It's moments like these that make doing Forgotten Hits so worthwhile. Imagine my surprise when I opened up THIS email the other day ...
Hi, Kent,
I was doing some Jim Croce searching today and came across your Forgotten Hits blog and haven't been able to break away without reading every word about your brother Mark. Please accept my sincere sympathy on the loss of Mark. I will remember him in my prayers.
Thank you for mentioning my brother Maury Muehleisen in your Deserving and Denied list on September 29, 2009. Hopefully, Maury and Jim are playing some songs for Mark right now.
Peace,
Mary
Mary Muehleisen
The Ever Since LLC
www.maurymuehleisen.com
Wow, thanks for the kind words.
I am a HUGE fan of your brother's work ... saw him perform with Jim Croce about six or seven times ... Maury always provided the perfect compliment to Jim's songs ... he had SO much going on in the background sometimes that I think many listeners took it for granted without ever really LISTENING to his work ... impeccable!
I've always felt that Maury belongs in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in the "Sidemen" category ... and Jim Croce did SO much more to change the face of rock and roll than so many of the other artists who have already been inducted before him.
Would love you to share your thoughts and memories from time to time with our readers. Ingrid Croce has also participated every once in a while. Am happy to provide a link to your memorial site as well.
Thanks again for taking the time to write.
Kent Kotal
Forgotten Hits
Hi, Kent,
Thanks for responding and for letting me know that you're a HUGE fan of my brother's work. It's great that you got to see them perform. I'd love to hear your memories of those times and places. Thank you for your kind thoughts.
It would be nice, as you say, to have Maury make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "Sideman" category. Apparently, there is no way to submit someone to the committee. From what I've heard, they decide on their own. Maybe someday! Jim and Maury were great together.
I would be happy to have you provide a link to my site. Thank you for offering.
Peace,
Mary Muehleisen
Click here: The Official Maury Muehleisen Tribute Site
Glad to do it, Mary ... I've told the story a few times about the night that I went to a small club here in Chicago called The Quiet Knight back in 1972. It was one of those deals on Tuesday Nights where you'd get in for a $5 cover charge and a two drink minimum ... and on this particular night they had TWO acts performing ... COMPLETE unknowns at the time. The first two guys came out and had the crowd in stitches with their good-humored story songs ... I made myself a mental note to keep my eyes and ears open for these guys because I felt like they could REALLY make it big. When it was time for the second act, one lone skinny guy with long hair came out and went over to the piano and then entertained us for about an hour all by himself. No band ... no back up ... just one guy on the piano singing his songs. I'll bet it wasn't three weeks later before I heard BOTH of these artists on the radio ... "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" by Jim Croce (and his onstage sidekick Maury Muehleisen) and "Doctor My Eyes" by Jackson Browne were suddenly all the rage ... and I had just seen BOTH of these guys a few weeks earlier for just five bucks!!! I became an IMMEDIATE Jim Croce fan ... bought EVERYTHING he ever did ... saw him at LEAST six or seven times including one more concert here at Ravinia shortly before he died. Jackson Browne, of course, went on to have a long, long career and can STILL be heard on the radio on a daily basis. What an amazing night that was ... and what AMAZING artists these guys are that have touched so many of our lives. (kk)
Gosh, Kent!
EVERYONE is telling me about FORGOTTEN HITS and just RAVING! I can't thank you enough for including my book, "TOP ROCK GIRLY JOCK -- A CHICAGO RADIO FIRST!" on your site. I thought, when I wrote it, that it might be helpful to young folks trying to break into a career that seemed out of reach. Since I was born in Chicago, I tried to tell how, coming from a non-media-connected family, it was still possible to get that gig, just by being persistent. Of course, I would never have been in radio, if it hadn't been for Den Pal Penny Lane (WSDM-FM), whom I didn't know, and who insisted I give it a shot, back when I worked for WCFL as a Talent Coordinator. It's made me realize that it's God's Hand at work that leads us to where He wants us to be -- and so, the inspiration in the book -- "There's a bit of Stardust in everyone -- so we may sparkle for each other." I tried to do that for my listeners -- because they sure did that for me. And YOU! Your unbelievable info on the site and the many friendships it inspires -- God bless you for sharing your Stardust with the world.
Will be talking more about the book with Steve & Johnnie on WGN, 720 AM, Tuesday, Oct. 27. Hope you get to tune in!
Connie Szerszen
- formerly WCFL, WSDM-FM, WIND, WJJD, WJEZ-FM, WUSN (US-99), WJMK, WJMK HD2.
www.TopRockGirlyJock.comwww.portraitartchicago.com
Thanks, Connie ... as a long-time listener and fan, it means a lot that you are enjoying what we do here in Forgotten Hits. I'm hoping you'll share some of YOUR memories with our readers from time to time. Best of luck with your book sales! (kk)
OOOOOHHHHH -- Goody Goody!
And y'know, I'm finally able to get to know listeners. When I did the shows, everything was a rush -- now with "radio you can read" -- haha -- great line and so true -- we can finally communicate!
I hear so many good things about you and your site -- a former listener way out in Colorado -- Jeff Duntemann -- a great writer -- turned me on to you. So many folks are impressed with your knowledge -- I know you've got me beat!
Connie
What really makes this whole thing work is the participation of the readers ... from ALL walks of life ... fans, industry insiders, artists, disc jockeys ... together we are able to share our love and knowledge with each other and keep this great music alive. Believe me, I learn something new in Forgotten Hits every single week!!! (lol) kk
... and, speaking of Connie Szerszen's new book ...
re: TOP ROCK GIRLY JOCK:
My first professional radio job back in the early '70s was answering phones during one of WIND Battle Weekends in Chicago (and why doesn't radio do THOSE anymore?). I remember working with a DJ who wore a wide-brimmed hat and pulled it down over her eyes -- obscuring me, the producer, the engineer and anything but the audience she was imagining talking to. That was my introduction to Connie Szerszen. Now, Connie has taken off that "lucky hat" and opened up her life and career to us. Her autobiography, "Top Rock Girly Jock," has just been published by Starbright Publishing (ISBN: 978-0-615-30718-3 $19.95). Frankly, I loved the book and I'm recommending it to all. It's a nice mix of her life story (not many women would admit to dating such cheating boyfriends), gossipy celebrity items (two meetings with Elvis and a date with Neil Diamond) and lots of photos and radio memorabilia. Whether it's from WSDM (where she was Den Pal Dawn), WCFL (the girl from Ten), WIND (the Polish Princess), WJMK or her personal life (Chicago's Alvernia High or Northwestern University), Connie clearly never threw anything away and we're the beneficiaries. An added bonus are pictures of some of her oil paintings and portraits that prove just how talented this woman truly is. Connie described the project to me recently as a "fun, nostalgic book and, hopefully, inspirational to young folks." I think she hit a home run in that department. "Jeszcze Polska Nie Zginela," Connie (her closing line each night -- read the book for the translation). Now, will someone please put this Chicago legend back on-the-air?
http://bit.ly/NPojb
Ron Smith
re: ON THE ROAD AGAIN:
Last week we told you about a brand new book being shopped around by former road manager Mark "Hoss" Amans ... this guy worked for Paul Revere and the Raiders, Gary Puckett, The Robbs, The Blues Magoos, The Grass Roots ... ALL kinds of '60's acts ... and he's been looking for a publisher for his memoirs. (Full details are run again below.) Anyway, it was kind of our Forgotten Hits Public Service Announcement of the Week, trying to do our part to help keep all of this great music alive ... and was done with the very best of intentions. (Hey, I'd LOVE to read this book, too!!! lol) In fact, we even ran a comment from Gary Puckett, giving HIS endorsement for Hoss' efforts. So it was really kind of funny when we received THIS email the other day ... about ANOTHER group of roadies out there bustin' their asses to make sure that their bosses' music sounds great each and every night ... check it out:
I saw this and right away I thought of you --- thought you'd get a real kick out of sharing this with your readers!
Hope you have a great weekend,
Doc Williamson
Click here: YouTube - Xfm baby roadies
Meanwhile, here's Hoss' pitch once again ... along with that Gary Puckett comment:
Where the Action Was
Article by high-profile-road manager, Mark “Hoss” Amans
Hello! My name is Mark Amans. I have recently finished a book about all the years I worked with rock-and-roll bands in the ‘60s and ‘70s. I was on the road for eighteen years. They used to call me HOSS. I started in Seattle with a group called the Viceroys in 1963. Then a group called the Wailers. I joined Paul Revere and the Raiders in late 1965 when they had just signed with Columbia Records and Dick Clark Productions for a TV show called Where the Action Is. In 1967, I worked for the Blues Magoos. We did a major tour with the Herman Hermits, and The Who. The tour manager put me in charge of all three road crews. In late 1967, I went to work with a group called the Robbs, who I met on a Dick Clark Caravan of Stars Tour when I was with The Raiders. Back in New York in early 1968 I worked for The Nazz. Todd Rundgren came out of that group. In late 1969, I went back to work for Mark Lindsay and The Raiders. Then I worked for the Grass Roots in 1970. In 1971, I worked with Gary Puckett and The Union Gap. In 1972, I was the road manager and bodyguard for Cat Stevens. In 1973, I worked for Wolfman Jack as a tour manager. In the rest of the seventies I worked on and off with a few groups that never made it big. One of them was called The Butts Band, started by John Densmore and Robby Krieger from The Doors.
The manuscript tells stories about all the individuals and the bands as a whole. There are twenty-two chapters and many original pictures telling good things and bad things that happened to me while working on and off the road. One chapter is called The Mania. It is about the fans that came to the concerts. Another chapter is called Being There. It tells about close calls and hard work of traveling on the road by aircraft, car and bus. Another chapter is called Live Sound and Recording and How it Changed. I literally saw thousands of rock-and-roll bands in those days. There are many more chapters. No one else was in this position at this time.If you were a fan and in your early 20’s or teens in the ‘60s or ‘70s this will definitely give you some fond memories. It has me.
I have sent my manuscript to some agents in New York and they were telling me that there was no market for this. They don’t seem to understand that 25 percent of the population of the United States is Baby Boomers. That means you were there. I NEED YOUR HELP to prove these agents wrong by contacting me at hossroadmanager@aol.com and tell me that you would like to see it come to publication. If I get enough e-mails, I can go straight to the publishers and eliminate the agents. I would appreciate your help.
Thank you very much and be sure to tell all your friends to also e-mail me.
Sincerely,
”HOSS”
Hey Hoss ...
Go right to the publishers, my friend. Everybody's got a story to tell and I know yours would be an interesting one. Hope the world is treating you well.
Good luck and best wishes,
Gary Puckett
re: INSTRUMENTALS:
Hey Kent,
I would like to vote for my top ten favorite instrumentals
1 - K-Jee - The Nite-Liters
2 - Soulful Strut - Young-Holt Unlimited
3 - Hawaii Five-O - The Ventures
4 - Also Sprach Zarathustra - Deodato
5 - Love's Theme - Love Unlimited Orchestra
6 - Time Is Tight - Booker T & the MGs
7 - Bongo Rock - The Incredible Bongo Band
8 - The Horse - Cliff Nobles & Co.
9 - Taurus - Dennis Coffey & His Detroit Guitar Band
10 - Red River Rock - Johnny & the Hurricanes
Wow!! I wish I could vote for more LOL!!
There are so many versions of the Peter Gunn Theme out there that I thought I would send you one of my favorites from The Art of Noise featuring Duane Eddy himself. BTW, There is a video of them performing this live onstage available but, I don't have a link for it.
Enjoy!! and Thanks Again for all your great work on this site!
Eddie,
Orange, CT
Although Duane Eddy ALSO enjoyed a solo hit with his version of "The Peter Gunn Theme" (#26, 1960) ... and despite the fact that the theme was actually penned by Henry Mancini (whose version never even charted), the BIG Hit version belongs to Ray Anthony. (His version peaked at #7 in 1959 ... and THAT's the one that's been earning most of your votes ... as has Anthony's earlier TV Theme from "Dragnet".) The Art Of Noise / Duane Eddy version peaked at #49 in 1986 ... and even your above-mentioned Deodato took a crack at this tune back in 1976, peaking at #84 with their version. Thanks for the kind words ... and keep the instrumental votes coming, folks! (kk)
By the way, I found THIS live version on YouTube ... not sure if it's the one you were referring to our not ... but check it out!
Click here: YouTube - Art of Noise - Peter Gunn Live featuring Duane Eddy
Here are my Top Ten Instrumental Favorites ... including a few I haven't seen mentioned in Forgotten Hits ...
1. Popcorn - Hot Butter, 1972
2. Love at First Sight - 101 Strings, circa 1970 (This is an instrumental cover of the infamous Birkin / Gainsbrough groanfest "Je Taime Moi Non Plus")
3. Joy - Apollo 100, 1972
4. Wonderland By Night - Burt Kaemfert, 1961
5. Our Winter Love - Bill Pursell, 1963
6. Manhattan Spiritual - Reg Owen, 1959
7. Theme from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart?) - Percy Faith, 1953
8. Music Box Dancer - Frank Mills, 1979
9. Salt Water Taffy - Morty Jay and the Surfin' Cats, 1963. (Vocal version, "What Is Surfin' All About?" on the flipside of the 45)
10. The Faithful Hussar - Ted Heath, 1956
Runners up: Midnight in Moscow - Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, 1962; Cast Your Fate to the Wind - Sounds Orchestral, 1965; Washington Square, Village Stompers, 1964
All of these are from the AM radio era, which I consider pre-1980. More recent instrumentals that might otherwise have been on my list include: Theme from "Terms of Endearment" - Michael Gore, 1983; Popcorn (Techno Remix) - Crazy Frog, 2005; Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer, 1985; Mario Takes a Walk - Jesse Cook, 1995; St. Elsewhere Theme - Dave Grusin, 1982
And that's my list!
-- Jeff Duntemann
Colorado Springs, Colorado
While there already seems to be about 50 songs that are consistently getting votes, every once in a while we'll get one that we had completely forgotten about. (We're up to around 2400 votes right now ... so this should prove to be a pretty interesting selection process.) Recent surprises include "Alley Cat" by Bent Fabric, "Bonanza" by Al Caiola, "Brian's Song" by Michael LeGrand, "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" by The Virtues, "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" by Whistling Jack Smith, "Java" by Al Hirt, "Mexico" by Bob Moore, "Morning Dance" by Spyro Gyra, "Nut Rocker" by B. Bumble and the Stingers, "Quentin's Theme" by The Charles Randolph Greane Sounde, "Theme from 'Moulin Rouge'" by Percy Faith, " A Walk In The Black Forest" by Horst Jankowski and "Wheels" by The String-A-Longs ... NOT your average, run-of-the-mill instrumental favorites that you hear from time to time. Keep 'em comin', folks ... we're not tabulating the winners until Thanksgiving Weekend! (kk)
Does ‘So Rare’ by Jimmy Dorsey qualify as an instrumental? That is my all-time favorite!
mje
I've decided to go with Joel Whitburn's "certification" as to whether or not a song should be considered an instrumental or not ... according to his newly revised "Top Pop Singles" book (the 12th edition, taking us through 2008), that disqualifies both "So Rare" and Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips, Part 2" from the competition. Sorry! (kk)
Hi Kent,
I can nominate only ten? Well, okay ... these are in no particular order.
1. Theme from A Summer Place -- Percy Faith -- I think this song probably "defines" an instrumental hit, and I would not be at all surprised if it turns out to be your top ranked instrumental song. Simply a great song.
2. Because They're Young - Duane Eddy - I enjoy that guitar sound of Eddy, and this is my favorite of his
3. Last Date - Floyd Cramer - What an emotion-evoking song! It was a hit before I was into music and the radio, but became one of my favorite instrumental oldies once I was exposed to it.
4. Sleigh Ride - Leroy Anderson - Hey, you didn't say anything about holiday music. I've heard stations play this tune outside of Christmas time, although it's best known for that time of the year.
5. Telstar - the Tornadoes -- this song and its particular sound has a special place in my memory. I remember hearing it playing over the car radio at night as my dad drove our family on some vacation. I was probably half asleep in the back seat, but for some reason that's the connection I have to Telstar
6. A Taste of Honey - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - They recorded a lot of hits to choose from and I chose this one, although I struggled with The Lonely Bull as a close runner-up.
7. Love's Theme - Love Unlimited Orchestra -- this tune by Barry White is, I think, one of the best instrumentals ever. I love the lush sound and all the elements of it, especially when heard on a good audio system
8. Popcorn - Hot Butter - This song was popular at the time I had my first radio job. I can remember it madly flashing the "peak" light on the studio modulation monitor, and at the time I thought that was so cool. Good tune, too, and I love cold-ending instrumentals.
9. Theme from Hawaii Five-O - The Ventures - Speaking of cold-ending instrumentals, I hope this isn't too esoteric, but this song will forever remind me of back-timing into ABC's American Contemporary Radio News. The cold ending of Hawaii Five-O fit perfectly into that news theme! (yes, I liked the song, too!)
10. The Swingin' Shepherd Blues - You know, Kent, I don't even know which version I'm referencing; all were from 1958 (according to Joel Whitburn) and that was just before my active radio listening time. But the story behind this song for me is that I'd heard the tune all my life and never paid any attention to it, nor could I name it. Several years ago, a good friend of mine and I were trying to come up with the name of that song, to no avail. Finally, he left a message on my phone "Swingin' Shepherd Blues...thank you very much" and I knew instantly what he referred to. Sadly, just a short time later he passed away, and that song title, along with other memories, will forever remind me of him.
Thanks,
Gary Emenitove
The instrumental version of "Swinging Shepherd Blues" you're most likely familiar with is the one by The Moe Koffman Quartette ... it hit #18 in Cash Box Magazine in 1958. Versions by The Johnny Pate Quintet and David Rose ALSO charted in '58 ... but Moe's was the real "HIT" version of this tune. (One I'm sure many of you have forgotten ... until you HEAR it ... then it's IMMEDIATELY familiar again! I actually remember SINGING this song in one of our grade school assembly concerts ... so evidently there are lyrics to this song, too!)
As for Percy Faith's "Theme from 'A Summer Place'", it DOES currently lead the pack ... but not by much ... neck-and-neck behind it (as we go to press this morning) are "Sleep Walk" by Santo And Johnny, "Love Is Blue" by Paul Mauriat and "Tequila" by The Champs ... also near the top of the heap are "Green Onions" by Booker T. and the MG's, "Wipe Out" by The Surfaris, "Last Date" by Floyd Cramer and "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams. Not happy with the results so far??? Then get YOUR votes in NOW!!! We'll start recapping some of the nominees beginning Halloween Weekend ... and then present Your Top 50 Favorites over Thanksgiving Weekend ... so get your votes in soon!
By the way, I think "Sleigh Ride" is a GREAT choice!!! I never would have thought of that one ... and I hope it gets a few more votes! Thanks, Gary! (kk)
Here are my favorite charted "Rock And Roll" instrumentals in no particular order:
Apache - Jorgen Ingman
Baja - Astronauts
Nut Rocker - B. Bumble & Stingers
Bumble Boogie - B. Bumble & Stingers
Boogie Woogie - B. Bumble & Stingers (actually anything by these guys)
Twist-Her - Bill Black Combo
Movin' - Bill Black Combo
Green Onions - Booker T & MGs
Tuff - Ace Cannon
Pipeline - Chantays
Wiggle Wobble - Les Cooper
Rinky Dink - Dave Baby Cortez
Hot Cakes - Dave Baby Cortez
On The Rebound - Floyd Cramer
Honky Tonk - Bill Doggett
Rebel Rouser - Duane Eddy
In The Mood - Ernie Fields
Raunchy - Ernie Freeman
Red River Rock - Johnny & Hurricanes
Reveille Rock - Johnny & Hurricanes
Memphis - Lonnie Mack
Wham - Lonnie Mack
Last Night - Mar-Keys
Let There Be Drums - Sandy Nelson
Teen Beat - Sandy Nelson
Penetration - Pyramids
Sleep Walk - Santo & Johnny
You Can't Sit Down - Phil Upchurch
Walk Don't Run - Ventures
Perfidia - Ventures
I am a big instrumental fan and have hundreds more charted ones I really like. There are a few uncharted ones that that I think deserve at least a mention.
Great uncharted Instrumentals
Mad Lad - Chuck Berry (one of my all time favorites)
Scorpion - Carnations (on the Louisville CDs I sent you years ago)
The Crawl - Willie Mitchell
Seagrams - Viceroys
Steve
A few more titles off the beaten path here ... many of these titles HAVE received votes thus far ... but in the "single digit" category. What I'll probably end up doing is pair the list down to the most obvious couple of hundred titles or so and then run THAT list and encourage you to vote for your favorites from that point forward for titles contained on the list. (We'll also try to feature a few of these instrumental hits along the way as sort of a reminder as to which song is which!!! A bit more difficult to remember sometimes when there aren't any lyrics to help you along!) When all is said and done, we'll publish the FINAL list of your Top 50 Unsung Favorites!!! (kk)
Am I the only one old enough to remember Hand Clappin by Red Prysock? It was a classic rock instrumental and deserves a spot on the list. Honorable mention should go to 7 11 by the Gone All-stars.
Bob Hughes
Actually, that's the first mention of EITHER of these songs!!! (Just how old ARE you?!?!?!!! lol) kk
There have been some great instrumentals over the years. On my live request show, by far the most requested has been Wipe Out by the Surfaris (although it does have a one word lyric). Other runners up include Love is Blue-Paul Mauriat, Rebel Rouser-Duane Eddy, Green Onions-Booker T, and Soulful Strut-Young Holt Unlimited.
When I was first in radio I had a big dislike for instrumentals. It was a Light Adult format. Once per hour, according to the dj hot clock, they made us play non-hit instrumentals. I had to play Lenny Dee playing Free Ride, the Living Strings playing Crocodile Rock etc. They wouldn't let us play the real versions, but we could play the schlock versions.
Instrumentals which were hits were considered vocals.
I was glad to get out of that format! I do have a few instros that I never get tired of hearing. They include:
1. The Horse-Cliff Nobles (when I was on the basketball team in high school, every pep band played that song).
2. Ame Caline (Soul Coaxing)-Raymond Lefevre
3. Scratchy-Travis Wammack (I have played his vocal backwards. It sounded the same)
4. Walk Don't Run-Ventures
5. Music Box Dancer-Frank Mills
6. Hocus Pocus-Focus (does yodeling count against it being an instrumental?)
7. Gale Winds-Egyptian Combo (a WLS hit)
8. Home Bound-Ted Nugent (Cat Scratch Fever album cut. I believe the Air Force used this on TV ads in the 70s)
9. Classical Gas-Mason Williams
10. Peter Gunn-Duane Eddy (the Mancini version is great and so is the Blues Brothers Band version)
I look forward to seeing the results of the voting.
Phil Nee
Wrco FM 100.9
Stay tuned ... there is now a chance that Phil will be counting down our winners!!! (kk)
I have to add my 2 cents. I like the latest Top 50 List, but I still think some are missing. What about, Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell - Dueling Banjos, Mason Williams - Classical Gas, Bob Crewe Generation - Music To Watch Girls By and Apollo 100 - Joy.
Hope you find what you are looking for -
SMiLE :)
Mark "Gramps" Meinhart
I asked Randy Price where THESE songs fell in the Instrumental countdown ... and here's what he had to say ...
Kent,
If the list were extended to 60 positions, "Dueling Banjos" would have just made it onto the bottom rung (less than one point ahead of "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles). "Classical Gas" would have been at least 10 positions below that, and the other two mentioned were not even in the running. ("Music To Watch Girls By," while a barely making the top 10 in Cash Box, peaked at only #15 in Billboard. Most of the records in the top 50 peaked in the top 5 of one or both charts.)
Randy
re: WHAT'S NEW?:
Hey there KK,
Celebrating my birthday here in Nashville with another Libra, my old pal & co-producer Denny Martin (http://www.dennymartinmusic.com/). We're playing at the Commodore here on Wednesday Oct 21st.
Just wanted to say hi & thanks for mentioning me in connection with my child abusesong "Please Don't Believe Me". A couple of children's organizations now use the song as part of programs to raise awareness.
Keep on keepin' it on,
Alan O'Day
Here's a brand new remix of a Forgotten Hits favorite:
Click here: YouTube - Orpheus "Can't Find the Time to Tell You" Extended remix and tribute....Please Rate!
RockaBOB
Nice remix ... a bit long on the intro (2 1/2 minutes before the actual song comes in) ... but one of our favorites, for sure! Definitely worth a viewing or two ... and it's neat to see that original Orpheus lead singer Bruce Arnold even posted a comment! (We need to get THIS guy on the list!!!) VERY cool vintage performance video, too ... thanks, Bob! (kk)
MOON RIVER AND ME ... is the title of Andy Williams' auto-biography ... officially released earlier this month. The legendary pop-crooner visited with Charlie Gracie, Jr. and wife Kim at the end of special book signing in Ridgewood, New Jersey last on 10/14/09.
In the attached pic -- Andy holds a copy of the made for PBS - TV Documentary: CHARLIE GRACIE: FABULOUS! (2007) which he appeared in. Charlie and Andy shared Number One honors with Butterfly in 1957.
Andy and Charlie just returned from concert appearances in the United Kingdom where both enjoy a strong following. Andy phoned Charlie from the signing and invited him to come perform next year in Branson, Mo. at his Moon River Theater. Stay tuned for more info on that --- coming soon!
Charlie Gracie, Jr.
And, in what can ONLY be described as the "Deal of a Lifetime", American Idol Runner-Up Adam Lambert's brand new video, "Time For Miracles", will be shown in theaters as part of the "opening act" before the Michael Jackson film "This Is It"!!! What a GOLDMINE Score THIS is!!! Literally MILLIONS and MILLIONS of people around the world will catch this special "Sneak Peek" Preview from the upcoming film "2012" ... AND, in plenty of time before the release of Lambert's new CD, due out November 24th. (Amazingly, for the past two weeks, Lambert's post-idol debut has ALREADY been the #1 best selling CD on Amazon.com in PRE-ORDERS ... meaning that there is already a greater demand for an album that you can't even buy yet than for ANY other release that you CAN actually buy!!! Unreal!!! This thing is going to be HUGE!!! And to think that he came in in second place!!!) Here's a bit more of the story from RollingStone.com:
The music video for Adam Lambert’s “Time for Miracles,” from the upcoming apocalypse flick 2012, will fittingly debut in movie theaters: the American Idol runner-up’s clip is set to premiere as part of a trailer before Michael Jackson’s This Is It when the documentary hits the big screen on October 28th. As Rolling Stone reported yesterday, a brief audio clip of “Time of Miracles” was unveiled this weekend, but fans won’t have to wait that long to hear the power ballad, as Lambert tells MTV that the full song should be released around October 18th.
Go behind the scenes of Lambert’s RS cover shoot in exclusive photos.
“[The video] was really performance-driven. It was really about the lyric content and the emotional guts of the song,” Lambert told MTV. As 2012 focuses on the end of the world, Lambert’s blockbuster video will also feature scenes of disaster, as people will panic and loot as the Wild Idol belts out “Miracles” amid the chaos. “That was pretty wild, to try to stay focused on the song while that was happening,” Lambert said. Footage of 2012 will also be interlaced into the video.
See what surprises Adam Lambert has planned for his “sexy” November debut.
“Time for Miracles” was produced by Rob Cavallo, who also recorded some tracks for Lambert’s upcoming post-Idol debut. “[Cavallo] pushed me to the limit,” Lambert told MTV. “I sang for my life. It was quite a day of recording, but it turned out great.” Cavallo let a few details slip out to Yahoo! Music, listing “Suburban Decay,” “Winners” and “Music Again” as songs that potentially could wind up on Lambert’s album. Lambert is still hard at work on his much-anticipated debut, Twittering last night that he was working with Howard Benson, who previously produced Daughtry, Creed and Kelly Clarkson. “This album is gonna be Siiiiiiiiiiiick,” Lambert tweeted.
re: HELPING OUT OUR READERS:
I remember walking from Reading Terminal to the old Civic Center in Philadelphia to see a show. It was the mid to late 60s. The show included Neil Diamond, The Soul Survivors, The Four Seasons, and several other groups that I don’t remember. Does anyone remember this show and who else was performing?
mje
Let's put this one out there to all our Philly readers (and, from what I understand, there are QUITE a few of you!) Anybody else recall this show? Let us know. (kk)
And, I think we may have found the answer to last week's puzzler!!!
>>>I have been looking for a maybe early '60's tune called Angelico. I don't know who wrote it or who sang it, but a Peter Maffay does a German version that I found on iTunes ... but I remember hearing it in English as a kid. Any help on this forgotten hit? I have asked and asked and so far haven't even gotten a reply. (Bill)
>>>A quick check of Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles book came up empty ... maybe somebody else on the list recalls this one??? (kk)
>>>Is Bill thinking of "Angelica"? That song was written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil and originally released as a Capitol single by Mann in 1966 (it Bubbled Under in Billboard at #111, but peaked at #96 in Cash Box). In the next five years, there were at least 10 other single releases of the song, the most notable by Oliver on Crewe Records in 1970 (his version peaked at #97 in Billboard, #84 in Cash Box and #73 in Record World). Some of the other artists who released single versions in that period were Barry Gordon (Dunhill), Johnny Crawford (Sidewalk), Wayne Newton (MGM) and Ed Ames (RCA Victor).-(Randy Price)>>>Bill, could your song be "Angelica" by Oliver (Swofford) from 1970? It was his 45 followup to "Sunday Morning". (Clark Besch)
>>>How about Bud & Travis on their "Best Of" release? (Guy Arnston in Algonquin)
>>>I LOVE a mystery. I have come up with two possibilities in Bill's search for Angelico. 1. Angelito - Rene and Rene on Columbia from the summer of 1964. 2. Angelica. Original version by its songwriter Barry Mann on Capitol in the summer of 1966. Cover versions by Johnny Crawford on Sidewalk, Oliver on Crewe, and the Sandpipers lp cut from their Guantanama album on A&M. (Allan)
>>>OK, Bill, we've given you ALL kinds of choices here ... now you've just GOT to get back to us and tell us which one it is!!! (kk)
>>>Hey thanks for all of the advice and help. But so far still no luck. The words I recall are something like this: "Angelico, Angelico Momma got to take you back. Angelico, Angelico teach you all the things you lack." Neither of the songs at the Forgotten Hits site are familiar. I found the song, at least the correct tune as I don't understand German, done by Peter Maffay on I tunes. Take a listen and see if anything rings a bell. Someone out there besides me surely remembers this forgotten tune. Thanks. (Bill)
>>>So we're STILL looking for answers on this one ... perhaps the addition of a few lyrics will help to ring a bell with one of our readers. Let us know ... and, if you have the track to share, all the better! (kk)
The additional information regarding some of the lyrics seemed to do the trick ... we just got this from FH Reader (and often contributor) Tom Diehl:
Kent,
This is Angelique-O by the Brothers Four, the b side of Greenfields ... Harry Belafonte also cut a version of it four years earlier on an lp and also available on an EP (but never a single). I don't know who wrote it, but I suppose I could dig out my 45 of Greenfields or the EP I have the Harry Belafonte version on -- nah i'll just send the mp3s ... being that Bill said early 1960's, he is probably looking for the Brothers Four version.
Tom Diehl
I sent copies of BOTH of these versions to Bill to see if we had nailed another one ... along with this note:
I think we've found it!!! Try THIS one on for size ...
"Angelique-O" was the B-Side of The Brothers Four Hit "Greenfields" from 1960 ... it was ALSO cut by Harry Belafonte a few years earlier. I'm guessing that ONE of these is your long sought after mystery tune. (Kudos to Tom Diehl and the AMAZING group of people we have on our Forgotten Hits list for coming up with this one!)
Then again, I suppose that it COULD be the Harry Belafonte version that you grew up listening to ... 'cause, let's face it ... EVERYBODY's parents back then played Harry Belafonte records around the house!!! (lol) You said early '60's, so we sent The Brothers Four's version first ... but Harry Belafonte's take just may be the one ... from 1957.
Please let us know if we can put another notch up on The Forgotten Hits Mystery Board!!! (kk)
I thank you for the effort. This is the tune I was looking for. I didn't know which version I remembered hearing but Mom said it was Harry Belafonte's so I will take her word for it. Thanks so much for making Mom smile at this one.
I am looking for another, more on the C & W side. It probably came out in the late 60's. I thought it was titled "The Gunfighter" but I haven't found it under that title. Again I don't know the artist or the author. Here are some of the words:
"He used to be a very peaceful man - Till a band of strangers burned his home and took his land. Now you put bad in a good man and trouble you got some, like a gunfighter, a gunfighter.
Thanks again,
Bill
OK class ... let's see what we can come up with on THIS one!!! (kk)
Meanwhile, Tom Diehl came up with ANOTHER one, too ... check this out!
>>>I'm looking for an instrumental called "Margo" done by a group called The Larks. It came out in late 1962 or 1963. I've been trying to find it for years with no success. Can you or someone help me out? I'd love to have a copy of it. Thanks! (Anita)
>>>OK, let's see how we do on THIS one!!! Anybody? Buehler??? Buehler??? (kk)
Kent, why the hell don't ya email me anymore?? LOL I don't have enough time in my world to be able to read the FH website as often as i'd like ... when I get home from work and am tired from 8 solid hours of manual labor, my first thoughts are to come in, sit down, and turn on Topshelf Oldies while checking my email, not websites ... anyway, I saw this one and figured I may as well send it along even though ya didn't ask me for it! LOL
Tom
Nearly EVERYTHING goes up on the site these days ... just easier that way as I, too, have VERY little extra time to devote to this anymore ... but thanks for your help on both of these ... you'll find your answers posted ... ON THE WEBSITE ... later this week ... along with lots of OTHER really cool stuff thanks to the contributions of so many of our readers!!! (kk)
Kent,
Now how am I ever gonna be able to thank you and the FH readers enough?? You all have made my day, my week, my month, and about 47 years!!!!! You found my song!! You're the greatest!!!!!!
With so much never ending gratitude,
Anita
And a brand new challenge ...
Kent,
I need some help with an old Mamas and Papas ( before they started their band ) song that is featured on the Straight Shooter Documentary. I've tried so many ways to see if this song exists and what the correct title is. All I can give the readers are some lyrics and the documentary itself to refer to. This was a trio with Denny Doherty, Michelle Phillips and John Phillips.
I believe the song was called Rake and Ramblin Man or Cumberland City. It goes something like this ...
I am a rake and a ramblin man, many of city I have been, the Cumberland City is where ... ?
Well a Cumberland City, yes, I married me a wife, loved her better than I did my life ...
She treated me fine by night and day ... .
Well a pretty little girl 17 years old. Hair just as shiny as the ... gold ...???
Again, for our readers, this song is sung on the Straight Shooter Documentary and I am wondering if this is available anywhere in it's entirety ? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've been able to find the Journeyman and The Big Three which is also featured in this documentary.
Bob Morrow
I think we may have tackled this one once before ... it sounds vaguely familiar to me. Let's run it back up the flagpole and see what comes back. (kk)
Hey Kent,
There's an instrumental that I've tried to find for many years, but have had no luck. Maybe you, or someone on the list can help me find it. The song was used by Dan Ingram on WABC in NY to end his show every day. It's a great Big Band type song called Tri-Fi Drums by the Billy May Orchestra, but I haven't been able to obtain a copy. I've searched record stores in Manhattan, CT, Pennsylvania and Boston and many on-line sources but have had no luck. Can anybody out there help me?
Thank You,
Eddie,
Orange, CT
I wasn't familiar with this one either ... so I turned it over to Forgotten Hits Detective Tom Diehl ... who says ...
I was able to find it online in mono ... I am bidding on a copy of an LP that contains the song in stereo. If I win it, I will send a dub of it along, however it will be a few weeks as I am going out of town (again) for about a week starting Monday.
Tom
I think the mono version will suffice for now, don't you, Eddie??? (kk)
I was overjoyed to get a xerox copy of that first chart two decades ago. As I was only four, I had no memories of that period, so I went right out and got copies of "Shortnin' Bread" and "Ruby Duby Du". "Bread" really surprised me. Quite a rockin' record, for its time, of a song we all grew up knowing. It was like Sounds Incorporated backing a Trashmen track! I had no idea what to expect with a title like "Du" had, so it made sense when it was an instrumental. With all of the hubbub the press gives celebrity deaths these days, "Let's Think About Living" certainly was ahead of its time. Actually, "Hillbilly Heaven" was another one like this. With as little as the media touched the Buddy Holly plane crash, "Three Stars" (with a similar idea) probably was the idea behind Bob Luman's hit and actually did more to make stars of the three deaths than the press ever did at the time!"Alvin for President" was one of my first 45s and I still have the pic sleeve 45 -- VERY tattered and beat up! I interviewed Gene Taylor (pictured on chart) about the early days and he said he brought in DJs from various areas, but almost all were hired on word of mouth or knowing the person previously. Only one was hired via a tape. I cannot remember which it was, but he soon left.
WLSClark / Clark Besch
Ruby Duby Du was a pretty fair-sized hit here in Chicago, topping both the WLS Chart AND the WJJD Chart. In fact, it has already earned a few votes in our Favorite Instrumentals Poll. (kk)
Hi Kent ...
Saw the nice Billboard ad on Tobin Matthews and thought you might like to see a picture sleeve I have for “Ruby Duby Du”. I believe it’s one of the rarer sleeves of that era – a great rock & roll instrumental!
Joel
We covered "Ruby Duby Du" AND Tobin Matthews in much greater detail a few years back in Forgotten Hits. As I recall, one of our readers tracked him down under his REAL name of Willy Henson ... I think he may have passed away a short while later (but don't see that in your latest book so I could be wrong. Maybe Ron Smith will remember??? 'Cause I think it was RON who did the original research on this.) In any event, part of the mystery was because on SOME pressings his name was spelled with two "T's" and on other pressings, only with one "T". While we DID track down pressings showing the name spelled both ways, this is the first time I've seen a Picture Sleeve for this record ... so thanks for sending! A very popular instrumental here in Chi-Town back in 1960. (kk)
Here's how Ron Smith remembers it ... Actually, I had heard Tobin / Willie on Steve King's show with announcer Jan Gabriel, I believe, and wrote Jan to try and contact him. Instead, Tobin wrote me back, and I passed the e-mail on to Joel Whitburn.Tobin (yes, I believe he was from Calumet City) said he was named after the son of the President of Chief Records. And although the first pressing of "Ruby Duby Du" spelled Matthews with one "T", the child's name had two T's, so they corrected it later. One "T" is therefore inaccurate, despite being first (I spelled it with one T in my book because I owned a first pressing).I lost the e-mail when my client program crashed, unfortunately.I don't remember hearing that Tobin had passed away. I'm sure Steve King would know one way or the other.Hope this helps.
- Ron
I do remember sending Joel Tobin's real name after this blurb ran in FH ... I just can't remember all of the details ... a quick search of The Forgotten Hits Archives didn't turn up anything so it's all just part of my ever-fading memory now!!! (lol) kk
And, speaking of great memories ...
Hi Kent;
Perhaps I can shed some light on those first two WLS Silver Dollar Surveys. The anomaly concerning “Shortnin Bread’ and “Stay” was that Sam Holman, the PD, was trying to establish his brand! I asked Sam that same question when I arrived in 1961. His answer was quite simple. Both WJJD 1160 and WIND 670 had been rocking for several years before WLS came on the scene. To establish his brand, Sam recognized that he had to break away from the pack, the Billboard Hot 100, and give the kids something they had never heard before. It didn’t matter that he was taking a chance on an unproven record, it mattered only that in the mind of the teen listener that here was something no one else was playing and it was new. When the survey hit the record stores once again the teens found something new and it placed WLS on the cutting edge in the mind of the listeners. Sam drilled that into me and when I became PD I also put the concept into play with “Kind of a Drag, “Sugar and Spice” “Gloria” and others. We remember those hits but we don’t recall there was some dogs that Sam, Gene Taylor and I programmed that didn’t get off the ground. Branding was and is all about giving the customer a new experience.
Clark Weber
One more thing about the erratic placing of some of the songs on those early WLS Silver Dollar surveys! The information on those surveys was compiled by Sam Holman’s secretary. I believe her name was Sandy. She was drop dead gorgeous ... however she was a scatterbrain. At the WLS Christmas party that year (1960) Sandy became a bit inebriated and informed Sam’s wife that Sam was laying her more than the wife. The wife hauled off and smacked Sandy and the two of them got into a knocked down slug fest at the Ambassador East hotel. The GM, Ralph Beaudin informed Sam that gorgeous or not, Sandy had to go. Maxine Brannigan was brought in as Sam’s secretary (equally lovely) and the Silver Dollar Surveys reliability settled down.
Clark
PS: I inherited Maxine from Gene Taylor when I became PD. She confirmed the story of Sandy and told me that her (Maxine’s) job description included not sharing several of the more interesting parts of her anatomy with any PD or Baudin would fire her. And she didn’t damn it! Her picture is on page 74 in my book.
lol ... funny stuff!!! Thanks, Clark! By the way, you can pick up a copy of Clark Weber's book, "Rock And Roll Radio, The Fun Years, 1955 - 1975, at amazon.com ... Click here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0979789222/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=2846843787&ref=pd_sl_900wstq1aw_b (kk)
