Saturday, January 5, 2013

The Sunday Comments ( 01 - 06 - 13 )

re: PAUL REVERE:

Forgotten Hits salutes Paul Revere, who will be celebrating his 75th Birthday tomorrow (on Monday, January 7th!!!) I swear, the man doesn't even look 60!!! He's in GREAT shape ... and he's still rockin' up a storm! We publicly invite Jack Black to check these guys out in concert ... he'll be blown away! (Black recently made a comment that he's seen artists rock in their 50's and their 60's ... but he's never seen anybody rock in their 70's. Jack, I'd love to be sitting there next to you when Paul Revere and the Raiders take the stage ... you'll be chomping at the bit to jump on on stage and join them in all the rock and roll craziness!)    kk  

Raiders Drummer Tommy Scheckel tells us ...  

He’s still one of the funniest and most entertaining guys in show biz today and shows zero sign of slowing down. The younger guys in the band will be dragging through an airport after getting two hours sleep and Paul is still bright, sharp and making jokes, AND kicking butt later that night at the show. An amazing, amazing man!   

Tommy even sent in this special Birthday Banner to share with our readers ...



Paul Revere and the Raiders are just getting ready to set sail on the 2013 Concerts At Sea "Where The Action Is" cruise (departing January 20th) ... and now comes word that they're already booked for the 2014 Cruise, too!  Next year's line up will include B.J. Thomas, Mary Wilson and The Drifters! You'll find complete booking information here:


re: THE RASCALS:
Little Steven is one of the very few in showbiz that can bring great artists like these (back) together. Bravo!
-- BOB FRABLE  
I've been listening to the soundtrack for a brand new motion picture called "Not Fade Away", for which Little Steven was the musical director. The film was made by David Chase, who created "The Sopranos", on which Stevie Van Zandt starred as Silvio Dante. (In fact, the film also stars Tony Soprano himself, James Gandolfini!)  
It tells the story of three best friends living in the suburbs of New Jersey who decide to form a rock band after seeing The Rolling Stones appear on television ... and the soundtrack features a couple of real Stones tracks along with some remakes recorded by this "new" group, calling themselves The Twylight Zones (in which Van Zandt both performed and produced.)    
Thanks to Little Steven's involvement, we're also treated to original tracks by The Rascals, Bob Dylan, Bo Diddley, The Moody Blues, The Small Faces, The Left Banke, Robert Johnson, Johnny Burnett and the Rock 'n' Roll Trio, Elmore James, Van Morrison, The Sex Pistols and Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood! The Twylight Zones perform credible covers of '60's classics like "Pipeline", "Bo Diddley", "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "Time Is On My Side" and "Train Kept A-Rollin'".  
The soundtrack is available on ABKCO Records and the film is currently playing in select theaters around the country. (Check your local listings to see when "Not Fade Away" may be opening in your area.) kk

  
re: THIS AND THAT:
Why not have an Ed Sullivan tribute show on New Years? There would be some GREAT color gems to show the public that 70% have never seen, despite us 30% who have seen most of these. The overall public probably would LOVE a New Years show with Ed and FULL clips (none of this five seconds or banners) and not this silly musical dumbing down commentary on the DVDs. Have Casey Kasem or Dick Bartley host it. Someone the public can relate to. If ABC or whomever needs to have NAME acts, you cannot find more from 60's and 70's than those on the Sullivan show.
Clark Besch  

It's been the talk of the weekend ... The Rolling Stones have confirmed that they WILL tour during 2013. Details are being worked out as I type this. (kk)
Kent ...
For the record = When the Beach Boys say 50 years, they mean exactly 50 years.
When the Rolling Stones say 50 years, they mean 50+ years.
Frank B.Click here: The Rolling Stones Confirm 2013 Shows – And Coachella Hints Hard « WCBS-FM 101.1
Yes, they're now calling it the "Fifty and Counting" tour. LOTS of hype for this one ... and probably your last chance to see them ... so get your tickets early! (kk)   

 >>>Thanks so much for including New York’s a Lonely Town in this past Friday’s post. This track will forever remind me of the year that I lived with my family in a small resort town in South Jersey, (Avalon), 1964-65. I remember first hearing this song on WABC New York and the contrasting images of being in a wintry NY and the sunny climate of Southern California. As this song was climbing up the charts, I was trying to sled down sand dunes in a mixture of sand and swirling snow with the strong winds whipping around us, with no one else on the beach except us crazy kids. Thanks also for the Cape Of Good Hope track in this Sunday’s post. I am putting together a couple of compilations of Sunshine and Psych-Pop tracks from the late 60s where this track will have a place. (Justin)  
Maybe Justin in Minnesota would like to hear the great Winter's Children on the radio circa Christmas time '66! It was on the WCFL survey for a week and here played on one of my fave stations of the era, WKYC Cleveland as I taped. He would probably dig Dave Edmunds' 60's tribute to "NY's a Lonely Town" from across the big pond too!
Clark Besch
Justin:  Drop me a line if you'd like me to forward you the WKYC aircheck.  Meanwhile, I've got to tell you ... this Dave Edmunds track is GREAT! I've never heard it before. Edmunds has done his own arrangement of "New York's A Lonely Town" and retitled it "London's A Lonely Town", giving it a completely local flavor ... and it's killer. Be sure to check out this YouTube Clip! (Now I want the MP3!!!)  kk
UPDATE:  And, thanks to Tom Diehl, I've already got one!!!  Great version ... check it out!

Here's a great interview that Fontella Bass did with Fresh Aire. Even if the listener isn't interested in hearing the whole thing, start listening at 8:00 for an important piece of music trivia you'll never forget.
David Lewis 



Here's a brand new story about The Wrecking Crew documentary ...
Tom Cuddy  

The story behind Carly Simon's #1 Hit "You're So Vain" has come up numerous times before in Forgotten Hits. Here, on the 40th Anniversary of the song topping the charts is a special feature put together by Frank B's favorite radio station, WCBS-FM:

Kent,
To answer your question, the record by Michael Landon which you had posted Friday did not make the local survey here in OKC back in 1962. I did not know that M.L. had made any recordings. I checked the internet and, as you probably already know, said record in question he recorded earlier in 1957 when he debuted in the movie I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF. It was re-released years later in 1962 when the television show BONANZA was a hit.
Larry Neal
Michael Landon's publicity agent had a full court press on trying to make him an across-the-boards star, pursuing any and all avenues once his face was plastered on all the teen magazines. Although Michael always maintained that he was never a singer, they released this record anyway ... and honestly, I didn't think it was all that bad. (Landon and his castmates from Bonanza recorded a couple of albums together, too ... and I remember getting one of them for Christmas circa 1964 or 1965 ... and it being one of my most prized possessions at the time! lol) Figured you weren't going to hear Michael Landon sing anywhere else but Forgotten Hits so I featured "Gimme A Little Kiss" as a bonus treat last week. (kk)


>>>I agree with you in that I wouldn't classify Patti Page as a country singer. Here in OKC back in the late fifties - early sixties, the great majority of her Mercury recordings made our local top 40 radio station's weekly survey. I played last night her 1962 song, THE BOYS NIGHT OUT. Her recording of HUSH! HUSH! SWEET CHARLOTTE made it to number one here in OKC. (Larry)  
Larry,
I spent the summer in OKC 1965 where I first started taping off the radio and Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte was a BIG memory for me because it was played non-stop at the time. The Yardbirds' "For Your Love" was such a huge #1 in OKC about then, too, that the Yardbirds played OKC on their first American Tour because of the song reaching #1 there! It was a big culture shock for the group traveling across the south. I went to see Gary Lewis & the Playboys as a 9 year old that summer and all the KOMA jocks were there and Gary played "For Your Love", too!
Clark  

There is a GREAT Kenny Rogers double feature running on GAC later today. (Check your local listings ... here in Chicago it airs on Sunday at 4 pm). First up ... a one hour program called "Backstory" that gives you a complete overview of Kenny's career (and ties in nicely with his recently published autobiography.) Then a 90-minute, all-star tribute concert celebrating Kenny's 50th Year in Show Business. (Yep, another one!!!) Some great performances and duets, especially the Lionel Richie / Kenny Rogers working of "Lady", Kenny's HUGE #1 Smash from 1980. The original First Edition even get back together ... a fun way to spend 2 1/2 hours on a Sunday Afternoon ... highly recommended. (kk)


re: TODAY'S FORGOTTEN HIT:
We've got a couple of good ones scattered through today's posting ... but here's another bonus ... Don Covay and the Goodtimers doing "Mercy, Mercy", a #26 Pop Hit from 1964. (kk)

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Friday, January 4, 2013

The Friday Flash


re: PATTI PAGE:  
Kent,
I agree with you in that I wouldn't classify Patti Page as a country singer. Here in OKC back in the late fifties - early sixties, the great majority of her Mercury recordings made our local top 40 radio station's weekly survey. I played last night her 1962 song, THE BOYS NIGHT OUT. Her recording of HUSH! HUSH! SWEET CHARLOTTE made it to number one here in OKC. I didn't know what a radio was when she recorded TENNESSEE WALTZ but I did become familiar with the song when singer Bobby Comstock recorded it to a rock flavor in 1959.
Larry
In addition to "The Doggie In The Window" being a song my Mother sang to me as a baby, "The Tennessee Waltz" was also my Mom and Dad's "song" ... so I guess Patti Page had a more pronounced affect on my younger years than many.  Yes, it is music from another era ... but of that time, hers was amongst the best radio had to offer.  (kk)   

Baltimore Net Radio Honors Patti Page
What: REMEMBERING PATTI PAGE
Where: Baltimore Net Radio
www.baltimorenetradio.com
When: All day Friday, January 4th
In honor and in memory of PATTI PAGE, Baltimore Net Radio will be playing four songs an hour all day on Friday, January 4th for 24 hours to a world wide audience. Three times during the day (at 10 am, 3 pm and 8 pm, all New York times) a rebroadcast of BNR's Birthday Tribute to Patti which aired on her last birthday, November 8, 2012 will be played. As an added bonus, Baltimore Net Radio will air the last live interview Patti did for her 2011 Birthday at select times during the day.
Go to: www.baltimorenetradio.com
click on the LISTEN LIVE button and enjoy!
Baltimore Net Radio loves Patti Page and her music will live on for all to enjoy!    

And, speaking of on the radio ...    

re: ON THE RADIO:  
Friday Night, DJ Stu Weiss will begin counting down The Top 100 Songs of 1963. The countdown begins at 9:10 PM (Eastern Time) and runs through Midnight. Part Two will air next Friday at the same time. 
You can listen live here: Click here: Home  
It's Oldies Your Way. (Catch Stu's entire program from 6:30 pm - 3 am) kk     

Kent,
See the article below from the Radio Ink ... Levine's comment that radio is losing revenue as a result of years of damage from consolidation and reduction of resources, and ultimately it's loss of localism, hints at the very answer that will eventually change it. Money, the lack of it. If it's not being made then I see the market finally reverting to an "old fashioned concept", as Levine says. And if the revenue shows increases with this 'novel' concept, radio will get back to its roots, serving the Public.
-Bish
WRLR 98.3 FM
Round Lake, IL 60073
Consolidation is Killing the Radio Business
Ed Levine once worked for Mel Karmazin at WJFK in Washington DC. He says he learned more working for Mel at Infinity in two years than anyone else at any time during his radio career. While employed by Infinity Levine was assembling a plan to make his dream of ownership come true back in upstate, New York. In 1992, Levine would give back his Infinity stock and launch his first station in Utica.
Levine, now with clusters in Syracuse and Utica, is the Radio Ink cover interview on January 21st which focuses on small market radio. Levine says there's a battle brewing between small market radio and the big guns. "Consolidation has caused radio revenue to go backwards. These are not McDonald's. These are not one-system fits all. Every radio station is it's own living, breathing organism."I think that's going to be a very interesting competitive battle over the next five or ten years. It’s really a battle for the soul of radio." Here's more from our interview with Galaxy Communications CEO Ed Levine.
On why the radio industry is not growing its revenue ...
"It gets back to blocking and tackling and taking care of the local communities with local personalities, local promotions and local events. You will reap the rewards of that. We've spent the better part of the last 15 years, since consolidation really took hold, coming up with easy answers. At the end of the day, there are no easy answers. The more that we continue to eliminate staff, the more that we continue to broadcast nationally into small markets, the more vulnerable we are going to be.
What has made radio great locally, is serving the community. It’s an old fashioned concept but it works. That doesn't mean you can't use technology to your advantage. I’m not suggesting you need a full-time news department 24 hours a day. I’m talking about putting some sanity back into the process. If you look at what's happened over the last 15 years, first it was cutting the fat, then you cut the muscle, then the bone. Now they are splitting tissues apart. A lot of the people that have done this are no longer in the industry but they did a lot of damage.
On Pandora ...They found a niche. If you want to have a product that competes with Pandora, and iHeartRadio, God bless. I don't have an issue with that. But to turn your radio stations into nothing more than local versions of Pandora is insane. We are so hung up right now on Pandora and how that's going to destroy radio. Our answer is we make our stations sound more like Pandora. That's crazy logic.
On how to treat people ...Show them some respect. I think that's one item that has vanished from the radio business these days.
All radio, like politics, is local.
Only with radio, people vote with their dials and advertisers with their dollars.     

re: COMING UP:   
THIRTEEN'S GREAT PERFORMANCES TO AIR PAUL SIMON'S GRACELAND JOURNEY JAN. 4TH
THIRTEEN's Great Performances Chronicles Paul Simon's Graceland Journey Friday, January 4 at 9 p.m. on PBS — An epic journey following Paul Simon back to South Africa along with revealing interviews with Simon and such musical legends as Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, Paul McCartney and David Byrne.
Paul Simon's Graceland Journey: Under African Skies begins with Paul Simon's 2011 emotional journey back to South Africa and the roots of his seminal album Graceland, but it unfolds into a kaleidoscopic portrait of the turbulent birth and ever-shifting life of a work of art.
The Joe Berlinger-directed film airs on Great Performances Friday, January 4 at 9 p.m. on PBS. (Check local listings.) Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN for WNET, one of America's most prolific and respected public media providers. For 50 years, THIRTEEN has been making the most of the rich resources and passionate people of New York and the world, reaching millions of people with on-air and online programming that celebrates arts and culture, offers insightful commentary on the news of the day, explores the worlds of science and nature, and invites students of all ages to have fun while learning.





re: THIS AND THAT:  
Ray Collins, who was listed as one of those who passed away last year, had down as being a writer of MEMORIES OF EL MONTE. Haven't heard that song title mentioned in years.
Larry Neal   

An interesting development around here is a new column we're publishing written by Bruce Pollock, author of The Rock Song Index, Working Musicians, and eight other books on music. We call it "They're Playing My Song," and in it, he asks a songwriter or musician for the story behind the one song that has had the greatest impact on his / her career. Results have been impressive; Jackie DeShannon talked about "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," Steve Forbert covered "Romeo's Tune," and Dean Friedman went with "Ariel." 
Here's the column link: 
 http://www.songfacts.com/blog/playingmysong/  
Carl Wiser
Songfacts.com   

re: TRIBUTE TO DICK CLARK:
ABC took another New Year's Eve ratings crown on Monday night, besting all networks in adults 18-49 (3.1 rating) and total viewers (10.7 million). After the two-hour special honoring the show's founder, "New Year's Rockin' Eve Celebrates Dick Clark" (2.6 adults), the first hour of the official show, "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest," started its road to midnight with a 4.1 adults rating. Even with its 2011 showing in the demo, the show surged in total viewers from last year with its largest haul since 2000 (13.3 million viewers).
(from Billboard.biz)
So they had the audience for this thing, tuning in with anticipation and high expectations of seeing a fitting tribute to the guy who helped shape so many of our lives ... but the overwhelming response was disappointment. Nearly all of the mail we received was of the negative variety. ABC needs to do a FITTING tribute to Dick Clark ... just think of the wealth of clips they have to draw from to put together something spectacular. (In fact, I've already contacted Andrew Solt about making a pitch for these archives. In addition to his own programming, Clark was an avid collector ... and had some of rarest music video know in his personal collection. Imagine the DVD Collectors Series Solt could put together with access to these archives!!!) kk    

Hi Kent:
YUCK! I don’t exactly know who some of the people on the stage were, but I felt like I was on another planet from them.
Ken    

Ya know? They should've just asked someone who was there when it all started, that slavishly followed music throughout their entire lives, if for no other reason than default. I couldn't have lived my life without knowing that Bill Haley was first, & then Elvis, & Fats & Chuck, & the architect himself, Little Richard, & Bobby Darin, & all the 'four' groups ... 4 Lads, Lettermen, 4 Seasons, & so on ... so many 4s ... then the British Invasion, then Motown ... the R&B stylin' little dance step groups doowopping their way into out hearts, & all thru this we had so many other cultural influences with Hillbilly turning into Country & Sun artists like Johnny Cash turning into heroes & superstars. & we had those smooth singers like Steve & Eydie, Andy Williams, Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdinck, & then all the crossover stars like Eddy Arnold & Jim Reeves, always with a little Patsy Cline playing in the background. & even writing all that, I feel guilty because I know I've left out so many of my own favorites, like Ray Charles & Satchmo himself. You can't do a retro without offending somebody. But nobody will ever get it right ... not me, not you, not even Dick Clark when he was alive & perkin' before his stroke. Because you had to live it ... you really had to be there. And I am so glad I was because it has served as a leit motif to everything I've ever done. There will never be a cultural unity like the top 10 that bound all of us together, however silly that may sound. Everybody was humming the same thing. Try humming a little hip-hop. Ho-hum.  
Pttibg

re: DIGGIN' FORGOTTEN HITS:  
Hi Kent!
Wanted to wish a Happy New Year to you and your family. Been MIA, as far as posting anything to the Forgotten Hits website, but I do still check it out on a regular basis! Still broadcasting on WRDV - WLBS FM on Sunday nights and will be celebrating my 20th year there this summer. I often refer to Forgotten Hits on my show. And, of course, when I get together with Mitch Schecter (from the Rip Chords), we ALWAYS talk about how we wouldn't have met each other, if it wasn't for you! So keep up the good work and may you have a healthy and happy New Year! 
Gerri    

re: TODAY'S FORGOTTEN HIT:
Hello Kent,
Thanks so much for including New York’s a Lonely Town in this past Friday’s post. This track will forever remind me of the year that I lived with my family in a small resort town in South Jersey, (Avalon), 1964-65. I remember first hearing this song on WABC New York and the contrasting images of being in a wintry NY and the sunny climate of Southern California.
As this song was climbing up the charts, I was trying to sled down sand dunes in a mixture of sand and swirling snow with the strong winds whipping around us, with no one else on the beach except us crazy kids.
Thanks also for the Cape Of Good Hope track in this Sunday’s post. I am putting together a couple of compilations of Sunshine and Psych-Pop tracks from the late 60s where this track will have a place.
Best to you and all list members this New Year.
Justin (St. Paul MN)
Really good reaction to "New York's A Lonely Town" after we featured it last week ... maybe some of the more astute deejays on the list who are paying attention will pick up on this and actually feature it on their programs ... a GREAT Forgotten Hit that the real oldies music fans out there evidently enjoy hearing again. (kk)   

Kent,
Your first comment out of the chute today said "don't fry bacon naked". I don't know about you, but I've never tried putting clothes on bacon before.
Enjoyed your forgotten 45 of the day, PEANUTS. Even though, in my opinion, it was an OKEH song, I always thought that the remake out of 1961 by Rick and the Keens was more of a SMASH hit.
Happy New Year.
Larry 
Little Joe and the Thrillers had the biggest hit with "Peanuts" ... but I remember '60's remakes by both Rick and the Keens and The Four Seasons (that are probably a whole lot more likely to get played in this day and age when radio has all but abandoned the music of the 1950's.) Honestly, we haven't featured a "Today's Forgotten Hit" from the '50's since Doris Day's "Everybody Loves A Lover" a while back ... so it was a nice departure for us, too! Besides, we watched a couple of episodes of "Bonanza" over the long holiday weekend so I thought something by "Little Joe" might be a fun thing to do! (Hey, did Michael Landon's version of "Gimme A Little Kiss" chart in Oklahoma? I actually like that one ... and it went to #34 here in Chicago in 1962.) kk

Posted by at

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Thursday This And That

re: PATTI PAGE:
Patti Page Dead at 85
By Associated Press
Country singer Patti Page, best known for her huge 1950 hit "Tennessee Waltz," has died. She was 85. Page died on New Year's Day in Encinitas, Calif., according to her manager.
She created a distinctive sound for the music industry in 1947 by overdubbing her own voice when she didn't have enough money to hire backup singers for the single, "Confess."
She had 24 records in the top 10, including four that reached No. 1. She was also the first singer to have television programs on all three major networks, including "The Patti Page Show" on ABC.
Along with Ravi Shankar, who died last month, and several others, Page was to receive a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award next month.
-- submitted by Tom Cuddy
 
I don't know that I'd refer to Patti Page as a "country singer" if I were writing my own obituary of this legendary singer. She certainly appealed to a much larger audience than that! (Once again, one has to wonder if today's "accuracy of reporting" is tainted by somebody who wasn't around at the time or didn't do the research to more clearly paint a picture of this artist ... do we simply draw this conclusion because her best known hit was "Tennessee Waltz" and therefore she MUST be a country artist???)
The truth is, Patti Page hit Billboard's Pop Chart an incredible 80 times between 1948 and 1968, a 20 year period where she also reigned supreme in television and the movies, too. (For the record, during that same timeframe Page hit Billboard's Country Chart exactly four times. However, she did continue to place lower-ranking songs on Billboard's Country Chart throughout the '70's and early '80's after her pop reign, charting there 20 times in all.)
Reading some of the tributes, Patti Page appears to have been one of the pioneers of multi-tracking her voice. Depending on which version of the story you believe, she either couldn't afford to hire background singers for a session ... or they were on strike at the time ... so Page first overdubbed her voice on the track "Confess" ... and then continued to do so throughout her career, once even billing herself as The Patti Page Quartet!
While "Tennessee Waltz" is certainly her most famous #1 Hit ... it topped Billboard's Chart for nine weeks in 1950 and, many years later, became the Official State Song of Tennessee ... the one that rings home for me was her 1953 chart-topper "The Doggie In The Window", #1 for eight weeks that year. In what has to be my earliest childhood memory (as I can't recall ANYTHING else dating back this far), I can remember my Mom singing this song to me when I was a baby. She either must have sang it to me an awful lot ... or for the next several years to come ... because I do have a clear memory of this. In a way, it's so distant as to almost seem subliminal ... yet it's vivid, too, at the same time. This is an especially surprising early memory since I was born right as "The Doggie In The Window" was falling off the chart!
While the music of Patti Page is not really part of what we typically cover during "The Rock Era" in Forgotten Hits, she did place 18 Hits in the National Top 40 between 1955 and 1965. She is best remembered for her pre-rock standards like "All My Love (Bolero)", #2, 1950, "The Tennessee Waltz" (#1 for nine weeks, 1950), "Mockin' Bird Hill" (#3, 1951), "Mister And Mississippi" (#9, 1951), "I Went To Your Wedding" (#1 for five weeks in 1952) and "The Doggie In The Window" (#1 for eight weeks in 1953). Top Ten Rock Era Hits include "Allegheny Moon" (#2, 1956), "Old Cape Cod" (#7, 1957) and "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (#8, 1965) ... and while this music sounds incredibly dated today (it does ... other than an "in death tribute", you're not likely to hear any of these songs back in rotation again), Patti was a reigning songstress of this era. (kk)
 
 
”The Singing Rage, Miss Patti Page” died Tuesday (January 1) at a nursing home in Encitas, California. She was 85. Born Clara Ann Fowler in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and raised in Tulsa, she took over the role of “Patti Page” on the Page Milk Company radio program on KTUL there in 1946. The next year she signed with Mercury Records, amassing 82 chart hits from 1948 to 1968, including the #1 tunes, “All My Love” (1950), “Tennessee Waltz” (1950), “I Went To Your Wedding” (1952) and “Doggie In The Window” (1953) — the latter a perfect example of producer Mitch Miller’s love of novelty tunes. She was a pioneer in the use of overdubbing vocals and was once billed as the “Patti Page Quartet” on a label. Even into the “rock era,” she continued to chart, with tunes like “Allegheny Moon” (#2 - 1956) and “Old Cape Cod” (#3 - 1957). Patti had her own TV shows for all three networks at various times in the ‘50s and appeared in the movies “Elmer Gantry,” “Dondi” and “Boys’ Night Out.” Her autobiography, “This Is My Song,” was published in 2009.
-- Ron Smith
 
 
"The singing rage, Miss Patti Page," passes at age 85.
Wow. What a loss. She missed the 'significant deaths of 2012' by a day. What a tragic way to open the new year, 2013.
While all the news releases have featured her #1 smash, "Tennessee Waltz," Tennessee's official state song (along with that other 'classic,' "Rocky Top"), and "How Much Is That Doggie In the Window (bark, bark)," it failed to mention many of Patti's true classics. At the time of it's reign, "Tennessee Waltz" was second only to "White Christmas" in record sales, with an amazing 10 million.
My first notice of Page's passing was an e-mail alert from the Hollywood e-zine, The Wrap, which left out the majority of her catalog. It does not mention her Top 5 hit, 1957's "Old Cape Cod," nor many of the other singers who 'covered' Page classics over the years -- and there were many -- including Bing Crosby, Jerry Vale, and Anne Murray, among others.
What was also absent are the dozens of other Top 10 and Top 20 songs that proliferated throughout her five decade career, including "I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine," (1949), her first #1, 1950's "All My Love," "Mocking Bird Hill," and "Detour," (1951), among numerous others.
Patti's 1954 version of the classic, "Let Me Go, Lover," was one of the rare instances where she covered the Joan Weber #1. Patti went to #8, while a third cover, by Teresa Brewer, went to #6.
I also read that Patti may have been the first singer to double her own lead vocal, as there was not a budget for background singers, and, at one point, the singers were out on strike, so she sang an additional part on 1947's "Confess." It worked out so well that she continued to do multiple parts on subsequent releases, one of which credited lead vocals to "Patti Page, Patti Page, Patti Page and Patti Page!"
She managed to appear in a number of films, one of her best known parts playing a church soloist alongside Oscar winner Burt Lancaster in 1960's "Elmer Gantry." Among her last 'hit' singles was "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte" in 1965.
My old friend, Bruce Johnston (Bruce and Terry, The Beach Boys), paid tribute to Patti in his masterpiece, ''Disney Girls (1957)'', which has been recorded by Art Garfunkel, The Captain and Tennille, Cass Elliott, Doris Day and The Beach Boys. One of its verses opens with:
"Patti Page and summer days in Old Cape Cod"
A wonderful reminder of just how great the music was in the 40's, 50's, and 60's.
RIP, Patti Page ... you were an original.
Fred Vail / Treasure Isle Recorders
Nashville, TN
1-2-2013
 
 
re: REMEMBERING THOSE WHO LEFT US IN 2012:
From Classic Urban Harmony (www.classicurbanharmony.net), by way of FH Reader Ed Salmon:
 
 


re: 2012-2013 HIT PARADE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES:
When I ran the photo of upcoming Hit Parade Hall Of Fame Nominees for next year, I was mistaken ... this is actually a photo montage of the brand new inductees to The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame. (The official announcement will go out next week ... and the new batch of nominees won't be announced until February ... but in the meantime we are happy to offer our early congratulations to Daryl Hall and John Oates, Sly and the Family Stone, Gordon Lightfoot, Santana, Jan and Dean, Tommy Roe, The Lettermen, Ronnie Milsap, Bill Withers, The Commodores and Ray Stevens, ALL deserving inductees and the newest members of The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame!!!
Here's a clearer shot of this year's inductees:
 

More information can be found on the official website:
Incredibly, coming up short of votes from last year's list of nominees are Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane / Jefferson Starship, The Staple Singers, Steely Dan, The Turtles and Dinah Washington. However, once nominated, the accumulated votes over a three year period can be enough to still propel an artist into The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame. As such, previously nominated artists like Hall and Oates, Sly and the Family Stone, Gordon Lightfoot, Santana, Tommy Roe, The Lettermen, Bill Withers and The Commodores made their way into the hallowed hall this year.
 
 
re: THIS AND THAT:
Hi, Kent,
Hope Christmas was great and musical for you and yours, and that 2013 brings health and happiness as well. Wanted to drop you a note to say Jimy Sohns and the Shadows of Knight Allstars — the same lineup you saw on Jimy’s 66th birthday and were so kind as to provide a mini-review for — returns to Blues Bar in Mt. Prospect on Saturday, 1/19. I’d like to extend an invitation to join us once again, and hopefully this time we’ll actually get a chance to talk a bit. Too crazy last time. We’re expecting some guest appearances again, albeit at not as frenzied a pace as Jimy’s 66th. Come out and say hi, and we can do a little catching up.
Thanks, again for all you do for the music we love.
Rick Barr,
New Colony Six / Shadows of Knight
Passing this along to all the "locals" ... that was a fun night of musical entertainment ... and a great place to see a band ... so hoping some of the other readers from this area can join us on the 19th. As you know, The Shadows Of Knight were recently voted America's All-Time Favorite Garage Band ... here's a chance to see why! (kk)
 
 
Kent ...
Wishing you a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year from Richie, Arnie and the whole band!
Hope to see you in 2013!!!
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords
Right backatcha, guys ... man, it'd be great if The Rip Chords made their way out Chicago-way next year!!! (kk)
 
 
Hi Kent,
Regarding your comments about the sad state of radio in Chicago, here's one that killed me. One of the stations recently played "Hold On" by Sam & Dave. While I have no objection to their version of that song, and it was the bigger hit, I called the station and asked why they didn't play the version by the Mauds, since they are a Chicago station, and they said their audience didn't all come from Chicago so they wouldn't know that version! So how are they supposed to get to know that version if no one plays it??? Just wondering ... Happy New Year!
Rock On Chicago
While The Mauds' version was a Top Ten Hit here in Chicago, it failed to chart at all nationally ... let's face it, today most stations don't even play the Top 20 National Hits anymore ... so I get it ... unless that Chicago station was doing some sort of salute to the "local hits" of that era, it probably wouldn't make sense other than as a REAL "Wow Factor" song. But a Chicagoland Radio Station devoted to its community SHOULD play some of the hits that made it here, particularly if that station is WLS, who grew in popularity as a result of some of this local talent. And, let's not forget that WLS could be heard on 40-something radio stations nationwide back then ... so it really didn't matter if the audience "all came from Chicago" or not ... we've received mail for YEARS now about frustrated late-night WLS listeners who couldn't find some of this great music in their local record stores back in the '60's, no matter how hard they tried to buy it. The REAL problem today is that the people in charge today just don't share that history with their audience ... and, as such, they haven't got a clue. You're more likely to hear '60's hits by The Mauds, The New Colony Six, The Ides Of March, The American Breed, The Cryan' Shames and The Buckinghams on The Drive these days because they HAVE developed a devotion to this era of music that put Chicago on the musical map in the first place. Programs like Bob Stroud's Rock And Roll Roots (and his CD Series of the same name) have ALWAYS spotlighted these artists and made this hard-to-find music available to us again in pristine sound. Unfortunately, WLS seems hell-bent on distancing itself from its past ... which is a real shame ... because they have lost boatloads of listeners in the process. (That's why I keep using these pages to appeal to K-Hits ... wanna put yourself on the map here in Chicago ... then pay attention ... you will never be better poised in a better position to do so.) Meanwhile, my button is now permanently set to The Drive (with a handful of CD's "at the ready" the minute one of the songs on the "offensive list" come on!!!)  At least I know they're going to mix things up enough and throw in a few special features and surprises to keep things interesting.  (kk)
 
 
Singer Bobby Womack has been diagnosed with early signs of Alzheimer's disease after forgetting song lyrics and the names of collaborators, he told the BBC. It's the latest health complication for the singer, who last year was hospitalized with pneumonia and had surgery for colon cancer.
Womack, 68, opened up about his memory lapses to Giles Peterson on BBC 6 Music. "The doctor said, 'You have signs of Alzheimer's,'" Womack said. "He said it's not bad yet, but it's going to get worse."
After getting his start singing with his brothers in the Valentinos (the Rolling Stones' first Number One hit came on a version of the Womack-penned song "It's All Over Now") and playing guitar for Sam Cooke, Womack launched a solo career in the late Sixties that included hits like "Lookin' for a Love" and "That's the Way I Feel About Cha." Last year he released The Bravest Man in the Universe, his first album of new material since 1994. Blur's Damon Albarn co-produced the LP. Womack told the BBC there was a moment when he blanked on Albarn's name, and said he's had trouble recalling his material.
"How can I not remember songs I wrote?" Womack said. "That's frustrating."
Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.
-- Tom Cuddy


Please spread the word on behalf of the Beach Boys' Grammy nomination for Best Historical Album for ‘The Smile Sessions’ box set. The Beach Boys have never won a competitive Grammy Award from The Recording Academy's voting members, and the time has come to make history as part of the band's incredible 50th Anniversary celebration. The Grammy ballots have now been sent to all voting members and must be received by the Academy by Wednesday, January 16, 2013. If you know someone in radio, TV, or the music industry who has a Grammy vote, please encourage them to vote as follows:
Best Historical Album
The Beach Boys - The Smile Sessions
Alan Boyd, Mark Linett, Brian Wilson and Dennis Wolfe: Compilation producers
Mark Linett: Mastering engineer
To listen:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-smile-sessions-box-set/id471694427
David Beard,ENDLESS SUMMER QUARTERLY, INC.
Wouldn't it be great if, after sitting in the vault for some 45 years, "Smile" won a Grammy!!! (It ought to win something for packaging alone!!! What an incredibly impressive set!) Not sure how much we can help here ... but are certainly willing to help spread the word. (kk)
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