The Weekend Comments

re: McCARTNEY PUTS ON A "ROCK SHOW":
Here's a play-by-play report from FH Reader Mike Mertes ... who was fortunate enough to see the Paul McCartney Show at The Hollywood Bowl Tuesday Night!!
Hey Kent,
Long time no talk!!!
Wanted to let you know I got Macca tix for the Tuesday March 30th show at the Hollywood Bowl. I'll make sure to sent my reviews hot off the presses.
The Hollywood Bowl is such a classic place to see a show.
I guess when he's plays Chicago he's supposed to be at Wrigley Field.
(Remember, no Sox fans allowed at Wrigley ... nyuk-nyuk).
Take Care
Mike
"(There's a Rock Show at the Hollywood Bowl ... We'll be there ... Oh Yeah!!!)"
Mertes
And then ...
I was reading reviews on Macca's playlist in Phoenix from last night and it looks like I'll get part of my wish.
He opens with Venus & Mars / Rock Show into Jet, he also does 1985 and Obla-di Obla-da.
I'm definitely psyche; hopefully the rain will hold off. I'm glad I got tix for Tuesday's show instead of Wednesday's because the weather is supposed to be cold, crappy and rainy on Wednesday.
I'll let you know how the show was..
Mike
And then this KILLER review of the show ...
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What can I say!!!! 2 hrs and 45 mins ... 37 songs!!!!
He looked great, his voice was very very strong for most of the songs, although he did seem to struggle a bit on some of the high parts, but he didn't shy away from them and hit most of them.
The band was tight as usual (although at the being of "Day Tripper" Rusty hit the 3rd note wrong ... they just kinda chuckled and went on.)
He started with a shortened 3 minute version of "Venus & Mars / Rock Show" and then went right into "Jet" and it set the mood for the night. He did great versions of "Letting Go", "Let Me Roll It" with an added two minute instrumental of "Foxy Lady" at the end and Macca playing some nice guitar licks.
"1985" and "Mrs. Vanderbilt" were a very nice added touch and sounded great. "Obbla-di Obbla-da" was sped up a bit and it sounded very reggaish but definitely rocked. "Back in the USSR" was excellent with Rusty doing some nice guitar stuff. "I've Got A Feeling" was very very good with Macca again adding some nice guitar work at the end.
"Paperback Writer" was great musically, but he struggled a bit with the vocals. He used the same Epiphone that he used in the studio. "Eleanor Rigby" sounded a little off. Wicks was doing fills on the Synth, but they used the recorded studio string accompaniment as well and it didn't seem to fit right.
"Live and Let Die" was definitely the highlight of the show. Besides the usual onstage pyrotechnics they had two fireworks displays behind the band stand that lit up the sky. Macca rocked on piano and added a nice little jam at the end.
All in all, I thought it was one of his best shows and he rocked. It was nice that he did some new material and you really couldn't ask for more, well, you could, but the show would last til July!!! He now sports the suspender look and gives Larry King a run for his money.
Here is the playlist for the show:
“Venus And Mars / Rock Show" (excerpt) / "Jet”
“All My Loving”
“Letting Go”
“Got To Get You Into My Life”
“Highway”
“Let Me Roll It” (with “Foxy Lady” coda)
“The Long And Winding Road”
“Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five”
“(I Want To) Come Home”
“My Love”
“I’m Looking Through You”
“Two Of Us”
“Blackbird”
“Here Today”
“Dance Tonight”
“Mrs. Vanderbilt”
“Eleanor Rigby”
“Something”
“Sing The Changes”
“Band On The Run”
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
“Back In The U.S.S.R.”
“I’ve Got A Feeling”
“Paperback Writer”
“A Day In The Life" (abbreviated) / "Give Peace A Chance" (excerpt)
“Let It Be”
“Live And Let Die”
“Hey Jude”
Encore One:
“Day Tripper”
“Lady Madonna”
“Get Back”
Encore Two:
“Yesterday”
“Helter Skelter”
“Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band" (Reprise) / "The End”
Yeah, a splendid time was guaranteed for all!!!!
Mike
Sounds like one heck of a show. I remember several years ago McCartney was playing at what was then The Rosemont Horizon and the fire marshals wouldn't let him do the on-stage fireworks during "Live And Let Die" ... the whole episode caused quite a stir and was on the news for DAYS!!! So, after the tour was over, McCartney came BACK to Chicago and played outdoors at Soldiers Field ... and did REAL fireworks during "Live And Let Die" ... we LOVED it!!! (McCartney ultimately got his way ... and Chicago got an extra, unscheduled concert ... and, since he did the very same indoor fireworks at 30-something OTHER shows that year without ANY incidents, The Rosemont Fire Department looked QUITE ridiculous!!! Paul's been doing the "Live And Let Die" fireworks and explosions / laser light show since his very first U.S. tour back in 1976 ... it's ALWAYS a concert highlight, no matter how many times you've seen it ... and the Rosemont Fire Department were truly cramping his style!!! lol)
I don't think Wrigley Field has "officially" been announced yet, but it's a widely-circulating rumor ... they've held more and more concerts there these past few years and I guess these outdoor venues allow McCartney, much like Sinatra, to do it HIS way. (kk)

This just in ... one more:
Hey Kent,
I guess Macca is switching up his playlists. In the show that I saw he played "I Want You to Come Home", "I'm Looking Through You" and "Two of Us" ... however, at Wednesday's show he eliminated those three songs and added "Let Em In", "I've Just Seen A Face" and "And I Love Her". I guess he also did "Every Night" when he played in Arizona Sunday. That's different for him because he usual sticks with the same songlist. So God knows what to expect at future shows ... maybe he'll do "Eat at Home" or "Smile Away" ... "Hi-Hi-Hi" or "Junior's Farm" ... who knows ... !!!
Mike

On a number of occasions I've bought tickets for all three shows McCartney did here in Chicago and they were pretty much the same show every night ... however, the last time we saw him, he was noticeably annoyed when somebody in the audience kept shouting out what's coming next ... or the "punch line" to a particular story Paul was telling during a quiet moment on stage. Finally, he just said "OK, so you were at the show last night" and then the repeated interruptions thankfully stopped. As you mentioned before, with a music catalog as extensive as his, he can easily mix things up every night ... less boring for him AND the audience, I suppose. Still sounds like a GREAT show either way. ("Every Night" has always been one of my favorites and we've seen him perform it live a few times now.) kk

re: HELPING OUT OUR READERS:
Greetings, Kent --
Mark Kleiner here up in Canada, plugging away on my Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart book. Thank you for all your support.
Just wondering -- do you happen to have a contact for the Larden brothers from Every Mother's Son? I especially want to make contact with Dennis, who has a Davy Jones connection.
Best regards,
Mark
I don't ... but let's put it out to the list and see what comes back. It's also a GREAT excuse to feature a GREAT song ... "Come On Down To My Boat" was a National Top Five smash during the Summer of 1967 ... but here in Chicago it went all the way to #1!
In fact, it was one of The Top Ten Songs of The Summer Of Love on BOTH charts ... you can check out those results right here:
Click here: Forgotten Hits - The Summer Of Love Countdown

re: THE HIT PARADE HALL OF FAME:
The re-vamped Hit Parade Hall Of Fame is now up and running ... you can now cast your votes for the 2010 Nominees, check out all of the past inductees or click on a link and listen to Hit Parade Radio, all from this one website. Meet the Nominating Committee, read brief artist bios ... even hear a snippet of one of their biggest hits ... AND see how each artist ranks based on the number of votes cast thus far. You can check the whole thing out right here:
Click here: Welcome To The Hit Parade Hall of Fame


re: TOMMY JAMES:
Here are some links to stories that were in the Pittsburgh paper recently about Tommy James and his book:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10081/1044237-388.stm http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/popnoise/archive/2010/03/24/tommy-james-mobbed-by-fans.aspx
Bob
Clearwater, FL
Tommy James' book is one of the most talked-about music bios in a long, long while ... it's a VERY interesting and entertaining read, sure to satisfy even the most casual fan. (And, looking at Tommy's record sales, I'd say MOST of us were MAJOR fans of this music!!!) Jim Shea did a GREAT interview with Tommy this past week ... and the book will soon be a major motion picture AND a Broadway Musical / Stage Play. (Sounds like the same guys who put together "Jersey Boys" are interested ... and we all know what a HUGE hit THAT was!!!) Stay tuned ... I've got a feeling there's a lot more to come on the Tommy James newsfront! (kk)

re: JOHNNY MAESTRO:
Kent ...
Don't know if you or any of your readers are interested or not, but here is the information if you want to listen:
It's a special tribute to Johnny Maestro
Saturday, April 3, 2010 - Midnight to 2 A M, EDT (That's tonight, folks! kk)
The Group Harmony Revue hosted by Dan Romanello
From Fordham University, Bronx, New York
In the New York Area = 90.7 F M
Outside New York Area = WFUV.org
I also just got this from Wild Wayne:
Church Service for Johnny, April 9.
Memorial Service, April 11.
More info here: Click here: Johnny Maestro
Frank B.
Happy to pass this information along. Meanwhile, don't miss our Forgotten Hits Annual Easter Offering ... tomorrow on the web page!

More Record Collecting Memories

Got a Record Collecting Memory or two that you'd like to share with our readers?
Then drop us a line and we'll include it in the next installment of this recurring series.
Check out the responses below ... these are the kinds of stories we'd like to share. Tell us about your greatest find ... or the one that got away ... or how about the ONLY one you need to complete your collection??? You get the idea. Just drop us an email and we'll put your story in our next edition.

Hi,
I was wondering if you might be able to help me with finding someone who might be interested in buying a collection of 78 and 33 RPM records dating back to the 1940s and possibly the 30s.
These are my mother's records. I hate to just donate them or worse, toss them out. They are not old rockers, but some of them are known big bands and solo artists. There are probably around 200 - 300 records. Most are in decent condition, some not so good.
I can come up with a list if you want. I don't know if they are worth anything or not. My mother is elderly and on a fixed income. I would like to try to get what I can for them to help her out.
Thank you in advance,
Howard
We really don't get involved much with record searches or sales anymore but I'm happy to post your inquiry on the website and see if we get any nibbles. Give it a week or two and see if anybody responds. (kk)


I can think of three great finds at garage sales. First the seller had two tables of LPs. One had the Beatles And Elvis for $5.00 each. All were commons so I passed. On the other table was another box of LPs for 75 cents. Among those I bought were the Rivieras on USA and the first David Bowie LP on Deram.
Speaking of Elvis & the Beatles, the next two sales involve them.
One garage sale had a few hundred 45s including at least a half dozen or so Beatles picture sleeves and another estate sale had about two dozen original Elvis LPs all with the inserts still inside.
Finally, you may remember this, Kent, it falls under the heading if we knew then, what we know now. We've all heard stories of the legendary store stock sitting in the basement of a record shop. Well, Kent and I can honestly say we saw one and while we both spent what was for us major money at the time, we didn't make a dent in it and I tend to think there might have been more that we didn't see. The store was The Record Center in Chicago, and they specialized in oldies 45s. They're long out of business now and the two stores that I believe bought up most of their stock are long gone as well. It's possible Beverly records bought some, but I can't recall. We are talking tens of thousands. The guy never returned his overstock. I don't know about Kent, but the stuff I bought is long gone as well.
I have a copy of Somebody New, by the Rivieras that has been copied on a CD, but still need the 45. It's the last 45 on the list I need for 45 45s that were popular on my wife's birthday on 9/7/65. Thanks to those who have helped me so far.
One last thing ... while I didn't find it, my ex girlfriend did and gave me, two copies of Stairway To Heaven on a 45 rpm.
Jack
I think The Record Center deal was one of those "Deals Of A Lifetime" ... if we'd ONLY had the money, we could have bought 'em out lock, stock and barrel and started our OWN oldies record shop! I was still doing mail order at the time and you were doing most of the record shows that came through town so I'm guessing that had to be late '70's / early '80's. (Somebody out there probably knows the EXACT date that The Record Center closed their doors!!!) Anyway, Jack is not exaggerating ... I was picking up entire BOXES of 45's ... these came right from the distributor ... unopened cardboard boxes of 25 copies of the same record that just never hit it big on the charts ... I swear, they must have NEVER made a return!!! I clearly remember buying entire boxes of things like The Monkees' "Good Clean Fun" with a picture sleeve, a single I don't remember ever even SEEING in a record store here in Chicago! We spent what we could afford (and probably a little bit more than that) and we were VERY fortunate to get an early look before the REAL collectors and dealers swooped in to clean out the rest. It made for a VERY exciting afternoon of scavenger hunting to be sure!!! (kk)

UPDATE: I just heard from Jack ... and he has completed his search for the 45 Top 45 singles from 9/7/65. (Special thanks to Carolyn, who supplied the last record needed to complete this collection!)

Here are a couple of stand-out deals that I remember ...
At one of the very first Beatlefests, I swapped a guy my copy of John Lennon's "Roots" LP on Adam VIII Records for a copy of The Beatles' "Yesterday And Today" / "Butchers" album in a dead-even swap. Back then, the butcher cover went for about $300 ... it's worth FAR more now for an original. By comparison, the "Roots" LP was probably worth about $80 ... but it was the ONLY item missing from this guy's Beatles collection (and he had THREE butcher copies, so he was willing to relinquish one to make this deal.) I held on to it for a couple of years before selling it at a local record show for, if I remember correctly $350. Kicking myself now but at the time, that was a $342 profit over what I paid for the "Roots" LP through mail-order so I thought I had made a good deal.
(Until I just recently read Tommy James' auto-biography, I had absolutely NO idea that it was Morris Levy who was behind the release of this unauthorized Adam VIII LP!!!)
I was also invited to do the very first Chicagoland Area Monkees Convention ... I loaded up with as much Monkees merchandise as I could get my hands on ... and COMPLETELY sold out in about 2 1/2 hours!!! I had absolutely NOTHING left and finally had to just pack things up and go home early ... most successful single show I'd ever done but the down-side of record collecting (and dealing) is that when it's gone, it's gone ... never completely adapted to that line of thinking!!!
The most successful single sale I ever had was back in my mail-order days advertising in Goldmine Magazine. I ran a Picture Sleeves ONLY auction and, in these days some 20 odd years before eBay, found myself smack dab in the middle of a relentless bidding war that literally went down to the wire. In fact, one determined buyer kept me on the phone until after midnight so that the official ending to the auction had passed before I could check any other bids that I had received ... he then overbid by $20 the top price on every picture sleeve he needed for his collection. It was BY FAR the single biggest money-making auction I ever held ... but same sad story ... once they're gone, they're gone!!!
Finally, I found a goldmine of picture sleeves at a garage sale one day, still in one of those old 45s record cases ... there were 60 of them in all, and it was all mid-'60's stuff in absolutely MINT condition ... and they only wanted about a quarter a piece for them. The Dave Clark Five, The Turtles, Herman's Hermits, The Beatles, The Supremes, Elvis ... you name it, it was there. I finally just told the lady that I'd take them all ... so she pulls the stack out of the case and then ... before I could say a word ... writes on the top sleeve (a Lovin' Spoonful PS): 60 x .25 = $15!!!! Thus RUINING the sleeve from any collectibility stand point!!! I freaked, thinking that that sleeve was probably worth every bit of $20-$25 at the time ... and now it was barely worth the quarter I had paid for it!!!
In a related story, I was once moving from one apartment to another when a soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend of mine was helping me carry my boxes of 45's out to the car. To get a "better grip" on the box, she punctured her nail right through Elvis' face on the "Don't Cry Daddy" picture sleeve ... I decided from that point forward to move ALL of the record boxes myself!!! lol Ah yes, those were the days!!! (lol) kk

Hi Kent:
I will give you a record buying / collecting story. Several years back I got a call from a woman who was selling stuff because she was to be moving soon. She was having a rummage sale the next day, but said I could come over and look through any records she had. Well, the place was a mess and nothing organized, so records were scattered in boxes of everything. Some were in with toys, dishes, clocks, books etc. Most of it was various piles of un-sleeved 45’s. Anyway, after going through tons of boxes with little success, I was thinking of leaving. I thought, what the heck there are only a handful of boxes left in this room, I’ll at least finish these off. As luck would have it there was a Pink Promo copy of “My Bonnie” by Tony Sheridan & Beat Brothers in a little stack! What Luck! She was asking $1 a piece for any record I wanted. I thought that was a pretty good deal so I took it along.
Ken
Yeah, I'd say it was a pretty good deal. I once found a yellow-label promo of the official US / MGM Version at a similar estate sale ... but the minute the guy saw that I was interested in buying it, he decided not to sell it, figuring it must be worth a fortune. I picked up MY copy of "My Bonnie" at Woolworth's for nine cents!!! And, with a Picture Sleeve no less!!! This was back in the day when they used to sell those poly-bag packs of ten 45's ... they'd stick a desirable hit on each side of the exposed package ... but you had NO idea what the middle eight singles might be. It was one of those drill-hole singles and sleeves ... but I've still got it some 46 years later! (kk)

The most I paid for an LP was $50 over 20 years ago. It was for an album by the 5 Keys. Now this is a very valuable album because of the cover picture.

click to enlarge photo

You will notice that Rudy West, the lead singer, and first in line, appears to have his penis displayed, but it is actually his thumb. This was released and then complaints poured in, so they air brushed that out and re-released it. It is known as the Phallic cover. I still have the album and it is in at least very good condition.
Bob Hughes
E-Mail: BobHughes13@mchsi.com

Web Site: www.BobHughesMusic.net

A Few More Odds And Ends ...

re: JOHNNY MAESTRO:
I did a tribute to Johnny on my show on KPOO 89.5 fm and KPOO.com. I am on the air every Sunday night at 10 pm Pacific daylight time and I try to pay tribute when the artists we love leave this ole house! It was great to see a lot of coverage in the media about Johnny Maestro.
Last night I also got into a "Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now" frame of mind.
I played the new version by She and Him, the original by Teresa Brewer, and got a request to hear Skeeter Davis' version. Uh huh, Uh huh, that song will get into your head and you might's well surrender to it and sing along!
Charlie Miller, aka The Autumn King on KPOO in San Francisco.

Kent,
I really appreciate your website and all you do to keep the music alive. I've been with you for a few years now and it just keeps getting better. Sad to hear about Johnny Maestro. Rock on!
Pat Fogel
Floral City, FL

Kent
Sad to hear about Alex Chilton and Johnny Maestro. Not very many artist sang lead with two great groups, but both Alex with the Box Tops and Big Star and Johnny with the Crests and the Brooklyn Bridge did!
Mike De Martino
President of the Lovejoy Music Club

Hi Kent:
This is from the Jan 17 2010 Bowzer show, just after Johnny sang his last song,
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
L-R: Charlie Quintal, Johnny Maestro, Gerry Granahan

Charlie Quintal

re: THE FLOCK:
Kent
Great stuff on the Flock, I liked their records on Destination more then the progressive sides on Columbia.
Mike De Martino
President of the Lovejoy Music Club

THE FLOCK DID ROCK!!!

Hey Kent ... I had the good fortune to see "The Flock" play live at The Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia in 69 / 70 (not sure of the exact year). It was a free outdoor concert I attended. The Flock had just released their first album ... which I went out and bought the very next day. I remember their Guitarist (Fred) and their Drummer (Ron, I think) were amazing, and the horn section kicked butt! I loved this band. They blew our faces off!

Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords

lol ... I LOVE that phrase ... "they blew our faces off!" Thanks, Mitch ... I forwarded your comments to Freddy Glickstein! (kk)

re: BILL HALEY AND THE COMETS:
Hi Kent,

I'm a friend of George Manney's, [I played on the Mummer's tribute that Tony Luke did at George's studio], and I saw your blog.
I wanted to see if you could get in touch with the surviving member of the group for me.
I bought a guitar years ago from Dal Knifen, [Edwards], who performed with the group. I believe that he tragically drowned a while back.
Anyhow, I would appreciate any info that I can learn about Dal.
Thanks,
Barry Wahrahftig

Best I can do is pass your request along to our readers and see what kind of response we get. We had quite a bit of coverage regarding original Comet Marshall Lytle a while back after he had part of his leg amputated. Lytle had just published his brand new book "Still Rockin' Around The Clock: My Life In Rock n Roll's First Super Group, Bill Haley and the Comets", available through Amazon.com at the link below:

Click here: http://www.amazon.com/Still-Rockin-Around-Clock-Comets/dp/1441477802/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269948957&sr=

Joel Whitburn's book lists the original Comets as Danny Cedrone, Joey D'Ambrosio, Billy Williamson, Johnny Grande, Billy Gussack and Lytle ... although any number of musicians have performed with the band over the years (and Whitburn goes on to name several late '50's replacements), Dal Knifen's name isn't even mentioned on the list. Maybe somebody else out there can add some details to the story ... near as I can tell, his name doesn't even Google!!! (kk)

re: TOMMY JAMES:
Hey Kent,
I have Tommy James' new book on my list, but this comment reminded me of Fredric Dannen's 1990 book "Hit Men," about the inner workings of the record labels' promotion men. Morris Levy's picture is on the first page, and there are plenty of stories regarding his "influence" in the biz. But make sure you get a later edition, which has an extra chapter.
Guy Arnston in Algonquin
I enjoyed Tommy's book ... some of the reviews I read felt there was "too much mob and not enough music" but I didn't feel that way at all ... I think Tommy told a very interesting story in a very interesting and entertaining way ... I really enjoyed it. Let's face it, this wasn't any big revelation as far as Morris Levy goes ... he was notorious in the music industry for both his connections and his unscrupulous ways ... the number of artists taken advantage of by him (and countless others in the early days of rock and roll) goes on and on and on. (Let's face it, Morris wasn't the ONLY guy out there capitalizing on his artists ... not by a long shot ... from the sounds of things, the whole music business has been corrupt since the beginning of time. Add in the payola scandal and some of the other things that were going on behind the scenes and you cannot help but wonder how big EVERY hit record really was!!! lol)
I'll have to look for "Hit Men" ... it seems to me that this was reissued not that long ago. As a big, lifetime fan of Tommy James' music, I'm hoping his record sales go through the roof now that he's finally earning royalties for all this great music he gave us. They're already talking a major movie deal on the book, too, so we've got THAT to look forward to. (Hey, we saw The Runaways movie last weekend ... it's GOTTA be better than that!!! lol) kk

By the way, Jim Shea interviews Tommy James tomorrow morning on Y103.9 ... you can listen live here: Click here: Listen Live To WWYW - Y103.9

And be sure to check The True Oldies Channel Website, too, to see if you can still catch Scott Shannon's interview with Tommy, posted as a Podcast a week or two ago, here: Click here: True Oldies Channel
(You'll find the podcast here): http://www.trueoldieschannel.com/sectional.asp?id=34407

re: DONOVAN:
>>>Man, it would have been great to see Donovan do all his songs
(David Lewis)
Donovan's music takes some funny turns (probably not his choice) ... having the vinyl, I went to purchase COSMIC WHEELS a decade or so ago on CD ... They left off the one song that no one (at the time) could help me with ... THE INTER-GALACTIC LAXATIVE ... a silly ditty ... lyrics include the word "shitting"... not for general audiences?) ... and then another song I remember from the radio ... RULES AND REGULATIONS ... it barely googles. I checked his discography and finally bought that 'live' CD ... but there I found another gem I'd forgotten about ... PEBBLE AND THE MAN ... GOOD STUFF ...
Who keeps hiding the music from us? If not for my memory, I'd never know they existed at all...
(gary) RENFIELD
www.RIPRenfield.com
Listening back to "Pebble And The Man", I never realized how much Cat Stevens sounded like Donovan!!! He most certainly HAD to be an early influence on Cat's music!
In this day and age when CD releases pride themselves on "bonus tracks" and the ability to provide nearly 90 minutes of music on one disk, there is nothing more aggravating than buying one of these reissues and finding out that they've CUT songs from the line-up!!! (A VERY common practice on some of the budget CD releases.) There's really no excuse for it ... if the record companies want us to buy and re-buy (and RE-buy) this same material over and over again each time they change formats, it would seem to me that the LEAST they could do was leave this material intact. As you said, it IS intact in our memories!!! (Unless Donovan himself requested this song to be removed from the release, I don't believe the record company has the right to do so!)
You don't hear much Donovan music on the radio anymore, other than "Sunshine Superman" and "Mellow Yellow" ... but this guy (often referred to as "The British Dylan" back in the early days, despite the fact that he was actually SCOTTISH!!!) had ten OTHER Billboard Top 40 Hits. Among my favorites: "Catch The Wind" (#23, 1965); "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" (23, 1967, and featured recently in Forgotten Hits during our "commercials" frenzy); "Jennifer Juniper" (#26, 1968); "Hurdy Gurdy Man" (#5, 1968, and a song that was SUPPOSED to feature Jimi Hendrix on guitar) and "Atlantis" (#7, 1969). (Let's not forget Donovan's killer version of "Season Of The Witch", a song most-often referred to these days as part of those Stephen Stills / Al Kooper / Mike Bloomfield "Super Sessions" ... but Donovan WROTE the song and did an INCREDIBLE version himself on his "Sunshine Superman" album back in 1966. (kk)

re: THE BEACH BOYS:

Did you catch The Beach Boys (with John Stamos) on "Dancing With The Stars" last night? What did YOU think? Is it just me or was Mike Love brought out on stage simply to make Buzz Aldrin look younger???

Click here: YouTube - The Beach Boys on "Dancing With The Stars"

The Boys performed a medley of three of their biggest hits: "California Girls", "Kokomo" and "Fun, Fun, Fun" ... but for me the only song playing in MY head when they were finished was that Kenny Rogers classic: "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em" ... painful!!! (kk)

re: ALL IN THE FAMILY:
Kent ...
I'm listening to Wild Wayne's ," Memory Machine." He just played a song called "Frannie, Frannie" by Nino & The Ebbtides, from 1956. If I remember correctly, that's your wife's name. First time I heard this song. It's not half bad. Did you ever hear this song before ?
Frank B.
Nope ... not familiar with that one ... and neither is my wife (and she's the REAL doo-wop fan here!!!) So I tracked it down and we're featuring it today. (Now if Wild Wayne can find a song called "Kent, Kent", we've got a real Twin Spin on our hands!!!) kk

Helping Out Our Readers ... And A Few Odds And Ends

On the heels of this week's KING SIZED Edition of The Sunday Comments Page, we've still got a few more bits and pieces to share:

re: HELPING OUT OUR READERS:
Hi,
I was wondering if you might be able to help me with finding someone who might be interested in buying a collection of 78 and 33 RPM records dating back to the 1940s and possibly the 30s.
These are my mothers records. I hate to just donate them or worse, toss them out. They are not old rockers, but some of them are known big bands and solo artists. There are probably around 200 - 300 records. Most are in decent condition, some not so good.
I can come up with a list if you want. I don't know if they are worth anything or not. My mother is elderly and on a fixed income. I would like to try to get what I can for them to help her out.
Thank you in advance,
Howard
We really don't get involved much with record searches or sales anymore but I'm happy to post your inquiry on the website and see if we get any nibbles. Give it a week or two and see if anybody responds.

Meanwhile, we're still taking stories for our next "Record Collectors" edition of Forgotten Hits ... if you've got a particularly interesting story or experience to share, drop us a line and let us know. Your greatest find??? The one that got away? The ONLY one you need to complete your collection??? You get the idea. Just drop us an email and we'll put your story in our next edition. (kk)

>>>I have been searching for years for a particular song from the late 60's or early 70's that started out with killer motorcycle sounds. It was an instrumental on 45. I don't remember the name or artist ... that's why I'm not having much success. I used to run a summer camp and during the last week of camp, instead of playing the bugle song to wake up the campers, we played crazy stuff. I played this motorcycle song and it sounded like the Hell's Angels were tearing through the camp! It was a riot!! I happened upon your website and blog in my online searches this evening and thought I'd see if you have a clue as to what my long lost motorcycle instrumental might be. Thanks for any help you could give me! (Sharon Sigmon)
>>>Wow, that's not much to go on ... there could literally be DOZENS of possible candidates for this one ... there was a whole genre of "motorcycle music" going around in the late '60's ... off the top of my head, I'm inclined to go with this "Blues' Theme" by Davie Allan and the Arrows ... it's one of MY favorites and was a pretty decent-sized hit back in 1967 ... (that and the fact that Davie Allan is on our FH Mailing List doesn't hurt either!!! lol) This comes from the film "The Wild Angels", circa 1967. (kk)
Sound like Dave Allan & The Arrows: " “Blues' Theme” !!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davie_Allan
I have an autographed CD, complete with guitar picks! :-)
Dave's alright! Thanks!
Enjoy reading your site!
Best,
John
angelfire.com/empire/abpsp
We never did hear back from Sharon as to whether or not this is the song she was looking for ... if you're out there, Sharon, drop us a line ... there are several other "motorcycle" possibilities to choose from, too! (kk)

There is an oldies song I'm looking for ... I don't know the artist but the lyrics to the song go something like this:
I can't wait forever, you know you want me to,
Time won't let me wait that long
Hope you can tell me the name of the song an the artist.
Thanks -
Dan
Well, Dan, that's one of the easiest ones we've ever come across ... "Time Won't Let Me" was a HUGE Top Five Hit for The Outsiders back in 1966 ... and it's still an oldies radio staple today. Happy to feature it here today because it's also one of MY favorites! (kk)



Thank you so much! I was able to get it on the lime wire ... now have it in my collection! Had been trying to find it for months!
God bless ,
Dan
Happy to help ... glad you're enjoying Forgotten Hits! (kk)

Hey Kent,
What do the initials T.A.M.I. stand for? I'm in the dark.
Chuck Adams
Teenage Awards Music International ...
which is ESPECIALLY weird since no actual awards were ever handed out or associated with this program!!! (lol) kk


Talking about some REALLY Forgotten Hits, Scott Shannon forwarded me this exchange between himself and a True Oldies Channel Listener ... this song is LONG gone from the radio radar ... glad we were able to help out ...
Hey, Scott --
Speaking of "forgotten oldies" (as you often do), how about correcting one of the greatest injustices in RnR history by playing a song that was buried by the British Invasion and has gone unplayed since 1964 -- Bobby Rydell's far-superior version of "A World Without Love"?
Thanks,
John Egan, listening on WLS-FM.
JOHN ...
I DO PLAY SOME FORGOTTEN 45'S, BUT THEY HAD TO HAVE BEEN HITS ON THE RADIO ... BOBBYS VERSION NEVER WAS ... SORRRRY!
SCOTT SHANNON
I beg to differ. It spent 7 weeks on the WLS Silver Dollar Survey, peaking at #10 (!!) on May 29, 1964. Obviously a better showing than many of the songs you feature. And this is no regional artist we are talking about, either. I don't understand your reluctance -- it's interesting from a historical standpoint (most of your listeners don't even know it exists) even if you don't agree with my "far superior" assessment. But hey, it's your show -- thanks for responding, I'll keep listening anyway.
John Egan (in no way affiliated with Bobby Rydell)
JOHN ...
I WASN'T TRYING TO BE A JERK ... I JUST WASN'T AWARE THAT IT WENT THAT HIGH ON WLS. AND I DO APOLOGIZE FOR MY WLS IGNORANCE ... MOST OF THE NATION'S LISTENERS, ME INCLUDED, HEARD THE BRIT VERSION ... BUT I'LL TRY TO DIG UP BOBBY'S VERSION AND PLAY IT WHEN I GET BACK FROM VACA.
SCOTT
And then a quick note to me ...
KENT ...
CAN YOU DIG UP THIS BOBBY RYDELL TUNE TO PLAY FOR THIS GUY ... THEY DIDN'T PLAY IT ANYWHERE THAT I KNEW OF ... BUT IT MUST HAVE BEEN BIG IN CHICAGO.
THANKS!
SCOTT SHANNON
Which we did ... along with a brief explanation as to just how "big" a hit it really was here in Chi-Town ...
Here ya go ...
First of all, you'd be pretty hard pressed to find very many people who consider Bobby Rydell's version to be the "far superior" take on this song ...
Nationally, it peaked at #80 during a six week chart run ... but he's right, it DID hit #10 here in Chicago ... sort of ...
There's no question as to who the song belonged to ... Paul McCartney gave the track to his girlfriend's brother, Peter Asher, to cut with his partner Gordon Waller ... by the Spring of 1964, The British Invasion was in full swing, and even the most established U.S. Acts were having a hard time placing their records on the chart.
Bobby Rydell most likely cut this tune more in the spirit of "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" than anything else ... he never did have another U.S. Top 40 Hit after "Forget Him" peaked at #4 in early 1964, just as The Beatles were working their way up the chart with their first of an incredible THIRTY chart hits that year!!!
Being the more "familiar" artist at the time, WLS charted Bobby Rydell's version side-by-side with the Peter and Gordon version for the first several weeks ... both records debuted at #28 on the WLS Silver Dollar Survey dated May 22nd, 1964. A week later, they shared the #10 spot ... not at all an uncommon practice back then. (Quite often when more than one artist recorded the same song, the chart would reflect multiple versions "sharing" the same spot on the charts.)
Incredibly, a week later, the record slipped to #11 ... but the following week Peter and Gordon were sitting at the #1 Spot while Bobby Rydell's version dropped to #13. From this point forward, the records charted separately as Peter and Gordon's version was clearly the record of preference.
It's not an AWFUL version ... it's just not the way we expect to hear this song performed!!!
That being said, Bobby Rydell had a pretty good chart run before The British Invasion ... 19 of his records made The Billboard Top 40 between 1959 and 1963 ... and in 1963 he was cast in a lead role in the movie version of "Bye Bye Birdie" ... quite honestly, things were looking up at the time. But then the four lads from Liverpool came along and turned the entire music world upside down ... and Rydell's time as a "Teen Idol" was over.
On an up note, the producers of "Grease" DID name their High School "Rydell High" ... so that must count for something, right??? (kk)
Featured here today for those who have never heard Bobby's version ... and those who haven't heard it played since 1964!!!



Trivia question: Who is Dolores Erickson ?
bpalomaki

lol ... let's see ... we've probably run her picture about 250 times over the past eleven years!!! (251 counting today!!!) Let's just say she's a Forgotten Hits favorite!!! (kk)

re: HEAVEN SENT:
Hey Kent & Krew,
Really long time since I've written (Ron Kolman - I won (GREAT!) a signed CD for winning Paige's choice 'Best Describing "Psychedelic Music' ... I hope your whole family is well, we are).
Unreal! I recall sending you mail - years back - asking FH's readers if anyone recalled or knew anything re: the "Heaven Sent" radio spot. You ran the question, no one knew where it might be had.
Attached is a magazine ad I came across while fishing for the actual spot. As I mentioned, it's been a while, and time hasn't made for steady FH following. I've a folder in Gmail for FHs sends. When things slow, I go in and grab a random copy to spend an hour catching-up. Today, just absolutely and entirely coincidentally, I decided to grab an issue "fresh" from mail to peruse.
BAM!!!
Heaven Sent.
Gives one pause, ya know?
I had that couple seconds of disbelief. I've been searching for that tune on the net for years! I've come close, but no cigar till today. I got the chills listening. Got my wife (with whom I listened to that spot, parked on my father's car, over and over, until the association with our youth, and Love, and "those days" were completely woven together), and her eyes brimmed with tears.
As I have before, Thank You Kent for resurrecting a memory!
Can't comment on the voice being Shelly Fabares', I'm not familiar with her voice. I could almost swear, however, the spot was recorded by a male-group as well. I recall it having an "Early In The Morning (She Lets Her Hair Down)" kind of sound? Maybe just juxtaposing the two because they both have really positive associations.
Thanks so my KK. This made my week.
Absolute Best Regards - and once more ... for all the work you put into FH ... TRULY appreciated,
Ron Kolman

Next time you're perusing the website, type "Heaven Sent" into the "Search" feature ... you'll be shocked to see how big a topic this has become! (You'll also find several other musical versions posted on the web ... as well as a whole "She Lets Her Hair Down" / "Early In The Morning" segment, too!)
As for your definition of Psychedelic Music, you'll find that this, too, has been permanently enshrined on the OTHER Forgotten Hits web page ... in fact, our Psychedelic Series is still the most popular item searched on our site with well over 10,000 readers so far! (See, we've helped to make you famous!!!) kk
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Top 20 Favorite Psychedelic Songs
And, since you like all things "Heaven Sent", be sure to check THIS out, too!


and, in OTHER commercial news ...

re: YOUR COMMERCIAL FAVORITES:
Kent, I just came across your blog today and thought your Top 100 commercials were spot on. However, the following were missing and they were as good as any song on the air at the time.
1) Clairol Born Blonde "Girl do you know where it's going to?" 1969
2) Dry Control by Vitalis " You can't see it, but you know it's there 1970
3) Lemon Up "Lemon Up and make peace with grease" 1971
4) Cantrece Panty Hose " Cantrece makes panty hose move when you groove" 1970
5) 7 UP (the campaign right before the Un-Cola) "7 UP goes Wet and Wild, first against thirst, first to satisfy you"
6) Clairol Summer Blonde "Come to the sunshine" 1968
7) Tanya Hawaiian Tanning Butter " A deeper faster Hawaiian tan, that's what you get when you use Tanya"
8) Wink Soda "Wink, the sassy one, from Canada Dry" 1965
9) Budweiser "Best reason in the world to drink beer" 1967
10) American Dairy Association " Milk, makes it" 1968
Jim B
Welcome aboard! Do a quick website search and you should find our feature on "Come To The Sunshine", too! Thanks, Jim! (kk)

re: THE BEACH BOYS:
The Beach Boys are scheduled to perform on "Dancing With The Stars" tonight on the first results show of the new season. They'll reportedly be performing a medley of their hits "California Girls," "Kokomo" and "Fun, Fun, Fun," with special guest John Stamos joining them on the guitar and drums. (The actor has a long association with the band, having provided vocals on the song "Forever." The Beach Boys also made multiple appearances on Stamos' 1987-1995 sitcom "Full House".)
You can see The Beach Boys in action when the "Dancing With The Stars" results show airs this evening on ABC at 8:00 p.m. Eastern / 7:00 p.m. Central time. (Of course this means that we'll be missing our special "enhanced" replay of "Lost", a pivitol episode to say the least ... but an appearance by The Beach Boys just might get us to tune into a program we otherwise wouldn't even bother with!!! (kk)

re: THE BEATLES:

A rather sad Beatles anniversary is right around the corner ... on April 10th, it will be officially 40 years since Paul McCartney announced that he was leaving the Beatles and filed formal papers to disolve the band.

Now comes word of a brand new radio special marking the end of an era. Called "And in the end ... the 40th Anniversary of the breakup of the Beatles", it is being marketed through Radio KG and promises "Ultra-rare 60's and 70's interview and press conference material with The Beatles and those who knew them plus new interview material with many who knew, worked with and / or were associated with The Beatles."
Hosted by Dennis Mitchell, award-winning host of the weekly syndicated Dennis Mitchells' "Breakfast With The Beatles", the two hour special will air nationally (through syndication) from April 5th through April 12th and will also feature all kinds of great Beatles music along with stories behind the songs.

No official word yet on which markets this special will air (but you might want to check with your local oldies and / or classic rock stations to see if any of them have obtained the rights to this broadcast.)

The Sunday Comments ( 03 - 28 - 10 )

Here comes another great batch of Comments and Memories submitted by our readers.
Got something you'd like to share?
Just drop us a line at forgottenhits@aol.com ...
And check back to the website often to see if your comments have been posted.

re: JOHNNY MAESTRO:
I suppose we all knew this day was coming ... but it's still difficult to have to report that Johnny Maestro has lost his battle with cancer. The legendary singer passed away Wednesday Night, March 24th, and once again we received an outpouring of love and memories from his many fans.
Johnny Maestro, lead singer of both the Crests and the Brooklyn Bridge, lost his battle with cancer Wednesday night (March 24) at his home in Florida. He was 70.
Brooklyn-born John Mastrangelo met the Crests -- an integrated doo-wop group formed by students at P.S. 160 Junior High on the lower east side of Manhattan -- in 1956. Polishing their act in the subway station, the group was heard by the wife of a noted song arranger, who arranged a contract for them with Joyce Records. Their recording of"Sweetest One" got to #86 in 1957 but it wasn't until a switch to CoEd Records the next year that the group took off with the legendary "16 Candles" (#2 - 1959). It was followed by "Six Nights A Week" (#26 - 1959); "The Angels Listened In" (#22 - 1959); "Step By Step" (#14 - 60) and "Trouble In Paradise" (#20 - 1960). At this point the group was known as Johnny Maestro and the Crests, a prelude to Johnny's solo career.
He left in 1961 and managed minor hits with "Model Girl" -- on which he was called Johnny Mastro -- (#20 - 1961), "What A Surprise" (#33 - 1961) and "Mr. Happiness"
(#57-1961). The Crests continued to perform, though with no more chart records, while Johnny went on to join the Del Satins (who had previously backed up Dion) in as lead singer 1967. When the Del Satins quartet merged with the Rhythm Method seven-piece band the following year, the Brooklyn Bridge was born. Their first single, "The Worst ThatCould Happen" (#3-1969), returned Johnny to the top of the charts. It was followed by six more chart singles, none of which unfortunately broke through the top 40. Johnny continued working in various incarnations of his two groups to the end. The Crests were elected to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, followed by the Brooklyn Bridge the following year.
In a message sent to fans just this past week, Johnny said, "I have been fortunate to be able to perform before the 'best audiences,' our loyal fans, for over seven decades dating back to the late 1950's. There have been no better times for myself and the Brooklyn Bridge than when we are performing, singing the music that brings back memories of times that we all cherish and hold dear to our hearts. I am very grateful for the opportunity that has allowed me to do something that 'I love' and to be able to share our music with so many people."
-- Ron Smith
www.oldiesmusic.com

Friday Night at 10 I'll be doing a special tribute to Johnny Maestro. We lost him just a couple of hours ago.
DJ Stu Weiss

Due to our Flock mini-series, we weren't able to post this announcement in time for fans to tune in and listen ... please let us know if this tribute is archived somewhere, Stu, so our readers can enjoy it! (kk)

RIP Johnny Maestro ... very sad
Renfield

Regarding the Crests, their great lead singer Johnny Maestro died last week. I saw him perform back in 1972 in NY when he was with the Brooklyn Bridge ... a heck of a singer he was.

Bagawire

Oldies Music Bulletin Board: Re: RIP Johnny Maestro
Kent ...
We knew it was coming. Still a shock. One of my All-Time Favorites.
Frank B.

Johnny Maestro has passed-away. This from the New York Times ...
NEW YORK (AP) -- Singer Johnny Maestro of the rock-and-roll and doo-wop band The Brooklyn Bridge has died.
Original band member Les Cauchi says Maestro died late Wednesday in Florida. Maestro was 70 and had been battling cancer. His last residence was in Cape Coral, Fla.
Maestro begin his career in the 1950s with The Crests, whose hits included ''16 Candles." He later joined The Brooklyn Bridge, which has continued to perform.
Cauchi said the group performed its hit, ''The Worst That Could Happen,'' on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Other well-known songs include ''Blessed is the Rain'' and ''You'll Never Walk Alone.''
KK,
It was a very sad note when we received word of the passing of Johnny Maestro.
We were all friends of Johnny’s and especially Jimmy Beaumont. The two of them did many tours together in the early years. We will very much miss doing shows with him as he was always a gracious gentleman and whether or not he had the time he always found some for his fans and fellow artists. I just know he would want The Bridge to continue on and keep HIS MUSIC ALIVE. I hope they do continue on and that the fans will continue to support them. If that happens then the memory of Johnny Maestro will “live on” within our music community.
I do recall a show that just the two groups (Skyliners & Bridge) did at the “Palace Theater” in Greensburg, Pa. just a couple of years ago on a Thursday evening, we shared some of the backline players, and it was to a “sold out” theater.
It seemed that anytime we were fortunate enough to share a stage with Johnny Maestro (and there were many) it was to a “sold out” show.
He sang from deep in his “soul”, his soul will live on, and the “Angels” will be his audience “listening in”. “SOLD OUT”
Nick A. Pociask (bass / baritone vocal)
The Skyliners

I just read in my local paper that Johnny Maestro passed away Wednesday. I am so sad – he was by far my favorite of all time and I think he had one of the best voices.

MJE

Yes, quite a bit of international coverage regarding the passing of one of the world's favorite singing voices. Far too many of our musical heroes have been leaving us lately ... fortunately the music they left behind lives on and on. (kk)

Their next release was "Beside You", but in Philadelphia Hy Lit played the flip side and soon "Sixteen Candles" became the first Top 10 hit for The Crests, peaking at #2 on The Billboard charts...
Johnny Maestro: May 7, 1939 - March 24, 2010

I am so sad to see Johnny Maestro's passing. He was always a Hy Lit favorite. He will be sorely missed. But he leaves us a legacy of music that will linger on until the end time, from deep in my mind. -Sam Lit
Log on to the HyLitRadio.com home page for more Johnny Maestro story's and pictures. HyLitRadio home page

VERY SAD NEWS! We learned today that JOHNNY MAESTRO -- the great vocalist and lead singer of the CRESTS and BROOKLN BRIDGE -- passed away at the age of 70. This is a great personal tragedy for Gracie Family ... as John and Charlie shared the bill several times over the years. See pic attached of JOHNNY with CHARLIE along with JOEY DEE. (By the way, Johnny also did a great doo-wop version of BUTTERFLY with the Crests in 1960.)

Our deepest and sincerest thoughts and prayers go out to JOHNNY'S family. This is a great loss for our musical family too.
Chas., JR.
Charlie Gracie, Sr. reacted from from his tour in England today:
Joan and I are deeply saddened and shocked -- really, over John's passing. We saw him not that long ago. What a great artist and a such a gentleman. I admired his talent and those wonderful early records with the Crests -- PERFECTION! God Bless his soul. He and his family will certainly be in our prayers this week. We've lost a wonderful artist!
Charlie Gracie

Kent ...
The last few weeks have been hard losing so many members of our generation. I’m deeply saddened by two more losses of some very extraordinary people. First there’s Johnny Maestro, my pal from the past, who was the lead singer of the Crests “16 Candles” and The Brooklyn Bridge “The Worst That Could Happen” INCLUDES RARE VIDEO FROM ED SULLIVAN SHOW! http://artiewayne.wordpress. com/2010/03/25/johnny-maestro- r-i-p-rock-in-perpetuity/
Artie Wayne

re: ALSO LEAVING US:
... Then there’s Jackie Mills who produced Teen Idol Bobby Sherman … and gave me my first hit when I moved from New York to California. http://artiewayne.wordpress. com/2010/03/25/jackie-mills-r- i-p-rock-in-perpetuity/
Regards,
Artie Wayne
http://artiewayne.wordpress. com/about-artie-wayne/

Jim Marshall, Photographer of Rock Stars, Dies
by Ben Sisario
Jim Marshall, a photographer who took some of the most famous images of rock and pop musicians, including Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar aflame at the Monterey International Pop Festival and Johnny Cash at San Quentin prison, died on Tuesday night in a hotel in New York. He was 74.
As Rolling Stone reports, Marshall passed away during his sleep last night (March 23). Marshall was due to take part at an event at New York's Morrison Hotel Gallery tonight (March 24), the show will now instead be a memorial of his work.
Collaborating with artists on over 500 album covers, Marshall worked late into his life taking portraits of people like John Mayer, Ben Harper, Lenny Kravitz and Velvet Revolver.
His death was confirmed by Peter Blachley of the Morrison Hotel gallery in New York, which represents him there. The cause was not immediately known.
Mr. Marshall, who lived in California, was in New York to promote “Match Prints,” his new book with his friend and fellow photographer Timothy White. Mr. Marshall had been scheduled to speak on Wednesday evening at an event at the John Varvatos store in SoHo, and an exhibition of photographs from that book is schedule to open on Friday at the Staley-Wise gallery, also in SoHo.
Mr. Marshall was as well known for the extraordinary images that he captured as the extraordinary access that he had to some of the most famous names in music. He was a favored photographer of Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and Janis Joplin, and he was the only photographer allowed backstage at the Beatles’ last concert, in San Francisco in 1966. He was also the chief photographer at Woodstock.
With his imposing figure and gruff, forceful personality, he was something of a rock star himself, and musicians respected him as much for his pictures as for his dedication in getting them.
“A lot of photography of music is about the look, the style, the celebrity image,” said Gail Buckland, who curated the exhibition “Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present” at the Brooklyn Museum, which ended in January. “He wasn’t really manufacturing an image,” Ms. Buckland said, “he was trying to see who that person was, and understanding that we care about these people with the way that they touch our lives with music.”
Among Mr. Marshall’s pictures in “Who Shot Rock & Roll” were of the Beatles arriving in San Francisco in 1966 and Hendrix at Monterey Pop in 1967.
-- submitted by Ken Voss

And a very special memory from Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams ...
In Memory, John Peter Poulos, March 31, 1947 – March 26, 1980
Five days before his 33rd birthday, we lost John Poulos, a dear friend who was like a brother to us, as well as The Buckinghams’ drummer. Often described as the heartbeat of our band, he was known to most Buckinghams’ fans of the 60s simply as Jon-Jon. To know John was to love him. With his outgoing personality, he never met a stranger. His talent is remembered best in the style he displayed on drum fills and riffs on our hits, including “Don’t You Care,” “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song,” and “Kind of a Drag.” It’s not surprising that Jon-Jon was included as one of the Top 10 drummers in Modern Drummer Magazine. Contemporary MySpace profiles of aspiring amateur and professional musicians today include the name John Poulos among their musical influences. That’s an honor both fitting and accurate for a musician who was truly one of a kind.
Nick and I recall that one of John’s own musical influences was Bobby Elliot, drummer for The Hollies, whose signature beret and tossing of his head in time to the beat marked an external rhythm, which kept time to the beat he was sharing on the skins. Next, Ringo Starr had a similar distinctive trait that set him apart from the other 3 Beatles. It was a look, a style, an attitude that said, “I’m not exactly like the other ones. I’m following ... my own different drummer.”
As founding members of The Buckinghams, we had the chance to spend years together on the road, in recording studios, and in our family’s homes. John grew up the youngest child in a family of proud Greek heritage. His olive complexion and bright eyes set him apart on stage. He was insistent in wanting The Buckinghams to have “a look” just as importantly as “the sound” as dual components of who we were as a band.
When John was around, we truly were a band of brothers, though none of us were related. His wild sense of humor made the long days on the road bearable and his indefatigable spirit reminded us that optimism is a more powerful attitude than cynicism.
When The Buckinghams broke up and Nick departed for a career in R&B and Marty wanted to go a different direction, Dennis Tufano and I decided to form a duo, Dennis and Carl. We put together a demo CD, with the help of Peter Shelton and his wife, and John was determined to manage us and find us a recording deal. Reaching for the stars, he reached a zenith: John brought us to Ode Records, where we signed with Lou Adler, became “Tufano and Giammarese” and spent 7 years of our career together.
As we toured the country, John searched for a new identity and became a band manager, and saw he preferred the business side of the music industry, making friends, doing deals, and putting people together. One of his bands, “The Boyzz from Illinoizz” is still in concert, reunited by Michael Tafoya and friends. Coincidentally, before joining The Buckinghams, drummer Tom Scheckel had played for The Boyzz, though not when drummer John managed and promoted them. Everything comes full circle, given time.
John was a casualty of the rock music scene of the late 1970s. His strength was tested in his battle with drugs and alcohol, and the greatest tragedy in my life personally was to receive a call that he was simply ‘gone.’ Staring into blank space, searching for answers as to how, why, and what if, I experienced a turning point in my life. From that day forward I determined to make every decision count, to preserve and maintain friendships and business relationships that were positive and building. Determined — not to waste a minute in remorse, but instead to remember John, with love, and with kindness, in honor and tribute to a young life, most of which was lived well, with devotion to his friends and family, whose spirit stays with Nick and me, every time we take the stage.
John’s greatest dream, unfulfilled from 1970 when we broke up, until August, 1980, when Dennis, Nick and I reunited for ChicagoFest, was to get the band back together, at least one more time. John died only five months before his dream for us came true.
For the past 30 years, Nick and I have had the joy of performing for our fans, the way John could not. We feel like he’s with us at the best times of our career, and in the days and nights when we face challenges, our faith is such that we feel he is by our side, over our shoulder, like a big brother would be, and we feel his love.
This day marks 30 years we’ve been without him. In the autumn of our lives, as we reach back to remember him, we know that one day we will all be together again, and it’s not hard to imagine him counting us off, yet one more time, as we break into song.
Godspeed Jon-Jon, you remain forever in our hearts.
—Carl Giammarese
[Excerpted from “My Journey with The Buckinghams”, the forthcoming book by Carl Giammarese and Dawn Lee Wakefield]

Jon-Jon Poulos

re: ALSO ON THIS PAST WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY:

Kent ...
Here's an Anniversary that changed Music History. 3 / 24 / 58 = Private Elvis Presley (Serial # US53310761) is inducted into The U S Army.
Frank B.
YouTube - Elvis Presley - G.I.Blues
You just can't help but wonder how differently music might have turned out had Elvis' career NOT been interrupted right at its peak ... of course there's no way of knowing which direction he may have gone ... would the movie roles have gotten any better? (Let's not forget that Colonel Parker was still the driving force that was making Elvis' career decisions at this point.) Would the pandemonium have started to die down on its own at some point? We'll never know ... I can only equate it to Muhammad Ali being stripped of his right to box during his prime fighting years for taking the OPPOSITE approach to the military. We'll just never know. And while "G.I. Blues" is one of my favorite Elvis movies, it HAD to be hard to watch a clean-cut, uniform-clad Elvis up on the big screen the first time around for all of his earliest fans who dressed themselves in leather and tight-fitting jeans trying to emulate their hero! (Actually, I saw "G.I. Blues" at the drive-in with my parents back in 1960!!! They dressed us up in our pajamas, put down the back seat in the station wagon and carted me and my brothers off to the movies so my Mom and Dad could see the latest Elvis flick. Listening to the soundtrack on that tiny little speaker was a bit frustrating to say the least, even for a seven year old kid ... but incredibly this is ALSO the way I saw "A Hard Day's Night" for the first time ... my folks had read about the screaming crowds inside the movie theaters and just didn't want to deal with that ... so we saw The Beatles' first film at the drive-in instead! (I guess my Dad figured that we would actually enjoy the music a whole lot more in the comfort of our own car! No consideration again was given to the fact that we were listening to that music on a little 2" speaker!!!) I had to go see it in a REAL movie theater a few weeks later after the crowds had died down!!! (kk)

re: RADIO ROYALTY:
Columnist Robert Feder announced a "must see" event for any fans of Chicagoland Radio this past week ... here's the scoop:
Two of Chicago radio’s greatest living legends — Dick Biondi and Herb Kent — will share a stage for the first time and tell stories of their remarkable Hall of Fame careers next month at Columbia College Chicago.
Bob Sirott will host “Inside the Radio Studio: 100 Years on the Air with Dick Biondi & Herb Kent” at 7:30 p.m. April 10 at Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash. The event is free and open to the public.
At 77, Biondi (aka “The Wild I-Tralian”) still plays the hits he made famous at the dawn of the rock ’n’ roll era from 7 to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday on Citadel Broadcasting oldies WLS-FM (94.7). And at 81, Kent (aka “The Cool Gent”), whose 65 years in Chicago radio landed him in the Guinness Book of Records in 2009, continues to share his beloved R&B classics from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and from noon to 7 p.m. Sundays on Clear Channel urban adult-contemporary WVAZ-FM (102.7).
Sirott is expected to interview them in a format borrowed from Bravo’s “Inside the Actors Studio,” including questions from the audience. A veteran Chicago broadcaster and Columbia alum himself, Sirott said: “Given the makeup of Chicago over the years — the separation of the city into ‘two worlds’ (the North Side and the South Side, the mostly white side and the mostly black side) — it seems that you either ‘grew up’ with Biondi or Kent. But for whatever reason, after starting out as a Biondi fan during my youth, I also became of fan of Kent’s once I got a little older. To have one of these nationally known pioneering radio legends in a city is remarkable. To have two — and both still on the air —is something unique and needs to be celebrated!”
-- Robert Feder

re: BILLBOARD MAGAZINE:
>>>Actually, Billboard started publishing music charts in 1940. The listings in Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories book for the years before that were from a variety of different sources. (Randy Price)
>>>The very first issue of Billboard Magazine was published in 1894 ... and Randy's right ... their focus on music didn't come until much later. (Wikipedia says they published their very first "Hit Parade" Chart on January 4th, 1936 ... and their first official MUSIC Chart on July 20, 1940. Prior to that I believe they did keep track of sheet music sales, which was a popular way of sharing music back in the day. (kk)
Following up on Randy Price's recent comment about Billboard's music charts, I thought I'd offer this. According to Whitburn's Pop Memories book, Billboard's first music chart was its short-lived sheet music chart from 1913. Later that same year, the magazine began its Top Songs in Vaudeville chart, which continued until 1918. Coverage of music continued throughout the magazine, but other charts began: in June, 1934, Most-Played Songs on Network Radio; November, 1935, weekly coverage of major record companies' best-seller charts; April, 1938, Record Buying Guide, which surveyed the most popular records in jukeboxes; and July, 1940, Best-Selling Retail Records. As always, thanks to Joel Whitburn for providing us with so much research on Billboard Magazine and the music industry. Guy Arnston in Algonquin

re: REBOOT:
Hi Kent,
It's amazing how many of my friends and musical compadres keep popping up here in Forgotten Hits! Unfortunately, all too often it's because they have passed away, that they appear in this newsletter (i.e., Wayne Allwine and Bobby Espinosa). But now, there's another musician that I am currently working with in my newly reformed band, Reboot. That is Peggy Foster, who was the original bass player for The Runaways! She isn't mentioned by name, but since the new movie about The Runaways is out, she is getting a lot of attention.
Reboot The Band has been totally reformed with all new musicians in the lineup over the last six months. We are just now, starting to gig. Check out our web site, you will see many of the songs featured here on Forgotten Hits are part of our play list! For some reason, many "oldies bands" don't play a lot of these songs either. So I decided why not play them with my band! These are songs that are seldom heard on oldies radio stations, too. Maybe the band can get a gig in the Chicago area and you can come out to hear us. We feature a lot of the "girl group" songs from the early '60s (My Boyfriend's Back, Da Do Ron Ron, etc.)
Here's our new web site: www.reboottheband.com
By the way, you asked about any tracks I might have with Bobby Espinosa. Unfortunately, we never got anything recorded during the several months he was with us in the band. I only have a video of us on a local TV show we did.
Preston Ritter
Hey, if you guys head out Chicago way, be SURE to give me a call so we can come out and see the band. Meanwhile, best of luck to you. Readers, check out the website and see if Reboot is playing anywhere near you! (kk)

... and, speaking of up-coming shows ...

re: UP-COMING SHOWS:
Just got this from our buddy Mitch Schecter of The Rip Chords:

Now THERE'S a Forgotten Hits Double Bill if I've ever seen one!!! Now you guys have to bring the show to Chicago so that WE can see it, too!!! (kk)

Hey gang:
My prayers have been answered, I've been bugging Rudy Bettancourt from Swallow Hill for years to book Roger McGuinn back to their incredible venue. Well guess what? My prayers have been answered. If you've never seen Roger by himself or with his historic band the Byrds, get off of your high horse and grab some tickets. I guarantee you they will go fast. It will be a night to remember for sure, and if by chance this is not one of the BEST concerts you've ever seen, I will personally refund the cost of your ticket(s). If you're from out of town, you are cordially invited to stay the night at the "Wild" Bill Cody 5 acre ranch (albeit probably on the floor with my 3 Big Red Irish Setters, but I'll feed you well and the adult beverages will flow freely!)
Again, get your tickets early, this baby will sell out quickly and you don't want to be on the outside looking in!!!
Any questions, let me know. Plus, just a chance to meet Roger's wife Camilla will be a breath of fresh air for all, she is a sweetheart AND drop dead gorgeous! Please feel free to check out Roger's website http://www.mcguinn.com/
WOW, I have dreams of a Rickenbacker 12 string running through my head!!! Let's all get together for this for a time to remember forever!
WOO-HOO!
"Wild" Bill Cody
Roger McGuinn / Sat, July 24 / L2 Arts & Culture Center, Colfax
How does one turn, turn, turn a fledging career with a successful band into a flourishing solo career? Just ask former Byrds guitarist Roger Mcguinn. After nearly a decade in The Byrds, McGuinn felt a solo career beckoning. In 1973, he released the self-titled solo debut, Roger McGuinn, featuring participation from former band mates including innovative country-rock guitarist Clarence White, Crosby and Hillman as well as a contribution from Bob Dylan who played mouth harp on the track “I’m So Restless.” Roger has since released several albums to critical acclaim, including his sophomore solo effort, Peace On You, and the autobiographical, Life from Mars. In 2002, McGuinn enjoyed a Grammy nomination in the category of "Best Traditional Folk Album" for Treasures from the Folk Den, a collection of favorite songs which featured collaborations from Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Judy Collins to name a few.

Beatles Expert and Author Jude Kessler To Speak at NJ Beatles Event
Jude Southerland Kessler will be returning to the Fest for Beatles Fans and reading from her much anticipated second novel about John Lennon – Shivering Inside.
Jude Southerland Kessler, author of the historically researched novel Shoulda Been There and a world-renowned Beatles expert, will be a featured author and speaker at The Fest for Beatles Fans in Secaucus, NJ on March 26 - 28 where she will be giving presentations and readings throughout the weekend from her much anticipated second book, Shivering Inside, which covers John Lennon’s life from Dec. 1961 to 8 April 1963.

Jude Kessler’s presentation schedule for the fest will be as follows:
Friday - 9 p.m. Reading and Beatles Show on “Shoulda Been There”
Saturday - 9:30 p.m. Reading and Beatles Show on “Shivering Inside”
Sunday - 4:00 p.m. Reading and Beatles Show on “Shivering Inside”
Ms. Kessler has spent over 20 years and made seven trips to Liverpool to research her comprehensive and thorough series about the life of John Lennon. Shivering Inside is the second installment of a five book series and is due for publication on 9 October 2010. Shoulda covers Lennon’s life from 1940 to December 1961.
Ms. Kessler will have copies of her first book available for sale and will be pre-selling copies of her second book. Each copy of Shoulda Been There comes with a 60-minute interview CD with Allan Williams, a collector’s bookmark and a ‘Shoulda Been There’ guitar pic.
For more information on Jude Southerland Kessler, go to: http://http://www.ontherockbooks.com/ or email her at: http://us.mc10.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=rjkess@comcast.net.
For more information on The Fest for Beatles Fans, go to: http://www.thefest.com/.

IF ANYONE IS FROM THE AREA or CAN GET HERE ... (Woodbridge, NJ ... a 35 minute train ride from NYC) ... This came in the mail from the township. Town Schedule ... Easter Parade ... Spring Art Show ... but I was shocked at the caliber of talent they were able to get for a relatively small venue ...
INDOOR - 250 SEATS $22 ... $25 at the door ...

I'm sure Johnny Maestro would have made the bill (RIP) ...
Woodbridge does an outdoor, summer concert series with some decent (well known) talent for the most part ...
(gary) RENFIELD
www.RIPRenfield.com
(the Al Stewart looks really good to me)
I would LOVE to see Al Stewart ... I've actually been listening to him quite a bit lately. I've seen Marshall Crenshaw a couple of times now ... in fact, way back when we were invited to his CD launch party for his very first release ... when NOBODY knew who he was. Then "Someday, Someway" hit the radio and he quickly developed the "cult" following he maintains today. Even Janis Ian would be interesting to see. Please report back to us with your concert reviews. Thanks, Gary! (kk)

re: GREAT CLIPS:
Thanks to Eddie Burke for turning us on to this website, featuring ALL kinds of GREAT, classic '60's music clips:
Click here: RoadOde Television, Music, and Commercials Nostalgia

... and, speaking of great '60's music clips ...

re: THE T.A.M.I. SHOW / SHINDIG / THE BRITISH INVASION DVD SERIES / et al:
We received a nice response to the mention of these up-coming releases ... seems our readers have ALSO been chomping at the bit to obtain high-quality copies of these very special performances. (I know WE sure have been!!!) Read on ...
Hi Kent
The Canada Shindig 30 DVD box set is ok ... its pricey ... and the quality is ok, too. Some of the clips have the numbers running through them. I think they got them from Video Beat, as their logo is on most of them. The cover art is great.
Shivaree is the same some with numbers running through them. If you already have any parts of the above, the quality has not been improved its the same.
It's still great to have then all in one package,
Another note on the Shindig set: for the price, they sure could have used better cases ... with six disc in a single DVD case, most of the discs won't stay in the case, so you get them scratched from shipping. There is a double six disc case that holds the disc much better. I'm transferring mine to those now, having to redo cover art to fit bigger case.
One more thing ... both of these (Shindig and Shivaree) are DVD-R's
Mickey
PS It might be these DVD's we collectors have been buying selling and trading for years are getting taboo in the USA. Warner Brothers shut down my store on ioffer and they kicked me off claiming copy right. My friend at Trash Palace had them go after him making him remove a lot of titles from his web site.
Makes me wonder if Canada and other non US places will be the future of this.
Mickey
There has been a HUGE market for collectors of these videos for as far back as I can remember ... instead of cracking down on the spot dealer here and there making them available, I wish the companies who own the rights to these clips would simply release them in a legitimate format and be done with it!!! For one thing, the fact that dealers are selling them on a regular basis proves that there is a market for this material ... plus EVERYBODY wins as we'd have much more pristine copies for viewing if the prints came from the original masters. We've been preaching this for YEARS ... if you make it available to us, we WILL buy it ... and so with thousands and thousands of OTHER music collectors out there trying to recapture a piece of their youth!!! (kk)

Kent ...
You were right about The Beatles on Ready, Steady, Go! They were on every show. They sing a couple of songs on Volumes 1, 2 & 3. Also on Volume 3 is a special edition "The Beatles Live." They sing Twist & Shout, Roll Over Beethoven , I Wanna Be Your Man, Long Tall Sally, Medley = Love Me Do, Please Please Me, From Me To You, She Loves You, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Can't Buy Me Love, Shout. All You Need Is Love - It says rare recording unavailable on any Beatles Record.
I just got Hullabaloo Volumes 1 - 12. Haven't watched them yet.
I'll let you know how they are after I watch them.
That's all for now.
Frank B.

Kent,
It’s interesting that you covered both Shindig and The T.A.M.I. Show in the same column.
I’ve been reading a lot in the press this week-end about the DVD release (uncut) of the T.A.M.I Show, and learning not only about the singers and musicians who were billed on that concert, but also that actress Teri Garr and singer / choreographer Toni Basil were back-up dancers on the show. As coincidence would have it they also both appeared as dancers on Shindig.
Mike Ogilvie
Mississauga, ON
Don'tcha just love it when all this stuff falls together?!?! (lol) kk

THE T.A.M.I. SHOW now on DVD

Quentin Tarantino puts it “in the Top Three of all rock movies.” Steven Van Zandt calls it “the greatest rock movie you’ve never seen.” And, talking about James Brown’s dynamic segment of dance & soul, Rick Rubin said it was “the greatest rock and roll performance ever captured on film.”
High praise for a movie we’ve never seen, hey? But many of us have, in fact, seen The T.A.M.I. Show, a concert staged one long evening in October, 1964, in L.A. and featuring -- take a deep breath here -- The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Lesley Gore, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Barbarians, and hosts Jan and Dean. Seven of these acts went on to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And there were more big names behind the scenes. The director, Steve Binder, went on to oversee the Elvis Presley comeback special four years later; the house band was led by Jack Nitzsche, who’d scored his own hit with “The Lonely Surfer;” the backup singers, the Blossoms, included Darlene Love; and recording engineer Dave Hassinger went on to work with the Jefferson Airplane and Grateful Dead and the Stones.
T.A.M.I., BTW, stood for “Teenage Awards Music International.” There never were any awards. No matter; the capacity crowd at the 3,000-seat Santa Monica Civic Auditorium got themselves a show. And within a few weeks, in late 1964, movie audiences got a chance to see it, in living black and white “Electronovision,” a Sixties version of high-def.
But after a short theatrical run, financial and legal problems rendered the film hard to find. It was never released on home video. Over the years, it’d show up on TV on occasion, but it’s been available mainly on bootlegs, truncated and grainy.
Now, it’s been lovingly restored and issued on DVD by Shout! Factory. For me, it’s a reunion. As a college kid, I was a fan of the movie. Now, I can look at the lineup and tick off the artists I’ve met (and ticked off): the Beach Boys, James Brown, Marvin, Smokey, Diana Ross, and the Stones. And the director, Steve Binder. Crazy.
And watching the mesmerizing performance that James Brown put on – years before his Apollo Theater shows put him on the pop music map – reminds me of my visit with him, when he happily claimed credit for influencing the dance moves of at least one fellow T.A.M.I. artist — that’d be Mick Jagger — as well as Tina Turner, Prince and Michael Jackson. I asked who influenced him. For example, the classic bit, during “Please Please Please,” when he’d repeatedly stagger off, and a valet would drape a leopard cape over his shoulders, and he’d shake it off, run back to the mike and sing some more.
That, he said, came from church – and from Gorgeous George, a colorful wrestler of the Fifties. “I used to come back on stage carrying a suitcase, and they threw a towel around me; I threw it off. And I thought of Gorgeous George. He had capes, and that was flamboyant, so I put that in the act.”
Ken Voss

By the way, The British Invasion DVDs are shipping next week ... if you buy the Box Set, you get a bonus disk that features over 90 minutes of additional interviews with Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits, Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers, Simon Bell, Madeline Bell and Burt Bacharach (talking about Dusty Springfield) and Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan of The Small Faces. You ALSO get NINE additional musical performances by Dusty Springfield and seven bonus cuts by Herman's Hermits! The complete series is available here:
Click here: Amazon.com: British Invasion: 5 DVD Box Set featuring Bonus Disc: Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Herman's Hermits

Hi Kent,
So sorry to hear about Alex Chilton's passing. Hard to believe he was only 16 when he recorded for the The Box Tops. My favorite tune was Soul Deep. I have it in my juke box.
On a happier note, after hearing Casey of American Idol choosing to sing the Rolling Stones "Its All Over Now", brought back memories.
And then seeing it song by the Original Rolling Stones on the TAMI Show was GREAT!! Young Mick Jagger's choreography was on target with that great tune!!!! That is one song you never hear on the air waves.
Carolyn
Ooo ... and ANOTHER great "Remakes" song!!! (kk)

... Speaking Of Which ...

re: THE REMAKES:
Another strong edition of FH!
Just to clarify ...
>>>"I Can Hear Music" is a GREAT suggestion ... Brian Wilson covering his idol, Phil Spector ... (kk)
Brian's brother Carl, emerging in his own right as a producer, was the driving force behind the Beach Boys' version of "I Can Hear Music". Great song; great sound; great single!
Phil @ PrayForSurf

Regarding "My Ding A Ling," when the first promotional copy of that 1972 single arrived at the radio station I was then programming, I eagerly put it on the turntable in my office to audition, hoping it was good enough to broadcast. I was excited by the prospect of helping one of rock's most legendary masters earn yet another big hit after so many years without one (Berry had last made the charts in 1965). To be perfectly honest, I considered "My Ding A Ling" a huge disappointment -- as it's very juvenile crudity seemed not just embarrassing but way beneath my lofty view of the great Chuck Berry. Still interested in helping Chuck make a chart return, I decided to place in hot rotation the FLIP SIDE of "My Ding A Ling" -- a live version of "Johnny B Goode." We played that B side for nearly 20 weeks -- and got far more requests for IT than "My Ding A Ling" (which we eventually played as well). When compared to genuine Berry classics like "Maybelline," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Nadine" and "Rock ' 'Roll Music," "My Ding A Ling" -- even today -- still makes me cringe.
Gary Theroux
I couldn't agree more ... and I LOVED Chuck Berry's music ... incredible to think that "My Ding A Ling" would become his biggest hit! (kk)

re: THE MONKEES:
I saw nothing wrong with "The Monkees"' version of "Yes I Will". Frankly, both versions were good; just one was done as a ballad and the other wasn't.
Diana
Bloomfield Hills, Mi

The Monkees' version was a VERY "Davy" sort of song!!! Even listening to it now, can't you just see those little glitter stars in his eyes as he's singing this??? (kk)

re: HEY JIMI!:
Let's hear it for the timeless power and appeal of Jimi Hendrix ... the brand new Hendrix release that we've been telling you about, "Valleys Of Neptune" just debuted on Billboard's Top Albums Chart at #4!!! That makes Hendrix the new "timeless" champion, earning a Top Ten Album FORTY YEARS after his death!!! In addition, four of Jimi's classic catalog albums ALSO returned to The Billboard Top 100 Album Chart this week ... amazing!!!
Here's the story as reported by Paul Grein of Yahoo's "Chart Watch" (kk):
The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Valleys Of Neptune enters The Billboard 200 at #4, putting the rock legend back in the top five nearly 40 years after he died at the tragically young age of 27. No other artist has cracked the top five this long after his death. Elvis Presley is in second place. His Elvis: 2nd To None debuted at #3 in October 2003, a little more than 26 years after his death.
Hendrix is the second music legend to make the top five posthumously in the past two weeks. Johnny Cash bowed at #3 two weeks ago with American VI: Ain't No Grave. But Cash died less than seven years ago. It's more remarkable for an artist who died four decades ago to make significant chart waves.
Valleys Of Neptune is, incredibly, Hendrix's 34th posthumous album to make The Billboard 200.
Hendrix was a star for just three years, from June 1967, when he played the Monterey International Pop Festival, to September 1970, when he died in London of a drug overdose. The guitar hero had four top five albums in his lifetime. This is his third top five album since his death. It follows The Cry Of Love, which hit #3 in 1971, and Crash Landing, which reached #5 in 1975.
Four of Hendrix's catalog albums re-enter The Billboard 200 this week. 1967's Are You Experienced? bows at #44, followed by 1968's Electric Ladyland at #60, the 1997 compilation First Rays Of The New Rising Sun at #63 and 1968's Axis: Bold As Love at #67.
Experienced? first cracked The Billboard 200 on Aug. 26, 1967. It was only the 10th highest new entry of the week (!), opening at an unimpressive #190. The album took 59 weeks to reach its #5 peak in October 1968. This week's debut of Valleys Of Neptune gives Hendrix a nearly 41-1/2 year span of top five albums.

re: AND ONE FINAL REMINDER:

You've only got a few days left to cast your vote in the Hz So Good / I.R.S. Poll. If you feel strongly about some of YOUR favorite records ... to the point that you honestly believe It Really Shoulda Been a Top Ten Hit, then get your votes and nominations in NOW!!! All the details are below (along with information as to where you can hear Rich count 'em down once the results have been tabulated.) Just a reminder that the filing deadline for this years’s Hz So Good I.R.S. (as in, It Really Shoulda been a Top 10 hit) Top 104 is March 31. That’s because on Friday, April 2 – Good Friday for some of you – we’ll be counting down the 104 on Bob Radil’s Friday Night 60s-70s Show starting at 6pm ET (hear it at www.wnhu.org).
If you really wanna file your Really Shouldas, all you have to do is email your list of as many as 40 songs (title and artist, to avoid any confusion) that ’shoulda been’ Top 10 hits in the U.S.
You don’t have to look anything up before you send – we’ll do that here. You can send less, you just can’t send more.
Every I.R.S. filer is automatically entered in a drawing to win a pretty neat prize, but in order to be eligible, we need your I.R.S. by March 31.
The Top 104 will also be featured in the next issue of Hz So Good, coming around mid-April.
Thanks…
-Rich Appel

Send your votes to rich.appel@hzsogd.com ... and, if you want Rich to email you the final results, just sign up for his awesome Hz So Good Newsletter!

TODAY'S MUSIC:
We all know Johnny Maestro's biggest hits ... "16 Candles" and "The Worst That Could Happen" went to #'s 2 and 3 on Billboard's Pop Singles Chart for The Crests and The Brooklyn Bridge respectively ... but Johnny Maestro ALSO scored a Top 20 Billboard Hit as a solo artist ... check out "Model Girl" from 1961!

And how about the original version of "It's All Over Now" by Bobby Womack and The Valentinos!!! Just a few weekss before The Rolling Stones put their permanent signature on this tune, The Valentinos snuck into the very bottom of The Billboard Charts with their original rendition, recorded for Sam Cooke's SAR Record Label. You don't EVER hear this one anymore ... unless you read Forgotten Hits!!! (Maybe we can get Scott Shannon to feature this one on the next True Oldies Channel Rock And Roll Remakes Weekend!)

The Monkees' version of "I'll Be True To You", from their first LP ... originally a hit for The Hollies in the U.K. under the title "Yes I Will".

Watch for another batch of comments tomorrow on The Forgotten Hits Web Page!