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    The Jock of Rock posted an update 4 years, 11 months ago

    RockChat Rewind with Joe Milliken.
    On this day in 1979 the Patti Smith Group released their fourth studio album on the Arista label titled “Wave.” Recorded at Bearsville Studios in New York and produced by Todd Rundgren, “Wave” received mixed reviews from the press and ultimately, was not as successful as their previous release “Easter.”
    Featuring Patti on vocals, Lenny Kaye on guitar, Ivan Kral on bass, Jay Dee Daugherty on drums and Richard Sohl on piano, the album also received some favorable press as well, praising the more polished production values from Rundgren and a “newfound focus” for the band, while others downplayed the conventionality and commercialism of the approach.
    Patti wrote the first single, titled “Frederick,” about her soon-to-be husband guitarist Fred “Sonic” Smith, and the second single, “Dancing Barefoot,” became a fan favorite and has been covered several times by other bands. The album also features a cover song of the Byrds hit “So You Wanna be (A Rock n’n Roll Star).” “Wave” climbed to #18 on the Billboard album chart, and #41 on the UK chart. The album went gold, selling over 500,000 copies worldwide.
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