Forgotten Hits MINI REVIEWS

March 11, 2019, 4:00 am

We’ve been busy lately, seeing a number of shows that, for one reason or another, never got a full-page review …

So we’re going to try and make up for some lost time by featuring mini-reviews of each of those shows here today.

First up … The Four C-Notes … the Midwest’s Premier Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Tribute band.

This one came up quite by coincidence.

We LOVED the musical Jersey Boys. It played here in Chicago for years and was a very hot ticket. We were fortunate enough to see the show several times … and the girls fell in love with it as well, becoming HUGE Four Seasons fans in the process. (I’ll never forget the day when daughter Nicki, at the age of 30, called me with sadness in her voice and told me “I feel bad in a way that I will never see another show as good as ‘Jersey Boys’ ever again,” almost forecasting a dismal future forever with nothing particularly exciting to look forward to in the way of musicals. (Meanwhile, she and her husband have since seen several shows, became subscribers at Oak Brook’s Drury Lane Theater and recently purchased tickets to see the hottest show in town, “Dear Evan Hansen.”) Sounds to me like she's working through it! (lol)

When it was announced that a revival of “Jersey Boys” was coming back to Chicago for one week only in April, I looked into getting tickets for the whole family … but even if I sold all of my worldly possessions, it still wouldn’t have raised enough money to enable us to do so. (It’s absolutely unreal what Broadway In Chicago tickets are going for these days … and then, once you add on the ridiculous service charges, it’s like you’re buying an extra ticket and a half that isn’t getting used!)

Obviously, we decided to pass … I was able to justify the loss in my own mind by saying that this all new cast couldn’t possibly measure up to the Frankie Valli performance that we saw during the show’s initial run anyway. (Meanwhile, the whole family … and most of the rest of civilization … HATED the movie version of the musical that Clint Eastwood made. So did Valli, who asked Eastwood to use the original Four Seasons recordings instead in the film, but was turned down in favor of some actors who couldn’t even come close to capturing the unique sound of the band.)

Unfortunately, we had been spoiled … NO ONE could ever possibly measure up to “our Frankie.” (Why couldn’t HE have been used in the movie version that will preserve this story for all time???)

And then I saw an ad for a show coming to The City Winery featuring The Four C-Notes, advertised as “The Midwest’s Premier Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Tribute Band” … and guess what … The Four C-Notes features John Michael Coppola, OUR FRANKIE, in the lead role!!! (And the tickets were only something like $26 each … so four of us went to the show … and out to dinner … for less than the price of ONE Jersey Boys ticket!)

Now we knew going in NOT to expect a “Jersey Boys” type show … they couldn’t possibly pull off a show with that kind of glitz and glamour on the small City Winery stage … but we did expect a top-notch vocal performance … and I am happy to report that we got it.

Backed by just a four piece band who did their best to faithfully recreate the sound of the records, the key to making this show work was going to lay entirely on the vocals … but they had the goods to back it up … so we were treated to a very entertaining 90 minute set.

“Frankie” told us up front that they were going to feature a number of medleys throughout their set in order to be able to squeeze in as many songs as possible and, for the most part, this worked. We heard a number of Four Seasons songs NOT featured in “Jersey Boys” … and even some B-Sides and Frankie solo stuff … it was a very varied set of music presented by vocalists that clearly love this music. (Highlight of the night for me was “C’mon Marianne,” probably my favorite Four Seasons song anyway, which they executed brilliantly in this live setting.)

Kudos to the other vocalists who also took turns on some of the leads … Devin De Santis, Dan Gold and Tyler Ravelson who, we learned was doing his last performance with The Four C-Notes that evening. (To be fair, the musicians backing them up are Kraig McCreary on guitar, Greg Baroni on bass, Josh Cooper on keyboard and Vance Okraszewski on drums.)

They’ve got a ton of shows coming up all over the Midwest in the months to come …

https://www.thefourcnotes.com/the-four-c-notes-upcoming-schedule

And more information can be found on their website: https://www.thefourcnotes.com/

***********************

Last Wednesday (March 6th) we caught The Ides Of March (with special guest Cathy Richardson) at The City Winery.

I’ve got to be careful here … at the rate that I’ve been running Jim Peterik reviews lately, I’m bordering on challenging Shelley Sweet-Tufano and her Peter Noone / Herman’s Hermits / Noonatics obsession for most reviews posted for the same artist!

But the guy is just so damn good … and puts on an amazing show each and every time … and has been kind enough to invite me to nearly every show lately … so it’s very difficult NOT to heap a ton of praise on these guys … because they absolutely deserve it.

Playing to a sold out crowd, The Ides Of March once again blew us away with their incredible musicianship, impeccable vocals and dynamic stage presence.

We joked the other day about hearing them perform “L.A. Goodbye” for the 904^th time … but it has sounded absolutely perfect each and every time I’ve heard it … and I’m looking forward to the next 904 because I know they’ll be as equally enjoyable.

Celebrating their 55^th year together (can you believe it … all four original members still perform together on stage … what other band out there can make THAT claim?!?!), they ran through all the hits you could possibly want to hear, told some great stories about the various high points of their career, slipped some of Jim Peterik’s Survivor and .38 Special songs … and even featured (for the first time EVER in a live setting), two brand new songs from their forth-coming album, due out in late May or early June.

For this occasion, they brought out Cathy Richardson, who simply blew the doors off vocally with her performance.

Now I will admit that as a purist it is somewhat difficult for me to refer to her as “the lead singer of Jefferson Starship” … but the truth is, like it or not, that is EXACTLY who and what she is! The simple facts of the matter are this: Grace Slick is retired ... Marty Balin is gone ... and Mickey Thomas is off doing his own thing ... so Cathy Richardson is now the de facto lead singer of the group. But let me tell you, the way she sang her heart out Wednesday Night makes me want to catch the current version of Jefferson Starship next time they come to town ... she was outstanding! (Cathy has participated with Forgotten Hits a few times over the years and has always had a very powerful voice … but her performance at The City Winery the other night was nothing short of exceptional. An enthusiastic round of applause (and standing ovation) followed it … mid-set … the girl can sing!

In addition to performing the track that she and Jim duet on on the new CD, she also supplied high harmonies on a couple of Ides tunes as well as handled the high-end on some of the Survivor and .38 Special material, including a rousing performance on “Rockin” Into The Night,” another crowd favorite.

Naturally “Vehicle” and “Eye Of The Tiger” closed the show, which featured an exciting sequence where Jim came out into the audience to greet many of the fans, all the while still playing the lead guitar solo on “Eye Of The Tiger,” shaking hands and planting kisses and even climbing up on a chair to tower over the other audience members in that section. It was amazing.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … and, most likely, again and again and again … you HAVE to get out and see this band. It’ll change your life!

Upcoming shows include …

· Flower Power CruiseBuy Tickets

· Buy Tickets

· Central ParkBuy Tickets

DIDJAKNOW?: The new Ides CD, "Play On," will feature guest performances by the likes of Cathy Richardson, Mark Farner, formerly of Grand Funk Railroad, David Pack, formerly of Ambrosia and Bo Bice (who had a huge hit with his remake of “Vehicle” after he performed it on American Idol … and now is the lead singer for Blood, Sweat and Tears … the band that Jim Peterik first presented this song to … and … thankfully … they never bothered to listen to, thus allowing The Ides Of March to carve out their own little piece of rock and roll history!) It is expected to drop on June 2nd ... and preorders will be offered prior to that by way of The Ides Of March website. (In addition to the usual CD and download options, there's talk of a double vinyl LP, which would also feature a few vintage bonus tracks along with the new 14 tracks recorded for their 55th Anniversary.) Although I don’t see any ordering information on The Ides website yet, please check back as it is expected to be posted shortly. https://theidesofmarch.com/

GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE:
All Ides Of March / City Winery Photos taken by Kristie Schram and used by permission ... Frannie took the Four C-Notes photos shown above and I snapped the ones of Dinosaur Exhibit down below

***********************

Our good friend Quent Lang has been trying to get me to come out and see his new band, Dinosaur Exhibit, for over a year now and, until last Friday Night, I’ve been unable to do so.

I have heard, however, some extremely good things about them so when I finally had the chance to go, I had some pretty high expectations.

The band is comprised of musicians who have been active on the Chicago music scene for decades. Members of The Flock, The Mauds and Aura make up the core of this seven-piece band, featuring Jerry Smith (bass), Mike Flynn (lead guitar), special guest Jerry Goodman (violin), Pete Flynn (drums), Quent Lang (sax and flute), George Barr (horns), Rick Levey (keyboards) and Ben Cothan (lead vocals).

The landscape of music was changing in the late ‘60’s and one of the first bands to make that transition at the time was The Flock. Adding Jerry Goodman on violin, the band (which also featured Jerry Smith at the time) performed at The Kinetic Playground exactly fifty years ago to the date of their concert at Hey Nonny in Arlington Heights. (My first time there … and a very nice venue!)

Also part of the Kinetic Playground line-up that night were Ritchie Havens and John Mayall. When Mayall returned to England after the show, he was asked by the British Press “So what’s new in America? What are they listening to over there?” And Mayall told them about this incredible band he had just played with that had a violin player! Soon The Flock were on their way to becoming international rock stars … and they went on to tour all over the world, both opening for and headlining with major artists like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Santana and many, many more.

(We did a special Five Part Flock Spotlight Series in Forgotten Hits several years ago … this link will take you to all of it (albeit not in sequential order … but it’s all there and relatively easy to figure out.) It also features an exclusive interview with Flock founder Fred Glickstein, who has remained a friend ever since. (By the way, this serves as another great example of what the website search engine can turn up for you!) https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/search?q=fred+glickstein

The Mauds were one of the premier “rock ‘n’ soul” bands in Chicago for years. Led by the late Jimy Rogers, they had a GREAT sound as well as a couple of local hits with “Hold On” (#11, WCFL) and “Soul Drippin’” (#12, WLS). Aura, on the other hand, was “underground” from Day One. (Keep in mind that this was an era when groups like Vanilla Fudge and Deep Purple were reinterpreting pop songs and turning them into rock anthems … “You Keep Me Hanging On” by The Supremes, “Kentucky Woman” by Neil Diamond” and “Hush” by Billy Joe Royal never sounded the same again! Even the aforementioned Ides Of March did their own unique interpretation of The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” on their “Vehicle” album.)

Now I have stated here many times that I am a lover of “pop music” … it’s gotta have a hook or a chorus to grab you in order to remain memorable … there’s just got to be something catchy about it to get it to stick in your head … and I knew going in that this wasn’t going to be the case with the material Dinosaur Exhibit would be presenting Friday Night.

But I felt that I could overlook all of that as long as the musicianship was there to win over the audience … and, for the most part, it seemed to work.

Assuming that most of this material would be unfamiliar to the majority of the people there … I mean, let’s be realistic here for a moment … The Mauds, The Flock and Aura never really had a national audience … it’s not like their albums lit up the charts in any sort of memorable way. Even The Flock proved to be far more successful and popular internationally than they did here in their hometown city … so the audience appeal of such a set of music would be extremely limited to those who were there to experience it first hand at the time. Which begs the question: How many audience members actually owned these albums and knew the material well enough to retain those memories all these years later? You likely would have had to live in Chicago at the time and be holed up in your basement with the proper mood lighting and “stimulation” to have appreciated it at all during the era in which it was created. (Now in all fairness, The Flock DID have two Top 100 Albums for Columbia Records in 1969 and 1970 … “The Flock” peaked at #48 and “Dinosaur Swamps” at #96 on The Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart … but I don’t know that there’s a single track among them that you’d take away and then be singing in your head a week, much less fifty years later!)

So while I found the music interesting and well executed, part of me for the entire two hour set kept thinking “They need to play something that will connect with the audience … something familiar that we can latch on to in order to break up the monotony of the long jams.”

The most obvious choice would have been, of course, The Mauds’ hit “Soul Drippin’” … something that I felt would be familiar to all and really help to liven up the set … but despite that being the biggest hit achieved between all three former bands, it was left out of the set altogether. And I believe that with the vocalist and musicianship at hand, they could have performed a rousing version of this hit. (In fact, to my recollection only ONE Mauds song was featured all night … and that was the title track of the “Soldier On” album, released shortly before Jimy’s death.) In that SEVERAL members of Dinosaur Exhibit would at one time or another be part of The Mauds’ line-up, I would have expected to hear more from their catalog which, at least for me, would have been a bit more familiar.

I was, however, vindicated and proven right (once again!) when, near the end of the set, the band launched into “I Am The Walrus.”

The entire audience was immediately rejuvenated, singing along and yelling out the “Whooos” in all the appropriate places. I even sent a 60-second video clip to the wife and kiddies at home, all of whom said “That was amazing!” Now you’ve hooked your audience and created a bond. Something else along these lines thrown in a little earlier in the set would have gone a long way to make the rest of the set list a bit more tolerable (and far more memorable.) Here’s hoping they’ll take this little bit of advice / constructive criticism to heart before they play at The Arcada Theatre next month on April 19^th, at which time they’ll be opening for Wishbone Ash! I feel confident that a little consideration in this regard will make for a far more enjoyable and memorable performance as well as a better connection with their audience.

Musically, the players are all top-notch. Each member excels at their instrument of choice. If there’s an area that needs some attention and improvement, it has to be the vocals … lead vocalist Ben Cothan got very little in the way of support with any of the background vocals. He’s got a great, gritty voice for this type of material but, truth be told, there were times when he struggled a little bit vocally, too. Beefing up in this area would do a lot to enhance their overall sound and improve their versatility. (Someone else taking the lead for a song or two, for example, would also help to break things up a little.) Judging by the looks that some of the players on stage exchanged with each other, I have a feeling that they are aware that this is an area that needs some work.

Still, I have to recommend checking them out. If you were into the heavier sounds of the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s when bands were starting to experiment and push the limits creatively, you will enjoy the way this music is presented.

I am also encouraged that the band has been working on some new material which hopefully will reflect not only their up-to-date life experiences musically, but also explore some new sounds and techniques that have been developed since. I have every reason to believe that this will be the case … and look forward to hearing more from Dinosaur Exhibit in the future. (kk)

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Tuesday This And That

March 12, 2019, 4:09 am

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BREAKING NEWS:
We had Tuesday's Comments Page all ready to post this weekend (always trying to get ahead of the game!) ... but then received the sad news late on Monday that Drummer Extraordinaire Hal Blaine has passed away.
This guy played drums on literally THOUSANDS of recordings over the years ... including many of the hits we all grew up with.
As part of The Wrecking Crew (a moniker some say HE coined), Blaine was the #1 go-to musician when it came to laying down the beat. In the course of a single week he could take part in recording sessions with the likes of Phil Spector, The Beach Boys, Herb Alpert, The Association, The Fifth Dimension, The Monkees and Frank Sinatra ... and then squeeze in an Elvis session that evening if The King needed him to come by!
The guy was amazing ... and I am SO proud of the fact that he participated with Forgotten Hits from time to time.
He's a true legend ... and his legacy will live on long after all of us have strummed our last chord.
It would be virtually impossible to document all of the sessions he was involved with ... the list goes on forever ... but the total is likely more than any other session musician ever.
He recently wrote to me and said that he wasn't able to keep up with our newsletters anymore ... he didn't cite any particular health issues but I know now that this was the reason. And yet despite it all if something happened to catch he eye, he would STILL write in and make a comment. (I was beyond flattered that he continued to read Forgotten Hits "on the sly"!!! lol)
Watch The Wrecking Crew Documentary ... read the books ... talk to anybody who was anybody in the '60's and they'll be able to tell you a Hal Blaine story.
The accolades that are sure to come in as this news circulates will easily fill another entire column.
Suffice to say that right now I am deeply saddened by this news ... as are music fans around the world.
We love ya, Hal! (kk)

I knew Hal Blaine for 50 years. I did a term paper on him during high school. He invited me to a 5th Dimension session, too.

Hal steered me to Pro Drum Shop on Vine Street. My life changed seeing the sparkle sets and equipment on the wall. I never knew there was a place for drummers and percussionists besides Wallichs Music City and Drum City.

For decades I called him Belsky, his real last name, and he would call me Harvala.

In the seventies I interviewed him numerous times for domestic and international publications. He once gave me a lift on his motorcycle between a three session day and also picked me up hitch-hiking again on Sunset Blvd. when he saw me at a bus stop on Fairfax Avenue when my car was in the shop. “Take me to Gold Star! I need to see this session.”

After it wrapped, Hal’s parting comical advice was: “Harvala ... Please don’t get married in California!”

Then every Wrecking Crew session veteran started laughing their heads off. I didn’t quite comprehend the reality on display. Just about every cat started running down words I never heard like alimony and visitation … [I think Hal was married five times].

During 1975 - 1980, I was on a handful of Phil Spector produced recording sessions at Gold Star studio hand-clapping and supplying tambourine and percussion instruments on The Ramones’ End of the Century album, as well as dates on Leonard Cohen’s Death of a Ladies’ Man and The Paley Brothers’ “Baby, Let’s Stick Together.” I think Hal was on the Dion LP Phil produced. I'm just riffing.

To be on the floor in a recording studio on Santa Monica Blvd. with Hal, Don Randi, Don Peake, Ray Pohlman, Terry Gibbs, Dan and David Kessel, Jim Keltner, Barry Goldberg, and the giants, produced by Phil Spector with engineers Stan Ross, Dave Gold or Larry Levine at the console.

I also hung out with Hal around a couple of dozen dates when I was an occasional food-runner. We always liked regular mustard on corn beef at the local delicatessens. No Dijon.

In February, 2019, I was just at his 90^th birthday party at Don Randi’s Baked Potato in North Hollywood. Charlie Watts, Jim Keltner, Russ Titelman, The Honeys, Dean Torrence, Denny Tedesco, Slim Jim of the Stray Cats, David Leaf, and Rodney Bingenheimer were in attendance. All came by to pay their respects and help out a charity auction. Hal joined Don Randi on the bandstand for a version of “By My Baby.”

In my last 2008 interview with Hal, for the liner notes I penned for the Elvis Presley ’68 Comeback Special 40^th anniversary booklet, we focused on Elvis.

Hal Blaine had already enjoyed ‘Hit Parade’ success with Presley in Southern California recording with him on “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You,” “Return To Sender,” and “You’re The Devil in Disguise.”

Hal Blaine:“I loved it. It was one of those great times. It was at NBC, and we were all familiar with NBC working off and on again on different projects. And it was a great time.

“Elvis was terrific and loved us all because a lot of us had worked with him before. I was on the soundtrack of Blue Hawaii. Girls, Girls, Girls was really a big one, too. ‘Hello. How are you doing?’ He was relaxed but sweat a lot. I had to hand him a Kleenex when he was wearing that leather suit. Elvis was Elvis and he was a phenomena. And that’s all there is to it. There was a song that we did and he wanted to show that he had an operatic type voice. Just a big voice. To me, he was Elvis. That’s all there is to it. He was a one of. People who generally become famous are one of. He was also very handsome and all the ladies were crazy about him. He was a decent guy. I didn’t see anything unbelievable about Elvis. He was his own Sinatra. Sinatra was Sinatra and Elvis was Elvis.

“Billy Goldenberg, the musical arranger, was a terrific guy. Bones Howe had worked earlier with Elvis. I did my thing and that was it. Great fun. The big band was just super. It was just one of those historical specials. I knew the guys. I also recorded with the Lawrence Welk band and Neil Levang was the guitarist. Gary Coleman was the percussionist and I played drums on ‘A Little Less Conversation.’

“The Wrecking Crew could lock in with anybody. But with Elvis you’re gonna sit up a little straighter, maybe. I don’t know. When we finished, we had to go out and do another session. I might have had two other gigs that day. I love DJ Fontana. I hung with him a lot on the set. We were just inducted into the Nashville Hall of Fame.

“Our job was making hit records and we loved it. The thing that I had in the early days, I had Rick Faucher, my drum tech, who's still doing it for me, 44 years now, I had Rick go out and buy the biggest beach umbrella he could find and we put that on a boom stand where once I was on the drums, and we sawed it off at the pole. We could bring that over and down around my drums to cover me so that we could get a little less leakage anywhere.

“We did that at RCA and before long every studio wanted that same set up until they went to baffles. I was playing a set of drums that I gave to Ludwig and called it the Octaplus. Their biggest seller for all those years. And once I introduced those drums with Nancy on an Ed Sullivan special that was it. Every company in the world started making those drums. Had I known anything about patents in those days (laughs) …

“We were doing a job. We used to say: TTMAR. Take the money and run. Nobody knew how long it would last. Elvis came to Las Vegas and came backstage when I was there with Nancy Sinatra at Caesar’s Palace. ‘Hey Hal. You gonna come and work across the street with me?’ He expected me to join him for his debut and be part of that band but it was impossible.”

Some quotes on Hal Blaine from my own Harvey Kubernik interview archive ...

Brian Wilson: On Pet Sounds and SMile I had Phil Spector’s players: Lyle Ritz the bassist was also a ukulele player. He was a trip and played good stuff. Carole Kaye on bass. She was previously on ‘California Girls.’ Don Randi, keyboardist. Ray Polhlman. Fender bass. Hal Blaine was the greatest drummer I ever worked with.”

Bones Howe: The Fifth Dimension … Hal Blaine was on everything, and Joe Osborn ... I discovered Joe doing those Johnny Rivers records with Lou Adler. Mickey Jones was the drummer on the first Rivers sessions, and Joe Osborn. He played the bass the way I thought, as a jazz player, rock ’n’ roll players should play the bass. Joe and Hal, together, really had the lock and the feel. Then Dennis Budimir and Tommy Tedesco — jazz guys on guitar. That’s kind of how I built a rhythm section.”

Jim Keltner: Leon Russell was the first record producer and arranger I ever worked with. I was very fortunate to have him as the first producer I came in contact with, because Leon always had a slightly different musical angle that he came from. I think Leon was always looking for something a little bit out of the box. I didn’t know that at the time. Hal Blaine was there, by the way. I thought he was there to play tambourine, but in actual fact, Hal was there just in case I couldn’t cut it [laughs]. I was coming from Don Randi, six nights a week playing at Sherry’s. I thought I was on top of the world with that gig.”

Jack Nitzsche: On my sessions from 1960 to 1962, Leon Russell, Harold Battiste, Earl Palmer, Don Randi, Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell ... a lot of the players came out of my phone book. Phil knew Barney Kessel. He had taken guitar lessons from him. [Drummer] Hal Blaine ... I liked his work, but sometimes felt he overplayed. That’s just the way he plays. A lot of fills. As it turned out, Phil and the people loved the breaks Hal took, especially at the end of the tunes, the fades. Hal had a big kit. I liked the fills.”

Larry Levine: I used to have a theory, and I don’t know if it’s right or wrong, but part of the reason we took so long in actually recording the songs was that Phil needed to tire out the musicians, or they got to the point where they were tired enough so they weren’t playing as individuals. But they would meld into the sound more that Phil had in his head.

"Good musicians start out and play as individuals and strive to play what Phil wants. As far as the room sound and the drum sound went, because the rooms were small, with low ceilings, the drum sound, unlike other studios with isolation, your drums sounded the way you wanted them to sound. They would change accordingly to whatever leakage was involved.

“As a matter of fact, Phil once said to me the bane of his recording existence was the drum sound. A lot of people attribute to echo to what Phil was doing. The echo enhanced the melding of ‘the wall of sound,’ but it didn’t create it. Within the room itself, all of this was happening and the echo was glue that kept it together.”

David Kessel:I had the pleasure of growing up in the recording studio along with my brother Dan. We worked with Hal Blaine on many, many Phil Spector sessions, as 2^nd generation Wrecking Crew musicians. My Dad, Barney Kessel and Step-Mother B.J. Baker (one of the top background vocalists and vocal contractors in L.A.) were friends of Hal.
“Hal once said to me at a session ‘The trick is that if you make a mistake at the beginning of a take, you have to remember the mistake through the whole song.’”

Harvey Kubernikis an author of 15 books. His literary and music anthology Inside Cave Hollywood: The Harvey Kubernik Music InnerViews and InterViews Collection Vol. 1, was published in December, 2017, by Cave Hollywood. Kubernik’s The Doors Summer’s Gone was published by Other World Cottage Industries in February, 2018.

Harvey Kubernik’s The Doors: Summer's Gone has been nominated for the 2019 Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research.

During December, 2018, Sterling / Barnes and Noble published Harvey Kubernik and Kenneth Kubernik’s The Story of The Band From Big Pink to the Last Waltz.

This century Harvey penned the liner note booklets to the CD re-releases of Carole King’s Tapestry, Elvis Presley The ’68 Comeback Special, The Ramones’ End of the Century andAllen Ginsberg’s Kaddish.

Man ...

Where do you even start with Hal’s contributions?

I am so glad the Wrecking Crew movie finally saw the light of day and that he and the other WC members got the recognition at last they so richly deserved, thanks in no small part to Forgotten Hits.

Think I’ll go put “Be My Baby” on a loop.

RIP, Hal ... Rock on.

- Larry Cave

50yearsagoonthehot100.blogspot.com

Another sad event in rock history. We lost Hal Blaine today ... the drummer who played on thousands of hit songs from the early '60s on.

He was a mainstay in the Wrecking Crew, the group of musicians who backed up just about every musical group we could name.

Mike Wolstein

I was saddened to learn of the passing of my friend of 56 years, Hal Blaine, who died this morning, March 11th, at the age of 90.
I first met Hal at a Brian Wilson / Beach Boys session at United - Western Recorders in the summer of '63.
His drums graced thousands upon thousands of hit singles spanning at least six decades. He was the solid foundation of Phil Spector's 'wall of sound' and, gave us that unforgettable intro on the classic, "Be My Baby." He played on the Mamas and Papas singles, including "California Dreamin'" as well as those of Frank Sinatra, Jan and Dean The Byrds, including "Mr. Tambourine Man," Simon and Garfukel's "Mrs. Robinson" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water," The Carpenters'"Close To You," Herb Alpert's "A Taste of Honey," The Fifth Dimension's "Aquarius," Captain and Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together," and Barbra Steisand's "The Way We Were."
He played on a majority of The Beach Boys' albums and singles throughout the 60's, including their classic "Pet Sounds" album, and the singles "God Only Knows" and the iconic "Good Vibrations." He played on additional hits for Elvis, Dean Martin, Johnny Rivers, Bobby Darin, The Association, The Grass Roots, Nancy Sinatra, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, John Denver, Connie Francis, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Barry McGuire, Tommy Roe, Wayne Newton, Sam Cooke, Dusty Springfield and Neil Diamond, among others. Hal was possibly the most recorded instrumentalist of all time. I wouldn't want to challenge that statement. All-in-all, Hal played on so many of the songs that made up the "soundtrack of our lives," it would be impossible to say just how much he influenced all of our lives.
In the late summer of 1964, with the "Beach Boys Concert" nearing the top of the album charts (it would become their first #1 Gold album) I got a phone call from Jan Berry. "Fred, I want you to do for us, what you did for 'the boys."
"You mean you want to record a 'live' album?" I replied.
"Yes, that's what I mean, Fred."
"Well, since you're going to make a live album, you'll have to have a band." (On many of their shows they merely lip-synched to their records.)
Jan said, "Work out the details with Lou." (Lou Adler).
I called Lou and suggested that we hire Hal, a young singer / guitarist named Glen Campbell, and round out the quartet with Steve Barri on bass and Phil "PF" Sloan on keys. That recording session, including additional selections from Jan and Dean's "TAMI" show became their "Command Performance" album.
RIP, Hal. Tonight you're in "Rock & Roll Heaven," playing with Glen, PF, along with Carl and Denny Wilson. You're in great company my friend. And you're in one heavenly band.
Fred Vail,
Treasure Isle Recorders, Inc.
Music City, USA

ARS:

Yeah. Alien! A lost gem!
Jimbo
I always liked this song, which (to the best of my memory) never got played here in Chicago (unless you heard it on Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 Countdown … where it peaked at #29 in 1981.) That’s where I first heard it … and ordered a copy immediately! (kk)

>>>The song Rodney Justo sang after talking about being married to the same woman for 59 years was just beautiful (John Edwards)
>>>The "successful marriage" song you're referring to is called "Conversation" and I had never heard it before the show Saturday Night. What a GREAT track! I immediately downloaded it Sunday Morning! (kk)
Hi, Kent,

Roger Miller did a great version of this song issued as an A-side on Mercury in 1972. I don’t think it’s ever been on an LP or comped. Much as I like ARS, I think Roger does an even better job with this song than they did.

Enjoy!

Michael Thom

Interestingly enough, Justo talked about Roger Miller “trying to record the song” back then … apparently Buddy Buie thought that his would be the perfect voice to bring this track home … but, according to Justo, Miller couldn’t get the words right … he just couldn’t sing “conversation” … each and every time the word came up, Roger sang “conservation” instead. (This is back in the day when The Atlanta Rhythm Section were still working primarily as a session band in Buddy’s Studio One, before they had any hits of their own. They finally just gave up and, according to Rodney, “Roger never did cut the song.”

Obviously not the case based on what you just sent me! (lol)

According to Joel Whitburn’s Top Country Singles book, it was the uncharted B-Side to Roger’s 1972 #41 Hit “Rings For Sale.” Its B-Side status is likely why it’s so hard to find on any compilation cd. (I tried to download it on iTunes, too, but it doesn’t exist in their library.) kk

So you didn’t like the warm up band for Atlanta Rhythm Section, eh? Quite the scathing review … but entertaining as hell to read … and you make a really good point in relishing your opportunity for a shot at the big time.

Tom
Lessons learned:
Number One: Do a thorough sound check.
And Number Two: Do your homework … and at least know the name of the band you’re opening for who afforded you this opportunity! (kk)

>>>Ask The Natives performed what can only be described as a muddy mix of unremarkable originals that left most of the crowd (other than their own fan base that they brought along to the show) bewildered by just what it was they were trying to achieve. Their set-up was somewhat unique … guitar, bass and drums performing behind an amazing violinist, who took the leads on every song they played. Problem was, good as he was, you couldn’t hear him! The mix was SO bad that the lead vocals provided by the guitarist were undecipherable due to the guitar and drums being SO loud that they simply overpowered and blocked out the vocals and the shining point of the band … the violin solos on every tune. As a result of this performance, I can only dismiss them as both unremarkable and unmemorable. It’s a shame because these guys absolutely had their shit together in the way of marketing and fancy effects. Their entire performance was video taped … they had their own merchandise table in the lobby selling t-shirts and cd’s … and the whole time they were playing these awesome video graphics were showing on the big screen behind them … yet they couldn’t “sell it” because of a bad mix. That and the fact that they didn’t even seem to know (or show any respect for) the headlining act they were opening for. When they announced their last song before “bringing out The ATLANTIC Rhythm Section,” the coffin was sealed for me. Opening Acts everywhere … this message is for you … don’t blow your opportunity to make an impression on a new audience seeing you for the very first time. You worked long and hard to earn this opportunity. And show some genuine respect for the act that has afforded you this spot. Was this a good mix … Ask The Natives and The Atlanta Rhythm Section? An avant-garde rock band opening for southern rock legends? Probably not. But had they won over the crowd with their set, they just may have attracted a brand new group of fans who would seek them out again. Instead the general feeling seemed to be that nobody was going to Ask The Natives ANYTHING after this performance. (kk)
Compared to a lot of the tired Arcada warmups I've seen, I enjoyed this one because it was different … but I couldn't understand a word the lead singer said and I didn't like his guitar work.
The drummer was solid, looked like he was in high skool, and the violin guy was very good. I liked the dissonant minor key stuff and the bluesy hint. Didn't like the first song at all.
HAVE a great week,
Bill

Kent,
That is interesting how some of these great and talented artists opened for bigger names at the time and went on to be major artists themselves. It brought me back to The Buckinghams in 1967 when we had control over who opened for us.
We would try to choose an opener that was the opposite and different than us. Today it is upsetting and annoying when the promoter books an opening act that’s a big horn band. What it does is burn out the audience by the time we get started. A couple acts that opened for us and were relatively unknown back in 1967 were Jose Feliciano, just him and his guitar, fantastic! … and Flip Wilson, super funny, it was before his TV show. I remember Jerry Seinfeld with us at Ravinia before his TV show Seinfeld.
Great memories,
Carl
The Buckinghams
www.thebuckinghams.com

Hi Kent –
I was one of the ones who won tickets to the Atlanta Rhythm Section show last week.
I didn’t care for the opening act at all … but really enjoyed the headliners. (I was not very familiar with their music before the concert but thought they put on a great show.) Like one of your other readers or reviewers that wrote in, I also thought that some of the guitar jams went on a bit too long … but other than that I thought they were very good. It was a very good concert overall.
Natalie

Excellent article on both the Atlanta Rhythm Section and opening acts.
I'm sure you know this, but before Classics IV, several members of what later became ARS were in Roy Orbison's backup band, and also recorded for a while as the Candymen.
Georgia Pines / Movies In My Mind is a great two-sided 45 by the Candymen from 1967.
Brad
Yes, we featured “Georgia Pines” during our 1967 series.
The Candymen seem to be held in VERY high regard by anyone who has ever come across them. (The Atlanta Rhythm Section biography book I mentioned in the concert review written by Willie G. Moseley covers some pretty extensive ground on the early band roots that led to the formation of ARS. I’m currently reading it now and find it to be a very thorough accounting and I think interested fans will find quite fascinating. (kk) http://atlantarhythmsection.com/

Hi Kent,
I really enjoyed your Atlanta Rhythm Section review and article on opening acts.
It's a big, small world in entertainment and Atlanta Rhythm Section has quite a history.
Thought you would enjoy a bit of fun facts I just read about them:
In the spring of 1970, three former members of the Candymen (Rodney Justo, Dean Daughtry and Robert Nix) and the Classics IV (Daughtry and James B. Cobb, Jr.) became the session band for the newly opened Studio One recording studio in Doraville, Georgia, near Atlanta ^[2].
After playing on other artists'recordings, the Atlanta Rhythm Section was formed, with Rodney Justo (singer), Barry Bailey (guitar), Paul Goddard (bass), Dean Daughtry (keyboards), Robert Nix (drums) and James (J.R.) Cobb (guitar). Bailey and Goddard had played together in several groups and, like the Candymen, had also backed up Roy Orbison. The group's name was thought up by Studio One's owner Buddy Buie and his two partners in the venture, Cobb and Bill Lowery.
As you know, the Candy Men were Roy Orbison's back-up band. Buddy Buie was Roy Orbison's road manager at the time. Buddy Buie, and J.R. Cobb wrote a ton of hits together to include Spooky, Traces, Stormy, Every Day With You Girl for Dennis Yost and the Classics IV, and So In To You and Imaginary Lover for the Atlanta Rhythm Section (as you know Spooky was also a hit for ARS), plus a couple of B.J. Thomas' hits, Most Of All and Mighty Clouds Of Joy. Some of the artists that recorded Buie - Cobb songs were not only the Classics IV, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, and B.J. Thomas but also Gloria Estefan, Garth Brooks, the Lettermen, Anne Murray, and more.
Having worked for WQXI - Atlanta ("Qwixie in Dixie") I'm sure Scott Shannon and Kris Eric Stevens could tell you more.
Peace,
Tim Kiley
It really is a pretty remarkable story as to how these particular individuals came together to form The Atlanta Rhythm Section, at first assembled just to be the incredible in-house studio band for Buddy Buie’s Studio One but then branching out to enjoy a very successful career of their own. I have learned a great deal about The Candy Men (which also included a young Bobby Goldsboro before he went solo) over the past couple of years … and am pleased to have heard from so many ARS fans since our review ran last week. Like I said before, there a LOT of ARS fans out there … The Arcada SHOULD have been much fuller last Saturday Night. (kk)

I posted a link to all of the Atlanta Rhythm Section reviews on their Facebook Page. Hopefully more fans will stop by to check it out.
Steve

THE #1 OLDIES WEBSITE IN RUSSIA:
Kent,

Most of the time when I read about anything in FH, I immediately think of past records that came out which I remember.
About the item in which you mentioned that you have lots of readers over in Russia, I thought of Back In The USSR (Beatles or Chubby Checker), novelty record from 1959 called Russian Bandstand (Spencer & Spencer) and Berlin Top 10 (Dickie Goodman).
Larry
I went to the Ides Of March show at The City Winery last Wednesday Night (scroll back to read yesterday's review) with legendary Chicagoland sports broadcaster Chet Coppock … and we were seated next to Roe Conn, a very popular radio personality here in town. Naturally he and Chet knew each other … so when Chet introduced me, he told Roe “This guy’s got the #1 Oldies Website in Russia” … to which Conn replied, “Oh, well, congratulations” at which point I mumbled “It’s not something I’m especially proud of.” (lol)
By the way, those two break-in records you mentioned are among the WORST of this genre ever released! Goodman was going thru a bit of a dry spell at the time. (He was also one half of Spencer and Spencer, teaming up with Mickey Shorr for that one … another real stinker!) kk

THE RAIDERS / NEW COLONY SIX SHOW:
Hi Kent,
I was so disappointed when I learned yesterday that the Raiders concert at the Atheneum theater on March 23rd has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales.
My sister was going to take me as a birthday present. My sister and I have seen them a number of times with Paul and were really looking forward to seeing them, Ronnie Rice, Ray Graffia, Danny Sarokin, Chet Coppock and you! They said it was due to low ticket sales, but I thought the ticket prices were reasonable, so I guess Chicago doesn’t realize what a great show they are missing!
Joe Malin
Naturally, everyone is disappointed when a show like this … designed to raise money and awareness for Easter Seals … falls apart. Lots of great talent on that stage … plus me! Maybe we can still put something together at a later date or another venue that may be more accommodating to all parties concerned … but for right now yes, the show has officially been cancelled. (kk)

Where Do You Go To (My Lovely):
kk,
This is a novelty song. I've always liked it. Heck, we have OUR novelty songs from the USA, so this is one from "across the pond."
Arlene

I remember the record by Peter Sarstedt but couldn't remember how it went. Hadn't heard it in many years. It only charted for some three weeks here in OKC.
Larry

Hey Kent:
You might be surprised to learn that Tommy Roe's bubblegum classic "Dizzy" stalled at number two in several countries, including Ireland and Australia. It was denied the number one position by Peter Sarstedt's hit single that we featured the other day.
"Dizzy" entered the UK charts and eventually reached number one in June after "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)” was falling and Sarstedt's next hit, "Frozen Orange Juice", was released. Popularity wise, "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)" was ranked fourth there for the year behind "Sugar Sugar,""Get Back" and "Honky Tonk Women".
If that one doesn't float your boat, what do you think about gravelly-voiced actor Lee Marvin's UK#1 a year later, "Wand'rin Star"? Huh?
One thing I learned about the British public's musical tastes back then was that they loved quirky and/or novelty records e.g. "Lily The Pink". On the telly there was the likes of Monty Python, Benny Hill, and bug-eyed comedian Marty Feldman.
It was a fun time to be living in London (thanks to Uncle Sam).
Mike G
Without question, the British Charts have always been a eclectic mix of musical variety … it also isn’t at all uncommon for an “oldie” from several years before to be randomly rereleased and then perform very well on the charts all over again.
(Honestly, NEITHER of these tunes strikes my fancy ... but your comments force me to wonder if “Marty Feldman Eyes” was a big hit over there!!!) kk

THIS AND THAT:

I just read that Phil Spector’s California Castle has gone on the market for only $5.5 million. (Probably because it’s a bit of a “fixer-upper” … I would imagine there are several bullet holes in the walls that will need to be patched.)
Known as Pyrenees Castle, the home was built in 1925, and features nine bedrooms and ten bathrooms, spread out over 8700 square feet. Spector bought the house in 1998 for $1.1 million after a bank foreclosure.

Oh yeah … by the way … this is the same house where actress Lana Clarkson was murdered (in the foyer) in 2003. (Oh my God … has it REALLY been sixteen years since this happened?!?!)
If you’re interested (and just happen to have an extra $5.5 million floating around that you’ve been wondering what to do with), you can find a lot more BEAUTIFUL pictures of this place here:
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/phil-spector-castle/

Applebees must have dug out the Motown catalog for their latest television ad campaign. I’ve already heard Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” and “Do You Love Me” this past week alone. The hits just keep on comin’!!!
(We don’t have many Applebees by us anymore … I guess the chain didn’t do very well here in the Chicagoland area. Too bad ‘cause Frannie really liked it. I thought it was just OK. Learned early on not to go on Friday Nights ‘cause Tyra was most likely going to be at the football game.) kk

Speaking of Motown …

Former Supreme Mary Wilson celebrated her 75^th Birthday this past week in Beverly Hills (which I believe is a few miles west of Detroit). Here’s a pic of her with Rock And Roll Biographer (and FH List Member) Mark Bego. The two have teamed up to write a new book called “Supreme Glamour” (Thames and Hudson) which will be released in The UK in May and here in The States in September. (kk)

Photo: Sergio Kardenas

Evenin' Kent,
As always, my friend, enjoy the read ... thanks for all the long hours you put in.
Wanted to send you my URL for this slideshow video:
https://www.facebook.com/100002053083338/posts/2058612827550467/?comment_id=2066543853424031
Found this little unreleased ditty we recorded in early 1979 ... and played it live to see how folks reacted to it ... seems people like it.
I'm pickled tink! :O)
Hope you do, too, Partner.
Be blessed greatly ~
Barry
I have liked this song from the very first time you ever sent it to me … a late-‘70’s Royal Guardsmen “reunion” that should have spawned a hit. Thanks, Barry! (kk)

Chuck Buell reminded you that in the heydays of Chicago radio that WLS could be picked up in some 40 countries. I remember on one occasion while I was doing my Wax Museum on KOMA on Sunday nights, I received a cassette aircheck of one of my shows from a gentleman who was listening to me overseas in some country which I can't remember offhand. I couldn't believe it but he sent the cassette to me to prove that he could listen to the station when atmospheric conditions were just right.
Larry Neal
One thing I’ve learned over the past twenty years of doing Forgotten Hits is that there seems to have been little rhyme or reason regarding what you could pick up where or when. It was the earliest form of streaming’s infancy, I guess! (Thank God today we’re able to enjoy this service without all the static!!!) kk

The other day we ran a link to a story about the suspicious death of Jerry Lee Lewis’ fifth wife, Shawn Stephens …
Now Ultimate Classic Rock is featuring a reminder about Jerry’s THIRD wife (who also happened to be his 13-year-old cousin!)
If by any chance you’re not already familiar with the whole story, this article gives you a pretty good representation of the facts … and the chaos that ensued when Jerry and his young bride Myra arrive in England for a tour. (Many believe Lewis was poised to take the rock and roll crown with Elvis away in the army … but this incident derailed that train for good. Ironically, while in Germany, Elvis was courting a 13 year old girl name Priscilla who would eventually move back to Graceland with him and become his wife … yet the press made virtually no negatively mention of this at all at the time.)
For the record, Lewis has now been married a total of seven times. He made headlines a couple of weeks ago after suffering a minor stroke. (kk)
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/jerry-lee-lewis-married-cousin/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=newsletter_4572276

Here’s another reminder about next year’s Disco Cruise … which is already filling up fast … so check out the details below and be sure to register quickly before all the spots are gone. (This year’s cruise was a complete sell out!)

GET DOWN TONIGHT! SHAKE YOUR BODY DOWN TO THE GROUND! SAIL ON! THE 2020 ULTIMATE DISCO CRUISE ANNOUNCES SUPERSTAR LINEUP –
The Era’s Biggest Artists Come Together For One Unforgettable Vacation Experience …
Including: KC and The Sunshine Band (special appearance 2/13), The Jacksons, Commodores, The Pointer Sisters, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, Heatwave, Sister Sledge, First Ladies of Disco (featuring Martha Wash, Linda Clifford and Norma Jean Wright), George McCrae, Anita Ward, Maxine Nightingale, and more!
Hosted by DeneyTerrio of “Dance Fever”
Featuring Music Host Bob Pantano, host of the longest running radio dance party in the nation
Music presented by SiriusXM
Luxury Cruise Sails February 10 - February 15, 2020 From Miami to Key West and Nassau, Bahamas
Just back from a wildly successful, sold-out inaugural edition, StarVista LIVE, the leader in nostalgia-based music cruise experiences, announces the return of its newest uniquely themed voyage, the 2020 Ultimate Disco Cruise.
This cruise brings the cultural phenomenon of the 1970s from the dance floor to the high seas on a luxury ship that will wind its way through the Caribbean from February 10 - 15, 2020. Live concerts by the pioneering superstars who made dance music a lasting part of all of our lives will “rock the boat” for five incredible nights, with KC and The Sunshine Band (special appearance 2/13), The Jacksons, Commodores, The Pointer Sisters, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, Heatwave, Sister Sledge, First Ladies of Disco (featuring Martha Wash, Linda Clifford and Norma Jean Wright), George McCrae, Anita Ward, Maxine Nightingale , and more. Famed choreographer and “Dance Fever” TV host DeneyTerrio, the man who taught John Travolta his Saturday Night Fever dance moves, is back to host one of the greatest lineups of classic dance music stars ever assembled – and so much more – aboard the award-winning Celebrity Infinity^Ò. Terrio will be joined onboard again by music host Bob Pantano, host of the longest-running radio dance party in the nation, the “Saturday Night Dance Party,” now celebrating its 42^nd anniversary.
“I just got back from the inaugural Ultimate Disco Cruise and I can’t express enough how entirely exhilarating it was,” says Terrio. “Not only were all the acts fantastic, but I’ve never seen such an energy and complete happiness across the board, from the crowd to the artists. It was just amazing. It was like an elixir − it truly made people feel better about themselves. I haven’t danced so much in such a long time, I feel like I’m 20 again. I can’t wait to come back.”
“We had such a great time in 2019, I can't wait to do it all over again in 2020,” adds Harry “KC” Casey, who’ll be leading a very special KC & The Sunshine Band appearance on February 13 in Nassau, Bahamas. “You’re going to have music just practically 24 hours a day, you’re going to see all of your favorite artists all in one place, and you’re going to have the best time of your life. … I can’t wait to get back on this cruise, to have fun with you and to do what I love doing. That’s making music and sharing good times with you.”
As someone who came of age in the 1970s, Alan Rubens, StarVista LIVE Senior Vice President of Entertainment / Executive Producer of the Ultimate Disco Cruise, remembers the Disco explosion as a “simply unforgettable” lifestyle and musical phenomenon.
“The surge of joy and happiness that took over the ship on our inaugural Ultimate Disco Cruise this month was unstoppable,” says Rubens. “Disco created an entirely new social scene for people of all different backgrounds to come together and share that dance fever worldwide, and we were fortunate enough to recapture that vibe seamlessly.
The response has been phenomenal. The music has a beat and message that makes everyone get out on our fabulous retro dance floor and stay there late into the night, just like we did back in the day. We’re constantly hearing from our guests that their favorite theme nights on any of our cruises are the Disco/Funk nights. Those dance parties bring back the fantastic memories of the Disco era – the clothes, the clubs, the dances, our old friends, our romances, and that fabulous musical revolution heard and enjoyed worldwide. We can’t wait to recreate that dance fever and era all over again in 2020.”
“Boogie Fever” is guaranteed to run rampant day and night from Miami to Key West to Nassau, and back, turning a luxury ship into one glorious “Disco Inferno.” Throughout the voyage, guests will also have the opportunity to attend special events to get up close and personal with the artists onboard, including a wine tasting, live game shows, behind the music Q&A sessions, panel discussions, pool parties, and unforgettable themed costume gatherings. It all takes place aboard the luxurious Celebrity Infinity^Ò, renowned for excellence in dining, deluxe cabins and stunning showrooms. Celebrity Cruises represent modern luxury in cruise lines, through sleek cruise ships and top-of-the-line amenities.
Cabin fares start at $1,349 and include admission to all main stage shows, meals in main dining options and major parties. For further information on the Ultimate Disco Cruise, please call 844.296.3472 or visit
www.UltimateDiscoCruise.com

The Mike & Micky show pulled into NYC last night at the Beacon Theater (and, Long Island’s Paramount on Friday) and one of the bold-face names to show was MSNBC’s Brian Williams.
David Salidor

I heard them advertising the Beacon show on Sirius XM yesterday ... I'm told this is a GREAT venue to see a concert. (Several acts have recorded live albums there!) I'm wondering if Mike and Micky will keep this partnership going moving forward as there seems to be a very positive fan response to this pairing. (kk)

Just a note regarding that song “A Moment Ago” by the Angels and your comment that if you play the 45 at 33 1/3 speed it will sound like a group of guys singing. It’s true. It is a very nice song try … listening to it at that speed and you will be amazed. I found this out years ago. Jerry Blavet was the one who mentioned it on one of his shows. I can enjoy that song at both speeds as it is a good one.
Ray

(Special thanks to Tom Diehl for sending us this altered slowed down version) kk

To All My Oldies Friends,

I thought that some of you would enjoy the attached pic of me holding an original Cash Box Guaranteed Records ad that was hand colored and mounted on metal by my wife. What a great birthday present.
Enjoy remembering the 50s,
Paul

I love it! Thanks for sharing, Paul! (kk)

Speaking of Remembering the 1950’s, Gary Pike (formerly of The Lettermen) sent me this little ditty that accomplishes just exactly that …

1950'S VERSION OF AN E-MAIL

I HAVE NO IDEA WHO PUT THIS TOGETHER, BUT IT IS WONDERFUL …

LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY, IN A LAND THAT TIME FORGOT,
BEFORE THE DAYS OF DYLAN, OR THE DAWN OF CAMELOT.
THERE LIVED A RACE OF INNOCENTS, AND THEY WERE YOU AND ME.

FOR IKE WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE IN THAT LAND WHERE WE WERE BORN,
WHERE NAVELS WERE FOR ORANGES, AND PEYTON PLACE WAS PORN.
WE LONGED FOR LOVE AND ROMANCE, AND WAITED FOR OUR PRINCE,
EDDIE FISHER MARRIED LIZ, AND NO ONE'S SEEN HIM SINCE.

WE DANCED TO 'LITTLE DARLIN,' AND SANG TO 'STAGGER LEE'
AND CRIED FOR BUDDY HOLLY IN THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

ONLY GIRLS WORE EARRINGS THEN, AND THREE WAS ONE TOO MANY,
AND ONLY BOYS WORE FLAT-TOP CUTS, EXCEPT FOR BILL HALEY.
AND ONLY IN OUR WILDEST DREAMS DID WE EXPECT TO SEE
A BOY NAMED GEORGE WITH LIPSTICK, IN THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

WE FELL FOR FRANKIE AVALON, ANNETTE WAS OH, SO NICE,
AND WHEN THEY MADE A MOVIE, THEY NEVER MADE IT TWICE ...
WE DIDN'T HAVE A STAR TREK FIVE, OR PSYCHO TWO AND THREE,
OR ROCKY-RAMBO TWENTY IN THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

MISS KITTY HAD A HEART OF GOLD, AND CHESTER HAD A LIMP,
AND REAGAN WAS A DEMOCRAT WHOSE CO-STAR WAS A CHIMP.
WE HAD A MR. WIZARD, BUT NOT A MR. T, AND OPRAH COULDN'T TALK YET,
IN THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

WE HAD OUR SHARE OF HEROES, WE NEVER THOUGHT THEY'D GO,
AT LEAST NOT BOBBY DARIN, OR MARILYN MONROE.
FOR YOUTH WAS STILL ETERNAL, AND LIFE WAS YET TO BE,
AND ELVIS WAS FOREVER IN THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

WE'D NEVER SEEN THE ROCK BAND THAT WAS GRATEFUL TO BE DEAD,
AND AIRPLANES WEREN'T NAMED JEFFERSON AND ZEPPELINS WERE NOT LED.
AND BEATLES LIVED IN GARDENS THEN, AND MONKEYS LIVED IN TREES,
MADONNA WAS MARY IN THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

WE'D NEVER HEARD OF MICROWAVES, OR TELEPHONES IN CARS,
AND BABIES MIGHT BE BOTTLE-FED, BUT THEY WERE NOT GROWN IN JARS.
AND PUMPING IRON GOT WRINKLES OUT, AND 'GAY' MEANT FANCY-FREE,
AND DORMS WERE NEVER CO-ED IN THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

WE HADN'T SEEN ENOUGH OF JETS TO TALK ABOUT THE LAG,
AND MICROCHIPS WERE WHAT WAS LEFT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG.
AND HARDWARE WAS A BOX OF NAILS, AND BYTES CAME FROM A FLEA,
AND ROCKET SHIPS WERE FICTION IN THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

T-BIRDS CAME WITH PORTHOLES, AND SIDE SHOWS CAME WITH FREAKS,
AND BATHING SUITS CAME BIG ENOUGH TO COVER BOTH YOUR CHEEKS.
AND COKE CAME JUST IN BOTTLES, AND SKIRTS BELOW THE KNEE,
AND CASTRO CAME TO POWER NEAR THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

WE HAD NO CREST WITH FLUORIDE, WE HAD NO HILL STREET BLUES,
WE HAD NO PATTERNED PANTYHOSE OR LIPTON HERBAL TEA
OR PRIME-TIME ADS FOR THOSE DYSFUNCTIONS IN THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

THERE WERE NO GOLDEN ARCHES, NO PERRIER TO CHILL,
AND FISH WERE NOT CALLED WANDA, AND CATS WERE NOT CALLED BILL
AND MIDDLE-AGED WAS 35 AND OLD WAS FORTY-THREE,
AND ANCIENT WERE OUR PARENTS IN THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

BUT ALL THINGS HAVE A SEASON, OR SO WE'VE HEARD THEM SAY,
AND NOW INSTEAD OF MAYBELLINE WE SWEAR BY RETIN-A. THEY SEND US INVITATIONS TO JOIN AARP,
WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, BABY, FROM THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

SO NOW WE FACE A BRAVE NEW WORLD IN SLIGHTLY LARGER JEANS,
AND WONDER WHY THEY'RE USING SMALLER PRINT IN MAGAZINES.
AND WE TELL OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN OF THE WAY IT USED TO BE,
LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY IN THE LAND THAT MADE ME, ME.

IF YOU DIDN'T GROW UP IN THE FIFTIES, YOU MISSED THE GREATEST TIME IN HISTORY.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS READ AS MUCH AS I DID.
IF SO, PLEASE FORWARD THIS NOTE TO SOMEONE WHO WILL APPRECIATE THESE MEMORIES.

↧

Thursday This And That

March 14, 2019, 4:00 am

≫ Next: The Ides Of March

≪ Previous: Tuesday This And That

HAL BLAINE:

As expected, lots more praise, memories and stats for Hal Blaine … so let’s get right to it!

As a young teenager, I didn’t know who played what in the studio. All I knew is I couldn’t get enough of records by the Fifth Dimension, the Association, The Ronettes and, of course, The Beach Boys. There was something about the link between the bass and the drums that had me hooked.
Later in life I realized that nearly all of my favorite records shared one common drummer - Hal Blaine.
Often the bass man was Joe Osborne.
When I bought Insight Out by the Association (I put that album up there with Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper), I thought “Boy, that Brian Cole and the drummer in the band really got the Hal / Joe thing down!! Then I realized it WAS Hal and Joe!
I was naive at the time that these classic studio pros and others got hidden from the album credits so us teeny boppers could believe it was their heroes in the band playing!
But Hal finally got his due in a raft of interviews and accolades from the best and, of course, the great Wrecking Crew documentary.
Will the beat go on?
Yes, it will.
It will be led by all the young drummers who ever put a stick to skin listening to the amazing licks, musical instincts and feel of the great Hal Blaine.
Rock on!!
Jimbo
Jim Peterik

I HAD 10 DAYS TO CUT THE SONG “ACTION” FROM THE TV SHOW “WHERE THE ACTION IS.”
I WALKED INTO UNITED WESTERN THERE WAS THE WRECKING CREW …
TWO TAKES IT WAS DONE!
HAL BLANE WAS IN THE POCKET THE FIRST TAKE.
WOW!
HE WAS THE BEST!
LOVE YOU, HAL
FREDDY "BOOM BOOM" CANNON

After being a member of both Kaleidoscope and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, I began working as a sideman for Linda Ronstadt, John Stewart and Hoyt Axton. During this period I ended up doing a lot studio work in Los Angeles with Stewart and Axton, as well as James Taylor, John Fahey and many others.
As a member of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 47 in Hollywood, I would have to call and see if the money from the sessions had come in. If so, I would drive to the office on Vine Street with copies of my W-2 forms and pick up the checks. Since I lived an hour away in Claremont, rush hour became an issue for me.
One day, I went to the Union and the check line was pretty short, so I was all ready to go visit a friend of mine until the traffic cleared. I was third in line and noticed that the person in front of me was the great drummer, Hal Blaine.
The first guy in line picked up his check and was out in a flash. When it was Blaine’s turn, he pulled out a big stack of W-2s and laid them out on the counter. It took over 20 minutes for him to go through all the checks he was going to get that day. That’s how popular he was! I picked up my two checks and was out of there in no time.
Chris Darrow

Hal Blaine was such a great musician and friend that I can’t put it into words.
Hal taught me a lot, and he had so much to do with our success — he was the greatest drummer ever.
Brian Wilson

Hi Kent ...
Hal Blaine was Mr. Wrecking Crew.
He was the drummer on all of my recordings in the late 60’s and early 70’s and some of my biggest hits. He played on Dizzy, Jam Up And Jelly Tight, Heather Honey and Stagger Lee.
He was always the leader on my sessions, and probably the leader on most of the sessions utilizing the talent of that fabulous group of musicians.
He had the ability to relax all the talent in the recording session and make it fun. He also had a wonderful sense of humor.
On some of my sessions I would bring along my guitarist, Richard Laws, who traveled with me on my concert tours and played guitar on some of my recording sessions. After Hal met Richard, every time he would see us together he would say to me, “I see you are still obeying the laws,” and the way he said it, we would all just crack up.
Hal was absolutely one of a kind, and most certainly one of the best drummers ever. I send my condolences to his family and friends and may he RIP.
Tommy Roe

I am sending you a few cuts from an early 2000 interview I did with Hal Blaine.
It was always amazing to hear him speak first hand about legendary music makers.
In one cut, he talks about a Phil Spector movie. Did they ever make this or did they scrap it?
Phil Nee – WRCO
There was a “Made For TV” movie a few years ago that starred, believe it or not, Al Pacino as the legendary producer.
Critics and, from what I’ve heard, most of the public hated it … and Pacino is often his over-the-top self … but I kinda enjoyed it. There were a lot of little inside jokes that I think a lot of people probably didn’t get so I liked it.
If you get a chance to see it, check it out … I think you will, too. (Now I wanna see it again!) kk

You may not know the name, but you know the sound.
The sound of Hal Blaine was one of jubilance, energy, drama, power, ferocity, and swagger, ever deployed solely in service of the song. Upon his death yesterday at the age of 90, Brian Wilson deemed him “the greatest drummer ever.” Few could argue with that description, as Blaine was Los Angeles’ first-call drummer during perhaps the greatest period of pop invention in the latter half of the twentieth century. From 1966 to 1971, Blaine played on all six consecutive Grammy Record of the Year winners: Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass’ “A Taste of Honey,” Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night,” The 5th Dimension’s “Up, Up, and Away,” Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson,” The 5th Dimension’s “Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In,” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” But those six songs barely scratch the surface of the Hal Blaine legacy.
Born Harold Simon Belsky in Massachusetts, the drummer moved with his family to California in 1943 but made his first professional music in Chicago. After a three-year stint in the U.S. Army, he utilized the GI Bill to study there with renowned drum teacher Roy Knapp. He remembered honing his sight-reading skills in the city’s strip clubs, and eventually put those abilities to good use on the session player circuit back home in California where he was often called upon, with his fellow musicians, to create or enhance arrangements on the spot. It was Blaine who created the famous, often-imitated introduction to The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” in 1963, doubtless one of the most recognizable passages in pop history.
Phil Spector considered Blaine an indispensable part of his “house band” – the loose-knit group of top tier players who would collectively be known in later years as The Wrecking Crew. Blaine took credit for coining the name as a response to those older musicians who felt that the young men and women embracing rock-and-roll (but well-schooled in jazz, classical, and every genre that might be called for) would “wreck” the industry. Far from it, the group defined the sound of a generation and created music that still endures more than half a century later. The rock-solid, endlessly inventive anchor of The Wrecking Crew’s rhythm section, Blaine contributed mightily to the sound of Spector’s greatest disciple, Brian Wilson, and played on an approximate 150 top ten records and 40 chart-topping hits from The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Sonny and Cher, The Byrds, The Mamas and The Papas, Johnny Rivers, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, The Association, Cher, Carpenters, Captain and Tennille, The Supremes, and Barbra Streisand. It’s been estimated that Blaine played on anywhere from 6,000 to 35,000 songs, but even at the low end of that spectrum, he would be considered one of the most recorded drummers of all time – perhaps the most. While the changing sound of music led to a distinctive tapering-off of the Wrecking Crew’s assignments as the 1970s progressed, Blaine and his cohorts’ influence never waned.
“Hal Blaine Strikes Again” read the rubber stamp that Blaine would deploy on pages and places which he had played. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient will keep striking again and again every time a radio is turned on to the magnificent sounds he created. Bum-ba-bum-BOOM.
Joe Marchese

Hi Kent,
So sorry to hear Hal Blaine passed. What an awesome career he had. He will be truly missed. Our prayers go out to his family.
I want to thank you for the kind words and passing "Lady" on to your fans. It's appreciated deeply my friend. Yes Sir, we thought it was at least good enough to get some airplay. :O)
Buddy, take another deep breath before you dive into the next go round ... looking forward to it.
Bless ya ~
Barry

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame sent out this special link to Hal Blaine’s Web Page. (Hal was inducted in the year 2000.)
https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/hal-blaine?utm_campaign=Marketing&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--E_DroXZstZ5kBKMXbj9xBPQ1oChEMTy613JrDFCX5Y17p0X8rEXL2WA91fHq3EtV8x3G5hrYs0fTNyWfcOQwV8lXwtQ&_hsmi=70745247&utm_content=70745247&utm_source=hs_email&hsCtaTracking=9fe38d68-5262-40ca-82b0-c548bce784cd%7C661aacab-ff41-49d0-ae06-87b2eb050fe5

Hal Blaine may be the only drummer to back Presley, Sinatra and John Lennon.
-- Billboard Magazine

Billboard then went on to list EVERY #1 HIT that Hal Blaine played drums on …

Incredible!

Blaine estimated that he played on 4000 charted hit records, 39 of which went all the way to #1.

They are, in order:

He’s A Rebel – The Crystals (1962)

Johnny Angel – Shelley Fabares (1962)

Surf City – Jan and Dean (1963)

Everybody Loves Somebody – Dean Martin (1964)

I Get Around – The Beach Boys (1964)

Ringo – Lorne Greene (1964)

Eve Of Destruction – Barry McGuire (1965)

Help Me Rhonda – The Beach Boys (1965)

I Got You Babe – Sonny and Cher (1965)

Mr. Tambourine Man – The Byrds (1965)

This Diamond Ring – Gary Lewis and the Playboys (1965)

Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys (1966)

Monday Monday – Mamas and Papas (1966)

My Love – Petula Clark (1966)

Poor Side Of Town – Johnny Rivers (1966)

Strangers In The Night – Frank Sinatra (1966)

These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ – Nancy Sinatra (1966)

Somethin’ Stupid – Nancy and Frank Sinatra (1967)

The Happening – The Supremes (1967)

Windy – The Association (1967)

Mrs. Robinson – Simon and Garfunkel (1968)

Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In – Fifth Dimension (1969)

Dizzy – Tommy Roe (1969)

Theme from “Romeo And Juliet” – Henry Mancini (1969)

Wedding Bell Blues – Fifth Dimension (1969)

Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon and Garfunkel (1970)

Close To You – The Carpenters (1970)

Cracklin’ Rosie – Neil Diamond (1970)

I Think I Love You – The Partridge Family (1970)

Indian Reservation – Paul Revere and the Raiders (1971)

Song Sung Blue – Neil Diamond (1972)

Half Breed – Cher (1973)

Annie’s Song – John Denver (1974)

The Way We Were – Barbra Streisand (1974)

Top Of The World – The Carpenters (1974)

Thank God I’m A Country Boy – John Denver (1975)

Love Will Keep Us Together – The Captain and Tennille (1975)

I’m Sorry / Calypso – John Denver (1975)

Theme from “Mahogany” – Diana Ross (1976)

1969:
Sad news this week as it was disclosed that one of the biggest names of 1969, Tom Seaver, is suffering from dementia.
Seaver was a key figure in The Mets’ incredible year that season … “The Miracle Mets” as they came to be known. We fondly remember him, too, for the years he spent here with The Chicago White Sox. (During his 20-year major league career, Seaver won 311 games and struck out 3,640 batters. In addition to his time spent with The Mets and The White Sox, Seaver also pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox. He was selected for the All Star Team twelve times and was elected into Baseball’s Hall Of Fame in 1992 by a near-unanimous decision.
But it was Seaver’s career in New York that really shone. In 1969, he went 25-7 and won the first of his three Cy Young Awards. He also had five 20-win seasons. With the 50^th Anniversary of The Mets’ first trip to The World Series just a few months away, the timing couldn’t be sadder.
Seaver joined The Mets two years early and immediately won Rookie Of The Year honors in 1967. Prior to winning the pennant in 1969, The Mets finished either last or second to last in every season dating to their 1962 debut as part of a National League expansion. He was nick-named “Tom Terrific” and lived up to that title in nearly every season he pitched. (Incredibly two career milestones happened while he was away from The Mets … he won his 300^th game in a White Sox uniform … and pitched his only career no-hitter for the Cincinnati Reds.)
After working as a Mets broadcaster for several years after his retirement from baseball, he retired for good to his 116 acre vineyard in Calistoga, California, where he’s been making wine since 1998. It is here that he will retire from public life and live out his remaining days.

THE MIKE AND MICKY SHOW:
David Salidor, Micky Dolenz’s East Coast PR Man, sent us some pictures to run EXCLUSIVELY in Forgotten Hits today, spotlighting the Mike and Micky duo on stage at The Paramount Theater in Huntington, Long Island. (The occasion also happened to be Micky’s Birthday … you can read more about that in The Mac Wire link below.)
Micky and Mike appeared at both The Paramount and the Beacon Theater this past week and, by all accounts, it was a great show each night. (I was surprised to see that Mike has added his solo hit “Joanne” back into the set list. This was something we had suggested a while back … maybe after touring with The First National Band he enjoyed revisiting with the track that he wanted to continue to perform it!)
This first batch of photos were all taken by Paul Undersinger … and feature Micky being presented an original cover from the popular UK publication Melody Maker, commemorating Dolenz’s “Alternate Title” (aka “Randy Scouse Git”) reaching the #1 Spot in the UK. (That’s tour producer Andrew Sandoval presenting Micky with the award)

Photo #2 is a nice shot of Nez on stage

And a similar shot of Micky performing …

Followed by a couple of full band shots

Thank you very much, David, for allowing us to be the first to share these photos with our readers! (kk)

And here’s a link to the review run in The Mac Wire by G. H. Harding …
http://www.themacwire.com/the-glorious-corner-the-mike-and-micky-show-palm-restaurant-and-more/

RECENT MINI CONCERT REVIEWS:
Hi Kent:
Thanks for the nice review in Forgotten Hits. All the “Knock On Wood and “Hold On” stuff was at the end of the show. Sorry you missed it.
Since Jerry Goodman was a guest artist, we also wanted to include some of his post FLOCK / MAHAVISHNU tunes.
There was a lot of material to cover, and we probably could have done a better job in mapping out our set list. Thanks for your suggestions. Much appreciated.
We will keep you in the loop regarding upcoming events.
Quent

Kent,
Thanks so much for your kind words! It’s greatly appreciated.
Hope to see you again soon!
Warm regards,
John Michael Coppola

Thanks, Kent, for your positive review of the Ides show at City Winery with special guest Cathy Richardson. Ya know that venue is just about perfect for what we do.
Intimate enough to tell stories and do unplugged, large enough to make you feel like stars. Lol!
Thx for coming with your entourage and thanks for your vital support through the years.
We are doing the final mix touch ups today on Play On then it’s off to Sterling in NYC for mastering. The production by Fred Mollin (Jimmy Webb, America) is incredible and, of course, Larry Millas at the engineering mast means great sound. The artwork is by Mark Alano and the photos by our own photo ninja, Kristie Schram, are outstanding.
Have a rocking week.
See you at the Arcada for Cornerstones on April 14!
Peace and love –
Jimbo

Awesome mini-review! Very cool!
Let’s go see The Four C-Notes again in the summer! They are so good.
Paige
They’re doing a number of outdoor shows this summer … and I would definitely be up for another show! It’s a date! (kk)

>>>I’ve got to be careful here … at the rate that I’ve been running Jim Peterik reviews lately, I’m bordering on challenging Shelley Sweet-Tufano and her Peter Noone / Herman’s Hermits / Noonatics obsession for most reviews posted for the same artist! (kk)
And here we are, coming up on March 15^th, the Ides of March. It would be time consuming (and probably a waste of time) to go back and count them all for each of us. So, let the reviews continue, Kent.
Having a stable concert group is like having a fan base or a base theatre ... just there to continue your quality of life (or music).
I just put in requests on the East Coast for the Ides ... Always welcome here!
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
You’ll be knocked out!
They travel some (obviously if they’re doing the Moody Blues Cruise again this year!!!) They’re an impossible act to follow.
They’ve played The House Of Blues here several times … that would be a GREAT venue for them to perform at out your way … or how about Daryl’s House??? (Jim would have to fly us out there for that one … man, what a show that would be!!!)
Feel free to pass along ANY of our reviews to potential booking agents as a solid endorsement. I can only promise you that once they play there and win over the crowd, venues will be begging them to come back so that they can host them too! (Sadly, I have to miss the next Cornerstones show in April … it’s my grandson’s FIRST birthday!!!
Actually it’s been over a year now since we’ve seen a Cornerstones show … so we’re about due to catch it again … I’m sure more dates will be added before the year is up!) kk

Did Atlanta Rhythm Section play “I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight?”
I liked that song when it came out. Some stations did not play it because of the lyric 'tomorrow I might go as far as suicide.' It did get to #14 in Billboard.
Phil Nee – WRCO
They sure did … this has proven to be one of their most enduring tracks … VERY Southern Rock … and the fans loved it. (This is one of those that gets stuck in my head fairly often!) kk

THE ZOMBIES:
How cool is this?!?! The Zombies have just been added to the New York Fest For Beatles Fans coming up later this month.
After their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction on Friday, March 29^th, The Zombies will drop by The Fest the very next day (Saturday, March 30^th) at 5:45 to be part of “In Conversation With Ken Dashow of Q104.3!!!
This is a VERY last minute addition and announcement … and they’ll only be able to hang around long enough to do the show (meaning no time to stick around for a signing session.) However, they WILL be offering some pre-signed merchandise for sale at a table specially set up in the foyer. If any of our readers are able to catch this show, please let us know all about it! (kk)

RADIO STATION SURVEYS:

Lots of survey talk lately in Forgotten Hits. (Of course we run a 50^th Anniversary WLS Chart every Sunday on our web page, often tying in special features spotlighting the songs and artists who were popular back then.)

Recently we ran an inquiry from FH Reader Bill Oakey regarding what his survey collection might be worth. And now I have been copied in on this brand new email chain asking much the same thing. (Fortunately, we’ve got some pretty heavy-hitting survey dealers and authorities on the list … so we’ll leave this one in their capable hands.) But if you’ve got some similar inquiries (or may be looking to expand your own collection), please contact us and we will be happy to pass your information either thru these pages or via email to the appropriate sources.

I got your name this morning at a vintage record dealer convention in Eugene, OR. I have a collection of WLS Silver Dollar Surveys which I amassed during my high school years in Winnetka, IL. My first one is dated May 20, 1961, and I have a complete year of the surveys ending on May 19, 1962. I then have many more surveys with random missing dates from June 2, 1962 through August 27, 1965 as well as one final Silver Dollar Survey dated September 9, 1968. In total, I have over 150 WLS Silver Dollar Surveys in basically mint condition covering the period from May, 1961 - September, 1968.

My questions to you:

1) Is there a market for these items in the record memorabilia market?

2) If so, can you give me any sense of whether they have any value?

3) Finally, can you point me in the direction of any collectors who might be interested in purchasing this collection?

Thanks for considering my questions. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Hank Hoell

FH List Member Frank Merrill replied:

Hi Hank,

It seems pretty strange that I'm not really the right person to ask ... BUT I'm the right person who can get the word out. My own eBay experience with these things is effectively non-existent: I can't REALLY consider the eight or nine surveys I listed and sold in 2004 (?) to be at all relevant anymore. I will say, though, that you do have items with some value here.

Interestingly I live less than ten miles from Winnetka, especially if taking Sheridan Road (and on up from there) from my Edgewater location ... there was no reason you would expect me to be living in Chicago. At the time, whoever gave you my address originally got it from me, I didn't even have a clue that I'd be living inChic a-Go Go later. That only developed entirely from scratch in the last 26 months and the city was never even on my radar before Boxing Day, 2016 (when, of all people, Jello Biafra planted the idea when we were talking on the phone).

The early WLS surveys are far harder to find than, say, 1968 or middle-70s ones. In all my years, I've only seen a handful before 1963, though Jack Levin (who was also copied in on this chain – kk) is familiar with them and he knows the market extremely well.

Besides my own reply, I'm sending BCC's to Jack (in far downstate Ill-Annoy, a couple hundred miles south of me) and five other guys. Any or all of these guys might express interest … I'm thinking most likely Kent, Carl, and/or Jack, but any of the other guys might especially value your early complete [non-calendar] year's worth. You might even manage to get some "bites" from one or two of these guys wanting you to scan some of these (and possibly pay you a nominal-but-adequate amount via PayPal or something) … or offering to buy them all.

Hank, it would also be good to look on eBay and search for [WLS radio survey] - ADVANCED search "all of these words in any sequence" or however they set it up - and check the COMPLETED LISTINGS box. It's even possible that a simple search for nothing more than "WLS" or [WLS RADIO - all of these words in any sequence] to bring up *SOLD* surveys only. That tells more of what the market truly is, than looking at listings that might not be selling (like the stray person in Texas, or something, who might list an early 1962 one for $200 and never sell it). Looking at COMPLETED LISTINGS, they have a color-code for items which did or did not sell, though I forgot what it is.

Getting an idea of the market … and then deciding what is acceptable for you to get for these surveys, should help you sell them maybe to one of the guys getting the BCC of this email. Keep in mind, of course, that it will mean that somebody else will be doing all the work, eBay fees, etc. (all of which is considerable), so if there's interest in these and you get a fair offer and / or fair "second opinion," go ahead and think about taking it. For one thing, I don't know if Jack may already be "flooded" with WLS surveys of this vintage - I actually doubt it, though I know he has thousands of them from the 70s and late sixties.

Good luck finding a good home for these where everybody is happy with the results. WHAT CONDITION are they in? Are they pristine, or "used" and / or marked up, etc.? That can be important, too.

FRANK MERRILL

If anybody else out there wants to get in on this action, please drop me a note and I’ll be happy to pass it along.

My take is that the 1961 and 1962 WLS surveys (if mint condition as described) would be by far the most valuable … so yes, I believe you will find a buyer for these. But to add to Frank’s point, someone who is also a dealer will pay considerably less for them, even in bulk, because they have to be able to add their own mark-up to these items in order to make a buck. So I guess it really depends on how actively you want to be involved. If you’re looking to just “dump and run” and make a quick buck, that should be a relatively easy thing to do. But if you want to realize your maximum yield, this may take awhile … plus you open yourself up to interested parties “cherry-picking” only the surveys they want or need to complete their own collection. I would suggest that if you are going to pursue the eBay option yourself, you still offer the collection “in bulk” so that you don’t get stuck with a bunch of random weeks that virtually nobody wants. That’s my two cents. (kk)

BC:

Burton Cummings returns to The Arcada Theatre on Saturday, August 3^rd. (He’s also got a full band show at The Genesee Theatre on May 16^th. But STILL no “official” news on a pairing of Cummings and Randy Bachman for the Soundstage Taping of a brief US tour. Stay tuned … once it’s announced, we’ll have all of the details here. (kk)

THIS AND THAT:

Why oh why oh why???

Why on EARTH is there all this talk about a “Bohemian Rhapsody” sequel???

Why does Hollywood have to take EVERY good, new and unique idea and then milk the life out of it trying to recreate the magic? They just beat it to death until all the life and joy is gone, all in the name of the mighty buck!

The story that needed to be told has been told … all of the best music has been featured … Rami Malek has won his Oscar … the film is closing in on a ONE BILLION DOLLAR GROSS (oh … THAT’S why … forget quality … just churn ‘em out and see how many people you can sucker in to paying to see it again!)

PLEASE don’t ruin this by milking it to death. Please don’t permanently cramp Rami’s acting career by throwing so much money at him that he can’t say no, only to be forever typecast and remembered for the failure of a lesser quality film.

Don’t do it!!! Let the memory stand as is. Take the money and run … and maybe, you know, go out and get a NEW idea about a story that needs to be told! (kk)

That slowed-down Angels record is just blinkin' unbelievable!

But I KNOW some scientist, somewhere, given the honest chance, can explain it in terms we all can understand! :-P

Bob Frable

kk:
Brenda Lee … Little Miss Dynamite … talks about her incredible career.
FB
https://www.wsmv.com/news/music-icon-brenda-lee-talks-about-her-incredible-career/article_f2515c8a-43a1-11e9-8f14-abf295f1f15a.html?fbclid=IwAR3OGn86WsNOWa_anqLgw_jRm3BcpjyHBUymSClKmsm3GT_gTypA48u1RU8

Hi Kent,
This article appeared in Wednesday’s LA Times. Thought it might be of interest to you and/or your readers.
Lovin’ your posts!
Jerry Reuss
http://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=a64c4a11-04c2-4b55-bc56-613d261122fe

After our article ran the other day regarding the film being shown at The Smithsonian Institute regarding the Buddy Holly plane crash … and L.J. Coon’s insistence that the film should be modified … he received this response from The Smithsonian …

The Smithsonian
Melinda Machado
Director Communications and Marketing
Constitution Avenue, NW
Between 12th and 14th Streets
Washington, D.C.

Mr. Coon:
Thank you for your message about The Smithsonian documentary.
Your correspondence has been forwarded to The Smithsonian channel which is responsible for making films at The Smithsonian.
Baby steps, LJ, baby steps! But you’re being heard! (kk)

Still loving FH and still reading, and it's still awesome.
I was watching old cartoons from the 60's on Youtube the other day and came across one called Super Six. I watched it as a kid, not because it was a good one, but it was the best one on in its time period. With only our three networks back in the day, sometimes we had to settle for the best of the worst.
When the theme started to play on Youtube I thought that the singer had to be Gary Lewis. I did some digging and sure enough it was! I believe this to be 1966.
Bad cartoon, and not a great theme, but we all love our top 40 trivia.
Bill Scherer

Never even heard of this show before … but you’re right … the theme is pretty awful! (lol) kk

Hoping to see Gary at Mike Bush’s Gala Photo Exhibit this Friday Night (March 15^th)
The show runs through April 5^th and, in addition to opening night, Michael will be there each Saturday from Noon to 5 pm. (The gallery is closed on Sunday)
The Zhou B Art Center is located at 1029 W. 35^th Street in Chicago (right near Sox Park) and Mike’s “61 At 61” Gallery will be on display in the second floor exhibition space.
Please try to come by if you live in the area.

More information can be found here:
www.zhoubartcenter.com/61-at-61.html

Gary Lewis(of the Playboys) said: "Mike and I have been friends since 1985. I met him when he was taking photos of the first Happy Together tour and doing a great job of it. His stuff is all quality, and I've used many of his photos on my website and for promo shots. I will be there to wish him well on his first showing!"

David Somerville (lead singer of The Diamonds)– called MGB: “The rock star of rock photographers.”

Davy Jones (of The Monkees)– called MGB: "The best kept secret in rock & roll photography."

Radio legend,Dick Biondi - called MGB: “The greatest rock & roll photographer in the country."

Jim Peterik (Grammy winning member of The Ides of March, formerly of Survivor, and of .38 Special fame): "I've known Mike Bush since 1983, and was immediately impressed by his amazing eye behind the camera to capture the very essence of live performance. That is a talent that goes beyond mere technique and goes deeper to his appreciation of music and a passion that rivals the passion of the performers onstage. '61 at 61' will prove to be a must see treat for everyone that shares the same enthusiasm for capturing those magic moments".

Jimy Sohns (The Shadows of Knight): "Michael is an amazing photographer. He has the ability to capture every side of me, and there are many! He captures the soul of everyone he photographs. MICHAEL G. BUSH FOR MAYOR! I'd vote for him..."

Ronnie Rice (The New Colony Six): "Anyone who's met Michael knows he loves his craft, and it shows in his photos. He's a nice guy with a big heart, and he's been a loyal friend."

Carl Giammarese (The Buckinghams): "The artistry that Michael Bush shows in his photographs is because of his innate talent and his devotion to the music of our generations. Combining his devotion to his art and love of music, Michael channels his focus on the heart and soul of the performers he photographs. His pictures have that “something else” factor that distinguish his talent. For four decades, The Buckinghams have enjoyed his photographs and our friendship. I look forward to his “Legends” photo exhibit at the Zhou B Art Center."

TOMMY JAMES (Shondells): "I have known Mike for decades, and he is without a doubt one of the most talented and nicest people you are ever going to meet...He has a way of getting intimate expressions and moments from the people he photographs, and really captures who they are. I am very proud to call him my friend, and wish him great success on this wonderful project."

Here are a couple more exclusive shots that Michael sent me to feature in Forgotten Hits ... both will beon display at the gallery ...

This is going to be a very big deal ... LOTS of press coverage here in Chicago ... and follow-up exhibits are already in the works. (In fact, Michael just may take his show on the road to display in other galleries!)
We've been buggin' him for twenty years to show his work to the public ... SO many great photos and experiences to share ... yet for whatever reason he's been reluctant to do so ... until his Mother finally told him, "I want to see you do something with all these photos before I die!!!"
That was all the inspiration he needed ... so thank you, Mama Bush, for giving him that healthy kick in the pants!
Hope to see some of you out there. (kk)

Hello Kent -
Just an FYI –
I posted an excerpt from the recently released "Good Vibrations - Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys in Critical Perspective" (edited by Philip Lambert; music professor and serious Beach Boys fan)
https://prayforsurfblog.blogspot.com/?m=1
Phil
Pray For Surf blog

Hi Kent,
A few years ago, I sent you a comprehensive list of 50’s & 60’s instrumentals with vocal versions. Many of the vocals are quite rare and fascinating. Now, they are being posted to a YouTube channel by a music scholar named Bob Mokus. His user name is MusicProf78.
You might want to put this link on your Forgotten Hits blog. It’s nice to be able to click on any of the renditions and listen to the song. Bob has posted most of the material, but it is still a work in progress, so, people can get started exploring and then come back for the new additions. Bob has included a few hits from the 40’s, but the vast majority are from the 50’s & 60’s. And he has uncovered some that I was not aware of.
By the way, his channel has several playlists that your blog readers would certainly enjoy. I especially like the one that has the first recordings of popular hits.
Here is the link to the instrumental / vocals playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTFzQlK7fWk_RGMKhNnGZNKBZcM8tQ3bZ
This is a fun site … I’ve already been playing around on here for the past hour! Check it out, folks! (kk)

↧

The Ides Of March

March 15, 2019, 4:48 am

≫ Next: March 17th

≪ Previous: Thursday This And That

kk ...

3/15/2019 = TODAY IS THE "IDES OF MARCH"

Remember that when you get in your vehicle today.

↧

March 17th

March 17, 2019, 4:00 am

≫ Next: A Monday Morning Quickie!

≪ Previous: The Ides Of March

Here's the full WLS line-up, circa 1969 ... Clark Weber (a long-time FH contributor), Art Roberts, one of the great 'LS deejays from the '60's, who even hosted his own television show here in The Windy City for a short while, the incomparable Larry Lujack, "Superjock," our FH Buddy Chuck Buell, who still makes us smile every time we hear from him, Kris Erik Stevens (Buell and Stevens were part of the new "youth movement" Program Director John Rook was going for ... and it was thru John that I ultimately connected with both of them) ... and then Jerry Kay, the guy who did overnights for the station.

Honestly, I'd put this line-up against ANY at the Top 40 stations currently broadcasting across the nation at the time. The '60's was a hotbed of Top 40 Heaven, and WLS consistently led the pack with "personality" radio. Gone was Bernie Allen, Dex Card (incredibly it was LUJACK who was counting down the weekly chart these days!) and Don Phillips ... all kind of vintage "fuddy-dud" broadcasters who, being much older ... and LOOKING much older ... didn't really connect well with WLS' target teenage audience. (Quite honestly, even Art Roberts had "toned things down a bit" as a much more laid-back mid-day jock for the station.)

Most sorely missed was Ron Riley, one of the hippest jocks to ever grace the station. Ron, too, still participates from time to time with Forgotten Hits ... man, I used to LOVE tuning in to his program each night ... a VERY creative and inventive jock who put his all into his program.

As for the music, it was more of 1969's best. Tommy Roe STILL holds down the top spot with his mega-hit "Dizzy." (We told you last week that it eventually sold six million copies!) Not a huge shake-up for the rest of this week's Top Ten, although "Hot Smoke And Sasafrass" and "May I" and "Long Green" have already outperformed their national runs. (Bubble Puppy has the #7 record here in Chicago this week ... it peaked at #13 nationally; Bill Deal and the Rhondels sit at #8 this week in Chi-Town while nationally it would stop at #33 ... and #39 in Billboard!) and The Fireballs have the #10 record with "Long Green," which had a #43 national showing in Cash Box ... but lingered all the way down at #73 in Billboard!

How hot is The Cowsills' new hit "Hair"? It jumps 24 places (incredible!) from #37 to #13 this week, a sure-fire #1 Hit! "Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In" by The Fifth Dimension, also from the same musical, leaps 17 spots from #40 to #23.

Other big movers include "Mendocino" by The Sir Douglas Quintet (#20 to #12), "It's Your Thing" by The Isley Brothers (#32 to #24), "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show," the new one by Neil Diamond (#34 to #27) and "You've Made Me So Very Happy," our first exposure to a brand new group called Blood, Sweat And Tears, jumps from #38 to #30.

Debuts this week include a few tracks that will go on to remain popular fixtures for many decades to come ... "I Can Hear Music" by The Beach Boys premiers at #37, "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" by Crazy Elephant premiers at #38, proving that bubblegum music was sill alive and well in 1969 (as if Tommy Roe's #1 Record wasn't proof enough!) and Tommy James and the Shondells are exhibiting a whole new sound with their latest, "Sweet Cherry Wine," which debuts at #40.

I've also always been partial to the brand new record premiering this week at #39. I had to see the record for myself in order to believe that "Will You Be Staying After Sunday" was not the brand new Spanky And Our Gang record ... but rather the debut hit for a brand new band called The Peppermint Rainbow. To this day, I still believe Spanky was cheated out of what could have been her biggest hit ... but of course at THIS point, it doesn't really matter ... a good song is a good song is a good song ... and this is a GREAT one that definitely falls into the "Forgotten Hit" category!

This Week in 1969:
March 11^th– Actor Terrence Howard is born

Also on this date, the country duo Flatt and Scruggs officially break up

March 12^th– Paul McCartney, the last single Beatle, marries Linda Eastman at the Marylebone Registry Office in the City of Westminster in Central London. His brother Mike is his Best Man … and none of the other Beatles attend. (Linda is pregnant with the couple’s first daughter, Mary.) Paul will eventually adopt Linda’s daughter Heather from a previous marriage.

Also on this date ... while Paul and Linda were getting married, George and Patti Harrison were being busted for cannabis possession!

The Everly Brothers and Ray Charles are among the guests on tonight's airing of The Kraft Music Hall.

March 13^th– Apollo 9 returns safely to Earth

Also on this date, the Elvis Presley film "Charro" opens in theaters

And Glen Campbell records "True Grit," the title song to the new movie he'll be starring in with American icon John Wayne.

March 16^th - Janis Joplin performs "Raise Your Hand" and "Maybe" on The Ed Sullivan Show. Ed Ames is also on hand, singing "If I Had A Hammer" and "Changing, Changing."

March 17^th– Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel.

SPECIAL TREAT:

Since March 17th is, after all, St. Patrick's Day, WLS DJ Chuck Buell sent us this memento from 50 years ago today ...

Top ‘O’ the Forgotten Hits Mornin’ to you, Laddie!

Here’s the Special 1969 WLS St. Patrick’s Day Full Newspaper Promo Page that appeared in the Chicago Tribune and The Chicago Sun Times!

Left to Right: Clark Weber, Art Roberts, Larry Lujack, Chuck Buell, Kris Stevens, Jerry Kay and, of course, St. Patrick!

Faith and Begorrah, Danny Boy! Those were the Days!

Charlie O’Buell

Thank you, St. Charles ... which, as everybody out there knows by now, is also the home of The Arcada Theatre!
Guess I'll just sign off for today then as Paddy O'Furniture! (kk)

↧

A Monday Morning Quickie!

March 18, 2019, 4:00 am

≫ Next: C'mon ... Get It Together Me-TV and Me-TV-FM!!!

≪ Previous: March 17th

A few moreHal Blaine comments have trickled in …

Hi Kent –
This week has been so sad with the passing of Hal Blaine (the World's greatest drummer) The tributes on your page and on social media are testimony to a wonderful man. Once I read Kent Hartman's book on the Wrecking Crew I knew I had to meet Hal Blaine.
In 2016 I was on holiday in America and he invited me to his home in Palm Desert. I can still hear his words when I pressed the bell on his gated community: "I've been waiting for you."
The day we spent was amazing. His house is adorned with letters from three presidents, astronauts who took his music into space and memorabilia of staggering proportions. Every musician I have interviewed quite rightly quotes Hal Blaine as the greatest. He gave me signed photos and the legendary sticker "Hal Blaine strikes again."
Even in January he was sending me his regular e-mail "on this day in music," which I always used on my radio shows.
Like everyone else, he will be sorely missed.
My condolences to his family
Regards
Geoff
www.softrockshow.co.uk

Kent,
So very sad to hear of Hal Blaine's passing.
I was fortunate enough to interview Hal twice, both times in person.
The second time, he asked if I was doing anything after the interview. I said I was free. He then invited me to a recording session at Bell Sound in Hollywood with producer Joe Saraceno (The Marketts, The T-Bones and The Routers) - which, in the studio at least, were Hal and members of The Wrecking Crew.
What a fascinating couple of hours.
I've produced music before and hundreds of jingles, so being in the studio wasn't a big deal, but being in THIS studio with THIS drummer and the rest of the musicians (and producer Saraceno) was magical.
A few years ago, I wrote a column about Hal for a Bob Segarini blogsite. Here's that column. https://bobsegarini.wordpress.com/2015/02/16/doug-thompson-hal-blaine-dance-to-the-drummer-man/
Rest easy Hal. You were a musical legend and well and truly loved and revered.
Doug Thompson
Toronto

We lost another music legend this past weekend as revolutionary surf guitarist Dick Dale (The King Of Surf Guitar) passed away on Saturday, March 16th at the age of 81.
Dale was yet another artist that made every edition of our Deserving And Denied List of artists worthy of induction to yet consistently ignored and overlooked by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
The most frustrating thing about THIS particular omission is that Dale's resume meets (and exceeds) the exact criteria and very essence of what The Rock Hall was founded to acknowledge and honor ... an innovative guitarist who changed the sound of rock and roll. The number of guitarists and artist he influenced with his twangy, surf guitar is immeasurable. (At the very least he should have been inducted as an Early Influence ... but now, once again, another artist has passed before The Hall bestowed the rightful honor of his induction.)
You'll see TONS of accolades pour in for this guy ... he virtually invented surf rock and countless instrumental combos in the process, not to mention early surf pioneers like The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean. (kk)

As if we haven't had enough sadness for the week - we lost Dick Dale today. Saw him live a few years ago at Biddy Mulligan's and was surprised that the crowd was tiny - they apparently didn't advertise the appearance enough. He blew the place away.
Mike Wolstein

Harvey Kubernik sent in this remembrance put together by himself and Chris Darrow ... as well as an updated piece by Chris ...

As you might know, I've been doing an oral music history with multi-instrumentalist Chris Darrow for 40 years.
We were just talking about Dale's influence on Jimi Hendrix. I saw Dick on stage 45 and 50 years ago in SoCal and decided why bother to learn guitar ...

Darrow has cut a number of solo albums and been a sideman on albums by James Taylor and John Stewart, toured with Linda Ronsdadt, 1969 - 1971 and is an architect of SoCal country rock and pioneer force in Americana. And very involved with surf music.
HK

"The only real surf guitarist for me is Dick Dale. All the rest are imitators,” Chris claims. “I saw him a number of times around 1962, ’63 at The Rendevous Ballroom in Newport Beach. The intensity and volume of the performances were such that the wooden building seemed to lift off the ground when he played. Until the Beatles came along there was nothing that drove the audiences as wild like Dick Dale and The Del-Tones. He was boss.”

Darrow has been the bandleader for the annual “Surfer Magazine Awards Banquet,” formed a group with guitarist Paul Johnson, who had written the surf masterpiece “Mister Moto,” and Darrow and Corky Carroll, a surf legend did a whole album for Germany on Gee Dee Reords called “Surfdogs on the Range.”

“I lived in San Clemente for about seven years in the late seventies and that’s where I met Corky and most of the surf guys I know. I used to put together a band every year for the ‘Surf Magazine’ awards show called the Hula Buckaroos. We had a band called Cheapshot that was the group Chester, Jerry Waller and I played in. We expanded it to include Bob Siggins. We did everything from ‘Hawaii 5-0 Theme’ to ‘Quiet Village.’ We would play the show and then the dance afterwards. Very cool deal.”

The above appeared in a "Goldmine" magazine cover story I did last decade. Copyright Harvey Kubernik 2019

I just called Chris and told him the news.

He sent me the below expanded reflection ...

Dick Dale By Chris Darrow

"I started surfing in high school about 1959 and was stunned by the first Surfer magazine, which came a year later. Started by John Severson, it was a way to finance his early surf films. SURF FEVER was the film that started it all for me. It featured Mexican music, a mandolin instrumental played by Pete Seeger called Woody’s Rag and Henry Mancini’s Peter Gunn Theme was used for the big wave sequence at Wiamea Bay. Surf Music, as such, had not yet been invented.

There had always been instrumental music in Rock and Roll ... guys like Joe Houston, Link Ray, “Mighty”Jim Balcom, Chuck Higgins, Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs and the incomparable Duane Eddy, all set up the arrival of “The King of the Surf Guitar”, Dick Dale.

In 1961 he put out a record called Let’s Go Trippin and it was all over. The first real guitar god of Rock and Roll was born with that 45rpm record. His home turf was Newport Beach, California, and he played regularly at the Rendezvous Ballroom out on the Newport Peninsula. Since the forties, Newport Beach and Balboa Island had been the coastal hang out for most of the high school beach kids in Southern California, especially during “Bal Week”, Easter vacation. Places like The Jolly Roger restaurant on Balboa Island and Sid’s Blue Beet, The Prison of Socrates and the Rendezvous in Newport were popular gathering spots in the late 50’s and early sixties.

I saw Dick Dale for the first time in 1962 or '63 at the Rendezvous Ballroom. The Rendezvous was an old wooden building with a mezzanine wrapping around its interior. Dick Dale and the Del-Tones played so loud and hard that the reverberating sound in this giant, wooden, sound box literally made the rafters shake. It was exiting and visceral. Peroxide heads in Pendleton shirts did the Surfer Stomp with their chicks on the big dance floor. Dick, playing his Fender Stratocaster, upside down and backwards, wowed the audience with pyrotechnics and theatrics that the likes of Jimi Hendrix would later absorb into his persona. Had it not been for the Beatles and the English Invasion, I feel that Dick would have been a greater star and even more of a household name.

The next time I saw him was in the late seventies at a club that he owned in Orange County, dubbed the Rendezvous. It was a totally different vibe, with a Vegas-style act in a Vegas-style cub. There were scantily clad girls dancing on the bars and a lounge type group backing him up, featuring his Asian wife, Jeanie, and a big, black, sax player with a shaved head called Mr. Clean. He did popular songs and every once in a while did a “Dick Dale Song”. That was probably his lowest period.

I was living in San Clemente at the time and would front a band called the Hula Buckaroos for the Annual Surfer Magazine Awards banquet every year. There were always special guests at the event. One year Dick was introduced out of the audience, and, as we were playing a tune as his intro, he jumped up on stage and proceeded to sit in on almost every instrument, including the drums. I have only seen Sammy Davis Jr. do anything as 'show biz' as that in my life. It is my opinion that the only, true surf guitar player is Dick Dale … all the others are just pretenders."

Copyright 2019 Chris Darrow

Last week we told you about a new EP release by Tommy Roe … and then FH List Member David Lewis told us that Tommy had been rerecording a number of his hits down in Nashville as well.
Here is more on this story:
https://www.centerline.news/single-post/2019/03/14/Tommy-Roe-releases-new-EP-while-revisiting-his-classic-60s-hits

Actor / Singer / Teen Star / Heartthrob Johnny Crawford (“The Rifleman”) has been admitted to a full time care facility where he is suffering from the effects of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Fellow teen star (and long-time advocate of child stars for decades now through his “A Minor Consideration” organization) Paul Petersen (“The Donna Reed Show” … and he crooned a tune or two as well, as did his tv-sister Shelley Fabares) has set up a GOFUNDME Page for those who wish to donate. (Crawford’s healthcare costs are in the neighborhood of $8000 a month!) Details on how to donate can be found via the link shown below.
Or, if you wish to send a Get Well greeting, you may do so by writing to Johnny at Glen Park Healthy Living - 1220 Mariposa St - Glendale, Ca. 91205.
Thank you to FH Reader Frank B, who received these updates through Wild Wayne … and to all who can find it in their hearts to give back. (kk)

From Paul Petersen:
My lifelong friend, Johnny Crawford, has been given a tough diagnosis: Alzheimer's.
His wife, Charlotte, now has him safely in a home. The cost is steep.
The former kid stars in A Minor Consideration are doing what they can to help.
For those who enjoyed Johnny's work and music over all these decades, here's a way to give back to Johnny Crawford.
Paul Petersen
https://www.gofundme.com/johnny-crawford039s-alzheimer039s-fund?teamInvite=slHQGu3ztn7FrPT7E2P3Y9TozOoYABJmQVmQGUy5gjZ7DBfz69I4sxg2jTkqBc0j&fbclid=IwAR32jo6exU3Vx6D__C0NlbRHFTIpVdImZqBX_H7olQCoMq4xTE5ppAZD_WA

THE HIT LIST

Here are The Top Ten Biggest Hits by Johnny Crawford, Paul Petersen and Shelley Fabares:

#1 – Johnny Angel – Shelley Fabares (#1, 1962)

#2 - My Dad – Paul Petersen (#6, 1963)

#3 - Cindy’s Birthday – Johnny Crawford (#8, 1962)

#4 - Rumors – Johnny Crawford (#12, 1962)

#5 - Your Nose Is Gonna Grow – Johnny Crawford (#14), 1962)

#6 - She Can’t Find Her Keys – Paul Petersen (#19, 1962)

#7 - Johnny Loves Me – Shelley Fabares (#21, 1962)

#8 - Proud – Johnny Crawford (#28, 1963)

#9 - Patti Ann – Johnny Crawford (#40, 1962)

#10 – The Things We Did Last Summer – Shelley Fabares (#46, 1962)

A couple of weeks ago we got to talking about 45 adapters and such …
It never even dawned on me that we were on the eve of the 70th Anniversary of the 45 … a move that revolutionized the record industry back in 1949. (The little record with the big hole was puzzling to most … and I still maintain that there is absolutely NO reason why they couldn’t have just gone with the smaller hole in the middle like every other record ever pressed … unless the savings on that extra inch and a half of unused vinyl was just so massively significant … and maybe it was … that the pressing plants saved a fortune by not having to use as much … but wouldn’t you think that bigger circle still would have had to be cut out in some fashion, resulting in that 1 ½” circle ultimately being discarded and thrown in the garbage???)
Oh well, here’s some more information along with some celebratory news about this revolutionary invention …
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/45-vinyl-singles-history-806441/

And, since we’re talking hit singles, the latest by Maroon 5, featuring Cardi B (“Girls Like You”) reached a Billboard milestone this week when it began its 40^th week in The Top 20 … something achieved by only five other singles prior to this week. (It’s not at all surprising that ALL of these achievers are from post-1997, by which time it was not at all uncommon to see a hit record spend a YEAR or more on the chart!!!)
Ah, I long for the days when the market was SO competitive that artists were releasing three or four singles a year just to keep their names out there (and their music on the radio!). Back then, a successful chart run was about twelve weeks … and you made the most of it during your moment in the sun. (I can still remember when Paul Davis set the music trades on their collective ear when “I Go Crazy” entered its 40^th week in The Top 100 … this was unheard of at the time. Now we’re talking about 40 weeks in The Top 20!) From a chart perspective, music sure has gotten boring! There’s just not enough worthy competition to rejuvenate the charts each week. (Of course, today, new records debut at #1 on a regular basis, too. And ANY recording is fair game, as long as you get enough downloads and YouTube views … it doesn’t even have to be a “single” anymore to make an impression on the chart.) Seems like all the fun (and methodology of it all) are long gone from the music industry. On the plus side, I will admit that the charts today are completely fan-driven … and that’s a good thing. (kk)

The six longest running Billboard Top 20 Hits:
Most Weeks in Hot 100's Top 20
46, "You Were Meant for Me"/"Foolish Games," Jewel, No. 2 peak, April 19, 1997
42, "Shape of You," Ed Sheeran, No. 1 (12 weeks), Jan. 28, 2017
42, "Uptown Funk!," Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, No. 1 (14 weeks), Jan. 17, 2015
40, "Girls Like You," Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B, No. 1 (seven weeks), Sept. 29, 2018
40, "Perfect," Ed Sheeran duet with Beyoncé, No. 1 (six weeks), Dec. 23, 2017
40, "Party Rock Anthem," LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock, No. 1 (six weeks), July 16, 2011

Here’s another interesting chart statistic …

Two of those records shown above spent more than ten weeks in the #1 spot.
Between 1992 and 2015 (the latest Top Pop Singles book by Joel Whitburn) 32 records have spent ten or more weeks at #1.
In the previous 37 year period that only happened a total of four times.
So again, how can you possibly compare the hits of today to the hits of yesterday when this kind of discrepancy can exist?

On the anniversary of the recording of the R&B / R&R Classic “Sh-Boom” (March 15^th, 1954), Frank B. sent us this clip, recounting the incredible story behind the hit song …

“Sh-Boom” charted for 24 weeks on Cash Box Magazine’s Pop Chart in 1954, ultimately sharing the #1 spot (with versions recorded by other artists, most notably, The Crew Cuts) for seven weeks. (kk)

Have you seen the list of presenters for this year’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony? (I’m not quite sure I get most of them … but here they are):
Harry Styles presenting for Stevie Nicks
Brian May of Queen presenting for Def Leppard
Janelle Monáe presenting for Janet Jackson
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails presenting for The Cure
David Byrne presenting for Radiohead
John Taylor & Simon LeBon of Duran Duran presenting for Roxy Music
Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles presenting for The Zombies
The ceremony takes place on Friday, March 29^th and will air beginning April 27^th on HBO. (I can't promise you that I'll be watching!)

In 1974 we took an extensive tour of the southwest. By pure coincidence, one of the places we camped at was near the actual gravesite of the real Ringo, depicted in Lorne Greene’s 1964 record that was listed in Hal Blaine’s achievements.
Unlike the record, Ringo, appeared to have committed suicide, by gun, at this absolutely beautiful site next to a pond at the base of the Chiricahua Mountain range in southeast Arizona.
This year we are on another extended tour of the southwest and we attempted to retrace the route of our 1974 trip as closely as possible. On 12/30/18 we were able to locate the grave and our campsite again, which was not easy as it is in a remote area. The grave and the site is exactly as it was in '74.
Very few people, even residents of Arizona, are aware of this beautiful area and we highly recommend it.
Robert Campbell

>>>I was watching old cartoons from the 60's on Youtube the other day and came across one called Super Six. I watched it as a kid, not because it was a good one, but it was the best one on in its time period. With only our three networks back in the day, sometimes we had to settle for the best of the worst. When the theme started to play on Youtube I thought that the singer had to be Gary Lewis. I did some digging and sure enough it was! I believe this to be 1966. Bad cartoon, and not a great theme, but we all love our top 40 trivia. (Bill Scherer)

I had the opportunity to visit with Gary Lewis Friday Night at the opening of Michael Bush’s Photo Exhibit (which is quite amazing, by the way!) and we had a good laugh over this “Super Six” tune. (He’s the first to admit it’s not the greatest material he’s ever recorded! Lol)

But Gary said this was such an exciting time as there were so many opportunities to do fun side projects like these. (He also mentioned his series of Coca Cola commercials.) Guest-starring on tv shows … major tours with other big name acts … and then, beginning in 1985 (which is when he first met Mike Bush), the very first Happy Together Tour. (There is a great photo at the exhibit from this era.)

We talked again about the long-lasting popularity of this music … and how fans who came to see him fifty years ago are still coming to his concerts today.
I’ve gotta tell you, Gary looks great … and has quite a few shows coming up which, if any happen to be in your area, he would love to see you attend!
https://www.garylewisandtheplayboys.com/shows

As for Michael G. Bush’s “61 at 61” photo exhibit, there are some amazing shots on display … if you get the chance to stop by (it runs thru April 5^th), please do as I think you’ll really enjoy it. (Scroll back to Thursday’s post for more details.)

My favorites include an amazing shot of Alice Cooper (the detail in this photo is incredible), a beautiful shot of “the two Davids” (Cassidy and Jones), which presents a rare photo opportunity where both artists actually appear to be sober, a very nice photo of Rick Nelson, that great Bee Gees shot we ran last week and one of Carl Wilson backstage where you can see their entire Beach Boys set list written on the palm of his hand!

It was also interesting to see photographers taking photos of the photographer at the opening night event. Luciano Bilotti and Jack Monogan, both of whom have shared their photos with Forgotten Hits over the years, were there snapping away and admiring in awe the quality of Michael’s work.

Lou explained the uniqueness of Mike’s work … all taken with 35mm film … no digital (not in his vocabulary) … and many from a vintage time capturing these artists during the prime time of their careers. Bush had unlimited, unheard of access at a time where many others had to sneak a camera into a venue in the hopes of capturing a shot or two … and he got to know these artists by visiting with them backstage before and after a show, building relationships that have lasted decades. (Gary Lewis told me that he just HAD to fly in for this exhibit to show his support … he and Bush have been friends since Michael took his first Gary Lewis photo during a Happy Together Tour stop in Chicago in 1985.) So many of these artists have left us in recent years so it is especially exciting to see them captured during a far more carefree and exciting time.

In addition to visiting with Gary Lewis, I was also able to do a FaceTime visit with Dennis Tufano, thanks to his sister, who was there showing all of the photos to Dennis via her cell phone because he couldn’t be there personally to experience it for himself.

Michael told me that he already has other exhibits in mind … including one spotlighting Freddie Mercury and Queen (hot on the heels of all the Bohemian Rhapsody frenzy that’s been going on thanks to the enormously successful movie) which could happen as soon as this summer. He’d also like to do one featuring Chicago’s own Cornerstones of Rock Legends (Michael has been photographing The Ides Of March, The Buckinghams, The New Colony Six, The Shadows Of Knight and The Cryan’ Shames for the past forty years now!) and, maybe next year, “62 at 62,” featuring all new photos not featured this year. (The guy may have a million photos in his collection by this point … in fact, it sounds like HE is discovering or re-discovering some of these for the first time in decades, too!)

Other exhibits currently under consideration: The Beach Boys 60^th Anniversary, On Tour With The Monkees, Sixties Hitmakers, The History Of British Rock, and several others. So while this particular exhibit may have been a long time coming, it sounds like it just may have opened the door allowing for many more similar exhibits to come … in addition to the long talked about “coffee table book” collecting the best of the best from these series that fans can purchase as a personal keepsake.

Great turn out for a very special event, a long time coming to say the least. (kk)
www.zhoubartcenter.com/61-at-61.html

Kent,
I received the email about surveys that Frank Merrill referred to in FH the other day. I immediately wrote back to the person who wanted to know if his WLS Silver Dollar Survey collection was worth anything. The short answer is, yes. However, there are a bunch of qualifiers that go along with that statement. Both you and Frank touched on a couple and I will add in a couple more.
First it doesn't matter what memorabilia you collect, be it music, sports, political, etc. As Frank said, condition is EVERYTHING! As a collector, I detest the terms NM, VG, G, etc. What's worse is the use of pluses and/or minuses afterwards. What's the difference between NM- and VG+? We won't get into exactly what is NM, and what is a lesser grade. A good rule of thumb is to place two identical items, and in this case surveys, next to each other. If you can see a difference, then one is NOT NM. Chances are neither is NM.
Survey defects include, but are not necessarily limited to, corner dings, corner folds (there's a difference), the entire survey is folded in half (usually thru the middle), writing on the survey, nicks, tears, wrinkles and more. What it comes down to is what you'll tolerate for the price you have to pay for it. I'll tolerate a less than perfect copy of some weeks, if the price is right. Will I pay $100.00 for survey #1, that looks like it may disintegrate at anytime? Nope. Will I pay $5.00 for it? Maybe, but I won't get into a bidding war over it. The same goes for the other three weeks I'm still missing. In fact, a survey could have none of the above defects and still not be near mint. These surveys were very crisp pieces of paper and if they've lost that crispness, it's lost value. In short, in determining a value, one must consider what, if anything, detracts from top value. Saying something is NM is meaningless. Also meaningless is the rationalization that they are vintage. You won't find them in any shape. I'll tell you right now, I can produce 25 copies of 1/3/64. Probably 50, and in as good, or better shape than anyone else has.
Next is something you mentioned, Kent. Does he want to sell them all at once, or let someone cherry pick? You said if you sell them in bulk, the buyer will want a better deal, than if he were to buy a couple. What many might not realize, is that the prime stuff will go first. You get your top dollar and then what? You're left with bread crumbs ... dates no one wants, or it's one of those NM surveys that isn't really NM ... so you're stuck with them at your current asking price, and now the total value has dropped because the "good" stuff is gone. It comes down to average price per survey. You could be losing more money by selling it individually.
Obviously, the earlier the date, the more valuable, but not always. Other factors include the featured jock, the songs listed, and even the ad on the back. Some surveys have three different ads. Some surveys have more than one color and, of course, then there are those half dozen or so gold surveys. (Don't get me started!) I will not give out info on what surveys are more valuable, as I don't want to see the price shoot up because I said 1/3/64 is rare. Maybe I should … maybe I'll sell a few! What it comes down to, plain and simple, is that any given week is worth whatever someone wants to pay for it.
One final thing to consider is that the market is totally different than it was when you and I first met over 40 years ago. (We thought we were the only ones!) I don't know how many collections I've filled in for people over the years, and once they have what they need, the market has shrunk. The Internet and eBay, has done wonders for the hobby. However, the market is shrinking.
A 15 year old kid in 1961 is now 73. How many are still interested in reliving their youth? How many still have those 1961 charts?
What is needed is their 15 year old grandchildren to take an interest in it. Pretty much everyone who wants WLS surveys already has them. All of us are missing the same "Holy Grails." WLS and, by extension, almost all urban market surveys, are not as desirable as they once were. The market is flooded. I'm sitting on at least 7500 Silver Dollar Surveys. You wanna take them off my hands? I'll give you below market value price if you buy them all.
An honest answer for the gentleman who wrote asking about the value would be about $5-25 for a PRISTINE copy. There are a few worth ten times that total and a few that if you were lucky enough to get two dollars, I'd tell you take the money and run. However once any of the above mentioned defects show up, the value drops like yesterday's #1 record.
Jack
That's a pretty good assessment.
I asked Jack which surveys he still needed original copies of in order to complete his own collection ...

And here is what he sent me ...

It looks to me that I'm missing 10/14, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29 and 11/5, all 1960 plus 5/6/61 and 4/13/74. (I have no idea where that went to.

Now technically the only week I'm truly missing is the one from 1974. The others I have almost perfect two side color copies of. Thanks.

Jack

In the unlikely event that ANYBODY out there happens to have a good, clean (pristine?) original copy available, please contact me and I will pass your information along. Thank you. (kk)

Some big doings this September in Louisville, KY, where the “Bourbon And Beyond” three day festival is showcasing some major talent!

↧

C'mon ... Get It Together Me-TV and Me-TV-FM!!!

March 19, 2019, 4:01 am

≫ Next: Spring Has Finally Sprung!

≪ Previous: A Monday Morning Quickie!

I have to admit that I was a little confused (and maybe even a little disturbed) by a recent email sent out by Me-TV, referring to “Six Rock Bands Huge in the '60s But Largely Forgotten Today,” especially since their sister radio station, Me-TV-FM plays ALL of these artists (and quite extensively, I might add) on a regular basis. Far more attention to this fact should have been paid in the article in my opinion. (Don't sell yourselves short, guys ... you're one of a kind!)

The six singled out? Chad and Jeremy, The Cowsills, The Dave Clark Five, The Young Rascals, Paul Revere and the Raiders and Jan and Dean. (The tagline reads “You don’t hear ‘Over And Over’ and ‘Kicks’ much these days” … another complete misnomer if you spend any time at all listening to this station.)

In fact, Me-TV-FM offers, without question, hands down, the BEST variety of ‘60’s music on the dial these days … so it seems a bit daft to me to have the TV station make a comment like this without simply referring the reader to “the solution to this problem is to turn on Me-TV-FM.”

Of course, that would be a much bigger and universal solution if Me-TV-FM streamed world wide … but the Chicago-based station is still avoiding the best way to promote themselves to their largest potential audience. (Me-TV is available on cable television stations everywhere … there must be SOME way the radio station can piggyback on to this already established familiarity in homes from coast-to-coast and become the “go to” station when it comes to oldies music.)

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again … their playlist (for the most part) reflects everything we have been pushing for the past twenty years in Forgotten Hits … play those songs that everybody remembers that all of the other radio stations have forgotten all about due to their tight 200-300 song playlists and the listeners will respond.

The article goes on to say:

“Despite what some say, classic rock will never die. The Rolling Stones are heading out on another tour of football stadiums. A biopic about Queen was one of the cinematic crazes of 2018. Heck, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is currently the No. 2 rock song in America right nowas this sentence is being typed (and many of Queen's greatest hits are just below it). On the retail front, Target sells Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd T-shirts. There's big money is decades-old rock.

"What's interesting is that Pink Floyd and Grateful Dead were hardly best-selling acts in America in the 1960s. Their critically acclaimed albums peaked at chart positions like No. 87, No. 73, No. 131. Meanwhile, the Monkees, Herman's Hermits and the Lovin' Spoonful were sitting pretty at the top of the charts.

"Herman's Hermits and the Lovin' Spoonful no longer have the same clout as, say, the Doors. This is quantifiable thanks to streaming numbers. Spotify tracks the number of monthly listeners for every act. Icons like the Beatles rake in 17.5 million listeners per month. But the Fab Four are deified. So let's move down to groups like the Doors (6.7 million), the Kinks (4.8 million) and the Monkees (3 million). Then there are influential bands like the Velvet Underground (2.3 million) and the Yardbirds (1 million) who have only grown in stature since their days as Sixties cult acts.

"That brings us to the following six groups. Back in the day, they had numerous Top 10 hits and multiple best-selling albums. They appeared on television shows. Some of them even had their own movies. Heck, a few even saw their likenesses turned into toys and dolls. Today, however, they scrape up a meager 100,000 or 200,000 Spotify spins per month.

"To put that in perspective, Eighties one-hit wonders like Kajagoogoo (317,000) and Tommy Tutone (348,000) perform better than these wonderful acts."

I'm not so sure 100,000 - 200,000 spins per month is so bad for an act that hasn't released a record in over fifty years ... but I will admit that I totally don't get the whole Kajagoogoo thing!!! (lol)

Putting things into my own words, and calling the shots as I see them from my perspective, I think ALL of these acts are still worthy of airplay. They may not be the darlings of Spotify (I wouldn’t know as I’ve never subscribed to it) … but the REAL reason they may not be wracking up the clicks may be because they haven’t had the exposure some of these other acts have had over the last several years and, as such, they’re not as instantly recognizable as some of the rest. (I don’t think Val Kilmer will ever be starring in a Dave Clark biopic the way he did for Jim Morrison … or as Peter Noone either for that matter!)

[For the record: I wrote MY synopsis for each of these acts BEFORE reading what Me-TV had to say … and was surprised to see afterwards how many of the same points we both raised. Like they always say, great minds tend to think alike!]

Perhaps were some of this music brought more to the forefront by way of radio airplay, use in television commercials and movies and other outlets that today’s music fans enjoy listening to, this whole scenario could be turned around on a dime.

For example, The Dave Clark Five had 17 National Top 40 Hits (and a few others that just missed.) Now in this case, the complete idiocy of Dave Clark making this music unavailable for decades certainly contributed greatly to the lack of following and familiarity with many of these tunes.

But The Dave Clark Five rivaled The Beatles in the earliest days of The British Invasion well before The Rolling Stones ever caught on. (Herman’s Hermits did, too, for that matter … but Peter Noone’s non-stop touring and brilliant showmanship have kept his legion of fans addicted for decades now.)

Several of The Dave Clark Five’s biggest hits were remakes of early ‘60’s hits like “Do You Love Me” (#8, 1964), “Reelin’ And Rockin’” (#13, 1965), “I Like It Like That” (#5, 1965), “Over And Over” (#1, 1966), “You Got What It Takes” (#7, 1967) and “You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby” (#35, 1967) … but they also charted with quite a few of their own songs, many of which have gone on to become ‘60’s classics like “Because” (#3, 1964), “Catch Us If You Can” (#4, 1965), “Glad All Over” (#5, 1964), “Bits And Pieces” (#3, 1964), “Can’t You See That She’s Mine” (#4, 1964), “Any Way You Want It” (#9, 1964) and TWO hits called “Everybody Know” (the first … “Everybody Knows [I Still Love You]”, #14, 1964, and the second … a beautiful ballad that I know Me-TV-FM plays, #41, 1967.)

The Me-TV article agrees with me on these points … but ALL of these tunes (plus others like “Come Home,” #13, 1965, “At The Scene,” #12, 1966, “Try Too Hard,” #9, 1966 and “I’ve Got To Have A Reason,” #44) DO receive airplay on Me-TV-FM so they are not "lost and forgotten" by the Me Network at large.

(To this point … making these songs unavailable to the public for all those years was career suicide for this band … "business genius" Dave Clark grossly over-estimated the value of this music and, as such, it disappeared from the consciousness of even the group’s biggest fans. Had he licensed these tunes for use in movies and tv ads, my guess is they’d still be one of the most popular British Invasion downloads out there. But going the other route ultimately did them in. What good is having it if nobody can listen to it? Why, this would be akin to having the world’s GREATEST oldies station playlist at your fingertips … and then not sharing it with the rest of the world thru streaming … how does anybody out there even realize it exists if you won’t share it with them??? I mean, to a degree isn't Me-TV-FM contributing to listener ignorance by doing so? But I digress.)

Next up … Paul Revere and the Raiders … long-time ‘60’s favorites who charted 18 National Top 40 Hits (and, again, a few others that just missed)

Their version of “Louie Louie” never cracked The Top 100 on any of the national charts … but it rivaled The Kingsmen’s version for airplay early on, particularly in the Northwest. “Like, Long Hair,” a classical rocker instrumental, gave the band their first hit (#30) in 1961 … but they REALLY broke thru after signing on with Dick Clark to host the after school music series “Where The Action Is.” From there, the hits just kept on coming: “Just Like Me” (#11, 1966), “Kicks” (#3, 1966 … and #1 in many markets, including Chicago), “Hungry” (#6, 1966), “The Great Airplane Strike (#17, 1966), “Good Thing” (#4, 1967), “Ups And Downs” (#19, 1967), “Him Or Me – What’s It Gonna Be” (#5, 1967), “I Had A Dream” (#13, 1967), “Too Much Talk” (#11, 1968), “Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon” (#15, 1969), “Let Me” (#14, 1969) and then, finally, their first and only national #1 record, “Indian Reservation,” 1971.

And again, Me-TV-FM plays most of these songs on a regular basis … so they are certainly not "forgotten" in any way in the oldies market.

Next, we’ll cover The Rascals / Young Rascals …

These guys went from being the “house band” at The Peppermint Lounge to tearing things up on the charts in the mid-to-late ‘60’s … THREE #1 Singles (“Good Lovin’,” 1966, “Groovin’,” 1967 and “People Got To Be Free,” 1968) … plus 13 other National Top 40 Hits, including “I’ve Been Lonely Too Long” (#15, 1967), “A Girl Like You” (#5, 1967), “How Can I Be Sure” (#2, 1967), “A Beautiful Morning” (#2, 1968) along with other “fan favorites” like “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore” (#52, 1966), “You Better Run” (#20, 1966), “Come On Up” (#37, 1966) and “Carry Me Back” (#10, 1969.)

A brief reunion tour featuring the return of all four original members a couple of years ago played to sold out houses across the country … so they certainly are not “lost and forgotten” by any stretch. You still hear their music every single day on any wide variety of music formats … so I’m not sure how these guys got lumped in with the others. They are probably the MOST-played of all the artists on this list.

Now, in all fairness, the other three artists on this list didn’t have the commercial output of these first three … but they were still able to maximize a successful career what they had.

Take The Cowsills, for example.

They only had five National Top 40 Hits … but two of them went all the way to #1. (“The Rain, The Park And Other Things” in 1967 and “Hair” in 1969.)

In addition, they scored big with “We Can Fly” (#17, 1968) and “Indian Lake” (#6, 1968). Me-TV-FM plays ALL of these hits … as well as their theme to the hit television series “Love, American Style” and their rather awful version of “Silver Threads And Golden Needles” … so THEY certainly haven’t forgotten this band (who inspired the television series “The Partridge Family,” by the way.) The first thought was to give The Cowsills their own TV show … but after doing a screen test, they didn’t find the real-life family “believable enough” … so they cast actors to PLAY a family instead!!! David Cassidy went on to become one of the biggest teenage heartthrobs in pop music history … and The Cowsills never hit the charts again after 1971. (There is an EXCELLENT Cowsills documentary available that, if better circulated, would likely bring their music more to the forefront again. But people need to know about it ... and see it ... in order to be motivated to download more of this great music. Still is there ANYBODY out there who can suppress a smile on their face while "The Rain, The Park and Other Things" is playing???)

Jan and Dean should have been a bit more memorable. (They were kind of The Beach Boys before there WAS a Beach Boys … and, in fact, Brian Wilson buddied up with Jan Berry and came up with the duo’s first #1 hit, “Surf City,” something Brian’s dad … and manager at the time … Murry Wilson never forgave him for!)

Berry’s tragic automobile accident (right near “Dead Man’s Curve,” a place they sang about in 1964 that went on to become a Top Ten Hit) put the duo out of commission for a long, long time … but Jan’s dramatic comeback was the kind of story that made-for-TV movies DREAM about … so their story was dramatized on film … and, in the process, this should have earned them a much larger, longer-lasting audience than it did. (Maybe it was just too long ago ... but truthfully not all of their music holds up that well all these years later.)

In one of those rock and roll miracle moments, Jan Berry actually lived to sing again … in a manner of speaking … and their Top 40 Hits (“Jennie Lee,” #3, 1958, “Baby Talk,” #7, 1959, “Heart And Soul,” #16, 1961, “Honolulu Lulu,” #9, 1963, “Drag City,” #10, 1964, “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena,” #3, 1964, “Ride The Wild Surf, “#16, 1964, “Sidewalk Surfin’,” #25, 1964 and “I Found A Girl,” #30, 1965) are all still worthy of an occasional spin now and then. (Some would say “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena” is a “timeless and memorable” ‘60’s classic.)

Chad and Jeremy were two of the nicest, most likeable guys you could meet in the ‘60’s … and their charismatic charm helped them earn bookings as musical guests on several popular television series at the time. (Most memorable for me, of course, was their appearance as The Red Coats on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” … but they also starred on “Batman” and “The Patty Duke Show,” too, as I recall.)

Unfortunately, they went head-to-head with another British duo, Peter and Gordon … and fans may have been confused as to just exactly who was who. (Even one of their record companies printed an LP jacket with a picture of Peter And Gordon on the back cover of a Chad and Jeremy LP!!!) Once again, they didn’t have enough commercial output to sustain a long-lasting career (although recent live appearances by Peter Asher and Jeremy Clyde might prove otherwise … plug their names into our FH Search Engine and read our concert reviews.)

Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find more enjoyable tunes than “A Summer Song” (#6, 1964), “Yesterday’s Gone” (#21, 1964) and “Willow Weep For Me” (#15, 1964). (The duo also hit The National Top 40 with “If I Loved You,” #17, 1965, “Before And After,” #15, 1965, “I Don’t Wanna Lose You Baby,” #33, 1965 and “Distant Shores,” #30, 1966.)

Bottom line …

ALL of these acts are still receiving PLENTY of airplay on Me-TV-FM … and deservedly so. And each is very fairly represented proportionally by their volume of hit output … so really, all is right in the world … with the possible exception of the fact that MOST of the world has no means to hear it!

So again, we appeal to Me-TV-FM to begin streaming the Chicago feed so that the rest of the world can also discover and enjoy all that they’ve been missing since the station launched a few years ago. It’s simply too good not to share. (kk)

Read Me-TV’s original article here:

https://metv.com/lists/6-rock-bands-huge-in-the-60s-but-largely-forgotten-today

↧

Spring Has Finally Sprung!

March 20, 2019, 4:07 am

≫ Next: THURSDAY THIS AND THAT

≪ Previous: C'mon ... Get It Together Me-TV and Me-TV-FM!!!

From FH Reader Chuck Buell (who was broadcasting on WLS Radio on The First Day Of Spring, Fifty Years Ago Today!)

It’s been a long cold Winter for many of us this year!

Last week's Colorado's"Blizzard of 2019" ...

Chicago's "Deep Freeze" of a couple of week's ago ...

Seattle getting as much snowfall in one day as it usually receives in one year ...

And the Nor'easters slamming the Upper Atlantic Coast.

If you've had your fill of Winter, then ~~~

Here it comes!

Today!

At 5:58 PM EDT!

2:58 PM Pacific!

The First Day of Spring!

So here, from Forgotten Hits' Feature Year, 1969, is our Special Theme Song for Today!

Happy Spring Day to you from me!

CB ( which stands for "Chuck Brrrrr!" )

March 20th, 1969:

John Lennon marries Yoko Ono in Gibraltar – they will begin their honeymoon five days later by staging a Bed-In For Peace at The Amsterdam Hilton Hotel.

Also on this date, David Bowie marries model Angela Barnett. Most folks agree that she was the subject of The Rolling Stones’ 1973 hit “Angie.”

#1 in Chicago on WLS and WCFL ...

and sitting at the top of all three major music trade publications

(Billboard, Cash Box and Record World):

DIZZY by Tommy Roe

I think the worst of winter is behind us ... temperatures in the 50's and 60's for the rest of this and next week ... so the future looks bright (literally and figuratively!)

ENJOY THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING ...

From your friends at Forgotten Hits!

↧

THURSDAY THIS AND THAT

March 21, 2019, 4:30 am

≫ Next: The Greatest Classic Rock Tracks Of All Time

≪ Previous: Spring Has Finally Sprung!

A very hastily put together edition as I am running out the door!!!

DICK DALE:

More comments on the late, great Dick Dale …

Including this one from Davie Allan, The King Of Fuzz, regarding The King Of Surf Guitar …

Kent,

I had trouble sleeping last night … it's always tough losing a friend.
Dick and I met in the 60's and in '85, he played on one of my tunes, "Surf Trek."
I wish we could've done more together.
Losing him and Hal Blaine has been beyond sad for me.
Thanks,
Davie

Hi, Kent.
I messed up (the old memory ain't what it used to was).

I saw Dick Dale at Durty Nellie's in Palatine, not Biddy Mulligan's.
It was on August 14th, 2016. Pam Pulice was nice enough to tell me about the performance and we went together. One of the best shows I've ever seen.
Here's a pic I took.

Mike Wolstein

kk:
Some Dick Dale Trivia …
Wild Wayne said that he personally witnessed Dick Dale melting guitar picks during his performance.
FB

Another one bites the dust.

This is not shaping up to be a good year for music icons.
We have lost Dick Dale, the king of the surf guitar. He was 81.
I did see him in concert sometime in the 80s.
Jack

Harvey Kubernik sent us this coverage from The New York Times …

The New York Times:
Dick Dale recorded the hit song “Misirlou” and influenced guitarists like Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen.
Dick Dale, King of the Surf Guitar, Is Dead at 81
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/17/obituaries/dick-dale-dead.html
By Emily S. Rueb and Jon Pareles
March 17, 2019

Dick Dale, who was known as the King of the Surf Guitar and recorded the hit song “Misirlou,” which was revived on the “Pulp Fiction” soundtrack, died on Saturday at a hospital in Southern California. He was 81.

His death was confirmed by Dusty Watson, a drummer who played live shows with Mr. Dale. The cause was not immediately known.

Mr. Dale was a surfer, sound pioneer and guitarist whose unusual, percussive playing style and thick, thunderous music earned him the nickname the Father of Heavy Metal, and influenced the Beach Boys, the Cure, Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix.

Sam Bolle, a bassist who played with Mr. Dale’s namesake band, Dick Dale, for about 15 years, described him as “an aggressive and ferocious” musician who played like one of the lions he raised at his home.

“I played a gig with him about a month ago,” he said, and “he was still slaughtering people with volume.”

Mr. Dale was born Richard Monsour in Boston in 1937. He developed a musical signature that was influenced by the traditions of his Lebanese father and Eastern European mother, and the flamboyant big-band drummer Gene Krupa.

After moving to California as a child, Mr. Dale defined the sound of surf guitar as a musical expression of the elemental surge of the ocean, with its savage waves, its volatile crosscurrents and its tidal undertow. He played melodies that crisscrossed the beat with the determination of a surfer riding across choppy waves, forging a triumphant path above deep turbulence.

“Surf music is a heavy machine-gun staccato picking style to represent the power of Mother Nature, of our earth, of our ocean,” he told The New York Times in 1994. His almost constant tremolo created friction so intense that it melted his guitar picks and strings as he played.

“The staccato is so fast it heat-treats the strings,” he said. “They turn purple and black and they snap. And when I play, you’ll see a flurry of plastic — it just falls down like snow. I used to think it was dandruff. But I grind so hard that the guitar picks just melt down.”

His quest for a sonic impact to match what he had felt while surfing also led to innovations that would change the technology of electric guitars and amplification.

He called the surf music he played “a heavy machine-gun staccto picking style to represent the power of Mother Nature, of our earth, of our ocean.”

Leo Fender, one of the electric guitar’s trailblazers, worked closely with Mr. Dale to create a guitar sturdy enough to withstand his style — Mr. Dale called it the Beast — and an amplifier that could crank up loud enough to fill a dance hall.

“Leo and I went to Lansing Speaker,” Mr. Dale said in 1994, “and we said, ‘We need a speaker that will not burn, will not flex, will not twist, will not break.’”

In the fast-changing 1960s, instrumental surf rock reigned briefly on the charts, and the Beach Boys used it as one foundation of their pop songs. Mr. Dale’s brash playing also found a fan in Jimi Hendrix, among many other guitarists, and, decades later, among a generation of indie-rockers who prized his untamed sound.

Chris Darrow, a multi-instrumentalist recording artist who has been in the music industry for 50 years, first saw Mr. Dale perform at the Rendezvous Ballroom in Newport Beach in the early 1960s.

“The intensity and volume of the performances were such that the wooden building seemed to lift off the ground when he played,” Mr. Darrow said in an interview with the music journalist Harvey Kubernik.

“Until the Beatles came along there was nothing that drove the audiences as wild like Dick Dale and the Del-Tones. He was boss.”

“The only real surf guitarist for me is Dick Dale,” he added. “All the rest are imitators.”

In 1963, Mr. Dale’s music was catapulted onto a national stage when he performed “Misirlou,” an adaptation of a traditional Arabic song, on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” That same song re-entered the mainstream in the 1990s, as the opening anthem for Quentin Tarantino’s blockbuster film “Pulp Fiction.”

Mr. Watson, who played live with Mr. Dale for over a decade, said Mr. Dale had been sick for a while, but that “he’s such a bull,” he thought he would “power through it.”

“He’s an incredible loss for music,” he said.

Mr. Dale’s survivors include his wife and manager, Lana Dale, and his son, Jimmy.

For years, Mr. Dale struggled with health issues, including bouts with rectal cancer and renal failure. But he performed through the pain.

“Don’t worry about yesterday and don’t worry about tomorrow,” Mr. Dale told California Rocker, an online music publication, in 2015. “Don’t worry about yesterday because it’s used. It’s either good or it leaves you feeling bad. And don’t waste time or energy worrying about tomorrow. I could have a stroke and be dead. That’s why they call it the present. It’s a present.”

For him, music was medicine.

“I have to perform to stay alive,” he once said.

Sandra E. Garcia and Richard Sandomir contributed reporting.

I’m sorry to hear about Dick Dale passing.

Dick’s guitar playing was a big influence on all of us, and we covered “Misirlou” on our Surfin’ USA album in ‘63.

Love & Mercy to Dick’s family.

Brian Wilson

Brian has got to be hurting this week with the loss of two of his greatest comrades and influences, Hal Blaine and now Dick Dale. Our hearts go out to you, too, Brian, as we’re certain you’re grieving. (kk)

Speaking of The Beach Boys, Billboard Magazine ran a nice tribute about Dick Dale’s influence on the band this past week.

Featuring memories from Bruce Johnston, Al Jardine, Mike Love and our FH Buddy Billy Hinsche, this is a very touching tribute:

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8503160/dick-dale-dead-the-beach-boys-remembered?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%20Template%20BB:%20Multi%20Story%20-%201.0&utm_term=daily_digest

OTHER SAD NEWS:

Longtime FH Reader Phil Miglioratti ran Fred Vail’s recent FH comments regarding Hal Blaine on his Pray For Surf website … and Fred elaborated a little bit more, too.

You can check it all out here: https://prayforsurfblog.blogspot.com/2019/03/fred-vail-on-passing-of-wrecking-crew.html

From FH Reader Ken Voss …

RIP Ozzy guitarist Bernie Torme …

https://www.kerrang.com/the-news/former-ozzy-guitarist-bernie-torm%C3%A9-dead-at-66/

And, from his brother Gary, a long-time Forgotten Hits Reader and Contributor, come this sad news about Jim Pike, founding member of The Lettermen…

Hey Kent,

I thought I’d let you know that my brother, Jim Pike, founder and creative force of the famed Lettermen vocal trio, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and now joins the ranks of many other 60’s recording stars with this affliction, and has retired from performing.

I like to say FAMED Lettermen because there were other Lettermen groups in the late 50’s and early 60’s that were irrelevant and had no hit records prior to the Capitol Records Jim Pike Lettermen.

After Jim sold the remaining interest in the Lettermen name, he went on to form The Reunion, with other ex-Lettermen and also helped put back together the Four Preps with Ed Cobb, Bruce Belland and David Somerville. They billed themselves as Three Golden Groups In One, “The Preps”, “The Lettermen” and “The Diamonds.” David Somerville and Ed Cobb have since passed away and Bruce continues on with the Four Preps with new guys.

Time goes on no matter how talented you are.

Thanks,

Ex - Letterman and Reunion,

Gary Pike

So sorry to hear the news, Gary … please pass along our very best wishes. (Dave Somerville as a “Friend of Forgotten Hits,” too.

I know the current version of The Lettermen play here nearly every Christmas but I have yet to see them in concert … I guess I always felt that without Jim’s presence, it just wouldn’t be the same. Readers are welcome to pass along any well-wishes to Jim Pike and we will be sure to forward them to his brother Gary. (kk)

ME-TV-FM:

To be clear, we weren’t really coming down on Me-TV or Me-TV-FM the other day … they do a GREAT job of preserving the music through their radio station as well as many of the vintage television programs we all grew up loving back in the day. It just seems to me they could do a better job of cross-promoting one another. (I know the radio station runs a number of TV themes as part of its regular programming … and will even feature a “sponsorship” promo along the lines of “The next hour of Me Music is being brought to you by Floyd’s Barber Shop” as a tip of the hat to one of their most popular programs, The Andy Griffith Show.

But while the premise of low Spotify downloads may have triggered the debate, they REALLY should have stressed the solution … Me-TV-FM … where you can hear ALL of these great songs (along with a whole lot more!) on a regular basis.

It was also to nudge them (once again) to start streaming. You’re sitting on a goldmine of memories that people all over the country (if not the world) would enjoy listening to … so SHARE IT WITH THEM!!! I don’t see any reason why the concept of Me-TV-FM Radio can’t become an Internet sensation once it captures its true potential audience. (Plus I’m sure something could be worked out where commercial breaks would allow each market across the country to run “local advertising” for their area, thus bringing in additional revenue to help offset some of the streaming costs. Scott Shannon did something similar to this with his True Oldies Channel for years.” In addition, then everybody listening would reap the benefit of an intelligently programmed station featuring this music the way it deserves to be heard.

Speaking of which, we heard from Neal Sabin, head honcho at Me-TV-FM, Me-TV and the Weigel Broadcasting Company, who still downplays the idea of streaming:

The radio station is local. The vast majority of our 27 million weekly Me-TV viewers can't listen to our audio. We’re trying to get affiliates. Streaming is a no win solution.

Neal

That’s exactly my point … you’ve got 27 million already established Me-TV fans who are all potential listeners if only given the chance to be able to tune in and listen.

Affiliates have been slow in coming … I believe there are only a few at this point … and I also believe some of those stations ARE streaming! So why not the flagship station, controlling this to ensure that what’s going out over the airwaves is EXACTLY the way you want the station represented?

I have no choice but to listen to the Milwaukee stream on my computer at work as my car doesn’t even pick up the 87.7 Chicago signal … yet another way you’re restricting your potential listenership.

Yet despite ALL of these factors, the ratings for the station continue to hold steady and/or grow. (Imagine the potential of what it COULD be!!!)

Meanwhile, Robert Feder is reporting that some internal changes have been made as well to help beef things up there …

WRME 87.7-FM, the Weigel Broadcasting soft-rock oldies and classic hits station known as Me-TV FM, just fortified its ranks with the addition of another Chicago radio veteran. Bob Lawson, best known for his many years as production director at the former WJMK, has been hired as production and programming assistant. He’ll report to program director Rick O’Dell and imaging and production director Bill Cochran.“Bob’s a great addition to the team because his background is a rare combination of production and programming,” O’Dell said. “Weigel likes to hire people whose baseball card would say ‘Infield-Outfield.’ Bob’s versatility is a huge plus for Me.”

It was also VERY cool to see The Monkees being advertised in this week’s edition of TV Guide. As we told you a couple of weeks ago, Me-TV is running two back-to-back episodes of the ‘60’s sitcom classic on Sunday afternoons, making their way through all 58 episodes.

And here’s something that sounds kinda interesting.

Me-TV is launching its first-ever original program …

A brand new television series titled “Collector’s Call” launches in April. It will spotlight collectors who have assembled mass collections of various types of memorabilia (think records, comic books, baseball cards, TV Guides, Wizard Of Oz and Disney items, etc.) and show off their collections … and the whole thing will be hosted by Lisa Whelchel (Blair of “The Facts Of Life,” one of Me-TV’s popular series.)

The show kicks off on April 7^th and will air Sunday Nights at 9 pm here in Chicago. (Check your local listings for show times)

More information can be found here:

https://metv.com/collectorscall/about

https://metv.com/collectorscall/lisa-whelchel

Definitely worth checking out!!! (kk)

ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION:

As part of our Atlanta Rhythm Section concert review we told you about a track we ran several years ago in FH where we took one of their biggest hits, “Imaginary Lover,” and sped up the album track to play at 45 rpm and, in the process, discovered a brand new version of the song seemingly sung by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac! (If you haven’t already done so, give it a listen … it’s quite uncanny!)

Well, I’ve been reading the book “The Atlanta Rhythm Section: The Authorized History” by Willie B. Moseley (available thru their website or Amazon.com) and this very topic is discussed in Willie’s book!

Willie writes: “And while there aren’t any statistics to cite, ‘Imaginary Lover’ would also have a high ranking in the pantheon of rock music in a listing of songs that were intentionally played at the wrong speed by fans.

“While ‘Imaginary Lover’ might have owed a possible tip of the headstock to ethereal Fleetwood Mac ballads such as ‘Rhiannon’ and ‘Dreams,’ the legend about a cover version of the Atlanta Rhythm Section song actually being recorded by the mighty Mac began when a radio deejay accidently played the A.R.S. hit at a faster speed than specified. However, listeners called in to express their approval of the tune, thinking, thinking it was a verson of the song that had indeed been recorded by Fleetwood Mac. The song sounded peppier, and the vocals sounded like chanteuse Stevie Nicks fronting the band she was currently a member of.

“Nicks herself heard about the musical incongruity and purchased her own copy of the A.R.S. song. Playing the disc at a faster speed, she dubbed ‘Imaginary Lover’ onto cassette and submitted it (as a gag) to bandmate Christine McVee; the speeded up tune was supposedly a demo for Fleetwood Mac’s future consideration. McVee was said to have been impressed by what she thought were Nick’s vocals and the ‘arrangement’ of the Atlanta Rhythm section tune.”

Too funny! (Now what would have REALLY been funny is if Stevie sang even a short portion of the song as a gag during a couple of Fleetwood Mac’s shows at the time. Anybody out there know if she did???) kk

ATLANTA RHYTHM SECTION: THE HIT LIST

The Atlanta Rhythm Section charted eighteen times on the national charts between 1974 and 1981.

Here are their Ten Biggest Hits:

# 1 – SO INTO YOU (#5, 1977)

# 2 – IMAGINARY LOVER (#7 1978)

# 3 – I’M NOT GONNA LET IT BOTHER ME TONIGHT (#14, 1978)

# 4 – SPOOKY (#15, 1979)

# 5 – DO IT OR DIE (#19, 1979)

# 6 – ALIEN (#27, 1981)

# 7 – DORAVILLE (#35, 1974)

# 8 – NEON NITES (#42, 1977)

# 9 – CHAMPAGNE JAM (#43, 1978)

#10 – DOG DAYS (#63, 1977)

Honorable Mention: GEORGIA RHYTHM (#68, 1977)

HELPING OUT OUR READERS:

Hi Kent,

Hope this finds you well.

I read every issue of FH from beginning to end, and thoroughly enjoy the information and memories you and your readers share.

I work with Tommy James and received an inquiry from someone who attended St. Willibrord’s High School 50 years ago. She recalls that her school won a contest run by either WLS or WCFL, in which the school that sent in the most slips of paper with the cough drop sponsor written on them would win a concert by Tommy & The Shondells.

And so ... I'm wondering if any of your readers, especially the former Chicago radio deejays, recall any specific details: the radio station involved, date of the concert, etc. Any info would be much appreciated.

Thanks and keep up the great work!

Cheers,

Ed Osborne

I’m happy to put it out there and see if anything comes back. (I don’t know that we have any ‘CFL jocks currently on the list but you never know!)

Contests like these were pretty common in the ‘60’s. I remember lots of girls at my high school collecting gum wrappers and folding and connecting them to see who could come up with the longest chain. (For some reason I think Juicyfruit and Beech Nut were the two most common.) I don’t think our school ever won anything but some of these wrapper chains were incredibly long! (I don’t even know how they rolled them up and sent them in!!!)

I seem to remember The Grass Roots being big on these kinds of contests … a contest to “Win The Grass Roots To Play At Your High School” sort of thing.

I’m sure some of the girls on our list who participated in these events can shed some more light on the whole phenomena. (kk)

HOW WILD IS THIS?

So in the very same Willie B. Moseley ARS book we just told you about … on the very same page as the Stevie Nicks story … Moseley tells THIS story about a tour that was organized for the band in 1978, sponsored by The Carefree Sugarless Gum Company!

“As the buzz about ‘Champagne Jam’ (the ARS’ most successful album ever - kk) continued to grow, a brilliant marketing plan was put together to garner wider interest in the band and the album, abetted by a brand of chewing gum.

“The redoubtable Carefree Sugarless Gum Tour was organized by creating twelve contests by twelve Top 40 radio stations in twelve markets. The high school, junior high or middle school that collected the most gum wrappers would get a free concert in the school gym by The Atlanta Rhythm Section, and the school’s PTA would receive a sizeable donation.

“The twelve markets that were selected weren’t particularly strong for the ARS so they made sure the radio stations sponsoring the local shows had a Top 40 format instead of an album-oriented rock format. The band even recorded radio spots for the station.

“One rule of the competition mandated that a school that was competing had to be able to pick up the signal of the radio station that was sponsoring the contest. Such a strategy meant that the then-current single, ‘Imaginary Lover,’ would receive a lot of airplay in those markets and the band would probably get a decent share of airplay on the AOR stations as well.

“The airplay of ‘Imaginary Lover’ for the Carefree Sugarless Gum contest would ultimately break out both the single and the album in markets where the band never had previous success.”

Don’tcha just love it when this stuff all comes together?!?! (kk)

By the way, The Guinness Book World Record Holder for the longest gum wrapper chain ever assembled is Gary Duschl, who built a chain that measures 140,303 feet! (It took 2,512,793 gum wrappers … at a cost of nearly $176,000!!! … and over 40,000 hours to build the chain!) Gary began his project / hobby / obsession on March 11, 1965, using Wrigley wrappers only. To put its length in perspective, the chain represents the equivalent of 19.7544 Miles … or 347 Football Fields … 72 Empire State Buildings. Driving from end to end would take 20 Minutes by Car at 60 mph … or over 7 hours to walk. (kk)

UP-COMING SHOWS:

The Genesee Theatre has just booked Cheap Trick (June 7^th) and Three Dog Night (which is actually only One Dog Night nowadays with only Danny Hutton on board … October 4^th) Also coming (May 16^th) is Burton Cummings.

https://www.geneseetheatre.com/events/all

Burton Cummings will also make a return engagement at The Arcada Theatre on August 3rd. The Micky Dolenz concert has been rescheduled for September 22^nd (tickets from the cancelled May show will be honored) and, after performing again on April 14^th, The Cornerstones Of Rock are already coming back in November (the 30^th) for what is sure to be another sold out show.

And check out these vintage acts …

On March 24^th (that’s THIS SUNDAY), Iron Butterfly will appear with Vanilla Fudge and Head East … and then, in a show billed as “The Heroes Of Woodstock” you can catch Canned Heat with Big Brother and the Holding Company on July 21^st!

More info on all these shows here: http://www.arcadalive.com/upcomingevents/

Hi Kent:

I will be on Dewey's Corner / Jerry's Attic Radio Show on Friday Night at approximately 6 pm.

We will be counting down a WRIT, Milwaukee Top 40 Survey from March, 1969, as part of our 50 year anniversary shows. Tune in if you have time.

Shows are also on the net and are archived.

As always, we play Records!

Ken

And lots of buzz this past week about the vintage Rolling Stones British Television Special “Rock And Roll Circus” being shown in theaters in the not-so-distant future!

This will be a first and fans are quite excited.

More information below:

ABKCO Films, in collaboration with Screenvision Media, a national leader in cinema advertising, announced today ticket availability for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. Theatre screenings for the iconic 1968 concert show will take place April 1, 3, 4, and 5 in select theaters nationwide, including markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Dallas. Fans can purchase tickets at www.rockandrollcircusthefilm.com.

The live concert special’s restoration has been sourced from the 35mm internegative and will be presented in both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound. The Dolby Vision laser projection system delivers astonishing brightness, incomparable contrast, and captivating color that more closely matches what the human eye can see. Dolby Atmos places and moves sounds anywhere in the Dolby Cinema, including overhead, to make audiences feel they are truly attending The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. Together, Dolby Cinema’s combination of powerful image and sound technologies creates an engaging, multi-sensorial cinema, and concert, experience for viewers.

Through 2019 technology, the audience is whisked back to 1968. The 4K restoration beautifully captures and recreates this historic event, creating a truly unique and immersive experience that fans won’t be able to get anywhere else.

Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was originally conceived as a BBC-TV special and was filmed before a live London audience in 1968. The film centers around the original lineup of The Rolling Stones — Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, and Billy Wyman — who serve as the show’s hosts and featured attraction. It stars the band performing fan favorite classics like “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” as well as extraordinary live performances by The Who, Jethro Tull, and more.

This performance marks the first musical concert in which John Lennon performed before an audience outside The Beatles, as part of supergroup The Dirty Mac, which also included music legends Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Mitch Mitchell. The Rolling Stone Rock and Roll Circus is also the only time Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath performed with Jethro Tull, and the last time Brian Jones would perform with The Rolling Stones in front of an audience.

“We are thrilled to share the incredible The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus with moviegoers and music fans for this limited engagement,” said Darryl Schaffer, executive vice president of operations and exhibitor relations, Screenvision Media. “We think it’s the perfect time to answer fans’ excitement and give them an unforgettable concert experience from the comfort of their local movie theatres.”

For more information on The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus or to purchase tickets and view trailer visit www.rockandrollcircusthefilm.com.

And have you seen the line-up for the 50^th Anniversary Woodstock Festival???

↧

The Greatest Classic Rock Tracks Of All Time

March 22, 2019, 4:01 am

≫ Next: March 24th

≪ Previous: THURSDAY THIS AND THAT

Over the course of the past two weeks (from March 5^th thru March 15^th) Sirius / XM’s Channel 30 counted down what they determined to be The Top 1000 Classic Rock Songs Of All-Time.

As we’ve discussed here many times before, lists like these are designed to breed controversy … especially when no particular source for this ranking has ever been divulged or described … making it more of a “these are MY favorites” (or, in this case, OUR favorites) or “I think these songs should belong” kind of list rather than any type of scientific ranking by a specific criteria. (Since a lot of this material is available on album only, it would be virtually impossible to rank the tracks by chart performance. Things like copies sold or downloaded … or, perhaps more importantly in this case, airplay … sure would help in determining a more mathematical listing … but none of that seems to be the case here.)

So, since it’s an arbitrary list at best … compiled by an unknown number of sources … it really plays a lot more like a “these are my favorites” list than ANYTHING that remotely makes sense based on the reality of Classic Rock Radio. (As in traditional Oldies Radio, these are the songs that WE'VE determined you should like ... regardless of how any of you out there actually listening may feel.)

Now I have been listening to Classic Rock Radio for as long as it has existed … and I was also there at the time when virtually ALL of this music was being newly released as brand new tracks … LONG before the concept of Classic Rock Radio ever even crossed a program director’s mind.

As such, I have got to tell you that I have been QUITE surprised by a good number of these entries that made this Top 1000 List as I don’t know that they would have made my Top 5000 List!

In fact, after listening for the majority of the ten days that this feature aired (and writing down as many titles and artists as I could in that timeframe) I can only speculate that, at the very best, they’ve seem to have gotten this list about HALF right. (I've listened to Classic Rock my whole life and didn't even recognize some of their Top 1000 "besties"!!!)

And some of the results are simply flat out ridiculous.

Some cases in point:

To have Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Town" finish in The Top 30 but not have "Purple Haze" even make The Top 100 has been enough to make me motivated to come up with our OWN list of Classic Rock Favorites.

In fact, while we’re on the subject of The Prince Of Darkness, in what universe do Ozzy Osbourne and/or Black Sabbath deserve 16 of The Top 1000 ranked songs?!?!

Seriously!?!? (Siriusly???)

I can think of two … maybe three songs that should have made this list … but 16?!?!? (Do you suppose that the fact that Sirius / XM also offers an Ozzy Osbourne Channel might have something to do with it???) Which throws ALL credibility out as far as I’m concerned.

Ozzy Osbourne claims 16 spots while Classic Rock staples like The Eagles, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Journey, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Heart, Santana and The Steve Miller Band all fall far behind him. (How many Ozzy songs have YOU heard in the past two weeks? Two months? Two years??? I'm sorry but he is hardly the Poster Child of Classic Rock Radio!!!)

And it’s not just an issue like this that throws the whole list out of kilter …

It’s things like “Life In The Fast Lane” coming in at #164 … BEHIND “I Don’t Know” and “Flying High Again” by Ozzy Osbourne (What!?!?!? Can anybody even sing a line from either one of these tunes?), “Have A Drink On Me” by AC/DC (now granted, they play a TON of AC/DC on Classic Rock Radio … but is THIS one of the ones that immediately comes to mind for you???) and “Photograph” by Ringo Starr (#102) … I’m sorry, but this makes absolutely NO sense to me.

I have heard “Life In The Fast Lane” EVERY SINGLE DAY since it first came out in 1977 … that’s 42 years of airplay of AT LEAST once per day … or over 15,000 times that I personally have heard them play this song on the radio!!! And it comes in at #164 … behind “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath (#48 … which is just one spot below The Beatles’ “Let It Be”!!!) and “Synchronicity” by The Police (#110)

And speaking of saturated airplay, several years ago we named John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Jack And Diane” as “the most over-played song on the radio” … and it was at the time … It got to the point where I ended up turning it off EVERY time it came on ... because radio RUINED the experience of hearing it for me.

So where does “Jack And Diane” place on the Classic Rock's Greatest Hits list?

#419 … right behind “The Zoo” by The Scorpions. (Say what?!?!) And “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC (#397 … how many times have you heard that one, comparatively speaking, in the past twenty years???) … and “No More Tears” by Ozzy Osbourne. Are you starting to pick up on a trend here??? (Mellencamp placed twelve songs on the Top 1000 List … “Hurts So Good” placed even lower than “Jack And Diane” at #728 … but BOTH of these non-stop airplay rock classics finished lower on the countdown than “I Need A Lover” (#367), which also charted for Pat Benatar, who earned TEN spots in The Top 1000.

My favorite AC/DC song (which I also hear every single day), “You Shook Me All Night Long” came in at #348 … behind OTHER AC/DC “classics” like “Rock And Roll Noise Pollution” and “Girls Got Rhythm.” (Betcha those are the first ones to cross YOUR minds!!!)

Simply put … this list is ALL fucked up!!!

Now that’s not to say that most of these songs don’t belong here somewhere … (although I’d be willing to bet you we could eliminate close to a third of them without hardly even trying) … they just don’t belong in the places they fall. (“Stairway To Heaven” came in at #1, exactly as we expected. I figured “Hotel California” would be right up there at the top … it came in at #8 … behind “Sympathy For The Devil” and “A Day In The Life” … and that’s just wrong! “Sweet Home Alabama” placed even lower than that (#13) while Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” came in at #16. I don’t know that I can think of four better examples of Classic Rock Radio today than these … and, quite honestly, you don’t even hear “Stairway To Heaven” all that much anymore because listeners have OD’d on it. “Kashmir” seems to have become the Zeppelin song of choice lately … and it’s way down at #112!)

“Who Are You” by The Who seems to get played several times a day … yet it is ranked #101 … behind Who songs like “Behind Blue Eyes” (#25) and “Love Reign Over Me” (#67). And how the heck does “Magic Carpet Ride” rank higher than “Born To Be Wild” on ANY rock list?

Speaking of which, “Africa” didn’t make the list at all!!! Another one of the most-played songs of the past 35 years, it didn’t even make the cut on the Sirius / XM Classic Rock Top 1000 Countdown. (Toto earned one entry, for “Hold The Line,” which came in at #279 … understandable, I guess, since you NEVER hear this one as much as some of those Ozzy tunes!!!)

Analytically speaking, in most cases this list isn’t even close to Classic Rock Reality … and we need to fix it!

More examples: “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Heartbreaker” by The Rolling Stones came in at #131 … ahead of Stones classics like “Under My Thumb” (#200), “Let’s Spend The Night Together” (#274), “Get Off My Cloud” (#228), “Time Is On My Side” (#332) and “Start Me Up” (#381 – WHAT?!?! That just may be one of the Greatest Classic Rock Songs of All-Time!!! Is there ANY opening riff that gets you going like this one does?)

Maybe “Brown Sugar” is more your thing?

That one came in at #108 … right behind AC/DC’s “Shoot To Thrill” … yep, THAT’S a classic “go to” rocker for sure!!! (For the record “Satisfaction” came in at #73 … and The Stones placed 36 songs on the list … more than any other artist.)

And that’s another thing … the artists with the most songs are, most often, the ones you would expect to see near the top of the list: The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, Bob Seger, The Doors, The Eagles, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac … but then how do you explain Van Halen coming in at #5 with 25 tracks … or CCR at #7 with 17 … or Bat Head-biting Ozzy Osbourne at #9 with 16??? (Don’t get me wrong … I’ve been a Creedence fan since Day One … but these guys do NOT belong in the Top Ten List of Greatest Classic Rock Artists ahead of The Doors, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Journey, Aerosmith. Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young, Jimi Hendrix and Queen.)

Rush has SEVEN entries on the list … now I’ve never been much of a Rush fan … and I will concede that maybe four of these songs deserve a spot … but once again, how much Rush do you hear on the radio today on any regular basis? (I guarantee you that if you ask a Rush fan, they’ll tell you “nowhere near enough” … but can any other Classic Rock Music Fan … or even casual Rush fan … even name seven of their songs???)

Clearly, I’m upset … clearly I think this list is a bogus, worthless piece of crap with absolutely NO regard for the reality of what makes Classic Rock Radio Great. Clearly, I feel like I’ve wasted over a hundred hours listening to this shit and this is time I can never get back.

But, luckily for you, I am ALSO feeling REALLY inspired … enough to put the challenge out there to all of our readers …

Because I know that YOU GUYS can help us put together the ULTIMATE LIST of CLASSIC ROCK SONGS that should define an ultimate play list to last for all time. (Or at least until another generation of classic rock songs become old enough to make the cut somewhere down the line.)

So how about this …

A list of The Top 3333 Classic Rock Songs. (Get It??? 33 1/3 … since Classic Rock is the very definition of Album Rock, which took over the airwaves in a VERY big way in the ‘70’s and has grown thru every generation since as more and more folks are discovering this great, timeless music.)

Start submitting your votes and nominations now … let’s see what songs YOU guys think belong on the list. Ideally, we’d like to get up to around 5000 viable candidates … and then have you do a final vote on those in order to narrow the list down to the final Top 3333 that will act as our official Classic Rock Songs Countdown. (We’re also looking for a radio partner to help us countdown the winners!)

Speaking of which, we’re going to open this forum up to EVERY Classic Rock Radio Station out there … poll your listeners and have them send in their votes and nominees … let’s get the best cross-representation we can of Rockin’ America. (At least OUR list will be based on something … and reflect the opinions of The Classic Rock Nation!!!)

Please … contact your favorite local Classic Rock Radio Stations and ask them to get in on the action …

Announce our poll on the air and tell their listeners how to cast their votes. Make it personal ... promote it as YOUR station taking part in a nationwide poll trying to determine The Top 3333 Greatest Classic Rock Songs of All-Time. Let’s get the largest representation possible to come up with the ultimate list of Classic Rock Favorites … as voted on by the FANS (and not a couple of guys holed up in a room for the weekend pulling candidates out of thin air.)

To help accomplish this, we’ve even set up a brand new email address to accumulate the votes. So send your nominations to: classicrockvote@yahoo.com… and let’s see where this latest Forgotten Hits Poll takes us.

To help inspire you, we’ll run suggestions along the way over the next several months … and then, when we’ve got a viable list to work from, we’ll officially open the polls, tell you who the final candidates are and let the REAL voting begin. Who knows … before the end of the year we just may have our own VERY Special Countdown to reveal.

Here’s hoping to hear from each and every one of you! (kk)

↧

March 24th

March 24, 2019, 4:00 am

≫ Next: Classic Rock Update #1

≪ Previous: The Greatest Classic Rock Tracks Of All Time

Wow! I didn't see THAT one coming!!!

"Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In" leaps right past "Hair" to become the new #1 Record in Chicago ... a jump from #23 to #1 ... unheard of! ... pushing "Hair" into the #2 spot, which took an incredible leap of its own from #14 to #2! (Exciting stuff from the Spring of 1969!)

Tommy Roe's "Dizzy" falls to #5 after three weeks on top as "Traces" by The Classics IV" and "No, Not Much" by The Vogues hang on to their #3 and #4 spots respectively.

"It's Your Thing" by The Isley Brothers (#24 to #10) and "You've Made Me So Very Happy" (#30 to #14) continue their climb up the charts in rapid-speed fashion ... while a couple of last week's debuts seem to be a little slow out of the starting gate as "Sweet Cherry Wine" by Tommy James and the Shondells moves from #40 to #35 and "Will You Be Staying After Sunday" by The Peppermint Rainbow only manages of a move of two places from #39 to #37.

Meanwhile, Elvis has another new record on the charts as "Memories" (a song he featured on his NBC Television Special back in December) premiers at #38.

This Week in 1969:

March 19th - Glen Campbell performs "Let It Be Me" with Bobbie Gentry on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour

March 20th – Not to be outdone by his bandmate and songwriting significant other, Paul McCartney (who married Linda Eastman the week before), John Lennon marries Yoko Ono, standing on a rock in Gibraltar (near Spain) – after a quick honeymoon by the Seine, they next drove from Paris to The Amsterdam Hilton, where they will begin their "official" (meaning very public) honeymoon five days later by staging a Bed-In For Peace at The Amsterdam Hilton Hotel.

Also on this date, David Bowie marries model Angela Barnett. Most folks agree that she was the subject of The Rolling Stones’ 1973 hit “Angie”

March 22^nd– UCLA wins their third consecutive NCAA Basketball Championship by defeating Purdue University by a score of 92 to 72

March 23^rd - Sly and the Family Stone perform "Love City" and "Stand," Dionne Warwick sings "This Girl's in Love with You" and Mason Williams performs his hit "Classical Gas," all on The Ed Sullivan Show this evening.

↧

Classic Rock Update #1

March 25, 2019, 4:00 am

≫ Next: Tuesday This And That

≪ Previous: March 24th

Remember that whole big “Rock The Vote” campaign from a few decades ago?

Well, this time around we’re asking you to Vote The Rock …

By naming your all-time favorite Classic Rock Tracks.

And the immediate response has been very good …

Just over 12,000 votes came in this weekend …

So not a bad start to this at all.

But the concept has also spurred a few questions that we’ll try to clarify here today. (Hopefully this will help some of you to select your own favorites!)

In the meantime, keep the votes coming, folks … we’re just getting started … and, in order to do this right, we’ve got to bring other partners on board in order to reach the largest possible audience of Classic Rock Music Fans.

So be patient … and, like ALL elections held here in Chicago, Vote Often!!!

Some ofyour Comments and Questions so far ...

It begins and ends with "Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones.

End of discussion.

Pete Adler

I’ll chime in with my songs later but where were “Layla” and “Jessica” and “Ramblin’ Man?” They are all worthy.

This list was compiled by people who love metal and very hard rock.

Also, where was “Smoke On The Water?”

Charlie Ricci

The very first vote we received was for “Layla” … it came in at #3 on The Sirius / XM List … VERY worthy … right behind “A Day In The Life” (#2) and “Stairway To Heaven” (#1) and just ahead of the Jimi Hendrix version of “All Along The Watchtower (#4) and “Knocking On Heaven’s Door (#5).

As for your other queries, “Jessica” came in at #209, “Ramblin’ Man” (a Classic Rock Favorite) at #255, another one that makes absolutely NO sense at all in their tally. In what world does “Ramblin’ Man” finish lower on the list than “Jessica”? And, quite honestly, how does “Rambin’ Man” NOT make The Top 25???

As for “Smoke On The Water,” it came in at #121, probably a bit lower than it deserves to be, too. (See … this is why we need YOUR votes!!! To make things right!) kk

Kent,

You have opened up a can of worms.

I've thought about such a list many times in the past, but never got past what to me is Classic Rock, as opposed to Oldies?

Is Satisfaction classic rock, or oldies? How about Hey Jude? Should the song be uptempo? After all, isn't that what rock is all about?

Can stuff bordering on MOR (half the Beatles catalog) be included?

The definition of classic would refer to something that happened in the past.

Now read the title of today's posting ... The Greatest Classic Rock Tracks Of All Time. Should that even include any song that was issued commercially on 45 RPM?

For that matter, what time period are we talking about?

I, too, am opening up a can of worms here, but to me, classic rock is pretty much a specific 18 year time period from 1972 - 1989, give or take a year on either end. That means the entire Beatles catalog is eliminated, as is much of the Rolling Stones.

On the other end it eliminates Nirvana, Pearl Jam and most alternative music.

Now define the term greatest? Are we talking in terms of sales? Are we talking the contribution the song made to the art form of rock? If it's an open ended time period, then any rock and roll song is fair game.

Rock is rock. Most of it is the same three chord structure.

Is who singing it important? I'll take Goodbye To Love, over half the songs on any classic rock list. Same goes for a couple Abba songs. Neither act comes to mind when discussing classic rock (nor should they). But there are hundreds of one off songs like that, by acts that aren't considered rock acts, classic or otherwise. Should they be included? Just looking for some clarifications before I start my list.

Finally, how many songs should be on this list? If everyone sends you 1,000, you'll need to hire a secretary. I would think just a random list of a few songs would suffice, with one song - one vote, being the determining factor. Then the "winner" is the song receiving the most mentions. However, I don't want to make assumptions.

Jack

I’ll address as many of your points as I can here in this posting … and will continue to clarify as other questions come up moving forward … but as to my take and intentions on of all of this, here goes.

Yes, I thought long and hard about what I was opening myself up to by presenting such an opportunity to vote for the best … but the more I listened to the Sirius Countdown, the more aggravated I got … and just knew I had to do something to make things right.

What makes our brand new tally so important and significant is the fact that this won’t be a list of MY favorites (although a good number of them will appear) … and it won’t be a list of YOUR favorites (although if most of us are like-minded, I think you’ll be happy at which of your choices made the final tally.)

This list will represent the consensus of ALL of Classic Rock Listeners from coast to coast. (Actually, around the world ... that very first vote we received for "Layla" came from The UK!!!)

Should 200 Beatles songs be on the list? Of course not. But I’ll betcha 50 of them will be. Same with The Stones.

The Beatles covered SO many different genres of music during the course of their career that we can't possibly limit it to any one category.

Think about it … I probably hear “Eleanor Rigby” (a string ballad), “Drive My Car” (an album cut rocker) and “I Saw Her Standing There” (a rocker written by a fourteen year old kid that only achieved B-Side status here in The States … and didn’t even get THAT kind of treatment back home in the UK) as much as any of their so-called Greatest Hits. (You rarely hear “I Want To Hold Your Hand” or “She Loves You” on the Classic Rock stations … in fact, I’ll betcha that for every time I hear “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” I hear “I Saw Her Standing There" at least 300 times … yet it was “Hand” and “She Loves You” that broke the band here in America … but those songs rarely get played anymore. “Drive My Car” airs on virtually EVERY radio station (Classic Rock or otherwise) these days as a lead-in the each hour’s traffic report … it’s become the universal theme for this daily function and, as such, has become one of their most popular and easily recognizable tunes.

And The Rolling Stones have long been billed as The World’s Greatest Rock And Roll Band … how can they NOT be well represented on the list? (They led the Sirius chart with 36 tunes.)

It’s true, I drawing a definite line between Classic Rock and Oldies … but some will cross over. “Born To Be Wild” will make this list … odds are records like “Wild Thing” and “Bang A Gong” and “Amie” by The Pure Prairie League, another track you hear daily on these stations, will, too.

But there’s really no place on this particular list for artists like Dion or The Four Seasons or Bobby Darin … they belong on ANOTHER list … but not this one … and I don’t care HOW many weeks these records spent at #1, you’re not likely to find “Sugar Sugar,” “Physical,” “Theme from ‘A Summer Place,’” “Endless Love” or “Bette Davis Eyes” here either. (Sadly, your Carpenters track probably won’t make the cut either!) kk

Here's my advise to EVERYONE voting…

Look at Classic Rock as a GENRE of music … put the oldies connection out of your minds for this one … because a song like “All Right Now” by Free absolutely belongs on this list. So does “Walk On The Wild Side” by Lou Reed … because Classic Rock Radio has embraced these tunes … and so many others like them. (“Spirit In The Sky,” “One Thing Leads To Another,” “Hello, It’s Me,” the Rare Earth version of “Get Ready,” "Stuck In The Middle With You," etc.)

Try this approach … you’ve just been hired to program your city’s Classic Rock Station. You already know who and what they’re playing. Use that as your starting point. Now, how much of that do you agree with? And what would you change?

I have to believe on a list that contains 3333 titles, there is most certainly a spot for “Bo Diddley” … and probably at least three for four spots for Chuck Berry … because without Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, there are no Rolling Stones.

Motown stuff? Some of it … if The Stones’ version of “Ain't Too Proud To Beg” can make the list, certainly there must be room for The Temptations’ original version. Ditto for other great Motown tracks like “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” and Marvin Gaye’s version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.” (The Creedence version made the Sirius list … and it doesn’t even come close to doing the song justice … but if fits the mold.)

Consider the usual suspects when it comes to Classic Rock Artists: The Beatles, The Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, Bob Seger, The Doors, The Eagles, AC/DC, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Eric Clapton, Journey, The Doobie Brothers, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix, U2, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Queen, Foreigner, Boston, Steely Dan, Heart, ELO, Styx, Cream, The Moody Blues, The Kinks, Santana, Yes, Foghat, Kansas, Asia ... does that help you narrow down the list a little bit?

And then you’ve got to add in some of the second and third tier artists like Eddie Money, Heart, Grand Funk Railroad, Deep Purple, Supertramp, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and The Guess Who, Dylan, Billy Idol, Lynyrd Skynyrd and .38 Special, Genesis, The Police and The Cars … the list of potential artists goes on and on. (Cheap Trick, Blondie, Alice Cooper, Peter Frampton … you get the idea!)

And don’t forget the one-offs like Thunderclap Newman and Molly Hatchett and Nazareth … Thin Lizzy, The James Gang, Blue Oyster Cult, Blind Faith, Toto, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and The Traveling Wilburys … not to mention John, Paul, George and Ringo’s solo work. Bet you can come up with a thousands tracks just using this list above with virtually no effort at all.

As for how many to send? That’s up to you … right now we’re just building the list. Once we’ve done that, we’ll begin presenting the final ballot for the votes that really matter. However, if you feel that a particular song or artist belongs on this list, NOW is the time to nominate them … because not everybody’s going to make the final cut. Better to plant the seed NOW and see if we can get other Classic Rock Music Fan onboard with these choices before we start the final voting. (kk)

Kent,

A list of "Classic Rock"as defined by FM today or even in the 70's when it began being an alternate oldies format is hard to make.

To me, these songs cannot include 60's because no one considers them "Classic Rock" but does consider them "oldies."

"Classic Rock" to me is likely late 70's and onward to the 90's, ending there somewhere.

I really don't like categorizing songs that way because it usually means heavy guitar work when there are SOOOO many songs that are just great rock songs that don't fit.

I would NOT consider "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You" or "WOLD" or "I Dreamed Last Night" or "Fox on the Run" or "Listen to What the Man Said,""Magic" (Pilot) or "Wall Street Shuffle" or "Sugar Baby Love" or "Bad Time" or "I'm on Fire" or ANY Bee Gees song as classic rock, but they ARE rock and classics and faves and from that period.

I consider "Classic Rock" as "Dream On,""Fantasy Girl,""Rock On,""Cocaine,""Midnight Rider,""Good Lovin' Gone Bad""Never Been Any Reason" or ANY Eagles song as this genre.

It's a pretty weird classification, IMO, usually leaving out almost ANY soul artists, too. I just like what I like and hate calling "Satisfaction" an oldie instead of classic rock, or "Eye Of The Tiger" as classic rock instead of an oldie or "Show And Tell" as either or as a soul record -- I just wanna call them top 40 -- THAT is MY format of choice!!!

WLSClark

I think the strongest music from the ‘60’s has held its own in the Classic Rock Format. That’s why you still hear songs like “House Of The Rising Sun” by The Animals and “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield and “Somebody To Love” and “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane (alongside their ‘70’s Starship stuff.)

I agree that “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” does not belong on this list … but “Green Eyed Lady” sure does! So does “I Got A Line On You” by Spirit. (And, believe it or not, I did get one vote for WOLD this weekend!!!)

When we do our Top 40 List, ALL of these songs that you mentioned (and so many more) will be represented … but for the purposes of THIS list, we need you guys to focus on those tracks that “sound right” and “fit” within the context of Classic Rock programming. So today, set aside the “Satisfaction” / oldie connection and just agree that “Satisfaction” is a great song that has stood the test of time and absolutely belongs as part of today’s programming on a multitude of radio platforms.

“Eye Of The Tiger” absolutely belongs here, too … as do several other Survivor songs that continue to live thru this format. And you can’t leave out “Vehicle”!!!

Maybe for the purposes of making this list successful we have to do the exact opposite of what we’ve always instructed radio programmers to do … this time, put ON the blinders … and only focus on the genre that fits … and I promise you, we will come up with the ULTIMATE list of music for Classic Rock Programming.

Let’s face it … this music isn’t going anywhere anytime soon … so let’s give them the very best of what we’ve got to offer.

And by the way, from your list of “ineligibles,” “Listen To What The Man Said” placed at #680. I’m not sure that I feel this one belongs on the list … but tracks like “Another Day” (#183) and “Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey” (#167) DEFINITELY don’t fit the Classic Rock mold in my mind and they made the Sirius / XM list, too. Yet you HAVE to include things like “Jet” and “Band On The Run” (already reaching over-played status) and “Helen Wheels” and “Junior’s Farm,” “Live And Let Die” and “Hi Hi Hi” among Paul’s best rockers. (Even “Too Many People” made the Sirius list, coming in way down at #992!) kk

And, since it’s on my mind, we are going to restrict the final countdown to only one version of the same song by the same artist. For example, for “Maybe I’m Amazed” (which is certain to make the list), we will feature the STUDIO version and not the live version. On the other hand, it’ll be the live version of “Free Bird” that will be counted down (since that’s the one that got the most airplay), as will the live version of Cheap Trick's “I Want You To Want Me” and all of the Peter Frampton “comes alive” stuff.

We’re already getting votes for different versions of the same song, recorded by different artists. (Our suggestions above would indicate that this will quickly happen with “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”!) This we will allow … but keep in mind that by “splitting the vote,” you may actually weaken the position of BOTH tracks, depending on where they fall during the final tally. (More rules and clarifications as necessary as we go on.) kk

Of course Sirius / XM’s Channel 30's "Top 1000 Classic Rock Songs Of All Time" is sheer subjective nonsense -- reflecting only the personal opinion(s) of whomever assembled it. Anyone can make up their own list of equal validity.

I chafe at the term "classic rock." "Classic" by what and whose definition?

Chuck Berry's "Johnny B Goode" is a rock 'n' roll classic. Is it not "classic rock"? How about Danny and the Juniors'"At The Hop"? Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues"? Jerry Lee Lewis'"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"? Wynonie Harris'"Good Rockin' Tonight"? Bill Haley and his Comets'"Rock Around The Clock"?

The phrase "classic rock" evolved out of what was called "progressive rock" in the late '60s -- a loosely defined category of recordings made by acts lauded by Rolling Stone and other youth culture elites as superior to Top 40 music (even though a lot of them were also Top 40 hits). The output of acts like The Beatles, The Stones, Jefferson Airplane, etc. were hailed as "progressive rock" and featured on "progressive" FM stations -- while equally rocking tracks by other artists not among the selected elite were ignored as insufficiently hip and thus heard only on Top 40 radio.

Among the rock acts shunned by Rolling Stone and progressive rock radio was a band from Boise, Idaho, which had committed the unpardonable sin of recording, in 1965, an anti-drug abuse song ("Kicks"). Well! In mid-'60s hippie culture, to come out against mind-altering substances was simply unforgivable -- and therefore this band's records, no matter how hard 'n' heavy they might be, were considered too darn square to ever air on progressive / classic rock radio.

But then -- in 1969 -- a mysterious new group appeared: Pink Puzz. Rolling Stone and FM rock radio loved their album --and gave heavy support to such rockin' tracks as "Let Me." Well, they did at first -- until it was revealed that Pink Puzz was really -- oh my God! -- Paul Revere & the Raiders (!) -- those same guys who had recorded "Kicks." Suddenly "Let Me": and the other Pink Puzz tracks vanished from progressive / classic rock radio.

Was that because the audio content of those tracks has suddenly deteriorated?

No, they remained exactly the same.

But what Paul Revere & the Raiders had done was unmask the pretentious snobbery inherent in the category known as progressive / classic rock.

The ultimate critic remains you the listener. You know better than anyone else what moves you and speaks to and for your heart. It doesn't matter one whit what any published or broadcast opinion maker writes or says in attempting to make your mind up for you. You know what YOUR "Top 1000" is. Enjoy every track.

Gary Theroux

"The History of Rock 'n' Roll"

Well said … now SHARE that list of Top 1000 Favorites with US so that we can determine the ULTIMATE list determined by the ONLY people who matter … the listeners! (Not the programmers … not the know-it-all consultants … YOU GUYS!!!)

We want to hear from YOU so that we can assemble a list that tells THEM what people REALLY wanna hear! (kk)

Like you and others, I find myself agreeing to disagree with these numberless lists. It is their opinion … or maybe it is their set lists from a new channel or an upcoming program. They are just prepping you to say, “Wow! They are playing the greatest rock tracks of all time on this station!”

Shelley J Sweet-Tufano

Hi Kent,

Of course, this is intellectually an impossible task.

First, you have to identify what "classic rock" means … and then ask if you are looking for most influential or most rocking' songs.

That said, here is my first batch of votes for consideration with hopefully many more to go:

No particular order meant here: Satisfaction, Yesterday, For What It's Worth, My Generation, Light My Fire, Purple Haze, The Weight, Respect, Hotel California, Whole Lotta Love, Sunshine of Your Love.

Yes, sort of all over the place.

Some based on influence and some based on setting the stage for further development of music.

For example, which Yardbirds song really set the table for Led Zep ? I'm A Man ? Over, Under, Sideways, Down? Just not sure.

Roundabout ? Absolutely ...

So many ways to go.

Thanks for taking this on. It's going to be a monumental undertaking.

Jim Hill

I can already see that! I can’t even begin to guess how many hours I spent working on this over the weekend … and we’re just getting started!!!

So let's break it down again ... to ALL of you out there …

Think of Classic Rock as a GENRE … and figure out what belongs.

You’re programming your own Classic Rock Radio Station.

What is your recipe for success?

What songs HAVE to be there to draw in listenership?

What songs would you like to add as “Wow Factor” songs?

How are you going to keep the advertisers happy by playing the right mix of music to keep folks tuned in and hearing about what they have to sell? (This might mean you have to feature some music that you yourself are not particularly fond of … yet acknowledge as fitting the criteria of what belongs on a Classic Rock Radio Station.

Tougher than you thought, isn’t it? And a bit of compromising, too.

To build a data base, I first started with all one thousand songs that made the Sirius / XM list, whether I agreed with them or not … but then reset their counts to zero, so as to eliminate any rank influence from their chart to ours.

I next added every new nomination that our readers sent in … easily HUNDREDS more than what made the Sirius list (yet surprisingly not one single vote for an Ozzy Osbourne or Black Sabbath song came in all weekend long. Gee, what a shocker!)

Next, I’ve been tediously going thru the Joel Whitburn books to see what else might belong … also giving consideration to my OWN Classic Rock Radio Station were I to build one.

I believe that several months from now we will have the ULTIMATE Play List for this genre of music.

Yes, MOST of it will be obvious … because there are just certain songs that are “locked in” to the mix.

But you’ll also see these songs ranked the way the listeners REALLY want to hear them … and again, I cannot believe that we will find a single Ozzy song in The Top100, much less The Top 500 or 1000.

Our list will represent Classic Rock the way it SHOULD be … and my hope is that some of the radio stations will respond as our method of research will poll a FAR larger audience than anything they’ve attempted to date.

Stay tuned, folks … this is gonna be a good one!!! (kk)

REMINDER: We have set up a special email address to accomodate all of the votes coming in ...
Please send your responses to ClassicRockVote@yahoo.com. Thank you!

↧

Tuesday This And That

March 26, 2019, 4:17 am

≫ Next: One More Plug for 61 At 61

≪ Previous: Classic Rock Update #1

Their name wasn’t really Walker … and they weren’t really brothers … and they weren’t really from England … and they didn’t open a chain of pancake restaurants … but the story of The Walker Brothers is perhaps one of the most unique success stories in the history of rock and roll.

The trio of (Noel) Scott Engel, John Maus and Gary Leeds formed in Los Angeles, California, where they developed their sound not much unlike that of The Righteous Brothers (ALSO not really brothers, Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield), who put their own brand on blue-eyed soul.

Finding it difficult to chart with anything they were recording here in The States (largely due to the complete chart dominance of The British Invasion) the trio, now dubbed The Walker Brothers (as in Scott Walker, John Walker and Gary Walker) moved to England with the idea that perhaps a little “reverse psychology” might do the trick … and did it ever!

They quickly had ten Top 40 Hits in The UK and we here in America, none the wiser, just assumed that they were another British band, part of the invasion, and suddenly had a couple of monster hits here in The States, too!

Their version of the Hal David – Burt Bacharach song “Make It Easy On Yourself” went to #16 (and topped the charts in Great Britain) and a song written by the successful songwriting team behind The Four Seasons’ hits, Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio (and first recorded as a solo number by Frankie Valli), “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” went all the way to #13 and also topped the charts in the UK.

That one captured not only the feel of The Righteous Brothers but also the complete Wall Of Sound production values of Phil Spector … it was a GREAT record (and is still one of my favorites, not only of the ‘60’s but of the entire rock era.) Check out the absolutely awesome clip below.

“My Ship Is Coming In” went to #3 in 1965 there … and a comeback hit released in 1976, “No Regrets,” also made The Top Ten, peaking at #7.

In addition, all three “brothers” enjoyed solo pop hits in the ‘60’s with tracks like “You Don’t Love Me” (#26, 1966) and “Twinkie Lee” (#26, 1966) by Gary Walker, “Annabella” (#24, 1967) by John Walker and “Jackie” (#22, 1968), “Joanna” (#7, 1968) and “Lights Of Cincinatti” (their spelling, not mine!), #13, 1969, by Scott Walker.

So when news came this week about the death of Noel Scott Engel, we were flooded with emails from FH Readers.

A much bigger success in Great Britain (where it is said he was a huge influence on the careers of David Bowie and Radiohead, among others), Engel recorded ten solo albums and developed a much more avant garde musical style in his solo career.

Hi Kent,
I heard last night on NPR-BBC that Scott Walker of the Walker Brothers passed away yesterday. He was 76. "The sun ain't gonna shine anymore."
Peace,
Tim Kiley

From Harvey Kubernik …

Although not very acknowledged or reported, let it be proudly known that Scott Walker went to Los Angeles High School, could have graduated from Hollywood High School, logged time doing menial tasks and learning recording techniques in East Hollywood at the legendary Gold Star studio, recorded there, worked with the Routers of "Let's Go" fame, a big hit single. He was also the product of seeing many foreign films on Hollywood Blvd. which informed his cinematic recordings with The Walker Brothers. Fixtures on the Hollywood club scene 1963-1965.
Listen to the Walker Brothers "Love Her," arranged by Jack Nitzsche, produced by Nik Venet and engineered by Dave Hassinger at RCA studios on Sunset Blvd. and no doubt influenced his renaissance and contemporary work after they disbanded.

I did this interview with Howard Kaylan of the Turtles earlier this decade ... some astute observations.
Done in 2013 for Record Collector News Magazine
© 2013, 2019 Harvey Kubernik
Best,
HK

Harvey Kubernik: You’ve always cited the Walker Brothers out of your vast record collection. Scott Walker went to Los Angeles High School and you went to Westchester High. He briefly worked at Gold Star and was involved with the Routers’ of “Let’s Go” fame. You both emerged out of instrumental bands. You were in the Cross Fires. Then as a Turtle you recorded in Gold Star. He saw foreign movies on Hollywood Boulevard in the mid-sixties and you wrote a song about the street, “Somewhere Friday Night.”

Howard Kaylan: I love the Walker Brothers records but for different reasons I love Scott records. The Walker Brothers were in my Spector and Righteous Brothers wheelhouse.
And I understood them for the pop that they were. And kids for the Americans they were. Strangers in a strange land and just kind of accepting their position. We always thought of the Walker Brothers as ex-pats that had just kind of turned into that country’s Righteous Brothers. But after that era disappeared nobody in this country bought the Scott albums. Nobody knew he was this incredible balladeer with an eye for the continental music. Nobody knew who he was at all. They didn’t fuckin’ care.
And I was one of those people who wrote off the Walker Brothers too. “Night Flight” and the Scott stuff is the only Walker Brothers record I can listen too. I can’t listen to ‘The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” because I realize that’s a kid on his way to finding his truth.
How come nobody has heard Scott fuckin’ Walker? Am I the only guy in America who knows there is this genius living in England? And he is probably my favorite living artist. Having discovered Scott Walker so late in my life after “Station to Station” by maybe 25 years. It’s a slap in the face to me.
It’s the realization that my thin white duke also had his influences and beyond them. I think if you listen to “Tilt” and “Drift” and “Who Will Go to the Ball” I think that is the genius right there. My jaw hit the ground when I heard “Tilt.” I had never heard anything close to that in my life. And by the time he got “Drift” I understood what he was doing.
I totally understand what he is doing. He is doing the most conventional pop music I ever heard. He is just doing it as if he was observing it from outer space and then trying to tell you what he saw as an alien. I believe what he is doing is very much verve chorus ending. It’s just when your chorus is a bleeding sheep being hit then you don’t really look at it as a repeatable rock ‘n’ roll thing you can sing along too. But in structure it is. It is very conventional. You just have to kind of break it down more than listening to it as an observer and saying, ‘This guy’s nuts. He shouldn’t have that sound. My ears hurt and now he is blasting me with a live dying goat. What the hell am I supposed to make of this? Sing along, pal.'
I get him and I don’t totally understand why America doesn’t get him. They don’t get him because they don’t get Frank [Zappa]. They don’t take the time.

Now here’s something we’ve been waiting for for years!!! …

Hi Kent,
Now that Record Research has published the complete history of the Radio & Records Top 40 chart(s), we’d love to do the same for The Gavin Report (which ran from 1958-2002). We have every issue, starting with March 27, 1981. However, finding ANY issues before that time has been nearly impossible!
Obviously, we can’t do a book without access to those charts. I’ve been reaching out to all of my radio friends and even some of the old Gavin staffers in the hopes that somebody may have saved those back issues.
If anybody has any leads, please send them on to me at paul@recordresearch.com.
Thank you!
Paul Haney
Record Research

This is going to be a tough one … but SO worth it if you can pull it off!
Many will argue that The Gavin Report was the REAL Music Bible during that critical key period of the ‘60’s when this weekly mailed report is likely to have influence more radio programming decisions than Billboard, Cash Box and Record World … perhaps combined!!!
The odds of anybody saving every single issue is pretty remote … jeez, how many of those radio stations from this era even still exist anymore, much less some very yellowed and tattered papers?
But hey, I want to see this published as much as anybody … maybe even more … so I am VERY happy to help put the word out there … and will hope that the 200+ deejays on our list will help us to spread the word. (You can email Paul at the address above or me at kk@forgottenhits.com… let’s see what kind of collection we can build!)
And Paul, PLEASE keep us posted. (I don’t think the report had anywhere near the influence it did once you got past about 1975 … so those 1958 – 1975 editions are going to be the key drawing card.) I know Joel also talked about possibly compiling a book of the Variety Charts from back in the day … any update on that project?
Good Luck … and please stay in touch! (kk)

Kent,
I read the story Ed Osborne mentioned about Tommy James appearing at a high school and laughed, as I was home yesterday working on tapes and going thru boxes of memorabilia and came across the 1966 Chicago "World Teen" Show program at McCormick Place that ran the week of July 22 - 31.
This show was quite a history making event, as I believe Dick Clark saw the Robbs in an appearance at this show and signed them as regulars to his "Where the Action Is" teen TV show in Hollywood.
It featured a teen "Battle of the Bands" that I believe had several acts that became known locally because of their appearances here.
Headliners were Chad & Jeremy (who, I believe, stayed at WLS' Ron Riley's home when there), Martha & the Vandellas, the Outsiders, and terrific locals the Shadows of Knight and New Colony 6. It also featured Tommy James and the Shondells!!
Of course, Clark Weber has told the story of getting "Hanky Panky" years earlier from a young Niles, Michigan, lad, Tommy James, and declining to play the song. Well, the week of the show, that record was #2 on the WLS Silver Dollar Survey as their first ever hit, coming down from #1 two weeks prior. After having read Tommy's great book, I can only guess that his new boss, Morris Levy, wrote the info for the band's appearance at the Chicago event above.
Check out the full page ad:

The band was likely to have not yet "recorded" anything for Roulette (they bought or stole the hit record Snap master, not a tape, even), they did not have MANY current hits and were NOT from California (at least Tommy wasn't). The "Shondels" was actually the spelling the Ides of March were using then, NOT Tommy James' band, which of course, these guys pictured were NOT the actual Shondells on the record. Nonetheless, TJ would go on to "World Teen" acceptance, for sure!!!
Also, your comments on the Stevie Nicks / ARS speed changes on "Imaginary Lover" came perfectly with a tape shared with FH'er Michael Thom about the origins of "Mirage" by Tommy James. I think this story may have been in his book, but if not, here's the story Michael told me:
Producer Richie Cordell accidently threaded a tape of "I Think We're Alone Now" backwards and from listening to it that way, came up with the basics of "Mirage"!!!!
Here's the backwards part where you can hear the makings of the "Mirage" melody! After what you hear, Cordell wrote different music, but the part you hear is basically the music to the hit follow-up!
Clark Besch

I love it ... Tommy James and the ShondeLs ... right out of Niles, Michigan, California!!!
I showed this shot to Tommy's manager ... man, were ANY of us ever really this young?!?! Thanks, Clark! (kk)

Alan Parsons has an album of all new material coming out (his first in fifteen years) on April 26^th. (A video for the first single, “I Can’t Get There From Here” has already been posted on YouTube. It comes from the new movie 5-25-77, the date the first Star Wars film opened in theaters.)

As is usually the case, the album features a variety of guest vocalists (Lou Gramm, Jason Mraz and P.J. Olsson … plus Alan sings a handful of songs himself, too.)

Parsons says he’ll tour behind the album … which is GREAT news for us, who LOVE to see him in concert. (Alan has made our Best Concerts List every year he has performed here for as long as we’ve been tabulating these lists!)

We’re also starting to see promos on television for that new “Yesterday” movie we told you about a month ago or so … this one looks just quirky enough to be a hit. (What if nobody remembered The Beatles???
Here’s the trailer again!):

Lots of buzz, too, about the new Temptations musical that started on Broadway last week. Again based on the memories of the only living original member, Otis Williams, this time around he says you’re going to hear “the truth” about this incredible band. (We’ve watched his four hour made-for-tv movie at least thirty times now … TOTALLY enjoy it. If they can capture that same story, jam-packed with music, in just two hours, this would be a great show to see.)

I could've swore that you told me Tommy Roe was retiring.
Am I wrong?
Frank B.
Actually, Tommy has retired a few times now! (lol) And, after some health set-backs, we kinda figured that this was going to really be it … it might be too strenuous to record or (especially) go back out on the road … but the guy just keeps bouncing back … and it’s a shame to lock up all that talent when he’s still writing and recording … it’s really the only life he’s ever known … so I applaud him for it!

And this new series of redoing his biggest hits should be interesting to follow … so I’m also looking forward to that. And if he decides that he does want to undertake the rigors of a small tour again, we sure would love to see him come back to the Chicago area. (Former musical director told me that if Tommy wanted to go back on the road, he was sure that he could work something out that would feature a double-bill featuring Tommy with The Box Tops, providing the proper back-up band for such a venture. Now wouldn’t THAT be a cool show to see???) kk

Speaking of short-term retirement, just few months after concluding his farewell tour, Paul Simon will be the headliner at Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco this August. Never say never!

And Phil Collins is back out on the road again, too. (It has got to be SO hard to just walk away from the fan adoration!) kk

Meanwhile, another door closes …

kk:
Goodbye Donny & Marie.
FB
https://abcnews.go.com/culture/story/donny-marie-osmond-officially-announce-end-longtime-las-61832215?cid=social_fb_abcn?fbclid=IwAR0yrz2kR1TPBZobicfFVVOG65garPKjDmevOG9AP4r7lXnPsRSQl09UZbA

FH Reader Clive Topol sent us this:
From The New York Times:
Reunion Tour! The Band Is Back! Wait, Who Are These Guys?
Once a band name turns into a brand name, there’s a strong incentive to continue on, even with a lineup that fans might not recognize.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/arts/music/band-name-reunions.html

John Fogerty was Billy Joel’s surprise guest at his monthly Madison Square Garden show last week.
Rolling Stone Magazine reports that this is “the first time that Fogerty has guested with Joel at this Madison Square Garden residency, where he’s played with everyone from Miley Cyrus and Paul Simon to John Mayer, Steve Miller, Tony Bennett and AC/DC’s Brian Johnson” … and then teases that “Joel turns 70 on May 9th and he’s celebrating with a show at MSG where it feels practically inevitable that he’ll be joined by at least one or two surprise guests.”
That should be a good one! (kk)

John seems to be struggling to hit some of the notes in this fan-shot video … it might be time to lower the key a step and make things a bit easier on both the singer and the audience!

↧

One More Plug for 61 At 61

March 28, 2019, 4:16 am

≫ Next: Classic Rock Update #2

≪ Previous: Tuesday This And That

Michel Bush's photo exhibition is a must see rock n roll treat for all F.H. followers.

Chet Coppock

I toured Michael G. Bush’s outstanding “61 at 61” exhibit this morning ... and I highly recommend it.

Large color canvases of 61 rock icons are super-detailed; my favorite is the shot of Chuck Berry with Keith Richards, dripping sweat all over his beautiful R ‘n' R suit. Proof positive that in the early 80's the Chuckster didn't always "phone it in"!

Very nice photo of the Dick Biondi Way Dedication.

While gazing at these rock greats, I heard the Ides of March’s underappreciated gem "One Hit Wonder (Hot Smoke & Sasafrass)" I thought this tune only existed on my iPod! Very few "one hit wonders" in this exhibit.

Clive Topol

We, too, gave the exhibit an outstanding review. I’ve known Michael for close to 40 years and have encouraged him every step of the way to make his photos public so that the whole world could enjoy them … so glad to see that he is finally doing exactly that … and that’s it’s generating the positive response we always knew it would.

And, it's great to see that he’s been getting some local newspaper, television and radio coverage here, too! Last night he was interviewed for Chicago Tonight on PBS … and later today (if you live in Chicago) you can catch him on Windy City Live. (ABC, 1 pm)

Bush is a self-taught photographer … he received nothing in the way of any formal training … and as such, in his own words, he “took a lot of really bad pictures” in the beginning while he learned his craft.

Fortunately for all of us, his “focus” never wavered … he knew what his loves and passions were and zeroed in on those right from the very start. Otherwise, we could have ended up with shots like these ...

Thankfully, he honed those skills into taking photos of The Beatles, The Stones, The Monkees, The Turtles and The Byrds that really mattered to the majority of us instead. (I “shutter” to think about the results if he hadn’t … but it’s a pretty safe bet that those photos wouldn’t be on display garnering all this attention right now if he had!) Let's just say that the rock world is a better place because of it.

Bush expressed concerns for his loss of anonymity with all this sudden attention … but he needn’t worry … the guy’s about nine feet tall with an enormous mane of white hair … it’s safe to say that he has ALWAYS stood out in the crowd … and with a loyal legion of fans egging him on (and over a million photos in his collection) we’re just happy to see him finally sharing these with the rest of the world.

The exhibit runs thru April 5th ...

(My cell phone photos can't even begin to do these justice ... get on over there for yourself and check these out in person in all their full-size glory!!!) kk

http://www.zhoubartcenter.com/61-at-61.html

↧

Classic Rock Update #2

March 29, 2019, 4:04 am

≫ Next: March 31st

≪ Previous: One More Plug for 61 At 61

Hi Kent,

I understand your desire to put together an “ultimate” classic rock list, but in the end, it seems like it will be just another list. I mean, it’s nearly impossible to objectively quantify such a beast.

From your blog last Friday:

>>>To have Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Town" finish in The Top 30 but not have "Purple Haze" even make The Top 100 has been enough to make me motivated to come up with our OWN list of Classic Rock Favorites. (kk)

First of all, the song is titled “Crazy Train” and I hear it A LOT on the classic rock stations that I listen to often. I’d put in easily in the Top 500, if not higher. Not sure what you have against Ozzy / Black Sabbath, but any such list without Sabbath’s “Iron Man” and “Paranoid” in the Top 500 would be unthinkable to me.

You also mentioned Rush. That’s another group that gets played A LOT on radio. Any list without “Tom Sawyer” or “Limelight” high on it would be suspect (while their biggest Hot 100 hit “New World Man” hardly ever gets played).

I’m sure there’s lots of regional influence on these stations as well. I never even heard the song “Lake Shore Drive” until I moved to Milwaukee in 1992 and I now consider it a minor classic. “Never Been Any Reason” by Head East is a song that I literally grew up with in Minnesota, but I doubt it’s very familiar to anybody outside the Midwest markets.

You also mention studio versions vs. live versions.

When I hear “Free Bird,” it’s almost always the studio version. When I hear “Maybe I’m Amazed” these days, it’s almost always the live version, just the opposite of what it was 10 years ago!

It’s also nearly impossible to put hard boundaries on what constitutes “classic rock.” You mention that there should be some classic Motown, but I NEVER hear such songs on today’s classic rock radio. I also NEVER hear Chuck Berry or Bo Diddley, let alone Bill Haley or ANY songs prior to 1964. Songs that you and I “think” should be played simply aren’t and vice-versa. I’m always surprised to hear “Low Rider” by War on a classic rock station. The stations that play it would never dream of playing anything else by them.

It seems to me a better way to put together such a list would be to look at the actual airplay stats as compiled by Nielsen or Mediabase (they track many classic rock stations). I’d also do a google search on the various classic rock radio station countdowns that have run over the years. Surely you’d see “Crazy Train” high up on just about every list.

Also, where do you draw the line, via time? I can see both sides of the argument that Nirvana and Pearl Jam should be considered.

You can’t even go by chart position as the album cut “Rock & Roll Band” by Boston gets way more airplay than their Top 5 smash “Don’t Look Back” does these days. Same goes for “Lights” by Journey, which gets tons of airplay while several of their actual Top 40 hits hardly get played at all! Ditto “Turn The Page” by Bob Seger, “Pink Cadillac” by Bruce Springsteen and on and on.

These are just a few of the issues I can think of off the top of my head.

All of that said, I do wish you luck. Your final list will be interesting to see, but surely not without debate of its own!

Paul Haney

Record Research

The reason “our list” won’t be "just another list” is because OUR list will be built by the votes of thousands and thousands and thousands of Classic Rock radio listeners and fans from all over the country … not something put together by three guys holed up in a room over the weekend trying to put together a play list for a special week-long countdown.

Will there be controversy? Of course there will … as it should be … but my hope is that by the time we do the big reveal of The Top 3333 Classic Rock Tracks, you’d be hard-pressed to find something missing that you legitimately felt should be there. (And I also believe you’ll find the ranking to be much closer to reality than say “Crazy Train” coming in at #29 ahead of “Touch Me” by The Doors, “Take It Easy” by The Eagles, “Maybe I’m Amazed” by McCartney, “Money For Nothing” by Dire Straits, “Dream On” by Aerosmith, “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac, “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison, “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin, “Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones, “Rock And Roll” by Led Zeppelin, “Let It Be” by Paul McCartney, “La Grange” by ZZ Top and “We Will Rock You / We Are The Champions” by Queen … and that’s just in The Top 50 that Sirius / XM came up with.

And oh yeah, guess what … on the way to #50, we had to pass TWO MORE Ozzy songs: “Over The Mountain” at #38 and “War Pigs” at #48. (So Ozzy deserves THREE of The Top 50 Classic Rock Tracks of All-Time??? I don't think so! To put that in perspective, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Queen, Tom Petty and Aerosmith each only had TWO tracks make The Top 50 ... and Bruce Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac only had one. Not exactly the same league, wouldn't you agree???)

Is my point a bit clearer now? Does “Crazy Train” belong? Sure it does … but NOT in the #29 position … and certainly not at the expense of so many other great tracks that truly DO deserve that honor.

It’s not a personal beef I have against Ozzy and Black Sabbath … I would agree that “Iron Man” and “Black Sabbath” and “Crazy Train” and even a few others absolutely belong on a list of Top 3333 Favorites … and I feel confident that several titles by these guys will make the final cut ... but probably nowhere near the 16 tracks that made Sirius / XM's Top 1000.

And that's exactly the point I’m objecting to. The list that Sirius / XM put together gives Ozzy SIXTEEN of the Top 1000 spots … that’s more than The Eagles, Elton John, AC/DC, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, The Cars, The Police, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Eric Clapton, Journey, Genesis, Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young, U2, Jimi Hendrix, Pat Benatar, Boston, Steve Miller, Foreigner, Queen, ZZ Top, Billy Joel, Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers, Heart, ELO, Santana, Styx, The Moody Blues, The Kinks, Eddie Money, Supertramp, Chicago, Yes and REO Speedwagon … to name but a few.

You cannot tell me that even for a millisecond … in ANY universe … you could possibly believe that this should be the case.

THAT’S why we need to come up with this list.

And sure, I could go to any variety of Classic Rock Station Countdowns online … but that also defeats the purpose of our Reality Poll of actual Classic Rock Music Fans. All THOSE lists will prove is what we have maintained all along throughout the entire existence of Forgotten Hits … radio plays the SAME 500 songs EVERYWHERE you go because these are the songs that the consultants have determined to be the ONLY songs listeners want to hear … and we aim to prove them wrong once again.

By appealing to the only people who matter, we’re polling THE LISTENERS. I believe we will all see these lists from a totally new perspective once the people who really matter weigh in on the subject. (And let's face it ... where else can they really do so?)

Now I promise you … every single one of those 500 cookie-cutter songs will make our list … and rank very HIGH on it as well … as they should … both because they’re great songs and because we’ve all been programmed to believe these are the tracks we’re supposed to associate with Classic Rock.

We want more.

We want each and every one of you to dig deep and tell us the tracks YOU believe belong on a list such as this … with no restrictions.

Yeah, there’ll be some oddballs here … you won’t believe some of the suggestions we’ve received so far … but MY opinion will have absolutely NO influence here … because this is YOUR list … which is why it will NEVER be “just another list.”

And, for the record, to date … as I type this … Ozzy and Black Sabbath have exactly five votes TOTAL between them. Meanwhile we’ve already got eleven songs with over 500 votes each … so if things keep up at this rate, there’s a good chance that Ozzy WON’T make the final Top 500. Not MY choosing ... but as determined by Classic Rock America and the votes that THEY have cast.

But it’s early … this is gonna take months … if things somehow turn around between now and the end of our poll, I’ll be the first one to admit that I’ve misjudged the significance of Ozzy's role in Classic Rock history, throw a party, invite the whole list and serve bat-head hors d'oeuvres! (kk)

Other updates:

As I type this, “Hotel California” has a significant lead on our list. (It came in at #8 on theirs.) The Sirius / XM chart-topper, “Stairway To Heaven,” is also doing well, as are many of the most expected candidates: “Honky Tonk Women,” “Layla,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “More Than A Feeling” and “Dream On,” all of which are currently fixed in The Top Ten.

In nearly every case, this reflects a FAR better showing than the Sirius / XM list where “Sweet Home Alabama” came in at #13, “Bohemian Rhapsody” at #16, “Dream On” at #36 and “Honky Tonk Women” at #50. (This also means that our readers aren’t quite as enamored with the tracks “You Really Got Me” by Van Halen, “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who, “Sympathy For The Devil” by The Rolling Stones and “Knocking On Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan as Sirius / XM would have you believe … all of these finished in their Top Ten … yet currently rank at numbers #125, #24, #101 and #200 respectively on our list.)

We’re also finding The Eagles FAR AND AWAY the #1 Vote-Getter thus far. They placed 15 titles on the Sirius list, but already have 26 titles nominated in our tally.

However, we’re going to use a different methodology to determine the most popular artists when we compute our final list. They can’t be ranked solely by the numbers of titles selected … as this leaves “limited run” acts like Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos at a distinct disadvantage, despite the fact that “Layla” currently sits at #3 on our list and “Can’t Find My Way Home” is already closing in on 300 votes. We’re currently investigating other ways to more accurately portray an artist’s significance on our chart recap.

Also:

Regarding the live vs. studio tracks, I firmly believe the McCartney solo version of “Maybe I’m Amazed” is the DEFINITIVE version ... and should be acknowledged as such. I agree with you that we hear the live version more often these days … and think that this is because the live version was released as a single seven years after the McCartney album came out … but that doesn’t make it right … and this list wants to get it right.

I hear the live version of “Free Bird” FAR more often than the studio version … and it’s a FAR more exciting version. (Honestly, I’d prefer to leave ALL live versions out of the mix but it just isn’t practical. How many people out there REALLY had ever heard the studio versions of “Show Me The Way,” “Baby, I Love Your Way” or “Do You Feel Like I Do” on the radio before the Frampton Comes Alive album came out? Same with Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me.” I’m just trying to avoid having duplicates on the list.

How close are we to having 3333 titles to choose from? About halfway there! (Not bad for only our second week of polling!!!) But again, it is going to take awhile in order to ensure the accuracy of such a poll by taking in the maximum number of votes possible in a reasonable amount of time.

And I may consult whatever sources are available online regarding actual airplay and play lists of Classic Rock Programming … but only as a barometer and check list to make sure we’ve accounted for everything that needs to be on there. I may also monitor airplay by what we actually hear being played thru a variety of sources. (Did I mention that Toto’s “Africa” did not make The Sirius / XM Top 1000 List?!?! Nor did, I just realized the other day, Led Zeppelin’s absolute classic “Heartbreaker / Livin’ Lovin’ Maid,” a built-in two-fer that has NEVER been off the radio since it was first released in 1970 … yet FAR lesser heard Zeppelin fare like “Gallows Pole,” “Ten Years Gone,” “Four Sticks” and “Thank You” made the cut. Also missing … Gerry Rafferty! Sure, “Stuck In The Middle With You” is on there (#266) … but what about “Baker Street” and “Right Down The Line,” two Classic Rock / FM staples!!! We don’t want to make ANY mistakes of that magnitude when we compile ours.

I agree with your assessment that the “starting point” for Classic Rock candidates seems to be 1964, the dawn of The British Invasion. We don’t see many early rockers on the list so far … not even Elvis (although radio today has a way of implying that The King really only had two hits … “Suspicious Minds” and “Burning Love” … unless, of course, you count the 2002 remix of "A Little Less Conversation! (Right!) Unfortunately, radio today would ALSO have you believe that the most important song The Rolling Stones ever did was “Miss You”!!! Seriously?!?! When this thing first came out, the rock and roll world shuddered … are you kidding me?!?! The Stones are doing DISCO?!?!

We have also received (to date) eight votes for Bo Diddley … an unlikely candidate perhaps (but still more votes than all of Ozzy Osbourne’s combined … so dig THAT perspective!!!)

To me it makes sense … again, Bo’s shuffle beat inspired SO many artists over the years … which is why you’ll see some very early Stones tracks here (as well as George Thorogood’s “Who Do You Love,” an FM-Rock staple.) It has always seemed odd to me that Classic Rock Radio will play Buddy Holly covers like “Not Fade Away” by The Stones, “Words Of Love” by The Beatles and any variety of Linda Ronstadt tracks … but wouldn’t dream of featuring any of Buddy’s originals. (To this point, you will hear an early track like “That’ll Be The Day” and/or “Peggy Sue” from time to time … as well as the odd Everly Brothers tracks.) Maybe this list will help to change that.

Fifteen years ago we regularly ran comments on radio’s “Overplayed List” … Bob Seger, Billy Joel, Steve Miller and John Mellencamp were always near the top of those lists … but we’re hearing a bit more variety from these artists now after radio caused us all to OD on heavily saturated tracks like “Only The Good Die Young,” “Jack And Diane,” “Old Time Rock And Roll” and “Take The Money And Run.” That’s why, as you mentioned, you’ll hear a whole lot more “Turn The Page” these days … perhaps radio has finally recognized the error of their ways, causing listener burn-out. I believe this is also the reason you don’t hear “Stairway To Heaven” nearly as much as you used to, too. (Let us enjoy and appreciate a good song rather than beating us over the head with it!!! LONG a Forgotten Hits credo!)

And, quite honestly, the criteria has shifted … without a doubt. In 1982, when John Cougar Mellencamp released his “American Fool” album, tracks like “Hurt So Good” and “Jack And Diane” rocked as hard as anything else on the radio at the time. You wouldn’t DREAM of programming these tracks on the soft rock / adult contemporary stations where they’re heard every day today! (Incredibly, both of these tracks were “after thoughts” … when the record company told Mellencamp they “didn’t hear a single,” John went back to the song-writing well and came up with these two off the cuff … the last tracks recorded for the album … and both went on to become monster, timeless hits!)

As for another comment, we have received a few votes for Pearl Jam tracks … only one for Nirvana so far. Way too early to tell if they'll make the final countdown. Do they belong? That’s up to you … this is YOUR list, people … and because of this, it will NEVER be “just another list.”

We just want to get it right ... which is why we are enlisting the help of ALL of the Classic Rock Fans out there to do so ... so please help us to spread the word. Tell your friends to cast their votes. Contact your local classic rock radio stations and ask them to get onboard by polling their listeners.

This is a nationwide poll, people ... let's maximize the voting pool to get the best results possible.

Meanwhile, KEEP THOSE VOTES COMIN’, FOLKS …

WE’VE GOT A LONG WAY TO GO!!! (kk)

↧

March 31st

March 31, 2019, 4:00 am

≫ Next: April Fool's Day

≪ Previous: Classic Rock Update #2

Music from the Broadway Musical "Hair" continues to occupy the top two spots on this week's countdown ... and the previous weeks' two biggest movers continue to make strides toward the top of the chart as "It's Your Thing" by The Isley Brothers moves from #10 to #3 and "You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Blood, Sweat and Tears climbs from #14 to #4.

But these aren't the only big movers on this week's WLS Chart ...

"Runaway Child, Running Wild" by The Temptations jumps ten spots (from #17 to #7) to break into The Top Ten as does "Do Your Thing" by The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, which climbs from #20 to #10.

"Galveston" by Glen Campbell is up nine places from #22 to #13 while "Sweet Cherry Wine" by Tommy James and the Shondells moves up ten spots from #35 to #25.

"Rock Me" by Steppenwolf, "Twenty Five Miles" by Edwin Starr and "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" by Crazy Elephant each move up nine places ... while Jerry Butler's "Only The Strong Survive" climbs eight (from #23 to #15) and Joe Simon jumps up nine spots (from #39 to #30) with "The Chokin' Kind."

The top debut this week belongs to Clarence Carter with "Snatchin' It Back" (#36) so this shapes up to be a very soulful chart with at least ten cross-over R&B Hits represented here this week in '69.

Speaking of This Week in 1969 ...

March 25^th– Roy Orbison marries his second wife, Barbara Anne Marie Wellhonen Jakobs in Hendersonville, Tennessee. She would go on to manage Roy’s career and, after his death in 1988, take charge of all of his business affairs until her own death in 2011.

Also on this date, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap are awarded their first gold album for "Young Girl."

March 25^th - March 31st - Following their marriage on March 20th, John and Yoko begin their Bed-In For Peace in at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel in Gibraltar

March 26th - The Allman Brothers Band is formed in Jacksonville, Florida

March 27^th– Singer Mariah Carey is born (can the sound of shattered glass be far behind?)

March 28^th– Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower dies after a long illness

Also on this date, Jerry Lee Lewis ("The Killer") appears on The Tom Jones Show ("This Is Tom Jones") and performs "Great Balls Of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"

March 30^th– In a salute to Broadway, the cast of "Hair" performs "Aquarius" / "Let the Sunshine In" on The Ed Sullivan Show.

↧

April Fool's Day

April 1, 2019, 4:00 am

≫ Next: Tuesday This And That

≪ Previous: March 31st

Here's a special WLS April Fool's Day Chart sent in by FH Regular Chuck Buell ... based on yesterday's actual WLS Chart from exactly fifty years ago.

(Let's just say that Chuck has updated things a little bit ... but still includes his "More Fun When You're Young" radio partner Kris Erik Stevens in on all the fun. As you can see, a few things have changed ... ever so slightly as it may be!) How cool is it that both Chuck and Kris Erik are both Forgotten Hits Readers today?!?! I love it!!!

OK, Kent!
So now that all of your readers have had the chance to take a look at the WLS Hit Parade Survey from March 31, 1969, featuring the famous “It’s More Fun When You’re Young” Buell-Stevens Promo at the bottom ... (scroll back to yesterday's post if you missed it) ... here is a Forgotten Hits Exclusive Sneak Preview of the brand new WLS Hit Parade Survey for today, all especially prepared for April 1, 2019!

↧

Tuesday This And That

April 2, 2019, 4:00 am

≫ Next: Classic Rock Update #3

≪ Previous: April Fool's Day

To say that we're running just a bit little behind is quite the understatement right now ...

The volume of votes coming in for our Ultimate Classic Rock Hits list have been overwhelming. (If radio stations across the country decide to partner with us on this, I'm not sure how I'll be able to handle the volume. But, by the same token, the fact that readers are already responding to this degree is VERY encouraging, to say the least. Makes me think that we're going to be able to come up with QUITE the list!!!)

As such, we've fallen behind on comments ...

Here is what I've been able to put together for this week's Tuesday This And That feature ... some a bit more dated than others! (kk)

Happy 20th anniversary, Kent and Forgotten Hits!

Because of you, no one who made a difference in the music world will ever be forgotten.
Ba Da ba ba Da!
Your Vehicle -
Jimbo and all The Ides Of March
(Open this up, kk!)

Rock on!!
Jimbo

And,speaking of The Ides Of March ...

At least one or two other letter-writers mention an Ides song "One Hit Wonder" ...

Is it online anywhere?

Bob

"One Hit Wonder" is a GREAT track ... VERY cleverly written to include the titles and artist names of several records that bare that distinction.
I know it came out on their Ideology 2.0 CD several years ago, which I'm sure you can get thru their website.
We have featured the track several times in Forgotten Hits ... and have even gotten it played on a couple of special Internet "One Hit Wonder" radio programs.
Definitely a fun track .. so we'll give it another spin here today. Enjoy! (kk)

[This subject comes up AGAIN down below!]

The Rolling Stones have postponed their American / North America tour so that Mick Jagger can get the medical treatment he needs. (Nobody from The Stones would elaborate on exactly what needed to be done ... but word is that Mick is expected to make a full recovery and the tour will resume as soon as his doctors give an "all clear" to proceed. Meanwhile, hold on to your tickets ... as they will be honored for the new dates once they are announced.
UPDATE: It has since been confirmed that Mick is having a heart valve replaced. Again, a full recovery is expected at which time the revised tour dates will be announced. (kk)

Have you seen any of the new Google commercials featuring The Beatles'"Help"?
I can't even imagine how many kids are going to download this song when they discover it for the first time!
In fact, since the ad started running during the NCAA Finals, "Help!" now has received 33 votes for our Classic Rock List. (Prior to this week, it had four!!!) kk

I've seen a couple of different versions of this already ... including one where they actually show the "Help" album cover ... but this one is my favorite ...

And, just for fun ...

We have shied away from any lengthy discussion on the “Leaving Neverland” documentary exposing Michael Jackson’s private life. Suffice to say it is pretty disturbing (to say the least) as two of the under-age boys he manipulated back in the day tell their stories (in graphic detail) about what life was like behind closed doors with The King Of Pop.

Incredibly, despite all the backlash, Jackson isn’t having to deal with the complete black-listing that several other very prominent artists had to contend with during this whole new “Me, Too” era … but I doubt that many of us will ever look at him or think of him in the same way. (For whatever reason, his talent and all the joy he brought to millions of fans around the world seems to be outweighing any wrong-doing he may have done.

Two celebs who DID speak out this past week (and have come under scrutiny for doing so) are Barbra Streisand (who defended Jackson’s “sexual needs”) and Paul McCartney (who said that he never saw any evidence of Jackson’s “dark side” and preferred to just remember him as a great artist.) Hmmm … could a Streisand / McCartney duet be in our future??? And as for Michael Jackson’s “dark side,” he did his best to cover all of that up with both bleach and multi-million dollar pay-offs!

You don’t need to watch all four hours of the HBO film to get the drift of all that was going on here … in fact, once they get to the heart of the matter, it gets pretty nauseating after about the first twenty minutes of details … but people DO deserve to know just exactly what this guy was all about … and how he manipulated those in his inner circle to fulfill those “needs” Babs seems to feel can somehow be justified.

If you haven’t yet seen it, it is definitely worth investigating … if, on the other hand, you’ve already read all that you can stomach, don’t put yourself thru any additional torture … it’s tough enough to see our icons fall as it is without digesting every single gory detail. (kk)

Hi Kent -

As you know, I visited Hal Blaine at his home in Palm Desert in 2016.

Last week following his death, I recorded this radio show which is syndicated to 64 stations in 21 countries.

Hope you and your readers like it!

Regards -

Geoff

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gudgy3x9nyaq6ft/Solid%20Gold%20sixties%2059%20%20Tribute%20to%20Hal%20Blaine%20special%20%2025%20th%20March%20%202019.mp3?dl=0

Denny Tedesco has also put out this loving tribute to Hal via his Wrecking Crew website ...

Check it out here if you haven't already seen it. (kk)

Dear Wreckie friends and Family,
If you haven't heard already, Hal Blaine passed on March 11 at 90 years old. Words can't describe what Hal meant to me personally and to his family and friends.
When musical legends pass on we are reminded of their careers they leave behind. But with Hal he leaves so much more.
Just listen to the hits and imagine if Hal never touched a drumstick. American pop music would be very different today. Hal turned 90 on February 5th. There was a birthday party for him at the Baked Potato. We thought Hal would last maybe 90 minutes. But he closed the place. Don Randi and I left him signing autographs at 12:30.
Another surprise that night, he sat in with Don's band and they played "Be My Baby" and "These Boots Are Made for Walking" with Leah Randi singing. Everyone went crazy and he loved it.
I think we knew then this could be the last event, but with Hal you never knew.
Like other loved ones that pass, you always wish you could have said more to them. One more word, one more thank you, one more kiss goodbye. Below is my 'one more' note to Hal today.
Make today a day to reach out to someone that you want to say thank you to or just hello. You won't regret it.

* * * * *Dear Hal,
There are no words to express how much joy you brought to all of us in our lifetime. At any moment we could listen to the radio and know within a few minutes we would hear a Hal Blaine fill. For those of us that knew you personally, you filled our lives with love, encouragement, and laughter.
You had such respect for the art and the artist and you always spoke about how you were not a soloist but an accompanist. You were there to make the artist and the song shine. My father would talk about you in the seminars with such praise and love. "There is no one like Hal Blaine. He treats every session as if he is trying to make a hit. Didn't matter if it was Frank Sinatra or John Doe".
Over the last 23 years, my father's friend became my friend as well. You were always there in helping and encouraging me to tell the story of the Wrecking Crew. I will cherish the times we travelled to various cities around the country and seeing the standing ovations as you walked down the theater aisle when the credits finished. I was honored to be in that shadow walking behind you.
The jokes never stopped. Sure there were jokes that I had heard at every screening, but they were always new to that audience. And then there were the jokes that made me sit at the edge of the seat wondering if we were going Blue that evening. (sometimes). (video attached is a little blue)
In 2004, you and I went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. They asked me to share 30 minutes of the film in the making. I was very nervous about sharing it. I wasn't worried about the audience but what you might think. At that point, you had only seen 10 minutes of footage.
So after the 30 minute screening was finished, they announced your name and they gave you that standing ovation.
Then the moderator started asking you a question. You started to answer but then you started crying. At first I thought you were putting us on but realized you were emotionally touched by what you saw. Behind those oversized sunglasses, there were crocodile tears.
"I'm sorry, I just saw all my friends who I haven't seen in years. So many have left". At that point I saw something in your eyes and knew we needed to keep going and never stop until your story would be told.
In 2008, we were at the Seattle Film Festival. You and my mom were traveling with me. I remember trying to find seats for both of you. You were 81 (youngster) and my mom was 79. In my frustration at the moment, I turned to both of you with a stern voice, 'Dad, Mom, please sit down". It was an odd moment but it felt right. With my dad gone, you stepped in.
You spoke about your friends and family with such pride. Spoke about how Michele was an amazing cook and how Andy could do anything on the computer and you were so proud that Michael your nephew was a great drummer. There was nothing better than hearing you speak in adoring terms about other drummers and musicians.
I know you are heaven looking down and seeing the tears and love that your fellow musicians and the artists shed today. For the rest of the world, you gave us a beat that will live beyond all of our lives.
Here is one joke that you told me many years ago and I'm sure when you get to heaven you'll have a whole new audience that hasn't heard the Hal Blaine joke repertoire. But I know they've heard your music. We miss you already.

Three departed souls appeared before St. Peter at the pearly gates.

St. Peter asked the first one, "What was your last job and annual salary?"

The first soul replied, "$200,000; I was a trial lawyer." St. Peter asked the second one the same question. The soul answered, "$95,000; I was a realtor."

St. Peter then asked the third soul the same question. The answer was "$10,000."

Before he could go on, St. Peter immediately said "Cool! What instrument did you play?"

Hal, I'm sure you'll tell St Peter and the others some great jokes.

RIP. Love you.

Videos:
Here's Hal on a panel at Chapman University [PG-13]

The love and respect of Hal Blaine from Drummers around the world could never be measured. Here are a couple of clips that shows that. Sticks N Skins honored Hal a few years ago with this video:
Sticks and Skins Tribute

Last year, Hal received a lifetime achievement award from the Grammy Foundation. I asked drummers to send me a note of congradulations to Hal. In no time, this came together!
Hal Blaine receives Lifetime achievement award.

Some of Hal's Hits

Six more influential rock songs were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame at this year's ceremony ... including "Gloria" by Chicago's very own Shadows Of Knight!!!
Also making the cut this year:
"Tequila" by The Champs, "Twist And Shout" by The Isley Brothers, "Leader Of The Pack" by The Shangri-Las, "Money" by Barrett Strong and "Maybe" by The Chantels.
While I'm not certain that these represent the "cream of the crop" when one considers ALL of the eligible candidates, it IS nice to see some of these lifetime gems like "Gloria" and "Tequila" final earn some level of recognition.
Congratulations to ALL of the artists, songwriters and producers involved with the making of these timeless classics. (kk)

kk ...

I know we're supposed to be talking about Classic Rock ---

but I had to send you this one.

Frank B.

https://www.thoughtco.com/top-doo-wop-songs-of-all-time-2522395?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shareurlbuttons&fbclid=IwAR1vbRCZpwTW7WnwUDaMcG_lBmirqDlj7DlKOu21Dk-YGnuPDOP57RQLtvk

This is actually a GREAT list! (And our FH Buddy John Madara will be VERY happy to see what song came out on top!)
Still, even a list this short is bound to provoke controversy ... so now we'll have to deal with all of THOSE emails, too!!! (No "In The Still Of The Nite"??? No "I Only Have Eyes For You"???) Thanks a lot, Frank! (kk)

Hi Kent,

Well, shortly after putting the word out, we’ve already tracked down nearly 120 issues of The Gavin Report, including all but one issue from 1976! However, there’s still A LONG way to go. Again, any help would be greatly appreciated.

As for the Variety charts, we haven’t had much discussion about them yet. We’re just not sure how authoritative they actually were at the time.

Thanks for helping us spread the word!

Paul Haney

Record Research
If ANYBODY out there is able to help us with our search for issues of The Gavin Report dating back to the '60's, please let us know ... this is a book that needs to be made! (kk)

In case you did not see this ...
It looks like we’ll have to wait longer than expected to read the memoirs of Chicago radio legend Tommy Edwards. Eckhartz Press announced in August that it signed Edwards to publish his autobiography this year. Now comes word that this may not happen. “It has been a wonderful experience and I am very proud of what I’ve written,” Edwards said Monday. “This is a new experience for me and I want to make sure I do it right. It is taking more time that I imagined.”
Edwards, long known as the late Larry Lujack’s “Animal Stories” partner Lil’ Tommy, retired from the former WJMK in 2014, capping a 54-year career as a major market star. Phil
PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com

Speaking of legendaryChicago disc jockeys, here's another reminder about the fund-raiser for the Dick Biondi Documentary.
Pamela Pulice has worked diligently to get this film made and they're getting closer and closer to making it happen.
And now some special goodies and incentives have been added into the mix to try and get more people out for these festivities, happening on Sunday, April 28th, from 2 - 6 pm.

More details below ...

Hello Friends!

I am excited to tell you that actor Joe Farina and I will be on the TV show, 'Windy City Live', talking about the Dick Biondi project and fundraiser-- and we hope you'll join us!

The show is being recorded on April 4th and will air the following day on April 5. Tickets are FREE !!

Good Times Rock and Roll Fundraiser

There are only 30 days left to get your tickets to the Good Times Rock and RollFundraiser April 28 at Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park! Included in the ticket price is a buffet dinner, beer, wine, and soda, (cash bar available), screening of the official Dick Biondi Trailer, incredible Live and Silent Auctions, Raffle and Split the Pot. Along with the New Colony Six and an array of fabulous rock groups, Jim Peterik of the Ides of March will be performing Vehicle AND donating an autographed guitar to our Live Auction! The band Chicago is ALSO donating an autographed guitar! Many artists have donated numerous rock and roll memorabilia and collectors items, including autographed Beatles books, CDs, photographs, and more.

Proceeds will go to complete our film tribute to the first DJ to play a Beatles record on the radio in the U.S. and the most lovable DJ on the planet, The Wild I-Tralian, Dick Biondi.

So bring your friends and family to a rockin' Sunday afternoon of food, drink, music, and fun! Just click the button below.

Get TIX

Come Join the Fun!

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN CONTINUE TO BE PART OF MAKING HISTORY

Share our social media content on Facebook and Twitter — just add your personal touch!
By spreading the word, you'll help us bring this story to PBS, film festivals, streaming, and DVD. By sharing our Facebook and Twitter posts, we'll help drive people to dickbiondifilm.com to subscribe for film updates and get them interested in the film — and our Good Times Fundraiser!
Thank you again
Thank you all again for your support. Your generous contributions help us get one step closer to funding the efforts needed to finish our script and edit a 56 minute PBS documentary.
And because of your help, we are going to make this movie for Dick. He’s earned a place in rock n’ roll history and he’s the reason this story must see it’s audience.
Stay tuned,
Pam
Pamela Enzweiler-Pulice
Director, The Dick Biondi Film
pam@dickbiondifilm.com

Hey Kent,

You might have missed this one -- Diana Ross turned 75 today (March 26).

Here is a thread about it --

http://at40fg.proboards.com/thread/5672/diana-ross-75-today

Hope this triggers great memories (and music),

Joe Cantello

Roswell, Ga

What a remarkable career she has had ... one of the all-time greats for sure. A new documentary is being released commemorating her Concert in Central Park from 1983, where over 800,000 people showed up to see the Motown Diva perform in a non-stop downpour of rain and thunderstorms. In addition to the full concert, previously unseen bonus footage will be aired. It's all part of a year-long 75th birthday celebration. (The film, shown for two nights only in theaters on March 26th and March 28th, will also be released on home DVD and BluRay ... although no official release date has been announced yet at this time.) kk

Due to overwhelming demand, Mike Bush's "61 At 61" will extend their exhibit hours this Friday, April 5th, at the Zhou B Art Center from 10 am until 10 pm.

This is closing night ... so if you haven't seen it yet (or want to see it again) please be sure to stop by and congratulate the photographer who took all these great shots over the years. (I may swing by one more time on Friday, too!)

More info here: www.zhoubartcenter.com/61-at-61.html

And you can catch Michael on the boob tube here, too ...
ABC 7/Windy City Live: Video/Interview
WTTW 11 Chicago Tonight:  Video/Interview
www.fox32chicago.com:    Video/Interview
Illinois Entertainer  Go to the top of page six
Block Club/Chicago Sun-Times 2/3 of the way down the page

Hi Kent,

Just a brief note to tell you that the legendary Liverpool Mersey-beat group, The Searchers, are making their final appearance this Sunday night at the Stables Theater in Wavendon, England.

John McNally founded the group exactly 60 years ago this year with Frank Allen joining the group in 1964. As you know, they had a ton of hits that include "Needles & Pins,""Love Potion Number 9,""When You You Walk In The Room,""Someday We're Gonna Love Again,""Don't Throw Your Love Away" and "Sugar & Spice."

As you remember, "Sugar & Spice" was also a hit for Chicago's Cryan' Shames and was written by the Searchers' producer, at the time, Tony Hatch, under the pseudonym Fred Nightingale.

Though I was a huge fan of so many of the British Invasion groups, this band remained my favorite and I saw them in Vegas about 15 years ago. They still sounded great and still do to this day. I have enclosed a video of them rehearsing for this their last tour and you will hear how great they still sound.

I'll bet Tony Hatch could give us insight as to the early days of the British Invasion. It's too bad the Searchers never fell under the management of the Beatles manager Brian Epstein, as I understand that "was an almost."

The Searchers really were a talent and you can hear their jangly-Rickenbacker guitar sound influence (which I am guessing they heard on the Buddy Holly songs such as "Words Of Love") in songs by the Byrds, Tom Petty, and others. Their albums were loaded with great music and energy. Congratulations to John McNally, Frank Allen & The Searchers for all their hits, talent, energy, and influence in the world of Rock & Roll and a spectacular 60-year run. And, who could forget this one!

Peace,

Tim Kiley
Although they never fully got the recognition they deserved, The Searchers proved to be a HUGE influence here in The States (and in Chicago in particular, with SO many of our local groups incorporating their songs and harmonies into their own acts.)

To coincide with the 60th anniversary and their retirement from performing, Cherry Red has collected their COMPLETE Pye recordings for a special cd release called "When You Walk In The Room: The Complete Pye Recordings, 1963 - 1967," a 6-CD set of all their original albums, single sides, foreign recordings, outtakes and more. (This one sounds like a "must have" to me!!!)

https://theseconddisc.com/2019/03/sugar-and-spice-cherry-red-collects-the-searchers-complete-pye-recordings-on-new-box/#comments

We've talked to Tony Hatch several times in the past about his involvement with the early stages of The Searchers' career. When it came to presenting them with "Sugar And Spice," he used the pseudonym Fred Nightingale because he didn't want them to think he was forcing one of his own compositions on them. As I recall, studio time was tight at the time and the record company needed a new release ... so this was the quickest way to get them that result. (Tony didn't have a lot of love for "Sugar And Spice" at the time ... but it has definitely grown on him in the years since! We shared The Cryan' Shames version with him a few years ago ... he hadn't heard it in ages ... and admitted that it was a "great recording of a mediocre song." (LOL!)

Here in The States, The Searchers hit The National Top 40 seven times. (Incredibly, their recordings of "Sugar And Spice" and "Sweets For My Sweet," a song recorded by the Chicago group The Riddles, are not among that total.)

Back home in Jolly Ol' London (where England swings like a pendulum do), they enjoyed a dozen Top 40 Hits ... and "Sweets For My Sweet" (their debut single) went to #1 while "Sugar And Spice" peaked at #2. (kk)

My friend Rich in England went to see the last Searchers show on March 30th.

Here's a video of their medley performed. It includes "Sugar & Spice" which, of course, the Cryan' Shames used to get on the map two years after the Searchers' hit. Makes me think the Shames may outlast the Searchers as a stage act???

https://youtu.be/-7UEXfspy4Y

Clark Besch

Well, I've gotta tell ya ... they still sound pretty damn good to me!!! Really hate to see them hang it up when they're still able to perform their hits in this fashion. What a killer show that would have been to see ... anybody know if it might have been taped for future video release? (kk)

OK, I TOTALLY love this!!!

In nearly every newsletter of late, Ultimate Classic Rock ranks SOMETHING ... it could be ANYTHING ... but THIS one TOTALLY cracked me up when I saw it.

(And I can't wait for the countdown coming up next!!!)

Meanwhile, don't forget about OUR countdown for The Greatest Classic Rock Songs Of All Time ... watch for another update on Friday.

But first, you've GOT to check this out!!! (kk)

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rush-sex-jams/?utm_source=sailthru&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=newsletter_4572276

Hey!

April Fool here!
I mean, April BUELL here!

Wow ...

Exclusive Featured Forgotten Hits Story Today!

Thanx for the Spotlight, Kent!

Chuck

Hi Kent,

Reading the April Fools WLS Survey was well worth the price of admission. Heck, I'd pay double!!

How Can You Mend A Broken Hip ... Solid Gold.

Thanks to Chuck B for what will probably be the best laugh I'll have all day.

Sam T

I'm an April Fool! ...

Ok, not really, but some would think I'm a fool for releasing another CD! I did this album "Retrophonic 6" (and last year's album "Retrophonic 5") on disc so that all six of the "Retrophonic" titles would be on CD for the 10th anniversary of my "Retrophonic" series (2009 - 2019).

Having said that, this is my last CD. I will be doing "Download only" recordings from now on.

The CD is $12.00 (that includes autograph, U.S. postage and mailer). Send a check / money order payable to me or use PayPal.

"Retrophonic 5" is still available at the same price, etc., as "Retrophonic 6".

Hear samples of "Retrophonic 6 and 5" at the links below.

Thanks,

Davie Allan

12100 Coventry Way

Unit 306

Tustin, CA 92782

♫ Retrophonic 6 - Davie Allan and the Arrows. Listen @cdbaby

Click to listen at CDBaby

♫ Retrophonic 5 - Davie Allan and the Arrows. Listen @cdbaby

Click to listen at CDBaby

Check this out ...

Me-TV brings you up to date on The New Monkees ...

Who?!?!

Yes ... incredibly, back in the '80's the geniuses that run TV thought it would be a GREAT idea to resurrect The Monkees with an all new cast. (Hey, it worked before, right?!?!)

The results were both dismal and devastating.

This article will bring you up to date ... and even tell you about a crossing of an OLD Monkee and a NEW Monkee many years later. (I didn't even know THIS story!!!)

Read all about it here:

https://metv.com/stories/hey-what-ever-happened-to-the-new-monkees

70 Years ago on March 31, 1949, the first vinyl 45s were made available to the US public!

Happy birthday to my 7" vinyl friends.

I wondered what all the celebrating noise was from my basement!

It was a bunch of "one hit wonders" (check out the Ides of March song of same name) being heard for the first time, I think! They easily made more noise than the stars on this day (in MY basement).

Just by chance, I am going to a record convention in Omaha on Sunday to celebrate with even more of the birthday kids

than the ones in my basement!

YEP, that's one of those OLDEST early RCA "Red Seals"! The offspring still keep comin'.

"Life is a Rock (but Radio Rolled me)"

Clark Besch

We ran the celebratory news back on March 16th because that was the date that Rolling Stone Magazine said the first batch of 45 RPM singles were released. (Hmm ... now I'm going to have to do some checking of my own!!! And, naturally, doing so produced about eight completely different answers to this question ... so does anybody REALLY know for sure? It would seem like RCA themselves would be the most authorative source on the subject ... but I can't seem to find a definitive answer from them either!)

But hey, I'm all for ANY celebration ... so Happy Birthday, 45s!!! (And look ... there's that Ides Of March / "One Hit Wonder" reference again, too! You can hear their track above.) kk

Here's a great look back (courtesy of FH Reader Harvey Kubernik) at the recording of the very first Crosby, Stills And Nash album ... fifty years ago ...

https://www.musicconnection.com/it-happened-in-laurel-canyon-50-years-ago-the-crosby-stills-and-nash-lp/

It looks like the Roy Orbison Hologram will have some company when it goes out on tour next time ... a Buddy Holly Hologram has been added into the mix!

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/roy-orbison-buddy-holly-hologram-tour-812886/?fbclid=IwAR3nTL3GAhXNqNkYBa9WU1RP0xzcGOT21_8qfJ7t0R7chBj52fEkfUw_dRY

kk ...

Maybe they should add Elvis.

FB

Is this whole Hologram thing going to be the next big concert craze?
They've already done with Elvis (footage and simulations of The King performing to music provided on stage by a live band) ... and the ABBA Hologram Tour is a much-anticipated event for 2019 ... but now even Frank Zappa is getting in on the action! (Frank Zappa?!?!?)
Check out Harvey Kubernik's article below ...
https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/ALo4O9ZqCUJAXKDTcAim2D-JEQU?guce_referrer=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&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKUmAA1vDoj5TRNu-j3l-f4e0TORzjXHILBTZbUDdaY0b2dScUJqwom0pPyevvBQ5s6oRitUX2wG4Okz8sBs091P248ATtmsr2If5FreY4nt2dNEQA1b9p7FVX8sLx5iRsJRyso5NbpqshMmpJOSLYQLX_Nuwe29M42hqLff4-vW

I am sending an obscure track from the Dairyland for the first full day of Spring.

The Molly Maguires released this on the Transaction label out of La Crosse, Wisconsin. It was the same label that the Unchained Mynds first released We Can't Go On This Way. Both records were released in 1969.
As a record collector, I am always looking for a better copy (this one is a bit scratchy). Perhaps somebody out there has one available?

I hope you enjoy First Spring Rain by Molly Maguires!

Phil Nee

WRCO

On March 29, 1969, the sixteenth annual European Song Contest was held in Madrid, Spain. Although oblivious to most Americans, it is a really big deal in Europe. Each of the sixteen participating countries sent an artist to compete and it became one of the most widely viewed tv shows in Europe. The competition began in 1954 and the UK won for the first time in 1967 with Sandie Shaw's "Puppet On A String".

For 1969 Lulu (real name Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie) represented the UK. A child singer and a recording artist by age fourteen, she was dubbed the Scottish Brenda Lee. Her manager, Marion Massey, commented that she was "a real lulu of a kid" and the name stuck.

Massey was married to Mark London, who co-wrote "To Sir With Love". Lulu herself married Bee Gee Maurice Gibb in February, 1969, and had her own British tv variety show, HAPPENING FOR LULU.

The way the ESC preliminaries worked was that she performed one of six submitted songs each week on her tv show and viewers would vote. She would sing the winner at the ESC. One of the losing entries, "I Can't Go On Living Without You", was written by a couple of unknowns, Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

"Boom Bang-A-Bang", the song chosen, was not the one Lulu herself favored. At the ESC that year there was a tie for first place, a four way tie (France, Spain, the UK, and

the Netherlands). After that year the rules were changed to prevent a re-occurrence. Nevertheless Lulu's song was the biggest international seller of the four winners as she recorded and released the single in several languages. It was even the biggest UK hit of her career as a solo artist reaching #2. It was also a major hit in Europe, but I don't believe it was released in America. Could it be because of the similarity to The Archies' US hit "Bang-Shang-A-Lang" from the year before? "To Sir With Love" had been one of the biggest US hits from 1967, but was relegated to a b-side in the UK.

For many years Lulu was a fixture on British television, has been a stage and film actress, and was a radio presenter (deejay) in London. She is the only artist besides Cliff Richard to appear on TOP OF THE POPS with current hits over five decades.

Mike G

Congratulations to The Hit Men for their upcoming award presented by The Musicians Hall Of Fame And Museum

THE HIT MEN, CLASSIC ROCK’S LEGENDARY SIDE MEN,

TO BE HONORED BY

MUSICIANS HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM™

Unique Touring Supergroup to Celebrate

‘Road Warrior” Award with Special

NYC Homecoming Concert

The Hit Men, L-R:

Jeff Ganz, Jimmy Ryan, Lee Shapiro, Russ Velazquez, Steve Murphy
(credit: Bobby Bank)

THE HIT MEN are being recognized by the Nashville museum that honors the talented but often overlooked musicians who played on the greatest recordings of all time. For decades, this unique Supergroup’s members have recorded or performed with Paul McCartney, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, David Bowie, Lou Reed, and members of The Who, Cheap Trick, Foreigner, Toto, Journey, The Ramones, and dozens more.

“The Hit Men are musicians in a class all their own” – M Music & Musicians Magazine

WATCH & LISTEN: The Hit Men’s Jimmy Ryan on The Beatles Channel/Sirius XM
THE HIT MEN, classic rock’s unique Supergroup of legendary side men, have been selected by the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum™ in Nashville to receive a special award “for their years of dedication to the music, and the countless miles … that they have traveled in delivering so many hits throughout the world.”
THE HIT MEN will be celebrating their receipt of the prestigious Road Warrior Award from the Nashville institution with an especially intimate New York homecoming show Saturday, April 27 at the Cutting Room, 44 E. 32^nd St., NYC. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets $35-$75 at www.thecuttingroomnyc.com.
After decades recording or performing with classic rock superstars Paul McCartney, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, David Bowie, Lou Reed, and members of The Who, Cheap Trick, Foreigner, Toto, Journey, The Ramones, and dozens more, THE HIT MEN― Lee Shapiro (keyboards/vocals, and Frankie Valli’s former musical director), Jimmy Ryan (lead guitar/vocals, and Carly Simon’s former musical director), Russ Velazquez (keyboards/percussion/vocals), Jeff Ganz (bass/vocals), and Steve Murphy (drums/vocals) ― are being recognized by the Nashville museum that honors the talented but often overlooked musicians who actually played on the greatest recordings of all time.
What the Wrecking Crew meant to the pop music revolution of the ‘60s, THE HIT MEN have meant to some of the most indelible hits of the ‘70s, ‘80s and beyond. A Supergroup like no other, it’s only now that the evolution of THE HIT MEN’S story – fueled, in part, by their countless first-hand experiences as eyewitnesses to rock history – has become a revelation.
And now the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum™ has made it official.
Joe Chambers, founder and CEO of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum™, notes that the Road Warrior recognition “is different from the honors we normally present to the musicians who have spent most of their careers in the confines of the studio.”
“The Road Warriors, in addition to their work in the studio, also take the music to the people,” says Chambers. “Night after night, month after month, year after year, they are out there keeping the music alive and keeping it real, seldom getting the recognition that they all richly deserve. The Musicians Hall of Fame takes great pride in recognizing THE HIT MEN for their years of dedication to the music, and the countless miles ― which nobody sees ― that they have traveled in delivering so many hits throughout the world.”

The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum™, a premiere Nashville attraction, is the one and only museum in the world that honors the talented musicians who actually played on the greatest recordings of all time. Some, like Jimi Hendrix, are well known, while others, like L.A session drummer Hal Blaine, are not as well known to the public but have played on hundreds of hit records from Elvis, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, The Byrds, The Mamas and The Papas and The Beach Boys, just to name a very few. Studio-based session groups inducted include the Wrecking Crew (LA), the Funk Brothers (Motown), the Stax-Volt Studio Band (Memphis) and the Sigma Sound Studio Rhythm Section (Philadelphia). The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum™ has on exhibit the very instruments that these musicians used to record many of these classic hits.
“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized for the work we’ve each put into our careers supporting the greatest names in the music industry,” says founding member Lee Shapiro. “Hitmakers from every style of music have seen it desirable to book us on their sessions and tours – everybody from classic rock to pop to disco has used THE HIT MEN on their recordings and performances and we’re forever grateful that this prestigious institution would honor us in this way.”
True to the spirit of the Road Warrior Award, classic rock’s unique Supergroup of legendary side men are currently on their 2019 U.S. tour, aimed at delivering even more of the hits they first played with the original superstars, with additional classics emerging in their shows as the tour marches on.
From transistor radios, vinyl, 8-track tapes and cassettes to the Sony Walkman, CD's, digital downloads and the Apple iPod, THE HIT MEN have seen and heard it all. And they have the stories to go with it!
THE HIT MEN continue to recreate their classics while proving again and again that you absolutely can teach old dogs new “tracks.”
THE HIT MEN 2019 TOUR DATES
March 23: The Rialto Theater, Loveland, CO
April 7: Lock One Community Arts, New Bremen, OH
April 10-12: Artis/Naples, Naples, FL
April 19: The Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg, FL
April 20: Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown, NJ
April 27: The Cutting Room, NYC
May 10: Blue Gate Theater, Shipshewana, IN
June 13: The Paramount, Huntington, NY
June 15: Broadway Theater, Pitman, NJ
July 13: Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, ME
More dates to come!
THE HIT MEN ON THE WEB:
www.thehitmenlive.com
www.facebook.com/thehitmenlive
www.twitter.com/thehitmenlive

The RAZ Band Featuring Badfinger Legend Joey Molland To Release New Album “#9” on March 30th

(Featuring Joey Molland of Badfinger!

For the last thirty-five years, The RAZ Band has been recording and performing their own brand of original songs, entertaining audiences across the US and globally.
On March 30, 2019, Gonzo Multimedia will release the much anticipated new RAZ Band studio album “#9”. Produced by Badfinger legend Joey Molland, “#9” features eleven new RAZ Band songs. The first 1000 copies include a limited edition live EP, recorded in Los Angeles on December 8, 2018.
This past December 2018 The RAZ Band recorded their first live album performing songs from the upcoming “#9” album as well as their most recent albums “Madison Park” (2015 Roadie Crew magazine album of the year) & “The Best of RAZ 1984-2015”. The live performance will be included as a bonus disc with the release of their new studio album “#9”.
As Michael Raz Rescigno states: “I'm excited that our first live album will be released with our new studio album. Our '#9' album was a great recording experience and was recorded, mixed and mastered in ten months from the end of 2017 through Sept 2018. We're also very excited that Joey Molland sings lead vocals on two of the songs on #9, one of which, 'Breadline Love' will be the first single off of #9. This is the first RAZ Band album featuring Joey singing lead vocals.”
Featuring tremendous production by band member Joey Molland, The RAZ Band is looking forward to sharing “#9” with the world.
“I Met Raz back in the late 70's. I've played with The Raz Band for about 40 years, whenever I've had the opportunity, and I've played here and there on all the The Raz Band albums. It was great this time to join them in LA for the rehearsals before going in the studio and doing the tracks. We took a short break and went back in to do the overdubs and it was during those sessions I started to get a feeling about actually mixing and producing the album. I talked with the guys and they were cool about it so off I went. I hope you like what happened.” - Joey Molland
The RAZ Band members are Michael 'Raz' Rescigno on guitar & vocals, Jeff 'Hutch' Hutchinson on drums & vocals, Jim Manzo on bass & vocals, and Joey Molland on guitar vocals & production.
In November of 2015, Gonzo Multimedia released The RAZ Band's award-winning album “Madison Park”. Madison Park won the 2015 Album of the year award by Roadie Crew magazine editor Airton Diniz. In May of 2016 Gonzo released “The Best of RAZ 1984 - 2015”; both albums received rave reviews around the world.
The RAZ Band has opened for Badfinger, Missing Persons, Berlin, Marky Ramone, Bill Ward, Iron Butterfly and others. In 2019 The RAZ Band will be performing in the United States as well as abroad. Tour dates are being booked.
Tracks:
Breadline Love | I Got This | Curveball | In The Meantime | Coming at You | The Winds of Time | Let Me Tell You | Call Me Raz | The Times Together | Nipple Town | Dirt
Musicians who The RAZ Band has worked with on albums or shows:
Joey Molland, (Badfinger)
Joe Vitale, (Joe Walsh, C, S, N & Y, Frampton, Eagles)
Gary Duncan, (Quicksilver Messenger Service)
Gilby Clarke, (Guns & Roses)
Stu Cook, (Creedence Clearwater Revival/Revisited, Southern Pacific)
Randy Castillo, (Ozzy, Lita Ford)
Marc Droubey, (Survivor)
Rick Bozzo, (Meatloaf, The Frost, Sabu)
Carla Olson, (The Textones, Mick Taylor, Gene Clark)
Preston Epps, (Bongo Rock, Bongos, bongos, bongos) plus...
Ed Cassidy (Spirit), Buddy Miles & Billy Cox (Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsies), Barry Goldberg (Electric Flag), Harvey the Snake Mandel (Canned Heat), Steve Gunner, Mark Healy, Randy Anderson, Joe Vitale Jr., & Gordon Copley.
Discography:
Raz Nasty “Criminals Off The Streets” 1984
The Best of Los Angeles 1987
RAZ “1988” 1988
The Raz Band “Listen” 1994
RAZ “Tough Love” 1997
RAZ “Razfinger” 2000
RAZ “It's All About Me” 2003
The RAZ Band “Madison Park” 2015
The RAZ Band “The Best of RAZ” 2016
The RAZ Band “#9” 2019
For more information:http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/16144/The_RAZ_Band-No._9.html
Follow The RAZ Band:
www.TheRAZBand.com
Facebook: The RAZ Band
Twitter: @band_raz
Instagram: The_raz_band
TheRAZBand@gmail.com

kk:

3/31/1935 = Happy Birthday, Herb Alpert!

Please don't repeat that story about this not being real WHIPPED CREAM.

Damn!
It's been driving me crazy all day ...
I SWEAR I've seen this cover somewhere before ...
Now where the heck was it?!?!
Happy Birthday, Herb Alpert!
He's back at The City Winery in May for another sold out show (which means we don't get to go this year.)
Still an amazing performer and story-teller ... this guy has seen and done it all over the years. (kk)

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Classic Rock Update #3

April 5, 2019, 4:00 am

≫ Next: April 7th

≪ Previous: Tuesday This And That

Hi Kent,

I truly appreciate your detailed and passionate response to my recent comments about your “Ultimate Classic Rock” project. I’m very passionate about the subject, too, and just wanted to get some of my concerns out there. It certainly wasn’t my intent to “rain on your parade” and I will be very interested in the final results. If I can be of any help in the process, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

All the best.

Paul

No issues at all on this end … I appreciate the opportunity to reiterate our commitment to making this the most comprehensive list possible by enlisting not only our own readers but Classic Rock Fans from all over the country who are committed to the genre. Again, this is why I believe OUR list can be come the definitive one, solely based on the input from such a wide poll base. (Honestly, if the votes continue to come in at the rate they are now … and I fully expect them to escalate, once word starts to spread about our mission … I don’t know HOW I’m going to be able to keep up with it all … and may have to enlist some support in tabulating the results. My only concern there is relinquishing any control as I fully intend to monitor this to ensure the best possible REAL results … without any ballot stuffing!!! Lol) Thanks, Paul. (kk)

kk:

Today is Vietnam Veterans Day.

Here are Ten Classic Rock Songs That Go Perfect With Vietnam Footage

https://rockmusicrevival.com/2019/01/15/10-classic-rock-songs-that-go-perfect-with-vietnam-footage/?a=CHENZO&var=10rocksongs-CR&utm_campaign=10rocksongs&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=author-chenzo-posted_by-chenzo-repost-fbvhn-CR&utm_content=animals&fbclid=IwAR2hsrx-SF3z8fVzv_8laspDoLvJka91chbToFfkXkQkW1K1nqJgwrmlWEM

All excellent choices … and I just cast a vote for each and every one of them in our Classic Rock Favorites Poll. (Anybody else out there feel the same way???)

Some of these tracks receive virtually no airplay today … but are still perfect candidates for our list as they display all of the characteristics of the classic rock genre and the type of artists we’re looking for. “Still In Saigon” is a GREAT example … so is Billy Joel’s “Goodnight Saigon.” I remember featuring both of these on Jim Shea’s Y-103.9 Morning Show many moons ago.

Interesting to see two Creedence songs listed (out of ten) … “Who’ll Stop The Rain” would be another good one. Also, a couple by The Stones.

The Buffalo Springfield track is a “gimme” … but “War” by Edwin Starr hadn’t been nominated yet … so it’s now on the list and open to your voting. (kk)

Hi Kent –

Here are my offerings:

No Time - Guess Who

Down by the River - Neil Young

All Along the Watchtower – Hendrix

Don't Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult

Gimme Some Lovin - Spencer Davis Group

Can't Find my Way home - Blind Faith

Tangled Up in Blue – Dylan

Africa – Toto

Paint it Black – Stones

Day in the Life – Beatles

Ramble On – Zeppelin

There's a ton of stuff from the 80s I'd love to nominate - Aha, Duran Duran, New Order - but then I guess they're not rock, they're pop and that's another radio station.
R. Lovelock
I’ve received votes for Take On Me and about five or six Duran Duran songs - if you feel something belongs, vote for it!
(Heaven forbid some of our suggestions should shake things up a bit and make radio interesting again!) kk

Had the TV on Wednesday night and couldn’t believe what I was hearing …

There are SO many great classic rock songs being used in commercials again right now. Within the span of an hour I heard “Give A Little Bit” by Supertramp, Joe Cocker’s version of “Feelin’ All-Right,” “Walk This Way,” Bo Diddley’s “I’m A Man” and “Me And Julio Down By The School Yard” … plus, on that new show “Whiskey Cavaliere,” foreign language versions of Lindsay Buckingham’s “Holiday Road” and the Ram Jam classic “Black Betty.” With TV music THIS good, you almost don’t even have to turn on the radio!

But we’re doing that, too!

We are now monitoring several different classic rock radio stations across the country ... our "radio partners" if you will ... tabulating their actual airplay in order to see just exactly what everybody’s been playing. (Thanks to “recently played” lists and daily airplay logs, this is easier than ever to do.) We’re also tabulating the tracks that we hear ourselves in order to better gauge the current trends in real time airplay.

As expected, most of these playlists are virtually the same … but every once in a while we’ll hear a REAL surprise come out … and some of the nominations you guys are sending in have REALLY helped us expand the nominees list.

In fact, as I type this, we have just over 2200 song nominations so far … that puts us at about two-thirds of the way to our goal of naming The Top 3333 Classic Rock Favorites of All-Time.

What this ALSO means is that EVERY vote counts right now. Since we’re still short of our target, even titles that have only received one vote are still eligible to make the final cut. (And believe me, we’ve got a TON of them!!!)

Now odds are this won’t be the case as we get closer to our goal … especially once more stations get on board with helping us poll America for their Classic Rock Favorites.

In another month or two, we’ll start to list ALL of the candidates, giving our readers additional chances to vote for some that may have slipped your mind … it’ll also be one more chance for you to show your love for your absolute favorites.

I fully anticipate this to be the largest Forgotten Hits Poll we’ve ever done … with upwards of two million votes! (That sounds like a pretty definitive list to me!) Safe to say, the people will have spoken … and classic rock radio outlets are anxious to see the results. (Who knows … we truly may help to change the landscape of what you hear on these stations moving forward!)

Let’s face it …

If you drove end to end across the country, I think we would all agree that there are about 500 songs that you are going to hear no matter where you go on a daily basis … but here is a chance for Classic Rock Radio to expand their “playing field” by adding some MAJOR fan favorites that they may not even be aware of. Some of these results may surprise you. (They’ve already surprised us … tracks that might not traditionally be taken as “classic rock oriented” are already making this list … what an interesting blend this will make when all is said and done.)

Along the way, we’ll also be tempting you with “For Your Consideration” suggestions … it’s up to YOU to decide if these songs belong on the list or not.

So please, keep those votes coming folks … we’ve still got a LONG way to go before we hit the finish line … and right now EVERY VOTE COUNTS!!! (kk)

One last note ...

Not to pick on Ozzy again … it really is NOT our intention to single out any artists here … in fact, quite the opposite … if you guys feel somebody absolutely belongs, let’s get them on the list …

But in monitoring all these radio play logs … and listening to at least 50-60 hours of classic rock radio this past week alone … I can report that the ONLY place I hear Ozzy Osbourne songs being played is on Sirius / XM … and they play a lot of them. Otherwise, this music doesn’t seem to fall into the “mainstream” of classic rock airplay. (With Sirius / XM you have the ability to view dozens of music channels at once and see what each one of them are playing at any given point in time. That being said, I have to admit that I was SHOCKED by how small their play list really is. With literally hundreds of music channels to choose from, a good percentage of which feature tracks that are on our list, it is SO disappointing to see so many of the same tracks featured so many times spread across all of these stations … and sometimes even playing a track or two apart or even at the same time on two completely different “branded theme” stations!

You would think that in trying to capture the scope of so many different genres at once, we would be experiencing the ultimate in programming variety … but this is not the case. (And, to top it off, we PAY to be fed the exact same diet all day long.) Variety is definitely NOT on the menu!

But if you’re craving more Ozzy, AC/DC, a bit of Metallica and more Guns ‘n’ Roses than I’ve ever heard in the past twenty years combined, then THIS is the outlet for you. (As such, many of these tracks have earned “airplay votes,” which has helped us expand the nominees list … but does not seem to accurately reflect what Classic Rock Radio is typically playing on a daily basis everywhere else across the country.)

And kudos to those of you out there who are pushing the envelope a little bit by naming some songs and artists that wouldn’t necessarily have been the first ones to cross my mind if compiling my own list.

This is going to be a VERY interesting blend of music when all is said and done. And to reiterate … this is YOUR list … so please make your votes count. When all is said and done, we want to present the ULTIMATE Classic Rock Playlist … so we’re counting on you to help make that happen! (kk)

↧

April 7th

April 7, 2019, 4:00 am

≫ Next: Brand New Music From Two Rock And Roll Classics

≪ Previous: Classic Rock Update #3

"Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In" holds at #1 while "Hair drops to #4 this week, leaving "It's Your Thing" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy" poised to become the next #1 Hit here in Chicago. Meanwhile "Galveston,""Only The Strong Survive" and "Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon" all make significant moves into The Top Ten this week.

Other big movers include "Sweet Cherry Wine" by Tommy James and the Shondells (#25 to #16), "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" by Crazy Elephant (#29 to #19) and "Will You Be Staying After Sunday" by Peppermint Rainbow (#33 to #23).

The biggest debut this week belongs to Ray Stevens, back to his novelty niche (after a few much more serious releases in 1968) with "Gitarzan."

This Week in 1969:

April 1^st– The Beach Boys file a lawsuit against Capitol Records for over two million dollars in unpaid royalties and producer’s fees for Brian Wilson. They also use the occasion to announce that they are starting their own record label, Brother Records, which will be distributed by Warner Brothers / Reprise.

Also on this date, Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band make an appearance at The Troubadour Club in West Hollywood. They would return to this venue in late September / early October to record a live album.

April 2nd - The Vogues appear on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. Other guests include Roy Rogers, John Hartford and Pat Paulson. Over on NBC, Jeannie C. Riley makes another appearance on The Kraft Music Hall.

April 3^rd– Jim Morrison of The Doors turns himself in to the FBI in Los Angeles where he is charged with inter-state flight to avoid prosecution on six charges of lewd behavior and public exposure at a concert that took place in Miami on March 2^nd of 1969. He is later released on $2000 bail.

April 6^th– Actor Paul Rudd is born

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