Thegatewaynews.com - 'Midwest Midnight' still resonates with fans

Michael Stanley The Resonators

by Mike Lesko

Stow Sentry Associate Editor

When Michael Stanley and the Resonators perform, spectators are guaranteed to hear one of Stanley's oldest -- and one of his most popular -- songs, "Midwest Midnight."

"It has been a staple of our live show forever," Stanley told Record Publishing Co. "I would catch a lot of flack if I didn't do the song in the show."

Fans of Stanley and the Resonators will have four chances to hear that song -- along with plenty of other Stanley classics -- when the group performs March 12 and 13, and 19 and 20 at the Tangier, 532 West Market St., Akron.

Stanley is also certain to play songs from his latest CD, "Shadowland," which features 13 new Stanley originals. Go to the Web site at: www.linelevelmusic.com.

Yet when the band members perform "Midwest Midnight," they'll be traveling back to 1977, when it was released by the Michael Stanley Band on the live "StagePass" album.

Bob Pelander, a former Hudson resident and Stanley's long-time keyboard player, believes StagePass is one of the band's most popular albums.

"We were pretty well rehearsed," Pelander said. "Back in the day, we rehearsed a lot."

Of course, one of the songs they rehearsed was Midwest Midnight.

Stanley, a weekday afternoon and Saturday morning host on WNCX radio [98.5 FM], said he "always wanted to do a studio version of this tune, but maybe this was the best way to do this one."

"I've always thought it was a good song," he said. "To have the live version be the only version artistically kind of bothers me. But it is what it is. It works."

"Boy, you should be grateful

"to get your foot inside the door.

"You know there's thousands out there

"who would take your place ...

"This attitude of yours, my son,

"well, it lacks the due respect ...

"You bite the hand that feeds you --

"even if you're never fed."

Stanley looks back now and shakes his head.

"The thing about the song is, at that point in my life, I was about 28, and I got it all right," he said. "I didn't even realize what a prophetic song it was."

Stanley said it is one of the most honest songs he has ever written.

"Everything there happened -- feeling-wise or occurrence-wise," he said.

The writing credit reads: words and music by Michael Gee/Michael Stanley.

Stanley grew up in Rocky River as Michael Stanley Gee.

"[Michael Gee] lived the first half, and I lived the second half, so I felt he should get half the credit," Stanley said, laughing.

"Midwest midnight

"Ten thousand watts of holy light

"from my radio so clear ...

"Bodies glistening, is anybody listening?

"Does the man still play all the hits that you want to hear?"

When Stanley sings the last line of the song, some fans instead may think of him as "the man" playing his hits in a concert.

If so, it must always include "Midwest Midnight."

E-mail: mlesko@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3917