60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
9/1/65 - James Brown, The Kinks and Booker T. and the MG's appear on ABC’s prime time rock series “Shindig!”
The Godfather of Soul performed “Papa's Got A Brand New Bag” and the house band, which included Billy Preston and Glen Campbell, perform versions “Hard Headed Woman” and “Hallelujah, I Love You So.”
Also on 9/1, Roger Miller receives a gold album for his latest LP, “The Return Of Roger Miller.”
It was on this day, August 31, 1897, that Thomas Edison received his patent for his Kinescope Camera!
Using celluloid film, invented by George Eastman just eight years earlier, a film made using Edison’s new Camera was projected for viewing by being threaded on rollers.
Viewers would watch a very short film by looking through a small lens on top of Edison’s Kinetoscope.
And Hollywood was born!
Well, maybe not quite at that moment.
To ensure the success of his films, Edison formed an alliance with other industry patent holders to quash competition. Called the Motion Picture Patents Company, the group inundated independent filmmakers with copyright infringement lawsuits to ensure Edison’s iron grip over the industry.
Because Edison’s operations were based on the East Coast, his sphere of influence was weaker in Western states such as California. This led independent filmmakers to seek refuge out West, and many settled in a newly incorporated neighborhood of Los Angeles called . . . Hollywood.
Edison’s legal team, however, continued to hound West Coast producers until the 1915 Supreme Court ruled that Edison could no longer use his patents to impede or disable rival moviemakers. With Edison’s monopoly finally busted, the film industry began to thrive in its new Hollywood home.
It didn’t take long for a young, handsome, dark-haired troubadour with an forelock of hair dangling over his forehead and a snarling lip sneer by the name of Ellis Wesley turn to acting and releasing a score of early Hit Films including ~~~
“Jailhouse Thief of Bagdad Rock!”
“Wizard of Blue Hawaii!”
“Flapper Girls! Girls! Girls!”
“Viva Monte Cristo”
“All Quiet on the Speedway Front”
Classics all!
Pass me the Giant Size Popcorn, please!
>>>Also on 8/27, The Beatles attended a recording session for The Byrds prior to heading out to visit Elvis Presley at his mansion in Beverly Hills. Also on 8/27, charismatic Forgotten Hits founder Kent Kotal turns 12.
I wish you had said you attended a Byrds concert before heading to meet Elvis, but.....
Now THAT would have been something ...
But probably would have been past my bedtime!!!
Thanks, Clark. (kk)
You must have been a real Joy at the Chicago Playboy Club!
Or were you even old enough to get it then?!
When was that photo taken?
Noise 11 is reporting that there has been a real sense of mixed reaction to the announcement of the new Beatles Anthology releases, much of this feeling echoing what I voiced in my first commentary about this new announcement the other day.
Sentiment ranges from:
“This is history completing itself. To have all four Anthologies together finally feels like the circle closing.”
“If anyone can make these tapes shine, it’s Giles Martin. Hearing John’s voice in high-definition clarity is spine-tingling.”
Excitement is also high for the new 2025 remix of “Free as a Bird.” Fans say Lennon’s vocals sound warmer and more intimate than ever before. “It’s like John is right there in the room with us,” one listener said.
to:
Anthology 4 offers little genuinely new material. With many of the “unreleased” tracks already available in previous deluxe reissues of Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, The White Album, and Abbey Road, some argue the release repackages content hardcore collectors already own.
“Why would I pay hundreds for music I already bought on the last five box sets?” They’re just reshuffling rarities and slapping a new label on it.”
Others are annoyed at exclusivity. As of now, Anthology 4 does not appear to be available separately, meaning fans have to buy the full box to access the new material. That has left some feeling priced out. “It’s unfair that the new songs are locked inside an expensive set. Why not release it standalone like Anthology 1-3?” complained one long-time fan.
Even the new mixes have drawn criticism. A handful of fans prefer the ghostly, rough quality of the original 1995 Free as a Bird, describing the cleaned-up vocals as “too sterile.”
Finally, some argue that the Beatles’ vaults have already been mined enough. “Let it rest,” one detractor posted. “We don’t need a fourth Anthology.
The trilogy was perfect. This is squeezing blood from a stone.”
Personally, I can remember a time when The Beatles themselves promised the vaults would never be raided. They said that they released what they wanted the public to hear and that everything else remained unissued for a reason. Now it’s like open season on their outtakes.
Don’t get me wrong … I love hearing some of this stuff … and have purchased numerous bootlegs over the years in order to do so. But I don’ think I should have to buy the video series for a THIRD TIME (VHS, DVD and now a NEW DVD with the added hour) … nor should I have to buy Anthology 1, 2 and 3 again just to get Anthology 4. (I’d be even MORE pissed if, in fact, I did so, shelled out another $120, and then found out three months later they were releasing Anthology 4 as a stand-alone piece after all!)
Anyway, you can read their whole piece here:
(As for me, I think I’m holding off till next year before purchasing ANYTHING … I’ll watch the Disney+ Thanksgiving Special just to see what they’ve come up with … but then hold off on buying Anthology 4 until I know for sure that I can’t buy it alone. As mentioned above, I have already spent the money for these deluxe box sets … do I really want to buy all of this material again, just to get another half dozen “new” surprises???) kk
A new promo clip DOES help to boost the excitement level ...
It was terrific to see you track down Jay Siegel for an interview. I learned something about Jay’s album career I wasn’t aware of!
Tom Cuddy
I have to agree with Glen Fisher ...
I totally enjoyed the interview with Jay Siegel. Without Bowzer, I am looking for other venues to see The Tokens and other doo-wop 60s groups.
Shelley
(pssst ... A Portrait of My Love is still my favorite)
I would love to see Ron Onesti bring The Tokens back to The Arcada Theatre … they went over very well here … and play in Chicago so rarely that the fans would really appreciate the chance to see them. Some kind of package deal again would be perfect. (Maybe we could even coax Freddy Cannon into performing again … with Chubby Checker!!!) Man, what a show this could be! (kk)
And, speaking of The Tokens …
kk …
Just posted, one hour ago … CHAZZ PALMINTERI ("BRONX TALE") SHOW.
He's Interviewing Jay Siegel!
FB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-2jdotxNfo&t=933s
LOTS of good stuff in this interview as well … The Tokens never really stopped working … even if they weren’t making their own records (or the records they WERE making weren’t becoming hits), they were producing and writing music for other artists, as well as constantly doing studio work. (Jay Siegel, the harmony voice on Keith’s hit “98.6?!?!?” That’s a new one on me!!!) Definitely worth a listen. (And you even get to hear him sing a little bit!) kk
A report stemming from an article published in London’s “Daily Mail” states that Sting is reportedly being sued by his former The Police bandmates Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland over what “The Daily Mail” describes as “millions of pounds in missing royalties.”
According to “The Daily Mail,” a source told “The Sun” that “This has been coming for quite some time. Lawyers tried repeatedly to reach an out-of-court settlement but hit a stalemate. Andy and Stewart decided there was no alternative than court so pressed the button. They say they are owed millions in lost royalties.”
The report goes on to say that Sting earns close to three quarters of a million dollars every year just for the royalties to The Police’s biggest hit, “Every Breath You Take.” However, these are songwriting royalties, and the other two members of the band are not listed as songwriters on this particular tune. (kk)
Just announced ... Little Anthony and the Imperials, December 14th, at The Des Plaines Theatre. Tickets are on sale now at oshows.com (kk)
And Dion, another guy who NEVER slows down, has a new album coming out in October ... it'll tie in with his new book, both titled "The Rock 'n' Roll Philosopher,"
We featured his video for "New York Minute" about a month ago ... and now he's released a new one for the track "I'm Your Gangster of Love," too. (You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7YQvRfqMOo) Soundin' good, Dion! (kk)
We told you the other day that Beaver Brown / Eddie and the Cruisers Sax Player “Tunes” Antunes had died. Here is the official announcement …
JOHN CAFFERTY AND THE BEAVER BROWN BAND’S MICHAEL ANTUNES PASSES AT 85
Michael “Tunes” Antunes, the New Bedford, Rhode Island native who went on to international success as saxophonist with John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, and whose music was prominently featured in both of the Eddie and the Cruisers films, has passed away.
Antunes died Tuesday, August 19, just nine days after his 85th birthday and 10 days after his final performance at the Narrows Center in Fall River. The band sung “Happy Birthday” to Antunes during that final show.
Tunes was the only member of the BBB to actually appear in the Eddie and the Cruisers movie.
Antunes continued to perform with Cafferty and the BBB; most recently on Cafferty’s latest album The Sound of Waves.
Cafferty posted on Facebook: Our hearts are filled with so many emotions today. Love, gratitude, respect, joy for our precious time together and sadness for our gentle fond farewell. It will always be one of life’s true gifts to have travelled the world over these many years within Tunes’ inner circle of love and magic on this amazing musical journey we’ve been blessed with.
Love Always & Forever
John Cafferty, Gary Gramolini, Kenny Jo Silva, Jackie Santos, Dean Cassell, Steve Burke, Don Culp, Mike Lebeau, Rich McMahon, Klem Klemik, Andrew Clark
Born in New Bedford, Antunes began his performing career at age 13 while still attending Dartmouth High. He came from a musical family, as his father Peter played upright bass, guitar and Hammond organ throughout New England, and his grandfather Joaquim, an immigrant from Cape Verde, played guitar and violin here once he came to America.
Antunes joined the Narragansett, Rhode Island-based Beaver Brown Band in the 1970s, after more than a decade of playing throughout the New England music scene.
The band went on to release two singles in 1980, “Wild Summer Nights” and “Tender Years,” which got them the job of providing music for the 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers about a legendary bar band whose lead singer is presumed dead after his car goes into a river in the 1960s.
Both “Wild Summer Nights” and
“Tender Years” also appeared on the Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack,
which went quadruple platinum thanks to repeated showings of the film on HBO.
Another song, “On the Dark Side,” peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
He played the Cruisers’ sax player, Wendell Newton. Even though his character
died of a drug overdose in the original film, Antunes reprised the role in the
1989 sequel, Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!
He also showed his Dartmouth Indian pride to a national audience in 1985, when he wore a Dartmouth football hat in the video for the Beaver Brown Band’s hit song “C-I-T-Y.”
Two of his sons are also involved in the music industry; Kevin is the musical director and keyboardist for Madonna, as well as the musical designer for the Michael Jackson ONE show by Cirque du Soleil, and Matthew worked as the musical director for Tavares.
Another son Derek Antunes was the original drummer for New Kids On the Block during their peak success years.
Forgotten Hits Readers have known for several years now that LJ Cool has been trying to get the case of Buddy Holly’s fatal plane crash reopened for nearly twenty years now … but just can’t get anyone to commit to any further investigating.
His newest angle is that Buddy himself was the one flying the plane! LJ has tons and tons of documents that indicate that this very well may have been the case … and has also incorporated this theory into his screenplay about these events.
He sent us this to share as a “teaser” for what he’s been working on …
Be sure to check out the video at the end. (kk)
Remembering Jack Nitzsche, who passed away on August 25, 2000.
John Fogerty's Legacy Tour kicks off tonight in Niagara Falls ...
Then resumes again in three weeks in Lals Vegas at The iHeartRadio Music Festival.
Here's the complete tour list as of now ...
August 30th – Niagara Falls, ON – OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino
September 20th – Las Vegas, NV – iHeartRadio Music Festival
September 29th – Ciudad de Mexico, MX – Auditorio Nacional
October 1st – Highland, CA – Yaamava Casino
October 31st – Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
November 1st – Salem, VA – Salem Civic Center
November 3rd – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
November 4th – Atlanta, GA – The Fox Theatre
November 5th – Durham, NC – Durham PAC
November 7th – Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome
November 8th – Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Bethlehemth
November 9th – Oxon Hill, MD – The Theater at MGM National Harbor
November 12th – Newark, NJ – New Jersey PAC
November 13th – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun
November 14th – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
No Chicago date as of now ... but we'll see! (kk)
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I want to give a quick shout out to David Kent, who publishes the Australian Chart Books, which show the peak of every record to chart in Australia between 1940 and 1992. (albums and singles)
These books come in two separate volumes and are priced separately. They're very Whitburn-ish in nature, showing every artist and title for each charted single and album between these 50+ years ... VERY useful for the project I'm currently working on.
You can view and order copies here:
https://www.australianchartbooks.com.au/
(There's actually a third volume available that'll take you thru 2009) kk
While researching these books, I discovered that The Ides Of March's 1966 single "You Wouldn't Listen" charted for one week at #99. Couldn't believe it ... or that distribution would have even taken it that far.
When I asked Jim Peterik "DIDJAKNOW?" he said:
Wow. Who new? The kangaroo! lol! 😂
Are any of you going to the New Colony Six show at The Arcada Theatre tomorrow evening???
Be sure to listen to WLS / WCFL Rewound all Labor Day Weekend long on Rewound Radio …
Saw this posted in this week's Ross On Radio column ...
https://radioinsight.com/blogs/258524/was-classic-radio-ever-that-good/