It's A Sunday Smorgasbord of Comments

July 4, 2015, 5:36 pm

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re:  Love And Mercy:  
Kent, 
This is Bob from Bolingbrook. I went and saw the Love and Mercy film last night and tho I'm no Chet Coppick, (love ya Chet!) I thought I'd comment on what I thought.  
Yes, Brian Wilson is obviously much more complex than what the movie showed. I also agree that John Cusack was ok (not great) as the older Brian, and I wonder if they could have searched a bit harder for someone who might have looked a bit more believable as the older Brian. Paul Dano I thought did and looked a great part. 
I know you only have so much time to tell a story, but those of us who have read about Brian for so many years knows that there is also lots that was not touched on.   
A few facts that I always enjoyed about the Beach Boys: 1. Dennis was the only Beach Boy that could surf, yet he was the one who drowned. 
2. When the Beatles first took to the airwaves, Brian was obsessed with trying to hear their sound and arrangement and vocals. He supposedly locked himself in a room / home for weeks to listen to their music over and over to find that inspiration.   
3. When Brian first heard Be My Baby by the Ronettes, he so loved that song that he wrote Don't Worry Baby and offered it up to Phil Spector. Phil told him that this song would not become a hit ... I think it's one of their very best with that California sound, the harmonies etc. 
4. Yes, it's well documented about Gene Landy, but I'm sure we are merely seeing one side of that story. 
5. They actually took the wardrobe and look of the Kingston Trio with the red-striped shirts to provide them the wholesome young trend at that time. 
6. I thought they were good friends of Jan and Dean in the early going and it would have been super cool to show a small part of the collaboration with them as part of this film. 
7. We all know of the huge ego that Mike Love had, and who can forget all of his womanizing and his wanting to be the focus point of most songs.  I do think the person who played Mike Love did well. 
8. It was great to see some acknowledgement of the Wrecking Crew. Hal Blaine was an absolute genius and it was nice to see at least his name mentioned and a few scenes.  
We all know what the drug scene was like back then, but I'm glad they didn't focus all on that. I would have liked to seen some more scenes (and music) of the early years when they first started to sing and arrange in the Wilson home. Surfin' would have been a great song for them to show starting off (I believe it was their first hit). 
Also, the long and well documented rift between Murry and the boys (not just Brian) was glazed over. Funny how they never really showed them on tour or singing in front of huge live audiences? 
All in all I give it 3 stars out of 5. I think there is so much left out that it's next to impossible for anyone to make a movie that can include all that went on. 
I also believe back many years ago our very own Chicago DJ - Steve Dahl - helped co-produce a very good movie on the Beach Boys (I think it was called Summer Dreams) and they actually did a great job of capturing that California time and of course the sound. 
Unless you are a HUGE Beach Boy's fan, I would honestly say to wait till this gets released on DVD. 
If you haven't had a chance to listen to the re-release of Pet Sounds where a few of the songs were done just with vocals, you REALLY need to check out the song Wouldn't It Be Nice, just to hear those vocal arrangements that made Brian Wilson the genius that he is. It's worth a listen.  
Happy 4th of July to all Forgotten Hits fans!   
Bob from Bolingbrook 
Dahl's movie was based on the Steven Gaines book "Heroes And Villains", the best ever written on the group in my opinion.  Dahl was a HUGE fan (and even collaborated with Brian Wilson on his "Imagination" album.)  The TV Movie was good (actually I think there've been TWO of them now) ... but, as everyone keeps saying, you're never going to cover it all ... it just depends on which topics they want to focus on .. and, as such, there will be things that each of us will always feel SHOULD have been in there ... but with "Love And Mercy" I feel it just took a very prejudicial look at the whole Brian / Landy thing.  He needed to break away when he did ... and kudos to Melinda and Brian's family for finally stepping in and making that happen ... but he ALSO needed the bought of therapy to get his head on straight again ... and THAT part was COMPLETELY overlooked in this film.  (kk)  

Kent,

I love how much thoughtful discussion you have devoted to the film and, because we've been friends now for so many years, I have mercy for your differing a view points.

SMiLE,

Phil

PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com

I can live with that.  (kk)

Tom Cuddy sends us this news piece on Carol Kaye, "famous" again for all her work in the '60's (despite the fact that she has been anything but supportive of the new "Wrecking Crew" film!)

http://www.laweekly.com/music/carol-kaye-is-the-greatest-bass-player-you-probably-never-heard-of-5499694

Vintage Vinyl News files this report ... Brian Wilson's set list from last week's show at Jones Beach in Wantagh , NY ...

Note some of the "guest vocals" being done this time around ...

The set list (Brian on lead except where noted):  
Main Set

• Our Prayer (from 20/20, 1968)
• Heroes and Villains (from Smiley Smile, 1967)
• California Girls (from Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!), 1965)
• Shut Down (from Surfin' U.S.A., 1963) (Brian and Al Jardine on vocals)
• Little Deuce Coupe (from Surfer Girl, 1963)
• I Get Around (from All Summer Long, 1964)
• You're So Good to Me (from Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!, 1965)
• This Whole World (from Sunflower, 1970) (Brian with Darian Sahanaja on vocals)
• Then I Kissed Her (from Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!), 1965) (Al Jardine lead vocal)
• Cotton Fields (from 20/20, 1968) (Al Jardine on lead vocal)
• In My Room (from Surfer Girl, 1963)
• Surfer Girl (from Surfer Girl, 1963)
• Don't Worry Baby (from Shut Down, Volume 2, 1964) (Matt Jardine on lead vocals)
• One Kind of Love (from Brian Wilson's No Pier Pressure, 2015)
• Sail Away (from Brian Wilson's No Pier Pressure, 2015) (Brian, Al and Blondie Chaplin on vocals)
• Wild Honey (from Wild Honey, 1967) (Blondie Chaplin on lead vocals)
• Sail On, Sailor (from Holland, 1973) (Blondie Chaplin on lead vocals)
• Darlin' (from Wild Honey, 1967) (with Darian Sahanaja on lead vocals)
• Wake the World (from Friends, 1968) (Al Jardine on lead vocals)
• Busy Doin' Nothin' (from Friends, 1968)
• Surf's Up (from Surf's Up, 1971)
• The Right Time (from Brian Wilson's No Pier Pressure, 2015) (Brian and Al Jardine on vocals)
• Runaway Dancer (from Brian Wilson's No Pier Pressure, 2015)
• Wouldn't It Be Nice (from Pet Sounds, 1966) (Matt Jardine on lead vocals)
• Sloop John B (from Pet Sounds, 1966) (Brian and Al Jardine on vocals)
• God Only Knows (from Pet Sounds, 1966)
• Good Vibrations (from Smiley Smile, 1967)

Encore

      All Summer Long (from All Summer Long, 1964)

• Help Me, Rhonda (from The Beach Boys Today!, 1965) (Al Jardine on lead vocals)
• Barbara Ann (from Beach Boys Party!, 1965)
• Surfin' U.S.A. (from Surfin' U.S.A., 1963)
• Fun, Fun, Fun (from Shut Down, Volume 2, 1964)
• Love and Mercy (from Brian Wilson, 1988)

re:  On The Radio: 

From DJ Stu Weiss ...

http://www.speakingofradio.com/

HI KENT -    

THIS IS GARY SABOURIN FROM RANCHO MIRAGE, CA.   I STUMBLED ONTO A VERY INTERESTING RADIO STATION ON TUNE IN RADIO TODAY!  IT IS NOT AN OLDIES STATION AS YOU HAVE DESCRIBED, BUT PLAYS 60S 70S AND EARLY 80S WITHOUT ANY COMMERCIAL INTERRUPTION AND NOT ONE REPEAT PLAY!  THE IDS AND LINERS SOUND LIKE THE 60S POP STATIONS WE GREW UP WITH. WHOEVER IS PROGRAMMING THIS GEM IS REALLY REALLY GOOD!  GIVE IT A LISTEN IF YOU CAN FIND THE TIME.  

GARY

MY BAD!!!  THE CALL LETTERS ARE JFRC

Kent,

I just discovered your great blog, which overflows with information, enthusiasm, and passion.

I host a weekly radio show in Central Florida, on WPRK 91.5 FM.  Below is a link to a 2-hour interview with Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent of The Zombies (within a 4-hour program devoted to the group).  Recorded in-studio on their 2014 US tour, I think you'll enjoy.  It was nice to read Dennis Tufano's kind raves about the group on your blog (and his is an underrated voice, isn't it?).

Best to you.

-- John Riley

Host, Magic Transistor Radio

WPRK 91.5 FM

Winter Park, FL

www.wprk.org

https://archive.org/details/ZombiesWPRKInterviewWithRodArgentAndColinBlunstone

Hi Kent,
I just wanted you to know that our new and improved website, www.theairplaychannel.com, is up. We've added some new interviews and hope to shoot some more soon. We just posted our first trivia quiz. We'll randomly select one of the people with the highest score and they'll win a DVD of "Airplay". Comments are welcome. We'd also really appreciate it if you guys would like our Facebook page, "Airplay: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio",  I'm hoping to get a schedule of where and when it's airing. We really appreciate the support you've given us
Thanks,
Carolyn Travis

Great news, Carolyn.  (And this is a great little film, by the way, for the benefit of anyone who hasn't yet seen it.)  Be sure to check out the new and improved site!  (kk)

New from iHeart Radio ...

My 2KFrom Dance-Pop to Indie Rock with a dash of Emo. My 90s Grunge, Gangster Rap, and Boy Bands. My 80sFrom Michael to Madonna. All the 80s hits!

My 70sTake it back to the land of Disco. My 60sThe Beatles through Woodstock. Groovy, baby. My 50s  Throw it back to the birth of Rock 'n' Roll.

Or, you can just listen to The True Oldies Channel ... who offers a little bit of all of the above ... and ALSO an iHeart Radio station ...  http://trueoldieschannel.com/

And, speaking of good radio ...

Kent ...

Here's how WCBS-FM Radio is celebrating 4th of July Weekend ...

Once an hour they're playing the top 3 songs on the 4th of July in past years.

If it was up to me, I would've played the top 4 songs for the 4th of July.
Frank B.

Clever idea ... but probably not too many rarities on this list.  (A few years back Lou Simon and I did a "May The 4's Be With You" radio special for Sirius / XM's '60's channel, playing the biggest hits that peaked at #4 during the '60's.)

Here's what you're missing on WCBS-FM by only hearing the Top 3 Hits ... in order, (from 1955 - 1985), these were the #4 Records on The 4th Of July for each of those years. (Of course, I doubt that even WCBS-FM went back THIS far ... because, as we all know, music didn't really start until about 1965!!!)

55- Unchained Melody by Les Baxter; 56 - Standing On The Corner by The Four Lads; 57 - Teddy Bear by Elvis Presley; 58 - Witch Doctor by David Seville (when's the last time you heard THAT one on the radio?!?!?); 59 - Dream Lover by Bobby Darin; 60 - Because They're Young by Duane Eddy; 61 - Raindrops by Dee Clark; 62 - It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin' by Johnny Tillotson; 63 - Blue On Blue by Bobby Vinton; 64 - Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying by Gerry and the Pacemakers; 65 - Wooly Bully by Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs; 66 - Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones; 67 - San Francisco by Scott McKenzie; 68 - Yummy Yummy Yummy by The Ohio Express; 69 - Too Busy Thinking About My Baby by Marvin Gaye; 70 - The Long And Winding Road by The Beatles; 71 - Rainy Days And Mondays by The Carpenters; 72 - Lean On Me by Bill Withers; 73 - I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby by Barry White; 74 - Be Thankful For What You've Got by William DeVaughn; 75 - I'm Not Lisa by Jessi Colter; 76 - Sara Smile by Daryl Hall and John Oates; 77 - Da Doo Ron Ron by Shaun Cassidy; 78 - Take A Chance On Me by ABBA; 79 - We Are Family by Sister Sledge; 80 - It's Still Rock And Roll To Me by Billy Joel; 81 - Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield; 82 - Heat Of The Moment by Asia; 83 - Time by Culture Club; 84 - Self Control by Laura Branigan and 85 - Raspberry Beret by Prince.

DEFINITELY some rare ones in THAT batch!!!  Try some of these on for size ...  (kk)

Between flipping around Me-TV-FM Friday night and watching the Will Smith flick "Focus" (which, despite unanimous negative reviews from the critics, I STILL rated higher than the "Love And Mercy" flick), we heard a GREAT batch of music ... when is the last time you heard any of THESE songs coming out of your radio???  (kk)

re:  Beatles and Beatles-Related:

Vintage Vinyl News is reporting that a archival Beatles film planned for theatrical release has been sidelined by Sony Pictures ...   

Sony has successfully defended their intellectual property and stopped the release of the film The Beatles: The Lost Concert.
The film was based around 35 minutes of footage obtained by Ace Arts of the band's first U.S. concert on February 11, 1964 at the Coliseum in Washington, DC. Additional footage, photos and interviews were used to flesh out the show to make a 92 minute documentary.
On May 6, 2012, Ace Arts and Screenvision had planned on showing the film in 500 theaters across the U.S. before Sony and Apple Corps successfully obtained an injunction to shop the presentation. Ace Arts subsequently sued Sony and ATV, saying "At the eleventh hour, in mid-April 2012, Sony / ATV, at the insistence of, and in conspiracy with, Apple Corps, wrongfully interfered with the distribution contract by making false statements to exhibitors, theater owners and potential distributors concerning Ace’s legal right to exhibit the documentary, making unjustified threats of legal action and filing a baseless lawsuit in England."
On Wednesday, Sony Corp won a final court battle in the U.K. that found that Ace Arts had infringed Sony's copyrights in both England and the U.S. The judge based the verdict on the fact that Sony owned the rights to eight of the twelve songs that the Beatles performed that night. 
If the film had been released, this is what you would have seen them perform:Roll Over Beethoven / From Me to You / I Saw Her Standing There / This Boy / All My Loving / I Wanna Be Your Man / Please Please Me / Till There Was You / She Loves You / I Want to Hold Your Hand / Twist and Shout / Long Tall Sally

In other Beatles news ...

Noted Beatles Artist Shannon will be unveiling her latest work, The Beatles / Shea Stadium painting at the Danbury, CT, "Fab 4 Music Festival," New York / New England's only regional Beatles-themed outdoor Music, Food & Arts festival being held this year on Saturday, August 15, 2015.

Not so coincidently, The Beatles played their historic first Shea Stadium concert on August 15, 1965.  This brand new artwork by Shannon reflects that momentous occasion, 50 years later to the exact date.  Fans will "come together" at Ives Concert Park, 43 Lake Ave Ext, on the campus of Western CT State University, in Danbury, Connecticut, for a celebration of the Shea concert anniversary. Doors will open at noon, and the music will continue until  8pm. The event, also billed as "Danbury Fields Forever," is in its fourth year, and is a family-friendly event with music and attractions for all ages.
Shannon is widely regarded as "The World’s Greatest Beatles Artist," a name bestowed upon her by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool in 1998. Shannon started gaining attention by entering a Beatles Art Contest in New York twenty five years ago, where she won the first prize. She soon began to tour Beatles festivals around the world with just an airbrush and electric eraser, painting at live events to showcase her Beatles artwork. Her success was immediately recognized across the globe, especially in Liverpool, where she created all the artwork for the historic Hard Days Night Hotel.  Sir Paul McCartney owns a Shannon portrait, and her work has been praised by John Lennon’s sister Julia and his first wife Cynthia. Ringo Starr is rumored to have a piece of Shannon’s artwork in his studio, depicting him and John together.

The Fab 4 Musical Festival's producers commissioned Shannon to create a special design of The Beatles at Shea Stadium using four separate images she had painted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in their 1965 Shea jackets. These will be on display at the event along with many of Shannon's other famed Beatles images. Shannon will be one of the special guests of honor at the festival.

The musical artists performing will be: The Hofners, The Blue Meanies, Penny Lane, The Oh Nos, Number Nine, The Navels, AfterFab, Strictly Beatles and School of Rock. The Hofners will be recreating the entire Shea Stadium concert with some other surprises from the year 1965. 

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles' Shea Stadium concert in 1965, full-day advance "Ticket to Ride" admissions to the Fab 4 Music Festival are only $19.65 available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beatles-music-festival-2015-danbury-fields-forever-fab-4-music-festival-tickets-14945919648.  There are also V.I.P. tickets available and hotel packages. Tickets will be higher at the door.

In addition to the music, there will be more Beatle and memorabilia dealers and vendors, exhibitors, attractions, along with a large variety of food options available.

With a full day of fab four fun, as The Beatles sang, "It's Guaranteed to Raise a Smile." 

For further info, visit website: www.Fab4MusicFestival.com, email: info@Fab4MusicFestival.com, or phone (203) 795-4737. Shannon's art can be seen at www.theshannongallery.com. 

From FH Reader Tom Cuddy, an interactive virtual tour of Abbey Road Studios ...  https://insideabbeyroad.withgoogle.com/en

And. from former Lettermen Gary Pike ...

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/06/04/us-news-quiz-10-questions-to-
test-if-youre-a-true-beatles-fanatic

>>>Several artists took a crack at "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", the two biggest hits both being instrumentals.  (kk)

Kent,

I am surprised Larry did not mention the KOMA and OKC hit version by George Martin!  YES, THAT George Martin!  It is EXTREMELY alike to the Sounds Orchestral version.  His version was top 10 EXACTLY 50 years ago this week on KOMA.  I have the survey, but no time to find and scan right now.  Here's what was on it.

http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=10041

This was the first week that our family was in OKC for a month stay while my dad was at radio school for the FAA.  It was a great month listening to WKY and KOMA battle in OKC for radio supremacy.  We got to see Roger Miller and Gary Lewis & Playboys live while there.  The KOMA Good Guys signed my survey at the latter show.  Seeing the DJs was almost as important as seeing Gary Lewis.  It was a great time.  Little did I know that I would work on CDs by artists containing the hits here and holding #1, 21, 23, 31, 40 positions, as well as the O'Jays' KOMA Klimber!

Clark Besch

And look ... there's "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" falling out of the #1 position, just like you told us a couple of weeks ago!  Thanks, Clark.  (kk)

re:  This And That:

MICKY DOLENZ 54 BELOW REHEARSAL EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW 

Next week in NYC, at cabaret-club 54 Below, Monkee Micky Dolenz debuts a new show called A Little Bit Broadway; A Little Bit Rock ‘n Roll, and we have an exclusive peak into his rehearsal sessions held last week.

Working with a new band, with music director Michael J. Moritz, Dolenz performs several Broadway numbers that are simply sensational. 

Watch him do “Don’t Be The Bunny” from the show Urinetown.  As part of the show, Micky also performs “Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago along with several Monkees numbers, including a rare performance of the Carole King / Toni Stern song from Head, “As We Go Along.”

The shows are July, 7, 10, and 11 ... a live album will be recorded and released on Broadway Records in September.

http://54below.com/artist/micky-dolenz/

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

Hi Kent, 
We have a news release for you about an artist with whom I think you are familiar.  Hope you find it interesting!  
Thanks, 
Maureen Lilla 
AW Productions, LLC 
Plymouth, MA

THE UNWRITTEN SONG BEHIND NIKE’S INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN’S SOCCER AD

BOSTON, MA – June 18, 2015 – A 1970 classic rock hit by singer-songwriter Burton Cummings and his former band, the Guess Who, is becoming a hot topic in sports advertising.

As the US women’s national soccer team continues its quest for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Nike’s new commercial is winning praise from fans and media, alike. Without a spoken word, the ad features inspiring images of America’s women soccer players backed by Cummings’ original recording of “American Woman.”

USA TODAY calls the ad “amazing.”  NESN reports “Nike Stirs Passion for USA Soccer in ‘American Woman’ Commercial.” 

Burton Cummings is the distinctive voice and creative force behind Canada’s original version of the Guess Who. Cummings wrote or co-wrote nearly all of the group’s songs and continues to write, including all nineteen tracks on his artistically acclaimed 2010 album, “Above the Ground.” 

But unlike Cummings’ other songs, “American Woman” wasn’t "written."

The artist’s Boston promoter, AW Productions, LLC, says, “The legendary hit offers evidence of what Burton Cummings’ quick mind can do in a pinch.” Talking in a parking lot between shows, he lost track of time. Hearing his band playing riffs without him, the lead singer raced back on stage and improvised what became the group’s best-known song. 

Since the original 1969 recording reached No. 1 on Billboard's "Hot 100" and No. 3 song for the year 1970, “American Woman” has been covered by countless artists, featured in the film American Beauty, and recorded by Lenny Kravitz for Austin Powers’ The Spy Who Shagged Me.

Amid growing praise for the Nike commercial, a few commenters on YouTube wonder about possible “anti-American lyrics” or an American team song written by a Canadian.

Cummings disavows political intent in his improvised lyrics, and as a dual citizen, has resided for decades in both Los Angeles and Canada.  He tours in both countries and, in Las Vegas, entertains Americans, Canadian curling conventioneers, and visitors from around the world. In a global environment, Nike’s music choice serves as an inspirational theme for Americans competing among international teams and venues as well as for Nike’s women customers of all nationalities.

Currently performing both solo and with his band, Burton Cummings is scheduled to bring his show, “Up Close and Alone,” to Boston’s Berklee Performance Center on October 3rd. For more information about the concert, presented by AW Productions, LLC of Plymouth, MA, visitwww.awproductions.rocks.

Link to Nike ad:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVXkkZp_jBQ

Burton Cummings in Las Vegas, 2014

Photo credit:  M Lilla, AW Productions, LLC

ELO front man Jeff Lynne is supposed to be coming to the US for a series of shows ... and we can't wait to see him!!!

Meanwhile, a DVD of his British Hyde Park concert will be released on September 15th ... so you may want to get your hands on this one, too!  (This sounds like a KILLER concert ... with a nice bonus documentary to boot!)  kk

EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE

JEFF LYNNE’S ELO

LIVE IN HYDE PARK

~ON DVD, BLU-RAY, AND DIGITAL FORMATS~

SEPTEMBER 11, 2015

 New York, NY (June 29, 2015)--On September 11, 2015, Eagle Rock Entertainment, in association with the BBC, will release Live In Hyde Park by Jeff Lynne’s ELO on DVD, Blu-ray and digital formats [MSRP TBA].  This release offers fantastic value with a full-length concert and feature-length documentary on the same disc.  The show from Hyde Park includes ELO’s hits “Mr Blue Sky,” “Sweet Talkin’ Woman,” “Livin’ Thing,” “Evil Woman,” “Telephone Line,” “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Showdown,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “10358 Overture,” “Can’t Get It Out Of My Head,” “Strange Magic,” and many more!

The Electric Light Orchestra, led by one of rock’s most iconic songwriters and producers Jeff Lynne, is one of the most successful bands of all time with global sales of over 50 million albums. In September 2014, Jeff Lynne’s ELO headlined BBC Radio 2’s “Festival In A Day” in London’s famous Hyde Park. It was the first time in almost 30 years that the band had performed on a festival stage. Jeff Lynne said, “It seemed like the entire 50,000 were singing and clapping along, which carried on for the whole night. The Hyde Park concert turned out to be one of the most memorable shows ever for me”.

The critics agreed, with The Times (UK) saying it was “near perfect” in their 5-star review and the Evening Standard (London) marveling that “ELO still have the power to flick switches” in their 4-star review. Neil McCormick of the Telegraph (UK) noted how “fifty thousand grown men and women sang along in joyous rapture to some of the greatest pop music ever heard.”

As well as the full Live In Hyde Park show, the Bonus Features offer the feature length documentary Mr Blue Sky – The Story Of Jeff Lynne and ELO and also new interviews filmed at Hyde Park. Jeff Lynne has been involved every step of the way with every aspect of this production, especially the audio delivery, saying: “It’s important to me that viewers experience the Hyde Park show exactly as it was performed on the night … in stereo.”

This show was a truly special moment that will live on in fans’ memories forever - the 50,000 tickets for the event had sold out in a matter of minutes and the fans sang along to hit after hit performed by Jeff Lynne and the band accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra.  Live In Hyde Park by Jeff Lynne’s ELO will be cherished by all who love this truly important band.

TRACK LISTING

1) All Over The World  

2) Evil Woman  

3) Ma-Ma-Ma Belle  

4) Showdown  

5) Livin’ Thing  

6) Strange Magic  

7) 10538 Overture  

8) Can’t Get It Out Of My Head  

9) Sweet Talkin’ Woman  

10) Turn To Stone  

11) Steppin’ Out  

12) Handle With Care  

13) Don’t Bring Me Down  

14) Rock ‘n’ Roll Is King  

15) Telephone Line  

16) Mr Blue Sky  

17) Roll Over Beethoven

Kent ...

Big concert news this week on the East Coast ... 

7/1/2015 - Billy Joel breaks the tie he had with Elton John for most appearances at Madison Square Garden with his 65th concert.

Billy recognizes Elton with his version of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRBQY5wf0co
7/1/2015 - Bruce Springsteen is a surprise guest at Brian Wilson's concert at the PNC Performing Arts Center (New Jersey).He sings harmony on " Barbara Ann. "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxLfAYhXi2g
Frank B.

Billy and Elton toured for awhile as The Piano Men ... VERY hot ticket at the time.  (Another time I didn't get to see Billy Joel!!!)  And I think Springsteen may have sang "Barbara Ann" a time or two on his own, too!  (kk)  Still, a couple of nice concert surprises, to be sure!  (kk)

I recently viewed an info commercial for live performances of the R&R Hall of Shame inductions.  I noted that almost EVERY song shown was a classic 60's / 50's rock song.  There were none by these newer artists or obscure artists being put in constantly.  SO, why does the hall think those should be in when their own DVD has mostly performances by the big heavy weights??

Clark Besch

I actually have that box set ... in fact, one of our Forgotten Hits Readers sent it to me because they said they watched it once and knew they would never watch it again!  (Honestly, I haven't even gotten THAT far!!!  lol)

But you raise a good point ... all of these all-star jams include the "classic rock" of our youth ... not some hot new, flash-in-the-pan fad.  Worse yet, is that any number of artists have been invited to perform at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Museum without EVER making the ballot for induction consideration.  Seem like they're talking out of both sides of their mouths to you???  (kk)

Hey Kent,
After taking in the national news last week, and watching President Obama singing "Amazing Grace" as part of his eulogy at the South Carolina funeral service, I couldn't get the song out of my head. I kept hearing the instrumental version, featuring bagpipes, as I tried to sleep that night. Time and again, bagpipes have been voted the least popular musical instrument in the world, so I was surprised when the song by The Pipes and Drums and the Military Band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (There's a name for ya!) became a pop hit in '72. Judy Collins had a hit with it a year before and, as much as I love Judy, I couldn't wait for both versions to make it to the end on the radio. There is one recording featuring bagpipes, however, that I actually like: "Bonaparte's Retreat" by Glen Campbell. It's fun to hear all the instruments play at the same time, as the song winds down; very cleverly put together! I don't know how far it made it up the charts, but I used to hear it played a lot. I once saw Campbell sing the song and play all the instruments (including the bagpipes) on TV.
Monday, I watched "I'll Be Me", but got bored with it after an hour and 20 minutes, so I turned off the TV. Now, I will have to view the last 40 minutes, to see his session with "The Wrecking Crew". Unfortunately, the only time I heard him in person was when he toured with The Beach Boys.
- John LaPuzza

Bored???  Wow, I couldn't look away ... and will watch it again next chance I get.  The ending IS especially moving.  As for "Bonaparte's Retreat", it never made the pop charts ... but was a #3 Country Hit for Glen Campbell in 1974.  I searched YouTube but couldn't find the clip you're referring to ... anybody out there have access to this?  Might be kinda cool to see.  (kk)

FH Reader Mickey Cooksey sent us this Social Media Tribute to the late Joe Bennett ...   
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20150628/MULTIMEDIA/150629758/0/search   

Kent, 
When I first saw the title of Charlie Gracie's latest CD, ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER, I thought immediately of the 1961 Shelby Flint tune. Also, with the mentioning of Joe Bennett's passing, I am reminded of the first four records I ever bought as a kid. Really can't remember which was first, second, third, or fourth, but his BLACK SLACKS was one of them. I drove my parents crazy playing that record over and over on my record player in my bedroom. The other three were MOONLIGHT GAMBLER by Frankie Laine, WHITE SILVER SANDS by Don Rondo AND I DREAMED by Betty Johnson. One of Joe Bennett's follow-ups was a song called COTTEN PICKIN' ROCKER (FROM WAY BACK). As a kid, I always referred to that song as the "hiccup song". For those of your readers who might be familiar with it, they will know what I'm talking about. Have a great 4th of July. 
Larry  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48YDJuAfOhk

Next week in Forgotten Hits ...

Monday it'll be our usual Monday Morning 50 Year Flashback, spotlighting a chart from July 6th, 1965 ...

But then on Tuesday we kick off a VERY special 4-Part Series spotlighting the brand new Ides Of March 50th Anniversary Box Set  (4 CD's + a DVD).

Watch for tracks from the box ... tracks that didn't MAKE the box ... and an EXCLUSIVE Forgotten Hits Interview with Jim Peterik.  (This is one you're NOT going to want to miss!!!)

So be there or be square ... Next Week In Forgotten Hits!

---

50 Year Flashback: July 6th, 1965

July 6, 2015, 4:00 am

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We kick off July with a chart from KLBK in Lubbock, Texas, where we find The Rolling Stones on top again with their monster hit, "Satisfaction".

Elvis Presley sits at #3 with "Crying In The Chapel" ... and he's also got the #9 hit with "Easy Question".

Herman's Hermits have two hits on the charts as well with "Wonderful World" (#5) and "I'm Henry The VIII, I Am" at #14.

Roger Miller's got a great two-sided hit at #18 with "It Happened Just That Way" / "One Dyin' And A Buryin'" ... and Chad and Jeremy and The Byrds both have hits on this week's Top 40 Chart as well as the "Good Guys Disc-Coveries" chart of up-and-coming hits ... quite a list with 24 selections as well as a "Pick Hit Of The Week".

KLBK took some title liberties with some of these listings.  Normally, we'll find abbreviations on many of the surveys that we feature ... but these guys felt a need to ADD words to some of these song titles ... as well as a couple of the artists' names.  That's why you'll find examples like "Here Comes The Night" by The Them, "I'm A Little Fool" by Dino, Desi and Billy and "You'd Better Come Back Home" by Petula Clark.

The Ides Of March 50th Anniversary Box Set (1)

July 7, 2015, 4:00 am

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THE IDES OF MARCH 
 LAST BAND STANDING –  
THE DEFINITIVE 50-YEAR ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
 NEW DELUXE LIMITED EDITION 5-DISC SET 
AVAILABLE NOW!  
http://theidesofmarch.com/

2015 marks the 50^th anniversary of the band that drove the 1970 Billboard smash “Vehicle” to the top of the charts: The Ides Of March. To commemorate this momentous occasion, the band has just released a deluxe limited edition 5-Disc set Last Band Standing – The Definitive 50-Year Anniversary Collection via Ides Of March Records.   

Last Band Standing is a perfectly executed celebration of The Ides Of March history and a showcase of a band still in their prime at 50 years deep. Original members Jim Peterik (also of Survivor fame and songwriter behind “Eye Of The Tiger,” as well as many other chart-toppers), Bob Bergland, Larry Millas, and Mike Borch started as a group of teenagers whose love of Rock N Roll and R&B led them to showcases and bandstands around their native Chicago, eventually hitting it big nationally with “Vehicle.”   

The first four audio discs contain material from across their storied career. Included are Warner Brothers albums Vehicle (1970) and Common Bond (1971), first-time-ever releases of the best of their RCA releases World Woven (1972) and Midnight Oil (1973), and choice cuts from the 90s, such as Spirit Of Chicago– an ode to the Windy City featuring some of the area’s most prominent artists – Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Dennis DeYoung (Styx), Gary Loizzo (American Breed), cult favorite Jim Ellison, and many more.   

Rarities like “Like It Or Lump It” and “No Two Ways About It” have been remastered in all their mono glory, along with other highlights culled from the Ides vault, such as 1966’s Billboard charter You Wouldn’t Listen (Parrot). The audio portion is completed with brand new Ides of March tracks, including the brass driven “Who I Am,” the harmonious “Too Far To Turn Around,” and the aptly titled “Last Band Standing,” featuring Steve Cropper– the iconic songsmith of Booker T and the MG’s and organizer of the Blues Brothers.   

Disc five is a live DVD of The Ides Of March performing 15 of their most iconic songs in an eleven camera shoot at the House Of Blues, Chicago on May 31, 2014. In addition to this high-energy hometown set, this DVD boasts a slew of extras: archival footage from their TV appearances in the 70's, new interviews, a look behind-the-scenes, a photo collage spanning 50 years plus an exciting new music video for the title track  “Last Band Standing.”   

Jim Peterik recently released his autobiography Through The Eye Of The Tiger: The Rock ‘N’ Roll Life Of Survivor’s Founding Member (BenBella Books). 

http://jimpeterik.com/   

Showing no signs of slowing down, The Ides Of March, who continue to tour to this day, are truly worthy of the title Last Band Standing.

*****

No media outlet has given The Ides Of March the amount of coverage that WE have here in Forgotten Hits over the past fifteen years.  For years we saluted them every time March 15th (The Ides Of March) came around.  Although we're a few years apart in age, we all went to the same high school where their presence was felt ... and is STILL felt ... every single day.  (A few years back, they renamed the street near the high school Ides Of March Way, commemorating all that these guys have done to put Berwyn, IL, on the map worldwide.  Even 50 years on, they have never lost sight of their very humble beginnings.)   

A few weeks ago, we received a nice review from Clark Besch for the brand new Ides Of March 50th Anniversary Box Set, a BEAUTIFUL package featuring four CD's (much of it previously unavailable on disc) and a fifth DVD disc featuring live performances and videos collected over the years.

 

At the request of Carol Kay at Kayos Productions, the PR firm handling this release (who wrote the introductory pieces shown above), we have added some of our own commentary to Clark's piece ... as well as a couple of back-and-forths with Jim Peterik of The Ides, too.  (This is a brand new, never-before-seen EXCLUSIVE Forgotten Hits interview with the band's show-stopper ... and you're NOT going to want to miss it!!!)  

And, to help sweeten the deal, Clark even dug up a few rare tracks NOT featured on the new box set to include as bonus material.  

Together, we've teamed up to give you some VERY special Ides of March coverage this week in Forgotten Hits ... so stick with us this week for a VERY special, one-of-a-kind  Clark / Kent Review of "Last Band Standing:  The 50th Anniversary Ides Of March Box Set".   

(Of course if we're going to use a catch phrase like that ... Clark / Kent Review ... then we just HAVE to kick this thing off with their 1970 Hit "Superman" (#48 in Record World, #64 in Billboard and, incredibly NOT charting here in Chicago!)  Where else are you gonna find a byline like THIS one?!?!?

Clark / Kent ... Hilarious! 

Jim Peterik

 

The Ides Of March - Part 2

July 8, 2015, 3:25 am

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When's the last time you saw a Clark / Kent byline on a story???   

But we've got a SUPER story to tell. 

Over the next few days we'll treat you to a review of the brand new Ides Of March 50th Anniversary Box Set, along with several tracks that did (and didn't!) make the cut ... some cool photos ... and an exclusive interview with Jim Peterik, the driving force behind the band.  

[I would first like to point out that Clark and I each wrote our box set reviews independenty of one another ... meaning I didn't see his until I edited it into this special week-long piece ... and he is seeing mine for the very first time today as it hits the website.  That being said, it's incredible how many time we agree on many of the same points ... and single out quite a few of the same tracks as being box set highlights.  The real icing on the cake came when Jim Peterik decided to join us to talk about the history of the band.  That pushed us over the top ... and makes this quite likely the most in-depth review you're ever going to see on this 50th Anniversary release.  For clarity purposes ... you'll find Clark Besch's Box Set Review in Blue ... My Comments, Review and Interview Questions in Black ... andJim Peterik's answers and Comments in Green.  We will continue to use this format throughout this very special four-part piece.]  

So, if you're ready, why don'tcha hop inside my car ... and we'll get this vehicle on the road!  (kk)   

*****

It seems that one of the best kept secrets of the year might be the new "Ides of March: Last Band Standing -- The Definitive 50 Year Anniversary Collection" five disc set released in April on a limited run basis.  It's possible that you know the Ides only for their everlasting hit, "Vehicle" from 45 years ago.  Maybe you are a fan of their 60's era and their first hit "You Wouldn't Listen" from 1966.  If so, you might have the band's great 60's Sundazed Music retrospective, "Ideology (1965 - 1968)."  Maybe you love the horn rock they produced throughout the early 1970's and have the great Rhino Handmade 2-disc set of their 1969 - 1973 tracks, "Friendly Strangers:  The Warner Brothers Recordings."  Maybe you think you don't need any more Ides music because you "have it all."  

I'm here to tell you that you are wrong!   

This new mega-set is what YOU need to buy so you can hear what this incredible band has produced over 50 years!  This is not just the 60's and 70's, but has recordings (several are previously unreleased) from EVERY decade of Ides music as well as their leader, Jim Peterik's, amazing career during this period.  

Let's start with the music.  Why not?  That's the key to this band: their amazing music and all of the musicianship and vocals that these four ALL ORIGINAL members have made in 50 years.  Jim Peterik, Larry Millas, Bob Bergland and Mike Borch all have writer credits on this set and ALL four have been the basis for the band from its inception in 1965 through today and into the future.  15 talented individuals have passed through the band in 50 years (all listed in the booklet in chronological order of joining the band), but these four have had the magic for the entire trip.  

The set contains four CDs and one great video DVD in an incredibly impressive box with three jewel cases to hold the discs.  There is a beautiful 18 page glossy booklet containing current band member mini auto-biographies and photos.  You will learn the secret of the "Ides Cure."  As to all the work put into the set, the list of credits is thorough and awesome.  Forgotten Hits (web site listed!) and yours truly are among them.  There are thank you's to about 30 area DJ's who helped the band over the years.  I loved that part.  FH's Michael Thom has assisted the Ides lately, as well. 
(Editor's Note:  For whatever it's worth, the Forgotten Hits website is incorrectly listed in the booklet as www.forgottenoldies.com ... we won't get any new visitors through THIS link!!!  [I actually thought about buying that web address to use as a forwarding device to the correct website since it appears to be available ... but nobody ever got back to me.]  That's OK ... maybe they can fix it on the next printing of the booklet.  (Oh wait ... that's right ... this is a limited edition release!)  Curses ... foiled again!!! - kk) 

Between the overall box booklet and the individual CD booklets, you'll get both vintage photos through the years, as well as the current band photos.  Each CD / DVD booklet has separate notes on the details (release dates, lead singers, writer / producer credits, etc.) of each of the discs' tracks.  There are shots of many LP and CD covers, sheet music, performance photos and record labels. Baker and Taylor really did things right with this limited release.  Lots of care and money went into this compilation, as it deserves.  If this hasn't sold you on the set, let's get into the music you may or may not know in this set.  

Growing up in Berwyn, The Ides Of March were always a huge presence in my life.  Reading Jim Peterik's biography, "Through The Eye Of The Tiger", was like a walk down memory lane as we both frequented so many of the same haunts.  Even though we never knew each other (Jim was a few years ahead of me in school), I always felt a connection to the band, who regularly played at Morton West High School when I was there.  Flash forward 40-plus years and The Ides Of March are still playing ... and I'm writing about them in Forgotten Hits!  (We have probably given The Ides more coverage over the past 16 years than any other publication in the world.)  Yes, even after all this time, I'm still a fan first!  

I asked Jim about the the origins of The Ides Of March ...  At first they called themselves The Shon-Dels, reportedly because Jim Peterik thought it would be a really cool name for a band after hearing Troy Shondell's name when he hit #1 here in Chicago with "This Time".  Apparently he wasn't the only one inspired by the name ... and, in 1966 ... when Tommy James and the Shondells hit the charts in a very big way with their #1 Hit "Hanky Panky", a name change was immediately in order.  From there, we all know that they took their name for Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar", which they just happened to be reading in High School.  (In hindsight, I guess this means they could have just as easily called themselves "Et Tu, Brute?")  Thank the Great God in Heaven that common sense prevailed!!! 

But The Ides' roots go deeper than this high school epiphany ...  

Kent Kotal / Forgotten Hits (kk):  Did you guys all first meet in Grade School? Junior High?  High School?  Who approached who?  What previous musical background did the members have before coming up with the core line-up that has lasted now for over 50 years?  And who and what were some of the original inspirations that caused you all to pick up instruments in the first place?    

Jim Peterik (JP):  I was in Cub Scouts with Bob Bergland and then Boy Scouts. We would go to summer camp with the scouts out in White Pines State Park every summer ... and then later, band camp.  We did our first performance together in 7th grade when we played "Stewball (Was A Racehorse)" for an assembly in the Piper school gym.  Larry was this mysterious guy in grade school that wore pink tinted glasses in 3rd grade!  I thought there must have been something wrong with his eyes but he told me recently it was for style only - waaaay before his time. He played percussion in the District 100 Band along with Mike Borch, so we were all buddies before The Shondels (later the Ides of March) came to be.  Larry and Bob showed up at the Berwyn Fourth of July celebration in 1963 and watched my band, the Renegades, play in the stands for 500 people.  They thought little of the band but liked my guitar prowess (I knew barre chords!) and my singing.  Larry pestered me by coming to my house twice ... I finally buckled and carried my amp two miles to rehearse with them the first time.  

kk:  So if I'm doing the math right, little Jimmy Peterik was already playing guitar in a band in 7th grade ... that would make you around 13 years old in 1963 ... a year BEFORE anybody in America had a clue who The Beatles were.  Certainly The British Invasion had a HUGE impact on every kid who has ever picked up a guitar post-1964 ... but who were your early influences that made you want to sing and play PRE-Beatles?  (My first guess would be The Ventures ... because they, too, inspired SO many kids to learn a rock and roll instrument ... but who else?)  

JP:  Pre-Beatles it was a potpourri of influence.  Here's the short list:  The Beach Boys, The Ventures,

The Shadows' Hank Marvin, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Dionne Warwick (and the music of Bacharach - David), The Coasters ... and anything written by Goffin - King (such as Will You Love Me Tomorrow by The Shirelles). 
(Editor's Note:  Here's something I just learned the other day while working on another project.  It seems like EVERY kid who ever picked up a guitar or a drum kit in the early '60's was influenced by The Ventures ... we ALL wanted to play like these guys.  In fact, one of the biggest, most inspiring albums The Ventures ever made was called "Learn To Play Like The Ventures" ... like I said, they inspired SO many kids to pick up an instrument ... and yet incredibly The Ventures did not play a single note on that album!  The entire LP was recorded by The Wrecking Crew because The Ventures were too busy out on the road touring ... because that's how they made their money!  Every guitar lick you heard on that album was laid down by Tommy Tedesco, father of Denny Tedesco, who put together the incredible documentary FINALLY available for home video release, "The Wrecking Crew."  Can you believe it? - kk)  

kk:  Did you start writing your own tunes immediately?  Back in the early days of afternoon sock-hops, the typical play list consisted of as many of the hits of the day as a band could plow their way through, hoping to sound at least a LITTLE bit like the record here and there.   

JP:  Yes.  I had a song already in my cannon, "Hully Gully Bay", that I wrote in 7th grade.  The Shondels never performed that but very early on I wrote "Like It Or Lump It" and "No Two Ways About It" with the help of the band and we started sneaking those into our set between covers by the Ventures, the Beatles, the Hondells, the Beach Boys, the Strangeloves and Cannibal and the Headhunters.  We also had a couple of boss instrumentals like "Corruption" and our break song "Quits."  

kk:  On numerous occasions you have referred to The Ides of March as "The Berwyn Beatles" ... I imagine it had to feel that way sometimes.  What was that like, knowing that you had a record playing on the radio that ALL of your classmates were listening to on the big pop stations WLS and WCFL?   

JP:  It was a pretty awesome feeling but we truly never let it go to our heads - we carried it silently -yet deep down it made us feel really special. The head of the hall guards, Mr Magro (Little Al), kept us down to earth by insisting on weekly check ups to monitor the length of our hair. We would grease it back and tuck the back into our shirts - worked every time.

DISC ONE:    

This disc begins with three very recent songs, with each focusing on both Jim Peterik's and the Ides' career.  The first two have that familiar blasting brass sound the band is known for today.  "Last Band Standing" is the set's namesake, but also a great retrospective of the career or the Ides.  "Who Am I" is a retrospective of Jim's life, IMO.  "Too Far to Turn Around" is, musically, a departure from the first two, and tells us that the future is still a bright one for the Ides.   

From there, we go back in time to the beginnings and the 1965 - 1969 era of the Ides, or the mostly pre-horn era of the band.  It is my fave CD of the set.  You get their very earliest two 45 sides (when they were known as the "Shon Dels Unlimited") showing clear influences from the Kinks to the Kingsmen.  The guitar solos get a bit buried in these early productions, but one thing ALL of the songs on this CD have, which is not always the case with most 60's garage bands, is that the lyrics are always heard clearly.  That is a true blessing of the Ides, especially when there are more lead singers than just Peterik on these tracks and the soaring harmonies are often amazing and quite unique when moving from song to song.  In fact, the lyrics always stand out on all of the discs here.   

Following the initial rare 45, comes the nugget, "You Wouldn't Listen," that launched their career into the elite of Chicago bands of the time.  This record was originally released as by Batt Mann and the Boy Wonders on a local Ginny Records label.  Thankfully, the band changed their name to the Ides of March and were sometimes promoted to be an English band.  "You Wouldn't Listen" was first released on the local label Harlequin Records and then, nationally on Parrot Records in early 1966.  Despite the label's misspelling of the band name on the record ("I'des of March") it quickly climbed Chicago's radio station charts and then the national charts, creating a top 40 hit for the band.  Dick Clark featured it on his American Bandstand weekly dance show (entire clip is on the DVD "Bonus" footage!).  
(Editor's Note:  For the record, it just missed The National Top 40 ... "You Wouldn't Listen" officially peaked at #41 on the national charts in Record World ... but was a #7 Hit here in Chicago on The WLS Silver Dollar Survey.  -kk)

Also included is the 45's "B" side, "I'll Keep Searching," which was good enough to be an "A" side or the follow-up single.  They opted for the raucous "Roller Coaster," which was a hit in both Chicago and New York, but failed to make inroads to the national charts.  The flipside and somewhat bubblegummy (this was two years before the word was popular for pop music), yet melodic, "Things Aren't Always What They Seem," is next in line.  Mike Borch's drumming could remind one of the Chicago area hit "Scratchy" by Travis Wamamack from a couple of years earlier. 

Besides these superb Parrot label 45s, there are original songs recorded at the time that were previously unreleased until the fabulous Sundazed "Ideology" CD and the bootleg album "We're Gonna Shine" came to be in the last two decades.  Ballads ("Don't Cry To Me"), rockers ("I'll Take You Back,"), harmony pop songs ("Please Don't Tell Me Lies") and occasional cover versions ("Train of Love,""You Tell Me Why,""The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore,""Sha La La  La Lee") infused with the sounds familiar in songs by the Byrds, the Turtles, the Beau Brummels, the Kinks, the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Small Faces show through on the thirteen songs here that were recorded in 1966.  "I Put It Out Of My Head" reminds me of a Cryan' Shames / Association conglomerate that is priceless.  It makes one wonder "How could Parrot have NOT put out an LP of these tracks?"  There's garage tracks and pop tracks that really DO "shine" throughout.    

kk:  Over a period of a few years you recorded enough tracks for Parrot Records to have filled an album.  Why do you think no album was ever released?  Was there ever talk of putting together an entire LP?  And where were these tracks actually recorded?   

JP:  In those days (and now it seems) unless you developed enough momentum (say two major hits or more) the labels were reticent to release a full LP.  You Wouldn't Listen qualified as a hit - Roller Coaster came close but the others failed to catch fire.  So The Ides never recorded an album for Parrot. 
The earliest tracks were done at Sound Studios on Michigan Avenue with the great Stu Black. He did most of the cool early Chicago-based records - hits by the Cryan' Shames, the New Colony Six and more. (Our first sides before signing with Parrot were done at MBS ... Midwest Broadcasting Service ... on Wabash.   After that we moved to Chess at 2120 S Michigan Ave with the awesome Ron Malo (who recorded Muddy, the Stones and many more) and then to their new location a few blocks south.  

Finally, with 1967's "My Foolish Pride," we get the first taste of the layered horn sound to become the band trademark in a few short years.  For the time, it gave the band a totally different sound.  The 45's "B" Side, "Give Your Mind Wings" is probably the best song that Saturday's Children never recorded, but should have.  "Hole In My Soul" could have been a followup hit for the Outsiders'"Time Won't Let Me."  It's also very American Breed-ish.  It even has touches of "My Mind Goes Traveling"  by the great Exceptions.  I have mentioned MANY Chicago acts of that time period, but they DO come to mind when I listen to these.  The Monkees could have struck more pay dirt, had they covered "Girls Don't Grow on Trees."  Outside of the hit "You Wouldn't Listen," the best song on the CD (IMO) is "I'm Gonna Say My Prayers."  How did this pop masterpiece remain unreleased, until Bob Irwin enlightened us with it on his Sundazed 45 release in 1999?  "You Need Love" compares favorably with all of those productions coming from sunny California in that era. 
(Editors Note:  Next to "You Wouldn't Listen", "My Foolish Pride" is my all-time favorite Parrot track by The Ides Of March ... yet I don't recall EVER hearing it on the radio and, as such, it died a quiet death, completely unnoticed.  As Clark mentioned, today in hindsight it acts as the perfect precursor to their horn period to come in 1970. In fact, from this point forward you'll find horns featured on nearly every Ides Of March track.  If only given a chance, this one absolutely should have been a hit. -kk)

kk:  The Ides hinted at a brassy sound with "My Foolish Pride" which is, next to "You Wouldn't Listen", my all-time favorite Ides Of March track from the Parrot era.  Tell us a little bit about how that track came to be ... and how that sound was developed.    

JP:  My Foolish Pride was very Rubber Soul inspired (reference Girl). I wrote it on this cheap little Performachord organ that Larry had sitting around and in fact that sound made it on to the record and contributed to its unique character. Steve Daniels had just joined the band on trumpet and I wrote a cool line for him to play.  We joked around by changing the title to My Polish Bride.  

kk:  It is, without question, one of my all-time favorite Ides Of March tracks.  This song should have been a monster hit.  Was this an attempt to take the band in another direction?

JP:  To an extent, since this was really the first use of horns on an Ides record.   

kk:  Honestly in hindsight it sounds a little Tijuana Brassy ... but it has SUCH a great feel to it ... there isn't another Ides record that I can think of that captures so many different moods in under three minutes!  

JP:  It's a really bittersweet ode.  Many moods as you say.  And that cheesy Performachord organ really makes it. Yes, Tijuana Brassy for sure.  The Lonely Berwyn Bull.

kk:  Speaking of horns, The Buckinghams had been having hits for years with horns added to their records ... yet, incredibly, they never toured with a horn section.  (Hard to believe ... I have NO idea how they captured their sound in a live show, circa 1967!)  Then The Mauds came along with brass ... and then, of course, CTA / Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears hit at right around the same time.  Shortly thereafter Chicago had Chase (who you sometimes performed with).  Was this just a feeling at the time that this was where music was heading?  Yet we also had the soft-rock, singer / songwriter '70's going on (and "LA Goodbye" fit perfectly into THAT mold).  Did you ever go through a "what do I want to be when I grow up?" musical phase during all of this?   

JP:  We were a reflection of our musical heroes at any given time.  We were always fans first!  

The tracks from 1968 see Parrot dropping the band and a "record label roulette" ensuing.  The Ides would add Chuck Soumar and John Larson on trumpets as well as a new added vocalist, Ray Herr.  For Kapp Records, "Nobody Loves Me" gave Ray and Jim a chance to harmonize. Along with the new brass sound, the song rivaled then current Cryan Shames' hit, "Up On The Roof."  The 45's flip would have the first psychedelic side for the Ides, complete with extensive use of studio effects.  The record failed, but the band was no doubt gaining recording experience necessary to eventually make it in the business.    

Later in the year, their new label, Warner Brothers Records, released a totally different sound from the band.  "One Woman Man" was extremely close to the brass / strings pop sound of the Association (another Warner Brothers act) with the Ides own unique vocal harmonies being a major difference.  The B side, "High on a Hillside," is the one I play the most these days, since the set came out.  Like the single's "A" side, it is so wonderfully harmony-ladened that you want the false ending to continue over and over. Disc one still plays almost daily in my car.  

-- Clark Besch  

DISC ONE gives you the full scope of the progression made by The Ides Of March over the past fifty years.  Before we all step into The Way-Back Machine, we are first treated to three brand new tracks, including the box set title track "Last Band Standing".  This is another Jim Peterik anthem, tracing the history of the band and many of their adventures.  As an added bonus, we even get the great, legendary Steve Cropper on guitar!  This is followed by "Who I Am" and "Too Far To Turn Around", another very catchy track I'm sure you'll all enjoy.  (If given the chance, I'm convinced "Too Far To Turn Around" could be a HUGE comeback hit for The Marshall Tucker Band!)

We then flash back to the very beginning ... with the first Ides Of March single (then released as The Shon Dels on their own Epitome label) "Like It Or Lump It" / "No Two Ways About It".  It's a pretty primitive recording and, quite honestly, doesn't even hint at what was to come.  

All the more amazing when one considers their next commercial release was the hit "You Wouldn't Listen", as good as ANY song on the charts in 1966.  (They certainly came a long, long way in a very brief period of time ... not only as songwriters but as musicians and singers as well.  This is a VERY sophisticated piece of material for some 15 and 16 year old kids still in High School!!!)

(Seriously??!?!?  Batt Mann and the Boy Wonders?!?!?  That's about as corny as Clark / Kent writing this article!!!) 

Don'tcha just love how Peterik's name is misspelled on both of these releases???  Ah, show-biz!  

Jim Peterik has told the story many times over the years of how they blended the soulful, gospel sounds of Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions with the latest trends coming out of The British Invasion.  Listen to the opening riff on "You Wouldn't Listen" and you'll feel an immediate connection to "Tired Of Waiting For You" by The Kinks.  But it was the merger of BOTH of these distinct sounds that allowed them to come up with their very own, original sound, making "You Wouldn't Listen" a track that still holds up incredibly well today. (Scroll up to play this track again with these thoughts in mind ... and you'll see that the band PERFECTLY captured their inspiration and intent!) 

At various times, The Ides Of March sound like a British band, a soft-rock / Association type band, The Cryan' Shames (Jim has always admitted a fondness for the beautiful harmonies of Chicago's own Cryan' Shames), The American Breed, The Monkees, The Byrds and, on "Give Your Mind Wings", The Dave Clark Five.  The common denominator here is the fact that they always sounded contemporary, regardless of which direction they may have been headed at the time.  

Several other previously unreleased tracks follow before we hit their follow-up single "Roller Coaster", a minor hit (#92 nationally, #19 here in Chicago).  In hindsight I don't think this song holds up as well as two over-looked gems also released as singles ... the previously mentioned "My Foolish Pride" and "You Need Love".  (Larry Millas took the lead vocal on "You Need Love" ... and in addition to the Tijuana Brass sound of "My Foolish Pride", check out that opening note pattern ... listening to it again, I am now convinced that Jimi Hendrix took that very same patten and was inspired to create an all-time rock classic with "Purple Haze" a year later ... seriously ... just listen to this intro ... and you'll find that The Ides did it first!!!  Yep ... I think I nailed it ... and you'll have to convince me otherwise from this point forward! Again, scroll up and give it another listen ... and you'll see that I'm right!  Sorta!)  

Neither of these singles managed to chart ... which is a real shame as they were certainly deserving of some recognition.  Without another hit, The Ides were unceremoniously dropped by Parrot Records.  (Once they added horns to "My Foolish Pride", this sound seemed to continue through all of their subsequent releases.  Some great overlooked tracks, including a few others never officially released, reaped the benefit of this new sound.) 

The Ides Of March next landed at Kapp Records in 1968 where they recorded the hauntingly beautiful "Nobody Loves Me", another track that deserved a better fate than it got ... this time featuring shared vocals by Larry Millas and the recently departed Ray Herr.  This is a beautiful track and gives the band a completely different sound with the absence of the trademark Jim Peterik growl.

While I'm not quite as enamored as Clark is with some of these earlier tracks ... let's put it this way ... The Ides' versions of "You Tell Me Why" and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" aren't likely to make anyone forget the hit single versions of these tracks recorded by The Beau Brummels and The Walker Brothers ... I will admit that several of these "vintage" tracks blew me away, including (besides those previously mentioned above) "Train Of Love", "I Pt It Out Of My Head", "Sha La La La Lee", "One Woman Man" and "High On A Hillside", a track that would best define their new sound once they were signed by Warner Brothers Records.   

That still makes better than HALF these tracks "keepers" in my book ... not bad for a bunch of high school kids just starting out on the bumpy road to rock-and-roll stardom.  How some of these tracks slipped through the cracks is beyond me ... but you now have the chance to rediscover them thanks to this great new box set.  And, because of the way the box is assembled, you get to track the complete evolution of the band as it happened.    

I had mixed emotions about how much music to feature in this special series ... too much might make the potential buyer think "What do I need to buy the box set for?  I've already heard the best stuff."  (Not true ... there are all kinds of great tracks to be found here that we didn't feature simply due to time and space limitations ... you won't go wrong, building some familiarity with the band!)  

Too little doesn't do justice to the versatility of the band who, for many, may be unfamiliar to those folks who grew up outside the Chicagoland area.  So I tried to go with just enough music to whet your appetites, give you a feel of all that The Ides were in to ... and leave you feeling, "I've got to add this box to my collection."  That (plus the fact that Clark Besch was able to supply us with some tracks that didn't make it on to the final cut of the box) will hopefully do the trick.  (kk)  

Order the box set here:  
http://theidesofmarch.com/   

Order Jim Peterik's biography here: 
http://jimpeterik.com/

The Ides Of March - Part 3

July 9, 2015, 3:50 am

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Our Clark / Kent review of the brand new Ides Of March 50th Anniversary Box Set continues today in Forgotten Hits.    

DISC TWO:     

These tracks will likely be the ones most familiar to fans of the Warner Brothers label tracks from 1970 - 1972.  The song that made the Ides of March a band to always be remembered (by some as a "One Hit Wonder") starts this CD.  "Vehicle" (both the mono 45 and stereo LP versions can be found on this CD) continues to live on, some 45 years from it's inception.  Those energetic opening horn notes are immediately recognizable to anyone who listened to rock music in the 70's.  "Aire of Good Feeling," with its Blood, Sweat and Tears "Somethin' Comin' On" sound (both were LP cuts released in June, 1970)  was the band's choice as a follow-up single.  It was passed over for the best "Vehicle" clone anyone could ever imagine, "Superman."  Either track would have been great choices, IMO.    
-- Clark Besch    

Had "Aire Of Good Feeling" been released as the follow-up single, it may have given the band "legs" ... it was different enough (and in many ways far more sophisticated) than their runaway hit "Vehicle".  In my opinion simply releasing a "clone" hurt the band long term and didn't expose the depth and versatility of musicianship they held within their ranks.  I believe that a track like "Aire Of Good Feeling" would have placed the band right up there near the top amongst the innovative leaders of this new brass / rock sound ... putting them on an even keel with their contemporaries rather than leaving them a bit lower on the totem pole and being compared to artists like Chicago and Blood, Sweat And Tears instead.  With "Vehicle" behind them, The Ides Of March were now touring with major headliners all over the world, proving that they could hold their own with even the most elite artists out there at the time.  In hindsight I believe the decision to go with "Superman" (not only a sound-alike but a MUCH weaker track at that) did irrevocable damage to the group's chart longevity.  As a result, other really strong and solid material was overlooked.  A Top Ten Hit with "Aire Of Good Feeling" would have changed all of that ... and I believe this track was strong enough to achieve that, both on its own merits and especially on the heels of a record as big as "Vehicle".   (kk)

kk:  Unless you're a "local" (or bought the "Vehicle" album at the time), not many folks are going to be familiar with much of this material beyond the hit single "Vehicle" ... but there are some GREAT tracks on this box set.  I've always felt that tracks like "L.A. Goodbye" and "Aire Of Good Feeling" should have been GIANT hits ... certainly deserving of Top Ten Status.  (Of course I feel this way about "You Wouldn't Listen", too, which was every bit as good as ANYTHING else out on the radio at that time.)  Why do you think these were overlooked nationally?  Coming off of such a big-sized hit, I would have thought ANYTHING released by the band would have automatically been added to the radio playlists.  (In hindsight releasing such a similar sounding record like "Superman" was probably a HUGE mistake ... but it sounds like that was much more of the record label's decision than that of the band.  Weren't you guys pushing for "Aire Of Good Feeling" to be the follow-up single?) 

JP:  Yes - we felt "Aire of Good Feeling" was the best choice and we were devastated when Joe Smith at Warner Brothers said to go back to the drawing board and clone Vehicle. I actually have learned to love Superman and we play it at most shows - but it will never be Vehicle. 

Warner Brothers finally fixed one thing for the band by releasing their first album and unleashing the amazing singing and instrumental talents of a band too long suppressed.  Two long cover songs of the Beatles'"Eleanor Rigby" and the medley of CSN's "Wooden Ships and Jethro Tull's "Dharma for One" gave the instrumentalists in the band a wonderful opportunity to showcase what a tight cohesive band could sound like.  It also showcased how stereo could be made to be an integral part of a recording.  Also on this disc drummer Mike Borch would get his chance at songwriting by way of the great blues cut "Bald Medusa" (also featured on the set's 2014 DVD concert) and the previously unreleased psych solid rocker, "Reunion." 

Even in 1970, Jim Peterik was looking back with his songwriting.  There were the ballads of "Home" and "Lead Me Home Gently" as well as a mixing of brass, strings and piano on "Hymn For Her," which reminds me (again) of BS&T and their arrangement of "God Bless The Child."  Most importantly, of these "quieter" tunes, would be the band's second most memorable tune (#2 in Chicago in 1971) these days, "L.A. Goodbye."  The song's folksy CSN-like harmonies break into Jim Peterik's strong vocal and great acoustic guitar segments.  You'll find a surprising reprise of the song at the disc's end! 

The Ides' most famous "man behind the curtain" member (?) is probably Larry Millas.  Larry gets his chance to sing lead vocal again here (he also sings lead on Disc One's "I Put It Out Of My Head") and on the DVD portion of the set on "We Are Pillows."  "Freedom Suite" is an acoustic beauty ala the New York Rock Emsemble band of the time or even the Moodies, with reeds in tow. 

The rest of the CD is taken up with great, but unsuccessful singles, including the long version of "Tie-Dye Princess," which in some countries, was issued as "Hippie Princess."  There's also the "Vehicle" sounding 45s, "Melody" and "Giddy Up Ride Me."  Throw in the Pepsi commercial and you can know that "Vehicle" shows up a lot on this set even when the song title is NOT "Vehicle." 

The unmistakable "sound" of "Vehicle" may have been milked to death over the years ... but it's also the band's claim to fame.  The Ides even recorded a Christmas Carol based around this musical theme ... but it's such a strong track that it has held up very well for the past 45 years.  I still hear it at least once every single day on the radio.   Former American Idol runner-up Bo Bice (who, ironically, is now the lead singer of Blood, Sweat and Tears, favorites of The Ides back in the day) introduced the song to a whole new audience of fans a few years back.

kk:  After the initial hit of "You Wouldn't Listen" and, to a lesser degree, "Rollercoaster", The Ides seemed to disappear from the consciousness of their fans for a few years.  Sure, they were still playing clubs all over the midwest, but once the radio airplay seemed to stop, the old "out of sight, out of mind" adage seemed to creep in.  As such, it was quite a surprise to most of us when the band was suddenly "reborn" once the decision was made to add horns to the line-up.  What was the original inspiration for this move ... and how did you change direction as a songwriter for this brand new sound?  (Are you one of those songwriter / musicians who hears "the whole song" in your head, fully arranged, and then goes into the studio trying to recreate the music in your mind?)   

JP:  Yes - generally I do hear the whole song in my head before it's even rehearsed.  We added the full brass section to compete with some of our hero bands - primarily Blood Sweat & Tears. That first Al Kooper-led album changed our lives.  Then, when they changed to David Clayton Thomas, they hit us just as hard. When we arranged Vehicle we were kind of unconsciously channeling their first two albums. 

(Editor's Note:  Here's a clip from Clark Besch that you won't find on the box set ... recorded right off the radio in 1966 from Jim Stagg's WCFL afternoon program spotlighting the then new release from The Ides Of March, "Roller Coaster", their follow-up single to "You Wouldn't Listen".  - kk) 

The original demo of "Vehicle" (featured here in all its raw glory, courtesy of Clark Besch) didn't include the "call and response" feature present on the hit single.  (It also featured a much weaker, less satisfying guitar solo.)  We have talked before about how it was WLS Disc Jockey Art Roberts who suggested adding the "call and response" aspect to "Vehicle".  (Prior to receiving the track featured below from Clark, I asked Jim Peterik:) 

kk:  Does a version of the ORIGINAL "Vehicle" demo still exist?  That would have made for a nice extra on the box set.  Please run down your initial reaction to this suggestion ... was this a case of "Damn, that's EXACTLY what this song has been missing?  Or was it more a case of, "OK, we'll give it a shot"?  

JP:  It was a moment of "duh - of course!!"  Thank you, Art! We recently found a version without the call and response and the alternate lead part I did a week after we cut the master. I felt I could beat the solo I played live with the band. I couldn't!  That solo was guided by voices. I had to literally learn it note by note.  

kk:  Jim has told the story before about how, on the original studio recording of "Vehicle", there was an error made in the control both that partially erased a chunk of this track, causing him to have to redo his guitar solo.  Ironically, earlier on in a previous run-through of the track, his guitar solo was buried so far into the mix as to be indistinguishable ... so he had to do it over.  Then, when they went to record the track again, they ran into a similar obstacle. 

Here is how Jim describes it in his autobiography, "Through The Eye Of The Tiger" ... 


JP:  After we got the master vocal take, The Ides went out to get a snack at our favorite dog house, The Grand Deli.  When we returned to the studio, a look of despair was plastered on everyone's face. 
"Did they stretch the tape like they had all those years ago at MBS?"  "Even worse," said Bob Destocki.  "Rich, our second engineer, pressed the wrong button and erased thirteen seconds from the master take of 'Vehicle'."  Where once was sound was now the sound of silence. 
Suddenly our future ground to a halt.  We were stunned.  After stumbling about the studio for a while, I actually went outside to fill my lungs with some needed oxygen.  When I finally returned about two hours later, the mood had swung back. 
"Check this out!" shouted Rich.  With those words, the master take came roaring through the speakers - with the thirteen seconds seamlessly restored.  We shook our heads and shouted like a miracle had just taken place.  "I spliced that thirteen seconds from take one into the gap.  I didn't think it had a prayer of working but you guys were so consistent in your meter, it worked!" 
I can still hear the spliced section to this day.  It starts with the "Great God In Heaven" line in the second verse ... and goes all the way up to the very first note of my guitar solo ... we almost lost that solo twice!  

kk:  Once again The Ides Of March proved to be WELL ahead of their time ... 18 1/2 minutes of Nixon's Watergate tapes wouldn't be erased for another four years!!!   

DIJDAKNOW? - Prior to recording "Vehicle" themselves, Peterik offered the track to Blood, Sweat and Tears, thinking it was something that was right up their alley.  Ironically, the band never bothered to listen to Jim's cassette tape.  Great God In Heaven, history could have been written TOTALLY differently if they had!!!  (kk) 

DISC TWO:  This is the Ides Of March material I'm most familiar with it as I really grew up with the band during the "Vehicle" years.  In an effort to remain as unprejudicial as possible, let me just say that a good chunk of this music holds up very well today ... although, despite my personal familiarity with these tunes, this is NOT my favorite disc in the box set.  (For that you have to get to Disc Four, a collection of much more recent material recorded by the band over the past fifteen years.)  When I say The Ides sound today better than ever, THIS is what I mean ... although these most recent tracks have been denied hit status across the boards, the new material holds us as well as anything the band has ever recorded ... and, live in concert, even the older material sounds better because of the way the band has "aged" along the way. 

That being said, you'll have to wait until tomorrow for our Disc Four review ... today we're concentrating on Discs Two and Three ... and to that extent, you get both the mono single version and the stereo album version of "Vehicle" on this second disc.  (Sadly, the original demo version is missing but, thanks to Clark Besch, we are able to share a version of this with you here today ... see above.)  Jim tells us that they did discover a copy of the original tape ... unfortunately just not in time to include on the box set ... so it may still see the light of day at some later date via some other compilation cd. 

Disc Two certainly shows the maturity of the band ... clearly their confidence level had been boosted ... and as a result of their #2 Hit "Vehicle", they were soon touring behind some of the biggest names in rock and roll.  (The Ides Of March opened for Led Zeppelin in Winnipeg, Canada, and reportedly stole the show.  Guitarist Randy Bachman (of Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive fame), who was at the show that night, has gone on record as telling the band, "Listen, I was there ... and you blew them away!")  The story of The Ides being invited back to the hotel room by Led Zep ... and the debauchery that later ensued ... makes for a VERY interesting (and hysterical) chapter in Jim Peterik's book "Through The Eye Of The Tiger", available here:  http://jimpeterik.com/  

Highlights from Disc Two include the previously mentioned "Aire Of Good Feeling", the "hit single" that just wasn't meant to be, as well as their other Chicagoland smash "L.A. Goodbye".  (#2 locally ... but only #72 nationally.)  It was the world's loss ... this is a GREAT track that still holds up incredibly well today ... and, when weighed against the sounds of '71, is every bit as deserving of recognition as anything put out by the similar sounding Crosby, Still, Nash and Young at the time.  

Other stand out tracks include "Bald Medusa", the beautiful ballad "Home" (although I will NEVER get past the line "if your sink needs a plumber" ... just NOT the imagery that Jim Peterik would come up with today ... in fact, I cannot help but wonder if he cringes every time he hears it, too!), the "Vehicle" follow-up single "Superman" (where "Great Caesar's Ghost" replaced "Great God In Heaven"), lengthy, heavy versions of "Symphony For Eleanor - Eleanor Rigby", a ten minute CTA / Vanilla Fudge-type treatment of the classic Beatles ballad and "Wooden Ships" by the aforementioned Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, drawn out here to a seven minute jam when combined with "Dharma For One" ... and "Lead Me Home Gently", which has kind of a Blood, Sweat and Tears feel to it, idols of the band at that time.  

Other failed Warner Brothers Ides singles are also included like "Giddy Up Ride Me" and "Melody" as are the popular album tracks "Tie Dye Princess" and "Hymn For Her".  You'll also find a "Vehicle" treatment Pepsi Commercial ... as well as an "L.A. Goodbye"-type rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner".  All-in-all, a VERY listenable disc, well worth the price of the box set once one considers that four additional discs are packaged right along with it!  (kk)  

*****

DISC THREE:  

Most of these songs are making their very first CD appearances despite being over 40 years old.  There are three tracks here presented from a 1972 live concert.  Each could easily have been groomed for a third Warner Brothers album, but the band was dropped from the label.  

Despite the bad news, you still will hear the blazing brass with "Gotta Share" using an arrangement not unlike those of Chicago.  "American Express" is a fast paced train ride of superb solos.  "Vagabond Lady" is a great mix of Booket T. sounding keyboard work and solos by the brass, guitars, organ and drums (Mike Borch belts a great one) that take Larry Millas' lead vocal on a journey Chase would have been proud of in the day. 

By 1973, the Ides had marched on to RCA Records, where they would step back some from the heavy brass sounds of the past.  None of the songs from their two LPs for the label have ever been on CD before now.  These songs present even more instruments into the song mixes. 

The first four tracks on this CD have NO horns at all, proving that the sound was a little different now.  Beginning with the first RCA single, "Mother America," it showcases a bit of the 70's disco era sound BEFORE there was a disco era sound!  Synthesizer, cowbells, keyboards take lead where horns had once been the choice.  "All Join Hands" had the gospel sound that was popular in the early 70's with a somewhat Three Dog Night sounding vocal.  "Colorado Morrow" has a lyric that could have made it the followup to "L.A. Goodbye," with a John Denver "rocky mountain" feel.  "Diamond Fire" would seem to be a beautiful ballad about Peterik's grandmother, with nice keyboard work. 

With "Flipside," Millas gives tribute to 45 "B" sides as well as tying into the conflict on the other side of the world.  "Children" has a Sugarloaf or even early Deep Purple keyboard sound at times, with a pretty Peterik vocal performance.  "Hot Water" was the 45 from the band's second LP for RCA.  This song, with a very bluesy fee, could have been recorded at Muscle Shoals by the sound of it, combining Lynyrd Skynyrd with Loggins & Messina's "Nobody But You" to make a great original sound. 

"Lay Back" is possibly one of the best unknown nuggets of this disc.  With Poco originator, Rusty Young, playing steel guitar on this track, his band mate and future Eagles member, Randy Meisner, must have been listening.  This song almost surely must have been the blue print for Meisner's signature Eagles track, "Take It To The Limit," released two years after this Ides song!  The Poco sound continues with "Quicksilver."  "Road Odie" has a styling like the Eagles' "Tequila Sunrise" (also from 1973), but gives the band roadie his props, long before Jackson Browne did "The Load Out."  

With that, the group disbanded in 1973, but the end was to lead to new beginnings on Disc Four.  Meanwhile, disc three closes with four live tracks from the reformed Ides' 1999-2008 era.  You'll find lots of gospel in "Love's Got the Power" while their extended cover of the Spoonful's "Summer in the City" gives Bob Bergland's bass guitar a chance to shine, soloing in another great reading of a cover hit.  Peterik's voice is a natural for this one.  "Don't Fight the Feeling" allows a glimpse of his solo career at the end of the Ides' 70's band run.  Lastly comes the Ides' Chicago Cubs ode in which they try to pump life into the Club, circa 1999.
-- Clark Besch 

Disc Three:  There were no hit singles released during the RCA years ... so finally having all of this material available on CD for the very first time is a real prize.  (One that SHOULD have been a hit was "Hot Water", which sounded a lot like much of the other music out at the time.  Once again, I feel as though their record label steered them down the wrong path when it came to picking the "hit single" material.  Tracks like "All Join Hands" or "Colorado Morrow" sound FAR more contemporary circa 1972 / 1973 than the selected first single choice, "Mother America".  These others have a very early-'70's / Doobie Brothers / Loggins and Messina feel to them ... and other RCA cuts also benefited (as Clark mentions above) from the likes of Rusty Young of Poco helping them out in the studio.  Another personal favorite, "Flipside", a great Larry Millas track, honors both our Forgotten Hits oft-mentioned B-Side tracks as well as takes a bit of a political stance regarding what was going on in other parts of the world at the time.  One track in particular ... "Lay Back" ... sounds like a Joe Walsh / Eagles outtake, right down to the subtle vocal Joe uses on some of his slower material.  I couldn't help but wonder what it was like for Jim to go through all these tapes again after all this time and assemble the definitive Ides Of March Box Set, commemorating their entire career.    

The Ides took a bit of a risk here, too, by releasing a series of live tracks (six in all) that are NOT familiar to their core audience.  However, this just proves that the band was constantly evolving ... and not afraid to experiment by playing new material for their audiences in concert. 

The best of the bunch (for me anyway) has got to be "Love's Got The Power" which (minus the "Amazing Grace" interlude) could have been a hit single in its own right.  Peterik also has that perfect "dirty and gritty" voice, which lends itself well to the Lovin' Spoonful / John Sebastian classic "Summer In The City", misidentified on the box as "Summer In The Center" for some crazy, unknown reason!!!  "Don't Fight The Feeling" is another exceptionally strong track and, were it not for my life-long hatred of The Chicago Cubs, I might even recommend "Finally Next Year" if you caught me in the right mood at the right time!  (lol) 

kk:  After being dropped by Warner Brothers (despite several potential hit singles ignored by the label), The Ides moved on to RCA Records.  Did you view this as an opportunity to broaden the band's horizons at this point?  There had to be an underlying feeling that what The Ides were currently doing wasn't working ... at least from the label's perspective.  How did you approach this new opportunity with RCA? 

JP:  After two albums and a couple of singles (namely "One Woman Man", "Giddy Up Ride Me" and "Melody", Warner Brothers decided to give us our rocking papers.  
Rather than being devastated, our managers Bob Destocki and Frank Rand kept our spirits up by putting the word out that the Ides were free agents.  
The best offer came from David Kershenbaum of RCA Records.  He was already a noted producer - "My Maria" by B.W. Stevenson and many more to come.  
We were thrilled to have run of both magnificent RCA studios ... one on Wacker Drive in Chicago ... and one on the Sunset Strip.  It was in that studio, while cutting "Midnight Oil" with the great Brian Christian (Poco, Guess Who), that we were rubbing elbows and playing ping pong with our label mates ... including the guys in Poco (Rusty Young guested on Layback and Roadie Ode), David Bowie and some guy from Memphis named Elvis something or other.   
These were great times ... drinking Boones Farm Apple Wine and living the dream.  
I loved those sessions and to hear the restored masters we obtained for the box set was a revelation.  
This is a great chapter in Ides history. 

kk:  I have to believe that you have invested a fair amount of your own money to allow this box set to see the light of day.  What's the ultimate goal here?  Are you looking for new fans to discover some of these tracks?  Or is this more of a career retrospective gathering up all of the chapters into one nice, neat, concise package?  It had to be nice, even for you, to finally have everything buttoned up neatly and all accessible in one place. 

JP:  Its all those things - it secures our legacy in a neat, well designed box (Thanks Mark Alano!) and sounds fantastic.  We hope it also makes the new fan aware of what we have done though our 50 year career. So far so good! 

kk:  The Ides changed musical directions numerous times over the years.  Was this typically just a way to try and capture another niche style-wise ... or were you consciously exploring other types of music to see just where you might fit within those confines? 

JP:  I always say that we started so young that the public got to see our development.  When you are just 15, you are really just a blotter for all the music entering your synapses.  Funny thing is though, when I listen to the box set - even through all of the genre changes - it still sounds like the same band somehow. 

kk:  The box set features SO many tracks unavailable for many years, several appearing on CD for the very first time.  How did you go about narrowing down the song list and licensing the tracks?  Some of the RCA stuff has NEVER been available on CD before, has it?  And is there more stuff "in the can" that still hasn't seen the light of day?  

JP:  It was not an easy task - there is sooo much stuff.  The RCA stuff is being made available here for the very first time. The master tapes had to be baked in a special oven to make the ire on oxides adhere to the backing after being stored for so many years. Hearing the digital trans feed was a revelation ... the tracks sounded just like they did at playback when we cut them at RCA studios back in 1972 and 73.  

kk:  When The Ides Of March finally threw in the towel the first time, a farewell concert was held (naturally!) at Morton West High School, the same place where it all began so many years before.  I was there for that concert, of course, and it was nothing short of amazing.  After The Ides Of March officially disbanded, you pursued a solo career, sat in on occasion with Chase and even contemplated a new musical career under the name Chalmers Garseny.  (Don't ask!!!  Or, better yet, read the book!)  Even the band that ultimately became Survivor was originally launched with the intention of being The Jim Peterik Band.  (Hiring a new lead singer kind of killed THAT option!)  Meanwhile, several of the other guys got together with members of The Cryan' Shames and formed The Ides - Shames Union.  Was this something you approved of at the time or did you feel that each band's legacy should have been allowed to stand on its own? 

JP:  I was fine with it - in fact, I guested with them on "Vehicle" when they played B'Ginnings. 

The venture was short-lived ... but we covered it here in Forgotten Hits back in 2009!
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2009/03/ides-and-shames-union.html

We'll wrap things up tomorrow in Forgotten Hits. 

Meanwhile, you can order your own copy of this great Ides Of March 50th Anniversary Box Set here ...
http://theidesofmarch.com/

The Ides Of March - Part 4

July 10, 2015, 4:01 am

≫ Next: Happy Together, 2015

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Wrapping up our special Ides Of March Series today with a look at the 4th disc in the brand new box set ... as well as the bonus DVD disc!  Remember, you can order YOUR copy here:  http://theidesofmarch.com/    

DISC FOUR:   

If you have seen the Ides of March over the past decade or so, you will immediately recognize the opening song of disc four.  "Friendly Stranger" has been used to open the Ides pre-concerts for many years.  I love it!  It IS the "Vehicle Overture" for sure!  This whole CD comprises what has happened from the early 90's to today:  The reincarnation of the Ides!  You get four tracks from the reunion "Ideology" CD, starting with the great "Spirit of Chicago" anthem, featuring guests from other top Chicago bands.  Some great rock music and lyrics encompass "I'd Love Her Anyway" and "Love Don't Choose."  "Age Before Beauty" is yet another really GREAT retrospective of the band that became their signature track from their 1997 CD.  "Moon Out Of Phase" is another acoustic journey.  "One Hit Wonder" is my fave on this CD, as it looks at the Ides and how many outsiders think of them as a "one hit wonder." Their 50 year career really shows they are not the same as Mungo Jerry, the Cuff Links, and the Singing Nun (all mentioned in the lyrics along with many more).  "Come Dancing" gets remixed from their 2010 CD here.  As with each CD in this set, the Ides have another long cover version.  This time, it is the Beatles'"A Day In The Life."  It runs longer here because it is slower, but makes up for the length with the shortness of the last note.  Haha.  I love the new electric alarm clock sound replacing the original's hand wound clock sound.  

Next, there are a couple of live tracks from 2005, as the band remembers playing scratchy 45s in "The Forgotten Oldie.""Pepperhead" looks back at friends of 1959 and foretells of the return of vinyl records BEFORE this new "old" trend got going again!  Ending this CD are six tracks from their 2010 "Still 19" CD.  "Secrets of a Woman" recalls classic Ides sounds, "Soul to Soul" could have been a Toto record back when and "For One Moment" is much more poignant today, with the racial troubles in our streets, than it would have been when released in 2010.  "Still 19" continues the lyrical return to the Ides as kids, even mentioning Jim P's first singing gig in Berwyn, Illinois, of the Beatles'"Tell Me Why" (You can read all about it in his autobiography book from last year). The song even mentions how labels misspelled the band's name back when.  "Live Life" gives hints to live your life NOW or it will be gone when you look the other way.  Closing the CD section of this set of four is Jim's email closing tag line.  It is always "Keep Rockin'."  Throw a little Sugarloaf and Golden Earring together with Ides brass and you gotta "keep rockin'." 

-- Clark Besch      

Since the band got back together, they have continued to record and release new material.  The three brand new tracks on Disc One of this CD Box Set prove that The Ides Of March are still rockin' well into the millennium ... maybe even more so than before.  (As I mentioned earlier, Disc Four ... featuring nothing but new and recent material ... is my favorite disc in the box set!)  Concerts and recording sessions are worked into Jim Peterik's busy schedule.  Along the way he has worked with some of the biggest names in rock and roll show business and his World Stage continues to spotlight both many of the biggest names in rock as well as brand new discoveries.  In between, The Ides continue to put on one hell of a show ... and entertain us with some great new music.  

kk:  Decades later ... after several solo outings and a stint with Survivor ... you decided to reform The Ides Of March.  Was it difficult to approach the original core band again after so much time away from one another?  What had they been doing musically while your career was sky-rocketing in so many different directions?  Obviously they kept their musical chops up to snuff or this couldn't have happened. 

JP:  Ha! At first, not so much. Mike had not touched his drums since we played a one off version of "Vehicle" at his wedding in, I think, 1989. So restoring the "Vehicle" took a lot of love and care. I remember that first rehearsal for our comeback concert at Berwyn Summerfaire where we were literally relearning our songs off the vinyl. It took three months of rehearsal to be ready for that show.  

kk:  Still, this had to be a little strange to approach the guys again after so many years.  But the truth is, after traveling the world with Survivor, you elected to come "home" and get The Ides Of March going again.  How did that come about?  Had you stayed in touch with all the guys during your other adventures?  Was there a very receptive, resounding "yes" from everybody?  Or were there perhaps some hard feelings that they had been left behind and this was more of a "charity begins at home" situation?  (It almost feels like a musical blessing to see all four original members together again on stage after a 50 year run ... proof that in fact sometimes you really CAN go home again ... and, in truth, the band has never sounded better ... but did this all just fall back into place after all those years or was this something that everybody was a little bit apprehensive about for fear it might disappear again?)

JP:  I was ready for the call from Berwyn Summerfaire to strike up The Ides again, as was every member to the man. I was in Survivor limbo at the time.  The Ides decided that we would not do the reunion show unless everyone could do it.  Guess what - unanimous.  We did have to add a keyboardist and we called our buddy Danny Hagadorn of DJ's Music for a recommendation. He said one name ... Scott May ... and he's been rocking with us ever since.  

kk:  There is SO much good NEW material included on the box ... the title track, "Last Band Standing", is outstanding, and an immediate great concert staple.  I have always loved "One Hit Wonder" and have gotten several deejays on our list to feature this track when spotlighting one hit wonders on their radio programs.  This track proves that you're as much a fan of this music as you are a creator.  How did this one come about?  A VERY clever idea paying tribute to a who's who of one-hit wonders.  (And I love the fact that you even poke fun at The Ides Of March in this category ... although I've heard you say before "Shouldn't we have had at least 1 1/2 hits???")

JP:  Ha! glad you like the new stuff. Last Band Standing is the first song Mike Borch and I have written since Bald Medusa back in 1970!  It tells the history of the band in around four minutes time and features the Peavey Telecaster licks of one of our heroes, Steve Cropper.  He was in Chicago to do a show with the Ides and stayed an extra days to come to the studio. We were so honored. 

 
The Ides Of March ... with Steve Cropper ... they even did a few shows together a couple of years ago  

kk:  Over the years you've been fortunate to have had the opportunities to write with any number of great artists ... and your book (as well as the "Songwriting For Dummies" book) captures the exciting feel of finding that special "hook" or special lyric that brings a song home and allows it to connect with an audience.  For the last several years, one of those artists that you've been collaborating with has been Brian Wilson, the genius behind The Beach Boys' sound.  What has that experience been like?  And how did it feel the first time you heard a song that you had helped write come out of the voices of this legendary band? 

JP:  This experience is really beyond words. I consider it right up there with "Vehicle" and "Eye of the Tiger" in terms of personal satisfaction.  It was the perfect storm where everything just clicked. I close my book with me and my family and Larry and his family sitting at the Chicago Theater (after hanging with the Beach Boys backstage) and just pinching ourselves as they played the song we wrote with Brian Wilson - "That's Why God Made the Radio."  Suddenly my mind went back to playing "Fun Fun Fun" and "Dance Dance Dance" on the stage on the Morton West gym - never imagining for a second that we would someday be writing songs for them. Wow!

Disc Four:  I'd be hard-pressed to pick a track I didn't like on this disc.  "Friendly Stranger (Vehicle Overture") is exactly that ... it is this track that opens every Ides Of March concert these days.  "Spirit Of Chicago" features a Midwest Who's Who of talent, including Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Frankie Sullivan of Survivor, Dennis DeYoung, formerly of Styx, Jim Peterik protege (and current lead vocalist of Jefferson Airplane) Cathy Richardson, Gary Loizzo, former lead singer of The American Breed and a few others (Jim Ellison, John Melnick and David Carl), all lending a hand to support The Ides on this 1991 track.  "Age Before Beauty", "Come Dancing", and my personal favorite, "One Hit Wonder" also grace this disc.  "Secrets Of A Woman" and "Soul To Soul" BOTH could have been hit singles had the planets been aligned properly.  "Forgotten Oldie" (maybe THAT's where they got my erroneous website information!) and "Pepperhead" fit together hand in glove ... and both tracks were recorded live at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, IL, one of our favorite regular hang-outs these days.  The gospel-tinged "For One Moment", the biographical "Still" and the 2010 Rock Anthem "Live Life" liven up the set ... like I said, not a dog in the bunch!

The Ides also do another one of their 9-minute synch-psych-rock pieces, this time to The Beatles'"A Day In The Life", updated to include a digital alarm clock ... and a horn riff right out of Chicago's "Feelin' Stronger Every Day".  This disc's a gem from start to finish ... and shows again why The Ides Of March are still a vital part of the music scene.  (kk)

DISC FIVE:     

OK, it's VIDEO time!  I won't go track by track, but you'll get the Ides' magic live show here.  Catch them at Chicago's' great "House of Blues" filmed perfectly by Greg Bizzaro's film staff.  Besides the stories behind the hits and many of the songs the Ides recorded and you have heard so far, there's that period between Ides unions, in the 1980's, when Peterik wrote hits for his band Survivor and .38 Special.  With songs like "High on You,""Caught Up in You," and "Eye of the Tiger" plus others, this DVD adds the missing decade of the 80's to bring the 1965 - 2015 era to completion.  Some highlights include Jim's pronunciation of Berwyn (ala Svengoolie!), a hypnotizing "L.A. Goodbye" (filmed wonderfully) and so many versions of "Vehicle" that it will make your head spin.  That's because there are great vintage clips of the band from 1970 as bonus cuts and even a spotlight dance with Dick Clark circa 1966!  You'll get to see the new video for the song "Last Band Standing" and a fun visit from blues legend, Buddy Guy. 

The House Of Blues concert footage gives the viewer a pretty good idea of what to expect at a live Ides Of March Show.  I can only tell you that when you're there the energy level jumps up about another 3000% ... there's just something about the way The Ides make you "feel" their music.

I WILL go over some of the track highlights ... in concert, The Ides are able to feature many of the great tracks that Jim Peterik has been involved with over the years ... as such, they feature not only their own biggest hits (like "You Wouldn't Listen", "Aire Of Good Feeling", "L.A. Goodbye""Superman" and, of course, "Vehicle") ... but also hits by Survivor ... "High On You", "Is This Love", "The Search Is Over" and "Eye Of The Tiger" ... as well as a couple of tracks written with the members of .38 Special, sitting around Jim Peterik's kitchen table!  ("Hold On Loosely" and "Caught Up In You").   You'll even find some "Behind The Music"-type interview clips woven in and out of the live selections, telling you a little bit more about both the song's ... and the band's origins. 

The vintage Dick Clark / American Bandstand piece from 1966 is outstanding in all its early glory ... and it's SO cool to hear Ron Riley, my favorite jock from that era, on the phone with Dick Clark offering up an example of what sounds are really hot in Chicago right now. 

In between we even get a brand new video showing off the disc's title (and kick-off) track, "Last Band Standing." 

I agree with Clark about the saturation of "Vehicle" clips ... how many of these do we need to see?  But this WAS the vehicle that got them on to the main stage and back then repeated television appearances was the key to getting your latest hit record into the hands of the consumer ... so I DO love seeing these, if only for historical value's sake. 

There are several other concert videos available through The Ides Of March website ... but this one is definitely a "keeper"!  (kk)  
http://theidesofmarch.com/store/  

It is hard to find any site that shows the track listings for this massive project, but hopefully, you will learn enough here to get an idea just how much material there is here. 

HEY, if you haven't been convinced by now to buy this set for $50 or so (usually) while it is still in print, well, I guess "You Wouldn't Listen to me!"  Get "Last Band Standing."  You won't regret it! 

-- Clark Besch 

This is a beautifully done box (80 audio tracks and 18 video clips ... a pretty all-encompassing set!) and works as a very  fitting tribute to the talent of our local heroes.  More for the diehards than the casual fans?  Yes, probably so ... or for those curious to know what OTHER sounds they may have missed by Chicago's own Ides Of March.   (All I can tell you is that I've listened into the entire box set four times now ... and am still not ready to put it away yet.)  

In hindsight it seems that Jimmy never really stopped trying to reinvent the band.  Some ideas worked better than others ... but the initial magic of capturing the sound of the horns mixed with his gritty vocals and scorching guitar work has never stopped.  This IS the vehicle that brought them here ... and the journey has yet to stop.  (kk) 

Order your copy of this limited edition box set here:
http://theidesofmarch.com/  

Forgotten Hits has been spreading the word about The Ides Of March for sixteen years now.  (Type "Ides Of March" into our website search engine and literally DOZENS of entries will pop up ... including some VERY cool ... and exclusive pieces ... covered nowhere else.) 

A couple of stand-out recent pieces include our review of Jim Peterik's biography, found here: 
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2014/10/through-eye-of-tiger-our-review-of-new.html

Ordering Link:  http://jimpeterik.com/  

A few years back we were there for the street-naming ceremony dedicating Ides Of March Way ... you can read our full report here:  
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2010/09/ides-of-march-get-their-way.html

kk:  Having gone to Morton West, I know you guys always returned to "home base", even holding what was to be your "farewell concert" there in the early '70's.  Now the street that runs adjacent to the high school is named Ides Of March Way.  What special place in your heart does Morton West hold for you and the other members of The Ides? 

JP:  That school will always be a huge part of our loves and history.  Although it was only four years, it felt like a lifetime. We had some great teachers - my psych teacher, JR Wilson, comes to mind. And the school band, led by Mr McCormick and Joe Frantic was awesome. To have the street that runs in front named for us is truly epic.    

kk:  What's next for The Ides Of March?  You recently did a 50th Anniversary Concert featuring some of the other '60's Chicagoland Headliners.  Might this show eventually see the light of day as a home video release?  Any upcoming shows you care to talk about?  Roughly how many dates a year do you perform with The Ides these days?  Will you be performing quite a bit in the area this summer?  What about a couple more "Chicago Gold" shows like the one organized as The Benefit Concert For Marty Grebb?  Folks are STILL buzzing about that show all these weeks later.  Or a new album perhaps for The Ides?  What do you see when you look down the road? 

JP:  It varies from year to year. Our best year - I believe 2007 - we did 45 shows - most of them significant fairs and fests.  Right now it's all about promoting the box set ... but I've already got some new ones cooking for The Ides including a new Christmas song we will be premiering at our holiday show on December 5th at the Arcada Theatre.  It is also looking good for a reprisal of the Cornerstones of Chicago Rock in 2016.    

The Ides Christmas Show is really something to see ... you'll find our review for THAT concert right here ... http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-ides-of-march-christmas-show.html  
Would LOVE to see some of our Forgotten Hits Readers at this year's show. And be sure to check The Ides' website for other upcoming shows in your area ... these guys blow the doors off in a live setting.

A final round of ordering links are below ... you'll want to pick up both the brand new, limited edition Ides Of March 50th Anniversary Box Set ...  
http://theidesofmarch.com/  

As well as a copy of Jim's best-selling (and highly acclaimed biography) ...  
http://jimpeterik.com/  

kk:  Thanks agin, Jimbo ... I appreciate it.  
JP:  Thanks to you,  Kent - you're the best!!  

Happy Together, 2015

July 11, 2015, 5:00 am

≫ Next: The Sunday Comments ( 07 - 12 - 15 )

≪ Previous: The Ides Of March - Part 4

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Our weekly coverage of the 2015 Happy Together Tour continues this weekend in Forgotten Hits.

Next week, we'll have an exclusive report from the road, courtesy of Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams.

In fact, we're hoping to hear from ALL of this year's artists this summer.

But first, Terry Kirkman of The Association talks about the making of the #1 Hit "Cherish" ...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/terry-kirkman/cherish-lyrics-the-association_b_1567869.html

And then THIS special report from FH Reader Tom Cuddy ...

Kent:  

You’ve posted an assortment of colorful reviews on the first Leg of the “Happy Together Tour,” so I thought I’d provide you with a different perspective.  

WCBS-FM morning deejay Scott Shannon (who MC’d the show) and I attended the tour stop last weekend at Westbury Music Fair (Long Island, NY) ... and here are a few backstage tidbits I picked up that I thought might be of interest of your readers.

• Mark Lindsay now has 20/20 vision.  He’s been troubled by poor eyesight for his adult life and in the last few years he found a doctor who was able to improve his sight.  So now he can actually see his audience!
• Mark and his wife, Deb, recently bought a farm in Maine
• Later this year Mark will be re-releasing his 2013 album, “Life Out Loud,” with some bonus tracks.
• Turtles lead singer Howard Kaylan reported that his doctor wanted him to take it easy longer following his back surgery, but he’s feeling good and happy to be on tour.  Watching him prance around stage, you’d never know he recently had surgery.
• The Cowsills said they’ve been considered for the “Happy Together Tour” for the past 5 years, but when the tour organizers polled promoters they weren’t sure there would be enough interest to sell more tickets.  Then the documentary on their career was seen on the  Showtime Channel for over a year and promoters felt the awareness of the group had increased dramatically, so the singing family (with three original members) was offered an invitation.  It was a smart move.  On the first leg of the tour, they were one of the highlights of the show.  Many fans getting to see them live for the first time. -- Tom Cuddy

Thanks, Tom ... EXACTLY the kind of stuff we're looking for.

Still hoping to hear from many of the artists themselves this summer, too.

I've heard NOTHING but GLOWING reports on The Cowsills  EVERYWHERE they've played for the past two years.  We were finally fortunate enough to see them here in Chicago for a Christmas Show they put on at The Arcada Theatre ... top notch all the way.  SO happy for their newfound success.  (My guess is they'll be asked back next year, too!!!)

Thanks again ... LOVE IT!!!

kk

 

Meanwhile, here's that great shot of Scott Shannon and Mark Lindsay, taken at the Westbury, NY, show last week, courtesy of Forgotten Hits Reader Tom Cuddy ... and a WHOLE lot more from Stuart Hersh ... thanks, guys!!!

Scott Shannon and Mark Lindsay

(photo courtesy of Tom Cuddy)

 Mark Volman of The Turtles

 Howard Kaylan of The Turtles

 Michael Jackson ...

Ooops, I mean Howard Kaylan of The Turtles

 L-R - Nick Fortuna and Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams

(Look for a very special report from Carl next week in Forgotten Hits!)

 Carl and Nick, joined by Susan Cowsill

(was The Buckinghams' hit "Susan" written with her in mind???)

 More Cowsills action

 The Grass Roots

Jules Alexander and Jim Yester

of The Association

Mark Lindsay

After a short break, the tour resumes on Friday, July 17th ... 

Be sure to catch these guys when they come to your town ...

You're not going to get more bang for your buck than this ...

70 National Top 40 Hits between them!!!

REMAINING TOUR SCHEDULE:

Friday, July 17th - Chinook Winds Casino Resort - Lincoln City, OR

Saturday, July 18th - Cinook Winds Casino Resort - Lincoln City, OR

Sunday, July 19th - Clearwater River Casino and Lodge - Lewistown, ID

Wednesday, July 22nd - Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay - San Diego, CA

Thursday, July 23rd - Chumash Casino - Santa Ynex, CA

Friday, July 24th - Golden Nugget Casino Showroom - Las Vegas, NV

Saturday, July 25th - Campe Verde - Campe Verde, AZ

Sunday, July 26th - Pacific Amphitheater - Costa Mesa, CA

Friday, July 31st - Lynn Auditorium - Lynn, MA

Saturday, August 1st - Paramount Theatre - Asbury Park, NJ

Sunday, August 2nd - State Theatre - New Brunswick,NJ

Monday, August 3rd - ArtsQuest Center At SteelStacks - Bethlehem, PA

Tuesday, August 4th - Mayo Performing Arts Center - Morristown, NJ

Wednesday, August 5th - Bergen Performing Arts Center - Englewood, NJ

Friday, August 7th - War Memorial Auditorium - Nashville, TN

Sunday, August 9th - Wisconsin State Fair - West Allis, WI

Wednesday, August 12th - Indian State Fairgrounds - Indianapolis, IN

Thursday, August 13th - Missouri State Fairgrounds - Sedalia, MO

Saturday, August 15th - Little River Casino Resort - Manistee, MI

Sunday, August 16th - Performing Arts Center - Bolingbrook, IL

Wednesday, August 19th - Fraze Pavilion For The Perfroming Arts - Kettering, OH

Thursday, August 20th - Hard Rock Live - Northfield, OH

Friday, August 21st - Paramount Theatre - Aurora, IL

Saturday, August 22nd - Casino Rama Entertainment Centre - Rama, ON

Sunday, August 23rd - Foelinger Theatre - Fort Wayne, IN

Wednesday, August 26th - Effingham Performance Center - Effingham, IL

Thursday, August 27th - Kentucky State Fairgrounds - Louisville, KY

Friday, August 28th - Oaklawn Racetrack - Hot Springs, AR

Saturday, August 29th - Riverside Casino and Gold Resort - Riverside, IA

Sunday, August 30th - Bluestem Center For The Arts - Moorhead,MN

Monday, August 31st - Minnesota State Fairgrounds - Saint Paul, MN

Wednesday, September 2nd - Mahoning County Fairgrounds - Canfield, OH

The Sunday Comments ( 07 - 12 - 15 )

July 11, 2015, 6:02 pm

≫ Next: 50 Year Flashback - July 13th, 1965

≪ Previous: Happy Together, 2015

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re:  Three Cheers For Me!!!:  
Me-TV-FM that is!!!  The new Chicago ratings are out and this low-powered station now sits just outside The Top 20 ... their ratings are up over 77% from the last Chicago book as more and more listeners are discovering the incredible variety of music being offered by the station.  (The fact they they're still not streaming ... and can only be heard in certain areas of the city and suburbs ... makes these statistics all the more impressive and exciting!  Add in the fact that there are no billboards plastered all over the city promoting this new format ... no television advertisements <short of on their own TV network> and it's obvious that the station has grown through extremely good word of mouth (and promoting and praise from places like Forgotten Hits!)  Imagine where they'd fall in the ratings if the station applied the full-court press!!!
Simulcasting on Comcast / Xfinity Cable (Channel 877, as is their spot on the FM dial ...87.7) has also helped.  But so has great word of mouth.  Forgotten Hits Readers across the country are jealous that they don't have a radio station like this in THEIR home town!!! 
And this is the "dream" radio station we've been telling you about for over fifteen years now ... we have always maintained that a station that plays ALL the hits, not just the same 200-300 again and again and again would be a HUGE success and welcome addition to the dial.  "Music For The Ages" (as our FH Buddy Mason Ramsey of Rock And Roll Heaven used to say!).  You're just as likely to hear songs from the '50's through the early 2000's, all played side by side without any discriminating segregation ... because we all grew up being exposed to ALL of this music ... it's part of our radio DNA!!!  This is the station that reaches deep and features "wow" songs all day long on a regular basis ... the station we've been preaching about for fifteen years that COULD and WOULD succeed if only somebody had the guts to put it on the air.  (High-paid, Know-It-All Consultants be damned!!!  These guys don't even have a block of advertisers yet ... and no deejays ... and yet they are quickly capturing the hearts ... and ears ... of a VERY receptive Chicagoland audience.) 
No, they will NEVER reach the "all important" target 19-54 demo that radio says you have to reach in order to be successful.  That's not who they're aiming at.  Their audience is the folks who grew up listening to this great music in the '60's and '70's ... and they are already offering a wider selection (a playlist of somewhere between 2500-3000 songs ... and they're actually LISTENING to their audience as far as what else they might like to hear on the station ... OMG, what a concept!!!  Who KNEW that listeners wanted more than Steve Miller, John Mellencamp, Fleetwood Mac and Billy Joel!!!) than any other station in town ... or perhaps in the history of this whole city!!!  Even our previous oldies stations never delved so deep. 
And, once the advertising kicks in in earnest, they will find (as we have ALSO pointed out countless times in the past) that the demo they're reaching has the greatest amount of "disposable income" at their fingertips ... no they've just got to find the right group of advertisers to capitalize on that and this station will go right to the top of the heap!) 
Kudos to the team in charge at Me-TV-FM ... you're on the right track.  Iron out the last few bugs, start streaming and then syndicate the station across the USA ... and you will see that the listeners will come ... and we can FINALLY feel vindicated for all our soap-box preaching!!!  (kk)

A recent short sample set ... how often do you get to hear any of these?:

From Tom Taylor's "Radio News Now" column:  

Robert Feder says that with its new 1.6 share, “nobody’s laughing now” at the Weigel-run classic hits Me-TV FM. It appears on a low power TV Channel 6 leased from Venture Technologies and run as a complement to Weigel’s Me-TV. Weigel’s Neal Sabin says there is “passionate engagement” by listeners and its website is here.  
For the record, this is NOT a "classic hits" station ... we already have six of those in town playing the exact same music all day long.  This is cream-of-the-crop oldies (with a soft-rock edge), featuring songs you haven't heard in DECADES ... yet know and love ... and can sing along with every single word.  (kk)  

From Robert Feder's column ...  
One year ago it was the laughingstock of Chicago radio, with ratings so small you needed a magnifying glass to see them.  That's when it was going nowhere as a sports / talk station known as The Game 87.7 FM. 
Nobody's laughing now.  Rebranded in February by Weigel Brodcasting as soft rock / oldies Me-TV-FM, WRME FM 87.7 is moving up fast.  In Nielsen Audio ratings released Tuesday, the station more than tripled the audience share it had last June under Tribune Media. 
For the period from May 21 to June 17, Me-TV-FM ranked 25th overall with a 1.6 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 507,700.  Among listeners between 35 and 64, it tied for 22nd with a 1.9 share.  Not bad for a low-power television signal masquerading as a radio station that can't even be heard on many car radios.  In just the past month, Me-TV-FM increased its overall share by an impressive 77 percent.   

From our buddy Larz over at Chicagoland Radio and Media ...  
Another huge ratings increase belonged to WRME-LP / 87.7 MeTV FM, as the rookie station finds its groove, now rating higher than many veteran Chicago radio stations. Since its "soft launch" in late February, the soft oldies station has grown in ratings each month, going from almost no listeners to now gaining a 1.6 share. That frequency now has the highest ratings since 2013 when it played Alternative music. With no real promotional push, other than mentions on its TV sister-station, WRME-LP has ratings that are over four times higher than WGN Radio's disastrous sports format a year ago. Considering the station can only be heard on about half of Chicago's radios and it does not yet stream, to continue to greatly grow an audience like they have been doing is impressive.   

Shocked? Good morning, I'm stunned by the emergence of Me-TV-FM.   
Here's the question that needs to be answered ... just where is that 1.6 coming from? What station is losing juice to a station that specializes in boredom? 
ME's philosphy is simple ... 
Keep it cheap .. keep it non-abrasive. Carry the banner for Seals and Crofts. 
I love ya, Kent, but let's see where the new kids are in two or three more books.  My gut tells me the ME spark is going to fade as the summer rolls on. It's just too laborious.  
Chet Coppock  

Kent,  
The hits of the 50's through the 70's, those seldom if ever heard on radio today, www.hitparaderadio.com  With a play list of 1,500 titles, most from Hit Parade Hall of Fame inductees, many artist deserving of recognition are long forgotten except on Hit Parade Radio. 
Try it, you'll like it.  
John Rook  

You made a comment some time back about not even wanting to get out of the car for fear of what great song Me-TV-FM might play next.  I find myself in the same boat, now waiting for a commercial break instead, just so I don't miss anything!  There is nothing else on the Chicago radio dial anything like this - and it's been LONG overdue.  I'm happy to hear about their recent success and that others are listening  - maybe that means it'll be around for awhile.  I can't wait till they start streaming so I can listen all day at work, too. 
John E.  

It's the only station I listen to.  I've heard so many songs I haven't heard or even thought about in decades - but I agree with you that they need to do something about the programming.  With all the great music that they play, you will NEVER hear three good songs in a row ... never!  They need to liven things up with more up-tempo music and hits from the 60s.  They're getting better - I actually heard The Troggs and Yummy Yummy Yummy the other day - but there's still too much boring stuff strung together - I find myself changing the channel or putting on sports talk when some of these unfamiliar album tracks get played.  However, even at that it's still the best radio station in Chicago for music. 
Ed  
I will once again publicly (and privately) offer my services to help them fine-tune their playlist.  There is too much album stuff being played that doesn't strike a chord with the audience ... you need a connection ... and this stuff shouldn't be played in the same rotation as the familiar hits.  That being said with 2500 - 3000 songs to choose from, there are far too many repeats within a 24 and 48 hour period.  The luxury of a playlist this deep is that you don't have to beat these songs to death.  It is SO good hearing them again ... the last thing we need to do now is create a new batch of "button pushers"! 
Seriously ... this station is SO close to being the best thing around ... and we've got 16 years of taking the pulse of the oldies fan across the nation to find out what they really want to hear on the radio again.  To all parties concerned, I volunteer my services to help you get there.  It's really just a matter of fine tuning ... and then putting out a media blitz to announce the "official" launch of this great station.  (The time period is up on the soft launch ... most of these glitches should have been worked out by now.  Let us help you get to the next level.)  kk

re:  You've Gotta Wonder Where All Of This Is Heading: For months now we've been telling you about all the fuss over The Turtles' lawsuit against Sirius / XM's policy of not compensating artists for pre-1972 recordings being aired ... 

And now comes word about an actual "artists ban" instituted by the BBC ... 

My fear in all of this all along has been that is that these oldies and classic artists are going to wipe themselves from airplay all-together ... nobody's going to want to go through this many hassles to air their music. 

How serious (no pun intended) is it getting? 

We got this report from Vintage Vinyl News this morning ... 

Over the years, the BBC has been known to ban the playing of certain songs because they found them too risque or in bad taste but they've never removed entire catalogs until now. 
The network has told their DJs and program developers to not play music by the Doors, Neil Young, Journey or Bonnie Raitt including covers of their songs or any track that samples their music.  
The action came after the four artists withdrew from the MCPS (Mechanical Copyright Protection Society), an organization that collects royalties for the playing of music in Britain and distributes them to publishers. They took the action in a disagreement over rates being paid. 
The BBC's fear is that they have no way, now, to pay the four artists for the use of their music which is, essentially, a breach of copyright. They are taking the stand that it is much easier to deal with one organization collecting a standard fee rather than having to make agreements with and pay a host of separate artists. 
According to the Guardian, the BBC's instructions are: 
You can NOT use tracks by these composers on the radio and / or online.    
You can NOT use tracks by these composers whether they are originals or covers.    
You can NOT use the lyrics.  
You can NOT put performances using these compositions on line.    
You can NOT use tracks which include samples of these compositions e.g. Tracks by Skrillex/Chase & Status  
You can NOT use clips which include any compositions by these composers   
All of the artists except for Raitt are signed to Sharandall Music which is owned by Wixen Music. A spokesman for Wixen told Music Business Worldwide:    
The BBC can use Neil Young and the Doors any time they negotiate a license with us to do so in a given programme. All we are saying is that we won’t pre-approve uses or fees if the clients have not had an opportunity to review and approve the uses and fees.  
A BBC Spokesperson explained further:   
The issue has arisen for radio now because we will soon launch a feature which will enable audiences to download radio and music programmes to listen to offline on the BBC iPlayer Radio app. This involves the MCPS right which has been withdrawn.    

Meanwhile, Vintage Vinyl News' Roger Wink shares this story with us ...   

Hi Kent,  
As I'm sure many of your readers know, many veteran artists are not getting paid for the use of their recordings on radio and streaming services.
Not only is much of oldies radio moving towards a post-1963 (and later) format but the immense increases in streaming, to the detriment of sales, is threatening what little income is coming in to artists for their recorded works.
The Fair Play Fair Pay act, currently making its way through congress, is trying to correct many of these wrongs. Not only would it force AM and FM radio stations to pay performance royalties for playing tracks, but it would also close loopholes that many online services are using to avoid paying those royalties on records released before 1972.
I had the pleasure of talking with Ted Kalo at the Music First Coalition in Washington who is spearheading the effort to get this legislation passed. It is an interesting talk with a man who is both a music lover and an experienced player in the Washington machine.
I thought your readers might be interested in the podcast and, more importantly, could get behind the effort with their representatives. http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2015/06/vvn-music-podcast-with-ted-kalo-of.html
Thanks so much for listening!-- Roger WinkVVN Music

I think these artists absolutely should be compensated ... the songwriters still collect royalties for their work.  It gets a bit trickier with producers and session musicians as typically they were paid a flat fee for their services at the time they were rendered.  The truth is NOBODY thought this music would last ... much less grow in popularity some 40-50 years later!  There is no end to the horror stories told about artists being ripped off by their managers and record labels ... earning virtually nothing while bringing in millions for the record company.  This just seems to me to be the rightful way to pay back these artists.  Let's face it ... MOST of these guys had a very limited period of success ... others (now in their 60s and 70s) have to spend 200-300 days on the road just to earn a living today.  It simply isn't fair.

Give a listen to Roger's piece and see what you think.  Thanks, all.  (kk)     

re:  Concert Reviews:  
Frankie Valli - Friday 3rd July - Bournemouth International CentreIt was a sell out crowd when Frankie took to the stage and opened with "Grease".Whoever did the sound balance was spot on. Frankie may be 81 years old but his voice throughout the show was crystal clear.With 11 musicians and his Four Seasons he breezed through the first 50 minutes with hits like Dawn, Beggin', My Eyes Adored You, Silence Is Golden and a series of covers they have recently recorded like Stay, Why Do Fools Fall In Love and Spanish Harlem.But in the second half he completely nailed it, opening with every hit you wanted to hear like  Sherry, Walk Like A Man, Big Girls Don't Cry, Rag Doll ... and then saved the last 20 minutes almost like an encore with Bye Bye Baby, Let's Hang On, December, 1963, and Who Loves You.Frankie clearly loved the audience reaction, who were ALL on their feet for that "encore".Simply one of the very best show I have been to ... tremendous interaction with the fans.The film and stage show of the Jersey Boys has made him a star all over again.The only negative was no mention or credit was given to Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe, whose songs dominated the two hour extravaganza.If you get a chance, go and see this wonderful show.  
Geoff Dorsett,  
Radio Presenter  
Express fm   
www.softrockshow.co.uk  
Time and time again we see it happen ... "Jersey Boys", "Mamma Mia", "Love And Mercy", a radio station like Me-TV-FM, the recent James Brown biopic, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash ... a whole new generation discovers this great music that we all grew up on ... and falls in love with it all over again ... yet radio, for the most part, still programs with blinders on.  Damn the consultants ... experience this through your own eyes ... you'd have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to see the way this music captures its audience ... which reminds me, include The Who in that group, too ... Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones selling out shows around the world.  Doesn't take a genius to figure out what people REALLY want to hear!!!  (kk)   

Apparently while in London Frankie Valli opened up about his REAL thoughts about the "Jersey Boys" movie, produced and directed by Clint Eastwood.  (You may recall that Forgotten Hits gave THIS one a negative review, too.  I have watched it since ... and it has improved in some ways for me ... but still takes WAY too long to get to the heart of the story ... and I still can't forgive the botched notes that run throughout the film, especially the "Who Loves You" / Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame finale.  Clint ABSOLUTELY should have let them redo this scene ... or, at the very least, dubbed in a better audio track.  Instead, the missed notes are now preserved for all eternity.)   

Here's what Frankie had to say about the film this weekend, courtesy of FH Reader Tom Cuddy:  

FRANKIE VALLI: Unhappy With the Film  
For the first time, Frankie Valli has publicly criticized the Jersey Boys movie.  
During an interview promoting an upcoming London concert, he told a British tabloid that last year's Clint Eastwood-directed film was an unhappy experience. Valli says, "Bob Gaudio and I were supposed to be involved, that’s why we gave up our rights. Who knows our music better? But they took the music out of the movie. That bothered me." He was further ticked when he was not asked to take part in the post-production process. 
Valli would also have "liked more of the movie to be shot in New Jersey, not in studios." He adds, "They could have cast it differently," which is odd because three of the four actors playing The Four Seasons had been in the stage version. 
He then asks and answers his own question: "Was it Eastwood’s fault? Well, he was the director. If it were me making a movie about real people and the real people were there, I’d be asking them questions. It wasn’t a bad movie but it could have been better."   

It has been many years since John Sebastian has performed with the Lovin' Spoonful - but Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Joe Butler, Jerry Yester and Steve Boone showed Friday night that the Spoonful can still put on a great show without Sebastian.  With Butler and Yester sharing the vocal responsibilities, the group ran thru a ton of hits.  Butler was the original drummer, but is now out front singing lead and playing the autoharp.  Boone held the music together with a real tight bass.  
The group started the evening with You Didn't Have To Be So Nice, and kept the audience singing, clapping and laughing all evening with great hits like Nashville Cats, Younger Girl, Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind, Daydream, Six O'clock, Darlin' Be Home Soon, Summer In The City and Do You Believe In Magic.  
The gents were very cordial in meeting with fans after the show to chat and sign autographs - If the Spoonful comes to your town, get out to see them for a really fun time! 
Tom Apathy

Dang ... they were JUST here a couple of months ago and we didn't go, figuring that without John Sebastian at the helm, it wasn't going to sound anything like the records.  Will have to remember this for their next trip thru Chi-Town.  Thanks, Tom ... and, as always, great photos!  (kk)    

re:  In Other Concert News:  

We hear that plans are moving forward to release a live dvd of The Marty Grebb Benefit Concert held here in Chicago last May.  (This is the show that brought together so many of Chicago's Local Heroes for one night ... including Ronnie Rice, formerly of The New Colony Six, The Cryan' Shames (featuring Jim Pilster and Tom Doody), Jimy Sohns and the Shadows Of Knight, Jim Peterik and The Ides Of March, and four of the 1967 Buckinghams, on stage together for the first time in about 45 years. 
Final details are still being worked out (and it will take a few months to pull all of this together, as everybody is doing this on their own time between other scheduled performances) but the ultimate goal is to have the disc available by late-Fall, just in time for holiday gift-giving.  And, best of all, proceeds from the sale of this dvd will go right into The Marty Grebb Benefit Fund.  

Dennis Tufano tells us: 
The DVD is in the works. All have happily signed off on the project and we're hoping for an early Fall release, just in time for the holidays!!! 
But as it’s a pro bono deal we have to be patient as the work is being done in between real jobs for all of us. I’ll be in Chicago / Michigan area in August when I’ll try to finalize the dvd content (footage, music, stills, and some interviews) and get to the master pressing!  So the official word is that the DVD is in the works but there's no release date set yet. 
Marty is doing as well as expected as he’s going through treatments and trying to live a normal life in music.  He is definitely pumped about the outpouring of love and generosity he’s received from everyone. 
I will keep you posted as we get closer to release on the DVD. Depending on the sound quality we may have a CD release too. Hoping for the best! 
Thanks for keeping it all together my friend! You need a dvd just about you and your contributions … really! 
Dennis    
Please know that we'll do everything we can to help get the word out once things are finalized.  I'm sure everyone who was there would love to have a copy of this momentous night, especially knowing that a percentage of the funds is going back to the cause.  Keep us posted, Dennis!  (kk)  

.38 Special takes the stage for a free concert in Elk Grove Village Tuesday Night (the 14th).  And The Arcada has SO many great shows coming up over the next three months, we can't even list them all ... so here's the short list of what we're hoping to see:  
TONIGHT:  7/12 - Arlo Guthrie  
7/17 Whitesnake with Foghat and The Answer 
7/26 Tony Orlando 
7/28 Graham Nash 
8/7 Vanilla Fudge & Nazareth   
8/8 - The Commodores  
8/28 70's Pop Fest (featuring Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods) 
8/29 An Evening of Joe Cocker feat. August  (these guys are great!) 
9/4 - Dennis Edwards and The Temptations Revue 
9/9 Belinda Carlisle  
9/11 The Stylistics 
9/18 Burton Cummings  
9/29 Poco and Firefall  
9/26 - JT Taylor, former lead singer of Kool and the Gang
9/27 Ronnie Milsap…FORTY #1 Hits.His final tour  
10/3 - Sam Moore (of Sam and Dave)  
10/4 Neil Sedaka  
10/16 Leon Russell   
10/23 KANSAS 
10/25 Mickey Gilley 
10/30 Blood, Sweat & Tears with Bo Bice 
11/1 - Tanya Tucker 
11/6 Sheena Easton   
11/8 Vicki Lawrence 
11/14 Johnny Rivers   
11/21 Christopher Cross  
12/6 Lettermen Christmas Show  
12/11 - Felix Cavaliere's Christmas Show  
12/12 Frank Sinatra's 100th Birthday 
In addition, Ron Onesti has booked Jay and the Americans and Lou Christie to perform at the Italian Fest in Addison in August.  (I have ALWAYS wanted to see Lou Christie ... the two times I had tickets, the shows were cancelled!) 
Check out the OShows website for more details ... www.oshows.com ... and watch for more shows to be announced next week!  (kk)

Somebody who won't be touring any time soon is Diamond Dave Somerville, former lead singer of The Diamonds.  Health issues have sidelined this great performer, who has talked with us here in Forgotten Hits several times in the past.  (One of the most entertaining CD's you can buy is "On The 1957 Rock And Roll Greyhound Bus With Diamond Dave Somerville", which captures his live stage show circa 2000.  Sorry to hear he's not doing well ... hang in there, Dave!  (kk) 

FromJimmy Jay with Twyla Robinson Bobbitt: 

On behalf of Diamond Dave, Dave Somerville's family would like to inform his many fans and friends that due to a medical condition he will no longer be performing. For how long, that's in Gods hands. We contacted many of his very close friends last night and over the past few days the agents who have booked him around the world. Last week my top secret mission has been to be at his bed side with his wife and immediate family. I have known about his condition for a while and now it is up to God to take him on his journey. I asked him the other day "'Dave, what do you want people to remember about you?"and he said "the music". I hope to have a radio special done for this week on his Son Landa, and we even got Dave to Record a few words. With all this being said lets just pray for the Original lead singer of the Diamonds who brought us such great hits as Little Darlin'.

 
I saw him several times. I remember him as a striking performer with a dynamic voice.  
Shelley 

re:  The Wrecking Crew:  
We told you that Denny Tedesco was off to The UK where "The Wrecking Crew" is finally making its debut.  Here is a first hand report for DJ Geoff Dorsett, who recently had Denny and Hal Blaine on his radio programme.  (Check out all of the interviews he's done ... over 1500 in all ... via the link below ... AMAZING!!!)  And he even wants to have ME on his show!!!  (kk)   

Review of The Wrecking Crew film by Denny Tedesco
Location: Everyman Theatre - Hampstead, London 2nd July
My week had already started so well on Monday 29th June with two amazing guests on my Expressfm radio show ... Jimmy Webb and Micky Dolenz.  Both had so many compliments about the movie and especially Denny Tedesco and legendary drummer of the Wrecking Crew, Hal Blaine. The theatre was a small intimate venue with double sofa seats.  I learned a great deal from the film, which took Denny 19 years to put together from start to finish. For example, I never knew Cher was a 16 year old backing singer on the Ronettes "Be My Baby"!  
The stars of the film were the members of the Wrecking Crew, who were the unknown studio musicians who recorded the soundtrack of a generation.  As a result of this film, they will never again be unknown ... to ANY generation.
From The Beach Boys to the Monkees, Simon & Garfunkel to The Byrds, The Wrecking Crew were the musicians who played on 1000 hits and 100 number ones in the most exciting time in American Culture. 
It was great at the end to have a  Q & A with Denny Tedesco for the audience.
Geoff Dorsett
Radio Presenterwww.softrockshow.co.uk  
Next you've got to pick up Ken Sharp's book, "Sound Explosion" ... and, of course, the DVD as soon as it's available.  Been watching outtakes all weekend ... over SIX HOURS of additional footage that didn't make the final cut of the film, yet still filled with priceless gems ... and all related by the recording artists themselves.  We've been waiting a LONG, LONG time for this film to come out ... and now it's such a joy to see so many new people discovering it for the very first time.  Folks, you have GOT to pick up a copy of this film!!!  (kk)   

Kent,
I was looking thru the liner notes on my Jan and Dean LPs and noticed they all had a line that said "Orchestra Conducted by Hal Blaine."
Was this just a shout-out to the Wrecking Crew, or did Hal do more than his usual drumming on these LPs?
Just curious ...

David Lewis

I went right to the source on this one ...

Here for the very first time in Forgotten Hits is legendary drummer Hal Blaine!!!

HEY IT IS ME ... HAL BLAINE ...

I’M HAPPY TO RESPOND WITH THE FACT THAT I WAS GIVEN CREDITS (AS CONDUCTOR).

IN ACTUALITY, EARL PALMER, MY DEAR FRIEND WHO IS NO LONGER WITH US, DID ALL OF THE DOUBLE DRUMMING ON JAN AND DEAN. WE WROTE OUT OUR DRUM PARTS AND DID IT ALL IN UNISON.  JAN BERRY WANTED TO EXPERIMENT WITH TWO DRUMMERS.  EARL AND I BECAME THE ROCK DRUMMERS OF HOLLYWOOD DURING THAT ERA.

EARL ACTUALLY GOT ME GOING IN HOLLYWOOD BECAUSE THIS NEW GENRE IN MUSIC CALLED ROCK AND ROLL WAS REFUSED TO BE PLAYED BY MOST OF THE CLASSICALLY TRAINED STUDIO PLAYERS.  

I NAMED US ALL "THE WRECKING CREW" AND IT SEEMS THAT EVERYTHING WE BECAME A PART OF BECAME HUGE HITS … THOSE WERE THE BIG RADIO DAYS.

ALL THE BEST TO ALL OF YOUR “FH READERS"!!!!  

HAL BLAINE

re:  This And That:

The US Post Office has finally released a photo of the brand new Elvis Presley postage stamp, available August 12th.

A special block of 16 stamps will also be available , simulating a 45 record.  These are Forever Stamps so they never expire (should you choose to actually USE one, that is!!!  My guess is that most will be purchased as collectors' items.)

However, if you have always felt the urge to lick the back of Elvis' head, the opportunity now exists for you to do so.  (Of course this isn't the first Elvis Presley stamp issued by the post office ... fans gobbled up every copy of the Elvis stamp issued in 1993, too.)

This story became all the more timely after the Women's National Soccer Team won the World Cup this past weekend!  
>>>As the US women’s national soccer team continues its quest for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Nike’s new commercial is winning praise from fans and media, alike. Without a spoken word, the ad features inspiring images of America’s women soccer players backed by Burton Cummings’ original recording of “American Woman.”   USA TODAY calls the ad “amazing.”  NESN reports “Nike Stirs Passion for USA Soccer in ‘American Woman’ Commercial.” 

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

WOW … Thanks for this. No, I hadn't seen it. But I will say this ... the shows are getting more dynamic and varied. It's from playing so much. The band is tighter than it's ever been … ever ...!

Burton Cummings

Excellent!  See you at The Arcada Theatre September 18th!  (kk)    

Giving Ringo his due ... 

Got this from FH Reader Scott Paton ...

Good article that gives Ringo his due -- definitely a very "musical" drummer.
Perhaps his predilection for crankiness in recent decades is somewhat due to being the butt of "inferior capacity" comments, as recounted in the article.  But they sure wouldn't have been "The Beatles" as we know 'em without him.

Ringo's no joke. He was a genius and the Beatles were lucky to have him » The Spectator
>> http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts/arts-feature/9571372/ringos-no-joke-he-was-a-genius-and-the-beatles-were-lucky-to-have-him/

Sounds like John Fogerty is suing is former bandmates ... again.  (Any thoughts of a complete CCR Reunion have probably been pushed back ... forever!)  Apparently after reaching a settlement with original Creedence Clearwater Revival bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford about performing his original material in concert as part of Creedence Clearwater Revisited, the duo have failed to pay the necessary royalties due Fogerty since 2011.   

Here's some news about some upcoming events at Cool Scoops out in Wildwood, New Jersey, courtesy of our FH Buddy Paul Russo, proprietor of this fun spot!

Oldies fans may want to check out this special appearance by Bill Haley, Jr., all for a good cause.  (And the ice cream ain't half bad either!!!  lol)

We had a blast here a few years ago. (kk)

Kent ...

Didn't realize how good my Top 4 for 4th of July idea was until you printed them all in Forgotten Hits.

7/5/15 = Wild Wayne re-played his Joe Bennett interview from 2002. Joe said the group toured steadily from 1957 - 1960. At that time Joe joined the Air Force.  When he got out of the Air Force he became an Air-Traffic Controller and gave guitar lessons.

Joe Bennett & The Sparkletones appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show twice. Wild Wayne asked Joe where the name came from. Joe said it was his mothers idea.  She advised them to wear vests with sparkling music notes on them.

One of Joe's favorite songs was the flip-side of "Black Slacks" -- "Bop & Rock Boogie. 

During this interview Joe Bennett was talking about touring England in May of 2002.
Frank B.    

>>>Tom T. Hall may be one of the most under appreciated songwriters in all of music. Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for story songs. I did not really appreciate Harper Valley PTA until I moved to rural America. (Wayne City, IL., population 1100. Just down the road a spell from Mayberry, IL. Yes Virginia, there really IS a Mayberry, IL).  

This song rings so true today. Far more so than 1968, given what our society has become in terms of political correctness. 
In the Chicago area there are apartment complexes with more people then this village has. I see the hypocrisy that Tom T. Hall was writing about every day in this town.  (Jack Levin)  
Then you are going to LOVE this brand new track from Kacey Musgraves, a hotnew country singer who has a real way with words ... and captures the spirit of "small town living" in just about three minutes time.  Check it out ... give a close listen to this one!  (kk)

Kent,  

Just a few thoughts that came to my mind today.

John mentioned the Pipes and Drums and Military Band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and their version of AMAZING GRACE. I guarantee you I haven't heard that song on the radio since it was popular. The group's name is almost as long as the song itself.

Seeing Glen Campbell's BONAPARTE'S RETREAT reminded me of Billy Grammar's follow-up to GOTTA TRAVEL ON in 1958, assuming they are one and the same song.

Larry

I believe it is ... "Bonaparte's Retreat" is one of those songs that was covered by all kinds of artists but never actually became a hit for any of them!  (It was first recorded by Pee Wee King in 1949 ... and has been covered by everyone from Glen Campbell to Kay Starr to Willie Nelson on up to ... most recently ... The Chieftans.)

The Pipes And Drums And The Military Band Of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (whew!) scored a Top Ten Hit in both Cash Box and Record World with their unusual rendition of "Amazing Grace" when it was released as a single in 1972.  (It just missed, peaking at #11 in Billboard.  By the way, that recording reached #1 on the pop singles charts in The United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa.  Between 1972 and 1977, it sold over seven million copies worldwide!)  Gotta wonder what label executive was willing to stick his neck out back then to see if this arrangement had any "hit potential".  Whoever he was, we sure could use a hundred more just like him to shake up radio programming today ... somebody willing to take a chance by offering something different ... and then stand by his guns regardless of what happens with it.  Those days in radio are LONG gone as we live today in a world of cookie-cutter programming.  What a shame!  (kk)

More about Glen Campbell from FH Reader John LaPuzza ...

Hey Kent,
After watching "Glen Campbell - I'll Be Me", I read about how the song, "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" was written and recorded. Musically, I think it sounds a bit similar to David Gates' first solo hit, "Clouds". I like Glen's, and his son's recordings of it, but Tim McGraw's performance at the Oscars was special to me. The way the song started and finished with just his voice, and then, that great, spiritual backup chorus joining in, sounding like it was arranged by Brian Wilson, was truly amazing.
- John LaPuzza

I hear the David Gates connection now that you mention it ... but ironically my very first initial reaction to that opening piano was "Wow, this sounds like a John Lennon track!"  Glen's voice sounds great on this track ... and knowing now that some of his former Wrecking Crew teammates helped out with this recording makes it all that much more moving for me.  As such, I didn't really care for Tim McGraw's performance ... not that it wasn't good ... but it just didn't have the passion and poignancy of Glen's, if only because of the circumstances surrounding these very heartfelt lyrics.  Definitely one of my favorite tracks from the last few years.  I tried to order the soundtrack cd last week and it was sold out at the first three sources I checked ... which tells me that other fans seeing the film now for the first time were knocked out by it as well.  I especially like his daughter Ashley's song "Remembering", whose lyrics are also especially moving for many of the same reasons.  (kk)

Speaking of the Ventures - yes, a major influence to most all young r'n'r bands in the very early 60's - I joined my 2nd teen band (which included Dickie Betts) at the end of 1960 and we did four different Ventures songs between then and the fall '61, during which time the Venture's had their 1st four chart singles - we did two of the hits and two B-sides. (And I've worked with several musicians with similar stories).
It wasn't until decades later that I learned how incorrectly they had actually played "Walk Don't Run". At one point I contacted Johnny Smith, the jazz guitarist who wrote it, asking if I could interview him about that. He said he had been asked to write a book so he though he should save the story. As far as I know, the book never happened. It would have been interesting to learn how his attitude might have changed between the time he first heard it and the time the royalty checks began rolling in. 
Gary E. Myers / MusicGem

>>>I've never even HEARD of "Hangin' From Your Lovin' Tree" by The In Crowd.   (kk)  
Larry Neil pointed out this great 45 from 1968.  It was another midwest PLAINS hit in Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.  The In Crowd were the band that backed Jon & Robin on their Abnak hits.  The band had a few releases on Abnak (including the subject song) that are all good.  This was their biggest hit. 

From the same period in time, another unknown was the Swampseeds'"Can I Carry Your balloon."  This was again a big hit in the same area as above and about the same time of 1968, this one on Epic records.  Dennis Ferrante was the lead singer and apparently just passed away.  I had no idea of anything else he did other than a forgettable follow-up 45 to the one here.  Here's the story from Both Sides Now site:

Recording engineer Dennis Ferrante, whose long list of credits includes work on albums by such diverse artists as John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Lou Reed, Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Duke Ellington, Chet Atkins and the 1910 Fruitgum Company, died June 6 from heart failure, according to Jennifer Carmine of the Shannon Gallery, a close family friend of Ferrante's. Ferrante was surrounded by friends and family when he died, she said. Ferrante had a history of heart problems and a benefit concert was held in 2010 to help get him a new heart.  Ferrante won a Grammy Award in 1999 in the category of Best Historical Album. He was one of the engineers on "The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition - The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (1927-1973)." 

In a 2009 interview, Ferrante talked about his work on albums by Lennon, Nilsson and Yoko Ono. He said the creation of “#9 Dream” followed John Lennon's standard of work in the studio. “John's way of doing music was he would come into the studio with his song. He would run the tune down for the band and after about 45 minutes the band would be ready to put it down. Then we would record any guitar overdubs or other instruments and be ready to put down John's vocal. He didn't like to hear his voice plain so I had to put in his headphones efx's that seemed to me the more he heard, the better he sang. After that we put on the background vocals and whatever little nuances were needed like May (Pang) saying 'John' in the chorus. After all the parts were put down, we would mix and the rest is what you hear.” 

About the Nilsson album “Pussy Cats,” which John Lennon produced, he said the crazy atmosphere was very much apart of the album's creation. “John was not one to go into a studio and just fool around. He was there to make music, but the craziness is what it was all about. That state led to musical creativity which in turn made great music.” 

And he said that despite the free form nature of her music, Yoko Ono knew what she wanted to do before coming into the studio. “She has a concept in her mind and I had to bring it to fruition, which at times was very nerve racking.” 

Recently, Ferrante had played a show at the Cutting Room in New York with former Wings drummer Steve Holley and others. “Dennis was a storyteller. I never saw him unkind to anyone. He loved telling stories to you and you would laugh until you cried until your sides hurt about whether it was working with John (Lennon) or he could make light of his heart problems,” said Jennifer Vanderslice of Moonglow PR. “He'll be so missed by everybody. He was such a joy to be around."

Got a nice email from our FH Buddy John Madara the other day, who even sent me a copy of my original "welcome" email when he joined The Forgotten Hits Family back in April of 2007.

Dear Kent ...

So happy for you my friend! You have been keeping the music alive all these years with Forgotten Hits!  Congratulations!

John Madara

Of course we've talked to him many, many times since then ... and even posted a couple of permanent links on our other Forgotten Hits website commemorating his great achievements from the early days of rock and roll ...

http://forgottenhits.com/john_madaras_greatest_hits

http://forgottenhits.com/john_madara_remembers_

One of my all-time favorite songs ever, "You Don't Own Me", has recently become a worldwide hit all over again thanks to a brand new recording by teen sensation Grace.  Her video now has over one million views on YouTube!  (kk)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SeRU_ZPDkE

Here's another review of the new Brian Wilson movie "Love And Mercy", courtesy of Vintage Vinyl News ...

http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2015/07/review-love-mercy-brian-wilson-biopic.html?utm_source=VVN+Music+E-Mail+Subscribers&utm_campaign=895e851a67-July+8%2C+2015+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3a4dfe0b50-895e851a67-89761121

Thanks to Bob Merlis, for the past few weeks we've been tracking The Rolling Stones' first US #1 Single "Satisfaction" as it climbs the chart.  THIS week, it finally reaches its summit, where it will stay for the next four weeks.  The track is timeless ... one of the biggest hits of the '60's ... and all time!  (kk)   

Thought you’d want to see the video that ABKCO just launched to coincide with the 50th anniversary of “Satisfaction” hitting #1 on Billboard’s Top 100 (the first Stones record ever to go all the way in the USA).  Below that you’ll find a local radio station survey that provides some context as far as what was being played on Top 40 radio back then.  Thanks to the good folks at Forgottenhits.com (not that “Satisfaction” has ever been forgotten) for providing the KLBK survey. Hey! That’s in Lubbock, TX, Buddy Holly’s hometown. The Rolling Stones' very first (UK) top 10 hit was his “Not Fade Away.”  It was also the first Stones record to dent the US charts (#48 in Billboard). 

But we digress ... it’s all about “Satisfaction” and / or not being able to get any.    

re:  More Micky:  
More Micky ... courtesy of FH Reader Tom Cuddy ...

http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2015/07/08/micky-dolenz-the-interview-monkees/?utm_source=Rock+Cellar+Magazine+Subscribers&utm_campaign=9aedf7ca01-June+Issue+Email+6.5.15&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_951cfef8de-9aedf7ca01-159115861#sthash.llD58d9y.AOgB3eoO.dpbs

Micky also made The Huffington Post ... TWICE ... this past week ... with his 54 Below show that we told you about a week or two ago!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-sachs/micky-dolenz-on-broadway-_b_7732962.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/regina-weinreich/hey-monkee-man-micky-dole_b_7766078.html

And here's a review of that show ...

MICKY DOLENZ’s A LITTLE BIT BROADWAY; A LITTLE BIT ROCK ‘N ROLL - A RARE MUSIC MOMENT  by  T. S . Schill 

Monkee Micky Dolenz knocked it out of the park at his cabaret opening this week at 54 Below, Titled A Little Bit Broadway; A Little Bit Rock ‘n Roll, Dolenz neatly segued his Broadway-chops with several Monkee-hits, including the Carole King / Toni Stern (from HEAD) “As We Go Along,” which this writer just marveled at (fact: Neil Young and Ry Cooder were in on the original recording session). 
Watching him do “Don’t Be The Bunny” from the show Urinetown, and, “Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago was just marvelous; as he wrapped his golden-glove of a voice lusciously around these songs.  “Cellophane” was preceded by a very home-spun story, as are all of these numbers. As always, Dolenz is a succinct and funny raconteur.  I'm prompted to say that a book of these vintage anecdotes would be most welcome.   
Of course the Monkee-hits flowed, including “Last Train to Clarksville,""Pleasant Valley Sunday,""Daydream Believer" and "I'm a Believer," the latter of which was followed by Dolenz's joking reminder to a child in the audience, "I sang that song long before Shrek." 
It’s terrific to note that for the 70-year old Dolenz, his voice remains as strong and vibrant as ever; a welcomed mix of Roy Orbison and Freddie Mercury. The emotion that he can draw with each song is mesmerizing and admirable. Also performed was the Lieber / Stoller standout, D. W. Washburn. That song, neatly bridged both of the show's themes, being both a hit for the Monkees and later prominently featured in the Broadway play Smokey Joe's Café. 
After his musical director Michael J. Moritz Jr. explained that "I'm a Believer" would be performed in a Broadway manner more suitable for the 54 Below’s intimate, classy setting, Dolenz launched into a slowed-down, jazzy version which was quickly stopped. 
"What's scary is that there's probably someone out there doing it like that," he said before the band reverted to the familiar rocking arrangement. 
The youthful band was truly inspired; most likely because they were backing such a star, but were spot on. 
Playing tribute to the songwriters whose efforts made the Monkees so successful, including Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Neil Diamond and Neil Sedaka, Dolenz seemed more comfortable than ever with his original band's musical legacy (next year is their 50th anniversary). 
The evening ended with the rousing "Goin' Down" from their psychedelically tinged album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd., sending the baby boomer audience out in a blissful wave of nostalgia. 
With only two more shows on Friday and Saturday, it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime performance. 

re:  Just B.Cos:  
Perhaps the title of his Top Five hit should have been Dirty Little Ole Man??? 
Man, what a way to go out!  (kk)

---

50 Year Flashback - July 13th, 1965

July 13, 2015, 4:00 am

≫ Next: Some Of Your Ides Of March Comments

≪ Previous: The Sunday Comments ( 07 - 12 - 15 )

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A couple of weeks ago we showed you a KEWB Chart with "Louie Louie" by Paul Revere and the Raiders in the #2 Spot.  Well THIS week they reach #1, with a record that is already two years old!!!  (They're really not due to breakthrough anywhere else around the country until much later this year when "Steppin' Out" and "Just Like Me" make their way up the charts ... so this "Louie Louie" success is a bit unusual, to be sure!)

That Dino, Desi and Billy record "I'm A Fool" must be a REALLY big hit this week in Los Angeles ... it's holding down both the #2 AND the #6 positions on this week's KEWB Chart!!!  (lol)

Then again maybe the radio station's proofreader was on vacation that week ... look at the date of this chart ... July 12th ... 1695!!!  (That's only off by 300 years!!!)

It's amazing to me to see how many of these glitches and mistakes made it through to the marketplace ... it was literally happening all over the country.  Just get the charts out to the kids, I guess, so they can buy this week's latest hits.

Well, I was right there with the rest of them.  Records I bought off of this week's chart included "Satisfaction", "I Can't Help Myself", "I'm Henry The VIII, I Am", "Cara Mia", "Set Me Free". "You Turn Me On", "I Like It Like That" and "Don't Just Stand There".

VERY cool "in concert" shot of The Byrds on this week's chart, too!

Some Of Your Ides Of March Comments

July 14, 2015, 4:00 am

≫ Next: Food For Thought (???) HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

≪ Previous: 50 Year Flashback - July 13th, 1965

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Response to our recent Ides Of March Series has been good ... in fact, it sounds like some of you have already ordered copies of their 50th Anniversary Box Set.

Here are just some of the comments we received ...

Just a little point of clarification on part 3 of your online review this week.
Both the World Woven and Midnight Oil albums have indeed been reissued previously on CD before, on the band’s own website, back in 2004 ... but it was on a very limited run basis, and burned onto CD-R by computer.  I consider myself lucky to have been able to secure copies of both at the time.  “Reunion”, which was credited in your review as an unreleased track, was actually put on the World Woven CD as a bonus track. 
But I will concede that this is the first time these tracks have been released on a commercially available collection that can be obtained outside of the band’s website. 
I, too, have written a review of the set which you can easily find through the set’s listing on Amazon.  
Thanx for listening - 
Shane Worden 
You'll find Shane's review ... and a couple of others ... on the Amazon Page for the 50th Anniversary Box Set ... three out of three five-star reviews!  
http://www.amazon.com/Ides-March-Last-Band-Standing/dp/B00TPEG1UA/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1436625016&sr=1-1&keywords=ides+of+march
Obviously, you can order the collection there, too ... or from The Ides Of March home page ... http://theidesofmarch.com/   

Nice review, but I have to disagree with your comments about the song "Home". It's a beautiful vocal performance, and the string arrangement is exquisite. I have no problem with the line, "your sink needs a plumber, and you need a man". It works well within the context of the lyrics, and is a metaphorically acceptable sentiment. "Home" is one of my favorite songs Jim has written, and I told him so, one night at the Bluebird in Nashville.     

Randall Davidson   
For the record, I totally agree that "Home" is a beautiful song ... which I think is why that one line stands out so much for me.  Having listened to so much of Jim's music over the years ... and reading his "Songwriting For Dummies" book ... I just don't think it's a line he would write today.  (Hey, he hears the splice in "Vehicle" ... I hear this line as a bit cringe-worthy and not fitting with the beautiful sentiment of the rest of this song ... probably perceived as a clever line at the time but, in hindsight, probably not as strong and meaningful ... or up to par ... with the rest of the lyrics.)  As an example of complete contrast, listen to "Too Late To Turn Around", one of the brand new songs on the box set, which contains the line "This story is my life ... I own the movie rights", which I think paints the PERFECT imagery. It's one of my "new" favorites by The Ides.  (kk)

I just ordered the Ides Of March box set.  You did such a thorough job of reviewing this collection I just had to add it to my collection.  You can count me amongst the ones who knew the band by "Vehicle" and nothing else.  Thanks for opening my eyes to this wealth of other great material I somehow missed along the way. 
Ed Steiner 
Raleigh, North Carolina 
PS Does the band ever tour outside the Chicago area?  Would love to catch them in concert some time. 
You can always check their website for tour dates.  As Jim told us, they don't do a lot of shows each year ... but perhaps with some exposure to the new 50th Anniversary Box Set, these opportunities will pop up a bit more often.  The recorded music is great ... but you have to see the band live to truly appreciate just what a powerhouse they really are.  (kk)   

Kent,

Love the lost lead guitar solo recording story for 'Vehicle'.  Being a teacher / mom I have a slant on the story.  Rich messed up.  BIG mess up, that could have been fatalistic to the recording given the fact that nobody would have liked the re-recorded version as much.  Rich took ownership of his mistake and while Jim was airing out, fixed it in a semi-miraculous way.  One of my biggest lessons is that people make mistakes, and there are natural consequences.  But taking ownership and doing your best to remedy the situation is more of what the world needs.  Jim hears the splice.  I don't.

Shelley J Sweet-Tufano

There are many instances like this where (back in the old days of REAL editing) engineers had to be pretty creative.  In nearly all cases, the artists hear the edit while the listeners / fans don't ... part of the appeal of popular music IS the little "mistakes" and nuances that often occur quite by accident ... but add to the charm of the overall recording.  I don't hear it either ... and I've probably heard this song at least 10,000 times!!!  (Which is just a few times less than Jim has probably played it!  lol)  kk   

Great review of the new Ides box set - I was intrigued enough to pick up a copy!  (For the record, you shared just the right amount of music on your site - enough to get us to listen to a few tracks we weren't familiar with - plus descriptive in depth reviews of tracks NOT featured that made us want to hear more!)  Good job - can't wait to hear the whole collection. 

Mike   

Hi Kent,
I'm enjoying the coverage of the Ides of March box.  Nice exposure of a worthy endeavor that probably won't generate a ton of publicity.  You've definitely convinced me to grab a copy, despite already having the previous anthologies.
Regarding that 'CFL aircheck of "Roller Coaster" that Clark Besch sent you, why, why, why wasn't that included on the box?!  Such a great lost single that really channels the Bobby Fuller Four, dontcha think?
Regards,
Scott Paton  

The commercial single release of "Roller Coaster" IS on the box set ... but this WCFL aircheck copy was so clean and clear, I just HAD to feature it!  (kk)    

Kent / Clark ... or should I say Clark / Kent: 
Great job, guys. The Ides thing this week is thorough and quite interesting all the way.  
Thanks!  
David Lewis    

I read and enjoyed all of your reviews and will be purchasing the Ides of March Box Set. I didn't see it mentioned if "Age Before Beauty" was included in the set? I always liked that tune!

Carolyn

It sure is.  80 tracks in all.  I couldn't find a complete track list anywhere so I figured I should probably make one!!!

Here you go!

DISC ONE:  Last Band Standing / Who I Am / Too Far To Turn Around (all brand new tracks recorded especially for this special box set release) / Like It Or Lump It / No Two Ways About It (their Shon-Dels release) / You Wouldn't Listen / I'll Keep Searching (their first hit single on Parrot) / I'll Take You Back / Please Don't Tell Me Lies / Train Of Love / Don't Cry To Me / You Tell Me Why / I Put It Out Of My Head / The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore / Roller Coaster / Things Aren't Always What They Seem / My Foolish Pride / Give Your Mind Wings / Hole In My Soul / Girls Don't Grow On Trees / I'm Gonna Say My Prayers / You Need Love / Sha La La La Lee (this batch of tracks were all recorded while the band was signed to Parrot Records ... several of these never saw the light of day) / Nobody Loves Me / Strawberry Sunday (both sides of their 1968 Kapp single) / One Woman Man / High On A Hillside (their first Warner Brothers single)

DISC TWO:  Vehicle (mono hit single mix) / Lead Me Home Gently / Aire Of Good Feeling / Symphony For Eleanor - Eleanor Rigby / Bald Medusa / Home / Wooden Ships - Dharma For One / Superman / LA Goodbye / Hymn For Her / Tie Dye Princess / We Are Pillows - Prelude To Freedom / Freedom Sweet / Giddy Up Ride Me / Melody / Reunion (all Warner Brothers tracks) / Pepsi Vehicle Commercial / Vehicle (stereo album mix) / The Star Spangled Banner

DISC THREE:  Mother America / All Join Hands / Colorado Morrow / Diamond Fire / Flipside / Children / Hot Water / Lay Back / Quicksilver / Roadie Ode (all from their RCA years) / Gotta Share This Feeling / American Express / Rag For A Vagabond Lady / Love's Got The Power / Summer In The City / Don't Fight The Feeling (these six are live tracks) / Finally Next Year (their tribute to The Chicago Cubs)

DISC FOUR:  Friendly Stranger (Vehicle Overture) / Spirit Of Chicago / I'd Love Her Anyway / Love Don't Choose / Age Before Beauty / Moon Out Of Phase / One Hit Wonder / Come Dancing / A Day In The Life / The Forgotten Oldie / Pepperhead / Secrets Of A Woman / Soul To Soul / For One Moment / Still 19 / Live Life / Keep Rocking  (all tracks recorded between 1991 and 2010)
DISC FIVE:  (DVD) - Live Concert Performances of People Get Ready - Aire Of Good Feeling / Live Life / High On You / Flipside / Heavy Metal / You Wouldn't Listen / LA Goodbye / Keep Rocking / Bald Medusa / Superman / Is This Love / The Search Is Over / Caught Up In You - Hold On Loosely / Vehicle / Eye Of The Tiger / Music Video of Last Band Standing / From The Vaults (TV appearances, American Bandstand playing of "You Wouldn't Listen" and more) / Vehicle, performed live in concert with special guest Buddy Guy

Google Search Ides Of March and you'll find ALL kinds of Forgotten Hits coverage ... now we've published the essential tracks list, too!  (kk)   

Hi Kent! 

A few years back while record hunting in Chicagoland I came across the Ginny 45 by Batt Mann and the Boy Wonders.  When I got home I played it and thought that was the same version as the oe by the ides – what the heck!??

Thanks for the clarification in the article on this but question remains – the Shondells, Batt Mann and then Ides of March?  So they actually were going to use Batt Man as the groups name?  Did they actually record this in the Ginny Records studio?  I know this is a Chicago label and, for as small as it was, they put out some fine singles.

Thanks, man!

Jeff James

I had to go right to Jimbo on this one ... until Clark Besch sent me the photograph, I never even knew this record existed!  My guess is it was a licensing deal of some sort ... but here's what Jim tells us:

Hi Jeff -

Yes, we were Batt Mann and the Boy Wonders for a few months after we heard about Tommy James' usage of the Shondells made us hunt for a new name. Batt Mann was actually suggested by Paul Sampson who ran the Cellar in Arlington Heights.  He told our manager Mike Considine at the time, "If they change their name, I will put up billboard signs saying "Batt Mann is coming!" We changed our name but no signs ever appeared.  We did play his club, however, as Batt Mann a month later, opening for the premier of a new band called Saturday's Children. The place was packed. When the audience asked us where our capes were we told them they were at the cleaners.    

Ginny was a small label - I believe a subsidiary of Destination Records.  It is the same recording of You Wouldn't Listen and I'll Keep Searching but a vastly inferior mastering job. Very dull. Soon after we got picked up by London / Parrot as the mighty Ides Of March.

Jim Peterik

In hindsight all I can say is Thank Great God In Heaven that the Batt Mann name didn't stick ... had "You Wouldn't Listen" been a hit under that moniker it may have doomed the future of the band once the Batman novelty craze wore off.  GREAT story though ... and once again I've got to say that the COOLEST thing about doing Forgotten Hits is all the new stuff that I, myself, have learned over the years!  Thanks, Jim!  (kk) 

More on the Batt Mann name from Clark Besch, who wrote the other review used in our special Ides Of March Series ... along with a brief early band discography ...

Kent,

I like what you did with The Ides piece!  Great job, as usual. 

More info on the Batt Mann record ...

I know the timing was right for the Batman craze to give them the gimmick idea, much like WLS' Ron Riley having his Batman club, of which I was a member.  Remember, these guys were kids then.  I can't remember if Jim mentioned it in his book or not.  Seems like maybe they played one gig under that moniker?? 

A comment I wrote in a group email in early in 2013 talked about the song, but not much about the groups, but I am attaching my version of "That's Why God made the Radio" again.

I am guessing someone can get this to Karen Miller who wrote the great liner notes for the Sundazed comp.  When re-reading them for the discography, I saw her mention how one night, she heard WLS DJ Ron Riley mention that this group the Ides of March were not British but from BERWYN!  Maybe THIS is the night she heard it!!  It must have been fairly early in the song's chart ride, as Riley remarks "hey these guys have a hit."  I wish I had not cut the song off at the end, but I had no idea of the future of the record, the group or that I would ever know them living in Dodge City, Kansas, listening long distance as a (nearly) 10 year old taping on a lunky reel to reel unlike all my friends who had no idea about top 40 music or radio then.  Anyway, Riley comments "I was talking to the nation record ..."  I am guessing he was talking about the possibilities the Parrot distributors or the local record promo guys had to say about the record.  Possibly, his brother Jim Scully, who was a promo man for Columbia in Chicago?  I am sure Jim might have had thoughts on the band, as he was promoting the Shames then.  Anyway, a thrilling night captured on tape from my childhood.  BTW, THIS was the ONLY way I had this record for years until I got a copy of it five years later.  Since then, I noticed many of these 45s had terrible distortion at the start and I have bought some 15 copies finding only 1 or 2 that played nice.  I was quite excited when I got a clean copy that played properly.  Anyone else notice this?  Of course, when the Sundazed CD came out, I was mesmerized by the clean sound I was hearing.  Bob Irwin enhanced it to perfection!
What if the name stayed the Shondels or Riley saying "Batt Mann and the Boy Wonders are from BERWYN and they have a hit!"

Below is the detailed beginning part of the discography I sent to Jim for use in his book, which eventually wound up (in a condensed form) on the webpage.

Jim Peterik on Record  
Chart positions are shown for Billboard / Cash Box / Record World national trades Pop Charts / WLS Chicago / WCFL Chicago 

The Renegades
No recordings.  Jim formed band at age 13 in 1964.  Joined Larry Millas' band, the Shy Lads, in summer 1964.  Changed name to Shondels. 
Shon Dels Unlimited 45 Discography
Epitome 7195  Like it or Lump It / No Two Ways About it  (1965?)
It would seem the label had a problem with letter spacing, as Shondels is "SHON DELS"  and writer credits, "PETER IK-MILLAS".Did not chart on Billboard / Cash Box / Record World / WLS / WCFL
Batt  Mann & the Boy Wonders 45 Discography
Ginny 903  You Wouldn't Listen / I'll Keep Searchin' (3/66?)Writer credits sloppily list writers: "L. Millas / J. Peter / M. Borch". 
This local release preceded the Foggy Notions' only 45 release Ginny 904 "I Need a Little Lovin'" which has had both sides issued on many comps.  Both of the Ginny 45s show an association with "Diamonette and Destination Music."  The Ides' Parrot release has no such info listed.  The Batt Mann 45 shows "A Dutch Wensloff Production."
Note:  Label Matrix number is 5854 while above Shon Dels matrix is 5054.  Thus, above Shondels 45 is likely first overall recording by the group??Did not chart on Billboard / Cash Box / Record World / WLS / WCFL
Ides of March 45 Discography
Harlequin  660412 You Wouldn't Listen / I'll Keep Searchin'  (Release date: 4/66?)  Intended as a Shondells release?
Group name now changed incorrectly to "I'des of March" as well as writing credits now still incorrect as "Millias, Peterick, Broche."  "Destination" has been dropped but "Diamonette" kept on label.  Now, this label shows "A Cinderella Production" by Dutch Wensloff under the "supervision" of M. Considine.Did not chart on Billboard / Cash Box / Record World / WLS / WCFL
Parrot 304  You Wouldn't Listen / I'll Keep Searchin'  (5/66)  (Name change due to Shondells' Hanky Panky release?  Ides of March name chosen because of studying Shakespeare in school and taking name from Julius Caesar's line "Beware the Ides of March") Note:  All releases of Parrot 304 show artist incorrectly as "I'des of March" but correct writer credits as "Millas / Peterik / Borch." The Parrot "I'des" 45 shows "A Mike Considine Production for Stature," dropping Dutch Wensloff from any mention while adding Destination Records' Stu Black as engineer.  Oddly, "Stature" was also the name of an Illinois record label.
In England, the 45 was issued as "I'des of March" on London 10058 with release date on label as July 1, 1966.  It also lists "Recorded by Parrot, New York."  Billboard debut date: 6/25/66  Peak: 47  Weeks on: (7)  Cash Box debut date:  6/11/66  Peak: 47  Weeks on: (9) Record World debut date: 6/18/66  Peak: 41  Weeks on: (8) WLS debut date: 5/27/66  Peak: 7  Weeks on: (9) WCFL debut date: 5/12/66  Peak: 10  Weeks on: (8)

Amazing that "You Wouldn't Listen" had so many single releases ... obviously a lot of knowledgeable music people believed this song could be a hit.  I'm guessing nobody noticed until a major label like Parrot picked up the track.  Even so, once "You Wouldn't Listen" completed its chart run ... and "Roller Coaster" pretty much tanked ... the whole world wrote The Ides Of March off.  All that MORE amazing that four years later "Vehicle" would come out of nowhere and become the HUGE it that it was ... and, as I said, STILL heard on the radio every single day today, some 45 years later!  A true testament to following your heart and never giving up on your beliefs!  (kk)

 

I am just loving this piece on The Ides Of March.

I wondered, and didn't remember ... did I ever send you the interview I did with Jim for The Improper? I was very impressed with him when we talked.  I am a HUGE life-time fan of him and the group.

Feel free to share:  
http://www.theimproper.com/music/13728/jim-peterik-ides-march-mark-50th-anniversary-cddvd/

Winchester

Kent,
I'm enjoying the Ides of March and "Vehicle" piece ... reminders of a time when radio and the music industry combined their efforts to expose new talent. We understood the advantage that came from the excitement of exposing a new artist.  As program director of WLS, I had many friendships with recording industry executives. Among them were Bob Destocki and Frankie Rand.
Art Roberts was my music director at WLS. He often would bring me test pressings for airplay consideration. His "ear" often heard a hit that I didn't and I approved more than one we disagreed on. I think Archie Bell and the Drells' "Tighten Up" was a prime example. I bet Art it didn't have a chance of being a hit.

However, Art and I both agreed "Vehicle" by the Ides of March would be a hit. Art told me he had been involved "a little tiny bit."  I suggested he make note of his involvement for the WLS legal department in case we decided to add it to the playlist.  Meanwhile Bob Destocki enlisted the promotional expertise of our mutual friend Frankie Rand to aid him in promoting vehicle. I recall going to lunch with both Bob and Frankie, telling them for the first time I had resigned as WLS program director and would be departing for a position as president of Bill Drakes company in California.  For the next two weeks Bob and Frankie came to see me daily about adding "Vehicle". Each time I explained it was out of my hands and until I received approval of Art's involvement from the legal department I could not add the record.
Three days before my departure at WLS approval came through from the legal department in New York. Immediately "Vehicle" became the WLS Pick of the week.
At my departure party both Frankie Rand and Bob Destocki were on the front row of the head table. I loved them both and "Vehicle" even today is on the playlist of Hit Parade Radio.

www.hitparaderadio
John Rook

Hey Kent,

Your four part special on the Ides Of March that you ran this past week was the final word. I had already considered purchasing the new box set previously before it came out. I've always loved their music, always have been a big fan of Jim Peterik and all the music he has created over the years (especially Survivor.) I read his book late last year and thought it was one of the best written and most informative music biographies I've ever read. He really seems like a great guy and I don't think you can say that about most of the rock stars around. I could be wrong cause I really don't know a lot of them.

But anyway your blog put me over the top and convinced me that I needed the Ides box set in my collection. I ordered it on Wednesday and I went for $100 autographed version. Can't wait for it to arrive!

Rich Turner

Safety Harbor, Florida

PS Now see if you can convince the Ides Of March to do a few shows in my area!

Thanks, Rich ... I can promise that you won't be disappointed.

You're not the first reader to suggest that The Ides need to stretch their touring wings a little bit ... let's see what happens now that the word is getting out about this great new collection.  (kk)

And then ...   

Kent,  

Just the otherday I sent you a note saying that while reading your Ides Of March profile and review of their new box set, that I was convinced to purchase a set for myself. Well, purchase I did ... last Thursday, July 9, and even though their website says to give three to four weeks for delivery, guess what showed up on my doorstep this afternoon, Monday, July 13? Yep, the box set itself.  

Holy cow, that's four whole days it took from time of purchase till delivery. That, my friend, is customer service! I'm very impressed. Now I can't wait to play the music and watch the DVD. Thank you, Ides Of March ... and thank you Kent for your fine, no excellent, blog and website.  

Rich Turner  

Safety Harbor, Florida

I just ordered The Ides Of March Box Set after reading your excellent review.  Like many on your list, I'm sure, I was most familiar with the band because of their chart-topping hit "Vehicle" - but you showed us so many other sides of the band that I couldn't wait to listen to the whole box and dig a little deeper.
Thanks so much for your detailed discussion - you've just made me a fan.
Pat Richardson

Food For Thought (???) HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

July 15, 2015, 3:38 am

≫ Next: Thursday This And That

≪ Previous: Some Of Your Ides Of March Comments

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Thursday This And That

July 16, 2015, 4:29 am

≫ Next: Happy Together Tour 2015

≪ Previous: Food For Thought (???) HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

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re:  More Ides:  
Heard from three or four more people who just ordered The Ides Of March 50th Anniversary Box Set thanks to the coverage we provided in Forgotten Hits.  SO cool to see that we've turned some "newbies" on to this great band from Chicago!   

The comments keep coming, too ... read on!   

More good reading today in FH.  Well done!  Jim Peterik, talking about the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson and "Dance Dance Dance", made me think about this track I put together a few years ago.  
I am taken back by all the outpouring I just read about the Ides posting.  That's really cool!  Personally, I think the CD set is awesome and I don't know why Baker & Taylor did not promote this more for the group in some way.  I guess I am out of the loop now for how to promote such a thing.  It used to be Billboard, Goldmine, Cash Box, etc, but not sure any of those are any good compared to internet sites.  The thing is, I would have not likely known about this box set release at all unless I ran across it on ebay, had I not known Jim or read about it on your site.  Anyway, hopefully, the music gets out to more people now.  Jim, get ready for requests at your concerts for "I'm Gonna Say My Prayers" and "Don't Fight the Feeling" and "Melody" and all of those you might never have thought of performing again.  You can shelve "One Fine Morning" already!!!  haha

Clark Besch

Response has been REALLY good to our reviews ... and the interview with Jim pushed it over the top.  I've had a number of people ask me now about Ides appearances outside the Chicagoland area ... mentioned that to Scott May the other night and he said "Talk to our agent!"  Honestly, the time may be right for just such a venture.  We got response from all over the country from folks who have ordered the box since reading about it in Forgotten Hits ... as well as a few "locals" who picked it up as well.  Hopefully The Ides can capitalize on this a little bit ... and I agree ... it'd be REALLY cool to see them be able to add a few more "chestnuts" to the live show line-up!  (Scott also told me they're working up some brand new material for this year's Christmas Show, which takes place here at The Arcada Theatre on December 18th.  Still hoping we can get a bunch of Forgotten Hits Readers to join us for this one ... it was a BEAUTIFUL show last year ... and a GREAT way to get into the holiday spirit!)  kk

>>>There are many instances like this where (back in the old days of REAL editing) engineers had to be pretty creative.  In nearly all cases, the artists hear the edit while the listeners / fans don't ... part of the appeal of popular music IS the little "mistakes" and nuances that often occur quite by accident ... but add to the charm of the overall recording. I don't hear it either ... and I've probably heard this song at least 10,000 times!!!  (Which is just a few thousand imes less than Jim has probably played it!  lol)  kk   

Sometimes the edits and splices are more obvious than not ... one that really sticks out for me is at about the 2:00 mark in Laugh Laugh by the Beau Brummels. How that one made it through is beyond me.

As for the Ides Of March set, it would've been nice to get the early material in stereo (even if they are only available as crude 2-track mixes ... the mono versions have already been available elsewhere so this set didn't need to really promote the fact that they are in mono). 

The set is certainly one worth picking up, and I have loved the reviews on the site. It's also worth noting that my wedding anniversary is March 15th so I get to celebrate the Ides on a daily basis when I see my beautiful bride.

-- Tom Diehl   

I got my boxed set today ... #186 ...

It looks like I know what I'll be doing today.

Jack

Great reviews and info on the Ides box. 

The Ides of March are playing a show on the same bill as the band that I'm in here in Minnesota on August 1st.  

Jim has been a special guest of ours a couple of times and he's great fun to have around. He even puts up with all my questions about the early Ides days. 

It's going to be great to see The Ides of March for my first time. 

Bill

These guys are something to see live ... all the more reason we've got to get them back on the road again so other "new" fans can enjoy the magic!  (kk)

Thanks, Kent - you did an awesome job with this series - and it is hugely appreciated.

Jim Peterik

My pleasure!  (kk)   

re:  Keepin' The Music Alive:

Kent:

The # 1 movie in the U.S.A. this weekend is the animated film, “Minions.”  The creators of the movie obviously have a passion for pop and rock and roll, as the soundtrack is overflowing with memorable tunes from the Beatles, the Doors, Donovan and the Spencer Davis Group.  

Plus, opening the movie, is the lead voice of Howard Kaylan as the original version of “Happy Together,” is heard in the clear.  Here’s a run down on the music featured, included the Minions pumping out their own unique version of the “Monkees Theme.”

http://radio.com/2015/07/08/every-song-in-minions/   

- Tom Cuddy

Funny, we have our grand-daughter in town for the month of July and were supposed to go see this movie over the weekend but then opted not to go between the weather and other distractions.  So great to hear that some of the best music of the '60's will now have an impact on a whole new generation ... something we've been preaching about since the beginning of time here in Forgotten Hits.

Funny, too, because all of the advertisements I've seen (as well as new videos posted on our cable service) show The Minions groovin' to the sounds of The Bee Gees and the Saturday Night Fever tracks "Stayin' Alive", "How Deep Is Your Love" and "Night Fever", none of which appear on the above track list.  (kk)    

My wife and I took our young niece and nephew to Minions over the weekend.  The storyline takes place in the 60's and there are some great rock and roll classics in the soundtrack.  It opens with Happy Together.  I heard a young girl behind me saying "I love this song".   Other gems in the film include:  19th Nervous Breakdown, I'm A Man, You Really Got Me,  My Generation, Hair,  Break On Through (To The Other Side), Purple Haze, and Mellow Yellow.  I think you have mentioned before about the number of times Happy Together has been used in film and tv.  It has to be the most used soundtrack song from that era!  

I bought the new Wrecking Crew dvd last week and finally got to watch it.  It is very good.  It is great to see Glen Campbell in an interview from 20 years ago talking at length with great memory about those great players. 
Phil - WRCO

Because I've seen the "core" film so many times I've been concentrating on all of the extras ... some SIX HOURS of additional footage that didn't make the film ... an some REAL gems among them.  This is the kind of film you can pop in any time and still be entertained by all the great music and strories.  (kk)

re:  Dave Somerville:  

Sorry to hear about David Somerville being ill. I know he is best known for "Little Darlin", which is a great classic, but I love "The Stroll". A lot of memories doing that dance!  
Will finally see "Love and Mercy" this week ... can't wait.

Keep up the Fantastic Rock and Roll news!

Carolyn

Unfortunately, our news was far more timely than I knew at the time ... 

David Somerville passed away Tuesday Morning ... Prostate cancer

Gary Pike    

We also lost Ernie Maresca this past week ...

Songwriter and performer Ernie Maresca passed away Wednesday (July 8) at the age of 76 at his home in South Florida. The Bronx native started out singing baritone in the Regents (before they recorded "Barbara Ann") and came to the attention of Dion DiMucci, who recorded his composition, "No One Knows" (#19 - 1958) with the Belmonts.  Dion had heard Ernie's demo of the tune on a local pool room jukebox. Ernie continued to write for Dion's solo career, including such hits as "Runaround Sue" (#1 - 1961 -- composed with Dion), "The Wanderer" (#2 - 1961 though Ernie's original lyrics read "with my two fists of iron and my bottle of beer"), "Lovers Who Wander" (#3 - 1962) and "Donna The Prima Donna" (#6 - 1963). In 1962, Ernie himself was signed to Seville Records, where his composition, "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)" reached #6 -- his only appearance as a performer on the charts. He also composed Bernadette Carroll's "Party Girl" (#47 - 1964) and Reparata & the Delron's "Whenever A Teenager Cries" (#60 - 1965). He later handled publishing for Laurie Records and eventually negotiated the sale of the company to Capitol Records. 

-- Ron Smith   

re:  Me-TV-FM:

Hey Kent,  

Your description of WRME as "a radio station that can't even be heard on many car radios" really resonated for me. The reason is I was renting a 2015 Ford Fusion for a couple of weeks. The FM radio in this Fusion only went as low as 87.9. I would imagine there must be other FM car radios out there where picking up WRME-FM is an impossibility.  

I'm not their biggest fan, but you have to wonder if that 1.6 would be a bigger number if there weren't what could be several thousand car radios in the Chicago area that aren't 87.7 friendly.    

Bill Fortune

I didn't realize that ... but it reminds of when Real Oldies 1690 was on the AM dial and many car radios couldn't pick that one up either ... because, in some cases, it wasn't a dial option!  Even on their best days listeners had to deal with a fair amount of static if listening "live" on the road ... but the music was so good, it was worth suffering through the static most of the time just to hear something different on the dial.  Plus they streamed ... which mean you COULD get a perfectly clear signal ANYWHERE if listening on the computer was an option.  Hopefully, Me-TV-FM will be streaming soon, too, so others around the country can enjoy the variety we're now privy to here in Chicago.  (kk)   

>>>Me-TV-FM is also simulcasting on Comcast / Xfinity Cable (Channel 877, as is their spot on the FM dial ...87.7) kk  
Does this mean that it will come on the TV as one of Comcast's music channels around the country?

I also want to mention a good friend, Joe Gorgo, who has a radio show, unfortunately only two hours, on Sundays from 7 - 9 p.m. eastern and streams from WVLT 92.1 radio in Vineland, NJ. Web site is http://www.wvlt.com/ 
Right now he is playing The Crystal Mansion song 'The Thought of Loving You '. When was the last time you heard that? 1968?

Eileen

Quite possibly never!!! I'm not familiar with that song at all!

Me-TV-FM is currently broadcasting here in Chicago on Channel 877 ... no word yet if they'll also continue to do so on other Comcast / Xfinity channels across the country.  Probably not as their current backdrop just shows the local traffic and weather conditions ... along with the name of the song title and artist.  (kk)    

Kent,

As far as ME-TV-FM, more power to them. Hope in the near future that one can pick them up by streamlining the internet. Loved the tune by Michael Johnson you posted.

Larry Neal    

Being a “Cheesehead” (not really, I don’t even like cheese!) this was my first exposure to 88.7 MeTV radio. What a great station. They played songs I haven’t heard in years, like Big City Miss Ruth Ann by Gallery and Blowing Away by the 5th Dimension, and the music is the focus, with only short commercial breaks and no chatty DJ. We were able to pick up the signal in our car almost all the way to the Wisconsin border. I’ll reserve a button on the car radio for 88.7 so that I can listen whenever I am in Chicagoland.

Bob Verbos

New Berlin, WI

In other radio news, Jan Jeffries is FINALLY gone at WLS-FM.  (What the heck took so long on this one???)  Jeffries nearly single-highhandedly destroyed the station, wiping out any trace of historical legacy once attached to it.  Instead of embracing the station's recognition as one of the great Top 40 Radio Stations of all time, he flipped to a Classic Hits format that plays the same 200 songs over and over again.  In hairbrain move after hairbrain move, he eliminated Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel connection from the Chicago airwaves ... then hired back a Who's Who of former WLS Broadcasting Greats ... but wouldn't let them display their personalities on the air ... taking the station from its Top 10 berth and dropping it now to #14 with less listeners (and advertisers) than ever.  Even CBS-owned K-Hits has surpassed it in the ratings!

Speculation is another format flip (with the wealth of musical library associated with this station ... and the runaway success of Me-TV-FM, I wonder if THIS may be the direction they may be headed ... although talk of a country format has been talked about for a few years now, too.  However, Chicago just added another country station that has been so successful, it passed national ratings leader US99 in the ratings!  Time will tell where WLS goes from here ... again there is so much this station could do with its built in Chicagoland connection ... however at this point they've driven so many listeners away, it may be too late.  Then again, they've got the money behind them to do a full-blown rebranding and advertising campaign ... so if you DO decide to go that route, again we can offer a number of services (and personnel) to make that happen.  Let's do lunch.  (kk)

More from Chicagoland Radio and Media:

Jeffries made his presence known fairly quickly at his second round at WLS-FM. Highly successful Operations Manager Michael La Crosse was forced out within a month, as was numerous producers, sales managers, web people, and even the station's longtime receptionist and mail room coordinator. Famed DJ names from WLS-AM's past were rehired to help revitalize a station that was already in the Top 10, but these famous DJ names were ordered to only speak for no more than a few seconds at a time, frustrating listeners and fans of these talents. The station eventually dropped its affiliation with Scott Shannon and his True Oldies Channel, fired its morning show host, shoved beloved Chicago DJ Dick Biondi (who was working without a contract) into the overnight hours, and flipped the playlist to a Classic Rock-heavy version of Classic Hits.
Under Jeffries' oversight, WLS-FM saw its ratings sharply fall, but slowly build themselves back up ... until this year. In 2015, WLS-FM's ratings have been trending downward, as listeners have been choosing Classic Hits rival WJMK-FM/104.3 K-HITS, which is now a Top 10 station, while WLS-FM has fallen out of the Top 10. WLS-FM is currently at #14 in the all ages numbers. Revenues have taken a hit as well.
Because of this, a change at the top of WLS-FM was not unexpected.
However, because of the Program Director change and a lack of immediate replacement being named, it once again opens up speculation that WLS-FM could be looking at another format flip in the very near future. At the very least, some on-air changes in the coming weeks will be a certainty.

re:  Micky Dolenz:   
DOLENZ CLOSES OUT SRO 3-NIGHT RUN AT NY’s 54 BELOW WITH SPECIAL FRIENDS  

Micky Dolenz’s final night at New York’s 54 Below brought out a bunch of special friends; including Q104.3’s Jim Kerr and Carol Miller, as well as superstar-producer / artist Peter Asher.    
Kerr, who had previously introduced Dolenz for two shows at B. B. King’s, did the same this night, referencing his work in his earlier TV-show Circus Boy, as well as the fact that the three-shows were all being recorded for a live album to be released in September which will share the title of the show, A Little Bit Broadway; A Little Bit Rock ‘n’ Roll, on Broadway Records.  
Dolenz blazed through the show with stellar support from his bad, led by Michael Moritz, Jr.  
Plans are afoot for Dolenz to return to the club in late-September.

 
L-R: Peter Asher; Bruce Grakal; Micky Dolenz; Jim Kerr and Carol Miller

Second pic: Micky Dolenz & Jim Kerr

(both photos courtesy disCOMPANY)

Here's a great quote from Micky on The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame from an interview he did with Ken Sharp, the guy who put together that EXCELLENT Wrecking Crew book we keep telling you about ...  

As far as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame I’ve never been one to chase awards or anything like that; it’s never been very important to me. I was very proud to win an Emmy for The Monkees, having come out of television as a kid. When we won the Emmy for best TV show in ’66 or ‘67 that was a huge feather in my cap.  But I’ve never chased that kind of stuff. I’ve never done a project and thought, “What do I do here to win an award?” Specifically as far as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame I’ve been very flattered that the fans and people have championed The Monkees. Very flattered and honored that they do. 

If you know anything about the organization, and I’ve done charity work for the foundation, the Hall of Fame is a private club.  It's like a private country club.  It's not a democratic, popular vote in any sense.  It's literally these three or four guys got together and said we're gonna start a private club and call it the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and we're gonna have in that club whoever we want and we're not gonna have anyone in that club who we don't want.  (laughs) 

It’s like a country club and they have the right to do that; that’s their prerogative. That’s their private club. That’s kind of how I feel about it.

re:  This And That:  
Kent -  
What a pleasure to see your SUNDAY COMMENTS return this weekend!  Thanks for putting them together!  

- Tom Cuddy

Wow!  Forgotten Hits is the only place you'd get a direct response from the guy who played on more rock records than any person on the planet! How cool.

David Lewis

It WAS really cool to hear from Hal ... hopefully he'll participate from time to time ... imagine all of the amazing stories he can tell our readers!  (kk)

Hi Kent -  
How GREAT it was to hear that there will be a DVD for the Marty Grebb Concert at the Arcada Theater!! Another way to give him and his family more money for their medical bills.

Carolyn   

Can you believe that Monday, July 13th, markedthe 30th Anniversary of Live Aid?!?!  Unreal!!!

Man, some of you folks out there are REALLY getting older!!!  (kk)

Hey Kent,    

Hats off to you and Scott Paton for posting the article, "Ringo's No Joke". As a former drummer, (Wait ... Once a drummer, always a drummer, right?), who studied almost every style out there, from grade school through college years and beyond, I have ALWAYS appreciated what Ringo Starr brought to the table in The Beatles' recordings and performance. Everything he did fit so well. He was, and still is, a human metronome: always "in the pocket". His fills are tastefully added, without distraction. They can say all they want about Moon and Bonham, but those two were both inspired by Ringo. In fact, he inspired more young people to take up drumming that Gene Krupa did, all those years ago. Remember, a drummer's main job is to keep the beat, and contribute to the whole sound of the band, thus, Ringo became a recording engineer's dream. John, Paul and George (with George Martin's approval), dumped Pete Best for a reason. They heard and saw the magic in Ringo's playing. The Beatles wouldn't have been as popular without him. The Stones' Charlie Watts is the same type of drummer, sans showmanship, but never received the bashing from music snobs Ringo did over the years. I have seen, more than once, Keith Moon actually dropping the beat, as he was showing off with his fills. Well, he wasn't doing his job, in my opinion. Several years ago, I attended a drum clinic, led by the great all-around studio drummer, Gregg Bissonette. I was surprised that a musician of that caliber was a big fan of Mr. Starr. He even passed out sheet music annotating Ringo's beats and fills, and then played them, with all of us reading along. It was one of the best workshops I ever attended. The next year, I was delighted to see that Gregg became part of Ringo's All-Star Band. I first saw Ringo, like everyone else over here, in 1964 on TV and in "A Hard Day's Night". I couldn't get used to his matched or straight stick grip. That wasn't the "right way" to do it back then, but now, almost every drummer in pop / rock music plays that way, and it's mainly because of Ringo. With the left hand holding the stick that way, you can drive the snare a bit harder. I also tried playing with rings on my fingers, just like him. Nope, the sticks flew out of my hands! In a drumming magazine, I read where Ringo enjoyed playing John's compositions, a lot more that Paul's. Whereas Paul was a micro-manager, and told him, note for note, exactly what to play, John gave Ringo freedom to create and add his own signature to the recordings. Also, it's nice to hear the genuine drummer of the band contribute his own sound on the tracks, instead of one studio drummer sitting in for so many groups. (No offense, Hal. You're a great drummer in your own right. We know that.)    

- John LaPuzza 

Drummers have ALWAYS come under a bit of abuse over the years ...   

What do you call a guy who hangs out with the musicians in the band?  

The Drummer.  <rimshot>  (See, you NEED the drummer ... if only for that!!!)

When John Lennon was once asked if he thought Ringo was the best drummer in rock and roll, he supposedly replied "He's not even the best drummer in The Beatles!!!"  

But WE all know what an INCREDIBLE contribution he made to The Beatles and their overall sound ... and THEY know it, too!  Thanks, John.  (kk)

Bonaparte's Retreat was hit for Kay Starr in the prehistoric era (LOL) 1949 (#4 according to Wikipedia) and I owned it on vinyl (78 RPM) and played it all the time. This, I admit, has little or no relevance to what happened in the era most covered in your Forgotten Hits world ... probably as exciting as a Rudy Vallee sighting ... but I thought it was worth mentioning.  
Hil

Hey Kent,

You weren't kidding about the size of this week's Sunday comments. I guess you guys don't exaggerate the size of everything ... LOL

I really enjoyed this week's offering. It was happy and sad. Happy about the Me-TV-FM. It sounds like you could be the creator.

Sad about Glen Campbell and I am sad about Bill Cosby. Where have all the heroes gone? From the time I was a child until just recently I thought he was the coolest guy ever. Funny, warm, sweet and the best Dad you could ever want. Why do so many of our idols have to turn out to have such a dark side? I get that we are all human but are we all a bit twisted? I think not ... I hope not.

Thanks

Stacee

There seems to be some sort of "deal with the devil" mental trade-off for talent ... like these people got special compensation in the talent department but are totally lacking in the way of anything resembling social skills.  Or is it simply a case of "perceived entitlement"? ... I'm a big star so I can do anything I want ... I don't have to follow ANY of the rules ... and you have to either let me or look the other way.  Doesn't seem right ... yet we see it again and again.  (How many similar pro athlete stories have you read over the past 10-12 years???)  kk

Gary Meyers spoke briefly about the Ventures. In a way they somewhat reminded me of Elvis Presley and the two songs one hears on the radio today, BURNIN' LOVE and SUSPICIOUS MINDS. One would think those were the only two records Elvis made. Likewise with the Ventures. Through the years one just heard WALK DON'T RUN and HAWAII FIVE-O. Loved those in-between records like PERFIDIA, SILVER CITY, and a two sided hit here in OKC back in 1964 RAP CITY / SLAUGHTER ON TENTH AVENUE.

You are right about what you said about Bill Cosby and "what a way to go out". Enjoyed hearing that one again by him. Again, haven't heard it in years on the radio.

I pulled my copy of the Swampseeds' CAN I CARRY YOUR BALLOON. Dennis Ferrante's name was no where mentioned on the label, front and back. I didn't know he was lead singer. Again, your reader was correct in that was a very big record here in OKC back in 1968.

Larry

Hi Kent,  
My best gal and I caught the .38 Special concert Tuesday night in Elk Grove Village. 
A few thoughts / observations: 
Elk Grove Village needs to be commended for hosting a great concert series free of charge. Everything is very well organized, the venue is great, the band started right on time, the sound was spot-on from our spot about 20 rows back, and there was plenty of free parking. I’ve seen .38 Special five or six times and they always deliver a great show. They play all their hits, though a few of the lesser hits are compacted in a medley. Don Barnes is a great vocalist and I especially appreciate how he sings the songs as close to the recordings as possible. I have to concede I don’t really appreciate some of the harder-edge, non-hit songs and for this reason I have preferred the band’s shorter (60 minute) shows to the 1 and 1/2 hour version presented on Tuesday. In the shorter shows you get all the hits and only the hits. The crowd was nicely polite - almost everybody stayed seated until the later stages of the show, when the band did Caught Up In You and, soon after, Hold On Loosely. At that point just about everyone was on their feet. 
Bob Verbos 
New Berlin, WI

Due to some scheduling conflicts we've missed a few shows recently that we really wanted to see ... and this was one of them.  (Did Jim Peterik show up for the finale?  Last time we saw .38 Special, Peterik came out to perform the songs he cowrote with the band.  Ironically on Tuesday Night I ran into Scott May of The Ides Of March and he said he wasn't sure if Jim was planning to jump up on stage with the band or not.)

If anybody out there caught the Elk Grove / Kenny Rogers / 4th of July Show, we'd love to hear about THAT one, too ... another one we sadly missed (all the more depressing in that word is this is Kenny's final tour.)  kk

Just added to The Arcada line-up:  
Ace Frehley (formerly of KISS)  - September 15th  
The incomparable Buddy Guy - October 8th 
and America - November 28th 
Tickets go on sale TODAY (July 16th) at Noon (Chicago time) through the OShows website:  
www.oshows.com

Speaking of great up-coming shows, The Chicago Experience will be performing at MB Financial Park in Rosemont on Thursday, July 30th.  These guys absolutely KILLED it as part of The Marty Grebb Benefit Concert a couple of months ago ... so we can't wait to see their full set.  The show runs from 7:00 - 9:30 pm and more information can be found on the band's website: http://thechicagoexperience.com/

Got this from Al Kooper:

Late 60's / Early 70's Chicago Based Classic Rock Band,THE FLOCK Releases Lost Album (on Cleopatra Records) 
A message from Fred Glickstein (Lead singer and guitarist from THE FLOCK)

After the Columbia Flock broke up in 1971, I laid low for a while, moving with my wife and daughter to Pompano Beach, Florida. I then received a call from Flock members Ron Karpman and Jerry Smith asking if I would like to do a new version of the group. Deciding that we should give it another shot, my wife, daughter and I moved back to Chicago in 1972 andbegan planning for a new Flock. Violinist Jerry Goodman had already started playing with the Mahavishnu Orchestra so we began looking for a new fiddle player, finding one Mike Zydowsky. The newly formed Flock rehearsed and soon, with the help of  manager Mark Wolf, signed on to do a thirty date tour of Europe in 1973 - 74.

The next stage in Flock history starts with the four members of the “new” Flock after their return from Europe.A keyboard player / songwriter / vocalist named Jim Hirsen was added and now the Flock had five members. Mercury Records, which then had offices in Chicago, was notified that a new Flock was ready to be heard and record. Flock had a friend or two at Mercury and soon signed a record contract. Felix Pappalardi, producer of Cream and member of Mountain flew in to Chicago to co-produce Flock’s new album titled “Inside Out”. This new Flock toured the Midwest but we soon realized that it was time to call it quits for various reasons.

After the break-up of the Mercury Flock all members went their separate ways. Ron Karpman, original Flock drummer,and I stayed in touch and continued to work on musical projects. In the mid-to-late 70s we formed a group called the Strategic Ear Command which appeared at various clubs in Chicago. A good number of new songs were written, performed and recorded, but no record deals were forthcoming. The disc titled “Flock – Heaven Bound - The Lost Hits” is comprised mostly of the songs written for the Strategic Ear Command project. The songs “Mama”, "Don't You Know" and "Be Strong And Survive", written and performed by J.B. Skye, was co-produced with Ron Karpman and Fred Glickstein. Much of this music was recorded at Q & R Studios in Evanston, IL. Other songs were recorded at the Armitage Studio in Chicago. The song “Rolling With The Clones”, a spoof on the cloning sensation happening at that time, was recorded at Paragon Studios in Chicago. Unlike the original Columbia Flock, we strove to write more commercial type songs for the tunes on “Heaven Bound - The Lost Hits”. Jerry Smith, original Flock bass player, appears on ""The Test" and "The Cristos Jig". We hope that you enjoy the music as much as we enjoyed writing and performing it.

Sample the new Flock CD here:

http://www.allmusic.com/album/heaven-bound-the-lost-album-mw0002683151

Many thanksgo out to all who contributed to this music and for helping to keep the Flock spirit alive.

TheFlock - Heaven Bound: The Lost Album

Review by G. W. Hilliard - alwaysheard of these guys as a fusion act, but this is a lot more straight rock music. That said, there’s enough progressive rock and fusion in the mix to land this here. Apparently this was intended to be the band’s fourth album, but until now it was never released. There is a lot of great stuff here, really. It’s certainly worth having.

Where to order CD:  http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Bound-The-Lost-Album-Flock/dp/B00KINIQVEhttp://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Bound-The-Lost-Album-Flock/dp/B00KINIQVE

I was recently told that for the BEST representation of what The Flock sounded like in concert, you have to view this clip.  Reportedly, on a gig opening for Led Zeppelin, the band was called back for two encores.  When the fans STILL wouldn't let them leave the stage, Led Zeppelin's roadies literally unplugged their equipment so that they couldn't play anymore!  (Show-Biz Rule #1:  Never upstage the headliners!!!)  For all the glamour and all the glory about Led Zeppelin's sold out shows, we heard the same thing about The Ides Of March when they opened for Zep in Canada in '71.  Pretty amazing ... that two bands from Chicago could kick Led butt!  (kk) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zH7hcksRWM

In his new book "Psychedelic Bubblegum", Bobby Hart talks about how The Monkees ballad "I Wanna Be Free" was first inspired by the Roger Miller track, "One Dyin' And A-Buryin'", a song reportedly about suicide.  Tommy Boyce was apparently so moved by this track, he couldn't get past the final line "I wanna be free".  He kept singing that line over and over again until he was soon singing it to his own melody ... which eventually evolved into The Monkees track we all know and love. 
Ironically, Boyce would later take his own life.

The track has been covered by any number of artists over the years (including Andy Williams and The Lettermen) but Bobby says that one of the most moving versions he's ever heard is a recent solo, acoustic version by Chicago's own Richard Marx.

Take a look at this clip and see if you don't agree.

In a perfect example of turnabout is fair play, songwriter Jimmy Webb later claimed that he was inspired by "I Wanna Be Free" to write "By The Time I Get To Phoenix"!!!

Happy Together Tour 2015

July 17, 2015, 3:55 am

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We received a nice email from Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams last week, offering sort of an overview of this year's Happy Together Tour Line-Up ... as well as a little insight into the behind-the-scenes life of a rock star on the road.  (We're hoping to hear from more of this year's artists as the tour continues ... so stay tuned for weekly updates in Forgotten Hits!)    

The Buckinghams have been part of the line-up numerous times over the years, as have The Grass Roots and Mark Lindsay.  Naturally, the headliners are always The Turtles, for whom the tour was named in the first place.   

The Association's roots go all the way back to the very first Happy Together Tour, circa 1985 ... can you believe this show has been on the road for thirty years now?!?!?   

New to The Happy Together Stage this year are The Cowsills ... who are playing to rave reviews as audiences reconnect with this band for the first time in several years.  (We caught them at The Arcada Theatre last year and were blown away ... this is an act that has to be seen and heard to believed!)   

The Happy Together Tour hits the Chicagoland area on Friday, August 21st, with an appearance at The Paramount Theatre in Aurora ... and we can't wait to see it!  (An updated schedules appears below).   

Meanwhile, here is Carl's "from the road" report, exclusively for Forgotten Hits Readers ...

Hi Kent - 

The Buckinghams are happy to be once again invited to be a part of the tour. I think it is the best tour going this year, and maybe the best Happy Together Tour yet. I think that's because the lineup is so strong and all the acts match up so well. 

The Grass Roots with Dusty Hanvey and Mark Dawson really rock. They do a great job of connecting with the audience and they play the Grass Roots songs with true authenticity.   

Mark Lindsay can still rock, and still sings great ... what can I say, he’s just a great entertainer. 

Some of my favorite songs are from the Association with original members Jules Alexander, Jim Yester and Del Ramos ... its just great to hear those beautiful songs again sung by the guys that made them.  

The Cowsills are a surprise addition this year, not that I didn’t think they’d sound fabulous, but they are new to the tour and I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of them on future tours. Their harmonies are spectacular! Along with the energy and stories they tell just grabs everyone. 

The Turtles, Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, are as zany as ever! Musically they sound great and Howard sounds as strong as ever! I don’t want to give it away but they always come up with a surprise opening that's a killer. 

We are all very fortunate to have a back up band of this caliber ... Godfrey Townsend, Steve Murphy, Greg Smith and Manny Focarazzo are the best! I will say that the 20-25 minutes each of us are on stage is fabulous ... we are so fortunate to have our fans who continue to come out and support us…they know how to have a great time.  

The other side of it is I don’t know if everyone realizes how hard it is traveling around the country on tour buses, planes and automobiles. We could put on 15,000 miles before the 2015 tour ends. I must say our tour manager Ron Hausfeld does a great job of keeping us on schedule and keeping us organized. Ron and his company, Flower Power, has run this tour smoothly for several years now. A typical day might be an over night drive on the bus, arriving at 7 am then waiting for a hotel room for possibly four hours. When you get in your room you have just enough time to take a shower and iron your clothes for the show. 

Ahhh it's a glamorous life ... but we love it!  
Carl Giammarese

UPDATED SCHEDULE:    

Tonight and Tomorrow Night:  Friday, July 17th and Saturday, July 18th - Chinook Winds Casino Resort - Lincoln City, OR

Sunday, July 19th - Clearwater River Casino and Lodge - Lewistown, ID

Wednesday, July 22nd - Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay - San Diego, CA

Thursday, July 23rd - Chumash Casino - Santa Ynex, CA

Friday, July 24th - Golden Nugget Casino Showroom - Las Vegas, NV

Saturday, July 25th - Campe Verde - Campe Verde, AZ

Sunday, July 26th - Pacific Amphitheater - Costa Mesa, CA

Friday, July 31st - Lynn Auditorium - Lynn, MA 

Saturday, August 1st - Paramount Theatre - Asbury Park, NJ

Sunday, August 2nd - State Theatre - New Brunswick,NJ

Monday, August 3rd - ArtsQuest Center At SteelStacks - Bethlehem, PA

Tuesday, August 4th - Mayo Performing Arts Center - Morristown, NJ

Wednesday, August 5th - Bergen Performing Arts Center - Englewood, NJ

Friday, August 7th - War Memorial Auditorium - Nashville, TN

Sunday, August 9th - Wisconsin State Fair - West Allis, WI

Wednesday, August 12th - Indian State Fairgrounds - Indianapolis, IN

Thursday, August 13th - Missouri State Fairgrounds - Sedalia, MO

Saturday, August 15th - Little River Casino Resort - Manistee, MI

Sunday, August 16th - Performing Arts Center - Bolingbrook, IL

Wednesday, August 19th - Fraze Pavilion For The Perfroming Arts - Kettering, OH

Thursday, August 20th - Hard Rock Live - Northfield, OH

Friday, August 21st - Paramount Theatre - Aurora, IL

Saturday, August 22nd - Casino Rama Entertainment Centre - Rama, ON

Sunday, August 23rd - Foelinger Theatre - Fort Wayne, IN

Wednesday, August 26th - Effingham Performance Center - Effingham, IL

Thursday, August 27th - Kentucky State Fairgrounds - Louisville, KY

Friday, August 28th - Oaklawn Racetrack - Hot Springs, AR

Saturday, August 29th - Riverside Casino and Gold Resort - Riverside, IA

Sunday, August 30th - Bluestem Center For The Arts - Moorhead,MN

Monday, August 31st - Minnesota State Fairgrounds - Saint Paul, MN

Wednesday, September 2nd - Mahoning County Fairgrounds - Canfield, OH

Since this IS Forgotten Hits, let's take a look at some of the hits by this year's Happy Together Artists that have slipped through the cracks of radio's extremely tight programming policies ... such as ...

You Know What I Mean by The Turtles - Yeah, I know, Howard Kaylan hates this song ... but I love it ... and so do many others amongst our readers who have sung the song's praises over the years.  Wouldn't it be nice to see the guys perform this one again during one of their upcoming summer jaunts across the country?

No Fair At All by The Association ... a much bigger hit here in Chicago than it was nationally, this is another track that really showcases the group's exquisite harmonies and vocal talents.

Back In Love Again by The Buckinghams - their last big hit (and a great one at that), this one was written by Marty Grebb, with whom (and for whom)the bulk of the 1967 line-up took to the stage recently to raise money to help with Marty's medical bills.

And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind by Mark Lindsay - there are plenty of Raiders songs to choose from but I decided to go with one of Lindsay's solo tracks.  His best known solo hits were Arizona and Silver Bird, of course ... but I always liked his treatment of this Neil Diamond-penned classic, too.  Thanks to Me-TV-FM, we get to hear this one here in Chicago again every once in a while.

We Can Fly by The Cowsills - this was their follow-up hit to the chart-topper The Rain, The Park And Other Things - personally, I prefer Indian Lake - but we do still hear that one every now and then - so We Can Fly became the obvious choice.

Lovin' Things by The Grass Roots - another tough choice. (It was between this one, The River Is Wide and Bella Linda - but I think Lovin' Things has exhibited longer staying power - and I just love hearing it again!)

The Sunday Comments ( 07 - 19 - 15 )

July 18, 2015, 6:32 pm

≫ Next: 50 Year Flashback - July 20th, 1965

≪ Previous: Happy Together Tour 2015

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re:  Dave Somerville:  
Lots of love this week for Dave Somerville of The Diamonds ... first up, this report filed by FH Reader Tom Cuddy viaPremiere Radio's Mike McCann ...     

THE DIAMONDS: Lead Singer David Somerville Dead at 84 Dave Somerville, who sang lead on The Diamonds''50s classics "Little Darlin'" and "The Stroll," died Tuesday in Santa Barbara, California.He was 84. 

Not only did the song become one of the enduring hits of its time, it helped inspire the dance classic "Monster Mash."Bobby "Boris" Pickett once told us the song was created when he began performing "Little Darlin'" -- complete with Dave's mid-song monologue -- in a Boris Karloff-accent.  The Toronto-raised baritone helped form The Diamonds group in 1953. After settling in California, he began a second career as an actor. Using the stage name David Troy, he studied under Leonard Nimoy and even had a bit part in the season one Star Trek episode "The Conscience of the King," where he worked alongside his onetime teacher. 

In recent years he'd performed oldies shows, billed as Diamond Dave Somerville. His wife Denise tells us he worked until this April, keeping alive the street-corner sound of rock and roll's first decade.  The family asks that memorial contributions be made in Dave's name toVisiting Nurse and Hospice Care/Serenity House, 509 E. Montecito Street #200, Santa Barbara, CA 93103-9963
EDITOR'S NOTE:  Comparing notes to several other death notices we received (and checking these dates against Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Hits book as our ultimate source), it would appear that Dave was 81 years old when he passed, not 84 as notedabove.  You'll see his age listed that way in these other posted reports.  (kk)

I am so sorry to tell you, if you have not heard, that Diamond Dave Somerville of the Diamonds passed away on July 14 at about 2:40 AM in Santa Barbara, California.

I could not give you a heads up on what was happening because I was asked not to by his wife. As some of you know I spent six days at the hospital with Dave and it was the most amazing experience of my life. When we said goodbye, we knew it was the last time we would see each other.   

As part of our regular weekly programming (Week 408), Landa Somerville, Dave's so,n has put together a piece on his father ... and listeners will hear the very last interview Dave ever did from his hospital bed. 

Thank You For All You Do.

Jimmy Jay

We, too, respected the family's wishes in not announcing anything in FH until they were ready to go public with this information.  Jimmy Jay's program is syndicated all over the country ... be sure to listen for Jimmy's / Landa Somerville tribute this week on a radio station near you.  (kk)

From Vintage Vinyl News ... 
 

Dave Somerville, the original lead singer for the Canadian group the Diamonds, died from cancer in Santa Barbara, CA on Tuesday at the age of 81. 
Somerville was born in Guelph, Ontario, to a musical family and grew up in Rockwood. At the age of 14, his family moved to Toronto where he, at first, studied architecture and building construction before changing his courses to a radio concentration.
At the age of 19, he became an engineer at the CBC while, at the same time, studying voice at the University of Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music. While at the CBC, he met three other men who were interested in forming a singing group and the Diamonds were born.
The group practiced for 18 months, playing occasional shows around Toronto, before going to New York where they appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. They won the program which led to a guest spot on the show and a contract with Coral Records. They recorded four songs for the label but none were a hit.
They next auditioned for Dr. Bill Randle, a DJ in Cleveland who had ins in the industry and, through his contacts, they were signed to Mercury Records. Their first single for the label, Why Do Fools Fall in Love? went to number 12 on the Billboard and 2 on the Cashbox charts.  The followup, Church Bells May Ring, went to 14 but it was in early 1957 that their career really took off with their record Little Darlin'. The record was a huge hit, going to number 2 in Billboard on both the Pop and R&B charts and number 3 in the U.K., establishing them as a major group.
The Diamonds became popular guests on many of the variety shows of the day and their constant exposure led to six more top twenty hits including Silhouettes (1957 / #10) and The Stroll (1957 / #4).
Somerville left the group in 1961, changing his professional name to David Troy and singing folk music until 1967. He also studied acting under Leonard Nimoy and made a number of appearances including an episode of the original Star Trek. He later signed with the William Morris Agency who repped him as a voice over artist for hundreds of commercials.
In 1967, he joined the Four Preps and, on the side, started a comedy act with Bruce Belland called Belland & Somerville. The two also wrote the song The Troublemaker which was recorded by Willie Nelson.
During the 70's, Somerville formed the group WW Fancy with Keith Barbour (Echo Park) and Gail Jensen and, later, sang with the Diamonds and, once again, The Four Preps. He also wrote a song called The (Ballad) of the Unknown Stuntman which inspired Glen Larson, an original member of the Four Preps, to develop the show The Fall Guy. A reworked version of Somerville's song was used as the theme.
Finally, in the 90's, he turned to children's music, recording the album The Cosmic Adventures of Diamond Dave.
As a member of the Diamonds, he is a member of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, The Doo Wop Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
The Diamonds top twenty hits:Why Do Fools Fall in Love? (1956 / #12)

The Church Bells May Ring (1956 / #14)

Little Darlin' (1957 / #2 Pop / #2 R&B / #3 U.K.)

Words of Love (1957 / #13 Pop / #12 R&B)

Zip Zip (1957 / #16 Pop / #12 R&B)

Silhouettes (1957 / #10 Pop / #6 R&B)

The Stroll (1957 / #4 Pop / #5 R&B)

Kathy-O (1958 / #16)

She Say (Oom Dooby Doom) (1959 / #18)

And from Ron Smith's oldiesmusic.com website ...

David Somerville, lead singer with the Diamonds, passed away Tuesday (July 14) from prostate cancer in Santa Barbara, California, at the age of 81. Born in Guelph, Ontario, Dave was employed as an engineer by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto while studying music. It was at the CBC that he met a local quartet and became their vocal coach. With the departure of their lead singer, Dave took over and the Diamonds were born. A trip to New York led to a win on Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts" program and a recording contract with Mercury Records. The group was used primarily on "covers" of R&B tunes, such as "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" (#12 - 1956), "Church Bells May Ring" (#14 - 1956), "The Stroll" (#4 - 1958) and "Little Darlin'" (#2 - 1957). However, they later hit with original tunes such as "Kathy-O" (#16 - 1958) and "She Say" (#18 - 1959). Dave left the Diamonds in 1962 and performed solo and pursued an acting career as David Troy. He later joined the Four Preps and even toured with the Preps' Bruce Belland in a duo. He was a well-regarded voice-over actor and co-wrote the theme song for Lee Majors' TV show, "The Fall Guy." Dave and the Diamonds were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (1984), the Vocal Group Hall of Fame (2004) and the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame (2006).

We talked with Dave Somerville back in 2009 for Forgotten Hits ...

You can find the highlights of that conversation here:

http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2009/06/dave-somerville-and-diamonds.html

re:  Me-TV-FM:

Kent,

As for all of the comments on ME-TV Radio in Chicago and similarities to Real Oldies 1690 and how the new station is gaining in popularity, we already had ME-TV Radio in Chicago -- 40 years ago!  It was called "Wind-Radio" as in WIND AM!  Yeah, WIND played 50's, 60's, 70's when it had the format in the mid / late 70's, with a mellow edge, but it might now be much different in idea format.  I have never heard ME-TV Radio and I know they play album cuts, but THIS (attached) may be more of what Forgotten Hits would sound like on radio, if adding more rock songs.   
Anyway, WIND had great DJs, too, like Ron Britain, Chuck Benson and Dick Williamson, to name a few.  I believe Clark Weber may have been on then, too.  I think I still have their Top 2000 chart (I think it was) that was the size of a road map!  
Maybe Ron King Bee and Clark would like to chime in on the format or times at WIND?? 

SO, here's an eight minute montage of WIND when DISCO was the rage ... and oldies probably were not??

Clark Besch

That's actually a very interesting compilation ... and variety clearly was the name of the game back then.  But many of these songs have been absent from the decades now ... whereas back then they were simply recent hits.  More from Clark (and Clark) below! (kk)

I asked Clark Weber for his thoughts on the new Me-TV-FM format and here is what he sent me:

So, what are your thoughts on ME-Radio?  All of this excitement Kent has mustered up for a format that used to be a somewhat basic MOR format, I am thinking.  It's just that it has not been on the air awhile and not playing this type of oldie. 

I’m a little fuzzy on my air shifts at WIND. I believe I worked weekends for a short time playing music when I first joined WIND. Then Dave Baum, who was doing the 9 to midnight “Contact Show”, left and joined KMOX in St Louis. I then took his night shift on “Contact” for several years until they went full time talk and then did the morning show for several more years. My total time with WIND was about 13 years. By the way, my producer at WIND was Neil Sabin who now runs both ME-TV and ME-Radio. Small world indeed. 

You are correct in that it’s the old basic MOR format in new clothes. I think the mix is good and with very few commercials, it has a lot of listener appeal. When he put ME-RADIO together, Sabin called me to see if I had any interest in being a part of the format. I thanked him and took a pass ... however I have to admit that it was very tempting! I’m sure that streaming is in the wings.

Clark Weber

It may be a similar format to what once passed as MOR Radio back in the day ... but back then these songs were still somewhat "current" and familiar ... and, as such, part of our collective consciousness.  Now ... some 40 years later ... it is quite refreshing to hear some songs that have been absent from the airwaves for that length of time.  On more than a few occasions, I'll have to wait for the familiar catch to kick in ... I know that I know the song ... and recognize it ... but the subconscious tends to erase that which it no longer deems as "relevant" ... so, even for me, it may take 30 seconds to a minute ... or the first chorus ... before I recognize a long, forgotten hit.

All in all, I find it quite enjoyable to hear this music on the radio again ... and not have to sit chained to the computer to hear something other than the beaten-to-death playlist that all of the rest of radio seems to offer these days.  A VERY welcome "change of pace" if you will ... and something that we have long maintained would find its audience ... if only someone would have the balls to give it a chance.  In that regard, kudos to Neal Sabin ... not only for proving me right, but in being willing to go out on that solitary limb in order to do so.  (kk)

>>>It's the only station I listen to.  I've heard so many songs I haven't heard or even thought about in decades - but I agree with you that they need to do something about the programming.  With all the great music that they play, you will NEVER hear three good songs in a row ... never!  (Ed)

Since reading your comment, I've been keeping score ... and, for the most part, I have to agree with you.  Randomly selecting blocks of music, this DOES seem to be the case.  (The other night we listened for an hour and, at one point, heard three out of four consecutive songs that we were not at all familiar with ... a totally unnecessary album track by Carly Simon and two other obscurities that I couldn't even guess as to what they may have been.)  They need to get out of that unknown album track rut and concentrate on music that people really want to hear.  That's not to say that there isn't a place for album tracks within this format ... there is ... just play the ones that people WANT to hear rather than an over abundance of Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell tracks that nobody knows ... or wants to hear.

Despite any and all of my negative comments to date, this station still plays, without question, the widest variety possible on the dial today ... they just need to fine tune it a bit.

The other day while button pushing in the car I came across "Pink House" by John Mellencamp ... and let the whole song play.  That's because it IS a good song ... and I hadn't heard it in over three months ... which allowed me to appreciate it again.  The other stations in town have beat this music into our heads so repeatedly that we've lost all affection for it ... for the first time in AGES, it felt good to hear this track again. (Of course, it no sooner ended and I changed the channel again, only to come across "Jack And Diane" ... proving that somethings NEVER change.  This one I couldn't tolerate listening to ... so I immediately pushed the button again.)  Me-TV-FM overdoes James Taylor for me ... I swear I can't go an hour at any given point during the day without hearing something by him on that station ... so he, too, has now become a "button pusher" for me.  Too bad, as I genuinely like his music ... just not seven or eight times a day ... every day!  With a playlist of 2500 - 3000 songs, there is absolutely NO reason to beat an artist to death ... you alienate your audience the minute you do so.

The other thing I'd like to see them do is drop the "TV" association ... Me-FM is sufficient enough ... it's NOT TV, it's radio ... they've already established their connection ... let the TV station and the radio station stand on their own merits, especially if you're going to start advertising the station on other television outlets. (In a related note, Me-TV is running a special programming feature starring Dawn Wells this evening, who will take viewers on "a three hour tour" of her all-time favorite "Gilligan's Island' episodes.  Now THAT'S a GREAT promotional tie-in ... and I absolutely LOVE the whole concept.)  We can bring that same treatment to the radio station, too, in the way of special blocks of themed programming and countdowns that would really liven up the appeal of the listening experience.  They're running more and more commercials ... which was to be expected once the "launch" was over.  By the same token, a little bit of dee-jay participation would be a welcome addition right now, especially if staying true to the overall format. 

It's not ALL MOR ... they're playing more and more uptempo tracks and proven Top 40 rock hits from the '50's, '60's and '70's ... SO much variety with plenty of room to grow.  I have the highest hopes for this station (but also the highest expectations!)  kk

re:  This And That:

In a subject long near and dear to our hearts, Billboard Magazine has just published a list of The Top 100 Songs of Summer, 1959 - 2015.

Of course this means LOTS of more recent music than that typically covered here in Forgotten Hits ... but you WILL find a few "oldies gems" on the list.

Highest ranking ... "Tossin' And Turnin'" by Bobby Lewis from 1961, #3 on the overall list according to Bilboard's tabulations.  ("Satisfaction", considered by many to be rock's all-time summer song, didn't even make The Top Ten, finishing at #11 ... you won't find too many folks on our list agreeing with THAT ranking ... especially when it falls behind some of summer's lamer hits like "Alone Again Naturally" by Gilbert O'Sullivan, "Everything I Do I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams and "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey.)

You can catch the complete list here:

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6634535/100-biggest-summer-songs-of-all-time

And find our own take on Summer Favorites (compiled both mathematically and by your votes) here:

http://forgottenhits.com/

(You'll also find a tabulation of All-Time Summer Favorites as voted on by The Forgotten Hits Readers and The True Oldies Channel a few years back ... with approximately 10,000 votes received, a pretty accurate recap of those songs you guys feel best represent your fondest summer memories.)

 

Vintage Vinyl News recapped Summer's Biggest Hit this way ...  

If we came up with a discrepancy (based on our own chart research) it is noted below.

This list covers 1955 - 1980 (again rock and roll's formative years have been eliminated from the equation in Billboard's world ... who now only document the hits in the Post-Hot 100 World.  As such, titles listed for 1955 - 1958 come from OUR chart research only.)

1955 - Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets  (only fitting that the song that launched The Rock And Roll Era should kick things off here, too!)

1956 - The Wayward Wind - Gogi Grant  (hardly "rock" ... but summer's biggest hit nevertheless)

1957 - Love Letters In The Sand - Pat Boone  (ditto)

1958 - Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley  (a novelty hit this time around!)

1959 - Lonely Boy - Paul Anka  (our list shows "The Battle Of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton ... "Lonely Boy came in at #2 on the Forgotten Hits list) 

1960 - I'm Sorry - Brenda Lee  

1961 - Tossin' and Turnin' - Bobby Lewis 

1962 - Roses Are Red (My Love) - Bobby Vinton 

1963 - Fingertips - Part 2 - Little Stevie Wonder  (Easier Said Than Done - Essex ... the Stevie Wonder track came in at #5 on our list, behind Easier Said Than Done, Sukiyaki, So Much In Love and Surf City) 

1964 - Where Did Our Love Go - Supremes  (Wow!  Not sure HOW they came up with this one ... which placed at #15 on our list.  I'm guessing they took the complete chart history of the record for the entire year in order for this to happen ... our research only covered the months June, July and August ... and each record's performance during the summer months.) 

1965 - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones  (a no-brainer on this one) 

1966 - Wild Thing - Troggs  (We came up with "Hanky Panky" as our #1 Summer Hit.  "Wild Thing" placed at #5.  The Lovin' Spoonful's summer anthem "Summer In The City" came in at #10, most likely because a portion of its chart life extended beyond the August deadline.  It has been voted as YOUR All-Time Favorite Summer Hit every time we've polled our readers.) 

1967 - Light My Fire - Doors  ("Windy" by The Association ... "Light My Fire" came in at #4) 

1968 - This Guy's in Love With You - Herb Alpert 

1969 - In the Year 2525 - Zager & Evans 

1970 - (They Long to Be) Close to You - Carpenters  ("Mama Told Me Not To Come" by Three Dog Night.  The Carpenters landed at #5) 

1971 - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart - Bee Gees  ("It's Too Late" by Carole King ... it'd be hard to disqualify THIS one ... it was HUGE that summer ... as was the whole "Tapestry" album.  The Bee Gees' hit placed at #5 on our chart)   

1972 - Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan 

1973 - Bad Bad Leroy Brown - Jim Croce 

1974 - Annie's Song - John Denver  ("Billy Don't Be A Hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods ... I'm sticking with OUR choice on this one ... "Annie's Song" came in at #7)

1975 - One of These Nights - Eagles  (Big?  Yes ... #2 on our list ... 'cause there was NOTHING bigger that year than "Love Will Keep Us Together" by The Captain and Tennille)

1976 - Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee  ("Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney and Wings ... Elton and Kiki came in at #4, behind another all-time summer classic, "Afternoon Delight" by The Starland Vocal Band) 

1977 - I Just Want to Be Your Everything - Andy Gibb 

1978 - Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb  (Wow ... two back-to-back #1 Summer Hits for the Baby Gibb Brother!)

1979 - Bad Girls - Donna Summer  (#2 on our list behind Amii Stewart's version of "Knock On Wood".  I'm FAR more partial to the Donna Summer hit ... but that's not the way it all stacked up when we tabulated our votes way back when)

1980 - It's Still Rock and Roll to Me - Billy Joel 

From FH Reader Frank B ...

Celine Dion Welcomes A Surprising Guest To The Stage To Perform A Duet You'd Never Have Thought Possible:


 

Technology certainly has come a long, long way, hasn't it?  I remember when this first aired ... pretty amazing stuff!  Thanks, Frank.  (kk)

Kent, 
Upon reading about the death of Ernie Maresca in today's FH, of course everyone knows about his one hit during the rock era, SHOUT! SHOUT! (KNOCK YOURSELF OUT), but he did have a follow-up to that of which I had to go pull because I had forgotten the name of the song. FYI, it was DOWN ON THE BEACH / MARY JANE. 
Eileen mentioned THE THOUGHT OF LOVING YOU by the group The Crystal Mansion out of 1968 on Capitol. You mentioned you weren't familiar with it. I am familiar with the record since it made our local survey. Been many years since I've heard it though. Keep up the good work. 
Larry  
Checking Joel Whitburn's Comparison Chart Book, it looks like Maresca was a One Hit Wonder on the Billboard Charts ... but the record you mentioned DID chart both sides in Cash Box with "Mary Jane" hitting #106 and "Down On The Beach" reaching #103.  "Mary Jane" cracked The Top 100 in Music Vendor, peaking at #81 during a four week run. 
As for The Crystal Mansion song, it peaked at #79 in Record World.  A follow-up single in 1970 (a cover of James Taylor's "Caroline In My Mind") climbed as high as #47 in the same publication.  I'm personally not familiar with either one of these recordings.  (kk)

Sorry, but this one still cracks me up every time!  (kk)

50 Year Flashback - July 20th, 1965

July 20, 2015, 4:00 am

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"You Were On My Mind" by We Five makes a big jump from #7 to #1 this week on K-Make's Fabulous Forty Survey.

Also making big strides are "Yes, I'm Ready" by Barbara Mason (up from #12 to #3), James Browns'"Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" (jumping from #27 to #10), "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers (#14 this week, up from #26 the week before), now listed as the A-Side of their two-sided hit ("Hung On You" was the INTENDED A-Side when Phil Spector produced this record), "You Better Come Home" by Petula Clark (up from #24 to #15), "Save Your Heart For Me" by Gary Lewis and the Playboys, leaping fourteen points from #36 to #22, "California Girls" by The Beach Boys, up to #26 from #37, "I Want Candy", up 13 places for The Strangeloves and last week's featured hit "One Dyin' And A Buryin'" by Roger Miller climbing ten places to #28.

Interesting, too, to see an Elvis Presley EP charting in 1965 ... his film "Tickle Me" had a very low budget and, as such, featured music that Elvis had recorded previously for other LPs.  With "Easy Question" being a Top 20 Hit on several stations ... and this EP charting here in Fresno, it looks like it was pretty popular with the fans at the time.  (It's actually one of MY favorite soundtracks, too, even though no official soundtrack album was released at the time.)

None of their jock's "Pick Hits" went on to make much noise ... Donovan's "Colours" is the only one I'm really familiar with ... and it fizzled out nationally at #40, topping out at #61 on the Billboard Chart.

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Feelin' Groovy

July 21, 2015, 4:00 am

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It's another concert review from Shelley Sweet-Tufano today in Forgotten Hits ...

Now HERE'S a show I'd love to see them bring to Chicago!!!

FEELING GROOVY??

Well, well Kent.  You posted this concert on Forgotten Hits stating you wished you could go.  I already had my ticket, but life having its variables, I was reluctant to state that.  Resorts World Casino in Jamaica Queens is a place I had never experienced.  Last year I took a travel by night, boogie by day road trip with friends to concert-hop.  THIS year I am inserting solo traveling to break up the work schedule and push my limits a bit more.  This does mean, however, that I can plan a jaunt that has me putting my luggage in the car, going to work, jumping back in the car, hitting a concert, going to sleep, jumping in the car, and going back to work.  It is providing me with a living sanity clause.  So, wanting so much to see the Feeling Groovy Concert and having to deal with the multiple venue changes that occurred made me doubt my decision.  It started out as a two-ticket choice.  There were VIP, meet and greet included, tickets; as well as concert only tickets.  I bought concert only.  Traffic into the city is ALWAYS a variable and paying for something I am not sure I can attend is NOT in this equation.  So I bought the concert seat only. However, a photographer friend of mine pointed out that I ended up having to stand for the entire event.  So much for that ticket!  (In fact, all photos below are courtesy of James W. Foster ... and you'll find all the headliners represented!)

Along the way "stuff happened".  Instead of being in the seated and tabled concert area, the show was moved to the 360 degree bar.  All ticket holders received vouchers equal to the price of their ticket, and free tickets had also been distributed.  The only difference was in where you were allowed to sit.  VIP, naturally, was in a roped off front and center section.  Concert only and free were on either side.  There were not enough seats.  What did I learn?  I learned that I can stand and take notes for three hours.  I learned that I was OK with taking an unused voucher home rather than also try to juggle coffee or tea.  I learned that this awkward trip was worth every minute musically.

The emcee was CBS disc jockey Joe Causi.  Somebody near me referred to him as "that Soprano guy".  He introduced the opening act: 45 rpm.  45 rpm is a 70's tribute band, although they added some 60's pieces ... maybe just for us.  They spoke about the acts that were to follow and how much they admired them and learned from them.  They certainly were good students, and it is evident they love the music.  I recognized Tony Tallarico from previous bands with which he has performed.  My favorite song from them was 'The Night Chicago Died'.  I have never heard that in live performance, but this group rocked it.  I am going to list their set so you can see their versatility and all the greats they replicated. 

Don't Pull Your Love Out on Me Baby

The Night Chicago Died

Knock Three Times

Lady Willpower

Midnight Confessions

Rock Me Gently

Come On Get Happy

I Woke Up in Love This Morning

I Think I Love You

To Sir With Love

Daydream Believer

Oh, What a Lonely Boy

Hmmmmm ... THREE Partridge Family songs.  Somebody has a crush on somebody in that family.

They were truly fun and excellent musicians.  Danny Calvagna (lead / drums), Tony Tallarico (keyboards), Linda Mackey (drums / vocals), Michael Barberich (guitar / vocals), Michael Hack (keys / guitar / vocals), and Simon Walsh (bass / vocals).

Have you seen Ron Dante?  The man looks like he is still in high school!  Maybe even junior high!  Wearing a pair of leather pants (which has got to be warm up there above the bar), he begins with the song 'I Want Candy'.  He moves on to his second Archies hit:  'Jingle Jangle'.  He talks about his friendship with Davy Jones before he sings 'I'm a Believer'.  Looks like we are getting some Monkees action at this show.  'Glad All Over' is a surprise choice, but 'Tracy' from his Cuff Links days certainly was expected and enjoyed.  We MUST get 'Sugar, Sugar' into the mix with all of us joining in just to give support and love.  Ron's final piece is 'Johnny B. Goode'.  We have been singing and dancing along, forgetting the venue change and inconveniences that surround this concert.  Thank you Ron for a grand start from our 'Vintage' artists.

The ever-youthful looking Ron Dante

At this point, I want to throw out the information about the back-up band.  I look at them and say, "That sax player backed up Lou Christie.  She is married to a drummer.  Yep, that's him!  I've seen that guitar player before too.  Have I seen the others?"  Ron Dante throws out the name 'Coda', and back home on my computer, I get to work.  FOUND IT!!  The Coda Band is a "network of professional hand-picked musicians with up to 25 years experience in the entertainment industry."  KOOL!  Looking at the website I say, "Hi Dennis." and recognize a few other familiar faces.  So now, in my reviews, I will simply refer to them as The Coda Band.  When I can, I will give credits to specific names.  Doesn't it give you a nice warm fuzzy feeling to know we have this back-drop of experts in the musical field ready to bring the 60's to life again?

Who is that in a startling red jacket, brandishing a keytar, ready to rock?  BO DONALDSON!  Wait a sec?  WHO is that 'youngster' with the hand mic resembling Vance Brescia, albeit shorter hair?  KYLE VINCENT will be singing the Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods leads.  Kyle is a former 'Roller', of the Bay City kind, from their last tour.  He opens his mouth and starts singing 'Sky High'.  Oh yeah, this voice is powerful!  His performance is sheer entertainer.  He is moving all over the stage, standing on the bar televisions, singing on his knees, singing to the mall crowd above the bar.  I am keeping my eyes on him.  I am afraid I will miss something.  I have notes written upside down and sideways trying to keep my eye on the stage.  Wonderful Heywood hits follow.  'Who Do You Think You Are', and 'Look Out for the Heartbreak Kid'.  Inserted between these two is a Chuck Berry hit, 'You Never Can Tell', sung by Bo himself.  And NOW, a word from Kasey Kasem!???  Kasey's voice rings out on a recording of his show announcing the number ONE song for that week ... 'Billy Don't Be A Hero'!  The crowd is applauding!  Kyle and Bo pump this out and Mr. Vincent runs down off the stage into the audience, with the mic, getting three willing participants singing the chorus for him.  There were a few lyric changes from them, but all in all, I was impressed with the participants, who were having a blast.  Wow!  There's more to this show??

 Bo Donaldson

 Kyle Vincent

Dennis Tufano, the original lead singer of The Buckinghams, suavely approaches the microphone.  He has a good following here, and many participants in his street team taking pictures and videos.  There is something about singing The Bucks songs that makes women swoon.  I have seen it with Carl and Nick.  I see it now again with Dennis.  When he starts singing 'Don't You Care', every woman there, cares.  There is sincerity in the delivery of the lyrics.  There is magic in the lyrics.  There is the realization that the 60's opened up our minds and our hearts, and the music continues to do so now.  After 'Hey Baby, They're Playing Our Song', Dennis pays tribute to The Rascals with 'How Can I Be Sure'.  That song is, for me, so easy to fall into ... floating and dancing along.  As 'Susan', written about a Playboy Bunny begins, I hear comments of "That's my favorite." and "I really LIKE that one."  Dennis performs a Bobby Darin tribute show, but the Darin song he chooses for tonight is a "sleeper".  'Funny What Love Can Do' never hit any charts, and I never heard it before Dennis Tufano added it to his repertoire.  It has a blues sound, with Tufano adding his harmonica.  Although I had a dance routine to 'Hey Baby', the next song is my favorite: 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy'.  This could very well be because I can still do slinky dance moves, while my flips and spins have sllllloooooowwwwwed down.  Must all Bucks' concerts end with 'Kind of a Drag'?  I agree it is fitting.  It is definitely a drag to end any concert or set, so I must remind myself that although Dennis Tufano is leaving, he has announced that Tony Burrows will be coming up.

 The suave, non-relation, Dennis Tufano

Tony Burrows is termed a "session vocalist" and may have appeared on more one-hit wonders than any other.  I am going to try to list the names under which he sang.

Tony Bond

Ivy League

Flower Pot Men

White Plains

Brotherhood of Man

Edison Lighthouse

Pipkins

First Class

Sorry if I have missed any, and believe me I am not sure they are in correct sequence order.  He is a scooch on stage.  Had he been a student where I taught, they would have put him in my classroom.  "Shelley, we are giving you Anthony Burrows.  We think you will connect with him and appreciate his antics."  I would also love his British accent.  'I'm Gonna Make You Love Me' is his opening song and he does a great duet by himself, raising his pitch to Diana Ross heights.  Being British and being 60's music, we must have a Beatles hit (there were a couple, you know).  Although Tony sings 'I Saw Her Standing There', he does not stand still, but regales the back-up singers with pelvic thrusts and gallops across the stage.  This may be a good time to introduce those back-up singers:  The Chicklets.  Burrows flirts with them throughout his set. By his own admission, he needs to slow down the pace.  'IF' (aren't the Bread love songs in your heart forever?) plays out while I notice that Kyle Vincent has run by me to grab a seat in the VIP section and Ron Dante is standing to my left.  When other performers come out to watch, it says something wonderful about both parties.  A favorite of mine, and apparently this audience's, is 'My Baby Loves Lovin'' with 'Beach Baby' following.  Bo Donaldson joins Tony on stage for this one and Tony quips they are going to "fly without a safety net" together.  One of the The Chicklets comes forward to create this next duet.  Are you ready?  'United We Stand'!!  Look behind you, Tony!  As well as Bo on stage, you now have Dennis Tufano, Ron Dante, and Kyle Vincent as back-up singers.  This appears to be a pleasant surprise to Mr. Burrows, and MAN DOES IT ROCK!!!  I do believe we could have stayed all night joining in on that one, but then we would have missed 'Love Grows [Where My Rosemary Goes]' which was the final number.  I even felt as though I could still dance to that one ... maybe.

All that is left to say is ... I GOT TO GO AND THIS TIME YOU DIDN'T, KENT!  Sorry, but I am really jealous of your concert attendance.

Shelley J Sweet-Tufano

Well, this is one I would truly love to see.  Bo Donaldson is coming to The Arcada Theatre in August (in fact, I believe former Bay City Roller Kyle Vincent may be with him for that one) ... and, of course, we just saw Dennis there for The Marty Grebb Benefit Concert ... but a show including Ron Dante and the incredible Tony Burrows would put this over the top for me.  (So yeah, I'm kinda jealous, too ... but hopeful that Ron Onesti will see this and make a similar show like this happen for all our local FH Fans to see, too!)

As always, thanks, Shelley, for another great report!  (kk)

Three Dog Night Concert Review

July 22, 2015, 4:00 am

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Hi Kent - 

Due to an electrical outage in the area, the Three Dog Night concert at Hoover Auditorium in Lakeside, Ohio almost did not happen ... but ... "The Show Must Go On" and power was restored 30 minutes before show time.   

The show started a little later due to the outage, but the wait was worth it as founding members Danny Hutton and Cory Wells put on a great show of their hits, a couple new songs, and what they called "old new songs" (songs from albums that were not hits).  

The show started with hit after hit, "Family of Man", "Black and White", "Never Been to Spain", "Shambala" and "Out in the Country".  Then mixing old and new songs, followed up with "It's For You", "An Old Fashioned Love Song", "Leave Your Hat On", "One", "It Ain't Easy", "Heart of Blues", "Liar", "Sure As I'm Sitting Here", "Mama Told Me Not To Come" and "Celebrate".  

Coming out for an encore, was a new a cappella song called "Prayer" which brought the crowd to their feet ... and then finished up with "Joy To The World".  

A great show and fun evening for all. 

Tom Apathy    

As always, Tom fills out his review with some GREAT shots from the show.  

We've seen Cory and Danny a few times now these past three years ... and it is always an amazing show.  "Prayer Of The Children" is nothing short of breath-taking ... incredible that they can pull that off (to perfection) every single night.  

Thanks, Tom, for another great review.  (kk)

 

Thursday This And That

July 23, 2015, 4:01 am

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re:  OOPS!:
We left the photo of headliner Tony Burrows off the website on Tuesday when we ran Shelley Sweet-Tufano's review of the "Feelin' Groovy" concert held in Jamaica Queens last week.  ALL photos (as mentioned earlier in the review) are courtesy of photographer James W. Foster, who graciously allowed us to use these in Forgotten Hits.  So apologies to Shelley, Tony and James for our oversight!  (kk)

 Tony Burrows

re:  And, Speaking Of Great Concerts ... :  
We ran readers' concert reviews the last two days in Forgotten Hits ...  
Now be sure to check out this in-depth report by Endless Summer Quarterly's David Beard, recapping a recent two hour Beach Boys set ...  
http://www.examiner.com/review/celebrating-50-years-of-endless-summer-days-and-nights?CID=examiner_alerts_article     

Rolling Stone is reporting that four of the surviving Zombies will reunite this autumn for a tour featuring their landmark album "Odessey and Oracle" performed in its entirety ...  

Classic Zombies Lineup to Reunite for 'Odessey & Oracle' Tour 

Surviving members of 1968 lineup behind classic LP will hit the road this autumn

By Daniel Kreps

July 20, 2015

 

GAB Archive / Redferns / Getty

Nearly 50 years after the Zombies released their landmark 'Odessey & Oracle,' the 1968 lineup's four surviving members who recorded that album will reunite and set off on a reunion tour to perform their classic LP live in its entirety. 

Singer Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent will be joined by bassist Chris White and drummer Hugh Grundy this autumn when the original Zombies reform to perform Odessey & Oracle live for the first time; the band initially broke up in December 1967, four months before their 1968 masterpiece, Number 100 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, was released.   

Guitarist Paul Atkinson, who also featured on Odessey & Oracle, passed away in 2004. Guitarist Tom Tooney, drummer Steve Rodford and bassist Jim Rodford will fill out the current Zombies touring lineup. The reunited band's trek kicks off September 30th at Dallas' Majestic Theatre and then circles the U.S. for 18 shows, culminating with a performance at San Francisco's Fillmore. Visit the Zombies' official site for ticketing information.

In addition to the reunion tour, the Zombies hope to release their next studio album, the follow-up to 2011's Breathe Out, Breathe In, in the fall. In 2014, a collection of Zombies songs from the band's nixed 1968 album was finally released stateside as the compilation R.I.P.

The Zombies U.S. Tour

September 30 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre
October 1 – Austin, TX @ Paramount Theatre
October 3 – Provincetown, MA @ Provincetown Town Hall
October 6 – Boston, MA @ The Wilbur Theatre
October 8 – Washington, D.C. @ Lincoln Theatre
October 9 – New York, NY @ New York Society for Ethical Culture Concert Hall
October 10 – Cranston, RI @ Park Theatre
October 11 – Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
October 13 – Ridgefield, CT @ The Ridgefield Playhouse
October 14 – Munhall, PA @ Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
October 15 – Kent, OH @ The Kent Stage
October 16 – Merrillville, IN @ Star Plaza Theatre
October 17 – Milwaukee, WI @ South Milwaukee PAC
October 19 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
October 21 – Seattle, WA @ Benaroya Hall
October 22 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
October 24 – Beverly Hills, CA @ The Saban Theatre
October 27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore

Looks like no Chicago stop this time around ... we caught The Zombies when they opened up for Burton Cummings a few years ago ... great show.  Glad to see the guys are embracing their legacy once again!  (kk)
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/10/zombies-concert-review.html

re:  Dave Somerville:

Kent -

The passing of Dave Somerville leaves a void in my heart. Dave was not just my friend ... he was the classiest and funniest person I knew.

We shared so many great memories together. We did many gigs together and he was part of the Jimmy Jay Monster Jam a few years back. I will share one great story with you.

The night Whitney Houston passed, Dave and I were at Foxwoods Casino in CT.  After the show, we went out to dinner ... it was cool because it was just the two of us and we shared lots of guy time.

So Dave says they gave me these food vouchers so we can eat anywhere ... let's go to this high class restaurant. We get seated and the prices were outrageous.  Dave says good thing we don't have to pay for this. We ordered up in a big way. Dave loved good food and I can hear him "Mmm, this is so good ... and it always taste better when it's free".  At the end of the dinner the bill was close to $300 for the two of us.

I drive home and the next day Dave is back in Hollywood where he lives and we talk on the phone about this amazing meal we had the night before and Dave says "When I woke up, there was a bill for our meal.  I did not read the voucher right and it covered every place in the casino except where we were."  They charged Dave's card for the dinner. I said, "I'll send you something to help cover the bill" and he said that there was no need to do that, as  it was money well spent.

I have so many stories but will tell you all that being at the hospital with him and his family in the last days of his life was just amazing. I said to him, "Dave, what do you want people to remember about you?" and he said, "I want them to remember the music" ... and that's what we are all doing right here thanks to you. 

Jimmy Jay

www.rewindshow.com

Kent,

As always, I had a great time reading today's posts. The stories about Dave Somerville and how he influenced every part of the Entertainment Industry is truly amazing. Thanks for compiling all that information for us readers.  

The video of Elvis and Celine "together" gave me a flashback to remembering that show, whether I saw it when it aired or caught a news story about it later, I don't know, but "somehow" I was "there" at the time and your coverage of it here on FH took me "back". Thanks.  

Van Dorn  

The Moonrakers
 

re: Me-TV-FM:

Thanks for all the coverage about the radio format and station.  Lots of opinion and misinformation ... however, I'm happy to see people engaged and discussing what we are doing.
Perhaps sometime I'll write a post for you about the format and what we are building.

Sorry that the fact we are not a 100% all oldies format bothers some of your readers.  There are plenty of stations and websites doing that. We are building something different. 

By the way, James Taylor's latest album is selling terrifically.  The public still loves him, even if some of your readers don't!  You have some good ideas on JT tracks we may not be playing ... some of the ones you don't like did well in AC testing.  We shouldn't be playing anyone 7-8 times between 5 am and Midnight except maybe the Beatles. Ill look into it.

Thanks again for all the attention and coverage.
Neal Sabin  
Hi Neal -  
Thanks so much for taking the time to write ... I would LOVE to run your post about the plans, targets and goals for Me-TV-FM ... who better to enlighten us than you! 
For the record, I LOVE the fact that you're not an "oldies station" in the conventional sense.  (Besides, the term "oldies" now has a negative connotation and is considered "insulting" by most.  We, on the other hand, have embraced the term for years now ... and most of our readers feel the same way.) 
What you are creating at Me-TV-FM mirrors exactly what we have been endorsing for the past sixteen years now.  I have always maintained that the music we all grew up with is timeless ... "music for the ages" if you will.  At one time or another, we were exposed to ALL of it ... so why not feature as much of it as you can?  Our tastes changed as we grew older and with a format like yours (and a playlist of this size) you can finally recognize ALL of the music that struck a chord with us over the years.  (I've said many times before that it doesn't necessarily even have to be a song that I like ... as long as it's something I haven't heard in ages, beaten to death by all the cookie-cutter, same-format stations found everywhere else on the dial.)  
As for James Taylor, it makes absolutely NO sense to me that he FINALLY scored his first #1 Album in 2015 ... something has to be out of balance with the universe in order for this to be the case.  But that being said, MOST of the world doesn't care much about any of his album tracks past his first two masterpieces, "Sweet Baby James" and "Mudslide Slim And The Blue Horizon" ... because THOSE are the tracks that were played on the radio at the time and have become part of our DNA.  As such, songs like "Hey Mister, That's Me Up On The Jukebox", "Love Has Brought Me Around", "You Can Close Your Eyes", "Long Ago And Far Away", "Sweet Baby James", "Steamroller" and "Anywhere Like Heaven" are going to strike a chord with your audience much quicker than some of the obscure and unfamiliar tracks by other artists played on the station.  Regardless, I don't need to hear 7 or 8 songs by him on a daily basis ... or any OTHER artist for that matter.  All that does is cause audience burn-out ... and soon we find that we can't listen to ANYTHING by these artists ... not a good thing for the artist, the listener or the radio station!  
As covered many times before in this column, radio today has become a creative game of stopping the button pushers ... the brand new novelty of Me-TV-FM has worn off ... it now has to stand on it's own merits.  As such, there is no longer room for "bumps in the road" programming ... (the Peter Allen version of "The More I See You" is a perfect example ... it's AWFUL and not even in tune!  This song doesn't EVER have to be played on the radio again ... nor is it familiar to anybody who grew up during this era.  Short of Peter Allen's mother [if she's still alive] I can't imagine a single person on the planet WANTING to ever hear this song again.  Me-TV-FM plays too many unfamiliar album tracks like this and it's starting to cost you listeners.)  People WILL push the button and switch over to something more palatable and familiar ... and they might not switch back for HOURS if the other station has programmed a better line-up.  At that point, you've theoretically lost them.

Every song ... and every decision ... counts.

(That's not to say there isn't room for album tracks in the rotation ... there is ... there are just so many better choices available out there than some of the ones displayed on your station on a regular basis ... which is to say that yes, we love hearing these surprises from time to time ... but not sharing equal rotation with the rest of the music on the station.  Part of what MAKES these tracks a "surprise" is only hearing them once or twice a year ... "tiered" programming is a far better way to go.)

No one can be more proud or gratified to see the station making its mark and succeeding than me ... even if it means living vicariously through your success.  We have pushed for this format for sixteen years now, INSISTING that it would work if only somebody would give it a chance to do so.  Consultants be damned ... I'm sick and tired of radio insulting its listeners by programming the same 200-300 songs over and over and over again, thinking that this is all their listenership is capable of digesting.  Most consultants will tell you that the average listener only tunes in for 15-20 minutes at a time ... and even then, primarily as background noise while they're multi-tasking doing something else.  Me-TV-FM has proven that listeners will stay tuned in for HOURS if you simply feature the right mix of music.  I believe that once you guys start streaming, 87.7 FM will become the most listened to radio station on the dial throughout the work day ... and very well could hold that title from coast to coast.

But in order to do so, some fine-tuning is required ... and I honestly believe I can help you with that by refining the existing playlist, adding some great tracks that are missing but fall within the boundaries of what you're trying to achieve, and adding some special "feature programming" like you do with the television station.  (Themed programs and features ... countdowns ... artist profiles and interviews ... things that break up the day and become "appointment radio" where folks will want to tune in at particular times of day so as not to miss that day's daily feature... and all "blended in" with the regular mix of great music you're already playing.)

Please know that we are 100% in your corner and will do anything we can to help make the station a success.  I can easily see Me-TV-FM being syndicated across the country, bringing a fresh programming outlook to the dial again.  We've heard from dozens of our readers, jealous that we have something like this going on in Chicago and they don't where they live.  The audience is ready to embrace this change and variety again, as we've always maintained they would be, if only given the chance.  Folks are sick and tired of the same old / same old.  People are staying in their cars longer, afraid of what great song they'll miss if they tune out now.  Folks are listening to the radio at home again ... or watching it on TV.  (The Xfinity tie-in is a great idea ... although there has GOT to be better graphics available than the traffic report ... if you're home watching TV, you're not out in traffic!!!) ... maybe something more along the lines of Music Choice with artist profiles and bios with a scrolling "localized" strip at the bottom offering weather, news headlines, sports scores, "on this date in music history", etc, etc, etc.) 

The buzz about Me-TV-FM is at an all-time high right now.  You guys should be in full artillery mode with regular tv ads and a billboard blitz to let EVERYONE living here or passing through Chicago know that this is the ONLY place to hear Memorable Music on the dial ... the ratings with virtually NO publicity are climbing at an unheard of rate ... imagine what you could do with a full court press!  Chicago, We're Asking You To Spend Some More Time With ME ... and then weed out the weakest links programming-wise and hit them with nothing but your best shots all day long. 

As such, I warmly welcome your comments and mission statement and promise to do all I can to help promote the station, whether it be through continued coverage in Forgotten Hits or any other means ... here's hoping that this is just the beginning of an on-going dialogue.  In a very short time, you've hit a nerve with a good percentage of the public, proving that there IS a place for "memorable music" on the radio dial again.  I say it's time to reload and go in for the kill!  (kk)

 

Hi Kent,
I totally agree with you on overplaying artists / tunes, and James Taylor really does it for me.  The last three or four soft rock stations here in Indy have played seven or eight of his songs repeatedly for the last twenty plus years, especially during the morning drive time.  Yeesch!

qchutch 

Hey Kent -
Former WLS-FM program director Jan Jeffries is now back in Washington for his second go-around at WRQX, which as Q-107 in the 80's was a kick-ass CHR (contemporary hit radio) station. These days 'RQX is in the toilet, and Jack Diamond (morning guy at WLS-FM) is rumored to be going back to join Jan in DC where Jack did mornings for many, many years. A change from today's hits to a classic hits / oldies format is alleged to be in the works at 'RQX as well. Shame that stations like these with their heritage have become so moribund. Hey, we can hope they wake up and realize the conventional wisdom in radio that listeners over 55 don't count is an invalid idea. We baby boomers still buy advertised stuff, ya know.
- Larry Cave
  50yearsagoonthehot100.blogspot.com
I can only tell you that he will not be missed in Chicago.  Many of the listeners who stuck with WLS based on their history alone for the past 55 years have already given up and left the station behind.  Even new upstart K-Hits (which plays the exact same music) has overtaken them in the ratings.  As explained above in our Me-TV-FM Soapbox Piece, listeners want and expect more these days from a radio station.  Folks who WOULD have stuck with WLS have now found a better spot on the dial playing the music they REALLY want to hear.  Perhaps this opens up the opportunity for the station to regroup and reclaim their place in Chicago radio history.  A little "friendly competition" in town makes for better radio all the way around ... and NOBODY knows this better than WLS, who went head-to-head with WCFL for YEARS!  (kk)

re:  The Ides Of March:

I LOVE it!!!  People who were moved and inspired to pick up a copy of The Ides Of March 50th Anniversary Box Set are now receiving and listening to all this great music ... and falling in love with The Ides' music just the way we did growing up here in Chicago!  (kk)

I had been on the fence about buying the Ides box - thought about it but just never got around to placing the order - but your article pushed me over the edge.  Once I read your review, I just had to have it.  And now that I do, I'm discovering so many great new tracks - as well as rediscovering some of the songs I haven't heard in ages.  Thank you so much for your Ides Box profile ... you've made a believer ... and a fan out of me!

Gary

Great stories on the Ides of March! Those of us outside Chicago most likely didn't know most of this stuff ... so thank you for sharing.

Larry

Although I got my Ides CD set last week, I decided to hold off listening to it until my trip to the west side of Chicago, your old homestead, Kent, River Grove, as I was in town for a record show. I listened to the first two discs on the way there. I had forgotten about many of the album tracks and a couple of the minor singles. It was great to hear them as I returned to my hometown. On the way home on Sunday, I listened to the last two discs. Rather than saying what I liked and didn't, I will just say, thank you, Jim, for assembling a long overdue project ... and it's nice to have all the stuff in one package. Not that Jim needs my endorsement, but if you're considering getting it, do so. You'd be spending 50 bucks on any given four CDs anyways, plus you get the DVD and booklet.  
Jack

re:  This And That:

Thanks to the popularity of the finally released "Wrecking Crew" documentary, many of the players are now doing interviews, thanks to the renewed interest in all this great music. (I'm telling you ... radio stations that aren't jumping on the bandwagon here are truly missing the boat!)

Tom Cuddy tells us about this one done recently with Hal Blaine (who shared a few memories with Forgotten Hits last week, too) ...

http://www.popcultureclassics.com/hal_blaine.html

Kent,

FYI (in case you haven’t heard), The Wrecking Crew is currently being shown on AXS cable channel (1106 on AT&T U-Verse in Wisconsin). The description on the cable guide is incorrect, describing it as a movie about a construction crew. I have seen this happen before when there is more than one film with the same name. It is 9:55 here and Wrecking Crew is on now. AXS typically repeats it’s programming several times so it should be on again.

Bob Verbos

New Berlin, WI  
Actually, I DID see an advertisement for this ... and was a little pissed off at first.  All these folks who contributed funds to insure the film's release are just first receiving their copies and now it's already airing on cable tv.  But then again we've been shouting about this film for over eight years now ... so I've got mixed emotions in that I've tried SO hard to get people to see it that, now that they finally have the chance to do so, I can't help but celebrate the cause.  Who knows ... maybe most of them will like it enough to order a copy for their own collection.  (And, with over six hours of bonus footage NOT shown in the regular documentary, you've got hours and hours of additional enjoyment coming your way if you do!)  I guess my bottom line on this one is ... See It ... ANY way you can ... and enjoy this great tribute to the folks who provided the soundtrack to our lives.  (kk)  

And, speaking of The Wrecking Crew, here's a link to a Brian Wilson profile done on CBS Sunday Morning this past week ... http://youtu.be/GJ2hrYXPHxA

Just read Billboard's Top 100 Songs of Summer List.

One Beach Boy song at #84 - that's all, really?

One problem with "Top" lists that span more than one epoch of Rock & Roll history is a failure to take into account the vast differences in population. Apply per capita to the analysis and every list would look vastly different.

Phil

PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com

We've said the same thing many times ... which is why more of a "hit ratio" should be applied to these types of rankings.  Does ANYBODY out there TRULY believe that 50 years later the Brandy and Monica song ranked at #2 will be more highly regarded than "Satisfaction", which sits at #11?  Songs from The Top 40 Rock Era that we cover here in Forgotten Hits (typically 1955 - 1985) have stood the test of time and many sound just as fresh and exciting today as they did back then.  I find it impossible to believe that 50 years from now folks will feel the same way about titles like "See You Then" by Wiz Khalifa, "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy (which, in and of itself, is a complete rip-off of The Police song already ranked at #5 ... which one do YOU think will prove to be more memorable over time?) or "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey ... and be able to sing every word (or play air guitar) to all these soon-to-be obscure tracks.  (kk)

I was extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Buddy Buie ... somehow this guy's music really struck a chord with me ... seems like I loved just about everything I ever heard by him over the years ... whether it be the Sandy Posey track "I Take It Back" (recently featured in Forgotten Hits), the B.J. Thomas hit "Mighty Clouds Of Joy", or any of the many Classic IV and Atlanta Rhythm Section tracks he was involved with.  ("Spooky" ... actually recorded by BOTH artists ... "Stormy", "Traces", "Everyday With You Girl", "So In To You", "Imaginary Lover", "Alien", "I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight", "Doraville", "Champagne Jam", "Do It Or Die", and several others.)  Even our FH Buddy Tommy Roe had one of his very first hits with a Buddy tune.  ("Party Girl")   kk

Vintage Vinyl News ran a nice tribute to Buddy the other day  (link below)

http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2015/07/passings-songwriter-perry-buddy-buie.html?utm_source=VVN+Music+E-Mail+Subscribers&utm_campaign=fc0302490e-July+21%2C+2015+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3a4dfe0b50-fc0302490e-89761121 

Love your stuff, Buddy ... we'll miss you ... but the music lives on.  (kk)

Another great songwriter left us this past week ... Wayne Carson, who wrote the #1 Hit "The Letter" for The Box Tops ... and the Elvis Presley / Willie Nelson classic "Always On My Mind". (kk) 
 

Kent,

Enjoyed Sunday's FH as usual.

Here in OKC as I know and remember, the Diamonds' flip of KATHY-O, HAPPY YEARS, was the "A" side of the record. Never really cared for KATHY-O to be honest with you and I believed it was from the movie of the same name.

Really enjoyed the eight minute montage of WIND. You were right in saying most of the songs have been absent from the airwaves for decades, er, you did say decades didn't you? I liked what Chuck Benson said at the end where he asked the question," how long has it been since you've heard this song by Doris Day"? Nowadays one can ask that same question to all the cuts on that tape.

Kent, last night on television I saw a commercial, don't really know if it was a local one or national one, but the main item being advertised I believe was some sort of pizza. Again, I am not sure about that. I am sure about one thing though. In the background was Boots Randolph's 1963 hit YAKETY SAX.  That was the first time I saw the commercial, tune being played faintly in the background, so without hearing it at least a second time, I don't know if it was the original recording or not.

I loved the commercial you posted at the end of FH. It reminded me of the Crystal's 1963 tune (Let's Dance) THE SCREW (Part 1 and 2). Incidentally, going back to Ernie Maresca, he did have a follow-up answer to SHOUT! SHOUT!. I believed it was called SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT, again, a no-hit.

On the subject of answer records through the years, the other day I was wondering if an artist or group ever answered an answer record or song? I guess one could say they were answering an answer. Are you confused now as I am?Have a great week. 
Larry

Here's an update on Don Henley's new solo / country album, now scheduled for release in September.  Don has lined up some excellent duet partners for the new LP ... and will reportedly do a solo tour to support it once its been released.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/don-henley-sets-release-date-for-cass-county-announces-solo-tour-20150717

And, speaking of great Rock Drummers ...

Hey Kent,
July had birthdays for two great drummers I can think of, Louie Bellson on the 6th, and Ringo Starr on the 7th. By the way, John Lennon never said that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in The Beatles. A British comic, by the name of Jasper Carrott, made that quip in 1983. I don't know why some comedians have to ruin reputations, just to get a 5-second laugh. Yes, I found out myself that drummers can be the butt of many jokes, when it comes to talking about "serious" musicians. They're still better to listen to than cost-saving drum machines, don't you think?
- John LaPuzza

I read the same thing about the British comedian ... but the line is ten times funnier when attributed to Lennon ... who had that biting wit throughout his career.

We've seen our fair share of great drummers over the years and are proud to be friends with a few of them.  It's all meant in good fun and spirit ... hey, ya gotta pick on SOMEBODY!!!  

By the way, there's a brand new, first ever Ringo biography available ... you can catch the full details here:  

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617131202/ref=pe_848010_144003930_em_1p_0_lm

(kk)

>>>None of KMAKE's jock's "Pick Hits" went on to make much noise  (kk)

One of the fairly obscure pick hits listed was by the Halos, who were actually 2/3 or the earlier hitmakers, the Angels!!  Brings back the girl group sound while adding big Spector-ish production ala Dusty Springfield.  In 1965 Barbara and Phyliss "Jiggs" Allbut, from The Angels, along with a new member, Toni Mason (in the picture below shown L-R; Barbara, Tony and Jiggs) recorded as The Halos for Congress Records, present in the doo wop guides with.
- Do I / Just Keep On Loving Me
- Since I Fell For You / You're Never Gonna Find
- Baby What You Want Me To Do / Hey, Hey Love Me

None of these tracks ever made the national charts ... although ANOTHER group called The Halos charted Top 40 with "Nag" in 1961 ... but that would have been during The Angels' run on the charts.  (kk)

Our FH Buddy Chet Coppock is launching a brand new website AND weekly podcast ... more details here:

http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/7524-chet-coppock-launching-new-podcast

Don't be surprised if yours truly makes an appearance now and again on both!  (kk)

Did you hear about the new British Invasion Musical by author of 'Jersey Boys'?
I thought you'd be interested in this story from the New York Post
http://nypost.com/2015/07/21/british-pop-invasion-musical-in-the-works-from-co-writer-of-jersey-boys/

It says it is loosely based on Peter Noone's life and takes place in London, starting at the Bag of Nails. 

Shelley 

 

Where do I begin?  "Love Story" costars Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw are teaming up again to do a stage production of "Love Letters".  I don't want to say that the years haven't been kind ... it's just that SOME of us have weathered the storm better than others!  (kk)

 

Kent, 
I don't know if you take and or read your local paper there in Chicago, but if you do, take a look at today's comics (July 22). I am talking about the comic strip BLONDIE. It is a three panel strip today and when I read it, I immediately thought of FH. If you don't take the paper, I think you may be able to find it somewhere online. 
Larry

Helping Out Our Readers

July 24, 2015, 4:00 am

≫ Next: The Sunday Comments ( 07 - 26 - 15 )

≪ Previous: Thursday This And That

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It's been a LONG time since we ran a HELPING OUT OUR READERS column in Forgotten Hits!

Apologies to those of you who have been waiting MONTHS to see if our team of experts can come up with some answers for you (although some of you HAVE received personal replies in the meantime.)

In any event, let's get right to it ... and see if we can help to solve some of life's musical mysteries!

Hello Kent,

I have been scouring the web for the best sites on 50’s and 60’s music. I am a lifelong music fan with a specialized interest in the 50’s and 60’s. 
Almost exactly one year ago I launched a personal project to try to track down instrumental songs that were also released as vocals. It started on a whim, driven mostly by idle curiosity. Then, the further I got into the project, the more fascinating it became. I had already known that such songs as “Alley Cat” and “Stranger On the Shore” spawned vocal versions that were quite well done. But I was in store for quite a few surprises as I uncovered vocals of songs as varied as “Baby Elephant Walk,” “Tequila” and Bob Moore’s “Mexico.”

My pursuit to find more of these hidden gems turned into a year long odyssey that so far has yielded a list of 311 entries. I doubt if anyone else has accumulated a list of that size and scope.

The topic of instrumentals and their vocal counterparts seems to crop up regularly on music forums and blogs across the spectrum of musical genres. So, it is my hope that the list I have created will fill a void that music fans have been missing and are longing to see. I intend to send the list to a wide variety of music and nostalgia websites.

Please let me know what you think of this project and if you would like to share it with others on your blog. If so, I would only ask that you include my name as the compiler of the list. Also, please let me know of any other songs that you feel should be added. There are bound to be some that I missed.

To limit the size of the list, I only included instrumentals that were released as single 45 rpm records. There are a couple of exceptions for movie themes. But on the vocal side, I felt it was beneficial to include some album cuts, especially for songs that had no single release of a vocal counterpart, or where the vocal contained a different set of lyrics.

Please see the list below, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Instrumental Songs of the 50’s & 60’s With Vocal Versions  
Compiled by Bill Oakey, 2015

1. Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk. Vocal by Roger Whittaker, Andy Williams, The Drifters, Ruby & The Romantics, Bobby Rydell, Patti Page, Slim Whitman

2. Never On Sunday - Don Costa. Vocal by The Chordettes, Connie Francis, The Four Lads, and many others

3. Alley Cat - Bent Fabric. Vocal (Alley Cat Song) by Peggy Lee, Bobby Rydell, David Thorne, The Modernaires and Vocal (The Alley Cat Dance) by Bent Fabric featuring The Alley Kittens

4. Exodus - Ferrante and Teicher. Vocal (The Exodus Song) by Pat Boone, The Duprees, Andy Williams, The Four Lads

5. Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart) - Mantovani. Vocal by Percy Faith with Felicia Sanders, Joni James, Connie Francis, Andy Williams and many others

6. Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado. Vocal by Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra, Alan Dale, Pat Boone, Georgia Gibbs and French vocal (Cerisier Rose et Pommier Blanc) by Petula Clark

7. Calcutta - Lawrence Welk. (Previously titled Take Me Dreaming by Werner Muller). Vocal by The Four Preps, Petula Clark, The Valiants

8. Theme From A Summer Place - Percy Faith. Vocal by Joanie Sommers, The Lettermen, The Fontane Sisters, Dick Roman, The Chordettes, Cliff Richard, Skeeter Davis and German vocal (Wenn Der Sommer Kommt) byLolita

9. Love Is Blue - Paul Mauriat. Vocal by Al Martino, Andy Williams and French vocal (L’Amour Est Bleu) by Vicky Leandros, Claudine Longet

10. Wonderland By Night - Bert Kaempfert. Vocal by Anita Bryant, Engelbert Humperdinck, Joe Dowell, Louis Prima, Anita Kerr Singers

11. Somewhere My Love (Lara’s Theme) - Dr. Zhivago Soundtrack. Vocal by Connie Francis, Ray Conniff, and many others

12. A Taste Of Honey - Eddie Cano / Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Vocal by Lenny Welch, Kingston Trio, Tony Bennett, The Vogues, The Beatles and many others.

13. Last Date - Floyd Cramer. Vocal (My Last Date With You) by Skeeter Davis, Ann-Margret, Joni James, Dick Lory. And Vocal - “(Lost Her Love) On Our Last Date” by Conway Twitty

14. Our Winter Love - Bill Pursell. Vocal by The Lettermen, Anita Bryant, The Hi-Lites

15. White Silver Sands - Owen Bradley Quintet / Bill Black’s Combo. Vocal by Don Rondo, Dave Gardner, The Lennon Sisters, Four Preps, Brenda Lee, Ernest Tubb

16. The Third Man Theme (Harry Lime Theme) - Anton Karas / Guy Lombardo. Vocal by Don Cherry, The Fontane Sisters, The Five Smith Brothers and vocal (The Zither Melody) by Donald Peers, Reggie Goff

17. The Poor People Of Paris - Les Baxter. Vocal by Dean Martin, Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney

18. Telstar - The Tornados. Vocal by Bobby Rydell and vocal Vocal (Magic Star) by Kenny Hollywood, Margie Singleton, The Double IV, and vocal (Red Rose) by The Gaylads, Sharon Forrester and Spanish vocal (Magica Estrella) by Alberto Cortez

19. The In Crowd - Ramsey Lewis Trio. Vocal by Dobie Gray, Jack Jones, Mamas & the Papas

20. Bonanza - Al Caiola. Vocal by Lorne Greene, Johnny Cash

21. Walk Don’t Run - The Ventures. Vocal by Tommy Leonetti and German vocal (Lass Dir Zeit) by Die Crazy Girls

22. A Walk In The Black Forest - Horst Jankowski. Vocal (with subtitle, Our Walk Of Love) by Salena Jones, and vocal (I Walk With You) by The Bitter End Singers, The Modernaires

23. Music To Watch Girls By - The Bob Crewe Generation / Al Hirt. Vocal by Andy Williams, Matt Monro

24. Midnight In Moscow - Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen. Vocal (You Can’t Keep Me From Loving You) by Julius LaRosa, Petula Clark, and vocal (Moscow Nights) by Helmut Lotti

25. Washington Square - The Village Stompers. Vocal by The Ames Brothers, The Kirby Stone Four, James Last, Marilyn Maye, The Cherry Creek Singers, and vocal (Days of 49) by Bob Dylan

26. Blue Tango - Leroy Anderson / Hugo Winterhalter / Bill Black’s Combo. Vocal by Gisele MacKenzie, Alma Cogan

27. Soft Summer Breeze - Eddie Heywood. Vocal by The Diamonds

28. Wheels - The String-A-Longs / Billy Vaughn. Vocal by Johnny Duncan, Robb Storme

29. Skokiaan - Bulawayo Sweet Rhythms Band / Ralph Marterie / Bill Haley & His Comets. Vocal by The Four Lads, Alma Cogan, Paul Anka, Ivo Robic

30. Petite Fleur - Chris Barber. Vocal by Petula Clark, and Vocal (A Time To Love, A Time To Cry) by Lou Johnson, Damita Jo, Marilyn Maye

31. Apache - The Shadows / Jorgen Ingmann. Vocal by Sonny James

32. Because They’re Young - Duane Eddy. Vocal by James Darren

33. Gidget Goes Hawaiian - Duane Eddy. Vocal by James Darren

34. Patricia - Perez Prado. Vocal by Ray Peterson, Jerry Martin and The Tempos (aka The El Dorados)

35. Raunchy - Bill Justice / Ernie Freeman. Vocal by Eddie Bond and vocal (The New Raunchy) by Shady Wall, pseudonym for Webb Pierce and French vocal (Plus Jamais) by Didier Lapeyrere

36. Sleep Walk - Santo & Johnny. Vocal by Betsy Brye, The Lettermen, The Supremes

37. Asia Minor - Kokomo. Vocal (Joost Mag Het Weten) by Nederlands Artiestenkoor

38. Pipeline - The Chantays. Vocal by Johnny Legend and Vocal (Riding The Waves) by Dee Dee Sharp

39. Cast Your Fate To The Wind - Vince Guaraldi Trio / Sounds Orchestral. Vocal by We Five, Steve Alaimo, Shelby Flint, Mel Torme, Johnny Rivers

40. Theme From Come September - Bobby Darin. Vocal by The Andrews Sisters

41. Moonglow And Theme From Picnic - Morris Stoloff / George Cates. Vocal (Picnic) by The McGuire Sisters, Andy Williams, Shelley Fabares

42. Down Yonder - Del Wood / Johnny & The Hurricanes. Vocal by Champ Butler, Red Foley

43. April In Portugal - Les Baxter. Vocal by Vic Damone, Tony Martin, Jane Morgan, Louis Armstrong, and French vocal (Avril Au Portugal) by Eartha Kitt

44. Baby Elephant Walk - Henry Mancini / Lawrence Welk / The Miniature Men. Vocal by Pat Boone. French vocal (Petit Elephant Twist) by Dalida

45. Soul Coaxing (Ame Caline) - Raymond Lefevre. Vocal (If You Loved Me) by Peggy March, Four Freshmen

46. Soulful Strut - Young Holt Unlimited. Vocal (Am I The Same Girl) by Barbara Acklin, Salena Jones, Dusty Springfield

47. Grazing In The Grass - Hugh Masekela. Vocal by The Friends of Distinction

48. Wade In The Water - Johnny Griffin & The Big-Soul Band / Ramsey Lewis Trio. Vocal by The Impressions, Big Mama Thornton, Eva Cassidy and Vocal (Let’s Wade In The Water) by Marlena Shaw

49. More - Kai Winding. Vocal by Vic Dana, Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, Steve Lawrence, etc.

50. Canadian Sunset - Hugo Winterhalter. Vocal by Andy Williams, Sam Cooke, The Cameos, Four Freshmen, Dean Martin

51. Ebb Tide - Frank Chacksfield. Vocal by Vic Damone, Frank Sinatra, The Ink Spots, Lenny Welch, The Platters, The Righteous Brothers

52. Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini / Ray Anthony / Duane Eddy. Vocal (Bye Bye) by Sarah Vaughan, Anita Kerr Quartet, Karen Murphy, Roger Cairns

53. Route 66 Theme - Nelson Riddle. Vocal (Open Highway) by Teri Thornton

54. Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock / Mongo Santamaria. Vocal by Gloria Lynne, Jean King, Jon Hendricks

55. Shangri-La - Robert Maxwell. Vocal by The Four Coins, Vic Dana, The Vogues, The Lettermen

56. Delicado - Percy Faith. Vocal by Dinah Shore, Guy Lombardo

57. Song For A Summer Night - Mitch Miller. Vocal by Mitch Miller

58. (Theme From) A Man And A Woman - Francis Lai / Horst Jankowski. Vocal by Engelbert Humperdinck, Johnny Mathis

59. A Swingin’ Safari - Bert Kaempfert / Billy Vaughn. Vocal by The Anita Kerr Singers

60. Hawaii Five-O - Morton Stevens / The Ventures. Vocal (You Can Count On Me) by Sammy Davis Jr., and vocal (You Can Come With Me) by Don Ho

61. The Horse - Cliff Nobles. Vocal (Love Is All Right) by Cliff Nobles, Jesse James and Vocal (The Horse) by Cliff Nobles

62. Oh Mein Papa - Eddie Calvert. Vocal (Oh My Papa) by Eddie Fisher

63. You Can’t Sit Down - Phil Upchurch Combo. Vocal by The Dovells, Len Barry

64. Lisbon, Antigua - Nelson Riddle. Vocal by Nat King Cole, Alan Dale, Eartha Kitt

65. Honky Tonk - Bill Doggett. Vocal by Bill Doggett featuring Tommy Brown, and vocal (Let’s Make It) by James Brown

66. Green Onions - Booker T. & The MG's. Vocal (Help Me) by Sonny Boy Williamson and vocal (Onions) by John Lee Hooker and Vocal (The Love I Need) by Frank Butler

67. Night Train - Jimmy Forrest / James Brown / The Viscounts. Vocal by Wynonie Harris, Kay Starr, The Four Blazes, Eddie Jefferson, The Stars featuring Russell Stevens

68. Java - Allen Toussaint / Floyd Cramer / Al Hirt. Vocal by Marilyn Maye and Vocal (Java Jones) by Donna Lynn

69. Quiet Village - Martin Denny. Vocal by The Aliis and Vocal (My Quiet Village) by Darla Hood, Mavis Rivers

70. Theme From The Apartment - Ferrante and Teicher. (Originally titled Jealous Lover by Charles Williams). Vocal (The Key To Love) by Adam Wade, Russ Conway

71. The James Bond Theme - The John Barry Seven / Billy Strange. Vocal by The Four Esquires

72. Joey’s Song - Bill Haley & His Comets. Vocal by Betty Martin and Spanish vocal (La Cancion De Joey) by Hermanas Serrano

73. On The Rebound - Floyd Cramer. Vocal by Jerry Holmes

74. Spanish Flea - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Vocal by Kathy Kirby, Frankie Randall, The Modernaires, Soupy Sales

75. Tijuana Taxi - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Vocal by The Modernaires

76. Mexican Shuffle - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Vocal by The Modernaires

77. Jivin’ Around - Ernie Freeman. Vocal by Ernie Freeman Combo with Sherry Washington

78. Spooky* - Mike Sharpe. Vocal by The Classics IV

79. The Day The Rains Came - Raymond LeFevre. Vocal by Jane Morgan, Vera Lynn, Helen Shapiro, Ronnie Hilton

80. Love Theme From Romeo And Juliet - Henry Mancini. Vocal (A Time For Us) by Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, The Lettermen

81. Harlem Nocturne - David Rose / Bobby Vinton / Ray Anthony / The Viscounts. Vocal by Mel Torme, Caterina Valente

82. Misty* - Erroll Garner. Vocal by Johnny Mathis, Lloyd Price, Ray Stevens

83. Chariot* - Franck Pourcel. French vocal by Petula Clark and Vocal (I Will Follow Him) Little Peggy March

84. Limbo Rock* - The Champs. Vocal by Chubby Checker

85. Rinky Dink - Dave Baby Cortez. Vocal (Baby, You’re Driving Me Crazy) by Joey Dee & The Starliters and Vocal (The Cha-Cha-Cha) by Bobby Rydell

86. Mr. Lucky - Henry Mancini. Vocal by Sarah Vaughan, Marilyn Maye

87. The High And The Mighty - Dimitri Tiomkin / Les Baxter / LeRoy Holmes. Vocal by Johnny Desmond, Billy Eckstine

88. Tara’s Theme (My Own True Love) - Percy Faith. Vocal by The Duprees, Jimmy Clanton, Al Martino, Connie Stevens, Margaret Whiting

89. Unchained Melody - Liberace. Vocal by Les Baxter, Al Hibbler, Roy Hamilton, Elvis Presley, The Righteous Brothers

90. Rebel Rouser - Duane Eddy. Vocal (The National Anthem Of Rock ’N’ Roll) by Jack Scott

91. Take Five - Dave Brubeck Quartet. Vocal by Carmen McRae, Marilyn Maye

92. Theme From The Man With The Golden Arm - Richard Maltby. Vocal (Delilah Jones) by The McGuire Sisters 
93. The Syncopated Clock - Leroy Anderson. Vocal By Rosemary Clooney, Eileen Barton

94. The Lonely Bull - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Vocal by Jack Jones (Backed by Herb Alpert), and French vocal (Plaza De Toros) by Petula Clark

95. Terry’s Theme (From Limelight) - Frank Chacksfield. Vocal (Eternally) by Jimmy Young, Vic Damone, Petula Clark, Jerry Vale, Sarah Vaughan

96. Manhattan Spiritual - Reg Owen & His Orchestra. Vocal by The Stargazers and French vocal (Mes Freres) by Dalida

97. Swingin’ Shepherd Blues - Moe Koffman Quartette. Vocal by Ella Fitzgerald, Kirk Stuart With The Honeydreamers

98. Poor Boy - The Royaltones. Vocal by The Cardigans

99. Ruby - Richard Hayman / Les Baxter. Vocal by Ray Charles

100. Ruby Duby Du - Tobin Matthews & Co. Vocal by Joanie Sommers

101. Beautiful Obsession - Sir Chauncey & His Exciting Strings. Vocal by Johnny Walsh

102. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Cannonball Adderley. Vocal by Larry Williams & Johnny Watson, The Buckinghams, Marlena Shaw

103. A Night With Daddy G. - The Church Street Five. Vocal (Quarter To Three) by Gary U.S. Bonds

104. Comin’ Home Baby - Kai Winding / The Dave Bailey Quintet / Herbie Mann. Vocal by Mel Torme, Frances Faye

105. Lullaby of Birdland - George Shearing Quintet. Vocal by Chris Conner, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan

106. Summer Samba (So Nice) - Walter Wanderley. Vocal by Astrud Gilberto, Sergio Mendes & Wanda De Sah

107. The Bandit (O’Cangaceiro) - Eddie Barclay / Percy Faith. Vocal by Tex Ritter and Italian vocal by Domenico Modugno

108. Moon Over Naples* - Bert Kaempfert. Vocal (Spanish Eyes) by Al Martino

109. Danke Schoen* - Bert Kaempfert (With title, Candlelight Cafe). Vocal by Wayne Newton, Brenda Lee and French, Spanish, Japanese and Italian vocals by Connie Francis

110. Scarlet O’Hara - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan / Lawrence Welk. Vocal by Claude King

111. Melody Of Love - Billy Vaughn. Vocal by The Four Aces, Frank Sinatra & Ray Anthony, Connie Francis

112. Misirlou - Dick Dale & The Del-Tones. Vocal by Connie Francis, The Cardinals, Caterina Valente

113. Jazz Theme From Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight) - Stan Getz / Johnny Spence. Vocal by Richard Chamberlain

114. Bewitched (TV Show Theme) - Billy Costa. Vocal by Peggy Lee, Steve Lawrence, Frankie Randall

115. Bewitched (Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered) - Bill Snyder / Betty Smith Group. Vocal by Doris Day, Frank Sinatra

116. Strangers In The Night* - Bert Kaempfert. Vocal by Frank Sinatra

117. Al Di La - Ray Anthony. Vocal by Emilio Pericoli, Connie Francis, Jerry Vale, etc.

118. Days Of Wine And Roses - Henry Mancini. Vocal by Andy Williams and many others

119. Midnight Cowboy - John Barry. Vocal by Johnny Mathis, Tony Sandler & Ralph Young

120. Morgen - Bert Kaempfert / Billy Vaughn. German vocal by Ivo Robic, and English vocal (One More Sunrise) by Leslie Uggams, Petula Clark, Bing Crosby, Rex Allen

121. Wild Weekend - The Rebels (Or Rockin’ Rebels). Vocal (It’s A Wild Weekend) by NRBQ

122. Carnavalito (Festival Of The Flowers) - Ray Martin. Vocal (Kiss Me Another) by Georgia Gibbs

123. Yellow Bird - Arthur Lyman Group/ Lawrence Welk. Vocal by The Norman Luboff Choir, The Mills Brothers, Brothers Four, Johnny Tillotson, and Vocal (Don’t Ever Love Me) by Harry Belafonte

124. Acapulco 1922 -  Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Vocal by Kathy Kirby

125. Bandstand Boogie (From American Bandstand) - Les Elgart. Vocal by Barry Manilow

126. Moritat (Theme From The Threepenny Opera) - Dick Hyman Trio. Vocal (Mack The Knife) by Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darin, Ella Fitzgerald

127. So Rare - Jimmy Dorsey. Vocal by Andy Williams, Don Cherry, Ella Fitzgerald, Mavis Rivers

128. Soul Serenade - King Curtis / Willie Mitchell - Vocal by Gloria Lynne, Lou Rawls

129. I Get The Blues When It Rains - Jerry Lee Lewis (Sun Records). Vocal by Jerry Lee Lewis (Mercury Records)

130. The Seventh Dawn - The Roland Shaw Orchestra / Ferrante & Teicher. Vocal by The Lettermen, The Walker Brothers

131. Casino Royale - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Vocal by Mike Redway

132. Lujon* - Henry Mancini. Vocal (Slow Hot Wind) by Johnny Hartman, Sarah Vaughan, Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66

133. Armen’s Theme - David Seville & His Orchestra. Vocal (Yesterday And You) by Bobby Vee

134. The Phoenix Love Song (From The Flight Of The Phoenix) - The Brass Ring. Vocal (Senza Fine) by Peggy Lee, Connie Francis and Italian vocal (Senza Fine) by Gino Paoli

135. Till - Roger Williams. Vocal by The Angels, Tony Bennett, The Vogues

136. Autumn Leaves - Roger Williams. Vocal by Mitch Miller, Nat King Cole, Andy Williams, etc.

137. Perfidia - The Ventures. Vocal by Nat King Cole, The Four Aces, Eydie Gorme, etc.

138. Forever - Floyd Cramer. Vocal by The Little Dippers (aka Anita Kerr Singers), Billy Walker

139. Goofus - Les Paul. Vocal by Phil Harris

140. Plantation Boogie - Lenny Dee. Vocal by Red Foley, The Gaylords, Pee Wee King

141. Ghost Riders In The Sky - The Ramrods / Baja Marimba Band. Vocal by Vaughn Monroe, Johnny Cash, Lorne Greene, etc.

142. Sail Along Silvery Moon - Billy Vaughn. Vocal by The Kalin Twins, Andy Williams

143. In The Mood - Ernie Fields / Johnny Maddox. Vocal by The Andrews Sisters, The Clark Sisters, Bette Midler

144. The Hot Canary - Florian Zabach. Vocal by Ella Fitzgerald

145. Heart And Soul - Johnny Maddox. Vocal by The Four Aces, The Cleftones, Jan & Dean

146. The Happy Whistler - Don Robertson. Vocal by Glenn Yarbrough

147. Zorba The Greek - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Vocal (Dance My Troubles Away) by Dalida and French vocal (La Danse De Zorba) by Dalida

148. Caravan - Ralph Marterie / Santo & Johnny. Vocal by Dinah Washington, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin

149. Zambezi - Lou Busch / Eddie Calvert. Vocal by The Stargazers

150. No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In) - The T-Bones. Vocal by Don Lee Wilson

151. Maria Elena - Los Indios Tabajaras. Vocal by Ray Smith, Nat King Cole, Marty Robbins, Jerry Vale

152. Tonight - Ferrante and Teicher. Vocal by Eddie Fisher, Andy Williams, Steve Lawrence, Jay & The Americans, Johnny Mathis, etc.

153. Pearly Shells - Billy Vaughn. Vocal by Burl Ives, Don Ho

154. Tiny Bubbles - Roger Williams / Billy Vaughn. Vocal by Don Ho and French Vocal (Dans Mon Lit) by Petula Clark

155. Red Roses For A Blue Lady - Bert Kaempfert. Vocal by Vic Dana, Wayne Newton

156. Charade - Henry Mancini. Vocal by Andy Williams and many others

157. Memphis - Lonnie Mack. Vocal (Memphis, Tennessee) by Chuck Berry, Johnny Rivers

158. Ballad Of Paladin - Duane Eddy. Vocal (Have Gun Will Travel) by Johnny Western, Faron Young

159. Orange Blossom Special - Billy Vaughn. Vocal by Johnny Cash

160. Tea For Two Cha Cha - Tommy Dorsey. Vocal (Tea For Two) by Doris Day and many others

161. Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words) - Joe Harnell. Vocal by Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra and many others

162. San Antonio Rose - Floyd Cramer. Vocal by Patti Page, Patsy Cline and many others

163. Chattanooga Choo Choo - Floyd Cramer. Vocal by Bill Haley, Ray Charles and many others

164. The Longest Day - Mitch Miller. Vocal by Mitch Miller, Paul Anka and Vocal (On the Longest Day) by Sonny James

165. Sweet And Gentle - Bert Kaempfert. Vocal by Georgia Gibbs

166. Blue Star (Theme From Medic) - Les Baxter / Victor Young. Vocal by Felicia Sanders, Linda Scott

167. Mexico - Bob Moore. Vocal “(My Heart’s In) Mexico” by Norris Wilson

168. Slow Walk - Sil Austin. Vocal by Ocie Smith

169. Theme For Young Lovers - Percy Faith. Vocal (Where Is My Someone) by Jerry Vale

170. Petticoats of Portugal - Billy Vaughn. Vocal by Dick Jacobs & His Orchestra, Elise Rhodes & Jimmy Carroll Orchestra

171. Ciao Ciao Bambina - Jacky Noguez. Vocal by Domenico Modugno, The Four Aces, Jerry Vale, Connie Francis, Bobby Rydell

172. Around The World - Mantovani. Vocal by Bing Crosby, The Chordettes, etc.

173. Sugarfoot Rag - Hank Garland. Vocal by Red Foley, Porter Wagoner

174. Moonlight Serenade (Summer Love) - Victor Young. Vocal (Summer Love) by Felicia Sanders

175. Hard Times - Ray Charles. Vocal by Ray Charles

176. Hava Nagila - Dick Dale & The Del-Tones. Vocal by Harry Belafonte

177. Goldfinger - John Barry / Billy Strange. Vocal by Shirley Bassey, Teresa Brewer

178. Yakety Sax - Boots Randolph. (Yakety Axe - Chet Atkins). Vocal (Hey, Mr. Sax Man) by Boots Randolph, (Yakety Axe) Mark Knopfler & Chet Atkins

179. Don’t Be Cruel - Bill Black’s Combo. Vocal by Elvis Presley

180. Yeh Yeh* - Mongo Santamaria. Vocal by Georgie Fame

181. Look For A Star - Billy Vaughn. Vocal by Garry Mills, Garry Miles aka Buzz Cason, Deane Hawley

182. Wipe Out - The Surfaris. Vocal (Wipeout) by The Fat Boys And The Beach Boys

183. Born Free - Roger Williams. Vocal by Matt Monro, Andy Williams, The Hesitations

184. One Mint Julep - Ray Charles. Vocal by The Clovers, Sarah Vaughan, Louis Prima

185. Whispering - Les Paul. Vocal by Nino Tempo & April Stevens, The Bachelors

186. Josephine - Bill Black’s Combo. Vocal by Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Blackwell

187. Tequila - The Champs / Eddie Platt. Vocal (Tequila Song) by the Contenders and French vocal by Didier Lapeyrere

188. La Mer - Roger Williams. Vocal (Beyond the Sea) by Bobby Darin

189. Swinging Sweethearts - Ron Goodwin / David Carroll. Vocal by Richard Hayes

190. Only You (And You Alone) - Franck Pourcel’s French Fiddles. Vocal by The Platters

191. Pepe - Duane Eddy. Vocal by Shirley Jones

192. Flamingo - Earl Bostic. Vocal by Carmen McRae, Al Hibbler and Vocal (Flamingo L’Amour) by The Gaylords

193. Percolator (Twist) - Billy Joe & The Checkmates (aka Ernie Freeman). Italian Vocal (Caffettiera Twist) by Marino Marini

194. Lullaby Of Birdland - Charlie Parker. Vocal by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme, Chris Connor

195. What Now My Love - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Vocal by Ben E. King, Shirley Bassey, Sonny & Cher, The Modernaires, etc.

196. Hot Toddy - Ralph Flanagan. Vocal by Julie London, Red Foley

197. Desafinado - Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd. Vocal (Desafinado - Slightly Out Of Tune) by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim, Eydie Gorme

198. Theme From Mission Impossible - Lalo Schifrin. Vocal by The Kane Triplets, Soul Survivors

199. Hearts Of Stone - Bill Black’s Combo. Vocal by The Fontane Sisters

200. Ode To Billie Joe - King Curtis. Vocal by Bobbie Gentry

201. Naked City Theme - Nelson Riddle. Vocal (Somewhere In The Night) by Teri Thornton

202. Runaway - Lawrence Welk. Vocal by Del Shannon

203. Hang On Sloopy - Ramsey Lewis Trio. Vocal by The McCoys

204. Blue Hawaii - Billy Vaughn. Vocal by Elvis Presley

205. Baby The Rain Must Fall - Elmer Bernstein. Vocal by Glenn Yarbrough

206. Theme From Taras Bulba (The Wishing Star) - Ferrante and Teicher. Vocal by Jerry Butler, Maxine Starr, Danny Small

207. Meditation - Antonio Carlos Jobim / Charlie Byrd. Vocal by Claudine Longet, Doris Day, Andy Williams

208. The Bilbao Song - Gil Evans / Cal Trader. Vocal by Andy Williams, Marianne Faithfull

209. Hawaiian War Chant - Les Paul / Billy Vaughn / Perez Prado. Vocal by The Ames Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Jo Stafford

210. Theme From The Proud Ones - Nelson Riddle / The Three Suns. Vocal by Johnny Desmond

211. The Girlfriend Of The Whirling Dervish - Martin Denny. Vocal by Connie Stevens, Bette Midler

212. Guaglione - Perez Prado. Italian vocal by Connie Francis and Vocal (The Man Who Plays The Mandolino) by Dean Martin

213. Sixteen Candles - Jack Weigand. Vocal by The Crests

214. So What’s New - Horst Jankowski / Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Vocal by Peggy Lee

215. Theme From Diamond Head - Hugo Winterhalter. Vocal by James Darren

216. Evening Rain - Earl Grant. Vocal by Earl Grant

217. The Twist - Ernie Freeman. Vocal by Chubby Checker, Hank Ballard

218. Amor - Roger Williams. Vocal by Ben E. King

219. The White Rose of Athens - David Carroll. Vocal by Nana Mouskouri

220. Smile - Ferrante & Teicher. Vocal by Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, etc.

221. Take Me - Bert Kaempfert. Vocal by Dean Martin

222. Theme From The Unforgiven (The Need For Love) - Don Costa. Vocal by The McGuire Sisters

223. Up A Lazy River - Si Zettner. Vocal by Bobby Darin

224. Worried Mind - Ray Anthony. Vocal by Faron Young, Tommy Duncan, Ray Charles

225. Lovesick Blues - Floyd Cramer. Vocal by Hank Williams, Kay Starr, Sonny James, etc.

226. Anna - Jorgen Ingman. Vocal by Silvana Mangano

227. My Girl Josephine - Bill Black’s Combo. Vocal by Fats Domino

228. My Blue Heaven - Duane Eddy / The String-A-Longs. Vocal by Fats Domino, Freddy Cannon, Frank Sinatra, etc.

229. Blue Moon - The Ventures. Vocal by the Marcells, Elvis Presley, Jo Stafford, Julie London, Peggy Lee, etc.

230. Beneath The Southern Cross (From Victory At Sea) - NBC Symphony Orchestra. Vocal (No Other Love) by Perry Como, Ronnie Hilton

231. The Faithful Hussar - Ted Heath & His Music. Vocal (Don’t Cry My Love) by Vera Lynn

232. Cielito Lindo - Esquivel & His Orchestra. Spanish vocal by Trini Lopez and Vocal (You, Me And Us) by Betty Martin, Alma Cogan

233. The Portuguese Washerwoman - Joe “Fingers” Carr / Baja Marimba Band. French vocal (The Portuguese Washerwomen) by The Blue Stars Featuring Blossom Dearie and Vocal (Kiki) by Hugo Winterhalter, Betty Clooney

234. Like Young - Andre Previn & David Rose. Vocal by Ella Fitzgerald

235. The Enchanted Sea - The Islanders / Martin Denny. Vocal by The Browns

236. On The Beach - Frank Chacksfield. Vocal by The Playmates

237. Temptation - Roger Williams. Vocal by Perry Como, The Everly Brothers

238. Lullaby Of The Leaves - Art Tatum / Gerry Mulligan Quartet/ The Ventures. Vocal by Ella Fitzgerald

239. Lost Love - H.B. Barnum. Vocal by Ann-Margret

240. La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life) - Ray Ellis. Vocal by Eartha Kitt

241. Water Boy - Don Shirley Trio. Vocal by Jimmy Rodgers, The Four Tunes, The Kingston Trio, Harry Belafonte

242. Walk On The Wild Side - Jimmy Smith / Elmer Bernstein. Vocal by Brook Benton

243. Midnight Special - Jimmy Smith. Vocal by Paul Evans, Johnny Rivers

244. I’ve Got A Woman - Jimmy McGriff. Vocal (I Got A Woman) by Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Rick Nelson, etc.

245. Stranger In Paradise - Martin Denny / Eddie Calvert. Vocal by Tony Bennett, The Four Aces

246. Maria - Peter Nero. Vocal by Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, etc.

247. The Green Leaves Of Summer Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen. Vocal by The Brothers Four

248. Theme From Dixie - Duane Eddy. Vocal (Dixie) by Red Foley

249. Detour - Duane Eddy. Vocal by Patti Page, Ferlin Husky

250. La Montana (If She Should Come To You) Roger Williams. Vocal by Anthony Newley

251. Afro Blue - Mongo Santamaria. Vocal by Oscar Brown Jr.

252. Dat Dere - Bobby Timmons. Vocal by Oscar Brown Jr., Rickie Lee Jones

253. Jive Samba - Cannonball Adderley Sextet / Quincy Jones. Vocal by Dianne Reeves

254. Serenata - Leroy Anderson. Vocal by Sarah Vaughan, Nat King Cole

255. On Green Dolphin Street - Miles Davis. Vocal by Tony Bennett, Nancy Ames

256. Red Wing - Billy Vaughn. Vocal (Rockin’ Red Wing) by Sammy Masters, Ernie Freeman

257. Chop Sticks - Billy Vaughn / Ray Anthony. Vocal (The Chop Stick Rock) by The Four Esquires

258. Simonetta - Werner Muller. Vocal by Vic Damone

259. I’ll Walk The Line - Don Costa. Vocal (I Walk The Line) by Johnny Cash

260. La Paloma - Billy Vaughn. Spanish and Italian vocals by Connie Francis. Spanish vocal by Marty Robbins,  English vocal by Dean Martin, English vocal (Your Love) by Connie Francis, English vocal (No More) by Elvis Presley and English vocal (La Paloma Twist) by Chubby Checker

261. The Andy Griffith Theme - Earle Hagen. Vocal (The Fishin’ Hole) by Andy Griffith

262. Work Song - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Vocal by Oscar Brown Jr., Bobby Darin, Nina Simone

263. Charmaine - Mantovani. Vocal by Vaughn Monroe, Vic Damone, The Bachelors

264. Tarantula - Jody Reynolds. Vocal (Deep Down) by Billie & Mark

265. Little Queenie - Bill Black’s Combo. Vocal by Chuck Berry

266. The Hucklebuck (Twist) - King Curtis / Ernie Fields / Oliver Sain. Vocal by Chubby Checker

267. Mrs. Robinson - Booker T. & The M.G.’s. Vocal by Simon & Garfunkel

268. Ja-Da - Johnny & The Hurricanes. Vocal by The Fireballs

269. Taboo - Stan Kenton / Billy May / Arthur Lyman. Vocal by Caterina Valente

270. Dancing On The Ceiling - Bob Thompson. Vocal by Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, Dodie Stevens 

271. Hernando’s Hideaway - Billy May. Vocal by Archie Bleyer, Johnnie Ray

272. Tenderly - Bert Kaempfert / Ray Anthony. Vocal by Rosemary Clooney, Pat Boone

273. Heartaches - Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen. Vocal by The Marcells

274. That’s Life - Billy Vaughn. Vocal by Frank Sinatra

275. Calypso Melody - David Rose. Vocal by The Modernaires. Italian vocal by Johnny Dorelli, Gloria Christian, Lia Origoni

276. Popcorn - Gershon Kingsley. Vocal (Pop Corn) by Anarchic System

277. My Favorite Things - John Coltrane / Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Vocal by The Pete King Chorale, Tony Bennett, etc.

278. Alfie - Billy Vaughn. Vocal by Dionne Warwick, Cilla Black, Joanie Sommers, Jack Jones, etc.

279. Up Tight - Ramsey Lewis. Vocal (Uptight) by Stevie Wonder

280. You Only Live Twice - John Barry / Bob Crewe Generation. Vocal by Nancy Sinatra

281. Keem-O-Sabe - The Electric Indian. Vocal by Len Barry

282. Take It Easy Soul Brother - The Corner Boys & Friends. Vocal (Great Big Liar) by Bunny Sigler

283. Games People Play - King Curtis. Vocal by Joe South

284. Crystal Blue Persuasion - The Billy Mitchell Group. Vocal by Tommy James & The Shondells

285. Oh Happy Day - The Billy Mitchell Group. Vocal by The Edwin Hawkins Singers

286. Groovin’ - Booker T. & The M.G.’s. Vocal by The Young Rascals, Steve Lawrence

287. United - The Music Machine. Vocal by The Intruders

288. I Was Made To Love Her - King Curtis. Vocal by Stevie Wonder

289. Hungry For Love - The San Remo Golden Strings. Vocal (I Love The Life I Live) by Tony Michaels

290. You’ve Got To Pay The Price - Al Kent. Vocal by Gloria Taylor, The Supremes

291. I’m Gonna Make You Love Me - Brothers of Hope. Vocal by Madeline Bell, Dee Dee Warwick, Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations

292. Windy - Wes Montgomery. Vocal by The Association

293. Festival Time - The San Remo Golden Strings. Vocal (To Win Your Heart) by Laura Lee

294. Knock On Wood - The Mar-Keys. Vocal by Eddie Floyd, Georgie Fame

295. I Will Wait For You - The Washington Square Stompers. Vocal by Steve Lawrence, Louis Armstrong, Connie Francis, Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams

296. Try Me - James Brown. Vocal by James Brown

297. Every Beat Of My Heart - James Brown. Vocal by Gladys Knight & The Pips

298. Soul City - Leon “Fingers” Huff. Vocal by Pervis Herder

299. Casanova (Your Playing Days Are Over) - Wayne Bennett. Vocal (Casonova) by Ruby Andrews

300. Volare - Ace Cannon. Vocal by Domenico Modugno, Bobby Rydell, etc.

301. Just Listen To My Heart - The Spotniks. Vocal (I Listen To My Heart) by Frank Ifield

302. Your Cheatin’ Heart - Billy Vaughn. Vocal by Hank Williams, Joni James, etc.

303. Lemon Tree - Arthur Lyman Group. Vocal by The Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul & Mary, Trini Lopez

304. Blowin’ In The Wind- Arthur Lyman Group. Vocal by Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary

305. Right Now. Herbie Mann. Vocal by Mel Torme, Salena Jones

306. Agent 00-Soul - John Schroeder Orchestra. Vocal by Edwin Starr, Alex Harvey

307. The Guns Of Navarone - Joe Reisman / Al Caiola. Vocal by Mitch Miller

308. Chinatown, My Chinatown - Firehouse Five Plus Two / Tom & Dan. Vocal by Bing Crosby, Frankie Ford

309. Bolero Gaucho - Mitch Miller. Vocal (Without My Lover) by Jo Stafford

310. Alabama Jubilee - Ferko String Band / The Astronauts. Vocal by Red Foley, Roy Clark

311. Hi-Lili Hi-Lo - Ray Martin / Roger Williams. Vocal by The Four Aces, Richard Chamberlain, The Everly Brothers

* Denotes a hit song known primarily as a vocal recording, where the instrumental version was recorded first.

References:

1. Many of these songs are available on YouTube.com

2. 45cat.com

3. SecondHandSongs.com

4. discogs.com

5. Wikipedia.com

6. rateyourmusic.com

7. musicvf.com

8.  musicstack.com

That's quite a list ... and I'm sure our readers can help you add to it in pretty good numbers ... but to be totally honest with you, I'm not sure I totally understand the criteria. Initially you mention that some of the better-known vocal recordings were first recorded as instrumentals ... and there are quite a few of these on the list ... but the MAJORITY of what I see here was a vocal hit first ... and, let's face it, ANYBODY can record an instrumental, easy-listening version of a hit record after the fact ... it's pretty much the very definition of Muzak and Elevator / Doctors Office Music!  For example, The Hollyridge Strings recorded a good chunk of The Beatles' early catalog as Capitol Records continued in its efforts to cash in on ANYTHING even REMOTELY Beatles related ... but I don't think ANYBODY out there is ever going to consider these instrumental knock-offs as definitive versions.  Tracks like "Windy", "Mrs. Robinson" and "Ode To Billie" were well-established, major pop vocal hits before other artists charted semi-successfully with their instrumental interpretations. 
That being said, if you're simply looking for tracks that were recorded as BOTH, your count will probably wind up well into the thousands ... Muzak versions exist for nearly everything that ever succeeded on the pop charts.  I've often thought, when hearing one of these tracks on some of those old "World's Most Beautiful Music" radio stations:  If you're going to play this song anyway, then why not play the HIT version of the song instead of some cheezy instrumental knock-off?  Then again many others transcend beautifully in instrumental form.  
Folks who want to help add to Bill's list can email him directly at boakey39@gmail.com  (kk)  

Here's an interesting question about "instrumental" hits ... that is if you'll accept whistling as a form of instrumental entertainment ...   

Kent --
Saw the mention of Don Robertson's "Happy Whistler" and remembered that Tennessee Ernie Ford released a vocal with the same tune called "The Sunday Barbecue" in 1958. Didn't do well; Whitburn says it peaked at #97, but it's classic Ernie and was a favorite of my father. I don't have either 45 so I have no info on who wrote the melody and which song was the original recording of the tune, or whether the melody was older than either recording. I mention it mainly because the damned thing has been echoing in my head for the last hour and a half.
But it also makes me wonder, what other charted singles featured whistling as the primary "instrument"? (As opposed to a whistled intro leading into a conventional vocal or instrumental.) The only two I can think of are "I Was the Kaiser Bill's Batman" and "Theme from The High and the Mighty," and it's been 25 years or so since I last heard that one, on KLOC radio in Santa Cruz. Roger Whittaker did a lot of whistling in his music, but I don't know if any of his whistled tunes ever made
the pop charts.
-- 73 --
-- Jeff Duntemann K7JPD
    Colorado Springs, Colorado

Hi Jeff -- 
I sent your email to Joel Whitburn to get his take on this.  It's an interesting angle ... he could only come up with one more (and totally agreed about the ear-worm factor regarding "The Sunday Barbecue", a song I wasn't at all familiar with) ... while it isn't much, it DOES prove that you ain't just whistlin' Dixie!  (kk)   

Hi Kent,  
“Sunday Barbecue” is a different tune than “The Happy Whistler”.  The melody is taken from a 1952 hit by the Sauter - Finegan band titled “Doodletown Fifers”, which will really get stuck in your head for a long time.   
One all-whistle song that quickly comes to mind is “Sweet Georgia Brown” by Brother Bones & His Shadows in 1948.  It peaked at #10.  It did have a little introductory talk, but I think it qualifies as an instrumental featuring mostly whistling.   
Joel

Hey there, 

I am looking for a tune that was recorded about Glen "Fireball" Roberts. I don't know the name or the person that recorded it but in part the lyrics were, "In the record books you'll find Fireball's name." Any elderly NASCAR fan may remember the name and hopefully someone can help me out with the name of the tune.   
Bill  
If it's going to take a NASCAR fan to solve this one, it won't be me!  (lol)  But maybe SOMEBODY out there will recognize it ... and provide Bill with the answer (?)  kk

More than 50 years ago there was a dynamic, charismatic band that played for dances at the Methodist Church Hall. One of the guys may have been Ted or "Turkey Turtle". Their signature tune was California Sun and, with good promotion, it might have been a bigger hit than The Rivieras or Joe Jones versions. Anyway that's my recollection. 
Anybody know or remember who I'm talking about? 
Andrew Sordoni, retired recording company producer, Chiaroscuro Records  
Anybody able to help out here with this one?  (kk)

>>>I am trying to find the connection of Capitol with Columbia in the UK in regards to the early recordings and releases by Freddie and the Dreamers. I don't know if the two record companies had an agreement to share royalties (which I doubt) or Capitol "buying" the recording from Columbia, after the song made its European run in '63, and later appeared on Capitol, the same year.  (John LaPuzza) 

Here are a couple of explanations from readers responding to our last inquiry issue ...   

Remember that Capitol (US) and Columbia (UK) were both part of EMI at the time. Only in the last few years did Capitol part with EMI, and EMI sell the rights to the Columbia name and trademarks to Sony.
R.D. (Bob) FRABLE

Hi Kent!  
To answer John LaPuzza’s question about Capitol Records’ relationship with EMI and its four British labels (His Master’s Voice, Columbia, Parlophone, and Regal - Zonophone), there is a simple explanation. Since 1954, Capitol was part of the worldwide EMI setup. And that came about due to EMI losing the UK rights to recordings made on two major American labels, Columbia (CBS) and RCA - Victor. 
That came about when American Columbia (CBS) terminated a licensing deal with EMI in 1952 and set up a deal UK Philips which lasted until 1963 when the CBS label was launched in the UK (although EMI did have a licensing deal with CBS subsidiaries Epic and OKeh). And to top it off, RCA decided not to renew its licensing deal with EMI and let it expire in 1957 (which led to RCA launching the RCA label in the UK with distribution via Decca). Needing an American label with extremely popular US talent for UK consumption and a possible US outlet, they found it in the Hollywood, California based Capitol label (which at the time had on its artist roster such notables as Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Les Paul and Mary Ford among many others). So in 1954, EMI bought a controlling interest in Capitol and brought it into the worldwide EMI setup. Not only did it give Capitol a worldwide outlet, it also gave them first choice for releasing records by any artist in the EMI bullpen. 
Capitol exercised that option right away by releasing the UK hit singles of Ron Goodwin (”Elizabethan Serenade” and ‘Swinging Sweethearts (Skiffling Strings)” and Laurie London (“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”), both Parlophone artists, and LPs from Goodwin and Franck Pourcel (a Columbia artist). That led to Freddie and the Dreamers’ second and third Columbia singles “I’m Telling You Now” b/w “What Have I Done to You” and “You Were Made for Me” b/w “Send a Letter to Me” being released on Capitol in 1963 without fanfare. It wasn’t until after the Beatles took off that Capitol re-released those two Freddie & the Dreamers singles on their new Tower subsidiary in early 1965. By then – thanks to the Beatles’ success – EMI was able to have US releases of their top British artists placed not only on Capitol, but also on labels that they had UK licensing deals with as well. 

The labels EMI had licensing deals with – followed by the UK artists and their EMI labels in parentheses – were as follows:

ABC - Paramount / ABC:  Cliff Richard (Columbia), The Shadows (Columbia), Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers (Parlophone)

Amy:  Adam Faith (Parlophone)

Atlantic / *ATCO:  The Shadows, Mr. Acker Bilk*, Nina and Frederik * (all on Columbia), The Fourmost* (Parlophone)

A&M:  The Move, Procol Harum, Joe Cocker (all on Regal - Zonophone)

Capitol / *Tower:  The Beatles, Cilla Black, The Fourmost, Ron Goodwin, Laurie London, Simon Dupree and the Big Sound* (all on Parlophone), Peter and Gordon, The Seekers, Freddie & the Dreamers*, Pink Floyd* (all on Columbia), Paul Jones (His Master’s Voice), Matt Monro (UK Capitol starting in 1966)

Epic:  The Dave Clark Five, The Yardbirds, Cliff Richard, Lulu (all on Columbia), The Hollies (Parlophone)

Imperial:  The Swinging Blue Jeans (His Master’s Voice), The Hollies (Parlophone), Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas (Parlophone)

Laurie:  Gerry and the Pacemakers (Columbia)

Liberty:  Matt Monro (Parlophone), Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas (Parlophone), P. J. Proby (UK Liberty)

Mercury:  Freddie and the Dreamers (Columbia)

MGM / *Cub; *Adam Faith (Parlophone), The Animals, Herman’s Hermits (both on Columbia)

Swan: The Beatles (Parlophone)

United Artists / *Ascot:  Danny Williams, Manfred Mann* (both on His Master’s Voice), Shirley Bassey (Columbia), The Easybeats (UK United Artists)

Vee-Jay:  Frank Ifield (Columbia), The Beatles (Parlophone)

Hope that answers his question. 
Mr. Kelly Izaj from Pittsburgh, Pa

Hope you can help me ...  
There is a Stevie Wonder song which I haven't heard in over a decade, not since Dick Clark pointed it out on his program.  He stated that it is among his most favorite Wonder tunes even though it has gotten very little airplay.  Can you help identify it for me?
Sorry to bug you with this unusual request.  Best wishes! 

Daniel Falla  
I'm going to need more information than that to help you ... Do you remember what it was about?  Any lyrics? 
Fast or slow?  About how old?  Hit or non-hit? 
I'm a pretty big Stevie fan myself ... but I need a little direction here! 
Thanks, Dan!  
kk   
Can't give much direction.  It may have been a short, terse song but that is only a little help.  Dick Clark believed the song to be an unappreciated gem and I certainly agree.  So it is certainly a non-hit.  Most likely slow.  Anyway it would seem logical that Stevie would play the song at his tribute to Clark upon his death but I don't know what he played.
I remember being introduced to Wonder when I entered junior high and, like many others, discovered the radio.  And his hit, Just enough for the city, is one I have always loved.  At the time I assumed that he was a black lady.  Good luck! 
Dan  
Still not enough for me ... but maybe a few of our readers can make a suggestion or two.  A year would certainly help, too, if you can tie this to some life event that might help us narrow it down some.  Let's see what comes back from our readers.   (kk)  
It is probably best that I contact what, if anything, is left of the Dick Clark organization and they might give a good direction.  I believe it was a slow tune.  
Good Luck! 
We've been watching The Bernie Mac Show every night on Bounce ... they're running every episode in order ... some REALLY funny stuff here.  (I missed this one the first time around ... MAN, they played some great music on this program!) 
Here's a Stevie track you never hear that sounded great just the other night.  I'm sure it's not the one that Dan is looking for ... but has always been one of my over-looked favorites.  (kk)

Thanx once again for your ambitious oldies newsletter.  I read where 'Larry' is looking for the song in the Samsung kitchen ad.  Whenever I hear a new ad with a song we know, I enter the name of the product followed by the word 'commercial' in the search box and the list will include iSpot or Spotify (there may be other sites).  Both of these list the song names if they know it.  I looked for this one for Larry but the song isn't listed yet.  You may recall I keep a running list of songs matched to the names of the product commercials, altho this one has eluded my butterfly net thus far. 
Patti  
Thanks, Patti ... I think we found it ... see below.  (kk)

>>>I just now saw a commercial on television for the first time. It was for a Samsung kitchen product of some kind, I believe ... didn't really pay that much attention to the product per se. However, the music being played in the background is what caught my eye, err ear. It was a song from the late fifties or early sixties, but whose title escapes me now.  I believe it was done by a group and I believe it was the only quote unquote, hit they had. The name of the song and the group is on the tip of my tongue but I cannot for the love of me think of it. I hate it when I hear an old song but can't remember immediately the title and or group or artist. It just bugs me to death. Probably you as well. Anyway, if you happen to see the commercial on television in your area, maybe you can catch the title or group's name.  Hopefully I'll be able to think of it before I go to bed tonight.  (Larry)

>>>Not much to go on here until I see the commercial ... but I'll keep an eye out ... (ear out?) for it.  Just did a quick YouTube scan but didn't see anything obvious.  Anybody else out there know which track he's talking about???  (kk)

Hi Kent!

Regarding the Samsung commercial that Larry talked about, the only new one I know of is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nnEHW1KUwc

Could this be it?

I did some further research after I emailed you regarding the Samsung commercial ... could the song be I Do by the Marvelows? 
Nancy in VA  
I think you nailed it, Nancy!  
As Larry suggested, "I Do" by The Marvelows was a One Hit Wonder #28 hit from 1965. 
(And yes, not being able to figure it out would drive ME crazy, too!!!)  kk  

And, speaking of commercials ...   

Hi Kent,  
I am trying to connect with other Coca-Cola THINGS GO BETTER WITH COKE jingles collectors.  I know they exist, because I keep being outbid on eBay. Other collectors can contact me at: twbf@yahoo.com  
Thanks,  
Brad Howard  
This topic comes up all the time ... so I know there are TONS of other Coca Cola jingles collectors out there.  Please email Brad direct at the email shown above if you have song commercials to swap!  (kk)  

One of our readers sent in this GREAT link to help determine the songs being used in various television commercials and advertising campaigns.  Bookmark this one, folks ... you may find yourself going back here again and again!  (It definitely helps to know the product being advertised ... but this is one heck of a site!)  kk http://www.whatisthatsong.net/commercials/commercialsa-z.html     

>>>I still mourn the loss of the annual Bob Stroud discs (which I bought from you in the later years of the series).  Any chance these will ever make a return?  (Stephen Elders)    
>>>I think the big thing here is sponsorship ... licensing all these tracks, even for a limited release such as this one, can be quite costly.   

I asked Bob Stroud for HIS feelings on whether or not we may ever see another one.  I haven't heard anything back yet ... but if and when I do, I'll be sure to pass it along.  (Forgotten Hits would love to cosponsor something like this ... maybe even have a hand in picking some of the tracks ... but we don't have any money either!!!  lol)  I sure would love to see this series continue, however.  (kk)

Hey Kent!  
Sorry so late in getting back to you. 

I feel rather lucky to still be able to play what I want

on Sunday mornings on Roots. I'm surprised management

still allows me to do something like that in this day and age.

As far as Roots CD series is concerned, it was made very

clear to me 3 years ago that the concept was too old for 

our target demo. We had 12 good years and it was time to

wrap it up. (thanks Sam & Dave). So I'm proud that I was able to do as much as I did and am understanding of management's decision to end on an up note. Hope that answers your question! 
Bob

Too bad ... as I was a serious fan, too ... and am one of the fortunate ones to have been able to compile a complete collection.   (Check on eBay and Amazon.com ... these things are going for big bucks these days!!!)  kk 

 

Hi Kent, 
You're still sending out great stuff and I really appreciate being on your list. 
I need a little help if possible. 
I was reading the comment from Danny about him listening to a KHA 93 online but I can't find anything about it anywhere. It sounds like they're playing some interesting stuff but I don't know how to get to it. Any ideas? 
Thanks! 
-- Gary 
I just did a quick search and couldn't find it either ... maybe Danny will see this and point us all in the right direction (?)  kk  

I have a unique question ... 
I am pretty sure one of the Chatters in AOL's Oldies Music room once told me that she went to High School with Johnny Maestro and / or Jay Traynor or Jay Black.  I was amazed that two great singers emerged from the same High School. I know a lot of my former roomies read your blog so I am asking if someone can confirm this for me. 
Certainly the stars more than likely had different names, and possibly it may have been a different star pairing. Charlie 
You're right ... that IS a unique and unusual question! 
Not sure we'll come up with an answer to this one ... but I'm running it up the flagpole!  (kk) 
UPDATE:  I asked several reliable sources about this and never received a response from ANY of them!!!  Anybody out there able to help (and/or offer concrete proof)???   

Hi -
What a fantastic site! Great, great stuff! 
I have an almost impossible question for you.  
I have been trying to find this record for over 30 years, to either purchase or just hear with no luck.  Here's the info: ARTIST:   Tasha Thomas
TITLE:  "The Unexpected Experience of Michael D. Tippet in an Unspecified Part of San Francisco Last July  (Michael Michael Michael)
RELEASED: March, 1969
LABEL:  Roulette R7037  (flip side:  Sittin' n' Waitin')
I sure hope you can help.

Thank you so much for your time and cooperation.
John

I figured if ANYBODY would know about this one, it would be the ever-reliable Tom Diehl. (The first thing I did was check Gemm.com, which typically lists THOUSANDS of rare records available.  However, I found their website was shut down, which really surprised me as we have recommended this site literally HUNDREDS of times in the past.)  I also checked eBay and YouTube and didn't find it listed there either.  So I was more than a little surprised when Tom came back with TWO sources to purchase this record!  Read on!  (kk)
 

You'd asked me about that one before without any luck (we did however help you track down what the actual record was, though).

I had linked you to GEMM for a 45 purchase at the time, I had thought. Or was it ebay?   
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400332762881  
As for GEMM, the owner of the site is declaring bankruptcy. Thousands of sellers who never got paid are never going to be paid, myself included. The owner had split with his business partner years ago and the business partner was the one who kept up the website and made sure things ran smoothly ... and the owner never found anyone else to help keep the site going ... as such, it kept taking longer and longer for sellers to get paid and finally they stopped sending out payments and sellers were refusing to send any more orders out until gemm paid them.  It's sad because Gemm was around since the mid 90's and they were the first site to do what they did.  However MusicStack is still around and a lot of Gemm sellers are also on there, same for Discogs Marketplace. 
Luckily I was only out about $4 from GEMM because I had spent the remainder of my seller's account balance in recent months.   
http://www.musicstack.com/show.cgi?search_type=artist&find=tasha+thomas&find_focus=1&x=0&y=0&cur=USD  
Tom

I'd snap up that one on eBay pronto ... a good price with a "Buy It Now" feature ... and about half the price of the other source listed.

Too bad about Gemm.com ... over the years we referred hundreds and hundreds of readers to this site.  (kk)   
Thank you so very, very much. I can't believe you found this so fast! Again, thanks a lot.
John  

Kent - 
Does Randy Price have ALL the weeks of the 1960's for the super charts?  This is a great idea, and it captures the essence of what was happening right at that time. 
I would like to get one from either the last week of June 1962 or the first week of July 1962.  Could you ask and see if I could get it?  I am saving all of these in a separate file from the radio station charts and really like the feature. Thank you!

CLAY PASTERNACK
Rocky River, Ohio 
Randy has compiled Super Charts for every week, 1955 - 1982, I believe ... and we're still looking to find a home for these as I believe all historians and musicologists would find these extremely valuable tools, representing for the first time EVER the accumulated popularity of the biggest songs in the nation during the Rock And Roll Era.  Interested parties should contact us ... as there IS a market for this information out there!!! (kk)

Here are your '62 Super Charts ... he sent both!

 
This has been baffling me for some time and I am wondering if you may know this song. The opening lyrics go:

"Loving man, loving wife ... "

It was sometime in the 1950s (perhaps early '60s) and I always heard it on one of AM oldies stations. The singer sounded like Fats Domino, but I am certain it wasn't him singing this tune?

Any ideas? Please let me know.

Thank you for your attention. 
-- Daniel P DuPont 
Anybody?  I SUCK at lyrics!!!  (kk)   

Hi everyone, 
It's been awhile since I posted something here. I hope that you are having a great year. 
I've read the discussions here about pop chart comparisons between the trade papers and this message specifically addresses just Billboard and Cash Box. 
I interviewed Kathy Linden earlier this year. She did something that I feel is quite unusual ... but I am not sure if she is the only one to ever do this. I am hoping that someone here would know the answer and, if there are one or more other examples, provide the specifics. 
Kathy Linden had this 1959 Felsted single: "You Don't Know Girls" b/w "So Close To My Heart." 
"You Don't Know Girls" charted in Billboard but not in Cash Box. It peaked in Billboard at #92.  
The flipside "So Close To My Heart" charted in Cash Box but not in Billboard. It peaked in Cash Box at #84.  
Can any of you come up with another example where one side of a record charted only in Billboard but not in Cash Box AND its flipside charted only in Cash Box but not in Billboard?  
By "charted" I mean Top 100 or better. Bubbling Under and Looking Ahead do not count. For the sake of what I ask here, please pretend that there is no such thing as "Bubbling Under" or "Looking Ahead." Also please exclude any Record World / Music Vendor charts and also please exclude any entries listed as "coat-tail" recordings in Joel Whitburn's publications. 
I find it hard to believe that Kathy Linden is the only example of this happening -- with BOTH conditions applying (one side charted only in BB: the flipside side only in CB) but I guess it could be. 
Thanks in advance for the research and feedback. 
Ronnie Allen  
Without looking at EVERY entry, it'd be hard to pinpoint any other examples (and with something like 30,000 chart entries, that's a WHOLE lotta checking!!!)  But maybe SOMEBODY out there knows the answer because it pertains to a particular favorite artist of their own.  (I'm also passing your inquiry on to Joel Whitburn to see if he has perhaps noted some of these anomalies ... so stay tuned!)  kk  
UPDATE:  Joel's answer was short but sweet ...    

None that I can think of! 
Joel 
Would be curious to know if any other readers have ever come across this situation as part of your chart research.  Drop us a line if you can cite any other examples.  Thank you!  (kk)

The Sunday Comments ( 07 - 26 - 15 )

July 25, 2015, 3:27 pm

≫ Next: 50 Year Flashback - July 27th, 1965

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re:  Me-TV-FM (and Radio In General These Days):  
Kent,  
I have to disagree with you about Me-TV FM playing Peter Allen's "The More I See You". I have loved his version ever since they played it on WBBM-FM back in the 70's. There is no way that is a bad song to play and I hope they continue to do so. I still have my 45 of it ... and it's on my iPod and I think their listeners should continue to hear it from time to time.  
I sure hope Neal Sabin also does not listen to you about "Themed Programs & Features". Please no, I don't want it! As a matter of fact, I don't want anything else like traffic and weather forecasts. And, do I dare say ... I don't even want DJ's! I just want the music they are playing and a super light commercial load. I think they are doing a great job playing so many of the forgotten songs we have talked about here for years. I am really happy they are also playing all the great songs from our Chicago groups. Although I have not heard Jamestown Massacre's "Summer Sun" ... maybe we will hear it sometime.  
I agree there are a few artists I seem to hear too much of. It seems like every time I'm listening while driving I will hear an Abba song or something by the Bee Gees. But even when they play something I don't care to hear, I still don't change the dial because I know in three minutes the next song will start and I'll probably like it. I NEVER change the dial anymore. But let's face it, if I did change the dial I'm sure I would just run into a long commercial block on some other station followed by some old tired worn out song. I'm sticking with Me-FM TV.  
Mike Hartman

As Neal Sabin pointed out to me after my initial comments ran, Peter Allen's version of "The More I See You" DID chart on the Adult Contemporary Charts, reaching #38 in 1976.  (It didn't make The Top 100 on ANY of the national pop charts however, so it is hardly what I would consider a "recognizable" hit.  Regardless, I still can't stand it ... it sounds like it is falling apart from start to finish.  And, since they're already playing the DEFINITIVE version of this song (by Chris Montez) there is NO reason to balance things out by playing such an inferior version ... it's not that strong or identifiable a song.  (Don't get me wrong ... I LOVE the Chris Montez version ... and always have ... the station also plays "Call Me" by Chris ... and should really consider adding "Time After Time", another long-overlooked gem from the same genre.)  This same philosophy holds true for the Jose Feliciano version of "California Dreamin'" that they play WAY too often ... if you're going to play more than The Mamas and the Papas' version ... which I'm not even sure is really necessary since that version is SO great all on its own ... at least play an alternate version by somebody who made some noise with the record ... like The Beach Boys or America ... or even Barry McGuire, who recorded the song FIRST with The Mamas and the Papas providing the background vocals!  At least THOSE versions are interesting and have a built-in connection with the audience.  
Then again, it really all comes down to trade-offs ... let's face it, there are only so many songs they're going to play ... and I'd give up ANYTHING by Peter Allen in order to hear Jamestown Massacre's "Summer Sun" instead.  In fact, that is one they ABSOLUTELY should be playing in semi-regular rotation ... it was a HUGE hit here in Chicago ... and it's a GREAT song ... with a GREAT summer feel ... and is absolutely deserving of repeated spins on the station instead.  
The idea of just music is fine ... it's iPod programming ... and I have enjoyed the extended "launch" of music only ... but what makes it FEEL like a radio station ... and SOUND like a radio station ... is those annoying interruptions.  Hey, I hate commercial blocks as much as the next guy ... but I understand that this is what pays the bills.  If the Xfinity TV station can give out the traffic and weather reports non-stop, why can't the radio station do it in a much more appropriate setting ... when people are actually out IN their cars!!!  For drive time traffic to and from work, weather and traffic reports are essential ... I hate the idea that I have to turn off the GREAT music being played on Me-TV-FM just to hear about traffic back-ups on my way in to work.  There is NO reason they couldn't do quarterly hour, 1-minute updates ... which would give the station more of a "live" feel to it, too ... like somebody is actually THERE paying attention, rather than just some pre-programmed robot.  It establishes an audience connection.  
Same for the deejays ... not necessarily all day ... but hire some TRUE talent who not only appreciates this great music but can be entertaining in the four or five break-ins per hour.  Maybe just a morning guy with a decent sense of humor who can give news, weather and traffic updates for the drive into work ... then go back to the automated programming for the work day.  
Or schedule some "appointment radio" throughout the day.  How about an all-request lunch hour ... where listeners can actually phone in something interesting and creative (unlike the other stations in town who offer a similar feature ... but then continue to feature only the same 200-300 songs they're already playing all day long anyway. I've actually heard deejays tell the caller "We don't have that song in our library"!!!  Heck, John Records Landecker used to do an early morning request show and, if he didn't have the record on hand, he made sure he DID have it the very next day.)  
Why wouldn't something like a "Historic Chicago Countdown" work once a week ... or even two hours a day?  (Another excuse to play something NOT on the play list)  Or daily updates of something like Gary Theroux's "History Of Rock And Roll" segments?  How about picking a Featured Artist of the Day (which would then give the station an excuse to play something by that artist every hour, topped off with a Top Ten Countdown of that artist's biggest hits every night at 6:00 or 10:00, mixed in with a couple of "extras" that "just missed the countdown" or key album tracks.  Again ... appointment radio that folks will make a point to tune in and listen for.  
I would LOVE to take a crack at fine-tuning the play list ... eliminate some of the music that is causing the majority of listeners to push the button (or, at the very least, schedule those tracks into the airplay rotation they deserve ... once or twice a year, these songs will still provide the "wow factor" they're going for ... four or five times a week is just downright annoying.)  
Once again, I'd like to offer my assistance ... send me the play list and I will send you back 20-50 suggestions and modifications to road test each week ... then you can evaluate if our goals match and we're getting closer to building the perfect radio station.  
Like I keep saying, they are doing almost everything right ... and have won over their audience by featuring tracks that have been absent from the airwaves for decades.  Now we just need to do a little more fine-tuning to take this to the next level!  (kk)

See, here's exactly what I'm talking about ...    

Beautiful Lobby - Empty Studio ... Radio in the Millennium ... 

(Remember the days when kids listening to the radio couldn't WAIT to get a job like that ... many even set up "pretend radio studios" in their bedrooms and basements, just to emulate their heroes heard up and down the dial.  What on earth is going to inspire ANYBODY to pursue a career in radio today?  Yes, Mom, I can't wait to program the computer to play all the music ... or, if I'm fortunate enough to actually get on the air, give out the time and temp three or four times an hour ... and then be told to keep my mouth shut the rest of the time.)  Ah yes ... the DREAM job of a lifetime! (We grew up on "personality radio" ... where the deejays were often as popular as the recording artists themselves.  Today you sometimes have to wonder if ANYBODY is minding the store!)  kk   

Hi Kent,  
Thought you might like this article by a guy who's been in radio a very long time.  
http://www.domtheodore.com/  
Eddie,  
Ashley, PA

I have a story to tell about consultants and it involves radio and the other involved the 500 songs we are forced to listen to ad nauseam. Before I moved away from Chicago, I would participate in music surveys a couple times a year. If you've never been invited to one, the concept is simple. You hear a snippets of songs, essentially the chorus, or the part you're most familiar with, and are then asked to mark in a little box if you like it a lot, somewhat, neutral, somewhat dislike it, or it sucks. And darn if it isn't the same 500 songs we've all grown to become bored with. No surprises in the bunch. Hey, but it was 50 to 100 dollars in my pocket and free food.  
In 1976 I became affiliated with WZRD radio Chicago 88.3 FM. At first it was a closed circuit radio serving Northeastern Illinois University and known as WRNE. When it came time to petition the FCC to be able to broadcast locally, the station had to change their call letters as WRNE belonged to a station in New England. Well, various call letters were tossed about at a staff meeting, with some being rejected because it wouldn't fly with either the school administration, the FCC, or it was already taken. Finally, after much debate and much foreign substances being passed about, one staff member woke up from his stupor from underneath the table long enough to volunteer "WZRD ... wizard, man!" in his best Tommy Chong impression, and then promptly passed out again. This got everyone excited and not one station, commercial, or non-commercial had the call letters. The FCC approved it and, almost 40 years later, WZRD still lives. But wait, there's more!  
Maybe a year or two later, a station in Philadelphia contacted us and wanted to know if we would give up the call letters. Apparently their "consultants" had built a huge campaign around the WZRD call letters. They looked at the FCC listings of COMMERCIAL stations and saw nothing. So they were all set to pull the trigger when the FCC told them their application was rejected because a 10 watt non-commercial station in Chicago had the call letters. So they wrote us a lovely letter offering us a lot of money if we would give up WZRD. The vote was unanimous ... NO! The Philly station had to settle for WZZD. I've had surveys from them, don't know if I still do, but I laughed my ass off when I first got them, as I knew that had to be the station. 
The moral of the story is, WTF do consultants know?  
Jack  
Those radio survey polls are a complete joke and waste of time ... I've done several of them, too ... and you're absolutely right ... all they do is ask you about the songs they're already playing anyway.  The list is SO weighted toward what they're currently doing that they leave absolutely NO room for improvements or surprises to be added.  And, even though they ask you which songs you're sick of, they continue to play them all anyway!!!  So what's the point?  Just to be able to tell people that you polled your audience?  It's a complete waste of time ... and the very reason radio is in the crapper the way it is today.  
Not long ago we talked about how radio stations don't even use call letters anymore.  We've got The Loop, The Drive, The Mix, B-96, K-Hits, She-FM, Me-TV-FM, My-FM, The Lite, Y-103.9, The River, The Fox, The Zoo, Jack-FM, Bob-FM, and dozens of others all over the country.  Back in the day stations like WLS, WCFL, WIND, WMAQ, WGN and others ruled the airwaves ... today it seems to be the least important connection to their identity ... and their audience.  The times, they have a-changed ... and not necessarily for the better.  (kk)

re:  Helping Out Our Readers:   
>>>I interviewed Kathy Linden earlier this year. She did something that I feel is quite unusual ... but Iam not sure if she is the only one to ever do this. I am hoping that someone here would know theanswer and, if there are one or more other examples, provide the specifics.  Kathy Linden had this1959 Felsted single: "You Don't Know Girls" b/w "So Close To My Heart."  "You Don't Know Girls"charted in Billboard but not in Cash Box. It peaked in  Billboard at #92.  The flipside "So Close To My Heart"charted in Cash Box but not in Billboard. It peaked in Cash Box at #84.  Can any of you come upwith another example where one side of a record charted only in Billboard  but not in Cash Box AND its flipside charted only in Cash Box but not in Billboard?  By "charted" I mean Top 100 orbetter. Bubbling Under and Looking Ahead do not count. For the sake of what I ask here, please pretend that there is no such thing as "Bubbling Under" or "Looking Ahead." Also please exclude  any Record World / MusicVendor charts and also please exclude any entries listed as "coat-tail" recordings in Joel Whitburn'spublications. I find it hard to believe that Kathy Linden is the only example of this happening -- with BOTHconditions applying (one side charted only in BB: the flipside side only in CB) but I guess it could be. 
Thanks in advance for the research and feedback.  (Ronnie Allen)   

Hi Kent,  
A very interesting question by Ronnie Allen regarding songs where one side only hit in Billboard and the other side only hit in Cash Box.  
There is one example I can think of that exactly matches the Kathy Linden example that Ronnie cited:  

“Kool's Back Again” by Kool & The Gang peaked at #80 in Cash Box, while the flip side, “The Gang's Back Again”, peaked at #85 in Billboard.  

There are a couple more that may qualify under Ronnie’s criteria (if one totally ignores the Bubbling Under / Looking Ahead charts):  

“It’s For You” by Cilla Black peaked at #79 in Billboard (but only hit #105 in Cash Box), while the flip side, “He Won’t Ask Me”, peaked at #91 in Cash Box (and didn’t chart at all in Billboard).  

“There’s Nothing Like Love” by Jackie Wilson & Linda Hopkins peaked at #95 in Cash Box (but didn’t chart at all in Billboard), while the flip side, “I Found Love”, peaked at #93 in Billboard (but only hit #136 in Cash Box).  

Those are ones that I remember from working on the Comparison book.  There may be some others, but it seems like it was a pretty rare occurrence.  

Paul Haney 

Record Research

Joel's Chart Comparison Book would be the IDEAL place to look for these types of chart oddities ... readers can pick up a copy of this invaluable book here:

http://www.recordresearch.com/pop/the_comparison_book_1954-1982.php     

Kent,  
Bill Oakley's efforts and list are quite admirable. It would be nice to see the years posted next to each entry however. Maybe that's something that could be added later. 
Having that information would tell us whether the vocal or instrumental came first and thus what kind of creative juices were flowing at the time.  
Example: Lonnie Mack's instrumental treatment of Chuck Berry's composition of Memphis came four years after Berry released it as the B side of Back in the USA ... and was a much different kind of effort than the one that created the vocal version.  The same can be said of Grazin' in the Grass based upon the instrumental of the year before (1968) by Hugh Masekela vs. the vocal arrangement made by The Friends Of Disinction.  They were both great efforts with great with results, as were the originals, but we true music lovers want to be in touch with how things like that happened, don't we?   
Bill Fortune 
I would use the "Soulful Strut" instrumental hit by Young-Holt Unlimited as a similar example to the Barbara Acklin vocal version released as "Am I The Same Girl".  However, I also believe that Swing Out Sister took this song to brand new heights when they released THEIR vocal version of "Am I The Same Girl" in 1992.  (kk)

Kent, 
Whew! I'm huffing and puffing now. I just finished scrolling through reader Oakey's compilation of the (at his latest count), 311 instrumentals and their vocal counterparts.   Song #199 HEARTS OF STONE, the group the Charms  can be added, I believe, to the vocal side. Song #225 LOVESICK BLUES, was also vocally recorded by Frank Ifield, his follow-up to I REMEMBER YOU. Song #241 WATERBOY by Don Shirley, made it to #1 here in OKC. Song #262 WORK SONG was done vocally, I believe, by Trade Martin on RCA. 
I have made a copy of this list, Kent, and will add it to my paper files here at home pertaining to this music that you, your readers and I love. I don't know if it can be added to the list but I always liked Percy Faith's instrumental version of Little Peggy March's I WILL FOLLOW HIM. Maybe now Bill can compile a list of all the answer records that have come out through the years. (LOL). 
For Jeff's information, SUNDAY BARBECUE was written by Ira Cook / Mort Greene and T.E.F. was backed up by the Cliffie Stone band. Got that directly off the 45. 
Mentioning the songs which were done primarily of one whistling, reminded me of Dave Baby Cortez' followup to THE HAPPY ORGAN and I am talking about THE WHISTLING ORGAN. One final thing about the instrumentals and their voice counterparts ... I will be trying to find a lot of them (vocals) online and listen to them and to see what they sound like.  
Larry   

re:  New Releases:  
We just caught wind of a new release by Buzz Cason, who wrote the timeless pop classic "Everlasting Love” ... and has worked with everyone to Elvis Presley to Johnny Cash to Carl Perkins to Buddy Holly’s Crickets.

Here are all the details:   

THE LEGENDARY BUZZ CASON TO RELEASE NEW STUDIO ALBUM - RECORD MACHINE  

(August 21, 2015)  

New York, NY (July 9, 2015)-- Rockabilly Hall of Famer Buzz Cason is proudly releasing his new studio album Record Machine on August 21, 2015. This is his second album to be released via Plowboy Records.  

Touring the US and the UK was just a small portion of the incredible year Buzz had in 2014. In July, the Country Music Hall of Fame honored him as part of their “Poets & Prophets” series, and Cason’s then recently-released album Troubadour Heart was enjoying chart success and heavy airplay on Americana Radio.  

Following this, Buzz hunkered down at his famed Creative Workshop studio with engineer Joe Funderburk to begin pouring his soul into Record Machine.  

Buzz Cason notes in the opening title track, which is a love letter to his record player, that he’s “got Rock ‘N’ Roll, R&B, and everything between … on my record machine,” and it shows in the breadth of the songs that follow. Record Machine is an eclectic mix of Americana sounds, dosed with rock, folk, rockabilly, and even a touch of reggae, with his loosened-up remake of George Jones’ “She Thinks I Still Care,” which was originally written by Buzz’s good friend Dickey Lee. The other ten original tracks visit different moods and stories, from the stripped-down acoustic skip of “Don’t Worry Mama” and the whiskey-soaked bar room confessional “Dodgin’ Bullets,” to the lonely ballad “Just My Dreams,” the upbeat bounce of “Follower,” and the rockabilly swing of  “Memphis Friday Night” and “Overload.”  

The album also features a few cameos by Nashville-based duo Steelism, who are featured on “Record Machine,” “She Thinks I Still Care,” and “Wait On Your Love,” as well as Sugarcane Jane’s Anthony Crawford (“Woe Is Me,” “Just My Dreams”), and Buzz’s son Parker Cason, who co-wrote “Record Machine” and played on several tracks.  "Record Machine is special to me and hopefully it will be a positive experience for the listener,” says Buzz. “The record is a slice of my musical life, incorporating emotions and thoughts of recent times as well as just fun times recorded in the studio. Once again I have the support of extremely talented players and writers on this set of songs … [Guitarist] Anthony Crawford plays a key role in the record as well as the guys from my band contributing on several tracks ... As the title cut says: From the first time I heard a needle hit vinyl: ‘I've been in love with music ever since that day!’ ” 

And quite the love affair it’s been! With a career six decades rich as a performer, songwriter, and publisher, Buzz Cason has touched upon every facet of the music industry, as well as influenced countless musicians and fans. Coined as “The Father Of Nashville Rock” by Alamo Jones of Sirius XM’s “Outlaw Country,” this Americana / Roots Rock singer-songwriter has created songs that have gone on to live beyond the genre, from the classic “Everlasting Love” (co-written with Mac Gayden), which has been recorded by U2, Gloria Estefan, Robert Knight, and CarlCarlton, and has charted in every decade since its inception, to “Soldier of Love” (co-written with Tony Moon), which has been recorded by The Beatles, Pearl Jam, Marshall Crenshaw, and Arthur Alexander. To this day, Buzz is the only songwriter credited with cuts by The Beatles, Pearl Jam, AND U2. 

As a producer, Buzz left his stamp on Jimmy Buffett’s Down To Earth and High Cumberland Jubilee albums (he also co-wrote a few songs), and he even produced Buddy Holly’s former band The Crickets, and toured England with them as their singer. He’s sung back-up for Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, John Denver, Kenny Rogers, Roy Orbison, George Jones, and Leon Russell, and was even the voice of Alvin of the Chipmunks!  

The music legacy continues on with the release of Record Machine. 

Buzz Cason will tour this year in support of Record Machine, with some solo dates, and some shows with his band The Love Notes. Tour dates to be announced soon.  

Plowboy Records is helmed by Eddy Arnold's grandson Shannon Pollard, along with professor, author and country music expert Don Cusic. The label was established to promote the legacy of Eddy Arnold and to provide a home for projects that focus on American music regardless of genre. Visit the label online atplowboyrecords.com or facebook.com/plowboyrecords.  

Track List:  Record Machine / Don’t Worry Mama / Woe Is Me / Follower / Just My Dreams / Dodgin’ Bullets / No Word From You / Overload / Memphis Friday Night / She Thinks I Still Care / Wait On Your Love  

Greg Lake's Legendary 1981 Performance At the Hammersmith Odeon In London To Be Issued On CD & Vinyl  
Los Angeles – Purple Pyramid Records will be releasing legendary Greg Lake's live album from the Hammersmith Odeon in London, November 5, 1981, featuring guitar hero Gary Moore on CD and vinyl! The concert recording features ELP and King Crimson classic tracks such as “Lucky Man”, “Karn Evil 9”, “21^st Century Schizoid Man” and “In The Court of The Crimson King”, as well as songs from his critically acclaimed first solo album from 1981. As a founding member of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Greg Lake has been a major force in music for over 40 years. He has long been considered a legendary voice and musical powerhouse whose impact changed the landscape of rock and roll. Many simply refer to him as “The Voice”.

The Greg Lake Band made its live debut on one of the biggest stages available to it, the annual Reading Festival in England in August 1981. Much of the set was new to the audience – Greg's first solo album would not be released for another month. But the band received a wild reception regardless, and there were enough old favorites on display to ensure the fans remained happy…including the show opener “Fanfare for the Common Man,” truly one of the most effective showstoppers ever to have opened a concert.

The band's full tour kicked off in October. Purposefully, Lake demanded smaller venues, the theaters and universities that truly represented a refreshing change from the monster domes he'd visited the last time he hit the road in 1977 with ELP. The string of shows launched in Wales, at Aberystwyth University, then moved onto Cardiff University, Dunstable Queensway Hall, Norwich University, Liverpool Royal Court Theatre, Newcastle Mayfair, Glasgow University, Edinburgh Playhouse, Sheffield Lyceum, University of Kent Canterbury, Birmingham Odeon, Leicester Polytechnic, Bournemouth Winter Gardens, Exeter University, St Austell Cornwall Coliseum, Crawley Leisure Centre and, finally, London's Hammersmith Odeon.

It was not an extravagant performance - no lasers, no levitating keyboards, no priceless Persian carpets. The myths and legends that surrounded ELP when they toured were all firmly locked away. The Greg Lake Band toured like a band, and on stage they simply took up their positions and played. Brilliantly.

That last date on the tour is where this disc was recorded, in front of 2,000 fans who now had every note of Greg's new album memorized, and the rest of the set firmly entrenched in their DNA: the snatch of “Karn Evil 9” that eased out of the opening “Fanfare”; “Love You Too Much,” the song Lake co-wrote with Dylan in what remains another of the tantalizing collaborations of the age; “Retribution Drive” and “The Lie” from Greg Lake. “21st Century Schizoid Man” and “The Court Of The Crimson King,” from Lake’s stint with King Crimson, wrapped up the evening in positively rhapsodic fashion, and, finally, “C'est La Vie,” from ELP's Works. (The version of this track included on the CD is taken from a show in New York City 1981)

“A single night at the tail end of a single tour, alive with promise, bristling with presence. And welcoming back some new friends, too” - Dave Thompson, writer

Tracks:   Medley: Fanfare For The Common Man / Karn Evil 9 / Nuclear Attack / The Lie / Retribution Drive / Lucky Man / Parisienne Walkways / You Really Got A Hold On Me / Love You Too Much / 21st Century Schizoid Man / In The Court Of The Crimson King / Bonus Track: C'est La Vie (Live in NYC 1981) /

To purchase:

Pre-order the CD: http://flyt.it/GregLakeCD

Pre-order the Vinyl: http://flyt.it/GregLakeLP

Pre-order the digital: http://flyt.it/GregLakedig

Greg Lake's official website: www.greglake.com
 

re:  This And That: 
Hey Kent, 
Thanks for the heads up on the Zombies tickets.  I got 17th row, just left of center. If you are ever going to see the Zombies, this is the time."Odessey and Oracle" is one of the top albums of the sixties and four of the five original members will be together to play the entire album for this special show.Out of all the shows you let us know about, this may be the one that will be the most important.  Forgotten Hits fans should make the trip to Star Plaza as it's acoustics and comfort level are first rate.  I saw Yes there with my 11 year old daughter, Ashley, about 15 years ago, and the sound was awesome.This show is guaranteed to be one of the concert highlights of 2015.I thought your readers would like to know. 
By the way, I first saw the Zombies live at the Abbey Pub in Chicago a long time back, when they first reformed.I was in the balcony of this small place waiting for the show to start and I turned around and, to my surprise, was Jim Peterik.  We shared our love of the Zombies and of course, I told Jim I was a big Ides fan as well.  I bet he's going to try and make this Odessey and Oracle show!  After the show I was able to meet Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent and they were two of the nicest people I ever met. 
Don't miss this concert!  It will be one of the best 60s shows you have ever seen.
PS. They will be appearing in Milwaukee as well, for Northern Illinois/Wisconsin folks. 
Bill Mulvy 
Not only is Jim Peterik a Zombies fan ... but he and The Ides Of March will be sharing the stage with The Zombies on next year's Moody Blues Cruise!!!  

Check out the complete details below!  (kk)    

Wow!  Check out THIS cruise line-up!!! 
The Ides of March have been added to the 2016 Moody Blues Cruise  
http://moodiescruise.com/the-bands/  
Now THIS would be one heck of a cruise to take! 
The Moody Blues 
The Zombies 
Christopher Cross 
Renaissance 
Rare Earth 
Ambrosia 
John Waite 
The Ides Of March 
Randy Hansen 
and The Nelsons ... 
With more acts to be added! 
The cruise departs Miami, Florida, on February 26th (what a GREAT time to get away for the winter!) and features four days and four nights with stops in Key West and the Bahamas.  More details via the link above ... and several sections are already sold out!  Better act fast for this one.  (And congratulations to The Ides for making the line-up this year!)  kk

Kent, 
I have just now finished today's FH.  What a great day to start off with THE MIGHTY CLOUDS OF JOY.

In posting the song today by Sandy Posey reminds me of occasionally through the years I have often wondered  whatever became of artists like her. Where are they and what are they doing now.

You mentioned the passing of songwriter Wayne Carson and his posting of the Willie Nelson tune. When I saw that he had passed away in FH, I don't know what it was, but I immediately thought of a song he wrote in 1968 called MR. BUS DRIVER, which was recorded by Bruce Channel on Mala Records. Not a big record nationally nor locally here in OKC, but I always liked it. Songwriting credit on the record gave the name of Wayne Carson Thompson.

It was mentioned that July was the month for drummers Ringo Starr and Louie Bellson. Just a couple of days ago I was wondering what ever happened to Sandy Nelson and of course, I know that Cozy Cole has passed away.

Kent, I don't really like to tell you that you made a mistake in FH, but that  picture of supposedly Ryan O'Neal and Ali McGraw can't possibly be them. That picture shows two people that are of grandparents' age. (LOL) 
Larry Neal

Yep ... sad but true ... but quite a few of you out there have gotten older.  (lol)  Came as quite a shock to me.  (Of course Ryan O'Neal has stayed in the public eye somewhat between issues with his kids and the battle that ensued after the passing of Farrah Fawcett ... but Ali MacGraw has been out of the limelight for quite some time now ... so THAT one came as a bit of a shock!) 
As far as I know, Sandy Posey is still alive and well.  She charted four times on The National Top 40 back in the mid-'60's, hitting #12 THREE TIMES in Billboard with great tracks like "Born A Woman", "Single Girl" and "I Take It Back" (#12, 1967).  (Those records all fared a little better on the Record World Charts, with "Born A Woman" reaching #9, "Single Girl" hitting #10 and "I Take It Back" peaking at #11.)  Her other Top 40 Pop Hit was "What A Woman In Love Won't Do, which reached #31 in both Billboard and Record World in 1967. 
In addition to scoring a couple of his own hits:  "Teen Beat" (#4, 1959); "Let There Be Drums" (#7, 1961); "Drums Are My Beat" (#29, 1962), Sandy did quite a bit of session work, too, appearing on the hits "Alley Oop", "To Know Him Is To Love Him" and "A Thousand Stars" amongst many others.  In 1963 he lost part of his right leg in a motorcycle accident ... but he continued to play the drums for many years afterwards.  He, too, is still with us, although BOTH Sandys have been out of the spotlight for quite some time now.  (kk)

Got this link from FH Reader Tom Cuddy about a brand new Billy Joel interview ...

tp://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/24/billy-joel-ew-interview

Teen idol Donny Osmond has to go in for vocal cord surgery, forcing the postponement of several upcoming concert events including (I'm sure) his stay here in Chicago at The Paramount Theatre with sister Marie.  We've seen Donny several time over the year and his voice is still as clear and pure as ever ... so we wish him the very best of luck (and a speedy recovery) from this very necessary surgery.  We'll let you know once new dates have been rescheduled.  (kk)

A personal loss for us again this week as Mitch Aliotta of the Chicago cult-favorite band Aliotta, Haynes and Jeremiah passed away on Tuesday, July 21st.  Many, many moons again our band opened for a show for these guys at some type of local coffee house appearances ... and Mitch dated one of my very best friends from high school for years.  With John Jeremiah passing away a couple of years ago, that leaves only Skip Haynes as the surviving memory of the trio who gave us the FM Rock Classic Staple "Lake Shore Drive." 

Several years ago, Skip recorded a special "Forgotten Hits" version of this tune, which I've always held a special place in my heart for.  He also explained the complete origins of the song on our website here:

http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2012/01/story-behind-lake-shore-drive-part-one.html http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2012/01/story-behind-lake-shore-drive-part-two.html

Many may not know that Mitch Aliotta was the original bassist of Chicago's Rotary Connection, the band that launched the career of Minnie Ripperton.  Ripperton worked as a receptionist for the famed Chess Record Label ... and after Chess Founder Leonard Chess heard her sing, he recruited members of the local group Proper Strangers, along with some of his regular studio session musicians ... AND The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (!) ... to record Rotary Connection's first album.  Although never a huge national success, the group enjoyed tremendous popularity here in Chicago and throughout the midwest, thanks to the incredible vocals of Ripperton and the eclectic mix of music laid down by the band members.  (kk)   

Kent ...

Imagine how much money they would've made if Jerry Garcia was still alive.
Frank B.

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/125886/Fare-Thee-Well-Grateful-Dead-50-Grosses-Over-50-Million

It's a big week for concerts here this week in Chicago ... we've already got FOUR shows lined up!!!

Sunday - Tony Orlando is appearing at The Arcada Theatre.  We saw Tony several years ago and it was one of the best shows I've seen.  He had a KILLER band at the timethat just blew me away.  Hoping for a similar experience this time around.  (Would love to talk to Tony, too, before or after the show if it's possible.)

Tuesday Night - It's back to The Arcada to see Graham Nash.  Graham has only scheduled NINE stops on the US leg of his current tour ... and The Arcada is one of them ... so this should be a VERY special evening of music.  (I've been a lifetime fans of Graham's work with The Hollies, Crosby, Stills and Nash and all of his solo ventures ... but have never seen him perform live before ... so this will be a real kick for me!)

Thursday - The Chicago Experience (who lit up the stage at The Arcada during The Marty Grebb Benefit Concert a few months ago) will be performing an outdoor show in Rosemont Thursday night from 7 - 9:30 pm.  We missed them the last time around as we were out of town ... but I am REALLY looking forward to experiencing the COMPLETE Chicago Experience this Thursday Night!

Friday - Daryl Hall and John Oates light up the RiverEdge Park Stage in Aurora for another outdoor concert.  Frannie and I have been Hall and Oates fans FOREVER ... and have both seen them several times in the past ... but never together ... so this should be a very special night for us as well.  (Now if we can just keep it under 90-degrees and push the rain off until the weekend!!!)  kk