Pat Benatar

[Chris]

Pat Benatar – Friday, July 16

Pat Benatar – Vocals
Neil Giraldo – Guitar
Mick Mahan – Bass
Myron Grombacher – Drums

Pat Benatar was discovered in the mid 1970’s while singing at New York’s Catch a Rising Star. Chrysalis Records signed her to their label in 1977 after an executive saw her perform at Tramps night club. She went to work on her debut album with a backing band, including her future husband, guitarist Neil Giraldo. In the Heat of the Night was released in 1979 and her first two singles performed poorly. However, the third single, “Heartbreaker,” reached #23 and her career would take off. The next single, the Giraldo penned “We Live for Love” hit #27. The album, produced by the legendary Mike Chapman, eventually reached #12 and went platinum, selling over a million copies. Benatar’s sophomore effort, Crimes of Passion, would shoot her into superstardom, selling over 5 million copies. It would reach #2 on the charts and spend six months in the top 10 behind the smash #9 hit “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and #18 hit “Treat Me Right.” She also won her first of an unprecedented four straight Grammy’s for Best Female Rock Performance. 1981’s Precious Time would keep the momentum rolling, going double platinum, becoming her first #1 album, and spawning two more top 40 hits, “Fire and Ice” and “Promises in the Dark.” 1982’s platinum selling Get Nervous spawned three more top 40 hits, “Shadows of the Night,” “Little Too Late,” and “Looking for a Stranger.” A live album, Live from Earth, was released in 1983. Two studio recordings were also on the album, including her highest charting single to date “Love is a Battlefield,” which hit #5. It reached #13 on the charts and also went platinum. 1984 brought her sixth straight platinum album, #14 hit Tropico. The album was propelled in sales by the #5 hit “We Belong,” which matched her previous high. Benatar appropriately titled her seventh album Seven the Hard Way. The 1985 album would be her first to not go platinum, reaching gold status and containing only a couple of minor hits, including “Invincible,” which was the theme song for the movie The Legend of Billie Jean. 1988’s Wide Awake in Dreamland would also go gold, behind the #19 hit “All Fired Up.” The 90’s would come and Benatar would release a string of unsuccessful albums, starting with 1991’s bluesy True Love. Gravity’s Rainbow and Innamorata would follow in 1993 and 1997, respectively. None of these albums would contain any hit singles. Her last release was 2003’s Go album. Pat Benatar will be making her third appearance at Moondance Jam, following stops in 2001 and 2004. She will be making the stop at Moondance with REO Speedwagon on their co-headlining Love on the Run tour.

Billboard Hot 100 Hits
1979 Heartbreak #23
1980 We Live for Love #27
1980 You Better Run #42
1980 Hit Me With Your Best Shot #9
1981 Treat Me Right #18
1981 Fire and Ice #17
1981 Promises in the Dark #38
1982 Shadows of the Night #13
1983 Little Too Late #20
1983 Looking for a Stranger #39
1983 Love is a Battlefield #5
1984 We Belong #5
1985 Ooh Ooh Song #36
1985 Invincible #10
1985 Sex as a Weapon #28
1986 Le Bel Age/Walking in the Underground #54
1988 All Fired Up #19

Billboard 200 Albums
1979 In the Heat of the Night #12
1980 Crimes of Passion #2
1981 Precious Time #1
1982 Get Nervous #4
1983 Live from Earth #13
1984 Tropico #14
1985 Seven the Hard Way #26
1988 Wide Away in Dreamland #28
1989 Best Shots #67 (Greatest Hits)
1991 True Love #37
1993 Gravity’s Rainbow #85
1997 Innamorata #171
2003 Go #187
2005 Greatest Hits #47

Did You Know?
A biography of Pat Benatar, titled Between a Rock and Hard Place, will be released on June 15, 2010.
In 1976, Benatar was in the rock musical The Zinger in Long Island along with actresses Beverly D’Angelo and Christine Lahti.
Benatar performed at this year’s Super Bowl Gala in Orlando on the Saturday night before the game.
Benatar was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in October.
Neil Giraldo was the music composer for the recent movie Smile, starring Beau Bridges, Linda Hamilton, and Sean Astin.
Pat and Neil recently appeared on CMT’s Crossroads with Martina McBride.
It was the third highest rated premiere in the Crossroads series.
Pat Benatar’s was born Patricia Mae Andrzejewski. Her legal name now is Patricia Mae Giraldo.
The Crimes of Passion song “Hell is for Children” was never released as a single but was regularly played on AOR stations.
Moondance Jam veterans The Bangles recorded a cover of Benatar’s “We Belong.”
“You Better Run” was the 2nd song ever played on MTV, after The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.”
Precious Time includes a cover of The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.”
“Treat Me Right” was played in the movie An Officer and A Gentleman. The album cover for Crimes of Passion was also shown in the movie.
“Sometimes the Good Guys Finish First” was released on the Secret of My Success soundtrack.
“Invincible” was originally released on The Legend of Billie Jean soundtrack.
“Love is a Battlefield” was featured on the 2003 movie 13 Going On 30.
Benatar was one of 50 artists involved in the Artists United Against Apartheid song “Sun City” in 1985.
In 1996, Pat Benatar went on a summer tour with the Steve Miller Band.
This summer marks the 2nd Love on the Run tour with REO Speedwagon.
“Hit Me With Your Best Shot” is on Guitar Hero 3.
Her debut album contained the song “I Need a Lover,” written by John Mellencamp. His version would become a hit for him in later in 1979.
Benatar has made several acting appearances, including the ABC Afterschool Special Torn Between Two Fathers.

Setlists
July 11, 2010 in KC
All Fired Up
Shadows of the Night
If You Think You Know How to Love Me
Invincible
Promises in the Dark
You Better Run (acoustic)
I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend (acoustic)
We Belong
Hell is for Children
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Love is a Battlefield
Let's Stay Together
Heartbreaker

August 4, 2009 in Vienna, Virginia
All Fired Up
Shadows of the Night
You Better Run
Somebody’s Baby
We Live for Love
Invincible
We Belong
Hell is For Children
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Love is a Battlefield
Encore:
Promises in the Dark
Heartbreaker

June 28, 2009 in Orlando, Florida
1. All Fired Up
2. Shadows of the Night
3. I Need a Lover
4. You Better Run
5. Somebody’s Baby
6. Invincible
7. We Live For Love
8. We Belong
9. Everybody Lay Down
10. Best Shot
11. Hell Is For Children
12. Love is a Battlefield
Encore
13. Promises in the Dark
14. Heartbreaker
My Take
Pat Benatar is one act I don’t really need to hype due to her vast catalog of hits that spanned the 1980’s. She won four consecutive Grammy’s from 1980-83 and had a string of 6 straight platinum albums. Her career speaks for itself. I have never seen her in concert and all I own is her Greatest Hits album so I can’t say I am overly excited to see her at Moondance Jam. However, I do think the vast majority of jammers will enjoy her set. I was a little nervous after hearing from other jammers that her last performance was marred by an overemphasis on her husband and guitarist Neil Giraldo. I will admit that it bothers me that the picture on the Moondance Jam site has both her and Giraldo, along with both of their names. Let’s face it, no one is there to see Neil Giraldo. Fans come to see Pat Benatar. Period. Giraldo has been a huge influence on her career, however, as he has been her guitarist and collaborator since she first started. So this is quite a bit different than last year at the jam when Lita Ford brought out her husband Jim Gillette for an absolutely awful momentum killing performance. I know she loves him but come on! As long as Giraldo does what he should do, play lead guitar, I will be happy. She has so many great songs that her setlist will be like a greatest hits performance and will likely have people singing and dancing all night.

Videos
Love is a Battlefield - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjY_uSSncQw
Invincible - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8lJYN3FfC0
We Belong - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxZInIyOBXk
Shadows of the Night - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66aqcOsnP2E
Promises in the Dark - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3O2JGB0 ... re=related
A Little Too Late - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC-GAzAe ... re=related
Heartbreaker - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy-QmgdUVTI
Hell is For Children - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Sa0MkWo ... re=related
Hit Me With Your Best Shot - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVRF0wxmy1I

[kansas666]

I was a little nervous after hearing from other jammers that her last performance was marred by an overemphasis on her husband and guitarist Neil Giraldo.

Same here. When I saw them, her hits were great, but when she and Neil sat on stools and acted all ga ga over each other it was like sitting in a Holiday Inn lounge.

[Davage]

I was a little nervous after hearing from other jammers that her last performance was marred by an overemphasis on her husband and guitarist Neil Giraldo.

Same here. When I saw them, her hits were great, but when she and Neil sat on stools and acted all ga ga over each other it was like sitting in a Holiday Inn lounge.

I saw Pat Benatar and Neil G back in the year 2000 in Minnedosa Manitoba. Their set started great. They played a lot of their rockin' hit songs, and then about 30 minutes into the show they went into a bizarre accoustic set. I went back to my campsite to drink beer...

[Chris]

Setlist from July 11 in KC:
All Fired Up
Shadows of the Night
If You Think You Know How to Love Me
Invincible
Promises in the Dark
You Better Run (acoustic)
I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend (acoustic)
We Belong
Hell is for Children
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Love is a Battlefield
Let's Stay Together
Heartbreaker