This weekend, Forgotten Hits celebrates its TWELFTH ANNIVERSARY!!!
That's right ... Forgotten Hits was first launched (as an emailed newsletter to 35 original subscribers!!!) over Thanksgiving Weekend, 1999! (Guess you could say we've grown a little since then!!!)
It remained an email-only publication until about 3 1/2 years ago when we launched our two websites.
Since then, about a million and a half folks have stopped by to check out what we're doing ... and word of mouth has stayed consistently good over time. (Every once in a while we even surprise ourselves ... our recent Salute to The Ed Sullivan Show played to rave reviews for three weeks and inspired memories from several artists who appeared on the program back in the day.)
We've also helped THOUSANDS of readers solve their own "musical mysteries" over the years with our popular HELPING OUT OUR READERS feature. (In fact, you'll find a couple of those coming up next week in Forgotten Hits!)
Anyway, we just wanted to say "Thank You" again for all of you who've stuck with us ... and told others about what we do here. It's ALL about the music ... and Keeping Yesterday Alive ... but we couldn't do it without your help and support ... so please join us in celebrating as we launch our 13th Year of Forgotten Hits ... by featuring again the very first Forgotten Hit we ever ran:
SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME by MAX FROST AND THE TROOPERS
HAPPY
THANKSGIVING to all our Forgotten Hits Readers.
Some
radio bits and pieces ... and a Thanksgiving Day
classic.
(Now I
gotta go watch "Planes And Trains And Automobiles"!!!
lol)
re: THANKSGIVING ON THE RADIO:
Kent
...
Thanksgiving Weekend on WCBS-FM: A to Z, #1 Countdown.
In
previous years, they played their entire Music Library from A to Z.
This
year, only the #1 Hits. Sounds good to me. I think I'll listen to this station
for a change! LoL!!
Actually, it starts tomorrow (Monday Morning) at 9 AM on the Dan
Taylor Show.
This
sounds more to me like a week long countdown instead of a weekend
countdown. Frank B.
We've been kicking around a couple of A to Z ideas of our own
lately ... stay tuned! (kk)
Morning, Kent!
The
countdown just started with "ABC" by the Jackson 5 followed by "Abracadabra" by
the Steve Miller Band. If you send me your phone number, I can check in with
hourly updates. LoL!! Frank B.
Leaving the "A's" with "Arthur's Theme." Entering the "B's" with
"Babe ."
By the
way, they just played "Angie" by the Rolling Stones. Next came "Angie Baby" by
Helen Reddy. DJ Bob Shannon said that "Angie" was the inspiration for Alan
O'Day to write "Angie Baby" a year later. Do you know if that's true? Maybe we
can ask Alan.
Frank
B.
I love
it when deejays tell the stories behind the songs ... but sometimes they're not
always quite accurate ... so I DID ask Alan ... here's what he had to
say:
Frank
& Kent, To be slightly anal, the song did not inspire me, but yes, the
name felt perfect for my strange little heroine!
Thanks,
Alan
Kent
...
Day 2
- WCBS-FM A-Z #1 Countdown:
H
= He's A Rebel, He's So Fine, Hey Baby, Hey Jude, Hey Paula, (Hey Won't You
Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.
In
addition to the countdown, they're also taking bids and donations for the Harry
Chapin
"Hungerthon." Good music + Good Cause.
Now they're playing "Kansas City." Entering the pucker-up portion of the WCBS-FM Countdown: "Kiss And Say Goodbye" - "Kiss On My List" - "Kiss You All Over."
Here's a complete list of what's
been played so far. http://wcbsfm.radio.com/2011/11/22/cbs-fms-a-to-z-number-1s-countdown/
We start Day 3 with the P's = Photograph, Physical, Pick Up The
Pieces, Play That Funky Music. Hey Kent,
I found a mistake. The WCBS-FM web site lists "At The Hop" as the last "A" song. I was listening - the last "A" song they played was "Arthur's Theme." I feel they owe me a future play of "At The Hop." Do you think I sometimes take these things too
seriously ? LOL !! Frank B. Heck no ... I'd make 'em play it, too!!! "At The Hop" topped Billboard's Top 100 Singles Chart for seven weeks beginning back in January of 1958 ... how the heck do you overlook THAT one?!?!? (kk)
And here's some VINTAGE Thanksgiving Radio, too ... courtesy of FH Reader Clark Besch:
Here's the first of two Thanksgiving Day aircheck
blasts from Chicago radio past. Both feature "fill in" Dj's (in a way), one
from 80's WLS and one from 60's WCFL. Neither have been on other sites, to my
knowledge.
First, a Thanksgiving Day in probably 85 or 86, I
believe (I have the info somewhere, but not with my tape, of course!), featuring
Larry Lujack spending some extra airtime into Steve Dahl's (and Garry Meier)
Thanksgiving Day program. Do you remember the hostilities between Steve and
Larry on WLS back then? Grab a turkey leg and listen up and
remember!
Clark Besch
Most definitely NOT radio's finest hour, to be sure. I was listening live when all this happened and it's something you never forget. Historical ... shocking ... amazing ... all of the above ... but SO sad to see two of radio's greatest icons resort to this behavior. (kk)
Here's
a nice aircheck from Thanksgiving Day 1967 on Chicago's WCFL to make the Turkey
day more festive for FH readers who remember the great days of Chicago WLS /
WCFL radio war years.
It's
the Jim Stagg afternoon show, but with "King B" Ron Britain substituting and
making way for more nighttime comedy antics than the suave and smooth afternoon
Stagg presentation normally had. You will hear NFL scores (MY fave Oakland
Raiders beating up on KC while heading for the 2nd ever Superbowl), the usual
November Chicago 40 degree weather, the ever exciting Blore jingles blasting out
the action of a new show starting as Dick Williamson exits midday, music from FH
faves Tony Hatch and Tommy James, all the King B drop-ins and craziness, the
daily Stagg Line where listeners voted for their fave hits of that day (the
final best five in votes to be played two hours later). Ron's creativeness
presents pictures of a backup staff of Stagg and Britain mixed crew that is fun
to picture in the mind. There's a fun commercial done by the Dick Orkin
creative gang (Jim Runyon also) that would go on to great success long after CFL
was gone with his Dick and Bert ad agency in LA. CFL birthday contest and "The
Great Debate" featuring fathers commenting on each side of two somewhat sappy
serious spoken word 45s of the day: Victor Lundberg's hit "Open Letter To My
Teenage Son" and the non-hit rebuttal from Buddah records' Every Father's
Teenage Son's (that's the artist listed on the label) titled "A Letter to Dad."
Then, finally, a Chris Montez-like (seems like Montez music was on CFL ALL the
time) Sony commercial that sounds like it could have been sang by Buckinghams'
"Kind of a Drag" vocalist, Dennis Tufano!
Hope
you enjoy this slice of Pumpkin Pie from the Past!!
Clark
Besch
re: SOME RADIO NEWS WE MISSED
(DURING OUR ED SULLIVAN MARATHON):
Robert Feder called it "Radio's
Worst Week Ever" when reporting on all the lay-offs and dismissals of late.
What does it all mean? Where does it all end? As we've covered so many times
in the past here in Forgotten Hits, radio as we knew it ... radio as we loved it
... just doesn't seem to exist anymore. There is SO much great talent out of
work and off the air these days ... yet terrestrial radio seems content to just
ramble on with little regard for substance and / or entertainment
value. Here's how Robert Feder
described it: A lot of good
people lost their jobs at radio stations all over the country this
week. In most cases, it didn’t matter whether they were talented and
capable or whether their stations were successful and profitable. They were
fired because the huge companies they worked for didn’t want to pay their
salaries anymore. Dozens of program directors were among those who
suddenly found themselves unemployed and unlikely to find new jobs commensurate
with their skills and experience. I know two of them personally, and consider
both to have been among the best in the business. Michael LaCrosse, who
until Tuesday was operations director of oldies WLS-FM (94.7), told me that he
considered himself “really lucky” to have worked at a couple of great stations
in his home town — even if his layoff by Cumulus Media means the end of his
career here. “Most people aren’t that fortunate,” he said without
bitterness. Mark Edwards, another old friend from his days as vice
president of programming at adult contemporary WLIT-FM (93.9), was forced out in
a “cost restructuring” Thursday as program director of Entercom Communications’
KZPT-FM in Kansas City. “Everyone says it was not performance,” he told me. “I
was just the only PD in the building not holding down an air shift or
programming more than one station.” Clear Channel Radio won’t say how
many employees it laid off in small and medium markets Wednesday, but industry
websites estimated they were in the hundreds. One of the sites, Joel Denver’s
AllAccess.com, carried
running tallies of the victims’ names as waves of firings were carried out from
coast to coast. Even Inside
Radio, the daily newsletter wholly
owned by Clear Channel, couldn’t sugarcoat the facts: “The downsizing appears to
be [Clear Channel’s] largest since it reduced the workforce by a combined 11
percent in 2009,” the publication reported Thursday. “The new dismissals hit
program directors, assistant program directors, music directors, producers and
air talent, including ones that were voicetracking shows for other stations.
Some were even the top talent in their timeslot on a top-ranked
station.” Unlike the layoffs at Cumulus and Entercom, Clear Channel
insisted that its actions this week were not about cutting costs. “We’re making
these changes to improve the quality of what we provide to each of our local
communities,” a company spokesperson told Inside Radio. “There will be more
localization, not less.” Imagine that. Amid the carnage, some inspiring
stories of integrity emerged. John Laton, an 11-year veteran of Clear Channel
who most recently had been vice president/market manager for the Quad Cities,
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, quit rather than implement firings he believed to be
undeserved and counterproductive. “I just said, ‘Enough already,’ ” Laton told
Duane Dudek of the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel.Within days, Laton
was snatched up as Milwaukee market manager for Spanish-language Adelante Media
Group. “I actually get to go to work every day and use my best judgment,” Laton
said of his new job. “My input will not only be respected, but as importantly,
expected in this company’s culture. For the first time in a very long time, I
will be in control of my own destiny.” We reported about
the dismissal of Michael LaCrosse last week. Sounds like he went out as a class
act ... here's a report from Chicago Radio and Media: Michael La Crosse
wrote on his Facebook page a short while ago: "Thanks to everyone at 94.7 WLS.
It was a great experience and I'm happy to have had the chance to work with
you." He also sent out a classy, warm, and encouraging email to all of his
now-former co-workers at the station today. The email
read: "I wanted to take
a quick moment to thank each of you for helping making the last five years at
94.7 WLS so meaningful. When I arrived in late 2006, the station was in a
much different state than it is today. Through a lot of hard work, tough
choices, and dedication to the product that the listeners wanted to hear and
that clients wanted to be a part of, we’ve taken the station to new levels from
both a ratings and revenue standpoint. I have no doubt that the work you’ve all
done in laying the strong foundation that 94.7 WLS now has will be used to see
continued success in the future. I can't thank you enough for all the
effort and hard work you've put in. It has been a true privilege to work with
you. We may not have always seen eye to eye on what to do or how to do it, but
in the end we put together a station that I am beyond honored to have been a
part of. As I have now reached the end of the line at 94.7 WLS, I ask one
thing from you: remind yourself every day of how much fun radio can be. You're a
part of something that brings happiness to millions of listeners every week
simply by playing songs that make people want to turn it up and feel good. No
matter how bad someone's day is, when people are listening to the radio and they
hear one of their favorite songs, it can make all the difference. You get to be
a part of that every single day. Don't forget how lucky you are to be a part of
something so significant. I don't know what's next for me, but I know
that my time and experiences with everyone at 94.7 WLS will benefit me wherever
I go. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with such amazing
co-workers and friends."
>>>I listen to Scott Shannon on the TOC and
hear him speak of you frequently :-) .
Thanks for all that you do to keep our
Memories alive.
Always TCB'ing in Huntsville,
AL
(Jennie Carpenter) And suddenly TOC is gone from Huntsville. Enter John
Tesh.
David
Lewis
From Chicago Radio and
Media:
NOVEMBER 7th: A true Chicago radio legend, John
Records Landecker, has returned to his roots, playing the hits of the 60s and
70s. Unfortunately, it is not on a downtown Chicago radio station, but close --
and it can still be heard in Chicago.
Landecker has been doing an afternoon talk show format
on WIMS-AM in nearby Michigan City, IN since the Fall of 2007 (with the
exception of two weeks in 2009). As of today, his show has shifted to music, and
the talk personality now is gracefully segueing back to being a fun DJ. By all
accounts, this is not a one-time stunt, but is indeed the new format for the
WIMS-AM afternoon show, with JRL having a blast playing music for
fans.
In addition to playing a lot of rarely heard music on
the air today, John Landecker joked about the "just like riding a bike" cliche
and had fun with listeners on Facebook while on the air. On Facebook he said
"It's WLS MusicRadio all over again!" and joking that he has "DJ DNA." John
Landecker can now be heard spinnin' the oldies from 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Monday -
Friday on WIMS-AM 1420. The 5,000 watt radio station can be heard clearly in the
southern sections of Chicago, the south suburbs and well into northwestern
Indiana. Depending on radio antenna strength, weather and other factors, the
station can sometimes be picked up into the northwestern suburbs. For those out
of the radio range, the best way to hear the station is online on WIMSRadio.com.Why WIMS-AM? Well, one reason is that
Landecker lives in Michigan City, IN, making his commute to work much more
enjoyable than a commute to downtown Chicago. Even though he began his career
in his native Michigan (Ann Arbor & Lansing) and also worked at a station in
Philadelphia, it was when John Records Landecker began at WLS-AM in Chicago in
1972 that his career took off to new heights. With WLS' powerful signal reaching
over much of the United States and into Canada, Landecker -- using his
anti-authority attitude, dry sense of humor and incredible interaction with
callers -- made him one of the most popular and influential DJs of the 1970s.
His "Boogie Check" bits, done near the end of shift at night, where he would
rapidly take unscreened call after unscreened call, answering questions and
playing around with the callers, became must-hear "appointment radio." To this
day, "Boogie Check" is brought up constantly to Landecker. (There are no plans
on bringing the bit back at this time.) Outside of short times away on
Toronto & Cleveland radio stations, Chicago radio has been his home for most
of his stellar career. In addition to his famous years at WLS-AM, John
Records Landecker has also worked at
WLUP-FM, WAGO-FM, WCKG-FM, WJMK-FM, WZZN-FM, WGN-AM and
a return stint on
WLS-AM, but this time as a talk show host. While the
return to being a weekday DJ is new as of today, John Landecker never truly left
being a music DJ. He has been hosting a syndicated show entitled "Into the
Seventies" for over four years for the TKO Radio Network. The show can currently
be heard locally on WLS-FM on Sunday nights from 7:00pm-Midnight. And yes,
Records truly is his middle name.
We covered this in our new "kk's corner" segment ... but felt that it bared repeating ...
Congratulations to our radio buddy Dick Biondi ... and everyone else who made this exclusive list! (kk)
Dick Biondi Tops Your List of 60's DJ's The votes have been tallied and the results are in. Radio Ink
readers - and perhaps a handful of Biondi listeners - believe Dick Biondi was
the greatest DJ of the 1960's. Biondi was followed by Cousin Brucie, The Real
Don Steele, Larry Lujack and Dan Ingram in the top five. Biondi had our poll
listed on his website (he's still on the air in Chicago) and that generated some
additional votes for our unscientific poll.
Our thanks to everyone who took the time to vote and post comments
about their 1960's radio memories (HERE)
and to Lee Abrams of putting together the list. he took a lot of heat for names
readers believed were left off and we appreciate that we didn't have to take
that heat. Here is how your votes landed the top ten jocks...
#1 Dick Biondi #2 Cousin Brucie #3 The
Real Don Steele #4 Larry Lujack #5 Dan Ingram #6 Art Roberts #7 Rick
Shaw #8 Jack Gayle #9 Jack Armstrong #10 Dr. Don Rose
Sometimes you find something great while looking for
something else. I listen to Tom Diehl's Real Deal on Wednesdays when it's
on. Yesterday, to make sure I didn't miss it, I tuned in to Top Shelf Oldies
early in the afternoon. I was surprised to find that Top Shelf oldies
apparently has music 24/7 now. They have this DJ named Otto Mation. He doesn't
talk much, but he kept the music playing till the show started. I found
something else. At 1 pm our time on Wednesday, they have a show called "Home
Town Countdown" in which Rick Lewis plays the entire survey for this day in
history from a local radio station. This time the choice was Hartford, CT,
1962. It was much like Real Oldies countdown, except that instead of try to
cram 20 songs into an hour, he played the entire 60 song survey over four hours,
including both sides of two sided hits, alternate versions of hits and extras
from the day. This is the type of thing WLS-FM or Y103.9 ought to do for
Chicago.
Ed
Love those vintage countdown shows ... XM60's used to
do a GREAT one with Terry "Motormouth" Young. There IS a place for a show like this in Chicago
... the best Sunday line-up I can remember was listening to Bob Stroud's Rock
And Roll Roots from 9 am till Noon ... and then switching over to Ron Smith's
Chicagoland Countdown on Real Oldies. Our Chicagoland Top 40 Charts have a
built in audience for anyone who grew up here at the time. And because stations
like WLS and WCFL were 50,000 watt AM outlets, people across America could tune
in and listen and, as such, heard many of the unique songs that made our
charts. (kk)
And, speaking of countdown shows, we just got this from
Frank B. about some Dick Bartley countdowns that are airing on (where else?!)
WCBS-FM!!!
Kent ...
Every Sunday, from 7 to 11 PM, tune in for TWO
Countdowns. http://wcbsfm.radio.com/2011/11/13/dick-bartleys-classic-countdown-november-66-76/Frank
B.
Dick's been doing his radio thing
as good as ANYBODY else for DECADES now. (He had a local show right here in
Chicago for YEARS ... and I understand he's a "sometime Forgotten Hits Reader",
too ... so that's kinda cool! LOVE these countdown shows!
(kk)
Kent ...
I was just in Chicago and flew home
last night. I came in for the Radio HOF at the new Museum. Would have LOVED to
meet you.
Have you been to MY site? It's
www.vuolovideo.com and I've got a LOT of stuff.
My WLS goodies are classic. Hope
to hear from you!
Best ...
ART
Novi, MI
(suburban Detroit ... aka "The
D")
Kent -
I just wanted to say 'Thanks' for all of the
Hard Work that you do in 'putting together' the Forgotten Hits newsletter - it
really does have a place in the FUTURE Cultural
Mainstream.
If not for someone like you, it would
definitely leave a 'Void' in the FUTURE … after all; you know as well as most
of us --- It's 'Our' PAST that makes the FUTURE in what it becomes. You do
inspire … if you haven't heard it … lately.
A few years back, we got Y103.9 on board featuring the Arlo Guthrie classic "Alice's Restaurant" on Thanksgiving Day. (In fact, I think they featured it four times!!!) With all the changes going on over at that station, who KNOWS what they've got planned this year. But we couldn't let a Thanksgiving slip by without featuring it once again. Put this one when you sit down to your Thanksgiving Dinner ... and see if it doesn't spark some stimulating conversation! (lol)
I guess you could say response has been good!!! Here are just some of the recent emails we received during the course of our very special Ed Sullivan Series:
I am really enjoying your feature with Andrew
Solt. What a great interview! I hope you are getting a big response from
this. It is amazing to read that so many of those shows have survived. I can't
believe that Ed Sullivan had the vision even back in 1948 to preserve
them. Thanks again.
Phil Nee - WRCO
Kent --
Wonderful post -- and great work with Ed Sullivan
Week! Henry McNulty
I've really been enjoying reading the series and
people's comments / memories!
I especially enjoyed reading the artist memories this
week! Best,
Tim
Dug your FH Stones Feature. Love the portion of the
lyric of "Satisfaction"! ... "When I'm watchin' my T.V. ... and that man comes on to
tell me how white my shirts can be ... But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't
smoke the same cigarettes as me" Too good!!! :-) John
Hi Kent,
Enjoying the Ed Sullivan series so much ... great job as always and a
fantastic interview with Andrew Solt. Thanks again. Cory Cooper / The Elvis Expert Consultant / Technical Advisor "Fame & Fortune"
I'm reading the Solt interview
at this moment! Loving this series, Kent. Very fine job.
David Lewis
Bravo - great series!
Phil
EXCELLENT!
Rettaric
Hi Kent, Just wanted to say thanks
for the great feature the last two weeks. I especially loved your suggestions
for future releases. I thought you did a great interview and kudos to Andrew
Solt for giving you the chance to grill him. <grin> I, too, watched Ed
most Sundays. It seemed to be Bonanza or Ed on Sunday nights. I think Ed won out
most of the time. I remember also seeing the Beatles the first time and going
to school the next day and that's all we talked about. Another big moment was
the Young Rascals. I was a huge fan. I, too, loved the Animals. Heck, to be
honest I loved most of the R & R performers at that time. Thanks
again. I think you've sold some more DVD's for him. Bill LOL! I hope
so!!! Then it's a win / win for everybody! (Hey the guy below you ordered
some!!!) kk
I wonder how many
other folks went to the Ed Sullivan Website and ordered DVD's this week after
reading your top notch review of this material. I know I sure did!
Dan
We heard from a few people who either HAD ordered DVD's
or said they were planning to ... there's a pretty remarkable selection to
choose from ... but that Rock And Roll Classics line-up that we featured seems
to encompass it all. That's a "Must Have" for every oldies music collection!
(kk)
Kent,
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Ed Sullivan Series ... a lot of great
memories, and I thank you!!!!!!!!!!!! You never cease to amaze me with all the
great work that you do.
Thanks again!!!!!!!
Pete
BEST
SERIES
EVER!!!
Ron
The Ed Sullivan Show piece is so entertaining! What an interesting interview!
You should be very proud. Thank you for doing this for us.
Steve H
This has been a FANTASTIC SERIES! Thank you, my
friend, for sharing some fantastic memories with us all. The Ed Sullivan Show
is a show we all grew up watching ... (and Ed is one of the only impersonations
I can nail!) This is MUST READ AND SEE material and
I've passed your links along to all my friends and family ... this is
something they'll all enjoy it! (And heck, you even featured an "Ed" story or
two from me!!! :-) "Wild" Bill Cody It's been a very successful run ... lots of good
response ... and SO cool to have so many of the artists who appeared on the
program share their memories with our readers from the OTHER side of the
screen! This is one that we're going to permanently post to the OTHER Forgotten
Hits Website, www.forgottenhits.com
... as I think more and more people will discover it over time. Thanks for
helping to spread the word, Bill ... I appreciate it! (kk)
Hi Kent -
Thanks so much for the
correct information on Alan Price! So glad to hear he is alive and performing. When in doubt ask the
master....
Enjoying the articles on Ed Sullivan Show! Keep up the
great work!
Carolyn
Kent: This has been a great interview ... thanks for a great
read. Rick
I am lovin' this!!! Alan O'
Day
I asked Bob Merlis, who helped
me to set up this Ed Sullivan Series in the first place ... "So what did you think of the Andrew Solt
Interview?" (kk) Delighted, thrilled, awestruck. Pick one or
more. Bob
kk:
You're blowing me away! This is without a doubt the
BEST thing you've ever done. Good God, I am BLOWN AWAY! Wild
Bill
And this from Andrew Solt himself!!! Kent - Thanks for doing such a thorough, in-depth job on the
library, the rock music, the other genres and its importance in pop culture and
American TV history. I appreciate your thoroughness and interest in Ed Sullivan
and his rich body of work. You did a very thorough,
stellar job and your time, focus and involvement with the Ed Sullivan Show these
past few weeks is much appreciated. Well done!
Best,
Andrew
And finally ...
hey kent ...
didn't
notice if you already used this YOUTUBE
clip ... my favorite ED SULLIVAN
related video ... and a proper ending to your series ... from BYE BYE BIRDIE --
done
in jest ... but emplifies what a 'really big shew' it was... RENFIELD -- www.RIPRenfield.com We ran the audio for this earlier in the series ... but I agree ... it's still a worthwhile clip (and proper ending) worth sharing. Thanks, Gary! (kk)
Kent, So much to read on Ed Sullivan that I have not gotten
through it all yet. Just wanted to comment on the 60's Chicago scene and Ed.
Groups like the New Colony Six got on Mike Douglas and
others, the Shadows of Knight made Where the Action Is and others, the Ides
made Something Else (with John Byner host), the American Breed made it on
American Bandstand and others. There are other viewings I am sure, but cannot
remember now. Certainly some made it on Lloyd Thaxton, Shebang, Hollywood A
Go Go, Shivaree, Hullaballoo, Shindig, Malibu U, Upbeat, Showcase '68, Kiddie A
Go Go (local pre-teener), Hollywood Palace, Merv Griffin, Hy Lit, It's Happening
and Happening '68. The Buckinghams hold the best position for success in the
TV 60's era. They made the Smothers Brothers show in 67! In 1968, they
achieved the ultimate in getting an Ed Sullivan booking! Their performance was
quite unique. They sang "Susan" with live vocal up until the instrumental (?)
break and then cut to a film of them in their civil war uniforms (did they steal
the idea from the Union Gap for some reason??) playing on a swing set! Then,
they broke into a yet to be released live vocal of "What Is Love?" from their
upcoming album. A very cool performance, I thought. The week they were originally scheduled to
appear did not work out and they were bumped to the following week's Sullivan
show, but the clip made it and Chicago rock history!
It was interesting to read Carl Giammarese's Buckinghams appearance
comments. It's strange that Ed was so late getting the hottest band of 1967 on
his show. They had been on the Smothers Brothers in the summer of love 67, but
this was January, 1968, when the Bucks were on Sullivan. Unlike other acts,
this appearance did NOT catapult them to higher heights. However, I think it
was the sudden change of music that led to the group's demise so quickly. They
were great, IMO, BUT the tide was switching. In 68, teens were swept up by
bubblegum music and the slightly older were finding that in order to be hip
(like it or not), the Doors and Cream were the new sound and the Buckinghams'
pop music followers were more likely jumping on the Union Gap bandwagon (for the
time being, at least). The Bucks were caught up in an outgoing tide that
even their more concept oriented later LPs could not conquer. Songs like "What
is Love" and the great "We Just Know" from their new LP were great, but "Love"
was not a "Susan"-type 45 song and "Know" was more like the Cyrkle (also now
passe' by 68) with a cool psychedelic reprise. It's best summed up by the
year end 67 American Bandstand show. On it, Dick Clark plays the best of the
best throughout the show. After playing "Light My Fire" and seeing the kids
really digging that while dancing, Dick told them that Cashbox's top group of
the year was ... THE BUCKINGHAMS! There was this quiet collective "ohhhh" like
it was a big letdown to the late teen kids dancing. A year earlier, it would
have been a big cheer, probably. It was a fast paced music period of change for
sure. The Cryan' Shames never made
it to many shows presumably because of JC Hooke's hook (at least, in Bandstand's
case). I have an aircheck where they supposedly called in to say they were on
their way to tape Sullivan in January, 1968 (same time as the Bucks show
aired). I asked Tom Doody and Jim Pilster if that ever happened and they said
it was the first they'd heard of this. They never got contacted from the show
to do it. Too bad!! One more big Chicago happening would be the first
Destination Records single to hit the WLS charts. It was the Warner Brothers'
"Please, Mr. Sullivan." The song was entirely a parody about groups that
performed on the Sullivan show and even included their impersonation of Ed
declining. A great Chicago novelty in the "Louie Louie" / "Alley Oop" musical
styling that sold pretty well in Chicagoland and opened the door for the NC6's
"I Confess" to be the next garage record to hit from Chicago. Clark
Besch
I especially like hearing these "Please, Mr. Sullivan" lyrics after running our series ... funny how many of these instances and references were noted over the past three weeks. Pretty cool, actually! Thanks, Clark! (kk)
Hi Kent,
Enjoying the great memories that have been posted at
your Forgotten Hits site. We didn't get a t.v until 1966 (age 15) and two years
later I was in the Marine Corp.So, I missed a lot. The music scene in So. Cal.
was then and still is my constant companion in life. Living here outside of
Lynchburg, Virginia, I have come to rely on my extensive cd collection of 60s
and 70s music .... there is no reason to turn the radio on these days. Not a
single "oldies" station remains here in central Virginia. If you want country or
"headbanger" music ... well, they have plenty of that (no thanks).
I am trying to find more info as to the Ed Sullivan
Rock and Roll (7, 9 and 12 dvd sets). In particular, whether these newer
releases by SOFA entertainment truly contain the "full length" performances by
the artists. The Sullivan site says "full length" but I have read some of the
"older" reviews at other sites (they may not apply to the more recent Rock n
Roll releases) and they speak to all the editing / shortening of the
performances. Maybe someone will post their experience with the newer sets, or
better yet, maybe we can get Mr. Andrew Solt to put this question to rest, once
and for all. Just what does "full length" mean ???
I and a number of my friends are ready to shell out the
bucks for these Ed Sullivan sets, but we remain hesitant until the above
question is answered. Maybe Mr. Solt can include an answer to this question
right at the Ed Sullivan "Rock n Roll" website ... for all to read.
Thanks and keep up the great work. I, like others,
miss my "oldies" radio and The "Real" Don Steele, Robert W. Morgan, Dave Hull,
Bob Eubanks, Bill Balance, Charlie Tuna ... oh there were so many.
Regards,
Jim Slert
My experience has been that some of the clips have been
shortened ... but in doing the research for this series, it also became clear
that Ed Sullivan himself had "shortened" and abbreviated versions of many of
these hits performed on his program. (Hard to believe in hindsight ... in that
a hit single back then typically came in at under three minutes!!!)
A bit more discouraging is the number of "repeats"
spread out through some of these sets ... but again one has to remember that
these originally aired as 30-minute segments on VH-1 ... and weren't typically
consumed back-to-back but rather in spread-out doses. Some of the "themes" used
crossed over to so many boundaries that repeat clips were almost a necessity.
Add to this the fact (as Andrew has pointed out) all that is involved with
licensing the rights to these tracks and you can see that perhaps a few corners
were cut here and there.
All that being said, I have probably about 25-30
Sullivan disks in my collection and I never get tired of watching them ... there
just isn't enough of this material to go around anymore so it's a real treat
every time we pop one in the DVD player. (Which, I might add, we have done
quite regularly during the duration of this series ... once I'm running a
lengthy spot like this, I tend to "over-compensate" but watching and listening
to everything possible to truly absorb myself in the topic ... and we have
watched DOZENS of hours of Ed Sullivan clips since this series began. Attesting
again to the durability of these performances, my wife has yet to complain once
... and, in fact, even our fifteen year old daughter has popped into the room
from time to time catch one of HER favorite artists from this era!)
I highly recommend the 12-DVD "Rock And Roll Classics"
edition ... you get a little bit of everything and it's pure entertainment start
to finish.
Hopefully, future releases will be specifically made for home video rather than simply rehashing previously aired programming on stations like VH1, TVLand and PBS. I believe that some of these "unique" disks, designed and developed specifically for home use, concentrating of the music, would make for a VERY welcome addition to ANY DVD Music Library Collection. (kk)
While I'm personally not really interested in buying
old Ed Sullivan TV shows, I have to admit that whoever did the video restoration
did a nice job! I'm laying odds that The Lovin' Spoonful sounded best,
live! Jersey John
We're totally LOVIN' watching this
stuff ... let's face it, you can hear most of this music all day long on end ...
but to actually SEE these artists performing it ... in the prime of their
careers ... makes for some pretty entertaining evenings!
(kk)
Kent ... According to Ron Smith's fine book "Eight Days A Week,"on 11/20/1955 = Bo Diddley sings "Bo Diddley"on
the Ed Sullivan Show - after agreeing to sing "Sixteen Tons." (sparking Ed's ire). This got me to thinking ... how many people can you think of that went back on their word
to Ed Sullivan? Mick Jagger promised Ed he wouldn't singthe lyrics "Let's spend the night together." He
didn't keep his word to Ed. I thinkJim Morrison sang something
he said hewouldn't sing. Not much you can do aboutit with "Live" TV shows. Can you think any
others? Frank B. Actually, Mick Jagger kept his word ... and sang "let's spend SOME TIME together" instead of the actual lyric ... in fact, you can see Mick roll his eyes on camera when he makes the lyric substitution. Jim Morrison defied Sullivan (or, some speculate, simply forgot during the heat of the moment, performing live on one of the biggest shows on television) and sang about "getting higher" despite the directive to alter the lyrics to "Light My Fire". Certainly there were others but these are probably the two most famous instances. (I wasn't aware of Bo Diddley performing a different song ... my guess is that he was ALWAYS supposed to perform "Bo Diddley" because that was his hit at the time ... "Sixteen Tons" is a new one on me. In fact, there's a clip of Bo Diddley singing "Bo Diddley" on the Rock And Roll Classics DVD.) Once you betrayed Ed, you simply weren't asked back ... Ed knew the power of his program and wasn't about to have some young and rebellious rock and roller abuse it. The Doors didn't care ... when told they wouldn't be asked back, their reply was simply "Who cares? We've already done it!" (kk)
I believe this to be true and have heard this story many times.
Bo
sang what he wanted to sing (his great "Bo Diddley") -- not what the producers
wanted him to sing -- and we are a lot better off for that. Kind of like what
the Doors did -- sang what they wanted to sing since it was live and nothing
could be done or said until after the performance.
Andrew Solt
Hey Kent -
I have the 12 DVD set on Ed Sullivan and was watching
the Vanilla Fudge You Keep Me Hanging On after I first wrote in. There was a voice note before the video that said their album had
been out for a year before they were on Ed and it hadn't sold well, but after
their performance on Ed Sullivan the album took off. So not only did it make me go see them on tour, but Ed also helped
their album sales.
Mickey Cooksey
This is absolutely true. Vanilla Fudge's version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was first released in July of 1967 ... and it went virtually nowhere on the pop charts, peaking at #67 during a five week run. Exactly one year later, after their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Atco Records released the track again as a single ... and this time it shot up to #6 ... and spent three months on the pop singles chart. It is unreal how well so many of these records did
after folks saw them performed on Ed's show Sunday Night. And, as you can see, it doesn't really matter WHICH version of "rock and roll" you're talking about ... be it early vintage rock like ratings chart-busters like Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, British Invasion Rockers like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, et al, The Motown Sound of The Supremes, The Temptations and The Four Tops ... or the newer heavy metal sounds of Vanilla Fudge, Steppenwolf, The Doors and Janis Joplin. ALL of these artists saw a HUGE increase in sales after they graced Ed's program. All the MORE reason
this guy belongs in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame!!! (Who else delivered THIS kind of variety, week after week after week, to all us kids camped out in front of their parents' TV sets on Sunday nights?!?!?) kk
Kent, I am thoroughly enjoying the Ed Sullivan
run. So much to learn. So much to enjoy.
How can it be that we can enjoy OVER
AND OVER AGAIN the performances of musical artists? We listen to their songs,
sometimes ad nauseam. We attend their concerts and laugh at each joke; while
relishing each musical piece that we have heard and seen before. This was again
my finding in Peekskill, NY, on 11/11/11. No ... I don't think it had anything
to do with the date. I have been working seven days a week somewhere
since Labor Day and could not wait to have two days off to visit Peekskill on
the Hudson and see a concert starring Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone
and special guest Lou Christie. Both of these artists have welcoming
camps that surrounded me with friendship and opportunity for discussions. There
is truly no reason for me to feel special in a situation such as this (no one
wants my take on current academic testing or curriculum and certainly I am not
in my retail location to help them find the perfect gift), but they did. Since
we go to a concert to watch and listen to music, that was all I needed. Well, I
got plenty of that! It was clear from the onset of each performance that Lou
Christie and Peter Noone love to be performing. They have surrounded themselves
with musicians who also love performing and, in particular, love performing
their lead singers' songs. How can you beat that?! If I start highlighting the
individual songs, this paragraph will go on ad nauseam and I will lose MY
audience. Just go see them. Check out schedules. See concerts in your area
for all performers you can. It is fun, uplifting, magical, and it makes your
life Just A Little Bit Better.
And hey -- Peter Noone is on Youtube
performing with High School students at a workshop that same day?? My students
would have shown up on a snow day or holiday for that! Now comes the ad nauseam
part. Thank you Peter, Lou, Vance, Rich, Billy, Dave, Dennis, Jana, Kathy and
Linda. Shelley J. Sweet-Tufano
Funny ... sounds like Ed Sulllivan was the
Oprah of his day!!
I'm really enjoying the "Ed Sullivan" Tributes. I especially loved
Charlie Gracie's letter. We have had the honor
of being on shows with Charlie on a few occasions and I can tell you he is the
real deal, a true rocker, and in my mind, and in the minds of many others that I
know, a true Founding Father of Rock & Roll ... one of the greats ... and he
wails on that Guild!
In the words of another founding father ... "Long Live
Rock".
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords
>>>Yes, at any point in time Ed might have a sports
figure like Joe Louis or Joe DiMaggio stand up and take a bow ... or Lucille
Ball or Diana Ross ... Stars LOVED to go to Ed's shows ... and he sometimes went
to great lengths to insure that they had a ticket! (Andrew Solt) >>>Dino, Desi & Billy appeared on The Ed Sullivan
Show in the summer of 1965. DD&B performed our hits "I'm a Fool" and "Not
the Lovin' Kind" back-to-back before going over to chat with our host. Desi's
mother, Lucille Ball, sat in the studio audience and was flanked by her mother,
Dede Ball, and daughter, Lucie Arnaz. We may not be in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of
Fame, but DD&B are proud to have been a part of the exclusive club of
performers that appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. (Billy Hinsche / Dino, Desi
& Billy)
You can see this on one of the Sullivan videos available. It's
pretty funny because Ed asks Lucy to stand and be recognized from the audience
and then, after the performance, he brings the kids over to talk and says how
nice they are and then adds something like "I hope you and your girl patch
things up." Then they leave. I scratched my head and then realized he had been
listening to the song they sang and was commenting about THE SONG! It was so
funny! Clark Besch
Yes, we've watched that one a couple of times
now. (Both clips are part of the Rock And Roll Classics collection, the 12-DVD
Set we told you about the other day.) As part of his intro for the trio, Ed
calls out to his friend, the "eternally 39" Jack Benny ... and explains that the
combined ages of the three young performers we're about to see is only 38 years
old!!! After their performance, he brings the boys out center-stage and invites
them to come back and then says something about being sad to hear about their
broken love affair, a reference indeed to the songs they had just performed!!!
Classic Sullivan! (kk)
I did so many music and variety shows but appearing on The Ed Sullivan
Show and being able to sing my own song, Put A Little Love In Your Heart, was
absolutely the most exciting I ever had on television.
You really felt like you had reached the
top when you went on Ed's show. It was also telecast live, which kept you on the edge knowing
tens of millions of people were watching. Ed could also be funny. He called out to talk to me
during the start of my second song, "Brighton Hill," but the band kept playing and we made it
through.
Jackie DeShannon
Here are my memories of The Fleetwoods' appearance on The
Ed Sullivan Show.
It was a great feather in our Fleetwood caps to do the Ed
Sullivan Show, as teenagers in 1959. Our self-penned song "Come Softly To Me"
was the #1 Record on The Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and a hit throughout
the world. Top booking agencies were vying to sign The Fleetwoods, Dolphin's
debut artists. Dolphin Records President Bob Reisdorff said we would sign with
MCA (a real powerhouse at the time), if they got us The Ed Sullivan Show. They
did; and we did.
But the show was far different
from the slick, fan-pleasing presentation we'd enjoyed making on The Dick Clark
Show. On Dick Clark's BeachNut Hour, we sang along with our record
(lip-synched), and what TV viewers heard was the hit recording they loved and
the audience clapping and cheering, as Gary opened with his famous "Dom Dom"
scat line and (left to right) Gretchen and Barbara cooed "Come Softly", while
descending a staircase in high heels and gowns chosen by Record Producer
Reisdorff.
Conversely, The Ed Sullivan Show,
also in sophisticated New York, put us in cowboy outfits! (Why? Someone guessed,
maybe because we were from the West, and they thought we were still cowboys and
indians out there?) A wood rail fence to lean on, and a bass player in the
middle of the corral, completed the unlikely setting for our soft pop song in
street-corner counterpoint.
They had a live chorus singing
(Gary's) "Dom Dom" background, and it nearly drowned us out, complete with a
loping cowboy beat behind (Gretchen's) melody and lyrics, and (Barbara's)
harmony.
Ed Sullivan was not there for the
rehearsal, nor was Bob Reisdorff; so Gretchen, official spokesperson for The
Fleetwoods, asked whoever was in charge if they could quiet the chorus and add
bongos, to counter (the cowboy feel) with a latin beat. The Bongo player
thought it was his big chance and "played to beat the
band!"
Before the actual telecast, we
Fleetwoods quietly agreed among ourselves that we never wanted to do The Ed
Sullivan Show again. We much preferred Dick Clark's production.
But a half century later, we
received this communication from someone who had been present at our Ed Sullivan
dress rehearsal. With his permission, his note also appears on our website,
www.TheFleetwoods.com/screenwork.html - where the latest of our Screen
Performances ("Come Softly To Me" in the new movie, "The Green Lantern") has not
yet been posted - but, at the bottom of the page, you can see a clip from our
very first: The Dick Clark Show appearance, which so contrasted with our Ed
Sullivan Show experience.)
1959:The Ed
Sullivan Show
Memory of a fan:At one time, my father sold
advertising space for a "car" magazine. Because of his job, he was able to get
some tickets to a Sunday-afternoon dress rehearsal of "The Ed Sullivan Show"
(one of their sponsors at that time was "Lincoln"
cars). I remember sitting in the audience, and seeing
two girls and a guy take their place onstage, before being introduced by "Ed."
All of a sudden, I realized who it was, and I said out loud, "The
Fleetwoods!!!" To this day, I don't remember who else was on
the show that day. Sincerely,
Eli Mallon Thankyou Eli. And thank you Ed.
Even if it wasn't our favorite way to be presented, we can lookback with humor
and enjoy the sentimental honor of being part of that history - the iconic Ed
Sullivan Show.
Softly,
Gretchen Christopher
re: A FORGOTTEN HITS EXCLUSIVE:
We've shown you LOTS of great Ed Sullivan / YouTube clips over the course of this series ... and THIS one has quickly
become one of OUR favorites. (Not officially available thru YouTube, Forgotten
Hits has been allowed to "Sneak Peek" this track in today's column ... it'll go
viral next week ... but you can see it here first!)
It's a ROUSING performance
by The Friends Of Distinction of their #3 Smash from 1969, "Grazing In The
Grass". Watch this one ... I am willing to personally guarantee that I can dig it, he can dig
it, she can dig it, we can dig it, they can dig it ... and YOU can dig it,
too!
WHAT'S NEXT ... AND WHAT
WE'D MOST LIKE TO SEE:
While Andrew Solt assures us
that new titles are in the works, he won't divulge any details at this time for fear
that if any negotiations fell through, the whole process would only leave a
legion of disappointed fans. We get that ... but our readers have their OWN
ideas as to what they'd most like to see next!
Based on the responses we've received from our readers thus far, we've put
together a short list of clips oldies music fans would most like to see on an Ed
Sullivan DVD compilation ... call it a "Fans'
Favorites" disk if you will!
Leading the pack right now: Gary Lewis and the
Playboys performing "This Diamond Ring", The Buckinghams performing "Susan" and
Chubby Checker doing "The Twist". (We're going to have to
put The Fleetwoods' performance of "Come Softly To Me" right up near the top of
the list now, too, after reading Gary and Gretchen's comments this week!!!
lol)
The single artist compilation we'd most like to see:
The Dave Clark Five ... BY A LANDSLIDE!!!
(I know that's gonna be a tough order to fill ... but
sooner or later this stuff HAS to come out
again!!!)
Stay tuned to these pages for all the latest news regarding any new Sullivan home video releases. (kk)
