We've got brand new concert reviews filling out the rest of the week, including several guest submissions.
We'll kick things off today with a piece sent in by Jim Nowoc, who just took the Concerts at Sea Alaskan Cruise
We sailed to Alaska, truly our Last Frontier, with the Concerts At Sea Group put together by
Harmon Travel out of Boise, Idaho. The cruise entailed four ports
of call and a cruise through Glacier National Park. It was terrific. We
were treated to sightings of whales, bears, eagles, salmon and some of
the most spectacular viewings of glaciers.
The sightseeing was combined with performances from six prominent acts of the 60's and early 70's. The concerts were hosted by Boston DeeJay, Jimmy Jay.
Evening Number One featured Gary Lewis followed by Charlie Thomas' Drifters.
With seven of Gary's first records reaching top ten status. his recording catalogue provided an appropriate start to
the concert series.
Rock And Roll Hall
of Famer Charlie Thomas and his Drifters followed. Besides singing
everybodys' favorite Drifters numbers he went into the way back machine
and performed a terrific rendition of the Early Drifters hit "Drip
Drop."
Evening Number Two featured Peter Hoorelbeke [aka Peter Rivera, lead singer and drummer for Rare Earth.
Supported by
keyboardist Danny McCollim and gifted guitarist Joe Brasch, Peter
performed among others, "Get Ready," "I Just Want To Celebrate," "I'm Losing
You" and a powerful rendition of "Tobacco Road." He introduced the song by offering a dramatic monologue describing how his hometown of
Detroit has morphed into a city so different than what he remembered
as a boy growing up there.
Next
came another Two-Fer ... Mitch Ryder shared the bill with The Cowsills.
Meeting Mitch, I found him to be a tad socially awkward and almost painfully
shy ... but then he got on stage and it was electric!
Recently inducted into
the R&B Hall of Fame, he proudly shared his feelings regarding the honor with us. From
"Little Latin Lupe Lu," "Jenny Take A Ride" and "Shake," the set was as
frantic as it was dynamic. Finally everyone was on their feet enjoying
the high energy finale that was "Devil in the Blue Dress."
The surprise of the event was a wonderful performance by the Cowsills.
Self depreciating Bob Cowsill stated upfront that it would be a very short concert if they had to rely on just their hits [which only numbered 4.] So he with brother Paul and
sister Susan intermingled wonderful covers of Lulu, We Five, Simon
& Garfunkel, CSN and others. Their finale consisted of a raucous
rendition of "Hair."
Closing
the week of concerts was Paul Revere's Raiders. As it turned out, the
best of the concert evenings was saved for last.
Some consider The
Raiders akin to a tribute group ... but how many tribute groups have
artists that have performed for 37, 40 and 45 years in the group?
All
of the Raiders' hits were performed including "Like Long Hair," Paul's
earliest hit that begins with the beautiful classical piano and then
transcends into a key banging piano finish. Danny Krause on keyboard
received a
well-deserved standing "O" for his performance.
The Raiders consisted
of Darren Dowler lead vocals, Ron Foos on Bass Guitar, Doug Heath and
Jamie Revere [Paul's son] on the other guitars and the Drums were played frenetically by former Buckingham, Tommy Scheckel. As an aside the Raiders backed up Mitch Ryder during his performance. Scheckel was so into the set that he nearly harpooned Mitch with an errant drumstick that flew nearly 20 feet.
Performing a trilogy honoring Veterans, he Raiders perfomed Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," The
Animals' "We've Got to Get Out Of This Place" and Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild." Their encore finished
with
them performing "Louie, Louie" in front of a big screen showing a
heart rendering montage of the late Paul Revere's photos.
Raider
T-shirts commemorating The Ride to The Viet-Nam Wall [begun by Paul]
were sold with ALL PROCEEDS going to Veterans Groups. As a Viet-Nam Vet
myself, to me they're not just Raiders, they're Patriots as well!
On September 29th, The Raiders, Mitch Ryder and Peter Rivera will be performing at the Arcada Theater. I can assure you that all who attend will have one Hell of a Night! If I wasn't tapped out from the Cruise, I'd be there with bells on!
Finally,
the Iconic Guitar added five more signatures, raising the total to an
amazing 114 signatures! It's literally full now ... but it seems I always
find room for one more!
Continued Success, Kent.
Your Rock & Roll Buddy,
Guitar Jim Nowoc
Thanks for the great review, Jim!
Tommy Scheckel has been trying to get us to go on this cruise for YEARS now ... and we still haven't made it. (We even talked about possibly doing some type of special promotion thru Forgotten Hits. If that sounds even the least bit appealing, please let me know ... if we can get a big enough group together, this just may be worth pursuing!)
We saw Paul Revere's Raiders, Peter Rivera and Mitch Ryder perform at The Arcada Theatre last year and it was a blast. Be sure to check it out if you can when all these guys return to the stage in less than two weeks! (kk)
P.S. Jim - You'll have to send us an updated photo of your infamous guitar ... and a few shots from the cruise, too ... musical and nature. It sounds amazing!
Egypt Station: OK, so I know Paul McCartney's new album did VERY well saleswise during its first week of availability ... but I have to admit that I'm just a little bit confused as to exactly HOW well it actually did.
First I got this from Mark Lapidos, Top Dog at The Fest For Beatles Fans, which echoed Paul Haney’s prediction from earlier in the week …
EGYPT STATION PAUL McCARTNEY'S FIRST ALBUM OF ALL NEW MUSIC IN 5 YEARS! CD & LIMITED EDITION VINYL Enters Billboard's Top 200 Charts at #2!!! We think this new album is excellent, with lots of energy and great tunes as only Sir Paul can write and create.And it received a 4-Star Rating from Rolling Stone Magazine.
And then THIS from Paul Haney of Record Research …
Hi Kent,
I was surprised and delighted to see that you were right … it appears that “Egypt Station” did, in fact, outsell Eminem this past week and will debut at #1 on the Billboard 200! It will become McCartney’s first #1 solo effort since 1982’s “Tug Of War” album.
I did my part by actually purchasing a copy of “Egypt Station” a few days ago. I’ve really been enjoying it.With all the media he’s been doing the past few weeks, he certainly deserves the #1 spot.
I’ve been a big fan of McCartney since I was a little kid. I was 10 years old in 1976 when I purchased the 45 for “Silly Love Songs.” As I was listening to it one day, my Mom informed me that I was actually named after Paul McCartney. She wasn’t the world’s biggest Beatles fan (her favorite was always Elvis Presley), but she said that she liked some of their songs and that Paul was her favorite. Lucky for me she didn’t prefer Ringo!
Paul Haney
Record Research
OK, now I'm REALLY confused!!! Because when I look at the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart dated September 15th, I don’t see McCartney’s album listed at all!!!(So now I don’t know WHAT to think … other than perhaps the NEW Billboard Album Chart comes out today … and that’s when we’ll find out the truth!!!)
Is it #1 or #2?
An INCREDIBLE feat either way … and a chance for me to
A) Bask in the glory of my prediction … looks like all the hype worked …
And
B) Amend my comments about the quality of Paul’s voice and lack of “catchy tunes” on the new LP.
Upon repeated listens, this thing REALLY grows on you … and I’ve even come to appreciate the way Paul’s voice has softened and weakened with age (although I stand my ground that, as a well-known perfectionist, I really would have thought that he would have shot for a better take in at least a few instances.)
The music IS quite catchy … there have been a few tracks now that won’t leave my head!It is, without a doubt, his best album of new material in quite awhile … and if 36 years between #1 Albums doesn’t set a new record of some sort, I’d be amazed!(Maybe I’m Amazed???)kk
Hi Kent,
Barring any last second freak accounting error, “Egypt Station” will be the #1 album for the Billboard 200 albums chart dated 9/22/18. Billboard’s tracking week for albums is from Friday - Thursday, with the charts published online the following Tuesday, but dated the following Saturday. Keep in mind that the Billboard 200 combines physical CD sales, digital downloads and streaming. I was closely watching the numbers all week. It appeared that Eminem had the edge until about Thursday, when McCartney pulled even and then clearly pulled ahead by the time the final tallies came in Friday afternoon. According to the numbers I saw, McCartney beat Eminem by nearly 20,000 units (147,000 to 127,000). McCartney crushed Eminem on the physical CDs part, with nearly 95% of his total sales from CDs vs. about 40% for Eminem. Billboard always double and triple checks their numbers before making an “official” announcement, but they certainly wouldn’t publish the teaser on their website if they weren’t certain of the outcome. The album debuts at #2 on next week’s U.K. albums chart, behind Eminem (perhaps that’s where the Fest For Beatles info came from).
I can’t think of a longer gap between #1 albums off the top of my head. But if I do think of one, I’ll be sure to let you know!
Paul
Mark Lapidos’ email clearly references The Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart … so maybe his forecast was just a bit premature.
Amazing to me that a #1 Album these days only needs 147,000 units sold … but what REALLY blows me away is that all us long-time Paul McCartney fans still prefer the “physical” CD rather than a digital download. (Hey, I’ve got to be able to stick this one on the shelf right next to all his OTHER CD’s I’ve bought over the years!!!Lol)
I would also expect a significant drop for the CD’s second week of sales … I think all the die-hards will have already purchased their copy and if none of the tracks take off due to radio airplay, these kind of numbers simply won’t last.But still … how cool is it to see Macca back at #1 in 2018?!?!?(kk)
UPDATE:
Hi Kent,
I meant to say that “Egypt Station” debuts at #3 on the U.K. albums chart, not #2.
Thanks!
Paul
Does anybody really know what time it is?Does anybody care?(lol)
Now I’m thinking that The Fest For Beatles Fans’ announcement JUST may have come from information they learned on OUR website last week when you first predicted a #2 showing(lol)OMG – WE may be the ones who started the erroneous rumor!(lol)Oh well … the charts don’t lie … will have to check this out for an update later.(kk)
If "Fuh You" reaches radio / online countdown shows, expect their hosts to munge the title, not unlike with Cee-Lo Green's "F- You" in 2010,
partially out of FCC fears. (No, Macca likely won't patch the song for
radio)
Somewhere, Casey Kasem is laughing.
Bob Frable
When Frannie first heard it, her first reaction was “John Lennon must be laughing his ass off at this one” … citing it as quite an embarrassment to the McCartney songbook.
But again, I’ll tell you … after repeated listenings, it’s catchy as hell … and just may be the tune that keeps this new cd selling.(kk)
Paul released a brand new video for the track last week … which, honestly, has very little to do with the message (unless he’s advocating 13 year olds to go out and get laid!)
In fact, Macca’s not even IN the video … but here it is …
Meanwhile, here’s a picture taken by Paul’s daughter Mary McCartney, showing Dad with his brand new album …
And Mark Lapidos also shared this awesome pic of Ringo, Yoko and actor Jeff Bridges, staging their own Bed-In For Peace!
That put Paul AND Ringo in New York City last week, each doing special concerts (but, unfortunately, not appearing together at either one … now THAT would have been headline news for sure!!!)
In Other Beatles-Related News:
Well, not really “news” necessarily … but some cool information for those of you who haven't seen it yet …
Kent,
Just got this pic of the Beatles performing at their second show at the old Comiskey Park on August 20th, 1965. Is that Clark Weber at the far left?? It sure looks like him.
Dave
Hoffman Estates
It sure is!(This is the show that I was supposed to go to with my cousins … but my dad wouldn’t let me because it would have meant that he had to drive “all the way to Deerfield” two days in a row to drop me off and then pick me up.My one and only chance to see The Beatles live … lost!
Clark Weber tells a very interesting story in his book “Clark Weber’s Rock And Roll Radio – The Fun Years:1955 – 1975.”(In fact, this photo appears as a two-page spread in that book.)
It seems that George Harrison was quite smitten with the blonde standing next to Clark on the field.
This is how Clark Weber tells the story in his own words:
By 1965, Capitol Records decided on a Beatles’ nationwide concert tour, including Chicago.To honor the four moptops, Capitol held a luncheon on August 20, 1965, for the WLS DJ’s and The Beatles at The Saddle And Cycle Club on North Lake Shore Drive.An old public relations friend of mine, Jim Feely, was dating a tall and lovely blonde model named Edwina Rast, aka “Winky The Weather Bunny,” who worked on WLS>He wondered if I could get Winky into the party to meet The Beatles.I said, “Sure,” and arranged for her to attend.She showed up in a two-piece tennis outfit and I seated her next to George Harrison, who took one look at this blonde arm candy and somehow figured that she was his door prize.After about 20 minutes of conversation, Winky stood up, thanked Harrison, and announced that she had to leave for a modeling audition.Harrison said, “You can’t go,” but Winky’s reply was “Watch me!” and left.
George told me that he was furious with me for allowing her to leave.“Not true,” I told him, “I had nothing to do with her decision to leave.”To deflect his unhappiness, I shifted my attention to music conversations with McCartney, Starr and Lennon.Meanwhile, their manager, Brian Epstein, was running around trying to keep a lid n these kids.Overall, they reminded me of four youngsters from Hammond or Gary who had struck it big but were overwhelmed by their new-found fame. Later that afternoon, my friend Jim Feely called again, said that Winky had a wonderful time meeting The Beatles, and wondered if I could get her into the concert scheduled that night at Comiskey Park.It was a sold-out show with over 33,000 screaming kids shelling out $4.50 to see The Beatles.I commented that Feely was pushing our friendship but, yeah, I would get her into the concert.Winky showed up in a skintight black cocktail dress and stood alongside me right next to the stage to watch The Beatles.I say “watch” because you couldn’t hear them, even up close.DJs Bernie Allen, Dex Card and I stepped onto the stage to introduce The Beatles and we could feel the sound of those thousands of screaming kids through our fingers.When The Beatles came out on stage, we never heard a single note during their 45 minute show.Later, that was one of the reasons why the group quit touring nationally … no one could hear them! Twenty-Five Years later, I received a call from a Chicago Sun Times Photographer who was retiring to Las Vegas and cleaning out his photo files.He told me that he had a photograph which he wanted to send me.When I opened up the envelope, there was a photo of The Beatles on stage at Comiskey Park while, off stage I was standing there just looking bored with my hands on my hips because I couldn’t hear anything.Standing next to me was Winky, and when you looked at George Harrison, you could see him giving this beautiful, leggy blonde the eye.
On The Radio:
MAJOR props to Bob Stroud for featuring “Basketball Jones” by Cheech and Chong as his One 45 at 1:45 the other day … what a pleasant surprise![We have been listening to The Drive at work for about three weeks now all day long, 8-10 hours per day … and when this one came on, everybody who was near by stopped in to listen (and sing along!)]
You can ALWAYS count on Stroud to pull out the surprise "forgotten hits" and break the "sameness" that seems to dominate the other 17 hours of programming each and every day. Bob knows how to keep it entertaining and educational, as in this instance when he ran down the list of A-List Recording Artists All-Stars who played on the "Basketball Jones" recording session: George Harrison, Klaus Voorman, Carole King, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins, Tom Scott and others ... a once-in-a-lifetime happenstance of all these folks being in the studio at the same time and dropping by to help out on this track. (Here in Chicago, it went all the way to #2. In fact, the three Cheech and Chong singles that charted here in Chi-Town ALL went to #1 ("Earache, My Eye") or #2 ("Basketball Jones" and "Sister Mary Elephant")!!!
And major congratulations are also in order for The Drive, which is now the #2 station in town … they just scored their highest ratings EVER in last month’s book … an AMAZING feat after being on the air now for 20-something years!
As such, I guess have to retract everything I’ve ever said about proper radio programming … as I NEVER would have guessed that Drive listeners would suggest that the BEST way to get us to listen all day long is to play five AC/DC songs in eight hours … along with five by Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix … and to CONTINUE to play those five songs per artist every single day.I guess I was wrong when I said listeners deserve and would appreciate more variety on a radio station to make them stand out from the crowd.
The Drive, which was founded on and for twenty years adhered to the concept and commitment of being “all about the music” … and ONLY about the music … has definitely shifted direction in the last several years by adding the morning team of Sherman and Tingle (who I swear I CANNOT listen to … man, I never thought I’d miss Steve Downs as much as I do!!!).
Thankfully long-time mainstays like Stroud (who has been there since Day One and just signed an extended contract with the station) and Seaver make the rest of the day at the very least tolerable.Studies show that Classic Rock has moved to the forefront as the preferred format for key listeners of the desired demographic … and all of us Baby Boomers LOVE it.
I would love to see The Drive focus on more specialized programming as they have in the past … Album Sides weekends, Two For Tuesdays and their semi-regular A-to-Z feature.(In fact, I think it would be cool to offer a unique A-to-Z feature as part of every weekend … pick a particular artist and do an A-to-Z salute to that artist for an allotted amount of time.It would allow them to play more “deep cuts” from their catalog … a nice break from the same old / same old … and depending on the artist, it could be a six hour or twelve hour weekend feature, thus creating the “appointment radio” factor that we’re always talking about here … or, with an artist like The Beatles or The Stones, devote the whole weekend to their catalog.Under these circumstances, I could easily tolerate six hours of Aerosmith or twelve hours of Led Zeppelin because I’d know exactly what I was tuning in for and what to expect … and even if I decided to change the dial at some point, I would know exactly what I’d be getting the minute I turned it back!)
But, like I said, don’t listen to me … because I clearly have absolutely NO idea as to what type of radio programming would lure in … and keep … listeners tuned in.
Don’t get me wrong … I have always LOVED The Drive and have been a listener since Day One … I just never, in my WILDEST imagination, would have dreamed that the music of choice for the lion’s share of listeners would be five AC/DC songs in eight hours!!!
(With that being said, I should also mention that low-signal Me-TV-FM … which I would listen to if I could … continues to rise in the ratings … by playing EXACTLY the type of variety we’ve been talking about for the past twenty years … so maybe I DO know just a little bit about what listeners want after all!)kk
Hi Kent –
Did you see this piece on Bob Sirott’s new podcast celebrating Chicago Top 40 Radio? This one’s definitely must listening!
Clive Topol
Fans of Top 40 Radio here in Chicago (in the golden days of WLS and WCFL) would do well to tune into this podcast featuring Bob Sirott and Al Mitchell.They’ll be guests on Dave Milberg’s “Rare And Scratchy Rock ‘n’ Roll” show.(It first aired yesterday but is also available for rebroadcast at your leisure!)
The program also spotlights jocks and jingles from several other major Top 40 Markets.
Robert Feder reports it this way:
Former Chicago radio personalities Bob Sirott and Al Mitchell recall America’s great Top 40 stations in Saturday’s edition of Dave Milberg’s“Rare & Scratchy Rock ‘n’ Roll” podcast series. Included will be jingles from the Top 40 era of WLS 890-AM and the former WCFL. Milberg, a former Chicago broadcast executive and co-author of the two-volume Answer Songs, marks his third year as host of the popular podcast series in December.
Here’s an even better link for archived shows … you’ll find ALL kinds of stuff here!!!(kk)
Rewound Radio saluted WNBC yesterday on their weekly Dee Jay Hall Of Fame feature.Cool to hear Big Jay Sorensen from back in the day on their reunion show!
After we got this email from FH Reader Frank B, we asked Big Jay to fill us in on his latest goings on …
kk …
Big Jay Sorenson is one of the DJ's today on Rewound Radio’s DJ Hall Of Fame program … from his WNBC days.
Whatever happened to him?
I lost track of him when he left New York.
Frank B.
I don’t think Jay ever actually left New York … he just sorta disappeared from the airwaves a short while back.
I believe he was doing weekends and fill-in spots on WCBS-FM for awhile … and then was part of some syndicated radio and tv series along with radio great Joey Reynolds … and, as far as I know anyway, is alive and well and absolutely chompin' at the bit to get back on the air again on a far more regular basis.
But Big Jay can fill you in on all the latest details far better than I can … so here he is to bring us all up to speed …
Hi, Forgotten Hits Fans!
Big Jay Sorensen here.
It was quite an honor
to be featured on the Rewound Radio special on Saturday, with their tribute to
just three of the personalities that were featured on The Time Machine on the
former 66 WNNNBC AM, New York City.
As we approach the
30th anniversary of the storied 66 WNBC signing off for the last time on
October 7, 1988, I was reminded about just how special that lovingly done
recreation of AM Top-40 stations of the 60s into the 70s WAS on The Time
Machine.
Astute programmer Dale
Parsons, who was an AM Top 40 radio veteran himself, had an unenviable task of
attempting to put 66 WNBC back in the minds of listeners after Howard Stern
left the building.
In early 1986, I was
invited to be the sidekick of radio icon Joey Reynolds in PM Drive on WNBC.I had known Joey since 1973 when he waltzed
into town to visit a friend at WHLW-AM 1170, licensed to Lakewood, NJ.
I had been working at
various stations in Jersey, including: WOBM FM, the aformentioned WHLW 11/7
Jersey Shore, WJRZ FM and WPST FM from Trenton. (I did a stint at WIFI 92 FM in
Philly as well.)
WHLW AM was purchased
by the owners of WOBM FM in '81... and I was asked to program those two
stations from '81 - '84. I then returned to WPST and again worked for current
radio writer, Tom Taylor.
I was sitting in the
air chair at WPST when my old boss Joey Reynolds called me asking me to be his
sidekick, after he had tried out a few people. Interviewed by everyone who wore
a suit at 30 Rock at NBC, after four long meetings, I was hired.
That lasted just over
a year when the contracts of Joey and Soupy Sales were not renewed.
I thought MY job was
toast; only to find out that Parsons had something else in mind specifically
for me. His idea was to play a specific sound of mostly upbeat pop, soul
and rock Top 40 hits from around 1962 through '75 ... leaning heavily on the
'64 to '69 timeframe, thus the phrase "The Classic Hits of the '60s."
Being on that 50,000
watt blowtorch of a signal in middle of the night reaching all of Eastern North
America and then some, we quickly added classic re-sings of PAMS(c) jingles and
a few leftover JAM jingle from WNBC's '70s incarnation.
Along with amazing
production from the late Jim Collins, Dan Taylor (who joined the team a few
months into the project) along with Parsons, The Time Machine took
off.
I did it first during
the weekday overnights and then Dale added Taylor, Collins, and many other
talents to do an all-weekend version of The Time Machine.
It was a radio geek's
wet dream to hear the records, jingles and jocks and even spots and news
drenched in reverb ... the twin 9 ft spring reverb of the one 77 WABC had used
during its music heyday. Talk about authentic!
I can tell you that
this brief 18-month or so run of The Time Machine was magical for me.
I had dreamed of doing
that kind of radio since I was 10 years old. I had grown up listening to WMCA,
WABC in NYC, later WIBG and WFIL in Philly ... in addition to the skywave
sounds of WKBW Buffalo (where I first heard Joey Reynolds), WLS and WCFL from
Chicago, along with the other Top 40 stations I could hear from Central NJ
after sunset.
We had top notch
engineering at WNBC ... as the main studio was one of the finest I had ever
encountered. The audio was superb.The
NABET engineering crew kept the plant in top shape.
But lurking in the
background during this time was the knowledge that the NEW owners of NBC,
General Electric, were not fond of owning AM or even FM stations in several
major markets. So when it was announced GE was going to "Bring good things
to DEATH," we knew it was just a matter of time.
The odd part was after
GE announced they were selling MOST of their properties, they CLAIMED in a memo
that they would KEEP the station that Radio City was named for ... 66 WNBC
a/k/a WEAF and, for a brief time, WRCA.
But then ... boom ... Done.
Liars.
Nobody knew the exact
date we would wave bye-bye to 66 years of one owner having the station.
I was called by Dale
Parsons when I got home at 8:30 AM on October 6th, 1988, to say my next show
starting at midnight would be my last.
Dale asked what I
wanted to DO that night (after he and his wife Ginny and Jim Collins) worked on
an excellent multi-pieced tribute to the fabled radio station from its humble
beginnings in the 1920's through 1988. Quite a feat.
When I told Dale I
would play every single 45 rpm release by the Beatles -- all of the official
American-released A & B sides, he was overjoyed.
Thankfully I was an
avid Beatles collector, so I had everything I needed to last as long as it
would take to play them all. It took over 4 and 1/2 hours but I played every
single release in chronological order of chart entry dates in order to be sure
to play each song. If a B-sided song didn't chart on its own, I played it right
after the A-side hit.
I still had about one
hour to play more Non-Beatles tunes, so I picked the ones that I thought were
the essence of the era.
I added my proprietary
version of "Rock And Roll Heaven" with spliced-in pieces of
songs from every single deceased Top 40 era artist to pass away up to that
date. I still get asked for copies of that. And NO I can't.
The last song I played
could have been anything ... but I chose to end The Time Machine in the same
fashion that Dan Ingram and Ron Lundy ended the long run of Musicradio 77 WABC
with John Lennon's "Imagine." Followed by the famous WNBC (WABC)
chime-time jingle ... followed by dead air for five seconds. Then, Imus
in the Morning's Charles McCord began his last WNBC newcasts for that last
day.
I chose NOT to return
that afternoon when my friend Alan Colmes signed off the station at 5:30 pm
ET. It was simply too emotional for me.
But I rebounded a few
months later when Press Broadcasting was ready to purchase a Class B FM
station, WKXW FM in Trenton, NJ.
I was named station
program director and tried in vain to fix the KIX brand of adult contemporary
programming. It was impossible. Too many competitors ... and the branding was
not well known enough ... so we did an expensive perceptual study of eight
counties in NJ to find out what KIND of station Jerseyans desired.
When all info was
tabulated, we enlisted the talents of Walter Sabo to help consult our next
move.
He suggested calling
the station "New Jersey." Add the 101.5 and a station was born. We
had to assemble a staff that could not JUST play records but could also TALK
about New Jersey.
Eventually the music
disappeared and we were just Talkin' JERSEY.
The state is wedged
between NYC and Philly ... and we reached both. Plus the signal went deep into
Pennsyvania. But we decided to market the station as The New Jersey Station ...
and if others listened, fine!
The brilliance of the
station was that in addition to NJ Traffic, Weather and News, we also talked
about things REAL people cared about. Taxes, tolls, traffic nightmares,
schools, kids, and just about any imaginable topic about life in the very
uniquely called The Garden State. All of which was anchored by some od the best
talk talent in America ... who could ALL do entertaining talk of ALL kinds -- not
just politics!
I abdicated my PD
shoes and just did a talk show eventually with a partner, Hilarie Barsky. We
would leave NJ 101.5 together in 1997 for talk stations in Philly (WPHT-AM and
WWDB-FM) and at KLIF-AM in Dallas.
I returned to the NY area
and was one of the first hires at the then brand new '60s channel on the then
stand-alone Sirius Satellite Radio called '60s Vibrations. I had a good three-year
run there.
I still loved doing
local radio and was chosen to do mornings at a talk station in New Brunswick,
NJ ... WCTC-AM. Giving them the highest ratings they had in years, I moved to
another Greater Media station where I had worked in the '70s ... WJRZ-FM ... only
this time as a Classic Hits morning show ... eventually joined by former Z100
NYC Morning Zoo participant Anita Bonita. What a magical pairing.
During my time at
WJRZ, I had some health issues (now totally rectified) and was eventually asked
to do a couple of "Radio Greats" appearances on WCBS-FM 101.1 in the
Big Apple.
Weeks later, I was
invited by then programmer Brian Thomas to the staff doing every shift
imaginable on the station as a swing-shift jock-of-all-trades ... and finally
did every weekend overnight shift for half a decade ending in 2016.
During that time at
CBS-FM I was once again invited by Joey Reynolds to be his TV show sidekick on
WNBC DT 4.2 digital TV channel called "New York Nonstop" on the show
called "All Night With Joey Reynolds."
After my time at
CBS-FM Joey and I did a Variety Talk show on 77 WABC called humorously "The
Late Joey Reynolds Show.
That is where things
left off.
We will be doing yet
another show together that is in the works ... plus I plan to explore the
possibilities of doing a syndicated version of (of all things) The Time Machine
as only I can do it!
I certainly am NOT
retired as some fans have erroneously thought. I have the fortunate experience
of being able to do TALK radio AND Music radio. Plus, I can program and consult
stations or even podcasters.
I have been at this
thing called radio (and TV) for nearly 50 years. I started at age 17... and I
want to get at least another twenty years in, doing what I love on any platform
where audio is the main dish.
What a career working
at some of America's legendary call signs ... and it ain't done yet!
Be BIG!
Big Jay
Sorensen
WE’VE GOT SOME WINNERS:
Congratulations go out to Forgotten Hits Readers:
Colin Donahue, who won a copy of Davie Allan’s new CD “Retrophonic 5” … you can order your copy thru Davie’s website:
Speaking of The City Winery, they’ve just added some GREAT shows to the line-up …
ProcolHarum will be appearing for two nights, February 20th and 21st … man, I didn’t even know these guys were still together, much less touring!!!This should be an awesome show.
And let’s not forget Randy Bachman on January 24th and 25th …
And we can’t wait to see Peter and Jeremy (as in Asher and Clyde) on November 6th … there are still a few good seats left for that one.
Up-Coming PBS Special:
We told you about this one the night they filmed it …
But now we can all enjoy the results when PBS airs “Great Performances:Grammy Salute To Music Legends Honors Neil Diamond, Emmylou Harris, Louis Jordan, The Meters, Queen, Tina Turner, John Williams and More” on Friday Night, October 5th …
Here’s the official press release …
GREAT PERFORMANCES: “GRAMMY SALUTE TO MUSIC LEGENDS®” HONORS NEIL DIAMOND, EMMYLOU HARRIS, LOUIS JORDAN, The METERS, QUEEN, TINA TURNER, JOHN WILLIAMS, AND MORE
This special will air October 5th on PBS will include performances by Yolanda Adams, Herb Alpert, Micky Dolenz, Sammy Hagar, Ledisi, and Trisha Yearwood, joined by presenters Gustavo Dudamel and Henry Rollins.
In collaboration with PBS' "Great Performances" series, the Recording Academy™ presents "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends®" , the third annual all-star concert offering a primetime spotlight for the Academy’s 2018 Special Merit Awards recipients. The celebration and tribute concert feature rare performances by honorees and never-before-seen renditions of their classic songs by those they've inspired.
Recorded in July at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, the event premieres nationwide on Friday, October 5th at 9 p.m. (Eastern) on PBS (check your local listings to see when it will air in your area) and will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/gperf and PBS apps.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Hal Blaine, Neil Diamond, Emmylou Harris, Louis Jordan, the Meters, Queen, and Tina Turner. Additional Special Merit Awards honorees celebrated include concert promoter Bill Graham, Sire Records co-founder Seymour Stein, and five-time Academy Award-winning film score composer John Williams, who are this year’s Trustees Award honorees; Tony Agnello and Richard Factor are the Technical GRAMMY® Award recipients. Melissa Salguero is this year’s recipient of the Music Educator Award™.
"Theme from Schindler’s List" (performed by Anne Akiko Meyers, David Newman, and the American Youth Symphony)
"Air And Simple Gifts" (performed by Los Angeles Philharmonic Quartet)
The Meters
"Cissy Strut" / "Fire On The Bayou" (performed by the Meters)
Bill Graham and Queen
"Right Now" and "We Will Rock You" (performed by Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony)
The Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award recognizes such contributions in areas other than performance. Both awards are determined by a vote of the Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by vote of the Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing® Advisory Council and Chapter Committees and ratified by the National Board of Trustees, and presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.
Throughout its more than 40-year history on public television, "Great Performances" has provided viewers across the country with an unparalleled showcase of the best in all genres of the performing arts, serving as America’s most prestigious and enduring broadcaster of cultural programming.
A production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET, "GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends" is written by David Wild and directed for television by David Horn, with Mitch Owgang as producer, and Horn and Neil Portnow as executive producers. For "Great Performances," Bill O’Donnell is series producer; Horn is executive producer.
This "Great Performances" presentation is funded by the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, the Joseph & Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation, the Irene Diamond Fund, Rosalind P. Walter, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, the Agnes Varis Trust, the Starr Foundation, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, the Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Ellen and James S. Marcus, The Abra Prentice Foundation, and PBS.
About the Recording Academy:
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards®—music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.
For more information about the Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on Twitter, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube.
Here's a new photo of Micky Dolenz and Neil Diamond performing "I'm A Believer" from the award ceremony and television taping ...
This And That:
Here is an archived MC5 site that I discovered that appears to have a bootleg(?) version of the "MC5 A True Testimonial" movie on it. If I'm not mistaken this was produced by a group in Chicago, but was blocked from release by Wayne Kramer, possibly over a money dispute or a quality of representation.
My daughter is getting married Saturday. She requested that I pick a
song for the dj to play for the father / daughter dance. I did not want a
typical song like Butterfly Kisses. When Macey was a little girl, her
favorite song was Sweet Pea by Tommy Roe. We have not danced together to that song for a long time and we will again this Saturday night.
It is good to hear that Tommy is on the mend. If you get a chance, thank him for his memorable songs that have been a big part of all of our lives.It is too bad that we can't fly him into Milwaukee to perform
it live!
Phil Nee
WRCO
Congratulations! Have a great time!
I’m quite sure Tommy will be touched and honored by your selection.He sounds like he’s doing well.
Have you ever had him on your show?He’s a super nice guy and, as long as he’s feeling up to it health-wise, I think he’d probably go for it … plus a great chance to reconnect with the fans after his recent surgery.
You could tell him your wedding story on the air and play “Sweet Pea” along with a few of his other hits.
And he can tell you how all about what he’s just gone through and how he’s doing … as well as the story about he wrote his big hit “EVERYBODY” on John Lennon’s guitar!
I’ll put a buzz in his ear and see what he has to say.(kk)
Actually, I have interviewed him a few times. Most recently when he released a really good album a while back and we played a couple of cuts in the country format. He also did a couple of concerts for us back in the 90s and 2000s.
I would love to have him on the air again … perhaps something we
could record next week when I am back and then feature on the show on the 22nd.Thanks!
Phil
Let's see if he responds to this ... and, if he does, let me know how it goes … and then be sure to send me a copy of the segment!(kk)
And Tommy’s Musical Director sent me this great piece of news about The Box Tops, who he is currently touring with …
Today … September 12th ... in ceremonies held on Beale Street in MEMPHIS … Blue-Eyed Soul group THE BOX TOPS were inducted into the MEMPHIS MUSIC HALL OF FAME!!!!
What an honor to join other inductees that include:
Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Al Green, Booker T. & MGs, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, BB King, Albert King, Howlin Wolf, Carla Thomas, Isaac Hayes, Sam Phillips, Justin Timerlake and MORE!!
That’s GREAT news, Rick … please pass along our congratulations to all the guys from Forgotten Hits!(And let us know when you’ll be back in Chicago for a show!)kk
I got emails from several Forgotten Hits Readers about this new item last week …
FOX 13 News is reporting that rock legends Mick Jagger and Jerry Lee Lewis were spotted at Sun Studios
kk …
The Killer goes back to his roots … with a friend.
Mick Jagger's been in Memphis the past couple of days, but not to work on new Rolling Stones music … he is reportedly looking to make a movie about Sun Records. Jagger was photographed with Jerry Lee Lewis on Wednesday, and the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that the two Rock and Roll Hall of Famers were there to discuss the founder of Sun Studios, Sam Phillips.
Jagger's production company owns the film rights to Peter Guralnick's 2015 biography Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll and is set to have Leonardo DiCaprio star. Lewis recorded most of his big hits at Sun Studios. Jagger and his film crew were in the city scouting locations and doing research for the film. Jagger also tweeted a picture of himself in front of Sun Studios on Thursday morning.
Here is why Mick Jagger and Jerry Lee Lewis were in Memphis this past week … FB
Why was Mick Jagger in Memphis this week?
And why did he meet Jerry Lee Lewis at Sun Studio on Wednesday, in what could be described as a summit of rock and roll royalty?
The man behind Jerry Lee in a much-retweeted photograph of the two music legends at Sun provides a clue to the answer.
That man is Peter Guralnick, author of the definitive two-volume biography of Elvis Presley and — more to the point, in this case — the 2015 biography, "Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'N' Roll."
According to multiple sources, Jagger, Guralnick and others — including millionaire producer / investor Steve Bing — were in Memphis essentially doing reconnaissance for a planned movie adaptation of Guralnick's Phillips biography, set to star Leonardo DiCaprio. As first reported two years ago, Jagger and DiCaprio are producers on the project.
Long active in the movie business, initially as an actor, the 75-year-old Jagger in recent years has increased his involvement in film and television, while still remaining committed to his longtime rock band, the Rolling Stones.
Jagger was a producer on the HBO Martin Scorsese-developed rock drama "Vinyl," and his production company also purchased rights to "Last Train to Memphis," the first book in Guralnick's Elvis diptych.
While that project seems to have stalled, this week's activity suggests the Sam Phillips biopic is very much viable. In addition to meeting with the 82-year-old Jerry Lee at Sun, Jagger — who had come to Memphis from London specifically for this visit — and other representatives of the project toured Sam Phillips' post-Sun studio, the Sam Phillips Recording Service on Madison Avenue, where they met with Sam Phillips' son, music producer Jerry Phillips.
Accompanying the group was Bing, 53, a Jagger friend and veteran movie producer ("The Polar Express") who has worked with the rock star on several projects (including the Stones music documentary "Shine a Light") and is among the announced producers of the Phillips biopic.
Bing also is a friend and lifelong fan of Jerry Lee Lewis, and he helped produce and finance the Killer's three most recent studio albums — star-studded affairs that featured such guests as Jagger, Keith Richards, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.
Among those flabbergasted by Jagger's surprise appearance at the Sam Phillips Recording Service were the members of the Drive-By Truckers, the acclaimed Alabama-rooted rock band currently recording a new album at the studio with Memphis producer Matt Ross-Spang.
"If he had stayed around longer we would have covered 'You're So Vain' just to have him come in on the backup vocals," joked Truckers co-founder Patterson Hood, referencing the Carly Simon No. 1 hit from 1972 that featured Jagger on growly harmony.
In addition to being a reunion of old friends, rock-and-roll pioneers and road warriors, the meeting of Jagger and Jerry Lee Lewis at Sun was arranged as much for talismanic significance as for purposes of research. Lewis, of course, became famous and recorded many of his greatest records at Sun, the studio founded by Sam Phillips that counts Elvis, Johnny Cash, Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison on its legendary roster.
Jagger's activities were about as hush-hush as Rolling Stones-related news can be, at least until Jagger himself tweeted a photograph of himself standing in the doorway of Sun to his 2.13 million followers. Other social-media photos followed, revealing the participation of Bing and twice-Oscar-nominated screenwriter Anthony McCarten, a biopic specialist whose credits include "The Theory of Everything," with Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, "Darkest Hour," with Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, and the upcoming "Bohemian Rhapsody," with Rami Malek as Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury. John Beifuss
Happy Birthday to Dick Biondi!
Here’s hoping he gets better and that we can have him back on the air where he belongs - and soon!
Mike Wolstein
... and the crew of the upcoming film "The Voice That Rocked America"!
Happy Birthday, Dick!!!
Frannie celebrated her birthday this past Friday … and, thanks to a tip by FH Reader Tom Cuddy (who sent me this incredible card on MY birthday a few weeks back), I was able to wish her a Very Happy Birthday with the assistance of none other than Donny Osmond!!!
Donny Osmond was her first crush ... and The Osmonds were the very first concert she ever attended ... and she has been a fan for life ever since. This card is AMAZING ... and you can make your OWN personalized Donny Osmond Birthday Card thru American Greetings here … https://www.americangreetings.com/detail?prodId=prod3479946&siteId=americangreetings Why not shock and surprise one of YOUR loved ones with this incredible card???
Donny and Marie are out on the road again right now ... Could a Forgotten Hits Interview with Donny be in our future? Only time will tell.Stay tuned!!!(kk)
Helping Out Our Readers:
Hi.
In looking around for the name of a song I’ve got STUCK IN MY HEAD & IT’S DRIVING ME CRAZY, I came across this site and I know I’ll be back – it’s cool in here!
The song is hard to describe:
It’s from the 50’s or 60’s.
I believe it was European (as opposed to North American)
It is sprightly, upbeat and the tune is carried by car horn beeps.
It’s an INSTRUMENTAL … and it’s NOT the ‘Beep-Beep song (Nash Rambler).
Any ideas?
Tony T.
Not much to go on here … perhaps if we could HEAR a little bit of what’s been playing in your head, it would help us track it down for you.
The ONLY song that comes to mind for me is “Tijuana Taxi” … but it’s hardly driven by the horn beeps … although there are a few.
Give a listen to this one.Meanwhile, we’ll put this out to our readers, who have about a 90% success rate in solving these musical mysteries.
