re: A PRETTY GROOVY WEEK:
The following batch of comments all come from Larry Neal (along with a response or two from yours truly!) ... looks like we achieved complete and total groovy-osity in his mind ... and that he was really enjoying our Grooviest Week Ever ... until we flubbed up on Thursday anyway!!!:
Kent,
In 1962, as a followup to DUKE OF EARL, Gene Chandler had a song called TEAR FOR TEAR, which I thought should have been bigger than it actually was.
Larry
After featuring Gene Chandler in Forgotten Hits on Monday, I heard both "Groovy Situation" and "Duke Of Earl" (TWICE!) on the radio later that same day! Now THAT's kinda cool! (kk)
Kent,
Got a question for you, rhetorical one. Don't have to answer unless you want to in FH.
I just thought of a groovin' record. Would Duane Eddy's first from 1958 be considered
one, MOVIN' and GROOVIN'?
Larry
Yep ... it sure is ... and it's comin' up ...
But then after we DID feature it ...
Kent,
I just played today's groovy record by Duane Eddy and that is not the MOVIN' AND GROOVIN' from 1958 as released by Jamie Records.
Larry
Nope, it sure isn't ... I think this mistake very well may be what ultimately shut Blogger down for a couple of days!!! (lol)
I have a Duane Eddy's Greatest Hits CD and it turns out that EVERY SINGLE ONE of the tracks are mislabeled both on the disk and on the cover ...
VERY annoying ... so when I first discovered this (and in an effort to be sure that I got the right one), I asked Tom Diehl to send me a copy of "Movin' And Groovin'" as a back-up plan ... which he did ...
and then I proceeded to run the wrong one anyway!!! (lol)
It has since been corrected ... if you scroll back to Thursday's Groovy entry (#4), you'll find that the correct track has replaced the error. (kk)
Kent,
Just thought of two more. GROOVY BABY by Billy Abbott from 1963 and former Oklahoman Harlow Wilcox from 1969 GROOVY GRUBWORM.
You are doing a fantastic job.
Larry
And both of THESE tunes are coming up, too! (kk)
>>>"Treat her groovy ... take her to a movie" ...
Now THAT'S rock and roll poetry!!! (kk)
You know, I just cannot keep up with all the great music happenings on FH.
You know, I just cannot keep up with all the great music happenings on FH.
I always think I have something to say or send, but no time!
Clark Besch
You must make time every single day to enjoy the wonders that await you in Forgotten Hits ... simple as that! (lol)
That's OK, Clark ... your insight and input is ALWAYS appreciated! (kk)
Kent,
That is certainly an interesting thing about the 5th Dimension songs often becoming hits twice because of the fact that they were usually always covers being done by the 5D. Certainly "Stoned Soul Picnic" was an LA area hit by writer Laura Nyro before the 5D made it a hit. Their first hit "Go Where You Wanna Go" is almost as popular now by the Mamas & Papas (recorded first) than the 5D version. Of course, "Aquarius" was VERY popular before the 5D when it was in "Hair".
From a FH slant, our own Artie Wayne and Alan O'Day wrote one great 5D record, "Flashback". I just love the record from late 73, but it failed to make a dent. As with the other 5D songs, Paul Anka put his version out at the same time as an A side, but it was flipped over and became the B side, unfortunately. The 5D did great versions of great songs -- that's the bottom line.
Locally, if you listen to their Coke commercial, you will hear WLS' Ron Riley as the voice over announcer from 1967!
WLSClark
Kent,
I went through the "groovy" songs kind of quickly, but did anyone mention
James Brown's "Ain't That A Groove"?
Gary E. Myers / MusicGem
Nope ... we missed that one ...a #42 Hit from 1966. (kk)
Ughh! A reminder why I lost all interest in popular music from 1978 on!
David
I must be the grooviest chick because so much of what you have been featuring is in my cabinet in my living room in vinyl. Who knew?
Groovin by the Rascals is an all time favorite of mine but I also really like Kenny Rankin's version. But then I just really liked Kenny Rankin.
I saw The New Colony Six in concert here in Springfield, Mo., in late 1968 or early 1969. It was at the Shrine Mosque. It was so sad because not many people here knew them so there wasn't much of a turn out. My older Sis and younger Bro and a friend from Wisconsin that had come to visit us and I went. In Wisconsin when we had dances or concerts, everyone just danced. Much of the time girls with girls. Until we came to Missouri we didn't know there was anything wrong with that. My Sis and I were dancing at the concert and people started calling us names. Too bad ... but the band was great and they put on a good show for the show me state.
Anyway, I just wanted you to know how much I am enjoying the GROOVIEST WEEK EVER!
Stacee
Lots of good feedback on our Groovy Series ... and while you very may well be a Groovy Chick, you just can't be THE Grooviest Chick In The World ... because she seems to be described below ... read on!!! (kk)
Kent,
Don't forget "The Grooviest Girl in the World," by Fun and Games, 1969
(peaked in the 70s on Billboard).
Although I normally associate "groovy" with the mid-1960s onward, as early as 1962 Dee Dee Sharp used the word in her song "Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)":
Although I normally associate "groovy" with the mid-1960s onward, as early as 1962 Dee Dee Sharp used the word in her song "Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)":
"There's lots of groovy gravy things to do."
And the adjective itself goes back at least to the 1940s, and perhaps before that. I have a 1946 TIME magazine that describes some music as "groovey" (their spelling).
Henry McNulty
Old Saybrook, Connecticut
And the adjective itself goes back at least to the 1940s, and perhaps before that. I have a 1946 TIME magazine that describes some music as "groovey" (their spelling).
Henry McNulty
Old Saybrook, Connecticut
I wasn't familiar with "The Grooviest Girl In the World" ... but that doesn't mean that we didn't have a copy! (lol) It peaked at #78 in Billboard in early '69 but went to #53 in Cash Box Magazine. Don't think I've EVER heard this one before. Thanks, Henry! (kk)
awwww....getting this email reminds me of the old days! :-)
Brit
Ah yes, our humble beginnings ... sometimes I wish it was that simple again! But (as you know ... as one of the original 35 readers of Forgotten Hits) ... our "Grooviest Week Ever" first went out in email format ... way back in 2003!!! (In fact, I seem to remember you discovering the Patti Drew version of "Workin' On A Groovy Thing" during that initial run!) kk
Kent,
Kent,
You are doing a fantastic job on your grooviest week ever! I'm really enjoying this!
Laurie
Thanks, Laurie ... with so many new readers on the list, it's fun to pull one out of the archives every now and then and show them some of what they missed ... and this was a fun one to do again! (kk)
Thanks for the reminder about King Floyd, the lesser known funky Floyd.
Great horns!
All Hits
A fun week of reading and listening – kudos, m’man! Wondered if you would dip down deep enough into “forgotten” to include “Treat her Groovy” so thanks for the plug.
Ray Graffia, Jr. / The New Colony Six
Hey, it's ALWAYS been one of my favorites ... so happy to feature it again! (kk)
And, speaking of The New Colony Six, be sure to check our "Up Coming Shows" section below to find out about a brand new fund-raiser at which they'll be appearing!
Hey Kent.
I asked Toni Wine about the "Groovy" thing when I interviewed her a few years ago:
SONGFACTS: Now, was this an early use of the word "groovy"?
Toni: Yeah, it was.
SF: Can you tell me how you came up with the whole lyrics and the song idea and all that?
Toni: Well, we were talking about "Groovy" being the new word. The only song we knew of was "59th Street Bridge Song," by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. You know, "Feelin' Groovy."
Toni: Well, we were talking about "Groovy" being the new word. The only song we knew of was "59th Street Bridge Song," by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. You know, "Feelin' Groovy."
And we knew we wanted to write a song with that word in it. Because we knew it was the happening word, and we wanted to jump on that.
Carole came up with "Groovy kinda … groovy kinda … groovy …" and we're all just saying,
Carole came up with "Groovy kinda … groovy kinda … groovy …" and we're all just saying,
"Kinda groovy, kinda groovy, kinda …" and I don't exactly know who came up with "Love," but it was "Groovy Kind of Love." And we did it. We wrote it in 20 minutes. It was amazing. Just flew out of our mouths, and at the piano, it was a real quick and easy song to write. Those are incredible things when those songs can get written. Like some you can just be hung on for so long, and then others just happen very quickly. And that was one of them. And it's been so good to us.
The full interview is here:
Be Well,
Carl Wiser
www.songfacts.com
re: VIDEOS:
Kent
I thought you might get a kick out of this video.
I thought you might get a kick out of this video.
It's from my "Rockin' And Surfin' Vol 4" instro Surf CD.
Maybe you could give it a mention?
Best,
Merrell
Best,
Merrell
Happy to! Here's the lowdown ...
Merrell Fankhauser's new summer Instrumental Surf Release "Poquito Loquito" b/w the first ever Instrumental Surf version of "The Star Spangled Banner" is ready for play ! Check out the video link below. Ocean Records PO Box 1504 Arroyo Grande,CA This one's a whole lotta fun. Thanks, Merrell! (kk) Kent - Glad you like it ... it's been getting really good radio response. Thanks so much for mentioning it on your blog. A UK label is soon releasing a Merrell Fankhauser "The Best Of" 2 CD set with songs from 1964 to now! It will be available online at gonzomultimedia.com and other sources. All My Best, Merrell >>>Another feast for your eyes ... the latest music video release from Jumbo 70 ... Collingwood Dam ... now on YouTube: Thanks! Great video! BAX Yeah, I thought this one was a whole lotta fun, too! (kk) Kent ... He's "Still Crazy After All These Years." Frank B. AND he gave us a "Sneak Peek" of his brand new Christmas song last December! AND he was the musical guest last night on Saturday Night Live. AND he appeared in Forgotten Hits last week with the original Simon and Garfunkel version of "The 59th Street Bridge Song". AND he has a brand new album out (that we've been promoting like heck here in FH!!!) I'd say he's still BUSY after all these years!!! (kk) Be sure to check out The Forgotten Hits Web Page tomorrow to read all about Ron Smith's brand new rock and roll calendar book, "Eight Days A Week: Births, Deaths And Events Each Day In Oldies History" ... we'll have the full scoop regarding where you can order a copy ... and how you can even WIN a copy right here in Forgotten Hits! Meanwhile, it looks like FH Reader Frank B has got his OWN calendar thing going ... Kent ... Here's one for Friday the 13th. Frank B. Kent ... 5/14/11 = Would've been Bobby's 75th Birthday. Perfect time to re-run your Bobby Darin series. Frank B. It's coming, it's coming ... but not by the 14th!!! (lol) kk re: THE SHANGRI-LAS: Kent ... Jersey John wrote about the Shangri-Las. Group member Marge was a bartender in the bar around the corner from my house. Of course that was before they became famous. Frank B. re: THE WILL-O-BEES: The Will-O-Bees' version of "It's Not Easy" is one of my faves. It is VERY similar in sound and structure to Pozo-Seco Singers' "I Can Make It With You" from a year earlier. The group does indeed have big Chicago ties, having been produced by Bill Traut of Dunwich Records! They did 3 or 4 good 45s on Date including "Shades of Gray" but also including that song's B side, "If You're Ready" which is considered one of the best garage records out of Chicago in the version done by the Knaves on Dunwich Records! The Will-O-Bees do a good rendition, too! They moved on to SGC along with Traut in late 68 for a couple of songs with Traut working more with the Nazz at the time. Eventually, the Will-O-Bees many valiant attempts at a hit went dry. WLSClark Kent, I always did like the Will-O-Bees 1968 song IT'S NOT EASY on Date Records. It is one of those records which I thought should have been a bigger hit than it was. Larry Neal After hearing The Will-O-Bees' version of "The World I Used To Know" last week, I mentioned being most familiar with this song through The Smothers Brothers. The tune, by poet / songwriter Rod McKuen (and acknowledged as such by Dick Smothers in this clip), has been covered by a number of artists over the years. Here's a rather "rough" version from The Smothers Brothers' "Mom Always Liked You Best" album, courtesy of Tom Diehl. re: PHILDADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL / THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA 40th ANNIVERSARY: PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL RECORDS CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY WITH SERIES OF SPECIAL EVENTS ‘PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD’ TO SALUTE ‘THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA’ AND ITS PIONEERING ARCHITECTS, KENNETH GAMBLE & LEON HUFF PHILADELPHIA (May 9, 2011) – Philadelphia International Records, the legendary record label which introduced “The Sound of Philadelphia” to “people all over the world” through an enormous catalogue of songs by pioneering songwriter-producers KENNETH GAMBLE AND LEON HUFF, is proud to announce the official launch of its 40th anniversary celebration with a growing number of special events across the nation, beginning this week in Los Angeles. The yearlong celebration will extend into 2012 as Gamble & Huff, one of popular music’s most prolific professional songwriting teams, mark the 50th anniversary of their historic partnership. Songs Gamble & Huff have written and produced together include the hits "Back Stabbers," "Love Train," "For The Love Of Money," "If You Don't Know Me By Now," "Cowboys to Girls," "Don't Leave Me This Way," "Enjoy Yourself," "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," "Only the Strong Survive," “Expressway to Your Heart," "Me & Mrs. Jones," and "TSOP" (better known as the "Soul Train" theme). Their songs comprise the most sampled R&B catalogue in the world, by artists such as Jay-Z, Usher, Cam'ron, Ja Rule, Jaheim, and Avant. Gamble & Huff have recorded and collaborated with a galaxy of stars from the pop, rock, soul and jazz universes, including Michael Jackson and the Jacksons, Elton John, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Aretha Franklin, Billy Paul, the Spinners, the Stylistics, the Delfonics, Dusty Springfield, Jerry Butler, Wilson Pickett, Labelle, Archie Bell & the Drells, the Soul Survivors, Laura Nyro, the Trammps, McFadden & Whitehead, Phyllis Hyman and Grover Washington Jr. The 40th anniversary celebration of Philadelphia International Records (PIR), one of the most successful African-American-owned record labels of all time, will include special award ceremonies, honors and gala festivities for Gamble & Huff on both coasts, from the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) to the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. NARM, the music business association, will kick things off by honoring Gamble & Huff with the 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award for Musical Collaboration. The presentation will take place during the Awards Dinner Finale at NARM’s 53rd Annual Convention on Thursday evening, May 12 at the Los Angeles Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Gamble & Huff will share special honors with Nicki Minaj, Brian Wilson, Annie Lennox, and American Idol, which saluted Gamble & Huff during the 2005 season. Performers that night will include David Cook, Tyrese and Matt Nathanson. The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia,a founding resident company of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, will host its annual Lifetime Achievement Award Gala in honor of Gamble & Huff on Saturday evening, May 21, at the Westin Philadelphia. The black-tie event will include live performances by legendary PIR Grammy winner Billy Paul (“Me and Mrs. Jones”), backed by the TSOP Band. And, in a special presentation for Mr. Gamble and Mr. Huff, Chamber Orchestra Music Director Dirk Brossé will direct members of the Orchestra in classical orchestrations of Gamble & Huff songs. This worldwide, first-ever gala event will serve as a prelude to a soon-to-be-released album of classical interpretations Gamble & Huff hits to be performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. The groundbreaking, influential and altogether unforgettable music created by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame icons will be coming to life on numerous occasions performed by both the label’s classic artists, as well as younger artists who’ve been influenced and inspired to pay tribute to the Philly Sound. Nowhere will the music be seen and heard before more people at once than on Independence Day, when Philadelphia’s annual Wawa Welcome America! caps its 11-day citywide festival with a musical boom. A live TV audience will watch as hundreds of thousands of people pack the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for Philly’s Fourth of July Jam, the free concert which this year will be highlighted by a very special tribute to PIR’s 40th anniversary, and also featuring The Roots; Earth, Wind and Fire; Michael McDonald; and many others – with a massive fireworks display. Also boarding the “Love Train” for the 40th anniversary of PIR will be the Philadelphia Phillies, the newly re-opened Dell Music Center (formerly the Robin Hood Dell East) and many more events to be announced as this milestone year continues to unfold. The Phillies will devote its annual Sound of Philadelphia Night to PIR’s 40th anniversary, with special guests Jerry Butler, Chubby Checker and Dee Dee Sharp. The Dell Music Center will be honoring Gamble & Huff in July with special performances by PIR recording artists. A major step toward cementing the legacy of Philadelphia International Records at the highest of levels occurred in March, when Gamble & Huff signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) in all areas, including film, television, theater, books, and lecture appearances. It was the first time they have enjoyed agency representation of this magnitude, despite having written and produced over 3,500 songs within 50 years, and amassing a catalogue that includes numerous pop #1 hits, R&B #1 hits, 100 gold and platinum records, Grammy winners and BMI songwriters' awards honorees. A hot independent R&B producing team in the late 1960s, Gamble & Huff co-founded Philadelphia International Records in 1971. Almost from the day PIR first opened, its artists began to dominate the charts. Within two years, Philadelphia International was the second-largest African-American-owned music company in America. Their songs also have been covered by a myriad of artists including Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Bette Midler, Simply Red, Michael Buble, Johnny Mathis, Lesley Gore, Donny & Marie, Thelma Houston, the Brand New Heavies and recently, Rod Stewart, who sings four Gamble & Huff classics on his 2009 album, Soulbook. Featured prominently in television programs ("The Apprentice," "Cold Case"), films ("The Nutty Professor") and advertising spots (Verizon, Chevrolet, Coors Light, Old Navy, The Gap, Office Max) for more than 30 years, Gamble & Huff's songs have entered the musical DNA of contemporary culture. In 2005, Gamble & Huff appeared on American Idol in a show devoted entirely to their music. It is estimated that one of their songs is played on the radio somewhere in the world every 13.5 minutes. Gamble & Huff have been the recipients of numerous accolades for their extensive body of work. They are enshrined in five music Halls of Fame, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the National Academy of Songwriters' Hall of Fame, the Dance Music Hall of Fame, and the R&B Hall of Fame. They have been honored by National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences with the Trustees Award as producers and songwriters, and for their contribution to the entire fabric of popular music. In 2010, Gamble & Huff were presented honorary doctor of music degrees – their first together – at Berklee College of Music’s Commencement. A few months later, Gamble & Huff became the first people in Philadelphia history to be so honored on Broad Street with the renaming of a historic section of the city’s major artery as Gamble & Huff Walk. Here is the list to date of events celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Philadelphia International Records. More events are forthcoming: May 12 – NARM 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award for Musical Collaboration, Awards Dinner Finale at NARM’s 53rd Annual Convention, Los Angeles Hyatt Regency Century Plaza May 21 – Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia Lifetime Achievement Award Gala, Westin Philadelphia June 11 – Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists Community Awards honors to Gamble & Huff June 23 – Nancy Wilson in Concert at the Dell Music Center June 24 – TSOP Night at the Phillies honors the 40th anniversary of PIR with Jerry Butler, Chubby Checker and Dee Dee Sharp at Citizens Bank Park July 4 – Wawa Welcome America Fourth of July Jam salutes the 40th anniversary of PIR, Benjamin Franklin Parkway free concert, Philadelphia July 11 – Dell Music Center honors Gamble & Huff August 3-7, 2011 – National Association of Black Journalists National Convention salutes Gamble & Huff as honorary chairmen. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: www.gamble-huffmusic.com --submitted by Randy Alexander re: MORE GREAT SHOWS: Hey Kent, The weekend before last was the annual River Run here in Laughlin, Nevada. The Aquarius Hotel just completed a new event center that can seat nearly 3,000 people for an indoor concert. They opened it at the River Run. Friday night (April 29) Eric Burdon played. Saturday night it was Bachman and Turner (who now appear together but not as BTO). Couldn’t make the Eric Burdon show, but did see the Bachman and Turner concert and it was quite good. Not the most stellar concert ever, but far more than adequate. The guys sounded quite good and their band was more than competent. Did a nice set, about eighty minutes or so, that was a mixture of their older stuff, a few tunes from a new album they recorded together recently and, of course, their biggest hits (which ended the set and made up the encore. I’ve attached a few photos, including a shot of the set list I got from the band. Laughlin has had its share of some pretty major “Forgotten Hits Fave Raves” over the last year (since I last sent in items about Bill Medley and Tommy James). I’ll send you another story soon with some more details and pictures! In between, I managed to see a few other acts that made it into Laughlin ... Cheap Trick, Three Dog Night, David Cassidy and Michael Bolton were some of the bigger artists who appeared last year. I have some more photos and will forward them to you (along with a recap) in the next day or two. Meanwhile, enjoy the photos of Bachman and Turner and feel free to put ‘em up on the blog! By the way, no matter what kind of issues I've had to deal with in the past year, I still manage to check out Forgotten Hits on a regular basis. At the very least, I'll go to the blog about once a month and catch up. Glad to see you are hanging in there and the blog continues to thrive! Joe Klein www.NewMediaCreative.com     We saw Randy Bachman at few years ago at that same Schaumburg SeptemberFest thing that you joined us for a couple of years ago, featuring Mickey Thomas and Bobby Kimball of Toto ... and he put on an OUTSTANDING show ... VERY impressive. Frannie and I were fortunate enough to catch him at the Guess Who Reunion Show with Burton Cummings a few years back, too ... GREAT performer! Yes, please do send us more pics ... we LOVE running them on the website! (kk) Howdy ... Hope all is well with you, Frannie and the family. Various events in my life (for better and worse) have prevented me from keeping up with a number of things offline and online. One of the things I miss most is following with regularity Forgotten Hits, which has always been a nifty source of information and amusement, along with the occasional comment from or article by someone that pissed me off enough to compose a letter to the Editor :) Having recently seen "Baby It's You!", I was curious if anyone had commented about or reviewed the show on your blog. I did come across a mention of "a great review" written by Tom Cuddy, but I was unable to find the actual review. (I can only imagine by "great" that you meant it was a well-written piece, because there was next to nothing "great" about the show, to put it nicely.) Might I impose on you to provide me with a link to the review itself? Thanks in advance, Ping Here's the Tom Cuddy's original review for the benefit of anyone else who may have missed it: Kent: There's a new must-see musical on Broadway! It's called "Baby It's You." It's the best jukebox musical I've seen since "Jersey Boys." "Baby It's You" is about the Jewish New Jersey housewife who discovered the teen singing group The Shirelles in the early 60s and coached the girls through a career of huge hits like "Soldier Boy" and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow." The production focuses on Florence Greenberg, who with the help of African American songwriter producer Luther Dixon, who became her lover (she was married with two kids), Florence took on a male dominated industry and founded Scepter Records. Among the artists she broke at Scepter were the Isley Brothers, The Kingsmen, Dionne Warwick and Chuck Jackson. I would highly recommend this to any of your readers in the tri-state area or ones that plan a visit to NYC in the near future. I've attached a page from the Playbill for the show so readers can see the depth of 60s music that is featured during the 2 1/2 hour production. The cast is tremendous, however, you should be pre-warned that the producers of the show have taken some liberties with the script and altered a few of the facts of the Scepter Records story for more "dramatic impact." Tom Cuddy NYC This review definitely calls for a rebuttal, lol Ping Then by all means please send us one!!! (kk) Okay, here's my (typically long-winded) take on the show: Having seen “Baby It’s You!” last week and then reading Mr. Cuddy's rave review in these pages, I sit here and wonder if we saw the same show. When I first learned that a musical about Florence Greenberg and The Shirelles was in the making, I felt conflicted. The prospect of a girl-group "Jersey Boys" was exciting. Great music combined with early ‘60’s vintage fabulous wigs, beautiful dresses and killer shoes - can a theatre-goer ask for anything more? (Actually, yes; Hugh Jackman shirtless, but that’s a different story.) However, the prospect of sitting through another jukebox musical was distressing. For every "Jersey Boys" (not only the best show of that dismal genre, but one that holds its own against “traditional” musicals), there are a slew of jukebox musicals with God-awful plots and beloved hits served up as cringe-inducing show tunes. I offer three examples as proof: “Good Vibrations", "All Shook Up", and "The Boy from Oz" (a show whose only virtue was a shirtless Hugh Jackson). "Baby It's You!" (the excitement implied by the exclamation point must have been cut during previews) isn't quite as bad as those three shows. When compared to this season's other jukebox mess, the disappointing and insufferable "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", it comes off looking like "Fiddler on the Roof”. However, it is no "Jersey Boys", that's for sure. Both shows have at their cores very interesting stories, but that's where the similarity ends. "Jersey" has a solid book that digs into the group's story and lets you get to know the characters, while the songs mostly serve as a backdrop to the action. “Baby” sometimes uses its songs in a similar fashion, but the book’s idea of character insight is off-handedly tossing out plot-propelling factoids as lame dialogue with one goal in mind: to get to the next classic oldie. Those classic oldies are here in abundance, too, shoved into the show like a size 9 foot into a size 7 pump and, in many cases, cut disappointingly short. A sequence of The Shirelles on tour is an excuse to pad the score with non-Scepter classic hits like “Duke of Earl”, “It’s My Party” and “Our Day Will Come”. Florence Greenberg’s romantic woes are awkwardly expressed via “The Dark End of the Street” and “Rhythm of the Rain”. Recording studio scenes have The Shirelles singing “Hey Paula”, “He’s So Fine” and “You Really Got a Hold on Me”. The last song in that list, if you believe the show's authors, was stolen from The Shirelles by “Smokey Robinson and the Miracles” (a group name that did not exist in 1962), just two of many historical inaccuracies that got under my skin. (These and many other factual errors - justified in the program notes as having “been fictionalized for dramatic purposes" - didn’t bother my theatre companions, three fellows who were record-buying teenagers in the early 60’s and love the music but don’t know a Shirelle from a Marvelette and don’t care. They thought the show was a lot of fun.) One of the biggest offenses of all is the complete omission of “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, the record that put Scepter and the Shirelles on the map. (Gerry Goffin and Carole King would not release the rights; perhaps that extended to not even mentioning the title.) Other shortcomings include the sets (chintzy); the performances (a mix of perfunctory, hammy, and shrill); the choreography (unimaginative); the encore (a lackluster rendition of “I Say a Little Prayer for You”); and, worst of all, no baseball cap for sale at the souvenir stand. To be fair, there were good things about the show: the wigs; the clothes; the shoes; the inclusion of “A Thing of the Past”, a wonderful Shirelles' flop single; and the voice of Geno Henderson, who pulls quadruple duty as Chuck Jackson, Ron Isley, Gene Chandler, and legendary deejay Jocko. One undiscounted orchestra seat for a Broadway show will cost you $100 or more. Bringing a date and having a nice meal will likely triple the cost. If you’re going to blow that kind of money on a night out, there are fifteen to twenty other shows you should see. If you’re nostalgic for Florence Greenberg and the performers who recorded for Scepter, better you should stay home and surf the Internet for some well-written articles, play your old 45’s, and enjoy a nice TV dinner. It’ll be cheaper, more comfortable, and when you’ve had your fill, you can get up and leave without having to step over everyone else in your row. --MF Ping And it looks like this is a show you WON'T be able to see for very much longer ... glad we got to see him when we did! (kk) David Beard of California Examiner and Endless Summer Quarterly tells us: Brian Wilson may not plan to tour next year, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to walk away from working with the Beach Boys. In a recent interview, the 68-year-old Brian told Britain’s Evening Standard newspaper, “As I get older it (touring) gets harder for me. But when I’m sitting down at the keyboard and my band’s behind me, I can do it ... “Another year, maybe. This could be the last time I play (in London). I’m going to miss it, but I’m getting a little bit old for touring." As a result of these quotes Contactmusic.com is stating, “Brian has dashed fans’ hopes of a future Beach Boys reunion tour after announcing retirement plans.” Wilson may be losing interest in touring and traveling abroad, but there’s no evidence to suggest that he isn’t considering a Beach Boys related event. In fact, quite the contrary … As previously reported on Beach Boys Examiner, he’s been interacting with his band mates quite a bit recently. • Brian, along with Mike Love, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston recently signed 90 45” white record sleeves for Jardine’s “Don’t Fight The Sea” single to raise money for the Red Cross’s Japanese disaster relief fund. The flip side to the single is the Beach Boys previously unreleased “Friends” (a capella). • The SMiLE sessions dating back to 1966-’67, are the most famous unreleased recordings in music history. Each band member supports the release (planned for later this year), and Wilson has stated he is glad that fans will finally get to hear the infamous sessions. While other online and print article reports continue to invent and twist the big picture, The Beach Boys are in talks about what they can achieve together down the road … Ignore the speculation, because the Beach Boys will bring those “Good Vibrations” back again, and Wilson – while maybe not in a touring capacity – will be there. © David M. Beard / All rights reserved And, speaking of The Beach Boys ... this just in from our FH Buddy Billy Hinsche ... http://www.billyhinsche.com/CW-HandN.html Looking forward to seeing THIS one! (kk) For local readers who support our troops, Kent, you might want to share news about this benefit concert we are doing in a few weeks. Details provided on a poster done by the vets’ group – nice to again be reminded of the long-time contributions of Mark Eskin through their inclusion of a promo shot including his mug, but the mayor of Libertyville won’t be pleased with their typo! Ray  |
re: A FEW MORE LOSSES THIS PAST WEEK:
With our GROOVIEST WEEK EVER Series running, we weren't able to address some of the recent passings of this last week ... so we pay homage today. (Nothing even remotely groovy about some of this sad news!)
John Walker, of The Walker Brothers, dead of liver cancer at age 67.
Jack
You were the first one in with this one ... but certainly not the last ... a few of the other 40+ comments we received are below ... along with Ron Smith's official OldiesMusic.com obituary. (kk)
John Maus "Walker" of the Walker Bros. died Saturday (May 7) of liver cancer at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 67. John, who was the first of the non-related trio to use the name Walker professionally, was born in New York City but grew up in California. He did some acting as a child and started out musically in a duo with his sister, even recording several singles. John then worked as a session and concert guitarist. In fact, one of his early jobs was touring in the Routers in place of the actual studio musicians who recorded "Let's Go." Joining bassist Scott Engel Walker and drummer Al Schneider as the Walker Brothers Trio, they were signed by Mercury Records' Smash label but achieved little success before adding Scott Engel Walker in place of Al and moving to England in 1964. This placed a strain on John's marriage to singer Kathy Young, who abandoned her career to join John but eventually returned to America, the marriage having only lasted three years. The success of the group in Britain (ten top 40 singles) spilled over to the United States, where the trio were considered to be a British Invasion group. In America, they scored two top twenty hits, "Make It Easy On Yourself" (#16 - 1965) and "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" (#13 - 1966). A combination of group dissension, work permit trouble and Scott's depression led to their breakup in 1968, though they did reunite for a few years in the mid-'70s. John went on to own his own recording studio in Dan Diego, but continued to write, record and perform. His autobiography with Gary, "No Regrets - Our Story," was published in 2009.
-- Ron Smith
Kent,
Sorry to hear about the death of John Walker of the Walker Brothers. They were quite popular in England.
Clark
They all refer to him as the "real" Walker Brother ... but even he wasn't originally named Walker. He was John Maus!
David Lewis
Thought I'd pass this on to you, but I suspect you already know.
Bill
John Walker, one of the founders of 1960s group The Walker Brothers, has died at the age of 67. His spokeswoman said Mr Walker died on Saturday at his Los Angeles home after a six-month battle with liver cancer. The band was formed when three unrelated US musicians - Scott Engel, John Maus and Gary Leeds - adopted the Walker Brothers name in 1964. Their biggest hits included the songs Make It Easy On Yourself and The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Any More). The group's fame flourished after traveling to the UK in the 1960s and they continued to score huge commercial success in the 1970s. The official John Walker website said it was with "deepest sadness" that it had to report John Walker passed away in his LA home on 7 May 2011. "He was a beloved husband, brother, father, grandfather, friend, and artiste," it said. Paying tribute to his former band member in a statement on his website, Gary Walker said it was a "very sad day for John's family, myself and all of our many fans. John was the founding member of the group and lead singer in the early days. He was also a fantastic guitarist which a lot of people didn't realize. He was a compassionate song-writer and a gentleman with lots of style. The three of us had the most incredible adventure together, all the time not realizing that we were part of pop history in the making. His music will live on, and therefore so will John." You probably already know about this latest passing of another “Forgotten Hitster,” but, just in case you don’t ... New Media Joe The Walker Brothers' BIGGEST Hit, of course, was "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore", a #13 Smash in 1966. But this song sprang from some pretty humble beginnings. (I hope Scott Shannon is paying attention because this would be a GREAT one to feature on his next True Oldies Channel Remakes Weekend!) The song was originally written for Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons, who released it as a solo recording between hits with the band. When played against the boomingly powerful take by The Walker Brothers, Frankie's version sound downright wimpy! Here are BOTH tracks: Later that same day, I heard that Dave Mason had also passed away. As a founding member of Traffic (and the writer of SO many great Classic Rock songs), I was immediately saddened ... but then learned that it was DAVID Mason who had passed, not "Dave". That's not to say that David didn't also make HIS mark on the musical map ... read on ... David Mason dies at 85; 'Penny Lane' trumpeter Paul McCartney saw classical musician David Mason playing the trumpet on Bach's 'Brandenburg' Concerto No. 2 in F Major on television in 1967. The next day, producer George Martin recruited him to play on 'Penny Lane.' McCartney had never heard a "piccolo" trumpet before ... and he just HAD to have that sound on his new record that he was making. The trumpet solo became one of the most distinguishing marks of "Penny Lane", yet another Beatles chart-topper (and the precursor to their landmark "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album.) Originally, the single also ENDED with the trumpet solo which, to this day, is STILL the way I hear it because that's the way I first heard it on the radio. (Take that, Jersey John!!!) The promo single had the trumpet ending ... but by the time the single was officially pressed and released, The Beatles had substituted more of a psychedelic ending to the tune. I suppose in hindsight the trumpet ending DOES sound a bit contrived ... but I loved it and, because it WAS the first way I heard the song, will always remember this as the way they had originally intended for the song to sound. (Strangely enough, an entirely DIFFERENT edit is included on their "Anthology" CD!) kk David Mason, a classical musician best known for his distinctive piccolo trumpet solo on the Beatles' recording of "Penny Lane," has died. He was 85. The Beatles' Paul McCartney was looking to embellish "Penny Lane" when he saw Mason on television playing the trumpet on Bach's "Brandenburg" Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Mason often recalled. The next morning, producer George Martin recruited Mason to record with the Fab Four. "I did not even know who the Beatles were when I was asked to do a recording session with them," Mason told England's Bath Chronicle in 2003. "For me it was just another job." He came to the 1967 session with nine trumpets and "by a process of elimination" settled on the B-flat piccolo trumpet for the high-pitched solo, he later said. No music was written ahead of time. Instead, McCartney sang what he wanted to hear, Martin wrote out the notes and Mason played them. "The actual recording was done quite quickly," Mason said in the 1989 book "The Beatles Recording Sessions." "They were jolly high notes, quite taxing, but with the tapes rolling we did two takes as overdubs on top of the existing song." While some books reported that his contributions to "Penny Lane" were speeded up post-recording, Mason insisted that was not the case. He offered as proof his ability to "still play those same notes on the instrument along with the record," he said in the book. For the recording session, he was paid a one-time fee of about $45. He also contributed to several other Beatles' songs recorded in 1967: "A Day in the Life," "Magical Mystery Tour" and "All You Need Is Love." Born in London in 1926, Mason studied at London's Royal College of Music and was a trumpet professor at the school for 30 years. He eventually was principal trumpet for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Philharmonia Orchestra, Covent Garden Opera and the English Chamber Orchestra. "I've spent a lifetime playing with top orchestras," he said in the recording sessions book, "yet I'm most famous for playing on 'Penny Lane'!" Valerie Nelson / L.A. Times http://www.spinner.com/2011/05/09/david-mason-penny-lane-trumpeter-dies/ David Mason, "Penny Lane" trumpeter, is dead Includes a great video clip David Lewis And finally ... Cornell Dupree, a famed guitarist who played alongside Aretha Franklin, King Curtis, Jimi Hendrix and Joe Cocker, died on May 8 in Fort Worth, Texas. According to Variety, Dupree was 69 years old and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Also known as "Uncle Funky" and "Mr. 2500" -– a name derived from his involvement in that number of studio sessions –- Dupree was a seasoned blues musician that detoured into R&B and soul after joining King Curtis and the Kingpins, a band that also featured a young Hendrix. The guitarist was known as one of the best session musicians that Atlantic records had to offer, playing alongside drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie and keyboard player Richard Tee. He was a member of Aretha Franklin's touring band from 1967-1976 and can be heard playing the opening riff on the singer's 'Respect,' as well as on Joe Cocker's 'Stingray' and 'Luxury You Can Afford.' Dupree's impressive resume also includes work with jazz-funk stalwarts Stuff and drummer Steve Gadd. Besides cutting 10 solo albums from 1974's 'Teasin'' to a yet unreleased record for Dialtone Records, Dupree also published an instructional guitar book called 'Rhythm & Blues Guitar' in 2000. Dupree is survived by his wife Erma. -- submitted by Ken Voss re: TOM KING / THE OUTSIDERS / SONNY GERACI / THE STARFIRES, ETC.: Hey, Bob: That's ME drumming in the video of TIME WON'T LET ME!! Some things are better left in he past, and when this video started showing up a few years ago, I was pretty embarrassed. I was 18 years old, the manager's wife had cut my hair and given me the clothes to wear, etc. I look like a refugee from THE ZOMBIES or MANFRED MANN (I guess it could be worse, eh?!)! But I've gotten past the fact that I looked pretty geeky there (hell, I WAS pretty geeky at that age - maybe still am), and can now enjoy the video for what it is-a fun historical document. Let me digress for a while ... In November of 1963, I joined TOM KING AND THE STARFIRES in Cleveland, Ohio. I was barely 16 years old and this was my first rock band. I carried my drums up three flights of stairs to Tom's apartment, and the audition consisted of Tom looking at me and saying, "OK, kid, be at THE DOVE LOUNGE on Friday by 9:00 P.M." That week in November was a life-changing week for me. I joined the band, Kennedy was assassinated and I heard I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND, all within a seven day period. Big week, eh??!! I worked with Tom and the band for about 19 months, and put in a good chunk of my 10,000 hours there. We often played as many as six nights each week, usually until 2 or 3 in the morning. The set list was heavy on R & B, lots of James Brown, Bobby Blue Bland, etc., and I view this period of my life as the time I learned the foundation of my musical background. The guitarist (Walt Nims) had to show me what a "shuffle" was that first night!! I stayed with the group until the summer of 1965, and in the fall, I went off to college at Ohio State. I had a band in college and we were having a good time, covering the Stones, the Beatles, etc. TIME WON'T LET ME was released in early 1966 and the record really blew me away. I was jealous as hell. It was flying up the charts when I got a call from Tom King. Their drummer had been drafted and they were scheduled to begin the recording of their first album in a few days, followed by a promotional tour. Tom asked if I would be interested in joining them. Well, long story short, I did what every parent feared in those days ... I quit college and joined the band!!! I drove back to Cleveland and we immediately began the recording of THE OUTSIDERS first album. I wound up drumming on almost all the other songs. The moment it was done, we hit the road for a promotional tour, mainly in the Eastern US. We were traveling in one station wagon, with all five guys, a roadie and all the equipment. It took about 72 hours for the band to mutiny and then we were given a second car. We did play Boston during that tour and in fact, we did meet and spend time with Al Coury then. We also did the HULLABALOO TV show during this trip - what an incredible experience ... New York City, Chad and Jeremy hosting (the bass player and I even backed them up on one song), Joe Tex, Bobby Fuller, the Hullabaloo dancers ... whoa!! This video is from that performance. The tour was over in a matter of a few weeks and seems like a blur to me now. Once back at home, a painful realization began to set in. As much as I was enjoying the success THE OUTSIDERS were having, the music we were playing was not the music I had been hoping to play. My tastes were running to THE YARDBIRDS, American blues, etc. So, after some soul searching, I left THE OUTSIDERS and went back to Ohio State. I finished the school year and by the fall of 1966, I had started the JAMES GANG. I learned a great deal from Tom King, about music, about life, about a whole lot of other things, and I would not trade that experience for anything in the world. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Bob. Jimmy Fox Bob ... In the 1960s Tom King and I played in different bands in Cleveland ... he was Tom King and the Starfires, we were Ronny and the Savoys. My group then became the Twilighters and he became the Outsiders with Sonny Geraci on vocals on Capitol. We were on Bell Records with Larry Uttal ... Cleveland radio was kickin' and breakin' hits nationally ... Alan Freed, Tommy Edwards, Bill Randle, Joe Mayer, and later Billy Bass, Gorman, Kid Leo, Mike Payne, Ken Hawkins ... The Upbeat show had all national acts before they exploded ... our local bands packed 200 to 1000 seat clubs at a buck to get in and we worked for the door ... great $$$$ in the 60s ... of course, we had day jobs as well ... mine was the Columbia Records Warehouse, 30 bucks a week, with Bill Catino, Marty Mooney, Frank DiLeo ... the Choir became the Raspberries ... the O'Jays, Joe Walsh, James Gang the amazing Glenn Schwartz, later with PG&E ... Robert Lockwood, Bobby Womack ... Leo's Casino, Hank Loconti and the Amazing Agoras, Eddie Rosenblatt, Eli Bird, Gary Bird, Carl Maduri, Tommy Lipuma, Johnny Musso, etc. ... and many others ... all Cleveland, all in some ways Tom Kings trying to make a name in show biz. Respectable by the Outsiders also a great record ... they were credited somewhere with using horns ahead of B,S & T and Chicago, two bands I was blessed to work with in the 60s and 70s. When people talk old school, we didn't read about it ... we lived it and did it. Steve Popovich Good stuff, Bob ... thanks for allowing us to share these with our readers ... you can subscribe to Bob's music newsletter through the link above. (kk) Kent, Here is a picture of Tom King (black suit) and his group the Starfires as they were in the pre-Outsiders days, plus one of their popular 45's, "Stronger Than Dirt". You can certainly tell how the Outsiders sound was being formed with this instrumental based on the Ajax commercial (alike the ending to the Doors "Touch Me") complete with the main theme as well as the galloping horses also featured in the TV commercial!  It was nice to read Eric Carmen's comments about him. Attached, you will find a combination of two LP tracks. In the first, Sonny Geraci introduces the Outsiders including Tom from their "Live" album of 1967 and followed by a song that appeared on their 1967 "In" album. That is "Bend Me, Shape Me," which many will know was released almost a year before the American Breed's smash hit version. This was similar to the Raiders' "Steppin' Stone" being released six months before the Monkees made a huge hit with it. I find "Bend Me" by the Outsiders as a bit off, but it was one of a few earlier versions of the song. Tom King produced most all of the Outsiders recordings besides being a group member! As a side note, their version of "Kind of a Drag" follows "Bend Me" on the "In" album and on the "Live" album is "Gloria" ... so they must have liked our Chicago groups!! Clark Besch Clearly, our Chicago groups were listening to THEM, too! In fact, Sonny Geraci and Dennis Tufano, original lead singer of The Buckinghams, make dozens and dozens of appearances together these days on the concert stages! (kk) You'll find more on The Bucks below ... re: HAPPY TOGETHER: Don't know if anyone knew, but the American Idol cast sang the upcoming tour title song, "Happy Together" last week. I questioned if some of them had heard the song since they seemed unsure at times when to chime in, but it may have just been lack of practicing it together. The song's writer, Alan Gordon, was a friend up until his death and I have kept in touch with his son, Christian, who had this to tell me about the Idolizing of his father's song: Clark Besch Hi Clark: Yes, I got word about it last night. It's amazing when you stop and think about it. The song has taken on a life of it's own. Whenever I hear it, it's a feeling beyond anything I could ever describe to you with words-on-paper. It looked like the kids were into it. Maybe the arrangement could have been tightened a bit but they did it! Christian Gordon With my work schedule of late I've missed far more "Idol" than I've seen ... but Frannie did tell me about this one ... and she said it was AWFUL!!! She said the kids did a HORRIBLE rendition of "Happy Together" (and didn't appear to be into it at all!) On the one hand, Idol has all kinds of "trendy" artists helping out (Will i. am, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, etc.) but then they have them sing the songs of Leiber and Stoller, The Beatles, Elton John, Elvis Presley, etc. These poor kids (this year's batch has the youngest finalists EVER) must feel totally conflicted by what they're being asked to perform. Of course, WE love it to see what they do with some of our old favorites ... Haley did a KILLER rendition of "I (Who Have Nothing)" last week that people are STILL talking about ... and that after the previous week's knock-out performance of "House of the Rising Sun" ... NOT a song you would typically expect a girl singer to take on! (We were asked to print the posters for Haley's big homecoming yesterday ... and had tickets to it as well!) kk re: THE BUCKINGHAMS: >>>Here's another oddity from WLS. During Ron Riley's "Preview" show I was excited to hear the new Beatles' song would be premiered. Wella wella, it almost did not happen. The tape deck was rolling when Ron intros the song only for us to hear the new Buckinghams song "Susan" instead!! He quickly lays the blame on a girl in the other room getting the wrong "number" cart I assume to play. The Buckinghams song is aborted and the Beatles new song ensues. Oddly, the Buckinghams would soon be "stiffed" again with "Susan." Their segment to show on the Ed Sullivan show in January got bumped at the last minute and Chicagoans had to wait until the following week to see and hear their faves doing an unusual mix visually and musically. Visually, you would get to see the band in their usual "snazzy" stage outfits singing the first half of "Susan" but when the sound effect middle began, instead of cutting it, they left it in and went to film of the group in their military outfits you see on the 45's picture cover! Then, instead of going back to end "Susan", the sound effects segued into a song yet unreleased called "What Is Love"!!! What a treat! It would be out shortly on "Portraits" but here, you got the backing track with live vocal and a "cold" ending! Good stuff for a kid always in search of a new recording by faves. Ah, those were the days!! (Clark in Lincoln) The Buckinghams' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour were absolute highlights. While I couldn't find "Susan", I did find three of their other monster hits (kk): Carl Giammarese still jokes about the British Flag set put together on The Smothers Brothers' show ... for a band that hailed from Chicago!!! (lol) Too Funny! (kk) Kent, Here's audio to the Ed Sullivan Susan performance courtesy FH member Stu Shea. WLS Clark Here's a clip of The Buckinghams doing "Susan" ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIacsdOfKAQ&feature=player_detailpage -- submitted by Bob Jones re: LAKE SHORE DRIVE: FH Readers will remember that last December (as part of our "new music" Christmas feature), we ran a plug for Skip Haynes' website where, for a small fee, you can insert YOUR name into the Aliotta, Haynes and Jeremiah rock classic "Lake Shore Drive" ... in fact, Skip even made a customized Forgotten Hits version:Well now FH Reader / Oldies Music Fan / CNN Columnist (although not necessarily in that order! lol) Bob Greene has taken this story viral ... and, as such, Forgotten Hits now has a plug / link on CNN!!! (How cool is THAT?!?!?) Between Greene's CNN mention and Ron Smith's FH critique being included on the cover his his brand new Rock And Roll Calendar Book, Frannie has officially deemed this "Forgotten Hits Ego Weekend"!!! (lol) You can check out the whole story here: Dear Kent -- Here's the column on "Lake Shore Drive," which is running on CNN today: Thanks for your help, and for all the great reading. Bob And, to order your OWN customized version of "Lake Shore Drive", go here: re: THE MOB: >>>Thanks for the news about The Mob! What a great group. I saw them when they first came out dressed in black suits and fedora hats looking like gangsters! They played at the old Lyons club "Gi Gi A Go Go" (owned by Nate Pasero). They were great singers, musicians and performers all rolled into one! I have their album featuring their hit "I Dig Everything About You". What great memories. (Carolyn) >>>And, to this day, I cannot help but wonder how much bigger they might have been had Jim Holvay kept some of the songs he gave away to The Buckinghams for his own band!!! (Holvay wrote four Top Ten Hits for The Bucks ... in fact, the original demo tape he gave the band showcasing some of his original compositions included "Kind Of A Drag", "Don't You Care", "Hey, Baby, They're Playing Our Song" and "Susan" ... ALL Top Ten Records for The Buckinghams in 1967! (kk) Great to hear Carolyn talking up the Mob! Unlike many Chicago artists, they played the entire country, but still could not get that hit that could launch them into BST or Chicago status or even to Ballinjack status. Kent, you must remember that the big reason Holvay did not keep those songs for HIS band was because they were pop songs and his band was all RNB. They carried on for 10 years signing with many labels. It's a sad thing they were not bigger. Clark Besch I know that the feeling was Holvay's songs didn't fit the style of music that The Mob was performing at the time ... but in effect they gave up their career for their principles. While I can't imagine anyone other than The Buckinghams doing these songs, talented as they were The Bucks may have only been a blip on the map had Holvay and The Mob elected to record these songs themselves and had anywhere NEAR the same success that The Buckinghams had with them. Yet here it is ... some 45 years later ... and Carl and Nick are still out on the road playing those hits as part of the Happy Together Again Tour. They certainly deserve it ... I just wonder if they ever think about what might NOT have been had The Mob pursued a pop hit career rather than one more cemented in oblivion! (kk) re: THE CHICAGO LOOP: Kent, Here are scans of my copies of the Coasters and Chicago Loop 45 of "My Baby Comes to Me". Here's an odd thing ... I always wondered why trades like Billboard and Cash Box always listed the title as "She Comes To Me" when every 45 I have found lists the title (including Coasters) as "My Baby Comes To Me". Very strange thing, I always thought. Growing up hearing this one, I found it hard to believe it was a hit, but coming at the same time as similar hits "Double Shot"and "Spread it on Think" made it a song for 1966 times, I guess. WLSClark   There were quite a few of these "live" / "party" type songs coming out at the time so I suppose it had something to do with it. I'm amazed at how much The Coasters' version sounds like everything else they did at the time ... very Leiber / Stoller sounding to me! (An earlier report stated that Bob Crewe had a hand in writing the song ... but Joel Whitburn's book shows the writers as Chicago Loop band members Judy Novy, Carmine Riale, John Siomos and Bob Slawson. However, a quick look at the two record labels do, in fact, credit Leiber and Stoller with writing this tune.) By the way, did you happen to catch The Top Four American Idol candidates saluting the songbook of Leiber and Stoller this past week? Haley did a nice, pretty moving version of "I (Who Have Nothing)", Scotty did "Youngblood", Lauren took a crack at Elvis' "Trouble" and James did what can probably best be described as a "Led Zeppelin version of 'Love Potion Number Nine.'"!!! (kk) I asked Judy Novy (who recently discovered Forgotten Hits ... and an original member of The Chicago Loop) what she recalled about the song's origins ... and this is what she had to say: I can help. Our group first heard the song as an old “Public domain” kind of thing. We were looking for material. Some guitarists presented it as in the public domain. We recorded it with Bob Crewe, who weeks later, discovered it was a Leiber / Stoller publisher. The 45 was then issued again, with proper credits. I love Leiber / Stolller.. I did not know, at the time, that I was singing a Leiber / Stoller song. Bob Crewe had NOTHING to do with songwriting. The Chicago Loop was innocent. No, we did not write the song. This has all to do with publishing rights. God bless Leiber / Stoller. Judy, The Chicago Loop >>>Without question, one of the coolest things about doing Forgotten Hits is when the artists themselves discover our postings! Last week we ran a note from Judy Novy-Riale ... of The Chicago Loop! (Little did we know that members of this band regularly shared duties with Mitch Ryder and His Detroit Wheels!!!) In fact, I've since forwarded this information to Joel Whitburn, who tells me he received it JUST in time to include in his brand new book!!! It's an honor to be able to help give some of these artists the recognition they deserve. (kk) That was VERY cool to hear news from Judy Novy. I did not know most of the info she describes about the band! I really did not like the hit they had, but have collected their DynoVoice and Mercury sides and one song I REALLY DO LIKE is a song she co-wrote, "Cloudy." It was the B side of "My Baby Comes To Me" follow-up, "Richard Cory." Funny that "Cory" was written by Paul Simon, who had already written a song called "Cloudy," but the Chicago Loop song is an original! The biggest reason I enjoy this song is that it actually has lots of elements in it that remind me of the Cryan Shames: Great harmonies and a bit of "We Could Be Happy" instrumentation sound. This one really showcases the voice Judy had. She has a great vocal interplay at the end. Good to have her on FH for sure. I have some photos of the Chicago Loop, but no time to dig. I am wondering, was she with the group in the Mercury period following this record? I am guessing yes. From what I can tell, this is her only writing credit for the band, but it is a memorable one. Good to hear she kept in music so long! WLSClark  My guess is that Judy will see your query about Mercury Records and respond. Meanwhile, thanks for sharing another great track that we never would have had the pleasure to hear otherwise. (kk) re: B-SIDES: JohnnyG is famous for playing B-Sides on TOP SHELF OLDIES every Saturday night from 8 - 10 P.M. He plays tunes from his personal collection of vinyl, and his show is great. Try it out! The Great and Wonderful Malcolm Of course for the ULTIMATE List of Classic B-Sides, one need look no further than The Forgotten Hits Website ... thanks to just over 65,000 votes, our readers picked The Top 200 Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides Of All-Time ... and you'll find that list right here: Meanwhile, our FH Radio Buddy Mr. C. plays B-Sides all the time on HIS program, too ... The Flip Side Show ... which runs Tuesday Nights on Radio Free Nashville. Here's a Listen Live link!
Well, if the track by Wind would have been popular in Chicago and you were responsible for it, you could have broke Wind in the Windy city. Bill Thanks, Bill ... good one! (kk) And, speaking of being blown away ... I was blown away by Sandy Shaw's "Girl Don't Come"; like a blast from the past! Quickly contacted my one sister, even Dr. Robert, and they both, without doubt, knew the song! But last night, my other sister, after looking at a (Japan) HD CD I bought of Dusty Springfield, asked who sang "Girl Don't Come"!!! What is this, the most popular song that Billboard and Joel Whitburn failed to chart!! Even you knew it, Mr. K'! What gives!!?? Oh, sadly, it's in mono of a Varese Sarabande CD!! Let it be said, if you wish to hear the UK's finest stereo, you don't go knocking on US doors!! Thanks! John Not sure what you mean ... "Girl Don't Come" DID chart for Sandy Shaw ... a #42 Billboard Hit that also went to #35 in Cash Box Magazine. Dusty's version wasn't released as a single here in The States so (obviously!) it didn't chart. Based on its #35 showing, it's hard to refer to this as "the most popular song". And you have to stop picking on Joel Whitburn ... all he does is report the Billboard statistics ... he doesn't make up his own chart or determine which songs are popular ... it is simply a historical recap of that which has already happened!!! (kk) >>>In between The Mindbenders and 10cc, Stewart teamed with his long-time musical partner Graham Gouldman to form the band Hotlegs, who hit The National Top 20 with THEIR One Hit Wonder, "Neanderthal Man"! (kk) Not exactly: Gouldman was working at the time as a staff writer with Kasenetz and Katz in NYC. Stewart, Godley and Creme created “Neanderthal Man” playing around in their new Strawberry Studios as an experiment with percussion sounds, but Philips’ Dick Leahy heard it and insisted they release it. They were not even a “band” at the time, so they took the name “Hotlegs” from the nickname they’d given to the shapely secretary at Strawberry. Gouldman then convinced K&K to record tracks at Strawberry, and K&K basically moved in at Strawberry for several months, leaving Joey Levine behind and using the future 10cc members as the “studio band” on many tracks (and as lead vocalists on some), though many were left unreleased at the time. Gouldman did not join Hotlegs until they recorded their final track under that name, “Today,” for the UK revamped second issue of the Hotlegs LP. Originally issued in the UK and the US as “Thinks: School Stinks,” it was reconfigured with different tracks for the UK-only second version, titled “Song.” Among the Strawberry projects were two LPs that Godley, Creme, Stewart and Gouldman recorded with Neil Sedaka. Those projects convinced them they should record together as a formal group. From that idea, the future 10cc was born. Even after they began recording for Jonathan King’s UK label as 10cc, they still recorded a few singles under pseudonyms, including a revised version of “Today” issued on UK RCA under the name “Festival.” That version is included on the “Strawberry Bubblegum” CD, now unfortunately out of print and very difficult to find. There has been no comprehensive Hotlegs compilation on CD, as the two CD reissues of “Thinks: School Stinks” (the recent Japanese reissue and earlier US reissue on One Way) just contain the original LP. The CDs therefore omit “You Didn’t Like It Because You Didn’t Think of It” (the non-LP B-side of “Neanderthal Man,” later partially reworked as “Fresh Air for My Mama” on the first 10cc LP), the later non-LP single, “Lady Sadie” / ”The Loser,” and the original version of “Today.” Those tracks do appear, however, on the UK Philips 1976 Hotlegs compilation LP, also titled “You Didn’t Like It Because You Didn’t Think of It.” There is a great article about the early Strawberry years in the latest issue of Shindig Quarterly. While it contains a few errors, it is an excellent overview and contains recent comments from Godley, Stewart and Gouldman. Best, Michael Thanks for filling in some of the blanks, Michael. Dafydd Rees and Luke Crampton's "Rock Stars Encyclopedia" traces the band's roots back to 1969 and shows various incarnations of 10cc's prominent members over the years, including solo works and side projects. Actually, it sounds like they'd make for a very interesting "spotlight series" somewhere down the line ... would love it if you would help us put it together! (kk) Kent; I had forgotten about this hit "The Snake by Al Wilson" and haven't heard it in decades but it was, at the time, a favorite I never bought. After listening to the version you sent, what I heard was stunning. An excellent delivery with vocals finishing in near shouts and soulful screams backed by a very tight band and arrangement. Thanks so much for this one. You are right, Jocks need to pay attention to this one. People might like to know that if you are over 40 in Orlando, Florida, radio doesn't exist for you. Here in this Disney Town, this Magic City, the programming and format of these corporate stations is horrible. There are no Oldies stations and classic rock rarely plays anything but their tired select rotation. In the 70's this area had great rock and pop stations with real talented D.J.s . In the days before corporate radio I loved hearing radio stations vary in each city with each their own character and sound. You make reference to this when you note how a hit was one number on the charts nationally but ranked much higher on Chicago charts. Exactly! Each city or market had it's own flavor or character. Thanks for The Snake. ... bdpoe Orlando We keep asking radio to push the envelope a little bit further ... here in Chicago, we have FINALLY seen this happen ... no joke, I've heard more "Wow!" Factor songs and Forgotten Hits on the radio here in the last couple of months than EVER before! Hopefully other stations across the country will begin to follow suit. To a degree, it spells the end of the "oldies format" ... but my guess is that, once it's been absent for a little while, it'll come back stronger than ever ... ESPECIALLY if they concentrate EXCLUSIVELY on '50's and '60's Music. That'll all be part of our brand new "Ultimate Play List" campaign ... "Oldies Music" covers the era "From Elvis through The Beatles" ... which is pretty much 1956 - 1970. Anything more inclusive than that will be part of our "Music Of Your Life" campaign. I personally believe that ALL of this music can coexist side-by-side ... time will tell if we'll FINALLY be proven right! (kk) |
