Saturday, April 19, 2014

The Saturday Surveys (April 19th)

This WKYC Chart from Cleveland (April, 1968) shows National Hits "Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro, "Cry Like A Baby" by The Box Tops, "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell and the Drells, "A Beautiful Morning" by The Rascals and "Young Girl" by The Union Gap all firmly planted in The Top Ten, just like they were from coast to coast.

But it also shows a few surprises ... "Listen Listen" by The Merry-Go-Round is at #5 (these guys were HUGE out on the West Coast ... but never had much success nationally), O.C. Smith is at #8 with "The Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp" (a GREAT Forgotten Hit featured not too long ago on these pages) and The Doors' "Unknown Soldier" is at #9, down from #4 the week before.  (This one barely made Billboard's Top 40, peaking at #39.)



Other surprises include "Tin Soldier" by The Small Faces, "Sherry Don't Go" by The Lettermen and "I Will Always Think About You" by The New Colony Six, all snuggly placed in The Top 20. 

(You'll find another Cleveland-area chart down below from 1967 ... again, you'll see they pretty much went their own way when it came to MAKING the hits.)



Without a doubt one of the biggest and most popular radio stations in Philadelphia has always been WIBG ("Wibbage") ... and this chart dating all the way back to 1964 shows them charting The Top 99 Records Of The Week!!!

Naturally, The Beatles top the chart ... but with a rather unlikely candidate ... I don't think I've seen another chart yet where "Do You Want To Know A Secret" / "Thank You Girl" came in at #1!!!  (Of course they're also at #3 with "Can't Buy Me Love" / "You Can't Do That", at #5 with "Twist And Shout", at #30 with "All My Lovin'", at #34 with "Love Me Do", at #39 with "I'll Get You" (a rare B-Side that never charted nationally ... yet one of their very best early tracks), at #71 with "Why" (actually a Tony Sheridan record where The Beatles were the back-up band) and at #72 with "There's a Place".




And then two distinctly different charts from this week in 1967.

First up, WIXY in Cleveland, charting one of their own at the #1 Position ... "It's Cold Outside" by The Choir.  (Some of these guys would go on to join The Raspberries a few years later and enjoy even greater success on the charts.)



And there's Terry Knight again, this time holding down the #3 Spot with "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love".

Check out The Blues Magoos at #12 with "Pipe Dream" ... and Jeff Beck at #31 with "Hi Ho Silver Lining"!


KRLA's chart refers to their list as the "Most Requested" songs ... and there must be something to that ... because you couldn't even buy the #1 Record if you wanted to ... "Valerie" (again misspelled) wouldn't be released as a single until a year later ... so they, too, must have been playing it off of the sound track of The Monkees' television show.  (Here in Chicago WCFL used to count down the most-requested songs of the day ... and "Valleri" consistently beat ALL of the competition ... including The Monkees' own current recordings!  If Colgems would have released this record then, it very well could have been the biggest single of their career!)  The Monkees' REAL single at the time "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" / "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" held down the #4 spot.

Our buddies The Yellow Balloon are all the way up at #3 with THEIR big hit "Yellow Balloon".  In fact you'll find quite a few "Friends of Forgotten Hits" on this list again ... 

Tommy James and the Shondells' "I Think We're Alone Now" is #2, "No Milk Today" / "There's A Kind of Hush" by Herman's Hermits is #6, "Blues' Theme" by Davie Allan and the Arrows is #10, Paul Revere and the Raiders are at #13 with "Him Or Me, What's It Gonna Be", "Happy Together" by The Turtles is right behind it at #14 and "Don't You Care" by The Buckinghams are at #25.

And check out The Beatles' hit at #31 ... a full six weeks before the "Sgt. Pepper" album was released, KRLA was evidently already playing "A Day In The Life" from some sort of advance pressing of the LP ... except they were calling it "A Day And A Life"!!!  (You've REALLY got to wonder how they got access to THAT track!!!)

Other titles worth mentioning:  The Robbs at #35 with "Rapid Transit", "Live" by The Merry-Go-Round at #12 (down from #3 the week before) and a Top Ten Hit by Music Machine called "Double Yellow Line" at #7. (We never heard THAT one here in Chicago!!!)







Friday, April 18, 2014

50 Years Ago This Weekend ... And Even MORE Of Your Dave Clark Five Comments

50 Years Ago This Weekend: 
  
New on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart this week were DIANE by THE BACHELORS (often lumped into The British Invasion despite their real origins in Ireland) at #74, BILLY J. KRAMER AND THE DAKOTAS, another act managed by BRIAN EPSTEIN, manager of THE BEATLES, with LITTLE CHILDREN (#87 with a bullet) and WHY (#88), another song recorded back in the Hamburg days by THE BEATLES with TONY SHERIDAN on lead vocals. 

Back in the "meat of the charts", CAN'T BUY ME LOVE was enjoying its third week at #1 (pretty remarkable in that this was only its fourth week on the chart overall!)  TWIST AND SHOUT held at #2 (it reached #1 on both of the other national trades, but for some reason NOT in Billboard.  It was #1 here in Chicago, too … and just about EVERYWHERE from what I've seen.  To this day it remains one of their best-loved singles.)  DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET? cracked The Top Ten, coming in at #5, THE DAVE CLARK FIVE's GLAD ALL OVER was at #7 and SHE LOVES YOU was at #8. 

Other British hits in The Top 20 that week include BITS AND PIECES (another hit by THE DC5, now at #11), NEEDLES AND PINS by THE SEARCHERS at #13), and a couple more BEATLES tracks, PLEASE PLEASE ME (#16) and I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND (#19).  The Brits were also represented at #32 with HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE (by THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS), #45 with I SAW HER STANDING THERE, #49 with ALL MY LOVING, #50 with THANK YOU GIRL, #51 with DUSTY SPRINGFIELD's STAY AWHILE and #55 with YOU CAN'T DO THAT.  (That makes 11 BEATLES singles in all ... with ten in the Top 60).  

For the second week in a row an American act holds down the top spot on The WLS Silver Dollar Survey.  (Last week it was "Suspicion", the Elvis sound-alike record by Terry Stafford, and this week it's "Crooked Little Man (Don't Let The Rain Come Down)" by The Serendipity Singers.)  "Suspicion" would rise to the top again next week and sit there for two more weeks before being replaced by a two-sided hit by Jan and Dean, "Dead Man's Curve" backed with "New Girl In School".  The British Invasion acts wouldn't recapture the #1 Spot until May 15th when "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love" began its four week reign on top of the WLS Chart. 

This week "Can't  Buy Me Love" is at #3, now coupled with its B-Side "You Can't Do That", "Glad All Over" is at #5 and "Thank You Girl" / "Do You Want To Know A Secret" is at #8 (with "Secret" making its first WLS chart appearance … but "Thank You Girl" still being shown as the A-Side … the same thing happened here with "Shut Down" and "Surfin' U.S.A." by The Beach Boys … and a few years later … for a week anyway … with "Steppin' Stone" / "I'm A Believer" by The Monkees.  As such "Steppin' Stone" actually logged a week at #1 as the A-Side of the record!) 

"Bits And Pieces" is at #10, "Twist And Shout" at #12, Jimmy Griffin's version of "All My Lovin'" at #14, and "Beatle Time" by The Livers at #28. 

New on the charts this week are "Yesterday's Gone" by Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde (#26), "Not Fade Away" by The Rolling Stones (#33) and "Stay Awhile" by Dusty Springfield (#37).  I have NO idea why "I Only Want To Be With You" by Dusty didn't chart here … I absolutely remember hearing it at the time.  (It did, however, make our Top Tunes Of Greater Chicagoland Chart, peaking at #34 … but that survey wasn't tied to any specific radio station at the time … and in 1964 about the ONLY place you were going to hear this stuff was on WLS … WCFL wouldn't start up for nearly two more years!)   


The Dave Clark Five:   

Folks are STILL writing in about The Dave Clark Five / PBS Documentary Special ... only now we seem to be receiving far more negative reviews than positive reviews.  (In all fairness it may be more accurate to say fans were "disappointed" than to say the special wasn't any good.  If you're a fan of this music, you welcome ANY opportunity to see and hear it again!)   

Here's some feedback based on the latest batch of comments we've received ...  

I don't care what anybody says - I thought the PBS Special was fantastic.  I've already ordered a copy of the dvd.  It was just so good to hear this music again and see some of the clips, many of which I've never seen before as well as others that I haven't seen in nearly fifty years.  
Stan    

The Ed Rudy DC5 interview album has been on my search list for decades.  I even asked Ed Rudy, who is still alive, about reissuing it along with his Rolling Stones interview LP combined on a single CD but he didn't sound all that interested.   I do have the Stones one and his Beatles interview LP, and both are quite revealing.   The Beatles one has been reissued but the Stones and DC5 -- sadly, no. All the best, 
Gary 
Doing a quick search I found (incredibly!) a SEALED copy of the Dave Clark Five interview LP ... hey, and it's only $185!!!  (lol)  A little rich for me right now ... but I, too, would love to hear it.  Might anybody out there have an audio copy to share?  Thanks!  (kk) 
Hi, Kent. 
While I do not know how many different Radio Pulsebeat LPs (interviews conducted by Ed Rudy) were produced in the mid-'60s, there were at least four: two featuring the Beatles and one each by The Rolling Stones and The Dave Clark Five.   Ed Rudy today operates his own website (edrudy.com)  and through it sells the contents of the two Beatle interview LPs remastered onto a single CD.   As for the Stones and DC5 material, it has sat unreissued for decades.  A number of years ago I e-mailed Mr. Rudy and suggested he combine the Stones and DC5 content onto a single "British Invasion" CD but he's never done it.   Now that the DC5 PBS special has garned some traction, I again wrote to him with the same request and this time got a different -- but still inconclusive -- answer: 
Dear Gary, 
Thank you very much! 
It is an excellent thought! 
Ed Rudy 
I have a vinyl copy of Ed Rudy's Stones LP but have never been able to score -- at anything close to a reasonable price -- a copy of the DC5 one.   The DC5 made at least one other (possibly one-sided) promo-only interview album released by Warner Bros. in 1965 to help hype their movie "Having A Wild Weekend."   If a FH reader has a clean copy of both or either of those DC5 interview LPs and wouldn't mind burning the audio on them to a CDR for me, I would be very grateful.  Perhaps in exchange I could offer sealed copies of some of the many multi-disc CD box sets of various kinds I've put together for direct-mail marketing over the years.  I always interested in audio interviews I do not have with hitmakers of all eras. 
Gary  
I've seen the "Having A Wild Weekend" disc listed a few times, too ... a quick check this morning turned up the picture sleeve only ... but no vinyl ... on eBay.  If somebody out there can move a little quicker than Mr. Rudy to get us a copy of these two interview discs, please let me know ... 'cause now I'D like to hear them, too!!!    Thanks!  (kk)  

Kent, 
Of course I saw and read your Sunday feature on the Dave Clark Five snubbing by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  We were so looking forward to seeing Mike at the induction.  All the ducks were in a row so he could appear, but in this case, the last bit of fund-raising for the van and the American trip, helped us more than we were able to help Mike.  Wait ... I think it really helped Mike to see himself as loved through the eyes of others.  We wanted him to know.  I never met Mike in person.  It didn't matter.  There is a musical spirit that binds me to the people and times.  I believe they were where they were supposed to be, and I was where I was and am, supposed to be. 
Did you say that you have a bootleg of The Tribute to Mike Smith concert?  Always good to share with your friends, Kent.  Exasperating that it was never released.  Would have been a great fund-raiser. (which was what it was supposed to be in the first place)  There was much questioning about this whole thing as it was unfolding. 
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano   
Funny thing is I saw it advertised in any number of places ... in fact, had already ordered a copy and then had my money returned when the whole deal fell through.  We were in communication with Gordon Waller at the time who was both hurt and frustrated by the fact that this disc was not going to see the light of day.  Sadder still, Gordon passed away a short time later.  You know, if Dave Clark ever truly realized where his meal ticket came from, HE would step in and get this thing released so that the public can see and enjoy it ... and raise money for Mike's family ... but it's pretty unlikely that that'll ever happen ... because as we all know in HIS eyes, HE was pretty much the sole reason for the band's success.  (kk)   

I agree with most of these comments about the DC5 PBS documentary.  I liked the old footage and hearing the songs again, even in snippets. At least it was the DC5 recordings. I've watched too many cheesy music bio productions that can't obtain the music rights. Watching it made me annoyed and angry at Dave Clark. He bought up the old Ready Steady Go shows banking on a 60s nostalgia craze ... then he locks away his band's efforts. He did his band mates a terrible injustice by being so greedy. What on earth is Whoopi Goldberg doing anywhere near this show? Minus 20 points. And Sharon Osborne?  Minus 20. The Time blab at the end was more Dave self indulgence. Where's Lenny Davidson?  He's still alive, best I can tell. I think I heard last he was teaching guitar and playing in a church band ... probably for food. It was interesting to hear Sir Paul comment about his former pop star rivals. I wonder what kind of deal was going on behind the scenes. Did Paul owe him one for RSG footage in Beatles Anthology? Don't get me wrong ... I love the old songs. Anyway You Want It, Bits and Pieces, Over and Over, Try Too Hard, Glad All Over rock as hard as anything in the 60s or Seattle in the 90s or anything. Dave wasn't THE band but I suspect he was his own Allen Klein. If Dave is trying to be forgotten he's on the right track. He owes Tom Hanks big time. I think he owes Sex Clark Five too although their following may eventually overtake the Tottenham bunch. Thanks  
Matt Reynolds    

>>>I wasn't willing to stay up until two to watch the Dave Clark Five special, and my DVR can't record off of the TV  (John LaPuzza) 
Can you find out from John what his DVR records off of?  Is it his toaster?  His Microwave?  His radio? 
Steve 
I have to admit, I was a little baffled by that one, too!!!  Sounds like it's been on a couple of times already ... and the DVD is available for pre-order with a mid-May release date ... so I think I'm just gonna buy it and enjoy the two hours of extras!  (kk)   

Hey Kent,  
One more quick comment regarding the DC5 PBS Special - for all we heard on the special about what a great live band the DC5 were, we never get to hear them live! In every clip we ever see, they are lip synching. This has been incredibly disappointing for a long time and I was hoping the special would give us a few actual live performances to peruse. Other than a brief Nineteen Days and Georgia On My Mind (which wasn’t very impressive), we got more canned performances.  The special was overall very disappointing - completely irrelevant commentators, nothing but plaudits and a tribute to Clark’s ego. Too bad. 
Greg Favata - NC6 
You didn't find it incredibly entertaining to learn that Whoopi Goldberg wanted to do The Dave Clark Five?!?!  (lol)  Clark has ALWAYS manipulated his band's performances ... even back when the "Ready, Steady, Go" shows came out, the DC5 appearances were cherry-picked and edited in ... FROM OTHER SHOWS!!!  They weren't even RSG performances!  I get the whole idea of always putting your best foot forward ... but I agree with you ... within the context of this "in-depth" profile of the band, it WOULD have been really nice to see them in action once or twice.  (Maybe on the bonus footage???)  kk   

>>>I was just happy to finally see some of this incredible footage again ... in better quality than all the bootleg tapes I've had for decades now.  I'm hoping the DVD release (with two additional hours of bonus footage) will concentrate more on the music and the other members of the band. (kk)  
Hey Kent: 
Yep, it’s better than nothing at all, I give you that. DC would be better served just offering a DVD of all the clips he feels like releasing. That would be great. Also, it was weird in Milwaukee when they came in ’64. You had the banner contest, where the winner got his banner on the LP cover. You had the promoter of the show double selling tickets so that the place was completely jam-packed. It was nuts they say. Also, there are pictures of young kid on stage who looks like he’s passed out, which was my friend Barry!! He was nearly crushed at the stage and luckily some security person saw him and lifted him on stage. Close call!! Ken     

If anyone has  “The History Of The Dave Clark Five”  1993 CD they got a good glimpse of what a PBS documentary of The Dave Clark Five would be like. To start off with, you have the cover of the CD which has Dave Clark’s mug and half of faces of the rest of the boys. If you turn to the last page of the booklet you’ll see Dave’s same mug  shot and the other half of the boys faces. The booklet and pictures are also primary Dave Clark just like the PBS special.   
Dave gives no credit to the amount of writing that Mike Smith and Lenny Davidson did but if you check the 50 song breakdown on the CD you’ll see that Dave Clark collaborated with someone on all but two of their songs. The 13 page write up the CD booklet was done by a Ken Barnes who must of heading up the Dave Clark Fan Club. There are two pages of photos which are headline clipping from the newspapers. They also are primarily Dave Clark headline captions. “We Want Dave”, "They All Want Dave”, “Dave Clark Crushed”, “Riot Over Dave Clark”, “Dave fans banned by airport”, "Dave gets A Jet For U.S. Tour",  “Pop Star Dave Is No. 1”, “Dave Has Good Reason To Be “Glad All Over”.  Was “DAVE” an abbreviated  name used for “The Dave Clark Five” ???  I always thought it was DC 5.   
You really get the sense of Clark having some type of Svengali / Rasputin hold on the boys in the band. I haven’t run into any bad mouthing from members of the group. There is an interview with Mike Smith that I listened to where the interviewer tried to get Mike to dish the dirt out on Clark but he wouldn’t. The closest thing to a negative that Mike gave was when talking about  the collaboration of Clark & Smith on “Glad All Over”.    
Mike Smith said that Dave Clark told him they needed to come out with their own material so Mike went home and wrote “Glad Over Over”.  The collaborating extent of Dave’s contribution to the hit was playing on it and putting it on his produced single and Greatest Hit LP.  The credit for the writing of “Glad All Over” reads Dave Clark – Mike Smith. Apparently, if you check all the DC5’s original material there’s not a song that Smith or Davidson penned on their own.  
Reviewing past articles on Mike Smith's passing, the two that stand out are the benefit concert held after his accident and the death notice which says his estate was a modest 66,000 pounds.  Dave Clark’s contribution to the benefit concert was letting the DC 5  songs be used for one night.   
Jerry Kamper     
 
Kent -  I read something recently that explained that DC5 songs were sometimes left off oldies playlists simply because stations didn't have access to them. Since the songs weren't released on CD until 1992, this would make some sense. With scant radio play and no compilations showing up in the racks, the group was out of sight and mind. Wondering if any Forgotten Hits readers can confirm. 
Carl Wiser  
www.songfacts.com   
I can absolutely tell you that this is true.  Dave Clark, for all his self-proclaimed marketing genius, REALLY blew it with this decision in my opinion.  (Not unlike Allen Klein and all the Cameo / Parkway stuff)  By locking all of this material away in the vaults (I suppose in the hopes of generating more mystique, interest and, ideally, a big pay day down the road), what he REALLY did was a HUGE disservice to these artists by making their music unavailable to the general music-loving public ... people who listen to the radio and then go out and buy the music that they hear. Some of the better oldies stations took the extra steps to buy "oldies 45s" of some of The Dave Clark Five's best known hits in order to keep them in rotation ... there were also a couple of foreign greatest hits collections that came out during that period of time ... but, for the most part, you just couldn't get your hands on this material unless you were willing to pay big bucks for it.  But THAT money went to the collectors, NOT to Dave Clark or his bandmates ... so in MY mind anyway, it's one of the biggest bone-head moves in music history.  PLUS he denied himself the opportunity to keep this music out there and introduce brand new generations to the thumping beat of the Tottenham Sound. Here in The States, The Dave Clark Five had 18 Top 40 Hits between 1964 and 1967 ... we've typically heard the biggest:  "Glad All Over", "Bits And Pieces", "Can't You See That She's Mine", "Because", "You've Got What It Takes", "Over and Over" and "Catch Us If You Can" ... but that leaves nearly a dozen OTHER great hits by the wayside. With SO many people talking about The DC5 again thanks to this PBS Special (albeit not always in the most positive light, as we've seen by the comments that we've received!), perhaps this marketing genius will FINALLY make some of this other material available again for the whole world to enjoy.  (kk)

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Paul Revere and the Raiders with The New Colony Six


Even at 76 years of age, Paul Revere can out-perform many of his contemporaries with one hand tied behind his back ... or, in the case of Sunday Night's Show, tied in FRONT of him.  (Revere recently had rotator cuff surgery and only had one hand available to use on his signature keyboard fills.)  

The past couple of years have not been kind to Paul.  He has had a number of health issues and they seem to be taking a toll on him.  But ever the trooper, Revere continues to perform to the delight of sold out audiences everywhere.  (During his show at The Arcada Theatre Sunday Night, he was already talking about his Rock And Roll Cruise leaving in January of 2015 ... simply put, this guy is NOT going down without a fight!) 

He has enlisted his son to join in on stage as part of the band ... but this is no token, throw-away bit of nepotism ... the kid can PLAY!  Quite a guitarist, he dazzled on a couple of solos.  Where Revere's slow down is most noticeable is in his once rapid-fire pacing of patter throughout the show.  On more than a couple of occasions, he truly seemed to lose his place, needing some help from a couple of his band members in order to stay on track ... whereas before this always seemed to be part of the schtick, Sunday Night it felt a lot more real.  While there were times that this was sad and difficult to watch, I've still got to give him an A for effort ... this guy's a performer of the highest caliber ... and that's pure show-biz running through his veins.  (Unfortunately all of that great adrenalin seems to now be sharing the same space as some necessary medication, which appears to be slowing him down!)

On the plus side, he's got an INCREDIBLE band.  Bassist Ron Foos and Guitarist Don Heath have been with him for over forty years now ... and Keyboardist Danny Krause isn't far behind with 35 years under his belt.  Even the new kids ... Lead Vocalist Darren Dowler (a man of a thousand voices) and Drummer Tommy Scheckel (a drummer the likes of which you've never seen before ... unless, of course, you've seen Tommy Scheckel!) ... have already spent a few years with the certified Mad Man of Rock And Roll.  

Musically, they're as solid as a rock ... they can probably do this show in their sleep ... but it never feels that way.  In fact, quite a few more of their hit songs were featured as part of medleys this time around ... which meant that more recognizable hit material could be included in their set ... as such, we were treated to GREAT Forgotten Hits Raiders tracks like "Let Me", "The Great Airplane Strike", "Ups And Downs", "Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon", "Him Or Me, What's It Gonna Be" and "Birds Of A Feather", tracks that both radio ... and the band ... have ignored for years.  (One thing about Paul Revere and the Raiders ... even when one considers the thousands and thousands and thousands of shows they've done over the years, they've never done the same show twice.  Revere continues to mix things up on stage to keep the band on their toes ... and, as such, they all seem to be having a great time up there on stage, never quite knowing for sure what to expect next.)  It keeps things moving and adds an extra bit of fun to the whole experience, making it all that much more entertaining when something unexpected happens or goes slightly wrong!  The audience is definitely part of the wild ride when these guys are up on stage!

Here's hoping he stays strong for another 76 years ... there are few artists out there that can entertain an audience the way that these guys do.



***


Opening for Paul Revere and the Raiders were Chicago's very own New Colony Six.  (We were instrumental in instigating this unique pairing, something I've ALWAYS wanted to see.) 

Back in The Summer of '65 (four years before Bryan Adams bought his first real six string), The New Colony Six were starting to make a name for themselves playing the clubs around Chicagoland ... but they felt that they would never hit the big time limiting themselves to The Windy City ... NO other rock band had ever made it big out of Chicago before ... so they packed up all their gear and headed out to Sunny Cal-I-For-Ni-A, landing on The Sunset Strip in Hollywood at a duplex motel.  Back then, part of their gimmick was their colonial uniforms ... so imagine their surprise when they checked in and began unloading to find another rock group renting the space above them ... ALSO decked out in Revolutionary gear.  Yep, it was Paul Revere and the Raiders.  In Ray Graffia Jr.'s words, all jaws collectively dropped.

The big difference during that entire experience was the fact that one of Paul Revere and the Raiders' auditions that week was with Dick Clark Productions ... and Dick fell in love with the band, signing them to host his brand new afternoon rock and roll show "Where The Action Is".  (The New Colony Six, meanwhile, came home feeling quite depressed and dejected.)

But, lo and behold, thanks to the love and belief of their families, several of the parents kicked in money to start their own record company ... and Centaur Records was formed.  The band went in and cut their first single later that year, and by the time the calendar flipped to 1966, "I Confess" was the #2 Record in Chicagoland!  They had done it ... a rock group from Chicago made the charts.  The record soon started climbing the national charts as well, eventually peaking at #64 in Record World.

More hits followed ... SEVENTEEN Top 40 Hits in all on the Chicago Charts ... and a dozen of those made The National Charts as well.  Before The Buckinghams ... before The Cryan' Shames ... before The Ides Of March, The American Breed or The Shadows Of Knight ... The New Colony Six were the FIRST rock band from Chicago to hit the charts and pave the way for all of other acts to follow.  Their 17 local hits is more than ANY other local band of this era ... yet they seem to have been short-changed for a good chunk of their career, often falling in the shadows of some of these other hometown heroes.

Sunday Night they proved that they've still got it ... in one of the best performances I've ever seen them do, The New Colony Six played eight of those hits (along with a killer "Chicago Gold" medley, spotlighting one song each by the other groups mentioned above) to a very receptive audience.  (There seemed to be a fair amount of concern earlier in the week that The New Colony Six may be too similarly dressed as the headliners to share the same stage ... but for me that was always part of the charm of pairing these two acts up together in the first place.)  Incredibly, as a token of deference to the headlining band, The New Colony Six offered to wear their more "subtle black outfits" out of respect ... only to find that Paul Revere and the Raiders came out in a very similar black uniform get-up for their set!  (Needless to say, I'm sure a few more jaws dropped once again!)  Nevertheless, Paul Revere had a bit of fun with the whole idea, first stating that he'd always wondered what happened to the old Raiders outfits that he sold on eBay ... and then later, after remarking that someone earlier that day had recognized him, most likely because of the way he was dressed, went on to say that while normally that's because he's the only one dressed that way, there were WAY too many people dressed that way here today.  All in good sport, of course ... but material other concert goers aren't going to be treated to anywhere else due to the unique circumstances of this particular concert.  Personally, I think they should take The New Colony Six out on the road with them and have this kind of fun EVERY night.  Plus they proved to be a very formidable opening act.)

In fact, both bands got rousing ovations throughout their performances and it made for a fun evening of '60's Rock And Roll.   The '60's was a magical time for music ... and for those of us growing up back then, it's often amazing in hindsight to think about just how "all around us" and accessible this great music actually was.

For starters, we had The Ed Sullivan Show every Sunday Night ... where you just knew he was going to be featuring the latest hit by the hottest band at that moment each week.  We had American Bandstand on the weekend ... and great evening programs like Shindig and Hullaballoo, always bringing the latest hit music right into our living rooms.  After school we had The Lloyd Thaxton Show and Where The Action Is, starring Paul Revere and the Raiders, who showed us several short clips from their hit television series prior to taking the stage Sunday Night.

But here in Chicago we ALSO had Kiddie A-Go-Go, on which The New Colony Six appeared to perform their latest hit record "I Lie Awake" back in 1966.  That clip, when shown at The Arcada Theatre Sunday Night, got as big a laugh as any other ... it was like watching American Bandstand for seven, eight and nine year olds ... all of whom were up there strutting their stuff with all the latest dances.

A FUN night at The Arcada ... some GREAT '60's Music ... and (in my opinion anyway) the PERFECT blend of acts to pull it off.  (kk)   


Some pre-show fun ... 

Prior to the concerts, I got a chance to hang out during the sound checks, during which time FH Reader and frequent contributor (and Chicagoland Sportscasting Legend) Chet Coppock showed up.  (Chet ultimately introduced The New Colony Six on stage that night.)

As pointed out here in Forgotten Hits many years ago, Chet worked as the band's roadie back in the late '60's, earning a whopping $50 a week to help load and set-up the equipment ... and occasionally he even took to the stage himself to treat the audience to his Wayne Cochran impersonation! He said he'd do it again in a minute ... but now they'd have to pay him $70 a week!!!   

He confided that those days are amongst the happiest of his life ... and he still believes that, with the right promotion and management, The New Colony Six could have been one of the biggest groups in the country.  He was there for recording sessions held at the world famous Chess Records studios ... and watched the guys lay down the tracks for their two biggest national hits, "I Will Always Think About You" and "Things I'd Like To Say".  

So when Chet suggested we all huddle around the mike together, doo-wop style, how could anybody possibly resist???

L-R:  Ray Graffia, Jr., founding member of The New Colony Six; 
love-him-or-hate-him sports broadcaster / commentator Chet Coppock; 
and kk, Kent Kotal, that Forgotten Hits guy,
who's doing his part to keep the music alive by saving the oldies one song at a time ... 
live, on stage at The Arcada Theatre; St. Charles, IL
Sunday, April 13th, 2014

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Little Anthony and the Imperials


In a word:  

OUTSTANDING!!!   

Backed by an exceptional nine piece band (that included a four-piece brass section), plus three Imperials as back-up singers (including original member Earnest Wright), Little Anthony Gourdine (at 74 years of age) absolutely killed it Saturday Night at The Arcada Theatre. 

Incredibly, his voice still sounds EXACTLY the same ... he still hits and holds EVERY note ... and he completely won us over from the moment he took the stage.   

The show opens with a clip of the band from 1965 on The Ed Sullivan Show singing their monster Top Ten Hit "Hurt So Bad".  This then dissolves into a full-blown overture by the band, featuring bits and pieces of all of their best-known hits.  When that wraps up, we hear a single piano note, played repeatedly as Anthony takes the stage all by himself ... to sing "All By Myself", the #1 Eric Carmen Hit from 1976 ... an absolute show-stopper right off the bat.  The Imperials join him for the big-build ending, taken more from the Celine Dion songbook than the Eric Carmen original ... but their voices soar in perfect (and quite dramatic) harmony for the big finish.  People, we've got a SHOW!!!  

Next up, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" ... these don't sound like any late-'50's / early-'60's Imperials at all ... it's a totally contemporary arrangement of a Motown classic. (As it turns out, one of the current Imperials used to sing back up for Marvin Gaye back in the day.)   

And then, their very own first hit ... "Tears On My Pillow" (#4, 1958), executed PERFECTLY to complete crowd approval.  (A standing ovation on the third song!  These guys were smokin' ... and the audience loved them!)  


It really is incredible how much ... in 2014 ... Little Anthony sounds like Little Anthony!!!  Later in the evening, he will tell the story of how when the record promoter first brought their single to Alan Freed and asked him to play it on the air, Freed's reaction was "Boy, that girl can really sing!"  (Original pressings listed the artist as simply "The Imperials".)  The promoter immediately corrected him ... "Girl?!?!?  That ain't no girl ... that's ANTHONY!!!" to which Freed replied, "Wow!  Well he must be little!" ... and he's been LITTLE Anthony ever since!  (Later in the set he would pay tribute to another famous "Little" ... as in Richard, with a rip-roaring rocker, the likes of which you've never heard Little Anthony and the Imperials lay down on record.)


Other hits and funk tunes followed ... including a nice reading of Prince's "Kiss" (which at one point evolved into "U Can't Touch This") along with the expected Little Anthony and the Imperials classics like "I'm On The Outside Looking In" and "Take Me Back".  Before playing their 1960 Top 20 Hit "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop" Anthony took a moment to level with the audience:  "I've got to tell you that I don't like this song ... I've NEVER really liked this song ... but it was a hit ... and it sold over a million copies ... so we have to play it ... so we're going to play it ... but I want you to know that since I don't like it, I'm going to do the best that I can."  (Little Anthony's speaking voice is very reminiscent of Flip Wilson's ... and his comic timing is impeccable.  You can tell he's been doing this for a long, long time ... everything just flows ... yet from the audience's perspective, it all still feels natural and real, the ultimate testament to an artist with a career that has lasted this long.  The crowd LOVED him!)


In fact, all of the between-song patter was entertaining. (I don't want to give too much away, should you have the chance to see this Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer yourself ... don't pass us an opportunity ... DO IT!!!  You will NOT be disappointed.  Upcoming dates include June 27th and June 28th at the Niagra Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagrara Falls, Ontario, Canada ... and July 18th at The Wolf Den in Uncasville, CT.)  It's a class act from start to finish ... precision timing, clearly well-rehearsed ... but a real treat to watch.  Every single one of them genuinely looked like they were having fun up there.   

Naturally, he saved two of his biggest hits for the end ... "Hurt So Bad" and "Goin' Out Of My Head" BOTH received well-deserved standing ovations.  After "Goin' Out Of My Head", Anthony said "I don't want to sing any more sad songs ... I've been singing sad songs now for 56 years ... no more sad songs" at which point the band launched into a killer funk finale.  It was nothing short of incredible to watch these guys still handle all the dance moves.  Good show!



Anthony mentioned that he is writing a book, looking back over their entire career.  I, for one, can't wait to read it.  A great show ... and well worth seeing.  With at least half-a-dozen well-deserved standing ovations spread throughout the evening, there is no question that the audience felt satisfied and entertained.  Highly recommended if you get the chance to see it.

*****

Opening for Little Anthony and the Imperials was Darrian Ford and the Cookebook, who put together an AMAZING tribute to the music of Sam Cooke.  Ron Onesti just happened to catch his sold-out act the week before at The City Winery and invited him to kick off the show this weekend at The Arcada.  Once again, the fans LOVED him ... and he did spot-on renditions of many of Sam's biggest and best-known hits.  Onesti has already invited him back for a return engagement on August 31st ... so keep your eyes open for that one. (kk)


 kk and the imperials ... that's some guy named "anthony" to my left
(backstage at the Arcada Theatre ... photo by Luciano J. Bilotti)

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Tuesday This And That

re:  APRIL 12th:

Forgotten Hits Readers felt we were remiss in not mentioning a couple of key anniversaries that took place last Saturday on April 12th.  (It's hard when things are pre-planned and written to squeeze in everything in a timely fashion.  Saturdays in 2014 are dedicated to our new Saturday Surveys feature ... but both are well-worth mentioning ... so here we go!)

Kent ...
In 1964 they recorded this song.  On 4/12/1966 Jan Berry crashed on "Dead Man's Curve."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Cuekbklkg

Frank B.
I cannot believe that you didn’t mention this on Saturday, the 12th!!!   
1954 - Not that he or anybody else knew what would happen within a year, but today at the Pythian Temple at 135 West 70th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues in Manhattan -- this big, barn-like building with great echo in New York City, home to one of the most famous -- and certainly most significant -- recording sessions of all time, Bill Haley and his Comets (even if he did show up two hours late because his ferry got caught on a sandbar) arrived for their first session with Decca Records and nothing would ever be the same again.
They came to record a couple of tunes that had been out recently by other artists -- Thirteen Women, a revamped version of number that had flopped for Dickie Thompson on Herald -- and an obscure song that had also bombed for an even more obscure act, Sonny Dae and his Knights -- Rock Around The Clock, which had been written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers.  Released on US Decca 29124, the Rock Around The Clock side was anything but an overnight sensation, gaining only limited success on initial release in 1954 -- but it refused to go away -- and a year later, after getting exposure as the theme for the MGM movie hit Blackboard Jungle, the song exploded on to the US charts reaching Number 1 -- and, more importantly, became THE vehicle by which rock 'n' roll is finally successfully exported to the rest of the world, thus transforming from a purely American phenomenon to a near global one.
Rock Around The Clock becomes the very FIRST rock 'n' roll record to do so when it appears in the UK and reaches Number 1. Now the WHOLE WORLD clamours for the music that until now has only been known in the US.  The success of this song is considered by many to mark the beginning of the rock “n” roll era. It topped the Billboard singles chart on June 29th, 1955, for eight weeks and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1982. Rock Around The Clock was formally released a month later and featured in the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle, which ushered in the rock “n” roll era.  At last count, the record had sold over 25,000,000 copies. In the UK it fist appeared on January the 8th , 1955 at number seventeen, slipping to number eighteen the following week before leaving the charts until October the 15th when it would become the monster hit having been seen in the film Blackboard Jungle. 
The musicians involved were Bill Haley on vocals and rhythm guitar; Marshall Lytle on upright bass; Joey Ambrose (aka Joey D'Ambrosio) on tenor saxophone; Billy Williamson on steel guitar; Johnny Grande on piano; Billy Gussak on drums and Danny Cedrone on electric guitar. 
There is a tragic sideline to this great number in that the guitarist used for the guitar rift was one Danny Cedrone, a studio musician and not a member of the Comets. The four hour season had been set up by Milt Gabler (Billy Crystal's uncle) and the A side was to be Thirteen Women "because he owned a piece of the song so he forced it on us," according to Marshall Lytle.  Lytle says they did two takes on it, and one of them had a little problem [the levels were not good in the first take, and the vocals were drowned out] so they spliced the two takes together. Milt Gabler had thrown them the song called Thirteen Women but none of them had ever heard it or knew what it was. "It had no arrangement on it or anything, so it took us two and a half hours to get that song completed and recorded."  After it was recorded, Milt Gabler said "OK, record your rock song.”
"We had a four hour session that day, and we had been on a ferry stuck on a sandbar for an hour ... then spent two and a half hours recording Thirteen Women, which left us only thirty five minutes to record Rock Around The Clock. Danny Cidrone was not at the rehearsal last night when we rehearsed it in Bill’s basement prior to leaving for New York. Bill had always wanted a guitar solo on the recordings, so Danny was looking for a solo to play. And because the clock was just ticking away, I said, 'Hey, Danny – why don’t you use the solo you used on Rock This Joint?'  He said, 'Do you think that’ll fit?' So we tried it and it worked out absolutely perfect and that solo has become world famous with guitar players. The tragic story behind the song is that two weeks after we recorded “Rock …” Danny got drunk and fell down some very steep steps and broke his neck and died.  
Radio airplay favoured Rock Around The Clock following its May, 1954 release (in both 78 and 45 rpm formats), and while the song did get a place on the Billboard Hot 100, its peak success occurred in the spring of 1955, when it was featured in the film the Blackboard Jungle. That exposure shot Rock Around The Clock to Number 1 for eight consecutive weeks. Although Rock Around The Clock wasn't the first rock and roll record, it thrust rock and roll into the main stream of pop music and nothing would ever be the same again.   
Take care,
Rockin’ Lord Geoff    

Other milestones from April 12th:
David Cassidy was born in 1950 ... he'd have a string of hits ... and DUI's ... years later
John Kay of Steppenwolf was born in 1944
Novelty act Tiny Tim was born (as Herbert Khaury) in 1930
1988 - Sonny Bono is elected Mayor of Palm Springs, California  (Why did he ever take up skiing?)
1996 - The Hollywood Rock Walk inducts Jan and Dean, The Ventures, The Chantays and The Surfaris as the City of Los Angeles declares it "Ventures Day"
And, on the same day that Bill Haley and His Comets record "Rock Around The Clock" in 1954, Big Joe Turner's recording of "Shake, Rattle And Roll" is released, lending further credence to the fact that "Rock Around The Clock" was NOT the first rock and roll record ... it just became the benchmark by which the SUCCESS of rock and roll has been measured.

Never miss a date ... pick up a copy of Ron Smith's book "Eight Days A Week:  Births, Deaths And Events Each Day In Oldies History" (for whence ALL of the above anniversaries came).  You can order your own copy here:  Click here: Eight Days A Week by Ron Smith | 9780983373704 | Paperback | Barnes & Noble
 
And, speaking of The Saturday Surveys ...

re:  THE SATURDAY SURVEYS:
Kent,
It's possible that today's chart selection is the best you've delivered since you began this feature. These are such fun!
David Lewis

Hi Kent,I enjoy looking at the surveys each Saturday.  While look at the Hitbound section of the WDUZ (Green Bay, WI) survey I noticed that Daybreak (by Nilsson) is followed by Sundown (by Gordon Lightfoot). 
Nice to see a sense of humor so far North. 
Tom

LOL ... missed that one!  But I just happen to LOVE Nilsson's "Daybreak" song ... so this is as good an excuse as any to feature it!  (kk)


re:  THIS AND THAT:  
Kent - 
Please let your fans know JAY PROCTOR of JAY & THE TECHNIQUES is in the Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA, where he will be operated on next week for a tumor in his colon. 
It has not spread ... and the prognosis is good.  He will KEEP THE BALL ROLLIN'! 
Fans can email JAY at:  jpro984960@aol.com  
Rick Levy .. manager  
Thanks for the heads up, Rick.  Fans can email Jay (or send along small does of apples, peaches and pumpkin pie) at the address above.  (kk)   

Kent, 
At 7 this morning (Friday, April 11th), The Drive (WDRV in Chicago) played, in order, Billboard's top five songs from fifty years ago: Can't Buy Me Love, Twist and Shout, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, and Please Please Me.  What a great way to start the day!   
Dan Crabtree 
Wheaton, IL   
Missed it ... not bad, though ... even if they are a full week off!!! (The Billboard Chart where The Beatles held down the top five spots was dated "Week Ending April 4, 1964).  kk   

Hey Kent,
Thanks for the info on Patti Drew. I am assuming that the version you shared was her with the group. The version in the movie and the one I found on youtube must be her single. I personally think it is much better. 
Stacee
OK, here is Patti's solo version from 1967.  Maybe you'll find it more to your liking.  (kk)


Kent ...
Here's what Tommy James had to deal with.
Oh, I'm well aware of Morris Levy's "legacy" in the music biz ... Tommy James documents all of this quite well in his book "Me, The Mob and the Music" ... hopefully soon to be a motion picture playing near you!  (I'm really looking forward to that new James Brown bio-pic we told you about a few weeks ago, too!)  kk  

Paul McCartney has announced FOUR US Dates for his 2014 "Out There" tour ... with more to follow.  So far, the lucky cities include The New Orleans Arena (June 19th in New Orleans, LA); The Yum! Center in Louisville, KY (June 26th), Times Union Center in Albany, New York (July 5th) and The Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, PA on July 7th.  Watch for new dates to be added soon.  (kk)


Here's a great read on Bobby Vee and his family. @StarTribune 52m   
Take good care of my baby: Bobby Vee and his wife celebrate 50 years http://strib.mn/1n2PTYe  
Don Effenberger


And congratulations to our FH Buddy Al Kooper who, at the ripe old age of 70, FINALLY made The Wall Street Journal!!!  (Seriously?!?!  Was that really always a dream of yours?!?!?  The Wall Street Journal?!?!?)  kk  
Click here: Al Kooper: Rocker of Ages - WSJ.com


My friend, Michael Thom, pointed out to me that "That's Rock 'n' Roll" is basically the same song as "Bring it on Home to Me" just sped up a lot!  He just realized it recently.  I NEVER realized it!  Very close indeed!!
Clark
Your timing is perfect ... I've been listening to Eric Carmen all week long in the car!  (kk)    

Here, courtesy of Vintage Vinyl News, is a recap of what you missed during this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony.  (Highlights will be broadcast on HBO starting on May 31st)  kk

Vintage Vinyl also published Olivia Newton-John's set list as she launched her new residency at The Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas ...
re:  MOVIES THAT ROCK:
The L.A. Ticket Link is now up for multiple tickets ... 
This is an amazing story!
The Wages of Spin II "Bring Down That Wall" is the first sequel to The Wages of Spin, which has been running nationally on PBS affiliates (over a thousand affiliate airings) since June of 2013 and is in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Archives.  The new film will have its Los Angeles Premiere on Wednesday, April 23rd, at The James Brooks Theater on the campus of UCLA.   Tickets: www.characterdrivenfilms.com 
The Wages of Spin II "Bring Down That Wall" covers the inner workings of the music industry circa 1979 thru the early 1990's and focuses on the relationships between:  The Record Labels, Promotion Men, Radio Programmers, Payola, Organized Crime and The Government. 
The film also explores a DOJ investigation into MCA that was shut down by The DOJ hierarchy and the relationship between MCA, Ronald Reagan, Edwin Meese, Howard Baker and several other prominent political and entertainment figures and organized crime.   
Three Trailer Links: 
Hoping some of our LA Readers can report back to us on this one.  I still haven't seen it ... but, judging by these trailers, it looks to REALLY be something!  Please let us know if you were able to make the screening! (kk)

Here's an early review of this hot new film that we just received this morning ...
http://www.delconewsnetwork.com/articles/2014/04/14/entertainment/doc534c6d7690c88887027871.txt     

And, speaking of screenings, don't forget about "The Wrecking Crew", which will be showing as a fund-raiser at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, IL on May 13th at 7 PM.  This is a one-time only event ... and Denny Tedesco will be on hand for some Q&A after the showing of the film.  It's a "Must See" for ANY fan of '60's music ... these guys were on EVERYTHING!!!  Hope to see you there. (kk)
Other cool shows coming up at the Arcada in April and May:
This Weekend:
Friday, April 18th - CTA - The Music of Chicago - featuring Danny Seraphine (Former Drummer and founding member of the rock group Chicago) along with long-time Chicago vocalist Bill Champlain ... with special guest Larry Braggs, lead singer of Tower Of Power

Saturday, April 19th - It's Foghat, with Cosmo, former lead singer of Boston

Then on Monday Night, April 21st, spend an evening with Kevin Costner and The Modern West!
Saturday, April 26th - be sure to catch Dean Torrence with The Surf City All-Stars, playing ALL the great surf hits of Jan and Dean, The Beach Boys and others
Then on Sunday, April 27th, it'll be Dave Mason's Traffic Jam.
Micky Dolenz of The Monkees ... along with The Cowsills ... hit The Arcada stage on Friday, May 2nd, followed by Echoes of Pompeii, an AMAZING Pink Floyd Tribute Show on Saturday, May 3rd.
On May 9th, it's Air Supply, followed by TWO shows by The Alan Parsons Project on May 10th.
Herman's Hermits with Peter Noone (and special guests Jay and the Americans) close out the month on May 30th.
ALWAYS a great show to be seen at The Arcada ... be sure to check the OShows website for more details and ticket information:   www.oshows.com
(By the way, we were there all weekend again ... saw two GREAT shows featuring Little Anthony and the Imperials and Paul Revere and the Raiders ... watch for reviews of BOTH concerts coming up later this week in Forgotten Hits!)  kk     

re:  ON THE RADIO:  
There is a new book chronicling the birth of Top 40 radio written by my friend, the late Richard Fatherley. Shortly after Top 40 wizard Todd Storz died suddenly in 1964, Richard began interviewing people related to the Storz radio empire and a few years ago began a book on the Top 40 radio format's birth.  This is a fascinating story for anyone who grew up on top 40 radio, especially if you grew up in the great plains area where most of the Storz stations were located in the 50's and 60's.  I thought I knew a lot about top 40 radio, but this book just blew me away.  I thank Chris Abercrombie for turning me on to this book.  The front cover features a picture of my long time friend Sandy Jackson, who was instrumental in the success of Storz broadcasting.  After the author's death, David MacFarland completed the book along with help from Storz legends Bud Connell and Deane Johnson.  Between the four of them, this book has done a masterful job of telling how it all began and developed thru KOWH, WTIX, KOMA, WHB, KXOK, WDGY and WQAM. This book is for anyone who ever grew up on top 40 or was a DJ in the time.  IT IS AWESOME!  Buy this one!  You will not regret it!   
Clark Besch   
http://www.amazon.com/Birth-Top-40-Radio-Revolution/dp/0786476303/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390108498&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Birth+of+Top+40+Radio  
Also, try out Deane Johnson's great website with airchecks, photos and memorabilia from the Storz stations that will blow you away. http://www.deanejohnson.net/



Larry Lujack's typewriter (up for auction on eBay) sold to Chicagoan Dave Plier this past weekend.  The winning bid was $755.  Dave plans on loaning this piece of Chicago Radio History to The Chicago Museum of Broadcast Communications
where it will be on display for all to see.  (This isn't the first time Plier has helped to preserve a piece of Chicago broadcasting history ... check out this media coverage from both Robert Feder and Chicagoland Radio and Media): 
Kent ...
Here's a recap of Scott Shannon's 29th show on WCBS-FM ...
Scott talked to Peter Asher, half of the Peter & Gordon duo.  Peter told the story about how he got the song "A World Without Love" from Paul McCartney. Paul was dating Peter's sister. For awhile, when the Beatles weren't on the road, Paul was staying in the Asher's guest room. Peter & Paul became friends.
John Lennon didn't like "A World Without Love.  It starts with the lyric "Please lock me away." John says "Okay we will -- song is over." He also said there's no bridge in the song.
Since the Beatles weren't going to record it, Paul gave it to Peter & Gordon. May is the 50th anniversary of this song becoming a hit.
Peter & Gordon were on the last Hulabaloo TV show.  They toured with the Dick Clark Cavalcade Of Stars.  They also appeared on one of Murray The K's live shows here in New York.
Frank B.

Hi Kent -- 
Click on the Mike Kinosian analysis of the Classic Hits / Oldies formats. He put quite a bit of work with cross-referencing, etc. Sadly, Chicago (three stations listed) is on a downward trend.   
Danny   
Click here: PPM Analysis: Classic Hits - Oldies - RadioInfo : RadioInfo    
Sadly, nothing we don't already know ... and haven't been preaching for the past fifteen years.  People are sick and tired of being force-fed the same selection of music over and over and over again ... yet radio continues to insult our intelligence by doing so.  As such, MOST of us have for greener pastures (and more variety) as programmed on the Internet.  As far as I'm concerned it's the #1 Reason why Radio is in the crapper today ... yet they're still too blind to see it.  SO discouraging!  (kk)  

Click here: Songs You Love vs. Songs You're Tired Of by Carolyn Gilbert & Leigh Jacobs | ... …
Ok, so explain something to me ... since we ALL seem to know about this ... and everybody agrees what a hassle it is ... why isn't anybody out there DOING anything about it?!?!?  I'll tell you what ... the general public will tell you BOATLOADS more than your highly-paid consultants ... if you'd only LISTEN to them ... since you're obviously blind to the fact that MILLIONS of listeners have already left you to find more variety on the Internet and Satellite Radio.  (Duh?!?!  Do you think that's really why???  Let's put it this way ... MILLIONS are now willing to PAY to hear the songs and variety they really want to hear ... if you haven't picked up on this by now then terrestrial radio truly IS dead!!!)  kk