Coppock Comments

re: REACTION TO COPPOCK'S TOPICS:  
Good response to this one ... everyone seemed to have their own ideas and opinions about some of Chet's musings! And as we see EVERY TIME we run something like this, everybody's got their own opinion regarding the music that touched them. (kk)   

>>>You may love him ... or you may hate him ... but you sure as hell can't ignore him!!! (lol) We've got a brand new edition of Coppock's Topics ... today in Forgotten Hits! (kk) 

Thanks for the warning. 
Annonymous 

Well, I love Him ... and I don't want to ignore Him ... that's the most fun I've had reading in a long time!

Stacee

Love Coppock's Topics -- keep 'em coming!
Bob

Kent,

Terrific group of ad hoc comments from Chet Coppock -- as usual, he's nearly always on the money. Couldn't agree more with "Talk Talk", and with his just compensation for listening to "Jack and Diane". Too funny. I'll have to get en e-mail out to him with congrats for his induction to the Hall of Fame.

Rick Barr  

I've shared some of my first thoughts on Chet's comments below ... and by the way, keep 'em cummin.

Bill   

Hi Kent!

How's it going?

I like Chet's stuff. He sure knows his music.

His comments on Steve Miller, Owner of a Lonely Heart, Eddie Kendricks and others were spot on!

By the way, thank Chester for mentioning "Talk Talk." I can't get the damned song out of my head. It's been playing in there on a loop all day.

Thank you

Steve Sarley

THE OUTDOORS EXPERIENCE WIND 560-AM Sunday at 5 a.m. or 24/7 at www.oexperience.com

Hi Kent:
Is this a collection of Chet Coppock comments from over the last few months? Or did he actually write it all out like that for you? It reads like a hilarious, musical stream of consciousness trip. I love it!
Larz

http://www.ChicagolandRadioAndMedia.com
Random ramblings ... but a whole lotta fun!  (kk)

And then, as some of you are prone to do ... taking things point-by-point ...

Hi, double k ...

If Elton John was on the square, wouldn’t he admit that he overdosed on "Bennie and the Jets" and "Philadelphia Freedom" at least 18 years ago? Bar None - hands down - E.J's most underrated song has got to be "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)", his stirring tribute to John Lennon. (Chet Coppock)

Neil Sedaka's "Immigrant" is better. (Clark Besch)

I liked "Empty Garden" ok ... while I never thought it was one of Elton's best, I liked the heart-felt message. And it's one of his that hasn't been played to death over the years. (kk)

That one did its time, at least in MN., as being very overplayed. I used to love it, but it's right in there with Benny and Philadelphia. (Bill)   

Every time I hear "Owner of Lonely Heart", I hear a call from the I.R.S. about a tax audit or fingernails grinding into a blackboard. Did Yes really like that misplaced piece of junk? (Chet Coppock)

I like that song. I would go with Journey's "Don't Stop Believing'" or many others by them ... or most Lionel Ritchie (funny that my spell check chose "retched") songs too. (Clark Besch)

I was never a very big Yes fan ... consequently, my favorite songs by them are the ones that don't sound like them!!! (If that makes any sense!) As such, "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" is my all-time favorite ... I absolutely LOVE that song! (Others include "Long Distance Runaround", "Lift Me Up" and "Leave It". In fact, I think "Lift Me Up" deserved to be every bit as big a hit as "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" ... yet "Heart" went to #1 and "Life Me Up" never rose any higher than #86!) I can listen to the obvious ones ("Your Move", "Roundabout", "America" ... and their oddly-arranged version of The Beatles' tune "Every Little Thing") but it was latter-day / comeback Yes that caught my ear. (kk)

(When's the last time you heard THAT one?!?!?)  kk

Book it ... If Classic Rock Radio ran weddings, the bride and groom would leave the alter to Steve Miller doing "Abracadabra." I'm not kidding. Frankly, waking up to Steve Miller is like waking up in the Joliet Correctional Center. (Chet Coppock)

"Abracadabra" is a TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT to that guy's career! Horrible! (Clark Besch)   

Did anybody ever do more with less than Gary Glitter? (Chet Coppock)  
Much like Queen's "We Will Rock You", Gary created a worldwide sporting event anthem ... which has since been totally eclipsed by Gary's fondness for little boys.  (kk)

This may sound like a reach, but hear me out ... Think about the edgy falsetto Eddie Kendricks brought to the original Temptations. Think about Eddie on "Get Ready", the song that truly woke up white America to the Temps. Now, have you heard Usher? I think the guy is outta sight. His vocal range is magnificent. I truly believe he could have filled the Kendricks spot with Motown's greatest group - had he been born a mere 40 years earlier. (Chet Coppock) 

Usher? Yep. Great voice, just not half the quality of material that the Temps had. (Bill)   

Stop! Think about Cannibal and the Headhunters. If their hit "Land of One Thousand Dances" doesn't define "garage band" rock, I don’t know what does. (Chet Coppock)

Is it because Cannibal cannot sing on key or the drummer cannot keep time with his beat? A song doesn't have to be performed badly to be garage, y'know? Garage songs CAN be done well, just not in this case. (Clark Besch)

Land of 1,000 Dances, Garage Rock? Nope.

R&B, OK. Garage Rock No. (Bill)    

After all these years, the New Colony Six have a right to be ticked off. Why? Because Mercury never gave their melodically beautiful material the big "push." The Colony should have been bigger than the Association. Man, I felt like the coolest young dude in the world when I was traveling as a roadie with the Colony when we played Don Webster's "Teen Beat" in Cleveland and Jerry Blavat's TV gig, "Geator with the Heator" in Philly. (Chet Coppock)  

Thanks to Chet for the mention above and to you for running with it, Kent. Wonder if Tony Orlando does “I’m Just Waitin’” in his shows? (Ray Graffia, Jr.)  
Would have loved being there too! You got a great seat on that joy ride! Would have loved hearing "Sun Within You" live. (Clark Besch)  
"Geator with the Heator", Now that's cool. Wish I could have been there for that one. (Bill)  
This had to be an INCREDIBLY exciting time.  And don't forget, The New Colony Six are performing tomorrow in McHenry ... and the event will be filmed for future broadcast.  Scroll back to Friday's Flash for all the details.  (Let's just say that you're more likely to hear "I'm Just Waitin', Anticipatin' (For Her To Show Up)" at THIS show than you are at a Tony Orlando concert!!!)  kk

Let's face it. When Little Richard sang, "Good Golly Miss Molly … sure like to ball" in the 50's, White America had absolutely no idea what the guy was talking about. (Chet Coppock)

For the first time ever, kids had music of their own ... music that spoke directly to them. No, most white folks had no idea what Little Richard was singing about ... which makes it all that much more hilarious when you think that pure, whitebread artists like Pat Boone were covering these tunes! 
That being said, I will maintain till the day I die that rock and roll music did more to end racial tension than any civil rights leader or president ever did ... it bridged the gap and united a whole new generation of fans of what feel goods ... and if that included "ballin'", all the better!  (kk)

I'd give a hundred bucks or issue my football picks for the 2013 season - at no charge - to hear any classic radio station play the Music Machine's raging "Talk Talk." "I got me a complication and it's an only child." (Chet Coppock)

Looks like Bob Stroud will be happy his show on Sundays gets over early enough to make it to Soldier Field on time! (Clark Besch)
This one's for you, Steve Sarley!!!  (kk)
 

Thinking about seeing Jimi Hendrix with Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding at the Civic Opera House as they toured off the "Experience" album back in, I believe, '67. May well be the most simple, but most engaging rock show I've ever seen. For the record, "The Soft Machine" warmed up the crowd. Jerry G. Bishop was the emcee. The post show party featured blondes and Ganja. However, the Stones in '73 at the Amphitheatre with Stevie Wonder in the leadoff spot was an education in where rock was and where it was going. (Chet Coppock)

>>>However, the Stones in '73 at the Amphitheatre with Stevie Wonder in the leadoff spot was an education in where rock was and where it was going. 
GREAT statement! (Clark Besch)
I saw all three shows that the Stones and Stevie Wonder played at the Amphitheater. Wonder came back on stage and played the encores with Mick and the boys. The arena was hot and you could cut the cloud of weed smoke with the proverbial knife. When Keith hit the first guitar notes of "Brown Sugar," the opening number, it felt like being electrocuted. It was so freaking exciting. (Steve Sarley)

Stevie's "Black Man" off "Songs in the Key of Life" should be played in every public school in every major urban market on God's earth. (Chet Coppock)

That'll happen when the Chicago schools pull out the Chicago Wooden Nickel record label's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWgY4JIkenI


Now, be honest, if the temps are above 68 degrees and you hear the Kings knock down rocker, "This beat goes on - switch into glide", do you roll the windows down and begin singing along? (Chet Coppock)

It's "Switchin' to Glide" but I'd choose Balance's "Breaking Away" instead in this case. (Clark Besch)

I've always found this song irresistible ... from the very first time I heard it! This should have been a MONSTER hit!!! (kk)

The tribute band I am in did Switch in to Glide a couple years ago. Some of them are 80's kids and thought it would kill live. It pretty much flopped. They were surprised. I thought it was a dud to begin with. (Bill)

If you know this one, you’re way ahead of me. What's the "Syndicate of Sound" been doing in its spare time since they scored big with "Little Girl" in 1966. (Chet Coppock)

IF you really want to know: http://www.syndicateofsoundband.com/

Wouldn't YOU be more interested in what the Revelles of Chicago have been doing since THEIR non-hit "Little Girl" in 1967? They were a Chitown supergroup. Barry Goldberg, Fred Glickstein, Bruce Gordon, Isaac Guillory, Les Kummel, Chuck Jobes went thru their ranks from Cave Dwellers into Revelles into Blue Berri. I think you know some of these names well, right? (Clark Besch)

I know Rod Stewart, my favorite rocker, had to change with the times. But do you suppose he gets queasy when he hears "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (Chet Coppock)

I imagine Steve Dahl feels the same way about "Do You Think I'm Disco"!!!  (kk)
I know I do. I'd rather hear his Small Faces 45 A side debut "Around the Plynth" anyday! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n14IYeKPQCs 
Rod at his best and the 1969 stereo is fun!

If the Newbeats were on tour could you resist going to see them? Good God, "Bread and Butter" is inching towards its 50th anniversary. (Chet Coppock)  

Just to see that voice come out of the big guy Larry Henley is something to behold! (Clark Besch)

I need to mention this to you and all your pals. Every time I hear J. Geils' horrific "Centerfold", I feel like I'm somehow avoiding the eventuality of post concussion syndrome. (Chet Coppock)

Try this VERY COOL Geils B side to clear your head: (Clark Besch)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y97XDDu52ug Regarding J. Geils, yes, "Centerfold" was a mistake, but I have to insist that J. Geils was the best live act I've ever seen. I'd love to see them open for Bon Jovi at Soldier Field in June. (Steve Sarley)

Tell you what ... I was driving home the other night and "Love Stinks" came on the radio ... and I cranked it to the max.  Must have been the right song at the right moment ... but man, it sounded good!!!  (kk)

I'd like your support. I want to implement a new rule that every time we're forced to hear "Jack and Diane" we should get to hear Bob Seger's majestic "Roll Me Away" at least three times. (Chet Coppock)

I'd support it IF and only IF we never got to hear either of them ever again. I really could do without ANY Cougar songs now and Seger's would have to be only songs that were on Cameo Parkway such as the TSW "Persecution Smith" b/w "Chain Smokin'. Now THAT is REAL SEGER! (Clark Besch) Honestly, I could live without BOTH of these guys for about five years ... give me a chance to appreciate their music again! (kk)

Have to run, I think there might be a song by Journey coming up. (Chet Coppock)  

I'm sure you meant that there might be "Journey to the Center of the Mind" coming up, right? You need to check your typo's, they could get you an earful! 
I think "Journey To The Center Of The Mind" probably gets played a ratio of about once to every 35,000 Journey songs right now ... let's just say there is no "Escape" from Journey on the radio these days ... some of these songs get played more now than they did when they were out!!! (kk)

Hey ... at least we got some reaction!!! Thanks, everybody, for being good sports! (kk)   

Kent, 
My most sincere thanx ... 
Chester

THE FRIDAY FLASH

re: ON THE RADIO:

Hello Route 66 Enthusiasts:
WRLR started running today the Route 66 Radio Tour promo. It's attached here for your listening pleasure. For the latest details on the tour please visit our website at: www.WRLR.fm
- Bish
Bish Krywko, President
WRLR 98.3 FM

It's right around the corner now! Hope to see some of you out there for this! (kk)

WRLR 98.3 (US) and Forest FM 92.3 (UK) are teaming up to travel and broadcast from world famous Route 66, The Mother Road.  It all starts June 6th (6/6) from the route's original starting point at Adams and Michigan.Our first broadcast will be live at 6:06 AM from downtown Chicago from the internationally famous Lou Mitchell's restaurant, with interviews with owner Heleen Thanas and her customers.  The restaurant has served Route 66 travelers since the 1920's.  Joing us will be Chicago-based Route 66 historian and author Dave Clark, and surprise visits by Chicago area radio DJs who will stop by in response to an open call put out by The Route 66 Radio Tour.  Legendary DJ John "Records" Landecker will be there to sign his new book and chat with everyone.WRLR's award-winning morning drive-time host Paul Lepek (Lepek and Company) and Forest FM's Paul Peters and Geogg Kemp (The Fabulous 50s) will be describing the history and flavor of Route 66 through on-air interviews with people living, working and visiting the Mother Road.  The music of the 50s and early 60s will be featured during the broadcasts.
The tour on America's Mother Road in Illinois will take us from Chicago to Joliet, Pontiac, Atlanta and Springfield, IL, and points in between.  WRLR and Forest FM will broadcast live from many locations that are historical and tourist favorites.  The remotes will be carried on WRLR, Forest FM and fed to the Dave Cash weekend show heard on BBC-Radio Network in Britain.  Famous Chicago radio DJ Clark Weber will be joining us on air (via phone), among others, to remark on the role radio played during the height of travel on Route 66.  At least one broadcast will air from the Pontiac Route 66 Museum's recreated studio exhibit, which has working vintage equipment from the 60s.
More details at the website link above ... or, if you'd like a full itinerary of the entire tour (running from June 6th through June 12th), drop me an email and we'll send you a copy.  (kk)    

Great news about two of our FH favorites ... Rewound Radio and History Of Rock And Roll creator Gary Theroux have teamed up to bring Gary's HRR snippets back to the airwaves. Beginning Tuesday, May 28th (and running three times per day ... at 10 am, 3 pm and 9 pm Eastern Time), Rewound Radio will be airing Gary Theroux's History of Rock And Roll snippet features, spotlighting a different artist or genre of music every day. (In fact the 10 am and 3 pm segments will be different, allowing listeners to tune in all day and not hear a repeat of the same segment.) That means you can listen at work and enjoy the best variety we've found on the radio when it comes to legitimate oldies ... including more Forgotten Hits than you can even imagine ... with very few repeats. (Their play list is probably closer to 3000 songs rather than the same 300 you hear otherwise day in and day out.)

Here's that listen live link again ... Click here: Rewound Radio

Tune in today to get a feel of what oldies radio COULD sound like if programmers would simply push the envelope a little bit. And stay tuned in all weekend as Rewound Radio presents over 100 vintage radio programs from WABC ... all Memorial Day Weekend long. And then be sure to join them again beginning Tuesday for the launch of The History Of Rock And Roll, featuring Gary Theroux. (kk)

Odd, I had just heard "The Drum" on American Top 40 / 70's the other week (May 11/12: May 15, 1971)

Nobody on the classic-AT40 forum I read mentioned that.

-- BOB FRABLE 

CNN ran a list of Top Disc Jockeys last week ... lots of great names on this list (including our FH Buddy Scott Shannon!)

Click here: Big-name music DJs - CNN.com

But nary a Chicago legend to be found. Dick Biondi? Art Roberts? Clark Weber? Ron Riley? Larry Lujack? John "Records" Landecker? Bob Sirott? Fred Winston? Dex Card? Steve Dahl? Jonathan Brandmeier? Barney Pip? Ron Britain? Nope ... you won't find so much as a mention. We were COMPLETELY shut out.

(Now I suppose we could do our OWN poll ... of all-time greatest deejays ... and why ... 'cause that's the sort of thing we're prone to do ... maybe even run a few vintage airchecks from those that make the list ... and let's face it, ten isn't NEARLY enough!!! These guys touched our lives. Hmmm ... what do YOU guys think?) kk  

Hi Kent -- 
This list should stir up a few comments -- especially from your Chicago followers! 
Our surprises missing from this neck of the woods were Murray the K (Kauffman) and George "The Hound" Lorenz. Hal Jackson was another missing great. It was good to see "Jocko" Henderson on the list.

Dick Biondi made his name here in Buffalo as well so both areas remember him well.

Danny 

 

We'd all love to hear radio the way you've been sampling some tracks, but no one seems to be interested in doing it right. When was the last time you heard The Jaggerz with "The Rapper" on the radio?  

David  

The thing about it is that there is absolutely NO reason NOT to feature some of these tracks ... they were bonafide, legitimate hits that people remember and are being cheated out of hearing anymore. (To me ANY record that made The Top 20 was liked and bought by enough people to warrant at least some OCCASIONAL airplay all these years later. My God, break up to monotony of the SAME tracks over and over and over again!) It's like programming is now artist driven ... you have these 20 artists that get airplay ... and anything else you might hear other than these 20 seem to have been selected simply because they SOUND like the 20! Radio at its best offered personality and VARIETY ... being able to hear Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Glen Campbell, Gary Puckett, The Rolling Stones, The Supremes, Tiny Tim and The Ohio Express all within the same hour. That was standard practice back in 1968 ... and, as such, we were all exposed to ALL kinds of music ... and, incredibly it all FIT!!! Maybe we didn't know any better ... but back then we judged for ourselves what we liked ... and we liked ... and bought ... it all!!! 
Rewound Radio comes close ... they've got the variety ... but what they're missing is the sound of personality-driven deejays filling in the gaps.  They spice things up with vintage jingles (and even a few tv themes here and there!)  Definitely better than most ... but still not quite the complete package.  Hopefully the addition of Gary Theroux's History Of Rock And Roll segments will be a step in the right direction.  (kk)    

Hi Kent,
Especially loved among your picks SUGAR ON SUNDAY by THE CLIQUE, TELL HER SHE'S LOVELY by EL CHICANO, and MENDICINO by the SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET -- just a few others that have potential for your mix is MAKE BELIEVE by WIND (which was really Tony Orlando), SWEET MARY by WADSWORTH MANSION, MEDICINE MAN by the BUCHANAN BROTHERS, and BABY, TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS by JEFFERSON -- and here's one Larry Neal (who I used to listen to on KOMA) must remember, and it certainly should have been a national hit, HARLEM SHUFFLE by the FABULOUS FLIPPERS. Too bad radio got "safe" (you gotta love those consultants) and lost it's sense of adventure as we Americans have THE BEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD -- too bad rather than having it presented to us, we have to go searching for it!
Cheers,
Tim Kiley

The thing they don't seem to get ... or care at all about ... is that we WILL go somewhere else to find what we want to hear. Instead of finding a way to program to that audience, they abandoned it all together. I don't know about you ... but I have GOT to believe that there is a VERY small audience who really wants to hear John Mellencamp, Journey, Boston and Steve Miller eight to ten times a day. Their argument always seems to be "nobody listens that long anymore" ... it's one of those slap your forehead moments ... because MY argument back has always been "then why don't you give them a reason to?!?!?" Unreal. (kk)

Hi Kent,

Wow those "Pseudo-vintage" other era oldies revived some forgotten memories. I can't recall the names of the artists but the memory of the songs came rushing back! They reminded me of another one - by Manhattan Transfer; "Chanson D'Amour.

Wouldn't it be cool if radio sounded like this? The first five songs were great. If you're anywhere near west Mi. you can hear stuff like that (7,000 volume library and they play 'em all) on 1480 or 850 a.m. The 2nd five songs lasted less than 10 seconds before I stopped them. Next time just list them instead of springing nasty hidden surprises on us.

Dube   I'm not even necessarily suggesting that these songs belong as part of regular airplay ... but boy, what a surprise when one of these finally comes on.  That's that "Wow Factor" we keep talking about ... playing the unexpected.  Even if it's a song you didn't particularly care for, there is a real thrill in hearing something ELSE nowadays.  (ANYTHING else!!!)  kk

re: UP-COMING SHOWS:
Here's a great way to fill part of your holiday weekend. (Hopefully the weather cooperates!!!)  You'll probably find us out the there on Sunday!  (kk)

Kent,

The New Colony Six is playing a set at Keif's Reef in McHenry on Sunday, with a number of other very interesting bands. We're on at 4:00 or so, so bring an umbrella and come on out. Midnight Stage, a TV show that is supposed to broadcast from Chicago soon, is taping all five bands on the bill for later segments of 30 minutes each. I believe I heard Midnight Stage will be on channel 26 and later on Comcast. It's a short set, 45 minutes, and nearly all Colony music. Our buddy Jimy Sohns is the emcee for the event, which always means fun. So stop by -- you might end on TV. Keif's Reef is at 3505 S. Wright Road, McHenry. It's just off 176 at the west end of Burton's Bridge.

Rick Barr

New Colony Six / Shadows of Knight  

Hope you can make it out to the Sunday show. We’re supposed to get the stage around 4 PM and play for 45-60+ minutes, but you know rock & roll schedules so we’ll arrive early and anticipate having to stay late. They're supposed to be filming with three cameras and doing pro audio and the footage will then be turned into four late night, 30-minute specials to be shown on “The U”, channel 26, later in the summer. Jimy Sohns is a special guest, along with “Dirty” Dan Buck, from the Boyzz From Illinois – and you can see several other folks who will be performing, too.

Ray Graffia, Jr.

To my South Florida friends and fans -- AND those who may be in South Florida in early June. (One never knows.)

On Friday, June 7th, I'll be back playing one of my favorite venues: The Luna Star Cafe in North Miami. Here are the details:

Friday, June 7th - 8pm
Luna Star Cafe
775 NE 125th St
N Miami, FL
305-799-7123LunaStarCafe.com | lunastarcafe@aol.com

Two things to know about the Luna Star:
1. The proprietress, Alexis, is old school. She doesn't take credit cards, so be sure to bring cash.
2. The place is super tiny (closet size). That's good because the vibe is close and intimate. But I urge you to get there early to make sure you get in.
This will be my last show until late summer / early fall when I start my European tour. Hope to see a lot of you there.

Yers,
Bob Lindwww.boblind.com

POPULAR ROCK'N'BLUES FEST TOUR TO RETURN THIS SUMMER WITH AN ARSENAL OF ROCK AND BLUES LEGENDS INCLUDING TEN YEARS AFTER, EDGAR WINTER BAND, CANNED HEAT, RICK DERRINGER AND PAT TRAVERS

The summertime blues are back and better than ever as the popular Rock'n'Blues Fest tour returns for a second consecutive year with such well-known artists as Ten Years After, Edgar Winter Band, Canned Heat, Rick Derringer and Pat Travers.

All inspired to pick up their instruments due to their love for rock and blues, these five artists will be hitting the road together for approximately a month beginning July 27 at The Cannery Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer return from last year, where they performed many a sold out show with Johnny Winter, Leslie West and Kim Simmonds.

In 1967, four young musicians from Nottinghamshire, England -- Leo Lyons, Ric Lee and Chick Churchill together with Alvin Lee -- formed Ten Years After and became one of the biggest names in music and one of the most explosive quartets on the world stage. Their now legendary encore, "I'm Going Home," performed at Woodstock in August 1969, was captured on film and exposed their jazz, blues, rock amalgam to a large audience, who were blown away by the intensity of the band's performance when the Academy Award winning documentary was released. Their ten-minute appearance in the film is an acknowledged highlight and established Ten Years After a place in rock history. In 1971, the band had a Top 40 hit with "I'd Love To Change The World." After Alvin Lee left the band for a solo career, Ten Years After ceased recording and touring. A chance opportunity in early 2002 for the other three original members of Ten Years After (bassist Leo Lyons, drummer Ric Lee and keyboardist Chick Churchill) to work together again gave them an insight into the intense, re-awakened interest in the band. In 2003, vocalist / guitarist Joe Gooch joined the line-up and the band soon released a studio album titled Now, which was followed by a live effort in 2005. Today, they are recreating the music, energy and excitement they've been known for over the past several decades.

"All the members of Ten Years After are enthusiastic about reuniting with Edgar, Rick and especially Canned Heat again," states Ric Lee. "Original members Chick Churchill, Leo Lyons and I first performed alongside Canned Heat at the legendary Fillmore Ballroom on our first tour of the United States in 1968 and have remained good friends ever since. We are also excited to tour the U.S. as we pay tribute to band-mate Alvin Lee, while igniting a new wave of youthful excitement and appeasing long-term fans."

Alvin Lee, for those unaware, passed away earlier this year from "unforeseen complications following a routine surgical procedure."

Joining Ten Years After for the Rock'n'Blues Fest "ride" will be Edgar Winter, who has certainly met with considerable acclaim in his own right with such monster hits as "Free Ride" and the chart-topping rocker, "Frankenstein."

A multi-instrumentalist (keyboards / sax / percussion) whose music encompasses many different genres including rock, blues, jazz and pop, Edgar Winter first hit the national spotlight with his early recording of "Tobacco Road," featured on his 1970 debut album, Entrance. Edgar would soon form the band White Trash and release two hit albums in '71 and '72 titled, Edgar Winter's White Trash and Roadwork. Hot on the heels of the certified gold album, Roadwork, Edgar would put together an entirely new outfit called The Edgar Winter Group that would originally feature guitarist Ronnie Montrose. In 1973, the band's first effort, They Only Come Out at Night, would spawn both the hit singles, "Free Ride" (#14) and "Frankenstein" (#1), and remain on the charts for an incredible 80 consecutive weeks. The pivotal album would eventually reach double-platinum status, selling more than 2 million copies. With over 20 albums and numerous collaborative efforts to his credit, Edgar Winter has not been satisfied to ride the wave of popular music stardom. His music has been featured in several major national television and radio and advertising campaigns. In addition, his music can be heard in no fewer than fifteen film and television projects.

"This is Edgar Winter, and we will be rockin' the blues again this year on the Rock'n'Blues Fest Tour. For those of you who saw us last year, we will be doing a new and very different show. 2013 marks the fortieth year since the release of 'Frankenstein' and 'Free Ride' on the album, They Only Come Out At Night. So we intend to celebrate the occasion by playing some of the songs from that album I haven't done in years -- like 'We All Had A Real Good Time,' 'Hangin' Around,' and 'Undercover Man.' We are very excited, this one's going to be a blast! It means the world to me to be playing the music I love, and see you all out there having a good time. So we look forward to seeing you at one of the shows, and get ready to ROCK 'n' ROLL!!!"

Joining the tour for the first time is Canned Heat who rose to fame because their knowledge and love of blues music was both wide and deep. Emerging in 1966, Canned Heat was founded by blues historians and record collectors Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson and Bob “The Bear” Hite. Drawing on an encyclopedic knowledge of all phases of the genre, the group specialized in updating obscure old blues recordings. Canned Heat’s unique blend of modern electric blues, rock and boogie has earned them a loyal following and influenced many aspiring guitarists and bands during the past four decades. Their Top 20 country-blues-rock songs from 1968, "On The Road Again" and "Going Up The Country," became rock anthems throughout the world with the latter being adopted as the unofficial theme song for the film Woodstock. Their cover version of Wilbert Harrison’s "Let's Work Together" was actually their biggest hit as it rose to #1 in 31 different countries around the world.

"We are all looking forward to a great tour with our longtime friends of Ten Years After and Edgar Winter," says Skip Taylor, Canned Heat's longtime manager. "It should be as much fun for us as for the audience."

Next on the bill is rock guitarist Rick Derringer, who's had an illustrious career as both a solo artist and critical band member.

Air guitarists will surely be out in force when Rick breaks into his well-known rock anthem, "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo." The song, released in '73, continues to be a staple on rock radio and was featured in several movies including The Spirit of '76, Rush, Stag, What A Girl Wants and the cult classic, Dazed and Confused. It's a little known fact that years before his success as a solo artist, Rick had a band at the age of 17 called The McCoys that had a #1 hit in 1965 called, "Hang on Sloopy." The song would eventually be knocked out of the top spot by The Beatles' "Yesterday." A year after its release, The McCoys would find themselves as the openers for the entire Rolling Stones American tour. In 1977, Rick would appear on the last Led Zeppelin North American Tour and, in the years to follow, would perform with such artists as Alice Cooper ("Under My Wheels"), Steely Dan ("Show Biz Kids" and "Chained Lightning"), KISS, Todd Rundgren and Weird Al Yankovic among others including the Winter brothers, Johnny and Edgar. From 1986 to 1992, Rick would tour with Cindy Lauper and co-write a song from her True Colors album titled, "Calm Inside The Storm." In 2011, Rick toured Europe with Ringo Starr as a member of Ringo's All-Starr Band just prior to embarking on that year's Hippiefest tour.

While most bluesy hard rock acts of the ‘70s and ‘80s hailed from the United States, there were several exceptions to the rule, such as Canadian singer/guitarist Pat Travers who also joins the Rock'n'Blues Fest tour for the first time. Born in Toronto, he first picked up the guitar just prior to entering his teens, after witnessing a local performance of the great Jimi Hendrix. His first touring gig came his way when he hooked up with ‘50s Rock & Roll vet Ronnie Hawkins. But Travers main love was hard rock so, after a year, he headed to London before returning to North America and setting his sights on the U.S. rock market. With the new Travers band, Pat enjoyed his most commercially successful period, resulting in a pair of Top 30 releases, "Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)" from the album, Live! Go For What You Know, and "Snortin' Whiskey" from Crash and Burn. Travers continues to tour and record regularly, rocking the masses wherever he goes...

"I am so excited to be part of a tour that has some of my favorite artists on it playing some of best music ever written and performed. This is Pat Travers and I'm champing at the bit to get the chance to play a lot of Rockin' Blues on the Blues Fest Tour this Summer 2013."

Change the world with Ten Years After!

Unleash "the monster" with Edgar Winter!

Work together with Canned Heat!

Hang on with Rick Derringer!

Watch the lights go out with Pat Travers!

You know where it's at...

www.tenyearsafternow.com

www.edgarwinter.com

www.cannedheatmusic.com

www.rickderringer.com

www.pattravers.com

ROCK'N'BLUES FEST TOUR 2013

DATE / VENUE / CITY

Saturday, July 27 - The Cannery Casino - Las Vegas, Nevada

Sunday, July 28 - The Winery - Saratoga, California

Tuesday, July 30 - Humphrey's By The Sea - San Diego, California

Friday, August 2 - The Grove - Anaheim, California

Saturday, August 3 - Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park - Flagstaff, Arizona

Sunday, August 4 - Fox Tucson Theatre - Tucson, Arizona

Wednesday, August 7 - The Zoo - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Friday, August 9 - Country Club Hills Theater - Chicago, Illinois

Saturday, August 10 - Freedom Hill Amphitheater - Sterling Heights, Michigan

Sunday, August 11 - Empire City Casino - Yonkers, New York

Tuesday, August 13 - NYCB Theatre - Westbury, New York

Wednesday, August 14 - The Keswick Theater - Glenside, Pennsylvania

Thursday, August 15 - The Park Theater - Providence, Rhode Island

Friday, August 16 - Bergen Performing Arts Center - Englewood, New Jersey

Saturday, August 17 - Casino Rama - Rama, Ontario, Canada

Sunday, August 18 - Fraze Pavilion - Kettering, Ohio

Wednesday, August 21 - Hampton Beach Casino - Hampton, New Hampshire

Thursday, August 22 - Melody Tent - Hyannis, Massachusetts

Saturday, August 24 - Ruth Eckerd Hall - Clearwater, Florida

*More dates to be announced.

re: THIS AND THAT:

Okie (and "Voice" coach) Blake Shelton is putting together an NBC television fund-raiser to help out the victims of the devastating tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma earlier this week. More details to come as they become available. (kk)

 

We received a ton of comments this week ... and haven't had a whole lot of computer time to catch up ... so, if the weekend allows it, we should have new postings throughout the holiday weekend.  Check back when you can ... otherwise have a safe and fun weekend ... and let's remember what this weekend is really about.  (Sentiments echoed by Ray Graffia, Jr. below.)  kk

May you and Frannie and Paige and everybody enjoy a simply superb Memorial Day weekend. Must remember what the holiday stands for, right? Talk about heroes.

Peace, 

 Ray