Thursday, November 12, 2009

A Morning Quickie!

Been all kinds of Crazy / Buzy this week ... but if you're in the mood for A Morning Quickie, you've come to the right place!!! Had just enough time to get this posted before running out the door!

re: INSTRUMENTALS:
Just a quick reminder ... this weekend Scott Shannon will be featuring many of your Instrumental Favorites all weekend long on The True Oldies Channel / Instrumentally Yours Weekend!!! Tune in and listen ... and then vote for YOUR favorites here!!!

forgottenhits@aol.com
Listen Live to The True Oldies Channel Here: Click here: True Oldies Channel

Meanwhile, your votes and comments continue to come in ... here are a couple of other tracks for your consideration:
>>>I was disappointed to see that Stick Shift and Rev Up didn't make the cut. In that case, let me change my vote to Blues' Theme by Dave Allen and the Arrows. We can't have a instrumental list without at least one song featuring an internal combustion engine shifting gears. (Ed Erxleben)

>>>Unfortunately, outside of Chicago the other two choices simply weren't well known enough to make any kind of impression with our voters ... but Davie Allan's track is doing JUST fine!!! (kk)
Interesting that "Stick Shift" and "Rev Up" were deemed "too localized" to make the countdown -- and then just a few days later "Car Hop" by The Exports makes Bob Stroud's latest "Rock And Roll Roots" CD. Clearly we Chicagoans have a very local, yet LOYAL appreciation for these instrumentals we grew up with here in the Windy City.
Mike
"Car Hop" had actually earned a few votes, too ... and a couple of other folks on the list mentioned its inclusion in the new "Rock And Roll Roots" compilation. (For a complete list of tracks, scroll back to last Sunday's posting, November 8th ... and, for more information on how YOU can obtain a copy, just shoot me an email and we'll fill you in on all the details.) Certainly we can re-instate "Car Hop" ... but, with only seven votes, it isn't going to WIN this competition ... which is why I cut the list down to "The Most Likelys!!!" (lol) The leaders have well-separated themselves from the rest of the pack at this point and even if 50 people voted for "Car Hop" tomorrow, it STILL wouldn't make The Top 50 Countdown. Other songs continue to get nominated, too ... "Samba Pa Ti" got a run of votes after it was featured in last week's episode of "Cold Case" ... a GREAT track that also scored quite a few votes as one of the list's Favorite Forgotten B-Sides a while back, yet, up until now, COMPLETELY overlooked in our All-Time Favorite Instrumental Poll. Also recently nominated were "Breezin'" by George Benson and David Foster's Top 20 Hit "Love Theme from 'St. Elmo's Fire'". (Foster is ALSO represented on Stroud's new Rock And Roll Roots CD with his '70's band Skylark and their big hit "Wildflower"!) We're hoping to have more details regarding our very special on-air countdown in the next day or two ... as well as an archived podcast site ... so keep watching these pages! (kk)

Kent -
Your recent poll about our favorite instrumentals got me thinking about a related topic. And that is lengthy instrumentals in lyric-based songs that were then eliminated in the pop radio versions of the songs. I grew up in the Hartford suburbs and the major AM pop stations were WDRC and WPOP. They played the popular hits of the day, but for the deep-voiced disc jockeys we’d switch to the Trinity College station on the FM dial. Here they played stuff never heard on AM radio (e.g., Firesign Theater). But they also played the occasional unabridged versions of pop hits. Three examples of long instrumental preludes that were truncated on pop radio are: Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is by Chicago, I Love You by People, and Wildfire by Michael Murphey. Three examples of lengthy interludes that were elided are: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly, Light My Fire by the Doors, and Sky Pilot by Eric Burdon & The Animals. There are surely others, but these six were the first that occurred to me. So, the next time someone asks, “When’s the last time you heard Sky Pilot on the radio?” the proper response is, “The long or the short version?”
- jsl
A very common practice back in the day of Top 40 Radio ... the "long edit" and the "punched-up" single version. We've discussed before within these pages the merit of some of these longer works ... clearly the COMPLETE expression of the artists' original musical intention ... but in many cases some "creative editing" certainly contributed to making some of these songs much bigger hits than they might otherwise have been. There are certain "long versions" that simply become redundant ... or don't add anything to the song. Honestly, how many times could radio play the 18-minute version of "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" anyway?!?!? (Although FM DID ... and sometimes still does. We still joke with Terry "Motormouth" Young about him playing the long version on his XM show ... I've always maintained that you could tell when Terry ate at White Castle the night before whenever he programmed these extended "bathroom breaks" into his show!!!) The long version of "Light My Fire" is probably the one example from your list above that got played most often ... and STILL does to this day. (In fact, THESE days it's rare to hear the short version at all anymore.) On the other hand, I WISH they'd play the long version of "Wildfire" more often ... to me the additional musical breaks help to make this song even more beautiful. (One of my LEAST favorite "extended versions" is "Crimson And Clover" by Tommy James and the Shondells ... to my ears, this was taking a good thing WAY too far ... yet I absolutely LOVE the single version ... which is still one of my favorite songs of all time!) I'll take the long version of "Suavecito" every time ... and like BOTH versions of "Green Eyed Lady". Probably the strangest one on my list would have to be "Fooled Around And Fell In Love", the HUGE Elvin Bishop Hit ... while I've always LOVED the extended instrumental break, the excised verse that didn't make the single edit has NEVER sounded right to me ... it just doesn't "fit"!!! We could certainly do a whole series on this topic as there were many, many others. Maybe we should start to build a list for a future piece??? What do you guys think? (kk)

re: THE BEATLES:
Got a few Beatles-related stories this week that we wanted to pass along ... and they really run the full gamut between sense and sensibility. Here goes!


November 4, 2009 – Britain’s premiere television network, the BBC, will be filming this weekend while taking a tour of Beatles related sites in the Los Angeles area. The film, which is being made for an upcoming broadcast on the BBC, will include footage of the tour itself, its host Gillian Lomax and fans who have also signed up for the event.
The 3.5 hour tour, aptly named A Magical History Tour, will begin its journey in Santa Monica and end at the Hollywood Bowl and will be filled with sites, sounds, history and rare trivia about the Fab Four and their time in southern California.
A Magical History Tour was launched in September 2009 by Beatles expert and radio personality Gillian Lomax. Gillian is originally from Liverpool, England and now resides in L.A. Ms. Lomax spent an extensive amount of time researching the Beatles time in L.A. prior to launching A Magical History Tour.
For more information about A Magical History Tour and Gillian Lomax, visit:
http://www.amagicalhistorytour.com.
-- Jennifer Vanderslice

From a Beatles tour / television special ... to a Beatles party!!!

At BEATexpo 2009, "Sunday will never be the same ...!"
Legendary 60's singer Spanky McFarlane sang lead as the front-person in the sixties band Spanky & Our Gang, with such hits as "Sunday Will Never Be The Same," "Give a Damn," "Sunday Morning" and "I'd Like To Get To Know You." She later replaced Mama Cass in The Mamas & The Papas (who had a hit with The Beatles' "I Call Your Name"). She also recorded "And Your Bird Can Sing." One of Spanky's dearest friends, Dinky Dawson, is a legendary figure in the music field, recognized as the "sound-man to the stars." He was rumored to be on the Apple rooftop with The Beatles.
Both guests have never appeared at such a convention for fans before. Also newly added is Rich Pagano of The Fab Faux, who will signing copies of his new solo CD. They join the current star-filled line-up of "BEATexpo 2009" coming to the Downtown Stamford (CT) Holiday Inn November 28-29, for what is turning out to be the year's most highly-anticipated music and celebrity festival, in celebration of the music of The Beatles and their era.
They join headliners Peter Tork of The Monkees, John Lennon's recording engineer Dennis Ferrante, original Beatles promoter Sid Bernstein, Greg Hawkes of The Cars, Butch Patrick of The Munsters, and Clay Cole, legendary television personality & rock & roll broadcast pioneer. Clay was the only TV host to have both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones on the very same show. Here's a list of the other great guests (and there is no charge for autographs!):
~Jude Southerland Kessler, author of the wonderful historic novel, "Shoulda Been There."~Shannon, world-famous rock & roll artist, will be bringing her amazing art to "BEATexpo 2009," after just completing her mural work in the rooms of the Hard Day's Night Hotel in Liverpool, England~Vanilla Fudge lead guitarist Vince Martell~The Nazz lead singer Stewkey~Tuff Darts lead singer / guitarist Tommy Frenzy~Garage Band Beatles / Thunder Road lead singer / guitarist Pat Horgan
~The Stories lead singer Ian LLoyd (his Dad played on John Lennon albums)
~The Strawbs lead singer John Ford
~The Fab Faux vocalist and drummer Rich Pagano
~Members of the 60's pop band The Fifth Estate, who had a hit with "Ding Dong The Witch is Dead"
~Dwight Rounds, author of the books "The Year The Music Died" and "Animals to Zombies"
~Helen Darras, author of the authorized biography, "Eddie Munster AKA Butch Patrick"
It should be noted that there is no charge for autographs or photos with the guests.
Joining BEATexpo's live mainstage line-up of The Beatles Forever Band, Octopus's Garden, Tim Palmieri's A-Z Beatles Songbook Show, Rotary, The Monkees' Peter Tork and The Cars' Greg Hawkes (performing his "Beatles on Uke" show + some Cars tunes) is Guitar Charlie and Benjy G (from Jimmy Kimmel Show).
At the Expo, there will be a mammoth memorabilia marketplace / rock & roll flea-market, karaoke recording studio, art exhibits, video theatre showing rare clips and footage, a collectibles auction, and more."BEATexpo 2009" is the first event of its kind in the New York / New England area in twelve years. Advance tickets are now on sale. For further information, visit the website:
www.ToursAndEvents.com/BEATexpo.htm.
"It's guaranteed to raise a smile."
-- Charles Rosenay

From here we go to the VERY bizarre story of some VERY questionable Beatles downloads that were made available by a company called BlueBeat Music last week. You have to check out these website links and read them in order as the story developed (and then completely blew up last week.) Some will say that Hank Risan seemed to be talking out of both sides of his mouth (but it sounded to ME like he was talking out of a completely DIFFERENT orifice!!!) How on earth this guy EVER thought he was going to get away with this is beyond me ... and if it was all simply a publicity stunt, it's certainly proving to be quite an expensive one!!! (While I don't know Hank Risan, he strikes me as being the kind of guy who might be the ONLY person in America disappointed that somebody else thought of the "boy in the balloon" idea before HE did!!!) kk

Kent -
Here is that crazy Beatles story I told you about last week!
This should be of interest to your FH readers.
It's all about the Santa Cruz-based company, BLUEBEAT MUSIC, which was a relatively obscure website that streamed recorded music, until they made headlines early last week when they began offering downloads of songs from the Beatles catalog for 25 cents each on Monday! The Beatles catalog is still not available on iTunes, Amazon or other MP3 download services due to ongoing license disputes between Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI, which is a whole other story in itself.
The very act of being the first site to supposedly be "legally" offering Beatles material, and doing so at the very low price was a huge story online within minutes! The availability of the downloads was first discovered by music fans online almost immediately, and within hours, was being covered online by tech-oriented publications such as Wired Magazine and, of course, thousands of blogs. By day's end the story was making headlines in mainstream media outlets worldwide!
Here was the first article that appeared in Wired Magazine last Monday:
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/10/beatles-finally-for-sale-online-on-bluebeat/
Here was the story later in the day from the L.A. Times:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/11/beatles-downloads-for-25-cents-for-now.html
At first, the company was making claims about being a legal alternative to other, more costly downloads and about "breaking the stronghold" that the music industry continues to make efforts to exert on consumers. There were also claims and stories about specific provisions and "loopholes" in the copyright laws, particularly those enacted in the early seventies to protect sound recordings. In fact, Bluebeat's parent company, Media Rights technologies was even claiming copyright ownership of the Beatles material offered for sale on their site! Here's are a couple of interesting articles on that aspect of the story from the UK:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/iandouglas/100004155/the-bootleg-i-mean-bluebeat-beatles/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/nov/05/beatles-bluebeat-emi-lawsuit-puzzle
Not surprisingly, within a couple of days, EMI had filed suit against the company. Here is the that story from the Wall Street Journal:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704328104574515824014248030.html The BBC in the UK reported it this way:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8342277.stm
A temporary injunction, immediately ordering Bluebeat to stop offering the downloads, was issued late on Thursday. Almost immediately, the company began removing Beatles downloads from its site, as reported in stories like these:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/11/beatles-catalog-pulled-from-download-site.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/181589/beatles_ban_takes_effect_at_bluebeat.html Of course, the injunction itself made headlines all over the world on Friday. Here are a few of those stories:
http://www.reuters.com/article/musicNews/idUSTRE5A42HF20091106
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/11/bluebeat-claims-to-own-new-copyrights-to-old-beatles-songs/
http://showbiz411.blogs.thr.com/beatles-get-restraining-order-against-alleged-pirates/
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2355540,00.asp
And, on Saturday, the L.A. Times released what can only be described as a very interesting exclusive interview with Bluebeat's founder, Hank Risan, on this very wild and wacky story:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/11/qa-bluebeats-hank-risan-on-selling-downloads-the-beatles-and-psychoacoustics.html
All I can say is, wow! The internet, and new media, has so drastically altered the media landscape, and, with regards to music, has turned the entire business model of the music industry on its ear. It's a rapidly and ever-changing world and, for those of us who have been involved in the music or entertainment business for many years, or decades, it's mind-boggling to fathom the changes. But, from a media and communications standpoint, it's a radically different world than it was just twenty years ago and staying on top of it all is a job in itself!
"New Media Joe" Klein
Copyright 2009 New Media Creative
To visit New Media Creative's blog:
www.newmediacreative.com/blog
New Media Joe on Twitter: www.twitter.com/newmediajoe

For a far more interesting (and less ridiculous) story ... with a far less predictable "surprise" ending ... (Gee, I never would have guessed how the whole Beatles downloading issue would turn out!!!) ... be sure to check out THIS link, sent into us by Jude Southerland Kessler ... Who knew that this kind of thing was going on back then!!! Can you imagine a COMPLETE media black-out pertaining to The Beatles ... to the point that anyone left on the planet could possibly NOT have known when the band split up?!?!? MUST Reading for all of us Fab Four Aficionados!!! (kk)

Most of you know the story of what happened when The Beatles visited the Philippines and inadvertently snubbed Imelda Marcos. Their security guard was withdrawn from the airport the following day, and the lads were attacked by a furious mob of patriotic people who wanted to, at the very least, “smash them up.” The boys were extremely fortunate to have escaped with their lives.
But what happened to the Beatles fans they left behind? What happened to the teenagers who continued to love the Beatles?
That is the focus of our “Meet the Beatles Fans” feature for November as you Meet John Paul Warne.
http://www.ontherockbooks.com/meet17/JohnPaulWarne.html
John Paul was a devoted Beatles fan, both before and after the Marcos blunder, and the persecution that he endured on behalf of his favorite group is shocking. I never realized that the backlash for being a Beatles fan could be so brutal, but it was.
Read John Paul's very sincere, touching story, and you’ll be amazed that he is still today very much a fan of the Fab Four.
This will open some eyes ...
Many thanks to Tim Coulter, my webmaster, who had to work extra hard to set this feature up. Photos weren’t readily available, and he had to really “think outside the box” to import them and make them work. Good on yer, Tim. “If there’s such a thing as a genius,” you are one. (Thanks for the quote, John!)
And thanks to John Paul for sharing his story in such a beautiful way.
jude
Jude Southerland Kessler
http://www.ontherockbooks.com/

And a quick reminder from Sir Paul himself ... about HIS latest release!

I had a really fabulous time in the summer when I opened New York's Citi Field Stadium, the new Shea Stadium. Having opened Shea for music with The Beatles and closed it with Billy Joel, it was my pleasure and honour to be asked to open the new one. Over three nights we filmed the show. It has now been put together in the form of "Good Evening New York City" my latest CD/DVD, and I think you might like to check it out.
-- Paul McCartney
Enjoy Paul McCartney's historic three night opening show at New York's Citi Field, historic site of The Beatles' landmark 1965 concert. Universally hailed as a concert experience for the ages, this double CD and DVD features 33 songs including Beatles, Wings and solo classics. A Deluxe version features expanded packaging and a bonus DVD including Paul's traffic-stopping, headline-making performance on the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee for the Late Show with David Letterman as well as the audience documentary film 'Good Evening People'.
Now available directly from paulmccartney.com.
Pre-order it and receive an immediate download of the song 'Sing The Changes' and the Good Evening New York City 15 page digital booklet.
Full album release dates: US on November 17th / UK on November 23rd
Visit Paul McCartney's website to view a video of Highway and get it for free with an MP3 of Let Me Roll It.

re: HELPING OUT OUR READERS:
Hi Kent ~
Just wondering if you could throw this out to your readers. I am looking for a song by "Just Us" called "I Can't Grow Peaches on a Cherry Tree". Nancy Sinatra does it as well, but I think this was the original. Can anyone help? :o) As always, thanks for this avenue to share great music and the behind-the-music stories.
~ Sharon {TokeiTwo}
We featured this one a LONG time ago in Forgotten Hits ... a GREAT forgotten oldie!
Made up of the duo Al Gorgoni and Chip Taylor (who we gave the FH Spotlight Treatment to a year or two ago), this was their one and only hit, peaking at #34 in Billboard Magazine in 1966. I've got absolutely NO problem featuring it again as I think it would make for one of those great "occasional spin" radio tracks, too ... hopefully this will inspire some of the jocks on the list will give it a shot, too! (kk)






So my son just came home from a weekend with his father and asked me if I knew who the Ink Spots were. I kinda didn't really... they very much sound like something from the 60s, but to be sure we Googled it. Here's the Wikipedia page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ink_Spots
Anyway ... turns out the kids' great grandmother knew someone from the Ink Spots and she said years ago he gave her some kind of "mouth organ" on a necklace and she wore it for years. As an aside, she wants to give Mitch a "mouth organ" (she must not be aware they call 'em harmonicas now). I wonder if she's giving him the mouthorgannecklace? But even after Googling / Wiki-ing them, why doesn't any of this sound familiar? Was there another group from the 60s who had some kind of one or two hit happening?
Kristy

-- Disclaimer: The content in this email could very well be crazy.
The Ink Spots placed nearly 30 songs on Billboard's Top 20 Best Sellers List between 1940 and 1951 ... in fact, they were one of the most popular acts of this generation! Top Ten Hits include When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano (#4, 1940); Maybe (#2, 1940); Whispering Grass (#10, 1940); We Three (#3, 1940); I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire (#4, 1941); Don't Get Around Much Anymore (#2, 1943); I'll Get Along (As Long As I Have You), #7, 1944; Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall (#5, 1944); I'm Making Believe (#1, 1944); I'm Beginning To See The Light (with Ella Fitzgerald, #7, 1945); The Gypsy (#1, 1946); Prisoner Of Love (#10, 1946); To Each His Own (#1, 1946) and You're Breaking My Heart (#9, 1949). Although they were still making television appearances well into the '60's, by then the hits had long-since stopped. (And, judging by the Wikipedia article, it sounds like there were a variety of variations of the original group performing by this time.) They DO remain, however, one of the most popular vocal groups of all time and are often cited as being the inspiration for several other artists and vocal groups.
I asked long-time Forgotten Hits List Member TheOneBuff to share a few of his Ink Spots memories with our readers ... but he said that The Ink Spots were a little bit before HIS time, too! (kk)
There is a shipload at wikipedia.This group is so old that even I was a little boy the first time I heard them. In my memory, the first song I ever heard on the radio is "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire". So, I don't have any personal knowledge of their birth, formation, etc and am as dependent on the web as anyone else.
Hey ... the Ink Spots did their first Victor recordings the year I was born. My favorite, if I have to pick one, is "Do I Worry".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ink_Spots
I remember my Mom really liking artists like The Ink Spots and The Mills Brothers ... but honestly (after listening to several song clips on Amazon.com), their music REALLY sounds dated today ... more like "Turn Of The Century" recordings than stuff from the 1940's. I asked FH List Member Gary Theroux, who once assembled an Ink Spots Greatest Hits Album, if he would like to say a few words on the band:
Prior to the advent of rock ‘n’ roll, two black vocal groups achieved success far beyond all others. The first, The Mills Brothers, began in the late ‘20s and honed their distinctive mellow sound on Cincinnati radio. No other vocal group turned out hit records (“Paper Doll,” “The Glow Worm,” “You Always Hurt The One You Love,” etc.) over a longer period of time (1931-68) than The Mills Brothers.
The other major black vocal group was The Ink Spots, a quartet which first worked under two other names: King, Jack & the Jesters and The Riff Brothers. Bill Kenny (1914-78) was the lead tenor; Orville “Hoppy” Jones (1902-44) sang bass; his replacement, Herb Kenny (1914-92), was Bill’s twin brother. The other key members were Charlie Fuqua (1910-71) and Ivory “Deek” Watson (1909-69; later replaced by Billy Bowen (1909-82). One day, while brainstorming a better name, a drop of ink from their manager’s fountain pen splashed onto a clean white paper on his desk. “That’s it!” said Watson. “How about calling us The Ink Spots?” And so they were.
Live stage and radio appearances built a large fan following in the late ‘30s – during which The Ink Spots recorded briefly for Victor (in 1935) and even turned up on some early NBC experimental TV broadcasts. Moving on to the Decca label, the group recorded “Knock-Kneed Sal on the Mourner’s Bench” in 1939 but were stuck for a flip side. An amateur songwriter, Jack Lawrence (later the composer or “Linda” and countless other classics), offered them “If I Didn’t Care.” As the group then really didn’t care what tune backed “Knock Kneed Sal,” they quickly cut it and the single was released. To everyone’s enormous surprise, “Knock-Kneed Sal” went nowhere – while it’s B side soared up the charts to became the most famous Ink Spots recording ever.
Among the group’s 45 later chart entries were “My Prayer” (the blueprint for The Platters’ version 17 years later), “Maybe” (later heard in the computer game “Fallout”), “We Three,” “Java Jive” (recorded by The Manhattan Transfer in 1975), “I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire” (later in the computer game “Fallout 3”), “The Gypsy” (later on the soundtrack of “Revolutionary Road”), “To Each His Own” (a Platters hit in 1960) and “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” (a Sam Cooke hit in 1958). Three of The Ink Spots’ hits – “Cow Cow Boogie,” “I’m Making Believe” and “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall” – were recorded with Ella Fitzgerald. After the quartet disbanded in 1951, Bill Kenny made the Top 20 one last time with “It Is No Secret,” on which he was backed by The Song Spinners. It should be noted that after 1951 various unauthorized groups billing themselves as The Ink Spots began touring and recording for budget labels but all were fakes. The real Ink Spots broke up in 1951 and only recorded for Victor (two 1935 singles) and Decca (everything else).
Among the distinctive features of Ink Spots records were spoken verses in mid-song (featuring their bass vocalist) and a signature slow-paced opening on almost every record they ever made. That plodding rhythm drove me nuts a number of years ago when I assembled an Ink Spots greatest hits collection. With every track starting exactly the same way, my job of properly pacing the album sequence was memorably difficult. There was, though, some method to The Ink Spots’ madness.
One has to remember that The Ink Spots recorded singles, not albums, and they wanted their records – when played on jukeboxes or the radio – to be instantly identifiable. So just like Kay Kyser and Sammy Kaye did on disc with spoken or sung song intros (“that’s our theme song, ‘Thinking of You,’ a beautiful song beautifully expressed by Harry Babbitt”), The Ink Spots chose to instantly identify themselves on record by starting nearly every track with precisely the same four bar chords (I - #idim - ii7 - V7).
The Ink Spots appeared onscreen in the 1942 Abbott & Costello movie “Pardon My Sarong.” Their distinctive style also made them an easy target for parody. Listen to the way The Modernaires impersonated them in the Glenn Miller hit “Jukebox Saturday Night” or Spike Jones & the City Slickers did in their recording of “You Only Hurt The One You Love.” There was even an Ink Spots send-up in an episode of “Mystery Science 3000” -- when a group of observers sing an Ink Spots-ish tune, “When I Held Your Brain In my Arms.” Can’t wait to hear THAT song covered by Barbra Streisand.
Gary Theroux



Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Sunday Comments ( 11 - 08 - 09 )

re: ROCK AND ROLL ROOTS:
Today marks the release date of the Eleventh Edition of Bob Stroud's "Rock And Roll Roots" CD Series ... in fact, we'll be heading over to the Launch Party in just a little while ... but first, just like we do every year, we're going to announce the official track listing here in Forgotten Hits so that some of our out-of-state readers can order a copy before they're gone.

Rock And Roll Roots, Volume 11 contains:
Wildflower - Skylark
Summertime Blues - Blue Cheer
Ruby Tuesday - Rotary Connection
My Pledge Of Love - Joe Jeffrey Group
Little Girl - Syndicate Of Sound
Lay Down Candles In The Rain - Melanie
Journey To The Center Of The Mind - Amboy Dukes
Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' - Crazy Elephant
Face The Autumn - Family (The MOST-REQUESTED Track on the CD This Year!)
Car Hop - Exports
Can't You See - Flock
Can't You See Me Cry - New Colony Six (Both the 1968 Hit Version AND a Special "Bonus Track" Accoustic Version, which we first featured in Forgotten Hits about three years ago!!!)
If you'd like to order YOUR copy of this CD, just drop me an email and we'll make the necessary arrangements to get you a copy. Remember, this is a VERY limited release (and a Chicagoland Borders Exclusive), so let us know as soon as possible! (kk)
re: OTHER OLDIES NEWS:
New Forgotten Hits Reader Art Munson has sent us a link to HIS website ... where you can find feature articles on many of our oldies favorite artists ... check it out here:
Hi Kent,
I have stories on my blog about working with Dick Dale, Glen Campbell, Darlene Love and The Blossoms, Phil Spector, The Ventures and Larry Knechtel. You can find them here
http://munsongrecords.com/category/blogs/arts-musings/
I have many more but just haven't found time to write about them.
Let me know and maybe I can help coordinate some things with you.
Take care
Art
I'm sure you'll find our readers ALWAYS interested in learning more about their favorite artists ... so keep 'em comin', Art!!! (kk)

Kent ...
How ya' doin'? Back in 1967 my wife Sheilah was working at Mercury records as a secretary to the songwriter / producer Artie Kornfeld (“Pied Piper”, “Dead Man’s Curve”, “The Rain, The Park, and Other Things”) and we hung out a lot with Artie and his wife Linda. Artie was always concerned about social issues and making the world a better place, but none of the gang at the Brill Building or from 1650 Broadway ever expected that one of our own could make such a powerful impact on our culture!
A few weeks ago, right after the world wide celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock, I spoke to Artie (The Father of Woodstock) who filled me in on everything going on in his life, his book, his radio show, etc.
“My memories of my most wonderful days were after three recording deals and managers while attending Queens College at night that, as I tell in my book “The Pied Piper of Woodstock” that I met Charles Koppelman and Don Rubin. With a $25 demo I took the subway into Nevins - Kirschner a/k/a Aldon Music and left with a $75 a week advance against royalties and a $500 advance from BMI. The bread meant nothing as I was now a writer for what soon became Screen-Gems Music. I was accepted in a world of Goffin and King, Mann and Weil, Barry and Greenwich, Leiber and Stoller, Artie Kaplan, Artie Wayne, and so many others who I had only read about and got to learn with the whole Brill Building gang and was lucky enough to have hit songs with Toni Wine my first collaborator and then Steve Duboff and Jan Berry and Brian Wilson. Even my idol Steve Allen. I thought I was in heaven ... and I was."
FOR THE COMPLETE STORY
Regards,
Artie



Hi Kent,
While researching a project, I ran across some items that relate to recent FH news. First, the popularity of Soupy Sales one more time. He and Morris Levy were on the front cover of 5/1/65 Record World for the re-opening success of NYC's Paramount. The accompanying story gives a real picture of what shows were like in NYC in 65 era. LOTS of artists to keep teens and pre-teens happy -- and SOUPY.

One such artist was the Detergents! Maybe Ron Dante has some recollections?? In the same issue, an ad for the then current "Mrs. Brown" answer record by the Detergents. Maybe he AND Peter Noone can comment on this one? Also, an early ad for an earlier 45 that (according to the ad) was not even RELEASED yet!!?? Whaaa?? Hype?? Yet, it was the main 45 pic on front of RW the week of 2/27/65. "Double-O-Seven".



We shared some comments from both Peter Noone AND Ron Dante on their "Mrs. Brown" connection a while back ... sounds like they did quite a few shows together. (kk)
Lastly, a history lesson from that same 2/27/65 issue on the Lettermen with accompanying photo. The same issue also had a photo of Snuff Garrett with Gary Lewis teaming up for a followup to Al Kooper's "This Diamond Ring" in the studio!! THOSE WERE THE DAYS!!
WLSClark
We got a GREAT first-hand history lesson, courtesy of Gary Pike of The Lettermen, in our last Comments Page ... so this is REALLY cool to see now!!! (kk)

... and, speaking of The Lettermen ...

re: THE LETTERMEN ... AND THAT MYSTERY GROUP:
Hi Kent,
I talked to my brother Jim about the mystery Notre Dame group and he didn't recognize them either. At first, we thought The Ames Brothers, but no one looked like Ed Ames. Then I thought that maybe it was The Duprees, because they sometimes worked as four. Sorry I couldn't help.
Believe it or not, The Lettermen had some songs released through Reprise Records. In the mid sixties after The Lettermen had been with Capitol for several years and Reprise formed, they got most, if not all the old Warner Bros. masters and with that was the early stuff The Lettermen did ... four songs. Three of them were released on a Reprise album called, "Sonny and Cher and Friends". Included on this album were cuts by "Caesar and Cleo", (Sonny and Cher) Bill Medley, The Blendells and The Lettermen. That album pops up on eBay all the time.. Just another bit of trivia..
Take care.
Letterman,
Gary Pike
Gary also sent us a few tracks to share ... and we've got one of them included today! (kk)

In response to the name of the group in the picture, I feel their name is DANNY & THE JUNIORS, singing their big hit "AT THE HOP". This group is from Philadelphia, PA.

Mary Ann
Thanks to everybody who tried to solve this one for us ... but I don't think so ... we did an extensive feature on Danny and the Juniors before in Forgotten Hits and this doesn't look like them to me ... (and, with a couple of The Juniors on our mailing list, I figure at least ONE of them would up stepped up to say something!!! lol See the photo below of the REAL Danny and the Juniors.) For the behind-the-scenes details of their landmark hit "At The Hop", be sure to check out The Forgotten Hits Website:
Click here: Forgotten Hits - John Madara's Greatest Hits

Meanwhile, I think that we DID, in fact, solve the mystery ... check out Danny Guilfoyle's email below ...

Kent --
The group pictured at Notre Dame that Tony wanted to find out their name is the Crewcuts.
Danny Guilfoyle

Looking at some old photos of The Crew Cuts, I do believe you're right!!! Thanks, Danny! And, since one of Paige's most recent favorite songs is "Sh-Boom", we'll feature The Crew Cuts' version of this early rock classic here today, too!
For the record, The Crew Cuts had a NUMBER of Top 20 Hits between 1954 and 1957, covering R & B tunes in a way that made them safe for ALL of "White America" to listen to and enjoy!!! (lol) kk (Somehow I don't see THESE guys getting into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame anytime soon either!!!)

A short while back we featured both The Vogues' version of "Turn Around, Look At Me" (as part of our salute to Reprise Records), an earlier hit for Glen Campbell ... as well as Glen's own early release "The Universal Soldier". This OTHER brief history lesson just came in from Gary Pike of The Lettermen ...
Hey Kent!
I just wanted to add to your comments about Glen Campbell. He played on just about every Lettermen early album we did until he became Glen Campbell! He even helped vocally and is our friend. I am sending you our version of "Turn Around, Look At Me" ... and guess who is playing guitar!!! It was recorded in 1962. We were playing a club just outside of Pittsburgh, PA, when a group called The Vogues came to see our show. They are from Turtle Creek, PA. They said they liked our version of "Turn Around, Look At Me" and were going to record it. The rest, as they say, is history!
Thanks!
Letterman
Gary Pike

And Soupy Sales, too!

re: SOUPY SALES:
Soupy had the unfortunate luck of appearing on an Ed Sullivan show with the Beatles. I always felt sorry for anyone in this position, because everyone wanted the Beatles and for the intervening acts to get off the stage.
-- Dwight Rounds

re: ON THE RADIO:
I just heard about a GREAT new book that's just become available for all of us Radio / Disc Jockey Junkies out there ... Check out THIS link below for all the details ... in-depth profiles of some of our all-time favorites: Larry Lujack, Dick Biondi, Fred Winston, Lee Abrams, Chuck Blore, Jack Armstrong, Scotty Brink, Ron Chapman, Dick Clark, Rick Dees, Tom Donahue, Bill Drake, Alan Freed, Dan Ingram, Tom Joyner, Casey Kasem, Murray the K, Robert W. Morgan, Bruce Morrow, Gary Owens, Art Roberts, John Rook, John Sebastian, Charlie Tuna, Wolfman Jack ... and a VERY flattering piece about our buddy Scott Shannon ... and literally DOZENS of others ... are available now in this new book, "American Radio Tales, 1946-1996". In fact, if you go to the website, you can even HEAR some of these tributes, read by OTHER jocks featured in this interesting new profile. Well worth checking out for all our radiophiles out there!!!
Give a listen to some of the available audio on this site ... and then check out the book's index ... dozens and dozens and dozens of your favorite radio stations have been profiled within these pages. It truly is a "Must Own" for many of the folks on our list. (kk)

And here's an interview we can wait to hear ... I would LOVE to get Bobby Goldsboro on the list ... always a big fan!
Bobby is a multi-talented performer and also one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the rock era. He will always be best-remembered for his huge #1 hit "Honey" but that is just one of his many extraordinary accomplishments. He admits during our interview (with a few chuckles) that "Honey" is simultanously one of the most loved and one of the most, uh, UN-loved hit songs of the past 50 years!
He started out in the early sixties as a guitarist with Roy Orbison, traveling with that musical legend all over the world for three years and even touring with the Beatles. His first hit single was a "Honey"-like tearjerker called "Molly" (it's on my Record Page) but it was his next hit, "See The Funny Little Clown," that really launched his successful recording career, reaching the national top ten and becoming the first of his 11 national top 40 hits. This show focuses primarily on his pop hits but Bobby also placed 24 hits on the country chart as well including "Honey" which duplicated its pop success by making #1.
In 1973 he hosted his own nationally-syndicated television show, which ran for three successful seasons and became the highest rated variety show in syndication in the 70's. As a songwriter he's received 27 BMI awards and his compositions have been recorded by such diverse artists as Aretha Franklin, John Denver, Paul Anka, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Dr. John and Bette Midler.He's also written 12 published children's books. Recently the tireless Bobby chose to pursue another lifelong passion: oil painting! He has over the past few years gained a reputation as a world-class artist whose works are featured in one-man art shows at galleries around the country.
Doing this show was a joy for me on so many levels. Here's a sequential list of the recordings in this one hour show plus the two bonus tracks. All are by Bobby Goldsboro.
1 Honey [excerpt]
2 Molly
3 See The Funny Little Clown
4 Little Things
5 Broomstick Cowboy
6 Blue Autumn
7 Honey
8 Autumn Of My Life
9 Watching Scotty Grow
10 With Pen In Hand
11 Summer (The First Time)
BT The Straight Life
BT Trusty Little Herbert
To access this Bobby Goldsboro radio interview show or any of my previous ones, please visit the "Jersey Girls Sing" website at http://www.jerseygirlssing.com
When that home page comes up, please click the "Ronnie Allen Theater" (the name has a yellow background) in the picture on the right-hand side. That will bring you to my index page. Please click on "Ronnie's Radio Page" and you will then be able to access the show (it's the first one listed under the blue heading "Current Radio Interview Shows") or any of my previous ones, which are listed in reverse chronological order.
Ronnie Allen

re: HELEN REDDY:
>>>"Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady" by Helen Reddy (when's the last time you heard THIS one?!?!?) kk
When was the last time I heard that one? On purpose?
The only Helen tune that I ever liked was Angie Baby. I think part of my fascination with that one was just picturing her people convincing her to sing it since it's so weird. Ya don't hear that one either, BTW.
Though I don't get up to the website as often as I would want, I do still try and peak at least once a week. I'd sure miss you if you weren't around to do this.
I get most of my Forgotten Hits looking done when I'm on the road gigging. I will be a part of a Woodstock tribute show for the next two weeks so heavy reading ahead.J ust finished a Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder Tribute show a month ago. Music keeps me going on and off the stage so keep it up.
Bill
"Angie Baby's a GREAT one ... written by our FH buddy Alan O'Day! Truth be told, you don't hear much Helen Reddy at all anymore, despite 15 Top 40 Hits in the '70's. (She's another one who may have been penalized long-term by her "I Am Woman" anthem ... kinda like the Bobby Goldsboro / "Honey" thing mentioned above.) But I wouldn't mind hearing an occassional spin of "Leave Me Alone", "Angie Baby", "Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady", "You And Me Against The World", "Somewhere In The Night", "Peaceful", or Helen's version of "I Don't Know How To Love Him", "You're My World" or the Bobby Hart-penned "Keep On Singing" every now and then! (kk)

re: PIRATE RADIO:
I had scribbled down a note to be sure and send a comment about Keith Hampshire's work at Radio Caroline, but still forgot to email you. There are some airchecks of him DJ'ing as a Pirate out there in Internet-land. "First Cut.." and "Daytime Nighttime" are his two best hits.
David
I don't know if Keith is mentioned in the new movie or not ... but if so, it just might spark some airplay of HIS two big "Forgotten Hits"! We are definitely looking forward to the November 13th premier! (kk)

re: ONE MORE ON THE INSTRUMENTALS:
Hi Kent ~
Maybe I'm anal retentive or I just missed it altogether, but I wanted to add "Soul Coaxing" by Raymond Lefevre to the list of instrumentals. I remember hearing it on the radio when I was a kid, riding around town with my dad. My brother mentioned it a few months back but, we couldn't think of the name of the song. Ironically, someone he contacted on line for the information had another request for the same song and finally, they came up with it. They never play it locally anymore ... too bad.
Anyway, that will be one of my picks for the top 50 instrumentals as well as the already mentioned "Sleep Walk" by Santo and Johnny. Thanks!
~ Sharon {TokeiTwo}
BOTH of these songs are actually doing quite well ... "Soul Coaxing" (which we've mentioned quite a few times already, by the way) is now up to 71 votes ... and "Sleep Walk" was the first song to pass 200 votes (and is our current leader again) with 259 votes. (As of this morning, it now has a sizeable lead over Percy Faith's "Theme from 'A Summer Place'".) And, gaining fast is "Walk Don't Run" by The Ventures ... now firmly in Third Place in our All-Time Favorite Instrumentals Poll! (Have YOU voted yet???) kk

re: HELPING OUT OUR READERS:
kk,
I am a new friend and an old songwriter who just found FH through Artie Wayne's blog.
I know of NOBODY more central to the sound of the 60's through the present than drummer Jim Keltner. I dare you to read his entire discography without a break.
I worked with Jim on two projects and found him absolutely amazing. Although I haven't spoken to him in a while, Jim is still working (just produced the Pretenders last album) and living the life in the Pasadena area. He is quite affable and articulate,. Might I be so bold as to suggest an interview (or 12)? Possible topics? Oh, I don't know, maybe Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Dwayne Allman, uh, wait, maybe ANYBODY... Jim played with them all. His insights on the business are truly mind boggling. Talk about access ...
I am not an interviewer, so I'm not looking for a gig, I just know your readers would love his viewpoint on the music. I look forward to your response.
Just a shameless plug, you can find some of my work at
http://chereek.wordpress.com/category/lyrics/
Keep up the good ...
cc.
Hey, I would LOVE to talk to Jim Keltner ... man, imagine the stories THIS guy could share with our readers ... he's worked with just about EVERYONE!!! If somebody out there can help to make this happen, please let us know! (kk)

And, speaking of helping to make it happen, perhaps one of our readers can help us make THIS connection for songwriter Tony Hatch!!!
Hi Kent,
This is not really Reprise business but closely related. Would anyone know where I can contact Joe Smith? He was with Warner Brothers Records in the mid-60's and, I gotta tell you, he was the guy who picked Petula Clark's DOWNTOWN for a hit for Warner when UK's Pye Records didn't really know what to make of it. He also picked MY LOVE (another #1 and recorded in LA) when even Petula wasn't sure about it. Both she and I would have to say that we owe a lot to Joe Smith. What a great music exec!
TONY HATCH
Glad to help out if we can, Tony ... let's see what the list comes back with on this one!!! (kk)

Kent,
Thanks for the heads up on The Drive's A-Z countdown. Anytime a radio station gets to play songs they don't normally air, is always a good thing. However listening over the computer reminded me why I don't listen to internet radio. While both speakers work, I'm not getting stereo sound. As I face the speakers the left side is far more dominant. On some songs it doesn't seem to matter, but on others I'm losing an entire side. I've pretty much had the problem since I bought the computer. Is it just the nature of the machine and it doesn't matter what computer I own, or is the problem on the sender's side. Should I hook up real speakers? I'm not looking to be overwhelmed by sound, but it would be nice to be able to hear songs in the manner I'm used to hearing them. Right now on Lorelei, Dennis De Young sounds like he's at the bottom of a well. All suggestions welcomed.
Also one minor correction from the other week. As an alumnus of WZRD Chicago, I can say for certain that the station is affiliated with Northeastern Illinois University, not Eastern Illinois University.
Jack (rockandrollneverforgets)

I've had good and bad success with the quality of sound on Internet Radio ... apparently a lot of this has to do with bandwidth (but I don't see that as being an issue with The Drive ... actually their sound always sounds pretty darn good on my computer ... and on the computer at work back in the days when we could listen to the radio at work!!! (lol) I'm far from an expert on this topic ... maybe some of our readers can shed a little light on this. (I've had major problems with certain stations we've promoted in the past regarding the quality of their stream ... yet I'm told that it's crystal clear in other areas ... so I'd like a little education on this, too!) kk

re: CHRISTMAS IS COMING!:
Hey Kent...
Our song "HOT ROD HOLIDAY" from our CD "COBRA BEACH" is included in a new Christmas CD just released by Collectables Records called "CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA"
It also includes new holiday recordings from "Jay And The Americans", The Human Beinz", Peppy Castro from The Blues Magoos, and others.
The executive producer of this CD is Pat Horgan, who is responsible for the "Garage Band" series of CD's on Collectables, including "Garage Band Beatles" & "Garage Band Halloween"
The new Christmas CD is available directly from Collectables Records now at
http://www.oldies.com/product-view/14552.html
I've attached a copy of the CD cover for you to see.
The Rockin' Holidays are upon us!
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords

FH List Member Guy Arnston told me about a local contest The Chicago Tribune is running here, trying to find the best "new" Christmas song. We cast OUR vote for Dick Eastman's tune, "Santa's Comin' Here", which we ran exclusively in Forgotten Hits last holiday season. LOVE It!!! And there's MORE Christmas Music coming as we get closer to the holiday! (kk)

Yep, Christmas is DEFINITELY coming!!! ...
SpongeBob's First Holiday Release Out Now:
"DON'T BE A JERK (IT'S CHRISTMAS)"
“This year marks the 10th anniversary of the hit series SpongeBob SquarePants as well as the release of Don’t Be A Jerk (It’s Christmas)" from Nick Records. It’s the first-ever holiday song by the undersea-dwelling preternaturally happy yellow porifera, the world's most popular cartoon character.
“Don’t Be A Jerk (It’s Christmas),” destined to be an eternal holiday favorite going forward, is a song with a message, an important and timely message. As Tom Kenny, the comic actor who has voiced SpongeBob for the series’ entire duration and sings SpongeBob’s part on the song, puts it, “It’s a plea is for a minimal diminishment of jerk-oriented activities and attitudes for a mere 24 hour period; in other words, “Don’t Be A Jerk, (It’s Christmas)."
Kenny, who co-wrote "Don't Be A Jerk (It's Christmas)" with pop music veteran Andy Paley, continues, "Humankind seems to be entering a whole new era of 'jerkism' with politicians screaming at each other, sports figures throwing tantrums, self-indulgent entertainers making fools of themselves, and fame-seeking parents exploiting their kids -- one or eight at a time. The song addresses and decries that lack of civility in large and small ways. Logic says that -- with apologies to Charles Dickens -- if we have a ghost of a chance to succeed, it's going to be at this time of year. The idea is to start with Christmas and then, maybe, go on to deal with 'jerkitude' the other 364 days of the year."
"Don't Be A Jerk (It's Christmas)" is one of five songs on the recently released SpongeBob's Greatest Hits album that Tom Kenney co-wrote with Andy Paley. "My Tighty Whiteys," "Employee of the Month," "The Best Day Ever" and "Where's Gary" along with "Don't Be A Jerk (It's Christmas)" are all part of the album and were produced by Paley. He also serves as the musical director of SpongeBob & the Hi-Seas, a live rock band fronted by Kenny. The group has been literally on the high seas, as the star attraction of Royal Carribbean's Nickelodeon Family Cruise and will be performing on New Year's Eve at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN.
Radio stations will be serviced with "Don't Be A Jerk (It's Christmas)" shortly, the hope being that the song will sound a cautionary note from an authority figure who, over the course of the past decade, has come to stand for civility, kindness and the highest of moral values. Yes, we can all learn to be better people if we only listen to a highly absorbent cartoon character whose rectitude is echoed by his angular body contours.
In anticipation of spontaneous sing-alongs breaking out in the days leading up to the holidays, we offer the lyrics of "Don't Be A Jerk (It's Christmas)."

DON'T BE A JERK (IT'S CHRISTMAS)
Spoken Intro: AHOY, EVERYBODY! SPONGEBOB HERE! CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR PRESENTS AND MISTLETOE, SHARING AND CARING. SO DURING THIS MOST FESTIVE SEASON ... PLEASE, DON'T BE A JERK!
BRING "JOY TO THE WORLD" IT'S THE THING TO DO
BUT THE WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND YOU
DON'T BE A JERK, IT'S CHRISTMAS!
THERE'S A SIGN ABOVE THE LINE THAT SAYS "EXPRESS"
THAT MEANS "TEN ITEMS OR LESS"
DON'T BE A JERK, IT'S CHRISTMAS!
BE NICE TO BABIES AND ANIMALS, OLD FOLKS TOO
'CAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU'D LIKE THEM TO TREAT YOU
USE TURN SIGNALS, DON'T SCREEN MY CALLS
DON'T CHA WRECK THE HOUSE WHEN YOU DECK THE HALLS!
SPIT YOUR GUM WHERE IT WON'T WIND UP ON MY SHOE
SQUEEZE TOOTHPASTE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE TUBE
DON'T BE A JERK, IT'S CHRISTMAS!
WHEN OTHERS ARE TALKING NEVER INTERRUPT
DON'T PUT PEOPLE DOWN OR LEAVE THE TOILET SEAT UP
IT'S THE TIME FOR FAMILY AND HOLLY AND TURKEY
'TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY NOT JERKY!
(JOLLY NOT JERKY!)
DON'T DIG IN THE CEREAL BOX FOR GOODNESS SAKES
TAKE THE PRIZE AND LEAVE ME NOTHING BUT FLAKES
DON'T BE A JERK, IT'S CHRISTMAS!
SANTA BROUGHT NEARLY EVERYTHING ON YOUR LIST
WHY WHINE ABOUT THE ONE THAT HE MISSED?
DON'T BE A JERK, IT'S CHRISTMAS!
DON'T BE A JERK, IT'S CHRISTMAS!
-- submitted by Bob Merlis
Be sure to visit the usual places to download your OWN digital copy of this great new soon-to-be-Christmas Classic! (kk)