How KANSAS Songwriter's Fingerpicking Exercise Led To Band's Only Top 10 Hit; PROFESSOR OF ROCK Investigates (Video)
December 6, 2022, a year ago
Professor Of Rock is back with a new video. A message follows...
"Legendary rock band Kansas was coming off of a huge single with 'Carry On Wayward Son', and album with Leftoverture, that established them as the one of the premier bands of the 70s. As they were woking on their follow-up, their main songwriter Kerry Livgren was playing a fingerpicking exercise when his wife noticed and told him he should put lyrics to it. He did and wrote 'Dust In The Wind' with lyrics that go back to Genesis in the Bible, making it 6,000 years old. The next day he was reticent to show the band this song, since it was a ballad and totally opposite to what they were about. But as soon as he showed them they knew it had to be their next single. It became their only Top 10 hit and in the interview next, original guitarist and founding member Rich Williams tells how the song was such an ordeal it made his fingers bleed and how Steve Walsh made it flow… with special guests on how the 70s rock classic has changed everything."
