How THIS Nerdy 80s Rocker Was SUED OUT Of MUSIC... But His Hit Lives On! | Professor of Rock
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- This nerdy 80s rocker gave me some much needed motivation as I stood at the highest diving platform at the massive community pool trying to get the nerve to the impossible. With a beautiful lifeguard looking on and the bullies razzing me, it was dive or die. The soundtrack of this conquering day in my life was Ah Leah by Donnie Iris. the 80s classic that should’ve been a #1 hit. Up next I tell the story of both sides of the equation… the diving board and the charts...
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#80s #Vinyl #Story
Hey music junkies and vinyl junkies Professor of Rock always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest 80s songs of all time for the music community and vinyl community with music history video essay's including today's Nena Reaction and 99 Lufballoons Story. If you’ve ever owned records, cassettes and CD’s at different times in you life or still do this is your place Subscribe below right now to be a part of our daily celebration of the rock era with exclusive stories from straight from the artists and click on our patreon link in the description to become an Honorary Producer.
Poll: What is a song that motivated you to overcome your fears?
Tom Petty, I Won't Back Down
Kiss
Crazy Crazy Nights
At seven yrs old I was caught outside in a tornado during the "1974 Super Outbreak" and was scared to death of thunderstorms until I started to listen to "I Love a Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbit six years later.
"No Easy Way Out" by Robert Tepper
Pantera - Domination
Donnie Iris is a Steeltown Treasure. Beyond being a musical genius... He loves his community, always gives back, adores his fans and is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet
This is the comment I was going to leave. And I'd be willing to bet at least 50% of Western PA residents have attended a Donnie Iris concert, whether they actually intended to or not.
"Ah, Leah" by Donnie Iris -- a lost classic from the year 1980.
I still play this
I'm from Cleveland and I love this song so much that I'm willing to forgive Donnie for being from Pittsburgh. Hell, I even forgave him for wearing black and gold in the song's video. 🤷
Every time I hear this song playing on DVE I crank my radio the whole way up and love is like a rock just gets me pumped to no end
God bless Donnie Iris
“LOVE IS LIKE A ROCK”! That’s another Donnie Iris classic.
didn't know that was him, so... he isnt a one hit wonder then. hmmm.
Cant forget about Agnes
@@adreanmarantz2103 He also had a Top 25 hit with "My Girl" (1982).
Love that song!
Remember the live video at MTV
So glad you gave, “Ah, Leah” it’s due. I can’t think of a better song from the 80’s. Every time I hear this it ups my mood to phenomenal. The energy from start to finish is fantastic!
My friend goes on these “80’s cruises “ that have mostly what I consider overplayed and boring bands performing. Right before covid hit he’s reading me the band list and it’s like REO Speedwagon, the Hooters and more bands that I’d rather pay not to see. As he gets to the end he says something like, “and Donnie Iris…whoever that is…”. I’m like, Donnie is the best act on your cruise and I played ,”ah, Leah.” Naturally the cruise got canceled due to covid but he’s still trying to see Donnie Iris live.
This song takes me back! I loved it too!! I wonder where your Lifeguard is now? What an awesome story!!! The high dive was something to conquer! Ours was 11 feet I think? Still terrifying! LOL!
I remember being a kid and trying to catch this song on the radio. They never played it often- it was very difficult to hear, especially annoying as they would frequently talk over the intro. It's such a fantastic song! It clearly got muscled out by bad faith music business. Hats off to this slamming tune that sounds like it could've been made this week.
Soooo under rated....my favorite workout song
..perhaps i missed the detail, but..who was it that sued him? (or do i have to hit wikipedia for that?). And yes, this song STILL sounds good. Hats off to Donnie Iris..
He's 80 years old now and still performs this song flawlessly live. He can still get down but takes a little longer to get back up. He's a true Pittsburgh icon. Keep rock'n Donnie!
True story:
I am from the Pittsburgh area, and this song was even more popular there. Donnie is rightfully a local legend there.
I have been dating a girl named Leah for several years. Two years ago, I managed to contact Donnie through a mutual friend (I do not know Donnie), and asked him if he would be willing to record a birthday message for my girlfriend since her name is Leah.
To my great surprise, later that day I received a text message from him with a birthday greeting to her attached.
He refused to take any money for it. He doesn’t know either one of us, and it was amazing that he took the time to do that for me.
That tells you Donny must be just a down to earth human being
Totally cool. What the girl think ?
What a cool dude!❤🤘
I think everybody can relate City Stories I grew up not too far from where he lived and whoever said about that railroad steel town call mining toughness that's what he had he may not have always look the part but he sure had it in his heart and that's the most important thing and even in the 70s just the 100% stand up great person
Around the Pittsburgh area they called him King Kool.
Being from western PA, and a faithful yinzer, Donnie Iris and the Cruisers are legends in my book! I've seen them several times and they still sound fantastic! Makes us all so proud n'at. February 28th Happy Birthday, Donnie!
My hat's off to you for bringing Donnie Iris back into the spotlight. That album is great.
Yes! About time. I STILL have that record. Never had on tape & don't think I've ever even seen it a CD. Ah Leah's a KILLER song & made it onto every road trip cassette back then. We all knew the Jaggerz but it was so different kinda like Stealer's Wheel & Rafferty's solo stuff. Btw Stuck in the Middle With You ALWAYS made the same tape. Never found it particularly inspirational though I was closer to 19 than 9. We never thought the ALBUM so great. It was one of those with a great song that ended on a cassette & the album then placed on a shelf like Thorpe's Children of the Sun or Aldo Nova's Fantasy but those road trips &/or just cruising around with those new awesome 6907's on the back deck of the Z28...anybody remember THAT great sound?
@@DT-dz1jc You must be talking about Kenwoods subwoofers and bass boxes. Nothing like the bass boomin'. Gotta put Tommy 2-Tone in there as well. And maybe a little Eddy Grant and Surf MC's just to get weird. Then back to Edgar Winter.
Donnie is almost 80 and can still rock! He is a living legend here in Pittsburgh!
I had 2 girl best friends growing up and one was named Leah. Leah was quite overweight and was always the girl that was left behind and that boys didn't give another look to. But motivated by Donnie and a song with her name that had words that could make her feel special ( and help from my mom who was her diet coach) she lost 100 lbs and looked awesome! She started to turn a head or two and suddenly there was mantra song in her life. For the rest of her life ( which ended in 2013) it was HER song and it always had a special place with us!
Donnie is like 80 now and still gives amazing performances of the song that warms your heart! ♥️
I'm sorry for your loss, friend. Doing rough math, Leah went waaay too early. I'm glad she lives in your heart!
Great story. God bless you and her.
Good on her for losing all that weight. Great story. Thanks for sharing. RIP.
One of my favourite songs in the 80's. That high note at the end is just ridiculous. No idea how it wasn't a bigger hit.
I do- DI was not "TV hip 🕶" MTV never really gave Iris a lot of push like Journey, Van Halen, Foreigner, The Cars. Fair? Not really ....
I absolutely love this song and my name is Leah. It was the 80’s and I was sitting on my mother’s couch studying for a big microbiology exam and this song came on the radio. I couldn’t believe I was hearing my name in such a rocking song! I still listen to it to this day and it always takes me back to that night ❤❤ Donnie Iris can still sing at 80 years old!! Just phenomenal 🤘🤘❤️❤️
I am a fanatic of new wave - particularly English new wave. “Ah Leah” is an absolute new wave masterpiece, and ir breaks my heart that Donnie Iris didn’t get the audience he deserved outside of PA. He produced this at the same time as The Cars, Cheap Trick, etc were killing it on the charts and he deserved it - this is such a gem.
I would not say it is nu wave
There was a live performance of Donnie Iris's, "Ah Leah" that he sang for his 75th Birthday Party. He nailed the high notes, still...
I was there. They had the last one at the palace.
Nice avatar!
I saw him like 4 years ago and was completely blown away by not only his vocals but his stage presence as well!
He's amazing.
ruclips.net/video/fskG0BoVT7Y/видео.html
“Ah Leah” and “Love is Like a Rock” (particularly the live video MTV used to show) are still two of my favorites. Absolutely should've been bigger hits
Agnes
@@donnadubyak6504 ...and "I Can't Hear You"
Didn't know LilaR was also Donnie, love both of those songs.
Like a Rock is the best
....."Sweet Merrilee", "The High And The Mighty", "Do You Compute?" - there are a FEW Of 'em which weren't, sadly : (
I can’t believe this only hit 29 on the charts. It is such a great song. I loved it then, and I still love it now.
It still gets a lot of play in classic rock circles.
Leah was WAY under rated. A great 80s rock song 🎵. Donnie Iris was not MTV hip 🕶 so he was not a big hit. If execs or DJs do not push your songs, your 📉 ....
SHOULD HAVE BEEN NUMBER ONE HIT 😊😢😮😮😮😮😮
Wow, a shout out to TDK tapes! You sir, are a legend. Thanks for the memories.
I was at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, in Cleveland, somewhere around 03 or 04. After touring the exhibits, we saw a band setup. We saw Donnie Iris and Joe Walsh. I was impressed that he could still hit those high notes.
Joe Walsh is from Cleveland Ohio. He was on a Drew Carey ABC sitcom late 1990s.
"Ah! Leah!" is one of the first songs I remember making an impression on me as a kid. I was 9 when it came out and it's still one of my favorites. Donnie Iris is definitely the King of Nerd Rock!
I was today old when i learned that nerd rock exists. Lol
How many Yinzers here? :D
This song is mega-personal to me. My ex-wife’s name is Lia, and when we were in a good place, this song was our anthem. After it ended, this song ripped my heart out when I heard it, but I still love it to this day.
I have a similar memory this song brings me back to I was so happy but everything went wrong but the song takes me right back
Ah, the great Pittsburgh music scene. B.E. Taylor Group. Later Rusted Root. The Rave Ups. Good times.
Pittsburgh's own, Donnie Iris!
Yay Pittsburgh!
🙌🏾
Wasn't the drummer from Northeast PA? It is a small town about 10 miles north of Erie.
@@ProfessorofRock I saw Stryper 3 times in Pittsburgh. Once in 1985 in the basement of the Syria Mosque concert hall (Yellow and Black Attack) , a 2nd time upstairs in the regular seating of that theater (To Hell With The Devil) and once more at a night club near the water front (Against The Law). In the 90's the Syria Mosque was bought by a Japanese corporation and bulldozed to build an office building. Such a shame it was a gorgeous theater similar to the Warner Theater in Erie only it was bigger with a 3rd level mezzanine.
I’m from Cleveland. I guess Pittsburgh has one good thing it can hang it’s hat on. 😉
I loved Donnie Iris's song "Do You Compute?" I felt it should have went to the top as well. That band and was so creative.
Definitely! One of my favorites. If I didn't work in radio in the mid-80's I would have never come across that song and album.
THANK YOU!!! I was beginning to despair of anyone saying something about this song. It is the bomb!
Donnie iris is one of the most underrated new wave artists and came out with some of the catchiest power pop of the early 80s back on the streets, king cool, the high and the mighty and fortune 410 are power pop classics if you love the cars, shoes and power pop these 4 albums are an essential listen
This stuff is right up my alley! Devo, Elvis Costello. Man, some underrated but awesome new wavers!
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 another great new wave act who I really want the professor to do a show on is icehouse supremely underrated Australian band led by the incredible Iva Davies my favorite bands of the new wave era are simple minds, a flock of seagulls and Duran Duran
Injured in the Game of Love, 1985, one of his best songs and his last hit from that hot streak he had that started in 1980.
I'm from SW Pennsylvania and graduated high school in 1983 and enlisted in the Army, everytime I came back on leave I didn't feel like I was home until I heard a Donnie Iris song on the radio, then I knew I was home.
@@georgemathie8123 Oh, I think I might have heard of them before!
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 electric blue from their 1987 album man of colors and the follow up single crazy, great Southern land, and no promises are a few of their popular songs they're known for I totally recommend primitive man, measure for measure and code blue for you to stream or download that's some of my favorite albums of their's
Donnie Iris was the first musical act I ever saw when he opened for Eddie Money at Slippery Rock University back in the mid 80’s. See him around the Burgh every now and then and always a class act
I haven't heard of Sleppery Rock in a long time. There for a while the school.became famous in Pop Culture due to their catchy name abd sale of tee-shirts.
Donnie is one of the best live acts you will ever see. You should hear him belt it out and hit those notes with incredible emotion every time. He is definitely King Cool!
Seen Donnie Iris 4 times...he still performs and kills it every time...Love is Like a Rock is my favorite...and it is a great live performance with crowd interaction...phenomenal atmosphere!!!
Give a listen to the cover by Slade if you haven't heard it yet.
@@mw4mpr Excellent cover!! Donnie would be proud!!! Thanks for the info...I will be sure to recommend this to all music lovers
Saw him twice in High School then went off to the Air Force for 30 years. Donnie Iris and Primanti Bothers Restaurant are the two things I miss from my home town of Pittsburgh.
@@michaelwilliamson5039 WMMS in Cleveland pitted Slade's cover against a bigger group/ song back in 87 to see if playing Slade was still feasible after not getting the recognition and airplay other British bands did. Slade lost the "battle" persay. America never could 'get' Slade. One of Slade's last "gigs" was a free concert downtown Cleveland, May 25, 1984. Slade was booed off the stage because despite Noddy Holder's laryngitis, and the bassist suffering from HEP-C (speculative), they performed 6 songs with a backing track.
@@mw4mpr ... Per se.
I was at a community pool with my son when he was 7 or 8 and some high school kids were daring each other to jump off the high dive to impress a girl they were with. Oblivious to this my son walked past them, climbed the ladder and managed to land a 1 1/2 flip. Not the most graceful but the slack jawed silence from the big kids was glorious. First time off the high dive :)
Adam -
I am very happy you have covered western Pennsylvania’s “Donnie Iris” (and who attended Slippery Rock).
From summer 1981 to summer 1983, I was faculty member at Slippery Rock University
(Student Activities/Education, and faculty advisor for student radio station).
During the band’s tour for their “King Cool” album, he played SRU Homecoming (autumn 1982?) -
Billboard magazine attended and article about his “Homecoming Concert” appeared in the magazine !
Thanks for the memory of a Great Concert Night.
Slippery Rock and Grove City used to have some awesome concerts back in the '70s. At Grove City alone I saw Roy Buchanan, Kansas, Pure Prairie League and Rush. I actually got to meet Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson...Geddy came across as a real ass*****...
A bit of sad trivia connected to the Ah Leah video: the woman in the video is Lana Clarkson. She is the woman who was murdered by producer Phil Spector.
Apologies if I ruined this episode for anyone, but in the music world, there are so many stories that are intertwined, that seeing her in the video reminded me of her tragic fate.
Wow, I had no idea.
I stood 50 feet from Donnie on the street at Easton Town Center (Columbus OH), maybe year 2000 - watched and listened in AWE as he CRUSHED this classic song live...one of the best vocal performances I've ever heard in my life! Thanks for this song, Donnie!!
I never knew that, I’m from Cols too. Wish I could have seen him.
It must've been that wingfest that they used to have at Easton every year. My former brother-n-law and I went up one year and saw Joan Jett and Molly Hatchet opened for her.
@@scottdavidson526 yeh that was a cool event especially for the $. I remember seeing Edgar Winter there for like $7 or so man what a show.
@@deborahchesser7375 Yeah, Joan Tickets were like five bucks, maybe little more, but not much.
@@scottdavidson526 I was confused apparently, I got to thinking and it was the wing zing I went to was at The Continent.
As a Pittsburgher, Donnie Iris is one of our few musical local legends! As you mentioned, Prof, only "Love Is Like A Rock" & "My Girl" charted for him, but he's got plenty that we get to hear on our local rock radio station. "Agnes" (from the same LP as "Ah! Leah!") is my personal favorite ... always found it to be very Cheap Trick-ish.
Mine, too, Gary! I love "Agnes"!
I'm 35 and from outside Pittsburgh. Agnes is a fucking banger. Love that song. Donnie deserved better on the charts.
I honestly do not ever remember this song being played on local radio in Erie back in the 80's. The songs I knew of DI&tC were _Love Is Like A Rock, Tough World, and This Time It Must Be Love._ It was not until a classic rock station (Rocket 101) started up in the early 90's that I began hearing it and instantly loved it.
"Agnes" was the B-side of
"Love Is Like a Rock".
Brett Michaels of Poison is another local rock legend (Butler, PA) and Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters (Youngstown, OH).
I was in the studio when he was recording this Donnie is a really really good guy
With the state of "new" music today I am thankful for songs like this. While some classics are played to the point of nausea you get to the point of nothing to listen to. When I rediscovered this gem about a year ago it was so refreshing! Great song that never got it's due and should be in heavy rotation on all classic rock stations.
When a Goldmine magazine critic listed their favorite songs and albums of 2021, they listed several older singers and/or songwriters on their list. Singers/groups like Ringo Starr, Nancy Wilson, Ellen Foley, T'Pau, etc.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with new music today; I just think there’s a problem with how music is delivered to people. It’s all so fragmented now. In the past, radio stations all played the same music and people had to go to a store and buy an actual object to be able to have the music at home. Now everyone has streaming playlists and there’s little excitement about album launches. So how do people know what’s out there? I think the whole industry is having an identity crisis and needs to figure out it’s future.
I will agree there’s no trend in popular music at this time, and that autotune and protools have made pop music boring and repetitive, but there’s a lot of other music out there that’s new and noteworthy. It’s just harder to find.
I can name a ton of talented bands with amazing musicians and songwriters, so while the trend in pop music is spiraling downward in quality, I’m amazed at how much good music is being created and how accessible it all is - if you know where to find it. The onus is now on the listener to hunt down the music they like, instead of the record and radio industries spoon feeding us what they want us to hear.
@@pinkmonkeybird2644 Why not name at least one? Let us know!
Thank you Professor for drawing attention to Donnie Iris, who is an icon here in Pittsburgh and whose talent was always underrated. He put out some awesome tunes and is a great guy on top of that!
That song has so much staying power. I could play that over and over and never get bored Such a rock classic.
I've lived in the Pittsburgh area all my life, and grew up hearing The Rapper on the radio when I was little. Oddly, while I've played in bands in the area and met a lot of other musicians, I've never run into Mr. Iris. However, last year at the bakery where I work, I wrote on his birthday cake. Still never met him, though.
Ya gotta go dahntahn ta Pants 'n'at!
A small bakery or a supermarket bakery?
Thank you for highlighting Donnie & his great albeit underappreciated music. Donnie is a celebrated local boy that made good, and we here in Pittsburgh love him.
The High and the Mighty know there were actually triplets (TRIPLETS?!) Donnie the singer, Connie the Eat 'n' Park waitress, and Lonnie, from Pants n'at. Donnie Iris is well-loved in the Pittsburgh region, has a great sense of humor, and was still hitting every note at age 70. You can find Pants N Nat - Lonnie Iris on RUclips.
How am I s’posed to go down to da Dawnie Iris concert dress’d like dis?
I got hooked on "Ah Leah" immediately when I had heard it only a couple of times! I was already an accomplished guitar player, and the song had basically my guitar attack. Then I realized Donnie's truly amazing high vocal range, but above all, I FELT the emotional impact of his song INTENSELY!! I had recently been loved by a woman, and she & I both knew that very same "We're never gonna make it, girl" agony that Donnie screamed in pain about!
It's November 2022 now, and "Ah Leah" came on just days ago out of nowhere . . . powerful as ever! (ouch!)
Know Donnie personally! Lives in Beaver County, PA and still is the TRUE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL!!!!
This song is probably my favorite one-hit wonder of the '80s, and is one of the greatest songs of the '80s. I crank it everytime I hear it. Great instrumentation and vocals, and it's just such a great story song of youth: we know this relationship can't last, but we don't care--carpe diem and live just for the moment! "It ain't no use, We're headed for disaster, Our minds said no
But our hearts were talking faster..." Great song all around.
Well, technically Donnie isn't a one hit wonder. He had 2 more top 40s but, it's borderline Bottled Lightening.
“Love Is Like A Rock” and “My Girl” were also big hits in Eastern NC.
@@ProfessorofRock Good point. I never heard those tunes on NY radio, but glad he had other songs that charted. I think he still performs in the Pittsburgh area--I remember seeing a cool performance on YT a few years ago where he played "Ah Leah" slow and a bit bluesy, before kicking it up a few notches for the version we know and love.
He'll always be #1 in my book. Grew up jamming to his entire catalog, it's great
Preach, my friend! It rocks!
Cool song and story, Adam! Love "The Rapper" by "The Jaggerz," too!
Good call.
Both great songs.
....and a big thanks to all at National Record Mart who sold thousands of copies of Donnie's albums in Ohio , Pennsylvania , and West Virginia back then !
A guy I know went to his 80th birthday concert. I'm sorry to say, I had forgotten him but, specifically, Ah Leah brought it all back. I was sorry for forgetting and sorry that it had been too long since hearing the song. There are plenty of videos posted of that concert on RUclips, and I'm pleased to say Donnie is still crushing it at 80!
I don't want us to lose him. We've lost so many of our rock stars over the last few years. I hope he rocks on for years to come.
The Rapper by the Jaggers. Now THERE'S trip down memory lane! Interesting how talented guys like Donnie bounce around the music biz for a while and hit the charts again, years later. Glad he did!
Me too!
As soon as I saw the title I knew exactly who you were talking about. 'A Leah' was a high school fave for me and my friends...He had a couple other good ones too...
You should maybe do a feature on Robert Hazzard, or the Hooters (pre-stardum). They had the greatest sound (Hooters) before they went prime time, Robert Hazzard and the Heroes we're the sh*t in the early eighties!! Cheers!
Another great song! “The Rapper” is how I discovered Donnie Iris and “Ah Leah”. He sang lead on the 1970 tune.
Me three!
Still listen to Donnie Iris to this day. Really love his song..Love is like a rock.
Ever hear the cover of Love is Like a Rock done by Slade?
My older brother introduced me to Donnie's music in the 80's and I've been a lifelong fan since. I met him at a restaurant on my 21st birthday and he called me a "legal eagle", shook my hand and gave me an autograph that said "keep rockin". I still am Donnie!
What a memory! I would love to get an artist’s autograph on my birthday!
Hey bro, you owe me for that!!!
That diving platform story reminded me of my own. I was about 11 years old. My aunt, who lived in the nicer part of town, was a member of a country club which allowed my brothers and I access to the Olympic style pool. They had a the standard diving platform you see at competitions, the top platform being 10 meters. The first couple of times we went, I had no problem with the lower platforms but that tallest one, well, it was a little intimidating. About the third time we went, after watching some older kids jumping off, I decided that I was going for it. I climbed the ladder, walked to the edge and jumped. When I came up, rather than magical music and a cute blonde lifeguard giving me the nod, I had the male one blowing his whistle and telling me to move out of the way so others could take their turn. Your story is better.
Yes, I do remember "Ah! Leah!" from back in the day. It was part of the background noise of the early eighties. An unknown artist from Detroit brought the lawsuit. He accused Iris and Avsec of digging up his discarded demo tape from MCA. I don't know the name of the artist who sued. I suppose it isn't important. It's too bad the boys had to shell out $100K defending themselves. Avsec also wrote Bon Jovi's second hit single, "She Don't Know Me" (#48 in the spring of 1984).
... which made me think Bon Jovi was a one-hit wonder. Was I wrong!
@@howardlevin2753 Yeah, BJ seemed like just another middling hard rock band on MTV light rotation. Then "Slippery When Wet" went viral. Couldn't avoid Jovi in 1987, even though I tried!
@@maxshea1829 - Also, "She Don't Know Me" was originally recorded by La Flavour, who were produced by Mark Avsec.
And "She Don't Know Me" was first
released by The Grass Roots in 1982.
It was the 2nd single from their 1982
album, POWERS OF THE NIGHT.
Both singles and the album all
failed to chart.
@@nashburnette7247 - Cool. Flavour/La Flavour released "She Don't Know Me" in 1981, under the band and album name "Fair Warning".
I grew up in Beaver County, PA, so Donnie is practically a hometown hero for me. He was, still is and always will be as big on WDVE in Pittsburgh as any number of national or international acts. You really made my day with this one, Adam!
How am I s’posed to go dahn Donnie Iris if I ain’t got no good clothes to wear. (Good yinzers know you have to go dahn to Pants N’at)
Pants n'at was the first thing that came to mind! Man what funny memories of the guy who WAS King Cool, coz he earned it. One of the nicest in the Burgh.
Don't forget Lonni and Connie 😉
Do you remember WYDD? "I listen to WYDD and I'm glad I did!" Little Jimmy Roach?
Also someone from Beaver County that never got the recognition he deserved. Some said it was because his voice was too close to Steve Perry’s: B.E. Taylor.
@@michaelbarbour9827 When DVE was good.
AWESOME STORY!!)) Just love how you remember and relate this great tune to such an important moment in your life! Dude I am 70 and watch a lot of your stuff. You always do a great job Thanks!! I saw Donnie many times with his various groups as I'm from western PA. Still rockin !!
Donnie Iris celebrating his 80th birthday bash with a full concert on March 11, 2023 at the UPMC events Center in Beaver County
I knew Donnie Iris was from Pittsburgh but didn't know that much about him until I was an intern at a "classic rock" station in Denver. My mom's from Pittsburgh, and I remember having fun with my Yinzer families and coworkers saying things like "Yinz better right up dem rooms, or yinz ain't goinda see Donnie Aahris"
Yinz ain't goan nowhere widout havin your rooms redded up!
@@lisabehe4546 quit beeein a jagoff, ma!
LOVED it the minute it came out...and STILL love it today.
I've been shaking my head for 40 years over this.
"Ah Leah" would be in my top 3 all time, if I had to do a ranking.
It's THAT good.
Freakin' LOVE Donnie Iris! Used to watch him live at Blossom Music Center in Ohio. Like the Michael Stanley Band, Donnie and the Cruisers were robbed! So many songs worthy of Top 10 status...
I met Donnie iris in the Chippewa Walmart in the bread isle when I was 12 so about 22 years ago. There he was in all his glory dentin up all the loafs of town talk looking for the freshest one. My dad said to me”hey that’s Donnie Iris go shake his hand!” I walked up to him with my knees shaking and voice cracking
“Excuse me Mr. Iris, thanks for the awesome music!” Extended my arm for a handshake and he broke ever bone in my 12 year old hand and replied
“I appreciate the support brother!”
My hand still hasn’t recovered.
Professor, you get tenure for this one! Donnie Iris is such a talent! What a story, I'm so glad you took that jump! 💝
I hadn’t heard this song in over 30 years. About a year ago, I was in a deli with my 14 year old son. Satellite radio was tuned into a classic rock station. It was a beautiful sunny day, a rare time where I wasn’t in a rush to get to the next thing. “Ah Leah” came on and we both looked at each other and scrambled to activate Shazam. What a song! I’ve listened to it hundreds of times since. Amazing track! Makes the blood pump and fires me up every time! Reading about the back story of the actress in the video was quite sad. I never paid attention to the Phil Spector story when it was happening but what a tragedy. Love these videos Professor! Look at us nerds now💪🔥
Shazam is the best app ever invented...used to have to call the radio station and hope the DJ picked up in the studio to tell you the name of the song that was playing.
💯!!!
Donnie is and always will be a legend here in Pittsburgh. He was good friends with another Pittsburgh legend B.E.Taylor (Vitamin L)who unfortunately passed about 5yrs.ago.
The very first concert I ever went to was The Romantics, and the opening act was Donny Iris. I was already a huge fan of the song by the time I went to the show. It was fantastic.
Went to The Romantics also, would you believe their opening act was The Kinks, needless to say we liked The Kinks better. Timeless band,
I've loved this song since I heard it on Casey Kasem's American top 40... I too used to religiously listen to it, tracking the progress of songs in a notebook. I thought I was alone in remembering this song, thinking most people won't have a clue who Donnie Iris is. Wish I got a chance to see him live... Thank you for this episode!
It is just me or do your other 587,000 subscribers want that lifeguard to see this? Whoever she is… she deserves to know what that kindness meant. Would love to see her reaction to realizing that a half million people would hear about what she did that day! All the best!
This one came up for me just the other day on a list I was compiling of "Great 70's songs where everyone gets the artist wrong"
Ah! Liah! - Donnie Iris
Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim
Chevy Van - Sammy Johns
Hot Child in the City - Nick Gilder
Ride Captain Ride - Blues Image
Too Late to Turn Back Now - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
Smoke From a Distant Fire - Sanford-Townsend Band
Thunder Island - Jay Ferguson
Jay Ferguson! One of my faves Yacht Rock hits
@@ProfessorofRock So of course you can tell me what band Jay Ferguson came from? 😉 BTW, I was born in the late 60s, so I remember 'Thunder Island' coming out. I had absolutely no idea what the words were about (I do now though!) but it didn't matter. Great, great 70s pop/rock song.
Hey, here's another one for your list:
Go For a Soda - Kim Mitchell (for YEARS, I thought it was .38 Special who did that song. The vocals are almost identical and it does have a Southern
Rock feel to it!) [EDIT: Actually, that's an 80s tune.]
@@a2ndopynyn When I was young I used to think "Rock Me Gently" was by Neil Diamond not Andy Kim... and get this; I thought "Hot Child in the City" was Kim Carnes not Nick Gilder. I even got the gender wrong on that one!
@@terkish The vocal register of "Hot Child" is high enough that it's an easy mistake to make.
@@a2ndopynyn Jo Jo Gunne-Run, Run, Run (1972).
From his work with Wild Cherry to "Ah, Leah," Donnie Iris was great!
And absolutely *rad* diving board story! You *are* a stud.
Wonderful to see him featured. Mahalos! 🤙🎶
Thank you for telling the history of this marvel, Professor! My 26-yr-old guitarist son reminded me of the existence of this gem-- I was only 10 when it came out, and all these years later, he has discovered it for himself. Just like you, he loves the vocals on it-- and he especially enjoyed learning that killer guitar solo. Pretty cool to hear about it on your channel, and I'm sending him the link. I'm sure he'll dig your diving story as well!
Sending a thank you to your son for introducing his parents to this song!
Donnie is definitely on our Mt Rushmore of rock in Pittsburgh. Ah Leah despite the thousands of time I've heard it on the radio here, is a song I never get tired of. Thanks Prof for putting the spotlight on Donnie. And like other comments say here, he has lots of other great songs in his collection for people to get turned on to. 😀
In 1980 I saw Donnie Iris in a small dance club in Canton, Ohio, when this song was just getting popular in the Midwest. They blew the roof off of that club! This song has always been one of my favorites. I also saw Wild Cherry at the Akron Agora. That region of Ohio (Cleveland, Akron, Canton) had some great music venues and I was lucky enough to see a lot of great bands.
Professor, love your stories and tastes in music. I admittedly hadn't heard this song before, or at least it did not stick in my memory. But that is the best thing about music, there is always a "new" song just around the corner. Even if it is 40 years old! Oh and yeah first to comment, 9th to view!!!
Awesome! Thanks Jason!
Prob got more radio play in PittsBurgh??? I’m from Pgh so perhaps that is why I know the song.
I first heard this song last summer, sometime in June or early July. I thought this and “Pump it Up” by Elvis Costello were great hot summer jams!
Search for "Agnes" and "Do you Compute". Two more really good Donnie tunes.
Thank you so much! Some of my fav forgottens were the rapper, play that funky music and ah Leah! HTF did I not know? You and Rick Beato are the Best at reminding me why these songs were so important to me! They were just really good, lyrically and musically! Thanks again!
Well, you nailed it again Professor! I bought that album when I was in my tech school in the Air Force in 1981. My roommate turned me on to the song and I just immediately fell in love with it! Actually, that whole album is pretty darned good! And that album back is why we need that kind of artistry again... (He is shown in a sequence with less and less of his clothes on!!)
King Cool is a outstanding album also. I actually wore out the cassette and had to buy it again. Back in the day when you would get a six pack and drive around listening to music...Donnie is a Pennsylvania gem!!!
I’ve always loved Ah Leah! It’s on my playlist and it still, believe it or not gives me adrenal chills, the same way it did the very first time I heard it ❤️🔥Thank you for recognizing such a great song!!
Donnie Iris, one of the most underrated legends in pop-rock history
I love Donnie Iris! He’s inspired so many musicians from the Western Pennsylvania area. He puts on such a great concert EVERY SINGLE TIME! Thanks for the tribute!
Donnie Iris... first he did the early 70's classic rock hit, "The Rapper"... then his early 1980's classics... "Ah, Leah", "Love is Like a Rock", and "Do You Compute?"... he has had more music bizness success than 99.8% of those who try to get a career in it...
Curious if you’d be interested in exploring any of the following:
“Lunatic Fringe” by Red Rider
“Voices” by Russ Ballard
“Driver’s Seat” by Sniff ‘n the Tears
"Lunatic Fringe" is amazing, and "Driver's Seat" is the single greatest "one hit wonder" of all time. I never heard "Voices" before, but I just listened to it, and it's pretty good. It's got the same vibe as "Lunatic Fringe." Just looked up his bio, and he penned a TON of classics.
All 3 are great songs. Hearing Voices instantly takes me back Friday night watching Miami Vice!
That Ain't No Wig! That is pure Donnie!
And for the icing on the cake, wouldn’t it be great if that lifeguard saw this and got in touch? Just sayin… 😁
Definitely a rockin’ song that should have charted higher than it did.
What a great tune! Ah Leah was ALL OVER the radio up on Long Island NY back in the day. You couldn't get away from it. Surprised it didn't do higher on the national charts. Donnie is so great. Back in May of this year (2023) he performed it at an event celebrating his 80th birthday. And he hit all the high notes! Amazing. What a role model. Thanks for highlighting Donnie and this incredible song, Adam :)
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh so it was incredibly easy to hear Donnie's music. Such a talented, underrated artist. Thanks for the tremendous offering covering the King of Cool!!!
Adam....your diving story coupled with that song gave me absolute goosebumps. I've been a long time Donnie/Ah Leah fan. To me, that song ranks in the top ten of all time power rock songs. In fact, it's truly hard to think of a better one. The musicianship, layering, individual vocals, choruses, dramatics, lyrics and intricacies of that song are simply impossible to top. Thanks for a truly great video.
Oh yeah, this tune rocks as hard today as it did back then. A definite favorite of the decade.
Donnie Iris rocks! I am from Pittsburgh and have seen him live and got to hang out for a few with him! I have posted pictures on my social media and will post it again for everyone to see! He rocks!
Donnie Iris was a great lyricist and music writer who put out some incredible classics. His first hits began with 1970's "The Wrapper" by Jaggerz and 1976's "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry. But it wasn't until his solo career that he really came into his own and shined with hits like "Ah Leah!", "Love Is Like a Rock", "That’s the Way Love Ought to Be", and "Injured in the Game of Love". I truly believe had those hits been on the radio in the mid 70s, he would have been even bigger. Unfortunately for him, 1981 saw the introduction of MTV which literally resulted in "Video Killing the Radio Star". If anyone was in need of an image makeover, it was him. Looking like a modern day Buddy Holly with black rimmed glasses, a curly hairdo, and dorky white suits completely killed his momentum. Like it or not, image is everything. Perfect example? Look at what happened to Billy Squier. He was at the top of his game. He was one of the biggest rock gods and a guitar hero. Then "Rock Me Tonite" happened. In 24 hours his career was over with that video of him dancing around on a bed in a pink shirt and tight white pants and his band line dancing to the chorus. All his massive hits didn't mean anything when that came out. He was toast.
"The Rapper" had nothing to do with rap. 😁
"Ah,Leah"! should've been a top ten hit-That's how great I think it is.
Easily top 10.
Top five, even. If not number one.
I certainly would've expected it to be #1 at Mainstream Rock. Here in L.A. it got regular/heavy airplay at KLOS & KMET. But like SO many great rock classics, it seems to have been forgotten by rock radio programmers. I dug the other songs mentioned that cracked the top 40 (a poor representative of great contemporary ROCK hits - especially today, but even back then), but to me, Ah! Leah! is a song on a whole new stratosphere!
My personal memory associated with Ah! Leah!...? This came out when I was in the 11th grade, and I had a crush on the girl who was eventually elected Homecoming Queen (IOW, way outta MY league, LOL!) named Leah Amato @ Chatsworth High. She didn't know I existed, but that was probably true of half the male population at the school then. I always fantasized about playing it in a band, singing & playing guitar (even though I did neither, LOL!), with her in the front row, smitten. At school, they would occasionally have bands play in the quad at lunchtime, and that's where my fantasy occurred! Of course, it never came anywhere near happening. And that's okay. 😀 Thanks for the opportunity to indulge remembering this fantasy! 😆 🤣 😂
I freaking love this song and is on my playlist in 3 places!!!
I knew of only one girl named Leah and she lived in my neighborhood and was a couple of year’s younger,she passed away from cancer but I still think of her whenever I hear this song!Aloha from Hawaii🤙🏽
Oh man, after I heard this song on the radio first time, I went straight out and bought the album. My roommate and I played it non-stop! (Still have it!) Ah the 80s....
Someone else like 👍 this quick! I don’t wanna be like #13! 🧐
😉😉👍🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
Ha ha. I'm just as superstitious!
Enjoyed your childhood story about the diving platform Professor. Awesome! I’m from Pittsburgh and all the comments about Donnie I’ve read here are true. People here have nothing but good things to say about him. King Cool is a great album. There were so many good songs on that album that didn’t get recognized. “That’s the Way Love Oughta Be” is a classic. I remember after graduating from my high school driving by it blasting “Love is Like a Rock” in my first car: an 80s Cutlass Salon.
My Favorite 80s song of all time.!!!
Love Donnie Iris! Back in 1980, I passed up on my friends' roadtrip to a Loverboy concert, as the band never impressed me. They came back raving about the opening act, Donnie Iris. I've been listening to him ever since. Mostly even stuck with him on vinyl. because the overseas CD releases (after the first two/three albums) have been way too expensive.
Donnie is performing this weekend in Warren OH, still going strong. Ah Leah is a great tune, he still rocks it live. Next you have to look into his Cleveland buddy who unfortunately passed away last year, Michael Stanley, a truly gifted man who never hit it huge nationally but held the record for the largest crowd at the former Richfield Colliseum which hosted all the famous national acts when they visited NE Ohio.
By the way, Richfield Colliseum is the place where Michael Jordan had 'the shot' against the Cavaliers
My town. A fave in my 80s playlist
I played in a Pittsburgh band who opened up for Michael Stanley at the Tower City Amphitheater in Cleveland - Bill Deasy's band - Bill wrote a song Michael recorded called "Bound to Be". What a great show and the people didn't give us too much static for being from Pittsburgh, haha.
Shared the stage with Donnie Iris a few times when I played with Billy as well. Good times!
@@garmisra7841 that is awesome I have to share with my wife, like every female that grew up in the 70s and 80s in NE Ohio she is a huge Michael Stanley fan. We have a bulldog/shepherd mix dog named Michael Stanley Dog and we just got an English bulldog pup we named Tommy Dogbeck
@@edfries7330 That's great! I know that Donnie Iris and the Cruisers and MSB swapped or shared some band members, as I recall. Kudos to your wife for being such a fan! I wonder if she was at that concert.