Tim Moore

Tim Moore's '70s albums walked the middle ground between sensitive singer/songwriter and full-on soft pop. Moore's catalog produced two Top 40 hits for other artists -- "Second Avenue" for Art Garfunkel in 1974, and "Rock and Roll Love Letter" for the Bay City Rollers in 1976 -- and his material was covered by artists like Richie Havens, Etta James, and Cher. Moore was a multi-instrumentalist who'd received classical training before turning to pop music; he began his career in the '60s, playing drums for a British Invasion-influenced group called DC & the Senators. In 1966, he began doing double duty with the bluesy Woody's Truck Stop, which also featured a pre-Nazz Todd Rundgren. In 1967, together with some of DC & the Senators, Moore (now on guitar) formed a folk-pop group called the Muffins, which released the single "Subway Traveler" on RCA that year. He soon moved on to form Gulliver, a soft, folk-tinged group that also featured Daryl Hall (later of Hall & Oates fame); they recorded a self-titled album for Elektra in 1970 before breaking up. After a few years, Moore re-emerged from his Woodstock, NY, base as a solo artist, pursuing a pop/rock singer/songwriter direction. His eponymous debut album drawing from Moore's extensive backlog was released in 1975. Featuring Moore's version of "Second Avenue," Tim Moore was picked up by Asylum Records, who signed him to a contract. The follow-up Behind the Eyes included "Rock and Roll Love Letter," which helped solidify Moore's status as a craftsman-like source of pop material. White Shadows (1977) and High Contrast (1979) followed, after which Moore largely retired from performing, aside from the occasional session work. He attempted a comeback on Elektra with Flash Forward in 1985, which didn't sell well. ~ Steve Huey,...