Song Anatomy

AC/DC: You Shook Me All Night Long

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:39:00 GMT

Writers: Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Brian Johnson
Producer: Robert "Mutt" Lange
Recorded: April-May, 1980 at Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas
Released: July 21st, 1980
Players:
Brian Johnson -- vocals
Angus Young -- lead guitar
Malcolm Young -- rhythm guitar
Cliff Williams -- bass
Phil Rudd -- drums
Album: Back In Black (Atco, 1980)
Also On:
Who Made Who (Atlantic, 1986)
Live (single disc) (Atco, 1992)
Live (double disc) (Atco, 1992)
Bonfire (East West, 1997)
"You Shook Me All Night Long," from the 1980 album Back In Black, was AC/DC's first hit single in the U.S., reaching Number 35 on the Billboard chart.
This followed the band's American breakthrough with 1979's Highway To Hell album, which reached Number 17.
The success of that album was marred by the alcohol-induced death of lead singer Bon Scott in London on February 19th, 1980. Scott died after passing out and choking on his own vomit.
Although the band's future suddenly seemed uncertain, AC/DC hired Brian Johnson a mere two months after Scott's death.
Not even four months after Johnson stepped in, Back In Black and "You Shook Me All Night Long" were on the charts.
Although there were misgivings about how well Johnson would be received, Back In Black peaked at Number Four and spent a year on the album chart.
AC/DC followed the album's success by re-releasing some of their earlier work, including 1975'sDirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, which went on to hit Number Three in the US -- one notch higher than Back In Black.

DID YOU KNOW?

The lyrics to "You Shook Me All Night Long" inspired the title of modern rock band Veruca Salt's American Thighs album in 1994.
The group's most recent release is Black Ice, which was released in 2008.
Drummer Phil Rudd left AC/DC in 1983 but returned to the lineup in 1995.
The group was inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk in 2000.
AC/DC was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

Aerosmith: Dream On

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:40:00 GMT

Writer: Steven Tyler
Producer: Adrian Barber
Recorded: 1972 at Intermedia Studios, Boston
Released: January 1973 (album); November 1973 (single)
Players:
Steven Tyler -- vocals, harmonica, wood flute
Joe Perry -- guitar
Brad Whitford -- guitar
Tom Hamilton -- bass
Joey Kramer -- drums
Album: Aerosmith (Columbia, 1973)
Also On:
Live! Bootleg (Columbia, 1978)
Greatest Hits (Columbia, 1980)
Classics Live (Columbia, 1986)
Pandora's Box (Columbia, 1991)
Box Of Fire (Columbia, 1994)
A Little South Of Sanity (Geffen, 1998)
Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology (Geffen, 2001)
O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits (Columbia, 2002)
Devil's Got A New Disguise (Columbia, 2006)
"Dream On" was not a hit immediately -- it only reached Number 59 in Billboard upon its initial release in 1973. It was reissued in 1976 and finally made its way into Billboard's Top 10, peaking at Number Six. This came at the same time Aerosmith was hot with their Toys In The Attic album and the single "Walk This Way."
The song's slow pace and its dramatic buildup made it one of the first big power ballads.
"Dream On" was the first time lead singer Steven Tyler let rip with his falsetto.
Tyler said, "For me, this song sums up what you have to put up with when you're in a new band. 'Dream On' is a great song, but it was three years before people really got a chance to hear it."
The song dates back to Tyler's late teens. He recalled: "It was just this little... sonnet that I started playing one day. I never thought it would end up being a real song or anything."
Tyler and bassist Tom Hamilton shared an apartment on Boston's Commonwealth Avenue, and Hamilton was frequently woken up by Tyler working the song out on the piano -- which was in Hamilton's room. Hamilton said, "Mine was the only room with a piano in it. I remember waking up and hearing Steven playing this song over and over again. It probably pissed me off then, but now I'm sure glad he kept playing."
Aerosmith has several times performed "Dream On" with an orchestra, including at a 1991 show which was shown on MTV.

DID YOU KNOW?

Perry left Aerosmith in 1979, with guitarist Brad Whitford leaving two years later. They rejoined in 1984, and the group has been intact ever since.
Aerosmith has continued since then, with hit albums and singles, awards including Grammys, American Music Awards, MTV Music Awards, film and television appearances, and consecutive sold-out tours.
Aerosmith was nominated for an Oscar in 1999 for their recording of "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing," which was featured in the movie Armageddon.
Aerosmith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

Alice Cooper: No More Mr. Nice Guy

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:47:00 GMT

Writers: Alice Cooper and Michael Bruce
Producer: Bob Ezrin
Recorded: Fall 1972 at the Cooper Mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, and the Record Plant in New York City
Released: February 1973
Players:
Alice Cooper -- vocals
Michael Bruce -- guitar, vocals
Glen Buxton -- guitar
Dennis Dunaway -- bass
Neil Smith -- drums
Album: Billion Dollar Babies (Warner Bros., 1973)
Also On:
Alice Cooper's Greatest Hits (Warner Bros., 1974)
Classicks (Epic, 1995)
The Life And Crimes Of Alice Cooper (Rhino, 1999)
and other compilations
Alice Cooper band guitarist Michael Bruce based "No More Mr. Nice Guy" on the Who's "Substitute," though reviewers often commented on its musical similarity to the Rolling Stones.
In the liner notes to the box set The Life And Crimes Of Alice Cooper, Alice Cooper wrote that the lyrics to "No More Mr. Nice Guy" were a response to the controversy surrounding the band over their live show and other publicity-seeking antics. "The funny part of this song was that we had all of this horrific publicity, and then we came out and declared, 'All right, everyone... now it's "No More Mr. Nice Guy" time. The gloves are off.' People were going, 'Huh? What? Now they're going to get worse?!?'"
As for the verse about his parents -- "My mom's been kicked out of the social circle/My dad has to hide" -- Cooper said it was based on true events: "I wrote the lyrics out of anger because of how my parents were treated by some of the press. It was particularly hard because of my dad being a minister. Fact is, my parents were the only ones who knew I was a nice guy."
"No More Mr. Nice Guy" peaked at Number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at Number 10 on the U.K. pop chart.
Billion Dollar Babies was Cooper's only Number One album and the group's third consecutive million-seller.
The album also topped the chart in the U.K.
Recorded in Connecticut, New York City, and London, it was also the first Cooper album to make extensive use of outside musicians, including Donovan, Harry Nilsson, and guitarists Dick Wagner, Steve Hunter, and Mick Mashbir.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Alice Cooper band broke up in 1974, with Cooper keeping the name for his solo career.
Guitarist Glen Buxton died in 1997.
In 1999, Cooper opened a sports-themed restaurant in Phoenix, called Alice Cooper'sTown.
He's currently working on a number of projects, including a new rock album and a concept piece called The Seven Deadly, based on the seven deadly sins.
He also is the host of the successful syndicated daily radio show Nights With Alice Cooper.
Cooper has spoken about adapting his album Welcome To My Nightmare for Broadway, but hasn't yet taken the idea beyond the exploratory stage.
In May 2004, he officially became "Dr. Cooper" when he got an honorary Doctor Of Performing Arts degree from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
Cooper has been rated the top classic rock golfer by Golf Digest magazine.

Bachman-Turner Overdrive: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:48:00 GMT

Writer: Randy Bachman
Producer: Randy Bachman
Recorded: 1974 at Kaye-Smith Studios in Seattle
Released: September 21st, 1974
Players:
Randy Bachman -- vocals, guitar
C.F. Turner -- vocals, bass
Blair Thornton -- guitar, vocals
Robbie Bachman -- drums
Album: Not Fragile (Mercury, 1974)
Also On:
The Best Of BTO (So Far) (Mercury, 1976)
and many other compilations and live albums
Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1974, after Randy and Robbie Bachman and C.F. "Fred" Turner played together in the group Brave Belt.
"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" was BTO's biggest single and their only Number One.
Not Fragile was the group's biggest album, and their only one to hit Number One as well.
The song's stuttering chorus was inspired by Randy Bachman's brother Gary, who had a speech impediment. Many took it as a copy of, or homage to, the Who's "My Generation."
Bachman said he was "actually embarrassed" by the stutter, but when he tried to record it with a straight vocal, "It sounded like Frank Sinatra singing 'Strangers In The Night.'"
At BTO concerts, playing "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" inspired female fans to lift their shirts and flash the band.
The Not Fragile album marked the debut of guitarist Blair Thornton, who replaced third Bachman brother Tim.

FAST FORWARD:

BTO continued to score hits until 1976, when Randy Bachman left the group.
Bachman continues his solo career, and his last couple of albums have featured guest appearances by old friend Neil Young.
Bachman has also regrouped the Guess Who and occasionally works as a duo act with Guess Who partner Burton Cummings.

Billy Joel: Big Shot

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:49:00 GMT

Writer: Billy Joel
Producer: Phil Ramone
Recorded: Spring 1978 at A&R Recording in New York City
Released: Fall 1978
Players:
Billy Joel -- vocals, piano
Doug Stegmeyer -- bass
Liberty DeVitto -- drums
Richie Cannata -- organ, saxophone, clarinet
Steve Kahn -- guitar
Donnie Dacus -- backing vocals
Album: 52nd Street (Columbia, 1978)
Also On:
Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II (Columbia, 1985)
Kohlept (Live In Leningrad) (Columbia, 1987)
The Complete Hits Collection 1973-1997 (Columbia, 1997)
2000 Years: The Millennium Concert (Columbia, 2000)
The Greatest Hits Collection, Volumes I, II & III (Columbia, 2000)
My Lives (Columbia, 2005)
12 Gardens Live (Columbia, 2006)
Due to the success of his previous album, The Stranger, Billy Joel had to cram the recording of52nd Street into breaks from touring.
"Big Shot," which kicks off the album, is a reflection of Joel's observations about stardom, including references to Park Avenue clothes, limousines, Dom Perignon champagne, cocaine, and trendy hangouts such as Elaine's in New York City.
It's also something of a self-commentary, as Joel has said he was also guilty of the stoned, arrogant behavior he complains about in the song.
"Big Shot" peaked at Number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song -- which was one of the few out-and-out rockers in Joel's catalog up to that point -- became a standard show-closer for him.
The 52nd Street album spent eight weeks at Number One on the Billboard 200. It's sold well over seven million copies.
52nd Street won the Grammy Awards for Album Of The Year and for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male in 1979.

DID YOU KNOW?

Joel stopped recording pop music after 1993's River Of Dreams and has devoted himself to classical and instrumental music ever since, though he did release a one-off pop song called "All My Life" earlier this year. He put out his first classical album in 2001 and has said he'll continue in that vein.
Joel continues to tour periodically, both by himself and with Elton John in their Face To Face concerts.
Joel has received career citations from the publishing house ASCAP; the Songwriters Hall Of Fame; the Grammys, which gave him the Living Legend Award in 1990; Billboard magazine, which gave him its Century Award in 1994; and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, when he was inducted by his idol Ray Charles.
A stage production called Movin' Out, which paired Joel's music with choreography by Twyla Tharp, had a very successful run on Broadway in New York City. Joel shared the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations with Stuart Malina.

Billy Joel: Only The Good Die Young

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:50:00 GMT

Writer: Billy Joel
Producer: Phil Ramone
Recorded: Spring-summer 1977 at A&R Recording in New York City
Released: Fall 1977
Players:
Billy Joel -- vocals, keyboards
Doug Stegmeyer -- bass
Hiram Bullock -- guitar
Liberty DeVitto -- drums
Richie Canatta -- woodwinds
Steve Zahn -- guitar
Patrick Williams -- orchestrations
Album: The Stranger (Columbia, 1977)
Also On:
Greatest Hits Volume I And Volume II (1973-1985) (Columbia, 1985)
Kohuept (Live In Leningrad) (Columbia, 1987)
The Complete Hits Collection 1974-1997 (Columbia, 1997)
Greatest Hits, Vols. I, II & III (Columbia, 2000)
2000 Years -- The Millennium Concert (Columbia, 2000)
The Essential Billy Joel (Columbia, 2001)
A native of Long Island, New York, Billy Joel tried his hand at boxing before settling on a career in music. He told Billboard, "I became a musician partly because of my physical limitations. I wasn't tall. I don't have Cary Grant looks. I had to transcend somehow, so when I'm in the studio and I'm free to move, I'm six-foot-six and I look like Cary Grant."
Joel had been recording for six years before The Stranger album broke through to a mass audience, starting with the hit ballad "Just The Way You Are."
"Only The Good Die Young" is a plea for sexual favors from a "good" Catholic girl. The song didn't amuse some Catholics, and priests spoke out against the song.
Of the controversy surrounding the song, Joel has denied that "Only The Good Die Young" is anti-Catholic. He also says he isn't religious -- "I still feel very much like an atheist in the religious aspect of things. But there are spiritual planes that I'm aware of that I don't know anything about, that I can't explain."
"Only The Good Die Young" peaked at Number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of Joel's most popular radio songs.
The Stranger peaked at Number Two on the Billboard 200. It was also Joel's first million-seller, and has sold more than ten million copies.

DID YOU KNOW?

Joel stopped recording pop music after 1993's River Of Dreams and has devoted himself to classical and instrumental music ever since, though he did release a one-off pop song called "All My Life" earlier this year. He put out his first classical album in 2001 and has said he'll continue in that vein.
Joel continues to tour periodically, both by himself and with Elton John in their Face To Face concerts.
Joel has received career citations from the publishing house ASCAP; the Songwriters Hall Of Fame; the Grammys, which gave him the Living Legend Award in 1990; Billboard magazine, which gave him its Century Award in 1994; and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, when he was inducted by his idol Ray Charles.
A stage production called Movin' Out, which paired Joel's music with choreography by Twyla Tharp, had a very successful run on Broadway in New York City. Joel shared the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations with Stuart Malina.

Billy Joel: Piano Man

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:37:00 GMT

Writer: Billy Joel
Producer: Michael Stewart
Released: 1973
Player: Billy Joel -- piano, vocals
Album: Piano Man (Columbia, 1973)
Also On:
Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II (Columbia, 1985)
The Complete Hits Collection 1973-1997: Limited Edition (Sony, 1997)
Greatest Hits Volume I, II & III (Columbia, 2000)
The Essential Billy Joel (Sony, 2001)
Billy Joel was first inspired to make music after seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Joel's first band was the Echoes, a local outfit on Long Island, New York, that played mostly U.K. hits. His second band, the Hassles, actually recorded two albums and released four singles in the late '60s -- the first of which, a cover of Sam & Dave's "You Got Me Hummin'," remained a live staple of Joel's performances throughout the '80s.
Joel also tried his hand at a hard rock project called Attila, which consisted of organ and drums. The disastrous failure of the band was severe enough to send him to a psychiatric hospital for depression.
Piano Man was Joel's second solo album. His first, Cold Spring Harbor, was a bitter disappointment of bad production and mastering.
The failure of Cold Spring Harbor sent Joel across the country into the relative seclusion of the Executive Room, a piano bar in Los Angeles where he spent six months. Apparently embarrassed by the lounge atmosphere, Joel played under the name Bill Martin (Martin being his middle name) during his stint there.
It was Joel's experiences at the Executive Room that prompted him to write "Piano Man." It was his first hit single as a solo artist, reaching Number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Piano Man album peaked at Number 27 on the Billboard 200, eventually reaching gold status some two years later.

DID YOU KNOW?

Joel has received career citations from the publishing house ASCAP; the Songwriters Hall Of Fame; the Grammys, which gave him the Living Legend Award in 1990; Billboard magazine, which gave him its Century Award in 1994; the American Music Awards, which gave him the Lifetime Achievement award in 1999; and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, when he was inducted by his idol, Ray Charles.
Joel stopped recording pop music after 1993's River Of Dreams and has since devoted himself to classical and instrumental music. He released his first classical album in 2001 and has said he'll continue in that vein. However, he's continued to tour, both by himself and with Elton John in theirFace To Face concerts.
Joel was in a number of car crashes not far from his home in 2002, 2003, and 2004. He's also done a few stays in rehab to combat his drinking problem.
A stage production called Movin' Out, which paired Joel's music with choreography by Twyla Tharp, had a long, successful run on Broadway in New York City. Joel shared the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations with Stuart Malina.
In June 2003, Joel presented songwriter Jimmy Webb with the Johnny Mercer Award at the annual Songwriters Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in New York City. Webb gave Joel the Mercer Award in 2001.
Joel's "Just The Way You Are" was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in January 2004.
Joel married 23-year-old Katie Lee at his Long Island estate in October 2004. It was her first marriage, and his third.

Blue Oyster Cult: (Don't Fear) The Reaper

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:53:00 GMT

Writer: Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser
Producers: Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman, and David Lucas
Recorded: March 1976 at the Record Plant, New York City
Released: May 1976
Players:
Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser--lead vocals, guitar
Eric Bloom--vocals, guitar
Allen Lanier--guitar, keyboards, vocals
Joe Bouchard--bass
Albert Bouchard--drums, vocals
Album: Agents Of Fortune (Columbia, 1976)
Also On:
Some Enchanted Evening (Columbia, 1978)
Extraterrestrial Live (Columbia, 1982)
Career Of Evil (Columbia, 1990)
Workshop Of The Telescopes (Legacy/Columbia, 1995)
A Long Day's Night (Sanctuary, 2002)
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was Blue Oyster Cult (BOC)'s breakthrough hit, peaking at Number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Agents of Fortune was their fourth album, and their first to go gold.
Singer-guitarist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser says "Reaper" was the first song he wrote after getting a TEAC four-track home recording machine, which significantly impacted on his writing method -- "The guitar line and the first two lines of lyrics just sort of took hold, sprang into existence, and it took about two weeks to finish the tune as far as fleshing out the lyrics and finishing the arrangements."
The spooky opening lick, he says, was inspired by the theme from the TV show One Step Beyond, which used the same interval chord progression between F Minor and G Major.
Roeser says BOC took some flack for the song's lyrics: "Oh yeah. We took a ton, mostly because people interpreted it as advocating suicide. That's never what it was about. It's basically a love story that transcends life and death. What it sort of postulates is that there is an afterlife."
Blue Oyster Cult was one of the first hard rock bands to spiff up their name by adding the "umlaut" marks, in their case over the "O" in Oyster.
The band's symbol, a combined hook and cross, is the symbol for Kronos, who in Greek mythology was the king of the Titans and father of Zeus. It is also the alchemical symbol for lead, which is one of the heaviest metals.

DID YOU KNOW?

Blue Oyster Cult continues to record and tour with a lineup of Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, and Allen Lanier from the original lineup.
The group's most recent studio album, Curse of the Hidden Mirror, came out in 2001.

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band: Against The Wind

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:54:00 GMT

Writer: Bob Seger
Producer: Bill Szymczyk
Recorded: 1979 at Bayshore Studios, Coconut Grove, Florida
Players:
Bob Seger -- vocal, acoustic guitar
Chris Campbell -- bass
David Teegarden -- drums
Drew Abbott -- electric guitar
Paul Harris -- piano, organ
Glenn Frey -- backing vocals
Album: Against The Wind (Capitol, 1980)
Also On:
Nine Tonight (Capitol, 1981)
Greatest Hits (Capitol, 1994)
One of Bob Seger's most popular songs, "Against The Wind'' peaked at Number Five on theBillboard Hot 100 chart in 1980.
The Against The Wind album held the Number One spot on the Billboard 200 chart for six weeks in 1980 and has sold well over five million copies.
Seger said, "We wanted to really have a Number One album. That's what we went for on that album. We dropped away a little bit from the rockiness and went straight for the singles charts on all 10 cuts, virtually."
Eagles member Glenn Frey sang backup vocals on "Against The Wind," which he also did for Seger's 1969 hit "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man." Seger returned the favors by co-writing the Eagles hit "Heartache Tonight."
In his Greatest Hits liner notes, Seger wrote that on "Against The Wind," Frey "had an idea that our guitarist Drew Abbott should play along with the piano solo. He and I then went out and did the background vocals together. The line 'Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then' bothered me for the longest time, but everyone I knew loved it, so I left it in. It has since appeared in several hits by other artists, so I guess it's okay."

DID YOU KNOW?

After numerous personnel changes, the Silver Bullet Band now consists only of Craig Campbell and Alto Reed, with former Grand Funk Railroad keyboardist Craig Frost, who joined in 1980.
Drummer Charlie Martin was involved in a 1975 auto accident that left him wheelchair-bound and out of the band, though he guested on vocals and piano at a few concerts on Seger's 1996 tour.
Seger was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
His most recent album, 2006's Face The Promise, was his first in 11 years. He spends most of his time these days at home in suburban Detroit with his wife, Nita, and their children Cole and Samantha.

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band: Hollywood Nights

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:55:00 GMT

Writer: Bob Seger
Producers: Bob Seger and Ed "Punch" Andrews
Recorded: 1977 at Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, California
Players:
Bob Seger--vocals, guitars
Chris Campbell--bass
David Teegarden--drums
Bill Payne--keyboards
Julie Waters, Maxine Waters, Luther Waters, & Oren Waters--backing vocals
Appears on: Stranger In Town (Capitol, 1978)
Also on:
Nine Tonight (Capitol, 1981)
Greatest Hits (Capitol, 1994)
"Hollywood Nights," from Bob Seger's album Stranger In Town, peaked at Number 12 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart in 1978.
Stranger In Town peaked at Number Four on the Billboard 200 chart and has sold more than five million copies.
There was a song recorded for the album titled "Stranger In Town," but Seger chose not to put it on the album, and it remains unreleased.
Seger acknowledges the autobiographical nature of "Hollywood Nights": "The chorus just came into my head; I was driving around in the Hollywood Hills, and I just started singing 'Hollywood nights/Hollywood hills/Above all the lights/Hollywood nights.' I went back to my rented house, and there was a Time magazine with Cheryl Tiegs on the cover... 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 thing.'"
One distinguishing feature of the song, Seger remembers, is the drums. "Our drummer, David Teegarden, played an entire set of drums as we recorded and overdubbed another entire set of drums playing a different pattern. In other words, there's two sets of everything: snare, kick drum, hi-hat, etc."
Seger says Little Feat keyboardist Bill Payne, who played on the track, gave him the ultimate compliment on the song. "When he was done, he asked for a tape to listen to on the way home. He called me the next day and said while he'd been listening, he looked down and found himself going 100 miles an hour on the freeway."

DID YOU KNOW?

In recent years, Seger has concentrated more on sailing than on music. In 2001 and again in 2002, he captained his yacht Lightning as it won the Bacardi Bayview Mackinac Race championship.
After numerous personnel changes, the Silver Bullet Band now consists of Craig Campbell and Alto Reed, with former Grand Funk Railroad keyboardist Craig Frost, who joined in 1980.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
His most recent album, 2006's Face The Promise, was his first in 11 years. He spends most of his time these days at home in suburban Detroit with his wife, Nita, and their children Cole and Samantha.