Quick Takes

I hope you all enjoyed your long, Labor Day Weekend … and had a chance to tune in to listen to bits and pieces of this year’s WLS / WCFL Rewound on Rewound Radio.  

Kudos again to the incredible team that puts this thing together for us every year … and to Allan Sniffen (a NEW YORKER, mind you!!!) … who gives them three days each year to present it to the nation and the rest of the world … many of whom have now become confirmed, bona fide fans of Chicago Top 40 Radio.  Great job, all the way around! (kk)

Stevie Wonder has just announced a tour promoting the 50th Anniversary of "Songs In The Key Of Life," his 1976 masterpiece and multi-Grammy winning album.

Frannie and I saw him ten years ago for the 40th Anniversary of the album and it was an exceptional show.  Stevie and his crackerjack band played the whole album all the way thru, front to back, then took a short break and came back to play some of Stevie's greatest hits.  ("Songs In The Key Of Life" already includes a few of them ... both "I Wish" and "Sir Duke" both topped the charts ... and "Isn't She Lovely" became a HUGE radio hit, even though it was never officially released as a single.  "Another Star" and "As" gave Stevie FOUR Top 40 Hits off his double LP.)

He's only doing a few US dates (but Chicago is one of the stops ... so who knows, we just may go see him again!)

Here's the full schedule: 

October 13, 2026 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
October 15, 2026 – Accor Arena, Paris
October 18, 2026 – Royal Arena, Copenhagen
October 20, 2026 – Unity Arena, Oslo
October 22, 2026 – 3Arena, Stockholm
October 24, 2026 – ZAG-Arena, Hannover
October 26, 2026 – Lanxess Arena, Cologne
October 28, 2026 – Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam
November 1, 2026 – 3Arena, Dublin
November 3, 2026 – The O2, London
November 8, 2026 – Co-op Live, Manchester
November 11, 2026 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
November 19, 2026 – Madison Square Garden, New York City
November 21, 2026 – United Center, Chicago
November 23, 2026 – Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
December 8, 2026 – Fox Theatre, Detroit
December 9, 2026 – Fox Theatre, Detroit
December 19, 2026 – Intuit Dome, Los Angeles 

MICKY DOLENZ JOINED CHRIS CARTER 9-7-26 TO CELEBRATE 25 YEARS OF BREAKFAST WITH THE BEATLES

https://nypost.com/2026/09/06/us-news/monkees-legend-micky-dolenz-joins-chris-carter-for-25-years-of-breakfast-with-the-beatles/ 

More praise for Micky’s new EP …  https://mail.yahoo.com/n/list/folders=00_1&listFilter=PRIORITY/messages/00_AAMlKkyFhm391hA0CMNuowG95uP

Hi Kent –

Ray Graffia will join me on my Those Were The Days radio show this Saturday night (9/12) between six and seven (central time). He has been a guest several times. As I celebrate the show's 40th anniversary this fall, it is great to reconnect with long time friends.  You can hear it through our website WRCO.com or download the Civic Media app and search for WRCO. Thanks.

Phil Nee

kk ... 

Monday Morning William Shatner Was On The 7 AM Cartoon Show (ME-TV) ---

Celebrating 60th Anniversary Of STAR-TREK.

About A Week Ago On The News I Heard That William Shatner & His Daughter Both Survived Stage 4 Cancer. 

FB

And a feel good clip from Chuck Buell ...

 

60 YEARS AGO TODAY:

9/9/66 – Actor / Comedian Adam Sandler is born

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He's not for everybody ... I'd say he rates about a 50/50 with me ...

The stuff I like, I like a lot ... 

But the stuff I don't, I won't ever watch again.

September 8th, 1966

60 YEARS AGO TODAY:

9/8/66 – “Star Trek” premiers on NBC

Also on 9/8, Dick Clark guest stars on “Batman”

Also on 9/8, “That Girl,” starring Marlo Thomas, premiers on ABC

 

A Monday Morning Quickie

From Tom Cuddy …

The occasion was the 100^th Birthday Celebration of The Arcada Theatre, an all-day celebration on Sunday (9/6) with a full parade and a day and night filled with special performances.  Congratulations to Ron Onesti, who saved The Arcada from the wrecking ball 21+ years ago.  (kk)

It was on September 6, 1926, that the 900-seat Arcada Theatre first opened its doors to a Vaudeville audience and a short “Our Gang Comedy” film. Eighty years later, Ron Onesti came to St. Charles to take over the reins of the theatre, which was days away from becoming an office complex, and turned it into one of the most popular live music venues in the country.

The Arcada Theatre, located in downtown St. Charles, is home to over 200 concerts and events each year.  As such, it’s clear why it has been voted the “Best Live Music Venue” by Daily Herald readers year-after-year. Theatre highlights include a Venetian-style outdoor patio space, video gaming machines, a nightclub complete with blinged-out walls and disco balls, Rock ‘N Za – a rock ‘n roll pizza experience with vintage rock pinball machines, Rock ‘N Ravioli – a classic style Italian Restaurant, and Club Arcada 1920s Speakeasy & Restaurant.

Tom also sent us this article …

https://t2conline.com/cds-are-coming-back-digital-convenience-didnt-kill-peoples-desire-to-own-things/

I know I’ve always been one who wanted to hold a physical piece of music … read the liner notes, read about the songwriters and producers … I guess I’m just old-school in that way.  (That doesn’t mean I don’t download the occasional tune now and then … I do … especially if I’m trying to illustrate something on the website where I don’t necessarily need any more than a single piece of music to make that connection … but for the most part, if it’s music I like or music I want, I will hold out for the real thing.)  kk

Hi Kent,

Just a clarification. "Choosin' Texas" hasn't been Number 1 for 20 consecutive weeks on Billboard. It first hit Number 1 on February 14 for 1 week, then March 7 for 1 week, March 21 for 2 weeks, April 11 for 3, May 9 for 3 more, and it's stayed at the top for 10 weeks going back to July 4. Still pretty amazing.

Ian Berger

Thank you for this information.  The post has since been corrected.  (kk)

I JUST WATCHED FILM NOIR -- "THE YELLOW CANARY" -- With Pat Boone (After Five #1 Hits) And, Playing His Wife,  Barbara Eden (Before Jeannie.)

Of Course, Pat Was A Singer ... And He Was Also A Mean SOB.

His Son Got Kidnapped. He Caught Up With The Kidnappers And Shot Three Of Them.

They Call That “Playing Against Type” … Written By Rod Serling.

It Wasn't Great – But Fun To Watch.

FRANK B.

Interesting …

Never saw it … but prior to making TWO movies with Pat Boone, Barbara Eden costarred with Elvis Presley in “Flaming Star.”  (It’s also hard to watch!)  Pretty amazing that “Jeannie” was the “it” girl for these two popular singers in the early ‘60’s.  (kk)

 

And, speaking of pop stars making movies ... 

60 YEARS AGO TODAY:

9/7/66 – The film “The Fastest Guitar Alive” begins filming, starring Roy Orbison and Sam The Sham