Tuesday This And That

March 8, 2016, 3:50 am

≫ Next: It's Been A Rough Year ... And We're Only 69 Days In!

≪ Previous: The Beach Boys Evolution (circa 1965)

$

0

0

Cornerstones Of Rock:  
Got this update from the folks at WTTW / PBS after we ran our "Cornerstones Of Rock" revised release schedule last week ...   

Hi Kent - 

The Cornerstones of Rock CD / DVD and Cornerstones of Rock Original Recordings CD will be finished and ready to ship next week.  There was a production delay that we could not avoid and we greatly appreciate your understanding and patience. We’ll send your complete thank you gift package as soon as the product arrives to our warehouse. The product is scheduled to arrive to our warehouse on March 21^st and should be to your home around March 28^th. Again thank you for your patience.

If you or any of your readers have any questions please feel free to contact our Members Services department at ask@wttw.com or (773) 509-1111 ext. 6 during regular business hours.  

Sincerely,  

Peggy

WTTW Member Services   

In other Cornerstones Of Rock news, we got this news release from FH Reader Tom Cuddy regarding Survivor ...

SURVIVOR: Vocalist Dave Bicker Has Quit 

This was his third stint with the "Eye of the Tiger" band. 

Dave Bicklerhas again left Survivor. 

The voice of their Rocky Three anthem "Eye of the Tiger" writes on Facebook, "Bittersweet news that I am no longer a member of Survivor.  There is no longer a place for me in the band. So I'll be moving on and direct all my energies to my solo project. And thank you for all your support." 

Bickler left the band on two previous occasions -- in 1983, when he was replaced by Jimi Jamison, and 2000, when he was fired. 

He'dsigned on with co-founder Frankie Sullivan and Jamison to work in a new version of the '80s hit-makers, but tragedy intervened in 2014 when Jamison died suddenly. Since last fall, Bickler felt he'd been pushed aside in favor of newly recruited vocalist Cameron Barton.

Shame On Me!:

>>>Posted in two other places was the anniversary of Hall and Oates recording their #1 Hit "Rich Girl" ... ALSO on March 4, 1967!!!  (I don't think the two had even met yet by that point!!!)  Yep, RCA sat on that record for 20 years until the musical climate was right I guess.  (kk) 

Hi Kent,  

Actually, RCA sat on it for 10 years, not 20!  “Rich Girl” hit #1 in 1977.

Sorry, couldn’t resist J

Paul Haney

Record Research   

As a person whose jobs have included professional fact checking, I get the same chuckles and frustrations from bad facts as much as anyone. In reality -- if RCA  held the song -- it was only for 10 years -- otherwise this song was released in 1987. 

Rich Klein

I guess I should have done a little fact-checking of my own, eh?

For the record, Hall and Oates first met IN 1967, when each were performing in different bands, The Temptones (Daryl) and The Masters (John)  Gunfire broke out at a competition between the bands one day and Hall and Oates both ran for and met in the same elevator trying to escape the violence.  (We have run some early Temptones tracks before in Forgotten Hits ... good stuff!)

FH Buddy John Madara produced some of their earliest tracks while the duo worked in Philadelphia honing their skills.  Although all traces of John seem to have disappeared from their resume ever since, you can find these tracks here:

http://www.thatphillysound.com/artists/hall_oates.html

http://www.thatphillysound.com/shop.html#hall 

Beach Boys Evolution, circa 1965:

Bravo! Chet and Kent!

Your accurate history and keen insights tell the story of the amazing Beach Boys (and their music) well.

Often missing is an unheralded stepping stone from Summer Days (and Summer Nights) to Pet Sounds: The Little Girl I Once Knew. A glorious sound but an ignored single because Top Twenty was not good enough for the Beach Boys. Yet, it received a rave review from none other than John Lennon (read it here: http://prayforsurfblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/john-lennon-on-my-favorite-beach-boys.html). One of Brian and the boys' best; unique instrumental juxtaposition, soaring harmony, and daring creativity (those three seconds of silence doomed the record with radio-play-worried program executives).

I remember waiting to talk with DJ Ron Britain in the offices of WCFL in Marina City (almost included in the next ChickenMan episode) listening to the live radio feed when the just released LGIOK came blasting out of the speakers. Chills.

Queue-up California Girls, then Little Girl I Once Knew, followed by Wouldn't It Be Nice. From one mountain top to another.

Phil

PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com

I am nearly certain that Chet was long-since gone as an NC6 roadie, Kent, but he’d have loved being with us when this shot (see attached) was taken and when Carl and Dennis rode with us, singing bits of tunes as the roadies drove us between gigs!  I use it in nearly all my Arbortech “real world” presentations so the attachment came from one given at the Powder Coating Show in 2014 --- St. Louis as I recall … and Mike Love actually posted it (sans names and PC Show promo of course) to his Facebook page.

Different topic …

Remember that “can show you but then may have to kill you” video of New Colony Six LIVE on the Lloyd Thaxton Show - Showcase ’68?  Well, guess what ... it has popped onto YouTube, released with a couple of added graphics (my copy is clean) but now you can see / hear it at your convenience --- at least as long as it remains available on the website: 

I was and still am totally psyched though surely do wish the original camera crew would have shown Gerry and Chuck more often than the few seconds they did.  This was nationally broadcast on the ABC network, Channel 7 here in Chicago “in the day” and you should note that both Pat’s and Ronnie’s mics were seemingly silenced so Pat could doodle with the maracas while I had to hold and not play the tambourine due to interference potential with the vocals.  Not sure why they limited us to two live microphones but Les did a killer job on the “Can’t You See Me Cry” harmonies – don’t ya think?     

Ray

This is a GREAT video clip, Ray ... obviously performed live on the show ... glad to see it finally see the light of day.  And I have ALWAYS loved that shot of The New Colony Six "in the showers" with The Beach Boys ... a magical time indeed!  (kk)

And, speaking of The New Colony Six, we also received THIS email last week ...

I saw Bob Wilson perform People and Me as a member of the New Colony Six (and I own the Trilogy album). 
Gerald Beimler 
 

Helping Out Our Readers:
Hello - 
There have been many reissues or repros 45's issued. My question is about the King label and, in particular, Charlie Feathers. Is there a sure fire way you can tell if a King 45 is a reissue / boot from the original? 
I appreciate your help. 
Thanks,
Brando
I've sent your inquiry on to Jerry Osborne and he has agreed to look into this for us.  Meanwhile, if any other Forgotten Hits Readers can shed some light on this, we appreciate the input!  (kk) 
 

This And That:

We can attest first hand as to how great Lou Christie's voice still sounds today.  We caught him at The Italian Fest last summer and he put on a GREAT show.

Here's a clip that was run in conjunction with an upcoming show ...

http://triblive.com/mobile/9860811-96/christie-says-hits

Graham Nash, who is coming back to Chicago in May for an appearance at The City Winery, is saying that Crosby, Stills and Nash are OVER, due to an on-going two year feud with David Crosby ...
http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2016/03/graham-nash-says-crosby-stills-nash-are.html?utm_source=VVN+Music+E-Mail+Subscribers&utm_campaign=dea6d862b4-March+7,+2016+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3a4dfe0b50-dea6d862b4-14691013&m=1
 

Kent,

I had forgotten somewhat of that song you posted by Fred Parris and the 5 Satins, MEMORIES OF DAYS GONE BY.

I happen to have a copy of that record which was on Elektra. The record itself reminded me of similar records like the Penguins 1963 SONGS OF EL MONTE and a group called the Trojans from 1966 with a medley of like songs. There was a record in 1961 on Imperial records by a group known as the 3 Friends. They had a medley somewhat with a song called DEDICATED (TO THE SONGS I LOVE)

Larry

 

Unresearched and based solely on my memory, Cole Porter, who wrote the chestnut "In The Still Of The Night", was not pleased with the 5 Satins song title no matter HOW they spelled it. LOL. Those old guys just didn't get it. Richard Rodgers was very unhappy with the Marcels'rendering (pun intended) of Blue Moon. Lorenz Hart didn't live to hear it.

Have fun -

Hil

 

Wow, Kent ...

Not familiar with Daleks: The Blackstones?

Let's rectify that:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Hor4fDSmY7I
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OH8-bC0q7pg
Both infectious songs were written by Jeff Boyan, later of Saturday's Children. In my opinion, these are two of the most overlooked Chicago "garage band" songs of the classic '60s era.
Best,
Mike Dugo 
60sgaragebands.com

In the 1962 Episode Season 3 Episode 36 “Cavender is Coming”,“A Walk Through the Black Forest” is the back ground music at a swinging party.  
Yes, it's amazing how many places we've found sightings (hearings?) of this song since our piece first ran.  Obviously a VERY popular piece of incidental music ... which tells me it really should have been a much bigger hit ... if only based on familiarity alone!

Speaking of It Really Shoulda ... been a bigger hit ... the links we ran the other day for Rich Appel's annual IRS Countdown weren't always working properly ... so we're trying them again.  Be sure to cast YOUR votes for those songs you feel never really got their due when they were first released.  (kk)  
http://www.thatthingshow.com/#!blank/ltwpw 
http://www.thatthingshow.com/#!listening-guide/c1hd9 

Just for the record:
IT'S A CRYIN' SHAME by Gayle McCormick did get airplay in Detroit (on CKLW, to be exact.  I think in early 1972, if I'm not mistaken).  
Tal Hartsfeld

I was sorry to read of the passing of Gayle McCormick.  I interviewed her many years ago when the Smith album was released on cd.  She seemed very nice.  It may have been me that sent you "Its A Crying Shame".  That was a huge hit in Madison and Milwaukee when it was released.   
Keep up the good work.  I am still reading regularly but have been very busy with daily station chores.  My schedule is full this next weekend.  It would be a blast to see Chris Montez and Tommy Roe. 
Phil - WRCO
Thanks, Phil ... would have been great to finally meet you in person after being on your show so many times!  I think it's going to be one heck of a concert!  (kk) 
 
Looking for 2016 - 2017 dates on The Box Tops.

One of the most influential Rock Bands of the 60s & 70s return after a five year absence.

This is an excellent hi energy band.

Blue Eyed Soul from Memphis  / Original members Gary Talley (guitar / vocals) and Bill Cunningham (bass / vocals) are back!

Major hit records, include "The Letter" (#1 in US, UK, Canada & Australia), "Cry Like  A Baby", "Soul Deep", "Neon Rainbow", "Choo Choo Train", "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" and so many more!

The Box Tops are available as "An Evening With" or as part of "60's Spectacular" packages with Jay And The Americans, Paul Revere's Raiders, Tommy Roe, The Brooklyn Bridge, The Classics IV, Yardbirds, Badfinger Featuring Joey Molland, Alive N Kickin. Package can be catered to budget.  

Call me today to book The Box Tops.

Mitchell

BLUE EYED SOUL FROM MEMPHIS 

SIXTIES MUSIC LEGENDS

 Sixties Music Legends The Box Tops Return!

Memphis, TN - From the mid 60's into the 70's, there was no finer blue-eyed soul group than THE BOX TOPS, from Memphis, Tennessee!

THE BOX TOPS recorded a string of hits including the worldwide #1 hit song, THE LETTER, and others including CRY LIKE A BABY, SOUL DEEP, NEON RAINBOW, CHOO CHOO TRAIN … and more.

After a five year hiatus, original bassist, BILL CUNNINGHAM, and original guitarist GARY TALLEY have teamed up with veteran music industry bandleader/manager RICK LEVY to bring THE BOX TOPS music back to waiting audiences.

THE BOX TOPS show will highlight their hit records, and equally important, Memphis music of the 60s, especially some of the songs that influenced the members as young teens growing up in such a musical hotbed. The show will be complete with horns, and promises great memories and music for all.

For more information:  http://www.boxtops.com/

 

 Current Box Tops Videos 

The Box Tops (Live)--The Letter--Shelbyville, Indiana 1-9-16

https://www..youtube.com/watch?v=u1Vv3uuJRk0

The Box Tops Live Indiana Grand Casino Shelbyville Indiana January 9, 2016

Cry Like A Baby / Choo Choo Train / A Whiter Shade Of Pale / Neon Rainbow / The Letter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu6c2TSd0Lc

The Box Tops on Tour 

Saturday January 9, 2016 

Indiana Grand Casino 

Shelbyville, Indiana  

Saturday January 23, 2016 

Grand Falls Casino Resort 

Larchwood, Iowa  

Friday January 29, 2016 

Potawtomi Casino Hotel 

Northern Lights Theater 

(with Felix Cavaliere's Rascals) 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

 Saturday February 6, 2016  

Peabody Auditorium 

(w/ Lovin Spoonful, Gary Puckett, Dennis Tufano) 

Daytona Beach, Florida  

Saturday May 28, 2016 

The Cannery Casino Resort  

North Las Vegas, Nevada

 

Saturday September 24, 2016

Holly Springs Cultural Center

Holly Springs, North Carolina

AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND - PERFECT FOR PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS, 

CASINOS, FAIRS, FESTIVALS, PARKS, THEATRES, SPECIAL & CORPORATE EVENTS

EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE REPRESENTATION

Mitchell Karduna

Vice President,

Director Of Talent Representatives

TCI

Talent Consultants International, LTD. 

The Mill at Nyack

15 North Mill Street

Nyack, NY 10960

Phone (212) 730-2701 x 6

Fax (845) 359-4609

Website  www.tciartists.com

Email:  mitchellkarduna@tciartists.com

JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE SMASH HITS TO BE REISSUED ON VINYL FOR RECORD STORE DAY 2016, WILL FEATURE ALTERNATE COVER AND ORIGINAL 1969 POSTER ART

Saturday, April 16th, marks Record Store Day, 2016, celebrating the culture of the record store. Experience Hendrix L.L.C., in conjunction with Sony Music’s Legacy Recordings, is participating once more with a special vinyl LP reissue of the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s 1969 album Smash Hits. Carefully restored from the original analog master tapes, and featuring original poster and alternate cover art, Smash Hits includes timeless classics like “Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe,” “Red House,” “Fire,” plus eight more essential tracks that showcase the eclectic genius of Jimi Hendrix, forever cementing his status as a groundbreaking guitarist, songwriter and arranger.

Released in July, 1969, Smash Hits served a few purposes. It was the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s very first compilation album, originally conceived in 1968 by the group’s UK label as a vehicle to compile the group’s hit singles that had not yet appeared on the LP format.  Jimi’s original U.S. record label Reprise sought to create its own version (just as it did with the group’s 1967 debut Are You Experienced combining essential songs such as “Remember” and “Can You See Me” with popular favorites such as “Purple Haze” and “All Along The Watchtower.” It also introduced North American fans to his signature blues song “Red House.”  Recorded at De Lane Lea and Olympic Studios, the version of “Red House” that appears on Smash Hits derives from different sessions than the original take found on the UK version of Are You Experienced (recorded at CBS Studios). It was, thus, exclusive to this collection for the world at the time of release. 

Smash Hits proved immensely popular upon its release. The Experience was the highest grossing touring act in the world and the album came on the heels of the group’s largest ever U.S. tour.  The album has since served as a critical introduction to the Hendrix canon for successive generations of fans. 

This exclusive RSD version of Smash Hits will include a recreation of the poster that came with the original U.S. LP release, depicting band members Jimi Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding dressed in western attire on horseback. The photograph, taken by Grammy-winning photographer Ed Thrasher at Warner Bros. film studios in Burbank, CA in early 1969, was initially intended as cover art for the package. Ultimately, the iconic multiple photo image montage by Dezo Hoffmann was decided as the U.S. cover. For the first time ever, Thrasher’s photo will finally grace the cover of Smash Hits, a mere 47 years after the plan was conceived. 

Having already provided art direction for all three U.S. Jimi Hendrix Experience studio albums, Ed Thrasher was no stranger to the band. During his 1964-1978 tenure as art director for Warner Bros./Reprise Records, Thrasher also created iconic sleeve art for Grateful Dead, Neil Young and the Beach Boys, and even helped design the label’s office headquarters. Having a penchant for wearing cowboy garb himself, it was Thrasher’s idea to pay homage to western cinema by staging an old west scene at the neighboring Warner movie studio lot. The image of Jimi, Mitch and Noel, decked out in boots and bandoliers and holding pistols has proven to be a lasting and influential cross cultural image for almost a half century. 

The first 5,000 units of this 150 gram vinyl package will be exclusively numbered for Record Store Day.

 

THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE – SMASH HITS track list:

SIDE A

1)    Purple Haze

2)    Fire

3)    The Wind Cries Mary

4)    Can You See Me

5)    Hey Joe

6)    All Along The Watch Tower

 

SIDE B

1)    Stone Free

2)    Crosstown Traffic

3)    Manic Depression

4)    Remember

5)    Red House

6)    Foxey Lady

 

All tracks recorded October 1966 – August 1968

---

It's Been A Rough Year ... And We're Only 69 Days In!

March 9, 2016, 5:10 am

≫ Next: George Martin - Random Stream Of Consciousness

≪ Previous: Tuesday This And That

$

0

0

My intention this morning was to write a short piece on legendary Radio Program Director John Rook.  I first got the news yesterday that he had passed away last week at his home in Idaho and it struck me hard because over the past nine years I had many conversations with John over the phone and, quite frankly, I was a bit surprised that this didn't play as a much bigger news story, especially here in Chicago where he made BOTH of our AM Top 40 radio stations (WLS and WCFL) the #1 stations in town.

But then I got up this morning to find the news that Beatles Producer Sir George Martin passed away yesterday at the age of 90.  Like I said, it's been a rough year so far ... and we're only 69 days in.

So today we'll remember John Rook ... and then tomorrow we'll salute George Martin.

My first contact with John Rook came when I contacted him back in 2007 for my lengthy profile of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

It seems that John was involved with the circulation of a petition calling for the induction of Pat Boone and yet, despite over 10,000 signatures, this went completely ignored by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  He asked for my number and we talked several times about this, the ways and means (and hidden agenda) of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, his storied radio career, his friendship with Eddie Cochran ... his special bond with legendary disc jockey Larry Lujack ... John Rook was an INCREDIBLE story teller and had lived through SO many great events during what will always be remembered as the most exciting days of rock and roll.

It was during one of these conversations that he told me he was launching The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame.  The timing couldn't have been better ... I was able to break this story nationwide within the context of my Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame expose and first talked about this brand new organization on Jim Shea's morning radio show shortly thereafter.

The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame would have a committee of experts selected by Rook ... but it would ALSO take into consideration the vote of the public ... the music fans who grew up loving these artists and this music ... in fact, it was the votes of those fans that would have the greatest impact on the induction process ... which was COMPLETELY contrary to the way things were done at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, who regularly told the fans (in a very in-your-face sort of way), "WE know music ... and you don't."

A friendship blossomed and we talked several times a year thereafter ... about virtually anything and everything.  It was a true learning experience for me ... and many of these conversations were almost done in a "father and son" sort of way.  Much of what he told me was strictly off the record ... but along the way he gave me a lot of advice as to how to improve Forgotten Hits, even running links and banners on his own website to draw attention to mine.  I met several people through John Rook who are still Forgotten Hits Readers, friends and associates to this day, not the least of which is Gary Theroux, who wrote and organized the original History Of Rock And Roll syndicated radio special.  I got the chance to meet Gary face to face over a Bakers Square breakfast a few months ago after probably hundreds of emails over the years.

Although it never got the recognition and attention it deserved, The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame was VERY dear to John Rook's heart.  He talked often about how he hoped it would one day exist in the form of a physical museum that fans could visit, much like what The Rock Hall has done in Cleveland.  I'm really not sure who would spearhead such a project today now that Rook is gone.

He tried to launch Hit Parade Radio on a nationally syndicated basis (with on-air personalities like Wink Martindale and Larry Lujack.)  That deal fell through (though there is still a link to listen to music by the inducted artists on The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame website.)

We almost lost John a few years ago when he had a heart attack ... but he wasn't ready to go and bounced back remarkably, just as sharp as ever, even poking fun at his own "almost demise".  Whether I agreed with him or not, John Rook was ALWAYS interesting to talk to. 

On countless occasions he told me how he wanted to name me to the Hit Parade Hall Of Fame Nominating Committee but couldn't because of my outspoken views on the failings of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  It was a Catch-22 situation for me ... as I knew I would never compromise my honest, gut-felt expression or soften my position on all the ways this organization has let down the fans over the past few decades.  I have never lost sight of what The Rock Hall could have been ... and SHOULD have been ... but it was sad for me, too, not to be able to partake in such an honor.

I AM happy and proud to report, however, that two new committee members were added as a direct result of my suggestions and conversations with John Rook ... Jerry Osborne and Scott Shannon now occupy seats on the committee and they couldn't be more deserving.

John vacillated a little bit on what he thought Forgotten Hits could be ... on one occasion he would tell me that it was the best music sheet out there today ... the attention to detail and the "from the heart" styling could make Forgotten Hits the next Gavin Report, he would say, referring to the very popular music bible sheet sent to radio stations in the late '50's and early '60's.  "You just need to get the right people to read it."

Then in the next conversation he would chastise me for being "too local" ... "you've got to give up your ties to Chicago if you ever want to make it" and focus on a more national scope.  "Some of the people you write about didn't do shit ... they were barely a blip on the radar.  Nobody gives a rat's ass about The Cryan' Shames or The New Colony Six.  In the scheme of things, they did NOTHING!"

But I stayed loyal to our local heroes (which I know drove him mad!) who received equal airplay alongside the biggest recording acts on the planet at the time ... on radio stations that John Rook himself programmed!!!  And, the truth of the matter is that these profiles, articles and interviews have proven to be some of our most popular over the years.  Along the way we've introduced thousands of music fans to GREAT music they may not otherwise have been privileged to hear back in the day.

And then out of the blue he'd do a complete turn-around.  When Jim Peterik of The Ides Of March asked me once if I had any idea who he might have met with at WLS that suggested the "call and response" treatment on their #1 Hit "Vehicle", I called Rook right away and he recalled the conversation nearly note for note that took place between himself, DJ Art Roberts, Peterik and one of the Warner Brothers execs, which we then shared with our readers.  Jim then included that story in his own biography.

For as long as I've known him (and, most likely, MANY years prior to that) John talked about writing a book about his life in radio.  It would encompass all he did along the way ... his childhood friendship with Eddie Cochran, his dabbling with an acting career, his stint as a broadcaster and then finding his niche as a program director that won him numerous awards.  He never really finished it ... but the best, heart of the matter stories can be found on his website:  http://johnrook.com/

Please also visit The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame ... check out the artists who have been previously inducted and vote for your favorite nominees on this year's ballot.
http://hitparadehalloffame.com/ 

I feel bad that I didn't keep in touch with John more than I did ... he was always a pleasure to talk to.  A few years ago he sent me an email that just said "Call me".  Come to find out he had lost all of his contacts and he was rebuilding his address book.  We ended up talking for nearly 90 minutes.  (I've always been REAL bad about staying in touch with people ... there just never seems to be enough time to do so ... and then you find out you're OUT of time ... and there will never be another time.  Sad.

Before I learned of his passing I must have thought to myself three or four times, "I really ought to call John ... check up on him and see how he's doing".  Too late now.  

Thanks for the education, John ... I appreciate it ... and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Check in with me from time to time from heaven ... and let me know if they're playing any Cryan' Shames music up there.
kk
Kent Kotal
Forgotten Hits 

George Martin - Random Stream Of Consciousness

March 10, 2016, 4:00 am

≫ Next: This Weekend ...

≪ Previous: It's Been A Rough Year ... And We're Only 69 Days In!

$

0

0

When you wake up in the morning and read a headline that says "The 5th Beatle Has Died" the educated mind immediately considers numerous possibilities ... 

Murray The K?  
No, he died YEARS ago

What about Billy Preston who shared label credit with The Fab Four when he worked with them on "Get Back" and what ultimately became the "Let It Be" album?
No, he's been gone for awhile now, too.

Pete Best?
Not likely ...
And Stu Sutcliffe (who actually WAS the fifth Beatle when the band had five members) died before the others achieved their worldwide success.

Over the years several people have CLAIMED to be (or have been designated as) The Fifth Beatle ... even their roadies Mal Evans and Neil Aspinall have been referred to this way at various times ... as has Brian Epstein, their manager (although not likely Tony Sheridan, who sang lead on their first single "My Bonnie" when The Beatles were still just a backing band) ...

The plain and simple fact is that the ONLY person who can legitimately lay claim to the "Fifth Beatle" title is Producer George Martin, who died on Tuesday at the age of 90.

After every other record company in London turned them down, Martin signed The Beatles to a contract with the Parlophone label, a division of EMI.  It hardly seemed the perfect fit on the surface ... Martin's experience was mostly in the comedy field (although The Beatles were familiar with his work as they were big Peter Sellers fans) and he was a good twenty years older than they were ... but somehow it worked.  (Martin remembered trying to single one of them out to be the "lead" at the time, as this is the way most groups presented themselves back then ... but realized that perhaps their greatest strength early on was the fact that all of them sang ... and sang very well together.)

As an ice breaker after their first full recording session, Martin asked The Fabs to let him know if there was anything they didn't like ... to which George Harrison (the so-called QUIET Beatle) replied "Well, for starters, I don't like your tie."  (Consider the ice officially broken!)

Martin also persuaded the band to consider changing drummers if they wanted to go further in their career ... a change that they had already been contemplating for some time.  Soon Pete Best was out and Ringo Starr was in.  (And then, of course, Martin famously hired a session drummer, Andy White, "just in case" Ringo couldn't cut it when The Beatles recorded their first single Parlophone single "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You", delegating Starr to tambourine and/or maracas, and literally tearing his heart out in the process.)

A couple of months later, after recording their second single "Please Please Me" (a song previously rejected by Martin), George proclaimed, "Boys, you've just recorded your first #1 Record.)  Shortly thereafter they knocked out their first album (also titled "Please Please Me") in a single day, thanks to a thirteen hour marathon session.  It quickly topped the charts as did nearly every album and every single they released thereafter. 

In the studio, it was a true partnership in every way.  In effect, they learned from each other, especially once The Beatles progressed beyond the simple "Love Me Do" / "From Me To You" / "She Loves You" phase into a more sophisticated style of music.  (It was Martin who suggested a string quartet for "Yesterday", one of the most-recorded songs in history ... and when The Beatles recorded "In My Life" and needed an instrumental interlude, John Lennon said "Play something like Bach" and Martin did.)  He was always there to overdub an extra piano or make a suggestion ... and to honor their most unrealistic requests. ("I want to hear what my voice sounds like when I'm hanging upside down submerged in a pool of water with a tennis ball in my mouth", perhaps a bit of an exaggeration of a typical recording session Lennonism ... but not by much!) 

For the orchestral crescendo that ends "A Day In The Life", Martin had some of London's finest classical musicians bewildered and befuddled as they randomly raised each instrument from Point A to Point B in an otherwise completely haphazard fashion.  Again, somehow it worked!

In fact, in their constant pursuit of new sounds and innovations, The Beatles regularly challenged him in the studio to take them farther than they'd gone before.  When John Lennon liked the first half of one take of "Strawberry Fields Forever" and the second half of another, he told Martin to put them all together.  George explained that they were recorded at different tempos and in different keys ... to which Lennon replied "You'll figure it out" ... and he did.  (By speeding up the first track and slowing down the second, it brought both takes into the same key.  Martin insisted for the rest of his life that the "splice" of those two takes meeting together jumped out at him like a sore thumb even though nobody else listening to the record could ever detect it!)

I had the pleasure of meeting George Martin once.  After he published his memoirs "All You Need Is Ears" he went on a short tour of The United States to promote his book and play some studio outtakes and separated tracks and alternate takes recorded by The Beatles and we were fortunate enough to be there for one of these showings.  (Keep in mind that this was YEARS before the "Anthology" CDs came out ... and even with an extensive bootleg library like mine most of what Martin brought to the party was stuff that virtually NOBODY else in the world had ever heard before.)  One of those examples were the two separate takes of "Strawberry Fields Forever" which he used to illustrate how the "blend" was achieved.

He also did a brief Q&A with the sold out audience and even answered one of our questions about recording techniques then vs. the technology of the early '80's.  Afterwards we waited through the long line of fans coming up on stage to shake his hand and thank him for the incredible lifetime of memories he had helped to provide over the years.

Most recently his son Giles has been helping to restore and upgrade The Beatles' catalog, first working with them on their "Love" / Cirque du Soleil extravaganza which has been playing at The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas for over ten years now.  (George knew his ears weren't what they used to be and wisely deferred to his son to helm the control board.)

He had a remarkable career and is probably one of the best known and most highly regarded producers of all time.  (He was knighted in 1996, a year BEFORE this honor was bestowed on Paul McCartney.)  Paul continued to work with Martin on several solo projects after the disbanding of The Beatles, perhaps most notably on his "Live And Let Die" James Bond Theme from 1973.  He also produced McCartney's "Tug Of War" and "Pipes Of Peace" albums as well as the soundtrack to the McCartney film "Give My Regards To Broad Street" in which he also appears.  (This means that George Martin was the man in the booth for the #1 Hit Singles "Ebony And Ivory" by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder as well as "Say Say Say" by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson.)  He also produced several albums by the group America as well as releases by Seatrain, Celine Dion, The Little River Band, British Invasion Acts Gerry and the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas and Cilla Black, the Shirley Bassey "Goldfinger" James Bond Theme, the Peter Frampton / Bee Gees "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" film soundtrack and Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana remake of "Candle In The Wind".

An extraordinarly remarkable career.
kk
Kent Kotal
Forgotten Hits

This Weekend ...

March 11, 2016, 3:51 am

≫ Next: The Sunday Comments ( 03 - 13 - 16 )

≪ Previous: George Martin - Random Stream Of Consciousness

$

0

0

We've been talking about it for months ... and now we're hearing commercials all over the radio for this historic show coming to The Arcada Theatre THIS SUNDAY, March 13th ... 
TOMMY ROE ... CHRIS MONTEZ ... AND A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES, recreating their 1963 UK Tour and playing ALL their greatest hits that came after.

Don't miss this very special concert event.

Here's our buddy Ron Onesti to tell you more about it ...

	UK 63..The Tour That Changed Music Forever " TOMMY ROE, CHRIS MONTEZ, and BEATLES TRIBUTE BAND

	Sunday, March 13 5 PM

	The History-Making SHOW OF THE YEAR!!! 1962 was an incredible year for American bubble gum pop superstars Chris Montez and Tommy Roe.  Chris released the million-selling smash hit "Let's Dance" and Tommy released a number one Billboard chart hit, "Sheila", both certified gold records.  On March 9, 1963, both embarked on a 21-concert in 23 days tour of the UK.  Liverpool locals "The Beatles" were added to the bill ... "Love Me Do" had already been a hit, "Please Please Me" topped the chart and their brand new release, "From Me To You", was gaining momentum.  Then, on March 22, 1963, right in the middle of this UK tour, The Beatles first album "Please Please Me" was released, and Beatlemania officially began ... and this was the last time The Beatles were ever an "opening act" again! Chriz Montez and Tommy Roe are certified Rock and Roll legends, back together to perform all their million-selling hits, and to recall the tour that changed music history forever,  LIVE at The Arcada Theatre ... INCREDIBLE! Tommy Roe's million selling hit songs include "Sheila", "Dizzy", "Everybody", "Heather Honey", "Hooray For Hazel", "Sweet Pea" and "Jam Up And Jelly Tight".  Chris Montez's million selling hit songs include  "Let's Dance", "Call Me", "The More I See You", "Some Kinda Fun" and "There Will Never Be Another You".  Opening the show, The Cavern Beat Tribute to The Beatles, featuring that fateful setlist including  "She Loves You", "Love Me Do", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "From Me To You", "P.S. I Love You",  "Twist And Shout", and others! Tickets start at $20

BUY NOW!

We're hoping you can join us for this very special event.

Complete ticket information can be found on the OShows website (www.oshows.com) or just click the "Buy Now" link above.  (And remember, Forgotten Hits Readers will receive a 20% discount by simply entering the code FHITS20 at checkout!)

The Sunday Comments ( 03 - 13 - 16 )

March 13, 2016, 9:10 am

≫ Next: Tommy Roe / Chris Montez / and Beatlerama: Our Concert Review

≪ Previous: This Weekend ...

$

0

0

Did you remember to "spring ahead" this morning?


 
The Beach Boys
After the death of Nancy Reagan last weekend this tape started circulating again.  (It just happens to have a "spring" tie-in of its own!)



Beginning in 1980, The Beach Boys used to perform an annual Fourth of July free concert at the foot of The Washington Monument until 1983 when The Secretary of the Interior banned them as "attracting the wrong element".  (I don't know WATT he was thinking!!!)
Nancy Reagan immediately came to their defense as did her husband, President Ronald Reagan, who bestowed the "America's Band" title on the music legends.  (Mike Love then deemed Nancy Reagan their "favorite California Girl" in the whole Californian Political Love Fest).
The Beach Boys were back at the foot of the monument performing to over 750,000 fans the following year (after playing to over a million people in Philadelphia at an afternoon concert earlier that same day!)  If nothing else, this could certainly attest to the fact that The Beach Boys drew a SIGNIFICANT element out to their shows.  (kk) 

More Beach Boys in the George Martin section below ... see George and Brian Wilson talk about "God Only Knows"  (kk)

John Rook

>>>Then in the next conversation he would chastise me for being "too local" ... "you've got to give up your ties to Chicago if you ever want to make it" and focus on a more national scope.  "Some of the people you write about didn't do shit ... they were barely a blip on the radar.  Nobody gives a rat's ass about The Cryan' Shames or The New Colony Six.  In the scheme of things, they did NOTHING!"  (kk)  
I feel sad that John has passed away, as he did a lot for Chicago radio and thus, for my listening ears and friendships.  I DO see where he comes from in his statement above, however, I would not pay much attention to FH if not for the local Chicago tie.  I feel I have been as big of an asset to FH as John has and all because of the Chicago tie ins.  I gave FH readers their chance to HEAR the Ides' Vehicle without the response, not John.  He was a radio legend, but we "little puny guys" that love more than just the BIG HITS that John likes to talk about and has been programmed to play for decades.  Without the Shames, NC6, Ides, etc, would there even BE a FH?? 
That said, John  Rook was indeed a legend and may he rest in peace. 
Clark Besch  

Charlie Tuna and Ron Jacobs died in the past week, too.
Bad week to be a radio legend.  

- Ron

Charlie Tuna was a fellow Nebraskan from Kearney.  He began in high school being on the local station there before he went to school in the mornings.  At KOMA, he became a one year legend and then off to LA and stardom.

Clark    

Very nice piece this morning about John Rook. Thank you for sharing some of your own experiences communicating with John. This year is clearly reminding all of us that this gig doesn't go on forever on our present venue.  Stay the course. FH is the best. Ever.
David Lewis

George Martin

I reallyenjoyed your piece on George Martin - not so much a "random stream of consciousness" but more a broad overview of all this man accomplished his long and successful career. 
In the scheme of things, how many superstar producers can one name?  George Martin ... Phil Spector ... are there even a dozen others that made the same kind of impact over the course of rock and roll's history? 
George will be missed ... but thankfully his creations will live on long after the rest of us are gone, too. 
Kate    

George Martin a grand soul.  He will be missed. 
He knew how tomake the music come alive and touch the soul... he gave breath and depth to notes and words.  
He helpedcreate musical masterworks.  
He made a huge impact on so many lives . 
I met him a few times and he was humble and kind and we talked touch about putting music to words or words to music. 
He was an inspiration and will continue  to inspire.

The Sufi Poets say All is music and found music is found 

in all things and George brought that to this planet 

in our time perhaps as much  as anyone ever did” 
Stephen John Kalinich     

Noted author Harvey Kubernik sent us this extended piece on George Martin to share with our readers ... 
 
Record producer Sir George Martin, known as the “fifth Beatles,” has died at age 90. His family issued a statement and thanked “everyone for their thoughts, prayers and messages of support" after his death at home on Tuesday, his manager said.  
Ringo Starr on his Twitter account revealed the news and stated, “Sir George "will be missed.”  
It was Martin who signed the signed the Beatles and produced more than 700 records, including studio efforts with Cilla Black, the Goon Show, and Gerry and the Pacemakers. 
Sir Paul McCartney on his website issued a statement about Martin. 
"I have so many wonderful memories of this great man that will be with me forever.  He was a true gentleman and like a second father to me. He guided the career of The Beatles with such skill and good humour that he became a true friend to me and my family. If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George.  
"From the day that he gave The Beatles our first recording contract, to the last time I saw him, he was the most generous, intelligent and musical person I've ever had the pleasure to know." 
“Perhaps the greatest of George Martin’s so many achievements,” insists Gary Pig Gold, “was his not only agreeing to even listen to Lennon and McCartney’s original material in 1962, but then recording and releasing it … without adding his name to the songwriting credits! He absolutely wasn’t acting like ANY other British record producer at the time, and the entire world has been made to sound a lot better because of it. To say the least.” 
Over the decades I had some encounters with Sir George Martin as well as engineers and producers who worked with him. I thought it was appropriate to share my trip with Cave Hollywood viewers.  
In 1976 I was introduced to George Martin at the opening of the Chrysalis Records office in West Hollywood on Sunset Blvd. We didn’t talk about the Beatles. Mr. Martin spoke about his production of Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow at the reception.  
Near the end of the last century I had another conversation one evening with Sir George Martin after he had faxed me on his letterhead a wonderful note lauding my production of a Ray Manzarek spoken word album. 
We met at the Hollywood Bowl the next time he was in Los Angeles when his office invited me to Martin’s sound check for a recital he was conducing and narrating of Beatles songs at the legendary venue. “The group did a lot of quality material,” he quipped around a rehearsal break that sunny afternoon. 
A handful of years ago, I connected again with Martin and his son Giles at the landmark Capitol Records building inside their renowned Studio B. It was a media gathering and playback unveiling for the Beatles’ LOVE album that day.
LOVE, the latest Cirque du Soleil creation, a co-production with Apple Corps Ltd., celebrates and respects the musical legacy of The Beatles andis presented exclusively at The Mirage in Las Vegas. 
The LOVE project was born out of a personal friendship and mutual admiration between the late George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté.  
As Music Director for LOVE, Giles Martin is at the epicenter of a revolution in the musical legacy of the Beatles while working side-by-side with his father, Sir George Martin. 
“Our first mission was to try and achieve the same intimacy we get when listening to the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios," volunteered Giles.  "The last thing we wanted to create was a retrospective or a tribute show.  The Beatles, above all else, were a great rock band.  With the manipulation of the tracks and the huge number of speakers in the theatre, the audience will feel as though they are actually in the room with the boys.   
“All the Beatles were very encouraging. After the initial demo thing they made me feel part of the process.  With both Ringo and Paul, my main memory, my biggest fondest moment, of the whole thing, was nothing to do with me, both Paul and Ringo said to me that I had been so sensitive with our material and really taken it in, and that means a great deal, but the thing that struck me was at Abbey Road was listening to ‘Come Together’ with them both and individually, they weren’t together at the time, ‘God, we were really good on this day. I remember this day. We really nailed this.’”   
"We wanted to make sure there are enough good, solid hit songs in the show, but we don't want it to be a catalog of ‘best of's’," reinforced Sir George Martin. "We also wanted to put in some interesting and not well-known Beatles music and use fragments of songs. The show is a unique and magical experience." 
“George and Giles did such a great job combining these tracks.  It’s really powerful for me and I even heard things I’d forgotten we’d recorded.” commented Ringo Starr. 
“This album puts the Beatles back together again, because suddenly there’s John and George with me and Ringo,” said Paul McCartney. “It’s kind of magical.”     
Inside the Capitol facility, Sir George and I talked briefly about a Frank Sinatra recording session he had attended in this very same room on his first visit to Hollywood, California in 1958. The EMI label sent him over the pond after Martin was invited by Capitol executive Voyle Gilmore to visit the famed Tower.   
Martin described that date when Sinatra was backed by Billy May’s orchestra while actress Lauren Bacall was in attendance. The songs cut were eventually placed on Sinatra’s Come Fly With Me LP.   
I had met all the members of the Beatles as a reporter and author and now wanted to make it a point to personally thank George Martin for discovering and signing the Beatles to their British record label deal in the first place. And to praise his persistent determination, along with Brian Epstein, encouraging Capitol Records to have some faith domestically in Martin’s groundbreaking Parlophone / EMI recordings with the band back in 1963. 
It was at my most recent Martin encounter, where one of his Beatles’ productions started playing in studio B. Try hearing their music over custom TAD monitors.
George then autographed a solo album, put his arm around me and enthused, “Pretty good stuff. Don’t you think?” 
In 2012 engineer/producer Ken Scott published a memoir, written with Bobby Owsinski,  Abbey Road To Ziggy Stardust. In the book, Scott, who worked under George Martin, confessed about the first time he was in the control room with the Beatles in 1964.   
He was booking tapes at the EMI studio library. Ken actually held the 4-track master tape of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love” when it was being prepared as the next Beatles single.
He subsequently attended the “I Should Have Known Better,” courtesy of engineer Norman Smith, and handclapped with Ringo and Paul for a take that wasn’t used.
Scott’s first day as a button pusher was on June 1, 1964, during sessions for A Hard Day’s Night. Songs not utilized in the film like “I’ll Cry Instead,” “I’ll Be Back” as well as “Matchbox” and “Slow Down.”
Eventually Ken worked on Help! and Rubber Soul, before engineering the White album. 
Did Beatles’ engineer Ken Scott have any ideas why we were talking about the Beatles’ catalogue, 50 years on? “Because of the changes going on in that period of time their music and they have become more important. They were very much a part of the major change within the western civilization. A lot of it stemming from the second World War. Because of the baby boom. Younger people were getting more of a say. More power. And that helped to change things, which they were a major part of.  
“I also feel that a lot of it is because it’s real. They were performances. It’s not like it is today where it’s all pieced together. Yes, we would do punch-ins and that kind of thing, but there wasn’t copying one chorus and putting it in every chorus so it’s always exactly the same. They had to sing and play everything. And they had this ability, which so few other acts had, the closest I would probably come is U2, but they had this ability of being able to take the audience, their audience through changes. Without losing them. They always moved just enough that they could pull their audience with them and have the audience grow along with them.” 
Scott has also watched the Beatles move from vinyl to cassettes to CD format. 
“To me it’s analog vinyl to CD. I find digital quite often cold compared to analog. There’s a warmth and a depth if you like to analog, be it vinyl be it tape that we don’t get in the digital domain. We will eventually, but we’re not quite there yet. The whole point for me was that we had to move away from vinyl, at least for pop music, because the vinyl that was being used for albums was becoming so bad and so noisy that records were becoming thinner and thinner. It had to change. The way we listen to music had to change. And CD’s, even as bad as they were, when they first came out, were better than the quality of the vinyl at that point. I think now there’s probably more the availability of vinyl has improved so the vinyl being used for the records is at a higher standard.”   
The one thing that astonishes me about the 50 year recording career of the Beatles on the EMI label, is that all this early work, well at least in 1963, was done without advocates, label support, and only faint music publishing interest from inception, under such skepticism and lack of any faith in the lads. 
“You’ve got this band that comes in. They have a moderate amount of success with a single which contains two of their songs and they’re signed to the EMI publishing company Ardmore Beechwood.  They are going to do a second single and the publishing company is asked, ‘So, do you want to sign them for publishing on the next single?’ And they turned them down. A complete lack of belief. The way I heard it, this is memory, and second or third hand, my understanding was that George (Martin) had to persuade Dick James to even sign them for publishing.  
“George knew Dick from a 1956 single of ‘Robin Hood’ he cut with him that Dick sang. Then he got into publishing. When George approached Dick about working with the Beatles, the way heard it, Dick was at that moment even considering leaving the publishing business. George said to him, ‘Look, I’ve got this band and Ardmore Beechwood has passed. Why don’t you sign them?’ ‘Oh, I don’t know…’ ‘Look, what have you got to lose? We’re going to do a single. Sign them and see what happens.’ And the rest is history. So there was a total lack of belief in anything that they were doing in the beginning.  
“I just received an award from him.  The Sound Fellowship of the United Kingdom’s Association of Professional Recording Services (APRS). The man who first kicked me out of the control room at age 16. Absolutely astounding moment.  
“Walking in his footsteps to a point and realizing. I think it first started to change when I heard David (Bowie) had called me ‘his George Martin’ on the BBC in England. And my first thing was ‘I don’t know if I like that.’ Then when I started to think thru it I realized how much I had taken from George and just that whole thing of allowing the artistic freedom. And you’re there to give advice. To control if you have to but don’t overdue that control.” “America and Hollywood in late 1963 was dealing with the loss of John F. Kennedy,” offered the late record producer and songwriter Kim Fowley.
“When the Beatles took over the charts and AM radio playlists, locally and nationally, I was a guy who had three hit records already. 
“All during 1963 a lot of regional labels passed on the Beatles. The Hollywood and L.A. record companies still had a shirt and tie vibe. They really didn’t want to let foreigners into their offices,” he laments.  
“Capitol Records went back to 1942. It was Capitol Records Distribution Company. Glenn Wallichs, songwriter Johnny Mercer, and Buddy DeSylva. Mercer had hits already in ’42—‘Skylark’ and ‘I Remember You.’ DeSylva was a songwriter and a production chief at Paramount Pictures, and Wallichs was the founder of Wallichs Music City in 1940, on Sunset and Vine in Hollywood. Wallichs got the newly-formed label distribution hustle together. Bandleader Freddie Slack and his orchestra, featuring vocalist Ella Mae Morse, recorded ‘Cow Cow Boogie’ in May of 1942 and was the label’s first million seller. 
“Then in 1964 I was at Dick James Music office in England hustling. They were the Beatles’ original music publishers via Northern Songs. Here come the four Beatles in suits with the neck ties and Brian Epstein their manager ran in and said, ‘everybody stand up and applaud the boys.’ And they walked in the door,” recalls Kim. 
“I met Ringo on two different occasions. Once in 1964 at the Ad Lib Club when I was introduced to him as the co-producer and co-publisher of ‘Alley Oop’ by the Hollywood Argyles.  He told me that the Beatles recorded my tune ‘Alley Oop’ at Abbey Road. They did it but it was never mixed down or issued. But it’s in the vaults at the studio. 
“It was in 1964 when Murray Deutch of the music division from United Artists Records came in who didn’t care about the Beatles’ movie A Hard Day’s Night, they just wanted the soundtrack override. That’s what he said to me. Murray had worked with Buddy Holly and now had the James Bond franchise. Mike Stewart of United Artists Records in America got the rights domestically, even though as you know, the Beatles were on Capitol Records. 
“A Hard Day’s Night was a big important moment in the development and the evolution of the rock song in film and the movie soundtrack as a retail item and stand-alone product itself.  
“In 1966 at the Ad Lib Paul McCartney was there, disguised and dressed as an Arab and walking around. I also met him at a party he politely crashed in St. John’s Wood down the street from him. Paul saw a bunch of cars parked and he dropped in to take a look, jumped back in his own car and split. 
“Also in 1966, I spent some time with John and Paul in London. Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys was in town doing advance publicity for the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and had an acetate pressing with him. I was asked to bring the Who’s Keith Moon over who brought John and Paul to the hotel room. They were both very impressed by the recording, left the hotel and went into the recording studio the next day and did ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ for Revolver. The both of them were able to digest and gauge the whole essence of Pet Sounds in one listening.
“I did meet Brian Epstein once time. It was in an underground garage at a hotel after a party and cars were being brought around. I said, ‘what is the secret of the Beatles success?’ And he replied, ‘surround your phenomena with specialists.’ It’s a line in my book, A Cellar Full of Noise. Why don’t you buy it and read it?’ 
“George Martin was the catalyst for the embryonic dreams of Lennon, McCartney, Starkey and Harrison. Martin was able to consolidate and expand their anticipation. He was a great editor.”   
Allan Rouse is the Project Coordinator of this monumental The Beatles in Mono undertaking. 
Rouse joined EMI straight from school in 1971 at their Manchester Square head office, working as an assistant engineer in the demo studio. During this time he frequently worked with legendary Norman (Hurricane) Smith. 
In 1991, Rouse had his first involvement with The Beatles, copying all of their master tapes (mono, stereo, 4-track and 8-track) to digital tape as a safety backup.
That gig was followed by four years working with Sir George Martin as assistant and project coordinator on the TV documentary The Making of Sgt. Pepper's and the CDs Live at the BBC and The Anthology.  
Further projects followed, including The Beatles Anthology,The First U.S. Visit and “Help! DVD and the albums Let It Be…Naked and LOVE along with George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh DVD and album. For a number of years now, Allan has worked exclusively on Beatles and related projects.  
I interviewed Allan Rouse from the U.K. at Abbey Road. 
Q: Can you discuss working with Sir George Martin as his assistant and project coordinator on the TV documentary The Making of Sgt. Pepper and Live at the BBC. After being involved in the new Beatles' digitally remastered releases is there even one more thing you learned or respected even more about what Sir George Martin contributed and brought into the sound of the Beatles' recordings?  
A: Having managed to get a job at Abbey Road Studios and working on many sessions as a tape-op then eventually engineer, I thought that the closest I was ever going to get to a Beatles experience was being able to work in Studio Two. However, to sit in my room many years later with George Martin researching the Beatles’ four track tapes for Sgt. Pepper’s was as good as it gets. At the end of that job I had no idea that I was going to work with George again and with the Live at the BBC I ended up spending many more months with him.  
“I think everybody learned a lot from each other during the sessions. It was a perfect combination of group, producer and engineers, but George’s previous musical experiences brought something different to The Beatles’ arrangements and productions that made them unique from other groups at the time.  
“I have had the good fortune of working on a number of projects in recent years that have involved re-mixing to stereo and 5.1 surround with remarkable results by engineers Peter Cobbin, Paul Hicks and Guy Massey. But, I still have the utmost admiration for the sound that the Beatles, Sir George Martin, engineers Norman Smith, Geoff Emerick, Ken Scott, Phil McDonald and Glyn Johns managed to achieve in the sixties with recording technology in its infancy.  
Musician and songwriter / performer, the late Doug Fieger, was Chief Knack member, whose band was best known for their number one smash, “My Sharona,” on the Capitol label.  
“The Beatles were unique. They had a unique harmonic structure. It was joyous. And it was good,” he said last decade.   
“They did whatever was necessary because of the limited amount of tracks. And they always, almost had all four of them playing at once. So, they were performances of each part of the song. So it wasn’t just tracking and overdubbing. Because of the way they had to record. So all four of them would get an assignment. A shaker, a maraca or percussion track. 
“‘How do you get a Beatles’ sound?’ People ask me all the time,” ruminated Fieger. “Earlier in the decade we encored with ‘A Hard Day’s Night.’ Well I say, for the early Beatles’ sound, you get flat wound strings and their fingers. That’s how you get a Beatles’ sound. They used to plug straight into the wall. They didn’t use amplifiers. Everything was being done ‘make it up as you go along and make hits.’
“George Martin brought humor because he was a comedy producer. He did the Goon Show record. He kept it clever and he also brought a musicality and an arrangement sense that they then learned from, obviously. But at the very beginning it was him. 
“I think more importantly than sonically, all the studios at the time were treated fairly similarly. That the plainness of the working space contributed much more than the sound. “If you record a sound well and then you treat it than you have good microphones. EMI made their own custom boards for all the Abbey Road studios in places like India and in Nigeria. The only place that didn’t get them was Capitol Records in the U.S. The record label we were on,” chuckled the proud 12-string Rickenbacker owner.     

-- Harvey Kubernik on Sir George Martin -C2016  
(Harvey Kubernik has been a music journalist for over 44 years and is the author of eight books. During 2014, Harvey’s Kubernik’s Turn Up the Radio! Rock, Pop, and Roll in Los Angeles 1956 –1972 was published by Santa Monica Press.  
In September, 2014, Palazzo Editions packaged Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows, a coffee—table—size volume written by Kubernik, currently published in six foreign languages. BackBeat / Hal Leonard Books in the United States.  
Harvey and Kenneth Kubernik wrote the text for photographer Guy Webster’s first book for Insight Editions published in November 2014. Big Shots: Rock Legends & Hollywood Icons: Through the Lens of Guy Webster. Introduction by Brian Wilson).    
In November of 2015, BackBeat / Hal Leonard in the U.S., Omnibus Press in the U.K. and four other foreign language editions published Harvey’s book on Neil Young, Heart of Gold.)

Check out this George Martin and Brian Wilson video, sent in by FH Reader Gary Pike, analyzing the classic Beach Boys hit "God Only Knows" (this is amazing!)




Read more here ...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-et-ms-watch-george-martin-los-angeles-god-only-knows-brian-wilson-20160309-story.html

KeithEmerson
The number of artists that we've already lost this year is staggering ... it's only March 13th!
Sadder still, as we all grow older and realize that NOTHING lasts forever, is to see an artist take his precious life at his own hands. 
Such was the case of Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake and Palmer.  Depressed because the nerve problems he was suffering from made him unable to play the keyboard, his inner demons finally became too much ... and if he could no longer enjoy his greatest joy he felt there was apparently nothing left living for.  So sad. (kk)

Drummer Carl Palmer posted this statement on his website:

I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and brother-in-music, Keith Emerson,
Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come. He was a pioneer and an innovator whose musical genius touched all of us in the worlds of rock, classical and jazz. I will always remember his warm smile, good sense of humor, compelling showmanship, and dedication to his musical craft. I am very lucky to have known him and to have made the music we did, together. 
Rest in peace, Keith.

Former bandmate Greg Lake issued this statement yesterday:

To all ELP friends and fans all over the world, I would like to express my deep sadness upon hearing this tragic news. As you know Keith and I spent many of the best years of our lives together and to witness his life coming to an end in the way that it has is painful, both to myself and to all who knew him. 

As sad and tragic as Keith’s death is, I would not want this to be the lasting memory people take away with them. What I will always remember about Keith Emerson was his remarkable talent as a musician and composer and his gift and passion to entertain. Music was his life and despite some of the difficulties he encountered I am sure that the music he created will live on forever. 

My deepest condolences go to Keith’s family.  

May he now be at peace.

Greg Lake 
London - March 12, 2016

Emerson, Lake and Palmer are another of those long-ignored Deserving and Denied artists we talk about who belong in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame but have never been recognized for their innovative contributions to the history and growth of rock and roll.  Maybe now, with all this renewed attention, they'll take a closer a look ... as usual, too late to honor these artists while they're still with us.

The group sold millions of albums and had a HUGE legion of fans ... but barely made a dent on the pop charts despite recording two of the most magnificent singles ever released ... "Lucky Man" (#48, 1971 and #51 when it was reissued in 1973) and "From The Beginning" (#34, 1972).  kk

Randy Meisner

After losing his wife to what's been ruled an accidental gunshot wound (despite numerous incidents in the past, including reported threats by Meisner to kill both himself and his wife in 2015 ... and another one earlier that same day when police were called out pertaining to a domestic dispute), former founding member of both The Eagles and Poco was institutionalized this week.

As reported here previously, Meisner had been suffering mental problems for a couple of years along with other health issues that prevented him from partaking in The History Of The Eagles Tour alongside other founding Eagles members Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Bernie Leadon.  (kk)

Meanwhile, Tom Cuddy sent us this recent interview with Don Henley in which he addresses the passing of Glenn Frey ... and states that the tribute they performed at The Grammy Ceremony was the final farewell of The Eagles.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35780920

Henley is due to perform here in Chicago at Ravinia this August.  (kk)   

Helping Out Our Readers   

>>>There have been many reissues or repros 45's issued. My question is about the King label and in particular Charlie Feathers. Is there a sure fire way you can tell if a King 45 is a reissue/boot from the original? Appreciate your help.  (Brando)

The Charlie Feathers 45’s were originally pressed on THICK vinyl with a dull color label.  All reissues – boots were pressed on vinyl with a glossy label and most had that outside ridge on the diameter of the disc.  Now some later pressings DID look like the actual original press but look in the trail out - - if you see the numbers 1972  or 1973 of course those are reissues also.

Jeff James

On the Charlie Feathers 45’s most of the King Label boots have a shiny newer look to the label and are a light styrene press. The originals are thicker vinyl (usually) and a flatter blue colored label. I can’t remember dead wax differences off hand, but Jerry Osborne may be able to fill that in.  

Ken

Two virtually identical answers from opposite parts of the country so I'm guessing this is the best giveaway.  (Actually we DID hear back from Jerry Osborne who was trying to put his hands on known copies of each to see what further determinations, if any, could be made.  (kk)

ThisAnd That

FH Reader Ken Voss sent us this piece about Rush officially "retiring" ...  

After 40 years, Rush has announced their retirement.  
We knew the day would come, we just didn’t know it would make us so sad. As of today, Canadian prog rock giants Rush are officially retired from touring, according to guitarist Alex Lifeson. Citing drummer Neil Peart’s physical inability to tour any longer due to increasing chronic arthritis pain, Lifeson confirmed that Rush’s critically acclaimed R40 tour last year was in fact the final Rush tour of their career – and that the future of the band at this point is “up in the air.” 
"His shoulders were hurting, his arms were hurting, his elbows, his feet, everything,” Lifeson added of Peart. “He didn’t want to play anything less than 100 percent. He was finding it increasingly difficult to hit that mark on this last tour.” 
In a new interview with Drumhead Magazine (via Jambase), Peart spoke frankly about his coming to terms with retirement. “… Lately Olivia has been introducing me to new friends at school as ‘My dad – He’s a retired drummer.’ True to say – funny to hear. And it does not pain me to realize that, like all athletes, there comes a time to … take yourself out of the game. I would rather set it aside then face the predicament described in our song ‘Losing It’ (‘Sadder still to watch it die, than never to have known it’).” 
Aside from aforementioned health issues, Peart previously mentioned his desire to spend more time with family. Following the tragic deaths of his daughter and first wife in the late ’90s, Peart remarried in 2000. He and his wife had a daughter, Olivia, in 2009.

>>>CHICAGO: Honor for Their Documentary "Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago" made its debut at the Sedona
> International Film Festival.  The documentary on the rock band Chicago was named Best of Fest at the Sedona International Film Festival.   Lost behind the wave of Oscars news this weekend was the honor given to the Peter Pardini-directed film. Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago made its world debut at Sedona.  It's another chapter in a year of excitement for the Windy City rockers.  (Tom Cuddy)   
I sure hope this documentary comes to DVD.  Would have been nice to wait till RNR Hall induction was over to add, but without Cetera, it would have been just another sad moment in some ways.  I know how good he was in the Exceptions, but Bill Traut once told me that when they were a band, Vincent and David were the best guitarists in the city.  SO, even then, Peter was not THE WHOLE BAND.
Clark Besch   

Because of scheduling conflicts we were unable to catch the Dennis Tufano fund-raiser / show Saturday Night at Taft High School.  This is one I REALLY wanted to see because Dennis was paired with The Chicago Experience, our favorite local / tribute band.  I assured local readers who might be attending two things about their appearance that night ... Peter Cetera would NOT be joining them on stage ... and the audience would be blown away by their performance.  Hoping to hear from somebody who was their to confirm that we were right on both counts!  (kk)

Kent ...
Check out this headline ...
HUSBAND MURDER WIFE WITH A HAMMER AFTER SHE SELLS HIS TICKET FOR AN ELVIS TRIBUTE BAND
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3480776/Husband-murdered-wife-hammer-sold-ticket-Elvis-tribute-band.html?ito=social-facebook
If it was the real Elvis, I might forgive him.  
A tribute band, no.  
Frank B. 

 

Tommy Roe / Chris Montez / and Beatlerama: Our Concert Review

March 14, 2016, 3:37 am

≫ Next: Sweet 16: ROAD TRIP (3-16-16)

≪ Previous: The Sunday Comments ( 03 - 13 - 16 )

$

0

0

It was EVERYTHING we hoped it would be ... an entire evening of "feel good" rock and roll ... as The Arcada Theatre recreated the magic of the UK Tour that took place exactly 53 years ago this weekend ... Tommy Roe and Chris Montez, co-headling the show with the then still-unknown ... but rapidly rising in popularity Beatles opening the program.

 Vintage 1963 Poster from EXACTLY 53 Years Ago Last Night!

As Tommy Roe told us backstage (watch for that interview tomorrow in Forgotten Hits) it didn't stay that way for long ... with THREE hit singles now under their belts ("Love Me Do", "Please Please Me" and the just-released "From Me To You" climbing the charts) and their first album hitting the streets mid-tour, The Beatles were a force to be reckoned with ... there was NOBODY on the planet at the time who could have followed these guys on stage in the wake of the pure and utter pandemonium they caused during their performance.

To best set up the events of this earlier time Ron Onesti booked Beatlerama, a great Beatles tribute band, who opened the show Sunday Night with a short set of early Beatles favorites ... "I Saw Her Standing There", "Please Please Me", "All My Lovin'", "From Me To You", "She Loves You", an outstanding version of "This Boy", "Boys", "Do You Want To Know A Secret", "Misery", "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and the show-stopping closer, "Twist And Shout".

The set was then cleared to bring out Chris Montez, who displayed PERFECT voice on his soft-rock hits "Call Me" and "The More I See You", as well as a loving tribute to Ritchie Valens ("Donna", "Come On, Let's Go" and "La Bamba", all performed to perfection), a cover of the Eric Clapton ballad "Wonderful Tonight" and his set-closer "Let's Dance", Chris' first big hit, during which he went out into the audience and danced with several female audience members.  (We're hoping to talk with Chris later in the week so be sure to stay tuned for that!)

Top photo by Frannie Kotal;

Bottom two photos by Luciano Bilotti

Finally, after a brief intermission, Tommy Roe took the stage.

 Photo by Luciana Bilotti

Tommy looked and sounded great, offering up a full assortment of greatest hits ("Sheila", "Everybody", "Come On", "Carol", "Sweet Pea", "Hooray For Hazel", "Heather Honey", "Jam Up And Jelly Tight" and, of course, his BIGGEST hit, "Dizzy".)

Photo by Frannie Kotal

He also did some other rock and roll standards as well as a track he says he had written for Elvis that never got recorded called "Glitter and Gleam".  (Tommy and Elvis shared the same record producer, Felton Jarvis.)  He had some more fun (and the audience in stitches) singing the Elvis tune "One Night" to an audience member in a VERY inviting way after she had requested that Tommy sing an Elvis tune during the soundcheck earlier that day.) 

Photo by Frannie Kotal

In between he told some great stories ("Sheila" started out as a poem called "Freda", written for a girl 14-year-old Tommy had a crush on) and played some other well known rock and roll classics before bring Chris Montez back out on stage with him for the grand finale medley of early rock hits like "Johnny B. Goode", "Rock And Roll Music" and "Bony Moronie".

Above two photos by Frannie Kotal

 
Photo by Luciano Bilotti

All in all, a fun night of "feel good" music, performed to a very receptive audience.  (At one point Tommy asked if he could bring everybody along for tomorrow night's show to insure another satisfied crowd.) 

Our FH Buddy Rick Levy has assembled a HELL of a band, all certainly deserving of a mention.

Besides Rick on guitar (and he wailed on that thing all night long), you've got Lee Brovitz on bass (who was all over the stage last night, livening up the stage show and slapping his bass in all the appropriate places), Michael Liddy on keyboards and Michael Campbell on drums, all of whom supplied an excellent musical backdrop along with some rich harmonies and filler

Here's Tommy's VERY Impressive Hit List ...
Some Classics To Be Sure!

 Photo by Luciano Bilotti

1962 - Sheila  (US - #1 / CHI - #1)
          Susie Darlin'  (US - #34 / CHI - #19)
1963 - Everybody  (US - #3 / CHI - #3)
1964 - Come On  (US - #27 / CHI - #28)
1966 - Sweet Pea  (US - #5 / CHI - #9)
          Hooray For Hazel  (US - #4 / CHI - #3)
1967 - It's  Now Winter's Day  (US - #21 / CHI - #11)
1969 - Dizzy  (US - #1 / CHI - #1)
          Heather Honey (US - #12 / CHI - xx)
          Jack And Jill  (US - #31 / CHI - #24)
1970 - Jam Up And Jelly Tight  (US - #4 / CHI - #3)             
          Stir It Up And Serve It  (US - #27 / CHI - #21)
          Pearl  (US - #30 / CHI - #17)
          We Can Make Music  (US - #35 / CHI = #16)
1971 - Stagger Lee  (US - #19 / CHI - #9) 

And here's a list of the biggest tracks Chris Montez put on the charts ...

1962 - Let's Dance  (US - #4 / CHI - #1)
1963 - Some Kinda Fun  (US - #43 / CHI - #9)
1966 - Call Me  (US - #22 / CHI - #17)
          The More I See You  (US - #14 / CHI - #10)
          There Will Never Be Another You  (US - #31 / CHI - #24)
          Time After Time  (US - #28 / CHI - #17)

By the way, the guys celebrated ANOTHER anniversary this past week ... on March 7th, 1969, Tommy Roe's #1 Hit "Dizzy"was certified GOLD!!!  Congratulations, Tommy!
kk

Sweet 16: ROAD TRIP (3-16-16)

March 16, 2016, 3:00 am

≫ Next: Thursday This And That

≪ Previous: Tommy Roe / Chris Montez / and Beatlerama: Our Concert Review

$

0

0

Here's the latest in our brand new 2016 / SWEET 16 Feature ... a Road Trip of sorts across our great nation ... sort of a "States of the Union" Address if you will!

Thursday This And That

March 17, 2016, 4:19 am

≫ Next: Forgotten Hits Interviews Tommy Roe (Part 1)

≪ Previous: Sweet 16: ROAD TRIP (3-16-16)

$

0

0

Wow, is it Thursday already?!?!?   

Sweet Sixteen:

Interesting ... since I am now loading the truck for a six week road trip, and will be on the road within an hour!

Brad 

So you had to open my email notice this morning thinking, "Just what kinda voodoo magic is going on here?!?!  How the hell does HE know what I'm doing right now!!!"  lol 

Have a good trip ... heading into the Chicago area at all on this jaunt?  (kk)  
Two weeks in Phoenix, one week in Las Vegas, one week close to Zion Nat'l Park, and one week on Lake Powell, close to north rim of the Grand Canyon.  Not close to Chicago. 

In Roswell, New Mexico tonight after 504 miles on the road.

Brad

Too bad ... would have been good to see you again.  Enjoy your travels!  (kk)

Hey Kent:  

I’ll list one from the Hometown ... “What Made Milwaukee Famous (Has made a Loser Out Of Me)” by Jerry Lee Lewis.

Ken

It's fun putting these Sweet 16's together ... on this one I challenged myself a little bit by only using state names rather than cities ... although I will admit that I probably cheated a little bit with "Virginia" ... but I've just always liked that song!  (lol)  kk

This And That

Kent ...

I bow to your superior radio knowledge.  

Scott Shannon spends two years thanking listeners for following him to WCBS-FM.  Now he's flashing back to his old station.  Maybe you can explain it to me.
http://wcbsfm.cbslocal.com/2016/03/09/scott-shannon-morning-zoo-reunion/

Frank B.

The Morning Zoo concept heralded in a whole new age of radio programming ... so I see this as more a salute to what Scott helped to launch in the early '80's than anything else ... and hey, who doesn't love a reunion???  With the #1 Show in town in today's current mark, I'd say Shannon can certainly afford to turn the clock back and remember a huge stepping stone in his career ... they had zillions of listeners who probably feel exactly the same thing.  It all boils down to good entertainment ... and my guess is this get-together will more than fill the bill.  (kk)

Speaking of Scott Shannon ...

Have you noticed lately that the pictures Scott Shannon runs of himself are almost "Zoolander" in nature?  Just age gracefully like the rest of us.  Many of us have been listening to your voice coming out of the radio for three or four decades now ... your track record speaks for itself.  There is absolutely NO reason that you have to try and be anything other than what you already are ... which is a rock and roll radio legend.

Trudy

LOL ... oh he's gonna LOVE this one!  (lol)  I try and listen to America's Greatest Hit on the weekends if I'm up early enough and in the car ... and I swear he sounds like Casey Kasem reincarnated.  The voice of Scott Shannon alone is powerful enough for me ... and millions of others ... so to that extend I have to agree ... just be who you are ... one of the greatest, most successful and most immediately recognizable voices on the radio.  It's all of THAT that got you where you are today ... and we love ya!  (kk)

Thank you, Kent, for the beautiful tribute to the Beach Boys!  I loved it.  It reminded why they are and always will be "America's Band."  Their music is timeless and classic.  Even George Martin had a deep appreciation for their music!

Blossmwrld

Kent:
I read your blog daily and today's was wonderful (as they all are). I enjoy the music news but I also learn something each and every time. Today I was reminded of how terrific the Beach Boys' harmonies really were thanks to you and that tribute you posted to Ron and Nancy Reagan. Those five sure sounded good when they sang a cappella. Many thanks sir. 

Santi in Miami

Kent ...

I recently got Joel Whitburn's latest chart book, "America's Greatest Hits".  That's weekly charts we're dealing with.  

My plan is to play the Top 10 each week in the Pub jukebox.
Today, 3/13/2016, I played the top 10 from March 13, 1954 and March 13, 1961.

Let me see ... that's 76 years ... 52 weeks in a year.

76 x 52 = 3952 weekly top 10 lists.  

If you talk to Joel Whitburn, tell him to wait awhile before he put out his next book.  

It's going to take me some time to get through these top 10 lists at the Pub!
Frank B.

I got my copy last week, too ... it's great, isn't it?  EVERY Top Ten Pop Chart from January, 1940 through December of 2015 ... incredible!

You can still order copies through Joel's website (with a five dollar discount) here:

http://www.recordresearch.com/billboard_chart_collections/americas_greatest_hits_top_10_charts_1940-2015.php

And, cooler still, Joel sent us a copy to give away to a Forgotten Hits Reader!  (I'm trying to decide if we should just do a random drawing or turn it into some kind of a trivia contest!)

If you're interested in this great new book, drop me a line ... just put "America's Greatest Hits" in the subject line and we'll enter your name in the drawing.  (Then, if we DO decide to do a trivia contest, we'll email the questions to everybody who registered ... which means you can't win a copy if you don't email me in advance!)  kk

We've been telling you about a new book coming out documenting the whole Steve Dahl Disco Demolition Fiasco from 1979 ...

We'll Chicagoland Radio and Media has ALL the details here ... including how you can preorder a copy for yourself today!

Nearly 37 years ago, the most famous (or infamous, depending on one's point of view) radio stunt of all time took place in Chicago. It was the WLUP-FM promotion "Disco Demolition Night" at Comiskey Park -- a promotion that was simultaneously a massive success and a massive failure. Soon, the definitive book on that historic event will be released, co-written by the man who was at the center of that firestorm: Chicago radio legend Steve Dahl.
"Disco Demolition" took place on July 12, 1979. The Chicago White Sox, then owned by Chicago native Bill Veeck, were doing poorly with attendance and were using gimmicks and theme nights to help draw people into their empty stands. Bill Veeck placed his son Mike in charge of coming up with promotions for the ballpark that year. Mike Veeck reached out to the then-fairly new and quickly popular rock and roll station, WLUP-FM/The Loop, to see if they wanted to do a promotion with him. Since the ballpark had previously had a "Disco Night," WLUP-FM Sales Manager Jeffrey Schwartz and WLUP-FM Promotions Director Dave Logan thought it would be a fun idea to have an "Anti-Disco Night" promotion.
At that time, WLUP-FM had recently hired up and coming radio personality Dahl for mornings. Dahl had been unemployed for a few months after his last station, WDAI-FM, flipped from a rock format to the dance format known as "Disco DAI." Thanks largely to that situation, he was championing an anti-Disco movement on his WLUP-FM morning show. Dahl would play a few seconds of a popular Disco song and then play the sound effect of the record player needle rapidly dragging across the record, followed by an explosion sound effect. Dahl even cut his own anti-Disco novelty song "Do You Think I'm Disco," which became a minor hit nationwide. Schwartz and Logan thought a promotion starring Dahl at Comiskey Park would be a great publicity stunt for the radio station, its new morning show host, and the Chicago White Sox. Mike Veeck wholeheartedly agreed.
The promotion let anybody into the July 12th double-header for the low price of only 98 cents (at the time, the Loop was branded as "FM 98") and a used Disco record, which would be collected and blown up. "Disco Demolition Night" was promoted heavily by WLUP-FM and the White Sox. It worked so well that Comiskey Park was completely sold out to its full capacity of a little over 44,000 seats. More that that, approximately 20,000 fans showed up who could not get in Comiskey, which did not sit too well with them. Those stuck on the outside did whatever they could to get inside the stadium, including breaking through locked gates and scaling the ballpark's outer walls. Comiskey Park was filled well beyond capacity and far beyond what the ballpark's security could handle.
Not all of the Disco records brought by attendees were collected. This left unwanted albums in the hands of rowdy fans, many of which were under the influence of alcohol and / or drugs. The albums slowly became flying weapons as the first game went on. By the time WLUP-FM's Dahl, morning co-host Garry Meier, and spokesmodel Lorelei took the field at the intermission between games, the crowd was already in a frenzy. Dahl's pyrotechnics of blowing up albums in crates on the field also lit a figurative fuse in the stands. The Loop fans came over the field's barricades and flooded the field. Between the too-powerful explosions and the rowdy fans ripping up bases and turf, Comiskey Park's field was unusable. The Chicago Police Department was called in to attempt to restore order and the Chicago White Sox had little choice but to forfeit the second game -- the last time that any American League team has been forced to forfeit a game. The stunning incident made news all across the country.
While "Disco Demolition Night" upset some die-hard White Sox fans, forced the team to forfeit a game, and caused a riot, it also served its purpose of drawing attention to the White Sox, growing Comiskey Park ticket sales, and drawing attention to WLUP-FM. The radio station and its morning stars, Steve Dahl and Garry Meier, were already popular, but this stunt helped raise The Loop's presence and popularity for years to come, while catapulting Dahl and Meier to super-stardom.
Over three and a half decades later, that fateful night is still firmly rooted in the memories of Chicagoans. Most everybody knows somebody who was there, was there themselves, or knows where they were when they heard about what was happening on Chicago's South Side on July 12, 1979.
Since that night, Dahl has been repeatedly asked about the event. He has finally decided to create a book that will be the definitive, inside story of this historic radio and baseball stunt.
Although he has done plenty of writing before -- from columns in the Chicago Tribune to blogs -- Dahl chose to enlist one of Chicago's best authors, Dave Hoekstra, to help write the new "Disco Demolition" book.
Hoekstra had been a Chicago Sun-Times staff writer/columnist from 1985 through March 2014, when he was forced out by one of the newspaper's many cost-cutting layoffs. He has also authored/co-authored numerous books and has been a contributing writer for such publications as Playboy magazine, Chicago magazine, and the Chicago Reader. He currently writes for his own website, DaveHoekstra.com, and hosts a weekend evening radio show for WGN-AM.

For this new book, Hoekstra and Dahl conducted nearly three dozen interviews of those involved with "Disco Demolition," to properly gain a complete insight to the historic 1979 stunt. This was in addition to Dahl's own recollections.
Among those interviewed include Mike Veeck, current White Sox radio play-by-play announcer Ed Farmer, former and current White Sox players, Grammy Award-winning disco musician/producer Nile Rodgers (who talks about that night's impact on Disco music), and many others.
The result from those interviews and recollections, along with Hoekstra's award-winning ability to craft stories, is the new book entitled "Disco Demolition: The Night Disco Died."
Along with the words from Dahl, Hoekstra, and other contributors, the book features plenty of incredible photographs from top Chicago photographer Paul Natkin, who was at this event and documented it via his camera lens.
Suburban Chicago native and famed comedian/actor Bob Odenkirk contributes a foreward to the book. Odenkirk had previously co-written a screenplay about "Disco Demolition" for a movie that was never made.
"Disco Demolition: The Night Disco Died" is being published by Chicago-based Curbside Splendor Publishing, which was once named "Best Chicago Indie Publisher" by Chicago magazine.
The hardcover book runs 250 pages, with a list price of $34.95.
"Disco Demolition: The Night Disco Died" was originally scheduled to be released on April 12th. However, that release date was recently pushed back to July 12th, which not-so-coincidentally coincides with the 37th anniversary of the actual "Disco Demolition" event.
Pre-orders for the book can be placed with Curbside Splendor Publishing or many online book sellers, including Amazon.com (where pre-orders currently get the discounted price of just over $25).
Dahl continues to be a top Chicago radio talent, working two jobs each day for his fans. He does a weekday midday show for his many die-hard followers via his paid subscription podcast site Dahl.com, as well as a live weekday afternoon show on WLS-AM. Dahl (along with his former radio partner Meier) were inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2013.


(All photos by Paul Natkin)

Kent,

I know you probably already know this, but I read online that singer Gogi Grant passed away a few days ago at the age of 91.  

She's best known, of course, for her 1956 recording of THE WAYWARD WIND.

You mentioned a few FH's back that rock and roll has lost quite a few performers just now into some three months of the year. Kent, don't be surprised that as the year goes go by, more artists, as the group Queen said in a record, ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST. Artists like Chuck Berry and Fats Domino are in their eighties. I am reminded of the song Johnny Cymbal recorded back in 1963, his follow-up to MR BASS MAN, that being TEENAGE HEAVEN.

Larry
I always liked "The Wayward Wind", a #1 Hit in 1956.  Let's spin it again in Gogi's honor this morning.  (kk)

Superstar Classic Rock Duo Pat Travers and Carmine Appice Reissue

Their Ball-Busting Full-Length Collaboration, Release New Video!

Los Angeles, CA - Guitarist / vocalist Pat Travers and legendary drummer Carmine Appice, of the mighty Vanilla Fudge and formerly with Rod Stewart’s band, have joined forces a number of times over the years, and the end result has never been anything less than outstanding. When these two giants of classic rock meet, sparks fly, the earth shakes, and the audience definitely gets ROCKED! Recently, the boys have decided to revisit their first full-length collaboration, 2004’s It Takes A Lot Of Balls, a supercharged, full throttle piece of real deal rock and roll majesty, giving it a new face, a wider audience, and some additional bells and whistles. On March 4, Deadline Music will release The Balls Album, a reissue of the 2004 album with all new artwork and two bonus tracks including a monster cover of Barry White’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” The album contains some of the bluesiest ball busters of all-time including “Taken,” as well as the fist-pumping anthem “Rock Me!”

Appice offers this praise for his co-conspirator, “I love playing with Pat. He is a great artist, and this was one of the best albums I have made, especially in such a short time - three weeks to make! Great songs, great playing, lots of energy, and each track has a lot of BALLS!” Travers likewise enthuses about his partner, saying “I have been a fan of Carmine since 1967. I followed his career over the years and was very pleased to meet him when he was playing drums for Ted Nugent in 1981. We did a lot of shows together and got to know and like each other along the way. I would bump into Carmine at this and that affair over the years and then in 2003 we had a blowout jam at the Dean Markley Strings booth at NAMM. We decided that we should record an album together. That led to me going to LA and recording this amazing album. Hope you got ‘Balls’!”

Check out this legendary duo in a brand new video for their Barry White cover “Never Gonna Give You Up”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yriBJ1_-DWc

Keith Emerson may have been known as a master of the synthesizer.  However, people seem to overlook the fact that he was quite a refined and professional all-around keyboardist. 

The magnificent piano virtuoso on tracks like TRILOGY and TAKE A PEBBLE. 

Or the concertina lead on the instrumental verse of C'EST LA VIE, giving the Greg Lake-penned vocal track that "Parisian" feel. 

Tal Hartsfeld

Kent ...

Carl Palmer is trying to put together a June tribute concert for Keith Emerson.
http://wcbsfm.cbslocal.com/2016/03/14/carl-palmer-to-organize-keith-emerson-tribute-concert/
Frank B.

Hey Kent:  

It’s a Cryin’ Shame by Gayle McCormick also was a chart 45 here in Milwaukee. Appr. A #20 hit in the early Fall of ’71. Nice Tune, Beautiful Girl!

Ken

Man, I can't think about how many times I looked at Gayle McCormick's phone number and still didn't pick up the phone and call her for fear she'd take it as an intrusion.  

Stay the course. FH is the best. Ever. 

David

Please put me on your mailing list so I can receive your information, which is very informative.

Thank you,

Andrea Siegel

If you're not already a Forgotten Hits subscriber, you're going to want to become one soon.  Right now we mainly use the list to update readers about special features and series on the site ... but very soon what comes via email will be different than what the rest of the world sees on the web page ... so you may want to get on the list NOW so that you don't miss anything in the months to come.

Just drop me an email with the word "Subscribe" in the subject line and we'll put you on the list!  (kk)

Some Great Shows Coming Up

Check this out ...

City Winery Chicago, 1200 W. Randolph Street, announces The Weight, comprised of members and collaborators for The Band. Tickets go on sale to the public on Thursday, March 17, at noonat citywinery.com/chicago. 

The Weight 

Friday, June 10, 7:30 pm and 10:00 pm   
$36/$40/$44/$48

A passing wish of Levon Helm was for the music and spirit of The Band to live on. To that end, surviving members of The Band - guitarist, singer-songwriter Jim Weider and dual drummer, singer-songwriter Randy Ciarlante - have formed The Weight, a quintet dedicated to furthering the essence, music and vibe of The Band through intimate live concerts and selected festival appearances. Remaining authentic in its sound and legitimate in its heritage, the brotherhood-based lineup includes Marty Grebb, who wrote and recorded with The Band, plus Byron Isaacs and Brian Mitchell, both members of Levon’s Ramble Band. Fans and critics alike have reviewed The Weight’s performances as truly soulful experiences enhanced by passionate deliveries and masterful musicianship.

So good to hear that Marty is out there playing music ... Dennis Tufano told me these guys sound great ... so check 'em out if you get the chance!  (kk)

Looking ahead through June, we've got a GREAT line-up of artists coming into the Chicagoland area ...

Also coming to City Winery Chicago ...

Graham Nash - May 11th and 12th

JD Souther - May 25th

The Cathy Richardson Band - May 27th

At the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan ...

Vicki Lawrence and Mama, tomorrow night ...

And then Jerry Seinfeld on Saturday

April 1st - Jethro Tull - written and performed by Ian Anderson

April 6th - Meatloaf

April 7th - David Sanborn

April 16th - American with The Grass Roots

May 13th - Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo (an intimate and acoustic evening of music)

May 20th - Heart

Always something interesting and exciting going on at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles ...

Friday Night, March 18th - Rick Springfield

March 19th - The Cornerstones of Rock (featuring all of our Local Heroes from the '60's and '70's)

March 25th - Blue Oyster Cult

April 8th - a special '80's show featuring The Tubes, The Motels and The Smithereens

April 9th - Steven Wright

April 15th - Tax Day Blues with Robert Cray

April 16th - Randy Bachman

April 17th - John Waite

May 6th- Crystal Gayle

May 7th - The Alan Parsons Live Project

May 8th - Frankie Avalon

May 11th - John Anderson and Jean Luc Ponty

May 12th - Todd Rundgren

May 13th - The Orchestra (featuring former members of Electric Light Orchestra and ELO)

May 15th - Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.

May 19th - Paul Anka

May 20th - The Electric Strawbs

May 29th - The Zombies

June 4th - Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone

And don't forget Donny and Marie, performing at The Paramount Theater from May 25th thru May 29th

And, speaking of great shows ...

Tommy Roe

Wish I could have been with you at the Tommy Roe - Chris Montez concert Sunday night. According to your FH today, Chris didn't sing his 1963 tune SOME KINDA FUN, which was my favorite of his.

Larry Neal

No, Chris didn't do that one, a Top Ten Hit here in Chicago, but he sounded great.  Wish we could have had more Forgotten Hits Readers out for the show ... it was really quite good.  (Even The Beatles-guys were outstanding!)  kk 

Hi Kent,  

Looking at the cool poster you presented to accompany the great review of the Chris Montez - Tommy Roe - Beatlerama concert, there was at least one other performer who went on to achieve worldwide fame. The UK group, the Viscounts were a three man outfit of which Gordon Mills was a member. Mr. Mills later managed the careers of Engelbert Humperdinck and Tom Jones, and co-wrote (with Les Reed) Jones's signature song, "It's Not Unusual". 

Mike Edwards

Kent ...

You left this one off your Tommy Roe song list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4EJUE7O8l0
Frank B.

That's because it wasn't a hit - but Tommy and I did talk about it - you'll find it in our Forgotten Hits Interview coming up this weekend!  (Tommy feels certain it WOULD have been a hit had California Chrome won The Triple Crown ... and I'd have to say that at the very least it probably would have gotten a considerable amount of airplay!)  kk

I know it wasn't a Hit, but - I liked it.

Frank

I did, too ... and we played it quite a bit.  In fact Forgotten Hits got an exclusive "sneak peek" on this track before it was made available to the public!  (Now how cool is that?!?!?)  kk 

We told you about the GREAT Tommy Roe show we saw last weekend at The Arcada Theatre.  We also got the chance to visit with Tommy backstage for an hour before he went up to do his set.  Thanks to a pretty heavy workload out here in the real world, that interview has taken a little longer than expected to edit ... but this weekend you'll be able to enjoy the whole thing ... so be sure to check back for that!

Meanwhile, scroll back to Monday's posting (March 14th) to read our complete concert review.  (kk)

---

Forgotten Hits Interviews Tommy Roe (Part 1)

March 18, 2016, 3:33 am

≫ Next: Forgotten Hits Interviews Tommy Roe (Part 2)

≪ Previous: Thursday This And That

$

0

0

Last Sunday (March 13th) we went to the Tommy Roe / Chris Montez / Beatlerama Anniversary Show at The Arcada Theatre in beautiful downtown St. Charles, IL ... and before the concert, I had the chance to visit with Tommy Roe backstage for a little while.  (Tommy and his band leader / guitarist Rick Levy have been big supporters of Forgotten Hits over the years so it was nice to finally meet both of them in person.)

Frannie came with me backstage to snap a couple of pictures ... (her very first comment afterwards was, "Boy, he's still really cute!"  lol) ... and I've got to tell you that I have to agree with her ... Tommy still looks and sounds great.  (He told me that he's about to turn 74 but he easily looks 20-25 years younger than that ... and displayed a lot of energy on stage during his excellent performance.  (Scroll back to Monday, March 14th, to read our full review.)

We talked about all kinds of things ... going back to the very start of his career ... on up through his headlining tour of England in early 1963 when The Beatles were one of the opening acts on the bill ... his stint in the army ... his big late '60's resurgence with some of the biggest hits of his career ... what he calls his "five retirements from show business" (lol) ... right up to his brand new 2012 Album "Devil's Soul Pile" and this new reunion / anniversary tour which has taken Tommy and Chris back to England, back to Washington, DC, where they opened for The Beatles' very first American concert and now out on the road so other folks across the country can enjoy the excitement of this music again.

Because we were all over the board when we were talking, I've reworked this interview to run in a more chronological order ... so get ready to join us as we talk to Tommy Roe!

*****

Kent Kotal / Forgotten Hits:  You recorded "Sheila" a couple of years before it became a hit … a completely different version … and really a whole different sound … that got some airplay locally down in Atlanta ... 

Tommy Roe: Yeah, while I was in high school.   

kk: And then you re-recorded it again a short while later and that's the one that finally clicked ... it had a "Buddy Holly" kind of feel to it, which I'm assuming was a very intentional kind of sound you were going for on your part …

TR:  Yes, yes it was … here's the deal.  
I recorded "Sheila" when I was in high school with my band in high school called The Satins.  We put a band together and we played at dances and sock hops and after the basketball games in the gym and so I recorded the song locally with the band in Atlanta and it got a lot of airplay in Atlanta.  Paul Drew was a deejay there on the 50,000 watt WGST station and he played it on WGST so it got a lot of recognition and Felton Jarvis was in the marines at the time and he heard the record while he was in the marines and when he got out he wanted to become a producer and he got with Bill Lowery and they worked out a thing for him to start producing some records, which he did with Ray Stevens … and they produced Gladys Knight and the Pips' first hit "Every Beat Of My Heart", which was produced by Felton in Atlanta.  

kk:  And of course he went on to produce everybody!

TR: Yeah, he ended up producing Elvis!   
So, Felton and I became real close friends and he said, "I'm gonna take you to Nashville and I'm gonna record you down in Nashville" and honestly, I'd already kind of given up because I'd made these records and they hadn't really done much other than locally so I was at a point where I was thinking "I'm not going to be able to make it in the record business" ... but Felton talked me into re-recording "Sheila" and he said "We're gonna do it different."  He said, "You know there's a vacuum left of Buddy Holly … there are still a lot of Buddy Holly fans out there so we need to do something to draw attention to you so I'm gonna put 'Buddy Holly drums' on 'Sheila'" ... and I wasn't really crazy about that whole idea because I was a big fan of Buddy Holly's and I felt like we were sponging off of him and his whole sound.  So anyway, that was Felton's whole idea … and we went to Nashville and recorded two songs … we recorded "Save Your Kisses" and "Sheila" and "Save Your Kisses" ended up as the A-Side of the record because "Sheila"… I HATED "Sheila" when we left the studio and I felt like we had really screwed my song up here.  
And radio worked on "Save Your Kisses" for awhile and it didn't do anything and then Buddy Dean in Baltimore, he was a deejay there and he had a tv show kinda like "Bandstand" but it was a Baltimore show with Buddy Dean, and he flipped the record over, played it, and it became #1 at his station there in Baltimore … and next thing it was #1 everywhere.  




And I was still working at General Electric at the time and Bill Lowery calls me up at work one day and says … and I had just taken this job and it was a great job … my cousin had got me the job … and he called me up at work one day and said that I need to think about turning in my resignation and quit my job at GE because it looks like I've got a hit record.  And he couldn't talk me into it.  I said, "Hey, I just landed this job!" and I was married and I had a little kid so he laughed and he said, "Come by the office and we'll talk" ... so that night I went by the office and we talked and I said, "Bill, I can't quit this job … I just got the job and I had a little girl and a family to support and it's a job that I can have for a long time and I felt secure about it" so he laughed and he leaned back in his chair and he said "So let me tell you what … let me give you an advance against royalties ... you take it home and you and your family talk it over and think about it"… and he wrote me a check for $10,000.  I didn't make $10,000 in a year … this is back in 1962 … and my dad and I together didn't make $10,000.   
So I was shocked with that and I went home with the check and my mom and dad looked at it and said, "Well look, you're young, so this is really your choice" ... and you know the thing that I was really upset about was that my cousin had got me the job.  You know, Jackie Densmore was my cousin and he went out on a limb to get me this job and what hurt me more than anything was telling Jackie that I was gonna quit the job after he'd stuck his neck out for me.  So I said "Dad, what's Jackie gonna think?"  And he laughed and he said, "Well, don't worry about it, I'll take care of Jackie"… he said "Go ahead and do what Bill wants you to do and see what happens" and so the next thing I knew I was on the road and I really wasn't prepared for it.  The very first tour I did was with Sam Cooke … I was just totally unprepared for it … I'd never played professionally before, just locally with my band so I had a learning experience here of what to do and I mean you fail and you learn from your failures.  But that's how it all happened … and I hit the road.     
Funny story ... right after the Sam Cooke tour they put me on a tour through the midwest and they had a lot of ballrooms in the midwest, if you remember, in the '60's and you could do like ten shows in a row in these ballrooms … so they sent me out on this ballroom tour with a promoter named Jimmy Thomas, who lived up in Minnesota, I think, and I was doing the tour and I was collecting cash, ya know, 'cause they used to pay you in cash when you were on the road.  
So I come home and Bill asked me, "You know, you've got all this cash … what do you do with the cash when you're travelin' around" and I said "I just put it in my suitcase" and he said "What do you do when you're flyin' around?" and I said "I put it in my suitcase and I check it on the airplane" and he's like "WHAAAT?!?!  You check your bag with $10,000 in cash in it on the plane?!?" ... but in those days I never lost a dime!  It was a different time and you didn't think about stuff like that.  And I was so naïve anyway but here I was going around and checking my bag with $10,000 in it and you do that today and man, it'd be gone in a minute!

kk:  So it sounds like your parents were very supportive of what you wanted to do. 

TR:  Oh, they were.  Well, my dad played guitar, you know …

kk:  No, I didn't know that

TR:  Yeah, he taught me to play the guitar so he was very instrumental in me getting into the business.   
When he first bought me the guitar, I had wrote … and I'll tell the story on the stage tonight … I wrote this poem about this girl that I was going to school with named Freda and that's how that all happened. He taught me three chords on the guitar and I thought, "You know if I can put some music to these silly poems I'm writing, maybe I can be a songwriter", and that's how that all happened.
It was originally called "Sweet Little Freda".  So yes, they were very supportive.
And my dad had a band … he passed away a few years ago … he was 94 years old … and he passed away a few years ago … he died in his sleep, and that's the way to go.  Anyway, he had a little band, a little bluegrass band, in Alpharetta, Georgia, and he used to play at the barber shop and every time he'd go and get his hair cut, he'd sit up there at the barber shop and I used to love to listen to them play.  I recorded them one afternoon at my farm in Georgia and I've got this old tape of my dad and his band playing all this old bluegrass music and it's really cool.  

kk:  That IS cool ... but obviously, even as a southern boy, it was rock and roll that did it for you.

TR:  Well, dad didn't like that too much … he was a country guy, you know … and I was into … I used to listen to all that R&B stuff when I was a kid in Atlanta and you couldn't hear it in the daytime … you could only hear rhythm and blues, black music as far as that goes, in the south, late at night. And there was a station there called WALK and there was a deejay named Zenas Sears and he would come on like at 11:00 at night and I would turn my radio on and mother always wondered why it was hard to get me up to go to school because I was up all night till two in the morning listening to John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Bobby "Blue" Bland and all that stuff that they played, which you couldn't listen to in the daytime.  That's how I got into it.   
And then my band, when we first started out in high school, we did this stuff … I used to sing Jimmy Reed, believe it or not, all his songs I would sing ... and we had a harmonica player in the band called Drolet Bush and he would play the harmonica and we would do this blues stuff with my high little voice (lol) and play fraternity parties and they loved it, you know, they danced to it.  

kk:  I remember when I first started doing Forgotten Hits I would write about how I would go to bed at 10:00 and I always had my radio on under my pillow so my parents wouldn't know that I was still listening to the radio when I was supposed to be sleeping … and I'll betcha I got a thousand letters from people ALL over the country that said "You, too?" (both laughing), which is really funny because, you know, you thought you were the only one … and then you find out that EVERYBODY did that … EVERYONE was doing it … because back then we LIVED for this music … and we couldn't get enough of it.  We absolutely lived for it ... and those are the people that Forgotten Hits connects with.

TR:  Yeah, yeah.  I love the way you manage your site because you tell the real stories and you get all these readers to open up and share their memories and it brings it all back.
I never will forget the first record player they bought me … we bought everything at Sears … you know, my dad and mother, they always shopped at Sears … and the first guitar I had was a Silvertone, which he bought at Sears, and it had a neck like a two by four ... I mean I could hardly get my hands around it …

kk:  Yeah, and you needed like a vice to push the strings down!  (lol)

TR:  Yeah, Unbelievable.  And so the first record player they ever bought me was a Silvertone and it always sat right next to the bed with the volume in the front so I could play it real low at night, you know.

kk:  Yeah, once you're hooked you're hooked … there's just no escaping the music … no goin' back.

TR:  Yep, those were the days … it's like you say, once the genie's out of the bottle, you can never put it back in there but it was a wonderful time to grow up as a teenager, in the '50's and '60's.

Tomorrow inForgotten Hits ...

Tommy Roe "Meets The Beatles" ...
And tries to get them signed to an American record deal.
(Think about it ... Tommy Roe COULD have been the guy who introduced The Beatles to America!!!)  kk 

 

Forgotten Hits Interviews Tommy Roe (Part 2)

March 19, 2016, 5:00 am

≫ Next: Forgotten Hits Interviews Tommy Roe (Part 3)

≪ Previous: Forgotten Hits Interviews Tommy Roe (Part 1)

$

0

0

Our interview with Tommy Roe continues today in Forgotten Hits ...

Kent Kotal / Forgotten Hits:  I know that this is a show we were very excited to see come to Chicago ... especially after we heard about the Beatles Weekshow you guys did there at the Cavern Club Lounge in England and then recreating the very first Beatles concert here in America in Washington, DC, a couple of years ago for the 50th anniversary of that concert.    

Tommy Roe:  Well, what they're doing here is cool because it kinda throws it back to the beginning with The Beatles and all that so it should work … I mean, let's see what happens … but the concept definitely works and Chris and I, we've done a few shows like these now and it's great to come out and play the hits and tell some of the stories about what it was like to be there at the time, headlining for The Beatles!   

kk:  Well if you think about it, it's like the EXACT anniversary of when that tour took place.  I ran a poster on the website the other day that was dated March 13th, 1963 … and now you guys are here … ON March 13th ... doing the show 53 years later!

TR:  That's amazing.  Ron [Arcada President Ron Onesti] has a poster here that we'll be signing in the lobby after the show dated March 14th ...

kk:  Which is TOMORROW ... so it's just all that much cooler to know that this is REALLY the anniversary of those shows.  I mean who would have ever thought back then … 

TR: I know, I know! 

kk:  So let's talk about that ... when this whole thing started with you and Chris Montez being invited to go over to England to headline a tour.

In hindsight it seems like kind of an unusual pairing ... plus an INCREDIBLE opportunity so early in your career. Let's face it, you guys really didn't have the stable of hits that you would go on to have and can perform at a show like this today.  You guys were basically just kids who each had one big record under your belts. So how did that whole thing come about?  You and Chris each had had one big hit at that point so how does the idea of packaging you both together to headline a tour of England come about?   

TR:  Well, it's interesting how all that happened.   

"Shelia" and "Let's Dance" were both hits at about the same time … they were very close together and so when "Sheila" was #1 and I think "Let's Dance" was #2 here in The States, they booked Chris and I on a Sam Cooke tour and that's when I met Chris, when we were on the Sam Cooke tour, and we hit it off … we just clicked and we both enjoyed being with each other.  The tour went great … and we always used to laugh about how that tour was such a great learning experience, working with Sam Cooke, because he was quite an entertainer.   

So we did the tour down south, in the southeast, and I come to find out that it was an all black tour … Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Jerry Butler and the Impressions and maybe three or four other acts, I can't remember all of them … but it was a big African-American Tour … and this was in 1962, when you still had segregation in the south.   

So as we're out on the road I come to find out that they always booked one white guy on the tour because they couldn't stop in restaurants, so I was kind of like the runner.   

They would park the bus down the street from a mom and pop store … I mean they didn't have places like McDonald's and Burger King and all of that back in '62 ... so we'd stop at a little mom and pop roadside restaurant hamburger joint.  They'd park the bus and then they'd send me out to get sandwiches.   

I did for a few days and I thought, "Hey, you know, that's kinda weird … I've got the #1 record in the country and I'm  runnin' out for sandwiches!"  But they did that with all the white guys … in fact, Buddy Holly did it … all these guys that were booked on these tours … Dion did one of them … and that's just the way they did it down south at that time.  And with me, you know, I never thought … I mean I was born into segregation and I had no idea about it until I turned into my teens and then I began to realize this picture ain't pretty, ya know. But when I was a kid, you have to understand, that I was born into a situation.  You don't even think it's different because you've never been anywhere.  You think that's just the way it is, right?   

So here I am, a BIG fan of African-American music, all the rhythm and blues I listened to on the radio and I was just a huge fan so when I was booked with Sam Cooke I thought, "Oh man, this is fantastic!"  

So that's how Chris and I met and we had a great tour in the south and then right after that tour, my manager got a call ... I think from Chris' manager … we were both of the same agency at the time … I think it was GAC … and they wanted to know if Chris and I would like to go to England together since we had kinda hit it off and do a tour together over there.  

So they put the tour together, booked it, and we both had #1 records in England … "Sheila" was a big hit, "Let's Dance" was a big hit … and we went over to do the tour and The Beatles were like a featured act on that tour … and nobody knew who the hell The Beatles were at that time ... but we knew after the first couple of shows we did … I think Chris was closing the first half and The Beatles were opening the second half or something like that ... and it was just pandemonium once they got on stage.   

We changed the show around after about the third day and The Beatles ended up closing the tour.  And it's the only way we could have finished the tour because they would have just fallen apart, ya know.  

And it happened the same way right after that with Roy Orbison.  He was closing the show and then agreed that he would close the first half of it and let The Beatles close the night … because you just couldn't follow them.   

They released their album right in the middle of the tour and "Please Please Me" and "Love Me Do" went right to the top of the charts, so during our tour they were getting a HUGE fan following … they were really developing their fan following and that was really the whole kick off to their whole thing of Beatlemania.   

Remember "A Hard Day's Night", the movie?  That's EXACTLY what it was like … that's what our tour was, the pandemonium of that movie, you know, running from the fans and all that … and it was a GREAT experience and it worked for all of us and after that I ended up doing so much work in England thanks to the exposure of that tour.  We got so much press all over Europe … went to Germany and all these different places and it worked.

You know when you're young, you're 22 years old, the ego's huge and you don't want to see yourself upstaged by another act but, you know, we were upstaged by one of the best!

kk:  Did you end up moving to England for some period of time after that?  I thought I read somewhere that you had moved to England.  

TR:  Yeah, people thought I moved there but what actually happened was I was over there so much that the press said "Tommy Roe lives in London now" ... but really I lived in hotel after hotel ... I never really got an apartment over there … but in '63 and '64, before I went into the army, I was over there more than I was over here.  I just sorta stayed over there and did a lot of work … worked with all the British acts before they came over here.

kk:  There seems to be a REAL affection for the American artists over there ... even now, some 40 or 50 years on … they've never really lost sight of the fact that this is where it all started.

TR:  Oh, absolutely, and they know rock and roll began as a southern thing down south but all over the US it spread in the '50's and they're big fans in England … HUGE fans … and LOYAL fans, too.

kk:  Now Rick [Rick Levy, Tommy's Musical Director and Guitarist] was telling me that when you came back from that tour you actually brought some Beatles records with you and went to ABC with them.

TR:  I did … well, we got to be real close friends on the tour and this is a story I can tell now … it's even more interesting now because John Lennon's acoustic Gibson guitar just sold at auction for I think $1.2million dollars … and on that tour he had that guitar with him all the time and him and Paul were writing songs and he would let me borrow that guitar … and I actually wrote "Everybody" on that guitar … so now I like to joke that that guitar's gotta be worth at least $2 million dollars now (lol - both laughing) since I wrote one of my hits on it.   

And what happened during the tour was I got to talking to Brian Epstein … actually he was talking with my manager at the time about managing me in Europe, so we were actually trying to put together a deal for Brian to manage me over there.  I mean he had no clue The Beatles were going to become The Beatles! Nobody did … they didn't either!   

So we were negotiating for him to manage me in England and all of Europe and by the end of the tour, we had developed a good working relationship and they never dreamed that they would actually get to come to America.  I mean their whole dream was to come to America but they thought that they would never get there.   

So Brian asked me if I would take their records back with me and see if I could maybe get my  label … I was on ABC-Paramount … maybe get my label to sign them … which I did.  And I hyped it … I called Felton Jarvis, who produced "Sheila" and "Everybody" and I took the Queen Elizabeth back from South Hampton … it was a five day trip across the Atlantic and I landed in New York at the docks there and Felton met me at the docks with my luggage, my guitars and everything and we went right from the docks to the president's office over at ABC-Paramount Records 'cause he was so excited about The Beatles because I had been talkin' to him the whole tour about The Beatles and how fantastic they were.   

So I went up to the president's office and we walked in and I was prepared because I had a little promo pack with me … which was actually just a NEMS Music Store bag that Brian had given me and it had all The Beatles stuff in it … it had the first album and a bio and the normal kind of promotional kit … and so I walked in with my little promo kit and they congratulated me on the tour and Sam Clark, who was the President and Larry Newton, who was the Vice President and they knew I was all excited so they say "And Felton tells us you found an act you'd like us to sign to ABC Records" and I said, "Yeah, it's The Beatles … and they're really phenomenal … I was really sellin' it, you know what I mean … I said "They're like Elvis Presley and they create pandemonium everywhere they go and their music is great … it's so different"… and I'm doin' my whole schpiel, and so Sam says, "Well let me hear 'em … have you got something we can hear?" 

And I pull the album out … and that first album, remember, they were in that stairwell with the hair and everything and the whole office just got quiet when they saw that album … and they must have been thinking "Holy Crap, what has this kid brought us?", right?   

So Felton blurts out something to the effect of "Well, you've gotta hear 'em"… so he takes the album out of the cover and puts it on the turn-table and puts the needle down and the first song was "Love Me Do" or "Please Please Me" or one of those and he plays a few bars and picks up the needle and says "Kid, that's gotta be the worst piece of shit I've ever heard in my life!"  Let us be the talent scouts.  WE know music … you just concentrate on writing us some more hits and we'll put your records out and you'll be a big star … don't you worry about finding us other acts."  And I was like Man, you just feel like you're so sold on something … and then to have it shot down like that was pretty disheartening.

kk:  Well, you had experienced it first hand, too …

TR:  Right and later on I realized that if you just heard The Beatles without seein''em, I don't know if they would have took off like they did because it was the image … you had to see them … and then hear the music … and of course you didn't have videos back then … you had to go to the concert or see them on TV … and it was that whole thing of not visualizing the act and just hearing the music.  Because you know their early records were really basic … I mean they were just a four piece band playing simple stuff … it wasn't like the stuff you would hear in The States at the time … we were making great records, ya know … so that was an interesting experience.

kk:  So a year later, I imagine there was a heavy round of "I told ya so's" going on … 

TR:  lol … less than that!  I think it was February of that next year when they came over and then I opened for them in Washington, DC, and then every time they would see me comin' they would run for the exits … they just couldn't face the guy who brought them The Beatles.  It was funny 'cause I remember we had a deejay convention in Miami the following year and I used to always go to these conventions to promote my records and they were all sittin' around the pool and I come walkin' up with Felton and they're smokin' their cigars and everything and then they said "Hey, that's the kid that brought us The Beatles!"

kk: Well, think about how Ed Sullivan first discovered The Beatles … he had never heard a note … he just saw the thousands of fans waiting for them at the airport and thought the Queen must be coming in … and said "What's this all about?"  Then when he found this reaction was for a rock group, he signed them up for three shows on the spot!

TR:  That's right! (lol)  Everything fell in place for them.  I mean, you could credit a lot of that to Brian … he was a great manager and there ended up being a lot of controversy between the group and him … some people hated him, some people loved him … but without Brian they never would have made it the way they did.

kk:  Well it's known that he left a lot of money on the table because it was all so new … and so much bigger than anything anybody had ever seen before … but he TRULY believed in them and that's what made it happen.

TR:  Boy he did, he sure did.  And then when they did the show with Ed Sullivan and they invited me to open for them in Washington, DC, three days later, which I did, it was the same thing … the pandemonium came right to the American shores just like it had over there in England.

kk:  And actually, that's one of the things I wanted to ask you about … because obviously, something was struck there during that month in England when you guys were performing together that they would invite YOU back to be part of their opening performance here in America.

TR:  Oh yeah, we were close … and we got close … John and I were like pub buddies … we hung out together and he was a big drinker … and so he got me drinkin' the Guinness, which I'd never experienced before … so we turned out to be real good friends.   

Once they made it … once they took off in The States … I lost contact with them 'cause they were in a different world and you couldn't get to them and there was no sense in trying to pursue the relationship because it was just pandemonium again.

kk:  Yeah, I wondered about that because they were here quite a bit at that time

TR:  Yeah, and in California, which is where I lived …

kk:  I wondered if you were able to keep in touch with them once they clicked over here.  Which reminds me of something else I wanted to ask you … I know when Del Shannon toured over there with them, he came back and recorded "From Me To You"… and his version pretty much flopped but he obviously saw or heard something in the music that he felt would work over here … so I was just wondering if you ever had any thoughts about trying to record some of their songs and see if you could capture some of that magic back here in The States.

TR:  I did record a couple of things … I recorded "I Wanna Be Your Man" in Muscle Shoals (sings a little bit of it ... "I wanna be your man ... I wanna be your man) … I think Ringo sang that … so I recorded that in Muscle Shoals when I came back and recorded "Everybody"… you know I wrote "Everybody" on the tour and I went to Muscle Shoals to record it and I cut "I Wanna Be Your Man" on that session and I also cut "A Taste Of Honey" which was on their first album.  



And I recorded another song that was a big hit at the time, "Dominique", which was sung in French in England and they wanted me to do it in English … the label thought it could be a big English hit but it wasn't.   

I recorded their songs, I brought their album back … LOVED their music … and the whole experience of them live on stage … you know they were very good on stage, too … I mean what they did, they did well … I mean they were a tight band, very tight.

kk:  Until they couldn't hear themselves!  (lol)

TR:  You couldn't hear them.  Even backstage, on the sides, you could tell out in the audience you couldn't hear them.  Like I said, it's like when I saw Elvis, they just ran over me to get to Elvis.

kk:  Talking about recording some of their songs, I'm sure you're aware that The Beatles used to perform "Sheila" as part of their stage act before making it big on their own.  Did you guys talk about that at all when you first started performing together? (I believe George Harrison sang it.  In fact, it was probably within a month or two of your tour together that The Beatles were still singing "Sheila" in clubs!)

TR:  Yes, the Beatles were doing "Sheila" in their show before I met them on our tour. On our first day on the bus John came to me with his now famous Gibson acoustic guitar and said to me, “You know we have been doing your song “Sheila” in our show.” John then started playing “Sheila” on the guitar and asked me if the chord progression he was playing was correct. Well, the chords he was playing were correct but in the wrong order. He handed me his guitar and I started playing “Sheila” with the proper chord progression. John said I knew it, I just knew we were playing it wrong.  
After this initial interchange with John, he was very generous and allowed me to use his Gibson guitar during the tour and I actually wrote my next big hit, “Everybody" on John’s guitar. 

 

kk:  It was a pretty exciting time.

TR:  You know, I don't know if there'll be another time like that because of our media situation today …

kk:  Yeah, well it's a much more immediate, instantaneous situation today.

TR:  It's true … there's no mystery today … there's no mystery about anything anymore … it's all out on the table.

kk:  Think about it … it was all word of mouth back then … yeah, you had newspapers and tv with three channels and kids listened to the radio but it's not like the world is today where something happens now and five minutes later it's all over social media and youtube and everybody's talking about it.  And then wait another five minutes and there's two million hits on it already!  It's just not the world we grew up in.

TR:  I think Michael Jackson may be the last one … we'll see.  Because you had Frank Sinatra, he was a phenom, and then Elvis, The Beatles and Michael Jackson … and that's it.  Everybody else did great but I'm talkin' about just totally phenomenal success, superstar status.  

kk:  Really though, and we were just talking about how quickly things happen today in this "instant society" but quite honestly, things happened pretty quickly back in 1963, too.  We didn't have things like the Internet or Twitter and Instagram and all of that but if something big was happening, the news spread pretty quickly, all things considered.  And it all happened because of good word of mouth and radio airplay and TV.  I mean think about it, you had a record out and within a couple of weeks, boom, you're going to England … I mean I would imagine this was like your first major tour … first time out of the country …   

TR:  Oh yeah, it was … well, the Sam Cooke tour and then The Beatles tour were like my first two big tours … I mean, I started right at the top!  

kk:  I was gonna say, you can't get much bigger than that! (both laughing)  

TR:  But when we made records back then, you're right, it was very instant.  I mean we walked out of the studio with a record under your arm … you didn't do tracks … I think when I cut "Sheila" we had two tracks and then it was a monaural record … I don't think there's a real stereo version of "Sheila" out there … there may be one of those rechanneled things for artificial  stereo and then when I cut at Muscle Shoals, we cut right to quarter-inch tape … everything was done live in the studio and the engineer mixed it as we went … there was no going back and changing things … it was all done at once.  So when we left the studio we had the master under our arm and all we had to do was press records and they'd be out the next week … in days, actually, the radio would be playin''em.  I used to walk into radio stations with my records and say, "Hey, I've got a new one", and they'd put it right on the turn-table and play it on the air.

kk:  Yes, a much more exciting time to be sure … and that was back in the day when you had to do four singles a year!  Now people take four years just to do an album and back then you'd be putting out four singles a year.

TR:  Yeah, it's amazing how many singles they put out on me after "Sheila" was a hit … I think I had SIX out in one year.  (lol)  That was incredible!

More Tommy Roe tomorrow in Forgotten Hits ... as we wrap up our EXCLUSIVE interview!  Stay tuned!  (kk)

 

 

Forgotten Hits Interviews Tommy Roe (Part 3)

March 20, 2016, 2:52 am

≫ Next: TOMMY ROE INTERVIEW COMMENTS

≪ Previous: Forgotten Hits Interviews Tommy Roe (Part 2)

$

0

0

Today we wrap things up with our Tommy Roe interview ...

Kent Kotal / Forgotten Hits:  So you got out of it for awhile, right? … Got out of the music biz?  

Tommy Roe:  I did … in the '70's.  I had a lot of conflict in the '70's … personal problems … plus the music changed drastically with the disco and all that … and so I stopped touring during the '70's from like '72 on up to the latter part of the decade.  Then, in '78, '79 I started getting calls about doing nostalgia shows, oldies shows, so I started doing those thru the '80's and I did a lot of those with Bobby Vee … we worked together a lot … and all the guys from that era.  And then even thru the '90's I worked quite a bit and then in the early 2000's I just got tired of all the traveling and after 9/11 it got REAL difficult to travel and I think around 2005 - 2006 I started slowin' down and then Rick, my guitar player ... we were old friends and we worked together for years before I retired ... and then he would call occasionally and say, "Hey they want to book ya here" and I said, "Rick, I'm retired, man, I've had it"… and then finally he talked me into doing three dates up in Canada … we did three casinos up there and I had a great time with him … and the whole band … I'd worked with them before for years before I retired and I had a good time with them and so we decided we'd try and do some things  but I wanted to just do like "An Evening With Tommy Roe" where I could do some of my new music and it worked for awhile … we started back in 2012 and it worked great but now I think I'm getting' ready to retire again.  You know, it runs in cycles like that.  I miss performing … I mean being on stage is just … I love it … I love playing to an audience and I love the fans … the fans are just great … the feedback from the fans and all of that … but I'm going to be 74 in May and I'm still healthy but you know you just get tired of traveling.  Even a short trip up from Atlanta to here and I'm thinking "Oh shit … back on the road again!" 

kk:  Well, I'm glad that I finally get to see you!  As you know,  I've been trying to get you out to Chicago for a few years now, especially after the release of the new album and it being such a strong album.  I wonder how long it's been since you played here in Chicago … I've gotta think the early '70's at best.  

TR:  It was.  McCormick's Place … I believe it was McCormick's Place … do you remember that?  Probably about 1972.    
[Actually McCormick Place, a very big convention center and home to The Arie Crown Theatre, which burned down in 1967 but was rebuilt in 1971, evidently right before Tommy's final show in Chicago. -kk]   

kk:  I was talking to Frank Jeckell, one of the original members of the 1910 Fruitgum Company, when they played here last year and I remember asking him afterwards "When was the last time you performed in Chicago?" and he said "1969"… and that was their peak and that was it and they've never been back since.   
They were part of a big show here last year that had a whole bubblegum flavor to it and I remember going to Ron Onesti and telling him, "This is the time … this is the time to bring Tommy out here", and Ron said, "Tommy Roe?  He's not bubblegum!"  And I said, "Are you kidding me?  Tommy Roe is like the KING of Bubble Gum!  If you're going to do THIS kind of a show and you're going to have The 1910 Fruit Gum Company and Ohio Express and one of the guys who was, I guess, like a 17th generation Bay City Roller … and they had all these different guys together … they had the guy from Looking Glass, who was FANTASTIC by the way … sounded JUST like the record all these years later … and I said THIS is the guy who should be headlining this show … this show was MADE for Tommy Roe!  
I know Rick Levy [Tommy's Musical Director and Guitarist], who I talk to all the time …and he plays with SO many different bands … has been pushing for it, too, but he always wanted to do it as "An Evening With …", which may have been a tough sell after not performing here in so long … and I said "If I can't get you 'An Evening With …' what about Tommy just coming out here with some of your other artists and just headlining the show?  Because he's going to blow these people away, especially with the new album and everything because obviously he's still doin' it and the music is great and it'll speak for itself."  And then I met one of the women who runs Dennis Tufano's Facebook page … and I guess she also does Chris Montez's Facebook page … so together we kinda started pushing to have you and Chris here and now it's finally all worked out ... plus we get to enjoy The Beatles anniversary show in the process!  

TR:  I like doing the "An Evening With" shows because it allows me to go a little deeper with the audience … tell a few more stories and talk about the music and the times.  Plus I always do a Q&A with the audience, which goes over very well because you never know what they're going to ask you.  There are some VERY knowledgeable people out there who know some of my records better than I do!  I've had people at shows ask me about a particular song that I don't even remember recording … or find out that it was something that I cut that only came out in England … or maybe I recorded it over there and it never came out here in The States … so it's always fun because it's a learning experience for both of us and really let's your personality come through. 


kk:  You should really talk to Ron about that because he's real big on the Q&A shows … he's put on quite a few of them … and they don't necessarily draw the big crowds … but the bring out the die-hard fans ... and it makes for a much more intimate performance.  Do something like that where you just sit on a sofa … have your guitar there on the side so if you feel like playing a little bit of a song to illustrate a point, you can … because really then the sky's the limit … if something comes up, YOU can do it because you're not confined by the band who aren't going to know every single song, because they can't … they have to concentrate on the hits and the set list … but on your own you can tell a story, play a little something and pretty soon it's like the whole audience is just sitting there in your living room … very intimate and informal … very relaxed.  [I've since heard that Ron Onesti has already talked to Rick Levy about bringing the show back to The Arcada … but this might make for an interesting "side feature"… or follow up show like he sometimes does.  Stay tuned to Forgotten Hits for more details as this develops.]

*****

kk:  We tend to get a lot of the same acts again and again in the city and one thing I really like about Ron and this theater is that he loves this music just as much as we do … and he'll experiment a little bit and bring out some people that you just don’t get to see all the time and as such, we're treated to just this HUGE, wide variety of music and talent and it truly comes down to something for everybody. 

TR:  I see he's got Paul Anka coming … this guy is a Vegas act! 

kk:  Yes but he'll be playing in a 900 seat theater doing a real intimate show with the fans.   

TR:  And I LOVE that!!! You know the intimacy of working with an audience like that is exactly the kind of thing entertainers love … and yeah, he's a Vegas kind of guy so that'll be great. 

kk:  There are some great places around town to play but I don't know that you'll ever get treated better than you do right here … it's a very loyal audience that makes the acts feel welcome.  

TR:  I think that's why Ron kind of experiments … because he LOVES the whole music thing and he loves the oldies and an old theater like this has such an incredible sound because it dates back to when all of this started … and there just aren’t that many of them left.  Unfortunately this is true of some of the artists lately, too.  

kk:  This has been a VERY rough year … we have lost some great artists recently.  

TR:  My friend Joe South just passed away … and Billy Joe Royal … we used to tour together and I've lost quite a few friends.  Paul Revere. 

kk:  Paul was here several times and I got to know him a little bit … and he was just the nicest guy you could ever wanna know … a GREAT guy.  So sad.  It's almost like a reality jolt that just sort of hits you and reminds you that we've all got this limited time here to enjoy life.  We're all getting older, every one of us ... and, unfortunately, there IS an expiration date for each and every one of us.   

TR:  Yeah, well, it's life. 
I never will forget when I moved from New York to Los Angeles … and Dick Clark invited me to come to Los Angeles … he said "Tommy, I have this new TV show and I'd like for you to come out and be a regular on it … and it'll only last for about six months … and it was called "Where The Action Is".  And I was living in New York at the time and I thought "Well, I was only 21, 22 years old at the time … what am I gonna lose by giving it a try?"  

And so I didn't move … but I went to LA to do the show … and then ended up living there from like 1966 till now!  So I can thank Dick Clark for that!  
And I never will forget the first day I was on the show … and Paul Revere and the Raiders were already regulars on the show and, ya know, I was a little nervous … I'd never really done TV before … and Paul came over and just made me feel so at home, like welcomed me into the group … I want you to feel comfortable, we're all here to have a good time … and he just calmed my nerves completely and he was great at that … he was  a real leader, Paul … he was very good at that.  And then him and Mark had this big falling out … I never quite understood the whole thing .. but boy, when you get on Paul's bad list, there's no going back.  I mean they never made up … they were mortal enemies right up until Paul passed away.    

kk:  You know it's funny, and I see that SO much with so many of these artists … it's like 40 year old wounds … isn't it time to just put it behind you and move on?  You all achieved what you achieved together ... as a direct result of working together ... doesn't that outweigh anything and everything else?  Why do they tend to single out the unpleasant memories rather than the favorable ones?  It just doesn't make sense to me.

*****

kk:  You mentioned the camaraderie of yourself and Paul Revere and the Raiders ... in fact, you ended up writing several songs with Freddy Weller of The Raiders, including your biggest hit "Dizzy".  How did that partnership come about?  And what was that like after writing solo for so long?     

TR:  Right after I joined Paul Revere and The Raiders as a regular on Dick Clark's “Where the Action Is,”Paul lost his guitar player and asked me if I knew any guitar players he could audition for the gig. Freddy Weller was a good friend of mine and at the time was playing guitar for another friend of mine, Billy Joe Royal. I put Paul in contact with Freddy and Freddy got the gig. For awhile Billy Joe was upset with me and every time I would see him he would jokingly accuse me of stealing his guitar player. I would always reply; "I was only the intermediary, Paul is the thief!”   
The Raiders and I started touring together on Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars and this brought Freddy and me togetheras song writers, and it turned out to be very productive for both of us.  During this time Freddy and I wrote “Dizzy,” “Jam Up and Jelly Tight,” and “Pearl,” along with many other country songs which Freddy would record. 

kk:  For the most part, though, you always wrote a lot of your own material … certainly all of the biggest hits yourself. 

TR:  All of the big hits I wrote except for "The Folk Singer"… and I know that was a big hit in Europe.  And the follow up to "Sheila" was "Susie Darlin'", which was a remake of a Robin Luke song. 

kk:  I talked to Robin not all that long ago … and I don't know if you know this or not, but he recently retired after an entire career after music as a college professor … and he told me that the one thing he was hoping to do now that he had the time was to maybe be able to go out and do a few shows and get back up on the stage again!  Even after all this time the bug was still with him!  

TR:  Yes, it never really leaves you.  Even when I was retired I still kept up with the music.  I've never stopped loving the music and the fans ... it's just the traveling and the time on the road.     

kk:  And I've got to tell you that I've ALWAYS enjoyed your version of "Stagger Lee"… I thought that was a GREAT version … and that wasn't a song you expected to hear in '72 and yet you still made it sound like it BELONGED in '72, and I always liked that one … but pretty much everything else you wrote or at least had a hand in writing it.

TR:  I think that was really my secret to survival of The British Invasion because in '64 I had to go in the Army so I was kind of out of the loop for a whole year in '64, so I had "Sheila" and "Everybody" was a hit … and then I redid "Carol", the old Chuck Berry hit "Carol", which was a pretty big chart record … and those were all cut in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and then while I was in the Army all I heard on the radio was the Beatles and British stuff and I was thinking, "Holy shit, when I get out of here what am I gonna do?  I mean, how do I fight this?  They're not playing any American artists anymore." All the American acts were being pushed aside for all this British stuff. 

kk:  In hindsight you might say that you went into the army at the most opportune time - by 1964-1965 you virtually couldn't get any airplay at all unless you were part of the British Invasion - but your comeback was timed perfectly / by 1966 the mania had died down some and you were able to come back with a bunch of hits that took us thru the rest of the 60s. The musical tapestry had changed drastically in two short years - yet pure and simple feel good music has never gone out of style.   

TR:  It was because of that that I consciously came up with the idea of doing what I called soft-rock and that became what they called bubblegum later on.  When I first wrote "Sweet Pea", I thought to myself "I'm going to do something that's soft-rock"… I mean, they're doing rock and hard rock and acid rock and pop, so I'm going to do soft-rock.  So when I got out of the service I cut "Sweet Pea" and it was a hit and there I was, back on the charts again.  And if I hadn't been a songwriter, I don't think I would have survived that because most of the artists that were pushed off the charts, they were not writers … they depended on The Brill Building in New York for their material.  

kk:  But really you wrote some catchy music … and "Sweet Pea"'s a perfect example … I mean you hear it and it just sticks in your head.

TR:  Well, that was the whole point, really … I did that … keep it simple … I was always trying to write a melody under three minutes and if you had a song over three minutes you could forget about it because it wasn't going to get played … in fact "Everybody" was less than TWO minutes … it was like 1:59!  And I never will forget Bill Iris saying, "Write a song like two minutes"… and I said "Bill, that's not even long enough to get into a song" and he said "Yeah but radio stations LOVE songs like that 'cause they can come out of the news with it"… and that was the thinking back then … they were trying to think of ways to get deejays interested in playing your record, not just for the music but so it worked in their programming, you know.  

kk:  (laughing) That's how a lot of the instrumentals got played back then … they would play the instrumental running into the newscast and then just cut it off or fade it out right at the newscast.     

TR:  Yeah, it's amazing.  What a funny process.  

kk:  Funny thing, too, you mentioned a record having to be under three minutes in order to get played and I'll never forget Simon and Garfunkel put out a record in '67 called "Fakin' It" and it ran just a little over three minutes … but they had the labels printed to say something like 2:74 and they actually pressed the record that way … because if the radio station had seen three minutes, they might not have played it!

TR:  (both laughing) Shows you how much attention they paid to the seconds, right?  That's funny.  It's interesting stuff to be part of … you know, the history of the music business … it's quite a trip. 

kk:  Well, I hope you're able to stick with it, at least on your own terms 'cause it's good to know that you're back out there and doing some stuff … recording some new material … when you record an album as strong as what you just did it shows that there's still a passion and a certain amount of enjoyment that comes with performing.  

TR:  There is … it's just the travel that's so tough.  I keep thinking that I'm about to retire for the fifth time and time now!  

kk:  I mean, looking back you had a gap there of almost 40 years between releases … were you writing during all that time?  

TR:  I've always been writing … there was just no reason to record .. and I have my book coming out this year …  

kk:  Oh, I didn't know that.  Not THAT'S something I'll have to pick up!  

TR:  Yeah, I've been working on this for like the past three or four years now and it's gonna be out before the end of the year … we're in editing now so I'll have it out before the end of the year for sure.  And it kinda tells the story of why I backed off and the whole thing and it's a little different than a regular rock and roll book because what I've done is I've tried to parallel what was happening in our society with what was happening with music at the same time … and I talk about the politics of the time along with the music relating to the politics … so it's a different take … not your typical tell-all rock and roll book … so hopefully it'll work … but even if it DOESN'T work, it's MY story … and I wanted to get it out there.  I talk about a lot of the ups and downs in my career and the reasons behind it and it's quite interesting … I think it's really good. 

kk:  What about writing for other people?  Have you ever thought about writing music for other artists?  

TR:  I haven't … I've had my songs covered by different people … "Dizzy" mostly … 'Everybody" was covered by Brinsley Schwarz, a big heavy metal band … you ever heard of that band?   They did a GREAT version of "Everybody".  "Sheila"'s been done by a lot of people … in fact this French singer, Sheila … she took the name Sheila from the record … her version of "Sheila" in France was a big hit and it was sung in French.   [Rick Levy even sent us a special version of "Dizzy" sung in Chinese!]

TR:  I haven't written for a specific artist … just sit down and say "OK, I'm gonna write this for so and so".  Writing for me is funny … I'll get in a mood to write and I'll turn out a dozen or more songs within a year period and then I may not write anything again for four years, five years.  It's not like the Nashville writers … they go into the office everyday and force themselves to write and I can't do that.    

kk:  Let me ask you about this 'cause I know we did the whole "California Chrome" thing together … we were the ones that sorta launched that whole thing … did a sneak peek of your new song …

TR:  Oh yes, that horse … I guess I was one year early, right … this past year it was American Pharaoh that won the Triple Crown … the following year!  If that horse California Chrome had won the Triple Crown, that song would have got played a lot.   

kk:  Well, I played it … I definitely played it![Tommy even sent us an exclusive recording of the follow-up song that was to be released AFTER California Chrome won The Triple Crown ... if he did ... which he didn't ... which means Forgotten Hits is likely the ONLY place the "winners" song was ever played!!!]

I like a lot of the new stuff … "Devil's Soul Pile" is a VERY strong album … and it got some really great reviews … anything new that you're working on?

TR:  I don't have anything new.  I've put out "Devil's Soul Pile Revisited"… I've changed the order of the songs and added some new songs to it and that's on my website or you can download it on iTunes and Amazon and the regular thing and, of course, streaming because you knows streaming is now what's going on.
http://tommyroe.com/The_Official_Tommy_Roe_Web_Site/Home.html

kk:  I've got more and more artists telling me that they're not even making physical CD's anymore because that's not the market anymore … but I LOVE the idea of having the CD in my hand, and holding it and reading the liner notes …

TR:  A lot of people do … well, that's how we grew up.  I used read all the liner notes on the albums and it drew you into the music.

kk:  Exactly … I mean that's how people knew who Felton Jarvis is!  (lol)

TR:  You're right 'cause otherwise you wouldn't know … you'd never know.  The CD's are almost obsolete now … I mean, we sell 'em at the show … I think most acts now, that's how they make their money, thru merchandising and live shows.  You know digital airplay now is so ridiculous, you don't get paid anything for it.  The streaming … I got a statement the other day and it was something like 600 and some thousand plays on "Dizzy" and I think it made fifty bucks.  I read a thing where Billy Joel was talking about he had over two million airplays on one of his songs and he made less than a thousand bucks so you know, how do you fight that?  The only way you can make money in the business now is by performing.  

kk:  Which, as you said, gets harder and harder with all the travel.   

TR:  Yeah.   

kk:  What do you listen to nowadays?  What kind of music do you like?   

TR:  I still listen to the oldies stations … in traffic I listen to classical music … but I listen to a lot of college radio … I enjoy that … you can hear some really good stuff on college radio because they don't necessarily have to follow a set list of music … they're able to play more of what they want to play and I like that freedom and exposure to new sounds.  I don't like country music much anymore … I think country music has gotten into a real rut … and I know it's popular and everybody likes it …  

 kk:  Well, it is … country has become kind of the new "pop". 

TR:  Actually it's more rock and roll in a way … I mean, it's not country at all to me … it's real slick rock and roll.  

kk:  Lots more glitz and glamour these days.   

TR:  Which is cool … I mean, it sells … but country to me is Merle Haggard and George Jones … and I LOVE listening to those old country records.  They're really classics … great melodies and great lyrics. 

kk:  Thanks again, Tommy, for taking the time to visit with us today ... I really appreciate it.  And all I can tell everybody who wasn't there Sunday Night is that you missed a really good show … you can read our whole review of the concert here …

http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2016/03/tommy-roe-chris-montez-and-beatlerama.html

L-R:  Guitarist / Musical Director / Tour Manager Rick Levy - 

Chris Montez / Drummer Mike Campbell  / 

and Tommy Roe, 

live on stage at The Arcada Theatre, Sunday, March 13th.  

Photo courtesy of Luciano Bilotti

And be sure to check out all the latest news and information on Tommy Roe's website here:  

http://tommyroe.com/The_Official_Tommy_Roe_Web_Site/Home.html 

TOMMY ROE INTERVIEW COMMENTS

March 21, 2016, 3:48 am

≫ Next: Tuesday This And That

≪ Previous: Forgotten Hits Interviews Tommy Roe (Part 3)

$

0

0

re:  Tommy Roe:  
I was totally impressed with the first installment of your interview with Tommy Roe - I thought it ranks right up there with some of your best work.  But then part two came out and I was completely blown away.  You have really outdone yourself with this one - and Tommy is a fascinating storyteller.  (Now I wish I would have made the drive up to Chicago to see him in concert!)  
Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, part three came out - honestly, I don't even know what to say - this is, without a doubt, your finest piece ever.  
Kudos to Forgotten Hits for ALWAYS bringing their A-game.  I've been reading you now for about twelve years and I swear it just seems to keep getting better and better.

Thank you so much for sharing this with us - ALL of your readers owe you a great debt to your incredible service and the wealth of knowledge you provide.

David

Thanks, David ... this was a real fun interview to do ... and Tommy makes it SO easy, being such a personable guy.  (kk)

By the way, before I forget, VERY special thanks to Tom Diehl for going above and beyond the call of duty to track down that Tommy Roe version of The Beatles'"I Wanna Be Your Man" the other day ... NOT an easy track to find digitally.  Thanks, Tom!  (kk)

Ron Onesti explains the excitement of hosting this big evenin his Daily Hearald column here:

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20160304/insights/160309593/

Kent, 
I am enjoying and looking forward to the rest of the interview with Tommy Roe this weekend in FH. 
I would like to make a comment or two about the earlier version of SHEILA on Judd. 
First, I was reminded of an earlier record on Judd that Tommy recorded called CAVEMAN. 
Now about his version of SHEILA on Judd. 
On the label itself it does mention the group that Tommy said backed him up known as the Satins. Underneath that it says with THE FLAMINGOS. This probably isn't the Flamingos of doo-wop fame. One final thing about his Judd version of SHEILA. 
My copy of the record misspells SHEILA. On my copy it is spelled S-H-E-L-I-A, SHELIA. 
Maybe it was like this on all copies ... that I don't know. 
I have always enjoyed the records of Tommy Roe. He seemed to make music for EVERYBODY. 
Larry

I found several photographs of Tommy's Judd version of "Sheila" online and they all misspell the title.  I seem to remember reading MANY years ago about The Flamingos being on this record ... DEFINITELY a different group than the one we're all familiar with.  (kk)  
http://search.aol.com/aol/image?q=images+for+tommy+roe+on+judd+records&v_t=client97_searchbox   

Here's your answer, Larry, right from Tommy Roe himself ...

Hi Kent ... 
I remember when I first saw the record with the misspelling of ‘Sheila” and I complained. It was Sam Phillips' brother Jud Phillips' label out of Memphis, and he just said his secretary made a mistake. And it was never corrected. 
The back up singers were called the Flamingos and I heard the label gave them that name because we were called the Satins. Very forward executive thinking back then.  
Kent, great job on the interview ... we're getting a lot of positive comments from the fans. 
Thanks again, 
Tommy   

Hi Kent ... 

"A picture so nice you sent it twice" in your blog - You and Roe.  

Hey, I really enjoyed the Tommy Roe interview.  He looks great and it was interesting to hear about what he has been up to and about the touring and tough decisions among other stuff.  I wish him the best.  

"Dizzy"  I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning ... etc. Love it!  The Beatles pics and video were cool, too. They were such "little boys " back then.  It is comical to see them clowning around.  Brings back memories. 

Thanks again Kent.  And Have a Happy and Blessed Easter! 

Blssmwrld

Actually we snapped three pictures backstage at The Arcada, all with a similar background and ran them all ... so there are very slight and subtle differences between them. (Kinda like those old magazine photos where you had to spot the ten differences ... damn, wish we would have thought of that!!!)  There's a limited amound of space backstage available and since we were doing an interview, we opted for the most private room to talk.

It's hard NOT to get wrapped up in Tommy's music ... it's just so damn catch and accessible ... which is clearly what he was going for all along.  And he succeeded in spades!  (kk) 

 

Fantastic job on the Tommy Roe interview, Kent! 
I just posted an interview with Mark Moore, author of The Jan & Dean Record. 
Extraordinary research.
Glad to have you link to it or post it all - want to take a look at it?
Phil
PrayForSurf

Here's my Tommy Roe story. 
Several years ago I organized a reunion for our small junior high class from the early 60s in suburban Chicago. One girl named Sheila hadn't seen anyone in years and came in from Canada. We were talking before the reunion about some of our classmates and she asked about one particular boy. She asked, "Will Tommy Roe be there?"  I laughed and said, " Do you mean Tom Roy?" She said yes. I thought it an odd little slip of the tongue until I thought further and it made perfect sense. Tommy Roy had easily changed to Tommy Roe as she heard "Sweet Little Sheila" sung lovingly to her over the new radio over and over. In fact I had been trying to set up a sound track with songs for several of the girls like "Wendy" by the Beach Boys, "Peggy Sue", and " Sweet Little Sheila" for Sheila herself. Next reunion I will definitely do it. 
JP Coyne

Hi Kent -

Really enjoyed the interview with Tommy Roe. Lots of things I didn't know about his early connections with the Beatles.

And thanks for the kind words about my Arcada performance.

Best,

Elliot Lurie

Kent, 
Here's one just for you, man ... this is the very underrated Bobby Womack at his best, doing "Across 110th Street". 
Hey, man, I know you love Tommy Roe, but please tell you never danced to "Hooray for Hazel" ... and tell me that Chris Montez wasn't constructed to be the next Richie Valens! 
Chet Coppock    
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWkhT7X2EX8&feature=em-share_video_user  
Nope, never danced to "Hooray For Hazel" ... tough song to listen to at the time as I could never get the image of Shirley Booth out of my head whenever that song played!  (Hey, how many other Hazels do YOU know???  Come to think of it, wasn't there a Hurricane Hazel right around that time, too?) 
And, much as Tommy Roe's sound was built to capitalize on that of Buddy Holly, Chris Montez's career early one was marketed as the second coming of (or at least the very next) Ritchie Valens.  Montez did a COMPLETE about face when he signed with Herb Alpert's A&M Records label and did the whole middle-of-the-road / bossa-nova thing with hits like "Call Me", "The More I See You" and "Time After Time", some of my absolute FAVORITES to this very day.  (I had really hoped to talk with Chris Montez for a follow-up feature to our Tommy Roe interview but he never got back to me.)  kk  

Hi Kent,   
Thanks for the very informative interview with Tommy Roe.  He and Chris Montez were truly there at the start of Beatlemania in the UK in early 1963. I can only imagine that he and Chris Montez must have chuckled, when, one year later, the whole thing took off in the US.   
Tommy’s affection for the UK was born out by his 1965 single, “Diane From Manchester Square”, written by Paul Hampton and Buzz Cason. Manchester Square was the London HQ of EMI Records, of which HMV (Tommy’s label in the UK) was a subsidiary and a Diane was supposedly an employee there.    
The record can be heard on You Tube at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vegrjfom_eI Tommy was backed by the Roemans on this disc. Here is some information on them and how they hooked up with Tommy Roe (including some great   pics):  http://www.m3cats.com/roemans.htm  
Another interesting 45 from Tommy was his original version of “Wish You Didn’t Have To Go”, which became a hit for James & Bobby Purify, when they released it as the follow-up to “I’m Your Puppet” in 1967. Tommy’s original version can be heard here:    
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAVA_EbKAVM  
Ace Records included Tommy’s version on their 2011 CD, “Sweet Inspiration - The Songs of Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham”  
Best wishes, 
Mike Edwards

That sure was a long interview you did with Tommy Roe ... by the time I was done reading it, I was DIZZY! 
All kidding aside, you did a GREAT job on this.    Congratulations on yet another outstanding piece of work. Drew  

The first two parts of your interview with Tommy Roe were very interesting. 
Highlights = John Lennon's guitar and trying to sell the Beatles to his record company and buying sandwiches on the Sam Cooke tour. 
I'm saving part three for 6 PM tonight, while I'm listening to "Wild Wayne's Memory Machine." 
Frank B.

HI KENT - 
Perhaps you can post this from RICK LEVY, Tommy Roe's bandleader, tour manager and friend ... 
Friends and fans ... 
If you believe, as many do, that TOMMY ROE should be in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, please take a minute and drop a snail mail line to THE ROCK and ROLL Hall of Fame Foundation Nominating Committee 
1290 Ave of Americas 
NYC, NY 10104 
After all, TOMMY had 23 Billboard chart singles, 11 Top 40, 6 Top 10, 4 GOLD, and he wrote and recorded 6 TOP TENS during the 60s ... more than any other American solo artist of the time. 
The Beatles opened for TOMMY ROE on the famed 1963 UK tour, and they asked him to open for him on their first North American live concert in Washington, DC, on February 11, 1964. 
He invented the bubblegum / feel good genre ... and he's a great guy. 
Why the Hall passes over pop artists, I don't know ... but if we all band together, maybe we can get TOMMY ROE in the Hall of Fame! 
Thanks! 
RICK LEVY 
I'm happy to run it ... but it will have absolutely ZERO effect ... I've been down this road WAY too many times in the past.  (Think about it ... it took 28 years of eligibility before Chicago finally got in ... and acts like The Moody Blues, The Guess Who ... and countless other deserving artists still haven't even been so much as nominated.) 
It's a convoluted mess that factors in one man's opinion over all others ... FAR too many acts make our "Deserving And Denied" list every single year.  (kk) 

Tommy Roe is a great guy who becomes an instant friend in interviews.  Your conversation with him is excellent and I'm looking forward to reading the rest. 
Gary 
Thanks, Gary ... and the best is yet to come ... wait till you read Part Two!!! (kk)   
Wow ... you're right ... Part 2 is even more impressive than Part 1 of your Tommy Roe interview.  As I mentioned before, I interviewed Tommy in L.A. in 1977 and he was just as good at telling eye-opening stories then.  Tommy, in fact, is such a good interview subject that brief interviews with him turn up between the tracks on his "12 In A Roe" greatest hits LP. Tommy didn't mention back in 1977 about writing "Everybody' on Lennon's guitar -- or that he approached ABC Paramount about picking up The Beatles.  The label's reaction, though, paralleled that of the execs at Capitol, as they also turned the group down in 1963 -- which was why so many early Beatles tracks wound up getting issued stateside on Swan, Tollie, Vee Jay, etc.     

Attached is Tommy talking about "Shelia" and "Everybody."
Gary Theroux

Kent, 
Thanks again for this interview ... you did a really great job.  We really covered a lot and I believe the fans will enjoy reading it ... in fact, I'm already receiving a lot of positive comments from fans ... so thanks again. 
Your Pal,  
Tommy 
Thanks, Tommy, I appreciate that. 
Below is a link where the interview will now be permanently posted ... you can link to it from your own website and/or Facebook page so others can enjoy it as well.  I have a feeling people will be reading this one for a long, long time.  (kk)
http://forgottenhits.com/forgotten_hits_interviews_tommy_roe

Tuesday This And That

March 22, 2016, 4:16 am

≫ Next: Should The Go Go's Have Stayed Gone Gone?

≪ Previous: TOMMY ROE INTERVIEW COMMENTS

$

0

0

re:  More Tommy: 
Hi Kent:   
Was just going to mention that Tommy Roe said Brinsley Schwartz covered His song Everybody. The Group featured a young Nick Lowe.  
Ken     

You did a great job with the Tommy Roe interview.  He has always been one of my favorites.  I have great memories of spending time back stage with him at a few different venues (a couple of which I was the m.c.)  Once here in Richland Center I got the chance to sit in a back stage dressing room with Tommy, Bobby Vee, and the Crickets.  They were all talking about different experiences while touring England and meeting people like Jeff Beck and the Beatles.  I was the the only non-musician in the room and a big mouse in the corner.  Looking back now I wish that I would have had a recorder with me.
We played Memphis Me in the Country format from his from his Devil's Soul Pie album and it got a great response.  It is a very good song.   Thanks again for the good reading about an under rated artist.  Did you ask him about appearing in an episode of 'Green Acres' ?
Phil - WRCO  
"Memphis Me" is a GREAT track from Tommy's most recent CD.

No, "Green Acres" never came up ... but I did see several references to it while doing my research.  (Never was a big fan of that show but now I'll have to look for this episode!)  kk

 
OK, NOW I remember why I didn't watch "Green Acres"!!! (lol) God, that's awful!!!  (kk)
 

 
re:  This And That:  
Olivia Newton-John's boyfriend, missing for nearly eleven years, just showed up in Mexico.  (I have ALWAYS had a funny feeling that he was still alive ... and just staged an incredible deception!  Did the fact that his boat was named "Freedom" seriously not tip anybody off to this sooner???)  Details are still sketchy and I'm sure we'll all learn more as the week goes on.  (kk)  

Chicago fans of former Y103.9 Morning Man Jim Shea, who disappeared from the airwaves a few years ago ... but under perfectly legitimate circumstances to go back to school ... might be interested in this very powerful, short documentary put together by some fellow students of his down in Miami, Florida ...  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPc_fZQsA9I  
Wow ... powerful stuff ... here's hoping you find everything you're looking for (and can still keep a sense of humor about it all) 

Thanks, Jim ... you've given many of us here in Chicago some great memories.

As I once told Al Kooper, "Next time you're in Chicago, pizza's on me" ...

To which he replied, "Well, all right ... but don't send me the cleaning bill."

kk    

RIP, Gogi Grant.  
Of course Gogi Grant is from MY era. I was 21 when The Wayward Wind hit.  
This was the kind of music I listened to the most as rock and roll was still in its infancy.  
I just wanted to add that The Wayward Wind always gets mentioned and Suddenly There's a Valley hardly ever does, even though it was her first top ten single.  
Gogi was a pure singer and did some albums as well as most pop singers did back in the day. They were usually not intended for anything except album sales. Times have certainly changed in that regard.  
As a movie person, I also remember fondly that when Warner Brothers filmed The Helen Morgan Story, they decided Ann Blyth's lovely soprano wasn't quite right for the role and they tapped Gogi to sing all the songs Miss Morgan was famous for, most notably "Why Was I Born", a personal favorite. It's attached.  
Hil  

Gogi Grant's first chart hit, "Suddenly There's A Valley", topped out at #7 in late 1955.  "The Wayward Wind" went all the way to #1 and stayed their for eight weeks a few months later.  (It recharted at #50 in 1961.)  
"Why Was I Born" isn't really my cup of tea ... is it just me or does her voice remind you a little bit of Doris Day on this one?  (It's kind of the exact OPPOSITE of that whole "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it" credo that was right around the corner.)  kk

And you can add Lee Andrews to the list of artists we've lost in 2016 ... Lee Andrews and the Hearts hit The Pop Top 40 three times between 1957 and 1958 with "Long Lonely Nights" (#29, 1957, which they performed on the fifth national episode of "American Bandstand"); "Tear Drops" (their biggest hit, which peaked at #20 in 1958) and "Try The Impossible" (#32, 1958).  Lee was also the father of popular Roots Drummer Questlove.  (kk)

Did you enter to win your free copy of Joel Whitburn's latest chart book, "America's Greatest Hits"?  It shows the weekly Top Ten Pop Charts for EVERY single week, beginning in January of 1940 right on through the last week of December of 2015.  
It's a must have for every serious collection ... and you can win a copy by simply dropping us an email with the words "America's Greatest Hits" in the subject line.  We'll pick one lucky winner and award them a copy of Joel's latest book. But you'd better hurry ... 'cause we're picking that winner next week!   
By the way, Joel's got some great discount offers going on right now on his website ... check it out here: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/258004/e84d269e83/1243000293/698b321b8e/  
(kk)   

The new Hank Williams biopic starts this weekend. (I can't believe it's going up against the Superman / Batman movie!!!)  But I still wanna see it.  (Might have to make that part of our Easter Weekend!)  

When I was ten years old my dad took me to see "Your Cheatin' Heart", the Hank Williams Story starring actor George Hamilton in the starring role and Hank, Jr., providing all the music on the soundtrack.  (Incredibly young Bocephus was all of fifteen years old when he cut his daddy's catalog for the film!)  Man, I was hooked ... played the heck out of that LP.  And while the movie was never very highly regarded by critics, I LOVED it.  (Years later John Boy of The Waltons played Hank, Jr., in the movie about HIS life ... another great film in my book.)

FH Regular Frank B. tells us, however that the whole story still isn't being told.  (kk)  

Kent ...  
Add this story to the "Bobby Fuller Mysterious Death File."
Frank B.  
http://nypost.com/2016/03/20/how-did-country-music-star-hank-williams-really-die/  
The Bobby Fuller Mystery ... or the inspiration for "Weekend At Bernie's???"  (kk)

The other day we talked about the Pray For Surf interview with Mark Moore, author of the new book "The Jan And Dean Record".  Here's the "missing link" from that article ... http://prayforsurfblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/prayforsurf-interview-mark-moore-author.html

Brian Wilson and his band will dust off "Pet Sounds" one last time in honor of the album's 50th Anniversary ... http://www.examiner.com/article/brian-wilson-s-pet-sounds-50th-anniversary-world-tour?CID=examiner_alerts_article   

Hi Kent -  
I saw Brian Wilson's schedule for his "Pet Sounds Tour" and the Chicagoland area was notincluded. Any possibility he may add a show in this area?  
When in doubt ask the master ...  
Carolyn  
As of right now, no ... no Chicago-area stop is planned.  (As of right now, Wilson has 74 dates booked worldwide.  In all fairness, Brian has been here several times over the past two years so this may be his way of allowing the show to be seen in other areas.)  But never say never ... this is a VERY big deal ... so if a Chicago date IS added, we'll be sure to let our readers know!  (kk)

The Latest News From Lightning Strikes Music... "Spring Ahead With Lou Christie"

"DRIVE-IN DREAMS' LOU'S LATEST SPECIAL FOR SIRIUS-XM RADIO Lou has another great special airing on Sirius Channel 6, 60's on 6. Here are the scheduled times... remember all times are "Eastern" Monday - March 21 - 5 PM Thursday - March 24 - 1 PM Friday - March 25 - 11 PM Sunday - March 27 - 9 AM Lou's 2016 Tour Schedule is still being formulated but here is a sampling of some of the places where he will be appearing. Be sure to check with the local venues before making travel plans. April 16, 2016 - Bear's Den - Seneca / Niagra Casino - Seneca, NY (Tickets Now On Sale) May 1, 2016 - State Theater - New Brunswick, NJ (Tickets Now On Sale) June 5, 2016 - New Jersey PAC - Newark, NJ (Tickets Now On Sale) July 4 - July 14, 2016 - Tour of Italy September 10, 2016 - NYCB Theatre @ Westbury, Westbury, NY (Tickets Now on Sale) September 22, 2016 - Victory Theater - Evansville, IN November 5, 2016 - Proctor's Theater - Schenectady, NY December 3, 2016 - Villa Roma - Catskills, NY December 14, 2016 - Heinz Hall - Pittsburgh, PA New dates are always being added to the schedule and will be included in your next newsletter.

TOM PETTY WITH MICKY DOLENZ ON ‘TOM TALKS TO COOL PEOPLE’  
Dolenz discusses his career; his solo work; his Monkee-days, as well as their upcoming 50^th Anniversary tour and new album Good Times.  
The show will be broadcast on Tom Petty Radio / Channel 31  
Upcoming show times include:  
Tuesday – March 22  
10 am ET / 7 am Pacific  
8 pm ET / 5 pm Pacific  
Wednesday – March 23  
9 pm ET / 6 pm Pacific  
Thursday – March 24  
11 am ET / 8 am Pacific  
Friday – March 25  
6 pm ET / 3 pm Pacific

FH Reader Tom Cuddy sent us these stories ...

An interview with Felix Cavaliere:  http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2016/03/08/fellix-cavaliere-the-rascals-50-years-later-interview/#sthash.RyGgP1jm.dpbs

Carole King willperform her landmark 1971 album, Tapestry, in its entirety for the first time ever in London's Hyde Park on July 3rd.  
Although Beautiful, the hit musical based on her life, is playing on London's West End, this will be her first show in England's capital in more than 25 years. Don Henley will be the opening act.  
Tapestry has sold more than 25 million copies and won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1972. Among its hits are "You've Got a Friend,""I Feel the Earth Move" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow."   
Now THAT'S a show I'd love to see!!!  (Maybe they'll film this one like they did the Jeff Lynne / ELO Concert a the same venue!)  kk

The Go-Go'shave announced their farewell tour.

The group will perform 18 shows in August to bring down the curtain on a 38-year career.

In a statement shared by Rolling Stone, the "Our Lips Are Sealed" band says, "We are gearing up for one last blast of a summer tour. We feel so lucky and so grateful to have had the incredible support of our fans for so long. We can't wait to get out on the road and give the people what they want: some loud, fast music and a great party!"

Longtime bassist Kathy Valentine, who left the group several years ago and took legal action against it, will not be on hand for this trek.

The tour begins August 2nd in Clearwater, Florida; other dates include August 13th in New York's Central Park and the hometown finale at L.A.'s Greek Theater on August 30th.

A quick show of hands please ... seriously ... has ANYBODY out there really missed them?!?!?  (kk)

Should The Go Go's Have Stayed Gone Gone?

March 23, 2016, 4:58 am

≫ Next: Thursday This And That

≪ Previous: Tuesday This And That

$

0

0

 

The Go-Go's have announced their farewell tour.

The group will perform 18 shows in August to bring down the curtain on a 38-year career.

In a statement shared by Rolling Stone, the "Our Lips Are Sealed" band says, "We are gearing up for one last blast of a summer tour. We feel so lucky and so grateful to have had the incredible support of our fans for so long. We can't wait to get out on the road and give the people what they want: some loud, fast music and a great party!"

Longtime bassist Kathy Valentine, who left the group several years ago and took legal action against it, will not be on hand for this trek.

The tour begins August 2nd in Clearwater, Florida; other dates include August 13th in New York's Central Park and the hometown finale at L.A.'s Greek Theater on August 30th.

A quick show of hands please ... seriously ... has ANYBODY out there really missed them?!?!?  (kk)

 

The GO GO'S?  I never missed them!

Mike 

 

Hi Kent,  

Hope all is well.  

Has anybody missed the Go-Go’s?  

They played their part. As the 70s wound down, rock music was essentially arena rock (represented by albums and not singles) and disco. Punk rock had been the natural reaction to this as the kids set out to make their own music; often pressing up their own recordings for sale / distribution at venues. But punk hit a ceiling and couldn’t go mainstream.  

Enter new-wave and a re-emergence of pop in all the major markets – the US, UK, Australia and Germany. So titles such as “Careless Whisper”, “Cruel To Be Kind”, “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” and “Vacation” were pop sounds that could have easily been recorded in the early to mid-60s.  

The Go-Go’s toured the UK before they were famous, recorded the Fun Boy Three’s “Our Lips Are Sealed” as their first hit and wrote “Surfin’ And Spyin’”, which was recorded by the Ventures. Production was handled by the great Richard Gottehrer (one-third of the Feldman - Gottehrer - Goldstein writing and production team and co-founder of Sire Records).  

New waveended and the era of the 45 was finally put to rest by an industry eager to make the kids fork over $12 or so for a full CD, the format that took over. I miss new wave and, although they were not the best the genre had to offer, because of their involvement, I miss the Go-Go’s.  

Best regards,

Mike Edwards

 

HEY KENT,

JUST FELT THE NEED TO RESPOND TO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THE GO-GO’S. I HAVE TO SAY, I’M NOT THE BIGGEST GO-GO’S FAN IN THE WORLD, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR AT LEAST ONE THING. MYSELF AND A FRIEND ARE HUGE MUSIC FANS. WE GET TOGETHER ONCE A MONTH AND ALWAYS TRY TO COME UP WITH A MUSIC THEME WE CAN DEBATE.

ONE THEME WE DISCUSSED WAS, “THE BEST THREE SONGS TO START OFF AN ALBUM.” WE CAME UP WITH U2 - “JOSHUA TREE”, (“WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME”,”I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR” AND “WITH OR WITHOUT YOU”); EURYTHMICS - “REVENGE”, (“MISSIONARY MAN”, “THORN IN MY SIDE” AND “WHEN TOMORROW COMES”) AND, FINALLY, THE GO-GO’S - “GOD BLESS THE GO-GO’S” (“LA-LA LAND”, “UNFORGIVEN” AND “APOLOGY”.) 

GRANTED, THE GO-GO’S SONGS HAVE NOWHERE NEAR THE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF THE OTHERS BUT THEIR THREE SONGS TOGETHER DEFINITELY ADD TEN MILES AN HOUR AS YOU GO CRUISIN’ DOWN THE HIGHWAY.

I’M SURE YOUR READERS COULD COME UP WITH MANY OF THEIR OWN.

“THANKS” SO MUCH,

GARY

Interesting concept ... I like it.  (Of course the wheels IMMEDIATELY started turning for me ... and I think you're right ... our listeners can probably come up with some GREAT threesomes ... first three lead-off tracks from an LP.)  The VERY first one I thought of was The Bee Gees'"Spirits Having Flown" album ... "Tragedy", "Too Much Heaven" and "Love You Inside Out" ... three INCREDIBLE tracks that all went to #1. (Of course Capitol Records did a pretty good job of packaging "Meet The Beatles" for US release, too ... "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "I Saw Her Standing There" and "This Boy" ... it doesn't get much better than that!)

If you guys want to put together some of your all-time favorite threesomes, we'd be happy to run them.  The tracks have to have been the first three tracks on a new, commercially released LP (greatest hits collections don't count, nor do live LP's).  This could become a VERY interesting topic ... and just might get some folks to dig out their albums again!  (kk)

 

FOR THE RECORD:  The Go Go's knocked out six quick Top 50 Hits between 1981 and 1984 ... "Our Lips Are Sealed" (#20, 1981); "We Got The Beat" (#2, 1982); "Vacation" (#6, 1982); "Get Up And Go" (#50, 1982); "Head Over Heels" (#10, 1984) and "Turn To You" (#28, 1984) ... and then Belinda Carlisle went on to have six more as a solo artist (including four that made The Top Ten:  "Mad About You" (#3, 1986); "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" (#1, 1987); "I Get Weak" (#2, 1988) and "Circle In The Sand" (#7, 1988) ... so they definitely made their mark on the charts.

Thursday This And That

March 24, 2016, 4:31 am

≫ Next: Coppock's Topics

≪ Previous: Should The Go Go's Have Stayed Gone Gone?

$

0

0

Great News About A Great New Release!:

PERFECT timing for the PERFECT follow-up piece.

We've been telling you about the brand new Joel Whitburn / Record Research book "America's Greatest Hits, 1940 - 2015", listing every Top Ten Billboard Pop Chart from that time period.  Folks who've already received their copy are raving about the wealth of information contained in these pages ... and we'll be giving away a free copy (courtesy of Joel) this weekend to one lucky Forgotten Hits Reader.  (GREAT response to this one ... we've heard from readers we've NEVER heard from before!!!)

And, right on the heels of this release comes news of the soon-to-be-released companion piece, "America's Greatest Albums, 1956 - 2015" ... Billboard's Top Ten Album Charts.

You can order BOTH books through Joel's website ... and at a specially discounted price right now, too!

https://www.recordresearch.com/billboard_chart_collections/americas_greatest_albums_1956-2015.php

 

 

Threesomes:

>>>Our listeners can probably come up with some GREAT threesomes ... first three lead-off tracks from an LP.  If you guys want to put together some of your all-time favorite threesomes, we'd be happy to run them.  The tracks have to have been the first three tracks on a new, commercially released LP (greatest hits collections don't count, nor do live LP's).  This could become a VERY interesting topic ... and just might get some folks to dig out their albums again!  (kk)

Mine would be the first three cuts from "Abbey Road" being "Come Together""Something" and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." A lot of people dismiss "Maxwell" (including John Lennon, who was so disgusted he didn't even participate on the record) but I like it! That was the first time I'd heard a Moog synthesizer. For that reason alone it's worthy of inclusion.
- Larry Cave
  50yearsagoonthehot100.blogspot.com

 

This And That:

Robin Leach (yes, THAT Robin Leach) talks about the relaunching of The Righteous Brothers in this great interview with Bill Medley ...

http://lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe/2016/mar/23/the-righteous-brothers-reborn-bill-medley-emotiona

 

That was a great Jim Shea video. 

"The Next Awesome thing is right around the corner, man!"

Thank you for sharing this with us today, Kent.

David Lewis

Jim's was the very first radio show I was ever on, dating back to our Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame expose several years ago ... I used to really enjoy listening him in the mornings and we did several projects together after that ... he was (and hopefully still is) a big fan of Forgotten Hits.  We haven't seen him in a few years now, especially since he's gone down to Florida to continue his education.  We ALWAYS hate to see somebody so gifted in radio be out of radio through no choice of their own ... but I think everyone would agree Jim will be serving "the greater good" in this new career.  (I remember years ago when Larry Lujack and Tommy Edwards reteamed to do the morning show at Real Oldies ... and Larry was reading a story about Mother Theresa's latest life-changing adventure and then paused for a moment afterwards and said something to the effect of "I know we think we serve a lot of people being on the radio ... and we do ... we reach a large audience and we have some effect ... but then you look at all that Mother Theresa has done over her lifetime and stop for a moment to consider how much of OUR lifetime has been spent telling listeners to dial 1-800-Mattress."

When I first played the video for my wife, I said "Kind of a different side of Jim, eh?" to which she immediately replied "No, that's EXACTLY Jim ... that's EXACTLY who he is."  (It's hard to watch without getting a little choked up and teary-eyed, especially KNOWING the guy!!!)  She said "He has just always been true to himself ... whether it's cracking jokes on the radio ... or playing piano at our table in some funky little bar that was supposed to be holding open mic night but then cancelled it without any of us knowing ... or talking about his new career, hopes and dreams ... he has always been "just Jim" ... true to himself and a kind-hearted human being."  Every bit of that comes out in that short seven minute clip ... so I'm happy to have been able to share it with all of you.  (Scroll back to Tuesday's "This And That" page if you missed it.)  kk

 

Heard from several Forgotten Hits readers about this one ... sounds like fans are anxious to pick up Bobby Rydell's new book featuring his life story ... 

 

TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS - The Bobby Rydell Autobiography 

From Rise to Superstardom through Alcoholism and Life-Saving Double Transplant Surgery,the ‘Justin Bieber of the Camelot Era’ Releases His Candid and Compelling ‘Tale of Second Chances’  

 

 

“Crosby, Sinatra, Como, Damone, Lawrence, Darin, and — in a different idiom — Frankie Laine, Johnnie Ray, and even Elvis Presley. To be such an artist takes more sweat, strain, intense devotion, and dedication than most people can conceive of. Bobby Rydell is that type of artist.” —FRANK SINATRA, JR.

 

PHILADELPHIA (March 22, 2016) — From his vivid childhood on the fabled mid-20^th-century streets of South Philadelphia, to his reign as the Justin Bieber of the “Camelot” era, his battles with alcoholism, and his lifesaving double-transplant surgery, multi-talented entertainer BOBBY RYDELL has one hell of a story to tell. 

 

On May 4, Bobby will share his incredible tale as he releases his candid and compelling autobiography, TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS: A Tale of Second Chances (Doctor Licks Publishing, 249 pp., $16.95).   

Co-written with award-winning musician-author-filmmaker Allan Slutsky (Standing in the Shadows of Motown), TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS not only tells the story of Bobby Rydell, but that of American pop culture through the past six decades. In its pages, Bobby writes of his encounters with such giants of 20^th century show business as Frank Sinatra, Ann-Margret, The Beatles, Red Skelton, Jack Benny and Dick Clark, whose Philly-based American Bandstand helped make Rydell the world’s biggest teen idol in the years between Elvis Presley’s army induction and the advent of Beatlemania. A time when Frank Sinatra called Bobby his “favorite” pop singer.   

But TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS also is a very personal — and often-painful – story. Bobby delves into the darker and more dramatic aspects of his life, including the death of his beloved first wife, Camille, his decades of alcohol abuse, and the last-ditch transplant surgery that saved his life.   

Among other topics covered in the book:   

The circumstances of how Bobby lost his virginity in a Hollywood hotel suite at the age of 17.   

How a Philadelphia mob boss helped him take a movie acting job.   

His becoming, at age 19, the youngest-ever headliner at New York’s legendary Copacabana nightclub.   

How The Beatles paid homage to Bobby in one of their biggest hits — and how the Fab Four’s emergence as a global phenomenon all but killed his career.   

Humorous, tragic, fascinating, inspiring and always entertaining, TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS stands as one of the most important non-fiction books of 2016.   

TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS (Doctor Licks Publishing) will be available May 4, 2016 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and book stores throughout America.   

TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS: A Tale of Second Chances

By Bobby Rydell, with Allan Slutsky

Doctor Licks Publishing

Softcoverǀ 249 Pages ǀ ISBN 978-0-9973851-0-6| $16.95 

Official website: www.bobbyrydell.com  

Facebook:www.facebook.com/OfficialBobbyRydell  

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/BobbayRydell

 

Gotta love this quote!

I've been telling you about this new series of Uncut Magazines spotlighting "The History Of Rock And Roll" on a year-by-year basis ... and I'm making my way through 1967 right now when I found this quote from Mick Jagger ...

"It's alright leaping about the stage at 20, but when you get to 25, 26 ..."

By the way The Stones (still going strong) are currently touring South America ... and you can expect to still see Mick Jagger, at the age of 72 , still "leaping about the stage" for most of the show!  (kk)  

 

Here is an interesting article about the state of radio today and how it effects musicians and the listeners.

http://www.examiner.com/article/capitalism-gone-awry-how-legislation-killed-the-music-industry-and-radio
So now you know about Clear Channel Communications.  Now read about CBS.

End of an era: CBS to sell its historic radio divisionhttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-cbs-announces-cbs-radio-sale-20160315-story.html
CBS Corp. is poised to exit the radio business that it helped create.
Eighty-eight years ago, the company's founder, William S. Paley, bought the nascent Columbia Broadcasting System, and those radio stations became the nucleus of a budding broadcast empire.
But on Tuesday, CBS Chairman and Chief Executive Leslie Moonves said the company was exploring strategic options, including a sale or spinoff, of its entire radio division.
“The aim here is to unlock value for our shareholders,” said Moonves, who made the announcement during an investor day in New York.

wctietz

LOTS of talk this past week about the future of CBS Radio ... it'll be interesting to see where this all lands.  Radio as we knew hasn't been the same for decades now ... that's why it's so exciting when a new station like Me-TV-FM kicks up and mixes up the playlist a little bit.  More people listen online now via the Internet than ever before because variety is king ... and yet despite this very obvious shift in filling those desires, terrestrial radio still doesn't get it ... and continues to program to the consultants instead of the listeners.  Too bad ... most of us grew up experiencing the pure joy of listening to the radio ... hearing our favorite songs and artists ... AND deejays.  (kk)

 

Kent,

Thanks for telling us FH readers that Lee Andrews passed away. News like that is never seen here in our local papers and or radio / television.

One thing that has somewhat fascinated me through the years is why a record sometimes re-charts years later after it's initial appearance in Billboard. For example, you mentioned Gogi Grant's re-charting of THE WAYWARD WIND in 1961. Kind of curious why Era Records did that. I am sure there was a reason or reasons.

Larry

One place to ALWAYS get the latest oldies news (good, bad or otherwise) is Ron Smith's EXCELLENT OldiesMusic.com website.  (We've officially dubbed him our "Grim Reaper" because he always reports the latest rock and roll casualties with a brief bio of the artist.)  You should make this part of your daily reading as well.  (Unfortunately most of the news of late has been sad in nature ... we have lost SO many beloved artists already this year.)

 

Here's his post on Lee Andrews: 

Arthur Lee Andrew Thompson, lead singer of Lee Andrews and the Hearts, died Wednesday (March 16) in his native Philadelphia at the age of 79. Born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, (his father had sung with the Dixie Hummingbirds), he was raised in Philadelphia, where he formed the Hearts quintet (originally called the Dreams and later, the Dreamers) in 1952 while still in high school. First recording for Reco-Arts and Rainbow Records, they then moved on to Mainline Records (which sold their masters to Chess), as “Long Lonely Nights” (#45 Pop, #11 R&B - 1957) became a doo-wop staple. It was followed by “Tear Drops” (#33 Pop, #3 R&B) the following year and “Try The Impossible” (#33 Pop) on United Artists Records in 1958. Lee moved on to a solo career on Swan and then Cameo Records before semi-retiring and opening a local dress shop. His son, Ahmir Thompson became known as Questlove and served as drummer and producer for the Roots, who charted three times themselves in the late ‘90s. The Hearts and the Roots were inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance’s Walk of Fame in 1992.

-- Ron Smith

 

Diane Diekmanfiles these country music updates in her latest newsletter ... 

 

For the second time,Kenny Rogers, 77, has postponed his upcoming Tulsa farewell show due to health issues. The Kenny Rogers' Final World Tour: The Gambler's Last Deal was originally scheduled at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on January 28. Tulsa World reports it was rescheduled to April 7 due to his health, and the date is now July 14. Linda Davis will join him for that show. Kenny has not offered details on his health struggles.

SongwriterJimmy Webbis commemorating the 80th birthday (April 22) of his friend,Glen Campbell with a special edition of his national touring show, Jimmy Webb: The Glen Campbell Years. It is a multi-media concert that includes virtual duets and stories of how songs such as "Galveston" and "Wichita Lineman" were created. The pair shared more than 100 collaborative recordings. "I created this show to honor my friend and collaborator,"Rolling Stone Country reports Webb as saying. "I know Glen would want us to concentrate on having a good time and enjoying the music." The performance will be May 3 at Nashville's City Winery, and three of Glen's children--Ashley, Shannon, and Cal--will be part of the show.

March 25 is the scheduled release date for the Hank Williams biopic,I Saw the Light. Tom Hiddleston, who plays Hank, tells Taste of Country how musical director Rodney Crowell gave him a key piece of advice: "Before you do anything else--before you think about sounding like Hank, playing like Hank--learn the songs. And learn them for yourself. Find out what they mean to you." Hiddleston says, "Essentially just to invest myself in the meaning of those songs, and then come see him again in a few months' time, and Rodney would work on modulating tone and rhythm. But initially, the simple work was actually just to mean it ... because that was the only way I think I was ever gonna translate the power of his music to people."

The Florida Strawberry Festival in Tampa Bay had to do withoutTanya Tuckerthis year. She was scheduled to perform on March 11, but was admitted to the hospital due to complications from bronchitis. "I never want to postpone or cancel a show," Tanya, 57, wrote on Facebook. "However, if I am going to perform for the fans who spent their hard-earned money on a ticket, I want to give them the best performance possible. Right now, I am just not able to do it."CountryRebel.com reported that John Anderson would take her place. The Florida Strawberry Festival has been an annual celebration for over 80 years. Tanya's hospitalization is of special concern because her brother died from pneumonia several years ago.

You can subscribe and get all the latest country news by dropping Diane an email at

diane@dianediekman.com ... be sure to tell her that Forgotten Hits sent you!

 

Todd Rundgren's BOX O'TODD Limited Edition Live Box Set To Be Released

 

 

Los Angeles - Purple Pyramid records will be releasing a special limited edition collector's box titled BOX O'TODD featuring previously unreleased live in-studio recordings from the early '70s by legendary guitarist / songwriter / producer, Todd Rundgren! All shows were originally broadcast on the radio at the time.

This unique box features both stripped down solo performances by Rundgren as well as full band recordings with The Hello People, and includes some of Todd's most well-known songs including “Hello, It's Me,” “I Saw The Light,” “It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference” and many more!

In addition to three full-length CDs, the box set comes with a 20-page booklet featuring a full set of insightful liner notes by Dave Thompson and full color photos plus a signature guitar pick, 3 collectible pins, and a backstage pass!

Track List:

DISC 1 - Live From Philadelphia 1971 with the Hello People (originally broadcast on WMMR-FM)

1. Banter & Soundcheck

2. Believe In Me

3. Lady On The Terrace

4. I Got My Pipe

5. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference

6. Rock All Over Again

7. Everybody In The Congregation

8. Broke Down & Busted

9. Tonight I Wanna Love Me A Stranger

10. Ooh Baby Baby

11. Hold Me Tight (Excerpt)

12. Before I Grow Too Old

13. Be Nice To Me

14. I'm Feelin' Better

15. The Ballad (Denny & Jean)

DISC 2 - Ultrasonic Studios 1972 with the Hello People (originally broadcast on WLIR-FM)

1. Broke Down & Busted

2. Georgia Swing

3. Outside Love

4. Piss Aaron

5. A Dream Goes On Forever

6. I Saw The Light

7. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference

8. Feels So Good to Be Alive

9. Mad Red Ant Lady

10. Blaze

11. Lady On The Terrace

12. Slut

DISC 3 - Counterpart Studios Cincinnati 1973 with Utopia (originally broadcast on WKRQ-FM)

1. Intro

2. I Saw The Light

3. A Dream Goes On Forever

4. Piss Aaron

5. Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song

6. Hello It's Me

7. Banter

8. Utopia Theme

9. Black Maria

10. Hungry For Love

11. The Ikon (Segments)

 

Buy the CD:http://flyt.it/ToddRundgrenCD

Download on iTunes:http://flyt.it/ToddRundgrenDig

---

Coppock's Topics

March 25, 2016, 3:30 am

≫ Next: Article 1

≪ Previous: Thursday This And That

$

0

0

Kent, 

Random thoughts after enjoying one of my great guilty pleasures ... buying secondhand CD's at Reckless Records on Broadway Ave. 

I find it criminal that Paul McCartney has to wage a legal war to regain his share of publishing rights to the Beatles catalogue. 

I also feel a degree of sadness when I think about the still youthful Rascals all but giving away the rights to their library for a quick score in the early 70's. 

Why didn’t The Strangeloves just name "I Want Candy""We Wanna Be Bo Diddley?" 

I've always dug the fact that George Thorogood pays homage to Bo in his brutally rugged cover of "Who Do You Love?  

Do you remember a piece of junk by The Lemon Pipers called "Jelly Jungle (of Orange Marmalade)"? 

I honestly believe hearing this sappy hunk of slop qualifies anybody for two years of Freudian therapy. 

Am I the only guy left who thinks the O'Jays "Love Train" actually sounds better now than it did in 1972? 

If you want to appreciate the genius of the Staples Singers, flip on youtube and catch them lip syncing "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me). The song is damn near as good as "Respect Yourself." Meanwhile the "Respect" cover done by Bruce Willis in 1987 insults the credibility of a remarkably meaningful song.  

Every time I hear Chuck Berry's classic "Carol" I hear the guitar riffs of a late 60's and early 70's Keith Richards. 

I still love "Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)" by the Pet Shop Boys. Techno pop at its best. "Opp" was also the sound track we used for "Bears '86" and "Bears '87" shows I did on Fox 32 some 30 years ago. 

Which song  is a better song for truly get-down-with-your-bad-self love making: 

"I Only Have Eyes For You" by The Flamingos, 

"Miracles" by Jefferson Starship 

or the intoxicating "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye?

I'll hang up and wait for caller 15.  

Chet Coppock   

Host: Chicago Blackhawks Heritage Series

Sorry, man ... I just couldn't resist!!!  (kk)

Article 1

March 27, 2016, 4:00 am

≫ Next: The Monday Comments ( 03 - 28 - 16 )

≪ Previous: Coppock's Topics

$

0

0

The Monday Comments ( 03 - 28 - 16 )

March 28, 2016, 3:44 am

≫ Next: Sweet 16 (3-29-16) - The 16 Best-Known Monkees Songs

≪ Previous: Article 1

$

0

0

Congratulations!  
Congratulations to Gary Maurer of Milaca, Minnesota ...  
He just won a copy of Joel Whitburn's new book "America's Greatest Hits, 1940 - 2015", a recap of Billboard's Top Ten Pop Charts for the past 76 years! 
HEY KENT, 
WOW!!!!! WHAT ARE CHANCES?  
THANK YOU AND JOEL SO MUCH.  ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR BLOG ... NEVER MISS IT.   
GOT “REWOUND RADIO” GOING RIGHT NOW.  
I’M THE GUY THAT JUST WROTE YOU ABOUT THE FIRST THREE BEST SONGS TO START AN ALBUM. SOMETHING COSMIC IN THE AIR FOR SURE. 
“THANKS”, AGAIN. ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
GARY  
What are the chances???  About 1 in 53!!! 
Didn't realize your email was the one that launched "threesomes"  (see more on this below) 
Congratulations again ... the book is already on its way to you. 
Thanks again to everyone who entered.  (Gotta tell you, we had a GREAT response to this one!!!)   
Meanwhile, you can still order YOUR copy from Joel's Record Research website ... http://www.recordresearch.com/billboard_chart_collections/americas_greatest_hits_top_10_charts_1940-2015.php

And don't forget to preorder the upcoming follow up release, "America's Greatest Albums, 1956 - 2015", on sale now through a special discount offer.

http://www.recordresearch.com/billboard_chart_collections/americas_greatest_albums_1956-2015.php

And stay tuned ... we just may have a copy of Joel's Top Ten Albums book to give away in May, too!  (kk)

Great Songs Are Great Songs!

Hi Kent,

Sorry this is so late but I've been enjoying the tennis in Palm Springs and just got back to my home in Spain.  
I just wanted to congratulate you on your great interview with Tommy Roe and Forgotten Hits' coverage of the Chris Montez / Tommy Roe show. Wish I'd been there! Why?  Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to meet either of these guys, although they both recorded my songs. Tommy recorded COUNT ON ME, which had a wonderful global free ride on the back of THE FOLK SINGER. (I'm very grateful for that). Chris, of course, put CALL ME on the map and started a journey that subsequently brought covers by Astrid Gilberto, Nancy Wilson, George Shearing, Frank Sinatra and a huge deal (long ago) with the Bell Telephone Company. 

Incidentally, Sinatra's CALL ME was the 'B' side on STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT. 'B' sides were great but try explaining to anyone under 40 what a 'B' side is!!

TONY HATCH  
Hi Tony!  Good to hear from you.  Hope you're doing well. I've got to tell you that "Call Me" is one of my very favorite songs of all time.  (I'm guessing Petula recorded it first, right?) 

We're hearing LOTS of Petula Clark here in Chicago these days thanks to Me-TV-FM ... who have delved DEEP into the library of "forgotten hits" to play some things that just haven't been played on the radio in a while. 
In the last couple of weeks I've heard "Downtown", "I Know A Place" (several times), "You'd Better Come Home" (!!!), "Round Every Corner", "My Love", "A Sign Of The Times", "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" (several MORE times), "Color My World", "This Is My Song", "Don't Sleep In The Subway" (several times) and "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" ... so nice to hear this stuff in regular rotation again! 
Speaking of "Call Me", they certainly did a very good job of "cloning" that record for Chris' next hit, "The More I See You"!!!  (kk)

Thanks, Kent.

We are doing just fine after a fun-filled couple of weeks in the States which included a Variety Children's Charity Telethon in Des Moines followed by ten days in Palm Springs. 
Thanks for all the info and thanks also for your kind comments regarding CALL ME. It's been a nice little earner for a long time but Petula wasn't the first to record it. 
I wrote it for Keely Smith when she came over to the UK in 1964 to record with me. This was a deal arranged between Warner / Reprise and Pye. I worked with the famed Jimmy Bowen but when we finished CALL ME he didn't want it released.  
Following DOWNTOWN's success I was desperate for album songs for Petula so I played CALL ME to her, just me at the piano. Naturally I told her about the Keely Smith record but, for obvious reasons, didn't play it to her. Petula loved the song. When the DOWNTOWN album was released in America, my publisher (Leeds Music) pitched CALL ME to A&M for Chris Montez. CALL ME and THE MORE I SEE YOU could have been recorded on the same session. As you suggest, they do sound very similar and rough enough to have been recorded live in a club. If you read this, Chris, I'd like to know. Having said that, it's never been difficult to simulate the sound of a night club in a recording studio.
Best wishes to all,  
TONY HATCH     
Interesting stuff.  I passed your email along to both Tommy Roe and Chris Montez ... let's see if we get anything back!  Thanks again, Tony!  (kk) 
Hi Kent ... 
Thanks for the Tony Hatch email ... very nice. 
Thanks again, 
Tommy

Sometimes I run across some gems I've almost completely forgotten. Here are a couple we never hear.  

Mark Lindsay's "Miss America"   

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

The Neighborhood's "Big Yellow Taxi"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNUxEQp1Qc0 

David Lewis

Thanks to Me-TV-FM, these songs aren't quite the "obscurities" they used to be.  (Me also plays the Mark Lindsay version of "And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind" quite a bit, along with "Arizona" and "Silver Bird".) Still the best variety on the dial in Chicago today ... just wish they'd start streaming so the rest of the world could start enjoying it too!  Maybe the rest of the dial wouldn't seem so boring if they were suddenly challenged again to do something better ... and bigger.  (kk)

Threesomes

I have been giving some thought to the subject of great album starters. 
These are a few I remember from my youth ...
Carole King - Tapestry
1. I Feel The Earth Move  2. So Far Away 3. It's Too Late
The Beatles - Abbey Road
1. Come Together  2. Something  3. Maxwell's Silver Hammer
The Beatles - Rubber Soul
1. Drive My Car  2. Norwegian Wood  3. You Wont See Me
The Beatles - Meet The Beatles (U.S. Version)
1. I Want To Hold Your Hand 2.  I Saw Her Standing There  3.  This Boy
Van Morrison - Moon Dance
1. And It Stoned Me  2. Moondance  3. Crazy Love
The Doors - The Doors
1. Break On Through  2. Soul Kitchen  3. The Crystal Ship
The Guess Who - American Woman
1. American Woman  2. No Time 3. Talisman
This next batch may be in the over-played radio hall of shame; however, you can't deny how big these songs and albums have been over the years.
The Eagles - Hotel California
1. Hotel California  2. New Kid In Town  3. Life In The Fast Lane
The Cars - The Cars
1. Good Times Roll  2. My Best Friends Girl  3. Just What I Needed
John Cougar Mellencamp - American Fool
1. Hurts So Good  2. Jack And Diane  3. Hand To Hold On To

Phil Nee - WRCO

You've got some GREAT choices on here, Phil ... absolutely NO denying that these LP's grabbed  (and demanded!) your attention the minute you put the needle down!  Keep 'em comin' folks!  (kk)

Coppock's Topics  
Kent, 
A few remembrances of mine in perusing the comments by Chet if I may. 
He mentions the Bo Diddley tune WHO DO YOU LOVE.   Ronnie Hawkins and Tom Rush had big versions here in the OKC area back in 1963 and 1971 respectively, not to mention a version by the Woolies in 1965. 
I do happen to remember that piece of junk known as JELLY JUNGLE. What would you call another record by them, RICE IS NICE? 
I don't know if LOVE TRAIN by the O'Jays sounds better today or not, but in my opinion, it still sounds good.  Their earlier version of LIPSTICK TRACES back in 1965 did fairly well here in the OKC area.  Would you believe a few nights ago I got out the 45 record of CAROL by Chuck Berry and it is still from the, in my opinion, rock and roll hall of fame, songwise. 
And finally even unto this day, I still get chill bumps up and down my spine whenever I hear the Flamingos' I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU. 
And finally (haven't I said that already?), I tried to come up with a few songs that may be Easter oriented. I believe you've done this in years past. Songs by the Jelly Beans, Ray Anthony and Champs and Applejacks doing the BUNNY HOP (take your pick), Lee and Paul and one that probably only I remember (goes right up there with JELLY JUNGLE), I WANNA BE AN EASTER BUNNY by a group known as the Singing Reindeer, a group that goes right up there with Don Charles and his singing dogs. 
Have a great weekend. 
Larry Neal   

Hey, Chet -- 
They're called The Staple Singers, not the Staples Singers.
Regarding "Jelly Jungle," I think it is qualifies one of most creative, inventive and fulfilling of all bubblegum records -- even though it peaked at only #51 in 1968.  (It was a big hit on Chicagoland radio.)   Everybody has their own tastes, of course, and in my case "Jelly Jungle" ranks as my all-time favorite bubblegum single. 
Gary Theroux 
Most of the Buddah / bubblegum singles did better here in Chicago than they did nationally.  ("Yummy Yummy Yummy" was a #1 Record for example, which only peaked at #4 on all three national charts.)  "Jelly Jungle" reached #21 in Chicago on the WCFL survey and made the Top 30 in both Record World (#26) and Cash Box (#30) despite its #51 showing in Billboard.  Check out the end of today's posting for a comparison chart ofBUDDAH BUBBLEGUMas it pertains to their three biggest artists, The 1910 Fruitgum Company, The Ohio Express and The Lemon Pipers.  (kk)  

I agree with Chet on the Staples' songs being great and "Love Train" still sounds great to me, too.  However, he opens himself up for "992 Arguments" (the great follow-up to Love Train) when bringing up "Jelly Jungle."  Three weeks at #1 on my personal charts in 1968 and holding off the Cryan' Shames' psych masterpiece, "Sailing Ship" at number two.  The MONO single sounds great today, but the stereo version is just different enough to make me want the 45 always when listening.  It's the same recording, but mixed differently. 
Clark Besch     

I enjoyed Coppock's random tho'ts piece.  All us music lovers think like that.  Please consider this my request for my prize of two years of Freudian therapy for listening to 'Jelly Jungle,' and, I must say, I've earned it!  Since I'm female and just the last word in refinement, the answer to the last question is 'Miracles' by Jefferson Starplane, but 'I Only Have Eyes For You' is a close 2nd.   'Sexual Healing' gives me the same feeling as Zaeger & Evans''In The Year 2525' ... nails on a blackboard!   
Patti

Hi Kent ...
Happy Easter to you and yours.  
To answer Chet's question, my vote is "Miracles" by Jefferson Starship.  Yep, they "nailed" it.  Best romantic song out of the three.  The song definitely helps to set the mood.
Sandy
Over the years I've heard this one cited more than any other ... and we certainly have enjoyed it as well ... along with "I Only Have Eyes For You" ... although our choice has more often been (shudder!) the Garfunkel version!  (kk)
  

Lovemaking songs ... now that could be an interesting couple days of suggestions! 
Chet's suggestions are good ... I have no argument with any of the three. 
The only problem is you have three distinctly different time periods. 
If you were to get down with your honey bunny in the years before Beatlemania, the Flamingos win, hands down. 
By the mid 70's, it took more than a sha bop sha bop, to get the party started. Grace and Marty sounded as good as they had back eight, or so, years earlier. 
Meanwhile Sexual Healing, is Marvin at his finest.  It would prove to be one of the last true R&B / soul records, before Rap dominated the genre. Truth be told, R&B / soul was always the place to find the songs that made you want to dim the lights and light the scented candles. 
I'm going in reverse order, starting with Marvin Gaye.  
Jack 
I'm sure we'll get a few more people weighing in on this ... but don't limit yourself to Chet's three suggestions ... let us know some of YOUR favorites as well.  (We've got a few of our favorites as well!  In fact, Santana's "Smooth" sparks some very special memories for Frannie and I .. we were pretty partial to that one for awhile!  Or, if I'm in a particularly selfish mood, I guess there's always "My Ding-A-Ling"!!!)  kk

Cornerstones Of Rock: 
I FINALLY received my DVD / CD package this past weekend, four months after the show was first taped at the WTTW studios last November.  I popped in the CD of original recordings as soon as I opened it and got an immediate error message and thought "Oh No ... not after all this time!!!"  (They said they had manufacturing issues which contributed to the delay ... did I wind up getting one of the defective discs?!?!)  But, thankfully, after ejecting it and cleaning it off, it played just fine on the next try (although I will say that the stereo mixes seems a little out of balance on many of the tracks, strongly favoring one channel over the other.) 
You've still got a couple of chances to see the show live here in the Chicagoland area ... The first show at The Arcada sold out ... but it looks like there are still a few seats for the May 1st performance at The Skokie North Shore Center for the Performing Arts ... and then all the guys come back to The Arcada on September 3rd for another concert.  Full details on the oshows website ... www.oshows.com  (kk)

This And That

I was a big new wave fan in the 80s and saw the Go-Gos in a small club. Their first album, Beauty And The Beat was fantastic ... kind of a mix of the girls group and British Invasion sound. 

Mark  

To answer your question, does anyone miss the Go Go's? ... The "Go Go's" weren't so bad ... "Come on Man! " Girl Power! 
Sandy 

I just checked out your interview with Tommy Roe on the forgotten hits site.  

Excellent, as ever!  

Have a great weekend.  

Oscar Arslanian 

Arslanian & Associates

Forgotten Hits got the Mentalfloss.com treatment the other day after we featured Simon and Garfunkel's "Fakin' It" 45 in our Tommy Roe interview. 

http://www.mentalfloss.com/article/77621/why-runtime-simon-and-garfunkel-song-listed-274

Cool to think that Mental Floss Editor Nick Greene is reading OUR stuff!!!  (kk)

Thanx for the update on Bobby Rydell the other day ... I was thinking how I should find out how he's doing and you must've read my mind 'cause there it was the very next morning. 
I recommended to my local library that they buy his book for their shelves.  Can't wait to read it!  
Tell him that some of us are always pulling for him.  OK ... maybe not when I'm cooking dinner ... but definitely in drive time.  God bless Bobby ... and you for remembering him, too. 
Patti  
I've heard Bobby is one of the nicest human beings you will ever meet. We're trying to set up an interview for when the book becomes available ... so please stay tuned for that.  (kk)

Big news last week that they're filming an additional five minutes of footage so that Paul McCartney can be in the new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie.  He and Johnny Depp have gotten to be VERY close friends over the past several years ... so now Macca will follow in the footsteps of Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, who played Captain Jack's father a few films ago.  (Depp disclosed that he patterned his character on Richards as a source of early inspiration.  Can you believe this will be the FIFTH film in this series???  Who would have ever thought???)  kk

Here's a new one on me ... "Miranda" by Adam West, sung in character as Batman!  With the new Batman vs. Superman movie packing theaters this past weekend, Me-TV-FM gives us eleven reasons why Adam West is still the best Batman ever.

http://metv.com/lists/11-reasons-adam-west-is-the-best-batman-ever

We went to see "Batman v Superman" over the weekend ... man, what a disappointment.  (On a scale of 1-10, we both gave it a 2 ... and actually thought about walking out of the theater a couple of times.  That being said, the trailer shown beforehand for the 2017 Batman Lego Movie looks TEN times more enjoyable and entertaining than this was!!!)  
This is NOT the Batman and Superman we grew up with ... each of them killed far more people than the bad guys in this movie, breaking the superhero credo that has existed since these characters first came to life back in the 1930's.  Plus Ben Affleck's Batman said "shit" ... now I can say "shit" ... and YOU can say "shit" ... but BATMAN's not supposed to say "shit"!!!  Again, everything we ever loved about these heroes was missing from these portrayals.  WAY too loud ... way too many special effects drowning out and obscuring the dialog and the action ... and far too little action at that ... a complete waste of the Wonder Woman character, who only seemed to be there to set up the inevitable number of sequels this fiasco will inspire ... Jesse Eisenberg as a schizophrenic Lex Luthor (instead of the mad genius we've all known him to be for years ... it looked like Jesse couldn't decide how to play the character so he threw in some elements of The Joker instead, just to play it safe!) ... start to finish, pretty much a muddy mess.  I can't help but wonder ... when you have an ensemble cast this strong ... think about the actors involved with this ... Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill reprising his role as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Laurence Fishburne (huh???) as the Editor of The Daily Planet (Perry Black???), Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Jeremy Irons as the ever-reliable Alfred (who now helps control Batman's movements through what appears to be a very sophisticated Game Boy), Holly Hunter, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (as Bruce Wayne's father in a scene that gave him about a minute and a half of screen time), and a who's who of real-life newscasters ... when you assemble a group of actors THIS strong and THIS talented ... do they realize at some point during the whole process that they are filming what will ultimately be deemed a piece of crap?  Certainly, with the incredible string of credits under their collective utility belts, they MUST have known that this was complete garbage the whole while they were doing it.  I think I'm done with super-hero movies ... they have completely destroyed my memories of what a good super-hero is supposed to be and represent. (kk)

But this DOES give me the opportunity to tell my all-time favorite super-hero joke ...

Superman is flying around and just happens to notice a completely naked Wonder Woman lying in a field of grass.  He decides that he just HAS to have a piece of that ... so he swoops down and very quickly at super-speed does a little bit of pumping of his own ... and then flies off again before Wonder Woman even knows what hit her.

"What the hell was that?" Wonder Woman gasps.

"I don't know", The Invisible Man answers, "but my ass sure hurts!!!"

>>>"It's A Cryin' Shame" didn't get airplay here in Chicago ... too bad 'cause it's a great song.  (I discovered this one when a reader sent it in.  The Grass Roots also recorded a version ... but I like the Gayle McCormick version the best.  (kk) 
Kent --
Ummm ... puzzled here ... I heard the song in Chicago and recorded it on reel-reel tape in October of 1971. (I still have the typewritten index for my old tapes, with dates.) I don't remember which local AM station played it, but I recall hearing it quite a bit that fall. Definitely a great song, and one that probably didn't get the attention it deserved.
And now she's gone, at only 67. Scary.
--73--
--Jeff Duntemann
  Phoenix, Arizona

Well, it didn't chart on either WLS or WCFL so I don't know who would have played it (other than maybe a couple of shots early on to see if it caught on.)  It looks like it first charted nationally at the end of September, 1971, but only made The Top 40 on the Record World chart, peaking at #39. Odd but I truly don't remember EVER hearing it on the radio here in Chicago.  That being said, I really liked it the very first time I heard it ... a few years ago in Forgotten Hits.  (I keep telling you guys, I learn as much here as YOU do!!!  lol)  kk

Here is a VERY cool recent interview with our buddy Davie Allan from "Ultimate Guitar" ...

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/interviews/ug_talks_to_davie_allan_the_pioneer_of_fuzz_guitar.html?no_takeover

>>>Gotta love this quote!  I've been telling you about this new series of Uncut Magazines spotlighting "The History Of Rock And Roll" on a year-by-year basis ... and I'm making my way through 1967 right now when I found this quote from Mick Jagger ... "It's alright leaping about the stage at 20, but when you get to 25, 26 ..."  (kk)
Kent,

I think it was sometime in 1969 when Mick made another of his famous quotes: "I'd rather be dead than doing "Satisfaction" when I'm 40."

David Lewis

Yeah, I have to imagine that Mick singing"Satisfaction" has paid quite a few of the bills over the years.  (lol)

I still have tolaugh at a comment Bobby Darin made early on when he first saw The Stones ...

(from ourBobby Darin Series, now available in its entirety here ...  http://forgottenhits.com/the_bobby_darin_story)

'60's FLASHBACK:  When THE BRITISH INVASION hit, BOBBY really liked the new sounds and could appreciate the talent of the band members writing their own material ... even though it spelled the end of the old BRILL BUILDING era of song-pitching.  In fact, the first time he saw THE ROLLING STONES perform, he commented that MICK JAGGER would have a HUGE career in Vegas ... because, at that time, Vegas is where ALL the big stars ended up!  No one was ready yet for this new musical revolution ... and who'd have thought that 50-some years later, THE STONES would still be playing to sold out audiences all over the world ... and getting upwards of $300+ a ticket to do so!!!

And, speaking of Bobby Darin ...

You'll find some GREAT Bobby Darin photos and comments here ...

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBobbyDarin/photos/a.689406587778128.1073741828.689385574446896/1075280315857418/?type=3&theater

And FH Reader Frank B sent us this clip titled "Bobby Darin in Baghdad" ...

http://wkar.org/post/pop-stories-bobby-darin-baghdad#stream/0

As well as news that Bobby's version of "Mack The Knife" has been added to The National Recording Registry

http://www.cbsnews.com/media/audio-gallery-additions-to-the-national-recording-registry-2016/14/

BUDDAH BUBBLEGUM:

The 1910 Fruit Gum Company

1968 - Simon Says  (#1 USA / #2 Chicago)

           May I Take A Giant Step (#45 USA / #Ex Chicago)

           1, 2, 3 Red Light  (#3 USA / #1 Chicago)

           Goody Goody Gumdrops  (#28 USA / #11 Chicago)

           Indian Giver  (#3 USA / #2 Chicago)

           Special Delivery  (#28 USA / #11 Chicago)

           The Train  (#52 USA / #3 Chicago)

The Ohio Express

1967 - Beg, Borrow And Steal  (#23, USA / #24 Chicago)

1968 - Yummy Yummy Yummy  (#4 USA / #1 Chicago)

           Down At Lulu's  (#19, USA / #3 Chicago)

           Chewy Chewy  (#8, USA / #3 Chicago)

           Mercy  (#26 USA / #5 Chicago)

The Lemon Pipers

1968 - Green Tambourine (#1 USA / #2 Chicago)

           Rice Is Nice (#26 USA / #xx Chicago)

           Jelly Jungle  (#26 USA / #21 Chicago)

Sweet 16 (3-29-16) - The 16 Best-Known Monkees Songs

March 29, 2016, 3:23 am

≫ Next: EMITT RHODES

≪ Previous: The Monday Comments ( 03 - 28 - 16 )

$

0

0

Notice that I said "best known" ... not Greatest Hits or even Best Recordings ...

But back in the day when The Monkees first hit the scene, thanks to their popular television series, many of the group's album tracks got played on the radio with the regularity of a hit single.

Certain tracks (like "I Wanna Be Free" from their first album) were deliberately held back and NOT released as singles so that fans would have to go out and buy the album instead.  

Colgems Records needn't have worried ... their first five albums sold at an INCREDIBLE pace ... in fact their debut album, "The Monkees", topped Billboard's Album Chart for thirteen straight weeks only to be knocked out of the #1 spot by their second album, "More Of The Monkees", which held the #1 position for the next eighteen straight weeks.  That's 31 consecutive weeks at the top of the albums chart.

With a one week interruption, their third album, "Headquarters", then rose to the #1 spot, giving The Monkees the #1 Album in the Country for 32 out of the past 33 consecutive weeks!  ("Headquarters" only spent a week at #1.  That's because a little album by some guys from England took over the top spot for the next fifteen weeks with something called "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" ... you may have heard of it???)  I should point out, however, that the entire fifteen weeks that "Sgt. Pepper" held down the #1 position, "Headquarters" was right behind it in the #2 spot.

The Monkees closed out the year with "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd." (their best LP in my opinion) with another five week run at the top.  In 1968, "The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees" peaked at #3 and, with their TV show cancelled, they never hit The Top Ten again.

Here is our ranking of The Sweet 16 Best-Known Monkees songs ... presented the way we remember them best ... as both a musical AND visual experience ...

#16 - "Shades Of Gray" (from the "Headquarters" album.  Nine of the songs included on this special Sweet 16 Countdown were released only as album tracks here in The States ... but they achieved a longer-running and more endearing status than fifteen of their nationally charted singles.)



#15 - "Cuddly Toy" (from the "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd." album ... and written by a then-unknown Harry Nilsson, his first major song placement with an artist)



#14 - "Randy Scouse Git" (from the "Headquarters" album ... and also a #2 Single in Great Britain under the name "Alternate Title" in 1967.  Micky Dolenz wrote this track ... and chose this as its title after hearing the phrase uttered on a British television comedy series.)



#13 - "Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow" (from the "More Of The Monkees" album ... one of several Neil Diamond contributions included on this very special Sweet 16 list)



#12 - "She" (from the"More Of The Monkees" album ... a track consistently voted in as the #1 Listener Request for weeks and weeks on end in 1967, written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart).  This one could have been a monster-sized hit had it been released as a single at the time.



#11 - "For Pete's Sake" (from the "Headquarters" album ... and used as the closing theme to their hit television series during Season Two ... written by Peter Tork and sung by Micky Dolenz)



#10 - "Mary, Mary"  (from "More Of The Monkees" ... written by Michael Nesmith and sung by Micky Dolenz) 



# 9 - "I Wanna Be Free" (from "The Monkees" album ... a Boyce and Hart ballad sung by Davy Jones for the rest of his life)



#8 - "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" (a #1 hit single from 1967, awarded to Neil Diamond as part of the consolation prize negotiations for giving The Monkees "I'm A Believer" to release as an eight-week #1 record earlier that year, rather than releasing it as his own single)



#7 - "Steppin' Stone"  (the B-Side to "I'm A Believer" ... and a #20 Hit in its own right ... another Boyce and Hart tune, first recorded as an album track by Paul Revere and the Raiders)



#6 - "Valleri"  (a #1 Hit Single from 1968 ... and their last record to top the charts.  The Monkees included an earlier, alternate version of this song in one of their television episodes and, being a brand new, unreleased song, disc jockeys across the nation taped it and began playing it on the air giving them another #1 Most Requested Song in the process ... but they didn't officially release it as a single until nearly a year later.  The clip below is from that original TV broadcast)



#5 - "Pleasant Valley Sunday"  (a #2 Hit Single from 1967 ... written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King ... a little bit of psychedelic Monkeemania from The Summer Of Love)



#4 - "Theme from 'The Monkees'"  (never released as a single here in The States but used as the opening theme to their hit television series.  An expanded version was included on their first album, "The Monkees", in 1966.)



#3 - "Last Train To Clarksville"  (a #1 Hit Single from 1966.  The Monkees' first hit and still a staple of oldies radio today)



#2 - "Daydream Believer"  (a #1 Hit Single from 1967 ... and one of Davy's signature tunes.  His little "shing-a-ling dance step in the music video still makes everyone smile to this day)



#1 - "I'm A Believer"  (a #1 Hit Single from 1967 ... and the biggest hit they ever had.  Written ... as mentioned before ... by Neil Diamond, Neil wisely gave the song to the hottest group in the country at the time and made more on publishing rights than he ever could have made as an artist releasing the song under his own name.)  

EMITT RHODES

March 30, 2016, 4:27 am

≫ Next: Helping Out Our Readers

≪ Previous: Sweet 16 (3-29-16) - The 16 Best-Known Monkees Songs

$

0

0

Those of us who love the music of Emitt Rhodes are pretty passionate about this subject matter ... so when I first heard that Emitt would be releasing an album of all new material this year, I was understandably quite excited.  Rhodes' last official commercial release came in 1974 ... so we're talking over 40 years here!   

I first discovered Emitt Rhodes in 1970 when his self-titled debut album was released by Dunhill Records.  Paul McCartney had just released his first solo album, on which he played all of the instruments himself.  Now here was some completely unknown guy doing the exact same thing ... and sounding an awful lot like McCartney to boot!  (For some reason ... and I have absolutely NO idea why ... I was under the impression at the time that Emitt was from Cleveland, so I was even MORE impressed that some Midwestern Guy was doing this ... but the fact of the matter is that he's REALLY from Hawthorne, California, home of The Beach Boys and, I would soon find out, had been somewhat successful a few years earlier with a West Coast Pop Band called The Merry-Go-Round.)  

Radio ran several ads for Emitt's LP in 1970, typically featuring song clips from "You Should Be Ashamed", "Somebody Made For Me" and the song that would go on to be Emitt's only Top 100 charted solo single "Fresh As A Daisy" (#38, 1971).  [Three other tracks "bubbled under" in Cash Box and/or Record World but "Fresh As A Daisy" was Rhodes' only official Billboard hit.]

Those little ten second snippets were enough to make me go out and buy this album ... and, once I had it, I couldn't stop playing it.  Over the years I ended up buying several more copies as I was literally wearing through them as fast as I got them ... this album was on my turn-table virtually non-stop for over a year!  (They were also getting harder and harder to find as, although the album was not a huge success, it DID ultimately peak at #29 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums Chart.)  

There's not a weak track here ... and to a young, aspiring musician like myself at the time, I couldn't help but wonder if I could ever do that ... play all the instruments and handle all the vocals myself.)  45 years later this material holds up EXTREMELY well and I'd put tracks like "Fresh As A Daisy", "She's Such A Beauty", "You Should Be Ashamed", "With My Face On The Floor", "Somebody Made For Me" and "You Must Have" right up there against the very best music recorded in the '70's ... they just never quite got the attention they deserved from a mass audience.

Shortly thereafter, A&M Records released another Emitt Rhodes solo album called "The American Dream".  Most folks at the time thought this was Emitt's follow-up release but in fact it was recorded years before after The Merry-Go-Round (also signed to A&M) went their separate ways.  It evidently had been sitting in the can for quite some time but then (as record companies are so often prone to do) once they saw Emitt's new Dunhill album getting some attention, they quickly released this one in an effort to cash in on the momentum.

In most cases, I have found this "here-to-for previously unreleased material" to be unreleased for good reason ... but, surprisingly, this LP was nearly as good as the Dunhill album!  This stuff deserved to be released and heard ... "Pardon Me" is still one of my all-time Emitt Rhodes favorites and there are some other very interesting tracks on this LP as well:  I consider "Mother Earth", "Someone Died", "Holly Park" and "The Man He Was" all to be stand-outs ... and the entire album is very catchy and listenable.   

Emitt's REAL follow-up, "Mirror" came out in 1972 and it was nearly as good (although not quite as strong as the two LPs now currently in my collection.)  

It was enough, however, to make me seek out The Merry-Go-Round album from 1967.  This was not an easy thing to do in 1972 ... but I will never forget my excitement when I found exactly one copy at Rose Records downtown here in Chicago.  Although this was definitely a band, Emitt Rhodes was clearly the leader, writing and singing virtually ever track on the LP.  

Years later I found a clip of The Merry-Go-Round performing on The Hollywood Palace on an episode hosted by Herb Alpert, Emitt's label boss at the time.  (For some reason the clips currently on YouTube feature Don Knotts as the host but I absolutely SWEAR there's a Herb Alpert version out there somewhere!!!)  The entire group also appeared as contestants on The Dating Game around this time!!!)

It sounds like Emitt's final Dunhill album, "Farewell To Paradise" was more of a contractual obligation thing.  It came out in 1974 ... pretty much tanked ... and then Rhodes disappeared for the next 40 years.   

When the idea of a new Emitt Rhodes album first came to light, it was around sort of a "You Fund It" / "Kickstarter" premise ... fans contributed money to get the album made, pressed and released and earned specific rewards based on the size of their pledges.  Once "Rainbow's End" met its quota, the album was released through all of the normal channels ... and I bought a copy immediately.   

If I'm being completely honest, I was a bit disappointed.  If this was the BEST of the material he had accumulated over a 40 year period, it was pretty weak.  It's also a bit of a downer ... seems as though Emitt has been unlucky in love for most of that time and the bulk of the songs contained here reflect that unhappiness and disappointment ... which most likely contributed to my OWN unhappiness and disappointment when assessing the new album.  (I think what hurt me the most is the fact that the music of Emitt Rhodes had brought so much joy and happiness into my life over the past forty years ... it just didn't seem fair that his own next forty years would be filled with so much despair.)

The other thing I found discouraging was there was virtually NO trace of the "old Emitt" anywhere to be found ... it didn't really sound like him, even on repeated listens ... I tried desperately to find the "link" to the artist and voice I had enjoyed so much so many years before.  (It kind of reminded me of that scene in "Hook" when one of the Lost Boys opens up Peter Pan's eyes real wide and asks "Peter, are you still in there?")  And it really didn't LOOK like him either (although because I had kept up with Rhodes over the years always wondering ... and hoping ... that he might release something again ... I had some idea as to his own aging process.)

But truth be told, were I not holding the CD jacket in my hand and knowing what disc I was playing, but instead were hearing a random track on the radio, I never in a million years would have guessed it was him.  After multiple listens, I DO find traces here and there now, but it took awhile ... and really the album itself (featuring the full gamut of support artists and musicians, rather than his typical solo effort) has an excellent sound throughout.  The material simply isn't as strong as one would expect after such a long hiatus.  (In all fairness, by the time "Farewell To Paradise" came out in 1974, Emitt wasn't sounding much like himself anymore either.  The songs had become a bit more "sophisticated" and much less "pop" sounding ... the instrumentation used more keyboard strings and even a saxophone ... it never really "grew on me" the way his earlier work had.  I'm sure this was a case of Emitt feeling the need to grow as an artist ... but he left the process of creating anything even remotely commercial behind in the process.)   

Listening to the new album again and again, I have come to find it listenable albeit in a disappointing way.  Truthfully if I was going to select ONE song that most represents the best of old and new Emitt, it would probably be "Put Some Rhythm To It" ... which features the classic lyric "If you wanna learn to dance, if you wanna find romance, all you gotta do is shake your ass and put some rhythm to it."

My overall ranking (on a scale of 1-10):  3  

But fellow Emitt Rhodes fanatic Clark Besch (the other half of our Clark / Kent debate) feels quite differently ...  

His review is below!  

*****   

OK, so I am a BIG Emitt Rhodes fan, so be prepared. 

Here's me in my 70's Peaches t-shirt with some Rhodes pride and joys.

 

"Hey Emitt, LONG TIME NO SEE!"   

I have collected Emitt Rhodes' music since 1967, when I first heard "Live."  Then, I taped his band The Merry Go Round playing a "You're a Very Lovely Woman / Listen Listen" medley off Hollywood Palace.  From there, I collected as many 45s, CDs,  LPs, 8 tracks, imports, DJ copies, publishing, internet info, TV tapes, demos from his Palace Guard 45s to the Merry Go Round stuff, to his solo career as I could find.  

In 1971, I was entering high school and his records were on my turntable endlessly and over the years, I compiled more and more records and made my own tapes, and then CDs to play in my car.  HECK, I wasn't even driving when his last LP came out!  In the 80's and 90's, Bootleg CDs came out with his stuff and I bought them.  Then came a rash of good (and not so good) sounding CD LP reissues and compilations.  But, I sure wished for something new from Emitt.  

My brothers and I were devastated when the announcement came down in mid-1970 that the Beatles were no more.  When I first heard Emitt's first Dunhill LP late that year, I was amazed and felt (like many) that he was like a second coming of the Fab 4.  From there, my collection of his records grew rapidly.  That is, until he disappeared in 1973 and I had no idea what had happened.  Eventually, I found out that his contracts were too much for him to handle and he could not supply music on a "fast food platter" and he was sued and all hell came down on him.   

I have read and heard many times, since his last album, that he was ready to come back and record.  Bits and pieces have shown up over those years, but nothing really concrete.  Suddenly, late in 2015, I had a chance to "buy into" a supposed CD release IF enough money was raised.  $20 to hear a whole new album?  No brainer!!  I went for it, as did many many others, and when the goal hit 100%, I was really excited to think maybe this was not some ponzi scheme but rather a legitimate way to get your new album released.  I'd never heard of this type of release, but it sounded like a pretty cool idea.  Last week, I got an actual CD of 11 (mostly) new tunes in a CD by Emitt Rhodes titled "Rainbow Ends."  The last NEW album I bought of his was in 1973, when I was ecstatic to actually find a new LP of his at the local Richman Gordman store in Lincoln, Nebraska.  It was the ONLY copy I ever saw when the LP came out!  With a lyric sheet enclosed!

In 1973, no one dreamed the vinyl LP would disappear (and now it is coming back!).  Compact Discs were not even a twinkle in the industry's eyes.  Here it is some 43 years later when you can legally (and illegally) get music without getting a physical piece to play it on.  Downloads?  That's NOT for me.  I needed a true hard copy of this album, be it CD or vinyl LP. 

As expected, Emitt plays several instruments and wrote most of the songs, while co-writing all of them.  The surprise is having a band behind him again.  And a GREAT band indeed.  One thing you will notice instantly when you hear this CD is how "full" the music sound is and how clean it is.  It was always amazing that Emitt performed all the music on his albums by ping-ponging tracks on his 4-track in home recorder, but it caused the sound quality to be limited.  He was proficient in his use of all these instruments, but hearing this CD's sound now, I wish he'd used backing people on those tracks so THEY could have sounded this good back then.  I don't really recognize any of the backing folks on this CD, but I am sure they all appreciate Emitt's 1970's music as much as I do, because it is as if he never left the studio in 1973.  He sounds great, the band is superb, and the tunes are VERY well written masterpieces, as were most all of his previous catalog. 

On to my review:   

With the first single (whatever those constitute in this day) opening the new release, "Dog On A Chain" is an excellent song, but also lets you know that most of the songs on this CD are going to be about love's miscues, misunderstandings and mysteries.  Yet, it's a song not unlike his 70's songs, both lyrically and musically.  Emitt gets the message sent, as painfully as he can, and it works well.  This particular song really makes me think of another of my favorite songwriter / singer's 70's tunes, that of the late, great, Andrew Gold.  The guitar solo and other segments also make me think of Andrew's songs which came later in the 70's.  Listen to this new classic and then listen to Gold's "Lonely Boy."  Maybe you will see what I am talking of(?) 

"If I Knew Then" sounds VERY much alike a song that would have fit nicely on his 1971 "Mirror" album or like "Nights Are Lonely," making me feel great about the way his stylings have stayed close to his 40+ year old music.  It also makes one wonder if he is singing more of his recording industry troubles then, and is now thinking "If I knew then what was to come."  Lyrics such as ""I gave my trust, an act of faith" sound like what happened to him in the Dunhill days of disillusionment.  A very powerful production with a ominous rambling piano that feeds the song perfectly.   

The beautiful "Isn't It So" again reminds us of his songs of past times.  How a guy can sing three words over and over in different ways and rearrange those words seems a little bit like "I have to say the things I feel, I have to feel the things I say" from "Live Till You Die" from his Dunhill debut LP in 1971.  A guitar solo reminds me of another guitarist style, the great Ian Bairnson of Pilot.  I am also a big fan of cold endings, and Emitt must love them too, as this may be the first album I've ever bought that has EVERY song with such a finale'.   

"This Wall Between Us" sends another message of love's divisiveness with some "Ticket to Ride"-like percussion and more Bairnson-styled guitar licks.  Emitt has been a master of rhyming lyrics and this CD showcases that great ability yet again.  Despite the comparisons to the Beatles in the past, they don't show as much here other than when he has backing vocals.   

"Someone Else" is another song that reminds me of a classic Andrew Gold song, this time, "One Of Them Is Me."  The lyrics are somewhat similar in story, but I gotta say that Andrew never influenced him in any way, yet maybe ME liking all of those early 70's Emitt songs secretly led me to hearing Andrew's music as great in the later 70's years.  Who knows?  The simplicity makes me think a bit of his "American Dream" LP.  That LP was truly as magnificent as the first Dunhill LP.  I am so glad I own the original withdrawn copy with Emitt searching for the 19 cent hamburger on its' cover. Today, hamburgers are a buck, so some things have changed indeed, but Emitt's style and voice still ring true to his past.
 

   

"I Can't Tell My Heart" is somewhat reminiscent of the quiet "You Must Have" from his 1971 self-titled album.  Here, the harmony vocals and music lend to being a song John Lennon could easily have made a hit of in his solo years.  At this point, I really can't tell what my favorite song is on this CD. because one after another gives you a gut punch.   

Then, along comes the humorous "Put Some Rhythm To It."  With the opening lines "I discovered I had two left feet at every school dance," and jovial guitar lyrics behind those lyrics, you might, like me, think back to Emitt's Merry-Go-Round days and "Gonna Fight the War."  One thing is for sure, "finally cut myself shavin' yesterday, guess I'm gettin' older" doesn't apply to Emitt four decades later, judging by his CD cover photo.  The lyrics to "Rhythm" just move along in that shuffle that does indeed make one want to get up and "shake your ass and put some rhythm to it."   

"It's All Behind Us Now" sounds a bit different vocally than his 70's styles, but musically reminds me of the "Farewell to Paradise" LP days.    

"What's A Man To Do" asks for pity for a man who has been self absorbed in self-pity too often like Emitt has languished in for 40 years.  The song sentiments remind me of another later 70's hero of mine, Jackson Browne's "Here Come Those Tears Again."  Although I mention songs by favorites like Browne, Pilot and Andrew Gold, I would not guess that you or Emitt ever felt this way, but it shows how his EARLY 70's tunes could have led these later 70's acts to sounds and songs they would come to write and perform.  Who knows?  I sure hope Emitt signs no contracts over this CD release, but also that he comes back to us for good this time. 

In "Friday's Love," Emitt tells a tale of love "as it was taught to me."    

The title and ending track, "Rainbow Ends," does indeed present a possible solution to his dreams, but it's hard to tell which way he goes form here.  A nice military beat lends to the lyrical attempt to find that gold in "chasing rainbow ends."  It is very gratifying to be turning 60 in two months and still listening to someone who was a hero of mine when I was 15!   

Emitt has indeed returned to "paradise" with his 40 year follow-up to that album and it's better than we could have hoped for.  I am wishing it could have had some happier tunes (ala "Somebody Made For Me") amongst the sad love stories herein.  Next time, more upbeat tunes ("With My Face On The Floor") would be nice too, and maybe a rocker ("You Take the Dark Out of the Night")?  There's some great potential showing again in this new CD.  Apparently, there have been some great reviews and it's another masterpiece, in my opinion.   

*****

Wrapping It Up:  There's a part of me that wants to say, "C'mon, Emitt ... let's go make the album this SHOULD have been ... because I think he's still got it in him ... and I would love to help bring it out of him.  Listening to 40 Years of Bittersweet is hard to take ... there must have been SOME happy moments ... or, better yet, write songs about what would have made them happy moments.  Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive!!!  Seriously, get a couple of live gigs under your belt (doing both the old and the new material) along with a collaboration or two on a couple of upbeat songs ... and Emitt Rhodes is right back up there with the most desirable Indie Artists of the Millennium!  

Don't get me wrong ... ANY new music from Emitt Rhodes is a blessing ... and something virtually NONE of us thought we'd never see and hear again ... and I really do appreciate the chance to hear an artist I was so fond of for so many years recording new material again.  But we can do better ... put this one behind you ... you've already done the hard part ... the ice is broken and you've re-established your presence ... now let's concentrate on the NEXT album and put together something really spectacular!  (kk)