The Saturday Surveys ( 11 - 29 )

Check out this chart from WKLO in Kentucky, circa 1968 ... kind of a "soulful" Top Ten ... 

Checking in at #1 is Dusty Springfield with her classic "Son Of A Preacher Man", recorded down in Memphis.  Next up, another Memphis staple, Booker T. and the MG's with "Hang 'Em High", a song that got ALL kinds of airplay back in the day ... yet you never hear it anymore (or very many OTHER instrumentals for that matter either!)

Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson are "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries" at #3, The Fifth Dimension hold down the #8 spot with "Sweet Blindness", followed by Stevie Wonder with "For Once In My Life" at #9 and "He's Bad, Bad, Bad" by Betty Wright at #10.  (Most of us wouldn't hear of Betty Wright until a few years later when she it it big with "Clean Up Woman" in 1972.  "He's Bad, Bad, Bad" only "bubbled under" in Billboard ... but was a Top Ten Hit in Louisville, KY!)

There's something called "Hayride" at #6 by Saturday Cartoon ... that one didn't make Billboard's Chart at all!

More soulful sounds can be found from Aretha Franklin ("See Saw", #14), "Love Child" by Diana Ross and the Supremes (#15), "Cloud Nine" by The Temptations (right behind it at #16) and "Been Down So Long" by Soul, Inc. at #25.  Even this week's "pick hit" has a soulful flavor ... it's "Sweet Cream Ladies Forward March" by The Box Tops.  You'll also find Joe South's "Games People Play" premiering on the chart this week.

But are Chicago groups are pretty well represented on this chart, too!  Check out The Buckinghams at #12 (with a bullet no less!) with their latest, "Where Did You Come From".  You'll also find The Shadows Of Knight with their "bubblegum hit" "Shake" at #17.  And if you look at the ad for The Kentucky State Fair at the bottom of this chart, you'll find Chicago's own New Colony Six on the bill along with the previously mentioned Joe South and Soul, Inc., as well as Gene Pitney and Classics IV!

This next chart was "Made In Japan" ... literally.

Plenty of Forgotten Hits regulars can be found on this list.

The Lettermen top the chart with their version of "Sealed With A Kiss", followed by The Archies with "Sugar Sugar", The 1910 Fruitgum Company with "The Train" and Chicago at #18 with "Questions 67 and 68", followed by Paul Revere and the Raiders, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Dionne Warwick and Tommy Roe.

The Beatles are represented by THREE tracks from their "Abbey Road" album ... "Come Together" is at #4, "Something" is at #10 and "Oh! Darling" is at #23.  The Monkees are still charting well with their latest, "Good Clean Fun", which comes in at #13 this week ... and for some reason, The Searchers are back on the charts with their 1965 Hit "Love Potion Number Nine"!

Here's a mammoth chart from K-SHE in St. Louis from 1967 ... 

It runs for two weeks (from December 1st - December 15th) is a bit unusual ... but it lists 95 HITS!!!

As such, a lot of "obscurities" make the chart ... such as "Hooray For The Salvation Army Band" by Bill Cosby (all over the news again today ... and NOT for a good reason), the Wes Montgomery "smooth jazz" version of "Windy", the Chris Farlowe version of "Paint It Black", "I Feel Free" by Cream, "Dancing Bear" by The Mamas and the Papas" and "Pata Pata"  by Miriam Makeba ... not songs you're likely to hear anywhere any time soon ... unless, of course, you happen to be a Forgotten Hits Reader!!!

Speaking of mammothly large charts, here's "Canada's Only Official 100 Single Survey" from 1966.

Peter and Gordon top this chart with their novelty hit "Lady Godiva".  The Brenda Lee track at #13 is one of my all-time favorites by her.  ("Coming On Strong")

There's an early Guess Who track at #36 ("And She's Mine").  And Chicago's Cryan' Shames are at #57 with "I Wanna Meet You".  Lou Christie's remake of "Since I Don't Have You" continues to jump up the chart (from #99 to #82 to #71) this week.  Billy Joe Royal's original version of "Yo Yo" sits at #75 ... it would be a hit six years later for The Osmond Brothers.

And finally, this college chart from Hope, Michigan, shows how so many schools across our country were going their own way musically back then.  They're playing the John Barry instrumental version of the theme from "Midnight Cowboy" rather than the popular Ferrante and Teicher version ... followed by The Arbor's version of "Touch Me" rather than the hit version by The Doors.  The Cryan' Shames can be found on this chart, too ... their latest, non-hit "Rainmaker".  (This one didn't even chart here in Chicago!)  And then, amidst all this soft-rock fever we find "Cold Turkey" by The Plastic Ono Band, "Kozmic Blues" by Janis Joplin, "Jingo" by Santana, "Evil Woman" by Crow, and tracks by Led Zeppelin and MC5 ... as well as Johnny Cash and Buddy Holly!!!  An eclectic mix at best!

50 Years Ago This Weekend

November 28-29-30:  

The Zombies creep up a notch to #4 with their first American Chart Hit "She's Not There" on this week's Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart.  Also in The Top Ten this week:  "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks (#7) and "Time Is On My Side" by The Rolling Stones (#8).  

Holding on to Top 20 spots are The Honeycombs (#14 with "Have I The Right, down from #7 the previous week) and Herman's Hermits with "I'm Into Something Good" (up a notch from #20 to #19).  

Rounding out The Top 40 we have "Sha La La" by Manfred Mann (making a HUGE leap from #47 to #28, which comes in just ahead of their FIRST Hit "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", now the #31 record in the country) and "I Don't Want To See You Again" by Peter and Gordon (#33).  

Other British artists on this week's chart include The Dave Clark Five (#46 with "Any Way You Want It"), The Searchers (#46 with "When You Walk In The Room"), Julie Rogers, who makes a huge leap from #81 to #51 with "The Wedding", Chad and Jeremy (#55 with "Willow Weep For Me"), Matt Monro (new on the charts with "Walk Away", which premiers at #79 this week),  "As Tears Go By" by Marianne Faithful (#81), The Searchers' remake of "Love Potion Number Nine" (debuting at #83) and Sandi Shaw, who premiers at #89 with her version of "There's Always Something There To Remind Me".

Herman's Hermits enjoy their second week on top of the WLS Silver Dollar Survey with their first American Hit "I'm Into Something Good".  The Zombies are right behind them at #2 with "She's Not There".  The Kinks ("You Really Got Me", #6), The Rolling Stones ("Time Is On My Side", #7) and The Honeycombs ("Have I The Right", #9) also hold Top Ten spots on this week's chart.  

"Don't It Make You Feel Good" sits at #13 for The Overlanders and The Beatles (STILL shown as "The Beatle's" for some crazy reason on the WLS chart) premier at #24 with their two-sided hit "I Feel Fine" / "She's A Woman".  (This one won't show up on the Billboard Chart until the following week.)  

Rounding out The Top 30 are "As Tears Go By" by Marianne Faithful (#26), "The Wedding" by Julie Rogers (#27) and "Any Way You Want It" by The Dave Clark Five (#30). 

 

The Beatles were reportedly quite upset at the Capitol Records mixes made for their new single.  Capitol added a ton of echo to both tracks ... but this is the way I heard them back then and this is the ONLY way they sound right to me today.  (It was this type of behavior here in The States ... along with editing out tracks from their albums to release as singles and additional LP output ... that prompted The Beatles to pose for their infamous Butcher Cover photo a couple of years later!  The Beatles simply felt that their US label was butchering their creative output for their own financial gain ... and they didn't like it one bit.  A great amount of thought went into the sequencing of their LP's and Capitol threw all that by the wayside by releasing LP's with eleven tracks, for example, instead of fourteen, like their British counterparts.)  
All of that being said, in this particular case, when I listen to the British pressings of "I Feel Fine" and "She's A Woman", they seem limp in comparison ... there's just no pop or "oomph" at all.  
Truthfully, I've gotta side with Capitol on this one ... a good decision in my mind ... and probably why this two-sided hit went to the top of the charts for two (Record World), three (Billboard) and FOUR (Cash Box) weeks on the U.S. National Charts.  (kk)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

This week we celebrate our FIFTEENTH YEAR of doing Forgotten Hits ...

We are thankful for all of you who've been there since the beginning ...

And all of the rest of you who have joined us along the way!

Our sincere Thanksgiving Wishes go out to ALL of you and your families!

We'll be back tomorrow with our 50 Years Ago This Weekend Feature ...

And this weekend with more of our Saturday Surveys!
kk
Kent Kotal
Forgotten Hits

Hey, does this Pumpkin Pie taste funny to you???

Another Triple Play Concert Review

We were treated to another triple play of musical entertainment Saturday Night at The Arcada Theatre where our host, Ron Onesti, presented the hit music of The Spinners, Ray Parker, Jr., and Reflection with their Tribute To Motown.  

Sadly, things got off to a bit of a rough start for The Spinners ... their first three songs were marred by sound problems ... their vocals were barely detectable, buried in loud echo and feedback that rendered their first three selections virtually unlistenable.  (This was tough to watch as I'm not quite sure just how aware The Spinners were of the problem ... they smiled through the whole misfortune, never missing a step with all their well-choreographed moves, playing off of one another as if absolutely nothing was wrong.  It's A Shame, too ... because one of those songs that was lost in this muddy mix happened to be one of my all-time favorites by them, the Stevie Wonder-penned "It's A Shame", a Top 20 Hit from 1970.)  Although the night was billed as heavy on Motown Music and Memories ... and this was, in fact, their biggest Motown Hit ... The Spinners made their REAL musical mark on the Atlantic Record Label, where they scored over a dozen Billboard Top 40 Pop Hits between 1972 and 1980.  Thankfully, the sound miraculously cleared up during their fourth number and the band rebounded beautifully.  After that, we were treated to hit after hit after hit, presented to near perfection.    

As the seasoned professionals that they are (they looked OUTSTANDING in their matching suits, by the way!), I have to say that some of the between song patter went on for far too long and seemed terribly "forced" in some instances ... they were trying much too hard and it quickly turned into "annoyingly cute" ... but they more than made up for this with their entertaining dance moves, incredible vocals and playfulness amongst themselves on stage.     

The Spinners, too, are now down to just one original member ... but this has been a case of older members passing away rather than any real dissent amongst the group.  Henry Fambrough is the last surviving member of the group, which formed in 1954 in Detroit, Michigan, and were taken under the wing of the legendary Harvey Fuqua of The Moonglows.  (In fact, at one time they were billed as The Detroit Spinners.)  Their big break came in 1961 when they had a minor hit for Tri-Phi Records called "That's What Girls Are Made For" (#27).  Four years later they hit again for Motown with "I'll Always Love You" (#35) and then endured another dry spell before "It's A Shame" went to #14 in 1970 on the Motown V.I.P. subsidiary record label.  

Things turned around in a BIG way for the group after they signed with Atlantic Records in 1972 ... The Spinners were all over the radio dial with hits like "I'll Be Around" (#3, 1972); "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" (#4, 1973); "One Of A Kind (Love Affair)" (#11, 1973); "Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" (#5, 1975); "The Rubberband Man" (#2, 1976) and their clever medleys "Working My Way Back To You / Forgive Me, Girl" (#2, 1980) and "Cupid / I've Loved You For A Long Time" (#4, 1980), as well as their "duet" with Dionne Warwick(e), "Then Came You", a #1 Hit in 1974. ALL of these songs were performed Saturday Night (and not in shortened, medley-form like we saw at our recent Dennis Edwards and The Temptations Review concert) ... full-length and (in some cases, like their 1974 Top 20 Hit "Mighty Love" and the "Cupid / I've Loved You For A Long Time" medley), extended versions!      

The other current members of the vocal group are Ronnie Moss, who replaced original member and lead singer Bobbie Smith after he passed away about a year and a half ago, Jessie Peck, their bass singer, who replaced Pervis Jackson when he passed away several years ago, Marvin Taylor, and Charlton Washington, their current lead singer.  Keeping things "all in the family", their lead guitarist is Ronnie Smith, son of Bobbie.  (Other key Spinners vocalists from their mega-hit years have also passed away over the years ... including Philippe Wynne and Billy Henderson).  

The Spinners band consists of Keith Ferguson, musical director, who has been with them for a very long time, on keyboards, Ray Burton on bass guitar, David Brandon on drums and the aforementioned Ronnie Smith on lead guitar.  As their manager Nat Burgess described them to me, "They are a killer band and all of them have been there for a long time now."  (Prior to taking over managerial duties, Burgess was their agent for over 25 years so, as he tells it, "I have seen all their shows with the different configurations as original founding members passed away and in this configuration it really nails the original sound of the Spinners.")  

The encore REALLY nailed the spirit of The Spinners as they knocked out some of their biggest hits including "One Of A Kind (Love Affair)", "Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" and a KILLER rendition of "Rubberband Man" complete with a strobe light show and some "rubberband dancing" that had the whole crowd up on their feet, cheering along and dancing in the aisles.  A fun time to be sure by one of the GREAT bands of our time, Rock And Roll Hall-of-Famers, The Spinners.  
 

In complete contrast, Ray Parker, Jr., did about as laid-back a show as one could imagine ... it was COMPLETELY unexpected when he took the stage without a band, accompanied only by his bass player Freddie Washington.  (No, not "Boom Boom" from "Welcome Back Kotter" ... this is the Freddie Washington who wrote the timeless '80's pop hit "Forget Me Nots" ... which means I guess he also wrote the "Men In Black" theme, too, right???)  Freddie has worked with everybody from Michael Jackson to Stevie Wonder to Steely Dan to George Benson, Lionel Richie and Elton John ... a GREAT session musician.)  

Ray Parker, Jr., also spent a fair amount of HIS time in the recording studio laying down tracks for other artists before he went off on his own and hit pay dirt with his first hit (as Raydio), "Jack And Jill" (#6, 1978).  Other hits followed:  "You Can't Change That" (#9, 1979), "A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do)" (#4, 1981), "The Other Woman" (#2, 1982) and, of course, his #1 MONSTER Hit "Ghostbusters", which Ray says has now passed over 35 Million in sales!  

Parker set the tone from the get-go, pulling up a couple of bar stools, mixed  drinks in hand, inviting all of us to join him in "Ray's Living Room", where just about ANYTHING could happen .. because we were all just friends hangin' in "Ray's Living Room".  He opened his set with a parody of The Mamas and Papas song "California Dreamin'", reworded to explain how he had no band and was doing this show with just "me and Freddie" ... and then proceeded to wow us with his virtuoso guitar playing, throwing just about anything (and any style) into the mix ... he's one hell of a guitarist (who, I'm told, showed up the night before at The Arcada to watch one of his idols, Buddy Guy, perform!)  

Ray explained that part of the reason for his pairing with The Spinners is because he first joined The Spinners out on the road when he was just THIRTEEN YEARS OLD, playing guitar for the band.  Years later, when both acts were in the prime of their careers, Bobbie Smith asked Ray to write a song for The Spinners to record.  

Ray knew this had to be a hit ... he couldn't just submit a dozen songs and risk them rejecting anything ... he had to write a bona fide hit record right out of the box ... so he sat down and gave it some serious thought ... he took the melodies and styles of two of The Spinners' most recent hits ... "Games People Play (They Just Can't Stop It)" and "The Rubberband Man" and merged those two sounds, laying one on top of each other, coming up with what HE believed would be the PERFECT track for The Spinners to record.  

But, The Spinners turned it down ... said it just wasn't right for them.  Heartbroken, Ray Parker, Jr., decided to cut the track himself ... and when "You Can't Change That" reached The Top Ten, The Spinners had to apologize and admit that they had turned down a smash.  (Listen to it again with this thought in mind, side-by-side with these Spinners tracks ... and you'll see that Ray absolutely NAILED it!)

Parker is a very charismatic performer ... and his "living room" setting set the perfect stage for his performance that night ... we hated to see him leave.  (He would come back at the end and join The Spinners on stage for their killer encore.)  All in all, an OUTSTANDING set.   

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the opening act for both of these great artists, Reflection, a Motown-Tribute group of vocalists who were a last minute addition to the line-up.  It was a perfect fit.  (These are not young guys up there trying to compete with "Motown: The Musical" ... these guys are the real deal, obviously performing together for many years and presenting the perfect blend of Motown hits, highlighted by extended tributes to The Temptations and The Four Tops.)  It was their version of the Marvin Gaye song "Let's Get It On", however, that pushed this one over the top for me ... an absolutely stellar rendition of this Motown classic.  All of these guys can sing (and their "slowed down" choreography was both humorous and endearing.)  

They proved to be Arcada Theatre favorites and dozens and dozens of fans came up to the stage after their performance to take pictures with the band.  

Another remarkable night of music at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, IL ... fun from start to finish.  It just never ceases to amaze me the variety of musical style Ron Onesti continues to provide for his very loyal audience of concert-goers.  He can go from Buddy Guy to The Spinners to Cheap Trick to Burton Cummings to America to Eddie Money to Ronnie Spector ... and it all fits!!!  Be sure to check out the OShows website for upcoming shows ... Ron has already booked several superstar acts for 2015 ... so next year promises to be just as much fun as the past.  You can check 'em all out right here:     www.oshows.com

Our Exclusive Tommy James Give-Away

This week marks the fifteenth anniversary of Forgotten Hits ...  

So what better way to celebrate than by giving away copies of Tommy James' Christmas CD's and LP's to our loyal readers!    

Congratulations to all of our Tommy James Trivia Contest Winners!   

Winning a copy of Tommy's Christmas CD are:   
Gary Theroux of Norwalk, CT  
Scott Paton of Fulton, MD  
Randy Price of New York,  NY 
(Wow!  All East Coast Winners!)   

Opting instead for the autographed copy of Tommy's Christmas LP were: 
Jack Levin of Wayne City, IL 
Dan Crabtree of Wheaton, IL 
(And both of THESE guys hail from the great state of Illinois!)   

They all knew all of the answers to our Tommy James Trivia Questions:  

Over the years, Tommy James recorded all different types of music ... dance and party music like "Hanky Panky" and "Mony Mony" ... bubblegum pop music like "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Mirage" ... psychedelia like "Crimson And Clover" and "Crystal Blue Persuasion" .. even gospel music like "Sweet Cherry Wine" and "Church Street Soul Revival".   

As such, Tommy's music crossed over on to ALL of Billboard's popular music charts of the day ... and therein lies your challenge to win a copy of this great holiday CD or album!   

Tommy James (both with The Shondells and as a solo artist) placed 32 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart between 1966 and 1981.  TWO of those records went all the way to #1 ... name them.  
HANKY PANKY and CRIMSON AND CLOVER are the correct answers   

Six others made The Top Ten ... name them.  
I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW, MIRAGE, MONY MONY, CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION, SWEET CHERRY WINE and DRAGGIN' THE LINE   

One of these records crossed over to Billboard's R&B Singles Chart ... name it. HANKY PANKY   

A completely DIFFERENT record crossed over to Billboard's County Chart ... name it.  
THREE TIMES IN LOVE   

And finally, five of Tommy's records charted on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart ... one of which went all the way to #1!!!  (And it's a record that did NOT top Billboard's Pop Singles Chart.  It IS, however the same title that crossed over to their Country Chart, where it peaked at #93.)  It became Tommy's biggest A/C hit at a point when most pop and rock and roll stations had already written Tommy off as an oldies act.  Name it.  
Once again, THREE TIMES IN LOVE

Runner's Up (because we had a few extras of each item to give away) include:  

LP - Pete Adler of Corpus Christi, TX  and John Earnest of Lemont, IL   
CD - Rich Turner of Safety Harbor, FL and Donald Rehrer, Jr. of Mechanicsburg, PA 
(Each of these guys got two answers wrong)  

Pete, John and Don each gave too much credit to Tommy's hit "Crystal Blue Persuasion" ... it did NOT top Billboard's Country Chart OR their Adult Contemporary Chart ...

And Rich, I felt so bad for you because I absolutely KNOW that you knew the correct answer ...    but look at what you sent me ... a Freudian slip for sure ... 

There is absolutely NO doubt in my mind that you KNEW the answer ... but went with the better known, more obvious title and blew it. As such, I just couldn't give it to you.  (That's why your teachers always told you to check your work!!!  Lol)  

But hey, it really doesn't matter ... 'cause you've still got a copy of Tommy's great Christmas CD coming your way!

VERY special thanks to Carol Ross and Tommy James for sending us these great Christmas give-away items (and turning this into an INCREDIBLE Anniversary Week!)  Happy Holiday Season Greetings to All!!!

The Little River Band - A Follow-Up

Our recent expose on The Little River Band sparked quite a few emails this past week.  Here are some of the best ...   

Hi Kent ... 
That’s a pretty good round up of the way it's seen here in Australia ... and I’m kind of puzzled as to how this isn’t more widely known in the US. I was also mildly amused by the comment that some of the original artists weren’t even born in Australia ... which is true, but not unusual. 
After WWII, Australia was flooded with migrant families and a government scheme to encourage British migrants saw them arrive in their thousands, and most with very young families. The Easybeats, the Bee Gees, Billy Thorpe, Men at Work and members of AC/DC were also, like LRB comprised largely of members who were born in the British Isles, but most are regarded as Australian citizens.  
I think its fair to say that although the band had quite a few members, the majority of these personnel changes took place when the band was past its prime.  
Also, just to let you know - I’ve never been a fan of LRB, although I do agree that they came up with some really international sounding hits and waved the flag for Oz rock.  
Thanks for the follow up ... I never expected this kind of interest.  
Kindest Regards,  
Murray Walding,  
Lorne  
What I find kind of amazing is that Australia continues to hold them in such high regard, considering that they had to LEAVE the country to actually make it!  (If I'm not mistaken, wasn't "Cool Change", their early 1980 Hit, adopted as some type of national song or something?)  The Bee Gees, too, are most recognized for their Australian roots despite boarding a boat to England to launch their career. 
I don't know why this story isn't better known in the US ... maybe our piece will do something to change that ... who knows!  (kk)

Regarding your outrage over the fake "Little River Band," do note that this kind of thing has been going on for a long, long time.  Even before the dawn of rock 'n' roll, there were loads of fake Ink Spots, for example, onstage in supper clubs and at county fairs.  In the early '60s folks who saw acts like The Champs or Johnny & the Hurricanes often were actually confronted by pick-up musicians who had nothing to do with the hit recordings who were put on the road by the real bands' management simultaneously in a multitude of cities to cash in on what was perceived to be the act's short-lived fame.  I have hosted concerts where, come to find out, the onstage performers working under the names of hit groups were in fact complete frauds.  Often the deals acts sign with managment or their labels give others 100% ownership of their group names -- allowing the label to send anyone out on the road as that given act, regardless of whether they actually had particpated in their recording of the hits or not.  Motown, for example, owns the name "The Jackson Five" -- which is why the brothers changed their name to "The Jacksons" when they moved from Motown to Epic in 1976.  Motown also owns names like "The Marvelettes" and routinely sends out groups of girls with no connection at all to the recording Marvelettes to perform in their place even to this day.  

Once, while hosting oldies concerts at Rye Playland, I was asked to introduce the Angels, whom I happen to personally know and went to visit with backstage.  Turns out none of the "Angels" I met that night had even been BORN yet when the real Angels recorded their hits.  The set of fakes all acknowledged this when I asked each one and explained that a promoter had discovered that the real Angels had never legally registered their name,  HE then did, claiming ownership of their trademark identity.  He then went out and hired four girls who could sing (more or less) to pretend to be the real Angels.  Understandably angry, I then went onstage -- but as I refused to call those fakes by the identity they were working under, I talked about the REAL Angels and then introduced the act as a "tribute to the Angels."   The girls then pranced out, and as rehearsed, they announced themselves as "The Angels" and then said, "and here's the big hit we recorded back in 1963" before launching into "My Boyfriend's Back."   Meanwhile backstage I lit into the promoter, telling him I had never deceived an audience ever and was hardly going to start now and that I'd never work for him again.  He again claimed ownership of the name "The Angels," said he couldn't care less about the original members and that he could put anyone he wanted on stage as The Angels.  The next day I phoned the surviving real Angels and told them what had happened.  The real Angels then sued the promoter -- AND WON.   
Unfortunately, that's not always the case.  The original Lettermen, for example, are legally barred from not only performing under the name that they made famous but even from individually MENTIONING that they are former members in their publicity!  They bill themselves instead as "Reunion" -- which caused a conflict with the studio group that recorded "Life is a Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)"!  
The moral of the story?  Before you go, find out just who you will be seeing when you hear of an oldies act appearing somewhere -- and if there isn't at least one original member in the act, beware,  At best what you'll experience will be a "tribute" to the real hitmakers (even though it probably won't be billed that way) -- but not the bona fides themselves. 
Gary Theroux 
"The History of Rock 'n' Roll"  
The situation you described ran rampant for YEARS ... often these fakes were depriving the REAL artists from earning a living, taking all their bookings pretending to be The Coasters or The Drifters or whomever else would draw a crowd and put money in their pockets.  That's why The Truth In Music Act was developed.  Jon Bowman (Bowzer from Sha Na Na) worked endlessly to get this passed across the country, insuring that these fakes could  no longer deceive their audience, taking their hard-earned money unless they had at least one original member in the band or could prove legal ownership of the band's name ... which is how The Little River Band (and apparently The Angels and quite a few others) are still able to perform using the recognizable name. 
(A Forgotten Hits Reader approached me years ago and told me that her Aunt was a member of The Angels ... she even had pictures of herself with Bobby Rydell and Frankie Avalon from "back in the day" ... but tracing The Angels' "family tree" through all of its different incarnations, I couldn't find ANYTHING linking this woman to the group.  It broke my heart to tell her that her Aunt had been lying to her for all these years.  Her celebrity photos were probably taken after appearances by these stars.  And there are countless other stories just like this that have been related to me over the years of doing this.)  

So sad ... as to us real fans, this connection genuinely MEANS something.  I take REAL offense to somebody up on stage saying "and then we recorded this" ... when, in fact, they weren't even born at the time!!! (kk)       

Kent:  
Great article on the "Little River Band". 
I saw LRB open for Chicago in Bristow, VA, at Jiffy Lube Live (then Nissan) pavilion a few years ago and questioned immediately who the heck they really were.  LRB is among the rogues gallery of imposter bands.  
Unfortunately many audiences will be deceived by groups hired by the lawyers and businessmen that had the where with all to register a name.  It is also unfortunate that many in audiences have such an appetite to hear oldies that they are happy to just to hear the tunes and they disregard who is presenting the performance. 
Look at all the acts touring the oldies, classic rock and doo-wop circuits.  They continue to provide fodder for the never ending PBS pledge drives.  
Finally, before I put the other foot in my mouth, here's an even bigger rip-off than the Little River Band.  The fake "Shangri-Las" opened for Gary US Bonds and Andy Kim in Glen Allen, VA, over six years ago.  I captured their performance with my pocket camera and posted it on youtube.  The lead singer was the only one remotely old enough to even remember the original group.  Unlike Andy Kim and Gary US Bonds who posed for photos and signed autographs after the show, these gals had the sense to leave the stage and get directly on their bus and get the hell out of town.  I guess they were acting on the advice of the guy that owns the group name.  I'm glad that my ticket purchase that evening was not based on these fakes being on the bill. 
I'll continue to buy tickets to see my faves like Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone and other groups that have at least one or more of the original members.  And, if the opening act is a fake, I'll respond with polite unenthusiastic applause or use the opportunity to go to the rest room.  
Thanks for exposing yet another rip-off of the ticket buying public.   
Gene Bonos  
Fake Shangrli-Las "Remember, Walkin' In The Sand":   

Peter Noone's version of Herman's Hermits is another perfect example of what I was talking about the other day.  The legal rights to the name Herman's Hermits are owned by the band's original drummer Barry Whitwam ... in England anyway where the band regularly performs.  Problem is Barry wasn't even on many of the hit recordings made by the band.  Because the goal at the time was to get as much good product out to their audience as quickly as possible ... and because Barry's timing was, at best, a bit off ... quite often he was replaced in the studio by a session drummer.  While even Peter admitted that Barry's claim of playing drums on "all their #1 hits" is true, he basically learned his parts after the studio musician laid them down on record so that he could go out and perform them on the road ... yet HE (and not Peter Noone) owns the name.

We've heard similar stories about the drummer from The Animals, the drummer and bass player from The Guess Who ... but who are YOU going to see?  The rhythm section and some guy trying to sound like Eric Burdon or Burton Cummings ... or the real thing??? The distinctive sound of these lead vocalists is what sold those records ... you can ALWAYS find competent musicians to recreate the sound of the band ... but recreating the voice is a completely different matter.  Creedence Clearwater Revisited?  I've heard they're great ... and I always loved the work of Stu Cook and Doug Clifford ... but I'm going to opt for the REAL John Fogerty's vocals every single time.  (By the same token, at least when Stu and Doug say something like "And then we recorded this one" or "When we recorded this one", they're telling the truth!  (kk) 

>>>Current members of the Little River Band:  
Wayne Nelson - bass  (1980 - 1996; 1999 - present), lead vocals (2000 - present)  Greg Hind - guitar, vocals  (2000 - present)  
Chris Marion - keyboards, vocals  (2000 - present)  
Rich Herring - guitar, vocals (2004 - present)  
Ryan Ricks - drums, vocals  (2012 - present)  
Hi Kent - 
Being a long time fan since the first lp, I can say Wayne Nelson was a later original member and sang lead on a lot of their hits.  He is the last original member in the band.  
They tour the states a lot and have released some cd's with this line up as I have a couple autographed. 
This might be the band the person was talking about but Wayne is an original member. 
I know there has been some bad times between members but that is Rock and Roll. 
Mickey  
Sorry, Mickey, but I've got to respectfully and emphatically disagree with you on this one ... and, based on what I've seen, heard and read, there are at least three REAL original members of this band who would disagree with you as well.  (A guy who joins a band five years in ... and after all of their Top Ten Hits have been released ... is NOT an "original" member.  That's not just my opinion ... that's a cold, hard fact.)  This is taking nothing away from Wayne Nelson ... he DID appear on some of the band's last charting singles ... and he's put in thirty years with the outfit ... that's longer than any other member of the band has stuck it out ... certainly this qualifies him for SOME entitlement and notoriety ... but it DOESN'T make him an original member of the band ... or "the last original" member ... you can't just rewrite this one little piece of history! 
The Little River Band formed in 1975 and released their first album in 1976.  If you HAVE that first album (as you state you do above), then you already know that the original members of the band were Glenn Shorrock, Rick Formosa, Beeb Birtles, Graham Goble, Roger McLachlan and Derek Pellicci. 
As Murray Walding states above, most of the personnel changes happened after the band's biggest hits were behind them ... and, in all fairness, EACH original member eventually walked away.  Every one of these guys has the right to earn a living by pursuing their livelihood ... again, what I object to is purporting to be the guys who made these records and reflecting back on your "40 years together" when in fact guys like Herring and Ricks have been with them for less than ten. And, when addressing the right to make a living and pursuing their livelihood, this ALSO includes all of the REAL original members, who are rightfully proud of the music they created.  It must eat at them daily to think that somebody else is up on stage night after night after night, taking credit for all of their hard work.  THAT'S the part that stinks ... and that's the part that I object to.  (If you still disagree, listen to the lyrics of "Someone's Taken Our History" ... that'll drive the point home for you!)  kk

Frannie happened to be looking over my shoulder when I answered this email and wondered ...    
So in Mickey's eyes I guess Ron Wood is the "last original" Rolling Stone, right?  He joined the band ten years into their career and has been with them ever since.  By the same logic, if Mick and Keith decided to hang things up tomorrow ... Mickey would be okay with Ron Wood carrying on the band's name and performing as The Rolling Stones?  Even though the two guys who founded the band ... and wrote and sang all the songs ... were no longer part of it?  Guess so ... 'cause you can't have it both ways.
Hmmm ... she's got a point there Mickey!!! (kk)   

Love your website, Kent, but your Little River Band review was confusing.

Wayne Nelson, who lived in Lockport, IL, in his teens, in my opinion, can rightly claim to use the original band's name since his longevity and vocals are on the original records. Oldies bands are always changing because of different circumstances. Little River Band's original singer left after Wayne joined the band because of the record company thinking Wayne's lead vocals were better matched to certain songs, according to an article I read years ago. Even the Beatles didn't end up with the people that were in at the beginning. 
Thanks. 
Ed K.  
Seriously?  The Beatles???  (Big Pete Best fan, are you???)  The Beatles entire commercially released output includes the four "original" guys as the world at large discovered them. 
Major rock and roll acts like The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys and The Temptations (and countless others) have made numerous personnel changes over the years and the fans have stuck with them and accepted this evolution of each band ... but those of us who were there at the time will ALWAYS revere the original line-ups of each of these acts. 
Michael McDonald wasn't an original Doobie Brother ... any more than Joe Walsh was an original Eagle ... yet BOTH of these guys made a HUGE, dramatic impact on the sound of their respective bands, coming on board several albums in.  While Wayne Nelson doesn't measure up anywhere near CLOSE to this level of impact, I would have to lump him into the same general category ... primarily because he DID sing some of their later hits and has thirty years in with the band.  
My expose was intentionally written the way it was as I wanted to show each new discovery I made along the way, as they were revealed to me while  researching the subject matter.  Murray Wilding's original email implied that there was NO connection between the current members of the band and the originals ... but after digging a little deeper, we discovered that Wayne Nelson DOES, in fact, have some longevity invested ... and that he DID, in fact, sing on a couple of the original hits.  We made that point quite clear in our article as the facts unfolded ... and I, too, said that I could accept Nelson as a credible member of the band, if only because the REAL principle members had all walked away from it and Nelson soldiered on. 
But as I understand it, it isn't Nelson who owns the name ... it's former member Stephen Housden who has that distinction ... he just lets the current line-up use it. 
When I see three of the original members frustrated by all of this (and the misrepresentation that these "new guys" had anything at all to do with the original hit records) ... and that they still seem to want to perform their legacy (and the music that they created) well, then I have a problem with this. 
Could something be worked out between Nelson, Goble, Birtles and Shorrock that would allow a REAL representation of the band to be presented?  I don't know ... boy, that would sure be an easy fix, wouldn't it?!?!  ALL of these guys still seem to have a strong affection for what they created when they first worked together.  But as pointed out numerous times in Forgotten Hits (and in the emails above), these wounds typically run VERY deep ... and it's NEVER water under the bridge with these guys.  Too bad ... on the one hand, you could have the PERFECT scenario to present the hits in their original form, crediting those who actually deserve the credit ... instead we have animosity and biting lyrics and nothing but bad feelings.  Truly the DOWN side of rock and roll.  (kk) 

Hi Kent,

Sad to hear that none of the Little River Band guys aren't even second generation members.  
I saw LRB when they opened for Foreigner on Foreigner's first tour. The LRB were supporting their second album. Foreigner were bad enough that I left before the show was over, and LRB were absolutely incredible and were the next three, or was it four,  times I saw them.  
They were also very, very gracious guys and really just couldn't have been nicer when I met them.  The last time I saw them, Peter Beckett, Wayne Nelson and Glenn Shorrock, were in the band. This was after John Farnham had gone and Glenn came back.  
When Mr. Shorrock left again I heard an interview with him and at that time he said he left because he didn't want to be on the road as much as they were. Then he got back together with Beeb Birtles, and Graham  Goble. I think they put out an album or two but never heard them.  
The John Farnham years were a bit odd ... the album The Net was a great one, but the next two they did with him were a bit of a different direction and John Farnham and the band parted ways, and Farnham continued his solo act. He was a big star in Australia already before joining them.  
Thanks for letting us know about this. They have always come to the Twin Cities on their tours so this is one I don't need to see anymore.   
Bill  

I recently saw your post on Little River Band.  Thank you for posting that.  I've known about the current state of the band (no original members) since about 2000.  I did see them live that year on a double bill with Chicago and Survivor as the opening act.  
Incidentally Glenn Shorrock did rejoin the band for a few years after John Farnham left to pursue a solo career and they put out two more studio albums and a live album.  As far as I'm concerned those were the last three albums of LRB.  Anything since has been a cheap imitation of the original.
That being said, I do like Wayne Nelson's voice and there's an interesting story behind "Take It Easy On Me."   
He had just joined the band and producer George Martin was producing the "Time Exposure" album.  For some reason Glenn Shorrock was unavailable so Martin asked Nelson to record "Take It Easy On Me."  When Shorrock found out about it, he was livid.  He said something to the effect of, "Why am I even still in this band?"  Martin acquiesced and re-recorded the song with Shorrock and that's the version that made it onto the "Time Exposure" album.  In 2000 when their greatest hits album was re-released however it included the Wayne Nelson version of "Take It Easy On Me" (as well as an alternate version of "Man On Your Mind" with a horn chart included and an alternate version of "The Night Owls" with an alternate guitar part and the guitars louder in the mix).  
Best Regards,  
Darrin 
Interesting ... I'll have to compare the two versions of "Take It Easy On Me" now as I'd never heard this before!  Thanks, Darrin!  (kk)     

Hi Kent,
Wish I'd known that you were headed off to see the ersatz LRB, I would have warned you.  The 1977 to 1983 configurations of the band were the classic line-ups.  That trademark three-part harmony of Shorrock, Birtles and Goble is the Little River Band sound.  It's as distinctive as the Eagles, the Bee Gees, CSN and the original line-ups of the Beach Boys and the Temptations.  It's criminal that latter-day member Housden tied up the name and can sit at home and collect a substantial income from the shows his hired hands perform.
And these current "members" don't do themselves any favors spouting stage banter that references history and events of which they were no part.  Reminds me of a time that I saw a fake configuration of the Vogues and they introduced "You're The One" by telling how they had borrowed the song from their "good friend" Petula Clark when they went into the studio to cut it.  Not one guy on that stage had ever met Petula or had appeared on any of the group's classic recordings.
It's bad enough showing up at a venue and seeing a group of imposters, being lied to from the stage is simply rubbing the audience's nose in it.
I hope your tickets were comped, Kent.
Regards,
Scott Paton  
Far too many bands misrepresent their history on stage ... I understand that it's all part of the patter and quite honestly MOST fans are none the wiser ... they just know that they used to like this particular song and/or artist and if they can hear their favorites presented in a fashion that reasonably mimics what they remember, they go home satisfied.  (Sadly, I can give WAY too many examples of this ... but I think you guys all know what I'm talking about ... and those of us who tend to be more "purists" will most certainly understand.) 
Don't get me wrong ... this new group is good ... the vocals and musicianship is top notch ... and many of the songs they performed have gone on to become rock and roll classics.  I just wanted to explore more of the "back story" to see how these guys arrived at this point.  The fact that they collectively take credit for recordings that NONE of them were a part of is the part that gets my goat.  (kk)

CHECK THIS OUT:
Meanwhile, I found this "family tree" chart to be pretty interesting ... it gives you some idea as to the overlap of members from the beginning to the present day.  (Incredibly several members of the band left and came back over the years, a very unusual situation.)
Believe it or not, this was on Wikipedia!