Thursday, January 29, 2015

Thursday This And That

Still sorting through about the last 12 days of mail ...   
Here are a few that caught my eye ... they might catch yours, too!   

re:  This And That:  
Gloria Estefan and The Miami Sound Machine are getting back together for One Night Only to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.  (Now let me get this straight ... so they're getting back together ... for only one night ... for a good cause ... and they're calling it a "one night only reunion"?!?!  OMG!!! Who would EVER think to do such a thing?!?!?  Much less CALL it that!!!)  
More details here:  Click here: Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine Reuniting For One Night ~ VVN Music   

Kent ... 
We're starting a letter writing campaign to get Turner Classic Movies to feature Bobby Darin movies during his birthday month of May. 
It would be helpful if you could print this information in Forgotten Hits: 
Mr.  Robert  Osborne
Turner  Classic  Movies
1050  Techwood  Dr.  NW
Atlanta ,  GA  -  30318
Thank  You.
Frank B. 
I think there are enough Bobby fans on our list who'll want to get onboard with this idea.  (And no, I still haven't had time to repost my month-long series on Darin on the website ... I barely was able to squeak out a couple of editions of Forgotten Hits this week as it is!)  kk  

Music Festival Celebrates The Beatles' Shea Stadium 50th Anniversary   
On August 15, 1965, The Beatles performed their historic first concert at Shea Stadium which paved the way for stadium concerts for the next fifty years. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of this famous event, Liverpool Productions has announced that this year's Fab 4 Music Festival will be on that exact date - August 15. 
The popular New York / New England regional Beatles-themed festival, also known as "Danbury Fields Forever" is a family-friendly Music, Foods & Arts Festival now in its fourth year, and will feature 10 bands playing the music of The Beatles, their solo material and songs from the sixties. It will all "come together" from noon until 8pm that Saturday at Ives Concert Park in Danbury, Connecticut.
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles' Shea Concert, advance "Ticket to Ride" admissions to the Fab 4 Music Festival are only $19.65. There are also V.I.P. tickets available and hotel packages. Discounted early-bird advance tickets are now on sale; admission will be higher at the door. Advance ticket available at: https://danburyfieldsforeveriii.eventbrite.com.
Ives Concert Park is located at 43 Lake Avenue Extension on the campus of Western CT State University in Danbury, CT. Along with the great entertainment (line-up to be announced), there will be more Beatle and memorabilia dealers & vendors, exhibitors, attractions, kid-friendly activities, along with a large variety of food options available. For guests staying overnight, there is a reduced-rate special hotel package which includes accommodations and breakfast. There is also a festival after-party on Saturday night at the hotel.
"Danbury Fields Forever IV" on Saturday, August 15, 2015, is presented by Liverpool Productions, the same company that presented "NYC FAB 50," The Beatles' 50th Anniversary Celebration in New York City last February, and produced the Connecticut Beatles Conventions since 1978. They also organize the annual fan vacations to Liverpool and London known as the "Magical History Tour." The Fab 4 Music Festival is hosted by Charles F. Rosenay!!!, with Ken Michaels of the "Every Little Thing" radio show as Special Guest MC.
With a full day of fab 4 fun, 10 bands and music in the air, as The Beatles sang, "It's Guaranteed to Raise a Smile."
For further info, visit website www.Fab4MusicFestival.com or call (203) 795-4737.
SPECIFICS:
TITLE: FAB 4 MUSIC FESTIVAL: "DANBURY FIELDS FOREVER"  
DATE: Saturday, August 15, 2015 
HOURS: 12:00 pm NOON until 8 pm
LOCATION: Ives Concert Park, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury CT 06810 
TICKETS $19.65
www.Fab4Musicfestival.com      

From Claude Hall's newsletter, addressing more of the "Deserving and Denied" artists who have yet to find their way into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:
My email item on the ‘so-called’ Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame’s idiotic exclusion of the recently departed Joe Cocker brought numerous responses from your many followers led by Les Garland and Paul Rappaport, who also noted the exclusion of true rockers like Bad Company, Cheap Trick and Journey, amongst others.  And Madonna’s in.  OK, OK.  She frequently captures the spirit of R ‘n R but not even in the same neighborhood as Bad Company.  And when we think of Rock ‘n Roll we think of Elvis, Jerry Lee, Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones and … Abba!  I don’t give a rat’s patootie about how many zillion records they sold worldwide … they’re in and Journey isn’t?  What exactly was Neil Schoen playing that brought millions of R ‘n Rollers to their feet screaming approval over a couple of decades … a ukulele?  And the ultimate idiocy and hypocrisy of the HoF selection committee is the exclusion of Chicago.  Apparently because they’re a horn-driven, jazz-oriented band.  Ever listened to Terry Kath play soul-searing, gut-wrenching guitar?  Listened to the lyrics of their songs?  If that’s not Rock ‘n Roll, I’m Brenda Lee.  And if there’s ever been a harder-driving R ‘n R percussionist than Danny Seraphine, I must’ve missed it.  Oh, and by the way, the purest, most innovative jazz artist of all time -- Miles Davis -- IS in the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.  Chicago isn’t.  Puh-leeze.  They should tear the place down and replace it with something of value.  Like an indoor parking garage.
Bob Sherwood
Want on Claude's list?  Drop him an email at claudehall@yahoo.com ... and tell him that Forgotten Hits sent you! 
The exclusion of Chicago is one of the organization's biggest oversights ... it's downright shameful (and diminishes their already questionable knowledge regarding these matters to the sub-zero level.)  By the way, do you think Miles Davis is known as Kilometer Davis in Europe???  (kk)   

Hi everyone,  
This is Ronnie Allen.  I am delighted to tell you about my latest radio interview show. It's with an artist who has been "off the radar screen" for about 50 years.  
She is Kathy Linden. 
The legendary Steve Allen described her this way: "Kathy Linden has a voice as fresh and sweet as a spring morning." Well, Steve hit the nail on the head there, but what he said is a very small part of the Kathy Linden story. 
Ever since I first heard "Billy," the catchy 1958 hit which made her an overnight success, I have been a huge admirer of her music. She followed up with a similar hit called "You'd Be Surprised" and then, in 1959, had another major hit which was totally different, a touching ballad called "Goodbye Jimmy, Goodbye." 
Kathy was a Jersey girl when she had the three hits mentioned above, all of them on the Felsted label. She worked very closely with bandleader, arranger and producer Joe Leahy.  
What is generally not known about Kathy is that prior to "Billy" she was very much involved with piano and violin. After leaving Felsted, she moved to Nashville (and recorded for Monument Records) and then to California (and recorded for R.P.C. and then Capitol Records). The show includes several recordings besides the hits that I've mentioned and you may be surprised as you discover what an incredibly versatile singer she is. And that even includes rock and roll! She eventually left the recording business to concentrate on other things which became the main priorities in her life. The one thing that has never changed is that music has always remained an important part of her life. She is now in the process of writing dozens of songs and instrumentals with the goal of placing many of them in films. 
This was truly one of the most enjoyable shows that I have ever done. Kathy is a total delight. 
Oh, one more thing. There's an outtake at 28:59 into the show which I "decided to leave in" even though I explicitly told Kathy that I would remove it. But was it really an outtake or was it a planned bit? Kathy and I know for sure but we ain't sayin'! I will tell you, though, that she and I both enjoy clowning around. So you can factor that into your judgment.    
To access the show, please use the following link. When my "Ronnie Remembers" page comes up, click on Kathy's picture: that will bring you to a direct link for listening. http://www.jerseygirlssing.com/RonnieRadioPageRR.html  

And, speaking of cool interviews, check out THIS one, conducted by our buddy Carl Wiser from Songfacts ...   

Hey Kent -
Just published an interview with Bob Gaudio on Songfacts, where he answered questions like "Is there a real Dawn?" and "Did 'Who Loves You' come from Telly Savalas?"
He also told a great story about producing the Neil Diamond / Barbra Streisand duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." This was a huge deal - the DJ mashup of the song was getting radio play, so they had to get the single out quick. Bob was in charge of somehow making it all come together to the satisfaction of both Diamond and Streisand - very powerful personalities and very particular in their musical tastes. Bob says he over-prepared a bit (full orchestra standing by in the lobby), but they realized early on that the key was not interfering with the vocals. Here's the interview:
http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/bob_gaudio_of_the_four_seasons/
Be Well,
Carl Wiser
www.songfacts.com   

On a related note, the aforementioned Ronnie Allen also did a VERY nice piece on Bob Crewe a few months back that's well worth a listen ... you can find that one here:  Click here: Bob Crewe: The Master And The Music   

HI - 
I AM THE NEW, NEW OLD GUY THAT IS HOOKED ON YOUR WONDERFUL WEB SITE. 
THIS PIECE OF MINNESOTA ROCK HISTORY IS INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US WHO WERE THERE AND YOUNG AT THE TIME.  I FEEL THIS WOULD BE A GREAT POST FOR YOUR MANY FOLLOWERS. 
THANKS -
GARY SABOURIN   
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/289476861.html   

Minnesota's 'Surfin' Bird' makers the Trashmen are riding another wave
“Can you see 10 years from now, ‘The Copacabana Presents: The Trashmen?’ "
 Dick Clark smugly asked those words in 1964 at the end of what has to be one of the strangest “American Bandstand” performances in the show’s 47-year history. He clearly didn’t expect Minnesota’s first chart-topping rock band to have much of a history.
Trashmen guitarist Dal Winslow relishes getting the last laugh: “Here it is, 50 years later, and we’re actually doing pretty good.”
Everybody’s heard about “Surfin’ Bird.” An unlikely hit in the wake of JFK’s assassination, the Trashmen’s 1963 goof-off single has been reused by everyone from the Ramones and Stanley Kubrick to Pee-Wee Herman and, most recently, Fox TV’s “Family Guy.”
However, few of the Minnesota music lovers who will see the Trashmen perform at First Avenue Saturday for 89.3 the Current’s birthday party probably know the story of the pioneering local musicians behind the iconic song.
Take three of your wisecracking, Minnesotan-talking uncles with wire-rim glasses, gray beards and anti-Obama bumper stickers and imagine them as onetime rock stars, and you’ll get an idea of what the Trashmen are like now.
Along with their drummer and primary singer Steve Wahrer, who died of cancer in 1989, the guys rode the wave of their raucous if ridiculous hit for three years before initially calling it quits in 1967. They went on to lead remarkably normal lives with families and respectable jobs, including financial planner and IT technician.
Five decades later, these retired grandpas are being invited to play one of the hippest local club gigs of the year. They also just put out their first record in 25 years, a collaboration with respected California retro-surf guitar player Deke Dickerson.
“I don’t think the Trashmen guys have any idea how important they are,” said Dickerson. “They’re cult rock stars to a lot of people around the world.”
Thanks to legal action in the 1980s that got them back some — but not all — of the rights to their hit song, they all now receive recording royalty payments alongside their Social Security checks.
“The song keeps getting used in the most random ways, which is good for us,” said Bob Reed, the bassist, over midday coffee at the kitchen table in Winslow’s house in Ham Lake.
Winslow’s basement is the nearest thing to an official Trashmen museum. One wall has their old album covers from the Soma Records label, including the original 1964 “Surfin’ Bird” LP. Another wall features mid-’60s posters for their concerts in Midwest ballrooms with the likes of Fats Domino and Jan & Dean.
Most curious of all, a check made out for a whopping $1.88 hangs in one of the poster frames — the first royalty the band members received for “Surfin’ Bird.” Winslow saved it to show what a No. 4 hit in Billboard got you in those days.
“I cashed mine,” Reed recalled with a laugh. “I needed it back then.”   
Minnesota’s kings of surf  
All around age 21 at the time they hit the charts, the Trashmen had been playing together in various bands since attending high school in Robbinsdale and north Minneapolis.
After guitarist Tony Andreason got out of the service in 1962, they took a road trip to California to soak up the sunny surf-rock sound just starting to take off — which they brought back and played in local ballrooms and teen centers.
The band’s longtime friend and resident historian Mike Jann remembered the Minnesota guys’ sudden transformation: “They had to use an article we clipped out of [the Minneapolis Tribune] that listed all the different surf jargon of the time.”
They first improvised “Surfin’ Bird” during a performance at Chubb’s Ballroom in Maple Grove over the summer of 1963. Local disc jockey Bill Diehl was there and insisted the band record the messy jam as a single to play on the radio.
Diehl soon hooked them up with Nic-o-Lake Records store owner George Garrett, who had started the fledgling Garrett Records. After one failed recording session at the store, they wound up cutting the definitive version at Minneapolis’ Kay Bank Studio at Nicollet and 26th Street.
“This was before Fender made its reverb amps or other [rock recording equipment], so we really played it like you hear it,” Winslow recalled. “Steve did it brilliantly.”
Within a few weeks of Diehl first playing the song in a “Battle of the Bands” on WDGY, it had spread across the Midwest and then onto the Billboard chart. The full album was then wham-bammed and issued in the early spring of 1964, by which time the Trashmen all squeezed into a Chevy Greenbrier van and hit the road, cramming in 292 performances by year’s end.
“We killed that van in one year, we put so many miles on it,” Winslow recalled.
Said Andreason: “People always ask us how much we partied — being young guys on the road like that — but the truth is we really didn’t have time to do that. We did have a lot of fun together, though.”
After three years and about 10 failed attempts to land a follow-up hit, though, it stopped being fun.
“We saw the writing on the wall,” Winslow recalled. “Vietnam was in full swing, rock music was going more psychedelic and getting more serious. It wasn’t really our scene anymore.”
‘Bird’ money  
While the four members did eventually receive a lump sum of $4,500 apiece from record sales in the mid-’60s — Reed remembers buying a new Plymouth Fury with it — they would not make any more money off the song until winning a mid-1980s lawsuit.
Their case was against Minnesota record mogul Amos Heilicher, who picked up the single from Garrett as soon as it started getting airplay and issued it via his own Soma label.
Also the founder of the Musicland record-store chain, Heilicher justifiably claimed ownership of the “Surfin’ Bird” recording for two decades. When the makers of California Cooler wine coolers used it in a national TV commercial in the mid-’80s, though, the band members said enough is enough and sued.
“We told him to show us the contract, and he couldn’t, because we never signed one,” Winslow claimed.
The Trashmen won back the recording rights to “Surfin’ Bird” but long ago lost their songwriting rights to the hit, which is the more lucrative territory among music royalties.
Not long after “Surfin’ Bird” became a hit, Soma was threatened with a lawsuit by the Los Angeles doo-wop group the Rivingtons, whose singles “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” and “The Bird’s the Word” clearly provided a blueprint. The Trashmen said they’d never heard the original recordings, but instead heard a Wisconsin band, the Sorenson Brothers, covering them. And anyway, they thought they had reworked the songs enough to call their version an original.
“We were left out of it and really never had the chance to fight it,” complained Winslow.
Reed pointed to the Oak Ridge Boys’ 1981 hit “Elvira,” which also uses the common “papa-oom-maw-maw” passage: “The Oak Ridge Boys didn’t let [the Rivingtons] take their songwriting credit.”
Thanks to their successful careers after quitting the road in 1967, though, the surviving Trashmen were able to keep money matters out of the band’s legacy in the decades that followed.
They played sporadic reunion shows in the ’70s and ’80s, only in the Twin Cities — and “only when it made sense and seemed like a fun idea,” recalled Andreason, who continued playing music in the country and bluegrass realm (he still gigs regularly with the Platte Valley Boys). Wahrer continued drumming and toured with Bobby Rydell and several Nashville singers before his death at age 47.
“Steve was really a versatile drummer and singer who could do Jerry Lee Lewis better than anyone — and a great guy, too,” said Andreason, who took up vocal duties at subsequent gigs.
In 2007, with their parental and professional obligations decreasing, the surviving Trashmen started performing more often after they accepted an invite for their first of several European tours. Stateside, they have played cool oldies/garage-rock festivals in recent years such as New Orleans’ Ponderosa Stomp and the Las Vegas Grind. Reed's son Rob now serves as their drummer, nicknamed "Trashkid" even after he entered his 50s.
“We really don’t go looking for jobs, but just respond to people’s requests,” Winslow said, alluding to a new offer to headline the punk-flavored Memory Lanes Block Party over Memorial Day weekend in Minneapolis.
“Sounds fun,” was his response upon hearing a description of the block party. In other words, it’s right up the Trashmen’s alley.
Chris Riemenschneider   

Thanks to Gary Theroux for the info about the Donna Douglas 45 from 1963.  Presumably she recorded it for the ARLEN label in West L.A., not to be confused with the ARLEN (shorter-lived and more independent) label in Philadelphia ("Untie Me" by the Tams, etc.).  If so, that's very cool because Arlen is one of my favorite obscure labels.  Typically, later in '63 it was acquired by Dot Records - right around the time that The Dartells' "Hot Pastrami" was heading up the charts. 
Happy 2015 - 
Bobster!

Speaking of Miss Elly ...no, not JR's Mom ... the OTHER one ... did anybody else happen to see this on American Idol?  (kk)



I'll betcha I've been asked at least fifty times now if I was going to the Grateful Dead concert here in Chicago in July.

The short answer is "no" ... I've never really been a fan of the band or the element that surrounds them ... but apparently this is a VERY hot ticket here in Chi-Town.

One reader even sent us a copy of their poster:
 
Pretty cool, actually ... although I've still yet to see a "Dead Head" sticker on a Cadillac.  I used to work with a guy who would take the whole summer off ... he and his wife would make an entire station wagon full of sandwiches and then follow The Grateful Dead around all summer, selling those sandwiches to the Dead Heads.  Said he could make more money during those few weeks than he made all year long at his regular job.  Guess that lifestyle really DOES give you the munchies!!! (kk)

Kent ...

I think you can pick any ten Elvis songs and I wouldn't be able to argue with you.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/readers-poll-the-10-best-elvis-presley-songs-20150121
Frank B.

I kind of monitored this while the poll was going on ... believe me, I KNOW how tough this would be to do ... I seriously could not come up with less than 80 favorites when we celebrated what would have been Elvis' 80th Birthday a few weeks ago!  (That being said, I don't think MOST of THIS Top Ten List would have made mine, should I ever really have to narrow it down to just ten!!!)  kk
re:  On The Radio:

As of Tuesday (January 20), I am no longer programming the '50s Hits and '60s Hits channels for Slacker Radio. We disagreed on the direction my channels should take -- specifically, the number of songs in rotation. The decision was my own and I wish them the best as they move forward, playing
"less hits with a lot less Ron Smith."  I still have my real world job so Ebay sellers who depend on me for their livelihood should have nothing to fear. I look forward to announcing my next exciting venture -- just as soon as it falls into my lap.

-- Ron Smith

Best of luck to you, Ron ... "narrow-casting" seems to be the way of radio these days ... and clearly it's paying off BIG dividends for them ... as a whole, less people listen now than ever before!  (Personally, I'd love to see you bring back the Real Oldies Format somewhere ... and reinstate your Chicago Countdown!  But that's just me!)  kk


Speaking of the sad state of radio today, I also got THIS email from Big Jay Sorensen this past week ...



Hiya Kent ...
It's been a while, but I'm still reading your still important blog whenever I can. I so enjoyed the comments about Joe Cocker recently. He was one of my fave artists. So passionate. So talented for interpretation and nuance. 
I still enjoy YOUR passion for our music. And you've taught me a lot about the Chicago music scene from the '60s into the '70s ... being a kid from New Jersey, I didn't get as big a taste of as perhaps I should have. I DID listen to WLS and Super CFL, but I could only listen post-sunset back then. Now, it's a losing cause with most AM DX-ing.
Yes, I'm still on CBS-FM ... and yes, we've evolved as have most Classic Hits stations. I think our station have evolved more than most of them, as we've embraced some '90s hits in the mix of mostly '80s, '70s and the handful of '60s that still remain. As you know, I still personally love the music I grew up with, but I recognize the necessity to reach a 'younger' listener for today's advertisers obsessed with 25-54 year-olds. And we seem to own them now. It's all relative, as 25 years ago, many stations were going after those same demos ... only NOW many of those people are in their '60s and '70s. The difference today is there are many more ways and platforms to find the music WE like. Those platforms didn't exist then. I still have a dream to put online my own internet stream. I've already got the jingles and playlists ready to roll ... now if I could only find a benefactor for the royalty payments!
Hope all is well ... and hope you'll tune in sometime when you're up late ... remember, I'm on from Midnight to 6 am on Friday and Saturday (actually Sat. morning and Sunday morning) every weekend. All times Eastern. 
By the way, ya know, I'm in the Wages of Spin II documentary about three times ... and so is my friend of 42 years, the one and only Joey Reynolds. We were both interviewed for this edition, and I will likely be in the NEXT one, too, which actually takes place in the mid-'60s into the '70s. I attended the World Premier near Philly in the rough-cut stage of production ... and the audience just ate it up. Charlie Gracie was in attendance too, along with many Philly area radio and TV people. And of course, fans of the music and the industry. I didn't see any independent record promo people lurking in the audience however. Wages of Spin II  "Bring Down That Wall" is a MUST see ... if for no other reason to see my face for radio. But the STORY is real and it will blow your mind. 
BE BIG!Big Jay Sorensen
Got this from DJ Stu Weiss:
Stu is also honoring the music of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper on his program this Friday Night ...

The Day The Music Died  -  February 3rd 1959

A date that still sadly lives on in our hearts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Do you remember where you were when you first heard the news about the plane crash taking the lives of The Big Bopper - Ritchie Valens - Buddy Holly?

On this special I will be playing songs by each artist plus songs about each artist plus many Buddy Holly sound a likes and wannabes.   

I often wonder how different the music world would have been if these three great artists had lived.     
Friday Night, from 8:30 / 12:00 AM (Eastern), we'll be remembering these great artists who left us far too soon.
(click here)   OldiesYour Way  

Speaking of cool radio news, check this out ...

Hi guys.
This week, in an industry first, the legendary Radio Caroline will become the first British radio station to begin broadcasting to the U.S. in EST and PST.
On Tuesday, Jan. 20, Radio Caroline officially launches two new free apps that effectively synch its output to the East and West Coasts of America, removing the time difference.
This means people in North America can now listen to the station in "local time," starting each day with the breakfast show from Los Angeles at 7 a.m. EST / PST and so on throughout the day and around the clock.
The free apps are available at the Apple App Store for iOS ( here ) and at Google Play for Android ( here ).
After 50 years on the air, and half a century after it began playing rock and roll in defiance of the British Establishment, Radio Caroline is once again making waves and making history.
I have pasted below a copy of our news release.
Sincerely,
Rachel Vigeon McGrath
PR Coordinator, Radio Caroline USA 
LEGENDARY BRITISH STATION RADIO CAROLINE LAUNCHES IN NORTH AMERICA - Different cities. Different time zones. One radio station! 
Los Angeles, Calif. - Legendary music station Radio Caroline that defied the British government to bring rock and roll to the UK and sparked the Swinging Sixties launches in the U.S.A. today.  
Still leading the way in innovation, in an industry first, Radio Caroline is rolling out new apps on Tuesday Jan. 20 that remove the time difference and enable American fans to listen to the station's output from breakfast throughout the day and into the evening in either Eastern Standard Time or Pacific Standard Time.  
It's the first time that a British radio station has synched its output for the East Coast and the West Coast of America with its flagship breakfast show originating in Los Angeles. Now listeners on both coasts can start their day with the breakfast show with Tony Paul from 7 to 9 a.m and hear the rest of the station's output from the U.K. around the clock. 
After 50 years on the air, Caroline remains true to its heritage with real personalities playing the music of the rock and roll generations up to the present day and helping break the best new artists.  
Apps for iOS and Android are now available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play and the apps are free! 
Download the app for iOS here 
Download the app for Android here  
“The British station with the American name soon became recognized as a symbol of rebellion the world over.”  
New York Times, April 3, 2011. 
Named after President John F. Kennedy's daughter, Radio Caroline began broadcasting in 1964 from two ships anchored off the coast of Britain in international waters.  
At a time when Britain's official broadcaster the BBC refused to play the music young people were clamoring to hear, pirate DJs lived on board the boats and rocked and rolled in defiance of The Establishment, playing songs by The Who, the Rolling Stones, The Beatles and other now iconic bands. 
Endorsing the book “The Ship That Rocked the World,” Pete Townshend of The Who is quoted as saying: “Without Caroline, we would not have sold a single record.”  
The story inspired the Hollywood movie “Pirate Radio,” starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rhys Ifans, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, which was written and directed by Richard Curtis, a longtime Radio Caroline fan.  
The station still has one of the “boats that rocked,” the “Ross Revenge,” now restored and anchored just off the coast of southeastern England.  
A feature documentary about the history of Radio Caroline is currently in production in the U.S. and U.K. and features interviews with Roger Daltrey, Mick Fleetwood, Donovan, Olivia Harrison, Richard Branson and original DJs including Johnnie Walker and Tom Lodge. 

Posted by at

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

A Few Of Your Mid-Week Comments

re:  Super Bowl:  
This just in to the Bronco Buelly Sports Department!  
Super Bowl Officials are contemplating changing the Half Time Show Performance by Katy Perry to a more timely and relatable group ... Air Supply!   
Chuck Buell   

And, speaking of sports, this just in from noted Forgotten Hits Trouble-Maker Chet Coppock ...   

Hi Kent,  
Looking forward to seeing you sooner rather then later at the Ronnie Onesti Palace.
I don’t have to tell you that I'm a shameless self promoter and part time, 18 hours a day, hustler. So, just a reminder that my new book "Buffone", the story of legendary Bears linebacker, Doug Buffone, will be out later this year. I hope the F.H. regulars will leap on this silver platter of football yarns, laughs, physical anguish, nights that never ended, and uppers along with so damn many little yellow pills.
Just 20 bucks. Will help me pay for the cycle I plan to buy to celebrate my 67th birthday in April.  
Chet   

And, speaking of Chet ...  

re:  Paul Evans:
Okay, I guess I have to weigh in on this cutting edge topic.
Guys, everybody take a deep breath. I wasn't be bemoaning Paul Evans when I took the shot at "Seven Little Girls" ... I was just saying that it's a song that leaves my ear drums bleeding any time I hear it. To knock Paul   Evans himself would be the theater of the absurd. My gosh, his list of accomplishments is beyond noteworthy.Did I also mention that I can live without "Speedy Gonzales", "In The Year 2525" and anything by REO Speedwagon?Hey, we all have different tastes. I happen to love Pearl Jam and Freddy Cannon.Kent, you were right about the Colony and "Treaty Her Groovy, Take Her To a Movie." I was with Ronnie, Ray and the Six when they recorded that song at the Chess Recording Studio.F.H. fans, let's be real. This site needs a villain and I am happy to play the role. It allows me to relive my days as a wrestling ring announcer for Vince McMahon.  Hey, maybe I should stir the pot every two weeks ... apparently, much like wrestling fans, FH readers love to have a heel to jeer!
Ciao,
Chet Coppock
Author: Chet Coppock: Laying It On The Line    

Hi Kent, 
To rebut Chet’s choices ...
To be honest, I don’t have a problem with any of them. Not even ‘Miss You’ and I’m not a disco kind of guy. I actually like ‘Seven Little Girls Sittin' in the Back Seat with Fred’. As for ‘Disco Duck’, I don’t think I’ve ever heard it all the way through! 
I see music as a time line of history ... “the music of our lives”. It makes you think about that era, maybe reminisce a bit. 
Keep up the great work. Hope to see you at  a show again soon.   
Scott Schultz


Hi,
Let me introduce myself. 
My name is Lee Douglas ... I am a friend of Paul Evans and have been for many years. I am the producer and host of Old Time Rock n Roll, the largest oldies podcast in the world. I am heard in 21 countries and all over the US. It is surprising that we have never crossed paths as I, too, do a blog called Forgotten Rock n Rollers. I have been in the business of podcasting for nine years with my show, with 665 shows under my belt. I was also involved with Alan Freed in New York in the 1950's as president of the Bill Haley International Fan Club. I, too, got incensed at the flippant, callous way Coppock treated our music heritage as a whole and singling out Paul's song . Everyone has a song that sticks in their craw, one they just can't stand. This is the sports guy right? He only knows what he likes and doesn't like. I have come up against musicologists actually who know less about our music than he does.The whole fact that we lived in a time when things were bland to a degree is what made it so special. The tag line for my show really says it all. "Return with us to a time where the only problem we had was getting a date for Saturday night." Give me your links and how to join the fray and I'll take a few shots at this guy just for the fun of it.
Thanks  
-- Lee Douglas  
Producer/host: Old Time Rock n Roll
www.oldtimernr.com  
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/2668  http://otrnrcontact.blog.com/  
I don't know that we really need to beat Chet up anymore over this ... check out his comments above ... as stated, his pot shots weren't at Paul Evans directly but rather at one of those songs that (in his words) makes his ears bleed every time he hears it!  (lol)  Let's face it, we've ALL got a few of those!!!  Welcome to the list ... would love to share your insight with our other readers so feel free to comment when the mood strikes you.  (kk)    

To my friends in the Oldies community ... 
It seems that Chet Coppock's criticism of "Seven Little Girls" on Kent Kotal's Forgotten Hits blog didn't sit too well with many Oldies fans. 
Here's a link to the responses, "The Forgotten Hits "Pledge Of Allegiance" to Paul Evans / And Music Appreciation Society"    
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-forgotten-hits-pledge-of-allegiance.html  
And, if you'd like to read more Forgotten Hits, I'm also including a link to Kent's daily columns:  
Click here: Forgotten Hits  
Paul  

What I love is the fact that both Paul and Chet are able to still be good sports and "big boys" after all of this ... laugh it off and even have some fun with it.  All of us are grown-ass men now and have all had to deal with our share of criticism over the years ... I'm glad to see that we can agree to disagree, dust ourselves off and move on.  (Believe me, there are PLENTY of cry-babies in rock and roll still out there ... you have NO idea!!!  Someday I'll share some of THOSE stories with you!!!)  kk   

re:  The Little River Band:  
Got this from FH Reader Tom Cuddy ...   
LITTLE RIVER BAND: Original Frontman Glenn Shorrock Blames New Leader  
Glenn Shorrock, the voice of The Little River Band's hits of the '70s and early '80s, feels encouraged by the support of fans and fellow musicians, but remains frustrated that he can't secure bookings in North America. He tells us exclusively from Down Under that '80s member and trademark holder Steven Housden has been the problem. 
Glenn Shorrock was angered at being blocked by the owner of the Little River Band trademark.  
OC: ... gonna take anymore. :25 [phone quality]  
GS"  Every time we make a move to come into America, we get injunctions thrown at us that have stymied everything that we've tried to do. I'm just a solo, and I go out as the voice of The Little River Band basically; but that's here in Australia. Then this situation came up and I just saw red this time. To quote Peter Finch, 'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take anymore'.  
But Shorrock's actions -- backed by fans and even fellow musicians -- bar the current LRB from playing the hits written and sung by the original lineup. He, Beeb Birtles and Graeme Goble formed the band 40 years ago in Australia.   
Glenn Shorrock said fans and even the Little River Band's former agent helped cancel the Tonight Show appearance by current LRB, who never played on their hits.  
OC: ...a small victory. :20 [phone quality]  
GS:  I wrote a fairly stern letter. So did a lot of other people, they caught fire a bit, all our fans over these who've been supporting us for years now, about this whole situation. They were livid, our agent, our old agent, he came to the party as well. So, with all the backlash about it, they dropped it. So we've scored a small victory. 
The problem with lineups misusing the name of famous groups isn't just reserved for oldies or classic pop acts. Shorrock is grateful for the efforts of artists such as Mary Wilson, Jon "Bowzer" Bauman and the late Gene Hughes, who helped enact legislation in several states.   
Glenn Shorrock says the Truth in Music effort is growing -- thanks to famous supporters.
OC: ... on all the time. :17 [phone quality]
GS:  That's gathering strength, and I'm certainly interested in becoming a part of that -- lend my voice to it. Dave Grohl from Nirvana, he's heard about it, too. So there's a lot of heavyweights out there that want to stop this thing going on all the time."  
While unable to work here as part of Little River Band, Shorrock has received other offers, including from one of The Beatles.
Glenn Shorrock has received offers to return to North America.
OC: ... Yacht Rock, a tour. :09 [phone quality]
GS:  I've been approached by the Ringo Starr All Starr, at one point. Also, somebody wanted me to do something called Yacht Rock, a tour."
Though he has no current U.S. bookings, you can follow him at GlennShorrock.com.

re:  The Monday Morning 50 Year Flashback:
Kent,
If you will, I would just like to ramble on about a few things in regards to today's FH. First, the song by Robert Goulet was big here in OKC, but without checking, I don't think it went as high as #3. I remember that many, many years ago, Robert Goulet was on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and began lambasting the radio stations here in the country for not playing his record which he had out currently. This was in the seventies. CAMEL WALK by the Ikettes did not chart here in OKC but their biggest record here in that period of time was PEACHES AND CREAM. At first I thought the record was the same as the Allen Freed tune of years earlier, but his was called CAMEL ROCK.
Song #39 by the Kinks reminds me, of course, of the current commercial running on television about
yogurt. I'm sure it is running up there in your part of the country. Finally, in the Platter Poll records,
the one by the Exciters, of course, reminded me of the Frankie Lymon tune earlier in 1956. 
I always like to go online and try to find those records listed on your charts that didn't make it
here in OKC. Some I like and some I don't.
Larry Neal
I find the fact that Robert Goulet's record being as big as it was still quite shocking.  (Remember, it was Bob Goulet singing on tv that prompted Elvis to pull his pistol and shoot the screen out that night!)  kk    

Kent -
On a topic besides Chet's comments, I was intrigued as I perused the WKDA (Nashville) survey from fifty years ago and noticed two new entries on the survey that did not become national hits until quite a bit later. 
"Baby Don't Go" by Sonny and Cher was first released in September of 1964, but it was not until the following September - after the success of "I Got You, Babe"  - that it was re-released and reached #8 on the Billboard charts.  It was not until June of 1966 that "Billy and Sue" by B.J. Thomas and the Triumphs hit the national charts and peaked at #34.
Dan Crabtree
Wheaton, IL    

re:  Cool Clips:
Wages of Spin II  "Bring Down That Wall" Trailer is now showing on Comcast Xfinity Site:   http://xfinity.comcast.net/video/wages-of-spin-ii-bring-down-that-wall/384319043673/Comcast/fanMovies_newest  

This is cool, indeed!  Rog and I went to concert in '75 of Chicago and Beach Boys at CSU and Elton showed up because he was recording at Caribou at the time.  He came on at the end and they all did "Jumpin Jack Flash."  Chicago's TV special was shot at Caribou Ranch. 
Here's clips including a look from above of the ranch:
I've been following this since I became a ( not-for-profit ) financial supporter a couple of years ago! (Well, I did get a Beverage Mug out of the Deal!)
Wrecking Crew Movie Preview 2:25
Chuck Buell
.                                  Official Poster
.  
From time to time while giving my “Rock & Roll” talks down through the years I would refer to the “Wrecking Crew” as the real artists of all those hits of the 60’s. The faces of the audience would fall and they simply couldn’t believe it. Now they’ve made a movie out of it. Should be fun to see so many of my old friends again, Dick Clark, The Beach Boys, Sonny & Cher, The Righteous Two and so many others. 
Clark Weber
It's an amazing film ... and we've been singing its praises for about seven years now as it made the rounds on the film festival circuit, trying to raise enough money to pay off the ENORMOUS royalties incurred in a film that features THIS much music.  
We heard from several FH Readers last week, excited to hear the news that "The Wrecking Crew" documentary was coming out in select theaters prior to its official release on DVD.  Producer Denny Tedesco tells us:

 Dear Wrecking Crew Family and Friends,
Happy Happy New Year!!
I know you've all been waiting patiently for the news of the Wrecking Crew Release. We are proud to announce that Magnolia Pictures has picked up the film for distribution.
Magnolia will release the film as a limited theatrical release and VOD (Video on Demand) at the same time. As you can see, Magnolia has produced the newest poster for the film (at right).  You should also check out the newest cut of the trailer.
Anyone that is receiving this email made this all happen. If you donated, saw the film, bought merchandise, told someone about the film or just signed on for info; that made the difference. We showed them that there is an audience for this film. It took years, but we all did it.
After 18 years, the film will finally be seen to a wider audience. On February 20th, the film will be open at the Bloor Cinema Theater Toronto, Canada.
On March 13th, we will be opening in New York at the IFC Center in New York and in Los Angeles at the NUART Theater.
Other theaters will be announced as soon as they are booked.
The Kickstarter DVDs and downloads will be sent soon after the theatrical release runs its course. As I said to many of you before, I apologize for the wait and still can't figure out why I gave myself a six month window to deliver the DVDs. I'm still finishing up the last paperwork.
The theatrical release by a company like Magnolia is a thrill for a filmmaker. Even though the film will live on DVD and digitally forever, there is still that thrill of seeing the film with an audience or group. Ask anyone that has seen the film.
I'm conducting a contest for those who want to see the film in their local theater. My goal is to show Magnolia where our audiences are. You don't have to be a big city for us to bring the film to you. Just give us your zip code and email and we will push for a screening in your hometown. If your town is chosen we will randomly pick two tickets for opening at that theater. Follow this link, and enter your zip code in the body of the email message: Click Here and Give Us your Zip Code
Now lets blow them away and spread the word.
Take care and happy and healthy New Year.
Denny Tedesco    

 Many of us were in high school in the late 50's and will remember when Jerry Lee Lewis hit the charts in 1957-58 with "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On" and "Great Balls of Fire."  He faded away for a while after marrying his cousin.  But when he played the piano, he slammed the keys with both hands, occasionally running his fingers down the entire length of the keyboard, then played with only a couple of fingers as he almost whispered, "Easy now ..." only to come back to full power on the keys.  With all of that said, this kid, who allegedly walked into a hardware store and sat down to an old piano, has Jerry Lee in his blood.  Enjoy.  It's less than three minutes from start to finish, and he's dynamite!
Click here: (1) Steve Hayes
Gary Pike   
This one's a "must see" ... check out this rambunctious kid!!!  (kk)     

 This is a true story and not a joke. " OK... A young man named Jacob Tolliver enters a local hardware store on Market Street in Portsmouth, Ohio and finds an unfinished piano ! He didn't have a pig under his arm."..... but please, share if you find this absolutely amazing !" — with Jacob Tolliver at Market Street Hardware & Toytown.
-- Steve Hayes

 Speaking of cool and important videos, we've been holding on to THESE two for over two weeks now!!!  (We have fallen SO far behind here lately that we were nearly 200 emails behind in posts ... when I first saw the Cop / "Shake It Off" video, it had 984 views .... it's now up well over 25 MILLION ... and closing in on 30!!!  And the Bruno Mars track is about the coolest ... and closest ... he's ever come to  rechanneling his inner James Brown.  Both are worthy of another look, even if you HAVE seen them before!)  kk



Kent ...
According to Ron Smith's book, "Eight Days A Week," 1/18/1975  =  "Bobby Vinton Day" is celebrated in Chicago as Mayor Richard Daley dubs him "The Polish Prince."  Do you remember?
Frank B.
I sure do!  Bobby Vinton was MEGA popular here in Chi-Town ... and how cool that Frank selected "Roses Are Red" for this video clip ... a full TEN DAYS before all the Paul Evans shit hit the fan!!!  That's because it's a GREAT song ... Bobby's first #1 Hit in Billboard (the first of FOUR, I might add ... and "My Melody Of Love", Bobby's Polka from 1974, topped the charts in numerous cities as well.  (kk) 
Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)