re: HAPPY NEW YEAR:
Got this from Diane Diekman, who is writing the Marty Robbins biography "Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life Of Marty Robbins" ... it recalls a not-so-very Happy New Year for Marty, circa 1980 ... (and provides a neat excerpt from her upcoming book):
Marty Robbins wrapped up the year of 1980 with a three-performance New Year's Eve show in Evansville, Indiana. After returning home to Nashville, he experienced chest pains. "I thought it was just an extra bad case of indigestion," he said later, "because I've had a heart attack, and it was nothing like the one in '69." That one had required triple-bypass surgery in January 1970. Now, 11 years later, he waited several days before calling his doctor for an appointment the next day. The doctor insisted he come to the office immediately. "I had on a big cowboy hat, a straw hat, I had on boots and jeans and a big jacket like real cowboys wear, y'know," Marty recalled. The doctor checked him and called an ambulance. Marty thought he was kidding until ambulance attendants rolled in a stretcher. "Doctor Ewers," Marty said, "I'm not dressed for the hospital." The doctor insisted he get in the ambulance. Marty felt embarrassed to be wheeled through the waiting room on his back, dressed in his outdoor clothes with his hat lying across his chest. He spent almost two weeks in the hospital and another six weeks at home before resuming his touring schedule.
-- Diane Diekman
For periodic book updates, drop Diane a note at diane@dianediekman.com! (kk)
YouTube - Top 10 New Year's Songs
Kent ...
I like #3, sung by Sonny Til & Orioles.
Seems like everybody's got a Christmas and New Years song.
How many people have a song for "After New Year's Eve"?
I do. (Now i'm just showing off.)
YouTube - The Heartbeats - After New Year's Eve 45 rpm!
Here in New York, WCBS-FM is playing the Top 101 Party Songs this weekend.
I've got the Top 5 for you:
1 = New York, New York = Frank Sinatra
2 = Billie Jean = Michael Jackson
3 = Satisfaction = Rolling Stones
4 = Celebration = Kool & The Gang
5 = Twist & Shout = Beatles
They played #1 last night in Times Square after the countdown to the New Year.
Frank B.
We heard "New York, New York" while watching the finale of that Dick Clark / Ryan Seacrest thing but I didn't know it was tied into a WCBS-FM Countdown. (I'm not quite sure how "Billie Jean" qualifies as a "party" song?!?!? Don't quite get that one!!!) Happy New Year, Everybody! (kk)
Kent,
I want to wish a Happy New Year to you and everyone who reads Forgotten Hits.
I just posted my latest radio interview show and it's a bit different from my previous ones. My guest is not an oldies star per se. She is primarily a TV star. Most notably, she played the role of "Cissy" in all 138 episodes of the beloved sitcom "Family Affair," which ran from 1966 through 1971.
She is Kathy Garver.
Okay, if we stretch things a bit, she dpes have an oldies connection of sorts. She recorded a Christmas song called "Lem, The Orphan Reindeer" and that was written by hit songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, best-known for their own recordings and some songs they wrote for the Monkees.
I know that there are many oldies fans who loved that sitcom, so if you're interested, you can listen to the show by clicking the link here Ronnie's Radio Page -- and then clicking on Kathy's picture at the lower-left of the screen.
Ronnie Allen
I will admit to having a brief crush on Cissy ... or was it Mrs. Beasley?!?!?
I honestly don't remember ... but hey, we cover the full gamut of pop culture here so I say check it out at the link provided above. Thanks, Ronnie ... and Happy New Year to ALL! (kk)
re: JACK SCOTT:
We've just been given the golden opportunity to interview Jack Scott for Forgotten Hits ... and we want to take a slightly different approach this time around. We're asking interested readers to submit their OWN questions to ask Jack ... things you've always wanted to know about ... and we'll pick several from these selections and feature them as part of our interview. (The interview itself will be conducted by FH Reader Warren Cosford, who has interviewed Scott several times before in the past and is doing THIS interview EXCLUSIVELY for Forgotten Hits!!!)
So get your questions in early and we'll see what we can put together! It's another exclusive "Ask The Artists" Segment in Forgotten Hits.
Thanks! (kk)
re: THE ASSOCIATION:
Kent,
After you mentioned Time For Living by the Association, I went looking for my greatest hits album. I could find the jacket but sadly not the album. So I went on Deep Discounts and ordered it because I remembered how much I loved that album. So then you go and mention No Fair At All and Goodbye Columbus and, of course, I had completely forgotten how much I loved No Fair At All ... in fact, I had forgotten about the song completely! And even if I had thought about it, I am pretty sure I would never had remembered it was The Association. So of course I went on line to Deep Discounts and ordered Renaissance and Goodbye Columbus ... so you should change the name of Forgotten Hits to Renewed Memory. And look at how helpful you are with the economy by getting people to buy old music. Thanks!
BTW, I loved a lot of the letters you printed that people wrote in to AOL after your run in with the Terms Of Service police. There is a lot of humor in this world. Humor and music ... two of my very favorite things.
Happy New Year!
Stacee
Forgotten Hits IS good for the music industry ... we inspire fans of this music to dig out their old records and play them again ... or visit places like Deep Discounts or Amazon.com and order new copies of this music on CD ... or get deejays to play something that they probably hadn't even THOUGHT about playing in YEARS!!! We're doing our part to help keep yesterday alive ... and letters like yours make me feel like it's all for a good cause. Here's "No Fair At All" again ... one of MY personal favorites! (kk)
re: ROBIN LUKE:
As of the first of the year Professor Robin Luke is officially retired after a 35+ year working as an educator at Missouri State University ... and he's hoping to get back out on the road and resume his ORIGINAL career as a singer / songwriter! If anybody out there has an interest in booking Robin for one of their upcoming oldies shows, please drop me a line and I will be happy to pass it along. Clearly we found a lotta love out there for "Susie Darlin'" after all these years ... enough for three full pages of postings ... so please let us know. Thanks, all ... and thanks again, Robin, for letting us share your story with our readers! (kk)
re: TEENA MARIE:
Teena Marie, known as 'Ivory Queen of Soul,' dies http://www.comcast.net/articles/music/20101227/US.Obit.Teena.Marie/# She was one of the greatest contemporary singers of the modern era. Saw her earlier in the year live in Miami … she rocked the house. May her soul rest in peace.
Bagawire
Teena Marie was COMPLETELY off my radar, I guess ... I mean, I remember her having one pretty good-sized hit in the early '80's ("Lovergirl", #4, 1985) but that was about it ... and honestly, watching the video of this track rang absolutely NO bells at all in my memory bank. (In fact, for some reason I thought she was one of those teen-girl singers but Frannie, who first told me of her death, said no.) We heard from a few other readers who were also surprised and saddened by her death. Teena Marie was only 54 years old. (kk)
re: SHEILA:
>>>Speaking of Sheila, I have an earlier recording of Sheila by Tommy Roe and have always wondered how it came about and if it ever charted. It's really nothing like the Buddy Holly style version and I think it was recorded in the late 50's. If it did chart, I'm pretty sure it didn't get very high. There's gotta be a story behind the re-recording of it years up the road. (Bill)
>>>I seem to remember hearing an earlier version of "Sheila", too, on some oldies compilation LPs way back when. I always figured it was just an alternate take or something, but Joel Whitburn's "Top Pop Singles" book shows that an entirely different version of "Sheila" was release on Judd Records in 1962 before ABC-Paramount picked up Tommy Roe as a recording artist. You're right ... it never charted at all ... and Roe re-cut the track after signing to a major label. (kk)
I know I told you before, but I'll tell you again ... it was 1960, not 1962!
Judd 1022 - Sheila b/w Pretty Girl, was the last release for the label started by Judd Phillips, the brother of Sam Phillips, in 1960. http://www.globaldogproductions.info/j/judd.html
Tom Diehl
I know you told me, too ... but that info comes from Joel Whitburn's book ... so I'm letting you tell HIM, too! lol
According to a short Tommy Roe biography I just read, Tommy did, in fact, record "Sheila" (a song he wrote when he was just 14 years old!) for Judd Phillips' Judd Records Label in 1960. Incredibly, he was still in high school at the time and, although it made a little bit of regional noise in the Atlanta area, it never received any national airplay or distribution. A year later, Atlanta deejay Paul Drew recommended Tommy to ABC / Paramount Record Producer Felton Jarvis (the guy who would later go on to produce Elvis Presley!), and Felton had him re-record his local hit for his new label. The rest, as they say, is history, as "Sheila" soon topped the Billboard Chart. (kk)
And, on a related Tommy Roe note ...
re: THE BEATLES:
It really bugged me that I didn't know the answer to this question off the top of my head the other day ... so I did a little digging ...
>>>Is there a recording of the Beatles' first concert in America (New York I believe).If I remember correctly, Roy Orbison, The Righteous Brothers and Jay & the Americans opened for them. (Paul Rosenberg)
>>>Actually, The Beatles first official concert here in The States was held at the Washington D.C. Coliseum in February of 1964 ... they held the concert there as a way of saying thank you to the Washington, D.C. radio station who first broke their first U.S. #1 Hit "I Want To Hold Your Hand" on American radio. Honestly, I don't know that there were any opening acts for this particular concert. (kk)
Well, that concert was held on February 11th ... and The Beatles' opening acts were the aforementioned Tommy Roe (who appeared on the same bill as The Beatles in England a year earlier, right about the time their record "Please Please Me" began climbing the charts in The U.K.), The Chiffons and The Caravelles, hot on the charts at the time with "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry". (How's THAT for a Forgotten Hit?!?!?)
Scroll back to our December 21st posting and you can read all about a brand new release of that concert, restored to pristine condition, that'll soon be making its way to home video. (For the record, The Beatles made their New York concert debut the following night at Carnegie Hall, a pretty remarkable feat for a rock band at the time! Credit Promoter Sid Bernstein for THAT coup!) kk
And, since we're talking British Invasion here ...
re: THE DAVE CLARK FIVE:
>>>Just wanted to let you know if you don't already ... Dave Clark released 28 songs by the DC5 that were unreleased on iTunes ... and he has most of his stuff on iTunes now. (Joe)
>>>Cool that some unreleased DC5 stuff is finally seeing the light of day. The much talked about complete reissue series never happened (legitimately anyway!), which probably would have provided quite a few of these "bonus tracks" for all us fans! (kk)
Not all of the tracks that claim to be unreleased actually are ... however, some of the previously released songs are now in stereo for the first time, such as an all time favorite of mine called Return My Love, which was only issued as a 45 in the Philippines, I believe ... perhaps Dave Clark never knew it was issued there and thought it was completely unreleased.
Also, some of the songs claiming to be Dave Clark Five tracks are sometimes just Mike Smith solo recordings from the 70's or unreleased "Dave Clark And Friends" recordings.
Tom Diehl
Either way, these are still EXTREMELY rare tracks that have LONG been unavailable in any format ... it would be great to see ALL of this stuff reissued again ... along with some of the killer Dave Clark Five video that exists of their television performances. (I've got a pretty extensive collection of DC5 videos in varying degree of quality ... pristine copies sure would be nice! It's easy to forget just how great these guys really sounded! Always one of MY favorites!) kk
re: ELTON JOHN:
Kent ...
Elton John has a son. How did he do that ? Click to find out.
Hello Daddies! – WCBS-FM 101.1
Frank B.
A surrogate mother gave birth to a son for Elton John and David Furnish on Christmas Day.
Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John (WOW, now that’s a name!), who weighed in at just under eight pounds, was born in California to a woman they declined to identify.
“We are overwhelmed with happiness and joy at this very special moment,” the men, who married in 2005, told Us magazine. “Zachary is healthy and doing really well, and we are very proud and happy parents.”
Personally, I think Bennie Daniel Levon would have been a LITTLE bit cooler ... but congrats to the happy dads! (kk)
re: ELVIS:
Kent ...
It sounds like they found some pre-Sun recordings.
Frank B.
Mining Elvis Presley's catalog: What was found and what was lost Pop & Hiss Los Angeles Times
Sounds like some pretty amazing stuff to be sure ... a collector's dream come true! (kk)
re: LAST CHANCE!:
Today is your last chance to enter for the chance to win the free, autographed copy of Alan O'Day's recently reissued first album, "Appetizers" ... first time on CD. It includes his #1 chart-topper "Undercover Angel" as well as his own version of "Angie Baby", a song that topped the charts for Helen Reddy. There's even a bonus track not included on the original LP. But you need to do it TODAY ... 'cause we pick the winner tomorrow! Shoot me a quick email at forgottenhits@aol.com if you're interested! (kk)
re: THIS AND THAT:
A few "quickies" here to help clear the decks!
Hey Kent -
I found your great blogs looking for Mauds info today. I was stunned and sorry to find out (belatedly) about Jimy Rogers. I was also looking at the First 45s stuff and thought I'd share mine.
Keith Johnson
Losing Jimy was a VERY sad way to end the year ... he will be missed ... but also lovingly remembered by those that knew him and / or enjoyed his music. I don't know if you still live in the Chicagoland area anymore or not, but there will be a benefit concert to honor Jimy's memory (and help pay some of his medical expenses) coming up in April. Here, courtesy of Joan Gand, Jimy's bandmate, are the details:
SAVE THE DATE:
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Reggies Rock Club
2505 S. State St.
Chicago
Jimy Rogers Tribute Concert
Featuring Blue Road and friends, including the Cryan Shames, Jimy Sohns, The New Colony Six and MANY MORE ... TBA
Order tickets here: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/23913
DONATIONS to the Jimy Rogers Memorial Medial Fund (to help defray his medical expenses) are still being accepted ...
Make check out to The Estate of James Rogers and Mail to:
Gand Music and Sound
780 Frontage Rd.
Northfield, IL 60093
As for the First 45's, we've received a run of new memories recently as more and more people discover the website ... so we're going to run a special batch of them tomorrow in Forgotten Hits to kick off the new year. Watch for yours on the website tomorrow morning. Thanks, Keith ... and welcome aboard! (kk)
>>>About a month ago, I won a CD on this show I listen to, The Group Harmony Revue (Saturday, midnight - eastern, on wfuv.org ). The CD I won was "The Capris- Our Story". Track 21 = "Don't Twist With Anyone Else But Me" & Track 22 = "Twist Around The Clock" ... both by the late Clay Cole. I can't figure out how Clay Cole got on a Capris CD but I'm glad he's there. I'll have something to remember him by. (Frank B.)
Kent ...
Last time I told you I couldn't figure out why two Clay Cole Songs were on my "The Capris: Our Story" CD. I just found a booklet with the CD. At first I didn't see it. It was kind of tucked behind the front label.
The booklet said that the Capris backed up Clay Cole on "Don't Twist With Anyone Else But Me" & "Twist Around The Clock". The Capris also toured with Clay's Review, 1962 & 1963.
Another one of those strange things - Clay Cole & Nick Santamaria, lead singer of the Capris died just weeks apart. I'll miss both of them.
Here's a clip of Nick talking about his health problems.
THE OFFICIAL "WILD" WAYNE WEBSITE
Frank B.
A while back we heard from a couple of readers who were having difficulties accessing RevolutionRadio, where Scarlett Hayzes broadcasts her show. (Scarlette, a FH Reader, was featuring most ... if not ALL ... of the brand new Christmas Music we spotlighted on our website.) Sounds like she has since talked to the powers that be at the station and offers a couple of solutions:
Thanks for the info, Kent ... I passed this info on to the owners and they appreciated the feedback!
I am sorry some of your readers were unable to access the site ... the direct feed is http://s4.viastreaming.net/7730/listen.asx. This allows you to bypass the station altogether and may make it easier for you to tune in.
Please let your readers know that I am delighted you were trying to catch the station (and my show) and I encourage you to try again! I am on the air every Sunday, Monday and Thursday nights from 7-9 pm Eastern Standard Time ... Happy New Year, and thanks again for your interest and support!
DJ Scarlett Hayze
Revolution Radio
www.myrevolutionradio.com
Check these out ... Carly Simon on ABC's "In Concert", 1972 ...
WOW!! Great Performances!!! Why isn't this stuff available on DVD??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDJ_Mz8ftqI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux7HgO9QhAc
Eddie Burke
These are nice clips ... Carly in her prime (and let's face it, she didn't perform a lot so these are especially nice to see!) It would be nice if some of this stuff became available again ... in the meantime, we just have to rely on YouTube I guess to see some of these vintage performances.
Stranger still is how Carly Simon has all but disappeared from the radio these days. Short of "You're So Vain" (which they seem to play CONSTANTLY), you don't hear much of Carly's music anymore ... and that's just WRONG!!! Between 1971 and 1980, Simon had ELEVEN Top 40 Hits (and these two, "Anticipation" and "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" were amongst the best.) She also scored with "The Right Thing To Do", "Haven't Got Time For The Pain", "Attitude Dancing", "Nobody Does It Better", "You Belong To Me" and "Jesse" ... plus two duets with then-husband James Taylor on "Mockingbird" (#3, 1974) and "Devoted To You" (#36, 1978). SOMEBODY out there should start treating Carly with a little more respect ... that's a pretty impressive hit list in ANYBODY's book! (kk)
re: DIGGIN' FORGOTTEN HITS:
Hi Kent,
A friend just turned me on to your newsletter ... VERY COOOL!!!
Just thinking about the old days when things were simpler ... now everything is such a rush everywhere!!!! Please sign me up!!
It's great to see that you cover so many artists looking back and seeing when music was real ... not what kids are buying now!!!!!!!!!!I am a tribute artist and take great pride in my craft my tributes to ELVIS AND NEIL DIAMOND, just to name a few are my favorites! The music they created is timeless!!
I have seen ELVIS in 77 MAY CHICAGO STADIUM it was a night I will never forgot!!
Neil Diamond since the 70's and he still puts on a great show!!!!
I am celebrating ELVIS' BIRTHDAY JAN 8 AT THE SKOKIE THEATER AND NEIL'S ON JAN 23 ... maybe some of your readers will have a chance to check out my tributes to these two great singers.
Keep up the great work!!
Steve Richards
Happy to help spread the word, Steve. I was at Elvis' 1977 Chicago Stadium Concert, too ... TWICE as a matter of fact ... saw him in 1972, too, right before the "Live At Madison Square Garden" album came out ... (virtually the exact same show he did here.) I have NEVER felt that kind of electricity in the air when Elvis first took the stage ... there simply aren't words to describe it. (Wish I could have seen him in Vegas!!!)
Welcome aboard ... feel free to share your comments and memories with our readers ANY TIME!!! (kk)
My take on oldies music is a Samuel Butler quote I got from my Dad. Butler was a Victorian-era author, described as an iconoclast, who wrote, among other things, the Utopian satire "Erehwon."
He said: "The oldest books are only just out to those who have not read them."
Amen, and all the best for 2011!
Stolf
re: THE LAST WORD:
As I suspected it would, visitation to The Forgotten Hits Website dropped off SIGNIFICANTLY since we stopped sending out daily reminders and access links. You guys have just GOT to find your way there on your own ... it truly isn't worth the hassle of fighting with AOL over this after all these years. Or simply subscribe to the link offered at the bottom of the web page and they'll send you automatic reminders every time a new posting is made.
Just to show you how committed AOL is to resolving this matter (yeah, right!!!) my latest letter to AOL's Terms Of Service General ALSO went ignored and unanswered ... again, apparently there is absolutely NO interest whatsoever on their part in resolving this matter ... or discussing it in ANY fashion. Gotta love it ... but now you can see exactly what I'm dealing with here at the AOL level ... which is why you guys have just GOT to find your way to the website on your own!!! (kk)
Can somebody PLEASE get back to me on this? I need your help!
I have written (and called) several times before but NOBODY is getting back to me to let me know exactly WHAT "terms of service" I violated recently. Is there ANYBODY there who can get back to me in a pro-active manner so that I can correct whatever it is I'm doing wrong to properly comply and conform?
All I know for certain is that we have hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of subscribers who have ASKED FOR reminder links to be sent in order to visit the website(s) whenever new postings are made ... many of whom have taken the time to write to you personally to let it be known that these mailings are being sent to them BY REQUEST ... but since we stopped sending these requested announcements, viewership at the website is down SIGNIFICANTLY.
These people DEPENDED on these reminders and the convenience of simply being able to click the link and go ... and EVERY person who received these links ASKED for them. And, since every email ALSO includes an opt on / opt off disclaimer, I just don't see what term of services I'm violating ... especially since I've been doing this for going on twelve years now!!!
I am sincerely TRYING to comply ... but without ANY input or feedback from you, I don't know what it is I'm doing wrong. I do know that I have worked VERY hard to build up this loyal readership base and that this is greatly compromising my ability to continue to do so ... so PLEASE get back to me and let me know what I can do that will ultimately get ALL of us what we want.
Thank you very much.
Kent Kotal
ForgottenHits@aol.com
Please, bookmark us now ... and check back often ... or subscribe to the link below. DO NOT let AOL destroy all of our efforts!!! We depend on your loyality to keep Forgotten Hits alive ... without it, there's just no point in continuing to post new information that virtually nobody is going to read!!! (kk)
