Clearly THIS feature has really taken off!!! This just may be the
biggest HELPING OUT OUR READERS PAGE we've ever done!!!
Read on ...
Kent, I know your stomping grounds are in Chicago, but maybe you can help me find out about an old TV show in Boston. My memory on this is somewhat fuzzy, since it was about 45 years ago, but as best as I can recall this would be circa 1965. Back in the 60's, my band, Bobby & the Galaxies, worked every Saturday night at a local amusement park dance hall, in Dartmouth , Ma., called the Lincoln Park Million Dollar Ball Room. It was an immense place for us. We packed in 3500 kids every Saturday night. We had a featured guest each week, which my band usually backed up, unless they were a guest band. We backed up Freddy Cannon, Lou Christie, Jerry Lee Lewis and Dion, to name a few. One week we were approached by friends of my ex manager, Ribbon Record's owner and song writer Jimmie Crane (If I Give My Heart To You, Come Back, If I Ever Needed You I Need You Now, Hurt, etc,), from Providence, R.I.. They had an idea to do a weekly half hour TV show, from this venue. They wanted to film it on Tuesday nights and charge the kids admission, to help fund it. It was to be an American Bandstand type show, but with all live music, showing the kids dancing to the music. My band would be featured opening and closing the show, playing the theme song, (Bill Dogget's "Hold It") and featured for one song during the show. The rest of the songs would be played live by guest stars. It was a big opportunity for us. We filmed 4 episodes which aired on a Boston TV station, but since we never drew as many kids as we did on Saturday nights, the producers said they ran out of funds, and asked me to tear up my contract, with promises of future ventures. Since we did get paid for each of the episodes we filmed, I did, and never heard from them again. This was not an uncommon experience back in those days. I believe the shows aired on WBZ TV, but I'm not sure. The show was called Jamboree. I do remember that one of the featured guests was the Beau Brummels. I believe others included Lou Christie, B.J. Thomas and The Sir Douglass Quintet, but again my memory is fuzzy on this. We did work with these acts, but it may have been at the regular Saturday night gig. Any chance you can find copies of these TV episodes, or steer me in the right direction? Any information from your readers, to fill in the blanks, would be a great help to tracking down the episodes, if they still exist. Thanks. Bob Hughes Well, we've got a ton of East Coast Readers so let's see what turns up. Unfortunately a program that only aired four episodes (and on a local station at that!) is going to be tough to find. A lot of these tapes were ultimately erased and used over and over again and, in the days before home video taping are now lost forever. (But hey, there's an old 1966 kinescope of The New Colony Six performing "I Lie Awake" on the long-defunct "Kiddie-A-Go-Go" Show, filmed here in Chicago, so who knows!!! All we can do is wait and see if anybody responds. (If nothing else, we'll probably hear from a few readers who either remember the program ... or partying-down with Bobby and the Galaxies on Saturday Nights! (kk) Click here: YouTube - Kiddie A-Go-Go - New Colony Six (I just love these shots of these little kids dancing! Cracks me up EVERY time!)
... and, on a related Rock TV note ...
Hi there, Just wonderin' if anyone remembers the show from the 60`s called Pop Gear???? I remember seein' it on AMC cable channel. Just saw one show and was wondering who hosted it and if there were more shows??? i love the dc5 (Joe) I've seen this once or twice, too ... kind of a British Invasion television marathon, featuring artists like The Beatles, Herman's Hermits, The Animals, Peter and Gordon, The Spencer Davis Group and more. I checked AMC's program schedule and this one isn't even listed as something that might be coming up on the cable network. A brief sonopsis can be found on Wikipedia: Click here: Pop Gear - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Originally titled "Go Go Mania", you can pick up a copy through Video Beat ... they specialize in ALL kinds of obscure and long-out-of-print vintage music programs like this. Click here: POP GEAR (GO GO MANIA) 1965 - Movie on DVD! - 60s British Beat - POP GEAR
>>>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.) Kent, You had a question in the latest edition of Forgotten Hits about a Doo Wop ballad that starts "We met in a dream".I think the song is Eddie Fisher's "Song of A Dreamer". It was released in August of 1955 on RCA and was on the charts for 8 weeks, peaking at #11.(reference The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits 5th edition). The 1st couple of lines are: We met in a dream, you walked by my side And there in that dream your arms open wide ... It can be heard on You Tube. Click here: YouTube - Eddie Fisher - Song Of The Dreamer.wmv The reason I managed to come up with this answer is that I compile Oldies crossword "Rockwords" covering popular music that charted from 1955 to 1979, and I had the 1st line of the song in my database. Keep up the great work. Mike Ogilvie Mississauga, ON Canada Well, the lyrics certainly seem to match up ... although I don't think ANYONE's ever accused Eddie Fisher of being a Doo-Wop singer before! (lol) Maybe this was covered by some other doo-wop artists of this era ... but I'm guessing at the very least we've helped to identify the song. Now maybe Vinnie can narrow down his search! Thanks, Mike! (kk) P.S. Vinny, try THIS one!!! It's by The Roomates! Click here: YouTube - Roomates - Song Of The Dreamer
A friend sent me an email regarding a concert next week here in Nashville featuring soul singer Clifford Curry, age 77.This is one of those big local hits that barely made it into Billboard's Top 100 at number 95 in 1967. It was a huge hit all across the south, but since it only made it to 95 nationally, I'm curious if it was ever heard in Chicago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ-xkUGFdUMNope, never heard this one before ... Curry didn't chart here in Chi-Town. Incredibly I have a copy of this song (and didn't even know it!) It was on Rhino's "Box Of Soul" CD collection a few years back ... a GREAT collection of '60's Soul, by the way. (kk)
Hi Kent -- Maybe YOU can help, seeing Ron Dante reads FH ...
Barry Manilow - Can't Smile Without You (1977)
Produced by Barry Manilow and Ron Dante Re: "Alternate First Take" - from the 1993 (UK release) CD, "Hidden Treasures". As you may know, I question why alternate versions began to disappear about the early '70's, since I focus my attention collecting them. I chalk it up to recording technology offering greater possibilities than in the past to build a song. Knowing how hungry record companies are to offer unreleased material and seeing that Ron Dante helped produce this, maybe you can have Ron shed some light on this particular release. The second half of this version blossoms into what appears to be the hit version, but impossible for me to believe it is a first take, fully orchestrated and all. Could the first half, especially the "tap dance solo", just happen to be on the many tape tracks and never used, but used to fabricate / mix a "First Take"? There is no Master Number mentioned, not even a recording date, making me even more suspicious ... 54 second snippet: http://www.angelfire.com/empire/abpsp/images/cantsmile.mp3 Thank you! Best, Jersey John Actually, I kinda like it, the whole "soft shoe" bit ... not something you'd typically release on a "commercial" recording ... but kind of a neat outtake / variable to a song already so familiar to so many of us. I asked Ron Dante if he could give us any insight into this. (I thought that maybe this was something they worked up for one of Barry's television specials???) kk Hi Kent. The Tap Dancing version of Can't Smile Without You was a first idea that Barry had. He and I decided that is was way too campy for a pop single so it was never to be used ever. Don't know why it was released. We never for an instant thought is worked. I mixed the version that came out in 30 minutes and it was just a reference mix. Goes to show that you don't have to spend hours and days mixing songs to make it a hit. Ron Dante
>>>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 ... thanks for solving my mystery! 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 have a version by the Electric Junkyard on RCA, which was the flip of “Garbage Can Ballet,” written by Nilsson for the film “Skiddoo.” I’m sure it’s not the version the reader is remembering. There were also versions by Atlantic Sounds (on Atlantic) and a release on UK Pye by Kay Garner. The Atlantic Sounds 45 is on eBay and the scan shows it is an instrumental. The Kay Garner version is comped on the 2005 CD, “It’s So Fine – Pye Girls Are Go!” ... I just checked and found I have the Kay Garner version. It’s attached. This is from the “Pye Girls Are Go!” CD, which is out of print. Michael
I'm not familiar with this version but it's not bad (you know, as far as bad songs go!!! lol) I don't show this as charting in the U.K. but you just never know what kind of goodies and rarities you're going to find on some of these compilation CD's. Thanks for sharing, Michael! (kk)
Think you have a good memory? Enjoy a difficult challenge? Okay! Here's TWO different endings, but the same song!!! Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to pick what one was the "hit" version!The 1st, the 2nd, Both, or Neither?
2nd:http://www.angelfire.com/empire/abpsp/images/oldfashion-1.mp3 As always, GOOD LUCK!!! Mr. Charming, Kent, will decide the Winner!!! :-) Best, Jersey John Actually, you'll find this to be the case with nearly ALL of the Three Dog Night singles ... RARELY was the LP mix the same as the single mix. (This was true of MOST singles released on Dunhill Records for that matter ... radio hasn't aired the correct version of Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride" in over 40 years!) With Three Dog Night, "An Old-Fashioned Love Song" was a COMPLETELY different mix ... not only is the ending different but that whole goofy ad-libbed bit didn't appear on the album version either. (This really freaked me out when I heard the single for the first time as I was already familiar with the album cut ... and thought this "goofiness" added NOTHING to the quality of the song!) "One" never had a "cold" ending (which is the ONLY way you'll hear that song today) ... the original single faded out. "Eli's Coming" and "Mama Told Me Not To Come" BOTH have totally different endings than their single counterparts ... but perhaps the MOST glaring snafu is the missing guitar solo on the LP version of "Joy To The World" ... yet THAT is the one MOST oldies radio stations played until we pointed it out ten years ago that they were playing the WRONG version ... I can't even begin to tell you how many deejays I've sent the single mix to over the years! As I've mentioned SO many times before, music history is slowly disintegrating based on so many of the wrong versions circulating ... while you're more into these alternate takes, stereo mixes, studio chatter, etc, etc, etc., I want to hear the song the way I remember hearing it coming out of my radio way back when! For YEARS now I've been pushing for a MAJOR undertaking ... re-releasing the COMPLETE single mixes of every charted Top 40 Hit (or more) ... an across-the-boards, multi-label project that would reinstate, once and for all, the OFFICIAL version of these songs as they were first released. Sure, you can still do the "bonus tracks" on artist anthologies or compilations ... but specify them as such ... now there's something for EVERYBODY! At least in this way we would have a documented history of the charts. (kk)
Reading the First Pressings book for 1951, I was surprised to see that Johnnie Ray did not have the first recording of Cry. The first was by Ruth Casey on Cadillac Records. I have been doing a retrospective of 1951 R&B on my show and would love to have this one! I'm a nut about original versions and covers. KPOO's Autumn King, Charlie Miller Johnnie Ray broke through in a VERY big way with his 1951 #1 Hit "Cry" ... it topped Billboard's Best Sellers Chart for eleven weeks ... and even crossed over to their R&B Chart where it ranked at #1 for a week! Four more Top Ten Hits came the following year: "The Little White Cloud That Cried" (#2), "Please Mr. Sun" (#6), "Here Am I, Broken Hearted" (#9) and "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" (#6). Ruth Casey's version didn't chart on Billboard's Pop OR Rhythm and Blues Chart ... and I wasn't familiar with it until I received your email. Fortunately, the ever-reliable Tom Diehl was able to track down a copy for us to share. You should be able to play this on your radio program right from our website (but I've also sent you an MP3 just in case!) kk
Hi Kent, I watched Why Do Fools Fall In Love for the first time over the weekend. I thought it was a pretty good movie and was curious how accurate it was? The first place I thought to check was Forgotten Hits. The bits that I knew about Frankie Lymon seemed to be true ... drug addiction, not much life in the music biz after the Teenagers, etc. Hollywood bio pics aren't known for their accuracy, that's for sure. One thing that cracked me up was in a scene where he is out in California with the woman who was formerly in the Platters and you hear James Brown's "Say it Loud" in the background. In the movie, it's around 1965 and I know that song hadn't been released yet. The rights for Why Do Fools was certainly an interesting premice for a movie. The other thing I was curious about was his appearance on Hullabaloo. In the film he's lipsincing to an old Teenagers record. I wonder if that was what really happened on the show or did he perform live. Still always enjoying the newsletter. Thanks! Bill All kinds of "creative" and "dramatic" license come into play in these docu-dramas. Quite often, several characters are combined into one so that various aspects of the story can be told in a less confusing (and more budget-friendly) way. (They often do this for LEGAL reasons, too!) I've watched "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" at least a dozen times and have always enjoyed it. The controversy between all of Frankie's wives over the royalty money being generated when Diana Ross decided to remake Lymon's biggest hit in the '80's is classic ... and was ALL over the news at the time. (Interesting, too, how Morris Levy was already earning his stripes back in the '50's, taking advantage of his artists and putting his name of song copyrights and such. Of course, Tommy James raked him over the coals in his book last year ... but, quite honestly, it was about the worst-kept secret EVER!!! Levy is LEGENDARY in this respect ... it's doubtful that he EVER signed an artist he didn't take advantage of!) Let's see how many of these I can address: James Brown's "Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud" debuted on the pop charts in September of 1968 ... which was about seven months AFTER Lymon died of a drug overdose. I'm sure it was used more as a backdrop to indicate a turbulant time in America than anything else. Lymon DID make a "comeback" appearance of sorts on Hullabaloo in 1965 I believe he simply lip-synced to one of his old hits (which seemed to be the only way he was allowed to perform at this time ... between the change in his voice ... and his erratic behavior due to "outside influences", this seemed to be the SAFEST way to present Lymon on television ... ridiculous, really, in that he was clearly MUCH older now than when he first recorded these tunes!) I believe Frankie's appearance is available on one of the Hullabaloo compilations videos or DVD's ... so if anyone on the list happens to have a copy (I don't!) and can confirm or deny this, please do! Because Frankie Lymon is a little bit before my time (and in order to give you the most accurate answer possible regarding any other discrepancies), I did a quick web search to see what else was out there. Imagine my COMPLETE surprise when the #1 Google Search turned out to be MY Forgotten Hits article on Frankie from a while back. (I honestly had forgotten all about it!!!) While it doesn't answer ALL of your questions, it DOES give you a pretty accurate picture of Lymon's career. You can find it here: Click here: Forgotten Hits: Goody Goody You'll also find some a few more discrepancies pointed out in the reviews posted on IMDB.com, including this one by FH Regular Gary Theroux: Click here: Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998) - IMDb user reviews Gary writes: Zola Taylor was the best-known of Frankie's three wives, but she is portrayed following her run with The Platters as an in-the-money solo star headlining live shows with her giant hit "Only You." Are the producers kidding? Zola Taylor didn't even JOIN The Platters until AFTER "Only You" had become a million-seller! The Platters scored big as the most successful hitmaking singing group of the late '50s (1955-9), despite the fact that the "group" was really lead vocalist Tony Williams -- with the others as mere background singers. Zola only sang lead on a couple of minor Platters chart items -- and after leaving the act, immediately sank into near total obscurity. The Platters' golden era ended in 1960 after Tony left on his ill-fated solo career. None of The Platters really made much money at all -- as they were mere salaried employees of their manager, Buck Ram. Ram wrote much of their material, told them what to sing and how, produced their records, owned The Platters' name and (no surprise) kept nearly all of the loot himself. -- Gary Theroux (Sounds like Morris Levy wasn't the ONLY "mentor" lining his pockets at the time!!! lol) Sadly, this was probably true more often than not in the early days of rock and roll ... and, in some cases, still goes on today. Far too many teenagers that knew NOTHING about the ways of business were just happy that somebody liked and appreciated their songs and talent and did anything and EVERYTHING they were told to do in an effort to enjoy five more minutes in the spotlight. In hindsight, had he stayed clean, Lymon could have enjoyed a long and somewhat lucrative career playing the oldies circuit ... but that market didn't really exist yet when Frankie checked out in 1968. (kk)
Somebody is a liar, Fred Ebb says he was the voice of the little blue man and I heard Hugh Downs live on the air tell John "Records" Landeker that he was the voice of the little blue man. So what gives? Talk2Me I have ALWAYS heard that it was Hugh Downs ... and, as such, have always reported it that way ... but I see now that in the latest edition of Joel Whitburn's "Top Pop Singles" Book, he states that the voice of The Little Blue Man was done by Fred Ebb, the song's co-writer. (I, too, have heard Downs talk about his involvement with this recording in the past.) So I asked Joel when and why his description was changed (as he, TOO, had reported it as Downs for decades!) kk Before my last edition of “Top Pop Singles” was published, I received an email from Betty Johnson’s agency, setting me straight on who was the voice of “The Little Blue Man”. Here is part of what they told me in that email: “Betty’s squeaking suitor on “The Little Blue Man” was sung by songwriter Fred Ebb, not Jack Paar sidekick Hugh Downs as many have assumed.” In fact, they have now published this same statement, almost word-for-word on their current web site: http://www.betty-johnson.com/music.ghvol1.html No more assumptions. That should settle the issue forever. Thanks for the note, Kent. Joel So there you have it ... NO idea why it's been so widely reported (by Downs himself!) that he did the voice on the record but Betty Johnson has now OFFICIALLY set the record straight. Thanks, Joel! (kk)
>>>Vehicle demo? Bring it on!!!! (John) >>>I was SO happy to obtain a copy of this ... thanks again to Clark Besch for his diligent research work ... we consider this "find" our most recent coup de grace! (kk) >>>For years we had been telling the story that it was Disk Jockey, the late great Art Roberts, who suggested adding the vocal answers to "love you, need you!" to "Vehicle". Our managers told us if you add those, WLS will add the record. (Jim Peterik) Same thing, sort of ... maybe ... Hot Chocolate - You Sexy Thing Released in the US on Big Tree Records. It is written that it was an (unknown) American DJ who flipped the 45 RPM record over and spotted its potential. How he was able to persuade Producer Mickie Most abroad, to modify it and reissue it is also unknown. It is certainly a different "mix" with a noticeable rhythm guitar, in long form, clocking in at 4:00, with double tracking on lead vocals in spots. Some verses (heard here) were later edited out in the US Hit version ...http://www.angelfire.com/empire/abpsp/images/sexy.mp3 Best, John Hard to tell ... this simply could be a case of the extended album mix vs. the punched-up hit single mix ... that sort of thing happened all the time, especially if the single was pulled from the album AFTER pressure to release it. That being said, I don't know that anyone from Big Tree Records (or American radio for that matter) had to convince anybody to release "You Sexy Thing" as a single ... it debuted on The British Singles Pop Chart a week after it premiered in Billboard here in The States. It peaked at #2 in its U.K. showing and reached #3 (for three weeks!) in Billboard in early '76. (It also peaked at #2 on the Cash Box Chart.) Listening to it this morning makes me kinda wanna watch "The Full Monty" again!!! GREAT scene in that movie! By 1976, Hot Chocolate had already racked up nine British Top 40 Hits, so they were no strangers on the charts. Here in the States, "Emma" (#6, 1975) and "Disco Queen" (#21, 1975) were already proven hits before "You Sexy Thing" first hit the charts. Again, an established chart track record would indicate that they knew EXACTLY what song to release as their next single. The band got their start with The Beatles' Apple Records label when they cut a reggae version of John Lennon's Peace Classic "Give Peace A Chance." (Story goes they wanted to change part of the lyric and, when they approached Lennon for permission, he suggested that they simply cut the record for Apple Records and be done with it. You'll find this rare cut on the newly released "Best Of Apple Records" CD we've been telling you about lately!) Click here: Amazon.com: Come and Get It: The Best of Apple Records: Various Artists: Music A year later they were signed to Mickie Most's RAK Records label, earning their first British Top Ten Hit with "Love Is Life" (#36, 1970). Early Hot Chocolate recordings of '70's hits like "You Could Have Been A Lady" and "Brother Louie" went on to become bigger hits for April Wine and Stories respectively, but they would earn a total of 13 Top Ten British Hits under their own name between 1970 and 1987 (including a remix of "You Sexy Thing" that went to #10 in 1987.) Having checked a number of reference sources, I can't find ANYTHING stating that it was an American deejay who prompted the success of "You Sexy Thing" (or its release as a single) ... as I said, Hot Chocolate had already scored two U.S. hits prior to its release on Big Tree Records. Honestly, I think by this point they were pretty well recognized as world-wide hit makers. (kk)
BROTHER LOUIE: It was a #1 Record for Stories here in The States ... but the song was written by ... and first recorded by ... Hot Chocolate over in The U.K.
For those of you wondering why THEY didn't have the hit here, too, one quick listen should give it away ...
(I'm guessing that spoken narration like "I don't want no HONKY in my family!" or "I don't want no SPOOK in my family!" PROBABLY had something to do with it!!!)
Incredibly, despite the COMPLETE "political incorrectness" of all this, Hot Chocolate scored a Top Ten Hit with their version in Great Britain ... three months before Stories covered this tune (and, thankfully, cleaned it up) on their way to a #1 U.S. Hit. Unfrickin'believable!!! (kk)
(Hmmm ... wonder if we can get Scott Shannon to play THIS one on his next True Oldies Channel Remakes Weekend?!?!?! It'd probably have to be one of those "Truth Or Dare" situations!!! lol)
Looks like another jam-packed edition this week ... so let's get right to it!!!
re: ROCK AND ROLL ROOTS: As promised, here is this year's track listing for the latest edition (Volume 12) of Bob Stroud's GREAT CD series: Good Old Rock 'N Roll by Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys; Stay In Time by Off Broadway(one of my all-time favorite local hits from the '80's ... in fact, me and the boys used to do BOTH of these first two tracks as part of our live show!); Classical Gas by Mason Williams; Summertime by Billy Stewart(one of Frannie's all-time favorites); Tighter, Tighter by Alive 'N Kickin; Rebel Girl by Survivor(Jimmy makin' money!); Never Been Any Reason by Head East(not one of MY favorites but apparently one of Frannie's); Shake by The Shadows of Knight(from the Buddah bubblegum phase); Memphis by Lonnie Mack(Wow! TWO instrumentals this year!); Driver's Seat by Sniff 'n' the Tears(the SECOND act on this volume to use 'n' instead of AND! lol); A Question of Temperature by Balloon Farm(another one of your all-time psychedelic favorites!) and Loved By You by The Kind(yet ANOTHER local favorite from the early '80's!!!) Another GREAT track list for the 30th Anniversary Edition! If you're unable to pick up a copy through any of our Chicagoland Borders Book Stores, Forgotten Hits will once again provide copies to our out-of-state readers and oldies music fans. Disks will run $24 (postage included) ... just send me your information and we'll make sure that you get a copy before they're gone. (As we told you yesterday, these tend to sell out very quickly ... so, if you're interested in obtaining a copy, drop me an email STAT and we'll send you all the details.) We have been providing this service for the past several years so that readers all over the country can enjoy this great series, too! (kk)
Kent, Very nice piece on Bob Stroud and WDRV’s Rock N’ Roll Roots Volume 12, being released tomorrow. We’re with you in our appreciation of Bob and the Drive’s unwavering focus on the music — as Bob says, “It’s all about the music”. Speaking to fellow players in other markets, there’s nothing like the Drive out there, and nobody like Bob. As a player himself, he brings a unique perspective and appreciation for the music the station plays, and his enthusiasm informs listeners across a very wide demographic. We’re truly lucky to have him and the Drive organization in the Chicago market. From a purely selfish perspective, performing at Bob’s CD release events is one of the highlights of the year for me, and it’s obvious the other players feel the same. It’s also a great opportunity to give back just a little to the fans of “the greatest music ever made”. And, thank you for your continuing efforts to keep the music alive. See you tomorrow. Rick Barr New Colony Six
Hey Kent, Gave blood last weekend at WDRV's donor fest ... got my cd, but I'm not letting the cat out of the bag til tomorrow either! I'll see you in Oak Brook ... and I'm encouraging anyone who can to donate blood thru any community blood drive, or LifeSource itself ... it only takes about 1/2 hour, doesn't hurt (ok, a quick little needle prick!), and it's FREE!!! When do you ever hear that anymore??? Seriously, it's a lifesaving thing, and you never know when someone you know might need it ... they have them all over ... check the LifeSource web site ... and they usually give you cookies and juice afterwards!!!! Come on, it's worth it! Marlene I heard from Ron Smith last week, too (oldiesmusic.com) who really would have liked to have been able to go to this, but had already given blood recently and couldn't give again until after Thanksgiving. It IS a good cause ... and you're right ... a family member ... or YOU ... may need these services one day. Here is the LifeSource website info again: Click here: LifeSource - Chicagoland's Blood Center
Kent, Today's piece about Bob Stroud and the upcoming CD - along with the track listings from the earlier volumes - ties in perfectly with yesterday's discussion about radio. Those CDs are excellent assortments of well-known classic songs and almost-forgotten tracks. That is *precisely* what would make a lot of successful radio stations across the USA. I recently talked with a guy who has been selling local radio here in Nashville for 30 years, and he agreed there was a huge opportunity for a station that would program boomer music with just a smattering of doo-wop. The problem, as we know, is that the national buyers don't understand the audience demo and won't advertise to people our age, and that the consultants and programmers are ignorant of the music, the audience, and the opportunity. Wouldn't it be a blast to work at such an opportunity and break new ground for other stations to follow?By the way - it sure has been fun watching the YouTube videos of the earlier CD Release Parties at Borders Books. -- David Lewis Actually, you'll find quite a few videos posted on YouTube from the past several years' in-store events ... a great chance to see just what you've been missing! (kk)
re: HALLOWEEN LEFTOVERS: Here's another one of our all-time favorite Forgotten Hits videos ... I almost went with this one again on Halloween ... After all, it IS pretty darn scary!!! And, as an extra-special bonus, it even has "Ghost" in the title! (kk) Click here: YouTube - Tommy Seebach A Ghostrider In The Sky Kent, OMG!!!!! Honestly, it reminded me of a Swedish Porn I saw several years ago from the 70's, especially the lead guy! Indian Squaws have Heap Small Ta-Ta's! Hilarious! Great laugh ... chicka chicka wa wa ... As for the 'pumpkin' picture ... please wait whilst I poke out my mind's eye! Finally, can you run a beefcake cover as a refreshing alternative to the "Whipped Cream" and "My Sharona" covers? Be inclusive, Kent....;-) Later! Pond It was after I received Pond's email that I sent him a "sneak peek" of the Tommy Seebach video ... a long-standing favorite of mine!!! Hey, I'm open to a "beefcake" LP cover ... who's got one to share??? (kk) As for beefcake, I can't think of any off-hand. I guess I should've thought of one before I opened my mouth, huh? The only one I can think of is the cover from one of Roger Daltry's solo albums, where he is made to look like a centaur. Not many mainstream albums have hot men on their covers. Pond
Well, it's a start I guess! Here ya go ... (inspired, of course, by the early recordings of The New Colony Six!!!) kk
How about I buy a bunch of the most beautiful cheesecake covers, scan them nice and large to perfection, then play a song or two from the LP / 45 and at the same time listeners would "see" the cover / picture sleeve on the internet!!! Nice one you found in your newsletter! There is a 45 picture sleeve by a popular Philly group, like the Spinners or something, that is an eye opener! Best, John The Ohio Players used to have some pretty risque covers back in the day ... and who can forget the original Blind Faith album cover (with the topless 13-year old girl) that caused such a controversy?!?!? (kk) Here's another Halloween video ... sent into us by Ron Dante! Here's a Halloween treat from me to all my friends today ... Ron http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMs2iBjOhKo
And a couple of Halloween Photo Ops, submitted by our readers ...
First up ... Jimy Rogers of The Mauds / Blue Road (dressed as Johnny Depp / Captain Jack Sparrow) on Halloween Night, flanked by Dia Madden (dressed as Cher) and Joan Gand (as Cat Woman) ... looks like everybody was having a GREAT time! (kk)
And, speaking of cool Halloween costumes, check out this photo, submitted by Bob Merlis of Merlis For Hire:
Just couldn't resist forwarding this one!
These lads are Dylan (as Dusty Hill), Nathan (as Frank Beard) and Ryan Garcia (as Billy Gibbons), actual triplets, age 8, who are third graders at Houston's Harvard Elementary. They won 1st place for best costumes in the Timbergrove Neighborhood Halloween Carnival. Photo is by their father, Gary Garcia, a lifelong ZZ Top fan; costume design by their mom, Pam Garcia, another ZZ Top "lifer." Ryan Gracia offered some pithy commentary: "We loved dressing like ZZ Top because they're so cool and they rock! I mean, who else would we be? The Jonas Brothers?" TOO funny! Looks like these kids have certainly been influenced by their hometown heroes!!! (kk)
Our recent piece on the classical interlude featured in The Fifth Estate's recording of "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead" sparked a few new comments as well ...
re: CLASSICAL ROCK: >>>Speaking of classical music sneaking into rock & roll, Eric Carmen incorporated Rachmaninov's piano concerto into "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again". Also classical made a cameo in "Joy" by Apollo 100, "All By Myself" again by Eric Carmen and Miguel Rios' "song of Joy" to list a few. (Dube)
>>>And let's not forget "A Lover's Concerto" by The Toys! Yep, there've been quite a few of them ... in fact, we just recently featured the rare track "1969" by Ross Hannaman, whose melody revolved around Fur Elise!!! To quote long-time FH Reader, Mister Hil, "Gotta love the world of music!" (kk)
Of course there's also 'Sabre Dance' by Love Sculpture. Seeing Dave Edmunds perform that live is one of the highlights of my life! Ed
Speaking of classical music sneaking into rock 'n' roll music, anyone remember Valjean's "Mr. Mozart's Mash," his riff on Mozart's "Sonata in C"? It got good airplay in the Twin Cities in late '62 / early '63 but didn't do anything nationally. (He did a lot better with "The Theme From Ben Casey.") "Mr. Mozart's Mash", though, is a day-brightener that opens with a "Wah Watusi" beat, offers some familiar Mozart music and mixes in horns nicely. Give a listen:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp4jScinYPM Don Effenberger
Interesting ... and not at all half bad ... especially for 1962. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra would take a similar approach in 1982, call it "Hooked On Classics" and score a Top Ten Hit with it! (kk)
Kent, With all the talk of classical music used in rock songs of the 60's, I am quite surprised to see no one speak of the classical piece used as James William Guercio's falling out with the Buckinghams! As we all likely know, the Buckinghams geared up for their 5th top 10 record in a row in late 1968 with a great tune, "Susan." When they finished, they had no real middle bridge and needed to head out on the road. Guercio told the boys he would fix it all up. He did -- in his own way. He stuck what many (including the Buckinghams at the time) felt was a very odd piece of "music" or "sound effects" into the middle bridge. It was so odd that Columbia released a DJ only version of the song without the middle part on 45 to radio stations. Most of the time, the long version sold in stores was what stations aired. Personally, I thought it was cool! I still do. If you listen to their LP "Portraits", it fits in with many pieces like their great "What is Love?". Both "Susan" and "What is Love" were sang on their Ed Sullivan TV appearance in early 1968, long before the LP was released. The middle bridge cut away from the performing group on stage to a montage of film of them on swings and such. It's really not much different from what Queen did with "Bohemian Rhapsody" when performing onstage live in the 70's. Oddly for the Sullivan performance, it was delayed a week after Chicago teens tuned in only to see Ed say at the show's end that they had ran out of time and the group would be on the following week. They were and oddly again, "Susan" was performed including the sound effects, but never came back to the finale' and instead broke right into "What is Love?"!!! But, I DIGRESS!!! The "Sound effect" bridge used in "Susan" was something Guercio found in the Columbia classical vaults! It was taken from the Columbia Masterworks album "Leonard Bernstein Conducts Ives Symphony #3" and the song it was culled from was "Central Park in the Dark". It's almost 8 minutes long and here's an excerpt of what it sounds like Guercio edited pieces from. It's perfect stereo, of course, on the album, too. Pretty cool if you have never heard it before. I wonder what Mr. Tufano has to say about this? WLSClark
I know the guys were none-too-happy with the psychedelic interlude ... but I've always liked it (and it really DID fit with the times.) I heard Bob Stroud mention something the other day when he featured "Fakin' It" by Simon and Garfunkel as his One 45 at 1:45. Referring to their own little bit of psychedelia, (certainly a rarity for a folk-based act like Simon and Garfunkel!), Stroud said something to the effect of "as were all things, circa 1967" ... and then noted that the play time listed on the label of the original single put the length at 2 minutes, 74 seconds!!! (lol) Pretty clever, really, back in the day when a song had to come in under three minutes to be considered for airplay! (lol) kk
re: C'MON, GET HAPPY:
Sounds like '70's teen heart-throb David Cassidy may have been a little TOO happy the other night ... he was busted for drunk driving in Florida. (Honestly, I can't say that I'm at all surprised ... especially after that last concert of his that we attended! Seriously, we were ready to walk out the door!) Wonder how many girls will be putting THIS poster up on their bedroom walls??? Don'tcha just LOVE celebrity mug shots?!?!? lol
When I was backstage before the Peter Noone concert a couple of weeks ago, he showed me a copy of a photo that one of the members of Styx had left for him on his dressing table ... it was the picture of Nick Nolte's infamous mug shot from a few years back ... and the Styx guy had scribbled some kind of comment about how much Peter looked like Nolte! While I'll refrain from commenting on the uncanny resemblance ... j/k ... I have to admit that it WAS pretty funny to look at! (kk) Meanwhile, it sounds like David Cassidy's been out on the road with his old buddy, Danny Bonaduce again! Here's a review I picked up off of Ron Smith's oldiesmusic.com website: David Cassidy came to play at my favorite theatre last night and, being a fan of TV's (second) famous ficticious rock group, I had to go. As a bonus, Danny Bonaduce opened up for Cassidy doing comedy. I've heard some not so great things about Cassidy in concert, but I witnessed one of the best shows ever! Danny's stand up at the beginning was mostly clean and focused on how Cassidy helped him out when he got arrested (on more than one occasion). Funny stuff. The kicker - when Danny was in the Partridge Family, he never actually knew how to play bass. So for this show only, he took lessons and told the audience he would play one song with David live on stage. David comes out and performs many Partridge songs. I'm not sure if there are any Partridge Family fans on this board but if there are, you will recognize the titles "I Can Feel Your Heartbeat", "Point Me In The Direction of Albuquerque", "Echo Valley 26809", "Summer Days", "I Woke Up In Love This Morning", and, of course, "I Think I Love You". In between those songs, David did some heavy rock n roll stuff which he likes, including covers of Deep Purple and Cream. I'd say he was on stage for a good hour and 45 minutes. Before the finale, "I Think I Love You", David introduces Danny, and he comes out in a red crushed velvet Partridge Family suit!!! It was totally out of nowhere and was really hysterical. He plugged in the bass and David and Danny together performed "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted". It was a true, once in a lifetime, Partridge Family reunion and I was proud to witness it! MC
... and, speaking of Peter Noone ...
re: PETER NOONE ... et al : Hi Kent, Frannie's review of Peter Noone's recent performance at Star Plaza was perfect and it was a true gift to those of us she'd call "extreme fans"! And how awesomely awesome that she had her review read on the air by Scott Shannon with TrueOldies (love Scott! Great friend of noonatics, everywhere!) P.S. Frannie's term for the noonatics: "extreme fans" is spot on! Now I see myself as the Tony Hawk of the fan experience! Janis
Kent ... Don't forget to wish Peter Noone a Happy 63rd Birthday ... 11/5/10. Frank B. Better late than never, I guess ... hope you had a GREAT day, Peter ... thanks for giving us all SO many years of musical memories and enjoyment! (kk) Hey Kent! Just a quick note to say thanks for the mention in your Forgotten Hits review of the Merrillville, IN Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone show last week. Great that you included a link to www.vancebrescia.com and also posted that follow up comment by "Wild" Bill Cody. Speaking of oldies … I work with music older (& newer) than what fans hear at the Hermits shows, so getting fans to my site means spreading the word about my work withmusic and seniors. Many are visiting the new Singing with Seniors topic on my music blog … now to get them comfortable enough to post comments! All the best in your efforts to keep the music alive with Forgotten Hits! Thanks again and … Stay groovy! Vance I need to hook you up with Veeder Van Dorn of The Moonrakers ... these guys were the biggest band out of Colorado back in the '60's ... they literally played with EVERYBODY who was ANYBODY back then! He performs for seniors and retirees on a regular basis and I think he enjoys entertaining them just as much as they enjoy being entertained by him! Happy to help spread the word! Have always enjoyed your work ... VERY cool that you were able to sit in with Micky, too! (kk) ... and, speaking of Micky ... and The Monkees ...
re: MORE OF THE MONKEES: Hey KK, I recently bought 1,000 45s from a collector to use on my radio show. Out of a thousand, maybe 250 are in good enough shape to use on the air. One gem was a near-mint condition Monkees 45 with the A & B sides Pleasant Valley Sunday / Words. It doesn't have the original jacket. However, I do have an original 45 "My Sharona / Let Me Out" (by The Knack) with the jacket you featured on FH a few times recently. Mr. C Yeah, well THAT one's a KEEPER!!! (lol) Here's the Monkees sleeve you mentioned ... in fact, I may have a few extra copies of this one if you're interested! (kk)
Hi Kent, I saw this item on eBay and thought you might be interested. Check out who Minneapolis' Stillroven thought was the writer of this song! They heard the LP before the Monkees. Maybe THEY released it before the Monkees? Clark Besch Stillroven-Steppin' Stone '67 MN ONLY 75 PRESSED! Current price: $299.99 End time: Oct-26-10 13:56:04 PDT They HAD to discover this off the Paul Revere and the Raiders album, which predated The Monkees' recording by several months ... and, without actually checking the record label or album cover, just assumed that this was an original composition put together by the leaders of the band!!! Looks like somebody else saw the hit potential in this song ... before The Monkees made it a Top 20 Hit! (Hardly think it's worth $300 however!!!) kk
Kent - Nice job on "Davy Jones Presents." (Andrew Sandoval was posting pretty regularly on Spectropop, at least a few years ago, so I hope he's OK and if he is, will contribute any knowledge he has about these obscure recordings.) My sisters ran out to buy the "David Jones" album re-release on Colpix in '67 or '68, which introduced me to a talented young man who was more than just romantic "Davy" on the show and on the Monkees' albums. In fact, his sincere rendering of "It Ain't Me Babe" was the 1st version I ever heard, long before I heard the Turtles or Bob Dylan's!!! Then in '71 he comes out with a cover of a song called "Rainy Jane", which I'd vaguely heard denting the charts in around late 1968 or so - I always felt that "Come on, Rainy Jane ... " sounded a lot like "Cheer up, Sleepy Jean ... ", so maybe the producers were capitalizing on the latter song's success. Whitburn mentions that Neil Sedaka was one of the writers of this (IMO) undistinguished song. It was a good try, though; I had the feeling that Jones was tired of bubblegum and sunshine / psych and may have been trying for a more AC / MOR kind of sound - at least at the time. Bob Rashkow Neil Sedaka did, indeed, write "Rainy Jane", a modest hit (#32 Cash Box, #52 Billboard ... but #7 here in Chi-Town!) back in 1971. I always liked it ... and expected Davy to have a far more successful solo career (on the charts) than he did ... he certainly had the following (and the girls ... ahem, middle-aged women ... STILL scream at his concerts today!!!)
Sedaka had a few of his compositions recorded by The Monkees (at a time when he couldn't get his own records on the charts.) One of my personal favorites is "When Love Comes Knocking At Your Door" from The Monkees' second album ... I have ALWAYS loved the counter melody on that song (and we actually performed this one once or twice ourselves back in the day!) kk
For me, it was Micky Dolenz who was my favorite Monkee, but all were great! Micky, to me, was like the Eric Burdon of the Monkees!!Enjoyable on TV as much as on the radio / record! Have to defend the drummers, you know! :) Best, Jersey John Micky was always MY favorite, too ... then probably Mike for his level-headed approach and songwriting ability. I think Micky Dolenz is one of the greatest, most under-rated voices of the '60's ... and he STILL sounds great today ... as proven both in concert a couple of weeks ago at The Star Plaza in Merrillville, Indiana, as well as on his brand new CD release, "King For A Day". (kk)
Micky Dolenz is keeping a tight lid on his pairing up with ace guitarist Phil Keaggy for a new CD project. Phil Keaggy is considered one of the greatest guitar virtuosos of them all. Mickey was instrumental in getting Jimi Hendrix on the Monkee tour.There has been an ongoing rumor or truth being circulated for decades about Jimi Hendrix being asked by Johnny Carson what it was like being classified as the world's greatest guitarist and he answered that he'd have to address the question to Phil Keaggy, then lead guitarist and a vocalist in Glass Harp. By the way, King of The Fuzz Guitar ... Davie Allan ... was a schoolmate of Micky Dolenz at Grant High School in Van Nuys. Micky sure does rub elbows with the greatest guitarists! Boobie "The Vibe Man"
>>>According to Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval, cases of Jones' "My Favorite Monkee Sings" 45's were later found unsold, stashed in the basement of the Kirshner residence ... so how come NOBODY seems to have a copy?!?!? All of our efforts to contact Andrew Sandoval have so far gone unanswered. My hope was that he may have since come upon additional information in this regard ... or, perhaps had some "photo evidence" that we could share with our readers. If we DO hear back from him, we'll be sure to let you know! (Maybe he'll see this piece and be inclined to respond!) kk UPDATE: Well, we DID hear back from Andrew ... here's what we got! Kent: I do have in my collection a copy of the "My Favorite Monkee" 45 (and I have seen a few other copies of this single over the years). It does match the withdrawn Colgems 1003. However, whether it was pressed by Kirshner or by the principles of Davy's label is not confirmed. Although the label did run a contest called "My Favorite Monkee", it was done some time after the official single was issued. Why they would press up a withdrawn Colgems master is a true mystery (if this is the case). The story of the surplus of "My Favorite Monkee" singles being left behind by Kirshner comes from pop historian, Dawn Eden. For the record, the run out of "My Favorite Monkee" single scribes these numbers: SIDE-1 R-908 SIDE-2 R-909 These match no Colgems Master numbers that I know of, but they match the sequence of Davy Jones Presents 45's that I have. So, maybe it was just part of their contest. Andrew
Kent, I have the “My Favorite Monkee – Davy Jones Sings” 45. I’ll have to pull it out so I scan it for you. Michael Would LOVE to see it. I remember an early pressing of the ultra-rare version of "She Hangs Out" coming out on a bootleg in the late '70's or early '80's ... on Koala Records I wanna say ... but it was WELL after the group had split up ... but I have NEVER seen a "legitimate" pressing of "She Hangs Out" on a single other than the Canadian 45 in my collection ... and certainly nothing on the "My Favorite Monkee / Davy Jones Sings" label. With as much as has been written about this, it's hard for me to believe that it DOESN'T exist ... surely it MUST!!! I've just never SEEN one ... and now I want to!!! Thanks, Michael! (kk) And then ... Here ya go, Kent. Outgroove etchings are: SIDE-1 R-908 and SIDE-2 R-909. It is pressed on thick vinyl. The B-side is indeed the alternate, “single” version of “She Hangs Out” first issued on the withdrawn Canadian RCA single. The A-side is the single mix of “A Little Bit Me.” I have no idea about the history of the release. When I found this 45 many years ago, I thought it was some kind of “premium” record -- that someone would send for with a couple of boxtops or something. It might be! Michael
Excellent!!! Thanks. Michael!!! Maybe this single DOES in some way tie into the "My Favorite Monkee" contest that Andrew refers to above ... who knows! But, now that I've seen it, I cannot help but wonder how this "phantom record company" (really NO distinguishable markings of ANY kind to be found on these labels!) FIRST of all got the rights to release a Monkees tune ... where'd they get the masters??? (And the PERMISSION for that matter! Or was this just dubbed off the Canadian single before it was pulled from the market, bootleg style?) And, second of all, how did they get away with crediting a legitimate Monkees GROUP recording as a Davy Jones SOLO tune??? For all the battling that was going on behind the scenes at this time, I really can't imagine ANYBODY connected with The Monkees agreeing to something like THIS!!! Surely SOMEBODY overstepped their authority by turning out THIS release! (And if Davy WAS somehow involved, it's a wonder that the other three didn't string him up by his Beatle Boots!!!) kk
re: ORLEANS: Great line! This one comes from Ron Smith's Oldies Board ... Frank >>>John Hall, two term congressman from New York and one time member of Orleans ("Still the One") was defeated for re-election yesterday. Guess he wasn't "Still the One"! Ol Rocker
I need the help of your FH readers ... I enjoy finding alternate versions, but not cheap budget ones. I found this on a (Universal, Japan) Japanese various artists CD set with no other remakes. Though it differs from the hit, the vocals are remarkably good / accurate! Anyone know if they remade this song? Maybe a remake after a transition of record labels? Two members left in 1977, so I'm guessing this had to be made before they did. Has anyone seen them perform live? Maybe a demo? It's a studio recording with little or no percussion ... http://www.angelfire.com/empire/abpsp/images/dancewith.mp3 Thanks! Jersey John Before I could even put this out to the list ... (we have another edition of HELPING OUT OUR READERS coming up on the web page tomorrow!) ... John received his answer from Lance Hoppen of Orleans himself! He and his brother Lawrence formed the nucleus of the band that John Hall formed in the early '70's. Orleans put together back-to-back Top Five Hits in 1975 / 1976 with "Dance With Me" and "Still The One", both oldies and classic rock radio staples to this day. They reached #11 a few years later (after Hall had already left the band) with the Forgotten Hit "Love Takes Time", another one of our favorites. (kk)
Meanwhile, here's the answer to John's question, right from the horse's mouth as it were: Nice artists - the ones who actually reply to e-mail, not ones who need a newsletter forum for exposure. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Hey, it's the participation of the artists that makes Forgotten Hits what it is ... and, BECAUSE of what it is, we've earned the participation of the artists!!! -- kk) Jersey John's nice group pick of the day: The Orleans!! Lance Hoppen (bassist) was surprised that I could tell what was a submitted was a demo (early version) of "Dance With Me"! ABC / Dunhill canceled their recording contract when they heard NO HIT MATERIAL on the (self produced) album, even though there was a Top 10 Hit!!Best, John re: ANOTHER PASSING: We are very sad to hear about the passing of the once announcer on American Bandstand and also on Wheel of Fortune. Charlie O'Donnell was not only a great announcer, but a good friend of mine when I was on American Bandstand. May he rest in peace. Carmella Astrella (submitted by John Madara)
And, speaking of American Bandstand, I recently received this radio announcement from Ronnie Allen ...
Hi Kent, I am pleased to present something a bit different from what I've done in the past. Although my latest radio interview show for the Jersey Girls Sing website was not with a music celebrity, I got a tremendous joy out of doing it, partly for the reasons that I describe below. So many teenagers in the Philadelphia area in 1961 dreamed of dancing on "American Bandstand." This show is with one of them who, although not one of the show's so-called "regulars," danced on several dozen broadcasts of that show in that year. Her name is Bonnie Nadley and she shares so many wonderful memories of being on the show very often and seeing in person some of the top recordings acts in the country. If Chuck Berry had written his hit about HER, it would have been "Sweet Little FIFTEEN" because that's how old she was during her Bandstand odyssey. Actually in 1959 she had made her first visit at the age of 13 (underage!) ... shhhh, please don't tell anyone! 1961 was a special year for me as well. I released my one and only recording, namely "Flip Over You." Although "Flip" flopped, at least I was a "contenduh"! Linda Scott, who attended Teaneck (NJ) High School with me did somewhat better, having three huge national hits starting with "I've Told Every Little Star."1961 was also the year that I graduated. When I was not trying to promote my record, I was at home glued to the TV whenever AB was on the air. How did Bonnie, who was not a regular, manage to get into the studio and dance on the show so often?Were there stated ground rules? Did she personally talk to Dick Clark during the show?And who were some of the hit recording acts that she had the pleasure of meeting and obtaining "famed autographs" from? All these questions and so many more are answered by Bonnie who, incidentally, is now the secretary of the American Bandstand Fan Club. And you will hear portions of several recordings by acts that Bonnie had the pleasure of seeing and meeting in person. Bonnie and I had several outrageous (as in "silly and goofy") moments as well and this was one of the most fun-filled interviews that I've done to date. "Bandstand" and pop music were both great in '61 and I thank Bonnie so very much for sharing her special memories of that wonderful period of time. My Bonnie Nadley radio interview show, recorded exclusively for theJersey Girls Singwebsite is on the following page, along with approximately 100 others that I've done for that website:Ronnie's Radio Page In the unlikely event that you don't see Bonnie's picture, please press the F5 key to bring up the latest version of the page. Ronnie Allen With SO many American Bandstand fans on the list ... including a couple of OTHER former dancers on the show ... I'm sure this is one our Forgotten Hits Readers will want to check out! (And, of course with "Wages Of Spin" now available to the public, painting a completely DIFFERENT picture of those early Bandstand Days, this is all quite a topical subject again!!!) kk
re: UPCOMING AND RECENT SHOWS:
The "Wages of Spin" DVD now tops the list of "Must Have Music" Section on the PBS website:
kk: This last weekend Cruisin Oldies 950 put together the Ultimate Doo Wop concert at the historic Paramount Theatre in Denver (where I snuck in the back exit in '63 to see the Beach Boys). Included on the bill was Charlie Thomas' Drifters, the Flamingos featuring Terry Johnson, The Contours, The Spaniels, Kathy Young, Jimmy Clanton and the Reflections. The show was flawless ... just like one of those PBS Shows where the artists were incredible! "Wild" Bill Cody
The new "Let Him Be" film will have its New England premiere at "BEATexpo 2010" on Sunday, November 28, the second day of the event, as part of the fan convention's Fabulous Fab Four Film Fest.In the full-length feature film, two students discover something uncanny on a tape found inside an old video camera bought at a garage sale in Northern Ontario. It contains a brief clip of an old man who bears more than a passing resemblance to an older John Lennon. Is Lennon alive and living? The two become fixated. Could it be him? It's an absurd idea that they might have passed off had it not been for the fact that the man also sounds so much like Lennon! Did he stage his own death to live a life of anonymity in his second-favorite nation, Canada? The filmmakers decide to uncover the truth. With hidden cameras, the viewer gets to experience first-hand the possibility that history deceived us. Illusion and reality tangle and swirl on this remarkable journey of discovery. "Let Him Be" debuted in Liverpool this Summer to captivated crowds and rave reviews. It's a must for Lennon fans. There is no charge for the film (included in the admission price).Along with the films and rare video footage, there will be meet & greets with the guests, autographs signings, photo opportunities and question & answer sessions along with live music and other attractions. The New York Beatles Tribute band The MerseyBeat will be headlining . Also performing is McCartney tribute band "One Sweet Dream." "BEATexpo 2010" is Saturday - Sunday, November 27 - 28 at the Downtown Stamford Holiday Inn in Stamford, CT. The Special Saturday Night Concert Event on Saturday, Nov. 27 starts 8 pm with special guests, bands and attractions. Doors open at 8 pm. Tickets are available in advance or at the door (if not sold out in advance). "Ticket to Ride" All-Day Passes for Sunday, Nov. 28 from Noon - 8 pm are also available in advance or at the door. There are also special early-bird V.I.P. admissions which allow fans and collectors to enter the show at 11 am - one hour before general admission - for first access to the vendors & special guests and you may stay on all day (11 am - 8 pm). "BEATexpo 2010" is also offereing Special Convention Room Rates at the Holiday Inn in Downtown Stamford ... call for room reservations at (203) 358-8400 or visit the website at http://www.histamford.com. Parking for this event will be Free. For updates and further information, visit www.ToursAndEvents.com/BEATexpo.htmor call (203) 795-4737. "It's Guaranteed to Raise a Smile." And, on a related note ... Not many singers can boast that they had The Beatles as their opening act in concert! Tommy Roe toured the U.K.in March of 1963, sharing the same stage with The Beatles, but he was the bigger star at the time, so they were intended to be his warm-up band. They became friends and Tommy tried to get them a recording contract with his U.S. record label. He didn't succeed, but The Beatles didn't forget his efforts. Tommy Roe was invited to be one of the opening acts at their first-ever concert in America -- on February 11, 1964 in Washington, D.C. - just two days after their historic first Ed Sullivan appearance. He'll be telling fans all about these stories / memories and more at this month's "BEATexpo" Sat-Sun Nov. 27-28.The Beatles went on to give us the greatest music of all time, and Tommy Roe continued to have hits. He wrote, co-wrote & recorded six Top 10 hits between '62 - '69, more than any other single artist / songwriter during this period of the 60s. Two hits, "Sheila" and "Dizzy," topped the Billboard chart at #1. "Sweet Pea," "Hooray for Hazel" and "Jam Up & Jelly Tight" were his other pop rock classics. He retired from performing out live in 2006 but is coming out of retirement to be Special Guest of Honor (along with Denny Laine of WINGS) at "BEATexpo 2010," Saturday - Sunday, November 27 - 28 at the Downtown Stamford Holiday Inn on 700 East Main Street in Stamford, CT. As Special Guest of Honor, Tommy Roe will talk onstage, meet fans, sign autographs, pose for photos and he will also perform! Roe will be joined by other celebrity guests plus NY tribute band "The MerseyBeat," McCartney / Wings tribute band "One Sweet Dream," Long Island Acoustic Beatles band "Something" and many other attractions, including a rock & roll flea market / memorabilia marketplace; rare video shows and feature-length films; karaoke room; Beatles rock band competition; special exhibits and displays; art galleries and many other features, events & activities, all suitable for all ages. Tommy Roe is still a fan of his four friends from Liverpool, and is looking forward to talking about his time with them on and off-stage. He will be performing a special set at the BEATexpo's Saturday night Special Concert Event on November 27, 2010. Tickets are available in advance or at the door. Full details can be found above.
NEW RELEASE FROM THAT PHILLY SOUND:
NINA PINTA AND HIS BONGOS AND CONGAS
That Philly Sound is proud to announce that our newest CD, NINA PINTA AND HIS BONGOS AND CONGAS, has just been released and is available for the first time on CD to purchase through CD Baby. NINA PINTA AND HIS BONGOS AND CONGAS features 12 Latin Jazz instrumentals of hits from the '60s, including "Help," "I Can't Help Myself," "Hang On Sloopy," "Stop In The Name Of Love," "Downtown," "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter," "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "The In Crowd," "You've Got Your Troubles (I've Got Mine)," "A Lover's Concerto," "1-2-3" and "It Ain't Me Babe." The CD features Nina Pinta and renowned musicians Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Artie Kaplan, Willy Rodriguez, Joe Grimm, George Devens, Gary Chester, George Duvivier and Jimmy Wisner. The LP was recorded in 1966. All songs are in stereo and have been digitally restored and digitally mastered. Order your copy now through That Philly Sound:
Also out just in time for Holiday Gifts: WAYNE NEWTON -- CHRISTMAS IN LAS VEGAS and WAYNE NEWTON -- THE HUNGRY YEARS. (More info to come)
-- John Madara
Kent ... 11/2/10 is Jay Black's 72nd Birthday. Bob Shannon Talks With Jay Black « WCBS-FM 101.1 Frank B. Jay Black called WCBS-FM and spoke with Bob Shannon about his upcoming show! Jay Black will be at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Saturday, November 6th, and it’s hosted by Bob Shannon! Great interview! Scott Shannon had him on on his birthday, too ... called him a AMAZING talent (and he STILL sounds fantastic!) ... but says he's got a real "potty mouth" on stage. Listen to the WCBS interview and you'll hear Jay allude to that as well ... now I REALLY wanna see him!!! (lol) kk
IF YOU LOVE THE JERSEY BOYS ... YOU WILL ADORE THESE GUYS! A SHOW YOU JUST CAN'T MISS!!! FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS ... DION ... JOHNNY MAESTRO ... THE BEST OF 50s & 60s ROCK 'N ROLL!!! THE MOST POPULAR BAND TO HIT CHICAGO IN YEARS! PACKED THE HOUSE FOR MILWAUKEE ITALIAN FESTIVAL, OAKLEY'S FESTA PASTA VINO, TAYLOR STREET ITALIAN FEST AND THE WEST SUBURBAN FESTA ITALIANA IN ADDISON! MAKE IT A HOLIDAY GET TOGETHER! I'M TELLIN' YA, THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE BEST NIGHTS YOU WILL EVER HAVE! A ROCK 'N ROLL DANCE PARTY DIRECT FROM ARTHUR AVENUE, BRONX, NY ROCKIN' THE HOLIDAYS WITH THE BRONX WANDERERS Click here: The Bronx Wanderers with special guest Jersey Boys Star John Michael Coppola SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 8:30 PM THE ARCADA THEATRE 105 EAST MAIN STREET ST. CHARLES, ILLINOIS 60174 ALL SEATS RESERVED ONLY $24 THERE IS A DANCE FLOOR! CALL 630.962.7000 OR LOG ONTOwww.OSHOWS.COM Ron Onesti, President Onesti Entertainment Corporation
New Book About Paul McCartney’s Life « WCBS-FM 101.1 Kent ... Keith Richards has a new book out. There's a new John Lennon book out. Now - a new Paul Mc Cartney book. I think it would be easier if we compiled a list of people who haven't written books. Frank B. Well, it's not WRITTEN by Paul ... it's just about Paul ... and it sounds like the author didn't exactly have McCartney's complete cooperation on this one either ... to the point that certain people were asked by McCartney NOT to cooperate or grant interviews ... which tells me that there might be some interesting "scoops" not typically associated with the McCartney story about to be told for the first time. That's enough to get ME to read it!!! (lol) kk
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD SET TO PLAY HENDRIX WOODSTOCK GUITAR ON NBC's LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON Kenny Wayne Shepherd, an integral part of the latest edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour, will be guesting on NBC’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. It’s a special appearance, with backing by The Roots, that is set for Wednesday, November 10, just a few hours before Kenny Wayne appears on stage at New York’s Beacon Theatre with the all-star line-up of top players for a scheduled Experience Hendrix Tour stop at the famed venue. The concept behind the Experience Hendrix Tours, dating back to 2004, is to connect contemporary musicians and audiences with the musical legacy of Jimi Hendrix. In recognition of this, Kenny Wayne Shepherd will be playing the same white Fender Stratocaster guitar that Jimi Hendrix played on the morning of August 18, 1969 at the Woodstock Festival. It’s the same instrument on which Hendrix played “The Star Spangled Banner,” the recording of which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009. Jimi Hendrix purchased the guitar in 1968 and played it at many concerts including the 1969 Newport Pop Festival and his final concert at the Isle of Fehmarn on September 6, 1970. The guitar was acquired by Experience Music Project (EMP) in 1992 and has been in the Seattle-based museum’s permanent collection since that time. EMP has consented to bring the guitar to New York, accompanied by two curators, in support of Experience Hendrix’s continuing efforts to bring the music of Jimi Hendrix to successive generations. After the Fallon taping wraps, the 'Woodstock Start' will be transported to the Beacon Theatre and played for the first time in more more than 40 years in front of a live audience. Hendrix was left-handed and because left-handed guitars weren’t readily available at the time, he would often play right-handed guitars upside down, restringing them so that the strings would still be in the standard order. This white Stratocaster was originally a right-handed model, adjusted for Hendrix. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is right-handed and will play the guitar strung appropriately. Janie Hendrix, CEO of Experience Hendrix, LLC that has produced the Experience Hendrix tours noted, “We are delighted that this tangible piece of my brother’s history will be front and center for audiences to enjoy on this occasion. Thanks to Paul Allen and EMP for their kind cooperation in helping realize this vision.” Experience Hendrix, in association with Sony Legacy, is releasing WEST COAST SEATTLE BOY: THE JIMI HENDRIX ANTHOLOGY, a 4 CD / 1 DVD box set on November 16. The, long-awaited, career-spanning box set tracks Hendrix's remarkable journey from little known R&B sideman to international stardom through an unprecedented assemblage of previously unavailable recordings. West Coast Seattle Boy - The Jimi Hendrix Anthology is not a collection of existing Jimi Hendrix albums but, instead, 45 unreleased Jimi Hendrix live and studio recordings including demos and alternate versions of songs from Are You Experienced, Axis: Bold As Love, and Electric Ladyland. West Coast Seattle Boy includes Hendrix’s never before heard version of Bob Dylan’s 'Tears Of Rage," solo acoustic recordings of Electric Ladyland favorites like "Long Hot Summer Night" and "1983 (A Merman I Shall Turn To Be)" as well as never before heard live performances from Berkeley and the legendary Band Of Gypsys Fillmore East concert on New Year's Eve 1969 combined together with such new Hendrix songs as "Hear My Freedom," "Hound Dog Blues," "Lonely Avenue" and more. A centerpiece achievement in Legacy Recordings' monumental Jimi Hendrix catalog project, West Coast Seattle Boy - The Jimi Hendrix Anthology is the first Hendrix collection to bring fans access to a comprehensive treasure trove of fresh material -- including demos, alternate takes, live concert jewels and more -- from all phases of the artist's recording career (1964 -1970). Kenny Wayne Shepherd was hugely inspired by Jimi Hendrix and, over the course of his career that began when he was only 15 years old, he has closed every one of his performances with Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” Shepherd's current album, LIVE! IN CHICAGO, has been #1 on Billboard’s Blues Album Chart for the past four weeks. This is the fifth album of his that has gone to #1 on the chart. Those five albums have spent a total of 93 weeks at #1, tying with none other than B.B. King for the most weeks atop the chart. The current edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour features Steve Vai, Susan Tedeschi, Robert Randolph, Jonny Lang, Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas, Eric Johnson, Ernie Isley, Living Colour, Mato Nanji of Indigenous, Chris Layton of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble and The Slide Brothers a/k/a Chuck and Darick Campbell of Sacred Steel and, of course, Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Upcoming Experience Hendrix Tour dates: November 7 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theater; 9 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Theatre; 10 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre; 11 - Baltimore, MD - Hippodrome; 12 - Richmond, VA – Landmark Theater; 13 - Atlantic City, NJ - Caesars Casino; 15 - Buffalo, NY - Center for the Arts; 17 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theater; 18 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theater; 19 - Merrilville, IN - Star Plaza Theater; 20 - Indianapolis – Murat Theatre -- submitted by Bob Merlis
The Royal Guardsmen - like Snoopy - are back - Pasadena Star-News Kent... Ron Smith gets credit for breaking this story. Almost time to dust off this Christmas Oldie. Frank B. From Jimi Hendrix to The Royal Guardsmen ... remember when RADIO was like this?!?!? (kk)
The Rolling Stones Will Tour Again « WCBS-FM 101.1 Kent ... No surprise. Is there anybody here who thought they wouldn't tour again ? Frank B. And, despite a sagging economy, I'm sure it'll do GANGBUSTERS, too! Plus Keith has a new book out ... things are definitely rolling in the right direction for The Stones right now. (As long as everybody stays healthy, they should be able to travel the world one more time ... they just stay away from those coconut trees!!!) kk
Hello, I have been enjoying Forgotten Hits for a few years now and I am happy to still be receiving your emails. I just thought that your readers might be interested to know that my father has just released his self penned book "Dancing On The Moon: The Life Story Of Jimmie Rodgers." The book tells the amazing story of his growing up years and his amazing recording career during the late 1950's with his hits like "Honeycomb", "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine", "Oh Oh I'm Falling In Love" and "It's Over". It also talks about his touring experiences while working with Buddy Holly (They were room mates for a time on the road), Little Richard, Alan Freed, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and many others. He also writes of the savage beating that he received in 1967 at the hands of a Los Angeles police officer and his many years of recovery from numerous brain surgeries which eventually culminated in the successful 2007 removal of the steel plate that was placed in his head in 1967 after forty years. It is an emotional and amazing story of success, tragedy, perseverance and faith that I think all of your readers will fine very interesting and inspirational. The book has been self published in this first run and is currently only available on dads website www.JimmieRodgersHoneycomb.com. Autographed copies available there as well. A second printing is scheduled through a major publishing imprint but this first run is sure to be a collectors item as it is released exactly as dad has intended it to be without interference from corporate publishers. (No offense). On his website there are also a number of newly re-issued CD's there from dad's Roulette Records, Dot Records and A&M Records catalogs as well as DVD's from his Folk Word of Jimmie Rodgers TV Show. I'm not trying to sound like a commercial here but I am proud of my father and I hope that everyone on "Forgotten Hits" will go and visit his website and at the very least send Jimmie a hello on his guest book to let him know that he is not a Forgotten Hit Maker. Thanks so much for all the great work you are doing. Wishing you and all of your readers all the best in life, Michael Rodgers Nashville, TN http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Michael-Rodgers-Fan-Page/158749097481111 This is GREAT news, Michael, and long overdue ... I can't wait to pick up a copy! Absolutely MUST reading for all his fans on our list. (And a fascinating story to tell, too ... can movie rights be far behind???) Please keep us posted.
(As you know, we have covered your father's career in great detail over the years in Forgotten Hits ... including ... thanks to you ... play-by-play details of his AMAZING recovery from the removal of that steel plate!!!)
Interested readers would do well to check out the link above ... and please DO drop Jimmie a line and let him know how much you've enjoyed his music over the year! Please send OUR best to your father as well! (kk)
... and, speaking of a son's connection to his father, this next one will really touch your heart ...
re: THE BIG BOPPER: The linked in interview with The Big Bopper's son was fascinating. In reviewing albums in the early '70s for my college newspaper, I titled my column "The Big Bopper Speaks" in honor of J.P. Richardson. In 1977, while putting "The History of Rock 'n' Roll" together, I conducted a fairly long phone interview with J.P.'s widow -- who almost never spoke to the press. Somehow I was able to convince her that my purpose was to honor her late husband and she reluctantly spoke with me about him. As the interview continued, she warmed up quite a bit and then, about 15 or 20 minutes in, the pain of her loss overcame her again and she began crying into the phone. When I asked her if the Bopper had ever recorded any material never released to the public, she said yes, he had, but it would never be released because those precious private recordings were all she had left of him for herself alone. It was perhaps the most heartbreaking and moving interview I've ever conducted and, after it was over, I just sat there in my office by the phone and tape deck stunned. Although Mrs. Richardson gave me the OK to do so, I've never used any of that interview anywhere and still retain the tape in my archives. The day after the interview, though, she called me back and asked if I had yet spoken to Johnny Preston, who recorded J.P.'s composition "Running Bear" under J.P.'s direction (the Big Bopper himself threw in the war whoops in the background of that track) and took it to #1 a year after the plane crash. I said I hadn't and she gave me Preston's phone number -- leading to yet another memorable interview. Gary Theroux GREAT story. The Big Bopper remains the one victim of that crash not properly recognized by the mass media. Talks have gone on for DECADES about a bio-pic (like those honoring Ritchie Valens and Buddy Holly) ... at one point, J.P. Richardson, Jr. was even rumored to be the one playing his famous father ... but still nothing. (Actually, had they made this movie twenty years ago when they first started talking about it, he had a canny resemblance to his father ... and reportedly sounds quite a bit like him, too.) Then, a couple of years ago, his son reopened an investigation into his father's death. (There was some speculation that The Big Bopper SURVIVED the crash and was on his way for help when he collapsed and died several yards away in front of a fence in the freezing cold of that snowy, snowy night. His body was found the furthest from the plane and, as big as he was, it seemed unlikely that his would have been the body thrown the farthest on impact. Of course there was ALSO a story circulating that The Big Bopper had been SHOT and was trying to get away ... like I've said many times before, America SURE does love a good conspiracy theory!!! lol) It seems that his son has done his best to keep his father's memory alive with fans ... and it sounds like there's still an interesting story to tell, should anybody ever finally get around to telling it. And, if you ever DO decide to share even a small segment of your taped interview, please consider Forgotten Hits as a source to do so ... we would LOVE to be involved! Thanks, Gary! (kk)
re: ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK: >>>I agree with the FH reader that claims ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK was a darn fine singer! Nice operatic quality about his singing! (Jersey John) I just want to correct the statement that "ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK was a darn fine singer!" He is STILL a 'darn fine singer'. I wrote the 'A' side of his first 1957 Decca single when he was still Gerry Dorsey. It was a truly dreadful and best 'forgotten miss' called CRAZY BELLS. It was clear to me, however, that he possessed a superb voice and I wasn't surprised when ten years later as Englebert, he broke through with RELEASE ME, followed that with six more top 5 UK hits and established himself as one of the world's favourite entertainers. He also does a lot of charity work, especially for the Variety Club of Great Britain Children's Charity. That's a pretty special guy! TONY HATCH Thanks, Tony ... with Engelbert's VERY loyal fan base, maybe some of the jocks on the list will start to feature some of his hits on the radio again! (kk)
re: VIDEOS: Here are a couple of your favorite videos from the past week or so ...
To all my musician friends ... I know you can relate to this cartoon if you've ever played for a wedding. It's true to real life. It's called "Band at the Wedding" Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2hRApdLADA&feature=player_embedded Preston Ritter Oh My God, this is ABSOLUTELY hysterical!!! Laugh-Out-Loud Funny!!! And you've sent it to the right list of readers!!! Thanks, Preston! (kk)
Trapped Miner Sings Elvis For David Letterman « WCBS-FM 101.1 Kent ... I guess he didn't spend much time practicing his singing while he was trapped in the mine. Frank B. Are you kidding me??? This is GREAT!!! I love it!!! Can't speak a word of English but has absolutely NAILED Elvis phonetically!!! Great clip! (kk)
re: ONE FINAL THOUGHT: I just HAVE to share this with you ... for YEARS now we've been preaching about the Power Of Music ... and the impact it has had on all of our lives. Nothing brings this point home harder than this link that I just received from Vance Brescia, lead guitarist for Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone. For all his crazy antics on stage, this man has got a heart of gold ... you must visit this site and read these testimonials ... watch some of the videos ... it is EVERYTHING we have ever said about the power of music, tied up neatly with a bow. I guarantee you this will warm your heart (kk): Click here: Music Memoirs - Listen, share, remember with Vance and friends I sing for seniors with various levels of memory challenges in nursing homes and community programs. Music brings light and joy into the lives of many of these special people who are otherwise withdrawn. They may not know family members or remember what they did just minutes before, but when the music begins they smile, come alive and start singing along. They never forget the music! Music is a way to share memories and celebrate life ... something special on the calendar for those in care programs and facilities. Research shows that music helps improve communication, induces relaxation and calms those who are anxious. -- Vance Brescia From ALL of us at Forgotten Hits, thank you, Vance, for what you are doing and the music that you share. Believe me, we get it ... and we appreciate your efforts. (kk)
re: DIGGIN' FORGOTTEN HITS: I love your site, and you do such a great job. Keep it up! Thank you for being a friend, and for not kicking me off your site because of my "Don't go POND on me!" thingy. Ed Pond Long-time FH Readers will remember THAT rave out ... and the catch phrase "Don't Go Pond On Me" that swept the nation for about five minutes!!! (lol) Thanks, Ed ... no hard feelings on ANYBODY'S part ... and I'm glad that you're still enjoying Forgotten Hits!
Hi Kent, Some particularly fine work lately, my friend. I just don't tell you this enough! Jim Great postings!!!! :-) Great group of people you've gathered! Thanks! Best, Jersey John I couldn't agree with you more. It's the collective group effort that really makes this thing jell ... and we thank each and every one of you for your help and continued support! (kk)
