shout, "Hey [Name of Town Here] how ya doin'?" The piece, which pretends to be from Seger, is titled "Seriously, Cleveland, How Are You?" It's a very funny piece (though not as funny as this, or so I allege). But I wonder: Why Seger? For people on the coasts, Cleveland is always good for a laugh (undeservedly so, I think). But why not Jagger? Mellencamp? Petty? Maybe they just happened to have Bob's picture. The bio-blurb describes Seger as a two-time Grammy Award winner -- true if you count the 1980 Grammy for best album art. Seriously,