Sweet, this was one of the first bands I ever saw live. They opened up for REO when I saw them in like 78 or 79. I have actually looked online for years for Rockets stuff.
Dave you had "it" , not many can say that. RIP. Oh well right, sooo so talented, but don't we destroy what we should do best at some point...well at least artists do....
I grew up in Michigan and I used to hear this song on the radio all the time when I was a kid. When I moved to Arizona, I was about 24, and I'd hear "Oh Well" on the radio from time to time. But it never sounded right to me. That's because, around here, they always play the Fleetwood Mac version. They never play this far-superior version by the Rockets. The Rockets' rendition is the definitive version of this song, IMO.
I knew Jim McCarty back in '81. Truly a great guitar player. He lived nearby, and stopped by my place for my 30th b'day party. We jammed a bit. He told me he was once at a music industry party in L.A., and some kid comes up to him and says, "Jim, you're great, your a big influence on me". So he says to the kid, who are you? So the kid answers, "I'm Eddie Van Halen!"
These guys did better than just pay homage to this song ... they redefined it. I remember buying "Turn Up The Radio" the day after I saw them open for KISS. really wish I got to see more of them!
@TheSabercats Tell your Dad his music still lives ! I have all of The Rockets music and I still listen to this day. I saw them back in 1979. They opened for Blue Oyster Cult in Allentown Pennsylvania! One of my favorite bands back then.
anyone else in the Detroit/Windsor area see these guys play the outdoor amphitheatre at St.Clair College in Windsor around 1980 +/-? what a show for a young kid...and I scored passes to shoot pics too. still have the negatives. what a great show!
Hey @geertwilersful you wouldn't know good music if it kicked you in the ass , so keep your ignorant thoughts to yourself , guy's like you piss me off if you don't like something quietly turn the page and fuck right off , and you say you don't give a shit ,well maybe someone does so go play with yourself ya chickenshit THE FUCKEN ROCKETS RULE !!!!!!
I have up-loaded these videos again, Desire and Oh Well, after enhancing the audio a bit. They have less 'hits' than these first attempts, but have a little better fidelity and more volume. Watch your gain settings!
a lot of the rockets lp's are hard to find. i have two of their albums the rockets (featuring oh well) and rocket roll with rollin' by the record machine. if they came to dte (formely pine knob) they would blow the roof off the place.
I saw that REO show in 79 too Bowser, in Saginaw at their civic center. Jimmy broke a string and he never even missed a beat, just kept on jammin through the entire song! Roadies kept running up and trying to hand him another guitar and he just laughed and rocked on.
The Rockets kicked ass! I was at that Kiss show at Olympia when they opened as well. Too bad they never got huge like everyone thought they would. Was sad that Dave wrecked himself living the rockstar lifestyle. That guy was an awesome singer. If you can find "Somethin' Ain't Right", you get a true sense of how good he was. I catch McCarty with Mystery Train every so often at Memphis Smoke in Royal Oak- the guy still looks the same today as he did with The Rockets. Great guitar player.
I love the Rockets- I First saw them at the Red Carpet on Warrewn Avenue in Detroit. In fact I, and my ffiend Roger, was hit by a car that night on Warren Avenue!!!! It was January-I think? Either way The Rockets were great thyen and still are-there Red Carpet Fan-Swaj (-:
I was lucky enough to catch these guys live back in 1979 (Notre Dame IN - ACC Auditorum). They openrd up for REO Speedwagon (Nine Lives tour) It was an incredible show! What a great band! Went out and bought the album the very next day
Saw this band open for Bob Seger on Easter Sunday 1980 at the Miami Baseball Stadium... about a month or so after this taping... they completely rocked the place.
Yeah, here's another f***king Union Lake guy with a Dave Gilbert story. My dad, this guy Mike Kaczinski, and Dave would hang out at our house occasionally. My first rock star experience was Dave at my house, in the summer with a fur coat on, 90 degrees outside.
I remember Dave coming into the party store I worked at in Union Lake (Ginos). They loved the pizza squares. Who didn't !He had a knockout of a girlfriend (name eludes me) with long brown hair, brown eyes and long fingernails. Drove a mint vintage Monte Carlo. They were ALWAYS so down to earth. They invited me to a few ROADHOUSE shows at the Pizza Company on Union Lake and Jaggers in Waterford. Dave used to do a mean rendition of CCRs Born On the Bayou and would use sign language while singing.
His mom and dad were both deaf mutes. I did not know his dad but his mom worked at the school in the cafeteria, she was very nice. I remember the pizza squares at Gino's Party store were the best pizza ever.
I never got to meet his parents but I always thought of them when I drove by his old house on Keith (?) Rd. I remember the owner at Jaggers cutting Daves set short one night because people weren't dancing. Dave was PISSED. It was like a mini concert and the owner didn't understand that people werent there to dance, that night anyway. Thats when "The Look" (Dave Edwards)was a premier band at Jaggers. I was underage with a fake ID and I partied with Steve Costan backstage between sets.
AH YES Jaggers late 80s! Parachute pants, cocaine & skinny ties. Dave Gilbert from "The Look" used to work that DJ booth "high up in the corner." His hair reminded me of Rod Stewart and his (speaking) voice Joe Cocker ! Rough, "half carton a day" voice. I liked their version of (The Animals) Please Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood. Slow kinda funky blues groove version. All of the big haired hotties used to line up on the steps outside the DJ booth with lipstick-napkin requests. What a great gig !
My sister use live by Dave in Sterling Hieghts in some apartments. I was a teenager. I got to meet dave 1 time. His wife was hot. couple years later my sister took me out partying with Lenna (dave's wife) ....Thanks for sharing the video's .
What a Great Band, Live was even better,Thanks and keep ROCKIN.
moebilly 1 month ago
Russ is not alone!!! We're all gettin older!!
gretschguy58 3 months ago
I always wondered why the name Dennis Robbins sounded familiar....now I remember why!
texs2007 4 months ago
Saw them in 1980 opening for ZZ Top in Binghamton NY.
SIXSTRING63 4 months ago
I have the single...Ths was the old Fleetwood Mac epic done much shorter..another one where the instrumental riffs stand out most of all!!
"Now, don't ask me what I think of you......I MIGHT NOT give you the same answer that you want me to..".:)
SteveCarras 5 months ago
Sweet, this was one of the first bands I ever saw live. They opened up for REO when I saw them in like 78 or 79. I have actually looked online for years for Rockets stuff.
Smurfe04 6 months ago
I SEEN DAVID IN 1978
yOU ALL MISSED OUT
TroyatThePier 7 months ago
Dave you had "it" , not many can say that. RIP. Oh well right, sooo so talented, but don't we destroy what we should do best at some point...well at least artists do....
MeganMI1 7 months ago
dam what a singer like a bon scott,with more of a bite in his own style
tomakethousands 8 months ago
he can sing man better than seger,cooper,ted
tomakethousands 8 months ago
I grew up in Michigan and I used to hear this song on the radio all the time when I was a kid. When I moved to Arizona, I was about 24, and I'd hear "Oh Well" on the radio from time to time. But it never sounded right to me. That's because, around here, they always play the Fleetwood Mac version. They never play this far-superior version by the Rockets. The Rockets' rendition is the definitive version of this song, IMO.
schepler2 11 months ago
Thanks for uploading this, it's a true gem.
rockoutmichigan 1 year ago
I knew Jim McCarty back in '81. Truly a great guitar player. He lived nearby, and stopped by my place for my 30th b'day party. We jammed a bit. He told me he was once at a music industry party in L.A., and some kid comes up to him and says, "Jim, you're great, your a big influence on me". So he says to the kid, who are you? So the kid answers, "I'm Eddie Van Halen!"
Johnrack 1 year ago 2
@Johnrack sweeeeeet!!!
peacefulblonde39 4 months ago
nice job bluedan,,,,these guys are detroit rock history and need to be remembered for the great band they were. rip dave
eddyhaas11 1 year ago
These guys did better than just pay homage to this song ... they redefined it. I remember buying "Turn Up The Radio" the day after I saw them open for KISS. really wish I got to see more of them!
gweir64064 1 year ago
My dad is the guitarist- Russ Leonard, he's old now, with no hair;D
TheSabercats 1 year ago 11
@TheSabercats Last I checked, hair wasn't a requirement to rock and knock dicks in the dirt.
mitefiend 7 months ago 2
@TheSabercats Tell your Dad his music still lives ! I have all of The Rockets music and I still listen to this day. I saw them back in 1979. They opened for Blue Oyster Cult in Allentown Pennsylvania! One of my favorite bands back then.
az953430 5 months ago
The one "person" who rated this down could not buy a clue if he was Bill Gates.
noaccount84 1 year ago
Bad ass.
fweekstir 1 year ago
I use to live just down the road from the "PINE KNOB MUSIC THEATRE". I remember the days of Dave singing for the Rockets....
OZOBIEUSA1 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
anyone else in the Detroit/Windsor area see these guys play the outdoor amphitheatre at St.Clair College in Windsor around 1980 +/-? what a show for a young kid...and I scored passes to shoot pics too. still have the negatives. what a great show!
TIMJ444 1 year ago
Early Fleetwood was awesome! McCarty and the Boys were merely paying homage to them by covering this song....And a great cover it was!!!
Another musician that makes Detroit (Rock City) proud!
mpellet5 1 year ago
Hey @geertwilersful you wouldn't know good music if it kicked you in the ass , so keep your ignorant thoughts to yourself , guy's like you piss me off if you don't like something quietly turn the page and fuck right off , and you say you don't give a shit ,well maybe someone does so go play with yourself ya chickenshit THE FUCKEN ROCKETS RULE !!!!!!
baby69ization 1 year ago
OH a video of Jim McCarty!!! Legend!
oclero 1 year ago
put them in a rocket and shoot them to the moon
this is bad bad very bad
geertwildersful 1 year ago
@geertwildersful You have bad taste in music! Most people say this is better than the original FLEETWOOD MAC version and I agree!
455Transam 1 year ago
@455Transam yeah whatever i dont give a shit!!
geertwildersful 1 year ago
@geertwildersful If you don't like the long guitar solo listen to the studio version...it's on here. I like that version better myself.
455Transam 1 year ago
great to see this performance .. thanks!
OriginalScratch 1 year ago
i had this and "Desire" on 45rpm back in the day. Good stuff.
ffejbboc 1 year ago
I have up-loaded these videos again, Desire and Oh Well, after enhancing the audio a bit. They have less 'hits' than these first attempts, but have a little better fidelity and more volume. Watch your gain settings!
Thanx...
bluedanbass 1 year ago 4
@bluedanbass thanks for this post haha awesome
peonwarrior 1 year ago
Mcarty is so fuckin overrated and has an asshole personality. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Johnnytwain1 1 year ago
If anyones got videos of Ramona or Love Transfusion in concert, please post them.
40colby 1 year ago
The Rockets were right on the edge off the metal bubble when it got going...killer cover that made radio a helluva lot better back in that day...
LemurScat97 1 year ago
Jim McCarty is a legend. Disgustingly underrated/unknown by my generation. Still an incredible player today
CaptainBeyond72 1 year ago
thier attire might b retro but that is a great rip!,what a great song finally done justice.
molleechopper 1 year ago
Great version of a real "attitude" song - thanks for posting. More Rockets, please!
imissnhl 1 year ago
a lot of the rockets lp's are hard to find. i have two of their albums the rockets (featuring oh well) and rocket roll with rollin' by the record machine. if they came to dte (formely pine knob) they would blow the roof off the place.
nighthawk48509 1 year ago
I saw that REO show in 79 too Bowser, in Saginaw at their civic center. Jimmy broke a string and he never even missed a beat, just kept on jammin through the entire song! Roadies kept running up and trying to hand him another guitar and he just laughed and rocked on.
bigpappashouse 1 year ago
after searching for years finally someone posted this awesome band
many thanks.................hopefully more postings to follow
from the ass kicking Rocket's
burnzze 1 year ago
Saw these guys poen up for Bob Seger in Milw..........rock on Milw........
ford19292000 1 year ago
The Rockets kicked ass! I was at that Kiss show at Olympia when they opened as well. Too bad they never got huge like everyone thought they would. Was sad that Dave wrecked himself living the rockstar lifestyle. That guy was an awesome singer. If you can find "Somethin' Ain't Right", you get a true sense of how good he was. I catch McCarty with Mystery Train every so often at Memphis Smoke in Royal Oak- the guy still looks the same today as he did with The Rockets. Great guitar player.
3StratMan 2 years ago
I love the Rockets- I First saw them at the Red Carpet on Warrewn Avenue in Detroit. In fact I, and my ffiend Roger, was hit by a car that night on Warren Avenue!!!! It was January-I think? Either way The Rockets were great thyen and still are-there Red Carpet Fan-Swaj (-:
eastsidebrent 2 years ago
saw them at Olympia in Detroit .warm up band for kiss in77 or 78 ,maybe .but they did rock out .what a great show all around
billiey61 2 years ago
I was lucky enough to catch these guys live back in 1979 (Notre Dame IN - ACC Auditorum). They openrd up for REO Speedwagon (Nine Lives tour) It was an incredible show! What a great band! Went out and bought the album the very next day
bowsertom1 2 years ago
Man that band ROCKED!
killmodell 2 years ago
Saw this band open for Bob Seger on Easter Sunday 1980 at the Miami Baseball Stadium... about a month or so after this taping... they completely rocked the place.
Wharfomatic 2 years ago
why all the hostility? these guys rocked, Im from Livonia, never met or knew ANY of them. But their music is great!
Pages225 2 years ago
Comment removed
13BuzzC 2 years ago
Yeah, here's another f***king Union Lake guy with a Dave Gilbert story. My dad, this guy Mike Kaczinski, and Dave would hang out at our house occasionally. My first rock star experience was Dave at my house, in the summer with a fur coat on, 90 degrees outside.
juno716 2 years ago
Dave And Jimmy Padock played at my 18th birthday party. May they both rest in peace. Dave has a brother Mark equally as talented.
safetechnician 2 years ago
I remember Dave coming into the party store I worked at in Union Lake (Ginos). They loved the pizza squares. Who didn't !He had a knockout of a girlfriend (name eludes me) with long brown hair, brown eyes and long fingernails. Drove a mint vintage Monte Carlo. They were ALWAYS so down to earth. They invited me to a few ROADHOUSE shows at the Pizza Company on Union Lake and Jaggers in Waterford. Dave used to do a mean rendition of CCRs Born On the Bayou and would use sign language while singing.
tropicalmonte 2 years ago
His mom and dad were both deaf mutes. I did not know his dad but his mom worked at the school in the cafeteria, she was very nice. I remember the pizza squares at Gino's Party store were the best pizza ever.
safetechnician 2 years ago
I never got to meet his parents but I always thought of them when I drove by his old house on Keith (?) Rd. I remember the owner at Jaggers cutting Daves set short one night because people weren't dancing. Dave was PISSED. It was like a mini concert and the owner didn't understand that people werent there to dance, that night anyway. Thats when "The Look" (Dave Edwards)was a premier band at Jaggers. I was underage with a fake ID and I partied with Steve Costan backstage between sets.
tropicalmonte 2 years ago
@tropicalmonte
I was the DJ at Jaggers in the late 80's. Good times back then.
parkerdet 2 years ago
AH YES Jaggers late 80s! Parachute pants, cocaine & skinny ties. Dave Gilbert from "The Look" used to work that DJ booth "high up in the corner." His hair reminded me of Rod Stewart and his (speaking) voice Joe Cocker ! Rough, "half carton a day" voice. I liked their version of (The Animals) Please Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood. Slow kinda funky blues groove version. All of the big haired hotties used to line up on the steps outside the DJ booth with lipstick-napkin requests. What a great gig !
tropicalmonte 2 years ago
Comment removed
safetechnician 2 years ago
My bad Smokey...I moved from Mi. to Fl. in 1996..Guess that still makes me a dumbazz.... Oh Welllllllllll well well well
R.I.P. Gilbert
sixstringx2 2 years ago
My sister use live by Dave in Sterling Hieghts in some apartments. I was a teenager. I got to meet dave 1 time. His wife was hot. couple years later my sister took me out partying with Lenna (dave's wife) ....Thanks for sharing the video's .
Toxicmoe 2 years ago
This is from Midnight Special. They also did "Desire" on this show. Great rendition of Oh Well.
yourtubesteak 2 years ago
Dave G. you still in Union Lake Mi. ?
sixstringx2 2 years ago
dave passed away in 2001 dumbass!
smokeyway 2 years ago
Comment removed
smokeyway 2 years ago
Woo Hoo. Thanks for posting. Great tune
kenporich2006 2 years ago
I love this song...especially the version done by the Rockets.
nn567 2 years ago
like i said on your other post from the rockets themselves i have to say thanks and is there any more footage? thanks!
suzesrc 2 years ago