Runt (album)

Runt is the self-titled debut album of the band Runt, released June 1970 on Ampex Records. Runt was a trio consisting of Todd Rundgren (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Hunt Sales (drums), and Tony Fox Sales (bass). The entire album was written and produced by Rundgren, formerly of Nazz, and he is the only member of Runt to perform on four of the nine cuts. Many regarded Runt as Rundgren's debut solo album, and later reissues credit the album to Rundgren rather than to the group.

Not to be confused with Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren.
Runt
Reissue cover
Studio album by
Runt
Released8 August 1970
StudioBearsville Studios, Woodstock, New York
GenreArt rock, power pop, psychedelic pop
Length40:20
LabelAmpex
ProducerTodd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren chronology
Runt
(1970)		 Runt. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren
(1971)
Singles from Runt
  1. "We Gotta Get You a Woman"
    Released: October 1970
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB[2]
Rolling Stone(Not Rated)[3]

Initially dividing critics upon its release, the record runs the gamut from blues-styled guitar workouts ("Birthday Carol", "Broke Down and Busted") to power pop ("Devil's Bite", "Don't Tie My Hands") to Laura Nyro-styled piano pop ("We Gotta Get You a Woman", "Baby Let's Swing", "The Last Thing You Said") to rock 'n' roll ("Who's That Man") to piano ballads ("Believe in Me", "Once Burned", the middle section of "Birthday Carol"), as well as more experimental numbers (the sarcastic, prog-rock tinged "I'm in the Clique", "There Are No Words").

The album features the single "We Gotta Get You a Woman", which reached number 20 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1971.

Alternative pressings

Upon its release in June 1970 the album was issued with 10 tracks. After "We Gotta Get You a Woman" became a hit single, Ampex decided to press more copies of the LP in November 1970 to keep up with demand. A 12-track master of the LP, which Rundgren had rejected in favor of a second mix, was accidentally sent to the pressing plant, resulting in approximately 5,000 mis-presses. Instead of throwing out the LPs, Ampex decided to sell them anyway, unmarked, as a sort of surprise to the purchaser. There was also an 11 track version which has the standard 6 tracks on Side One and 5 tracks on Side Two featuring The full length version of "Baby Let's Swing" and "Say No More". This version may have been pressed in even smaller numbers than the 12 track version. This album as well as Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren were issued in 1971 on the Bearsville label, being distributed by Ampex at the time. In mid-1971 Bearsville was purchased by Warner Bros. distribution, and plans were made to re-release each album with Runt as catalog number BV 2046 and Ballad as BV 2047. These were never pressed. Later in 1973 Warner Bros wanted Bearsville to re-release both albums as a "twin pack" entitled Todd Rundgren's Rack Job (Catalog number 2BV 2156). The album got as far as test presses and album art but was shelved, as Rundgren wanted to release an album of new material instead.

Track listing

All songs by Todd Rundgren.

Side one
  1. "Broke Down and Busted" – 4:32
  2. "Believe in Me" – 2:04
  3. "We Got to Get You a Woman" [styled "We Gotta Get You a Woman" as a single and on Bearsville pressings] – 2:52
  4. "Who's That Man" – 2:59
  5. "Once Burned" – 2:09
  6. "Devil's Bite" – 3:53
Side two
  1. "I'm in the Clique" – 4:57
  2. "There Are No Words" – 2:12
  3. "Baby Let's Swing"/"The Last Thing You Said"/"Don't Tie My Hands" – 5:28
  4. "Birthday Carol" – 9:14

12-track mispressed vinyl release, November 1970
Side one
  1. "Broke Down and Busted" – 4:59 (same as standard version but with short intro from "There Are No Words")
  2. "Believe in Me" – 2:01 (alternate mix)
  3. "We Gotta Get You a Woman" – 3:07 (alternate mix)
  4. "Once Burned" – 2:09 (same as standard version)
  5. "Who's That Man?" – 2:59 (same as standard version)
  6. "Hope I'm Around" – 4:28 (not on standard version, but an alternate version was included on his second album)
  7. "Devil's Bite" – 3:58 (alternate mix with extended guitar solo)
Side two
  1. "I'm in the Clique" – 4:57 (same as standard version)
  2. "There Are No Words" – 2:12 (same as standard version)
  3. "Baby Let's Swing" – 3:25 (full length song, not part of a medley)
  4. "Say No More" – 3:08 (not on standard version)
  5. "Birthday Carol" – 9:11 (partially the same as standard version, but with some brief alterations)

There were also 2 early issues on cassette with alternate track listings. The first issue was the 1970 Ampex release which reverses Sides One and Two of the LP, in order to sequence the longer side first. The second issue was the 1971 Bearsville Ampex release which has a radically different track listing as well as edited versions of "Devil's Bite", "Broke Down and Busted", "I'm in the Clique", "There are No Words", "Birthday Carol" and has the medley split in two.

Expanded reissue

In 2011 reissue label Edsel released an expanded twofer of Runt and Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren that included the eight long-out-of-print alternate versions of songs from the 12-track misprint as bonus tracks.[4] In 2014, Edsel issued Runt + The Alternative Runt, a double CD set that contained the original Runt on the first disc, the November 1970 misprint on the second disc, and "Broke Down and Busted (live at Carnegie Hall, June 8, 1972)" as a bonus track.

Personnel

(taken from the standard release LP jacket)

  • Todd Rundgren – production, arrangements, all instruments and voices except where indicated
  • Tony Sales – bass (except on "Once Burned", "I'm in the Clique", and "Birthday Carol"), percussion on "We Got to Get You a Woman" and "Devil's Bite"
  • Hunt Sales – drums (except on "Once Burned", "I'm in the Clique", and "Birthday Carol"), percussion on "We Got to Get You a Woman" and "Devil's Bite"
  • Rick Danko – bass on "Once Burned"
  • Levon Helm – drums on "Once Burned"
  • Mark Klingman – electric piano on "I'm in the Clique"
  • John Miller – bass on "I'm in the Clique"
  • Bobby Moses – drums on "I'm in the Clique"
  • Don Lee van Winkle – rhythm & acoustic guitar on "Birthday Carol"
  • Don Ferris – bass on "Birthday Carol"
  • Mickey Brook – drums on "Birthday Carol"

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1970 Billboard Pop Albums[5] 185
2012 Japan Oricon Album Chart[6] 269

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1970 "We Gotta Get You a Woman" Canada RPM Singles Chart 20
1970 "We Gotta Get You a Woman" Billboard Hot 100[5] 20

References
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2011). "Runt – Todd Rundgren | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: R". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. Ward, Ed (2011). "Todd Rundgren: Runt : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on November 1, 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2011.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. "Runt + The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren...Plus". Demon Music Group. Archived from the original on 2012-03-30.
  5. Runt – Todd Rundgren > Awards at AllMusic
  6. "Japan: Album positions". oricon.co.jp. Retrieved 12-05-2013. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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