Sunday, September 9, 2012

The Sunday Comments ( 09 - 09 - 12 )

re: JUST ADDED:
Ron Onesti has just added The Go Go's to his performance line-up at The Arcada Theatre!
The original line-up (including Belinda Carlisle who left the band for a pretty successful solo career in the late '80's) will be on hand when the group performs on Sunday, October 7th. Tickets are on sale now!
And, if you like '80's music, be sure to check out Asia (also with all of the original members onboard), performing on November 2nd and Air Supply, who will light up the stage with their Greatest Hits / Christmas Show on December 7th. 
Complete details on the OShows website:  
re: OTHER SHOWS AND EVENTS:
Kent:
The Zombies returned to the States for a summer tour this past month and headlined two soldout concerts at the Highline Ballroom in New York City.
The magic of keyboardist songwriter Rod Argent on stage with lead singer Coin Blunstone is still intact after 50 years. No, that's no typo! The Zombies formed over 50 years ago.
Here’s a treat for Forgotten Hits readers only:
Below is an exclusive video shot for FH readers by Brad Joblin of “Time of the Season” during the first night of the band’s 2 night NYC engagement.
-- Tom Cuddy
I've heard nothing but good things about this most recent Zombies reunion ... in fact, we even featured a track off their brand new LP "Breathe Out, Breathe In" a while back. Hoping they take this show on the road and make it out Chicago-way. (Ron Onesti ... are you paying attention?!?!? You gotta book these guys!) kk


WILDWOOD HISTORY ... and ROCK & ROLL HISTORY, TOO!
Upwards of 10,000 fans turned out for the BIG 100TH ANNIVERSARY BASH and CONCERT for Wildwood, New Jersey (1912-2012) on 9/2!
Charlie Gracie and Chubby Checker were the headliners (see PIC of Charlie and Chubby KISSIN' and TWISTIN' ON STAGE!) They are long time friends and former label mates at CAMEO-PARKWAY RECORDS. The TRAMMPS and the BLUE NOTES also did a fabulous job during the festival which lasted 10 hours -- including a fireworks finale! Charlie heads over to England for a 3-week concert tour starting 9/27!
Charlie Gracie, Jr.



re: DICK BIONDI QUITS THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME:
Got this clip from FH Reader Tom Cuddy from a local Chicago TV Show. While I have to commend Dick for his actions, I also have to state that I don't see ANY record of Biondi ever being inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, although he is always referred to this way.  Quite honestly, very few deejays are ... but I don't see his name on the list. Now granted, he's in just about every OTHER radio-related Hall Of Fame known to man ... but I don't see him on THIS particular list. (Not that they're going to pay any attention to him anyway ... the powers that be seem only to be focused on the new "eligibles" each year, continuing to ignore some of the biggest names in rock and roll history in the process. They lost their credibility with most of the public ages ago.) 
Here's an idea ... instead of making the criteria the fact that you can first become eligible 25 years after your first recording, how about a criteria that your music has to have remained relevant for 25 years or more? Induct those whose music not only was revolutionary at the time but remains a part of our daily soundtrack all these years later ... an impact that has never really diminished or faded away ... rather than some of these "trendy" nominations because "we need another rap act". THEN maybe you can start to win our support and affection back.
A noble act by Dick Biondi to be sure ... and a commendable attempt to draw attention to the ridiculous omission of Chicago ... but sadly it'll fall on the same deaf ears that we've all been up against for years now.  (kk)

re: CONGRATULATIONS TO FORGOTTEN HITS
READER (AND LOCAL CELEB) CHET COPPOCK ...
AND TO FRED WINSTON, TOO!:
This Sunday marks the 62nd consecutive Chicago Bears home opener that will be attended by Chicago sports talk legend Chet Coppock. According to Coppock, this annual event of his is "dating back to the days when Ike ran the show." Coppock tells CRM "it's gotta' be a world record ... or as my ex-wife says, 'it shows how limited your life really is.'" For the record, Coppock is predicting a big Bears win against the Colts on Sunday.
-- Chicagoland Radio and Media
WTG, Big Guy!
Chicagoland Radio and Media also reports that WLS-FM listeners can expect to hear more of Fred Winston in the days and weeks to come ... and we couldn't be happier. Welcome back, Fred ... it's where you belong! (kk)


re: ANOTHER LOSS:
Because we were running our '60's Essays last week, we missed covering the death of Joe South ... but Tom Diehl didn't ... and even did his whole Top Shelf Oldies Show around the legendary song-writer, artist and guitarist ..
This past Wednesday, September 5th, we lost Joe South at the age of 72. On Thursday night for Top Shelf Oldies I did a 4-hour long tribute to the music of Joe South ... songs he played guitar on, songs he wrote, songs he produced and songs he sang. The entire archived show can be found at www.ramtownlive.com/realdeal.html under the 9-6-12 date.
Tom
Joe South scored his biggest hit as a solo recording act in 1968 "Games People Play" went to #10 in Cash Box Magazine.  Phil Nee recently featured Joe's 1969 Hit "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" as part of our Walk Don't Run Marathon Weekend ... and South also wrote the hits "Down In The Boondocks" by Billy Joe Royal, "Hush", also by Royal and, perhaps more famously, by Deep Purple and "Yo Yo" by The Osmonds.  He also enjoyed a career as a successful studio / session guitarist.  He will be missed.  (kk)
 


re: ALSO ON THE RADIO:  
Hey guys:
Sorry I didn't get a chance to email you earlier, but last night at the Boulder Theatre (SOLD OUT, btw) it was the Colorado Music Hall of Fame Induction (#2) which included the Astronauts, Sugarloaf, Flash Cadillac and KIMN Radio!
To celebrate, Cruisin Oldies 950AM has been broadcasting old KIMN memories for the last few days ... and LAST night they broadcast all old KIMN 950 (all of the time), old KIMN D.J.'s, classic oldies and original KIMN Jingles and old commericals ... things like going to see the Moonrakers, and Beggar's Opera Company, Lakeside Amusement Park, concerts with the Byrds, et al. If you get a chance, please go to the Cruisin' Oldies website: http://www.cruisinoldies950.com/events/listings.aspx ... just click to listen ... I guarantee you'll love it!!!
Also, be on the lookout for a new Oldies station on 870 AM, "THE BIG 87, KJMP" (out of Ft Collins), in fact you can tune in to that station RIGHT NOW ... it's brand new and music from the 50's and 60's (no commercials, no jocks), plus, you might hear a familiar voice on there soon! (Hint Hint!!!)
Thanx, love and blessings to you all,
"Wild" Bill Cody
Sorry this couldn't go out sooner than today (but we've been busy!!!)
I tried the Listen Live Link on Cruisin' Oldies and got no further than a Geico commercial ... after that, nothing else would play ... will have to try it again later. Hopefully some of our readers will have better luck than I did ... 'cause this should be a pretty cool celebration! Good Luck with the KJMP gig, Wild Bill ... it'd be GREAT to have you back on the airwaves again! (kk)


Kent ...
This is first NFL weekend. WCBS-FM will be playing first #1 song that "Kicked Off An Artists' Career" all weekend long. Clever, don't you think? (Too bad "Backfield In Motion" by Mel and Tim was only a #10 Hit in 1969.)  
Click here: Artists And Their “Kickoff #1s” In The CBS-FM Hall Of Fame « WCBS-FM 101.1
Frank B.
Actually, a first-time, out-of-the-box #1 kind of limits "the playing field", if you know what I mean. I kinda like the idea one of our readers sent to Scott Shannon a year or two ago ... The "First And Foremost" Weekend ... where he played the artists' first Top 40 Chart Hit ... followed by their Biggest Hit ... now, in the case of an artist like The Beatles ... that made for two REALLY big hits ... "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (#1 for seven weeks), followed by "Hey Jude" (#1 for NINE weeks!) But it ALSO meant that the first record didn't have to be a #1 Hit, so you got a bit more variety this way. (We may be featuring some of these "First And Foremost" Hits in a future series here in Forgotten Hits ... as a way of doing more "Two-Fers" ... First And Foremost ... Two-Sided Hits ... our on-going "One You Know, One You Didn't Even Know You Forgot", etc, etc, etc. Just gotta find the time to pull it all together!!!


And, speaking of The Beatles ...


re:  THE BEATLES:  
Kent ...
Do you have enough money in the budget for a road trip?
Frank B.
Click here: Beatles Fans Set Sights On New Guinness World Record « WCBS-FM 101.1
I'm going to have to contribute my harmony from my living room for this one ... but it WILL be cool to see how many show up for this thing! (kk)


Hi Kent - 
Always good to read comments about the Beatles. Of course from an American perspective, they broke through in 1964 ... but Beatlemania started in UK in January of 1963. I remember taking a very quiet young girl to Romford ABC cinema in that month and witnessed Beatlemaia. When they came out and hit the first note of "Please Please Me", she leapt 15 feet in the air and screamed solid for 40 minutes!!!
Geoff Dorsett

Hi - I grew up listening to Art Roberts on WLS.
Just before he died, Art told me the story to set it straight regarding The First Beatles Record Played in America.
Here are his own words, which I hope you will print in your article to finally make this official:

"Hello Eliot,
Well, let me tell you the story of PLEASE PLEASE ME. The record was released on the V. J. label. It was a local Chicago recording company. The owner, Hewitt Abner, brought a copy of the record to W. L. S.
I was the music director at the time and listened to his story about a group, and looked at pictures in teen magazines he brought back from England. I figured, what if this group would get as popular in the United States as they were in England and Europe. So I added the record to the list. I believe we had the first Beatles fan club in America. I called it Beatles Fan Club No. 1."
-- Art Roberts 

Submitted by Eliot Stein
We pretty much tell this story in our article ...  
Art Roberts DID have the very first Beatles Fan Club (Fan Club #1) in America ... and if he WAS the Program Director / Music Director at the time at WLS (and decided to add "Please Please Me" to the station's playlist), that IS most likely what got it played here in Chicago first ... but that doesn't mean the he personally played it ... that distinction still most likely went to Dick Biondi, who was the top-rated jock at the station at the time ... and, as such, new premiers were featured on his show, not Art Roberts' program. (I've also read that in February / March of 1963, the WLS Program Director was Clark Weber ... and/or Gene Taylor ... so we've got some discrepancies there as well.)
In an interview that Art Roberts (a GREAT and legendary jock in his own right, by the way ... I, too, grew up listening to him on WLS, albeit most often with my radio hidden under my pillow each night so that my parents wouldn't know I was still up listening to the radio!) did with Stew Salowitz for his book "Chicago's Personality Radio: The WLS Disc Jockeys of the Early 1960's", he says that the Program Director at WLS at the time he was hired was Sam Holman ... and that he inherited the 9 PM to Midnight time slot after the departure of Dick Biondi (which would have been AFTER "Please Please Me" made the WLS Silver Dollar Survey). He goes on to say: "I had a chance to be a part of the beginning of The Beatles. I had the first Beatles fan club way before they ever came to this country. I would read in magazines how popular the group was in England and thought, 'What would happen if the became big here?' So I started Beatles Fan Club Number One ... and we had maybe a hundred and fifty members ... not a lot of kids responded to it. But then when they hit, it was kind of neat to know that those few were very proud of the fact that they belonged to the Chicago Beatles Fan Club Number One." I think you'll agree that that's a slightly different version of the story he told you ... although the essence regarding the fan club is the same ... so that's the part WE went with in our article.
Scott Childers' book "Chicago's WLS Radio" says Gene Taylor was named Program Director in 1961, and stayed in that position until he assumed the Station Manager's job in 1965. Clark Weber's book confirms this ... in fact Clark took over the Program Director's job when Gene moved up the corporate ladder.
In his book "Rock And Roll Radio: The Fun Years, 1955 - 1975", Clark Weber remembers WLS first airing The Beatles' record "Please Please Me" this way:
"It all started back when Vee-Jay Records released the Beatles' first record, "Please Please Me", and the flip side, "Ask Me Why". WLS had been"burned" a few months earlier by another British rock star named Cliff Richard, whose record went nowhere in the U.S., and we were very leery of promoting another British rock group. Yet, more as a favor to the owners of Vee-Jay, Vivian Carter and James Bracken, we took a shot at it. Dick Biondi was the first WLS DJ to get the go ahead to begin playing the Beatles record. We played it for two weeks, took it off the air, and then put it back on again for another two weeks, thanks to the pleading of Vee-Jay, along with the Beatles growing popularity in England. Finally, the song was killed."
-- Clark Weber
As pointed out in our article, "Please Please Me" tanked when it was first released here in the States in February of 1963 ... America would catch on for nearly a year (when that very same record would go on to hover near the top of the charts.) With Vee Jay being based here in Chicago, we were the most likely market to break the record Stateside ... but it never happened. Total sales of "Please Please Me" in 1963 numbered somewhere around 7000 copies ... for the entire year ... hardly enough to make it a hit on ANY music chart. (kk)
For the benefit of anybody out there who STILL hasn't read our landmark piece, WHO PLAYED THE FIRST BEATLES RECORD IN AMERICA, you'll find it here:
The Rolling Stones are releasing yet another Greatest Hits album, this time with two new, recently recorded songs. Would you buy their CD for two new songs ?
Frank B.
Lord knows I've done it before!!! (lol) Actually the 4-CD, 80-Song Collection sounds kind of interesting, if it truly is an all-encompassing career collection. Then again, I've got all the hits ... but to have them all in one place would be kinda neat. (kk)


re: RICK NELSON:
Kent ...
Wild Wayne just interview Gunnar Nelson, Rick's son. Here's what I learned:
Ricky Nelson's idol was Carl Perkins.
Sam Phillips wanted Ricky to record for Sun Records. Ricky worked on TV show five days a week and toured on they weekends. They just couldn't get together.
Garden Party: People were expecting to see TV Ricky Nelson. He'd been touring with the Stone Canyon Band for five years before this concert. He had long hair and dressed differently. When he sang the Stones' "Honky Tonk Women", they booed him. He wrote the song one night in his music room ... took him about ten minutes!
The Nelson Family is in the Guinness Book Of World Records. Three generations had # 1 Hits.
1935 - The Ozzie Nelson Band had a #1 Hit called "And Then Some".
Ricky went to #1 twice with "Poor Little Fool" and "Travelin' Man".
Then The Nelsons made it to #1 with "I Can't Live Without Your Love And Affection".
Ricky Nelson died on New Years Eve, 1985. Matthew was on a date with his girlfriend. Gunnar was on his way to a party with his friend. They told him to go home, his mother needed him. He walked in the house and saw pictures of the plane crash on TV. He passed out. They broadcast it before notifying the family.
Frank B.
No secret here .. I am a HUGE Rick Nelson fan ... love ALL of his music, regardless of era (but the hits are still my favorites.) The Nelson single "(Can't Live Without Your) Love And Affection" topped Billboard's Pop Singles chart for a week in 1990 ... and it's a great tune. In addition to their singing talent (Mom Harriet was also a big band singer), father Ozzie turned his family into America's favorite family by way of first a radio program and then one of the longest running television series of that time, "The Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet" (formerly "Here Come The Nelsons"). But acting was a big part of their resumes, too. The entire family participated on the show, including brother David, who went on to become a very successful television producer in his own right after the series ended. When the boys got married, their wives joined the cast ... in hindsight, it almost qualifies as TV's first "scripted" / reality series. Rick's oldest daughter Tracy was a successful television actress, too, and twin sons Matthew and Gunnar continue to help keep their father's legacy alive by presenting a loving and affectionate (get it?) tribute live on stage. Since we don't feature much '90's music here, let's play their #1 Hit here today. (kk)


re: ELVIS:
Caught in a Trap: Elvis's Last No. 1 Hit
By MARC MYERS (from The Wall Street Journal, August 30, 2012)

Popperfoto / Getty Images
A composite image with three views of Elvis Presley, circa 1969.

In the late 1960s, as the landscape of rock and soul shifted underneath him, Elvis Presley's career began to sputter. Then, some headway: A TV special in December 1968 rekindled interest, and the following month Presley headed into the studio to record what would become "From Elvis in Memphis"—a rock-soul album that is still considered one of his finest. "In the Ghetto" from those sessions went to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. And 43 years ago this week, a Memphis recording that didn't make the album was released as a single. "Suspicious Minds" went to No. 1 in November 1969. It led to Presley's "comeback," albeit one that would later play out largely in Las Vegas. 

Presley's "Suspicious Minds" actually was a cover. A year earlier, singer Mark James had written and recorded the original for Scepter Records.

Last week, Mr. James, 71, and producer Chips Moman, 75, talked about the song's inspiration and how an argument over rights nearly cost the King his hit. What follows was edited from those interviews.
Mark James: In early 1968, Chips Moman asked me to come to Memphis to write songs for his music publishing company. I was living in Houston at the time and had written three hits that reached No. 1 in the South. Chips's American Sound Studio was just starting to get hot — the Box Tops had just recorded "The Letter" there. So I relocated.

Elvis Presley Enterprises
Mark James at this year's Elvis Week singers and songwriters showcase held at Graceland.

Late one night, fooling around on my Fender guitar and using my Hammond organ pedals for a bass line, I came up with a catchy melody. I was married to my first wife then but still had feelings for my childhood sweetheart, who was married back in Houston. My wife suspected I had those feelings, so it was a confusing time for me. I felt as though all three of us were all caught in this trap that we couldn't walk out of. 

At my recording session, Chips produced, I sang the lead vocal and the studio band backed me. The strings, horns and Holladay Sisters were overdubbed later. After the tape was mixed, Chips and I flew to Scepter in New York, where my manager had contacts. They loved the song and put it out, but the label didn't have the dollars to promote new talent, so the song didn't chart.

Later that year, Don Cruise, Chips's partner, told me Elvis had booked American Sound to record what would become his "From Elvis in Memphis" album. Don kept asking if I had any songs that would be a good fit. Tom Jones was hot at the time, and I knew Elvis needed a mature rock 'n' roll song to bring him back. Don and I thought of "Suspicious Minds".

Sony Music / Associated Press

TURNAROUND IN TENNESSEE: Presley jump-started his career by recording 'Suspicious Minds' in Memphis; left, with producer Chips Moman.

Chips Moman: When Elvis arrived at my studio in January 1969, he was looking for new material. I played him Mark's Scepter record, and he was crazy about it. He wanted to hear the song over and over again, and learned it on the spot.

Mr. James: I wasn't at Elvis's recording. Days earlier I had walked into the control room and sensed he was uncomfortable. He was like, "Who is this guy? I met him twice, why is he here?" I didn't want to jinx the song, so I stayed away.

Mr. Moman: We finally got around to recording "Suspicious Minds" after midnight [early on Jan. 23]. I had a ping-pong table, and Elvis was pretty good at it [laughing]. He used the same arrangement on Mark's single and most of the same American Sound studio musicians.

When we finished, Elvis's crowd of business people standing around said they wanted half my publishing rights. I told them they were barking up the wrong tree. I accused them of stealing, they got angry, and I threatened to halt the entire session.

Fortunately, RCA's Harry Jenkins said, "This boy is right and we're going to finish the session just the way he wants to." Jenkins sensed "Suspicious Minds" was going to be big and he knew there would be plenty to go around.

Mr. James: The next day I heard the track at the studio. At first I thought it sounded too slow. But when I heard how it was embellished later, I was blown away.

Mr. Moman: Felton Jarvis [Elvis's longtime producer] was never happy that Elvis recorded at American. It was a control thing. So when Jarvis took the tape of "Suspicious Minds," he added this crazy 15-second fade toward the end, like the song was ending, and brought it back by overdubbing to extend it. I have no idea why he did that, but he messed it up. It was like a scar. None of which mattered. Soon after the song was released, Elvis was back on top of the charts.

Mr. James: In the years that followed, whenever I saw Elvis, he'd cross the room just to say hello to me—no matter who was with him. After he died, I heard he'd always asked the guys in the studio, "Did Mark send me any more songs?" Golly, I wish I had known that.

A few years back, we did a similar piece on Elvis' return to Memphis to record with Chips Moman ... and the "comeback" hits that followed. (It was part of our 2009 "40-Year Anniversary Tribute to 1969" as well as the 32nd Anniversary of Elvis' death.) "Suspicious Minds" became a HUGE #1 Hit and one of Elvis' signature songs. Here it is again for those who may have missed it (kk):
Click here: Forgotten Hits: Remembering Elvis


re: THE MONKEES:
Dear Fans of Television and / or Rock 'n' Roll,
As promised, here is the linkage to my report on THE MONKEES DVD collections as it appears in the most recent issue of "New York Waste" Magazine.
Please, as always, feel more than free to read, reprint, re-post, quote from and / or link to ...
http://www.newyorkwaste.com/nyw_main/NYWaste-Summer-2012/2012-Summer-Waste-P24.html



Join fellow fans from all over the world to mark the one-year anniversary of Davy Jones' passing with a celebration of the former teen idol's life, and his band, at the The David T. Jones Memorial Monkees Convention, March 1-3, 2013 at the Sheraton Hotel Conference Center (home of Rock Con), Meadowlands Plaza, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Tickets now on sale at: http://monkeeconvention.com/tickets.html.
NOTE: Early-bird discounted advance tickets are less expensive before September 12th.
There will be live concert performances, special guest interviews, autograph and photo opportunities, question & answer sessions; a mammoth Monkees music & memorabilia marketplace / rock & roll flea market, art exhibits, film and video showings, the "David T. Jones Message of Hope" book project, plus much more Monkeemania.
Headlining the memorial convention are Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. That in itself would be enough reason to come to the event. Other Special Guests of Honor includes Brady Bunch (on which Davy appeared) actors Christopher (Peter) Knight, Mike (Bobby) Lookinland, Susan (Cindy) Olsen, Geri ("fake Jan") Reischl, TV personality Butch (Eddie Munster) Patrick - Butch appeared in one of the Monkees' TV episodes; singer Ron Dante, who was lead singer in the Archies and was one of Davy Jones' record producers; singer Gary DeCarlo who was lead singer in the band Steam ("Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye") and appeared with Davy Jones on Davy's last PBS TV concert appearance; actresses Donna Loren and Arlene Martel, who each appeared in Monkees television episodes; and world famous rock & roll artist Shannon, known for her "7 Faces of Beatles" collection will be introducing her "7 Faces of Davy" collection specifically for this event, and Davy portrait artist Jennifer Anne will also be exhibiting her artwork. Other guests will be added.
Performing live over the three-day extravaganza will be members of Davy Jones' touring band along with popular Monkees tribute bands including "The Characters," who played many of the Monkees Conventions through the years and also backed up Micky, Davy and Peter; "The Blue Meanies," who performed at a Davy Jones tribute at NY's BB Kings club; "Loose Salute" who specialize in Mike Nesmith songs; and Pat Horgan's "Garage Band Tribute to The Monkees." The very rare Monkeemobile will also be on display.
The David T. Jones Memorial Monkees Convention is being presented with the blessings of Davy's family, and funds will be raised to support the Davy Jones Equine Memorial Fund. Jones was an avid horseman and this charity ensures the continuing care of the horses he so loved.
This event is open to all ages, and the hotel is offering special reduced convention rates for guests wishing to stay overnight. Join fellow fans and music lovers from all over the country and overseas as they take the Last Train To Clarksville (actually to the Meadowlands) to be a Believer! The weekend guarantees fun-filled activities and attractions with Music, Memories, Monkees and much more.
The David T. Jones Memorial Monkees Convention is produced by Phyllis Paganucci of Then & Now Events in association with Charles F. Rosenay!!!'s Liverpool Productions. Davy, Micky and Peter were all the special guests at the very last national Monkees Convention produced on the East Coast in 1987, and this production team has reunited after twenty-five years to bring fans the ultimate celebration possible in memory of Davy Jones.
For more info, email djmemorialconvention@gmail.com, visit website www.monkeeconvention.com, visit Facebook event page https://www.facebook.com/events/282953408446346/ or call toll-free
(866) M-O-N-K-E-E-S.
 
re: BOB DYLAN:
Kent ...
Here's a Freebie for your readers.
Frank B.
Pretty cool, actually ... for a limitedtime, you can listen to Bob Dylan's entire new album for free on iTunes (link is inside THIS link below):
Click here: Listen To Bob Dylan’s New Album ‘Tempest’ For Free Now « WCBS-FM 101.1

re:  SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE:
Kent,
I gotta agree with you on your assessment of the WCBS-FM Top 20. Since I no longer live in Chicago, I don't have the luxury or switching stations to see what else is on. I get a classic rock station, which leans toward playing Bon Jovi and Journey, an "oldies" station which doesn't play much of anything before the disco era, a top 40 station which isn't gonna happen and a station that features the "SAM" format. ("Simply About Music"). You're likely to hear a half dozen killer tunes in a row, followed by a half dozen tunes you can do without. All the rest are country. However the classic country station will play some killer 50s rock / country songs. I just don't want to wait for the one song an hour by the Everlys, Jerry Lee, Johnny Cash, etc.
Jack

I'm part of an Eagles tribute show and I'm always amazed how people still love Hotel California.
I don't ever need to hear it again, but of course I'll have to. <grin>
My favorite Eagles song is probably New Kid in Town. It has everything ... great melody, great production and arranging, and of course the vocals. I don't know why I'm not sick of it, but I still love singing it.
Bill
Don't get me wrong ... I LOVE "Hotel California", too ... in fact, I think it's one of the greatest songs ever written and recorded ... it's just that radio ... in its infinite wisdom ... is RUINING it for me ... and there's NO reason for this to happen. Again, these high-paid consultants and expert have never learned the concept of "Less Is More" ... if they varied the playlist a little more ... and took some of these heavy rotation songs out of the 20-times-a-week mix, we might enjoy hearing them again because they haven't been beaten into our brains to the point of absolutely detesting them every time they come on now. Again, something like 7000 songs made The Top 40 Chart between 1956 and 1979 ... so a playlist of 200-300 of them grows old VERY fast. I swear, I cannot turn on the radio today without hearing a Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Journey or Steve Miller song ... nor can I go twenty minutes (no matter how many buttons I push) without running into another one. This is variety? This is what you guys think listeners want to hear?!?! Then what makes YOUR station stand out from the rest ... when I can literally go up and down the dial, again and again, and hear the EXACT same songs (and artists) with virtually every button I push??? Overall, radio HAS gotten better ... we've seen it and heard it ... but we're just not quite there yet when "Hotel California", "Take It Easy" and (go figure) "Already Gone" still come on 20+ times per week. It's not like there's a shortage of OTHER Eagles material to rotate once in a while. And I guarantee you ... we will come to appreciate these songs again if you just stop bashing us over the head with them!!! (kk)

Kent ...
Here's the whole list of WCBS-FM's Top 500 Labor Day Countdown.
Scroll down and stop when you get to #20 ... I know you don't like the Top 20.
Frank B.
re: THE ARCHIVES:
2500 FILES??!! I am cross-eyed just imagining it.
Shelley
I couldn't believe it myself! Incredibly, I now have just over 4600 total files, 2003 - 2008, that were recovered. The ones prior to 2003 are probably gone forever ... but it's a pretty amazing body of work, don'tcha think?!?!? I probably could have written half a dozen encyclopedias by now!!! (kk)

re: THIS AND THAT:
I saw this this morning and thought some of the Forgotten Hits gang would like this. It's on my list.
Action! The Songs of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart: Various Artists:
http://www.amazon.com/Action-Songs-Tommy-Boyce-Bobby/dp/tracks/B008L1H0LC/ref=dp_tracks_all_1#disc_1
It's an interesting collection because some of the best known hits featured are done by somebody other than the artist(s) you'd most expect to find. Looks like they're currently out of stock 'tho ... so put it on your Want List! (kk)
Starship Guitarist Mark Abrahamian Dies
by The Associated Press | September 04, 2012 10:30 EDT 
Starship 

Mark Abrahamian, the lead guitarist for the rock group Starship, died of a heart attack after a concert in Norfolk, Neb., his road manager said. He was 46.
Road manager Scott Harrison said Abrahamian collapsed after a performance Sunday night.
"We had just finished the show. We were back in the dressing room eating. He apparently told the bass player he wasn't feeling well," Harrison said Monday.
Abrahamian went into the next room and was talking to his fiancee on the phone when he collapsed, Harrison said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Harrison says an autopsy was done Monday.
"It's a shock to everyone," Harrison told The Associated Press in a phone interview from the airport in Omaha, where he was waiting for Abrahamian's fiancee. They planned to get married in December in Hawaii, Harrison said.
Starship was the opening band for a concert that also featured Survivor and Boston.
Harrison said Abrahamian hadn't mentioned any health problems to him, but he apparently had been telling his fiancee.
"He had been having chest pains for a while," Harrison said.
Harrison said Starship's concert on Monday in Orem, Utah, was canceled.
Abrahamian joined Starship 11 years ago. Starship's history goes back to the 1960s with Jefferson Airplane and in 1980s Jefferson Starship.
Abrahamian lived in Austin, Texas. Funeral services are pending
Kent
We have tickets to see Starship on September 12 at the Metropolis Theater in Arlington Heights where my daughter and son in law work. I wonder how this will affect the concert?
Bill Hengels


Kent,
My mother-in-law sent this and I did not know if you have seen this. I wish it would have been clearer but it sure brought back memories listening to this and I just had to share.
THIS INSTRUMENTAL WAS A "SMASH HIT" FOR THE VENTURES.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR "LITTLE DRUMMER BOY". ENJOY!!
Do you remember the Ventures and Babbitt the drummer who played "Walk Don't Run"?
Do any of you remember the USAF Four Star General George Babbitt from Tacoma, WA? Anyone who thought the military is all spit and polish and discipline?
Pretty interesting. General Babbitt was a drummer at one time for the Ventures.This is cool.
Watch it. You will love it if you like rock n' roll. Some of you probably don't remember the Ventures. Those that do, enjoy the clip. It should bring a smile to your face.
http://www.stumptownblogger.com/2012/04/what-a-cool-video.html?cid=6a010536b86d36970c0163050cd62f970d
Janice I. Burns,
Orlando, FL
Actually, yes, we've received this several times over the years ... but always nice to watch again. Here it is for the benefit of those who may not have seen it before. (kk)

Hi Kent,
Problem solved! For weeks my wife, Judy, and I have watched Debbie Boone singing on that face lift commercial and couldn't work out what on earth she was singing - especially with our 'English' trained ears. Sounded like 'Oolie op' with her mouth extending to her ears on the 'lie' part.
And then I read: - it was Debby Boone's, "You Light Up My Life" - in the encyclopedia of life, Forgotten Hits. We weren't in the States when she had the hit so didn't put the two together.
As always, keep up the good work.
Cheers,
Vic
Has Debby Boone had a face lift then?!?!? If so, maybe it's just become so much harder for her to enunciate now that she can barely move her lips!!! (Haven't seen the commercial ... and can't believe you've never heard "You Light Up My Life" ... it was #1 here for TEN STRAIGHT WEEKS in what can only be described ... after the third week ... as bloody hell to an Englishman!!!)
Thanks for the kind words ... Forgotten Hits: The Encyclopedia Of Life ... I like it!!! (kk)

re: '60's ESSAYS:
Have you voted for your favorite Fifth Grade Essay yet? We'll be tabulating your votes throughout the weekend ... and next week we'll announce the winner ... scroll back to read all ten entries ... and then cast your vote for the one that you think best captures the spirit on The Music of the '60's.

re: TOP 100 ONE HIT WONDERS:
Watch for an email announcement once we have The Top 100 One Hit Wonders (as tabulated by Rich Appel for his Labor Day Weekend Countdown Radio Special) posted on our website. We hope to have the list posted in the next day or two.


re: STAYIN' ALIVE:
This just in from FH Reader Frank B:
Kent ...
This story was in today's newspaper: "Death Threat By Robin Gibb"
The late Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, came under FBI scrutiny in the early 80's for allegedly threatening and trying to blackmail the lawyers repping his then-wife, The Post has learned. The Rock-n-Roll Hall of Famer's records - buried deep in FBI files in New York and Miami - were released to The Post through a Freedom of Information request, once Gibb died in May at age 62 after a well-publicized battle with colon cancer. The London law firm Haymon and Walters first reported Gibb to the feds after it "received numerous threatening telegrams from Gibb which threatened their lives", according to an FBI report dated March 23, 1981. "What you have done is just about the limit", Gibb seethed to the lawyers in one telegram turned over to the FBI. "I have taken out a contract on (name deleted by the FBI ). It is now a question of time." Ultimately, Gibb's divorce from Molly Hullis was finalized. He remarried in 1985.
How come we never heard this story before?
Frank B.
Perhaps it was never taken seriously at the time ... maybe they just thought Robin had started a joke ... or these were only words ... or he was simply jive talkin'. Maybe they were still trying to determine how deep his love was or whether or not he could mend a broken heart. Or perhaps he was just trying to get his point across ... let somebody know how he really felt ... you know how it is when you've gotta get a message to somebody. And we ALL know how hard it is to love somebody sometimes ... thankfully it was all kept under control and never escalated. Robin endured his lonely days, came out of his night fever and ultimately there was no tragedy. Makes sense to me. (kk)
Just happened to see this in Wolfgang's Vault this week ... an interesting time in The Bee Gees' career ... "Saturday Night Fever" hadn't come out yet ... and they were still mixing the old ballads in with their most recent hits. Click here to catch a 1976 Bee Gees concert live at the Los Angeles Forum:
re: VIDEO CLIP OF THE WEEK:
I found this one on my High School Reunion Website ...It's Harry Nilsson (with a little help from Harry Nilsson ... and Harry Nilsson) doing a GREAT oldies medley! Check it out!




Taylor Swift finally released the official video for her hot new #1 Single this past week. How big a hit is it? In the first five days, the video had over seven million hits!!! And after a full week of being posted, it's now up to close to TWELVE MILLION! 
That's a few million more than our "Lonely Christmas" YouTube clip, posted by FH Reader David Lewis ... which, as of today, now has 124 views ... so if EVERYBODY will just click on the link below ...
Click here: Kent Kotal - Lonely Christmas - YouTube ...and listen to the song ... (and maybe even "LIKE" the song) ... we can hopefully catch Taylor Swift in no time!!! (Or at least double our views!!!)  By the way, when I told Frannie that "Lonely Christmas" now has 124 views she said (without missing a beat) "You need to stop going there every day!!!" (lol) Ahh ... humbled again.

Meanwhile, please ALSO check out the new Taylor Swift video for "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" ... 'cause it's a whole lotta fun, too! (kk)
 

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