boston uk tour 1979

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Boston newcastle city hall 1979.

Posted April 12, 2012 by vintagerock in Boston . Tagged: blues , concert , concerts , folk , gig , gigs , heavy metal , music , pop , prog rock , psych , R&B , rock , rock n roll . 4 Comments

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Posted by Derek Towers on April 22, 2012 at 8:03 am

Still remember this being a great concert. Notable for being the only time I’ve ever seen anyone play the big church organ at the back of the City Hall when Tom Scholz did Foreplay. They played a great unreleased track called Television Politician as well. Bit of trivia, the guitarist out of Trickster ended up as a presenter on That’s Life!

Posted by vintagerock on April 22, 2012 at 8:31 am

Hi Many thanks Derek; it was a great concert. I’d forgotten that Tom played the organ. The only other time (I think) I saw it played was by Keith Emerson in ELP days. Best wishes Peter

Posted by Gaz on December 18, 2014 at 2:54 pm

loved the band but found this concert a bit stale we might as well been listening to a cd it was that good…. no mistakes no real live stuff

Posted by Martin Vijay Kulkarni on March 16, 2018 at 6:11 pm

Eh Gaz a bit stale! You are on the right concert aren’t you? Unbelievable concert. They played with lights on for some of it! Derek if you remember Tom Scholz on the church organ, you’ll remember him nearly tripping up coming back down the stairs to get to the Hammond organ after that. How he kept upright on those stairs, all 6’7” of him I’ll never know!!! Great times, great band (totally underrated) great music. Sad about Brad though. Manic depressive. Who knew? One of thee greatest vocalists of all time!

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How Boston Flew So High And Fell So Far

How the biggest band of the 70s, created by reclusive genius Tom Scholz, were almost pulled apart by turmoil and tragedy

Released in August 1976, the debut Boston album sent shockwaves through the music industry. It was a true Cinderella story – a band appearing out of nowhere, turning the world upside down and injecting fresh hope into a scene that was fast dying on its feet.

To achieve this ‘overnight’ success, Boston leader Tom Scholz braved rejection, ridicule, near poverty and endless humiliation. He spent roughly six years ignoring his detractors, hidden in a basement tweaking songs, overdubbing and refining parts until the tapes literally began to disintegrate. Some laughed. Some were worried for his sanity. Most felt that he needed to get out a bit more rather than hang on to a crazy dream that was slowly slipping away. Then, one day, things changed.

This is the story of an unassuming garage musician from Toledo who launched Boston, the biggest new rock band of the 1970s. He was the creator of a hit machine, turning them into an American phenomenon, dominating FM radio by crafting one of the biggest-selling debut albums of all time. Sales to date are in excess of 17 million and still going strong. However, by 1980 Boston had crash-landed, with ex-bandmates embarking on a bitter war of words that still continues 30 years later.

Much has been written about Boston over the years. Scholz has spoken publicly about his tiffs and tribulations, the failure to deliver albums on time and the fact that he appears to be one of the most litigious musicians on the planet. It’s all grist for the mill, of course, but what we all should know is that he’s still toiling away in his home studio in Massachusetts, perfecting songs that he may have started 20 years ago, or even yesterday, but always mindful that they could be better, that the production needs more tweaking or that the arrangements are not truly perfect. It was the same way back in 1970 when, with unfailing determination and singularity of vision, he first set about his original quest for a record deal.

Born 1947 in Toledo, Ohio, Donald Thomas Scholz worked hard to get an education, one that would take him to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT), a teaching and research facility educating America’s best and brightest in science and engineering.

He graduated with flying colours, gaining a bachelor’s and then a master’s degree before taking up a prime position with the Polaroid Corporation as a product design engineer. In many ways it was a dream job for anyone who loved tinkering with electronics, a place where you could have an idea and spend your time figuring out how to make it work. But that wasn’t all that he was interested in. As a young man he’d learnt to play the piano and developed a healthy interest in pop and rock music. Writing songs and playing in a handful of local Boston bands, his thoughts turned to a professional career in music… a dream that would dominate his life for the next six years.

It wasn’t long before Tom sensed a schism between playing live and recording songs. The traditional method of gaining recognition and, in turn, a record contract, was to perform live, playing seven nights a week anywhere and everywhere. Sporting names such as Middle Earth, Freehold and Mother’s Milk, his early bands featured musicians who would later play an important role in the launch of Boston – especially Mother’s Milk, with a line-up that consisted, at various points, of Scholz (playing keyboards), Brad Delp, Barry Goudreau and drummer Jim Masdea. True to tradition, Tom’s early bands initially played the Boston circuit. But, quickly sensing that it was all going nowhere fast, he focused on making a string of demos that would do justice to the sounds he was hearing in his head. Recording in a number of local studios, his efforts to impress initially fell on deaf ears. Spending an inordinate amount of his income on these sessions, it wasn’t long before he had the idea to convert basement space in his Watertown home into a studio.

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With his technical know-how and inventor’s panache, the 12-track studio (christened Foxglove) provided him with a perfect place to create, critique and pull apart songs. It was a never-ending quest for perfection all right, one that produced little success as labels continued to pass in droves.

Scholz himself explained: “I had been working for five years at that point and I took all the money and spent it on recording equipment that was good enough to make the demos which landed the Epic Records deal. I had been bumming around playing in local bands that didn’t have a future. I even started a couple of bands myself, but I knew that it was going nowhere unless I started doing it myself. I quit playing with bands at that point, set up in my basement and went to work. I played all of the instruments and by doing that I could finally get everything that I was imagining and hearing. I was never able to do that when I tried to work with other musicians. That was the turning point. It was the old adage: ‘If you want it done right then do it yourself.’ I knew that if it failed then I would have no one to blame but myself.”

Working side-by-side with Tom in the studio was vocalist Bradley Delp, who was in many ways a secret weapon. By day he was a factory worker, making heating coils for coffee machines, but at night he was an amateur vocalist who had been in a number of bands before teaming up with Tom. The other component at this stage was drummer Jim Masdea. Between the three of them, they honed and polished several tracks, including San Francisco Day (later to be renamed Hitch A Ride ), It Isn’t Easy (re-titled Something About You ), Foreplay (originally composed in 1969), Peace Of Mind , Rock ’N’ Roll Band , Don’t Be Afraid (eventually included on the 1978 Don’t Look Back album) and the final track to be demoed, Ninety Days (later called More Than A Feeling ), featuring hand claps from Scholz’s first wife, Cindy.

Scholz on Delp: “I knew Brad could do all the singing and that he would do an awesome job. He did even better than I imagined. He came in after I had all of the instrumental tracks – oddly enough I heard years later that Brad didn’t realise that he was just singing along to a bunch of overdubbed tracks. He thought there had been a band. He wasn’t there for the recording of the instruments – it was just me and the tape deck.”

Once again, the demos were summarily dismissed by virtually every label. But out of the blue, in 1975, Scholz was contacted by Charlie McKenzie, then working as a rep for ABC Records, who had accidentally heard the tape in a friend’s office at RCA Records, and Paul Ahern, a former Atlantic Records promotion executive. The duo (operating under the handle of Pure Management) convinced Scholz they could get him a deal and dutifully flushed out Epic Records, a CBS label, as a likely home, a place where they had some influence. Epic then listened to the demos with fresh ears and were keen to be involved – but they wanted to see the band play live before committing to a deal.

Epic staff producer Tom Werman recalls the moment the label heard the demos: “A&R chief Lennie Petze knocked on my office door, introduced me to manager Paul Ahern, and asked if I wouldn’t mind listening to something. We went into our boss Steve Popovich’s office next door and put the demo cassette on.

“After More Than A Feeling , which sounded quite like the final product, and halfway through the second song, I stopped the tape. I couldn’t believe that this music was actually available to us, and told Ahern that if Lennie and I could see the band reproduce this music live, we guarantee to sign them. I called Popovich immediately, and when he heard our enthusiasm, he agreed to this course of action.

“We were delighted at our good fortune, and were even more surprised when a smiling Ahern informed us that we were his last stop in New York, as every other label had passed on the band.”

For Scholz and Delp, showcasing for Epic was a major hurdle to jump as a band didn’t actually exist – in fact, they didn’t even have a name for the project – so they quickly rounded up some fellow musicians from the Boston scene who had been close to them over the years.

Renting a warehouse space (belonging to Aerosmith) the ‘band’ – consisting of Tom Scholz, Brad Delp, temporary drummer Dave Courier, bassist Francis Sheehan and second guitarist Barry Goudreau – showcased for Epic, passing with flying colours. They were duly signed, albeit a few months later, to a 10-album contract, deliverable in just six years (industry standard at the time), but with the project still unnamed and with only two signatories – Scholz and Delp.

The signing was great news following the six years of heartache that had preceded it, but it didn’t come without a price. First, Ahern and McKenzie insisted that they change drummer, so longtime associate Jim Masdea was cut loose, much to Scholz’s chagrin, although in mitigation Jim had been talking about leaving for some time (he was eventually brought back into the fold in the 80s) and Sib Hashian was hired to take his place.

Second, for some crazy reason (rumoured to be because of union regulations) Epic insisted that although the demos sounded great, the band could probably benefit from the assistance of a seasoned producer to help them complete the project. Scholz was understandably aggrieved at the suggestion but went ahead with the request in an effort to pacify the label, figuring that this was not the time to throw a spanner in the works.

Epic’s A&R team suggested John Boylan, an experienced studio hound but mostly in the country rock genre. Scholz went to meet him, laid his cards on the table and, much to his surprise, the duo struck up a cunning ruse. Boylan agreed that the demo tapes were pretty sensational (and you can hear those recordings on a bootleg album Honest, I Found It In The Trash Can ) and that re-cutting the tracks was, in-effect, pointless. It was agreed that Scholz was capable enough to finish the existing tracks alone in his home studio while Boylan would take the band out to LA and record a new track and apply vocal overdubs. It was a diversionary tactic that worked extremely well. In an even more altruistic move, he agreed to split the producer’s royalty with Scholz.

So, back at Foxglove, Scholz hunkered down to complete the demos. In fact, 90 per cent of the finished Boston album consists of the original, but enhanced, demos with only one track, Let Me Take You Home Tonight , recorded in LA featuring all five members of the newly inaugurated band. The LA sessions were validated and completed by a visit from Scholz before final mixing at Westlake Studios on Wilshire Boulevard.

Years later, Tom would reveal the true extent of the subterfuge…

“There were only two performers signed to make the debut album in the original Epic Records agreements, Brad and myself, because we wrote all the music for the album, recorded the six demo songs that landed the deal, produced them in my basement, and funded all of it from my Polaroid salary.

“The funny thing is, Epic thought it was being re-recorded by a real producer in a studio somewhere. The only difference is that Sib Hashian played the drum tracks on those versions. I did the same thing, I went back to work and I played all of the parts myself. When you hear More Than A Feeling , that is a couple of weeks of me relaying the guitar tracks down just the way I did on the demos. Brad did the same thing with the vocals. It was done entirely like the original but the record company didn’t know it.

“I think it is very hard for people to get their head around the idea that this band was actually some guys overdubbing in a basement. They like to think that a band plays together and hangs out and writes songs and gets a contract and goes into the studio and then they jam out in the studio and an album comes out of that. This was not like that at all. It was many, many years of long nights playing along with a tape deck.

“The only other person who helped make those demos was drummer Jim Masdea, who was the drummer for every demo I sent to record companies back in the 70s.”

With the record in the can, the band still lacked a name. It was producer Boylan and his engineer Warren Dewey who suggested Boston. Released in August 1976 (though the UK would have to wait until January 1977), Boston exploded out of the box, becoming the fastest-selling record of the decade, being further propelled by the single More Than A Feeling . Housed in an eye-catching sleeve, featuring giant guitar-shaped spaceships leaving behind a dying planet, the music captured the imagination of a public looking for a new, more cutting-edge sound.

The guitars sounded like nothing that had been heard before, dense and full of rich sustain. Delp’s vocals were a revelation, from heavenly whispers to piercing highs. The songs, honed to perfection by Scholz over the last seven years, were immaculately arranged and brilliantly executed. It was, in effect, a coup d’état of the most magnificent kind.

The more the record sold, the more Boston’s touring schedule increased. Starting with club gigs they rapidly graduated to better support slots, opening for Foghat, Black Sabbath, Robin Trower and Blue Öyster Cult. Once those couplings had been exhausted the band headlined sports halls, coliseums and then arenas. It was a dream come true – but, for Scholz, another black cloud was looming. Epic leaned on him for the next album but in his eyes it was too much too soon. Ever the perfectionist, he took umbrage at the demands but dutifully returned to his new, improved, 24-track home studio (now christened Hideaway) and set about crafting a follow-up, the somewhat listless Don’t Look Back album.

Scholz felt the pressure and delivered what, in effect, was half a record. Sure, the songs that eventually made the album were fully formed in the image of Boston but, weighing in at just 29 minutes long, it was clear that something wasn’t quite right.

“ Don’t Look Back was rushed,” Scholz revealed later, “even though it came out a year after the record company wanted it. I let it go early and that meant I wasn’t satisfied with some of it. Next time I’m not going to listen to anybody.”

• Buyer's Guide: Boston
• Scholz loses court case over Delp death claims
• Journey: a guide to their best (and worst) albums
• Why I love Boston's debut album, by Trivium's Paolo Gregoletto

Released in August 1978 , a full two years after their debut, the album was, nonetheless, rapturously received, occupying the No.1 spot on the US album charts and going on to sell in excess of seven million copies, helping to consolidate Boston’s appeal as one of – if not the – greatest rock bands of the 1970s. Tracks such as the title song, Feeling Satisfied , It’s Easy and Party all had the signature sound. Pristine production, humongous orchestral guitars and stupendous vocals projected the melodies toward the stars and beyond. Every part of the process appeared to be so effortless. Yet on closer inspection the arrangements represented an unimaginable amount of toil, Scholz’s painstaking approach giving the material a familiar, lived-in feel that belied the effort involved.

The Don’t Look Back tour lasted for nearly two years, starting in the USA and taking in, for the first time, Japan and Europe. In an audacious move, Boston even had a specially commissioned 40-foot long pipe organ constructed (named ‘Bernie’ by band and crew) at a reputed cost of $100,000. The final leg of the tour landed in the UK during late October 1979, and I saw the band play (with Trickster opening) at the now defunct Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, north London. I’d love to report that it was a life-changing experience but the kindest description would be ‘underwhelming’. Unfortunately, the PA seemed inadequate and unable to cope with the dense barrage of guitars. Even the huge pipe organ sitting at the back of the stage set was for the most part inaudible. That tour was the first and last time Boston would play the UK. In fact, they were the last shows the original band would play together.

Revealed Tom at the time: “When I got off the road, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to ever go on tour again. Brad told me that he didn’t ever want to go on tour. I was going to hang it up and just record. I took a little time off after Don’t Look Back . I was drained. I was more than drained, I was demoralised. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in the music business. I didn’t like what I had seen. Brad and I had made a lot of money for a lot of people and I didn’t like what they were doing. I began to feel guilty about enabling people to do things that I didn’t approve of. I considered leaving music altogether and going back to being an engineer.”

To complicate matters further, at this point Scholz entered into the first of several major lawsuits, firing manager Paul Ahern (Charlie McKenzie had already departed the scene), which resulted in years of legal wrangling. To his horror, Scholz had discovered the original contract provided Ahern with a cut of the songwriting royalties. Ahern counter-sued for breach of contract but lost his case in 1994.

Because of the management dispute, and feeling fatigued and somewhat abused by CBS, Scholz placed Boston on ice in 1980, calling a band meeting where he announced there would be no more activity in the near future and that the various members should feel free to explore other opportunities. Guitarist Barry Goudreau was the first to take up the challenge, securing a deal with Epic and recording a solo album featuring members of Boston, together with vocalist Fran Cosmo (Francis Cosmo Migliaccio), a man who would go on to join Boston as lead vocalist. Goudreau’s self-titled album was a masterful composite of the Boston sound (four songs were even co-written with Brad Delp), receiving critical applause and strong out-of-the-box sales. Sadly, all was to come crashing down. Scholz became incensed by an advert CBS ran in Billboard , with the tag line: ‘Twelve million people know the sound of this guitar. We’d like to introduce you to its owner.’ Tom complained to Epic who, naturally, ran scared of the implications for the delivery of future Boston records.

In the meantime Scholz turned his attention to inventions, setting up a company labelled SR&D (Scholz Research & Development) to design and manufacture devices for musical instruments. These include renowned guitar accessories the Powersoak, the Doubler and, his most successful contraption, the Rockman (used by artists including ZZ Top, Journey and Def Leppard); devices that, even for rank amateurs, mimicked the dense Boston guitar sound.

It appeared Scholz could do no wrong, except that his apparent frustration with CBS was taking on an even darker twist. The label ratcheted up the pressure to deliver a third Boston album by unwisely squeezing his royalty stream from the two previous albums. The idea was that by denying him cash flow he would be forced to complete a new record. For Scholz, this was like holding a red rag to a bull. He steadfastly refused to bow to pressure, so CBS took matters to another level and sued Scholz for breach of contract (sums reported vary from $20 million to $60 million), stating that he was ‘creatively uncooperative’. At this point Scholz said he would never work with Epic again and set in motion a series of events that would lead to the third Boston album being released by the MCA label. This was in part achieved by counter-suing CBS for unpaid royalties. CBS also filed suit with MCA, issuing a cease-and-desist notice, demanding a huge advance from MCA and a royalty of 25 cents per record sold.

In April 1985 a NYC judge moved that the CBS suit was without merit, allowing Scholz leave to negotiate with another record company. Amazingly, the CBS lawsuit actually dragged on for another five years where, in a bitter showdown, Scholz and CBS/Sony president Walter Yentnikoff came face-to-face in court. The jury found in favour of Scholz, allowing him to receive his back royalties together with millions in punitive damages.

Tom was also fighting battles on other fronts, notably with members of the band who were looking to secure more of a say in Boston’s recordings. It was clear that the band was never going to function as a harmonious unit anymore, Goudreau being the first to seize the opportunity to reach a settlement, officially leaving in late 1981 and going on to form Orion The Hunter with vocalist Fran Cosmo.

Tom’s point of view: “Concerned about egos, back in 1976 I naively suggested to Brad that we pay Barry Goudreau a share of the record royalties equal to ours, not just for the two cuts he played on, but for every song on the album. After performing with Boston a scant three years, Barry left to pursue a career separate from mine, but he kept his share of royalties for all the songs he was not involved in recording, and has continued to collect for the past 30 years.”

Boston’s Third Stage album was eventually completed and released in September 1986, a full eight years after Don’t Look Back . Not unexpectedly Scholz wrote and played on most of the tracks, bringing his friend and drummer Jim Masdea back into the fold, together with new guitarist Gary Pihl from Sammy Hagar’s band. Tom had produced a track for Hagar’s 1980 album Danger Zone , before CBS vetoed any more involvement, going on to hire Sammy’s former road manager Jeff Dorenfeld as Boston’s new manager.

Third Stage went platinum four times over, producing the heart-rending ballad and No.1 hit single Amanda (written as far back as 1980). A concept of sorts, the album told the story of the three stages of life, from infancy through teenage years and into adulthood. A slight departure from the bluster of the previous two albums, Third Stage presented a mature and melodic sound, although tracks such as We’re Ready , I Think I Like It and, especially, Cool The Engines were certainly cut from the same cloth. However, the main question being bandied about by most long-terms fans was whether Scholz had softened his approach, as there was a definite sense of departure from the original model. Playing the album in its entirety, however, the subsequent tour found the band selling out concert arenas to ever-increasing audiences.

Looking forward to the 90s, recovering from his legal battles and setting up a charitable foundation (DTS, through which Scholz – a vegetarian – raised and donated millions of his own dollars to humanitarian and animal causes), Tom went back into his home studio to work on songs for the next Boston album. But there was a traumatic and potentially catastrophic development when Brad Delp tendered his resignation. This move was further complicated by the fact that Delp had thrown his hat into the ring with RTZ, Barry Goudreau’s new band.

In a bizarre, yet somehow logical solution, Scholz hired former Orion The Hunter frontman Fran Cosmo as Delp’s replacement. Cosmo had received plaudits from Boston fans for his work on the Orion The Hunter album as well as the Barry Goudreau solo record, so his assimilation into the Boston line-up would make for a smoother and potentially less hostile transition than the appointment of a newcomer. Delp’s achievements had cast a long and impressive shadow over the years but at least this move gave the impression that matters were being kept in the Boston ‘family’.

The resulting album, titled Walk On and issued on the MCA/Giant label in June 1994, was a powerful collection of tracks leaning closer to the vibe of Boston’s first two albums. One thing was for sure: Scholz had set the guitars to stun by including a number of seriously damaging hard rock tracks, including I Need Your Love , Surrender To Me and the amped-up title track. Also of note is the Deep Purple pastiche Get Organ-ized , which has its roots in the instrumental composition Foreplay from Boston’s debut album, but served up with heavy-duty riffage and a scorching Hammond solo in the vein of Jon Lord. Subsequently, with RTZ stalling at the box office, Delp opted to rejoin Boston just in time for the band’s Walk On tour, co-sharing lead vocals with Fran Cosmo. It was an unusual approach, but greeted with open arms by the band’s legion of supporters, helping to paper over the relative lack of commercial success of the album which, despite a concerted promotional campaign, only managed to achieve single-platinum status.

Apart from a greatest hits collection titled, rather succinctly, Boston: Greatest Hits , featuring three newly recorded tracks, it would take Tom Scholz another eight years to prepare the band’s next album. Nothing unusual with that, of course, but in the music business time is never on your side. Music styles had come and gone. Grunge, for example, had pretty much wiped traditional hard rock and classic rock from the surface of the planet, leaving Boston and their ilk in a very vulnerable position indeed.

It was with this thought in mind that the title track of the band’s next album, Corporate America , was given a stealth release under the pseudonym of Downer’s Revenge. It was an attempt to present new music to the public and the critics without the Boston name unduly influencing its reception. There was also a possibility of turning on younger music fans who may not have given the track a fair hearing if it was labelled Boston.

Corporate America was released in 2002 on the short-lived independent label, Artimis, run by former Nirvana manager Danny Goldberg. Perhaps this new home may have elevated the band’s ‘street-cred’ appeal, an attempt, if you will, to align with hipsters. Sadly, it was a move that made little sense as the album was virtually ignored by the public, only to be then quickly forgotten by the label. Scholz was so incensed that he returned to familiar surroundings, the law courts, suing for breach of contract, citing failure to properly promote the album. For many, the record itself was a distant cousin of Boston’s glory days. The songs are melodic but not memorable enough and Delp’s signature vocals seem underutilised. For some, the train had long departed the station.

Boston continued to tour, keeping the brand alive and enlisting numerous musicians, including, at one point, the unlikely presence of ex-Stryper member Michael Sweet to sing and play guitar.

On March 9, 2007, however, Boston faced their darkest day with the tragic suicide of Brad Delp at his New Hampshire home. He was found by his fiancée Pamela Sullivan, having succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. Several suicide notes had been left around the house. It was a terribly sad ending for an exceptionally gifted man who had given so much joy to the world. Delp had, seemingly, appeared from nowhere, brandishing one of the greatest rock voices ever heard, establishing him as the signature vocal of a band that changed the face of music. Like every suicide, this act of desperation provoked more questions than answers. But ultimately it was the sadness of a man so wracked with pain that it robbed him of his life.

Millions of fans the world over were shocked, as was every individual who had worked with Delp or played in the band. Putting aside the whys and wherefores of the circumstances, the entire Boston music community was stunned by its consequences. Sadly, and inevitably, accusations and counter-accusations were bandied about. Those directly involved, and even those far removed from Delp’s life, began pointing fingers – a great deal of those in the direction of Scholz. The inference was that he had somehow contributed to Delp’s depressed state of mind by way of his authoritarian control of the band, hiring and firing at will and corralling the musical direction as he saw fit, leaving Delp feeling marginalised. It was also suggested that Brad had been tormented by his piggy-in-the-middle role between original band members and Scholz.

Naturally, Scholz refuted these accusations, pointing out that Delp came and went from the band as he pleased and that the two had enjoyed huge success as a team rather than individuals in opposition. Chief among Scholz’s detractors was Delp’s former wife Micki and several former bandmates, who intimated that Scholz undermined Delp with his actions. Matters were further complicated after Micki, presumably in the throes of extreme grief at the time, aired her thoughts to respected newspaper the Boston Herald , which ran a report. It was a move that triggered Scholz to set in motion yet more lawsuits, this time aimed at Micki and the Herald , citing defamation and significant emotional distress.

Matters came to an even more shocking head when court papers revealed that Delp had been found to have used a hidden camera to film Pamela Sullivan’s sister Meg in her bedroom during February 2007, this revelation occurring just days before his suicide. Scholz, understandably, points to this event and trauma as reason enough for Delp’s subsequent actions.

In 2007, Boston organised a special concert under the banner of ‘Come Together: A Tribute To Brad Delp’, featuring numerous local musicians and the then-current version of Boston. All former band members attended and played – but tellingly, it was only drummer Sib Hashian who refused to take the stage with Scholz. One of the vocalists tapped to sing Delp’s parts was Tommy DeCarlo, a young, previously unknown, singer from North Carolina, who was unearthed via his MySpace page, singing Boston songs with uncanny accuracy to Brad Delp.

Scholz has subsequently continued to muster the band for live shows in North America, including a huge tour over the past summer. Members come and go, Scholz again utilising two lead vocalists, namely David Victor and Tommy DeCarlo, together with former Jo Jo Gunne drummer Curly Smith and another recent member of Stryper, bassist Tracy Ferrie. Rumours abound that Tom has been crafting a new Boston album although, true to tradition, details of a release date, what label will release it or exactly who will be involved are as sketchy as ever.

One thing is for sure, it looks unlikely that Tom Scholz will ever deliver a record that he’s not completely happy with. To this day the man remains a perfectionist with a single-minded vision. He makes other supreme guardians of their band’s cause – Metallica’s Lars Ulrich springs to mind – look like apathetic layabouts. Tom is as much of a mad scientist as he is a musician. To him, Boston is more than a feeling. It’s a one-man mission to achieve greatness, at whatever cost.

For more on Boston and ten of their greatest songs, then click on the link below.

The 10 Greatest Boston Songs Ever

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Boston is an American rock band that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists.

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Ultravox! In Concert From Boston – 1979 -Past Daily Backstage Weekend

• February 10, 2019
• 1970's , 1979 , Foreign Policy , Franklin D. Roosevelt , Past Daily Weekend Pop Chronicles , Radio , Youth

Ultravox! – In Concert at The Paradise, Boston – March 3/4, 1979 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –

Early Ultravox! this weekend – led by singer John Foxx, the frontman and the main driving force behind Ultravox. Foxx left the band in March 1979 to embark on a solo career and, following his departure, Midge Ure took over as lead singer, guitarist and frontman in October 1979 after he and keyboardist Billy Currie worked in the studio project Visage. Ure revitalised the band and steered it to commercial chart success lasting until 1988, at which time the group disbanded.

A new line-up, led by Currie, was formed in 1992, but achieved limited success, with two albums failing to chart and one solitary single reaching 90 in the UK Singles Chart.

The band’s best-known line-up of Currie, Ure, bassist Chris Cross and drummer Warren Cann reformed in 2008 and performed a series of reunion shows in 2009 and 2010 before releasing a new studio album, Brill!ant, in May 2012 which reached 21 in the British Album Charts. In November 2013, Ultravox performed as special guests on a four date UK arena tour with Simple Minds. These shows proved to be Ultravox’s last, as in 2017 both Currie and Ure indicated that Ultravox had run its course.

This concert comes literally days before Foxx’s departure, and may in fact be his last performance with the band (clarification from Ultravox experts would be gratefully accepted right now) before taking on a solo career.

On the strength of their live act, the band signed to Island Records in 1976. The group had still not finalized their band name, wanting to make a good and lasting choice. In July 1976, while working on the late stages of their debut album, the band conceived the name Ultravox! (the exclamation mark was a reference to krautrock band Neu!, produced by Conny Plank, who later produced three Ultravox albums). At the same time, Leigh chose John Foxx and Allen chose Chris Cross as their respective stage names. In February 1977, Island released their eponymous debut album, Ultravox!.

Like many other bands that formed Britain’s punk and new wave movements, Ultravox! drew inspiration from the art-school side of glam rock. Musically, Ultravox were heavily influenced by Roxy Music, the New York Dolls, David Bowie and Kraftwerk. Their debut was co-produced by Steve Lillywhite and Brian Eno (who next co-wrote and performed with Bowie on Low). Ultravox!’s sales were disappointing, and neither the album nor the associated single “Dangerous Rhythm” managed to enter the UK charts. Relations within the band were on an occasionally tenuous footing during this time as Foxx declared that he intended to live without emotions, a sentiment he wrote into the début album track “I Want to Be a Machine”.

Ultravox returned later in 1977 with the punkier Ha!-Ha!-Ha!. Sales of both the album and its lead single, “ROckWrok”, were poor, both failing to register on the UK charts. “ROckWrok” had a punk-lyric chorus, with the words “Come on, let’s tangle in the dark/Fuck like a dog, bite like a shark”. (Despite this, it got airplay on BBC Radio 1.) Although Ha!-Ha!-Ha! was dominated by guitars and electric violin, the final track, “Hiroshima Mon Amour”, was a prototypical synthpop song. One of the first tracks by a British band to feature a drum machine (a Roland Rhythm 77 with preset patterns), the song signalled a new direction for Ultravox. The energy, anger and popular appeal of punk was fading in 1978, and the more creative UK punk genre talent sought new directions—calling themselves British new wave instead of punk rock artists. “Hiroshima Mon Amour” remains a critics’ and fans’ favorite from the group’s initial period. Ultravox! also performed it on The Old Grey Whistle Test later in 1978.

As a reminder, here is the concert they gave in Boston in March of 1979 – crank it up and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

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6th January 1979

All Mod Cons wins Best Album, The Jam are second Best British Band  in the music press awards

9th January 1977

Recording session at RAK Studio London.

Songs recorded are  Strange Town, The Butterfly Collector & Simon.

16th February 1979

Reading University

The Jam play a low key warm up gig prior to the small European tour. The gig was recorded by polydor for future release but only Standards saw the light of day on Dig The New Breed. The full gig was finally released in the Fire & Skill live box set.

20th February 1979

Start of a 9 date European Tour.

Berlin, Hamburg, Wiesbaden, Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Brussels,

6th March 1979

Ancienne Belguique -Brussels

The tour ended in Brussels and all that remained to be done before the band headed home was a taping of a TV appearance in Munich.

9th March 1979

Release of The Jams 7th single Strange Town / The Butterfly Collector. It reaches no_15 in the UK chart.

15th March 1979

The Jam appear on Top Of The Pops to Play Strange Town 

5th April 1979

The Jam appear on Top Of The Pops to Play Strange Town  watch here.

6th April 1979

The Jam head off to North America / Canada for their 3rd over seas tour to promote All Mod Cons.

The venues were medium sized theatres with a capacity ranging from 1000 to 3000. The previous gigs had been much better in Toronto and Boston so they chose to start the tour from there.  Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Cleveland, Detroit, Oakland, San Fancisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver.  

7th April 1979

The band spend 2 full days rehearsing at The Rex Theatre Toronto.

9th April 1979

The band are interviewed at their hotel by The Toronto Globe &Mail

10th April 1979

The Rex Theatre Toronto Canada - First night of the tour.

12th April 1979

Paradise Theater - Boston

Promotion for this show was a taped interview for WTBS radio and a live interview for WBCN radio direct from the venue.

13th April 1979

Tower Theater - Philadelphia

The band visit 2 more radio stations for interviews

21st April 1979

California University - Los Angeles

The best audience reaction so far. The crowd smash up the seats and through them onto the stage.

4th May 1979

Sheffield  University

The start of the fourth major UK tour. Originally to be called The Jam EM In Tour but went out as The Jam Pact tour taking on   15 dates  in  Sheffield, Newcastle, Salford, London, Loughborough, Exeter, Liverpool,  Glasgow, Bristol, Birmingham & Portsmouth. All dates sold out weeks before the tour began.

18th May 1979

Strathclyde  University

Unlike the previous shows on the tour this night was less than perfect. Plagued by sound problems and fighting within the crowd. The band were forced to stop during the fourth number, Its Too Bad , when a bottle was thrown at Bruce who angrily ordered security to "Get him out before I fucking come down there and sort him out" which was greeted by a hugh cheer from the crowd. Weller chips in If you want to throw bottles go out side and throw them, who then led the band back in to the middle either rather than starting the song from the beginning. Through out the gig the audience continued to cause concern  while the band continually asked for their co operation to no avail.

19th May 1979

The sound problems from the second night have been sorted out and most of the audience behave.

The only event worth mentioning is the  pyrotechnics used at the end of A Bomb to simulate a mock explosion had been overloaded and blew Rick clean of his seat, much to the amusement of  Weller & Foxton.

21st May 1979

Colston Hall - Bristol

The troublesome explosive effects that closed each show were still causing problems. The band returned for an extra encore after the APOCALYPSE to a wall of smoke and you could not see the person standing next to you. 

24th May 1979

The Guildhall - Portsmouth

The final gig of the tour and the band are on top form. Weller was caught off guard and embarrassed when the crowd sang Happy Birthday to him. The audiance were treated to three encores which included In The City.

Paul Weller & girl Friend Gill Price take a holiday at Selsy Bay  Caravan park. Due to the constant rain PW spent most of the time writing songs with his acoustic guitar. He allegedly wrote Eton Rifles, Saturdays Kids, Burning Sky,  Thick As Thieves & Wasteland.

9th June 1979    

The Jam headline at The Arts Festival in Saddleworth/Oldham.

The gig was in a large marquee so the explosive effects were placed outside for safety reason and to compensate for the distance between the stage and explosives the pyrotechnics increased the charge. As the band climaxed their set with the A-P-O-C-A-L-Y-P-S-E -  APOCALYPSE !! The surrounding area of Saddleworth was treated to an almighty explosive din causing numerous complaints and visits from the emergency services, fearing the worse.

16th June 1979

The band attend the opening of Steve Brookes Music Shop.

19th June 1979

A one off session at The Townhouse Studios London to record Smithers Jones. The band version that appears on the B Side of When Your Young. That evening Rick drums at a Merton Parkas gig at Ronnie Scott's.

29th June 1979

A session at The Townhouse Studios London. Best Of Both Worlds was recorded The song wasn't released until its inclusion on Direction Reaction Creation.

Paul Weller records demos of the Eton Rifles & Saturdays Kids .

Both of these appeared on The Jam album Extras that was released in April 1992.

30th July 1979

A one off session at The Townhouse Studios to record When Your Young.

15th August 1979

The start of the recording sessions for their 4th Album Setting Sons.

The following songs are recorded.  The Eton Rifles, See Saw, Wastland & Saturdays Kids.

17th August 1979

Release of The Jams 8th Single When Your Young / Smithers Jones.

It reached no_17 in the UK Charts.

20th August 1979

The Setting Sons sessions continue at The Townhous  Studios.  

Little Boy Soldiers is recorded.

1st September 1979

The band travel to Manchester to record 2 songs for a new music show called Something Else

5th September  1979

The Setting Sons sessions continue at The Townhouse Studios.

Thick As Thieves & Burning Sky are recorded.

20th September 1979  

TV Broadcast of Something Else.

They perform When Your Young & the Eton Rifles   watch here  /  here

1st October 1979

Demo Session at The Townhouse Studio London. 

Girl On The Phone & Private Hell are demoed. 

8th October 1979

Girl On The Phone is recorded.

10th October 1979

The Final Setting Sons sessions at The Townhouse Studios.

Private Hell & Love Is Like A (Heatwave) are recorded.

26th October 1979

The release of the Jams 9th Single The Eton Rifles / See Saw.

Reaching no_3 in the UK Charts. There highest position so far.

27th October 1979

A full page advert is displayed in the NME The Eton Rifles. It also included tour dates and notification of a new album.

1st November 1979

The Jam appear on Top Of The Pops to play The Eton Rifles.

2nd November 1979 AM

The Jam record their 2nd session for John Peel at the BBC Maida Vale Studios.

When Your Young, The Eton Rifles, Saturdays Kids & Thick As Thieves.

Available on The Jam at The BBC 3 cd Box set  listen here.

2nd November 1979 PM

The Marquee - London

After a 5 month break from performing live the band perform a secret gig under the name of Johns Boys to preview new songs to be released on their next album Setting Sons. Despite the under cover name word soon got out and the show sold out leaving hundreds of fans hanging outside around the venue which caused some fighting with the local Punks & Skins.

3rd  November 1979

The Nashville - London

The second "secret" gig performed to another full house. There is some confusion over the band name on this occasion, some say it was The Eton Rifles while others claim it was La Confiture. Most fans were

left searching for Johns Boys. This caused less crowd congestion outside of the gig which passed without any trouble.  The Jam also were also interviewed in the day for Rock On Radio. 

5th November 1979

Eton Rifles is Played on the John Peel Show.

15th November 1979

The Jam appear on Top Of The Pops to play The Eton Rifles  watch here

16th November 1979

The Jam appear on Capital Radio to talk about their Setting Sons album.

The Jams 4th Album Setting Sons is released reaching no_4 in the UK Charts.

17 th November 1979

Aylesbury Friars

An unpublished date not advertised on The Setting Sons tour. A final rehearsal for the tour ahead.

18th November 1979

The start of The Setting Sons tour, 27 dates.

 Poole, Manchester, Wolverhampton, Southampton, Birmingham, Stoke, Bridlington, Deeside, Lancaster, Cardiff (cancelled) London, Newcastle, Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh, Leeds, Blackburn, Cardiff(cancelled), Brighton, Portsmouth, Leicester, Bath.

20th November 1979

The first of 2 nights at Manchester Apollo.

Day one is spent doing interviews at the Piccadilly Hotel . The 2nd day was spent signing autographs at the local Virgin record store.

22nd November 1979

Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

The band spend the afternoon at the local HMV record store signing copies of Setting Sons.

29th November 1979

Deeside Leisure Centre - Radio Interview on Radio Merseyside.

2nd December 1979

1st of three nights at The Rainbow.

The original tour ads had Cardiff for this date but the gig was rescheduled for 13th December.

3rd December 1979

A day signing autographs at Kensingtons Virgin record store and the 2nd night at The Rainbow.

4th December 1979

Its the last night at The Rainbow, so lets make it a good un for The Jam.

The famous show that was recorded  and broadcast on The BBC. It also features on several bootleg albums and was finally released on the live at The BBC CD. Although the official recordings omit Billy Hunt and Little Boy Soldiers which were performed on the night and are present on the Polydor master.

6th December 1979

First of two nights at the Newcastle City Hall.

The band are interviewed at their hotel (Swallow Hotel) and then another interview at Radio Newcastle then onto Look Hear record store for signings.

8th December 1979

Glasgow Apollo

An afternoon signing session at Bruce's Records before the gig.

10th December 1979

The Odeon Edinburgh - Interview on Radio Forth

The Jam end they year with 2 gigs at The Pavilion in Bath on 20th & 21st December

Just 6 teams have won NBA Finals 1 year after missing playoffs: Here’s how they did it

Winning an NBA title is extremely difficult. Winning an NBA title with a team that missed the playoffs the year before, while not impossible, has been done only a few times.

The Dallas Mavericks became the 16th team in NBA history to make the NBA Finals after not qualifying for the postseason the year prior and are looking to be just the seventh team to go from a playoff miss to a parade in just one season.

While the chances that a team can manufacture such a quick turnaround are rare, the correlation between all six teams is clear: A generational superstar is a requisite. (Note: Finals MVP awards weren’t awarded before 1969)

In some cases, the comeback was fueled by a star returning to full health. In others, it was the offseason acquisition of complementary stars that spurred the leap.

Since the NBA expanded its playoff format to four rounds in 1984, seven teams before the Mavericks jumped from missing the postseason to the finals. Here’s how they did it:

2022 Golden State Warriors

How 2021 ended: The Warriors finished eighth in the Western Conference in the regular season, going 39-33. However, they lost Play-In Tournament games to the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies , thus missing the playoffs.

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How 2022 ended: NBA champs following a 53-29 regular season, good for the third seed in the West, and a 16-6 postseason run.

What changed:  Fully healthy roster plus career-peak performances (up until now) from Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole .

After missing nearly all of 2019-20, Curry had a dominant 2020-21 season but received little help from an injury-depleted roster that lost Klay Thompson for a second straight season due to an Achilles tear. Thompson returned for 32 games in 2022 and then played all 22 games in the postseason as Curry’s sidekick. Draymond Green also stayed healthy (and, crucially, was not suspended) for the stretch run.

More importantly, the Warriors got all-time performances from Wiggins and Poole in secondary roles. Wiggins finally realized his potential in the regular season and became a top-tier defender and rebounder in the playoffs. At the same time, Poole provided another scorer the team desperately needed. With Curry slowly recovering from a late-season injury, Poole started five playoff games and scored 20-plus points in seven times en route to the title.

2021 Phoenix Suns

How 2020 ended: A controversial invite to the NBA Bubble after a four-month hiatus due to COVID-19 — they were in 13th in the West and six games out of eighth when play stopped in March — the Suns swept all eight of their games at Disney. Still, they finished 34-39, 10th in the conference, and did not qualify for a Play-In game under the rules that the league used in that bisected season.

How 2021 ended: Runners-up with a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals after finishing second in the West following. 51-21 regular season. They fell two losses shy of a title, going 14-4 in the playoffs before losing four straight to the Bucks.

What changed: Chris Paul .

A leap in production from Mikal Bridges certainly helped, but the biggest difference for the suddenly contending Suns was the offseason arrival of Paul. At 35 years old, the point guard great averaged 16.4 points and 8.9 assists per game en route to a fifth-place finish in MVP voting. In the team’s 20 playoff games, he upped his production to 19.2 points per game and keyed the team’s finals berth with a maestro 41-point performance to close out the Los Angeles Clippers.

Paul’s arrival elevated the play of Bridges as well as young center Deandre Ayton . Bridges stepped into a full-time starting role for the first time and averaged 13.5 points per game while shooting 42.5 percent from 3. Ayton had a strong playoff run, averaging 15.8 points and 11.8 rebounds per contest, punctuated by a game-winning alley-oop dunk in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, tossed by another key offseason veteran addition, Jae Crowder .

2020 Los Angeles Lakers

How 2019 ended:  37-45, 10th in the Western Conference.

How 2020 ended: NBA champs following a 52-19 regular season, good for the West’s top seed, and a 16-5 postseason run.

What changed: Anthony Davis .

After LeBron James spent his first season in L.A. figuring out how to fit with a young core of Kyle Kuzma , Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball in 2019, the legend hurt his groin on Christmas Day and later returned to a Lakers team that soon fell below .500. By early March, he was on a minutes restriction and by the end of the month he was shut down for the season with the Lakers eliminated.

That offseason, the Lakers shipped much of that young core and a pile of draft picks to New Orleans for Davis. The move was long rumored, given Davis was a client of Klutch, the sports agency run by James’ long-time friend, Rich Paul. The team also hired Frank Vogel as head coach, replacing Luke Walton, and retooled the roster with reliable veterans such as Avery Bradley, Danny Green and Dwight Howard, while retaining Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Rajon Rondo.

Davis dominated, averaging 26.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in his first season before climbing to 27.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in his first extended playoff run to win his first ring. He finished runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, and he and James became the first teammates to both make the All-NBA First Team since 2007.

2020 Miami Heat

How 2019 ended:  39-43, 10th in the Eastern Conference.

How 2020 ended: Runners-up with a loss to the Lakers in the NBA Finals after a 44-29 regular season, good for fifth in the East, and a 14-7 postseason run.

What changed: Jimmy Butler .

The arrival of Butler — and his postseason “Playoff Jimmy” persona — was a culture changer in Miami. He was acquired in exchange for the Heat’s previous leading scorer, Josh Richardson , and arrived in town shortly after franchise legend Dwyane Wade retired.

In what is now a tradition, Butler coasted through the regular season with averages of 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 58 games, but elevated once the playoffs began. He carried Miami to a first-round sweep of the Indiana Pacers . He then led the Heat to stunning victories over the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics to make the finals. He scored 25-plus points seven times in the postseason run and notched two triple-doubles.

2015 Cleveland Cavaliers

How 2014 ended: 33-49, 10th in Eastern Conference.

How 2015 ended: Runners-up with a six-game loss to the Warriors in the NBA Finals. Cleveland went 53-29 in the regular season, finishing second in the East, but only lost twice before in the playoffs before reaching the finals.

What changed: LeBron’s return and Kevin Love ’s arrival.

The Cavaliers fell from championship contention to cellar-dwelling after James left for Miami in 2010. His return in 2014 immediately put them back in the forefront. He didn’t come back to a completely depleted roster, as he joined with rising star Kyrie Irving , who just made his second All-Star team, and Kevin Love, who Cleveland acquired weeks after James in exchange for Wiggins, whom the Cavaliers had just drafted No. 1 a month prior, among others.

James took on more of a facilitator role back in Cleveland, dishing 7.4 assists as Irving’s scoring average climbed again. Love struggled to acclimate in his first season out of Minnesota, then missed nearly all of the playoffs after dislocating his shoulder in the first round. James’ dominant postseason play (30.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.5 assists per game) carried Cleveland to the finals and a 2-1 series lead against Golden State before the Warriors came back to win.

2008 Boston Celtics

How 2007 ended: 24-58, 15th in Eastern Conference.

How 2008 ended: NBA champs following a 66-16 regular season and a 16-10 postseason run

What changed: Paul Pierce’s health and trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

Pierce played in just 47 games in 2006-07, the lone time he missed an All-Star game in an 11-season stretch from 2002-12. After finishing with the second-worst record in the NBA in 2007, the Celtics were lottery victims and missed out on the chance to draft Greg Oden or Kevin Durant . Instead, they flipped the fifth-overall pick ( Jeff Green ) to Seattle in a package for 31-year-old All-Star Allen, who had been to the playoffs just once since 2001.

The deal for Allen convinced 31-year-old Garnett to commit to Boston long term, which greenlit a seven-for-one trade with Minnesota , the largest in NBA history. Allen and Garnett joined with Boston’s All-NBA forward Pierce to form a veteran big three core of hungry veterans.

The trio each sacrificed numbers in the regular season, but all three were All-Stars and Garnett won Defensive Player of the Year. In the playoffs, Garnett took over as leading scorer while Pierce was named Finals MVP and Allen broke the record for 3-pointers in a finals series en route to the Celtics taking down the Lakers in six games.

2002 New Jersey Nets

How 2001 ended: 26-56, 12th in Eastern Conference.

How 2002 ended: Runners-up with a loss to the Lakers in the NBA Finals after a 52-30 regular season earned them the East’s top seed. They went 11-10 in the playoffs.

What changed: Trades for Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson.

The Stephon Marbury and Keith Van Horn-led Nets were entertaining in 2000-01 as Marbury could fill a stat sheet. But he couldn’t set the table or lead the young team, which struggled after Van Horn suffered a leg injury.

New Jersey and Phoenix made the rare All-Star-for-All-Star deal in swapping Kidd and Marbury one day after the Nets swung a draft-day deal to acquire Jefferson, a rookie out of Arizona. Kidd — who years earlier quipped that he would turn the Dallas Mavericks around “360 degrees” — truly turned the Nets around 180 degrees after he spent five seasons leading the Phoenix Suns.

Kidd was MVP runner-up in 2001-02 after averaging 14.7 points, 9.9 assists and 7.3 rebounds, transforming the franchise and leading the Nets to their first 50-win season. Kidd’s leadership was key for Jefferson, who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, and sophomore Kenyon Martin, who averaged 16.8 points per game in his first playoff run.

The Nets earned their first finals berth after thrilling series wins over Reggie Miller’s Pacers, the Charlotte Hornets and the Celtics before running into the Shaq and Kobe Lakers, who swept New Jersey.

Pre-1984 teams

Before the NBA moved to its four-round format in 1984, the jump from missing the playoffs to making the finals was more frequent due to a smaller league. The NBA was a 16-team league before the NBA-ABA merger in 1976.

But even within the altered sample sizes, the same correlation from earlier holds true: Generational superstars are a must to win this kind of comeback title. Here’s every team that made the finals after missing the playoffs.

• 1978 Seattle SuperSonics: Runners-up to the Washington Bullets, but came back to win it all in 1979 behind Gus Williams, Dennis Johnson and emerging star Jack Sikma.
• 1977 Portland Trail Blazers : NBA champs thanks to a finally healthy Bill Walton. After his first two seasons were cut short by chronic foot injuries, Walton stayed on the floor for 65 games and all 19 playoff games to finish second in MVP voting, make defensive first team and be crowned Finals MVP.
• 1976 Suns: Runners-up to the Celtics, the “Sunderella Suns” had never won a playoff series before 1976 but rode an improbable ride to the finals after a 42-40 regular season. The finals featured a historic triple-overtime thriller in Game 5.
• 1975 Warriors:  NBA champs over the Bullets, as future Hall of Famers Rick Barry and Jamaal Wilkes starred. Barry averaged 30.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists in the regular season. The 1973-74 Warriors missed the playoffs despite going 44-38.
• 1967 San Francisco Warriors: Runners-up to the 76ers , the 1967 Warriors bounced back from a 35-45 season thanks to Barry’s breakthrough season. His scoring average jumped from 25.7 points to 35.6 points per game in his sophomore season. The Warriors were defeated by in the finals by old friend Wilt Chamberlain.
• 1964 Warriors: Runners-up to the Celtics, this season marked Chamberlain’s last finals appearance with the Warriors before he was traded to the 76ers the following season.
• 1959 Minneapolis Lakers: Runners-up to the Celtics. A year after Minneapolis went 19-53 and finished last in the Western Division, rookie Elgin Baylor boosted the team to a 14-win improvement and two playoff series wins before getting swept by Boston.
• 1956 Philadelphia Warriors: NBA champs over the Fort Wayne Pistons. Philadelphia improved from 33-39 to 45-27 behind the continued dominant pairing of Paul Arizin and Neil Johnston, and the addition of rookie Tom Gola.

(Photo: Noah Graham / NBAE via Getty Images)

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Mark Puleo is a News Staff Editor at The Athletic. Before joining The Athletic, Mark covered breaking weather news as a digital journalist and front page digital editor with AccuWeather. He is a graduate of Penn State University and its John Curley Center for Sports Journalism. Follow Mark on Twitter @ ByMarkPuleo

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