Friday, May 27, 2011

The Friday Flash!

A few "quickies" before we start the long holiday weekend ...


re:  LAST CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF RON SMITH'S NEW ROCK AND ROLL CALENDAR BOOK, "EIGHT DAYS A WEEK: BIRTHS, DEATHS AND EVENTS EACH DAY IN OLDIES HISTORY":

This is your LAST CHANCE to enter to win a copy of Ron Smith's latest book. 
Ron will be randomly selecting a birth date on Saturday ... the entry with the closest birthday to that date will win a copy of his hot new book.  So if you haven't entered yet, you need to do it NOW!!!  Just email your birthday to:  forgottenhits@aol.com ... for YOUR chance to add this "must have" book to your collection.  (kk)

... and, speaking of hot new books ... we just got this email from Ed Pond, our most recent book winner:

I've been enjoying my Monkees book, and watching their shows again, and listening to their music.  I wish I could see them in Tacoma, but alas, no.
Ed
We're hoping to catch one of the nearby local shows here this summer.  Eric Lefcowitz's book is quite entertaining ... and reading it DOES make you want to put some Monkees music on (or cue up some of your favorite TV episodes!!!)  I was flipping through the TV channels this weekend and happened to catch the end of the Captain Crocodile episode ... always liked that one because it was the first time we ever heard "Valleri", a song they wouldn't officially release until almost a year later.  (Of course for the complete TRUE story of the song "Valleri", you've just GOT to check out our website:


All the details are covered in Chapter Six of our well-read series!  (kk)


re:  FOR ALL YOU RADIO FANATICS OUT THERE:
Dear Friends of Old Time Radio,
Well, this is going to be our last convention and the surviving stars of the golden age of radio along with loyal friends of the convention are pledging their support in droves.
Considering that it is only May, we have an AMAZING line-up of stars scheduled to appear and we seem to be adding more (and more exciting) guests every day.
Paul Evans (singer / songwriter) Many songs to his credit!!!!!; Michael C. Gwynne (D.J. / Actor); Gloria McMillan (Harriet on Our Miss Brooks); Arthur "Lucky" Anderson; Richard "Theater Five" Herd; David "WYXZ" Parker; Dick "I Remember Mama" Van Patten; Nan Warren of Let's Pretend; Wendy Foy, daughter of Fred; Rosemary Rice of Archie; Diana Canova, Judy's Daughter; Leslie Shreve, a terrific local voice actress; Christina and Larry Conroy; Corinne Orr of Speed Racer; Announcer Bill Owen; Craig Wichman of Quicksilver Radio Theater; Elaine Hyman of WXYZ; Kevin Scullin, another terrific local actor; PEG FREAKIN' LYNCH of Ethel & Albert, doing two of her classic domestic comedy routines with co-star Arthur Anderson; Ivan Cury of Bobbie Benson; Will "Sugarfoot" Hutchins; Joe "King of Nostalgia" Franklin; Bob "Big Hooter" Gibson; Cliff Carpenter of Terry and Pirates; Jean Rouverol of One Man's Family; Russell Horton of Theater Five and the Trix Rabbit; Lynne Rogers of The Guiding Light; Tommy Cook of Red Ryder; X Minus One legendary writer George Lefferts; Mae Granito, of Horn & Hardart Hour and the last surviving original Rockette; And Galactic traveler extraordinaire, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy star Simon "Arthur Dent" Jones!
I could go on about the great shows we have planned, like Theater Five and Let's Pretend, but really, this event is about the guests and what an amazing list we have so far. 
Please go to the Ramada Plaza Hotel Website and book your room right away.  You do not want to miss this truly once-in-a-lifetime array of golden age of radio talent.  Also, please
find our Facebook page and "like" us to get up-to-the-minute updates.
October 20 to 23
My music panel is on Saturday afternoon Oct 22nd.
DJ Stu Weiss


Got this link from one of our readers ... another great site dedicated to keeping alive the music we all know and love ... check it out here:


This book got excellent reviews at Amazon.com -- dB
Texas radio: Fans of Top 40 radio of the '60s and '70s may enjoy "Dead Air: The Rise and Demise of Music Radio," by Bill Young, who programmed Houston's powerhouse KILT-AM from 1966 to 1981. But the book, which is available on Amazon, is a perfect example of "You can't judge a book," etc. The book has nothing to do with the decline of music radio - at least not after the first dozen pages. The rest is all about the rise and survival of Young, and his perspectives on the birth and first boom of Top 40 radio.
Young, a former DJ who won induction into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, spins a good story, which should be of interest to radio fans.
As for the "demise" of music radio, most listeners already know that sad story. Young draws a unique parallel of its decline with that of rock 'n' roll's biggest idol. As he wrote: "The Elvis metamorphosis from the courteous, soft-spoken, hip-shakin' rebel from Tupelo to the overweight, zoned-out, dispassionate Las Vegas performer of 22 years later closely tracks the changing cycles of popular music itself."
"All things have a way of doing that," Young told me, "when the economics get big. The newness and spontaneity wear off."
-- Ben Fong-Torres 


Hi Kent.
I gave a listen earlier to 104.3 K-HITS, the new "oldies" station here in Chicago, after seeing a commercial on TV. I gave it about a half hour. They advertise 60's, 70's, and 80's. Same 60's and 70's songs you hear everyday, with a little more variety from the 80's. Why even bother?
Rich
VERY heavy on the '80's (and very heavy on the repeats).  I will say that the line-up is shaping up pretty well ... honestly the ONLY guys I cannot listen to are Eddie and Jo-Bo in the morning ... there may not be anything less listener-friendly on the dial these days!  (kk)


Good morning Kent,
I wonder if this could fly. Since the History of Rock and Roll shows will probably never be played on regular radio again, maybe they could be donated to ReelRadio.com where, for the price of the donation to Reel Radio, one could enjoy them at his or her convenience?
I know this is out of left field, but what the heck.
Bill
I haven't quite given up on The History Of Rock And Roll just yet ... I've got a few ideas churning in the back of my head ... but you're right ... this WOULD be a neat way for folks who really want to hear it again to be able to do so.  Even if they ran some kind of "limited edition" airing ... and promoted the heck out of it ... I'll bet an awful lot of us who be checking this out.  (kk)

re:  HERMAN'S HERMITS:

Kent,
For those of us who enjoy hearing the original versions of songs that later were hits for others --- the newly released "Hold On!" soundtrack CD has the Hermits' original of P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri's "Where Were You When I Needed You," a No. 28 hit for the Grass Roots in 1966.
Henry McNulty
Old Saybrook, Connecticut
Yep!  Peter Noone himself pointed that out to us shortly after we interviewed him a few years back ... and then sent us a copy of The Hermits' version to share with our readers.  (Here it is again!)  kk

Hi, Kent,
The new Herman’s Hermits CD pairing the “Hold On!” and “Mrs. Brown” soundtracks is incredible.  Abkco actually went back to the multi-tracks.  Everything is in stereo except “Mrs. Brown” itself (and there’s a bonus track which is a rehearsal session for the song).  The CD includes “There’s a Kind of Hush” in stereo for the first time ever, and stereo remixes of the “Hold On!” tracks with a great new stereo mix of “A Must to Avoid.” 
Michael
And, speaking of Peter Noone ...

re:  CHARLIE GRACIE:
We've been telling you for close to a year now about the brand new Charlie Gracie album ... produced by Al Kooper (and featuring '60's favorites like Graham Nash and Peter Noone), it's a much-anticipated recording event.  Well, it sounds like it finally found a home ... and will soon be available!  (And how fitting that ABKCO, the same company that owns all of Charlie's old Cameo / Parkway recordings, is the label releasing this new CD!)  Hmmm ... I wonder how Peter Noone feels about having his most recently recorded work being in ANY way, shape or form associated with Allen B. Klein!!!  Read on.  (kk)
abkco Records & Music to release NEW CHARLIE GRACIE CD!
***The renowned label that owns and recently released digitally remastered compilations by Sam Cooke, Phil Spector, the Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, the Kinks, Billy Preston and the Cameo-Parkway catalog, is taking on Charlie Gracie's new CD -- produced by AL KOOPER and Quentin Jones.  Gracie, now 75, was the first Rock & Roll artist from Philadelphia to attain national and international stardom with a string of late 50's hits -- which got the Cameo-Parkway label off the ground ... effectively launching what became known as the "Philly Sound." The new Gracie album is a who's who of Rock & Roll with guests: GRAHAM NASH, PETER NOONE, DENNIS DIKEN, CRAIG ROSS, JIMMY VIVINO, AL KOOPER, EDDIE ANGEL, DAVE FERRARA, TOM T-BONE EDMONDS and more. 
STAND BY FOR MORE INFO COMING SOON!
PIC: Jody Klein -- president of ABKCO and Teri Landi -- chief engineer with Charlie Gracie.
CHARLIE APPEARS ON WHYY -- TV-12 (pbs) a 2-hour special: SATURDAY, JUNE 4TH. 8 PM
Stay tuned for more details!

re:  BOB DYLAN:
http://soundcloud.com/tim-moore-1/happy-birthday-mr-dylan/s-OUO2u 
Catchy tune and lots of references to Dylan songs.
Done by Tim Moore, of "Second Avenue" fame.
David Lewis
Funnily enough, I had "Second Avenue" by Tim Moore scheduled as "Today's Forgotten Hit" this past week and then bumped him at the last minute.  Lots of attention being paid to Dylan's #70 this past week!  (kk)

re:  THE MONKEES:
Who would have guessed the Monkees influenced the Beatles. I would have thought it'd be the other way around! -- dB
The Monkees were one of the first bands to fall in love with Moog products, he says, adding that drummer Micky Dolenz then introduced Paul McCartney and John Lennon to Moog.Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/15/BUOQ1JFUP6.DTL#ixzz1N7nhbjRG
As I recall, Micky Dolenz owned one of the first three Moog synthesizers ever made!  (I say that because at various times over the years I've heard that he owned the first, second and third Moog ever sold!)
The Monkees used it to pretty good effect on the track "Daily Nightly" from their "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd." LP ... and a very cool black and white video clip featuring this piece ran as one of the episode tags.  (kk)



re:  VEE JAY RECORDS:
Kind of interesting that I received both of these emails this week ... 
Kent ...
I think Pookie Hudson & The Spaniels were the first act to record for Vee-Jay.
That's not their claim to fame. Click to find out.
Frank B.
Hello,
I have a rare Beatles VeeJay recording I bought in 1963.  One person said it is worth about $200 but the publisher VeeJay says $1000 (It's not quite mint but close.) I have it on ebay selling soon but I don't know what it is worth.
Do you have an opinion who is right.
Thanks,
Peter Simmons 
Hello Peter,
This single has a value of $1000 in Mint condition. Your single is manufactured by Monarch Records.
Regards,
Konstantin--------------
Here is my ebay ad.
This is a very rare 45 RPM never seen before.
It is a VeeJay recording VJ522
63 - 3218
Flip side " Thank you Girl"
63 - 3219
I am a musician / song writer and have owned this record in my private collection since 1963 when, as a little boy.  I purchased it myself.  I have kept it ever since in a special box and plastic sleeve. You can view the record in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NfXNGdgVTg
I have decided to sell it to help raise money to create more music and help endangered species.
Thanks for look.
Peter
Well according to a couple of record price guides that I have, they put it right around $500 in Mint Condition ... so good luck to you.  (Let us know how the auction turns out!)  kk

Enjoy your weekend ... limited postings to follow (but we WILL have our usual Sunday Comments Page ... so be sure to check it out.)  Meanwhile, check out this awesome clip:
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