re: WHATCHA DOIN' TONIGHT??? :
If you happy to be out Nashville way Thursday Evening, this is a show you might want to catch:
Hi Kent,
I know you're all backed up with email and possibly won't get this into a mid-week issue - but in case you can, Alan O'Day is appearing in Nashville at the Commodore Lounge this Thursday night (10/20) at 8 PM. His show was great last time and is bound to be a smash once again. Maybe Fred and Ed and a few other Nashville FH fans will join us.
Thank you,
David
I know you're all backed up with email and possibly won't get this into a mid-week issue - but in case you can, Alan O'Day is appearing in Nashville at the Commodore Lounge this Thursday night (10/20) at 8 PM. His show was great last time and is bound to be a smash once again. Maybe Fred and Ed and a few other Nashville FH fans will join us.
Thank you,
David
Happy to pass this along ... hopefully a few folks on the list will see this in time to check it out. (Actually, I think Henry Gross and Mark Volman are out that way, too ... and possibly Felix Cavaliere??? Man, what a jam session THAT would be!!!) Wish I could go! (kk)
Or, if you're like most of the rest of us, stuck inside missing a great show like this, then there are worse things you could do than listen to Scarlett Hayze's radio program ... especially if she's featuring some of our "Today's Forgotten Hit" selections! (kk)
Or, if you're like most of the rest of us, stuck inside missing a great show like this, then there are worse things you could do than listen to Scarlett Hayze's radio program ... especially if she's featuring some of our "Today's Forgotten Hit" selections! (kk)
Hey Kent ...
How are ya?
I just wanted to let you know after taking a summer hiatus, my oldies radio show is back on the air, alive and well, on www.myrevolutionradio.com.
I now have a regular feature, "the forgotten hit" of the night, based on your featured forgotten hits of the week. It's a lot of fun and my listeners seem to enjoy it. I always ask "How long has it been since they heard this one ... ???" Good times!
My shows air on Sunday, Monday and Thursday, 7 pm - 9 pm EDT
Thanks so much for all you to do to keep it alive, man!
I love being a part of the Forgotten Oldies Club
Moochas smoochas ...
DJ Scarlett Hayze
Revolution Radio
We've heard from several jocks on the list who are either playing our Forgotten Hit of the Day every day on their program ... or doing some kind of a "recap" on the weekend, playing back all five selections. Great to keep this going ... seems like a pretty popular feature after all! Thanks, Scarlett ... be sure to tune in and listen!!! (kk)
re: LOVE TO READ FORGOTTEN HITS ...
NO MATTER HOW HARD IT IS TO READ!!!:
As we've noted several times now, we've been having ALL kinds of problems with Blogger lately (many, many months now!), changing our fonts and spacing on our newsletter, no matter HOW many times we go back in and fix it! (Very frustrating!!!)
Last Sunday's Comment from FH Reader Alex Valdez ...
>>>Okay we have to change the name of the site from a Blog to a Blur. Some of us fossils agree with the posts about the font size. Thank God in my infinite wisdom I bought a magnifying glass a few years back to enjoy life's simplest pleasures like my morning crossword. I sense the internet is #$%^& with you still and it is no fault of your own. (Alex Valdez)
... prompted this brand NEW comment from FH Reader Mr. Doo Wop:
Hi Kent,
As always, enjoy the Sunday Comments as well as the rest of the site.
Concerning the gentleman's comments about the magnifying glass, I'm enclosing a freeware program called "Lens Magnifying Glass." It's a simple program that I often use on the web. Simply, it's a magnifying glass that can be adjusted as needed by the user. Freeware means that it can be distributed without any copyright problems. The author is giving it away.
Please try it and if you like it feel free to make it available to all the members.
Joe
I haven't downloaded this yet but I'm happy to forward it to anyone curious enough to try it. What I've found is that Forgotten Hits looks different in every browser you display it! I was told that Firefox was the BEST browser to use when posting because these types of font and spacing errors do not occur in Firefox. (WRONG!!!) But when I go back to read it on the site, I use my regular AOL Browser ... and the type is probably 40% bigger than the way Firefox displays it!!! You might want to try that first (plus I believe you can control this on your viewing preferences, too.) Surely, we're not the only ones having these kinds of problems ... so the magnifying glass option just may be the perfect solution for many of you out there. Again, if you'd like to give it a try, drop me a note and I'll forward it along. (To reiterate, I did NOT load this on my computer so I cannot vouch for how well it works.) kk
re: THE CHAMPS:
>>>Through the years one always hears TEQUILA by the Champs, but how about TOO MUCH TEQUILA and REDEYE BY by the same group. (Larry)
>>>Is it "Redeye By" or simply "Redeye"??? (kk)
The correct title of the Champs' song was simply REDEYE. No BY after the title.
Larry
>>>Through the years one always hears TEQUILA by the Champs, but here in OKC one of the biggest records they had, which didn't chart nationally, was in 1964 with an instrumental called ONLY THE YOUNG (written by Jimmy Seals I believe). Don't know if that record made your local surveys in Chicago since at the time with the British invasion of music, it was quite a CHALLENGE for the group to have radio stations play the record or any records by them. (Larry)
>>>Through the years one always hears TEQUILA by the Champs, but here in OKC one of the biggest records they had, which didn't chart nationally, was in 1964 with an instrumental called ONLY THE YOUNG (written by Jimmy Seals I believe). Don't know if that record made your local surveys in Chicago since at the time with the British invasion of music, it was quite a CHALLENGE for the group to have radio stations play the record or any records by them. (Larry)
>>>I don't show "Only The Young" charting here ... or anywhere else for that matter. (kk)
>>>Believe it or not, Only The Young was the first Champs 45 I ever owned. There were also vocal versions of the song by Chris Crosby and Rick Nelson! (Tom Diehl)
>>>VERY pretty song ... and not at all what you expect to hear by The Champs! Looks like Jim Seals did, in fact, cowrite this song. And it sounds like The Ventures cut an instrumental version, too! (kk)
As you know, I did a Goldmine story on the Champs many years ago.
"Only The Young" was getting airplay on a Santa Ana station when our band (Mojo Men from Milwaukee) came out here to SoCal in fall '65. I always liked it and I later learned it as a vocal from the Rick Nelson LP version. IIRC Pat Boone wrote the lyric.
The Champs went through *many* personnel changes over the years. (including Seals & Crofts, Glen Campbell, Jerry Cole & Johnny Meeks). I worked many times with original member Danny Flores (aka Chuck Rio, writer of "Tequila") in the 80's, and original guitarist Dale Norris has been a good friend since 1975; we did many, many gigs together. I also worked a couple of times with Jerry Cole, but though Cole was a very good player (and included in my WI books because he was born there), he always had to exaggerate his accomplishments. He often claimed to be on "Tequila" but he joined the Champs about 1-1/2 yrs after that record.
Gary E. Myers / MusicGemhttp://www.music-gem.com/index.html
As I've told you several times over the years, I would LOVE to re-run your Champs article in Forgotten Hits. (We did a short tribute to them a while back, too, but nothing near the scope of your piece. I knew "Only The Young" by Rick Nelson, too, but never realized it was the same tune as The Champs' instrumental. It's a very striking piece ... I've listened to it several times now! (kk)
re: THE FEMALE ELVIS:
From the liner notes on my Janis Martin album, here is why she was known as the "Female Elvis Presley". In 1956, she wrote a song called DRUGSTORE ROCK AND ROLL while she was under contract with RCA records. It sold some 750,000 copies. She became in constant demand for
appearances all over the U.S. This was at a time that Elvis was the biggest rock singer in the country, also recording for RCA. Elvis and RCA were so impressed with Janis' delivery of a song, that she was given permission to use the title "the Female Elvis Presley". Elvis sent her his best wishes and a dozen red roses when she appeared in Miami, Florida, to be introduced to the RCA
representatives and officials from all over the world. Appearing on the show were Jaye P. Morgan, Eddy Arnold, and Homer and Jethro (days before they started their tv careers on the Simpsons and Beverly Hillbillies, respectively) LOL
Larry Neal
I still don't get it. Seems to me if she sold 750,000 copies of "Drugstore Rock And Roll", it should have been a national Top Ten Hit!!! Yet she never even made The Top 100. Sounds like a WHOLE lotta hype to me. (But now I wanna hear some of her stuff. Anybody?!?!?) kk
re: THE TRUE OLDIES CHANNEL:
re: THE TRUE OLDIES CHANNEL:
I'm listening to Scott Shannon's TRUE OLDIES CHANNEL "ROCK 'N ROLL REMAKES" Weekend as I read your page! I really enjoy hearing the stories behind the songs and how they came to be hits! Sunday nights 'CRUISIN AMERCIA SHOW' on the True Oldies Channel is the BEST!
Songs from the early years 1956 - 1966! Plus stories!!!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!!!!!
Nancy / Listening on line in Atlanta
Nancy / Listening on line in Atlanta
RICK'S UPHOLSTERY IN ABILENE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR CORINNA CORINNA OR CARRIE ANNE AS A FORGOTTEN 45. THANK-YOU!
WE LISTEN TO TRUE OLDIES ON 100.7 FM IN ABILENE, TEXAS.
RICK
I passed your note along to Scott Shannon ... keep listening ... I'm sure you'll hear your requests. (Ironically, we featured "Corinna, Corinna" a few weeks ago in our "Today's Forgotten Hits" segment ... and The Hollies have been ALL over our pages lately!) kk
re: OTHER COOL STUFF:
Kent ...
I think all your readers should buy a copy of the current issue of "Goldmine".
Elvis on the cover.
Here's what you'll find inside:
They track Elvis during 1956. His TV appearances, Concerts, Movies & Recording Sessions.
Also, Charlie Thomas & Drifters. They're recording new material for the first time in many years. Dewey Bunnell & Gerry Beckley talk about America's new CD, "My Back Pages".
They also write about the careers of Fabian and Neil Sedaka.
You couldn't find two more opposites. Very interesting.
Frank B
Frank B
re: THE BELL SOUND:
Kent,
That's the name for the great sound that came from Bell Records! I used to try to collect as many Bell albums as I could. I loved their logo. Around '76 or '77 I used to call Hollywood and New York all the time (managing to never get charged!) and talk to various record companies and movie studios to get info on my fave stars. One time I called Arista, and the gave me Clive Davis' home phone number (or, maybe what I thought was his phone number, they were probably just trying to get rid of me!) I called it, forgetting the time difference, and I woke someone up on the other end of the line. I asked if it was Clive, and the voice said yes. I freaked and hung up. (I was in 6th or 7th grade, and I'm 46 now - you can do the math!) Another time I called Arista and asked them how you would be able to purchase an old label to own it. They told me it could be anywhere from $5 to millions. I wanted to own Bell! I guess the "Bell Sound" and the "ABC / Dunhill Sound" are the ones I remember mainly from my childhood. Those labels made great pop records, and Bell introduced me to The Sweet and Gary Glitter and other glam rockers. I still love the Partridge Family records.
I also used to send demo cassettes to A&M Records, double-tracking my voice singing to records. I got a letter back from Steve Siler, who worked in the mailroom. I used to call him and ask him who was recording and stuff. We corresponded for a few years. No one else thought anything of it, but I was pretty excited that someone - ANYONE - from a major record label would even bother to call or write me, especially a little kid. Of course, I was turned down for the 3 or 4 cassettes I sent them, always with a kind rejection letter by Jerry Moss. I still have them somewhere. I'd love to get ahold of Mr. Moss and see if he remembers those awful demos. I wanted to own A&M, too - I had a huge Captain and Tennille jones at the time.
The "Bell / ABC - Dunhill" sound carried over to other labels and songs, also. I just ordered the "Pufnstuf" soundtrack, and the songs sounds a lot like songs released on those two labels- the horns and the same background singers.
Ed Pond
Some record labels went out of their way to develop their own distinctive sound. Certain labels like Motown, Stax, Atlantic and The Sound Of Philadelphia excelled in this area ... I remember collecting all of the Buddah Singles back in the late '60's because they all had that "bubblegum" sound. I never really thought about Bell so much ... but I guess I missed the boat on that one, based on some of this recent email. I, too, loved pretty much everything ABC / Dunhill was releasing. And I ESPECIALLY liked the fact that the singles were nearly ALWAYS different mixes than the album versions ... not only were they punched up but they also had unique musical interludes not found on the corresponding LP. Unfortunately, over the years many of the singles mixes have disappeared so radio plays the album version instead. (If ANY label ever needed to release their complete singles collection on CD, ABC / Dunhill should be the one to do it. Nearly ALL of these are unique, radio mixes ... and THESE are the ones we grew up listening to and enjoying. Come on ... SOMEBODY out there get on this project ... STAT!!!) kk
re: LOST MEMORABILIA AND COLLECTIBLES:
>>>Don't even get me started on comic books!!! I had an AMAZING collection back in the '60's ... including Batman #2. I've told the story before how, when I was about 11 years old, my Dad told me that if I couldn't swallow a pill, he was going to burn all my comic books as punishment. Try as I might, I just couldn't get it down ... and the added pressure didn't help my situation any. After four or five tries, he said, "That's It!" and hauled the whole stack out to the garbage and set them aflame. Several years later, I saw that very same "Batman #2" issue at a collectibles show held at Navy Pier ... priced at $1200!!! Who knew! (kk)
Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. When I was a kid, I couldn't swallow a pill, capsule, etc.
A big piece of steak, yes, but a pill, no. Don't ask me why I couldn't, but I just couldn't.
My parents never gave me a do or die situation like your dad did on your comic books. My mother would take the capsules, split them apart in two, and pour the insides on a spoon which I took with water.
Larry
Larry
I can't believe your dad destroyed your stuff like that! I used to have a bunch of the MECO 8" tall Super Heroes (Batman, Superman, etc.) from the 70's that I played with until they died. Man, I wish I had them now! Hindsight, baby! If everyone had sent me $1 when I made my "Don't Go POND On Me" statement, I'd be in Hawaii with you! Later.
Ed
Well, here's a true heartbreaker for you. I started collecting records when I was 5 or 6 years old (in the 50's), and spent every extra cent of money I had collecting vinyl. Needless to say in the early years of my radio career, the late 70's early '80's, I had well over 10,000 albums and probably that many 45's (all at least as far as I'm concerned, extremely collectable)". Over the next decade those numbers soared!
As you know being a radio dee-jay, you tend to move around quite a bit, and I won't lie, it was a "job" boxing those babies up and moving them every year or two to a different city or cities. Well, to make a long story short I met the "love of my life", P.M. Esther in Reno when I was at KWNZ in '89. From '89 to '94 Esther and I had moved four different times in Reno, always to a bigger house as we continued to accumulate more things.
Getting hired at B96 Chicago to do mornings in '94 was a dream come true. At the time, Esther and I had broken up so I moved to Chicago myself and lived in a nice small house, but later in '95 I got back together with "Esther the Molester" one more time. Well, she wanted to move once again to a bigger house, which I agreed upon and she helped me once again move this mountain of records (complaining all the time). The house we moved to had a basement and I stored all the records down there. I spent much of my time cataloging and alphabetizing all the music and was extremely proud of what I had collected over the years. Many, many of these were personally painstakingly signed by the artist(s).This was everything I ever wanted by every artist I loved, the majority of these albums were still sealed and in pristine condition.
One day I got home from B96 in the afternoon after doing the morning show, and P.M. Esther had a huge smile on her face and said ..."Honey, I did something you'll be happy about today." I asked ... "What's that?" She went on to let me know that I would NEVER EVER have to break my back and move all those records around again, as she and the neighbors took each and every box of them out to the curb and let the Chicago trash guys pick them up!!! WHAT????
I have NEVER hit a woman or ever got physical, nor ever would, but needless to say, I went BALLISTIC! I would seriously say there were somewhere around $150 - $250k worth of irreplaceable vinyl that I'll never have a chance at ever seeing again. Enough of my sad story, anyone else have something similar to share? Damn, I nearly come to tears every time I think about this!
Needless to say, P.M. Esther is nothing more than a BAD memory!
"Wild" Bill Cody
re: TODAY'S FORGOTTEN HIT:
Hey Kent,
What a great “Oh Wow” song choice for today with “How ‘Bout Us”!!
I have not heard that song for many years! Completely forgot about that one.
Thank you,
Eddie Burke,
Orange, CT
