The Saturday Surveys (September 27th)

Tony Orlando's "phantom group" Wind was doing VERY well on this WTRU Survey from 1969 ... you'll find "Make Believe" sitting at #3!  (Nationally it never got any higher than #28!)  Orlando had a couple of hits as a solo artist early in his career ... then took a number of odd jobs in the music business (including a short time as a record-plugger for Cameo / Parkway Records.)  In 1969 he was lured back into the studio to lay down the lead vocals on this track ... and then a year later he was anonymously singing lead for a new group calling themselves Dawn.  That only lasted a couple of records, however, and soon Orlando's name was billed up front.  The group became a HUGE early '70's success, even hosting their own television variety series for a while.

Actually this is a pretty killer Top 10 ... although you rarely hear some of these tunes much anymore ... "Little Woman" by Bobby Sherman, "This Girl Is A Woman Now" by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, "Jean" by Oliver, "Tracy" by The Cuff Links, "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" by Lou Christie, "Easy To Be Hard" by Three Dog Night and "That's The Way Love Is" by Marvin Gaye all seem to have fallen by the wayside during this age of programming the same 200-300 songs over and over and over again.  Too bad ... there's some damn good gold in those mines if you'll only open the door to the vault!

Moving down the chart a little bit we find a couple of Forgotten Hits favorites on the list ... "Sugar On Sunday" by The Clique sits at #12 and "When I Die" by Motherlode is right behind it at #16.

Here's an unusual chart from WROK from 1968 ... 

 Most of the obvious hits are here ... "Hey Jude" and "Revolution" by The Beatles, "Harper Valley PTA" by Jeannie C. Riley, "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf (albeit misspelled on the survey) ... but look at some of the far lesser-known titles on this list.

I can only assume "Don't Take It Out On Me" by The Jacemen was a local hit of some sort ... this one never made Billboard's Chart at all ... yet here it sits at #2 on WROK!



And how about the Tiny Tim version of "Hello Hello"?!?!?  The so-called "hit" version was done by Sopwith Camel ... hard to believe that a radio station would go with a novelty act doing what is essentially a novelty song ... but Tim was all the rage back in '68 so who knows.  (He sits at #7 this week, first week on the chart.)



And, since we've been talking recently with Mark Weitz of The Strawberry Alarm Clock, I figured I'd feature their 1968 charter "Barefoot In Baltimore" ... another song that failed on Billboard (#67) but reached The Top 20 here in Rockford, Illinois. 

Check out this Lincoln, Nebraska chart from 1972 ...

FH Reader Clark Besch tells us that KLMS went with an alphabetical chart listing for awhile so that they could feature more album tracks on the air.  As such, this isn't so much of a "rankings" list ... as more of a playlist of what music the radio station was featuring at the time.

And what an eclectic list it is!  Everything from Mott The Hoople to Elvis Presley to Cher to Rick Nelson, T-Rex and David Cassidy!  You'll also find Wayne Newton, Leon Russell, Buddy Miles and Sha Na Na listed on the chart below!

That's OK ... I was still able to find a few Forgotten Hits favorites to feature today ... every one of which would STILL sound great coming out of your radio every once in a while!

Here's another WLS Silver Dollar Survey ... from 1963 this time ... which shows The Singing Nun on top of the charts with "Dominique".

Lots of favorites on this chart ... so let's feature a few of them, shall we?

First up, "Wonderful Summer" by Robin Ward, a record that would also reach the #1 Spot here in Chicago.

Then, how about "She's A Fool" by Lesley Gore, a GREAT overlooked track that was a bonafide hit.

And finally, keeping with the "fool" theme, how about Rick Nelson's take on "Fool's Rush In", one of my all-time favorite records by Ricky.

50 Years Ago This Weekend

9/25, 9/26, 9/27, 9/28 

THE ANIMALS fall to #3 this week on The Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart, making way for ROY ORISON to take over the top spot on the chart with his monster-sized hit OH, PRETTY WOMAN, followed at #2 by THE NEWBEATS and BREAD AND BUTTER.  DO WAH DIDDY by MANFRED MANN continues its climb up the charts, this week resting at #6 … and for the first time in a VERY long time, The British are held to just TWO spots in The American Top Ten!  (Other Top Ten Hits this week include GTO by RONNY AND THE DAYTONAS, #4, REMEMBER (WALKIN' IN THE SAND) by THE SHANGRI-LAS, #5, WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO by THE SUPREMES, #3, DANCING IN THE STREET by MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS, #8, IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE by GENE PITNEY, #9 and SAVE IT FOR ME by THE FOUR SEASONS, at #10.  In fact, this week's chart shows you how The Sound Of Motown held its own again these young British upstarts! 

Elsewhere on the chart, we find THE DAVE CLARK FIVE at #17 with BECAUSE, CHAD AND JEREMY at #18 with A SUMMER SONG, THE BEATLES at #19 with A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, THE BEATLES again at #23 with MATCHBOX, BILLY J. KRAMER AND THE DAKOTAS at #30 with FROM A WINDOW, THE BEATLES (again!) at #32 with SLOW DOWN, THE SEARCHERS at #34 with SOME DAY WE'RE GONNA LOVE AGAIN, THE ROLLING STONES at #37 with IT's ALL OVER NOW, THE ANIMALS at #57 with GONNA SEND YOU BACK TO WALKER, THE BEATLES at #59 with IF I FELL, followed by THE NASHVILLE TEENS at #60 with TOBACCO ROAD and THE HONEYCOMBS at #61 with HAVE I THE RIGHT. 

GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS are new on the chart this week with I LIKE IT, debuting at #66.  DUSTY SPRINGFIELD is back with her latest, ALL CRIED OUT, premiering at #75, followed by THE BACHELORS with I WOULDN'T TRADE YOU FOR THE WORLD at #76, THE ANIMALS (again!) at #78 with I'M CRYING, CILLA BLACK at #82 with IT'S FOR YOU and THE KINKS, making their first US Chart Appearance at #92 with YOU REALLY GOT ME.  (Incredibly that STILL gives The British Invasion Artists 20 songs on this week's Hot 100 Chart!)  





DO WAH DIDDY DIDDY by MANFRED MANN moves into the #2 spot on The WLS Silver Dollar Survey this week, where it will stay for the next three weeks.  (I remember being SO frustrated at the time because DO WAH DIDDY DIDDY was such a classic, ingenious hit.  It deserved to be #1 here in Chicago but was held out of the top spot by OH, PRETTY WOMAN's long reign [five weeks] on top of the charts.  Deep down I think I have always resented OH, PRETTY WOMAN for this!  So when it also went on to become one of the most over-played oldies of all time, I finally just started tuning it out and turning it off!  To this day I still think DO WAH DIDDY DIDDY is the catchier, more commercial hit.) 

THE ANIMALS are right behind it at #3 with THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN and BECAUSE by THE DAVE CLARK FIVE and A SUMMER SONG by CHAD STUART AND JEREMY CLYDE continue to hold on to their spots in the Chicagoland Top Ten at numbers 8 and 9 respectively. 

BILLY J. KRAMER AND THE DAKOTAS are at #11 with FROM A WINDOW … but then we don't get another British Hit until #20 where THE BEATLES hold court with their latest two-sided hit MATCHOX / SLOW DOWN.  Right behind them are THE SEARCHERS and SOME DAY WE'RE GONNA LOVE AGAIN (#31), followed by THE HONEY COMBS at #26 with HAVE I THE RIGHT, THE ROLLING STONES at #37 with IT'S ALL OVER NOW and THE NASHVILLE TEENS at #30 with TOBACCO ROAD.

The Brooklyn Bridge

We recently did a show with The Brooklyn Bridge, with a few original members still with the band, at The Cannery in Las Vegas. They were great ... and great guys too. Some of the best singing I have ever heard ... Johnny Maestro would be proud. (Between The Brooklyn Bridge, and another amazing vocalist, Dennis Tufano, I don't think there are better vocalists to be heard on any stage anywhere!) I knew you would agree with me once you had the chance to see them in concert. 
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords

Hi Kent -

One point from your excellent review of a recent Brooklyn Bridge concert: “"Your Husband - My Wife" (a pretty controversial tune for its time back in 1969)” ... but not so controversial that the disc was banned or received no airplay. It did climb to #46 on the Hot 100. Today, a song with such lyrics about marital infidelity would be controversial. By the same yardstick, when Time magazine reviewed a revival of the 60s’ rock musical, “Hair” in 2008, they noted that: “today Hair seems, if anything, more daring than ever.”  Our ability to “push the envelope” in the 60s was one of the reasons it may have been the most exciting decade ever.   

Mike Edwards  

Kent,

I was ready to read your review!  I have wondered about The Brooklyn Bridge myself.  Lately their concert schedule has been quite active, with good reviews from their fellow performers. I am still in a spin having attended Maestro's last concert ... so I am glad to hear that they are still sounding so good and that this beautiful music is living on.

As for Felix:  Good for him getting more appropriate musicians.  Since he is an instructor, I always wondered if these kids were only doing this for a grade,  The grade I would have given them for attitude and 'keeping your brain and body in the group' would have been lacking.

Shelley J Sweet-Tufano

I think a lot of effort and rehearsal went into the medleys Felix put together for his live show ... everything had to be precisely timed to work and, for the most part, it did.  It just sometimes felt like overkill.  He lead guitarist is quite accomplished ... and really wailed on some of his solos ... but some of Felix's music doesn't require the full-blown, over the top treatment.  Quite honestly, it takes away from some of the charm that made them such delightful blue-eyed soul recordings in the first place.  (Sometimes less is more.) 

As for The Brooklyn Bridge, HIGHLY recommended ... you will not be disappointed.  See them again and experience this music the way it was meant to be heard.  The Arcada audience (which doesn't typically skew "old" when it comes to '50's and early '60's music) were on their feet for most of the show ... they LOVED them!!!  (kk)

Kent:
I enjoyed your review of the Brooklyn Bridge and Felix Cavliere. Do you know how many original members are still with Brooklyn Bridge?
-- Tom Cuddy

Sadly, as we see so often to be the case these days, very little information is given on this artist's website or their better-traveled Facebook Page.  Even writing to them prior to my review prompted no response ... so I had to go with a far more "generic" analysis than I had originally planned.

Here is what I have been able to find out, however ...

The Brooklyn Bridge formed in 1968 through the combination of two separate groups.

Lead singer Johnny Maestro already had a successful musical career, first with The Crests (who hit The Top 40 with hits like "Sixteen Candles", #2, 1959; "Six Nights A Week", #28, 1959, "The Angels Listened In, #22, 1959, "Step By Step, "#14, 1960 and "Trouble In Paradise, "#20, 1960) as well as as a solo artist ("Model Girl, #20, 1961 and "What A Surprise, #33, 1961).

After the Crests split up (and a couple of attempts to reform the band failed to generate much interest), Maestro joined The Del Satins, a group that most famously backed up Dion on many of his early '60's recordings.  (After splitting off from The Belmonts to go solo, Dion was able to recapture that familiar sound by hitching his wagon to The Del Satins, which included Les Cauchi and Fred Ferrara.  The group also backed Ernie Maresca and were regulars on The Clay Cole Show)

In 1968 The Del Satins competed in a Long Island Battle Of The Bands.  One of their competitors was a group called The Rhythm Method, a seven-member band fronted by the husband and wife team of Tom Sullivan and Carolyn Wood.  After the competition, the bands exchanged compliments and, in effect, formed a mutual admiration society.  Several months later, they merged into an eleven member conglomerate that now featured Maestro, Cauchi and Ferrara from The Del Satins and Sullivan (sax) and Wood (organ) from The Rhythm Method, along with their support team of Artie Cantanzarita (drums), Shelly Davis (trumpet), Mike Gregorio (vocals), Richie Macioce (guitar), Jimmy Rosica (bass) and Joe Ruvio (sax).  Rosica eventually gave up playing the bass guitar in order to move up front as a vocalist and now performs both tasks with the current version of the band..

If marketing a three-member hold-over group from the doo-wop days seemed like a difficult sell in the heavy music climate of 1968, booking an eleven piece band amounted to nearly insurmountable odds.  In fact, one agency flat out told them that booking their eleven piece band "is going to be as easy to sell as the Brooklyn Bridge" ... which immediately stuck as their name.

When a representative from the newly formed Buddah Records (up to this point, probably the premier label for bubblegum rock) caught their act at The Cheetah in New York City, he signed the group on the spot.  Their breakthrough hit, "Worst That Could Happen" was written by the hottest songwriter on the scene at the time, Jimmy Webb.  (It had already been recorded by The Fifth Dimension, who had recorded an entire album of Webb material to rather dismal sales results.)  In the hands of The Brooklyn Bridge, however, the record sky-rocketed to #3 on the national charts ... and other Hot 100 Hits followed.

The Brooklyn Bridge went through numerous personnel changes over the years.  Maestro remained at the helm until he took ill several years ago.  (Johnny passed away in 2010 from cancer.  Original member Fred Ferrara died a year later.)  Three original members are still with the group today:  Les Cauchi, Jimmy Rosica and Joe Ruvio (although there are a couple of other current members who have been with the band for 30+ years).  Marty D'Amico (keyboards and vocals), Jimmy Sarle (lead guitar) and Lou Agiesta (drums) are all part of the current line-up and have been with the group since the 1970's.  (In concert the other night, they introduced Agiesta has having been their drummer for the past 200 years!)

After Maestro's passing, the group recruited Joe "Bean" Esposito, who had previously sung with Brooklyn Dreams (who backed up Donna Summer on her Top Five Hit, "Heaven Knows" in 1979.)  Over the years, he has also worked with Aretha Franklin, LaBelle, Stephen Stills, Laura Branigan and Brenda Russell (as well as many others.)  A song he sang in the film "The Karate Kid", "You're The Best" has recently been reworked as a television commercial which is airing now in numerous spots.   I can only tell you that Esposito's voice is as smooth as silk ... if anybody was EVER going to try and replace Johnny Maestro as the front man of The Brooklyn Bridge, this spot couldn't have gone to a more talented vocalist.  He literally gave us chills the other night with his spot-on, crystal clear readings of not only hits by The Brooklyn Bridge and The Crests, but incredible performances of '50's and '60's classics like "My Prayer" by The Platters and "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers.

Another Great Concert Double Bill Review ... From The Arcada Theatre

We were treated to another great double bill performance at The Arcada Theatre Saturday Night where Felix Cavaliere's Rascals shared the stage with The Brooklyn Bridge for a GREAT night of music from the '60's.   

As we continue to complain constantly, radio just isn't playing much of this great, classic music anymore ... so it is always a REAL treat to come out to The Arcada, where host Ron Onesti prides himself on bringing us the music we grew up with, live on stage.  Coupled with being able to read about all these great artists and great music (along with the memories of our faithful readers here in Forgotten Hits), we're both trying to do our part to help keep this great music alive.   

And alive it was Saturday Night! 
[By the way ... VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO OFFICIAL ARCADA PHOTOGRAPHER LUCIANO BILOTTI FOR THESE TOP NOTCH PHOTOS ... I really do appreciate it!]    
(The uncredited, crappy looking ones are mine!  lol)     

THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE  
Review in a Word:  Goosebumps!

If the opportunity presents itself, go out and see these guys!  They were nothing short of sensational Saturday Night at The Arcada Theatre ... in perfect voice and in perfect sync with the audience, who were brought to their feet numerous times throughout the night, rewarding the band with well-deserved standing ovations for their outstanding performance.   

Led by lead singer Joe "Bean" Esposito (who apparently went from Brooklyn Dreams to Brooklyn Bridge during his long career), and flanked by a team of stellar background vocalists, these guys seamlessly brought back the sounds of the '50's and the '60's while still sounding contemporary enough today to feature a song that will soon be airing in a new television spot.   

(Special note to Frank B - you have GOT to check these guys out!  Their next stop is at The Suffork Theatre in Suffork Country, New York, on October 4th ... after that, it looks like an extended break in the action until they're off to Florida for a show at the Sunrise Theater in Fort Pierce, FL, in March of 2015.)  Full details on their website:  Click here: The Brooklyn Bridge Band | home )

                                                              

Prior to the show, I will admit to be concerned as to what they could possibly sound like since the passing of Johnny Maestro four years ago ... but they did not disappoint.  For my money, there's never been a better live performance rendered than the ones they gave Saturday Night of The Platters' "My Prayer" or the classic "Unchained Melody" ... spot on perfection presented as crystal clear vocal magic.  And of course their signature tune "Worst That Could Happen" closed the show to rigorous, thundering applause, after which Ron Onesti joked that "we're keeping them here and changing their name to The St. Charles Bridge."   

In between they did a couple of Crests / Johnny Maestro's classics like "Step By Step" and a perfectly-executed "Sixteen Candles" (still one of my all-time favorite songs from the '50's ... and song I fell in love with the very first time I ever heard it, performed by ...believe it or not ... Sha Na Na!!!), a Dion medley (that included "Ruby Baby", "Runaround Sue" and "The Wanderer") as well as a few lesser-known Brooklyn Bridge hits like "Your Husband - My Wife" (a pretty controversial tune for its time back in 1969) along with their two-sided hit from earlier that year "Blessed Is The Rain" / "Welcome Me Love", which one of the guys described this way ...   

"Blessed Is The Rain" started climbing the charts as the follow up to "Worst That Could Happen" and was doing just fine when some deejay decided to flip the record over and started playing the other side, "Welcome Me Love".  It, too, caught on and started climbing the charts and pretty soon we had one of those very rare two-sided hits on our hands."  (Both did very well in Billboard, by the way, with "Blessed Is The Rain" scoring slightly higher at #45 than its flipside's "Welcome Me Love", which reached #48. - kk)  He went on to explain that, incredible as it may seem, BOTH sides of the record sold the EXACT same number of copies!!!  (lol - certainly made ME laugh ... along with nearly everybody else that night!)   

Esposito also sang "Heaven Knows", the Top Five Hit he had the pleasure of singing along with Donna Summer back in 1979 when he was a member of Brooklyn Dreams.

An outstanding show from start to finish ... these guys just come out on stage and get it done.  The majority of the audience may have come as Felix Cavaliere / Rascals fans ... but I guarantee you they left the theater as major fans of The Brooklyn Bridge, who I believe stole the show Saturday Night.

Rating (on a scale of 1-10):  8   

FELIX CAVALIERE'S RASCALS  
Concert In A Word:  Unexpected

One of the biggest music news stories of last year was the reunion of all four original Rascals members who got back together and put on a very extravagant multi-media concert event that they ultimately took on the road.  (We were fortunate enough to see the show when it landed here in Chicago for a week back in November ... review link below:)

Click here: Forgotten Hits: Forgotten Hits Reviews The Rascals and "Once Upon A Dream"    

We had seen an earlier version of Felix Cavaliere's Rascals a few years prior at the Lisle "Eyes To The Skies" festival and were very disappointed at the time ... Felix had assembled a very young group of backup musicians who seemed to have no feel or connection to his music ... I remember commenting at the time that the best song of the night was their version of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", a song they clearly enjoyed playing more than any of Felix's great Rascals offerings.

This time around, Felix has shaken things up a little bit ... he's added a far more age-appropriate group of backup musicians who also seem to be far more appreciative of his incredible song catalog and, as such, a wide array of classic Rascals songs were presented Saturday Night, including "I've Been Lonely Too Long", "A Beautiful Morning", "You Better Run", "Love Is A Beautiful Thing", "Groovin'", "A Girl Like You", "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" (sung by the drummer), and their two #1 Hits, "People Got To Be Free" and "Good Lovin'" ... along with a Rascals concert staple from back in the day, their cover of Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally".

The presentation of this music, however, took on a rather unusual approach.  Since I didn't have the chance to ask him directly, I can only speculate on the direction Felix took with this material.  Nearly every Rascals hit was segued into a medley of two or three other hits from that era as kind of a tribute to the other great music of the day, before returning to The Rascals hit at hand.  As such we got a number of Motown snippets (like Marvin Gaye's "Hitch Hike", "My Girl" and "Just My Imagination" by The Temptations and Martha and the Vandellas' "Nowhere To Run"), "medleyed in" with everything from Lipps, Inc.'s "Funkytown" and the recent Pharrell Williams #1 Hit "Happy" (which, I have to admit, sounded GREAT and brought a HUGE smile to my face!)  In between several other great tracks were thrown into the mix including (once again) Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" ... because after all, what would a Felix Cavaliere concert be without a Led Zeppelin song!!! ... along with the Jimi Hendrix classic "Purple Haze".  

Some of it worked ... some of it didn't.  My best guess is that Felix wanted to go back out on the road again and knew that in order to do so, he would have to present as many of The Rascals' hits as he could during the course of his one hour set.  Coming off the highly publicized Rascals Reunion Tour ... and in order to keep things interesting for the audience, the band and himself, he decided to incorporate many of these other fitting tracks into his own music as sort of a musical potpourri of sounds, circa the 1960's.  It extended the length of nearly every song performed and had to be an incredible amount of work to time these songs out properly and, in effect, relearn them to accommodate this new presentation, but Felix's band was up to the challenge and, for the most part, every little nuance helped to enhance his vision.    

Truthfully, I've got to say that it was fun to watch 71 year old Felix acting so animated on stage, leaving his keyboards and bopping around the other musicians as they performed ... there was no question in my mind that he was genuinely having fun up there, playing to an enthusiastic crowd in a much smaller theater than he had recently become accustomed to.  (Near the end of the show, he made it a point to go over to Ron Onesti, shake his hand and tell him how much he enjoyed playing in his theater ... my guess is he'll be back again to the delight of both parties ... quite a contrast to the pot-shots taken by Johnny Rivers a few weeks ago at the very same theater.)  

Felix stuck to the hits and performed them well.  As mentioned earlier, some of the medley-treatment worked, some of it didn't.  His female vocalist added very little to the mix in my opinion ... even her solo spotlight song, "How Can I Be Sure", lacked the emotion that this song can usually generate ... but Felix's voice was in top form as he cranked out the hits.

Rumors continue to abound about a 50th Anniversary Reunion next year featuring all four original Rascals, hitting the road again in perhaps a scaled-down version of their "Once Upon A Dream" extravaganza.  I believe audiences would flock to see such a reunion if priced affordably without all the glitz and glamour.  (Again, I never had the chance to ask Felix to confirm or deny such plans ... but I know bandmates Gene Cornish and Dino Dannelli have been talking about such a reunion for a while now.)  I feel bad for all the fans who contributed beau coup bucks through a Kickstarter campaign to help orchestrate the big New York comeback in late 2012, only to have it fall apart so quickly before many of them even had a chance to see and enjoy the fruit of their investment.  Perhaps without the involvement of Steven Van Zandt, the original Rascals can get together again for the pure joy and love of the music ... and the delight of the fans ... the next time around ... 'cause THAT would be quite a show to see.  (kk)

Rating:  (on a scale of 1-10):  6

The Sunday Comments ( 09 - 21 - 14 )

We missed a few big stories while we were on our extended "vacation" ... including the passing of Bob Crewe, which we hope to acknowledge in greater detail at a later date.  

Here in Chicago there was some big radio news, too!  

re:  ON THE RADIO:  
Tommy Edwards bid a very tearful and emotional farewell to his audience last week when he signed off for the last time on K-Hits.  Tommy's been on the air for the past 54 years (and the bulk of those were spent right here in Chicago on a variety of stations, most notably WLS in its hey-day.)  He will be missed.  From what I've heard from the many who worked with him or crossed paths with him over the years, a nicer man you'll never meet.  Congratulations, Tommy ... on whatever next comes your way.  Thanks for being such a big part of our lives ... we love ya!  (kk) 

Meanwhile, word is Scott Shannon will be returning to The Chicago Airwaves real soon, too, although for now (maybe I should say "for the time being anyway"), through a new, syndicated program that will also be broadcast on K-Hits. 

Scott's VERY familiar voice can soon be heard on K-Hits Saturday Mornings (from 6 - 10 am) with "Scott Shannon Presents America's Greatest Hits".

Each hour of the show will feature artist interviews, song countdowns, one-hit-wonders and commentary from Shannon, who says “I love the medium of radio — everybody knows that — and I’ll grab any chance possible to play the greatest hits of all time and tell stories about the artists, and the songs and the era that they come from.”

It all makes sense ... K-Hits was modeled after WCBS-FM in New York where Scott now hosts the city's #1 Morning Show ... so the CBS tie-in to K-Hits is a natural.  (I don't know that I'll get up early on a Saturday just to tune in and listen ... I mean the guy is already on 24/7 on The True Oldies Channel ... 20+ hours a week on WCBS-FM and now another four here in Chicago ... just how much Scott Shannon does the world need?!?!  lol)

Just kidding ... I swear, the older this guy gets, the greater his popularity grows ... and there's nobody better at what he does ... or loves the oldies more than he does.

So one can't help but wonder ... with the mid-day slot now open again at K-Hits after the departure of Tommy Edwards, could Scott Shannon be returning to Chicagoland Radio again in THIS capacity???  (Why not?  His specially-recorded voice-tracked program ran for YEARS on WLS-FM ... in fact, Scott's ratings ... broadcasting from New York ... regularly trumped those of all of our local on-air personalities here in Chicago.  And let's face it ... every single one of these stations are playing the exact same songs ANYWAY, so why not?!?!?)

Hopefully Scott will mix things up a bit more with his new "America's Greatest Hits" program ... over the years, this guy has had access to just about EVERYBODY ... and you can ALWAYS get more variety on The True Oldies Channel, too!)

Click here: Scott Shannon's TRUE OLDIES CHANNEL

His new K-Hits program kicks off on October 18th.  (kk)

re:  THE SATURDAY SURVEYS:  
Kent, 
The pictures of the DJ's on KIX's survey showed one Russ Spooner doing mornings.  He later would be here in OKC doing mornings at WKY - 930 AM.  In fact, he was the PD at the time when he came on board. Also, it showed a Charlie Brown working the 6 - 9 PM time slot. WKY also had a Charlie Brown working in the late 60's but it was a different Charlie Brown. 
I believe back in those days the air name of Charlie Brown was a dime a dozen. 
Larry  

Great charts this weekend, Kent! 
It's interesting that the Box Tops' "I Met Her In Church" is one of your favorites. 
I met her in church on October 20, 1974. Our first date was November 8, 1974. Married her a couple of years later.   That's TMI, but since it actually happened to me ... 
David  

Hi Kent -
Enjoy reading about all the Top 40 Survey Charts.
Everyone remembers the WLS Silver Dollar Surveys, but at the same time WCFL was the top rival to WLS and they printed their surveys also.
I remember receiving a Herb Alpert album in the mail and found out someone sent in my high school photo and WCFL printed it on back of one of the surveys!  Memories ... 
Keep up the GREAT work!!!
Carolyn  
How cool is that?!?!  Do you have a copy?  (If not, we can probably get one for you ... TONS of survey collectors on our list!)  
We've run quite a few 'CFL surveys, too, since we started our new Saturday Surveys feature.  I used to pick up BOTH lists every Friday on the way home from school ... and still have a complete set of both charts for as long as they existed.  (kk)  

Hey Kent,  
Just a little side bar about Hurt So Bad which I think I have mentioned before about it being a reluctant hit.  Of all the surveys I have collected from across the country from the major markets, Hurt So Bad was in the top 5 but there was a disparity in the time line. By the time it was number one in one city, it had just made the play list in another.  There is a month difference between KHJ (#1) in LA and WLS (#2) in Chicago and even a greater disparity in other cities.  There were even some markets where it was on their play list, taken off and then put back on.  I truly believe that if it had peeked all at once it would have charted higher than #12 on the national charts.  We still received gold for it.
I would also like to talk about David Gates who is one of my all time favorite tune makers.  We did a few of his songs before he was the famed David Gates.  I’m sending one we did in '65 which has a  Gary Lewis feel to it.  My brother Jim has the lead on it. I thought it was going to make some noise for sure but it didn’t.  
Keep up your good work!!!  
Thanks,  
Ex-Letterman, now The Reunion,  
Gary Pike

re:  NEW MICHAEL JACKSON:  
Have you heard the new Queen track featuring Freddie Mercury's duet with Michael Jackson? Honestly, not much to this track ... yet it still sounds absolutely amazing.  Two of the greatest voices we have ever known, singing together for the first and only time.  (Reminds you of just how much we lost when these two left us.) 
Listen here:   
Click here: Hear Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury's Long-Lost Duet | Rolling Stone

 

re:  RECENT AND UP-COMING CONCERTS:

As more and more artists seems prone to do, Stevie Wonder will be performing an entire album's worth of material on a brand new, limited-access tour hitting eleven cities.

Stevie's undertaking may be a little more ambitious than the rest however, as he has decided to perform in its entirety his "Songs In The Key Of Life" LP ... a #1, 2-Disc Set (plus bonus EP) released in 1977.

As was the way back then, Stevie dominated The Grammy Awards with this amazing effort that spawned five hit singles (including two #1's, "Sir Duke" and "I Wish".)

As noted, only eleven cities will be treated to this extravaganza (and Chicago just happens to be one of them!)  The full itinerary is as follows: 

11/06 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden

11/09 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center

11/11 - Boston, MA - TD Garden

11/14 - Chicago, IL - United Center

11/16 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center

11/20 - Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills

11/22 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena

11/25 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre

11/29 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena

12/03 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena

12/05 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena

While additional cities are not expected to be added, don't be surprised if additional shows in the cities shown above are added to meet the demand for tickets for this very special event.  (There are enough open dates here to add at least one more show to every city ... and hot spots like Chicago, Madison Square Garden and The MGM Grand seem likely candidates to accommodate some additional performances.

I won free tickets to see Stevie Wonder many, many years ago (his "Hotter Than July" album had just come out) and it was a GREAT show.  As evidenced by many recent television appearances, Stevie is still in great voice ... and this is a "can't miss" show, performing one of my favorite albums.  (kk) 

Here's one I've just GOT to see (if it ever comes to be!!!)

A couple of months ago we told you about Jeff Lynne (of Electric Light Orchestra fame) doing his first solo show in nearly thirty years.

Well, that all happened last week ... and man, what a set list!!!  Some of the greatest hits of our lives were played that night!
This was supposed to be just a one-off concert ... but now Jeff is saying that since things went over so well, he just might like to do a world tour!!!  (And how awesome would THAT be?!?!?) Here's the full report from Vintage Vinyl News: 

Jeff Lynne took the stage at the Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park festival on Sunday with the BBC Concert Orchestra for his first full concert in 28 years. 
Before coming on stage it was announced that Lynne had said that, if all went well with the show, he was seriously considering a world tour and, by all indications, everything went EXTREMELY well. The BBC Concert Orchestra was a superb stand in for the original ELO and Lynne was in perfect voice, not showing any sign at all of aging in his normal range or during falsetto passages. The original recordings were reproduced all the way down to the ringing sound in Telephone Line.
Lynne covered a great deal of the ELO canon and even snuck in one song from his Traveling Wilburys days.
The set list:
Main SetAll Over the World (from the soundtrack to Xanadu, 1980)

Evil Woman (from Face the Music, 1975)

Ma-Ma-Ma-Belle (from On the Third Day, 1973)

Showdown (from On the Third Day, 1973)

Living Thing (from A New World Record, 1976)

Strange Magic (from Face the Music, 1975)

10538 Overture (from No Answer, 1971)

Can't Get It Out Of My Head (from Eldorado, 1974)

Sweet Talking Woman (from Out of the Blue, 1977)

Turn to Stone (from Out of the Blue, 1977)

Steppin' Out (from Out of the Blue, 1977)

Handle With Care (from the Traveling Wilburys' Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1, 1988)

Don't Bring Me Down (from Discovery, 1979)

Rock 'n' Roll is King (from Secret Messages, 1983)

Telephone Line (from A New World Record, 1976)

Mr. Blue Sky (from Out of the Blue, 1977)

Encore

Roll Over Beethoven (from Electric Light Orchestra 2, 1973) 

Speaking of great concerts, here is an excellent review of some shows that took place at The World Trade Center before 9/11 ... a nice (and fitting) tribute to this recent anniversary ...  
Click here: The Summer Hits Series at the World Trade Center and the Day the Music Died: Fufkin.com: Dawn Eden: October, 2001

Star Plaza's putting on a Thanksgiving Soul Jam on Friday, November 28th, featuring The O'Jays, The Dramatics and The Manhattans ... more details on their website:  
Click here: Tickets | The O'Jays - Merrillville IN at Ticketmaster   

And here's a band we never expected to hear from again!  (kk)  

Gunhill Road CD Release Show ~~Doors Open 6:30~ ~ Hosted by: Gunhill Road with A2A Productions When: Saturday, September 13, 2014 at 07:00 PM   Where: The Bitter End 147 Bleecker St New York NY 10012

I interviewed Gunhill Road earlier this year.  They are getting set for their new release!
Phil - WRCO

Of course their big claim to fame (in One Hit Wonder Land) was "Back When My Hair Was Short", a #25 (CB) record in 1973!  (Hey, I always dug it!)    Even bigger here in Chicago where it peaked at #13 on the WCFL Chart.  (kk)

Eagle Rock Entertainment will be releasing two classic Rolling Stones concerts from the vaults ... a 1981 concert recorded at The Hampton Coliseum and a vintage 1975 show from The L.A. Forum, both scheduled for release in November!   

THE ROLLING STONES 

FROM THE VAULT - HAMPTON COLISEUM – LIVE IN 1981 

~SD BLU-RAY, DVD / 2 CD, DVD / 3 LP, DVD, AND DIGITAL FORMATS~ 

~NOVEMBER 4, 2014~ 

FROM THE VAULT – L.A. FORUM – LIVE IN 1975 

~DVD, DVD / 2 CD, DVD / 3 LP, AND DIGITAL FORMATS~ 

~NOVEMBER 18, 2014~ 

BOTH SHOWS RESTORED AND NEWLY MIXED BY BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN

New York, NY (September 17, 2014)—Eagle Rock Entertainment are about to deliver a double dose of Rolling Stones this November, with the debut of the new series of live concerts: From The Vault.   
From The Vault will unveil live concert films from the Rolling Stones archive, now receiving their first official release. The footage from these concerts have been carefully restored, and the sound has been newly mixed by Bob Clearmountain. From The Vault – Hampton Coliseum – Live In 1981 will be released simultaneously on SD Blu-ray, DVD / 2 CD, DVD / 3 LP, DVD, and Digital Formats on November 4, 2014 [Pre-book Order Date October 10, MSRP $17.98 SD Blu-ray, $29.98 DVD / 2 CD, $44.98 DVD / 3 LP, and $TBA DVD]. From The Vault – L.A. Forum – Live In 1975 will be released on DVD, DVD / 2 CD, DVD / 3 LP, and Digital Video on November 18, 2014 [Pre-book Order Date October 24, MSRP $TBA DVD, $29.98 DVD / 2 CD, $TBA DVD / 3 LP].  
Hampton Coliseum – Live In 1981 boasts a full-length 2 1/2 hour concert, featuring “Under My Thumb,” “Let’s Spend The Night Together,” “Shattered,” “Beast Of Burden,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Miss You,” “Brown Sugar,” “Jumping Jack Flash,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” and many more. The Rolling Stones American Tour in 1981, in support of the critical and commercial smash Tattoo You, was the most successful tour of that year, taking in a then record $50 million dollars in ticket sales. The 50-date tour kicked off in Philadelphia in September 1981 and ended with two dates in Hampton, Virginia on December 18 and 19. The show on December 18th, which was also Keith Richards’ birthday, was the first ever music concert to be broadcast on television as a pay-per-view event.  
L.A. Forum – Live In 1975 also clocks in at 2 ½ hours, and features “Honky Tonk Women,” “Gimme Shelter,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Brown Sugar,” “Midnight Rambler,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and “Sympathy For The Devil,” to name a few. The Rolling Stones’ “Tour Of The Americas ‘75” was the band’s first tour with new guitarist Ronnie Wood. Even before the dates started, there were dramatic scenes in New York City at the official tour announcement, when the band unexpectedly turned up on a flatbed truck to play “Brown Sugar.” After a couple of low-key warm-up shows in Louisiana, the tour began on June 3, with a 44-date run lasting through August 8. They settled into the L.A. Forum for a five-night stint from July 9^th to 13^th. The L.A. Forum – 1975 film features the show from July 12^th. 
The electricity and power of the Rolling Stones onstage is a concert event like no other. From The Vault perfectly captures two separate evenings that prove why a Rolling Stones concert is the ultimate live experience. 
Click here to view a video of "Shattered" from Hampton Coliseum - Live In 1981 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj96Tau44OA  
Click here to view a video of "Star Star" from L.A Forum - Live In 1975 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou90MPHZzXs  
HAMPTON COLISEUM TRACK LISTING:    
1) Under My Thumb 
2) When The Whip Comes Down 
3) Let’s Spend The Night Together 
4) Shattered 
5) Neighbours 
6) Black Limousine 
7) Just My Imagination 
8) Twenty Flight Rock 
9) Going To A Go Go 
10) Let Me Go 
11) Time Is On My Side 
12) Beast Of Burden 
13) Waiting On A Friend 
14) Let It Bleed 
15) You Can’t Always Get What You Want 
16) Band Introductions 
17) Happy Birthday Keith 
18) Little T & A 
19) Tumbling Dice 
20) She’s So Cold 
21) Hang Fire 
22) Miss You 
23) Honky Tonk Women 
24) Brown Sugar 
25) Start Me Up 
26) Jumping Jack Flash 
27) (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction 
L.A. FORUM TRACK LISTING:  
1) Introduction* 
2) Honky Tonk Women 
3) All Down The Line 
4) If You Can’t Rock Me / Get Off Of My Cloud 
5) Star Star 
6) Gimme Shelter
7) Ain’t Too Proud To Beg 
8) You Gotta Move 
9) You Can’t Always Get What You Want 
10) Happy 
11) Tumbling Dice 
12) It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll 
13) Band Intros* 
14) Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)* 
15) Fingerprint File 
16) Angie 
17) Wild Horses* 
18) That’s Life* 
19) Outta Space* 
20) Brown Sugar 
21) Midnight Rambler 
22) Rip This Joint 
23) Street Fighting Man 
24) Jumpin’ Jack Flash 
25) Sympathy For The Devil
*Not available on LP  

re:  LOU CHRISTIE:  
I finally got to read Shelley J Sweet-Tufano's Lou Christie concert review. One of the songs she wasn't sure on the title was Heart Of Saturday Night, a Tom Waits song that I prefer most by Dion (from his 1970's comeback LP, Return Of The Wanderer). That must've been a great show. I've never seen Lou on his own, so I've only gotten the "medley of hits" treatment. I did meet him once, though, and he is one of the nicest guys I've met. He told me he is not a fan of technology and the internet ... and I don't blame him ... but in this day and age, it helps keep names alive and people in the spotlight. 
Tom Diehl  
Shelley talked to the folks at Lou's website, who were able to provide a full and complete "set list" from Lou's concert ... 
I received information direct from the source on Lou's set-list from September 1st at Mohegan Sun.  Couldn't get any better. 
Shelley 
THE GIRLS ON THE BEACH WAS ALSO PART OF THE SUMMER MEDLEY 
SURE FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU  
HEART OF SATURDAY NIGHT 
AND THE ENCORE WAS 
LOVE CAN MAKE YOU STRONG 
A BUNCH OF THE SONGS ARE INCLUDED ON THE LIVE CD FROM THE BOTTOM LINE 
I STILL WANT TO ROCK AND ROLL WITH YOU 
HOLD ME THRILL ME KISS ME 
IT'S OVER 
SURE FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU 
HEART OF SATURDAY NIGHT 
BEYOND THE BLUE HORIZON  
IT'S LOU'S ONLY LIVE CD RECORDED IN 2003 JUST BEFORE THE BOTTOM LINE CLOSED   

And, speaking of Lou, we also heard ...   
Lou Christie was interviewed on Cousin Brucie's show this past Wednesday, Sept 17th, around 5:00 pm 
Shelley 
I know I'm getting you this information too late to do anything about it ... but maybe they'll repeat the performance on a future show.  Still would love to see this guy!  (Hey, Ron, are you listening???  How about a double bill featuring Lou Christie and Tommy Roe???  BOTH of these guys would LOVE to come to Chicago ... and we'd sure love to see them!!!)  kk  

re:  JOHNNY RIVERS:
Just read your review of the Johnny Rivers concert ... 
I don't think there's anyone MORE unprofessional in the business (at least as a solo act). We were supposed to see him as part of a package deal this past March but literally at the last second he pulled out of the show, telling the booking agent that he would no longer do oldies shows as part of a package deal. I already lost respect for him before that because of a previous incident, but I have absolutely none for him now.  
As for Johnny being in a bad mood, I seem to think that he is only happy when he's unhappy. I've seen him two other times and he was pissed off pretty much the entire time then, too.  
The first time was at an outdoor show in Atlanta in the middle of summer (and yeah it was extremely hot).  At this show Johnny signed autographs but he wouldn't even look at the person he was signing for.  I handed him a Taiwanese pressing of one of his albums ... he took the record out of the jacket and commented "This looks like some cheap bootleg" (which it wasn't ... it was actually pressed using the original Imperial LP stampers). After that, I asked Johnny if he could record a short promo liner for me to use on my internet radio show and his reply was "There are people in line ... can it wait until I'm done?" so I said, "Sure", and I got back in the line at the very end ... got to him once again and asked if he could do a liner for me, and then his reply was "I don't have time for this right now". Really? After all that? A simple "no, I don't do promos" would've sufficed and I would've dropped the subject ... but, he didn't have time for me ... instead he got up from his table and walked four feet away from me to some big breasted bimbo and started chatting her up for the next 20 minutes. After that, we left. 
The second time I saw Johnny was inside a theater in New York in the spring of 2011, where it was nice and cool the entire night.  Johnny was the headliner and the other acts were Tony Lee (a British Gene Pitney / Roy Orbison tribute artist), Gary Puckett and The Association. The Association blew the rest of the acts away, including Johnny. During his set, he did look visibly pissed and seemed to have sound problems even then (but we could hear him just fine the entire time). After the show I was brought back stage by the booking agent and he was bringing me to Johnny who was just standing around backstage, when the theater manager came up and said "Johnny will be out in five minutes to sign autographs!". So we were scooted from backstage and not two minutes later the same theater manager comes out and says "Mr. Rivers has left the building".  Well, that was strike two for me right there, and then the third one came when he cancelled out on the show this past March. If he happens to ever again be on a package show I attend, I will make sure to walk out of his portion of the show. He doesn't show support to his fans and those who play his music on the air, so why should I support his music? It's unfortunate because he has so many good songs ... and the songs I still like, but him I can do without. 
Tom Diehl  

re:  THIS AND THAT:  
Donna Loren?  Only on FH ... way to go!

Great work! 
Phil 

Hey Kent,
I just heard Rupert Holmes' hit "Escape - The Pina Colada Song" on the radio. It's catchy and fun, but I think, a little cheesy. I really like his second hit, "Him", from the arrangement and harmony, to his scat-style (if you want to call it that) singing in the middle of the song. It's another one that you never hear on the radio these days. I just read his bio, and what a body of work he's had over the years, from composing, arranging, producing, and singing; from pop music to soundtracks to musical theatre! He has worked with the best in the business. He's really done it all. I'd like to inform one of the popular karaoke DJs (make that KJs) from this area, who had a trivia contest, that Rupert, whose real name is David Goldstein, is not in any way related to Clint Holmes ("Playground in My Mind"), even though they were both born in England.
- John LaPuzza

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6vAGdRxhzg

Ironically, I was just listening to "Him" the other day, too ... I always liked this song ... DEFINITELY one of those that fits our Forgotten Hits Credo of "One You Know ... One You Didn't Even Know You Forgot"! 
"Him went to #6 in 1980 ... and still sounds pretty good today (in small doses, of course!!!)  Then again "Escape" is probably one of the most over-played song on the air these days!  (Not necessarily a good thing as this one seems to be one of those "love it or hate it" type tunes!)  kk  

Paul McCartney has shared the original song he wrote for the video game Destiny.
Recorded with a 120-piece orchestra and conducted by Sir George Martin's son Niles, at the Abbey Road Studios in London, the track is called "Hope For The Future." 
It appears in the end credits of the first-person shooter video game. The track forms part of over 50 minutes of music McCartney composed for the game alongside Marty O'Donnell and Mike Salvatori. 
A representative for the game developer told Vulture of McCartney's involvement: 
"There was no check involved, big or otherwise. He's in it for the creativity. He got a wonderful opportunity to reach an audience that wouldn't typically be immersed in Paul McCartney." 
O'Donnell added of the recording process: "He brought out his old tape-loop machine - he said the last time he used it was on Sgt. Pepper. (He says stuff like that all the time!) So he sent me an entire session where he was playing around with all these tape-loops. We were just thrilled. That [was] the same machine that was on Revolver."  
The track will be available as a single, though details of the release have not been revealed.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI33VCbcyNE#t=167 Why buy it when I just downloaded it for free???  Interesting that he used a 120 piece orchestra for this, but had NO orchestra backing for his elaborate concert here months ago.   

-- Clark Besch     
McCartney is also releasing a special deluxe edition of "New", his latest LP, with a second disk filled with bonus material and live cuts plus a brand new DVD.  And "The McCartney Collection" continues as well, with ultra-deluxe reissues of "Venus And Mars" and "Wings At The Speed Of Sound".  Check Amazon.com for more details.  (kk)  

>>>Were the '60's and '70's really as exciting as you make them seem?  (Priscilla, born in 1983)

>>>Oh, Priscilla, you missed SO much!  There has never been another time quite like it.  Glad to know that while we're enjoying reliving many of these memories in Forgotten Hits, you're enjoying experiencing them for the first time (and are maybe just a little bit jealous!!!  lol)  kk    

I see that a Priscilla born in 1983 is wondering if the '60s and '70s were as exciting as Forgotten Hits showcases them as.  While it depends on how you spent those decades, I wouldn't have missed them for anything.   Of course, the '50s were pretty cool, too -- like, say, 1956, when Eddie Cooley hit the Top 20 with this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXfY9-v9g0k

Gary Theroux

Funny, I just listened to this song a couple of weeks ago!  A LONG forgotten gem.  (kk)  

I'd like to respond to the woman (Priscilla) who gave you what I thought was a great compliment about FH. 

So Priscilla, you were born in 1983. That means I've known Kent longer than you've been on this planet. Where does the time go, Kent?  It was still the 70s then. 

Seriously when I saw your letter I thought what a great thing to say! I know if I were the moderator of this site, I would think that all the hours I've spent sharing my passion of music with others has paid off, not necessarily in financial gains, more in personal satisfaction. 

You're right ... the 50s, 60s & the 70s  WERE an exciting time in music. We had gone from moon, June & spoon songs that my parents and your grandparents listened to, on to the latest dance grazes, the sophistication of lyrics, songs that questioned the existing order, into different genres of the music we affectionately call rock and roll. We had folk rock, psychedelic rock, space rock, jazz fusion, teen idols, etc. It was all new, strange and wonderful. Later we had more teen idols, southern rock, punk rock & disco (gasp!). Rhythm & blues morphed into soul. Even country music was starting to venture into rock territory. However that's not to say that as we approached the new millennium and you started taking music seriously, that there weren't gems to be heard. Every year has its icon songs, as well as it's trash. As a child of the 60s, I swore up & down that I would always try to keep abreast of what was happening in music. Sad to say, I've given up on that endeavor, if only because where I now live there isn't any radio station that plays any current adult rock. It's either classic rock, oldies, of stuff I'd appreciate if I were 14 again and first discovering the joys of music, as I did watching Ed Sullivan and American Bandstand. Sadly as music has evolved for better, or worse, the means to convey it has evolved and I'd say for the worse. Unless your parents let you listen to that God awful rock and roll on the living room hi-fi, you were stuck listening to your fave jocks on the AM dial (there was no FM rock until 67/68 or so), on a tiny transistor radio that you probably got from Sears. (No boom boxes then either). As Kent has mentioned more than once on this site, there are some of our "heroes" who have opted out as they don't want to live in the past. There is truth in that statement. However to appreciate the present, you must understand the past. Where did your fave artist learn about this music? Even the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, etc, took their cues from somewhere. Then the next generation of performers did the same and so it goes. If you were born in 1983, and if you have kids, then your oldest is approaching their teen years and is discovering music. (Feel old now)? Think how I feel knowing I could easily be the grandfather of a child approaching their teen years. Play my records / CDs? THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN! 

I don't know how the rest of FH readers felt about your letter, but I loved it. Please don't dismiss today's music as crap though, because it will be just as important to today's millennials as the 50s, 60s & 70s music was to us. If you have kids, encourage them to listen to ALL music. Don't say "Why are you listening to that crap", as my mom did, and I'll bet a lot of other parents did. Show them how the music evolved. As a contributor to FH for about a dozen years now, I thank you for a wonderful letter.

Jack (Rock and Roll Never Forgets) 

b. 1949

Well said ... I stand by my position that if you simply expose today's generation to the feel-good music that we grew up with in the '50's, '60's and '70's, they, too, will fall in love with it just as we did.  It's funny when a song that harkens back to that era pops up on the radio today ... I like things like "All About That Bass" by Meghen Trainor and "Bang Bang" by Jessie J ... "Happy" by Pharrell and Rude by Magic ... recent hits like "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People ... all of these tunes channel something from the past with a thoroughly modern sound.  (And it sure beats listening to "Don't Stop Believin'" for the 19th time today!!!)  kk

Is Gerry Marsden wearing a pacemaker by any chance?
Tal Hartsfeld

Kent,  
I'm joining with the many in expressing my sadness over the passing of George Hamilton IV.  I met him twice in my DJ days and found him to be among the easiest of the C&W stars to visit with.  We should note his Top 40 successes on this site, with four solo hits, the best being "A Rose And A Baby Ruth" and his teaming up with Paul Anka and Johnny Nash on "The Teen Commandments".  He was truly a gentleman and a solid performer. 
Chuck Wroste   
While never a major force in rock and roll, he did score five Top 40 Pop Hits between 1956 and 1950 (counting his Anka / Nash hit).   "A Rose And A Baby Ruth" was, indeed, his biggest, peaking at #6 in 1956 ... but he also hit The Top Ten a couple of years later with "Why Don't They Understand".

According to Joel Whitburn's book, Hamilton toured with Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent and The Everly Brothers in the early days of rock and roll ... so that put him in some pretty high-profile company back then.  He charted with 40 country hits between 1960 and 1978 and even hosted his own TV show back in 1959.

Here is how Ron Smith remembered him on his oldiesmusic.com website:

George Hamilton IV, who charted eleven times on the pop top 100 between 1956 and 1963 (and 40 times on the county charts from 1960 through 1978), died Wednesday (September 17) in a Nashville hospital. The 77 year-old had suffered a heart attack on Saturday. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina native is best remembered for his 1956 hit "A Rose And A Baby Ruth" (#6) and 1958's "Why Don't They Understand" (#10), but even after concentrating on country music, he crossed over to the pop charts with such hits as "Abilene" (#15 pop,#1 country, 1963). George hosted a Canadian TV program for six years and was one of the first American artists to record songs by Gordon Lightfoot and Joni Mitchell. He also was the first country artist to perform behind the Iron Cutain (Russia and Czechosolvakia) in 1974. He was inducted into the Grand Old Opry in 1960 and was known as the "International Ambassador of Country Music."

DONNIE KEHR & THE PATH FUND ANNOUNCE PERFORMERS FOR THEIR ROCKERS ON BROADWAY 'TEEN IDOLS' TRIBUTE ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2014, AT LE POISSON ROUGE

ROCKERS ON BROADWAY, the unique annual event (which has raised over $300,000 with over two decades of performances) featuring Broadway’s finest, performing something for everyone -  has announced the line-up for their next event, Monday, November 17 (at Manhattan’s Le Poisson Rouge) Celebrating five decades of music from our favorite teen idols.

Says Rockers’ Kehr, “This year we will honor two of America’s teen idol icons Micky Dolenz and Frankie Valli with Lifetime Achievement Awards and legendary DJ ‘Cousin’ Brucie Morrow with the Ambassador of Rock Award.”

Continues Kehr, “Teen idols have always been a special kind of rock star!  When their songs came on the radio our hearts skipped a beat.  We tacked their photos to our bedroom walls, faithfully watched their TV shows and bought their records -- and we might have even written some of them a love note or two… we all had one.”

These are not all the performers we will have, so this should either say ... 

"Already slated ... "  or below the cast list ... say ... "many more to come ..." or something

Slated to perform are; with additional names to follow, are:

Micky Dolenz, The Monkees

Lena Hall, 2014 TONY Award Winner – Hedwig and The Angry Inch, Kinky Boots

Nick Cordero, 2014 TONY Nominee – Bullets Over Broadway

Jarrod Spector,  2014 TONY Nominee – Beautiful

Donnie Kehr, Rockers Founder, Jersey Boys (Broadway & Film), Billy Elliot, Aida

Preston Truman Boyd, Big Fish, Bullets Over Broadway

Steve Gouveia, Jersey Boys

Michael Lanning, Bonnie & Clyde, The Civil War

Constantine Marloulis, TONY Nominee – Rock Of Ages

Tracy McDowell, Motown The Musical, Rent

Vinny Pastore, Sopranos, Bullets Over Broadway

Sara Schmidt, Jersey Boys, Brooklyn

Jeremy Schonfeld, Drift

www.rockersonbroadway.com

Le Poisson Rouge is located at 158 Bleecker Street NYC

Doors: 6:30 pm - VIP arrival

7:00pm – General Admission & Standing Room 

Tickets range from Single Tickets $30-250 and Tables available at $2000. www.rockersonbroadway.com

I thought you and your readers might like this:

http://video.wttw.com/video/2365298380/

Marlene 

Kent ...

Vito Picone & The Elegants, from Staten Island, New York, made an appearance at the San Gennaro Feast in New York City.  They did a half-hour show and closed with their #1 Hit from 1958, "Little Star."

Lead singer, Vito Picone, says "We're going to close with our big hit --- that sounds exactly like this. Wait, who am I kidding --- I'm 73 years old --- it sounds nothing like this. If you want to know how it really  sounds, go home and play the record.
Frank B.

Funny stuff!  (kk)    

Blood, Sweat & Tears Critically Acclaimed Debut Album 'Child Is Father To The Man'  
To Be Reissued On 5.1 Multichannel Hybrid SACD By Audio Fidelity  
"A brilliant work ... Al Kooper's finest!"  
Camarillo, CA - Exploding onto the scene as a band determined only to expand the boundaries of popular music, Blood, Sweat & Tears immediately made their mark as virtuoso players with an important vision and statement.  Calling on Rock, R&B, Jazz and even Classical influences, the band, led by Al Kooper, made what remains one of the truly inspired, groundbreaking records of the late '60s. Now much to the excitement of BS&T and Al Kooper fans worldwide, Marshall Blonstein's Audio Fidelity is reissuing the band's critically acclained debut album 'Child Is Father To The Man' on 5.1 Multichannel Hybrid SACD! 
The album, released in 1968, introduced the idea of the big band to rock and roll and paved the way for such groups as Chicago. 'Child Is Father To The Man' peaked at #47 on Billboard's chart. “I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know” and “I Can't Quit Her” generated airplay on progressive rock radio. 
This is the sound of a group of virtuosos enjoying itself in the newly open possibilities of pop music ... the eclectic post-Sgt. Pepper era, a time when you could borrow styles from Greenwich Village contemporary folk to San Francisco acid rock and mix them into what seemed to have the potential to become a new American musical form.  
" ... among Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time."  
Tracks:  
1- Overture 
2- I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know 
3- Morning Glory 
4- My Days Are Numbered
5- Without Her 
6- Just One Smile 
7- I Can't Quit Her 
8- Meagan's Gypsy Eyes 
9- Somethin' Goin' On 
10-House in the Country 
11-The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud 
12- So Much Love/Underture  
Produced by John Simon 
Multichannel recording Produced by Al Kooper 
Multichannel SACD 5.1 mix: Al Kooper at The Magic Shop NYC 
Multichannel SACD 5.1 mastering: Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios 
Stereo CD and SACD mastering: Steve Hoffman at Stephen Marsh Mastering  
For more information: www.audiofidelity.net

re:  CLIP OF THE WEEK:

Kent ...

I don't like to brag, but ---

When it comes to clips of the week, my unofficial survey says I'm #1.
This might be another one ... I'll let you decide. 

It's FUNNY.
Frank B.

OK ... you win ... EVERYBODY I showed this to thought it was absolutely HYSTERICAL!!!!  And the funniest part is that even though you KNOW what the real words are, after he plants the idea in your head as to the mis-heard lyric, you absolutely hear it that way!!!  (Kinda like "Mexican Monkey" for last year's big hit "Get Lucky" or, as Fred Winston used to call it, "Bald-Headed Woman" for The Bee Gees' hit "More Than A Woman".  (kk)