Fantasize On A Silly Little Tragic

Dwight Twilley Band : Looking For The Magic

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With the help of Tom Petty on guitar, The Dwight Twilley Band recorded one of the great power pop gems of decade in "Looking For the Magic". It came off of Twilley Don't Mind, released on September 7, 1977.  The song has achieved a new kind of notoriety thanks to its insistent use in a 2011 horror film called You're Next. Yes, that's Petty helping the band lip sync along to the song on a kids TV program called The W.A.C.K.O. Show 

The early reviews were great for Twilley Don't Mind.  Richard Cromelin of the L.A. Times wrote

Last week may be remembered as a landmark in rock's emergence with the debut of the Dwight Twilley Band. His vivid presence confirms the ability of simple familiar rock elements to remain perpetually fresh and invigorated. Twilley has all the right instincts and unmistakable charisma. One of the great winners for 1978!

Robert Christgau gave the album a B noting that this wasn't the debut. 

If the twelve-cut debut was notable for its songs, this nine-cut follow-up puts the emphasis on sound--a deep, rather eerie, yet undeniably pop sound that reminds me more than anything of the Flamin' Groovies' Supersnazz. And as with the Flamin' Groovies, the sound creates a distance between Twilley and his hooks. But even though I can make up neat theories about how Twilley evokes a comparable distance in the lyrics, I certainly prefer Supersnazz.

40 Year Itch : Sincerely

Dwight Twilley Band : Sincerely

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Released a year after their single "I'm On Fire" peaked at #16 on the US charts, the Dwight Twilley Band's power pop classic Sincerely was held up through no fault of their own. Their label, the Leon Russell-owned Shelter Records, was essentially incompetent and lost its distribution deal at the exact moment they needed to release an LP to capitalize on "I'm On Fire"'s success. 

The critics fawned over the Tulsa band's album ( drummer/vocalist/ songwriter Phil Seymour and guitarist Bill Pitcock IV were the other members). Rolling Stone's Bud Scoppa brought up comparisons with Big Star, The Hot Dogs, Blue Ash, Cowboy, The Beatles, Beach Boys and Byrds, summing up his review with the words "If their work here is blatantly derivative, it's also quite personal. The Twilley Band has concocted the best rock debut album of the year."

40 Year Itch: Though Your Friends Are Ninety-Nine

Dwight Twilley Band : I'm On Fire

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       "You got Sun Studios rockabilly in my Beatles." 

       "No, you got Beatles in my Sun Studios Rockabilly."

         In April of 1975, Tulsa Oklahoma's Dwight Twilley Band, made up of  Twilley, Phil Seymour and sideman Bill Pitcock, released the power-pop classic "I'm on Fire," a #16 hit. There should have been many more hits, but Twilley and pals had a string of bad luck.

       First MCA refused to release the catchy " Shark in the Dark" follow-up single Twilley had previewed on American Bandstand because it looked like the band was cashing in on the Jaws fury.    The single "You Were So warm" got lost in various lawsuits and distribution deal changes. Finally,  Shelter made the band re-record the entire debut album. Eventually the brilliant Sincerely was released until 1976. But by then most record buyers had forgotten "I'm on Fire".