Monday, April 27, 2009

Brand New Music From Some Of Your Old Favorites

It's funny how things work out sometimes... I have been holding this piece for a couple of weeks now, originally intending to include it in the next "Leftovers" Page ... which will be coming to Forgotten Hits Subscribers later this week by email, by the way. But circumstances changed ... things got delayed (as we went through a stretch where email became more troublesome!) ... so I decided to hold off just a LITTLE bit longer and give it the spotlight treatment it deserves here on The Forgotten Hits Web Page instead. And, as things ultimately worked out, (which they so rarely do!!!), it turns out that the timing couldn't be better. Inspired by these new tracks submitted to me by Denny Flannigan and Wild Bill Cody, we've talked with a number of the artists on our list and they've agreed to share some of their new music with our readers ... in many cases, before you can even buy it!!! Truly "Sneak Peeks"!!! We're calling it "Brand New Music From Some Of Your Old Favorites" ... and today we kick things off with some of great, new music by an old local Denver favorite! Enjoy!!! (kk)

YES!
It finally happened, after years and years of begging and pleading to PLEASE record this tune, my all time music idol growing up (Denny Flannigan of the Moonrakers), has recorded AND released Bumble Boogie! It was originally done in 1961 by B. Bumble & The Stingers. To my knowledge, the only rock and roll group besides them that even could touch the song was the Moonrakers, and it was the song they opened and closed their shows with!
Denny's just released CD btw is called "DON'T NEED NO REASON TO PARTY" by Denny Flannigan & The Suns of the Beaches, recorded down south where Denny calls home, San Felipe, Baja Mexico. The entire CD is incredible ... you need to order a copy today and enjoy it for years to come!!!
In fact, here's one last tune from Denny Flannigan's new CD "DON'T NEED NO REASON TO PARTY" by Denny Flannigan & The Suns of the Beaches.
This particular song is the last song on the CD, and to my knowledge was recorded in the late 60's in Hollywood, California. Here was yet another tune made famous by the Moonrakers in Denver, Back in the day, Denny sang the lead to this song and would have women swooning and nearly fainting like other major teenage idols of the time. If you grew up in Denver, you'd probably have to agree he was without a doubt Denver's only home grown rock 'n roll chick magnet. Guys like me in other garage bands wished we WERE Denny Flannigan!
Well, catch your breath and let me give you the line-up on this song originally written by Phil Spector. (BTW, when you listen to it, the Moonrakers created their own "wall-of-sound"). The line-up included the ENTIRE original Moonrakers group with Denny on piano and singing the lead, Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys was playing the Rickenbacker 12 string and also added to the vocals, Bob Webber played lead guitar / vocals, Van Dorn played rhythm guitar / vocals, Joel Brandes played bass, and Bob MacVittie played drums. Oh and one sidenote, the song was produced by Roger Christian, Brian Wilson and Richard Russell. It does have a Beach Boy feel to it doesn't it?
As the story goes, the recording had been all but lost, until last year when a copy of it mysteriously showed up on ebay! Denny spent a small fortune, grabbed it, cleaned it up, and the rest is history.
Again, enjoy ... and if you get a chance, please pick up the entire CD, it is great with some live cuts and incredible tracks, it's a party waiting to happen for your ears!!!
"Wild" Bill Cody
Honestly, I think it's got more of a Byrds-feel to it than a Beach Boys sound ... but this is Brian Wilson's ALL-TIME favorite song ... so it is VERY cool that they were able to salvage this one and finally get it out for the public to hear!!! Thanks for sharing ... hopefully, this will whet the appetites of some of our readers who'll want to grab a copy for themselves ... and this is where you can do that!!!
Click here: Denny's new CD-DON'T NEED NO REASON TO PARTY
Once you read the "stories behind the songs", you're gonna wanna pick up your OWN copy of this hot new CD right away!!! Special thanks to Denny Flannigan to allow us to share these "Sneak Peeks" with our Forgotten Hits Readers!!! (kk)

Hi Kent,
I enjoy your column and love keeping ’up to date’. Kudos to you for keeping our memories alive of all this great music from 'back in the day ...' You've done a great job!
You do such a good job with your presentation and I would be complimented to have you feature two of my songs and any other information you think appropriate. We've had lots of publicity and airplay surrounding the new CD ... and, as always ... ya never know!
Best Regards,
Denny Flannigan
http://www.DennyFlannigan.com
http://www.NameThatTuneBaja.com
Wild Bill is a great promoter and has always been one of my best fans. His enthusiasm jumps off the page. He is a one of a kind very special person. How lucky for a guy like me to have him for a fan. It’s very humbling when you are such a big part of people lives that you’ve touched and a gift that I have never taken lightly. The stories behind many of these songs are really interesting. Be My Baby, for instance, was lost for over 40 years and one acetate surfaced at a flea market and then made it’s way to ebay. There are some fascinating stories behind some of these songs and if you skim the following link it would be quicker than my retelling them here. . .
http://namethattunebaja.com/details_denny.lasso?-token.page=dnnrtp
We’re getting great reviews so far with very a unique and environmentally safe packaging that seems to be the first of it’s kind. While we haven’t even had a release party, the art on the cover and backside are so beautifully portrayed and representative of where we live that it is selling basically on looks and to people who know me. So the whole package is what we are actually presenting.
The Arches, built by the four states in Baja, are considered the gateway to the Sea of Cortez and the promise to promote tourism. At any rate, most people see it and buy several copies to send to friends and family. The packaging is unusual and I haven’t seen anyone else use it. It is totally “Green” ... recycled, recyclable cardboard, no plastic trays. There is a lot of local history not only from Colorado but from our travels that have led us to San Felipe.
I also never intended airplay but rather wanted to make a San Felipe ‘Memento’ CD. We are, however, getting played on two stations and have a great review coming out in 4 weeks in Mexico Living Magazine which I will also forward to you. At this age, you just don’t try to go for the gold any more but like Chuck Berry says, ‘You Never Can Tell.‘
Again, I enjoy keeping up with your music, info and items that I would never have heard about had it not been for you and Forgotten Hits. By the way, I know HOW MUCH WORK YOU DO! Thanks from all of us out here! And thank you again for your interest in my new project ...
I would be flattered to have you handle this as you see fit and share some tracks with your knowledgeable, music-loving readers. This should be interesting and great fun! We are on CD Baby, iTunes (in the very near future) and this can only help us. Thank you again for your help and experience creating such a great site and for the interest in my new CD! Please let me know if I can help you in any way.
Denny



Bumble Boogie by Denny Flannigan and The Sons Of The Beaches



Be My Baby by The Moonrakers ... featuring Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys ... and produced by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian


'60's FLASHBACK: We've talked about The Moonrakers quite a few times in the past here in Forgotten Hits, thanks in large part to their #1 Fan, Wild Bill Cody. In fact, way back when, we even covered the time the band opened for The Dave Clark Five ... but Denny just sent us a vintage newspaper clipping from that era that he recently received from a fan ... and passed it on to us to share. Check this out!!!
Hi Kent,
A fan just sent me this clipping from the Rocky Mountain News when the Moonrakers opened for the Dave Clark 5 in Denver in the mid 60‘s. Things have changed a bit since then.:-) It really makes you realize that you are lucky to still be alive and making music.
Thought you’d get a kick out of it..
Regards,
Denny Flannigan

(click photo to enlarge)