Saturday, November 14, 2015

The Sunday Comments ( 11 - 15 - 15 )

re:  Cornerstones Of Rock:  American Garage Bands:

Jim Peterik of The Ides of March just sent us this updated air date schedule for the WTTW broadcast of this historic concert ... as well as news about how you'll be able to get copies of the concert dvd and bonus cd's through donations to PBS once the program airs.    

Here's the scoop:  

Hope you are doing well, Kent!  
I wanted you to know that the Cornerstones of Rock: American Garage show - world television premier - airs on December 10th at 7:30 cst ... and then again right after at 9:30 pm.   It will be rebroadcast on December 12th at 9 pm.    
It's a pledge drive with great incentive to pledge - 
3-disk set DVD of the show with interview and behind the scenes footage.  Also available will be a cd of the show with extra cuts ... and a bonus disk of the original masters of the songs performed plus other garage classics.   
Thanks for helping us get the word out.  Rock on!  
Jimbo   

re:  Richard Marx:  
Brother Kotal - 
Truthfully, Richard Marx's vocal effort on "Hazzard" really doesn't resonate with me. However, the video for the song is a magnificent, mind bending, visual effort.  
Questions for the house: Does the video remind anyone of Billy Joel's "River of Dreams" or, in the bigger picture, the film adaptation of Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood?"   Whatever the case, the "Hazard" video proves that 35 years after the arrival of an entity known as MTV, strong producers with good story lines are still capable of entertaining us and challenging us intellectually with short film inspired by song. In simple terms, the Marx video was spell binding.  
Keep on rockin', Kent.  
Chet Coppock  
Host: Notre Dame Football on WLS Radio 
It has long been my favorite ... I don't know if any of you out there have been following the excellent Sundance Television Series "Rectify" ... but Frannie mentioned the other day while we were listening to this track that it reminded her very much of the story of Daniel Holden.  Great series ... great song!  (kk)  

Alas, we'll be moving to Phoenix from Colorado Springs (I'm retiring) on December 8, so there's no chance we can make the concert, alas.  
But I wonder if anyone other than me considers Marx's best song to be "At the Beginning," from the 1997 *Anastasia* soundtrack. It was the only good song from a so-so movie.  Very clean, upbeat, feel-good thing with an extremely catchy tune --it got stuck in my head for days after we saw the film. 
Like you I'm a big fan of "Hazard," but it's kind of a downer, as much as I like Nebraska. Hazard is a real place, by the way, with a population of 68, about 30 miles north of Kearney. It lacks a river, however.  
In truth, I've liked a lot more of his songs than I've disliked, and I hope he comes back to recording in a big way.  
-- 73 --  
-- Jeff Duntemann  
   Colorado Springs, Colorado 
I've been a Richard Marx fan from Day One ... doesn't matter if he's doing his uptempo stuff (like "Don't Mean Nothing", his breakthrough hit from 1987, "Should've Known Better" or "Satisfied") ... or his beautiful love ballads (like "Right Here Waiting" or "Now And Forever"), his bluesy story songs (like "Hazard" and "Keep Coming Back") or a "touch of doo-wop" ("The Way She Loves Me") ... it's all good music to my ears. 
Marx took second billing to Donna Lews (hot off her #1 Hit "I Love You Always Forever") with the 1998 hit "At The Beginning" (#45) from "Anastasia".  It's a goodie ... and definitely worth a spin here today.  
Too bad you can't make it to the show ... it's gonna be a good one!  (Congratulations on your retirement, Jeff!  As things stand right now they'll probably just sweep me out with the garbage the day I go!!!)  kk




Don't miss YOUR chance to see Richard Marx live in concert ... December 4th at The Genesee Theatre ... just tell us in 25 words of less why you'd like to go.  Your entry must include the title of one of Richard's Top 20 Hits ... but we've made that a WHOLE lot easier for you today if you read our other postings!  Email your entries to forgottenhits@aol.com  (kk)   

re:  Brian Wilson:  
WOW ... front row seats for a legend like that ... amazing!  Very cool!
Awesome Kent ... quite an experience ... so close to a true genius and legend. 
Tom Apathy  
I've been very fortunate when it comes to seeing Brian and The Beach Boys ... this is the THIRD time we've had front row seats to a Brian Wilson concert ... and twice I've sat in the second row to see The Beach Boys (without Brian).  I took my four year old daughter to her very first concert (The Beach Boys with Chicago) and Mike Love gave her a beach ball from the stage.  She's had a crush on him ever since ... and she's 30 now!!!  (lol)  kk   

It has to be weird to essentially have two versions of The Beach Boys out there, both playing (for the most part) the same music ... one featuring the guy who sang most of the hits, the other featuring the guy who wrote most of the hits.  If you're going strictly for the music, who do you think is going to present it better to the audience? 
Dave 
First of all, let me just say that it is IMPOSSIBLE to go see a Beach Boys show and not have a good time, no matter who's out front that night. And this is true for ANY age fan, whether you've seen them before or not ... this is just good old fashioned fun fun fun music ... and it's infectious and it carries you away.  And honestly, in many ways, it's nice to have TWO sanctions of The Beach Boys touring ... but if pressed to choose, I'm going to go with Brian every time ... his back-up band is just phenomenal ... top-notch musicianship throughout.  Mike Love tends to try too hard to convince everybody that he WAS The Beach Boys ... while Brian just calmly and serenely let the genius shine right on through.  Granted, Love sang the bulk of the leads ... and cowrote many a hit with Brian ... but the genius of The Beach Boys is and has always been Brian Wilson.  Mike's version of the band consists of him and Bruce Johnston, the guy who took over for Brian when he left the road to concentrate on the studio aspect of things.  Nothing wrong with that ... I love BOTH of these guys and have probably seen them 20 times over the years ... but with Carl gone (he was always my favorite anyway), Dennis gone and Al Jardine on Love's "cannot fly" list, it's hard not to feel some amount of resentment toward the way he has treated the others.  Once Love put the kabosh of the continuation of The Beach Boys' 50th Anniversary Tour ... and a second "comeback" album ... he fell off my list for good.  Meanwhile, Brian has gone out of his way to keep the legacy alive by including other Beach Boys mainstays like Al Jardine, David Marks, Blondie Chaplin, and others as part of his means of keeping the music alive ... and we love it.  (I've often joked that if Brian wanted to create a more realistic sound to match the records, he should simply hold his nose when he sings ... like he used to do in the old days when trying to capture the nasally aspect of Mike Love's lead singing voice.)  The overall strength of Brian's voice is hit or miss these days ... and I think he'd be the first to admit it ... but I felt that by trading off lead vocals with Al Jardine, Darian Sahanaja and Scott Bennett the other night, he really delivered the goods in top-notch fashion.
I will admit that I was disappointed to see Jeff Foskett jump ship and leave Brian's band to join the Mike and Bruce Show.  He has been such an integral part of The Brian Wilson Band sound for so long ... and their ties together go way back.  I honestly think this may be the main reason why Brian has re-teamed with Al Jardine ... to reap the benefit of Al's son Matt on the high-end vocals.  I have to wonder if there isn't a part of Brian that sometimes thinks, when he hears Matt sing the beautiful "Don't Worry Baby" for example, that "I used to sing that part ... and sang it perfectly ... and was somewhat self-conscious about singing it because my voice was so high"!!!  (Thirty-something years ago, Brian made a comment that Beach Boys Music is YOUNG people's music and should be performed by young people who could best represent those sounds ... at one point, he even advocated bringing on new, fresh voices to keep the music sounding vibrant and alive now that most of the original members can no longer hit the notes.  To that degree, I'm happy to see that Brian, Al, Mike and Bruce are all still able to deliver the goods on a consistent basis ... let them augment their sound with young, vocally talented musicians ... we still want to see the "real deal" up there on stage, even if they're now in their 70's and better fit the bill as The Beach Grandpas!!!) 
I love ALL Beach Boys music ... it has been part of our collective DNA for over fifty years now ... and I never get tired of hearing it ... truly timeless music that captures each new generation as it comes along.  If you haven't seen the DVD for The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary Show, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.  It's incredible the way they all sound together.  True, it's less than half the actual show ... this really should have been a 2-DVD Set ... but still it is VERY well done.  (kk)

Dear Kent -
THANK YOU SO MUCH for the GREAT review and photos of the Brian Wilson Concert!
What a THRILL it must have been to hear all those great songs he wrote in the sixties at the height of the Beach Boys career.
Brian is a true genius NOT ONLY with his singing and writing but his ARRANGING of music that created the "Surf Sound". I have followed his career all these years and only wish I was there in person. Hope to see him next year if he tours.
You said he didn't show much emotion, but he has been quoted as saying " I can't smile with my mouth but I do in my heart."  He is a true SURVIVOR for all he has went through during his lifetime.
Great to have him and Al Jardine together and share all these wonderful songs!! 
Keep rockin' guys -- you are the GREATEST AMERICAN BAND !!!!
Carolyn    

Wow, what a great review! Thank you, Kent!!!! I'm so glad you had fun!
Colleen

re:  Allen Toussaint:  
After hearing about the passing of Allen Toussaint, I had to get out his 1962 hit FORTUNE TELLER, recorded by Benny Spellman, and play it one more time. There was also version by a group called the Hardtimes in 1966, don't know if you remember that version or not.
Larry Neal
Check out the link below to see Allen's tribute to Benny, the bass voice on Ernie K-Doe's #1 Hit "Mother-In-Law", as well as the first one to record Toussaint's "Lipstick Traces", a track covered by numerous artists over the years.  (kk)

Hi Kent -
SAD news of the passing of Allen Toussaint.
He has quite a musical legacy but I will ALWAYS remember him for writing "MOTHER-IN-LAW".
In my top twenty of favorite songs, that is one of them. What a catchy tune. Thank You, Allen.
If possible, Kent, can we have a bit of history of the making of that song? 
When in doubt ask the Master.
Carolyn
Like Allen Toussaint, Ernie K-Doe was another New Orleans artist and he recorded "Mother-In-Law" back in 1961.  The song was written and produced by Allen Toussaint ... but the recording nearly didn't happen.
According to various sources (including Ernie), K-Doe found the song in a garbage can.  He once told a reporter, "Allen wrote it and had thrown it away.  I saw it in the garbage can and pulled it out.  I looked at the words and said, 'Hey man, this is good.  I want to do it.'"  Other sites report that during the recording session, Ernie just couldn't nail the sound.  After several takes, Allen (who also played piano on the track) became frustrated, crumpled up the sheet music and threw it into the garbage.  One of Ernie's back-up singers, a guy by the name of Willie Hopper, thought it was a good song ... and eventually convinced K-Doe to give it one more shot ... and that was the track he nailed it on that became the hit record.  (For the record, Toussaint long maintained that both of these stories are false ... yet I'll betcha you can find 200 website that state one of these versions of the story as the gospel truth!)
Toussaint is considered an American Music Genius with a style uniquely his own ... he was, without question, one of the architects of what became known as "The New Orleans Sound".  In 1998, The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame recognized his contribution and inducted him in the "Non-Performer" category.
A few of his other compositions also crossed over and did well on the pop charts, including "Working In A Coal Mine", a hit for Lee Dorsey in 1966, "I Like It Like That", a hit for both Chris Kenner and The Dave Clark Five, "Play Something Sweet / Brickyard Blues", a hit for Three Dog Night in 1974, and the #1 Hit Pop, Adult Contemporary and Country Hit "Southern Nights", recorded by Glen Campbell in 1977.  Incredibly the official Allen Toussaint web page (as of 11/12/15) still hadn't posted the news of his death.  (kk)

Kent ...
Here's Allen Toussaint singing the # 1Hit he wrote for Ernie K-Doe.  
If you listen close, Allen tells you the name of the guy with the bass voice that sings "Mother-In-Law."
Frank B.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ2JUZkl7hY


Kent ...
My sister-in-law filmed this off the screen in, I think, New Orleans.  
I worked with Allen on a few projects early in my career. Amazing man and what a talent. Saw him live two or three  years ago here in Santa Fe, NM, where I live. He saw me in the second row and waved ... I was like a fan that night. Hit after hit of 'and then I wrote' ... we really have lost a big one!!!!
Denny Diante

Thanks, Denny ... we've heard nothing but the highest praise for Allen as both a musician and a friend. (Unfortunately, after several tries, I still  can't get your clip to play on the website for some reason so am unable to share with the group.)  kk


re:  The Top 100 Biggest Hits Of Popular Music (1958 - 2015):
For the third time in the past eight years, Billboard Magazine has revamped their list of The Top 100 Songs of The Hot 100 Era.  Vintage Vinyl News printed the complete list (see below) as well as a list of The Top 40 Artists for this era.  (Once again this list has been greatly distorted due to the elimination of all of the early Elvis Presley hits from 1956 and 1957 ... Elvis hit The Billboard Top 100 Chart 32 times before the magazine switched over to The Hot 100 List on August 4, 1958.)
And, once again, this is a somewhat weighted list ... back in the '60's, for example a BIG hit record stayed on the chart for about 10-12 weeks tops ... artists were releasing three, four and five new singles every year back then.  Today it is not at all uncommon to see titles chart for over a year ... and in some cases even longer, thus racking up more accumulated points along the way and greatly distorting the proper scheme of things. (As such we have always advocated a "hit index" ... taking the accumulated point total and then dividing by the record's total weeks spent on the chart.  Now granted, you'll still get distortion ... flash-in-the-pan hits like "Harper Valley PTA" and "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haa!" will rank far higher than they deserve to ... but at least hits from the '50's, '60's and '70's can be fairly represented when placed side-by-side with hits from the '90's, 2000's and 2010's due to an equally weighted starting base point.)  

Anyway, here goes ... 
The complete story can be found in Billboard Magazine or at billboard.com ... but Vintage Vinyl News does a GREAT recap of the results so that's the one we're going with ...
Billboard has published their list of the 100 biggest hits of Hot 100 era for the third time in the last eight years.
First put out in 2007, it was updated two years ago for the 55th anniversary of the Hot 100 chart. This time around, it is for their Greatest of All Time issue.
The new version is based on the Billboard Hot 100 charts from August 4, 1958, the date the first chart was printed, through the chart of October 10, 2015. An inverse point system was used for each records position on each week's chart with the highest points being awarded to number 1 and the least to number 100, with adjustments made to points based on different eras and chart methodologies.
As this is only based on records that made the Billboard Hot 100 since its inception, there are a number of prominent big rock hits missing including Bill Haley and the Comets' Rock Around the Clock and a number of Elvis Presley's earliest and biggest hits, all of which charted prior to August 1958.
The biggest new record to make the list that was popular in the last two years is Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars which comes in at number 12. There are also five other new entries from Robin Thicke, Lorde, Meghan Trainor, Katy Perry and two featuring Pharrell Williams.
 

  1. The Twist - Chubby Checker (1960 & 1962)   
  2. Smooth - Santana with Rob Thomas (1999)  
  3.  Mack the Knife - Bobby Darin (1959)   
  4. How Do I Live - LeAnn Rimes (1997)  
  5. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO Featuring Lauren       Bennett & Goon Rock (2011)  
  6. I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas (2009)  
  7. Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix) - Los Del Rio (1996)  
  8. Physical - Olivia Newton-John (1981)  
  9. You Light Up My Life - Debby Boone (1977)  
10. Hey Jude - Beatles (1968) 
11. We Belong Together - Mariah Carey (2005) 
12. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars (2015)  
13. Un-Break My Heart - Toni Braxton (1996) 
14. Yeah! - Usher Featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris (2004) 
15. Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes (1981) 
16.  Endless Love - Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (1981) 
17. Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) - Rod Stewart (1976) 
18. Foolish Games/You Were Meant for Me - Jewel (1997) 
19. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You - Bryan Adams (1991) 
20. I'll Make Love to You - Boys II Men (1994) 
21.  The Theme From "A Summer Place" - Percy Faith (1960) 
22.  Le Freak - Chic (1978) 
23. How Deep Is Your Love - Bee Gees (1977) 
24. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor (1982) 
25. We Found Love - Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris (2011) 
26. Low - Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain (2008) 
27. I Just Want to Be Your Everything - Andy Gibb (1977) 
28. Too Close - Next (1998) 
29. Every Breath You Take - Police (1983) 
30. Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye Featuring Kimbra (2012) 
31.  Flashdance...What a Feeling - Irene Cara (1983) 
32. Rolling in the Deep - Adele (2011) 
33. Tossin' and Turnin' - Bobby Lewis (1961) 
34. The Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton (1959) 
35. One Sweet Day - Mariah Carrey & Boys II Men (1995) 
36. Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden (1998) 
37. Silly Love Songs - Paul McCartney & Wings (1976) 
38. Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye (1973) 
39. Night Fever - Bee Gees (1978) 
40.  Another One Bites the Dust - Queen (1980)
41.  Say Say Say - Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson (1983) 
42. How You Remind Me - Nickelback (2001) 
43. Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree - Tony Orlando and Dawn (1973) 
44. It's All in the Game - Tommy Edwards (1958) 
45. I Want to Hold Your Hand - Beatles (1964) 
46. Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb (1978) 
47. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen (2012) 
48. Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. + Pharrell (2013) 
49. Candle in the Wind 1997/Something in the Way You Look Tonight - Elton John (1997) 
50. No One - Alicia Keys (1997) 
51. I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston (1992)
52.  End of the Road - Boys II Men (1992) 
53. Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas (2009) 
54. Call Me - Blondie (1980) 
55. Let Me Love You - Mario (2005) 
56. Stayin' Alive - Bee Gees (1978) 
57. Lady - Kenny Rogers (1980) 
58. Tik Tok - Ke$ha (2010) 
59. I'm a Believer - Monkees (1966) 
60. Gold Digger - Kanye West Featurning Jamie Foxx (2005) 
61. Apologize - Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic (2008) 
62. The Sign - Ace of Base (1994) 
63. Centerfold - J. Geils Band (1982) 
64. (Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon (1980) 
65. Royals - Lorde (2013) 
66. The Boy is Mine - Brandy & Monica (1998) 
67. Because I Love You (The Postman Song) - Stevie B (1990) 
68. I Love Rock 'N Roll - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (1982) 
69.All About That Base - Meghan Trainor (2014) 
70. Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In - Fifth Dimension (1969)
71.  Whoomp! (There It Is) - Tag Team (1993) 
72. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 Featuring Christina Aguilera (2011) 
73. Ebony & Ivory - Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder (1982) 
74. Rush Rush - Paula Abdul (1991) 
75. That's What Friends Are For - Dionne & Friends (1986) 
76. Happy - Pharrell Williams (2013) 
77. Upside Down - Diana Ross (1980) 
78. Sugar, Sugar - Archies (1969) 
79. Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars (2010) 
80. Dilemma - Nelly Featuring Kelly Rowland (2002) 
81. I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye (1968)
82.  You're Still the One - Shania Twain (1998) 
83. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson (1983) 
84.  Hot Stuff - Donna Summer (1979) 
85. Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio Featuring L.V. (1995) 
86. Abracadabra - Steve Miller Band (1982) 
87. You're So Vain - Carly Simon (1973) 
88. Play That Funky Music - Wild Cherry (1976) 
89. Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie (1985) 
90. My Sharona - Knack (1979) 
91. All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie (1983) 
92. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead O'Connor (1990) 
93. I Swear - All-4-One (1994) 
94. Family Affair - Mary J. Blige (2001) 
95. Waiting For a Girl Like You - Foreigner (1981) 
96. Are You Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley (1960) 
97. Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack (1973) 
98. Hurt So Good - John Cougar (Mellencamp) (1982) 
99. I'll Be Missing You - Puff Daddy & Faith Evans Featuring 112 (1997) 
100. Dark Horse - Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J (2013)
New to the latest list are:
  • Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars (2015)
  • Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. + Pharrell (2013)
  • Royals - Lorde (2013)
  • All About That Base - Meghan Trainor (2014)
  • Happy - Pharrell Williams (2013)
  • Dark Horse - Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J (2013)
Falling below number 100:
  • Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head - B.J. Thomas (1970)
  • Another Day in Paradise - Phil Collins (1989)
  • One More Night - Maroon 5 (2012)
  • Best of My Love - Emotions (1977)
  • We Are Young - fun. Featuring Janelle Monae (2012)
  • You Make Me Wanna... - Usher (1997)
The magazine also, for the first time, compiled the list of the top singles artists of the same 57 year period. The Beatles lead the list followed by Madonna, Elton John, Elvis Presley and Mariah Carey.

Once again, Elvis most likely would have given the Beatles a run for their money had the period for the list extended back to the beginning of the rock era in 1955. 

Here's the top 40 singles artists according to Billboard: 
 1.  Beatles   
 2.  Madonna  
 3.  Elton John  
 4.  Elvis Presley  
 5. Mariah Carey   
 6. Stevie Wonder  
 7. Janet Jackson  
 8. Michael Jackson  
 9. Whitney Houston 
10.  The Rolling Stones 
11.  Paul McCartney 
12. Bee Gees 
13. Rihanna 
14. Usher 
15. Chicago 
16. The Supremes 
17. Daryl Hall & John Oates 
18. Prince 
19. Rod Stewart 
20.  Olivia Newton-John 
21. Aretha Franklin 
22. Marvin Gaye 
23. Phil Collins 
24. Katy Perry 
25. Billy Joel 
26. Diana Ross 
27. The Four Seasons 
28. The Temptations 
29. Donna Summer 
30. The Beach Boys 
31. Lionel Richie 
32. Neil Diamond 
33. Carpenters 
34. Taylor Swift 
35. Boyz II Men 
36. The Jacksons 
37. Connie Francis 
38. Kenny Rogers 
39. Beyonce 
40. Brenda Lee

Not enough space here to even BEGIN a debate about how ridiculous this list looks, even with the benefit of nearly 60 years of hindsight ... but definately fodder for another day!  (kk)

re:  This And That:  
Big news for all of us Emitt Rhodes fans who've been waiting 43 years for his next album ... 
It's finished!!! 
Here are a couple of links explaining how you can preorder the new cd ... 
And also hear an exclusive track featured (in of all places) The Wall Street Journal!!! 
(Emitt's gotta be beside himself wondering how there could possibly be this much interest and publicity about him releasing new music again ... he never had what anybody would call a legitimate hit ... "Fresh As A Daisy" was as close as he came ... and that one hit #38 in 1971 ... and only registered a #54 ranking in Billboard ... yet his cult-following was enormous ... faithful ... and, obviously, VERY patient!!!) 
For the few of you out there who may be as excited about this as I am, check out these links ...  
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/11/12/emitt-rhodes-returns-after-four-decades-with-dog-on-a-chain-exclusive-song/  
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/emittrhodes?referrer=popular  
A recent report hints that Rhodes may have a presence at next years South By Southwest Festival down in Austin ... now THAT would be pretty cool to see (as long as he also did material from his past catalog along with the new stuff.)  Rhodes typically played all of the instruments himself in the studio so fronting a band will be a bit different for him as well (although he was the lead singer of Merry-Go-Round back in 1967 when they hit the charts twice with "Live" and "You're A Very Lovely Woman" ... and prior to that he fronted Palace Guard.)
Here's Emitt's only legitimate Top 40 Hit ... I blame a big part of this on Dunhill Records for not pushing the right tracks ... listen to "You Should Be Ashamed", the song that made all the radio commercials back in the day, trying to get folks to buy the album.  THIS should have been the follow-up single ... you won't find a more McCartney-esque song out there!  (kk)




Vintage Vinyl News reported on Friday about the continuation of the Chicago / Earth Wind And Fire tour into 2016 ... but Forgotten Hits Readers knew that about this six or sevenmonths ago when Chicago's Lee Loughnane told us exclusively that the two superstar groups would be heading back to Chicago for another performance.  (We just couldn't contractulaly discuss the date until after their Ravinia gig was over.)
So yes, we're happy to let ALL of our readers know that you can catch TWO incredible acts sharing the same stage (one most certainly Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame bound ... and the other certainly deserving of their own nomination) next April at The United Center here in Chicago ... and at several OTHER stops along the way as well.

Here's the complete 2016 itinerary so far ...

  • 03/23 – Jacksonville, FL – Jacksonville Veterans Mem. Arena
  • 03/25 – West Palm Beach, FL – Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre
  • 03/26 – Tampa, FL – MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
  • 03/29 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
  • 03/31 – Milwaukee, WI – BMO Harris Bradley Center
  • 04/01 – Chicago, IL – United Center
  • 04/02 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
  • 04/05 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
  • 04/06 – Hershey, PA – GIANT Center
  • 04/09 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
  • 04/10 – Allentown, PA – PPL Center
  • 04/12 – Baltimore, MD – Royal Farms Arena
  • 04/15 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
  • 04/16 – Moline, IL – I Wireless Center
  • 04/18 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden Arena
As tipped here a couple of weeks ago, Three Dog Night (aka Danny Hutton ... aka ONE Dog Night) has announced the hiring a new singer to allow the band to continue on the road.  (Now we told you then that it would NOT be ... no how, no way ... Chuck Negron, one of the three (and perhaps the KEY) original leads ... Hutton maintains that this will never happen.  So instead, he's brought on David Morgan to cover some of the bluesy, grittier lead vocals previously handled by the recently-departed Cory Wells.  

In an official statement, Hutton said:   

“David has a super versatile voice that stands out on the bluesy leads as well as warmer lyrical songs,” according to Danny Hutton, the band’s founder, “plus he blends beautifully with the rest of the band on harmonies. He has come in with a lot of grace but no drama or ego and allowed us to get back to a more original three-voice structure on a lot of the hits. Our first show was really well received and we feel very good about upcoming shows.”   

While he's got numerous studio credits (primarily in the country field) he seems to be BEST known for singing the theme song from the hit television series "Who's The Boss".  (Since Three Dog Night were very instrumental in the launching of Elton John's career here in The States, I wonder if Morgan will sing the tribute "Hold Me Closer, Tony Danza" as part of the show???)  
Too bad.  Even after Davy Jones died, Michael Nesmith came back to sing and tour with the other three, perhaps realizing A) how short life can be ... or B) just how magical the music they all made together really was.  WAY too many artists out there living in their own heads instead of giving the fans who MADE them superstars what they really want to see.  Sad.  But song-for-song, hit-for-hit, if you're going to make me choose, I'm going to go listen to Chuck's show ... because he voice was FAR more prevalent on these recordings than Danny's ever was.  In fact, although he was the best-known name in the business when the group started up, he was the LEAST recognized voice on their records once the band hit the big time.  (kk)  

A few days ago we told you about the new duet recorded by Dion and Paul Simon for Dion's upcoming album.  You can now find the video for this clip up on YouTube ...

Or right here in Forgotten Hits!

 
>>>the group at various times also included Vito Balsamo, former lead singer of Vito and the Salutations (who did that God-Awful rendition of "Unchained Melody") kk  
I take issue with "the god awful version of Unchained Melody." Many doo-wop lovers from NYC prefer that version.
Mark
We've debated this one numerous times over the years ... but I stand by my guns on this one.  Forgetting EVERY other version of "Unchained Melody" ever recorded ... and with COMPLETE disregard for anything resembling a melody of ANY sort ... I find the Vito and the Salutations version virtually UNLISTENABLE in ANY context.  Now that's just me ... doo-wop aficionados may LOVE it ... but I would rather be subjected to 24 hours of "American Pie" than to ever have to listen to this track again.  (And now I'll wait for the onslaught of pro-"American Pie" email to start flooding in!)  kk

Kent,
Jim Southern was telling you his recollections he had with Casey Kasem and his AT40. I was instantly reminded of the time that the radio station I was working for at the time (early 70's), had AT40 on late Sunday afternoons of which I was the board operator for it.
Now if memory serves me right (and I could be wrong about this), but after the stations across the country aired the program, they were supposed to send the program back to the company which put the show out. I believe it was Watermark, Inc. At the time I was board oping AT40, I was privileged to obtain (on legitimate and honest methods), two shows that I really wanted to keep. They were the shows for 5/26/73, which mentioned the call letters of the station I was working for at the time, and the show dated 7/7/73, which was a special show of the 40 greatest disappearing acts of the rock era. Still have them.
Larry Neal  

>>>Lead singer Gary DeCarlo of Steam has been back out on the road again recently, performing as part of a "lead singers" show that often includes other artists like Ron Dante, Dennis Tufano and Tony Burrows ... actually, a VERY interesting show to see if it ever makes its way out here to Chicago.  (Hint - hint - to Ron Onesti!!!)  kk  

Speaking of Gary DeCarlo, I had the pleasure of meeting him last Sunday at the Keystone Record Collectors record show in Lancaster, PA:
 

I will say that a number of other people (including KRC officers) and to a lesser extent, myself, were incredibly put off by the fact that Gary was charging $10 apiece for autographs, even on merchandise we brought (apparently he is afraid of people taking his autographs and selling them online. If they were worth anything, I'd think he would be doing it himself - the more autographs he signs, the less valuable each of them becomes!)  I had him sign my Best of Steam CD, onn which he co-wrote every track (and provided background vocals for the other tracks). He told me he refused to sing lead on any of the other songs because the producers wanted to take all the credit for the recordings and send the fake group out anyway. The whole story is detailed in the book he was selling, I'm not sure if it's the same as this one,  though: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1477225358/chinewben-20/
That said, there was a touring version of Steam around for something like 30 years including two brothers who were in the touring group the entire time, and they had originally been commissioned by the producers to go out and perform the hit ... while it doesn't make them legitimate, they made a living doing it for a long time. 
Tom Diehl  
I've talked to Gary several times over the last few years ... we announced his book when it first became available several years ago. 
I still haven't read it ... reviews like this one, posted on Amazon, is one of the reasons why:
I was truly interested in reading Gary DeCarlo's story and I am glad I did. I was always curious to know the history of his music career and the Na Na song. However, this was the worst book I've ever read. With spelling errors and missing punctuation, sentences running together and the sequence of events way out of order, it was really hard to follow what decade it was in from page to page. The author started 90% of the sentences with 'Gary said', 'Gary was', 'Gary did' and so on. The reader knows this book is from Gary's point of view but it read as a 4th grader's book report with a hodgepodge of facts in no particular order.
Another is the fact that I've always been bothered by the fact that he let the other stories circulate for so many years (about him walking away from the band in an effort to launch a solo career) without ever making a contrary statement ... but then came back all gung-ho strong to "set the story straight" ... once all of the other players involved in the original recording had passed on.  That just never felt right to me.  Still, he sang the #1 Hit ... so he certainly has every right to go out there and perform it at every venue he can.  At least you're getting the real deal!  (kk)

>>> another great magazine that came out around that time was RECORD EXCHANGER  (Larry)
>>>I remember "Record Exchanger"  (kk)
Unfortunately the owner / publisher became a crook by going into another business while still holding 100's of records that had been sent in for consignment sales. Mine were among the batches that he hadn't returned. I called numerous times until he stopped answering that line. I began writing letters in to Discoveries Mag and many others chimed in. I contacted the Orange Co D.A. and managed to get my records back to help many others get theirs. This was all circa '91-92.
Gary E. Myers / MusicGem

>>>Brenda wanted to record "I'm Sorry".  Record company said no ... this wasn't the type song a 14 year old girl would sing. In 1960, they needed a song to put on the B-side of "That's All You Gotta Do" and finally gave in to Brenda.  They went with "I'm Sorry." Of course the record company was wrong.  "I'm Sorry" was a # 1 Hit for Brenda and "That's All You Gotta Do" was a #6 Hit.  (Frank B)
In this case, the artist themselves may not know the full story. Decca most definitely issued I'm Sorry as the A side. They had a policy of putting a marking of some sort next to the matrix number on their B side labels (either a  clover or a diamond depending on which pressing plant the record came from), and in the case of Brenda Lee, well ...
 

Tom Diehl

More from Wild Wayne's 40th Anniversary Flashback Interviews ...
Interview Date:  11/5/ 2005  =  Bruce Belland (Lead singer of the Four Preps)
They recorded eight straight bombs for Capitol Records and needed a hit badly.
Bruce and his friends cut summer school and went to the beach.  One of the guys pointed and said 26 miles to Santa Catalina ... which gave Bruce an idea for a song.
He took the song he wrote to Capitol.  They didn't like it ... didn't think the rest of us would be interested in Santa Catalina.
A week later he saw Nancy Sinatra at the movies.  She said,"Bruce, when are you going to record the song you were singing at the beach?  Me and& my friends can't stop singing it."
Bruce tried again. This time, Capitol gave in and put it on the B-side of a Broadway tune. (Bruce couldn't remember the name of it.)
A DJ in Hartford, Connecticut flipped the Broadway tune over and started playing 26 Miles (Santa
Catalina).
Like they say, the rest is history. Bruce couldn't remember the name of the DJ. (His memory is worse than mine.)
Frank B.




Here's an interesting ad I saw in the Nashville Symphony printed program.
David Lewis


Going way back to the Thursday This And That from June 15, 2015(http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2015/06/thursday-this-and-that_18.html), I love re-reading Al Kooper's account of the Like A Rolling Stone recording session. I kept thinking to myself for the longest time, "Man, I'd have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that one". Thanks to The Bootleg Series Volume 12 (either the 6 or 18 CD versions), that is now possible. They've included (almost) the complete recording session for the song. They left out a bit of the dialogue, unfortunately, including some of what I'd wanted to hear, given Al Kooper's description of the session. I'd definitely recommend fans of Bob Dylan to pick up some version of this collection:
Tom