Saturday, May 18, 2013

The Sunday Comments ( 05 - 19 - 13 )

A short but sweet edition of The Sunday Comments this week ...   

re: FIRST ... SOME VERY, VERY SAD NEWS:  
Not sure if you saw it, but Alan O'Day passed away Friday:
Singer / songwriter Alan O’Day, who recorded the #1 hit “Undercover Angel” (1977) and wrote Helen Reddy’s “Angie Baby” (#1 - 1974), “Train of Thought” (#27 - 1974) from Cher and the Righteous Brothers’ hit “Rock And Roll Heaven” (#3 - 1974), died of cancer at his Westwood, California home Friday (May 17). The Southern California native (though he also called Nashville home) was 72. He wrote over 100 songs for the animated “Muppet Babies” cartoon series as well as a song for Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” All told, his songs were recorded by such varied artists as Olivia Newton-John, Anne Murray, Three Dog Night, Dave Mason, Johnny Mathis, the 5th Dimension, the Captain & Tenille, Tom Jones, Peggy Lee, John Travolta, Dusty Springfield, Bobby Sherman, David Clayton Thomas, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Paul Anka and Gene Pitney. One of his last projects was composing the theme song for the independent film, “You Don’t Say."

http://youtu.be/01PSf4Bokic
http://youtu.be/a6ZCF5BFRJ0
-- Ron Smith
 
Wow! No, I had not heard this.  This one REALLY hits close to home. Alan and I had become pretty close friends over the past few years ... I even featured one of his tunes in last week's "Ain't" special ... and we had talked about doing a radio piece together, too. Over the years he has been a good friend to Forgotten Hits, sharing demos with us (like HIS version of "Angie Baby" and "Easy Evil", a song later covered by John Kay after leaving Steppenwolf) and many of the stories behind his songs. We've given away numerous autographed copies of his CD's and even "sneak-peeked" a couple of tracks before they were officially released to the public.  
Just recently he appeared on stage with Helen Reddy, helping her out with "Angie Baby" after Helen forgot a couple of the lyrics! And, as Ron stated above, his latest work appears in the film "You Don't Say".  
Alan shared the news about his bout with cancer with me a few years ago after my brother passed away from pancreatic cancer ... at his request, I held this information in strictest confidence ... but he wanted me to know that he could TOTALLY relate to all that I was feeling, going through many of those same emotions himself at the time. Very, very sad news indeed. (kk)





Sad to report Alan O’Day died Friday.
Tony Waitekus


re: COOL VIDEO:  
Submitted by FH Reader Gary Renfield ... a video walk down memory lane ...  

Did you see Frankie Valli perform on the American Idol finale?  He did a medley with the top five male finalists -- and it was actually pretty good.  (Makes me want to see Jersey Boys again!)
Nicki
No, we haven't watched Idol in years now ... but my curiosity got the better of me for this one ... so here's that clip for the benefit of anyone else who may not have seen it.  Frankie looks and sounds great ... the man is pushing 80 and he's STILL got that great voice.  And it's not a bad medley either ... "Let's Hang On" / "Walk Like A Man" / "Who Loves You" by The Top Five Guys ... followed by two of Frankie's solo #1 Hits "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and "Grease".  In fact, Frannie said they should leave this in the act for this year's American Idol tour!  A top-notch performance by all parties concerned!  (kk) 




re: WOULDN'T IT BE COOL IF RADIO SOUNDED LIKE THIS ... :  
Truthfully, Kent, I would be happy if our radio stations played your "instead of this" collection ... we aren't even that cool! LOL   
Stacee  
I think radio would improve 3000% if they simply offered a mixture of BOTH!!! (kk)     

Kent,
No contest. Your set made me believe there is hope for radio. On the other hand, I kept moving on to the next song of your "instead of this" list before the intros were completed.
Fun example for a Friday.
Tom    
Exactly what I mean when I refer to these songs as "immediate button pushers" ... they seem to be playing non-stop. Just for fun, I counted how many times I heard each of those five songs and / or artists during my to and from commute to work on Friday ... now think about that for a second ... we're talking about 90 minutes TOPS, round-trip ... and yes, I pushed the buttons constantly trying to find something ... ANYTHING ... better on the radio ... yet I STILL managed to hear "Jack And Diane" twice (plus four other John Mellencamp songs), three different songs by Steve Miller (amazingly, "Jet Airliner" wasn't one of them ... but still, three Steve Miller songs in 90 minutes?!?!?), "Don't Stop Believin'" twice (as well as two other Journey songs), "Dream On" THREE TIMES (the full blown winner in this contest of pure torture) and "More Than A Feeling" by Boston twice. ALL in the same 90 minute period ... only to be repeated ad infinitively for the rest of our lives apparently. God, what an abuse of power! (kk)

Have some fun with these ... overlap the fades ... talk over the intros ... do all the cool things that deejays used to do!  Check it out and see how THIS mix floats your boat!  (kk)











All kidding aside ... why isn't radio playing ANY of these songs?!?!?  Can you honestly tell me that every single one of these wouldn't sound AMAZING coming out of your car radio every now and then???  (kk)

re: SNIPPETS:
Kent,
Thanks for posting Ronnie's Snippets on Demand new website. I just spent some thirty minutes on it. I did get 29 in a row right before I quit. I tried it several other times as well. According to his instructions, I am eligible to be entered into his Genius Hall of Fame. Kent, a genius I am not about this music that we love.
I try to think, however, that my knowledge is maybe a little bit above average. Incidentally, I picked the music of the early sixties to test.
One final thing. In the past two weeks here in OKC, I have heard versions of HAND JIVE by Johnny Otis, QUIET VILLAGE by Martin Denny, LET THERE BE DRUMS by Sandy Nelson that I have never heard before on the radio. It was re-recordings by the artists themselves. In fact, the Sandy Nelson instrumental wasn't even a close second as to sounding like the original. In fact, it wasn't even in the ballpark.

Also, while looking at Ronnie's website Snippets on Demand I noticed something that I did not know. Maybe you had this information in FH last month and I just missed it ... but apparently last month we lost Emilio Pericoli and Don Shirley. Emilio Pericoli had the 1962 song AD-DI-LA. Don Shirley had two songs here in the OKC area. His 1961 instrumental WATERBOY went to number one. I also enjoyed his followup DROWN IN MY OWN TEARS.
Larry
P.S. I don't know this for a fact but I'm sure you will tell me, but someone told me years ago that WATERBOY went to number one also in Chicago.
Most folks are finding Ronnie's new "Snippets On Demand" game quite addictive. And there are SO many different categories to choose from. (I typically stick with the five second snippet to challenge myself and have done ok with this the few times I've played.)
Your comment about the re-recordings ties in nicely with the piece we ran the other day, submitted by FH Reader Don Effengberger ... here it is again in case you missed it:
>>>Same Old Song? Not Exactly. Many classic hits are secretly re-recorded. Can this be stopped? http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/05/re_recordings_runaway_and_other_
classic_songs_redone_in_the_studio_can_we.html
Ironically, I was just having a similar discussion with Bish Krywko, program director at WRLR about the necessity and importance of having good, clean original copies of the music they air ... they're actually reviewing their music library right now to insure that the music they're broadcasting is of the highest standards ... not always the easiest thing to accomplish when you stray from the "tried and trued" (aka "beaten to death") playlist and venture into some "uncharted" territory.
As for "Waterboy", I show it peaking at #7 on the WLS Chart ... and it was his only chart hit here in Chicago. It looks like nationally it went to #40. (kk)



re: THE WRECKING CREW:
Just announced ... another "Wrecking Crew" screening ... this time in Daytona Beach, Florida ... on June 10th ... at the Paragon Oceanwalk 10 Theater ... 250 N. Atlantic Ave. Producer / Director Denny Tedesco will be on hand for a brief Q & A after the show.
Denny also tells us:
On Sunday, June 9, 2013, the day before the screening, hippies of all ages will descend on Daytona's Peabody Auditorium once more to celebrate peace, love and happiness. This annual summertime event has grown to become one of the Peabody's most popular shows -- indoors and out. I will have a booth. Please come and say hello.
Later that evening, there is a concert at 7:00 pm -- "Happy Together" Concert Tour which includes:
• The Turtles, Featuring Flo and Eddie
• Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
• Gary Lewis and the Playboys
Chuck Negron, formerly of Three Dog Night
Mark Lindsay, formerly of Paul Revere and the Raiders
If you want to win tickets to the Film Screening in Daytona
send your name/phone/email
If you are in the Orlando / Daytona area and you want to sponsor seats, please look below for details and click to see how we've
highlighted our past sponsors at screenings.
This is how we've been financing travel to various cities.
We still have room for additional sponsors for the Daytona Beach screening. Email Denny at
denny@wreckingcrewfilm.com for details.


re: THIS AND THAT:
Hey Kent,
I do know of one Kingston Trio recording that was almost prevented from making it to the airwaves ... "Greenback Dollar". The song was the first cut of their "New Frontier" album. When it was decided to release the song as a single, the nervous record execs interrupted the trio's tour, and made them come in to the studio, to record ONE guitar chord. The chord was then inserted into the song, in place of that terrible word "damn". Of course, fans who wanted to hear that "word" would have to buy the album.
- John LaPuzza 




Hey Kent ...
Greetings again from hot and sunny Laughlin, Nevada, where Tony Orlando appeared over Mother's Day Weekend. His nearly sold-out show on Saturday night was his first in the two year-old E-CENTER at the Edgewater Hotel, with over 2,500 in attendance.


The best word to describe Tony's current show is ... eclectic. Tony really is a wild and crazy guy and his show is a zany musical romp! I've seen Tony perform in Laughlin twice before (at Harrah's Hotel's outdoor amphitheater) and he gets a little crazier with each show.
He opened the show with his own version of the Neil Diamond hit "America" as a tribute to veterans from WW2 up to Afghanistan. He asked each different group of vets to stand and be recognized and then sang a verse of the song with lyrics changed to be about them. Kind of a strange way to begin a set, in my opinion. (I felt it could have been more effective placed later in the set.) Still, it was a very nice gesture and well-received by the audience, even if they weren't prepared for an extended patriotic segment at the beginning of the concert.
From there the show was a wild ride! Of course Tony performed his hits, and it was amusing when he showed great relief and satisfaction that the audience "still remember" the 40 year old songs. I have to admit that I never thought of Tony as a stellar vocalist in the same league as the more legendary pop singers of the fifties, sixties and seventies. With all due (and deserved) respect, Tony's renditions of his and other classic hits were not all that memorable. But, that being said, what Tony may lack as a vocalist, he MORE than compensates with his skills as an overall entertainer. The two-hour show (long by casino-hotel standards) went by very quickly, while still leaving the audience fully satisfied. The concert was energetic and tons of fun. Tony truly connected with the audience throughout and kept everyone in great spirits with his jokes and self-effacing shticks.
Tony introduced a few friends sitting near the stage, one being former heavyweight champ LEON SPINKS (who was mobbed for photos after the show), and the other was old friend JACK HAKIM, who Tony credits with helping him get started in the music business in the early sixties. Jack moved to Bullhead City, AZ (across the CO River from Laughlin) many years ago and has been the city's mayor for over ten years now! Few here in the area (or anywhere, for that matter) knew of Jack's connection to Tony Orlando until 2009, when the Bullhead City mayor presented Tony with a key to the city. Here's a rare video of that event:
http://www.viddler.com/v/d01e0706
For me, the best parts of THE TONY ORLANDO REVUE were the routines with Tony and the different individual members of his band. These guys (and one lady, songwriter Toni Wine) are great artists and performers in their own right and Tony makes full use of their individual talents. There were excellent performances from them all, which included great impersonations of classic rock and country superstars performing legendary hits and terrific instrumental routines. At one point, Tony encouraged his drummer to begin beating on the legs of a stool while leading the musician around the stage like a lion-tamer! This ten-minute long routines ended with an extended drum solo ... played on the floor of the stage! Toni Wine was introduced by Tony and asked to sing a verse from her classic pop song GROOVY KIND OF LOVE, which turned out to be a very heartwarming and emotional moment. A real nice touch ... until a huge dragonfly that had made it's way into the venue landed on Toni's shoulder, giving her a momentary scare!
After the show I had a chance to speak with Toni Wine (who was married to a friend of mine, the late GENGHIS COHEN restaurant founder ALLAN RINDE, for ten years). Toni has performed with Tony Orlando for decades. I asked her about the spontaneity and loose format of Tony's show and she commented, "No two shows are the same with him! There's a set list, but it serves as more of an outline. We never know what to expect from Tony or where he'll take the show next. So we just roll with it. We used to get caught off guard from time to time but, through the years, the band has learned just about every song he knows, so it's very rare for us to be unprepared, at least from a musical level!" Toni isn't just a great talent, but very sweet as well, and I appreciate her taking a few minutes to speak with me. Here's a great little video interview Tony did backstage before their performance at Harrah's Hotel in 2009: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgX3vSCsO2g

All in all, it was a very enjoyable couple of hours last Saturday night and I highly recommend seeing this rollicking "revue" if it passes through your area! I was hoping to record and share a few video highlights, but video recording was not allowed at this performance and I'm not about to disrespect the artist's or management's requests. But I am sure you can find videos of Tony's recent performances online.
This weekend features a double bill of Joan Jett and Steve Miller at the newly-erected Laughlin Amphitheater ... I can't wait to see Saturday night's show!
COLLECTIVE SOUL appears at Edgewater's E-Center Memorial Day Weekend and the weekends that follow will see a couple of great classic rock headliners. FOREIGNER comes performs at the Riverside Hotel's outdoor roof-top amphitheater on Saturday, June 1 and on Saturday, June 8, REO SPEEDWAGON will be rockin' the river at the E-Center.
LATE BREAKING NEWS: Just added to the summer lineup of visiting acts is an appearance by THE SPINNERS at the E-Center on Saturday, August 3.
Here on the river, the hits just keep on comin!
Stand by for more in the weeks and months to come.
-- Joe Klein'
As Joe told us a few weeks ago, Laughlin has become a music haven for many of our favorite oldies artists ... seems that somebody is ALWAYS appearing there that we'd like to see! Thanks, Joe! (kk)

Friday, May 17, 2013

Wouldn't it be cool if radio sounded like this .....












Instead of like this .....











Thursday, May 16, 2013

Thursday This And That

re: THIS AND THAT:
Jeremy Roberts has a neat piece on Micky Dolenz running right now ... with more to follow. Micky's still squeezing in solo dates before the next Monkees reunion tour kicks off. You can check it out here:
 
And, speaking of The Monkees, thanks to all of you who have already contacted us with memorabilia and memories to share for Gary Strobl's new Monkees coffee table book. (Scroll back to Sunday's "Helping Out Our Readers" segment for more information.) 
 
The other day we told you about Endless Summer Quarterly publishing their 100th issue.
Well David Beard has some of those classic covers to share, posted up on his Examiner web page this morning ... along with more on the evolution of what is most certainly the #1 Beach Boys / Brian Wilson magazine in the world.
 
If you're one of the many FH Readers who has been playing Ronnie Allen's "Snippets" game on the Jersey Girls Sing website, you might be interested to know that Ronnie's now set up a "Snippets Hall Of Fame" for those of you experts out there earning perfect scores ...  
 
Kent,
I've just put up the latest version of Snippets On Demand!
I hope that you will share this with your readers, many of whom privately made the suggestion that I add a public "high score" page to my game.
I am happy to report that I have done that.
I've just incorporated the Snippet Genius Hall Of Fame. I've created the Snippet Genius Hall Of Fame. The mythical building is located in the city of Oldiesville! The page is available for all to see, even though there are no inductees yet as I type this. But I have a feeling that situation will change mighty quickly.
This Hall Of Fame is for PERFECT SCORES only.
And more specifically ... in order to be an inductee you need to have a PERFECT SCORE OF 20 OR MORE.
Those who get 20 or more snippets right automatically earn the right to be enshrined. Their induction takes place if they choose to reveal themselves. (It's optional.)
The time to solve each snippet has no bearing on the Hall Of Fame. You can take the full ten seconds to solve each one if you'd like. Perfection is the key here.Let's say that you rattle off 75 snippets in a row. Of course, you could quit at that point and accept a PERFECT 75 and you would then AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY TO BE AN INDUCTEE. But if you're greedy, you might decide to try for 76. If you do that and you miss, you LOSE your perfect score and that game will not be eligible for Hall Of Fame listing.
(Please don't consider throwing your computer out the window if that happens. There's always next time!)
If you get a Perfect 10, you will still be a Snippet Genius. But, to use a baseball analogy, you would be like an ALL-STAR. In order to qualify for the Snippet Genius Hall Of Fame, you will need MORE. Many ballplayers who are frequently elected to the annual All-Star game do not make it to the Hall Of Fame.
If you end your game with a perfect score of 20 or more, you will be verbally told that you have earned your way into the Hall Of Fame and will then see some very simple onscreen instructions. Simply follow these instructions and you'll be on your way to The Snippets Genius Hall Of Fame.
Your fifteen minutes (or more) of fame awaits you!
I've heard personally from many of your readers. I hope that those who have played it will continue to do so and that some newcomers will try it out as well.
Thanks for you help and nice comments Kent!
Ronnie  
 
Kent:
Found an interesting section on Johnny Paris (Johnny & The Hurricanes-Tension) in the 1976 Rolling Stone 'History Of Rock & Roll' book. Turns out Johnny & The Hurricanes had an interesting history and were a favorite on the Beatles! During a 3-week engagement in Germany in 1961, the Beatles actually opened the show for the Hurricanes, who were the headline act at the Star Club! It shows how fame is so fleeting that Johnny Paris (Tension) were doing High School dances in CT. in 1971, performing his local hit "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is", while a decade earlier, the Beatles were HIS opening act!!!
John





Kent,
You probably had this song listed even though it didn't make your cut but it did quite well here in OKC as opposed to what it did on the national level and I am talking about the Byrds' 1968 song YOU AIN'T GOING NOWHERE.
Larry
Actually, no ... I hadn't even considered that one! I don't think it ever got played here in Chicago. By 1968, The Byrds' chart career was pretty well over. (Wild Bill would have my head if he heard me say that!!!) kk  
 
Hey Kent,
The other day, the novelty song "Transfusion" by Nervous Norvus (aka Jimmy Drake) came up in conversation. My oldest brother had the 45, and we were always singing the funny lines from it. I think I knew this, but I read recently that the song was actually banned from some radio stations' playlists. Wow ... very mild, compared to the garbage that's out there today. I was wondering if your readers could come up with more pop songs that were banished from the airwaves, and maybe you could put together a list of the most popular ones. What do you think?
- John LaPuzza
Certainly it was a different time. The one that immediately came to mind from a similar era (and, in this case, even a similar name) was "My Boomerang Won't Come Back" by Charlie Drake, a #21 pop hit in 1962. Original pressings contained the lyric "black in the face" ... which was later changed to "blue in the face" to be more politically correct (even though he WAS singing about the Aborigines.) Obviously, there are dozens and dozens more, banned by various radio stations across the country for one reason or another (and often at their own discretion.) One we've covered numerous times before was Lou Christie's hit "Rhapsody In The Rain" ... another is Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl". In these two instances, the songs weren't banned ... but a lyric change was required in order to get them to play it on the radio (or, at the very least, certain stations.)
Songs as diverse as "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys and "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" by The Beatles were banned on various stations for the use of the words "God" and "Christ" ... the list goes on and on ... but if readers would like to send in some of their own suggestions, I'm happy to run them. (kk) 
 
Here's the latest word on a brand new release now available from Davie Allan and the Arrows ... sounds like this one marks the end of an era!!! (Or, in Davie's case, would that be the end of a cycle???)  kk
 
Retrophonic 4 Liner Notes
To repeat, this is it! The last Arrows’ album you can hold in your hands. It’ll only be download albums after this final volume of my Retrophonic series. The first download album is the re-release of Restless In L.A. with the original cover idea.
Just a few words about some of the tunes: “Los Cabos” ties the series together with an instrumental version. “War Path” celebrates the 50th anniversary of my first record and it’s only the first remake. Since the Arrows’ instrumentals have always been more popular with my fans, I’ve put together a whole album’s worth (16 tunes) followed by 9 vocals. Even the vocals should be a bit interesting with titles like “Shape of Things to Come”, “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky”, “The Glory Stompers” plus two Buddy Holly tributes: “Think It Over” and “Oh Buddy, We Miss You So” (if you have volume 2 of this series, please note that this version is in a different key, it has some lyric changes and I re-did the entire vocal).
I'm only charging $10 and that includes the postage and bubble mailer. But wait, there's more: a new mailing label, an autograph and a lyric sheet (oh well, it seemed funny when I thought of it!). You can also use Paypal.
Thank you for your support!
Davie Allan
P.O. Box 5378
Oceanside, CA 92052
 
 
CLEARLY CLASSIC VINYL FOR THREE ABKCO ROLLING STONES TITLES OUT MAY 28 ... 
BEGGARS BANQUET, LET IT BLEED AND HOT ROCKS 1964-1971 TRANSPARENTLY CELEBRATE STONES' 50th
 


Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed and Hot Rocks 1964-1971, the most celebrated albums in ABKCO's catalog of Rolling Stones releases, will debut later this month as 180-gram LPs, pressed on clear vinyl, in celebration of the band's 50th anniversary and '50 and Counting' tour. The launch of a projected series titled "The Rolling Stones Clearly Classic," featuring these three initial releases out May 28th, focus on the three Rolling Stones albums that reflect the group's formative years and transformation into "The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band" at the end of the 1960's and into the early 70's. All three albums have been meticulously mastered from high resolution audio files sourced from the original master tapes, assuring optimal sound quality that exceeds both conventional CD audio and digital downloads. 
 
Beggars Banquet was a breakthrough album for the Rolling Stones, recorded in 1968 in London and Los Angeles and produced by Jimmy Miller. It was the last full album with founding member Brian Jones in the line-up and includes such classics as "Sympathy For the Devil," (the subject of the Jean Luc Godard film of the same title), "Street Fighting Man," and "Factory Girl." Guest musicians and vocalists on the album include Nicky Hopkins, Rocky Dijon, Ric Grech, Dave Mason and The Watts Street Gospel Choir.
 
Let It Bleed, the first Rolling Stones album that includes contributions from Mick Taylor who replaced Brian Jones shortly before the latter's death, is the stuff of legends with many considering the set as the band's very best. It includes "You Got The Silver," featuring Keith Richards' first lead vocal, "Midnight Rambler," the apocalyptic themed "Gimme Shelter," the band's faithful take on Robert Johnson's country blues "Love In Vain" as well as the epochal "You Can't Always Get What You Want." Guests include Ian Stewart, Nicky Hopkins, Jack Nitzsche, Ry Cooder, Leon Russell, Al Kooper, Bobby Keys, Byron Berline, Rocky Dijon, Merry Clayton, Madeline Bell, Doris Troy, Nanette News and The London Bach Choir.
 
Hot Rocks 1964-1971 is a collection, on 2 LPs, of tracks that, in essence, launched the band into the public consciousness with a run of hits that went on to establish the Rolling Stones' preeminence on both sides of the Atlantic. A total of 21 songs, recorded over 7 years, on four sides, including "Time Is On My Side," "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, ""Get Off My Cloud," "19th Nervous Breakdown," "Let's Spend The Night Together," "Jumpin' Jack Flash, "Sympathy For the Devil," "Midnight Rambler," "You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Brown Sugar," Wild Horses" and more, are featured. Originally released in December 1971, the album remained on the Billboard album chart for 243 consecutive weeks and was certified 12 times Platinum by the RIAA. The collection includes 11 Top 10 US and UK hits and 7 hit singles that reached #1. Hot Rocks 1964-1971 is, by any measure, one of the greatest of all greatest hits albums ever released.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Some Of Your Mid-Week Comments

re: TV THEMES:  
>>>I had the "Secret Agent" soundtrack LP, and was VERY disappointed that someone else sang "Secret Agent Man" on its first track. In fact, I actually tried to cut a groove on it, so the needle, of my record player, would automatically travel to the second track! (John LaPuzza)
Here is a sample of the version John wrote about:
It does seem a little odd the soundtrack album used someone else's version, but it's not the first time. Maybe the composer Edwin Ashley had his own recording contract like Henry Mancini did. Mancini's albums almost never had the same singers as on the movie track. 
Paul Urbahns 
Radcliff, Ky    

Hey Kent,
I did okay ... my picks finished #9, #11, & #12 -- and my fourth pick would have been #3! GREATEST AMERICAN HERO was a sleeper -- was glad it finished so well, GREAT song! Your newsletter is more relatable than Rolling Stone,
CONSISTENTLY A GREAT READ!Thank-You,
Tim     


re: AIN'T:  
Kent,
I am a little bit disappointed in you. To me the ultimate "ain't" song has got to be from 1960, Buster Brown's followup to FANNIE MAE, IS YOU IS OR IS YOU AIN'T MY BABY? To me, that had to be the number one song with every teacher who taught English in school at the time.
Larry
Actually, Buster Brown's version barely made the charts ... so, had I featured it at all, it wouldn't have been HIS version that I used. The REAL hit version of this song dates back to 1944 when the incomparable Louis Jordan took it to #5. How big was it? Besides reaching #5 on the pop charts (and #2 on Billboard's Juke Box Chart) it also topped their COUNTRY Chart for five weeks ... and reached #3 on their R&B Chart, too ... a true, genuine cross-over hit in every sense of the word. The song comes from the movie "Follow The Boys", starring Marlene Dietrich. Buster Brown's 1960 remake topped out at #81. (By the way, we DID mention this one in our "ain't" definition the following day, within the context of being every teacher's worst nightmare ... but I'm also featuring it here today for anyone else who cares to hear it!) kk 

Kent,  
The other songs would be ... ill-fitted if we removed the "ain't" from them, but "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" would lose all its boyish, brotherly charm if changed. The original Boy's Town story of "He ain't heavy, Father, he's my(me?) brother." flourishes within this expression of true caring and love. One of my favorites. 
Shelley J. Sweet-Tufano  
It was funny seeing (during our little "ain't" history discovery mission) that the word was already being used in the 1600's. I swear I remember ... in THIS lifetime ... a big controversy when the word was FINALLY acknowledged and put into the dictionary, simply because it was being so commonly used at the time. Doing a bit more research I found that somebody has actually written a book about this topic ... and other words FINALLY added to Webster's Dictionary. It looks like "ain't" made Webster's Third, published in 1961 amongst a bit of controversy. Citing this quote (and its reference to The Chicago Tribune) maybe THIS is why I remember this being such a big deal, growing up in Chi-Town at the time. (kk)  
ain't  
To announce its new dictionary, the G. and C. Merriam Co. sent out a press release saying Webster’s Third had finally welcomed ain’t into a dictionary and was endorsing its use. This was inaccurate on both counts, but newspapers lapped up the news that, in the words of the Chicago Tribune, “the word ‘ain’t’ ain’t a grammatical mistake anymore.” The Toronto Globe and Mail, however, was not laughing. It said in an editorial, “A dictionary’s embrace of the word ain’t will comfort the ignorant, confer approval upon the mediocre, and subtly imply that proper English is the tool only of the snob.” Even worse, said the newspaper, speaking in the midst of the early Cold War, a bad dictionary could help undermine communications with the Russians and thus bring about a nuclear apocalypse.

re: THIS AND THAT:
Same Old Song? Not Exactly. Many classic hits are secretly re-recorded. Can this be stopped? http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/05/re_recordings_runaway_and_other_classic_songs_redone_in_the_studio_can_we.html
Don
 
Author Brian L. Forsythe sent us a couple of signed copies of his new book "Inside The Songs Of The Sixties" to give away to our readers. If you're interested, drop me a line and we'll pick two winners.
It's a neat compilation of interesting song facts and tidbits that Brian has picked up and collected over the years. (In fact, we're even credited as one of his references, which I didn't know when he first approached me about doing the book give away!) You'll also find Songfacts.com and KissThatGuy.com on the list ... as well as personal memories shared by the likes of Peter Noone, Billy J. Kramer, Gerry Marsden and more. It's a quick, fun read and (although I think we ultimately disproved a couple of things I see here), still entertaining as can be if you're into rock and roll trivia. (kk)
 

You can pick up your own copy here: Click here: Home Page
 
 
Congratulations to David Beard, whose "Endless Summer Quarterly" celebrates its 100th Issue with a look back at The Beach Boys' "Holland" LP.
It was a crazy time ... The Boys packed up their families and all of their equipment (including enough to build a brand new studio!) and literally MOVED to Holland to record this LP! (And this was not exactly during their "hit years" either!!!)
Exclusive interviews with Mike Love and Al Jardine help to tell the story. You can read all about it here:
And subscribe to Endless Summer Quarterly here:
(kk)   
 
And, speaking of The Beach Boys, sounds like a great new DVD release is right around the corner. It captures all three Wilson Brothers, Mike Love and Al Jardine during the "comeback years" ... and I remember watching this one before ages ago. 
 
EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT PROUDLY PRESENTS THE BEACH BOYS GOOD VIBRATIONS TOUR
~ON DVD AND DIGITAL VIDEO JUNE 18~
 

New York, NY (May 14, 2013) — On June 18, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations Tour on DVD and Digital Video [Pre-book Order Date May 24, MSRP $9.98]
Filmed in 1976 at Anaheim Stadium for American television, Good Vibrations follows the release of their 15 Big Ones album. Combining full live performances with interviews and several whimsical vignettes, Good Vibrations is 50 minutes of Beach Boys faire at its finest. This DVD features all the original band members (Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine) performing their timeless classic hits: “Good Vibrations,” “God Only Knows,” “I Get Around,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “Sloop John B,” “California Girls,” “Help Me Rhonda,” “Surfin’ USA,” and many more. From the three Wilson brothers performing a song about their father to the full band harmonizing with a gospel choir, this DVD is packed with incredible moments.
The Beach Boys were the most successful American pop group of the sixties. Their legendary vocal harmonies, renowned anthems, and classic albums earned an induction into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame, and to this day, this music inspires fans, musicians, and songwriters of all generations.
Above all, Good Vibrations is a perfect snapsnot of why The Beach Boys are one of the most endearing and beloved music acts of all time.
Track Listing
1) Fun, Fun, Fun
2) Be True To Your School
3) I'm Bugged At My Ol’ Man
4) God Only Knows
5) I Get Around
6) You Are So Beautiful
7) That Same Song
8) Good Vibrations
9) Sloop John B
10) Surfin’ USA
11) California Girls
12) Help Me Rhonda
13) It's OK
14) Rock ’n’ Roll Music
15) Wouldn’t It Be Nice
 
 
Another interesting new release ... which (incredibly!) also has a Holland tie-in!!! ...
Legendary 'Dutch Woodstock' Featuring Pink Floyd, Santana, T-Rex, The Byrds, Soft Machine, Jefferson Airplane and Others Now Available on Double CD / DVD Set
Featuring performances by Pink Floyd, Santana, T.Rex, The Byrds, Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, Soft Machine, It's A Beautiful Day, Family, Country Joe, Dr. John & the Night Trippers, Flock and Al Stewart
London, UK - One of the most historic concert events of the early '70s, the Dutch Woodstock, also called the 'Holland Pop Festival', has now been released on a double CD/DVD set by UK's Gonzo MultiMedia. Featuring rare and exciting performances by Pink Floyd, Santana, T.Rex, The Byrds, Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, Soft Machine, It's A Beautiful Day, Family, Country Joe, Dr. John & The Night Trippers, Flock and Al Stewart, makes this extraordinary release a must for fans of music everywhere! The three-day festival was held in August 1970 at the Kralingse Bos (Kralingse Forest) in Rotterdam, and despite the rain, an estimated 100,000 people attended the astounding event!
 
Featuring ...
Pink Floyd - Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun, A Saucerful Of Secrets 
 
Santana – Gumbo, Savor, Jingo 
 
The Byrds - Old Blue
 
Canned Heat - Human Condition, So Sad
 
T-Rex - Pavillions Of Sun
 
Jefferson Airplane - Saturday Afternoon, White Rabbit, 
 
Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil plus interviews with Paul 
 
Kanter & Grace Slick
 
Soft Machine - Esther's Nose Job
 
It’s A Beautiful Day - Wasted Union Blues, Open Up Your 
 
Hearts
 
Family - Drowned In Wine
 
Country Joe - Freedom Is A Constant
 
Dr. John & The Night Trippers - Mardi Gras Day
 
Flock - Big Bird
 
Al Stewart - Zero She Flies
 
The Dutch Woodstock double CD/DVD set will be released by GONZO MultiMedia UK on March 22, 2013
To Purchase The Dutch Woodstock double CD/DVD set: http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15545



 

Here's one just for fun ... a "mash-up" of The Monkees and Big Bang Theory ... sent in by FH Reader Gary Strobl:
By the way, thanks to everybody who has already responded regarding helping out with Gary's new Monkees coffee table book.  For more details, scroll back to Sunday's "Helping Out Our Readers" article.  (kk)