And Now A Word From Our Sponsor ...

Your "Commercial" Comments keep coming in ... here's another round for your post-holiday enjoyment!!!

re: AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR ... :
We're STILL getting some pretty good response to our recent "commercials" features ... it's amazing how universally memorable and appealing some of these spots actually were! And we've clearly inspired you to send along a few of YOUR favorites for the rest of the list to enjoy, too!

Great job on all the versions of "She Let's Her Hair Down / Early in the Morning." I never dreamed there were so many version.
By the way, the Tokens version is the one I know, because I was in college when the other version was playing in Chicago where I am from.
Keep up the great work.
Sue Patterson

HI KENT -
So good to hear from you. I had no idea if this was a current site. I hope that I cleared up some of the mystery. In fact, I usually referred to the song as "She Let's Her Hair Down". I had forgotten that Bang used "Early In The Morning" as the title. I forgot to mention that Calla had it out as "Brainstorm" ... same record minus the classical intro, released around March or April of 1969.
I wonder if there is any record of the appearances I made in Houston (Larry Kane) or Cincinnati (Up Beat )?? Those were other cities where I made it to #1. (They sent video tape to many other shows ... I guess it was cheaper than sending me.) Check out the Ben E King CD. (Google "Ben E King cd I've Been Around") and you will get to hear portions from Amazon. Keep in touch.
Best to all for a Happy Holiday Season,
Don Young
Thanks, Don, and the same to you. We've been pushing for releases of the old "Up Beat" television series (Cleveland, I thought) for YEARS now ... seems like everybody who was anybody appeared on this program at one time or another. (I heard the video tapes are available but for an INCREDIBLE licensing fee, even just for one-time usage.) Would LOVE to see all this stuff come out again so that the rest of us around the country could enjoy it, too. Crazy to have all this great stuff sitting in a vault somewhere. The footage is truly getting less and less valuable as the audience that WANTS to see these again is shrinking!!! Might as well put it out while those who care can still enjoy it all! Thanks for all the info! (Hey, now Joel Whitburn can update HIS bio for his next edition, too!!!) kk
Hi Kent!
I have in my hand an original record from 1969. it shows the title as "SHE LETS HER HAIR DOWN" (EARLY IN THE MORNING) on BANG RECORDS by DON YOUNG. I also have the original release drom CALLA RECORDS by BRAINSTORM. The title on this is "Early In The Morning". Both records list PAUL VANCE and LEON CARR as the composers. I assume that because the CALLA record was pre-Clairol, hair was not an issue when this version was released in early 1969. (Note: this is the same record on Bang, minus the classical intro.)

I also have a record that was released around June, 1969 on ROULETTE called "HOW DO YOU MOVE A MOUNTAIN". ROULETTE chose to use my real name, DONNY ALBANO, for this venture, which was R&B. It seems that while they may have given up on "EARLY IN THE MORNING", they were still in favor of keeping me as an artist. CALLA and ROULETTE were related companys. The commercial was released around July of 1969 (and won a CLEO!)
The transfer to BANG took place around the fall of 1969. I remember doing the Up-Beat show in Cincinnati and the LARRY KANE SHOW in Houston, one week before X-MAS 1969. In both cities the record was in the top three. I recorded several more songs for BANG in 1970,however they were not released. Paul Davis wrote one ... he was on Bang at the time.
I tried to scan the records but I had a problem so I may just take a photo and send that. I find it interesting that you have a BANG record that lists Early In The Morning as the title??? Hope that information helps clear things up.
Regards,
Don "Young" Albano
F.Y.I. The name YOUNG was first used by AM-CAN records in 1963 on my recording TWELVE TO SEVEN
As the record took off in different parts of the country, Bang must have re-pressed it. Perhaps, as you suggested, "Early In The Morning" was the ORIGINAL title they went with ... and then, between the usage of this song in the Clairol commercial ad campaign (and the release of a completely different tune using the same title by Vanity Fare), they opted to just change the name to "She Lets Her Hair Down" to avoid any further confusion. (Strange, too, as we pointed out in our website piece, that Rupert Holmes produced a version called "Early In The Morning" for The Cuff Links LP but then, when he recorded it himself, changed it to "She Lets Her Hair Down" ... and, apparently, took a bit of the song-writing credit, too!!!) Again, thanks for all this extra information ... part of what makes Forgotten Hits such a COMPLETE source when it comes to things like these!!! (kk)

By the way, Don Young has been sending us ALL kinds of cool stuff lately ... this guy's had a pretty amazing 40+ year career in the music business. Watch for a special Don Young Tribute Page up on The Forgotten Hits Website soon! (kk)

The "Commercially Appealing" topic is GREAT stuff, Kent, and right up my alley. My focus is a little narrow, but I've always loved jingles and / or product endorsements that were recorded by '60s bands, have have collected quite a few that I list on my Web site:
http://www.60sgaragebands.com/cameosjingles/endorsementsjingles.html I must have been anywhere from 5 to 8 years old when the Windsong jingle was popular, and I still haven't forgotten it. It has to be among the best remembered jingles of all-time. Another favorite -- I was a little older when first hearing it -- was the Pabst Blue Ribbon theme: 'I have Pabst Blue Ribbon on my mind; more and more likely I find; I've got the taste for livin'; I'm drinking cold Blue Ribbon; I've got Pabst Blue Ribbon on my mind.' I'd love to find that one.
Mike Dugo
60sgaragebands.com
Well, here's one from the '70's that I just found on YouTube:
Click here: YouTube - Pabst Blue Ribbon on my mind horse racing commercial 1979
And, if you want to see a REALLY fun one, check this one out:
Click here: YouTube - Pabst Blue Ribbon Commercial Feat. Dennis Hopper

Mike Dugo has an AMAZING collection of commercials performed by Top 40 Hit Artists posted on his website ... I asked him to share a few of his favorites with our readers.

Ban Deodorant (by John Fred and his Playboy Band)

Jack In The Box (by Free Design)

Pepsi (by Three Dog Night)

The Hondells- “You Meet The Nicest People On A Honda”!! A commercial and a record. Oh Yeah, by the way ... what Girl Group sang the “Heaven Scent’ commercial? I may have missed that on your lists.
Ken
Click here: YouTube - HONDELLS -YOU MEET THE NICEST PEOPLE ON A HONDA
I don't think we ever determined just WHO sang the "Heaven Sent" commercial ... but a couple of readers mentioned that they thought it sounded like The Chiffons ... anybody know for sure??? (kk)

Kent,
These old radio jingles of commercials are such GREAT memories for me. Only one commercial might have played more than the Heaven Sent one, it seems, on WLS and CFL. That would be the "Think Drink" commercial for the Coffee society. Almost ANYONE who listened to WLS and CFL back in the late 60's heard this one. Attached is the version used at the 1967 NAB meetings, but both WLS and CFL used their jocks just rambling about coffee's possibilities over the instrumental bed usually. I have both WLS and CFL jocks doing their seemingly ad-lib rants for a minute over this bed. How can you not remember and whistle along?
Clark Besch

Incredibly, I don't remember this one at all!!! Maybe some of our other readers will recognize and remember it! Thanks, Clark! (kk)

Kent,
What as Chicago thinking by ignoring Come To The Sunshine? Great song and a preview of Brian Wilson's exotic SMiLE collaborator, Van Dyke Parks. CTTS could have been on amazing Van Dyke's Song Cycle album; similar feel and sound:
Van Dyke Parks
Palm Desert - Song Cycle - 1968 - 3:11
Laurel Canyon Blvd. - Song Cycle - 1968 - 0:30
Vine Street - Song Cycle - 1968 - 3:40
Phil
PrayForSurfblog.blogspot.com

I clearly remember a commercial jingle for a fragrance called "Charlie". I became a big fan of Bobby Short listening to that one. Yes, I remember all of the words. I can still see Shelly Hack strolling into that restaurant with Bobby Short on piano. "kinda young, kinda wow, Charlie!" Classic!
Dave Frey
The Villages, FL
Here you go ... Frannie and I remembered this one right away! (kk)
Click here: YouTube - Revlon "Charlie" Commercial with Bobby Short - 1970s

Wow, how cool it was to hear that Heaven Sent jingle again! That was one of my "guilty pleasures" back then. I thought it was a neat song and I actually figured it out on my guitar but I couldn't admit to any of my friends that I liked it, of course! ;^)
Dean Milano

Hi Kent!
Now, during the 12 Days of Christmas, I want to wish you the very best of everything in the New Year! -- And to thank you for the wonderful FORGOTTEN HITS site! It's so informative and SUCH FUN -- and yes, there was a long ago day when I once wore "Windsong" perfume (may still have it in some old drawer somewhere).
Remembering the past just makes the present so much richer. That's what FORGOTTEN HITS does for so many of us. Thank you for all you do!
Connie Szerszen,

"Top Rock Girly Jock"

Happy Holidays, Kent!
On this date ... on 22 December, 1966 ... the # 2 song on WLS / WCFL charts was "Kind Of A Drag" by The Buckinghams.
There were so many radio and TV jingles that we sometimes got the jingles mixed up with the top 40.
I and a friend of mine by the name of Jody were crusin' through Beverly, Illinois one night and a popular song of its time by The Buckinghams came on the radio. The Buckinghams, as all Kent's readers know, were huge in Chicago in 1966. It took me many years and many miles out of Chicago to find out that the rest of the country (and Jody) were not aware of the Buckinghams until about November / December of 1966. I was really surprised years later to find out that their earlier efforts, such as "I'll Go Crazy", "I Call Your Name" and "I've Been Wrong", weren't national hits. How ironic that their biggest hit never reached the top of the charts in Chicago but did nationally on Billboard. The competition between the two Chicago radio stations for #1 rating was hot. It was a common practice for all us teens to switch channels between songs so we could hear both stations DJs,songs and jingles.
The by now famous horn section intro came over the radio and then Jody burst into song.
"Canada Dry, when your baby don't love you".
"Canada Dry, when you know she's been untrue".
We had a good laugh after I put Jody straight about the real lyrics to the song. Just maybe Coca-Cola missed their chance for a nice radio jingle spot.
"The Greatest Jingles Of All Time" might make a great Top 50 poll but I'm still partial to the person you suggested a "It Should Of Been Bigger". Top 35 poll. I think there are many interesting stories behind why some great songs failed to reach their peak.
Here's Jody for Coca-Cola.
"Canada Dry is not the drink for me and you".
"Canada Dry will at best be just # 2".
Was there a jingle or commercial used for the song 'Happiness Is" by The Association???
Merry Christmas To All!
Thanks,
Jerry (jfk)
LOL ... it took me a couple of read-throughs before I realized that you were only kidding!!! (I thought maybe The Buckinghams really HAD cut a commercial for Canada Dry to the tune of "Kind Of A Drag" and somehow I just missed it!!! lol) Although I had never heard of such a commercial, I did some searching around just in case ... and, when I couldn't find anything, asked the guys if there was any truth to the rumor! Here's what I got back:
Kent -
Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Forgotten Hits has become a giant source of unbelievable music info. Congratulations, my friend.
We never did a commercial for Canada Dry. I do enjoy Ginger Ale.
I know some folks thought I was singing Canada Dry when, in reality, it was 'Kind of a Drag' ... You know how rock 'n roll singers like to mumble sometimes :)
(Just ask Jim Sohns) ;)
We did a commercial for Mr. Norm's Dodge to get a free van and that's on the end of some album as it runs off towards the label, but I don't know which one.
Looking forward to 2000-DEN!
Hope to see you in Naperville on January 29th with The Cryan' Shames and Ronnie Rice.
Stay warm and be well.
God Bless -
Dennis Tufano
Well, evidently Jerry's friend Jody was one of 'em!!! lol ... Thanks, Dennis ... have a GREAT 2010! (kk)