Just got this from one of our readers:
First, I have to tell you I am a huge doo wop fan. Also I have an internet club, for musicians, with over 1000 members from more than 40 countries. A younger musician asked me an interesting question the other day. He asked if I considered Franki Valli and the 4 Seasons a doo wop group. He was only familiar with their big hits. My answer was "yes, in their pre 4 Season days, and also in their early days".
Now he, and most members in my club, were not aware of Franki Valli's prior group, The 4 Lovers. This, in spite of at least 2 hits (Girl of My Dreams and You're the Apple of My Eye) and at least 2 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. These were definitely doo wop songs. But in the early days, the 4 Seasons also recorded a B side song called "Soon" that was certainly doo wop. Any chance you can find it and give us a listen? Also, I have not yet seen the hit play" The Jersey Boys" and I wonder if it touches on the pre 4 season days?
Bob Hughes
E-Mail: BobHughes13@mchsi.com
Web Site: www.BobHughesMusic.net
The Four Seasons absolutely began as a doo-wop group, singing on the street corners in Jersey ... in fact, "Jersey Boys" covers this period of their career quite extensively ... and you get to hear the actors perform all kinds of '50's doo-wop tracks in the production ... at the end of the play, as each cast member looks back over their long career, one mentions that NOTHING they ever accomplished was any greater than the first time they "made that sound" under the lamp post back in Jersey.
The Four Lovers never had much of a chart career (although "You're The Apple Of My Eye" did reach #62 on the Billboard chart back in 1956, SIX YEARS before The Four Seasons hit #1 with "Sherry" ... so much for overnight success!!! lol). "Jersey Boys" is a MUST-SEE ... it's playing ALL over the country right now and no matter how big a fan of the music of The Four Seasons you THINK you may be ... you will come away with an appreciation for this music 10,000 greater than what you brought to the theater that night. (We've already seen it six times ... and it ain't a cheap ticket, either!!! lol) HIGHLY reccommended.
It traces EVERY phase of their career and points out all kinds of interesting tidbits along the way. The early street corner years, playing virtually ANY style of music in the clubs (or bowling alleys) trying to make it and find their sound ... YEARS of singing background on other people's records before being allowed to finally cut their own ... the sky-rocketing success of those early singles (including three straight out-of-the-box #1's ... the behind the scenes drama of personnel changes, loan sharks, mobsters, divorce and personal tragedy ... the MONSTER comeback in the mid-'70's with their disco hit "Who Loves You" and their last chart-topper "December, 1963" ... it's ALL here along with a KILLER soundtrack that'll blow you away. The Four Seasons hit The Billboard Chart nearly 50 times ... and 31 of those hits reached The Top 40 ... and that doesn't even take into account Frankie's solo hits!!! (You'll be amazed at how many GREAT Four Seasons songs you don't hear on the radio anymore!!! And, by the way, the original cast soundtrack is OUTSTANDING ... definitely worth picking up ... and it literally covers the entire show.)
My only beef with the entire production is the bit at the end when the original Four Seasons reunite for their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction and one of them says "But this award means the most ... because it comes from the PEOPLE" ... wrong, wrong, wrong!!! Don't even get me STARTED on THIS whole topic again!!! But the people have absolutely NO say-so in regards to who gets into ... or even nominated for ... The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ... that line REALLY needs to be edited ... it iritates me EVERY time I hear it.
As for "Soon" ... actually, "Soon (I'll Be Home Again)" ... that ended up on the B-Side of their version of the Fats Domino hit "Ain't That Shame", a 1963 hit for the group. Today we'll feature both "You're The Apple Of My Eye" by The Four Lovers AND "Soon" by The Four Seasons ... clearly, THEY loved doo-wop music as much as YOU do!!! (kk)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
A Few That We Missed
re: HERE'S ONE THAT WE MISSED:
Being a big Paul Revere and the Raiders fan from day one, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Drake Levin of Paul Revere and the Raiders. I heard it on Mark Simone's Saturday Night Oldies Show on WABC in New York. Here is the tribute on Phil "Fang" Volk's web site. There are other pictures below the article. May Drake rest in peace.
Arlene
Remembering Drake Levin: August 1946 - July 2009
"...meet you on the other side of Forever..."
I've lost my dear friend, my Raider buddy, and the music world has lost a guitar icon.
Drake and I met over 50 years ago in Nampa, Idaho. He was a city boy from Chicago, and I was a city boy from Los Angeles. Our families transplanted us to the farmlands of Idaho, where we became fast and loyal friends, and aspiring musicians. I had just got a guitar for Christmas (1959) from my parents, and Drake and I set out to conquer the world with our music. Although we weren't sure how we were going to do that, we had a dream that some day it would happen. Five years later, the dream was happening. Drake and I were filming a TV show with Dick Clark called "Where The Action Is." Some of the guests artists were Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Jan & Dean, The Supremes, Bobby Rydell and Frankie Avalon. These artists were already well on their way to super stardom, and our little rock band, Paul Revere & the Raiders, was now riding the same "glory train" with them and the adventure of a lifetime had just started for me and Drake. Several national tours followed, along with 5 gold albums and 12 hit singles, before Drake, Smitty and I broke out on our own to form The Brotherhood, who produced 3 albums for RCA Victor. The last tour Drake, Smitty and I did together for the Raiders in March - April of 1967 was a massive success. We played almost every major arena in the country, and on many occasions had double-billing with The Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones. Our music dreams that Drake and I had formed way back in the farmlands of Idaho, surrounded by sugar beet fields, corn fields, and golden fields of wheat and barley, had come to pass – we were actually living the dream. We were "brothers" in music, and The Brotherhood was a natural transition after the Raiders broke up. It was always our resolve to write music that would promote peace, love and unity in the world. We wanted to create music that had a real positive message. Drake and I became a very prolific songwriting team. At the end of that last Raider tour, I got a phone call from home that my older brother George had just died in Viet Nam. Drake was the first person I told, and he held on to me while I broke down in tears. He was a true and loyal friend. Drake always considered my family his "second family" because he spent more time at my place then anywhere else. George had helped him learn to play guitar, and because of our close friendship Drake was more or less "adopted" into our family When my mom passed away in 2006, he shed so many tears as if it was his own mom. I've always appreciated how much love Drake had for my brothers and sisters and my parents. We all will miss him greatly, as we do "Smitty" who we lost in 2001.
Drake leaves behind his loving and loyal wife Sandra of 37 years, his mom Charle, his brother Jeff, his sister Lori, and his two sons David and Darby. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them in their time of grief.
Drake Maxwell Levin also leaves us a stunning and soulful legacy of music as one of the seminal pioneers of some awesome rock & roll music and some of the most memorable guitar solos during the "glory days" of the 1960's.
One of my last conversations with Drake at the hospital in San Francisco was awkward and difficult. It's hard to know what to say when you know you won't see your buddy again, (that is, until the New World and the resurrection that Jesus promised in the Bible) I finally mustered the courage to say: " ... alright my brother, I'll see you down the road ..." I heard him say as I walked from the room, holding back the tears: "I'll be waitin' for ya ..."
-- Phil Volk
Drake Levin, guitarist with Paul Revere and the Raiders from 1963 to 1967, died of cancer Saturday (July 4) at the age of 62. Born Drake Maxwell Levinshefski in Chicago in 1947, Drake played in a Pacific Northwest band called the Sir Winston Trio before being invited to join the Raiders. He appeared on ABC-TV's "Where The Action Is" with the group and played on such hits as "Just Like Me" and "Kicks", but left the group to join the national guard (thereby avoiding the draft). He returned briefly a year later before joining Phil "Fang" Volk and Mike "Smitty" Smith in the group Brotherhood and an eventual solo career, including respect as a studio jazz guitarist in San Francisco. Despite suffering a stroke, Drake returned for a 30th anniversary reunion concert in 1997.
-- Ron Smith
www.oldiesmusic.com
Kent,
Drake Levin was one of the seminal guitarists of the 60's. It's his phenomenal work you hear on "Just Like Me" and "Kicks" among others. Not only did Drake play with the Raiders but he also did gigs with Lee Michaels, Ananda Shankar and, more recently, many Bay Area blues bands.
Drake died on July 4th after a battle with cancer. He fought the long, hard, brave fight.
I'm including a link to an obit from the NY Times. Drake leaves a musical legacy of which few others can boast.
Drake Levin of Paul Revere and the Raiders Dies at 62 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com
Carol
Being a big Paul Revere and the Raiders fan from day one, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Drake Levin of Paul Revere and the Raiders. I heard it on Mark Simone's Saturday Night Oldies Show on WABC in New York. Here is the tribute on Phil "Fang" Volk's web site. There are other pictures below the article. May Drake rest in peace.
Arlene
Remembering Drake Levin: August 1946 - July 2009
"...meet you on the other side of Forever..."I've lost my dear friend, my Raider buddy, and the music world has lost a guitar icon.
Drake and I met over 50 years ago in Nampa, Idaho. He was a city boy from Chicago, and I was a city boy from Los Angeles. Our families transplanted us to the farmlands of Idaho, where we became fast and loyal friends, and aspiring musicians. I had just got a guitar for Christmas (1959) from my parents, and Drake and I set out to conquer the world with our music. Although we weren't sure how we were going to do that, we had a dream that some day it would happen. Five years later, the dream was happening. Drake and I were filming a TV show with Dick Clark called "Where The Action Is." Some of the guests artists were Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Jan & Dean, The Supremes, Bobby Rydell and Frankie Avalon. These artists were already well on their way to super stardom, and our little rock band, Paul Revere & the Raiders, was now riding the same "glory train" with them and the adventure of a lifetime had just started for me and Drake. Several national tours followed, along with 5 gold albums and 12 hit singles, before Drake, Smitty and I broke out on our own to form The Brotherhood, who produced 3 albums for RCA Victor. The last tour Drake, Smitty and I did together for the Raiders in March - April of 1967 was a massive success. We played almost every major arena in the country, and on many occasions had double-billing with The Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones. Our music dreams that Drake and I had formed way back in the farmlands of Idaho, surrounded by sugar beet fields, corn fields, and golden fields of wheat and barley, had come to pass – we were actually living the dream. We were "brothers" in music, and The Brotherhood was a natural transition after the Raiders broke up. It was always our resolve to write music that would promote peace, love and unity in the world. We wanted to create music that had a real positive message. Drake and I became a very prolific songwriting team. At the end of that last Raider tour, I got a phone call from home that my older brother George had just died in Viet Nam. Drake was the first person I told, and he held on to me while I broke down in tears. He was a true and loyal friend. Drake always considered my family his "second family" because he spent more time at my place then anywhere else. George had helped him learn to play guitar, and because of our close friendship Drake was more or less "adopted" into our family When my mom passed away in 2006, he shed so many tears as if it was his own mom. I've always appreciated how much love Drake had for my brothers and sisters and my parents. We all will miss him greatly, as we do "Smitty" who we lost in 2001.
Drake leaves behind his loving and loyal wife Sandra of 37 years, his mom Charle, his brother Jeff, his sister Lori, and his two sons David and Darby. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them in their time of grief.
Drake Maxwell Levin also leaves us a stunning and soulful legacy of music as one of the seminal pioneers of some awesome rock & roll music and some of the most memorable guitar solos during the "glory days" of the 1960's.
One of my last conversations with Drake at the hospital in San Francisco was awkward and difficult. It's hard to know what to say when you know you won't see your buddy again, (that is, until the New World and the resurrection that Jesus promised in the Bible) I finally mustered the courage to say: " ... alright my brother, I'll see you down the road ..." I heard him say as I walked from the room, holding back the tears: "I'll be waitin' for ya ..."
-- Phil Volk
Drake Levin, guitarist with Paul Revere and the Raiders from 1963 to 1967, died of cancer Saturday (July 4) at the age of 62. Born Drake Maxwell Levinshefski in Chicago in 1947, Drake played in a Pacific Northwest band called the Sir Winston Trio before being invited to join the Raiders. He appeared on ABC-TV's "Where The Action Is" with the group and played on such hits as "Just Like Me" and "Kicks", but left the group to join the national guard (thereby avoiding the draft). He returned briefly a year later before joining Phil "Fang" Volk and Mike "Smitty" Smith in the group Brotherhood and an eventual solo career, including respect as a studio jazz guitarist in San Francisco. Despite suffering a stroke, Drake returned for a 30th anniversary reunion concert in 1997.
-- Ron Smith
www.oldiesmusic.com
Kent,
Drake Levin was one of the seminal guitarists of the 60's. It's his phenomenal work you hear on "Just Like Me" and "Kicks" among others. Not only did Drake play with the Raiders but he also did gigs with Lee Michaels, Ananda Shankar and, more recently, many Bay Area blues bands.
Drake died on July 4th after a battle with cancer. He fought the long, hard, brave fight.
I'm including a link to an obit from the NY Times. Drake leaves a musical legacy of which few others can boast.
Drake Levin of Paul Revere and the Raiders Dies at 62 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com
Carol
From left, Mark Lindsay, Mike Smith, Phil Volk, Paul Revere and Drake Levin
of the rock band Paul Revere & the Raiders.
Drake Levin, of Paul Revere & the Raiders, Dies at 62
Drake Levin, who played lead guitar for the teen-idol rock band Paul Revere & the Raiders during their biggest hit-making years in the mid-1960s, died July 4 in San Francisco. He was 62.
The cause was cancer, said his wife, Sandra.
Paul Revere & the Raiders, a band that coalesced around the organist Paul Revere Dick and the singer Mark Lindsay, began in the 1950s in Caldwell, Idaho, near Boise, where it was first known as the Downbeats. It later established itself in Portland, Ore., then moved to Los Angeles and became nationally known in 1965 when the band began making regular appearances on the television dance show “Where the Action Is,” starring Dick Clark.
The band had a driving pop sound and an irreverent, almost campy humor. Members wore color-coordinated colonial-era outfits onstage, and they often performed their songs to a kind of antic choreography.
Mr. Levin joined the Raiders in 1963, and for the next three years or so (he left for a time to fulfill a stint in the National Guard), he provided the pulsing guitar riffs and clean propulsive solos that gave the band, beyond its entertaining facade, a legitimate rock ’n’ roll grounding. He had left the group by the time the Raiders recorded their biggest seller, “Indian Reservation,” but he played on a series of hits, including the antidrug song “Kicks,” which Rolling Stone listed at No. 400 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and “Just Like Me,” which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included on its list of the 500 songs that shaped rock ’n’ roll.
Drake Maxwell Levin was born in Chicago on Aug. 17, 1946. Many sources cite his birth name as Levinshefski, but his brother Jeff said the family’s version, Levinchevski, was shortened to Levin many years before his birth.
When he was 13, his family moved to Boise. As a young man he played in a band called the Surfers, along with a bassist, Phil Volk, who would later join the Raiders. After his Raider years, Mr. Levin worked as a blues musician, playing alongside the organist Lee Michaels, among others. More recently, he played in the band the Sinners.
In addition to his wife and his brother, who lives in Pinole, Calif., Mr. Levin is survived by a sister, Lori, of Humboldt County, Calif.; two sons, David, of Wilmington, N.C., and Darby, of Los Angeles; three daughters, Debbie, of San Diego, Cathie, of Chaska, Minn., and Saida, of London; and six grandchildren. Bruce Weber / The New York Times
One of MY favorites by Paul Revere and the Raiders was the song they used to tell their own story ... "The Legend Of Paul Revere". Apparently, it was one of YOUR favorites, too ... as the flipside of their 1967 Top Five Smash "Him Or Me, What's It Gonna Be?", "The Legend Of Paul Revere" earned 339 of your votes in our recent Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides Poll, placing it at #18 on our Top 200 Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides Countdown List! Here it is again today for your listening enjoyment. (I LOVED the feel-good music of Paul Revere and the Raiders and count them amongst my '60's favorites. We'll miss you, Drake!) kk
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Your Top 200 Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides
re: AND THIS JUST IN:
In case you did not see this ... Phil / Pray For Surf
Clara Berry — Jan's Mom — Has Passed Away
CLARA LORENTZE BERRY
September 2, 1919 — July 9, 2009
The matriarch of the Berry Family — Jan Berry's mother — has passed away. She was 89, and will be missed by a large extended family and many friends. So long, Clara . . . and thanks for everything.
re: MORE MACCA NEWS:
Paul McCartney will be making his first-ever appearance on The David Letterman Late Show THIS Wednesday Night, July 15th, as his U.S. media blitz continues. You can check this program out at 10:35 PM Central Standard Time on CBS-TV. Paul ALSO just announced another "non-tour date" appearance ... in addition to his August 19th appearance at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, McCartney will also be appearing in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Monday, August 17th, at The BOK Center. We FULLY expect more dates to be announced shortly!!! (kk)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
The Sunday Comments ( 07 - 12 - 09 )
re: ALLEN KLEIN:
The man who managed SAM COOKE, the ROLLING STONES and BEATLES ... and the founder of ABKCO RECORDS and MUSIC passed away at the age of 77 on July 4th. Many admired his moxy, while others "feared" him for his reputation as a "fierce negotiator."
In late 1967, Klein purchased the CAMEO-PARKWAY RECORDS catalog -- made famous by dozens of Philadelphia recording stars -- the first of which was CHARLIE GRACIE -- who put the label on the map in 1957 and '58. DEE DEE SHARP, the TYMES, ORLONS, DREAMLOVERS, CHUBBY CHECKER, BOBBY RYDELL, the DOVELLS cemented the label's success by the early 60s. The catalog included 727 singles and 158 albums -- released between 1957 and 1966.
We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Klein Family
PIC ATTACHMENT: JODY KLEIN (son of Allen and now President of ABKCO MUSIC) attends the the premiere of CHARLIE GRACIE: FABULOUS! the documentary shown on PBS in 2007. Abkco producer, TERI LANDI stands to the right of Jody Klein and Charlie Gracie.
Charlie Gracie, Jr.
And, Forgotten Hits List Member Bill Hengels just sent me the updated Schaumburg Septemberfest Concert schedule. In addition to the Starship show we told you about the other day (featuring Mickey Thomas and Bobby Kimball of Toto), it looks like it is NOT the Bachman - Cummings Band as we had hoped, but rather the Randy Bachman Band who'll be performing on September 5th. Too bad ... Randy's great and all ... and we love him ... but it was the two of them TOGETHER that we were hoping to see ... that show would have been awesome!!! (I'm a little partial to Burton myself!!!) I'm sure we'll still go ... but this is a bit of a letdown after being all hyped up to hear the original Guess Who tunes by the guys who created them in the first place. (kk)
Listen for their KILLER early-morning version of "L.A. Goodbye" ... awesome!!! (kk)
re: NEW STUFF:
KENT,
HERE IS A SINGLE CD RELEASE ON THE FUEL 2000 RECORD LABEL ...
RON DANTE AND I RECORDED IT AND WROTE IT!
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE GET A BUZZ ON THIS WITH THE RADIO PD'S AND DJ'S!
THANKS FOR POSTING THIS.
THE CD TITLE IS "DOWN ON BEALE STREET".
FREDDY CANNON
Good stuff, guys ... VERY happy to share this one with our readers! (kk)
By the way, Appel and Solomon describe the Speck ordeal (which occurred on July 13, 1966) this way:
"At a time when mass murder is almost unheard of in the U.S., the name Richard Speck conjures up unimaginable horror and revulsion. Early this morning he forces his way into a Chicago townhouse shared by nursing students and methodically rapes, strangles and stabs eight nurses. A ninth, who survives by wriggling under a bed, emerges hours later to discover the bloodied corpses. "This is the man," she says nine months later, walking across a courtroom to within a foot of the seated defendant and pointing. With that identification and a fingerprint lifted from the scene, the jury takes less than an hour to return a death sentence verdict, later converted to life in prision. In 1996, five years after Speck died of a heart attack, a secret video shot in jail surfaces, showing him partying with fellow inmates. Asked on the tape about the murders, he shrugs and jokes, "It just wasn't their night."
Being not yet 13, I remember the horror and all the news coverage of this gruesome event ... a flat out massacre by any standards. The thing that stands out in my mind is Speck's "Born To Raise Hell" tattoo ... that just REALLY freaked me out as a kid ... coupled with the fact that he was still on the loose somewhere. I also remember Bill Kurtis doing a television news piece several years later and, if I'm not mistaken, Speck requesting an exclusive interview with our very own Bob Greene. Perhaps Bob will share a memory or two with our readers. (kk)
And, this just in ... Rich Appel says that "Book Of Days ... The '70's" will arrive at Barnes and Noble this fall!!! Why not collect the whole set?!?!?! More details to come as they become available. Thanks, Rich! (kk)
re: AND, SPEAKING OF BOB GREENE ... :
Kent,
I followed your lead and read another of Bob's books on a couple of long plane rides this week. This time, I enjoyed "Be True To Your School."
Ayone living during that year would enjoy this year of Bob's personal history because it parallels so much of our own histories. Bob mentions "Summer Means Fun" by Bruce and Terry - a great Forgotten 45 that never made the Top 40. (Terry is Terry Melcher)
He also talks about such weirdness as talking over the busy signal (which kids all across America enjoyed), and "cake dialing", which kids all over were doing with a different label: "One-Ringing."
If you read this book this year, you'll notice that Bob's dates and days match since 1964 and 2009 share the same calendars from March thru December. This makes it extra fun reading since the weekends and holidays line up with the current experience. (Jan - Feb don't match since '64 was a leap year)
Looking forward to Bob's new release in the next few weeks.
David
I really enjoyed it, too ... and there are SO many parallels, it's uncanny!!! Forgotten Hits Readers would do well to seek out a copy and check it out for themselves! (kk)
Kent,
Late Thursday night as I was driving home from the airport I phoned my wife to tell her I was on my way. We were chatting for a couple of minutes when she said earlier in the day she'd heard Scott Shannon mentioning the Number One song this week in 1964. (We don't have True Oldies Channel here in Nashville where Scott really got famous; she'd been in Alabama visiting kids / grandkids and had driven home earlier in the evening.) She said she'd forgotten what the song was, as she wasn't paying close attention. I suggested it was probably "I Get Around" by the Beach Boys. She replied "Yeah, that's it! How'd you know?"
I explained that I'd been reading Bob Greene's "Be True To Your School" and that Bob had mentioned the same song making number one on the WCOL / Columbus music survey sometime in the early summer. (This book is Bob's diary of 1964.) I came home and thumbed back through the book and, sure enough, found Bob's entry of June 17 confirming my memory. Bob also mentions several other songs and groups seen on your WLS Silver Dollar Survey from this week in '64.
David
Ironic that Scott Shannon, Forgotten Hits and the book we've been talking so much about lately, "Be True To Your School", would ALL focus on that particular date in music history ... there was nothing really noteworthy about it ... just a GREAT representation of what was coming out of our radios at the time ... where it seemed like EVERY song they played was something you wanted to hear ... and EVERY new release caught your ear ... a VERY creative time in music, to be sure. We're kicking around the idea of spotlighting a different WLS Chart each Friday ... a chance to take a look back at what was popular here in Chi-Town at the time as well as a reason to spotlight a couple of what we consider to be Forgotten Hits that deserve a spin every once in a while. Honestly, I didn't hear much feedback from the list on this last one (and I actually sent copies to all of the WLS-FM jocks, too, without a single response) ... so I'm not sure yet just where, if anywhere, this will lead. But in the meantime, I am going to prepare a couple more similar features and see if we can generate some positive response. Thanks, David! (kk)
re: WHY WE CAME:
Kent,
I guess we've known each other at least 30 years (has it been that long?) since you first put that ad in the Trib looking for WLS surveys. Who knew that in mid 2009, we'd still be talking about oldies, top 40 charts and so on. While I haven't been on board since the beginning, because I didn't have a computer, I can recall you stating more than once that FH started with a handful of oldies fans. There is a song called, I forget who did it, It Started With Rock And Roll And Now It's Out Of Control. Did you think for a minute that you'd have legendary Chicago DJs such as Clark Weber & Bob Stroud contributing, as well as other jocks? And what about so many of our musical heroes? I don't know if it's out of control, but I think FH has grown far bigger than you ever thought it would. I wish I knew how you do it, even without considering the other issues that take away from your free time. If I had the technical knowhow, perhaps you & I could sit down and discuss me taking over some of the burden. But I don't know if I could do it justice. No one expects you to devote 24/7 to this. You have a job, family and just alone time for your own private thoughts to consider. While you'd like this to be your #1 priority, it's not gonna happen, unless you win megamillions and can live the life of luxury. So it's a question of when do you fit FH in. As far as I'm concerned, you do a great job and if you should decide to hang up your rock and roll shoes, then be satisfied that in our little corner of the universe that you did a great job and know for 10 years you did something you love. Be satisfied that FH has introduced you to a lot of people who are now good friends as that Trib ad did for us. Maybe someone, or a group of someones, can step in to alliviate the pressure, I don't know. But if it is getting to be too much, then walk away. Your sanity is more important. Yes there are more important things than rock and roll, just a few, but there are. Jack (Rock And Roll Never Forgets)
Thanks, Jack ... I'm kicking around a few ideas right now ... it just seems that in order to keep it challenging, we need to expand in SOME new direction, not simply rehash the same old, same old. (Heck, we've already got oldies radio for THAT!!! lol) So you may catch me trying out a few new things here and there to see what kind of response we get. There's a certain amount of pressure that comes with keeping up the standard of what I want Forgotten Hits to be ... and, most likely, NOBODY drives that point home more than I do it to myself!!! So hang in there ... we just may come up with something that'll keep things interesting a little while longer! (kk)
The man who managed SAM COOKE, the ROLLING STONES and BEATLES ... and the founder of ABKCO RECORDS and MUSIC passed away at the age of 77 on July 4th. Many admired his moxy, while others "feared" him for his reputation as a "fierce negotiator."
In late 1967, Klein purchased the CAMEO-PARKWAY RECORDS catalog -- made famous by dozens of Philadelphia recording stars -- the first of which was CHARLIE GRACIE -- who put the label on the map in 1957 and '58. DEE DEE SHARP, the TYMES, ORLONS, DREAMLOVERS, CHUBBY CHECKER, BOBBY RYDELL, the DOVELLS cemented the label's success by the early 60s. The catalog included 727 singles and 158 albums -- released between 1957 and 1966.
We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the Klein Family
PIC ATTACHMENT: JODY KLEIN (son of Allen and now President of ABKCO MUSIC) attends the the premiere of CHARLIE GRACIE: FABULOUS! the documentary shown on PBS in 2007. Abkco producer, TERI LANDI stands to the right of Jody Klein and Charlie Gracie.
Charlie Gracie, Jr.
Having heard from some of the artists that Klein represented, I've yet to hear very many "flattering" words about the man. You mentioned Klein purchasing the rights and masters to all of the Cameo / Parkway material as a career accomplishment ... but I cannot help but wonder how your Dad felt about Klein then holding all of those vintage Cameo / Parkway tracks in a vault for some 40 years so that interested fans couldn't buy them or hear them on the radio ... in fact, NONE of the Cameo / Parkway artists you mentioned above were able to earn royalties on their landmark recordings because THIS guy wouldn't release them to the public. Whereas SO much other music from this era was licensed out for television commercials and movie soundtracks, Klein kept the Cameo / Parkway material under lock and key. For all I've heard about his brilliance as a shrewd business man, THIS one has NEVER made sense to me ... NOBODY made any money on this music for 40-something years ... including HIM!!! (kk)
re: MICHAEL JACKSON:
I did this voice-over for Larry King to add video to it for his TV show. Thought you might like to send this attachment to all your readers and radio stations to play as well.
On my web site people are also able to down load my radio special for Michael Jackson. The special features my guest Maurice Starr founder of New Kids On The Block and New Edition. I was invited to go to England with Maurice and Michael for the concerts. Maurice Starr’s new group, The Heartbeat Boys, were going to be the opening act for Michael's shows in England, and I was going to have an exclusive interview which is all documented in the radio show. I have met Michael on more than one occasion and feel the loss just like the rest of the world.
Jimmy Jay
www.RewindShow.com
It's hard to believe, with all that's been going on here these past two weeks, that Michael's shows in London would already be underway right now had he lived. My guess is the press would have been filled with news of Michael's triumphant return to the top ... I have to believe that eventually Michael would have wanted to tour here, too, if the shows went over well. Who knows ... all of this POSITIVE news may have been enough to make him give up all the mind, body and soul - numbing he was doing. Sadly, we'll never know. (kk)
From now until the end of time millions of words will be written about Michael and his influence in music, dance, and fashion, but the most important gift he has given the world is everlasting hope and inspiration.
http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/07/michael-jackson-the-grand-finale/
Respectfully,
Artie Wayne
http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
>>>Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough ... OK, I've had enough!!! Am I the ONLY one out there screaming "Enough Is Enough Already"?!?!? (kk)
Actually I think I had enough by about 6 PM that Thursday. I have to agree with you, while I don't know that anyone would argue Jacko's talent although it seems to me he didn't do anything different than James Brown or Jackie Wilson a generation earlier. Sadly in this era of instant gratification many attach themselves to a celebrity in an attempt to identify themselves. It is pathetic that there are so many people who need a life. It's sort of like a car wreck, you know it's gruesome, but you can't bring yourself to look away.
Jack (Rock And Roll Never Forgets)
And I'll admit to being one of those transfixed watching all the Michael Jackson television hoopla ... we've probably viewed at least 24 hours of Jackson coverage in the past ten days ... in fact, having now seen the Memorial highlights, I wish I could have seen the whole spectacle. (And did you hear that Michael Jackson's coffin disappeared for a short time after leaving The Staples Center??? Immediately fueling rumors again that this was just some HUGE theatrical staging. As Frannie quickly pointed out, all you had to do was listen to Michael's daughter Paris speak at the memorial service to know that this was not the case.) Michael certainly idolized the likes of James Brown and Jackie Wilson ... and even mastered some of their moves and mannerisms ... but NEITHER of these artists ever captured the hearts of the world the way Jackson did. It's funny how when you watch some of these old performance clips from the '50's, '60's and '70's, they seem so "dated" now ... what we once considered "cutting edge" can now make us laugh. (Especially looking at some of the folks in the audience at the time!!!) But Michael Jackson's video seem as fresh today as they did 25 years ago ... I truly believe that many of these will prove to be timeless ... and that two or three generations from now, people will STILL be talking about the magic of Michael Jackson. (kk)
So let me get this straight ... you REALLY think Michael Jackson is a child molester? Or were you just trying to rile us up again?
Ray
Maybe just a little bit of both. There has been SO much positive press about Jackson these past few weeks ... really, the only negative item being played up now is his dependency on pain medication ... it's like everything else that was ever controversial surrounding him has been temporarily forgiven and forgotten ... and that just doesn't seem fair. All I was trying to do was present a more COMPLETE picture of "The Man In The Mirror".
I've never WANTED to believe that Michael was doing harmful or questionable things to children. For all of his eccentric idiosyncrasies, I believe that Michael was a loving, caring person who genuinely LOVED children and that he truly embraced, enjoyed and relished the fact that he represented this Peter Pan / Pied Piper image in their eyes. There seemed to be some sort of "shared innocence" between Michael and his youngest fans. (I heard one girl interviewed after his death who thanked Michael for giving up HIS childhood so that we could all enjoy OURS ... kind of a neat sentiment.) But again, have we all forgotten the days when Jackson used to carry Emmanuel Lewis around in his arms instead of Bubbles The Chimp???
When the first allegations came up in the early '80's, I figured it was just some parents trying to cash in on some sort of "Get Rich Quick" scheme and pretty much dismissed it as such ... I would have to say that at that point I was 99% sure that Michael would NEVER do such a thing. But then the allegations kept coming ... MORE children (and their parents) were beginning to make similar claims ... and when the one kid claimed he could identify Michael's "private parts", I have to admit that I began to have some SERIOUS doubts. Pretty soon we had Michael dropping trou and exposing himself in the judge's chambers to see if the description was accurate ... which tells me that a WHOLE lot of people in positions of power took this matter quite seriously. At that point, I'd have to say that I, too, wavered ... and probably fell more into the 50/50 range. But when Jackson turned this kid into "The Twenty Million Dollar Kid" to have the case dismissed, that pretty much did me in. NOBODY pays twenty million dollars to "prove" their innocence ... you pay twenty million dollars to make a problem go away ... and Michael never fully recovered after this incident. His music suffered, his "Q" factor suffered and pretty soon you heard VERY little Michael Jackson music on the radio. THAT to me was the injustice because for whatever else he MAY have been, Jackson was a musical icon. (Of course, I'm ALSO of the opinion that Pete Rose belongs in Baseball's Hall Of Fame ... whatever he did OUTSIDE of baseball in NO way diminshes his contibutions as a player ... and all of the records he established as a player QUALIFY him for Hall of Fame induction ... simple as that.)
When the spotlight was on him, Michael Jackson dominated the scene like no other. It's wonderful that we have all been reminded of this greatness due to his death ... I just believe the WHOLE picture should have been presented. As I've stated before, there will be COUNTLESS books in the future claiming to tell the WHOLE story about people like Michael Jackson and the aforementioned Allen Klein ... I expect everyone from Michael's cook to the children's nanny to at least half-a-dozen dismissed employees to his media-starved sister LaToya to ALL come forward to present THEIR take on the bizarre, secret world of Michael Jackson ... and then, too, we will have to decide which facts we choose to believe. My guess is that there'll be a LITTLE bit of fact in ALL of it ... contrary to what Al Sharpton may have told Michael's children, Jackson WAS, in fact, a VERY strange dude!!! (kk)
re: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY:
Bear with me, I'm taking a moment to celebrate one of my connections to Pop Music History!
http://readerrant.capitolhillblue.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=118885
1977 - "Undercover Angel", by songwriter (turned pop singer) Alan O’Day, reached the top spot on the "Billboard" chart. It was not the first visit to the top of the pop music world for O’Day, though the million-seller would be his last as a singer. He wrote "Angie Baby", a number one hit for Helen Reddy and the #3 hit, "Rock And Roll Heaven", for The Righteous Brothers.
(Scroll down to "This Day in History", 1977. And where it reads "though the million-seller would be his last as a singer", add in the words "SO FAR"!!! heehee ... )
Sales: Approximately 2 million copies. And the Appetizers album will be released for the first time as a CD in Japan later this year!
Blessings,
Alan
Congratulations, Alan ... I'm encouraging ALL of our Forgotten Hits readers to masturbate in YOUR honor this evening!!! (kk)
I can hear them now ... "OOOO-OOOO-OOOO-WEEE!!!"
Thanks, Kent!
Alan
Kent ...
How ya' doin'? This is an open letter I just posted to our friend Alan O'Day on my website.
CONGRATULATIONS Alan! What is amazing to me is you’re a better songwriter and performer today than you were 30 years ago! Your new CD is as relevant as the recent releases by Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Madonna, and Brian Wilson. It’s the finest album of your career.
When I worked with you at Warner Brothers Music, in the early ‘70s, we got hundreds, yes hundreds of covers on your highly commercial songs, which included cuts by 3 Dog Night, Steppenwolf, Bobby Sherman, Cher, Dawn, Helen Reddy, and Anne Murray. Although I knew you were immensely talented, I never expected you to develop into the artist you’ve become.
As contemporary as Nickelback, Coldplay, and John Mayer, I think your new CD, “I HEAR VOICES” is poised to capture the imagination of a new generation. I’m really proud that you start off the 14 song CD, with a song we co-wrote, “(Ain’t Gonna Hang Up) My Rock And Roll Shoes”.
“Back in the days of 45s,
Had a hit record but I survived
You may not remember, it’s been a long time,
But I’m still a legend in my own mind!
So turn up the music and turn off the news
Gimme three minutes, I can loosen your screws
Rock your booty ’til you blow a fuse
Ain’t Gonna’ Hang Up My Rock And Roll Shoes”
Copyright Cityman Music / WayneArt Music
For the whole letter click onto:
http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/congrats-alan-oday-july-9-1977-undercover-angel-hits-1/
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne
http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Well, I've got to agree with you about "I Hear Voices" ... we think Alan O'Day's latest CD is the bomb ... and have featured a number of tracks here in Forgotten Hits ... as well as encouraged our readers to pick up a copy for themselves. Congratulations again, guys! (kk)
re: MORE SHOWS:
I heard REALLY good things from a couple of our readers about last week's Jay and the Americans show at Bensenville's Music In The Park Series. We backed off (wimped out?) due to the heavy rain that kept up all day ... but the show went on as planned and from what I hear, a couple hundred folks were TOTALLY delighted by what they saw. Even better than the music, I'm told, were the stories in between the songs ... run ins the band had with up-and-coming unknown artists like Neil Diamond and Steely Dan BEFORE they were stars. We just HAVE to catch these guys in concert one of these days!!! (kk)
JAM Productions presents Mike Flynn's NORTH OF MEMPHIS at the Park West, 322 West Armitage, on Friday, August 14th. Chicago's premier R&B and session players have been collaborating and performing together at select venues for nearly two years. Led by singer / songwriter and lead guitarist Mike Flynn, this electric ensemble cris-crosses between blues, R&B, funk and fusion at a moment's notice.
North of Memphis is: Mike Flynn, lead guitar; Howard Levy, harmonica; Quent Lang, sax and flute; Steve Taylor, lead vocals; Pat Flemming, lead guitar; Dave Forte, bass; Bill LeClaire, keyboards; Kevin Johnston, Drums
Doors open at 7:30pm. Rick Biordi's band opens the show @ 8:30, followed by North of Memphis. Complete ticket information can be found at:
http://www.jamusa.com
See and hear North of Memphis on My Space and YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGYn9Iz7hCg
http://www.myspace.com/mikeflynnsnorthofmemphis
http://www.youtube.com/user/lowryman
http://www.myspace.com/fordzign (click on Bad Axe)
I also just heard that Paul McCartney has added a stop in Dallas (at Cowboys Stadium) to his appearances ... the presale kicks off on Monday (the 13th) for Macca's show on August 19th. More dates are expected to be added soon. (kk)
And this from our buddy Jimy Rogers regarding some upcoming Blue Truth shows: Sunday, July 12 - Taste of Westmont 3 - 6 p.m.
Blue Truth will kick off the annual Muddy Waters Tribute blues jam, then be joined by Chicago's top blues players including Eddie Taylor Jr.
Main Stage at Cass Avenue, south of Naperville Rd.
Thursday, July 16 - Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation Record Row Concert
Jimy, Joan and Gary will join Ramblin' Rose during this free Thursday night concert series
2120 S. Michigan Ave. 6 - 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 30 - Blue Truth on the Radio
Hambone's Blues Party on WDCB 90.9 fm @ 10 p.m.Jimy, Joan, Gary and guest vocalist Pat Smillie
Advance Tickets Now Available for a special BLUE TRUTH event:
FRIDAY AUGUST 7, 2009 at the beautiful SKOKIE THEATRE
A TRIBUTE TO RAY CHARLES
“The Soulful Songs of Ray Charles”Featuring vocalists Jimy Rogers & Pat Smillie with BLUE TRUTH
7924 N LINCOLN AVE
SKOKIE IL
847-677-7761
And, Forgotten Hits List Member Bill Hengels just sent me the updated Schaumburg Septemberfest Concert schedule. In addition to the Starship show we told you about the other day (featuring Mickey Thomas and Bobby Kimball of Toto), it looks like it is NOT the Bachman - Cummings Band as we had hoped, but rather the Randy Bachman Band who'll be performing on September 5th. Too bad ... Randy's great and all ... and we love him ... but it was the two of them TOGETHER that we were hoping to see ... that show would have been awesome!!! (I'm a little partial to Burton myself!!!) I'm sure we'll still go ... but this is a bit of a letdown after being all hyped up to hear the original Guess Who tunes by the guys who created them in the first place. (kk)
If you missed The Ides of March's appearance on Jim Shea's show this past Friday, FH List Member has posted an audio link for your listening enjoyment ... and it was GREAT to hear about their brand NEW CD release, too! One of the most rockin' shows you'll see this summer, be sure to check out The Ides Of March live in concert, too, if you get a chance! (kk)
Click here: The Ides Of March Flash Intro
Listen for their KILLER early-morning version of "L.A. Goodbye" ... awesome!!! (kk)
re: NEW STUFF:
KENT,
HERE IS A SINGLE CD RELEASE ON THE FUEL 2000 RECORD LABEL ...
RON DANTE AND I RECORDED IT AND WROTE IT!
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE GET A BUZZ ON THIS WITH THE RADIO PD'S AND DJ'S!
THANKS FOR POSTING THIS.
THE CD TITLE IS "DOWN ON BEALE STREET".
FREDDY CANNON
Good stuff, guys ... VERY happy to share this one with our readers! (kk)
re: CORRECTION:
By the way, Richard Speck murdered EIGHT nurses that night, not seven ... a ninth nurse hid under the bed and witnessed the whole thing.
Mike
Ironically, the very same day that that posting hit our website, I read the same thing in the hot new book "The '60's Book Of Days" ... a REAL fun read put together by two of our Forgotten Hits readers, Harvey Solomon and Rich Appel. It's a day-by-day look back at all of the highlights and pop culture moments that made history during our FAVORITE decade, the 1960's. Fans of our column are sure to enjoy this fun and informative look back. You can pick up your OWN copy at the Barnes and Noble website ...
Click here: Barnes & Noble.com - Book Search: Rich Appel ... and, perhaps if we bug them enough, they'll donate a copy to give away to one of our readers, too!!!
By the way, Appel and Solomon describe the Speck ordeal (which occurred on July 13, 1966) this way:"At a time when mass murder is almost unheard of in the U.S., the name Richard Speck conjures up unimaginable horror and revulsion. Early this morning he forces his way into a Chicago townhouse shared by nursing students and methodically rapes, strangles and stabs eight nurses. A ninth, who survives by wriggling under a bed, emerges hours later to discover the bloodied corpses. "This is the man," she says nine months later, walking across a courtroom to within a foot of the seated defendant and pointing. With that identification and a fingerprint lifted from the scene, the jury takes less than an hour to return a death sentence verdict, later converted to life in prision. In 1996, five years after Speck died of a heart attack, a secret video shot in jail surfaces, showing him partying with fellow inmates. Asked on the tape about the murders, he shrugs and jokes, "It just wasn't their night."
Being not yet 13, I remember the horror and all the news coverage of this gruesome event ... a flat out massacre by any standards. The thing that stands out in my mind is Speck's "Born To Raise Hell" tattoo ... that just REALLY freaked me out as a kid ... coupled with the fact that he was still on the loose somewhere. I also remember Bill Kurtis doing a television news piece several years later and, if I'm not mistaken, Speck requesting an exclusive interview with our very own Bob Greene. Perhaps Bob will share a memory or two with our readers. (kk)
And, this just in ... Rich Appel says that "Book Of Days ... The '70's" will arrive at Barnes and Noble this fall!!! Why not collect the whole set?!?!?! More details to come as they become available. Thanks, Rich! (kk)
re: AND, SPEAKING OF BOB GREENE ... :
Kent,
I followed your lead and read another of Bob's books on a couple of long plane rides this week. This time, I enjoyed "Be True To Your School."
Ayone living during that year would enjoy this year of Bob's personal history because it parallels so much of our own histories. Bob mentions "Summer Means Fun" by Bruce and Terry - a great Forgotten 45 that never made the Top 40. (Terry is Terry Melcher)
He also talks about such weirdness as talking over the busy signal (which kids all across America enjoyed), and "cake dialing", which kids all over were doing with a different label: "One-Ringing."
If you read this book this year, you'll notice that Bob's dates and days match since 1964 and 2009 share the same calendars from March thru December. This makes it extra fun reading since the weekends and holidays line up with the current experience. (Jan - Feb don't match since '64 was a leap year)
Looking forward to Bob's new release in the next few weeks.
David
I really enjoyed it, too ... and there are SO many parallels, it's uncanny!!! Forgotten Hits Readers would do well to seek out a copy and check it out for themselves! (kk)
re: BYE, BYE CASEY:
I'll miss Casey Kasem even though I haven't heard his show in years.
Remember the great days in the early 70's when radio was less corporate and the music seemed a lot more exciting.? Thanks for the ride Casey!
... bd
After 39 years, DJ Casey Kasem does his final weekly countdown of the country's top hits
By Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Casey Kasem has done his final countdown.The 77-year-old DJ told "American Top 20" listeners across the country Saturday that the program would be his last.Kasem launched his weekly countdown of the nation's most popular songs, the "American Top 40," on July 4, 1970. Ryan Seacrest took over the show in 2004, and Kasem went on to host two syndicated spinoffs, the "American Top 20" and "American Top 10."Kasem said he "loved every minute" of his broadcasting career, but that he was leaving the show to "free up time I need to focus on myriad other projects."
I think we ALL listened to Casey's show at some point in time ... I used to like hearing the songs in the BOTTOM 20 because a number of them weren't being played here in Chicago at the time. (Whereas in the '60's, WLS was at the forefront of adding new material to their playlist, by the '70's it seemed as though the song had to already be a PROVEN hit before WLS would add it ... in some cases, songs were working their way up OUR chart after having already reached the Top Ten nationally after 15 weeks or so!!!) Amazingly, Casey really hadn't come up with anything new ... there've been countdown shows since the '50's, going all the way back to programs like "Your Hit Parade". WLS and WCFL used to count down THEIR Top 40 list on a daily basis there for a while!!! But Casey had that soothing, instantly familiar radio voice ... and he incorporated things like "Long Distance Dedication" and told some of the stories behind the songs and artists that we all love here in Forgotten Hits. Kudos on a career well done. (And let's not forget his legendary voice-over work with the Scooby Doo series, too!!!) kk
Kent,
Late Thursday night as I was driving home from the airport I phoned my wife to tell her I was on my way. We were chatting for a couple of minutes when she said earlier in the day she'd heard Scott Shannon mentioning the Number One song this week in 1964. (We don't have True Oldies Channel here in Nashville where Scott really got famous; she'd been in Alabama visiting kids / grandkids and had driven home earlier in the evening.) She said she'd forgotten what the song was, as she wasn't paying close attention. I suggested it was probably "I Get Around" by the Beach Boys. She replied "Yeah, that's it! How'd you know?"
I explained that I'd been reading Bob Greene's "Be True To Your School" and that Bob had mentioned the same song making number one on the WCOL / Columbus music survey sometime in the early summer. (This book is Bob's diary of 1964.) I came home and thumbed back through the book and, sure enough, found Bob's entry of June 17 confirming my memory. Bob also mentions several other songs and groups seen on your WLS Silver Dollar Survey from this week in '64.
David
Ironic that Scott Shannon, Forgotten Hits and the book we've been talking so much about lately, "Be True To Your School", would ALL focus on that particular date in music history ... there was nothing really noteworthy about it ... just a GREAT representation of what was coming out of our radios at the time ... where it seemed like EVERY song they played was something you wanted to hear ... and EVERY new release caught your ear ... a VERY creative time in music, to be sure. We're kicking around the idea of spotlighting a different WLS Chart each Friday ... a chance to take a look back at what was popular here in Chi-Town at the time as well as a reason to spotlight a couple of what we consider to be Forgotten Hits that deserve a spin every once in a while. Honestly, I didn't hear much feedback from the list on this last one (and I actually sent copies to all of the WLS-FM jocks, too, without a single response) ... so I'm not sure yet just where, if anywhere, this will lead. But in the meantime, I am going to prepare a couple more similar features and see if we can generate some positive response. Thanks, David! (kk)
re: WHY WE CAME:
Kent,
I guess we've known each other at least 30 years (has it been that long?) since you first put that ad in the Trib looking for WLS surveys. Who knew that in mid 2009, we'd still be talking about oldies, top 40 charts and so on. While I haven't been on board since the beginning, because I didn't have a computer, I can recall you stating more than once that FH started with a handful of oldies fans. There is a song called, I forget who did it, It Started With Rock And Roll And Now It's Out Of Control. Did you think for a minute that you'd have legendary Chicago DJs such as Clark Weber & Bob Stroud contributing, as well as other jocks? And what about so many of our musical heroes? I don't know if it's out of control, but I think FH has grown far bigger than you ever thought it would. I wish I knew how you do it, even without considering the other issues that take away from your free time. If I had the technical knowhow, perhaps you & I could sit down and discuss me taking over some of the burden. But I don't know if I could do it justice. No one expects you to devote 24/7 to this. You have a job, family and just alone time for your own private thoughts to consider. While you'd like this to be your #1 priority, it's not gonna happen, unless you win megamillions and can live the life of luxury. So it's a question of when do you fit FH in. As far as I'm concerned, you do a great job and if you should decide to hang up your rock and roll shoes, then be satisfied that in our little corner of the universe that you did a great job and know for 10 years you did something you love. Be satisfied that FH has introduced you to a lot of people who are now good friends as that Trib ad did for us. Maybe someone, or a group of someones, can step in to alliviate the pressure, I don't know. But if it is getting to be too much, then walk away. Your sanity is more important. Yes there are more important things than rock and roll, just a few, but there are. Jack (Rock And Roll Never Forgets)
Thanks, Jack ... I'm kicking around a few ideas right now ... it just seems that in order to keep it challenging, we need to expand in SOME new direction, not simply rehash the same old, same old. (Heck, we've already got oldies radio for THAT!!! lol) So you may catch me trying out a few new things here and there to see what kind of response we get. There's a certain amount of pressure that comes with keeping up the standard of what I want Forgotten Hits to be ... and, most likely, NOBODY drives that point home more than I do it to myself!!! So hang in there ... we just may come up with something that'll keep things interesting a little while longer! (kk)
Friday, July 10, 2009
July 10th ... 1964
On July 10th, 1964, I was just ten years old ... some seven weeks shy of my 11th birthday ... and had only recently discovered the joy of listening to our Chicagoland AM Radio Giant, WLS. (Although I'm sure I had been exposed to it here and there earlier, I can pinpoint to the exact week when I became hooked ... that was the week that I first heard afternoon deejay Dex Card count down The Silver Dollar Survey for the very first time ... and the two-sided hit Little Children / Bad To Me by Billy J. Kramer was #1 ... so that would have been just three weeks earlier.)
To some degree I guess I was an "early bloomer" when it came to pop music ... I had already become a MAJOR fan of The Beatles in February when I first saw them perform on The Ed Sullivan Show ... and already owned their singles I Want To Hold Your Hand / I Saw Her Standing There, She Loves You and Twist And Shout, as well as the "Meet The Beatles" album.
Living in Chicago as a ten year old, my entire musical world consisted of WLS and what I saw on TV on programs like The Ed Sullivan Show and, later, Shindig and Hullabaloo ... American Bandstand and The Lloyd Thaxton Show ... honestly, I couldn't get enough. I had never even heard of publications like "Billboard" or "Cash Box" ... nor did I even give a second thought to what music might be popular beyond the transistor radio in my own bedroom ... as far as I was concerned, if they didn't play it on WLS, it simply wasn't important!!!
I didn't have a lot of spending money as a kid ... but I knew that I had to pick up that Billy J. Kramer record ... not only did I love "Little Children" but what an incredible bonus to be able to get "Bad To Me" on the flipside of the same record!!! (Why on earth would The Beatles give THAT song away?!?!?)
Other Silver Dollar Survey entries that caught my ear that week in June included another Lennon - McCartney tune, "A World Without Love" by Peter And Gordon (WLS also played the much-weaker Bobby Rydell version of this tune!), "Chapel Of Love" by The Dixie Cups, "Do You Love Me" and "Can't You See That She's Mine" by The Dave Clark Five, "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" by Gerry and the Pacemakers, "Hickory, Dick And Doc" by Bobby Vee, "Father Sebastian" by The Ramblers and "Beans In My Ears" by The Serendipity Singers, which I also heard quite often on MOM's radio station, WIND.
The brand new WLS Survey dated July 10, 1964, shows The Beach Boys at #1 with "I Get Around", the aforementioned "Can't You See That She's Mine" by The DC5 at #2 and "Rag Doll" by The Four Seasons at #3. (My Billy J. Kramer single, "Little Children", had already slipped down to the #4 spot that week on the WLS chart.) In at #5 was the Johnny Rivers version of "Memphis". (Being new to radio, HIS was the first version of this song that I ever heard ... I wouldn't discover the genius of Chuck Berry till many years later!)
To some degree I guess I was an "early bloomer" when it came to pop music ... I had already become a MAJOR fan of The Beatles in February when I first saw them perform on The Ed Sullivan Show ... and already owned their singles I Want To Hold Your Hand / I Saw Her Standing There, She Loves You and Twist And Shout, as well as the "Meet The Beatles" album.
Living in Chicago as a ten year old, my entire musical world consisted of WLS and what I saw on TV on programs like The Ed Sullivan Show and, later, Shindig and Hullabaloo ... American Bandstand and The Lloyd Thaxton Show ... honestly, I couldn't get enough. I had never even heard of publications like "Billboard" or "Cash Box" ... nor did I even give a second thought to what music might be popular beyond the transistor radio in my own bedroom ... as far as I was concerned, if they didn't play it on WLS, it simply wasn't important!!!
I didn't have a lot of spending money as a kid ... but I knew that I had to pick up that Billy J. Kramer record ... not only did I love "Little Children" but what an incredible bonus to be able to get "Bad To Me" on the flipside of the same record!!! (Why on earth would The Beatles give THAT song away?!?!?)
Other Silver Dollar Survey entries that caught my ear that week in June included another Lennon - McCartney tune, "A World Without Love" by Peter And Gordon (WLS also played the much-weaker Bobby Rydell version of this tune!), "Chapel Of Love" by The Dixie Cups, "Do You Love Me" and "Can't You See That She's Mine" by The Dave Clark Five, "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" by Gerry and the Pacemakers, "Hickory, Dick And Doc" by Bobby Vee, "Father Sebastian" by The Ramblers and "Beans In My Ears" by The Serendipity Singers, which I also heard quite often on MOM's radio station, WIND.
The brand new WLS Survey dated July 10, 1964, shows The Beach Boys at #1 with "I Get Around", the aforementioned "Can't You See That She's Mine" by The DC5 at #2 and "Rag Doll" by The Four Seasons at #3. (My Billy J. Kramer single, "Little Children", had already slipped down to the #4 spot that week on the WLS chart.) In at #5 was the Johnny Rivers version of "Memphis". (Being new to radio, HIS was the first version of this song that I ever heard ... I wouldn't discover the genius of Chuck Berry till many years later!)
(click on photo to enlarge)
Certainly I had been exposed to the music of The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons prior to this particular week ... I'd seen them on TV and liked a few of their songs ... let's face it, they were already chart veterans by 1964 ... but there was something about THESE two songs that made me a fan of their music for life ... "I Get Around" and "Rag Doll" had a certain feel about them that to this day generate an excitement in me unlike many others. (In hindsight, I suppose The British Invasion made some of our American Groups rise to the challenge ... I still believe these songs to be amongst the strongest that The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons ever released.)
Looking over the rest of the chart, I didn't quite get "The Girl From Ipanema" (in at #6 for Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto), although I LOVE this song today ... but I was completely bowled over by recent chart entries like "Little Old Lady From Pasadena" by Jan and Dean,"Don't Throw Your Love Away" by The Searchers, "She's The One" by The Chartbusters and, premiering at #30 that week, the brand new Beatles' single A Hard Day's Night / I Should Have Known Better, a two-sided winner for sure! (The following week it would jump all the way to #8!!!) I honestly couldn't decide which side of the single I liked better ... and played them both virtually non-stop for weeks. (I also TOTALLY dug the picture sleeve, which I quickly hung up on my wall!) And, again ... because I was SO new to radio ... I thought Del Shannon's version of "Handy Man" ...brand new on the charts at #33 that week ... was the bomb ... never realizing that this song had already been a hit for Jimmy Jones a few years earlier.
A couple of Forgotten Hits worthy of a spin today:
She's The One by The Chartbusters
and
Don't Throw Your Love Away by The Searchers
Thursday, July 9, 2009
More "Local" News
This just in from Marlene O'Malley / Rock On Chicago regarding an Ides Of March appearance tomorrow morning:
Heads-up!
We'll be on the air with a Live Unplugged Appearance on Y103.9 FM in St.Charles, Illinois, with Jim Shea, Friday Morning, 7/10/09 at 8:00am at the Arcedium Coffee Shop / 60 Indiana Street / St Charles, Illinois
Public Invited!!
Hop in your vehicle and head on over if you're able to attend!!! (kk)
We've always tried to present BOTH sides of the story here in Forgotten Hits ... so when we received this VERY negative review about a recent performance by one of our local heroes, we felt obligated to run it, if only so that any other parties interested in catching this show could be forewarned. Remember, this isn't OUR review ... we didn't see this show ... and let's face it, ANYBODY can have a bad night ... but in the interest of objectivity, here's a report we just received from one of our long-time readers.
Hey Kent,
Just thought I'd drop a few lines regarding a couple people I saw perform Sunday evening.
We went to the Mt. Prospect Lions Club Festival to catch Ronnie Rice and Jimmy Sohns (Shadows of Knight). Ronnie gave his usual highly-entertaining performance, with his crowd participation / interaction. He's still the 'human jukebox' (a 'one man band', the wife remarked).
As for Sohns, however ... (if he's on your FH newsletter list, you might wanna omit including this in your comments) ... the guy was godawful. He should hang it up already. He sang off-key and isn't that great to begin with. He comes onstage singing "Do Wah Diddy" of all things. He's starts striking all these rock singer poses for this photographer who kept taking pics. He really thinks he's still relevant. Oh, and no band, just a lead guitarist beside him, who played along with pre-recorded music. Piped in music! I felt as though I were watching a bad rock karaoke singer. It was so bad that the wife told me to be sure to let you know how bad it was!
He and this chick dueted on Pure Prairie League's "Amie", but the mix was so loud I guess it sounded more like a bad Shadows of Knight version of the song. At least we had some good laughs during Sohn's set, if you can imagine this: dancing to the left of the stage was the one-an-only DanzMan and to stage right some drunk guy stagger-danced, his eyes rolling in the back of his head. It's a wonder he didn't crash into us, lol. And every so often this guy from the fest would walk by, wearing this wacky corn-cob thing on his head (promoting the roasted ears, which were good). At one point they were all three out there - man, I wish I had had a camera! We laughed so hard, : )
I remarked to a guy behind me that it's amazing this guy (Sohns) has managed to carve a 43-year career out of recording a Van Morrison song. He remarked, "You'd do it too, if you could." I said "Yeah, I probably would, but I'd at least try harder than that." We sat in the front row but split after maybe 6 songs. I noticed many bewildered faces among the crowd, staring in somewhat disbelief. It was that bad. Don't ever pay to see this guy. He's lucky to have had a 43- year career based on having been in the right place at the right time -- he should hang it up already. He's under the mistaken notion he's some relevant rock star.
Okay, 'nuff said, you get the picture, lol.
bob
Sorry to hear you had such a bad time. We saw Jimy Sohns last year as one of the featured guest vocalists at a Cryan' Shames show (that also included Ronnie Rice, Dennis Tufano and Jimy Rogers of The Mauds) and he was actually quite good. Singing along to a pre-recorded track though?!?!? Live on stage ... when you used to front one of the hardest rocking bands in Chicago?!?!? Bad form, Jimy, bad form!!! (kk)
We haven't heard anything about any of the OTHER Fourth Of July Weekend local shows ... if you attended any of these, please drop us a line and let us know what you thought! Get 'em to me fast enough and I'll include some in this weekend's Sunday Comments Page!
Heads-up!
We'll be on the air with a Live Unplugged Appearance on Y103.9 FM in St.Charles, Illinois, with Jim Shea, Friday Morning, 7/10/09 at 8:00am at the Arcedium Coffee Shop / 60 Indiana Street / St Charles, Illinois
Public Invited!!
Hop in your vehicle and head on over if you're able to attend!!! (kk)
We've always tried to present BOTH sides of the story here in Forgotten Hits ... so when we received this VERY negative review about a recent performance by one of our local heroes, we felt obligated to run it, if only so that any other parties interested in catching this show could be forewarned. Remember, this isn't OUR review ... we didn't see this show ... and let's face it, ANYBODY can have a bad night ... but in the interest of objectivity, here's a report we just received from one of our long-time readers.
Hey Kent,
Just thought I'd drop a few lines regarding a couple people I saw perform Sunday evening.
We went to the Mt. Prospect Lions Club Festival to catch Ronnie Rice and Jimmy Sohns (Shadows of Knight). Ronnie gave his usual highly-entertaining performance, with his crowd participation / interaction. He's still the 'human jukebox' (a 'one man band', the wife remarked).
As for Sohns, however ... (if he's on your FH newsletter list, you might wanna omit including this in your comments) ... the guy was godawful. He should hang it up already. He sang off-key and isn't that great to begin with. He comes onstage singing "Do Wah Diddy" of all things. He's starts striking all these rock singer poses for this photographer who kept taking pics. He really thinks he's still relevant. Oh, and no band, just a lead guitarist beside him, who played along with pre-recorded music. Piped in music! I felt as though I were watching a bad rock karaoke singer. It was so bad that the wife told me to be sure to let you know how bad it was!
He and this chick dueted on Pure Prairie League's "Amie", but the mix was so loud I guess it sounded more like a bad Shadows of Knight version of the song. At least we had some good laughs during Sohn's set, if you can imagine this: dancing to the left of the stage was the one-an-only DanzMan and to stage right some drunk guy stagger-danced, his eyes rolling in the back of his head. It's a wonder he didn't crash into us, lol. And every so often this guy from the fest would walk by, wearing this wacky corn-cob thing on his head (promoting the roasted ears, which were good). At one point they were all three out there - man, I wish I had had a camera! We laughed so hard, : )
I remarked to a guy behind me that it's amazing this guy (Sohns) has managed to carve a 43-year career out of recording a Van Morrison song. He remarked, "You'd do it too, if you could." I said "Yeah, I probably would, but I'd at least try harder than that." We sat in the front row but split after maybe 6 songs. I noticed many bewildered faces among the crowd, staring in somewhat disbelief. It was that bad. Don't ever pay to see this guy. He's lucky to have had a 43- year career based on having been in the right place at the right time -- he should hang it up already. He's under the mistaken notion he's some relevant rock star.
Okay, 'nuff said, you get the picture, lol.
bob
Sorry to hear you had such a bad time. We saw Jimy Sohns last year as one of the featured guest vocalists at a Cryan' Shames show (that also included Ronnie Rice, Dennis Tufano and Jimy Rogers of The Mauds) and he was actually quite good. Singing along to a pre-recorded track though?!?!? Live on stage ... when you used to front one of the hardest rocking bands in Chicago?!?!? Bad form, Jimy, bad form!!! (kk)
We haven't heard anything about any of the OTHER Fourth Of July Weekend local shows ... if you attended any of these, please drop us a line and let us know what you thought! Get 'em to me fast enough and I'll include some in this weekend's Sunday Comments Page!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Have We COMPLETELY Lost Our Perspective On This?!?!?
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough ...
OK, I've had enough!!!
Am I the ONLY one out there screaming "Enough Is Enough Already"?!?!?
After literally EVERY major network and cable channel devoted at least a part of their day yesterday ... and, in some cases, upwards of 12 HOURS of their day yesterday ... to The Michael Jackson Memorial, haven't we ALL really had enough now?
Jackson died almost two weeks ago ... and for every bit of these past two weeks
virtually EVERYWHERE we've turned we've been bombarded with Michael Jackson ... even at the PEAK of his career, when it may have SEEMED as though he was everywhere we turned, we didn't have THIS amount of media saturation!!!
Not to say for a moment that he wasn't a great talent ... he was, in fact, an ENORMOUS talent ... there's really been NOTHING quite like him. Michael took music, dance and video, combined them all into something that ONLY Michael Jackson could pull off, and elevated it all to a whole new art form ... unlike ANYTHING we'd ever seen before or since ... and, in the process, captured the hearts of the entire world.
But this latest media event approaches ... even surpasses ... Princess Diana proportions ... for all his talent ... and for all the great music he left us ... Michael was NOT a saint!!! Yet we seem to have made it our mission to elevate him to some sort of sainthood!!! Let's not forget that for MOST of his adult career, we called him "Wacko Jacko" for a very good reason!!!
Between his fascination with sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber, a desire to purchase the bones of the so-called Elephant Man, a perhaps TOO close relationship with Bubbles, his live-in chimp, erecting a living shrine to Elizabeth Taylor, building and maintaining his Peter Pan Paradise, Neverland (at reported costs of about a million dollars a month!), what can only be described as an addiction to plastic surgery (I've seen estimates as high as 50-60 procedures!), skin-bleaching and now the revelation of his dependency on prescription drugs of MAMMOTH proportions, Michael Jackson was, in plain, simple facts, one strange dude!!! (Even stranger ... many of the most outrageous stories printed about him were planted by Jackson himself in order to stay on the front pages of the tabloids he would then criticize a short while later for not "leaving him alone"!!!)
And this doesn't even take into account all of the inappropriate sexual behavoir allegations that ALSO kept him in the media and on the front pages for years ... but suddenly, in death, this has all become fodder for a different time ... right now, we're told, let's just remember and appreciate the music. While his biggest, worldwide fans will quickly point out that Jackson was ultimately acquitted of these charges (at a payoff of what's estimated to be somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty million dollars ... a pretty expensive neighborhood, wouldn't you say?!?!? ... and really, why would ANYONE pay twenty million dollars to proclaim their innocence?!?!?), this legion of fans cling to this acquittal as some vindication of Jackson's innocence. (Forget the fact that we're talking about Michael Jackson here for just a minute and tell me ... honestly ... is there ANY 40-something year old man living on the planet that you would feel comfortable with inviting young boys to come to his house and share his bed?!?!? ANY one ... ANYWHERE?!?!? Or would you, as a parent ... or simply as a sane adult ... want this guy locked up and put away somewhere???)
Yet we have elevated Jackson to an almost sainthood position SOLELY on the basis of the fact that his music made us FEEL good.
Well, it made ME feel good, too ... but enough is enough already!!! Come on, America, get a grip!!! Enjoy the music ... and pick and choose your favorite memories if you like ... but enough already with this elevated status.
Jackson's memorial service was beamed all over the world yesterday, watched by literally tens of millions of people ... perhaps even a HUNDRED MILLION people ... who wanted to express their love and say goodbye. Over half a million people entered an online lottery for 20,000 available tickets to witness this event live at The Staples Center in Los Angeles. Traffic was stopped and rerouted and, beginning at 10 AM California time people stopped whatever they were doing ... wherever they were doing it ... to watch the live telecast. NEVER before has this amount of mass grief been witnessed ... Princess Diana came the closest but I believe Michael Jackson even surpassed this. Certainly the world was shocked and stunned at the loss of John Lennon and Elvis Presley years earlier ... and worldwide grief and vigils were the calling of the day but we still never experienced anything even remotely close to this type of mass media saturation.
Elvis and The Beatles changed the musical world. They were innovators that impacted EVERY phase of culture ... music, movies, television, fashion, attitude. We've never really experienced THAT kind of culture shock since. Michael Jackson was a two-time superstar, first as a member of The Jackson Five in the early '70's and then again as a MEGA-star when he reinvented himself as a solo artist in the early '80's. Because stars of Elvis and The Beatles proportions were not forthcoming ... and we very well may NEVER experience the likes of which again ... we elevated "familiar" stars to mega-star status. (Hadn't we just gone through this same scenario in the '70's with The Bee Gees, a '60's act that had run its course and even split up, only to reinvent themselves to unfathomable proportion once the disco craze hit? Suddenly, since we didn't have anything on the musical horizon of Elvis or Beatles caliber, we were elevating "retreads" to superstar status!) Not that Michael Jackson wasn't worthy ... he certainly was ... as big as Elvis and The Beatles were, I don't think EITHER ever truly captured the love, excitement and adoration of the entire world the way Michael Jackson did. Certainly Elvis and The Beatles were HUGE ... the mania surrounding these two artists may never be surpassed ... but there was something "global" about Michael Jackson that appealed to HIS worldwide fans on a completely different level.
But when all was said and done, he was a pop star ... period. A pop star of mammoth proportion to be sure ... in fact, he named himself "The King Of Pop" ... and instructed those around him ... and the media ... to address him as such ... but when all is said and done ... at the end of the day ... he's just another in a series of dead mega-celebrities who leaves behind kids of questionable parentage (one of whom, let's not forget, he dangled out a hotel window!!!) ... a controversy regarding his sexual morals and a record of an overwhelming addiction to pain medication that makes Elvis pale in comparison.
And about that pain medication ... are you REALLY shocked by this? Between his hair and scalp starting on fire while filming a Pepsi commercial, breaking his leg while rehearsing, herniating a disc in his spine when he fell off a stage, untold plastic surgeries and skin bleaching procedures, taking hormones to keep his voice high and youthful and a work-out routine commitment to defy the aging process of any other 50 year old, I can't even IMAGINE how much REAL, intense pain he must have been in ... and we need to accept the fact that this was the REAL Michael Jackson ... not the comic book superhero he portrayed on stage and screen.
A tremendous performer? Yes. Tops in his field? Without a doubt. Did he leave behind a musical legacy that will last several lifetimes? I have to believe that he did. Did he help to change the world? I have to believe that in some capacity, he did. Did he help to HEAL the world? His charity efforts are legendary ... the good that Michael Jackson did throughout his career almost outweighs the bad ... almost. Michael, we'll miss your music ... and, quite honestly, some of your crazy-shit antics cracked us up ... and made for some entertaining pop culture moments (in a Trivial Pursuit sort of way) ... but it's time to move on and take a long hard look at the WHOLE picture. Michael Jackson WASN'T perfect ... nobody is ... but there also aren't a whole lot of people that we come across in a lifetime that are equally as talented and messed up all at the same time!
OK, I've had enough!!!
Am I the ONLY one out there screaming "Enough Is Enough Already"?!?!?
After literally EVERY major network and cable channel devoted at least a part of their day yesterday ... and, in some cases, upwards of 12 HOURS of their day yesterday ... to The Michael Jackson Memorial, haven't we ALL really had enough now?
Jackson died almost two weeks ago ... and for every bit of these past two weeks
virtually EVERYWHERE we've turned we've been bombarded with Michael Jackson ... even at the PEAK of his career, when it may have SEEMED as though he was everywhere we turned, we didn't have THIS amount of media saturation!!!
Not to say for a moment that he wasn't a great talent ... he was, in fact, an ENORMOUS talent ... there's really been NOTHING quite like him. Michael took music, dance and video, combined them all into something that ONLY Michael Jackson could pull off, and elevated it all to a whole new art form ... unlike ANYTHING we'd ever seen before or since ... and, in the process, captured the hearts of the entire world.
But this latest media event approaches ... even surpasses ... Princess Diana proportions ... for all his talent ... and for all the great music he left us ... Michael was NOT a saint!!! Yet we seem to have made it our mission to elevate him to some sort of sainthood!!! Let's not forget that for MOST of his adult career, we called him "Wacko Jacko" for a very good reason!!!
Between his fascination with sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber, a desire to purchase the bones of the so-called Elephant Man, a perhaps TOO close relationship with Bubbles, his live-in chimp, erecting a living shrine to Elizabeth Taylor, building and maintaining his Peter Pan Paradise, Neverland (at reported costs of about a million dollars a month!), what can only be described as an addiction to plastic surgery (I've seen estimates as high as 50-60 procedures!), skin-bleaching and now the revelation of his dependency on prescription drugs of MAMMOTH proportions, Michael Jackson was, in plain, simple facts, one strange dude!!! (Even stranger ... many of the most outrageous stories printed about him were planted by Jackson himself in order to stay on the front pages of the tabloids he would then criticize a short while later for not "leaving him alone"!!!)
And this doesn't even take into account all of the inappropriate sexual behavoir allegations that ALSO kept him in the media and on the front pages for years ... but suddenly, in death, this has all become fodder for a different time ... right now, we're told, let's just remember and appreciate the music. While his biggest, worldwide fans will quickly point out that Jackson was ultimately acquitted of these charges (at a payoff of what's estimated to be somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty million dollars ... a pretty expensive neighborhood, wouldn't you say?!?!? ... and really, why would ANYONE pay twenty million dollars to proclaim their innocence?!?!?), this legion of fans cling to this acquittal as some vindication of Jackson's innocence. (Forget the fact that we're talking about Michael Jackson here for just a minute and tell me ... honestly ... is there ANY 40-something year old man living on the planet that you would feel comfortable with inviting young boys to come to his house and share his bed?!?!? ANY one ... ANYWHERE?!?!? Or would you, as a parent ... or simply as a sane adult ... want this guy locked up and put away somewhere???)
Yet we have elevated Jackson to an almost sainthood position SOLELY on the basis of the fact that his music made us FEEL good.
Well, it made ME feel good, too ... but enough is enough already!!! Come on, America, get a grip!!! Enjoy the music ... and pick and choose your favorite memories if you like ... but enough already with this elevated status.
Jackson's memorial service was beamed all over the world yesterday, watched by literally tens of millions of people ... perhaps even a HUNDRED MILLION people ... who wanted to express their love and say goodbye. Over half a million people entered an online lottery for 20,000 available tickets to witness this event live at The Staples Center in Los Angeles. Traffic was stopped and rerouted and, beginning at 10 AM California time people stopped whatever they were doing ... wherever they were doing it ... to watch the live telecast. NEVER before has this amount of mass grief been witnessed ... Princess Diana came the closest but I believe Michael Jackson even surpassed this. Certainly the world was shocked and stunned at the loss of John Lennon and Elvis Presley years earlier ... and worldwide grief and vigils were the calling of the day but we still never experienced anything even remotely close to this type of mass media saturation.
Elvis and The Beatles changed the musical world. They were innovators that impacted EVERY phase of culture ... music, movies, television, fashion, attitude. We've never really experienced THAT kind of culture shock since. Michael Jackson was a two-time superstar, first as a member of The Jackson Five in the early '70's and then again as a MEGA-star when he reinvented himself as a solo artist in the early '80's. Because stars of Elvis and The Beatles proportions were not forthcoming ... and we very well may NEVER experience the likes of which again ... we elevated "familiar" stars to mega-star status. (Hadn't we just gone through this same scenario in the '70's with The Bee Gees, a '60's act that had run its course and even split up, only to reinvent themselves to unfathomable proportion once the disco craze hit? Suddenly, since we didn't have anything on the musical horizon of Elvis or Beatles caliber, we were elevating "retreads" to superstar status!) Not that Michael Jackson wasn't worthy ... he certainly was ... as big as Elvis and The Beatles were, I don't think EITHER ever truly captured the love, excitement and adoration of the entire world the way Michael Jackson did. Certainly Elvis and The Beatles were HUGE ... the mania surrounding these two artists may never be surpassed ... but there was something "global" about Michael Jackson that appealed to HIS worldwide fans on a completely different level.
But when all was said and done, he was a pop star ... period. A pop star of mammoth proportion to be sure ... in fact, he named himself "The King Of Pop" ... and instructed those around him ... and the media ... to address him as such ... but when all is said and done ... at the end of the day ... he's just another in a series of dead mega-celebrities who leaves behind kids of questionable parentage (one of whom, let's not forget, he dangled out a hotel window!!!) ... a controversy regarding his sexual morals and a record of an overwhelming addiction to pain medication that makes Elvis pale in comparison.
And about that pain medication ... are you REALLY shocked by this? Between his hair and scalp starting on fire while filming a Pepsi commercial, breaking his leg while rehearsing, herniating a disc in his spine when he fell off a stage, untold plastic surgeries and skin bleaching procedures, taking hormones to keep his voice high and youthful and a work-out routine commitment to defy the aging process of any other 50 year old, I can't even IMAGINE how much REAL, intense pain he must have been in ... and we need to accept the fact that this was the REAL Michael Jackson ... not the comic book superhero he portrayed on stage and screen.
A tremendous performer? Yes. Tops in his field? Without a doubt. Did he leave behind a musical legacy that will last several lifetimes? I have to believe that he did. Did he help to change the world? I have to believe that in some capacity, he did. Did he help to HEAL the world? His charity efforts are legendary ... the good that Michael Jackson did throughout his career almost outweighs the bad ... almost. Michael, we'll miss your music ... and, quite honestly, some of your crazy-shit antics cracked us up ... and made for some entertaining pop culture moments (in a Trivial Pursuit sort of way) ... but it's time to move on and take a long hard look at the WHOLE picture. Michael Jackson WASN'T perfect ... nobody is ... but there also aren't a whole lot of people that we come across in a lifetime that are equally as talented and messed up all at the same time!
And it ain't over yet ... Michael Jackson's Memorial Service was beamed around the globe, viewed by perhaps as many as a hundred million people ... and highlights will continue to be broadcast for days to come. More and more details will emerge about Jackson's "behind the scenes" lifestyle ... toxicology reports will reveal the extent of his drug use ... there will be battles about his will and several more books will be written purporting to tell the REAL story of Michael Jackson's life ... and we STILL won't be any closer to the man because we're all so wrapped up in the legend and the spectacle.
And what about that memorial? Touching and moving? To be sure. The list of celebrities who were there almost makes you overlook the list of celebrities who WEREN'T there. Ex-Girlfriend Brooke Shields ... but not ex-wives Lisa Marie Presley or Debbie Rowe??? ... Motown Mentor Berry Gordy, who let The Jacksons slip away because he didn't believe they had the talent to write and produce their own material ... but not Quincy Jones, the man who helped Michael realize his vision and elevated him into the musical stratosphere??? ... Smokey Robinson and Lionel Richie ... but not Diana Ross??? Overweight Black spokeswoman Queen Latifah ... but not Oprah Winfrey??? And all the talk from the likes of Magic Johnson and Reverend Al Sharpton telling the world about all that Michael did to advance African-Americans when, in fact, Michael did everything humanly (and financially) possible to make himself look as UN-African-American as possible ... what the heck was THAT all about?!?!? Yet you couldn't help but get choked up when you watched and listened. (I couldn't help but wonder what Michael's family thinks ... tight and loving as they all are ... when they see the barrage of photos of Michael throughout his career ... and the OBVIOUS and RADICAL changes to his look ... do they silently shake their heads and wonder "What was that boy thinking?!?!?" or do they do what WE do when WE attend a family funeral or that of a loved one and whisper "Yep, that was Michael!")
Love the music ... remember the way it made you feel ... enjoy the moment and relive the memories ... how Michael Jackson will be remembered over time remains to be seen ... so for now, embrace the good. But really, I don't know that I can take much more than another day or two of this ... seriously, enough is enough!!!
***
In ALL the Michael Jackson press coverage I've heard these past couple of weeks, MUCH has been made about his collaborations with some of the best and the biggest in the business ... Quincy Jones, his producer, Lionel Richie, with whom he cowrote the anthem "We Are The World" (not to mention the superstar cast of singers who helped make that song a reality), Paul McCartney, who sang with him on the hits "The Girl Is Mine" and "Say Say Say", guitarists Eddie Van Halen and Slash, who make Jackson's hits "Beat It" and "Black Or White" (respectively) the huge, rock, pop and soul hits that they became, his brothers with whom he performed as The Jackson Five, his sister Janet, with whom he recorded the hit duet "Scream", his Motown Mentors Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight ... but not once did I hear mention of the "comeback" song that The Jacksons recorded with Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones.
In 1984, their collaboration "State Of Shock" went all the way to #3 on the Billboard Chart ... and helped generate excitement for the upcoming "Victory" tour reuniting the Jackson brothers. Despite hearing The Michael Jackson Hit Catalog virtually non-stop for two weeks now, I never heard THAT song ONCE ... so we'll feature it here today as a deserving Forgotten Hit.
Michael Jackson was a true and deserving celebrity ... he earned the accolades he received as an artist and as a performer. Unfortunately, we now seem to live in a "Zsa Zsa Gabor Celebrity World" ... where you don't have to have done ANYTHING noteworthy to arrive on the front pages of the entertainment world. How sad that people like Paris Hilton or Heidi and Spencer or Jon and Kate today warrant the attention once bestowed on real, genuine celebrities with talent. We've even gone so far as to elevate the likes of crooked Governor Rod Blagojevich and likely murderer Drew Peterson to a manufactured celebrity status ... in what universe are these people worthy of our attention and our reverence? (Can you imagine some "wacky" radio host inviting Richard Speck on his program to play "The Dating Game" after killing those seven nurses?!?!) Have we stooped SO low ... are we SO starved for attention ... that THIS today constitutes our need for role models?!?!? C'mon America ... get a grip!!!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
The Sunday Comments ( 07 - 05 - 09 )
Some cable issues this morning ... but better late than never. Here are this week's Sunday Comments!!!
re: ALLEN KLEIN:
Allen Klein, 77, Dies; Managed Music Legends
Allen Klein, a music executive who managed the business affairs of Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones and, for a short time, the Beatles, and who was both admired and feared for his reputation as a fierce negotiator, died on Saturday in Manhattan, where he lived. He was 77.
The cause was complications from Alzheimer’s disease, said Bob Merlis, a spokesman for Mr. Klein’s company, Abkco Music and Records.
Mr. Klein rose from humble origins to become a powerful figure in the music business. Born in Newark, he spent much of his childhood in an orphanage, and graduated from Upsala College in East Orange, N.J., with a degree in accounting and a keen appreciation of the value of a dollar.
At the invitation of one of his college friends, Don Kirshner — who would go on to become a successful music publisher and record executive — Mr. Klein began to work in the music business. He gained a reputation early on as an effective sleuth who could root through record companies’ books on behalf of artists and find thousands of dollars in unpaid royalties.
In the early 1960s, he performed those miracles of accounting for Bobby Darin and Cooke. He also became Cooke’s manager, negotiating an usually favorable deal with RCA Records that gave the singer a strong royalty rate and the rights to his own recordings. By the height of the British Invasion of the mid-1960s, Mr. Klein was rapidly acquiring clients in England, among them Mickie Most, who was the producer of the Animals, Herman’s Hermits and many other groups.
In 1965, Mr. Klein was hired by the Rolling Stones’ young manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, to handle the band’s business affairs. With his working-class New Jersey accent and aggressive, direct negotiating style, Mr. Klein convinced the Stones, as he would many other musicians, that he would be a powerful advocate.
“Andrew sold him to us as a gangster figure, someone outside the establishment. We found that rather attractive,” Mick Jagger was quoted as saying in Stephen Davis’s 2001 book, “Old Gods Almost Dead: The 40-Year Odyssey of the Rolling Stones.”
For the Stones and others, though, Mr. Klein was sometimes also an adversary. He negotiated a new deal for the band with Decca, its label at the time, but soon bought the rights to both the band’s recordings and its publishing. The band would later sue for their return, without success. (The Stones settled with Mr. Klein in 1984.) Through Abkco, Mr. Klein retained control of the band’s music before 1971, when the group formed its own record company, Rolling Stones Records.
In 1969, Mr. Klein began to work with the Beatles, as that band was beginning to splinter apart. According to some accounts, he urged John Lennon not to announce that he wanted to quit because it would jeopardize Mr. Klein’s negotiations with E.M.I. over royalties. A highly favorable royalty rate was achieved, and shortly afterward, the Beatles broke up, although Mr. Klein continued to work with Lennon and, for a time, George Harrison. He was a producer of the concerts for Bangladesh, with Harrison, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and others, at Madison Square Garden in 1971.
Mr. Klein was convicted of tax fraud in 1979 and served two months in prison for failing to report income from sales of promotional records, according to the Associated Press.
Abkco owns the rights to many recordings by the Stones, Cooke and others, and administers many more. Mr. Klein also worked as a producer on the films “The Holy Mountain” in 1973 and “The Greek Tycoon” in 1978, as well as on a number of Italian spaghetti Westerns.
Mr. Klein is survived by his sister, Naomi; his longtime companion, Iris Keitel; his wife, Betty, with whom he had not lived with for many years; two daughters, Robin and Beth; a son, Jody; and four grandchildren.
-- submitted by GeoSound
Music mogul Allen Klein dies at 77(CNN)
— Music manager Allen Klein, whose clients included the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, died Saturday after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease, his publicist said. Klein was 77. The son of Jewish immigrants from Hungary, Klein founded his firm Allen Klein & Co. in the late 1950s before the label evolved into ABKCO Music & Records in New York. The independent label holds the copyrights to music by the Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, the Animals, the Kinks, Chubby Checker, Bobby Womack and hundreds of others. Klein represented dozens of artists, including Sam Cooke, the Animals, Bobby Darin and Herman’s Hermits. He changed the music industry when he represented Sam Cooke in negotiations with RCA, winning the artist control of his own master recordings. Known for a tenacious and often blunt style in negotiations, Klein’s greatest coups were inking contracts with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, though both relationships ended in legal battles. ABKCO built up a catalog of copyrights to more than 2,000 songs, including much of the Stones’ 1960s catalog. Klein retained ownership of those titles even after splitting with the Stones. In 1969 John Lennon persuaded the other Beatles that Klein should take over the group’s business affairs, but Paul McCartney resisted the move and some music historians say the appointment hastened the Beatles’ split. Lennon later fell out with Klein, who was thought to be the target of the former Beatle’s 1974 song “Steel and Glass.” Defending his tough style, Klein told Playboy magazine in 1971: “The music business is about 99 per cent no-talent losers who can’t stand a winner in their midst.” In 1971 Klein worked with Ringo Starr to organize the “Concert for Bangladesh” at Madison Square Garden, one of the first major benefit concerts of the rock era. Late in his career, Klein agreed to license a sample of a Rolling Stones song to the British group the Verve for their hit single “Bittersweet Symphony.” But after the song was released, ABKCO successfully argued in court that the Verve had used too much of the sample and won 100 percent of the song’s royalties.Klein is survived by his wife Betty, their three children and four grandchildren. Services will be held in New York on Tuesday.
http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/04/music-mogul-allen-klein-dies-at-77/
submitted by Clark Besch
Without question, Allen Klein seems to be one of the most controversial men in show business history. I tried (without success) to secure an interview with Allen a couple of years back, knowing that he was in failing health and thinking that perhaps NOW would be the time to set the record straight on some of the business deals that had transpired in the decades beforehand. I got as far as talking to Jody Klein, his son, and Bob Merlis, the head of ABKCO, Klein's long-standing publishing company, BOTH of whom quickly shut me down. The feeling I got from both of these gentlemen was that Allen Klein had NOTHING to explain or apologize for ... and we simply left it at that. Several folks on the list including Sam Cooke's nephew, who had his OWN book out at the time blasting the way Klein handled his uncle's career, Peter Noone, who had nary a nice word to say about Allen Klein in our Forgotten Hits interview and a few with Cameo-Parkway ties advised me to just leave it alone ... that most likely this WASN'T a road I wanted to go down ... so ultimately that's what I did. I can assure you that there WILL be books written about Allen Klein in the future that will delve deeply into his character as well as some of what these authors will refer to as his shadiest business deals ... MY take was to let Allen present things in his own words and if, as I was led to believe, the end truly was near, allow him the forum to better-explain and / or apologize for ANYTHING that might give him peace of mind or restitution. One thing is certain ... his success rate throughout his career is unparalleled ... he was able to negotiate higher royalty rates and find money hidden by the record companies for virtually every client he represented. I have always stated that if his philosophy was "I just found you an extra million dollars that you didn't even know you had coming ... so what if I kept another million for myself", that probably WASN'T a bad trade off between manager and artist. In all likelihood, it was that type of success record that inspired many of these artists to hire a shark like Klein in the first place!!! I wish that I had had the opportunity to speak with him, as I feel it would have been, at the very least, an enlightening and educating experience. While I doubt that any earth-shaking news would have been divulged during the course of our conversations, I was really interested to get inside the mind-set of such an aggressive negotiator. Sadly, that chance now is gone. Like I said, you'll be reading the story of Allen Klein for years to come ... MY goal was to have HIM present it, addressing many of these issues that have simply fueled the flame of his legend. Even if he had dismissed nearly all of it as gobbledegook, at least we would have heard it in his own words. (kk)
re: MICHAEL JACKSON:
Kent ...
A friend of mine asked me if I thought that Michael Jackson was, “so fearful of his upcoming shows in the UK, that he took more pain killers than usual to shut out the thought of competing with younger video versions and “Accidentally on purpose” killed himself. Then he asked if I thought Michael would make the “ultimate sacrifice” to increase the value of his estate for his family, to satisfy his creditors, and to become an icon who never grows old?”
I snapped back, “Are you crazy? Michael was all about life, even with all of the prescription drugs he was taking, including oxycontin and Demerol. Even with the risk of the deadly side effects, including suicide impulses, I believe that his spirit was strong enough to prevail!
I just posted THE TOP, THE BEST, AND THE GREATEST MICHAEL JACKSON VIDEOS which were shot during some of the most difficult time in his life. There is an honesty and innocence I see in his face and demeanor that I’m sure most of his fans will recognize, which is why we’ve stood behind him all these years.
I knew him slightly in this life and will continue to be inspired by him from the next.
R.I.P. Michael, ROCK IN PERPETUITY!
Respectfully,
Artie Wayne
copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne
THE TOP, THE BEST, AND THE GREATEST MICHAEL JACKSON VIDEOS! http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/top-best-and-greatest-michael-jackson-videos/
It's with great sadness, but even greater pride that I just posted THE STORY BEHIND MICHAEL JACKSON'S CLASSIC "LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE", which I co-wrote with George Clinton Jr. http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/michael-jackson-and-the-story-behind-little-christmas-tree/
Regards,
Artie
http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Kent ... one more!!!
You can imagine how I felt when I found another song on YouTube Michael Jackson recorded that George S. Clinton, Jr. and I wrote! http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/lost-michael-jackson-track-found-on-youtube-touch-the-one-you-love/
Artie
Kent ...
This past season Kris Allen and Adam Lambert wore extreme handpainted shirts and jackets on “American Idol”, so did Jay Z, Kanye West, and Lady Gaga in their videos. A look, style, and technique I pioneered 25 years ago! http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/exclusive-the-amazing-shirt-i-made-for-michael-jackson/
Artie
re: VOICE-TRACKED RADIO ... AND RADIO NEWS IN GENERAL:
Kent-
Regarding the failure of automated radio when the Michael Jackson story broke, I remember being on the air in the late '90s on a Clear Channel station that had recently put in their Prophet system. I was doing 10 am - 3 pm on a Sunday when the weather got real dodgy - anything that wasn't tied down was blowing all over Hartford. The show after me was voice-tracked: a famous New York DJ that would record some generic pander each week along the lines of "For Steve in Bloomfield, here's some Red Rider." I called the PD to get some instructions, and he had me just delete her tracks. Basically drop back and punt. It's a shame, but we can't count on most radio stations to tell us what we need to know if a story breaks.
Be Well,
Carl Wiser
www.songfacts.com
I got calls from a couple of frustrated (read: out of work) disc jockeys who just cannot believe what the market has deteriorated to trying to control costs ... the whole SERVICE part of radio has been sacrificed in favor of putting out the most economical programming available. (There was a time where we got ALL of our news on the radio first ... obviously, those days are gone.) The shame is that recent tornadoes and flooding have ALSO gone unreported on stations that listeners USED to rely on for this type of information. And it's only going to get worse. (kk)
EARTHWORKS ENTERTAINMENT’S HIT PARADE RADIO IS NOW BROADCASTING ON WIFI RADIO WORLDWIDE
Addison, TX – (June 30, 2009) – Earthworks Entertainment, Inc. (EWKS-PK) announced today that its Hit Parade Radio oldies format is now being broadcast on WiFi Radio.
Earthworks Entertainment’s CEO Steven Humphries in making the announcement said “this is great exposure for Hit Parade Radio, as WiFi Radio reaches nearly 60 million monthly radio listeners. The WiFi carriage of Hit Parade Radio will allow us to promote the upcoming September 2009 launch of our 24 / 7 Oldies format, to be broadcast on major radio stations throughout the USA”.
John Rook, Hit Parade Radio President said “Hit Parade Radio features music that you don’t hear anywhere else today on oldies radio stations. It’s the most popular music of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s featuring songs and artist not currently broadcast. Now that we are on WiFi, listeners can experience our format prior to it being broadcast on AM and FM stations throughout the USA”.
WiFi Radio’s popularity has grown significantly over the past several years now with nearly 60 million monthly listeners. WiFi radio is quickly becoming a major player in the broadcasting industry as it a free alternative to satellite radio.
Company official are currently negotiating with major broadcast groups to carry the 24/7 oldies programming featuring Larry Lujack and Wink Martindale. Hit Parade Radio management expects to sign more than 100 broadcast stations in the first 12 to 18 months, which will generate more than $5.0 million in revenue for the Hit Parade Radio Network.
-- submitted by John Rook
re: MORE PRAISE FOR THE WEBSITE ...
FROM A BRAND NEW READER:
Dear Kent,
You mention Clark Besch's essay on psychedelic music. He couldn't think of a Mamas and Papas song. How about Creeque Alley? McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get much higher. Maybe you could also add Groovin' by the Rascals (if it can be called psychedelic). I really think the LP version of Light My Fire was the best of the psychedelics. The short single version really isn't much without the instrumental run / bridge. What if the stations had played the long version? The Beatles' Hey Jude was also 7 minutes long a year later. The Flower Children by Marcia Strassman reached #2 on KFRC in San Francisco in 1967. It is hard to rank obscure songs that did not make the national charts (some were huge regional hits) unless you follow oldies polls voted on by listeners.
Thanks for Forgotten Hits.
Scott Doten
Glad you're enjoying Forgotten Hits ... our Top 20 All-Time Favorite Psychedelic Songs (as voted on by our readers) is STILL our most popular page, viewed more than any others. If ANYBODY out there hasn't checked it out yet, here's a quick link to take you there:
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Top 20 Favorite Psychedelic Songs
And, speaking of the website ... I just got this from FH Regular David Lewis:
Remember the flip side of Indian Giver? The track was called Pow Wow, and when you played it backward it was a real song called "Bring Back Howdy Doody"! Honest. Not good on the needle, though!
David
Yep, this is one of the tracks that we featured while trying to determine your Top 200 All-Time Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides. Although "Pow Wow" didn't make the list, believe it or not it DID earn 25 of your votes!!! (Go figure ... but hey, backwards B-Sides like "noollaB wolleY" and "!aaH aH, yawA eM ekaT oT gnimoC er'yehT" ALSO earned votes during this little contest!!!) For the COMPLETE Top 200 List, check out the website:
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Your Top 200 Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides
re: BOB GREENE:
>>>There's a "sneak peek" of the first couple of chapters of Bob Greene's new book in the back of the paperback edition of "When We Get To Surf City" ... looks interesting (and with Greene's newspaper background, should be spot on.) kk
Thanks, Kent --
My new book -- "Late Edition: A Love Story" -- is coming out next week; if you get a chance to read it, I'll be interested in what you think. It takes place during those Beatles / Rolling Stones / Beach Boys summers when every kid's dream started shifting from the idea of being a baseball star, to the idea of being in a touring rock band.
It's about a part of American life that seems to be drifting into memory. I hope you'll enjoy it. Here's a link that will tell you a little more about it:
http://www.amazon.com/Late-Love-Story-Bob-Greene/dp/0312375301/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244551318&sr=1-1
Speaking of summers, I hope yours is a great one.
Bob
re: BOBBY KEYS:
Bobby Keys is performing in Berwyn on July 1st ... Check this out: http://www.iorr.org/talk/read.php?1,1073952
David Lewis
Unfortunately, I couldn't get this out fast enough to let anybody know ... but at least we know that Bobby is alive and well and still out there performing!!! Thanks, David! (kk)
re: MORE UPCOMING SHOWS:
Paul McCartney keeps adding more dates to his U.S.A. itinerary ... could a full-blown tour be in the not-so-distant future???:
What began as Paul McCartney christening the New York Mets’ new Queens stadium is beginning to develop into a mini tour as Sir Paul has added shows in Boston, Washington, DC, and Atlanta, Georgia, to his summer schedule. And his Website implies more dates are on the way: “Look out for more news on additional dates here on PM.com very, very, soon …” The Atlanta concert on August 15th will be a benefit to raise money for the upkeep of the city’s Piedmont Park, which will host the concert.
Piedmont Park was founded in 1887, but local authorities in recent years have struggled to find the funds to maintain it. In 2007, the Dave Matthews Band and Allman Brothers attracted 50,000 concert-goers to the park for a benefit show, and Macca’s August 15th concert is expected to eclipse that crowd, the AP reports.
Additionally, McCartney has also booked an August 1st concert at Washington, DC’s FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. According to a press release, Paul’s set will be stocked with Beatles, Wings and solo career hits, plus some songs from Paul’s side project the Fireman and their new album Electric Arguments. The concert will be McCartney’s first in the nation’s capital since October 2005, however the Beatles’ played their first-ever concert in America at the Washington Coliseum in 1964. Tickets for the FedEX Field show go on sale tomorrow, June 26th. McCartney’s pair of shows at Boston’s Fenway Park (where Phish and Dave Matthews Band recently performed) go down August 5th and 6th.
McCartney’s headlining set at Coachella was his most recent stateside gig before he announced a pair of shows at New York’s new Citi Field. The structure is a replacement for Shea Stadium, where the Beatles played their legendary concert in 1965; McCartney helped Billy Joel play the last-ever gig there before it was demolished. McCartney’s shows at the new stadium are July 17th, 18th and 21st.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 7TH: THE MOHEGAN SUN CASINO-RESORT Uncasville, CT.
BOWZER'S ROCK 'N' ROLL LEGENDS SHOW WITH :CHARLIE GRACIE, LESLEY GORE, JOEY DEE and the STARLIGHTERS, WANDA JACKSON, SAM THE SHAM and the PHAROHS, LOU CHRISTIE, ORIGINAL COMETS, THE SOUL SURVIVORS, AND THE CADILLACS! Please pass it on!
-- Charlie Gracie, Jr.
The September 5th Bachman - Cummings Band Show still isn't posted on The Schaumburg Septemberfest Website yet ... but they HAVE posted the line-up for September 6th ... Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas and Bobby Kimball (of Toto)!!! Frannie's been Snoopy-dancing ever since she saw this ... with the REAL Guess Who performing there as well, this promises to be an EXCELLENT weekend of musical entertainment. (kk)
re: MORE ON THE LOCAL SCENE:
Not only is it a brand new book ... but it just may turn out to be the Chicago Concert Event of the Year!!! Check this out ...
Hello again folks,
I've now received word from Arcadia Publishers that my book, The Chicago Music Scene: The 1960s and 1970s, will be going on sale November 9th. So, with that date in mind, I'm seriously thinking about the Thanksgiving Day weekend for the concert.
After hinting at this date in a prior e-mail, several out of town musicians immediately got on board telling me it would work in perfectly with their plans to be home for the holidays.
I’m thinking it could be the right date for the show. What musician can turn down a free dinner from mom and this is the perfect excuse to come home to Chicago for a visit! Also, keep in mind that, if performers continue to sign up at the rate they already have, this could possibly become a two day Saturday - Sunday event, in which case everyone would hopefully have a chance to perform.
And as becomes obvious, with this many performers, it could become a logistical nightmare if we’re not careful.
Things to consider right off the top:
·Single performers may only be allowed one song, depending on how far they’ve traveled. Someone who has come a long distance will be allowed special consideration.
·If you know a performer on the list and would like to team up with them, that would also help.
·Out of towners, if you don’t feel you can make the trip just for a couple of songs, you might think about sending a note which can be read onstage by the MC. I’m sure folks would love to hear from you.
You also get extra points if you ask me to play bass with you. JUST KIDDING! (Well ….half kidding ;^)
I still need technical help - a director, people with knowledge of ticket sales and concert organizing, video people, still photographers, etc. If you know someone who might be interested, please let me know.
If you’d like to help out, please let me know in what capacity and what your specialties are.
As soon as possible, I will announce the charities that will benefit from the ticket sales.
Meanwhile, we’re still trying to decide on a venue. I’ve already been told by a few people that, with a bill like this, we could be looking at 1,000 to 1,500 people attending. (And of course, that would be great, but I'm not that optimistic that I would be necessarily counting on that.) Which Chicago venue do you think would be right for this type of event? I’ve had many suggestions, but I’d like to hear what you think.
Tracey Surface has also put up a page with info on it at this link:
http://www.chicagostudioclub.net/2009/06/the-chicago-music-scene/
This will be a celebration of Chicago music of the 1960s and ‘70s, a phenomenal period in the history of music in Chicago and throughout the world, and you folks were not only there when it happened, you made it happen.
Below is a list of responses I received after announcing the concert. Now that we have an exact date in mind, please let me know if you’re on board. (If you’re a performer and you’re not on the list, that means I haven’t heard back from you. )
Tricia Alexander; Muriel Anderson; John Benischek; Thom Bishop; David Bragman (Unity Bluegrass); Michael Brook (The Other Half); Greg Cahill (Special Consensus Alumni Band); The Cascades; The Casualaires; Bob Centano; Al Day; Bobby Diamond (For Days and a Night, Dick Eastman Band); Dirty Wurds; Mike Dunbar; Josie Falbo; Chris Farrell; Sally Fingerett; Al Goldberg (Yama & the Karma Dusters); Grope; Heartsfield; Nate Herman & Warren Leming (Wilderness Road); Ed Holstein; Dave Humphreys (Two Way Street); Ides of March; Rusty Jones; Jamestown Massacre; Steve Justman; Joe Kelley; Kathy Kelly and Sue Kessell (WNUR); Lilli Kuzma (WDCB); Jeannie Lambert; Doug Lofstrom; Bob Long; Rich Markow; The Mauds; James McCandless; Megon McDonough; Jerry McGeorge (Shadows of Knight, H.P. Lovecraft); Mesa; Michael Miles; Steve Miro (Fifth Street); Ed Mooney (Mountain Bus); New Colony Six; Marty O’Connell; Pentwater; Paul Petraitis; John Priola (For Days & a Night); Larry Rand; Ronnie Rice; Judy Roberts; Byron Roche; Victor Sanders; Claudia Schmidt; Mick Scott; Norm Siegel; Barb Silverman; Jack Skalon (Morning After, Jerico); Ken Slauf (Train, OTS Jazz Ensemble); Jimmy Sohns (Shadows of Knight); Streetdancer; Marge Summit (His N Hers); Greg Trafidlo (Greater Chicago Bluegrass Band); Dennis Tufano (Buckinghams); Rich Warren (MC); Amy Wooley; Mark Zeus (Tumbleweed)
-- Dean Milano
re: HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND:
Hey Kent...
Happy 4th Of July from "The Rip Chords"!!!!!
And A Happy Summer To All Of Our "Forgotten Hits" Friends.
Right backatcha, guys!!! I hope ALL of our readers had a VERY nice Fourth of July Weekend!!!
Have you had a chance to listen to any of the Y103.9 / Fourth Of July / Beach Boys Weekend yet?!?! It's absoutely AWESOME as usual ... and you've still got all day today to tune in and listen. ALL of the hits are here ... plus album cuts and B-Sides ... live stuff, rarities and alternate takes ... and TONS of it, too. Here's a Listen Live Link:
Click here: Y103.9 - The Greatest Hits of All Time - *
Kudos to Jim Shea for putting together another spectacular tribute to America's Band this year ... in their THIRD Annual Beach Boys / 4th of July Weekend!!! (kk)
re: ALLEN KLEIN:
Allen Klein, 77, Dies; Managed Music Legends
Allen Klein, a music executive who managed the business affairs of Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones and, for a short time, the Beatles, and who was both admired and feared for his reputation as a fierce negotiator, died on Saturday in Manhattan, where he lived. He was 77.
The cause was complications from Alzheimer’s disease, said Bob Merlis, a spokesman for Mr. Klein’s company, Abkco Music and Records.
Mr. Klein rose from humble origins to become a powerful figure in the music business. Born in Newark, he spent much of his childhood in an orphanage, and graduated from Upsala College in East Orange, N.J., with a degree in accounting and a keen appreciation of the value of a dollar.
At the invitation of one of his college friends, Don Kirshner — who would go on to become a successful music publisher and record executive — Mr. Klein began to work in the music business. He gained a reputation early on as an effective sleuth who could root through record companies’ books on behalf of artists and find thousands of dollars in unpaid royalties.
In the early 1960s, he performed those miracles of accounting for Bobby Darin and Cooke. He also became Cooke’s manager, negotiating an usually favorable deal with RCA Records that gave the singer a strong royalty rate and the rights to his own recordings. By the height of the British Invasion of the mid-1960s, Mr. Klein was rapidly acquiring clients in England, among them Mickie Most, who was the producer of the Animals, Herman’s Hermits and many other groups.
In 1965, Mr. Klein was hired by the Rolling Stones’ young manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, to handle the band’s business affairs. With his working-class New Jersey accent and aggressive, direct negotiating style, Mr. Klein convinced the Stones, as he would many other musicians, that he would be a powerful advocate.
“Andrew sold him to us as a gangster figure, someone outside the establishment. We found that rather attractive,” Mick Jagger was quoted as saying in Stephen Davis’s 2001 book, “Old Gods Almost Dead: The 40-Year Odyssey of the Rolling Stones.”
For the Stones and others, though, Mr. Klein was sometimes also an adversary. He negotiated a new deal for the band with Decca, its label at the time, but soon bought the rights to both the band’s recordings and its publishing. The band would later sue for their return, without success. (The Stones settled with Mr. Klein in 1984.) Through Abkco, Mr. Klein retained control of the band’s music before 1971, when the group formed its own record company, Rolling Stones Records.
In 1969, Mr. Klein began to work with the Beatles, as that band was beginning to splinter apart. According to some accounts, he urged John Lennon not to announce that he wanted to quit because it would jeopardize Mr. Klein’s negotiations with E.M.I. over royalties. A highly favorable royalty rate was achieved, and shortly afterward, the Beatles broke up, although Mr. Klein continued to work with Lennon and, for a time, George Harrison. He was a producer of the concerts for Bangladesh, with Harrison, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and others, at Madison Square Garden in 1971.
Mr. Klein was convicted of tax fraud in 1979 and served two months in prison for failing to report income from sales of promotional records, according to the Associated Press.
Abkco owns the rights to many recordings by the Stones, Cooke and others, and administers many more. Mr. Klein also worked as a producer on the films “The Holy Mountain” in 1973 and “The Greek Tycoon” in 1978, as well as on a number of Italian spaghetti Westerns.
Mr. Klein is survived by his sister, Naomi; his longtime companion, Iris Keitel; his wife, Betty, with whom he had not lived with for many years; two daughters, Robin and Beth; a son, Jody; and four grandchildren.
-- submitted by GeoSound
Music mogul Allen Klein dies at 77(CNN)
— Music manager Allen Klein, whose clients included the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, died Saturday after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease, his publicist said. Klein was 77. The son of Jewish immigrants from Hungary, Klein founded his firm Allen Klein & Co. in the late 1950s before the label evolved into ABKCO Music & Records in New York. The independent label holds the copyrights to music by the Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, the Animals, the Kinks, Chubby Checker, Bobby Womack and hundreds of others. Klein represented dozens of artists, including Sam Cooke, the Animals, Bobby Darin and Herman’s Hermits. He changed the music industry when he represented Sam Cooke in negotiations with RCA, winning the artist control of his own master recordings. Known for a tenacious and often blunt style in negotiations, Klein’s greatest coups were inking contracts with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, though both relationships ended in legal battles. ABKCO built up a catalog of copyrights to more than 2,000 songs, including much of the Stones’ 1960s catalog. Klein retained ownership of those titles even after splitting with the Stones. In 1969 John Lennon persuaded the other Beatles that Klein should take over the group’s business affairs, but Paul McCartney resisted the move and some music historians say the appointment hastened the Beatles’ split. Lennon later fell out with Klein, who was thought to be the target of the former Beatle’s 1974 song “Steel and Glass.” Defending his tough style, Klein told Playboy magazine in 1971: “The music business is about 99 per cent no-talent losers who can’t stand a winner in their midst.” In 1971 Klein worked with Ringo Starr to organize the “Concert for Bangladesh” at Madison Square Garden, one of the first major benefit concerts of the rock era. Late in his career, Klein agreed to license a sample of a Rolling Stones song to the British group the Verve for their hit single “Bittersweet Symphony.” But after the song was released, ABKCO successfully argued in court that the Verve had used too much of the sample and won 100 percent of the song’s royalties.Klein is survived by his wife Betty, their three children and four grandchildren. Services will be held in New York on Tuesday.
http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/04/music-mogul-allen-klein-dies-at-77/
submitted by Clark Besch
Without question, Allen Klein seems to be one of the most controversial men in show business history. I tried (without success) to secure an interview with Allen a couple of years back, knowing that he was in failing health and thinking that perhaps NOW would be the time to set the record straight on some of the business deals that had transpired in the decades beforehand. I got as far as talking to Jody Klein, his son, and Bob Merlis, the head of ABKCO, Klein's long-standing publishing company, BOTH of whom quickly shut me down. The feeling I got from both of these gentlemen was that Allen Klein had NOTHING to explain or apologize for ... and we simply left it at that. Several folks on the list including Sam Cooke's nephew, who had his OWN book out at the time blasting the way Klein handled his uncle's career, Peter Noone, who had nary a nice word to say about Allen Klein in our Forgotten Hits interview and a few with Cameo-Parkway ties advised me to just leave it alone ... that most likely this WASN'T a road I wanted to go down ... so ultimately that's what I did. I can assure you that there WILL be books written about Allen Klein in the future that will delve deeply into his character as well as some of what these authors will refer to as his shadiest business deals ... MY take was to let Allen present things in his own words and if, as I was led to believe, the end truly was near, allow him the forum to better-explain and / or apologize for ANYTHING that might give him peace of mind or restitution. One thing is certain ... his success rate throughout his career is unparalleled ... he was able to negotiate higher royalty rates and find money hidden by the record companies for virtually every client he represented. I have always stated that if his philosophy was "I just found you an extra million dollars that you didn't even know you had coming ... so what if I kept another million for myself", that probably WASN'T a bad trade off between manager and artist. In all likelihood, it was that type of success record that inspired many of these artists to hire a shark like Klein in the first place!!! I wish that I had had the opportunity to speak with him, as I feel it would have been, at the very least, an enlightening and educating experience. While I doubt that any earth-shaking news would have been divulged during the course of our conversations, I was really interested to get inside the mind-set of such an aggressive negotiator. Sadly, that chance now is gone. Like I said, you'll be reading the story of Allen Klein for years to come ... MY goal was to have HIM present it, addressing many of these issues that have simply fueled the flame of his legend. Even if he had dismissed nearly all of it as gobbledegook, at least we would have heard it in his own words. (kk)
re: MICHAEL JACKSON:
Kent ...
A friend of mine asked me if I thought that Michael Jackson was, “so fearful of his upcoming shows in the UK, that he took more pain killers than usual to shut out the thought of competing with younger video versions and “Accidentally on purpose” killed himself. Then he asked if I thought Michael would make the “ultimate sacrifice” to increase the value of his estate for his family, to satisfy his creditors, and to become an icon who never grows old?”
I snapped back, “Are you crazy? Michael was all about life, even with all of the prescription drugs he was taking, including oxycontin and Demerol. Even with the risk of the deadly side effects, including suicide impulses, I believe that his spirit was strong enough to prevail!
I just posted THE TOP, THE BEST, AND THE GREATEST MICHAEL JACKSON VIDEOS which were shot during some of the most difficult time in his life. There is an honesty and innocence I see in his face and demeanor that I’m sure most of his fans will recognize, which is why we’ve stood behind him all these years.
I knew him slightly in this life and will continue to be inspired by him from the next.
R.I.P. Michael, ROCK IN PERPETUITY!
Respectfully,
Artie Wayne
copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne
THE TOP, THE BEST, AND THE GREATEST MICHAEL JACKSON VIDEOS! http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/top-best-and-greatest-michael-jackson-videos/
It's with great sadness, but even greater pride that I just posted THE STORY BEHIND MICHAEL JACKSON'S CLASSIC "LITTLE CHRISTMAS TREE", which I co-wrote with George Clinton Jr. http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/06/29/michael-jackson-and-the-story-behind-little-christmas-tree/
Regards,
Artie
http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Kent ... one more!!!
You can imagine how I felt when I found another song on YouTube Michael Jackson recorded that George S. Clinton, Jr. and I wrote! http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/lost-michael-jackson-track-found-on-youtube-touch-the-one-you-love/
Artie
Kent ...
This past season Kris Allen and Adam Lambert wore extreme handpainted shirts and jackets on “American Idol”, so did Jay Z, Kanye West, and Lady Gaga in their videos. A look, style, and technique I pioneered 25 years ago! http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/exclusive-the-amazing-shirt-i-made-for-michael-jackson/
Artie
And this just came in from FH Reader Ken Voss:
Clark Weber Remembers:
I was the morning disc jockey at WLS, and the program director [from 1965 to 1968]. I chose the music. Every week I had to decide what records would go on the air. It was a neat job. You weren't always smart enough to recognize a hit. A police detective from Gary, Indiana brought his little kids in one day and they actually danced in front of my desk. And he said, "Well, what do you think, Clark?" And I said, "No, I don't think so." That was Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5. So I was not all that wise!
Click here: WTTW - Rock Music (How Chicago Rocked the 60s)
Lots of OTHER great memories can be found on this web page, too, including info and links about all of our '60's Local Heroes that we talk so much about here in Forgotten Hits!!! Check it out! (kk)
re: VOICE-TRACKED RADIO ... AND RADIO NEWS IN GENERAL:
Kent-
Regarding the failure of automated radio when the Michael Jackson story broke, I remember being on the air in the late '90s on a Clear Channel station that had recently put in their Prophet system. I was doing 10 am - 3 pm on a Sunday when the weather got real dodgy - anything that wasn't tied down was blowing all over Hartford. The show after me was voice-tracked: a famous New York DJ that would record some generic pander each week along the lines of "For Steve in Bloomfield, here's some Red Rider." I called the PD to get some instructions, and he had me just delete her tracks. Basically drop back and punt. It's a shame, but we can't count on most radio stations to tell us what we need to know if a story breaks.
Be Well,
Carl Wiser
www.songfacts.com
I got calls from a couple of frustrated (read: out of work) disc jockeys who just cannot believe what the market has deteriorated to trying to control costs ... the whole SERVICE part of radio has been sacrificed in favor of putting out the most economical programming available. (There was a time where we got ALL of our news on the radio first ... obviously, those days are gone.) The shame is that recent tornadoes and flooding have ALSO gone unreported on stations that listeners USED to rely on for this type of information. And it's only going to get worse. (kk)
EARTHWORKS ENTERTAINMENT’S HIT PARADE RADIO IS NOW BROADCASTING ON WIFI RADIO WORLDWIDE
Addison, TX – (June 30, 2009) – Earthworks Entertainment, Inc. (EWKS-PK) announced today that its Hit Parade Radio oldies format is now being broadcast on WiFi Radio.
Earthworks Entertainment’s CEO Steven Humphries in making the announcement said “this is great exposure for Hit Parade Radio, as WiFi Radio reaches nearly 60 million monthly radio listeners. The WiFi carriage of Hit Parade Radio will allow us to promote the upcoming September 2009 launch of our 24 / 7 Oldies format, to be broadcast on major radio stations throughout the USA”.
John Rook, Hit Parade Radio President said “Hit Parade Radio features music that you don’t hear anywhere else today on oldies radio stations. It’s the most popular music of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s featuring songs and artist not currently broadcast. Now that we are on WiFi, listeners can experience our format prior to it being broadcast on AM and FM stations throughout the USA”.
WiFi Radio’s popularity has grown significantly over the past several years now with nearly 60 million monthly listeners. WiFi radio is quickly becoming a major player in the broadcasting industry as it a free alternative to satellite radio.
Company official are currently negotiating with major broadcast groups to carry the 24/7 oldies programming featuring Larry Lujack and Wink Martindale. Hit Parade Radio management expects to sign more than 100 broadcast stations in the first 12 to 18 months, which will generate more than $5.0 million in revenue for the Hit Parade Radio Network.
-- submitted by John Rook
re: MORE PRAISE FOR THE WEBSITE ...
FROM A BRAND NEW READER:
Dear Kent,
You mention Clark Besch's essay on psychedelic music. He couldn't think of a Mamas and Papas song. How about Creeque Alley? McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get much higher. Maybe you could also add Groovin' by the Rascals (if it can be called psychedelic). I really think the LP version of Light My Fire was the best of the psychedelics. The short single version really isn't much without the instrumental run / bridge. What if the stations had played the long version? The Beatles' Hey Jude was also 7 minutes long a year later. The Flower Children by Marcia Strassman reached #2 on KFRC in San Francisco in 1967. It is hard to rank obscure songs that did not make the national charts (some were huge regional hits) unless you follow oldies polls voted on by listeners.
Thanks for Forgotten Hits.
Scott Doten
Glad you're enjoying Forgotten Hits ... our Top 20 All-Time Favorite Psychedelic Songs (as voted on by our readers) is STILL our most popular page, viewed more than any others. If ANYBODY out there hasn't checked it out yet, here's a quick link to take you there:
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Top 20 Favorite Psychedelic Songs
And, speaking of the website ... I just got this from FH Regular David Lewis:
Remember the flip side of Indian Giver? The track was called Pow Wow, and when you played it backward it was a real song called "Bring Back Howdy Doody"! Honest. Not good on the needle, though!
David
Yep, this is one of the tracks that we featured while trying to determine your Top 200 All-Time Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides. Although "Pow Wow" didn't make the list, believe it or not it DID earn 25 of your votes!!! (Go figure ... but hey, backwards B-Sides like "noollaB wolleY" and "!aaH aH, yawA eM ekaT oT gnimoC er'yehT" ALSO earned votes during this little contest!!!) For the COMPLETE Top 200 List, check out the website:
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Your Top 200 Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides
re: BOB GREENE:
>>>There's a "sneak peek" of the first couple of chapters of Bob Greene's new book in the back of the paperback edition of "When We Get To Surf City" ... looks interesting (and with Greene's newspaper background, should be spot on.) kk
Thanks, Kent --
My new book -- "Late Edition: A Love Story" -- is coming out next week; if you get a chance to read it, I'll be interested in what you think. It takes place during those Beatles / Rolling Stones / Beach Boys summers when every kid's dream started shifting from the idea of being a baseball star, to the idea of being in a touring rock band.
It's about a part of American life that seems to be drifting into memory. I hope you'll enjoy it. Here's a link that will tell you a little more about it:
http://www.amazon.com/Late-Love-Story-Bob-Greene/dp/0312375301/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244551318&sr=1-1
Speaking of summers, I hope yours is a great one.
Bob
re: BOBBY KEYS:
Bobby Keys is performing in Berwyn on July 1st ... Check this out: http://www.iorr.org/talk/read.php?1,1073952
David Lewis
Unfortunately, I couldn't get this out fast enough to let anybody know ... but at least we know that Bobby is alive and well and still out there performing!!! Thanks, David! (kk)
re: MORE UPCOMING SHOWS:
Paul McCartney keeps adding more dates to his U.S.A. itinerary ... could a full-blown tour be in the not-so-distant future???:
What began as Paul McCartney christening the New York Mets’ new Queens stadium is beginning to develop into a mini tour as Sir Paul has added shows in Boston, Washington, DC, and Atlanta, Georgia, to his summer schedule. And his Website implies more dates are on the way: “Look out for more news on additional dates here on PM.com very, very, soon …” The Atlanta concert on August 15th will be a benefit to raise money for the upkeep of the city’s Piedmont Park, which will host the concert.
Piedmont Park was founded in 1887, but local authorities in recent years have struggled to find the funds to maintain it. In 2007, the Dave Matthews Band and Allman Brothers attracted 50,000 concert-goers to the park for a benefit show, and Macca’s August 15th concert is expected to eclipse that crowd, the AP reports.
Additionally, McCartney has also booked an August 1st concert at Washington, DC’s FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. According to a press release, Paul’s set will be stocked with Beatles, Wings and solo career hits, plus some songs from Paul’s side project the Fireman and their new album Electric Arguments. The concert will be McCartney’s first in the nation’s capital since October 2005, however the Beatles’ played their first-ever concert in America at the Washington Coliseum in 1964. Tickets for the FedEX Field show go on sale tomorrow, June 26th. McCartney’s pair of shows at Boston’s Fenway Park (where Phish and Dave Matthews Band recently performed) go down August 5th and 6th.
McCartney’s headlining set at Coachella was his most recent stateside gig before he announced a pair of shows at New York’s new Citi Field. The structure is a replacement for Shea Stadium, where the Beatles played their legendary concert in 1965; McCartney helped Billy Joel play the last-ever gig there before it was demolished. McCartney’s shows at the new stadium are July 17th, 18th and 21st.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 7TH: THE MOHEGAN SUN CASINO-RESORT Uncasville, CT.
BOWZER'S ROCK 'N' ROLL LEGENDS SHOW WITH :CHARLIE GRACIE, LESLEY GORE, JOEY DEE and the STARLIGHTERS, WANDA JACKSON, SAM THE SHAM and the PHAROHS, LOU CHRISTIE, ORIGINAL COMETS, THE SOUL SURVIVORS, AND THE CADILLACS! Please pass it on!
-- Charlie Gracie, Jr.
The September 5th Bachman - Cummings Band Show still isn't posted on The Schaumburg Septemberfest Website yet ... but they HAVE posted the line-up for September 6th ... Starship, featuring Mickey Thomas and Bobby Kimball (of Toto)!!! Frannie's been Snoopy-dancing ever since she saw this ... with the REAL Guess Who performing there as well, this promises to be an EXCELLENT weekend of musical entertainment. (kk)
re: MORE ON THE LOCAL SCENE:
Not only is it a brand new book ... but it just may turn out to be the Chicago Concert Event of the Year!!! Check this out ...
Hello again folks,
I've now received word from Arcadia Publishers that my book, The Chicago Music Scene: The 1960s and 1970s, will be going on sale November 9th. So, with that date in mind, I'm seriously thinking about the Thanksgiving Day weekend for the concert.
After hinting at this date in a prior e-mail, several out of town musicians immediately got on board telling me it would work in perfectly with their plans to be home for the holidays.
I’m thinking it could be the right date for the show. What musician can turn down a free dinner from mom and this is the perfect excuse to come home to Chicago for a visit! Also, keep in mind that, if performers continue to sign up at the rate they already have, this could possibly become a two day Saturday - Sunday event, in which case everyone would hopefully have a chance to perform.
And as becomes obvious, with this many performers, it could become a logistical nightmare if we’re not careful.
Things to consider right off the top:
·Single performers may only be allowed one song, depending on how far they’ve traveled. Someone who has come a long distance will be allowed special consideration.
·If you know a performer on the list and would like to team up with them, that would also help.
·Out of towners, if you don’t feel you can make the trip just for a couple of songs, you might think about sending a note which can be read onstage by the MC. I’m sure folks would love to hear from you.
You also get extra points if you ask me to play bass with you. JUST KIDDING! (Well ….half kidding ;^)
I still need technical help - a director, people with knowledge of ticket sales and concert organizing, video people, still photographers, etc. If you know someone who might be interested, please let me know.
If you’d like to help out, please let me know in what capacity and what your specialties are.
As soon as possible, I will announce the charities that will benefit from the ticket sales.
Meanwhile, we’re still trying to decide on a venue. I’ve already been told by a few people that, with a bill like this, we could be looking at 1,000 to 1,500 people attending. (And of course, that would be great, but I'm not that optimistic that I would be necessarily counting on that.) Which Chicago venue do you think would be right for this type of event? I’ve had many suggestions, but I’d like to hear what you think.
Tracey Surface has also put up a page with info on it at this link:
http://www.chicagostudioclub.net/2009/06/the-chicago-music-scene/
This will be a celebration of Chicago music of the 1960s and ‘70s, a phenomenal period in the history of music in Chicago and throughout the world, and you folks were not only there when it happened, you made it happen.
Below is a list of responses I received after announcing the concert. Now that we have an exact date in mind, please let me know if you’re on board. (If you’re a performer and you’re not on the list, that means I haven’t heard back from you. )
Tricia Alexander; Muriel Anderson; John Benischek; Thom Bishop; David Bragman (Unity Bluegrass); Michael Brook (The Other Half); Greg Cahill (Special Consensus Alumni Band); The Cascades; The Casualaires; Bob Centano; Al Day; Bobby Diamond (For Days and a Night, Dick Eastman Band); Dirty Wurds; Mike Dunbar; Josie Falbo; Chris Farrell; Sally Fingerett; Al Goldberg (Yama & the Karma Dusters); Grope; Heartsfield; Nate Herman & Warren Leming (Wilderness Road); Ed Holstein; Dave Humphreys (Two Way Street); Ides of March; Rusty Jones; Jamestown Massacre; Steve Justman; Joe Kelley; Kathy Kelly and Sue Kessell (WNUR); Lilli Kuzma (WDCB); Jeannie Lambert; Doug Lofstrom; Bob Long; Rich Markow; The Mauds; James McCandless; Megon McDonough; Jerry McGeorge (Shadows of Knight, H.P. Lovecraft); Mesa; Michael Miles; Steve Miro (Fifth Street); Ed Mooney (Mountain Bus); New Colony Six; Marty O’Connell; Pentwater; Paul Petraitis; John Priola (For Days & a Night); Larry Rand; Ronnie Rice; Judy Roberts; Byron Roche; Victor Sanders; Claudia Schmidt; Mick Scott; Norm Siegel; Barb Silverman; Jack Skalon (Morning After, Jerico); Ken Slauf (Train, OTS Jazz Ensemble); Jimmy Sohns (Shadows of Knight); Streetdancer; Marge Summit (His N Hers); Greg Trafidlo (Greater Chicago Bluegrass Band); Dennis Tufano (Buckinghams); Rich Warren (MC); Amy Wooley; Mark Zeus (Tumbleweed)
-- Dean Milano
I'm a long time fan of the NC6 amd actually went and saw them a few years back up north at a fest. I sat in the trailer with Ray and asked him about "Can't You See Me Cry" and what the inspiration was behind that song and he told me where he grew up in Chicago is where he would walk by and see this beautiful woman up above on a 3rd floor room and wonder how he could met her.
What a wonderful song and Ray and I would meet again when he moved out to the northwest suburbs and he needed a security system for his home. I work for ADT Security and we were able to take care of his home and we shared some nice NC 6 stories.
Bob Morrow
Yes, Ray shared the inspiration for that song a few days back with our readers ... always one of MY favorites, too! Thanks, Bob! (kk)
re: DAVE LOGGINS:
Kent,
The recent discussion around ticket prices reminded me of the price on this concert poster (attached) from the spring of '73. In the fall of '72, Dave had come to our school and done a show that was quite well received by the students despite the seeming lack of interest in folk-type music in that era. His "Pieces of April" had just been released by Three Dog Night, though he had recorded it himself earlier that year. At that show he did a collection of his earlier material, similar to what I've attached. He did several new, unpublished, in-process songs as well, one of which was "Please Come To Boston". His popularity on campus was so strong that we has invited back for this $1 concert in May of '73. He brought along his friend Guy Clark this time, and together they did many of Dave's songs known to his fans, and once again he did "Please Come To Boston". We encouraged Dave to record and release "Boston", since it seemed to us to be such a great tune. Not knowing much at all about the record business, I don't know if he'd published it as yet, or if he even had a recording contract since he'd left Vanguard (label of his first LP). After checking in many times over the next year, asking when "Boston" is ever going to be released, it was finally released in the spring of '74. We of course played it immediately since the students knew Dave. It moved into the Top 40 in July of '74 - 35 years ago this month. I'm also attaching Dave's original version of "Pieces of April". He re-recorded it in '79, but this one's far better.
David Lewis
Dave Loggins' BIG hit, of course, was "Please Come To Boston", which reached #5 in the Summer of 1974. He was ALSO best known of being Kenny Loggins' cousin (although many reported, at the time, that he was Kenny's BROTHER) ... and writing the Three Dog Night hit you mentioned, "Pieces Of April". It's always nice to hear the composing artist's original version of the song ... so thanks again for sending this one. (Kinda like our recent Jimmy Webb / MacArthur Park piece!)
re: HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND:
Hey Kent...
Happy 4th Of July from "The Rip Chords"!!!!!
And A Happy Summer To All Of Our "Forgotten Hits" Friends.
Right backatcha, guys!!! I hope ALL of our readers had a VERY nice Fourth of July Weekend!!!
Have you had a chance to listen to any of the Y103.9 / Fourth Of July / Beach Boys Weekend yet?!?! It's absoutely AWESOME as usual ... and you've still got all day today to tune in and listen. ALL of the hits are here ... plus album cuts and B-Sides ... live stuff, rarities and alternate takes ... and TONS of it, too. Here's a Listen Live Link:
Click here: Y103.9 - The Greatest Hits of All Time - *
Kudos to Jim Shea for putting together another spectacular tribute to America's Band this year ... in their THIRD Annual Beach Boys / 4th of July Weekend!!! (kk)
Friday, July 3, 2009
More On The "Local" Scene ... And Some VERY Cool WLS Stuff, Too!!!
re: THE CRYAN' SHAMES CURSE CONTINUES!!!:
Despite all our hype, we still couldn't keep the thunderstorms away ... and last Saturday Night's Jamez Band / Cryan' Shames reunion was cancelled due to heavy rains and lightning!!! (We joked with Jim Pilster about the on-going Shames' curse ... in 1967 the guys had a MAJOR article written about them in The Chicago Tribune Magazine ... which virtually NOBODY saw because of the 1967 Chicago Snow Storm that crippled the city ... in fact, the band was out in New York at the time and couldn't even get home due to the severity of the weather here in Chi-Town. Last Friday, Hooke was scheduled to appear on Jim Shea's Y103.9 Morning Show to promote the big reunion show ... and got bumped due to extensive Michael Jackson coverage! And now this!!! lol)
We can only hope that the event will be rescheduled ... the guys invested some SERIOUS time, money and energy into putting this whole thing together and it DESERVES to be seen and heard. Please know that as soon as we know something for sure, we'll let YOU guys know, too, so you can still check out this amazing show. Stay tuned to these pages for more details.
Hi Kent,
Just got home from the unfortunately rained out Downers Grove non concert featuring the Jamez Band, James Fairs from the original Cryan' Shames, and friends. We were all so looking forward to it, but the rain wouldn't let up. But at least we got to see James and talk for a bit, so that's always good. Maybe another night ... we can only hope.
Marlene
KK,
I started working on another date for James about 5:30 on Saturday afternoon (about 4 hours before the gig) while watching the weather ... my road guys left me home and went to set up my shit. I couldn't do anything else. I just think James, and for that matter everyone involved in the Jamez Band project, but especially James, whom has put so much time, energy, thought, creativity, not to mention the $ and prayers, should be able to have it produced as close as possible as he invisoned it!!! I promise you I am trying to make it happen. Thanks Kent, again for all your great work.
Jimmy
P.S. All the living original Shames came on Saturday ... so I'm not the only one that must think like this.
Right before we went to press this morning, we checked again with Hooke one last time to see if there was any official word yet on the rescheduling of The Jamez Band Concert that was rained out last weekend ... unfortunately, nothing official to announce just yet ... but Hooke DID send me THIS little blurb about a couple of upcoming Cryan' Shames shows featuring some very special guests:
Click here: The Cryan' Shames 2008 Events Schedule
Dennis Tufano, the original "voice" of "The Buckingham's" will be performing with The Cryan' Shames and Ronnie Rice July 4, 2009
WHO: Dennis Tufano, the original "voice" of "The Buckingham's" concert performance with The Cryan' Shames and Ronnie Rice.
WHAT: Dennis Tufano concert performance with The Cryan' Shames and Ronnie Rice.
WHEN: July 4,2009 - 5:00 PM ESTIMATE!
WHERE: Lisle Fest Evening Concert "Chicago Gold Revue" / 1825 Short St, Lisle, IL 60532 /
Links for Concert Schedule and Links for Directions Below:
http://www.eyestotheskies.org/
Specifics: Dennis Tufano, The Cryan Shames and Ronnie Rice performance at Lisle Fest.
Finally,summer has arrived. Take advantage of the beautiful weather and enjoy a great concert!
For more info on Dennis Tufano:
http://www.dtsings.com
http://dennistufano.blogspot.com/
http://www.darinfans.com
http://www.tufanofans.com
http://www.ronnierice.com/
http://www.cryanshames.com/
Dennis Tufano BIO:
Dennis, a native of Chicago, was the original "voice" of “The Buckinghams”. The Chicago-based group scored with a string of five Top Ten hits in the late-sixties including, the #1 Hit “Kind of A Drag”, “Don’t You Care”, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”, “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song”, “Susan” and “Back In Love Again”.
Following his success in the Buckinghams, Dennis was part of the song-writing duo "Tufano and Giammarese" and recorded three albums with Lou Adler's custom label, Ode Records. Appearing as guest vocalist he went on to co-write with renowned composer and musician Tom Scott. With Scott as composer, Dennis performed the "original title / theme song" for the long running "Family Ties" television show. (First 13 episodes)
Dennis also wrote the music and performed with Bernie Taupin, Elton John's lyricist, on Taupin's album, "He Who Rides The Tiger". Subsequently he teamed again with Taupin to co-write, co-produce and perform the Farm Dogs album “Last Stand In Open Country”.
Back on the road, Dennis joined Olivia Newton-John on her hugely successful tour and was featured, with her on the HBO Special in two dramatically inspired duets.
As an actor, Dennis has appeared in theater productions in Los Angeles and has worked in film, television, radio and commercials. He was also one of the founding members of an improvisational voice-ensemble called the “L.A. Mad Dogs”. This group of actors performs on hundreds of movies and numerous television shows and have produced and performed seven "live" radio dramas, three of which Dennis directed, for KMPC RADIO THEATER in Los Angeles.
Dennis produced, directed and shot a documentary in Chicago, "Major Hall: Therapy Tuesday" and is currently preparing it for release. He has just returned from taping a performance for, “PBS Music Series the ‘60s”, which will air in Spring 2008, and will be included in the award winning PBS-DVD series.
-- submitted by Linda Matlow
And this just in from Ray Graffia, Jr., of The New Colony Six ... sounds like a real fun time ... the St. Viator gig is actually supposed to be a '60's-Style Sock Hop, just like the good ol' days!!! (I don't know if that means that they'll be performing in the school gym ... or out in the parking lot ... but it sounds like a lot of fun ... and the money goes to a good cause. Hope to see some of you out there!) kk
While I know that some of you to whom I sent this note are more than a bit distant, I just wanted to let you know that we're still out there performing and, with this event (see attachment) being a fundraiser for St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, at least wanted to make you aware of the concert. For those close enough, we also have our final outdoor (freebie) performance of this summer a month +/- earlier, on 7-26, a Sunday evening, in Lake Zurich at their Alpine Fest. I believe you can Google for additional details but we are scheduled to begin the show at 7 PM and the location is Lion Fred Blan Park in Lake Zurich. Hope to see a few of you at one or both - until then = Peace!
Ray
We are VERY fortunate here in Chicago in that, this Fourth Of July Weekend, we have the opportunity to see nearly ALL of our Local Heroes performing ... in addition to The Cryan's Shames show in Lisle on The Fourth of July (which will feature guest vocalists Ronnie Rice, formerly of The New Colony Six, Dennis Tufano, formerly of The Buckinghams and Jimy Rogers, formerly of The Mauds), we will ALSO be treated to performances by The Ides Of March and The Buckinghams (featuring Carl Giammarese) at Elmwood Park's Freedom Fest on July 3rd!!! Come on out and show your support for these artists who gave us so much musical magic back in the '60's!!! (kk)
Despite all our hype, we still couldn't keep the thunderstorms away ... and last Saturday Night's Jamez Band / Cryan' Shames reunion was cancelled due to heavy rains and lightning!!! (We joked with Jim Pilster about the on-going Shames' curse ... in 1967 the guys had a MAJOR article written about them in The Chicago Tribune Magazine ... which virtually NOBODY saw because of the 1967 Chicago Snow Storm that crippled the city ... in fact, the band was out in New York at the time and couldn't even get home due to the severity of the weather here in Chi-Town. Last Friday, Hooke was scheduled to appear on Jim Shea's Y103.9 Morning Show to promote the big reunion show ... and got bumped due to extensive Michael Jackson coverage! And now this!!! lol)
We can only hope that the event will be rescheduled ... the guys invested some SERIOUS time, money and energy into putting this whole thing together and it DESERVES to be seen and heard. Please know that as soon as we know something for sure, we'll let YOU guys know, too, so you can still check out this amazing show. Stay tuned to these pages for more details.
Hi Kent,
Just got home from the unfortunately rained out Downers Grove non concert featuring the Jamez Band, James Fairs from the original Cryan' Shames, and friends. We were all so looking forward to it, but the rain wouldn't let up. But at least we got to see James and talk for a bit, so that's always good. Maybe another night ... we can only hope.
Marlene
KK,
I started working on another date for James about 5:30 on Saturday afternoon (about 4 hours before the gig) while watching the weather ... my road guys left me home and went to set up my shit. I couldn't do anything else. I just think James, and for that matter everyone involved in the Jamez Band project, but especially James, whom has put so much time, energy, thought, creativity, not to mention the $ and prayers, should be able to have it produced as close as possible as he invisoned it!!! I promise you I am trying to make it happen. Thanks Kent, again for all your great work.
Jimmy
P.S. All the living original Shames came on Saturday ... so I'm not the only one that must think like this.
Right before we went to press this morning, we checked again with Hooke one last time to see if there was any official word yet on the rescheduling of The Jamez Band Concert that was rained out last weekend ... unfortunately, nothing official to announce just yet ... but Hooke DID send me THIS little blurb about a couple of upcoming Cryan' Shames shows featuring some very special guests:
Hey KK,
Thanks again for making me seem like a 'Classic Rock God' last week. And I'm still working on a Fairs gig for this summer ... not the easiest thing I've tried.
I do have some extraordinary things I'm working on right now and you'll be one of the first to know when it happens, should it happen. (call me!)
If you want, you can plug the 'Chicago Gold Revue(t)' show w / the Shames, Dennis Tufano, Ronnie Rice, and today, Jimy Rogers told me he was going to really try to show up at Lisle's 'Eyes to the Skies Fest' at 7:00 on the 4th for a 2 1/2 hr. show ... and fireworks.
Also, in a completely different vain ... I heard today that Jim Peterik's father-in-law just died. We, all of us, all the friends of Karen and Jim, offer them are heartfelt condolences.
Jim
P.S. Just heard from Ronnie Rice and Dennis Tufano that they might all show in Morton Grove at our show ... Free to all !!!!!!!! COOL!!!
Check out The Cryan' Shames website for all the latest details:Click here: The Cryan' Shames 2008 Events Schedule
Dennis Tufano, the original "voice" of "The Buckingham's" will be performing with The Cryan' Shames and Ronnie Rice July 4, 2009
WHO: Dennis Tufano, the original "voice" of "The Buckingham's" concert performance with The Cryan' Shames and Ronnie Rice.
WHAT: Dennis Tufano concert performance with The Cryan' Shames and Ronnie Rice.
WHEN: July 4,2009 - 5:00 PM ESTIMATE!
WHERE: Lisle Fest Evening Concert "Chicago Gold Revue" / 1825 Short St, Lisle, IL 60532 /
Links for Concert Schedule and Links for Directions Below:
http://www.eyestotheskies.org/
Specifics: Dennis Tufano, The Cryan Shames and Ronnie Rice performance at Lisle Fest.
Finally,summer has arrived. Take advantage of the beautiful weather and enjoy a great concert!
For more info on Dennis Tufano:
http://www.dtsings.com
http://dennistufano.blogspot.com/
http://www.darinfans.com
http://www.tufanofans.com
http://www.ronnierice.com/
http://www.cryanshames.com/
Dennis Tufano BIO:
Dennis, a native of Chicago, was the original "voice" of “The Buckinghams”. The Chicago-based group scored with a string of five Top Ten hits in the late-sixties including, the #1 Hit “Kind of A Drag”, “Don’t You Care”, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”, “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song”, “Susan” and “Back In Love Again”.
Following his success in the Buckinghams, Dennis was part of the song-writing duo "Tufano and Giammarese" and recorded three albums with Lou Adler's custom label, Ode Records. Appearing as guest vocalist he went on to co-write with renowned composer and musician Tom Scott. With Scott as composer, Dennis performed the "original title / theme song" for the long running "Family Ties" television show. (First 13 episodes)
Dennis also wrote the music and performed with Bernie Taupin, Elton John's lyricist, on Taupin's album, "He Who Rides The Tiger". Subsequently he teamed again with Taupin to co-write, co-produce and perform the Farm Dogs album “Last Stand In Open Country”.
Back on the road, Dennis joined Olivia Newton-John on her hugely successful tour and was featured, with her on the HBO Special in two dramatically inspired duets.
As an actor, Dennis has appeared in theater productions in Los Angeles and has worked in film, television, radio and commercials. He was also one of the founding members of an improvisational voice-ensemble called the “L.A. Mad Dogs”. This group of actors performs on hundreds of movies and numerous television shows and have produced and performed seven "live" radio dramas, three of which Dennis directed, for KMPC RADIO THEATER in Los Angeles.
Dennis produced, directed and shot a documentary in Chicago, "Major Hall: Therapy Tuesday" and is currently preparing it for release. He has just returned from taping a performance for, “PBS Music Series the ‘60s”, which will air in Spring 2008, and will be included in the award winning PBS-DVD series.
-- submitted by Linda Matlow
And this just in from Ray Graffia, Jr., of The New Colony Six ... sounds like a real fun time ... the St. Viator gig is actually supposed to be a '60's-Style Sock Hop, just like the good ol' days!!! (I don't know if that means that they'll be performing in the school gym ... or out in the parking lot ... but it sounds like a lot of fun ... and the money goes to a good cause. Hope to see some of you out there!) kk
While I know that some of you to whom I sent this note are more than a bit distant, I just wanted to let you know that we're still out there performing and, with this event (see attachment) being a fundraiser for St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, at least wanted to make you aware of the concert. For those close enough, we also have our final outdoor (freebie) performance of this summer a month +/- earlier, on 7-26, a Sunday evening, in Lake Zurich at their Alpine Fest. I believe you can Google for additional details but we are scheduled to begin the show at 7 PM and the location is Lion Fred Blan Park in Lake Zurich. Hope to see a few of you at one or both - until then = Peace!
Ray
P.S. Look who opened for us recently; I thought he had passed away more than a few years ago but he still looks pretty alive to me! Hmmmmmmmm ...
We are VERY fortunate here in Chicago in that, this Fourth Of July Weekend, we have the opportunity to see nearly ALL of our Local Heroes performing ... in addition to The Cryan's Shames show in Lisle on The Fourth of July (which will feature guest vocalists Ronnie Rice, formerly of The New Colony Six, Dennis Tufano, formerly of The Buckinghams and Jimy Rogers, formerly of The Mauds), we will ALSO be treated to performances by The Ides Of March and The Buckinghams (featuring Carl Giammarese) at Elmwood Park's Freedom Fest on July 3rd!!! Come on out and show your support for these artists who gave us so much musical magic back in the '60's!!! (kk) re: MORE ON THE LOCAL GUYS ... AND WLS:
I am actually amazed that SO MANY Chicago heroes are performing for us all still! You should be ecstatic, for not many old locals perform regularly in most cities. I put the question to Gary Loizzo yesterday about any Breed reunion possibilities. We'll see if he answers. I mentioned to him that last week while listening to WGN's Nick Digilio show, I heard a jingle for "Terry's" and I knew it was him on lead singing. He responded that I had a good ear and that Terry had gotten a lot of mileage out of the jingle as he recorded it in 1977!!! WOW!!
Clark Besch
Wow! I thought you were half asleep when we were talking the other night! You did a GREAT job on that Cryan' Shames piece on the website this week ... and the song sounded really good, too. I like how you worked in other artists like The Buckinghams and The Ides Of March and The New Colony Six, too. You do a really good job with what you do and believe me when I say that ALL of the Chicagoland artists appreciate your efforts and the attention you give us.
Jim Pilster / J.C. Hooke / The Cryan' Shames
Thanks, Jim, I appreciate it ... and, as we talked the other night, do NOT be dissuaded by any negativity extended your way in regards to keeping The Chicago Gold Artists up there on stage with you guys and working ... believe me, the FANS love and appreciate it ... and those are really the ONLY folks you have to answer to!!! (kk)
You guys just don't know how good you have it, being able to see some of these bands in person once again right there in your neighborhood. It was great reading Ray's story about his "Peeping-Ray" days. These stories help make FH the very best music community online. Kent -- do you have a copy of Ray's solo remake of "I Will Always Think About You"?? I had it around here somewhere .....
Thanks,
David
And look ... Mindburger is selling a copy of the "Can't You See Me Cry" record and picture sleeve on eBay!
Click here: New Colony 6-Can't You See Me Cry 45 pic sleeve - eBay (item 250449448687 end time Jun-28-09 18:00:00 PDT)
Described as follows:
New Colony 6 - Can't You See Me Cry / Summertime's Another Name For Love picture sleeve 45 on Mercury Records ... Cool shot of the band in era garb. Both disc and sleeve vg++. Sleeve has 2 or 3 tiny edge tears at top, few light creases, sticker stain over Ray Graffia (sorry, Ray, I didn't do it). Back of sleeve has file sticker in blank white area, so nothing covered up.
Yes, a GREAT track. (Ray Graffia, Jr. told us last week that it was one of Bob Sirott's NC6 favorites, too ... well, I remember one of the last broadcasts done by Larry Lujack and Tommy Edwards on the old Real Oldies station when Tommy slipped in "Can't You See Me Cry" ... and about an hour later Larry said, "What was that New Colony Six song you played last hour? That was a really good song. I don't remember that one ... think we can play it again?" And then they DID!!!) It's surprising to me that Larry didn't remember this tune ... it was, after all, a Top Ten Hit here in Chicago ... and many of you might recall that it was Lujack himself who told the band they were plugging the wrong side of their NEXT single ... and when they flipped it over, "Things I'd Like To Say" became their BIGGEST national hit! (kk)Here's Ray's "solo" (actually released as "Junior") version of The NC6's OTHER Top 25 National Hit, "I Will Always Think About You".
Kent -
Thank you, my Summertime Friend!
As always, my appreciation goes out to you and your site! I'm sure I speak for all of us ""Local guys", that what you do for music is exceptional. Thanks for the listings of Summertime Concerts and your POV on "bad feelings" amongst the former innocents. Life should just go on in peace and harmony.
Hope to see you this coming summer at one of the shows.
Peace ~
Dennis Tufano
Thank you , Dennis, I appreciate that. Sometimes it's like walking a tightrope here trying to remain on friendly and supportive terms with ALL our Chicagoland Local Heroes ... but I love ALL you guys and the music that you gave us ... and, in the perfect world that exists in my head and in my heart, there IS a reunion concert of unbelievable magnitude looming somewhere in the future. (kk)
As a kid in North Dakota I envied you guys that could hear WLS all day. Our local Stations that played R & R did it after 6 PM mostly. The odd thing in looking back however is the fact that there are a lot of tunes that were big in our area that weren't as big in other areas.Gloria by the Shadows of Night is the first one that comes to mind. It was probably big with the LS crowd, but most folks I know remember the Van Morrison version. That one wasn't even on my radar. The Harlem Shuffle is another one. The one that I remember was by the Fabulous Flippers out of Lawrence Kansas.In high school we got our first full time Rock station and Styx were hot in our area when Styx 2 came out. Long before they were big in most places.I sure miss local music directors.
Bill
The Shadows Of Knight topped our Chicagoland charts with their version of "Gloria", a song suggested by WLS Jock Clark Weber as one that would be a sure-fire hit if recorded in a "cleaner" version. He was right! I don't recall the "Them" version every being played here in the '60's ... and it's The Shadows' version that has now become the definitive take on this song. Styx was real popular here, too, before they caught on nationally ... we probably heard "Lady" for a good year and a half before it charted anywhere else. Radio was a bit more interesting then because you never knew what the programmers were going to slip in next. Now it's a regimen of these 200-300 songs ... and ONLY these 200-300 songs ... day in and day out in every major city in America. Doesn't matter where you travel, you're going to be force fed that same play list. The good news is (as discussed elsewhere in this week's comments pages), we ARE starting to push the envelope just a little bit further and throw in some of those songs that many folks out there had completely forgotten about. (kk)
>>>I mentioned that I had just gotten in 48 surveys. I just had a chance to look at these surveys from WINW 1520 AM Canton, Ohio, all from 1967 / 1968. I gotta tell you that for a relatively small station, they played a lot of local artists as well as a lot of other stuff that never made it in Chicago. I tell you the more of these out of town surveys I get, the more it seems that WLS had absolutely no influence nationally. It just confirms your comment that the average listener has no clue about oldies music. They were force fed the same songs incessantly in 1967, and it's still the same oldies 42 years later. On a survey dated 12/15/67, you'll notice that Bend Me Shape Me, by the American Breed is #1. It wouldn't be #1 in Chicago for another month. In fact it debuted two weeks earlier in Canton, Ohio, than it did at WLS and the American Breed was a Chicago band. The more I look at these surveys, the less sense they make. (Jack)
>>>The American Breed's record doing better in Ohio than it did in Chicago ... a whole month SOONER ... makes absolutely NO sense at all!!! (kk)
I disagree with Jack on WLS' influence. #1: Who says Billboard charts told the truth? Also, songs peaked in different places at different times (as you mention with the Breed), so national peaks mean nothing in some instances. The Breed "got around" and were a nationally popular band more than most Chicago bands. You may note that their 45's charted well nationally, but little in Chicago. Yes, they played Chicago, but they were more of a national band. I don't hear most of those songs these days, but maybe you do on radio? Also, 1967 was a great year for music, so this chart's music SHOULD be heard more still.
Clark Besch
I know that The American Breed got a fair amount of national exposure through television appearances ... and "Bend Me, Shape Me" was a Top Five National Hit. I like some of their OTHER hits, too, like "Step Out Of Your Mind" (#24, Billboard; #9 Chicago) from 1967, Ready, Willing And Able (#77, Cash Box, #27 Chicago, 1968) and "Anyway That You Want Me" (#77 Cash Box, did not chart in Chicago ... although I remember hearing it for a couple of weeks on a fairly regular basis.) It still strikes me as odd that a record by a local Chicago-area band would break SOONER out of state. As for WLS' impact on the national charts, I've questioned this for years ... how does "It Could Be We're In Love" top the WLS Chart AND the WCFL Chart for four weeks ... and only rise to #85 in Billboard? WLS was heard across the nation at night by literally MILLIONS of listeners. (We've gotten into the issue before that simply because you HEARD a song on WLS down in Texas or out in Wyoming didn't necessarily mean that you could BUY that record in these other states ... typically records by local acts like The Cryan' Shames, The Ides Of March, The American Breed and The New Colony Six got much heavier distribution here in the Midwest where their record reps were working the market. Yet the pre-Columbia Records Buckinghams were able to top the charts with "Kind Of A Drag" before they made their move to the big time. The fact that three records in a row peaked at #85 for The Shames in Billboard has ALSO always seemed a bit suspicious to me, especially since they all achieved different peaks here in Chicago. I almost wonder if there was a "cap" of some sort that dictated the MOST points a record could earn based on its chart position on any given major Top 40 station.) More on this from WLS Jock Clark Weber below!!! (kk)
Hi Kent;
I read the comments from Jack “Rock & Roll Never Forgets!” concerning the “American Breed” record “Bend Me Shape Me” He raises some interesting questions as why the song hit #1 in Akron, Ohio, before it made #1 on the “WLS Silver Dollar Survey” He also asked why the Akron station was playing a wider variety of songs by lesser known groups? That was due to the competition factor, however first things first.
Thanks to Ron Smith’s excellent book, “Chicago’s Top 40 Charts” it shows the “Breed” on the survey for 13 weeks starting November 17, 1967. It reached #1 on January 15, 1968 and only stayed in that position for one week on both WLS & WCFL.
At that time I was the WLS PD and my staff surveyed 25 record stores in the greater Chicagoland area every Monday to determine the best sellers. We had to take into consideration that some stores tilted their sales numbers at the behest of record companies from time to time. Dishonest record companies??? Oh say it isn’t so!!! Weeding out the hype resulted in some fairly accurate sales numbers week after week. There was also the “Fan Factor” that would result in a certain store selling the daylights out of a certain record or kids flooding a station's record hot line. That may have been the case with the Akron station.
In answer to his question about shorter playlists; in 1967 LS and CFL were going toe to toe for rating numbers and you didn’t want to stray to far from the big hits. If you did, you suffered from the tune out / tune in factor. Kids were constantly shifting back and forth looking for their favorites and when you came out of a commercial stop-set you wanted to hold those listeners with a big hit record. It took quite a leap of faith to put an unproven record on the air.
As to whether WLS had any effect on other stations following suit on a new record, I would say yes. Record promotion men knew that if LS was on a record, it would have a huge impact nationally on both the exposure and sales figures.
Jack, I hope that answers your questions.
Clark Weber
WLS, 1961 - 1969
Thanks, Clark ... I sent your comments to Jack prior to running today's piece ... which, of course, inspired some more comments of his own:
Clark,
I know you hear this all the time, but first of all let me say what an honor it is to have someone whom I listened to on a regular basis as a DJ and talk show host, address some of my comments. (You were even gracious enough once to let me interview you in regards to your hobby as a pilot). Let me say I'm well aware of the shenanigans record companies pull to get their artists on the air, having worked for record distributors in the mid 70s and into the mid 80s, as well as working in radio. Sure it's a leap of faith to go with an unknown artist, however the Beatles were an unknown artist in 1964 when I Want To Hold Your Hand debuted at #40 and jumped to #10 the next week. They still hadn't performed on Ed Sullivan yet. Prior to that you could count on one hand the number of UK performers who had hit in the states and even less that had more than one single. Although WLS wasn't a pop music station in 1956, someone had to take a chance on Elvis. Initially WCFL took a chance on the Jackson Five, charting their first Steeltown single for two weeks in 1968. It makes perfectly good sense to go out of a commercial or news break with one of the top songs of the day. Your job depends on the average listener not turning the dial. However you don't give yourself enough credit. I tended to listen to the personalities rather the music, and I know many others did as well. To be honest, I preferred listening to you more than Jim Runyon and later Jerry G. Bishop at WCFL. But then later on, when Larry Lujack took over your morning drive spot, I preferred listening to him. It came around full circle in the mid 70s when I listened to you host Contact on WIND. In regards to WINW, I was just musing how a 1000 watt directional daytime station charted the American Breed two weeks before it appeared in their hometown. Sure, there's more money on the line in Chicago than Canton, Ohio, but back in 1966 / 67, both WLS & WCFL were falling all over themselves trying to play as many local hits as they could. Clark, you probably hosted more of those dances and hops in which bands like the American Breed played at, than you care to think about. Especially when you didn't get home until the wee hours of the morning and you're back at work at 6 AM. We were so much younger then. However after years of collecting top 40 charts, I see an amazing amount of discrepancies between the Billboard charts and the WLS chart. Putting aside the obvious bias toward regional acts, I always wondered how songs reached the upper reaches of the chart nationally, yet were never heard in what was the #2 market in the 60s? That's what sparked my comment that perhaps WLS didn't have the influence on the national charts that one would think. I remember one record rep in the early 80s, when I was the singles / LPs buyer at MS Distributors, telling me that WLS no longer played any new music until it was proven to be a hit on Billboard's chart. I know you were long gone by then. Actually after almost 43 years of collecting these @#$%! surveys, I'm fairly convinced there is no rhyme or reason. Perhaps the top 15 or 20 were solid, but after that it was your guess is as good as mine. Sort of like the office football pool. There's tons more questions I have, because as one who deals with these charts, I have customers asking me, what's the rhyme or reason behind the chart positions. I learned a long time ago that it's not sales. I wonder how different it would have been had Soundscan been available then. Thanks for your time and the great memories.
Jack
And, speaking of WLS-related questions, I've got one. (I think this was first posed by Clark Besch way back when, but I've heard it from several other Forgotten Hits readers and WLS fans since then.) Did WLS REALLY give out Silver Dollars to their contest winners??? And, if so, where'd they get 'em all?!?!? Inquiring minds want to know!!! (kk)
Hi Kent;
Believe it or not, that’s the first time I’ve ever been asked that question! Yes, we did actually pass out silver dollars. We would apply clear plastic covers with the WLS logo on the coins and hand them out at various events when we found listeners tuning in to WLS. They were extremely popular along the lakefront during the “WLS Super Summer Beach Patrol” promotion. On Friday and Saturday we would announce that the “Beach Patrol” would be active that weekend ... however we wouldn’t tell which beach. We ranged from as far north as Waukegan. The assigned dj’s went out in pairs usually on Saturday afternoons and each one was given 50 silver dollars which we purchased at the Wrigley Bank in the Wrigley Building. I always had a couple hundred dollars worth of the coins locked up in my office. It’s hard to imagine but in those days the guys were not worried about being held up for $100 in coins. They were more concerned with eye strain from looking at the bikinis! The guys on beach patrol used to joke that between the “star status” of WLS and the silver dollars, even Ron Riley could attract women!
Once the word spread on the lakefront that the “Beach Patrol” was around, every radio from North Avenue Beach to South Shore Beach was tuned to WLS and all it cost us was $100.
Clark Weber / WLS
LOL ... what a GREAT marketing campaign!!! (Talk about more bang for your buck!!! What a GREAT return on your investment!!!) More of what is sorely lacking in radio today ... the whole "fun" element of listening!!! I've heard from SO many readers over the years who shared in the excitement of growing up with AM Top 40 Radio ... and, as Clark stated earlier, we were VERY fortunate here in Chicago to have TWO major AM Top 40 Stations. Back then, we wanted to hear our favorite songs ... and / or brand new releases ... as often as possible ... and we would switch back and forth CONSTANTLY between WLS and WCFL trying to catch the latest Beatles or Monkees or Beach Boys or Rolling Stones or Tommy James and the Shondells or Turtles release ... or hear that week's hot new #1 Record. It seemed like EVERY new record back then took music in a brand new direction. Thanks, Clark, for sharing more fun radio insight (kk)
Hey Kent -
KUDOS to you for writing about the The Chicagoland "Local Guys" in today's Forgotten Hits edition (6/25/09) ... It is quite amazing to me that there are so many of the Chicagoland 60's groups still out there performing to this day. You virtually have just about ALL of the well-known and loved local groups
and or / their now solo members continuing to give us hard-core music lovers the fantastic music that each created so many years ago ... I really envy you, because, for as many incredible local 60's Detroit-area bands that evolved from here in the Motor City, few to none still exist to perform. You folks in Chi-Town still have the opportunity to go and see your cream of the crop 60's groups (New Colony Six, Cryan Shames, Buckinghams, Ides, Shadows, etc ..) on a seeminly non-stop basis during the summer months. - How COOL is that??
As for the topic of "animosity" or "hard feelings" that might (and in some instances, DOES exist between members of your local 60's groups, I'd suggest to those who might be caught up in such counter-productive nonsense to bury the hatchet once and for all. We're ALL getting older, and there is no promise as to just how much longer the various groups or their now-solo members will be able to perform, or ... How much longer WE, the lovers of this great era of music, will be around to listen ...
I can't speak for any of the other Chicagoland "Local Heroes" groups, but YOU, YOURSELF witnessed the fact that at the New Colony Six reunion at Ray Graffia's house in April 2008, there was absolutely NO animosity or bad feelings among the five original members of the Six ... And these guys hadn't even
been together in the same room for 40 years! The five guys (along with the presence of Ronnie Rice), even ran through an impromptu set of a vast array of their songs with nothing apparent but laughs and smiles. Just one reason why the New Colony Six will ALWAYS be #1 in my book!
The bottom line is ... Time waits for no man, so with the proverbial clock clicking away, how's about ALL of the Chicagoland "Local Guys" making peace, and banding together to do one big "ALL-STAR" show where we, the die-hard lovers of their music, could see and hear ALL of our musical heroes on one big stage??
Kent, one last thing ...
It is LARGELY due to your never-ending dedication to constantly make Forgotten Hits happen, that the music continues to live ... not only for us regular die-hard music fanatics, but to the many "new" subscribers, as well as the "younger generation" fans who are just learning about this wonderful music that you support and promote. I sincerely hope that you never hang up doing Forgotten Hits for good ... That would be a devastating day for all of us who look forward to every new FH installment.
You are the keeper of the musical flame within all of us!
Jerry Schollenberger
Thanks, Jerry, that means a lot. Every time I think about hanging things up here, I'll hear from a few of you out there that REALLY appreciate what we do ... and believe me, it really does make all the difference in the world. If I can stray once again for just a minute to the Bob Greene book "When We Get To Surf City" ... (Jeez, Bob, how much does your REGULAR publicist get paid for singing the praises of this book?!?!? lol) ... there are SO many passages in this book that apply to our OWN love and appreciation of this GREAT music that we all know, love and grew up with ... but there is ONE passage in the book that has stayed with me now since the first time I read it nearly a year ago ... in fact, it comes to mind nearly each and every day ... and sometimes many TIMES a day ... almost haunting me in the process. With SO many of these '60's and '70's artists now on our list ... still out there performing for the fans at each and every opportunity ... I can't help but wonder how THEY feel about this, too ... if, after all these years, they are still able to keep and hold this same perspective. In the past few weeks I've done some soul-searching of my own ... and shared some of my thoughts with our readers regarding moving forward with Forgotten Hits. I've spoken to some of the deejays on the list about this, too ... questioning whether or not it's REALLY worth it, trying to keep Forgotten Hits going ... trying to figure out if we're REALLY serving any kind of real purpose here ... keeping in mind that there is really no PERSONAL reward in any of this other than the occasional "thank you" email stating that we somehow "made your day" ... or a note like a couple of those shown above letting us know that our efforts are, in fact, appreciated.
Forgotten Hits has always been a "labor of love" ... and, most of the time, that's been enough to keep me going ... but with SO much else going on here lately ... and less and less time to devote to keeping up the website (and, as a result, fewer and fewer website visitors unless we happen to hit on a REALLY hot topic) ... there's rarely a day that goes by where I don't question whether or not I should keep this going or not. Putting this together takes up a HUGE part of my personal time, often leaving very little time for much else ... and I'll sometimes think, "Hey, you gave it a good run ... and if you're not happy doing it anymore, maybe you should move on to something else ... who knows, perhaps you'll come up with some other type of musical format that'll re-inspire yourself."
But then I keep coming back to this passage from Bob Greene's book ... and I wonder after ALL these years how MANY of us must feel the same way about what WE do ... and why we do it ... and just WHO we do it for.
So, if you'll indulge me just one more time, I'd like to quote the words that have been HAUNTING me for the past several months now ... from Bob Greene's hands-on account of what it was like touring with Jan And Dean:
There were nights with overflow crowds and there were nights when the turnout was dismal. But that had been the case for a long time. We were used to the pattern -- good shows, big crowds, interrupted by evenings that didn't feel so right. In Gaithersburg, Maryland, about four years after I started touring, the desolate view from the stage -- row upon row of empty seats, the few people present sitting on their hands, no one responding in a way that could remotely provide a flicker of encouragement to the band --- prompted Phil to walk over to me during the guitar break in 'I Get Around' and, maintaining his concert smile, nod toward the audience and say quietly to me "This is what the end looks like."
Perhaps so. But as we were departing that concert, Randell said 'We ought to always keep in mind on a night like this that the people in the audience are the ones who CAME. They deserve the BEST show we can give them --- they shouldn't be penalized for the people who didn't show up. There may only be a few people out there, but they're not the empty seats. They paid money for this.'"
He was as right as he could be ... this was the conscious choice the audience had made. In Randell's words, they weren't the empty seats. They were the ones who had come ... the ones who had paid for, and expected, carefree fun.
-- Bob Greene
I'd like to think that we HAVE made a difference. I believe that MOST (if not ALL) of the deejays on the list will admit to being at least in SOME capacity inspired and / or rejuvenated by something that we've written or some challenge that we've made. Many of them have even had us on the air to talk about a particular topic or two. I can't help but think sometimes that we've already done all that we ever set out to do ... that unless we can somehow elevate Forgotten Hits to some NEW level (and I'm not even really sure just WHAT that level is) ... our job for the most part is done here. But then I'll get some encouraging and inspiring emails from you guys and feel really good about what we've accomplished here.
I'm not really sure just WHAT the future holds for Forgotten Hits ... I believe that while there may still be more mountains to climb, there are simply fewer and fewer opportunities to do so.
As promised, we'll continue to post what we can, when we can ... please know that your words of encourage truly DO mean a lot to me. We've got hundreds and hundreds of readers now who have stuck with us for nearly ten years ... and thousands more have joined us along the way ... there isn't a week that goes by where a few more oldies music fans jump on the list ... certainly that must mean SOMETHING!!! (lol) And, despite all of our ranting and raving about oldies radio, our love for this music has never wavered ... all we've ever REALLY asked radio to do is expand their horizons a little bit to let even MORE of this great music out there and into our consciousness again.
So ... with that thought in mind ... and in the spirit of Bob Greene's haunting words ... TODAY's issue of Forgotten Hits is dedicated to ALL of you who came. Thank you. (kk)
HAVE A VERY HAPPY AND SAFE
FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND!!!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Our Bob Greene Book Winners ... And MORE Surfin' Sounds!!!
re: BOB GREENE:
Hi Kent,
I love the book Be True to Your School. I've read it 6 or 7 times. It just totally pulls me back to the 60's. I've recommended it so much to others that My Wife's eyes glaze over if I start to talk about it.
Bill
I'm thoroughly enjoying it, too. It's a fast and easy read, done "diary" style (which also makes for all kinds of GREAT stopping points!!! lol) It's just amazing to me the number of parallels we all experienced growing up regardless of where in the country that may have been. We shared SO many of the same thoughts and feelings and memories and reactions ... it's almost scary sometimes. Bob raises a good point, too, in that when you listened to the radio back then and a popular song from the day came on, you just knew that EVERYBODY else in town was listening to that SAME song and sharing that SAME experience with you. Back when there were only three TV channels, we ALL watched The Ed Sullivan Show together with our parents ... as a family ... because that's just what you did ... you didn't go off into your room and watch something on the other set because odds are there wasn't a second set ... you didn't go "pop a movie in" because that technology didn't exist yet. There are elements of our society ... including family bonds ... that were never stronger simply because of the "simplicity" of that time. You just knew that Sunday Nights at 7:00 you were going to sit down and see who Ed had on his show this week ... and then at 8:00 you were going to flip it over to "Bonanza" ... period!!! THAT was the way of life ... THAT was the Sunday ritual ... in homes ALL across America. Now you can't get four family members to agree on ANY single program so you end up watching three different TVs in three different rooms and, for the most part, live three separate lives. I think I kinda miss those simpler times ... because along with that bond came a sense and standard of family values that are sorely missing today. (kk)
Art Munson
re: THE RIP CHORDS:
Hey Kent ...
Here's an ad for the new CD.
You are a great support to our band and we really appreciate it.
Your friend ...
Mitch
Hi Kent,
I love the book Be True to Your School. I've read it 6 or 7 times. It just totally pulls me back to the 60's. I've recommended it so much to others that My Wife's eyes glaze over if I start to talk about it.
Bill
I'm thoroughly enjoying it, too. It's a fast and easy read, done "diary" style (which also makes for all kinds of GREAT stopping points!!! lol) It's just amazing to me the number of parallels we all experienced growing up regardless of where in the country that may have been. We shared SO many of the same thoughts and feelings and memories and reactions ... it's almost scary sometimes. Bob raises a good point, too, in that when you listened to the radio back then and a popular song from the day came on, you just knew that EVERYBODY else in town was listening to that SAME song and sharing that SAME experience with you. Back when there were only three TV channels, we ALL watched The Ed Sullivan Show together with our parents ... as a family ... because that's just what you did ... you didn't go off into your room and watch something on the other set because odds are there wasn't a second set ... you didn't go "pop a movie in" because that technology didn't exist yet. There are elements of our society ... including family bonds ... that were never stronger simply because of the "simplicity" of that time. You just knew that Sunday Nights at 7:00 you were going to sit down and see who Ed had on his show this week ... and then at 8:00 you were going to flip it over to "Bonanza" ... period!!! THAT was the way of life ... THAT was the Sunday ritual ... in homes ALL across America. Now you can't get four family members to agree on ANY single program so you end up watching three different TVs in three different rooms and, for the most part, live three separate lives. I think I kinda miss those simpler times ... because along with that bond came a sense and standard of family values that are sorely missing today. (kk)
Speaking of "Be True To Your School", I feel like I might have missed my calling by reading this book so long after it was originally published ... I think I could have come up with a GREAT advertising campaign:
In 1964, at the ripe old age of 16, Bob Greene knew three things for sure ...
He loved the exciting new music of The Beatles and the whole British Invasion and wanted to grow his hair long and learn to play the guitar ...
He wanted to get laid ...
And he wanted to become a newspaper journalist.
By summer's end, he would achieve all three of his goals!!!
LOL ... it's a "Can't Miss" Campaign!!! And an EXCELLENT read, by the way ... pick up a copy if you can and relive 1964 through Bob Greene's eyes ... you'll be AMAZED by how many "common visions" we all shared!!! (kk)
Kent ...
I wrote to Bob Greene to tell him I liked his book. He wrote back. Thought you might like to know, he has a new book coming out. I already ordered it.
Buonge
Yes, there's a "sneak peek" of the first couple of chapters in the back of the paperback edition ... looks interesting (and with Greene's newspaper background, should be spot on.) I love this quote at the beginning from Philip Meyer, Knight Chair in Journalism, from a speech and slide show he gave at The Media Center at The American Press Institute in March of 2005, regarding the declining readership of newspapers: "The next slide shows something even more alarming, which is the decline in readership. This is from a general social survey, and the question is 'How often do you read a newspaper?' As to the percent who read every day, that's been declining an average of about one percentage point a year, and shows no sign of stopping. You extend that line with a straightedge, you find that the last daily newspaper reader disappears around 2040 ... in April." lol How true, how true. MOST folks get their news online these days ... who's got the time to sit down and read through a whole newspaper? I know I used to enjoy it when I had a long commute to work and took the train ... and, invariably, if I'm out eating lunch somewhere or at the airport and someone has left a newspaper behind, I will pick it up and start reading it every single time ... but I personally haven't BOUGHT a newspaper in at least a decade ... unless there was a specific story I wanted more details about. (The Sox winning the World Series a few years back ... Michael Jackson's death last week ... that sort of thing.) Greene's an EXCELLENT writer and has ALWAYS captured the spirit of "the average man" in his columns ... his books make for enjoyable reading (I'm on my third one in a row right now!!! lol) And he seems to be just as genuine as can be. He's told me a number of times now how much he appreciates our waving the flag in his honor here in Forgotten Hits and I'm happy to do it when a book is this good. (I think he's already heard from dozens of our readers regarding their enjoyment of this book ... and I firmly believe that EVERY music fan out there will enjoy "When We Get To Surf City" ... it's just that simple.) And it's become a bit of a "Mutual Admiration Society", too ... Bob religiously reads Forgotten Hits and is AMAZED at the knowledgeable people we've assembled on the list ... so many music experts in one place ... and the fact that the LOVE of this music come through in each and every column. Coming from someone whose work I've appreciated and admired for so many years, that's high praise indeed. (kk)
re: AND SPEAKING OF SURF MUSIC ... :
The Summer edition of Endless Summer Quarterly is now available. The edition is the ultimate Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) companion piece by Craig Slowinski with previously unpublished pictures from the Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) photo shoot; Rasmus Skotte filmatic view of the Smile music and its various meanings; news and reviews.
For more information, visit the ESQ website.
David Beard
Howdy, Kent ...
Did I ever send you this story? Feel free to share it with your readers! :)
Fred
I remember reading this a while back ... but here's a link to the story as it appeared on our buddy Phil Miglioratti's "Pray For Surf" Website ... check this out ... and all of the OTHER cool stuff he's got posted there!!! (kk)
Click here: Pray For Surf: Fred Vail: The Backstory on Jan & Dean's Command Performance
re: THE VENTURES:
Hi Kent,
Sad to hear about Bob Bogle of The Ventures. Some of my earliest recordingsessions were with The Ventures and Mel Taylor's solo albums. More at myblog if you are interested. Here's the link:
http://munsongrecords.com/blogs/arts-musings/rip-bob-bogle-recording-with-the-ventures/
Take careArt Munson
re: THE RIP CHORDS:
Hey Kent ...
Here's an ad for the new CD.
You are a great support to our band and we really appreciate it.
Your friend ...
Mitch
And, we just got word about an upcoming Rip Chords show that we wanted to pass along to our readers:
re: OUR LATEST FORGOTTEN HITS WINNERS:
Our congratulations go out to the latest Forgotten Hits Give-Away Winners ... Les Peterson of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Randy Price of New York City, NY, will both be receiving autographed copies of the EXCELLENT Bob Greene Book "When We Get To Surf City", now available in paperback. And, as an extra bonus, I'm sending an UNautographed copy of the book to Barry Blitch of Titusville, FL, too, since we have an extra copy sent to us by the publisher. Congratulations to ALL of our latest Forgotten Hits Winners!!! Stay tuned because MORE prizes are on their way!!! (kk)
Wow! Thanks, Kent!
Randy Price
Thank you very much!
Barry Blitch
Hi Kent,
This will be great. Thanks a lot! I love Jan and Dean so this will be very interesting. Attached are photos of a couple of Jan and Dean rarities from my collection. (I realize Jan didn't actually participate on Save For a Rainy Day but he is credited just the same.)
Thanks again, and please thank Bob Greene for me too! Have a great afternoon!
Sincerely,
Les Peterson
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
A Few More Of Your Thoughts On Ticketmaster
Hi Kent and Frannie ...
I, too, am so sick of TicketMaster. Say, have you tried StubHub ?? You can find them on their website stubhub.com or at 866-788-2482 (866-STUBHUB). I haven't used them as if yet, but did talk to one of their reps and it sounds pretty good. A bunch of teachers at school use this service. I called in regarding the upcoming Moody Blues concert here in Southern California, coming in July and they actually have plenty of tickets. They're like a brokerage house for all sorts of tickets, ranging from concerts to sporting events. You can buy or sell on this service. The charge 10% (which he tells me is less than TicketMaster) and a small SH charge, plus they guarantee the tickets will be to you by concert time.
Steve (Rocn60s)
Having just recently dealt with this service, I suggest that you visit their website and see what these tickets are REALLY going for ... my guess is that for a decent seat, you can expect to pay three to five times the face value of what one of these tickets REALLY cost ... PLUS their 10% commission ... a "small" service fee (probably another $20-$25) ... AND another $35 to mail them to you!!! Check it out and then write back ... I'd love to include BOTH sets of your comments!!! Thanks, Steve! (kk)
Fact is, I've talked to a number of folks now who have taken the StubHub route ... and, as long as it's something you REALLY want to see ... and are willing to pay a SIGNIFICANT upcharge to do so ... it may be worth the investment. The general consensus that I've heard is that most people are sick of paying through the nose to get these seats ... I personally have an even "lower" opinion!!! (lol)
Perfect Example --- > Yesterday I received two back-to-back emails regarding the INCREDIBLE show here in Chicago, "Jersey Boys". I guess attendence is down for The Fourth Of July ... most people probably planned OUTDOOR activities and Fireworks Nights ... so they're offereing a special ticket promotion through their Hot Tix Service. Main Floor Tickets that normally go for around $165 a piece are on sale for just $56 on a first-come, first-served basis. (Typical Hot Tix tickets go on sale the same day of the show for $25 each ... so I'm not sure what the "special ticket price" is exactly ... unless they mean that they're better than double their NORMAL special ticket price!!! lol) Anyway, just like TicketMaster, there are service charges attached to this offer ... and maybe they don't really seem all that bad ... $4.50 for the service charge (per ticket) and then another $3.50 per ticket for some type of "building fee" ... let's face it, we've certainly seen higher ... but this is still an inflation over the ADVERTISED price of 16% ... bringing the grand total to about $64 per ticket ... still a pretty good deal when you consider what Main Floor Seats normally go for. The very NEXT email was from Stub Hub ... they, too, have Jersey Boy Tickets available for The Fourth Of July ... for $448 per ticket!!!!! After reading all the b.s. about "Should you ever get in a jam and be unable to attend a Jersey Boys performance and need to sell your tickets, we're your source for this. And then, "If you ever NEED tickets, we're you're source for that, too." Yeah ... for $448 a pop!!! (I wonder how much they pay you for your tickets ... you know, when you're "in a jam" ... that they then RE-SELL for as much as $448 each!!!) Scroll back to Saturday's posting and re-read my White Sox Birthday Tickets story for yet another Stub Hub example. These are just a couple of very recent "real life" Stub Hub experiences ... all I can say is "Buyer Beware" ... maybe it's worth it if this is a show that you've just GOT to see ... but that's a judgement call YOU'LL have to make. (kk)
Just wanted to comment on your newsletter dated Saturday, June 27th. Mr. Vail had made a brief comment on radio stations not wanting to pay the royalties to deserving artists. The topic was ticket prices. I totally agree about the fees on ticket sales, including Uncle Sam always raising the amount they can take. But the radio thing is totally different. I have been in radio for over 40 years. Believe me, the staff are far under paid. It is ironic that just a few years ago stations were paid to play the songs. That, in theory, might be ok, (and that comment alone may upset some people), but this resulted in making a very unbalanced playing field for new artists. Only the ones with big bucks behind them could get air play. Do the record labels not keep charging for 70 years of songs? The gift that keeps on giving. But I ask you to keep in mind that stations have expenses and everyone seems to think that air time is free. You are just selling air, so you make a ton of money with no costs, right? Of course that was another time, and some stations did alright with selling air time ... the payola was under the table money and really was shady practice. Now, like all other businesses, stations are struggling for their lives. Multi-station ownership just try to combine the operation expense. I would just like to make it clear, that we can not always use big markets as an example for the thousands of small markets. Terrestrial radio has competition from all directions and could be heading towards extinction. That would be a sad loss for the local markets who depend on local weather, community events. etc. Everything has gone national. Severe weather will be broadcast on the national news the next day. So not to get to far off track, I just wanted to set the base for how expensive it has gotten to pay BMI, ASCAP, ect. Small stations can not pay anymore for royalties. The margin is just not there. And if the small station would like to join the streaming world ... Wow! Not only are there base fees, fees on the number of hits your web page gets, a percentage of all ads run on station, a percentage of any income generated by the web page, banners etc. ... plus still pay station royalties. Well, that leaves nothing left, so the majority of these stations are not on the Internet. Convert to talk radio and avoid the expenses of playing music. And it is also beginning to look like some stations are actually avoiding some labels.
Is this the same problem only in reverse? So, like the concert tickets, (and oh, by the way, artists do very well on their concerts ... earning much more than any royalties), it appears that the middle man is making all the bucks. Greed has far reaching effects and the fans and consumers (listeners) seem to be the only ones not being addressed. But wait ... The Internet!!!! The Internet has not even scratched the surface of what is to come. The record label industry is fighting for their lives. They are no longer needed, as the artists are realizing they don’t need them any more. Put your music out there, promote you concert, (where the money is for the artists) and reach millions. Many indi lables are being put on the Internet. There are now web sites that play only artists that are not under contract, just so their music can be heard ... and avoid royalties. And these web sites, pod casts, and any other form of radio stations are popping up regularly with non label groups. You do not need a crystal ball to see where everything is going. As far as the concert thing goes, it has gotten like sports. Only those who can afford those prices are going to be able to enjoy it ... and that is another story in itself. Lets all cut out the middle man, and give the money to who earned it.
Thanks, Kent, for having this open forum. Knowledge is power. Lets all get informed.
Jiffy Jeff
Minnesota
NOTE: Comments are those of personal opinion and not any staff or management of related stations.
Greed and gouging seem to be the name of the game. Artists have gotten smarter after hearing horror story after horror story of top selling acts who wound up broke after their management team and consultants pocketed all the money. The music industry as we remember it will soon cease to exist ... and certainly that will have a spiraling effect on everything else it touches, including radio, airplay and concert tickets. Why do these same artists who have been smart enough to take control of their releases and marketing still feel that they need to move ticket sales through a corporation that will skim a HUGE percentage off the top ... and then add in service charges above and beyond these profit levels to deposit in their own pockets? Typically, the artists don't see any of this additional money ... and MOST of them want to present an affordable show for their fans ... it's the greed of these "middle men" that make this impossible. Now add in the 500-600% inflation that a ticket broker throws on top and attendance at these shows has become a near impossibility for many of us. (Yet you'll see a Mom or Dad shell out THOUSANDS of dollars to take their kids to a Britney Spears Concert!!! I just don't get it!!!) kk
A few months ago I wrote about going to see Johnny Rivers, at what was basically a high school auditorium. I had known for a while he was going to appear but didn't buy tickets for many of the reasons that have already been stated. I believe the tix were priced at $25.00 each, more than fair until you get to the user fees already described. It wasn't until I heard someone talking at a St. Louis record show a couple weeks beforehand that they were offering 2 for 1. Now all of a sudden it becomes affordable since I had a 200 mile round trip ahead of me. I remember my first concerts I attended had a 25 cent service fee. Accounting for inflation, I suppose even a $5.00 service fee wouldn't be out of line these days. But you're right, when you add in gas, going out to eat before or afterwards, a tour book, t-shirt and who knows what else, this becomes a pretty pricey adventure. They were also offering insurance, I forget how much, but I bought it anyways since it was going to be a long ride and you never know. As it turns out the car did start acting up and that Monday we had to get a new set of spark plugs. It could have been a lot worse, so I'm glad I got the protection although I didn't use it. Now for the big name shows, the most I've ever paid for a ticket is $65.00 to see Bob Seger from the nosebleed section. I won't do that again. For the $100 and up per ticket price they had better get Elvis up there performing and I don't mean Elvis Costello. Remember the outrage at $30 a ticket for the Jackson's Victory tour? It seems like a bargain now. But it was at least $10 over the average going rate then. A year later I paid $15.00 to go to the first Farm Aid concert. There's only one way to voice your opinion, don't go. I'd rather spend $10 to $20 to see some blues performer or local band. Many a time it's a better show. Fleetwood Mac doesn't need your money.
Jack (Rock And Roll Never Forgets)
There was a big stink about the price of the Paul McCartney tickets a few years ago when Frannie and I went to his "Chaos In The Backyard" Tour ... HE certainly didn't need the money either. (Of course this was BEFORE the whole Heather Mills settlement fiasco!!! lol) But Macca justified his ticket prices by doing a cost comparison of other major acts on tour that year ... and priced himself accordingly. I suppose that makes sense on some level ... we've been told that many artists make three or four times as much money TOURING as they do in record royalties, especially THESE days when record sales are at an all-time low. Truth is, people forget the cost of all the hired help it takes a major artist to put on such a show ... we tend to look only at the musicians on stage and leave it at that ... yet a tour like McCartney's probably brings a road crew of a couple hundred people ... plus the costs of buses, airplanes, food, lodging, etc, etc, etc. Add in the lights, videoscreens and special effects (fireworks for "Live And Let Die" for example) and you've put together a pretty pricey package. And, at $150 per ticket, his shows EASILY sell out, proving that this is a price that people are willing to pay to see him. We've seen shows recently where the actual face value was $350 per ticket!!! Add in the service charges or, worse yet, the brokers' fees if you aren't lucky enough to buy a ticket at the ticket window ... and pretty soon you're taking out a second mortgage to see Steely Dan or The Eagles!!! (kk)
I was reading your comments on Ticketmaster and concert tickets in general. I have to say, I agree with Fred's and your take on things, but I have a little bit of a different perspective as well. As a concert goer, I agree with you that ticket prices are way too high. Then with the added fees and parking, concessions, and souvenirs, it does cost an arm and a leg to go see anyone these days. I, too, remember the days of camping out in line when you really wanted to get a good ticket for a concert, only to end up getting seats halfway back (if you were lucky) even 'tho you were first in line. But at least you felt like you had an even chance back then. And tickets were not as expensive, even 'tho we earned a lot less money, too. I paid $5.50 to see the Beatles at Sox park in 1965, and that was the top price of a ticket!!!! Those days, unfortunately, are long gone. The thing that ticked me off the most was when I went to get tickets for Simon & Garfunkel a few years ago. I went to a Ticketmaster outlet at a department store. I was there before the store even opened the first day the tickets went on sale, and I was first in line. Then, as you said, they decided they needed to have a lottery, and guess who got the last number?? Then, on top of that, the people in front of me in line weren't even there to buy tickets for the same show! They had several shows going on sale all at the same time, so I still had to wait in line behind everyone else getting tickets for other concerts, while meanwhile people online and at other Ticketmaster outlets were getting seats for the show I wanted to see!!! I ended up with tickets in the third balcony, and you KNOW I was really p.o'd!!! Then when we got to the show, we couldn't see because of the way they had set up the stage, so we went to the box office to complain, and gee, they had tickets two balconies down and several sections closer to the stage!!! Interesting, huh? So I know they hold back good tickets, and you're right, it isn't fair. If I'm willing to wait in line and pay that much for a ticket to see someone, I think I deserve the best seat available.
But, on the other side, since I work at a couple of entertainment venues around town, I realize that, while I'm sure a lot of it is the promoter or the venue that makes a buck, some of it is just the fact that expenses are so high. Most places have loads of union stagehands, electricians, carpenters, etc. working on unloading the trucks and setting up the stage for the concerts we see. The lighting and pyrotechnics take a lot of work, and you don't want something to go wrong with that stuff. Not to mention, the bands all have travel expenses, truck drivers, bus drivers, catering, insurance, wardrobe people, security, guest services, police and paramedics on duty, parking lot attendants, concessions employees, etc. etc. So while I agree that ticket prices are in general, way too high, perhaps knowing all the people who are working behind the scenes and have to be paid too, helps a little to justify the price. I was amazed when I started working these shows to see all the background stuff that goes into them that you never think about. But I guess as the shows and the theatrics become bigger, so then does the price for it. So what do we do ... are we willing to see a scaled down show without all the extras, or does that all add to the experience of the concert, and is it worth it???? I'm not really sure, myself. But anyway, just some things to think about ... and I'm sure your readers will have lots of opinions. But remember, they're all working people, even the ones cleaning the bathrooms at the venue, and they deserve to be paid too!
Marlene
Yes, as stated above, it's many of these behind-the-scenes costs that nobody sees that add to the price of the tickets. However, I don't believe that Ticketmaster helps pay for ANY of the cost of all the stage hands, parking lot attendants, concession people or any of these other "behind-the-scenes" costs associated with the actual venue hosting the concert out of their service charges ... THAT money goes directly into their OWN pockets. I can see how the VENUE may be entitled to something for that (and most ticket purchases DO include SOMETHING for the venue these days, typically around $3.50-$5.00 per ticket, which is more than fair ... if that was the ONLY extra being added to your bill.) If I'm not mistaken, when one of these shows is cancelled, the refund you receive is for the cost of the ticket ONLY ... Ticketmaster still KEEPS their tacked-on service charge!!! So THEY make money no matter what!!! The artists lose ... and the fans lose ... and that just ain't right. SOMETHING needs to be done to correct this imbalance. I don't have a sure-fire solution ... And, quite honestly, I was hoping that some of your comments might inspire some suggestions. Sometimes just by discussing some options, it'll spark an idea or two that ultimately could reach a solution ... so we'll keep this dialog open for a little while should any more of you wish to weigh in on the subject. And please remember that this discussion started at the BASE level ... we haven't even BEGUN to attack the subject of these ticket brokers who are inflating these prices five times more!!! (kk)
I, too, am so sick of TicketMaster. Say, have you tried StubHub ?? You can find them on their website stubhub.com or at 866-788-2482 (866-STUBHUB). I haven't used them as if yet, but did talk to one of their reps and it sounds pretty good. A bunch of teachers at school use this service. I called in regarding the upcoming Moody Blues concert here in Southern California, coming in July and they actually have plenty of tickets. They're like a brokerage house for all sorts of tickets, ranging from concerts to sporting events. You can buy or sell on this service. The charge 10% (which he tells me is less than TicketMaster) and a small SH charge, plus they guarantee the tickets will be to you by concert time.
Steve (Rocn60s)
Having just recently dealt with this service, I suggest that you visit their website and see what these tickets are REALLY going for ... my guess is that for a decent seat, you can expect to pay three to five times the face value of what one of these tickets REALLY cost ... PLUS their 10% commission ... a "small" service fee (probably another $20-$25) ... AND another $35 to mail them to you!!! Check it out and then write back ... I'd love to include BOTH sets of your comments!!! Thanks, Steve! (kk)
Fact is, I've talked to a number of folks now who have taken the StubHub route ... and, as long as it's something you REALLY want to see ... and are willing to pay a SIGNIFICANT upcharge to do so ... it may be worth the investment. The general consensus that I've heard is that most people are sick of paying through the nose to get these seats ... I personally have an even "lower" opinion!!! (lol)
Perfect Example --- > Yesterday I received two back-to-back emails regarding the INCREDIBLE show here in Chicago, "Jersey Boys". I guess attendence is down for The Fourth Of July ... most people probably planned OUTDOOR activities and Fireworks Nights ... so they're offereing a special ticket promotion through their Hot Tix Service. Main Floor Tickets that normally go for around $165 a piece are on sale for just $56 on a first-come, first-served basis. (Typical Hot Tix tickets go on sale the same day of the show for $25 each ... so I'm not sure what the "special ticket price" is exactly ... unless they mean that they're better than double their NORMAL special ticket price!!! lol) Anyway, just like TicketMaster, there are service charges attached to this offer ... and maybe they don't really seem all that bad ... $4.50 for the service charge (per ticket) and then another $3.50 per ticket for some type of "building fee" ... let's face it, we've certainly seen higher ... but this is still an inflation over the ADVERTISED price of 16% ... bringing the grand total to about $64 per ticket ... still a pretty good deal when you consider what Main Floor Seats normally go for. The very NEXT email was from Stub Hub ... they, too, have Jersey Boy Tickets available for The Fourth Of July ... for $448 per ticket!!!!! After reading all the b.s. about "Should you ever get in a jam and be unable to attend a Jersey Boys performance and need to sell your tickets, we're your source for this. And then, "If you ever NEED tickets, we're you're source for that, too." Yeah ... for $448 a pop!!! (I wonder how much they pay you for your tickets ... you know, when you're "in a jam" ... that they then RE-SELL for as much as $448 each!!!) Scroll back to Saturday's posting and re-read my White Sox Birthday Tickets story for yet another Stub Hub example. These are just a couple of very recent "real life" Stub Hub experiences ... all I can say is "Buyer Beware" ... maybe it's worth it if this is a show that you've just GOT to see ... but that's a judgement call YOU'LL have to make. (kk)
Just wanted to comment on your newsletter dated Saturday, June 27th. Mr. Vail had made a brief comment on radio stations not wanting to pay the royalties to deserving artists. The topic was ticket prices. I totally agree about the fees on ticket sales, including Uncle Sam always raising the amount they can take. But the radio thing is totally different. I have been in radio for over 40 years. Believe me, the staff are far under paid. It is ironic that just a few years ago stations were paid to play the songs. That, in theory, might be ok, (and that comment alone may upset some people), but this resulted in making a very unbalanced playing field for new artists. Only the ones with big bucks behind them could get air play. Do the record labels not keep charging for 70 years of songs? The gift that keeps on giving. But I ask you to keep in mind that stations have expenses and everyone seems to think that air time is free. You are just selling air, so you make a ton of money with no costs, right? Of course that was another time, and some stations did alright with selling air time ... the payola was under the table money and really was shady practice. Now, like all other businesses, stations are struggling for their lives. Multi-station ownership just try to combine the operation expense. I would just like to make it clear, that we can not always use big markets as an example for the thousands of small markets. Terrestrial radio has competition from all directions and could be heading towards extinction. That would be a sad loss for the local markets who depend on local weather, community events. etc. Everything has gone national. Severe weather will be broadcast on the national news the next day. So not to get to far off track, I just wanted to set the base for how expensive it has gotten to pay BMI, ASCAP, ect. Small stations can not pay anymore for royalties. The margin is just not there. And if the small station would like to join the streaming world ... Wow! Not only are there base fees, fees on the number of hits your web page gets, a percentage of all ads run on station, a percentage of any income generated by the web page, banners etc. ... plus still pay station royalties. Well, that leaves nothing left, so the majority of these stations are not on the Internet. Convert to talk radio and avoid the expenses of playing music. And it is also beginning to look like some stations are actually avoiding some labels.
Is this the same problem only in reverse? So, like the concert tickets, (and oh, by the way, artists do very well on their concerts ... earning much more than any royalties), it appears that the middle man is making all the bucks. Greed has far reaching effects and the fans and consumers (listeners) seem to be the only ones not being addressed. But wait ... The Internet!!!! The Internet has not even scratched the surface of what is to come. The record label industry is fighting for their lives. They are no longer needed, as the artists are realizing they don’t need them any more. Put your music out there, promote you concert, (where the money is for the artists) and reach millions. Many indi lables are being put on the Internet. There are now web sites that play only artists that are not under contract, just so their music can be heard ... and avoid royalties. And these web sites, pod casts, and any other form of radio stations are popping up regularly with non label groups. You do not need a crystal ball to see where everything is going. As far as the concert thing goes, it has gotten like sports. Only those who can afford those prices are going to be able to enjoy it ... and that is another story in itself. Lets all cut out the middle man, and give the money to who earned it.
Thanks, Kent, for having this open forum. Knowledge is power. Lets all get informed.
Jiffy Jeff
Minnesota
NOTE: Comments are those of personal opinion and not any staff or management of related stations.
Greed and gouging seem to be the name of the game. Artists have gotten smarter after hearing horror story after horror story of top selling acts who wound up broke after their management team and consultants pocketed all the money. The music industry as we remember it will soon cease to exist ... and certainly that will have a spiraling effect on everything else it touches, including radio, airplay and concert tickets. Why do these same artists who have been smart enough to take control of their releases and marketing still feel that they need to move ticket sales through a corporation that will skim a HUGE percentage off the top ... and then add in service charges above and beyond these profit levels to deposit in their own pockets? Typically, the artists don't see any of this additional money ... and MOST of them want to present an affordable show for their fans ... it's the greed of these "middle men" that make this impossible. Now add in the 500-600% inflation that a ticket broker throws on top and attendance at these shows has become a near impossibility for many of us. (Yet you'll see a Mom or Dad shell out THOUSANDS of dollars to take their kids to a Britney Spears Concert!!! I just don't get it!!!) kk
A few months ago I wrote about going to see Johnny Rivers, at what was basically a high school auditorium. I had known for a while he was going to appear but didn't buy tickets for many of the reasons that have already been stated. I believe the tix were priced at $25.00 each, more than fair until you get to the user fees already described. It wasn't until I heard someone talking at a St. Louis record show a couple weeks beforehand that they were offering 2 for 1. Now all of a sudden it becomes affordable since I had a 200 mile round trip ahead of me. I remember my first concerts I attended had a 25 cent service fee. Accounting for inflation, I suppose even a $5.00 service fee wouldn't be out of line these days. But you're right, when you add in gas, going out to eat before or afterwards, a tour book, t-shirt and who knows what else, this becomes a pretty pricey adventure. They were also offering insurance, I forget how much, but I bought it anyways since it was going to be a long ride and you never know. As it turns out the car did start acting up and that Monday we had to get a new set of spark plugs. It could have been a lot worse, so I'm glad I got the protection although I didn't use it. Now for the big name shows, the most I've ever paid for a ticket is $65.00 to see Bob Seger from the nosebleed section. I won't do that again. For the $100 and up per ticket price they had better get Elvis up there performing and I don't mean Elvis Costello. Remember the outrage at $30 a ticket for the Jackson's Victory tour? It seems like a bargain now. But it was at least $10 over the average going rate then. A year later I paid $15.00 to go to the first Farm Aid concert. There's only one way to voice your opinion, don't go. I'd rather spend $10 to $20 to see some blues performer or local band. Many a time it's a better show. Fleetwood Mac doesn't need your money.
Jack (Rock And Roll Never Forgets)
There was a big stink about the price of the Paul McCartney tickets a few years ago when Frannie and I went to his "Chaos In The Backyard" Tour ... HE certainly didn't need the money either. (Of course this was BEFORE the whole Heather Mills settlement fiasco!!! lol) But Macca justified his ticket prices by doing a cost comparison of other major acts on tour that year ... and priced himself accordingly. I suppose that makes sense on some level ... we've been told that many artists make three or four times as much money TOURING as they do in record royalties, especially THESE days when record sales are at an all-time low. Truth is, people forget the cost of all the hired help it takes a major artist to put on such a show ... we tend to look only at the musicians on stage and leave it at that ... yet a tour like McCartney's probably brings a road crew of a couple hundred people ... plus the costs of buses, airplanes, food, lodging, etc, etc, etc. Add in the lights, videoscreens and special effects (fireworks for "Live And Let Die" for example) and you've put together a pretty pricey package. And, at $150 per ticket, his shows EASILY sell out, proving that this is a price that people are willing to pay to see him. We've seen shows recently where the actual face value was $350 per ticket!!! Add in the service charges or, worse yet, the brokers' fees if you aren't lucky enough to buy a ticket at the ticket window ... and pretty soon you're taking out a second mortgage to see Steely Dan or The Eagles!!! (kk)
I was reading your comments on Ticketmaster and concert tickets in general. I have to say, I agree with Fred's and your take on things, but I have a little bit of a different perspective as well. As a concert goer, I agree with you that ticket prices are way too high. Then with the added fees and parking, concessions, and souvenirs, it does cost an arm and a leg to go see anyone these days. I, too, remember the days of camping out in line when you really wanted to get a good ticket for a concert, only to end up getting seats halfway back (if you were lucky) even 'tho you were first in line. But at least you felt like you had an even chance back then. And tickets were not as expensive, even 'tho we earned a lot less money, too. I paid $5.50 to see the Beatles at Sox park in 1965, and that was the top price of a ticket!!!! Those days, unfortunately, are long gone. The thing that ticked me off the most was when I went to get tickets for Simon & Garfunkel a few years ago. I went to a Ticketmaster outlet at a department store. I was there before the store even opened the first day the tickets went on sale, and I was first in line. Then, as you said, they decided they needed to have a lottery, and guess who got the last number?? Then, on top of that, the people in front of me in line weren't even there to buy tickets for the same show! They had several shows going on sale all at the same time, so I still had to wait in line behind everyone else getting tickets for other concerts, while meanwhile people online and at other Ticketmaster outlets were getting seats for the show I wanted to see!!! I ended up with tickets in the third balcony, and you KNOW I was really p.o'd!!! Then when we got to the show, we couldn't see because of the way they had set up the stage, so we went to the box office to complain, and gee, they had tickets two balconies down and several sections closer to the stage!!! Interesting, huh? So I know they hold back good tickets, and you're right, it isn't fair. If I'm willing to wait in line and pay that much for a ticket to see someone, I think I deserve the best seat available.
But, on the other side, since I work at a couple of entertainment venues around town, I realize that, while I'm sure a lot of it is the promoter or the venue that makes a buck, some of it is just the fact that expenses are so high. Most places have loads of union stagehands, electricians, carpenters, etc. working on unloading the trucks and setting up the stage for the concerts we see. The lighting and pyrotechnics take a lot of work, and you don't want something to go wrong with that stuff. Not to mention, the bands all have travel expenses, truck drivers, bus drivers, catering, insurance, wardrobe people, security, guest services, police and paramedics on duty, parking lot attendants, concessions employees, etc. etc. So while I agree that ticket prices are in general, way too high, perhaps knowing all the people who are working behind the scenes and have to be paid too, helps a little to justify the price. I was amazed when I started working these shows to see all the background stuff that goes into them that you never think about. But I guess as the shows and the theatrics become bigger, so then does the price for it. So what do we do ... are we willing to see a scaled down show without all the extras, or does that all add to the experience of the concert, and is it worth it???? I'm not really sure, myself. But anyway, just some things to think about ... and I'm sure your readers will have lots of opinions. But remember, they're all working people, even the ones cleaning the bathrooms at the venue, and they deserve to be paid too!
Marlene
Yes, as stated above, it's many of these behind-the-scenes costs that nobody sees that add to the price of the tickets. However, I don't believe that Ticketmaster helps pay for ANY of the cost of all the stage hands, parking lot attendants, concession people or any of these other "behind-the-scenes" costs associated with the actual venue hosting the concert out of their service charges ... THAT money goes directly into their OWN pockets. I can see how the VENUE may be entitled to something for that (and most ticket purchases DO include SOMETHING for the venue these days, typically around $3.50-$5.00 per ticket, which is more than fair ... if that was the ONLY extra being added to your bill.) If I'm not mistaken, when one of these shows is cancelled, the refund you receive is for the cost of the ticket ONLY ... Ticketmaster still KEEPS their tacked-on service charge!!! So THEY make money no matter what!!! The artists lose ... and the fans lose ... and that just ain't right. SOMETHING needs to be done to correct this imbalance. I don't have a sure-fire solution ... And, quite honestly, I was hoping that some of your comments might inspire some suggestions. Sometimes just by discussing some options, it'll spark an idea or two that ultimately could reach a solution ... so we'll keep this dialog open for a little while should any more of you wish to weigh in on the subject. And please remember that this discussion started at the BASE level ... we haven't even BEGUN to attack the subject of these ticket brokers who are inflating these prices five times more!!! (kk)
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