Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Why are The Hudson Brothers hot again?

Our pop culture watchers have noticed a strange phenomenon taking place in the nostalgia market. Suddenly, more than 30 years after their heyday and 25 years after their break-up as a performing act, The Hudson Brothers are hot again.

Hours after our exclusive post of the first group photo of the legendary brothers in 20 years (the first since Bill, Mark and Brett appeared together on Mark & Brett's Offshore Comedy television comedy show), a Hudson Brothers page has suddenly popped up on MySpace, and is already filling up with "friends."

Members of the Hudson Brothers fan and friends community are surprised by the unannounced arrival, though it does comes in advance of the DVD release of the fondly-remembered yet rarely-seen seasons of The Hudson Brothers Comedy Hour and The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show from the Seventies-- and amid talk that the siblings may be joining up for an ultimate TV reality series.

The Hudson Brothers were a rare act that won praise as legitimate rock musicians, comedy entertainers and teen idols. They're also among the few with a Top 10 legacy to refuse to cash in on the nostalgia market. While every Seventies star, from Barry Williams to the Bay City Rollers, has made more than one money-grubbing comeback attempt in the past thirty years, each Hudson has carried on with successful second acts-- Mark as a top music producer and writer, Bill as a film and music producer, Brett as a television and film writer and producer.

Bottom line: You haven't seen them on the VH1 nostalgia shows.

The Hudsons' hard-won status as a legit rock band was sabotaged by their success as comedy and teen stars on network television, but through the Seventies, they earned the respect of their fellow artists, and in fact were part of the gang of LA rabblerousers that included Harry Nilsson and John Lennon. The Hudsons are now working together on the soundtrack of Frozen Pictures' Neil Innes film, The Seventh Python.

The renewed publicity for the Hudson Brothers may even opay off for these guys, a different group of "Hudson Brothers" who showed up on YouTube earlier this month:


...and a tip of the Tabloid Baby hat to Stephieann for the story tip!

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