Saturday, July 9, 2022

PHIL NEE - July 9th

Today we pay tribute to Kent's all time favorite song, 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' by Procol Harum.  It has been 55 years since that record was first heard around the world.   

In 1992, I had the pleasure to interview Keith Reid on my radio show.  He was a non performing member of the group but went to all of the recording sessions and many of the concerts.  He wrote or co-wrote all of the lyrics for the band up until 2017.   During the interview, which was done to promote the album Prodigal Stranger, we talked about the group's history.

When you look at all the artists who were fortunate enough to have recorded TWO memorable hits, PROCOL HARUM has to leap right up near the top of the list.

Their hits "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" (#3, 1967) and "Conquistador" (#16, 1972) are two of the finest examples we could come up with ... making them BOTH definitely worth another spin here today.  (kk) 

  

Greg Kihn was born on July 10th of 1949.  While the Greg Kihn Band had its biggest hit in 1983 with a song called Jeopardy (#2 Billboard),  I feel that their first hit The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) was one of the best songs of the 80's.  It only made it to #15 in Billboard, however, it was the song of the Summer of 1981 around here.  
I spoke with Greg in 2013 just after reading Forgotten Hits and the subject was 'goose bump songs'.
 
 
 
I still think that's one of the greatest lines I've ever heard in an interview ... Greg Kihn explaining how his 1981 Hit "The Breakup Song" became a hit all over the world ... "because the lyrics "uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh" translate exactly the same in EVERY language."

Yes, "Jeopardy" may have been the bigger hit ... but I'm with Phil on this one ... my personal favorite has got to be "The Breakup Song!"  (kk)

 

And, of course, you can't do Greg Kihn's version and not do Weird Al's parody!!! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvUZijEuNDQ

You can catch Phil Nee's THOSE WERE THE DAYS radio program tonight … 

and EVERY Saturday Night ... 

on WRCO ... 6 pm – Midnight (Central):  

WRCO AM FM Radio Richland Center Wisconsin   

Just click on the 100.9 headphones and start streaming!

Friday, July 8, 2022

The Friday Flash

Too Much Too Soon?

Carlos Santana collapsed on stage Tuesday night (July 5th) about 55 minutes into his set.  (Santana had previously postponed a Las Vegas Residency when he had to undergo an emergency heart treatment last December … and was now out on the road with Earth, Wind and Fire when this latest incident occurred during their show at The Pine Knob Music Theatre in Michigan.)  A statement released later said the famed guitarist was suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration.  Their appearance on Wednesday (July 6th) in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania was postponed but will be rescheduled.  Carlos is expected to rejoin the tour in Noblesville, Indiana tonight. (July 8th)

We have had an extreme heat blast here in the Midwest of late ... The National Weather Service had released high heat index warnings for Tuesday, the night of the incident, with actual temperatures reaching the upper 90’s and heat indexes well over 105.  As some of these artists increase in age (Carlos is 74), this becomes another risk of touring and performing at these outdoor venues.  (Like Covid itself hasn’t been enough of a deterrent these past couple of years!)  Here’s hoping Santana is past this latest health crisis and can complete the rest of the tour without incident.  (The two Superstar Acts are scheduled to perform at Milwaukee’s Summerfest on Sunday, July 10th.)  The Miraculous Supernatural Tour wraps up on my birthday (August 27th) in Tampa, Florida.  (kk)

UPDATE:  Carlos’ wife Cindy issued this statement on Thursday (July 7th):

Hi Everyone!

Carlos & I thank you so much for your prayers, love, care & concern for him!

Please know that he’s resting and doing very well!

He was diagnosed with heat exhaustion & dehydration …

It was 100 degrees on stage and 114 under the lights so that, coupled with not enough water, is what caused the issue. He’ll be as good as new soon!

Thank you again and we love you!

Cindy & Carlos

Here's a great interview with Mike Stoller … one half of the hit-making songwriting team of Leiber and Stoller … who knows a thing or two about writing hit songs … including quite a few for a guy named Elvis Presley …

https://variety.com/2022/music/news/mike-stoller-elvis-songwriter-leiber-presley-classics-interview-1235308640/

Hi, Kent –

Regarding your mention of Sha Na Na, I figured I'd toss one of my experiences your way ...

I saw them perform live down at Washington Park in 1975, where they opened for my favorite group, The Guess Who.
Double pleasure!  I don't have specific memories of the show, but I do remember that it was great!

In the summer of 1990, I attended an outdoor concert at "Beloitfest" (Wisconsin) with my girlfriend, who knew Jon Bauman. It was at a park just north of the border.  Jon was performing with a backup group whose name I don't recall, but they were very good.  They did a nice mix of doo-wop stuff.

The opening act was 50s legend Bo Diddley. The look he gave me as I took his picture gave me the chills.  ;-)


After the show, we stopped at Jon's tent, and he asked us if we'd like to meet up for drinks or whatever at the motel he was staying at. 

YES!! 

Before he went in to get into street clothes, I asked for a picture with him.  I love this shot.  ;-)


When he came out, I got another shot ...

We met Jon at the motel restaurant and sat with him and chit-chatted into the wee hours. l learned a lot about him. 

He played classical piano, wrote music, and did all sorts of cool things.  All-around helluva nice guy.   Who knew he was so talented?  I'd love to link up with him again.
Mike Wolstein

I think I saw Sha Na Na a total of three times over the years … by this point, Bowzer was definitely the focal point of the group.  (I was just a fan … and they put on a very entertaining show.)

Many years later when Jon Bauman was trying to get The Truth In Music Act passed around the country, he contacted me and asked for the help and support of Forgotten Hits.  (To this day, I don’t know who made the connection … all of a sudden we just hooked up … and for about two years we ran regular progress updates in the newsletter.  Jon would send us the latest info as more and more states climbed onboard to help protect the oldies music fans out there who were spending their hard-earned money to see, in many cases, a bogus group that had absolutely NOTHING to do with the original artists they grew up loving on the radio.)  Today, I think nearly every state in the union has adopted his program.  (It was so funny to see Bowzer on TV, addressing Congress and letting his point be known.)

That whole concept is MUCH harder to enforce these days now that SO many of these great artists have left us.  In some cases, the “namesake” has been passed along (or sold) to another act who now carry the legal right to the use of the name.  In many other cases, it may be a second or third generation offspring out their just trying to keep the legacy alive.  It’s just gotten harder and harder to see the real deal anymore … and we’ve softened quite a bit in this regard, too, coming to the realization that ANYTHING designed to keep this great music out there for new generations to discover and fall in love with is a good thing.  The use in TV commercials, movies and television shows seems to be at an all-time high … and new fans are being converted on a daily basis … and THAT’S the most important thing in my mind.  (kk)

I saw the ELO / Spaceship concert at Madison Square Garden in NYC. Can't believe it was 44 years ago ... but it was an amazing concert … and the show and visuals and music just stunning. I did manage to see Jeff Lynne and the "new" ELO at Madison Square again two years (maybe three) back; it was a great show, but it still baffles me that he let his musical director the show introduce the band. Odd for sure.

Wow ... time really does fly! 

David Salidor

Jeff Lynne’s last two tours of The States rank right up there with the best shows we have ever seen in our lives.  The entire band was top-notch and the presentation was exceptional.

For what these tickets cost, I don’t know that we need to see him a third time …

I think I’d rather savor the memory of the two incredibly perfect shows we have already witnessed and leave it at that.  (kk)

No offense to Henry Diltz, but "The Partridge Family" just may have been the most vapid thing on television, ever! 

I would be amazed to learn how much of a following it had among people of colour (and I once admitted to you that a Black boy I knew as a kid admired Cassidy!)

And how the show ruined Cassidy's career as a real-life musician is well-documented ...

It's weird that given its wholesome image, it didn't become a staple of Saturday morning TV (and yes, I am aware that a version of it was made by Hanna-Barbera years later ... even Bill and Joe knew those characters were 'toons)

I even avoid the series years later on Antenna TV, the full-of-vintage-series side-channel of stations like WPHL in Philly!

--Bob Frable

It’s funny you mention the lack of “color” (and soul, for that matter) conveyed by the milky-white Partridges back in the early ‘70’s … because this very issue was addressed at the time which led to an episode called “Soul Club,” which featured Richard Pryor and Lou Gossett, Jr.!

The premise was that due to a booking mix-up, their manager, Reuben Kincaid, set the group up to perform in a Detroit club that was expecting The Temptations.  Too late to make other arrangements, The Partridges agreed to go on … and then performed a song called “Bandela,” which always struck me as more of a Mexican or Latin tune than anything resembling Soul Music or an African Rhythm.

Still, there was quite a bit of buzz about this episode when it first aired … and many years later, TV Guide named it one of TV’s 100 Best Episodes of All Time.  (I don’t know if I’d go THAT far!!!  The whole thing seemed very forced and contrived … but hey, who knows … this may be where Bob’s friend developed his first appreciation of David Cassidy!!!  Lol)  kk

How much would YOU pay for a one-of-a-kind pressing of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind?”  (Certainly not a million bucks … but this IS an interesting article and new marketing concept!)  kk

https://www.billboard.com/pro/bob-dylan-song-auction-t-bone-burnett-ionic-original-neofidelity/#recipient_hashed=fa7e92da6f6e66bffcf0bcbf863670c6eb37d7159eb4d0ea1e44fecd5ec87eeb

After numerous allegations and accusations that some of the vocals on the posthumous Michael Jackson release “Michael” are fake, three tracks have been removed from all streaming services from this LP.

A fan-driven court case begun eight years ago claimed the vocals on three songs featured on the album were done by a session singer and NOT The King Of Pop as represented.  If this was in fact the case, neither Sony Music OR Jackson’s family could state for certain if this was, in fact, Michael Jackson singing on these tunes.  (I’m guessing that Milli Vanilli were also ruled out as suspects.)  As such, in 2018, a judge ruled that since neither side could state with all certainty whether the vocals were real or fake, he dismissed the suit.

Yet the controversy continued … so this week Sony Music decided to remove the three songs in question:  “Monster” (featuring 50 Cent), “Keep Your Head Up” and “Breaking News.”  Still, in doing so, Sony Music and The Jackson Estate are making it clear that they are NOT admitting that the vocals are fake.  In a joint statement released, they said “We should point out that the removal of these three songs has nothing to do with their authenticity. The Estate and Sony Music believe the continuing conversation about the tracks is distracting the fan community and casual Michael Jackson listeners from focusing their attention where it should be – on Michael’s legendary and deep music catalog.”

Court documents backing up this statement read as follows: “Because Sony Music, MJJ Productions and the Jackson estate lacked actual knowledge of the identity of the lead singer on ‘Breaking News,’ ‘Monster,’ and ‘Keep Your Head Up,’ they could only draw a conclusion about that issue from their own research and the available evidence.  Under these circumstances, our representations about the identity of the singer amounted to a statement of opinion rather than fact.”

(I guess if you’ve got an original copy of the LP, you should hang on to it … as it may soon become quite a collectors’ item!) And what about poor 50 Cent?!?!  He thought he was singing with Michael Jackson!!!  Right now that track may be worth less than his namesake!  (kk)

From Tom Cuddy …

Members of Chicago present Brian Wilson with a birthday cake backstage on his 80th

 

The other day we told you about Bob Lind’s return to The Luna Star CafĂ© in North Miami, Florida …

Well, now he’s doing this radio spot to help publicize the gig … and you can tune in and hear all about it this Sunday …

FRIENDS AND FANS:

This coming Sunday, July 10, I'll be doing Michael Stock's Folk and Acoustic Music show on NPR to promote my upcoming gig at the Luna Star Cafe.  

I always have a great time with Michael. He'll be interviewing me and I'll be singing three or four songs from my newest album (Something Worse Than Loneliness).

The show starts at 2 pm Eastern Daylight Time and you can listen live anywhere in the world you happen to be by clicking this link: https://www.wlrn.org/radio

Hope a whole mess of you will be joining us.

Love to you all,

Bob

www.boblind.com

Hi Kent,

Just a quick correction / clarification for you …

You recently mentioned that our Pop Annual book only contains the hits from the Hot 100.  While that used to be the case, the past couple of editions have also included all of the Bubbling Under hits for each given year (in rank order.)  BTW, we hope to update that book again in the next year or so (the most recent edition covers 1955-2016.)

Paul Haney

Record Research

Wow!  I had to look it up for myself!  I guess the edition(s) I had been referring to predated this change.  (Although I know Joel did send me a copy of the updated version, running through 2016, my go-to book only goes through 2005 … which more than serves my needs.  Plus, it’s a WHOLE lot easier to handle at the smaller size and lesser page count!!!  lol) 

Honestly, it’s a tough call … once we committed to covering the music of 1955 – 1985 (give or take a few years in either direction, depending on the artist!), there really hasn’t been a need to look at the biggest hits of any of these post-period years.  (I think now that Record Research has split their encyclopedias into two volumes, we will rarely, if ever, pick up the book covering 1990 – 2022 … but it’ll still be nice to have handy as a reference.  I just can’t bear the thought of looking at four solid pages of Drake entries!!!)  Thanks for clarifying, ‘though … I truly had no idea you guys had expanded the playing field to include all the “bubbling under” titles!)  kk

 

Scott Paton, who used to work for American Top 40 and became close friends with Andy Gibb, tells us about a new book on Gibb’s life that is apparently already creating quite a buzz.  (There’s a five page excerpt in this week’s issue of “People Magazine” … and there’s already been some talk about turning it into a biopic.)  kk

 

Take it away, Scott! 

 

Dear Kent,  

I wanted to give you a heads-up on the first-ever biography of Andy Gibb, just out this past week.  “Arrow Through The Heart” is the work of Matthew Hild, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and author of several books on Southern Labor history.  This is his first foray into pop culture, and his prowess in research served the story well.  

I’m not plugging the book here in any official capacity, but Andy Gibb was a friend of mine, and over the course of the past two years, Matthew has become a good friend, too.  And I’m certain that a lot of your readership would enjoy this bio, be they fans of Andy, the Bee Gees or that late-‘70s era of music that is now seeming so long ago.  

This week’s issue of People magazine has done an amazing five-page excerpt from the book, and it has already been optioned for a biopic that is being shopped around L.A.  Here’s a truncated online version of the People article:  Andy Gibb Biography Captures His Struggle with Fame, Cocaine Addiction and Death at 30 | PEOPLE.com  

Regards,  

Scott Paton  

On Amazon:  Arrow Through the Heart: The Biography of Andy Gibb: Hild, Matthew: 9781629339207: Amazon.com: Books  

I will definitely have to check this out.  Thanks for the heads up, Scott!  (kk)

 

Moments before the U.K. government forever changed, MICKY DOLENZ (who was in town for the London Film and Comic Con) was a guest on the show Good Morning Britain (7/7/22)

DS

 


I just heard that Micky is also coming to The Des Plaines Theatre for a show in November.  (November 20th to be exact!)

I may have to check this one out if he's still doing his salute to his former bandmates.  I have seen nothing but GREAT reviews for this new show.  (kk) 

 

Now THAT'S not something you expect to hear!!!

In back-to-back television commercials Thursday Night, we heard The Chordettes' "Mr. Sandman" and The Drifters' "This Magic Moment."  (In fact, we heard that last one a couple more times before we went to bed.)

While it's a nice surprise to hear both of these tunes being used in current ad campaigns, the COOLEST part is that they're being heard by a wide audience of viewers who may not have been familiar with them before.

Our music is still alive!  (kk) 

 

And, speaking of surprises .... 

 

You can add THIS one to the WOW! SONGS list ...

 

WOW! SONGS:

The Thing – Phil Harris (‘50’s Gold on Sirius XM)

 

Phil Harris did a little bit of everything back in the 1940's.  He co-hosted a radio program with his wife, Alice Faye ... acted in the movies and on television ... he was a comedian, a drummer and even a band leader ... and, between 1946 and 1951 he was also a successful recording artist, placing three songs in The Top Ten on Billboard's Best Sellers Chart ... including this one, which went all the way to #1 for four weeks just before Christmas in 1950.  (Now when's the last time you heard THIS one!!!)  kk

Thursday, July 7, 2022

MAGICAL MONKEES MEMORIES

Here's another look back at some Monkees Milestones, courtesy of Gary Strobl (who I hope is finally on the mend out there in Sunny California!)


MAGICAL MONKEES MOMENTS

1967-1970








 

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

HENRY DILTZ's JOURNAL - June 30th, 1971

Here's another page from Henry Diltz's Journal 

Running EXCLUSIVELY in Forgotten Hits ...

 

Today, a look back at June 30th, 1971 ...

And a photo shoot with THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY!!!

 

Wednesday, June 30, 1971

Partridge Family TV at Marineland. Killer whales and lots of standing around. Sunburn. Not many good pics.

Bert Convy, Howard Cosell & The Partridge Family

David Cassidy &Shirley Jones feeding Orky the whale

David Cassidy & Tiger Beat editor Sharon Lee

 

7 PM • John Stewart background vocals on 5 songs at Western with Michael (Stewart), Buffy (Ford),

Brian (Garofalo), Pete Fullerton. Bought month’s supply of NUTRILITE vitamins & minerals from Pete. Very tired at session end (1:30 AM)

Bobby Sherman shooting canceled tomorrow.