Sunday, March 23, 2014

The Sunday Comments ( 03 - 23 - 14 )


re:  This And That:  A Real Hodge-Podge Of Oldies Info ... Right Before Your Very Eyes!!!:  

Joel Whitburn has done it again ... come up with another way to repackage the Billboard Hit Information he's so famous for, this time in a VERY colorful format saluting the very biggest hits, month-by-month, for the golden Top 40 Era, 1955 - 1969.  
Check out his new book "Top Pop Playlists" ... and be sure to take a look at some of the sample pages ...   
Click here: Joel Whitburn's Record Research | Music & Billboard Charts Data  
Click here: Top Pop Playlists 1955-1969 | Joel Whitburn's Record Research
I LOVE this cover ... one of the most beautiful he's ever done ... and with wall-to-wall color photos throughout, this book is a "keeper" ... and should be a real joy to browse through again and again.  (Plus maybe it'll help give radio programmers some new broadcasting ideas as to how to better encapsulate this era of music by featuring what truly ARE "The Greatest Hits Of All-Time" instead of this ridiculous mixture of tunes that are now circulating under that banner on radio stations all over the country!)  [Wanna hear something REALLY funny?!?!?  Both "The Monkey Time" by Major Lance and "Any Way You Want It" by The Dave Clark Five made The Top 25 Hits for their respective months in Joel's historical recap of Top 40 Radio from this era ... yet playing these two "obscure" tracks contributed to WIBG dropping Dave The Rave's show from their line-up!!!  NOW who comes off looking like they don't know what they're talking about?!?!?]

And it's cheap, too!!!  Only $22.95 if you pre-order now.  (The book is officially due out in May)

Whitburn's books occupy several shelves of my book cases at home ... and I just LOVE the way he keeps coming up with new ways to bring us this material.  Be sure to check them out!  (kk) 

Hi Kent,  
I’m very excited and passionate about these Playlists.  These songs which reach deep into Top 40 hits need to be remembered and played.  There are just way too many great artists and songs that have long been erased from radio airplay.  I hope these colorful playlists will bring some excitement and stir up some passion to not only my customers but to music executives and radio station management to get with it and get into playing all these great songs and artists.  
I’m currently working on the 1970’s and plan on having Volume 2 go through 1984.  Because of the huge cost to print these books in color, I’ll only do each volume in 15 year increments. To answer your questions:  
“The Monkey Time” by Major Lance ranks at #9 in the September, 1963 Playlist.  The #25 song on that Playlist is “The Lonely Surfer” by Jack Nitzsche – a great instrumental – wouldn’t you love to hear it now?  
“Any Way You Want It” by The Dave Clark Five ranks at #12 in the January, 1965 Playlist.  The #25 song on that Playlist is “Do-Wacka-Do” by Roger Miller – a great pop/country novelty song – hear it!!!


We’re showing May as the book’s debut date, however, I’m really hoping to have it in stock by the end of April.  
Let me know if you have other questions.  Thanks for your interest, Kent!  
Joel  

Hi Kent:   
I heard PBS is having a 50 Year Dave Clark 5 special on April 8th.   Any news on this?  
Ken
Actually, yes ... we ran a nice blurb on this a couple of weeks ago ... and I can't wait to see this show.  We also gave them a Forgotten Hits Mini-Salute as part of our on-going 50th Anniversary British Invasion coverage.  (kk)  
Click here: PBS gets 'Glad All Over' about Dave Clark Five 
Click here: Forgotten Hits: 50 Years Ago This Weekend       

Have you seen the brand new Jim Peterik website?  Well worth sitting down right now and watching the first episode. 
http://www.thesongisthevehicle.com/  
 
May brings the Chicagoland area a "Double Micky" ...
First, on May 2nd, Micky Dolenz will be doing a solo show at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, IL ... where his warm-up act will be The Cowsills.  (Man, I wanted to see this show ... but our daughter Paige landed the starring role of Belle in "Beauty And The Beast" ... and her final performance is that same night.)
Then, Dolenz is back on the 31st, appearing at The Star Plaza Theatre in nearby Merrillville, IN ... with The Monkees!  (That's right ... Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith ... who I've NEVER seen live! ... will be on hand for this one!)
You'll find ticket information for both shows below ...

Got this the other day about a brand new Monkees book out on the market ...  
Click here: Interview: Monkees fan Fred Velez shows his love for the group in new book - National The Monkees | Examiner.com ... 
Now I can't help but wonder how our long-time buddy Gary Stobl was coming along with HIS book about The Pre-Fab Four ... if you see this, Gary, drop us a line and let me know how you're doing! 

Hi Kent,
The thing that confuses me is the number of Oldies that you can't find on commercial radio that are being used for commercials.  "When" (1958) and "Happy Go Lucky Me" (1960) are featured on commercials right now.  That seems to be a disconnect of some sort. 
Paul Evans   
It is ... and somebody isn't paying attention.  In the past, it was many of these type of "song revivals" ... movies, tv, advertising campaigns ... that resurrected some of the great oldies as they were being discovered by a whole new generation.  Not to mention a GREAT opportunity to "milk" the genre as their newly piqued curiosity inspires them to seek out other music from this same, great era.  Radio USED to jump onboard and add these songs back to their playlists (in an effort to feel "relevant" again) ... but once again, they've truly dropped the ball here ... and don't even realize it.  Your future audience is out there waiting to discover something new ... and you continue to ignore that opportunity by playing another Journey song instead.  (kk)   

Hey Kent - 
Would you happen to have a list ... or perhaps I may have missed it ... of the most obscure oldies songs that your readers remember? Thanks! 
Sandy  
We've never actually done a list, per se ... but continue to feature great, long forgotten and ignored hits that ARE immediately recognizable and familiar the moment you hear them ... once you're finally given the opportunity to do so.  I don't know that we dwell on the "obscure" ... as that just encompasses too much territory ... and there are plenty of other venues for that all over Internet Radio these days ... our forte is more the PROVEN, legitimate hits ... HUGE at the time ... that radio continues to ignore today in favor of playing the exact same crap over and over and over again.  Pretty much every issue features SOMETHING worth playing again (and today's Sunday Comments is no exception!)  Quite a few of the jocks on the list feel inspired to dig out that "extra" oldie and feature it on their programs again (after a little bit of nudging from yours truly.)  kk

Here are a few oldies news updates sent in last week by Tom Cuddy ...
Heard about this Billy Joel piece from several readers ... fun to watch to be sure!  (kk)

Hey, wasn't this the concept of that tv show promoted in the Hugh Grant film "Music And Lyrics"?  Have two '80's rock icons get in the boxing ring together and duke it out?!?!?  (Of course here in Chicago we actually had a charity boxing match between Danny Bonaduce and Donny Osmond ... so it's really not a new concept at all!)  Still, I'll betcha they could sell quite a few tickets to this thing!  (lol) 
Back in the day, I would have LOVED to watch Debbie Gibson and Tiffany slug it out, live on stage!  I'm sure there are others ... which two artists would YOU most like to see beat the crap out of each other???  (kk)

Kent ...
Scott Shannon was talking about this on the radio.  
Barbara and Bill Lewis were cleaning up Long Beach, New York - after Hurricane Sandy. They found this 45 in the street, covered with mud. It became the rallying cry, for those who lost everything.

And check this out ...
ATTENTION -- 3/21/14 at 8:17 AM - Scott just played "Jailhouse Rock," by Elvis. That's a 1950's song!
Quiet week. Jim Belushi just checked in. He tours with his own band. When Dan Aykroyd joins him, it becomes a "Blues Brothers Show. "
Every Friday at 8:00 AM on Scott's show he has a special feature. It's called "Weekend Blastoff."  The idea is to kiss the week goodbye and welcome the weekend.  They all get together in the studio. Hoot, Holler, Yell & play some party music.
Frank B.
You CAN'T bring Scott Shannon on board and NOT let him do what he does (and loves) best.  Otherwise, what would be the point?  Kudos to Shannon (and WCBS-FM) for letting those talents run free!  A guy like Scott can up the ante for the whole station.  (kk)


Kent, 
On that WLS chart dated March 23, 1974, there are five Canadian artists on that chart: 
# 1 Wednesday "Last Kiss"  
# 3 Terry Jacks "Seasons In The Sun" 
# 7 Anne Murray "Love Song" 
On the Musicradio LP's & Tapes  
# 5 Joni Mitchell "Court And Spark"  
Plus, just as we Canadians have to accept the embarrassment of Justin Bieber being from Canada, we also have to acknowledge that the "Abra-Ca-Dabra" DeFranco Family are also Canadian, originally from Port Carling, Ontario.  
Doug Thompson in Toronto  
You know there's a pretty large movement here to send Bieber back, right?!?!  (lol) 

Big news last week was that the law enforcement agency who most recently busted  Bieber was going to release video of Justin peeing in his jail cell so that all of his fans could see their idol in action ... which I guess WOULD constitute "streaming video", right???  (kk)

Pathetic to see a 15 song WLS survey. WABC NYC had 14 spots. I guess by 1974, they were mixing in a lot of oldies.
Mark
It was a pretty bleak time in Chicago radio ... and shortly thereafter you'd see that WLS (once a Top 40 Industry Leader, boasting that they were the first station in Chicago to play a given song by a given artist) now often not adding songs to their survey until they'd already charted nationally for 16 weeks and hit The Billboard Top 20.  Fortunately, they would rebound later and revamp their chart to include The Top 45 45's and the Top 33 LP's.  Now THAT made for some interesting airplay!  (kk)
   
>>>#28 - Sweet Cream Ladies - The Box Tops - Everybody I know loves this song ... yet you NEVER get to hear it.  In fact, most of their hits are radio-ignored other than "The Letter"  (kk)  
This song was written by Jon Stroll and Bobby Weinstein, who recorded as the short-lived duo Weinstein & Stroll. "Sweet Cream Lady" is a slang term for a prostitute, which is clearly the subject of the song: "They will love you in the darkness, and refuse to recognize you in the light. Tell the socialites to look the other way." (thanks, Robert - Citrus Heights, CA) 
That's probably why you didn't hear it much. Also you didn't hear Cherry Hill Park.  "Cherry Hill Park" was written by Robert Nix and Billy Gilmore, and sung by Billy Joe Royal. The subject of the song is Mary Hill, a "girl" who has sexual liaisons with various "boys" at Cherry Hill Park (located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey), as noted in the barely disguised double entendre lyrics. However, she "marries away" to a "man with money". 
Bill
And yet listen to what they can play on the radio today (albeit with something from virtually every-other-line bleeped out!!!)  We sure have come a long way, haven't we?  (Or have we???)  kk

>>>#39 - I Don't Know Why - Stevie Wonder  (Does ANYBODY remember this one?!?!  I sure don't!)  kk
Saw your 1969 survey list. I Don’t Know Why was later flipped over and My Cherie Amour became a huge hit for Stevie.  I Don’t Know Why was recorded by the Rolling Stones and eventually released as part of their Metamorphous album.  
Mark  

Hi Kent:  
Interesting you not knowing “I Don’t Know Why” by Stevie Wonder. It was the A side of what would become one of his biggest chart successes, “My Cherie Amor”!! Odd that they think it would out sell “My Cherie Amor”, but everybody makes mistakes. Also, six years later The Rolling Stones would release their version on “Metamorphosis”!!  
Ken
An error in judgement by Motown, to be sure.  As I recall, Motown thought "My Cherie Amour" was just too "middle-of-the-road" for Stevie ... which is odd since they had just released (and had great success with) "For Once In My Life" a few months earlier.  (That song was first released by Tony Bennett a full year earlier!!!)  It also proved that "Little Stevie" could sing just about ANYTHING!!!
As it turned out, they didn't decide to turn the record over until about three months later.  "I Don't Know Why" ran its course in seven weeks, eventually peaking at #39 (which is where we showed it exactly 45 years ago this week.)  Then, on May 31st, "My Cherie Amour" debuted on the charts.  It ultimately rose to #4 in Billboard and, as you said, became one of Stevie's best known (and most-loved) hits.  (kk)

Kent ...
Sorry for screwing up what Scott said about Frankie Valli.  He said # 1 Hit. All I heard was "Hit". Can we chalk it up to another one of my Senior Moments?
Frank B.  
>>> The Jersey Boys Movie is coming out June 20th -- I can't wait!   (Nicki)
>>>Me, too ... been waiting for this one!  (kk)  
Funny story ...
One day a co-worker told me that in the sister hotel's restaurant around the corner she saw Frankie Valli having lunch. He was by himself, sitting there just eating lunch.  This was when the Broadway play "Jersey Boys" was sold out every night in NYC; about an hour from where I am in NJ.  Anyhow my co-worker / friend said she saw him but felt it disrespectful to intrude.  She wanted to have lunch with him but didn't think it appropriate. (Besides that she was working - happened to be the accountant) And she also happens to be a big Four Seasons fan.  She even saw the play six times. Yikes!!! What do you do?! 
Hell Yeh! I cant wait till the movie comes out too! 
Blossmwrld
Frankie seemed to need quite a bit of "prompting along" during his interview with Scott Shannon ... keep in mind the guy is turning 80 years old this May.  But I'll tell you what ... he sure can still sing!  We saw him a few years ago and he sounded fantastic ... and recreating "The Frankie Valli Sound" sound, live on stage, is NOT (nor has it ever been) an easy thing ... but Valli still manages to pull it off night after night.  (kk)

The Jan & Dean version of "Linda" in 1963 marked the revival of a tune which was indeed written about Linda Eastman, who'd later become Linda McCartney.   I talked to Jack Lawrence, who wrote it when Linda was six years old -- in 1947.   That year four different artists scored hits with the song; big band singer and later "The King and I" Broadway cast member Larry Douglas, who took the tune to #14; Matt Dennis, backed by arranger-conductor (and Jo Stafford's husband) Paul Weston, who took it to #8, Tommy Mercer, backed by trumpeter-bandleader Charlie Spivak, who took it to #5 and especially Buddy Clark -- who, backed by comic actor-conductor Ray Noble & his Orchestra, took "Linda" to #1.   Jan & Dean had fun with the song but the classic and perpetually charming version was really Buddy Clark's.  Buddy was an immensely popular crooner of his day -- which ended abruptly on October 1, 1949 when a private plane he was sharing with others crashed upon landing in Los Angeles.
Check this out:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynyn3UQPlWU     
Gary Theroux  
But seriously ... don't you find it just a LITTLE bit creepy that he wrote a love song like this for a six or seven year old little girl?!?!  I mean that'd be like finding out that Neil Diamond wrote "Sweet Caroline" for a twelve year old Caroline Kennedy or something!!!  (kkk)

I went record digging at a couple of favorite Madison stops today.  I picked up the Flaming Ember Westbound #9 album.  I have never found this album before.  I didn't know they are a bunch of white guys until I saw the cover!  A bit like Bill Deal and the Rhondells (same era).  Phil   

With Record Day right around the corner, we've been hearing about all kinds of new and special releases tying into this new, annual event ... read on ...  

ABKCO RECORD STORE DAY VINYL RELEASES INCLUDE CLASSIC TITLES FROM SAM COOKE AND THE ANIMALS + VIDEOGAME SOUNDTRACK FOR SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

Saturday, April 19th, marks Record Store Day, 2014, celebrating the culture of the independently owned record store, and ABKCO is once again participating with a slate of three unique releases on vinyl - one that has never been released in the U.S. and another that has never been released in any physical format.
SAM COOKE - AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS (LP) - This year marks the 50th anniversary of soul music pioneer Sam Cooke’s landmark full-length Ain’t That Good News, notable for being the last studio album released during his lifetime.  Originally released by RCA in March 1964, just nine months before Cooke’s untimely passing, the album features hit songs such as “Another Saturday Night,” “Ain’t That Good News,” “Good Times,” as well as the iconic “A Change Is Gonna Come,” which became an anthem for the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. ABKCO has never reissued it on vinyl until now.  
THE ANIMALS - THE ANIMALS (EP) - Also turning 50 this year is The Animals’ self-titled extended-play record, originally only released overseas.  This was the group’s second EP, and it is being reissued as a 45 rpm 10 inch (the original was a 45 rpm 7 inch) for optimal audio fidelity.  The Animals is part of a series of EP reissues for ABKCO, which earlier released 10 inch vinyl editions of The Animals Is Here and The Animals Are Back for last year’s Record Store Day.  The Animals features their hit song “Boom Boom” and “Dimples” from the John Lee Hooker canon, a rocking rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Around And Around” and the band’s take on Fats Domino’s “I’ve Been Around.” 
The Animals' own Eric Burdon, has confirmed that he’ll do an in store appearance at Sweat Records, 5505 NE 2nd Ave. in Miami at 11 AM on the 19th in recognition of Record Store Day. Burdon’s most recent ABKCO album release is the critically acclaimed “Til Your River Runs Dry.  He will be signing copies of that album as well as ABKCO’s special RSD issue of THE ANIMALS (EP).  
ANAMANAGUCHI - SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD: THE GAME (ORIGINAL VIDEOGAME SOUNDTRACK) (LP) The 2010 Edgar Wright-directed film starring Michael Cera has amassed a huge following in the years since its release.  The vinyl version of the film soundtrack (also on ABKCO) quickly became a highly sought after collectible and was recently re-pressed.  The soundtrack to the videogame however, has never been available in any format outside of digital, until now.  New York-based chiptune band Anamanaguchi provides the music, offering a fresh take on 1980s arcade game sound effects, with guitar/bass/drums instrumentation.  The 12” record will be on yellow vinyl, to compliment its red vinyl film soundtrack counterpart. 
ABOUT ABKCO -  ABKCO Music & Records, founded over 50 years ago by Allen Klein, is one of the world’s leading independent entertainment companies.  It is home to iconic catalog assets that include compositions and recordings by Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Bobby Womack, Eric Burdon, The Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, The Kinks as well as the Cameo Parkway masters by such artists as Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, Clint Eastwood, The Orlons, The Dovells, ? & The Mysterians, Charlie Gracie, The Tymes and Dee Dee Sharp. Soundtrack releases include Edgar Wright’s The World’s End and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Wes Anderson’s upcoming The Grand Budapest Hotel, 2013 Academy Award®-nominated Moonrise Kingdom, the 2010 Academy Award®-nominated Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Darjeeling Limited,  Independent Spirit Award® Winner Safety Not Guaranteed, Our Idiot Brother,  the international blockbuster Fast Five, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, The Men Who Stare At Goats, Boardwalk Empire Volume 2: Music from the HBO® Original Series and the soundtrack to the first season of the hit Showtime® series, Californication.  ABKCO is active on many fronts including the release of critically lauded compilations and reissues from its catalog, film and commercial placement of its master recordings and music publishing properties in all media.   ABKCO Films most recent release is the 2014 GRAMMY Award®-winning The Rolling Stones Charlie is my Darling – Ireland 1965.   Renowned cult director Alejandro Jodorowsky’s classics El Topo and The Holy Mountain, fully restored and remastered to HD, were shown at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival (Classics section) and at the prestigious 44th New York Film Festival. In 2003 ABKCO won a GRAMMY® for the DVD release of Sam Cooke – Legend and the following year released the DVD of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus to universal acclaim. Upcoming releases include a restoration of the Spaghetti Western Blindman starring Ringo Starr.  ABKCO Films is in pre-production on a biopic on the life of Sam Cooke.

And Jimi Hendrix fans should be watching for this one, too ...

In observance of Record Store Day, April 19, 2014, Experience Hendrix LLC and Sony Music’s Legacy Recordings are releasing The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live At Monterey on 200-gram audiophile-grade vinyl.
Live At Monterey will be available only at participating stores, specially priced at $19.98. The recording was mastered using an all-analogue technique by renowned audio engineer Bernie Grundman and pressed by Quality Record Pressings (QRP), the plant responsible for last year’s People, Hell & Angels, among many other titles in the Hendrix canon. Each copy is individually numbered, and includes an essay written in 2007 by Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell. He passed away the next year after completing the 2008 edition of the Experience Hendrix all-star tribute tour. 
Live At Monterey captures The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s mythic U.S. debut performance on June 18, 1967 at the Monterey Pop Festival. A captivated California audience witnessed the original band line up of Hendrix, Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding blaze through soon-to-be-classic originals such as “Foxey Lady,” “The Wind Cries Mary,” and “Purple Haze,” as well as transformative versions of Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone,” and The Troggs’ “Wild Thing” before Hendrix set his guitar ablaze. This show is credited as having launched The Jimi Hendrix Experience into superstardom; they would go on to become the highest grossing touring act in the U.S. soon thereafter. 
Also set for release from Experience Hendrix and Legacy on May 20th is an all-analog stereo edition of Are You Experienced, the band’s 1967 debut full-length studio album.  The album, also priced at $19.98, contains such eternal classics as “Hey Joe,” “Purple Haze,” “The Wind Cries Mary,” “Fire,” and the title song, whose backward drum tracks and otherworldly guitar work still sound innovative almost a half-century later. 
This year marks the seventh annual Record Store Day, the purpose of which is to celebrate the culture of the independently owned record stores.  Experience Hendrix has long been an RSD supporter and has a lengthy history of Record Store Day-specific releases. 

Kent ...
Johnny Cash died in 2003. He's got an album of new material coming out next week.
Roy Orbison died in 1988. He's got new tracks to be added to his last album, coming out in May.  I'm waiting for Elvis to come out with some more new material.
Frank B.
I was talking to Elvis the other day at the Burger King and he says he's been working on all kinds of things.  (Actually, rarely a year goes by when RCA doesn't release at least a couple of things by The King ... revamped, remixed or alternate takes of things ... there's no telling how much stuff is left in the vaults ... nor does it seem to matter ... they just take some of these same takes and remix them with a more modernized sound and put them out in the hopes that the public will still buy them!)  kk

Kent ... 
How does this sound to you? 
I'll use KISS for my example. 
Original members get a plaque, stating that they're original members of the group. 
The other two members get plaque, stating that they're 20 year+ members. Non-original members must be 20 year+ members to qualify for induction into the Rock-n-Roll Hall Of Fame.
I think this would solve the problem.  
Frank B.   

Meanwhile, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame officially released as statement regarding this issue ... found this in Vintage Vinyl News ...  

Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have been very vocal in the last few weeks about the exclusion of all other members of KISS beyond themselves, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley from being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The KISS members have pointed out that, many times, members from throughout a band's history have been inducted and, in the case of the Grateful Dead, even a non-performing songwriter (Robert Hunter).
Today, in an article published by Billboard, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation CEO Joel Peresman responded to the criticism, saying that part of the determination is based on the artist's history. "This isn't chemistry or physics; it's not an exact science. Sometimes there's an entire body of work up until (the artists) are inducted, other times it's a specific period of time that established the band as who they are. With Kiss there wasn't one person here who didn't agree that the reason Kiss was nominated and is being inducted was because of what was established in the 70s with Ace, with Peter, with Paul and Gene. That's what put them on that map."
Peresman also stated that other members of the band, including current members Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, took on the comic persona started by Criss and Frehley (note that this is not specifically true as each new member created their own character). He also pointed out that last year, only the original Heart band was inducted and not the musicians who joined later.   

See, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame aren't interested in "solving the problem" (as you say.)  They want everything their way and on their terms and that's all there is to it.  As such, I think it's totally fitting that The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should abuse their self-appointed power and first insult literally HUNDREDS of GREAT Artists by ignoring their contributions and eligibility for decades ... and then, when they DO finally get in, insult them again by telling them who they can and cannot bring to the party.  Jeez ... no WONDER most of these artists don't even want to go to the ceremony anymore.  Simply put, it just doesn't MEAN anything to them ... instead of what The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame SHOULD have been, it's become a private little popularity party that rarely reflects music history accurately.  Truthfully, maybe it's time to just wrap things up all-together ... or turn the power over to the fans and run a LEGITIMATE induction process.  (kk) 

Meanwhile, it sounds like Paul Revere and the Raiders liked what I wrote the other day about this ... got this note from DeeJay Jimmy Jay after the following was posted, regarding current members of Kiss (with the band for 20+ years) being snubbed and "uninvited" by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:   

>>>I guess I kinda get it now ... some of these current members of bands have been with them longer than the originals and have earned their place as part of their history.    
Good case and point:  Paul Revere and the Raiders - who boast band members that have been with the legendary wild man for 35 - 40 years!  How many of you out there have worked at the same job that long?  Truth is, there are very few BUSINESSES that have lasted that long!!! 
Both Doug Heath and Ron Foos have been Raiders for over 40 years now ... and keyboardist Danny Krause just passed his 35 year anniversary! 
While our FH Buddies Tommy Scheckel and Darren Dowler are relative "newbies" in Raider-land, they've spent their entire career in show-biz ... Tommy was the drummer for The Buckinghams for 27 years ... and before that beat the skins for another legendary wild man, superstar radio jock Jonathan Brandmeier (and the Leisure Suits!)  Darren Dowler was a Vegas headliner for decades ... and did a stint with The Lettermen.  In addition, his credits include singing with The Righteous Brothers, The Fifth Dimension, The Jordanaires, The Beach Boys, and many, many others. And to top that off, he was also the original lead guitarist for The Backstreet Boys!  
Paul just turned 76 years old himself and, despite some health problems last year, is still up there rocking and putting on one of the best shows of ANY genre.  And he's been doing exactly that for over 50 years now!  (Here's some guys who belong in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ... 50+ years of nothing but "Feel Good" Music!!!)  We can't wait to see the guys again when they perform at The Arcada Theatre on April 13th.  Ticket information here:  Click here: oshows  (kk)

Just wanted you to know I emailed Ron Foos of Paul Revere and the Raiders what was written about them last week. He forwarded it to Paul and the rest of the guys and they were all very impressed ... said it may have been the best thing ever said about them. He was so impressed he reposted it on Facebook. Keep up the good work. I know I don't contribute much but I read all the postings and it is great how big this has become.  I remember the beginning days.
For those of you that don't know me, I am the host of the Original Rewind Show. Also known as the DJ of the Stars. 
I was inspired to do a show from your stories of over played songs a few weeks ago. I called the show play this instead of that. I added a lot of my own stuff to it.
Keep Rocking and I'll keep reading.
Jimmy Jay
Thanks, Jimmy, I appreciate it!  (And let the guys know I meant every word!)  If your "Play This Instead Of That" show is archived on the website, please let me know ... as I'm sure many of our readers would LOVE to give it a listen.  Meanwhile, take care of yourself (Jimmy's had some health issues of his own of late) ... and please stay in touch when you can.  (kk)  

I know you featured The Turtles' version of “You Showed  Me” on the site the other day, and referred to it as one of your favorites by them.  I'm wondering if you have ever heard the Original Byrds version from 1964? Released in 1969 on “Preflyte”.   
Ken
Actually, yes ... and we've featured it a couple of times before.  (I didn't think it dated back quite that far ... The Byrds' first Columbia release wasn't until 1965 ... but just checking the (n)ever-reliable Wikipedia, it looks like you are correct ...  Click here: You Showed Me - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Great song ... no matter WHO does it!  (kk)


Hi there, kk,  
As an old timer, I want to mention one other Fanny that was not brought up in your recent postings.
I wasn’t going to mention it, but I felt more warm and fuzzy after I saw the reference to Julius LaRosa and ‘Eh Compari”.  In our Chicago neighborhood, we heard a LaRosa novelty song called “Stashu Pandowski coming out of the local bar juke box just as often as “Eh Compari”.  In my grandmother's eyes, the LaRosa firing by Arthur Godfrey was major news in its day. Arthur was god to my grandmother and if he said LaRosa lacked humility and needed to go, that was all she needed to hear.
I know a few of us oldies lovers remember a 1954 recording of the song “Fanny” by the late Eddie Fisher. Eddie’s recording was from the motion picture “Fanny” starring Leslie Caron. The song made both Cash Box and Billboard charts in the Fall of 54. 

It seems like Liz, Eddie and Debbie invented the tabloids. There was not a magazine that did not have the trio and their mugs on the cover of their magazines in the early 1960’s.
Carrie Fisher’s take on the whole incident was that her dad Eddie was responsible for consoling the grieving widow Liz Taylor with his penis after her husband Mike Todd (Eddie’s best friend) was killed in a plane crash.
Let give Eddie the credit he is due. Fisher had 17 songs in the top 10 between 1950-56 and also had 35 songs in the top 40 during that period. I would have to say “Fanny” falls into the category of a Fisher Forgotten Hit. Eddie’s career was ruined by sex, drugs and rock n roll.  I think he was a great singer but was before his time. If only he would have blossomed a little later in life.  
Today we applaud the number of sex partners that Rod Stewart had and are in awe of the amount of drugs Keith Richard has consumed in his lifetime.  And let’s not forget that the Brad, Jenn and Angelina love triangle didn’t hurt any of their careers, did it ?
In later life Eddie Fisher admitted to not being a good or faithful husband and he also admits to being a terrible father and abuser of drugs. Today we are able to regard singers and entertainers, for the most part, for what their talents bring to the table and not their personnel lives. Let’s give Eddie Fisher his talent dues and may he rest in peace.
Jerry Kamper
No question about how popular Eddie Fisher was at the time.  While before my era, I remember growing up hearing his name often, as virtually EVERYBODY thought my dad looked "just like Eddie Fisher" ... and let's face it, back then there were certainly WORSE problems you could have!
One of MY favorite Eddie Fisher tunes is "Count Your Blessings" from "White Christmas", a GREAT song by just about anybody.  Fisher topped Billboard's Pop Chart three times ... with "I'm Walking Behind You" in 1953, "Oh My Pa-Pa", 1954 and "I Need You Now", also in 1954.  I'm coming up with TWENTY Top Ten Hits between 1950 and 1956 ... but don't see "Fanny" charting at all.  (kk)

One final note on Julius LaRosa's "Eh Cumpari" ... Chicago (the band) actually paid tribute to it in their hit "Saturday in the Park". "A man selling ice cream, singing Italian songs. Eh Cumpari, ci vo sunare." "Can you dig it?" "Yes I can." The translation is roughly, "Hey friend, shall we play (an instrument)?" When we were kids, we thought the lyrics were, "Eh Cumpari, She was so naughty!"
- John LaPuzza
(Hmmm ... I wonder if she hung out at Cherry Hill Park?!?!?)  kk  


Thank God I quit listening to commercial radio over 30 years ago, except for specialty oldie programs. Ironic, that Bad current records then, are Bad Oldies Now!   
Saw the WLS “Walk Away Renee” snub which was weird, also take a look at how well “Goin’ Out Of My Head” by Little Anthony did! Another Top 10 hit mystery.    
Ken    
Let's see ... "Goin' Out Of My Head" didn't chart at all on WLS ... and petered out at #34 on the Top Tunes of Greater Chicagoland chart ... and it took it six weeks to climb that high!  Nationally, Little Anthony peaked at #4 (in Record World) with his classic '60's hit.  (kk)



Hi Kent,
I've been listening to airchecks from 1964 as part of my celebration of the Beatles hitting the states. It's my own way of adding to the great things you're doing on the site to celebrate The Beatles coming to America.
Today it's a WABC Dan Ingram aircheck from June 12 courtesy of Reel Radio.com.
They even had a promo to the tune of All My Lovin. Great fun stuff. I did get to hear a song that I always changed the channel on--Diane by The Bachelors. If I could have I'd have skipped it. I'm glad there was room for that type of stuff on the dial, but Yuck.
Bill
It's great to hear this stuff as it happened ... without the benefit of 40/40 (or, I guess in THIS case, 50/50) hindsight.  What an exciting time in music.  I remember Bob Eubanks saying that The Beatles redefined radio at that time ... whereas disc jockeys have pretty much always taken requests from their listeners, The Beatles made that nearly impossible ... because EVERY SINGLE CALL that came in to the station asked for another Beatles song.  Incredibly, unlike The Bee Gees during The Disco Era, the fans didn't burn out with all this over-exposure ... we soaked up every bit of it ... because it was something totally new that hadn't been seen before or since.  (And let's face it, America had a bit of catching up to do ... one of the reasons The Beatles hit The Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart 33 times in 1964 is because we were still first experiencing everything they had released in Great Britain during 1962 and 1963 ... plus some of their German recordings made in 1961 ... as well as all of their new releases.  (kk)



R.I.P. Percussionist Joe Lala 
His heyday as one of the best percussionists alive lasted twenty years and encompassed dozens of the biggest names in popular music. 
Joe Lala, king of the congas, played with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, the Bee Gees, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. He played with John Lennon and Ringo Starr, Diana Ross and Barbra Streisand, Etta James, the Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, Whitney Houston and Herbie Hancock The list goes on.
Lala tasted success early as a founding member of Blues Image, a band that included two fellow Jefferson High School students and produced the 1970 hit Ride Captain Ride. He never looked back.
He accumulated 32 gold records and 28 platinum records in his career, and they lined the walls of his west Tampa condominium. Later, he switched to acting, appearing in movies such as Eyewitness to Murder and television shows including Miami Vice, Seinfeld and General Hospital.
But Mr. Lala never really put aside his drums, not really, despite the carpal tunnel syndrome that kept him from performing full time. Even after returning to Tampa ten years ago, he continued to record with Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, the acoustic band Firefall, Dan Fogelberg, Dolly Parton, Rod Stewart and many others.
He cared for his mother, who had dementia, lunched with old friends on Armenia Avenue and coached young actors at the Italian Club in his native Ybor City.
Lala, whose mastery of the popping, slapping rhythms of the congas and other percussion instruments made him a coveted commodity for musical stars across several genres, died Tuesday at St. Joseph's Hospital due to complications from lung cancer. He was 66.
"I didn't know anybody who really played the congas until I met Joe," said Rodney Justo, a founding member of the Atlanta Rhythm Section. "He had an authenticity, is what he had."
Justo met Lala 60 years ago at the Ybor City Boys Club. The son of a Sicilian father who had worked for mobster Santo Trafficante Sr., Mr. Lala ran numbers as a boy.
"I didn't know what it was then," he told the Times in 2006. " 'Here's a bag. Take it there.' You don't ask questions."
He spoke fluent Spanish and Italian and developed a taste for cooking that he would refine over the years. He continued to buy his chicken and pork sausage ingredients from Cacciatore and Sons on N Armenia, even when he was living in California.
As a teenager, Mr. Lala found the competition for drumming gigs formidable. "Tampa had a crazy list of really good drummers," said Justo, 69. "He couldn't crack that upper regime."
He switched primarily to the congas, and suddenly the game changed.
Despite the success of Ride Captain Ride, Blues Image broke up in 1970. That left Lala free to join Stephen Stills' group Manassas. Lala joined Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in time for an outdoor stadium tour in 1974. He went on to play for the Eagles, the Bee Gees and Jackson Browne, names that helped define '70s rock.
"He said, 'There's no feeling like it in the world, no duplication, being on stage when you get that kind of response from all those people,'" said Tony Garcia, 58, a longtime friend from Ybor City.
The carpal tunnel intensified in 1988, and Mr. Lala turned to acting. In 1994 he met Ginny McSwain, a customer in a Los Angeles hair salon that Lala had entered in order to sell some of his famous Ybor City sausages.
They married in 1996. In the meantime, McSwain, a well-known voice actor and casting director, introduced Lala to yet another career in voiceovers and commercials.
He got steady work and was content at first to leave the drums behind. McSwain bought him another set.
"Frankly, it's when I saw Joe the most confident," she said. "There was a glow, something that no one could touch when he played."
They divorced in 2004, the same year Lala returned to Tampa. The two had since reconnected and were taking trips together last year, including a trip to an October tribute to Lala in Nashville. Though diagnosed with late-stage cancer, Lala showed up to accept the honor of his peers. Surrounded by other drummers, he took to the congas and played for all he was worth.
Courtesy www.tampabay.com  Story by Andrew Meacham can be reached at ameacham@tampabay.com or (727) 892-2248.
Biography:
Joseph Anthony "Joe" Lala
Born:  November 3, 1947
Died:  March 18, 2014
Survivors:  Brother, Michael Lala 
-- submitted by Ken Voss

Legacy Recordings Announces CD / DVD Release of Mystery Girl - Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition of Roy Orbison's Final Album Masterpiece, out May 20, 2014  
Package Debuts Unreleased Studio & Work-tape Demos  
Deluxe Edition DVD Premieres Mystery Girl: Unraveled, New One-Hour Documentary  Directed by Alex Orbison  
Mystery Girl – Expanded CD Also Set For Release  
2 LP, 19-track Mystery Girl – Deluxe Vinyl Set Out June 10  
New York, NY – March 20, 2014-Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, in conjunction with Roy's Boys LLC, the Nashville-based company formed by the sons of the late Roy Orbison, commemorate the 25th anniversary of the artist's Mystery Girl with the release of both a CD/DVD Deluxe edition coming Tuesday, May 20, 2014 as well as a 15-track (audio only) Mystery Girl Expanded edition CD.  
Mystery Girl - Deluxe brings together the album's original 10 songs, including the worldwide smash single "You Got It," in addition to premiering nine previously unreleased studio and work-tape demos. Among those is "The Way Is Love," featuring a newly restored Roy Orbison vocal track layered with contemporary guitar, drum and vocal accompaniment by Roy's three sons (Roy Jr., Alex and Wesley). The package includes "Mystery Girl: Unraveled," a new one-hour documentary chronicling the song-by-song creation of Mystery Girl through rare and intimate archival footage and the memories of those who were there.  In addition to the “Mystery Girl: Unraveled” documentary, the DVD includes eight Roy Orbison music videos, four of which are previously unreleased including a piece documenting the renewal and rebirth of “The Way Is Love.”  
Mystery Girl – Expanded is an audio-only version of the original Mystery Girl album with five tracks added to the line-up including “The Way Is Love.”  
Mystery Girl – Deluxe LP will also be available as a collectible 2 LP set, struck on 180 gram 12" vinyl for audiophiles, vinyl aficionados and Orbison fans, in general. The set includes the original album’s track listing on one LP and the 9 bonus tracks offered on the Mystery Girl – Deluxe CD on the second LP.  The vinyl set will be released on June 10 in time for Father’s Day. 
Those who purchase the Mystery Girl – Deluxe set through the online store at RoyOrbison.com will also be sent an exclusive, limited edition 18-month calendar (July 2014 – December 2015) featuring art derived from the Mystery Girl – Deluxe package. 
Executive produced by "Roy's Boys" (Wesley Orbison, Roy Orbison, Jr. and Alex Orbison) and directed by Alex Orbison, "Mystery Girl: Unraveled" features new interviews with Billy Burnette, John Carter Cash, Mike Campbell, Steve Cropper, Richard Dodd, Jim Keltner, Jeff Lynne, David Malloy, Tom Petty and Roy's three sons. The film also incorporates never-before-seen interviews with Bono, Barbara Orbison, Jeff Ayeroff and others, all sharing insights into Roy's life and work. 
Archival footage includes revelatory sequences lensed, literally, in Mike Campbell's garage (aka "Mike's Garage," where much of the album was recorded) in addition to breathtaking studio sequences and live footage shot around the time of the album's recording. 
"Mystery Girl: Unraveled" concludes with new documentary footage illuminating the creation of "The Way Is Love," one of the previously unreleased tracks on Mystery Girl - Deluxe. Roy's vocals were found on a previously unheard Roy Orbison/Bill Dees work-tape, originally recorded on a boombox cassette player, and meticulously stripped out for this extraordinary new recording. Produced by John Carter Cash and engineered by Chuck Turner, the "The Way Is Love" vocal was taken to Johnny Cash's Cabin studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee in 2013, using the newly discovered Roy Orbison vocal as its core. Realizing a life-long dream to record with their father, Wesley and Roy Jr played guitars on the song with Alex handling the drums and all three sons bringing background vocals to the mix. "Cutting a track with my brothers was more incredible than I can describe," said Alex. "I have been looking forward to this for my entire life." Roy Jr. noted that "More or less the reason Alex and Wesley and I are musicians was to play in Dad's band when we got older" and Wesley summed it up nicely, "I think we really got something special."  
Everyone involved with Mystery Girl sensed the magic in Roy Orbison, who, in 1988, was enjoying a full creative renaissance and resurgence of popularity. One of Roy's classic recordings, "In Dreams," memorably lip-synched into a hurricane lamp by Dean Stockwell, had served as a key thematic element in David Lynch's "Blue Velvet," igniting a renewed interest in the Big O.  
In a series of bold aesthetic moves, Orbison directly addressed his legacy, first with Class of '55 (a 1986 reunion album with fellow Sun Records alumni Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins) and then, In Dreams: The Greatest Hits, where Orbison recut many of his biggest songs, using 1980s technology to produce results often surpassing his original recordings. 
At this same time, Roy Orbison became a founding member of the Traveling Wilburys, the roots rock supergroup also featuring Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty. It was during work with the Wilburys that the vision for Mystery Girl, a new Roy Orbison album made of original songs from a variety of writers--including Roy Orbison, Diane Warren, Elvis Costello, Wesley Orbison and U2's Bono and the Edge (among others)--began taking shape. 
"When he sang it, it was absolutely magnificent," said Jeff Lynne, who would produce tracks for Mystery Girl. "His voice, I had never heard a voice like that live, you know, in the studio, ever.... He had this wonderful spirit, almost like a kid in many ways. 
He was just a happy guy. I love him.... One of the proudest things I've ever done is to have become his friend. I'd look at him and just go, 'Wow, it's him. The Big O.'"  
Roy's core group of musicians on the original Mystery Girl recordings included Jeff Lynne (guitar, piano, bass, backing vocals), Tom Petty (acoustic guitar, backing vocals), Mike Campbell (guitar, bass, mandolin), Jim Keltner (drums), Howie Epstein (bass, backing vocals), and Benmont Tench (piano, organ, cheap strings). Contributing artists on the album include Barbara Orbison, Roy Orbison, Jr., Al Kooper, George Harrison, Bono, T Bone Burnett, Steve Cropper, The Memphis Horns, and more. 
"I was just taken by how amazing this guy was.  Just sitting, singing softly, sitting on the sofa with an acoustic guitar, his voice was unbelievable." remembers Tom Petty. "The music will live on, you know; it's very timeless music." 
Mike Campbell added, "Any time I hear one of Roy's songs, wherever I am, I just stop and listen to it and he's there, you know. His artistry and his voice and his spirit and the depth of his soul is so unique and it just connects with you in such a deep way....  He just had a way of getting into your heart." 
"He was a real innovator, truly a great singer," said Bono. "The real rebels to me always had manners. Elvis, you know, and Roy, Roy was a true gentleman. And that's a scary thing in a man, do you know what I mean? A man that's so sure in himself that he can be polite." 
The legendary guitarist Steve Cropper confided that, "I've only met basically three, maybe three-and-a-half, of what I call 'light bulbs' in my life. And what I mean by 'light bulbs' is they're the brightest one in the room and when they walk in the door every head turns. Every head. Not just a few, not some people still talking in the corner. It's like everyone stops what they are doing. Elvis Presley, Otis Redding and Roy Orbison. And I saw that happen to Bill Clinton. So, there you go and I've never seen that happen to anybody else, ever." The Mystery Girl - Deluxe CD/DVD Edition may be pre-ordered at Amazon http://ow.ly/uLQrJ 
Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl Deluxe  
CD + LP track listing
You Got It
(Jeff Lynne/Roy Orbison/Tom Petty)
In The Real World
(W. Jennings/R. Kerr)
(All I Can Do Is) Dream You
(B. Burnett/D. Malloy)
A Love So Beautiful
(J. Lynne/R. Orbison)
California Blue
(R. Orbison/J. Lynne/T. Petty)
She's A Mystery To Me
(David Evans/Paul Hewson)
The Comedians
(Elvis Costello)
The Only One
(Wesley Orbison/Craig Wiseman)
Windsurfer
(R. Orbison/B. Dees)
Careless Heart
(Roy Orbison/Diane Warren/Albert Hammond)

Bonus songs
The Way Is Love (unreleased with new instruments and vocals)
She's A Mystery To Me (Studio demo with Bono)
(All I Can Do Is) Dream You (Studio Demo)
The Only One (Studio Demo)
The Comedians (Studio Demo)
In The Real World (Studio Demo)
California Blue (Studio Demo)
Windsurfer (Work-tape Demo)
You Are My Love (Work-tape Demo)

Mystery Girl - Deluxe bonus DVD content
"Mystery Girl:  Unraveled"

Plus Eight Bonus Videos:
'New' videos
The Way Is Love
California Blue (new alternative version set to the studio demo bonus audio track)
You Got It (2014 version)
She's a Mystery To Me (alternate Fincher version, unreleased)

'Old' official videos:
You Got It
California Blue
She's a Mystery To Me
A Love So Beautiful 

Mystery Girl – Expanded
CD Track listing
You Got It
In The Real World
(All I Can Do Is) Dream You
A Love So Beautiful
California Blue
She's A Mystery To Me
The Comedians
The Only One
Windsurfer
Careless Heart
Bonus songs:
The Way Is Love
She's A Mystery To Me
The Only One
California Blue
You Are My Love
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