Hi Kent:
I saw your comment about “Baby Let’s Wait” originally by The Rascals. You mentioned that The Royal Guardsmen recorded it to change the Snoopy image. That is actually not correct. In fact, it is their first 45 from the Summer ’66, before the Snoopy Records, released as Laurie 3359 - “Leaving Me / Baby Let’s Wait”. Just for the record. "Leaving Me" is actually an excellent Garage Rock 45.
Ken
My mistake ... I wasn't aware of its B-Side status. The hit single version came in 1969, a couple years AFTER their string of "Snoopy" hits. Nevertheless, a great, long-overlooked track. (kk)
Hi Kent,
As I was browsing on Amazon today I ran across this. I think this is pretty cool for us Rascals nuts.
Click here: Amazon.com: Original Album Series: Music
Hi Kent,
As I was browsing on Amazon today I ran across this. I think this is pretty cool for us Rascals nuts.
Click here: Amazon.com: Original Album Series: Music
http://www.amazon.com/Original-Album-Rascals/dp/B003UF01VU/ref=sr_1_37?
s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1384283917&sr=1-37&keywords=original+album+series
s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1384283917&sr=1-37&keywords=original+album+series
Their early albums at a really good price.
Bill
Actually this is a REALLY good price!!! Five albums worth of material for fifteen bucks?!?!? Unreal! (I bought the complete Atlantic Recordings Collection a few years back and paid a hell of a lot more than that for it!!!) This is their cream-of-the-crop material, too ... so check it out while there are still copies available. (kk)
Lots of commentary on our Rascals Concert Review ... both good and bad, positive and negative.
Here are a couple of Rascals Concert Reviews we received BEFORE we saw the show last Sunday ...
Bill
Actually this is a REALLY good price!!! Five albums worth of material for fifteen bucks?!?!? Unreal! (I bought the complete Atlantic Recordings Collection a few years back and paid a hell of a lot more than that for it!!!) This is their cream-of-the-crop material, too ... so check it out while there are still copies available. (kk)
Lots of commentary on our Rascals Concert Review ... both good and bad, positive and negative.
Here are a couple of Rascals Concert Reviews we received BEFORE we saw the show last Sunday ...
Hi Kent,
Just got back home from Once Upon a Dream and the Rascals! I know you are going on Sunday and you and your wife will not be disappointed! What a wonderful show for true Rascal fans. And there were many of us in the audience. It was a happy respectful crowd, except for a few young girls who thankfully didn't sit anywhere near us. And everyone was into each and every song. I think we were all in awe that we were able to see this group again after 40 years! I know I was. As for the songs, the Rascals sound just as great as they did back in the 60's. I don't want to give too much away for anyone still going ... you just have to experience it yourself!
Just got back home from Once Upon a Dream and the Rascals! I know you are going on Sunday and you and your wife will not be disappointed! What a wonderful show for true Rascal fans. And there were many of us in the audience. It was a happy respectful crowd, except for a few young girls who thankfully didn't sit anywhere near us. And everyone was into each and every song. I think we were all in awe that we were able to see this group again after 40 years! I know I was. As for the songs, the Rascals sound just as great as they did back in the 60's. I don't want to give too much away for anyone still going ... you just have to experience it yourself!
I had to get past the fact that we paid premium prices because we got our tickets early. IF I would have known they would lower the price ticket, I would have been happier, but I sure didn't want to miss this once in a lifetime concert. So we paid up. I do have to say that hearing "How Can I Be Sure" sung by Eddie was so worth the price of the ticket alone. That is my all-time favorite song, ever since I heard it in a garage on the northwest side of Chicago in a neighborhood called The Villa, surrounded by all my friends. We had our radio cranked and were blown away by this song. I was happy and surprised to see that Dennis Tufano of the Buckinghams a few summers ago added this tune to his concert series! He did a great job of recreating this song. I didn't think I would ever get a chance to hear it sung by the original singer, Eddie. So it was a dream come true.
You are in for a treat! Enjoy and thanks again for all you do for our music.
Janet
Tonight I saw the greatest oldies band performance I've ever seen ... The Rascals' Once Upon A Dream concert / theatrical event currently playing at The Cadillac Palace. WOW!!! A must-see -- I imagine you've seen this already … a superb performance by the original band!
You are in for a treat! Enjoy and thanks again for all you do for our music.
Janet
Tonight I saw the greatest oldies band performance I've ever seen ... The Rascals' Once Upon A Dream concert / theatrical event currently playing at The Cadillac Palace. WOW!!! A must-see -- I imagine you've seen this already … a superb performance by the original band!
I haven't yet read your comments on this historic event … all I can say is hats off to Steven Van Zandt for making it all happen some 40 years after this great group disbanded! It blew me away to hear Felix Cavaliere's vocals live, along with the superb musicianship of the band. Great interview with him, by the way. I wanted to write tonight, following the show.
I feel very fortunate to have seen The Rascals!!! All I can say is it was one of the most memorable concerts I've ever been to, period … and that's going back to 1972-73. I always dug Felix's soulful vocals, Gene's soulful guitar playing, Dino's drumming (one of the best rock drummers ever) and Eddie's vocals, as well.
Bob
I JUST GOT BACK A FEW ROLLS OF THE RASCALS PIX FROM THE THREE SHOWS I WENT TO LAST WEEK ... DINO REMEMBERED ME AND BROUGHT ME BACKSTAGE SO I COULD TAKE A PIC OF THE FOUR OF THEM ... THE SHOW WAS AWESOME, WASN'T IT? SONGS LIKE "FIND SOMEBODY" & "SEE" NEVER SOUNDED BETTER THAN THEY DID THERE LIVE! DINO'S DRUMMING IS STILL AMAZING AND FELIX'S HAMMOND WAS AS CLEAR AS A BELL ... THE ENERGY WAS INFECTIOUS, AND I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHO HAD THE BETTER TIME ... THE AUDIENCE OR THE BAND!! THE SHOW WAS AMAZING!
I JUST GOT BACK A FEW ROLLS OF THE RASCALS PIX FROM THE THREE SHOWS I WENT TO LAST WEEK ... DINO REMEMBERED ME AND BROUGHT ME BACKSTAGE SO I COULD TAKE A PIC OF THE FOUR OF THEM ... THE SHOW WAS AWESOME, WASN'T IT? SONGS LIKE "FIND SOMEBODY" & "SEE" NEVER SOUNDED BETTER THAN THEY DID THERE LIVE! DINO'S DRUMMING IS STILL AMAZING AND FELIX'S HAMMOND WAS AS CLEAR AS A BELL ... THE ENERGY WAS INFECTIOUS, AND I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHO HAD THE BETTER TIME ... THE AUDIENCE OR THE BAND!! THE SHOW WAS AMAZING!
TALK TO YA SOON ...
MICHAEL G BUSH
And quite a few more that came in after our concert review ran ...
Kent - I guess that I was a little disappointed, too. Maybe it was the sound in the balcony where we sat - echoing and vocals under-mixed. Song selection was excellent ... all the hits and then some surprises. I think my favorite was "Love Is A Beautiful Thing", a song I remember as a kid listening on the radio and but never had on vinyl. I immediately downloaded it Sunday night.
MICHAEL G BUSH
And quite a few more that came in after our concert review ran ...
Kent - I guess that I was a little disappointed, too. Maybe it was the sound in the balcony where we sat - echoing and vocals under-mixed. Song selection was excellent ... all the hits and then some surprises. I think my favorite was "Love Is A Beautiful Thing", a song I remember as a kid listening on the radio and but never had on vinyl. I immediately downloaded it Sunday night.
I always loved Dino's drumming and he has held his chops well. I was impressed with Gene's guitar work at the show, too. I saw him in videos ... I always remember him playing holding his guitar really high (close to his neck) - not anymore.
As for Felix, I thought he was as I expected him to be. Eddie - well you can plug any average singer to take his place in the show. He probably transposed his songs two steps down for this tour, and well, let's say I'll never hear "How Can I Be Sure" in the same way again.
The screen that stretched the back of the stage with graphics, videos and interviews was superb; and the background singers, bassist and keyboardist rounded up the sound nicely.
It's a shame that I didn't catch them live back in the day, but I can still say that I saw the original Rascals.
Bob Burns
As for Felix, I thought he was as I expected him to be. Eddie - well you can plug any average singer to take his place in the show. He probably transposed his songs two steps down for this tour, and well, let's say I'll never hear "How Can I Be Sure" in the same way again.
The screen that stretched the back of the stage with graphics, videos and interviews was superb; and the background singers, bassist and keyboardist rounded up the sound nicely.
It's a shame that I didn't catch them live back in the day, but I can still say that I saw the original Rascals.
Bob Burns
Kent,
Some people may assume that age is the deciding factor in a performers life. I can give many examples that this is not true, but the strongest to come to my mind first is The Comets. They rocked and rolled (and surviving members still are) as well, or better, than they did backing up Bill Haley. They threw me into shocked silence the first time I saw them. Just saying this to back up your observations regarding the Rascals show you saw.
Shelley
ALL of our heroes are getting older ... there's no denying this (nor is there a damn thing we can do about it.) Some have just aged better than others. Seeing Burton Cummings a couple of months ago certainly proved this ... he sounds EXACTLY like he did back in the day. Paul McCartney is still good, but his voice is definitely weaker than it used to be. Doesn't make me love him any less ... you just know what to expect if you see him in 2013 vs. the Wings Over America Tour of 1976!
Last weekend we saw Gino Vannelli and I'd swear you would have thought it was 1981 all over again. He sounded every bit as good last week as he did when he was turning out hit records. (Must be something in that Canadian water as vocally neither Cummings or Vannelli have aged a lick!) Being realistic, we expect this to not always be the case ... it's still such a thrill to see these artists who so shaped our lives back in the day, we forgive them the inevitable. (Be honest ... who among us hasn't aged right along with them???)
We all have this mental image of the way things used to be ... how they looked ... how WE looked ... the sounds forever embedded in our memories ... we want it all to be happy times ... good times ... when all the band members got along and everything was all about the music ... but the truth is all the band members DIDN'T get along ... many still don't ... the memories are yours to keep ... nobody can take those away from you ... but expecting to go out and see somebody 40 years later and have it all look and sound the same isn't very realistic ... nor is it fair.
We've been to a lot of concerts over the years (and quite a few recently) where the acts lived up to our expectations. I don't fault The Rascals in any way for any disappointment I may have felt in their performance ... I truly believe without a shadow of a doubt that they gave it their all. I'll even take the majority of the blame for coming into the show with some preconceived notions of what I thought I would see. But thanks to the program put together by the VanZandts, these "sanitized" Rascals just didn't feel "real" ... I can forgive them their vocal weaknesses ... it has, after all, been 40+ years ... but I can't help but feel that they sold out to a degree in agreeing to this type of presentation. Best intentions? Yes. Overall Execution? Maybe not as strong as it could have been ... I think more of their OWN ideas should have been expressed ... maybe then it wouldn't have felt so "scripted".
The bulk of the excitement comes in knowing that these really are THE RASCALS ... our musical heroes from the '60's ... and the very fact that they've reunited on stage again after all these years is really saying something ... and would have been enough to satisfy all of us. The negativity (for me anyway) comes from the fact that they probably never would have done this on their own ... they needed somebody like Steven VanZandt to spur them on and, as a result of this, sold their souls in the process to present the show that HE wanted to present, rather than the show they may have enjoyed doing more. I truly believe the proper balance lies somewhere in between. (kk)
Kudos to Forgotten Hits -- AGAIN! -- for your honesty in presenting the music and events we love. First you ran an update about 'the first radio station in America to play a Beatles tune' -- even though it pre-dated your own research by nearly 20 years -- MOST people would have left that story buried and continued to bask in the glory of your own investigative piece -- yet you embraced it and shared it with us all. Then you ran the first totally honest and REAL review of the Rascals reunion concert -- no pulling punches, no sugar-coating -- just a real and honest fan's reaction to what has been billed as one of the biggest musical events of the year.
NOBODY else does this -- and this is what sets Forgotten Hits apart from all the rest -- it's real -- it's genuine -- and it is written from a fan's perspective by somebody who truly loves this music and the era it comes from. That's why we all come back to read it every day ... it's one of a kind.
So once again, thank you for what you do. Consider me a lifetime subscriber.
Top 10 Kid
I've said it a thousand times ... I am, first and foremost, a FAN of this music ... and will ALWAYS be a fan FIRST, ahead of any special luxury the publishing of Forgotten Hits affords me. I do feel, however, an absolute responsibility to report back accurately ... and responsibly ... as to what I see and feel ... I HAVE to ... it's the "contract" I made with the readers the minute I first stepped up to the podium. I'm not trying to sway anybody's views ... in fact, I highly recommend that you ALL see this show if given the opportunity to do so. My guess is you'll LOVE it!!! I acknowledge my own reasons for feeling it came up short of my expectations ... the difference is, now that you've read my review, you'll go into it with proper expectations ... and my guess is that it will EXCEED them in every possible way. (kk)
Kent,
Although I thoroughly enjoyed The Rascals Dreams show here in Toronto in the Spring of this year, I, too, felt there was something slightly 'off'.
Having written and produced 28 'artist profile' television mini documentaries on Canadian musicians over the past few years, I could tell that, for the most part, the on screen interviews were scripted. Felix and Eddie seemed to actually be ad libbing at times, but Dino and Gene were definitely reading from a script.
I attended the press conference a few weeks before the show actually arrived in Toronto. Little Steven wasn't there (although he was brought on stage the night I attended the actual show), but all of the Rascals were.
They basically said that it was Little Steven's prodding that got them back together after he'd inducted them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - and that there was still a bit of animosity between certain members (I think you can figure out which members), and that if they did the live shows, they wanted it to be 'scripted'. So that's what Little Steven and his wife did.
By the way, the night I was at the show, Eddie Brigati's version of "How Can I Be Sure" was wonderfully spot on. It brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience around me.
Still, it was an amazing night. I wish a couple of other legendary groups could do this kind of show.
Doug Thompson (Toronto)
Kent,
Some people may assume that age is the deciding factor in a performers life. I can give many examples that this is not true, but the strongest to come to my mind first is The Comets. They rocked and rolled (and surviving members still are) as well, or better, than they did backing up Bill Haley. They threw me into shocked silence the first time I saw them. Just saying this to back up your observations regarding the Rascals show you saw.
Shelley
ALL of our heroes are getting older ... there's no denying this (nor is there a damn thing we can do about it.) Some have just aged better than others. Seeing Burton Cummings a couple of months ago certainly proved this ... he sounds EXACTLY like he did back in the day. Paul McCartney is still good, but his voice is definitely weaker than it used to be. Doesn't make me love him any less ... you just know what to expect if you see him in 2013 vs. the Wings Over America Tour of 1976!
Last weekend we saw Gino Vannelli and I'd swear you would have thought it was 1981 all over again. He sounded every bit as good last week as he did when he was turning out hit records. (Must be something in that Canadian water as vocally neither Cummings or Vannelli have aged a lick!) Being realistic, we expect this to not always be the case ... it's still such a thrill to see these artists who so shaped our lives back in the day, we forgive them the inevitable. (Be honest ... who among us hasn't aged right along with them???)
We all have this mental image of the way things used to be ... how they looked ... how WE looked ... the sounds forever embedded in our memories ... we want it all to be happy times ... good times ... when all the band members got along and everything was all about the music ... but the truth is all the band members DIDN'T get along ... many still don't ... the memories are yours to keep ... nobody can take those away from you ... but expecting to go out and see somebody 40 years later and have it all look and sound the same isn't very realistic ... nor is it fair.
We've been to a lot of concerts over the years (and quite a few recently) where the acts lived up to our expectations. I don't fault The Rascals in any way for any disappointment I may have felt in their performance ... I truly believe without a shadow of a doubt that they gave it their all. I'll even take the majority of the blame for coming into the show with some preconceived notions of what I thought I would see. But thanks to the program put together by the VanZandts, these "sanitized" Rascals just didn't feel "real" ... I can forgive them their vocal weaknesses ... it has, after all, been 40+ years ... but I can't help but feel that they sold out to a degree in agreeing to this type of presentation. Best intentions? Yes. Overall Execution? Maybe not as strong as it could have been ... I think more of their OWN ideas should have been expressed ... maybe then it wouldn't have felt so "scripted".
The bulk of the excitement comes in knowing that these really are THE RASCALS ... our musical heroes from the '60's ... and the very fact that they've reunited on stage again after all these years is really saying something ... and would have been enough to satisfy all of us. The negativity (for me anyway) comes from the fact that they probably never would have done this on their own ... they needed somebody like Steven VanZandt to spur them on and, as a result of this, sold their souls in the process to present the show that HE wanted to present, rather than the show they may have enjoyed doing more. I truly believe the proper balance lies somewhere in between. (kk)
Kudos to Forgotten Hits -- AGAIN! -- for your honesty in presenting the music and events we love. First you ran an update about 'the first radio station in America to play a Beatles tune' -- even though it pre-dated your own research by nearly 20 years -- MOST people would have left that story buried and continued to bask in the glory of your own investigative piece -- yet you embraced it and shared it with us all. Then you ran the first totally honest and REAL review of the Rascals reunion concert -- no pulling punches, no sugar-coating -- just a real and honest fan's reaction to what has been billed as one of the biggest musical events of the year.
NOBODY else does this -- and this is what sets Forgotten Hits apart from all the rest -- it's real -- it's genuine -- and it is written from a fan's perspective by somebody who truly loves this music and the era it comes from. That's why we all come back to read it every day ... it's one of a kind.
So once again, thank you for what you do. Consider me a lifetime subscriber.
Top 10 Kid
I've said it a thousand times ... I am, first and foremost, a FAN of this music ... and will ALWAYS be a fan FIRST, ahead of any special luxury the publishing of Forgotten Hits affords me. I do feel, however, an absolute responsibility to report back accurately ... and responsibly ... as to what I see and feel ... I HAVE to ... it's the "contract" I made with the readers the minute I first stepped up to the podium. I'm not trying to sway anybody's views ... in fact, I highly recommend that you ALL see this show if given the opportunity to do so. My guess is you'll LOVE it!!! I acknowledge my own reasons for feeling it came up short of my expectations ... the difference is, now that you've read my review, you'll go into it with proper expectations ... and my guess is that it will EXCEED them in every possible way. (kk)
Kent,
Although I thoroughly enjoyed The Rascals Dreams show here in Toronto in the Spring of this year, I, too, felt there was something slightly 'off'.
Having written and produced 28 'artist profile' television mini documentaries on Canadian musicians over the past few years, I could tell that, for the most part, the on screen interviews were scripted. Felix and Eddie seemed to actually be ad libbing at times, but Dino and Gene were definitely reading from a script.
I attended the press conference a few weeks before the show actually arrived in Toronto. Little Steven wasn't there (although he was brought on stage the night I attended the actual show), but all of the Rascals were.
They basically said that it was Little Steven's prodding that got them back together after he'd inducted them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - and that there was still a bit of animosity between certain members (I think you can figure out which members), and that if they did the live shows, they wanted it to be 'scripted'. So that's what Little Steven and his wife did.
By the way, the night I was at the show, Eddie Brigati's version of "How Can I Be Sure" was wonderfully spot on. It brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience around me.
Still, it was an amazing night. I wish a couple of other legendary groups could do this kind of show.
Doug Thompson (Toronto)
Kent,
After reading your "review" I just had to respond.
Before I start, I want to commend you for all of your fine work for Forgotten Hits.That being said, here's my take on The Rascals' "Once Upon A Dream".I saw the opening night performance and sat on the main floor 22 rows back, center. I also saw the Sunday matinee in the second row, right side, by the speaker bank. I paid $87.50 for both times with no discount code. The sound was very good in the 22nd row and phenomenal in the second row.
I've been to concerts where the sound in the balcony seats was not up to my standards, but I don't expect it to be as good as the main floor seats.My understanding is that only the first 18 rows in the center section were $275, so the vast majority of the seats were under $100 at full price so I don't quite understand your reference to that price point and why you should have perfect sound quality where you sat.
You comment that you wanted a show, but then complain that it was calculated down to the finest detail. When you see a "show" that's how they are.
It wasn't a concert only, it was also a show, but you say you didn't get enough info from the show, then admit to numerous things you learned about them after you saw it.The video recollections by the individual Rascals seemed genuine to me. How do you "know" that they were saying things someone else thought they should say?
If they spent more time with the stories, there would be less songs and the continuity of the concert part would have been compromised. If they did all the things you wanted, they would have had to cut out a lot of songs or have too long of a gap between musical performances. If you want more detail, buy the Rascals' book they were selling.You complain about watching the screen behind them, that at times, helped tell the story visually, yet commented it distracted you from the music. I watched the screen a lot the first time, and the second time I hardly looked at it at all.
It's a lot to take on in one sitting.
I thought there was plenty of emotion ... especially Eddie's performance of "How Can I Be Sure". He can't hit the high notes but he changed it so that he could still deliver a moving performance which received the biggest ovation of the night.
Felix left the stage and talked to a stage hand / producer, then returned and took a bow hand in hand with all the group members. Unless your Felix's personal banker, I suggest you don't know about his deposit history. And, if reforming the Rascals, after 40 years ago is "all about the money" why didn't they do it long ago?
I agree with you about the quick 12 hour turnaround but I heard no vocal differences between the performances. I also agree that I would have liked to have heard "Midnight Hour" or "Mustang Sally" but they would not have helped explain the dancing elements shown on the videos. The videos gave a sense of the times / scene that these songs came from and they worked well with the performed songs.
The one thing that could have been improved would have been a real horn section for the later songs. I also heard two people, one from each show, who didn't know that these actually were the original Rascals. I wonder how many others didn't know that these were not actors?
So my take was this was a performance combining a live show with a story about how "Once Upon A Time" there was an American group, who were the third biggest group of their time, who tried to have some fun and help change the world. I think they succeeded admirably in that effort.
And next time you see them, don't look at the screen, get better seats and leave your preconceived notions at the door. You'll like it a whole lot more.
Thanks for listening.
Bill Mulvy
I don't really think it's fair to ask an audience to pay for and sit through the show two or three times in order to be able to take it all in ... especially at these prices! (Seriously ... how many people do that ... especially when the show is only in town for five days?!?!? Apparently more than you'd think, based on the number of return attendees who have written in this week! But do most fans normally do that?!?! I think not ... nor should they have to in order to catch the "best show of the batch".) I think with a program of this magnitude, you've got one chance to hook 'em and reel them in ... and that's about it ... so it's got to be right, right from the start.
How do I know that they were saying what somebody told them to say? I don't ... but I'd be willing to bet on it ... because that's sure what it felt like. I can only report and relate what it felt like to me. (Read Doug Thompson's email above yours and you'll see that he confirms my suspicions.) Was it great to finally be able to see them? ABSOLUTELY! Without a doubt ... and for most, I'm sure that was enough. It probably would have been for me, too, were I not so distracted by what was going on behind them ... and again, I only objected to that because it didn't feel "real" ... I actually LIKE the whole concept of what they set out to do ... I'm just not so sure they achieved it.
As for "How Can I Be Sure", I'm sure that on certain nights Eddie's vocals were everything they were meant to be ... and the song acted as the show-stopper it was intended to be ... even the matinee that we saw had its moments ... I would not be exaggerating to say that I was beaming with pride when he hit all the right notes ... and cringing when he didn't. (This seems to be the main point of contention for most of the folks that wrote in ... they either loved it ... or were very disappointed.)
To prove that we all hear things differently, simply read through the reviews posted on our web page today ... "How Can I Be Sure" goes from "hearing it was worth the price of admission alone" to your own assessment that "he can't hit the high notes" to "I'll never hear it the same way again" ... that's quite a range of commentary right there! Yet we ALL listened to the same song! (And how much of each reaction was influenced by your own personal investment in the tune emotionally? A whole lot, I'd have to say.) But the purpose of a good review is to call 'em as you see 'em ... I didn't write it to win over or influence anybody ... I just documented what I personally and and felt.
And, since you're insisting that we only deal with facts here, I'm curious as to your source naming The Rascals as the "third biggest group of their time" ... because without looking up a single statistic, I'm guessing The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Four Seasons, The Rolling Stones and Motown's Supremes and Temptations ALL would have finished ahead of The Rascals during that era. (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and The Four Tops probably would have, too.) And, after taking a glance at Joel Whitburn's book, I'd have to add Tommy James and the Shondells, The Dave Clark Five, Herman's Hermits, The Fifth Dimension, Paul Revere and the Raiders and The Monkees to that list, too.
Were The Rascals important and significant? Absolutely ... and they were one of my faves ... and I am SO glad that, after all this time, I was FINALLY able to see them. And, if the opportunity presented itself to see them again, I believe that I would absolutely go. (Hey, if nothing else it'll improve my odds of seeing for myself that 2 out of 3 great shows everybody keeps telling me about!!! lol) kk
You hit on an interesting point on your Rascals show review. You're darn right when you said it probably is difficult to do a matinee performance after a night gig. It's probably was hard enough in their prime, let alone when you're on the other side of 70. That being said, I think you were a bit too hard on them.
Jack
Hi ya, Kent ...
Thought you were too rough on The Rascals. I loved the show and really left with a feeling that Felix and Eddie can still bring it. NO, they haven't got the chords they had 45 years ago, but they do know how to make their hits still feel very real. Hey, I love Mick Jagger but he can't carry "Gimme Shelter" or "Brown Sugar" anymore, right?
Plus, the visual affects describing the group's early years were magnificent. Hey, "I ain't gonna eat out my heart anymore" remains a classic. I gave the show an 8 on a scale of 10.
It saddens me that much like so many groups of that era, The Rascals sold their publishing for next to nothing.
The group brought energy to the Cadillac and a vibe that they really weren't taking themselves too seriously.
Honest to gosh, I would happily see the show again in two hours.
"So come on up, baby, and have a good time"
Chet Coppock
Before I start, I want to commend you for all of your fine work for Forgotten Hits.That being said, here's my take on The Rascals' "Once Upon A Dream".I saw the opening night performance and sat on the main floor 22 rows back, center. I also saw the Sunday matinee in the second row, right side, by the speaker bank. I paid $87.50 for both times with no discount code. The sound was very good in the 22nd row and phenomenal in the second row.
I've been to concerts where the sound in the balcony seats was not up to my standards, but I don't expect it to be as good as the main floor seats.My understanding is that only the first 18 rows in the center section were $275, so the vast majority of the seats were under $100 at full price so I don't quite understand your reference to that price point and why you should have perfect sound quality where you sat.
You comment that you wanted a show, but then complain that it was calculated down to the finest detail. When you see a "show" that's how they are.
It wasn't a concert only, it was also a show, but you say you didn't get enough info from the show, then admit to numerous things you learned about them after you saw it.The video recollections by the individual Rascals seemed genuine to me. How do you "know" that they were saying things someone else thought they should say?
If they spent more time with the stories, there would be less songs and the continuity of the concert part would have been compromised. If they did all the things you wanted, they would have had to cut out a lot of songs or have too long of a gap between musical performances. If you want more detail, buy the Rascals' book they were selling.You complain about watching the screen behind them, that at times, helped tell the story visually, yet commented it distracted you from the music. I watched the screen a lot the first time, and the second time I hardly looked at it at all.
It's a lot to take on in one sitting.
I thought there was plenty of emotion ... especially Eddie's performance of "How Can I Be Sure". He can't hit the high notes but he changed it so that he could still deliver a moving performance which received the biggest ovation of the night.
Felix left the stage and talked to a stage hand / producer, then returned and took a bow hand in hand with all the group members. Unless your Felix's personal banker, I suggest you don't know about his deposit history. And, if reforming the Rascals, after 40 years ago is "all about the money" why didn't they do it long ago?
I agree with you about the quick 12 hour turnaround but I heard no vocal differences between the performances. I also agree that I would have liked to have heard "Midnight Hour" or "Mustang Sally" but they would not have helped explain the dancing elements shown on the videos. The videos gave a sense of the times / scene that these songs came from and they worked well with the performed songs.
The one thing that could have been improved would have been a real horn section for the later songs. I also heard two people, one from each show, who didn't know that these actually were the original Rascals. I wonder how many others didn't know that these were not actors?
So my take was this was a performance combining a live show with a story about how "Once Upon A Time" there was an American group, who were the third biggest group of their time, who tried to have some fun and help change the world. I think they succeeded admirably in that effort.
And next time you see them, don't look at the screen, get better seats and leave your preconceived notions at the door. You'll like it a whole lot more.
Thanks for listening.
Bill Mulvy
I don't really think it's fair to ask an audience to pay for and sit through the show two or three times in order to be able to take it all in ... especially at these prices! (Seriously ... how many people do that ... especially when the show is only in town for five days?!?!? Apparently more than you'd think, based on the number of return attendees who have written in this week! But do most fans normally do that?!?! I think not ... nor should they have to in order to catch the "best show of the batch".) I think with a program of this magnitude, you've got one chance to hook 'em and reel them in ... and that's about it ... so it's got to be right, right from the start.
How do I know that they were saying what somebody told them to say? I don't ... but I'd be willing to bet on it ... because that's sure what it felt like. I can only report and relate what it felt like to me. (Read Doug Thompson's email above yours and you'll see that he confirms my suspicions.) Was it great to finally be able to see them? ABSOLUTELY! Without a doubt ... and for most, I'm sure that was enough. It probably would have been for me, too, were I not so distracted by what was going on behind them ... and again, I only objected to that because it didn't feel "real" ... I actually LIKE the whole concept of what they set out to do ... I'm just not so sure they achieved it.
As for "How Can I Be Sure", I'm sure that on certain nights Eddie's vocals were everything they were meant to be ... and the song acted as the show-stopper it was intended to be ... even the matinee that we saw had its moments ... I would not be exaggerating to say that I was beaming with pride when he hit all the right notes ... and cringing when he didn't. (This seems to be the main point of contention for most of the folks that wrote in ... they either loved it ... or were very disappointed.)
To prove that we all hear things differently, simply read through the reviews posted on our web page today ... "How Can I Be Sure" goes from "hearing it was worth the price of admission alone" to your own assessment that "he can't hit the high notes" to "I'll never hear it the same way again" ... that's quite a range of commentary right there! Yet we ALL listened to the same song! (And how much of each reaction was influenced by your own personal investment in the tune emotionally? A whole lot, I'd have to say.) But the purpose of a good review is to call 'em as you see 'em ... I didn't write it to win over or influence anybody ... I just documented what I personally and and felt.
And, since you're insisting that we only deal with facts here, I'm curious as to your source naming The Rascals as the "third biggest group of their time" ... because without looking up a single statistic, I'm guessing The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Four Seasons, The Rolling Stones and Motown's Supremes and Temptations ALL would have finished ahead of The Rascals during that era. (Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and The Four Tops probably would have, too.) And, after taking a glance at Joel Whitburn's book, I'd have to add Tommy James and the Shondells, The Dave Clark Five, Herman's Hermits, The Fifth Dimension, Paul Revere and the Raiders and The Monkees to that list, too.
Were The Rascals important and significant? Absolutely ... and they were one of my faves ... and I am SO glad that, after all this time, I was FINALLY able to see them. And, if the opportunity presented itself to see them again, I believe that I would absolutely go. (Hey, if nothing else it'll improve my odds of seeing for myself that 2 out of 3 great shows everybody keeps telling me about!!! lol) kk
You hit on an interesting point on your Rascals show review. You're darn right when you said it probably is difficult to do a matinee performance after a night gig. It's probably was hard enough in their prime, let alone when you're on the other side of 70. That being said, I think you were a bit too hard on them.
Jack
Hi ya, Kent ...
Thought you were too rough on The Rascals. I loved the show and really left with a feeling that Felix and Eddie can still bring it. NO, they haven't got the chords they had 45 years ago, but they do know how to make their hits still feel very real. Hey, I love Mick Jagger but he can't carry "Gimme Shelter" or "Brown Sugar" anymore, right?
Plus, the visual affects describing the group's early years were magnificent. Hey, "I ain't gonna eat out my heart anymore" remains a classic. I gave the show an 8 on a scale of 10.
It saddens me that much like so many groups of that era, The Rascals sold their publishing for next to nothing.
The group brought energy to the Cadillac and a vibe that they really weren't taking themselves too seriously.
Honest to gosh, I would happily see the show again in two hours.
"So come on up, baby, and have a good time"
Chet Coppock
Hey Kent,
Thanks so much for the review of The Rascals reunion show.
I have only seen video snippets of The Rascals tour, from fans with their phones, but got an idea of what the reunion show was all about. What I observed was in total agreement with your review. To me, the show was overproduced. It was just a little too much show biz. The huge screen was distracting, the three back-up singers were overpowering, and, of course, the guys have slowed down a little. Individually, I thought Felix was taking too many liberties with melodies of the songs, to a point that they were close to being unrecognizable. Dino (my all-time favorite pop / rock drummer), was too busy twirling his sticks to stay in the pocket. I'm not a fan of the sound of acrylic drum sets either. Eddie was vocally on at times, and sometimes off, but great to see him back in the band. And Gene? All I can say is that what set him apart from all the guitar players in the 60s was his GUITAR! He played a big fat jazz guitar (a Gibson Barney Kessel), while everybody else was playing Strats, Les Pauls, and thin hollow-bodies. That jazz guitar made a special sound for the band, and I wish he still performed with it, instead of giving in to the Strat crowd. All this being said, I would still love to go to a concert to see and hear the boys, if the ticket prices were a little cheaper, and if they played in this part of the country. I'm so glad that the band is back together, just as I was excited for The Beach Boys.
- John LaPuzza
Hi Kent -
Thanks for being so candid about the Rascals show. I, too, am and always have been a big big fan. Felix was a big influence on me as a singer.
It's tough on us when our idols get older and aren't quite they used to be.
Had they come here, I would have gone and seen them, just to see them all on one stage again. I have to confess I don't go see many of my idols anymore because I always want them to sound the way they do in my head. The whole multimedia thing can be a good way to tell the story, I guess, but I'd honestly rather hear it from the folks onstage. Most important, though, is the fact that they've solved their differences and reclaim their territory. It probably wouldn't have happened without someone like Steven doing it.
Keep up the great work. You just seem to get better and better at cumming up with great things for the web site. Bill
Hi Kent -
Thanks for the superb review. As a balcony attendee the first night of the run, your comments are eerily "spot on".
Clive
Hi Kent -
Thanks for being so candid about the Rascals show. I, too, am and always have been a big big fan. Felix was a big influence on me as a singer.
It's tough on us when our idols get older and aren't quite they used to be.
Had they come here, I would have gone and seen them, just to see them all on one stage again. I have to confess I don't go see many of my idols anymore because I always want them to sound the way they do in my head. The whole multimedia thing can be a good way to tell the story, I guess, but I'd honestly rather hear it from the folks onstage. Most important, though, is the fact that they've solved their differences and reclaim their territory. It probably wouldn't have happened without someone like Steven doing it.
Keep up the great work. You just seem to get better and better at cumming up with great things for the web site. Bill
Hi Kent -
Thanks for the superb review. As a balcony attendee the first night of the run, your comments are eerily "spot on".
Clive
HELLO KENT!
READ YOUR RASCALS REVIEW TWICE, AND AFTER READING THRU IT SEEMED LIKE YOU WENT TO A DIFFERENT SHOW THAN I DID (ACTUALLY YOU DID! I WENT TO THE FIRST THREE).
OPENING NITE MY COMP SEATS WERE ABOUT 15 ROWS BACK ON THE MAIN FLOOR - DEAD CENTER! YOU COULDN'T HAVE HAD A BETTER SEAT FOR THIS SHOW (WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE!)
FELIX'S HAMMOND SHONE THRU THE MUSIC, AS THE REST OF BAND PERFORMED A STELLAR SET FOR THE TWO HOUR SHOW. ON THE FIRST NITE I HAD MY CAMERA, BUT WAS INTENT ON WATCHING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT A CAMERA IN MY FACE (WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS VERY HARD TO DO FOR ME!) ON THE SECOND & THIRD NITES I WAS UPFRONT SHOOTING IN FRONT OF FELIX ONE NITE & ON THE OTHER SIDE THE THIRD NITE. HOWEVER, BEING FURTHER BACK WAS A MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT HUGE SCREEN!!
I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND SOME OF YOUR NEGATIVE COMMENTS, EVEN IF THEY WERE BASED ON SOME TRUTH! THESE GUYS ARE 70-ISH AND ARE STILL SINGING BETTER THAN SOME OF TODAY'S CHART TOPPERS ON THEIR BEST DAY (INCLUDING THE ONES THAT LIP-SYNCH ON STAGE!) DINO'S DRUMMING IS WHAT IT ALWAYS WAS ... WILD! HE'S PROBABLY EVEN TONED IT DOWN SOME THESE DAYS. (I ASSUME YOU NEVER SAW A RASCALS CONCERT BEFORE??) ACTUALLY, WATCHING HIM PLAY WAS A PURE JOY FOR ME! REMEMBER, YOU WERE WATCHING ONE OF THE GREATEST ROCK N ROLL DRUMMERS OF ALL TIME!
THIS WAS LITTLE STEVEN'S "VISION", AND I'M VERY PROUD OF HIM FOR PUTTING THIS ALL TOGETHER! WE ALL SEE THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S NOT FAIR TO JUDGE SOMEONE BASED ON THEIR CONCEPT (HIS OPENING STATEMENT WITH THE F-BOMB HAD ME ON THE FLOOR!!) GIGANTIC KUDOS HAVE TO GO TO LIL STEVEN, WHO ENVISIONED & MADE THIS WHOLE REUNION POSSIBLE ... I REALLY DOUBT IT WOULD HAVE EVER HAPPENED IF NOT FOR HIM.
I, TOO, MISSED "MUSTANG SALLY", BUT THE MEDLEY OF "MICKEY'S MONKEY / LOVELIGHT" (WITH THE BACKGROUND VIDEOS) WAS ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT FOR ME ... REMEMBER, THEY WERE A COVER BAND IN THE BEGINNING, AND THESE SONGS WERE ALL A PART OF THEIR STORY.
"HOW CAN I BE SURE" RECEIVED A STANDING OVATION ALL THREE NITES I ATTENDED, AND I KNOW EDDIE REALLY DID APPRECIATE THE LOVE THAT THE AUDIENCE GAVE HIM!!
I AGREE WITH FRANNIE ... I LOVED THE SHOW, TOO (EVERY NITE I WAS THERE), AND SO DID EVERYONE I TALKED TO (AND THAT WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE OVER THE COURSE OF THREE NITES!!) SHOWS THIS GOOD COMMAND HIGHER TICKET PRICES ... AND IF THE ECONOMY WASN'T SO BAD, THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SOLD OUT EVERY NITE!
I JUST FEEL THAT BECAUSE YOU FEEL YOU WERE SNUBBED REGARDING AN INTERVIEW REQUEST, YOU'RE COMING DOWN HARDER ON THEM. YOU JUST SEEMED VERY BITTER.
NO, IT WASN'T PERFECT, BUT IT WAS STILL AMAZING THAT FOUR GUYS PUSHING 70 CAN STILL ROCK LIKE THAT ... AND THEIR BODY OF WORK HAS REALLY STOOD THE TEST OF TIME ... THEY DIDN'T SOUND DATED, EITHER.
I HATE TO SEE YOU GIVE THEM A BUM REVIEW ... THE SHOW WAS AMAZING! MAYBE IF YOU HAD BEEN CLOSER, YOU WOULD FEEL LIKE THE REST OF US THAT WENT. I HAVEN'T HEARD ONE BAD THING FROM ANYONE.
KEEP ON ROCKIN', MY FRIEND, AND "SEE" THE LIGHT. MICHAEL G. BUSH
You have to understand that I've got to call 'em as I see 'em ... in order for Forgotten Hits to retain any credibility and honesty, I've got an obligation to put it out there, especially when voicing my opinion. Yes, I struggled with writing this review ... I didn't want it to come across as negative, despite my own feelings of its shortcomings ... and those weren't primarily musical ... once again I go back to the word "honesty" ... I don't feel the program portrayed the group honestly ... and it's not a question of dealing with any of the negativity that encompassed the band these past 40 years ... it just didn't feel "real" and sincere. My feeling is the concert should win you over on its own merits ... and I will admit my preconceived notions of what I thought the show was going to be like got in my way of having a good time. It wasn't bitterness ... sure, I would have loved to do the interviews and help build up the hype ... and I'm guessing my opinions might have been swayed sitting in a 15th row seat, a whole lot closer to the action ... your viewing perspective has to change under those circumstances ... but every attendee can't have a 15th row seat ... so the show still has to play to the whole audience.
And in that respect, there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that the biggest buzz of all was seeing all four of these guys up there together again ... that alone was worth the price of admission. And there's no dispute here regarding the power of their catalog of music ... its one of the best. I just wanted the show to win me over ... and it didn't ... because it didn't feel real ... it didn't feel at all like what The Rascals would have chosen to do, had they reunited on their own. It felt more like what they were being MADE to do to sell tickets and sell the legacy of the band. Truth is, the fans already knew they were great before a single ticket was sold ... so just having the opportunity to see them up there again would have been enough for most of us.
For me, it's all about the show. For example, the other night we went to see Gino Vannelli for our anniversary ... not necessarily MY cup of tea, but he's always been one of Frannie's favorites. I think I knew maybe four songs he did all night ... let's face it, he didn't have that many hits! However, the show was absolutely AMAZING!!! An INCREDIBLE, kick-ass band that just tore the place up and you'd swear you had stepped back to 1981 listening to Gino's vocals and watching him move on stage ... and I believe he's 61 or 62 now. Like I said, not really my thing ... but the showmanship and caliper of the music was top notch. As such, he drew me in and won me over.
READ YOUR RASCALS REVIEW TWICE, AND AFTER READING THRU IT SEEMED LIKE YOU WENT TO A DIFFERENT SHOW THAN I DID (ACTUALLY YOU DID! I WENT TO THE FIRST THREE).
OPENING NITE MY COMP SEATS WERE ABOUT 15 ROWS BACK ON THE MAIN FLOOR - DEAD CENTER! YOU COULDN'T HAVE HAD A BETTER SEAT FOR THIS SHOW (WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE!)
FELIX'S HAMMOND SHONE THRU THE MUSIC, AS THE REST OF BAND PERFORMED A STELLAR SET FOR THE TWO HOUR SHOW. ON THE FIRST NITE I HAD MY CAMERA, BUT WAS INTENT ON WATCHING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT A CAMERA IN MY FACE (WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS VERY HARD TO DO FOR ME!) ON THE SECOND & THIRD NITES I WAS UPFRONT SHOOTING IN FRONT OF FELIX ONE NITE & ON THE OTHER SIDE THE THIRD NITE. HOWEVER, BEING FURTHER BACK WAS A MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT HUGE SCREEN!!
I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND SOME OF YOUR NEGATIVE COMMENTS, EVEN IF THEY WERE BASED ON SOME TRUTH! THESE GUYS ARE 70-ISH AND ARE STILL SINGING BETTER THAN SOME OF TODAY'S CHART TOPPERS ON THEIR BEST DAY (INCLUDING THE ONES THAT LIP-SYNCH ON STAGE!) DINO'S DRUMMING IS WHAT IT ALWAYS WAS ... WILD! HE'S PROBABLY EVEN TONED IT DOWN SOME THESE DAYS. (I ASSUME YOU NEVER SAW A RASCALS CONCERT BEFORE??) ACTUALLY, WATCHING HIM PLAY WAS A PURE JOY FOR ME! REMEMBER, YOU WERE WATCHING ONE OF THE GREATEST ROCK N ROLL DRUMMERS OF ALL TIME!
THIS WAS LITTLE STEVEN'S "VISION", AND I'M VERY PROUD OF HIM FOR PUTTING THIS ALL TOGETHER! WE ALL SEE THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S NOT FAIR TO JUDGE SOMEONE BASED ON THEIR CONCEPT (HIS OPENING STATEMENT WITH THE F-BOMB HAD ME ON THE FLOOR!!) GIGANTIC KUDOS HAVE TO GO TO LIL STEVEN, WHO ENVISIONED & MADE THIS WHOLE REUNION POSSIBLE ... I REALLY DOUBT IT WOULD HAVE EVER HAPPENED IF NOT FOR HIM.
I, TOO, MISSED "MUSTANG SALLY", BUT THE MEDLEY OF "MICKEY'S MONKEY / LOVELIGHT" (WITH THE BACKGROUND VIDEOS) WAS ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT FOR ME ... REMEMBER, THEY WERE A COVER BAND IN THE BEGINNING, AND THESE SONGS WERE ALL A PART OF THEIR STORY.
"HOW CAN I BE SURE" RECEIVED A STANDING OVATION ALL THREE NITES I ATTENDED, AND I KNOW EDDIE REALLY DID APPRECIATE THE LOVE THAT THE AUDIENCE GAVE HIM!!
I AGREE WITH FRANNIE ... I LOVED THE SHOW, TOO (EVERY NITE I WAS THERE), AND SO DID EVERYONE I TALKED TO (AND THAT WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE OVER THE COURSE OF THREE NITES!!) SHOWS THIS GOOD COMMAND HIGHER TICKET PRICES ... AND IF THE ECONOMY WASN'T SO BAD, THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SOLD OUT EVERY NITE!
I JUST FEEL THAT BECAUSE YOU FEEL YOU WERE SNUBBED REGARDING AN INTERVIEW REQUEST, YOU'RE COMING DOWN HARDER ON THEM. YOU JUST SEEMED VERY BITTER.
NO, IT WASN'T PERFECT, BUT IT WAS STILL AMAZING THAT FOUR GUYS PUSHING 70 CAN STILL ROCK LIKE THAT ... AND THEIR BODY OF WORK HAS REALLY STOOD THE TEST OF TIME ... THEY DIDN'T SOUND DATED, EITHER.
I HATE TO SEE YOU GIVE THEM A BUM REVIEW ... THE SHOW WAS AMAZING! MAYBE IF YOU HAD BEEN CLOSER, YOU WOULD FEEL LIKE THE REST OF US THAT WENT. I HAVEN'T HEARD ONE BAD THING FROM ANYONE.
KEEP ON ROCKIN', MY FRIEND, AND "SEE" THE LIGHT. MICHAEL G. BUSH
You have to understand that I've got to call 'em as I see 'em ... in order for Forgotten Hits to retain any credibility and honesty, I've got an obligation to put it out there, especially when voicing my opinion. Yes, I struggled with writing this review ... I didn't want it to come across as negative, despite my own feelings of its shortcomings ... and those weren't primarily musical ... once again I go back to the word "honesty" ... I don't feel the program portrayed the group honestly ... and it's not a question of dealing with any of the negativity that encompassed the band these past 40 years ... it just didn't feel "real" and sincere. My feeling is the concert should win you over on its own merits ... and I will admit my preconceived notions of what I thought the show was going to be like got in my way of having a good time. It wasn't bitterness ... sure, I would have loved to do the interviews and help build up the hype ... and I'm guessing my opinions might have been swayed sitting in a 15th row seat, a whole lot closer to the action ... your viewing perspective has to change under those circumstances ... but every attendee can't have a 15th row seat ... so the show still has to play to the whole audience.
And in that respect, there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that the biggest buzz of all was seeing all four of these guys up there together again ... that alone was worth the price of admission. And there's no dispute here regarding the power of their catalog of music ... its one of the best. I just wanted the show to win me over ... and it didn't ... because it didn't feel real ... it didn't feel at all like what The Rascals would have chosen to do, had they reunited on their own. It felt more like what they were being MADE to do to sell tickets and sell the legacy of the band. Truth is, the fans already knew they were great before a single ticket was sold ... so just having the opportunity to see them up there again would have been enough for most of us.
For me, it's all about the show. For example, the other night we went to see Gino Vannelli for our anniversary ... not necessarily MY cup of tea, but he's always been one of Frannie's favorites. I think I knew maybe four songs he did all night ... let's face it, he didn't have that many hits! However, the show was absolutely AMAZING!!! An INCREDIBLE, kick-ass band that just tore the place up and you'd swear you had stepped back to 1981 listening to Gino's vocals and watching him move on stage ... and I believe he's 61 or 62 now. Like I said, not really my thing ... but the showmanship and caliper of the music was top notch. As such, he drew me in and won me over.
I absolutely take 75% of the blame for not enjoying The Rascals as much as I thought I would ... the hype built this up to such a high I expected nothing short of the absolute very best ... I don't blame the band ... they can only do what they can do ... I just got sucked in by the media and was SO looking forward to seeing this that I felt cheated by some of what I saw, which simply felt very "fake" and manufactured. I've replied a couple of times now to other readers saying that I don't believe the four original guys would have EVER gotten back together were it not for the efforts of Little Steven ... and we should ALL be thankful for his persistence and his vision ... but, that being said, I think they kinda made a deal with the devil to go along with everything HE wanted to present in the show ... rather than what they themselves might have chosen had the circumstances been different.
That being said, I'm SO glad I got to see them. No, I'd never seen them before ... just the one solo show by Felix that I mentioned in the review ... and I wouldn't have passed up the chance ... we were going to go one way or another and I'm glad I did. Everybody sees it differently ... Frannie sat next to me on my left and LOVED it ... and wished she could see it again ... but the truth of the matter is that the two people on my right got up about halfway through the show, left and never came back to their seats. Go figure!
On the other hand, others who have read the review have written in to say that "now that you mention it ..." there were things they didn't like about the show, too ... they were just afraid to speak their mind about it earlier because they felt it would be sacrilege to speak ill of such an iconic band. To each his own. I just feel that it's my duty to report my feelings accurately, regardless of what they may be. It certainly isn't meant maliciously or to hurt anyone ... I've just got to call 'em as I see 'em!
Would I go see it again? Yeah, probably ... because I also believe the nights you went probably WERE better performances. (I believe there's a lot of truth to my supposition that coming back the following afternoon after the Saturday Night performance was probably a bit much for these guys to handle.) I think going back, knowing what to expect, I could focus less on the negative vibe I got the first time around and just kick back and enjoy the music ... 'cause let's face it, any way you slice it, this is DAMN good music!
Meanwhile, I have to stand by everything I said about The Rascals because that is how I saw the concert. Had I known I could have waited until the very last minute and picked up a prime, main floor seat for $115 instead of $275, I would have done it ... that's not The Rascals' fault ... that's the fault of the theater and the promoter pricing this outside the range of the people who would most liked to have seen them. I felt cheated in that way, too ... my balcony seats were $89 each ... do you think for a second I wouldn't have ponied up the extra $20 apiece to sit in prime seats, front and center??? I just couldn't risk NOT buying a ticket I could afford and missing the show all-together. That simply wasn't an option for me. I HAD to see this show. That being said, I don't think fans should have to go two or three times to "get it" ... win me over right out of the gate ... so that I WANT to go back and see it again. (kk)
Speaking of which ...
During their performance of "Once Upon A Dream", The Rascals mentioned those "other" Jersey Boys, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. (Now THAT's a show we shelled out big bucks to see five or six times!!! Did the same for Donny Osmond in "Joseph" ... and it's THAT kind of reaction that I have to weigh The Rascals' show against in my mind when writing my review ... NOT the fact that I got "snubbed regarding an interview request." I'm a big boy now ... I can take it!)
We've been waiting for the film version of this hit musical for years now ... and it sounds like we're now one step closer.
Director Clint Eastwood announced the primary cast this week ...
The Jersey Boys movie will star Broadway’s John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli, Renée Marino as Mary Delgado, Erich Bergen as Bob Gaudio, Christopher Walken as Gyp DeCarlo, Mike Doyle as Bob Crew, Joey Russo as Joe Pesci, Erica Piccininni as Lorraine, Donnie Kehr as Norm Waxman, Jeremy Luke as Donnie, Johnny Cannizzaro as Nick DeVito, and Kathrine Narducci as Mary Rinaldi.
The Jersey Boys movie will premiere in June, 2014.
re: THE BEATLES:
After our "Who Played The First Beatles Record In America" piece ran last week, we received this memory from our FH Buddy Joe Klein ... who was instrumental in putting together the original 20th Anniversary Beatles campaign back in 1984. (Incredibly, as Joe points out, that celebration is about to celebrate its own 30 Year Anniversary next year!!!) Yes, all things Beatles (as they relate to America anyway) hits the 50-year mark next year ... and, as you'll see below, some special events are already in the planning stages.
Here are Joe's reflections:
Hey Kent,
I've enjoyed many of the BEATLES related posts here over the years. I really liked the most recent one about the reader who wrote the letter to Beatlefan Magazine in 1984, because it triggered my own memories of The Fab Four from that very same year. Here's my own little slice ...
In January of 1984, Capitol Records launched a winter promotion commemorating the 20th anniversary of the first Beatles album on the label, MEET THE BEATLES. Appropriately dubbed "The Beatles 20th Anniversary Sale," Capitol lowered the retail price on the ENTIRE Beatles catalog (still on vinyl at this point) for a few months. The marketing people thought it was a good way to move some of the large inventory of the band's product sitting in warehouses at the time, so they decided to heavily promote the sale nationwide.
I had been producing radio commercials for the label since 1981, so Capitol commissioned my company to produce a couple of ads for the promotion early in January of '84. The spots had very little announcer copy and featured a cool montage of songs I created. The spots turned out pretty good, and the company was pleased with the finished product I delivered to them. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first (and perhaps the ONLY) time that a major record label staged a nationally-advertised "SALE" on the entire catalog of a major recording artist!
The commercials ran extensively on major CHR, A/C and Classic Rock radio stations across the country for the first few weeks of the promotion, and I heard that the company was quite satisfied with the results. One of the commercials was a CLIO Award finalist for 1984 (but didn't end up winning the coveted award). But the biggest compliment came three years later.
In 1987, Capitol hired me to produce commercials for the roll-out of the Beatles catalog on CD. Apparently the 20th Anniversary Sale ad campaign had been even more of a success than I thought, as the label wanted me to use the exact same music montage I had created for the anniversary spots, with different announcer copy. (We cut out the phrase "20 Years ago" from the beginning of the ad and changed the words near the end from "The Beatles ... 20th Anniversary Sale" to "The Beatles ... on Compact Disc.")
I hired the same announcer, and had him read the new copy with the same inflections as he had used on the 20th Anniversary ad. Best part of it all was that Capitol didn't think to ask for me to discount my rate for the new commercials (since I didn't have to edit a new music bed for them) and I got paid "full ticket," even though they took far less work to produce than the anniversary ads did three years earlier. Sweet!
Since there was already such a pent-up demand for digital audio versions of all of the Fab Four's material, Capitol did not need to advertise the CD's of The Beatles catalog anywhere near as heavily as they promoted the 20th Anniversary Sale, so the commercials I produced for the CD's did not air anywhere near as much (and those ads failed to garner any awards), but what the hell did I care? I now had two sets of commercials for the biggest act in pop music history to include on my company's production demo reel!
Hard to believe that it's now just shy of the 30th ANNIVERSARY of THE BEATLES 20TH ANNIVERSARY SALE campaign! Holey Moley! Here's one of the original spots I produced for Capitol Records in January of 1984 ... http://soundcloud.com/prowlerdog/beatles-20th-anniversary-radio
-- Joe Klein
http://www.facebook.com/Joe.Klein.Producer
That being said, I'm SO glad I got to see them. No, I'd never seen them before ... just the one solo show by Felix that I mentioned in the review ... and I wouldn't have passed up the chance ... we were going to go one way or another and I'm glad I did. Everybody sees it differently ... Frannie sat next to me on my left and LOVED it ... and wished she could see it again ... but the truth of the matter is that the two people on my right got up about halfway through the show, left and never came back to their seats. Go figure!
On the other hand, others who have read the review have written in to say that "now that you mention it ..." there were things they didn't like about the show, too ... they were just afraid to speak their mind about it earlier because they felt it would be sacrilege to speak ill of such an iconic band. To each his own. I just feel that it's my duty to report my feelings accurately, regardless of what they may be. It certainly isn't meant maliciously or to hurt anyone ... I've just got to call 'em as I see 'em!
Would I go see it again? Yeah, probably ... because I also believe the nights you went probably WERE better performances. (I believe there's a lot of truth to my supposition that coming back the following afternoon after the Saturday Night performance was probably a bit much for these guys to handle.) I think going back, knowing what to expect, I could focus less on the negative vibe I got the first time around and just kick back and enjoy the music ... 'cause let's face it, any way you slice it, this is DAMN good music!
Meanwhile, I have to stand by everything I said about The Rascals because that is how I saw the concert. Had I known I could have waited until the very last minute and picked up a prime, main floor seat for $115 instead of $275, I would have done it ... that's not The Rascals' fault ... that's the fault of the theater and the promoter pricing this outside the range of the people who would most liked to have seen them. I felt cheated in that way, too ... my balcony seats were $89 each ... do you think for a second I wouldn't have ponied up the extra $20 apiece to sit in prime seats, front and center??? I just couldn't risk NOT buying a ticket I could afford and missing the show all-together. That simply wasn't an option for me. I HAD to see this show. That being said, I don't think fans should have to go two or three times to "get it" ... win me over right out of the gate ... so that I WANT to go back and see it again. (kk)
Speaking of which ...
During their performance of "Once Upon A Dream", The Rascals mentioned those "other" Jersey Boys, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. (Now THAT's a show we shelled out big bucks to see five or six times!!! Did the same for Donny Osmond in "Joseph" ... and it's THAT kind of reaction that I have to weigh The Rascals' show against in my mind when writing my review ... NOT the fact that I got "snubbed regarding an interview request." I'm a big boy now ... I can take it!)
We've been waiting for the film version of this hit musical for years now ... and it sounds like we're now one step closer.
Director Clint Eastwood announced the primary cast this week ...
The Jersey Boys movie will star Broadway’s John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli, Renée Marino as Mary Delgado, Erich Bergen as Bob Gaudio, Christopher Walken as Gyp DeCarlo, Mike Doyle as Bob Crew, Joey Russo as Joe Pesci, Erica Piccininni as Lorraine, Donnie Kehr as Norm Waxman, Jeremy Luke as Donnie, Johnny Cannizzaro as Nick DeVito, and Kathrine Narducci as Mary Rinaldi.
The Jersey Boys movie will premiere in June, 2014.
re: THE BEATLES:
After our "Who Played The First Beatles Record In America" piece ran last week, we received this memory from our FH Buddy Joe Klein ... who was instrumental in putting together the original 20th Anniversary Beatles campaign back in 1984. (Incredibly, as Joe points out, that celebration is about to celebrate its own 30 Year Anniversary next year!!!) Yes, all things Beatles (as they relate to America anyway) hits the 50-year mark next year ... and, as you'll see below, some special events are already in the planning stages.
Here are Joe's reflections:
Hey Kent,
I've enjoyed many of the BEATLES related posts here over the years. I really liked the most recent one about the reader who wrote the letter to Beatlefan Magazine in 1984, because it triggered my own memories of The Fab Four from that very same year. Here's my own little slice ...
In January of 1984, Capitol Records launched a winter promotion commemorating the 20th anniversary of the first Beatles album on the label, MEET THE BEATLES. Appropriately dubbed "The Beatles 20th Anniversary Sale," Capitol lowered the retail price on the ENTIRE Beatles catalog (still on vinyl at this point) for a few months. The marketing people thought it was a good way to move some of the large inventory of the band's product sitting in warehouses at the time, so they decided to heavily promote the sale nationwide.
I had been producing radio commercials for the label since 1981, so Capitol commissioned my company to produce a couple of ads for the promotion early in January of '84. The spots had very little announcer copy and featured a cool montage of songs I created. The spots turned out pretty good, and the company was pleased with the finished product I delivered to them. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first (and perhaps the ONLY) time that a major record label staged a nationally-advertised "SALE" on the entire catalog of a major recording artist!
The commercials ran extensively on major CHR, A/C and Classic Rock radio stations across the country for the first few weeks of the promotion, and I heard that the company was quite satisfied with the results. One of the commercials was a CLIO Award finalist for 1984 (but didn't end up winning the coveted award). But the biggest compliment came three years later.
In 1987, Capitol hired me to produce commercials for the roll-out of the Beatles catalog on CD. Apparently the 20th Anniversary Sale ad campaign had been even more of a success than I thought, as the label wanted me to use the exact same music montage I had created for the anniversary spots, with different announcer copy. (We cut out the phrase "20 Years ago" from the beginning of the ad and changed the words near the end from "The Beatles ... 20th Anniversary Sale" to "The Beatles ... on Compact Disc.")
I hired the same announcer, and had him read the new copy with the same inflections as he had used on the 20th Anniversary ad. Best part of it all was that Capitol didn't think to ask for me to discount my rate for the new commercials (since I didn't have to edit a new music bed for them) and I got paid "full ticket," even though they took far less work to produce than the anniversary ads did three years earlier. Sweet!
Since there was already such a pent-up demand for digital audio versions of all of the Fab Four's material, Capitol did not need to advertise the CD's of The Beatles catalog anywhere near as heavily as they promoted the 20th Anniversary Sale, so the commercials I produced for the CD's did not air anywhere near as much (and those ads failed to garner any awards), but what the hell did I care? I now had two sets of commercials for the biggest act in pop music history to include on my company's production demo reel!
Hard to believe that it's now just shy of the 30th ANNIVERSARY of THE BEATLES 20TH ANNIVERSARY SALE campaign! Holey Moley! Here's one of the original spots I produced for Capitol Records in January of 1984 ... http://soundcloud.com/prowlerdog/beatles-20th-anniversary-radio
-- Joe Klein
http://www.facebook.com/Joe.Klein.Producer
And here's a celebration worth waiting for ... next year (on February 9th in fact ... the EXACT 50 Year Anniversary of The Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show) CBS will be airing a television special saluting "The Night That Changed America".
Sounds like an all-star Grammy Salute to the music of The Beatles (and I'm sure some vintage Sullivan clips will be aired as well.) Those of us who were there will never forget what this was like ... we had never seen anything else like it ... and the musical landscape truly did seem to change overnight. (kk)
More details here:
Click here: VVN Music: "The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute To The Beatles" To Air on CBS
Sounds like an all-star Grammy Salute to the music of The Beatles (and I'm sure some vintage Sullivan clips will be aired as well.) Those of us who were there will never forget what this was like ... we had never seen anything else like it ... and the musical landscape truly did seem to change overnight. (kk)
More details here:
Click here: VVN Music: "The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute To The Beatles" To Air on CBS
Something else worth mentioning in light of the upcoming 50th Anniversary is Garry Berman's GREAT book "We're Going To See The Beatles", a compilation of first-hand remembrances by fans who followed The Fab Four through their first tour of America.
We LOVE this book ... and got the chance to interview Garry when it was first released a few years ago. Please check out the links below ... and then visit the "order link" to pick up your own copy. (kk)
Click here: Forgotten Hits: We're Going To See The Beatles!
Click here: Forgotten Hits: Introducing Garry Berman
We LOVE this book ... and got the chance to interview Garry when it was first released a few years ago. Please check out the links below ... and then visit the "order link" to pick up your own copy. (kk)
Click here: Forgotten Hits: We're Going To See The Beatles!
Click here: Forgotten Hits: Introducing Garry Berman
Click here: We're Going to See The Beatles!: An Oral History of Beatlemania as Told by the Fans Who Were There: Garry Berman,
We recently told you about Bruce Spizer's new digital release of his Beatles books, documenting every American release on every label in every variation. It's an "eBook" that is very complete ... and very easy to use. (The Vee Jay book is available now.) Bruce has also been posting a daily "50 Years Ago Today" segment that shows "This Date In Beatles History". You can find ALL of this information here:
We recently told you about Bruce Spizer's new digital release of his Beatles books, documenting every American release on every label in every variation. It's an "eBook" that is very complete ... and very easy to use. (The Vee Jay book is available now.) Bruce has also been posting a daily "50 Years Ago Today" segment that shows "This Date In Beatles History". You can find ALL of this information here:
Click here: beatle.net
Click here: 50 Years Ago: While the Beatles on Vacation, Singles Chart « beatle.net
Click here: 50 Years Ago: While the Beatles on Vacation, Singles Chart « beatle.net
By the way, Bruce has now tracked down four other radio stations that were playing "Please Please Me" back in 1963! (WLS appears to still be the first ... but it's interesting to see that his continued research has turned up a few others). Bruce has documented chart appearances of "Please Please Me" in Chicago, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Miami and Houston. The highest the song got on any of the charts was #34 (KEWB San Francisco and KNUZ Houston). It peaked at #35 here in Chicago during its two-week run.
From his Beatle.net Trivia Page, Bruce reports:
Chicago’s WLS was the first to chart the song, beginning with its March 8, 1963, Silver Dollar Survey. The song peaked at number 35.
KFXM of Riverside and San Bernardino first charted the song in its Fabulous 59 Survey of April 6, 1963. The song peaked at number 38.
San Francisco’s KEWB first charted the song in its April 20, 1963, survey. The song peaked at 34.
Chicago’s WLS was the first to chart the song, beginning with its March 8, 1963, Silver Dollar Survey. The song peaked at number 35.
KFXM of Riverside and San Bernardino first charted the song in its Fabulous 59 Survey of April 6, 1963. The song peaked at number 38.
San Francisco’s KEWB first charted the song in its April 20, 1963, survey. The song peaked at 34.
Miami’s WQAM charted the song at number 47 in its Fabulous 56 surveys of April 7 and May 3, 1963. This is the highest WQAM chart position I was able to confirm. Houston’s KNUZ listed the song at number 34 on its survey dated May 3, 1963. I have no other information regarding the song’s performance on KNUZ.
And here's the scoop on a
brand new book that examines "101 Days That Shaped A Generation".
Author Al Sussman looks
back at the life-changing time span between November 22nd, 1963 (and Kennedy's
assassination) through The Beatles first arrival on our shores, their first
appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, right on up to March 1st of 1964.
Here's more on this
hot, new release:
Al Sussman announces
new book 'Changin’ Times: 101 Days That Shaped A Generation'
What events shaped and changed the baby boomer generation? Al Sussman answers that question in his new
book, ‘Changin’ Times: 101 Days That Shaped A Generation.’
November 7, 2013 – Beatles expert and author Al Sussman is pleased to announce the
release of his first book, Changin’
Times: 101 Days That Shaped A Generation (Parading Press ISBN:
978-0-9892555-1-6) later this month.
Changin' Times takes a look at the
101 days from November 22, 1963 through March 1, 1964 and the after-effects of
the John Kennedy assassination, the start of the 1964 political year, the
instability in South Vietnam that would lead to the expansion of the war, the
very early indications of the domestic turmoil that would come to define the
'60s, the technology of the times, and the pop culture British Invasion that
preceded the musical one.
Click
here: Changin' Times: 101 Days That Shaped A Generation: Al Sussman:
9780989255516: Amazon.com: Books
In addition to our Rascals concert review, we also reviewed the Gino Vannelli concert earlier this week ... and got some nice responses ... guess there are a few "Gino Fans" on the list as well!
re: GINO VANNELLI:
Did Gino Vannelli play Black Cars from 1985? When that came out, I couldn't believe that was him.
Phil - WRCO
Yep, and it sounded great. I told Frannie that I had bought that 45 when it came out (I even remember the picture sleeve!) Good song. That's the last I'd heard of him ... I was surprised to see that he was still out touring. But he appears to have a very loyal following. Good show. (kk)
In addition to our Rascals concert review, we also reviewed the Gino Vannelli concert earlier this week ... and got some nice responses ... guess there are a few "Gino Fans" on the list as well!
re: GINO VANNELLI:
Did Gino Vannelli play Black Cars from 1985? When that came out, I couldn't believe that was him.
Phil - WRCO
Yep, and it sounded great. I told Frannie that I had bought that 45 when it came out (I even remember the picture sleeve!) Good song. That's the last I'd heard of him ... I was surprised to see that he was still out touring. But he appears to have a very loyal following. Good show. (kk)
Let me say that I am envious, no, JEALOUS, that you got to meet Gino Vannelli. Everybody should own "Powerful People", if they could only have one of his albums. It was WAY ahead of its time, with a mix of rock and fusion-jazz. I have always thought that Gino's band was "kick-the-walls-down" FABulous, headed by his brother, Joe. As I stated, a while back, when they played here, they had much of the crowd dancing in the aisles! I have followed Vannelli's career by CDs and videos, and, as you noted, his voice hasn't slowed down! In recent years, he has conducted vocal master-classes. What a treat that would be, to attend! Maybe he'll put together another tour coming up, as I'm sure he'll sound as good as he did when you heard him. Thanks so much for your review.
- John LaPuzza
- John LaPuzza
Nice job on your Gino Vannelli piece. I was there that night, too, and really enjoyed the show.
Lou
Totally enjoyed your Gino Vannelli concert review. I've been a fan from the beginning and always felt he was underrated, both as a vocalist and as a fusion artist who blended rock, soul, jazz, disco, power pop and ballads into a sound uniquely his own. And, for the record, he has ALWAYS had a kick-ass band!
Frank
Saw Gino back in the late 70s. Good show. Had his brother Joe with him then. Had to have a good band as well to replicate the instrumentals such as Love Me Now & Brother to Brother.
Totally enjoyed your Gino Vannelli concert review. I've been a fan from the beginning and always felt he was underrated, both as a vocalist and as a fusion artist who blended rock, soul, jazz, disco, power pop and ballads into a sound uniquely his own. And, for the record, he has ALWAYS had a kick-ass band!
Frank
Saw Gino back in the late 70s. Good show. Had his brother Joe with him then. Had to have a good band as well to replicate the instrumentals such as Love Me Now & Brother to Brother.
sanvtoman
I thought your review of the Gino concert was quite good and accurate. I'm glad you enjoyed it (although not as much as I; that wouldn't be possible).
Quick notations: I "discovered" Gino's music in 1974-75, not the late 70s. I first heard Powerful People at the beginning of my freshman year in high school. I love the jazz / bossa nova sounds of his earlier songs, so I was a bit disappointed when Gino did not perform Powerful People, Love Me Now, Love Of My Life and Mama Coco. I was amazed at how perfect his vocals were ... his voice remains virtually the same as when he was in his 20s. Anything else I say will sound so over the top fan girl, but I can't help it. I loved the concert. Thank you for taking me. It was a wonderful way to spend our anniversary.
Frannie (Mrs. K)
Probably our last show for a while ... but well worth it. Thanks again to Ron Onesti for his generous hospitality, to Gino Vannelli for putting on a GREAT show, to Jeff Carlson (he knows why!) and to you for being the perfect date on a rain-drenched night! Love you! (kk)
I thought your review of the Gino concert was quite good and accurate. I'm glad you enjoyed it (although not as much as I; that wouldn't be possible).
Quick notations: I "discovered" Gino's music in 1974-75, not the late 70s. I first heard Powerful People at the beginning of my freshman year in high school. I love the jazz / bossa nova sounds of his earlier songs, so I was a bit disappointed when Gino did not perform Powerful People, Love Me Now, Love Of My Life and Mama Coco. I was amazed at how perfect his vocals were ... his voice remains virtually the same as when he was in his 20s. Anything else I say will sound so over the top fan girl, but I can't help it. I loved the concert. Thank you for taking me. It was a wonderful way to spend our anniversary.
Frannie (Mrs. K)
Probably our last show for a while ... but well worth it. Thanks again to Ron Onesti for his generous hospitality, to Gino Vannelli for putting on a GREAT show, to Jeff Carlson (he knows why!) and to you for being the perfect date on a rain-drenched night! Love you! (kk)
re: DIGGIN' FORGOTTEN HITS:
>>>Jeez ... don't you wish radio offered this much variety?!?!? (kk)
It would if we could get you to do a show. Have a great weekend!
- Bish
WRLR 98.3 FM
It would if we could get you to do a show. Have a great weekend!
- Bish
WRLR 98.3 FM
Hi Kent!
I just heard Sunday & Me by Jay & The Americans and I thought of the "Month of Sundays" series you sent out back in the day. I wondered if it ever got posted on your website. You had so many great songs I never heard of and are now on mp3 player.
I just heard Sunday & Me by Jay & The Americans and I thought of the "Month of Sundays" series you sent out back in the day. I wondered if it ever got posted on your website. You had so many great songs I never heard of and are now on mp3 player.
Brit
Nope, that one never made the transition to the site ... good series 'though! (I guess the only way to do it right would be to actually DO a month of Sundays like we did the first time around.) I wonder if any of that stuff made it through the "recovered archives" after the Great Computer Crash of 2012 ... actually, it might make for a great Sunday afternoon radio special ... I'll have to talk to my buddy Bish at WRLR about putting this one together! (kk)
Hi Kent,
Hi Kent,
I love how Joe is trying so hard to get dad's genius work noticed ... finally! He taught me so many things about music and how to really hear it so I love trying to share that with everyone. By the way, I love your site and think what you're doing for music is also very amazing. Keep up the wonderful work!
Christi Terrana
