The other day we celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the premier of the legendary TV music series "Shindig!"
Well, our FH Buddy Harvey Kubernik put together an EXTRAORDINARY piece on this revolutionary program that you can enjoy right here:
https://bestclassicbands.com/shindig-jack-good-8-31-24/
And then he ALSO sent us a couple of awesome pieces of memorabilia to share with our readers ...
The Press Release is Courtesy of the Harvey Kubernik Archives ...
While The Shindig! Show Flier is Courtesy of the Gary Pig Gold Archives
THANKS, GUYS!!! (How cool is this stuff?!?!) kk
[By the way, Harvey's next book, "SCREEN GEMS: (POP MUSIC DOCUMENTARIES and ROCK ‘N’ ROLL TELEVISION MOMENTS)," coming out early next year, will feature a greatly expanded version of his "Shindig!" piece.]
AN OFFER TOO GOOD TO PASS UP ...
How'd you like to own the ENTIRE "Shindig!" series on DVD???
All 86 episodes are available NOW thru The Video Beat ... complete and uncut.
Check out this list of artists who appeared on the program (and there were many, many more!)
Little Richard, The Angels, The Righteous Brothers, Sam Cooke, The Everly Brothers, Johnny Rivers, The Beatles, P.J. Proby, Roy Orbison, The Hondells, Manfred Mann, Adam Faith, Jackie Wilson, The Honeycombs, Jay & the Americans, Billy J. Kramer, Leon Russell, The Miracles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Glen Campbell, Hank Williams, Jr., The Supremes, Freddy Cannon, Aretha Franklin, The Chambers Brothers, The Dixie Cups, Chubby Checker, The Isley Brothers, The Beach Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones, The Detergents, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Zombies, Freddie and the Dreamers, The Kingsmen, Peter & Gordon, The Condors, The Coasters, The Ventures, Del Shannon, Herman's Hermits, The Temptations, Dee Dee Sharp, Joe Tex, Little Eva, The Beau Brummels, The Drifters, The Standells, Chuck Berry, Jewel Akens, The Blossoms, Martha and the Vandellas, Lesley Gore, Millie Small, The Shangri-Las, The Mindbenders, Ian Whitcomb, The Four Tops, Sonny & Cher, Dino, Desi & Billy, Ray Charles, Howlin' Wolf, Jackie DeShannon, Major Lance, Marianne Faithfull, Billy Preston, The Byrds, Shelley Fabares, Gene Pitney, The Chiffons, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, The Nashville Teens, Donovan, Bobby Goldsboro, Bo Diddley, James Brown, Booker T. & the MG's, The Searchers, The McCoys, Raquel Welch, The Yardbirds, Georgie Fame, Little Anthony & the Imperials, The Hollies, The Who, Charlie Rich, Jr. Walker and the All-Stars, The Animals, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Newbeats, Fontella Bass, The Strangeloves, The Turtles, Ricky Nelson, David Jones, We Five, The Grass Roots, The Mamas & Papas, Barry McGuire, The Knickerbockers, AND MANY MORE!
Order YOUR copy today right here:
https://www.thevideobeat.com/rock-roll-tv/shindig-all-86-episodes.html
Stevie Wonder has made headlines over the course of the past several weeks with an impromptu performance at The Democratic National Convention here in Chicago (he sang “Higher Ground” in support of Kamala Harris’ presidential nomination) … and then released a new tune called “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart.”
And now, out of the blue, Wonder has announced a ten-city
tour coming up next month. (Much like Stevie, we never saw it coming!)
October 8th - Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
October 10th - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
October 12th - Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
October 15th - Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
October 17th - Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
October 19th - Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
October 22nd - Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
October 24th - Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum
October 27th - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
October 30th - Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
Could there be more? (Seems like an
awful lot of effort going into this to just play ten cities!) Stay tuned.
(Tickets for these shows went on sale on Friday) kk
REO Speedwagon have announced that they’ll be calling it quits at the end of the year, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.
Actually, although that’s the way their official announcement is written, the group may have already given their last show …
If so, that took place on September 8th at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. Their final shows as part of a shared bill with Train, scheduled for Chula Vista, California and Phoenix, Arizona were both cancelled because long-time lead vocalist Kevin Cronin is “under doctors’ care” for an undisclosed illness. Ironically, it was the fact that bassist Bruce Hall had been missing in action for several months after having back surgery, not returning to the fold under doctors’ orders, that reportedly caused some animosity between him and Cronin. (Cronin has long been the most familiar connection to the band … despite not being an original member. He joined the group just in time to record their second album and then left for four years, returning in 1976 and has been fronting the band ever since. In that respect, he has been the one “constant” that the fans have known and loved for the past five decades.) With Hall out of commission and long-time keyboardist Neal Doughtry having retired in 2023, Derek Hilland and Matt Bissonette have been filling in on keyboards and bass in the interim. They have been joined on stage by guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hit, both of whom had been with the group since 1989.
REO still has two more shows scheduled in California and an
October residency at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, as well as a few other
dates stretching through November. No
official word yet as to whether or not these gigs will also be cancelled.
There was a time here in Chicago where it seemed REO was the opening act for
nearly every major group that passed thru our windy city. I couldn’t even begin to count the number of
times I saw them up on the stage throughout the ‘70’s, despite never really scoring
a major national hit. (Several of their
album cuts got regular airplay here in The Midwest … but for whatever reason,
they just couldn’t seem to breakthrough on a national level.)
That all changed in 1980 with the release of their “High Infidelity” album, which generated the #1 hit “Keep On Loving You.” They continued to have Top 40 Hits throughout the decade, including another #1 Record with “Can’t Fight This Feeling” in 1985.
It is the end of an era for these Illinois rockers. Their tour in tandem with Train was by all account a resounding success. We hate to see them go. (kk)
Frank B tells us about ...
ANOTHER FREE COUSIN BRUCIE CONCERT ---
kk ...
9/26/24 ... PNC BANK ARTS CENTER, NEW JERSEY
Darlene Love + Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis ,Jr. + The Sountrack Of Our Lives with Debra Rennard & Al Sapienza
FRANK B
Please report back if any of you get the chance to see this great show! (kk)
Look for a brand new, 50th Anniversary Editon of George Harrison’s second solo album, “Living In The Material World,” coming out in November.
Several configurations will be released … but the bulk of the new material seems to center around alternate versions, mixes and early takes of the following songs:
"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (Take 18;
Acoustic Version)
"Sue Me, Sue You Blues (Take 5)"
"The Light That Has Lighted the World (Take 13)"
"Don't Let Me Wait Too Long (Take 49; Acoustic Version)"
"Who Can See It (Take 93)"
"Living in the Material World (Take 31)"
"The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord) (Take 3)"
"Be Here Now (Take 8)"
"Try Some Buy Some (Alternative Version)"
"The Day the World Gets 'Round (Take 22; Acoustic Version)"
"That Is All (Take 24)"
"Miss O'Dell (2024 Mix)"
"Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)"
The Eagles posted this memoriam to their dear friend J.D. Souther who passed away last week …
We have lost a brother, a friend and a brilliant collaborator, and the world has lost a great songwriter, a pioneer of the Southern California sound that emerged in the 1970s. J.D. Souther was smart, talented, well-read, and in possession of a wicked sense of humor. He loved a good meal, a good movie, and a good Martini ... and he loved dogs, adopting many, over the course of his lifetime. Born in Detroit and raised in the Texas Panhandle, he was a student of the deep roots of the best American music - from country, to jazz, to classical, as well as “Standards” from the Great American Songbook - and that knowledge and appreciation informed his work. He was a crucial co-writer on many of our most popular songs, including, The Best of My Love, New Kid in Town, and Heartache Tonight. J.D. also collaborated on many of Don Henley’s solo works, including The Heart of the Matter, Little Tin God, If Dirt Were Dollars and Talking to the Moon.
We mourn his loss and we send our condolences to his family, his friends, and his many fans around the world. He was an extraordinary man and will be greatly missed by many.
Adios, old friend. Travel well.
The Eagles
Souther was due to begin a tour with Karla Bonoff at the time of his passing. Perhaps one of his most beautiful works was Don Henley’s “Heart Of The Matter” …
Meanwhile, The Eagles kicked off their weekend residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas last Friday Night with what was, by ALL accounts, an incredible first show.
The graphics and special effects have been worked to best represent their extensive catalog of hits, many of which were on display Friday Night. (My God, they kicked off the show with "Hotel California," usually a show-closer or encore!!! Who would have ever thought?!?!)
You can see a few clips (and read a review here):
And also get Billboard's take here:
https://www.billboard.com/lists/eagles-sphere-concert-review-las-vegas-residency/
Here's their opening night set list ...
Hotel
California
One Of These Nights
Lyin’ Eyes
Take It To The Limit
Witchy Woman
Peaceful Easy Feeling
Tequila Sunrise
In the City
I Can’t Tell You Why
New Kid In Town
Seven Bridges Road (that’s the one they normally start with!)
These Shoes
Life’s Been Good (Joe Walsh)
Already Gone
The Boys of Summer (Don Henley)
Life in the Fast Lane
ENCORE:
Take It Easy
Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh)
Desperado
Heartache Tonight
From Harvey Kubernik …
On August 26, 1969, my brother Kenneth and I sat up front at Los Angeles’ Greek Theater venue. We’re teenagers but even we recognize that this particular concert has a gravity that distinguishes it from previous rock 'n' roll shows we’ve attended, where little was at stake beyond experiencing a dizzying euphoria. This night's music insisted on our undivided attention, that we sit up and listen, really listen.
A beguiling young singer/songwriter from Canada strolled onstage. Accompanying herself on guitar, Joni Mitchell's unerring command of mood, of tempo, of temperament, her reverence for the deeply personal as a means to explore the universal, showcases a talent of a higher order. The audience was now suitably primed. She was followed by the headliners, fresh off a tumultuous success at Max Yasgur's upstate New York farm - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
What Ken and I recall most clearly were, of course, those exquisite vocal harmonies; the finely-wrought arrangements, all those gleaming guitars - acoustic and electric - lined up like a phalanx of artillery ready to rumble; Neil, sitting at a Hammond B-3, smearing chords while "Sea of Madness" crackled like thunder.
In 2020, I asked Ken what he recalled about this gig. In 1967 we saw Buffalo Springfield at the nearby Hollywood Bowl venue.
“An ocean of ink has washed ashore over the years detailing CSN&Y’s sumptuous sound (early on), the prima donna antics (Persian carpets and private jets), the sordid behaviours (aka the ‘Frozen noses’) and the endless fits masquerading as artistic license.
“It’s an exhausting litany and yet there were moments of such incandescent beauty that the whole tawdry enterprise was not beyond redemption. Bootlegs from the earliest gigs in summer 1969-the Greek Theater and the Fillmore East in New York–document that ineffable, pitch-perfect rapport between voices and guitars in shimmering balance that toiled like church bells.”
In 2022 I interviewed David Crosby and he explained the impact of Neil Young joining CSN&Y.
“The greatest strength we had was as songwriters. That was our main number one strength. And the trick that we had was that we had several. Now most bands had one. Some had two. What that gets you is that if you are painting a picture and you have a number of colors on your palate, if you are working with somebody else, they have different colors on their palate. If they have six and they have nine, all of a sudden you have sixteen colors. It’s a better painting.
“Now, when you are making albums, the problem of having one writer is that he or she tends to write very similarly song to song. With the four of us we had four drastically different writing styles, four ways of conceiving a song. They were very different.
“Now I will go out on a limb and say Stills was the best of us. I think he was, without question, the best songwriter, the best singer and the best guitar player. All three. But I think all four of us had real skill as songwriters and our stuff was very different than each other. I think that’s one of the main reasons that it made it.”
I asked Crosby how he knew Neil Young could work in the existing CS&N trio format?
“I’ll tell you exactly. I was sittin’ in Joni’s driveway on Lookout Mountain Drive in Laurel Canyon. And Neil drove by and he saw me out there, turned around at the next stop and came back down and pulled in. Gets out of his car and pulls out a guitar. Now this is when we are considering asking him to be in the group. And he knows that. He knows that Nash is against it. And he knows I’m kind of on the fence, and he knows Stills is for it. That kind of makes me the decider. I didn’t say anything. That’s how it was, right? Neil sat down on the trunk of the car with me, the two of us, him with the guitar, and he sang ‘Helpless,’ ‘Country Girl,’ and a few other things. And I said ‘I wanna work with this guy. This is too good.’ It was about the writing. It was all about those songs.
“He’s not as good as a guitar player as Stills. We didn’t need him for that. We did need a guitar player when Stills was playing keyboard. And that was a big factor in what Stills said to us about bringing Neil in. But, for me, it was only about those songs. They were excellent. Excellent. And they were completely different from us and I knew what would happen when we add those Crosby, Stills, Nash vocal sound to a song like that. I knew what ‘Helpless’ would sound like. And I knew what we could do. It was irresistible. Of course, I wanted to work with him.”
And here's an incredible Henry Diltz photo (courtesy of Harvey and our buddy Gary Strobl, from the Diltz Archive) taken at Peter Tork's house!
And, inspired by some of our recent posts, here are a few more photos from new FH Reader Jim Roup …
60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
9/22/64 - "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." premieres on NBC-TV.
It stars Robert Vaughn and David McCallum as secret agent/spies Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakan and was inspired by the success of the very successful James Bond film franchise
Also on 9/22, “Fiddler On The Roof” opens at The Imperial Theater on Broadway where it will run for 3242 performances
