Friday, October 12, 2012

The Friday Flash


re: THE BEACH BOYS:

I have always admired Mike Love. But his explanation about touring without Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks rings very hollow. This reminds me of Mike suing Brian over songwriting royalties back in
the 80's. I had the good fortune to see the 50th anniversary reunion tour and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Mike, make peace. "Do It Again" never sounded so good as it sounded in
the Chicago Theater. These guys are all in their AARP years. They should share the legacy as a team.
Frankly, I've never thought Mike and Bruce Johnston touring together was anything close to the Beach Boys. In fact, it made a mockery of the Beach Boys "brand."
Chet Coppock  

If you think Mike Love's explanation sounds a little "thin", you might enjoy reading Brian Wilson's complete letter to the L.A. Times, sent in to us by FH Reader Tom Cuddy:

Endless Summer Quarterly publisher (and Beach Boys Examiner columnist) David Beard makes a good case for this here:  
 
Pleased the Beach Boys confusion has been cleared up. Forgotten Hits forever!
Cheers,
Vic 

Kent, how' ya' doin"? In 1960, while the kids in my predominately black Bronx neighborhood, were listening to songs by doo-wop groups I was listening to “SURFIN USA” by the THE BEACH BOYS. Although I never wanted to be in a group I learned each harmony part for “IN MY ROOM”, just in case I met the group sometime in the future and they needed an emergency replacement! 50 years later I'M PROUD TO PRESENT THE BEACH BOY VIDEO JUKEBOX! http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/the-beach-boy-video-jukebox/
REGARDS,
ARTIE WAYNE
re: GLEN CAMPBELL:
Jeremy Roberts just did a very nice piece on Glen Campbell for his Examiner column ... you can check it out here: Click here: A thousand lifetimes: Still no end in sight for Glen Campbell - National Pop Culture | Examiner.com
 
Notice how we've squeezed Glen Campbell in between The Beach Boys and The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame??? That's because he belongs as part of BOTH institutions!!! (kk)

re: THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME:
When I heard the news about the latest list of potential Rock And Roll Hall Of fame inductees, I knew the doo-doo would hit the fan in FH. It's nice not to be disappointed. While I have some issues with the deserving and denied list, I can at least see the arguments for induction and leave it at that. As for the current list I'd say that Heart tops the list. They showed that women could rock as hard as the men and helped pave the way for Joan Jett and her former bandmate Lita Ford. No Guess Who again, but I could live a Rush selection. I've grown to appreciate their music over the last few years. Maybe it's because the classic rock station in my area plays the hell out of them. Sure Randy Newman has only had one major hit, but I can see making a case for him. Perhaps as a songwriter, more than a performer. Paul Butterfield may be more famous for some of the blues guitarists who were in that band at one point or another, not that any of them had major hits either, but certainly did contribute to the blues influence of rock and roll by introducing us to some of Chicago's south side blues greats. If Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin are in, so should Deep Purple. They are the last third of the three bands most responsible for the heavy metal genre. As for the rest, you've got to be kidding, unless I missed one obvious which is always possible, so don't crucify me just yet.
Jack
The only quibble I'd offer would be regarding the hard rock trilogy of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. There was a time when you couldn't mention Black Sabbath without Grand Funk Railroad in the same sentence ... these were the guys that pushed us early "cover bands" of the early '70's to rock a little bit harder. That's taking nothing away from Deep Purple ... they have shown up on our Deserving and Denied List every time we've run one. But then what about Alice Cooper and Kiss ... hard rock trend-setters to be sure. David Bowie's in, right?
Honestly, I have issues with Randy Newman, not because he isn't a great songwriter or only had one hit ... but the bulk of his career and greatest success has been spent writing soundtrack music. If the guy who wrote "You've Got A Friend In Me" for "Toy Story" can get in, what the heck is the objection to Chicago?!?!? The argument I've heard is that their "soft rock" career hurt them, despite the fact that in their earliest incarnation they were one of the most innovative and inventive bands on the circuit. Even Jimi Hendrix (a Hall of Famer) praised what these guys had going on!!! So Randy Newman gets in (or at least is afforded the CHANCE to get in) ... Laura Nyro gets in ... Leonard Cohen gets in ... but Chicago, The Guess Who and The Moody Blues don't even make the ballot???


>>>Actually, you bring up a good point with your Sid Bernstein mention ... earlier this year we campaigned for Ed Sullivan to be inducted. This man brought us MAJOR rock and roll talent every Sunday Night for 21 years ... how is it even remotely possible that he's never been considered for non-performer induction??? (kk)
Greetings, again, Kent ...
Yes, Sid Bernstein's continual lack of inclusion into the Rock Hall is an insult. He turned 94 this past August. I've heard nothing but positive things about him over the years.
You brought up an excellent point, Kent. Sid -- and, yes, Ed Sullivan -- are two of those elusive figures you don't initially associate with rock and roll but who made enormous contributions to the genre. I vividly remember the Beatles, The DC5, Gerry Marsden and The Pacemakers, The Rolling Stones -- and, of course, Elvis -- appearing on Ed's legendary Sunday night broadcast. Those events (with the exception of Elvis) began nearly a full year after I was already promoting "America's #1 Surfing Band, The Beach Boys."
I tried to get The Beatles for Sacramento but because of an exclusivity clause -- to protect promoters within a 100 mile radius in some cases -- I was unable to book them. San Francisco was about 20 miles 'too close' to Sacramento. As Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, used to say: "missed it by that much."
There's another enormously successful non-performer I'd like to toss into the 'snubbed list:' James William Guercio. Jim's producer contributions are enormous in their own right, The Buckinghams, BS&T, and Chicago (formerly the Chicago Transit Authority), but his career has encompassed far, far more than that.
I first met Jim in the Indianapolis airport in 1966. The Beach Boys were on tour and Jim was the tour manager and bass player for our opening act, "Chad and Jeremy." In fact, Jim wrote one of their hits, "Distant Shores." I liked him from the start. Later -- after his major producer successes -- he opened one of America's legendary recording studios, Caribou Ranch (The Beach Boys, Steve Stills, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Carole King and Billy Joel -- all R&RHOF inductees -- have recorded there), was involved in artist management, had a record label distributed by Columbia, produced and directed the cult film classic, "Electra Glide In Blue," and was an early owner of CMT -- Country Music Television -- which he sold to Gaylord Entertainment and Westinghouse Broadcasting in the early 90's. Yes, Jim is more than qualified to be a Rock Hall inductee.
But while I'm on my soap box, I must make one more admission. The Rock Hall is not the only "Hall of Fame" to get it wrong -- it's just that they are by far the most blatant abusers. The Country Music Hall of Fame is also 'guilty as charged' by continuing to ignore the 'living legends,' Jim Ed Brown and The Browns, The Oak Ridge Boys, Bobby Bare, Hank Williams, Jr., Ray Stevens, Ronnie Milsap, Randy Travis and Kenny Rogers, in addition to those legends who have all moved on to "Hillbilly Heaven": the great Johnny Horton, honky tonk queen Rose Maddox (Johnny Cash's favorite female entertainer), legendary songwriter / entertainers Lulu Belle and Scotty Wiseman, Buck Owens 'front man,' partner and chief Buckaroo, Don Rich -- simply one half of the Buck Owens sound -- producer / publisher Buddy Killen, the late broadcasting legend, Irving Waugh -- a founding member of the Country Music Association, almost singularly responsible for convincing NBC-TV to sponsor the very first nationally televised Awards Show, the CMA Awards, and instrumental in the creation of the Opryland Hotel, Opryland USA, and the CMA Fan Fair, now known as the CMA Music Festival.
And, finally, the very man responsible for Nashville's emergence as "Music City, USA," the late Edwin Craig, son of the co-founder of the National Life and Accident Insurance Company, who convinced his 'old man' that Nashville needed this new invention called 'radio.' On October 5, 1925 -- 87 years ago -- Edwin uttered these words: "This is WSM. We shield millions."
Without this visionary, who has also been ignored by the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame since it's inception in 2001, Nashville would not have had a radio program called The Grand Ole Opry -- and, without the Opry -- we certainly would not be "Music City, USA," creating tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in combined music sales.
There is simply no excuse why the various 'Halls of Fame" can continue to be politicized, and why, in the case of the Rock Hall, one individual should have such unbridled power.
Fred Vail
Treasure Isle Recorders, Inc.
"Music City, USA"
Ed Sullivan did more to further the acceptance of Rock And Roll Music than any one else ... he made it socially acceptable when he brought it into our living rooms every Sunday Night, sprinkled between everything else that constituted "entertainment" back in the day. These were the days when families watched tv together ... we only had three channels and most of us only had one tv ... it was a different time to be sure. Ignoring Sullivan as a non-performer strips ALL credibility from the so-called "knowledgeable" people running The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ... you know the guys I mean ... the ones who year after year tell us "We know music and you don't"!!! It's beyond insulting ... it's downright revolting.
As for James William Guercio, good luck with that ... the three acts you mentioned ... The Buckinghams, Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears ... have ALL been snubbed by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, never even making the ballot.
But you're right about Hall of Fames in general ... EVERY Hall of Fame, regardless of what they're honoring, will come under criticism for their omissions, be it baseball (the long-ignored Ron Santo recently came up in another reader's analogy), country or rock and roll. You'll never please everyone ... but it least it should make sense. No, they can't all get in ... but don't nominate people that the majority of the listening public have never even heard of to compensate.
Opening it up to the public might right some of these wrongs ... but I've seen the downside of that, too. John Rook's Hit Parade Hall of Fame is on the right track by allowing the fans to vote right alongside their panel of experts ... but what happens is the artists with the strongest and most supportive fan clubs then dominate the voting by flooding the polls by voting in number for their favorites. An artist who doesn't have as active a fan club is suddenly left hundreds (if not thousands) of votes behind ... and many a deceased artist doesn't stand a chance.
There has to be SOME rhyme or reason to all of this or it's simply madness. The Hit Parade Hall of Fame has a pretty low benchmark in the way of criteria for being eligible ... two Top 40 Hits in any genre. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame refuses to define their criteria ... instead it just seems to be whoever Jann Wenner wants to nominate. (We've heard from several voting members of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Election Committee who are frustrated by having absolutely NO say into the nominating process ... which is why more and more of them don't even bother to vote at all anymore.)
Anyway, here are my votes:
Ed Sullivan yes ... James William Guercio, no.
Heart, yes ... Randy Newman, no.
Chicago, The Guess Who, The Moody Blues and The Monkees, yes ...
Public Enemy, NWA, The Meters and Kraftwerk, no.
Next??? (kk)
You opened a can of worms with the Ed Sullivan observation, Kent, but certainly a 'positive' one. I love these 'outside the box' comments and, yes, Ed should be included in the Rock Hall as a non-performer. There is a similar situation that exists here in Nashville at the Country Music Hall of Fame -- and that is the inclusion of Ray Charles.
In 1960, as a sixteen year old reporter for my high school newspaper, I was honored to interview the great Ray Charles -- an opportunity I never would have had if I'd lived in Nashville, TN. At that time, concerts were not integrated here. They either held separate shows -- one at 7 and another at 9:30 -- or they would segregate the audience, with the Black attendees seated in the balcony and the white attendees seated on the main floor.
Two years later -- 1962 -- Ray's revolutionary album, "Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music" was released. All the songs on the album had Nashville origins or connections, including Don Gibson's classic "I Can't Stop Loving You," which RCA had released as the "B" side to his #1 smash, "Oh, Lonesome Me." Deejays, impatient to get Don's follow-up single, merely flipped the 45 over and started playing the "B" side. Ray loved the song, and recorded it as a part of his "Modern Sounds" album -- considered by most musicologists to be one of the 100 most influential albums of all-time. "I Can't Stop Loving You" was not only a world-wide #1, but received the 1962 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording.
Over the years Ray continued to record Nashville songs and made a number of recordings in Nashville, including duets with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Buck Owens, George Jones and Hank Williams, Jr., among others. For his contributions to country music and Nashville, and for the continued accolades he constantly bestowed on Music City, USA, he certainly deserves to be included in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Fred

And, speaking of Hall Of Fames ...


MEMPHIS MUSIC HALL OF FAME SET TO LAUNCH WITH INAUGURAL INDUCTIONS
NOVEMBER 29 ... CITY OF MEMPHIS HOSTS ANNOUNCEMENT EVENT OCTOBER 16

Memphis, TN … The city that has long been, and continues to, undeniably, serve as the fulcrum for music's most original creators is Memphis, Tennessee. Social, political and economic circumstances and a preternaturally musically included population catalyzed a vast array of musical genres to interact and intersect, creating a distinctive sound that shook the world. For practitioners and devotees of blues, gospel, jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, country, rockabilly, rock and roll, hip-hop and more, Memphis has been a destination, both real and metaphysical, for those who both make and appreciate the great music with which it is so rightfully identified.
This year, almost 60 years after a teen aged Elvis Presley first walked into Sun Studios to record a keepsake for his mother and almost a century since “The Father of the Blues,” W.C. Handy, penned Beale Street Blues, Memphis pays tribute to those who put it at the center of world's musical map with the launch of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Under the leadership of Memphis Mayor AC Wharton and the administration of the Smithsonian-developed Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, the names of the 25 inaugural Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductees will be announced at a press conference on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. CST. The reveal will be held at The Warehouse at 36 East G.E. Patterson Avenue in downtown Memphis. As the name implies, the facility is a converted warehouse that has been the site of several national music video productions. The event will be streamed live via a webcast at DittyTV.com and as inductees are announced their names will be tweeted from the Memphis Music Hall of Fame's Twitter page www.twitter.com/MemphisMusicHOF. Follow Memphis Music Hall of Fame now on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MemphisMusicHOF
With Memphis Mayor AC Wharton serving as host, an iconic list of many of music's top names is expected, a reflection of the fact that Memphis boasts one of the world’s richest musical legacies, and a plethora of world-famous music-related landmarks, including Sun Studios, Beale Street, Stax Records and Elvis Presley’s Graceland, the second most visited residence in the world. Mayor Wharton commented, "Everywhere I go, people know Memphis, Tennessee. Every country around the world recognizes Memphis as the epicenter of music. The establishment of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame will lend focus to this fact, and pay tribute to the musical pioneers and icons whose contributions to our culture and our heritage, both locally and globally, are unequalled.”
The inaugural inductees were selected earlier this year by a Nominating Committee of local and national music professionals, including studio owners, producers, authors, and historians who discussed and debated at length who would be tapped for induction based on a variety of criteria. Those inductees will be honored at the MMHOF's first induction event that is set for Thursday, November 29 at PM at the Cannon Center for Performing Arts in downtown Memphis.
The Memphis Music Hall of Fame Nominating Committee includes Patricia Wilson Aden, V.P. of Operations at the African American Museum in Philadelphia and former Executive Director of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation; Dr. Beverly Bond, author and Director of African American Studies at the University of Memphis; Al Bell, former Chairman of Stax Records and former president of Motown Records; Pete Daniel, historian and retired curator at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History; Dr. William Lee Ellis, musician, author, professor and ethnomusicologist; Nelson George, author, filmmaker and television producer; Robert Gordon, documentary producer and GRAMMY(R) award-winning author; Peter Guralnick, author; David Less, writer and President of SPECS entertainment promotions and consulting, and partner in Memphis International Records; Bob Merlis, author, former Senior V.P. for Warner Bros. Records, President of M.F.H. Public Relations, Los Angeles; Larry Nager, Nashville-based author and filmmaker; Henry Nelson, author, former radio executive, and manager with the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
The Memphis Music Hall of Fame website, including tributes to each inductee, a showcase of new Memphis musicians, and education components, as well as Hall of Fame social media tools, will also launch on October 16, 2012. Tickets for the November 29, 2012 Induction Ceremony will also go on sale that day, and will be available through www.ticketmaster.com.
Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum is located at the corner of Third (legendary Hwy 61, “Blues Highway”) and 191 Beale Street at FedExForum, the city of Memphis’ premier sports & entertainment complex. The museum’s exhibition, “Rock ‘n’ Soul: Social Crossroads” was developed by the world famous Smithsonian Institution as part of its 150th anniversary celebration. The museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Additional information is available at (901) 205-2533 or at www.memphisrocknsoul.org.
Contact: John Doyle, Executive Director
re: THE RASCALS:
>>>Even their B sides were popular. "Baby Let's Wait" (flip of "Good Lovin") was covered by the unknown Royal Guardsmen as their first 45 and failed, but was resurrected in 1969 to become a hit. Great music and glad to hear them reuniting! (Clark Besch)
The flipside of Good Lovin' was Mustang Sally. I don't believe the Rascals ever had Baby Let's Wait out as a single, but I wonder if it was ever intended to be one for them. I have heard different answers on that. One person told me that it was planned to be a single but then the Royal Guardsmen had issued theirs, even though it did not chart for them the first time around, so the Rascals decided to put out a new song as a single instead.
Tom Diehl
I can confirm that the flipside of "Good Lovin'" was "Mustang Sally" ... checking a couple of 45 Price Guides, I don't see any listing for "Baby Let's Wait" on a single, not even as an early pressing. This was a GREAT track by The Royal Guardsmen ... and another overlooked gem. They just couldn't break out of their "Snoopy" mold. When this single first failed for them in 1966, it was resurrected after a string of Snoopy successes in late 1968. The second time around it snuck into The Top 40 at #33. I always thought it should have been bigger. (kk)


Columnist Bob Lefsetz jumped on The Rascals Reunion bandwagon last week, too ... encouraging fans to kick into the Kickstarter fund designed to raise money for the multi-media event that will be these shows. You can read his take here:
 
re: SHAKING THINGS UP A BIT:
Just announced ... the line up for the 2013 Happy Together Again Tour!
Back are The Turtles (naturally!) and Gary Puckett ... gone are The Buckinghams, The Grass Roots and Micky Dolenz. Returning to the stage: Mark Lindsay, who absolutely WOWED the audience the previous year. And brand new to the line-up this year are Chuck Negron (of Three Dog Night) and Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Should be a GREAT show next year. (Stay tuned to these pages as concert dates are announced.)

Damn! Mark Lindsay looks like Elton John in this picture! (lol)

And, speaking of Micky Dolenz ...

 
re: MICKY DOLENZ:
Q104.3's JIM KERR will intro Monkee MICKY DOLENZ for his show next week (10-19) at B.B. King's. Dolenz, who is out with a new album REMEMBER (Robo / UMG Records), will be recording the show for his first-ever live DVD. Dolenz will be in NYC all next week, with an appearance at CBS FM, Scott Shannon, and, Fox's Good Day New York.

re: KISS:
From VintageVinylNews.com (submitted by FH Reader Tom Cuddy):


There has been no official confirmation from either the group or the record company, but a wide variety of sites are listing a 29-disc set of singles released by KISS on the Casablanca label.
KISS was the first act signed to Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records on November 1, 1973 and stayed with the label through their 1982 album Creatures of the Night before moving on to Mercury. It was also during that time that the four individual members released their solo debuts on the same day, September 18,1978. To date, the biggest charted hit for the band was the ballad, Beth,”
which was chosen as a single by radio veteran Scott Shannon who was then a promotion chief at Casablanca Records.
Rumors say that, of the 29 singles, 26 would come with reproductions of the original picture sleeves and the solo singles pressed in either red, blue, yellow or green vinyl.

The following are the tracks on each single as rumored around the net: 

· Nothin' To Lose / Love Theme From Kiss
· Kissin' Time / Nothin' To Lose
· Strutter / 100,000 Years
· Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll / Hotter Than Hell
· Rock And Roll All Nite / Getaway
· C'mon And Love Me / Getaway
· Rock And Roll Nite (live) / Rock And Roll All Nite
· Shout It Out Loud / Sweet Pain
· Flaming Youth / God of Thunder
· Detroit Rock City / Beth
· Beth / Detroit Rock City
· Hard Luck Woman / Mr. Speed
· Calling Dr. Love / Take Me
· Christeen Sixteen / Shock Me
· Love Gun / Hooligan
· Shout It Out Loud (live) / Nothin' To Lose (live)
· Rocket Ride / Tomorrow And Tonight (live)
· Strutter '78 / Shock Me
· Hold Me, Touch Me / Goodbye (Paul)
· New York Groove / Snowblind (Ace)
· Radioactive / See You In Your Dreams (Gene)
· Don't You Let Me Down / Hooked On Rock 'N Roll (Peter)
· You Matter To Me / Hooked On Rock 'N Roll (Peter)
· I Was Made For Lovin' You / Hard Times
· Sure Know Something / Dirty Livin'
· Shandi / She's So European
· Tomorrow / Naked City
· A World Without Heroes / Dark Light
· I Love It Loud / Danger

While a number of dates in November have been mentioned, the most popular release date, as listed on Amazon, is November 19.


re: MORE NEW RELEASES:
Hello there Kent - Furvus of The Fifth Estate here.
Instead of my normal useless meanderings, this time I may have a useful one. I hope.

We are very pleased to announce that Oct 16 is the release date for The Fifth Estate - Anthology 1.





The CD version has 41 of our older recordings on 2 discs, nearly 2/3 never released before, some live, and ALL RE-MASTERED to sound far better than anything else of ours out, which is quite a bit lately. There are a couple of speaking clips - PLUS a 20 page booklet, of mostly as yet unseen pix and a deeper story about the band than known. It is out on Fuel 2000 and Varese Sarabande and distributed and handled through United. That's UMG, one of the largest remaining record companies. It is already online for pre-release orders at iTunes and Amazon and the like and will be in at least some of the big chain stores before the month is up. This is truly exciting for us and it is still only about 1/3 of the material and recordings we have set for release, so more releases are to come. Maybe like the 60s all over again, for us anyway. Hope others will enjoy these also from that same temporal vibe!! It was quite a vibe and now again in a fresh way still is through our Anthology release.
We have some other things planned also like 1967 movie footage no one but a very few close friends has ever seen going up on Youtube.com. We will probably have us doing Tomorrow Is My Turn and Morning Morning up there soon, and oh yes, us playing Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead as well, with Wayne at his traveling harpsichord - melted over candle from one of our wild parties and all. We have saved this little gem all these years until the time was "just right" AND we finally all agreed IT IS JUST RIGHT! Hope a few fellow readers here will feel the same and take a peek.
It's been a great and busy year for us with the NEW material Time Tunnel album coming out earlier this year and we have a Time Tunnel video ready to go up on line at Youtube as well, so folks can see us TODAY. Now that's a time tunnel and a half indeed! AND if that isn't enough the band will have some free giveaways for those who can answer questions you might pose should you see fit for the readers in a couple weeks about the meanings contained in the door behind us on the Anthology cover above.
Ken Evans - Furvus of The Fifth Estate
Wow! Sounds like a really exciting time for you guys! Please keep us posted. Meanwhile, we are happy to help to spread the word. I have heard some of these early tracks ... don't even THINK about pigeon-holing The Fifth Estate as a bubblegum / novelty act for their Wizard Of Oz hit ... these are some of the most versatile musicians you're ever going to hear ... and their new album "Time Tunnel" certainly confirms that. Keep us posted as the YouTube clips go up, too, Furv, as I'm sure our readers will want to check these out. Thanks! (kk)
Yes Kent an exciting!! time for us!!
I am really digging the business side turmoil discussions you have going on. There is much confusion in all that at the moment. A tech revolution going on. We've been right in the middle of all that what with having experienced the 60s and all first hand AND now again with new releases on what seems like a foreign planet both business wise and musically speaking! But - in some strange sense it also has a large portion of the same things going on musically as the very late 50s early 60s it would seem. (????)
But the big big difference is there was a more uniform method of selling and buying music. AND people actually bought it!! When you get things too easily and too cheap things are not valued or really appreciated and do not seem "important" to anyone. All my records are important to me.
Furv
Hey Kent,
My brother Jim has just released a book about his Lettermen years and losing his voice. You can’t put it down cause there’s some good things in it. It’ll be on bookshelves soon. Thought your readers might be interested.
Thanks,
Lettermen / Reunion, Gary Pike 
http://www.amazon.com/My-Lettermen-Years-Journey-ebook/dp/B009K0VVH2/ref=sr_1_4?s=books <http://www.amazon.com/My-Lettermen-Years-Journey-ebook/dp/B009K0VVH2/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349657667&sr=1-4&keywords=Jim+Pike> &ie=UTF8&qid=1349657667&sr=1-4&keywords=Jim+Pike

Hey Kent,
I wanted to let you know that I am currently working on a project with Sony for the release of the 25th Anniversary soundtrack release of Dirty Dancing. This special edition for the fans includes six ready-to-frame art cards with iconic movie images, plus a bumper sticker, new hardcover package with liner notes by executive producer Jimmy Ienner, producers Michael Lloyd and Leon Medica, and producer-performers Eric Carmen and Zappacosta.
Responding to the feedback from loyal fans around the world, Legacy Recordings presents DIRTY DANCING: THE DELUXE ANNIVERSARY EDITION, which presents the original 12-song album of 1987, along with new bonus features. This special commemorative project reflects Legacy’s direct survey of a portion of the millions of Dirty Dancing fans on Facebook who responded and wished to maintain the experience of the original release by showcasing the original running order of the album as it was first released, without bonus tracks.
Wow! I can't believe it's been 25 years. Once again, proof positive that this music is timeless. From the opening drumbeat of "Be My Baby" as the opening credits roll, four generations have fallen in love with this film, totally captivated by the story, the dancing and the music.
And check out this cool like capsule, too! (kk)
Yep, another album BUT ... unlike "Retrophonic 3" that I desperately needed to sell, this one is a download album and only means pennies in my pocket! It was put together from many of my CDs by K-Tel and it is available on iTunes. To hear snippets, just type my name and then click "see all" (Albums) and you'll find it around the middle of the page ("Music To Give You The Creeps").
Thanks and Happy Halloween!
Eagle Rock Entertainment To Release Let The Music Play - The Story Of The Doobie Brothers
~On DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Video November 13, 2012~

New York, NY (October 11, 2012) — Eagle Rock Entertainment, on November 13, 2012, will release Let The Music Play – The Story Of The Doobie Brothers on DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital Video [Pre-book Order Date October 19, MSRP $14.98 DVD, $19.98 Blu-ray, $12.99 Digital Video].
Let The Music Play is the authorized story of The Doobie Brothers from their beginnings in California in 1970 to worldwide success, selling over 40 million albums during their long career. The film features interviews with band members Patrick Simmons, Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, John McFee ,Tiran Porter, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, their manager Bruce Cohn and long term producer Ted Templeman, revealing the full story of the band’s highs and lows through four decades of musical evolution.
The Doobie Brothers breakthrough came with “Listen To The Music” in 1972, and they went on to experience both sustained success and line-up changes in the mid-seventies. The band made a change of musical direction and enjoyed further success following the arrival of Michael McDonald in 1976. Worn out by non-stop touring and internal disagreements, the band broke up after a “farewell” concert in 1982. There were sporadic reunions in the eighties before the band reformed permanently in the early nineties and have continued touring and recording ever since.
As well as the film itself, Let The Music Play – The Story Of The Doobie Brothers features bonus live performances of: “Rainy Day Crossroad Blues,” “Without You,” “Listen To The Music,” “Black Water,” “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “Rockin’ Down The Highway,” “Neal’s Fandango,” “Long Train Runnin’,” and “China Grove”.
Let The Music Play – The Story Of The Doobie Brothers is more than just a rockumentary, exposing their incredible career and achievements. Boasting an additional nine live tracks, with a total running time of well over two hours, this is the complete package for any fan of this amazing band.
Having just seen these guys in concert ... and being completely blown away by how incredibly awesome they were (how is it possible that The Doobie Brothers are not in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?!?!?), this is an absolute MUST for our video collection. Pre-orders are available now with an official "street date" of November 13th. (kk)


re: THE VERY BEST OF SOUTHERN ROCK:
ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK CROWNS
MARSHALL TUCKER BAND'S
"CAN'T YOU SEE" #1 SOUTHERN ROCK SONG
Nashville, Tenn. (October 2, 2012) – Townsquare Media’s Ultimate Classic Rock recently unveiled its list of the greatest Southern Rock songs ever recorded. Topping the list of songs is the legendary Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See.”
The smash hit song remains a staple song in today’s music scene. Every year the song is included in new major motion picture soundtracks, TV series and commercials and is played thousands of times on Classic Rock radio stations all around the world.
“We are over the top with this announcement from Ultimate Classic Rock,” raves Marshall Tucker Band lead singer and founding member Doug Gray. “It certainly lets us all know that ‘Can’t You See’ is and will continue to be appreciated for a very long time.”
Ultimate Classic Rock writes, “Next time you hear this song in public, take notice and you’ll make the strangest observation, especially if there is booze involved. There seems to be something about this particular song that makes the majority (very ironically) close their eyes and sway their head from left to right while singing the song's famous ‘Can’t you see’ line. That universal connection earns this song the top spot on our southern rock songs list.”
“Can’t You See” was written by the late Toy Caldwell and was originally recorded in 1973. It was later released as a single in 1977 and soared to the top of several national music charts. The iconic southern anthem has been covered by some of the biggest names in the Country and Rock music genres, including Waylon Jennings, Alabama, Poison, Hank Williams Jr., Kid Rock, the Allman Brothers Band, the Charlie Daniels Band and the Zac Brown Band.
Click HERE to view a classic Marshall Tucker Band performance of "Can't You See."
ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK TOP 10 SOUTHERN ROCK SONGS
10. "Mississippi Queen" - Mountain
9. "30 Days In The Hole" - Humble Pie
8. "Ramblin' Man" - The Allman Brothers
7. "La Grange" - ZZ Top
6. "Flirtin' With Disaster" - Molly Hatchet
5. "Long Haired Country Boy" - The Charlie Daniels Band
4. "Highway Song" - Blackfoot
3. "Green Grass & High Tides" - The Outlaws
2. "Sweet Home Alabama" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
1. "Can't You See" - The Marshall Tucker Band
View the full article at UltimateClassicRock.com.
For additional information on the Marshall Tucker Band, visit www.marshalltucker.com.
-- submitted by Phil Nee
A great if not surprising choice. When I told Frannie, she was quite surprised, too, but agreed it was an excellent choice. (She figured #1 would have to be either "Sweet Home Alabama" or "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. She wasn't too far off ... "Sweet Home Alabama" came in at #2 ... but incredibly, "Free Bird" didn't even make the Top Ten!)
And this is a girl who knows a thing or two about southern rock. We've got several CD collections spotlighting the genre ... and she can pretty much recite "Joe Dirt" from memory now. (lol)
A few of these surprise me ... since you rarely if ever hear them. "Mississippi Queen" is a personal favorite ... and we've featured it before in Forgotten Hits ... a GREAT rockin' track from 1970. But how often do you hear "30 Days In The Hole", "Long-Haired Country Boy", "Highway Song" or "Green Grass And High Tides"??? If you hear Charlie Daniels at all anymore, it's usually "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" ... this despite the fact the Daniels had five other hits that crossed over to the Pop Top 40. I've always loved "La Grange" and "Flirtin' With Disaster" ... these are two songs I rarely if ever turn off when they come on the radio. "Sweet Home Alabama"? You can bank on hearing that one at least three times a day ... but "Can't You See" at #1 is a shocker. Great song ... but not even that big a hit when it first came out. (In 1973, it "Bubbled Under" on the Billboard Chart at #108. The reissue in 1977 only climbed to #75.) Meanwhile their best known hit remains "Heard It In A Love Song", which reached #10 in Cash Box earlier that same year. (This is the one where I always misheard the lyrics as "Pretty Little Love Song" ... next time it comes on, listen to it with that thought in mind and you'll see where I'm coming from. Of course, you've first got to inflect that little bit of southern twang and sing it as "Purty little love song" ... but you'll see what I'm talking about!) kk


re: CRUISIN':
Hey, since I just sold a piece of memorabilia to Jody Watley, do you think she'll get me a deal on that Soul Train cruise?
Jack
Worth a shot! Actually these are pretty stellar line ups for ALL of these cruises ... some pretty big names sharing the spotlight. Never been on a cruise but any one of these would make for a great first-time experience. (kk)


Kent ...
You're making me Sea Sick, with your Cruise News.
-- Soul Train Cruise
-- Rock Legends Cruise 11
-- Where The Action is - Concerts at Sea
You left out the Malt Shop Cruise, at the end of the month.
Frank B.
I've plugged that one several times already ... and they STILL haven't sent me free tickets! (lol) For anybody interested in catching this wave, you can check it out here:
And something else for you nostalgia buffs out there ... how about the Frankie Ford hit "Sea Cruise" ... followed by the Phil Phillips classic (no, NOT the guy from American Idol!!!) "Sea Of Love"!!! (kk)









re: ROCK AND ROLL PICTURE SHOW:
I just got the Dave Clark 5 movie Having A Wild Weekend from Collectors Choice. I can't wait to go home and watch it for the first time in many years.
Phil - WRCO
I saw that listed ... I think I have an old (not very good) bootleg copy of this. Not a great movie by any stretch ... but cool to see The DC5 in action. (I remember seeing "Ferry 'Cross The Mersey" at the movies, too, around this time, featuring Gerry and the Pacemakers. Once The Beatles paved the way with "A Hard Day's Night", several other of the British Invasion Acts got into the movies, too ... there are a few Herman's Hermits titles currently available through Collectors Choice as well.
And now the first legitimate, cleaned-up version of "Magical Mystery Tour" is ready to hit the streets. Again, not a great piece of work ... but it'll be cool do have a mint version in my collection after all these years. Once again, the music supercedes anything else going on up on the screen. (kk)   

re: THIS AND THAT:
Lots of comments about Jimmy Page lately so I thought I'd send along this photo of Joe Walsh and Jimmy taken just last week.
David Lewis

Courtesy of Tom Cuddy ...
 
Hey Kent,
I don't know how big of an Elton fan you are but there is a great special on the Palladia Channel. It's called "Ibiza 123 Rocktronic Festival". The first 40 minutes of the show is just Elton at a piano. He does fantastic versions of Levon (he puts in a real nice piano jam in it) , Rocket Man and a kinda bluesy version of Philadelphia Freedom. I never cared for PF, but this is very cool. According to the listings the next time it's on is next Saturday the 20th.
Mike
Palladia has had some pretty good concerts on recently ... will have to watch for this one. (kk) 

Kent,
I just went to the Classic Video Clips on You tube which you had listed on today's comments. I have got a question you. I went to it and just played (for now) one clip and that was of the Isley Brothers when they were on the Dick Clark show lip-syncing their 1959 song SHOUT! (Part I). When was the last time you heard on the radio the Isley Brothers' SHOUT, just part I alone and not Parts I and II combined? For those in the know, the 'A' side of the record was SHOUT! Part I.
For a few weeks now, off and on, I have been listening to Sirius Radio when I can in my car to the fifties on 5. Like everybody else, they combine the two parts, as well as Bill Doggett's 1956 HONKY TONK (parts I and II) where part II was originally the 'A' side of the record.
Same can be said of Don McLean's AMERICAN PIE where the original 'A' side of the record was part I, at least here in OKC.
I am not saying this is good or bad, but I am saying this is not how they were played on the radio originally when they came out.
Larry
And, every once in a while, the B-Side / "Part Two" would become the hit ... like Little Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips, Part Two", which went all the way to #1 ... or THIS classic from 1959 ...





re: ON THE RADIO:
We have a couple of really good oldies stations here in Michigan but unfortunately they are both on AM. The guys who are on the station are in their 60's and remember many of the really good oldies. I've attached a song that is a sample of some of the songs that are played. Mel Carter was such a great singer and we just don't hear his much loved music anymore. Still enjoying your Forgotten Hits.
Carrie
 
DJ Stu Weiss remembers John Lennon with a special 30-minute tribute on his Friday Night Program ...
www.oldiesyourway.com ... 8 pm - 8:30 pm (Eastern Time) He's on the air from 6:30 pm - 1 am so you may want to check this out!


re: CHRISTMAS:
More hits for that Kent Kotal Christmas song again???
Before there was Dick Clark and Dick Bartley, there was the smooth voice of Cincinnati's Dusty Rhodes. Both he and Dick Clark come from the Syracuse U 50's era and both were successes on the air for decades. Dusty is a 50 year vet of Cincy radio and his Christmas airshow programs have always been a big hit. This year, for you programmers who need a big long extravagant program consisting of tons of popular and obscure Christmas tunes and stories, THIS is the program for you!
Dusty has been a family friend for decades and I got this from him early in September, so guys, get this for your stations so you can give those hard working jocks some time at home!
36 hours of premium holiday programming.
A great revenue producer.
Perfect for sponsors holiday greeting messages.
No charge, straight barter.
dustyrhodesshow.com
Clark Besch
We've heard about several Christmas-themed shows available for airing during the holiday season. Actually, I think we may not hang up our stocking this year .. after several years of running our "Twelve Days Of Christmas" feature, spotlighting brand new and over-looked Christmas music, I think I may give it a rest for a year or two ... give us a chance to build up some new material. (Now that doesn't mean that I wont' still run a plug for OUR favorite Christmas song ... I just don't think I'm going to go with a full-blown feature this year. (kk)

NEW MUSIC! NEW MUSIC! NEW MUSIC!
Kent,
Hope all is well. I'm sending out my early October Machine Dream Records new releases to you, [see Media Release below] in hopes of getting some radio play around the globe. I know you will enjoy THE ROCK!
Besides the new songs I'm promoting, I've also included a direct link to my "Everybody's Happy 'Cause It's Christmas Time". Yes It's that time of year ... again - whew!
Ian Lloyd, "Everybody's Happy 'Cause It's Christmas Time" 320kbps MP3:
http://machinedreamrecords.com/mdr_Music/IanLloyd_ChristmasTime_320k.zipHere's MDR's MEDIA RELEASE [early Oct 2012].
Ian Lloyd’s MACHINE DREAM RECORDS is proud to announce SOCIAL HERO's first Singles Release of 2012. Listen to these two great radio ready tunes and Pump Up your new music playlist now!
"Don't Call Me On Saturday" / "Bear Skin Rug"
Social Hero singles 320kbps MP3:
http://machinedreamrecords.com/mdr_Music/SOCIALHERO_Singles_Release_September_2012.zip
If you have not yet heard MDR's new Artist release by ISLE OF RHODES, go now to listen to their first single "Tick Tock".
Isle Of Rhodes "Tic Toc" 320kbps MP3:
http://machinedreamrecords.com/mdr_Music/IsleOfRhodes_02_TicToc.zip
Help Spread the WORD & the SOUND around the WORLD!
ROCK IS ON!
Ian Lloyd [aka 'Brother Louie']
[CEO & "Head" of MDR]
ianlloyd@machinedreamrecords.com
www.socialhero.com
www.machinedreamrecords.com
As always, happy to help spread the word. (Sounds like lots of cool new stuff coming up!)  And we WILL give your Christmas song a spin again this year! (kk)