re: DONNA SUMMER:
Hey Kent,
I know most people want to forget about the disco era, but Donna Summer could have been a superstar at any time. She had a great, instantly recognizable voice. She was every bit as popular as Whitney Houston in her day. Back then, I heard her rendition of Barry Manilow's hit, "Could It Be Magic", at a night club. It was uptempo and very sexy.
Hey Kent,
I know most people want to forget about the disco era, but Donna Summer could have been a superstar at any time. She had a great, instantly recognizable voice. She was every bit as popular as Whitney Houston in her day. Back then, I heard her rendition of Barry Manilow's hit, "Could It Be Magic", at a night club. It was uptempo and very sexy.
I liked it because I thought she took the song in another direction. It was unique, to say the least!
- John LaPuzza
Donna's version of "Could It Be Magic" was a minor hit (#52, 1976) and her follow-up charter to her breakthrough smash "Love To Love You Baby" (#2, 1976). Summer could sing virtually any style and pull it off ... it's hard to call someone who had 21 Top 40 Hits (14 of which also made The Top Ten) "underrated" ... but to a degree she was. She was so typecast as a "Disco Queen" that even when she did branch out and explore other avenues, they were if not overlooked, then certainly under-appreciated. (kk)
re: THE BEACH BOYS:
Endless Summer Quarterly Publisher David Beard is giving The Beach Boys' new album, "That's Why God Made The Radio" two HUGE "Thumbs Up" ... you can read his review (along with a detailed track listing) here:
The Beach Boys could also be found on QVC this past Wednesday Night hawking copies of their new LP three weeks before you can officially buy it in stores ... (a QVC purchase even got you a "bonus" greatest hits CD!). But this is what I found interesting:
In addition to the title track, "That's Why God Made The Radio" (which boasts a Jim Peterik co-writing credit), the brand new Beach Boys LP also includes “Isn’t It Time,” written by Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Jim Peterik, Larry Millas (both of The Ides Of March) and Joe Thomas. According to "Endless Summer Quarterly" publisher David Beard, the track "reaches back in time and feels a bit like a track that would have fit nicely on the Beach Boys 1985 self-titled album. Its funky hand jive vibe works well with Brian, Al and Mike taking turns on vocals."
Obviously this is yet another track dating back to the St. Charles era and Brian's "Your Imagination" album ... the band is famous for resurrecting and refurbishing old material ... and let's face it ... this album came together quite quickly ... perhaps because Brian had such a large stash of "unused" tracks available to him. Also surprising was the news that former Wilson Producer Joe Thomas shares a writing credit on every single LP track other than one ... because I had heard that he and Brian had had a rather major falling out a few years ago ... and that this may have had some affect on Brian moving out of St. Charles, IL. I wondered if Jim Peterik knew that he was going to have a couple of tracks featured on the new Beach Boys CD ... but never heard back.
Meanwhile, The Ides Of March have quite a few summer concerts planned ... you'll find the full list below in our "Up Coming And Recent Shows" segment. This is a show you don't want to miss ... The Ides not only cover their own complete career but also feature Peterik's hits written for the bands Survivor, .38 Special and more. Check 'em out if you get the chance! (kk)
re: RECENT AND UPCOMING SHOWS:
Speaking of The Beach Boys, they finally hit Chicago next week as part of their 50th Anniversary Tour. No, we're not going (couldn't get tickets!) ... but my daughter and her brand new husband are ... so I asked her to write a review for Forgotten Hits! Stay tuned next week to see what she thought of the concert. (We took Nicki and Jeff to see Brian Wilson's solo show at The Arcada Theatre last year ... and it was incredible. Thanks to Ron Onesti, they even got to go back stage and pose for a picture with Brian!)
For more on what Ron Onesti has planned this year for The Arcada Theatre, scroll down below ... you won't believe some of these acts! (kk)
Yes, great reviews of The Beach Boys shows ... I hope to catch them at some point.
Hope they add a few more US dates. Have heard they are now including "Add Some Music" to their set.
Fred Vail
As we mentioned previously, Brian now considers "Add Some Music To Your Day" to be one of his personal favorites ... glad to hear they're doing it again! (kk)
Just announced ... Chicago and The Doobie Brothers ... performing together at Charter One Pavillion ... on July 28th! (We told you that they were spending their summer touring together MONTHS ago ... but a stop in Chicago was not on the original itinerary ... so this is GREAT news for fans of these two classic bands!) And let me tell you, you're not going to see a better show this summer. We were fortunate enough to see both bands within the past year ... and they're outstanding in concert. Tickets went on sale on Friday, May 18th. (kk)
And don't miss Ringo Starr (and his All-Starr Band) July 8th at The Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana. Joining Ringo on stage this time around will be Gregg Rolie (formerly of Santana and Journey), Steve Lukather of Toto, Todd Rundgren, Richard Page of Mr. Mister and more. You can check out Ringo's complete tour schedule here:
And don't miss Ringo Starr (and his All-Starr Band) July 8th at The Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana. Joining Ringo on stage this time around will be Gregg Rolie (formerly of Santana and Journey), Steve Lukather of Toto, Todd Rundgren, Richard Page of Mr. Mister and more. You can check out Ringo's complete tour schedule here:
Click here: The Official Ringo Starr Site
Lots of Ides Of March summer dates (and beyond) to report:
Lots of Ides Of March summer dates (and beyond) to report:
June 2nd - The Commons Performing Arts Pavilion in New Lenox, IL
June 24th - U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, IL
July 6th - Cicero Fest in Cicero, IL
July 13th - Summer Fling in Des Plaines, IL
July 14th - Westchester Fest in Westchester, IL
August 4th - The Pigs In The Pines Rib Fest in St. Germain, WI
August 18th - The South Elgin Riverfest in South Elgin, IL
August 31st - Last Fling in Naperville, IL
October 13th - The Fine And Performing Arts Center at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, IL
November 10th - The McComb . Bruchs Performing Arts Center in Wautoma, WI
and
November 17th - The Acorn Theater in Three Oaks, MI
Check their brand new website for more information and updates:
Click here: The Official Website of The Ides of March
More Wrecking Crew screening dates have just been added ...
More Wrecking Crew screening dates have just been added ...
If you happen to live in these areas, do yourself a favor and check out this great film.
More details on The Official Wrecking Crew Website:
May 20th - Baked Potato - Studio City, CA
NOTE: This is NOT a screening but rather a concert / fundraiser to honor long-time Wrecking Crew guitarist Billy Strange. Denny Tedesco tells me that SUPER Players like Hal Blaine, Don Randi, Chuck Berghofer and Don Peake; members of the Wrecking Crew as well as the next generation of monster players, will all be taking part ... sounds like a show that's not to be missed if you happen to be out this way!
May 23rd - Grand Cinema - Tacoma, WA
May 23rd - Grand Cinema - Tacoma, WA
May 24th - EMP Museum - Seattle, WA
June 13th - The Cutting Room - New York, NY
Tedesco also has some wonderful things planned for after this New York screening ... a concert featuring The Sixties Show™, described as "The Greatest 1960's Musical Tribute Show on Earth"™ will follow immediately after the film. The Sixties Show™ includes former members of Billy Joel's and Elton John's band, The Boston Pops® and current members of The Smithereens ... another "can't miss" event for our New York readers.
June 28th - Calgary Screening - Calgary, Canada
And, coming soon to London, England!
Ron Onesti has some KILLER acts lined up for his Arcada Theatre between now and the end of the year. The reunited Asia (featuring all four original members) leads the pack ... man I LOVED these guys when they first came out! They'll be appearing at The Arcada on Friday, November 2nd ... and tickets start at just $39!
Ron Onesti has some KILLER acts lined up for his Arcada Theatre between now and the end of the year. The reunited Asia (featuring all four original members) leads the pack ... man I LOVED these guys when they first came out! They'll be appearing at The Arcada on Friday, November 2nd ... and tickets start at just $39!
On May 25th you can catch The Rocky Horror Picture Show. June 1st, Robert Cray will be appearing. On September 14th, it'll be Three Dog Night ... that's the show I want to go to ... plus it's Frannie's Birthday!!! A week later, Kansas comes to St. Charles (September 21st) and then, just in time for Christmas, you've got Air Supply (December 7th) and The Diamonds (December 15th)
More shows are being added all the time ... so check the website often. The Arcada Theatre is a GREAT, intimate place to see a show ... we've been to several now and have always had a great time. (kk)
Click here: Shows « Onesti Entertainment
>>>I didn't really know if you would know or not, but since the words were capitalized, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THERE WAS NO ROCK AND ROLL, that was an indication that somewhere along the line there was a song with that title. 1959 was the year of the song. Not a big song for the group that recorded it. In fact today, they are known as being a "1 hit wonder", even though they had some other half a dozen records. The group, the Monotones, doing that BOOK OF LOVE. (Larry Neal)
It was a recent Sunday at Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit's rehearsal space, less than a mile east from the old Hitsville, now rechristened the Motown Museum. Two Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes and Annette Beard-Helton), a Contour (Joe Billingslea) and one very important Marvelette (Anderson-Schaffner) sat before the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit who rehearsed a production that sets out to tell their story in Now That I Can Dance — Motown 1962
I bet none of you knew this ... this will knock your socks off!
And, speaking of Al Kooper, he sent me HIS list of Top 50 Instrumental Favorites after he viewed OUR list online:
These are my 50 top instrumentals of all time, btw ...
Micky Dolenz, formerly of The Monkees, poses with Mickey Mouse Friday, May 18, 2012 at Epcot in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., before appearing in concert during the final weekend of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Dolenz and his band will play nine concerts as part of the "Flower Power Concerts Series," today through Sunday, May 20, and pay tribute to his late bandmate and good friend, Davy Jones, who had been a long-time "Flower Power Concert Series" fan favorite. Epcot is one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort.
re: THE FIRST ROCK AND ROLL
RECORD:
Well, I guarantee you that this is a topic that can start a whole
new debate ... and I'm not sure I want to head down that road. (When we tried
to conduct a poll a few months back, attempting to create a list of the most
essential pre-rock era tracks, 1940 - 1954, the whole idea pretty much fizzled
... response was SO low that we never even ran the results!) And seriously,
there isn't a more talented or knowledgeable guy out there to handle a piece
like this than our FH buddy Ed Parker ... he can show you and teach you things
you never even knew existed!!!
But hey, you know me ... I'm always game to find the
next, new hot topic ... so let's give this a spin and see what comes back.
(kk)
Kent,
In today's (Monday's) column of
what was the first rock and roll record, as the Buffalo Springfield would have said, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I
have two books here at home,
which in the opinion of those that wrote them, they credit the song SH-BOOM by the Chords out of 1954, also
covered by the
Crewcuts.
Larry Neal
Yep, that one comes up quite a bit ... as does
the original version "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Wynonie Harris, "Sixty Minute
Man" by Billy Ward and the Dominoes, "Shake, Rattle And Roll" by Big Joe Turner
and any number of tracks by Louis Jordan.
We'll never prove anything conclusively in a poll
like this, but at least we've nailed some of the essentials!
(kk)
re: THIS AND THAT:
Kent ...
5/14/12: First I want to wish one of our favorites, Charlie Gracie, a Happy Birthday.
Frankie Valli just got back from Austrailia ... Atlantic City, NJ, is next. After that, he's off to London and Royal Albert Hall. Is he a busy guy or what ?
-- WCBS-FM celebrating it's 40th Anniversary.
-- Frankie Valli celebrating his 50th Anniversary.
-- "Jersey Boys" about to celebrate its 7th Anniversary on Broadway.
Dan Taylor, during his interview with Frankie Valli on WCBS-FM, asked him where he was when he first heard one of his songs on the radio. Frankie said he was riding in his '57 Chrysler when he first heard "Sherry".
Frankie Valli just got back from Austrailia ... Atlantic City, NJ, is next. After that, he's off to London and Royal Albert Hall. Is he a busy guy or what ?
-- WCBS-FM celebrating it's 40th Anniversary.
-- Frankie Valli celebrating his 50th Anniversary.
-- "Jersey Boys" about to celebrate its 7th Anniversary on Broadway.
Dan Taylor, during his interview with Frankie Valli on WCBS-FM, asked him where he was when he first heard one of his songs on the radio. Frankie said he was riding in his '57 Chrysler when he first heard "Sherry".
"Jersey Boys" is going to be made into a movie. Frankie said two of his personal favorites are "Swearin' To God" and "Grease". Seems like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons are still going strong.
Frankie also said it took 4 or 5 hits before he thought he could make a living in the music business. When they started to travel around the country, he thought they might be around for awhile.
Frank B.
Frank B.
Hey Kent,
I just read on your site that a reader asked the question, "What would happen if there was no Rock and Roll"?. David White, a member of Danny and the Juniors, couldn't have been more dead-on, when he composed "Rock and Roll is Here to Stay". Sometimes I like to think back to the pop music scene and what I was doing twenty years before. It's hard to imagine that just two decades before The Beatles first landed on American shores, the top pop music artists were Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Dorsey, The Andrews Sisters, and Harry James!
I just read on your site that a reader asked the question, "What would happen if there was no Rock and Roll"?. David White, a member of Danny and the Juniors, couldn't have been more dead-on, when he composed "Rock and Roll is Here to Stay". Sometimes I like to think back to the pop music scene and what I was doing twenty years before. It's hard to imagine that just two decades before The Beatles first landed on American shores, the top pop music artists were Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Dorsey, The Andrews Sisters, and Harry James!
-- John LaPuzza
I was in on a conversation the other day where somebody said something to the effect that rock and roll music is the LONGEST musical "trend" that we have ever experienced ... no other genre of music has ever had this kind of lasting impact and continued to grow and flourish ... pretty amazing, really, when you consider that parents putting up with their kids in the mid-'50's figured that they'd quickly pass out of it once the next new fad hit ... but it never has. Rock and Roll Music has just continued to grow and flourish and people keep adding new elements to it but it's no longer just the music of OUR generation but of every generation to come along since.
>>>I didn't really know if you would know or not, but since the words were capitalized, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF THERE WAS NO ROCK AND ROLL, that was an indication that somewhere along the line there was a song with that title. 1959 was the year of the song. Not a big song for the group that recorded it. In fact today, they are known as being a "1 hit wonder", even though they had some other half a dozen records. The group, the Monotones, doing that BOOK OF LOVE. (Larry Neal)
>>>Yep, that one went right by me!!! The Monotones' only Top 100 Record was their #5 smash "Book Of Love" ... so officially they ARE a One Hit Wonder in the truest sense of the word. In fact, I can't find "What Would You Do if There Was No Rock And Roll" so much as bubbling under! So you definitely got me on that one! (kk)
It was a recording done for Argo that remained unreleased until a 1986 Murray Hill release.
Tom Diehl
It was a recent Sunday at Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit's rehearsal space, less than a mile east from the old Hitsville, now rechristened the Motown Museum. Two Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes and Annette Beard-Helton), a Contour (Joe Billingslea) and one very important Marvelette (Anderson-Schaffner) sat before the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit who rehearsed a production that sets out to tell their story in Now That I Can Dance — Motown 1962
I went with a group that included Dave in TO and Nes in Canada South. Are a bunch of high school kids from Inner City Detroit going to be able to pull this off? You bet! After all ... it was mostly high school kids who recorded at Motown in The Beginning. I bet if this played Toronto it'd be a sell out for months.
Warren
I bet none of you knew this ... this will knock your socks off!
Remember the Ventures? Do you remember the Ventures and George Babbitt, the drummer who played "Walk Don't Run"?
Do any of you remember the USAF four star George Babbitt? Anyone who thought the military is all spit and polish and discipline can see how the USAF handles it. I never knew Babbitt but sure would have liked to meet him.
Pretty interesting. Four Star General was a drummer at one time for the Ventures. This is too cool. Watch it. You will love it if you like rock 'n' roll.
Some of you don't know the Ventures. Those that do, enjoy the clip ... it should bring a smile to your face!
Pretty interesting. Four Star General was a drummer at one time for the Ventures. This is too cool. Watch it. You will love it if you like rock 'n' roll.
Some of you don't know the Ventures. Those that do, enjoy the clip ... it should bring a smile to your face!
Alex Valdez
From DeeJay Stu Weiss ...
Let us remember Alan Freed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4Bc083F4EY&list=UUv4dgkLKUc1KKjcd12oEOOg&index=1&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4Bc083F4EY&list=UUv4dgkLKUc1KKjcd12oEOOg&index=1&feature=plcp
Yep, this clip was put together by our FH Buddy Trade Martin who also wrote and performs the song. A very nice tribute indeed! (kk)
Kent ...
Imagine if they wanted to use the whole album!
Frank B.
Frank B.
Actually the track was "Tomorrow Never Knows" from the "Revolver" album ... I heard this story about a week ago, shortly after it aired ... first time a Beatles song performed by The Beatles themselves has been licensed for television use in a drama. And you're right ... they paid a pretty penny for it. A week or two earlier, they featured the "Pet Sounds" track "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" in an episode where Don and Roger took LSD with their new, half-their-age wives.
If you're going to do the '60's, it's pretty hard to do it WITHOUT The Beatles and The Beach Boys ... this has been one of the things that has made other period piece programs fall short. (Good as they were, "American Dreams" and "The Wonder Years" immediately come to mind. BOTH had GREAT musical soundtracks ... but they never featured some of the very biggest artists of the era.) kk
Speaking of The Beatles, here's a fun piece ... we ran this once before a while back, but it was entertaining to see it again when Al Kooper sent it to me last week. How will history remember The Beatles, a thousand years from now??? Enjoy! (kk)
Speaking of The Beatles, here's a fun piece ... we ran this once before a while back, but it was entertaining to see it again when Al Kooper sent it to me last week. How will history remember The Beatles, a thousand years from now??? Enjoy! (kk)
And, speaking of Al Kooper, he sent me HIS list of Top 50 Instrumental Favorites after he viewed OUR list online:
These are my 50 top instrumentals of all time, btw ...
If you need an mp3 of any of these lemme know, young un.....
TOP 50 INSTRUMENTALS OF ALL TIME
1. Green Onions - Booker T & The MGs
2. Honky Tonk Pts 1 & 2 - Bill Doggett
3. Rumble - Link Wray
4. Ramrod - Duane Eddy
5. Hip Hug Her - Booker T & The MGs
6. Sleepwalk - Santo & Johnny
7. Poor People Of Paris - Les Baxter
8. Soul Twist - King Curtis
9. I Got A Woman - Jimmy McGriff
10. Autumn Leaves - Roger Williams
11. Last Night - The Mar Keys
12. Walk Don’t Run - Ventures
13. Cast Your Fate To The Wind - Vince Guaraldi
14. Telstar - The Nu Tornadoes
15. Peter Gunn Theme - Henry Mancini
16. Harlem Nocturne - Viscounts
17. Walk On The Wild Side - Jimmy Snith
18. Theme From Shaft-Isaac Hayes
19. Raunchy - Bill Justis
20. Misty - Hank Crawford
21. Fast Freight - Richie Valens
22. Little Susie - Ray Bryant
23. Red River Rock -Johnny & The Hurricanes
24. On The Rebound - Floyd Cramer
25. Canadian Sunset - Hugo Winterhalter/Eddie Heywood
26. Happy Organ - Dave Baby Cortez
27. Theme From The Man With The Golden Arm- Dick Jacobs
28. Apache - Jorgen Inmann
29. Wham - Lonnie Mack
30. Rawhide - Link Wray
31. The Lonely Surfer - Jack Nitzsche
32. African Waltz - Cannonball Adderly / Johnny Dankworth (either)
33. Lisbon Antigua - Les Baxter
34. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band
35. Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado
36. Quiet Village - Martin Denny
37. Hideaway - Freddie King
38. So Rare - Jimmy Dorsey
39. White Silver Sands-Bill Black’s Combo
40. BooBoo Stick Beat - Chet Atkins
41. You Cant Sit Down - Phil Upchurch
42. Tricycle - Flim & The BB’s
43. Third Man Theme - Anton Karas
44. Theme From A Summer Place - Ray Conniff
45. Soft Summer Breeze - Eddie Heywood Jr.
46. 20-75 - Willie Mitchell
47. Take Five - Dave Brubeck
48. Topsy Pt 2 - Cozy Cole
49. Crossfire - Johnny & The Hurricanes
50. Smoke-Randy Carlos
-- Al Kooper
Here's one other feature you might consider playing with to see if it works for you or your readers. It would address another popular reader comment -- folks wondering why a song that was No.1 in their market never even made the Top 40 nationally.
Here's one other feature you might consider playing with to see if it works for you or your readers. It would address another popular reader comment -- folks wondering why a song that was No.1 in their market never even made the Top 40 nationally.
Maybe one day a week you could have a feature that looks at what songs were No. 1 in big cities / markets around the nation and then list Billboard's No. 1. Over time, I think readers would see that different songs peak at different times and that some of the national No. 1s are already on their way down the charts in some markets. (Heck, in the Twin Cities and, I believe, in Chicago, it was not uncommon for different stations in the same market to have different No. 1s.
Info for some of those markets are readily available, as you know. The Oldies Loon site http://www.oldiesloon.com/ has surveys from L.A., Albany (N.Y.) and the Twin Cities, among others -- plus you've got Chicago covered with Ron Smith's books. And it sounds like regular commenter Larry in Oklahoma City has access to surveys, too -- and probably many other FH regulars.
Might draw some interesting reader feedback and commentary.
Just a thought.
Best,
Don
For a short time, I did a Friday feature spotlighting the WLS Survey for any given week in time ... and then featured a few local hits that did much better here (regionally) than they did nationally. The response we got to it was good ... but not overwhelming ... and it required a tremendous amount of time and research to pull together every week. (I think I'm just at the point now where I have a certain amount of [limited] time each week to spend on this ... some weeks worse than others ... but unless the dividends and response IS overwhelming, it's hard to justify the effort, as it means I'm letting some other aspect of the newsletter go. It would make for an interesting, however. Twice we've done an extended series called "Show Me Your Hits" ... where readers wrote in with the biggest regional hits they remembered from their particular area of the country. I discovered SO many new tunes along the way, some of which have now become personal favorites as well. It's unreal how many times we've all said "How on earth could THAT not have been a hit?!?!?" And I'd like to go back to incorporating more of a "Today's Forgotten Hit" feature, too ... or at least something along those lines that bring us back to what Forgotten Hits was always supposed to be about in the first place. Meanwhile, as we've grown our focus as also expanded ... and now you're likely to find just about ANYTHING musically related discussed here! (kk)
re: GARAGE BANDS:
re: GARAGE BANDS:
Kent ...
Just as you are compiling your list of top Garage Bands, WCBS - FM is having a Garage Sale & Garage Band Weekend. They give the address for a listeners Garage Sale . Play a
Garage Band Song. I guess great minds think alike.
Frank B.
Garage Band Song. I guess great minds think alike.
Frank B.
We'll be announcing the winners in early June ... and you still have time to get your votes in ... our official deadline is June 1st. And Phil Nee, at WRCO will count down the complete Top 20 on his Saturday Program shortly after that! Haven't voted yet? Do it now while it's fresh in your mind! (kk)
>>>I could have easily missed a mention of the song that I most think of when garage bands are discussed. It's the Distant Cousins' "She Ain't Lovin' You No More," which bubbled under the Hot 100 in 1966 but was a good-sized hit in the Twin Cities.
(Don Effenberger)
Don Effenberger mentions the Distant Cousins as a garage band for "She Ain't Lovin' You". It certainly COULD qualify as a garage band record (GREAT SONG), but their follow-up was more like the Tokens with high vocals (also a good one) and their other 45s were pretty much BAD! They did produce records too, I believe, for Bob Crewe's New Voice label, but there were just 2 guys--does that constitute a band? I have tried numerous times to get someone to put this out on Cd from masters, but no one seems to take the bait. I guess they heard (or did NOT hear) what I heard in their other songs and it would have to be on some various artists comp, most likely. HEY, a Hot 100 45 -- let's get it on CD!
Clark
I listened to The Rivieras' Greatest Hits CD this weekend ... and have come away with a couple of conclusions. First of all, yes, the DEFINITELY were a garage band ... short of their Top Five Smash "California Sun", the rest of their material is about as primitive-sounding as music can be. This is just raw, undeveloped talent here ... how they managed ANY other chart hits is beyond me. Which leads me to secondly ... "California Sun" HAD to be a fluke!!! It's the PERFECT record in every way ... and nothing else they ever did ever came REMOTELY close to sounding like this. (Don't believe? Listen to their 1965 "California Sun" remake ... it's AWFUL!!! You'd think by this point they could recreate this record in their sleep!!!) Kudos to whoever produced and engineered their hit in the studio ... because that first hit was magical. (kk)
>>>I think CROW should have made the list as well. (bdpoe)
Kent,
Nice to hear some good stuff about Crow. Loved the band, but would not say that they were a garage band ... unless you include brass as garage band stuff. I generally don't. Their singles always did good in the Midwest. I've loved the band ever since I first heard their first 45, "Time To Make A Turn", which I loved, ... and it went top 10 on my beloved Wichita station, KEYN-FM in 1969. If ever there was a "biker" group list, I would choose this band in the top 10. Dave Waggoner's voice was perfect for Crow music.
Crow is about the only 70's band I have had a hand in a CD reissue by. That was the 1992 K-Tel CD, which is pretty good, having 18 tracks and put together by Steve Wilson, who was a great guy to work with. He also did the Soma Story CD set and Castaways CD comps, to name a couple of goodies. I always got the Crow singles as they were always played in midwest, so I was disappointed that the K-Tel CD omitted the 45 "Something In Your Blood." I have always wondered why a label has not realized it has been 10 years since that one comp and not done it up remastered. I checked and it seems they are still hard at it performing! There is a newly released CD of their best including the 45 named above, but the label is "Noiseland." Hmm, sounds like a boot or NOT a good name for a CD with GOOD sound. Two copies show on Amazon for outrageous prices, but it can be found on the band's website http://www.thecrowband.com/enter.htm for $15 plus postage. The thing is it is probably not legit from masters (guessing) AND it is missing 45s too! Time for a label to do some good comp work on this band again.
Crow is about the only 70's band I have had a hand in a CD reissue by. That was the 1992 K-Tel CD, which is pretty good, having 18 tracks and put together by Steve Wilson, who was a great guy to work with. He also did the Soma Story CD set and Castaways CD comps, to name a couple of goodies. I always got the Crow singles as they were always played in midwest, so I was disappointed that the K-Tel CD omitted the 45 "Something In Your Blood." I have always wondered why a label has not realized it has been 10 years since that one comp and not done it up remastered. I checked and it seems they are still hard at it performing! There is a newly released CD of their best including the 45 named above, but the label is "Noiseland." Hmm, sounds like a boot or NOT a good name for a CD with GOOD sound. Two copies show on Amazon for outrageous prices, but it can be found on the band's website http://www.thecrowband.com/enter.htm for $15 plus postage. The thing is it is probably not legit from masters (guessing) AND it is missing 45s too! Time for a label to do some good comp work on this band again.
Clark Besch
I wish they'd release the SINGLE versions of their hits ... 'cause that's the way we grew up listening to them. Every time I've picked up a copy of "Cottage Cheese" (one of my favorites!), it's ALWAYS the LP version ... even on Stroud's Rock And Roll Roots CD.
kk
Yeah, there's always issues between long original LP versions and 45 edits and who likes which better.
Clark
The thing about it is ... the whole original concept behind CDs was that you could fit SO much more music on them ... seems like a no brainer to me to include BOTH versions ... now EVERYBODY's happy. (Plus I'll bet a large percentage of the audience never heard one or the other anyway!) I was driving home the other night and heard the long version of "Black Betty" on the radio ... that song came out in 1977 ... and I had NEVER heard the long version before!!! Think about that ... 35 years ... during which time I've probably heard "Black Betty" 20,000 times ... but never ONCE was it the full-length album version. (In fact, I didn't even know a longer version existed!!!) And it's not even that it's all that great ... in fact, to me it kind of just drifted off into almost a sort of a hoe-down thing ... but it was SO cool to discover something new, no matter how familiar the "original" may have been to me.)
Some of the bigger name artists have been releasing the mono / stereo version of their stuff within a given package ... which I also think is neat, especially if there are some distinctive differences in the mixes ... but I think the album / single idea should be a "given" ... call 'em bonus tracks or whatever ... but there's a lot to be said for getting a pristine copy of something that you remember note-for-note from when you were growing up ... because we really DO remember. And there's a lot of disappointment, too, when it differs ... especially if you were buying something specifically for that one track!
kk
Yeah, I have known the feelings you mention often about these different versions on CD. I don't think I had ever heard a long version of "Black Betty" either! It brings to mind when FH reader Mike Hartman sent me the long LP version of "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne" that I never knew existed. When Bob Stroud was putting together one of his RNR Roots Cds to feature this song, I think he also did not know this existed. Listening now to this Big 89 mega-played song, it could be a slightly different mix besides having a long middle instrumental break and a cold ending. That's something Mike and I love too, cold endings on extended mixes that were fades on 45s.
Anyway, some CDs actually do give you single mixes at the end of a CD along with the full album intact. For decades, we had a stereo "Mr. Businessman" on LP, but was slightly different from the 45 and then Cary Mansfield added the Monument single mixes at the end of Ray Stevens' great "Uneven Stevens" LP / CD reissue. It's a long list of CDs like this. At least we are done with the scratchy vinyl transfers of the mid-80's CDs hopefully!
Anyway, some CDs actually do give you single mixes at the end of a CD along with the full album intact. For decades, we had a stereo "Mr. Businessman" on LP, but was slightly different from the 45 and then Cary Mansfield added the Monument single mixes at the end of Ray Stevens' great "Uneven Stevens" LP / CD reissue. It's a long list of CDs like this. At least we are done with the scratchy vinyl transfers of the mid-80's CDs hopefully!
Clark Besch
Definitely a completely different version of "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne" ... a totally new vocal, too, it sounds like to me. Not a bad version 'though ... I always liked this song ... and it was a #31 Hit to boot. (Seems like they could give "Brandy" a break once in a while and play this one instead as a nice change of pace!) Goes perfectly with our "One You Know ... One You Didn't Even Know You Forgot!" concept! (kk)
MICKY MEETS MICKEY:
(Gene Duncan, photographer)
Micky Dolenz, formerly of The Monkees, poses with Mickey Mouse Friday, May 18, 2012 at Epcot in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., before appearing in concert during the final weekend of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Dolenz and his band will play nine concerts as part of the "Flower Power Concerts Series," today through Sunday, May 20, and pay tribute to his late bandmate and good friend, Davy Jones, who had been a long-time "Flower Power Concert Series" fan favorite. Epcot is one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort.
