Tony's Tygers were just a bunch of teenagers when they first came to the attention of Milwaukee Record Producer Jon Hall of Teen Town Records. They cut their first single "Little By Little" / "Days And Nights" in 1968 and, thanks to a push from future Broadcasters Hall Of Fame Jock Bob Barry (who also wrote the liner notes for their first LP ... and the brand new SECOND album released 40 years later!), the guys soon found themselves all over the local radio dial.
That original band line-up included Tony Dancy on vocals and guitar, Craig Fairchild on keyboards, Dennis Duchrow on drums (he and Dancy wrote their first hit), Fred Euler on bass and Dave Kuck on guitar.
As sales for "Little By Little" began to pick up, the BAND was picked up, too ... by Herb Alpert's A&M Record Label out in Los Angeles. Now with a national release on their hands, Tony's Tygers began to tour a little bit, finding their names on the same bill as several other hot artists of the day such as The Monkees, Tommy James and the Shondells, Roy Orbison, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Del Shannon and many others.
In his book "Do You Hear That Beat - Wisconsin Pop / Rock in the 50's and 60's", historian Gary Myers described Tony's Tygers this way: Tony's Tygers Tony Dancy - gtr (2/28/51; Milwaukee) Dave Kuck - gtr Craig Fairchild - kb Joe Turano - kb Fred Euler - bs Dennis Duchrow - dr Lanny Hale - dr Donna - voc Gloria - voc RELEASES: Normandy LP 30867 - Battle of the Bands (3 LP set live at Ridge Arena, Braintree, MA 8/67) featuring Silence Is Golden / I've Got You Under My Skin along with others by various artists Teen Town 102 - Little By Little / Days And Nights (also as Tonys Tygres) 2/68 A&M 921 - Little By Little / Days And Nights 4/68 Teen Town 105 - Can't Believe / I Still Love Her 6/68 Teen Town 107 - Debbie On My Mind / I'll Know ?/68 WRIT EP - Debbie On My Mind / (2 by Robbs, 1 by Skunks) ?/69 Jamie 1378 - Sing It Altogether / Resurrection (Tygers) ?/69 Teen Town LP 102 - Little By Little ?/68 Passion Target 1014 - Midnight In The Park / She's A Very Special Girl 12/70 Teen Town 121 - Headaches And Heartaches / Castaway ?/71 Although the Tygers and the Tigers both performed in Milwaukee about the same time, never the twain did meet. "I don't think they knew we existed," said Tony Dancy referring to Danny Peil & the Tigers. "I do every once in a while get asked about that and I'm usually not sure what they're talking about." Dancy's group was the younger one, just beginning their teen gigs about the time that Peil's band was changing their name (from the Apollos), and not really hitting their stride until after the older one had dissolved. In the summer of 1967 the Tygers won an area battle of the bands and traveled to Boston where they came in second. "Little By Little," the band's first record, did well enough to earn a national release on A&M but, despite an album and three more singles, not much happened. "The other ones I kind of don't even consider," Dancy said. Finally, in an attempt to inject new life into the band, Dancy added two girl singers and changed the name to Passion. The resulting two singles are barely remembered even by Dancy. With a move to Los Angeles in 1971, Dancy landed a gig as a staff writer composing music for Flintstones cartoons, the Brady Bunch and other television shows. He formed another band, Quiffy, along with Milwaukee keyboardist Doug West and tried for a record deal but none materialized. Dancy later returned to Milwaukee and continued to play clubs. From the vantage point of 1994, the Tyger who made the biggest tracks was keyboard player Joe Turano, who worked with superstar Michael Bolton. In the 00’s, Dancy formed a new version of Tony’s Tigers n Milwaukee. Unrelated Tigers: Colpix, Roulette (Tony Sales & the Tigers) Gary E. Myers / MusicGem (When it comes to the Wisconsin Music Scene, Gary Myers wrote the book ... literally!!! In fact, he's written TWO of them! You can pick up both "DO YOU HEAR THAT BEAT - Wisconsin Pop/Rock in the 50's & 60's" and "ON THAT WISCONSIN BEAT - More Pop/Rock/Soul/Country in the 50's & 60's" from his website here): http://home.earthlink.net/~gem777/
Gary's been a regular contributor to Forgotten Hits for years and, in fact, has even put together a special book offer for all of our interested Forgotten Hits Readers: I'm selling "C stock" copies of "Do You Hear That Beat" for just $10 (these are copies with slightly wrinkled or slightly discolored covers), and I recently reduced the price of "On That Wisconsin Beat" from $31.95 to $26.95. Shipping for 2 books is $4.50 and I take PayPal. Please write if you have any questions. Gary E. Myers gem777@earthlink.net Thanks, Gary, for letting us run your original piece on Tony's Tygers.
Fellow Milwaukee FH Reader Ken Freck, who owns the Musical Memories Record Shop in Milwaukee, also mentioned a competing band called simply "The Tigers" that were on the scene at the time ... but it sounds like it was Tony's Tygers that were causing all the excitement back in '68. Ken sent me a couple of Milwaukee Top 40 Charts, showing their break-through hit "Little By Little" all the way at #2, just behind The Monkees' #1 Hit "Valleri".
(click charts to enlarge)
Here are a few more Tygers photos from back in the day:
Tony's Tygers ... with the "Pick Hit of The Week" at #21!
Hi Kent:
I found a couple of surveys for you with Tony's Tygers 45's on them. They only had one major hit here which was "Little By Little". Excellent Pop-Rock song. They had others that charted a little bit or got some airplay, but nothing to the extent of "Little By Little". "Little By Little" was big here. It was on the local Teen Town label. After it became a huge hit here, A&M records picked it up & released it. Both issues turn up fairly regularly here. There was another group here locally around the same time called simply The Tigers, led by Danny Peil but it was Tony's Tygers that had the big chart success in Milwaukee. I was fairly young when they were in their heyday, so just vague memories of them playing at the clubs around town & CYO Dances. I was more of a Robbs & Messengers guy, so I remember sneaking in to see them a couple of times. The Tygers played the local scene mainly from 1967 to around 70, and then split for various reasons. Led by Tony Dancy, They have partially reunited several times since, playing local venues & reunions etc. which are always fun. They also put out one LP after "Little By Little" became big local hit. (I will try to find a copy of that LP and send you a pic). Ken
Ken has also been a regular contributor to Forgotten Hits for several years ... and, as the owner of the Musical Memories Record Store in Milwaukee, I'm sure he's seen a number of Tony's Tygers records come across his countertop over the years!!!(By the way, you'll see a picture of The Tygers' first LP in tomorrow's edition of Forgotten Hits.)
Here are some of the comments we received after our "Spotlight on Wisconsin" / Local Hits Series ran last week:
re: THE TYGERS: Just hearing the two samples you featured on your website was enough to make me order the new Tygers CD. "Night Walker" sounds like a leftover Atlanta Rhythm Section track - and I just LOVE that "Society's Child" / "Indian Reservation' ending! - you've certainly covered THAT topic a time or two in Forgotten Hits. Now I can't wait to hear the rest of the CD. Hopefully it won't take The Tygers 40 years to record their next one. Thank you for introducing me to this band - I've never heard them before but if they sound THIS good, I've got a hunch we WILL be hearing from them again! Beth Susman Like I said, you'll pick out all kinds of musical influences and references throughout the CD but the songs are still strong enough to stand on their own. (I wonder how many other of our regular Forgotten Hits Readers picked up on that "Society's Child" / "Indian Reservation" ending ... you're right, we HAVE covered this topic a time or two here in FH!!!) Thanks, Beth ... I'm VERY confident that you'll enjoy the whole CD! (kk)
I was excited to hear the Tygers cuts this morning. I would love to get the group to join me on the air to talk about the new release. Since I still play "Little By Little" from time to time, I think our listeners would get a kick out of this. Phil Nee WRCO I would think that they would LOVE to do your show ... a GREAT chance to play some of the old music right alongside the new ... and drum up a little more local interest. I've passed your note on to The Tygers and hope that you'll be hearing from them real soon. When you do, please let us know so that we can help to spread the word so that others on the list can listen, too! Thanks, Phil! (kk)
Great piece on The Tygers, a band I'd never even heard of before! It's amazing to me that you can take an unknown artist, do a 3-day piece on this artist, and still leave us wanting more. Kudos to Forgotten Hits for introducing us to music we might have otherwise missed - and always keeping it interesting. Put me on the list of folks who just ordered the new Tygers CD! Bill Thanks, Bill, that means a lot. I'm proud of the piece we did on The Tygers and thank the guys again for doing the FH interview ... I hope that they're all proud of it, too! (kk)
Regarding Tony's Tygers, that show we did with them up in Milwaukee must have been the show at County Stadium and, given their popularity to the north of we flatlanders, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they immediately preceded us to the rotating stage. I always kinda considered Tony's Tygers and the Robbs as Wisconsin's Cryan Shames and that is meant to be the penultimate compliment. Melodic tunes; great harmonies; catchy hooks; just enough raw power pop to stay in the garage. Reminded me of our earlier pre-Mercury ballads and mid-tempo tunes and that, of course, is THE ultimate in kudos. Hope all is great in your world - Peace, Ray Graffia, Jr. The New Colony Six
Thanks for the plug, Kent. To clarify, that band member list I sent you for The Tygers includes both original and later members, and the two female singers were actually part of a later group (Passion) that Tony Dancy tried. I've heard the new Tygers CD and I have to agree with you, it is very good. These guys obviously know something about music. Even their first record was really surprisingly sophisticated for such a young band. Gary Myers
Hey Kent, Thanks so much for The Tygers article - great!!! Billy James C'mon ... wouldn't you expect a piece on Tony's Tygers be grrrrrrrrrrrrreat?!?!?! Thanks, Billy! (kk)
Kent, Thanks a million for your help. That was quite an extensive piece. We'll keep you appraised of our progress and always remember your dedication to the old music. Thanks again, Kent, the series looks great. Lanny / The Tygers re: VILAS CRAIG: >>>Quite honestly, he was not a big help in my research and it's my understanding that he was very difficult to work with. In fact, one former band member, upon learning that Craig was working as a single in the 90's, said, "That's good - that way he can get along with himself." (Gary Myers) The quote in Gary Myers' book actually came from a live interview on my show with a Madison area artist who asked me whatever happened to Vilas. I sent the tape to Gary when he was working on "Do You Hear That Beat". When Vilas read the book, he was not happy. He did not know that my show was the source. I have never told him. Several of the ViCounts have told me that they agree with the statement that is in the book. Vilas' son Timothy Craig lives in Nashville and has gotten some plays on Country radio in the last 2 years. The cd is called 'You Got It' and the title cut has been his biggest so far. Phil - Wrco Being completely honest, I had to heavily edit some of the comments I received regarding Vilas Craig (including a couple that I could run at all!) ... apparently he was not very well liked by many of his musical contemporaries ... and it sounds like he spent most of his time alienating himself from his bandmates and musical cohorts rather than enjoying the music they helped him to provide. Too bad ... after all this time, and all that music, it sounds like there aren't a lot of happy memories to show for it ... not at ALL what music is supposed to be about. (kk)
>>>Since I wasn't familiar with these guys, I asked our Milwaukee FH Investigative Team of Ken Freck and Gary Myers what they could tell me about Vilas Craig and his various bands ... I didn't get a whole lot back but here's a little more insight: (kk) Kent, Well, I guess I could have copied the whole entry from my book, as I did with the Tygers, but (as I think I mentioned) I had just met Tony for the first time about a week before you asked and everything was very positive. With Vilas Craig, not so positive. I hadn't heard anything from him in many years and then, out of the blue a couple of years ago, I got an email from him saying something like "It would be nice if my coverage of him was honest" (!). I responded and asked if he was saying I was dishonest about something, and I stated that all my info and comments came from him and others. He never replied. (I do have several direct quotes from him in my "Do You Hear That Beat" coverage, but most are from a WRCO radio interview he did with Phil Nee in Richland Center). And Ken should have glanced in the book (or looked at a map?) before he wrote that, because Richland Center is actually in SW Wisconsin, pretty much due west of Madison. I also should have mentioned that one of the players to pass through Craig's band was Keith Knudsen (of the Doobie Brothers). Gary Myers Happy to pass this info along ... didn't know Knudsen was once a member of Vilas Craig's band! Thanks, Gary! As for the Phil Nee quotes, you'll find that confirmed above from none other than Phil Nee himself! Bottom line seems to be that Craig isn't going to win any "Mr. Personality" Contest any time soon. (kk)
Wow! I've never heard that "Brown Eyes" song before. Boy, if any record ever should have been a hit, it's this one! How on earth did this song slip through the cracks? Jenny Cullen Honestly, I'd never heard it before either ... and it IS quite good. Phil Nee told me that he's been featuring it on his program for years ... and even voted for it in Rich Appel's recent I.R.S. Countdown of songs that "really shoulda been a Top Ten Hit". Over the years of doing these Local Hits / Show Me Your Hits features, we've discovered a few real gems ... and this is certainly one of them. (kk)
re: THE ROBBS: Another group that deserved better than they got - great stuff by The Robbs! Bill
>>>In the liner notes for the recently re-released album "The Robbs", drummer Craig Krampf jokes that "We were the kings of 'bubbling under'" ... and, to a degree, he's right! The Robbs "bubbled-under" on Billboard's Top 100 Chart with the tunes "Race With The Wind" (#103); "Rapid Transit" (#123); "Movin'" (#131); "Last Of The Wine" (#114) and "I'll Never Get Enough" (#108) and fell to the same fate when, as Cherokee, they released "Girl, I've Got News For You" (#116 in 1971). (kk)
The Robbs also failed to crack the Top 100 in Cash Box, but Record World was a different story: "Race Like the Wind" spent two weeks at #93 on its Top 100 chart in 1966, and "The Last of the Wine" spent three weeks on that chart in 1970, peaking at #95. Not much of a showing, but at least some national recognition for the group's singles.
-- Randy Price
Hey Kent: One addendum to the Robbs from a Milwaukee chart stand point: They had many chart hits here and some went Top 10. Their biggest hit in Milwaukee was the nationally “missed” classic – Bittersweet. A great PF Sloan & Barri tune which mystifyingly was not a national hit. It was their only #1 Record in Milwaukee. Ken Freck
Hi Kent,
I really enjoyed the spotlight on the Robbs! I've had several of their 45s that I've picked up at various sales over the years and have always liked the music (especially Rapid Transit), but because I never hear them on the radio and don't remember them being played with any regularity when their songs were released, I thought I was the only one who liked their music. I'm glad they're finally getting a modicum of credit for producing some very good music.
Dube
re: SHOW ME YOUR HITS: Kent,
Have you done a piece on this band from Minnesota? If so, I missed it. I notice they're doing local gigs. David Lewis http://www.thecastawaysrock.com/ After receiving your email, I contacted Jim Donna, one of the original founding members of The Castaways, about participating with us here in Forgotten Hits. "Liar, Liar", of course, is a '60's classic ... a One Hit Wonder that EVERYBODY knows and loves. Got an email back that he would check things out and then never heard another word. Maybe somewhere down the line we'll hear more from these guys. Meanwhile, the band seems to be very busy with local gigs in and around the area so Minnesota readers can definitely check them out this summer. (kk)
We'd love to do more Local Hits / Regional Hits features ... they always seem to be very popular with our readers. If you've got some songs and artists that were big in YOUR neck of the woods, drop us a line and we'll help to let the rest of the country know about them! (kk)
Dear Forgotten Hits, I was sitting at my computer this very warm Saturday afternoon and I decided to take a romp in my old neighborhoods in Wisconsin. I have lived in Missouri for many years but my roots are not here and never will be. I go on google and type in my old addresses in Milwaukee and Mequon and I see what my old houses and my old neighborhoods look like now. This got me to thinking about the last few years I lived in Wisconsin when I lived in Mequon. I attended Homestead High my freshman and part of my sophmore years. One of our dances featured a local band called Tony's Tygers. I developed a big crush on the keyboard player. I thought he was the dreamiest. He smiled at me a lot. At the start of my sophmore year my parents informed us that we were moving to Springfield, Missouri. Needless to say, I was not happy about the idea of leaving Wisconsin. The last night before we moved my parents let my older sister and me go the the Strobe teen center in Thiensville. This was one of our hangouts. I had heard that the Tigers were playing there that night. We had another group in the area with a similar name to Tony's Tygers but I knew they were not the same band. I still went cause I love to dance. When the band came out, I almost fainted. It was Tony's Tygers and my heartthrob keyboard player Craig Fairchild. I found out his name that night. I just stood in front and fell in love. After the show I waited in line for his autograph. I wanted to be the last one so I could look at him for a long time. He asked my name. I could barely say it. He wrote, "Stacee, always remember I love you, Craig". I was over the moon. I kept that autograph for many months and every time I was feeling sad about this horrible place my parents had moved us, I would take it out and it made me smile. The second year we lived here I was invited to the fair. I went on the one of those rides that has you in a cage and turns you upside down among other things. My purse came open and all the contents spilled. I lost my precious autograph. Today I googled Tony's Tygers Milwaukee and I found your website. I loved reading about the band and I had forgotten that Little by Little was theirs ... it runs through my head from time to time. I so enjoyed seeing the pictures of some of the guys from way back especially my Craig. He was just as cute as I remembered him being. I left Wisconsin in 1968. I will be 57 this year. How is that possible?????? Thanks for listening, Stacee McDermott
Thank you, Stacee ... these are the kind of emails we LOVE receiving here in Forgotten Hits. Although Craig is no longer a member of The Tygers, I have passed your message on to the band ... I believe all these guys have stayed in touch with each other ... so it'll be interesting to see what kind of response (if any) we get back. Thanks again for sharing your memories with our readers ... obviously, this was a VERY special time in our lives growing up ... and these artists meant SO much to us back then. (I'll tell you what ... the brand new Tygers CD is better than ANYTHING they recorded back in the day ... I'm hoping these guys get a whole 'nother career out of this thing!!!) kk
Thank you, Kent, for the kind words about my letter. I enjoyed writing it. I got to be 14 going on 15 again for a little while. I am happy that I know about your website now. I plan to use it often. Stacee
I passed Stacee's email on to The Tygers ... and I they're going to be sending her an autographed copy of their new CD as well as a special vinyl edition of the LP ... and, they've even arranged to have Craig Fairchild sign it for her!!! (Now how cool is THAT?!?!?)
re: SAM COOKE / HITS OF THE '50's: Hello Kent, Maybe you could help me. I am searching for a version of 'Unchained Melody' that was recorded by Sam Cooke. I forget where I read about it, but once I learned of it, I wished I had it. Ha Ha Gee! What a tease, telling us about the long lost, never heard songs of Sam Cooke ... please share. At least the Unchained Melody tune. I have a fondness for that song and have about seven different versions, including the great, uptempo Vito & the Salutations version mentioned earlier on your site. I would love to hear his interpretation. Sweet Dreams Charlie Fraser I can take a hint!!! Well, thanks to our new FH Buddy Martijn over at Click here: Welcome To The Songs of Sam Cooke, we now have a copy to share with our readers ... so now we can ALL enjoy it! (kk)
Funny to read the July 28th edition of Forgotten Hits and find somebody looking for "You You You" by Sam Cooke. I often thought I was the only one that found that long play album several years ago. I have played several cuts from the lp on my show. Although it's not Sam Cooke's usual style, it is a nice album. For Sam Cooke fans (if you can find it) there is an album that I have where The Supremes remember Sam Cooke. I've never heard it played on an oldies station, but it sure is a nice tribute to Sam. I really love that album. DJ Stu Weiss "The Supremes Remember Sam Cooke" is ANOTHER long out-of-print release. (You can pick up a used copy of the CD on Amazon.com if you've got an extra $85 you don't know what to do with!!! lol) I've never heard this CD ... pick one of your favorites and we'll feature it on the website!!! Meanwhile, I DID find a copy of The Supremes doing Sam's biggest hit "You Send Me" (kk)
Over the years, many artists sang a song or two that were originally hits by Sam Cooke. I treasure this long play album that I have called "We Remember Sam Cooke" by The Supremes. Here is one of my favorite cuts "Only Sixteen". It is a really fantastic album by the girls. We lost such a great talent when we lost Sam. Who knows what other greatness the man could have given us over the years.
Kent, Do you think anyone be kind enough to provide a scan of the album cover for this ,"Hits of the 50's" Album?? Thanks Conrad Barraett Here's a scan of the import CD ... (same cover as the album but unfortunately now ALSO out of print!) I found a number of copies of the LP on eBay ... and, like I said, was fortunate enough to pick up a copy for just $7.99! (kk)
re: PAUL McCARTNEY / THE BEATLES: I watched most of the Paul McCartney tribute Wednesday nite, (switching back and forth between it and the White Sox). First of all, I have to say Macca's voice has held up relatively well over the years. You could hear some minor straining, but all in all, not bad. Next, he's got a great band ... I think I like it better than his first band ... and much more so than Wings. If anyone thought that Ebony & Ivory was a dumb song back in 1982, they should have had their suspicions confirmed watching Paul & Stevie do it live. How did Stevie get roped into it either time?!? His take on his cover of We Can Work It Out was great. I can take or leave the Jonas Brothers, but I think I now understand our parents feelings when most of us went gaga over the Beatles. The Jonas Brothers belong to another generation and I hope they serve them as well as our musical heroes have served us. I agree that their take on Drive My Car was far better than what might have been expected. Sometime back when we were talking about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Awards induction ceremony, I made mention that Faith Hill would have been a great 70s pop vocalist. Sadly this is 2010. After watching here do The Long And Winding Road, I'm convinced that she should be a pop singer, because she doesn't sing country as it is now. Emmylou Harris has always been a big Beatles fan. She covered Here There & Everywhere on one of her early LPs. Most of the other performances were fair to middlin' except for Dave Grohl's take on Band On The Run. You gotta wonder, given the success of the Foo Fighters and lack of success of the other two surviving members of Nirvana, plus the fact that Nirvana didn't take off until Dave had joined the band, who really is responsible for Nirvana's success? Perhaps Macca's band should hook up with Dave Grohl. Outside of the Jonas Brothers and Dave Grohl, no one attempted any out and out rockers. I exempt Stevie Wonder because he had already recorded We Can Work It Out, so he was familiar with it. Who decides on what performers to invite to the tribute and I wonder who declined for one reason or another? All in all, it was a good nite ... the Sox won. Jack Rock And Roll Never Forgets I think Stevie Wonder did a GREAT job on "We Can Work It Out" ... I cannot help but wonder when the last time was that he performed it ... possibly not since 1971!!! (But I ALWAYS liked his version ... he REALLY changed it up from its original drudge tempo!!!) Dave Grohl did quite a good job on "Band On The Run" ... and you're right, Faith Hill has pretty much bored me to sleep during her last few televised performances. The thing is, I really like her hits ... I said HITS!!! ... and even listened to her Greatest Hits CD in the car for a week straight ... but she just shows NO enthusiasm or emotion for the material she's been performing lately when trying to cover some of these long-standing pop hits. "Ebony And Ivory" certainly qualifies as one of the worst songs ever to make it to #1 ... speaking of which, have you voted in Rich Appel's "Least-Deserving #1's" Poll yet??? (More info below) And yes, McCartney's band ROCKS ... they've been together for a while now ... and they provided the PERFECT backdrop to all these other performers. It's a pretty amazing statistic to think that Macca has written (or cowritten) over 200 charted songs ... and that if all his hits were run back-to-back consecutively, it would put him on the charts for 31 straight years!!! Is there ANYBODY out there who couldn't sing along, word for word, with EVERY song performed that night??? Flat out amazing! And while the novelty and phenomena of The Beatles may have been the initial spark that got the band rolling, the legacy of their songwriting is what has lasted for nearly 50 years ... what other artists have EVER put together this strong a catalog, so open to interpretation. Glad to see he was finally recognized for his efforts ... he clearly deserves it! (kk)
PAUL McCARTNEY DELIGHTS IN HIS FIRST-EVER NASHVILLE SHOW
(click photo to enlarge ... this is an absolutely AWESOME shot!!!)
Paul McCartney, Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee, July 26th, 2010
A Paul McCartney concert makes up for every bad show you’ve ever seen in your life. Seriously. Before it starts, a McCartney megamix with “Say, Say, Say,” and “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” plays on the house speakers, as a Beatles montage scrolls down the screen — kind of weird, but then, McCartney is music. Why play anything else? The thought crosses my mind: What if Paul McCartney played only Paul McCartney and Wings songs, then said “All right, goodnight!” What a let down that would be. But that wasn’t the case. McCartney starts out the concert like it’s an encore; he comes out and soaks up the cheers for a good 30 seconds, then launches into an acoustic number, which quickly becomes electric. The song he’s playing turns out to be Wings’ “Rock Show”: They’ve got long hair at the Madison Square / You’ve got rock and roll at the Hollywood Bowl ... We’ll be there . . . Ooh yeah . . . . From where I sit, (section one, row 9) the sound is pretty, pretty good. Up close, Paul looks to be about 40 years old (he’s 68) – all those veggie burgers must be working out for him – and he’s got “playful” written all over his face. Then there’s his band: the drummer, who resembles Buddha with his big belly, bald head, and twin hoop earrings; Rusty Anderson, the long time McCartney guitarist who just put out his own solo album, Born On Earth. The keyboard player, who’s in charge of providing the horns and string sections as well (you know he must be rocking some pretty sweet gear). And then there’s the guy I dub the Silver Fox, who plays bass, rhythm and lead guitar, and can rock a smile all throughout a song like “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.” “It’s great to be back,” McCartney says, cryptically (while he lived here for six weeks on Curly Putman’s farm in the 70’s, this is his first ever Nashville show, if you can believe that). “It’s such a cool scene, I’m going to take a second here just to take it all in, for myself.” Then he slams into “All My Loving,” while vintage images of screaming girls in the throes of Beatlemania are projected behind him. He takes time during the song to nod and wink to a fan in the front row holding up a sign for that very song. “Why do I get the feeling we’re going to have some fun here tonight?” he asks afterwards. During the next song, a Wings tune I’m not familiar with, I glance behind me to see a little rocker kid in his father’s arms, who’s singing along earnestly to the chorus: “oh, I feel like letting go.” (Hopefully not in his pants.) Weird indication we’re in 2010 – images of Beatles Rock Band Paul appear behind McCartney during “Got To Get You Into My Life,” a performance which is both blistering and ecstatic. Macca flubs a lyric, which he later explains is because he was busy reading the handmade signs in the crowd. Even though he tries not to, he says, there’s a little voice in his head telling him “go on, read them.” Then there’s Paul McCartney, historical figure. At the tail end of “Let Me Roll It,” the band starts riffing on “Foxy Lady,” which prompts McCartney to tell a story about how he watched Jimi Hendrix cover “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” in a club, a mere two days after the record came out. Except he took a big whammy bar solo, which caused his guitar to go out of tune. “Where’s Eric,” Hendrix asked when it was over; Eric Clapton was also there, cringing down. “Can you tune my guitar for me?” After “I’m Looking Through You,” the band launches into a goofy, almost discordant Latin jazz riff, later revealed to be not some obscure Wings song, but a cover of the Champs’ “Tequila.” “I don’t know why we’re doing this,” laughs Paul as they bring it to a merciful close. Fourteen songs in, and things are pretty amazing, and the stage hasn’t even exploded yet (that’ll come later). Standing at the front with an acoustic guitar, he starts a rap about how he wrote this next song for people in in places where they didn’t have hope, so that they’d know what freedom was about. For a second, I get nervous, thinking he’s about to bust out “Freedom,” his post- 9/11 summer camp sing-along (I’m not a fan). Maybe he’s pulling it out special just for patriotic Nashville? But it turns out he’s actually introducing “Blackbird,” and you can’t go wrong with that. Any student guitar player’s greatest challenge, “Blackbird” doesn’t look so difficult when it’s Paul McCartney playing it. “All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free.” Next, he starts talking about how sometimes you want to tell somebody something, but you end up waiting, and then it’s too late. This song, he says, is for my friend John, and gives the crowd ample time to cheer for John Lennon, as the house lights go up. It’s an extremely powerful moment, and McCartney’s falsetto-laden performance of “Here Today,” another song I’ve never heard before, is easily one of the night’s highlights. Speaking of highlights, McCartney whips out a ukulele for “Something” (“let’s hear it for Georgie!”), and sings a few verses solo, before the whole band kicks in, and the song morphs into the full-on, stereophonic version. It’s thrilling. You almost forget that Paul didn’t sing it originally, it sounds so perfect. You can play all the Wings songs you want after that; concert nirvana has been reached. Instead, he busts out “Sing The Changes,” which turns out to be a thoroughly enjoyable number from his latest solo album, Electric Arguments. By this point, we’re twenty-two songs in, and McCartney is becoming more animated as the night goes on. How many 68-year-olds can do anything for three hours straight, let alone give an epic rock concert for an arena full of fans? He fires off a tasty guitar solo in “I’ve Got A Feeling,” perhaps the hardest rocking Beatles song on record when you really get down to it. Oh yeah, he’s not just the greatest songwriter of his generation and a brilliant bassist; he plays a mean guitar as well. Encore time (or at least it would be, if he ever left the stage). “If you wonder why we’re switching up these guitars all the time….it’s because we’re showing off,” he jokes, before pulling out the original guitar he used to record “Paperback Writer” on, in order to better play “Paperback Writer.” “A Day In The Life” is a sublime song choice, but the transition into Lennon’s “Give Peace A Chance” is jarring. This is 2010; nobody’s giving peace a chance. But we probably should. One more time… “Let It Be,” which can come off as hokey, can still make a grown man cry. And to paraphrase Bob Dylan (“nobody can sing the blues like Blind Willie McTell”), nobody can sing “Hey Jude” like Paul motherfucking McCartney. I start to deeply wish my own Dad was here to see this. A child of the Sixties, the Beatles are one of of the few bands he still likes; I learned to enjoy rock and roll from listening to his Fab Four records. He always preferred George, but I’m pretty sure by the end of the night, he’d have a new favorite Beatle. And then it’s time for Paul McCartney and his exploding stage. “Live And Let Die,” his most bombastic tune, comes complete with fireworks and pyro shooting from the stage. That’ll get your heart going again, should it have somehow stopped. The strange thing about seeing a Paul McCartney concert is, after three hours, you actually feel lighter, your feet hurt less — buoyed on by Paul’s constant smiles and some of the greatest music ever committed to tape. “You little rockers, you,” he says coyly, before busting out an amped-up rendition of “Lady Madonna.” “You really love your music in this town.” I could go on. Like how he pulled up a young teenage boy from Mexico onstage with him to boogie during “Get Back,” and it was somehow, magically, not cheesy at all, but the most heartwarming thing ever (“Glenn Beck would have had a field day with that!” I overhear one skeptic remark as we’re leaving the arena). Or how he invited a trembling woman onstage to sign the Hofner bass she’d had tattooed on her back, before melting the arena with “Helter Skelter” (the other hardest rocking song in the Beatles catalog). I’ll just say this: in the end, Paul McCartney is now my favorite Beatle too.
--submitted by Dinman McCartney is a well-seasoned, consumate performer. Even at The White House he joked about possibly becoming the first rock star ever to be punched out by a President when he sang and dedicated "Michelle" to The First Lady (or, as Joan Rivers likes to call her, "Blackie-O"!!!) Near the end of the set, McCartney joked that they quite enjoyed performing here "and are thinking of making it a regular thing." And even Obama got in a good quip when remarking that McCartney was using the very same Hofner Bass Guitar that he played in The Beatles, noting that Paul first purchased the guitar "for about thirty francs ... but I imagine it's worth quite a bit more than that now."
And, speaking of The Beatles ... here's a new release I hadn't heard about ... read the review to see what you think ... kind of an interesting idea, I guess ... (in an Eddie and the Cruisers sort of way!!!)kk
Good Afternoon / Morning / Evening all my fellow Beatles-Freaks!
I finally took a moment and sat down to write a review of the movie 'Let Him Be'. Before you write this movie off as another ploy to cash in on our beloved Beatles, read my review: Review: Let Him Be (movie) - http://beatles-freak.com/2010/07/22/review-let-him-be-movie/
I hope you enjoy my review and if you get the chance, I hope you enjoy this movie.
Best, Jennifer Vanderslice (and the I-BFD Team)
More Beatles-related news below in our "Up-And-Coming ... And Recent Events" section as we talk about the remaining dates on this year's Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band Concerts ... and their brand new CD / DVD release! (kk)
Speaking of celebrity auctions, we steered clear of an Elvis Auction story that was circulating a couple of weeks ago, reportedly taking place right here in Chicago. They were supposedly auctioning off some of the medical tools used during Elvis' autopsy and embalming procedure down in Memphis ... scapels, rubber gloves, etc ... even down to the toe tag!!! It was in SUCH poor taste that we didn't run it. Word since says that the artifacts CAN'T be legit, as anything used on Elvis during his autopsy and/or embalming were sterolized and reused again and again since then. The very concept that someone would do this just to make a buck flat out makes me sick! (Of course, as soon as I said this, Frannie said "Yeah ... but having the framed toe tag WOULD be kinda cool!" lol) kk
re: THAT WENT TO #1?!?!?: Here's another quick plug for Rich Appel's upcoming Hz So Good Poll: THE 50 LEAST-DESERVING NUMBER ONE SONGS.
It doesn't take a chart nut to say "THAT went to #1???" Here's your chance to sound off on this. But check any genre or artist biases at the door. You've got to come up with a better reason than that to explain why any song didn't deserve its at-least-one-week atop the pops. Blame the LCD, payola, artists in 'superstar mode' ... whatever you think will make your case. You've got until Labor Day weekend. Let the games begin!
re: UP-COMING AND RECENT EVENTS: I've got a Radio Special coming up with Mark 'Hoss' Amans that will include the music of Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Robbs, Billy Hinsche, The Viceroys, The Who - The Butts Band (Robbie Krieger & John Densmore) on August 7th & 8th --- just to let you know --- Mason Ramsey / Rock And Roll Heaven We ran a few plugs for Hoss' book project a while back here in Forgotten Hits, hoping to get some support from our readers to help him secure a publishing deal ... it's certainly a book that I would like to read. (In fact, we even had some comments from Mark Lindsay and Gary Puckett, whom Hoss had worked with back in the day.) Haven't heard any more as to how that's developing, but we certainly wish him well. Here's a "Listen Live" link for Mason's Radio Station ... where he regularly features "Music Of The Ages" for your listening enjoyment (kk): Click here: RockandRollHeaven.net
Hi Kent!
You probably already know about my radio interview with Mason coming up on the 7th and 8th of Aug. I am sending you a write-up on my manuscript that was done by Lance Monthly. Give me a shout. Thanks, Hoss
Hoping things are moving forward for you with your book project ... I know an awful lot of oldies music fans out there who would LOVE reading about your adventures! (Would love to listen to the special but we're traveling again that whole weekend and will be away from the computer. Other interested readers can tune in and listen via the "Listen Live" link provided above.) kk
AND, AS PROMISED, HERE'S THE LATEST SUMMER TOUR UPDATE from RINGO STARR:
The summer tour with the 11th All Starr Band tour featuring Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, Richard Page, Wally Palmar, Rick Derringer and Gregg Bissonette continues and everyone is having a great time! Remaining dates for this summer below.
VIP Ticket Package Includes:- One premium reserved ticket located within the first (10) rows of the stage- Exclusive Ringo Starr Concert Shirt- Collectible Fillmore Style Tour Poster (numbered, limited to ticket packages)- $25 store coupon to the official Ringo Starr on-line store- Commemorative Tour Laminate
AND, SPEAKING OF RINGO'S UP-COMING APPEARANCE AT THE GREEK THEATER, CHECK THIS OUT ... RINGO's NEW 'LIVE AT THE GREEK THEATRE 2008' DVD / CD IS NOW AVAILABLE!
Ringo and His 10th All Starr Band performed their last show at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles California on August 2, 2008. With stars above them and all around them, they played an exuberant set that included highlights spanning Ringo's entire career, from Beatles classics to solo hits. The show at the Greek was the culmination of a fantastic summer playing music on the road.Hip-O / UMe are proud to announce the release of the Ringo Starr's All Starr Band "Live At The Greek Theatre 2008," on CD and DVD, also available in 5.1 Surround Sound. More than a memento of a wonderful show, this is a remarkable playlist of music you know and love which is enhanced by the pleasure the musicians had playing it, and the fun the audience had hearing it. Each All Starr Tour is unique, a collection of individual musicians who have never come together before and played as this particular band. So each version of their hits has a quality that is distinct to this specific group. There is a palpable exuberance and joy that comes through every one of these remarkable songs.
You can catch Sam Lit Broadcasting Live All Summer on Sunday Nights
HyLitRadio Live Broadcast Oldies Party
Every Sunday Night, 7 pm - 12 Midnight at
The South Philly Bar and Grill
9th & Passyunk,
1235 East Passyunk Avenue
in Philadelphia
Be sure to check it out! Kent, Forgot whether we had let you know that The Tygers will be opening for The Grass Roots and Three Dog Night at the Wisconsin State Fair Main Stage on August 13th at 8:00 PM. I believe Billy will be sending a formal press release in a few days but thought I would give you a heads up.
Lanny
The Tygers Actually, yes, we mentioned this show a few weeks back ... congratulations on a great gig ... wish we could be there to see this one ... what a killer line-up! Meanwhile, here is Billy's official release (kk):
Milwaukee Music Legends The Tygers To Open For The Grass Roots and Three Dog Night At Wisconsin State Fair
7/30/2010 - Milwaukee, WI - With the recent success of Milwaukee music legends The Tygers' latest CD 'Second Album', the band will be debuting their live show this August much to the anticipation of music aficionados around the world. The Tygers will be performing with fellow sixties legends The Grass Roots and Three Dog Night on August 13th on the main stage at the Wisconsin State Fair Park, starting at 8:00 PM.
After a 40 year hiatus, The Tygers have released their follow-up album aptly titled 'Second Album'. "Releasing a solid debut album is one of the tougher accomplishments in the music industry," says Drew Olson of OnMilwaukee.com. "The only thing more difficult, it seems, is making a good sophomore disc. The old saying in the recording industry holds that bands have 'a lifetime to make the first record and six weeks to make the second.' The Tygers broke that mold ... and it only took 40 years!"
The tale of The Tygers is one of the great "one that got away" rock 'n' roll stories of all time. Back in 1967 Tony’s Tygers, comprised of five Milwaukee teenagers (Tony Dancy, Craig Fairchild, Dennis Duchrow, Fred Euler and Dave Kuck) entered and won the Wisconsin State Battle of the Bands, sponsored by the Jaycees. As a result, local pop music impresario Jon Hall became their manager. The Tygers went on to Boston to compete in the National Battle of the Bands, where one of the judges was Les Paul. He immediately took an interest in the group and decided to visit them in their hotel room. He played for them on Tony’s Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar, and exclaimed to the band, “I haven’t been this excited about a band since I saw The Young Rascals when they were starting out in New Jersey.” Les Paul invited Tony and the boys to come and stay at his home in Mahwah, New Jersey, where he wanted to produce a record with them. The Tygers placed 3rd in the nation and soon after their return to Milwaukee, Les Paul came to town and met with the band at Tony’s house. He made his pitch to the band members' parents and to Jon Hall, but Jon, realizing that he had a hot property, refused to give anything up or make any sort of deal with Les. Reportedly, Les Paul confessed that he couldn’t work with the band's manager in any event. Likewise, the parents were indecisive. Sadly the whole thing eventually fell through. Why did the parents and the band allow such a golden opportunity to slip away? We’ll never know.
In early 1968 The Tygers ventured into RCA Studios in Chicago and recorded “Little By Little” and another Dancy - Duchrow composition, “Days and Nights”, in two hours. Jon Hall released the record locally on his Teen Town label and with the support of WOKY’s Bob Barry, the number one disc jockey in Wisconsin (the guy that brought The Beatles to Milwaukee), the record soared up the charts to #2. Only The Monkees “Valleri” prevented the song from hitting #1 in March of 1968. Upon the success of The Tygers new single, Herb Alpert, head of A&M Records, bought the master and released the single on A&M, making it a national record. In the March 2, 1968 issue of Billboard magazine, “Little By Little” was picked as a Spotlight Single. The write-up declared: “A hot master out of Milwaukee, purchased by A&M, features the third place winners in the nationwide Battle of the Bands contest. The easy-beat rocker is aimed right at the teen market and should spread fast nationally.” Jack Devaney of Record World magazine raved in his Coast Capers column on March 16, 1968: " 'Little By Little” A&M’s Tony’s Tygers will take the nation by storm.”
In order to “strike while the iron is hot”, The Tygers rushed to create a debut album but did so without the services of their lead arranger and singer Tony, who was ill. The album failed to gain traction and the record deal evaporated. Duchrow left for the Vietnam War, two other members left for personal reasons and the remaining four members - Tony Dancy, Craig Fairchild, Lanny Hale and Fred Euler - kept up the fight for a few years, only to find frustration. Hale was accepted into medical school and became a cutting-edge ophthalmologist. Euler left to pursue a very successful career in hotel management. Dancy and Fairchild headed for California, where they created music for "The Brady Bunch" and "The Flintstones." Dancy reformed The Tygers, with new and old members, for shows in the 1980s and '90s. About a year ago, Dancy and Fairchild gathered at Hale's home studio and began working on the long-awaited follow-up record, 'Second Album'.
"It wasn’t easy to have a hit record in Milwaukee back in the 60s, not even locally. The music charts were dominated by the East and West Coasts and the British Invaders. The Tygers were one of the few local groups to make the charts. When I appeared on stage with The Tygers back in the '60s and '70s we had a lot of fun. Now that we’re older, does that mean we can’t have that same fun again? It’s about time we bring all of those good times back with 'The Tygers Second Album'. Then is now, yesterday is today. The music we enjoyed then we can enjoy today, only it’s brand new. However I say it guys and gals, moms and dads, grandpas and grandmas …THIS IS OUR MUSIC! - “Beatle” Bob Barry on The Tygers new album
Here's what the press have been saying about The Tygers 'Second Album':
"First and foremost, this is a great album: 10 fast paced, kinda-country, faintly-folky, sorta-soft-rocky cuts that put you in mind of a host of forebears, none so much as late-period 10cc (the harmonies and bounce), with a dash of Raspberries, Steely Dan and The Beach Boys thrown in for luck." - Dave Thompson, Goldmine Magazine
"The Tygers' Second Album isn't exactly a trip down memory lane either. Rather this work is more like 'then is now' or yesterday is today.' I can't think of anyone attempting to revitalize this vintage rock (whether they are young or original artists). Most bands like The Tygers are playing that 'oldies' circuit, reliving past glory, and not attempting to do anything new. Kudos should be reserved for The Tygers simply because they're composing their music again." - Craig Hartranft, Danger Dog Music Reviews
“Outstanding, smooth, polyphonic vocal phrases that sound like in the bloom of youth, but not as of old masters. The result is more than amazing - a perfect nostalgia album!. Pop songs that could come from the original period 1967 - 1970 and so includes almost everything that was then successfully produced between the Mersey River and the West Coast for the charts.” - Rocktimes, Germany
"With a disc length of thirty-four minutes and twenty-seven seconds, if this were a prog rock album, I’d have to complain about the length of the disc. Yet, while I would love more Tygers, I still find myself satiated. This pleasant surprise trip down memory lane is the perfect thing for when you have one of those days when you are constantly reminded that it’s 2010 and your life is soooooo much more difficult." - Jeff Boule, Looney Tunes CDs
"Nearly forty years on, The Tygers have been rediscovered like some rare prehistoric creature (Sabre tooth perhaps), and many classic rock supporters are finding out that this lot aren't toothless after all! The band model their sound on the rich harmony vocals from the 60's and 70's a la Crosby Stills And Nash and Poco, some down country rockin' that Credence Clearwater Revival wouldn't be ashamed to own, plus the godfathers of 60's pop - The Beatles." - Glory Daze
"It's like they've never been gone, and if nostalgia pervades the steel-guitar-awashed country rock of the opener "How Long Does It Take", for the most part the adult experience is well hidden behind the youthful sunshine swirl so prominent in the surf-ey "Girl Like You" twist, with "Never Too Late" taking an infectious foray into the music hall territory thanks to its piano strut. Harmonies reign here, but there's also the predatory "Night Walker" with its ominously plonking bass and a creepy crunchy pace of the brass-oiled "Voo Doo" that are impossible not to love, too. Always tongue-in-cheek but never going for pastiche, it's one of the most adorable records of 2010." - Let It Rock
The Tygers today feature: Tony Dancy - vocals, guitars and keyboards, Lanny Hale - vocals and guitar, and Craig Fairchild - vocals, piano and B3 organ. The Tygers 'Second Album' showcases an array of musical styles and intelligent themes throughout, with lush vocal harmonies, catchy hooks, and exciting arrangements and performances, all wrapped in a top notch production by the band. The influence of many of The Tygers contemporaries, like CSN&Y, Poco, Buffalo Springfield and Simon &Garfunkle, can be heard throughout the band's music, whether by conscious effort or not. The pedal steel featured on “How Long Does It Take” is by Kenny Knoll, who has toured with such greats as Faron Young, Ferlin Husky, The Browns, Carl Smith, Crystal Gayle, Marty Robbins and Dottie West. The sophisticated horn arrangements were by Joe Turano, who was a Tyger in the 1960s along with Tony, Craig and Lanny. Joe went on to tour with Michael Bolton for a number of years and is currently musical director for Al Jarreau. Joe replaced some of Tony’s synthetic horn arrangements with live horns and created fresh arrangements for other songs.The Tygers Second Album CD can be obtained through iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, eMusic, Napster and soon on CD Baby, as well as the band's official website. A limited vinyl edition of the new CD is also available through the band's website.
Did you get a chance to listen to The "First And Foremost" Weekend on The True Oldies Channel this weekend? Lots of fun ... and hopefully a new semi-regular series ... great to hear some of these first efforts alongside the artists' biggest hit. (I'm sure we could come up with dozens more to help keep the feature fresh each time it runs!)
And we saw some of you out at the WLS-FM / True Oldies Channel CD Launch Party out in Oak Brook, too.
Some of the Highs and Lows:
Things got off to a very slow ... and late ... start ... although most of the crowd hadn't settled in yet at ten minutes to three, things certainly filled up later, especially when it came time to get copies of the new CD autographed by WLS-FM Personalities Dave Fogel, Danny Lake, Greg Brown (who showed up fashionably late, thanks to a flat tire on the way in!) and Dick Biondi, CLEARLY the crowd favorite ... and most animated of all the jocks there (despite that fact that he's nearly twice as old as some of them!!!) Quite honestly, a couple of the jocks looked bored to tears!!! But Biondi NEVER turned it down a notch ... he was running at Top Speed the whole afternoon ... and the crowd absolutely loved him! (This is REALLY Dick's year ... recently the City of Chicago dedicated "Dick Biondi Way" to the broadcasting legend, who also celebrated the 50th Anniversary of his very first Chicagoland WLS Radio Broadcast a few months back!)
In addition to starting nearly 25 minutes late, they launched the afternoon with a bunch of boring speeches by the sponsors and the benefactor of the proceeds, Children's Home And Aid. While you certainly need to acknowledge these folks, another 30 minutes of doing so before ANYTHING interesting went on left most of the audience bored as well. Another mistake, while waiting for the band to set up, was not featuring some of the music from the CD ... in fact, at NO point during the entire proceedings was this music featured, save for an impromptu performance of Dick Biondi's "The Pizza Song" by Biondi and long-time friend Ronnie Rice. (Promote, promote, guys ... tease the audience a little bit with the music playing in the background and I'll bet a few more folks will pick up a copy just so they can go home and listen to the whole thing!)
Especially embarrassing was the check presentation ($5000??? Really ... that was the best you guys could do?!?!?) and, even more so, the fact that on the Borders Book Calendar upfront they promoted the whole event as "The Drive's CD Party" ... jeez, they didn't even have the name of the radio station right!!!
Highlights (without question) was the band "August", who performed an incredibly rousing set of soulful classics ... at 13 pieces, these guys found the PERFECT blend of material to entertain the crowd ... and there really wasn't ANYTHING they couldn't play. Definitely worth checking out if you get the chance to see them. (In fact, Biondi invited them to perform at his annual Toy Drive in December right there on the spot!)
Hopefully future CD release parties will be a little more organized ... and the song selection a little more varied from what you're likely to hear every time you turn the station on anyway. Does anybody REALLY need another copy of "My Girl", "I'm A Believer", "Vehicle", "Good Vibrations", "Saturday In The Park", "I Want You Back" or "Oh, Pretty Woman" in their collection ... especially when you're likely to hear at least one of these songs every hour on the radio anyway??? (I heard several folks say that they didn't "really need this CD" but bought a copy anyway, just to have it signed by the jocks on hand ... and the fact that the money was going to a good cause. Put a few tunes on there that folks might want a copy of for their personal collection and you'll see sales increase that way, too. That being said, it WAS nice to see a couple of WLS-centric tracks included: the "WLS rolled me" version of Reunion's "Life Is A Rock" and the Dick Biondi classic "The Pizza Song".)
Simple suggestions for the next volume: Liven things up with a tighter-paced, more deejay-driven show ... and a little more challenging CD song list ... and this could turn into a very successful series of releases for the station. (kk)
Latest station to enter the CD business -- WLS!!
Biondi is on FM so his 45 as well as the WLS version of "Life is a Rock (But WLS Rolled me) is on it!! I have asked a buddy in Chicago to pick up a copy if he can.
I have a great copy of the History of WLS 25th Anniversary Special which Scott Childers produced. It also has Life Is A Rock. I also picked up the Walgreens distributed The Lost 60s. Have Dick Biondi's last show on WLS from May 2, 1963 (which I got of EBay) Also have the WCFL Tribute from August, 1979 Bill WLSSurvey@aol.com
re: DIGGIN' FORGOTTEN HITS:
KK: You rock brother! Thank you for all you do! Wild Bill
I have been reading your site updates on a regular basis. It is a great site. Best Shawn
Hello Kent, The Forgotten Hits blog is a truly wonderful site in its mission to keep the legacy alive with respect to the music that sustains so many of us baby boomers and younger folks alike. Thanks so much for this labor of love which has attracted such a diverse group of people. One of the features that has drawn me in are the interesting facts and information that put me more in touch with the artists and music of the 50s and 60s. I have also learned a lot from the Spectropop site over the past 9 years. However, many of their posts concern artists, groups and songs / labels that were not played on rock radio. The difference in your site is that there is a lot more focus is on artists and groups that are familiar to many people: Sam Cooke, Hermans Hermits etc. There is a place for both, the obscure and the familiar and you really cover both areas very well and thoroughly. I plan to review some of the blog archives in the next week or so and look forward to a healthy dose of nostalgia and much absorption. Thanks so much for taking time to do this. Best Regards, Justin McDevitt
A few weeks back we told you that The Tygers had just released their second album (called simply "Second Album"!!!)
What makes that such big news is the fact that the band released their FIRST album back in 1968!!!
Tony's Tygers scored a local hit in Milwaukee with their 1968 release "Little By Little" ... in fact, it went all the way to #2 on the local charts there. (Although it never officially charted in the national trades, this is EXACTLY the kind of song and artist we LOVE to feature in our "Show Me Your Hits" / Regional Hits Series!!!)
(click to enlarge)
1969 band members Tony Dancy, Lanny Hale and Craig Fairchild regrouped in 1997 for a special Maritime Days concert in Milwaukee ... and the guys had so much fun playing together again, they actually stayed together until 2002, playing local gigs in and around the Milwaukee area before parting ways again.
Now, they're back together again with a brand new LP ... and I've been listening to it all week long!
There's something comfortably familiar about the sound of this album ... it's just the kind of thing you would have expected to hear back in 1969 / 1970 ... and a great example of what's missing in much of today's music in the way of catchy melodies, clever lyrics and exceptional harmonies.
The musical influences are obvious ... Steely Dan ... Poco ... and along the way, you'll also notice some not-so-subtle nods to Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Association, Phil Spector ... you'll even hear a touch of artists like The Monkees and The Hudson Brothers if you listen closely enough. It might just be a line of melody here or a chord exchange there ... but all the hints are there ... yet none of this gets in the way of the music ... in fact, '60's and '70's music fans like us will catch themselves smiling in knowing recognition when they come across certain musical passages. Each song is still unique in its own way ... I think you'll find the album very listenable and enjoyable. In fact, the vocals are top notch ... some remarkable harmonies for a bunch of old guys!!! (lol) And the sidemen musicians balancing out the trio really fill in the gaps ... as I said, a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.
(I joke about the "old guy" aspect of the band because collectively the guys seem to have adopted a credo of "Who says you have to be 20 years old to have a hit record?" Now pushing 60, The Tygers sound every bit as fresh today as they did 40 years ago when they recorded their first LP ... and prove that there just may be something to that whole "older and wiser" theory!!!)
My personal "pick hit" for Most Likely Single would have to be "Night Walker" ... it's got all the makings of a radio hit. We'll spotlight that one today ... and then take a look back at the early years ... and the in-between years in the next day or two.
Another LP favorite would have to be "Scottsdale Blues" ... it really doesn't sound like anything else at all on the album ... and the guys have a lot of fun with the lyrics on this one ... proving that money problems are relative, I guess ... we've all got 'em ... just on different levels.
(click charts to enlarge)
Tony's Tygers ... with the "Pick Hit of The Week" at #21!
