Yesterday came word of the passing of Mark “Moogy” Klingman, one of the most prolific but “undersung” figures in our rock universe. I had heard the name “Moogy” Klingman pop up here and there, usually in the Todd Rundgren-Utopia camp. A follow-up with the usual suspects Wikipedia and All Music yielded quite a storied history. I was completely surprised of his wide-ranging accomplishments as a producer, songwriter, and musician. His getting expelled from high school after a jug-band performance with Andy Kaufman during a controversial civil rights concert is a story needed to be explored in more detail. He managed to cross paths over the years with all sorts, from Dylan and Hendrix to Midler and Manilow. His contributions to side 4 of Todd’s Something/Anything are invaluable (most notably the organ on Hello It’s Me). RIP.
I invite members of the Hall, more familiar with his work, to share their thoughts on the man.
Hmmm….I bought his first solo album (which is not easy to find), hoping it would be some kind of wild synth experiment, and it turned out to be a mild (but decent) singer-songwriter record. The only thing I remember from it was a typically 70s slutty song called something like “Tonight I’m Gonna Get Me A Stranger.” apparently he was a really interesting guy, and I always appreciated his role in Utopia, one of those bands I can enjoy if I’m in the right mood. I think you nailed what makes him special–that he was not just a backing musician, but someone who did a whole lot of things behind and in front of the scenes.
Wow, I had no idea. I think he was supposed to be performing with Todd in a few weeks with the entire Utopia lineup for a show in Akron. I think they were going to play the whole Utopia album. I saw them long, long ago. They were really cool.
Note: After re-reading my first draft I noticed I mistakenly typed the “undersung” instead of unsung. It seemed appropriate so I left it.
Being a fan of Todd, let alone Utopia, requires a huge amount of patience and a very large sift. I go on these weekend benders of Todd and Utopia once in a while. But like you said, one must be in the right mood.