Friday, February 28, 2020

THE FRIDAY FLASH ... And Our Next Big Ticket Give-Away!

kk:
How can I not send a missive to you after seeing Burton Cummings in Southern California last night at the Coach House venue in San Juan Capistrano. It was a birthday gift from our pal Gary Strobl. 
I go way back with Burton. Early Guess Who shows in Los Angeles, all tapings of "The Midnight Special" TV appearances in Burbank, his solo performances. I interviewed him for "Melody Maker" in the seventies when "Stand Tall" was released. I wrote a bio on him when he was on the Portait Records label. I'm thanked on the back cover of his "Plus Signs" album. Burton is also quoted in several of my books, including one on Neil Young. The Guess Who did the first cover version of Neil's "Flying on the Ground is Wrong." 
It was a delightful evening. Marvelous power-packed set with a stellar band. The voice is still there. He introduced songwriter John Lind in the audience. Burton cited his Fifth Avenue Band LP that has been one of BC's Top Ten albums of all-time since 1969. 
For many years Burton was a neighbor in SoCal but he's moved back to Canada and I wasn't gonna miss this gig. 
The set list:
No Sugar Tonight / New Mother Nature
Hand Me Down World 
Clap for the Wolfman
Laughing 
Clementine (a cover he heard from Bobby Darin) 
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (by the Platters)
Albert Flasher 
My Own Way to Rock
Stand Tall
Baby, Come Back (cover of the Equals) 
Trouble in the City 
These Eyes 
Undun 
Star Baby 
American Woman 
No Time 
Share the Land   
"Hand Me Down World" and "Share the Land" became connective audio tissue and took on added significance in 2020. Planet concerns and environmental message on display. 
Best, 
Harvey Kubernik
Glad you guys had the chance to reconnect ... he's still an incredible performer, isn't he?  Hasn't lost a step!  Thanks, Harvey!  (kk)
Strong show. The socio-political aspect of his tunes: "American Woman," "Hand Me Down World" and "Share the Land" really became more relevant than ever. Still has 98 per cent of his hi end range, too. 
HK

And, speaking of cool shows, this one should be interesting …
(We missed it the last time around due to scheduling conflicts) …
But since our oldest granddaughter will be staying with us that week for spring break …
AND since she’ll also be turning fifteen that week …
AND since this would be her very first rock concert …
We’re going to take her to The Arcada Theatre to see The Bay City Rollers!
(She’ll likely go home to Texas with “S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night” playing non-stop in her head until her 16th birthday!  Lol)

Here are all the details …

The Bay City Rollers ‘Only Want to Be with You’ on Friday, March 13th, as the band, featuring original guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Stuart “Woody” Wood, is set to perform at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois.
The evening promises to be jammed packed with the band’s classic hits including "Saturday Night", "You Made Me Believe In Magic", "Money Honey", "The Way I Feel Tonight", "Rock N Roll Love Letter" and "I Only Want To Be With You". Over the course of their career, The Bay City Rollers earned five RIAA certified Gold albums and charted 20 songs worldwide.
Their smash hit Saturday Night has been featured in the Netflix original series, The Umbrella Academy, in addition to The Simpsons, Swingtown, October Road and So I Married an Ax Murderer starring Mike Myers.
Legend has it that the band’s music inspired Tommy Ramone to write “Blitzkrieg Bop”, one of The Ramones biggest hits.

For more information, visit https://www.thebaycityrollers.co.uk

Location / Ticket Info:
Arcada Theatre
105 E Main St
St. Charles, IL 60174
630-962-7000

About The Bay City Rollers:


“Is it hype?  Is it hope?”  asked the ever-objective Howard Cosell, “Or is it a bicentennial gift from the old country?”  These were the questions posed to America on the historic night of Saturday, September 20, 1975. The occasion was the premier of ABC-TV’s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH HOWARD COSELL.  The subject was the Bay City Rollers.
Performing live via satellite from London, America was witness to the unforgettable spectacle of complete shrieking, fainting, Roller-induced hysteria.  Hype or hope, it was a most effective introduction.
Within a week, the Rollers were in America. Arriving at New York City’s Kennedy Airport, their plane was met by national press, television cameras and hundreds of screaming, plaid-clad American teens.  The Rollers performed their new single SATURDAY NIGHT live on Cosell’s second episode. By the next week, it was the #1 record in the nation.  Over the next 18 months, the Rollers would chart five more tunes in the American Top 40 (THE WAY I FEEL TONIGHT, ROCK 'N ROLL LOVE LETTER, YOU MADE ME BELIEVE IN MAGIC, MONEY HONEY and I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU).
The Rollers saga began in 1967 in Edinburgh, Scotland.  As The Saxons, the quintet limped along in relative obscurity for three years before deciding to change their name and image.  As pop history tells it, the lads stuck a pin in a United States map and hit Bay City, Michigan. With the addition of ‘Rollers’ (the British term for “soft rockers”) and a new wardrobe, the Bay City Rollers were born. A succession of Top 10 UK hits quickly followed.
While accusations of hype rage, the physical evidence was irrefutable: concert riots, hotels under siege, mass teen faintings, etc.  Additionally, this teenybopper havoc had a look all its own - tartan.  Like their idols, tartan-trimmed trousers and suspenders and plaid scarves and shirts became required wardrobe for devoted Rollers fans.  “What could girls do to identify with the Osmonds?” admitted one British teen magazine, “Dress up like Mormons?”  By 1974, the phenomena known as “Rollermania” had conquered Britain and most of Europe. 
America’s case of Rollermania lasted until 1977, over the course of five RIAA Gold albums (BAY CITY ROLLERS, ROCK ‘N ROLL LOVE LETTER, DEDICATION, IT’S A GAME and GREATEST HITS).  Now, some decades later, it’s possible to look beyond the hype and hysteria and hear the Rollers’ true legacy.  The Bay City Rollers created some of the most enjoyable and enduring pop music of the 1970s.

And we’ve got some tickets to give away to what is sure to be a very hot, fun evening of feel-good pop!
Drop me an email NOW to get on the list for your chance to win a pair of tickets to see The Bay City Rollers at The Arcada Theatre on Friday, March 13th … yes, it IS Friday the 13th … and we’ll see if we can hook you up.  (Tickets for this fun event can be purchased via the link above.)
Hope to see you there!!!  (kk)

FH Reader Danny Guilfoyle tells us there’s a brand new Herb Alpert documentary in the works …

kk –
Billy Joel's house was robbed the last time he played Madison Square Garden.
Watch him warn any would-be robbers not to hit his house again!
Frank B.
With Joel’s monthly sold-out shows at The Garden, I guess it’s pretty easy to figure out when he’s not going to be home!  Sounds like he’s pulled out all the stops to prevent this from ever happening again ‘tho!  (kk)

Good Morning Kent,
I'm happy to be entered into the Elton John and Mr. Rogers contests.  
I was also excited to read posts about Mickey Dolenz and the Monkees upcoming performances.
Thanks for continuing to provide information on quality entertainment!
Nikki Sloane
We are always happy to do our part to keep the fans in touch with all of these great artists and all of this great music that had such a HUGE impact on our lives … and we seem to be on a roll in the giveaways department of late!

We just handed out six tickets to see The Four C-Notes, The Midwest’s Premier Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Tribute Band …

This weekend we’ll be picking the winners for the Mark Bego / Elton John book giveaway contest …

Next week (March 4th) we’ll be taking eight readers to see The Ides Of March concert at The City Winery …

As well as picking our winner for a pair of tickets to see Al Jardine perform at The City Winery on March 31st … (you can still enter for this giveaway but you’ve got to do it NOW!!!) …

And, we’re still throwing names in the hat for the chance to win a copy of the brand new “Thank You, Mr. Rogers” CD, featuring a variety of pop artists performing songs written by the legendary Fred Rogers … (we’ll be taking names thru the end of next week for this one) …

And now we’ve added the chance to win tickets to see The Bay City Rollers at The Arcada Theatre on March 13th!!!  (Email me now at kk@forgottenhits.com for YOUR chance to win a pair!)

It’s an exciting time … I don’t know if we’ve EVER had this many contests going at once before.  (I honestly don’t think so … so why not take advantage of the chance to cash in on some of these goodies … as well as enjoy the great entertainment that they all provide!)  kk

And …

TOMORROW IN FORGOTTEN HITS:

We do it every four years …

It’s our tribute to The Leap Year Hits!!!

Throughout the day, we’ll be counting down The Top Ten Hits of every leap year of the original rock and roll era …

1956 … 1960 … 1964 … 1968 … 1972 … 1976 … and 1980

Join us for brand new postings at 5 am, 8 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm and 10 pm

Please plan to spend your day with us … check back as we reveal The Top Ten Leap Year Hits for all seven years listed above …

As well as the #1 Leap Year Hit for 1952, 1984 and 1988!

It all happens right here … in Forgotten Hits!