Saturday, March 4, 2023

From our Forgotten Hits Country Western Hit Music Historian, Buffalo Buell …

 

In 1978, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson recorded their duet of “Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” for their album “Waylon and Willie.”

 


This version became a Number One Country Song in March, 1978, and remained there for four weeks. It also won the 1979 Grammy Award for “Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.”  On Billboard’s Hot 100, it made a hard run for the Big Hit Rodeo before it was corralled at Number 42.

 

 

Then, interestingly enough, in 1996, 18 years later, Paula Cole released her three-time Grammy Award Nominated, Billboard Top Ten song, “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?!”

 

 

I'm thinkin' the Mammas of Waylon and Willie's Day took their advice to heart as it was noticeable that there was hardly a lick of strapping young, 18-year-old cowboys in the days of Cole's song!

 

CB ( which stands for "Cowboy Boy!" )

 

Nicely done ...

 

But no matter how many times I tried to suppress it, I just couldn't resist running THIS tune from a few years after that ...

 

Friday, March 3, 2023

THE FRIDAY FLASH

Congratulations to Billy Joel …

Back in 2014, he kicked off his residency at Madison Square Garden, agreeing to perform one show a month for as long as there was an interest by fans to come out and see him.

With a few interruptions due to the pandemic, Billy’s kept up his end of the deal …

And, as a result, The Garden continues to sell out on a regular basis.

In fact, this week he passed the $200 Million Dollar Milestone in box office receipts.  (That’s an average of over $2 Million per show)

The fact that each show typically presents a high-profile Very Special Guest is an extra-special bonus ... but the truth of the matter is, the fans are REALLY coming out to see Billy.

(I’ve told the story before about how I have still never seen Billy Joel perform live in concert … this despite having tickets to FOUR of his shows over the years, dating back to the late ‘70’s.  In EVERY instance, something came up at the very last minute that prevented me from being able to attend … everything from a 30-degree below zero ice storm to my own band getting booked to play on the very same night.)

But, from what I’ve heard, Billy is still knockin’ ‘em dead, all these years later.

Oh well, maybe one of these days.

(Seeing Billy Joel AT Madison Square Garden is definitely on my bucket list!!!)

Meanwhile, congratulations, Billy!  (kk)

 

>>>We're trespassing a little bit into SONGFACTS territory, but I was intrigued when I saw the headline to this story …

Graham Gouldman’s ‘For Your Love’ Was Considered For The Beatles Before The Yardbirds  (kk)

Thanks, Kent ...

Your piece on “For Your Love” was quite interesting.

The Mockingbirds’ version is really good.

I'll do a bit of digging and also check to see what the readers discover.

Carl

Kent,

Mentioning the Top 10 foreign hits that made Billboard Magazine reminded me of a show I did on my Wax Museum in which I featured songs (records) that were recorded totally or partially in a foreign language. It didn't matter how high they got on the charts, either nationally or locally. I remembered playing Kyu Sakamoto's follow-up to SUKIYAKI, CHINA NIGHTS. Bobby Darin had a version of MILORD in 1964 and the partial songs, AMOR by Ben E. King and ESO BESO by Paul Anka. I even played The Singing Nun's follow-up to DOMINIQUE, even though right now I don't remember the title.

Larry

 

>>>Just saw this 44 minute clip of The Dick Cavett Show that ran the day after Woodstock with many of those stars on the show!  Crazy cool.  Maybe you have seen already, tho?  Some incredibly cool performances and chat.  (Clark)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzq8LZKdilQ

I'd never seen this, Kent. Thanks for passing on the link. What a fabulous snapshot in time.

David Lewis

Cavett was considered to be “the hip dude” at the time … but this was still quite an accomplishment!  (I’m surprised that many were able to dig themselves out of the mudslides!!!)

Over the years, Cavett had people like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix as his guests, just enjoying, as they used to say, “the art of conversation,” showing them to be just regular people under the surface.  While some of this looks incredibly dated today, it was quite the coup back in the day.  (You wouldn’t catch these folks talking to Johnny Carson or Joey Bishop!  Lol)  kk

 

A couple of other recommendations from our readers …

 

Timmy C sent us this announcement from legendary deejay Shadoe Stevens about HIS new program …

MARCH 1st, 2020 

As Covid set in and we were all going into lock down …

I decided to try to create something funny and uplifting.

I started writing. It took off.

Thank you for the support, 

Shadoe Stevens

There now Tens of Thousands of Listeners,

11 hours of Cinematic Audio, and

25 pages of rave reviews like these:

“I’ve found my new Star Wars” 

"Beautifully envisioned, produced, and more fun than most of us should be allowed.”

“It’s Word Jazz!!

“It’s Theater of the Mind on Jet Fuel” 

"Monty Python meets Get Smart meets Dr. Seuss meets Pork”

“I haven’t heard anything close to this level of writing, production, sound, and creativity in the last 20 years.” 

"Ridiculously timeless. 

This will be relevant long after we have left this earth.”

"Artistically Stunning & Outrageously, Thrilling, Enlightening & Very Funny!!!

"Hilarious, mind bending, awakening, healing.

"You’ll be hard pressed to find anything comparable” 

"Sometimes it’s so quick you’re already laughing about something, and then laugh about both thoughts.

"This is one rabbit hole you'll enjoy getting lost in!”

"I’ve officially accomplished little this weekend other than consumption of Mental Radio. 

Every single one I’ve heard is a masterpiece.” 

“An Audio-Visual Acid Trip of Spiritual Crack”

 "I actually had to pause it because I was laughing so hard. 

I love this, great work.”

"There are only two kinds of people:

those that love Mental Radio …

and those that haven’t heard it.”

 

And, from Bob Verbos …

 

Kent,

I’ve stumbled upon an interesting set of YouTube videos called Pop Goes the 60s.

They are done by Matt Williamson and typically come in two or three parts.

Matt gives a thorough history of groups including the Yardbirds, the Association, Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Turtles, the Zombies, the Flirtations and several other 60s music topics.

Matt covers the genesis and development of the groups, including the coming and going of the various members, and also includes short song clips as he traces the histories of the 60s groups. Most groups/topics are covered in two or three videos of about 20 minutes each.

I find these videos interesting and entertaining - well worth a look! 

Bob Verbos

 

In what has quickly dissolved into Micky Dolenz Week, we  just got THIS bit of news from David Salidor …

 

DOLENZ TAKES NYC

Talk about a Dolenz NY moment ...

While visiting NBC for an appearance Wednesday on NY LIVE at 30 Rock, Dolenz met up with NBC's weather-guru Al Roker. Friends for years, they shared some memories and posed for this shot.

 


Then Dolenz made his appearance on NY LIVE with host Sara Gore.

 

 

I’m telling you, this guy never lets up!!!  STILL The Hardest Working Man In Show Business, some sixty years later!!!  It’s unreal!

 

The other day we mentioned Micky’s upcoming “Headquarters” tour, where he’ll perform The Monkees’ classic 1967 album from start to finish (along with all of the other great Monkees Hits, now accompanied by video of the whole group.)

 

Here’s the latest tour schedule:

 

April 1 Orlando, FL, The Plaza Live
April 2 Clearwater, FL, Bilheimer Capitol Theatre
April 4 Virginia Beach, VA, Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
April 5 Annapolis, MD, Maryland Hall
April 7 Atlantic City, NJ, Ocean Resort
April 8 Vienna, VA, The Barns At Wolf Trap
April 10 Chester, NY, Sugar Loaf PAC
April 11 Huntington, NY, The Paramount
April 12 Englewood, NJ, Bergen PAC
April 14 Ridgefield, CT, The Ridgefield Playhouse
April 15 Beverly, MA, The Cabot
April 16 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn’s Peak
April 18 Warren, OH, Robins Theatre
April 19 Kent, OH, The Kent Stage
April 22 Royal Oak (Detroit), MI, Royal Oak Music Theatre
April 23 Milwaukee, WI, The Pabst Theater
April 24 Sault Ste. Marie - Kewadin Casino - Dream Makers Theater
April 25 Niagara Falls, ON, Fallsview Casino Resort - Avalon Theatre
April 26 Niagara Falls, ON, Fallsview Casino Resort - Avalon Theatre
April 27 Niagara Falls, ON, Fallsview Casino Resort - Avalon Theatre
April 29 Minneapolis, MN, Pantages Theatre
June 8 to June 11 Park City, UT, Egyptian Theatre

 

We've got posts planned throughout the weekend, including a VERY SPECIAL Tribute to Andy Gibb on Sunday, which would have been Andy's 65th Birthday.  (Me-TV-FM will also be saluting Andy on his special day.)

 

Please be sure to stop back and visit!  (kk)