Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Upcoming Concerts, Events and New Releases

Here's the latest word on some upcoming concerts, music events and brand new releases (as submitted by our readers):


But first, a quick reminder to catch Chicago's very own Ides Of March TONIGHT at the Music In The Park Concert Series in Bensenville, Illinois. Weather (and work schedule)-permitting, we're hoping to be there to cheer The Boys From Berwyn on in another great concert performance! Show starts at 7:30 pm. (kk)

Looks like we've got another one of those great PBS Oldies Concerts to look forward to ... FH Field Reporter Mike Bush just filed this report from Pittsburgh:
HEY KENT!
I'VE BEEN AT THE PBS TAPINGS IN PITTSBURGH AND I HAVE ANOTHER 50 ROLLS OF FILM TO ADD TO MY COLLECTION! IT WAS THREE DAYS OF "HEAVEN ON EARTH". IT WAS GREAT TO MEET SOME PERFORMERS I'VE NEVER MET BEFORE (LA LA BROOKS OF THE CRYSTALS "DA DOO RON RON", DEE DEE SHARP, JACKIE DESHANNON, EDDIE FLOYD, JONATHAN EDWARDS & MANY MORE), BUT IT WAS EVEN BETTER TO SEE A LOT OF SINGERS I HAVEN'T RAN ACROSS IN AWHILE. FINALLY GOT A PIC OF "McGUINN & McGUIRE" TOGETHER, AND BARRY ACTUALLY JOINED OUR ALL NITE HOTEL LOBBY PARTY ON THE LAST DAY AROUND 3 AM, TWO HOURS BEFORE HE WAS SCHEDULED TO LEAVE FOR THE AIRPORT. WHAT A GREAT GUY!! THOSE SHOWS ARE WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD. DAVY JONES WAS A FANTASTIC HOST AS WELL ... EVERYONE WORKING THERE FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM! IT WAS PURE MAGIC. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE FINISHED PRODUCT IN DECEMBER!
MICHAEL G BUSH
Sounds like a fantastic time ... please keep us posted, Mike! (kk)

Hi Kent
Loved this weekends column.
Always the most interesting stories on legendary artists.
My new CD "Favorites" ships next week and will be on Itunes and Amazon.com.
It has songs on there by my favorite groups and artists.
All the best,
Ronnie D.




The first leg of the Happy Together tour ended last night, so today Micky is flying home for the break. As you probably know, Micky has a new CD coming out in late summer. It’s a tribute to Carole King. He has recorded all his favorite Carole tunes, along with some special guests.
Best,
Tom Cuddy
Sounds great ... can't wait to hear it. (I wonder if he's going to resurrect THIS one ... one of MY all-time, overlooked favorites that Micky did an OUTSTANDING job on back in the hey-hey days of The Monkees!) kk



Of course Carole King also wrote the smash Monkees' Hit "Pleasant Valley Sunday". Here's a little more on Micky's CD from "Time Square Gossip":
Gigatone Entertainment, a Sacramento-based next generation entertainment company, has announced that the company is planning to release a new album by Monkees lead singer, MICKY DOLENZ. Scheduled for release on August 24, 2010, the new album entitled KING FOR A DAY is his tribute to the songs of singer / songwriter Carole King.
“To honor Carole King’s body of work has always been a career-long dream come true” said Dolenz. “KING FOR A DAY brings this lifelong vision to reality with 15 classic Carole King songs”.
King was a prominent songwriter for The Monkees, penning a number of memorable hits such as “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “Sometime In The Morning.” Carole King’s prolific songwriting of iconic songs and memorable hits was an important contribution to The Monkees selling over 65 million records worldwide. These songs continue to be played on the radio today and are among the most memorable in popular music.
“We’re very excited to be able to work with Micky in the creation of KING FOR A DAY” said Mitchell Koulouris, CEO of Gigatone Entertainment. “Micky is one of Pop music’s most recognizable voices. Coupling Micky’s great vocal performances with Carole King’s great songs provide an amazing combination for an album that fans will enjoy for years to come.”
The album, recorded in L.A., was produced by Jeffrey Foskett, who has worked extensively with The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, and played on Wilson’s 2004 Grammy-winning album, “Smile.” Dolenz teams up with Bill Medley (The Righteous Brothers) on a track and teen-star Emily Osment (from TV’s “Hannah Montana”) in a duet of the King classic “I Feel The Earth Move.”
Dolenz, who recently returned from a run in the West End production of HAIRSPRAY (as Wilbur Turnblad), is embarking on a summer tour (both with his own band, and as part of the “Happy Together” tour), and will preview the album to select guests and media in several cities. Added Dolenz, “Carole King’s songs have withstood the test of time and continue to resonate like never before. She’s a tremendous artist and songwriter and I'm honored and privileged to perform her work in KING FOR A DAY.”

We'll have more on The Happy Together Tour later this week including an interesting "look back" at these artists, 1960's style, courtesy of FH Reader Clark Besch. Stay tuned! (kk)


According to Billy James of Glass Onyon Promotions, original members James Lowe and Mark Tullin of The Electric Prunes have reformed the band and are in the process of recording a brand new CD ... tour dates to follow. Stay tuned!

Also:
Santana / Journey Legend Gregg Rolie Prepares For Summer Tour
6/7/2010 - Houston, TX - Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Gregg Rolie, best known for his vocals and keyboard work with legendary music groups Santana and Journey, will be playing select dates with his band throughout the summer.

The Gregg Rolie Band will be performing electrifying versions of several Santana classics such as "Evil Ways", "Black Magic Woman" "Soul Sacrifice", "Jingo" and "No One To Depend On" as well as tracks from Rolie's previous effort 'Roots' and new songs. The Gregg Rolie Band consists of Adrian Areas (son of original Santana percussionist Jose Chepito Areas) on Timbales, drummer Ron Wikso (who was also in The Storm), Elliot "Toby" Borrero on congas, Kurt Griffey on guitars, internationally acclaimed bassist, Chapman Stick artist and Santana alumni Alphonso Johnson and former Jean Luc Ponty keyboardist Wally Minko.

As you might imagine from his work with Santana and Journey, Gregg is no stranger to great musicianship. Given his experience and his desire to make the music the best it can be, he has chosen some of the best musicians in the world to bring his band and its music to life. Gregg was determined to resurrect the sound he helped shape and make famous as Santana's original lead singer and keyboard player, while at the same time bringing it forward to the 21st century. To do that required finding just the right mix of experience, musicianship and chemistry. Having worked with some of the biggest names in music over the years and having toured the world many times over, these musicians have the skills to interpret this music in the way it is meant to be interpreted, as Gregg so intimately knows. “The band is great, because we all really enjoy each other and I think the sound reflects the fun we are having," Gregg recently told Voices of Latin Rock. "We subtitle the band; Gregg Rolie Band ... 'Santana - the way you remember it.' ”

The Gregg Rolie Band will be performing on the following dates:

Jun 17 - Thurs - 05:00 PM - City Park, Albany, NY

Jun 18 - Fri - 08:00 PM - BB King's Club, New York, NY

Jun 19 - Sat - 08:00 PM - Mohegan Sun Wolf Den, Uncasville, CT

Jun 20 - Sun - 08:00 PM - Hershey Park, Hershey, PA

Jun 21 - Mon - 08:00 PM - Ram's Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD

Jun 22 - Tues - 07:30 PM - Jaxx Nite Club, Springfield, VA

Jun 25 - Fri - 08:00 PM - Lakeside Amphitheater, Lakeside, OH

Jul 09 - Fri - 05:00 PM - Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruz, CA

Jul 23 - Fri - 08:00 PM - Meadowbrook Park, Hamden, CT

Sep 03 - Fri - 07:00 PM - Wind River Casino, Riverton, WY

For tour information go to: www.greggrolie.com/tour.html

Most recently Gregg Rolie has caused a flurry of excitement amongst the music press with the release of his latest CD 'Rain Dance". This live CD captures Gregg and his all-star band performing at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in 2007. The music press and fans alike have been raving about the new CD and have even compared Rolie's band to that of the original Santana group, in which Rolie was a founding member.

"The reviews have been great," says Gregg. "The band and I are anxious to get out on the road and play as many cities as possible in 2010, 2011, 2012 and so on ..."

Gregg Rolie's 'Rain Dance' CD is available through CD Baby. For more information visit the official website: http://www.greggrolie.com/
We gave the "live" CD a rave review a few weeks ago ... highly recommended! And if they happen to add a stop in Chicago to the tour list, please let us know ... we would LOVE to be there! (kk)

BLUE ROAD / BLUES FESTIVAL WEEKEND
Friday June 11 Reggie's Music Joint
Opening for grammy-winning harp player Sugar Blue
(played on the Stones "Miss You")
Doors open at 7 pm, Blue Road set time approximate between 9:30 and 11 p.m., followed by Sugar Blue

Saturday June 12 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL -
Grant Park Front Porch Stage - FREE

Ramblin' Rose with the Blue Road Band
featuring Jimy Rogers, Gary Gand, Joan Gand, Steve Nevets and Joel Treadwell
Bring the kids!

And, speaking of The Chicagoland Blues Festival ...
CHICAGO BLUES REUNION ON
BLUESFEST STAGE & SILVER SCREEN
Barry Goldberg, Nick Gravenites, Harvey Mandel, Corky Siegel with Sam Lay and Charlie Musselwhite Headline Chicago Blues Festival - Sunday, June 13
White, Black & Blues Work-In Progress Documentary Screens - Monday, June 14
Chicago Blues Reunion, the band of original, second-generation blues players who spread the message of the blues from their musical forefathers on Chicago’s south side to the rock world in the ‘60s, will be bringing it all back home this month to “Sweet Home Chicago.”

The band — whose nucleus is Barry Goldberg, Nick Gravenites, Harvey Mandel and Corky Siegel — will be playing at the Petrillo Music Shell, Chicago Blues Festival’s main stage on Sunday June 13th at 7 PM. These native Chicagoans, who learned their craft at the feet of blues masters such as Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and others, will be joined by two very special guests who have long been associated with the great tradition of authentic Chicago electric blues: Charlie Musselwhite and Sam Lay with backing from Rick Reed and Gary Mallaber.


Goldberg, Gravenites, Mandel, Siegel, Musselwhite and Lay, along with such notables as Steve Miller, Jack White, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Marshall Chess and others are part of White, Black & Blues, a feature-length documentary from filmmaker John Anderson that is nearing completion. A rough cut of the film will be screened for an invited audience including CBR members on Monday, June 14th at Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash, in Chicago. The screening will be preceded by a reception for the musicians and guests at 7 PM and will be followed by a Q and A session. Underwriting White, Black & Blues has been a three-year labor of love for Chicago’s own Out The Box Records and the company’s managing partners Timm Martin, Chris Stewart, and Bert Moreno.


White, Black & Blues chronicles the cultural fusion of the 1960's that brought middle-class white kids to inner city blues joints where they were, against all odds, accepted by their idols who, in essence, mentored them during a time when racial boundaries were only just starting to crumble. This small group which included Paul Butterfield, Michael Bloomfield, Steve Miller, and Elvin Bishop, as well as Gravenites, Goldberg, Mandel, Siegel and Musselwhite, sought out their musical heroes and ultimately established working relationships with them. In England, a similar phenomenon was taking place as the records by those original blues greats such as Muddy, Wolf, B.B., and Little Walter, were snapped up by future members of The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Kinks, The Animals, and The Who, among others. The result was a worldwide “bluesquake” the roots of which can be directly traced back to Chicago’s rough and tumble club scene and the giants of the genre who, crossing racial and generational lines, took the young players they had so inspired under their wing. White, Black & Blues tells that story.


About the CBR principals and guests:

Barry Goldberg (Hammond B-3) was a fixture on the 60’s Chicago blues scene dating from his teen years. He co-founded The Goldberg-Miller Blues Band, went on to form The Barry Goldberg Blues Band, recorded the seminal Two Jews Blues with Michael Bloomfield, and co-founded The Electric Flag. Along the way, he’s written hit songs for Rod Stewart and Gladys Knight, backed up Bob Dylan at Newport, worked with Phil Spector and The Ramones, produced a Grammy-nominated album for Percy Sledge, and scored numerous films and TV shows.
Nick Gravenites (vocals / guitar) wrote the anthemic and largely autobiographical “Born In Chicago” that was the Butterfield Blues Band’s signature song as well as "Buried Alive in the Blues" one of CBR’s signature songs that was originally intended for Janis Joplin who died the day before she was scheduled to record it. He co-founded The Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield and Barry Goldberg, and recorded as a solo artist for Columbia Records.
Harvey Mandel (guitar) is considered by many critics to be one of the best electric guitarists in the country. He’s recorded with The Rolling Stones, was a member of Canned Heat—who were featured in the landmark music film, Woodstock—and toured with British blues icon John Mayall. As a soloist and as a band member, his musical pedigree is legendary.
Corky Siegel (harmonica / vocals) is the co-founder of The Siegel-Schwall Band that included Sam Lay, and has earned an international reputation as one of the top blues harp masters with 18 recordings. He is the creator of the award-winning Chamber Blues project whose music transcends genres and categorization.
If it happened in Chicago, Sam Lay (drums / vocals) was there. This Zelig-like icon of electric blues has played with Little Walter, Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and was there with Barry Goldberg backing up Bob Dylan at Newport, as well as appearing on his 61 Revisited album. He has performed and recorded with Chicago Blues Reunion in the past, most prominently on the 2005 CD and DVD release Buried Alive In The Blues. Sam Lay has been inducted into The Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame and received the organization's Howlin' Wolf Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Like his forebears, Charlie Musselwhite (harmonica / vocals), made the journey from his Mississippi birthplace to Memphis and on to Chicago where he emerged as one of the most lauded bluesmen of the late 1960's. Over the course of his remarkably eclectic career during which he released over 20 albums, he has collected the Blues Foundation's W.C. Handy Award no fewer than 18 times, was honored with six GRAMMY® nominations, and was awarded the Mississippi Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. His native state erected a Blues Trail Marker on the square of Kosciusko, Mississippi, his birthplace.

About John Anderson:
John Anderson is an Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated Executive Producer, Director, and Editor whose work has aired on PBS, A&E, MTV, VH1, Showtime, Cinemax, HBO, FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, MuchMusic, BBC, The Oprah Winfrey Show, NOVA, and others. He was nominated for a GRAMMY® for his direction of Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE, the platinum-selling DVD release from Warner Brothers / Rhino Home Video. The live performance DVD, which Wilson hailed as “a masterpiece,” marked Anderson’s fourth DVD collaboration with the former Beach Boys leader, following Imagination, Brian Wilson On Tour, and Pet Sounds Live In London. Over the course of his career, Anderson has worked on projects with such music greats as Pete Townshend, Neil Young, Ray Davies, Patti Smith, Kanye West, John Fogerty, Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Green Day, Jeff Tweedy, Fountains of Wayne, Sheryl Crow, John Prine, Steve Miller, Brian McKnight, Jackson Browne, Eric Clapton, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Charlie Musselwhite, Arlo Guthrie, Dave Mason, Tiny Tim, Todd Rundgren, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, John Cage, Roger McGuinn, Tom Jones, Steve Goodman, Phil Ochs, Marcy Levy, Neil Innes, David Bromberg, Mike Smith of The Dave Clark 5, and The Residents. He won a 2008-2009 Midwest Emmy for his work as Executive Producer of CPS Right Now! a bi-weekly television newsmagazine he created for Chicago Public Schools. Current projects include White, Black & Blues, My Friend Tiny Tim, and Making of Van Ghost. More info about John Anderson and White Black & Blues:
www.thisisandersonproductions.com/JustIn.html
Check
http://www.otbrecordsevents.com/ for Chicago Blues Reunion / White Black & Blues updates.
To whet your appetite, we strongly suggest you check out the trailer:
http://thisisandersonproductions.com/Video/WhiteBlackBlues.html
Bob Merlis / Merlis For Hire

We've been telling you about RockCon for months now ... a "can't miss" event to be sure. And now comes word regarding ANOTHER unbelievable East Coast get-together! Check THIS out:
Click here: Super Mega Show Home
Hi Kent:Wasn't sure if you were aware of this Mega Show that features appearances fromsome FH favorites!
Tom Cuddy
Looks like another INCREDIBLE show ... wish we could be there! (kk)

Interesting story about Nigel Pickering, co-founder of Spanky and Our Gang - and info about an upcoming concert:

http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-06-08/spanky-our-gang-honor-member

And: Melanie is performing here in Nashville soon in a flood-relief benefit concert. See photo. David Lewis



And don't forget, Saturday Night Elton John is playing at Rush Limbaugh's wedding!!! (What, you didn't get an invitation?!?!?) A MILLION BUCKS!!! To be the Wedding Singer?!?! (What, Adam Sandler wasn't available? For a WHOLE lot less money?!?!?) Unfrickinbelievable!!! (kk)

Monday, June 7, 2010

More Of Your Radio Comments

As promised, here are a few more of your recent radio comments:

re: GENERAL RADIO COMMENTS:
Gentlemen,
This is my second e-mail to you since I discovered your website some two or three days ago. This Memorial Day Weekend let me tell you some of my opinions, as well as others here in the Oklahoma City area, on the status of oldies radio. I am sure that my opinion, as well as others here in OKC, are the same of your other readers.
People are getting tired of hearing the same oldies over and over and over again. Over and over and over! Sounds like a good title for a song from someone like Bobby Day, Thurston Harris or even maybe the Dave Clark 5. Having been with an oldies radio station for not quite some 20 years, the frustration is being consulted by a person or persons which you have never seen or met. Person or persons who live thousands of miles away from your station and are telling you how to program or what oldies to play for your listeners. I have had people tell me that they are getting tired of hearing Mary Wells' MY GUY over and over again, Johnny Cash's RING OF FIRE, just to name two. These artists had other records than those being played. Granted they may not have been top 10, 20, maybe 30 or 40 records, but they were records that made the charts, (radio surveys here in OKC) and people would remember them. It goes back to the age demographic of 25-64. I won't get into that because you know what I am talking about as far as radio and television are concerned.
Many years ago I did take part in an Arbitron survey for television. This Memorial Day Weekend, our oldies station is having a top 500 countdown of the top 500 oldies. It used to be that they would have listeners phone and / or write in to make suggestions. Not so any more. I don't know nowadays how they come up with these songs in order. Years ago you could count on the top 3 being IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT, OH PRETTY WOMAN, maybe THE TWIST. Not anymore. All fifties songs have been dropped. The only 60's songs you hear are those that have been "tested well" by those consultants.
Going on to another subject ... One thing that has fascinated me through the years were records that were very big locally here in OKC but failed to chart nationally (Billboard's Hot 100). This turned out to be true in every market. Turntable hits as some called them.Through the years there have been very few records which made it to number one here in OKC but never charted nationally. For example, Freddie Scott (HEY GIRL - 1963) had a record in 1961 on JOY records called LOST THE RIGHT which went to number one on top 40 radio station 930 WKY. People have told me some sort of payola was involved. I don't know. When that record came out, I was a young teenager and didn't know what payola was. If anyone should happen to ask me how I know if a record went to number one here in OKC, I tell them I have a good memory and if they can read, I will show them the actual radio survey for the week in question. In addition to the records which I have here at home, I have a copy of 930 WKY's weekly top 40 record surveys for the period of August 1958 up through 1979 when they were quit being printed. At that time I switched over to KOFM-FM 104 which had taken over the top 40 radio station. I have a weekly survey list of theirs until they quit printing them. I like to think I have a written history of what music or records were played here in OKC from the late fifties up through the mid eighties.I used to miss hearing the almost hits, obscure records etc. on the radio nowadays. Still do for that matter. But to be honest with you, I don't care anymore because if during the day I think of or see something that reminds me of a record that I havenot heard in years, I will get it out when I get home and play it. The key word in that sentence is record, not CD, tape, cassette, etc.
One final thing. I used to do two specialized shows for an oldies station here in OKC but they were taken off the air. If I wanted to read between the lines, the consultants from back East took them off. The shows did very well in the ratings. I was told from a DJ friend of mine years ago to copy the Arbitrons' rating for the time period you were on. I did and still have them. Like I said, consultants have their way. I had a consultant tell me years ago that the station he was helping to program was paying him $40,000 per year for his services. He said he would be paid whether or not they took his advice.
Thanks for allowing me at vent my frustration, pardon me, the listeners frustrations, on the status of oldies radio not only here in OKC but elsewhere.
Yours truly,
Larry N. Boyington, aka Larry Neal,
former curator of the Wax Museum on the big 1520 KOMA
Our frustration with the narrow playlists and never-ending repetition of oldies radio seems to be the common thread that runs through ALL of our Forgotten Hits readers ... we've been pushing the deejays to push the envelope now for eleven years now and, slowly but surely, we HAVE seen oldies radio improve somewhat during that time. (Of course, the ever-growing variety offered on Internet, Satellite and Wi-Fi have really taken this to another level, too ... we don't have to rely on just terrestrial radio anymore to get our musical fix! One would think that terrestrial radio would pick up on this and get themselves back in the game ... but we're repeatedly told by the "powers that be" that this isn't what the listeners really want to hear ... to which WE reply, "Interesting perspective, guys
... then why are you losing so many listeners to these other options?!?!?")
There is also a lot to be said for the "local feel" of a radio station. That's impossible to convey through any of these syndicated, voice-tracked shows because they have to appeal to the whole "generic" country rather than focus on any of the local and regional hits. This is why we get really excited when we see somebody like Jeff James at Y103.9 devote an entire hour of his program to playing nothing but local Chicagoland music from the '60's and '70's. (More on this later.)
We are always happy to promote programs that play more than the same 200-300 "tried and true" oldies that the so-called experts all seem to believe are the ONLY songs most people want to hear when, in fact, they insult the listeners' intelligence on a daily basis by drumming these same songs into our heads over and over and over again. Forgotten Hits owes its very existence (and constant growth) to the concept that we really CAN handle more than oldies radio typically has to offer. (We really DO remember these songs ... we grew up and fell in love with them ... and little by little, you're slowly burning us up ... and turning us off ... by playing these same "time-tested, proven oldies" over and over and over again!)
As for your local, regional hits, this, too, has been an on-going topic in Forgotten Hits. For years now we've done a feature called "Show Me Your Hits", spotlighting songs that were big hits in one specific area of the country yet barely made a dent on the national music scene. I would LOVE to do a week-long spotlight feature on Oklahoma ... and, if you have the chart information to back this up, would ask that you pick out 6-10 examples, send me copies of the charts (and, most likely, the tracks since I probably won't have them in my collection if they never charted nationally) and let's put together a week-long series! (We just did a short mini-feature on Wisconsin a while back on the website.) In fact, I would love to get copies of ALL of your local charts. As a survey collector myself, I have all the WLS and WCFL Surveys from the 1960's to the 1980's and LOVE looking at charts from other parts of the country to see what was big where.
Thanks for writing ... and I'm glad that you're enjoying Forgotten Hits. Hope we can pull together an Oklahoma Local Hits Series! (kk)

Hi KK,
I would love to send you some information and copies of surveys I have in which records were very big here in the OKC area but weren't nationally. I think you would be surprised on what I will send you. Are you in Chicago I assume? Would you believe last night here at home I played Don Shirley's 1961 recording on Cadence Records WATERBOY. It went to number one here in OKC. Not big nationally. I do not know this for a fact, but I was told it made it to number one there in Chicago on WLS. Speaking of, back in the late 60's, when the atmospheric conditions were right, I could listen to Art Roberts on WLS with "Hey Baby, They're Playing Our Song" One final thing. Oldies radio stations nowadays playing and stressing songs from the 70's is like the same song, same verse. They are playing the same 150-200 songs over and over again. There is nothing wrong with the songs being played, but just the repetition.
Larry
"Waterboy" didn't make it to #1 ... but it DID reach #7 on the WLS Silver Dollar Survey. And I have to agree with you ... it's not that radio is playing bad songs ... they're GOOD songs ... they've just worn them out for us ... we NEED more variety ... it's reached the point where ANY song off the regular play list is a welcome delight ... even a song I can't STAND ... simply because it IS different. (These radio stations that advertise "you never know what we're going to play next" would do well to make that "next" song more of a surprise ... what we call those "WOW!" factor songs ... instead of something that you just know they were going to play in the next hour anyway!!!)

Again, hope we can pull the Local Hits Series together ... I'm pumped and ready to go! (kk)

Thanx for including my question on your website. I should have mentioned that your subscribers might enjoy my podcasts of old tv and radio commercials ... it's at stolfpod.podbean.com. I'm sure you know this already but I just found out that google books has Billboard, all the way back to the 40s ... woof! ... I barely know what to search for first!
-- stolf

Yes, in fact Joel Whitburn, who publishes all of these Billboard titles through his Record Research company, is a regular contributor to our list. The books are absolutely "Must Haves" for ANYBODY who follows the charts ... or wants to keep track of how their favorite songs performed on the most important chart in the country ... Billboard truly IS the music bible! (kk)


Is the Internet the "new" AM Radio of today? Lots more variety ... nowhere NEAR the playlist restrictions ... a chance for REAL personalities to shine ... we've been listening to more Internet Radio these past few years than ever before. Here's a recent article to support this theory: http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/radio-251729-digital-schiller.html

I'm glad I am not the only one who loves "I've Never Been To Me". Someone introduced me to it about four years ago. I understand it gained fame in the "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" movie.
Eileen

Whoa!!!! I never meant to imply in ANY fashion that anybody out there actually LOVES "I've Never Been To Me"!!! (lol) It just may be one of the most-hated songs of all time!!! I've never seen "Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert", but a quick check of IMDB shows that the Charlene track does, in fact, appear in the film. So do OTHER cringe-inducing tracks like "Billy, Don't Be A Hero", "I Will Survive", "Go West" (the Village People song), "I Love The Night Life" and a couple of ABBA tunes. (kk)

>>>Running Memorial Day Weekend on CBS-FM in New York ... The Top 500 Artists. (Frank B.)
Here's the Top 25 of the Top 500 Artists of All-Time (60's // 70's // 80's )
25 = Bob Seger
24 = Temptations
23 = Three Dog Night
22 = Marvin Gaye
21 = Madonna
20 = Paul Mc Cartney
19 = Prince
18 = Bee Gees
17 = Supremes
16 = Rod Stewart
15 = Hall & Oates
14 = Steve Miller Band
13 = Beach Boys
12 = Doobie Brothers
11 = Stevie Wonder
10 = Chicago
9 = Fleetwood Mac
8 = Creedence Clearwater Revival
7 = Billy Joel
6 = Rolling Stones
5 = Michael Jackson
4 = Eagles
3 = Elton John
2 = Elvis
1 = Beatles
It's amazing to me . They left out the 50's (all of Elvis' big hits). Yet Elvis still comes in at #2. If they included the 50's & left out the 60's, do you think the Beatles would've done as well as Elvis did? I say no. What do you say?
Frank B.
Sadly, for the most part, radio has forgotten all about the '50's ... the biggest hits of Elvis' career are ignored now. (I keep reminding the deejays ... his career did not start with "Suspicious Minds" and end with "Burning Love" ... yet those are about the ONLY two Elvis songs you hear on the radio anymore ... and they play those two to death!!!) Or, worse yet, you get the 2002 remix of "A Little Less Conversation" ... how on earth is THAT considered an oldie?!?!? This song completely BOMBED the first time around! (#69 in 1968) 'cause NOBODY played it! Yet now the "remix" seems to be an oldies radio staple. And this is ESPECIALLY disturbing when you consider the fact that "A Little Less Conversation" is receiving regular airplay at the expense of ignoring legtimate, CLASSIC Elvis hits like "Heartbreak Hotel", "Hound Dog", "Don't Be Cruel", "Jailhouse Rock" and the 120 OTHER songs he placed on The Billboard Chart before 1969!!! Billboard seems to have adopted this same philosophy by re-naming the biggest hits of "The Hot 100 Era", which began in 1958, rather than the previously established "Rock Era" launched in 1955 ... thus eliminating at least 30 of Elvis' early hits, including nearly a dozen #1's!!! There wouldn't be rock and roll oldies to feature from the '60's and '70's were it not for early artists like Elvis, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Chuck Berry and so many others.
For the record, Joel Whitburn updates HIS list of The Top 500 Artists every time he publishes a new edition of his "Top Pop Singles" Book ... and HIS point system takes into account an artists' entire Rock Era career. Concentrating only on the 1955 - 1979 artists (as we most often do here in Forgotten Hits ... although if their career extended beyond 1979, those points are also included in these totals) Whitburn's official Top 25 Artists are:
1 - ELVIS PRESLEY
2 - THE BEATLES (nearly 4000 points behind The King Of Rock And Roll ... just as you expected they would be!)
3 - ELTON JOHN
4 - STEVIE WONDER
5 - JAMES BROWN
6 - THE ROLLING STONES
7 - ARETHA FRANKLIN
8 - PAT BOONE (Good luck finding any of HIS music on the radio anymore ... although Scott Shannon DID feature "Love Letters In The Sand" as a Cheezy-Easy Listening Song last week ... and once again professed his affection for one of MY First 45's, "Speedy Gonzales"!!!)
9 - ROD STEWART
10 - MARVIN GAYE
(We eliminated Madonna, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston to arrive at this Top Ten since their biggest chart success came after 1979. Watch for Mariah Carey to move ahead of The Beatles into the #2 spot by the time this chart is next updated. WHAT?!?!? Mariah Carey was BIGGER than The Beatles?!?!? Honestly, NOBODY was bigger than Elvis and The Beatles ... but long-lasting careers ... and significantly longer "char life" for their releases ... by Mariah, Madonna and even Elton John have poised these artists to move ahead of The Fab Four in the not-too-distant future! Could ANYBODY ... other than possibly Michael Jackson ... truly deserve the high-ranking honor of holding down the #3 spot???)
11 - PAUL McCARTNEY
12 - RAY CHARLES
13 - THE BEACH BOYS
14 - CHICAGO
15 - THE TEMPTATIONS
16 - RICKY NELSON
17 - FATS DOMINO
18 - THE SUPREMES
19 - NEIL DIAMOND
20 - CONNIE FRANCIS
(Thus reinforcing our ongoing bitch that HUGE artists like Pat Boone, Chicago, Neil Diamond and Connie Francis are still being ignored by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame!)
21 - THE BEE GEES
22 - FRANK SINATRA (Odds are HE'S never gonna make it either!!!)
23 - PAUL ANKA
24 - DIONNE WARWICK
25 - THE FOUR SEASONS
Where do some of these other artists fall on Whitburn's list?
Bob Seger (#82), Three Dog Night (#100), Madonna (#4, but considered too new for our list), Prince (#17, also "too new"), Hall and Oates (#35), Steve Miller Band (#218 ... how the heck did THESE guys make The Top 25?!?!?), Doobie Brothers (#136), Fleetwood Mac (#102), Creedence Clearwater Revival (#184), Billy Joel (#34), Michael Jackson (#8 but we ruled him out as "too new" to include) and The Eagles (#99). Seems to me that any artist that's off by more than 100 points really doesn't deserve Top 25 status on CBS-FM's list ... because then it's just a popularity contest, not a chart-ranking! (kk)

re: WINDY CITY @ 6:

I tried listening to the new Chicagoland Oldies show you told us about (Jeff James' Windy City @ 6 Program on Y103.9 - kk) but I don't know that I'll be back - other than a couple of nice surprises by groups like the Ides of March, the American Breed and Chicago, I didn't recognize much of anything else. Even at only an hour, that's a long stretch to listen to music you've never heard (or heard of) before. Just not my cup of tea I'm afraid.
Rita

I've tuned in to Jeff James' new Windy City @ 6 program every night this week, hoping for the best --- and have come away with one conclusion --- the reason most of these songs didn't make it on the radio in the first place is because they flat out suck!!! I haven't heard anything even remotely resembling a "hit commercial sound" yet (other than the obvious tracks we already know by the Cryan' Shames, the Buckinghams, the New Colony Six, etc, etc, etc.) These other bands never had a chance of developing an audience -- their music just wasn't happening. And to devote such a large part of the program to playing material that nobody knows and nobody cares about most certainly spells the kiss of death in my book. Great idea -- but poorly executed -- I wonder what the big guns at the station are thinking right now -- kinda like putting Leno on five nights a week at 9 pm!
Rick
Jeff told me it took him four years to sell the big wigs on putting this show on the air ... and I think you're right ... it DOES play better on paper than it does in practicality. That being said, I STILL say there's a solution ... but it'll involve some compromise. I, too, have tuned it to at least part of the show every night ... and come away bewildered by much of what I've heard ... just TOO many songs that aren't recognizable and, as such, we don't yet have any affection for. And you're right, for the most part, it just isn't commercial sounding and won't hold much appeal to a mass audience. Simply put, just because it came from Chicago DOESN'T mean it was any good! I say pare it down ... concentrate on the stuff that you REALLY believe in ... stuff that you think the audience will best respond to ... and then do a "Jeff's Picks" segment once every half hour ... introduce us to a song we mostly likely haven't heard before ... but will want to hear again ... and fill the REST of the hour with the material we grew up loving here in The Windy City. I will say this ... Jeff James plays, WITHOUT QUESTION, the best selection of oldies variety on commercial radio today ... listen to the All Request Live Drive at 5 and you will come away amazed on a daily basis by some of what he's chosen for his listeners ... ALL bona fide hits that haven't been played on the radio in YEARS ... DECADES!!! There is NO doubt in my mind that he's on to something here ... I just think he may have pushed the envelope a little TOO far out of the box on this Chicago Rock thing. However, there is no denying his passion for this music ... and we commend him for giving us the local programming slant ... let's face it, other than the occassional tributes on Bob Stroud's "Rock And Roll Roots" program, nobody ELSE in town seems as interested in promoting our Chicagoland musical heritage ... and that includes WLS, which aired all of this great music the first time around! (kk)

Thank you SO much for turning me on to Y103.9's Windy City @ 6 Program ... I LOVE IT!!! These are many of the artists that we used to flock (pun intended) to see in the clubs back in the day who never got their due on the radio with a hit record. Three cheers for Jeff James for digging deep into his personal collection to bring us some tracks that I'd venture to say very few people have ever heard before. I'm a transplanted Chicagoan, but I grew up in The Windy City in the '60's and '70's, and I am LOVING this new show. Jeff, please know that you've now got a loyal listener all the way out in Colorado listening to you every night. And thanks again to Forgotten Hits for telling us all about it.
Jerry

Remember how excited you were when you made that rare garage-sale record find, and you had to tell all your friends and have them listen?
Remember how your friends may have listened politely, but they really didn't care?
I checked out Y103's "Windy City at 6" this evening and I'm afraid that's where this show is headed. Which is a shame because that show comes thisclose to being an excellent oldies program. It was great to hear Roller Coaster, Car Hop, Midnight Hour by the Messengers and the all-time highest charting Chicago hit (#2) that did not chart at all on the Hot 100 (not even bubbling under) I Need Love by Peoria's Third Booth. But a large part of the show was songs that did not even scrape the bottom of the Chicago charts. Definitely a cause for tuning out by the mainstream audience.
Here's my suggestion. Get Ron Smith's WLS and WCFL books and take about 95% (give or take) of your program from these books. If the bulk of your show is music that was actually a hit in Chicago, your audience may indulge you the occasional garage-sale find. I would hate to see this show go under. I enjoyed the uncharted obscurities, but there were just too many for me, and I'm a 60's-Chicago-music geek. I shudder to think how a normal person would react.
Ed Erxleben
I think we're speaking the same language here, Ed ... and I really do believe that if presented in smaller doses, the average listener will indulge a complete obscurity from time to time ... but Jeff needs to concentrate on the WINNERS ... don't feel the need to play EVERYTHING just because you have these rare records in your collection ... be a bit more discriminating ... look at this as the opportunity twice a night to introduce us to something that'll knock our socks off. I say kudos to Jeff James for making one segment of his program ALL about Chicago ... there's really nothing else like this on the radio anymore, with SUCH a "local feel" ... we truly did have our own sound back then and I have always maintained that this music fit right in alongside the biggest hits of the day ... but I'm referring to the HITS!!! (kk)


When I told Jeff James about the type of feedback we'd been receiving so far regarding his new program, he had this to say:
In regards to the obscure tracks - - - I have been listening after the first couple days and yep - adjusted the list but as far as response = fantastic! People have been asking for the obscure stuff and before I began posting the playlists, they had been asking what song was that - - where can I get this song - what was that - have not heard that one ever but I have to get it, etc, etc, etc.
Like anything new, this will take some time and there will always be some tweaking -- but between you and me - once corporate gave me the green light - you know me - I was like a kid in the candy store.

It's still a work in progress but I am lovin every minute of it!
Jeff James
You can find that list, telling you which songs he has been featuring on the program, on the brand new, special Windy City @ 6 Page on the Y103.9 website ... all the details here:
Click here: The Windy City @ 6 - Y103.9
You'll ALSO find a "Listen Live" link on the website ... allowing you to draw your own conclusions! Keep rockin', Jeff!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

The Sunday Comments ( 06 - 06 - 10 )

Another king-sized dose of comments ...

re: RADIO NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Very special thanks to Ron Smith (www.oldiesmusic.com) for tipping us off about these three major radio stories this weekend! (We'll have more of your radio-related comments tomorrow in Forgotten Hits ... but these three were pretty big deals so we wanted to get the word out to you right away!)

I have to admit that I was quite shocked, surprised (and VERY disappointed) to hear that Hit Parade Radio was already throwing in the towel. We were SO pleased and optimistic when we first heard that somebody was taking the bull by the horns and programming radio for OUR demographic. Obviously, we did our fair share of helping to spread the word about this new radio format ... but it is SO hard in this economy to make ANYTHING work, let alone a start-up business. And you couldn't have had more talent attached to this than they did. Here's the sad, sad news:
HIT PARADE RADIO IS OVER
Written by Larz
Friday, 04 June 2010 18:30
Normally summer is a good time for parades, but not for Hit Parade Radio. The radio syndicator / Internet radio station announced this afternoon that it is ceasing all operations this weekend, as of Noon on Sunday. Hit Parade Radio never really got off the ground. The long-anticipated 24/7 Oldies Radio Network created by veteran WLS & WCFL programmer John Rook, and featuring Chicago's "Superjock," Larry Lujack, was supposed to launch last summer. Instead, numerous delays and canceled launch dates followed. For many months, it was only available online via their website. A few months ago, HPR had what they termed a "soft launch" with their network available on Clear Channel Satellite and on a handful of very small markets' radio stations.The station's lineup was in a constant state of flux, with Lujack being moved from mornings to afternoons, new names added often, DJs sharing the same shift (which meant their automated software, playing the pre-taped DJs segments was not working properly), and plenty of behind-the-scenes problems. The company itself was sold a couple of months back to Earthworks Entertainment. A few weeks ago, DJ Wink Martindale abandoned ship. There was never the big marketing push it needed, nor was there any demand for a competitor to Scott Shannon's "True Oldies Station" Network.Operations Director, Vic Thomas, who himself was just hired just over a week ago, made the sad announcement today that due to a lack of funding, Hit Parade Radio was dead as of this coming Sunday June 6th. In a letter to the few affiliates, Thomas wrote, "It all comes down to money, and over the last couple of weeks, for various reasons, our major funding sources have gone away, including Harris Broadcasting, who decided not to move forward." He added, "Whatever the causes, we gave it our best shot."

This is extra sad, since Sunday is Larry Lujack's 70th birthday.
-- Ron Smith

Since we certainly did our part to help spread the word about Hit Parade Radio ... and really embraced the concept of programming dedicated to OUR generation ... I asked John Rook for an "official" statement that we could pass along to our readers. Instead he sent me a much more "personal" note and I salute him for it:
Early on, the original funding for Hit Parade Radio pulled away when Music of Your Life claimed they had the rights to the name and filed for a trademark. A federal lawsuit was filed proving the name Hit Parade Radio had been used by me since the mid-1960's.
By fall, Music of Your Life apologized and withdrew any claim to the name Hit Parade Radio. However, by this time economic conditions had brought on bankruptcy for not only broadcast interests nationally but many major companies including the automotive businesses and hundreds of banks. Securing start up funding in December allowed Hit Parade Radio to finally offer satellite delivery in the first quarter of 2010.
Larry Lujack's greatest success in the Chicago ratings was when I slotted him in aternoons at both WLS and WCFL. When we learned that many radio affiliates nationally wanted their mornings to originate locally although they were interested in syndication for the remainder of the day and night, it was my decision to place our two biggest names, Wink Martindale in mid days and Larry Lujack in afternoons. We added long time KLUV programmer Chuck Brinkman in the mornings for those few stations still carrying syndication in the mornings. Ron Foster, a veteran of more than 20 years with satellite music network was added at night.
Within two months we were being carried on two dozen small market AM stations. However, with most of radio now owned by the same company that supplies syndication, we found very few openings for Hit Parade Radio, a lone syndication company. Though both Wink and Larry have major track records in radio, most of the decision makers of today are in their forties and have limited knowledge of radio except for the past 20 years maximum.
All signs indicate a dismal economic future not only for radio but for almost all industries. The internet is the future for the programming normally heard on AM / FM.
The music of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame will soon return to being heard on Wi-Fi and the internet. The Hit Parade Hall of Fame (

www.hitparadehalloffame.org) will continue as it has for the past four years.
I hope this gives your readers the full story on Hit Parade Radio, Kent.
Thank you for your long established support of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
John Rook


re: AND THE END OF ANOTHER RADIO ERA:

Dr. Demento has announced the end of his syndicated radio program: http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/640-dr-demento-ends-his-40-year-old-radio-show

-- Ron Smith
OMG ... I hope this isn't some sort of John Rook solidarity jesture on Dr. Demento's part!!! Although I haven't listened to his program in years, I was a long-time fan of the Good Doctor ... FH List Member Ed Andrews first turned me on to his program way back in the early '70's. (In fact, Dr. Demento was just about to celebrate his 40th anniversary on the air!) I have a number of his shows on tape (as well as all his Greatest Hits CDs and LPs.) Sounds like he will continue streaming from his own website ... the wave of the future apparently for ALL out of work jocks these days. Dr. Demento (Barry Hansen) has participated with Forgotten Hits a few times over the years, most notably letting us know that Jerry Samuels (aka Napoleon XIV of "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haa!" fame) was still alive and well when rumors were circulating a few years back that Samuels had passed. (kk)

re: NEW RADIO OPTIONS:
Meanwhile, how cool is this?!?!?
Ron Smith just sent me a link for "Chicago Radio" Online ... featuring the familiar voices of Clark Weber, Fred Winston, Tommy Edwards, Scotty Brink, Mitch Michaels, Sky Daniels, Patti Haze, Doug Dahlgren ... and more to come! You can check it all out right here:
Click here: Chicago Radio Online More details as they become more available ... so stay tuned! (kk)

re: PAUL McCARTNEY:
Macca made big news again this past week when he appeared at The White House to receive the Gershwin Award from President Obama. We heard he also serenaded The First Lady with a little bit of "Michelle" ... followed by The Jonas Brothers (who sang an excellent, rockin' version of "Drive My Car".) McCartney was then joined by Stevie Wonder and the two music icons performed their #1 Hit "Ebony And Ivory" together ... probably the first (and only) live performance of that tune EVER!!! (Stevie also performed the McCartney tune "We Can Work It Out", a Top 15 Chart Hit for Wonder back in 1971.)


Click here: YouTube - Jonas, Wonder and Obama Tribute to McCartney

McCartney's complete White House set list included:
Paul McCartney - "Got To Get You Into My Life"
Stevie Wonder - "WeCan Work It Out"
Jonas Brothers - "Drive My Car"
Emmylou Harris - "For No One"
Jack White - "Mother Nature's Son"
Corinne Bailey Rae and Herbie Hancock - "Blackbird"
Faith Hill - "The Long and Winding Road"
Elvis Costello - "Penny Lane"
Dave Grohl - "Band on the Run"
Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder - "Ebony and Ivory"
Paul McCartney - "Michelle"
Paul McCartney - "Eleanor Rigby"
Paul McCartney - "Let It Be"
Paul McCartney - "Hey Jude"

Meanwhile, Sir Paul also announced a few more tour dates:
Thursday, July 15th - The Pepsi Center / Denver
Saturday, July 24th - Sprint Center / Kansas City
Saturday, August 8th - Air Canada Centre / Toronto
Thursday, August 12th - Bell Centre / Montreal


... and, in other Beatles related news ...

re: THE BEATLES:
>>>You probably knew this already but I just read that the Beatles Capitol Albums Volume 2 contains incorrect mono versions of 'Beatles VI' and 'Rubber Soul'. I had no idea! The sticker on the box after the serial number has "SK1" which they say is the correct copy. Knowing this, I'll be looking to find the right version. As for what makes it the incorrect mono mix, I cut and pasted the following from Wikipedia: (JacoFan)
>>>Beatles author
Bruce Spizer, who also wrote the set's in-depth liner notes, told The Beatles fan website whatgoeson.com that a "third party mastering facility incorrectly sent stereo-to-mono mixdowns" to be pressed rather than the vintage mono mixes. The "folded down stereo mixes" are actually the stereo mix consolidated into both speakers. Although the mixes are technically in mono (in the sense that the sound in both the right and left channels is the same), they are not the actual mono mixes released by Capitol in 1965. There are some very noticeable differences, such as the actual mono mix of "I'm Looking Through You" (on Rubber Soul) lacking the false start found on the stereo mix, while the fold-down mono includes the false start. The differences between the stereo and mono mixes are one of the main draws for collectors. The easiest way to tell if the set has the correct mono mixes is to check the total playing time of the discs on a CD player. The discs with the correct mono mixes have a slightly longer playing time.
Disc 1 = 52:25; Disc 2 = 56:16 (disc with incorrect mono mix is 56:01); Disc 3 = 59:07; Disc 4 = 59:08 (disc with incorrect mono mix is 59:01)
Kent,
As for The Beatles Capitol Vol. 2 - 2006 "Rubber Soul" remastered CD release, the track that your readers are talking about, "I'm Looking Through You" ... at 1:22 into the Stereo and Mono mix, you can hear high-end feedback more promedently on the Stereo mix as opposed to the Mono mix.My original Stereo L.P. has the same feedback and I always waited for the 'feedback' so that I could point out a recording error on a Beatles record to my friends.
As always Kent, great site and wonderful feedback from your readers!
Peace,
George Manney - director, producer, songwriter
http://www.phillypopmusic.com

>>>Here in New York, residents of the famed Dakota building are battling back against an invasion of tour buses packed with passengers straining to catch a glimpse of the site where John Lennon was slain. Thirty years after the Beatles star was gunned down outside the building where he lived, the site still draws curiosity seekers. And with them come noisy, gas-guzzling, pollution-spewing, traffic-snarling buses, many from as far away as Canada. When the tourists get out, they block the entire sidewalk and you can't get back into your building. It's dangerous because many times the buses block the intersection. They block the vision of the pedestrian walking across. Gale Brewer, the city councilwoman who represents the area, asked Mayor Bloomberg last week to station enforcement agents outside the Dakota on weekends to keep buses from double parking. Not long after Brewer weighed in on the issue, a bus driver double-parked beside the building on West 72nd Street and Central Park West and let passengers off. "I'm sorry", the bus driver said when confronted. "We only park here for ten minutes." I can understand how it is a problem and why residents are annoyed. I wouldn't like it where I live. (Frank B.)
>>>Unfortunately, I don't know how you get around this one ... look how many people still flock to the crash-site of Buddy Holly's plane every year ... and this is 50+ years after it happened. Too bad the city can't erect some type of a supervised, monitored memorial site that would still allow fans to trace their hero's footsteps. (kk)
Hi Kent,
At the time of John Lennon's murder I lived in Stamford, CT, about one hour from NYC and myself and a friend had tickets to see Jack Bruce at The Palladium in NYC on the Saturday after Lennon died. Of course Jack Bruce spoke to the audience about the tragedy and basically said to not let it get you down and words to that effect. My friend and I decided to drive uptown to see if there were still crowds of people near The Dakota (there were), but the police had set up an area down the block for people to congregate, so there were probably 150-200 people there singing and holding candles and pictures and such. We wanted to see if we could get closer, so we parked a few blocks away and walked up the opposite end of the street from the police lines and crossed the street and walked right up to the entranceway of The Dakota. We then saw the grim sight of John's blood on the sidewalk surrounded by police tape, I'll never forget that. Also, the following week when Yoko asked for a few minutes of silence to remember John and virtually every radio station in the area participated, I sat at home checking up and down the dial and there were only 2-3 stations playing anything, and the weirdest thing happened, and I swear this is true, it started snowing almost at the exact time of the moment of silence and stopped shortly after, I still get chills thinking about that! A few years earlier, another friend of mine was walking around Central Park taking pictures and suddenly found himself standing next to John and Yoko getting hot dogs from a sidewalk vendor! He did not want to bother them, but they noticed that he recognized them so they said Hello and he snapped a quick picture of them and went on their way. I wish I had a copy of that picture, but have long since fallen out of touch with my old friend after he moved to Boston. Oh Well.
Eddie,
Orange, CT
From what I've heard, John was always very cordial to his fans who would often meet him on the street as he walked around New York City and Central Park ... it was never really the craziness of the early years (and, quite honestly, I think John just accepted who he was and what he meant to these people.) Thanks for sharing, Eddie! (kk)


re: ODE TO BILLIE JOE:
There's a line in Ode To Billy Joe about a frog being put down Bobbie's back. There's also a line in the Jim Stafford song, Spiders & Snakes, about Jim picking up a frog and shaking it at Mary Lou. No wonder the two ended up getting married.
Jack (Rock And Roll Never Forgets)


What year was it, anyway? According to this, the song would have been written in 1954, even though we didn't hear it til '67.
David Lewis


Billie Joe's alleged homosexuality would have been FAR more scandalous back in 1953. Although I never saw this movie, I heard it wasn't very good ... and reportedly featured full frontal nudity by a young Robby Benson. How cool, 'though, that it was directed by Jethro Bodine?!?!? (kk)

re: THE HAPPY TOGETHER AGAIN TOUR:

I read the newspaper clipping you posted (the nj.com story) and determined that the journalist just had not had the privilege of knowing the band in the 60s -- all it will take will be one good concert appearance in the next few days before the author knows how to pick Carl and Nick out of any crowd. There’s an idea for a good skit for Letterman: “Know Your Buckinghams!” Meet Carl and Nick!
From the feedback I’m seeing online, thousands of people DO know Carl and Nick, and how. The 2 and 3-hour shows produce after-show crowds who stand in line to meet them for another 2-3 hours.
Thanks so much for all you do, it means a lot.
Best regards,
Dawn Lee
Yes, we've heard from a number of people who can't believe how long the lines are for the after-show autograph signing ... gotta be a HUGE plus for ALL these guys' egos to see how truly dear to our hearts they still are after all these years. (Having a stellar line-up certainly doesn't hurt either!!! lol) The reaction I've heard and seen is all very positive ... sounds like one heck of a night of '60's entertainment! (kk)

Kent,

Thank you for the great write up on the tour ... very well written.

I appreciate it. I look forward to talking to you again as we get further into the tour.

Best regards,

Carl Giammarese

Please do, Carl ... and encourage the OTHER guys to drop us a line, too. (We were supposed to have some comments from Mark Lindsay but couldn't connect for a phone conversation. Meanwhile, it'd be great to hear from Micky Dolenz and Rob Grill, too ... and Nick Fortuna and Mark Volman as well for that matter! (kk)

re: AND HERMAN'S HERMITS!:
Hi Kent!
Just wondering if anyone has checked in with the scoop on The First Annual Peter Noone fan event, we're calling it Noonefest! It's happening in Jim Thorpe, PA, on July 9 at the Penn's Peak Theatre and so far it looks like there will be about 200 + Noonatics there celebrating, singing, and swaying to the music of Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone. Everyone who's been or is a fan of Peter's is invited, they can go to his website (
www.peternoone.com) for all the info on tickets and the events of the weekend. It'll be a blast and we will be Into Something Good this summer!
Thanks again for all the hard work you do on Forgotten Hits. It's always a great way to spend some time remembering the oldies!
Karen Thompson
No, I had NOT heard about this ... but with SO many Philly readers on the list, I am happy to help spread the word. Please report back to us after the event and let us know all about it. Thanks, Karen! (kk)

re: AMERICAN IDOL:
>>>"Who's going to replace Simon Cowell" (Artie Wayne)
Well, based on all the buzz last week, it sure sounds like Bret Michaels thinks HE'S got the inside track to Simon's throne ... in fact, it sounds like Fox got quite annoyed with him for even discussing it publicly! (Michaels even performed on the season finale, mere weeks after brain surgery!) Others have suggested that they should simply scrap the whole panel and start over! Only time will tell.
If Bret Michaels was the BIG American Idol story last week, a close second had to be the reported death of "Pants On The Ground" creator General Larry Platt. I heard it from at least half a dozen sources that Platt had been mugged down in Atlanta, Georgia, and then died a few days later ... including a couple of "unconfirmed" reports on the radio. Thankfully, it was all just a nasty rumor and Platt is fine. (He had just appeared on the American Idol Finale a couple of days before performing his "cult" hit ... with the unlikely duet partner of previous Idol wannabe William Hung!)
And, speaking of the American Idol finale, we finally got around to watching it this past week ... not much to do with this year's contestants ... in fact, I don't know that EITHER finalist showed us anything that night that was convincing enough to warrant their winning the annual competition ... but it DID provide a GREAT showcase of what I'll call Grey-Haired Rock! Appearances by Alice Cooper, Michael McDonald, The Bee Gees, Joe Cocker, Daryl Hall and John Oates and Chicago gave us all a chance to enjoy some music from the past ... while Christina Aguilera and Janet Jackson lent the proceedings a more "contemporary" feel. (Although I've got to tell you, Christina REALLY should have been scolded for her "song choice" ... as powerful and compelling as her voice may be, she TOTALLY lost me during her performance of one of the new tracks from her upcoming CD. And, truth be told, Janet Jackson has become a bit of an "oldies" act herself ... while it was great to hear "Nasty" again, the plain and simple truth is that that song is now 24 years old ... it comes from her first string of 17 consecutive Top 20 Hits that ran from 1986 - 1993. And I can't tell you how many times the three of us watching her first number exchanged glances and gasps at how much she sounded EXACTLY like Michael on certain passages!) Appearances by former Idol Winners Kris Allen and Carrie Underwood were nice ... and the chorus of previous finalists was quite impressive (although they never panned the singers long enough or slow enough to determine exactly who was there.) Definitely NOT there was last year's sensation Adam Lambert who, apparently, wouldn't conform to the producers' performance code. Too bad ... he probably could have blown most of the other artists away. (kk)

re: ROGER McGUINN:
Bet you've already heard about this from Wild Bill.
David Lewis

Click here: Roger McGuinn With Amy Tan, Dave Barry And More: Authors At The Tiny Desk : NPR
Actually, no ... but he IS the first one I forwarded it to!!! (lol) Thanks, David. (kk)

re: AND ANOTHER WORD ON "PLAYING THE HITS" WHEN PERFORMING LIVE IN CONCERT:
>>>After reading your piece on Rick Nelson and the reaction from the crowd at Madison Square Garden, thus inspiring his big hit record 'Garden Party', I just wanted to say that I was there when John Sebastian practically got booed off the stage because he only wanted to play new songs that nobody had heard of and the audience wanted to hear the old Lovin' Spoonful hits. And also in Atlantic City when Graham Nash DID walk off the stage while in concert with Crosby and Stills because nobody wanted to hear new music, they all wanted to hear the old stuff. I guess that's why I came! (Eileen)
>>>I truly believe that the artist owes it to his or her audience to cover the obvious material that got them there in the first place ... let's face it, they wouldn't have the crowd to play for were it not for these established hits. That being said, I also understand the need to move forward and introduce new material into the act. Let's face it, this is where their FUTURE classics will come from. It's a fine line and a delicate mix ... but MOST artists have found the way to satisfy BOTH needs (the audience's and their own.) If you're going to play three or four songs in a row that the audience doesn't know or recognize, you risk losing your audience in the process. Instead, mixing these in with the tried and true hits ... along with perhaps a nice story that explains some of the new material (inspiration; funny circumstance; etc.) really goes a long way toward drawing the audience into this new music. Using Crosby, Stills and Nash as an example, the wealth of older material these guys have to draw from ... not only their own stuff but the stuff they sang with their former bands ... would lead me to believe that they could easily mix up the act in such a way as to NEVER be boring by playing the same set night after night after night. (kk)
Here's a comment from Dan Fogelberg that seems to sum up the ongoing discussion about what we want from our favorite artists.
David Lewis
Click here: YouTube - Dan Fogelberg - Believe In Me (Live - 1991)

re: ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE's TOP 500 SONGS:

>>>Am I HIGH on dope or didn't Rolling Stone announce the 500 Biggest Records of All-Time like 3 or 4 years ago? (SAME LIST). Are they running out of new ideas and material or what? Hello??? ("Wild" Bill Cody)
Hi Kent,
We went to the local Jewel to shop Sunday and came across the new issue of Rolling Stone. I am a sucker for any publication that lists the top 500 of anything regarding Rock N Roll and as I leafed through the issue I realized I had read this all before. Since I keep almost everything, I found the older issue and noticed it was almost exactly the same as before. What a ripoff. All they had to do was post a REVISED label on the front. At least I didn't buy this so called new issue.
Mark (GoHawksGo)
Well, I guess it KINDA makes sense ... once you narrow it down to the all-time greatest 500 tunes, what are you gonna do next ... change your mind?!?! Especially after that list has been quoted HUNDREDS of times over the past several years?!?! Doesn't matter ... I still bought it anyway ... although I'm nowhere near as excited to read it now. Oh well ... it'll still make for some great bathroom reading! lol (kk)

re: NEW RELEASES:
>>>FH Favorites The Rip Chords have just signed a new deal with Spectra Records. Although we're sworn to secrecy on most of the details, we CAN tell you that a brand new release is in the works ... stay tuned to these pages for more details ... or check The Rip Chords' website:
WWW.THERIPCHORDS.NET (kk)
Well, we teased it last week ... and now comes this official word from Mitch Schecter of The Rip Chords:
Hey Kent ...
You have the exclusive! Here's the latest word on our brand new CD!
Mitch
P.S. Let's do a CD give away when it's released!
THE RIP CHORDS HAVE SIGNED A DEAL WITH SPECTRA RECORDS, A GREAT RECORD COMPANY OUT OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WITH MANY CLASSIC ARTISTS SIGNED TO THE LABEL ... MANY YOU KNOW, LIKE ORLEANS, LOU GRAMM, PAUL YOUNG, ROBBIE DUPREE AND OTHERS.
OUR CD WILL BE COMING OUT LATER THIS YEAR. I'VE INCLUDED A PHOTO OF THE COOL COVER THAT THEIR ART DEPARTMENT HAS PUT TOGETHER. WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS CD AND LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING OUT TO PROMOTE IT THIS SUMMER. THE CD WILL FEATURE SIX CLASSIC TRACKS, NEWLY RECORDED IN 2010 AND SIX CURRENT SONGS (LIKE "ALL OUT" & "FUZZY DICE") FROM OUR PREVIOUS 2 CD'S, "COBRA BEACH" & 'NOW".
EVERYONE CAN CHECK OUT
WWW.THERIPCHORDS.NET FOR MORE INFO TO COME. SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!!!
MITCH SCHECTER / THE RIP CHORDS

Cool cover, don't you think? It's sort of a tribute to the old Ed Roth drawings.
Thanks for everything, buddy!
Mitch
Can't wait to hear the new release. Thanks, Mitch! And, as we get closer to the actual release date, be watching for yet another Forgotten Hits / Rip Chords Give-Away!!! (kk)


JOHN MELLENCAMP’S ON THE RURAL ROUTE 7609 SET FOR RELEASE JUNE 15

On The Rural Route 7609 is a four CD set that chronicles, in a most unique way, the arc of John Mellencamp’s career, with a focus on his songwriting. Universal Music Enterprises has set June 15th as the release date for the collection through its Mercury imprint. The package, unlike typical box sets that tend to slavishly offer a chronological presentation of hits and near-hits, is programmed as if each of the discs were a freestanding album. The 54 tracks included in the collection are presented, in essence, as four albums with songs juxtaposed in a manner that offers the listener the experience of hearing them in a context that sheds new light on the themes and artistry that have made Mellencamp’s music so cherished by so many over the course of four decades.
While On The Rural Route 7609 offers a wealth of well-known material, a significant number of the tracks included are less familiar but equally compelling, especially in terms of providing an in-depth picture of Mellencamp's spectrum of creativity. The concept behind the four “albums” of the collection is to give long-term Mellencamp fans and newer listeners alike, a more complete and insightful view of the artist's role as a writer and artist whose catalog of songs and recordings resound with substance and nuance.
The songs selected reflect the artist’s pop idol origins through his ascent to the ranks of America’s most respected and socially active writers and performers. On The Rural Route 7609 offers 17 tracks previously unreleased on any John Mellencamp CD including guest readings of Mellencamp’s lyrics by Academy Award® winning actress Joanne Woodward and best selling author/educator Dr. Cornel West. The discs are packaged within a 72-page book that includes an exhaustive essay and comprehensive track-by-track annotation by award-winning writer Anthony DeCurtis. His marathon interviews with Mellencamp were conducted in Bloomington, IN where DeCurtis, coincidentally, earned his PhD in American literature at Indiana University. Mellencamp tells the story behind each of the songs included in the set and there's a scholarly introductory essay by DeCurtis as well. The package, a truly lavish assemblage, includes rare and evocative photos printed on heavy stock that make On The Rural Route 7609 a distinctive set of albums, in the sense that albums -- as originally conceived in earlier times -- are cohesive collections of music.
While such Mellencamp hits including “Rain On The Scarecrow,” “Jack and Diane,” “Jackie Brown,” “Pink Houses,” “Your Life Is Now,” “Our Country” are presented, less familiar songs as well as demos for “Cherry Bomb,” “Authority Song” and other recordings serve to chronicle the maturation of Mellencamp as both an artist and songwriter over the years. As quoted by DeCurtis in the 4500 word introductory essay included in the package, he explains, “We tried to make it like a process of discovery, that perhaps somebody could listen to this set and discover these songs.” Material from early works through his most recently released album, Life Death Love and Freedom which Time Magazine called his "best in a decade" and Rolling Stone ranked #5 in its listing of 50 best albums of the year, gives the listener an opportunity to consider more than 30 years of Mellencamp's output in a musically coherent manner.
The title of the package is reflective of Mellencamp’s continuing role as a troubadour who conveys the hopes, heartbreak and realities of the heartland – that part of the country that politicians are wont to call “the real America,” a divisive jab that is at odds with Mellencamp’s true themes. Per DeCurtis, “..the set takes its title from a scarifying murder ballad on Freedom’s Road, ‘Rural Route.’"
Mellencamp explained to DeCurtis “I started making records in ’76, and the most recent track on the collection was done in ‘09. So Rural Route 7609; it’s like an address. I thought it sounded cool.”
Adds DeCurtis, “It does. But, more important, for anyone interested in finding the real John Mellencamp, this is where he’s been, and where he lives.” On The Rural Route 7609 is a musical journey that sheds new light on an American musician who, as both a songwriter and social activist, has never rested on his laurels or past accomplishments.
On The Rural Route 7609 tracklisting:
* indicates track selection has never before released on a John Mellencamp CD
More detailed information here:
http://www.mellencamp.com/?module=news&news_item_id=553

Disc 1
1. Longest Days
2. Grandma’s Theme
3. Rural Route
4. Jackie Brown
5. Rain On The Scarecrow
6. * Jim Crow with Cornell West
7. Jim Crow
8. Big Daddy Of Them All
9. Deep Blue Heart
10. Forgiveness
11. Don’t Need This Body
12. * Jenny At 16
13. * Jack And Diane (writing demo)
14. Jack And Diane
Disc 2
1. * The Real Life with Joanne Woodward
2. Ghost Towns Along The Highway
3. The Full Catastrophe
4. * Authority Song (writing demo)
5. Troubled Land
6. To Washington
7. * Our Country (alternate version)
8. Country Gentlemen
9. Freedom’s Road
10. * Mr. Bellows (remix)
11. Rodeo Clown
12. Love And Happiness
13. Pink Houses
Disc 3
1. If I Die Sudden (live)
2. Someday
3. Between A Laugh And A Tear
4. * Void In My Heart (acoustic version recorded at Chess Studios)
5. Death Letter
6. * Sugar Marie (acoustic)
7. Theo And Weird Henry
8. When Jesus Left Birmingham
9. * L.U.V. (remix)
10. Thank You
11. Women Seem
12. * The World Don’t Bother Me None
13. * Cherry Bomb (writing demo)
14. * Someday The Rain Will Fall
15. A Ride Back Home
Disc 4
1. My Aeroplane
2. * Colored Lights
3. Just Like You
4. Young Without Lovers
5. * To M.G. (Wherever She May Be) (acoustic)
6. Sweet Evening Breeze
7. What If I Came Knocking
8. Country Fair
9. * Peaceful World (writing demo)
10. Your Life Is Now
11. For The Children
12. * Rural Route (acoustic)

http://www.mellencamp.com/

-- Submitted by Bob Merlis / Merlis For Hire


Another great new release we've got to tell you about is the James Taylor / Carole King "Live At The Troubadour" CD / DVD package. (They're already showing the concert on PBS!) This is a show we REALLY wanted to see this year ... but this gives you an up-close-and-personal seat to an absolutely AMAZING concert experience. Both artists are in fine form as they recreate many of their early '70's hits ... and with many of the original back-up musicians intact, too! (Although Taylor jokes that he doesn't remember much of the '70's, they do an INCREDIBLE job of recreating the hits: "Fire And Rain", "Country Road", "Carolina In My Mind" and "Sweet Baby James" for James Taylor and "I Feel The Earth Move", "It's Too Late", "So Far Away" and "Smackwater Jack" for Carole King. But the duets are especially sweet: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "Up On The Roof" and, of course, "You've Got A Friend" are among the highlights.) The set is available as a specially priced package that contains both the audio CD and the DVD ... MUST viewing for anybody who grew up loving this singer / songwriter era. (Carole King jokes at one point, while paying tribute to her ex-husband Gerry Goffin, that back in the '60's if the song wasn't written by the songwriting team of Goffin and King, it was probably written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil!) A VERY enjoyable night of musical entertainment. (kk) Click here: Amazon.com: Live At The Troubadour [CD / DVD Combo]: Carole King, James Taylor: Music

re: FAVORITE, FORGOTTEN B-SIDES:
The next group of ten B sides (11 thru 20) from the Favorite B-side list are now up with the last group of ten in the holding tank.
You can catch them at:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bside45/
Right now 11- 40 are available there for downloading.
sixtiesoldiesguy
Rich
Thanks, Rich ... hope you're getting some traffic out of all of this ... and we appreciate your helping to keep this list alive! (kk)

re: A FEW UPDATES AND WELL WISHES:
Hi Kent,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the creative definitions of the word Psychedelic and added to my knowledge base regarding the 20 top psychedelic songs and their individual artists / groups. What a great project to get your daughter involved in.
My daughters are 14 and 11 and almost from their infancy I have exposed them to a lot of 50s and 60s music: the more popular hits from the top 40 and the more obscure tracks and B-sides from my own collection of 45s, LPS and more recently CDS.
They are familiar with the evolution of the Beatles and Beach Boys, have danced to surf guitar songs and listened to me talk incessantly about the importance of the British Invasion and its impact on music and culture.
For the last year or so, we've focused more on psychedelic tracks through XM radio, websites like the Technicolor Web Of Sound and stuff from my own collection.
I wasn't surprised that Incense and Peppermints took the top spot in the countdown. I'll never forget when I heard this for the first time, along with I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night, You're Gonna Miss Me Baby, (13th Floor Elevator) Talk Talk, Get Me To The World On Time, Pushin' Too Hard and 7 + 7 Is by Love. These tracks just blew me away. They were such a departure from what was being played on the radio at that time.
I'm just a fan, consumer, baby boomer who loves this music and in whatever way I can, help to keep it preserved, played and known about.
I will continue to visit both sites and I'm sure will post a message in the near future.
Thank you again for all the work that you do to keep this music in our hearts, minds, ears and memories.
Best Regards,
Justin McDevitt
St. Paul MN
(Longtime resident and East Coast transplant who grew up with WABC NY, WIBG Philadelphia, and not to be overlooked, WLS in Chicagoland; loved and appreciated by many of us late night and early morning long-distance listeners, of course including Clark Besch.
Thanks for the kind words, Justin. (Justin came upon us by way of Spectropop, another fine online music appreciation publication.)
Click here: Spectropop! The website about Phil Spector, Wall of Sound, Brill Building, Girl Groups, West Coast
Our Psychedelic Page is STILL the most-viewed page on the website and members from The Electric Prunes, The Strawberry Alarm Clock and The Seeds have contributed to our newsletter over the years. (And you'll find Clark Besch's name in here from time to time, too! lol) Welcome aboard ... and feel free to share YOUR memories with the group anytime! (kk)
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Top 20 Favorite Psychedelic Songs

And here's another cool link sent in by one of our readers this past week:
Papa Do Run

Wow. I can't believe it's been months since I contributed a story -- or commented on a story -- on the "forgottenhits.com" site. Been a crazy five months. The loss of my mother-in-law and sister-in-law during February, the 'flood of the century' that hit Nashville, Franklin and other parts of Tennessee the first weekend of May, my daughter, Taylor's, graduation from elementary to Middle School in mid-May.
On a very positive note, not that seeing Taylor advance is not 'positive,' :), Treasure Isle is having a rare five months of good bookings. The studio biz in Nashville has become one of 'snack or famine.' There is no more 'feasting' in the music biz, Kent!! :)
But this week we're pleased to have six artist / clients on the national country charts: Jason Aldean (#6), Josh Thompson (#30) and new entries by SONY / Nashville's Montgomery Gentry, Trace Adkins, Chuck Wicks and new Warner Brothers Records singer / songwriter Frankie Ballard (gotta love that '50's' style name!), who was the third most added at country radio last week. Watch this young man, he's gonna explode!
We're extremely proud of all of these great artists who are produced by Michael Knox -- son of the legendary rock & roller, Buddy Knox, another 'missing in action' singer / songwriter who continues to be 'overlooked' by the R&RHOF!
This summer Treasure Isle celebrates our 30th Anniversary, Kent. In fact, we are the oldest truly independent recording studio in "Music City, USA" that is still under it's original management. After approximately $300,000,000 (yep, 300 million) in combined music sales, we're honored to have become one of Nashville's most recognizable studios. Just wish that we occasionally got a royalty!:)
Still, we're always looking for new and emerging singers, singer / songwriters and bands -- and we wouldn't mind if a few 'names' gave us a try, also:) We're a rare bargain compared to some of our competitors:)
Of course, "June" means 'summer' and what is more American, and more 'summer,' than the music of The Beach Boys. June not only marks Brian and Bruce's 68th birthday (June 20 and 27 respectively) but also pretty much marks the final recording stages of their monster #1 hit, "Good Vibrations," a good part of which was recorded in May and June of 1966 prior to all the various 'sections' being assembled by Brian in August.
What started off as a brief note to has turned into another much longer note:) I better close for now and get back to work here. Have a great summer and don't forget to enjoy more than your fair share of 'fun, fun, fun!"
Fred
Treasure Isle Recorders, Inc.
"Music City, USA"
We had a grade school graduation of our own this past week ... congratulations to daughter Paige who is now anxiously on her way to High School! Glad to hear that things are going well ... you guys certainly got hit hard this year ... we have a LOT of FH Readers down in the Nashville area and our thoughts have been with you. (If I could ever get myself right-side up again, I would love to eventually get down there myself again and visit with all these great music people!) Take care ... and have a GREAT summer! Fun Fun Fun indeed! (kk)

Hi Kent -

Forgotten Hits is the best! Just love it!

Danny Lake / 94-7 WLS-FM
Thanks, Danny ... big fan of YOUR show, too!!! (kk)

>re: BUT WHO'S COUNTING???:
21 days ... and still no free Danelectro Guitar!!!

re: CLIP OF THE WEEK:
Click here: YouTube - this drummer is at the wrong gig
Frannie sent me this one. Keep your eyes on the drummer ... man, if Cookie played like this back in the day we just might have been famous!!! (lol) kk

re: A COUPLE MORE FOR THE SCRAPBOOK:
Kent:
Pictured in photo (l - r): Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon, Gerry “Dicky Do & the Don’t’s) Granahan and well known Southern New England area singer-songwriter Charlie Quintal.

Memorial Day Weekend Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon (now based in L.A.) made a visit back to his home state of Massachusetts for a pair of concerts. One of them was a rare club date featuring Freddy and the Tune Weavers (“Happy, Happy Birthday Baby).
The Tune Weavers had just returned from Pittsburg where they filmed a PBS-TV Doo Wop special, scheduled to air in December.
Freddy ignited the crowd with such rock and roll passion that the soldout audience was on their feet by his second song.
“Boom Boom” is blessed to have a voice that can still deliver the authenticity of his records.
He ignited the audience with his powerful beat and belted out “Palisades Park,” “Tallahassee Lassie,” “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans,” “Action,” “Abigail Beecher,” and a few covers, including a Chuck Berry medley and a tribute to Big Joe Turner with “Shake, Rattle & Roll.”
Freddy told the crowd that even though Paul Revere and the Raiders hosted “Where the Action Is,” it was Dick Clark who asked him to record the theme to the popular TV show. He added: “Next time you see Mark Lindsay, be sure to remind him of that!”
From the stage, Freddy introduced his former labelmate from Swan Records, Gerry Granahan, who now lives in Rhode Island. Gerry, who produced Jay and the Americans, the Angels, the Fireflies, Patty Duke and others, also hit the charts himself, with “No Chemise, Please” in 1958 and as Dicky Do & the Don’ts with “Click-Clack.” Gerry is currently putting together a band and will be doing dates again soon.
Freddy also asked the crowd to welcome Charlie Quintal, a longtime favorite entertainer in Southern New England. Charlie, a singer-songwriter musician, once recorded for Columbia Records. Some of his proudest moments in a long career have been opening for the following acts at the Warwick (R.I.) Musical Theatre: Roy Orbison, Ricky Nelson and Fats Domino.
Kent, thanks for contributing so much of your time to Forgotten Hits. You do a TERRIFIC job! Please . . . keep it coming!
--Tom Cuddy
New York, NY
Thanks for the kind words, Tom, I truly do appreciate it. And look for your photo on the new "Scrapbook Memories" Page of the OTHER Forgotten Hits Website:
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Scrapbook Memories

Kent -- I love the new Scrapbook Page. Scott Shannonhas tons of this kind of stuff. I hope he sends some of his favorites to you for your project. I lifted this one off his Facebook page. Scott, Wolfman, Del Shannon

David Lewis

Must be one of HIS favorites, too ... since it also appears on The True Oldies Website. Can you imagine the photos he could share?!?!? (kk)

re: MORE GREAT MEMORIES:
Wanna own a piece of history? Check THIS out!!!
“007” James Bond drove this exotic Aston Martin in “Goldfinger” and “Thunderball”, and now it’s being auctioned off for charity.
WBEB, Philadelphia owner Jerry Lee made one of the smartest – and most satisfying – business offers in his life in 1969, when he asked luxury carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda to sell him one of the two specially-equipped model DB5s used in the filming of the iconic James Bond movies. He paid $12,000. Today the auction estimate for this single-owner classic is over $5 million. (For that, you get the optional nail spreader, machine gun and revolving license plate holder, all as seen in the action flicks.) For the past 40 years Jerry’s kept the car in a special room of his suburban Philadelphia home and it’s been shown to visitors for various charity and social occasions. Now he'll dedicate the proceeds from its sale to the Jerry Lee Foundation, which funds actionable research into issues such as poverty, crime and education. In 2008, he was knighted by the Swedish government for his creation and funding of the Stockholm prize in Criminology. Jerry tells a funny story about his acquisition of the car. In 1969 he flew to London and was photographed with then-007 actor George Lazenby. When Jerry got back home, Lazenby phoned and said something like “the pictures didn’t come out, but we’ll shoot some more when I come to the States for a publicity tour.” But Lazenby decided to drop out of the 007 business before he became stereotyped, and he never came to the U.S. The Aston Martin has been re-conditioned and will be sold in London on October 27 by RM Auctions, with cooperation from Sotheby’s.

Hey Kent,
Thinking about all the summer songs also reminds me of another thing from the Summer of '70. I don't know if you have ever heard of a syndicated TV show from an Atlanta TV studio, called "The Now Explosion"? It was a mix of odd video footage of people dancing to current hit songs mixed with footage of some of the artists performing either in concert or on various TV shows (lots of lip-syncing, but at least it was the actual artists). This was aired on WPIX - CH 11 from New York, on Sundays it would air for 4 hours and I used to just park myself in front of the TV for the entire show! Almost like a precursor to MTV, sort of, LOL!! I've seen some stuff on the internet about it, unfortunately most of the original footage was destroyed in a fire, so very little exists now. This show was aired in other markets, I was wondering if it was shown in Chicago? Have you ever heard of or seen it?
Eddie,
Orange, CT

While it sounds vaguely familiar, I don't remember ever seeing the program ... so many GREAT local shows like this back in the day ... man, I would LOVE to have access to some of these clips! (kk)

... and speaking of your summer song favorites ...

re: SUMMER FAVORITES:
Hey, did you vote for your summer favorites yet? Don't forget, we'll count down your All-Time Top 40 Favorite Songs Of Summer on June 21st, the "official" First Day Of Summer, 2010 ... so get your votes is NOW!!!

DEEJAYS ... WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! Please encourage your listeners to visit The Forgotten Hits Website and vote for their all-time summer favorites ... let's make this list as accurate as possible by including the entire Oldies Nation!!! (kk)