The Friday Flash

It's been a crazy week ... but I wanted to get SOMETHING posted here by week's end ... and this looks like a pretty good batch! Enjoy!


re: PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS:
Hey Kent,
It's Tom Scheckel (former drummer for The Buckinghams). Been reading your blog for some time, always great stuff. I wanted to thank you for the nice press about my leaving the band. It was a very hard decision to make after 27 great years but I felt like taking a chance and making a change in my life and the guys completely supported me in my decision, even though we were all pretty sad about it, especially on our last night together.
I wrote a letter to friends, fans and the band, and the guys posted it on The Buckinghams Facebook site for me. It may be too long for you to print on your site, but here's a link for any interested readers to check it out:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Buckinghams/134705224041?ref=ts#!/note.php?note_id=392933566939&comments
Have a great summer, and thanks for all of the support you've given The Buckinghams and the rest of our good friends over the years.
Tommy Scheckel
Thanks, Tommy ... I think it's a GREAT sentiment and appreciate you including us in this. (As a lifetime fan of both The Buckinghams AND Paul Revere and the Raiders, I'd have to say you've been keeping some pretty good company these past three decades!!!)

Here's a short excerpt from Tommy's posting ... you can read the whole thing by simply clicking on the link above:
Hi everyone, Tom Scheckel here.
I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye!
Being the drummer in The Buckinghams over the last 27 years has been my great pleasure and privilege. Carl, Nick, Bob, Bruce and I are very much brothers and I'm proud of the music we've created together as we've continued the rich legacy of The Buckinghams for the past three decades.
The Buckinghams are a wonderful organization and a fantastic band, I love all of the guys to death and we’ll be great friends for life. We part ways with our deep respect for each other firmly intact and best hopes for each others’ success. I can’t wait to see The Buckinghams from the audience and see what all the fuss is about!
We have the best fans in the world and many of you have become close, personal friends over the years. We've watched some of you grow up from children to adults, while others have become grandparents before our eyes (myself included). Our concerts have become more like family reunions and social events of sorts, as together we’ve celebrated the music we all love; the music that has become richer and more important in our lives as we've become a little older and a little more sentimental.
As you’ve heard, I'm leaving the band to play with our good friends, Paul Revere and The Raiders. The opportunity and timing were right for me and my style of drumming should be a good fit for Paul’s rock ‘n’ roll circus.
Thank you all for your wonderful support over these many years. You've been magnificent and I can't thank you enough for your kindness.
Please come by to say, "Hi" if you see me bashing away in your town. I’ll be the sweaty one in the tight pants and military jacket.
Thanks again,
Tommy
People sometimes forget what it takes these days to keep a band together ... imagine that ... 27 years with the Buckinghams ... that's nearly five times longer than the original band stayed together!!! Pretty amazing.
Best of luck with The Raiders ... and it sure would be nice if Paul or ANY of the guys would share a word with our readers from time to time!
With the great new Singles Compilation CD out, we're more than happy to help plug it.
I have been a lifetime Paul Revere and the Raiders fan and would love to hear from you guys from time to time. (Hey, maybe you can be our official Branson Reporter ... once you get settled out there, you can give us the lowdown on some of the other oldies acts passing through town!)
Anyway, best of luck to you ... and please stay in touch! (kk)

And for all the latest Raiders information, tour dates, merchandise, etc., be sure to check out the official website here:
Click here: http://www.paulrevereraiders.com/index.html
Thanks much, Kent!
I'll pass the word on to the boys about your site, and keep my ears open for any cool Branson stories. Have a great one, and thanks again.
Tom


re: ON THE RADIO:
Friday's here again ... that means it's time for another edition of "The Pop Shoppe".
Set your computer to www.topshelfoldies.org from 7 PM till 3:01 (eastern).
This week's schedule is as follows:
7:00 / 8:30 - Back to the 1960's. Many of your favorites and forgotten tunes will be heard.
8:30 / 9:00 - Folk songs from the 1960's. Songs that added another dimension to the music of that era.
9:00 / 10:00 - Time for a phone interview with Dodie Stevens. You'll find there's a lot more to her career than just Pink Shoe Laces. I met her recently at an oldies concert. She still sounds great and today sings with her daughter Stephanie. Both ladies are pretty as a picture. I look forward to talking with Dodie about her career.
10:00 / 11:00 - This segment will feature Mothers Day songs.
11:00 / 12:00 - May 7th would have been Johnny Maestro's birthday. I will be playing some special songs as we can't forget that this master of song is gone.
12:00 / 1:30 - It's Midnight Country! These were the days when country was really country. Lots of real classics here.
1:30 / 3:01 AM - We go to the greatest sounds of the 50's and 60's with a touch of the 40s.
It's all here on Friday nights in The Pop Shoppe. The Greatest Songs That Ever Lived.
Many of my past interviews along with special links and my picture gallery can be found on the new page that Ramtown Mike (our Wednesday Dee jay) has set up for me.
Just go to www.ramtownlive.com/popshoppe
Future interviews that are scheduled so far
May 14th - Robin Luke, "Susie Darlin"
May 21st - Jim Stephens (lead singer of The Safaris) "Image of a Girl"
Looking forward to seeing you all Friday night.
(Remember, you must be here Friday evening because I don't want to be alone.)
I am Sincerely Yours,
Stuart Weiss / DJ STU


re: AND TV, TOO!:
Kent
Attached is a website just forwarded to me.
http://oldiestelevision.com/
I haven't had a chance to look at it in detail but I watched number 12
12 THE CENSORED JERRY LEE LEWIS HERE UNCENSORED! (1957-59)
The video quality is awful but the performance is incredible. More energy and excitement without all the backup dancers and fireworks used today.
Enjoy!
Steve Davidson
Thanks, Steve ... this really IS an awesome site ... I hung around for quite a while, checking out this clip and that clip ... you're right, they seem to be of varying quality ... but SO good to see some of this stuff again. (And it's not just music either!!!) Thanks for sharing! (kk)

... and, also in the television vein ...

The Ed Sullivan clips on PBS and DVD are very nice. It is too bad they don't put some of the lesser groups on like The Remains, Thomas Group etc. who had some great songs & regional hits. That would be interesting as well.
Ken
Did these artists actually appear on The Ed Sullivan Show? I've been pushing for years to get the "Upbeat" television series out on home DVD ... they had a lot more of the "regional" acts that you're referring to on a regular basis ... and these would be VERY cool to see. (kk)

Kent,
Great newsletter, as always. I'm happy to see that George Manney is presenting the Philly Music Series. George is a Philadelphia music treasure and I am happy to know him through our mutual friend, Stephen Caldwell, of The Orlons. Stewkey, of Nazz, is another of our Philly music people who is deserving of recognition. He's a born rocker.
Kent, I just completed an interview with Marshall Lytle, bass player of Bill Haley's Comets (talk about Philly-local groups) for my monthly column, The U.S. Beat, in the British magazine, THE BEAT. As it is difficult to obtain in the U.S. (except by rather expensive subscription), I would be happy to send it to you to re-print once it runs in the June issue of The Beat. Let me know. (PS: I finally learned to play upright slap bass, thanks to Marshall!)
Also, here's a nice story: my long-time friend, Tony Marc, who is in the vintage guitar business, had the foresight to procure the name "Danelectro" back in 1979 when the company was out of business. When they began manufacturing again in 2000, Tony cashed in. Always a good friend and a very generous person, Tony gave me a re-issue Danelectro bass, as well as a Fender Telecaster (!)
I was on the phone with Al Jardine and I told him about my new guitars, and about Tony. One thing led to another, then a 3-way call. Al told us about a green Dano baritone guitar of Glen Cambell's that Al used to mess with. So, Tony sent him one (!) Heck of a guy, huh? Al's delighted, and sent me a photo of his new guitar (which I'll send you as soon as I can figure out how to transfer it from my Blackberry!), of which I guess I am the godfather. (By the way - he / we sent friend Billy J. Kramer a Dano, too. He was speechless.)
Keep up the good stuff, Kent. (you're a helluva a lot more interesting than Lefsetz!)
Best,
Dr. Robert (Bob Rush)
Glad to hear things are going well!
I'd be happy to publish your interview with Marshall ... just let me know when it's "safe" to post it up on the website. (Forgotten Hits Readers, stay tuned!!!)
Cool about the Danelectro Guitars ... my cousin has worked for Hamer Guitars for something like 30 years now ... amazing how many of these they give away to artists in the hopes of them endorsing your products. (I remember Paul McCartney saying one time how when you're first starting out in the business, you scrimp to save every penny you can to buy a half-way decent guitar ... and then when you actually make it ... and can afford to buy the very best of everything ... they GIVE them to you!!! Peter Noone said, too, that because Herman's Hermits used to endorse certain brands of guitars, drums and microphones, they used to get free ones to use in their concerts ... but when they toured with The Who, The Who used to take all these "freebies" and smash them as part of their show-closing finale, often times before The Hermits ever even got to play them!!! lol)

... and this from George Manney ...

re: THE PHILLY POP MUSIC SERIES:
Charlie & Richie Ingui of The Soul Survivors played a un-plugged set at the Philly Pop Music series at jt's Philadelphia House in NE Philly May 1st, Saturday night.
http://www.phillypopmusic.com
They tore the roof off the place with their interpretation of a Curtis Mayfield hit and ended with an acoustic rendition of "Expressway To Your Heart" that simply set the night on fire.
Charlie & Richie and the Soul Survivors just released a new CD titled: "Heart Full Of Soul" covering classic hits of the past. Digging deep into the catalogs of Curtis Mayfield, Junior Walker, Marvin Gaye, William Bell and other great influences, HEART FULL OF SOUL is an album that showcases the extraordinary voices of Charlie & Richie Ingui, the Soul Survivors two original lead singers who have teamed up with Grammy nominated producers Jimmy Bralower & Johnny Gale for this new high energy album celebrating their roots in the classic music of Chicago, Memphis, Detroit, NY & Philadelphia.
HEART FULL OF SOUL is a great new album of classic R&B and Soul music now available at
amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/Heart-Full-Soul-Survivors/dp/B0030EV4DU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1272895676&sr=8-2
George Manney

Thanks, George! The Soul Survivors have participated with Forgotten Hits from time to time and they seem like really great guys ... glad to hear that they're still performing, recording and wowing their fans in the process! Thanks for sharing! (kk)

re: ROCK CON:
Great edition - I loved every word that everyone wrote!
Just an update to let you know that ROCK CON is now being billed as the "Weekend of 100 Rock Stars" and we span the rock & roll era from 50's to the present, having just added Charlie Grace and Al Rappa from Bill Haley's Comets to the guest roster. I don't believe there's ever been as many pop & rock personalities in one place at the same time, with complete access to the fans. We also added Johnny Winter and Jane Weidlin from the Go-Gos. I'm most excited about the event because we have so many great 60's music celebrities, and so many expect to also jam at the convention. We're getting inquiries and reservations from fans from all over the world. It should be an amazing weekend. The website has been updated: www.NationalRockCon.com and more guests are being added weekly. I think it's starting to snowball now, because the artists are contactng us to be part of the festivities.
I hope to see many of my fellow Forgotten Hits readers July 30 - August 1 at the Sheraton Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ. Tickets are now on sale.
For further info, simply email rock@NationalRockCon.com.
Charles Rosenay
Sounds like one heck of a weekend, Charles!!! Hopefully some of our readers will be able to attend and report back to us on all the festivities! (kk)

... and, speaking of Charlie Gracie ...

re: CHARLIE GRACIE:
CHARLIE GRACIE THANKS YOU!
By now I sure everyone knows my dad is not one to spend time on the computer plugging appearances and all the rest --- THAT is something my wife Kim and I have taken on with a great deal of satisfaction ... insamuch as it allows us to maintain precious contact with all of you!
Please know that we share ALL of your very kind messages and photos with my dad and he is very appreciative! He also asked us to thank everyone who attended his numerous concerts throughout the UNITED KINGDOM over the last 6-weeks. Our father has enjoyed at least 38-tours in the U.K. (that we can recall) since his first two in 1957 and '58. Your love and devotion to dad (and mom) has allowed him to thrive and prosper in a field he loves so very much. So again, dad sends his love and a million thanks you for your great support. God-willing, he is scheduled to return for another month of shows starting October 30th, highlighted by a concert appearance at the Theatre Royal in Windsor!
Charlie Gracie, Jr.
By the way, Charlie, Jr. also tells us that his Dad's latest CD now rests in the hands of Producer (and Forgotten Hits List Member) Al Kooper ... soon we hope to be able to have a track to share with all of our readers, as anticipation is certainly building about this hot, new release. Stay tuned! (kk)
The CD is now in the hands of Mr. Al Kooper. When he's finished mixing, we'll have a record to sell --- and you will be the first to know. I believe the people will be surprised to hear just how rockin' dad can be --- even at almost 74 years of age! The music keeps him young. Stand by ...
Thanks,
Charlie Jr.

re: FIRST 45's:
Nearly every week we receive a few more of your "First 45's" memories as people discover the website. I was especially pleased to see THIS one come in from Larry Baran of The Jamestown Massacre, who recorded one of my all-time favorite "shoulda been a HUGE hits" back in the '70's, "Summer Sun"!!! (Meanwhile, be sure to check out some of the memories up on the OTHER Forgotten Hits Website ... The Forgotten 45's section is now three full pages long!!!) kk

Click here: Forgotten Hits - FIRST 45's
The Monster Mash by Boris Pickett was my 1st 45 record. 1962. I bought it at the Woolworth store on 53rd street and Blackstone in Hyde Park Chicago. I wore it out.
Larry Baran
guitarist with Jamestown Massacre
www.jamestown-band.com
Be sure to check out their website ... in fact, when you get there you'll hear EXACTLY what I'm talking about ... what a GREAT, overlooked song!!! (kk)

More to come in The Sunday Comments ... hope to see you then!

It Was A Day Of Celebration

In a day that easily could have had the markings of extreme highs and lows, it turned out instead to be a day of celebration ... and confirmation again that music truly does help to heal all.


First we said goodbye to Mark Eskin, guitarist for The New Colony Six and Instant Karma (and a fixture on the local stages here in Chi-Town for the past two decades), who passed away last week at the age of 52.


Sure there was sadness and tears ... his death was unexpected and, as we all grow older, gave us cause of reflection ... but, as there was throughout his life, there was also the joy of music.


Early during the services, copies of "Mark's Songbook" were handed out to all of the visitors paying their respects to Mark and his wife Flo, who asked for "lots of musicians, acoustic instruments and singing. We are not going out quietly." And then a virtual who's who of local talent and musicians took turns serenading us from Mark's songbook.


And these weren't just ANY songs ... these were amongst Mark's favorites ... songs that meant the most to Flo and Mark ... so while we came to grieve, we also came to celebrate a life in music and song ... and I honestly can't imagine that Mark would have wanted it any other way.


His Beatles Buddies sang "In My Life", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "If I Needed Someone" and "Here Comes The Sun" ... Ronnie Rice sang "I Will Always Think About You", one of the biggest hits The New Colony Six ever had ... John (now Jay) Reincke, new lead singer of Jay and the Americans sang "Crying" ... the "audience" hung on ... and sang along with ... every single word.

As the crowd of well-wishers spilled out on to the street, it was a chance for many to reminisce about a happier time ... and it was clear that Mark had touched the lives of so many that were there.

From the funeral home, many of these luminaries headed downtown for the Dick Biondi 50th Anniversary Bash, an event covered by ALL of the major networks in town. Talk about a guy who touched the lives of so many ... the list went on and on and on as our music heroes from the past five decades called and paid homage to The Wild I-tralian, who was there from the very beginning of The Rock Era. (Back then, the jocks were every bit as important as the artists themselves, working hand-in-hand to promote all of the hot new sounds sweeping the nation ... in fact, the first phone call Dick took was from Mike Love of The Beach Boys, who recounted the time when Dick, then working for KRLA in Los Angeles, became the first disc jockey in America to play the newest Beach Boys release because they hand-carried over a copy of "Surfer Girl" literally an hour and a half after it had been recorded and pressed to an acetate! It truly was a different time.)

Vintage radio clips were aired and "special guests" filled the evening with memories. Biondi recalled the first rock and roll record WLS ever played ("Alley Oop" by The Hollywood Argyles) and the song HE personally played on May 2, 1960, to launch his first WLS Radio Broadcast ("Don't Be Cruel" by Elvis Presley, already an "oldie" by then!!! lol)

Congratulations, Dick ... you've been part of our lives now for 50 years ... and we just wanted to say "Thank You" one more time!

The Sunday Comments ( 05 - 02 - 10 )

re: TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT:
No, I'm not talking about Rod Stewart here ... although with all the big names that'll be calling in this evening to congratulate legendary Disc Jockey Dick Biondi on his 50 year anniversary since first signing on the air here in Chicago, I can't say that I would be totally surprised if the Rod-man gave a jingle, too!!! (Of course YOU guys can call in, too ... assuming you can even get through the phone lines!!! They've been recording congratulations and well-wishes for a couple of weeks now ... here's the latest update from Rob Feder):
An array of rock ’n’ roll royalty will join the immortal Dick Biondi from 7 p.m. to midnight Sunday when he celebrates the 50th anniversary of his debut on Chicago radio. Luminaries on the lineup include Brenda Lee, Carl Giamarese, Frankie Avalon, Gene Chandler, Gary Puckett, Tommy James, Tony Orlando, Lou Christie, Bobby Vinton, Freddy Cannon, Jim “Hook” Pilster and Ronnie Rice. Also expected to stop by is Gov. Pat Quinn. The live special will be simulcast on Citadel Broadcasting news / talk WLS-AM (890) and oldies WLS-FM (94.7).
It’s not too late to leave your own message of congratulations to Biondi at
(312) 984-5350.
-- Robert Feder
Out-of-Towners can "Listen Live" here:
Click here: WLSFM - LISTEN LIVE

re: OTHER RADIO NEWS:
This is hilarious! It recounts Ken Levine's Chicago Radio Experience.
http://bit.ly/ck7kMx
David Lewis

Hi Kent!
I'd like to tell you about my new website.
It's located at www.ramtownlive.com/popshoppe
I'd like to thank Ramtown Mike for putting together a site for me to archive my interviews. Many more will be added both old and new.
Mike is one of our Dee jays at topshelfoldies. We have shows every night and topshelf now streams 24/7. Tune in and hear something different each night.
As I write this on Wednesday, Ramtown Mike is returning to topshelf after being on hiatus for a month. Mike moved from New Jersey to Tennessee. But Mike couldn't drive a car or fly to his new home, he had to hire a stagecoach. We all wish Mike and Barb good wishes in their new home. Sadly Mike now has a legal problem. The Mayor of Ramtown, New Jersey wants Mike to give them the name back since he no longer lives in Ramtown. It's always something.
DJ Stu Weiss
By the way ... next Friday night (May 5th) I'll be interviewing Dodie Stevens.
Another great phone interview!!!!!!!
Stu

Earthworks Entertainment Signs LOI For The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame
Addison, TX – April 30, 2010 (Market Wire)
Earthworks Entertainment, Inc. today announced that the Company has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire an interest in John Rook’s Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
The Hit Parade Hall of Fame was formed in 2006 by legendary radio programmer John Rook to recognize the highly popular recording artists that have been virtually ignored by the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”. According to Rook “there are so many stars that have made major contributions from the 50’s through the 80’s that have never received the recognition they deserve, artists such as Paul Anka, Tony Bennett, Pat Boone, Chubby Checker, Petula Clark, Nat “King” Cole, Perry Como, Tom Jones, Frankie Laine, Barry Manilow, Dean Martin, Al Martino, Johnny Mathis, McGuire Sisters, Patti Page, Neil Diamond, Connie Francis, Frank Sinatra, Kay Starr, Barbra Streisand, Bobby Vinton and Andy Williams have been inducted along with more than 100 others into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Every January the Hit Parade Hall of Fame nominating committee (which is made up of a who’s who of the radio and record industry) aided by the vote of fans at the website www.hitparadehalloffame.org decides the latest inductees and considers additional nominees that will be made public in February. Worldwide nearly one million fans have voted in the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Earthworks Entertainment, Inc. CEO Steven Humphries commented “the Hit Parade Hall of Fame was the idea that sparked the Hit Parade Radio format which we partnered with John in last year. Hit Parade Radio will play a major force in the promotion of the Hall Of Fame, and vice versa. We expect to finalize our agreement over the next several days”.
John Rook will remain the operator and serve as President of The Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

It's good to hear Scott Shannon playing more Forgotten Hits on a regular basis. Yesterday I heard him play "Talk Talk" and "Sideshow" in the same half hour - and later in the same hour he explained the saga of Mark Dinning's second (almost) hit record "Top 40 News, Weather, and Sports". This kind of stuff makes me listen longer and keeps my finger away from the button.
David Lewis
I've talked to Scott about this several times in the past ... within the context of his show, he's pretty much got free reign to play some of these "forgotten hits" as requests, forgotten 45's and "Cheezy Easy Listening Songs" ... at least it gets some of these long-forgotten hits some long overdue occassional airplay. But what seems to get lost in translation sometimes is the very fact that the listeners WANT to hear some of this stuff more often rather than the same 200-300 songs over and over and over again ... THAT'S what makes the requests so much more interesting than the "norm". There must be SOME type of "compromise" that can be reached to satisfy everybody ... why not take those same 300 songs and spread 'em out over the five-day work week where you feature 60 a day ... but 60 DIFFERENT ones each day ... even a one week break for some of these titles would make us appreciate them more. All-in-all I think Scott does a GREAT job of programming his station ... but you know we're ALWAYS going to ask him to push the envelope just a little bit further!!! (In fact, we've got some GREAT suggestions for a few more weekend specials that we've been working on ... we'll keep you posted as these develop!) kk

re: AND ON TV:
one of the pbs channels having a begathon is doing ed sullivan the rock and roll classics or something like that ... if there's a time difference between here and the ny stations maybe you can catch it ... glorious upgrade to the video ... vibrant colors, crystal clear ... even the black and white looks like it was made yesterday ... wasn't like that the first time thru ... back then
gary
The airtimes will vary across the country for this one but it's actually been on quite a bit lately here in Chicago. We've got the complete Ed Sullivan Box Set that came out a few years ago with these edited pieces ... a long-standing VH1 feature, too. Always nice to see the artists present these songs ... definitely worth catching! A couple more recent dvd releases will be making their way to PBS in the very new future ... including a performance from the on-going Carole King / James Taylor Troubadour Tour! Check your local listings. (kk)

re: OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN:
Olivia guest stars on this week's episode of "Glee", one of our family favorites. She'll be performing her #1 Hit "Physical" with Cheerleading Coach Sue Sylvester (the incomparable Jane Lynch). The episode also introduces a new character portrayed by Saturday Night Live vet Molly Shannon who proves to be Sue's new nemisis. Should be a fun episode to watch!

And, speaking of Olivia Newton-John ... I just received this email from Artie Wayne about Jeff Barry, who cowrote another one of Olivia's biggest hits, "I Honestly Love You":
Here’s an article on my pal from the past, songwriter / producer Jeff Barry (“Tell Laura I Love Her”, “Sugar, Sugar”, “I Honestly Love You”) http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2007/02/10/jeff-barry-i-honestly-like-him/
Regards
Artie Wayne
http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/

re: THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS:
Very sad to hear that the Smothers Brothers are hanging it up (at their age a sabbatical certainly means permanent retirement) --- guess I should say I'm very glad I got to see them live one time ... in fact, it was in March of this year at the American Music Theater in Lancaster, PA. ... their appearance was one day after my friend George and I got into what could've been a very serious car accident on the New Jersey turnpike driving down from New York (during a heavy rainstorm we hydroplaned and spun out from the left hand lane into a ditch on the righthand side -- without getting hit by any other vehicles, during very heavy traffic). Aside from losing all of my 2009 Beatles remastered cds to flooding on the passenger side (the ditch we were in was full of water and only my door could be opened, and when it was, the flood came in ...) both we and the car escaped with relatively little damage (my friend's wallet, however did not -- he needed four new tires and had to pay towing expenses). Needless to say nothing was going to stop me from seeing the Smothers Brothers, I would've walked the rest of the way if I had to. My favorite comment from the night came from Tommy, who, after a short ramble on God knows what, said to the audience "you know, it's really hard to know when to stop when you have no idea what you're talking about". My only disappointment is that the two were not out selling merchandise, signing autographs, talking with fans, etc. ... I brought along several Smothers albums I would've loved to have had signed, would've loved to have spoken with them and would've loved to have gotten a picture with them, but it was not meant to be ... however I'm still glad I got to see them while I could. I got hooked on them a number of years ago when my father asked me to find their "My Old Man" skit for him. I did, on a "Best Of Volume 2 (There Is No Volume 1)" album. My dad loved it, I loved the whole album, and was hooked. Several years and many records later I'm still a huge fan.
By the way, ever hear the Smothers Brothers play it straight?:
YouTube - The Smothers Brothers - You Go Thisaway
Tom Diehl
I was a Smothers Brothers fan even before their hit television series ... I always thought they were hysterical ... and then the weekly Sunday Night Program just pushed them over the top for me ... and many other brand new fans as well.
I believe I have a complete collection of ALL of their LPs ... some classic stuff to be sure. Honestly, after touring for fifty years, I totally get "calling it a career" ... but I also have to agree with Jim Shea that SOME sort of proper send-off is in order. Here's hoping that some of the "movers and shakers" on our list can help to get this going. (We've already had some positive response to this ... but it's premature to speculate on anything just yet.) Thanks, Tom!
By the way, I actually own "The Best Of The Smothers Brothers" which WOULD have been Volume One had it been commercially released. It's a Dee-Jay only pressing (Mercury MGD-20!!!) and features four tracks from "It Must Have Been Something I Said", three tracks from "Curb Your Tongue, Knave", five from "Think Ethnic", three from "The Two Sides Of" and their version of "They Call The Wind Maria" from "The Smothers Brothers At The Purple Onion" ... a real rarity I guess! The LP is titled simply "The Best of The Smothers Brothers."
The LP you're referring to, I believe is "Golden Hits Of The Smothers Brothers, Volume II", on which the liner notes read: "With their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks, Tom and Dick Smothers have called this album 'The Smothers Brothers Golden Hits, Volume II'. Of course there is no Volume I, and it may be a while before one is available." (Hmmm ... maybe THAT'S why they're releasing their television series DVDs in reverse order!!! lol) It also refers to the tracks as "newly recorded, fresh versions of The Smothers Brothers' classic routines" and they are, in fact, different versions from the previously released tracks on their earlier LPs. (The Brothers would do the same thing on their weekly television series ... recycling classic routines to open each show.)
I have heard The Smothers Brothers "play it straight" and, although they're certainly competent singers, it just isn't as entertaining for me unless they're having fun with the songs ... I used to look forward to every single one of Tommy's interruptions!!!
And here's something ELSE I'm betting most Forgotten Hits readers aren't aware of. On their album "The Smothers Brothers Play It Straight", released in 1966, the boys leave the comedy behind and perform a number of songs in the folk tradition that first launched their career. (Musically, their first inspiration was the success of The Kingston Trio, who they tried to emulate in their early act, performing old folk songs along with a bunch of then VERY popular Harry Belafonte calypso tunes!) On this LP, they cover "Yesterday" by The Beatles (the new biography cites The Smothers Brothers as one of the first acts to recognize this track as a classic), "Little Sacka Sugar" by Woody Guthrie, the country classic "Silver Threads And Golden Needles", the folk standard "Down In The Valley" and a then unknown folk song called "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", a song that would top the pop charts six years later when covered by Roberta Flack. (Actually, Flack first recorded the song in 1969 for her "First Take" album ... it made no noise at all until Clint Eastwood decided to feature it in a love-making scene from his film "Play Misty For Me", at which time Atlantic Records rush-released a remixed, edited version of the song to radio where it caught on immediately!) Although The Smothers Brothers weren't the first artists to record this song (that distinction belongs to Peggy Seeger ... it was written way back in 1957 by Ewan MacColl, who would later marry Seeger) ... it became a bit of a folk club "standard" for fifteen years before it ever became a hit. Songwriter Ewan MacColl would later go on record stating that he hated EVERY version of the song ever recorded other than Peggy's original. (I tend to agree ... this one'll put me to sleep virtually every time I hear it ... although quite honestly I'm not all that fond of Peggy's rendering either!!!) This would include readings by Elvis Presley, American Idol David Cook, the aforementioned Harry Belafonte and The Kingston Trio, Gordon Lightfoot, Shirley Bassey, We Five, Peter, Paul and Mary, Johnny Cash, Isaac Hayes, Bobby Vinton, Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, Simon Cowell protege' Leona Lewis and a host of others. Here is the VERY rare Smothers Brothers version from 1966. (kk)



Here's an act that knows a thing or two about appearing on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour!!!

re: THE BUCKINGHAMS:
Kent and Forgotten Hits Readers,
As you know, our friend Tom Scheckel has been The Buckinghams’ drummer as we’ve traveled the country, performing for hundreds of thousands of fans for the past 27 years. His talents have meant a lot to us, and we have built a close friendship of great memories together.
We want our fans and friends to be the first to know that Tom is now the newest addition to the 60s band, Paul Revere and the Raiders. In the past, many Buckinghams’ fans have seen us perform on the same bill, and know and love Raiders’ music as much as The Buckinghams.
Tom is a dynamic drummer, who has performed with Jonathan Brandmeier (Johnny and the Leisure Suits) and Scott Wilk and the Walls, plus has been a substitute in many great bands, including The Turtles. Tom’s fans can look forward to seeing him in concert with The Raiders, who will perform with Bill Haley’s Original Comets, at Branson’s popular Andy Williams Theatre, May through December. Although our longtime friend moves to perform for Branson audiences, we enjoyed many great years of association together. Buckinghams’ fans can also order a copy of our recent live concert video, “Up Close” at http://www.thebuckinghams.com/up_close/index.html, which includes Tom’s drum work as well as the CD “Terra Firma”, on Nation Records.
On Saturday, May 1, The Buckinghams will play in Hershey, PA, at the Hersheypark Amphitheatre. On Thursday, May 20th, we start The 25th Anniversary Happy Together tour in Santa Ynez, CA. All the latest Buckinghams’ tour dates can be found at www.thebuckinghams.com, Facebook and MySpace. Our best wishes to Tom in his new association with Paul Revere and the Raiders. Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna The Buckinghams

Congratulations, Tommy!
And this from the official Paul Revere and the Raiders website:
Click here: http://paulrevereandtheraiders.com/index.html
He's spent the last 27 years with The Buckinghams (famous for "Kind of a Drag", "Susan", "Don't You Care" and other hits), he's been a fellow road warrior and a friend for just as long, we're happy to welcome Tommy into the Raider family! — The following review is provided by and courtesy of Pat Murphy (Entertainment Writer, Urban Media):
"Powerful and passionate only begin to describe the performance of drummer Tom Scheckel, and even that falls far short because it reached me on such an emotional level. When he wasn’t making love to the drum set he was beating it into submission with a warm smile that radiated into the audience and lifted the spirits of everyone who had a sight line to the drum riser. In the business of show it’s rare to find someone who exudes such a genuine in-the-moment joy, who’s showy without showing off and who thoroughly enjoys what they do. I believe that the core purpose of live entertainment is to heighten your senses, make you feel more alive, and perhaps, even optimistic. Tom Scheckel’s performance made me happy — a happiness that returns whenever I think about the blur of spinning sticks around the drums, and through the blur, that smile. Worth the price of admission? Every penny."
(You'll find more on Paul Revere ... including a picture from last weekend's '60's Weekend in Wildwood ... below!) kk

re: MARK ESKIN:
my first 45's memory was "i will always think about you" by the new colony six ... i still have the same 45 as well. mark eskin will never be forgotten and will always live in our hearts ... god bless you, mark.
sincerely,
darlene bobczyk
Services are later today and we're hoping to be able to attend (or at least stop by for a little bit.) So sad to hear of Mark's passing last week. (kk)

re: SANTANA:
Hello,
I just discovered your excellent site, and thought it seemed like a good fit for my Santana site: Ultimate Santana, including songs, albums, gear, history, and more. Thanks,
Michael
http://www.UltimateSantana.com
mc@ultimatesantana.com
Happy to pass your links along, Michael. We just recently heard from Billy James of Glass Onyon PR, who represents Gregg Rolie, one of the original members (and vocalists) of Santana ... Gregg has a new "live" CD out, featuring quite a few of the early Santana tracks. (After his stint with Santana, Rolie and Neal Schon formed another little band you may have heard of called Journey!!!) I believe the live CD is available through the Glass Onyon website:
Click here: to the Web-Bizarre


re: THE FORGOTTEN HITS BOOK CLUB:
The 9th Edition of Joel Whitburn's "Billboard Top 40" Book is FINALLY coming out on October 5th!!! (These books are designed to appeal to the more "casual" music fan than some of the "hardcore" editions that us obsessed fanatics shell out big bucks for!!!)

You'll typically find Joel's Top 40 Books in all good bookstores, reasonably priced at right around $30-$35 ... less than HALF the price of the full Top 100 Editions. (The Top 40 Book hasn't been updated since 2003 so we've really been looking forward to this one.)

Pre-Orders are currently being accepted at Amazon.com ... and (naturally) it's also available through The Record Research Website:
Click here: http://www.amazon.com/Billboard-Book-Top-Hits-9th/dp/0823085546/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272126113&sr=1-2
Click here: Joel Whitburn's Record Research Music & Billboard Charts Data

Record Research is currently celebrating its 40th year of bringing us the most complete Billboard Chart Information ever available. Congratulations to Joel Whitburn ... and his on-going committment to continue to find new and inventive ways to update this information every step of the way! (kk)


re: THE COOL SCOOPS '60's WEEKEND:
Hey Kent,
Thanks for all your support.
Here are a few pictures from this weekends event.
1- Gary Puckett receiving the Wildwoods Music Award at cool Scoops Sat. April 24th.
2- A couple of Pauls ... PR and PR ... that's Paul Russo and Paul Revere minus the Raiders
A great time was had by all!
Paul

I forgot to tell you about a special guest who visited us over this past 60's celebration weekend.
Does everyone from New York remember Clay Cole from the Clay Cole Show ('59-late 60's)
Clay was nice enough to stop by and visit Cool Scoops and reminisce about the great artists who visited his show.
Stay tuned for the Special Event featuring Chubby Checker at Cool Scoops celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the TWIST!
And here's a program reminder as well ... Chubby and the Cool Scoops gang will be featured on Samantha Browns Great Weekend Show on May 13th @ 10pm.
Don't miss this Jersey Shore addition of the Samantha Brown Show.
Be Cool,
Paul

re: REBOOT:
A couple of weeks ago Preston Ritter, original drummer for The Electric Prunes, was telling us about his new band Reboot and we asked him to send a a short clip of what the band sounds like. (They specialize in playing some of the oldies you just don't hear that much anymore.) He just sent us this short little clip of the Dion classic "Ruby Baby":
Here is our "Ruby Baby" Reboot demo ... this is only part of the song, since it's on our demo CD.
Preston



re: CLIPS OF THE WEEK:
A couple of goodies this week ... featuring TWO "Fab Fours" ... (well one Fab Four and one Fab Faux) ... a vintage Rat Pack clip (wait'll you see who THEIR fourth is!) and an INCREDIBLE live presentation of "Most of Side Two" of "Abbey Road" by The Fab Faux, as presented on Howard Stern's Sirius Radio Program. Unbelieveable!!!
click here ... AWESOME!!
YouTube - Birth of The Blues

Click here: The Fab Faux - Abbey Road Side 2 (mostly) on Vimeo

submitted by Fred Glickstein

And here are a couple of nice little collectibles by that OTHER "Fab Four" ... Kent ... Let's go partners. I can come up with $5000. You put up the rest.

Paul Fraser Collectibles John Lennon's handwritten lyrics for A Day in the Life go under the hammer

Kent ... We really can afford this one.

Paul Fraser Collectibles Sir Paul McCartney (1942–)

Frank B.

re: DIGGIN' FORGOTTEN HITS:

Man, what a fabulous batch of info and comments the past few days!! Great job, Kent.

RE: "Get Yourself A College Girl" ...
Mike wrote:>>> Saturday AM I woke up at 3 am and was channel surfing ...
Isn't that one of the fun things about getting older? Waking up at 3 AM and being wide awake for no good reason ... RE: Clip of the Week (American Idiot - 21 Guns):Hadn't seen this yet. It's excellent ... and compelling. Thanks!
David Lewis

About time the author's name was incorporated into publication?
Hey Kent,
I'm sure people send you a lot of Forgotten Hits images (I've forgotten what you call them). I saw the most recent post with the black square and peace signs ... but your name?
Attached is FH 'logo' with the author's name appropriately attached
Thanks just one more time ...
Ron Kolman
Thanks, Ron ... VERY cool!!! (kk)