Monday, March 29, 2010

The Sunday Comments ( 03 - 28 - 10 )

Here comes another great batch of Comments and Memories submitted by our readers.
Got something you'd like to share?
Just drop us a line at forgottenhits@aol.com ...
And check back to the website often to see if your comments have been posted.

re: JOHNNY MAESTRO:
I suppose we all knew this day was coming ... but it's still difficult to have to report that Johnny Maestro has lost his battle with cancer. The legendary singer passed away Wednesday Night, March 24th, and once again we received an outpouring of love and memories from his many fans.
Johnny Maestro, lead singer of both the Crests and the Brooklyn Bridge, lost his battle with cancer Wednesday night (March 24) at his home in Florida. He was 7
0.
Brooklyn-born John Mastrangelo met the Crests -- an integrated doo-wop group formed by students at P.S. 160 Junior High on the lower east side of Manhattan -- in 1956. Polishing their act in the subway station, the group was heard by the wife of a noted song arranger, who arranged a contract for them with Joyce Records. Their recording of"Sweetest One" got to #86 in 1957 but it wasn't until a switch to CoEd Records the next year that the group took off with the legendary "16 Candles" (#2 - 1959). It was followed by "Six Nights A Week" (#26 - 1959); "The Angels Listened In" (#22 - 1959); "Step By Step" (#14 - 60) and "Trouble In Paradise" (#20 - 1960). At this point the group was known as Johnny Maestro and the Crests, a prelude to Johnny's solo career.
He left in 1961 and managed minor hits with "Model Girl" -- on which he was called Johnny Mastro -- (#20 - 1961), "What A Surprise" (#33 - 1961) and "Mr. Happiness"
(#57-1961). The Crests continued to perform, though with no more chart records, while Johnny went on to join the Del Satins (who had previously backed up Dion) in as lead singer 1967. When the Del Satins quartet merged with the Rhythm Method seven-piece band the following year, the Brooklyn Bridge was born. Their first single, "The Worst ThatCould Happen" (#3-1969), returned Johnny to the top of the charts. It was followed by six more chart singles, none of which unfortunately broke through the top 40. Johnny continued working in various incarnations of his two groups to the end. The Crests were elected to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, followed by the Brooklyn Bridge the following year.
In a message sent to fans just this past week, Johnny said, "I have been fortunate to be able to perform before the 'best audiences,' our loyal fans, for over seven decades dating back to the late 1950's. There have been no better times for myself and the Brooklyn Bridge than when we are performing, singing the music that brings back memories of times that we all cherish and hold dear to our hearts. I am very grateful for the opportunity that has allowed me to do something that 'I love' and to be able to share our music with so many people."
-- Ron Smith
www.oldiesmusic.com

Friday Night at 10 I'll be doing a special tribute to Johnny Maestro. We lost him just a couple of hours ago.
DJ Stu Weiss

Due to our Flock mini-series, we weren't able to post this announcement in time for fans to tune in and listen ... please let us know if this tribute is archived somewhere, Stu, so our readers can enjoy it! (kk)

RIP Johnny Maestro ... very sad
Renfield

Regarding the Crests, their great lead singer Johnny Maestro died last week. I saw him perform back in 1972 in NY when he was with the Brooklyn Bridge ... a heck of a singer he was.
Bagawire

Oldies Music Bulletin Board: Re: RIP Johnny Maestro
Kent ...
We knew it was coming. Still a shock. One of my All-Time Favorites.
Frank B.

Johnny Maestro has passed-away. This from the New York Times ...
NEW YORK (AP) -- Singer Johnny Maestro of the rock-and-roll and doo-wop band The Brooklyn Bridge has died.
Original band member Les Cauchi says Maestro died late Wednesday in Florida. Maestro was 70 and had been battling cancer. His last residence was in Cape Coral, Fla.
Maestro begin his career in the 1950s with The Crests, whose hits included ''16 Candles." He later joined The Brooklyn Bridge, which has continued to perform.
Cauchi said the group performed its hit, ''The Worst That Could Happen,'' on the
Ed Sullivan Show.
Other well-known songs include ''Blessed is the Rain'' and ''You'll Never Walk Alone.''
KK,
It was a very sad note when we received word of the passing of Johnny Maestro.
We were all friends of Johnny’s and especially Jimmy Beaumont. The two of them did many tours together in the early years. We will very much miss doing shows with him as he was always a gracious gentleman and whether or not he had the time he always found some for his fans and fellow artists. I just know he would want The Bridge to continue on and keep HIS MUSIC ALIVE. I hope they do continue on and that the fans will continue to support them. If that happens then the memory of Johnny Maestro will “live on” within our music community.
I do recall a show that just the two groups (Skyliners & Bridge) did at the “Palace Theater” in Greensburg, Pa. just a couple of years ago on a Thursday evening, we shared some of the backline players, and it was to a “sold out” theater.
It seemed that anytime we were fortunate enough to share a stage with Johnny Maestro (and there were many) it was to a “sold out” show.
He sang from deep in his “soul”, his soul will live on, and the “Angels” will be his audience “listening in”. “SOLD OUT”
Nick A. Pociask (bass / baritone vocal)
The Skyliners


I just read in my local paper that Johnny Maestro passed away Wednesday. I am so sad – he was by far my favorite of all time and I think he had one of the best voices.
MJE
Yes, quite a bit of international coverage regarding the passing of one of the world's favorite singing voices. Far too many of our musical heroes have been leaving us lately ... fortunately the music they left behind lives on and on. (kk)

Their next release was "Beside You", but in Philadelphia Hy Lit played the flip side and soon "Sixteen Candles" became the first Top 10 hit for The Crests, peaking at #2 on The Billboard charts...
Johnny Maestro: May 7, 1939 - March 24, 2010


I am so sad to see Johnny Maestro's passing. He was always a Hy Lit favorite. He will be sorely missed. But he leaves us a legacy of music that will linger on until the end time, from deep in my mind. -Sam Lit
Log on to the HyLitRadio.com home page for more Johnny Maestro story's and pictures. HyLitRadio home page


VERY SAD NEWS! We learned today that JOHNNY MAESTRO -- the great vocalist and lead singer of the CRESTS and BROOKLN BRIDGE -- passed away at the age of 70. This is a great personal tragedy for Gracie Family ... as John and Charlie shared the bill several times over the years. See pic attached of JOHNNY with CHARLIE along with JOEY DEE. (By the way, Johnny also did a great doo-wop version of BUTTERFLY with the Crests in 1960.)

Our deepest and sincerest thoughts and prayers go out to JOHNNY'S family. This is a great loss for our musical family too.
Chas., JR.
Charlie Gracie, Sr. reacted from from his tour in England today:
Joan and I are deeply saddened and shocked -- really, over John's passing. We saw him not that long ago. What a great artist and a such a gentleman. I admired his talent and those wonderful early records with the Crests -- PERFECTION! God Bless his soul. He and his family will certainly be in our prayers this week. We've lost a wonderful artist!
Charlie Gracie

Kent ...
The last few weeks have been hard losing so many members of our generation. I’m deeply saddened by two more losses of some very extraordinary people. First there’s Johnny Maestro, my pal from the past, who was the lead singer of the Crests “16 Candles” and The Brooklyn Bridge “The Worst That Could Happen” INCLUDES RARE VIDEO FROM ED SULLIVAN SHOW!
http://artiewayne.wordpress. com/2010/03/25/johnny-maestro- r-i-p-rock-in-perpetuity/
Artie Wayne

re: ALSO LEAVING US:
... Then there’s Jackie Mills who produced Teen Idol Bobby Sherman … and gave me my first hit when I moved from New York to California.
http://artiewayne.wordpress. com/2010/03/25/jackie-mills-r- i-p-rock-in-perpetuity/
Regards,
Artie Wayne
http://artiewayne.wordpress. com/about-artie-wayne/

Jim Marshall, Photographer of Rock Stars, Dies
by Ben Sisario
Jim Marshall, a photographer who took some of the most famous images of rock and pop musicians, including
Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar aflame at the Monterey International Pop Festival and Johnny Cash at San Quentin prison, died on Tuesday night in a hotel in New York. He was 74.
As
Rolling Stone reports, Marshall passed away during his sleep last night (March 23). Marshall was due to take part at an event at New York's Morrison Hotel Gallery tonight (March 24), the show will now instead be a memorial of his work.
Collaborating with artists on over 500 album covers, Marshall worked late into his life taking portraits of people like
John Mayer, Ben Harper, Lenny Kravitz and Velvet Revolver.
His death was confirmed by Peter Blachley of the Morrison Hotel gallery in New York, which represents him there. The cause was not immediately known.
Mr. Marshall, who lived in California, was in New York to promote “Match Prints,” his new book with his friend and fellow photographer Timothy White. Mr. Marshall had been scheduled to speak on Wednesday evening at an event at the John Varvatos store in SoHo, and an exhibition of photographs from that book is schedule to open on Friday at the Staley-Wise gallery, also in SoHo.
Mr. Marshall was as well known for the extraordinary images that he captured as the extraordinary access that he had to some of the most famous names in music. He was a favored photographer of Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and
Janis Joplin, and he was the only photographer allowed backstage at the Beatles’ last concert, in San Francisco in 1966. He was also the chief photographer at Woodstock.
With his imposing figure and gruff, forceful personality, he was something of a rock star himself, and musicians respected him as much for his pictures as for his dedication in getting them.
“A lot of photography of music is about the look, the style, the celebrity image,” said Gail Buckland, who curated the exhibition “Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present” at the Brooklyn Museum, which ended in January. “He wasn’t really manufacturing an image,” Ms. Buckland said, “he was trying to see who that person was, and understanding that we care about these people with the way that they touch our lives with music.”
Among Mr. Marshall’s pictures in “Who Shot Rock & Roll” were of the Beatles arriving in San Francisco in 1966 and Hendrix at Monterey Pop in 1967.
-- submitted by Ken Voss


And a very special memory from Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams ...
In Memory, John Peter Poulos, March 31, 1947 – March 26, 1980
Five days before his 33rd birthday, we lost John Poulos, a dear friend who was like a brother to us, as well as The Buckinghams’ drummer. Often described as the heartbeat of our band, he was known to most Buckinghams’ fans of the 60s simply as Jon-Jon. To know John was to love him. With his outgoing personality, he never met a stranger. His talent is remembered best in the style he displayed on drum fills and riffs on our hits, including “Don’t You Care,” “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song,” and “Kind of a Drag.” It’s not surprising that Jon-Jon was included as one of the Top 10 drummers in Modern Drummer Magazine. Contemporary MySpace profiles of aspiring amateur and professional musicians today include the name John Poulos among their musical influences. That’s an honor both fitting and accurate for a musician who was truly one of a kind.
Nick and I recall that one of John’s own musical influences was Bobby Elliot, drummer for The Hollies, whose signature beret and tossing of his head in time to the beat marked an external rhythm, which kept time to the beat he was sharing on the skins. Next, Ringo Starr had a similar distinctive trait that set him apart from the other 3 Beatles. It was a look, a style, an attitude that said, “I’m not exactly like the other ones. I’m following ... my own different drummer.”
As founding members of The Buckinghams, we had the chance to spend years together on the road, in recording studios, and in our family’s homes. John grew up the youngest child in a family of proud Greek heritage. His olive complexion and bright eyes set him apart on stage. He was insistent in wanting The Buckinghams to have “a look” just as importantly as “the sound” as dual components of who we were as a band.
When John was around, we truly were a band of brothers, though none of us were related. His wild sense of humor made the long days on the road bearable and his indefatigable spirit reminded us that optimism is a more powerful attitude than cynicism.
When The Buckinghams broke up and Nick departed for a career in R&B and Marty wanted to go a different direction, Dennis Tufano and I decided to form a duo, Dennis and Carl. We put together a demo CD, with the help of Peter Shelton and his wife, and John was determined to manage us and find us a recording deal. Reaching for the stars, he reached a zenith: John brought us to Ode Records, where we signed with Lou Adler, became “Tufano and Giammarese” and spent 7 years of our career together.
As we toured the country, John searched for a new identity and became a band manager, and saw he preferred the business side of the music industry, making friends, doing deals, and putting people together. One of his bands, “The Boyzz from Illinoizz” is still in concert, reunited by Michael Tafoya and friends. Coincidentally, before joining The Buckinghams, drummer Tom Scheckel had played for The Boyzz, though not when drummer John managed and promoted them. Everything comes full circle, given time.
John was a casualty of the rock music scene of the late 1970s. His strength was tested in his battle with drugs and alcohol, and the greatest tragedy in my life personally was to receive a call that he was simply ‘gone.’ Staring into blank space, searching for answers as to how, why, and what if, I experienced a turning point in my life. From that day forward I determined to make every decision count, to preserve and maintain friendships and business relationships that were positive and building. Determined — not to waste a minute in remorse, but instead to remember John, with love, and with kindness, in honor and tribute to a young life, most of which was lived well, with devotion to his friends and family, whose spirit stays with Nick and me, every time we take the stage.
John’s greatest dream, unfulfilled from 1970 when we broke up, until August, 1980, when Dennis, Nick and I reunited for ChicagoFest, was to get the band back together, at least one more time. John died only five months before his dream for us came true.
For the past 30 years, Nick and I have had the joy of performing for our fans, the way John could not. We feel like he’s with us at the best times of our career, and in the days and nights when we face challenges, our faith is such that we feel he is by our side, over our shoulder, like a big brother would be, and we feel his love.
This day marks 30 years we’ve been without him. In the autumn of our lives, as we reach back to remember him, we know that one day we will all be together again, and it’s not hard to imagine him counting us off, yet one more time, as we break into song.
Godspeed Jon-Jon, you remain forever in our hearts.
—Carl Giammarese

[Excerpted from “My Journey with The Buckinghams”, the forthcoming book by Carl Giammarese and Dawn Lee Wakefield]

Jon-Jon Poulos

re: ALSO ON THIS PAST WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY:
Kent ...
Here's an Anniversary that changed Music History. 3 / 24 / 58 = Private Elvis Presley (Serial # US53310761) is inducted into The U S Army.
Frank B.
YouTube - Elvis Presley - G.I.Blues
You just can't help but wonder how differently music might have turned out had Elvis' career NOT been interrupted right at its peak ... of course there's no way of knowing which direction he may have gone ... would the movie roles have gotten any better? (Let's not forget that Colonel Parker was still the driving force that was making Elvis' career decisions at this point.) Would the pandemonium have started to die down on its own at some point? We'll never know ... I can only equate it to Muhammad Ali being stripped of his right to box during his prime fighting years for taking the OPPOSITE approach to the military. We'll just never know. And while "G.I. Blues" is one of my favorite Elvis movies, it HAD to be hard to watch a clean-cut, uniform-clad Elvis up on the big screen the first time around for all of his earliest fans who dressed themselves in leather and tight-fitting jeans trying to emulate their hero! (Actually, I saw "G.I. Blues" at the drive-in with my parents back in 1960!!! They dressed us up in our pajamas, put down the back seat in the station wagon and carted me and my brothers off to the movies so my Mom and Dad could see the latest Elvis flick. Listening to the soundtrack on that tiny little speaker was a bit frustrating to say the least, even for a seven year old kid ... but incredibly this is ALSO the way I saw "A Hard Day's Night" for the first time ... my folks had read about the screaming crowds inside the movie theaters and just didn't want to deal with that ... so we saw The Beatles' first film at the drive-in instead! (I guess my Dad figured that we would actually enjoy the music a whole lot more in the comfort of our own car! No consideration again was given to the fact that we were listening to that music on a little 2" speaker!!!) I had to go see it in a REAL movie theater a few weeks later after the crowds had died down!!! (kk)

re: RADIO ROYALTY:
Columnist Robert Feder announced a "must see" event for any fans of Chicagoland Radio this past week ... here's the scoop:
Two of Chicago radio’s greatest living legends —
Dick Biondi and Herb Kent — will share a stage for the first time and tell stories of their remarkable Hall of Fame careers next month at Columbia College Chicago.
Bob Sirott will host “Inside the Radio Studio: 100 Years on the Air with Dick Biondi & Herb Kent” at 7:30 p.m. April 10 at Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash. The event is free and open to the public.
At 77, Biondi (aka “The Wild I-Tralian”) still plays the hits he made famous at the dawn of the rock ’n’ roll era from 7 to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday on Citadel Broadcasting oldies WLS-FM (94.7). And at 81, Kent (aka “The Cool Gent”), whose 65 years in Chicago radio landed him in the
Guinness Book of Records in 2009, continues to share his beloved R&B classics from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and from noon to 7 p.m. Sundays on Clear Channel urban adult-contemporary WVAZ-FM (102.7).
Sirott is expected to interview them in a format borrowed from Bravo’s “Inside the Actors Studio,” including questions from the audience. A veteran Chicago broadcaster and Columbia alum himself, Sirott said: “Given the makeup of Chicago over the years — the separation of the city into ‘two worlds’ (the North Side and the South Side, the mostly white side and the mostly black side) — it seems that you either ‘grew up’ with Biondi or Kent. But for whatever reason, after starting out as a Biondi fan during my youth, I also became of fan of Kent’s once I got a little older. To have one of these nationally known pioneering radio legends in a city is remarkable. To have two — and both still on the air —is something unique and needs to be celebrated!”

-- Robert Feder

re: BILLBOARD MAGAZINE:
>>>Actually, Billboard started publishing music charts in 1940. The listings in Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories book for the years before that were from a variety of different sources. (Randy Price)
>>>The very first issue of Billboard Magazine was published in 1894 ... and Randy's right ... their focus on music didn't come until much later. (Wikipedia says they published their very first "Hit Parade" Chart on January 4th, 1936 ... and their first official MUSIC Chart on July 20, 1940. Prior to that I believe they did keep track of sheet music sales, which was a popular way of sharing music back in the day. (kk)
Following up on Randy Price's recent comment about Billboard's music charts, I thought I'd offer this. According to Whitburn's Pop Memories book, Billboard's first music chart was its short-lived sheet music chart from 1913. Later that same year, the magazine began its Top Songs in Vaudeville chart, which continued until 1918. Coverage of music continued throughout the magazine, but other charts began: in June, 1934, Most-Played Songs on Network Radio; November, 1935, weekly coverage of major record companies' best-seller charts; April, 1938, Record Buying Guide, which surveyed the most popular records in jukeboxes; and July, 1940, Best-Selling Retail Records. As always, thanks to Joel Whitburn for providing us with so much research on Billboard Magazine and the music industry. Guy Arnston in Algonquin

re: REBOOT:
Hi Kent,
It's amazing how many of my friends and musical compadres keep popping up here in Forgotten Hits! Unfortunately, all too often it's because they have passed away, that they appear in this newsletter (i.e., Wayne Allwine and Bobby Espinosa). But now, there's another musician that I am currently working with in my newly reformed band, Reboot. That is Peggy Foster, who was the original bass player for The Runaways! She isn't mentioned by name, but since the new movie about The Runaways is out, she is getting a lot of attention.
Reboot The Band has been totally reformed with all new musicians in the lineup over the last six months. We are just now, starting to gig. Check out our web site, you will see many of the songs featured here on Forgotten Hits are part of our play list! For some reason, many "oldies bands" don't play a lot of these songs either. So I decided why not play them with my band! These are songs that are seldom heard on oldies radio stations, too. Maybe the band can get a gig in the Chicago area and you can come out to hear us. We feature a lot of the "girl group" songs from the early '60s (My Boyfriend's Back, Da Do Ron Ron, etc.)
Here's our new web site:
www.reboottheband.com
By the way, you asked about any tracks I might have with Bobby Espinosa. Unfortunately, we never got anything recorded during the several months he was with us in the band. I only have a video of us on a local TV show we did.
Preston Ritter
Hey, if you guys head out Chicago way, be SURE to give me a call so we can come out and see the band. Meanwhile, best of luck to you. Readers, check out the website and see if Reboot is playing anywhere near you! (kk)


... and, speaking of up-coming shows ...

re: UP-COMING SHOWS:
Just got this from our buddy Mitch Schecter of The Rip Chords:
Now THERE'S a Forgotten Hits Double Bill if I've ever seen one!!! Now you guys have to bring the show to Chicago so that WE can see it, too!!! (kk)

Hey gang:
My prayers have been answered, I've been bugging Rudy Bettancourt from Swallow Hill for years to book Roger McGuinn back to their incredible venue. Well guess what? My prayers have been answered. If you've never seen Roger by himself or with his historic band the Byrds, get off of your high horse and grab some tickets. I guarantee you they will go fast. It will be a night to remember for sure, and if by chance this is not one of the BEST concerts you've ever seen, I will personally refund the cost of your ticket(s). If you're from out of town, you are cordially invited to stay the night at the "Wild" Bill Cody 5 acre ranch (albeit probably on the floor with my 3 Big Red Irish Setters, but I'll feed you well and the adult beverages will flow freely!)
Again, get your tickets early, this baby will sell out quickly and you don't want to be on the outside looking in!!!
Any questions, let me know. Plus, just a chance to meet Roger's wife Camilla will be a breath of fresh air for all, she is a sweetheart AND drop dead gorgeous! Please feel free to check out Roger's website
http://www.mcguinn.com/
WOW, I have dreams of a Rickenbacker 12 string running through my head!!! Let's all get together for this for a time to remember forever!
WOO-HOO!
"Wild" Bill Cody
Roger McGuinn / Sat, July 24 / L2 Arts & Culture Center, Colfax

How does one turn, turn, turn a fledging career with a successful band into a flourishing solo career? Just ask former Byrds guitarist Roger Mcguinn. After nearly a decade in The Byrds, McGuinn felt a solo career beckoning. In 1973, he released the self-titled solo debut, Roger McGuinn, featuring participation from former band mates including innovative country-rock guitarist Clarence White, Crosby and Hillman as well as a contribution from Bob Dylan who played mouth harp on the track “I’m So Restless.” Roger has since released several albums to critical acclaim, including his sophomore solo effort, Peace On You, and the autobiographical, Life from Mars. In 2002, McGuinn enjoyed a Grammy nomination in the category of "Best Traditional Folk Album" for Treasures from the Folk Den, a collection of favorite songs which featured collaborations from Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Judy Collins to name a few.

Beatles Expert and Author Jude Kessler To Speak at NJ Beatles Event
Jude Southerland Kessler will be returning to the Fest for Beatles Fans and reading from her much anticipated second novel about John Lennon – Shivering Inside.
Jude Southerland Kessler, author of the historically researched novel Shoulda Been There and a world-renowned Beatles expert, will be a featured author and speaker at The Fest for Beatles Fans in Secaucus, NJ on March 26 - 28 where she will be giving presentations and readings throughout the weekend from her much anticipated second book, Shivering Inside, which covers John Lennon’s life from Dec. 1961 to 8 April 1963.


Jude Kessler’s presentation schedule for the fest will be as follows:
Friday - 9 p.m. Reading and Beatles Show on “Shoulda Been There”
Saturday - 9:30 p.m. Reading and Beatles Show on “Shivering Inside”
Sunday - 4:00 p.m. Reading and Beatles Show on “Shivering Inside”
Ms. Kessler has spent over 20 years and made seven trips to Liverpool to research her comprehensive and thorough series about the life of John Lennon. Shivering Inside is the second installment of a five book series and is due for publication on 9 October 2010. Shoulda covers Lennon’s life from 1940 to December 1961.
Ms. Kessler will have copies of her first book available for sale and will be pre-selling copies of her second book. Each copy of Shoulda Been There comes with a 60-minute interview CD with Allan Williams, a collector’s bookmark and a ‘Shoulda Been There’ guitar pic.
For more information on Jude Southerland Kessler, go to:
http://http://www.ontherockbooks.com/ or email her at: http://us.mc10.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rjkess@comcast.net.
For more information on The Fest for Beatles Fans, go to: http://www.thefest.com/.

IF ANYONE IS FROM THE AREA or CAN GET HERE ... (Woodbridge, NJ ... a 35 minute train ride from NYC) ... This came in the mail from the township. Town Schedule ... Easter Parade ... Spring Art Show ... but I was shocked at the caliber of talent they were able to get for a relatively small venue ...
INDOOR - 250 SEATS $22 ... $25 at the door ...

I'm sure Johnny Maestro would have made the bill (RIP) ...

Woodbridge does an outdoor, summer concert series with some decent (well known) talent for the most part ...
(gary) RENFIELD
www.RIPRenfield.com
(the Al Stewart looks really good to me)
I would LOVE to see Al Stewart ... I've actually been listening to him quite a bit lately. I've seen Marshall Crenshaw a couple of times now ... in fact, way back when we were invited to his CD launch party for his very first release ... when NOBODY knew who he was. Then "Someday, Someway" hit the radio and he quickly developed the "cult" following he maintains today. Even Janis Ian would be interesting to see. Please report back to us with your concert reviews. Thanks, Gary! (kk)

re: GREAT CLIPS:
Thanks to Eddie Burke for turning us on to this website, featuring ALL kinds of GREAT, classic '60's music clips:
Click here: RoadOde Television, Music, and Commercials Nostalgia

... and, speaking of great '60's music clips ...

re: THE T.A.M.I. SHOW / SHINDIG / THE BRITISH INVASION DVD SERIES / et al:
We received a nice response to the mention of these up-coming releases ... seems our readers have ALSO been chomping at the bit to obtain high-quality copies of these very special performances. (I know WE sure have been!!!) Read on ...
Hi Kent
The Canada Shindig 30 DVD box set is ok ... its pricey ... and the quality is ok, too. Some of the clips have the numbers running through them. I think they got them from Video Beat, as their logo is on most of them. The cover art is great.
Shivaree is the same some with numbers running through them. If you already have any parts of the above, the quality has not been improved its the same.
It's still great to have then all in one package,
Another note on the Shindig set: for the price, they sure could have used better cases ... with six disc in a single DVD case, most of the discs won't stay in the case, so you get them scratched from shipping. There is a double six disc case that holds the disc much better. I'm transferring mine to those now, having to redo cover art to fit bigger case.
One more thing ... both of these (Shindig and Shivaree) are DVD-R's
Mickey
PS It might be these DVD's we collectors have been buying selling and trading for years are getting taboo in the USA. Warner Brothers shut down my store on ioffer and they kicked me off claiming copy right. My friend at Trash Palace had them go after him making him remove a lot of titles from his web site.
Makes me wonder if Canada and other non US places will be the future of this.
Mickey
There has been a HUGE market for collectors of these videos for as far back as I can remember ... instead of cracking down on the spot dealer here and there making them available, I wish the companies who own the rights to these clips would simply release them in a legitimate format and be done with it!!! For one thing, the fact that dealers are selling them on a regular basis proves that there is a market for this material ... plus EVERYBODY wins as we'd have much more pristine copies for viewing if the prints came from the original masters. We've been preaching this for YEARS ... if you make it available to us, we WILL buy it ... and so with thousands and thousands of OTHER music collectors out there trying to recapture a piece of their youth!!! (kk)

Kent ...
You were right about The Beatles on Ready, Steady, Go! They were on every show. They sing a couple of songs on Volumes 1, 2 & 3. Also on Volume 3 is a special edition "The Beatles Live." They sing Twist & Shout, Roll Over Beethoven , I Wanna Be Your Man, Long Tall Sally, Medley = Love Me Do, Please Please Me, From Me To You, She Loves You, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Can't Buy Me Love, Shout. All You Need Is Love - It says rare recording unavailable on any Beatles Record.
I just got Hullabaloo Volumes 1 - 12. Haven't watched them yet.
I'll let you know how they are after I watch them.
That's all for now.
Frank B.

Kent,
It’s interesting that you covered both Shindig and The T.A.M.I. Show in the same column.
I’ve been reading a lot in the press this week-end about the DVD release (uncut) of the T.A.M.I Show, and learning not only about the singers and musicians who were billed on that concert, but also that actress Teri Garr and singer / choreographer Toni Basil were back-up dancers on the show. As coincidence would have it they also both appeared as dancers on Shindig.
Mike Ogilvie
Mississauga, ON
Don'tcha just love it when all this stuff falls together?!?! (lol) kk

THE T.A.M.I. SHOW now on DVD

Quentin Tarantino puts it “in the Top Three of all rock movies.” Steven Van Zandt calls it “the greatest rock movie you’ve never seen.” And, talking about James Brown’s dynamic segment of dance & soul, Rick Rubin said it was “the greatest rock and roll performance ever captured on film.”
High praise for a movie we’ve never seen, hey? But many of us have, in fact, seen The T.A.M.I. Show, a concert staged one long evening in October, 1964, in L.A. and featuring -- take a deep breath here -- The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Lesley Gore, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Barbarians, and hosts Jan and Dean. Seven of these acts went on to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And there were more big names behind the scenes. The director, Steve Binder, went on to oversee the Elvis Presley comeback special four years later; the house band was led by Jack Nitzsche, who’d scored his own hit with “The Lonely Surfer;” the backup singers, the Blossoms, included Darlene Love; and recording engineer Dave Hassinger went on to work with the Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead and the Stones.
T.A.M.I., BTW, stood for “Teenage Awards Music International.” There never were any awards. No matter; the capacity crowd at the 3,000-seat Santa Monica Civic Auditorium got themselves a show. And within a few weeks, in late 1964, movie audiences got a chance to see it, in living black and white “Electronovision,” a Sixties version of high-def.
But after a short theatrical run, financial and legal problems rendered the film hard to find. It was never released on home video. Over the years, it’d show up on TV on occasion, but it’s been available mainly on bootlegs, truncated and grainy.
Now, it’s been lovingly restored and issued on DVD by Shout! Factory. For me, it’s a reunion. As a college kid, I was a fan of the movie. Now, I can look at the lineup and tick off the artists I’ve met (and ticked off): the Beach Boys, James Brown, Marvin, Smokey, Diana Ross, and the Stones. And the director, Steve Binder. Crazy.
And watching the mesmerizing performance that James Brown put on – years before his Apollo Theater shows put him on the pop music map – reminds me of my visit with him, when he happily claimed credit for influencing the dance moves of at least one fellow T.A.M.I. artist — that’d be Mick Jagger — as well as Tina Turner, Prince and Michael Jackson. I asked who influenced him. For example, the classic bit, during “Please Please Please,” when he’d repeatedly stagger off, and a valet would drape a leopard cape over his shoulders, and he’d shake it off, run back to the mike and sing some more.
That, he said, came from church – and from Gorgeous George, a colorful wrestler of the Fifties. “I used to come back on stage carrying a suitcase, and they threw a towel around me; I threw it off. And I thought of Gorgeous George. He had capes, and that was flamboyant, so I put that in the act.”

Ken Voss

By the way, The British Invasion DVDs are shipping next week ... if you buy the Box Set, you get a bonus disk that features over 90 minutes of additional interviews with Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits, Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers, Simon Bell, Madeline Bell and Burt Bacharach (talking about Dusty Springfield) and Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan of The Small Faces. You ALSO get NINE additional musical performances by Dusty Springfield and seven bonus cuts by Herman's Hermits! The complete series is available here:
Click here: Amazon.com: British Invasion: 5 DVD Box Set featuring Bonus Disc: Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Herman's Hermits

Hi Kent,
So sorry to hear about Alex Chilton's passing. Hard to believe he was only 16 when he recorded for the The Box Tops. My favorite tune was Soul Deep. I have it in my juke box.
On a happier note, after hearing Casey of American Idol choosing to sing the Rolling Stones "Its All Over Now", brought back memories.
And then seeing it song by the Original Rolling Stones on the TAMI Show was GREAT!! Young Mick Jagger's choreography was on target with that great tune!!!! That is one song you never hear on the air waves.
Carolyn
Ooo ... and ANOTHER great "Remakes" song!!! (kk)

... Speaking Of Which ...

re: THE REMAKES:
Another strong edition of FH!
Just to clarify ...
>>>"I Can Hear Music" is a GREAT suggestion ... Brian Wilson covering his idol, Phil Spector ... (kk)
Brian's brother Carl, emerging in his own right as a producer, was the driving force behind the Beach Boys' version of "I Can Hear Music". Great song; great sound; great single!
Phil @ PrayForSurf

Regarding "My Ding A Ling," when the first promotional copy of that 1972 single arrived at the radio station I was then programming, I eagerly put it on the turntable in my office to audition, hoping it was good enough to broadcast. I was excited by the prospect of helping one of rock's most legendary masters earn yet another big hit after so many years without one (Berry had last made the charts in 1965). To be perfectly honest, I considered "My Ding A Ling" a huge disappointment -- as it's very juvenile crudity seemed not just embarrassing but way beneath my lofty view of the great Chuck Berry. Still interested in helping Chuck make a chart return, I decided to place in hot rotation the FLIP SIDE of "My Ding A Ling" -- a live version of "Johnny B Goode." We played that B side for nearly 20 weeks -- and got far more requests for IT than "My Ding A Ling" (which we eventually played as well). When compared to genuine Berry classics like "Maybelline," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Nadine" and "Rock ' 'Roll Music," "My Ding A Ling" -- even today -- still makes me cringe.
Gary Theroux
I couldn't agree more ... and I LOVED Chuck Berry's music ... incredible to think that "My Ding A Ling" would become his biggest hit! (kk)


re: THE MONKEES:
I saw nothing wrong with "The Monkees"' version of "Yes I Will". Frankly, both versions were good; just one was done as a ballad and the other wasn't.
Diana
Bloomfield Hills, Mi

The Monkees' version was a VERY "Davy" sort of song!!! Even listening to it now, can't you just see those little glitter stars in his eyes as he's singing this??? (kk)

re: HEY JIMI!:
Let's hear it for the timeless power and appeal of Jimi Hendrix ... the brand new Hendrix release that we've been telling you about, "Valleys Of Neptune" just debuted on Billboard's Top Albums Chart at #4!!! That makes Hendrix the new "timeless" champion, earning a Top Ten Album FORTY YEARS after his death!!! In addition, four of Jimi's classic catalog albums ALSO returned to The Billboard Top 100 Album Chart this week ... amazing!!!
Here's the story as reported by Paul Grein of Yahoo's "Chart Watch" (kk):
The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Valleys Of Neptune enters The Billboard 200 at #4, putting the rock legend back in the top five nearly 40 years after he died at the tragically young age of 27. No other artist has cracked the top five this long after his death. Elvis Presley is in second place. His Elvis: 2nd To None debuted at #3 in October 2003, a little more than 26 years after his death.
Hendrix is the second music legend to make the top five posthumously in the past two weeks.
Johnny Cash bowed at #3 two weeks ago with American VI: Ain't No Grave. But Cash died less than seven years ago. It's more remarkable for an artist who died four decades ago to make significant chart waves.
Valleys Of Neptune is, incredibly, Hendrix's 34th posthumous album to make The Billboard 200.
Hendrix was a star for just three years, from June 1967, when he played the Monterey International Pop Festival, to September 1970, when he died in London of a drug overdose. The guitar hero had four top five albums in his lifetime. This is his third top five album since his death. It follows The Cry Of Love, which hit #3 in 1971, and Crash Landing, which reached #5 in 1975.
Four of Hendrix's catalog albums re-enter The Billboard 200 this week. 1967's Are You Experienced? bows at #44, followed by 1968's Electric Ladyland at #60, the 1997 compilation First Rays Of The New Rising Sun at #63 and 1968's Axis: Bold As Love at #67.
Experienced? first cracked The Billboard 200 on Aug. 26, 1967. It was only the 10th highest new entry of the week (!), opening at an unimpressive #190. The album took 59 weeks to reach its #5 peak in October 1968. This week's debut of Valleys Of Neptune gives Hendrix a nearly 41-1/2 year span of top five albums.

re: AND ONE FINAL REMINDER:

You've only got a few days left to cast your vote in the Hz So Good / I.R.S. Poll. If you feel strongly about some of YOUR favorite records ... to the point that you honestly believe It Really Shoulda Been a Top Ten Hit, then get your votes and nominations in NOW!!! All the details are below (along with information as to where you can hear Rich count 'em down once the results have been tabulated.) Just a reminder that the filing deadline for this years’s Hz So Good I.R.S. (as in, It Really Shoulda been a Top 10 hit) Top 104 is March 31. That’s because on Friday, April 2 – Good Friday for some of you – we’ll be counting down the 104 on Bob Radil’s Friday Night 60s-70s Show starting at 6pm ET (hear it at www.wnhu.org).
If you really wanna file your Really Shouldas, all you have to do is email your list of as many as 40 songs (title and artist, to avoid any confusion) that ’shoulda been’ Top 10 hits in the U.S.
You don’t have to look anything up before you send – we’ll do that here. You can send less, you just can’t send more.
Every I.R.S. filer is automatically entered in a drawing to win a pretty neat prize, but in order to be eligible, we need your I.R.S. by March 31.
The Top 104 will also be featured in the next issue of Hz So Good, coming around mid-April.
Thanks…
-Rich Appel

Send your votes to rich.appel@hzsogd.com ... and, if you want Rich to email you the final results, just sign up for his awesome Hz So Good Newsletter!

TODAY'S MUSIC:
We all know Johnny Maestro's biggest hits ... "16 Candles" and "The Worst That Could Happen" went to #'s 2 and 3 on Billboard's Pop Singles Chart for The Crests and The Brooklyn Bridge respectively ... but Johnny Maestro ALSO scored a Top 20 Billboard Hit as a solo artist ... check out "Model Girl" from 1961!







And how about the original version of "It's All Over Now" by Bobby Womack and The Valentinos!!! Just a few weekss before The Rolling Stones put their permanent signature on this tune, The Valentinos snuck into the very bottom of The Billboard Charts with their original rendition, recorded for Sam Cooke's SAR Record Label. You don't EVER hear this one anymore ... unless you read Forgotten Hits!!! (Maybe we can get Scott Shannon to feature this one on the next True Oldies Channel Rock And Roll Remakes Weekend!)







The Monkees' version of "I'll Be True To You", from their first LP ... originally a hit for The Hollies in the U.K. under the title "Yes I Will".







Watch for another batch of comments tomorrow on The Forgotten Hits Web Page!