Sunday, July 20, 2014

The Sunday Comments ( 07 - 20 - 14 )

re:  On The Radio:  
Chicagoland Radio And Media has added a WCFL Tribute Station to their line-up this week.  It's described as:  
Another fresh addition to the CRM website is yet another new station for the CRM Radio Network. This one is a salute to the great Chicago radio station WCFL, aka "Super CFL." This tribute station was created and is programmed by Richard French. It features music from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s, the heyday of WCFL-AM as a powerhouse Chicago Top 40/rock & roll music station. Additionally, the classic WCFL jingles can be heard between many of the songs. To hear this blast-from-the-past Internet radio station, visit the CRM Radio Network section of the website or just click on the link below.




I listened for two straight days ... honestly, I don't see ANYTHING at all that this has to do with WCFL (other than the occasional jingle).  It's not at all represented in the "style" of the station ... nor does it really accurately present the play list of the station in song selection.  (Although I will admit to hearing some very surprising oldies on the air ... many of which you simply NEVER hear anymore.)  But the repeats finally drove me to turn it off.  Hearing "Concrete And Clay" the first time was a real joy ... hearing it a second time a few hours later made me cringe a little bit, hopeful that they MUST have a bigger selection to offer than this ... after it started to play for the FOURTH time in twelve hours, I finally switched it off.  

 To respond to the article about listeners not wanting to know the year when a song came out, I don't mind knowing how long ago it was.   It makes me think about where I was on the timeline of my life and what I was doing, who my friends were and what my hopes, dreams and aspirations were.  Sure, I've had some rough times but it doesn't bother me knowing the year of the song.  I try not to think of any negativity.  (I can sometimes guess the year which is a fun game I like to play with myself or whoever I am with at the time.) 
I appreciate your great commentary about the state of affairs in the rock 'n roll business.  There is always strength in numbers and I think there will be a time when we "baby boomers" will be saying "Hear us roar"-  Bring back our music!  The readers had some interesting things to say as well.  I do like songs from 400 years ago ... one that's still around is a madrigal called, "Deck the Halls" (I am sure you have heard of it.)  The way I look at it a good song is a good song ... it really doesn't matter what genre it is.
Sandy 

And for those of you who DO want to go back and listen to music of the 1930's ... here's a cool new site we found ... music from 1930 through today!

 Kent,
Here's the latest regarding a very special upcoming edition of my radio show: 
Joel Whitburn's Record Research recently published a new chart book devoted to the Cash Box Looking Ahead charts (its equivalent to Billboard's Bubbling Under charts). Now you can hear many of the songs listed only in that book. Tune in to Top Shelf Oldies (www.topshelfoldies.org) at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 23, for a special edition of Randy on the Radio. This four-hour special will feature records that never charted on the Billboard Hot 100 or Bubbling Under charts, but peaked in Cash Box on the Looking Ahead chart. The show will include songs from Oct. 1959 (when the Looking Ahead chart debuted) through the end of 1969, presented chronologically. The show will also be available after that date in the Randy on the Radio Archives: http://ramtownlive.com/randyontheradio.html.
– Randy Price
Now THIS should be a good one!  Mark your calendars for Wednesday Night!  (There are over 3500 titles listed in Joel's "Looking Ahead" Cash Box book that never made The Billboard Charts.  (kk)
The book is available here ...

 So my wife and I are eating breakfast at the Steak n Shake in Erie, PA when on their music system comes I Could Never Lie To You by the New Colony Six. I must say, they have a great music system here, its better than the food, unfortunately.
Tom Diehl


 Doesn't it strike you as odd that some of the best places to hear this music these days is in restaurants (like Steak And Shake, Portillo's, Applebees, Long John Silver, pizza parlors), theme parks (Six Flag, Great America), grocery stores (we hear this all the time from readers coast to coast), and elevators in office buildings ... when the medium that SHOULD be bringing you all these hits and variety is radio ... and yet they choose to ignore these tracks all together?  (Think about this for a second ... if the logic of these high-priced, know-it-all consultants states that the "general public can't digest more than the same 200-300 songs per day" wouldn't a restaurant be one of the most DANGEROUS places to offer this type of variety?!?!)  Proof yet again that radio isn't paying attention and simply doesn't care.  Best solution ... play CD's in the car on your way to the restaurant of your choice that offers the music you most want to hear!  (Man, what a shame ... and what a wasteful abuse of resources!)  By the way, I also heard The New Colony Six featured on the WCFL station mentioned above ... on Saturday Afternoon they played "Love You So Much".  (kk)

 re:  The History Of Rock And Roll:
>>>I have been having a lot of fun listening to Bill Drake's excellent series "The History of Rock and Roll", both the 1978 and 1981 versions.  The '78 I have been listening to is on one web site, but the other with the '81 has been taken down.  There have been a few sites on the web that have been streaming Bill Drake's legendary masterpiece, "The History of Rock and Roll" .  
Sadly those who have been at the second site have found that the latter has been taken down as of 6/17.  This is because the domain license has expired.
The first site is streaming the 1978 version of THORR.  The second, the one that was taken down, streamed the '81 edition.  I hope someone out there can find a site that I missed that is streaming the '81 version so I can hear it for comparison, or at least lead me to someone that has this version.
It is the granddaddy of all radio documentaries.  I hope this spirit never dies.
I have been using software to record material from both versions for my iPod.  But now I can't find the '81.  Do you know somewhere or someplace I can find anything to hear or even obtain the ' 81? Thanks.
Joe Campas
Thanks to Joe Campas for both his kind comments on the 1978 edition of "The History of Rock 'n' Roll" and his identification of two websites which have been streaming versions of the special as of late.   Over the years numerous websites carrying parts or all of the 52 hour program have appeared out of nowhere and then disappeared just as quickly.  All of them, of course, are or were steaming the production illegally because none have ever been legally authorized by the program's succession of rights holders, the identify of which has changed several times since 1978 as the assets of Drake-Chenault Enterprises have been resold to different entities. 
The 1978 Billboard award-winning edition (which I researched and wrote, co-producing it with Bill Drake and Mark Ford) and the unsuccessful 1981 remake (which is about 75% an edited-down reissue of the 1978 production with new material I did not authorize added) are both currently owned by Westwood One.   Over time that firm has acquired the assets of several other companies which either went bankrupt or got absorbed into their operation.   And while Westwood One does own both of those particular versions of the HRR, they're not promoted at all and only licensed out if some entity special orders them.   Not long ago, for example, KYNO in Fresno -- the station where Bill Drake and Gene Chenault originally met -- licensed and reran the HRR in part becuse of the station's key role in bringing Bill and Gene together.
Over the years there have been a number of radio and TV productions, books, LPs, CDs and other assorted offerings employing the phrase "History of Rock 'n' Roll" -- none of which had any  connection at all to Drake-Chenault's 1978 or 1981 productions.   This was because -- over my strong objections -- Drake-Chenault never bothered to trademark the term "History of Rock 'n' Roll"!  Realizing its intrinsic value,  I finally I did it myself -- which is why today Gary Theroux Productions owns the trademark phrase "History of Rock 'n' Roll."     I also still own -- and have massively added to -- the extensive research archives I drew material from in scripting the 1978 HRR.    I still draw from that archive of photos, clippings, bios, reviews, audio interviews and more today -- in writing and producing the daily 2 1/2 minute shortform feature version of "The History of Rock 'n' Roll" which runs three times a day Mondays through Fridays online at rewoundradio.com and supernovaradio.co.   And, as you probably know, the shortform HRR feature just won the trophy as "the world's best online radio program" at the 2014 New York Festivals International Radio Programming Awards.   I'm sure my good friend Bill Drake is smiling down from Rock 'n' Roll Heaven about that!
I get asked sometimes if there will ever be an updated 52-hour plus new version of "The History of Rock 'n' Roll."    While I'd love to put one together, I seriously doubt it -- unless it was produced for public radio.   A new "History of Rock 'n' Roll" would have to incorporate music spanning from the '40s (Wynonie Harris' "Good Rockin' Tonight," etc.) on through to the present day -- in other words, some SEVENTY YEARS of rock evolution -- and no commercial radio station in this age of ultra-narrowcasting airs music from anything close to that wide a time frame.   Far too many don't even acknowledge that there ever was a 20th century!
If you're going to be around Danbury, CT on Saturday, July 26, come on out to Ives Concert Park (43 Lake Avenue Ext.) for the Beatles-themed music festival "Danbury Fields Forever," celebrating the 50th anniverdsary of the Beatles' arrival in the U.S.   Over Saturday and Sunday some 20 bands and solo acts witll be playing Beatles music amid the many dealers, vendors, special guests, a food court and, oddly enough, me -- hosting that opening day.   Ken Michaels, the host of "Every Little Thing," takes over as emcee on Sunday.  A good time is guaranteed for all!
Gary Theroux
Bill Drake, Mark Ford and Gary Theroux in Gary's office during the production of the Billboard award-winning 52 hour "History of Rock 'n' Roll" in 1978. 
Note the reel-to-reel tape deck, turntable, electric typewriter and shelves of interview tapes. This was long before the introduction of CDs, PCs, the internet or digital recording. All the music in the HRR was taken from LPs or 45s transferred to quarter-inch recording tape -- the state of the art at the time. 
Of course, not everything at Drake-Chenault was exactly "state of the art." 
A lot of what was in chief engineer Mark Ford's production studio he had to jerry rig from parts he picked up at Radio Shack!   While the face in the framed photo on the wall is obscured by the flash, it's of -- of all people -- Engelbert Humperdinck!   
Gary's secretary put that up as a joke and he decided to leave it there.

And then, literally moments later, we heard from Joe again ...
Hey Kent!
I am happy to report my search to find the '78 and '81 versions of the History Of Rock and Roll on the air is over! KYNO Fresno is airing the '81 version Saturdays at noon Pacific time, and their website is kynofresno.com.  RadioMax music is airing the '78 version at radiomaxmusic2.wordpress.com three hours earlier at 9 AM Pacific time.  Each channel is only an hour each week, but still worth listening!
Joe



re:  Man, What A GREAT Idea!!! (I Wonder How They Came Up With This?!?!?):
Every day I get Google Alerts that tell me where and when Forgotten Hits is mentioned in other columns of on radio stations, etc., to kind of help me keep tabs on how our material is being circulated and used in the media.  As a result of this, I've seen columns translated into dozens of different languages and run in other countries (all without my permission or knowledge by the way ... but still kinda flattering in a way) as well as jocks who are using our suggestions for both music selections and topics of discussion on their programs or their own blogs.
But THIS one kinda surprised me ... 'cause while the material didn't come from me, I cannot help but wonder where the inspiration came from!!! (kk)
The whole idea behind our "50 Years Ago This Weekend" feature (running every week in 2014) was to recap The British Invasion as it happened, circa 1964, on both a national and local level ... show how these artists took over and dominated the charts.  We also launched "The Saturday Surveys" this year, showing you charts from around the country every weekend.  Interestingly enough, I had planned to only run these features for 2014 ... but instead I have since decided to COMBINE the two features for 2015 ... it'll still be a "50 Years Ago This Weekend" type of theme ... and we'll still track the hits on both a local and national level ... but we'll also feature a couple of "spot charts" from around the country for that same week in 1965 ... as well as maybe some "music news" features from back in the day ... maybe even some air checks, etc, etc, etc.  So ... with nearly six months notice, we're inviting ALL of you to help us launch this new feature by sending us whatever you've got that you think may be worth sharing.  2015 will be all about 1965 in Forgotten Hits in this brand new weekend feature.  (And for all those Forgotten Hits wannabes out there, we ALL know that these ideas originated RIGHT HERE!!!)  kk

 And, speaking of The Saturday Surveys ...
Kent,
This is FYI. Here in OKC in July of 1968, Flavor's SALLY HAD A PARTY peaked at lucky #7. Big record here in OKC. And you have to really believe me on this and that is, would you believe just a couple of nights ago, I got it out and played it here at home?
Larry

 When you started your website with the heading I Guess We've Had A Pretty Good Run the other day you scared the __ _ _ _ out of me. What!!! No forgotten hits would have killed us!
Mike



re:  Johnny Winter:
While he never really made much of a mark on the pop charts, it was virtually impossible to escape at least some passing knowledge of Johnny Winter, the white-haired albino singer / guitarist who entertained fans for decades.  (Our readers are probably more familiar with his brother Edgar, who scored big hits with tracks like "Frankenstein" (#1, 1973) and "Free Ride" (#9, 1974).
Winter passed away on Wednesday in a hotel room in Switzerland.  (Ironically, Al Kooper and I had recently talked about this ... about how he DIDN'T want to die in a hotel room in some foreign country while out on tour.  Unfortunately, we've had a few of these lately!)   

Here's what Al had to say about the passing of Johnny Winter:
We lost Johnny Winter a couple of days ago.  It seems there is a tribute every week now and I am starting to feel privileged to still be alive as I work hard to finish my life's work.
@l k%per
You can hear Al's tribute track to Johnny on his "New Music For Old People" website, a weekly column introducing old fogies like us to some hip, new sounds that fit right in with the music we've always enjoyed.  You can access the column (and hear this track) here:
11. RIP Johnny Winter, 1944 - 2014: "It's My Own Fault Baby" — Johnny Winter (9:50)
This is a recording from the first night I met Johnny Winter and heard him play. Mike Bloomfield and I were playing the Fillmore East in 1969 and Mike showed up with Johnny in tow and asked me if it was okay if he sat in. I knew of his reputation — a Texas Terror of the Blues — but never actually heard him play. But I certainly trusted Bloomfield’s taste and a slow blues didn’t really need to be rehearsed to get the point across. So Michael introduces Johnny halfway through our show, and the audience obviously has NEVER heard of him and when this long-haired albino walks out, the applause is slight. But after the first four and a half minutes of his playing and singing, Johnny hands it over to Bloomfield, receiving a much more respectful response. Bloomfield plays right back at him for three more minutes, and then Johnny takes the last three minutes home like he was playing for his life. It was pretty incredible. The audience went nuts, as you can hear.  
The top brass from Columbia Records were in the front row to hear Mike and me play live and fortunately we were recording the show. Within the next two weeks, they signed Johnny to a big contract and the rest is history. This is the actual start of that history. I am proud to have been a part of it and I am really sad to see him go. He played right to the very end and died on the road like the true bluesman he always was.
Famed blues guitarist Johnny Winter, brother of Edgar Winter, died Wednesday (July 16) in a hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland, while he was on tour. The Texas native was 70. He toured and produced Muddy Waters and teamed up with Edgar for a live album in 1976. He had two charted singles of his own with “Johnny B. Goode” (#92 - 1970) and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (#89 - 1971).
-- Ron Smith / oldiesmusic.com   

When I first saw Johnny perform, I was, maybe 12 or 13, and he was known as 'Johnny Cool Daddy Winter' and we've always thought of him as exactly that: "One Cool Daddy".  Johnny became a dear and passionate friend as well as the accomplished bluesman we have come to admire. It's now a moment for celebration of his brilliance frozen for all time.  We've lost another of the gifted guitar greats and a truly soulful spirit.  -- Billy F Gibbons / ZZ Top  

And, believe it or not, Frannie has her OWN personal recollection of Johnny Winter!  It's one of my favorite stories of hers, growing up in Texas.  Seems she and her mother were out at the movies one night (at the 7th Street Theater in downtown Forth Worth) and were waiting for her dad to pull the car around to pick them up when this big-ass limo pulls up beside them ... the window comes down ... and there was Johnny Winter, out and about, fresh from having just wrapped a concert down the street, who asks them both if they'd like to get inside and go with him to a party that night!  (Guess he was looking for some mother / daughter action!  lol)  They politely declined and walked on ... but I always like to tease her about how differently her life could have turned out had they gotten in the limo that night!  (kk)     

re:  Invasion of the Body Snatchers:
WTF?!?!  Casey Kasem's body has been stolen?!?!  
Click here: Casey Kasem's body missing from funeral home, daughter's rep says - LA Times   

re:  This And That:  
Kent,
What a pleasant surprise this morning to find your dozen STRINGALONG songs.
The Chairmen of the Board!! Are you kidding me? I haven't heard that song in years!
Likewise the song by the group known as the P-Nut Gallery.
Some things I immediately thought of, though not necessarily song related ... how about that science fiction movie out of 1958, ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE?
Johnny Crawford's 1962 song YOUR NOSE IS GONNA GROW. Puppets reminded me of Pinocchio, likewise his nose grew when he told a lie.
Finally, at times through the years I have had THE RIGHT STRING but unfortunately had THE WRONG YO-YO.
Good Job.
Larry
Dang!  "Your Nose Is Gonna Grow" would have been a GREAT one to feature ... wish I'd thought of that!  (That's OK ... we'll make up for the oversight by featuring it today.)
Obviously I did go down the Pinocchio road by featuring Dion and the Belmonts doing "When You Wish Upon A Star", followed by the hit pop song it inspired, "Surfer Girl" by The Beach Boys.  That Frankie Avalon tune, "The Puppet Song" was a big hit here in Chicago, reaching #14 in 1961.  And, based on your opening statement, I suppose "String Along" by Rick Nelson (or "Wheels" by The String-Alongs) would have worked, too!  (kk)





Elvis?  'Puppet on a String'?  It was difficult for me to move on to the others.  Replayed it today.  That song is CREAMY.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano

Kent ...

Here's your WCBS-FM Update ...

Scott Shannon is back from a one week vacation on July 14.

The latest ratings find Scott's " Big Show" still in second place, behind WLTW-FM.  (He might make it to #1 if he eliminates Joe Nolan's dumb contests.)

This past weekend was 80's double play weekend.
By the way, I saw that Ron Smith is reporting that Carl Giammarese of the Buckinghams threw out
the first pitch in the Cubs' July 11th game. Any information on the quality of his first pitch?
Frank B.

It takes quite a bit of doing to get me to put on a Cubs game ... and I didn't hear about this one until after the fact ... so I honestly don't know because I didn't see it.  The Buckinghams have, however, on numerous occasions, been out to Wrigley Field to sing The National Anthem.  In fact, they even included one of those live renditions as a hidden bonus tracks on one of their cd's a few years back (which I couldn't find in time to include here today because ... well, ya know ... because it's hidden!!!)  kk




As far as "Jersey Boys" goes, I have seen the movie twice and I might see it a third time.   It's a good movie and very entertaining!

Blossmwrld


Speaking of movies, this is ULTRA-Cool!  Harvey Kubernik's new book "Turn Up The Radio" (which I've been reading for WEEKS now ... it's totally awesome and just jam-packed with LA tidbits from back in the day, beautifully done "coffee table book" - style, with pages and pages and pages of sensational photographs and memories) has inspired a mini-film festival of music-related movies that will be showcased at The Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles in August! 

Read on ...

TURN UP THE RADIO: L.A. ROCK ON FILMAugust 13 - 17, 2014, at the Egyptian Theatre  

Co-sponsored by Amoeba Records and Santa Monica Press 

Los Angeles has been the center of the film world for nearly a century, but the city’s leading role in popular music began more recently. The birth of rock ’n’ roll brought forth a teen record-buying audience independent of the Broadway/Tin Pan Alley axis, which had long dominated American music, and as local rock scenes began to ferment across the country, few could compete with the sunny SoCal environment as a draw for the top performers, songwriters and producers. Harvey Kubernik’s new book, Turn Up the Radio!, captures the zeitgeist of Los Angeles rock and pop between the years of 1956 and 1972 – an era of unprecedented growth and creativity in the record industry. 

The American Cinematheque celebrates the intersection of music and media in the City of Angels with several evenings devoted to L.A. rock icons on film. Southern California was on the itinerary of virtually every performer of note, and director-producer Steve Binder put many of them on film and TV, including the all-star line-up in the classic concert film THE T.A.M.I. SHOW. Legendary quartet The Doors were at the peak of their powers in hometown appearance LIVE AT THE BOWL ’68. The Seeds once headlined a tour with The Doors; the world premiere of the documentary PUSHIN’ TOO HARD tells the story of the L.A. garage rock greats for the first time. And musical iconoclast Frank Zappa paints a wickedly satirical portrait of life on tour in 200 MOTELS. 

Series programmed by John Hagelston, Harvey Kubernik and Grant Moninger. Program notes by John Hagelston.  

At the EGYPTIAN THEATRE (6712 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028): 

Wednesday, August 13 – 7:30 PM  -- TURN UP THE RADIO: L.A. ROCK 

The Doors! LIVE AT THE BOWL ’68, 2012, Eagle Rock Entertainment, 71 min. Dir. Ray Manzarek. A legendary band, an iconic venue! With their Waiting for the Sun album fresh in stores, The Doors made a triumphant appearance at the Hollywood Bowl on July 5, 1968. The L.A. quartet was at the peak of its powers that night, balancing hit singles including “Light My Fire” and “Hello, I Love You” with epic renditions of “When the Music's Over” and “The End.” Painstakingly restored from original camera negatives and remixed from multi-tracks by the group’s longtime engineer, Bruce Botnick,this mesmerizing film presents the historic concert in its entirety for the first time. Program begins with a slide show by rock photographer Henry Diltz, who will share his classic images of The Doors and other L.A. music icons. Film begins at 8:15 PM. 

Thursday, August 14 – 7:30 PM  -- TURN UP THE RADIO: L.A. ROCK 

Tribute to Steve Binder! 50th Anniversary! THE T.A.M.I. SHOW, 1964, 123 min. Dir. Steve Binder. The Rolling Stones, James Brown, The Beach Boys, Chuck Berry and The Supremes were among the top acts who took the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium stage for the Teenage Awards Music International Show, captured in “Electronovision.” This priceless cross-section of Top 40 radio at its mid-’60s peak offers northern and southern soul, rock ’n’ roll, surf, garage and British Invasion hits in one of the most legendary concert movies ever made. Unquestionably the grooviest, wildest, most exciting beat blast on the National Film Registry! Discussion following with director Steve Binder, moderated by John Landis, who attended the original concert.  

Saturday, August 16 – 7:30 PM -- TURN UP THE RADIO: L.A. ROCK 

The Seeds! World Premiere! PUSHIN’ TOO HARD, 2014, GNP Crescendo, 110 min. Dir. Neil Norman. Beginning in the mid-1960s, The Seeds spread a web of sound from the Sunset Strip to the rest of the country with such anthems of teen frustration as “Pushin’ Too Hard” and “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine.” Fronted by the sneering, attitude-laden delivery of charismatic lead singer Sky Saxon, the band’s driving sound would help lay the groundwork for punk. This definitive documentary on The Seeds follows the quartet’s bizarre odyssey from rags to riches to rags again - and ultimately their rediscovery by new generations of garage-rock fans - using vintage television and concert performances, rare photos and recent interviews with all of the group’s original members, as well as fans and observers including Iggy Pop, Kim Fowley, Johnny Echols of Love and Bruce Johnston of The Beach Boys. Discussion following with director Neil Norman, producer Alec Palao and Seeds members Daryl Hooper and Jan Savage, moderated by Kirk Silsbee.   

Sunday, August 17 – 7:30 PM -- TURN UP THE RADIO: L.A. ROCK  

Frank Zappa! World Premiere! “Bunny Bunny Bunny” (ca. 1987, 20 min.) Directed and produced by Frank Zappa, this one-camera shoot stars daughter Moon Zappa (a couple of years after their radio hit “Valley Girl”) in improvised dialogue with her best friend Kyle Richards and her cousin Lala Sloatman. “Cheepnis” (1973, 10 min.) Featuring the only footage Zappa cut together from his legendary 1973 Roxy concerts, “Cheepnis” sings the praises of low-budget monster movies.  This short documents the director, bandleader, songwriter and musician at work. Followed by: 

200 MOTELS, 1971, United Artists, 98 min. Dir. Frank Zappa. “Touring can make you crazy. That's what 200 MOTELS is all about,” noted Frank Zappa, a mad scientist constantly pushing the boundaries of music and film. 200 MOTELS, a surrealistic documentary of life on the road conceived, written and scored by Frank Zappa, features The Mothers of Invention with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and was filmed live  (200 MOTELS is the first feature shot on video in six days and transferred to film; cameras were directed by Tony Palmer). Some of Zappa's favorite topics - groupies, mundane Americana, inside jokes – crop up all over this film, with musical interludes to provide transcending breaks where things such as place, time and plot are forgotten. With Theodore Bikel, Keith Moon, and Ringo Starr as Larry the Dwarf disguised as Frank Zappa. Discussion following with Gail Zappa.   

For the August/September issue of Record Collector News, Harvey Kubernik will be writing another cover story on the Beatles that will include comments and quotes from their recording engineers. Kubernik and Paul Zollo have also been taped for an NPR Beatles radio show produced by Paul Ingles that will examine "Rubber Soul" which will be broadcast in late October.

Man, I wish I could get to a couple of these!  If any of our LA Readers are able to attend, please report back to us so we can share your experience with the others on the list!  (kk)



And, speaking of Al Kooper (as we were just a few minutes ago!), his legendary "Super Sessions" album (recorded with the aforementioned Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills) is getting the 5.1 Multi-Channel Hybrid SACD treatment!)  Here's the complete scoop: 


Audio Fidelity To Release 5.1 Multichannel Hybrid SACD of Mike Bloomfield - Al Kooper - Steve Stills 'Super Session' Album Mixed By Legendary Al Kooper!


"...one of those albums that seems to get better with age...a super session indeed!"

Camarillo, CA – Marshall Blonstein's Audio Fidelity will be releasing a limited numbered edition 5.1 Multichannel Hybrid SACD of the legendary Mike Bloomfield - Al Kooper - Steve Stills 'Super Session' album! Al Kooper was an A&R executive with Columbia Records in the early 1960's after leaving the group Blood, Sweat & Tears. The Super Session album was conceived as a jam session with Kooper on keyboards and former Paul Butterfield Blues Band member Mike Bloomfield on lead guitar along with veteran studio musician and Wrecking Crew member "Fast" Eddie Hoh on drums and Barry Goldberg, also on keyboards. Bloomfield was available during the first day of recording for Side 1 of the LP (tracks 1-5). For the second day of recording, Kooper brought in former Buffalo Springfield guitarist Steven Stills to perform on the music that became Side 2 of the LP (tracks 6-9). Recorded on a shoestring budget over a 2-day period in Los Angeles, Super Session went on to become a rock classic and earned the trio a gold record for sales of over one million copies.

"I always wanted to mix this in 5.1. I finished it in 2006, and it's been sitting there until Audio Fidelity released it from captivity. It's the first album I ever mixed in 5.1 I hope everyone enjoys it. Surround Sound allows the listener to get up close to each musician and hear details you can't hear in stereo. Hope ya like details - I DO!" - Al Kooper

The package includes new liner notes written by Al Kooper that tells the story of the Super Session album and the new 5.1 Multichannel mix. The 5.1 mix by Al Kooper with mastering by Bob Ludwig was never released and yet it has acquired some fame from industry insiders familiar with the Multichannel mix with comments like "excellent" and "it deserves to be heard." The new mastering of the Stereo layer of tracks for new SACD Stereo and CD Stereo audio are by mastering engineer Steve Hoffman. 

"...some truly spectacular, not to mention, historical rock'n'roll moments."

Tracks:

1. Albert's Shuffle

2. Stop

3. Man's Temptation

4. His Holy Modal Majesty

5. Really

6. It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry

7. Season of the Witch

8. You Don't Love Me

9. Harvey's Tune

Produced by Al Kooper

Stereo CD and SACD mastering: Steve Hoffman at Stephen Marsh Mastering

Multichannel SACD 5.1 mix: Al Kooper

Multichannel SACD 5.1 mastering: Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios


Al Kooper official website: http://alkooper.com/


>>>On July 22nd, the legacy of folk singer Jim Croce will see added to its distinguished discography, the release of Lost Time In A Bottle, a 24-track collection of rare versions of all his greatest hit songs including “Time In A Bottle,” “Operator,” “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and “I Got A Name.” The collection will be released by Cleopatra Records first on CD, with a 2LP vinyl version set to follow shortly thereafter.  Between the years 1966 and 1973, Croce released a mere five studio albums and 11 singles, 2 of  Sadly, we lost this incredible artist on September 20, 1973. His body of work, however, has lived on in a timeless state as new fans and old have embraced the incredible songwriting that has made him into the legend that he is today.



Included on Lost Time In A Bottle, is a previously unreleased radio concert from Cazenovia College in 1964. Recorded near the beginning of Jim’s career, it is a marvelous showcase of the storytelling skills and sparkling personality that the world would soon come to love.

1. Next Time, This Time (Harper College 2/5/73)

2. New York’s Not My Home (Harper College 2/5/73)

3. You Don’t Mess Around With Jim (Harper College 2/5/73)

4. Careful Man (Harper College 2/5/73)

5. A Good Time Man Like Me (Demo)

6. Tractor Trailer Story Intro (Harper College 2/5/73)

7. Speedball Tucker (Demo)

8. Operator (Demo)

9. Hard Time Losin’ Man (Demo)

10. Seems Like Such A Long Time Ago (Demo)

11. It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way (Harper College 2/5/73)

12. Bar Story Intro (Harper College 2/5/73)

13. Roller Derby Queen (Harper College 2/5/73)

14. One Less Set Of Footsteps (Harper College 2/5/73)

15. Dreamin’ Again (Harper College 2/5/73)

16. Bad, Bad Leroy Brown (Demo)

17. Time In A Bottle (Demo)

18. I Got A Name (Live 1973)

19. Charley Green, Play That Slide Trombone (Cazenovia College 1964)

20. San Francisco Bay Blues (Cazenovia College 1964)

21. Washington At Valley Forge (Cazenovia College 1964)

22. La Bamba (Cazenovia College 1964)

23. Seek And You Shall Find (Cazenovia College 1964)

Woke Up This Morning (Cazenovia College 1964) 

To pre-order the CD at Amazon: http://georiot.co/Km8

To pre-order the album on iTunes: http://georiot.co/vlo




>>>Our FH Buddy Bill Hengels recorded that show at Harpers College back in 1973 ... MANY years ago we "sneak peeked" a couple of tracks after he sent the masters to Croce's widow in the hopes of eventual release.  (A few tracks made it out here and there ... but this is probably the most complete collection ever released commercially.)  kk


Kent -

Don't forget the CD that also contains seven of the songs from the concert



Release Date:  September 24, 2013 

Duration:  33:01

Recording Date:  1970 - 1973 

Singer and songwriter Jim Croce had been looking for a break in the music business since making his first album in 1966, and it looked like he'd finally hit the big time in 1972 when he scored a hit single with the song "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" in 1972. Croce recorded three albums and landed a few more songs in the pop charts, including "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)," before his rising star suddenly fell on September 20, 1973, when he died in a plane crash following a concert in Louisiana. The Lost Recordings collects 12 rare recordings from Jim Croce: seven live songs from a concert staged in 1973 at Harper College in Palatine, IL., as well as original home-recorded demo tapes for five tunes, including "Time in a Bottle" and "These Dreams," with Croce accompanying himself on guitar.



Track Listing



Sample
Title/Composer Performer Time

1
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:55

2
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
4:01

3
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
1:49

4
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
3:01

5
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
3:00

6
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:27

7
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:47

8
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:35

9
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:41

10
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:33

11
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:50

12
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:22

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have You Heard: Live 
Shout! Factory's 2006 CD release of Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live is a companion piece to their 2003 DVD of the same name. That DVD collected 13 live television performances, taken from shows like The Old Grey Whistle Test, and Underground, all of which were quite rare, since there isn't much footage of Jim Croce live on television. Not only was the music rare, but it was also quite good, some of the best live material he recorded, so it made sense that Shout! Factory would spin it off into an audio-only release. And that's exactly what this CD is -- the audio portion of those 13 TV performances. The two photo-collage montages on the DVD -- set to "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" and "Time in a Bottle" -- have been cut, since they weren't live concert performances to begin with, and a version of "Hard Time Losing Man" recorded live at Harper College in Palatine, IL, is the one exclusive cut on this collection. None of these performances loses anything heard as a mere audio track, and the collection is sequenced nicely, flowing as if it were an actual concert. That said, this doesn't offer anything new: if you have the DVD, you have this music, so this may not be a necessary purchase. But for dedicated Croce fans looking to enjoy these performances as music only, this is a welcome release

Track Listing


Sample
Title/Composer Performer Time

1
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:46

2
 
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
3:30

3
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
1:11

4
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:41

5
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:32

6
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:48

7
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
3:26

8
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:22

9
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:57

10
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
0:32

11
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:04

12
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
1:37

13
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:49

14
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:59

15
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:32

16
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:02

17
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:34

18
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
3:07

19
Jim Croce

Jim Croce
2:14
Bill Hengels


Speaking of live concerts filmed and recorded right here in the Chicago area, Chicagoland Radio and Media is reporting about a brand new music / television series called "Music From The Mayne Stage".  Similar to program's like "Austin City Limits" and our very own "Soundstage" Program (originally titled "Made In Chicago", by the way) the series will film live concerts by new, up-and-coming acts, which will they be broadcast over PBS affiliate WYCC-TV.  (Several shows have already been filmed and will start airing shortly.  Meanwhile, there's even a spot to request tickets to be in the audience at a future taping.)  All of this information (and more details on the who's, where's and when's) can be found here:  Click here: WYCC-TV Teams Up With Mayne Stage For New Live Concert Series

And Country Superstar Garth Brooks kicks off his world tour right here in Chicago at The Allstate Arena on September 4th.  It'll be Brooks' first appearance in Chicago in 17 years!  Incredibly tickets for this show (which will sell out IMMEDIATELY) are only priced at about $65 each ... and that includes ALL of the service charges!  More dates to be announced shortly.  (kk)











Weird Al is back ... and in a big, big way.  In fact, his brand new album "Mandatory Fun" is expected to be the first #1 Album of his career!  In an unprecedented, genius move, Al released a brand new video for eight straight days ... some (like "Word Crimes" ... a parody of the Robin Thicke hit "Blurred Lines" ... which scored nearly seven million views in just three days!) have driven MILLIONS of fans to YouTube to check out his latest parodies.  Check 'em all out on YouTube now!  (kk)

 And, while we're on the topic of "funny guys", VNN got the chance to interview Ray Stevens about his new book ... and you can read the whole thing right here:  Click here: Interview: Ray Stevens Talks His New Book, CD and Movie ~ VVN Music
Speaking of books, Burton Cummings is NOT real happy with Randy Bachman's latest ... and says so in this interview, flat out calling Bachman a liar and stating that they are no longer friends ... what a shame!  (These two have had an on-again / off-again relationship for over 40 years now ... and when they're "on", we as an audience reap the benefits of some GREAT music.  Too bad after all this time that they can't just sweep the rest of this under the rug and enjoy the rest of their lives, resting on the laurels they've created both together and apart ... because it SURE is some GREAT music ... a legacy ANYONE would be proud of!!!)  kk   
Kent: 
They gave us some of the most memorable rock music of the late 60s and 70s as principal talents in the Guess Who, but, sadly, the professional relationship has gone bad and Burton Cummings is no longer friends with Randy Bachman.  
Mike McCann of Premiere Radio spoke to Burton earlier this month.  Here’s what Mike reported:

-- Tom Cuddy

Burton accuses his former band-mate and writing partner of being a liar.

Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman were band mates in The Guess Who and writing partners on such classic songs as "American Woman," "No Time," "These Eyes" and "Undun." But they're no longer friends. Even after reuniting in 1999 when The Guess Who played the Pan Am Games, and then touring and recording as a duo, Cummings tells us that too many issues have come between them.

"We did OK as Bachman - Cummings. But now, he's gone his own way again and you know what? I was doing most of the work anyway, you know? Randy sang about four songs a night, took half the profits and his name was ahead of me on the marquee. Not that I care about any of that. But it was really an unbalanced situation energy-wise. He's a tremendous guitarist but ... we've had our time together.”

That's being diplomatic. Cummings got annoyed while reflecting on what Bachman wrote about him. And some of his ex-bandmate's claims regarding the Guess Who just don't hold water.

Burton said: "He's really said something terrible things about me in his two books. And, you know what? He's a liar. Randy's a liar. He's said things ... like ... now he's claiming that he wrote part of 'Share the Land.' Bull [bleep]! He was long gone before that ever ... ." 

Here’s what Randy said about Burton in his book:    http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2014/03/07/randy_bachman_writes_about_split_with_burton_cummings.html

Burton and I touched on the Randy Bachman relationship briefly in the interview that I did with him last year ... he seems to have SO many fond memories of the early years, just the two of them learning the craft of songwriting, coming back to his mother's house, Burton on the piano, Randy on the guitar, experimenting and such ... and the brief Bachman / Cummings Band reunion in 2007 produced some great cover versions of some of their favorite songs growing up ... but Burton felt like they could no longer write together ... and, as such, no "NEW" music would be forthcoming from the pair.  Unfortunately they seem to have spent more time on the "outs" than connected.  Meanwhile, Burton Cummings has continued to write and release some brilliant new material that just hasn't been marketed to the masses ... too bad as some of this stands right up there with his very best work from back in the day.  (kk)

And you'll find links to that great Rolling Stone piece on Barry Gibb here, too ...  Barry wants one more hit before he hangs things up!  (I figure if ANYBODY can do it, he can ... The Bee Gees had more "comebacks" than any other artist I can think of!)




And FH Reader Tom Cuddy sent us this recent interview with Mark Volman of The Turtles:



Michael Nesmith cancelled his British tour for undisclosed reasons.  This notice was published on his official website:

Sad to announce the UK tour is cancelled.  In putting it all together we ran into some recent snags that were too difficult to overcome or to reconcile, so I made the decision to withdraw sooner rather than later so everyone would have time to rearrange schedules, and get their ticket money back from the promoter(s) there. 

I am fine, family is fine, health is good, and I am busy and active. No worries about that, please. 

The detailed reasons for the cancellation are too complex and intertwined with privacy issues I need to honor, so I can't get into the nitty gritty. Things finally came down to a point where there was no other decision open to me but to cancel. 

I am very unhappy about it all, and I was really looking forward to coming. The 2012 tour was so much fun, the band had all made plans to bring the families, and it was shaping up to be a pretty good time. But at this last moment things fell apart in a way that was unrecoverable, so it was time to call retreat. 

You all have my undying affection and gratitude for your support, and for the very early and brisk sales of the tickets, but this tour was not shaping up in a way that would work. I am so disappointed about it I can hardly write all this.  

The redeeming fact of your support and encouragement gives me solace and you all have my heartfelt apologies for not being there with you.
Even as I write I am examining other avenues for putting a later UK/Euro tour together and am optimistic something will come together. At this point I can't say when.
But I am hard at work on it.

SO glad I got to see him when I did as part of The Monkees Reunion Shows!  (kk)
 kk and Nez
Keith Emerson and Greg Lake To Release 'Live From Manticore Hall' CD July 14, 2014

London, UK – Welcome to Manticore Hall! Keith Emerson and Greg Lake, two of the founding members of prog legends Emerson Lake & Palmer, will be releasing their highly anticipated new CD 'Live From Manticore Hall' on July 14, 2014, on Manticore Records, via Cherry Red. The duo's forthcoming live album captures their unique two-man versions of a selection of well known material from ELP’s celebrated catalog, including the hit “Lucky Man”. These recordings were taken from a live show during their 2010 world tour and presented here for the first time!
“'Live At Manticore Hall' is an introspective revisit to some of the music of ELP. I think Greg and I gave it a personal touch with our Q&A sessions midway through the show. It was a delicate transformation that we present now.” - Keith Emerson
“I think this album offers a very interesting perspective upon how Keith and I work and create together.” - Greg Lake
Track Listing:
1. FROM THE BEGINNING
2. INTRODUCTION
3. I TALK TO THE WIND
4. BITCHES CRYSTAL
5. THE BARBARIAN
6. TAKE A PEBBLE
7. TARKUS
8. C’EST LE VIE
9. PIRATES
10. MOOG SOLO / LUCKY MAN
To purchase Keith Emerson & Greg Lake's 'Live From Manticore Hall' CD: http://www.cherryred.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=4712

Keith Emerson official website: http://www.keithemerson.com/
Greg Lake official website: http://greglake.com/
Wanna feel old?  (or older?!?!?)
Donny Osmond announced last week that he'll be releasing a brand new CD in January of 2015 celebrating his 50th Year in Show Business!!!


Hi Kent,  

Love your comparisons of ticket prices -- even taking into account for inflation, I see concert ticket prices have gone the way of medicine and Big Oil.  They say music is medicine and it looks like they are both being held hostage by greed.  Just a little food for thought.  Funny how time treats certain recording acts ... take Paul Revere & The Raiders and the Rolling Stones -- both with quite a catalog of hits -- and they both put on great shows ... one act you pay a moderate amount to see perform and the other act is through the roof on ticket prices.  Wait a minute ... weren't we told when Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged "we would have more variety of acts to see and ticket prices would come down" ... kind of like if we just let the oil companies do more drilling and fracking, gas prices will come down! 
Peace,
Tim Kiley



Kent,

In regarding the ticket prices for those acts back in the mid sixties, my parents and I would go to the professional wrestling matches on Friday nights when they were here in OKC. We always sat at ringside. Ticket prices then were $1.85 per ticket. The price of those tickets and the ones you listed for the recording acts seems preposterous but then again, that was some fifty years ago.

Looking for ward to MORE of FH.

Larry

I saw the Rolling Stones at Symphony Hall in Newark in the Fall of 1965, then the Dave Clark Five at the same venue a month or two later. Ticket prices were $4.50 and $5.00.

– Randy Price
Hey, for a buck you can get into "Disco Demolition 2"!!!  And that's in 2014!!!  (Why would ANYBODY in their right mind want to attempt this promotion again?!?!)  Yet that's EXACTLY what Mike Veeck ... if ANYBODY, one who should know better having been there for the FIRST Disco Demolition Debacle 35 years ago ... is doing.

Full details here, courtesy of Chicagoland Radio and Media:

Got a couple of Beatles-related clip this week ... ironically BOTH with a "letters" theme of sorts ...


Of course The Beatles wrote a couple of letters of their own ... "P.S. I Love You" and "gonna write a little letter, gonna mail it to my local deejay" from Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" immediately come to mind!  (kk) 
And, of course, big news last week that Ron Howard (little Opie Cunningham!) will be producing a brand new Beatles documentary spotlighting the touring years.  Fans are encouraged to submit film and memorabilia for the movie.  (Everything from The Cavern Club through their final roof-top concert at Apple Records is expected to be included.)  More here:  Click here: Ron Howard Directing Documentary on the Beatles' Touring Years ~ VVN Music
That may have been a half-hearted effort by The Beatles on 'How Do You Do It', but the harmonies are beautiful.  John starts to get into the song, and then it sounds like he realizes what he's doing and calms down.  "What's the point?  I don't like this song?"
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
It's not a bad rendition ... actually it sounds quite a bit like some of the stuff on their Decca audition tapes ... but clearly their hearts weren't in it.  Thankfully, they pulled "Please Please Me" out of the hat ... there was never really any looking back after that!  (kk)
Hi Kent ...
50 years ago? ... Gee, it seems like yesterday!
I remember when "A Hard Day's Night" arrived at the movies.  It was the much hailed first Beatles movie.  There was much "hub bub" about what the title meant, who was in it besides the Beatles, what the story line was, what songs were included, etc. Yep, I've seen it a few times. 
Blossmwrld

There's a GREAT Paul McCartney interview in Rolling Stone ...
As well as an update on the brand new, upcoming Brian Wilson album ... which now (instead of being the second Beach Boys Reunion LP) will apparently be a series of duets with female artists!  (Much of this material was written for the follow-up to The Beach Boys' Top Ten comeback CD "That's Why God Made The Radio", a new album Brian was REALLY looking forward to ... until Mike Love ... in typical dumb-Love fashion ... pulled the plug on the whole reunion thing so that he could carry on with HIS version of The Beach Boys on his own.)
Speaking of The Beach Boys, David Beard of Endless Summer Quarterly helps celebrate the 50th Anniversary of their "All Summer Long" album in this week's Examiner column ...

 
Here are some of my instrumental favorites from the '60's -


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

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46k5Fy1gLyE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO6q9eOQq5g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP1dYj2hGss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvf-TsHSxhM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBGAqzggmi8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aWkhuAu8go

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbrXHMYAz-E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv1GpoaSzxQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zb6H4b_oiA
Fred Glickstein
For more favorites, be sure to check out THIS list ...

I can't believe one of your readers hasn't heard Kai Winding's instrumental version of MORE since the 1960s.  That song has actually gotten plenty of airplay over the years on various oldies and "memory" stations, and has gotten regular play on MUSIC CHOICE as well.  Plus, it was easy to come by on CD during the 90s and into the early part of the 2000s.
Tal Hartsfeld
Honestly, I'll bet I haven't heard it in over 20 years here in Chicago ... where REAL oldies (and especially vintage instrumentals) are pretty hard to come by.  Glad we could feature it here!  (kk) 
Many thanks for this great site. On the 45th anniversary of Woodstock, your followers would love Tunes. Thank you in advance and have a great summer.
Cheers and best wishes,
Blair Sorrel
Enjoy the Great Memories of your Favorite Artist from the Vinyl Era with Framed Albums Covers, Collectable Art, Memorabilia, Rock and Roll, Music Art.

Hey Kent,
When I get to sing in public, there a couple of songs that never let me down with the audience: "Don't Stop Believin" and "Daydream Believer"; two opposites, for sure. I've really gotten tired of the requests for Journey, and I've always liked The Monkees' song. It's fun to sing, and doesn't push my voice off a cliff. 
It was written by John Stewart, during his last year with the Kingston Trio, my all-time favorite vocal group. It was rejected by Spanky and Our Gang and We Five, before the Monkees recorded it.  I'm surprised We Five turned it down, because Stewart's brother, Mike, was leader of that group. The Monkees' producer asked John if he could replace the original word, "funky" with "happy", but Stewart didn't want that to happen, until he realized that his song could be a big hit with the change.  I've never been too keen about the word, "funky". I think "crazy" could have been used without changing the meaning of the verse. It tells how a beautiful woman has found out that musicians are "different" than all the others. "Now you know how happy I can be" does change things a bit, and Anne Murray's version "how happy WE can be" changes them even more. When I saw Davy Jones singing at a festival, a few years back, I got there just after he started, and stayed for a lot of it, but there was another band playing about five blocks away, and wanted to catch them, too. As I was on my way, I told a friend of mine that I really wanted to hear Davy sing "Daydream Believer", and he assured me that he had already sung it, so I walked down to hear the other band. After one song, I wanted to return to hear Jones, and on the way back, in the distance, I could hear him start his famous song. I ran as fast as I could, but got there just as Davy was taking his bows. Needless to say, when I run into that "friend" again, I will remind him of how he took that moment away from me!
I found this very touching video of Davy recording the song again, with Stewart's widow, Buffy Ford. I've always liked her singing voice. Besides her duets with her husband, she had some nice solo recordings in past years. AND, I didn't know that another lyric about the shavin' razor being "cold" is supposed to be "OLD", which makes more sense again! Take a look!
- John LaPuzza  
Wow ... what a GREAT video ... very moving.  Thanks for sending, John.  (kk)
And here's another cool Teen Idols Tribute to this classic song ... featuring David Cassidy, Micky Dolenz and Peter Noone ...



Ron Onesti just announced some new shows coming to The Arcada Theatre later this year ...
KC and the Sunshine Company - August 29th
(We saw KC there a couple of years ago and it was a GREAT show!  The air-conditioning went out that night and the heat was almost unbearable ... but, trouper that he is, KC just kept on going, spraying the audience with his water bottles throughout the night.  A WHOLE lotta fun!)
Burton Cummings - November 14th
America - November 15th  (This show sells out EVERY time!  Don't miss your chance to see these guys!  Hit after hit after hit)
And a couple of REALLY cool Christmas shows featuring Ronnie Spector and Jim Peterik with The Ides Of March!
LOTS more great shows ... ticket information on the website ... oshows.com
Speaking of great concerts, it sounds like we missed another good one last week ...
Hi ya, Kent;
Bolted the city last night to go see Pat Benatar at a free outdoor show in Elk Grove Village. The crowd was huge, flat out enormous.
I found myself thinking, "By the time we got to Elk Grove we were half a million strong." However, given the make up of the audience, maybe I should have hummed, "By the time we got to Elk Grove we were 72 years old." Trust me, the assembled throng wasn't a bunch of teenagers doing the bop on Dick Clark's old "American Bandstand" Show. These were rock 'n roll veterans. People who grew up digging Freddie Cannon, Bobby Vee and Dion along with the Beatles and Stones.
Kudos to the diminutive Benatar. Pat loses a note from time to time, but then leaves you breathless when she sings the heart-felt, "Hell is for Children" or throws the left hook on  "Love is a Battlefield."
Her hubby and lead guitarist, "Spider", is aggressive, if somewhat unimaginative. The bass player and the drummer are strictly along for the ride. They fill out the roster.
The set was boosted by electronic music pushed in to hype the sound.  Most notably on "Battlefield" where the affect created the the double-drums affect that were so much a part of the song.
In this, her 35th year in the biz, Pat still looks a tad uncomfortable trying to interact with the audience. That's shame since the little lady who still looks like a corn fed Midwestern cheerleader clearly had the house in the palm of her hand.
Pat Benetar 3.5 stars.
Chet Coppock"
Host: Chicago Blackhawks heritage Series
Host: Notrte Dame football, WLS Radio
We saw them a few years ago at Schaumburgfest and I thought they were great.  Had every intention of going to the Elk Grove show, too, but never made it out there.  (Have yet to see one of their summer concerts this year ... but am REALLY looking forward to the close-out show on July 29th with Kenny Loggins.)  I've heard they've had record crowds this year for these programs so best to get there early.  (I talked to a friend of mine whose son works at the Jimmy Johns across the street and he says it was their biggest single-day sales ever, both before ... and especially AFTER ... the concert!)  kk


re:  OK, Now THIS Is Pretty Cool:

Early last Sunday Morning (7/13) our meter-count of viewers at The Forgotten Hits Website hit 2,222,222!!!  How cool is THAT?!?!  Thanks again to everybody for their continued support of our efforts.  (kk)
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