Last week, Paul McCartney announced the release of a new book celebrating the music and career of Wings.
I sometimes find it hard to consider Wings to be a single "entity" ... although the team of Paul, Linda and Denny Laine remained a constant, the rest of the band passed thru a series of resolving doors, most only sticking around for an album or two. (That being said, I pre-ordered my copy IMMEDIATELY!!!)
In reading Allan Kozinn's and Adrian Sinclair's massive tombs covering "The McCartney Legacy" (I'm about 650-pages into the second 700-page volume), a key factor in the frustration of these other band members was having their parts dictated to them rather than being able to experience and "feel" the music the way a real band does, with contributions from all parties concerned.
That being said, I saw Wings perform live a number of times in the '70's and there is no doubt that they were an extremely tight group of accomplished players. (And McCartney's songwriting and hit ratio sets the bar pretty high ... how does one argue with what he hears in his head and wants to hear on the record???)
From the official announcement:
A new book by Paul McCartney, edited with an introduction by Ted Widmer
Drawn from over 500,000 words, based on dozens of hours of interviews with Paul and numerous key players in the band’s orbit, Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run weaves together the improbable trajectory of Paul McCartney and his newly formed band (featuring co-founding members Linda McCartney and Denny Laine) across the technicolor 1970s until their dissolution in 1981.
Joey Molland has died. Although not an original member, he was the last surviving member of Badfinger's stellar line-up known the world over.
Sadly, this was an inevitable headline waiting to happen ...
Joey had been quite sick for quite awhile now, cancelling numerous dates and appearances over the past several months.
After being signed to the Apple Record label, Badfinger rose to stand outside The Beatles' shadow, putting together a quick string of four Top Ten hits in the early '70's. Sadly, tragedy has always seemed to plague this group.
Our condolences to all the fans and friends who followed Joey throughout his career. (kk)
Joey died Saturday night. He'd been ill for several months, and had
rallied a few times but kept declining. He was such an interesting guy,
and the only surviving member of a band that tragedy seemed to surround.
Joey was also the only British rock star I ever
met and talked in depth with. He was full of interesting stories about the
Liverpool scene of the 60s and 70s. (I met Peter Noone ... but we didn't stand around and talk about the Liverpool scene the way Joey enjoyed recounting it.) RIP Joey.
David Lewis
I
have never seen such an outpouring of sorrow as I just saw on Facebook
concerning Joey Molland. He was a favorite of mine, and so nice!
Apparently, every musician I know on FB feels the same way. It just
verifies it for me.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
BADFINGER'S BIG FOUR
(Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland, Mike Gibbons)
1970 - Come And Get It (US - #3 / UK - #4)
1970 - No Matter What (US - #4 / UK - #5)
1971 - Day After Day (US - #1 / UK - #10)
1972 - Baby Blue (US - #9 / UK - #xx)
Here's a Forgotten Hits Exclusive!
kk ...
You Know My Favorite Group Is The Platters And I Have A FACEBOOK Group About Them.
The Other Day I Came Across This Message --
Jim Peterik Said That He Wrote A Song For The Platters -- "THE MUSIC REMEMBERS" -- And Gave No Other Details.
Could You Talk To Him & See If You Can Get More Information?
Since All The Original Platters Are Dead, I Guess He's Talking About The Current Phony Group Of Platters.
Thanks.
FB
I put your question right to Jim Peterik, as this was certainly news to me. (My first thought was that if there was any truth to this story at all, it was likely that Jim wrote the songs "for" The Platters, meaning as a tribute to the group ... a thank you and celebration, if you will, for all the great music they gave us over the years ... as opposed to a song FOR The Platters, meaning a song for them to record.)
But it turns out that Jim did, INDEED, write a song for the group to perform and record!
Here is your answer, right from the horse's mouth, so to speak ...
Hi Kent.
Yup!
The Ides played an oldies cruise last month with the likes
of Chubby Checker, Gary Lewis, Chris Montez and more. But one night we
went to the main room to watch the new (official) Platters and we were
blown away. They had the vibe, the moves and the respect for their mission!
We got
to hanging out with them the next day and they asked Chris May, a member
of the Ides of March team, if I would like to write a song for their new
album.
When I got home, I got right to work on a new song that
echoes the style of the original Platters / Buck Ram classics. It’s called
"The Music Remembers," featuring 4-part harmony and a nostalgic yet
modernized feel.
I recorded a demo of the song at my studio with Larry Millas, with me singing and playing all the parts as an example for them to hear. So far early reception from one of their representatives gave us some very positive preliminary feedback.
I’d be so honored to help further the legacy of one of mine and my sisters’ favorite groups when they were still dancing in poodle skirts in the 50’s!.
I’ll keep you posted!
Jimbo
So there you have it!
Stay tuned for more details ... and (if we get REALLY lucky) maybe even a sneak peek of the tune via Jim's demo!
And by the way, Jim says this new group of Platters sound absolutely
GREAT in concert ... you may want to check them out ... they are staying
true to all the great music we grew up loving.
(I guess I've resigned
myself to the fact that the ONLY way new listeners out there are ever
going to discover this music is thru "tribute groups" like this going
out there, paying honor and respect to it, and winning over new fans.
This is especially true once all of the original members have passed.) kk
UPDATE:Billboard Magazine has updated their “Forever
#1” series to include all THREE of Roberta Flack’s #1 Pop Hits … as well as
Robert John’s #1 Record “Sad Eyes.”
You can check ALL of them out via the links below:
Just checking out yesterday's Top 100. I guess Goldfinger was big that week! Also pretty cool to see Mariane Faithful at #100.
I hope all's well with you!
Frank Sennish
Last week, we recapped "Goldfinger"'s run on the charts ... in all, FIVE
versions made the Billboard chart in 1965. Shirley Bassey’s version was the biggest, ultimately peaking at
#8.But Billy Strange (#55), John Barry
(who wrote the music … and also conducted the orchestra for Shirley Bassey’s
version, #72), Jack LaForge (#96) and Jimmy Smith (#105) also charted with this
tune. (kk)
In FHs today ~~~
>>>Even in the mid-'70's, The Smothers Brothers were still trying to slip things in under the radar of the censors, who were not always the hippest guys on the set! (kk)
Hence the infamous "Modern Spiritual" song reference as spoken by Lawrence Welk, "One Toke Over The Line ( Sweet Jesus! )!
CB
If we have any Moby Grape fans out there, you may enjoy this look back by Harvey Kubernik ...
If you like Moby Grape, or the saga of Moby Grape, take a read of my story on this terrific band.
That
photo you showed of Paul Peek along with Tommy Facenda reminded me of a
couple of records that Peek made that made our local survey in the OKC
area. Don't know if you are familiar with them but the first was in
1959-1960 WALKING THE FLOOR OVER YOU on the NRC label. That's the old
Ernest Tubb song. Under Paul's name on the label, it says "with the Ray
Stevens Orchestra." The flip was a song called HURTIN' INSIDE, written by
Ray Stevens. The second record was PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY from 1966
on Columbia ...
Two records I had not thought of in years much less played.
Larry
Peek didn't have much success as a solo artist ...
It looks like he charted twice with what I can only assume were novelty songs ...
"Brother-In-Law (He's A Moocher)" peaked at #84 in 1971 ... and "Pin The Tail On The Donkey" got as high as #90 in 1966. (kk)
Happy 80th 🎈🎂 Birthday! to Mitch Ryder.
Here's an on stage shot of Mitch at The Palomino Club in L.A.
Lucky
to get a shot of original Wheels drummer Johnny "Bee" Badanjek, who
also played that night.
A guy wearing shades walked by me in the crowd. I
said "Hello Bob!" The gentlemen turned out to be Bob Crewe ... very low key dude.
He was like, "How did you know it was me?"
Thanked him
for all the great 🎵 music!
Jim Roup
This Diamond Ring was co-written by Al Kooper.
How is he doing these days?
Karen B
Al has made no secret over the fact that he never liked Gary Lewis' version of his song, even tho it topped the charts and helped to launch his own songwriting career.
I haven't spoken to him in awhile ... but he's certainly been in the spotlight of late ...
Between being inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (well deserved and LONG overlooked) and his presence in the new Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown," EVERYBODY knows who Al Kooper is again ... and deservedly so. (kk)
And check it out ...
The Monkees are coming back to British TV!!!
MICKY DOLENZ ON GOOD MORNING BRITAIN (PHOTO)
HERE THEY COME!
"The Monkees" returns to British screens on Rewind TV this
March!
Get ready to relive the zany antics, timeless humour and
unforgettable music of The Monkees!
Rewind TV is thrilled to announce
that the beloved 1960s television series will make its grand return to
screens this March, delighting fans both old and new with its blend of
slapstick comedy and chart-topping hits.
Starring Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and
Davy Jones, The Monkees debuted in 1966 and became an instant cultural
phenomenon. The show followed the fictional adventures of a struggling
rock band trying to make it big while navigating a series of comedic
escapades. It captivated audiences with its innovative storytelling
style, fast-paced humour, and groundbreaking use of music videos that
showcased classic hits like "I'm a Believer," "Daydream Believer," and
"Last Train to Clarksville."
"Rewind TV is proud to bring this iconic series back to
audiences who grew up with it and introduce it to a new generation of
fans," said Jonathan Moore, Founder at Rewind TV. "The Monkees' unique
mix of comedy and music continues to resonate today, and we're excited
to share this treasure with our viewers."
Fans can tune in to Rewind TV starting in March to catch
all the laughs, memorable moments, and toe-tapping tunes from The
Monkees. Whether you're a lifelong fan or discovering the show for the
first time, this is a television event you won’t want to miss.
The
Monkees starts on Rewind TV on 3rd March 10.00/18.30.
And don't be at all surprised if some of these great Monkees classics start charting again over in the UK ...
This has been a common phenomena for as long as rock and roll has existed ...
The British are VERY loyal to this music ... and some of these nearly 60 year old classics are very likely to start charting side-by-side with today's hits once again, especially once they're back "in circulation" thanks to their use in the tv series.
The Monkees magic has never waned ... The Pre-Fab Four had eight Top 40 British Hits between 1967 and 1968 ... and they have never fallen out of favor with their fans. (kk)
And here's one just for fun!!!
It's The Rolling Stones ... doing a Rice Krispies commercial!!!
(We ran this a while back ... but when we saw it in Best Classic Bands this weekend, we just HAD to run it again!!!) kk
