Wednesday, December 11, 2013

HELPING OUT OUR READERS

Our readers came through again!!!  (In fact, we're batting 1000 for last week's posts!)  Read on ... 

After posting this comment last Thursday ...  

>>>I came across your website while searching for an old song that my father used to play many years ago. I believe the song was produced in the 1960 - 1970 era. I am desperate to find this song, I have searched for the lyrics and everything I can possibly think of to find the song and keep coming up empty. 
Here are the lyrics ... if you know of the song or the artist I would appreciate it so much! This would mean the world to us, to be able to find the song again. A man sings the song and the backup singers or group sings a lot during the chorus. We think the song was on the B-side of a 45 and not a widely popular song. Here is the song ... 
She was dreamed up in Detroit, on a Saturday afternoon ... and she sure looked good on paper at the time 
Then they started to produce her, back in 1964.. and she's become a legend in her time! 
Chorus: 
- She was a Ford GT, headed for the Grand Prix ... She set a track record, with a low ET 
- Now the Maserati couldn't shake her, NO, NO, The Ferrari couldn't take her, No, No ... The Lotus couldn't shake her, She was a Ford GT. 
Chorus repeats twice, I believe ... 
Last verse: 
I wasn't there myself, but I saw the film.
At the end he says ... 
I'm gonna see a man about a Ford GT, and as the song fades you hear " Turn It On, Turn It On, GT Ford" sang over and over by the backup group.  
Thanks for any help if you can offer it!  
(Melinda  Adams)  

... we got this link from FH Reader Vibramutant (aka The Vibeman):   

Click here: ? Jackie & The Giants - FORD G.T. - YouTube  

It was, in fact, a B-Side ... the flip of one of those "Hit Records" sound-alike singles that copied Peter and Gordon's hit "I Go To Pieces", also shown below.  (Not a bad version ... we used to perform this song, too!)  We've covered Hit Records several times before in Forgotten Hits ... that's the  label based out of Nashville that would release sound-alike versions of the latest hits on the radio and then sell them for a fraction of the price to (most often) unsuspecting music fans thinking they were getting a great bargain on a hot new release that they just heard on the radio.  (Check out our list of complete titles, submitted by Paul Urbahns a short while back):  Click here: "Music is fun for everyone"- The "Hit" Records Project  

HIT RECORDS HAD A TON OF COOL MUSIC BY "WHO REALLY KNOWS WHO THEY WERE" IN REALITY.  
The Vibeman  

Click here: ? Jackie & The Giants (I Go To Pieces) (Ford G.T.) Hit Records 185.wmv - YouTube  

Meanwhile, I think we made Melinda's day ... and right before the holidays, too!!! 

That's so amazing! Thank you so much, he is going to be so excited!
Melinda   

And now maybe we can help HIM out as well ... see his note below!  

Thanks kk!
I wish some one could tell me the song that came out in the late 70's early 80's era that sounded like the style of Jigsaw... "Sky High" and Pilot ...."Magic" that said in it's lyrics ..."You're a bag of blivet!" My sister remembered it from the radio station WROQ in Charlotte NC but it stumps me to give her the answer. The only song that has ever stumped me in a question.  
Vibeman   
Anybody??? 

And then ...  

>>>Who are the musicians backing up Davy Jones on the PBS Special that ran last week? Specifically I was curious about the woman dancing with him who also sings and plays tambourine.  She kind of favored him and wondered whether it was a daughter?  (AJ)    
Kent -
You had a reader ask this week who was the woman dancing with the late Davy Jones during last weekend’s PBS-TV 60s special.  That was Davy’s third wife, Jessica Pacheco.  
-Tom Cuddy

Yep, I can see why our reader would think that was Davy's daughter!!!  (Wonder if that had something to do with his ticker giving out?!?!  But what a way to go!)  kk   

Which begs another Davy question ...   

Hi Kent, 
I was watching the My Music last night on PBS and was wondering if you knew who the backup singers were singing behind Davy Jones?  They were four black men all dressed in the same suits and then there was also a girl playing tambourine and a guy playing guitar as well.  I thought they were wonderful as well as Davy.  Thanks so much for the info.  I love these specials. 
Paula Baroch 
Great Falls, Montana  
Anybody???   

Billy J. Kramer and I are spearheading a project to get Brian Epstein nominated and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  I can't believe he's been overlooked all these years! 
I'll give you details as we progress.  We sure could use the support of all your readers.
I'll keep you posted, ol' buddy.
Best,
Bob Rush  

A valiant effort, to be sure ... but, unfortunately, a waste of time ... the folks running The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame truly couldn't care less about what we music fans or the artists think ... they have their own agenda and don't respond to any outside suggestions.  (For that matter why isn't Ed Sullivan in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?!?!  He brought this music to MILLIONS every single week ... and introduced us to all the latest sounds for over twenty years!)  I've seen petitions signed by over 10,000 people that went absolutely nowhere. 
Hate to burst your bubble, but this is the sad, sad reality of how this organization is run.  Even these past two years where fans are allowed to vote for the artists nominated by their own committee is a bit of a joke.  The winning artist based on outside fan support (regardless of how many accumulated votes that artist may have received) ultimately receives ONE vote on the final ballot (of approximately 500 total votes cast.)  This is NOT an organization "for the people".  That being said, this year's ballot is the most interesting one we've seen in YEARS!!!  That's because there were such slim pickings for newly eligible artists this year.  (New artists become eligible 25 years after their first recording ... the only one making the ballot this year was Nirvanna ... leaving the door open for them to dip into the vaults a little deeper and FINALLY acknowledge deserving artists like Hall and Oates, Linda Ronstadt, Yes, Deep Purple and The Zombies, artists WE have been supporting for YEARS to take their rightful place within their hallowed halls.  (Other nominees this year include The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Kiss, Link Wray, Cat Stevens, Chic and Peter Gabriel.)  I failed to mention L.L. Cool J, The Meters, The Replacements and N.W.A. ... yes, that's right ... Niggaz With Attitude ... because I consider these artists to be Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame "givens" ... EVERYBODY worldwide their impressive body of work ... in fact, most of us can't get their songs out of our heads ... right?!?!?  (kk)   

Kent ... 
I have a question for Joel Whitburn, if you don't mind.  It's about the Orlons, a Philadelphia group, made up of three ladies and one man. 1962 to 1964 were their best years. 
My Billboard book and Norm N. Nite's book say that Shirley Brickley was lead singer. Other internet sources say that Rosetta Hightower was lead singer for most of their hits. I'd like to know which one is correct.    
Thanks.  
Frank B.  
Whitburn's book says that Rosetta Hightower sang the leads ... and tells us that Shirley Brickley was shot to death in 1977 ... so technically we already HAVE his answer. 
Steve Caldwell (the "one man" mentioned in your email) has participated with Forgotten Hits a few times over the years ... maybe he can provide some additional insight into your question. 
In the meantime, I checked the liner notes from the "Best Of The Orlons" CD released a few years ago (when ABKCO Records FINALLY opened the vaults and released the Cameo / Parkway material on CD.) 
It sounds like the lead singer of The Orlons was a bit of a revolving door there at the beginning ... 
Jeff Tamarkin tells us that it was Steve Caldwell who first handled the leads!  Then, when the label execs that this wasn't quite the sound they were looking for, they told The Orlons "that each of the girls would be asked to sing lead the next time the group came in" to the studio to record. Their first single for Cameo was the standard "I'll Be True" ... and on THIS record, the lead vocal was handled by Marlena Davis (the only girl you DIDN'T mention in your email!)  This record failed to chart so on the follow-up single ("Mr. Twenty-One") the lead vocal went to Shirley Brickley. 
It wasn't until their third release that The Orlons broke through on the charts ... "The Wah-Watusi" went all the way to #2 ... and Rosetta Hightower was "now installed as The Orlons' primary lead vocalist."  Tamarkin says that Steve Caldwell's rich baritone came into his own "as an essential component of the group's vocal mix ... The Orlons had stumbled upon a recognizable sound."  For their next hit ("Don't Hang Up" ... another Top Five smash) Caldwell used what came to be known as his "frog voice" ... listen to the "No No" next time and see if you agree! 
After disbanding in 1964, Rosetta Hightower moved to England, where she recorded background vocals on records by John Lennon and Joe Cocker.  Several years ago, Caldwell resurrected The Orlons and began performing again around the Philadelphia area.  As far as I know they are still performing assorted gigs.  (Maybe he'll see this and let us know how he's doing.  Would love to hear from him again!)  kk  

Hey Kent,  
I'm up listening to the Nick Digilio Show on WGN on-line. He just had an interview with Denny Tedesco. He was promoting the fund raiser for "The Wrecking Crew" ... It was a good interview.  
Mike Mertes  
It's a GREAT tribute to these fine musicians ... and it deserves to be seen.  We're down to just over a week now to raise the money for The Wrecking Crew's Kickstarter campaign.  FH Reader Tom Cuddy sent us a link to an article that appeared in The New Yorker over the weekend ... and below that we've run the Kickstarter link again for any last minute donations you guys might feel inspired to make.  SO close ... I hate to see them miss it now.  Full info on the site.  (As of this morning they're still $65,000 shy of their goal ... if they don't reach that goal, they don't collect a penny.)  kk  
Click here: The Session Musicians Who Dominated Nineteen-Sixties Pop : The New Yorker 
Click here: "The Wrecking Crew" The Untold Story of Rock & Roll Heroes by Denny Tedesco — Kickstarter