11. How often were you (Peter and Gordon) on the same bill as
The Beatles?
JUST ONCE IN GERMANY. STRANGELY CALLED THE BLITZ TOUR. This fact
may surprise you, but keeping in mind that although both acts were part of The
British Invasion, they attracted their own followers and were musically
different enough to not find themselves drawn to the same venues or tours.
12. ‘Woman’ was written by Bernard Webb, who was really Paul
McCartney. Are there any other Bernard Webb songs?
NO. PAUL WANTED TO PROVE THAT IT WAS NOT JUST HIS NAME THAT
WOULD SELL SONGS AND ‘WOMAN’ BECAME A HIT PROVING HIM RIGHT. THE TRUTH QUICKLY
EMERGED, AS NO ONE WAS SWORN TO SECRECY. SO BERNARD WEBB WAS PERMANENTLY
CHANGED TO PAUL MCCARTNEY ON ALL FUTURE PRESSINGS AND PAPERS.
13. Have you read “Liddypool” by David Bedford? I am wondering
how it agrees with The Beatles memories.
NO, I HAVE NOT, BUT I NEVER LIVED THERE AND JOHN AND PAUL DID
NOT TALK ABOUT THE EARLY DAYS IN LIVERPOOL MUCH, SO I DON’T KNOW HOW RELEVANT
THE BOOK IS.
14. How did Paul come to live with you?
Hmmmm. Another Jane and Paul question, but Peter answers
honestly.
HE WAS AROUND A LOT AS HE WAS DATING MY SISTER. MOTHER WOULD DO
HIS LAUNDRY OR ASK HIM TO DINNER. FINALLY, HE WAS OFFERED THE GUEST ROOM.
ANOTHER BEATLES CONNECTION IS THAT GEORGE MARTIN CAME TO MY MOTHER FOR
REFRESHER LESSONS ON THE OBOE. THAT WAS BEFORE HE MET AND WORKED WITH THE
BEATLES.
15. Peter and Gordon played at The Concert for Mike Smith. I saw
you there. How did that come to be?
PAUL SCHAEFFER ORGANIZED THAT EVENT WHEN MIKE WAS ILL TO HELP
PAY FOR HIS CARE. HIS WIFE KATHY MADE HIM CALL ME. SHE WANTED PETER AND GORDON
TO APPEAR. I DECIDED IF WE WERE EVER GOING TO GET BACK TOGETHER, THIS WAS THE
TIME. I CALLED GORDON AND HE IMMEDIATELY SAID YES. WE GOT TOGETHER AND
PRACTICED. I THINK WE WORKED UP A SET OF SIX SONGS.
As part of a group that also was involved in raising money for
Mike Smith, I am so touched by the outpouring of support he received during his
final years.
16. I have a question about Linda Ronstadt. Is she the best or
most versatile singer you … (question gets cut off by a resounding reply from
Peter)
YES! YES TO ALL OF IT AND ANY OTHER SUPERLATIVES! SHE IS THE
BEST SINGER I’VE EVER HEARD!
17. If there had been no Beatles, who would we be talking about
here?
Now THIS is a thought provoking question and after the movie
‘Yesterday,’ brings up many ideas. Would we even BE here? Why would we have a
Zoom meeting with Peter Asher? There would have been no book. I love his
answer.
THEN THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO BRITISH INVASION … SO NO BRITISH
GROUPS AT ALL. SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE PEOPLE THAT THE BEATLES LEARNED FROM ... THE
PEOPLE THEY ADMIRED ... BUDDY HOLLY, CHUCK BERRY, ELVIS.
18. How is Jane?
(Jane who? Hahahaha Oh, THAT Jane)
ACTING. BUSY ALL THE TIME. IN GREAT HEALTH. I DON’T GET TO TALK
TO HER VERY OFTEN, BUT SHE IS GREAT.
19. Do you tease us on your show when you start a story and
taper off without finishing it?
Cute question!
NO. IF I ABREVIATE A STORY, IT IS BECAUSE I AM BORED WITH IT. IF
IT IS ANNOYING THAT I DO THAT, I WILL STOP.
(I am fine with it. If it is a story you are bored with, then I
have probably heard it. If not, I will email you and beg for more … author ... teehee!)
20. Thank you for answering your email (Peter Asher DOES answer
all his email. Just who else does that?)
How do you picture your radio audience in your mind? You can’t
see us.
HANDSOME, CHARMING. I LEARN FROM THEM.
It’s as if he can actually see us, isn’t it?
A fun time was had by all.
Thank you to the Lapidos family for setting this up.
Thank you, Tom Frangione, for being moderator.
And a special thank you with great appreciation to Peter Asher
for putting up with your inquiring fans once again.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
Oh wait …
Kent!
Isn’t there something more??
Why
yes, Shelley, there is!!!
A
week after the event, The Fest For Beatles Fans released the whole program on
podcast so that those who were unable to attend (Me! Me!) could still tune in
and listen.
That
being said, Shelley has done an EXCEPTIONAL job of recreating the whole
scenario … and, if you still want to hear more (and in Peter’s voice), here is
the link that will enable you to do so …
It’s
about 85 minutes long … but well worth the listen …
I
have been wanting to do an interview with Peter for several years now and have
just never gotten around to seriously pursuing it.However, after also purchasing the special
2-CD Set of Peter Asher Productions (available thru The Fest For Beatles Fans),
I became fascinated with the idea of talking to him NOT about The Beatles
(since so many of these stories have now been rehashed again and again and
again, both on his radio programme and live in concert) but rather about his
career as a Record Producer.
Shelley
mentioned this to Peter and his response was “All he has to do is ask!!!”
So
I’m asking …
And
hopefully early next year we’ll have an EXCLUSIVE interview to share with all
of you about some Peter Asher music that you may not be immediately familiar
with.(Sure, we all know that he worked
with James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt … but the list of artists that he has
shared studio time with is absolutely STAGGERING!!!)So please stay tuned for that … and watch for
more updates as they become available.
Thank
you, Shelley, for a job well done …
We
appreciate your diligence … and I’m sure our readers will echo that
sentiment.(kk)
FH Reader Shelley Sweet-Tufano continues her recap of the Peter Asher Zoom Interview ...
Today in Forgotten Hits!
What is on the mind of these Zoom viewers?
1. What
was it like having a Beatle living in your house at the height of their
popularity?
Peter says it really was not much of an issue although he would
run into him in the hallways from time to time. Remember, the Beatles were
touring much of the time, so it was not as though they were daily mates.
However, word did get out and as his father, being a well known doctor, had his
consulting rooms in their home, there WERE times that his patients would come
upon Beatles fans sitting on the front steps. That must have puzzled them at
the time, but it seems not to have caused many issues. A benefit of having Paul
in the house was his large record collection that Peter Asher was free to use.
At every Q&A session I have attended with Peter, he has
gotten at least 2 or 3 questions about his sister Jane, and Paul McCartney.
Yet, he never appears to be upset or disturbed by this and always graciously
answers the questions.
EDITOR’S NOTE:I’ve always been curious about this as well, once Jane broke off their
engagement due to Paul’s constant cheating … and then Paul marrying Linda just
a short time after (most likely because she was pregnant at the time and Paul
felt it the right thing to do) … that plus the fact that he CLEARLY loved her.
I
can only assume that Paul saw some real sense of talent in Peter’s abilities,
in order to have put him in charge of new artists and production … so their bond had to
run considerably deeper than just the “Jane connection.”(kk)
2. When
will you have concerts? Particularly in Toledo?
AS SOON AS GIGS EXIST AGAIN, WE WILL DO THEM. In order to see
Peter’s schedule when it opens again, go to peterashermusic.com.
As far as where they will be or if you can suggest venues, his
booking agent’s name is Keith Putney. (just sayin’)
3.Do
you think of yourself as a Brit visiting the US or vice versa? Where are you
most at home or where do you connect most strongly?
I ACTUALLY FEEL AT HOME EVERYWHERE. MAYBE A LITTLE MORE HEART IN
THE UK. When the pandemic first created lock-down threats, Peter was in London.
Realizing the seriousness of what was happening he stopped his business, left
his flat and got one of the last flights out of London in March. He has not
been able to return yet.
4. Do
you have any stories about George?
AFTER LEAVING APPLE, I DID NOT SEE HIM. SOMETIMES CLICHES ARE
RIGHT. HE WAS THE QUIET ONE, ALTHOUGH HE COULD BE DISMISSIVE. NOT AS MUCH AS
JOHN THOUGH. I LIKED HIM VERY MUCH. VERY INTELLIGENT.
5. Were
you on any of the Beatles’ tracks?
NO AND SORRY I MISSED THEM. WHEN WAS I WAS THERE, WHEN THEY RECORDED,
I WAS WITH GEORGE MARTIN IN THE CONTROL
ROOM.
6. (a
question about the use of CODA?) Were the Beatles more prolific in using
CODA’s?
MAYBE. IT WOULD NEED ANALYSIS. THEY USED MANY MUSICAL NUANCES,
SOME GOING BACK IN TIME TO OLDER MUSIC STYLES. Peter mentions Gershwin as one
example of composers they mimicked.
7.What
memories do you have of ‘Tomorrow Never Knows?’
Peter’s memories here are of Paul’s interest in tape loops and
how this is just one example of taking a tape, looping it around, playing it
backward or looping it again in order to get the desired result for a song.
8. A
Peter and Gordon question: Did you do other Beatles’ songs on the road that you
did not record?
IF I FELL, I WANNA BE YOUR MAN, A FEW OTHERS.
Here is a great piece of info about ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ ...
The song was written for The Rolling Stones, but as Paul lived
in Peter’s house, Peter had heard it and presented it to Gordon for a concert.
Turns out they performed the song BEFORE The Stones had released their version.
Now today, that would be cause for lawsuit because we just know that someone
would have pulled out their phone, recorded the performance and thus had proof
of a breach of knowledge. Thankfully, it went undetected.
EDITOR’S NOTE:And, of course, they also gave it to Ringo to sing on their “With The
Beatles” album as well … and Ringo STILL sings it to this very day.Quite honestly, The Rolling Stones’ version
isn’t very good … and it's not one of their most memorable tracks … but it IS said
to have inspired Mick and Keith to start writing songs of their own, once John
and Paul explained how lucrative the song publishing was!(kk)
9.Would
you consider a follow-up book? Picking a song and writing your memories?
PERHAPS … MAYBE. I’M OPEN TO ALL IDEAS.
10. In comparison to The Beatles, are there equally relevant artists
now?
DON’T TRY IT! That is not to say that there are not great
entertainers and musicians who are relevant now. Peter mentions Taylor Swift,
Billie Eilish and others that he admires and believes do great work. He
just means don’t compare. You cannot truly.
EDITOR’S NOTE:Peter has also worked very closely with Ed Sheeran who, many would agree, kinda
looks like he could be Peter Asher’s son … you know, in the same sort of way that Austin Powers looks like he could have been Peter’s dad!!! (lol)kk
Some of these questions are very thought provoking. Some
informative. But we’re not done! The final 10 are next.
A few weeks back, Peter Asher did a Zoom Interview with
Tom Frangione acting as host (both have programs that air regularly on The
Beatles Channel) …
But what made this particular session so intriguing was
the fact that Peter also agreed to answer questions from viewers tuning in!
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the session
(much as I would have loved to have seen it) …
But East Coast FH Correspondent Shelly Sweet-Tufano WAS there …
And has agreed to give our readers a Play-By-Play as to
what they missed.
So please join us over the course of the next few days
as we visit (vicariously, of course) with Peter Asher!
He looks great!
Shut down from touring by a pandemic and
sporting a short beard, he looks great! His book, The Beatles From A to Zed, is
the most successful selling book of The Fest For Beatles Fans. It has now come
out in paperback, officially making him a “Paperback Writer.”
Whom am I joining on a Zoom Meeting this
afternoon?
PETER ASHER! (proper English grammar is
sometimes difficult to get out of the mouth)
The Fest for Beatles Fans is sponsoring a
Zoom interview between Peter Asher and Tom Frangione, with an opportunity for
questions coming from those included in the audience. One Hundred of us join
together to listen and enjoy Peter’s easy chatty style.
I take notes … eight pages of notes.
From this, I will compose my thoughts
based on what Peter was asked and how he responded. Some was expected. Some I
had heard before. A bit of this hour and a half surprised me.
Let’s go!
The main reason for this meeting is to promote Peter’s book
coming out in paperback form. So we need information in this area.
The book is based on Peter’s SiriusXM radio show ‘From Me To You.’On this show he uses the alphabet like a
Beatles invoked Sesame Street.
Not every entry is the name of a song, but somehow the letter
WILL be connected to The Beatles in some way or form.
One example is the letter ‘T.’
Next to the several ‘T’ Beatles songs, there is also a reference
to ‘Time Signatures.’The traditional
time signature for rock and roll is 4/4. However, The Beatles used that and
3/4, 5/4 and even 7/4. They never limited themselves nor locked themselves into
one or two specific formats of composition.
Peter had to add to his radio information when writing the book.
His realization that a good and proper book would require more than the radio
blurbs he was using created a very densely packed wealth of information that
can be used as reference material or fun information. An audio version, narrated
by Peter, is also available for purchase. And if you can’t decide if you should
get hardcover or paperback, maybe the fact that the James Taylor quote that is
found on the hardcover has been switched to a quote from The Washington Post
will help you with your decision. For me, it just means I need both.
During this holiday season, Peter will sign and personalize the
orders that come through The Fest for Beatles Fans. That is just a finishing
touch on a great gift idea. Now then, Tom Frangione, what are the questions on
your mind?
EDITOR’S NOTE:I received
the original hard cover edition, signed by Peter, for a Christmas gift last
year and quickly devoured it from cover to cover.Having been a fan of his show for years, it
was nice to see each letter greatly expanded.(The trade-off, however, is not being able to HEAR the examples as he
rattles thru them … but let’s face it, the music of The Beatles is SO familiar
the world over that you INSTANTLY hear the song(s) in question in your head
anyway!(kk)
Tom Frangione is one of the hosts of The Fab Fourum, also on
SiriusXM’s The Beatles Channel.
One of his first inquiries to Peter revolves around the “Dart
Board / Roulette Wheel” Beatles song pick that Asher uses on his show. Peter
then supplies information surrounding that week’s song.
Tom wants to know, “Is it truly random or is it prepared ahead
of time?”
“I really don’t know what is coming up. It could be a song I
don’t know. Every song, group or solo, is fair game.” Peter then refers to Tom
as an expert on The Beatles while he is “just a Beatles fan,” as are we.
Tom describes Peter’s book as a “great narrative” and “a good
information source.”His favorite letter
is “Z” (or Zed). Although an obscure letter in general, when it comes to any music,
it usually has no connection. But for Peter Asher and The Beatles, there is The
Beatles Zoo and, of course, The Zebra Crossing from Abbey Road. Just stop here
for a moment and I know that without my or anybody else’s help, you can rattle
off quickly many animals mentioned in their songs; some specific names or
breeds (Martha and bulldog) and others (walruses and pigs) more general.
The letter “T” gets a full page of notes from me as they
discuss: Ticket To Ride, Time Signatures, The Taylor family of talented singers
and the Thing-A-Me-Bob song that Paul wrote for a TV show. Peter relates a
first person account of a trip to the north of England to record an award
winning Brass Band for Thing-A-Me-Bob. The trip and the story ends in the
Village of Harrold with Paul (and dog Martha) entertaining throughout the
evening while playing piano at a pub that reopened just to serve food to this
band of wandering minstrels. All of Asher’s personal stories are warm fuzzies
for me, making human the four musicians we deified.
I feel that Tom and Peter might have wanted to continue talking
with each other, but now graciously, they turn the questioning over to us, the
audience. Some of the questions I expected. Some I had not thought of. A couple
gave me a “YES! I want to know that!” response.
So, coming up next, is a recap of the twenty questions asked by
the Zoom members.
As we begin a new month, the final month of 2020, we take a
look back at the long list of artists we’ve lost this past year.
Add to these stats the fact that over one million Americans
have now died from the Corona Virus Pandemic and it’s easy to see how this year
has just been riddled with sadness.
This doesn’t even pretend to be a complete list … and, with
a month still to go in 2020, we already know that several more names will need
to be added here before the year is over … again, a bleak forecast of what’s
still to come.
Meanwhile, here is where we currently stand with names most recognizable to our readers (shown alphabetically with date of death in parenthesis):
Len Barry(11/5) "1,2,3"
Ronald Bell (9/9) – co-founder of Kool and the Gnag
Hamilton
Bohannon (4/24) - disco era producer and bandleader
Steve
Martin Caro (1/14) - vocalist with the Left Banke, of “Walk Away Renee” fame
Paul Chapman
(6/9) - guitarist with UFO
Max
Crook(7/1) – innovative keyboardist on
Del Shannon’s #1 hit “Runaway”
Charlie
Daniels (7/6)
Mac Davis
(9/29)
Spencer
Davis (9/29)
Tommy
DeVito (9/21) – original founding member of The Four Seasons
Manu Dibango
(5/24) – African Musician (“Soul Makossa”)
Joe Diffie(3/29) - country singer/songwriter
Gloria Dobbins (9/21) - founding
member of the Marvelettes, also wrote their hit “Please Mr. Postman”
Terry Doran (4/18) - longtime
Beatles associate
Judy Dyble (4/18) - founding member
of Fairport Convention
Bent Fabric (7/28) - “Alley Cat”
Steve Farmer (4/7) – member of The Amboy
Dukes; co-wrote “Journey to the Center of the Mind”
Tom Finn(6/27) - co-founder of the Left Banke, of “Walk Away
Renee” fame
Snooky
Flowers (3/9) - saxophonist; member of Janis Joplin’s Kozmic Blues Band
Wayne
Fontana (8/6) – British Invasion singer fronting The Mindbenders (“Game of
Love”)
Marty
Grebb(1/1) – keyboardist for The
Buckinghams
Peter
Green(7/25) - co-founder of Fleetwood Mac
Roy Head (9/21) - “Treat Her Right”
Ken Hensley (11/4) – founding member
of Uriah Heep
Brian Howe(5/6) - Bad Company frontman in late
’80s/early ’90s
Pamela Hutchinson (9/18) - singer with the
Emotions (“Best of My Love”)
Lee
Kerslake (9/19) - drummer for Uriah Heep and Ozzy Osbourne
Hal
Ketchum(11/23) – country singer
Astrid
Kirchherr(5/13) – Early
Beatles Photographer – Stu Sutcliffe left the band to stay with her in Germany
Bobby
Lewis(4/28) - “Tossin’ & Turnin’”
Little Richard(5/9)
Trini
Lopez(8/11)
Vera
Lynn(6/18)
Johnny
Mandel (6/29) – wrote the theme from “M*A*S*H”
Benny
Mardones (6/29) – “Into The Night”
Moon
Martin (5/11) – singer / songwriter (“Bad Case Of Loving You”)
Alan
Merrill (3/29) – wrote “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll”
Ian
Mitchell
(9/1) - Bay City Rollers bassist
Ennio
Morricone (7/6) - Italian film score composer (The Good, The Bad & The Ugly)
Dave
Munden (10/15) - original member of the Tremeloes
Johnny
Nash (10/6) – “I Can See Clearly Now”
Robert
Parker (1/19) - “Barefootin’”
Neil Peart
(1/7) – Drummer for Rush
Bonnie
Pointer (6/8) – The Pointer Sisters
Joe Porcaro (7/6) – jazz drummer
Francis Rocco Prestia (9/30) –
bassist for Tower Of Power
Steve Priest (6/4) – bassist for The
Sweet
John Prine (4/7) – singer /
songwriter
Helen Reddy (9/29)
Harold Reid (4/24) – bass singer for
The Statler Brothers
Emitt Rhodes (7/19)
Kenny Rogers (3/22)
Jorge Santana (5/14) – Carlos’
brother, frontman for Malo (“Suavecito”)
Jan Savage (8/5) - guitarist for the L.A.
’60s band the Seeds (“Pushin’ Too Hard”)
Adam
Schlesinger (4/1) - award-winning songwriter and founding member of Fountains
of Wayne
Florian
Schneider (5/6) – co-founder of Kraftwerk
Bob Shane (1/26) - founding member
of the Kingston Trio
Billy Joe Shaver (10/28) – country
singer/songwriter
Jerry Slick (3/17) – Grace’s first
husband and drummer for the Great Society
Millie Small(5/5) – “My Boy Lollipop”
Mark Stone (9/26) – original bassist
for Van Halen
Jim Tucker (11/12) - founding member
and rhythm guitarist of the Turtles
Eddie Van Halen (10/6)
Jerry Jeff Walker (10/23) – singer/ songwriter (“Mr.
Bojangles”)
Pete
Way (8/14) – founding bassist for UFO
Eric
Weissberg (3/22) – “Dueling Banjos”
Ian
Whitcomb (4/19) – “You Turn Me On”
Bill
Withers(3/30)
Edna
Wright (9/12) - singer for Honey Cone (“Want Ads”)
A
pretty staggering list, especially when you see it all laid out side by side
like that.
And
this doesn’t even include some of the other folks who have impacted our lives
along the way, such as:
Orson
Bean (2/7)
Honor
Blackman (4/5) – “Goldfinger”
Chadwick
Boseman (8/28)
Wilford
Brimley (8/1)
Kobe
Bryant (1/26)
Sean
Connery (10/31)
Olivia
de Havilland (7/26)
Kirk
Douglas (2/5)
Roy
Horn (5/8)
– one half of the magic act Siegfried and Roy
Terry
Jones (1/21) – Monty Python
Tom Lester
(4/20) – Eb from “Green Acres”
Curly Neal
(5/15) - Harlem Globetrotters basketball player
Ken
Osmond(5/18) – Eddie Haskell in “Leave
It To Beaver”
Regis
Philbin (7/24)
David Prowse (11/28) - Darth Vader
Carl
Reiner (6/29)
Diana Rigg
(9/10) – The Avengers and Game of Thrones
Tom Seaver
(9/2) - New York Mets pitching ace
Jerry
Stiller (5/11)
Alex
Trebek (11/18)
Fred
Willard (5/15)
As a side note, we
have added a Kenny Rogers Tribute Page to our other Forgotten Hits Website …
In
that this special series ended up running a few times, it seemed only right to
post it on the archival site, especially in light of Kenny’s passing this year.
As expected from you, another fine edition of Forgotten Hits.
Liked the Alan
Freed play list.
You possible don’t know this, but we never got Alan on the
radio in the UK. However, on Saturday night, if memory serves me well, at 10:30 he
was available from Radio Luxemburg. I used to listen every week on my
cats whiskers radio ... rather frustrating at times, as the signal, due to
atmospherics, came and went.
Take care, stay safe ...
'cause Rockin’ Lord Geoff said so
Mariah Carey tops Billboard's Top 100 Holiday Chart again this week with "All I Want For Christmas Is You," her holiday fan favorite. (This marks the 26th consecutive week it has ranked at #1 on this seasonal chart dating back to the 2015-2016 holiday season. (In fact, this becomes the song's 41st week at #1 since the chart was first launched in 2011.
And, since we're now all being inundated with nothing but holiday music (with just 24 days to go until Christmas), here is out the balance of The Top Five currently rank:
#2 - Brenda Lee - "Rockin' Around the Christmas
Tree"
#3 - Bobby Helms - "Jingle Bell Rock"
#4 - Andy Williams - "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
#5 - Wham! - "Last
Christmas"
Hi, Kent -
Guess what's already running on radio stations all over the world?
THE
100 GREATEST CHRISTMAS HITS OF ALL TIME: The 2020 Edition
The award-winning ten hour radio countdown of the 100
best-loved Yuletide classics! Features insightful story-behind-the-song interviews with
the stars plus bonus tracks! Now broadcast annually in more than 175 countries around
the world! Hosted by WINK MARTINDALE
What
are the all-time greatest hits of Christmas? What inspired them, who made them
famous and
why has hearing them every Yuletide season become a best-loved American
tradition?
This
ten-hour special counts down from Number 100 to Number 1 every single one of
your favorite
Yuletide hits – based on data compiled by Billboard Magazine over the years as
well as other
sources – such as listings of the Christmas tracks most played on radio over
the past
decade.
Our listings include not just hit singles but key tracks from the best-loved
(and bestselling) Christmas albums of all time.
Every
form of Yuletide evergreen is here, from the goodtime gold (Burl Ives’ “Holly
Jolly Christmas”)
to the sentimental songs (Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”) … the deeply
romantic (The
Carpenters’ “Merry Christmas Darling”) to the beloved carols (The Temptations’
“Silent
Night”)
and the Santa / Rudolph / Frosty fantasy favorites (Bruce Springsteen’s “Santa
Claus is Coming
to Town”). There are million-sellers and more galore – a portrait in sound of
YOUR favorite
music, magic and memories.
Each
song is spotlit with the story behind it. Beloved radio and TV star Wink
Martindale, supplies
the fun facts, augmented by insightful commentary from the hitmaking stars themselves.
What kind of stars?
Here’s just a partial list of the more than 175 featured:
Eddy
Arnold ● Gene Autry ● Band Aid ● The Beach Boys ● The Beatles ● The Bee Gees ● Justin
Bieber ● Pat Benatar ● Tony Bennett ● Brook Benton ● Chuck Berry ● Clint Black
● David
Bowie ● Garth Brooks ● Michael Buble ● Jimmy Buffett ● Jerry
Butler ● Mariah Carey ● The
Carpenters ● Johnny Cash ● Chubby Checker ● Nat “King” Cole ● Perry Como ● Jim
Croce ● Bing Crosby ● Bobby Darin ● Dion ● The Drifters ● The Eagles ● Enya ●
Jose Feliciano ● Ella Fitzgerald ● Dan Fogelberg ● Connie Francis ● Stan
Freberg ● Judy Garland ● Ariana Grande ● Amy Grant ● Josh Groban ● Merle
Haggard ● Bobby Helms ● Faith Hill ● Bob Hope ● Whitney Houston ● Alan Jackson
● Jewel ● Elton John ● Spike Jones ● Brenda Lee ● John Lennon ● The Lettermen ●
Madonna ● Mannheim Steamroller ● Dean Martin ● Johnny Mathis ● Paul McCartney ●
Reba McEntire ● Kylie Minogue ● Roger Miller ● The Muppets ● Anne
Murray ● The “Mystery Science 3000” Cast ● Rick Nelson ● The New Kids on The
Block ● Roy Orbison
● Dolly Parton ● Pentatonix ● Elvis Presley ● Jim Reeves ● Kenny Rogers ● The
Ronettes ● The
Seekers ● Simon & Garfunkel ● Blake Shelton ● Frank Sinatra ● Red Skelton ●
Bruce Springsteen ● Gwen
Stefani ● Jimmy Stewart ● Rod Stewart ● George Strait ● The Temptations ● The
Three Stooges ● The
Trans-Siberian Orchestra ● Randy Travis ● Andy Williams ● Tricia Yearwood ● and
many more!
Some
of the stories you’ll hear will be funny, some moving, some outrageous but all unforgettable.
And once you learn how your favorite music came to be, you’ll never hear that track
quite the same way again – because, as Paul Harvey used to say, “now you know
the REST
of the story.” (And yes – Paul Harvey’s in here, too.)
The
countdown runs for 10 hours (minus 12 minutes of commercial avails per hour).
Each hour showcases
the next ten ranked hits, with Hour 1 starting off with #100 to #91, Hour 2
covering #90
to #81, etc. on down to the final hour which presents the Top 10 Christmas hits
of all time.
Augmenting
each hour are a handful of “bonus tracks” – other beloved Yuletide gems guaranteed
to make you laugh, touch your heart and rekindle your life’s fondest memories.
THE
100 GREATEST CHRISTMAS HITS OF ALL TIME is written and produced by Gary
("History of Rock 'n' Roll") Theroux and syndicated by The Sun
Broadcasting Group. Availability in some markets are still open. Call
your favorite radio station and ask if they have signed up yet to air
this classic countdown. If not, have them contact The Sun Broadcasting
Group today at (800) 871-6163.
-- Gary Theroux
Me-TV-FM will be airing this special multiple times over the Christmas Holiday ...
Speaking of Me-TV-FM, they're doing their "Flip Sides" Weekend again this weekend, playing back to back A-Sides and B-Sides beginning at 7:00 Friday Night.
(You can Listen Live via the same link above.)
This has been a very successful special for them.
(Catch our list of The Top 200 Biggest Two-Sided Hits Of All-Time as well as The Top 200 Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides, which inspired this feature, here):
>>>Rollye James is now on WGN late night and
often has some cool musical guests on along with LOTS of obscure bumper
music. On November 9, she did an hour long interview with Tom “Toad”
Doody of The Cryan’ Shames. I thought it was excellent ... best interview
I ever have heard with Tom ... very informative and in depth. Her podcasts are on her website. Here's the podcast for the hour with
Tom. ENJOY!!
My interview with Rollye was one of
the favorite interviews I've ever done. She is incredibly knowledgeable
about that era when we were making our records. She knew most of the same
people that I did. It was more like a fun conversation, than
an interview.
I absolutely know she would love Forgotten Hits. I hope you two can connect.
Be safe. Keep doing what you're doing and blessings.
Toad
Thanks, Tom ... put in a good word for me!!! (I sent her a copy of The Sunday Comments as an introduction.) kk
Did you watch the Reelz Elvis documentary this weekend?
It was OK ... they had limited use of his music to help move the story along ... and there wasn't a whole lot of NEW information revealed ... and, quite honestly, I got a little tired of the whole "Elvis was haunted his entire life by the loss of his twin brother Jesse, who died at birth" angle ... mentioning it once as a possibility would have been fine, as it's an angle that hasn't really been explored before ...
But they seemed intent on just beating this into us as an explanation / excuse for Elvis' behavior the rest of his life. (The closeness to his mother Gladys was also somewhat exploited ... but we've been hearing that one for years already!)
I also caught bits and pieces of the new Andy Williams PBS My Music Special ... some nice clips spotlighting one of the smoothest voices in pop music history. (I especially loved the "Butterfly" clip from 1957 with the quick shot of Jonathan Winters trying to "clap and snap" along in time to the music. Priceless!!! I wanted to share that one with you today but couldn't find it on YouTube.)
Anyway, if you're an Andy fan, check your local listings for this one ... a nice look back at a long-gone era. (kk)
Kent –
I'm glad you could use the article I wrote
you.
One minor correction ...
My last concert with the Mystics was 2015. Not
2013. No big deal.
February 14th, 2015, at the Sunrise
Theater in Ft Pierce, FL.
Lou Christie, The Rip Chords, Ron Dante,
The Mystics and Jimmy Clanton (a true Rock & Roll gentleman)
-- Bobby
From FH Reader Clark Besch …
All
I can say is "If my car could only talk to me," it would say
"Bobby, why aren't you driving a Cobra?"
Clark goes on to write ...
"Lion Heart" is another great
sounding tune from Jim Peterik that could be another movie theme if they bring
out one called "Lion Heart." It's a song that begs to have a
movie written around it! Another "Don't Stop Believin’" moment.
P.S.I
would love to have a copy of the new Pride Of Lions CD
Clark Besch
We’ve got THREE copies of this new release to give away.
It’s another VERY strong effort from Jim Peterik and Toby
Hitchcok …
I can only describe it as what I believe Survivor would
sound like today, had they stayed together.Very strong material … incredible vocals … and just a feel-good shot of
“UP” attitude when we all can really use it.
Wanna a shot at a copy?
Drop me an email NOW at kk@forgottenhits.com … and put PRIDE OF LIONS in the Subject Line … and we’ll
enter your name in our drawing.(kk)
Drummer Mike Arturi, originally from Chicago, is a music educator, executive
director at the Universal Music Center in Minnesota, and has been touring for
years with the Lovin’ Spoonful.
On December 5, he will be presenting a special
online salute to the Lovin’ Spoonful.
Also happening that evening is an online concert by Felix Cavaliere's Rascals ...
But this one's gonna cost ya ...
Ticket prices range from $25 (for the concert only) to $35 for an aftershow virtual meet and greet to $40 for all of the above plus a signed copy of Felix's Christmas CD.
Still, the program promises a 90 minute set of music from one of the '60's premier singer / songwriters ...
So you just may wanna check it out. (kk)
kk:
Felix Cavaliere called Cousin Brucie from his home in Nashville Saturday Night. (Happy Birthday, Felix, born 11/29/1944.
I guess this is the latest ...
A filmed concert (instead of live concert), available on December 5th. You may want to pass along the information for your readers who might be interested.
FB
Interesting ...
In two places they refer to the concert as "live" ... first as a Livestream and again as "Live, Saturday, December 5th, and, from what I understand, things got pretty relaxed down in Nashville again during this whole Covid thing ... so I'm really not sure WHAT you're paying for ... but I would think at the very least the Meet And Greet has to be live, right??? (kk)
Maybe Felix mis-spoke.
He said filmed. Here it says livestream.
Frank
More from Frank, who tells us ...
kk –
I'm just about finished reading "MADE MEN
- THE STORY OF GOODFELLAS" by Glenn Kenny.The author is interviewing Barbra DeFina, Martin Scorsese's ex-wife and
one of the producers of "GOODFELLAS."
He asked her about her current project- an
adaptation of Tommy James' memoir "ME, THE MOB & THE MUSIC" … a
rock & roll biopic with a strong crime element.The book details James' twisted relationship
with Morris Levy, the very mob- affiliated head of Roulette Records, the label
that broke and subsequently controlled James.
Barbara likens her situation to that of Tommy
James who, after entreating boss / father figure Morris Levy to pay him, would
be doled out money on which to tour and record, but no greater spoils. “That
is,” she said, “I got paid for each individual movie but I never got any deal
money.”
FB
We’ve been anxiously awaiting the Tommy James film for years
now … and of course now with all the additional pandemic delays, it’s been pushed back
even further.Still, this is going to be
an excellent film, once it finally gets made!(kk)
And, while we're on the topic of Good Fellas (again!) ...
>>>You may never speak to
me again, Frank, but I am one of only seven people in The United States who has
NEVER seen the movie “Good Fellas!!!”I
know, shame on me … and I REALLY have been meaning to see it … for about thirty
years now, I guess, based on what you’re telling me.There are a TON of those mobster movies that
came out around this time and I haven’t seen ANY of them … so one day I’m just
going to have to corner myself off and watch them all. (For some reason,
St. Valentine’s Day sounds like a good time to do this!) kk
kk –
When it was first previewed, to get audience
reaction, it was hated by the audience.Not
disliked … HATED.People got up and
walked out. Too violent. During some showings, they wanted to go after
Scorsese. Then it won an award and got good reviews. That's what turned things
around.
FB
Even Frannie couldn’t believe that I had never seen this
film, wondering how I could have possibly avoided it.
Honestly, I fell asleep during “The Godfather” … just not my
thing, I guess … and others that I’ve seen like it since have had no lasting
impact on me.
But I WILL give it a shot … next time I’ve got 3-4 hours to
kill.(kk)
BEGO'S BAND OF GOLD
It's
hard to believe that it was 50 years ago that FREDA PAYNE's song "Band
of Gold" topped the international music charts. To commemorate it, Freda
is releasing a new duet recording with JOHNNY MATHIS this Friday ("They
Can't Take That Away From Me") and is at work with best-selling author
MARK BEGO on her forthcoming memoir.
Freda is also one of Bego's star chefs in his current Top 10 paperback cookbook, Eat Like a Rock Star (Skyhorse Publishing).
And finally, "as a personal favor" to NY PR Guy David Salidor, here's a bit on The Oxfords.
Now I will be the first to admit that I have never even HEARD of The Oxfords ... or, for that matter, HEARD The Oxfords and whatever musical legacy they may have shared along the way ...
But David tells me that:
--> The average age of the members is 73!
--> They played the legendary Steel Pier - where they had the flying
horse appearing, too! If you don't know about this act, ask me ... I was
there a lot growing up in Philly!
--> They played the famous Hullabaloo club - an offshoot of TV's Hullabaloo show.
--> Their new album has been #1 for Five weeks on the Amazon Pop Oldies Chart.
-->And, they are all avid readers of Forgotten Hits!
(Well, I suppose that last fact alone might have been enough to win me over ... but digging in a bit deeper, David also shared this wealth of information):
THE RETURN OF THE OXFORDS
2020 has been quite the year - eminently frustrating for certain
- but for the Philadelphia group, THE OXFORDS, the rebirth of their
legacy has been one for the record books.
55
years after their initial success they're winding up the year with the
#1 new release on the "Pop Oldies" chart on Amazon. It's remained in the
#1 spot for 5 straight weeks.
The
Oxfords Are: Steve (Bell) Silver; Steve (Fontz) Gelfand; Ivan (Van)
Taub; Gary (Crainers) Stanley; Joel (Thumper) Naselow; and Byron
(Fingers) Blau. These six local Philly guys found each other and formed
their band in 1964. As Bell recalls, "It seemed like every kid in
America saw the Ed Sullivan show that Sunday night in February when four
guys from Liverpool changed the world. We certainly did and the Oxfords
were formed shortly thereafter. We were only 16-ish but our passion for
the music was palpable! Although we were a ‘cover’ band, Ivan and Gary
started writing original material almost immediately.”
A
few months later, they recorded some of those songs and quickly achieved
a wave of regional success with a string of records: “It Serves You
Right” and a cover of Ben E. King's “Don't Play That Song” (on the
indie-label Grand Records), followed up by their cover of the Beatles'
"You Won't See Me" (ABC-Paramount), which led to appearances on all the
local TV music programs.
“We
played 'live' at the myriad of clubs, functions, and parties in the
tri-state area, culminating with the designation of house band at the
nationally known Hullabaloo Club (a string of teen clubs across the
country associated with the Hullabaloo TV show) We had a full-page
article written about us in the National Hullabaloo Magazine and were
mentioned in a Newsweek article about the club,” adds Joel.
In
the summer as Philly empties out to the Jersey Shore, The Oxfords
landed the coveted gig at Tony Marts, in Somers Point N.J.; one of the
biggest clubs on the East Coast, at the time - 3 bands - 3 stages,
non-stop music! All of the bands lived in apartments on top of the club.
The
Oxfords were too young to even get a drink in the club but old enough
to party in those unsupervised apartments. "It was a wild and crazy
time,” adds Fontz, “And, yet, one of the most memorable summers of our
lives.”
As
time went on and the boys grew up, High School ended and college came
into view; the band broke up in 1968. “We all fell out of touch and
hadn't seen or spoken to each other in 50+ years until three months ago
(Aug. 2020) when Ivan received a phone call from Gear-Fab Records, who
was interested in releasing a collectible CD of our old music. These
songs had never been released together in album form and we were
ecstatic. Ivan tracked us all down, which resulted in a reunion via a
6-way Zoom chat which we've continued on a weekly basis,” says Gary. “It
was fortunate that Joel had kept copies of all of the master tapes from
the studios allowing the CD to have enough tracks for a complete
album.”
Gear-Fab
released the 14-song CD on Oct.16 and it shot to the top of the "pop
oldies" on Amazon chart within two weeks. It was the highest pre-order
sales for Gear-Fab in their history. It has remained at # 1 since then.
The
bands’ talented keyboard man (Byron Blau) has a daughter, Jodi, who had
fashioned a successful career for herself as a social media specialist
and influencer. Adds Ivan, “She helped us immensely in the release of
our CD and under her direction a national social-media campaign was
initiated.
Unbeknownst
to us, Jodi's Father Byron, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He
chose not to tell us, as he wanted to be treated as 'one of the guys'
and keep the focus on the happy times about all of us and our music.
Jodi finally let us know what was happening and that he probably
wouldn't make it to see the release of the CD.
We
were crushed by this news as Byron passed a month before the CD was
released. We all decided to make Jodi the '6th Oxford,' sharing equally
with her in any success we may achieve."
Jodi was also able to fully interview Byron, to obtain his side of the story.
Fontz
recalls that a few weeks later, "Jodi confided that our reunion and
pending CD release had lifted her father's spirits and brought them
closer when he told her his story of the band's journey during those
chaotic years (1964-68).
So, what made the Oxfords happen on a national scale? Hard work, determination, talent, creativity, and patience?
The Oxfords finally made it to the top!
My curiosity piqued, I ventured over to Amazon to listen for myself ...
Hey, we're all about our Local Heroes here in Forgotten Hits, as you've certainly seen over the years...
So here's your favor, David!
(but now you owe me one! lol) kk
**********
Can you believe it’s already December 1st???
While I think that most of us would agree that there’s an
underlying feeling in each and every one of us that would love to flip this
final calendar page and put this horrid year behind us …
But the truth is we’re in no better shape today than we were
nine months ago when the Covid virus first started spreading.
In fact, numbers for November showed more cases of Covid-19
diagnosed here in the month of November than for the entire YEAR in any number
of other countries.
Now granted, we likely have more visitors than anywhere else
on the planet …
But we have yet to get a handle on this thing and it is far
from over.
So, for our closing segment today, let’s remember HAPPIER
December 1st’s from the past …
#1, December 1st, 1955 – SIXTEEN TONS – Tennessee
Ernie Ford
1956 – LOVE ME TENDER – Elvis Presley
1957 – JAILHOUSE ROCK – Elvis Presley
Buddy
Holly, Sam Cooke and The Rays all make their national TV debuts this evening on The Ed Sullivan Show
1958 – TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM – The Teddy Bears
Ricky Nelson becomes the first rock and roll star to appear
on the cover of “Life Magazine”
Also on this date:Neil Sedaka signs with RCA Records
1959 – MACK THE KNIFE – Bobby Darin
1960 – ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT – Elvis Presley
That
makes THREE #1 Hits on this date for Elvis!!!
Also on this date, Bobby Darin marries
Sandra Dee!
1961 – BIG BAD JOHN – Jimmy Dean
1962 – BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY – The Four Seasons
1963 – I’M LEAVING IT UP TO YOU – Dale and Grace
1964 – LEADER OF THE PACK – The Shangri-Las
1965 – I HEAR A SYMPHONY – The Supremes
1966 – YOU KEEP ME HANGIN’ ON - The Supremes
1967 – INCENSE AND PEPPERMINTS – The Strawberry Alarm Clock
1968 – LOVE CHILD – Diana Ross and the Supremes
Wow, THREE #1’s on this date for The Supremes!
1969 – COME TOGETHER / SOMETHING – The Beatles
1970 – I THINK I LOVE YOU – The Partridge Family
Also On This Date in 1970: December 1st –
Comedian Sarah Silverman is
born
1971 – THEME FROM “SHAFT” – Isaac Hayes
1972 – I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW – Johnny Nash (who we lost this
year)
1973 – TOP OF THE WORLD – The Carpenters
1974 – I CAN HELP – Billy Swan
1975 – FLY ROBIN FLY – The Silver Connection
Bette Midler celebrates her 30th
birthday with an emergency appendectomy!
1976 – TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT – Rod Stewart
1977 – YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE – Debby Boone
1978 – MAC ARTHUR PARK – Donna Summer
1979 – NO MORE TEARS – Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer
1980 – LADY – Kenny Rogers (who we lost this year)
1981 – PHYSICAL – Olivia Newton-John
1982 – TRULY – Lionel Richie
1983 – ALL NIGHT LONG – Lionel Richie
(Lionel
has written THREE of the last four December 1st #1 hits)
1984 – WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO – Wham!
1985 – SEPARATE LIVES – Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
1986 – YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME – Bon Jovi
1987 – THE TIME OF MY LIFE – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
1988 – BAD MEDICINE – Bon Jovi
1989 – BLAME IT ON THE RAIN – Milli Vanilli
Sly Stone is sentenced to 55 days in jail
for driving under the influence of cocaine
1990 – I’M YOUR BABY TONIGHT – Whitney Houston
Born on this date:Billy
Paul, Lou Rawls, Sandy Nelson, Bette Midler, John Densmore of The Doors, Gilbert
O’Sullivan
Died on this date:Lee Dorsey
BEGINNING TOMORROW IN FORGOTTEN HITS ...
A
three part series courtesy of Shelley Sweet-Tufano, recapping the
recent Peter Asher Zoom Interview Program that aired a couple of weeks
ago.
