re: RADIO NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Very special thanks to Ron Smith (www.oldiesmusic.com) for tipping us off about these three major radio stories this weekend! (We'll have more of your radio-related comments tomorrow in Forgotten Hits ... but these three were pretty big deals so we wanted to get the word out to you right away!)
I have to admit that I was quite shocked, surprised (and VERY disappointed) to hear that Hit Parade Radio was already throwing in the towel. We were SO pleased and optimistic when we first heard that somebody was taking the bull by the horns and programming radio for OUR demographic. Obviously, we did our fair share of helping to spread the word about this new radio format ... but it is SO hard in this economy to make ANYTHING work, let alone a start-up business. And you couldn't have had more talent attached to this than they did. Here's the sad, sad news:
HIT PARADE RADIO IS OVER
Written by Larz
Friday, 04 June 2010 18:30
Normally summer is a good time for parades, but not for Hit Parade Radio. The radio syndicator / Internet radio station announced this afternoon that it is ceasing all operations this weekend, as of Noon on Sunday. Hit Parade Radio never really got off the ground. The long-anticipated 24/7 Oldies Radio Network created by veteran WLS & WCFL programmer John Rook, and featuring Chicago's "Superjock," Larry Lujack, was supposed to launch last summer. Instead, numerous delays and canceled launch dates followed. For many months, it was only available online via their website. A few months ago, HPR had what they termed a "soft launch" with their network available on Clear Channel Satellite and on a handful of very small markets' radio stations.The station's lineup was in a constant state of flux, with Lujack being moved from mornings to afternoons, new names added often, DJs sharing the same shift (which meant their automated software, playing the pre-taped DJs segments was not working properly), and plenty of behind-the-scenes problems. The company itself was sold a couple of months back to Earthworks Entertainment. A few weeks ago, DJ Wink Martindale abandoned ship. There was never the big marketing push it needed, nor was there any demand for a competitor to Scott Shannon's "True Oldies Station" Network.Operations Director, Vic Thomas, who himself was just hired just over a week ago, made the sad announcement today that due to a lack of funding, Hit Parade Radio was dead as of this coming Sunday June 6th. In a letter to the few affiliates, Thomas wrote, "It all comes down to money, and over the last couple of weeks, for various reasons, our major funding sources have gone away, including Harris Broadcasting, who decided not to move forward." He added, "Whatever the causes, we gave it our best shot."
This is extra sad, since Sunday is Larry Lujack's 70th birthday.
-- Ron Smith
Since we certainly did our part to help spread the word about Hit Parade Radio ... and really embraced the concept of programming dedicated to OUR generation ... I asked John Rook for an "official" statement that we could pass along to our readers. Instead he sent me a much more "personal" note and I salute him for it:
Early on, the original funding for Hit Parade Radio pulled away when Music of Your Life claimed they had the rights to the name and filed for a trademark. A federal lawsuit was filed proving the name Hit Parade Radio had been used by me since the mid-1960's.
By fall, Music of Your Life apologized and withdrew any claim to the name Hit Parade Radio. However, by this time economic conditions had brought on bankruptcy for not only broadcast interests nationally but many major companies including the automotive businesses and hundreds of banks. Securing start up funding in December allowed Hit Parade Radio to finally offer satellite delivery in the first quarter of 2010.
Larry Lujack's greatest success in the Chicago ratings was when I slotted him in aternoons at both WLS and WCFL. When we learned that many radio affiliates nationally wanted their mornings to originate locally although they were interested in syndication for the remainder of the day and night, it was my decision to place our two biggest names, Wink Martindale in mid days and Larry Lujack in afternoons. We added long time KLUV programmer Chuck Brinkman in the mornings for those few stations still carrying syndication in the mornings. Ron Foster, a veteran of more than 20 years with satellite music network was added at night.
Within two months we were being carried on two dozen small market AM stations. However, with most of radio now owned by the same company that supplies syndication, we found very few openings for Hit Parade Radio, a lone syndication company. Though both Wink and Larry have major track records in radio, most of the decision makers of today are in their forties and have limited knowledge of radio except for the past 20 years maximum.
All signs indicate a dismal economic future not only for radio but for almost all industries. The internet is the future for the programming normally heard on AM / FM.
The music of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame will soon return to being heard on Wi-Fi and the internet. The Hit Parade Hall of Fame (
I hope this gives your readers the full story on Hit Parade Radio, Kent.
Thank you for your long established support of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
John Rook
re: AND THE END OF ANOTHER RADIO ERA:
Dr. Demento has announced the end of his syndicated radio program: http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/640-dr-demento-ends-his-40-year-old-radio-show
-- Ron SmithOMG ... I hope this isn't some sort of John Rook solidarity jesture on Dr. Demento's part!!! Although I haven't listened to his program in years, I was a long-time fan of the Good Doctor ... FH List Member Ed Andrews first turned me on to his program way back in the early '70's. (In fact, Dr. Demento was just about to celebrate his 40th anniversary on the air!) I have a number of his shows on tape (as well as all his Greatest Hits CDs and LPs.) Sounds like he will continue streaming from his own website ... the wave of the future apparently for ALL out of work jocks these days. Dr. Demento (Barry Hansen) has participated with Forgotten Hits a few times over the years, most notably letting us know that Jerry Samuels (aka Napoleon XIV of "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haa!" fame) was still alive and well when rumors were circulating a few years back that Samuels had passed. (kk)
re: NEW RADIO OPTIONS:
Meanwhile, how cool is this?!?!?
Ron Smith just sent me a link for "Chicago Radio" Online ... featuring the familiar voices of Clark Weber, Fred Winston, Tommy Edwards, Scotty Brink, Mitch Michaels, Sky Daniels, Patti Haze, Doug Dahlgren ... and more to come! You can check it all out right here:
Click here: Chicago Radio Online More details as they become more available ... so stay tuned! (kk)
re: PAUL McCARTNEY:
Macca made big news again this past week when he appeared at The White House to receive the Gershwin Award from President Obama. We heard he also serenaded The First Lady with a little bit of "Michelle" ... followed by The Jonas Brothers (who sang an excellent, rockin' version of "Drive My Car".) McCartney was then joined by Stevie Wonder and the two music icons performed their #1 Hit "Ebony And Ivory" together ... probably the first (and only) live performance of that tune EVER!!! (Stevie also performed the McCartney tune "We Can Work It Out", a Top 15 Chart Hit for Wonder back in 1971.)
Click here: YouTube - Jonas, Wonder and Obama Tribute to McCartney McCartney's complete White House set list included:
Paul McCartney - "Got To Get You Into My Life"
Stevie Wonder - "WeCan Work It Out"
Jonas Brothers - "Drive My Car"
Emmylou Harris - "For No One"
Jack White - "Mother Nature's Son"
Corinne Bailey Rae and Herbie Hancock - "Blackbird"
Faith Hill - "The Long and Winding Road"
Elvis Costello - "Penny Lane"
Dave Grohl - "Band on the Run"
Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder - "Ebony and Ivory"
Paul McCartney - "Michelle"
Paul McCartney - "Eleanor Rigby"
Paul McCartney - "Let It Be"
Paul McCartney - "Hey Jude"
Meanwhile, Sir Paul also announced a few more tour dates:
Thursday, July 15th - The Pepsi Center / Denver
Saturday, July 24th - Sprint Center / Kansas City
Saturday, August 8th - Air Canada Centre / Toronto
Thursday, August 12th - Bell Centre / Montreal
... and, in other Beatles related news ...
re: THE BEATLES:
>>>You probably knew this already but I just read that the Beatles Capitol Albums Volume 2 contains incorrect mono versions of 'Beatles VI' and 'Rubber Soul'. I had no idea! The sticker on the box after the serial number has "SK1" which they say is the correct copy. Knowing this, I'll be looking to find the right version. As for what makes it the incorrect mono mix, I cut and pasted the following from Wikipedia: (JacoFan)
>>>Beatles author Bruce Spizer, who also wrote the set's in-depth liner notes, told The Beatles fan website whatgoeson.com that a "third party mastering facility incorrectly sent stereo-to-mono mixdowns" to be pressed rather than the vintage mono mixes. The "folded down stereo mixes" are actually the stereo mix consolidated into both speakers. Although the mixes are technically in mono (in the sense that the sound in both the right and left channels is the same), they are not the actual mono mixes released by Capitol in 1965. There are some very noticeable differences, such as the actual mono mix of "I'm Looking Through You" (on Rubber Soul) lacking the false start found on the stereo mix, while the fold-down mono includes the false start. The differences between the stereo and mono mixes are one of the main draws for collectors. The easiest way to tell if the set has the correct mono mixes is to check the total playing time of the discs on a CD player. The discs with the correct mono mixes have a slightly longer playing time.
Disc 1 = 52:25; Disc 2 = 56:16 (disc with incorrect mono mix is 56:01); Disc 3 = 59:07; Disc 4 = 59:08 (disc with incorrect mono mix is 59:01)
Kent,
As for The Beatles Capitol Vol. 2 - 2006 "Rubber Soul" remastered CD release, the track that your readers are talking about, "I'm Looking Through You" ... at 1:22 into the Stereo and Mono mix, you can hear high-end feedback more promedently on the Stereo mix as opposed to the Mono mix.My original Stereo L.P. has the same feedback and I always waited for the 'feedback' so that I could point out a recording error on a Beatles record to my friends.
As always Kent, great site and wonderful feedback from your readers!
Peace,
George Manney - director, producer, songwriter
http://www.phillypopmusic.com
>>>Here in New York, residents of the famed Dakota building are battling back against an invasion of tour buses packed with passengers straining to catch a glimpse of the site where John Lennon was slain. Thirty years after the Beatles star was gunned down outside the building where he lived, the site still draws curiosity seekers. And with them come noisy, gas-guzzling, pollution-spewing, traffic-snarling buses, many from as far away as Canada. When the tourists get out, they block the entire sidewalk and you can't get back into your building. It's dangerous because many times the buses block the intersection. They block the vision of the pedestrian walking across. Gale Brewer, the city councilwoman who represents the area, asked Mayor Bloomberg last week to station enforcement agents outside the Dakota on weekends to keep buses from double parking. Not long after Brewer weighed in on the issue, a bus driver double-parked beside the building on West 72nd Street and Central Park West and let passengers off. "I'm sorry", the bus driver said when confronted. "We only park here for ten minutes." I can understand how it is a problem and why residents are annoyed. I wouldn't like it where I live. (Frank B.)
>>>Unfortunately, I don't know how you get around this one ... look how many people still flock to the crash-site of Buddy Holly's plane every year ... and this is 50+ years after it happened. Too bad the city can't erect some type of a supervised, monitored memorial site that would still allow fans to trace their hero's footsteps. (kk)
Hi Kent,
At the time of John Lennon's murder I lived in Stamford, CT, about one hour from NYC and myself and a friend had tickets to see Jack Bruce at The Palladium in NYC on the Saturday after Lennon died. Of course Jack Bruce spoke to the audience about the tragedy and basically said to not let it get you down and words to that effect. My friend and I decided to drive uptown to see if there were still crowds of people near The Dakota (there were), but the police had set up an area down the block for people to congregate, so there were probably 150-200 people there singing and holding candles and pictures and such. We wanted to see if we could get closer, so we parked a few blocks away and walked up the opposite end of the street from the police lines and crossed the street and walked right up to the entranceway of The Dakota. We then saw the grim sight of John's blood on the sidewalk surrounded by police tape, I'll never forget that. Also, the following week when Yoko asked for a few minutes of silence to remember John and virtually every radio station in the area participated, I sat at home checking up and down the dial and there were only 2-3 stations playing anything, and the weirdest thing happened, and I swear this is true, it started snowing almost at the exact time of the moment of silence and stopped shortly after, I still get chills thinking about that! A few years earlier, another friend of mine was walking around Central Park taking pictures and suddenly found himself standing next to John and Yoko getting hot dogs from a sidewalk vendor! He did not want to bother them, but they noticed that he recognized them so they said Hello and he snapped a quick picture of them and went on their way. I wish I had a copy of that picture, but have long since fallen out of touch with my old friend after he moved to Boston. Oh Well.
Eddie,
Orange, CT
From what I've heard, John was always very cordial to his fans who would often meet him on the street as he walked around New York City and Central Park ... it was never really the craziness of the early years (and, quite honestly, I think John just accepted who he was and what he meant to these people.) Thanks for sharing, Eddie! (kk)
re: ODE TO BILLIE JOE:
There's a line in Ode To Billy Joe about a frog being put down Bobbie's back. There's also a line in the Jim Stafford song, Spiders & Snakes, about Jim picking up a frog and shaking it at Mary Lou. No wonder the two ended up getting married.
Jack (Rock And Roll Never Forgets)
What year was it, anyway? According to this, the song would have been written in 1954, even though we didn't hear it til '67.
David Lewis
Billie Joe's alleged homosexuality would have been FAR more scandalous back in 1953. Although I never saw this movie, I heard it wasn't very good ... and reportedly featured full frontal nudity by a young Robby Benson. How cool, 'though, that it was directed by Jethro Bodine?!?!? (kk)
re: THE HAPPY TOGETHER AGAIN TOUR:
I read the newspaper clipping you posted (the nj.com story) and determined that the journalist just had not had the privilege of knowing the band in the 60s -- all it will take will be one good concert appearance in the next few days before the author knows how to pick Carl and Nick out of any crowd. There’s an idea for a good skit for Letterman: “Know Your Buckinghams!” Meet Carl and Nick!
From the feedback I’m seeing online, thousands of people DO know Carl and Nick, and how. The 2 and 3-hour shows produce after-show crowds who stand in line to meet them for another 2-3 hours.
Thanks so much for all you do, it means a lot.
Best regards,
Dawn Lee
Yes, we've heard from a number of people who can't believe how long the lines are for the after-show autograph signing ... gotta be a HUGE plus for ALL these guys' egos to see how truly dear to our hearts they still are after all these years. (Having a stellar line-up certainly doesn't hurt either!!! lol) The reaction I've heard and seen is all very positive ... sounds like one heck of a night of '60's entertainment! (kk)
Kent,
Thank you for the great write up on the tour ... very well written.
I appreciate it. I look forward to talking to you again as we get further into the tour.
Best regards,
Carl Giammarese
Please do, Carl ... and encourage the OTHER guys to drop us a line, too. (We were supposed to have some comments from Mark Lindsay but couldn't connect for a phone conversation. Meanwhile, it'd be great to hear from Micky Dolenz and Rob Grill, too ... and Nick Fortuna and Mark Volman as well for that matter! (kk)
re: AND HERMAN'S HERMITS!:
Hi Kent!
Just wondering if anyone has checked in with the scoop on The First Annual Peter Noone fan event, we're calling it Noonefest! It's happening in Jim Thorpe, PA, on July 9 at the Penn's Peak Theatre and so far it looks like there will be about 200 + Noonatics there celebrating, singing, and swaying to the music of Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone. Everyone who's been or is a fan of Peter's is invited, they can go to his website (www.peternoone.com) for all the info on tickets and the events of the weekend. It'll be a blast and we will be Into Something Good this summer!
Thanks again for all the hard work you do on Forgotten Hits. It's always a great way to spend some time remembering the oldies!
Karen Thompson
No, I had NOT heard about this ... but with SO many Philly readers on the list, I am happy to help spread the word. Please report back to us after the event and let us know all about it. Thanks, Karen! (kk)
re: AMERICAN IDOL:
>>>"Who's going to replace Simon Cowell" (Artie Wayne)
Well, based on all the buzz last week, it sure sounds like Bret Michaels thinks HE'S got the inside track to Simon's throne ... in fact, it sounds like Fox got quite annoyed with him for even discussing it publicly! (Michaels even performed on the season finale, mere weeks after brain surgery!) Others have suggested that they should simply scrap the whole panel and start over! Only time will tell.
If Bret Michaels was the BIG American Idol story last week, a close second had to be the reported death of "Pants On The Ground" creator General Larry Platt. I heard it from at least half a dozen sources that Platt had been mugged down in Atlanta, Georgia, and then died a few days later ... including a couple of "unconfirmed" reports on the radio. Thankfully, it was all just a nasty rumor and Platt is fine. (He had just appeared on the American Idol Finale a couple of days before performing his "cult" hit ... with the unlikely duet partner of previous Idol wannabe William Hung!)
And, speaking of the American Idol finale, we finally got around to watching it this past week ... not much to do with this year's contestants ... in fact, I don't know that EITHER finalist showed us anything that night that was convincing enough to warrant their winning the annual competition ... but it DID provide a GREAT showcase of what I'll call Grey-Haired Rock! Appearances by Alice Cooper, Michael McDonald, The Bee Gees, Joe Cocker, Daryl Hall and John Oates and Chicago gave us all a chance to enjoy some music from the past ... while Christina Aguilera and Janet Jackson lent the proceedings a more "contemporary" feel. (Although I've got to tell you, Christina REALLY should have been scolded for her "song choice" ... as powerful and compelling as her voice may be, she TOTALLY lost me during her performance of one of the new tracks from her upcoming CD. And, truth be told, Janet Jackson has become a bit of an "oldies" act herself ... while it was great to hear "Nasty" again, the plain and simple truth is that that song is now 24 years old ... it comes from her first string of 17 consecutive Top 20 Hits that ran from 1986 - 1993. And I can't tell you how many times the three of us watching her first number exchanged glances and gasps at how much she sounded EXACTLY like Michael on certain passages!) Appearances by former Idol Winners Kris Allen and Carrie Underwood were nice ... and the chorus of previous finalists was quite impressive (although they never panned the singers long enough or slow enough to determine exactly who was there.) Definitely NOT there was last year's sensation Adam Lambert who, apparently, wouldn't conform to the producers' performance code. Too bad ... he probably could have blown most of the other artists away. (kk)
re: ROGER McGUINN:
Bet you've already heard about this from Wild Bill.
David Lewis
Click here: Roger McGuinn With Amy Tan, Dave Barry And More: Authors At The Tiny Desk : NPR
Actually, no ... but he IS the first one I forwarded it to!!! (lol) Thanks, David. (kk)
re: AND ANOTHER WORD ON "PLAYING THE HITS" WHEN PERFORMING LIVE IN CONCERT:
>>>After reading your piece on Rick Nelson and the reaction from the crowd at Madison Square Garden, thus inspiring his big hit record 'Garden Party', I just wanted to say that I was there when John Sebastian practically got booed off the stage because he only wanted to play new songs that nobody had heard of and the audience wanted to hear the old Lovin' Spoonful hits. And also in Atlantic City when Graham Nash DID walk off the stage while in concert with Crosby and Stills because nobody wanted to hear new music, they all wanted to hear the old stuff. I guess that's why I came! (Eileen)
>>>I truly believe that the artist owes it to his or her audience to cover the obvious material that got them there in the first place ... let's face it, they wouldn't have the crowd to play for were it not for these established hits. That being said, I also understand the need to move forward and introduce new material into the act. Let's face it, this is where their FUTURE classics will come from. It's a fine line and a delicate mix ... but MOST artists have found the way to satisfy BOTH needs (the audience's and their own.) If you're going to play three or four songs in a row that the audience doesn't know or recognize, you risk losing your audience in the process. Instead, mixing these in with the tried and true hits ... along with perhaps a nice story that explains some of the new material (inspiration; funny circumstance; etc.) really goes a long way toward drawing the audience into this new music. Using Crosby, Stills and Nash as an example, the wealth of older material these guys have to draw from ... not only their own stuff but the stuff they sang with their former bands ... would lead me to believe that they could easily mix up the act in such a way as to NEVER be boring by playing the same set night after night after night. (kk)
Here's a comment from Dan Fogelberg that seems to sum up the ongoing discussion about what we want from our favorite artists.
David Lewis
Click here: YouTube - Dan Fogelberg - Believe In Me (Live - 1991)
re: ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE's TOP 500 SONGS:
>>>Am I HIGH on dope or didn't Rolling Stone announce the 500 Biggest Records of All-Time like 3 or 4 years ago? (SAME LIST). Are they running out of new ideas and material or what? Hello??? ("Wild" Bill Cody)
Hi Kent,
We went to the local Jewel to shop Sunday and came across the new issue of Rolling Stone. I am a sucker for any publication that lists the top 500 of anything regarding Rock N Roll and as I leafed through the issue I realized I had read this all before. Since I keep almost everything, I found the older issue and noticed it was almost exactly the same as before. What a ripoff. All they had to do was post a REVISED label on the front. At least I didn't buy this so called new issue.
Mark (GoHawksGo)
Well, I guess it KINDA makes sense ... once you narrow it down to the all-time greatest 500 tunes, what are you gonna do next ... change your mind?!?! Especially after that list has been quoted HUNDREDS of times over the past several years?!?! Doesn't matter ... I still bought it anyway ... although I'm nowhere near as excited to read it now. Oh well ... it'll still make for some great bathroom reading! lol (kk)
re: NEW RELEASES:
>>>FH Favorites The Rip Chords have just signed a new deal with Spectra Records. Although we're sworn to secrecy on most of the details, we CAN tell you that a brand new release is in the works ... stay tuned to these pages for more details ... or check The Rip Chords' website: WWW.THERIPCHORDS.NET (kk)
Well, we teased it last week ... and now comes this official word from Mitch Schecter of The Rip Chords:
Hey Kent ...
You have the exclusive! Here's the latest word on our brand new CD!
Mitch
P.S. Let's do a CD give away when it's released!
THE RIP CHORDS HAVE SIGNED A DEAL WITH SPECTRA RECORDS, A GREAT RECORD COMPANY OUT OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WITH MANY CLASSIC ARTISTS SIGNED TO THE LABEL ... MANY YOU KNOW, LIKE ORLEANS, LOU GRAMM, PAUL YOUNG, ROBBIE DUPREE AND OTHERS.
OUR CD WILL BE COMING OUT LATER THIS YEAR. I'VE INCLUDED A PHOTO OF THE COOL COVER THAT THEIR ART DEPARTMENT HAS PUT TOGETHER. WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS CD AND LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING OUT TO PROMOTE IT THIS SUMMER. THE CD WILL FEATURE SIX CLASSIC TRACKS, NEWLY RECORDED IN 2010 AND SIX CURRENT SONGS (LIKE "ALL OUT" & "FUZZY DICE") FROM OUR PREVIOUS 2 CD'S, "COBRA BEACH" & 'NOW".
EVERYONE CAN CHECK OUT WWW.THERIPCHORDS.NET FOR MORE INFO TO COME. SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!!!
MITCH SCHECTER / THE RIP CHORDS
Cool cover, don't you think? It's sort of a tribute to the old Ed Roth drawings.
Thanks for everything, buddy!
Mitch
Can't wait to hear the new release. Thanks, Mitch! And, as we get closer to the actual release date, be watching for yet another Forgotten Hits / Rip Chords Give-Away!!! (kk)
JOHN MELLENCAMP’S ON THE RURAL ROUTE 7609 SET FOR RELEASE JUNE 15
On The Rural Route 7609 is a four CD set that chronicles, in a most unique way, the arc of John Mellencamp’s career, with a focus on his songwriting. Universal Music Enterprises has set June 15th as the release date for the collection through its Mercury imprint. The package, unlike typical box sets that tend to slavishly offer a chronological presentation of hits and near-hits, is programmed as if each of the discs were a freestanding album. The 54 tracks included in the collection are presented, in essence, as four albums with songs juxtaposed in a manner that offers the listener the experience of hearing them in a context that sheds new light on the themes and artistry that have made Mellencamp’s music so cherished by so many over the course of four decades.
While On The Rural Route 7609 offers a wealth of well-known material, a significant number of the tracks included are less familiar but equally compelling, especially in terms of providing an in-depth picture of Mellencamp's spectrum of creativity. The concept behind the four “albums” of the collection is to give long-term Mellencamp fans and newer listeners alike, a more complete and insightful view of the artist's role as a writer and artist whose catalog of songs and recordings resound with substance and nuance.
The songs selected reflect the artist’s pop idol origins through his ascent to the ranks of America’s most respected and socially active writers and performers. On The Rural Route 7609 offers 17 tracks previously unreleased on any John Mellencamp CD including guest readings of Mellencamp’s lyrics by Academy Award® winning actress Joanne Woodward and best selling author/educator Dr. Cornel West. The discs are packaged within a 72-page book that includes an exhaustive essay and comprehensive track-by-track annotation by award-winning writer Anthony DeCurtis. His marathon interviews with Mellencamp were conducted in Bloomington, IN where DeCurtis, coincidentally, earned his PhD in American literature at Indiana University. Mellencamp tells the story behind each of the songs included in the set and there's a scholarly introductory essay by DeCurtis as well. The package, a truly lavish assemblage, includes rare and evocative photos printed on heavy stock that make On The Rural Route 7609 a distinctive set of albums, in the sense that albums -- as originally conceived in earlier times -- are cohesive collections of music.
While such Mellencamp hits including “Rain On The Scarecrow,” “Jack and Diane,” “Jackie Brown,” “Pink Houses,” “Your Life Is Now,” “Our Country” are presented, less familiar songs as well as demos for “Cherry Bomb,” “Authority Song” and other recordings serve to chronicle the maturation of Mellencamp as both an artist and songwriter over the years. As quoted by DeCurtis in the 4500 word introductory essay included in the package, he explains, “We tried to make it like a process of discovery, that perhaps somebody could listen to this set and discover these songs.” Material from early works through his most recently released album, Life Death Love and Freedom which Time Magazine called his "best in a decade" and Rolling Stone ranked #5 in its listing of 50 best albums of the year, gives the listener an opportunity to consider more than 30 years of Mellencamp's output in a musically coherent manner.
The title of the package is reflective of Mellencamp’s continuing role as a troubadour who conveys the hopes, heartbreak and realities of the heartland – that part of the country that politicians are wont to call “the real America,” a divisive jab that is at odds with Mellencamp’s true themes. Per DeCurtis, “..the set takes its title from a scarifying murder ballad on Freedom’s Road, ‘Rural Route.’"
Mellencamp explained to DeCurtis “I started making records in ’76, and the most recent track on the collection was done in ‘09. So Rural Route 7609; it’s like an address. I thought it sounded cool.”
Adds DeCurtis, “It does. But, more important, for anyone interested in finding the real John Mellencamp, this is where he’s been, and where he lives.” On The Rural Route 7609 is a musical journey that sheds new light on an American musician who, as both a songwriter and social activist, has never rested on his laurels or past accomplishments.
On The Rural Route 7609 tracklisting:
* indicates track selection has never before released on a John Mellencamp CD
More detailed information here: http://www.mellencamp.com/?module=news&news_item_id=553
Disc 1
1. Longest Days
2. Grandma’s Theme
3. Rural Route
4. Jackie Brown
5. Rain On The Scarecrow
6. * Jim Crow with Cornell West
7. Jim Crow
8. Big Daddy Of Them All
9. Deep Blue Heart
10. Forgiveness
11. Don’t Need This Body
12. * Jenny At 16
13. * Jack And Diane (writing demo)
14. Jack And Diane
Disc 2
1. * The Real Life with Joanne Woodward
2. Ghost Towns Along The Highway
3. The Full Catastrophe
4. * Authority Song (writing demo)
5. Troubled Land
6. To Washington
7. * Our Country (alternate version)
8. Country Gentlemen
9. Freedom’s Road
10. * Mr. Bellows (remix)
11. Rodeo Clown
12. Love And Happiness
13. Pink Houses
Disc 3
1. If I Die Sudden (live)
2. Someday
3. Between A Laugh And A Tear
4. * Void In My Heart (acoustic version recorded at Chess Studios)
5. Death Letter
6. * Sugar Marie (acoustic)
7. Theo And Weird Henry
8. When Jesus Left Birmingham
9. * L.U.V. (remix)
10. Thank You
11. Women Seem
12. * The World Don’t Bother Me None
13. * Cherry Bomb (writing demo)
14. * Someday The Rain Will Fall
15. A Ride Back Home
Disc 4
1. My Aeroplane
2. * Colored Lights
3. Just Like You
4. Young Without Lovers
5. * To M.G. (Wherever She May Be) (acoustic)
6. Sweet Evening Breeze
7. What If I Came Knocking
8. Country Fair
9. * Peaceful World (writing demo)
10. Your Life Is Now
11. For The Children
12. * Rural Route (acoustic)
http://www.mellencamp.com/
-- Submitted by Bob Merlis / Merlis For Hire
Another great new release we've got to tell you about is the James Taylor / Carole King "Live At The Troubadour" CD / DVD package. (They're already showing the concert on PBS!) This is a show we REALLY wanted to see this year ... but this gives you an up-close-and-personal seat to an absolutely AMAZING concert experience. Both artists are in fine form as they recreate many of their early '70's hits ... and with many of the original back-up musicians intact, too! (Although Taylor jokes that he doesn't remember much of the '70's, they do an INCREDIBLE job of recreating the hits: "Fire And Rain", "Country Road", "Carolina In My Mind" and "Sweet Baby James" for James Taylor and "I Feel The Earth Move", "It's Too Late", "So Far Away" and "Smackwater Jack" for Carole King. But the duets are especially sweet: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "Up On The Roof" and, of course, "You've Got A Friend" are among the highlights.) The set is available as a specially priced package that contains both the audio CD and the DVD ... MUST viewing for anybody who grew up loving this singer / songwriter era. (Carole King jokes at one point, while paying tribute to her ex-husband Gerry Goffin, that back in the '60's if the song wasn't written by the songwriting team of Goffin and King, it was probably written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil!) A VERY enjoyable night of musical entertainment. (kk) 
Click here: Amazon.com: Live At The Troubadour [CD / DVD Combo]: Carole King, James Taylor: Music
re: FAVORITE, FORGOTTEN B-SIDES:
The next group of ten B sides (11 thru 20) from the Favorite B-side list are now up with the last group of ten in the holding tank.
You can catch them at: http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bside45/
Right now 11- 40 are available there for downloading.
sixtiesoldiesguy
Rich
Thanks, Rich ... hope you're getting some traffic out of all of this ... and we appreciate your helping to keep this list alive! (kk)
re: A FEW UPDATES AND WELL WISHES:
Hi Kent,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the creative definitions of the word Psychedelic and added to my knowledge base regarding the 20 top psychedelic songs and their individual artists / groups. What a great project to get your daughter involved in.
My daughters are 14 and 11 and almost from their infancy I have exposed them to a lot of 50s and 60s music: the more popular hits from the top 40 and the more obscure tracks and B-sides from my own collection of 45s, LPS and more recently CDS.
They are familiar with the evolution of the Beatles and Beach Boys, have danced to surf guitar songs and listened to me talk incessantly about the importance of the British Invasion and its impact on music and culture.
For the last year or so, we've focused more on psychedelic tracks through XM radio, websites like the Technicolor Web Of Sound and stuff from my own collection.
I wasn't surprised that Incense and Peppermints took the top spot in the countdown. I'll never forget when I heard this for the first time, along with I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night, You're Gonna Miss Me Baby, (13th Floor Elevator) Talk Talk, Get Me To The World On Time, Pushin' Too Hard and 7 + 7 Is by Love. These tracks just blew me away. They were such a departure from what was being played on the radio at that time.
I'm just a fan, consumer, baby boomer who loves this music and in whatever way I can, help to keep it preserved, played and known about.
I will continue to visit both sites and I'm sure will post a message in the near future.
Thank you again for all the work that you do to keep this music in our hearts, minds, ears and memories.
Best Regards,
Justin McDevitt
St. Paul MN
(Longtime resident and East Coast transplant who grew up with WABC NY, WIBG Philadelphia, and not to be overlooked, WLS in Chicagoland; loved and appreciated by many of us late night and early morning long-distance listeners, of course including Clark Besch.
Thanks for the kind words, Justin. (Justin came upon us by way of Spectropop, another fine online music appreciation publication.)
Click here: Spectropop! The website about Phil Spector, Wall of Sound, Brill Building, Girl Groups, West Coast
Our Psychedelic Page is STILL the most-viewed page on the website and members from The Electric Prunes, The Strawberry Alarm Clock and The Seeds have contributed to our newsletter over the years. (And you'll find Clark Besch's name in here from time to time, too! lol) Welcome aboard ... and feel free to share YOUR memories with the group anytime! (kk)
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Top 20 Favorite Psychedelic Songs
And here's another cool link sent in by one of our readers this past week:
Papa Do Run
Wow. I can't believe it's been months since I contributed a story -- or commented on a story -- on the "forgottenhits.com" site. Been a crazy five months. The loss of my mother-in-law and sister-in-law during February, the 'flood of the century' that hit Nashville, Franklin and other parts of Tennessee the first weekend of May, my daughter, Taylor's, graduation from elementary to Middle School in mid-May.
On a very positive note, not that seeing Taylor advance is not 'positive,' :), Treasure Isle is having a rare five months of good bookings. The studio biz in Nashville has become one of 'snack or famine.' There is no more 'feasting' in the music biz, Kent!! :)
But this week we're pleased to have six artist / clients on the national country charts: Jason Aldean (#6), Josh Thompson (#30) and new entries by SONY / Nashville's Montgomery Gentry, Trace Adkins, Chuck Wicks and new Warner Brothers Records singer / songwriter Frankie Ballard (gotta love that '50's' style name!), who was the third most added at country radio last week. Watch this young man, he's gonna explode!
We're extremely proud of all of these great artists who are produced by Michael Knox -- son of the legendary rock & roller, Buddy Knox, another 'missing in action' singer / songwriter who continues to be 'overlooked' by the R&RHOF!
This summer Treasure Isle celebrates our 30th Anniversary, Kent. In fact, we are the oldest truly independent recording studio in "Music City, USA" that is still under it's original management. After approximately $300,000,000 (yep, 300 million) in combined music sales, we're honored to have become one of Nashville's most recognizable studios. Just wish that we occasionally got a royalty!:)
Still, we're always looking for new and emerging singers, singer / songwriters and bands -- and we wouldn't mind if a few 'names' gave us a try, also:) We're a rare bargain compared to some of our competitors:)
Of course, "June" means 'summer' and what is more American, and more 'summer,' than the music of The Beach Boys. June not only marks Brian and Bruce's 68th birthday (June 20 and 27 respectively) but also pretty much marks the final recording stages of their monster #1 hit, "Good Vibrations," a good part of which was recorded in May and June of 1966 prior to all the various 'sections' being assembled by Brian in August.
What started off as a brief note to has turned into another much longer note:) I better close for now and get back to work here. Have a great summer and don't forget to enjoy more than your fair share of 'fun, fun, fun!"
Fred
Treasure Isle Recorders, Inc.
"Music City, USA"
We had a grade school graduation of our own this past week ... congratulations to daughter Paige who is now anxiously on her way to High School! Glad to hear that things are going well ... you guys certainly got hit hard this year ... we have a LOT of FH Readers down in the Nashville area and our thoughts have been with you. (If I could ever get myself right-side up again, I would love to eventually get down there myself again and visit with all these great music people!) Take care ... and have a GREAT summer! Fun Fun Fun indeed! (kk)
Hi Kent -
Forgotten Hits is the best! Just love it!
Danny Lake / 94-7 WLS-FM
Thanks, Danny ... big fan of YOUR show, too!!! (kk)
>re: BUT WHO'S COUNTING???:
21 days ... and still no free Danelectro Guitar!!!
re: CLIP OF THE WEEK:
Click here: YouTube - this drummer is at the wrong gig
Frannie sent me this one. Keep your eyes on the drummer ... man, if Cookie played like this back in the day we just might have been famous!!! (lol) kk
re: A COUPLE MORE FOR THE SCRAPBOOK:
Kent:
Pictured in photo (l - r): Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon, Gerry “Dicky Do & the Don’t’s) Granahan and well known Southern New England area singer-songwriter Charlie Quintal.
Memorial Day Weekend Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon (now based in L.A.) made a visit back to his home state of Massachusetts for a pair of concerts. One of them was a rare club date featuring Freddy and the Tune Weavers (“Happy, Happy Birthday Baby).
The Tune Weavers had just returned from Pittsburg where they filmed a PBS-TV Doo Wop special, scheduled to air in December.
Freddy ignited the crowd with such rock and roll passion that the soldout audience was on their feet by his second song.
“Boom Boom” is blessed to have a voice that can still deliver the authenticity of his records.
He ignited the audience with his powerful beat and belted out “Palisades Park,” “Tallahassee Lassie,” “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans,” “Action,” “Abigail Beecher,” and a few covers, including a Chuck Berry medley and a tribute to Big Joe Turner with “Shake, Rattle & Roll.”
Freddy told the crowd that even though Paul Revere and the Raiders hosted “Where the Action Is,” it was Dick Clark who asked him to record the theme to the popular TV show. He added: “Next time you see Mark Lindsay, be sure to remind him of that!”
From the stage, Freddy introduced his former labelmate from Swan Records, Gerry Granahan, who now lives in Rhode Island. Gerry, who produced Jay and the Americans, the Angels, the Fireflies, Patty Duke and others, also hit the charts himself, with “No Chemise, Please” in 1958 and as Dicky Do & the Don’ts with “Click-Clack.” Gerry is currently putting together a band and will be doing dates again soon.
Freddy also asked the crowd to welcome Charlie Quintal, a longtime favorite entertainer in Southern New England. Charlie, a singer-songwriter musician, once recorded for Columbia Records. Some of his proudest moments in a long career have been opening for the following acts at the Warwick (R.I.) Musical Theatre: Roy Orbison, Ricky Nelson and Fats Domino.
Kent, thanks for contributing so much of your time to Forgotten Hits. You do a TERRIFIC job! Please . . . keep it coming!
--Tom Cuddy
New York, NY
Thanks for the kind words, Tom, I truly do appreciate it. And look for your photo on the new "Scrapbook Memories" Page of the OTHER Forgotten Hits Website:
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Scrapbook Memories
Kent -- I love the new Scrapbook Page. Scott Shannonhas tons of this kind of stuff. I hope he sends some of his favorites to you for your project. I lifted this one off his Facebook page. Scott, Wolfman, Del Shannon
David Lewis
Must be one of HIS favorites, too ... since it also appears on The True Oldies Website. Can you imagine the photos he could share?!?!? (kk)
re: MORE GREAT MEMORIES:Wanna own a piece of history? Check THIS out!!!
“007” James Bond drove this exotic Aston Martin in “Goldfinger” and “Thunderball”, and now it’s being auctioned off for charity.
WBEB, Philadelphia owner Jerry Lee made one of the smartest – and most satisfying – business offers in his life in 1969, when he asked luxury carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda to sell him one of the two specially-equipped model DB5s used in the filming of the iconic James Bond movies. He paid $12,000. Today the auction estimate for this single-owner classic is over $5 million. (For that, you get the optional nail spreader, machine gun and revolving license plate holder, all as seen in the action flicks.) For the past 40 years Jerry’s kept the car in a special room of his suburban Philadelphia home and it’s been shown to visitors for various charity and social occasions. Now he'll dedicate the proceeds from its sale to the Jerry Lee Foundation, which funds actionable research into issues such as poverty, crime and education. In 2008, he was knighted by the Swedish government for his creation and funding of the Stockholm prize in Criminology. Jerry tells a funny story about his acquisition of the car. In 1969 he flew to London and was photographed with then-007 actor George Lazenby. When Jerry got back home, Lazenby phoned and said something like “the pictures didn’t come out, but we’ll shoot some more when I come to the States for a publicity tour.” But Lazenby decided to drop out of the 007 business before he became stereotyped, and he never came to the U.S. The Aston Martin has been re-conditioned and will be sold in London on October 27 by RM Auctions, with cooperation from Sotheby’s.
Hey Kent,
Thinking about all the summer songs also reminds me of another thing from the Summer of '70. I don't know if you have ever heard of a syndicated TV show from an Atlanta TV studio, called "The Now Explosion"? It was a mix of odd video footage of people dancing to current hit songs mixed with footage of some of the artists performing either in concert or on various TV shows (lots of lip-syncing, but at least it was the actual artists). This was aired on WPIX - CH 11 from New York, on Sundays it would air for 4 hours and I used to just park myself in front of the TV for the entire show! Almost like a precursor to MTV, sort of, LOL!! I've seen some stuff on the internet about it, unfortunately most of the original footage was destroyed in a fire, so very little exists now. This show was aired in other markets, I was wondering if it was shown in Chicago? Have you ever heard of or seen it?
Eddie, Orange, CT
While it sounds vaguely familiar, I don't remember ever seeing the program ... so many GREAT local shows like this back in the day ... man, I would LOVE to have access to some of these clips! (kk)
... and speaking of your summer song favorites ...
re: SUMMER FAVORITES:
Hey, did you vote for your summer favorites yet? Don't forget, we'll count down your All-Time Top 40 Favorite Songs Of Summer on June 21st, the "official" First Day Of Summer, 2010 ... so get your votes is NOW!!!
DEEJAYS ... WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! Please encourage your listeners to visit The Forgotten Hits Website and vote for their all-time summer favorites ... let's make this list as accurate as possible by including the entire Oldies Nation!!! (kk)
