Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:
Just saw your note on the six singles that were recently “inducted” into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I’m not sure if you’re aware that the Hall of Fame already did something similar to this back in 2004 when they presented their list of “The 500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll.” They just recently added another 160 titles to that original list. You can find a list of all the songs here: http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/halloffame.htm
We have noted that original 500 list under each title in our most recent Top Pop Singles book. In fact, I just noticed that we did note those additional 160 R&R Hall of Fame songs in our most recent Top Pop Singles book, so they must have been added a while ago.
Thanks!
Paul Haney / Record Research
kk:
You mentioned that "Rocket 88" by Jackie Breston (1951) is considered by many to be the first Rock and Roll recording.
That's true. There are others to consider.
Wild Wayne thinks that "The Fat Man " by Fats Domino ( 1949 ) is the first Rock and Roll recording. I think its Bill Haley's recording of "Rock Around The Clock" ( 1955 ). Because of the movie "Blackboard Jungle," this song is better known than the others.
As far as the first song inductees into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, I can't believe that "Earth Angel" by The Penguins and "In The Still Of The Night" by The Five Satins and "Rock Around The Clock" weren't included in the class of 2018.
Frank B.
Frank also sent us these highlights from the induction ceremony, courtesy of WCBS-FM. (The HBO television special begins airing on May 5th.)
Thanks, Kent. Finally! After being overlooked and misunderstood by the keepers of the keys, it looks like the door to the Rock and Roll Hall is opening for some more of the originators of the genre. It’s about time. Tommy Roe
Long overdue, for sure. Hopefully they will continue the tradition and recognize more of the innovators while there are still some of us around to remember and appreciate them!!! (kk)
You Don’t Own Me:
Classic interview with John Madara. Great to see it again.
Carl Wiser
Great stuff, kk
Chet Coppock
Hi Kent -
What a FANTASTIC edition of Lesley Gore and "You Don't Owe Me." I enjoyed reading all of the ‘insights' from not only Lesley Gore but the composers, Madera and White!!
It is truly one of Rock n Roll's Anthem Songs that will live on forever.
And adding the You Tube versions of the various artists that performed this song was an added treat!!
I was fortunate to see Lesley Gore perform 'You Don't Own Me" at a Wheeling Summer Fest when she was appearing with Lou Christie on the same bill.
THANK YOU AGAIN......
Carolyn
Lesley and Lou toured together frequently – they also did some recording together. (Never got the chance to see this pairing … too bad as I’m sure it was a GREAT show!)
I’m hoping Lou will share a memory or two with our readers … stay tuned! (kk)
The Lesley Gore song "You Don't Own me" DOES have the Women's Lib Movement idea behind it, but it was a pretty innocent idea at the time, IMO. I suggest that Lesley herself really had no idea of treating the song as an anthem, especially considering she followed that hit with these lyrics in "That's the Way Boys Are" … and next up was "Maybe I know that he's been cheatin' but what can I do?"
So, if you wish to put the great song talked of ( and don't get me wrong, I love the songs of Lesley) up on a pedestal, you must follow with the several songs saying it was OK for boys to treat her badly???
Lyrics from "That's the Way Boys Are":
When I'm with my guy and he watches all the pretty girls go by
And I feel so hurt deep inside, I wish that I could die
Not a word do I say
I just look the other way
'Cause that's the way boys are
That's the way boys are
When he treats me rough and he acts as though he doesn't really care
Well, I never tell him that he is so unfair
Plus, he loves me and I know it
But he's just afraid to show it
'Cause that's the way boys are
That's the way boys are
Clark Besch
I see your point … but this also makes “You Don’t Own Me” stand out as even MORE revolutionary. The fact that female artists were willing to sing these types of lyrics and condone this type of behavior is pretty eye-opening. You just don't think of this type of attitude as being reflective of the times. "You Don't Own Me" drew a line in the sand and basically said, "I'm not putting up with your shit anymore." It marked a HUGE step forward in women standing up for themselves and demanding a little bit of R-E-S-P-E-C-T. (kk)
This And That:
MICKY DOLENZ, prepping for his upcoming June tour with Michael Nesmith (The M&M Tour) will appear at next weekend’s (4-27-28) EC Comic Con in Secaucus, New Jersey, and will be presented with the key to the city from its Mayor, Mayor Michael Gonnelli, at a Micky / Make A Wish event.
Dolenz will also sing the National Anthem on Sunday, July 1st, at Citizens Bank Field in Philadelphia, as the Phillies play the Nationals.
Kent:
We had Chubby Checker on WOR Radio in NYC today. The co-hosts of Len Berman and Michael Riedel were talking about last weekend’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in Cleveland and were upset that Chubby was still not inducted ... so they arranged for Chubby to call in to talk about the HOF and an upcoming Long Island, NY appearance with Mary Wilson and Martha Reeves.
I have attached a recording of WOR’s interview with Chubby.
Tom Cuddy
Nice tribute to our FH Buddy Scott Shannon in AdAge …
Before you get your tickets to see The Bay City Rollers, you'd better ask Ron to confirm who is in that band, Kent ... from what I've read, there have been multiple bands recently touring by that name ... something that's occurred with a bunch of groups over the years, as you're well aware.
BOB FRABLE
Yeah, I did a bit of checking online myself trying to pin down the line-up with no real success. We saw Kyle Vincent perform as a “former member of The Bay City Rollers” a few years ago … he told me later that he was something like the 21st Roller and was in the band about a minute and a half … still, he’s an incredible entertainer with a GREAT voice and he put on a very entertaining show, also handling the lead vocals for Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. (I don’t think Kyle’s involved in this show but it’d be cool if he was.)
It’s definitely a “buyer beware” situation … but it’ll also be a fun-filled evening of feel good music … so I think we just may risk it and go. (kk)
And Vintage Vinyl News is reporting the end of The Searchers, one of the best harmony bands to come out of The British Invasion …
Add another artist to the growing number who are going into retirement.
The Searchers have announced that a performance on March 31, 2019, will be the last for the group. Frank Allen, who has been a member since 1964, made the announcement in the new Searchers Newsletter, saying that he and John McNally, who has been a member since their 1957 start, made the decision for a number of reasons.
For Allen, it was the travel, but much more than just being away from home. "For some time I have become increasingly weary of the travelling side of the life we have led for more than five decades. It reached the point where I no longer wanted to get in a car. When I am at home I drive only if I have to. If I dine out in London, I take the tube these days. A few paltry local miles a day when necessary is enough for my needs and if or when I eventually downsize to a new home it will be within walking distance of an underground station."
He did suggest that McNally carry on with the group and just replace him but, with John being 76, "I don’t think he has the heart to take on such new responsibilities at this time of life. It’s a shame. I think he could have presented the band in a different way and make a great success of it."
The two originally decided to close thing up by the end of 2018 but further discussions between McNally and their promoter, Alan Field, added a final solo tour which went through the end of March of the next year. Even a very lucrative final tour of Australia had to be turned down.
The decision has also been made to not sell the name or license it to any other musicians, just in case they want to, no matter how short of a time, come out of retirement.
Allen finished "So let’s look on the bright side. We still have nearly a year to go during which we can all look back on some wonderful times and enjoy a few more evenings together. John and I, along with Spencer [James, who joined in 1986] and Scott [Ottaway, who joined in 2010] of course, hope to see you at another concert very soon. Let`s make this final year something special."
The Searchers originally formed as out of a Liverpool area skiffle group in 1959 by McNally and Mike Pender. They had their first hit with "Sweets For My Sweet" (1963 / #1 U.K.) and went on to hit the U.K. top ten with "Sugar and Spice" (1963 / #2 U.K. / #44 U.S.), "Needles and Pins" (1964 / #1 U.K. / #13 U.S.), "Don't Throw Your Love Away" (1964 / #1 U.K. / #16 U.S.), "When You Walk In the Room" (1964 / #3 U.K. / #35 U.S.) and "Goodbye My Love" (1965 / #4 U.K. / #52 U.S.). In America, their only top ten was "Love Potion No. 9" (1964 / #3 U.S.).
The end of another era …
To Our Valued Patrons -
It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share that after 18 wonderful years bringing you live performances by some of the most talented names in music and entertainment, we have announced our final run of shows in the current Times Square location. As a result of escalating rent, we are being forced to close our doors at the end of April. While we are in the process of selecting a new location in Manhattan to relocate the venue, we wanted to curate a special closing week celebration to thank you all for your support over the past two decades. None of this would have been possible without you and we are eternally grateful!
The celebration will consist of performances by Rick Ross (4/23), Slick Rick & Doug E Fresh (4/25), El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico (4/26), George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (4/28), and Buddy Guy (4/29), who will be headlining the final B.B. Blues Club show. See below for the current schedule and ticket links.
All shows scheduled beyond the April 29th closing date will be moved to various venues throughout the city. The weekly Sunday Gospel Brunch featuring The Harlem Gospel Choir will give their two final performances on April 22nd & 29th, and we are currently working with the group to find a new home for their weekly residency which will be announced shortly. Lucille's Grill, located inside the venue, will remain open until April 29th and will feature sets by club favorites B.B. King Blues Club All-Stars, Jon Paris, A Decade of Soul, and more.
We look forward to celebrating the past and looking toward the future with you all. Your patronage means the world to us and we cannot thank you enough. We will see you soon!
Sincerely,
The B.B. King Blues Club & Grill Family
This breaks my heart!! I love the BB King trips. Going in on the train, a night of great artists at BB’s, a beautiful hotel, and a train ride home next day. NO!!!!
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
While I’ve never been there, we have been able to give tickets away to special shows held at BB King’s New York several times in the past for our East Coast Readers. It’s a shame to see any long-standing venue like this close its doors simply because they can no longer afford to keep them open … proof again the big business trumps any sentimental attachment again and again. Too bad … but it does sound like they’re trying to present these shows in other venues … so hopefully they can still keep things going for a little while longer.
How fitting, though, that it’ll be Chicago Blues Legend Buddy Guy who does the last performance. (kk)
Harvey Kubernik’s Summer Is Gone is an anomaly in a jungle of Jim Morrison tomes. While other literary endeavors focus on exploiting the folklore, Mr. Kubernik reveals the bare-bones of the Doors of perception. There is an old saying, “When you have the choice of printing the truth or the legend, print the legend.” Wisely, Kubernik veers away from mythology and gives the back story from insiders’ points of view, of the people who were there, who were now and present in that time that we shall never see again.
- Jan Alan Henderson, author of Crypt 39, Speeding Bullet, Behind the Crimson Cape (the cinema of George Reeves), contributor to FilmFax Magazine, Cult Movies, and American Cinematographer
“Harvey Kubernik's newest book The Doors Summer's Gone gives the reader a more intimate knowledge - no holds barred - at times into the life and times of The Doors.
“Through the eyes and pen of Kubernik and his very many interviewees, I feel as I have been transported back to the magical years of the mid- to late '60's.
“Kubernik's last two books, his literary anthology Inside Cave Hollywood & 1967 A Complete Rock Music History of the Summer of Love shows all that this prolific writer ain't just whistlin' dixie. Don't say that I'm not warnin' ya 'all. This is some great human stuff, man!”
Carlos "Cake" Nunez, former 'scribe for fLiPSiDE Fanzine (who is currently doing research for his upcoming autobiographical book about his experiences and friendship during his Punk Rock college days (1984 - 1987 and his eventual hook-up with fLiPSiDE Fanzine (1990 - 1999)
I’m actually reading this book right now and it’s really quite fascinating. Once again Harvey has taken key elements from the interviews he’s done over the past 40+ years and woven them into a very descriptive perspective of The Doors, both musically as personally. (For those of you keeping score, Kubernik is averaging a new book about every 13 days now … I don’t know how the hell he does it!!! But he has a wealth of material to draw from, having had his hands in every aspect of the music business for the past several decades.)
The book is brilliantly put together and even the most casual Doors fan will enjoy the fly-on-the-wall memories who were there from the beginning and caught these guys performing in the clubs before and after their first record was ever released. The way the band grew in fan appeal (and mythical proportions) is unbelievable. Highly recommended. (kk)
Chuck Negron, formerly of Three Dog Night, will be joined by fellow vintage pop rock group "The Box Tops" at the Arcada Theatre on Friday, May 4. Audiences will leave the co-headline whistling the soundtrack of the 60s and 70s, re-living classic hits such as "Joy To The World," "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)" and "One" as well as "The Letter," "Cry Like A Baby" and "Soul Deep."
Chuck has been captivating audiences for over five decades with his iconic four octave range, unique humor and brilliant storytelling. His latest 2017 solo album, “Negron Generations,” features his two youngest daughters as well as original Three Dog Night drummer Floyd Sneed. Chuck recently announced his return to the highly successful "Happy Together Tour 2018," hosted by The Turtles. From his first single at age 15 to today, Chuck has learned that music transcends all barriers and differences that people might have: “That’s the power of music.”
In 2015, original bassist / vocalist Bill Cunningham and original guitarist / vocalist Gary Talley teamed up with veteran music industry bandleader / manager Rick Levy to bring the Box Tops music back to waiting audiences. The Box Tops' set list highlights their hit records and, equally importantly, Memphis music of the 60s, especially some of the songs that influenced the members as young teens growing up in such a musical hotbed. The show is complete with horns and promises musical history that is HIP!
Tickets for the 8:00 pm show are available at oshows.com.
We’re looking forward to this one … should be a great night of music. (We saw The Box Tops and Chuck Negron perform together on The Happy Together Tour a couple of years ago.)
By the way, the revised edition of Chuck Negron’s incredible biography “Three Dog Nightmare” is now available. There are eleven new chapters and over a hundred new photos, bringing the story up to date. You can order your autographed copy here:
