8/16/66 – The first Monkees single, “Last Train To
Clarksville,” is released on Colgems Records, a full month before their
television series premiers on NBC.It
will go straight to #1.
(Did you collect all of the different picture sleeve variables that were released???)
Black and White Photo with no additional promo information; Sepia Photo with no additional promo information; Sepia Photo with LP promotional information; Color Photo with LP promotional information; Color Photo with Fan Club information and Color Photo with "Write To The Monkees" information with an NBC television plug -
Quite a launch campaign for a brand new, unproven group whose television series hadn't even started yet!!!
The Ed Sullivan YouTube Channel has now passed ONE BILLION
views!
And why not … Sullivan was on the cutting edge of presenting
the hottest brand new talent each week, delivering them right into our living
rooms.
Ed will FINALLY be honored with a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
induction this year.(kk)
Ritchie Blackmore, a founding member of Deep Purple, joined
the band on stage Wednesday Night (8/12) at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh,
New York.It marked his first appearance
with his former band since 1993.It was
a complete surprise to the audience.Naturally,
he performed on “Smoke On The Water,” which closed the band’s main set of the
evening.
In the weeks ahead, you can catch Deep Purple in concert
(without Ritchie Blackmore) here:
August 13th - Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
August 15th – Halifax, NS – Scotiabank Centre
August 17th – Laval, QC – Place Bell
August 18th – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
August 19th – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
August 21st – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob
August 22nd – Salamanca, NY – Seneca Allegany
Casino
August 24th – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise
Amphitheatre
August 25th – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia
August 27th – Prior Lake, MN – Mystic Lake Casino
August 29thWinnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
August 31st – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
September 2nd – Abbotsford, BC – Abbotsford
Centre
September 4th – Lincoln, CA – Thunder Valley
September 5th – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline
Amphitheatre
September 6th – Highland, CA – Yaamava Theatre
September 8th – Chula Vista, CA – North Island
Credit Union Amphitheatre
September 10th – Las Vegas, NV – Planet Hollywood
September 11th – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach
Amphitheater
September 12th – Sparks, NV – Nugget Event Center
I heard from Scott Paton, long-time friend of Forgotten
Hits, after we ran a link to his Al Jardine and the Pet Sounds Band review that
ran in Best Classic Bands last week.
And here are a few more of his “side notes” that didn’t make
it into the final post …
Critics (a fan, actually)
Notes:
Al Jardine & the Pet Sounds
Band’s current tour, with a focus on material from the Beach Boys’ Pet
Sounds and Love You albums is scheduled well into the fall.Further dates may be pending.But when the next tour, and a presumably
revised set list are being contemplated, here are some suggestions:
A Dozen Songs to Consider
· “You’re So Good
To Me” – Originally designated for
Dennis Wilson to sing, as Brian Wilson told me many years ago, “He didn’t show
up at the studio that day!He was
probably with some chick or sleeping in his camper.So, I ended up singing it.I sang it like Al Jardine!”
“So why
didn’t you give it to Al to sing?”
“He
already had two leads on the album (Summer Days and Summer Nights – ‘Help
Me, Rhonda’single version & ‘Then I Kissed Her’), so I did it.”
But Al
had the chance to do it in concert for many years.Time for a revival.
·“Then I Kissed
Her” – Speaking of which…A cover of the Crystals’ “Then He Kissed Me,”
it went Top Ten in England.
· “Little Girl I
Once Knew” – Brian and Al’s two-part
harmony in the verses of this orchestrated masterpiece illustrate how superbly
their two voices intertwined. The two Jardines, father and son, would achieve
the same effect splendidly.Darian could
handle Carl’s responses.
· “Breakaway” – From the crowded “Shoulda been a Beach Boys Smash”
category: The Beach Boys closed out the Sixties with this little-heard classic
that featured their three best singers sharing the lead—Carl, Brian and
Al.The Pet Sounds singers would have a
field day with this; the audience as well.
· “Cottonfields” – Originally recorded in a more languid production by
Brian for the 20/20 album, ol’ folkie Al stepped up the arrangement in a
re-cut version that soared.Released
after the Beach Boys had exited Capitol Records, it failed to make a dent on
the U.S charts, but it was a Top Five smash in several foreign countries,
including the UK.Incidentally, Al told
me, post-show, that he and his son Matt have been tinkering with a countrified
version of “Cottonfields.”Let’s hope that
it gets a release.
· “Susie
Cincinnati” – Composed and sung by Al,
bumped from the Sunflower album in 1970, relegated to a B-side and a
Warner Brothers promo LP, finally issued as an A-side in ’76, this is another
hit that should have been.
Another snippet
from my conversation with Brian:“Al’s got
a great voice.Sings great with me,
great with Carl.When he pushes his
energy a bit, his voice gets an edge that’s real Rock & Roll.I had to push him a little on ‘Help Me,
Rhonda,’ but man, he nailed it!We got
another Number One, heh, heh!”
· “California Saga
(California)” – Where was this one the
other night?Al wrote this, and it was
one of the standout tracks on the Holland LP.Never heard the reason Mike got to sing lead
instead.Maybe a more obvious bookend to
“California Girls?”
· “It’s A Beautiful
Day” – Did even the Beach Boys ever do
this obscure soundtrack song from the equally obscure film Americathon
in concert?
· “San Miguel” or “Sound Of Free” – Brian and Carl Wilson got
their share of nods throughout the show.How ‘bout a shout-out to Dennis?
· “Dance, Dance,
Dance” – Let the band rock out,
especially the guitarists!
· “Add Some Music
To Your Day” – A good showcase for all
the lead singers in the band.'
· “Take A Load Off
Your Feet” – This could supplant “Ding
Dang” in the set for a little humor.
There are countless deep tracks,
obscure singles from both Al Jardine’s solo material and the Beach Boys catalog
that would be welcomed in concert.Pick
your favorites.
Writer’s note:In a brief post-concert conversation, I asked
Al if he had any updates regarding his former colleague Mike Love’s health
status.He agreed that for Mike to cancel
as much of the Beach Boys’ summer tour as he had, there was cause for
concern—Mie hasn’t cancelled many shows in his long career.But no reports have been made available.We all certainly wish Mike the very best for
a quick and complete recovery.SP
Thanks to the lovely Mary Ann
Jardine for stopping the old security man from giving me the boot backstage,
the ever-gracious Spud, the staff at Maryland Hall and, of course, Mr. Alan
Jardine!
Upcoming Tour Dates
SUN, Aug 16 Celebrate Erie Festival – FREE SHOW -
Erie, PA
SAT, Aug 22 The Arcada Theatre - St Charles, IL
SUN, Aug 23 Des Plaines Theatre - Des Plaines, IL
SAT, AUG 29 L.B. Day Amphitheatre - Oregon State
Fair - Salem, OR
SAT, Sept 5 Pangle Pavilion at the Greater Lima
Region Park & Amphitheater - Lima, OH
MON, Sept 7 Woodstock Fair - South Woodstock, CT
FRI, Sept 18 Boom Days – FREE SHOW - Fort
Payne, AL
SUN, Sept 20 The Auditorium - Eureka Springs, AR
SAT, Oct 10 Poway Center for the Performing Arts - Poway,
CA
SUN, Oct 11 Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
- Cerritos, CA
THU, Oct 22 The Soraya - Ca State University - Northridge,
CA
SAT, Oct 24 Bankhead Theater - Livermore, CA
The case over the rights to the use of The Isley Brothers’
name was finally settled after years of dispute between Ronald Isley and the
estate of Rudolph Isley when BOTH parties asked the court to throw the case out
in lieu of an out-of-court settlement, the details of which are not to be
disclosed.(Sounds like a whole lotta
time and money wasted for something they could have resolved amongst themselves
YEARS ago!!!)kk
I Just Saw A Statement From
Frankie Valli –
"IN SPITE OF WHAT YOU MIGHT
HAVE HEARD, I AM NOT RETIRING."
Bobby & Frankie Valli … Don't
These Two Brothers Talk To Each Other???
FRANK B.
Who’s crazier???The
brother speaking on behalf of the other with only his best interest at heart …
Or the 92 year old brother who’s going to continue punishing
himself so he can ultimately die on stage in front of all his fans???(kk)
Then again, I just got this email from Tom Cuddy …
Another 90-year-old '60's legend making a comeback!
At 90, here's Engelbert Humperdinck’s
first single in decades …
(And who’da EVER thought he’d be doing a KISS song?!?!? And actually sound really good doing it?!?!) kk
Last week we premiered the new video from Micky Dolenz …
Now comes word that he has extended his tour again into next
year!
9/8 and 9/9 - Phoenix, AZ - Musical Instrument Museum
9/12 - Los Angeles, CA - United Theater on Broadway
9/24 - Greeneville, TN - Niswonger Performing Arts Center
9/26 - Liberty, SC - Pickens County Performing Arts Center
9/29 - Myrtle Beach, SC - Greg Rowles Legacy Theatre
10/1 - Hopewell, VA - The Historic Beacon Theatre
10/3 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Music Box
10/15 - Greensburg, PA - The Palace Theatre
10/17 - North Tonawanda, NY - Riviera Theatre and Performing
Arts Center
10/30 - Beverly, MA - The Cabot
11/1 - Joliet, IL - Rialto Square Theatre
11/4 - Shipshewana, IN - Blue Gate PAC
11/6 - Northfield, OH - MGM Northfield Park’s Center Stage
11/8 - Des Moines, IA - Hoyt Sherman Place
11/11 - Milwaukee, WI - The Pabst Theater
11/13 - St. Charles, MO - Family Arena
11/15 - Senatobia, MS - Heindl Center for the Performing
Arts
11/20 - Oxford, AL - Oxford Performing Arts Center
12/3 - Columbus, OH - Kebba Live
12/5 - Newport, KY - MegaCorp Pavilion
1/22/2027 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Wells Hall at the Parker
1/24/2027 - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
2/27/2027 - Carmel, IN - Payne and Mencias Palladium
From Shelley ...
Happy to retract, if necessary …
No one has told me, but I
believe that I have made mistakes in my Happy Together performers' names.
I see that Elliott McCoy has
returned to complete the tour in The Vogues. This could very well mean he was
not there when I saw the show. Also, Dave Peters was not with Jason Perry in
The Troggs. It was Martin Andrew.
In order that THE SHOW MUST GO
ON, changes are made as needed. After I saw them, Michael Smitham returned to
England for a procedure and Bob Cowsill stepped in to The Fortunes.
I name the performers because
they deserve individual credit and recognition, but with the necessary absences
that occur, maybe I should not attempt this and opt for group credit only.
Sorry everyone.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
This is complicated even further when so many artists do not
take the time to acknowledge and introduce the participants … or it is done in
such a cast-off, casual way that the audience can’t possibly decipher them
all.(Believe me, I’ve spent my fair
share of time trying to track down and properly credit the band members’ names
thru their websites and social media pages and still come up with one or two M.I.A.
nearly every time.)So I can appreciate.But I’ve also commented before on how it
truly does a bit of a disservice to all the hard work that goes into putting on
shows like these when you don’t properly acknowledge all of the guys who help
to make it happen.Just sayin’(kk)
