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Secret Single: Richard Simmons, “Reach”

Dw. Dunphy February 17, 2011 27

There’s no good way to introduce this. It’s one of those rare times that you merely mention something as having existed, present the evidence thereof, and get out of the way. Ladies and gentlemen, this is…

Richard Simmons – Reach (1982): Oh, I just want to rag on this album and on Richard Simmons so badly, because it’s just… so… friggin’ easy. Fish+barrel+glock=dead fish. But there is a problem…

Richard Simmons was an overweight man. So the legend goes, someone with compassion sent him a note that asked him to take care of himself. They did not want him to die. From that note, Simmons lost the weight and gained a fitness empire. Reach came out at the first spike of his notoriety, after his television series began but before Sweatin’ To The Oldies.

Sure, Simmons can be uncomfortably spazzy, and uncomfortably uncomfortable too, but he appealed to a segment of America that nobody had bothered to address before. At that point, Jane Fonda was all the rage, Olivia Newton-John was grinding it up in the video for “Physical,” and the unspoken statement was that the pretty people exercised because that’s what they did.

Meanwhile, there was a whole other section of the country that was fat and depressed, but who really cared? They weren’t pretty, rich or famous, and so the nascent fitness boom never quite spoke to them; but Richard Simmons did. For as long as some can remember, he’s been aiming for that segment of the populace.

And you know what? He’s been making a living by helping others get healthier and he’s been having a hell of a lot of fun doing it. Would that we all could earn our keep while being a little crazy doing it.

Doesn’t really make the album any better, but hey…

Wake Up

Don’t Tell Me

Lift It Up

Laugh

You Can Do It

What Are You Waiting For

Reach

Stop And Start

Live It

This Time

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About the author: Dw. Dunphy View all posts by
Dw. Dunphy is a writer, artist, musician, bon vivant, n'er do well, but neither a president nor client of the Hair Club for Men. He resides in New Jersey with his decades-old neuroses and debt.You can follow him at Facebook, Twitter, or hit him up on Google+. Or just hit him. Really hard. With bats. Until he asks for you to stop, but don't stop. If you stop, an angel doesn't get its wings.

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  • http://www.annlogue.com annielogue

    This is beautiful. Just beautiful.

  • http://www.annlogue.com annielogue

    This is beautiful. Just beautiful.

  • http://jackfear.blogspot.com Jack Feerick

    I won’t hear a bad word spoken about Richard Simmons — he’s always struck me as someone motivated by sincerity and compassion, and as Dw. so aptly points out, he has brought hope and understanding to millions of people who desperately need it. Not a “great man” in the classic sense, but a genuinely good man, and God knows we need more of those.

    All that being said, there’s no way I’m going to click on any of those audio links. No way in hell.

  • Anonymous

    Wow…childhood flashback! My mom had the album (gatefold, btw), and I was fascinated by the concept, as I had never seen an album for workouts until then. The music was pretty horrible, and my mom didn’t really stick with it for long.

  • http://thesixonefournine.com/ judd6149

    This is phenomenal. I’m sitting here listening to it. The guy sitting next to me says, “well, the production is pretty good.” I had to listen to most all of these tracks. The unintentional comedy level is out of the universe – krypton or alderon. Great, great find. k

  • http://thesixonefournine.com/ judd6149

    This is phenomenal. I’m sitting here listening to it. The guy sitting next to me says, “well, the production is pretty good.” I had to listen to most all of these tracks. The unintentional comedy level is out of the universe – krypton or alderon. Great, great find. k

  • No

    The drums were played by Craig Krampf, who also did drums on “Close My Eyes Forever” by Lita Ford & Ozzy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Krampf

    His daughter is on the backside of the Reach album in pigtails.

    The more you know…

  • http://www.theseconddisc.com Mike Duquette

    I remember reading in a People magazine ’80s retrospective issue that Richard cried when he heard the final mix of “You Can Do It” and had to be driven home because he was so emotional. Incidentally, I feel the same way, albeit for slightly different reasons.

    At the same time, though, if it burned calories for people the world over, more power to them.

  • http://www.grayflannelsuit.net/ Chris Holmes

    The music isn’t all that terrible, but as expected it sounds firmly entrenched in the early ’80s. Luckily I have a soft spot for that style.

    But as a singer, well, Richard makes for a good fitness instructor.

  • Anonymous

    Believe it or no, in all my years of working with used vinyl, I haven’t run across a adequate-condition copy with the original suggested-exercises booklet. This will do in the meanwhile. Gonna be my lunchtime walk soundtrack. Richard would want it that way.

  • http://www.jasonhare.com Anonymous

    WEB SHERIFF
    Protecting Your Rights on the Internet
    Tel 44-(0)208-3238013
    Fax 44-(0)208-3238080
    websheriff
    http://www.websheriff.com

    WITHOUT PREJUDICE

    Hi Mr. Dunphy,

    On behalf of Festival Records, we would kindly ask you not to post copies of “Reach” on your site.

    We do appreciate that you are are promoting Richard Simmons, but Festival would greatly appreciate your co-operation in removing your links to the files in question. If you / your readers would like a good quality, non-pirated version of this very special album, they are welcome to visit eBay or request a copy from the members of “Richard’s Clubhouse,” located on his website at http://www.richardsimmons.com. The members of the Richard Simmons Fan Club, located on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2309130776, may also prove to be a valuable resource to you.

    Many thanks for respecting the artist’s and label’s wishes.

    As you will appreciate, this e-mail is written on a without prejudice basis and, as such, all of our clients’ accumulated, worldwide rights and remedies remain strictly reserved. Wake up your lungs, wake up your cheeks. Please excuse this required formality.

    Regards,

    WEB SHERIFF

  • http://twitter.com/MattSpringer Matt Springer

    is this…reality?

  • http://thesixonefournine.com/ judd6149

    What resume! Richard Simmons to Ozzy Osbourne. Sick

  • http://www.interbridge.com/lineups.html Anonymous

    Click on the link to the Richard Simmons fan club on Facebook and look at the profile picture — I dare you. Warning: you can never un-see it.

  • David_E

    This is … What … I mean … (jaw slackens, foamy spittle seeps from mouth as eyes roll back into head) …

  • http://www.bullz-eye.com Anonymous

    I couldn’t help myself; I downloaded the whole thing. I’m not sure if I’ll ever listen to it, but I had to have it. I hate myself.

  • http://www.jasonhare.com Anonymous

    (You’re welcome.)

  • http://www.popdose.com DwDunphy

    You see, this is why Jeff sends you all those terrible CDs.

  • Old_Davy

    This has been around for years, but it is still one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life. Proof that Simmons doesn’t take himself too seriously.

  • Old_Davy

    This has been around for years, but it is still one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life. Proof that Simmons doesn’t take himself too seriously.

  • Old_Davy

    This has been around for years, but it is still one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life. Proof that Simmons doesn’t take himself too seriously.

  • alice

    My favorite part is that the genre classification is blues.

  • http://www.facebook.com/hcurtisshannon Curt Shannon

    This may be the first time a Cease and Desist letter is a good thing…

  • Erica

     I have been looking for this album for ten years!  Would anyone be willing to email me the audio files?

    PLEASE!

  • LVleo78

    If there is anyway someone could get me the files, I will forever be grateful.  My mother and I (when I was a kid) used to work out to a copy of this on cassette in our semi finished basement. (She used it so much, I don’t know HOW that tape didn’t snap)

    I want to get her a copy, as she is once again perusing her health and fitness, and this album, by far was her favorite.  I guarantee she still remembers all the moves.  Any help would be much appreciated!

    Feel free to contact me at LVleo78

  • LVleo78

    If there is anyway someone could get me the files, I will forever be grateful.  My mother and I (when I was a kid) used to work out to a copy of this on cassette in our semi finished basement. (She used it so much, I don’t know HOW that tape didn’t snap)

    I want to get her a copy, as she is once again perusing her health and fitness, and this album, by far was her favorite.  I guarantee she still remembers all the moves.  Any help would be much appreciated!

    Feel free to contact me at LVleo78