Concerns about Stevie Wonder’s health were all over the web this
past weekend but Stevie has since announced that he is going in for a kidney
transplant in September … that he already has a donor … and that, in his words,
“it’s all good … it’s all good.”
The 69 year old hit maker has been tearing up the charts
since his debut single “Fingertips, Part 2” went to #1 in 1963. (Stevie was 13 years old at the time!)
Eight other #1 Records followed (“Superstition,” 1973; “You Are The Sunshine
Of My Life,” 1973; “You Haven’t Done Nothin’,” 1974; “I Wish,” 1977; “Sir Duke,”
1977; “Ebony And Ivory” (recorded with Paul McCartney, 1982; “I Just Called To
Say I Love You,” 1984 and “Part-Time Lover,” 1985.)
In all, he has made the Billboard Pop Singles Chart 65 times
with nine #1’s, 27 Top Ten Hits and 45 Top 40 Hits. His albums dominated the charts throughout
the ‘70’s, during which time he won multiple Grammys for “Innervisions,” “Fullfillingness
First Finale” and “Songs In The Key Of Life.”
(He has 25 Grammys in all, including a Lifetime Achievement Award!)
His music is timeless and has often been
ground-breaking. (Incredibly, there was
some reluctance on Motown’s part to let Stevie write his own material since
Berry Gordy had his own crackerjack team of house writers on staff … but once
they finally gave him the chance, his career skyrocketed. He also wrote major hits for The Spinners,
Rufus and Aretha Franklin.)
We wish you a speedy recovery, Stevie … you have been the
sunshine of OUR lives for over 55 years … and we love ya, man! (kk)
How cool to be at London’s Hyde Park concert and see Barbra
Streisand bring out her “A Star Is Born” costar Kris Kristofferson to sing “Lost
Inside Of You” some 43 years after the film’s release. (Another surprise guest that evening was
Lionel Richie.) Streisand is coming to
Chicago on August 6th for a show at The United Center.
It’s an exciting time …
Each day now an old ballot comes down and a new ballot goes
up …
And that will be the pattern thru August 19th
when the 46th and final ballot is posted.
(Are you guys hooked yet?)
We’re getting some GREAT responses … and I am absolutely LOVIN’ some of
the surprises.
Just to keep you up to date, here are the results of the Top
Ten Vote Getters from Ballot #2 … along with a few other surprises:
Top Ten Vote Getters:
#1 – American Woman –
Guess Who (by a LANDSLIDE!)
#2 – American Pie –
Don McLean
#3 – Aquarius / Let
The Sunshine In – Fifth Dimension (Yes …
America WILL accept this song on your Classic Rock Station!)
#4 – American Girl –
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
#5 – Already Gone –
Eagles
#6 – And I Love Her –
Beatles (scoring MUCH higher than I had expected)
#7 – And Your Bird
Can Sing – Beatles (ditto!)
#8 – Along Comes Mary
– Association (scoring much higher than I had expected)
#9 - As Tears Go By –
Rolling Stones
#10 – At The Hop - Danny and the Juniors (I didn’t expect to
see THIS one on this list … but then again maybe Sha Na Na introduced a whole
new audience to this tune at Woodstock in 1969!)
Scoring Much Higher Than Expected:
(You’ll find a few surprises on this list)
Almost Saturday Night – Dave Edmunds (folks seem to prefer
this cover over the John Fogerty original)
Alone Again Or – Love
American Tune – Paul Simon
And We Danced – Hooters (BOTH nominated Hooters songs did
very well in our special ballot voting)
Angry Eyes – Loggins and Messina (one of those that seems to
have fallen out of favor … but still a very popular favorite amongst classic
rock music fans)
Another Park, Another Sunday – Doobie Brothers (a too-often
over-looked Doobie Brothers classic)
Are You Experienced? – Jimi Hendrix
Are You Ready – Pacific Gas and Electric
Ashes To Ashes – David Bowie
At 17 – Janis Ian (another one that seems to have “crossed
over” to the classic rock side)
It’s not too late …
Get in on the fun here:
https://classicrockessentials.blogspot.com/
I saw a commercial
for Adidas this past weekend that played "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman"
by Whistling Jack Smith, loud and clear. What will all these millennials
think of this piece of music? A return on the charts for the song? A torrent of
downloads, maybe?
Mike Markesich
Yes, several weeks ago I was in the back room working
while Frannie was watching something (it might have been “Fear The Walking Dead”)
when I heard the music come on … and I remember thinking “What on EARTH does “Kaiser
Bill’s Batman” have to do with The Walking Dead, not realizing at the time that
it was a commercial break.
Another one of those that makes you scratch your head …
what modern day advertising executive would even been familiar with this song,
a #14 Hit in 1967, my favorite year in music.
(Sounded pretty good, ‘tho, didn’t it!!!) kk
Robert Feder is reporting the latest wave of attention being
paid to Steve Dahl’s Disco Demolition at Comiskey Park 40 years ago …
The latest media salutes to the 40th
anniversary of Disco Demolition include interviews with Steve Dahl by Daily
Herald sports columnist Barry
Rozner (here is the link) and Illinois Entertainer
media columnist Rick
Kaempfer (here is the link). Also just out is a special
edition of Brandon
Herman’s radio show (here
is the link) featuring recollections of that night from Ed Farmer, Dave Logan, Mitch
Michaels, Jeff Schwartz and Lorelei Shark. Before a crowd of more
than 50,000 at old Comiskey Park on July 12, 1979, Dahl, then a 24-year-old
morning host at The Loop, exploded a box of disco records between games at a
White Sox double-header. Rowdy fans stormed the field, forcing the White Sox to
forfeit their second game.
