Sunday, April 29, 2012

The Sunday Comments ( 04 - 29 - 12 )

Hope most of you had a chance to check out our week-long tribute to Dick Clark.  (It's all still there if you missed it ... just scroll back to read all six chapters!)  Thanks to all of you who wrote in to share your stories and memories.

Hopefully today things return a bit closer to normal ... next week we'll bring you up to speed on some of the other things we've got going on in Forgotten Hits land, kicking off with this week's edition of The Sunday Comments.

The DOWN side of doing a week long series is that when breaking news hits, we're not really able to share it with you without the risk of breaking the continuity of what we're working on. (I know, I know ... kinda like voice-tracked radio!!!)

But there WAS some big news last week when the brand new Beach Boys single was released ... so let's kick things off here ...



re:  THE BEACH BOYS:  
Lots of Beach Boys news this week ...
A release date of June 5th has been set for their brand new reunion album ... And a new single was "leaked" to the press this week, showing the boys to be in fine vocal harmony.  There's even a "making of" video making the rounds ... and all kinds of commemorative reissues planned as well.  And of course the concert tour ... let's not forget that ... already sold out in cities across the globe.  The Beach Boys' 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour is all the rage.  
First up, the brand new single ... "That's Why God Made The Radio" ... and damn if these guys don't sound JUST like The Beach Boys on this track!!!  What you may not know is that Chicago's very own Jim Peterik helped to co-write this track ... it dates back to when Brian Wilson was still living here in St. Charles ... and the song is "unofficially credited" to Wilson, Joe Thomas, Jim Peterik and Larry Milas (also of The Ides Of March.)  I say "unofficially" because Brian Wilson apparently has some kind of clause written into his publishing contract that no more than three writing credits can appear on a song that he has written.  I remember this coming into play on "Your Imagination", a track ALSO co-written by Jim Peterik, who performed on several tracks featured on the album ... as did various members of The Ides Of March.  However, due to this clause, Peterik's name was left off the song writing credit on the title track in favor of legendary Chicagoland deejay Steve Dahl, who insisted on being recognized for his contribution to the track.  (That's the way I heard the story anyway ... doubtful that either of these Chicago institutions will care to comment on THIS one!!!)  
Anyway, this sounds like a vintage Beach Boys track ... and all of the harmonies are perfectly intact.  It's a great lead-off single for the highly-anticipated comeback reunion album, now due to hit stores on June 5th.  (We also found out this week that their remake of their 1968 Hit "Do It Again" will NOT appear on the new LP!  Instead, the track is being licensed for an exclusive Walmart compilation.  After completing the recording, Brian Wilson apparently paid Mike Love the ultimate compliment by saying "How does a 70 year sing that song so good?" ... to which Love replied, "Well, I've been practicing it for 40 years!!!"  GREAT comeback ... literally and figuratively. 
You'll find some of these late-breaking Beach Boys stories below, thanks to our buddy David Beard, who writes The Beach Boys Examiner column as well as publishes Endless Summer Quarterly, the ULTIMATE Beach Boys fanzine. 
We've also got a couple of different Beach Boys video clips for the new single (as well as an audio clip) ... and an updated, complete list of 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour Dates, too! 
BIG Beach Boys news this past week in Forgotten Hits!!!  
Click here: Beach Boys ready to hit the road! - National Beach Boys | Examiner.com


re:  BEATLES-RELATED NEWS:
Amazing!  Best mash-up I've ever heard.  I hope McCartney, Plant, Page & Jones get wind of this.
Truly, do not skip giving this a listen.  And how infrequently do I say that?
Scott
http://soundcloud.com/soundhog/soundhog-whole-lotta-helter     
Last weekend we went to one of The Drive's Doobie Brothers ticket give-aways and Frannie picked up both a Led Zeppelin AND a Beatles license plate holder ... now I know why!!!  (You might have to browse around a little bit to find this one ... looks like this link has already been moved several times.)  kk   

Last week we told you about Paul McCartney's new videos for his "My Valentine" single, starring Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman performing the song in sign language.  Well, it sounds like they may have gotten a couple of the gestures wrong!!!  Read on!!!  
Paul McCartney had the great idea to use sign language in his most recent music video. Unfortunately, some things might have gotten lost in translation. 
According to Spinner, the black-and-white clip for “My Valentine” featuring Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp translating the song’s lyrics into sign language makes a few embarrassing mistakes. 
Throughout the video, Depp supposedly makes the gesture for “enemy” when he really should be making the motion for “valentine.” Even worse, when the two actors try to make the sign for “agreed” they’re really doing the motion for “tampon.” A spokesperson for the British Deaf Association confirmed this for the music news outlet, but also added that American and British sign language are different. 
McCartney directed the video for “My Valentine,” which was based on an idea from his fashion designer daughter, Stella. The song is one of two original songs off of McCartney’s new album Kisses on the Bottom, a collection of standards Paul grew up listening to as a kid.
Kent ...
The only sign language I know about, is what I see while driving.  You know ... the one with the middle finger extended.
Frank B.
Depp and Portman each filmed separate videos ... but it seems to be the one with the two of them edited together that's getting the most press.  If you haven't already seen it, you can check it out here:




For the first time in over 45 years, The Beatles' first American concert is going to be shown in theaters again ... and this is the COMPLETE concert, shown nationwide in select theaters.  
Full details can be found here:



And, speaking of the "lost concert" ...

YES >>> TOMMY ROE was part of the 1964 Washington Coliseum Concert of THE BEATLES just days after their first Ed Sullivan Show ...
THE BEATLES opened for TOMMY in the famed UK tour of 63, and they asked for TOMMY ROE to be on the bill with them in Washington.
BEATLES LOST CONCERT FILM is coming to theatres in MAY!!
The Washington Coliseum concert ... seen for first time in completion in over 40 yrs!
TOMMY ROE will be on BREAKFAST W the BEATLES radio APRIL 29
BOOK a legend..TOMMY ROE
BIG news for George Harrison fans!  FH Reader Ken Voss just sent us this article written by Greg Kot of The Chicago Tribune, regarding the first in a series of brand new ... and extremely rare ... George Harrison disks on the way!

Treasure trove of George Harrison music unwrapped  

Olivia Harrison and a few trusted collaborators are going through the guitarist's massive archive and bringing the best of it to the public

Greg Kot -- Music Critic, Chicago Tribune, April 20, 2012
George Harrison was recording steadily at the studio in his English 
country estate until nearly the day he died in 2001.  “He loved to record ... he was always doing more and more demos at night,” says his widow, Olivia Harrison. “But he’d always say, ‘I’ll never finish them. I’ll have to give them to (producer) Jeff Lynne (to finish).’ He knew he was going to be in his garden in the daytime, so they wouldn’t get done. But he was discovering the singer-songwriter thing again and really doing a lot of recording. He was just getting to the point of getting some sessions together. Sadly, time ran out.”
Now, Olivia Harrison and a few trusted collaborators, including Giles Martin, the son of Beatles producer George Martin, are going through the guitarist’s massive archive and bringing the best of it to the public. The first in what is projected to be a series of recordings is due out May 1, “Early Takes: Volume 1” (UMe), a collection of mostly acoustic demos documenting the early days of Harrison’s solo career. It will accompany the release on DVD and Blu-Ray of Martin Scorsese’s 2011 Harrison documentary, “Living in the Material World.”
“Early Takes” focuses on the era around the guitarist’s 1970 solo debut, “All Things Must Pass,” including demos or early takes of the title song, “My Sweet Lord,” “Behind That Locked Door,” “Awaiting On You All,” “Run of the Mill” and “I’d Have You Any Time”  (cowritten with Bob Dylan). Another gem is an acoustic version of the then-decade-old Everly Brothers hit “Let It Be Me.”
In the documentary, producer Phil Spector says he was stunned to find Harrison had “hundreds” of unreleased tracks when the two began working on “All Things Must Pass.” And perfectionist that he was, Harrison left behind alternate versions of countless songs. Among the documentary’s bonus footage is a scene showing Giles and George Martin seated in front of a mixing board with Harrison’s son, Dhani. They pull up a version of Harrison’s Beatles hit “Here Comes the Sun” and play a previously unheard guitar solo by the songwriter.
“I never even knew about that,” Dhani Harrison remarks as he hears his father’s guitar-playing pour through the speakers.
There’s plenty more where that came from, as Olivia Harrison and Giles Martin describe in an interview:
Q: Did the Scorsese documentary meet your expectations?
Olivia Harrison: It’s so rich, it so captured a deep part of George. Maybe some years from now I may think of something I wish was in it. But for now, as Dhani said, ‘You’re off the hook, mom.’ I do feel like that. I was doubtful, before I met Marty, that anyone would be able to capture this part of George that was so unique, so different, the deep part of him. I thought that side was too private, too personal, but Marty managed to bring it out. So I’m grateful he did.
Q: Did you have the final say on what went into the documentary?
OH: No, not really. Marty thought really long and hard before even accepting to do this, because he needed to express what he thought all this material meant, what the story was. There were times when I was emotionally not ready to put things out into the public. We’d have conversations about it, and he’d say why it needed to be in there. It always made sense. He never wanted to do anything that would hurt anyone. We didn’t want to be flinching about something 10 years down the line over this. It was a good balance. But Marty pretty much got to do what he wanted to do.
Q: George said after the “Beatles Anthology” came out in the ‘90s that he wanted to do his own documentary one day, right?
OH: He did say, “I want to do my anthology.” When you have four people you have four different perceptions. All of them were interested in different things, and George had a different attitude toward some subjects. He was into Indian classical music, meditation, things he thought were important in life to help you get through the madness. Those things he wanted to express. He had a list of things that he wanted to do. This was one of them. In fact, he had a note -- I shouldn’t say this, but I will – he had this piece of paper saying, “Exploring my own twisted mind, Part One.” That would’ve been his title for the first half of the documentary. He wanted to share certain things with people. So I felt pretty free to follow through on this project.
Q: Did any of the material in the documentary surprise you?
OH: It surprised me that Marty chose a certain body of music that would be a narrative for George’s entire life. It wasn’t just linear, we didn’t go through the music of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Outside of maybe one or two things, he didn’t use any music beyond 1973, and that was a surprise.
Q: Do you feel some more of George’s later music should’ve been in there?
OH: No, because it was really rich what Marty did. He uses the music to take you out to sea, and then he leaves you there in this very deep water. He takes you to a place you don’t expect, and not everybody wants to go there. But that’s what he does. I respect him for that, and I think it was the right thing to do. The most surprising thing about the documentary was that it doesn’t end where you expect. It’s about life, but it’s also about death. Living and dying. It doesn’t leave you where you expected.
Giles Martin: Musically, it’s not chronological. The music reflects George’s personality and what he was thinking at the time, which is more interesting and makes it more timeless in a way.
Q: How did the CD of rarities come together?
OH: There was no plan. It was very ambitious just to do the documentary, dealing with an archive of ephemera, all these images, and the music. Marty was very interested in George’s creative process. When you hear “My Sweet Lord” take one, Marty wanted to know where did it go from there? To hear that is very revealing, aside from being an intimate experience for the listener. You can imagine George sitting on a chair singing and playing that song. It’s very intimate and it’s also revealing about the creative process.
GM: He sings beautifully. There is something different about a take that wasn’t designed to be the master take that has an excitement about it. When you think about “My Sweet Lord” or “All Things Must Pass,” that was the first time he was playing those songs with a band. It was just a three-piece band, but you get an energy that doesn’t come when things are more considered down the line. It’s like falling in love for the first time. You can’t duplicate that in subsequent takes.
Q: How did you winnow down all the material for this CD?
OH: I was just overwhelmed with tapes. I still am (laughs). There was a huge amount of material we listened to for the director to decide what we could offer. We had reel-to-reel tapes of people up all night talking, hanging out, business meetings, demos, George and John (Lennon) working together, George’s mother singing. For a year, Giles and (recording engineer) Paul Hicks were here at George’s studio plowing through all these things that we thought Marty could use or might use. Marty was very specific about what drives the narrative. My goal was to make an archive parallel to the film.
GM: We were talking at the Beatles’ “Love” show (in Las Vegas a few years ago), and Olivia said, “We’ve got this project coming up. We have all these tapes, and a lot hasn’t been listened to.” So the task was working through it all. You get very excited when you see a tape box marked, “George, Eric (Clapton), Ringo (Starr) and Klaus (Voorman),” and then you listen and realize it’s just hours of them chatting in the studio. But other times you stumble across something really great. You are digging for gold, and there was a lot there.
Q: How did you focus the material for the CD?
GM: This collection reflects where we are at the moment. There is more we discovered. But we wanted to link this disc to the documentary. The feel of it has a nice timeline that reflects the work Marty did. Olivia’s mission and therefore my mission was to steer or inspire people away from the records and open a door to George’s creative process. We didn’t want to jump around too much. The key with this disc is to show his acoustic guitar playing and voice, as a singer-songwriter, essentially. He loved singer-songwriters, people like Bob Dylan. That’s where he took his inspiration. But people don’t often think of him like that, so it’s pretty exciting to present him this way.
Q: Did you think of broadening the scope?
OH: Initially I thought it could be a two-disc thing, but some things don’t go together. He sang a lot of songs during this time, some very obscure, by people like Nina Simone and this local girl Charlie Dore. But they didn’t really mesh, didn’t fit. We didn’t want a nine-CD set. We settled on these very intimate songs, that were so important to him at the beginning of his solo career, his emergence as a solo artist. That’s what we’re trying to present here, that particular period of his life.
Q: Did George consider putting out some of these more stripped-down recordings in his lifetime?
OH: Yeah, but he didn’t have time. He was gathering up all the bootlegs. At one time he had his engineer, Ken Scott, putting together all his bootlegs. They were piled high. He was well aware that there were people who wanted to hear some of them. But he wouldn’t ever do it to compete in the marketplace. He wouldn’t just throw it out there. He might have been a little shy about some of these demos, even from later in the ‘80s and ‘90s.  (The acoustic demo for) “Run of the Mill” was one of my favorite things. I would always say that to him. “Just play and sing and put it out because it’s beautiful.” “Really?” he’d say. “Yeah.” I think we could’ve talked him into it if we’d had more time.
Q: Will there be subsequent volumes of rarities?
OH: It would be nice. That’s why we called it “Volume One.” George wouldn’t have put just anything out, he didn’t like to scrape the bottom of the barrel. But there are things far from the bottom that we’ll put out later down the line.    

re:  THE MONKEES:    
Wow ... Mike Nesmith ... live in concert ... AND at a private reunion with Micky and Peter, honoring Davy Jones?!?!  Maybe ol' Wool Hat is finally starting to mellow in his old age!  (kk)
I am playing a short set – 4 or 5 songs -- with Lambchop at the invitation of Kurt Wagner on May 4th in San Francisco at the Great American Music Hall. And I am in the studio finishing up some tech stuff – building another computer – and writing and recording new music. I have put together a book proposal about MTV the Music Video and my mother’s invention of Liquid Paper. I am reconfiguring the Monkees special we did in ’98, and I
connected with John Ware about reforming what is left of the First National Band for a short live tour doing the RCA material.
-- Michael Nesmith

http://www.facebook.com/michaelnesmith
Peter, Michael and Micky reunited for a low key memorial for Davy last Sunday ... those also attending included Davy's first wife Linda, the various Monkees children, Keith Allison and Neil Sedaka. I posted the group photo in a new folder in the Photo section and here's the link to view more photos from the memorial:
http://monkeeland.yuku.com/topic/9757/PHOTOS-FROM-DAVY-S-PRIVATE-MEMORIAL
Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith and Micky Dolenz (at a private memorial service for Davy Jones) -
Wow!  I have to admit ... I feel a little bit older today!!!  
(Doesn't Mike look like just about everybody's next door neighbor these days?!?!?)  kk
Boy, what a shame that THIS is what it took ... hopefully, there's still a lot of love between these guys ... they went thru the war together and share special memories that no one else can possibly relate to.  Let's hope this isn't the last picture we see of Micky, Mike and Peter together. 

re:  THE ROLLING STONES:
This just in from FH Reader Frank B ... talk about the early days of The Rolling Stones ... this just may be the EARLIEST!!!  Check it out!
 

re:  ROBIN GIBB UPDATE:
Here's a story of how Robin Gibb is determined to fight his health problems.
Bob E.
When Robin first took ill, he told his brother Barry that he wanted to tour again ... never giving up hope on recovering from whatever was ailing him at the time.  Barry told him that if that's what he wanted to do, you could count him in.  Meanwhile, Robin's health continued to deteriorate, with more and more complications ... yet clearly he never gave up hope.  Nor did his family, who stood vigil at his bedside the entire time, even singing to him to inspire him to wake up and do the same.  Pretty amazing love.  Let's hope that he truly is on the mend ... without question, he still has a lot of obstacles to overcome before he's going to be singing on stage again ... but wouldn't it be something if they could???  Even if it was just for one worldwide televised special event?  (kk)


re:  NEW RELEASES: 
OK, now this sounds kinda cool! 
PRODUCER JOHN VAN EPS “RUINS” FIVE CLASSIC CHICAGO SONGS AND MORE BY ROBERT LAMM
ROBERT LAMM SONGS:  THE JVE REMIXES LANDS JUNE 1 ON BLUE INFINITY/ CHICAGO RECORDS II

New York, NY (April 24, 2012)—Robert Lamm Songs: The JVE ReMixes, will be released on June 1 on CD and vinyl via Blue Infinity / Chicago Records II. It’s like nothing you’ve ever heard before! Dance floor remixes are one thing. What producer John Van Eps does to such iconic rock classics by Chicago — all written by Robert Lamm — is another. You might call it deconstructing the songs and rebuilding them from the ground floor up using their DNA. Eps even snipped lyric lines, juxtapositioning words to change meanings. You might even say Eps eviscerated these songs, gutted them like fish. The weirder Eps got, the more Lamm loved it. Eps even told Lamm:  “Thank you for letting me ruin your songs.”

When you’re talking about songs like “25 Or 6 To 4” “Beginnings” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It is” “Saturday In The Park” and “Questions 67 And 68,” you’re talking the stuff upon which a generation took to their heart and soul. “It’s supposed to be quirky and fun,” says Van Eps. “My fear is that the Chicago website is going to be rife with complaints about what I’ve done!”

Lamm, always adventurous, “a purely musical kinda guy,” according to Van Eps, is ready for the response, no matter what it is. As Lamm says, “this group of remixes were created by John Van Eps. They are more than remixes:  they are new compositions based on my songs, using ‘stems’ from various recordings. John and I first started discussing remixing just after the release of The Bossa Project. He did a few remixes on that album that were amazing, and stayed true to the concept of an organic album of Brazilian music.

“Initially,” he continues, “we wanted this album to be a Chicago project, but we got no encouragement from that quarter. So in changing it to Robert Lamm Songs, it comes from me, and John, to you…with a wink. No doubt, you will recognize at least the source of these re-imagined pieces of music. We worked strictly through email and file sharing, actively reviewing, refining, and some ways I was the Producer, and John was the Artist. I have so much respect for him as a person and a musician."
Obviously, there have been many remix projects of artists as far-ranging as Dean Martin, Yes, Nina Simone, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson but none of them had the okay of the artist to literally change the lyrics and the meaning of the source material. “Artists don’t usually say, ‘sure, cut up my words, change the storyline,’” says Van Eps. “Robert is — and has been throughout his career — unbelievably creative. He’s still writing songs every day. He’s up on contemporary technology. He’s got great ears. He’s really quite something. You don’t need to be in a club to get it. If you grew up with this music, something inside you will click when you hear it.”
Almost four years in the making, Robert Lamm Songs: The JVE ReMixes will blow people’s minds.
The CD will be available at www.RobertLammSolo.com, http://www.chicagotheband.com/, and http://chicagotheband.us/, as well as iTunes, Amazon, and all other digital outlets.
CD Track Listing:
1. Beginnings
2. Saturday In The Park
3. 25 Or 6 To 4 (latin)
4. Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
5. Questions 67 & 68
6. It’s A Groove, This Life
7. Another Rainy Day In New York City
8. You’re My Sunshine Everyday
9. On The Equinox
10. 25 Or 6 To 4 (dance)

Speaking of new releases, Carole King seems to be pretty busy these days.  A few weeks ago, her biography "A Natural Woman" hit the stores ... and now comes a brand new CD of demos of some of her most famous compositions.  (Last year, Micky Dolenz did an entire album of Carole King tunes called "King For A Day" for Forgotten Hits was one of the very first places on the planet to sneak peek a couple of tracks!) Here's the latest on Carole's new release ... sounds VERY interesting if only for historical sake!  (kk)
Forty-one years after the release of Carole King‘s Tapestry – not only her biggest record but one of the best-selling albums ever – 2012 is turning out to an exciting year for the singer-songwriter. Two weeks ago, King released her memoir, A Natural Woman, and this week she continues her stroll down memory lane with a collection of previously unheard demos, titled The Legendary Demos. On the 13-song collection, King presents the demo versions of hits she crafted throughout her ’60s songwriter days and her transition into successful singer. Stripped-down piano demos of Tapestry hits like “It’s Too Late,” “You’ve Got a Friend” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” feel, well, natural sung in King’s voice. But take “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “So Goes Love,” for example: Both songs were penned by King and her songwriting partner (and then husband) Gerry Goffin and made famous by the Monkees, but here on The Legendary Demos, fans hear King lead surprisingly polished demos of the pop hits. For those who may not be well-versed in King’s story, this demos collection may serve as an education. Because not everyone knows that she, alongside Goffin and Phil Spector, was behind the Righteous Brothers 1965 hit “Just Once In My Life.”

New York, NY (April 23, 2012) — Eagle Records is delighted to announce the release of the Live at the Roseland Ballroom, NYC 2CD from Bachman & Turner on May 29, 2012. [Worldwide release, excluding Canada, MSRP $17.98].
Bachman & Turner features Randy Bachman and Fred Turner, the musicians at the heart of legendary band Bachman - Turner Overdrive. Live at the Roseland Ballroom, NYC includes songs from their recent self-titled album along with their rock n’ roll anthems including “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” “Takin’ Care Of Business” “Hey You” “Blue Collar” “Roll On Down The Highway” “Let It Ride” and “Lookin’ Out For #1” plus a hit-laden throwback to Bachman’s early days with The Guess Who including their take on Johnny Kidd’s “Shakin’ All Over” and the band’s US No.1 hit “American Woman.”
Over the course of a four-year run, Bachman - Turner Overdrive sold in excess of 30 million records, earning a staggering 120 platinum, gold and silver discs, and notching up hits in more than 20 countries. The iconic duo shared duties on the lead vocals with Bachman contributing lead guitar and Turner the bass. Reuniting at the end of 2009 they released an eponymous album in 2010 and in November of that year they performed at the famous Roseland Ballroom in New York City as part of their North American tour.
Featuring the line-up of Randy Bachman (guitars, vocals); C.F. Turner (bass, vocals); Marc LaFrance (drums, percussion, vocals); Brent Howard Knudsen (guitars, vocals); and Mick Dalla-Vee (guitars, vocals), this incendiary show was also filmed and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray later in the year.
Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV, Audio and Digital Media in the world.  Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, U2, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Ozzy Osbourne. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 30 multi-platinum, over 50 platinum and over 90 gold discs, worldwide.  Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Toronto, Paris and Hamburg.
TRACK LISTING
Disc One:
1) Let It Ride  
2) Rock Is My Life  
3) Not Fragile  
4) Hey You  
5) Hold Back The Water 
 6) Waiting Game  
7) Moonlight Rider  
8) Lookin’ Out For #1  
9) Stayed Awake All Night  
10) American Woman
Disc Two:
1) Four Wheel Drive  
2) Slave To The Rhythm  
3) Blue Collar  
4) That’s What It Is  
5) Sledgehammer  
6) Rollin’ Along  
7) You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet  
8) Shakin’ All Over  
9) Roll On Down The Highway  
10) Takin’ Care Of Business



According to Mark Bego, the author of the hit book Whitney Houston! The Spectacular Rise and Tragic Fall of the Woman Whose Voice Inspired a Generation (Skyhorse Publishing), "This week’s Glee tribute to Whitney Houston is a further sign that the iconic singer's music and career was not only an incredible hit-making enterprise, but that late troubled singer was indeed a cultural icon that touched the hearts of millions. The cast does a wonderful job of tackling such Houston hits as 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and 'It's Not Right But It's Okay,' and the ensemble rendition of "How Will I Know" is absolutely inspiring. It is slowed down and a cappella, and so touching. It is a memorable homage to an unforgettable star." 
Bego continues, “If you never were a Whitney devotee … after tonight’s show, you will be.”

I have got to agree with Wild Bill on "The Three Stooges" movie. My son convinced me to go see it and I was telling him that it would be a disappointment, but I went anyway. Being a Stooge super-fan I just knew it would be impossible to come close to duplicating the insanity of the fellas. BOY, was I surprised ... these actors knocked it outta the park!  The voices were perfect, and after awhile the faces gradually melded into the originals. Moe takes the longest to accept but in the end he hits the target.  
There was a TV version a few years back and my good friend Paul Ben-Victor played Moe with Michael Chiklis as Curly, which was respectable, but this one having a bigger budget and some named actors was done exceptionally well. This new version is a great vehicle for indoctrinating the young kids of today into Stooge world, and keeping the legacy alive. It is kid friendly. So do y'alls self a favor and go see it.  PS; If your a senior, wear a pamper so you don't miss a second of it.  
Alex Valdez 
Or just laugh till you wet yourself, I guess, right, Alex?!?!  (lol)  I've heard really good things about this ... may have to check it out myself in the next week or two.  (I was much more of a Three Stooges fan growing up ... I've heard this is wall-to-wall laughs, start to finish ... and right now that sounds like a GREAT way to spend an afternoon.  (kk)


Hi Kent,
I hope everything is well with you. Do you think you could pass this along to all of your readers? 
Three Chicago icons are teaming up at the end of May. Walter E. Smithe's newest commercial will have the irrepressible Smithe brothers cruisin' down LSD to the tune of LSD. That's right — Walter E. Smithe on LSD!  What will the neighbors say? What will the furniture look like? Chicago's very own Bob Stroud of WDRV is the DJ. What will Bob sound like on LSD? All Chicago for Chicago. The commercials will air at the end of May and the Beginning of June. They will also air over the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays.
Also, we're offering a free download of the original arrangement of Lake Shore Drive at http://www.lakeshoredrivemusic.com for the next month. Anyone who might be interested in hearing what Lake Shore Drive sounded like when it was written can download a copy of their very own. Thanks.
All the best,
Skip

Skip Haynes


LOL ... OK, this sounds pretty cool!!!  (I don't know 'tho ... "Lake Shore Drive" just doesn't sound right to me anymore without the "Forgotten Hits" lyrics!  lol)  I truly like the stripped down, original demo version on this link ... VERY nicely done ... and it gives the song a whole different feel (especially since it's such a piano-driven tune.)  Great news, Skip ... and there's still a benefit concert and new CD on the way, too ... stay tuned to Forgotten Hits for more details on all of the above!  (kk)

FH Reader Ken Voss tells us about a brand new museum being opened up by Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen ...   
An exhibit featuring Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen’s guitar collection opens August 11 in his hometown Rockford at the Burpee Museum of Natural History (737 North Main Street  Rockford 815-965-3433). The display – Rick’s Picks: A Lifelong Affair with Guitars and Music – will feature a few hundred of the Rockford resident’s guitars rotating in and out during the exhibit. 
Nielsen said about 100 guitars will be on display at any one time, and will be a constantly evolving exhibit as he plans to rotate guitars in and out of his collection of more than 400 guitars. Specific instruments have yet to be selected from his collection of guitars that have ties to the likes of Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon.
Along with guitars, the display will include lyrics to Cheap Trick hits such as “Heaven Tonight”; old photos of Nielsen in the Cheap Trick predecessors the Grim Reapers; outfits that Nielsen has worn over the past three decades; a collection of 64 pairs of sunglasses that Nielsen owns, and other memorabilia.
Nielsen is hoping the Rick’s Picks exhibit could become a traveling show. He also talks about the planned Cheap Trick museum in Chicago, noting it “is still a few years away.” Those plans call for a museum and concert venue on South Michigan Avenue.
The exhibit will run through April 10, 2013.
To complement the exhibit, a concert at the Coronado Performing Arts Center in Rockford by Nielsen and friends is tentatively scheduled for October 8.

re:  TONIGHT:
TONIGHT: Blue Road and Chicago Women in the Blues
10 fabulous blues divas get together for this benefit concert for the EMERGENCY FUND
helping homeless and low-income families

Sunday, April 29, 2012 
Viper Alley
275 Parkway Dr.
Lincolnshire
Benefit Concert / Dinner
3:00 - 7:00 p.m. All ages
Ticket price of $45 includes appetizers, dinner, drinks and coffee
Children under 12 (with parent) are free  
100% of ticket price goes to Emergency Fund
Blue Road and Chicago Women in the Blues
Joan Gand, Dia Madden and TK Pivonka will be joined by Peaches Staten, Vivian Vance Kelly, Shirley King, Blues Challenge Winners Liz Mandeville and Donna Herula AND now also Sweet Bev Perron and Dawn O'Keefe Williams ... and, of course, Gary Gand on guitar, Steve Nevets on bass, Tony Dale on drums
Benefit Concert for the Emergency Fund - A nonprofit organization that provides immediate financial assistance to Chicago residents in crisis or transition: www.emergencyfund.org 
Click HERE for info on Viper Alley
Check out www.chicagoblueswomen.com
3:00: Doors, Silent Auction, meet and greet
4:00: Appetizers, open bar, and music from Blue Road
5:00: Dinner buffet starts
5:30-7:00: Concert continues with Blue Road and Chicago Women in the Blues
6:45: Final call for silent auction (tentative time)
This event organized by Joan Gand, the Emergency Fund, and NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) and by the generosity of Harriet Kay Burnstein
The Emergency Fund helps families in crisis and helps to fight homelessness. They give funds to 57 Chicagoland partner agencies that provides immediate financial assistance to help those in crisis or transition.  The Emergency Fund has recently merged with the Chicago Alliance to Prevent Homelessness, and you can learn more about the  Emergency Fund by going to their website at http://www.emergencyfund.org.
(Thanks to Steve Temkin for another fantastic poster!)


See our websites for more photos, videos, full calendar


re:  RECENT LOSSES: 
There is more sadness to add to the already monumental stack of grief for lost musicians this past week. 
Over here in England we lost Bert Weedon at the age of 91.  Bert wrote a guitar instruction book called "Play In A Day" that was bought and used by EVERYONE in the early days of rock'n'roll, including Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend and Jeff Beck.  He played for Frank Sinatra and endless visitors to these shores back in the days when almost NO ONE was a decent guitarist.  RIP Bert.
George Van Win

And this, submitted by FH Reader David Lewis ... 
Burrito Brothers founder Chris Ethridge dies aged 65  
Chris Ethridge, a founder member of country-rock band The Flying Burrito Brothers, has died aged 65. 
The bass player and pianist had been battling pancreatic cancer since September, his family confirmed.
Ethridge formed The Flying Burrito Brothers in 1968 with ex-Byrds members Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman.
He also recorded with a number of acts, including Ry Cooder, Arlo Guthrie, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt and The Doors.
Born John Christopher Ethridge II in Meridian, Mississippi, he moved to Los Angeles aged 17 and quickly joined Parsons' International Submarine Band. 
When the group split, the pair formed The Flying Burrito Brothers with Hillman and Sneaky Pete Kleinow, releasing critically-acclaimed album The Gilded Palace Of Sin in 1969. 
After Parsons' death in 1973, Ethridge and Kleinow reformed the band with Gene Parsons and Gib Guilbeau, releasing Flying Again in 1975 before Ethridge left a year later to concentrate on session work, which included eight years touring with Nelson.
He is survived by wife Karen Sue, a daughter, two sons and eight grandchildren.

re:  THIS AND THAT: 
FH Reader David Lewis tells us of some Big Fun coming up at B.B. King's in New York City ... 
Tonight it's Ron Dante, 1920 Fruitgum Co, and Joey Levine
http://www.bbkingblues.com/bio.php?id=1380
Next Sunday it's The Left Banke
http://www.examiner.com/article/rejuvenated-left-banke-brings-baroque-pop-to-bb-king-s


And, speaking of B.B. King ...

Kent,  
Back when I was working at the Red Lion Hotel in Eugene, Oregon, (it was between 1998 - 2001) as an Engineer / Houseman, B.B. King and his guys pulled in to stay at our hotel because he was playing some concerts at the Hult Center.  Everyone was super excited, and we got the protocol rundown - don't bug him for autographs, etc., etc.  It was POURING down rain when their bus pulled in, and myself and Tim (the other Engineer) had to unload their bus and take their stuff to their rooms.  These suitcases were F'ing HEAVY as hell, and it took us a while to get everything unloaded.  His band was getting a kick out of the weakling crackers from Eugene.  Shaun, who was the other Houseman (a nice guy, but a few eggs short of a dozen)  didn't realize that B.B. was in his room already, and walked in to deliver towels or something.  He about shite, and B.B. was okay, but not amused.  What I was disappointed about was that all the promo posters were from his "Rattle and Hum" days - his blue suit, looking all big and healthy.  I kept looking for him in the lobby, and my boss pointed him out to me.  I couldn't believe it!  He was short and plump, and not AT all like the promo posters.  Later on, he received a fax from some girl he'd been seeing, and the girls at the Front Desk read it, and told me later that it was some girl talking about how much she loved him, and she was having his baby, drama, drama, drama ... I thought, he's still hitting it at his age, even though he looked like a tiny tubby guy.  For some reason, our bosses said we couldn't get comp tickets to see his shows, even though I know they got some.  I was pissed.  I also met Dick Smothers ... he stayed at the Red Lion also - I had to fix his heater.  I'm 6' 0", and I'm always amazed at how short T.V. and movie stars are - Dick was, like, 5 feet wet.  Sometimes I feel like I'm surrounded by Munchkins or Lilliputians!  I don't think I could meet Tom Cruise without laughing!  .
Social Distortion stayed at the Marriott in Portmand when I worked there as a Houseman.  Again, I went to talk to them once I recognized Mike Ness, and they were five feet tall!  I did get to see them, the Supersuckers and Nine Black Alps at the Crystal Ballroom - awesome set, but again my illusions of great stature were dashed.  Later.
Ed Pond


http://wcbsfm.radio.com/2012/04/23/neil-diamond-marries-his-manager/ 


Kent ...
You know about these things ... now that they're married, does she get a raise in salary?
Frank B.
Well, the LAST wife walked away with MILLIONS ... so I'm sure she'll do all-right!!!  Jeez, last weekend we had a daughter starring in "The Wedding Singer" ... this weekend we have a daughter getting married ... and now we've got to deal with Neil Diamond taking another trip down the aisle!  (kk)


When I read about the passing of Jonathan Frid, I immediately thought of the record which came out in 1969, QUENTIN'S THEME by Charles Randolph Grean (Ranwood Records). I think I read years ago that he was married to Betty Johnson, of the LITTLE BLUE MAN record out of 1958 (Atlantic).

Larry Neal

"Quentin's Theme" was a pretty popular record back in 1969, peaking at #8 nationally ... but going all the way to #3 here in Chicago.  (Think this little harpsichord record stood out just a little bit during the crazy, evolving sounds of 1969?!?!?)  And yes, he WAS married to singer Betty Johnson for a while.  (kk)


Good afternoon Kent:
I have a simple question.  Have your daily picks of two forgotten hits
moved from the bottom of the site to somewhere else?  I haven't seen
any the past two weeks and was not sure if all it did was move to
somewhere else and I just don't see a link to it.  Thank you.
Santiago Paradoa
Miami, Florida
I discontinued this a couple of weeks ago ... it just didn't seem to be going over as well as I had hoped it would ... and it was adding a considerable amount of hours to my already-cramped schedule to do all the work and the research.  If a few more stations would have picked up this feature (which I think lends itself VERY well to radio ... especially as a daily feature ... you know ... that "appointment radio" that we're always talking about ... where folks will tune in just to hear what you're going to feature next), I would have been happy to keep it going.  But I heard from over two dozen jocks on the list who said they would add this feature in a minute and would LOVE to be part of this programming ... but the station won't allow them to stray from the playlist.  I don't get it ... here's something new and different ... and they're afraid to see what kind of reaction they might get.  (kk)

And I just HAD to run this one ... 

It comes from Bob Lefsetz's column ... which is amazing to me (because typically Bob doesn't like ANYBODY!!!)
To see that he has singled out some of my personal favorites this time around ... and actually heaped praise upon these tracks and artists ... is a rare moment worth celebrating!

Amongst my favorites:

"Love Will Stone You" - Emitt Rhodes
I've been waiting for the right moment to do a tribute to Emitt Rhodes.
But having not been able to get into the proper mood, I'm gonna turn you on to this, from "Mirror", the not as well-received follow-up to the solo debut.  On "Mirror", Emitt distances himself from Paul McCartney and becomes his own man.  And this is my favorite cut from the album.
Come on, that's why we listen to music, for the TRUTH!
Love WILL stone you, but you WILL come down!
If you're unfamiliar with Emitt's work, search on Spotify and check it out. If the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame truly were, Emitt would be in it.
There is very little by Emitt Rhodes that I don't like ... and it's not at all out of line to say that the stuff that I do like, I pretty much love ... and have listened to it virtually non-stop since it came out in the early '70's.  While I believe there are far stronger tracks on "Mirror" than "Love Will Stone You", I can't begrudge this one ... STILL a great, little known gem from a guy who just never got his due.  (kk)

"I Won't Hold You Back" - Toto
Written and sung by my buddy Steve Lukather ... we met because I wrote how much I liked "Make Believe" and wasn't completely complimentary about the lyrics and he felt I was dissing him and his band. Little did he know that I'm never 100% positive!
And "Make Believe" is on this same album, "Toto IV", the one that won all those Grammys, with "Africa" and "Rosanna" ... who knew the song would outlast the actress!
This was a power ballad before they became ubiquitous on MTV, played by guys in long hair and tights, giving the whole concept a bad name.
With backup vocals by Timothy B. Schmit, soaring, anthemic strings and stinging guitar, "I Won't Hold You Back" starts out quiet and intimate and builds, expressing the emotion we feel in the tumult of a relationship.
Don't be too proud, too hip to acknowledge and revel in the work of prodigious talent.
And since you guys never talk about your problems, you just endure your pain independently, consider this my gift to you. Since you're too macho to call a friend and cry, to express how bad you feel since you and she broke up, just put on this record and revel in your misery ... it'll make you feel a bit better.
A GREAT, long overlooked Toto tune ... and one that lends itself perfectly to our on-going "One You Know ... One You Didn't Even Know You Forgot" series ... in fact, that's where we featured it recently.  "I Won't Hold You Back" was a legitimate Top Ten Hit that also topped Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart for three weeks ... yet you NEVER hear it on the radio.  "Toto IV" spawned FOUR Top 20 Singles ... "Rosanna (#2); "Make Believe" (#19); "Africa" (#1) and this one, "I Won't Hold You Back" (#10).  (A fifth single, "Waiting For Your Love", stalled at #73 ... back in the days when artists and record companies simply didn't release five singles from the same album.)  kk

"Hungry Eyes" - Eric Carmen
One of these days I'm gonna do a whole playlist on Eric Carmen's "Boats Against The Current", an overlooked masterpiece. And I truly believe that, just listen to "Runaway".
But despite a promising start to his solo career, it stalled.
And then, just when we'd about given up hope, came this.
Every weekend we're subjected to the hype for overblown high concept productions. But it's the little movies that grab hold of us, that won't let us go.
Like "Dirty Dancing".
I wouldn't go to see it in the theatre. But when we rented a videotape my ex-wife watched it three times before the twenty four hours expired and we had to return it.
And I still remember it. The look in Baby's face, all the hope, all the desire.
And she had the time of her life by ultimately being herself.
Alas, that was the character, the real person, Jennifer Grey, got a nose job and was instantly forgotten. Accept your imperfections, they're what make you unique and lovable.
I've gotta agree with Bob on this one ... but then again I've loved virtually everything Eric Carmen has ever done, too.  "Boats Against The Current" is an understated masterpiece ... my guess is 20 years from now, some young, new musicphile will discover it and finally show the rest of the world just how strong it really is.
I've always loved "Hungry Eyes" ... strongest cut on the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack as far as I'm concerned ... but these days I can't play it without running "Make Me Lose Control" right behind it!  Two Eric Carmen masterpieces ... this guy should still be making great records.  (kk) 


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