Saturday March 5, 2022 “He Can’t Love You” Michael Stanley Band (Michael Stanley)
Michael Stanley knew some rock folks.
His first album, a solo adventure, was produced by Bill Szymczyk (The Eagles, B.B. King, J. Giels Band and others) and guest artists on that first album included Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, Rick Derringer, and Joe Vitale. The second solo album was no different with appearances from Joe Walsh, Joe Vitale, David Sanborn, Dan Fogelberg, and Richie Furay, with J. Geils contributing to the production.
Oddly neither of these achieved much chart recognition so in 1974 Stanley formed a band, once again in the Steve Miller tradition of naming it after yourself to avoid being fired from the band he called the band the Michael Stanley Band and delivered straight ahead pop rock with their first release “He Can’t Love You” a top forty hit. And in a world of dubious achievements this video was the forty-seventh video played on then new music video channel MtV.
Who counts that stuff?
Micahel Stanley is a bit of a legend in his hometown of Cleveland. When his band played locally they typically sold out stadium venues there, he was an afternoon drive time DJ on WMMS and WNCX and was co-host for PM Magazine on local TV and the band did a guest appearance on The Drew Carey Show which was set in Cleveland, of course. And it would be safe to say that Michael enjoyed being married as he did it four times.
I am always a victim for songs like this; jangly guitars, with a little sax, a high energy frontman, stereotypical guitar solo (with a little sax), lyrics that promise more than you know they can deliver (with a little sex) and a totally poppy sound, along with a band that actually looks like they enjoy what they are playing.
In 2017, Michael Stanley was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Later that year he suffered his second heart attack and underwent quadruple bypass surgery. Stanley died in his sleep on March 5, 2021, at age 72 after suffering for seven months with lung cancer
Stay safe and well…and with Michael Stanley we will end our week of ‘people who died’. And although the theme may have been a bit dark the music was all upbeat…and next week’s theme will be happier, I promise.