Saturday, June 20, 2020

The Weekend Comments

Still playing catch-up here (with a ways to go!), so we’ve put together another huge Weekend Comments Page.  (We’ve got new postings planned for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, too!)  
So enjoy the latest batch.  (Reminds me of the old “Leftovers” days for all you old-timers on the list!)  kk

SUMMER LOVIN’:  
Thus far, the response has been nothing short of sensational ...
As I type this "live" this morning, we already have 335 songs nominated and 14,300 votes tabulated ... 
And all of this since we first announced our intentions on Wednesday!  (This is already the biggest Summer Favorites poll we've ever done ... and we'll continue tabulating your votes through the 4th of July Weekend ... so you've got PLENTY of time to submit your favorites ... and encourage everybody else you know to do the same!)

Here is a just a brief sampling of some of the emails we've received over the past 48 hours ...
 
Kent,
I’m running this in Sunday’s newsletter. Trying to get some love for the Chantels great hit, “Summer’s Love. Really enjoy the blog, especially that Frank B guy😎. He loves the music. Stay safe.
Glen
Summer officially arrived yesterday and with it the question, what are the best song about summer? Our friend Kent Kotal at Forgotten Hits has done several polls over the years and they are in the process of doing another one. In all of their polls, Summer's Love by Richard Barrett and The Chantels was not mentioned. In their Top 100!! Doesn't someone over the last 40 years consider that to be a classic summer song? 100😱! It sure is in my book and I have suggested it to Kent. What are your top Doo Wop/R&B summer songs? Hit me up with your top five.  I'll put a top 20 list together and share it with Forgotten Hits. If you are not subscribing to his blog, you should. Now!
Glen Fisher
Doo Wop Revival
WJCT 89.9 FM 
Doo Wop Ramblings Newsletter:  Click to subscribe
Thanks, Glen … I hope your efforts work … right now yours is the ONLY vote for “Summer’s Love”!!! (lol)
But I’ll betcha we get ALL kinds of great suggestions from your readers … so thank you for spreading the word … and the kind words in your email.  (kk)

My personal favorite Summer Song is by The Temptations … "It's Summer" … which I discovered as the B-side of "Ball of Confusion" when I bought the single back in 1970!  It was also an album track on the "Psychedelic Shack" album.
Others are too many to list, but I wanted to thank you for introducing me to "Summer Sun" by Jamestown Massacre, a song I had never heard until reading about it in Forgotten Hits some years ago. I now have a copy of the 45, from eBay and found it on a cool compilation CD, "Nice Folks", Warner Pop Rock Nuggets Vol. 5!!
Thanks again, Kent!
Eddie Burke
We’ve introduced thousands of readers to this great Jamestown Massacre song over the years … and virtually ALL of them agree what a GREAT song is … and that it should have been a MUCH bigger hit than it was. (#78 in Cash Box … and only #90 in Billboard!)  Here in Chicago it got to #20 … and even that doesn’t do it justice!


Lead Singer Dave Bickler would go on to sing with Survivor a few years later.  (kk)

Speaking of which …

How about Summer Nights by Survivor?  Still one of my all time favorites from Premonition, Survivor’s second album, 1981!
“I still remember those ... Summer Nights … all night- dancing in the light of love. Summer nights all night … Couldn’t last beyond September.”
©1981 – Peterik / Sullivan 
One of Dave Bickler’s best vocals in my opinion.  
Jimbo
Who knows ... maybe Dave will have a couple of spots on this year’s final countdown!  Thanks, Jim!  (kk)

By the way, Bob Stroud will be doing his annual salute to summer this Sunday on his Rock And Roll Roots program … classic tunes, many of which I’m sure will end up on our final countdown.
Just go over to wdrv.com and click on the Listen Live link.  It plays at 9 am till noon (Chicago time) and then repeats again at 9 pm till midnight … two chances to hear some of your summer favorites.  (kk)

And our Oldies Buddy Sam is going to be featuring Summer Favorites on his program TODAY ... in just a few hours actually (due to our extremely late Saturday post.)  You can listen to Sammy's program here:
www.wvkr.org  (kk)   

Since this Saturday is the first day of summer, thanks for helping me figure out a theme. I'll be sure to mention your request for best Summer Songs and submit my own choices in a few days.
Keep poppin'!
Sam Tallerico
Lost And Found Oldies Show 

Hi Kent,
Love your blog.
Here's my favorite summer song that few people have heard. Hope you like it. Philly Cuzz, One Summer Night.
Dave Roth
Yep … that’s a good one!  (All you Doo-Wop fans out there will like this one … if you don’t already!)  kk
And here’s one more that no one else will remember!
Nothing says summer like the Beach Boys … and these guys did them proud.
The Toons with So Far.
Take care.
Dave Roth

Hi Kent, 
I see you talking about this song so I’d like to suggest you hear it with a vocal.
The lyrics suggest “A Summer Place” is really a state of mind ...
Joanie Sommers sings it and it is exquisitely done!
Check it out here: https://youtu.be/rclm8TUWU8w
Bill Mulvihill

Hi Kent,
I once really enjoyed record ranking lists … however, after too many years of too many lists, I burned out on them.
But ... your Summer Songs list did grab my attention and prompted a few thoughts.
Originally, summer songs were hits during the summer that captured the season in either lyric or sound or both. Today, it simply means a song that is popular during the summer with no regard for subject or feel.
Of your criteria, "feel-good songs that evoke a carefree, fun-loving summer day" is probably the most subjective category. I actually agree with or at least understand most of the songs on your list ... although for the life of me I can't comprehend "War." Yes, it was a hit during the summer, but to my mind it's the polar opposite of a summer song. (Perhaps you tossed it on the list to see if your readers are paying attention.

Here then are some songs (some surprising) that are missing from your list. An asterisk denotes which ones whose chart run overlapped all or part of the summer season.

The Cyrkle - "Turn-Down Day" *
Spanky & Our Gang - "Lazy Day"
Beach Boys - "Girls On The Beach"
Lovin' Spoonful - "Daydream"
Gary Lewis & The Playboys - "Green Grass" *
Gary U.S.) Bonds - "School Is Out" *
America - "Ventura Highway"
4 Seasons - "Candy Girl" * (along with its great flip "Marlena")
Bobby Rydell - "Wildwood Days" *
Nat "King" Cole - "That Sunday, That Summer" *
Ruby & The Romantics - "My Summer Love" *
Shangri-Las - "Remember (Walkin' In The Sand)" *
Frank Sinatra - "Strangers In The Night" *
Bob Dylan - "Like A Rolling Stone" (Nothing summery about it, but it dominated Top 40 radio toward the end of the summer of '65)
War - "All Day Music" *
5th Dimension - "Up-Up And Away" *
5th Dimension - "Stoned Soul Picnic" *
Grass Roots - "Walking Through The Country"

One amusing note: "Sunny Afternoon" by The Kinks has become a classic summer anthem, even though - according to Ray Davies - it's about a "dusty, fallen aristocrat." Not exactly a beach party record!
I could go on, but ... time to get back to work.
Let the debate begin!
Ed Osborne 

Hi again, Kent,
Your invitation to list my top twenty favorite summer songs is something that I just couldn't resist contacting you and participating in. 
Now, I guess I'm a bit different from most people in that I always consider a list of summer songs to be songs about summer, period.  So there will be no songs like Fun Fun Fun and California Sun, because they don't mention summer and they came out during the wrong time of the year. 
As you might expect from me, my list is going to be very different from most people's, but here are my top twenty favorite summer songs for what they're worth … and I could easily make it a top forty or a top one hundred. 
Clearly, summer is the season that has won hands down, the number of songs recorded about it.  I guess that's because it's such a fun and wonderful time of year. 
So, here's my top twenty for what it's worth …
Top Twenty Favorite Summer Songs
1.  Summer's Coming, Kirby St. Romain
2.  Here Comes Summer, Jerry Keller
3.  Summertime Summertime, the Jamies
4.  I'll See You In The Summertime, the Outsiders
5.  Summertime Guy, Eddie Rambeau
6. Summertime U.S.A. the Pixies Three
7.  Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days Of Summer, Nat King Cole
8.  One Summer Night, the Danleers
9.  Groovy Summertime, Love Generation
10.  All Summer Long, the Beach Boys
11.  Summer Love, Joni James
12.  Can't Wait For Summer, Steve Lawrence
13.  Summer Holiday, Cliff Richard
14.  Summer In The City, the Lovin' Spoonful  (Note:  This song would have been much higher on my list, but it's one of those songs that I've just heard too much, but it's still a great song.)
15.  Vacation, Connie Francis
16.  Sunny Afternoon, the Kinks
17.  In The Summertime, Mongo Jerry
18.  Silly Old Summertime, the New Christie Minstrels
19.  Beach Party, Dave York
20.  Summer Means Fun, Bruce and Terry
Sam Ward
Putting together the Top 100 will be a snap for us, too … within the first 48 hours of posting our request for votes, we had already received over 14,000 votes … and over 300 song nominations!!!  (While this won’t be anywhere near as cumbersome as our Top 3333 Most Essential Classic Rock Songs Of All-Time list, I think we’ve got our work cut out for us over the next few weeks!!!)
The last time we ran this poll (back in 2010), we received 9200 votes … so we’ve already surpassed that in just the first two days!!!  And we’re planning on keeping the polls open thru the 4th of July Weekend … so please help us to spread the word … and cast YOUR votes, too!  (kk)

>>>I find it a bit strange that nowhere in any of the "polls" for best summer songs is the mention of  "Here Comes Summer."  The "hit" version by Jerry Keller was nice, but check out the Dave Clark Five version, which is SO much better than Keller's. (Mike Wolstein)
Mike is right!  That DC5 version is GREAT and I never heard it on radio either despite getting the DJ 45 when it came out.
Clark Besch 

Kent –
I do have a couple of summer tunes that usually don't get enough warm weather air play.
"Summertime Summertime" by The Jamies
When that tune came on the car radio, in the 60's, EVERYBODY in the car would sing along ... Loudly!!!
"School Is Out" by Gary US Bonds
- I can root for the Yankees from the bleachers …
- And, I don't have to worry 'bout teachers...
- I'm so glad that school is out, I could sing & shout!
- Rip Chord Bobby 

Speaking of Summertime favorites ... remember this video? 



Remember how radical and cool these guys looked?  And remember how shocking, too!!!  Wow ... what did our parents think? Where are their faces ... how can they possibly see?  What is the world coming to?  LOL  How simple things were back in the day!!!
By the way, your summer choices list was very helpful.  I was thinking of songs that actually were the top hits during the summertime months.  I wasn't sure if songs that came out in February or December would qualify. But that's just me.  I guess I am "legalistic" by the book. I should have been a lawyer.  Dear me.  Lol
Sandy
The Blue Cheer version, The Who’s version and (of course) the Eddie Cochran original version of “Summertime Blues” have all been nominated every time we do this poll.  (Right now, Eddie’s got a decisive lead.)  But hey, with all the press surrounding “Pandemic Blues” lately, who knows … maybe “Summertime Blues” will shoot right up to the top of this year’s list!! (kk)

Have you cast YOUR votes yet?!?!  Vote for up to TWENTY of Your All-Time Summer Favorites.  Believe it or not, we already had over 10,000 votes within the first 48 hours!!!  That makes this our Biggest Summer Poll yet!!!
Don’t miss your chance to give YOUR favorites a shout-out.  (Remember … you can’t complain about the results if you don’t vote for your favorites!!!)  kk 

And, for all The Beach Boys fans on the list …

Hi Kent ...
New Surf's Up: a Beach Boys Podcast Safari episode: Bobby Figueroa on drumming with the band.
Bobby was hired by Dennis Wilson as a Beach Boys percussionist in 1974. He would go on to drum in the band with Ricky Fataar and then Dennis, sometimes with kits side by side. When Dennis was unable to play, Bobby took over on his own. Over 15 years, he was present for the group's mid-70s ascendancy, Beachago, Brian Wilson Is Back, Pacific Ocean Blue, and the biggest concerts the group ever played. In this candid chat, he recounts all the heady highs and tragic lows.
Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and on Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/user-93394161/bobby-figueroa-on-drumming-with-the-band.
Phil Miglioratti
These guys already have 23 songs nominated for our Summer Favorites List … and nine of those have already earned over 100 points each!  (Guess we know who’ll be dominating this year’s list … again!)  I don’t care WHAT Don Henley says, THESE guys are the REAL Boys Of Summer.  (kk) 

Hi Kent -
I'd agree mostly with your ranking of the Beatles #1s but if there was a tally of "#1 Beatles Songs That Make Me Change The Station," "Hey Jude" would also top that list. I can appreciate the historical impact of a record, but it doesn't mean I want to hear it on a regular basis. That ties into the Sean Ross article. Fascinating. For me, the "problem" with the Top 15 Lost Songs was that they ALL "sounded old" -- even in 1970. Some do pop up occasionally on LAFOS (Saturdays & Tuesdays 1-3pm ET www.wvkr.org or "WVKR" on a streaming app). We even recently played "Love Is Blue" but by Claudine Longet!
Sam Tallerico
Darin To Be Different -
Lost And Found Oldies Show
I find myself turning off “Hey Jude” a good percentage of the time now, too, as well. Yes, it’s a GREAT song … and I love it … but I don’t want to end up burnt out over it, as has happened with so many others before.
To me, I still follow the Rewound Radio adage … “It’s not how old it is … it’s how GOOD it is” … and some of these songs, despite being Top 20 Hits at the time, simply haven’t aged well … there is no longer anything left to relate to … and eventually these will get people to tune out altogether (which only helps to hasten the demise of the oldies era.)  It has to SOUND good coming out of your radio … and it has to make you FEEL good in the process … or at least feel SOMETHING (other than nausea anyway!) … and there are still easily 10,000 songs from the past 60 years that successfully accomplish this.
One of my pet projects has been putting together The Ultimate Play List … to which I defer to YOUR rule, Sam … you have to give it three songs … not every song is going to appeal to every listener … but in ANY block of three songs aired, you need to be able to capture their ear with two of them … a KEY programming trick that the very best do very well.  (kk)


HELPING OUT OUR READERS:
Hi Kent,
For some reason I haven't found the answer to this on the www. I'm sure it's there somewhere.
Which version of Believe What You Say by Ricky Nelson has The Jordanaires on it --the single "hit" version or the album version. 
Seems as though when I used to hear it on oldies radio, I heard the version with the backing vocals. Now if I hear it, I only hear the version with Ricky's solo voice on it. I have both versions.
Thanks for help and knowledge.
Bill here in MN
According to the liner notes to the Legendary Master Series, Ricky Nelson Volume 1,  in 1958 Imperial Records released the single “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It” backed up with “Believe What You Say” on the flip side.  “The latter was sent to Nashville to be overdubbed with The Jordanaires, but in their haste to get the record out on time, they inadvertently issued the one with their backing.  I suppose what the fans didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them … and they went on to make this the more popular side at #4 while “My Bucket” hung down at #18.”  It is the original single release (without The Jordanaires) that is included on this CD compilation.
In the notes to the reissue of Rick’s album “Ricky Sings Again” (originally released nearly a year later!), they explain that The Jordanaires weren’t available to do the session at the time … they typically overdubbed their background vocals whenever they were in Los Angeles, typically working with Elvis, to save the traveling expenses since Ricky was based there anyway filming his television series.  Imperial decided to rush-release the single without the overdubs … and it wasn’t until the LP was released the following January that The Jordanaires’ background vocals finally saw the light of day.
So the answer to your question is:  the hit single features Ricky singing alone … the album version features Ricky, backed up by The Jordanaires, “the only group Ricky wanted to back him,” due to their track record working with Elvis.  (kk) 

Here's the Ricky "solo" version (from the tv show)


And here's what it sounds like with The Jordanaires' background vocals in place ... definitely a fuller sound ...




Hi Kent,
This is a touch out of the usual scope of Forgotten Hits (going early 80s here), but I stumbled into this whole phenomenon this week and thought I'd share. What the heck? How many songs has the FH gang helped others identify in the past? 
It's a bizarre quest to identify an obscure new wave song taped from a German radio station in 1984. It's been circulating on the web since 2007 when a woman uploaded a clip of it to a site dedicated to identifying unknown songs. The whole thing picked up again last year when the cold case was picked up again by someone else. It has a Reddit community (and extensive timeline of the whole drama) numbering in the thousands, it's been profiled in Rolling Stone ... it's blown up everywhere, and still nobody knows what the heck the song is. 
So if there are any bored new wave fans out there, here's something to do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPGf4liO-KQ
- AJK
Man, I wish I could remember if this is the same song we ran a clip of three or four years ago trying to identify it.  But hey, I’ll give it a shot!  We’ve got some of the most knowledgeable and astute readers out there when it comes to this sort of thing … so put on your thinking caps and let the research begin!  (Meanwhile, I’ll do a bit of digging, too.)  We’re probably batting right around 80% over the years … so good luck everybody!  (kk)

I ran this past some of our German readers … but I don’t think we’ve found the right answer yet …

Hi Kent,
Just got some (maybe???) possible answers … so please perhaps you would like to check it?!?!?
Good luck and much success…
Best regards
Eckhard B.

Sounds like  Michael Cretu???

Not too expensive made song … around the time like Flock of Seagulls or Duran Duran???

Click here, please: Shazam Like The Wind Antwon01 > https://www.shazam.com/track/484808139/like-the-wind  ???
Except that they’ve already told us it’s NOT Antwon01 … something that evidently Shazam has been mis-identifying since this search just began.  (Besides, I think Antwon01 is more likely the moniker of whoever did the Shazam quest and NOT of the artist themselves.  (kk)

Perhaps a bad copy from a Depeche-Mode Song???

Singer should be amateur … a German band who tried in English language at first and then ... ???
Also could be from Eastern Germany, the former German Democratic Republic???

OK, Gang ...
Give it a listen … and your best shot!  (kk)

Hi Kent,
Just got another opinion about the special song you’re looking for:
This guy from over here in Deutschland thinks, that this song only can be from the `The Pet Shop Boys` … he is quite sure!
So what do YOU think about this, Kent ???
Best regards from D to USA
Eckhard B.
I’m not hearing The Pet Shop Boys here … plus I think it’s probably too early for them.  (You’d think with the whole world looking for the answer to this one, SOMEBODY would have come up with something concrete by now!  Lol)  kk

Kent:
I was saddened to read about Clark Weber's passing.
But, I was pleasantly surprised to read a comment from Ron Riley.  The last time that I had e-mailed Ron, about his web site, was well over a decade ago.  His website went away not long after that e-mail.  I've since not been able to find an e-mail for Ron and/or what he is up to these days.
The last time I physically spoke with Ron was when he was at WCFL in 1969.  I took my radio and a boat-load of quarters to a phone both to give him a call.  I was stationed in Washington, DC, the whole year, 1969, at the US Navy's Security Group headquarters.  It was in an old girls’ school, kiddy-corner across from American University.  The Navy have long since moved out of the place.  Homeland Security now occupies the place.  In any event, since it was at night, I was able to tune in WCFL.  So, I called and he actually took my call and we chatted for several minutes, with me plugging the quarters every three minutes.  I do not remember what we talked about, other than a bit about why he left WLS.  That has been well documented.  I doubt that Ron even remembers that phone conversation, since he has met so many people over the years.
I used to listen to Ron a lot when I lived at home, though listening at night could be a chore.  When the sky wave came in and, if it was out-of-phase with the ground wave, we all know what happens.  Living in Sun Prairie, WI, was ripe for both ground and sky waves meeting.
My visit to WLS has been documented at Forgotten Hits in the past.
A book that I very recently picked up is Chicago's Personality Radio – The WLS Disc Jockeys of the Early 1960s by Stew Salowitz.  If you can find a copy, it is well worth the read.
The reason for this e-mail is to ask for some help.  I'm trying to put together a list of when the WLS jocks started and left WLS.  I've not seen a list like this anywhere.  Some jocks, like Lujack had multiple start and end dates. :-)  I'm planning on adding that information to the WLS Survey page of my website.  I'm currently working on adding the photos from the WLS surveys of the jocks and their shifts.  To that I want to add their start and end dates. 
Thanks … any information that you and/or your readers can provide will
be really great.
Mike Brown
We have touted the Stew Salowitz book many, many times here in Forgotten Hits … I’ve never seen anything else like it, so dedicated to one station and the jocks that made it click.  LONG since out of print, it is a must-have if you grew up listening to WLS Radio in the ‘60’s.
We have talked before about putting together the ultimate list of on-air personalities … a really tall order as I’m not sure how well-documented much of this information is.  Trusting the information on the surveys (which also had pictures of the jocks along with their show times) is difficult because those shifts changed regularly, especially during the early years.  I’ve seen sites that have attempted to do this, but always with varying results.
On the other hand, if any of our readers out there were keeping tabs at the time, we can probably help you to narrow down a reasonably accurate list (should anybody be up to the challenge.)  We tried it for WCFL as well, but their surveys didn’t promote their jocks as much as the WLS charts did.
If anybody out there has a decent “head start” on this project, please let us know and we’ll put you in contact with Mike.  Meanwhile, here’s a link to his site, a work-in-progress in need of more information … http://vidiot.com/WLS_Surveys/   (kk)

THIS AND THAT:   
Hi Kent ...
The Pandemic Blues sounded great!!!  Love the back up singers, too!  lol.  I love it!  I sent this off to Greg Gutfeld on Fox Cable News ... I’ll let you know if I hear anything back.  (I love this video!  And it’s so timely.)
Anyhow, I wanted to say that the "Closer To Home" Grand Funk Railroad billboard in Times Square NY, 1970, coined as "the world's largest billboard" at the time was right outside the building where I worked as a young "chippy" for Columbia Pictures, the movie company.  It was on 47th St. and Broadway.  I vividly remember when they put it up. My eyes lit up.  Everybody's did. I knew my generation had arrived!  It was an exciting time. It was a great thing to be part of witnessing this as I knew I was one of the first people in the world to ever see it. It went up very fast. I went into work that day and on my lunch hour saw they were putting up a new billboard. And by the time I left, there it was. Presto! 
Take care ... be well and stay safe, too.
Sandra Lorenz     

Love those Pandemic Blues!  Want the 45 of that now, too!  Maybe as the flip side for the Shadows' new one????
Clark Besch  

And here’s the video for “Pandemic Blues” again by popular demand …
LOTS of good feedback on this one … and now one of our readers is even trying to get Fox News to play it on the air!  (WTG, Sandy!!!)  Stay tuned for more details!  (kk)



This is such welcome news, Kent!
This is what I needed to hear today.
Thank you for putting it up on your awesome site.
We had so much fun doing it.
Fingers crossed for your connection.  
Warm regards –
Jimbo 

Kent,
That’s great to hear! 
Hopefully some of the stations here in Chicago will do a piece on it, too.
(Hey Jim, you must have some connections with our network news people in Chicago. Maybe they could do a little piece on the 5, 6 or 10 pm news. It’s so relevant for what’s going on and gives off such a positive message. It seems like something they would be looking for.)
Carl
The Buckinghams

As always, thanks for keeping the word out there about all us Cornerstones guys.  We had great fun making this clip last month.
Ray

Thanks, Kent!
Please let us know if or when this is going to be on.
Ronnie

I'll let you know if I hear more ... but thanks to ALL of you for making people smile during a time when there just hasn't been a whole lot of smiling going on.  It’s a fun, feel-good clip … and VERY apparent that you guys had a blast making it.  (kk)


Kent:
I was doing some Spring Cleaning of files and I ran across this photo that I took and meant to send you a few years ago. 
The Annual Woodstock (CT) Fair featured a terrific variety of 60s music stars, including Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon and the lead singer of the Shirelles, Shirley Alston Reeves.

EXCLUSIVE FH PIC: 
FREDDY "BOOM BOOM" CANNON AND SHIRLEY ALSTON REEVES

Speaking of Freddy Cannon, I know you’re requesting input for your updated FH list of the Best Summer Songs of All-Time. And it’s with that in mind, I can’t ever walk into any amusement park each summer without humming Freddy’s 1962 chart topper “PALISADES PARK!”
- Tom Cuddy
"Palisades Park" is clearly a fan favorite ... it received 78 votes in the first 48 hours ... and Freddy's "Action" (the theme song from the Dick Clark-produced after school music series "Where The Action Is") has made the list, too, with 43 votes so far!  (kk)

And, speaking of Freddy Cannon ... and Helping Out Our Readers ... we're still on a quest to find out more information on THIS one ... 

Hi again Kent,
Thanks so much for contacting Freddy Cannon on my behalf.  I really appreciate that Kent.  I'm hoping that somebody else out there will remember that song, Twist Around The Clock by Clay Cole. It's just so strange that, other than YouTube links to the song, there is virtually no information about the song itself on the net, or in any of Clay Cole's biographies. 
There is so much rock history that has been lost over the years, due to people's failing memories, and also of course, conflicting stories.  Also, more and more
people seem to keep re-writing rock history as they invent more and more rock music sub-genres, which weren't even thought of when so many of these songs first came out. 
That's why it's so good to have a good source like yours that does its best to separate facts from myths and legends.  It's like you clearing up the story that I have heard for years, decades even that it was Rod Stewart that played the harmonica middle on Millie Small's My Boy Lollipop.  You have interviewed so many people that have been able to set the record straight, that often at Forgotten Hits, we can read the story straight from the horse's mouth as it were. 
Thanks for your continued hard work.
With warmest regards,
Sam Ward
Our credo since Day 1 has always to present “The Most Accurate Truth” … not a very easy task most of the time … and as new information presents itself, we sometimes have to go back and “refine” our findings … but I think that’s part of what sets Forgotten His apart from many of the other publications out there … especially since the advent of the Internet where stories are repeated and embellished with such regularity that NOBODY really know for sure what’s fact or fiction!  (The old saying, When in doubt between the truth and the legend, always print the legend, hasn’t helped matters any!)  So thank you for your kind words … and for recognizing our efforts here. (kk)

Just as "Teach Your Children" is headed up the WCFL charts, I see the story of "Ohio" on the great "Laurel Canyon" documentary.  NOW, I see why it was put on the air instantly and was a forced 45 release in late June, 1970, even tho only a few weeks earlier, "Children" was just coming out. 
I was really surprised at the time to see "Ohio" being released so fast after "Children."  NOW, I see radio basically created the hit right away.  Too bad that "Children" got usurped so fast or it might have been top 10.  Instead, the August 1, 1970 Hot 100 (below) had "Children" peaking at 16, while "Ohio" would jump up fast but also peak only at 14 a few weeks later.
Clark Besch


Hi, Kent –
I wanted to let you know about a new, small venue show the BOX TOPS are putting together … it’ll be a really intimate, up close experience.  (In fact, we’re calling it "THE BOX TOPS ... UP CLOSE"
Memphis Music Hall of Fame artists, THE BOX TOPS (with original founding members Bill Cunningham & Gary Talley), take the audience on a musical guided tour of the Memphis Music Scene, spanning three decades.
From family members who recorded and played with Elvis and Jerry Lee, to performing with Sam & Dave and Isaac Hayes, THE BOX TOPS were in the center of the Memphis music explosion.
Along with the legendary Box Tops hits, this intimate venue show highlights the studios, the artists, the songs, and the producers who made Memphis the birthplace of Rock n Roll.
Blues, Rockabilly, Rock, and Soul come alive in this up close and personal experience.
Rick Levy

Not knowing when things will open again in the way of live performances, you guys may want to continue doing a one-off performance that could be streaming to a much larger “at home” audience … I’m starting to see more and more groups selling “virtual tickets” to watch these shows at home – for about $10 or $15 (which at least still generates some income for the band during these trying times.)  Meanwhile, stay safe!  (kk)

After talking to Rick, I couldn’t help to mention about how exciting it is to see Tommy Roe being so active during all this Covid-19 craziness going on.  (Rick was Tommy’s band leader for years.  You’re never going to find a nicer guy … and that goes for both of them!)  I just can’t believe how active Tommy Roe has been thru all of this!  After some health care issues and announcing his retirement, it REALLY makes me feel good that he’s been feeling inspired … new recordings, videos, interviews … this has been a very “safe” way to launch a comeback of sorts … and we’re lovin’ it!  (kk)

Yes, you’re absolutely right … he’s recording, doing interviews … got some new publicity folks in Nashville …
I havent heard if he plans any real touring when things open up, but if he does, hopefully I can work w him again.  I can always find time for Tommy!
Rick

After FH Reader LJ Coon saw the poster for Janis Joplin’s brand new “Full Tilt Boogie” Band, he had to send us this friendly reminder about his OWN tune with the same name … 

Go, 'Forgotten Hits 2020'  (All About The Love)  
LJ

Kent,
In today's FH, readers were trying to figure out what was the first rap record. Kent, without checking, but several weeks ago didn't someone in FH say that they thought the first rap record was considered to be the song I'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE that came out in 1962. It was recorded by Johnny Cash but I always liked the Hank Snow version better. I believe it was recorded first by an Australian singer but don't know for sure.
Larry

Tom Cuddy sent us this very interesting article on Bonnie Lamdin Phipps of The Peppermint Rainbow.  (“Will You Be Staying After Sunday” is one of our “go-to” Forgotten Hits … we’ve been featuring it for years and it’s always been a favorite of mine.  I SWEAR I thought this was Spanky And Our Gang when it first came out!)  kk

Kent:
For any FH readers who wondered what happened to the Peppermint Rainbow!
Peppermint Rainbow singer Bonnie Lamdin Phipps remembers ‘Will You Be Staying After Sunday’ - Baltimore Post-Examiner
-Tom Cuddy

Tom also passed along this cool interview with Lou Christie … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f40Qd4A-qbA&feature=youtu.be

>>>"Pearl" is my favorite Tommy Roe song.  (Mike Markesich)
Mike has a good ear!  I LOVE that song too and could not believe it wasn't a bigger hit.  Top 10 on my personal charts then. 
Also, Tom Cuddy talks about giving his Whitburn book to Jim Kerr.  I think he is the same Jim Kerr who was at WLS in the 70's and is spoken of in Tommy Edwards' new book.  BTW, I have to disagree with you, Kent.  I think Tommy's book is GREAT!  I love the details of the radio workings, as I remember many of them and have some on tape like "Choose Your News" with Lyle Dean, etc. 
Clark Besch
 
And how about a little "Todd TV"???  Here’s a brand new program you’ll likely want to check out …  
 
Todd Rundgren To Launch Live Virtual Television Series,
“The Todd's Honest Truth” 

Todd Rundgren, dubbed “Rock's Renaissance Man” in 1972 by Rolling Stone, will be premiering his bi-weekly live interactive virtual television series “The Todd's Honest Truth” on his 72nd birthday, June 22, 2020, at 6 PM PDT / 9 PM EDT. A new episode will then go live every other Friday beginning July 3 in the same time slot.
Famously outspoken and opinionated (he was among one of Bill Maher's most frequent guests on the original “Politically Incorrect”), Rundgren will host the show live from his Kauai property, interlaced with his throwing to pre-recorded packages shot in front of a green screen to provide mood-appropriate settings (a recurring segment dubbed “The Word of Todd”, in which he will be waxing eloquent on any number of topics). He will also be answering audience questions in real time, there will be a live chat window open for viewers to interact, and Todd will encourage audience members to submit content which he will curate in between shows and select standouts for inclusion on upcoming episodes.
“Forty years ago I reserved a transponder on a satellite, hoping to broadcast to homes across the world. Apparently, that satellite got lost or blew up or something so a dream was put on hold … until now! And I don't even have to leave my house!!!”, Rundgren explained.
The virtual box office to purchase tickets for “The Todd's Honest Truth” episodes is open as of today:
https://onlocationlive.com/category/honesttruth
The series is being produced in partnership with
Future Beat, the leading company producing VIP package experiences for concert tours — futurebeat.com. Todd's longtime manager, Panacea Entertainment Chairman Eric Gardner, is executive producing. In addition to an unlimited number of “general admission” tickets priced at $15 per episode (which includes access via VOD for anyone who missed a live stream), forty virtual one-on-one meet & greet packages will be available for $95 per episode, which will include shipping of an item of exclusive series-related merchandise. 
In other news, Todd Rundgren and some well known guest artists are re-recording his 1973 anthem “Just One Victory” and giving it away for free to the Democratic National Committee for use by candidates throughout the US running for public office this fall. Participants include Joe Walsh and Paul Shaffer, along with Don Was, who is co-producing with Todd. 
photo credit: © Lynn Goldsmith
TODD RUNDGREN
A Wizard, A True Star.
The title of Todd Rundgren's 1973 solo album aptly sums up the contributions of this multi-faceted artist to state-of-the-art music. As a songwriter, video pioneer, producer, recording artist, computer software developer, conceptualist, and interactive artist (re-designated TR-i), Rundgren has made a lasting impact on both the form and content of popular music.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Rundgren began playing guitar as a teenager, going on to found and front The Nazz, the quintessential '60s psychedelic group.
In 1969, he left the band to pursue a solo career, recording his debut offering, the legendary Runt. But it was 1972's seminal Something/Anything?, on which he played all the instruments, sang all the vocal parts, and acted as his own producer, that catapulted Todd into the superstar limelight, prompting the press to unanimously dub him “Rock's New Wunderkind.” It was followed by such landmark LPs as The Hermit of Mink Hollow and the above mentioned A Wizard, A True Star, as well as such hit singles as “I Saw The Light,” “Hello It's Me,” “Can We Still Be Friends,” and “Bang The Drum.”
In 1974, Todd formed Todd Rundgren's Utopia (renamed and reconfigured in 1976 as Utopia), an entirely new approach to the concept of interactive musicianship, and embarked on an extensive round of touring and recording. Standout Utopia offerings included Oops! Wrong Planet, Adventures in Utopia, and Oblivion. Along the way, Todd Rundgren's Utopia combined technical virtuosity and creative passion to create music that initially, for millions, defined the term “progressive rock,” and subsequently, as Utopia, the term “powerpop.”
Rundgren's myriad production projects include albums by Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, Psychedelic Furs, Meat Loaf, XTC, Grand Funk Railroad, and Hall And Oates. Rounding out his reputation as rock's Renaissance Man, Rundgren composed all the music and lyrics for Joe Papp's 1989 Off-Broadway production of Joe Orton's Up Against It (the screenplay commissioned by The Beatles for what was meant to have been their third motion picture). He also has composed the music for the hit film Dumb and Dumber, as well as a number of television series, including Pee Wee's Playhouse and Crime Story.
In 2009 Rundgren performed his iconic 1973 album A Wizard, A True Star in concert in its entirety for the first time ever, and several years later did the same with a double bill: Todd & Healing. He has toured with Ringo Starr as an erstwhile member of the AllStarr Band since 1989, and continues to perform with symphony orchestras both domestically and internationally. In 2018, he toured North America with original Utopians Kasim Sulton and Willie Wilcox for the first time in 33 years. His long-awaited autobiography The Individualist, was recently released; he's currently in the second year of the world's first hybrid concert / book tour highlighting music across his 50-plus year career.
In 2017, on successive weekends, he was awarded honorary doctorates from both the Berklee School of Music and DePauw University.
In 1998 Todd debuted his new PatroNet technology, which for the first time allowed fans of a musical artist to subscribe directly to the artist’s musical output via the Internet. This caps a long history of groundbreaking early multimedia “firsts,” including:
• 1978: The first interactive television concert, broadcast live over the Warner/QUBE system in Columbus, Ohio (the home audience chose each song in real time during the concert by voting via QUBE's 2-way operating system).
• 1978: The first live nationally broadcast stereo radio rock concert (by microwave), linking 40
cities around the country.
• 1979: The opening of Utopia Video Studios, a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art facility. The first project produced by Todd there is Gustav Holst's The Planets, commissioned by RCA Selecta Vision as the first demonstration software for their new videodisc format.
• 1980: Creation of the first color graphics tablet, which was licensed to Apple and commercially released as The Utopia Graphics Tablet.
• 1981: Time Heals, the first music video to utilize state-of-the-art compositing of live action and computer graphics (produced and directed by Todd), becomes the eighth video to be played during the launch of MTV on August 1, 1981.
• 1982: The first live national cablecast of a rock concert (on the USA Network), simulcast in stereo to over 120 radio stations.
• 1982: The first two commercially released music videos, one of which was nominated for the first-ever Grammy awarded for “Best Short Form Video” in 1983.
• 1992: The first commercially available music downloads via CompuServe.
• 1993: The release of No World Order, the world's first interactive record album on CD-i.
• 1994: The release of The Individualist, the world's first full-length Enhanced CD.
• 1994: The world's first interactive concert tour.
• 1998: Launches PatroNet, the world's first direct artist subscription service - predicts that someday “music will be sold by the pound.”
• 2016: The production of the world's first full length concert shot with multiple Virtual Reality 360º cameras.

TODD RUNDGREN PRODUCTION DISCOGRAPHY
ARTIST
ALBUM TITLE
YEAR
The American Dream
The American Dream
1969
Great Speckled Bird
Great Speckled Bird
1969
The Band
Stage Fright
1970
The Butterfield Blues Band
Live
1970
The Butterfield Blues Band
Sometimes I Feel Like Smiling
1971
Jericho
Jericho
1971
Half Nelson
Half Nelson
1971
James Cotton Blues Band
Taking Care Of Business
1971
Jesse Winchester
Third Down, 110 To Go
1972
Mark “Moogy” Klingman
Moogy
1972
Badfinger
Straight Up
1972
The New York Dolls
The New York Dolls
1973
Grand Funk
We're An American Band
1973
Fanny
Mother's Pride
1973
Grand Funk
Shinin' On
1974
Felix Cavaliere
Felix Cavaliere
1974
Daryl Hall & John Oates
War Babies
1974
Hello People
The Handsome Devils
1974
Hello People
Brick
1975
Steve Hillage
L
1976
Meat Loaf
Bat Out Of Hell
1977
Mark “Moogy” Klingman
Moogy II
1978
Tom Robinson Band
TRB2
1979
Rick Derringer
Guitars and Women
1979
The Tubes
Remote Control
1979
Patti Smith
Group Wave
1979
Shaun Cassidy
Wasp
1980
New England
Walking Wild
1981
Jim Steinman
Bad For Good
1981
Psychedelic Furs
Forever Now
1982
The Rubinoos
Party of Two
1983
Cheap Trick
Next Position Please
1983
Jules Shear
Watch Dog
1983
Will Powers
Dancing For Mental Health
1983
The Lords Of The New Church
Live For Today
1983
Zerra
Zerra I
1984
The Tubes
Love Bomb
1985
What Is This
What Is This
1985
XTC
Skylarking
1986
Hunter
Dreams Of Ordinary Men
1987
Bourgeois Tagg
Yoyo
1987
The Pursuit Of Happiness
Love Junk
1988
La Ppisch
Karakuri House
1989
Jill Sobule
Things Here Are Different
1990
Hiroshi Takano
Cue
1990
The Pursuit Of Happiness
One Sided Story
1990
Hiroshi Takano
Awakening
1992
Paul Shaffer
World’s Most Dangerous Party
1993
Splender
Splender (Mar '99 release)
1998
12 Rods
Separation Anxiety
2000
Bad Religion
The New America
2000
New York Dolls
untitled
2009
Lindstrom
untitled
2012
Tame Impala
Elephant remix
2012
Nine Inch Nails
All Time Low remix
2013
Andy Bull
Baby I Am Nobody Now
2013


NEW RELEASES:
Here comes news of yet ANOTHER 50th Anniversary America Box Set of obscurities and unreleased tracks.
Joe Marchese also interviews America’s official archivist, Jeff Larson, about what we can expect on this brand new release …

They’ve been talking about it for YEARS …
But now comes word that the soundtrack album to the Lynyrd Skynyrd biopic “Street Survivors” officially has a release date …
So hopefully the film can’t be too far behind!  (kk) 

Cleopatra Records Unveils The Official Soundtrack To The Long-Awaited LYNYRD SKYNYRD Biopic, STREET SURVIVORS: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash
After a long legal battle that made national headlines, STREET SURVIVORS: The True Story of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash, the full-length film that re-tells the story of the infamous 1977 plane crash that killed several members of Southern Rock icons Lynyrd Skynyrd, will finally see the light of day as it is released to video-on-demand services. In conjunction with the film’s release, the official soundtrack will be hitting digital music platforms as well as retail stores on June 26th. Comprised of both selections of the film’s orchestral score as well as original music inspired by the band, the Street Survivors soundtrack offers a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the historic significance of the events depicted in the film. Highlights include a superb rendition by blues rock legend Pat Travers of the classic J.J. Cale song “Call Me The Breeze,” which Skynyrd covered on their sophomore effort Second Helping (1974), as well as music performed by the sons of Skynyrd drummer, and survivor of the 1977 crash, Artimus Pyle. The soundtrack will be available on both CD and limited-edition vinyl in your choice of either blue or white!
Stream the single:
https://orcd.co/pyletribe_black_creek
Pre-order the album:
https://orcd.co/street_survivors

Track List:
1. Southern Feeling (Last Day) - Marshall Pyle
2. Wish - Lorenzo Green
3. Black Creek - PyleTribe
4. Curse - PyleTribe
5. Rattlesanke - PyleTribe
6. In Memory Of - Bryan Mabry & Chris Leuzinger
7. Street Survivor - Scott Raines
8. 6 Souls (Score)
9. Call Me The Breeze - Pat Travers
10. Last Flight (Score) [CD ONLY]
11. A Remembrance (Score) [CD ONLY]
12. Rescue (Score) [CD ONLY]
We’ve been looking forward to this one.  (Now I want to know when that Sly and the Family Stone documentary is coming out!!!)  I don’t know if any of you out there watch “American Soul” on BET but it tells the story of Don Cornelius and his hit television series “Soul Train” … and this week’s episode featured a couple of EXCELLENT performances by some artists portraying Sly and the Family Stone.  (In fact, we watched the REAL clip of this program on YouTube … and I think the remake was actually better!!!)
This same episode also features Elton John’s appearance on the program singing “Bennie and the Jets.”
The music is typically pretty good on this program … and, when they stick to the story, it’s not a bad program … but some of the soap opera drama that fills up the rest of the hour gets a little tiresome every now and then.  Still, we haven’t missed an episode yet … and we’re already halfway through Season Two!  (kk)

Doo Wop Fans will want to know about these brand new Omnivore compilations, featuring The Crests, The Duprees, Adam Wade and The Rivieras …

And here’s something you may find interesting …

Hi Kent –
Darren Barakat
From the Amazon page:  “Greatest Misses: Deep Cuts and Forgotten Songs from the Shadows of Classic Rock, Second Edition:  Expanded and Updated” sweeps the reader away on a fun ride through rock ’n’ roll history. It begins in the mid-1960s with the pop rock of the Zombies, rolls through the late ’60s psychedelia of the Electric Prunes, into the ’70s and early ’80s with artists such as Blue Oyster Cult, Tommy Bolin, April Wine, and Robin Trower, and finally into the quirkier, more varied landscape of the mid ’80s to early ’90s with acts such as David & David, X, and Jellyfish.
Unlike many other books and websites with similar subject matter, “Greatest Misses” contains new information from exclusive telephone or email interviews with some of the musicians and songwriters. With one click now, you will find answers to questions like this:
Who claims to have never used illegal drugs even though he co-wrote songs about drugs on his earliest albums?
Forty percent of what group, plagiarized by Led Zeppelin, suffered from schizophrenia?
What 1970s pop singer wrote the song that got a heavy metal band sued in the wake of a fan’s suicide, and what does he have to say about the lawsuit?
What writer of a million-selling single claims to have declined an invitation to ride motorcycles with Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers the day of Allman’s fatal accident?
What future author, one of whose books would be turned into a major motion picture, wrote song lyrics for a now-forgotten album because his good friend, a future Grammy-nominated producer, was the keyboard player?
What singer and songwriter, whose video was in rotation on MTV, was later forced to take a job as a vacuum cleaner salesman to make ends meet?
Discover great rock stories and songs from the middle and bottom of the charts with “Greatest Misses: Deep Cuts and Forgotten Songs from the Shadows of Classic Rock," expanded and updated from the original 2014 publication.
Sounds like kind of a Forgotten Hits Behind The Songs volume … I’m intrigued!  (kk)

And finally, a few "funnies" to get you thru the weekend ...