Saturday, August 24, 2013

The Sunday Comments ( 08 - 25 - 13 )

re:  LINDA RONSTADT:
Of course the big story this morning was all about Linda Ronstadt coming forward with the announcement that she has Parkinson's Disease ... and is no longer able to sing.  (We first heard about this around 6 am Chicago time, apparently around four hours after it first hit the newswire ... but then had to go into work today so I couldn't get anything up on the site.  Of course since then we received at least another 40 emails about it so this is no longer "breaking news" ...but still news worth sharing!)
Another very sad ending to another very remarkable career.  Linda hasn't been real visible lately but once again the point is driven home that we're all getting older.  (More on this ... from a personal perspective ... later.  Yep, this is a BIG week for me!)
Anyway, our prayers go out to Linda ... look at Michael J. Fox ... he's now doing a brand new television series which regularly talks about his affliction.  (kk)
 
re:  BRIAN WILSON:
Hey Kent ...
The Rip Chords were recently in Simi Valley, California playing a big Car Show / Concert event there. We invited longtime Beach Boys Drummer Bobby Figueroa and Al Jardine keyboardist Tom Jacob to perform with us on a few songs, which they did. And we performed with the great Donna Loren on two of her hits, "Muscle Bustle" and "It Only Hurts When I Cry" from the Beach Party Films she was in. It was amazing being onstage with Donna and it rocked!!
Also ... Richie and I attended the Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, David Marks performance in Atlantic City last month. An amazing show, as always. We bumped into the great Mark Lindsay there!!!! It was so cool to be there listening to Richie and Mark talk about the old days and memories of Terry Melcher, recording, etc. Mark was kind enough to give me a copy of his new CD, which is absolutely amazing! If The Raiders had ever gotten together to record a real reunion album, this would be the album. It's great to hear Mark rocking again! I've attached a photo of Richie and I with Mark, and a photo of Richie, my wife Amy, and I backstage with David, Brian and Al (courtesy of Jeff McEvoy), and a photo of Bobby Figueroa jamming with Original Rip Chord Arnie Marcus onstage in Simi Valley, and Donna Loren onstage with us there too!!! More later!
All the best!
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords
 



 
Wow!  Cool stuff to be sure.  Brian and Mark worked together on a couple of tracks for that LP so we're anxious to hear them.  I would have LOVED to sit in on that conversation between Richie and Mark about the good old days with Terry Melcher ... what a fascinating discussion that must have been!  As always, thanks for sharing this with our readers, Mitch ... I truly do appreciate it! (kk)

We saw Mark Lindsay Friday Night as part of The Happy Together Show and once again he sounded great.  (He was also hawking his new CD, which by all accounts is very good.)  I ran into him back stage just as he was leaving the theater ... he ran up, shook my hand and said "Hello ... and Goodbye!" ... and then he was outta there ... so I never had the chance to ask him about it.  You CAN pick it up on Amazon.com however ...
Watch for our review of the show ... in a perfect world, it should be up on the site on Monday Morning!  (kk) 
 
And, speaking of Brian Wilson, here comes some new tour news from FH Reader Tom Cuddy, courtesy of USA Today ... seems like Brian is teaming up with guitar legend Jeff Beck for some shows! 
BRIAN WILSON, JEFF BECK MAKE UNIQUE TOUR TEAM  
By Marco della Cava, USA TODAY   
The guitarist got the touring invite after contributing licks to the Beach Boy's upcoming solo album.

         

Beck needn't have worried. That initial meeting has led to him not only contributing fretwork on Wilson's forthcoming solo album, but also joining Wilson on a tour that kicks off Sept. 27 in Hollywood, Fla., and wraps Oct. 27 in Akron, Ohio, with tickets going on sale Aug. 9.
"He's got a truckload of hits to play, but we'll build on that and interact," Beck tells USA TODAY. "Brian will kick things off, but I'll also be given enough time to establish what I'm about. In the end, we'll mix and match. It's a complete honor to be on stage with him."
Wilson calls Beck "very well versed" in his music, noting that "he'll play in the pockets where I'm not singing. He brings that great guitar-player kind of thing to the picture."
Joining Wilson and Beck on stage will be Beach Boys Al Jardine and David Marks, both just off the band's 50th anniversary tour.
The 18-city Wilson/Beck show will ping-pong across North America, with stops in Washington (Oct. 5, Warner Theater), New York (Oct. 15, Beacon Theater), Los Angeles (Oct 20, a previously announced show at the Greek Theater) and Detroit (Oct. 25, Fox Theater). Check ticketmaster.com for prices, which have not yet been announced.
Talking to Beck about Wilson makes clear the latter's profound impact on already-accomplished musicians looking for a new direction in the '60s.
"I needed musical help around 1966, and (the Wilson-helmed Beach Boys masterpiece) Pet Sounds was dressing on a wound for me with all its amazing melodies," says Beck. "I was floored by it. So were The Beatles. It was outrageously adventurous stuff for the ear."
Beck was predisposed to like Beach Boys fare, which often celebrates what remains his passion: building and driving hot rods. "I'd hear that music and it would be an escape from the humdrum life," he says.
Wilson's new album has "the flavor of Pet Sounds," says Beck. "Once you hear it, you'll be whistling the songs for the rest of your life." Wilson says fans can expect "very mellow sounds, soft and sweet."
Beck contributed to a handful of tracks, raising interesting possibilities for how their styles might mix. Wilson says the music he listens to most these days hails from the past, "things like The Beatles and all the Phil Spector stuff." Meanwhile, Beck — who says a much-discussed reunion with ex-bandmate Rod Stewart "is not going to happen" — has of late been diving deep into Eastern and Irish music, "trying to find out what I'm all about."
When Beck initially hit the studio with Wilson, the experience left him puzzled.
"He didn't say much, so it was quite a bit unnerving," says Beck. "Brian is somewhere else during that process, so it's not like you're there chatting away. In the end, though, I'm sure we were on the same page."
Beck says the upcoming gigs will feature "what I'd call an interesting mix of people, classic surfing safari music and this weird stuff that I do. But it will sound like it's all of one accord."
TOUR DATES
Sept. 27: Hollywood, Fla.
Sept. 28: Tampa
Oct. 3: St. Augustine
Oct. 4: Atlanta
Oct. 5: Washington
Oct. 6: Bethlehem, Penn.
Oct. 8: Albany, N.Y.
Oct. 9: Boston
Oct. 11: Wallingford, Conn.
Oct. 12: Westbury, Conn.
Oct. 13: Philadelphia
Oct. 15: New York
Oct. 18: Las Vegas
Oct. 20: Los Angeles
Oct. 22: Oakland, Calif.
Oct. 25: Detroit
Oct. 26: Toronto
Oct. 27: Akron, Ohio
-- submitted by Tom Cuddy

re:  OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN:
I agree with what you said about Olivia Newton-John. I saw a picture of her on the internet a couple of days ago, before your posting of her, and didn't even recognize her.
Larry  
 
I have to tell you that I was very disappointed to read your comments about Olivia Newton-John yesterday -- they were uncalled for and downright mean.  Look at what this poor woman has gone through in her life.  I think she deserves better -- and I certainly expected more from you as well.
Kelsey
To be honest, I kicked around the idea as to whether or not to run that piece for a couple of days since we had other pieces planned during that interval ... but it was the "Tell me about it, Stud" line that finally won me over.  You're right ... Livy HAS been through a lot these past few years ... most notably fighting breast cancer and having a mastectomy.  But then I look at everything else ... the backlash from winning all those country music awards early in her career, taking away spots that probably more deservedly belonged to our own country artists rather than an Aussie pop princess ... "Xanadu" (need I say more ... I don't know that we can EVER forgive her for THAT!!!) ... an ex-husband that wanted to get away SO badly he faked his own death ... the bad "can you make me look like The Joker" plastic surgery ... and now a dead body in her Florida home ... jeez, I don't know ... I mean I like a lot of Olivia's music (although NOT that early country stuff) ... and I really want to give her the benefit of the doubt ... but I'm starting to think that just maybe she may have brought some of this stuff on herself!  Mind you, I was totally knocked out by the Sandy transformation at the end of "Grease" and the subsequent "Totally Hot" / "Physical" / "Heart Attack" look ... but she has definitely taken a wrong turn here with this whole cosmetic surgery thing.  (kk)
 
re:  MELANIE:
Next Tuesday, August 27th, I will be interviewing Melanie, “The First Lady of Woodstock”, prior to a signing of her book “Tales From The Roadburn Café”. Her hits, including the million selling single “Brand New Key”, “Ruby Tuesday”, “The Nickel Song”, “What Have They Done To My Song, Ma” and “Candles In The Rain,” were staples of both Top 40 and Album Oriented Rock radio. Today they are mostly "Forgotten Hits".  Admission is free, of course.
Tuesday, August 27 at 6:00 pm at Two Old Hippies, 401 12th Ave S Nashville, TN 37203 (the Gulch) (615) 254-7999
Ed Salamon 
About Two Old Hippies: Two Old Hippies features Men's and Women's clothing, accessories, Musical Instruments featuring Breedlove and Bedell Guitars and a stage for musical performances.
About Ed Salamon ;
During his fifteen year partnership with Dick Clark, Ed Salamon interviewed Beatles, Rolling Stones and just about every star of rock, country and rhythm and blues. The former President / Programming for Westwood One Radio Network, Ed is the author of two historical books on radio and was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2007.
We heard from Melanie when we put together our Tribute to The Ed Sullivan Show last year and she couldn't have been sweeter.  Her appearance on Ed's Sunday Night Program clearly touched her and remains a special, precious memory.  (You can find that ... and dozens of other Sullivan Show Memories here:   Click here: Forgotten Hits - FORGOTTEN HITS REMEMBERS THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW ... From Both Sides Of The Screen)
Meanwhile, please pass along her best ... and encourage her to let us help promote her book on our website.  We ran a special Melanie mini-series about ten years ago (back when we were still an emailed newsletter) ... maybe we can resurrect that and run it again along with NEW information about her new book.  I'm game if she is!  (kk)
Melanie will also be promoting the interview and book signing with a rare live radio appearance on Monday (26th) at 10:30 am with Steve Jarrell on WSGI. Listen live via their website http://www.wsgi1100.com/
Ed
Yes, but the 27th is my birthday ... and, speaking of the '60's, this is the big one ... # 6 - 0.  So technically the 60's start in Forgotten Hits next Tuesday!  (Stay tuned!)  kk
 
re:  GLEN CAMPBELL:
I did now know or was unaware that Glen Campbell recorded the old Jack Scott tune BURNING BRIDGES in 1967. His version didn't make our local survey, the top 40 one.
Larry
The song held special meaning for Glen ... in fact, I think he recorded it a couple of times.  As for not charting in Oklahoma, not to worry ... it never charted ANYWHERE!  But I know that he loved the song.  (kk)
 
Kent,
Separating the music from the artist themselves is sometimes necessary, and yet the musician with all their warts IS their music.  When teaching I walk a fine line trying to present music and performers that will stand on their own, but music is representative OF the time, and the social times can bring about the music.  It all travels together in a loopy circle.  There is a point in my teaching where I need to inform my class ... "For the next few lessons, most of the artists we listen to will have died in an airplane crash or of a drug overdose."  I do this to put it all out in the open so I am not plagued with "what are they doing now?" questions, and yet they feel comfortable in asking me detail questions and theorizing how much more could have been accomplished had the artist not died so early in their career.  As in Campbell's case, he thankfully survived.  What he is going through now, has gone through in the past, and has inflicted on those around him is what life consists of: How we handle the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano 


re:  PAUL McCARTNEY:
Kent ...
Sir Paul has been around so long, he's out-living the stadiums the Beatles played in so many years ago.  (Shea Stadium and Candlestick Park)  Now he's offered to play one more time at Candlestick Park before they tear it down.  I'm sure their are others.
Frank B.
Well Candlestick Park would be quite the milestone ... it's the last place The Beatles performed as a group (in a concert setting ... purists will cite their rooftop concert at Apple Studios as being the OFFICIAL last time the group performed live.)  That would be a cool one to see.  (Comiskey Park is gone here in Chicago, home to The Beatles in 1965.  You'll find more on The Beatles' appearance at Comiskey Park below ... in yet ANOTHER incredible story about rewriting musical history!)
In addition to just adding his name to the sold-out iHeart Radio Concert coming up in Las Vegas, Macca's already booking dates into 2014, showing absolutely no sign of letting up.  We just got a notice this morning about tickets going on sale for his concert at The Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend, Indiana ... for all you midwestern fans out there!  (kk)
 
re:  THE BEATLES:
Ready for a decent Beatles "unheard songs" CD set?  How about MORE BBC tapes?  I love the BBC sessions the fabs did in US pre-Beatlemania days 62-64.  Now, a new set of songs from these sessions as well as a book covering it all! 
http://www.masslive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/08/more_unheard_beatles_recording.html
I doubt it will have this one unless they found better quality, but I love this attached version of Joe Brown's "A Picture of You." The original 45 version released about the same time as the Beatles' first hit, "Love Me Do" in May, 1962, in England, was a UK chart rider for an unprecedented 19 weeks reaching #2 in July, 1962.  He played with the Beatles on same billings and on the enclosed unreleased track, George Harrison adds his countrified guitar solo to the 1962 BBC taping of Joe's hit live before a crowd!  Certainly, George did many country guitar solos in the early Beatles hits, especially on BBC cover versions the band did.  "Sure to Fall" comes to mind.  For this taping, Harrison was a mere 19 years old, while Brown was an old man of 21.  Brown would later release his version of "A Little Help From My Friends" within a month of "Sgt. Pepper" Lp release, reaching #32 in UK in July, 1967. 
Clark Besch
They've been pushing the BBC Sessions book for a while now ... I've thought about picking it up but still haven't gotten around to it.
I've got a feeling these tracks will be more for the completists out there ... but it'll still be cool to see what they've turned up.  (I've had BBC bootlegs in my collection for decades now ... "clean" copies would be especially nice!)  If nothing else, this book can serve as a "checklist" for what's still out there.  (kk)
 
Must have been a slow news day!
Last Friday The Daily Herald (our premier suburban newspaper) ran a front page headline story under the banner "He Couldn't Carry That Weight".  The article (by Josh Stockinger) tells the story of a guy named Gary Goldberg who, back in the '60's, played in a local garage band called The Cave Dwellers.  Well, it seems Gary has been embellishing his role in local rock and roll history a little bit ... as in a LOT!!!
Goldberg has done some public speaking claiming to have been one of the opening acts when The Beatles played Comiskey Park back in 1965.  (He couldn't think of a lower profile act than that to attach his wings to???)
Anyway, he was immediately busted after another publication ran with his story without doing any fact-checking.  (A relatively easy thing to do these days!)  In fact, some of his former bandmates called him out on it, too.
All in all, it makes for a pretty interesting article (in a bogus, fake sort of way!  This guy even went so far as to claim that he lent George Harrison his guitar to use on stage that day.  If you're gonna lie, make it a doozy!!!)  What I found especially interesting is the fact that a couple of The Cave Dwellers went on to a little bit more local noteriety with some of the bands we talk about all the time here in Forgotten Hits like The Cryan' Shames, The Revells and The New Colony Six.
We've run into quite a few imposters over the years of doing Forgotten Hits ... most of the time we don't bother to bust them or even air their stories ... I've just always found it fascinating that these people felt they had to come up with a completely fake life in order to increase their (self) importance to those around them.  Pretty sad.
Anyway, you can read the entire article here  (trust me, it's worth it!):  
 
I sent a copy to Bruce Mattey, who actually WAS in The Revells (and plays today with the current edition of The New Colony Six, a role he's filled for a couple of decades now.) Here are a couple of his comments:
 
Kent,
I never knew the man. Suffice to say that it is understood that some of those old rockers may be off their rockers! Interesting to see the Cave Dwellers and the Revelles names together. It's true that Gordon and Alfonso came to Revelles from Dwellers. As for Peter Budd, he is possibly the greatest guitar player I've ever had the pleasure of performing with. We brought Peter into the Revelles after Les Kümmel left.  I believe Les was with us approximately a year and a half at most. Les and I collaborated on many songs back in the day but neither of us could hold a candle to Mr. Budd. Peter has been doing a thing called the Blue Lincolns. I should have gone to see him but business, family and stuff gets in the way. I'm sure you know what I mean. In closing we (the New Colony Six) will be up in LaSalle, Wiscosin, on  Sunday September 29th for their Octoberfest. Last time we were there was about ten yrs ago. I hope they still have cheese curd!
Bruce Mattey
NC6 and beyond


re:  BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE:
>>>That actually WAS the Kenny O'Dell version that I featured.  (I liked the symmetry of following Kenny's hit with a Bobby Vee song since the two competed for chart space with "Beautiful People".)  I always liked that song ... an under-rated hit to be sure.  Here in Chicago, they played BOTH versions ... WLS went with the Bobby Vee version (it hit #6) while WCFL pushed the Kenny O'Dell version.  (Kenny's peaked at #17).  Nationally, it was a pretty close contest, too.  Bobby Vee's version went to #22 while Kenny O'Dells' take stopped at #31 ... which I never really thought was fair since Kenny also WROTE the song!  (kk)
You're right, of course, about BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE being the Kenny O'Dell version which you posted. I just listened through it once and thought immediately it was Bobby Vee. I knew better. Though initially,
I did wonder why you would post two songs by the same artist.
Larry
 
Kent,
I completely agree with you regarding Beautiful People.
And I do like Bobby Vee - Come Back When You Grow Up, The Night Has A Thousand Eyes, Look At Me Girl, Maybe Just Today - those are all very good songs.  And when he did a remake in 1969 of one of my favorites from 1966, Let's Call It A Day Girl by The Razor's Edge, that was fine.  That should have been a big hit for them, for whatever reason it wasn't, so they had their chance and he had his three years later.  But it seemed different with his cover of Beautiful People, since the two versions were out at the same time.  It felt like the larger label, Liberty, was trying to push aside the smaller label, Vegas, even though, as you said, Kenny wrote the song.  In Cleveland, there was a Friday supplement to the local paper with weekend events, some printed music charts, etc.  One week back in 1967, there was a "ballot" to clip out, although it was more like a ballot in a dictatorship, since there was only one box to check.  The instructions asked you to clip this out and mail it to your favorite radio station.  The box to check said "I want you to only play the Bobby Vee version of Beautiful People on your station".  This really bothered me.  Needless to say, I went around the neighborhood that weekend, collected as many papers as I could, clipped all the ballots, crossed out Bobby Vee and wrote in Kenny O'Dell, and mailed them to the local stations.  Just curious - does anyone remember if they tried this crap anywhere else besides Cleveland?
Doug
Wow, that's a hell of a marketing campaign!  (lol)  I'm sure most stations went with the "proven artist" on this one ... by 1967, Bobby Vee had already been around for years, scoring hit after hit after hit.  But then how does a new artist EVER break through?  To my ears, the songs were nearly identical, making it almost impossible to distinguish one from the other.  But if asked to choose, I'd have to go with Kenny's version on this one.  (kk)
 
re:  JUST IN TIME FOR LABOR DAY:
 
And, speaking of cool videos ... check out this one, sent in by FH Reader Frank B ...
 
We've covered the Truth In Music Act a number of times before in Forgotten Hits ...
But here's Charlie Thomas, live in action, challenging one of those fake Drifters groups that keep popping up all over the country.
This is evidently something 20/20 put together a few years ago ... and I must have missed it the first time around ...
You've got to stick around for the whole clip (about seven minutes) because the big pay off is at the end.  (kk)
 
re:  MORE SAD PASSINGS:
Several people wrote in about this one ... here's the official report as it appeared in Vintage Vinyl News:
Sid Bernstein (1918 - 2013)  
Music promoter and producer Sid Bernstein, most famous for bringing the Beatles to Carnegie Hall and Shea Stadium, has died. He was 95.
Beyond the Beatles, Bernstein was a key force in the British invasion of America, bringing such artists as the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, Herman's Hermits, the Moody Blues to these shores.
Prior to his British collaborations, Bernstein was an agent at General Artists Corporation, producing the comeback tour of Judy Garland and, later, on June 9, 1962, bringing Tony Bennett to Carnegie Hall, a turning point in his career.
In early 1964, Bernstein decided to invest his own money in promoting the Beatles to America after his agency showed no interest. On February 9, 1964, the Fab Four debuted on the Ed Sullivan show and, three days later, played two shows at Carnegie Hall. Sid brought them back a year later for the infamous Shea Stadium concert.
Bernstein followed with more artists out of England but he also took an interest in native American acts. During the Beatles' Shea Stadium concert, he kept putting the phrase "The Rascals are coming!" on the venue screen, a reference to the Young Rascals who he was promoting. He worked with them throughout their hitmaking years.
Among the other artists that he promoted were Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone and, later, Laura Branigan and Lenny Kravitz along with a just breaking ABBA.
He never truly retired, releasing his first album last year, Sid Bernstein Presents... He also wrote the books It's Sid Bernstein Calling and Not Just the Beatles...
Bernstein is survived by his wife, six children and six grandchildren.
 
And this from Billboard.com: 
Sid Bernstein, the promoter who brought the Beatles to Shea Stadium, has died. He was 95. 
Bernstein's daughter, Casey Deutsch, says her father died in his sleep Wednesday morning at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. 
Bernstein was an early American backer of the Beatles. He made them the first rock group to play at Carnegie Hall and arranged their historic 1965 show at Shea, a performance that set box office records.  He also worked with Judy Garland, Duke Ellington and Ray Charles, promoted Dion, Bobby Darin and Chubby Checker, and managed Esy Morales, the Rascals and Ornette Coleman. 
He was an early backer of ABBA, setting up the Swedish group's first American appearances. He was behind one of the first rock benefit shows, and helped revive Tony Bennett's career with a 1962 show at Carnegie Hall.
 
And we got quite a bit of mail on this one as well ...
Hello All -
I am deeply saddened to report that Jay Richardson has passed away this morning at the age of 54. Jay was a professional singer and was known to many around the world as Big Bopper Jr., the son of rock-n-roll legend and pioneer J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson.
Jay was born on April 28, 1959, in Houma, Louisiana. His birth came less than 90 days after a plane crash on February 3, 1959 in Clear Lake, Iowa had taken the life of his father, along with the lives of fellow rock-n-roll pioneers Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and pilot Roger Peterson.
He leaves a wife Patty, three children and one grandchild.
Roddy
Too bad.  For the last couple of decades there has been talk about a Big Bopper movie ... Richardson's co-passengers on that fateful flight have both been immortalized in film ("La Bamba" for Richie Valens and "The Buddy Holly Story" for Buddy Holly.)  In fact, for YEARS the plan was to have Richardson's son portray his famous father in the film ... but the deals just kept falling through.  (Obviously, unless they're planning a "Weekend At Bernie's" type bio-pic, things have fallen through permanently now!)  Sad news to hear.  (kk)

re:  THIS AND THAT:
2013 has certainly been the year of the "50th Anniversary" ... who knew so many pivotal moments in music occurred in 1963?!?!  But don't look for a Byrds' 50th Anniversary Reunion next year ... not according to Roger McGuinn and Rolling Stone Magazine anyway.  (Wild Bill would have LOVED this story!!!  We miss ya, buddy!  Of course if the remaining original Byrds actually DID get back together, ol' Bill might come back just to see them!!!  I can't see him missing THAT show despite ANY obstacle!!!)  kk
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Byrds, but don't expect the them to commemorate the occasion with any sort of reunion. Despite clear interest from founding members Chris Hillman and David Crosby, Byrds frontman Roger McGuinn remains staunchly opposed to a reformation of the groundbreaking folk-rock band. "I'm happy with the Byrds as a good memory," he tells Rolling Stone. "David and I have talked about this at length, and to me a reunion would just be for the money. We'd go out and play some sheds, maybe gross a couple of million dollars and split it four or five ways. I'm not attracted to expensive things. I don't need a Ferrari or anything like that." 
McGuinn says that the decision isn't personal, and that he remains extremely fond of Crosby. "I love David," he says. "He's funny, smart and very talented. He's one of the best harmony singers on the planet. He's a great rhythm player. He's written some really nice songs. I have nothing against David. This isn't personal . . . Again, I just think it would be about money and I don't need it. My wife is very good at budgeting. We don't need much. It's kind of like Pete Seeger. He made money, but he gave it all away and lives up on that hill." 
Crosby remains frustrated with the situation, but he has equally warm feelings toward McGuinn. "Roger was at least 50 percent of the Byrds," he tells Rolling Stone. "He's a fantastic musician and a really bright guy. I think he's the best interpreter of Bob Dylan that's ever been. He's just not interested in a Byrds reunion. It's a shame because he and Chris and I could do it. It would be great fun, but I got tired of asking him. I must have asked him at least 10 times and he always says no."
Crosby, Stills and Nash keep David Crosby very busy, but he says he would happily balance the two groups if given the chance. "Who doesn't want to be in two bands?" he says. "And they're completely different. My job in the Byrds is very simple. All I gotta do is be a wingman to Roger. I could do that in my sleep. You should have seen how fun it was  to take a Bob Dylan song like 'Chimes of Freedom' and come up with an arrangement and make a Byrds song out of it. It was really fucking fun . . . And to me a reunion wouldn't be about the money. I honestly don't even think it would even by that big of a money deal."  Regardless of how much money he stands to make, McGuinn is adamant that he's happy as a solo artist. "I love being a troubadour," he says. "I travel around the world with my wife and play little theaters. We have a ball. I just went on a few dates with Peter Frampton, and that was kind of fun because he has a great band. I'm going out soon and playing some dates with Mart Stuart, so I get to play with a band sometimes. I also play with the Rock Bottom Remainders whenever they want me to do that."
David Crosby has also expressed interest in writing new songs with McGuinn, but that's also unlikely. "I don't feel like writing any songs at this point," McGuinn says. "I returned to my folk roots about 18 years ago. That's where my heart is. I love doing the traditional stuff."
Even if the Byrds never play again, Crosby remains proud of his group's legacy. "Bob Dylan was coming to see us," he says. "He heard us play his stuff electric and you could hear the gears clicking in his head. He heard us do 'Mr. Tambourine Man' and he said 'uh-huh.' He then went out and found guys that could do that. The first batch players with Michael Bloomfield wasn't so good. But when you get the Band . . . They were so fucking good. When I first heard them I wanted to quit the business. I thought, 'Okay, well that's it. Not going to be able to do anything better than that!'"
 
Back around 1970-71, Eydie Gorme (R.I.P.) just missed the top 40 but did hit big on what were then called MOR (middle of the road) stations with "Tonight I'll Say A Prayer."  I think it was an English lyric to what was originally an Italian or Spanish tune (quite common then.)  Great song, one of my favorite 70's non-hit pure pop female records along with Bobbi Martin's "Something Tells Me" and others.
Jim
Looking at Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart Book (another one of those GREAT books in Joel Whitburn's Record Research Library ... if you were into this MOR music, this is a "Must Have" for your collection!) ... "Tonight I'll Say A Prayer" went to #8 in 1970.  In fact, Eydie did pretty well on Billboard's MOR Chart ... ten Top 20 hits in all between 1963 and 1972.  (kk)
 
David Cassidy was arrested last week for driving while intoxicated.  (No, this is not the first time this has happened ... in fact, we could probably assemble a David Cassidy Mug Shot portfolio pretty soon.)  Clearly he has a problem (and how he continues to be allowed to drive is beyond me) ... we have seen him inebriated on stage more than once, too.  Too bad because he really is a talented guy ... I honestly believe that deep down he hates the person he had to become during the teen idol years and that it has eaten at him ever since ... and that's a shame.  (Then again this most recent mug shot isn't one of those teen idol glamour shots that you'd want hanging up on your bedroom wall ... take a look!)  I DO love his first response to the arresting officer, however ... that's a classic.  (I'm not making this stuff up ... the cop's name just happens to be Tom Jones ... and when he approached Cassidy's vehicle to introduce himself, David replied "What's New, Pussycat?"  No official report as to whether or not the arresting officer had a sock stuffed in his pants ... but from what I understand, David "horse" Cassidy is not lacking in that department.)   kk
This report comes from Vintage Vinyl News:
 

David Cassidy was arrested early Wednesday morning outside of Albany, NY for driving while intoxicated.
Shodack town police officer Tom Jones was part of a DWI checkpoint when Cassidy was pulled over. According to reports, when Jones introduced himself to Cassidy, David said "What's new, pussycat?"
After being asked to pull to the side of the road by the officer, he was given a DWI test including a breathalyzer which registered a blood alcohol level of .10.  .08 is the legal limit in the state.
Cassidy was taken to the Rensselear County Jail where he was charged with felony DUI, necessitated by a prior conviction from 2011 in the state of Florida. He was released after paying a $2,500 bail.
The singer is a full time resident of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, but spends part of the summer in the Saratoga Springs area of New York where he frequents the Saratoga Race Course.
Cassidy is due back in court on September 4.   
 
Speaking of teen idols, there was BIG news going around this past week about a possible N*SYNC reunion. At work (where we now have a decidedly younger mix of people), everybody was on cloud nine, chomping at the bit with anticipation.  (I mean these guys were this generation's Beatles!!!)
Quite frankly, I'm a little surprised by this ... Justin Timberlake has a brand new movie coming out in October, a hit album on the charts and he's almost reinvented himself as the COMPLETE celebrity ... he has proven to be incredibly talented in every field he chooses.  As for the others?  Not so much.  (I mean think about it ... what do you even know about the other four guys other than the obvious tabloid headlines?)  
JC Chasez was the next most-likely member to make it as a solo artist ... and his first LP made a few waves but then quickly disappeared ... as did he ... I couldn't begin tell you what HE'S been doing lately.  Joey Fatone has pretty much become a non-singing, perennial game show host ... Lance Bass would have to pull his latest boyfriend out of his butt to go back on tour again ... and Chris Kirkpatrick is like that 7th Dwarf you can never seem to remember the name of.  Then again a tour like this would probably earn the quintet millions ... but why?  Justin certainly doesn't need to do it ... and would probably have to put a dozen major projects on hold in order to take part.  In a way, it reminds me of when Michael Jackson reunited with his brothers for that big Victory Tour ... except it was his parents (and obligation to family) that made him do that one ... what is Justin's motivation?  Time will tell.  (kk)

Kent,
A few things about today's comments.
Your reader mentioning posting songs of the "war" era reminded me that just two weeks ago I thought of and got out Country Joe McDonald's  I FEEL LIKE I'M FIXING TO DIE RAG.
I was curious about something. I went and checked to see how high the Guy Marks record made it here in OKC. I missed it the first time around.  It made it's debut on the survey for the week of April 3, 1968, at the bottom of the survey as the PICK HIT OF THE WEEK. It was only on the survey for just three weeks, peaking at song position #18 for two weeks straight before it fell off.
And finally, regarding YEH!YEH!  ... Remember the earlier version from 1963 Mongo "WATERMELON MAN" Santamaria?
Larry
Yeah the "novelty" of novelty songs often wore off quickly ... as seems to be the case with the Guy Marks song.  (Strangely enough, quite a few of our readers remembered it however.)  I swear it charted here in Chicago, too, but cannot find it listed in either of Ron Smith's books ... maybe it just got played a few times and then forgotten.
I honestly DON'T remember Mongo Santamaria's version of "Yeh! Yeh!"  It looks like it was his follow up hit to "Watermelon Man" ... although "hit" is being a bit kind.  It charted for exactly one week in Billboard, peaking at #92.  But now I was curious ... I had to hear it!  (I went to  iTunes to find a copy and was surprised to see it was an instrumental.  I guess that makes sense, but I honestly think the Georgie Fame hit version is "jazzier" than this original.)  I suppose I could play the GERMAN version of Fame's version instead ... it wouldn't be the first time we've featured THIS one in Forgotten Hits!  (kk)
 
Hi Kent,
Loved your Forgotten 45's again this issue, especially Guy Mark's "Loving You Has Made Me Bananas" -- haven't heard that in years -- seems to me I saw him perform that on the Ed Sullivan Show. 
Was listening to "Sad Sweet Dreamer" again, and just for the heck of it, I thought I wonder who the lead singer was, thinking I would see if she went on to a solo career and was surprised to find out, she was a he, and his name was Marcel King.  I would have sworn that was a female singing lead on that song -- was sad to hear that Marcel King passed away in 1995 -- great voice. 
And here's just a bit of trivia ... might be old news to you, but interesting nonetheless.  Don't know if you have heard of Tony Burrows, a British studio singer, but with the popularity of the indie film documentary "Twenty Feet From Stardom" currently playing featuring singers you have heard a million times but haven't been given their just due of fame (Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Judith Hill, Tata Vega, etc).  Tony Burrows in the U.K. was the lead singer on many songs you have heard under the names of many different groups including Edison Lighthouse with "Love Grows Where My Rosemary Grows", White Plains with "My Baby Loves Lovin'", The Pipkins with "Gimme Dat Ding", First Class with "Beach Baby", and The Brotherhood Of Man with "United We Stand."  How's that for a resume.
Peace,
Tim Kiley
Yep, Tony Burrows may be the most famous "unfamous" ghost singer ever.  Obviously, he was the "go to" guy in Britain ... and that combination paid off numerous times ... that's quite a hit list for ANY artist ... but you're right, MOST folks wouldn't even know his name.
We still haven't found "Twenty Feet From Stardom" playing anywhere around here ... and we REALLY want to see it.  (May have to wait for the DVD on this one.)
Good response to "Sad Sweet Dreamer", another Top 20 Hit that radio ignores ... but I can't get over the response to "Loving You Has Made Me Bananas" ... that one just blows me away!!!  (Proof again that we really DO remember this stuff ... when will these programmers out there start to give us credit for having half a brain instead of continuing to insult us by playing the exact same 200 songs on a daily basis?!?!?) 
Thanks, Tim!  (kk)
 
Got this from FH Reader Dave Barry ... gee, if I had just spent a couple of years in prison for tax evasion, I'm not so sure I'd be out there telling everybody how easy I had it, making the whole ordeal sound like a stay at the country club.  (Then again if I was ever busted for tax evasion, I don't think I'd be afforded the same luxuries as Ronald Isley apparently was!!!  This sort of stuff just doesn't happen to REAL people.  Witness my David Cassidy comments above!)  kk
Ronald Isley, lead singer of the Isley Brothers since the group's inception more than 60 years ago, is feeling quite blessed these days. He made it through two years of incarceration, from 2007 to 2009, at the Federal Correctional Institution in Terre Haute, Ind., for income tax evasion and thanks the moral support of fellow prisoners and regular daylong visits from his wife and infant son for having made his stay easier.
"It was like a camp," Isley, 72, says by phone from his home in St. Louis. "It wasn't no prison. Wasn't no fence or anything. I worked in the chapel and sang for everybody every Monday in the chapel. They treated me like you wouldn't believe. They treated me like Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley or somebody."
Ronald Jr., now 6, can be heard playing in the background. At one point during the interview, Ronald Sr. briefly consults his wife, Kandy Johnson, who at 36 is half his age. She and her two sisters have been his backup singers since 1998, she says. They were married in 2005.
Decades of hits
Isley is elated that his latest album, "This Song Is for You," released July 16, premiered at No. 3 on Billboard's R&B chart and No. 27 on the magazine's Top 200 pop chart. It may not have come close to matching the success of such gold and platinum Isley Brothers albums of the of the '70s, '80s, '90s and 2000s as "The Heat Is On," "Showdown," "Go All the Way," "Between the Sheets," "Greatest Hits, Vol. 1" and "Eternal," but it does place the singer as one of the few artists to have scored hits in every decade since he and his brothers made their chart debut with the single "Shout" in 1959.
The elasticity and power of Isley's multi-octave pipes are undiminished, judging from the 14 tunes on "This Song Is for You," including duets with young soul singers Kem and Trey Songz. Traces of his early idols Clyde McPhatter, Jackie Wilson and especially Sam Cooke, whose elegant curlicues he emulates, are evident in his phrasing, yet the overall sound is instantly recognizable as that of Ronald Isley.
"I pray about that all the time and ask God, 'Please let me maintain my voice and let me be able to do this career.' And he has done just that," says Isley, who is on a cross-country tour, between headliner Maze featuring Frankie Beverly and opener Kem, that stops Saturday at Concord's Sleep Train Pavilion.
Five brothers
Of the three Isley brothers who began recording in 1957 on the aptly named Teenage label, only Ronald remains. Oldest brother Kelly died of a heart attack in 1985. Second-oldest brother Rudolph left the group three years later to become a preacher. Younger brother Ernie made his recording debut with the group in 1969, playing bass on the hit "It's Your Thing" before switching to guitar, which he plays in a blistering style inspired by onetime Isley Brothers sideman Jimi Hendrix. Youngest brother Marvin, who became the group's bassist in 1971, lost his legs to complications of diabetes in 1997 and died three years ago.
Although Ronald has been billed as a solo artist on his three most recent albums, he maintains the group name for his performances with Ernie. "I just kept the logo of the Isley Brothers," he says. "My father and mother always wanted me to do that."
Kelly, Rudolph, Ronald and younger brother Vernon (who died in 1954) began singing gospel music as children in their native Cincinnati, accompanied by their piano-teacher mother. They specialized in songs popularized by the Ward Singers, a female group that featured Clara Ward and Marion Williams, and opened church engagements and concerts for top gospel quartets such as the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Soul Stirrers, who then featured Cooke. They would get to know Cooke better a few years later, when he and they were recording secular music for RCA Victor and being produced by Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore.
Ronald credits his parents with giving him and his brothers a well-rounded music education.
Taught by parents
"We started in gospel, and then they taught us country and western and popular music - just the whole nine," he says. "They made me listen to Nat King Cole and all the great singers. My mother taught music, and my father was into music. He sang, too, so he taught us. I was brought up on all those great singers: Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, just everybody who could stand up and really sing."
The Isley Brothers' hits were sporadic during most of the 1960s, the biggest being "Twist and Shout" on Wand Records and "This Old Heart of Mine" on Motown's Tamla label. After starting their own T-Neck label in 1969, however, the hits came in rapid succession, including "It's Your Thing," "That Lady," "Fight the Power," "The Pride," "Don't Say Goodnight" and "Between the Sheets."
"We could control what we wanted to do," Ronald says of the reason for starting T-Neck, which folded in 1983, although the group continued having hits on other labels through 2006. "We could control what we wanted to release. We could write our own songs.
Self-contained thing
"We wanted to do our self-contained thing, such as the Beatles. They recorded 'Twist and Shout' and 'Shout' and a lot of Chuck Berry songs, but they wanted to do their own thing and started to write their own songs and record the way they wanted to. They had the success, and that's what we were able to do."
"I keep up with rap music and everything that happens in the business," Isley says when asked about the reasons for his career longevity. "A big part of my success is being competitive. We've always been competitive. We've always wanted to be first.
"I've had a blessed career," he adds, "from the beginning." {sbox}.
The Isley Brothers Featuring Ronald Isley: 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Sleep Train Pavilion, 2000 Kirker Pass Road, Concord. $35.75-$125.75. (925) 676-8742. www.livenation.com.
Lee Hildebrand is a freelance writer. E-mail: sadolphson@sfchronicle.com
 
For those of you who have always wondered, Ben Fong-Torres reports that the twelve most common words used in pop music song titles are:
"love," "baby," "blue," "heart," "night," "girl," "song," "man," "dream," "tonight," "eyes" and "sweet."
I know I'LL sleep better tonight knowing this!!! (kk)
 

And finally, congratulations to our FH Buddy Chet Coppock on his new gig ... Chicago Radio and Media is reporting:
Chicago sports broadcasting legend Chet Coppock will now seen regularly on WFLD-TV's newscasts. Coppock will join FOX 32's lead sports anchor Lou Canellis on his sports reports three Tuesdays and one Sunday per month. The first occurrence of this will be this coming Tuesday, August 27th.
And, speaking of Chet Coppock, he is now a large contributor to a new website, MajorOnions.com. The Major Onions website covers Chicago sports, entertainment, lifestyle, opinions, and more on a daily basis.
WTG, Chet ... nice touch kicking off your broadcast on my 60th Birthday!!!  We'll have to watch MajorOnios.com ... this just may be the new home of our popular Coppock's Topics Series!  (kk)
 
Speaking of "On The Radio" ...
 
re:  ON THE RADIO:
>>>I must thank Uncle Ricky for this wonderful opportunity to be featured on the incomparable "Reel Radio" website  and to Bobby Ocean for his fantastic showcasing of my work on his "Bobby's Update Aircheck Channel" for without none of this would be possible. I am, indeed, humbled  . . . . ."  
(Fade in Overpowering "Time's Up" music here ...)   The FAB 40 is determined by actual REEL RADIO listeners and ranked by SHARE of total listening time in the previous week. -- ReelRadio.com is the largest radio show aircheck archive in existence.  -http://www.reelradio.com/  (Chuck Buell)
>>>Hmmm ... well, I'd like to think that maybe we helped just a LITTLE bit, too ... probably sending a couple hundred new listeners over to Reel Radio to check out these ... and some of their other amazing clips!!!  (kk)
Here's a Big "Thanx to you, Kent" for the mention of my aircheck appearance in the "Reel Radio" Archives in your "Forgotten Hits!"  (Or, as we used to say Back in the Day, "Thanx for the Ink!")  There's no doubt that what you say is Truth! That many of the "Forgotten Hits" Readers did check it after your comments about it and, in doing so, helped my "ratings" on RR's "Fab Forty!" ~~~ Chuck
You know I was just kidding, right?!?!  But seriously, thanks for the thanks ... ALWAYS glad to help in any way we can.  (Now wait till you see how many Coke ads we've come up with!!!  lol)  kk
 
re:  COUNTING THEM DOWN:
An oldies radio tradition ... and it looks like we've got a couple of competing Top 500 Countdowns going on.
Kent ...
Here's a different twist on the old countdown formula.
Frank B.
I played around with this for a little while ... and the match-ups literally never end.  I finally quit after "I Love Rock And Roll" by Joan Jett came up for the 17th time!!!  A pretty limited selection here (including at least half a dozen songs I absolutely hate) ... but if it helps them reach their goal, more power to them.  Unfortunately, all you're really doing is limiting this year's list to the exact same songs that made LAST year's list ... so where's the adventure (or the variety) there???  (kk)
 
Meanwhile, we recommend Ron Smith's far-less-biased online poll ...
 
 
And, if you're a Sirius / XM Subscriber you won't want to miss our next special countdown on Lou Simon's '60's Satellite Survey ... just like we did for the 4th of July, we've put together a very special Top 40 of The Highest Debut Records by The Top 100 Artists of the '60's.  Using Dann Isbell's book "Ranking The '60's" as our guide, we first determined the Top 100 Artists of the Decade.  Then, we looked at each of these artists' debut record on The Hot 100 Chart. Based on the overall chart performance of those debuts, we then calculated The Top 40 Biggest Debuts of the '60's ... a TOTALLY unique countdown that will air EXCLUSIVELY on Lou Simon's Sirius / XM '60's Satellite Survey beginning on Saturday, August 31st (at 2 pm Eastern) and running throughout the Labor Day Weekend with rebroadcasts scheduled for Sunday, September 1st (10 am Eastern), Monday (Labor Day, September 2nd at Noon Eastern) and Wednesday, September 4th at 9 pm Eastern.  Be sure to check the '60's Channel Calendar for all the details.  (kk)
Not a Sirius / XM Subscriber?  We can help you out with that, too!
 
By the way, Dann's book is now officially available for purchase at Amazon.com ... this is something you'll definitely want to check out!
 

re:  HELPING OUT OUR READERS:
Does anyone remember a comedy record, spoken over music, with a sort of Maynard G. Krebbs type 60's hipster who kept repeating, "Like man, I'm a musician, and I blow drums."  Driving me wacko trying to remember this ... and I think I even used to have a copy too.  Sheeesh.
And lastly but not leastly, does anyone know the origin of a DJ-only record in which Mel Blanc did one-liners as the various Warner Bros. characters?  The format was a knock at the door, a one-liner, then a door slam.  Bugs Bunny and Tweety & Sylvester and the rest were all there; but the two I remember most were Porky Pig wanting "a job as a radio an-n-nn-, a radio a-nn-n-nn, a d-dd-d-disc jockey," and Yosemite Sam shouting "Kill the power!  Ah cain't stand it no more!!"  I've heard it might have been called something like "Run-Ins" or "Run-Throughs," but have never seen a copy "in the wild."
Jim
Anybody out there able to help with this one?  (kk)
 
re:  WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED:
Not much response to our "favorite covers" inquiry the other day ... but FH Reader Scott Paton has cast a few votes for The Beach Boys in this department ...
 
Hi Kent,
Like you, I rarely find remakes as satisfying as the original recordings of songs.  But as comparisons of anything artistic are completely subjective in the eye or ear of the beholder, I think the trump card is often held by whatever rendition of a song the listener heard first. 
For example, I never heard the Soul Brother Six’s original 1967 version of “Some Kind of Wonderful” until well into the ‘80s.  As a result, Grand Funk’s 1976 cover remains definitive for me, although I do know better.
Anyway, when I was a writer for Casey Kasem’s “AT 40,” we did several stories about Johnny Rivers and Linda Ronstadt being the “King and Queen of Hit Remakes.”  Nevertheless, I’d be hard-pressed to select any of their covers as the definitive take on the early Rock and Motown tunes they recorded.  Linda may have gotten close with her version of Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou,” but that is debatable.
The only act that I feel consistently bettered previous hit chestnuts was the Beach Boys.  Doo Wop purists may disagree with me, but Brian and the Boys’ updates of Frankie Lymon’s  “Why Do Fools Fall In Love,” the Mystics’ “Hushabye” and the Students’ “I’m So Young” are inarguably stellar.  Even “Barbara Ann,” which Carl Wilson so dreaded every night on-stage, makes the Regents’ original sound robotic. 
Conversely, while it was nice to have the Beach Boys back on the charts, few would argue that latter-day remakes such as “Rock & Roll Music” and “Hot Fun In the Summertime” eclipsed Chuck Berry and Sly & the Family Stone.
But when it comes to these next four cover versions, the Beach Boys own them lock, stock & barrel:
“Do You Wanna Dance”
More a nod to Del Shannon’s own prior remake than the Bobby Freeman original, Dennis Wilson’s one and only lead vocal on a hit single made this song his for all eternity.  Among big brother Brian’s many lauded talents, his ability to assign the lead to the appropriate man among five great singers was unfailingly brilliant. 
This recording, once considered a toss-away Top 20 hit, so perfectly captures Dennis’s energy and sex appeal and looms larger today in the Beach Boys’ canon than it did at the time.  Live bootlegs from the ‘60s reveal the hysteria Denny’s performance of this tune generated among the teen and pre-teen girls in the audience.
Although buried in a dense Spectorish-sorta mix, Brian’s background vocal arrangement is amazing, as is his stratospheric falsetto.  This is one of many examples where Brian’s skills as an arranger are working more subliminally than right in your face.
“Sloop John B.”
The average listener doesn’t know that this Beach Boys classic started out as a Carl Sandberg poem and was previously released in song form by the Weavers and the Kingston Trio.
The Beach Boys pinched their early striped shirts from the Trio, and Al Jardine was and is a big fan of their fellow Capitol Records act.  Al’s never really gotten his due for suggesting this song to Brian, who opted to record this amidst the “Pet Sounds” sessions, despite the fact that he was not much of a Kingston Trio fan, finding the group somewhat quaint and soulless.
Still, Brian heard something in the simplicity of the song, which played counterpoint to one of his greatest instrumental tracks and most complex vocal arrangements.  One of the truly finest Beach Boys singles.
“I Can Hear Music”
Brian Wilson’s obsession with the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” is legendary.  It was and remains his favorite 45.  But this remake of a late-in-the-game Ronettes single (I think it peaked at #100 on the Billboard chart in 1966) is strictly a Carl Wilson production.
Cut in 1968 for the Beach Boys’ last album for Capitol Records, the instrumental track is an exercise in spare simplicity — drums, acoustic guitars and piano.  But its grandeur emanates from stacks of vocals that would and did make Brian proud of his baby brother.  This, in fact, was the first Beach Boys single not to include any participation from the elder Wilson brother.
As such, it was also proof that the other members of the group were now capable of creating sonic masterpieces that rivaled those of their genius, sometime leader.  And the majestic lead performance turned in by Carl clearly established him as the finest voice among a peerless vocal ensemble.
“Cottonfields”
The Beach Boys final LP for Capitol, “20/20,” was a hodge-podge of tunes from the vault, recent singles and filler.  Nevertheless, it turned out to be a very strong collection, albeit a poor-seller at the time.
With tracks produced by individual members of the group, both Carl and Dennis Wilson made strong showings.  While big brother Bri was represented by aborted “Smile” offerings and tunes snatched back from a trio he was producing named Redwood (soon to be re-dubbed Three Dog Night), he did find time to tackle a remake of an old folk classic.
“Cottonfields” was written and first recorded by Huddie Ledbetter, best-known as “Leadbelly,” in 1940.  In the intervening years, it became something of a folk standard, as dozens of other artists added it to their repertoires.  Brian Wilson’s take on it, featuring Al Jardine on the lead, never quite escaped a languid, mid-tempo beat.
Feeling that the track was “under-produced,” Al convinced the band to re-record an uptempo take on the tune during one of the Beach Boys’ rehearsal sessions.  The group members were augmented by a few sessions musicians, most notably Red Rhodes on pedal steel guitar, which gave the track a decidedly more country feel.
“Cottonfields,” Version Two, became the Beach Boys final single for Capitol Records.  And while it stiffed in the U.S., it became a Top Ten hit throughout much of the world, even topping the charts in many European countries.
A modified Brian Wilson arrangement with a more dynamic production courtesy of Al Jardine, this is a brilliant Beach Boys single and a great bookend to “Sloop John B.”
These four remakes certainly eclipse the original recordings.
Regards,
Scott Paton
The Beach Boys' recording of "I Can Hear Music" is, without a doubt, one of my absolute favorites by them.  A GREAT recording that I crank up every time it comes on.  (I even like the country version they recorded with Kathy Troccoli for their "Stars And Stripes" CD ... by far the strongest track on the disk.)  And I would agree that "Do You Wanna Dance", "Sloop John B" (also recorded by Jimmie Rodgers by the way) and "Barbara Ann" deserve a spot on this list as well.  ("Cottonfields"?  "Why Do Fools Fall In Love"?  Maybe not so much ... and quite honestly I don't need to EVER hear their version "Rock And Roll Music" again!!!) 
Anybody else got some favorite remakes they want to share?  (kk)

re:  MORE MUSIC MERGERS:
How about Peter Paul and Mary Wells
Peter and Gordon Lightfoot
Chad and Jeremy Piven
Jackie Wilson Pickett
Stevie Ray Wonder
Styx and Stones
Elvis Presley Costello
Carly Simon and Garfunkel
Buddy Guy Lombardo
Freddy and the Dreamers and the Flock
A Flock of Byrds
 
re:  THE SONNY GERACI BENEFIT CONCERT:
Hey Kent -
Wanted to let you know that The Rip Chords have been added to the Sonny Geraci Benefit Concert taking place in November in Ohio. We're looking forward to being there, and helping with Sonny's cause. He is a living legend, and we're honored to be there.  Thanks to Rae and Dennis Tufano for putting this show together!
Mitch Schecter
That's great news, Mitch.  We're still kicking around the idea of bringing the show to Chicago, too ... a GREAT chance to help raise money for Sonny's medical bills as well as an opportunity for the artists to add a second midwest gig to their itinerary and help control some of the traveling expense.  (Plus that would mean I'd finally get the chance to see you guys!!!)  I'll keep you posted.  (kk)
 
Dennis Tufano tells us that a few more acts have been booked ... and several others are trying to rearrange their schedules in order to participate ... so watch more future updates.
Currently on board:
Dennis Tufano (The Buckinghams), Terry Sylvester (The Hollies), Ron Dante (The Archies), Johnny Farino (Santo and Johnny), Jim Gold (Gallery), Jimy Sohns (The Shadows Of Knight), The Rip Chords, Pat Upton (The Spiral Starecase) and The 1910 Fruit Gum Company.  The concert is scheduled for November 15th and 16th at The Z-Plex in Streetsboro, Ohio and tickets are $35 per person.  Interested artists can contact us and we'll be happy to pass the information along.
Also, artists unable to attend due to scheduling conflict are encouraged to donate some autographed memorabilia to be sold at auction to help raise funds for Sonny's medical bills.  Again, keep watching these pages for more details.  (kk)
 
re:  OTHER SHOWS:
Yay Kent,
Finally, a concert!  And a great one, too!  Last night The Buckinghams made it (after an air delay from Arkansas) to The Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun.  We had to stand in line an extra hour to let them plug everything in and do a quick sound-check, but then we were seated.  My friend and I ended up front and center between Carl and Nick.  (side-note:  standing in line to see the 60's, in your 60's, takes a tougher toll on your body than it did when you were 13 ... just sayin') The first couple songs had me worried ... not because they weren't good ... but because Carl's mic wasn't loud enough.  BUT the awesome crew at The Den soon fixed that situation, and the show magnified in intensity.  All The Bucks' songs were there, but this solo appearance gave Carl, Nick, Dave Zane, Bruce and Bruce (Rocky); a chance to rock some other great oldies but goodies.  Since Carl and Nick had appeared in the last three Happy Together Tours, they sang a tribute to the entertainers, past and present, who have toured with them.  Too many other great memories to put in print, but I am proud to say that Carl and Nick are using Dave and his abilities to their advantage to make these shows more than our expectations are.  A very quick introduction in the autograph line and we were off to recap and eat.  Later, I went into the computer lounge to type Facebook updates and reviews, and Carl walks in ... what me nervous?  As I'm typing about him, and he wants to read over my shoulder?  OH YES!!  So Carl, this piece was typed the next morning at the same computer where I left you last night.  Gotcha! 
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
Kent, both Carl and I remarked how nice you are. :-)
 
I will be sitting in at Jimmy Vivino's Rockabilly Revue at BB Kings in NYC along with Robert Gordon, Johnny A, Lee Rocker, Anton Fig and probably more 9/7. Come on down and slide back to the 50's with us! 
By the way, the Michael Bloomfield box set I have just spent a year working on  will be out in January, 2014.   
Sincerely,
@l k%per
 
With Forgotten Hits readers all over the world, we're happy to help promote Bob Lind's upcoming European tour.  And, if any of you DO happen to catch any of these shows, please report back to us ... and let Bob know that you heard about it in Forgotten Hits!  (kk)
I'm sending this to everyone -- even those of you on this side of The Pond.
One never knows who will be where when.
To my Brit and Spanish friends and fans, and anyone who may happen to be in Spain or the U.K. in late August or early September:
In one week I'll be leaving for Europe. Six shows in England; Three in Spain.
More specifically:
U. K.
Friday, Aug. 30 = Dorset (End of the Road Festival)
Monday, Sept. 2 = Brighton (The Greys)
Tuesday, Sept. 3 = London (The Slaughtered Lamb)
Wednesday, Sept. 4 = Sheffield (The Greystones)
Thursday, Sept. 5 = Winchester (The Railway)
Friday, Sept 6 = Bristol (The Grain Barge)
SPAIN
Thursday, Sept 12 = Bilbao (Colegio de Abogados)
Friday, Sept 13 =  Madrid (Siroco)
Saturday, Sept 14 = Madrid (Radiocity Discos) show and signing.
Those are the broad strokes. For specifics on venue locations, ticket sales and other info, please consult the Gigs Page of my web site: http://boblind.com/gigs/
Hope to see a whole slew of you there.
Yers,
Bob Lindwww.boblind.com

re:  THE 60's START TUESDAY, AUGUST 27th IN FORGOTTEN HITS:
Well, MY 60s anyway!!!  Which means that over the next 60 days or so, we'll be sharing special memories and moments of the '60's ... and we invite YOU to contribute, too!  We'll kick it off on Tuesday ... only in Forgotten Hits!
 
And don't forget ... on Monday in Forgotten Hits:  It's our review of The Happy Together Show, performed at The Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Illinois, last Friday Night.  We were there and we'll tell you all about it ... plus we might even have a photo or two to share.
 
ALSO COMING UP:  A couple of REALLY cool Forgotten Hits Interviews.  Be sure to check the website regularly ... you NEVER know what you're going to find here!!!
 
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