Friday, June 8, 2018

The Friday Flash


About 30-some years ago, I thought I heard the legendary Jack Armstrong, or someone who was at a Cleveland DJ Reunion on WMJI back when they played OLDIES, say the following:
"You are not successful in radio until you have been fired three times."
Unfortunately, I never got 'fired' even once from any of my prior announcing jobs in radio (yet I am in my 9th year doing my 'unpaid
volunteer' gig at my local non-profit community radio station).  Nor do I know how many times Dick Biondi has been officially 'fired' over his career. 
That being said, I will proclaim a new saying that you are a TRUE RADIO LEGEND if you have ever been "let go" (not necessarily 'fired') without having a chance to say "Goodbye" on the air, nor on your own terms.
Dick Biondi is the latest of a precious few who can now wear this title like a Presidential Medal of Honor.  The public has spoken -- WLS is the bad guy in this event, and Dick Biondi won the battle, despite not coming out on top in the eyes of evil Corporate Radio.
-- Uncle T. Jay
At various times over the years, I’ve heard Dick Biondi say he’s been fired 23 … 25 … and 28 times … so I guess you add “1” to whatever tally is the most accurate.  He has been a mainstay on Chicago Radio for at least the past 30 years tho … and although some of the radio stations themselves haven’t made it thru the storm, Dick Biondi always seemed to land on his feet.
I’m anxious to see this documentary made just so his career can finally be put into perspective for all the world to see.  Donations to help make this happen can be sent thru the options found via this link:

kk:
One of those Dick Biondi signs mentions "The Pizza Song."
By the way, today is "National Cheese Day.” -  6 / 4 / 18.
Frank B.


What a day!
  • Surf City - Jan & Dean
  • Shut Down - Beach Boys
  • Wipe Out - Surfaris
  • AND Dick Biondi 
... on the charts!!
Phil Migilioratti
And Dick Dale a couple of weeks before!  (kk)

I got a kick out of today's (6-4) post by the young man who waved the "Teenagers" LP in front of Dick while he was on the air at WCFL.
That's the way Dick is - he appreciates his fans and shows his kindness in every way possible.
Interesting fact about the cover of that LP is that the "weird" multi-color sweater that Dick was wearing was given to Dick by Pam, the lovely young lady who is producing the Dick Biondi Film, as great a friend to me as anyone could have.  ;-)
Mike Wolstein
Biondi fan and paisan since 1961


Speaking of well-known deejays, got this from FH Regular Frank B regarding Norm N. Nite …

kk …
My music calendar says 6/5/1995:  Norm N. Nite returns to WCBS-FM for a third time.
On this clip you'll hear that he was also on WNBC-AM.
One of my favorite DJ's.
Norm N. Nite quote -- he always said this when he played a Beach Boys record:  "From The Land Of The Sand And The Surf … The Beach Boys."
Frank B.
I’ve had Norm’s books in my collection for decades now … one of the first of its kind to spotlight the artists … some of it is a bit out of date now (and, quite honestly, they’re tough to use as a prime reference, because we’ve found so much updated information since these were written) but the ultimate tribute to the artists who filled the charts during the rock and roll era.  (kk)

Freddy Cannon, as you know, appeared at Hemsby in the UK a few weeks ago.


I thought you might like to hear this … from my BBC DJ friend's Saturday night rock "n" roll show. Log into https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p064whgn#play and either start at the beginning or else push the slider to the 07:40 point and listen for the next ten minutes or so.  

Rockin Lord Geoff



kk …
Seeing my pal Rich Koz reminded me of the early 70's when I was a staff announcer at WFLD. My gig called for me to work on Fridays from 5 PM to 2 AM, so I was the so called staff announcer on Jerry G. Bishop's "Screaming Yellow Theater."
Jeez, Jerry was a talent. I got such a kick out of the show that I used to attend rehearsals and tapings on Friday morning - knowing full well I'd see the whole machine 12 hours later. The vehicle oozed creativity. Rich has carried on the tradition in grand fashion.
Hop on youtube ... check out Jerry G.  doing "Mad Man Sven's used car Emporium."
You will die laughing. It’s comedy on a level with Jackie Gleason and Groucho Marx.
Rock on,
Chet Coppock

From our FH Buddy Chuck Buell:

Reading the recent comments about Jerry G. Bishop in Forgotten Hits reminds me once again how one of the most competitive, and fun, decades of Intense Radio Competition the 1960s were. And it was in full battle mode in Chicago in the latter half of the 1960s between Jerry’s “Big 10 WCFL” and my “Big 89 WLS!”
Jerry G. had joined ’CFL in the late 60s, a short time before I was recruited by ‘LS, and although we never met in those frantic and embattled Chicago Radio years, we were certainly aware of one another. Our meeting wouldn’t happen until decades later in a more subdued 2002 when we both were older, wiser and definitively more laid back. It was during one of Chris Carmichael’s SDRadio.com’s famed Radio Luncheons held at one of Jerry’s two great restaurants in San Diego’s Seaport Village, his “Greek Islands Café” where Jerry introduced me to my first Gyro, a great Greek sandwich that brought me back to his place many times after! Great Hospitality from a Great Guy!
CB ( which stands for “Chicago Boy!” )



No great surprise here but David Cassidy comes clean about his drinking problem in a documentary filmed shortly before his death.  (So basically he was aware of what a train wreck he was … yet he still got behind the wheel of a car to drive in this condition, endangering countless others who may have crossed his path.)  I’m sorry … but I just can’t feel any sympathy for this man.  Yes, he was a pop icon … and yes, alcoholism is an illness that millions of people have to deal with … but then DEAL with it … don’t endanger others in the process.  (kk)
The documentary will air Monday Night on A&E.


Sad to report that Russ Regan passed away last week.  To anyone in the music industry, he was a great friend and a very successful executive.  He ran UNI records and also 20th Century Records in the 1970’s.
Clay Pasternack
 

Tom Cuddy sent us this insightful interview with Hall and Oates …
Daryl and John are on tour right now with Train … here’s an entertaining clip explaining why they’ve teamed up together …

Hey Kent ...
You sure live in a rockin’ place!  All those great shows at the Arcada. Geez, I need to move!
Congrats on your new grandbaby!  I am so happy for you.   
Sandy
We hear from folks all over the country who wish they had a place like The Arcada near them who put on these types of shows … I’m telling you, there is ALWAYS something going on there in virtually every genre of music imaginable.  (This week’s big announcement is that Ron Onesti has just booked Eric Burdon and the Animals for a September gig!) 
It has also become the go-to place for visitors to Chicago … they have heard so much about this great theater that they all want to check it out when they come to town! (kk)

Speaking of which …

We have got to go see The Vogues at Ron Onesti's place this summer. I rate their song "Magic Town" at about 75 on my all time list of rock faves.
Chet
That one is DEFINITELY on my list!  (kk)

I saw that you did indeed put my email and that photo up for all to see. I hope your readership enjoys it.
It’s not often that you see Cher without makeup and Sonny with zinc oxide speared across his face, even into his mustache! 
Those were some fun days. I heard that we broke Elvis’s record for an afternoon performance there at the Honolulu Convention Center.
All in a day’s work for me!
Michel Rubini


Kent,
In today's FH it was mentioned about the singers of the past that were Elvis Presley soundalikes. I agree with what you said about Crispian St. Peters. Singer Vince Everett (real name Marvin Benefield I believe) never really had any charted records here in the OKC area and I believe none of his records charted nationally though I could be wrong about that. His early recordings, like the one you mentioned, were on the ABC PARAMOUNT label. I have got most of his recordings and my favorite is his rendition of Elvis' BABY LET'S PLAY HOUSE, out of 1963.
As you know, when Elvis died in August of 1977, within minutes almost, the tribute records started to come out. Would you believe I have right at 150 - 45 rpm tribute records about Elvis ranging from singers Paul Adkins and Arthur Alexander (THERE'S A BRAND NEW STAR and HOUND DOG MAN'S GONE HOME respectively), to singer Bill Yates' ELVIS WE MISS YOU. The #1 tribute record here in the OKC area was done by local DJ Ronnie Kaye when he was working at WKY-AM 930. He wrote it and it was called THE KING IS DEAD with the flip being the same song.
Larry


STYX ANNOUNCES TWO NEW ALBUM RELEASES FOR JUNE AND JULY:  ‘THE MISSION’ - REISSUE IN 5.1 SURROUND SOUND AND INCLUDING EXCLUSIVE VIDEO CONTENT DUE OUT JULY 27 ON ALPHA DOG 2T/Ume and TOMMY SHAW AND THE CONTEMPORARY YOUTH ORCHESTRA ‘SING FOR THE DAY!’ DUE OUT JUNE 29 VIA EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT ON BLU-RAY, CD, AND DIGITAL FORMATS –
Also … AXS TV PRESENTS A SATURDAY STACK OF STYX ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING JUNE 30; EIGHT HOUR MARATHON STARTS AT 1 P.M. ET

STYX is giving their loyal fans a double whammy of new releases in June and July. 
First up is the highly anticipated reissue of their critically acclaimed first new studio album in 14 years, THE MISSION, on July 27 via Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. The two-disc package will include a CD of the original album, as well as a Blu-ray of THE MISSION mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound by singer/guitarist TOMMY SHAW and producer Will Evankovich accompanied by stunning visualizations for each of the album’s 14 songs based on the album artwork. Other extras on the Blu-ray include: “The Making of The Mission Documentary” of exclusive interviews of SHAW and Evankovich, four music videos—“Gone Gone Gone” (official video), “Gone Gone Gone” (video created by NASA), “Radio Silence” (lyric video) and “Radio Silence” (live video from Syracuse, NY)—and three hi-res audio playback modes. Pre-orders are available now here.
"THE MISSION, a concept album of all new music, is a trip,” declares TOMMY SHAW. “Now it’s coming to you in 5.1 Surround and you’re cordially invited to strap yourselves in and take that trip with us, then take it again!”
THE MISSION was released June 16, 2017 and debuted on various Billboard charts, including: #6 Top Rock Albums, #11 Physical Albums, #11 Vinyl Albums, #13 Current Albums, #14 Top Albums, #16 Retail, #17 Mass Merch/Non-Traditional, #29 Digital Albums, and #45 Top 200 Albums (includes catalog and streaming).
“The planets truly aligned for THE MISSION, and I couldn’t be prouder,” said vocalist/guitarist TOMMY SHAW upon its release, who co-wrote the album’s storyline with longtime collaborator Will Evankovich (Shaw/Blades, The Guess Who). “It’s our boldest, most emblematic album since PIECES OF EIGHT.” As founding guitarist JAMES “JY” YOUNG continued, “In the 40th anniversary year of our release of our biggest selling album of all time, GRAND ILLUSION, it just seemed truly appropriate to save our new studio album until this year. Needless to say, I’m very excited.”
Next, SING FOR THE DAY!, TOMMY SHAW’s solo 2016 concert performance with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra will be released on Blu-ray, CD, and Digital Audio / Video on June 29 via Eagle Rock Entertainment. Pre-orders are now available on Eagle Rock’s website.
Filmed before an enthusiastic audience at the intimate Waetjen Auditorium in Cleveland, SING FOR THE DAY! presented unique versions of such classics as “Blue Collar Man,” “Girls With Guns,” and “Too Much Time On My Hands.” Under the direction of principal conductor / founder Liza Grossman, with accompaniment by guitarist/musical director Will Evankovich, the Cleveland-based Contemporary Youth Orchestra blended seamlessly with Shaw to create a one-of-a-kind experience. The songs of STYX / TOMMY SHAW / Damn Yankees are infused with the energy of the finest high-school-aged musicians in Ohio, as evidenced by such performances as the epic duel between SHAW’s guitar licks and a prodigious young violinist / CYO alum Lavinia Pavlish on “Renegade.”
Additionally, the set includes a special version of the STYX classic “Crystal Ball” featuring the debut of a lost verse that was never recorded.
As TOMMY SHAW says, “SING FOR THE DAY!, a retrospective look at some of my favorite songs I’ve written and co-written, performed with Contemporary Youth Orchestra, now remixed in glorious 5.1, takes them all to a higher place I’d never imagined."
This show also marked the 10-year anniversary of STYX’s original 2006 performance with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra -- One With Everything (previously released via Eagle Rock Entertainment on multiple formats).
It was truly a night to remember, as SHAW notes: "It was so much bigger and more everlasting than any of us imagined it would be."
In addition to the full 13-song set, the SING FOR THE DAY! Blu-ray includes 96K stereo audio of four songs with TOMMY SHAW and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra not included in the program -- “Down That Highway,” “The Great Divide,” “I’ll Be Coming Home,” and “The Night Goes On” -- soundtracking a slideshow of photos from the show, rehearsals, and behind-the-scenes.
SING FOR THE DAY! Track Listing:
1.    Overture
2.    Girls With Guns
3.    Too Much Time On My Hands
4.    Fooling Yourself
5.    Diamond
6.    Crystal Ball
7.    Boat On The River
8.    Sing For The Day
9.    Renegade
10.         Man In The Wilderness
11.         Come Again
12.         High Enough
13.         Blue Collar Man
Blu-ray Bonus songs:
Down That Highway
The Great Divide
I’ll Be Coming Home
The Night Goes On
And, on June 30, AXS TV presents a “Saturday STYX” lineup headlined by insightful conversations and classic performances. The day begins at 1 pm E, as TOMMY SHAW, JAMES “JY” YOUNG, and LAWRENCE GOWAN sit down with Dan Rather to discuss their legendary career, the creative process behind some of their most enduring songs, and what drives them to keep performing in “The Big Interview.” Next, STYX joins The Red Rocker for an epic hangout session backstage at The Venetian in Las Vegas in “Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar” at 2 pm E. Then, the band sails into Sin City for an unforgettable career-spanning set in “STYX: Live At The Orleans Arena Las Vegas” at 2:30 pm E; followed by TOMMY SHAW’s incredible performance with Cleveland’s renowned Contemporary Youth Orchestra in Sing For The Day! at 3:30 pm E. The block will re-air in its entirety immediately following at 5 pm E. 


We finally got a chance to spend some time with the finished DVD package for BANG! The Bert Berns Story and thought to share our excitement.  
Of course, the original 95 minute documentary feature that has been screened at film festivals and shown theatrically throughout the world is at the core of it but there’s much, much more.  
The disc includes 64 minutes of extra interview footage from, among others, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Ronald Isley, Cissy Houston, Andrew Loog Oldham, Solomon Burke, Betty Harris, Mike Stoller, Ben E. King, Doug Morris, Joel Dorn and Goodfellas archetype Carmine “Wassel” DeNoia. There’s also a four panel booklet with color photos and author (Here Comes The Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm & Blues) Joel Selvin’s notes.  He writes, “BANG! The Bert Berns Story is more than another rockumentary. This film heralds a renaissance for Berns and recognition of his work long overdue. His story is told in vivid, candid, painstaking detail, laid bare without judgement, while his music is presented in all its grand glory.” 
Here’s another link to the DVD trailer:  https://bit.ly/2rJN0n3 
Bob Merlis
This is a great documentary and one our readers are sure to enjoy.  Highly recommended.  (kk)