WOW!

WOW!

I can honestly say that I NEVER would have expected the response we got to our little "Crazy Mixed-Up Song" piece the other day!!!

I considered this one to be more of a "throw-away" / "filler" piece, leading up to our regular "Helping Out Our Readers" Series ... but the response has been nothing short of PHENOMENAL!!! Nearly 50 emails before noon ... and more than twice that many more trickling in all night and the following day ... in fact, there were a couple more this morning! (I am always amazed by which material hits the "hot button" with our readers ... it just goes to prove that you NEVER know what's going to get a good reaction!)

MOST of them say pretty much the same thing ... so we've singled out a few of the more interesting exceptions ... and, the general consensus seems to be that we're probably MOST familiar with this song thanks to its inclusion as the closing piece on "Sing Along With Mitch" way back when. (We just lost Mitch Miller a couple of months ago ... how sad that he didn't get to see any of this reaction before he passed away!)

Anyway, today's column is devoted to all of our Web-Footed Friends!!!
(Lord love a duck!!!)

Read on ...

Hey Kent!
I remember that song! Not sure who did it but, if I remember correctly, the chorus was to the tune of a patriotic song, something about the Red, White and Blue. And for some reason, I can hear kazoos during the chorus. Hmmm ... could be wrong, but ... you know, most of us are at the "CRS" age and what we DO "remember" isn't right anyway! LOL Have a great weekend! Sharon {TokeiTwo}

Listening to this, I now realize that "Crazy Mixed-Up Song" is not at all the song I thought you were looking for when you sent your initial email request. However, I may have some insight into the version that you remember. Could it be the Mitch Miller version? Mitch always ended his Sing Along With Mitch TV programs with "Be Kind to Your Web-Footed Friends" and, on the first Sing Along album, paired this with "Bell-Bottom Trousers" to close out side 2. That's where I remember hearing the chorus of "Crazy Mixed-Up Song."
Now if I could only figure out what song I had in mind when you first mentioned that title . . . Ed44

>>>Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be somebody's brother.
Be kind to the denizen of the swamp;
He's a dilly through and through.
[Alternate line: Where the weather's always damp]
You may think that this is the end,
Well it is. (Lee Hartsfield)
This part of the song was sung by Mitch Miller and the Gang on his show, and appears on the album "Sing Along With Mitch."
Ed

Hi Kent,
This song was sung at the end of every "Sing Along with Mitch" show in the 60's ... and since my Granny loved Mitch, and there was but one TV, I too had to watch Mitch! That's where I heard it ... for what it's worth!
Woody Johnson
http://www.theclassof68.com/

Look at this link: http://www.oldies.com/product-view/09492G.html
I remembered the "Crazy Mixed-Up Song" right away, too.
We used to have this Mitch Miller album, and I remember singing along to "Be Kind To Your Web Footed Friends" while marching around the living room.
Hope this helps.
Cookie
Lol ... oh, I'd PAY to see video footage of THAT!!! (lol) Yep, if you grew up singing along with Mitch, it seems this one came back to you right away! (kk)

Weren't Peter Lind Hayes and Mary on some old panel shows like To Tell the Truth or Match Game or something like that? I know I know those names. Other than the "be kind to your web footed friends" part, I don't remember the rest of the song.
Eileen
Sounds like Peter and Mary (who were husband and wife, by the way) were pretty much TV regulars in the '50's ... check out this Wikipedia entry:
Click here: Peter Lind Hayes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In addition to a couple of television series, Peter and Mary sang the original "See The USA in Your Chevrolet" jingle before Dinah Shore took it over in 1952. While they don't mention "To Tell The Truth", it appears that Peter Lind Hayes appeared on the original pilot of the TV Game Show "The Match Game" back in 1962.
And, here's a clip of them on "What's My Line" (where they were celebrity mystery guests)
Click here: YouTube - Peter Lind Hayes & Mary Healey--What's My Line (kk)

Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy are possibly best known for appearing on stage and in films circa the early 1950s. They're both in "The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T" with Hans Conreid and a Dr. Seuss screenplay, complete with a musical score. It's a curiosity you either love or despise, and I'm one of the ones who just loves it. PLH and MH play Tommy Rettig's parents - Hayes sings "Dream Stuff" as the custodian within the kid's dream. It got an embarrassed laugh from the 2002 audience at the Music Box Theatre. Check "Peter and Mary" out on imdb.
Click here: IMDb Search
Bob Rashkow

I thought you'd find this link interesting. Crazy Mixed-Up Song was played in the 60s at the end of every show of Sing along with Mitch. Also, according to this link, it is a parody of this famous patriotic song, which had various versions including Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue!
Janis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_and_Stripes_Forever
The Wikipedia article says, in part ...
Many other sets of lyrics, patriotic and otherwise, have been written for the last strain. Two of the most widely known such sets begin with the words "Three cheers for the red white and blue" and "Be kind to your web-footed friends". The "web-footed friends" parody, was sung at the end of every episode of the popular 1960s TV series Sing Along with Mitch[3]. It was recorded by Homer and Jethro in 1955 as "Crazy Mixed Up Song" [4]. It was also heard in the Tiny Toon Adventures episode Hollywood Plucky, and an episode of Sesame Street; these parody lyrics are themselves are well-known enough to have spawned many other parodies of their own.
Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be somebody's mother
Be kind to your friends in the swamp
Where the weather is very, very damp [pronounced to rhyme with "swamp"]
Now, you may think that this is the end...
WELL, IT IS! [abrupt cut to closing credits]
Alternate ending: Be kind to the camel in the zoo, Because his hump might be hiding your brother (this replaces the ending two lines.)
I did a YouTube search, figuring for sure that I would find an old "Sing Along With Mitch" television clip featuring the gang singing this off into the closing credits ... but no such luck. Meanwhile, Tom Diehl DID track down a copy of the Mitch Miller version that was included on the first "Sing Along With Mitch" album. However, our "web-footed friends" segment is barely even noticeable ... all of the emphasis is on the opening track of the medley "Bell-Bottom Trousers". Knowing that MY family was one of those who sang along with Mitch, this is most likely where I heard it growing up. Finding out that it's STILL being used (in Disney pieces, Sesame Street and the Tiny Toons Movie) absolutely blows me away!!! Who'd have EVER thought?!?!? (kk)

Seems like the Mitch Miller version didn't mention "Crazy Mixed Up Song" by that title but rather referred to it as "Be Kind To Your Web-Footed Firiends".... to me, that just isn't the same as the Homer and Jethro tune.
In fact, the album track is called "Bell Bottom Trousers / Be Kind To Your Web-Footed Friends".
Tom Diehl
If what everybody else is saying is true ... which is that Mitch regularly featured this at the close of his television program ... it may have simply been a familiar-feeling after-thought to take it on to the end of his "Bell Bottom Trousers" recording ... especially since that track was also closing his first album. (That'd be MY guess anyway!) Seems like most of the people writing in today best recognize this as "Be Kind To Your Web-Footed Friends". (kk)
>>>Be Kind To Your Web-Footed Firiends (Tom Diehl)
It's probably better known without my typo in it LOL
Tom D.

Hey Kent,
I believe that the writer of "A Crazy Mixed Up Song" is Charles Randolph Grean ("Quenton's Theme" the theme from the TV show, "Shadows of the Night").
Charles was A&R for RCA for many years and was noted for his novelty songs (and thus, a hero of mine). "Never Been Kissed". "The Thing".
He managed Bobby Darin early on and I believe he produced the Spike Jones recording of "By the Beautiful Sea" - And just WHAT are those musicians singing? Charles RIP. He was a good friend to me.
Paul Evans
It WAS co-written by Charles Randolph Grean (before he scored a Top Ten Hit with "Quentin's Theme" from "Dark Shadows" (starring Jonathin Frid as vampire Barnabas Collins !) Talk about your novelty tie-ins ... Grean was ALSO married to Betty Johnson, who scored another one of my childhood favorites, "The Little Blue Man"! (kk)


>>>Then I found this:
Click here: Music You (Possibly) Won't Hear Anyplace Else: Novel Novelties--Crazy Mixed Up Song, The Disorderly Orderly, Dragn ... Unfortunately the link to play this tune has since been disabled ... and I couldn't find an email address to contact Lee Hartsfeld (kk)
Well, FH Reader David Lewis tracked Lee down ... and I copied him in on today's posting. So imagine my surprise when I heard back from him earlier today!!! (kk)
Thanks! Interesting post.
I do have a more recent posting of the song at my blog (mp3 still active): http://musicyouwont.blogspot.com/2010/08/mitch-part-5-im-looking-over-four-leaf.html
But I see you got a file from the master of novelties himself!
As for the version you heard growing up, I wouldn't be surprised if it's the Mitch Miller version. It's on one of the sing-along LPs (not sure which off the top of my head) and includes the chorus only.
"Be Kind to Your Web-Footed Friends" is the title.
I suspect that Charles Grean combined two songs to create "Crazy Mixed-Up Song." He was a very accomplished public-domain swiper, needless to say. He had a long association with Merv Griffin, producing Griffin's hits with the Freddy Martin Orchestra and writing at least one ("Never Been Kissed"). He produced (and, I think, arranged) Merv's classic Halloween single on Mercury, "House of Horrors," which is in one of my Halloween "slaylists" for this year.
(Apologies if you know all of this already!)
I'll get back to you with the Mitch LP title. It showed up on a couple best-ofs for Mitch, and I'll bet the farm it's on YouTube under "Be Kind to...."
Best,
Lee
Great to hear from you , Lee. The response to our recent posting blew me away. Amazing how many people remember this song! Hope you'll continue to drop in from time to time! (kk)

Kent,
Have you checked with your parents / siblings about your source for Crazy Mixed Up Song? Maybe they used to play it when you were very young, so that it became a stealth memory for you. As one writer mentioned, it may have been in oral tradition for some time before ever being recorded, like Kumbaya. Or, maybe you had it on a Disney Golden Record when you were 4 and just don't recall it. I remember Disney records, in 78 rpm, one of which was a narration of the story "Treasure Island". Must have been 4 or 5 years old at the time, and I can still quote pieces of dialogue from it, but I don't ever remember actually putting it on the turntable.
Rick Barr
Unfortunately, that's the problem ... parents and siblings are all gone now ... "there's nobody left to ask". (You have NO idea how many times THAT'S been a problem for me these last few years!!!) Sadly, in that respect, I'm officially the end of the line!
What amazes me is how many OTHER people ALSO remembered hearing this song ... or, after reading of my quest, remembered some long-forgotten childhood memories of their own. I keep saying it and saying it ... Don't EVER Deny The Power Of Music ... there's just NOTHING else quite like it! (kk)

>>>I think the song was in summer-camp tradition before Grean & Javits wrote it down, though I have no proof of that. (Dr. Demento)
Kent,
I never heard A Crazy Mixed-up Song on the radio or a recording, but when I became the Scout leader for my son's and daughter's troops, EVERY large gathering included the singing of this song, as well as a couple of other silly faves. It is still being sung here at scout meetings in the northeast. Maybe because we have so much water???? and ducks????
Shelley J. Sweet-Tufano

As a small child, I heard this with lyrics that began:Oh, don't kick that fly in the legCause it might be some little fly's motherIn fact, my mother sang it around the house. Now I'm wondering where she got it ...
David Lewis

Hi Kent --
I never had a reason to contact you before, because I never had anything I thought I could add to the voluminous amount of information that your readers seem to possess. However, your piece on "A Crazy Mixed-Up Song" piqued my interest.
I was born in 1942, so it came out just about when I was getting interested in music, and I specifically remember getting in front of my class and teaching the song to the students (we must have had a very lenient instructor).
Anyway, none of the versions that you featured was the one with which I was familiar, because none of them had the fourth line right (or at least the way I learned it). It was not "in the middle of the night" but, rather, "and it rained all day that night". When you think of it, it makes more sense that way because it makes less sense that way, if you get my drift. There were several other minor variations (a word here and there) but that was the most glaring difference.
Dick Adler
Lecanto FL

My father used to love to sing that "Crazy Mixed-Up Song" (though he had a somewhat different melody). I always assumed he and the other GI's he served with in the Aleutian Islands sang it in World War II.That would make it older than the versions you played, though. Can't say for sure.
-- Ron Smith
Sounds like this one's been around for damn near forever! And in any variety of lyric versions, too! (I've told this story before and NEVER had a response from anyone else who remembered the same thing ... but when "American Pie" first came out, this guy I used to work with got ALL pissed off because he says that he and his buddies used to sing the "Bye, bye, Miss American Pie ... drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry" line for AGES at their old hunting lodge ... and I had every reason to believe him because
A) he wasn't at ALL a musical guy ...
and B) the song was literally BRAND NEW ... it had JUST come out on the radio. He seemed incensed that somebody could steal a familiar chorus like that and turn it into their own hit record ... and make money doing so!
Yet in ALL these years since (38 now since "American Pie" first hit the charts), I've never met or heard from one single person who could corroborate this story. When you consider all the attention Don McLean's Ode To Buddy Holly got at the time, I have ALWAYS wondered about the origins of this catchy chorus! (kk)

HELPING OUT OUR READERS

As promised, another round of "Helping Out Our Readers"!

Hey Kent -
I'm wondering if the folks on Forgotten Hits can help out with this one:
For one week in 1966, five of the top 10 songs were written by the Motown team of Holland - Dozier - Holland. What week was that and what were the songs?
It might take a back issue of Billboard to figure this one out, but it's quite a chart feat and I'd love to see the Top 10 that week.
Be Well,
Carl Wiser
www.songfacts.com
I can't find any such week in 1966 where this occurred ... I even checked 1965 just to be sure (because, in MY mind, that was an even MORE prolific year for Holland - Dozier - Holland) ... but I can't find ANY instance in which these guys had written five of the nation's top ten songs ... not on Billboard's POP chart anyway. (Unfortunately, I have no way of checking their R & B Chart ... and I suppose this COULD have happened there ... but those aren't typically the statistics quoted here or in the general media.)
While much has been made of the time The Beatles occupied the top five spots on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart back in 1964, a feat NEVER accomplished before or since (they only wrote FOUR of those Top 5 Hits ... the other track was their remake of "Twist And Shout"), the chart statistic that's often overlooked is the fact that Barry Gibb wrote and produced five Top Ten Hits for a single week in 1978 ... TWICE!!!
He first accomplished this feat on the chart dated February 25th ... when "Stayin' Alive" (#1), "Love Is Thicker Than Water" (#2), "Emotion" (#5), "Night Fever" (#8) and "How Deep Is Your Love" (#10) were all firmly planted in The Billboard Top Ten.
Three of those hits ("Stayin' Alive", "Night Fever" and "How Deep Is Your Love") were recorded by Barry and his brothers Robin and Maurice as The Bee Gees ... "Love Is Thicker Than Water" was a hit for their baby brother Andy Gibb ... and "Emotion" would ultimately peak at #3 for Samantha Sang.
Incredibly, "How Deep Is Your Love" would spend FOUR WEEKS at the #10 Spot as it was working its way DOWN the charts! (It was #1 for two weeks beginning with the chart dated December 24, 1977.) When it finally fell out of The Top Ten the week of March 11th, Barry Gibb had to settle for only FOUR of the Top Ten Hits for a couple of weeks ... until "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman broke into The Top Ten on March 25th, giving him FIVE Top Ten Hits again.
And, if THAT'S not impressive enough, consider this ...
A Barry Gibb composition / production topped The Billboard Hot 100 for FIFTEEN straight weeks during this stretch: "Stayin' Alive" was #1 for four weeks before it was knocked out of the top spot by "Love Is Thicker Than Water" (which held down the #1 position for the next two weeks) before being displaced by "Night Fever", which stayed #1 for the next EIGHT WEEKS before it was bumped out of the top spot by "If I Can't Have You". It would take Paul McCartney and Wings' #1 Hit "With A Little Luck" to break the streak on May 20th! (Even The Beatles and Elvis never accomplished THIS trick!)
This is not to in ANY way diminish the success of the songwriting team of Holland - Dozier - Holland ... during their career, the trio have written 70 Top Ten Hits, including 20 #1 Records ... yet, incredibly, have NEVER won a Grammy Award for their efforts! (In 1998, they were awarded an "honorary" Trustees Grammy Award for their songwriting accomplishments.) kk

If you're like me, you probably thought Neil decided to re-record his 1962 #1 hit, but as a 1975 slow version. However, while correct, it was actually crafted for Lenny Welch, modeled after his "Since I Fell For You" biggest hit. While Lenny's version did manage to crack the US Top 40 charts in 1970, it's not well known.
Seldom did Neil play piano on his hits.
Here's Neil Sedaka's demo of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, 1968 -
Demo recorded at Dick Charles Studio, NY, 09-23-1968 ... http://www.angelfire.com/empire/abpsp/images/breakinup.mp3
It appears Varese Sarabande released Neil's "Rainy Day Bells" demo on CD.
Was it Stereo or Monophonic?
Thanks!
Best,
John
I leave your Neil Sedaka / "Rainy Day Bells" query up to the stereo experts on the list. (I don't think I even have a copy of the Varese Sarabande CD you're referring to ... after I bought the 4 Import CD Box Set, I think I had more by Neil than I could ever even listen to ... honestly, too many foreign language recordings for my taste ... I just like the hits!)
Lenny Welch DID, in fact, release Sedaka's "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" in 1970 and it reached #32 on the Cash Box Chart ... it would be his last Top 40 Hit. Two years later it made The Top 40 again when it was recorded by The Partridge Family (#25, 1972) before Neil took it back into The Top Ten with his own slowed-down remake of his 1962 chart-topper. (I will admit to TOTALLY loving Sedaka's ballad remake when I first heard it ... I thought it was an INCREDIBLE reinterpretation of a rock and roll classic ... and I apparently wasn't alone ... not only did it reach #7 nationally, but it was a #2 smash here in Chi-Town, too.)
Other charted renditions of this include The Happenings (#46, 1968) and, if you bend the rules a little bit, The American Comedy Network, who did a Top 100 Parody called "Breaking Up Is Hard On You", lampooning the phone industry, that reached #70 back in 1984. (And, of course, we recently featured yet ANOTHER parody, titled "Waking Up Is Hard To Do", recorded by a bunch of singing anesthesiologists!!! lol) kk

I remember this song (L. David Sloane by Michelle Lee) being played on WIND in Chicago in the 60s when I was but a wee lad (like 7 or 8 years old). I seem to remember it being a different voice, though, more like Brenda Lee or Lulu, but the memory of a 7 year old can be a bit off, I guess. Always wondered who sang this song, and what the title was ... all I remember was the words sounded like a woman really dissing or emasculating a man ... which, even at age 7, I would have understood because that's what my mother was like. Guess that's why the song always stuck in my head, especially the line "be a really big man for once in your life" because that's very close to the kind of verbal abuse I received from my mother as a child and teenager. Googled the lyrics every now and then for a few years before I finally got a hit at your web site. Thanks for solving my mystery! It helps to know my memories are fairly accurate.
R. McPatrick
Always kind of an obscure favorite of mine, we've featured "L. David Sloane" a couple of times now on the website ... here's the link YOU found (for any OTHER interested readers) and another clip of the tune (for anybody too lazy to back track! lol) kk
Click here: Forgotten Hits: L. David Sloane

Thanks! It's just one of those things it helps to hear to know I didn't imagine the whole thing ;) Do you happen to know if there was another version of that song, perhaps an earlier one?
R. McPatrick
None that I'm aware of ... at least not as a "hit" single ... of course, that's not to say that some other artist didn't cover this as an LP track or something ... but this is the best KNOWN version. (kk)

I like Joni James!!!
Joni James - There Must Be A Way - 1959
http://www.angelfire.com/empire/abpsp/images/mustbeaway.mp3
Pretty voice!!!
Attract her into FH with your magnetic personality!! :-)
Thanks!
Best,
John
There's a brand new "Best Of Joni James" CD set available through Collectors' Choice Music ... 2 CD's of ALL the hits. (Talk about your Forgotten Hits!!! Joni hit The National Top 40 thirteen times between 1952 and 1961 ... but when's the last time you heard ANY of them???)
"There Must Be A Way" went to #28 in Cash Box back in 1959 ... and her biggest hit was her chart debut ... "Why Don't You Believe Me" topped The Billboard Pop Best Sellers Charts for four weeks back in 1952. And, knowing what a stereo junkie you are, you might be interested to know that Collectors' Choice Music also claims that Joni's 45 release of "There Goes My Heart" was also the very first stereo pressing EVER of a single! (kk)
Click here: Collectors' Choice Music

Hi Kent,
Love your Forgotten Hits page.
Hope you can help me find this forgotten hit.
I am tying to locate a song.
I need the artist and title (mp3 if possible).
The song is from the 50's I think.
A kind of doo wop slow ballad. Words are:
"We met in a dream ... your arms open wide ...
and there in that dream ... what a sweet surprise."
Does this ring a bell?
Thanks for your help
Vinny B.
laffing goose productions
Well, I'm no doo-wop expert ... but we've got quite a few on our team. Let's see what they come up with! (kk)

re: THE DAVE CLARK FIVE:

Kent,
Love your website!

Thought I’d ask a question about the Dave Clark Five with a local Illinois angle.

Several internet sites report that the DC5 played a place called Skaters Junction in Peru, Illinois, on June 19th, 1966.

While I certainly have nothing against the fine people of central Illinois …

What in the world were the Dave Clark Five doing at a place called Skaters Junction at the height of their career?

I did find this on a Peoria blog, dated Jan, 2007 …

Probably the saddest venue for a big name group was … The Dave Clark Five, playing in a roller rink in Peru, IL. This was in the spring of 1966. I won a free ticket from WIRL and they loaded up a school bus with all us winners and we were about the only people that showed up. The show was right on the rink floor, with about a hundred folding chairs in front of them. I was no more than ten feet from the band.

Very interesting! Thought maybe some of your readers might know more about this.
Dave
Hoffman Estates

While I consider myself to be a MAJOR Dave Clark Five fan, I never got to see the band back in the day ... too young at the time. This website lists EVERY appearance The DC5 made in The United States, 1964 - 1967 ... and, sure enough, Skater's Junction is absolutely on the list.

Click here: Forgotten Hits - Scrapbook Memories

Not sure of ANY of the circumstances ... looks like they played The Arie Crown Theater nearly every time they came to Chicago-proper ... and sad to hear that only a handful of fans showed up to see them.

I don't know that I would describe 1966 as "the height of their career" for The Dave Clark Five ... although the year started with their first (and only) #1 Hit still on the charts ("Over And Over") ... and they would go on to place five more songs on the pop chart that year ("At The Scene", #13; "Try Too Hard", #10; "Please Tell Me Why", #18; "Satisfied With You",#50 and "Nineteen Days", #45) their career had tapered off enough by this point that most fans and deejays considered 1967's Top Ten Smash "You Got What It Takes" (#7) a bit of a "comeback" record for the group. Unfortunately, it would prove to be their last Top Ten Hit.

I consider myself to be one of the fortunate ones who caught Mike Smith's U.S. Tour right before his accident. I can honestly say, without a moment's hesitation, it was WITHOUT QUESTION one of the BEST shows I have EVER seen in my entire life! Smith was in FINE voice as he traced his rock and roll roots all the way back to the beginning and then played a virtual Dave Clark Five Hit List, along with many more of his personal favorites.

Maybe some of our local readers can shed some light on this??? Meanwhile, you'll find a few DC5 Tour Program photos on our "Scrapbook Memories" Page on the OTHER Forgotten Hits Web Page:

Click here: Forgotten Hits - Scrapbook Memories

re: ELVIS AND THE COLONEL:
Hi Kent -
I met Elvis in Las Vegas around 1970 and, as you'll see, I got his and Roy Orbison's autograph on the International Hotel souvenir program. I also met Colonel Parker and asked him to sign it but I've never been able to find out what he actually wrote!
Can you help?
Thanks,
Davie Allan
www.davieallan.com
P.S. I also sent this to the "Elvis Expert" mentioned on your website.
Well, I can't read it either ... but it's probably some type of standard greeting he would sign on things so maybe somebody out there knows ... or can read this!
(It's all Greek ... or would that be Dutch ... to me!!!)
GREAT photo! (We've also added it to our "Scrapbook Memories" Page!)
If the Elvis Expert ever gets back to you, please let us know.
And, when you have a moment, I would LOVE to get a review of this show from you! Thanks, Davie! (kk)

(click to enlarge photo)

And, speaking of The Elvis Expert, I just got this note from Cory Cooper ... sounds like he's doing a radio show this evening that you can listen to live online. Here's the info:

Kent,
Here's some info about a radio show I'm on this Thursday at 6:00 PM PST with Elvis Decoded author, Patrick Lacy. The show is hosted by music author, R. Gary Patterson and Stephen Wren.
You can listen to the show live at www.PopOdysseyRadio.com
Thanks,
Cory Cooper

Thursday, October 28th @ 8 PM / CST - 9 PM / EST - 6 PM / PST

Pop Odyssey Radio

By the way, Cory also told me that HE thinks Colonel Parker's signature says "Lindsey Colonel P" ... not quite sure what that MEANS ... Elvis and Roy signed to "LINDA and Davie" ... and we'll probably never really know for sure ... but that's HIS "Elvis Expert" opinion. What do YOU guys think??? (kk)

A CRAZY MIXED-UP SONG

Quite often we do a feature here in Forgotten Hits called "Helping Out Our Readers" ... in fact, I'm hoping to pull another one together for you in time for posting tomorrow ... But THIS time around we've been pursuing a song that's actually been driving ME crazy ... ever since I first received this email:

I'm looking for a couple of songs. The first one is called "Crazy Mixed Up Song" and it was written by (Charles Grean / Joan Javits) ... I believe it was recorded by either Homer and Jethro or by Billy Cotton and His Band.
The lyrics go something like this:

'Twas midnight on the ocean, not a streetcar was in sight.
The sun was shining brightly in the middle of the night.
A barefoot boy with shoes on stood there sitting in the tree
And when he put his glasses on, he heard this melody:

Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be somebody's brother.
Be kind to the denizen of the swamp;
He's a dilly through and through.
[Alternate line: Where the weather's always damp]
You may think that this is the end,
But it isn't 'cause there's another chorus.

'Twas midnight on the ocean when the rain began to snow
He hurried to me slowly 'cause the time had come to go.
I said I'd wait forever if it didn't take too long;
And suddenly we harmonized this crazy, mixed-up song:

Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be somebody's brother.
Be kind to the denizen of the swamp;
He's a dilly through and through.
[Alternate line: Where the weather's always damp]
You may think that this is the end,
But it isn't 'cause there's another chorus.

'Twas midnight on the ocean on the day I married him.
I didn't know his name was Fred, that's why I called him Tim.

Be kind to your web-footed friends
For a duck may be somebody's brother.
Be kind to the denizen of the swamp;
He's a dilly through and through.
[Alternate line: Where the weather's always damp]
You may think that this is the end,
Well it is.

And don't forget "Wet Dream" by Kip Addotta.
I'm a BIG TOC fan.
Not sure if this is a forgotten "hit", but it is one I haven't heard in ages
(and for good reason, I'm sure).
Have fun!
Bobby T
Huntsville, AL
"Wet Dream" by Kip Addotta is a GREAT novelty tune ... VERY cleverly written and one of my favorites. (I know, I know ... there's something fishy about that song ... but I like it!)

And, since we're talking fish songs ... and it's Halloween this weekend ... here's another Forgotten Hits favorite that we started featuring a couple of years ago:

As for the other one, ("Crazy Mixed Up Song") I recognized it IMMEDIATELY as soon as I read your lyrics ... and the entire melody came back into my head ... yet despite listening to both the Homer and Jethro version and the Billy Cotton version (thanks to Tom Diehl, who sent me copies of BOTH), I didn't recognize EITHER of them as being the one I heard growing up as a kid.


A quick check of all the charts (both Pop and Country) didn't help ... because this record never charted by ANYBODY!!! So how the heck did I know it?!?!?

It HAD to be something that was played and / or sung around the house when I was a kid growing up ... but there's nobody left to ask!!!

I even went back to check Joel Whitburn's Pop Hits Book, 1940 - 1954, thinking maybe THAT'S why I couldn't find it ... but it didn't chart THERE either!!!

Can ANYBODY tell me how it is that I might know this song ... virtually word for word?!?!?

It's literally driving me CRAZY!!!

(Which, I guess, is kind of the point of a "Crazy Mixed Up Song"!!! lol) kk

Kent,

The song was issued in 1954 on Essex 353, b/w "Lonesome Lover."

I've never heard the song nor seen a copy of the 45, but there are two copies for sale cheap on this website: http://www.speedlimit45rpm.com/catalog/novelty/novelty_m-s.htm

– Randy

Not only will I bet that you HAVE heard it before (without even realizing it) ... but that you'll be able to sing along before it's even over ... and then scratch your head and wonder out loud "Where The Hell Did THAT Come From?!?!?"

Give a listen and see what you think. (kk)

Interesting ... the guy knows the song and has located a few versions, but is looking for a specific version. Usually, people who write are just wanting the song itself.
Jerry Osborne
And now I need to hear it, too! Hoping somebody will come up with a copy! (kk)

Then I found this:
Click here: Music You (Possibly) Won't Hear Anyplace Else: Novel Novelties--Crazy Mixed Up Song, The Disorderly Orderly, Dragn ...

Maybe THIS is the one I remembered?!?!?

Peter and Mary ... before there even WAS a Peter, Paul and Mary!!! (lol)
(Of course it's a completely DIFFERENT Peter and Mary ... but I still thought this was kinda funny.)

Unfortunately the link to play this tune has since been disabled ... and I couldn't find an email address to contact Lee Hartsfeld ... so then I got to thinking,
"Hey, maybe The Three Stooges or somebody like that cut this song on one of my old kiddie records from way back when!!!"

(Like I said, it's driving me CRAZY!!!)

I couldn't stand it any longer ... and finally had to consult my Doctor ...

Regarding "Crazy Mixed-Up Song" ... I recently played the ca. 1953 record by Peter Lind Hayes & Mary Healy on my show.
I recall that Homer & Jethro also recorded it, as did other artists ... and I think the song was in summer-camp tradition before Grean & Javits wrote it down, though I have no proof of that.
At http://dmdb.org/ there is a searchable database of virtually all the songs I've played on the show through the years, indexed by title and artist.
Stay deeeeeeeeeeeeemented!
- Dr Demento

And, thanks to the good doctor, we now have this version to share with you, too ... STILL not the one I remember hearing growing up unfortunately ... which makes me think more and more that maybe The Three Stooges did this on one of the old kiddie records I had ...
but we've certainly got a wide batch of "crazy" to share with you today!!! (kk)

Click here: The Online Internet Site for Information on Dr. Demento music, songs, lyrics and chat.

Forgotten Hits Concert Review: PETER NOONE and MICKY DOLENZ (Saturday, October 23rd, at The Star Plaza Theater in Merrillville, Indiana

It's impossible to go to a Peter Noone concert and NOT have a good time!
He's the consummate performer and knows exactly how to play to an audience ... very charismatic and entertaining every step of the way.

What I really enjoy about a Peter Noone / Herman's Hermits concert is the bond Noone creates with his audience. Granted, many are extreme fans who have seen him perform dozens of times, but he plays to everyone in attendance, especially children.

Noone seems truly committed to providing an entertaining show without holding himself at a distance from the audience. He is witty and very much at ease with a crowd; bantering and full of humorous anecdotes. Whatever he has done throughout the years to maintain his vocal ability has worked wonders;
he sounds as good today as he did 45 years ago.
-- Frannie (Mrs. K)

I totally agree!
ALWAYS a good show (and this was one of the best!)

Both Micky AND Peter (no, not THAT Peter!!! Peter Noone!!!) were in top form Saturday Night at The Star Plaza Theater in Merrillville, Indiana (the butt of countless jokes that night) ...

Early on, Noone quipped that ALL of The British Invasion Acts had their dreams early on in their careers ...

The Beatles wanted to play Shea Stadium ...

The Rolling Stones wanted to play Carnegie Hall ...

And Herman's Hermits ALWAYS dreamed of playing in Merrillville, Indiana!!!

Vocally both artists sounded as good as they've ever sounded and their back-up bands (especially Peter's) were incredibly tight, providing a PERFECT wall of sound for both Micky's and Peter's vocal gymnastics.

Micky kicked things off with The Monkees' big 1986 comeback single "That Was Then, This Is Now", a Top 20 Hit after MTV resurrected their TV Show by playing it in heavy rotation, a move that, coupled with Rhino's re-release of their entire catalog, put The Monkees back on the charts numerous times for the rest of the decade ... and spawned countless reunion tours with at least two ... or three ... and once all FOUR original members. (With the 45th Anniversary looming around the corner, one can only hope that SOMETHING will materialize again next year!)

An added bonus was the fact that Micky's back-up band included Vance Brescia, who wrote "That Was Then, This Is Now", on bass guitar ... later doubling his duties as Peter Noone's lead guitarist, musical director and chief choreographer! (lol) This guy's a show all by himself!

Dolenz ran through many of The Monkees' biggest hits including a few surprises
... "Words" and "She" were especially nice to hear again ... and he even did a couple of Davy's tunes ("A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" and "Daydream Believer", which received one of the biggest ovations of the night ... I can't even imagine that it could have gone over any better had Davy been there himself to sing it!!!)

Also included were "Last Train To Clarksville", "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and, of course, The Monkees' BIGGEST Hit, "I'm A Believer" which, Dolenz pointed out to all the kids in the audience, HE sang WAY before Shrek ever did!

Micky also did a KILLER rendition of The Beatles' "Oh! Darling" (more on that below) and "Johnny B. Goode", the song he said he auditioned with for The Monkees, that ultimately won him the role.

Surprising: Only one cut from Micky's new CD "King For A Day" was featured.
(See our review here:
Click here: Forgotten Hits: King For A Day)
He and his sister Coco sang "Crying In The Rain" one of the CD highlights.

Coco also did "Different Drum" as a tribute to fellow Monkee (and the tune's songwriter) Michael Nesmith, who penned the tune for Linda Ronstadt ... it became her very first hit with The Stone Poneys at the height of Monkeemania back in 1967.

Even MORE Surprising ... Shocking Really ... was the fact that Micky's new CD was NOT on sale at the merchandise table in the lobby!!!
What's up with that?!?!?
The guy's got a brand new CD out and instead they were hawking a live disk that Micky recorded a while ago. Seems like this was a truly missed opportunity here to show that Micky is still making GREAT new music at this stage of the game. That, along with his recent "MyRecordFantasy" disk should have been prominently displayed.
Click here: View the Videos! MyRecordFantasy


As for Peter Noone ... untoppable ... virtually ALL of the hits were presented in full-length, PERFECT sound ... "I'm Into Something Good", "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat", "Silhouettes", "Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter", "Wonderful World", "I'm Henry The VIII, I Am", "Just A Little Bit Better", "A Must To Avoid" (introduced as "She's a Muscular Boy"), "Listen People", "Leaning On The Lamp Post", "Dandy", "There's A Kind Of Hush" and "No Milk Today" ... every one a Top 20 Hit back in the '60's (and even that meant leaving out a few other legitimate Top 20 Hits like "East, West", "This Door Swings Both Ways", "Don't Go Out Into The Rain" and "Museum" and "I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving"!!!)

Frannie was emotionally moved by Peter's reading of "End Of The World", which she described as "absolutely brilliant" ... and every non-musical moment was filled with well-scripted, fine-tuned-to-perfect-timing comedy vinettes, including some great ad-libbed bits when things went "less than perfect" on stage!

A must-see show for ANY fan of great '60's music. Herman's Hermits were one of the top three acts of The British Invasion, holding their own with the likes of The Beatles and The Dave Clark Five (and out-selling The Rolling Stones for YEARS during their hey-day. And yes, Noone did his spot-on Mick Jagger imitation Saturday Night, too! As well as Johnny Cash, Johnny Horton and Tom Jones!)

He looked and sounded great ... as physically fit as I've ever seen him (I meant to ask him backstage what kind of vitamins he takes ... man, I was exhausted just WATCHING him from the audience!!!) He describes himself as a "17 year old boy trapped in a 62 year old man's body" ... but I swear his earlier quote to me (during our Forgotten Hits Interview a few years ago) stating that he can "pass for 35 in the dark" couldn't be more true!
(You can read the whole interview here:
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Forgotten Hits Interviews Peter Noone)

Another highlight of ANY Peter Noone show is the self-described NOONATICS, Peter's legion of devotees, who never miss a show. (We sat with two of them who, we found out later, are also regular Forgotten Hits Readers!) In addition to raw enthusiasm, they also bring their Union Jacks, their light-up wands and their own choreography to each performance. They're almost as much fun to watch as the show up on stage.

If you've never been to a Peter Noone Concert, I can only say ...

Why the hell not?!?!?!!!! What's wrong with you?!?!?!

You're not going to get more bang for your buck anywhere else on the oldies circuit ... Peter is Herman is Peter ... and he's having a BALL doing this again!

-- Kent Kotal / Forgotten Hits

A few on stage (and backstage) photos, courtesy of Michele Abrams:

Peter and Kent, backstage dressing room, pre-show

Micky Dolenz with Michele Abrams
(who took the rest of these photos)

Peter Noone ... with wood
(Guess we were BOTH pretty excited to meet backstage! lol)

Actually, his wardrobe closet collapsed right before our very eyes!

I reminded him that all great rock stars trash their hotel rooms,

NOT their dressing rooms ...

and typically AFTER the show, not before!

(By the way, Peter told me that he ALWAYS listens to Jimi Hendrix

before going on stage ... says it inspires him ...

and let me tell you, Hendrix was BLASTING in his dressing room while I was there)

Peter Noone ... Center Stage ...

the consummate performer

Michele also sent me this review of the concert, published on her Oldies Music News Web Page: Click here: Oldies Concert News & Reviews

On October 23rd, 2010 I had the privilege to attend a concert featuring Micky Dolenz and Hermans Hermits Starring Peter Noone at Star Plaza.

Micky Dolenz, best known as a former member of The Monkees, took the stage, at 8 pm. The experience started smoothly with a song titled, “That Was Then, This Is Now”, written by Vance Brescia. The tune was an upbeat comeback song as a part of The Monkees’ 20th anniversary reunion tour in 1986. (Brescia was on Bass for Micky for this show and later took his regular spot on Guitar for Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone.) The show progressed rather effortlessly. Micky and Coco (Micky’s Sister) played off of each others vocals first-class on the great Howard Greenfield and Carole King’s“Crying in the Rain" which is on Micky’s new CD, King For a Day. I did rather enjoy Coco on the song “Different Drum”, written by Mike Nesmith and best known as a #13 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1967 by the Stone Poneys who featured Linda Ronstadt . Moving to one of my favorites... the vocals and sound of Stepping Stone was actually very amazing ... I thought for sure there was going to be some sort of trick to get the harmonizing and “Stepping Stone Sound”... I was paying careful attention and I believe it was all 100% real vocal harmonies with little if any help on the tech end. I was exceedingly impressed. Sleepy Jean was the highlight... complete with waving arms and swaying in the seats... Just a little more “oomph” and it would have given chills. The stories about Hendrix opening for The Monkees in 1967 only to hear during his (Hendrix’s opening act) the crowd chanting “We want the Monkees” and the visit to Abbey Road to hang with the Beatles added a bit of humor and nostalgia to the show.

Then we come to Mr. Noone.

Based on the Grand Entrance, you would have thought the Queen herself was visiting with a Rock Twist. The band marching, the fans on their feet with glow sticks, Union Jack shirts, flags, towels, and even phone cases! You name it; it was there.

A great feature to every Peter Noone show is his Dedicated Fans! ... The Noonatics! They were there in full force from all over the Nation and even in from Canada for this show. Peter seemed to enjoy every moment. He especially paid attention to the younger fans in attendance, giving them free CD’s and throwing and kicking T-shirts out from the stage, joking with the youngsters to make copies for all their friends.

When a fan presented Noone with an old Herman's Hermits album cover, the younger crowd received a brief history lesson on what “CD’s used to look like” and everyone else got a good chuckle out of it. The Age of Technology meeting the Golden Age of Pop Rock. A particularly funny part of the evening (though there were many!) was when he held the album cover from the audience over his face and sang. He then began to walk back across the stage only to realize the picture of his head was backwards at that point.

The music was great, covering the hits such as “Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter”, “Heartbeat”, “Henry The VII” among others, and of course “There's A Kind Of Hush All Over The World”. The additions of brief stints of music from the Stones, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, along with Peter's comedic emphasis and takes on portraying the mannerisms of such artists, kept all eyes on the stage.

Overall the show was a sort of trip down memory lane with comedic flare and even some off stage adventure (which for a moment looked like he may not make it back onto the stage only to add more of a “in good fun” tone). Peter at one point stated he is “a 17 year old boy, in a 62 year old body” I know I, and many others were left feeling a bit younger after having such an amazing musical adventure. Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone is a show you should not miss.

This Concert Experience was definitely an Affirmation that Laughter is good for the soul, but Laughter and Good Music is even Better.
~ Michele Sweeney Abrams

We also got to meet Forgotten Hits Contest Winner Janis Johnson at the show ... earlier in the week, I had sent her a "friendly reminder" that the Peter Noone Concert was coming up this Saturday, to which she replied:

Kent,
You seriously did not just remind me that Herman is coming, did you??!!!

The outasite fact that Peter Noone will be here is all I can think, breathe, dream about this week!!! I am only seconds away from wanting to make an "I Love Herman!" sign!!!I am going absolutely, positively NUTS with excitement over this!!!

Yes, I'm crazy for Herman, and in a cosmos maybe only you can understand, at some point, as a young teen, I knew I would always like this guy! The fact that he still sells out shows, and tours every weekend means that thousands of his original fans picked well!

I will write to you after the show, (once they revive me, that is, because he still makes me feel faint!!!)

Love, (and thank you and Peter Noone!!!)

Janis

And here is Janis' review (also published on Peter Noone's website at www.peternoone.com):

Here it is. Duck and cover, because I write (and throw) like a girl!

Thank you, again!

Warning for you Forgotten Hits fans:

I am, was, and always will be a Herman girl, so that’s who I write about.

And since I am a girl, I have a female slant on things that will be painful for guys to read.

But, we are the other half, and something that kind of peeved me in the 60s was that girls were never given “credibility” regarding the artists we chose to follow.

If a guy liked The Beatles, it must be for their lyrics, but if a girl like Herman, well it was Teen Idol thing.

The issue is really about entertainment, and it seems when girls make an artist or group famous, that gets trivialized through a male-dominated lens.

Value equals value equal value.

Women loved and “got” Herman! And while there were four Beatles, one guy, Peter Noone really led Herman’s Hermits to fame. Both my brothers are Viet Nam veterans, and one was a real HH fan. He told me their albums were played in Phu Bai all the time (as well as The Fifth Dimension, so go figure? Kind of different than what the movies say was the soundtrack for our generation’s war.)

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Unfortunately, even if a film director WANTED to showcase Herman's Hermits music in a film about the Viet Nam Era, they most-likely would have been denied the opportunity to do so, thanks to the iron-fist tactics of one Allen B. Klein, who wouldn't license Herman's Hermits material for such projects. Again, check out our FH Interview with Peter for more frustrating details on this matter ... Peter had to go out and re-record "I'm Into Something Good" for inclusion in "The Naked Gun" film ... and then be careful not to make it sound TOO much like the original for fear of further scrutiny and legal actions with his one-time arch nemesis! kk)

Present day: Just when I thought life couldn’t get any better, I won tickets through ForgottenHits.com to see Herman at Star Plaza in Merrillville IN.

Peter Noone, himself, donated the tickets, so I felt like I was sitting in magic seats! I arrived at 5:15 with “contest winner” written all over my face! We went to Old Chicago (not Hooters) for dinner before I came back to the box office and got my free, FAB seats! The acoustics were either perfect from where I was sitting, or Noone just never quits having the most gorrrrrrrgeous voice in the world!!!

Micky Dolenz was the opener and was in really decent voice coming off of his London gig. He was a lot better than when I saw him with Herman at a Teen Idols show in Milwaukee last November! But as I said, I am a Herman girl, so it will take a Monkees fan to do Micky justice! He put on an entertaining show, and looked fit and full of energy. Side note to Monkee fans: we could see Micky just hanging out in the lobby of the Star Plaza for about 45 minutes last night. Lots of folks went up to him and he made himself very accessible. That must be a dream come true for you guys! I just kept spinning my head around ala Linda Blair, looking for Herman, but no such luck! He knows our tricks and is wise to us!

Micky’s sister Coco sang my favorite Linda Ronstadt song, A Different Drum, but that’s meant to be a little wistful, and she took the point of view, like “sorry buddy, don’t have time for you” as the meaning. I was still thinking about this when Herman came on, and then all systems were go, and the night began.

(Okay, Kent, I’ll watch out for your guy readers. Men, leave the room.)

My big moment is always, always when Herman takes off his jacket. Off came the suit jacket, and he stood there in his white shirt, and a dark grey tie, and I could just climb all over him when I see him like that. I am younger than Peter, but l feel like a cougar to be feeling those thoughts about him, just because he looks so fabulous, so I will chill here. But wow! Every time he does Tom Jones, or pulls the pants legs up in front (who cares about the joke about the short pants, I am waaay more interested in the other effect of this gesture!), I can’t take my eyes off of him!

Every song hit the universe like it was meant to be here forever. No Milk Today was muscular, Sea Cruise was insanely good, with the hand gestures (anybody else notice how Peter sends out energy through his hands?! Whew, give me some, please.)

Listen People was pin drop beautiful. How can the same guy do Sea Cruise and Listen People, and deliver the goods on both?

Everyone stood for Henry, and speaking of standing, he regularly had people just walk up to his stage. A young girl got a kiss from him for giving him a cake (note, every single time Peter kisses anyone, anywhere, in his public life, and I note it, I am supremely aware of this fact. I can cite you every time I’ve seen it.) Woulda, could, shoulda.

He was silly funny, asking Vance where is Marie, when the joke is “where’s Donny” so thinking beyond to what the comic step should be made it a whole lot funnier for me! His charisma is unparalleled and I know lots of people with this quality, but his is bigger. (that’s what she said.)

He asked for tees and CD’s and Rich went to procure them, and Carol delivered them to the stage. One he kicked stage center, and it must have walloped someone, which was friggin’ hilarious, and lots he kicked pretty awesomely deep into the rows. I am always aware of Peter Noone as a hockey or football type which makes all Chicagoans love him.

One reveler seemed to revel too much, and I saw an ambulance later, and wondered if it was for him? Peter left the autograph line to go out there, so there’s an insider view of the character of Noone. Fans “feel” that Peter cares about us, and last night, one fan got “big time” proof positive of that.

I’ve been scanning stuff in from scrapbooks the last day or so, and so I was in a Herman state of mind when I got there. It was almost too much for me to hear those hits, and see Peter Noone. Big, big, night in magical seats. As I said, I don’t begin to write like a guy would about my entertainer, so you are stuck with this girl review.

Thank you again ... I had a wonderful night! Love you both, for giving me the tickets. Okay, actually, I only love Peter, but I thank you, Kent, for being the portal to get me to him last night!

Noone is the best performer in the world.

Bar none.

Bar NoOne.

-- Janis

Glad you had a good time ... pretty much impossible NOT to!!! (kk)

THE MOST ACCURATE TRUTH:

In our never-ending committment to always establish "The Most Accurate Truth" when it comes to our musical legacy, we simply could not fail to address this issue ... especially after we received this (and several other emails just like it from other show attendees):

Peter's opening act, Micky Dolenz, told a story about being invited to The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper session at Abbey Road studio in '67 (Hello MonkeeMan!). He said John pointed to George Martin, up in the booth, and said "Play him the song we've been working on", and then said "This is what I heard" ... and Micky went into "Oh! Darling."

I need more info on how this can be.

Was "Oh! Darling" a song being considered for Sgt. Pepper, but then not released until Abbey Road years later? Or did Micky confuse things, because in 1977 Robin Gibb sang this in the movie Sgt. Pepper?

Do you guys have any thoughts on this?

-- Janis

I actually heard from several of our FH Readers who were at the show last night regarding this comment from Micky. Here's the scoop ...

In 1967, The Monkees were, for all practical purposes, the "new" Beatles ... they captured the teenage market that The Beatles were leaving behind with their more sophisticated work like "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver". As The Beatles embraced the studio and all it had to offer (not to mention a deeper involvement with drugs and the musical inspirations this provided ... most of us would have NEVER suspected in a million years that our new heroes were sampling many of the same "herbs and spices"), The Monkees were who most of us remaining teens grabbed on to to still get our "pop" fix.

When The Monkees visited England in 1967, The Beatles were hard at work at what would ultimately become the "Sgt. Pepper" album ... and Micky and Mike both attended recording sessions ... photos and filmed footage of these meetings have circulated for over 40 years now.

Micky has told that Beatles story for at least the past 20 years ... but, speaking as someone who has seen him perform at least 20 times, it NEVER used to have anything to do with "Oh Darling" which, of course, came from "Abbey Road", an album The Beatles recorded a couple of years later.

Unfortunately, what used to be a great, interesting intro is now just an excuse to launch into his FABULOUS rendition of "Oh Darling" ... no doubt about it, this man can sing, and he proved it last night and every night of the recent Happy Together Again Tour ... but sadly this new comment raises the element of "inconsistency" and doubt into his performance ... as you'd be hard pressed to find an audience member that doesn't know EVERY single track on "Sgt. Pepper" by heart. (Give your audience a little more credit, Micky ... we LIVED this stuff!)

Instead, he'd be better to tell the "Sgt. Pepper" session story (which is 100% true, by the way) and then say something along the lines of "... and this whole experience inspired me to sing THIS one for you tonight" and THEN do his fantastic Beatles-tribute.

With a catalog as well known as The Beatles', ain't NOBODY gonna think "Oh Darling" came from the "Sgt. Pepper" sessions ... besides which, Paul recorded THAT track virtually by himself, something truly ate at John Lennon for the rest of his life ... making Micky's John Lennon story seem even LESS credible!!!

Micky Dolenz and Paul McCartney, circa February, 1967

For the record, Micky and Mike DID visit Jolly Ol' England in February of 1967 ... and both attended recording sessions for The Beatles' landmark "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. In fact, Mike was at one of the sessions for "A Day In The Life", perhaps the centerpiece of the whole LP!

Micky, on the other hand, buddied up with Paul McCartney and did some "clubbing". According to well publicized reports (and using Andrews Sandoval's EXCELLENT reference book, "The Monkees: Day By Day"), Micky first met McCartney on February 6th at a London disco. McCartney then invited Dolenz back to his house in St. John's Wood in London, where he played him a couple of new tracks The Beatles had been working on. Dolenz said at the time "We just sat around listening to the tracks from his next LP and he played us 'Penny Lane' and 'Strawberry Fields.' They're both beautiful numbers, but I prefer 'Strawberry Fields' ... it's more progressive. It's the kind of music I want to do." (Micky also met his first wife, Samantha Juste, during this visit when he made a guest appearance on the popular British television show "Top Of The Pops".)

Several days later, Micky DID attend a Beatles recording session ... but it was for the Sgt. Pepper LP track "Fixing A Hole", NOT "Oh! Darling" (which wouldn't be recorded until two years later!)

On January 27th, 1969, Paul McCartney sang a little snippet of "Oh! Darling" for the very first time ... in fact, you'll find exactly one line in the film "Let It Be", which was also taping that day. The Beatles wouldn't return to this song until April 20th, where they laid down 26 "live" takes, most of which could simply be called "rehearsals". They returned to the track a couple more times but never sat down to do a proper recording.

According to Mark Lewisohn's excellent book "The Beatles Recording Sessions" (and well documented MANY times since), Paul would come into the studio alone and literally SCREAM the lyrics to "Oh! Darling" again and again and again, trying to get the right amount of "roughness" to his voice to capture the vocal the way he heard it in his head. Abbey Road Engineer (and future recording star) Alan Parsons recalls sessions held on July 17th and 18th:

"Perhaps my main memory of the 'Abbey Road' sessions is of Paul coming into studio three at two o'clock or 2:30 each afternoon, on his own, to do the vocal on 'Oh! Darling' That was a feature of the 'Abbey Road' sessions; you very rarely saw all four Beatles together. It was either John or Paul or george working on their various things, perhaps only getting together to hear something back. But Paul came in several days running to do the lead vocal on 'Oh! Darling'. He'd come in, sing it and say 'No, that's not it, I'll try it again tomorrow.'

"He only tried it once per day ... I suppose he wanted to capture a certain rawness which could only be done once before the voice changed. I remember him saying 'Five years ago, I could have done this in a flash,' referring, I suppose, to the days of 'Long Tall Sally' and 'Kansas City.'"

(EDITOR'S NOTE: Not only was Micky Dolenz not there for any of these sessions ... but none of the other BEATLES were there either!!!)

Lewisohn goes on to say:

"John Kurlander also witnessed these overdubs. 'I think Paul wanted this 'first thing in the morning' quality or maybe it was 'last thing at night.' Whatever it was, he came in early each day, an hour before anybody else, to do his piece, always replacing the previous one until he got the one he liked.'"

Further attempts were made on July 22nd and July 23rd, when Paul FINALLY nailed what became the final, released version.

Over the next eleven years, John Lennon made no secret of the fact that he was upset that Paul tackled this recording on his own ... he would have LOVED to have been on these sessions, considering it to be one of Paul's very best rockers. He once remarked in an interview "I always thought I could have done it better ... it was more my style than his. He wrote it, so what the hell, he's going to sing it."

Personally, I couldn't even imagine it any other way ... "Oh! Darling" was probably the FIRST song that REALLY grabbed me the first time I listened to "Abbey Road" all the way through ... and it's remained one of my all-time Beatles favorites ever since. Now Micky Dolenz does an INCREDIBLE job with this song ... but he was NOT there for ANY of these recording sessions. Quite honestly, by late 1969 there weren't a whole lot of people left who cared anything at all about The Monkees ... their television show had already been off the air for over a year, their records had stopped selling and the band was very quickly splitting up. During the recording dates cited for the "Oh! Darling" sessions, Dolenz was here in The States, performing live shows and working on what would become The Monkees' next LP, "Present". There is absolutely NO correlation between the "Sgt. Pepper" sessions ... that Micky really DID attend ... and this McCartney classic. (kk)