Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 21

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1994DETROIT FREE PRESS 3C Rocker tells the stories behind the hits hi Nita and Bob Seger are expecting their second child in April. Wife, child are Seger's focus school years in Ann Arbor and what it was like the discovery, the total naivete and fresh-faced openness that I went through. It was sort of an entire awakening of my life; before that, I was kind of a quiet, lonesome kid." "THE FIRE "That started during the year and a half I lived in LA after the 'Like a Rock' tour. It's a lot of images from there." "LIKE A This has become Seger's most controversial song, known better as a Chevy truck ad than for being a Top 20 hit in 1986. "I feel fine with it.

I'm a Michigan guy; my father worked at Ford for 19 years, I worked at GM in Ypsilanti. I'd been turning down commercials for years and years, just hated the idea of it. I felt like this is the one thing I'll do. I don't think I'll ever do another commercial." "C'EST LA "We did a two-week warm-up session for 'The Fire Inside' in 1988. We cut 'Lucille' by Little Richard, 'Blue Monday' by Fats Domino about 10 things, including 'C'est La It makes sense to have it on here.

It's a lot like what we used to play in the early days, loose and unpolished and rough, and it translates to 'That's which I think fits a greatest hits album." "IN YOUR "It's a song about my son. It was intended for the next album but it made sense to me to have one song, 'C'est La that says 'Here's where we and this one to say 'Here's where we are We've all got kids. We're all grown up. We've all hopefully learned a little wisdom we can pass along. A modicum (laughs)." follow us; little did they know what was waiting for them in the truck.

Those guys were big (laughs)." "YOU'LL ACCOMP'HY Seger credits Monica Reed, wife of Silver Bullet Band saxophonist Alto Reed, with recognizing this song's potential. "We came over and played it for her and she said 'Oh, this is I thought it was just another one of my little folk songs that I write in my cabin. She saw the romance in it." "HOLLYWOOD "The chorus just came into my head; I was driving around in the Hollywood Hills, and I started singing 'Hollywood nights Hollywood hillsAbove all the lights Hollywood I went back to my rented house, and there was a Time magazine with Cheryl Tiegs on the cover. I said 'Let's write a song about a guy from the Midwest who runs into someone like this and gets caught up in the whole bizarro "STILL THE "It's an amalgamation of characters I met when I first went to Hollywood. All Type A personalities.

It was another great reason to base out of Michigan." "WE'VE GOT "I had written a song called 'This Old with the exact same chords and a slightly different melody. Then I went to see 'The and there's a line in it that struck me, when he said to the waitress 'It's 4 in the morning, and I don't know That just hit me real hard. The next day I wrote 'We've Got this song about two people who say 'I'm tired. It's late at night. I know you don't really dig me, and I BY GARY GRAFF Free Press Music Writer In anticipation of the release of his "Greatest Hits," Bob Seger offered a song-by-song trip through the album's 14 selections: "ROLL ME "That was written about a motorcycle trip I took to Jackson Hole, Wyo.

I wanted to do that for a long time. It was fascinating being out. The first night it was 42 degrees in northern Minnesota; the second day it was 106 in South Dakota and all I had on was my shorts, and my feet were up on the handlebars to keep them from boiling on the engine. It was just silence and feeling nature." "Night "it stm has the exact meaning it's always had for me the freedom and looseness I had during high school. That romance actually took place after high school, and it actually was about a real person.

Her boyfriend was in the service, and when he came back she married him (laughs). My first broken heart." "TURN THE "The story, of course, occurred when I was playing with Teegarden Van Winkle, and Monk Bruce. We had these two hulking motorcycle guys who used to set up the equipment. We were on our way from Madison, or some place. The big guys were sleeping, and the skinny little rock guys went into this roadside place to get something to eat." Teegarden wanted to fight two salesmen who started giving them grief about their long hair.

"Next to Monk Bruce, Teegarden was the smallest. We had to drag him out (laughs). It's a good thing they didn't "Night Moves" was a hit nearly 20 years ago. don't really dig you, but this is all we've got, so let's do it. (laughs) The sexual revolution was still going strong then." "Old-Time Rock 'N' "The band hated it.

I remember we went to Europe right after we finished 'Stranger in They were just complaining about the song being on the record, that it didn't sound Silver Bullety. I said 'Let's play it tonight'; we were in Belgium or something. And the crowd went nuts. Then we played it in four or five different places in Germany and got the same reaction every single time. The band started becoming quieter about it." "AGAINST THE "We wanted to really have a No.

1 album; that's what we went for on that album. We dropped away a little bit from rockiness and went straight for the singles charts on all 10 cuts, virtually." "Again, that's going right back to the 'Night Move' situation where I was writing about my high "And then when Nita came along, and then Cole, it was like 'OK, this is another new change, and I don't want to blow it. So I got serious about That means seeing his brother, George, and his family several times a year in Las Vegas. And traveling to Ohio to attend Nita's nieces' dance recitals. Not burning out But as he said, the creative fires still burn.

More than 80 rock radio stations are playing "C'est La Vie" a raucous rendition banged out at American Recording studio in Farmington Hills while VH-1 executives are awaiting a new video for "Night Moves." All of that has retailers expecting big things for "Greatest "People want to'hear him, want to see him," says Roy Burkhert, a buyer for the Troy-based Harmony House chain. "The key is that he has new cuts on there; people are anxious to hear more Seger stuff." In the meantime, Seger has re 'ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT Tremendous Fun!" MUST-SEE FILMS EVER Birty Zi Vin, CHANNEL AMERICA NETWORK Dana Paul Rosic Dan DELANY MERCURIO O'DONNELL AYKROYI) SEGER, from Page 1C brother supported the family while Bob went to high school, enjoying what he calls "a totally free-spirited life" the memories of which turned up in hits such as "Night Moves" and But not having a father around ftiade an impact that still echoes in Seger's psyche. "I want (Cole) to feel what I didn't feel when I was a kid, which is a great sense of affection and stability," he says. Slowing down The issue for Seger these days is balancing the dedicated homebody with the ambitious musician he's one of rock's superstars with nine consecutive million-selling albums. He hasn't taken his Silver Bullet Band on the road in more than seven years, not even to promote the release of his last album, 1991's "The Fire Inside." And when he mentions a possible tour for the fall of 1995, following a hoped-for spring release of a new album, Seger talks about scaling back the number of shows rather than doing the months of concerts that he did during the first two dozen years of his career.

"Right now there's a lot of personal stuff that's important to me that I never tended to, ever." says the twice-divorced Seger. "Back then, especially during my screaming period of 75-'85, I just phoned everything in. There was no time. It was one straight focused onslaught. "After 12 years of playing, when we finally hit it," with "Night Moves" in 1976, "it was like 'If you want to ride this train, you better be prepared to ride fast because we're not Seger remembers.

"It was tough on everybody because we were so driven to take this thing as far as we could." He was driven by other factors, too. Growing up in the '50s, Seger witnessed "an era when pop stars, even Little Richard, were old hat after two, three years." Growing up poor, he adds, instilled a drive "to make sure I had that big stack of chips I could fall back on before I kicked back at all." But staying off the road, he claims, was largely circumstantial. Following the 1986-'87 "Like a Rock" tour, several members of the Silver Bullet family had children, and Seger wanted to give them time to settle in. He also lost his mother in 1989, which led to a period of reflection. "I really started to think, 'Who am I doing it for now? Both my parents are 4 gone; is it just for Seger says.

AFILMBY 1 30 4 30 7 30 10 30 4 00 7 00 9 50 1 00 4 15 7 15 10 10 'I SAVOY PICTURES rbbrii ALEX ROSEHENDERSON union "EXIT TO EDEN" DANA DELANY PAUL MERCURIO 2 00 5 15 8 30 1 50 4 40 7 40 10 30 corded all or part of 26 songs for the next album including one, "Haunted Eyes," about Kurt Cobain with three more to record during December. With working titles of "It's a Mystery," "Locked and Loaded" and "Rite of Passage," he describes the new songs as "more extreme the rockers rock harder and the ballads lay out further and it's a little more out on the edge." He talks about the new music with passion, vigor and contagious excitement. Clearly, the fire still burns and it may just find a way to keep burning next to the brighter flame he carries for home and family. "My final step," he says, "might be to kick back, even from the albums, and just become a songwriter and write for other people. I can still do that and still be at home and be a family man and still get some satisfaction.

"But I think I'll always write songs. I like doing it, and I think I'm pretty good at it. You get a little bit better each time, if you stay at it, so why ever stop?" Hear Bob Seger mum DEBORAH MELON SOS BRUNNER "'I! ALEXANDRA ROSE GARRY MARSHALL uicYViKHin a umy wm itn in tAV PMPH RESTRICTED 53? 5 25 8 30 mm iTJt 5 7 10 I 1015 1 2 4 5 1 lOllflli NOW SHOWING rv.W:mM.'i-iB NOW SHOWINGI 11 40 3 20 6 40 10 10 IT ')1C HI i'S 'fit 12 00 4 00 7 30 10 30 12 30 3 50 7 00 1C 10 1 30 4 45 7 35 10 15 4 30 7 20 10 10 KEECirCTMi spcn Enzmmmnsn 12 00 3 00 7 00 10 00 12 30 3 4 5 7 05 10 15 2 05 5 05 8 15 t'U 4 (J (TU 1U 1 rsEnamamnn utfrnaiyvin l.MT.Y.HI.'H 12 30 3 45 7 05 10 15 2 45 6 30 9 40 1 25 4 15 7 10 5 55 1 vV-PI 3Jt33a 1 30 4 15700950 1 25 4 15 7 10 10 00 Hll.l:N:H!l!nri 1 00 4 00 7 05 10 00 12 12 50 3 3 45 6 7 9 10 10 1 00 4 2 0 7 30 10 30 1.00 4.45 7 45 10.50 1:00 4.00 7.00 10.00 4. A 1 To hear a bit of "C'est La Vie" from Bob Seger's "Greatest Hits" album, use a touch tone phone to call the Free Press PlusLCI International Info Line at 1-800-975-PLUS and enter category 4003. 'A HI W'WM(J rfWWB in Oreo survey gets unexpected twist NOW SHOWING NOW SHOWINGSIIF r.T,!Trtl.T.l:T:tt:rc riTTTTITr TJ lP Ltvtt" 1:40 2:00 7:40 0:10 10 10:10 1:45 5:30 8:00 10:20 1:50 5:35 8 00 10:30 1:00 3:00 5:00 7:15 9:30 fTiTTJ ond most popular was Oreos and peanut butter.

Peanut butter? "That's what I said, and I never in a million years would have tried it," says Barrows, who in the name of job dedication did. "And you know, it's actually quite good." The peanut butter group fell into two subspecies: those who use the Oreo like a chip and the peanut butter like a dip, and those who crack open the cookie, spread a precise amount on one side and put the cookie back together. Also among the other combinations: Oreos with salsa. Oreos with beer. Oreos with coffee.

And the aforementioned horseradish. "I think we had a list of 60 different things." 1 2:20 2:40 5:00 7:20 9:40 2 20 4:50 7:20 9:50 gi u.vx i-csa an Umu a i 1:15 41 0 7:20 9:45 5:20 7:40 10:00 EE iMmii NO PASSES OR 1:151:45 4:10 4:45 7:20 7:40 9:4510:10 COUPONS ACCEPTED NOW SHOWING oo 7 30 10 00 OREOS, from Page 1C 19 percent," Barrows says. In Detroit, twisters won by just a points: 31 percent of 772 preferred to twist, 29 percent liked -rto- dunk their Oreos, and 18 percent nibbled them. The remainder picked other. A total of 772 Detroit calls were 'counted.

Women twist; men dunk. Except in El Paso, Texas, and Springfield, where it's the other way around. "We know what to make of that," Barrows said. "pne most popular 'other' was probably eating them whole. One pop," Barrows said.

And lots of people have to have their Oreos with something, Barrows Jpund in reading the 28,000 transcribed "other" replies. "Of course, ttie No. 1 combination obviously was and milk." Obviously. The sec 1:15 1:45 4:10 4:45 7:20 7:40 9 45 10:10 1:101:40 4 10 4:45 7:20 7:50 9:45 10:10 1:15 4:10 7:25 9:45 WV, (1 'J I DM Mk-H'i Df 11:50 2:104:30 6:50 9:15 12:30 3:30 6:15 8 30 10:45 1V10 12-10 1 25 3-40 V10 6 7-30 8 9:50 10) 1:20 4:207:3010:00 11 NO PASSES OR COUPONS ACCEPTED DPIVE-IN 15 2 455 107 35 1Q 15 ed ne 1 1 Hck moranis Yak fact Oreos are sold with orange filling for Halloween. SYLVESTER SHARON STALLDNE STONE LRoyal watchers blink at latest tale THE GOVERNMENT TAUGHT HIM TO KILL NOW, HE'S USING HIS SKILLS TO HELP ONE WOMAN SEEK REVENGE AGAINST THE MIAMI UNDERWORLD.

For everyone who's woited to be dwsen, and wasn't Your day has am TUNE GIANT LAUGHS! COMICALLY LOVABLE!" 4Mi mm sue, aim onHwiMmr imwuii "A SURE TOUCHDOWN knkfM. AKnCAII IMW Mm TW0 i 0 1 liiTffliVrHtiir ROYAL, from Page 1C the monarchy won't cease just because the current heir to the throne and his wife are whining back stabbers. Those who know their British history are jphilosophical. You think these royals lare weird? You should have seen their ancestors. "If the monarchs of yesterday were scrutinized by today's standards, this family would look mild," says Bruce Heydt, managing editor of British Heritage magazine.

"Think of King George III, who went mad on the throne. He was found one day talking to an oak tree that he thought was Frederick the Great." "The public has always been interested in the royals' lives, but until the ECiALlS was in on the gossip," says Toffoli. "In the old days, villages would bow down and shout, 'All hail the because they didn't know he'd been beheading a few people earlier that day," says Mitchell. Anglophiles disillusioned by the current sorry saga should look elsewhere for inspiration, Toffoli urges. He recommends admiring Prince Andrew, who is in the midst of a divorce from Sarah Ferguson.

"The way he's stood up for her and not repudiated her and stood up for his duty and position, monarchists think he's performed incredibly diplomatically," Toffoli says. "He was never thought of as the diplomatic son, or noted for finesse, but he's handled himself very well." Almost like a prince, rather. VMIiTlin 1 1 NEC- 4 Chick novit quide fob tncwTiii.t, CHICK MOW IS QUIDS FOR IHOWTMll.