I just learned that Bob Welch committed suicide.
For all the stupid rock trivia stuff I’ve taken the time to know, I know nothing about Bob Welch. As a kid I was dazzled by “Sentimental Lady.” I still am. Both versions: his solo hit and his earlier take on the song when he was still a member of Fleetwood Mac.
I know nothing about Bob Welch. He never looked cool, not even when it wasn’t unnecessarily uncool to wear a pink, scoop-neck shirt, a beret, smokey oversize shades, and a scarf, but “Sentimental Lady” was magic. There’s a sense of resignation and obsession in that song that’s hard to beat.
I’ve heard a few other songs by Welch, including “Ebony Eyes,” his second hit song from his brief moment in the sun. I don’t recall liking anything else I’ve heard by him, but I love “Sentimental Lady.” Both versions.
I have no idea why Welch committed suicide, but it’s a damn shame. Anyone who’s ever done anything creative wishes they could do one thing as well as Welch did when he wrote and sang “Sentimental Lady.” When I was trying to write my “Sentimental Lady,” my one masterpiece (who am I kidding, I still am), I used to think it would give me strength, get me through the worst times in life. Probably trying to chase that dream is what gives me strength. Maybe peaking doesn’t last forever.
RIP, Bob Welch. You wrote one more excellent song than most of us will ever write.
Geez, having a gun at the end of the video is a bit…prescient.
This is very sad. I, too, loved “Sentimental Lady” and I’ll always recall that song as the slow dance number that we wanted to snuggle to at those seventh and eighth grade dances. Although I saw copies of “French Kiss” in many cutout bins over the years, even a mention of the album prompts nostalgia.
That is indeed a Great Song. It would have to be great to overcome the multiple dimensions of badness on display in that video!
Sad indeed. Frankly, I’m a bigger fan of “Ebony Eyes” than “Sentimental Lady”: I think “Ebony Eyes” is a great slice of–whatever you want to call it. Disco pop rock? I like the one song from his Fleetwood Mac tenure that I know, too: “Hypnotized.” Anyway, sad to read about such things and sad to lose a piece of one’s top 40 childhood.
I always like “Hypnotized”, are there any other songs that rely on the bass drum for a hook?
It looks like Welch’s personal website has been taken down, which is probably for the best, but the poor guy was way out there. http://www.metafilter.com/116737/RIP-Bob-Welch