I heard that Brian Wilson will be appearing at Ravinia this year. When available, could you print the concert dates and any information on it??
Thank you and keep up the GREAT WORK!!!!
Carolyn
Thank you and keep up the GREAT WORK!!!!
Carolyn
The Ravinia Summer Concert Schedule was announced last Thursday ... in addition to Brian Wilson on Monday, July 6th, they've also booked Steely Dan (July 24th and 25th), Lady Ga-Ga with Tony Bennett (June 26th and 27th), Aretha Franklin (July 11th), The Steve Miller Band (July 10th), Santana (August 29th and 30th), ZZ Top (August 27th), Chicago (August 22nd and 23rd), Gladys Knight with The O'Jays (September 11th), Jackson Browne (September 5th), Sheryl Crow (June 25th), The Doobie Brothers (June 30th), Rob Thomas (July 18th)
The complete schedule can be viewed here: http://www.ravinia.org/calendar
The complete schedule can be viewed here: http://www.ravinia.org/calendar
Speaking of Brian Wilson, a live tribute concert celebrating the music of Brian Wilson has just been announced. Billed as "Brian Fest: A Night To Celebrate The Music Of Brian Wilson" will be held on March 30th at The Fonda Theater. Announced participants include Norah Jones, Ann Wilson of Heart, Boz Scaggs, Al Jardine, Wilson Phillips and several others. "Many More Surprises" are also planned, including a special appearance by Brian Wilson himself. His brand new album "No Pier Pressure" will be released a week later. (kk)
Brian has also announced the following tour dates for this summer:
- 06/18 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery
- 06/19 – San Diego, CA – Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay
- 06/20 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre
- 06/23 – Austin, TX – Frank Erwin Center
- 06/24 – Dallas, TX – Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
- 06/26 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
- 06/27 – Nashville, TN – Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater
- 06/29 – Philadelphia, PA – The Mann Center for the Performing Arts
- 06/30 – Wantagh, NY – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
- 07/01 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
- 07/02 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
- 07/04 – Toronto, ON – Sony Center (Brian Wilson and band only)
- 07/05 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
- 07/06 – Chicago, IL – Ravinia Festival
- 07/08 – Denver, CO – 1STBANK Center
- 07/10 – Las Vegas, NV – Chelsea Theater at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
- 07/12 – Seattle, WA – Benaroya Hall - S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium
Speaking of The Beach Boys, Endless Summer Quarterly Publisher (and Beach Boys Examiner columnist) David Beard takes a look back at the anniversary of "The Beach Boys Today" album ... a more in-depth look will appear in the next issue of ESQ ... but here's a neat recap teaser ...
http://www.examiner.com/article/examiner-exclusive-the-beach-boys-today?CID=examiner_alerts_article
http://www.examiner.com/article/examiner-exclusive-the-beach-boys-today?CID=examiner_alerts_article
I'm starting to see articles about the Wrecking Crew film documentary about these fantastic musical talents. Here's the New York Post's entry:
Bob Frable
Yep - we've been singing the praises of this film for the past eight years now and once again the rest of the news world is finally catching up. That's because it's being released in theaters prior to its DVD release ... music documentaries seem to be doing big business these days ... and as those close to the project already know, this one has taken FOREVER to make its way this far. (And they're still doing special screenings and film festival showings too!)
Producer Denny Tedesco recently sent us this Wrecking Crew update:
Dear Friends and Family of Wrecking Crew,
As many of you know we don't send out many emails unless something is happening.
Well, a lot is happening!
Originally the movie was going to be only in five theaters starting March 13th. As I write this note, we are being launched around North America in 37 theaters. If you can't make it to a local theater, it will also be released on ITUNES and VOD on various cable networks.
The DVD Release will be on June 16th and we hope to send the Kickstarter contributors their DVDs a couple of days before that date. I will let you know about downloads for our KS friends very shortly. I'm still waiting to hear from our distributor.
Since we started screening this project in 2008 at film festivals, one question always came up in the Q&As. "Will there be a soundtrack?"
As of this week, I can say, "Yes!" With the help of Richard Foos (co-founder of Rhino Records & Shout Factory), we will be releasing a 4CD set with some great options.
• 3 CDs will include hits that the Wrecking Crew Members recorded.
• 1 CD will include recordings of the musicians themselves under their own names.
• Double LP (for our vinyl friends!) Click here for a video with Hal Blaine and myself with info about the Soundtrack.
Producer Denny Tedesco recently sent us this Wrecking Crew update:
Dear Friends and Family of Wrecking Crew,
As many of you know we don't send out many emails unless something is happening.
Well, a lot is happening!
Originally the movie was going to be only in five theaters starting March 13th. As I write this note, we are being launched around North America in 37 theaters. If you can't make it to a local theater, it will also be released on ITUNES and VOD on various cable networks.
The DVD Release will be on June 16th and we hope to send the Kickstarter contributors their DVDs a couple of days before that date. I will let you know about downloads for our KS friends very shortly. I'm still waiting to hear from our distributor.
Since we started screening this project in 2008 at film festivals, one question always came up in the Q&As. "Will there be a soundtrack?"
As of this week, I can say, "Yes!" With the help of Richard Foos (co-founder of Rhino Records & Shout Factory), we will be releasing a 4CD set with some great options.
• 3 CDs will include hits that the Wrecking Crew Members recorded.
• 1 CD will include recordings of the musicians themselves under their own names.
• Double LP (for our vinyl friends!) Click here for a video with Hal Blaine and myself with info about the Soundtrack.
The New BookAnother great announcement is the release of the latest book by Ken Sharp. Exclusive interviews with members of the Wrecking Crew and artists including the Beach Boys, the Byrds, Cher, the Monkees, the Mamas & the Papas, the Righteous Brothers, Jackson 5, Jan & Dean, the Turtles, Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Grass Roots, the Ronettes, The Association, The 5th Dimension, The Carpenters, Herb Alpert and more.
Sound Explosion!: Inside L.A.'s Studio Factory with the Wrecking Crew, a new 12" x 12" album sized book, serves as the perfect companion to the Wrecking Crew film. It is a gorgeous book that was designed by Mark London.
Augmented with hundreds of rare photos, the book also features the back story behind the recording of more than 50 classic songs including "Good Vibrations,""California Dreamin',""You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling,""Mr. Tambourine Man,""Last Train to Clarksville,""River Deep-Mountain High,""Be My Baby,""California Girls,""Help Me, Rhonda,""I Got You Babe,""Wichita Lineman,""Bridge Over Troubled Water,""I Want You Back,""ABC" and "(They Long to Be) Close to You."Click Here to Pre-Order Your Copy
Upcoming Screenings
Here is the latest list of screenings around North America.
TOMORROW!!!:
• Please note : On March 13th, I will be at the 7:30 screening for our Los Angeles Premiere which will include many of our cast from the movie. 3/13/2015
Here is the latest list of screenings around North America.
TOMORROW!!!:
• Please note : On March 13th, I will be at the 7:30 screening for our Los Angeles Premiere which will include many of our cast from the movie. 3/13/2015
| West Los Angeles, CA: Nuart Theatre Los Angeles Premiere Screening at NUART Theater 7:30pm Join Wrecking Crew members Hal Blaine, Joe Osborn, Don Randi, Bill Pitman, and more of the cast of the moview, along with director Denny Tedesco. Tickets still available! Be a part of the LA Premiere. |
Cambridge, MA: Kendall Square Cinema 9
Dallas, TX: Landmark Theatres
Denver, CO: Mayan Theatre
Portland, OR: Hollywood Theatre
New York, NY: IFC Center 5
Santa Ana, CA: South Coast Village 3
Tucson, AZ: The Loft Cinema
3/20/2015
Columbus, OH: Gateway Film Center 8M
Jefferson City, MO: Capitol City Cinema
San Diego, CA: Ken Cinema
Santa Fe, NM: Jean Cocteau Cinema
Saskatoon, SK: Broadway Theatre
3/27/2015
Berkeley, CA: Shattuck Cinemas 10
Gainesville, FL: Hippodrome - Gainesville
Phoenix, AZ: The FilmBar
San Francisco, CA: Opera Plaza Cinemas 4
San Luis Obispo, CA: Palm Cinema
Seattle, WA: SIFF Cinema at the Uptown
Waterville, ME: Railroad Square Cinema 3
3/31/2015
Winston-Salem, NC: Aperture Cinema
4/3/2015
Bellingham, WA: PFC's Limelight Cinema 3
Palm Desert, CA: Cinemas Palme D'Or 7
Spokane, WA: Magic Lantern Theatre
4/8/2015
Baton Rouge, LA: Manship Theatre
4/9/2015
Wichita, KS: Orpheum Theater
4/10/2015
Fort Worth, TX: Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth
4/13/2015
Bethlehem, PA: ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks
4/14/2015
Springfield, MO: Moxie Cinema 2
4/20/2015
Lafayette, LA: Acadiana Center for the Arts
4/23/2015
Memphis, TN: Brooks Museum of Art
4/24/2015
Albuquerque, NM: Guild Cinema
Fans who contributed to The Wrecking Crew Kickstarter Campaign have TRIED to be patient waiting for their customized copy of the DVD to arrive ... but in the meantime the film was picked up by Magnolia Films for national distribution so this delayed things a bit.
All I can tell you (if you haven't seen it yet) is that it will be WELL worth the wait. News of the soundtrack album and book make all of this even more exciting. (Man, I would LOVE to get a signed copy of each, Denny!!!)
Here's a photo of Denny and me at The Arcada Theatre screening of the film last year ...
Dallas, TX: Landmark Theatres
Denver, CO: Mayan Theatre
Portland, OR: Hollywood Theatre
New York, NY: IFC Center 5
Santa Ana, CA: South Coast Village 3
Tucson, AZ: The Loft Cinema
3/20/2015
Columbus, OH: Gateway Film Center 8M
Jefferson City, MO: Capitol City Cinema
San Diego, CA: Ken Cinema
Santa Fe, NM: Jean Cocteau Cinema
Saskatoon, SK: Broadway Theatre
3/27/2015
Berkeley, CA: Shattuck Cinemas 10
Gainesville, FL: Hippodrome - Gainesville
Phoenix, AZ: The FilmBar
San Francisco, CA: Opera Plaza Cinemas 4
San Luis Obispo, CA: Palm Cinema
Seattle, WA: SIFF Cinema at the Uptown
Waterville, ME: Railroad Square Cinema 3
3/31/2015
Winston-Salem, NC: Aperture Cinema
4/3/2015
Bellingham, WA: PFC's Limelight Cinema 3
Palm Desert, CA: Cinemas Palme D'Or 7
Spokane, WA: Magic Lantern Theatre
4/8/2015
Baton Rouge, LA: Manship Theatre
4/9/2015
Wichita, KS: Orpheum Theater
4/10/2015
Fort Worth, TX: Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth
4/13/2015
Bethlehem, PA: ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks
4/14/2015
Springfield, MO: Moxie Cinema 2
4/20/2015
Lafayette, LA: Acadiana Center for the Arts
4/23/2015
Memphis, TN: Brooks Museum of Art
4/24/2015
Albuquerque, NM: Guild Cinema
Fans who contributed to The Wrecking Crew Kickstarter Campaign have TRIED to be patient waiting for their customized copy of the DVD to arrive ... but in the meantime the film was picked up by Magnolia Films for national distribution so this delayed things a bit.
All I can tell you (if you haven't seen it yet) is that it will be WELL worth the wait. News of the soundtrack album and book make all of this even more exciting. (Man, I would LOVE to get a signed copy of each, Denny!!!)
Here's a photo of Denny and me at The Arcada Theatre screening of the film last year ...
More Wrecking Crew press, courtesy of FH Reader Tom Cuddy ...
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-ms-the-wrecking-crew-sound-explosion-20150308-story.html#page=1
http://www.malaysiandigest.com/features/544670-the-unknown-super-group-behind-rock-n-roll-s-most-iconic-albums.html
http://www.billboard.com/articles/magazine/6479908/la-hit-musicians-behind-beach-boys-frank-sinatra-get-their-due
http://www.laweekly.com/music/studio-musicians-who-played-on-two-decades-of-hits-finally-get-their-due-5414177
http://www.malaysiandigest.com/features/544670-the-unknown-super-group-behind-rock-n-roll-s-most-iconic-albums.html
http://www.billboard.com/articles/magazine/6479908/la-hit-musicians-behind-beach-boys-frank-sinatra-get-their-due
http://www.laweekly.com/music/studio-musicians-who-played-on-two-decades-of-hits-finally-get-their-due-5414177
Denny also tells us that if the film ISN'T coming to your area, there are still any number of ways to watch it right in the privacy and convenience of your own home ...
Watch On Demand March 13th
| Amazon: | Coming Soon |
| AT&T UVerse: | On Demand > Uverse Movies > Featured/Early Releases |
| Barnes & Noble: | Coming Soon |
| Cablevision: | On Demand > Movies > Advanced Screenings |
| Charter: | Channel 1 (On Demand) - Movie > New Releases (Search Titles) |
| CinemaNow: | Coming Soon |
| Comcast: | Top Picks > New Movies HD On Demand > Movies > Just In HD On Demand > Movies > Indies & Foreign > Magnolia Pictures |
| Cox: | Early Screening > In Theaters |
| DirectTV: | Channel 1000 and 1100 (On Demand) > Movies > (Search Titles) |
| Dish: | DVR Button > All Movies > Search Movies > Search by Film or Actor |
| FlixFling: | Search Title |
| Google Play: | Coming Soon |
| iTunes: | Coming Soon |
| Playstation 3 Store: | Video > Playstation Store > Studios > Magnolia Pictures (Search Titles) |
| SuddenLink: | Movies & Events > New Releases |
| Time Warner Cable: | HD Movies > Movies |
| Verizon FIOS: | Movies > By Genre > All > Indies & Docs > Magnolia |
| VUDU | Coming Soon |
| Xbox360 / Zune | Video Market Place > Zune > Featured (Search Titles) |
| YouTube: | Coming Soon |
| See more at: http://www.magpictures.com/thewreckingcrew/#watchondemand | |
News came last night about the passing of Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night. We knew he hadn't been well ... and if you saw our special "Happy Together" review yesterday, you know that Chuck Negron asked fans to keep him in their prayers during this difficult time.
I got this note from Mark Bego, biographer of the rock stars, this morning and wanted to run it for our readers ...
Kent:
Hello there. I am sure you heard about the passing of Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night, March 11. At a loss to find a way to immediately channel my grief for the passing of a dear friend, I composed the following. Hopefully you can run it in Forgotten Hits.
Many thanks,
Mark
Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night (1948 – 2015)
Jimmy Greenspoon was one of the most upbeat, talented, energetic, and positive thinking people I have ever met. I had the rare privilege of writing his autobiography with him, "One is the Loneliest Number" (1991). Along the way, we became close friends. I am so saddened to hear of his passing today. He came to New York City in the late 1980s, and together we plotted to tell his wild roller coaster ride to the top of the rock world, his descent into the depths of drug abuse, and his dramatic stint with rehabilitation. We hit it off immediately, and we plotted to write what we thought was the ultimate rock & roll autobiography. Being with Jimmy was like trying to harness a tornado. He had such boundless energy. Once we sold our proposal to a publisher, I moved into his house in Arizona, and we worked every day for over four months. Together we created one of the best and most popular rock & roll books of my career. When I came up with the idea of producing a radio show, it was Jimmy who stepped up to the plate and wrote me a theme song called “On the Mark.” When I told him that I wanted to write a rock & roll cookbook, he was one of the first rock stars to give me recipes. That was the kind of friend he was. Whatever was needed, he was there to help. Jimmy Greenspoon continues to be an inspiration to so many people — me included. The world has lost a wonderful and talented keyboard player, and we have all lost a dear friend. Jimmy was truly the heart of Three Dog Night. His music and his talent lives on.
Mark Bego
Three Dog Night enjoyed a run as the most popular band in the world ... and while the three lead singers got most of the attention, there is no question about the support they got from the musicians on stage behind them. (In fact, they often did a song or two on their own in the middle of the set.)
So sad to hear of Jimmy's passing ... it sounds like he had a true and meaningful impact on your life ... so I am VERY happy to share your memories with our readers. Thanks, Mark. (kk)
Paul McCartney (who helped cowrite another Kanye West track just released this past week ... is enjoying Top Five chart success with Rihanna with "FourFiveSeconds" ... and is reportedly working next with Lady Ga-Ga) apparently just isn't busy enough these days ... so he's lending his hand to a brand new recording project put together by Alice Cooper, Joe Perry of Aerosmith and his buddy Johnny Depp. Billing themselves as The Hollywood Vampires, Paul's contribution will be a brand new recording of the track he wrote for Badfinger (and the Ringo Starr film "The Magic Christian"), "Come And Get It", a #3 Hit here in The USA back in early 1970. Then he goes off on a tour of The UK. (Wonder when he finds time to go to the bathroom?!?!) kk
FH Reader Mike De Martino asked Gary Loizzo, lead singer of The American Breed, if he might be participating in the up-coming Marty Grebb Benefit Concert being held May 7th at The Arcada Theatre ...
I asked him if he would be sitting in at the Bucks reunion. People we need to push him.
Mike De Martino
Mike De Martino
Don't know yet ... if I do, it will be a last minute decision.Gary
He certainly would be a welcome addition ... but we've got to be VERY careful here ... under NO circumstances are we allowed to refer to this as a Buckinghams Reunion ... this is simply four guys ... Nick Fortuna, Carl Giammarese, Marty Grebb and Dennis Tufano ... who, you'll note, have been very carefully listed alphabetically ... all of whom just HAPPENED to have one time performed together as The Buckinghams ... taking the stage for one VERY special night ... playing some of the hits OF The Buckinghams ... together again on stage for a very worthy cause. However, in the concentrated concern of "political correctness" (and in no uncertain terms as mandated by the powers that be running this whole thing), this is NOT to be referred to as a "Buckinghams Reunion" ... we've been given VERY strict orders about this (and have already been reprimanded once for referring to it as such ... which we never actually did, by the way, but there are SOME people involved in this who seem to be more concerned with throwing their weight around than focusing on the REAL reason for the concert ... and I'm not about to get in the middle of THAT bullshit!!!)
He certainly would be a welcome addition ... but we've got to be VERY careful here ... under NO circumstances are we allowed to refer to this as a Buckinghams Reunion ... this is simply four guys ... Nick Fortuna, Carl Giammarese, Marty Grebb and Dennis Tufano ... who, you'll note, have been very carefully listed alphabetically ... all of whom just HAPPENED to have one time performed together as The Buckinghams ... taking the stage for one VERY special night ... playing some of the hits OF The Buckinghams ... together again on stage for a very worthy cause. However, in the concentrated concern of "political correctness" (and in no uncertain terms as mandated by the powers that be running this whole thing), this is NOT to be referred to as a "Buckinghams Reunion" ... we've been given VERY strict orders about this (and have already been reprimanded once for referring to it as such ... which we never actually did, by the way, but there are SOME people involved in this who seem to be more concerned with throwing their weight around than focusing on the REAL reason for the concert ... and I'm not about to get in the middle of THAT bullshit!!!)
So ... for the record ... it's Nick, Carl, Marty and Dennis ... performing "the hits of The Buckinghams" ... for one night only at The Arcada Theatre on Thursday, May 7th. Hopefully you already got your tickets ... because from what I understand, they're selling VERY quickly!!! (kk)
Speaking of great acts that came out of Chicago, a brand new tour featuring Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire has just been announced ... but, incredibly, Chicago is NOT part of the itinerary!!! (I can assure you that this will change ... NO WAY they're not going to stop here and give the home-town fans something to cheer about!!!) This should be a GREAT concert event ... both bands have performed together in the past and it is REALLY something to see.
Here are all the details as they currently stand, according to Vintage Vinyl News ...
UPDATE: I just got an email from Lee Loughnane of Chicago and, believe it or not, Chicago is NOT on the list for this go 'round! Lee tells us:
Hi Kent,
Great to hear from you. The offer from Live Nation to partner with Earth, Wind and Fire came in pretty late. By then we had already set up many shows, including two nights at Ravinia ... so unfortunately, the answer is no ... we won't be playing Chicago with EWF this time through. Crazy I know, but that's the way it worked out. We are hoping to come back to Chicago with EWF after we have fulfilled our commitment to Ravinia, probably later in the year.
Thanks,
Lee
And you can bet that Forgotten Hits will let you know EXACTLY when that's going to happen ... man, what a GREAT double-bill this is ... I've gotta to believe both bands enjoy these shows every bit as much as the FANS do!!! Thanks, Lee! (kk)
FH Reader Tom Cuddy tells us that Earth, Wind and Fire were on Ellen yesterday ... and that after their performance, they plugged their upcoming tour with Chicago ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sYmy39HUUg&app=desktop
Did you happen to see the Shania Twain "Live From Las Vegas" television special a couple of weeks ago. Well, Shania (long one of our favorites) has just announced HER farewell tour, too. (It'll stop in Chicago on July 29th at the Allstate Arena.) By the way, if you enjoyed the special, you can pick up a live concert DVD (TWICE as long as the television special) AND an accompanying CD exclusively at WalMart. (kk)
Great to hear from you. The offer from Live Nation to partner with Earth, Wind and Fire came in pretty late. By then we had already set up many shows, including two nights at Ravinia ... so unfortunately, the answer is no ... we won't be playing Chicago with EWF this time through. Crazy I know, but that's the way it worked out. We are hoping to come back to Chicago with EWF after we have fulfilled our commitment to Ravinia, probably later in the year.
Thanks,
Lee
And you can bet that Forgotten Hits will let you know EXACTLY when that's going to happen ... man, what a GREAT double-bill this is ... I've gotta to believe both bands enjoy these shows every bit as much as the FANS do!!! Thanks, Lee! (kk)
FH Reader Tom Cuddy tells us that Earth, Wind and Fire were on Ellen yesterday ... and that after their performance, they plugged their upcoming tour with Chicago ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sYmy39HUUg&app=desktop
Did you happen to see the Shania Twain "Live From Las Vegas" television special a couple of weeks ago. Well, Shania (long one of our favorites) has just announced HER farewell tour, too. (It'll stop in Chicago on July 29th at the Allstate Arena.) By the way, if you enjoyed the special, you can pick up a live concert DVD (TWICE as long as the television special) AND an accompanying CD exclusively at WalMart. (kk)
Micky Dolenz of The Monkees celebrated his 70th Birthday last week ... WTG, Mickster!
http://www.examiner.com/list/on-monkee-micky-dolenz-s-70th-birthday-a-look-at-some-of-his-career-highlights
The music of our lives just keeps fading further and further away.
In a new article this past week, Billboard Magazine named The Top Ten Girl Groups Of All-Time ... and although The Supremes topped the list, you won't find much else to cheer about if you grew up in what USED to be known as "The Girl Group Era" ...
Also included ... The Top Ten Girl Group Hits, led by The Emotions with their 1977 chart-topper "Best Of My Love". (kk)
Here's more from that great Jeremy Roberts interview with Mark Lindsay ...
Here's more from that great Jeremy Roberts interview with Mark Lindsay ...
From FH Reader Dave Barry, here is YOUR chance to overpay for albums you probably already have in your collection anyway!!!
https://www.yahoo.com/makers/why-this-record-stores-750-lps-are-hot-sellers-112730604250.html
Got this from our FH Buddy David Salidor, who just started working with a fellow by the name of FRANK SHINER, who has recorded an album produced by Gary Katz of Steely Dan fame. The impetus was to do an album of new standards ... so he's cut songs by the likes of Costello, Ferry, Waits, Newman and Paul Simon.
Frank has a show coming up at The Cutting Room on March 21st ... so we wanted to get the word out there in time for interested folks to catch the show ...
The artistry of Frank Shiner lies in his lifetime of experience in singing and acting. “As a student of Shakespeare, and a student of language, the song is a play and the lyric is the most important thing to me. If a pretty sound comes out after that, it’s a bonus … never the initial goal”.
Shiner has, with the release of his first album, achieved the rare distinction of creating a work that sounds remarkably like something from the Great American Songbook, yet the songs are actually all hidden gems from some of the most gifted composers around; Paul Simon, Tom Waits, Van Morrison, and Randy Newman, to name a few. The Real Me, Frank Shiner’s aptly titled debut album on Bakerson / Universal Records, is immediately a pop adult standards work; concentrating on a new breed of standards, from the “deliciously jazzy” simplicity of Elvis Costello’s “Almost Blue,” to the “cool, sexy” rhythms of Tom Waits’ “Temptation.”
The L. A. Examiner said of the album, “Just when you thought that Josh Groban and Michel Buble held the patent on amazing voices, along comes Frank Shiner to shatter those preconceived notions.”
“I'm kind of a genetically modified singer,” Frank says … “I'm what happens when you splice a dramatic tenor with a blues singer.”
Taken together, the songs on the album describe a chapter in Shiner’s decades-long love affair with his wife Suzanne. Nearly twenty years earlier, with one child to raise and another on the way, Shiner decided to put his career on hold.
“There were never any regrets”, says Shiner, “I fulfilled my responsibility as a husband and father and I take great satisfaction in that.”
In 2010, Suzanne began a battle with cancer “a truly life altering experience that changes your perspective on everything,” according to Shiner.
The depth of the couple’s relationship courses through nearly every song on The Real Me (“Feels Like Home” written by Randy Newman, became a Top 5 AC single for Shiner), as his wife went through hell, which makes her prodding of her husband during an open mic night at a small suburban nightspot in late 2010 even more moving and climactic. She pulled on his heartstrings saying it would bring her great joy if he would sing … the only thing that could get him up on the bandstand. The bandleader rushed out to the parking lot afterwards to collar Shiner before he disappeared and went on trying to recruit him for months. One day he said, “Frank, music heals the soul.” The singer finally took the advice to heart, with all that he and his wife were going through with her illness.
Recording these near-biographical songs with producer Gary Katz was the realization of a dream that only resurfaced a few years ago. Katz, best known for his work with Steely Dan, has also produced for Joe Cocker, Laura Nyro, Diana Ross, and many others.
Shiner met the challenge of the recording process with the same straightforward resilience that sent him up to the bandstand that night in 2010. After half a lifetime of dreams deferred, Shiner’s mind was flooded with thoughts of his father telling him thirty years before, “Follow your heart.”
Starting at age ten, Shiner worked side-by-side with his father in the family-owned bakery in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Into Catholic high school, ever the class clown, Shiner’s musical universe expanded. His teachers nurtured his musical talent in “seasonal singers and chorus,” and when Shiner was cast as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, “I finally felt at home, when I stood on that stage and heard the audience reaction, I said, ok this is what I want to do.”
Shiner’s debut single, “Driving Home for Christmas,” was a holiday evergreen from the pen of British-singer/songwriter Chris Rea. The song was produced by Gary Katz (Steely Dan), and Shiner donated all proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in honor of his late father.
“I go about life from my heart,” says Shiner. “I love hard, I suffer from anger, I suffer from loving too much, I suffer from worry, but it’s all from my heart … it’s all real.”
With back-back successful shows at Manhattan’s 54 Below (and, an upcoming show at The Cutting room on March 21) Shiner is embarking on a cross-country tour in support of the album.
www.frankshiner.com
https://www.facebook.com/FrankShinerMusic
Looks like Frank's already got his second radio hit ... "Feels Like Home" made The Top Five on the AC Chart ... and now they're playing "The Real Me"! In fact, his second single "The Real Me" - out now - lands in the Top 20 this week, 5th Most Added in its 8th week, and tied for the 2nd biggest jump in the top 20 with Columbia's Ella Henderson and Universal's Colbie Caillat.(kk)
Taken together, the songs on the album describe a chapter in Shiner’s decades-long love affair with his wife Suzanne. Nearly twenty years earlier, with one child to raise and another on the way, Shiner decided to put his career on hold.
“There were never any regrets”, says Shiner, “I fulfilled my responsibility as a husband and father and I take great satisfaction in that.”
In 2010, Suzanne began a battle with cancer “a truly life altering experience that changes your perspective on everything,” according to Shiner.
The depth of the couple’s relationship courses through nearly every song on The Real Me (“Feels Like Home” written by Randy Newman, became a Top 5 AC single for Shiner), as his wife went through hell, which makes her prodding of her husband during an open mic night at a small suburban nightspot in late 2010 even more moving and climactic. She pulled on his heartstrings saying it would bring her great joy if he would sing … the only thing that could get him up on the bandstand. The bandleader rushed out to the parking lot afterwards to collar Shiner before he disappeared and went on trying to recruit him for months. One day he said, “Frank, music heals the soul.” The singer finally took the advice to heart, with all that he and his wife were going through with her illness.
Recording these near-biographical songs with producer Gary Katz was the realization of a dream that only resurfaced a few years ago. Katz, best known for his work with Steely Dan, has also produced for Joe Cocker, Laura Nyro, Diana Ross, and many others.
Shiner met the challenge of the recording process with the same straightforward resilience that sent him up to the bandstand that night in 2010. After half a lifetime of dreams deferred, Shiner’s mind was flooded with thoughts of his father telling him thirty years before, “Follow your heart.”
Starting at age ten, Shiner worked side-by-side with his father in the family-owned bakery in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Into Catholic high school, ever the class clown, Shiner’s musical universe expanded. His teachers nurtured his musical talent in “seasonal singers and chorus,” and when Shiner was cast as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, “I finally felt at home, when I stood on that stage and heard the audience reaction, I said, ok this is what I want to do.”
Shiner’s debut single, “Driving Home for Christmas,” was a holiday evergreen from the pen of British-singer/songwriter Chris Rea. The song was produced by Gary Katz (Steely Dan), and Shiner donated all proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in honor of his late father.
“I go about life from my heart,” says Shiner. “I love hard, I suffer from anger, I suffer from loving too much, I suffer from worry, but it’s all from my heart … it’s all real.”
With back-back successful shows at Manhattan’s 54 Below (and, an upcoming show at The Cutting room on March 21) Shiner is embarking on a cross-country tour in support of the album.
www.frankshiner.com
https://www.facebook.com/FrankShinerMusic
Looks like Frank's already got his second radio hit ... "Feels Like Home" made The Top Five on the AC Chart ... and now they're playing "The Real Me"! In fact, his second single "The Real Me" - out now - lands in the Top 20 this week, 5th Most Added in its 8th week, and tied for the 2nd biggest jump in the top 20 with Columbia's Ella Henderson and Universal's Colbie Caillat.(kk)
MARC LACOURCIERE'S "FENDER LEGENDS" PAINTINGBECOMES INSTANTANEOUS SMASH HIT,QUICKLY SELLING FIVE PIECES AFTER UNVEILINGON BOARD RECENT ROCK LEGENDS CRUISE III - PARTIAL PROCEEDS FROM RECENT SALES OF "FENDER LEGENDS"AT MEMORABILIA AUCTION TO BENEFIT NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE ASSOCIATIONTHIS ONE-OF-A-KIND CANVAS, OVER TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING, FEATURES SUCH FENDER GUITAR GREATS AS JIMI HENDRIX, KEITH RICHARDS, ERIC CLAPTON,JEFF BECK, GEORGE HARRISON, BOB DYLAN, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN,PETE TOWNSHEND AND STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN AMONG OTHER LEGENDS
Within minutes of its unveiling onboard the recent Rock Legends Cruise III, the "Fender Legends" painting created by world-renowned fine artist Marc Lacourciere was a smash hit.
Lacourciere -- a proud supporter of the Native American Heritage Association and their past three Rock Legends Cruises -- simply wowed the crowd, quickly selling five pieces of his epic "Fender Legends" that features thirty-two Fender guitarists all on one canvas.
Only proving that good news travels fast, Marc sold another five shortly after his return to land.
Each of the "Fender Legends" pieces sold includes an individual sketch on the back of one of the artists featured making each truly unique.
The ones spoken for thus far include Leo Fender, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Gilmour, George Harrison, Dusty Hill, Bruce Springsteen, Keith Urban, Bob Dylan and Ronnie Wood, with interest already expressed in Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Jeff Beck.
A brief video of Marc creating the work can be seen on his site atwww.musicfineart.com/art/fender.php.
During the cruise, Marc was able to present the legendary Alice Cooper with a "Welcome to my Nightmare" piece that he created last year, which made for another dream come true.
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Marc plans to continue capturing some of rock's greatest musicians with future works.
What's on the horizon?
AC/DC, Pete Townshend and The Who.
Meet the new boss ... same as the old boss.
"I've always been a huge music fan and thought that it would be a personal challenge to depict some of the great music legends that I have always admired," states fine artist Marc Lacourciere, who will be unveiling his latest, and perhaps greatest, painting titled, "Fender Legends," on board this week's Rock Legends Cruise III.
Lacourciere, considered one of the world's most sought after fine artists, has combined his passion for music with an extraordinary artistic talent to create the ultimate expression of musical performance art.
Over the years, he's painted everyone from Aerosmith to ZZ Top... many a rock notable from A to Z, including the Beatles, the Doors, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones.
It's now the beginning of 2015 and to kick off the year, Marc is proud to announce his unique collaboration with the iconic musical instrument manufacturer, Fender, and his new "Fender Legends" painting honoring the greats.
Since 1946, Fender has defined the signature sound of music.
With its illustrious history, their instruments have touched and transformed music worldwide, transcending into almost every genre of music, making it a cultural icon.
Two years in the making, Marc Lacourciere's "Fender Legends" painting features music pioneer Leo Fender and the following guitarists: Jeff Beck, James Burton, Eric Clapton, Kurt Cobain, Robert Cray, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, David Gilmour, Buddy Guy, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Dusty Hill, Buddy Holly, James Jamerson, Mark Knopfler, Yngwie Malmsteen, Johnny Marr, Marcus Miller, Tom Morello, Malina Moye, Brad Paisley, Jaco Pastorius, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Strummer, Pete Townshend, Keith Urban, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Muddy Waters, Brian Wilson and Ronnie Wood
Truly an epic tribute featuring some of the greatest legends to ever strap on, or plug in, a Fender guitar!
All immortalized on canvas to celebrate Fender's rich history and the artists that helped create it.
There will be 32 highly-collectible individually embellished artist proof (Exhibition Edition) canvases in all, numbering 1 through 32, each measuring 40" x 53".
All licensed prints come framed with a Certificate of Authenticity (C.O.A.) and begin at $7500 (S & H not included).
What makes these prints even more collectible is the fact that each piece features an individual sketch on the back of one of the artists featured, making each truly unique ... no two are the same.
In addition to the 32 prints offered to the public, Marc created a special "Leo Fender" print (with sketch) numbered "O" that is already spoken for...
As the official artist for all three Rock Legends Cruises (www.rocklegendscruise.com), Marc will be donating partial proceeds from this week's onboard auction (and partial proceeds from sales through March 1, 2015) to the Native American Heritage Association, the charitable organization hosting, and benefiting from, the Cruise.
On the original Rock Legends Cruise in the fall of 2011, he did a painting of ZZ Top, the featured headliner, that was followed by a painting of Foreigner who headlined RLC II in January of 2013.
This year, Marc will be displaying his painting of Alice Cooper, who will not only be rocking the boat but signing one of Marc's "Welcome to my Nightmare" prints for charity.
In addition to the Fender painting, Marc will be unveiling two other new art pieces on board RLC III including a non-music painting titled, "Spiritual Harmony."
Orders can be placed before or after the cruise for any of Marc's fine art prints by calling 519.735.7779.
For additional information on artist Marc Lacourciere, please see his official websites atwww.musicfineart.comandwww.www.motormarcart.com
For additional information on artist Marc Lacourciere, please see his official websites atwww.musicfineart.comandwww.www.motormarcart.com
About The Artist -www.musicfineart.com/about-the-artist.php
"Fender Legends" Information - www.musicfineart.com/art/fender.php
"Welcome to my Nightmare" Painting -www.musicfineart.com/art/alice-cooper.php
Native American Heritage Association -www.naha-inc.org
Please "Like" Wages of Spin II "Bring Down That Wall" on Shop PBS
Wages of Spin "Bring Down That Wall" #1 Slot PBS Music Section: http://www.shoppbs.org/family/index.jsp?categoryId=1401343
The "Wages of Spin II" continues to weave the narrative thread established with the acclaimed (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, over 1000 PBS affiliate airings-featured on Entertainment Tonight) first installment. In post-payola scandal America, the recording industry turned to new methods to game the free market of creative content in its favor. Little do millions of Americans know that the soundtrack of their lives, the hits they hummed on the way to school to work and to play, were handpicked by a seedy consortium of Record Labels Executives, Promotion Men, Organized Crime Figures and Radio Programmers/DJ's in a ruthless battle for radio airtime which drove record sales. The story is deeper and more tragic than just the songs that got airtime and the artists who got shortchanged, but those artists who didn't get airtime and were condemned to a lifetime of anonymity because of a system that relied on crooked independent promotion men who created a safety buffer for their clients (record labels). The recording industry was also deeply infiltrated by and beholden to organized crime families and their cronies even in the upper levels of corporate management. The Wages of Spin II also explores a DOJ investigation into MCA that was shut down by The DOJ hierarchy and the quid pro quo history of Ronald Reagan, Lew Wasserman and MCA and how that relationship impacted the aforementioned DOJ investigation and the relationship of several key members of Reagan's hierarchy and MCA and MCA executives and organized crime families.
The story is about --
Crooked independent promotion men (many of whom had ties to organized crime families) who created a safety-buffer for their clients (Record Labels).
The story is about --
Crooked independent promotion men (many of whom had ties to organized crime families) who created a safety-buffer for their clients (Record Labels).
The power of The Network (independent promoters) to pick winners and losers in a rigged system.
The Network shutting out Pink Floyds "Another Brick In The Wall" single due to CBS Records refusal not to pay the "Indies". (As told by Dick Asher Deputy President of CBS Records).
· The Networks ties to Organized Crime via the independent promotion men and record labels executives allocating funds to independent promotion men in exchange for kickbacks.
· The Networks ties to Organized Crime via the independent promotion men and record labels executives allocating funds to independent promotion men in exchange for kickbacks.
Organized crime infiltration into the record industry.
Tens of millions of dollars distributed to the independent promotion men to secure radio airtime.
A division head of MCA directly connected to organized crime threatening Edwin Meese to shutdown the investigation into MCA and the investigation being shut down shortly afterwards.
Two division heads of MCA being directly connected to mob families.
The feud between two MCA executives that was resolved by John Gotti.
Lew Wasserman's history/relationship with organized crime and Ronald Reagan.
Wasserman bringing organized crime members into MCA and mentoring them.
An alleged 50 million dollar pay off to Irving Azoff to walk away from MCA. · The political players and White House circumvention of the Department of a Justice Investigation into MCA.
The investigation into MCA (and wiretaps) being shutdown and sealed and the tapes disappearing from a secured government facility in Maryland.
Two DOJ strike force prosecutors careers being ruined for refusing not to pursue MCA after being told to by their superiors in Washington D.C. to do so.
The Character Driven Productions Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Archive DVD
Collection Package (Wages of Spin I and II and Special Edition Charlie Gracie
"Fabulous") available 1/13/15 for World Wide DVD retail.!
Our Films are available for DVD retail sales thru the following retailers World Wide: FYE, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Sears, MVD Entertainment, CD Universe, KMart, DVD World, Turner Classic Movies, Video Warehouse, Heartland Music, ShopPBS, Cash Wise, Music Video Distributors, Newegg, Movie Stop, WhereHouse, DVD Planet, Spun, HotMovieSale, KroeseOnline, Cdon.com. Several additional retailers available thru Search Engines. Our films are available for retail in over 20
countries World Wide.
When I told you about the Glen Campbell movie playing in Schaumburg, I forgot to mention that my mother and I did see him a couple summers ago on his last tour at Ravinia. We were in the second row and he actually looked at us a few times for help with the lyrics. Sad, but what a trooper he was. It was a memorable concert, one we were glad to see.
Collection Package (Wages of Spin I and II and Special Edition Charlie Gracie
"Fabulous") available 1/13/15 for World Wide DVD retail.!
Our Films are available for DVD retail sales thru the following retailers World Wide: FYE, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Sears, MVD Entertainment, CD Universe, KMart, DVD World, Turner Classic Movies, Video Warehouse, Heartland Music, ShopPBS, Cash Wise, Music Video Distributors, Newegg, Movie Stop, WhereHouse, DVD Planet, Spun, HotMovieSale, KroeseOnline, Cdon.com. Several additional retailers available thru Search Engines. Our films are available for retail in over 20
countries World Wide.
When I told you about the Glen Campbell movie playing in Schaumburg, I forgot to mention that my mother and I did see him a couple summers ago on his last tour at Ravinia. We were in the second row and he actually looked at us a few times for help with the lyrics. Sad, but what a trooper he was. It was a memorable concert, one we were glad to see.
Thanks for all you do for our music.
Janet Weiner
Paul Evans (recently the topic of MUCH discussion here in Forgotten Hits for his 1959 Hit "Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat") sent us a couple of tracks he recorded for St. Patrick's Day ... right around the corner!
Paul Evans (recently the topic of MUCH discussion here in Forgotten Hits for his 1959 Hit "Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat") sent us a couple of tracks he recorded for St. Patrick's Day ... right around the corner!
Hey all, Here comes St. Patrick's Day!
Here's a track from my Ace Records "Folk Songs of Many Lands" CD (Original - 1960) ...Wearing of the Green.
The album also featured "The British Grenadiers" (One for "the other side"). :-)
Paul
Yes, it's been 50 years now ...
But it still come up every once in awhile.
(No, not THAT!!! Well MAYBE that, every time somebody references the "Whipped Cream" album cover and its cover girl, model Dolores Erickson, a staple of Forgotten Hits perhaps more so than any other feature over the past fifteen years!!!)
A "Where Are They Now" article written by Erik Lacitis in 2012 has become one of the most linked-to pieces on Facebook again in 2015 as the #1 Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass album celebrates its 50th anniversary.
(This time it was sent in to us by FH Reader Steve Sarley):
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/herb-alperts-whipped-cream-lady-now-76-living-in-longview-and-looking-back/
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WHAT WOULD THE WORLD OF ROCK AND ROLL BE WITHOUT THE DAILY LAWSUITS???
But it still come up every once in awhile.
(No, not THAT!!! Well MAYBE that, every time somebody references the "Whipped Cream" album cover and its cover girl, model Dolores Erickson, a staple of Forgotten Hits perhaps more so than any other feature over the past fifteen years!!!)
A "Where Are They Now" article written by Erik Lacitis in 2012 has become one of the most linked-to pieces on Facebook again in 2015 as the #1 Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass album celebrates its 50th anniversary.
(This time it was sent in to us by FH Reader Steve Sarley):
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/herb-alperts-whipped-cream-lady-now-76-living-in-longview-and-looking-back/
More from LJ Coon regarding reopening the Buddy Holly plane crash investigation ... now even Don McLean is talking about it!!!
Dear Kent:
Thank You for all of your kind encouragement.
There are 450 plus TV, Radio, news web-sites as well as Aviation Universities World Wide now asking for
The NTSB's Investigation into 'The Mason City Iowa accident February-3-1959
(Pilot, Roger Peterson - Buddy Holley - Ritchie Valens - J P Richardson 'The Bopper' )CNN reached out and asked Don McLean, his thoughts on the NTSB Investigation. He goes on to beat me up a little bit, and in return, we both receive mixed comments and responses from CNN followers reference The NTSB's Investigation.
L J
L J Coon
All aboard!!!
Look at all the folks who are talking about this story now ... six weeks after NOBODY else in the media (other than us!) found it newsworthy!!!
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6487773/buddy-holly-plane-crash-investigation-reopen-petition
Many thanks to ALL of these sources for acknowledging our contribution to getting the word out ... not! (kk)
WHAT WOULD THE WORLD OF ROCK AND ROLL BE WITHOUT THE DAILY LAWSUITS???
Got these news headlines from a few FH Readers this past week ...
Pharrell Denies Cribbing Gaye For ‘Blurred Lines’ At TrialPop star Pharrell Williams told a California federal jury Wednesday that his hit “Blurred Lines” doesn’t infringe Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up,” telling an attorney for Gaye’s family during a contentious cross-examination that any connections between the songs were made after the fact.
UPDATE: Marvin Gaye's family won this lawsuit ... to the tune of something like $7.4 million!
UPDATE: Marvin Gaye's family won this lawsuit ... to the tune of something like $7.4 million!
A Manhattan jury on Wednesday hit Soul Temple, a record label with ties to the Wu-Tang Clan, with a $200,000 copyright infringement verdict for willfully grabbing two images of boomboxes produced by Lyle Owerko from the Internet for use on Wu-Tang rapper U-God's 2013 solo album “The Keynote Speaker” and related merchandise.
A California federal judge Monday allowed the widow of the songwriter behind The Monkee's 1967 chart-topper "Daydream Believer" to pursue claims that Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc. wrongfully withheld royalties, saying the plaintiffs adequately alleged the music publisher paid itself half of foreign royalties before giving composers their cut.
MY TWO CENTS: A lawsuit like this is cold ... and it stings.
Amid Sirius Fight, Hawaii Mulling Pre-1972 Records LawMY TWO CENTS: A lawsuit like this is cold ... and it stings.
With courts in states across the country considering the tricky question of whether Sirius and Pandora need to pay to perform pre-1972 recordings, Hawaii is now considering a law that would specifically require it.
A measure to make " Hang On Sloopy " Ohio's official rock song passed in the Ohio House, 82-13. It now moves on to the state Senate. The 1960's hit has been a crowd favorite for decades at Ohio State University games. The university's marching band first performed it in 1965.
They won't go for that
Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers Daryl Hall & John Oates are suing a Brooklyn artisanal granola company for calling one of their hipster - friendly products " Haulin ' Oats. " The music duo claimed in their Brooklyn federal suit that Red Hook - based Early Bird is profiting off their fame.
They won't go for that
Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers Daryl Hall & John Oates are suing a Brooklyn artisanal granola company for calling one of their hipster - friendly products " Haulin ' Oats. " The music duo claimed in their Brooklyn federal suit that Red Hook - based Early Bird is profiting off their fame.
"The name and mark Haulin' Oats is an obvious play upon plaintiff's well known Hall & Oates mark," the suit states. Founded by a former manager of Brooklyn's Franny's restaurant, Early Bird promises customers superior granola - related products. The Haulin' Oats line - which runs $27 for a 3 pack - is touted as a "small-batch" offering. The duo wants Early Bird to stop using the name, plus damages.
kk: Garfunkel and Oates they have no problem with ... in fact, John Oates has even appeared ON that program!!! But a clever play on words to sell a healthy snack ignites a lawsuit. There was a time when they would have KILLED for this kind of publicity!
kk: Garfunkel and Oates they have no problem with ... in fact, John Oates has even appeared ON that program!!! But a clever play on words to sell a healthy snack ignites a lawsuit. There was a time when they would have KILLED for this kind of publicity!
Vito Picone is recovering from major heart surgery. Vito is the lead singer of The Elegants. They had a #1 hit with "Little Star" in 1958.
ME-TV-FM:
People are still talking about Chicago's new ME-TV-FM ...
Isn’t it against the law for a Radio Station to play Lionel Richie four times a week? Should Be!
Ken Freck
Ken Freck
Seriously, when's the last time you heard Harry Nilsson or Willie Nelson on the radio??? I'm loving it!
Marlene
Other random comments we've seen and heard ...
I am loving the variety of this new station ... so many songs we haven't heard in a long, long time.
The other day I heard "Run To Me" by The Bee Gees ... which sounded wonderful on the way to work. But then I heard it again on the way HOME from work ... and I hope this isn't a pattern that's starting to develop. This is the third or fourth time now I've heard them play the same song 6-8 hours apart.
We've noticed it, too ... and it's VERY annoying ... because this should NEVER happen with a radio station that has a play list this deep. Hopefully one of the glitches they're still trying to work out before the official launch. (kk)
Caught the new 87.7 FM Saturday night ... loved their play list ... I'm hearing tracks I haven't heard in years! Really dug hearing some cuts by Bryan Hyland, Henry Gross and the Impressions. I think they need to "up" the tempo and rock a little more ... but at least I haven't heard Hotel California!
And actually we have ... twice now ... and "Lights" by Journey, too ... and more and more Fleetwood Mac and James Taylor. I agree with the "upping the tempo" idea ... but they definitely HAVE improved in that regard. It's a great mix of music ... but I feel like I'm holding a score card now for all the songs I've heard six or seven times in a two week period ... which is everything this station was NOT supposed to be. Right now I'd say I'm pushing the button to listen to something else about 20% of the time ... which is still WAY better than nearly every other station in town ... but also considerably more than I was when the station first launched and I never heard a single repeat in seven days. (They have a play list deep enough to accommodate this ... they just need to organize it better!) kk
In Closing ...
The variety is incredible ... seriously, when is the last time you waited in the car for an extra minute and a half just to see what a radio station was going to play next before turning it off ... and then, on more than one occasion, WAIT to hear that song play and go through the exact same process again in order to check out the next one?
On my round trip to the grocery store on Sunday I heard "I Want It That Way" by The Backstreet Boys, "Copacabana" by Barry Manilow, "Laugh, Laugh" by The Beau Brummels, "Day After Day" by Badfinger, "Stoney End" by Barbra Streisand, "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys, "I'll Be Back" by The Beatles, "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" by The Bee Gees, "For The Love Of Him" by Bobbi Martin, "Montego Bay" by Bobby Bloom, "Ode To Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry", "Im A Drifter" by Bobby Goldsboro (which will appeal to a music-hog like me but probably not too many others ... makes more sense to play "Watching Scotty Grow" which is FAR more recognizable and is nearly the exact same melody anyway!) and "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac.
OMG ... who would have EVER thought that you could play the music of the '50's, the '60's, the '70's, the '80's and the '90's side by side on a radio station?!?! (Well actually I DO know of ONE guy!!!) And, near as I can tell, nobody died ... NOBODY'S head exploded from this concept being more than their brains could absorb ... NOBODY contacted the station and said "STOP! I can't take it anymore ... this is just TOO MUCH MUSIC!!!". In fact, quite the contrary would be true ... we received DOZENS and DOZENS of emails RAVING about the station ... and how good it was to hear these songs on the radio again ... which is EVERYTHING we have been preaching (to mostly deaf ears unfortunately) for the past fifteen years.
Me-TV-FM is nearly EVERYTHING we've wanted in a radio station ... sure, I'd still tweak a few things ... get rid of this and add that ... but the fact that we can listen to it in our CARS is the biggest plus of all. (At work I still listen to Rewound Radio, who have been featuring the same concept for YEARS now ... without much from the '80's or anything from the '90's ... and quite a bit more '50's ... still a pleasure to listen to each and every day, especially since Me-TV-FM isn't streaming yet.)
Honestly, I'm hearing more and more "repeats" ... and not necessarily always the good ones ... I believe I'm up to my sixth spin of "The Morning After" now ... and I'm only in the car about two hours per day. I almost hate to type this ... but if a radio station is going to force me to hear the same song six times in that short a period of time (and I don't believe ANY radio station should do that ... for ANY song), I'd still have to pick "Jack and Diane" over "The Morning After"!!!
Also, if this is (as they keep telling us) "the construction zone", why aren't things getting better? Why are we hearing even MORE glitches and repeats if they're truly fine-tuning things? (Yesterday, I heard a Dusty-glitch ... "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" followed one song later by "Son Of A Preacher Man" ... and both after already hearing "A Brand New Me" earlier in the day. I LOVE that song ... and it's a great "wow factor" track ... but not if you've already played it four times in the past two weeks ... it defeats the whole purpose of the "wow"!!!) I also heard "Cherish" by Kool and the Gang followed one song later by "Cherish" by The Association. Now had those two played back-to-back, I might have smiled at an attempt at clever programming ... instead it just came off as a mistake. Sometimes it feels like nobody's watching the store. (And more of the "same old same old" keeps popping up, too ... more Fleetwood Mac tunes, "Lights" by Journey ... and I had to turn off "Hotel California" yesterday ... I can already hear ALL of these songs and artists twenty times a day on six other radio stations in town ... there is no need to invade my Me-TV-FM radio space now, too!)
Then again, when they're "on", the surprises are all over the board ... in addition to The Backstreet Boys song mentioned above (which fit PERFECTLY, by the way), I've also heard "My Kind Of Town, Chicago Is ..." by Frank Sinatra (huh?!?!), "Chances Are" by Johnny Mathis (I don't think ANYBODY thought they were going to go back THIS far) and, believe it or not, "Nature's Way" by Spirit, a song that even Chicago's Classic Rock stations don't play anymore!!!
The overall response has been EXTREMELY positive ... people are LOVIN' this brand new station ... 87.7 on the FM dial in Chicago ... and we're hearing from readers across the country who are jealous that THEY don't have a Me-TV Radio Station where THEY live!!! (lol) [With Me-TV available all over the country, syndication of this new radio station is NOT out of the question ... it just may be coming to your area sooner than you think!]
Believe me ... if this catches on to the degree I believe it will ... and have always predicted it would ... there will soon be more variety on the radio dial EVERYWHERE again ... and the concept of listening to the radio just may come back again ... at least for those in the 35+ age group ... which just may spark a whole new desired demographic once the ratings books prove who's REALLY listening to the radio today ... 'cause it sure isn't the demographic they're currently programming to!!! (The under 35 group have other ways of listening to their music ... radio has truly become the "connection" for us older folks who grew up with radio by its side ... isn't it about time they started catering to their REAL audience again???)
If Me-TV-FM is successful in proving my point, can syndication ... or copy-cat programming ... be far away? OMG, radio just might get INTERESTING again!!! (kk)
Other random comments we've seen and heard ...
I am loving the variety of this new station ... so many songs we haven't heard in a long, long time.
The other day I heard "Run To Me" by The Bee Gees ... which sounded wonderful on the way to work. But then I heard it again on the way HOME from work ... and I hope this isn't a pattern that's starting to develop. This is the third or fourth time now I've heard them play the same song 6-8 hours apart.
We've noticed it, too ... and it's VERY annoying ... because this should NEVER happen with a radio station that has a play list this deep. Hopefully one of the glitches they're still trying to work out before the official launch. (kk)
Caught the new 87.7 FM Saturday night ... loved their play list ... I'm hearing tracks I haven't heard in years! Really dug hearing some cuts by Bryan Hyland, Henry Gross and the Impressions. I think they need to "up" the tempo and rock a little more ... but at least I haven't heard Hotel California!
And actually we have ... twice now ... and "Lights" by Journey, too ... and more and more Fleetwood Mac and James Taylor. I agree with the "upping the tempo" idea ... but they definitely HAVE improved in that regard. It's a great mix of music ... but I feel like I'm holding a score card now for all the songs I've heard six or seven times in a two week period ... which is everything this station was NOT supposed to be. Right now I'd say I'm pushing the button to listen to something else about 20% of the time ... which is still WAY better than nearly every other station in town ... but also considerably more than I was when the station first launched and I never heard a single repeat in seven days. (They have a play list deep enough to accommodate this ... they just need to organize it better!) kk
In Closing ...
The variety is incredible ... seriously, when is the last time you waited in the car for an extra minute and a half just to see what a radio station was going to play next before turning it off ... and then, on more than one occasion, WAIT to hear that song play and go through the exact same process again in order to check out the next one?
On my round trip to the grocery store on Sunday I heard "I Want It That Way" by The Backstreet Boys, "Copacabana" by Barry Manilow, "Laugh, Laugh" by The Beau Brummels, "Day After Day" by Badfinger, "Stoney End" by Barbra Streisand, "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys, "I'll Be Back" by The Beatles, "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" by The Bee Gees, "For The Love Of Him" by Bobbi Martin, "Montego Bay" by Bobby Bloom, "Ode To Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry", "Im A Drifter" by Bobby Goldsboro (which will appeal to a music-hog like me but probably not too many others ... makes more sense to play "Watching Scotty Grow" which is FAR more recognizable and is nearly the exact same melody anyway!) and "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac.
OMG ... who would have EVER thought that you could play the music of the '50's, the '60's, the '70's, the '80's and the '90's side by side on a radio station?!?! (Well actually I DO know of ONE guy!!!) And, near as I can tell, nobody died ... NOBODY'S head exploded from this concept being more than their brains could absorb ... NOBODY contacted the station and said "STOP! I can't take it anymore ... this is just TOO MUCH MUSIC!!!". In fact, quite the contrary would be true ... we received DOZENS and DOZENS of emails RAVING about the station ... and how good it was to hear these songs on the radio again ... which is EVERYTHING we have been preaching (to mostly deaf ears unfortunately) for the past fifteen years.
Me-TV-FM is nearly EVERYTHING we've wanted in a radio station ... sure, I'd still tweak a few things ... get rid of this and add that ... but the fact that we can listen to it in our CARS is the biggest plus of all. (At work I still listen to Rewound Radio, who have been featuring the same concept for YEARS now ... without much from the '80's or anything from the '90's ... and quite a bit more '50's ... still a pleasure to listen to each and every day, especially since Me-TV-FM isn't streaming yet.)
Honestly, I'm hearing more and more "repeats" ... and not necessarily always the good ones ... I believe I'm up to my sixth spin of "The Morning After" now ... and I'm only in the car about two hours per day. I almost hate to type this ... but if a radio station is going to force me to hear the same song six times in that short a period of time (and I don't believe ANY radio station should do that ... for ANY song), I'd still have to pick "Jack and Diane" over "The Morning After"!!!
Also, if this is (as they keep telling us) "the construction zone", why aren't things getting better? Why are we hearing even MORE glitches and repeats if they're truly fine-tuning things? (Yesterday, I heard a Dusty-glitch ... "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" followed one song later by "Son Of A Preacher Man" ... and both after already hearing "A Brand New Me" earlier in the day. I LOVE that song ... and it's a great "wow factor" track ... but not if you've already played it four times in the past two weeks ... it defeats the whole purpose of the "wow"!!!) I also heard "Cherish" by Kool and the Gang followed one song later by "Cherish" by The Association. Now had those two played back-to-back, I might have smiled at an attempt at clever programming ... instead it just came off as a mistake. Sometimes it feels like nobody's watching the store. (And more of the "same old same old" keeps popping up, too ... more Fleetwood Mac tunes, "Lights" by Journey ... and I had to turn off "Hotel California" yesterday ... I can already hear ALL of these songs and artists twenty times a day on six other radio stations in town ... there is no need to invade my Me-TV-FM radio space now, too!)
Then again, when they're "on", the surprises are all over the board ... in addition to The Backstreet Boys song mentioned above (which fit PERFECTLY, by the way), I've also heard "My Kind Of Town, Chicago Is ..." by Frank Sinatra (huh?!?!), "Chances Are" by Johnny Mathis (I don't think ANYBODY thought they were going to go back THIS far) and, believe it or not, "Nature's Way" by Spirit, a song that even Chicago's Classic Rock stations don't play anymore!!!
The overall response has been EXTREMELY positive ... people are LOVIN' this brand new station ... 87.7 on the FM dial in Chicago ... and we're hearing from readers across the country who are jealous that THEY don't have a Me-TV Radio Station where THEY live!!! (lol) [With Me-TV available all over the country, syndication of this new radio station is NOT out of the question ... it just may be coming to your area sooner than you think!]
Believe me ... if this catches on to the degree I believe it will ... and have always predicted it would ... there will soon be more variety on the radio dial EVERYWHERE again ... and the concept of listening to the radio just may come back again ... at least for those in the 35+ age group ... which just may spark a whole new desired demographic once the ratings books prove who's REALLY listening to the radio today ... 'cause it sure isn't the demographic they're currently programming to!!! (The under 35 group have other ways of listening to their music ... radio has truly become the "connection" for us older folks who grew up with radio by its side ... isn't it about time they started catering to their REAL audience again???)
If Me-TV-FM is successful in proving my point, can syndication ... or copy-cat programming ... be far away? OMG, radio just might get INTERESTING again!!! (kk)