Heard from three or four more people who just ordered The Ides Of March 50th Anniversary Box Set thanks to the coverage we provided in Forgotten Hits. SO cool to see that we've turned some "newbies" on to this great band from Chicago!
The comments keep coming, too ... read on!
More good reading today in FH. Well done! Jim Peterik, talking about the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson and "Dance Dance Dance", made me think about this track I put together a few years ago.
I am taken back by all the outpouring I just read about the Ides posting. That's really cool! Personally, I think the CD set is awesome and I don't know why Baker & Taylor did not promote this more for the group in some way. I guess I am out of the loop now for how to promote such a thing. It used to be Billboard, Goldmine, Cash Box, etc, but not sure any of those are any good compared to internet sites. The thing is, I would have not likely known about this box set release at all unless I ran across it on ebay, had I not known Jim or read about it on your site. Anyway, hopefully, the music gets out to more people now. Jim, get ready for requests at your concerts for "I'm Gonna Say My Prayers" and "Don't Fight the Feeling" and "Melody" and all of those you might never have thought of performing again. You can shelve "One Fine Morning" already!!! haha
Clark Besch
Response has been REALLY good to our reviews ... and the interview with Jim pushed it over the top. I've had a number of people ask me now about Ides appearances outside the Chicagoland area ... mentioned that to Scott May the other night and he said "Talk to our agent!" Honestly, the time may be right for just such a venture. We got response from all over the country from folks who have ordered the box since reading about it in Forgotten Hits ... as well as a few "locals" who picked it up as well. Hopefully The Ides can capitalize on this a little bit ... and I agree ... it'd be REALLY cool to see them be able to add a few more "chestnuts" to the live show line-up! (Scott also told me they're working up some brand new material for this year's Christmas Show, which takes place here at The Arcada Theatre on December 18th. Still hoping we can get a bunch of Forgotten Hits Readers to join us for this one ... it was a BEAUTIFUL show last year ... and a GREAT way to get into the holiday spirit!) kk
>>>There are many instances like this where (back in the old days of REAL editing) engineers had to be pretty creative. In nearly all cases, the artists hear the edit while the listeners / fans don't ... part of the appeal of popular music IS the little "mistakes" and nuances that often occur quite by accident ... but add to the charm of the overall recording. I don't hear it either ... and I've probably heard this song at least 10,000 times!!! (Which is just a few thousand imes less than Jim has probably played it! lol) kk
Great reviews and info on the Ides box.
Sometimes the edits and splices are more obvious than not ... one that really sticks out for me is at about the 2:00 mark in Laugh Laugh by the Beau Brummels. How that one made it through is beyond me.
As for the Ides Of March set, it would've been nice to get the early material in stereo (even if they are only available as crude 2-track mixes ... the mono versions have already been available elsewhere so this set didn't need to really promote the fact that they are in mono).
The set is certainly one worth picking up, and I have loved the reviews on the site. It's also worth noting that my wedding anniversary is March 15th so I get to celebrate the Ides on a daily basis when I see my beautiful bride.
-- Tom Diehl
I got my boxed set today ... #186 ...
I got my boxed set today ... #186 ...
It looks like I know what I'll be doing today.
Jack
Great reviews and info on the Ides box.
The Ides of March are playing a show on the same bill as the band that I'm in here in Minnesota on August 1st.
Jim has been a special guest of ours a couple of times and he's great fun to have around. He even puts up with all my questions about the early Ides days.
It's going to be great to see The Ides of March for my first time.
Bill
These guys are something to see live ... all the more reason we've got to get them back on the road again so other "new" fans can enjoy the magic! (kk)
Thanks, Kent - you did an awesome job with this series - and it is hugely appreciated.
Jim Peterik
My pleasure! (kk)
re: Keepin' The Music Alive:
re: Keepin' The Music Alive:
Kent:
The # 1 movie in the U.S.A. this weekend is the animated film, “Minions.” The creators of the movie obviously have a passion for pop and rock and roll, as the soundtrack is overflowing with memorable tunes from the Beatles, the Doors, Donovan and the Spencer Davis Group.
Plus, opening the movie, is the lead voice of Howard Kaylan as the original version of “Happy Together,” is heard in the clear. Here’s a run down on the music featured, included the Minions pumping out their own unique version of the “Monkees Theme.”
- Tom Cuddy
Funny, we have our grand-daughter in town for the month of July and were supposed to go see this movie over the weekend but then opted not to go between the weather and other distractions. So great to hear that some of the best music of the '60's will now have an impact on a whole new generation ... something we've been preaching about since the beginning of time here in Forgotten Hits.
Funny, too, because all of the advertisements I've seen (as well as new videos posted on our cable service) show The Minions groovin' to the sounds of The Bee Gees and the Saturday Night Fever tracks "Stayin' Alive", "How Deep Is Your Love" and "Night Fever", none of which appear on the above track list. (kk)
My wife and I took our young niece and nephew to Minions over the weekend. The storyline takes place in the 60's and there are some great rock and roll classics in the soundtrack. It opens with Happy Together. I heard a young girl behind me saying "I love this song". Other gems in the film include: 19th Nervous Breakdown, I'm A Man, You Really Got Me, My Generation, Hair, Break On Through (To The Other Side), Purple Haze, and Mellow Yellow. I think you have mentioned before about the number of times Happy Together has been used in film and tv. It has to be the most used soundtrack song from that era!
My wife and I took our young niece and nephew to Minions over the weekend. The storyline takes place in the 60's and there are some great rock and roll classics in the soundtrack. It opens with Happy Together. I heard a young girl behind me saying "I love this song". Other gems in the film include: 19th Nervous Breakdown, I'm A Man, You Really Got Me, My Generation, Hair, Break On Through (To The Other Side), Purple Haze, and Mellow Yellow. I think you have mentioned before about the number of times Happy Together has been used in film and tv. It has to be the most used soundtrack song from that era!
I bought the new Wrecking Crew dvd last week and finally got to watch it. It is very good. It is great to see Glen Campbell in an interview from 20 years ago talking at length with great memory about those great players.
Phil - WRCO
Phil - WRCO
Because I've seen the "core" film so many times I've been concentrating on all of the extras ... some SIX HOURS of additional footage that didn't make the film ... an some REAL gems among them. This is the kind of film you can pop in any time and still be entertained by all the great music and strories. (kk)
re: Dave Somerville:
Sorry to hear about David Somerville being ill. I know he is best known for "Little Darlin", which is a great classic, but I love "The Stroll". A lot of memories doing that dance!
Will finally see "Love and Mercy" this week ... can't wait.
Will finally see "Love and Mercy" this week ... can't wait.
Keep up the Fantastic Rock and Roll news!
Carolyn
Unfortunately, our news was far more timely than I knew at the time ...
David Somerville passed away Tuesday Morning ... Prostate cancer
Gary Pike
We also lost Ernie Maresca this past week ...
We also lost Ernie Maresca this past week ...
Songwriter and performer Ernie Maresca passed away Wednesday (July 8) at the age of 76 at his home in South Florida. The Bronx native started out singing baritone in the Regents (before they recorded "Barbara Ann") and came to the attention of Dion DiMucci, who recorded his composition, "No One Knows" (#19 - 1958) with the Belmonts. Dion had heard Ernie's demo of the tune on a local pool room jukebox. Ernie continued to write for Dion's solo career, including such hits as "Runaround Sue" (#1 - 1961 -- composed with Dion), "The Wanderer" (#2 - 1961 though Ernie's original lyrics read "with my two fists of iron and my bottle of beer"), "Lovers Who Wander" (#3 - 1962) and "Donna The Prima Donna" (#6 - 1963). In 1962, Ernie himself was signed to Seville Records, where his composition, "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)" reached #6 -- his only appearance as a performer on the charts. He also composed Bernadette Carroll's "Party Girl" (#47 - 1964) and Reparata & the Delron's "Whenever A Teenager Cries" (#60 - 1965). He later handled publishing for Laurie Records and eventually negotiated the sale of the company to Capitol Records.
-- Ron Smith
re: Me-TV-FM:
re: Me-TV-FM:
Hey Kent,
Your description of WRME as "a radio station that can't even be heard on many car radios" really resonated for me. The reason is I was renting a 2015 Ford Fusion for a couple of weeks. The FM radio in this Fusion only went as low as 87.9. I would imagine there must be other FM car radios out there where picking up WRME-FM is an impossibility.
I'm not their biggest fan, but you have to wonder if that 1.6 would be a bigger number if there weren't what could be several thousand car radios in the Chicago area that aren't 87.7 friendly.
Bill Fortune
I didn't realize that ... but it reminds of when Real Oldies 1690 was on the AM dial and many car radios couldn't pick that one up either ... because, in some cases, it wasn't a dial option! Even on their best days listeners had to deal with a fair amount of static if listening "live" on the road ... but the music was so good, it was worth suffering through the static most of the time just to hear something different on the dial. Plus they streamed ... which mean you COULD get a perfectly clear signal ANYWHERE if listening on the computer was an option. Hopefully, Me-TV-FM will be streaming soon, too, so others around the country can enjoy the variety we're now privy to here in Chicago. (kk)
>>>Me-TV-FM is also simulcasting on Comcast / Xfinity Cable (Channel 877, as is their spot on the FM dial ...87.7) kk
Does this mean that it will come on the TV as one of Comcast's music channels around the country?
Does this mean that it will come on the TV as one of Comcast's music channels around the country?
I also want to mention a good friend, Joe Gorgo, who has a radio show, unfortunately only two hours, on Sundays from 7 - 9 p.m. eastern and streams from WVLT 92.1 radio in Vineland, NJ. Web site is http://www.wvlt.com/
Right now he is playing The Crystal Mansion song 'The Thought of Loving You '. When was the last time you heard that? 1968?
Right now he is playing The Crystal Mansion song 'The Thought of Loving You '. When was the last time you heard that? 1968?
Eileen
Quite possibly never!!! I'm not familiar with that song at all!
Me-TV-FM is currently broadcasting here in Chicago on Channel 877 ... no word yet if they'll also continue to do so on other Comcast / Xfinity channels across the country. Probably not as their current backdrop just shows the local traffic and weather conditions ... along with the name of the song title and artist. (kk)
Kent,
Kent,
As far as ME-TV-FM, more power to them. Hope in the near future that one can pick them up by streamlining the internet. Loved the tune by Michael Johnson you posted.
Larry Neal
Being a “Cheesehead” (not really, I don’t even like cheese!) this was my first exposure to 88.7 MeTV radio. What a great station. They played songs I haven’t heard in years, like Big City Miss Ruth Ann by Gallery and Blowing Away by the 5th Dimension, and the music is the focus, with only short commercial breaks and no chatty DJ. We were able to pick up the signal in our car almost all the way to the Wisconsin border. I’ll reserve a button on the car radio for 88.7 so that I can listen whenever I am in Chicagoland.
Being a “Cheesehead” (not really, I don’t even like cheese!) this was my first exposure to 88.7 MeTV radio. What a great station. They played songs I haven’t heard in years, like Big City Miss Ruth Ann by Gallery and Blowing Away by the 5th Dimension, and the music is the focus, with only short commercial breaks and no chatty DJ. We were able to pick up the signal in our car almost all the way to the Wisconsin border. I’ll reserve a button on the car radio for 88.7 so that I can listen whenever I am in Chicagoland.
Bob Verbos
New Berlin, WI
In other radio news, Jan Jeffries is FINALLY gone at WLS-FM. (What the heck took so long on this one???) Jeffries nearly single-highhandedly destroyed the station, wiping out any trace of historical legacy once attached to it. Instead of embracing the station's recognition as one of the great Top 40 Radio Stations of all time, he flipped to a Classic Hits format that plays the same 200 songs over and over again. In hairbrain move after hairbrain move, he eliminated Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel connection from the Chicago airwaves ... then hired back a Who's Who of former WLS Broadcasting Greats ... but wouldn't let them display their personalities on the air ... taking the station from its Top 10 berth and dropping it now to #14 with less listeners (and advertisers) than ever. Even CBS-owned K-Hits has surpassed it in the ratings!
Speculation is another format flip (with the wealth of musical library associated with this station ... and the runaway success of Me-TV-FM, I wonder if THIS may be the direction they may be headed ... although talk of a country format has been talked about for a few years now, too. However, Chicago just added another country station that has been so successful, it passed national ratings leader US99 in the ratings! Time will tell where WLS goes from here ... again there is so much this station could do with its built in Chicagoland connection ... however at this point they've driven so many listeners away, it may be too late. Then again, they've got the money behind them to do a full-blown rebranding and advertising campaign ... so if you DO decide to go that route, again we can offer a number of services (and personnel) to make that happen. Let's do lunch. (kk)
More from Chicagoland Radio and Media:
Jeffries made his presence known fairly quickly at his second round at WLS-FM. Highly successful Operations Manager Michael La Crosse was forced out within a month, as was numerous producers, sales managers, web people, and even the station's longtime receptionist and mail room coordinator. Famed DJ names from WLS-AM's past were rehired to help revitalize a station that was already in the Top 10, but these famous DJ names were ordered to only speak for no more than a few seconds at a time, frustrating listeners and fans of these talents. The station eventually dropped its affiliation with Scott Shannon and his True Oldies Channel, fired its morning show host, shoved beloved Chicago DJ Dick Biondi (who was working without a contract) into the overnight hours, and flipped the playlist to a Classic Rock-heavy version of Classic Hits.
Under Jeffries' oversight, WLS-FM saw its ratings sharply fall, but slowly build themselves back up ... until this year. In 2015, WLS-FM's ratings have been trending downward, as listeners have been choosing Classic Hits rival WJMK-FM/104.3 K-HITS, which is now a Top 10 station, while WLS-FM has fallen out of the Top 10. WLS-FM is currently at #14 in the all ages numbers. Revenues have taken a hit as well.
Because of this, a change at the top of WLS-FM was not unexpected.
However, because of the Program Director change and a lack of immediate replacement being named, it once again opens up speculation that WLS-FM could be looking at another format flip in the very near future. At the very least, some on-air changes in the coming weeks will be a certainty.
re: Micky Dolenz:
DOLENZ CLOSES OUT SRO 3-NIGHT RUN AT NY’s 54 BELOW WITH SPECIAL FRIENDS
Micky Dolenz’s final night at New York’s 54 Below brought out a bunch of special friends; including Q104.3’s Jim Kerr and Carol Miller, as well as superstar-producer / artist Peter Asher.
Kerr, who had previously introduced Dolenz for two shows at B. B. King’s, did the same this night, referencing his work in his earlier TV-show Circus Boy, as well as the fact that the three-shows were all being recorded for a live album to be released in September which will share the title of the show, A Little Bit Broadway; A Little Bit Rock ‘n’ Roll, on Broadway Records.
Dolenz blazed through the show with stellar support from his bad, led by Michael Moritz, Jr.
Plans are afoot for Dolenz to return to the club in late-September.
Kerr, who had previously introduced Dolenz for two shows at B. B. King’s, did the same this night, referencing his work in his earlier TV-show Circus Boy, as well as the fact that the three-shows were all being recorded for a live album to be released in September which will share the title of the show, A Little Bit Broadway; A Little Bit Rock ‘n’ Roll, on Broadway Records.
Dolenz blazed through the show with stellar support from his bad, led by Michael Moritz, Jr.
Plans are afoot for Dolenz to return to the club in late-September.
L-R: Peter Asher; Bruce Grakal; Micky Dolenz; Jim Kerr and Carol Miller
Second pic: Micky Dolenz & Jim Kerr
(both photos courtesy disCOMPANY)
Here's a great quote from Micky on The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame from an interview he did with Ken Sharp, the guy who put together that EXCELLENT Wrecking Crew book we keep telling you about ...
As far as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame I’ve never been one to chase awards or anything like that; it’s never been very important to me. I was very proud to win an Emmy for The Monkees, having come out of television as a kid. When we won the Emmy for best TV show in ’66 or ‘67 that was a huge feather in my cap. But I’ve never chased that kind of stuff. I’ve never done a project and thought, “What do I do here to win an award?” Specifically as far as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame I’ve been very flattered that the fans and people have championed The Monkees. Very flattered and honored that they do.
If you know anything about the organization, and I’ve done charity work for the foundation, the Hall of Fame is a private club. It's like a private country club. It's not a democratic, popular vote in any sense. It's literally these three or four guys got together and said we're gonna start a private club and call it the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and we're gonna have in that club whoever we want and we're not gonna have anyone in that club who we don't want. (laughs)
It’s like a country club and they have the right to do that; that’s their prerogative. That’s their private club. That’s kind of how I feel about it.
re: This And That:
Kent -
What a pleasure to see your SUNDAY COMMENTS return this weekend! Thanks for putting them together!
Kent -
What a pleasure to see your SUNDAY COMMENTS return this weekend! Thanks for putting them together!
- Tom Cuddy
Wow! Forgotten Hits is the only place you'd get a direct response from the guy who played on more rock records than any person on the planet! How cool.
David Lewis
It WAS really cool to hear from Hal ... hopefully he'll participate from time to time ... imagine all of the amazing stories he can tell our readers! (kk)
Hi Kent -
How GREAT it was to hear that there will be a DVD for the Marty Grebb Concert at the Arcada Theater!! Another way to give him and his family more money for their medical bills.
Carolyn
Can you believe that Monday, July 13th, marked the 30th Anniversary of Live Aid?!?! Unreal!!!
Man, some of you folks out there are REALLY getting older!!! (kk)
Hey Kent,
Hats off to you and Scott Paton for posting the article, "Ringo's No Joke". As a former drummer, (Wait ... Once a drummer, always a drummer, right?), who studied almost every style out there, from grade school through college years and beyond, I have ALWAYS appreciated what Ringo Starr brought to the table in The Beatles' recordings and performance. Everything he did fit so well. He was, and still is, a human metronome: always "in the pocket". His fills are tastefully added, without distraction. They can say all they want about Moon and Bonham, but those two were both inspired by Ringo. In fact, he inspired more young people to take up drumming that Gene Krupa did, all those years ago. Remember, a drummer's main job is to keep the beat, and contribute to the whole sound of the band, thus, Ringo became a recording engineer's dream. John, Paul and George (with George Martin's approval), dumped Pete Best for a reason. They heard and saw the magic in Ringo's playing. The Beatles wouldn't have been as popular without him. The Stones' Charlie Watts is the same type of drummer, sans showmanship, but never received the bashing from music snobs Ringo did over the years. I have seen, more than once, Keith Moon actually dropping the beat, as he was showing off with his fills. Well, he wasn't doing his job, in my opinion. Several years ago, I attended a drum clinic, led by the great all-around studio drummer, Gregg Bissonette. I was surprised that a musician of that caliber was a big fan of Mr. Starr. He even passed out sheet music annotating Ringo's beats and fills, and then played them, with all of us reading along. It was one of the best workshops I ever attended. The next year, I was delighted to see that Gregg became part of Ringo's All-Star Band. I first saw Ringo, like everyone else over here, in 1964 on TV and in "A Hard Day's Night". I couldn't get used to his matched or straight stick grip. That wasn't the "right way" to do it back then, but now, almost every drummer in pop / rock music plays that way, and it's mainly because of Ringo. With the left hand holding the stick that way, you can drive the snare a bit harder. I also tried playing with rings on my fingers, just like him. Nope, the sticks flew out of my hands! In a drumming magazine, I read where Ringo enjoyed playing John's compositions, a lot more that Paul's. Whereas Paul was a micro-manager, and told him, note for note, exactly what to play, John gave Ringo freedom to create and add his own signature to the recordings. Also, it's nice to hear the genuine drummer of the band contribute his own sound on the tracks, instead of one studio drummer sitting in for so many groups. (No offense, Hal. You're a great drummer in your own right. We know that.)
- John LaPuzza
Drummers have ALWAYS come under a bit of abuse over the years ...
What do you call a guy who hangs out with the musicians in the band?
The Drummer. <rimshot> (See, you NEED the drummer ... if only for that!!!)
When John Lennon was once asked if he thought Ringo was the best drummer in rock and roll, he supposedly replied "He's not even the best drummer in The Beatles!!!"
But WE all know what an INCREDIBLE contribution he made to The Beatles and their overall sound ... and THEY know it, too! Thanks, John. (kk)
Bonaparte's Retreat was hit for Kay Starr in the prehistoric era (LOL) 1949 (#4 according to Wikipedia) and I owned it on vinyl (78 RPM) and played it all the time. This, I admit, has little or no relevance to what happened in the era most covered in your Forgotten Hits world ... probably as exciting as a Rudy Vallee sighting ... but I thought it was worth mentioning.
Hil
Hil
Hey Kent,
You weren't kidding about the size of this week's Sunday comments. I guess you guys don't exaggerate the size of everything ... LOL
I really enjoyed this week's offering. It was happy and sad. Happy about the Me-TV-FM. It sounds like you could be the creator.
Sad about Glen Campbell and I am sad about Bill Cosby. Where have all the heroes gone? From the time I was a child until just recently I thought he was the coolest guy ever. Funny, warm, sweet and the best Dad you could ever want. Why do so many of our idols have to turn out to have such a dark side? I get that we are all human but are we all a bit twisted? I think not ... I hope not.
Thanks
Stacee
There seems to be some sort of "deal with the devil" mental trade-off for talent ... like these people got special compensation in the talent department but are totally lacking in the way of anything resembling social skills. Or is it simply a case of "perceived entitlement"? ... I'm a big star so I can do anything I want ... I don't have to follow ANY of the rules ... and you have to either let me or look the other way. Doesn't seem right ... yet we see it again and again. (How many similar pro athlete stories have you read over the past 10-12 years???) kk
Gary Meyers spoke briefly about the Ventures. In a way they somewhat reminded me of Elvis Presley and the two songs one hears on the radio today, BURNIN' LOVE and SUSPICIOUS MINDS. One would think those were the only two records Elvis made. Likewise with the Ventures. Through the years one just heard WALK DON'T RUN and HAWAII FIVE-O. Loved those in-between records like PERFIDIA, SILVER CITY, and a two sided hit here in OKC back in 1964 RAP CITY / SLAUGHTER ON TENTH AVENUE.
You are right about what you said about Bill Cosby and "what a way to go out". Enjoyed hearing that one again by him. Again, haven't heard it in years on the radio.
I pulled my copy of the Swampseeds' CAN I CARRY YOUR BALLOON. Dennis Ferrante's name was no where mentioned on the label, front and back. I didn't know he was lead singer. Again, your reader was correct in that was a very big record here in OKC back in 1968.
Larry
Hi Kent,
My best gal and I caught the .38 Special concert Tuesday night in Elk Grove Village.
A few thoughts / observations:
Elk Grove Village needs to be commended for hosting a great concert series free of charge. Everything is very well organized, the venue is great, the band started right on time, the sound was spot-on from our spot about 20 rows back, and there was plenty of free parking. I’ve seen .38 Special five or six times and they always deliver a great show. They play all their hits, though a few of the lesser hits are compacted in a medley. Don Barnes is a great vocalist and I especially appreciate how he sings the songs as close to the recordings as possible. I have to concede I don’t really appreciate some of the harder-edge, non-hit songs and for this reason I have preferred the band’s shorter (60 minute) shows to the 1 and 1/2 hour version presented on Tuesday. In the shorter shows you get all the hits and only the hits. The crowd was nicely polite - almost everybody stayed seated until the later stages of the show, when the band did Caught Up In You and, soon after, Hold On Loosely. At that point just about everyone was on their feet.
Bob Verbos
New Berlin, WI
My best gal and I caught the .38 Special concert Tuesday night in Elk Grove Village.
A few thoughts / observations:
Elk Grove Village needs to be commended for hosting a great concert series free of charge. Everything is very well organized, the venue is great, the band started right on time, the sound was spot-on from our spot about 20 rows back, and there was plenty of free parking. I’ve seen .38 Special five or six times and they always deliver a great show. They play all their hits, though a few of the lesser hits are compacted in a medley. Don Barnes is a great vocalist and I especially appreciate how he sings the songs as close to the recordings as possible. I have to concede I don’t really appreciate some of the harder-edge, non-hit songs and for this reason I have preferred the band’s shorter (60 minute) shows to the 1 and 1/2 hour version presented on Tuesday. In the shorter shows you get all the hits and only the hits. The crowd was nicely polite - almost everybody stayed seated until the later stages of the show, when the band did Caught Up In You and, soon after, Hold On Loosely. At that point just about everyone was on their feet.
Bob Verbos
New Berlin, WI
Due to some scheduling conflicts we've missed a few shows recently that we really wanted to see ... and this was one of them. (Did Jim Peterik show up for the finale? Last time we saw .38 Special, Peterik came out to perform the songs he cowrote with the band. Ironically on Tuesday Night I ran into Scott May of The Ides Of March and he said he wasn't sure if Jim was planning to jump up on stage with the band or not.)
If anybody out there caught the Elk Grove / Kenny Rogers / 4th of July Show, we'd love to hear about THAT one, too ... another one we sadly missed (all the more depressing in that word is this is Kenny's final tour.) kk
Just added to The Arcada line-up:
Ace Frehley (formerly of KISS) - September 15th
The incomparable Buddy Guy - October 8th
and America - November 28th
Tickets go on sale TODAY (July 16th) at Noon (Chicago time) through the OShows website:
www.oshows.com
Speaking of great up-coming shows, The Chicago Experience will be performing at MB Financial Park in Rosemont on Thursday, July 30th. These guys absolutely KILLED it as part of The Marty Grebb Benefit Concert a couple of months ago ... so we can't wait to see their full set. The show runs from 7:00 - 9:30 pm and more information can be found on the band's website: http://thechicagoexperience.com/
Got this from Al Kooper:
Late 60's / Early 70's Chicago Based Classic Rock Band, THE FLOCK Releases Lost Album (on Cleopatra Records)
A message from Fred Glickstein (Lead singer and guitarist from THE FLOCK)
A message from Fred Glickstein (Lead singer and guitarist from THE FLOCK)
After the Columbia Flock broke up in 1971, I laid low for a while, moving with my wife and daughter to Pompano Beach, Florida. I then received a call from Flock members Ron Karpman and Jerry Smith asking if I would like to do a new version of the group. Deciding that we should give it another shot, my wife, daughter and I moved back to Chicago in 1972 and began planning for a new Flock. Violinist Jerry Goodman had already started playing with the Mahavishnu Orchestra so we began looking for a new fiddle player, finding one Mike Zydowsky. The newly formed Flock rehearsed and soon, with the help of manager Mark Wolf, signed on to do a thirty date tour of Europe in 1973 - 74.
The next stage in Flock history starts with the four members of the “new” Flock after their return from Europe. A keyboard player / songwriter / vocalist named Jim Hirsen was added and now the Flock had five members. Mercury Records, which then had offices in Chicago, was notified that a new Flock was ready to be heard and record. Flock had a friend or two at Mercury and soon signed a record contract. Felix Pappalardi, producer of Cream and member of Mountain flew in to Chicago to co-produce Flock’s new album titled “Inside Out”. This new Flock toured the Midwest but we soon realized that it was time to call it quits for various reasons.
After the break-up of the Mercury Flock all members went their separate ways. Ron Karpman, original Flock drummer, and I stayed in touch and continued to work on musical projects. In the mid-to-late 70s we formed a group called the Strategic Ear Command which appeared at various clubs in Chicago. A good number of new songs were written, performed and recorded, but no record deals were forthcoming. The disc titled “Flock – Heaven Bound - The Lost Hits” is comprised mostly of the songs written for the Strategic Ear Command project. The songs “Mama”, "Don't You Know" and "Be Strong And Survive", written and performed by J.B. Skye, was co-produced with Ron Karpman and Fred Glickstein. Much of this music was recorded at Q & R Studios in Evanston, IL. Other songs were recorded at the Armitage Studio in Chicago. The song “Rolling With The Clones”, a spoof on the cloning sensation happening at that time, was recorded at Paragon Studios in Chicago. Unlike the original Columbia Flock, we strove to write more commercial type songs for the tunes on “Heaven Bound - The Lost Hits”. Jerry Smith, original Flock bass player, appears on ""The Test" and "The Cristos Jig". We hope that you enjoy the music as much as we enjoyed writing and performing it.
Sample the new Flock CD here:
Many thanks go out to all who contributed to this music and for helping to keep the Flock spirit alive.
The Flock - Heaven Bound: The Lost Album
Review by G. W. Hilliard - always heard of these guys as a fusion act, but this is a lot more straight rock music. That said, there’s enough progressive rock and fusion in the mix to land this here. Apparently this was intended to be the band’s fourth album, but until now it was never released. There is a lot of great stuff here, really. It’s certainly worth having.
Where to order CD: http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Bound-The-Lost-Album-Flock/dp/B00KINIQVEhttp://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Bound-The-Lost-Album-Flock/dp/B00KINIQVE
I was recently told that for the BEST representation of what The Flock sounded like in concert, you have to view this clip. Reportedly, on a gig opening for Led Zeppelin, the band was called back for two encores. When the fans STILL wouldn't let them leave the stage, Led Zeppelin's roadies literally unplugged their equipment so that they couldn't play anymore! (Show-Biz Rule #1: Never upstage the headliners!!!) For all the glamour and all the glory about Led Zeppelin's sold out shows, we heard the same thing about The Ides Of March when they opened for Zep in Canada in '71. Pretty amazing ... that two bands from Chicago could kick Led butt! (kk)
In his new book "Psychedelic Bubblegum", Bobby Hart talks about how The Monkees ballad "I Wanna Be Free" was first inspired by the Roger Miller track, "One Dyin' And A-Buryin'", a song reportedly about suicide. Tommy Boyce was apparently so moved by this track, he couldn't get past the final line "I wanna be free". He kept singing that line over and over again until he was soon singing it to his own melody ... which eventually evolved into The Monkees track we all know and love.
Ironically, Boyce would later take his own life.
Ironically, Boyce would later take his own life.
The track has been covered by any number of artists over the years (including Andy Williams and The Lettermen) but Bobby says that one of the most moving versions he's ever heard is a recent solo, acoustic version by Chicago's own Richard Marx.
Take a look at this clip and see if you don't agree.
In a perfect example of turnabout is fair play, songwriter Jimmy Webb later claimed that he was inspired by "I Wanna Be Free" to write "By The Time I Get To Phoenix"!!!
