Saturday, April 6, 2024

THE SATURDAY SURVEY

 

"Can't Buy Me Love" moves into the #1 spot in its fourth week on the chart.  (What a ride ... #94 to #24 to #2 to #1!)

"Twist And Shout" slips down a notch to #2 and "She Loves You" hangs in there at #3 ... it has now been on The Super Chart for twelve weeks.

"I Want To Hold Your Hand" is still hanging in there, too ... it's locked in the #7 position, just ahead of The Dave Clark Five's "Glad All Over."  (The press is already playing up the rivalry between The Beatles and The DC5)

Both have other records on the chart this week ... 

The Dave Clark Five's "Bits And Pieces" sits at #27, up from #50 ...

And there doesn't seem to be any let up in Beatlemania ...

The Fab Four also have records at #10 ("Please Please Me"), #13 ("Do You Want To Know A Secret"), #41 ("Roll Over Beethoven), #45 ("All My Loving"), #51 ("You Can't Do That"), "#54 ("Thank You Girl"), "#60 ("From Me To You"), #68 ("I Saw Her Standing There") and #88 ("Love Me Do)

That makes THIRTEEN Top 100 Hits (and one new one bubbling under ... "There's A Place," the flip side of "Twist And Shout" premiers at #106.)

Other Brits on the chart this week include The Searchers ("Needles And Pins," #14), The Swinging Blue Jeans ("Hippy Hippy Shake," #22) and Dusty Springfield ("Stay Awhile," #49)

A fun one to watch ... "(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet" by The Reflections.  They're out of Detroit, Michigan ... and they're not even a black group signed to Motown!!!  This is a future Top Ten Record for sure!

Friday, April 5, 2024

The Friday Flash

Much as I expected, Jeff Lynne is going to take a little longer to say goodbye on his Farewell Tour.


Lynne announced second shows in several cities (including one here in Chicago) as well as a whole NEW list of cities ELO will be stopping by during their late-summer / early-fall "Over And Out" Tour ...

 

Here's the updated itinerary ... still subject to change in the way of more additional shows ...

 

August 24, 2024 Palm Desert, CA Acrisure Arena
August 27, 2024 Seattle, WA Climate Pledge Arena
August 28, 2024 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
August 30, 2024 Portland, OR Moda Center
September 1, 2024 San Francisco, CA Chase Center
September 6, 2024 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center
September 7, 2024 Indianapolis, IN Gainbridge Fieldhouse
September 9, 2024 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
September 10, 2024 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena
September 13, 2024 Cincinnati, OH Heritage Bank Center
September 14, 2024 Cleveland, OH Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
September 16, 2024 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
September 17, 2024 New York, NY Madison Square Garden – ADDED SHOW
September 20, 2024 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
September 21, 2024 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center – ADDED SHOW
September 23, 2024 Boston, MA TD Garden
September 25, 2024 Washington, DC Capital One Arena
September 27, 2024 Chicago, IL United Center
September 28, 2024 Chicago, IL United Center – ADDED SHOW

(Frannie caved and bought tickets for the added show)
September 30, 2024 St, Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
October 2, 2024 Denver, CO Ball Arena
October 9, 2024 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena
October 11, 2024 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
October 12, 2024 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
October 15, 2024 Austin, TX Moody Center
October 16, 2024 Houston, TX Toyota Center
October 18, 2024 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
October 21, 2024 Phoenix, AZ Footprint Center
October 23, 2024 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
October 25, 2024 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum
October 26, 2024 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum – ADDED SHOW


What WAS a surprise was Heart adding THIRTY new dates to their "Royal Flush" Tour, including new dates with a variety of supporting acts such as Cheap Trick, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Jon Bonham's Led Zeppelin.  (Heart is also doing spot appearances with Def Leppard and The Steve Miller Band)


Here is THEIR new, updated list of tour dates ... which will now keep them on the road thru December.  (Hmm ... just in time for another New Year's Eve Concert ... which is how this whole thing kicked off in the first place!)


Hey, I'm just glad that they're all getting along ... and that we FINALLY get to see them when they hit Chicago on May 17th!


PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED DATES:

April 20 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
April 22 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena
April 25 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live (in Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood)*
April 26 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
April 28 – New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (multi-act event)**
May 1 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center (special guest TBD)
May 3 – Thackerville, OK – Lucas Oil Live at WinStar World Casino and Resort*
May 4 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
May 7 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse
May 10 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
May 11 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
May 13 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
May 15 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
May 17 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
May 18 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
May 21 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
May 23 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
May 24 – Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock Live*
July 30 – Cleveland, OH – Progressive Field**(with Def Leppard & Journey)
August 1 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
August 2 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre** (with Def Leppard & Journey)
August 5 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park** (with Def Leppard & Journey)
August 7 – Quebec City, QC – Videotron Centre
August 8 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
August 10 – Albany, NY – MVP Arena
August 11 – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
August 13 – Cincinnati, OH – Heritage Bank Center
August 15 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
August 16 – Hinckley, MN – Grand Casino Hinckley Amphitheater*
August 18 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena
August 21 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
August 23 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum
August 24 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson Boling Arena at Food City Center
August 27 – Norfolk, VA – Scope Arena
August 28 – Allentown, PA – The Great Allentown Fair*
September 17 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
September 20 – West Valley City, UT – Maverik Center
September 22 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre (special guest TBD)
*An Evening With / non-AEG event
**festival / stadium dates ON SALE NOW

New dates:

September 26 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
September 28 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena
September 29 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
October 2 – Lubbock, TX – United Supermarkets Arena
October 4 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
October 5 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
October 8 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
October 10 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
October 12 – North Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena
October 14 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
October 16 – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
October 17 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum
October 19 – Charlottesville, VA – John Paul Jones Arena
October 21 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
November 13 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at BJCC
November 14 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum
November 16 – Wichita, KS – Intrust Bank Arena
November 19 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
November 21 – Moline, IL – Vibrant Arena at The MARK
November 22 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center
November 24 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
November 27 – Saskatoon, SK – Sasktel Centre
November 29 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
November 30 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
December 3 – Vancouver, BC – Pacific Coliseum
December 5 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena
December 7 – Boise, ID – Extra Mile Arena
December 9 – Sacramento, CA – Golden1 Center
December 12 – Bakersfield, CA – Mechanics Bank Arena (special guest TBA)
December 13 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena
December 15 – Las Vegas, NV – Fontainebleau Las Vegas (An Evening With)

Pophouse has purchased the rights to the entire Kiss catalog, their likenesses, their make-up and all of the new Kiss avatar material that they’ve developed and plans on putting on a new stage production similar to the avatar type show reaping in big bucks for ABBA Voyage … and they paid $300 Million for it!

Now, artists like Kiss and ABBA (and God knows how many others in the years to come) can live on forever, for ALL the ages to enjoy.  (It’ll be like watching Monkees reruns only with a little more flash!  Lol)

These artists will ultimately become “frozen in time” … forever young and at their peak, performing their best material for generations to come.  (Speaking of “forever young,” Rod Stewart just recently sold HIS catalog and likeness as well.  This is no longer “the wave of the future” … but rather the reality of the music biz today.) 

And, speaking of ABBA’s Voyage show, could it be coming to Las Vegas for a permanent residency???

 

That’s the rumor … and it sounds like talks have been underway for a while now.

 

It seems a logical move … and there’s still talks of a touring company possibly coming to the States as well …

 

But this is a VERY expensive and elaborate show to be undertaking.  (Then again the music of ABBA has proven to be timeless … and it sells … “Mamma Mia” played in theaters for YEARS and then spawned two major motion pictures!!!  So never underestimate the music of ABBA!!!)

 

More to come as the deal gets signed … which could be VERY soon now that the Kiss deal is out of the bag!  (Honey, pack your bags … we may be going back to Vegas after all!)  kk

 

On a smaller (but much more affordable scale ... THIS one will only cost you $25 bucks!), we’ve got another exclusive Dick Biondi screening planned for May 26th


Hosted by The Moonlight Theatre in St. Charles, IL, Pam will be on hand to do some post-screening Q&A … and there’s even a pre-show of entertainment, featuring singer Joe Cantafio and comedian Matt Kissane.

 

And your $25 ticket goes toward raising the balance of funds needed to cover the licensing of the film for both theatrical and DVD release as well as airings on WTTW / PBS.

 

More details from Pam below …

 

Hope to see you out there on the 26th of May!  (kk)

 

Dear Friends,

Exciting things are happening for the Dick Biondi Film project.  First of all, we are in the final stage of licensing copyrighted materials which means, in a matter of weeks, we will have what is known as “picture lock.”  Once we have picture lock, we will proceed with color and sound balancing, close captioning, and final output.  WTTW has seen the film and we will be in discussion with them just as soon as all of this is completed.  

To help with finishing funds, the Moonlight Theatre in St. Charles has generously offered to host a fundraiser for us on Sunday, May 26, 2024.  We are super excited to have our good friends and very talented entertainers Joe Cantafio and Matt Kissane sharing music, stories, laughs, and lots of fun. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this fun event!  

 

Seating is limited so please share the attached poster with your friends and family members for the opportunity to see “The Voice That Rocked America: The Dick Biondi Story".  If you're on Facebook please share our event.

 

Here is the link for tickets --

 

See you there! 



And check THIS out …

 

If you were a fan of the inventive television series “Dark Shadows,” you won’t want to miss this special fan get-together tribute coming in July …



Dark Shadows Remembrance Weekend Tribute To Lara Parker & Jonathan Frid Featuring Original Cast Members Reunion - Burbank, CA July 5th!

Legendary gothic soap opera Dark Shadows reunion with original cast members

David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Nancy Barrett, Jerry Lacy, Roger Davis,

James Storm and Lisa Richards!

Plans are now complete for a very special Dark Shadows Remembrance Weekend to celebrate the life of Lara Parker, who played Angelique, and pay tribute to the 100th birthday of Jonathan Frid, who played Barnabas Collins. This rare and very special occasion reunites original Dark Shadows cast members to celebrate the lives of beloved colleagues Lara Parker and Jonathan Frid and meet devoted fans of the 1960s Gothic TV series that “kids ran home from school to watch!”

To be held at the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel, July 5th, Dark Shadows cast members, including David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Nancy Barrett, Jerry Lacy, Roger Davis, James Storm and Lisa Richards, will be celebrating Lara Parker, who passed away last October at age 84. 

July 6th, Dark Shadows cast members will celebrate Jonathan Frid’s centenary with a lunch, entertainment, autographs and collector gift bags. Eventbrite tickets: $60, inclusive. 

Hotel accommodations at special rates: 

Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel 

PH: (888) 236-2437

To receive special Dark Shadows discount Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel sleeping room rates, call the Marriott reservation line at 1-888-236-2427 … or book via the following link before June 13 at https://bit.ly/3PZu92v. A complimentary hotel shuttle from the Hollywood Burbank Airport (aka the Bob Hope Airport) to the nearby Marriott Hotel is available. Dark Shadows attendees receive discounted parking at the hotel.

Dark Shadows was an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport, Maine, where a series of supernatural occurrences take place.

Dark Shadows became popular when vampire Barnabas Collins played by actor Jonathan Frid was introduced ten months into its run. It would also feature ghosts, werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and a parallel universe. A small troupe of actors each played many roles; as actors came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor. The show was distinguished by its melodramatic performances, atmospheric set designs, unusual storylines, numerous plot twists, adventurous music score, broad range of characters, and heroic adventures. Dark Shadows developed a large teenage audience and a dedicated cult following. By 1969, it had become ABC’s highest-rated daytime series with viewership in the millions!

 

The original network run of the show amassed 1,225 episodes. The success of the series spawned a media franchise that has included two feature films (House of Dark Shadows in 1970 and Night of Dark Shadows in 1971), a 1991 TV remake, a 2012 film reboot directed by Tim Burton, and numerous spin-off novels and comics. Kathryn Leigh Scott has narrated all 27 vintage Dark Shadows novels by Marilyn Ross for Oasis Audiobooks, available on Amazon.com.

 

Hey Kent,

I saw today for the first time a commercial with an old song playing in the background. I was channel surfing and tuned into the golf game on NBC.  The commercial playing was for Footjoy, which was new to me. I am not a golfer ... but the song playing in the background was Marty Robbins's 1960 crossover song, BIG IRON. It wasn't Robbins singing though.
Larry Neal

“Big Iron” was a minor crossover hit thanks to Robbins topping the charts with his previous single, “El Paso.”  It peaked at #22 in Music Vendor … and #26 in both Billboard and Cash Box Magazine.

It was one of FIFTEEN Top 40 Hits Marty Robbins scored on the National Pop Charts between 1957 and 1970.  The biggest among them were the previously-mentioned “El Paso” (#1, 1960), “A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation),” #2, 1957 and “Don’t Worry” (#2, 1961)

 

For readers not familiar with the tune (myself included!) here it is ...

 

An unusual choice for a golf commercial!  (kk)

 

 

And how wild is this ...

The very next day FH Reader Timmy sent us this clip, calling it "Song Of The Day" ...

 

This Just In from our Forgotten Hits Cruise Director, Chuck Buell!

 

For those of you who have confirmed your cabin on the 

"First Annual Official Forgotten Hits Summer Cruise,"

here's a photo of the ship we'll be cruisin' on!

 

 

This New Ship just started cruising April First!

 

Fun Times await!

 

CB ( which stands for "Cruise-Director" Boy!" )


😎

 

And, speaking of Chuck Buell, our very own version of Show-Biz Shelley sent us this in response to Chuck's cicada piece from earlier this week ...

 

>>>There are two Cicada groups, a 13-year Brood and a 17-year Brood, that rarely appear at the same time ... but this year their cycles will align, an occurrence that happens only once every 221 years!  This is a once-in-a-lifetime event!  (CB)

Well, only for those reaching 221 years in age. For those of us nearing 442, we have seen it before. And Kent, YES, they are around every year, being the "sounds of summer,"  (And you thought it was The Beach Boys) 
It is these massive family reunion years that bring their family members to the surface to find each other again. 
"Hey Cicadas! Where are you going now?"
"WE'RE GOING TO DISNEYWORLD!"
Shelley

And, speaking of Show-Biz Shelley, look for her review of Tony Orlando's farewell concert, next week in Forgotten Hits!  (kk) 

 

60 YEARS AGO TODAY:

4/5/64 – The Searchers make their American television debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show”

Also on 4/5, Five-Star General and World War II Hero Douglas MacArthur dies.  He was 84