Who Played The First Beatles Record In America?

Without question, one of our most popular features over the past fourteen years has been our expose "Who Played The First Beatles Record In America", a piece that first circulated back in 2001 as part of our '60's Shop / Forgotten Hits email newsletter. 

Since then it has grown in stature and become an oft-quoted source of information.  (It was really our first truly in-depth research project ... and helped to set the standard of what we were trying to achieve with Forgotten Hits.) 

So imagine my surprise when I received this email from a guy who discovered our website for the very first time last week ... but raised his OWN inquiry into this historical event way back in 1984!!! 

Below is a bit of that exchange ... as well as the coverage he received in Beatlefan Magazine at the time. 

Wow! I had NO idea!  And how cool to find out once again that our own research bears out correctly as well. 

Read on ... 

Hello, 
After looking through my collection of WLS Radio's Silver Dollar Surveys, particularly the one from March 8, 1963, with the Beatles as number 40, I wanted to check the status of the "who played the Beatles first in America" and found your website.  In 1984 I wrote to Beatlefan magazine concerning this. 
They published my letter and there was a great response in the next issue.  I am enclosing the letters in the event you want to included them in your article. 
Patrick Sullivan    

I'm blown away by the fact that somebody was already looking into this back in 1984 ... some 17 YEARS before our series first ran!!!   

It was a question I wanted a definitive answer to as well ... and, while I had my own suspicions that our very own Dick Biondi and WLS Radio were most likely the first (based on the very same Top 40 Silver Dollar Survey charts that you referenced in your letter to Beatlefan Magazine), I wanted to unequivocally document proof to that effect.

Growing up in Chicago (I've lived here my whole life), it was important to me to be able to give Dick Biondi (who I was fortunate enough to interview as part my original research piece ... and who has been a MAJOR radio fixture here for most of the past fifty years) ... his due for this rare achievement.  (As we all know, playing the record meant absolutely nothing at the time ... it went absolutely nowhere and, until "I Want To Hold Your Hand" launched Beatlemania here in the States nearly a year later, it seems that NOBODY at that time cared about some "long-haired singers from Liverpool".)  Boy, were we in for a shock!

Funny thing ... memories either seem to fade ... or embellish ... over time ... but the plain and simple truth is there was NOTHING memorable about "Please Please Me" when it was first released here in The States in February of 1963 ... but it IS nice to know that our local big-wig Top 40 Radio Station did their neighboring local record label Vee Jay Records a favor by spinning their latest release on the air ... even if it did drop off the chart a week later!  

So congratulations and thank you to both Patrick Sullivan (for asking the question) and Beatlefan's Shawn Fulper-Smith for doing the research ... you guys are my new Beatles heroes ... let me return the favor by helping to spread the word!!! 

Hi Kent,
I also grew up in Chicago and have great memories of visiting the WLS studios in the Stone Container building and the WCFL studios in Marina City.  I had a band "The Rage" and WCFL sponsored a show with the Rivieras at Inn Motion at 59th & Kedzie and we were the opening act.  I have a copy of a commercial they ran and hearing our name mentioned on the radio was so cool. We were invited to visit with Jim Stagg at their studios.  Also when I was stationed in the Army at Fort Polk, Louisiana in 1968, half of my company was from Chicago and half from Texas.  At night we could listen to WLS with their 50,000 watts.  A guy from Chicago owned the radio.  We also used to hang out at the WYNR studio near 87th and Kedzie and run for coffee or food for the DJ's.  I've got one of their top 40 surveys from July of 1963 and a copy of their "in-house only'  instant top forty.  Those days were so much fun.
Pat  

Here's that landmark Beatlefan article:

As well as our own piece on this subject:  
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Who Played The Very First Beatles Record In America?

Thursday This And That

e:  THIS AND THAT: 

It used to be that a song reaching 25 years of age would be considered an "oldie" ... actually, this still may be the case with so many radio stations now focusing on the music of the '80's, the '90's and beyond ... so it was interesting to see Yahoo take a look back at the Biggest #1 Hits from 1988 ... 25 Years Ago.  (Also interesting to note that in order to be considered for a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nomination, the selected artist had to record their first music at least 25 years ago.)  Makes for some interesting pickin''s ... (although I don't ever see Tiffany, Debbie Gibson or Rick Astley ever coming up for serious consideration!)  kk

Click here: Twenty-Five Years Gone — 33 #1 Hit Singles of 1988! | List Of The Day - Yahoo Music

And, speaking of 25 Year Anniversaries, we got this note from Joe Klein last week ...

Kent,
Hard to believe it was 25 YEARS AGO this week that the very cool "Rockumentary" U2 RATTLE AND HUM opened in theaters in the U.S. My production company, L.A. TRAX, was producing radio commercials for several major record labels and few movie studios back then. Paramount Pictures hired us to produce a series of radio commercials for the movie, which was a pretty "well-paying gig" to be sure (although I recall feeling that it was "almost enough" at the time).
Here's a couple of the spots for the movie which were airing on radio stations all over the country 25 years ago which were CLIO Award finalists.in 1989 ... http://soundcloud.com/prowlerdog/u2-rattle-and-hum-radio-spots
-- Joe Klein

Meanwhile, Wanda Jackson's name has come up a number of times over the years in Forgotten Hits ... so I'm sure these readers will be happy to hear this bit of news: 

 

RollingStone.com To Premiere A New Wanda Jackson Recording From The Forthcoming Jack White Tribute Album

Los Angeles, CA - The Queen of Rockabilly, music legend Wanda Jackson, has recorded a brand new cover version of The White Stripes’ “In The Cold, Cold Night,” which will be premiered as a full audio stream on RollingStone.com November 12th. The slow burner penned by Jack White for The Stripes’ breakout album Elephant is the first single from the brand new tribute album Rockin’ Legends Pay Tribute To Jack White to be released on both CD and vinyl as well as digital November 19th by Cleopatra Records. The album is a one of a kind tribute that features several of White’s musical predecessors, giants of rockabilly, early rock and classic punk on whose shoulders White has stood, including Big Jay McNeely, Sonny Burgess, Gary U.S. Bonds, Bobby Vee, Walter Lure of Johnny Thunders’ The Heartbreakers, Knox of UK punk legends The Vibrators and many more!

Listen to the stream here: 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/wanda-jackson-covers-the-white-stripes-song-premiere-20131108

Not all of these names may be familiar to fans of Jack White, but most will know of his deep admiration for the pioneering performer Wanda Jackson who broke new ground in the 1950s as the first popular female rockabilly artist. In 2009, White produced Wanda’s critically acclaimed solo album The Party Ain’t Over, which landed Jackson on the Billboard Top 200 album charts for the very first time in her long career. On Rockin’ Legends, Wanda shows the admiration is mutual with her slightly countrified, ultra sultry take on “In The Cold, Cold Night,” which also features instrumentation and production by Shooter Jennings, son of famed country outlaw Waylon Jennings.

And hers is not the only inventive spin on White’s modern alternative classics. Big Jay McNeely brings a swingin’ vocal to “I’m Shakin’” as he trades sax solos with Hawkwind wild man Nik Turner. Speaking of wild men, the lucha libre masked guitar slingin’ trio Los Straightjackets throw down a raucous instrumental version of “Icky Thump” while the aforementioned punk rockers, Knox and Walter Lure, team up with drum hero W.S. “Fluke” Holland, the skinsman for both Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, on “Seven Nation Army.” Exploring the outer reaches of Jack White’s diverse career, Sonny Burgess brings in his Legendary Pacers on a cover of The Raconteur’s “Steady As She Goes” and Tex-Mex singer Rosie Flores crashes the boys club with a stellar cover of the titular track from White’s recent solo album Blunderbuss.

From rockabilly to punk, neo surf to traditional country, no other tribute album has spanned so much musical diversity and history, a testament to the vast range of influences that inspired Jack White’s incredible career.

1. In The Cold, Cold Night - Wanda Jackson feat. Shooter Jennings

2. I’m Shakin’ - Big Jay McNeely & Nik Turner

3. Salute Your Solution - Gary U.S. Bonds

4. Steady As She Goes - Sonny Burgess & The Legendary Pacers

5. Trash Tongue Talker - Joe Clay & Cranston Clements

6. Another Way To Die - Robert Gordon & Chris Spedding

7. Seven Nation Army - Knox, Walter Lure & W.S. “Fluke” Holland

8. Fly Farm Blues - Johnny Powers

9. We’re Going To Be Friends - Bobby Vee

10. Blunderbuss - Rosie Flores

11. Fell In Love With A Girl - The Dirt Daubers

12. You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told) - Rejected Youth Nation feat. Cyril Neville

13. Top Yourself - The Denver Broncos UK

14. Icky Thump - Los Straightjackets

Purchase the CD at Amazon: http://georiot.co/2cyL

Download the album at iTunes: http://georiot.co/3OUH

Kent,  

I don't know if you saw last week's "Pawn Stars" on the History Channel, but it featured my and Forgotten Hits' friend, the legendary session guitarist Vic Flick.

He successfully sold his 1961 Olympic White Fender Stratocaster for $55,000.00!!!  (see attached photo).  Both guitars are featured on his book's jacket.  

A while ago, I helped broker the electric Vox 12-String he used on Peter & Gordon's "World Without Love".  (see picture of me playing it, attached).  

Of interest, Vic still has for sale his 1939 Clifford Essex (with D'Armond pick-up).  This is the guitar he used to play and record the iconic "James Bond Theme" in 1962.  (see photo of guitar on display at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum).  

Also attached is a partial discography of only some of the hits on which Vic played guitar.  This is part of the paperwork that he presented to Rick at the pawn shop featured on the television program. 

Perhaps you have readers who have an active interest in owning this bit of rock and roll history.  

Thanks, my friend, and keep up the great work!  (and finally, see attached of me and a friend of mine).Best Regards, 

Bob Rush  ("The Beat Magazine")
drrzr@comcast.net

 

 

 

Some great photos here ... thanks, Bob!  As for Vic's discography, it's too long to run here (45 pages!!!  And counting!!!)  But I'll be happy to email it to anybody who asks for a copy.  (It's a PDF format which we can't run on the site anyway ... suffice to say that Vic Flick has had a VERY extensive career making music in the British studios!!!)

And, speaking of all things British ...

Great Britain's ITV recently ran a poll of The Top 20 Favorite Elvis Songs ... not a bad list (with a few surprises.)  I don't think I could narrow mine down to just twenty ... and I tend to enjoy the ones that weren't the biggest hits ... things like "Such A Night" (probably my all-time favorite Elvis recording) and "Easy Question" or "It Hurts Me" or "Fame And Fortune" ... "Treat Me Nice" or "A Mess Of Blues" ... SO many great tracks that never get airplay anymore.  (Heck they don't even play his BIGGEST hits on the radio anymore!  In fact, for all intents and purposes, radio has reduced Elvis down to a One Hit Wonder with "Suspicious Minds".  If you DO hear anything else, it'll probably be "Burnin' Love" or the remix of "A Little Less Conversation" from a few years ago ... which isn't even Elvis anymore!  Culture-changing hits like "Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog", "Jailhouse Rock", "All Shook Up" and "Heartbreak Hotel" have all but disappeared from the airwaves (although I WAS shocked to hear "Love Me Tender" included in a recent episode of Showtime's "Masters Of Sex" ... bet they paid dearly to license that track!!!)

Meanwhile, here's how The Brits voted their all-time favorites:  

#1 - Always on My Mind  (not even a hit here in The States ... a B-Side in fact!)

2 - Suspicious Minds

3 - Can't Help Falling in Love  (another one of my all-time favorites)

4 - In the Ghetto  (kinda cool to think that in England they're enjoying hearing about "a cold and gray Chicago morning!!!)

5 - A Little Less Conversation (that dreaded remake!)

6 - Jailhouse Rock

7 - Hound Dog

8 - Love Me Tender

9 - Return to Sender  (another fave ... and apparently one of Scott Shannon's, too ... I still hear him play this one quite a bit)  

10 - Are You Lonesome Tonight   11 - The Wonder of You 

12 - Blue Suede Shoes  (Wow!  A Carl Perkins tune that the Elvis fans love!)

13 - All Shook Love

14 - It's Now or Never

15 - An American Trilogy

16 - Heartbreak Hotel

17 - Viva Las Vegas

18 - Don't Be Cruel

19 - If I Can Dream  (a great track from his comeback television special ... the show-stopping closer)

20 - King Creole  (I wouldn't have expected to see THIS one on the list ... would you???)

A special soundtrack album of these Top 20 Favorites (along with a second disk of other well-loved Elvis tunes) was released in the U.K. this past week ... and went immediately into The Top Ten.  (Amazing to me how here in The States, radio stations won't even PLAY The King of Rock And Roll anymore ... yet over in Britain, he just scored his 50th TOP TEN ALBUM ... the first artist EVER in the history of the pop charts ... to do so.  (Man, what's wrong with THIS picture?!?!)  Are programmers here REALLY that out of touch?  I mean why on earth would anybody play any of Elvis' hundreds of chart hits when you can simply play the same Steve Miller song four times a day instead?!?!?  I just don't get it ... and I'm guessing I never will.  (kk)

And this is kinda cool ...  

ROY ORBISON’S “OH, PRETTY WOMAN” TO RECEIVE THE ICONIC RIFF AWARD FROM THE MUSICIANS HALL OF FAME 

On January 28, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum (MHOF), located in Nashville, TN, will posthumously honor music legend Roy Orbison by granting him the Iconic Riff Award for his 1964 number one hit single “Oh, Pretty Woman.”  Orbison will have the distinction of being the first ever recipient of this bestowal.  MHOF honors musicians from all genres and eras of recorded music, and inductees are nominated by current members of the American Federation of Musicians and by other music industry professionals. 

Roy Orbison began making his mark on the music world in 1956 while recording for Sun Records, which boasted a roster of unparalleled talent that also included Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash.  However, it was during his years on Monument Records in the early-to-mid 1960s, when Orbison’s commercial success reached stratospheric levels, the apex of which was “Oh, Pretty Woman,” a song co-written by Orbison and Bill Dees.  It went on to sell 7 million copies, spend three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and also topped the British charts for three weeks.  It was unprecedented for any American to have this kind of chart-topping power simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic in the Beatles-dominated year of 1964. 

While Roy Orbison, who is already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is acknowledged to have one of the most uniquely beautiful and haunting voices in popular music, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is focusing on the unmistakable riff that kicks off “Oh, Pretty Woman.”  It remains a truly iconic and timeless refrain, evidenced by the innumerable cover versions of the song by artists as diverse as Al Green, a young John Mellencamp, Johnny Rivers, Bon Jovi, Green Day, and Van Halen, the latter of which achieved a sizeable hit with their own 1982 version, showcasing the splendiferous guitar theatrics of group leader Eddie Van Halen.  The song inspired the title of and is heard on the soundtrack from Pretty Woman, the blockbuster film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. 

Although Roy Orbison passed away in 1988, his presence endures.  This is due, in large measure, to the ongoing effort to preserve his legacy by sons Alex, Roy Kelton, and Wesley Orbison, whose Roy’s Boys LLC manages their father’s name, likeness, image, and musical output, offering a series of audio and DVD reissues, as well as newly curated releases.  

November 26th (the Tuesday before “Black Friday”) will mark the release of The Monument Boxset, a vinyl-only package that includes three classic Monument-era Orbison studio albums (Lonely and Blue, Crying, In Dreams) as well as a fourth album, centered around the track “Oh, Pretty Woman” that had never previously existed. Entitled Oh! Pretty Woman, the LP consists of tracks reflective of the period and, as determined by the team at Roy’s Boys, to be the songs that would have comprised a fourth Monument studio album. 

“Oh, Pretty Woman,” a staple of Roy Orbison’s live performances, is also featured as an encore in the Black & White Night DVD, just released through Sony’s Legacy Recordings this week.  The concert, filmed in September of 1987, features an all-star line up that includes outspoken Roy admirers Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, JD Souther and Tom Waits, among others, joining Orbison on the show’s closer, “Oh, Pretty Woman.” 

The time-honored tune was, in fact, the last song Roy Orbison ever recorded. On December 4, 1988, just two days before his sudden passing, he performed at a Cleveland-area venue.  

That concert performance was taped and is set for release this December 3^rd as The Last Concert – 25^th Anniversary Edition through Legacy Recordings.  Orbison, typically, closed his shows with “Running Scared,” but the engineer ran out of tape that night almost 25 years ago, thus making his penultimate number, “Oh, Pretty Woman,” the final document of his melodious brilliance. 

-- submitted by Bob Merlis

A couple of weeks ago we told you about The Eagles extending their tour into 2014 (and also mentioned that earlier on Don Henley had said that they would probably continue to tour behind "The History Of The Eagles" well into 2015!)

Well now comes word of another leg being added ...

The Eagles are soaring off to Europe ... with dates in England and Ireland extending through June of next year ... here's the latest (with more dates likely to be added):

05/28 - Birmingham, England - LG Arena Birmingham

05/31 - Glasgow, Scotland - The Hydro

06/04 - Dublin, Ireland - The O2

06/16 - London, England - The O2

06/23 - Leeds, England - First Direct Arena

06/25 - Manchester, England - Phones 4u Arena

And Vintage Vinyl News reports a possible ABBA reunion next year, too ... in honor of the group's 40th Anniversary ...

Agnetha Faltskog, one fourth of the group ABBA, has told a German newspaper that a reunion of the group for the 40th anniversary of their commercial breakthrough is "something we're thinking about."
Faltskog has been one of the main sticking points to any reunion due to her private lifestyle along with an aversion to fly; however, the success of her 2013 album A had led her back to public eye.
On April 6, 1974, the band ABBA hit huge when they performed the winning song, Waterloo, on the broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest.  A year earlier, they had hit the top ten in Australia with Ring, Ring but Waterloo was a totally different creature, going to number 1 in Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Britain, 2 in Australia and 6 in the U.S.
In an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag, Faltskog said (translated) "There seem to be plans to do something to mark this anniversary in some way. But I can't say at this point what will come of them."
Agnetha also said she doesn't want to dwell on a possible reunion "That eats up too much energy. Don't just think about it, just do it.
"We're all getting older. I can't imagine going onto the stage on crutches.
"I dream often lately of the other three members of ABBA. They are good dreams. ... ABBA is a big part of all of us still."

Last week we told you about Stevie Wonder performing his entire Grammy-winning album "Songs In The Key Of Life" in concert and mentioned that this seems to have become quite the "fad" in live shows of late.  Brian Wilson helped to kick off this trend with his shows spotlighting both the "Pet Sounds" LP as well as the long-missing-in-action, lost Beach Boys album "Smile".  Other artists like Styx and several others have been keeping the music alive in much the same way.

Now comes word that John Fogerty will perform both CCR's "Bayou Country" album AND "Cosmo's Factory" as part of his three night gig at The Beacon Theatre in New York kicking off this evening.  ("Cosmo's Factory" has long been my favorite Creedence Clearwater Revival album ... although I've got to put "Green River" as a pretty close second, followed by "Willy And The Poorboys".  "Bayou Country"???  Not so much.)

Still it would be AMAZING to see John pay tribute to these great LPs, a corner-stone of my youth.  (I played CCR virtually non-stop for several years in the late '60's and early '70's.)

Read our History of CCR Report here:  Click here: Forgotten Hits - Creedence Clearwater Revival

re:  JIMI HENDRIX:

>>>I've heard really good things about the Jimi Hendrix special currently running on PBS but haven't had a chance to see it yet.  Will have to keep an eye out for that one.  (kk) "
Hello KK!

Watch it online!http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/jimi-hendrix/film-jimi-hendrix-hear-my-train-a-comin/2756/
A neatly sanitized version with a non conspiracy ending.
Boobie

And here's the chance of a lifetime ...

Big Jimi Hendrix fan, are you???

Well check this out ... 

JIMI HENDRIX GUITAR COMPETITION UNDERWAY ...

ENTER YOUR COVER OF A HENDRIX CLASSIC AND WIN A SPOT ON THE 2014 EXPERIENCE HENDRIX TOUR

Experience Hendrix LLC, in partnership with Talenthouse, has announced the Jimi Hendrix Guitar Competition, a celebration of the music and heritage of the greatest guitarist of all time.  Together with Sony Music’s Legacy Recordings and IK Multimedia, Talenthouse and Experience Hendrix have launched a competition that offers entrants a chance to win a performing slot on the annual Experience Hendrix tribute tour, set to roll in March 2014. 

Contestants are invited to submit a video that shows them performing a Jimi Hendrix track.  One winner will be selected by a team of judges, consisting of Janie Hendrix, Jimi’s sister and Experience Hendrix CEO; and legendary engineer / producer Eddie Kramer who worked with Jimi Hendrix at the very start of his recording career in London, and, later at Woodstock and subsequently worked on the authorized series of posthumous Hendrix album releases.  Judges also include Brad Tolinski, Guitar World Magazine Editor-in-Chief and author of Light & Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page; and Dave Stewart, the musician and producer known for his role in the Eurhythmics and work with Mick Jagger, Orianthi, Bryan Ferry, Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks and No Doubt, among others. 

The winner, as selected by the panel of judges, will be invited to perform a song as part of the Experience Hendrix 2014 Tour.  Travel and accommodations will be provided for the winner and a guest. The Experience Hendrix Tour is an annual event featuring the greatest guitarists of our generation including Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson, and many others. The 2014 tour line up will be announced shortly. 

Click here http://tlnt.io/qurKI  for further details.  

The overall winner as well as five popular winners (runners up) will receive an assortment of exclusive Jimi Hendrix merchandise provided by IK Multimedia, in addition to prizes from Fender, Guitar Center, Dunlop, Hal Leonard, Levy’s Leathers, and Guitar World Magazine. 

The ‘Judges Choice’ (overall winner) will have the incredible opportunity to perform a song on the Experience Hendrix 2014 Tour, sharing the stage with several of today’s top guitarists in celebration of Jimi Hendrix.* In addition, the winner will receive an assortment of exclusive product and merchandise, including: 

IK Multimedia custom prize package including: iLoud portable speaker, iRig Pro, iRig BlueBoard, iKlip for iPad 

$2,500 

Fender Classic Series '70s Stratocaster®

Dunlop Pedals: JH F1 Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face, JH OC1 Jimi Hendrix Octavio, JH 1D Jimi Hendrix Signature Wah

Guitar Center Gift Card

One year subscription to Guitar World Magazine

An assortment of Jimi Hendrix merchandise and music including Hal Leonard Jimi Hendrix Instruction Books

Levy’s Leathers collectible album cover guitar strap, featuring many of Jimi's album covers

*Travel and two nights’ accommodation to Experience Hendrix Tour date provided for the winner plus guest  The ‘Five Popular Winners’ (runners up) will each receive: 

IK Multimedia custom prize package including: iRig Pro, iRig BlueBoard, iKlip for iPad

Fender Squier Vintage Modified Stratocaster®

Dunlop Pedals JH 1D Jimi Hendrix Signature Wah

Guitar Center Gift Card

One year subscription to Guitar World Magazine

An assortment of Jimi Hendrix merchandise and music including Hal Leonard Jimi Hendrix Instruction Books

Levy’s Leathers collectible album cover guitar strap, featuring many of Jimi's album covers

re:  MIS-SUNG LYRICS: 

There've been books written on misheard lyrics ("'Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy" being probably one of the most famous ... although it's now been reported ... by no less a source than Forgotten Hits I might add ... that Hendrix used to actually sing the song that way in concert from time to time before planting one on the cheek of Noel Redding live on stage!), but the topic that's come up here recently is mis-SUNG lyrics ... where the artists either screwed up the recording right out of the gate (and it was never fixed ... part of the charm of some of these early releases) or (in the case of a remake) possibly misheard or misunderstood the original lyric and then proceeded to sing it wrong on their version.  

Here are a couple more examples sent in by our readers ... 

HEY KENT! 

ANYONE MENTION THE MISTAKE IN THE BACKGROUND VOCALS ON "PLEASE PLEASE ME" YET??  I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHY THEY NEVER FIXED THAT! THERE ARE A FEW OTHER BEATLE VOCAL FLUBS DURING THOSE EARLY YEARS, BUT I'M NOT JUDGING ... I GUESS STUDIO TIME WAS BOTH TIGHT AND EXPENSIVE ... AS IS THE CASE WITH MANY OTHER ARTISTS I'VE SPOKEN WITH, OFTEN THEY WERE AFRAID TO LOSE THAT SPONTANEITY OF THE "MOMENT".

MICHAEL G BUSH

I think that had a lot to do with it actually (and why you'll hear coughs in the background on a Beach Boys recording for example.)  Plus you have to remember that this was back in the days of two-track and four-track recording ... not like today where you have unlimited resources available to layer your sounds.  Back then you either nailed it or you had one hell of an engineer splicing tape together to make it sound better! 

I still maintain that it's these little flaws that give this music their charm and appeal.  They weren't perfect ... and as you well know, this helped inspire a good number of us to pick up a musical instrument thinking that WE could create these sounds as well!  (kk)

Blue Swede's remake of "Hooked On A Feeling", instead of "I'll just stay a victim and hope I can endure" says something like "I'll just stay addicted if I can for sure" (? or something like that).

J Frank Wilson's remake of "Hey Little One" has wrong lyrics on nearly the entire bridge. It's possible that he re-wrote that way intentionally but, since they also use wrong chords, I'm guessing he just didn't know the real bridge.

Gary E. Myers / MusicGemhttp://www.music-gem.com/index.html

re:  JOEL WHITBURN VIDEO:

>>>Back in 2005, Heritage Auction in Dallas came to Menomonee Falls, WI, to film a tour of my music / record archive.  They have now put it up on YouTube, so if you'd care to do the tour you can click on the link below.  Many of the books shown have long since been updated and, of course, much has been added to the collection.  Anyhow, if you're interested, here's the link.  (Joel Whitburn)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3m1DwU0ImI

>>>Record collectors will be blown away by this clip ... a tour of Joel Whitburn's Record Research Archives.  Although it's a bit out of date (this was filmed in 2005 for a Heritage Auctions television special), it's still one of the most amazing collections you'll ever see.  In fact, there may not be another one quite like it! Hear Joel tell you in his own words how this collection was built.  Incredible!  (kk)

Have you ever wanted to see Joel Whitburn's collection?  If so AND you have a half hour to watch solid rooms of magical music history, this is a documentary that is simply amazing! 

(Cool to know there are all the Cryan Shames and New Colony 6 45's are in "the vault" as well as "Mr. Moon" by the Coachmen and a Smoke Ring 45 or two"!!)

Clark Besch

Here are the comments that I posted to the Both Sides Now (BSN) site:

I watched this and really don't know what to say.  Truly amazing amount of stuff that would make many of us (including me) say that we are a poor man's Joel Whitburn.  Not a slam at the man by ANY means!  Just sayin' we all have tried in various ways to be collectors of the music, but likely none have succeeded as much as Joel has.  Personally, my brothers and I have collected 45s, LPs, Billboards and other trades as well as CDs and videos since we were little kids.  This would likely be the case for many of us on BSN.  I love Billboard and note that much of Joel's cataloging system revolves around the Billboard charts, but many of us here live outside of the Billboard ties as well.  Joel does too, but mainly focuses on that magazine's hits and lesser knowns. 

BSN'ers may have more specific goals like collecting decades and specific music genres or MP3s or stereo tracks or DJ copies, or foreign releases, or bootleg LPs or music books or concert posters or music videos or, with me, many of all of these, but nothing totally inclusive like Joel's.  I am into airchecks and top 40 charts more than many.  When I saw him pull out the Shirelles' "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", I had to think that I would want to keep my autographed copy signed by Larry Lujack from his days in Idaho radio at the time over a mint copy any day ... but that's MY thing.  Many of us are into one era, while Joel tries to cover all bases of decades and genres of music. 

He uses the term "hard to find" a million times.  Many are indeed IMPOSSIBLE to find now.  Many, many more are easy to find, but in mint condition, not so easy at all to find.  I question calling his 45s mint when most seem to have a sticker attached to the label.  Thanks to Joel's books, in about 1973 or so, I went thru and stickered most of my 45s with a white dot writing the peak and dates on them, making them far from mint suddenly.  Oh well, haven't sold any of them anyway.  I'm sure Mighty John the Record Guy would say every record in my collection is worth at least $10.  He finally has started mentioning condition once in awhile.  THANKS!  That's what makes Joel's records worth money in most cases (except, of course, the Journey ones I believe he pointed out). 

I was surprised he did not have his LPs in plastic sleeves.  Also, I wondered if these were all store copies.  I am guessing so, as he only mentioned DJ copies when it came to odd pressings in the 80's and the like. 

Being a 45s guy, I was happy to see him take most pride in his Hot 100 45s collection.  Strange that LPs get mentioned so often by people and are what are brought to record shows, yet 45s seem to be much more important to collectors in general -- such as buyers of the Billboard books, Singles vs. LPs.  I'm guessing the 45s books sell multiple times more than the LP chart books do. 

I would have liked to see his Billboard, Cash Box, Record World, Music Business, Music Reporter and other magazines that had national charts.  I love them all. 

I love picture sleeves and he really impresses with his "no ring wear" copies.  Pic sleeves in most cases are sold VERY cheap at record stores compared to the old days when I was buying same.  I'm happy now that two of my sleeves ended up in Joel's collection in about 2002 when he was putting his want lists in his flyers.  I have not replaced them, but to have them in that hallowed shrine is kinda cool! 

I wonder what era and music type Joel enjoys to LISTEN to??  Anyway, it is an amazing collection that likely no one will ever amass again or has previously.  A nice documentary to watch!  Thanks to the maker and Paul for posting this.

Would I swap my collection for his?  No.  Simply because I have what I am interested in, but many WOULD trade in a heartbeat.

Now Joel, it's on to EVERY DJ copy variance like I am also trying for from my faves.    

Clark

re:  RADIO: 

HELLO!  IS THERE ANY HOPE FOR ANOTHER OLDIES STATION HERE THAT ACTUALLY PLAYS THE "OLDIES"????  I KNOW THE TWO OF US ARE NOT ALONE ... MICHAEL G BUSH

Honestly, it's not looking good ... and even the so-called "Classic Hits" stations are playing less and less "hits" and more and more album rock tracks that they wouldn't have dreamed of touching a year or two ago.  Chicago is in dire need of a station that programs "The Top 40 Years" of Rock And Roll ... 1956 - 1980 ... with a wide variety playlist encompassing ALL of the hits of this era.  I swear, if I ever win the lottery ...  Meanwhile, I just load up the car with half a dozen CD's each day ... I can't remember a time EVER when there was less variety on the dial.  The other day in the span of 40 minutes I turned of "In The Air Tonight" three times ... that used to be one of my all-time favorite songs ... now I can't get past the opening drum beat ... it's been done to death.  Today it was the same Pat Benatar song playing on the two "classic hits" stations at the exact same time.  First song I heard this morning when I got in the car to head off to work was "Fool In The Rain" by Led Zeppelin.  First song I heard this evening when I got in the car to drive home from work was "Fool In The Rain" by Led Zeppelin.  It's like there isn't even a station out there anymore that dares to be different ... or, more appropriately, even CARES to be different.  Man, what a shame ... and what a waste of air space.  (kk)

On the plus side, The Drive (WDRV in Chicago) is kicking off another week of A-Z Programming ... ALWAYS a fun thing to listen to (which also gives you a full solid week of no repeats).  It kicks off this morning at 10 am Chicago time ... and you can listen live here: Click here: 97.1fm The Drive

 

Helping Out Our Readers (Part Three) - A Walk In The Black Forest

Here's a question that's been circulating on our site for quite awhile.  While we've yet to reach a definitive answer, it looks to me like FH Reader (and researcher!) Clark Besch has some new (old???) information that sheds some light on this topic.  It ALSO appears that this has been a "hot topic" on another music website a while back ... we may have FINALLY found the answer!!! 

Read On ...    

>>>Kent, I have a question that I hope one of your many readers may help with.  It may be too "pop" - oriented and not "rock 'n' roll" - oriented enough for Forgotten Hits and, if so, fine ... just thought I'd ask. In the late spring / early summer of 1965, an instrumental called "A Walk in the Black Forest" by German jazz pianist Horst Jankowski made it to No. 12 on the Billboard pop chart.  I have since noticed that this same tune -- no question, it's the identical melody -- appeared on at least three episodes of  the "Perry Mason" TV show as background music.  (They are "The Case of  the Missing Melody" from September 1961; "The Case of the Absent Artist" from  March 1962, and "The Case of the Potted Planter" from May 1963.)
So -- how / why did this tune show up on "Perry Mason" long before it was a hit here?  Was Jankowski shopping the tune around for years?  Did  someone from the show hear the melody and buy the rights?  Was it a hit in  Europe before it was a hit here? I have checked the Horst Jankowski fan website (yes, there is one!), but this question doesn't seem to be addressed  there.  Thanks!    (Henry McNulty, Old Saybrook, Connecticut)

>>>Hi Henry!  Yes, I'm VERY familiar with Horst Jankowski's recording ... had the 45 at the time and have featured it as part of Forgotten Hits a few times over the years.  (It recently made our "All-Time Favorite Instrumentals" List and we also included it in our very special "Walk ... Don't Run" Marathon Weekend a couple of weeks ago!)  In fact, I seem to remember even running photographs of the original sheet music for this tune for some reason or another!  But I was NOT aware of any Perry Mason tie-in, so let's put this one to the list and see what they come up with.  "A Walk In The Black Forest" was a #3 Hit in Great Britain ... but that was in 1965, too ... so that doesn't seem to be the reason.  Anybody else out there got any ideas?  (kk)

>>>The funny thing is, I found these comments for the same reason Henry McNulty made them. I saw a rerun of Perry Mason (hooray for MeTv!) from 1961 that featured the tune I know so well as "A Walk in the Black Forest." The thing is, I also had heard the same tune -- it's unmistakable, as you know -- in a Twilight Zone episode called "Cavender Is Coming" from September, 1962. (The episode starred Carol Burnett but is otherwise pretty awful.) I saw the TZ episode before I saw the PM show and wondered even then how this song, supposedly from 1965, ended up in a show from three years earlier. The PM episode reminded me of that question, and a Google search brought me to you.  
Did you ever get any more information on this? I've searched and haven't found anything. I guess the only possible explanation is that Jankowski wrote it -- he does seem to have been the composer, not just the guy who made it famous -- several years before the song became a hit. As Henry said, he must have shopped it around for a while, and the tune is so catchy, it got picked up here and there until it finally caught on in '65.

I'm pretty sure the versions from TZ and PM are not the same as the one that became a hit and have no idea if they were Jankowski himself playing.

Just a trivial bit of music trivia, but I thought you might be interested. Sorry for the long e-mail!

And by the way, it's great to see that you appreciate the easy listening instrumentals from the 60s. I was born in 1957, so songs like "A Walk in the Black Forest," "Walk, Don't Run," "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" and the entire output of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass were the background music to my childhood.

Keep up the good work!  (Steve from Pennsylvania)

>>>I have all the Perry Mason episodes on DVD and taped them from WTBS in Atlanta back in the 1980's  This song showed up in a few episodes.  I had seen Horst's name in the international section of Billboard a number of times previously to 1965 when the song was a hit.  Apparently for whatever reason the song became a hit at that time, but Jankowski was a very well known musician in Europe in the late 1950's and early 1960's    I have a couple of sources to try to find out the root of this, but, I am guessing that this song WAS shopped to various TV shows for a number of years.  The best source of this would be anyone associated with the Perry Mason TV show (who have all probably passed away by now) and anyone in the higher up level of Mercury Records during 1964-1965 who would know where it came from.  As with the Perry Mason show, most of those people have probably passed away. Finally, Billboard and Cashbox 1964-1965 may have some info in the international area (when I have some time, I can research that!  (CLAY PASTERNACK)  

Kent, 

My friend Ed Heine, originally from Nebraska, was a Warners Bros. exec in Germany, so I passed your FH buddy's queries about Horst Jankowski's song on to him.  

Here's his helpful response!  

WLSClark   

Hi Clark - 

Good to hear from you again.  I had time to give your email some thought and do some research.   
Coincidentally, I was the head of the German Warner Bros. publishing company who owned the publishing rights to ”A Walk in the Black Forest”  (Original title:  "Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt”).  We acquired the song when we bought Chappell Music in about 1988 and became Warner Chappell Music.  The problem is that the story behind the song pre-dates my time at the company and certainly pre-dates everyone who now works there.  Normally, the music publishing company would be the place to get the real story behind any usage of the song because it is the publishing company who negotiates and issues a license for every use -- whether it be a recording, a TV or radio spot, a use in a TV or radio program or a motion picture.  As I said (or wrote), however, there is nobody left at the company who could shed much light on anything that happened in the sixties.  Also, there were no computers at that time, of course, and the original files have probably long since disappeared.  Nevertheless, each piece of music used in a film or TV program is listed on a ”cue sheet” which gives the name of the composer and length of the music use. These cue sheets are registered with BMI and ASCAP and are most certainly in their computers, e.g., Episode 32, Perry Mason, 2:20, Horst Jankowski.  Often, the title listed is along the lines of ”Perry drives in his car”, etc.

Theoretically, the publisher and Jankowski’s heirs continue to receive performance fee income for the re-runs of Perry Mason -- if Jankowski's music was indeed used.  That information would be apparent on the royalty statements but would, of course, be confidential.  

I did a lot of research on the internet but could find nothing indicating that Jankowski recorded any version of the song prior to 1964 although he was a respected jazz musician before then and had released a couple of albums before 1964.  I checked on the websites of BMI and GEMA (the German mechanical and performing rights society) and found a few other names for the song but they did not list the registration dates.  I eventually found a German obit for Jankowski in a Berlin newspaper saying that he originally wrote the song as part of an advertising campaign for a Black Forest promotion film in 1962 but could find no confirmation.   

Anyway, I finally pieced together enough information to enable me (by accident, I suppose) to put the right words into Google and find what appears to be the closest answer we’ll ever get to the question:  http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=99605&page=2

Apparently the same question was covered in a 2007 blog discussion on a British site. 
Best regards,

Ed   

And from that link, comes this telling piece of information ...

I found out that "A Walk in the Black Forest" was composed by Horst in 1962 i.e. three years before becoming a hit!  

Other information says that this melody was composed by Horst at the beginning of the 60's for promotional purposes (commercial / advertising / movie). Although the special kind of this campaign is not stated it appears that Alec's memory serves him extremely well. And yours too, FC.  

Here comes the corresponding note in German (source:www.jazzecho.de):  

"Für einen Werbefilm komponierte Jankowski zu Beginn der 60er Jahre den Ohrwurm "Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt", der in kürzester Zeit - und zur allgemeinen Überraschung - zum internationalen Instrumental - Hit wurde und Jankowski weltweit Bekanntheit verschaffte." 

English Translation:

For a publicity film Jankowski composed the catchy tune “a Black Forest trip” at the beginning of the 60's, which became in shortest time and for general surprise - to the international instrumental - hit and provided for Jankowski world-wide fame.   

 

Last but not least,for those interested in the German lyrics of AWITBF I can offer this example without knowing when and by whom it was written:  

Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt
 
Am Feldberg und am Titisee,
wo dunkle Tannen steh'n,
da ist es schön,
da ist es schön.

Im Höllental, auf Bühlerhöh',
bei Hirschen und bei Reh'n,
da ist es schön,
da ist es schön.                

Hast du das schöne Land geseh'n,
wo Schwarzwaldhäuschen steh'n,
kehrst du zurück,
kehrst du zurück.

Denn so ein kleines Schwarzwaldhaus,
das suchen wir uns aus
für unser Glück,
für unser Glück.

Refrain:
Einsam sind viele Wege in diesem Land,
gemeinsam woll'n wir sie gehen Hand in Hand.
Bei Regen, Sonne oder Schnee,
im Tal und auf den Höh'n,
da ist es schön,so wunderschön.
Komm mit mir,ich zeig es dir! 
-- Manfred  

More ...

With reference to your question as to whether Horst Jankowski's "A Walk in the Black Forest" was ever used as a theme tune by the BBC, I very much doubt this, based on the following relevant information, that I have taken directly from an interview which Horst gave to WDR, a radio station in Germany.
"I had originally written that tune as "Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt" in 1961 for a radio show. It was a travel programme and I recorded a couple of tracks about famous places like, Paris, the Alps and that kind of thing. "Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt" was about a beautiful trip through Germany's Black Forest. It became successful in America first, in 1964, three years after I had recorded it. The whole story is a very unfortunate part of my career. In the sixties American producers were coming to Europe to buy music for TV shows."
"This was much cheaper for them than producing it at home since here they didn't have to pay musicians and the union. I sold them four tracks from the radio programme, including "Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt" and they paid me 125, - Deutschmarks, which seemed OK at the time. I signed a piece of paper and started work on something else. We musicians were pretty stupid back then. Not long after that, my song was used in an American TV show, and became a huge hit there under the title " A Walk in the Black Forest". It was only then that I realised what exactly I had signed. I wouldn't get any royalties, all rights were owned by an American company. It took me seven years, several lawyers, and lots of money to get the rights back. After seven years, of course, the song was no longer a hit and didn't even make back the money I had spent on the lawsuit. Although I went on to sell lots of albums, I didn't make a penny from "Black Forest!"
So, there we are then Peter, there is no mention of England or the BBC. On the contrary it would seem that "A Walk in the Black Forest" was in fact used for an American TV show!!
I hope that this information helps to answer your question.
  
By the way, "A Walk In The Black Forest" was a pretty big-sized hit in the U.K., too, where it peaked at #3 ...  but also in 1965 at the time of its U.S. release.  (kk)