Tao

With the release of his latest RCA Records album, "Tao", Rick Springfield explores some of the most sensitive and complex subjects of his career, in a musical forum that broadly reaches from driving rock to introspective ballads. Such a satisfying compilation as "Tao" delivers in part because of the sonic complexity and unsparing lyric of "Written in Rock," the quiet yearning of "State of the Heart," and anthem-like celebration of the out-of-the-box smash first single, "Celebrate Youth".

Rick Springfield's "Tao" will be joined on the rock airwaves this year with a long-form concert video - "The Beat of the Live Drum.' Certain to be a prototype for concert videos of the future, "The Beat of the Live Drum" employs state-of-the-art special effects and three conceptual videos of songs from "Tao." "The Beat of the Live Drum" airs on Cinemax with stereo radio simulcast all across the country. "The Beat of the Live Drum" is sure to prove to be one of the music events of the year. It will also be available on video cassette.

Born in Sydney, Australia, Springfield grew up on army bases in his native country and England, as his father pursued a career as a solider. He remembers his earliest musical influences as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. As a gift for his thirteenth birthday, Springfield received his first guitar and soon thereafter leapt at the chance to play weekend dances. "We were as hardcore as you can get at sixteen years old," Springfield muses about the Jordy Boys, his first steady working band named after a rough suburb of Melbourne.

Upon leaving school and joining a full-time band, Rock House, Springfield suddenly found himself in the middle of the Vietnam War. "The band was asked to go to Vietnam to entertain, and we jumped at the chance to earn some money," he remembers.

Back in Australia, Springfield recorded his own material with a new and immediately popular band, Zoot. A solo single, "Speak to the Sky" reached number one in Australia and started record company interest on both sides of the Pacific. Capitol nabbed young Springfield and sent him to London to record "Beginnings." In 1972, "Speak to the Sky" peaked in the top 15 here Stateside.

It was at this time that Springfield came to the United States and delivered the albums "Comic Book Heroes" and "Wait For Night" to Columbia and Chelsea Records respectively. He also begun to branch out artistically by developing his acting talents and by studying with drama coaches Vincent Chase and Malcolm McDowell.

Springfield and a friend pursued acting by renting a small Hollywood theatre to present a play for friends, relatives and anyone else interested. He created and painted sets, designed costumes and worked out lighting schemes for the play. his creative hard work convinced Universal Studios of his talent and they signed the actor to a two year contract. Guest appearances on episodic television such as "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Rockford Files" soon followed. Springfield also garnered widespread attention for his two season dramatic role on "General Hospital."

RCA Records signed Rick Springfield in 1980 and more than a decade of tough times and perseverance turned into unqualified success as his debut album, "Working Class Dog," went double platinum and now classic single, "Jessie's Girl," won a coveted Grammy Award for "Best Rock Male Performance."

His second RCA album "Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet" was also a smashing success producing such hits as "Don't Talk to Strangers" and "Calling All Girls." The album also went double platinum-plus and Springfield garnered the American Music Award's "Favorite Male Vocalist" for 1982. In addition, he was nominated for two Grammy Awards -- "Best Male Pop Vocalist" ("Don't Talk to Strangers") and "Best Male Rock Vocalist" ("I Get Excited").

1983 witnessed Springfield's continued success as he broke new ground -- both stylistically and lyrically --- with "Living in Oz." The double platinum-plus produced three hit singles, the Top 5 "Affair of the Heart," followed by the pulsating and furturistic "Human Touch," and the powerful yet romantic "Souls." Springfield's "Oz," certainly his most rock oriented effort to that point, garnered the superstar his fifth Grammy nomination in only three years for "Best Male Rock Vocalist" (Affair of the Heart"). Always seeking to set the highest standards in his work and ever striving to attain the highest goals, Springfield's "Living in Oz" was self-composed and produced.

Springfield's 1983 world tour, "Touring in Oz," which included first-ever performances in Japan and the Far East, was an equally successful follow-up to the performer's SRO "Sweet For Success" tour in 1982. A memorable three night engagement at New York's Carnegie Hall during the "Sweet For Success" tour prompted the New York Times to label the concert "the closest thing this town has seen to 'Beatlemania' since Shea Stadium."

As an established step in the motion picture industry, "Hard to Hold" proved to be a great success for Springfield. Serving as both star and soundtrack producer for the film has enabled Springfield to form his own production company to develop and produce his next motion picture projects. "I learned so much during the production of 'Hard to Hold,'" opines Springfield, "I certainly enjoyed the experience and was able to take from it an appreciation of the intricacies of the business...it's a lot of hard work."

The talented rocker contributed seven original songs to the RCA platinum soundtrack, among them: the guitar driven intensity of "Don't Walk Away," to the Top 5 smash single "Love Somebody," and the high-jinx funk of "Bop 'Til You Drop."

Rick Springfield's World Tour '84 included 50 sold-out dates domestically with return engagements in the Far East.

1985 will again see Rick Springfield tour in support of his album with first ever concert appearances in Germany, France, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom scheduled. He is continuing to field and develop a variety of feature film projects with plans to complete his second feature film in the fourth quarter.

The 80s have yet to witness a more alluring and versatile artist than Rick Springfield -- and with the success of each successive step, his career continues to demonstrate perseverance, appeal and potential.