Catching Up

Catching Up with Jim Peterik

You may not know the name Jim Peterik, but chances are, you know his music. In a career that now spans four decades, Peterik has been responsible for writing some of the biggest hits of the ‘70s and ‘80s. In addition, he has written with, performed with, and produced an enormous list of musicians that spans many genres.

Jim Peterik was born in Berwyn, Illinois in 1950. Taking to music at an early age, he formed the band that would later become The Ides of March while still a student at the University of Illinois. That band hit the big time quickly, scoring a number-two smash with “Vehicle” in 1970. Peterik wrote and sung lead on the tune, which recalled another popular band of the era, Blood, Sweat & Tears, with its mixture of hard rock and horns. The Ides had a couple of other minor hits before breaking up.

Catching Up With The Proclaimers

Hard as it is to believe, it’s been over two decades since The Proclaimers arrived on the pop music scene. The duo of Craig and Charlie Reid debuted in 1987 with their first album, This is the Story. From day one, it was hard to forget The Reids once you saw them. First of all, they were identical twins with thick Scottish accents. Second of all, they wrote really good songs.

Highlights from This is the Story ranged from “Throw the ‘R’ Away’ – in which the brothers essentially made fun of their own accents – to the more serious “Letter from America,” an early version of which was produced by the great Gerry Rafferty.