Some Of Your Mid-Week Comments

December 4, 2013, 4:40 am

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re:  ANOTHER FEATHER IN OUR CAP:  
I've got to tell you, I'm beyond words when it comes to telling you how proud I am of the fact that we scooped all the "bigs" with our Rascals cancellation news.  We found out last Wednesday (right before Thanksgiving) and went to work trying to dig up details.  I didn't want to print anything until I had some form of verification ... and there was virtually NOTHING posted yet on the Internet.  We did find, however, announcements that tickets were no longer on sale and refunds were being offered to those who had already purchased their tickets to see the show at The Marquis Theatre.  There were comments made on Felix Cavaliere's Facebook Page expressing fan disappointment ... and a whole lot of speculation as to what may have caused this decision ... but nothing concrete ... and nothing in the way of a formal announcement or official statement made by any of the parties concerned.  I held off posting anything until our Sunday Comments Page because I wanted to be sure the news was factual ... and I wanted to check with our own sources to see if we could obtain a statement from any of The Rascals themselves as to what happened.

We were first in with comments from both Felix Cavaliere and Gene Cornish ... two and a half days later, the rest of the world finally caught up ... and announcements were posted (all featuring the same "official statement" issued by Steven Van Zandt, organizer of the whole reunion extravaganza) in all of the usual high-profile places ... like Rolling Stone Magazine, The Huffington Post (who simply ran an exact, word-for-word piece generated by ABC News, as did at least three or four dozen OTHER news sources that I found), Vintage Vinyl News, Both Sides Now, etc.  But Forgotten Hits readers learned it here first ... and, coming at exactly the same time as our 14th Anniversary, I couldn't be prouder again of all we've accomplished here.  Sad news to be sure ... and I am SO glad that we got the chance to see them when we did ... but also VERY gratifying to know that we scooped the music world with this one.

I am still hopeful that some kind of arrangement can be worked out that will allow the band to continue to perform together ... and for faithful fans to still have the opportunity to come out and see them.  The show now runs as a well-oiled machine ... I don't know that they really need Little Steven's contribution on a daily basis any more ... and we can only hope if they had as much fun doing it as the fans had seeing it, these guys will still find a way to keep the show going ... in some capacity.  Like Felix said, "We had a blast and made lots of people happy."  That you did.  (kk)  

>>>I had tickets for one of the performances of the Rascals on Broadway scheduled for later this month, but I just received notification that those shows have been canceled. I haven't yet found out the reason why.  (Randy) 
>>>Check out our Sunday Comments Page ... We had quotes from both Felix Cavaliere and Gene Cornish.  Apparently a money issue ... the high costs of putting the show on leaves nothing left for anybody else to get paid.  Funny that no "official" statement was ever released ... so I feel kinda proud that we got an "exclusive" from two of the band members ... even though it was bad news.  (kk) 
Kent,

This was posted this morning on the Both Sides Now chat board:  
The show's producers issued a statement saying:
"Due to scheduling conflicts with director, writer, and producer Stevie Van Zandt, the New York run for Once Upon A Dream Starring The Rascals has been canceled at this time. The producers hope to reschedule when Van Zandt's schedule, which involves balancing the filming of the third season of his Netflix show Lilyhammer, and touring with Bruce Springsteen among other things, stabilizes." 
– Randy   

Two concert series in a year on Broadway is apparently too much for The Rascals: The 1960s-era blue-eyed soul quartet has abandoned plans to play the Marquis Theatre this month. 
-- The Huffington Post  

The Rascals have cancelled their upcoming run on Broadway of their concert/multimedia event Once Upon a Dream. The show played earlier this year and was scheduled for a second run from December 16 to January 5.  
-- Vintage Vinyl News 
VVN then repeats the official announcement above.  In the same issue, they ALSO "broke" the story about Burton Cummings doing a headlining gig in Las Vegas ... you know, the same story WE told you about over three weeks ago!!!  Forgotten Hits ... #1 with a bullet.  (kk)  

re:  MORE CONGRATULATIONS: 

Hi Kent, 

I was worried about whether or not Forgotten Hits would carry on after the big crash. I think all of us would have been plunged in to some sort of Oldies Freaks treatment program if you hadn't continued. No one in cyber land has anything close to what you do and I don't think we can tell you that enough. My bandmates probably roll their eyes when I quote bits of info picked up from Forgotten Hits. It's the Webster Unabridged, or the Encyclopedia Britanica. 

I've been addicted since the very first issue that I got in my Inbox somewhere around 2008. 

Thanks again for all you do. 

Bill

Believe me, NOBODY more than I felt "The Crash of 2012" may have done us in ... I'm SO glad we were able to rebound and get things back up again ... look at all the great stuff we would have missed!!!  And once again, we couldn't have done it without you ... the readers and the fans ... who pledged both well wishes and financial support to get things back up and running.  I will never forget it.  (kk)

Dear Kent ...

Congratulations on your 15th year of Forgotten Hits! I started reading The 60s Shop and look forward to every issue of Forgotten Hits.

Thank you for all the hard work you do to keep us informed on what is going on with the music business, past and present.

Best Regards,

John Madara

And this from Time Square Gossip ... wow!  VERY cool to see Forgotten Hits mentioned in the same piece covering the triumphant return of Damien Lewis on "Homeland", the un-retirement of Phil Collins and the death of Paul Walker.  That's some pretty impressive company indeed!

http://www.timessquaregossip.com/2013/12/damien-lewis-back-and-fighting-on.html

15 years of Kent Kotal's Forgotten Hits ... amazing. Kent's encyclopedic-like knowledge of legacy bands and artists is beyond reproach. The daily sheet is chock full of information and his very, in-depth interview with Burton Cummings of The Guess Who, was stunning. Check them out here: www.Forgottenhits.com. Good luck Kent!

re:  GREAT BEATLES BOOKS MAKE FOR GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT-GIVING IDEAS:  
Got this from FH Reader Dave Barry ... a wealth of material to choose from ... just in time for Christmas!  http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-11-15/entertainment/chi-beatles-books-20131115_1_beatles-time-mark-lewisohn-paul-mccartney   

re:  OTHER NEW STUFF:  

Badfinger Legend Joey Molland To Release Highly Anticipated New Solo Album 'Return To Memphis' 
London, UK – Much to the excitement of music fans worldwide, Joey Molland, best known for his work with the now legendary English band Badfinger, will be releasing his highly anticipated 4th solo album 'Return To Memphis' on December 2, 2013, on UK's Gonzo Multimedia! The new CD features 10 new Molland compositions recorded at the world famous 'Royal Studios' in Memphis. 
Says Joey, “I was raised on a diet of Memphis music, and it was a thrill for me to record there ... I also made a lot of friends.” 
Signed to the Beatles' Apple label in the late '60s, Badfinger would go on to score four consecutive worldwide hits from 1970 to 1972: “Come And Get It” (written and produced by Paul McCartney), “No Matter What”, “Day After Day” and “Baby Blue”. In 1971, a cover of the Badfinger song “Without You” by Harry Nilsson became a number one hit on the Billboard charts. Surviving member Joey Molland has continued to keep the Badfinger flame alight through concerts and recordings over the past 30 years. And now he is back with a fantastic new album 'Return To Memphis', which was produced by Carl 'Blue' Wise. 
Says Joey, “The album is quite a departure for me and the sound is very different, the treatment of the songs, the song content, and Carl's production and Memphis roots all make for a much simpler approach. I wrote all the songs and they have a lot of meaning to me ... I know everybody gets their own feelings out of songs, but you know, I think the songs talk about relevant things and I look forward to peoples' reaction to them. There are no real Badfinger power chords or anything like that. No real jamming guitars ... well ... maybe a little bit, and I do play some slide on it ... Carl had four girls come in to sing 'oohs' and 'aahs' and harmonies which was great, and I played with a three-piece Memphis rhythm section. So it's a really simple sounding record and I'm just hoping that people will like it.” Originally from Liverpool, Joey now resides in the US, where he continues to perform with Joey Molland's Badfinger. Along with Joey on guitar and vocals, the current lineup features Mark Healey (bass / vocals), Steve Wozny (keyboards / vocals), Mike Ricciardi (drums). For updated tour information check Joey Molland's official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OriginalBadfinger Joey's new CD comes hot on the heels of the major buzz surrounding the Badfinger track “Baby Blue” being played during the finale of A&E's hit TV series 'Breaking Bad'. The song became the number one download in the world the week of the final episode! 
To purchase Joey Molland 'Return To Memphis' CD:  http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15625/Joey_Molland-Return_To_Memphis.html   
For more information: http://www.badfingersite.com/

https://twitter.com/BadfingerJoey

re:  AND, SPEAKING OF THE HOLIDAYS: 
The other day we told you about the upcoming ten-hour holiday special that FH Reader Gary Theroux put together for Envision Radio Networks that will count down The All-Time Top 100 Christmas Hits (along with TONS of extras and exclusive interviews.)  I couldn't help but wonder how we could be sure to tune in and hear this very special event.  What stations was it airing on?  Were any of them streaming?  Which of our coast-to-coast readers would have an opportunity to pick this up on their own radio dials. 
Here is what Gary sent me back:  
Hi, Kent - 
Count down to Christmas withThe 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time, the award-winning ten-hour radio special hosted by beloved TV game show host Wink Martindale!The latest affiliates include: WEXR-FM/Meridian, MS; KATQ-FM/Williston, ND; KHVL-FM/Houston, TX; WNKZ/Dushore, PA, WLHH-FM/Savannah, GA; WXKQ-FM/Mayking, KY; WAZL Wilkes-Barre, PA, WJPA-AM and WJPA-FM/Washington, PA; KRWZ-AM/Denver, CO; WKJT-FM/Teutopolis, IL, WESI-FM/Louisville, KY; WINC-FM/Winchester, VA; KWVF-FM/San Francisco, CA; KIWA-FM/Sioux Falls, SD, KKIK-FM/Horseshoe Band, AR, WWOD-FM/Lebanon, NH, WISR-AM/Butler, PA, KIBG-FM/Polson, MT, KDLR-AM/Devil's Lake, ND, WBDK-FM/Sturgeon Bay, WI, WGMF-AM/Scranton, PA, WITY-AM/Danville, IL, WCLO-AM/Janesville WI, WYKY-FM/Somerset, KY, WCMT-FM/Martin, TN, KAAB-AM/Batesville, AR, WXEF-FM/Effington, IL, KSID-FM Sidney, NE, KKMI-FM Burlington, IA, KFLN-AM Baker, MT, WZKN-FM Towanda, PA and KITI-AM Centralia, WA. More are on the way! 
Regarding the Chicagoland area, I understand WLTL in LaGrange, IL is in the process of picking up The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time but I can't confirm that as of yet. New affiliates are being added all the time. Gary Theroux  
We'll have to check out the LaGrange station for sure.  (In fact, I'm going to drop them a line right now encouraging them to air the special ... and let them know how much we're looking forward to hearing it!)  Thanks, Gary!  (kk)

Gary also told us about a couple of other Christmas Events he's been part of ...  
Be sure to check out Wink Martindale's photo and the "100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time" logo. Also the covers of my "Christmas Through The Years" box set, which sold over six million copies, and my currently available -- from guideposts.com -- box set "The All-Time Greatest Hits of Christmas." 
Gary

 

Hey Kent,
I know just about everybody's seen this, but it's my all-time favorite Christmas video, The Drifters, featuring Clyde McPhatter. I enjoy it every year. I actually saw The Spinners perform this exact arrangement, several years ago.
- John LaPuzza 
Definitely one of MY favorites, too ... I watch it several times EVERY year!  (kk)

I also enjoyed this little bit of cheer sent in by FH Reader Gary Pike:   
The Christmas Scale      
It's hard to believe that the greatest message the world will ever hear is contained in one simple scale. 
Gary   

re:  THIS AND THAT: 
Kent,  
Seeing Jan & Dean's 1964 song mentioned, THE ANAHEIM, AZUSA & CUCAMONGA SEWING CIRCLE BOOK REVIEW and TIMING ASSOCIATION, reminded me of another one of those songs in which the title is almost as long as the song itself.
I am talking about Ray Steven's 1961 tune,  JEREMIAH PEABODY'S POLY-UNSATURATED QUICK DISSOLVING FAST ACTION PLEASANT TASTING GREEN AND PURPLE PILLS.
You mentioned you were not familiar with NATIONAL CITY. I am sure someone will send you a copy to listen to. Before that record made the scene nationally, when I was a kid, my dad occasionally would sing some sort of silly song in which the tune was the same. Part of the lyrics were something like, "when the monkey ties his tail around the flagpole". So when NATIONAL CITY made the charts in 1960, I figured the tune itself came out years earlier, though I don't know by whom.
Finally, the posting of Christmas songs narrated by Wink Martindale reminded me of his 1959 narrative DECK OF CARDS which he put out on Dot Records. Actually, it never made our local top 40 radio station's weekly survey. The reason is because the morning man for many years, the late Danny Williams, recorded his version on local label Sully Records. And since he was PD at the time, well, you get the picture.
About a year to a year and a half later, Wink Martindale's recording of BLACKLAND FARMER did make our surveys.
Going back to the vocal version done of PATRICIA, Ray Peterson did it in at the same time when he was under contract with RCA. You're right in that it didn't chart.
Larry Neal  
Yeah, I thought about the Ray Stevens tune, too ... funny because about the ONLY award either of these tunes would ever have a chance of winning would be for longest song title!!!  (lol)  
I looked up "National City" to see if by chance I had a copy and believe it or not, I do.  (It's on one of those "Hey Look What I Found" compilation CD's.)  I checked to see if it charted here in Chicago and it was on the Top Tunes Of Greater Chicagoland Chart for exactly one week as an extra ... probably why I don't know it.  (Listening to it, I certainly know the tune ... but not this particular version of it.  My immediate reaction was "No way on earth this is a  Junior High School Band!!! Check out the email below yours to see that this was a good supposition on my part!)  Then, just for the heck of it, I looked to see how Wink Martindale's "Deck Of Cards" did here ... it peaked at #13 on that same chart.  (kk)  

>>>I'm still not familiar with "National City" ... maybe if I heard it it would ring a bell???  Anybody got a copy to share?  (kk)

Here's a link:

National City (1960)

Although the record was credited to the "Joiner, Arkansas Junior High School Band," in fact it's simply a group of studio musicians.  There is a Joiner, Ark. -- it's a tiny town of fewer than 600 residents -- but it has no junior high school.  "National City" is a rock version of "The National Emblem March."   To quote Wikipedia: "The best-known theme of this march is popularly sung in the United States with the doggerel verse "and the monkey wrapped his tail around the flagpole".

The reason Joiner, Ark., was chosen is an in-joke: Joiner was the birthplace of Liberty Records executive Alvin S. Bennett ("National City" was on the Liberty label).  And -- further trivia -- Alvin Bennett is the man for whom the character Alvin of Alvin and the Chipmunks is named -- the Chipmunks records were also on Liberty. 

Henry McNulty

Cheshire, Connecticut
Reading all the comments that accompany this video clip, it sounds like the musical mastermind behind all of this was Ernie Freeman, who had a "raunchy" hit of his own back in 1957!  (kk)

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HELPING OUT OUR READERS

December 5, 2013, 4:00 am

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Just a couple of quickies this morning ...  maybe your answers can help bring good holiday cheer to some of our readers!

 

Hi,

I came across your website while searching for an old song that my father used to play many years ago. I believe the song was produced in the 1960 - 1970 era. I am desperate to find this song, I have searched for the lyrics and everything I can possibly think of to find the song and keep coming up empty.

Here are the lyrics ... if you know of the song or the artist I would appreciate it so much! This would mean the world to us, to be able to find the song again. A man sings the song and the backup singers or group sings a lot during the chorus. We think the song was on the B-side of a 45 and not a widely popular song. Here is the song ...

She was dreamed up in Detroit, on a Saturday afternoon ... and she sure looked good on paper at the time

Then they started to produce her, back in 1964.. and she's become a legend in her time!

Chorus:

- She was a Ford GT, headed for the Grand Prix ... She set a track record, with a low ET

- Now the Maserati couldn't shake her, NO, NO, The Ferrari couldn't take her, No, No ... The Lotus couldn't shake her, She was a Ford GT.

Chorus repeats twice, I believe ...

Last verse:

I wasn't there myself, but I saw the film..

At the end he says..

- I'm gonna see a man about a Ford GT, and as the song fades you hear " Turn It On, Turn It On, GT Ford" sang over and over by the backup group.
Thanks for any help if you can offer it!
Melinda  Adams

Sorry but this one doesn't ring a bell with me.  (Almost sounds like a promotional / commercial disk, doesn't it?  I think artists like Paul Revere and the Raiders and Ronny and the Daytonas recorded tracks like these that were given away by the car dealers as promotional items ... it may be one of these???)  Stay tuned ... I'm sure our readers will come up with something for you!  (kk)

 

Read your review of the 60s music show which recently repeated on PBS.  Who are the musicians backing up Davy Jones? Specifically I was curious about the woman dancing with him who also sings and plays tambourine.  She kind of favored him and wondered whether it was a daughter?
AJ

We noticed that this was running again last week, too ... apparently in newly-edited form.  (Did you notice how "The New Rascals" ... featuring Dino Danelli and Gene Cornish ... now kick off the show?  Pretty timely until the big news this weekend!  Or, in light of the fact that you can now get the real thing, maybe a bit dated after all.)

I don't know the members of Davy's band on this program ... usually there's a "constant" or "house band" that backs up all of the artists on these PBS specials ... but maybe one of our readers knows for sure ... so we'll put it out there.  Anyone???  (kk)

The Friday Flash

December 6, 2013, 4:19 am

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Just a few as I'm running out the door this morning ...

re:  THE GRAMMY HALL OF FAME:

Have you seen the new list of this year's inductees for best singles and albums?  An incredible 27 releases have just been enshrined ... and what a list it is! 

 

Singles:

Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

Georgia (On My Mind) - Hoagy Charmichael and His Orchestra (1930)

Get Up - I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine - James Brown (1970)

Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones (1969)

Jolene - Dolly Parton (1973)

Low Rider - War (1975)

Nobody Know the Trouble I've Seen - Louis Armstrong and the All Stars (1938)

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head - B.J. Thomas (1969)

Rapper's Delight - Sugarhill Gang (1979)

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Gil Scott-Heron (1970)

Strange Things Happening Every Day - Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1945)

Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson (1937)

3 O'Clock Blues - B.B. King (1952)

Under the Boardwalk - Drifters (1964)

Walk This Way - Run DMC (1986)

Wonderful World - Sam Cooke (1960)

Yardbird Suite - Charlie Parker (1946)

 

Albums:

After the Gold Rush - Neil Young (1970)

All Things Must Pass - George Harrison (1970)The Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago (1969)

Cosmo's Factory - Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)

Doc Watson - Doc Watson (1964)

The Joshua Tree - U2 (1987)

Kristofferson - Kris Kristofferson (1970)

Mary Poppins (Original Cast Album) - Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Various Artists (1964)

Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet - Miles Davis (1958)

Woodstock: Music From the Original Soundtrack and More - Various Artists (1970)

 

re:  GARTH:

Hi Kent,
I am still catching up on Forgotten Hits upon returning from our trip, but wanted to comment on the Garth Brooks Special, too.  I agree with you ... it was GREAT!  I was going to watch it for about five minutes and ended up watching the entire show.  The energy in his performance was like watching something out of the 60's -- whereas a lot of performers today incorporate a lot of bells and whistles, lights, and pyrotechnics -- the energy in his show comes solely from him.  Back around 1990, when he first began to take off, he was performing free at a band-shell at the Colorado State Fair, and he was the same way -- his music is great but what really make his act a home run is his energy in his shows.  I saw him perform several times in the early days and every performance was like it was going to be his last, and it was the same with this show.  I had heard his Wynn-Encore shows were simply he and his guitar, and I always thought, well how good could that be without a band -- well, I saw how good it could be -- and that's pretty damn good! 
Regards,
Tim Kiley

Yeah, he blew me away.  I kind of went into it with the same attitude ... figured if nothing else it'd make for some tolerable background noise while I did other things ... but he sucked me in right from the git-go.  GREAT special ... great approach to not only his own career retrospective ... but how he was inspired to get into music in the first place.  (Plus he must have made a killing at the Wynn these past three years ... virtually NO overhead!!!  lol)  VERY entertaining ... this is the kind of thing that if they released it on DVD, I'd have to buy a copy so I could watch it again and again.  Meanwhile, his WalMart exclusive box set that he was pushing sold like gangbusters after his tv special aired.  (kk)

 

re:  THIS AND THAT:

The popular teen clubs in Des Plaines and Park Ridge were the The Green Gorilla, The Hut and The Cellar.

Cindy Horning

 

To my Oldies friends,

My co-writer and friend, Jack Reardon, who co-authored our 1958 hit, "When", passed away yesterday.

Jack also wrote the lyrics for "The Good Life".  Every major artist including Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles have covered the original hit by Tony Bennett.

TIME KEEPS ON TICKIN', TICKIN'.  

The Kalin Twins, the original "When" recording artists, have also passed on to Rock 'n' Roll Heaven.  

Jack's passing leaves it up to me to keep "When" on the public's minds.

Jack's death coincides with a new commercial use of "When". The song has just been chosen by a major UK furniture chain for its new ad campaign due to hit the air on December 22, 2013.  I'm sorry that Jack died before he knew about this new use of our song.

I thought you'd like to know,

Paul (Evans)

Sorry to hear about Jack's passing ... but SO cool to hear that "When" is being picked up for commercial use.  And don't forget Paul's recent Christmas favorite:

Click here: ? Santa's Stuck up in the Chimney - YouTube

 

Hi Kent, 

Well, because of your interview with Burton Cummings, I finished regathering my Guess Who stuff on CD. I bought a few of the early solo albums again as well. I also took a look around on the WWW and found some interesting reads. 

Maybe you've seen all these, but if you haven't here they are.

Dynamic Sounds ... Winnipeg Rock 'n' Roll ... Flourishing in the 60's: Burton Cummings and The Deverons

http://claire-earlydays.blogspot.com/2010/05/burton-cummings-and-deverons.html

Burton Cummings | Juliette Jagger | Rock and Roll Journalist

http://juliettejagger.com/tag/the-deverons/#/interview-burton-cummings/

and Finally THE DEVERONS (COPYRIGHT 2000) PERSONAL USE ONLY -- Burton Cummings

http://www.voy.com/4204/1936.html

Hope I've sent something of interest.

Bill

We're still getting rave reviews for our interview with Burton ... and have heard from several other readers who were inspired to either dig out some of their old Guess Who stuff ... or download brand new tracks as well after reading it ... which is always cool!  (kk)

re:  CONGRATULATIONS:

Congratulations on 15 years, Kent! 

May you have more years and may we have more music coming our way!

Suzanne

 

Happy anniversary from one of your initial members.  It has been a GREAT 14 years.  Thank you for your commitment to keep the music alive!

Allan0318

 

Congratulations!!!
Hil

 

VERY cool to receive these three emails during the same 24 hours ... as all three of these folks were original members of the "First 35 Club" way back on November 26, 1999!!!  Thanks for stickin' with us all these years!  (kk)

 

Kent,

A long overdue thanks for the great 60’s segments that you did earlier in the fall.  The segment dealing with the early 60’s hits (before the British invasion) gave me the idea for a Rockword puzzle (attached for

you or Frannie’s Christmas enjoyment is my latest Rockword puzzle on that particular theme.)

Keep up the good work.  I don’t know where you get the stamina to keep at it as hard as you do.  Clearly a labor of love.

Have a great Xmas and may Forgotten Hits go on to even better things in 2014.  

Mike Ogilvie

Thanks, Mike ... wasn't sure if I could post the puzzle or not but it turned out not to be an option ... the website only accepts JPEG photos!  But I have run off a copy to play around with here at home.  (kk)

The '50's

December 7, 2013, 6:25 am

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Joel Whitburn's brand new book saluting the Billboard Charts of the '50's is out ... and it's another winner!!!

For the first time ever, Joel is treating us to the entire decade of '50's music.  (Previous editions, dating back now over 40 years, have centered around the dawn of The Rock Era, primarily acknowledged as the event of "Rock Around The Clock" reaching #1 on the Billboard Chart.)  But THIS time around, Joel is running pristine copies of those charts dating all the way back to the Best Sellers List published on January 7, 1950 ... right on through the premier of the very first Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart released on August 4, 1958. (Billboard also ran a Top 100 Chart during this era ... from November 12, 1955 - July 28, 1958 ... but Joel tells us that it was Billboard's "Best Sellers" Chart that provided the definitive ranking of the most popular music in America at the time.  Regardless, you'll find those Top 100 Charts in a special section of the book, too.  Billboard also ran Airplay and Juke Box charts during this era ... the data collected from ALL of these sources ... along with the Best Sellers In Stores information ... is what begat The Hot 100 Chart in 1958.) 

The '50's started out without much fanfare ... the sounds coming out of your radio really didn't sound much different than they did in the late '40's ... and many of the same artists were still scoring hit after hit after hit.  As such, #1 Records by artists like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Patti Page, Nat "King" Cole, Johnnie Ray, Rosemary Clooney, Eddie Fisher, The Andrews Sisters, The Ames Brothers and Teresa Brewer were the norm ... and many of these artists carried over that success well into the decade. 

For the first time, you can watch the charts evolve ... and then change forever when that "new-fangled fad" that was "never gonna last" ... rock and roll ... hit the charts in the mid-'50's. 

Previously, the song was almost as important as the singer.  As such, multiple versions of the same song recorded by as many as half a dozen different artists, charted simultaneously.  That would all change mid-decade when teenagers became the principle buyers of music ... because we made our OWN stars since this was OUR music.  I have maintained for the past thirty years that popular music did more to mend race-relations than ANY politician or government program EVER has ... we liked what we heard and we were buying it, regardless if it was rock, R&B or country.  In fact, it was that very hybrid of all these styles that bred rock and roll in the first place! 

"Rock Around The Clock" may have kicked it off, but soon we had a whole new set of artists setting the pace for what radio was playing.  Elvis Presley hit the charts 17 times in 1956 alone!  And soon, R&B Music (then still referred to by many as the politically-incorrect term "race music") started to cross over and take hold.  Thanks to disc jockeys like Alan Freed, white kids were "dirty dancing" to the hottest black artists of the day, preferring the original spirit of these recordings over the watered-down, washboard versions that were being covered why "acceptable" white artists like Pat Boone, Gale Storm and The Crew Cuts. 

Meanwhile, artists like Elvis and Chuck Berry and Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis and even The Everly Brothers were soon crossing over to the other charts, scoring not only pop hits, but R&B and country hits as well.  

Mainstream artists were still making their mark ... Kay Starr had a #1 Hit with "The Rock And Roll Waltz", the first time a record with the phrase "rock and roll" in it hit the top of the charts ... but a record that had little if ANYTHING to do with rock and roll ... or the new sounds it was creating.  Meanwhile, it was the primitive, sexual tone of rock and roll that was spurring on the youth of the day, getting us to move and groove in ways never previously dreamed acceptable ... and still shocking to most of those around us.  (It may not have been the free-spirited, free-lovin''60's yet ... but Little Richard was right when he said that the kids of the '50's "sure love to ball" ... the sexual revolution had begun!!! 

Watch it all evolve in Joel's new book, available NOW through the Record Research Website ...  
Click here: Billboard Best Sellers & Hot 100 Charts: 1950s | Joel Whitburn's Record Research   

And be sure to check back tomorrow for your chance to win a free copy of this hot, new book! 

That's right ... Joel Whitburn has put together another amazing trivia challenge EXCLUSIVELY for our Forgotten Hits Readers ... 50 Questions About The '50's ... and they'll premier on the website tomorrow ... so don't miss it!!!

THE JOEL WHITBURN / RECORD RESEARCH / FORGOTTEN HITS '50's TRIVIA CHALLENGE

December 7, 2013, 10:02 pm

≫ Next: Tuesday This And That

≪ Previous: The '50's

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As announced yesterday, we've got a brand new trivia contest for you ... and the grand prize will be a copy of Joel Whitburn's brand new book "Billboard's Best Sellers And Hot 100 Charts", available now through The Record Research website:

Click here: Billboard Best Sellers & Hot 100 Charts: 1950s | Joel Whitburn's Record Research   

One lucky Forgotten Hits Reader will win a free copy, delivered just in time for Christmas!  All you've got to do is answer Joel's trivia questions below.  (That's right ... 50 Questions About The '50's!!!)  

Hey, we didn't say it was going to be easy!!!  You're going to have to work a little bit to win this contest! 

We'll compile all of your answers ... and then the person with the most correct answers will win a copy of Joel's new book.  In the event of a tie, we'll draw a winner from all of the eligible leaders.  

So get crackin' ... the contest ends this Friday ... which is Friday the 13th, by the way!!!  We'll announce the winner in next Sunday's Comments Page.  (We've got to cut it tight in order to get the book delivered in time!)  

Good Luck to All ... Have Fun With This ...

(no small animals were harmed in the creating of this quiz!)

Hi Kent,  

I really hope your readers have a lot of fun with this contest.  Good luck to allwith this trivia adventure ... I hope it brings enjoyment to all Forgotten Hits readers, even those who may know nothing about one of the most revolutionary and exciting decades in music history.

Joel

We'll run the answers ... along with the winner's name ... in next week's edition of The Sunday Comments.  As always, thanks so much for your generosity, Joel ... it means a lot ... a what a GREAT Christmas gift this will make for somebody!  (kk)

And now, get ready to dust off some of the cobwebs ... or hit the search engines ...

Forgotten Hits proudly presents ...
 

THE JOEL WHITBURN / 
RECORD  RESEARCH 
1950’s TRIVIA CHALLENGE  
(all questions are taken from data in my new book 

Billboard Best Sellers and Hot 100 Charts 1950s)

 
1.  What movie theme had two versions holding down the #1 and #2 spots for seven consecutive weeks in 1950? 

2.  Matty Matlock’s All-Stars backed this duo on their 2-sided smash record – the two sides switched back and forth, holding down the #3 and #4 spots for ten consecutive weeks in 1950!  Name the two titles.   

3.  “The Duckworth Chant” is the sub-title of this army marching cadence song that peaked at #4 in 1951.  Name that tune.    

4.  In the summer of 1951 (June - August) six girl’s names were featured in titles on the charts.  Name at least 4 of the 6.   

5.  Les Paul and Mary Ford said “The World Is Waiting For” what in September of 1951 hit?   

6.  This male vocalist held the #1 position for 14 consecutive weeks with back-to-back hits in 1951.  Name the singer and the two titles.  

7.  On the January 12 & 19, 1952 charts, Johnnie Ray had the #1 and #2 songs with “Cry” and “The Little White Cloud That Cried”.  What vocal group did the backing on both songs?  

8.  This male vocalist had a string of 40 Hot 100 & Bubbling Under hits from 1959 - 1978 ... however, his   only #1 hit was back in 1952.  Name the artist and the #1 hit.  

9.  The first issue of Billboard in 1950 featured a #1 Christmas song: “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Gene Autry.  Name the other two Christmas songs that hit #1 during the '50s decade.  

10.  From 1948 - 1950, Jo Stafford had ten hits with her duo partner, Gordon MacRae.  From 1951 - 52, she had five “Best Selling” hits with what other duo partner?  

11.  On the May 16, 1953 “Best Selling” chart, this famous actor / comedian had a two-sided hit, one at #10 and the other at #15.  Name the actor and the two similar sounding song titles.  

12.  A cabaret in Paris and a European country were the subjects of the #1 and #2 songs for three consecutive weeks in 1953.   Name these two song titles.  

13.  This #6 hit in 1953 was written by a legendary movie actor for a movie that he directed and starred in.  Name this actor and the song title.  

14.  On consecutive weeks in 1952, foreign language words were used in these #1 hits:  “Delicado” and “Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart”.  Name four more #1 hits of the '50s that had foreign language words in the titles.  Novelty titles such as “Hot Diggity”, “Hoop-Dee-Doo”, “Sh-Boom”, “Yakety Yak” and dances such as “Bolero” and “Tango” do not count. 

15.  What #1 novelty hit in 1953 was a parody of one of the year’s top rated TV shows? 

16.  Which two Canadian vocal groups had a combined total of thirteen top 20 “Best Sellers” hits in the '50s?    

17.  This 19-year-old singer had her only chart hit rocket up the charts to #1 after being featured six times on a CBS-TV production in 1954.  Name the singer and the song title.  

18.  This TV series produced a song that had three versions within the top 10 for nine consecutive weeks in 1955.  Name the song and the three artists. 

19.  What song released on May 10, 1954, finally debuted on the “Best Sellers” chart on May 14, 1955? 

20.  What ‘part of a flower’ word was used in two song titles that were together in the top 10 “Best Sellers” chart for twelve consecutive weeks during the summer of 1955?

21.  On November 12, 1955 these song titles at #8 & #9 make up a perfectly logical sentence when read  together.  Name these two ‘cover’ songs (R&B songs covered by pop artists). 

22.  What song that hit #6 on January 14, 1956 would become the theme song for a TV series beginning in 1987? 

23.  Name the two blockbuster movies that both produced multiple hit versions of their theme songs during the Spring of 1956.  

24.  What do these three R&B groups have in common with their recordings in the Spring of 1955:  The Jewels, Gene and Eunice, and The Moonglows?  

25.  What consecutive numbers (between 1 and 20) were in two song titles that were on the “Best Sellers”  chart on November 12, 1955?  

26.  What artist captured the “Best Sellers in Stores” #1 spot for 16 consecutive weeks in 1956?

27.  Name the only two songs with the word “Rain” in the title that made the top 10 of the “Best Sellers” charts from 1955 - 1959.  [“Train” does not count]  

28.  What popular candy bar was a top 10 hit late in 1956?  

29.  In February of 1957 which two colors charted side-by-side?  Actually, two of the same color peaked at # 9 & #10 and a different color at #11. 

30.  What folk song, featuring an original version and an alternate version, peaked side-by-side in 1957 at #6 and #7? 

31.  Name the black songwriter that wrote two of Elvis Presley’s biggest chart hits of the '50s.  

32.  In May of 1957 there were three songs that had multiple hit versions in the Top 25 “Best Sellers’ Chart:  “Party Doll”, “Butterfly” and what other one? 

33.  Put these Rock And Roll Hall of Fame legends in chronological order by debut date on the “Best Sellers” chart:  1. Jerry Lee Lewis  2. Little Richard  3. Chuck Berry  4. Fats Domino 

34.  Put these #1 “Best Sellers” one-word titles from 1957 in chronological order by debut date:  “Honeycomb” / “Diana” / “Tammy” 

35.  On the January 6, 1958 “Best Sellers” Top 50 chart, the #1 and the #50 hits had very similar titles with a theme that could read as a sentence when put together.  Name these polar opposite titles.  

36.  In January of 1958, no less than eleven girls names were featured in “Best Sellers” titles.  Not counting these five: “Bony Moronie”, “Ivy Rose”, “Little Sandy Sleighfoot”, “Honeycomb” or “Wake Up Little Susie”, name the other six.  

37.  “Silhouettes” was a popular word on the February 3, 1958 “Best Sellers” chart.  In fact, it came up twice in the Top 20 at the same time.  One was a title of a song and the other was the name of the group.  Name both the artist and the title for the two entries.  

38.   The March 10, 1958 “Best Sellers” chart featured a polka and a march.  Besides those, what two teen dances were in the Top 20 that week?   

39.  What song in the summer of 1958 was named after a highly sought after prize at county and state fairs?   

40.  The “Hot 100” chart debuted on August 4, 1958.  Not counting The Coasters, who are the only two artists still alive from the top 10 of that first chart?  

41.  What chart feature, still used today, was introduced on the second “Hot 100” chart?

42.  What was the very first Star Performer on that second “Hot 100” chart?   

43.  The first “Hot 100” chart was occupied primarily by male vocalists.  Only seven female solo vocalists made the tally: Peggy Lee, Patti Page, Doris Day, Eydie Gorme, Toni Arden, Connie Francis and Kitty Wells.  Which one had two entries on that first chart?   

44.  What dog and bird exchanged places at the #2 & 3 spots on the “Hot 100” in October 1958?    

45.  In addition to the dog and bird and the “Pussy Cat”, what two summertime bugs had places on that “Hot 100” chart?   

46.  The December, 1958 charts saw four different wedding songs make their entrance.  Not counting “The Wedding” by June Valli, name the other three songs with wedding in the title.    

47.  What revolutionary music industry sound development was given notice for the first time on the May 18, 1959 “Hot 100” chart? 

48.  What other chart enhancement appeared on that same chart for the first time ever? 

49.  Bobby Darin’s “Mack The Knife” held the #1 spot for nine weeks late in 1959.  However, those were not consecutive weeks at #1.  What song interrupted his string between the 6^th& 7^th weeks? 

50.  The very last “Hot 100” chart of the '50’s decade saw the debut of what song that has recently been a part of TV history?    

Some toughies on here to be sure ... again, good luck to everybody out there ... remember, the deadline is this Friday, the 13th ... so get your answers in as soon as you can!  (kk) 

  

Tuesday This And That

December 10, 2013, 4:29 am

≫ Next: HELPING OUT OUR READERS

≪ Previous: THE JOEL WHITBURN / RECORD RESEARCH / FORGOTTEN HITS '50's TRIVIA CHALLENGE

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re:  THIS AND THAT:

kent,
mary poppins in the rock n'roll hall of fame?!
wtf?!
bob

Actually, it's the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame ... as a "must own" soundtrack album.

Finding that to be a hard pill to swallow???

Well, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!  (kk)

Hi kk,
You'll be pleased to know that Lou Simon's "Home for the Holidays" special countdown received more than the usual amount of positive feedback for his shows.  That was great to hear because it seemed like he was taking a bit of a gamble on this one by playing a good number of forgotten hits in sequence that didn't reach the weekly top 50, like the two brought up in this week's FH editions by Jan & Dean and the Joiner, Arkansas Junior High School Band.
The warm response to this countdown may be taken as proof that there is "a hunger" among listeners keen on hearing these lost gems.
Dann Isbell

Great to hear ... and proof again that programmers and consultants who believe the audience will only accept the same 200-300 "tried and true" oldies really do appreciate something OFF the list once in awhile, too!  (kk) 

Please tell Paul Evans, who wrote about Jack Kalin's passing (of Kalin Twins & 'When'), that there are those of us who still love his 'Happy Go Lucky Me.'  (Also 'Hambone Rock'& '7 Little Girls.')  I defy anybody to listen to 'Happy Go Lucky Me'& not smile or at least want to have a reason to smile.   He had such a lively lilt to his voice.   I was a fan.   

Pttibg

Did you check out Paul's video for his "Santa's Stuck In The Chimney" new release?  This guy is still crankin''em out!  (kk)

GREAT news ... Dick Biondi's name has been reinstated (thanks to all the shake-up going on at WLS-FM regarding Jan Jeffries) ... so once again they're calling it The Annual Dick Biondi Toy Drive.  The location is new  (downtown now for the first time after years at Stratford Square and Yorktown Mall) ... and the big event will be next weekend (Saturday, December 14th to be exact!)  You'll find all the details here thanks to Chicagoland Radio and Media:  Click here: Dick Biondi's Annual Toy Drive Returns This Month

And be sure to check in this Christmas / Jingle Bells video sent in by Gary Pike, formerly of The Lettermen: 

If you’ve never seen him before Tony does a great job.  

Gary 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGjcNVD07FQ

Kent,

Reading the comments about Garth's concert reminded me that the year The Beatles Anthology showed on TV (at Thanksgiving) there was a commercial for Garth's newest cd at Walmart or Kmart.  (do not remember the particular 'mart')  It pictured a family eating Thanksgiving dinner and then rushing out to get the cd.  At the time, I thought the commercial was funny, and I think Garth Brooks worthy of the 'rush'.  But now that these stores are remaining open over ALL family holidays ... I am not laughing anymore.

Shelley J Sweet-Tufano

Garth's new box set premiered at #3 on The Billboard Album Chart last week ... and is expected to reach #1 ... not bad for a guy who's been out of the limelight these past several years.  It was a KILLER special ... the girls watched the live Carrie Underwood version of "The Sound Of Music" last week ... and Garth's live show blew this one away.  (kk)

Belated congratulations kk!

Thanks for all the fun facts and stories.

Bravo! and blessings,

Phil

PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com

Kent,

Wow! 15 years ... how Pond! ;-) 

I'd send you a"Whipped Cream" cover, but having trouble finding hot men to bathe in whipped cream!  Later.

Ed Pond

Then I guess we'll have to run this spaghetti shot again!  Thanks, Ed!  (kk)

 

Hi Kent,

Has the documentary "Searching For Sugar Man" been discussed on FH? I strongly recommend you see it if you haven't.
David

Actually, yes, it's come up NUMEROUS times now ... and always to stellar reviews ... yet (incredibly) I STILL haven't seen it yet.  (Saw that it was on this past weekend but at the point I caught it, it was already half over.)  Will have to make it a point to check this one out ... VERY good reviews nanimously thus far.  (kk)

How wild is this?!?!?

For his wife's 54th birthday part, Paul McCartney hired a Japanese Beatles sound-alike band to perform!

Despite the fact that they can barely speak a word of English, The Parrots are Japan's top Beatles copy-cat act ... yet they mimic the exact sound of The Fab Four when performing their songs.

Even wilder?  McCartey got up and joined them on stage to perform "I Saw Her Standing There"!!!

Now THAT would have been cool to see!!!  (kk)

The other day we mentioned some new Beatles titles that might make for great holiday gifts.  Now FH Reader Ken Voss sends us some OTHER holiday book suggestions ... "heavy" in the Jimi Hendrix arena!

Looking for that perfect Christmas gift. How about a new Hendrix book? Let’s take a look at the books that have come out in the last year:

• Jimi Hendrix: A Brother’s Story by Leon Hendrix with Adam Mitchell (Thomas Dunne Books / St. Martin’s Press ISBN 978-0-312-66881-5) – This is the family story as told by the one living person that spent the most time with Jimi growing up – his brother Leon. It’s as much as autobiography of Leon, who admits to the demons that ostracized him from the family, but gives us another personal view of Jimi Hendrix. A must read.

• Jimi Hendrix FAQ by Gary J. Jucha (Backbeat Books ISBN 978-1-61713-095-3) – Subtitled as “all that’s left to know about the Voodoo Child,” I expected this paperback to be a list of facts – chronology, itinerary, concert dates, etc. None of that can be found here (although certainly can be found in other books). What we get is Jucha telling a series of stories documenting the facts about the particular topic (i.e. a topic on Eric Clapton covers all different times Clapton and Cream were involved with Jimi. Similar pieces on Paul McCartney, John Lennon, etc.) While it’s an interesting read and ties things together, breaks no new ground and will be disappointing to those who buy looking for the lists.

• Jimi Hendrix: Made in England by Brian Southall (Clarksdale Books ISBN 978-1-905959-4-19) – This paperback looks specifically at the 15 month rise to fame of the Jimi Hendrix Experience providing additional insights from many of the musicians and music industry personnel who crossed paths with Jimi during that period. Provides some interesting new perspectives and tidbits of information.

• Jimi Hendrix: Staring At Zero (Bloomsbury ISBN 978-1-62040-331-0) – This is the story of Jimi Hendrix – in his own words. As described by Peter Neal, to all intents and purposes this book has been written by Jimi Hendrix,” a dossier of Hendrix conversation, stage banter, interviews all compiled from dialogue culled from records, interviews, articles and other sources.

• Hal Leonard Guitar Tablature Books
    o JIMI HENDRIX: BLUES PLAY-ALONG (HL00843218 - ISBN 978-1-4584-0269-1) Guitar tablature volume that is part of the Blues Play-Along series of Hal Leonard books. Designed for use with all B-flat, E-flat, Bass Clef and C instruments. The volume provides easy-to-read lead sheets and tablature with lyrics of eight Hendrix compositions – “Fire”, “Foxey Lady”, “Jam 292”, “Little Wing”, “Red House”, “Spanish Castle Magic”, “Who Knows” and “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”. Also include is a CD featuring two tracks for each song – one a full stereo mix with all recorded instruments present on the track, and one split track where bass or guitar parts can be removed. The CD is also enhanced so MAC and PC users can adjust the recording to any tempo without changing the pitch.
    o JIMI HENDRIX: ESEENTIAL ELEMENTS (HL00865013 - ISBN 978-1-4584-0086-4) Guitar tablature volume that is part of the Essential Elements series of Hal Leonard books for guitar ensembles. Considered a “mid intermediate” skill level, the tab book features 15 songs arranged for three or more guitarists (guess it takes three or more to equal Jimi). Each arrangement features the melody, a harmony part, and bass line in standard notation with chord symbols. For groups with more than three or four guitars, the parts can be doubled.

• Legends of Music: The Life and Legacy of Jimi Hendrix (Charles River - ISBN 9781492393245) This short 32-page paperback reads more like a lengthy magazine article or college thesis summarizing Jimi’s life and career, slightly skewing historical information and injecting the author’s theories and reasonings tracing Hendrix from birth in 1942 to the how the legacy he left behind is being managed. Not much here to warrant paying any attention to. And while published in paperback, won’t be surprised to see an e-book edition.

• Star Guitars by Dave Hunter (Voyageur Press - ISBN: 9780760338216) These are the guitars so famous that their names are often household words: B. B. King’s Lucille, Eric Clapton’s Blackie, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s First Wife, Billy F Gibbons’ Pearly Gates, Neil Young’s Old Black, and many more. Author Dave Hunter documents those instruments with this illustrated history of the actual guitars of the stars that made the music. While other volumes on guitar histories look at the rank-and-file models, this book is unique in profiling the actual “star guitars”— the million-dollar babies, such as the 1968 Stratocaster that Jimi Hendrix burned at Woodstock, which sold at Sotheby’s auction house in 1993 for $1,300,000. If you're into guitar history, this book is great. The volume is a beautiful coffeetable-like art book with over 700 photos of the famous guitars Hunter explores.

• Voodoo Child: A Jimi Hendrix Novel by Jon Caven Atack (Kid Menthal Music - ISBN 978-1482658040) First off, this is a novel – a fictional story. According to author Atack, “the following pages at last unveil the untold secret of the death of Jimi Hendrix. This revelation is set in a dream arising from a long meditation upon his too brief life, the constant illumination of the blues, the voodoo truth and the myth and history of the Cherokee people, with whom Jimi Hendrix was identified both through blood and belief.” While amazing the factual information Atack wove into this tale, it is a tremendously difficult book to meander through as he interlaces Cherokee pantheon, Chinese philosophy, Christian mysticism, Buddhist beliefs, Astro-physics, Oriental Theospophy, and a combination of allusions and illusions in creating this story that is either an angelic dream of Ecstasy trip.

• Forever 27 by Joe Guse (Crown Publishing – ISBN 978-1449487994) – Author Guse explores the “27 Club” of msucians who died at age 27 with “a psychological profile of Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.”

• 27: A History of the 27 Club Through the Lives of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse by Howard Sounes (DeCapo – ISBN 978-03068221684) Much of the book's power lies in its refusal to pander to the romantic-melancholy notion of the tortured young artist who lives fast and dies young. Instead the squalor and chaos of their everyday existence is exposed in uncompromising detail…. This book is not about more rock star mythologizing. It's about skewering the mystery of the 27-connection, by exposing its all-too-tragic reality. Sounes goes on to say The 27 Club is a truly a coincidence – a major one, true, and terribly sad, but a coincidence nonetheless. Still, in addition to commonality of age, the musicians experienced other parallels which Sounes explores. If you want to believe the myth of The 27 Club, it’s an interesting read.

• Woodstock Experience by Michael Lang and Shepard Fairey (Genesis Publishing - ISBN 978-190566-2-098) – This set actually came out a couple years ago, but we thought we would revisit at the “ultimate” Christmas present. The British publishing house prides itself on providing not just a book, but a treasured volume. With direct artistic collaboration, they create an artistic package with unique graphic design, craft bookbinding and exclusive packaging. This is more than another book recapping the Woodstock festival, but a well-researched bundle that becomes a cherished edition. The printing is limited to 1,000 numbered copies, hand signed by Lang himself. We call it an “ultimate” present because of the price - £395.00 ($650 U.S.)! This is a multimedia box set that celebrates the history and 40th anniversary of Woodstock created with the assistance of original festival producer Michael Lang as the “official” book to celebrate the festival. The two large format books in the set contain over 300 pages retelling the story of Woodstock. Volume One is the authorized history by 60 musicians, staff and audience members, illustrated by photographer Henry Diltz. Volume Two presents the unseen photography of Dan Garson, capturing the complete Woodstock environment and atmosphere. Printed on 200 gsm matt art paper, the two cloth-bound volumes are highlighted with gold and silver page edging and blocking. The books are housed in a hand-made case with artwork featuring Jimi Hendrix silkscreened on the front. The case also includes a drawer that holds five new essays in a facsimile Woodstock press pack, a reprint of Lang’s hand-drawn festival map, a 7” vinyl record featuring Santana’s “Favor” and Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”, and a fine art print by famed artist Peter Max. A leather pocket contains an original Woodstock ticket.

• John Varvatos: Rock in Fashion by John Varvatos (Harper Fashion – ISBN 978-0062009791) – From Jimi Hendrix to Lady Gaga, an art book of a look at Rock in Fashion. Another expensive, large volume, coffeetable book – 272 pages, over 4 ½ pounds, $60. As review posted on Amazon notes, “In John Varvatos, the legendary designer reveals his perspective on how rock & roll music and style have influenced his own designs and fashion worldwide. Varvatos’s personally curated collection of more than 250 images are some of the most provocative ever shot by top rock photographers from the late 1960s to today, from the Rolling Stones to the Kings of Leon. The featured photographers are among the world’s finest, including Mick Rock, Bob Gruen, Elliott Landy, Danny Clinch, Lynn Goldsmith, and more. Also included are select images from Varvatos’s own advertising campaigns, featuring artists such as Slash, Iggy Pop, Scott Weiland, and Miles Kane. Varvatos’s captions and incisive commentary on the artist and his or her look accompany each image. Every chapter also contains numerous quotes from the musicians themselves, including Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Iggy Pop, Jack White, Pete Townshend, Robert Plant, Steven Tyler, and Patti Smith. An extraordinary anthology of some of the finest images in rock & roll and the most influential rock looks in fashion and popular culture, this volume will delight music lovers, and fans of music photography, fashion, and fashion history.”

FH Reader Dave Barry sent us this article from Jesse Hamil of The San Francisco Chronicle talking about a brand new tribute film remembering the late, great Tower Records ...

Walking into a Tower Records store in the rocking 1980s was an eye-grabbing experience, whatever city you were in or whatever music you were after. You'd be met by those big, blazing-colored 3-D displays promoting the latest record by Prince or the Stones, Ozzy Osbourne and his bloody cross, a white-gowned Linda Ronstadt, posed provocatively as a 1940s songbird. 

The wild young graphic artists who hand-crafted each of those dazzling displays - for the Berkeley, San Francisco and other Tower outposts during the high-flying heyday of album cover design and record retailing - talk about that bygone world in the documentary "Art Gods: An Oral History of the Tower Records Art Department." It premieres at San Francisco's Balboa Theatre Dec. 6 and 7, followed both nights by a Q&A with the filmmakers and their subjects. On Jan. 26, the film screens at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento, the city where Russ Solomonopened the first Tower store in 1960. 

Written and directed by Strephon Taylor, a Berkeley metal-rock musician and filmmaker who worked as a Tower artist in the late '80s and early '90s and heard tales about the crew that preceded him, "Art Gods" is a fun, low-budget 70-minute production that mixes interviews, music, archival images and footage and a few cartoon graphics to tell its nostalgia-laden story. 

Tower, which was known for the wide range of music it stocked and the varied expertise of its music-mad employees, expanded from that single Sacramento store into an innovative global chain, with stores from Fresno to London to Tokyo, before eventually declaring bankruptcy in 2006 and liquidating its assets. It was a victim of the Internet, big-box discounters and apparently its own mismanagement. 

Like millions of other young folk, Taylor, who grew up in Richmond, spent hours on end in Tower - in his case, the big Berkeley store on Durant Avenue, where Steve Pollutro developed and ran the original art department - browsing the bins, digging the sounds and admiring the artwork on the album covers and the big displays that riffed on them. 

"As a kid shopping for records, it was the cover art that grabbed me. Now with the Internet, you can listen to samples of the tracks, but the artwork is the size of thumbnails," says Taylor, 46. He remembers being blown away by seeing Van Halen's name - accompanied by a giant image of Western Exterminator's top-hatted bug killer, which the band used as its 1984 tour icon - painted boldly on the exterior and interior walls of the Berkeley store. 

"That was outrageous. Those displays were just so cool," says Taylor, who produced three other local documentaries: "Remembering Playland,""Sutro's: the Palace at Lands End" and "The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features." He was initially approached by two of the Tower artists, Mark Devito and Zak Wilson, both of whom helped produce this film, to document how they crafted those displays, which set the standard for other retailers (they did wonders with foam core, X-acto knives and air-brushed paint). But when he met some of the colorful characters, like Craig Long and Andrew "Skip"Peterson, Taylor decided to tell their stories, and in the process capture a little slice of the culture.

"It was 1980. Everybody was drinking and doing cocaine," says Long, now a metal sculptor. As a fledgling artist with a passion for music, he thrived in the freewheeling Tower environment where artists could run with an idea. 

In the movie, Tower founder Solomon - who was not interviewed for this film but was for an unfinished documentary about Tower by Colin Hanks, son of Tom, who raised $95,000 on Kickstarter for it in 2011 - is heard on an audio clip talking about the Tower culture, which encouraged employees at each store to have a say in the identity of that particular store. 

"The ideas came from the kids, the employees in the field," the boss says. "I just let them happen." 

That piece of our musical culture "is gone forever," says Taylor, who, unlike many of the people featured in the film, never wore his hair in that '80s rock 'n' roll shag. "I was a big Ramones fan. I had straight hair and long bangs." 

For more information, go to www.novemberfire.com.

Jesse Hamlin is a Bay Area writer.

E-mail: 96hours@sfchronicle.com

He also sent us THIS "book report" from the San Francisco Chronicle, spotlighting Greg Kihn's new book on The Beatles: 

Greg Kihn has been a staple of the San Francisco music scene since the 1970s with his band, the Greg Kihn Band. He also spent more than 15 years as the morning DJ for KFOX (KUFX). In the 1990s, he had his first novel published.   

"I have always written. Back in high school I wrote a couple of bad novels that never saw the light of day," he says. "Back in the '80s, when we were on the road, I read a lot of Stephen King novels. Then I started writing in my spare time, short stories and different horror ideas." 

Kihn's early novels reflect his love of the horror genre. His first novel, "Horror Show," was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for best first novel.

After not releasing a book in more than a decade, Kihn released his fifth novel, "Rubber Soul," this year. The book steers away from Kihn's horror roots, instead featuring the Beatles as main characters in a murder mystery. The central character is called Dust Bin Bob, and "Rubber Soul" is based on the lives of the Beatles, before they were famous.

"When I got the idea for Dust Bin Bob and projected him into the Beatles' world, that sucker just wrote itself," Kihn says. "Dust Bin Bob is a composite character, but really he's me, he's kind of like me projecting into the story."

Over the years, Kihn has interviewed surviving band members and those close to them. He says he was intrigued by how they developed their sound and how they were getting R&B records from the United States.

"They all told me the same thing: 'We got them from friends of the merchant marines' because Liverpool is a big port. These guys come back from Philly, Baltimore and New York and they bring the latest R&B singles with them, and they trade them to a guy like Dust Bin Bob, who has a stall at the flea market. Then the Beatles walk by one day and suddenly they become best friends with Dust Bin Bob because he's got the records. What separates all of the Merseybeat bands in the early days was material, repertoire."

This isn't the first novel where Kihn, who's currently working on the next Dust Bin Bob novel, has brought in his experiences as a musician.

"You bring certain things to the party. And one of the things I bring to the party is I'm a writer and I know rock 'n' roll and what it's like to be on the road and in the studio."

And Kihn's enthusiasm for the Beatles is infectious.

"I've been to Abbey Road. I sat in the studio and I actually went into the stall, in the men's room after hours and smoked the only joint in all of London, which I brought specifically with me, to smoke in the sacred stall where the Beatles used to smoke after hours when they were working on 'Sgt. Pepper.' I had the guy show me: 'What was the stall that they went into?''Oh, it's that one.' And later when everybody left, I snuck back in there and did the deed," he says.
-- Tony DuShane is a freelance writer who hosts the radio show "Drinks With Tony." E-mail: 96hours@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @tonydushane

A few new shows at The Arcada Theatre worth mentioning ...

Thursday, February 6th - A Second Show has been added for Cheap Trick!  (The FIRST show sold out in about 45 minutes!)  Don't miss your chance to see one of The Midwest's Finest!)

Saturday, February 15th - 10,000 Maniacs

Saturday, March 29th - Eddie Money

Sunday, March 30th - A Tribute to Ricky Nelson (by his twin sons Matthew and Gunnar) ...

    WHOA!  Put me down for THIS one, Ron!!!

Sunday, April 13th - Paul Revere and the Raiders ... THIS ONE, TOO!!!

    You're not going to see a better show than this one ... a guaranteed night of non-stop, fun entertainment!

Saturday, April 19th - Foghat

Saturday, May 17th - Blue Oyster Cult

Saturday, June 7th - Lou Gramm of Foreigner

As always, check the OShows website for updates and more ticket information!

www.oshows.com

re:  SPEAKING OF CHRISTMAS: 

The annual “A Hometown Holiday” with Mike Baker And The Forgotten 45s will air Christmas Day December 25th, 7 am - 4 pm, on WLTL-FM 88.1 and stream.   

The history of the annual holiday special:  http://www.mikebaker45s.com/page7/Forgotten45s.html   

Mike Baker And The Forgotten 45s broadcast the first "A Hometown Christmas" on Christmas Day, 1995. Carol and Joe Gentile on WJJG-AM 1530 brought the holiday special to listeners commercial-free. The annual special included Christmas one hit wonders, holiday hits from the golden age of top-40 and more. The holiday music oldies show was all live and local, year after year for 16 years.

The current info and listen live:  http://mikebaker45s.wordpress.com/a-hometown-holiday/   

Chicago Christmas favorites include:  

(Sweet Angie) The Christmas Tree Angel - Fran Allison (host of Kukla, Fran & Ollie)

Pretty Little Dolly - Mona Abboud  

At the above website is a list of Christmas one hit wonders that was originally published by Jerry Osborne in the Chicago Sun-Times

re:  THE SONNY GERACI BENEFIT CONCERT:

We've heard from a few folks who have made donations to The Sonny Geraci Fund set up by Streetsboro Family Days.  As soon as we get more information about the Live Concert DVD, we'll pass it along.  Meanwhile, here is that information again, courtesy of Dennis Tufano, former lead singer of The Buckinghams:

 

Make checks payable to: Streetsboro Family Days.

In the lower left corner memo you must write in SONNY GERACI BENEFIT.

SEND CHECKS TO: Benefit For Sonny Geraci, PO BOX 5266, Willowick, OH 44095

For information email at: benefitforsg@gmail.com

Merry Christmas and a great New Year to you and your family. Hope to get back in the Chicago area next year. It's been a while!!!

The Sonny Geraci Benefit went very well. It was the "Woodstock" of Streetsboro, Ohio for sure. 25 acts non-stop live ... a hit maker jukebox concert.  And we raised some $$$ for our friend Sonny and his family. 

Be well. Thanks again Kent.

Dennis

Current Buckinghams Guitarist and Vocalist Dave Zane sent us a link to a great blog report of the concert from his keyboardist Steve Hoye.  Dave and Steve (along with several other members of their Bigger Picture band) provided all of the back-up music for the cavalcade of stars who entertained that weekend.

You can read Steve's full report here:  http://thebiggerpictureband.com/myblog/?p=30

(And how cool is it that Dave can perform regular with the current Buckinghams line-up, featuring key members Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna ... and still play and support original lead vocalist Dennis Tufano in his efforts to help raise money for Sonny Geraci's family and medical bills.  Pretty damn cool in my opinion!)  kk

 

(Here's a shot of Dennis performing on stage with Dave Zane at 

The Sonny Geraci Benefit Concert, courtesy of photographer 

Tom Apathy ... thanks, Tom!)

And, speaking of The Buckinghams, our FH Buddy Al Kooper gave them a shout-out in this week's "Music For Old People" column ... dedicated to great Beatles covers recorded over the years.  (He singled out their version of "I'll Be Back" from their "Time And Charges" album.)

You can view the complete list here ...

Click here: New Music for Old People: Borrowed Beatles | The Morton Report

And, if you're not already on his email list, sign up for the weekly jukebox sends.  (kk)

 

re:  THE JOEL WHITBURN '50's TRIVIA CHALLENGE:

Working on your answers to our Joel Whitburn Trivia Challenge?  (Scroll back to Sunday's posting to find our 50 Questions About The '50's.)  

Send us your answers by Friday, the 13th ... and on Sunday we'll announce the winner of Joel's latest book "Billboard's Best Sellers and Hot 100 Charts of the 1950's"!  (kk)

 

HELPING OUT OUR READERS

December 11, 2013, 4:36 am

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Our readers came through again!!!  (In fact, we're batting 1000 for last week's posts!)  Read on ... 

After posting this comment last Thursday ...  

>>>I came across your website while searching for an old song that my father used to play many years ago. I believe the song was produced in the 1960 - 1970 era. I am desperate to find this song, I have searched for the lyrics and everything I can possibly think of to find the song and keep coming up empty. 
Here are the lyrics ... if you know of the song or the artist I would appreciate it so much! This would mean the world to us, to be able to find the song again. A man sings the song and the backup singers or group sings a lot during the chorus. We think the song was on the B-side of a 45 and not a widely popular song. Here is the song ... 
She was dreamed up in Detroit, on a Saturday afternoon ... and she sure looked good on paper at the time 
Then they started to produce her, back in 1964.. and she's become a legend in her time! 
Chorus: 
- She was a Ford GT, headed for the Grand Prix ... She set a track record, with a low ET 
- Now the Maserati couldn't shake her, NO, NO, The Ferrari couldn't take her, No, No ... The Lotus couldn't shake her, She was a Ford GT. 
Chorus repeats twice, I believe ... 
Last verse: 
I wasn't there myself, but I saw the film.
At the end he says ... 
I'm gonna see a man about a Ford GT, and as the song fades you hear " Turn It On, Turn It On, GT Ford" sang over and over by the backup group.  
Thanks for any help if you can offer it!  
(Melinda  Adams)  

... we got this link from FH Reader Vibramutant (aka The Vibeman):   

Click here: ? Jackie & The Giants - FORD G.T. - YouTube  

It was, in fact, a B-Side ... the flip of one of those "Hit Records" sound-alike singles that copied Peter and Gordon's hit "I Go To Pieces", also shown below.  (Not a bad version ... we used to perform this song, too!)  We've covered Hit Records several times before in Forgotten Hits ... that's the  label based out of Nashville that would release sound-alike versions of the latest hits on the radio and then sell them for a fraction of the price to (most often) unsuspecting music fans thinking they were getting a great bargain on a hot new release that they just heard on the radio.  (Check out our list of complete titles, submitted by Paul Urbahns a short while back):  Click here: "Music is fun for everyone"- The "Hit" Records Project  

HIT RECORDS HAD A TON OF COOL MUSIC BY "WHO REALLY KNOWS WHO THEY WERE"IN REALITY.  
The Vibeman 

Click here: ? Jackie & The Giants (I Go To Pieces) (Ford G.T.) Hit Records 185.wmv - YouTube  

Meanwhile, I think we made Melinda's day ... and right before the holidays, too!!! 

That's so amazing! Thank you so much, he is going to be so excited!

Melinda  

And now maybe we can help HIM out as well ... see his note below!  

Thanks kk!

I wish some one could tell me the song that came out in the late 70's early 80's era that sounded like the style of Jigsaw... "Sky High" and Pilot ...."Magic" that said in it's lyrics ..."You're a bag of blivet!" My sister remembered it from the radio station WROQ in Charlotte NC but it stumps me to give her the answer. The only song that has ever stumped me in a question.  
Vibeman  

Anybody??? 

And then ...  

>>>Who are the musicians backing up Davy Jones on the PBS Special that ran last week? Specifically I was curious about the woman dancing with him who also sings and plays tambourine.  She kind of favored him and wondered whether it was a daughter?  (AJ)    
Kent -
You had a reader ask this week who was the woman dancing with the late Davy Jones during last weekend’s PBS-TV 60s special.  That was Davy’s third wife, Jessica Pacheco.  
-Tom Cuddy

Yep, I can see why our reader would think that was Davy's daughter!!!  (Wonder if that had something to do with his ticker giving out?!?!  But what a way to go!)  kk   

Which begs another Davy question ...   

Hi Kent, 
I was watching the My Music last night on PBS and was wondering if you knew who the backup singers were singing behind Davy Jones?  They were four black men all dressed in the same suits and then there was also a girl playing tambourine and a guy playing guitar as well.  I thought they were wonderful as well as Davy.  Thanks so much for the info.  I love these specials. 
Paula Baroch 
Great Falls, Montana  
Anybody???   

Billy J. Kramer and I are spearheading a project to get Brian Epstein nominated and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  I can't believe he's been overlooked all these years! 
I'll give you details as we progress.  We sure could use the support of all your readers.
I'll keep you posted, ol' buddy.
Best,
Bob Rush  
A valiant effort, to be sure ... but, unfortunately, a waste of time ... the folks running The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame truly couldn't care less about what we music fans or the artists think ... they have their own agenda and don't respond to any outside suggestions.  (For that matter why isn't Ed Sullivan in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?!?!  He brought this music to MILLIONS every single week ... and introduced us to all the latest sounds for over twenty years!)  I've seen petitions signed by over 10,000 people that went absolutely nowhere. 
Hate to burst your bubble, but this is the sad, sad reality of how this organization is run.  Even these past two years where fans are allowed to vote for the artists nominated by their own committee is a bit of a joke.  The winning artist based on outside fan support (regardless of how many accumulated votes that artist may have received) ultimately receives ONE vote on the final ballot (of approximately 500 total votes cast.)  This is NOT an organization "for the people".  That being said, this year's ballot is the most interesting one we've seen in YEARS!!!  That's because there were such slim pickings for newly eligible artists this year.  (New artists become eligible 25 years after their first recording ... the only one making the ballot this year was Nirvanna ... leaving the door open for them to dip into the vaults a little deeper and FINALLY acknowledge deserving artists like Hall and Oates, Linda Ronstadt, Yes, Deep Purple and The Zombies, artists WE have been supporting for YEARS to take their rightful place within their hallowed halls.  (Other nominees this year include The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Kiss, Link Wray, Cat Stevens, Chic and Peter Gabriel.)  I failed to mention L.L. Cool J, The Meters, The Replacements and N.W.A. ... yes, that's right ... Niggaz With Attitude ... because I consider these artists to be Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame "givens" ... EVERYBODY worldwide their impressive body of work ... in fact, most of us can't get their songs out of our heads ... right?!?!?  (kk)   

Kent ... 
I have a question for Joel Whitburn, if you don't mind.  It's about the Orlons, a Philadelphia group, made up of three ladies and one man. 1962 to 1964 were their best years. 
My Billboard book and Norm N. Nite's book say that Shirley Brickley was lead singer. Other internet sources say that Rosetta Hightower was lead singer for most of their hits. I'd like to know which one is correct.    
Thanks.  
Frank B.  
Whitburn's book says that Rosetta Hightower sang the leads ... and tells us that Shirley Brickley was shot to death in 1977 ... so technically we already HAVE his answer. 
Steve Caldwell (the "one man" mentioned in your email) has participated with Forgotten Hits a few times over the years ... maybe he can provide some additional insight into your question. 
In the meantime, I checked the liner notes from the "Best Of The Orlons" CD released a few years ago (when ABKCO Records FINALLY opened the vaults and released the Cameo / Parkway material on CD.) 
It sounds like the lead singer of The Orlons was a bit of a revolving door there at the beginning ... 
Jeff Tamarkin tells us that it was Steve Caldwell who first handled the leads!  Then, when the label execs that this wasn't quite the sound they were looking for, they told The Orlons "that each of the girls would be asked to sing lead the next time the group came in" to the studio to record. Their first single for Cameo was the standard "I'll Be True" ... and on THIS record, the lead vocal was handled by Marlena Davis (the only girl you DIDN'T mention in your email!)  This record failed to chart so on the follow-up single ("Mr. Twenty-One") the lead vocal went to Shirley Brickley. 

It wasn't until their third release that The Orlons broke through on the charts ... "The Wah-Watusi" went all the way to #2 ... and Rosetta Hightower was "now installed as The Orlons' primary lead vocalist."  Tamarkin says that Steve Caldwell's rich baritone came into his own "as an essential component of the group's vocal mix ... The Orlons had stumbled upon a recognizable sound."  For their next hit ("Don't Hang Up" ... another Top Five smash) Caldwell used what came to be known as his "frog voice" ... listen to the "No No" next time and see if you agree! 
After disbanding in 1964, Rosetta Hightower moved to England, where she recorded background vocals on records by John Lennon and Joe Cocker.  Several years ago, Caldwell resurrected The Orlons and began performing again around the Philadelphia area.  As far as I know they are still performing assorted gigs.  (Maybe he'll see this and let us know how he's doing.  Would love to hear from him again!)  kk  

Hey Kent,  
I'm up listening to the Nick Digilio Show on WGN on-line. He just had an interview with Denny Tedesco. He was promoting the fund raiser for "The Wrecking Crew" ... It was a good interview.  
Mike Mertes  
It's a GREAT tribute to these fine musicians ... and it deserves to be seen.  We're down to just over a week now to raise the money for The Wrecking Crew's Kickstarter campaign.  FH Reader Tom Cuddy sent us a link to an article that appeared in The New Yorker over the weekend ... and below that we've run the Kickstarter link again for any last minute donations you guys might feel inspired to make.  SO close ... I hate to see them miss it now.  Full info on the site.  (As of this morning they're still $65,000 shy of their goal ... if they don't reach that goal, they don't collect a penny.)  kk  
Click here: The Session Musicians Who Dominated Nineteen-Sixties Pop : The New Yorker 
Click here: "The Wrecking Crew" The Untold Story of Rock & Roll Heroes by Denny Tedesco — Kickstarter

More This And That

December 12, 2013, 4:33 am

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re:  THE JOEL WHITBURN / 1950's CHALLENGE:
Sounds like a couple of you are tearing out what may remain of your hair over this one!!! (Hey, I told you it wouldn't be easy!!!)  On the other hand, hopefully you're finding it challenging and fun. (As of this morning we've got a real horse race going on ... four readers are neck-and-neck to win a copy of Joel's brand new book The Billboard Best Sellers And Hot 100 Charts of the 1950's.)
You still have until 10 pm Chicago time tomorrow night to get your entries in.
We'll announce the winner on Sunday ... and run the complete set of answers early next week.  Meanwhile, get your entry in before tomorrow's deadline for YOUR chance to win a copy of this great new book!  

I'm missing 14 answers. That's not gonna be good enough. Jack  
Nope ... not with this crowd it isn't!!!  (lol)  But you've still got time to dig a little deeper ... so I say go for it!  (kk) 

Hi Kent,

I'm trying to decide if this was a cruel trick or an early Christmas present! Oh my! The synapses are burning now! What a cruel trick to offer a super 50's trivia contest at the busiest time of the year! What a terrific marketing ploy to help Joel sell his super book! 

I browsed through the questions ... what a devious mind he has! How wonderful to rekindle joyous memories from our innocent youth. I have put off doing the quiz until a quieter time after Christmas ... (then I can use his book as a reference!) and take pleasure in the discovering the answers and learning other aspects and secrets of the great era the fifties were.

Merry Christmas to you and to all the FH readers, supporters, and contributors! And to all my friends from "Music Oldies" who enjoy this wonderful chronicle of our unequaled journey towards adulthood.

Happy New Year,

CharlieOFD

re:  GARTH BROOKS:  
After wrapping up his three years residency at The Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, Garth Brooks is hitting the road again ... and in a very big way.  He has just announced a world tour, beginning in 2014.  (Guess he missed performing after all!)  I expect this to be a VERY hot ticket.  More details to come.  (kk)    

re:  THIS AND THAT:  
Revised copyright laws is making for some very interesting digital releases.  FH Reader David Beard tells us about an upcoming Brian Wilson release  
Click here: Brian Wilson's "The Big Beat 1963" - National Beach Boys | Examiner.com   
And also how these new laws have caused record labels to open the vaults and release previously unheard material by Bob Dylan and The Beatles!  Interesting stuff!  (kk)   

Kent, 
In your column today about the soundtrack album from MARY POPPINS being nominated for the Grammy Hall of Fame, I agree with you that it is somewhat hard to believe. When I first read that, I thought immediately of the New Christy Minstrels'tune out of 1965 CHIM CHIM CHEREE which was played on local top 40 radio stations. The reason I remember it real well as that one of our local DJ's would turn the record over and play the flip side, THEY GOTTA QUIT KICKIN' MY DOG AROUND. Always liked that tune over the "A" side of the record. 
Larry  
I think people tend to forget just how big the "Mary Poppins" soundtrack really was back in '65.  It held down the #1 Spot on Billboard's Albums Chart for fourteen weeks, the longest stretch of the entire year, holding even The Beatles at bay during some of that time.  
Consider this ... "Mary Poppins" was #1 for 14 weeks ... The Beatles spent a total of 24 weeks on top that year ... but that was spread out over THREE albums ... "Beatles '65" (9 weeks), "Beatles VI" (6 weeks) and "Help!" (9 weeks).  That accounts for 38 of the 52 weeks.  What other albums topped the charts in 1965?  One by Elvis ("Roustabout", #1 for a week), one by The Rolling Stones ("Out Of Our Heads", #1 for 3 weeks) and "Whipped Cream and Other Delights" by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, which held down the top spot for eight straight weeks.  (Hmm ... that sounds like an interesting album ... I wonder what the album cover looks like???)  
The remaining five weeks were filled with more movie soundtracks ... "Goldfinger" (#1 for three weeks) and "The Sound Of Music" (#1 for two weeks ... and all over the media again this past week after Carrie Underwood's "questionable" performance.)  That means that soundtrack albums occupied the top spot for 29 weeks in 1965.  (Remember, "Roustabout" and "Help!" were soundtrack albums, too!) 
As for The New Christy Minstrels, they clearly had a sense of humor.  One of my all-time favorite tracks by them is their version of "Tip-Toe Thru The Tulips", a song I first discovered on The Dr. Demento Show!  (kk)

Always interested in Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. I did not know about Thelma or Mary back then. When I heard them on the radio, I did not know a woman was in the group. Nice to know it now! 
Please subscribe me to your newsletter! 
Thanks, 
Tanna  
I'm a First Edition fan, too.  We've covered them several times over the years.  For those who'd like to catch up, may I suggest:  
Click here: Forgotten Hits: Search results for first edition

re:  CLIP OF THE WEEK:

Here's a real "feel good" video clip, just in time for the holidays ... reminds you of what they're really supposed to be all about.  Sent in by FH Reader Chuck Buell.  Thanks, Chuck!  (kk)  
Check This Out!

WestJet Christmas Miracle

CB  (which also stands for "Christmas Boy!" Ho-Ho-Ho!!) 

---

Fab Four Friday

December 13, 2013, 5:19 am

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The Beatles are all over the news again this week ... for any variety of reasons.

First and foremost is the upcoming release (on Tuesday) of "The Beatles Bootlegs", 59 tracks never before commercially released from their BBC Sessions.  (Two double CD's of legitimate recordings also exist, including a brand new release from just a few weeks ago.)

 

 

As mentioned the other day in FH, it's all part of clearing the decks in order to protect expiring copyrights due to a change in the laws that would allow this material (unreleased or not) to fall into public domain.  As such, we're going to get a wave of material that was never considered good enough to release before ... but now suddenly is!  (I will admit that there WAS a time in my life when it was important for me to own ... or at least hear ... ever note The Beatles ever put down in the recording studio ... but I've thankfully passed that stage now ... and quite honestly am I little bit surprised that The Beatles themselves would be supportive of this release as they ALWAYS prided themselves on only putting their best effort forward, locking away everything else that got them there in the vault.  I suppose after the release ... and success ... of the Anthology series ... three double CD sets that did big business several years ago ... followed by the success of their two sets of BBC Sessions ... as well as the complete re-release of their entire music catalog with enhanced sound ... they've come to realize that the public will buy virtually ANYTHING "new" by The Fab Four that they haven't heard or had access to before!)  For MY money, I don't need to hear six takes of "Misery", a best forgotten early track from their first British LP in 1963 ... the only final take is good enough for me.

The Bootleg Series is being released as digital downloads only, much like the Brian Wilson set that David Beard told us about the other day.  I'm curious as to what they're going to charge for these short little snippets.  (A quick check of iTunes this morning doesn't give us an answer to this question ... but we DID find a complete list of all 59 tracks that will make their debut next Tuesday):

Click here: Report: iTunes to release digital only compilation to counter Beatles bootlegs - National Beatles | Examiner.com

Hi Kent,

The Big Beat 1963 Beach Boys/Brian Wilson release sounds like an interesting one.  I definitely look forward to it.  I did some searching and came up with an article with a track listing for The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963.  Of course I cannot guarantee it’s authenticity, but it is very likely the actual track list since the scheduled release date of the songs is only 5 days away.  You can check it out here:  http://wogew.blogspot.com/2013/12/official-bootlegs-coming.html

Les Peterson

It was also announced this week that The Beatles will be presented with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" at The Grammys next February.  (A long overdue event if you ask me!  In fact, it's kinda disappointing to see the company they've been lumped into ... similar awards will be awarded to The Isley Brothers, Kraftwerk and Kris Kristofferson!)

Here's the full story:  Click here: VVN Music: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards to Beatles, Isley Brothers, Kris Kristofferson, Kraftwerk, More

You've probably already heard about the signed $1.00 bill with all four Beatles' signatures on it that failed to reach its minimum bid reserve on eBay a couple of weeks ago.  Then, it finally found a buyer ... but the sale fell through ... so it reportedly went back up on the auction block again ... and ultimately sold for just over $25,000!!!  It's a very rare piece of Beatles memorabilia in that it was signed BEFORE Beatlemania hit here in The States, just prior to The Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

 

 

File under:  Now THAT'S Annoying!!!

I guess it's a Good News / Bad News scenario.

The balance of The Beatles' US Album configurations are FINALLY being released in January ... the catch is they'll be coming out as a CD Box Set, meaning the eight that I've already purchased (each packaged in the original US artwork with both the mono and stereo versions on the same disc) will have to be bought AGAIN!!!  (Why do they do this?!?!?)

Ironically, noted Beatles historian Bruce Spizer and I were just talking about these the other day, wondering if, now that Apple had released the definitive upgraded versions of all of their British configuration LPs, the Capitol project had been abandoned.  Well, apparently not.  And this report (see link below) indicates that most of these releases WILL be available for individual purchase, too, for a limited time. (So maybe I'm OK after all!)  

Oddly enough, this will not be a COMPLETE collection ... albums that had the same track line-up will not be re-released in conjunction with this new set (meaning albums like "Sgt. Pepper", "The White Album", "Yellow Submarine", "Magical Mystery Tour", "Abbey Road" and "Let It Be" will NOT be part of this new collection.)  On the plus side, I can FINALLY add "Hey Jude", "Yesterday And Today" and the "A Hard Day's Night" soundtrack back into my collection.

This music is very special to me as this is the way I heard it growing up.  I know Capitol Records took a lot of flack over the years for "butchering" The Beatles' releases here in The States, but this is the way I know this music ... and it has never sounded right in its British configuration.  (Saddest news is that we won't be treated to the mono version of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", which is also the way I will always hear THAT album in my head ... I've always found the mono version to sound far superior than the stereo version.) 

Here's more from Vintage Vinyl News:

Click here: VVN Music: Preview: The U.S. Albums - Beatles

 

 

‘NYC BEATLES 50’, A SERIES OF EVENTS CELEBRATING THE BEATLES 50th ANNIVERSARY
RENOWNED ARTISTS UNITE TO COMMEMORATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEATLES’ FIRST U.S. VISIT IN 1964 – EVENTS TO BENEFIT FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY
On February 7, 1964, The Beatles touched down on U.S. soil for the first time. This coming February, New York and the NYC BEATLES 50 Committee will be hosting several celebratory events and gala concerts across the city, with proceeds benefiting Food Bank For New York City.
Special events highlighting NYC BEATLES 50 will include a star-studded concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, the gala, ‘America Celebrates the Beatles All-Star Concert’ and more. Additionally, there are all-day lineups of bands planned on Saturday and Sunday, February 8-9 throughout the city.
The 50th Anniversary Celebration highlights the number 50 throughout the series of events, with 50 bands from 50 countries having been invited to perform in New York City, and most tickets will be priced at only $50 each.
This city-wide, globally-inclusive series of events and shows to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Beatles visit to the United States is still adding artists, celebrity presenters and panelists.
For more information or to inquire about participating as a musical artist or sponsor, please contact Kathryn Musilek: km@sharkpartymedia.com.
Stay tuned for updates, artist lineup and additions to come. Tickets will go on sale shortly to coincide with the launch of the website www.NYCBeatles50.com.
Feb. 6, 2014 - “Twist & Shout: New York Celebrate The Beatles” at the Apollo Theater
Feb. 7, 2013 – “America Celebrates the Beatles, All-Star Concert”
Feb. 8, 2014 - “Across The Universe” Beatles Music Festival
Feb. 9, 2014 - “Across The Universe” Beatles Music Festival
More events to be announced: Stay tuned
ABOUT NYC BEATLES 50
Advisory Board Members:
The Family of Sid Bernstein
"Cousin Brucie" Bruce Morrow (Sirius / XM)
Dick Cavett (Legendary Television Personality)
Dennis D'Amico (I Do Music / Reviver Records)
"Little" Anthony Gourdine (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)
Bill Heckle (The Cavern Club, Liverpool)
Tommy James (Singer / Songwriter / Musician / Author)
Spanky McFarlane (Spanky & Our Gang, Mamas & Papas)
Ken Michaels (Every Little Thing Radio Show)
Marvin Scott (WPIX News Senior Correspondent)
Shannon (World-famous Beatles & Rock Artist)
Dave Winfield (former NY Yankees Hall of Fame player)
About Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City recognizes 30 years as the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs.  As the city’s hub for integrated food poverty assistance, Food Bank tackles the hunger issue on three fronts — food distribution, income support and nutrition education — all strategically guided by its research. Through its network of  community-based member programs citywide, Food Bank helps provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. Food Bank’s hands-on nutrition education program in the public schools reaches thousands of children, teens and adults. Income support services including food stamps, free tax assistance for the working poor and the Earned Income Tax Credit put millions of dollars back in the pockets of low-income New Yorkers, helping them to achieve greater dignity and independence. Learn how you can help at foodbanknyc.org.
For more information, contact
Kathryn Musilek at Shark Party Media:
km@sharkpartymedia.com

 

And, let's face it, you can't talk about The Beatles ... and New York City ... without mentioning John Lennon ... who called New York his home for the last years of his life.  Lennon was recently honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.  The ceremony coincided with the anniversary of his murder, incredibly 33 years ago.   

 

John Lennon was remembered in a moving tribute at his star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame Sunday, December 8, 2013, on the 33rd anniversary of his death. Many fans gathered at the celebration, organized by peace activist Jerry Rubin and Breakfast With the Beatles radio show host Chris Carter to commemorate John and pay homage to his music and his life. Pat Tyson has sent us her report of the event and pictures for our readers.

Full Story:

Click here: John Lennon honored at Hollywood Walk of Fame star on 33rd anniversary of death - National john lennon | Examiner.

Lennon's name is also attached to this project:

TUNES4FOOD "REDEMPTION DAY" CD FEATURING WELL KNOWN ARTISTS

TO BENEFIT FOOD BANKS IN NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

HEART, YOKO ONO, JACKSON BROWNE, MELISSA ETHERIDGE, NILS LOFGREN, LITTLE STEVEN, INDIGO GIRLS, ANI DIFRANCO, WILLIE NILE, JOE GRUSHECKY, THE VERBS AND OTHERS STEP UP FOR HUNGER CAUSE BY PROVIDING LIVE, RARE OR EXCLUSIVE TRACKS FOR CHARITY COMPILATION

HEART, Yoko Ono, Jackson Browne, Melissa Etheridge, Nils Lofgren, Little Steven and Indigo Girls are just a few of the many artists who have come together to lend a helping hand to Tunes4Food - Redemption Day, a newly released CD on Popadelic Records that will benefit three Feeding America Food Banks: Food Bank of Western New York in Buffalo, Cleveland Food Bank and Long Island Cares/The Harry Chapin Food Bank in Hauppauge, New York.

Available now on iTunes for $9.99 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tunes4food-redemption-day/id766096950?ign-mpt=uo%3D4) and eBay (in packs of 2, 3 or 10 ranging from $25 - $100 that all include free shipping and promo stickers), Tunes4Food - Redemption Day features nineteen tracks in all (see below for track listing).

Trying to answer the question, "What would John Lennon do to help feed the needy?," Bob James and a group of music students in Buffalo, New York came up with the idea for Tunes4Food and quickly organized a continuous 25-hour benefit concert on the steps of City Hall (June 2009).

"Distinct from crisis-driven benefits, this is a proactive campaign to address the growing need for help not only in these particular communities, but across our country," says campaign manager and project producer James. "Unfortunately, hunger is a growing epidemic but, with this drive, I think we can make a measurable difference."

It's been determined that for every Tunes4Food - Redemption Day CD sold, the Feeding America Food Banks can purchase approximately 40 meals.

Links to purchase the CD can be found on the Tunes4Food website at www.tunes4food.org.

To further advance the cause, winter events and local musical performances have been scheduled in the three cities of the benefiting food banks, with a spring benefit being planned for Los Angeles.

"It's amazing that a small grassroots community service music club in a Buffalo classroom has drawn together some of the biggest names in music," comments Bob James, who was recognized by Hillary Rodham Clinton in 1999 for a music campaign relating to school safety in the Buffalo area. 

"We have deep appreciation for the artists and their staff that helped build this album. We hope that the meals generated to feed those in need will be received in that spirit and we challenge musicians in other communities to adopt this idea."

As stated by Feeding America, "Hunger exists everywhere in America. It does not matter if you live in a urban, suburban or rural setting - hunger has no boundaries."

Help the cause and spread the word.

For more information, please contact Jeff Albright / The Albright Entertainment Group at rockstarpr@aol.com or Bob James / Tunes4Food at bobjames1@aol.com.

www.tunes4food.org (Tunes4Food is a 501C3 IRS recognized charity)

Follow Tunes4Food on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tunes4food.

This CD is dedicated to the songs, lives and courage of Pete Seeger and Joan Baez.

"John Lennon was quoted as saying he wanted to be remembered as a famous peacenik, and he worked tirelessly to get the anti-war message out during his lifetime. Our song, 'Dear Old America' speaks through the eyes of a young soldier in 2013 struggling with the reality of modern war and its painful effects on our world and its families. We dedicate this song to all those wounded and in need." 

With Love, Ann Wilson, HEART 

"Given the abundant planet we live on, there should be no hungry people anywhere, including America. Please support this worthy cause however you can. We can all help and solution are our collective responsibility."

Nils Lofgren, Guitarist, Songwriter & E STREET BAND Member

TUNES4FOOD / REDEMPTION DAY TRACK LISTING

1) Apathy Isn't It - VoxOne (John Lennon spoken word c/o Yoko Ono)

2) World's a Mess - The Verbs

3) Dear Old America - HEART

4) Redemption #9 - Bethany Fonda & Ana Vafai

5) Philosophy of Loss (live) - Indigo Girls

6) The Birds of St. Marks (live) - Jackson Browne

7) Book of 7 Secrets - Ana Vafai, Grace Lougen

8) Hello Birmingham - Ani DiFranco

9) Good People, Dirty Lives - Alison Pipitone

10) Hard Times In America (live) - Willie Nile

11) The Sun Is Gonna Shine Again - Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers

12) Open Up Your Eyes - Pete Mroz

13) When You Are Loved - Nils Lofgren

14) Salvation - Little Steven

15) One Guitar - Stevie Fleck & The Love Parade

16) All We Can Really Do (live) - Melissa Etheridge

17) Redemption Day - Grace Stumberg, Will McFarlane + The Local Saints

18) Red 11 - Bob James, Will McFarlane + The Local Saints

19) Sunny Side / Hard Times (Mash-Up) - The Sunnyside Players with Sara, Bethany, Ana, Taryn, Grace, Emmi, Howard & Bob

Meanwhile the fund-raising CD for The Phillipines (featuring two Beatles tracks) hit #1 on The Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart last week.  (It has since been displaced by the new Garth Brooks box set.)  Great to see that these guys can still earn a buck or two, isn't it?!?!?  (Honestly, it IS kinda funny to see The Beatles charting right along side today's hottest teen sensation, One Direction!  lol  Especially since THEIR material is now 50 years old!)  kk

The Sunday Comments ( 12 - 15 - 13 )

December 14, 2013, 8:37 pm

≫ Next: Here Are The Correct Answers to The Joel Whitburn / Record Research / Forgotten Hits / Billboard Hits of the '50's Trivia Challenge (whew!!!)

≪ Previous: Fab Four Friday

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A short but sweet Sunday Comments this week ...  

Had a rush of late answers that came in Friday night just ahead of the 10:00 deadline for our Joel Whitburn / Record Research / Forgotten Hits 1950's Trivia Challenge ... so I've been "grading papers" all day long!  Meanwhile, without further adieu ...

re:  WE'VE GOT A WINNER!:

Congratulations to Ron Smith (right here in Chicago ... and curator / proprietor of the OldiesMusic.com website ... so he knows of what he speaks!)  He is our grand prize winner in the Joel Whitburn / Forgotten Hits 1950's Trivia Challenge Contest.  As such, he wins a copy of Joel's new book "Billboard Best Sellers and Hot 100 Charts of the 1950's.

We'll run the complete set of answers next week in Forgotten Hits.  Meanwhile, for those of you interested in picking up your own copy of Joel's new book, you can do so here:

Click here: Billboard Best Sellers & Hot 100 Charts: 1950s | Joel Whitburn's Record Research  
And don't miss THIS one ... for the first time, Joel will be publishing The Cash Box Charts (this is the one that I'VE been waiting for!!!)  Pre-Orders are being accepted right now with an expected ship date of February of next year.  This book will complete The Pop Music Trilogy of Chart Research for the Rock Era ... Joel's Billboard and Record World chart books are considered the music industry bibles so you'll be sure to want to complete your collection!  
Click here: Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996 | Joel Whitburn's Record Research   
Congratulations again to Ron ... on a job VERY well done.  (When all was said and done, we had nine neck-and-neck competitors trying to win this one ... with a MAJOR rush of entries right at the end from some folks who devoted some SERIOUS research to this project!  I wish we had NINE books to give away ... but we don't ... so thank you all again very much for your concentrated effort.) 
And thanks to everyone who played along ... hopefully you found it both fun AND challenging.  And VERY special thanks again to Joel Whitburn for his generous donation.  (kk)  

Wow, Kent, that was fun, "educational"  -- and verrrrry hard.Below is my best shot at the answers.Thanks to both you and Joel for such a tough but engaging  "assignment."And congratulations on starting your 15th year. 
Best,
Don Effenberger 

Kent, my attempt is attached.   
Lots of frustration with this one, but also lots of fun. 
Mike Ogilvie  
Mississauga, ON.  

OK Kent, 
It took some doing, but I've got 50 answers. Whether or not they are all correct, is a different story. 
I gotta tell you though, if I would put this much effort into other aspects of my life, as I did this quiz, I'd be in good shape.  
Jack  

Kent, 
Here's my entry for the Whitburn '50s quiz (think I nailed them all).  
Randy 

You came close.  In fact, ALL of the finalists came close ... SO close, in fact, that I had to break down some of the answers into partial points to separate the pack.  I even did an over-the-phone consult with Joel Whitburn about a couple of answers that didn't match what he had given me as a guide ... but still may have, in fact, been valid considerations.  Taking ALL of these points into consideration is how we ultimately came up with our winner.  (kk)

Kent, 
Wow, this was so,much fun! 
I submitted a guess for every question. Admittedly a few were "educated guesses" because I don't have access to the Billboard charts from the 50s. 
So, yes, for me this was a BIG challenge! 
I do have access to the Cash Box charts so most of my "educated guesses" were based on those. I'm hoping the charts were close enough to enable me to make most of my guesses correct. 
If I win I will provide my snail mail address. (I feel that to do so now would be presumptuous and might bring me bad luck)! 
Thanks to you and Joel for this! 
Okay ... here's my contest entry.  
Ronnie Allen

re:  THE BUCKINGHAMS:

Wow!  Who knew The Buckinghams were THIS popular over in The Philippines?!?!?  Check out these Billboard World Charts from 1967, sent in by FH Reader Clark Besch.  Chicago's Buckinghams has as many as three Top Ten Records at the same time over there in the islands!  (Looks like The Monkees were pretty popular too!) 

Clark sent in this note (and chart photos) after reading our comment last week about Al Kooper giving The Bucks a shout out in his weekly "New Music For Old People" column.  (kk)

>>>And, speaking of The Buckinghams, our FH Buddy Al Kooper gave them a shout-out in this week's "New Music For Old People" column ... dedicated to great Beatles covers recorded over the years.  (He singled out their version of "I'll Be Back" from their "Time And Charges" album.)  

For Al and Kent and the rest, 

The Buckinghams were huge in the Philippines in 67 and 68.  I thought I'd enclose just how big they were, and in particular, the Bucks' version of "I'll Be Back"!!!  It debuted in their top 10 in Billboard's "Hits of the World" (Hey Joel Whitburn, how about doing a book on these?) on 11/4/67 at #10 just as "Don't You Care" rose to #1.  Obviously, from these charts, Monkeemania is in full swing, yet the Bucks really hold the top better in this country.  After a slow climb to #1, the Beatles cover finally reaches #1 at Christmastime, just as THREE Bucks 45s are in the top 10 now!  Two weeks later, they hold 3 in the top 7!  I think "I'll Be Back" held #1 for 9 weeks in a row, if I remember right.  I did these jpegs years ago.  Finally, after 26 weeks in the Philippines top 10, it's last week was 4/27/68, while "Susan" is moving up!    That's NOT half a year in the Philippines Top 100, but 26 weeks in the TOP 10!!!  How do you sell that many 45s in a country of 7100 islands totaling (in 1967) 32 million people (3.1 in Manilla)?  That's what I call blanketing a country!! 

Clark

I had absolutely NO idea The Buckinghams were that popular over there.  (Incredibly, I remember seeing a chart many years ago where The New Colony Six had the #1 Record in Hawaii with "Long Time To Be Alone", one of my all-time favorites by them, that barely made a dent on the charts anywhere else.  In fact, the record did so well, it earned the group a trip to Hawaii for live performances!)  kk

re:  THE ORLONS:  
>>>Steve Caldwell (the "one man" mentioned in your email) has participated with Forgotten Hits a few times over the years ... maybe he can provide some additional insight into your question.  Several years ago, he resurrected The Orlons and began performing again around the Philadelphia area.  As far as I know they are still performing assorted gigs.  (Maybe he'll see this and let us know how he's doing.  Would love to hear from him again!)  kk

Hey Kent ...
I was reading the Newsletter today,and there was a letter about Stephen Caldwell and The Orlons. Stephen and The Orlons are doing well, playing shows pretty consistently. I've seen a lot of Steve over the past few months. He was backstage at our show in Collingswood with Dennis Tufano, Mark Lindsay, Ron Dante and Lou Christie. 
I thought I would attach a poster for an upcoming show we are doing with The Orlons! Maybe some of the FH Readers will make a road trip to attend. It's gonna be a blast!! 
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords

Still hoping that we'll hear from Steve ... I told him that Forgotten Hits is a GREAT place to stay in touch with your fans as well as promote upcoming appearances and special events.  Thanks, Mitch!  (kk)

 
And, I no sooner opened Mitch's email than I received this one from FH Reader (and dee jay) Gerri Bender! 

Hi Kent!  
I am sure that Mitch Schecter has let you know that The Rip Chords and The Orlons (with Stephen Caldwell) will be performing a show at the Sellersville Theatre, in Sellersville, PA, on Saturday, March 22, 2014. Tickets went on sale December 10th! Had to chime in as it was your "introduction" of Mitch and I several years ago (when I won three Mitch Schecter solo Cds, that are awesome, by the way) that has led to a beautiful friendship! 
Happy Holidays to you and the family! Keep up the good work! 
Gerri Bender 
Gerri's Place - Sunday Evenings 7-10 PM EST WRDV-FM  
www.wrdv.org  
Hey, if any of our readers make it out to this show, please report back to us ... we'd love to hear all about it!  (kk)  

re:  DIGGIN' FORGOTTEN HITS:  
Got this from a brand-new FH subscriber ... 

Thanks for including me in the mix.  
I see some of my “old” and current friend’s names and their comments here.  
Your research is stellar ... if awards for the best info on the music of the  50’s are ever awarded, you’ll be in the limelight.  
Regards,  
George Buetow 
Founding member - The Missing Links  
P.S.  BTW, the first 45 I purchased was “Rockin’ Robin” by Bobby Day.  
We had a 20 record Seeburg Jukebox in the basement of our home and stacks of 78’s.  
Wish I still had them. 
George  
Thanks, George ... I think you're gonna like it here. 
A brand new Google stat shows me how many first-time visitors discovered our website last week ... 1792 ... wow!  Pretty impressive (since I didn't do ANYTHING new in the way of advertising or promoting!!!)  That just means word of mouth continues to be good  (which means I guess I'll keep it going for another week or two ... or sixty!!!)  Shows you yet again the HUNGER out there for "oldies" ... no matter WHAT those knuckleheads programming radio today may tell you.  Thanks, folks!  (kk)

Here Are The Correct Answers to The Joel Whitburn / Record Research / Forgotten Hits / Billboard Hits of the '50's Trivia Challenge (whew!!!)

December 16, 2013, 4:00 am

≫ Next: THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME CLASS of 2014

≪ Previous: The Sunday Comments ( 12 - 15 - 13 )

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Hereare the final answers to all of the trivia questions posted last week in our Joel Whitburn / Record Research / Forgotten Hits 1950's Billboard Charts Trivia Challenge!!!  (Whew!!!)

As mentioned on Sunday, Joel and I had a lengthy conversation to clarify some of the "gray" areas in the contest ... and I can emphatically state that after a meeting of the minds, we decided in favor of the contestants in every case.  (In fact, as you'll see below, we even awarded Bonus Points for some of these answers that went above and beyond the original intent of the contest.)  Because of this, I was able to score half-points ... and, in one case, a FULL point ... for answers of greater depth than what we were seeking.

 

Did it make a difference in the outcome?  I'll say!!!  In fact, when all was said and done, the top four winners were all separated by half-a-point each!!!  (Now THAT'S a contest!!!)

 

For the benefit of anyone out there still wondering, here are the answers we were looking for ... along with a few of the "surprise" answers we received.  Thanks again to everybody who played along.  And congratulations one more time to winner Ron Smith ... great job!

1.  What movie theme had two versions holding down the #1 and #2 spots for seven consecutive weeks in 1950?

"The Third Man Theme", a hit for both Anton Karas and Guy Lombardo

 

2.  Matty Matlock’s All-Stars backed this duo on their two-sided smash record – the two sides switched back and forth, holding down the #3 and #4 spots for ten consecutive weeks in 1950!  Name the two titles.

"Play A Simple Melody" and "Sam's Song" ... by Gary Crosby and Friend (who just happened to be his dad, Bing Crosby!)

 

3.  “The Duckworth Chant” is the sub-title of this army marching cadence song that peaked at #4 in 1951.

Name that tune. 

"Sound Off (The Duckworth Chant)" by Vaughn Monroe

 

4.  In the summer of 1951 (June - August) six girl’s names were featured in titles on the charts.  Name at least four of the six.

Although some contestants did, you did not have to name all six ... Joel was only looking for four.

The complete list includes Jezebel, Josephine, Laura, Belle, Rose and Maggie

 

5.  Les Paul and Mary Ford said “The World Is Waiting For” what in September of 1951 hit?

The Sunrise

 

6.  This male vocalist held the #1 position for 14 consecutive weeks with back-to-back hits in 1951.  Name the singer and the two titles.

None other than the incomparable Tony Bennett, still going strong some 62 years later!!!

The titles of his back-to-back #1 Hits were "Because Of You" and "Cold, Cold Heart".

 

7.  On the January 12 & 19, 1952 charts, Johnnie Ray had the #1 and #2 songs with “Cry” and “The Little White Cloud That Cried”.  What vocal group did the backing on both songs?

The Four Lads

 

8.  This male vocalist had a string of 40 Hot 100 & Bubbling Under hits from 1959 - 1978 ... however, his   only #1 hit was back in 1952.  Name the artist and the #1 hit.

Al Martino - "Here In My Heart"

 

9.  The first issue of Billboard in 1950 featured a #1 Christmas song: “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Gene Autry.  Name the other two Christmas songs that hit #1 during the '50s decade.

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" by Jimmy Boyd and "The Chipmunk Song" by The Chipmunks

 

10.  From 1948 - 1950, Jo Stafford had ten hits with her duo partner, Gordon MacRae.  From 1951 - 52, she had five “Best Selling” hits with what other duo partner?

Frankie Laine

 

11.  On the May 16, 1953 “Best Selling” chart, this famous actor / comedian had a two-sided hit, one at #10 and the other at #15.  Name the actor and the two similar sounding song titles.

Red Buttons - "The Ho Ho Song" and "Strange Things Are Happening (Ho Ho, Hee Hee, Ha Ha)"

 

12.  A cabaret in Paris and a European country were the subjects of the #1 and #2 songs for three consecutive weeks in 1953.   Name these two song titles. 

"Song From Moulin Rouge" and "April In Portugal"

 

13.  This #6 hit in 1953 was written by a legendary movie actor for a movie that he directed and starred in.  Name this actor and the song title.

The actor was none other than Charlie Chaplin and the song was "(Terry's Theme from) Limelight", a hit for Frank Chacksfield

 

14.  On consecutive weeks in 1952, foreign language words were used in these #1 hits:  “Delicado” and “Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart”.  Name four more #1 hits of the '50s that had foreign language words in the titles.  Novelty titles such as “Hot Diggity”, “Hoop-Dee-Doo”, “Sh-Boom”, “Yakety Yak” and dances such as “Bolero” and “Tango” do not count.

Here's the first question where we gave some liberal leeway.  The four answers that Joel Whitburn was looking for were "Vaya Con Dios", "Lisbon Antigua", "Tequila" and "Volare".  However we received some other answers that we awarded half-a-point for, provided the contestant had at least three other correct answers on their list.  While Joel was specific about novelty titles and dances not counting, he was NOT specific about the foreign title being in parentheses or being used as a sub-title.  As such, we ultimately also allowed "Oh My Pa-Pa (O Mein Papa" by Eddie Fisher and "The Three Bells (Les Trios Cloches)" by The Browns.  The #1 Hit "Volare" was shown BOTH ways on the title, with "Volare" as both the main title and also the sub-title, depending on what pressing you happened to buy.  (My copy showed the title as "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu".)  Other titles that were submitted but ultimately not allowed the half-point were "Mona Lisa" and "Song From Moulin Rouge" (which appeared on several ballots).

 

15.  What #1 novelty hit in 1953 was a parody of one of the year’s top rated TV shows?

"St. George and the Dragonet" by Stan Freberg, an ode to the hit television series "Dragnet"

 

16.  Which two Canadian vocal groups had a combined total of thirteen top 20 “Best Sellers” hits in the '50s?   

We also granted a little bit of leniency on this one.  The CORRECT answer is The Crew Cuts and The Diamonds ... but several others mentioned The Four Lads.  Doing the math (and counting the Best Sellers Chart only, as specified in the question), I came up with ten hits for The Crew Cuts, four for The Diamonds and five for The Four Lads, no combination of which adds up to thirteen.  As such, we awarded half-a-point for The Four Lads provided you had The Crew Cuts listed as the other act.  (Songs that The Four Lads performed on ... but not as the featured artist ... were not counted.)

 

17.  This 19-year-old singer had her only chart hit rocket up the charts to #1 after being featured six times on a CBS-TV production in 1954.  Name the singer and the song title.

We've told this story several times over the years in Forgotten Hits.  The correct answer is Joan Weber and her #1 Hit was "Let Me Go, Lover".

 

18.  This TV series produced a song that had three versions within the top 10 for nine consecutive weeks in 1955.  Name the song and the three artists. 

We accepted both the TV Series Name and the song title on this one, as long as you got all three artists right.  It's "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett", a Top Ten Hit for Bill Hayes, Fess Parker and Tennessee Ernie Ford.

 

19.  What song released on May 10, 1954, finally debuted on the “Best Sellers” chart on May 14, 1955?

"Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and the Coments.  Incredibly, it took a year ... and inclusion in a movie ... to make this one a hit!

 

20.  What ‘part of a flower’ word was used in two song titles that were together in the top 10 “Best Sellers” chart for twelve consecutive weeks during the summer of 1955?

Blossom:  "A Blossom Fell" by Nat "King" Cole and "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" by Perez Prado.

 

21.  On November 12, 1955 these song titles at #8 & #9 make up a perfectly logical sentence when read  together.  Name these two ‘cover’ songs (R&B songs covered by pop artists).

"I Hear You Knocking" / "At My Front Door" by Gale Storm and Pat Boone respectively

 

22.  What song that hit #6 on January 14, 1956 would become the theme song for a TV series beginning in 1987?

"Love And Marriage" by Frank Sinatra ... used thirty years later as the theme to the hit comedy series "Married ... With Children".

 

23.  Name the two blockbuster movies that both produced multiple hit versions of their theme songs during the Spring of 1956.

"Picnic" and "The Man With The Golden Arm"

We received several entries that listed "Moonglow" (which was FROM the movie "Picnic", and issued as a medley with the title track) and "Theme from 'A Three Penny Opera'", a hit for several artists (and ultimately recorded as "Mack The Knife" by Bobby Darin), which wasn't a movie timely to the date specified in the question.

 

24.  What do these three R&B groups have in common with their recordings in the Spring of 1955:  The Jewels, Gene and Eunice, and The Moonglows?

Their original recordings were all covered by white artists, who went on to have Top Ten Hit versions with these songs ... while the R&B originals made virtually no pop chart impression at all.

The songs and artists in question?

"Hearts Of Stone", a hit for The Fontane Sisters, "Ko Ko Mo", a hit for Perry Como and "Sincerely", a hit for The McGuire Sisters.

 

25.  What consecutive numbers (between 1 and 20) were in two song titles that were on the “Best Sellers”  chart on November 12, 1955? 

Sixteen and Seventeen ...

"Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford and "Seventeen" by The Fontane Sisters

 

26.  What artist captured the “Best Sellers in Stores” #1 spot for 16 consecutive weeks in 1956?

That would be The King of Rock And Roll, Elvis Presley ... who scored back-to-back-to-back #1 Hits with "Hound Dog", "Don't Be Cruel" and "Love Me Tender".

 

27.  Name the only two songs with the word “Rain” in the title that made the top 10 of the “Best Sellers” charts from 1955 - 1959.  [“Train” does not count]

"Just Walking In The Rain" by Johnnie Ray and "Rainbow" by Russ Hamilton

 

28.  What popular candy bar was a top 10 hit late in 1956?

Baby Ruth (as in "A Rose And A Baby Ruth") by George Hamilton IV

 

29.  In February of 1957 which two colors charted side-by-side?  Actually, two of the same color peaked at # 9 & #10 and a different color at #11.

Blue and Green ... "Blue Monday" by Fats Domino (#9) and "The Green Door" by Jim Lowe (#10) ... with "Blueberry Hill" by Fats Domino at #11.

 

30.  What folk song, featuring an original version and an alternate version, peaked side-by-side in 1957 at #6 and #7?

We received a variety of answers to this one ... but the CORRECT answer was "The Banana Boat Song", a hit for both Harry Belafonte (in its original, traditional version) and The Tarriers (who incorporated a little bit of "Hill And Gully Rider", another Jamaican folk song, into their arrangement.)  We awarded a half-point bonus for that complete answer, even though it wasn't asked for.  Other multiple versions of folk songs may have qualified ... but NOT with the distinction of different arrangements.

 

31.  Name the black songwriter that wrote two of Elvis Presley’s biggest chart hits of the '50s.

Otis Blackwell:  "Don't Be Cruel" and "All Shook Up"

 

32.  In May of 1957 there were three songs that had multiple hit versions in the Top 25 “Best Sellers’ Chart:  “Party Doll”, “Butterfly” and what other one? 

It was this question that prompted the only FULL Bonus Point awarded.  The answer we were looking for was "Dark Moon" by Bonnie Guitar and Gale Storm.  However, further research proved that "I'm Walkin'" by Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson ALSO qualified ... so the two readers who pointed out this fact were each awarded a full bonus point (provided they also listed "Dark Moon" on their entry form).

 

33.  Put these Rock And Roll Hall of Fame legends in chronological order by debut date on the “Best Sellers” chart:  1. Jerry Lee Lewis  2. Little Richard  3. Chuck Berry  4. Fats Domino

Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis

 

34.  Put these #1 “Best Sellers” one-word titles from 1957 in chronological order by debut date:  “Honeycomb” / “Diana” / “Tammy”.

As it turns out, "Tammy" and "Diana" both premiered on the same chart ... an oversight on our part.  (This was not the case on ALL of the charts ... but it WAS the case on Billboard's Best Sellers Chart.)  As such, we accepted BOTH answers as long as the contestant listed "Honeycomb" third.  "Tammy" premiered higher on the chart than "Diana" did ... but that did NOT hold any weight in our decision.

 

35.  On the January 6, 1958 “Best Sellers” Top 50 chart, the #1 and the #50 hits had very similar titles with a theme that could read as a sentence when put together.  Name these polar opposite titles.

"At The Hop" and "Dance The Bop" by Danny and the Juniors and Gene Vincent respectively.  Ironically, the #1 Hit "At The Hop" originally started out as "Do The Bop" when first written by John Madara and David White.  John Madara told our Forgotten Hits readers that story several years ago.  It was Dick Clark who suggested the title change, stating that "the bop" was on its way out ... and all the kids were going to "the hop" these days.  They changed the title and a few of the lyrics and soon had the #1 Hit in the Nation!

 

36.  In January of 1958, no less than eleven girls names were featured in “Best Sellers” titles.  Not counting these five: “Bony Moronie”, “Ivy Rose”, “Little Sandy Sleighfoot”, “Honeycomb” or “Wake Up Little Susie”, name the other six.

You had to get all six names correct in order to earn a point for this question.  Most of you did:

"Peggy Sue" by Buddy Holly, "Tammy" by Debbie Reynolds", "Oh Julie" by The Crescendoes, "Henrietta" by Jimmy Dee, "Jo-Ann" by The Playmates and "De-De Dinah" by Frankie Avalon.

 

37.  “Silhouettes” was a popular word on the February 3, 1958 “Best Sellers” chart.  In fact, it came up twice in the Top 20 at the same time.  One was a title of a song and the other was the name of the group.  Name both the artist and the title for the two entries.

"Silhouettes" by The Rays ... and "Get A Job" by The Silhouettes

 

38.   The March 10, 1958 “Best Sellers” chart featured a polka and a march.  Besides those, what two teen dances were in the Top 20 that week?

"The Walk" (Jimmy McCracklin) and "The Stroll" (The Diamonds)

 

39.  What song in the summer of 1958 was named after a highly sought after prize at county and state fairs?

"Kewpie Doll" by Perry Como.  Four people submitted "Blue Ribbon Baby" by Tommy Sands, which was NOT the song we were looking for ... but a VERY clever answer.  We almost allowed it at half a point ... but since Joel had previously defined "summer" as "June, July and August" ... and Tommy's record didn't appear until the September 1st chart, we stuck to our original guns on this one.

 

40.  The “Hot 100” chart debuted on August 4, 1958.  Not counting The Coasters, who are the only two artists still alive from the top 10 of that first chart? 

The correct answers were Duane Eddy and Jack Scott ... but we got a WIDE assortment of answers.  Records on that first Hot 100 Charts could be found by The Everly Brothers, Johnny Mathis, Connie Francis, Frankie Avalon, Jerry Butler, Dion, Tony Bennett and more ... but Joel's question SPECIFICALLY says "The Top Ten" ... and that's what narrowed down the field on this one.

 

41.  What chart feature, still used today, was introduced on the second “Hot 100” chart? 

The Star Performer (better known as "the bullet".)  I asked Joel if he knew for certain when the catch-phrase "the bullet" came into play, as it seems it's been referred to that way forever.  He told me that "the bullet" actually originated in Cash Box Magazine ... sometime between late 1959 and early 1961.  (He was going to check for a more specific date).  And, since it was technically a Cash Box term, Billboard never referred to it that way.  It became, instead, an industry standard ... referring on all three major national trade charts to the records showing the greatest upward movement from one chart to the next.  Sort of an "generic" industry term, if you will.

 

42.  What was the very first Star Performer on that second “Hot 100” chart? 

Another area of controversy surrounded this question.  What Joel was looking for (but not clearly stated in his question) was the highest charting "Star Performer" record on this chart, which would have been "Volare", sitting at #2, a jump of 52 points from the previous week's showing of #54.  However, there were actually FIFTEEN records awarded "Star Performer" status that week.  Since MOST of you got it right anyway, I was just going to let it go at that ... until I received two entries that mentioned "Are You Really Mine" by Jimmie Rodgers. Albeit much lower down on the chart, THIS record had the biggest single jump of the week ... from #93 to #26, a 67-point leap ... so I thought that THIS could potentially be a correct answer as well.  As such, I gave a half-point to the two folks who selected this as their answer.

 

43.  The first “Hot 100” chart was occupied primarily by male vocalists.  Only seven female solo vocalists made the tally: Peggy Lee, Patti Page, Doris Day, Eydie Gorme, Toni Arden, Connie Francis and Kitty Wells.  Which one had two entries on that first chart?

Eydie Gorme:  "You Need Hands" and "Gotta Have Rain"

 

44.  What dog and bird exchanged places at the #2 & 3 spots on the “Hot 100” in October 1958?

"Bird Dog" (by The Everly Brothers) and "Rock-in Robin" (by Bobby Day)

 

45.  In addition to the dog and bird and the “Pussy Cat”, what two summertime bugs had places on that “Hot 100” chart?

"Firefly" by Tony Bennett and "The Green Mosquito" by The Tune Rockers.  (FH Reader Mike Ogilvie points out that another song on the chart that week was titled "How The Time FLIES" ... lol!  Clever ... but no soup for you!)

 

46.  The December, 1958 charts saw four different wedding songs make their entrance.  Not counting “The Wedding” by June Valli, name the other three songs with wedding in the title.

"The Big Bopper's Wedding" by The Big Bopper ... which FH Reader Jack Levin tells us was played at his own wedding, TWO versions of "A House, A Car And A Wedding Ring" (by Dale Hawkins and Mike Preston) and "The Hawaiian Wedding Song" by Andy Williams (one of my all-time favorites!)

 

47.  What revolutionary music industry sound development was given notice for the first time on the May 18, 1959 “Hot 100” chart?

For the first time, it was noted if a Stereo Single was available for that title.  Joel tells us these original stereo single are now quite collectible (and fetching big bucks).  Amazing, because MOST people at the time didn't have the proper hardware to play them!

 

48.  What other chart enhancement appeared on that same chart for the first time ever?

An A - Z listing of all of the song titles.  Amazing ... something that seems like it has ALWAYS been there ... but this is where it started!

 

49.  Bobby Darin’s “Mack The Knife” held the #1 spot for nine weeks late in 1959.  However, those were not consecutive weeks at #1.  What song interrupted his string between the 6^th& 7^th weeks?

"Mr. Blue" by The Fleetwoods

 

50.  The very last “Hot 100” chart of the '50’s decade saw the debut of what song that has recently been a part of TV history?

The correct answer was "The Sound Of Music", a hit for Patti Page, which received some horrendous reviews after Carrie Underwood resurrected the musical for a live performance on NBC a couple of weeks ago.  (Guess you could say critics took a Louisville slugger to her career over this one!)  Also premiering on the charts that week were "Do-Re-Mi" by Anita Bryant (as well as Mitch Miller) and "Climb Every Mountain" by Tony Bennett, both of which came from the same score.  I gave half a point if you mentioned either of these titles as it was an obvious tie-in to what we were looking for.  Ironically, Joel was originally going to ask for all three titles in his question but decided at the last minute to zero in on the title track.

 

And there you have it ... for those of you scoring at home, how'd you do???  I can honestly say that the nine folks who became qualifying finalists did a bang-up job ... and are probably kicking themselves now over a couple of little things that, even at half-a-point each, add up to the difference between winning and losing.  I know you all spent a lot of time on this (so did we!!!  lol) and I really appreciate it.

 

That being said, we heard from a couple of non-winners (aka "whiners") who felt the contest wasn't fair to anyone who didn't have access to the Billboard Charts.  My response to that is simple ...

 

If you don't have access to the 1950's Billboard Charts, then this book is a GREAT place to start!!!  And, you can add it to your collection via the link below for just $79.95 (plus shipping and handling)

Click here: Billboard Best Sellers & Hot 100 Charts: 1950s | Joel Whitburn's Record Research

It's packed with fascinating information from cover to cover ... and gives you a COMPLETE overview of what was happening musically on the charts back in the '50's. You'll see the whole decade evolve and unfold right before your very eyes.  HIGHLY recommended ... as are ALL of the books in The Record Research Series.

 

Speaking of which, Joel is telling us that his "Cash Box" book is actually running a little AHEAD of schedule!!!  This volume has been highly-anticipated for YEARS ... and we can't wait to get our hands on a copy to complete the "trilogy" of chart bibles covering the rock and roll era.  It, too, is available now through Joel's website for pre-order.  Don't be caught short ... order your copy today!

Click here: Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996 | Joel Whitburn's Record Research

THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME CLASS of 2014

December 17, 2013, 4:31 am

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Next year's inductees have just been announced ... and, for a change, it's a pretty stellar line-up.  In fact, this may be the first time in 10 or 12 years that I completely agree with all of their selections.  (As mentioned months ago in FH, the fact that so few new artists became eligible this year, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame had the opportunity to dip back a little bit and finally recognize some of the long-overdue talent they had snubbed in the past.)  In fact, the ONLY "newbie" on the list is Nirvana, inducted in their first year of eligibility.  Also making the cut in this year's balloting are Peter Gabriel, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Kiss, Linda Ronstadt and Cat Stevens.  

In addition Beatles manager Brian Epstein and Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham will ALSO be honored in the non-performer category, receiving the Ahmet Ertegun Award.  (This has got to be GREAT news for Bob Rush, U.S. Correspondent to "The Beat" ... Bob's been pushing to get a petition circulated to get Brian Epstein's name on the ballot ... and recently interviewed Andrew Loog Oldham for "The Beat"!!!)  

The induction ceremony will take place on April 10, 2014, at Brooklyn's Barclays Center ... and, for the very first time (in New York City), the general public will be able to attend the ceremony.  (It was previously held at the Waldorf Astoria Ballroom in New York ... and then moved to larger venues in Cleveland and Los Angeles.)  The fact that the ceremony is now being held in a large arena makes this the biggest ceremony event ever in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's history.  As usual, HBO will air a recap of the event in May.  Tickets will go on sale in January.  

The recognition of Linda Ronstadt and Hall and Oates is LONG overdue ... both artists have long figured prominently on our "Deserving And Denied" List of artists overlooked by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  Unfortunately, Linda is saying that she may not be able to attend the ceremony.  After announcing earlier this year that she is battling Parkinson's Disease (and unable to sing), Linda told Rolling Stone Magazine "My health is not great right now.  It's most likely I that I won't be able to make it to New York in April. Travel is very difficult for me."  

Rolling Stone Magazine also reports that Hall and Oates are very gratified by this honor. "It was a bit of a surprise to me," Daryl Hall said.  "I've always been sort of on the other side of the fence with the old guard and the powers that be ... this whole new generation of people are looking at me and John in a different way."  

Cat Stevens may seem to be a bit of a surprising choice, given the fact that his music wasn't really "rock and roll" by traditional definition.  He also alienated a lot of fans (and critics) several years ago when he changed his name to Yusuf Islam and converted over to the Muslim faith.  However there's no denying his impact on the music scene during his peak years of 1971 - 1974 ... he was literally EVERYWHERE.  (One of my all-time favorite "cult movies" is "Harold And Maude" ... and Stevens provides the entire soundtrack to this film from start to finish.)  Although The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame insists it is not in any influenced by record sales, Stevens racked up quite a few of those, too!  

Kiss FINALLY makes the ballot.  (The Rock Hall acknowledged that it has received THOUSANDS of letters from Kiss fans demanding their induction!)  And Nirvana, as expected, gets inducted on their very first ballot.  This will be the second induction for Peter Gabriel ... he was previously enshrined in 2010 as part of Genesis.  Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band will also get a special nod of recognition when they are presented with "The Award For Musical Excellence."  (Betcha they figure pretty dominantly in the jam session that closes the ceremony!)  

All-in-all, some pretty happy news to report (for a change!) in Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Land.  Congratulations to all the winners!  
kk 

Kent Kotal 

Forgotten Hits

Gimme Back My Bullets!

December 18, 2013, 3:51 am

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File under:  DIDJAKNOW?  

The other day the subject of "the bullet" came up in conjunction with our Joel Whitburn 1950's Chart Challenge ... and I was curious as to when and how this designation first began.  (Joel referenced the second Hot 100 Chart in one of his questions, which listed ... for the very first time ... the fifteen biggest movers and/or highest premiers on the chart that week, highlighted on the charts as such.  At the time, these records were referred to as the "Star Performers" ... the term "bullet" didn't exist yet ... so I wondered when the "catch phrase" terminology first took place ... at what point did they stop referring to this special recognition as a "Star Performer" and start calling these records "climbing the charts with a bullet".  And, I was QUITE surprised when Joel pointed out that the term "bullet" actually originated in Cash Box Magazine sometime between late 1959 and early 1961.)  And, once they did, apparently this designation of significant upward movement or a strong increase in sales and/or airplay became "generically" known as "the bullet" in conjunction with all three major music trade publications:  Billboard, Cash Box and Record World.   

I was surprised to learn this as I always thought this was a Billboard creation ... and wanted to share this with our readers.  Chart guru Randy Price sent us this article (from the book "Record Makers And Breakers:  Voices Of The Independent Rock 'n' Roll Pioneers", written by John Broven, that relates the origin of the "bullet." It was first applied to the Cash Box Top 100 chart dated Feb. 28, 1959.

The bullet in question in Joel's trivia quiz pertained to the Domenico Modugno hit "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)", which leaped from #54 all the way to #2 in its second week on the chart.  A week later it rose to #1, where it would stay for five of the next six weeks.  (It was interrupted for a week by "Little Star" by The Elegants ... but then returned to the top spot a week later.)  



It was about as unlikely a #1 Hit as could be in 1958 ... rock and roll was in full swing but this little "import" from Italy dominated the airwaves.  Sure, there were successful cover versions ... most notably by Bobby Rydell and Dean Martin ... but it was Domenico Modugno's version ... sung completely in Italian! ... that managed to top the charts.

Perhaps the most famous Billboard Bullet Event occurred on their survey dated November 22, 1975, when Pete Wingfield's only hit record, "Eighteen With A Bullet", reached #18 on Billboard's Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart ... WITH a bullet!  (It eventually peaked at #15.)

And since we're talking bullets here, how about a couple more long-forgotten hits from the '70's.  

First up "White Lies, Blue Eyes"  by Bullet, a #28 Hit in 1972 ... and this lost gem by 10cc, "Rubber Bullets", their first chart hit under their new name in 1973.

Larry Lujack 1940 - 2013

December 19, 2013, 4:58 am

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I first got the news a few minutes before ten o'clock last night ... we had lost a radio legend ... Superjock Larry Lujack had died.

 

Lujack revolutionized radio ... his impact could be heard over the next few decades as jocks became more out-spoken ... his dry wit and deep, baritone delivery delighted millions of listeners here in Chicago for decades as he bounced back and forth between WCFL and WLS, the two AM Top 40 Powerhouse Radio Stations in town.  The station that had Lujack on board held the edge every time.

 

He first landed in Chicago (by way of Idaho) as the overnight jock at WCFL in April of 1967.  He was known as the crazy new guy who liked to broadcast his show with all the lights turned off in the studio.  He was somewhat manic ... and listeners wondered if he was a lunatic or a genius.  (Turns out he was probably a little of both!)

 

WLS felt Lujack's talents were being wasted during the hours when virtually nobody was listening ... and lured him over to The Big 89 just four months later.  He was first installed as the afternoon drive jock before moving to mornings.  He was an immediate hit.  He would often take on both management and the listeners on the air, developing regular features like the "Klunk Letter Of The Day" and "The Cheap Trashy Show-Biz Report" and the IMMENSLEY popular "Animal Stories".

 

Lujack wrote (by his own admission) a God-Awful book called "Superjock", the name given to him by the media as he became the highest paid disc jockey in America.  (There was a lot of fuss at the time that "some disc jockey in Chicago" was making more money than The President Of The United States ... and Lujack would often shut down a listener who perhaps disagreed with him by offering to compare W2 forms at the end of the year.)  He even released a God-Awful single called "The Diary Of A Mad Streaker", which went absolutely nowhere ... and deservedly so.  His "Addresses To The Nation" were both hysterical and on point ... he was the consummate radio entertainer.

 

Yes, he played the hits ... he even did WCFL's Top 40 Countdown Show when he returned to the station in 1972 ... but he didn't really have much affection for the current hits of the day ... especially having to play them in such heavy, repeat rotation ... and often said so on the air.  When he was OFF the air, he preferred country music ... or the early '50's rock and roll which he was bred on ... the launch of Real Oldies really was the perfect fit for Lujack's M.O. ... and Ron Smith tells us that Larry would often call him at night, telling him that "you've got to add THIS record" to the computer the next day ... which he would then sometimes play two or three times in a row!

 

The Animal Stories teaming with Tommy Edwards happened by pure accident ... Edwards followed Lujack's morning show at WLS and would often come on the air ten minutes early to talk with Larry.  Soon the bit was moved to that time of the day so that Ol' Uncle Lar could share real stories about real animals incidents with his brand new sidekick, Little Snot-Nosed Tommy.  (Sometimes he even rewarded Tommy with "a shiny new dime" on the air if he got an animal trivia question correct!  Boy, whatta guy!!!)  The show became one of the most popular features on radio, spawning four albums worth of material that sold briskly ... the fans LOVED it.  (You can still pick up some of these volumes on CD!)  It became the perfect definition of "Appointment Radio" ... you didn't dare miss it ... and rearranged whatever you were doing that morning to make sure the radio was near by.

 

The ratings battles between WLS and WCFL in the late '60's and early '70's were legendary ... both stations were vying for the teen-age audience and radio was never more fun than flipping between the two stations to see what each one would come up with next.  But in 1976, WCFL threw in the towel ... and flipped to a format offering "The World's Most Beautiful Music".  Incredibly, because of contractual obligations (and the MASSIVE amount of money he was making at the time), Lujack stayed on.  (Quite honestly, the fans felt somewhat betrayed ... there was NO way we were EVER going to listen to this station ... and most of us felt that Larry should have bolted on principle alone.  A few months later, WLS stepped in, helped settle up the tab, and brought him back home.)

 

DIDAJAKNOW?:  For 50 years it's been talked about that the very first rock and roll record WLS ever played was "Alley Oop" by The Hollywood Argyles.  But does anybody out there know or remember the very LAST rock and roll record played by WCFL?  Incredibly, on March 15th, 1976, after Lujack signed off at 5:00 pm, the station played "ocean sounds" for two hours ... before the start of their brand new "beautiful music" programming.  You can hear Lujack's last ten minutes on the air that day ... and WCFL's last rock and roll song ... right here:  Click here: ? Larry Lujack - Last Show on WCFL 3/15/76 - YouTube

 

It wasn't always fun time with Uncle Lar ... when he son died, Lujack went into a major funk (and understandably so) ... it had to be hard ... if not impossible ... to come on the air and try to entertain others when you were feeling such deep pain yourself.

 

And then there was the infamous Steve and Garry incident ... one of radio's most embarrassing moments ... that prompted Steve Dahl and Garry Meier to actually walk off the air, leaving Lujack to man the microphone until their shift was over ... some twelve hours after he had already broadcast his own regularly scheduled morning show.  Suffice to say it was not pretty ... and, by then, the fun was pretty well gone.  He retired from radio in 1987.  (Rumors persist that WLS continued to pay Lujack for five years after leaving the station as part of a "guarantee" that he wouldn't sign on with a competing radio station in town!)

 

In later years he tried an ill-fated comeback with "The Beat", kind of a "smooth soul" station that didn't last very long here in Chicago ... before landing on Real Oldies 1690, where he shared the morning spot with his old Animal Stories sidekick Tommy Edwards.  (While Edwards broadcast live from the Chicagoland studios, Lujack's contributions were phoned in from New Mexico ... that was his one stipulation about returning to radio ... he didn't want to have to leave home.)  The pair were an immediate hit ... and probably the most entertaining act on morning radio was back on the airwaves once again ... but the incredibly weak signal made it almost impossible to listen to.  (I didn't care ... I still laughed harder between the static than I did at anything else that was on the air at the time!)  Even though they were a thousand miles apart, the pair fed off each other and the humor was as sharp as ever.  There was no denying the incredible chemistry between these two.  When the decision was made to close the station, the loss felt was immediate.  (Larry, we never realized how much we missed ya!!!)

 

Had it ever officially gotten off the ground, Lujack would have been the main focal point of John Rook's Hit Parade Internet Radio Station ... but sadly those plans were abandoned before the station ever really launched.  (Rook tells us that Lujack missed radio ... he just wanted to do it on his own terms.)  A few years ago, John inducted his long-time friend into The Radio Hall Of Fame ... Lujack, as usual, poked fun of the whole concept.

 

We miss you, Uncle Lar ... you were one of the best.  You'll find all kinds of articles and accolades on the web today as the world catches up with the news.  Feel free to share YOUR memories here with us in Forgotten Hits.  We'll run some of them tomorrow.

Forgotten Hits Remembers Larry Lujack

December 20, 2013, 5:13 am

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We lost one of the all time greats this week when Superjock Larry Lujack passed away.   

Here in Chicago, the coverage hasn'tstopped ... EVERYBODY listened to this guy ... he had a HUGE impact on our lives growing up in The Windy City.  

We had never heard another jock quite like him ... Larry Lujack was the first REAL person on the radio ... without the script, without the phoney voice ... he said what he felt.  (I'll never forget one show when he and Tommy Edwards were back together on Real Oldies and some story came up about Mother Teresa and some big fund raiser that she did ... at the end of which Lujack said something to the effect of THAT'S the kind of important impact he wishes HE could make ... something MAJOR that affects the lives of SO many people ... "whereas we just sit here on the air and tell people to call 1-800-MATTRESS."  THAT, in a nutshell, was Larry Lujack.)  

Shortly after Frannie first moved here from Texas, Lujack came out of retirement and took the job on The Beat ... and I couldn't have been happier and more excited to hear him back on the air.  I remember telling her about the HUGE impact he had on radio here in Chicago ... and how she just HAD to listen to him.  She did ... and she couldn't stand him!  She couldn't understand the appeal ... but she LOVED '70's Soul (some of you old-timers may remember when Frannie would write our Forgotten Soul Hits feature) ... so she kept listening.  Within two weeks she was hooked.  "I didn't think I could like him ... but I do!  We just never had anyone who sounded like that back in Texas."  

Truth is there wasn't anybody who sounded like Lujack at all before he came on the scene ... there were hundreds of imitators after who incorporated that "looseness" into their radio schtick ... he broke down some of the earliest barriers in radio.  (That was what was so ironic about the big radio brawl between Larry and Steve Dahl ... Dahl's career would have NEVER taken off to the degree that it did were in not for Lujack knocking down some of those walls earlier on.)   

Here is what some of what our readers had to say after hearing the sad, sad news ... 

He was the hardest working radio person I ever met.  He was really one-of-a-kind. There wasn’t really anybody like him before that. He was himself ... he was honest, he was cynical. He had a great sense of humor.  I've lost a best friend, one whose ability to make me laugh extended well beyond our radio careers.
The chemistry, the whole relationship that we had between each other — we'd just usually wind up laughing whenever we talked.  We genuinely liked each other, and he just broke me up all the time.
Tommy Edwards  

One of the all-time greats ... always authentically himself on the air ... and always fun to listen to.   Rest in peace, Uncle Lar.   
Dick Bartley   

I think you covered things well.
Very few people knew the "real" Larry. I was not one of them. Even when he called me at home, it was Superjock talking to Evening DJ / Music Director. We never really connected as two human beings. My loss. Tommy Edwards, John Rook, Tom Murphy -- they were close to him and can tell you incredible tales about his warmth, generosity and caring. But don't be surprised if they don't. Because Larry didn't seem to want that kind of thing getting out. He wanted his charity to be anonymous. I don't know how religious Larry was, but he certainly took seriously the biblical admonition that "when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret." (Matthew 6)
The world clearly loved the public "Superjock." They won't love him any more (or less) if they know every last bit of his private life, too.
My college friend, Scott Paulson (now a reporter for the Chicago Examiner) related at my urging this story of how Larry encouraged him as a college DJ:
When I was on North Central College radio WONC-FM, one Sunday night he called and said he enjoyed the show. I spent most of the brief conversation doubting that he was really "Superjock." I thought it was one of my college buddy's pulling a prank on me. The next day, out of curiosity, I called WLS, and I asked the person who answered if I could speak to Larry. I was asked who I was, and I gave my name. After a short wait, Lujack got on the phone and said, "And I don’t believe this is Scott Paulson!"
One thing I will say about what you wrote: 
When Larry confronted Dahl and chased him from his own show, then very calmly finished that show --
that was the finest moment in Chicago radio history (okay, maybe #2 to the Hindenburg disaster). I think Larry had enough of jocks who built their careers imitating his cynicism without adding the underlying compassion he used as its foundation. These smug cowards hid behind their microphones, sniping at every real or imagined target, safe in their ivory-covered studios. When Dahl was confronted face-to-face with one of his targets -- he ran. Bullies usually do. No, it wasn't "pretty." But it was real, it was unique and it was great radio. And pure Lujack.
Other than leaving his wife, Jude, behind, I'm sure Larry was content with his fate, secure in the knowledge of how he'd lived his life. We might never have heard him on-the-air ever again, but the news was sad because now it's an absolute. He will not be forgotten.
-- Ron Smith

 
I listened to that whole Steve Dahl / Larry Lujack thing live on the air as it unfolded ... now THAT'S "Shock Radio"!!!  (The excerpt above is the aftermath ... sent in by FH Reader Clark Besch.  Missing is the initial confrontation ... by this point, Steve and Garry had already walked out of the studio, leaving Lujack to fend for himself ... or broadcast dead air!)
I don't think there's every been anything else quite like it ... and certainly not at the magnitude of these two gigantic radio legends.  But honestly, even listening to it again, it's embarrassing ... for BOTH of them.  By this point, Lujack's best radio days were behind him ... and it kind of felt like some young punk kid beating the crap out of an old man.  Larry stood his ground.  (Dahl had basically been accusing him of being a corporate kiss ass for quite some time now, implying that he was a shadow of his former self and had become, instead, a "company man", which for some crazy reason by today's standards is considered to be a derogatory term.  The fact of the matter is, Lujack HAD lost some of his edge ... but he was no dummy.  Larry Lujack and WLS Radio had been VERY good to each other over the years ... and Good Ol' Uncle Lar knew better ... at this stage of his career ... than to bite the hand that fed him.)  But the whole concept of poking fun at the station, management and "the man" originated with Lujack twenty-something years earlier.  Dahl may have been the "flavor of the month" at this point in time but I lost a tremendous amount of respect for him after this incident ... both as a broadcaster AND as a person. A landmark moment to be sure ... monumental ... but NOT a radio highlight in my book.  (kk)   

Super Jock ... R.I.P.
Kent,

Larry was cantankerous and could be very mean spirited, but all that aside, the guy was the most unique jock I've ever heard.  I first met Larry when he came to  town in 1967 or '8 at - of all things - a promotional party for Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart.
Unlike his traditional western garb, Lujack was dressed in a very lifeless black suit with a black tie. He looked more like an undertaker than a radio personality.
The man who landed Larry the mega buck, 6 million dollar package, was the late Saul Foos. Saul was also the guy who brought me from Indianapolis to Chicago in 1980 when I joined NBC 5. Later, of course, Saul ran afoul of the law on a multi million dollar scam and did time before he passed away several years ago.
I just don't know how the hell a guy with Larry's spirit and energy could have retired so early and spent all those years out west staring at sage brush. His genius will never be replicated.
Lujack, Biondi and Dahl are, in my opinion, the three most engaging dj's Chicago has ever had. All had different styles but all knew and know how to connect with the audience.
Chet Coppock
Host: Chicago Blackhawks Heritage Series
Host: Notre Dame Football, WLS   

During my years in the Midwest – 1966 to 1973 -- Larry Lujack ruled as the most influential DJ in Chicagoland radio.   Larry was considered the ultimate role model by countless budding broadcasters at the time – myself included – as evidenced by the Lujack-like edge in my voice in radio airchecks of that period.   The trouble was no one but Lujack himself could really maximize the potential inherent in his distinctly one-of-a-kind world-weary, cynical style and brand of wry satire.  We TRIED, of course, but it never really worked for us anywhere as well as it did for the man accurately billed as “Superjock.”    In fact, it took years after that for me to work the Lujack edge out of my radio voice and develop my own individual on-air persona.   Lujack hung on for me, though, in other ways.  If you look carefully at the schoolroom sketch in our comedy variety TV series “Cavalcade,” you’ll spot one poster I hung on the wall – and it’s promoting Larry Lujack! 

While I never got to meet the guy, my archives contain both one lengthy 1972 Lujack WLS aircheck and a shorter 1976 one of him on WCFL.   I moved from the Midwest before Larry began his infamous Animals Stories bits, which were later collected and released on four LPs (three of which I have copies of).  I must admit, though, that I did not like most of the Animal Stories, which I felt were more cruel than funny, but did love all his other bits and the riveting way Lujack’s personality kept you tuned to the radio, hour after hour.  Larry made you feel in sync with the times and everyone else in his vast listening audience – two skills sadly missing from most all of radio today.   In his own curmudgeonly way, Larry Lujack enriched our lives in ways today’s personality-free time-and-temperature jocks can only dream of.  
Gary Theroux    

I just got home from work to find out that Uncle Lar, Larry Lujack, has passed away.  I had no idea he was sick or not well.  It was a total shock to me.  To me he IS LEGEND!  The greatest disc jockey EVER!!  Only Ron Riley comes close, IMO.  Lujack evolved thru his career and I will miss him greatly.  I was just listening to a 1966 aircheck from KJR a week ago on ReelRadio and it was SO cool to hear him there, when I never knew of him until 67 when he took over for Dex Card on WLS.  I loved Dex, but Lujack brought a whole new dimension to my listening.
You could criticize him or love him, he could care less.  Animal Stories, Cheap Trashy Show Biz Report, The Klunk Letter of the day, all of his "Major Address to the Nation" speaches.  He wore cowboy boots to work, he loved wildlife and the outdoors much more than humans usually. 

My current Chicago legendary fave DJ, Nick Digilio, can always be counted on for tributes to Chicago radio legends.  He did one for Jerry G Bishop the night he died and last night he put together one in tribute to Uncle Lar.  Two hours featuring visits from Steve King (former 1970 WLS mate of Supe) and Larry's newswoman in the 80's, Catherine Johns!  Two different eras of WLS Lujack radio to go with (IMO) the other three distinctive periods of Chicago Lujack mystical times.  The others, WCFL part 1 (1967), WLS 60's days and #3 WCFL part 2 (1970's).  You could always break them down into morning and afternoon drive times, too. Superjock evolved like no other. 
Nick's podcast of the tribute can be heard here:  http://wgnradio.com/2013/12/19/remembering-larry-lujack/
Chicago news print legend, Robert Feder tells his version here:http://www.robertfeder.com/2013/12/19/a-radio-superstar-who-cared-about-people/
My girlfriend doesn't even get mad or roll her eyes anymore when I come upstairs singing the "Rock of Chicago" jingle "Larry Lujack Superjock  (fanfare) WLS!".  She knows it just comes with the territory.  She knows the "Ba-da-la-did-didy-da" that I used to trumpet on my radio show in the 80's was stolen from all of Lujack's "Major Addresses to the Nation".  It was interesting to find Rush Limbaugh using it when I first heard his show back in the early 80's.  So many have been influenced by Lujack.  I pounded my hand on the board on my radio show, I wadded papers up and threw them over the air just like Larry.  SO many memories keep coming back. 
I sent in a tape of a local music friend to his show in the 80's.  It was a novelty song on cassette and a few days later in the middle of rush hour at 4:30 PM, here was Uncle lar playing it and joking about it!  He did SO many things.  He worked over those newspapers for his show, too.  He did a great job every day, even if he would say it was all crap.

He was THE GREATEST!  I will miss him.  He will ALWAYS be "SUPERJOCK!!!!"  RIP, Larry.

Clark Besch

There's a photograph in John Landecker's new book "Records Truly Is My Middle Name" that shows he and Larry in the studio lounge around 6:00 at night, just before John was scheduled to go on the air to do his show.  "Why was Larry Lujack still here at 6:00 at night after doing his show at 5:30 this morning?  Because he works very hard!"  And it showed.  His totally off-the-cuff, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants program was precisely planned to the finest detail ... yet it all sounded so real and uninspired.  He truly was nothing short of amazing.  I miss him.  (kk)

A couple of my "thoughts" on Lujack that I sent out to friends, or as Supe would put it "Clark Besch's Major Address to the NATION":

Remember early on at WLS?  Remember when he first was on WLS in 1967 and he tried using the handle of "Lawrence of Chicago"??  I guess he got to thinking better quickly! 
As an avid fan of Dex Card, I was flabbergasted and hurt when I found that Larry had replaced Dex Card on July 1, 1967.  After my interview with Gene Taylor, I understood why it happened, but at the time, I could not believe it!  It was the start of revolving doors between WLS and 'CFL of which you were also caught. 
The Silver Dollar Survey was this EPIC thing in my life.  Dex made it so "authentic and authoritative" (altho we know it was not so much) and when Lujack took over, it became the "Hit Parade" and he would say "it's number 8 on the survey" with NO fanfare whatsoever.  That irritated me, but Lujack just won me over so easily with his humor and special announcements and the interaction between him and listeners and engineers and such on the air!
Here s is what you might remember from June / July 1967 as the surveys guys traded stations!  Few will remember having taken place!  Dex doing the WCFL Capsule Countdown and WLS Silver Dollar Survey and Lujack suddenly doing the WLS Hit Parade all in one month!  Crazy times indeed.  Gene Taylor told me he did not care if station employees got mad about Lujack.  He gave Lujack free reign in many areas he would not allow others.
He gave me a tape of Lujack on the air the last day Gene worked at WLS.  I have not found it for over a decade, but it was one of his "special announcement" things where he basically complimented Gene on his taste of choosing him for WLS, but also belittled him for other things jokingly.  Gene played it for me and told me that Larry later handed him this reel (holding it up to show me) and said "Keep this for your next job interview.  It might help ... or maybe not." 
And who could forget the infamous Lujack battle with Steve Dahl following Thanksgiving Day, 1985. 

Goodbye to the WLS Golf Tour Commissioner.

Clark

The WLS Hit Parade was all John Rook's doing ... he still uses the moniker today as President of The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame.  Rook and Lujack were exceptionally tight ... their careers (and the success there of) were tied together through some very deep bonds.  I have yet to hear anything from John regarding Larry's passing ... nor do I see anything on his website about it.  My guess is he's still pretty upset.  They stayed in touch all these years later ... and when John was ready to launch Hit Parade Radio, the first guy he called to man the morning shift was Ol' Uncle Lar.  (It would have been great to hear Larry Lujack on a daily basis again ... but it just wasn't to be.)  They met up again a few years ago at the Radio Broadcasting Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony where Lujack was enshrined.  I don't know how many people Larry Lujack was really close to ... from what I've heard, not a lot ... but he and John Rook had the utmost respect for one another ... and that relationship lasted close to fifty years.  (kk)

I'm sorry to hear of his passing. I always considered him to be the greatest, too. He made radio fun to listen to.

I first became aware of Uncle Lar when I was going to Brown Institute in Minneapolis for broadcasting. One of the guys in my class had a "Greatest Show On Earth" cassette and Lujack was one of the featured jocks. He was a legend back then because he was the first and only DJ at the time to make $1 million per year. He was always entertaining to listen to.  

He will be missed.

D Ludden

Some of you either worked with him or listened to him.  A legend.
Chris Astle   

Very sad.  Joey Reynolds and I were talking about Larry not long ago and I mentioned it was hard to believe I haven’t seen Larry in probably 25 years.  What a performer. 

-- Dale Parsons

Hana, Hawaii  96713

That really is sad news.  Larry was hired in 1967 to do the WLS East of Midnight show after Don Phillips left the big 89.  He eventually was taken off the all night gig when Dex Card gave up the WLS Silver Dollar Survey (the 2 - 6 p.m. shift). Larry's Klunk Letter of the Day was a major feature of his afternoon shifts starting in late 1969.

Super Jock Larry Lujak is one of those radio performers (like the late Bob Calvert of WGH) who truly were larger than life.

Alex B.   

Kent,  
I grew up with Larry and WLS and WCFL in the days of “Personality Radio”. Stopped by the station on the 6^th floor in the old Stone Container building in Chicago and watched Larry on air many times. Always a great experience. Also met him at a sock hop at a local high school where the Cryan Shames were playing. I never forget that he had just left the concert after his MC duties when we got into the car and heard him on the air. That’s when I first realized that the jocks used to pre-record Sunday shows.  I also had the pleasant experience of having several of my “Klunk Letters” read on the air. He was also so kind as to write me a recommendation letter to my high school counselor recommending that I take some multi-media courses at the time to help me in my endeavor to become a jock (never happened but everyone’s dream!). I was shocked last night when I heard the news about the same time that you did. At least all of the major TV and radio shows in Chicago are giving him his proper due today with excellent stories and tributes! Quite frankly I lost a big part of my life when I heard the news last night -  there will never be a time again like we experienced with Larry.

I’ve also attached some surveys from both WLS & WCFL that featured Larry.

John Bilas

Lujack's "Klunk Letter Of The Day" usually came from a disgruntled listener, upset with something Larry had said the day before. (The segment typically closed with Lujack crumpling up the letter on the air and then throwing it into the trash can.)  But one letter held a very special place in the hearts of two legendary WLS jocks.

Early on, in the hopes of pursuing a broadcasting career, a very young, teenage Bob Sirott wrote a fan letter to his idol Larry Lujack.  For whatever reason, Larry saved it.  Many years later when the two jocks found themselves both working for WLS, Lujack would dig the letter out and read it on the air from time to time, reminding Bob of his undying adoration for Larry's work.  It was all done in fun ... and it's MY belief that Lujack did it out of respect for the GREAT radio that Bob Sirott was giving us at the time ... FUN radio, filled with personality ... the very foundation on which WLS was built.  Sadly, we haven't seen much of that these last couple of decades ... but there really was a time when we listened as much for the jock on the air as we did for the music.  (This is what programmers miss today ... let's face it ... you can find this music literally ANYWHERE now ... it's available at your fingertips for immediate disposal from virtually HUNDREDS of sources.  You need to give us a reason to listen to YOUR broadcasting of this same material over anyone else's.  That very simple, basic concept has been lost by the programming and consulting heads today.)  kk

Nice job, Kent, helping us remember Larry.

He was one of a kind.

Phil

PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com    

Somewhere around 10 pm Wednesday night I started seeing announcements in various Facebook groups I belong to announcing that Uncle Lar' had passed away. Larry is not the first DJ of my youth to pass on, but for some reason his passing kinda hits home. As a student in broadcast school in 1971/2, I, as well as every other classmate, wanted to be Larry Lujack. Not Howard Miller, Jerry G. Bishop, Dick Biondi, Art Roberts, Wally Phillips, Ron Riley, Ron Britain, or anyone else. To me it was his sarcasm that I liked. In an industry full of butt kissers, it was apparent he didn't. I'd listen whenever my school / work schedule allowed me to. It didn't matter if it was the Klunk Letter Of The Day, Can This Marriage Be Saved, Cheap Trashy Show Biz Report and of course Animal Stories. Actually Larry was a visionary. Now they have an entire cable channel which is basically a Cheap Trashy Show Biz Report, not to mention multiple publications. Even after I got a job in radio, I listened to him on WCFL. Over the years, when I've seen other jocks interviewed, they would always say he was the best. Pretty much everything I've read today confirms it. Over the years I learned there can only be one Larry Lujack and given the state of radio today, with faceless satellite announcers, I don't know if we'll be hearing another jock who even comes close to that talent. Goodbye Lar'. It was fun.

Jack    

Kent ...

Like so many other FORGOTTEN HITSTERS, I am very saddened to hear about holiday-season passing of Chicagoland "Super-Jock" LARRY LUJACK yesterday. 

Before getting involved in commercial and music production (gasp!) 40 years ago, I was a hard-core "radio freak" back in the 60's and early 70's and made endless airchecks of deejays in the L.A. area and send copies of them to other jocks I knew around the country. 

In the summer of '69, I made a trip to (my hometown of) Chicago and stayed with an uncle and aunt for about a week. I brought a Wollensak tape recorder with me so I could record airchecks while there. Of course I made it a point to record Larry. I brought the tapes back home to L.A., telescoped them and made copies for my disc-jockey friends there and other parts of the west, who really enjoyed receiving them. 
I met Larry at a N.A.B. convention in Las Vegas back in the mid-80's. We spoke for about fifteen minutes, talking mostly about our mutual radio pals. I told him about the airchecks I recorded fifteen years earlier, and he asked me for copies, which I sent him a week or two later. After getting and listening to the tapes, he called to thank me for sending them, telling me at the time that they were some of the best airchecks (of himself) he had ever heard! Even though I was 'long-gone" from radio by then, I thought it was SO cool to get a call from the Chicago Super-Jock ... and I remember that call to this very day.
He was a great ... and legendary ... disc-jockey, who really did set the bar early on for crazy morning radio shows. His passing is a big loss, to be sure. RIP Larry Lujack.
Check out this great three-part OFF THE RECORD interview of Larry by entertainment reporter ROBB WELLER that aired on WLS-TV in 1981. It's a fitting tribute to the Super-Jock. In the wake of his unfortunate passing, there's a particularly poignant minute and a half beginning at the 3:18 mark of Part One ... 

Part 1:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXs9_QLNCmE

Part 2:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyLFBPqdd5s

Part 3:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et74p4MXY0w
-- Joe Klein
http://www.facebook.com/Joe.Klein.Producer

From our FH Buddy Larz over at Chicagoland Radio and Media:

One of the greatest radio personalities of all time, Larry Lujack passed away from cancer earlier today at the age of 73. The man nicknamed "Superjock" and "Uncle Lar" was best known for his years as the top-rated morning and afternoon DJ on WLS-AM and WCFL-AM.
Lujack, who was living in retirement in Santa Fe, New Mexico, had quietly been battling cancer of the esophagus for many months. Earlier this week, he entered hospice care, dying this evening.
He was born Larry Lee Blankenburg in rural Iowa. While in college, he took a job as an announcer for KCID-AM in Caldwell, Idaho, for kicks and extra cash. The rest, as the cliche goes, is history.
Not able to use Blankenburg as his professional name, he took the last name of Notre Dame quarterback Johnny Lujack to be his new radio name. From a small Idaho radio station, Lujack bounced around to many other markets across all parts of the country, before finally arriving in Chicago in 1967.
Lujack began his legendary Chicago career at WCFL-AM in April 1967, working nights. Four months later, WCFL-AM's chief rival, WLS-AM, stole Lujack away to be their afternoon host. His popularity grew rapidly and he eventually was promoted to mornings, where he became a local radio star.
It was on this morning shift that he began to do a radio bit that will be remembered for decades to come: "Animal Stories." The "Animal Stories" segment had Lujack reading funny small town news stories and farm reports that involved animals. He did this at first by himself, and then eventually along with fellow DJ Tommy Edwards, who would become sidekick "Lil' Snot Nose Tommy" to his gruff persona of "Uncle Lar'," at least for these segments.
Lujack was also known for his bits "Klunk Letter of the Day" and "Cheap Trashy Show Biz Report."
In July 1972, WCFL-AM was able to steal Lujack back from WLS-AM, placing him in afternoons. He stayed with the station through its end of being a Top 40 and for a while longer, playing "Beautiful Music." No longer happy at WCFL-AM, Lujack rejoined WLS-AM as soon as he was able to in September 1976. He also returned to his familiar morning role and once again became a radio superstar. For many years, his AM radio morning show was simulcast on WLS-FM. No longer enjoying the grueling morning hours, Lujack moved to afternoons in 1985. Between the tragic accidental death of one of his sons, a changing radio environment, and declining ratings, Lujack was no longer enjoying radio as he once was. He retired from WLS-AM and radio in general in August 1987.
He lived in Chicago for another ten years before deciding to move to a quiet ranch in New Mexico with his wife Jude (Judith). This was done to be far away from the noise of Chicagoland and allow him to golf all year long -- a passion of his.
He came out of retirement twice since leaving Chicago. Both times he did his shows remotely from a studio nearby his home in the southwest. The first time was for a short-lived radio show for WUBT-FM in 2000. That job lasted less than eight months. His second time was for WRLL-AM, starting in September 2003. He stayed with that Oldies station until its end in August 2006.
He had plenty of offers to work, but had no desire to do so. The last time he was heard on the air working as a DJ was in May 2008 when he appeared for the WLS-AM "Rewind" reunion weekend.
His years on the air did more than just entertain large amount of listeners. Larry Lujack went on to become one of the most influential radio hosts of all time, helping to inspire a great many people to get into the radio business.
Among the honors Lujack has received include his induction into Illinois Broadcasters Association's Hall of Fame in 2002, induction into the the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2004, and induction into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2008.
In his 1975 autobiography "Superjock," Lujack ended the book by writing the following words, which showcased his unique, sarcastic sense of humor:"And now ... get ready to cry. Don't be ashamed if your eyes moisten and you start to weep openly.
Years from now, when you speak of this (and your will), be kind. I hope each and every one of you lives happily ever after, and may all your Christmases be white. Take my overwhelming love and shove it up your heart. Bless your heart and all your other vital organs."   

You'll find some great Larry Lujack airchecks here: Click here: Larry Lujack, legendary Chicago disc jockey, Superjock, WLS, WCFL     

And be sure to check this out ...  

Hey Kent,

This Saturday (12/21) at www.rewoundradio.com, two full length air checks with Larry Lujack. Starts at noon ET. Gary.

---

VOLARE

December 21, 2013, 7:20 am

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Earlier this week in Forgotten Hits we made the comment:

It was about as unlikely a #1 Hit as could be in 1958 ... rock and roll was in full swing but this little "import" from Italy dominated the airwaves.  Sure, there were successful cover versions ... most notably by Bobby Rydell and Dean Martin ... but it was Domenico Modugno's version ... sung completely in Italian! ... that managed to top the charts.

Other Top Ten contenders on the chart that week included the #1 Hit by Ricky Nelson "Poor Little Fool", the instrumental hits "Patricia" and "Rebel Rouser" by Perez Prado and Duane Eddy respectively, Bobby Darin's first big chart hit "Splish Splash", "Hard-Headed Woman" by Elvis, "When" by The Kalin Twins (written by our FH Buddy Paul Evans), "My True Love" by Jack Scott, "Just A Dream" by Jimmy Clanton and the Bo Diddley-beat of "Willie And The Hand Jive" by Johnny Otis.

Not far behind were other future rock and roll era classics like "Yakety Yak" by The Coasters, "Little Star" by The Elegants, "Born Too Late" by The Poni-Tails, "For Your Precious Love" by Jerry Butler and the Impressions, "Do You Want To Dance?" by Bobby Freeman, "Rockin' Robin" and "Over And Over" by Bobby Day, "Bird Dog" and "Devoted To You" by The Everly Brothers, "Chantilly Lace" by The Big Bopper, "Susie Darlin'" by Robin Luke, "The Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley and "Summertime Blues" by Eddie Cochran.

So how the heck did this record by Domenico Modugno overtake ALL of them?  How'd it even get played?  Much as we loved it then, it sounds INCREDIBLY dated today.  In fact, nowadays you're far more likely to hear either the Bobby Rydell or the Dean Martin cover version ... but somehow it was THIS version that Decca Records took a chance on ... which paid off in big dividends.  Not only did it top the pop charts for five weeks, but it also won Grammys that year for Best Male Vocal Performance, Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year!

And what exactly was "Volare"?!?!?  What did it all mean?  Was it a love song?  It certainly was delivered with a certain amount of intensity.  According to Wayne Jancik's book "The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders" Modugno was inspired to write the music to some brand new lyrics his buddy Franco Migliacci had been playing around with.  Franco's inspiration reportedly came while staring at the back panel of a pack of cigarettes!  (huh?!?!?)  According to Jancik "At that instant, Franco had the idea to create a dream-like song about a man with hands painted blue, who flies through 'blue painted in blue'". (So technically this guy invented The Blue Man Group, right?!?!  And they say the music / drug craze didn't start until the '60's!)

Wikipedia tells a completely different story.  They say that Migliacci first started working on the lyrics of the song in June of 1957, inspired by two paintings by Marc Chagall.  "He had planned to go to the sea with Domenico Modugno, but after waiting for him in vain, Migliacci got drunk on wine and he fell asleep. Then he had nightmares, and when he woke up, he looked at the copies of the printings he had on the wall.  In 'Le coq rouge' he noted a yellow man suspended in midair, while in 'Le peintre et la modelle' a half of the painter's face was coloured of blue, so he started writing about a man who dreams of painting himself blue, before starting to fly.  During the same night, despite being angry with him, Migliacci talked about his lyrics with his friend Modugno, and for several days they continued to work together on the song, tentatively titled "Sogno in blu" (Dream in blue).  Many years later (in 2008, in fact), Modugno's wife Franca Gandolfi recounted that her husband was still unsatisfied with the lyrics of the song, when a storm suddenly opened his window, and then he got the inspiration to modify the chorus of the song, introducing the word 'Volare' (to fly) which is commonly known as the title of the song itself."

Whatever may have inspired it, there was no denying the impact. Migliacci and Modugno submitted their new song in Italy's San Remo Festival Of Music, where their song about the flying blue man placed amongst the year's top honors.   Soon it was a hit in Italy ... then throughout Europe ... and finally here in The States.  (Hmm ... why do I now feel compelled to play the Betty Johnson hit "Little Blue Man"???  And I'm picturing Blue Meanies ... and even The Smurfs!!! Wow ... who KNEW this little song that nobody could understand could create this kind of mass inspiration!!!)

"Volare" ultimately sold over 20 million copies worldwide.  Scroll back to Wednesday's post to hear Domenico Modugno's original hit version ... or check out the popular Bobby Rydell interpretation below.

The Sunday Comments ( 12 - 22 - 13 )

December 21, 2013, 7:54 pm

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We'll be taking a short break for the holidays ... so enjoy what very well may be the last Sunday Comments Page of the year.  

Merry Christmas to all ... and to all a good night!  

re:  LARRY LUJACK:  
Cheers and Kudos to Allan Sniffen, who did a GREAT job of saluting Larry Lujack on his Rewound Radio station Saturday ... vintage airchecks ran all afternoon long from various stages of Lujack's career ... it was SO good to hear Ol' Uncle Lar in his prime again ... not to mention the INCREDIBLE selection of music. SO much of which we NEVER get to hear anymore, despite being standard airplay fare at the time ... TONS of great forgotten hits and tracks.  WTG, Allan ... Rewound Radio ALWAYS provides a GREAT soundtrack to the music we actually grew up with ... TONS and TONS of tunes that traditional radio has completely forgotten about. Nice job!  (kk)   

Hi Kent,  
Just in case you missed it, Larry "Superjock" Lujack had a national chart hit back in 1974.  It was "The Ballad Of The Mad Streaker" on Curtom 1998.  It was a fairly good novelty recording, as those type of songs go.  It got as high as #125 and charted for 7 weeks on the Record World "101-150" chart.  Play it and see if you remember it.  
Joel Whitburn  
Oh yeah, I remember it!  (lol)  Lujack was on WCFL at the time so the record got played sporadically on the station.  Although it never officially charted here, it was shown on their survey as an "extra".  Give it a listen ... it might provide a giggle or two.  (kk)

 

>>>He was the hardest working radio person I ever met.  (Little Snot-Nosed Tommy)

If you ever watched one of Art Vuolo's video airchecks, there is one where Art catches Lujack outside leaving the station (I think) and he really doesn't want to be on Art's video or interviewed, but what captured MY attention was the amount of "homework" he had under his arm!  It was like me trying to tote school books every day a mile to school in High School!  You KNEW and heard about how much he worked at his show and it did showup well on the air!

One of the Klunk Letters of the Day I recorded in 1973 off CFL pretty much said it all.  It was from a young woman who wrote:  "Mr. Lujack, I don't know what is wrong with you.  People say they hate you and you laugh and degrade them  And even when people say you are great, you still laugh and degrade them.  Mr. Lujack, remember that it is the meek who shall inherit the earth."  Larry, in his own great style replied:  "Uh, I don't need that crap.  You Biblical people can just save that stuff.  'Judge not, lest ye be judged!'  Take that, kid!"  and then he wadded up the letter and tossed it as always. 

Clark Besch

I hate to contradict FH, but there are five Animal Stories releases, not four.

Jack

My bad ... I must be missing one from my collection!  (In fact, Amazon doesn't even include this one on their "Animal Stories" page ... but you CAN find it if you do a separate search for Volume 5.)  And they're getting tougher and tougher to find ... but don't be surprise if these all become available again now that Uncle Lar has passed on.  (kk)

Click here: Amazon.com: larry lujack animal stories: Music

Click here: Amazon.com: Animal Stories Volume 5: Music

I hate to speak badly about the dead, but I witnessed Lujack proving he was the gruff, mean-spirited guy he was sometimes known to be.

It was 1970 and I was a sophomore at St. Ignatius College Prep on Roosevelt Road on the near west side of Chicago. They had booked a concert to play in the gymnasium. It was the Cryan Shames and an opening act. There were two shows, 2 in the afternoon and 8 in the evening. I attended the afternoon show which only drew maybe 200 fans. The evening show sold out long in advance. Larry Lujack was to be the emcee.

After the opening act, Superjock walked out onto the stage and took a look around at the nearly empty house and shook his head. It was obvious that he was upset that the house wasn't packed with his army of fans.

Lujack was supposed to hand out autographed photos and give away some albums to the crowd. He walked up to the microphone and said, "Here's some photos." And he threw them out to the audience. The problem was that they were bound into packets with rubber bands and were pretty heavy projectiles. Then he said, "Have some records," and threw the albums out all at once like a stack of Frisbees. He then promptly walked off of the stage. I guess he never returned for the evening show. Quite a temper tantrum, I'd have to say!

Thank you -

Steve Sarley

I was as big a fan of Larry Lujack as I could be given that I was living in North Dakota in his WLS and WCFL days. I probably got to hear him most in the summers since I'd go to visit my Sister in Indiana and also in Wisconsin. I think from the time I first heard Dick Biondi through Larry Lujack, I wanted to be a jock. When I went to college I was a Speech Communications major with emphasis on radio broadcasting. Then I quit college to go on the road with a band and my radio dreams went out the window because I've been a full time musician ever since. If I really had a choice, I'd have picked radio in those 60's and 70's days. I taped Larry's shows every day and replayed them until the tapes all wore out years later. I remember one of his Klunk Letters of the Day was about Chuck Negron after he'd been arrested for heroin possession. The writer was trying to convince Larry that it was all a publicity stunt by Three Dog Night's Management. Their tune out at the time was Till the World Ends, which is still one of my favorite Dog tunes, and every time I hear it I'm still listening to Larry Lujack in my mind. 

RIP Larry. 

Oh forgot to mention, one of my best friends bought Larry's book when it came out, and loved it. 

Bill

Kent ...

Did I read that WLS flyer correctly?  Was the Larry Lujack Show on seven days a week in Chicago?
Highly unusual. Most DJ's worked 6 days a week.
Frank B.

There were probably short periods of time when this was the case ... if you noticed one of the other letters we received last week, they saw Lujack at a live event on a Sunday and then came out to also hear him on the radio when they got to the car.  That's because Sunday's show was pre-taped for weekend airings.  It was also fairly common here to have a "best of" clips show run on the weekend for some of the more popular jocks so that listeners had the chance to catch up on anything they may have missed during the week ... and, believe it or not, we tuned in to listen ... because we didn't want to miss a THING!!!  
So much exceptional radio talent has passed through our city over the years, often presenting "must hear" radio ... again, this was a time when jock personality reigned supreme ... you were genuinely afraid to tune out, for fear you might miss something! ... not like now where they're barely allowed to give more than the station call letters, time and temperature.  A different era ... and a FAR more entertaining one to be sure ... and a MAJOR reason why radio is in the tailspin that it has been in for the last couple of decades.  (kk)

Kent,
People remember where there were when they heard John Kennedy, Elvis, John Lennon, and Buddy Holly died and they will remember where they were when they heard Larry Lujack died.  His legend and influence went far beyond Chicago. 
Peace,
Tim Kiley

I never had the pleasure to listen to nor meet Mr. Lujack, but it seems to me you have all given him as memorable a tribute as he gave Mother Teresa.

Shelley J Sweet-Tufano

re:  THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME: 

Kent,

If there’s ANY group the deserves to be in the Hall, it’s the Doobie Brothers! So one of the members might’ve ticked off somebody that has power in the selection committee. That was a long time ago. Let those feelings go away and give the Doobies their rightful place in the RRHOF.

Dave Wollenberg,

Wheaton, IL

Reaction and media coverage to this year's selection has been outstanding ... maybe The Rock Hall Nominating Committee will take note and make it a point to select more "deserving and denied" induction-worthy artists in the future ... mix it up a little bit.  This may be the strongest over-all class in 20 years!  (Now make things right and induct Chicago, The Guess Who and The Moody Blues next year!!!)  kk

And FH Reader Bob Rush (who was about to launch a petition campaign on behalf of recognizing Beatles Manager Brian Epstein) was quite pleased to see Epstein's name on this year's list of inductees ...

See?! It worked!  :))

I just spoke to Billy J. Kramer - he found out at 4:00 this morning and is thrilled.  Good new and much deserved! 

I'd like to say Billy J. Kramer's and my petition worked, but I didn't even submit it yet!
Andrew Loog Oldham is also being inducted, which is also deserving. 
So, thanks to everyone for signing the petition, and yay, etc!
Best,
Bob

Meanwhile, The Pop Music Hall Of Fame HAS inducted Chicago ... along with The Monkees, The Bee Gees and eleven others (including The Carpenters, Buddy Holly, Elton John, Simon and Garfunkel and The Supremes.)

Incredibly NOT making the cut were Pat Boone, Dion, the Everly Brothers, the Four Seasons, Connie Francis, Ricky Nelson, Gene Pitney, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Three Dog Night, Dionne Warwick and Andy Williams.   (Like we always say, NO Hall of Fame will ever please EVERYBODY!!!)  kk  

re:  THE WRECKING CREW:

MAJOR Congratulations to Denny Tedesco and The Wrecking Crew for meeting ... and surpassing ... their Kickstarter goal of $250,000!  The film can now FINALLY be released to the general public!  And you can go online and preorder your copy now! 
Click here: "The Wrecking Crew" The Untold Story of Rock & Roll Heroes by Denny Tedesco — Kickstarter

Kent,

You can hear Nick Digilio's interview with Denny Tedesco here:http://wgnradio.com/2013/12/11/honoring-the-studio-musicians-on-be-my-baby-california-girls-and-viva-las-vegas/
He says he looks forward to getting the show to Chicago soon.

Clark Besch

That would be GREAT news.  And Denny, if it's true, be sure to let me know ... I want to be there for this one!!! (kk)

re:  THIS AND THAT:  
Cruisin' With The Oldies!

Making plans for 2014? What about an oldies cruise?

Where the Action Is Rock and Roll Concerts at Sea– January 18 - 25, 2014

http://www.concertsatsea.com/

featuring Paul Revere and the Raiders, B.J. Thomas, The Cowsills, Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Charlie Thomas and the Drifters, and more.

Country Music Cruise– January 19 - 26, 2014

http://www.countrymusiccruise.com/?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=country+music+cruise+-+branded&utm_content=countrymusiccruise.com&utm_term=www.countrymusiccruise.com&utm_creative=b

featuring Vince Gill, Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Milsap, Patty Loveless, Jo Dee Messina, Larry Gatlin and more.

Rockin’ the Caribbean – February 16 - 24, 2014

http://rockyandtherollers.com/cruise2014vol9/

featuring Lesley Gore, Lovin’ Spoonful, Charlie Thomas & the Drifters, The Crystals, Johnny Tillotson, Freddy Cannon, Danny and the Juniors, Bowzer from ShaNaNa and more.

Soul Train Cruise – February 23 - March 2

http://www.soulatsea.com/soul-train-cruise-2014.html

featuring Isley Brothers, Robert Flack, Peaches and Herb, Jeffrey Osborne, Stephanie Mills, The Commodores, Peabo Bryson, Morris Day & The Time, The Manhattans, The Chi-Lites and more.

Monsters of Rock – March 29 - April 2, 2014

http://monstersofrockcruise.com/

featuring Tesla, Ratt, Cinderella, Winger, Y&T, Slaughter, Great White, Quiet Riot, LA Guns and more

The Moodies Cruise – April 2 - 7, 2014

http://moodiescruise.com/

featuring Moody Blues, Roger Daltrey, The Zombies, Carl Palmer of ELP, Starship, Little River Band, Lighthouse, Strawbs, Shawn Phillips, Glass Hammer, Randy Hansen’s Jimi Hendrix tribute and more

Malt Shop Memories – Nov. 2 - 9, 2014

http://www.maltshopcruise.com/2014/Lineup

featuring Dion, Brenda Lee, The Temptations, Peter Noone, Jay Black, Dean Torrence, Martha & The Vandellas, The Duprees, comedian Joe Piscopo, Rick Nelson Remembered featuring Matthew & Gunnar Nelson and more.

And for 2015 …

Rock Legends Cruise – February 19 - 23, 2015

http://rocklegendscruise.com/

The Doobie Brothers, 38 Special, The Marshall Tucker Band, Dickey Betts & Great Southern, Blue Oyster Cult, Uriah Heep, The Outlaws, The Edgar Winter Band, Ten Years After, Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown, Pat Travers Band and more.

WOW! Some amazing line-ups for these cruises!  Check out the links for more information.  (kk)

Paul Revere and the Raiders and Three Dog Night are both coming to The Arcada Theatre next year ... and we can't wait!  Drummer Tommy Scheckel tells us that Paul is doing GREAT ... which is SO good to hear!  (kk) 

Hey Kent,  

Thanks for the nice words about our show, that was very cool of you! I just shared it with Paul, hope to see you at the show.  We just played our Christmas show a couple nights in Atlantic City and will play it again in Jackson, CA, two sold out shows in NJ, and then hoping for another in CA. Man, we all love playing that show so much ... we’d like to start Christmas the day after Halloween (like they do in Branson). I used to see the Brain Setzer Christmas show every year in Chicago, it was one of our family traditions. That’s our goal for our show ... have it become a holiday tradition for people around the country.   

Paul’s doing amazing, by the way. He’s an animal!!  

Merry Christmas to you and yours. And be careful driving (sorry dude, I’m a dad, I have to say things like that).  

Tommy

Hi Kent, 

Among the cool things I've come across at Amazon this week was this package of the top 100 songs from 1955. Kind of nice to have a year's worth of tunes in one place. Wish someone would do this in an affordable box for every year. 

Check it out:  http://www.amazon.com/First-Us-Top-100-November/dp/B00EQ3YYO0/ref=pd_sim_m_2 

Bill

Yes, we've talked about this one before ... but to be clear, it's not The Top 100 Songs of 1955 ... but rather ONE WEEK of 1955 ... or, more specifically, the very FIRST week that Billboard published a Top 100 List.  (Year End Charts would be even more fascinating.)

It's a different set of rules in Europe regarding copyrights and, as such, compilations like this can be put together very cheaply without heavy royalty penalties.  Randy Price's collection of 1960's Instrumentals falls into the same category ... he's been releasing, year by year,  literally EVERY instrumental hit to chart on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart.  (I believe he's made it through 1962 at this point.)  As most of you already know, instrumental hits became scarcer and scarcer as the decade wore on ... but there were still a TON on instrumentals hits that floated around the bottom region of the chart ... and it's AWESOME to be able to collect them all in one place ... and in pristine sound.

You can check THOSE out here, too:  Click here: Amazon.com: Music

Kent,
I enjoyed looking through the surveys you posted from the Philippines.  When I saw that Tammy Wynette's song APARTMENT #9 charted, it reminded me of another version. Now to be honest with you, I am not familiar with her version. However, in 1967 on our local top 40 radio station's weekly survey, local group Jim Edgar & the Roadrunners had a version that peaked at #4 in February of that year. What a group that was.
Larry

>>>One of our local DJ's would turn the New Christy Minstrels record over and play the flip side, THEY GOTTA QUIT KICKIN' MY DOG AROUND. Always liked that tune over the "A" side of the record.  (Larry)
Larry and Kent,

I recorded this off KOMA or WKY at the time, but it took a few years before I knew who sang it.  Eventually, I tracked it down because it was a song I always remembered from my childhood that made me sing a long.  It reminds me of another novelty B side of the era I liked.  The B side of the Glencoves hit "Hootennany" was "It's Sister Ginny's Turn to Throw the Bomb".  I never heard it on radio like the Minstrels song, but when I saw that title on the B side, I just HAD to play it! 
It's like seeing the below B side when I got "Deep Purple" as a kid too.  Ya gotta play this and see what is going on with this title!  Anaheim, Jeremy Peabody, here's another one ...

 FH Reader sent us this vintage article regarding Dave Clark ... written by none other than FH Reader (and noted author) Bob Greene ... way back in 1987!

Click here: He`s The Dave Clark One Now - Chicago Tribune

Hello Kent:
Thanks to some of your research, I was able to clear up some misinformation this week about the first radio station to play the Beatles in America. Ultimate Classic Rock (which does good work generally) posted that WWDC in Washington was the first, with "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in December, 1963. This sent me to the chart database at ARSA and to a recent post at your site, and I was able to clear it up. The people at UCR were kind enough to update their post with my info.
My post: http://jabartlett.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/who-played-the-beatles-first/ 
Couldn't have done it without you.
Merry / Happy
jb
The Hits Just Keep on Comin' 
jabartlett.wordpress.com

Hi JB ... thanks for the plug.  It was the repeated misinformation that kept circulating that prompted me to do my research in the first place.  When a legitimate Beatles biography ("Shout") gets published crediting the Washington DC station as being the first station in The States to play a Beatles record ... or when a legitimate radio station like Sirius / XM touts Murray The K for being the first when he played "She Loves You" (despite the fact that Dick Clark ALSO featured "She Loves You" on American Bandstand ... where it pretty much tanked), I just felt that the REAL facts deserved to be out there.  There's been about a dozen years of research since mine, which is why these other "Please Please Me" chartings are now showing up.  (Credit Beatles historian Bruce Spizer for a lot of that work ... after he first published my findings, he did some serious digging of his own and came up with, I believe, FIVE stations in all that played "Please Please Me" in 1963, although none as early as WLS did.  I still believe that's because VeeJay Records was based here and a relationship was already established between the label and Dick Biondi.  And let's face it ... VeeJay was hot at the time, scoring several hits by The Four Seasons at this point.) 

I have visited your site before and enjoy it.  Hopefully you'll continue to check out ours as well ... there is ALWAYS something interesting going on here.  (kk)

We heard from a couple of other readers who saw or heard our name mentioned in conjunction with this "special anniversary" ... evidently several radio stations and music blogs across the country were celebrating the first airing of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" last week ... most often incorrectly referring to this event as the first time The Beatles were played in America.  (Of course Forgotten Hits Readers know better ... and have known better for about twelve years now!)

Anyway, here's another shout out to our article ... as well as a link to the original piece as well ...

Click here: Who Played the Beatles on American Radio First?

Click here: Forgotten Hits - Who Played The Very First Beatles Record In America?

Good News!  Looks like I'll finally get the chance to see "20 Feet From Stardom" after all.  If it ever played in Chicago, we missed it ... but it is coming back for ONE NIGHT ONLY on Tuesday,  January 7th, at The Lake Theater in Oak Park.  It's supposed to be a magnificent film, spotlighting the background singers who just never seem to get the proper recognition for helping to make our superstars sound so amazing live on stage.  Gonna have to make it a point to get to this one!  More details here:  
Click here: Classic Cinemas MovieTime Email(SM)

(kk)

Kent ...

12/20/1973 = On the 40th anniversary of Bobby Darin's death, this might be a good time to look back. The start of his career.
Frank B.

Click here: Bobby Darin and the Turn from Junk Music

I know, I know ... we STILL haven't posted our Bobby Darin Web Page.  (There just isn't the time in the day to do so ... that series ran for a full month ... to edit it all back down now to fill a web page is an insurmountable amount of work ... but I still plan on getting to it SOME day!!!)  Meanwhile, you can enjoy this look back at the early days of Bobby's career.  (kk)

After reading about the passing of Jack Reardon, who wrote "The Good Life", FH Reader Clark Besch felt compelled to write Paul Evans this email:

Hi Paul, 

I read about your friend who wrote "The Good Life".  What a GREAT song that was!  Your songs will always be memorable for me and my brothers as well.  I thought of something to ask you.  Back in say, 1968 or so, when Bobby Vinton was a long time star as was his music, did you ever think there would be a time when radio would NOT be playing "Roses are Red"??  I am guessing NO.  I used to hear it as oldies for so many years that I would have thought YOU would never think of it as one not remembered by the public.  Of course, old timers like me still remember how BIG it was, but now, many don't even know who Bobby Vinton is, let alone his music.  I also wondered if you were ever contacted for a follow-up, since "Blue on Blue" is great, too, but not written by you, yet with a similar theme.  

Have a great holiday season! 

Clark Besch

I wondered what Paul might have said on this (as I wanted to share it with our readers.)  Here's the reply he sent me:  
I did respond to Clark's question:  
I'm always amazed at how my songs have gone on and on. It's an honor and and it comes with a bit of pride.  
After "Roses Are Red (My Love)" became the monster that it was, there was a great deal of competition for the follow-up for his next record.    
By the way, Kent, I had one more song recorded by Bobby and released in an album.  "Life Goes On" (Evans / Parnes) was submitted directly to Bobby after being accepted by his producer, Bob Morgan, but it was turned down by Bobby who told me that it was a terrific song but not a number one song.  (Who could argue with his string of number ones?)  
I don't think I mentioned to Clark that so many people told me that the song would NOT be forgotten, that I always had confidence that it would always be there.  And it has always been very, very good to me.  
Paul  
Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you as well ... speaking of which ...

re:  MERRY CHRISTMAS: 

Hi Kent:  

How about a list of favorite Rock Xmas 45’s / songs??  

Ken

Not enough time to pull it together now ... maybe we can do it justice next year.  Actually, I'm going to take some time off here at the holidays to "regroup" a little bit.  But I'll bet our readers could come up with one heck of a list! (kk)

Hi to my "Oldies" friends,

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a warm holiday season and a happy and healthy 2014.

LONG MAY ROCK LIVE AND PROSPER!

Paul Evans

By the way, my "Santa's Stuck Up In The Chimney" video has now gotten over 1,365,000 views on You Tube.  And now teachers are writing to let me know that their students will be singing "Santa" at their Christmas concerts.    
So check it out (and bring your kids)  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?=557tQC86thA

Well, first I'd like to say thanks again to the person who gave the Forgotten Hits List the Christmas and Then Some program last year. Between it, and all the other Christmas music I own, I haven't had to turn on the awful Christmas programming that radio has been offering. The playlist gets smaller and worse each year. Sheesh.  Those damn consultants. 

My favorite new Christmas album of the year is the Kelly Clarkson Unwrapped album.  I always thought she had a great versatile voice and this album shows all her styles from the traditional things, a little big band, and some darn good new things. There are even a couple nods to Phil Spector. In a sea of dull Christmas albums this year I thought this one is a keeper. 

Bill

Kelly says it's her best work. (And it sounds like she finished it just in time ... morning sickness has her barfing about twelve times a day right now!!!)
I enjoy most of it ... her Christmas television special, not so much ... but she always sounds amazing.  One surprise I saw on the new CD ... she credits "Run Rudolph Run" to Johnny Marks as the songwriter.  Most will argue that while Marks wrote the original "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer", "Run Rudolph Run" was all Chuck Berry's doing.  But the fact is, it's simply not true!

While Berry is most definitely the one who made it a hit, Marks co-wrote the song with Marvin Brodie, very much in the musical style of Chuck's rock-and-roll pattern.  Incredibly, when the record was first released in 1958, it was Chuck Berry who shared song-writing credit on the label with Brodie ... story goes that at the time the label and publisher were concerned that the black R&B stations wouldn't play the song if it was written by a "standards" Christmas composer like Johnny Marks ... so they tried to "hip things up" a bit by putting Chuck's name on the label.  (Actually the OFFICIAL wording was "Chuck Berry Music" ... although the song was actually published by St. Nicholas Music.)

Kent;   

From Willowdale  Ont Canada, I wish you and your American readers a great CHRIST  /mas

(Happy Holoday's is for summer vacations) and a great 2014.

Kind of a Christ / masie pic for you, 'stead of a card . Next years Olympics, refing in the hockey,  NHL refs and one is Kevin Pollock, from?????   KINCARDINE.  HIS DAD is my Sis's husband's brother

yours,    

Robert Black  

Kincardine & Willowdale

Ont CANADA      

EH?  EH?

The annual “A Hometown Holiday” with Mike Baker And The Forgotten 45s will air Christmas Day December 25th from 7 am - 4 pm on WLTL-FM 88.1 and stream. 

Mike Baker And The Forgotten 45s broadcast the first "A Hometown Christmas" on Christmas Day, 1995. Carol and Joe Gentile on WJJG-AM 1530 brought the holiday special to listeners commercial-free. The annual special included Christmas one hit wonders, holiday hits from the golden age of top-40 and more. The holiday music oldies show was all live and local, year after year for 16 years.  

The current info and listen livehttp://mikebaker45s.wordpress.com/a-hometown-holiday/   

Chicago Christmas favorites include:  

(Sweet Angie) The Christmas Tree Angel - Fran Allison (host of Kukla, Fran & Ollie) 

Pretty Little Dolly - Mona Abboud  

At the above website is a list of Christmas one hit wonders that was originally published by Jerry Osborne in the Chicago Sun-Times.

MERRY CHRISTMAS BUDDY !!!!!!!!!!!! 

Jeff James

ASCAP has just released their list of The Top Ten Most Popular, Most Played Christmas Songs for this holiday season.  (It should be noted that all of the songs on this list are published by ASCAP ... no BMI Titles are listed ... so this is probably better reflected as a popular songs list rather than an absolute assessment.)  I don't know about you but I don't need to hear "Happy Xmas" by John and Yoko ever again any time soon.  I swear I've turned this song off at least 200 times these past few weeks!  (Hmm ... must be a BMI title!  lol)  kk    

Here are the top ten Christmas songs for the year with the composers and the most popular version.

1. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Written by Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne (Dean Martin)
2. Sleigh Ride - Written by Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish (Leroy Anderson)
3. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - Written by Meredith Willson (Johnny Mathis)
4. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Written by Johnny Marks (Brenda Lee)
5. Jingle Bell Rock - Written by Joseph Carleton Beal, James Ross Boothe (Bobby Helms)
6. Winter Wonderland - Written by Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith (Amy Grant)
7. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Written by Edward Pola and George Wyle (Andy Williams)
8. Do You Hear What I Hear? - Written by Gloria Shayne Baker, Noël Regney (Whitney Houston)
9. Frosty the Snowman - Written by Steve Nelson and Walter E. Rollins (Jimmy Durante)
10. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - Written by Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie (Bruce Springsteen)

Kent ...

Check out this kid.  Elvis lives on ... in the form of a 16 year old Canadian Dude!
Frank B.

Click here: Elvis Lives! (As a 16-Year-Old Canadian Dude) | Yahoo Music - Yahoo Music

And here's a clip of The Belmonts singing their Christmas tune "The Bell That Couldn't Jingle"

Frank B.

Click here: ? The Belmonts-The Bell That Couldn't Jingle - YouTube
 

Merry Christmas, my friend, from me, Wink Martindale & the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
http://hitparadehalloffame.com/a-christmas-wink/
John Rook

Time again for a visit from that old guy in the beard.

I hope your other bearded visitor brings you lotsa goodies ...and that you enjoy good health throughout the new year! 

Bob Dearborn

And, in light of all the controversy going on this past week, our buddy Renfield may be going out on a limb here with this statement ... but this week's R.I.P. Renfield newsletter proclaims ... 
 
I'm not looking to start any trouble ... but ... FROSTY the SNOWMAN is WHITE !!!

 

re:  DIGGIN' FORGOTTEN HITS: 

The bullet info was most interesting! And I love how you tied in the other bullet-related tracks. FH just can't be beat.

David Lewis

Hey Hits! (et al):
Great site; great recollections and collections!   Makes me want to turn around and do a few more WLS Silver Dollar Survey gigs!  Keep spinnin'
Bob Hale
WLS 1960 - 1964 

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