Sunday, December 18, 2011

The Sunday Comments ( 12 - 18 - 11 )


re: PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS:

We had a BLAST at the Paul Revere and the Raiders / Gary Puckett Christmas Show at The Rosemont Theater this weekend.  (Special thanks to Tommy Scheckel for thinking of us!) 

We see a LOT of shows ... and THIS one ... HANDS DOWN ... was the best show we've seen all year!!!  The show is a rapid-fire, precision-timed extravaganza of non-stop laughs ... but don't be misled by that statement for a moment ... these guys are dead serious about their music ... Paul Revere and the Raiders are one of the tightest acts you'll ever see and EVERY song came off as fresh and exciting (despite the fact that you knew they had to rehearse this material from here to eternity in order to get it to sound as well as it does, night after night.)
The guys presented a perfect mix of all the hits ... and a dozen Christmas classics, sung to perfection by lead vocalist Darren Dowler.  (I swear, this guy can sing ANYTHING!!!) 
One of the highlights was Paul Revere taking the main lead on The Drifters' version of "White Christmas" (with Darren coming in on the high falsetto parts) ... it mimicked the record nearly note for note.  In fact ALL of the Christmas music was performed to absolute perfection ... and Paul Revere (who'll turn 74 in about three weeks) has got to be the most energetic 70-year old on the planet ... this guy never stops!!!
I hope some of our readers were able to take in this show.  What a PERFECT way to end the year!!!
(And seriously, guys ... consider this ... it's a pretty well established fact that the original version of Paul Revere and the Raiders recorded one of the WORST Christmas albums in history back in 1967 ... it's practically unlistenable!!!  Take this NEW band ... and I use the term loosely ... three of these guys have been Raiders for over 30 years now!!! ... and record ... and film ... a brand new Christmas CD / DVD and make it available to the fans.  The show we saw Saturday night was pure magic from start to finish!)  kk



The Raiders have done quite a few Christmas shows this year ... not only with Gary Puckett as the opening act but also with Micky Dolenz and Chuck Negron (formerly of The Monkees and Three Dog Night respectively!)  Forgotten Hits Reader Eddie Burke sent us a couple of photos from a recent Chuck Negron / Paul Revere and the Raiders Show (apparently "lifted" from Chuck's Facebook page!!!  Lol)  kk
Hey Kent,
This pic is from Sat. Dec.10 in San Diego. Chuck opened for Paul and the Raiders! 
(***NOTE*** ALL PICS ARE "BORROWED" FROM CHUCK NEGRON ON FACEBOOK!)
Eddie Burke

And this is pretty cool ... it's Chuck Negron's Set List!


re:  THE BEACH BOYS:

Hi Kent,
I live near Mike Love ... it would be fantastic if I were able to get in touch with him and interview him for "Forgotten Hits" and ask all the questions the fans have been wondering, especially about the announcement of a 50th anniversary tour.
All The Best,
Cory Cooper
Elvis Historian, Consultant, Technical Advisor

At various times over the years, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Brian Wilson and Bruce Johnston were ALL supposed to do interviews with Forgotten Hits ... yet not a single solitary one ever materialized.  Would love to talk to each and every one of them and I think they'll be all over the news for a while now.  Time will tell!  But if you can get Mike to agree to it, I'd GLADLY run your interview here in Forgotten Hits!  (kk)




By the way, you can get an autographed copy of Brian Wilson's new "In The Key Of Disney" CD if you visit his website: 

Greetings, Kent ...

It's a bit past midnight (early Sat AM) south of Music City, USA. Like you, and it appears for 'millions' of other fans of The Beach Boys, today has been quite a ride. The long awaited, and equally long rumored, announcement by The Beach Boys that they will "celebrate their 50th Anniversary in 2012" with a tour -- and new recorded music--has been met with an enormous response.

I have been getting e-mails and phone calls throughout the day. It really is wonderful news. But as I read the various posts from throughout the country -- especially in the social media -- the feedback and comments have not been 100% positive. Many are skeptical of 'the boys' ability to perform the hits they loved so well growing up. A few think it's just a case of 'money grabbing.' But the far greater majority are thrilled that Brian, Mike, and Al -- the three surviving members of the group -- along with early member Dave Marks -- and longtime member Bruce Johnston -- will once again grace the concert stage.
As a fan, friend, and former manager of the band, I am thrilled that they've apparently worked out their differences and are reuniting. The fans deserve it and in these often 'doom and gloom' days, it will be nice to journey back to the glorious era of the '60's, when America was the most respected nation on the face of the earth, and the wonderful melodies of Brian and 'the boys' lifted our spirits with songs of 'fun,fun,fun,' 'girls on the beach,' fast cars, and falling in love.
I was truly blessed to be onboard for many of the great moments in the evolution of the group. From those early days of touring -- when kids could see America's Band for $1.75 to $2.25 -- to being in Western Recorders watching a young Brian Wilson, along with engineer Chuck Britz, create the music that has lasted a half century, and -- finally -- to see a young, healthy and optimistic band capture the imagination and love of music craving audiences and record buyers from coast to coast and across the globe.
While I read the comments of hundreds of fans of the group, I could not help but think of Dennis and Carl Wilson -- my two friends and 'brothers-in-spirit -- who must be looking down from a very special vantage point with enormous pride in their 'big brother' and fellow band mates. While I know it will be a great show, I would hope that Brian, Mike, Al, David and Bruce might invite Dennis' son, Carl B., and Carl's son, Justyn -- both great musicians in their own right -- to join the tour during the special 50th Celebration portion of their 2012 schedule.
The idea of once again seeing three Wilson's on stage -- along with the others -- would be a great tribute to Dennis and Carl's legacy. I am looking forward to seeing the group in the New Year. It would be great to join them on stage -- at least once -- so I could say once again: "And now, from Hawthorne, California, to entertain you tonight with a gala concert, the fabulous Beach Boys."
Fred Vail
Treasure Isle Recorders, Inc.
Music City, USA

SMiLE? Reunion Tour? New Album? No law suits?  Who says God doesn't answer prayer?
Phil

PrayForSurf.net 

re:  OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: 

Being one of those guys who had a crush on Olivia Newton-John back in the 70s and having enjoyed many of her charted records, I was looking forward to seeing her last weekend at the Tarrytown Music Hall in Westchester County, NY.  She’s currently doing a small tour of the Northeast and I’m thrilled to report that she doesn’t disappoint.  
Her voice is still pristine.  She can still sing all her hits in the original key.  And although it’s evident her face has had a little help with botox and/or a plastic surgeon, Olivia looks sensational at 63 years-old.  
Olivia charted 28 Billboard Top 40 hits and she delivered a generous helping of them during a two hour set, which included some seasonal flavoring ("Have Yourself a Merry Christmas" and "Xmas on the Radio").  She opened with a cut from her recent “Grace and Gratitude” album and then segued into “Have You Never Been Mellow,” “A Little More Love,” “Sam,” “Xanadu,” “Magic,” and “Suddenly,” with the Cliff Richard duet part handled nicely by her longtime singer-saxophonist Warren Ham.
Three years ago Olivia remarried is now living in Florida with her husband John Easterling.  She doesn’t tour much these days so it was a treat to see her bring her hits back to life, pretty much sticking with the arrangements we heard on the radio:
- Don’t Stop Believing
- Deeper Than the Night
- Physical (the biggest hit of 1981; it was # 1 for an amazing 10 weeks)
- I Honestly Love You (# 1 in 1974 written by Peter Allen and Jeff Barry)
She performed a medley of songs that brought back an era where country crossovers were readily accepted on pop radio:
If Not for You (her first hit and a Bob Dylan cover)
Let Me Be There
Please Mr. Please
Jolene (the Dolly Parton cover) 
Olivia paid tribute to one of her favorite people, John Denver, and gave a touching rendition of “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”  
The portion of the show that brought the audience to its feet is when she grabbed a leather coat and revisited her starring role in the 1978 smash film “Grease.”  Band member Ham assumed the John Travolta role and she danced and belted out “You’re The One That I Want,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Summer Nights,” and “We Got Together.”  She said there’s not a day in her life that someone doesn’t make mention of her role as Sandy and she’s been blessed to have been part of a film that still impacts people over 30 years later.  
- Tom Cuddy
New York, NY
While I've always enjoyed Olivia Newton-John, her earliest country-flavored stuff (other than "If Not For You") never really grabbed me.  But once I saw her come out in the leather outfit in "Grease", I was won over for life!  (lol)  (Yeah, I guess I was crushing, too!)
My daughter was a major ONJ fan from the word go ... and even did a school paper on her career while still in grade school!  It was a real treat to take her to see Olivia in concert a few years back because, as you said, she doesn't tour much anymore.  Then, too, she was in perfect voice, and did an entire jukebox worth of hits that night.
For a short while, Dennis Tufano, former lead singer of The Buckinghams, handled those duets with Olivia on stage.  (We have a couple of videos of them together doing the "Grease" tunes and "Suddenly" from "Xanadu".)  Olivia can also be seen (with her daughter Chloe) front-and-center in that amazing Bee Gees concert video "One Night Only" ... she pops up when The Brothers Gibb perform "Grease", which they wrote for the film.  (A reader wrote in the other day that they just learned this for the very first time about a week ago ... sometimes we take some of this well-circulated information for granted, as new people are discovering this great music every day!)
Thanks for the excellent review, Tom ... now we want to see her again! 
Sadly, this recent mini-tour ended this past weekend.  But Olivia DOES have some late-February / early-March dates scheduled in Australia (and, believe it or not, we've got quite a few readers there, too!)  Sound like Livy is going home for a while!  (kk)

Kent ...
Dan Taylor of WCBS-FM recently talked to Olivia Newton-John.
You can read all about her new CD & new movie here:


Frank B.


re:  OK, THIS ONE YOU JUST GOTTA HEAR!!!:
OK, the mystery has been solved. You will like this. In this YouTube Video George Martin's son shows Randy Bachman the First Chord of A Hard Days Night. Very cool. It's George H. on a 12 string doing one chord. Mac on Bass and Lennon on another guitar with another chord. AND, since you have 2 guitars, you can try it for yourself. ha ha! Or maybe the next time I come over we can see if it sounds correct. Unfortunately my Audio interface which connects all ins and outs to the Mac is on the East Coast, trying to be repaired. So I cannot record anything into the Mac now or I could try it all here.
Anyway , just wanted to share.
This is just SO incredibly cool!!!  You can't help but laugh and smile when you hear it!  (kk)

re:  THE DAVE CLARK FIVE:

Kent,

Great Sunday's Comments as usual. In reading it, my memory was jarred on three items which I saw and or read in the column.

First, in 1966 DJ Ronnie Kaye, who worked for top 40 radio station WKY 930AM at the time, started a local dance show on Saturday afternoons on the NBC television affiliate here in OKC simply called The Scene. Needless to say, his theme song at the beginning and ending of the show was the DC Five's AT THE SCENE.
When I saw Hoyt Axton's name mentioned, it reminded me of his GREENBACK DOLLAR which he wrote I believe. It was a very big record here in OKC. Without checking my surveys, I believed it was a bigger hit here than the Kingston Trio's version. His version came out on Amazon Records and of course I don't know if it made your charts there in Chicago or not.
Finally, when I read the name Fred Darian, it reminded me of his 1961 song JOHNNY WILLOW on JAF Records. For the week of July 20, 1961, the record peaked at number 2 in OKC on our local top 40 radio station survey. I believe the opposite was true nationally. Again, don't have any idea of how it faired in your town.
Larry
Checking Ron Smith's WLS Book, I don't see a listing for "Greenback Dollar" by Hoyt Axton ... but the Fred Darian song went to #14 here locally.  It didn't chart anywhere near that high nationally, stopping at #96 (for all of one week) in Billboard ... and climbing to #79 in Cash Box.  By the way, kudos to Danny Lake, who played "Any Way You Want It" by The Dave Clark Five on his Saturday Night All Request Show.  That's one you NEVER hear on the radio anymore!  (kk)

re:  THE HOLLIES:
Another GREAT review of the GREAT new Hollies DVD "Look Through Any Window" can be found here:  http://rockandrollreport.com/pigshit-they-aint-heavy/
HIGHLY recommended!!!  (kk)

re:  THE ROLLING STONES:
Dear Audio / Visual Friends,
Just a quick virtual notice that Gary Pig Gold's overview of The ROLLING STONES 6 ED SULLIVAN SHOWS and SOME GIRLS LIVE IN TEXAS is now up on the prestigious Rock's BackPages site.
Here is the url for your reading, reprinting, re-posting, quoting from and / or Linking to everyone ... http://www.rocksbackpagesblogs.com/2011/12/pigshit-high-tide-and-fazed-cookies/


re:  THE PBS OLDIES SHOWS:
JUST READ MY SUNDAY MORNING DOSE OF FORGOTTEN HITS AND HAVE A FEW COMMENTS ...
THERE WERE NO ORIGINAL PLAYBOYS PERFORMING WITH GARY LEWIS ... PETER NOONE STILL HAS HIS ORIGINAL HAIR! ... MASON WILLIAMS LOOKS LIKE GEORGE MARTIN NOW ... AND WHY PICK ON THE VARIETY OF SONGS OR PERFORMERS ON THE SHOW? THAT'S WHAT MADE RADIO SO GREAT BACK IN THE SIXTIES, AND THAT SAME TYPE OF VARIETY TRANSCENDS (AND EXCELS) INTO THESE PBS SHOWS ... IF NOT FOR T.J. LUBINSKY, I WONDER IF THESE TYPES OF SHOWS WOULD HAVE EVER SEEN THE LIGHT OF DAY.
LET'S BE THANKFUL ... AND SINCE IT'S SUNDAY, I WANT EVERYONE OUT THERE TO GIVE ME AN AMEN!!!    
MICHAEL G. BUSH
All good points ... we should all be thankful that TJ and PBS bring this type of entertainment because you're absolutely right ... we'd NEVER see it otherwise.  (And TJ does put together an excellent ... if sometimes eclectic mix of music and artists.)  And I agree ... the music mix that came out of our radios in the 1960's was second to none ... ALL types of music coexisted side by side without even the slightest concern that something didn't fit ... it hadn't segregated and fragmented the way it's broadcast today.  (kk)

Kent: 
I enjoyed Wild Bill Cody’s review of the PBS 60s special that is currently airing ... however he mentions that the Kingsmen were the original group. I could be wrong, but I don’t believe that is so.  Jack Ely was the original voice on “Louie Louie” and from the pictures and videos I’ve seen over the years, it wasn’t Jack that was leading the group on PBS.  Plus, there was no mention on PBS that the group they featured included Jack.   Here’s a popular link of Jack singing an a cappella version of “Louie Louie” on his horse farm in Oregon for a documentary on the song. 
-- Tom Cuddy




>>>Grace Slick officially retired a few years ago and said she wouldn't perform ANY of these songs anymore ... she felt that she was just getting too old to do it and wanted to take life easy and relax.  I don't know much about the new girl but she definitely can sing.  I thought she did a GREAT job on both of these Jefferson Airplane classics.  (kk) 

 

CATHY RICHARDSON is JEFFERSON STARSHIP’s newest member, anchoring the historic ‘role’ made famous by GRACE SLICK.   She is an award winning music artist, graphic artist, and clothing designer. Her professional credits include fronting her successful rock band, producing and releasing seven albums on her various indie record labels. She was nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Art Direction of her band's 2003 release, “The Road to Bliss.” “The Road to Bliss” also received two DIY Awards (Do It Yourself in Film, Books and Music) for Album Art of the Year and Producer of the Year. Her latest release, “Delusions of Grandeur,” topped the 2007 DIYs when she won both Album and Producer of the Year. 
Mickey


Hi Kent,
That "unknown woman" in Jefferson Starship was Cathy Richardson, a Chicago native, who has appeared with Jim Peterik many times in his World Stage productions.  I think she does a great job in the Grace Slick persona, and she also played the title role in the Janis Joplin musical, I think in NYC, for a while, and does a great job as Janis.  She also has her own band, the Cathy Richardson Band, and plays around the Chicago area when she's in town. I think we should also encourage supporting PBS if you can; they have been producing some great tv for years.  I just came back from Celtic Thunder in Rosemont, which of course I appreciate, being of Irish descent ... but they're nice to look at anyway!
Marlene

And how cool is THIS?!?!  We just heard from Cathy Richardson herself!

Hi Kent,
Someone posted your blog on my Facebook page today, so I thought I would introduce myself.
I am the "new girl" in Jefferson Starship. I  live in the Chicago area, too, so it's possible you have heard of my band over the years.
I noticed you mentioned the Ides of March on your blog, I am a good friend of Jim Peterik, who co produced my first record in 1993 and my band opened many Ides shows back then.  I also perform fairly regularly at Jim's World Stage events.
Here are some links with a little more background info on me.  I've released several solo and Cathy Richardson Band albums and have a new group called the Macrodots and we have been playing around Chicago quite a bit this year.
Thanks and all the best,
Cath xo
http://www.reverbnation.com/cathyrichardson
http://www.crband.com
http://www.themacrodots.com
http://www.facebook.com/cathyrichardson
http://www.youtube.com/cathyrichardson


And, speaking of The Ides Of March ...

re:  THE IDES OF MARCH:
Fans have been asking about the recent departure of Chuck Soumar from the band.  A long-time member and, (perhaps next to Jim Peterik), the most recognized figure in the band, word is he's left the group.  Nobody from The Ides is stating anything on the record ... but apparently it's true ... I finally got this statement / non-statement from Scott May:
Dear Kent:
We have not made an official statement. Mr. Soumar resigned from the band to pursue other interests.  The new Ides Trumpet player is Tim Bales.
Thanks much
Peace,
Scott R. May

re:  ON THE RADIO:
Kent ...
Now listening to Wild Wayne's Memory Machine.  He's re-playing Barbara Orbison interview, from September  2009.
Kenny Vance co-hosted Dan Romanello's R&B Revue. He brought some records from his personal collection to play. Told this story about appearing in Las Vegas last week. In the audience was Louis Lymon and Wally Roker (members of the Heartbeats).  They joined him onstage for the finale.
Frank B.

Hey KK;
Earlier tonight the 4th Anniversary edition of The FLip Side Radio Show aired here in Nashville and on the web.  I sent you a divshare link on a separate email, in case you want to take a listen.  I gave Forgotten Hits a plug, and also played a "First 45" story from one of my listeners.  The song he mentioned was "Blinded Me With Science," and I must have misplaced the actual song because wasn't there when I needed it!  LOL
Hope you are doing well, and keep up the good work.
Mr. C
Congratulations on your four years ... and thanks for the plug!  Will listen to the program this weekend!  (kk)

re:  JOHNNY HOLLIDAY ... AND 
OTHER SPECIAL RADIO MEMORIES:

Kent,

I had no interest in listening to the radio until June of 1965, at which point it became one of the most important things in my life, but Johnny Holliday was gone from Cleveland by then.

In terms of Cleveland radio, at the time, we had KYW 1100 (soon to change to WKYC 1100), and WHK 1420.  WKYC seemed a bit hipper to me than WHK at the time ... their DJs seemed to have a bit more personality, and their weekly surveys, which I immediately started to collect, looked more professional and more interesting, even though WHK had a Top 40 compared to the WKYC Top 22.  In late 1965, WIXY 1260 started playing rock music, with a weekly Top 60 which seemed very cool.  I used to make a point to listen to their Top 60 countdowns on Friday nights to find out about the new songs making their debut at the bottom of the survey.  By late 1967, WHK had definitely fallen behind WKYC and WIXY, and they decided to drop rock music.  In addition, CKLW 800 out of Windsor came in very clearly, and was probably my favorite station.  They played some songs that the Cleveland stations did not, probably in many cases because they were by Canadian artists.
One thing I remember from around 1966 is that each of the stations had their five minute news breaks at different times.  WKYC was on the hour and at half past, WHK was at 5 minutes till the hour and 25 after, CKLW was at 20 after and 20 till the hour, and WIXY barely had any news at all.  This was important to me because when I rode in the car with my father, he let me control the radio, and with the eclectic playlists of the time, there were always a few songs I hated, so I was constantly pushing the button to switch between stations.  My father was a news junkie, and he would let me listen to music, but if any of the news programs came on, we had to listen to it.  So if I wasn't paying attention, we might end up hearing the same five minute news headlines up to six times in an hour, but if I kept an eye on the clock and switched stations accordingly, we could get through an hour with nothing but music.
Doug
Lol ... I LOVE it!!! We were ALWAYS trying to outsmart the parents, weren't we?!?!  (kk)


Hi Kent,

I have happy childhood memories of Johnny Holliday, "Emperor" Joe Mayer, Bob "Your Boy" Friend (with whom I later actually worked at WAKR / Akron in the 80s) and all of the other WHK "Good Guys". The miraculous Beatle music (every other record it seemed) laced with delightful singing jingles: "Color Channel 14 Cleveland Radio!!!" and grown men talking as fast as a 7 year old hopped up on Cap'n Crunch. It was a soul changing kind of thing. It was like, wow, that's how good life can be. Let's go for that.
Cleveland, traditionally, was a place where a super talented radio guys stopped in for a cup of coffee, one step away from the Big Time a la Alan Freed, Don Imus, Jack Armstong, Mad Daddy, Fred Winston, Norm N. Nite, Gary Dee, Jerry G. Bishop, etc.  I want to say Johnny Holliday went to Washington next. 

(Actually, it was New York ... then San Francisco ... Washington came later.  - kk) 
As for the Joe Eszterhas movie, I wasn't sure exactly who that was based upon. All the local references made me smile, and so do you, Kent.
Jim Shea
While described by most as somewhat controversial, Joe Eszterhas has a couple of pop culture classic films to his credit ... including two of MY all-time favorites, "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls".  (That being said, I have to admit to being quite disappointed that there was no gratuitous sex and nudity in the "Telling Lies In America" film!  lol)  kk
 

re:  ALIOTTA, HAYNES AND JEREMIAH:
>>>On Monday, we lost John Jeremiah of Aliotta, Haynes and Jeremiah, local heroes thanks to their classic rock staple "Lake Shore Drive".  Although the band was originally formed in West Allis, Wisconsin, they kind of adopted Chicago as home in the early '70's.  (kk)
Hi Kent, 
What is the source of the info that Aliotta, Haynes and Jeremiah originally formed in West Allis? This is the 1st time I've heard that. In my 18 yrs of WI music research so far, no one has ever mentioned them.
Gary E. Myers / MusicGem
http://www.music-gem.com/index.html
Quite honestly, I had never heard this before either ... I always thought they were Chicago based.  But I found the West Allis connection on both of these sites and just figured there must be an earlier part to their story than I was familiar with:




At least one of these sites credits a "Lake Shore Drive" in Wisconsin as being the inspiration for their most famous song ... but I knew THAT wasn't right.  The classic line "from rats on up to riches" clearly describes the drive down Lake Shore Drive from some of the least fortunate neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago on up through some of the ritziest, most EXPENSIVE neighborhoods in the entire city ... right past the Gold Coast.
So rather than guess, I simply asked Skip Haynes ... who quickly dispelled the rumor!
Hi Kent,
The band formed in Old Town in Chicago above the Earl of Old Town at North and Wells in 1970. None of us are from Wisconsin. The original band was called Aliotta Haynes Music and was comprised of myself, Mitch Aliotta and his brother Ted Aliotta. Ted was asked to leave the group at the end of 1970 and was replaced by John Jeremiah who had been a bandmate of Mitch Aliotta in the Rotary Connection.
"Rats on up to riches" refers to driving from the poorer sections on the southside to the more affluent northside. The song is about a Friday night  cruise from the clubs on State street (Beaver's to be exact) shooting the loop at Foster and returning to Beaver's just in time for the second show to begin. I can give you a more detailed description of the meaning of the lyrics if you'd like but that is the gist of it. Drugs (not LSD) were involved.
FYI, we are putting on an Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah reunion benefit concert in April to benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository called (strangely enough re your question) the "Rats On Up To Riches Greater Chicago Food Depository Benefit Tour". It will be comprised of three concerts beginning on the south side and ending on the northside. Jeremiah will be a part of the shows.
We are also donating $2.00 to $5.00 from the sales of albums and personalized versions of Lake Shore Drive to the Greater Chicago Food Depository in Jeremiah's name at our website http://www.lakeshoredrivemusic.com
If there is anything else please let me know.
Thanks and all the best
Skip Haynes
Thanks, Skip.  How about that ... Wikipedia is wrong ... again!!!
Glad we could officially set the record straight ... again!!!  (kk)
Thanks very much for checking, Kent. I couldn't imagine that all 3 could have been from there without someone mentioning it over the past 18 yrs!  <g>
gem
Watch for the complete story behind the song "Lake Shore Drive" ... coming soon to Forgotten Hits, courtesy of Skip Haynes!!!  (kk)

re:  GOD BLESS AMERICA:
FH fan Bob Greene's article about Irving Berlin is most interesting, and, as usual, quite well done.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/11/opinion/greene-berlin/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
David Lewis

The story behind "God Bless America" (and how Kate Smith came to perform it on The CBS Radio Network in 1938 has been circulating for several months now ... but leave it to Bob Greene to turn it into a remarkable tribute to the song's author, Irving Berlin ... and right at the heart of the holiday season when Berlin's "White Christmas" is playing on the radio virtually non-stop!  WTG, Bob!  (kk)


re:  THIS AND THAT:
Barbara Feldon looks fantastic as ever with Monkee Micky ...
RIP, Dobie Gray, it was especially fun "raving" to Out On The Floor (1965-66) which ranks in the top 10 Northern Soul ravers of all time.
Does anyone have a recording of Roy Orbison singing the title theme from the film "Zig Zag"
(1970) with George Kennedy and Eli Wallach??  I saw the first half of the movie on Turner Classic last week but had to leave.  The flick is moderately suspenseful and intriguing, but I noticed in the opening credits Roy Orbison (apparently) sings the song, presumably at the end.  I'd love to hear that, it's probably pretty rare -- but if anyone has it -- Thanks!!!
Blub
I was always a big Barbara Feldon fan, too.  Funny 'cause just a week or two ago we ran that clip with her and The Electric Prunes on The Mike Douglas Show ... and now here she is with Micky Dolenz!!!  (kk)

 

Remember THIS ad campaign???


And, here's your Roy Orbison tune!!!





"Dirty Water" is one of my all-time favorites!!! And, someone blessed me and did a retro-mix to STEREO, and it's a killer!!!
Too cool lyrics, too! :)
JJ

Kent: 
Love your blog.  I'm a Chicago-based writer as well.  I blog on a number of things, but occasionally pop culture.  I have a couple of blogs posted on 60's vintage songs, one of which might me appropriate for the season.  Thought you'd want to read it.
It's here:  http://mcantil.com/song-of-the-day-bill-pursells-our-winter-love/Keep up the great work.
Thnx, and Merry Christmas.
M.C. Antil
Chicago, IL
"Our Winter Love" is a GREAT Forgotten Hit ... and definitely a list favorite ... I remember several readers voting for this one when we ran our recent "All-Time Favorite Instrumentals" Poll.  (And it makes for a GREAT tie-in to our "Twelve Days Of Christmas" feature currently running on the site!)  Happy to plug your site, M.C. ... and be sure to check in with us from time to time!  (kk)


Thanks, Kent.  I also have Song of the Day posts up there on a few other 'forgotten hits', including one I particularly like on "Only in America."
I hope you have a great holiday season, and as I said before, keep up the great work!
M.C. Antil


FH Regular Frank B sent us this AWESOME clip of our FH Buddy Freddy Cannon performing on "Solid Gold" with The Belmonts ... and then, on a medley of his own hits, with co-hosts Marilyn McCoo and Andy Gibb.  GREAT clip!  (kk)
re:  NEW RELEASES:

In November, 1990, Jonathan (Sunshine) Edwards and Henry (The Outlaws) Paul came to my house in Nashville to spend a few days singing, playing guitar and telling bad jokes! Singing together was so much fun we decided to spend the evenings recording what we rehearsed that day. 

Taking the name of legendary entertainer Ben Vereen "The Vereens" were born ... and left in the drawer. Over the years we talked about going into the studio and finishing the project as we had no backing tracks other than our guitars and Jon's harmonica but never got around to it. 

After listening to the original rough mixes with fresh ears, we felt the best way to present them was to leave them unaltered, exactly as they were and let our voices and the spirit of the sessions carry the day.These raw, unpolished tapes have a warmth and charm whose time, in my opinion had finally come!
So here it is ... just in time for the holidays ... Edwards, Gross and Paul - "The Vereens"
Listen to tracks at  henry@henrygross.com
The Vereens CD available at henry@henrygross.com
Download MP3's at Henry's Facebook MusicStore or CD Baby 

re:  THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME:
Got this from a few readers this week.
While everybody debates the who, what and why of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (and we ALL do!!!), I'm also happy to report that The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame is currently tabulating THEIR votes for next year's inductees ... and we'll have the winners soon in Forgotten Hits!  (kk)
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/12/wheres-the-rock/#.TufH2PnF6NI.email


re:  BUDDY HOLLY:
Kent ...
Buddy's vision was 20 / 800.  He couldn't read the top line of the eye chart!
Here's MORE about Buddy's glasses:
By the way, here's the best story from the PBS Buddy Holly Special.
1958 = Buddy Holly met Maria Elana Santiago.  She was a secretary at music label Buddy was visiting.  He asked her to go to dinner. She said yes. They went to P.J. Clarks in New York City. First date.  Buddy proposes to Maria. She says yes. He writes "No True Love Ways".  A wedding present for his bride. Isn't love grand ?
Frank B.
 
re:  DION:
Kent ...
Check out this new song from Dion's new CD, "I Read It In The Rolling Stone".
Frank B.
I got a link for this the other day, too ... and was going to run it this weekend ... but when I saw that you FINALLY visited another site other than WCBS-FM, I figured I'd give you all the glory!!!  Thanks, Frank!  (kk)
 
Click to listen to Dion's 'I Read It (In the Rolling Stone)
Dion will be releasing his new album, Tank Full of Blues, January 24th on Blue Horizon. The album is the third installment of a trilogy that began in 2006 with Bronx in Blue. It features "I Read It (In the Rolling Stone)," which Dion's musical tribute to . . . us. 
"This song is my tribute to Rolling Stone for its commitment to good writing about good music - for a good long time," Dion says of the bluesy number. "Some of us are still readers in this world, believe it or not, and we're grateful for good material. This is how a songwriter says thanks. It also includes a nod to my friend, Robert Plant.  Listen up!" 
Rolling Stone is exclusively premiering Dion's latest track, "I Read It (In the Rolling Stone)" in advance of Tank Full of Blues' January 24th release. 
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/exclusive-premiere-dions-bluesy-i-read-it-in-the-rolling-stone-20111213#ixzz1gSrWPMzG


re:  RIP OFFS?:
Kent:
Thanx for printing a lot of my thoughts, especially those of Wolfgang's Vault.
KK, the column is just incredible, and gets better every week. I mean seriously, have you looked at some of the very first entries of "FH"? Compared to what you're doing now? The incredible thing is the audience you now have and the input you get from them. Hats off to you, my friend, and, talking about hats, when you one day assume room temperature, you can hang you hat on "FORGOTTEN HITS".
God bless you brother!
Wild Bill

re:  TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COMMENTS:
Here's a list of 11 Christmas Songs That Never Really Took Off:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/110032I was going to include "Back Door Santa" on my list.
-- Ron Smith
 

Kent -
Merry Christmas From Way Out There!
New CD coming In the spring on Gonzo Multimedia
Merrell Fankhauser
 
>>>We'll also feature one of MY personal favorites, "I Lose It When I Hear 'White Christmas'", a song written by our FH Buddy Artie Wayne and Toni Wine ... and sung by Tony Orlando.  (Now HERE'S a song that radio ought to be playing ... they don't come much finer than this one!)  kk
I saw Tony in concert last week and he sang this and mentioned it was written by Artie and Toni. What a beautiful song!  
Eileen
 
LOTS more great Christmas tunes coming up next week as we wrap up this year's edition of The Twelve Days Of Christmas ... be sure to check back often!  (kk)


re:  TODAY'S FORGOTTEN HIT: 
Hey, Kent,
Great choice for the hit of the day! I haven’t heard Tower of Strength in ages and had indeed forgotten about it.  What a cool vocal by Gene McDaniel!!!
Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Eddie Burke,
Orange, CT


Kent,
You are absolutely right about Tuesday's FH sounding a lot like a song you normally would hear on New Year's Eve. However, I did notice that when you alluded to the fact that the G-Clefs had another top 40 hit three years previously, you did not name the title of the song.
To be honest with you Kent, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND how you could make a mistake like that.
Larry
Ooops ... my bad.  That would have been their version of "Ka-Ding-Dong" and, while certainly not the definitive version of this tune, it shared the #17 position in Cash Box Magazine back in the day where the song title was the key ... multiple versions of the same song would all chart together, rather than singling out any one particular version (unless it suddenly broke away from the rest of the pack to become the obvious hit version.)  It went to #24 on Billboard's Best Seller Chart, too ... but stopped at #53 on their Top 100 Singles Chart.  (kk)


Kent ...
I think this might be a first for Forgotten Hits.
Have you ever featured a song by George Burns before?
Frank B.
Believe it or not, yes, we have ... and it was THIS one!!!  (lol)  George Burns actually had a minor hit record with "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again" in 1980.  (It climbed to #49 in a ten-week chart run in Billboard.  It fared even better on their Country Singles Chart, where it peaked at #15.  Burns was 84 years old when this record rode the charts!  (kk)

The Freddie and the Dreamers version of "I Understand" still gets a fair amount of airplay.  Haven't heard the G-Clefs do it in a long time. Thanks for featuring it today.
David Lewis
We don't hear ANY Freddie and the Dreamers music here in Chicago anymore ... and that includes his #1 Single "I'm Telling You Now" ... which CERTAINLY ought to be played once in a while.  The first version of "I Understand" I ever heard was the one by Freddie and the Dreamers ... their take went to #36 in 1965.  (I believe Herman's Hermits cut this one, too.)    I liked ALL of their hits ... "Do The Freddie" (corny as it is!), "You Were Made For Me" and "A Little You" were always near my turntable back then.  Honestly, I don't think the G-Clefs' version has aged very well ... in fact, it sounds downright ancient!!!  But it WAS a clever idea to weave this "so familiar" melody into something else.  (kk)

Kent,
Another excellent choice for the FH of the day. One of my favorite songs from Ferrante and Teicher is their recording of EXODUS. Incidentally, they had an earlier song called LOVER'S SYMPHONY which made it to number one here in OKC for the week of Jan. 14,1960. Number two for that week, HANDY MAN. LOVER'S SYMPHONY (U.A.) never charted nationally. Again, don't know if it made it on your charts or not.
Larry
"Exodus" reached #1 here in Chicago.  I don't show "Lover's Symphony" charting but prior to their first big national hit, "Theme From 'The Apartment'", Ferrante and Teicher reached #33 with something called "Dream Concerto".  (kk)

Hello Kent:
A couple of song suggestions for your Forgotten Oldies of the week.
"Music To Watch Girls By", either the instrumental by Bob Crewe or the version by Andy Williams.  Both if I remember correctly had a good run in the early 60's.
And a couple of big hits at least in the upper Midwest:
"Harlem Shuffle", the version by The Fabulous Flippers and "Pain" by Michaels Mystics.  Both big hits.
Hope to hear them all soon, especially on the True Oldies Channel.
Thanks!  
Pete Heger
"Music To Watch Girls By" is a good choice ... you never hear that one anymore.  The other two???  Not so much "forgotten hits" as "never were" hits ... not quite sure how those would go over!!! (lol) But hey, who knows ... maybe Scott Shannon will feature them in one of his "regional hits" segments!  (kk)



Kent,
Another good choice for Friday's FH by James Darren. Probably the reason you chose it was because your CONSCIENCE told you to do it.
Larry


Cheers ... and keep up the good work!

Brian
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