The Saturday Surveys (3-29)

Canadian R. Dean Taylor (best known here in The States for his #1 Hit "Indiana Wants Me") tops the CHUM Chart in Canada for this week in 1971 with a track called "Gotta See Jane".  The #2 Spot is held by another Canadian act, The Bells, with "Stay Awhile", a song that also did very well here on this side of the border.

Other Canadian acts doing well on the chart this week are The Stampeders (#11 with "Carry Me"), Ocean (#15, down from #2 the week before, with "Put Your Hand In The Hand"), Matthews Southern Comfort (#26 with "Woodstock"), Inner City Mission (#27 with "Wild World") and Crowbar (#28 with "Oh, What A Feeling").

Great to see Elvis and The Beatles doing so well on this WING Chart from 1964.  Yes, Beatlemania was sweeping the nation ... and The Fab Four had an incredible NINE titles on this week's chart thanks to B-Sides like "From Me To You" and the for-some-inexplicable-reason typically ignored "I'll Get You", the flip-side of "She Loves You" that you guys voted as your Favorite, Forgotten B-Side of All-Time a few years ago.

Meanwhile, The King was alive and well with a two-sided hit of his own at #2, "It Hurts Me" / "Kissin' Cousins".  ("Kissin' Cousins" was also the Feature Album of the Week).


New on the chart this week was the Elvis sound-alike record "Suspicion" by Terry Stafford ... that one would go all the way to #1 here in Chicago a few weeks later.  You'll also find '50's stand-bys Sam Cooke and Chuck Berry in the countdown at numbers 10 and 11 respectively.

And there's a REAL pretty song at #23 by The Sapphires called "Who Do You Love" ... which we wanted to feature here today.

Three years later The Beatles are back on the charts at #2 with their two-sided hit "Penny Lane" / "Strawberry Fields Forever".

What I really like about THIS chart is all the B-Sides popping up on the list ... "Summer Wine" (your #2 All-Time Favorite Flip) by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood, "No Milk Today" by Herman's Hermits and The Monkees' great track "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", shown here as the A-Side over the REAL hit "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You".

You'll find our FH Buddy Alex Valdez at #17 with "Yellow Balloon" ... in fact, between The Turtles, Yellow Balloon, The Young Rascals, Herman's Hermits, The Monkees, The Lovin' Spoonful and The Byrds, I'd have to say the "Friends Of Forgotten Hits" are pretty well represented on the chart this week!

50 Years Ago This Weekend

Another look back at the Evolution of The British Invasion ... exactly as it happened ... Fifty Years Ago This Weekend! 

March closes out with THE BEATLES holding down the Top Four spots on the chart:  SHE LOVES YOU (#1), I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND (still holding on at #2), TWIST AND SHOUT (#3) and PLEASE PLEASE ME (down a spot to #4).  GLAD ALL OVER by THE DAVE CLARK FIVE breaks into The Top Ten for the very first time (at #10), followed by NEEDLES AND PINS (#20) by THE SEARCHERS, I SAW HER STANDING THERE by THE BEATLES (#26).  

Meanwhile, a brand new BEATLES track (and, in this case a TOTALLY new BEATLES track, finally released in "real time" as all of their other U.S. Hits thus far had been re-releases of material put out in England earlier) was the highest debuting record of the week at #27 … CAN'T BUY ME LOVE which, a week later would make (at that time) the biggest leap EVER to #1, an unheard of feat.  (Advance orders for this record topped one million, also another industry first … and, as such, it's the rarest Beatles picture sleeve ever issued … the label didn't need to invest in the additional expense as the record had already pre-sold itself to the eager American public.  Quite honestly, it was a bit of a rip-off anyway … they just recycled the exact same photo used on their I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND release!)   

Carrying on, DUSTY SPRINGFIELD was at #30 with I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU, followed right behind by THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS with HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE at #31.  FROM ME TO YOU by THE BEATLES sat at #50, ALL MY LOVING (another Canadian single making the U.S. charts) premiered at #71, ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN was right behind it at #75, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET debuted at #78  and DUSTY's follow-up hit STAY AWHILE debuted at #80.  Meanwhile THE CAREFREES appeared to have a bona-fide hit of their own with WE LOVE YOU BEATLES (a rip-off of the BYE BYE BIRDIE Soundtrack hit, WE LOVE YOU CONRAD), which leaped from #73 to #57.   

Here in Chicago (on The WLS Silver Dollar Survey), The Top Ten now includes "Twist and Shout" at #1, "Glad All Over" at #2, "She Loves You" at #3, "Please Please Me" at #6, "It's All In The Game" (by Cliff Richard) at #7, "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (backed with "I Saw Her Standing There") at #8 and "Can't Buy Me Love" at #10 (up from #36 the week before.)

"Hippy Hippy Shake" sits at #13, a new Beatles record, "Thank You Girl" sits at #18  and "Needles And Pins" is down to #23.  Other titles of note:  "We Love You Beatles" at #17, "All My Lovin'" by Jimmy Griffin at #28, "A Letter To The Beatles" by The Four Preps at #35 and "Beatle Time" by The Livers at #36  



Reminder ... 

Mike Baker salutes The British Invasion in Part Two of his special radio program ... this Sunday!

The 50^th Anniversary Of The British Invasion

Many people have heard the 50^th anniversary of The Beatles on American Radio but what followed was the British Invasion. The Animals, The Dave Clark Five, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman's Hermits, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Who and many more invaded the American Charts.  Be sure to listen Sunday, March 30^th, to the British Invasion from noon to 4 pm followed by the History of Rock & Roll’s chapter on the British Invasion.

Mike Baker And The Forgotten 45s

http://tunein.com/radio/Mike-Baker-And-The-Forgotten-45s-p39516/#

http://www.wltl.net/listen-live.html

Thursday This And That

re:  THE NEW JOEL WHITBURN BOOK ...

AND ANOTHER EXCLUSIVE RECORD RESEARCH / FORGOTTEN HITS GIVE-AWAY OFFER:

You can still pre-order Joel's new "Top Pop Playlists" book for only $22.95 ... but you need to act quickly.  Click here: Top Pop Playlists 1955-1969 | Joel Whitburn's Record Research

Joel has already told us that this book will act as Volume One in the series, covering the years 1955 - 1969.  Volume Two is already in the works, taking us from 1970 - 1984.

Be sure to hit The Record Research Website and order your copy today!  (kk)

Kent -  

I loved hearing that great novelty song "Do-Wacka-Do" by one of America’s greatest singers / songwriters / performers!  All of these songs need to be played and heard by new generations of music fans!!!  Thanks for the nice review of my new book.

Joel Whitburn   

Can't wait to see it, Joel ... a VERY colorful representation of what truly WERE the biggest hits of that time ... no matter what ANYBODY else tells you today!  They can continue to distort and spin the facts to their own liking, but your new book is a snapshot of what was REALLY happening at the time.  SOMEBODY in radio needs to pick up on this and right this ridiculous wrong!  (kk)

And, by popular request, Forgotten Hits will once again be giving away a copy of Joel's brand new book ... all thanks to his latest Record Research / Forgotten Hits Trivia Contest!  Be sure to check back on Sunday for all the details!   

re:  BEACH BOYS FAVORITES: 

The Beach Boys  ...Yeah!   For the record, Brian sang lead on "Don't Worry Baby" - but check out Carl on "Girl Don't Tell Me" (from the "Summer Days and Summer Nights!" album) and "Long Promised Road" (from the "Surf's Up" album).  These are stellar performances. 

I know you both said that "Good Vibrations" is "hardly one of my faves but simply has to be included" ... GUYS!  Read the chapter from the "Wrecking Crew" The Inside Story of Rock & Roll's Best-Kept Secret" on the amazing story of how it was recorded and you may think / listen differently.

"Kokomo" is very much a Mike Love-style production; no real involvement from Brian but DNA from Papa John Phillips and San Franciscan Scott McKenzie can definitely be heard.

And be sure to add this one to the list in THE ALL-UNDERRATED DVISION:

"Little Girl I Once Knew" was moving up the charts when Capitol decided to "do it again" (pun intended) and quickly released "Barbara Ann", which stalled "Little Girl"'s move toward The Top Ten.  One of the few Beach Boys tunes that John Lennon gave praise to:  http://prayforsurfblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/john-lennon-on-my-favorite-beach-boys.html 

Surfer's Rule! is another great Beach Boys tune.

Phil

PrayForSurfBlog.blogspot.com

Story goes that Mike Love had already recorded a rough, demo version of "Kokomo" with just himself and Terry Melcher ... but Disney Films wanted the track punched up in order to be considered for their "Cocktail" soundtrack.  So Love recruited his bandmates Carl Wilson and Al Jardine to give the track a more authentic Beach Boys sound.  (According to Wikipedia, Jeff Foskett and Bruce Johnston were also involved in the original recording.)

When the track was redone for the film (and subsequent chart-topping single), only Love's lead vocal from the original sessions remained ... everything else was cut new.  That included wiping Melcher's and Foskett's vocals from the track.  (Now I'm a BIG Jeff Foskett fan ... but I honestly can't even imagine this track without Carl's beautiful lead!)

While Brian certainly helped with the promotion of the song once it was released, he was not present for the writing or the recording, making it the ONLY Beach Boys #1 Single NOT written by Brian Wilson.

"Little Girl I Once Knew" seems to be a die-hard Beach Boys Fan Favorite ... but again, isn't one of mine.  (There are a few others that I really can't stand ... "Be True To Your School" and "When I Grow Up To Be A Man" also fall into this category.)

While I really liked "Barbara Ann" when it was out (and it reached #1 just about EVERYWHERE except Billboard), it has grown a bit "tired" for me now ... and I just don't see it as the "show-stopping finale" that Mike Love seems to insist it is ... but it DOES get the crowd singing along every time.

Capitol sabotaged The Beach Boys' career several times.  In addition to the over-lapped single releases you mentioned, the same thing happened just as "Pet Sounds" was making its way up the chart.  Because it didn't sound like ANYTHING else The Beach Boys had ever recorded, Capitol played it safe and released "The Beach Boys Greatest Hits / Best Of The Beach Boys" album right at the same time.  Again, it immediately stifled sales of their NEW material in favor of the old.

"Endless Summer" can pretty much be perceived the same way ... a blessing and a penalty, all at the same time.

The Beach Boys really hadn't had a decent-sized hit on the charts for about five years.  Then Capitol released the 2-LP compilation package "Endless Summer", repackaging many of the group's best-known hits.  (The Beach Boys weren't even on the label anymore at this point.)  Out of nowhere, the double LP went straight to #1 ... they even re-released "Surfin' USA" as a single ... and it made The Top 40!!!  (Something their new material hadn't managed to do since 1969 when they were still on the label!)

A sudden resurgence in all things Beach Boys took place ... and they were playing to sold out houses again ... as long as they performed the oldies ... something Mike Love insists on doing to this day. (Brian's new band, featuring many of The Wondermints, has taken a totally opposite approach by spotlighting new material and far more difficult material such as performing the "Pet Sounds" and "Smile" albums live on stage in their entirety.  I have to believe this was a major conflict in Mike Love's mind when their bands "merged" for the 50th Anniversary Tour.) 

Now Love is back out (with Bruce Johnston) playing the songs HE wants to play ... while Brian has been touring with special guest like Beach Boys alums Al Jardine, David Marks and Blondie Chaplin!  It makes for some interesting choices for the fans ... but in my opinion, the one to see is Wilson.  For all intents and purposes, Mike Love has been putting on the exact same show for over 25 years now ... if you've seen it once ... or twice ... or even a dozen times ... you've already seen all there is to see.  Brian and his band will surprise you each and every time.  (kk)

 

As for their most over-hyped songs I'd have to say "Barbara Ann".  It's just not that good and was never intended as a single, shortening the chart life of the great "Little Girl I Once Knew".  I'll agree with Kent that "Kokomo" is good, IMO.To "add some Beach Boys music to your day," I'd say these are my CURRENT faves alphabetically: 
"Break Away", "California Girls", "Caroline, No", "I Just Got My Pay" "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times", "It's About Time", "The Little Girl I Once Knew", "Long Promised Road", "Sail on Sailor", "Slip on Through", "That's Why God Made the Radio", "Warmth of the Sun", "Wild Honey" and "You're So Good To Me".

Clark

Oh yeah ... I forgot all about "Caroline, No" ... that one definitely ranks near the top of my list, too.  (kk)

 

Very nice piece on the Beach Boys.

Nicki

 

Hi Kent,
Thank you so much for keeping the Beach Boys music alive with the articles you have written!!!
I have been reading the book, The Real Beach Boy, Dennis Wilson. When you think of it, if Dennis
didn't mention the "Surfing Craze" to Brian in 1961, there may have never become the Beach Boys!
Hope Brian tours soon. Mike Love and Brian Johnston will be at Ravinia this summer.
Always looking forward to your emails.
Carolyn

 

Speaking of the Beach Boys, I have always loved "I Can Hear Music!"

Tim  

Another one of MY favorites as well.  Brian had such a HUGE amount of respect for Phil Spector ... so it was really nice to see The Beach Boys pull off such a fitting tribute.  (kk)  

 

David Beard of Endless Summer Quarterly just sent us this link celebrating the 50th Anniversary of The Beach Boys' album "Shut Down, Volume 2".  You can check it out here:  Click here: Beach Boys' Endless Summer Quarterly celebrates Shut Down Volume 2 album! - National Beach Boys | Examiner.com  

 

re:  EDDIE FISHER: 

Kent,
I just got through scanning today's comments just like I normally due when you post them. I will read them in their entirety later on today.
I did, however, play COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, one of my all time favorites by that rock and roll singer? Eddie Fisher.
Incidentally, I started getting goosebumps from hearing again the tune by Eddie Fisher.
It reminded me immediately of another song which I just now played on you tube, that being Don Cornell's THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO out of 1956.  Singer Nick Noble had a version as well.
Have a great day and I am looking forward later on today to reading Sunday's Comments.
Larry Neal

 

Eddie Fisher's "Fanny" reached #29 in 1954, splitting airplay with another version of the song by Fred Waring & the Pennsylvanians (which also peaked at #29).  It was released as the B side of Fisher's Top 5 hit "Count Your Blessings" as RCA Victor single 5871. 

I've put Eddie Fisher tracks into compilation CDs dealing with the early '50s because he was indeed a major teen idol of that period (a protege of Eddie Cantor).  He would have had to be hot for a record called "I Want Eddie Fisher For Christmas" (New Disc 10013) to actually chart in 1954 (for Betty Johnson).  I consider Eddie a good singer of his type, if you happen to like the kind of over-earnest approach later present in early Paul Anka records.

Would I ever want to play an Eddie Fisher album for pleasure?   No -- but I do like one of his hits: "Dungaree Doll" (RCA Victor 6337), which was his attempt to transform himself into a rock 'n' roller in late 1955.  That particular single peaked at #7 early in 1956, just as the nation's eyes and ears were shifting over to Fisher's stunning new RCA labelmate, Elvis Presley.  Eddie had a couple of solid hits later that year ("On The Street Where You Live" and "Cindy Oh Cindy") but by the end of '56 had clearly been eclipsed.   And Fisher himself then drove the big spike into his personal and career coffin.  

Friends, family and fans never forgave Fisher for his thoughtless affair with Elizabeth Taylor, which destroyed not only his public popularity but Eddie's storybook marriage to Debbie Reynolds (who hit #1 herself in 1957 with "Tammy").  NBC cancelled Fisher's TV variety show early in 1959 and RCA dumped him in 1960 -- the year Debbie scored with an interesting choice of material: the pointed ballad "Am I That Easy To Forget."   Fisher went into freefall after that, primarily playing smaller and smaller club dates.   He recorded again for several labels but was never able to come anywhere close to his former level of popularity.  Other stars survived having the music scene pass them by, but Eddie was different in that audiences viewed his stained reputation with a distaste which overshadowed his ability to still sing.  Eventually Fisher gave up and as his health worsened became a recluse, dying in 2010 at the age of 82.   Remember the enormous outpouring of grief at that time from friends and fans all over the world?  You're right.  There wasn't any because his supporters had vanished.  Sex, drugs, thoughtless behavior and the rise of rock 'n' roll shoved one of the '50s biggest hitmakers into almost total obscurity way before his time.   Yes, it's true that the antics of some later rock, rap, hip hop and pop stars have been far less admirable that Fisher's, but you have to remember that Eddie was at the top of his game in the pre-Elvis 1950s -- a much more innocent time quite devoid of the crudity which pervades so much of pop culture today.   Back then, the sins of Eddie Fisher were considered a very big deal -- especially considering how much the public simultaneously adored Debbie Reynolds.  

Gary Theroux

re:  THIS AND THAT:

Kent,

I know you just mentioned it, but that new Ides of March site is just great!  30 minute videos of the guys sitting around telling stories of the formation, etc, with more to come!  A pre-cursor to Jim Peterik's autobiography, hopefully!  Lots of harmonies and gutiar playing and even (to beat a dead horse) a short rendition of "I've Had It"!!!  A great nearly a capella version of "You Wouldn't Listen" ta boot!http://www.thesongisthevehicle.com/

Clark

Hey Kent, 

I don’t know if you or your subscribers know of this company or not but the stuff they produce is of the highest quality in reproducing oldies.  They go to great lengths to digitally clean and re-master their songs.  They have just released the first four Lettermen albums on Capitol and the first things recorded for Warner Bros. before they moved to Capitol.  Included are some bonus tracks that were not included on any albums.  If you go to their website, you'll find that The Lettermen are the second item on their menu.    http://ericrecords.com/ 

Thanks,  

Gary Pike 

former Letterman now of the Reunion 

Actually yes, I'm VERY familiar with their work.  (In fact a couple of Eric Records Reps are on our Forgotten Hits list!)  They put out the highest caliper material, showing great respect for this music.  Be sure to check out the site, too, for some of the great compilation pieces they have put together over the years.  (kk)

Every Friday this year we've been saluting The British Invasion, as we look back fifty years to the sight and sounds of the era.  (You'll find this week's installment posted here tomorrow!)  Meanwhile, FH Reader Clark Besch just sent us this link to a similarly themed article he found ... 

Hey Kent,

I had this article sent to me that fits in well with all the Brit Invasion stuff.  It's a story from Milwaukee of Bob Barry and WOKY's Beatles concert story of 1964!
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/tvradio/bob-barrys-fifth-beatle-status-almost-didnt-happen-b99197212z1-243593801.html

Got this bit of bad news from Diane Diekman, who covers the country beat in her weekly newsletter ...

(subscribe here:  diane@dianediekman.com)

Kris Kristofferson, age 77, is suffering from a form of dementia similar to Alzheimer’s disease. His severe memory loss comes from years of head injuries from boxing and football in his youth. According to New Scientist, "The condition is chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), previously called punch drunk syndrome, boxer's dementia, or dementia pugilistica. This causes progressive memory problems, personality change and slowness of movement. It afflicts many former sportsmen, mostly boxers." A former Rhodes Scholar and Oxford University student, Kris noticed his memory worsening several years ago. He told an interviewer he's lucky to be able to remember his song lyrics so he can keep performing. At the 2014 Grammy awards show on January 26, he and Willie Nelson sang "Highwayman," and then Merle Haggard and Blake Shelton joined them for "Okie From Muskogee" and "Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys." You can watch the performance here: http://youtu.be/SspAWnLvUFc

re:  CLIPS OF THE WEEK:

With the major league baseball season starting next week, it seemed only appropriate to feature this one again ... sent in by FH Reader Frank B ...

Kent ...

3/24/1938 = Bud and Lou first perform "Who's On First?" for a national radio audience. Baseball season starts next week.
Frank B.
Click here: ? Abbott & Costello Who's On First - YouTube

Pretty revolutionary for 1938, isn't it???  (kk)

 

And finally, here's The Clip Of The Week, sent in by Gary Pike, formerly of The Lettermen.

(Hmmm ... is THIS what they mean by "adding a little sweetening in the studio"???)   

Some fantasy here but what a hoot!!!   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmnnZU9PPyY

Sharing Our Love For The Beach Boys

Kent,   

Can we ever get enough of the Beach Boys? Are we just nine years away from their 60th anniversary tour?  

Wouldn't you just kill to see "Classic Radio" play deep cuts off songs by Brian Wilson and Mike Love from the early to mid-60's?  Of course, you would. 

Anyway, let the arguments begin. 

I have decided to come up with my own "analytical" look at the Beach Boys and their work. 

The Carl Wilson Hall of Fame Division:
1: "God Only Knows"
2: "Sail on Sailor"
3: "Don't Worry Baby" (harmony so rich you can reach out and taste it)
4: "In My Room"  

The Hal Blaine "Wrecking Crew" Division:
1: "Surfer Girl"

2: "I Get Around"
3: "The Lonely Sea" (album cut)

4: "Good Vibrations" - hardly one of my faves but simply has to be included  

The Murray Wilson All-Misery Division:
1: "Kokomo." I know it was a major commercial success but, frankly, and this is saying a lot, I'd rather hear Steve Miller plow his way through "Fly Like An Eagle." Kokomo was really meant to be sung by Donny Osmond or, maybe just maybe, Sammy Davis,Jr.  

The All-Underrated Division:
1: "Forever." I know Dennis Wilson's drumming packed slightly less energy than a guy like Keith Moon, and his vocal range will never remind anybody of Frank Sinatra or Bono.  However, I regard Dennis' "Forever" as one of the most melodic and touching tunes I've ever heard. The song is a masterpiece.
2. "So Young." The Boys remarkable cover of the piece originally done by "The Students." The song with heavy orchestration is a very strong reminder that while Brian Wilson dug the Four Freshman, he was also
heavily influenced by doo wop.

Your turn, kk!
Chet Coppock   

Before I take my turn sharing some of my picks, I'll address some of yours ...  

"God Only Knows" is, simply put, one of the most beautiful songs ever written ... or sung.  Period.  It's the PERFECT recording of the PERFECT song ... and in all these years, I've never grown tired of hearing it.

The fact that "I Get Around" and "Don't Worry Baby" shared both sides of the same single is mind-boggling!  Two complete, opposite extremes of The Beach Boys' sound ... yet still collectively tied into the car-theme that they helped to define in the '60's.  A true testament to the talent of the band at this still relatively early phase of their career. 

I've always lumped "Surfer Girl" and "In My Room" together ... probably because they are so similar in sound.  For me, "Surfer Girl" has always been the hands-down winner ... most days, it very well may be my favorite Beach Boys song of all time.  (Incredible, when one considers how early this record came in their career ... yet it perfectly captures the essence of the beach, surfing and The Beach Boys' phenomenal harmonies.)  The fact that it's based on the somewhat familiar Disney classic "When You Wish Upon A Star" probably helped make the connection for me ... I wasn't even ten years old yet when this one came out ... and still playing Golden Records on my little record player before I discovered The British Invasion and The Top 40.

Others feel just as passionate about "In My Room", describing it as perhaps an early call out for help from an already tormented Brian Wilson.  Both songs showcase the impeccable harmonies the group had already mastered at this early stage of their career.  

"Sail On Sailor" was actually sung by short-term Beach Boy Blondie Chaplain, not Carl Wilson ... and it just may be their all-time greatest hit that never was.  (How on earth this track failed is beyond me ... it's a TRUE classic ... but even two separate releases couldn't help propel it up the charts.  Memo to Rich Appel - please cast my vote for THIS one as one of the greatest "It Really Shoulda" Been A Top Ten Hit!!!)  

Seldom-played album tracks like "The Lonely Sea", "'Til I Die" and Dennis Wilson's "Forever" also rank amongst my all-time favorites.  Each of these is a gem that once again shows the depth of their talent as a band ... and all hold up incredibly well today.

I've never been a fan of "Good Vibrations" ... personally, I  don't feel that it ever lived up to all the hype that surrounded it when it was being recorded nor have I grown any more fond of it over time.  (I always preferred "Heroes And Villains", which I considered to be the more creative and inventive piece from this era.)  That being said, there is absolutely no denying the fact that it's a classic ... another song that DEFINES The Beach Boys ... and, if you took a poll of Beach Boys fans around the country, this one probably would come in at #1.  (Just not in MY book!)  

As for "Kokomo", I have to admit that I have a soft-spot for this one.  A MAJOR comeback for The Boys, YEARS after the whole world had counted them out.  Yes, it got a bit annoying at times (but in MY opinion blows "Fly Like An Eagle" away!  At least I'll let "Kokomo" play nearly every time it comes on.)   

Consider for a moment the massive amount of talent that went into the writing of this song ... Mike Love, John Phillips (of The Mamas and the Papas), Scott McKenzie (who had the HUGE 1967 hit "San Francisco", also written by Phillips) and Terry Melcher, who produced some of the greatest music the '60's had to offer.  Incredibly, nary a Wilson Brother in sight!  A #1 Hit without ANY help from Brian Wilson!!!  Who would have ever thought it possible!  (In fact, they had to convince Brian to come back in order to appear in the video ... he's not even on the record!  Of course having John Stamos in the video probably didn't hurt things either!  lol) 

It gave them their last #1 Hit ... in the '80's no less!  And came 22 years after their last official Billboard #1 Single.  Pretty impressive by ANYBODY'S standards.  

And then 25 years later they completely amazed us again when last year's 50th Anniversary Tour proved just how popular The Beach Boys still are ... playing to sold out houses from coast to coast ... while their brand new album "That's Why God Made The Radio" debuted near the top of the charts.  There is no denying the magic these guys have shared with us.

The universal love for the early Beach Boys hits is a given ... Brian and the boys tapped into a nerve and captured the hearts of the whole world ... no matter how close the nearest ocean may have been ... the entire universe felt the experience of California and dreamed of California Girls, hot rods, surfin' and just hangin' out at the beach.  I honestly don't think I can narrow it down to less than 50 favorites released between 1962 and 1971 ... and even then I'd probably be able to list another 50 "extras" in the "runner up" position!!!  And the ranking order of those favorites would probably change based on my mood of the day.  

This early music is SO familiar to all of us that it really doesn't warrant much further exploration ... we've all lived it ... and we've all loved it ... and we all have our personal favorites.  So a few years ago we tried to capture some of the "forgotten" Beach Boys gems that some of you may have missed the first time around, after The Boys Of Summer fell out of favor with the radio for awhile.  They continued to release some outstanding tracks ... unfortunately most of these came without much musical direction and were often buried inside a bunch of crap that didn't click then ... and hasn't aged well ... making it all that much more difficult to listen to now ... especially when stacked against the incredible depth of the rest of their catalog.  

Check out this week-long series of articles we ran a few years ago on the website, pointing out some of the goodies you might not be as immediately familiar with ... you just might find a new favorite or two among them.  (kk)

http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2008/06/beach-boys-americas-band.html     
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2008/07/beach-boys-1970.html

http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2008/07/beach-boys-1971.html

http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2008/07/beach-boys-1973-1976.html

http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2008/07/beach-boys-1977-1980.html

http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2008/07/beach-boys-1985-and-happy-ending.html

And speaking of Rich Appel's I.R.S. Countdown, you're running out of time to cast your vote ... here's a final reminder ... along with links to vote for your favorites and most-deserving ... along with information on where to listen to the results.  

If you’ve already filed your form to help build Hz So Good's 7th annual I.R.S. (as in, “It Really Shoulda“ been a Top 10 hit!) Top 104, you don’t have to do anything except sit back and wait to hear which of your songs make the cut when the countdown kicks off Friday April 11 at 6 pm Eastern on Rewound Radio.com (and noon ET Sunday April 13).

If you haven’t yet filed, and you’d still like to - and qualify to win a few things we’ll be giving away during the countdown, such as 4-disc sets of this year’s Top 104 - you’ve got until April 1st to list your songs using the “E-Z form” at Rewound Radio’s website (where you’ll also find all the guidelines for filing - also ‘E-Z'). 

If you can’t wait for the countdown, tune to Rewound Radio for daily “countdown to the countdown” features starting April 2, and check Facebook's “I.R.S. Top 104” group for other exclusives until kickoff time. (As always, you can check out current and back issues of Hz So Good at the 60s70s dot org site.)

H&z ROCK ... a division of

Up-Coming Shows

Three Dog Night (the Two-Dog Version) hits The Arcada Theatre this Friday Night ... and we can't wait to see them.   

Danny Hutton and Cory Wells tore things up on a very rainy and soggy night in Elk Grove Village last year ... and we're really looking forward to these guys recreating all the hits live on stage at the intimate Arcada Theatre.   

They sold the place out a couple of years ago ... we couldn't even get in!!!  So if you're looking for tickets, I suggest you grab them now!  
www.oshows.com    

Catch our review of last year's show here: http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/07/three-dog-night.html   

The missing third, Chuck Negron, returns to the area in August when Chuck performs as part of the 2014 Happy Together Tour.  One of our readers recently saw Chuck in Connecticut and filed this report ...

http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2014/03/chuck-negron-concert-review.html

Meanwhile, have you heard who's touring as the new lead vocalist of Blood, Sweat and Tears?!?!?  

Call it "idol gossip" if you like, but American Idol runner-up Bo Bice (who did that GREAT version of "Vehicle" on the show the year he lost to Carrie Underwood) is now serving that honor ... so this, too, may be a show you'd like to see when it hits your area.  (Check out this video clip of Bice performing the hits ... he's cleaned-up nicely, hasn't he?!?!  And he sounds pretty damn good, too!!!)  kk

Click here: Welcome - Blood Sweat and Tears

Here is a list of scheduled tour dates for this year:

March 28: Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News, VA

April 4:  Macomb Center for the Arts, Clinton Township, MI 
***NOTE:  Bo Bice is NOT appearing on this show   
April 5:  Jackson Community College-Potter, Jackson, MI  ***NOTE:  Bo Bice is NOT appearing on this show   
May 7:  City of Morganton Municipal, Morganton, NC   
May 23: River Spirit Casino, Tulsa, OK  (7:00 pm show)   
June 28: Gerge Williams College of Aurora University - The Ferro Pavillion, Williams Bay, WI   
July 19: Lakeside Association - Hoover Auditorium, Lakeside, OH   
July 31: Blue Ocean Hall, Salisbury, MA - Two shows  6:00 pm & 9:00 pm   
August 1:   Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, New Bedford, MA   
August 2:   Hall Auditorium, Petoskey, MI   
August 14: Upper Peninsula State Fair, Escanaba, MI   
August 21 & 22 : Minnesota State Fair - Bandshell Tonight, St.Paul, MN - Two nights    
September 13: Kenley Amphitheatre, Layton, UT  September 25: South Plains Faire, Lubbock, TX   
October 10: Struthers Library Theatre, Warren, PA   
October 11: Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts, Patchogue, NY      
Be sure to check the Blood, Sweat and Tears website for more dates as they become available.     

Speaking of tour dates, The Eagles have added another fifteen dates to their never-ending "History Of The Eagles" tour ... believed by most to be the last hurrah for this great band.     
New stops have been added here:  

08/25 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome

08/27 - Portland, OR - MODA Center

08/29 and 8/30 - Lake Tahoe, NV - Harvey's Outdoor Amphitheatre

09/02 - Salt Lake City, UT - Energy Solutions Arena

09/05 - Omaha, NE - CenturyLink Center

09/06 - Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Center

09/08 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena

09/10 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center

09/12 - Allentown, PA - PPL Center

09/13 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

09/15 - Boston, MA - TD Garden

10/01 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena

10/03 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center

10/04 - San Diego, CA - Viejas Arena

And if you're one of those who just can't get enough of "Jack And Diane", you might want to catch John Mellencamp at one of his mini-tour stops: 

06/20 and 6/21 - Thackerville, OK - Winstar Casino

07/03 - Niagara Falls, NY - Seneca Niagara Casino 

07/05 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena 

07/06 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Casino 

07/18 - Cheyenne, WY - Frontier Nights 

07/19 - Minot, ND - North Dakota State Fair 

07/30 and 7/31 - Orillia, ON - Casino Rama 

08/01 - Windsor, ON - Colosseum at Caesars Windsor Casino

One show that I DO think would be fun to see is the pairing of Lionel Richie and Cee Lo Green.  They hit Chicago on September 29th ... but have several other dates planned, too ... 

09/18 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live 

09/21 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa 

09/22 - Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods MGM Grand Theater 

09/24 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center 

09/25 - Washington, DC - Patriot Center

09/27 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheater 

09/28 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena 

09/29 - Chicago, IL - United Center 

10/02 - Rama, ON - Casino Rama 

10/03 - Windsor, ON - Caesars Windsor 

10/05 - Tulsa, OK - Hard Rock Casino 

10/06 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits 

10/09 - Mexico City, Mexico - Area de Ciudad de Mexico City 

10/12 - Hoston, TX - Woodlands Pavilion 

10/13 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits 

10/17 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavillion 

10/18 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl

And I WILL admit that there is a part of me that is a little bit more than curious enough to want to see Queen + Adam Lambert when they hit town on June 19th.  (In fact, the tour STARTS in Chicago!)

June
19 - United Center, Chicago
21 - MTS Centre, Winnipeg
23 - Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon
24 - Rexall Place, Edmonton
26 - Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
28 - Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, B.C.
July
1 - SAP Center, San Jose, Calif.
3 - The Forum, Los Angeles
5-6 - The Joint, Las Vegas
9 - Toyota Center, Houston
10 - American Airlines Center, Dallas
12 - The Palace at Auburn Hills, Detroit
13 - Air Canada Centre, Toronto
14 - Bell Centre, Montreal
16 - Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
17 - Madison Square Garden, New York
19 - Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.
20 - Merriweather Post Pavilion, Washington, D.C.
22 - TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
23 - Izod Center, East Rutherford, N.J.
25 - Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.
26 - Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J.
28 - Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ont.

Times Square Gossip ran a great review of this past weekend's Monkees Convention in New Jersey, which was also attended by Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith (as well as their families!)  We told you a couple of days ago that The Monkees are back on tour ... and headed to our area on May 31st to perform at The Star Plaza Theater in Merrillville, IN.  (I'm hoping to attend that one as, believe it or not, I have NEVER been able to see Nesmith live in concert!) More details below:

http://www.timessquaregossip.com/2014/03/inside-and-out-of-monkee-convention-2014.html

Despite the implication in this report that there MIGHT be a Monkees tour, we're here to tell you that there absolutely IS a Monkees tour!!!  (Check the schedule and see if they may be comin' to your town!)

In fact The Monkees are scheduling dates around already booked solo appearances by Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith so that fans like us (Micky's here solo on May 2nd at The Arcada Theatre, appearing with The Cowsills ... and then again on May 31st at The Star Plaza with The Monkees) have ample opportunities to see their favorites.

More dates are reportedly still being added ... but here's what we know so far ...

May 22nd - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom - Hampton, NH

May 23rd - Borgata Music Box - Atlantic City, NJ

May 24th - New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Prudential Hall - Newark, NJ

May 25th - Paramont Theater - Huntington, NY

May 27th - Sands Bethlehem Event Center - Bethlehem, PA

May 28th - Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA

May 30th - Fox Theater - Detroit, MI

May 31st - Star Plaza Theatre - Merrillville, IN

June 1st - Riverside Theatre - Milwaukee, WI

June 2nd - Weesner Family Ampitheater - Minneapolis, MN

June 4th - Uptown Theater - Kansas City, MO

June 5th - Fox Theater - St. Louis, MO

June 6th - PNC Pavilion At The Riverbend Music Center - Cincinnati, OH

June 7th - Hard Rock Rocksnio - Northfield, OH