Tune Tag #112 with Jorge Garcia of Geekatune: Judas Priest, The Who, Rush, Doobie Brothers, Billy Newton-Davis, Nirvana, Tom Petty, Keith Moon

Looks like a right proper cornucopia of classic rock to me! You? "Things aren't always as they seam" said the tailor. Don't skirt the issue. Hem'n'haw all you'd like. The surprises are beyond measure❗

Don’t worry, Jorge…this isn’t what Tune Tag en-tails…necessarily…all the time!

Tune Tag offers a decidedly slapstick welcome to

Jorge Garcia

of

Geekatune

!

Jorge Garcia is a lifelong techie and music geek who believes every song carries a hidden story worth telling. From prog rock epics to jazz improvisations and classical masterpieces, he writes about music not just as sound, but as memory, culture, and connection. Geekatune is his corner of the web to dive deep, share personal reflections, and celebrate the records that move us.

Last week, we had Tune Tag fun with Bubble Puppy drummer,

David Fore

of

Bubble Puppy Bites

, who scored a #14 U.S. hit in 1969 with “Hot Smoke & Sassafras”:

Tune Tag #111 with David Fore of Bubble Puppy: Pink Floyd, The Shirts, Queen, GoodBye Lenin, Tall Dwarfs, Incubus

Next week, we’ll welcome October with the wily Tune Tag stylings of

Tamara Casey

of

Rare Groove Productions

!

Jorge’s song #1 sent to Brad: Judas Priest, “Heading Out to the Highway,” 1981

It’s 1981, and Judas Priest was found roller skating in NYC’s Central Park. You look surprised. 📸Michael Putland/Getty Images

“A fun song of freedom and determination.”—Rob Halford to Greg Prato, Songfacts

Jorge’s rationale: I’m starting this round of Tune Tag with “Heading Out to the Highway” by Judas Priest (written by Rob Halford, K.K. Downing, Glenn Tipton), not just because it’s a classic, but because it holds a special place in my personal soundtrack.

Back in my teens, I had a friend who introduced me to heavy metal, and this track (from Point of Entry on Columbia Records, produced by Tom Allom and Judas Priest) was one of his absolute favorites. Sadly, he’s no longer with us, but every time I hear those opening riffs, it’s like he’s riding shotgun again, air-guitaring his heart out and yelling the lyrics with that wild grin of his!

This song really captured something we both connected with, this sense of rebellion, of breaking loose and going your own way. There’s something unapologetic and freeing in the way Priest delivered it in this track.

It wasn’t just angry for the sake of it; it was confident, driven, and full of a kind of optimism wrapped in denim and distortion. That energy, that “get up and go” vibe, felt like a call to live loud and without fear, and we leaned into that hard.

So for me, “Heading Out to the Highway” is more than just a nice track; it’s a nod to someone who shaped my taste in music and made metal feel like home. It’s a bit of nostalgia, a bit of tribute too, and a loud, fast way to say or dream: Let’s hit the road and see where the music takes us!

Brad’s song #1 sent to Jorge: Doobie Brothers, “Rockin’ Down the Highway,” 1972

“The album [Toulouse Street, their second, in 1972, Warner Bros.] was shot in my small San Rafael, CA studio,” album cover photographer Michael Maggid told author/music journalist, Chris Epting in 2018. “I think some or all of the band were then living nearby in Marin County, north of San Francisco, so the location was convenient. The band brought their girlfriends and girlfriends’ friends. The props, furniture, wall pictures, etc. were pretty much the way one part of my studio was set up with nothing re-arranged. The photos were shot in black and white and hand colored by my wife, Jillian.”

Jorge’s response: Mmm… great response! The Doobie Brothers’ “Rockin’ Down the Highway” is a smart and layered comeback to my pick. Here are a few ways I think it ties in with “Heading Out to the Highway”:

First off, there’s the obvious but fun thematic connection…the highway itself. Both songs are road anthems; they celebrate motion, freedom, and escape, each in their own musical dialect, but whereas Judas Priest channels the gritty, revved-up spirit of hitting the open road with leather and steel, the Doobies come at it with a more laid-back but equally confident California cool:

Not screaming down the asphalt, but cruisin’ it:

But for me, the tie goes deeper than just the lyrics or titles; it seems both songs capture a sense of rebellion, just painted in different shades.

“Rockin’ Down the Highway” may not have the metal edge, but it’s got that joyful defiance, kinda “we’re doing our thing, and we don’t care if you’re coming with us or not” energy. It’s groove-driven, tight, and catchy, but there’s still a sense of muscle under the harmony, a great sonic contrast to Priest’s riff-heavy charge.

Both songs celebrate the freedom of the highway, not just as a place, but as a state of mind.

Jorge’s song #2: The Who, “Baba O’Riley,” 1971

“Album title? Hmmm….The Wall?” “Nah. It’ll be done.”

Brad’s response: Release dates a year apart, separate labels (Warner Bros., MCA), and no session-player overlap I’m detecting. Similar lyrics are few, with The Doobies song all about rockin’ down the highway, with “Baba O’Riley”’s “Sally, take my hand, we'll travel south ‘cross land; Put out the fire and don’t look past my shoulder” seems to hint at rapid road travel! Whatcha got, Jorge?

Jorge’s rationale: I’m following up with “Baba O’Riley” by The Who because, if we’re cruising down highways, we might as well hit the ones that lead straight into restless youth and rebellion!

Released in 1971, it’s one of those tracks that doesn’t just stand the test of time; it practically dares you to ignore it. Like “Rockin’ Down the Highway,” it’s about movement and momentum, but The Who take a more defiant, introspective route.

There’s something about the spirit of 1971 and ‘72 that seems to tie all these songs together: freedom, rebellion, and pushing against the grain.

“Baba O’Riley” lands right in that zone, just like “Heading Out to the Highway” did a decade later. Priest had the leather and grit, The Doobies had the sunlit groove, and The Who came in with the existential side of rock’n’roll. “Baba O’Riley” sounds to me also like a road anthem, but it’s also a coming-of-age howl. That’s the energy I wanted to channel for this round of Tune Tag!

Brad signals for a sudden left turn at full speed! Look out! “What’s that in the road……..a head?” he bellows! It’s Those Darn Accordions, by the looks of it!

Brad’s song #2: Keith Moon, “Solid Gold,” 1975

Jorge’s response: Nice! I’m not too familiar with this song; I heard it occasionally through one of my uncles.

The most obvious connection is Keith Moon = drummer from The Who, but for me it seems to be a pivot from the serious, heartfelt energy of “Baba O’Riley” to the ridiculous but revealing theater of Moon’s solo work, highlighting a fallout or continuation of the same rock’n’roll myth.

I think your choosing of Keith Moon’s “Solid Gold” in response to The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” isn’t just a nod to shared personnel; it’s got a few subtle connections:

Keith Moon’s “Solid Gold” comes off like a cynical sequel. It’s as if “Baba O’Riley” was a wide-eyed teenager on the road, and “Solid Gold” is that same character years later, drenched in glitter, fame, and burnout.

Brad’s rationale: The Who’s drummer from his 1975 solo album, Two Sides of the Moon, on a song written by Fanny keyboardist, Nickey Barclay, who also provides piano and backing vocals here, with her spanking new Fanny-mates joining her on vocals.

Ringo Starr, who provided the album’s title, also lends his voice talents as the announcer, here. Suzi’s sister, Patti Quatro and Joe Walsh, contribute their guitar talents, too, while Fanny’s Jean Millington plays bass!

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Jorge’s song #3: Rush, “Limelight,” 1981

Brad’s response: I had no idea they had done this! A nice tag from Keith Moon by Jorge….From Discogs: “Music production company listed as ‘Executive Producer: Moon Records’ on the releases of the Canadian Band Rush.” All of that to say, in essence: “In the early 1970s, Moon Records [later renamed Anthem Records] was formed as a [Canadian] independent label by the band, after they were unable to find a record label interested in signing them.”

So, while their self-titled 1974 debut saw a Canadian release on their Moon Records, the band signed with Mercury Records, worldwide, and through them, that debut also saw worldwide coverage (including Canada) on that label, as well.

Jorge’s rationale: Ok, so I got hooked by the topic of stardom and found there are surprising lyrical parallels and contrasts between Keith Moon’s “Solid Gold” and Rush’s “Limelight” (yes, I’m a freaking Rush fan), despite their wildly different tones!

Both songs tackle fame, identity, and performance, but from opposite emotional angles. Moon’s “Solid Gold” seems to portray a glitter-drenched caricature of a rock star, reveling in excess and absurdity:

“I’m a star, I’m on the charts / I play the part with all my heart.”
“A solid gold brassiere...”

While Peart’s lyrics in “Limelight” counter this with a deep discomfort about being watched and misunderstood:

“I can’t pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend.”
“Living in the limelight / The universal dream / For those who wish to seem…”

Where Moon embraces the illusion, Peart rejects the façade and questions the entire premise of public life.

“Solid Gold” and “Limelight” are opposing chapters of the same story: What it means to live in the public eye. One laughs at it, the other resents it, but both know it’s not real.

That shared theme makes “Limelight,” in my view, a nuanced, poetic counterpunch Tune Tag. Or not?

Brad’s song #3: Billy Newton-Davis, “All I Really Need,” 1989

Jorge’s response: OK, so I’ve never heard this song or artist before, but while doing some research I notice that, aside from a first obvious Toronto connection (Rush formed in the Willowdale neighborhood of Toronto in 1968, and remained based there for much of their career while Billy Newton-Davis, though born in Cleveland, Ohio, moved to Toronto in the late 1970s, where he built his career in the Canadian music scene and became a prominent figure in the city’s R&B and pop landscape), there seem to be some nice connections:

Rush’s “Limelight” in 1981 and Newton-Davis’s “All I Really Need” in 1989 are both part of an important age in post-70s Canadian music culture and reflect artist-driven responses to fame and belonging. Both artists emerged in a cultural moment when Canadian musicians were finally getting international attention but still carried, in a way, the weight of “outsider” status.

Also, while stylistically different, Rush being progressive rock and Billy Newton-Davis leaning into soulful pop and R&B, both songs grapple with core emotional needs and personal boundaries, just in opposite directions:

“Limelight” is about retreating from the spotlight to protect one’s identity:

“I can’t pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend.”

“All I Really Need” is about reaching toward connection and emotional clarity:

“All I really need is your love. Can’t you see it’s true?”

While Rush’s Neil Peart writes of withdrawing inward, Newton-Davis opens outward. One deflects the crowd; the other pleads for intimacy. They’re two sides of the same coin, the tension between public life and personal truth.

Brad’s rationale: Longtime Rush producer, Terry Brown, produced “All I Really Need,” from the 1989 Spellbound album by Billy Newton-Davis on Columbia Records. If Jorge gets that tag, great….but, Terry’s daughter, Emma Brown, also sang backing vocals on this (for extra points)!

Jorge’s song #4: Nirvana, “Love Buzz,” (1989 track) Live at Seattle’s Paramount, 1991

Brad’s response: Not catching what Jorge may be tagging from my Billy Newton-Davis song and this Nirvana “Love Buzz.” Jorge?

Jorge’s rationale: So, for my final pick, I’m going with Nirvana’s “Love Buzz” (1989). Stylistically, geographically, and culturally, the tracks diverge sharply. Yet, both songs mark defining moments by the end of the 80’s (1989): one, a culmination of refined soul-pop sensibilities; the other, a gritty, underground wave ready to erupt. They represent parallel truths of a year standing at the edge of a musical shift.

While Billy Newton-Davis’s “All I Really Need” represents the polished, soulful pop and dance music vibe coming out of Toronto in 1989, with roots in R&B and a flair for expressive vocal delivery, Nirvana’s “Love Buzz” (originally a Shocking Blue cover) bursts from the opposite end of the musical spectrum.

It’s raw, loud, and unapologetically gritty, part of a burgeoning grunge movement from Seattle that would soon redefine rock in the 1990s. Where “All I Really Need” seeks connection and warmth, “Love Buzz” rides on dissonance and detachment, emotion filtered through fuzz.

Brad’s song #4: Tom Petty, “Honey Bee,” 1994

Jorge’s response: “Love Buzz” (1988/1989) was Nirvana’s first single. Fast forward to 1994, after Kurt Cobain’s passing, Grohl made a rare public appearance—behind the kit for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers during their Saturday Night Live performance of “Honey Bee.”

This one-off collaboration not only bridged Grohl’s past with Nirvana and his future with Foo Fighters but also highlighted how two seemingly different rock worlds, Seattle grunge and Southern-tinged heartland rock, could be linked through a single, thunderous drummer.

Lyrically between both songs, the connection is conceptual rather than literal: both songs explore the pull of attraction and the intensity of romantic/emotional desire, just framed in very different tonal and genre contexts.

Brad’s rationale: Hive grown accustomed to her face: From Nirvana’s “Love Buzz,” to Tom Petty’s buzzing “Honey Bee”🐝, which could’ve also included Gloria Gaynor’s “Honey Bee” from 1975!

Jorge! ‘Twas much appreciated!

If you’re in or near Orange County, CA (or will be, this weekend), a great show awaits, this Sunday, featuring longtime subscriber, FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE good friend, and veteran singer/songwriter,

Jay Asher

, as he and Lauren Lundeen, perform The Songs of Neil Diamond & Carly Simon! All the info is here!👇