The Friday Flash

re:  Recent Reviews
Our recent reader reviews of The Who concert down in Florida and The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Cleveland have sparked a few comments ...  

What a great Who review from Rich Turner, piquing my interest regarding tour dates.  Nothing in Michigan, but I see they're hitting the Chicagoland area (All-State Arena, May 13th).  Cool to hear that Daltrey was nailing some pretty challenging vocal parts, since"Reign ..." has to be the toughest in their catalogue.  Probably good to catch him early in the tour.  Looks like a pretty aggressive tour schedule for them old guys.   
I've always been into their early singles the most, but one can't see / hear them live without appreciating not only the energy, but great songwriting.  They really brought a lot of great dynamics into the equation, even with singles such as "I Can See For Miles" and "Happy Jack".  
Dan Hudelson  

Kent,

Thanks for running my review of the Who concert ... I appreciate it. I've turned quite a few of my friends down here in the Tampa area onto your blog and website and they really like it. Wish there was something like that down here that was local like yours is Chicago-based ... but oh well. I love your site and you've got a faithful daily reader. 

As far as the pictures go, I recently got a Galaxy 5 and really got lucky with the photos. The Who also had a great light show and that really made the entire stage area look bright. I will be attending the next Happy Together Tour down here in just a few weeks and I will send something in about that. Really looking forward to seeing Mark Lindsay. He's one of my top 3 or 4 singers of all time. Loved Paul Revere & The Raiders.

Thanks again for all you do,

Rich Turner

Safety Harbor, Florida 

PS. I still cannot recommend the Who show enough. It was really, really great. If it's in your area, I really suggest you go. I know its not cheap, ($150 was the highest price and tickets are cheaper) but two of my friends that went never pay that price for any concert (they struggle for cash) and very reluctantly did because the seats were so good, and really thanked me afterwards for talking them into it.   

Speaking of Who tickets, Thursday Afternoon at 2:00 Chicago Time, The Drive (WDRV - 97.1 FM) kicked off another week of A to Z, one of their most popular features ... just over two thousand songs played back to back alphabetically with no repeats.  The whole kit and caboodle will take just over a week to run ... non-stop GREAT music (Classic Rock) without all the repeats ... AND this time, they'll be giving away chances to win tickets to see The who at The All State Arena ... in fact, they've got 40 PARIS in all to give away ... so be sure to tune in and Listen Live here:  http://wdrv.tunegenie.com/#listenlive   

I'd like to hear what Ron heard about why the Rascals will never get back together again ...

Bill Mulvy

LOL, so would I!!!  (Care to share this little tidbit with our readers, Ron???)  kk     

Wow!  Between the Who concert and the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, EXCELLENT reviews!!!  Thanks for sharing these with us! 

Bob Mayben   

Hi Kent -  

Here are some photos from the Induction Ceremony in my home town of Cleveland.  I did not have a table like your friend, but as a Hall of Fame Member, I have attended all three shows in Cleveland.  Feel free to use any photos ... just be sure to give me credit! 

Tom Apathy  

Happy to do so, Tom!  And, as always, thanks for sharing.  (I'm still hoping that Ron Onesti might send in some photos from HIS incredible vantage point!!!)

Meanwhile, Tom sent us pictures of Darlene Love, Alice Cooper, Sir Paul McCartney (probably the closest I will ever get - Tom) and Paul Schaffer ... as well as shots of Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Chris Layton (drummer for Double Trouble), Jimmie Vaughan (Fabulous Thunderbirds, older brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan), Miami Steve Van Zandt and Tommy James and Bill Withers (unfortunately did not get a clean image of Bill - Tom)

Here are just a few that we've chosen to share with our readers.  (And Ron, if you DO find the time to send me a couple, I'll be happy to run those, too!)   kk

 

All photos by Tom Apathy - 

for exclusive use in Forgotten Hits

(THANKS, TOM!!!)

Man, if just ONE of those things that happened to your friend Ron Onesti happened to me, I'd be beside myself -- I'd probably be speechless -- or, at the very least, I would have figured that I had died and gone to heaven -- but to have ALL of those things happen in one night -- wow!  Talk about being in the right place at the right time!

I hope he made some connections for his Arcada Theatre.  Who KNOWS who he might have playing there next year!!!

Dan  

Hi Kent,

I hope you don't mind ... the review by Ron Onesti was fantastic, so I shared it with some friends. I did credit the Forgotten Hits page as the source. Thank you!

Eddie Burke

Sounds like this one made EVERYBODY'S day!!!  (kk)

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

Here's a Forgotten Hits first ...

For the first time ever, we've got a front-row seat, eye-witness account of what it was like to be at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Our buddy Ron Onesti had what can ONLY be described as a dream-come-true experience while he was in Cleveland the other night to witness this year's inductees being enshrined in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  (Ironically on Sunday we were up on stage at The Arcada Theatre helping to co-host The Rhythmic Arts Foundation benefit concert, waiting for Ron to arrive back from his trip.  Obviously we had NO idea at that point in time what kind of weekend HE was having ... we were just jealous that he got to go! ... but this first-hand account blows away ANYTHING we could have EVER dreamed up in our wildest imagination!!!) 

Tell us about it, Ron!  

Paul, Ringo, Yoko … and me!  

“This cannot be happening,” I kept saying to myself … over and over and over.  I kept singing to myself two songs - 

The Bad Company hit “Rock ‘N Roll Fantasy” cuz at that moment, that’s what I was livin’ ... and The Righteous Brothers’ “Rock ‘N Roll Heaven” … cuz that’s where I was!  

My brother Rich and I were fortunate enough to be able to attend this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in its home town of Cleveland.  To say that the experience was surreal would be a gross understatement. What was to happen that night was to go down in the record books as any rock fan’s storybook dream night.  But wait … let me start at the beginning because so much more happened that evening!    

It all started a few months ago when I visited the Rock Hall & Museum.  I am there relatively frequently as a member, and this time I was working out a deal that would allow me to put together a VIP experience there for my friends and customers.  The guy from the hall I was working with told me about this year’s inductees, and one of them was going to be Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.  

Ironically, I was producing a corporate show in San Francisco the next week, and I hired Cheap Trick AND Joan Jett to perform there.  I had worked with her before so when I got there, I most excitedly congratulated her and, to my absolute thrill, she invited me to the ceremonies!  

So we got our VIP lanyards (numbers 100 and 101) and made our way to the city where famed disc jockey Alan Freed coined the phrase “Rock and Roll” in the early fifties.

Tickets for this presentation were at a premium ever since the Hall announced that Ringo was going to be inducted by Paul McCartney.  

We checked in and were given small tickets with a number 4 printed on them.  That was JOAN’S table!  Being an inductee, her table was the first table in front!  There were ten thousand people in attendance, and I was in front!  And after I got there, well, that’s when the magic started!  

I first ran into “Little Stevie” Van Zandt, Silvio on The Sopranos, and a Rock Hall of Fame inductee member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street band.  We chatted about the reasons The Young Rascals will never do another reunion tour again.  At that point, I thought that would be the celebrity experience of the night for me.  

Next, I saw “The Killer,” Jerry Lee Lewis, sitting with his wife.  I said hello and asked him if he had seen Chuck Berry recently, since I did a show with he and Little Richard years ago.  He replied, "Chuck doesn’t really come to these things like I do ... he is a lot older than me!”   

At that moment, another Hall of Famer, Darlene Love, came to say hello to Jerry.  I told her that I just had Ronnie Spector at The Arcada and that I would love to do a concert with both of them.  “Just call me and I will be there, honey,” she said!  

I turned around and there were pictures being taken.  I moved a bit to see who it was.  It was Alice Cooper!  I have done several shows with him in the past, and he stopped to talk to me.  In fact, he remembered the last show we did together.  “It was a racetrack in Chicago,” I said.  He corrected me and said, “No, it was in Cicero.”  He remembered!  

The next group of guys I ran into was Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band “Double Trouble,” including Stevie’s older brother Jimmie Vaughan, who played our Arcada just a few months ago.  It was very cool to witness the personal side of these things.  As the video of Stevie was played, the family wept and winked  at each other.  It was a perspective rarely seen by the public.  I went over and gave Jimmie a hug.  

As I was standing there, Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl tapped me on the shoulder to get past me.  I kind of belted out, “Dave!”  He said, “What’s up,” and we talked about the night a bit and then he took a great picture with me!  He was very cool, and quite humble.  I reminded him that Mick Jagger of the Stones said that the Foo Fighters was his favorite band!  He shook his head, almost humbly embarrassed.  

Then, the unimaginable happened!  I looked next to Joan Jett's table and at it was at that moment I realized I was actually standing right next to RINGO STARR!  I extended my trembling hand out with no expectations, and he shook it and said, “Hey, how are ya?”  We chatted about his manager and a mutual acquaintance of ours.  He was so thrilled to be inducted.  “I’ve been waiting by the phone all along,” he said.  “It’s great to join the club!”  What he was referring to was the fact that all four Beatles were inducted as a band, but John, Paul and George had already been inducted as individuals.  

Then I bumped into a lady with a stylish white top-hat on.  She turned around and I nearly dropped to one knee.  I said, “Oh my goodness, excuse me … YOKO!”  That’s right! Yoko Ono!  

She was quite sweet, smiling and nodding a lot, sporting dark glasses low on her nose, but looking me in the eye.  I told her that we at The Arcada Theatre will be celebrating John’s (Lennon) 75^th birthday on October 9^th.  She looked down as the sadness of his tragic demise was still embedded into her expression.  

Then John Mayer walked onto the stage to induct Stevie Ray Vaughan.  His older brother, Jimmie Vaughan was there on stage with the rest of “Double Trouble,” Stevie’s band.  They all jammed performing the Stevie classic, Pride And Joy.  

I was standing ten feet from the performance, just having a great time.  Then, people all turned around and starting looking at me.  It got crazy!  I’m like, “I must be a pretty popular guy, or they must really like my jacket!”  

I looked to my left, and it wasn’t me they were gawking over.  I was standing right next to Sir Paul McCartney!  He came from back stage and started clapping and singing to the music … right next to me!  

So for the next couple of hours, we exchanged comments about Stevie Wonder, who inducted Bill Withers, and about the performance by the megaband, Green Day.  “I really love these chaps,” he said.  

All the while this was happening, my brother Rich and I kept looking at each other like, “This is NOT happening!”  With my thirty years in the biz, working with so many big names, I never had a “Beatles’ experience.  On that night, I was “Beatled” to the nth degree, more than I could have ever dreamed.  

So this night was long, tiring and loud.  It was surreal and it was unbelievable.  It was a great show with some heartwarming moments.  And, I stood the entire five-and-a-half hours.  In a nutshell, it was a wonderfully stressful night.  But I got by with a little help from my friends … 

THE BEATLES!

Our buddies over at Vintage Vinyl News filed THIS report about the set list that night, honoring this year's inductees ...   

The Set List:   

This list comes from Vintage Vinyl News, who described it as "a work in progress based on the best information we could get ... so there may be a few changes".  

Taking that for what it's worth, here is a recap of the evening's events:   

Induction of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts  

Bad Reputation - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts / Cherry Bomb - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts with Dave Grohl and original Blackhearts drummer Gary Ryan / Crimson And Clover - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Tommy James, Dave Grohl and Miley Cyrus / Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Chairman Jann Wenner with opening remarks, including introducing Jerry Lee Lewis who is in attendance / Induction by Miley Cyrus / Acceptance by Joan Jett and members of the Blackhearts     

Induction of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band  

Born in Chicago - Tom Morello, Jason Ricci, Zac Brown / Induction by Peter Wolf / Acceptance by Elvin Bishop and the living members of the band    

Induction of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble Induction by John Mayer / Jimmy Vaughan acceptance for his later brother / Pride & Joy - Doyle Bramhall II, Gary Clark, Jr., Jimmy Vaughan, John Mayer, Double Trouble / Texas Flood - Doyle Bramhall II, Gary Clark, Jr., Jimmy Vaughan, John Mayer, Double Trouble / Six Strings Down - Doyle Bramhall II, Gary Clark, Jr., Jimmy Vaughan, John Mayer, Double Trouble     

Induction of Green Day   

Induction by Patrick Stump / Acceptance by each member of the band / American Idiot - Green Day / When I Come Around - Green Day / Basket Case - Green Day    

Induction of the "5" Royales   

Induction by Steve Cropper / Acceptance by Fred Tanner, brother of members Eugene and Johnny Tanner / Dedicated to the One I Love - Leon Bridges / When a Man Loves a Woman - Leon Bridges in dedication to the late Percy Sledge and others who passed this year.     

Induction of Lou Reed    

Induction by Patti Smith / Acceptance by Laurie Anderson / Vicious - Karen O and Nick Zinner / Satellite of Love - Beck, Nate Ruess and Karen O     

Induction of Bill Withers   

Induction by Stevie Wonder / Acceptance by Bill Withers / Ain't No Sunshine - Stevie Wonder / Use Me - John Legend / Lean on Me - Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder and John Legend     

Induction of Ringo Starr  

Induction by Paul McCartney / Acceptance by Ringo Starr / Boys - Ringo Starr and Green Day / It Don't Come Easy - Ringo Starr and Joe Walsh / With a Little Help From My Friends - Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Green Day, Joan Jett, Miley Cyrus / I Wanna Be Your Man - Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Green Day, Joan Jett, Miley Cyrus, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Beck    

Nothing was noted here about the Final Jam Session that typically takes place after the ceremony ... I find it nearly impossible to believe that Joan Jett didn't perform her signature tune "I Love Rock And Roll" at some point during the evening or that Ringo didn't do a couple more solo tunes.  The chance to see the two surviving Beatles together again up on stage ... I can't even begin to imagine the thrill and electricity of that moment ... a lifetime memory for sure, even if it did mean that in order to get there, you had to endure Miley Cyrus' taped nipples salute to "JJ" (Joan Jett).  Unreal, Miley.  (Remember when it used to be about the music???)

-- Kevin Mazur / Getty

I'm not sure if I feel good or bad about the fact that Tommy James got to perform his hit "Crimson And Clover" with Jett ... since he himself is not a member of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, yet another GROSS oversight on behalf of the organization.  

HBO will begin broadcasting highlights of this year's induction ceremony on May 30th ... so be sure to tune in for that!  (My guess is we'll be seeing Ron Onesti at the "head table" quite a few times throughout the program!!!)

The Who Hits 50

Forgotten Hits Reader Rich Turner sent us a review of "The Who Hits 50" show he saw down in Tampa, Florida, last week.  Sounds like he had a great time!!!

Kent, 

 

Just wanted to pass along a review of the opening night of the US leg of The Who Hits 50 Tour. The show was here in Tampa, Florida, at the newly renamed Amalie Arena on Tax Day, April 15th. 

 

In the words of Harry Carey, "Holy Cow!" I'm telling you what a show! I personally in the last 45 years have seen probably close to 1,000 concerts consisting of just about everybody in the classic rock and oldies category. I can get kind of jaded nowadays and it really has to take a special show to impress me, but WOW! I can easily slot this show into my Top 10 off all-time favorite concerts. 

 

In two hours and fifteen minutes and 24 songs, The Who put on a simply incredible performance. Yes, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are both 71 years old but you would never know it by their actions on the stage. They played with the power and energy of a lot of men half their age. The set list spanned their entire catalog of greatest hits starting with "I Can't Explain" from 1965 and going to "Eminence Front" from 1982. Something from every album released during that time span was played including five from the 1969 landmark rock opera Tommy. 

 

People wonder about Roger's voice and if he has lost anything from it and as best as I can tell, absolutely not. He even nailed the scream from "Won't Get Fooled Again." And no, there was no lip-synching going on. Everything you saw and heard on stage was performed by the band. 

 

And what a great band it was. 

 

You had Simon Townshend, Pete's younger brother on guitar, the great Pino Palladino, John Entwhistle's replacement on bass, Frank Simes, the music director on various instruments, two keyboardists whose names escape me (Sorry!), and Bobby Brady on drums. No, just kidding ... but that's exactly who it looked like, an adult Bobby Brady or so me and the people around me thought. He turned out to be Zac Starkey, Ringo's son, and boy, can he hit the skins! Did he make you forget Keith Moon? No, but he was excellent. 

 

And don't let me forget the man himself, Pete Townshend, switching back and forth from acoustic to electric guitar, jumping around on stage like a Mexican jumping bean (did I mention he's 71?) and still throwing out the trademark wind mills. 

 

Every tune played blew away the studio version of the song. A couple that really blew my mind (they were all great) were "I Can See For Miles", with a great extended chorus at the end and then perhaps the tour-de-force, from Quadrophenia, "Love Reign O'er Me." Roger Daltrey brought the house down with this one ... just an unbelievable vocal performance ... combined with a mind-blowing light show. When this song was done, Pete stepped to the mike and said, "I'm going to sing the next song while Roger tries to scramble his organs back in place." And the band quickly went into "Eminence Front," not one of my favorite Who songs, but it sure sounded great this night. Another latter-day Who hit that really hit home was "You Better, You Bet." Again not one of my favorite Who songs, but they ripped it up this night with a great audience sing-a-long.  

 

And let me mention the crowd ... about 15,000 people were here and just about everyone was standing for entire show, singing along, dancing, screaming, and fist pumping. And yes, most of the crowd was over the age of 50. AND LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT! 

 

The Who ended with five songs from Tommy including, of course, the "See Me, Feel Me" and "Listening To You" anthems and then concluded with show-stoppers "Baba O' Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again." Roger and Pete sincerely thanked the audience for coming and then departed with arms around each other. 

 

If this is perhaps the final Who tour, they are definitely going out on top. There was absolutely no going through the motions, no phoning it in, and no hey, let's get a paycheck and get the hell out of Dodge as so many bands that have been around for a while seem to do. This was simply a concert for the ages. 

 

As many shows as I've been to over the years (and I don't give out praise lightly) this one turned into something special. I've seen the Who several times before, including their 1982 "Final Tour" and this show blew that one out of the water. I was with five other people this night and after the show each person agreed that this was the best concert they had ever seen. I'm not going to go quite that far, because after you've seen as many shows as I have, its hard to pick a very best. But this is in the Top 10. Bruce Springsteen is still my go-to concert experience and, as far as I'm concerned, he can't be topped. 

 

If you are on the fence about going to see this show, do not hesitate, make the move and go. Yes, its a little pricey (our tickets were $150, but we were about 12 rows from the stage), but I can honestly say you will not regret it.  

 

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts opened the show with a very tight 45 minute performance of her greatest hits and a couple of new songs. And this was just three days before she was to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. And that's all I will say about the Hall, Kent, other than I believe she whole-heartedly deserves the honor (along with about 50 other artists.) 

      

Rich Turner

Safety Harbor, Florida 

 

Attached are a few photos I took at the show. Feel free to use at your discretion.

 

 

Tuesday This And That

re:  This And That:

Big news last week about Mariah Carey's new #1's CD coming out ... titled "#1 to Infinity", "Infinity" being the name of her brand new single that will first see release as part of this brand new set. 

Billboard, and Sony / Legacy / Columbia are quick to point out that this set will capture all 18 of Mariah's #1 Hits, placing her just two behind The Beatles, who have 20, and have led the music world for the past 45 with this achievement.

Once again, we're comparing apples and oranges.  To even remotely suggest that Mariah Carey ... or Garth Brooks ... or really anybody else since the hey-day of Beatlemania has come close to capturing the attention of the world at the fever-pitch frenzy of excitement that The Beatles did is ludicrous.  (Michael Jackson probably came the closest ... even The Bee Gees at the height of Discomania never came close to achieving the pure pandemonium of Beatlemania.)

Sure, ALL of these artists were great ... and their chart achievements are noteworthy ... but Mariah never drew THOUSANDS of fans to the airports, hoping to catch a glimpse of her exiting the runway ramp.  I don't recall fake "Mariah Boobs" selling out in stores the way Beatles Wigs did back in the day ... or bubblegum cards either for that matter.  There weren't THOUSANDS of magazines and books published cashing in on her likeness, trying to solicit every available penny from her legion of fans who just had to own EVERYTHING with her name attached to it.

The Garth / Elvis comparisons are just as crazy.  Does Garth Brooks have millions of fans?  Absolutely.  Faithful, devoted ... sells out every show but he ain't Elvis ... and would be the first to acknowledge this fact.

The Beatles and Elvis influenced more than just the pop music world ... you could see their affect in movies, fashion, pop culture everywhere you turned.  Both artists inspired THOUSANDS of other to get into the music business, most of whom never even achieved "wannabe" status.

These ridiculous comparisons need to stop ... but they won't ... because the simple fact is, people (and promoters) need SOMETHING to celebrate.  As less and less Elvis is heard on the radio (and all the new chart information seems to start in 1958 when The Hot 100 Pop Single Chart first debuted in Billboard, thus taking away about two dozen of Elvis' very biggest hits in the process), Elvis' achievements are being pushed further and further into the background.  Soon the same will begin to happen to The Beatles, thus effectively downplaying the impact of the original mania that surrounded these artists. 

As fewer and fewer fans remain who were there to witness this madness, it all become hearsay ... and part of the history books ... it has little effect on them personally because they weren't there to experience it.

Thankfully, there are oldies sources out there that remember ... and share those memories amongst themselves and with curious, new readers who want to learn more.  Forgotten Hits is proud to be among them.  We won't rewrite history to appease today's "flavor of the month" artist.  Taking NOTHING away from their talent, their fans or their output, we just say, "Keep it real, people"!!!  (kk)  

Hi Kent,  
I had a fun interview with DJ Arnie Amber (WMBS Radio) - 12 years after our last interview. 

Back then Arnie had a partner -  his son, Kevin.  And they promoted their show as "the only father-son on air oldies team in the country".

Well, Arnie's still at it, but this time he's doing it solo.  His son has gone on to work in a different field. 

Paul Evans

Ironically, Arnie's name came up in another email we received this week ... sounds like he's interviewed Dennis Tufano, original lead singer of The Buckinghams this past  Sunday, too.  (Somebody PLEASE tell Arnie about Forgotten Hits ... I think we'd make the PERFECT extension to his radio program!!!)  Check out all the details below ...

Kent - 
I just got this from a friend in Philadelphia - short notice but maybe fans can still tune in and listen - 
This is for music lovers of Chicago music.    
Friends, please join DJ Arnie Amber tomorrow (Sunday, April 19th) for his weekly show with guest singer Dennis Tufano, one of the original members of The Buckinghams from Chicago.  
Arnie's show starts at Noon and airs till 3 p.m. East Coast time.  Dennis is scheduled to be on around 1 p.m. Eastern time.  Hope you can tune in. 
I am sure Dennis will be talking about an very big and important event happening in the Chicago area on May 7. Here is the link to the station.  Thank You.  
Your Local Station - WMBS 590AM - Uniontown, PA  
"Your Local Station" 
We are on the air 24/7/365, providing local news, sports, talk shows and America's Best Music.  
WMBS590.COM  
Unfortunately, we're posting this a bit too late in order to get fans to tune in and listen ... but if this is archived somewhere, please let us know.  Meanwhile, here in Chi-Town we're just looking forward to the show.  (kk)

Bobby Hart is telling is story by way of a brand new book, out next month. 

You can check out all the details here:

http://www.amazon.com/Psychedelic-Bubble-Gum-Monkees-Miracles/dp/1590792904/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429369583&sr=1-1&keywords=bobby+hart

He also shared a good chunk of his story HERE, when we interviewed Bobby a few years back ...

http://forgottenhits.com/forgotten_hits_interviews_bobby_hart

This was on the heels of our VERY popular Forgotten Hits Series "The Music Of Boyce And Hart" ...

http://forgottenhits.com/the_music_of_tommy_boyce_and_bobby_hart

And here's a song that Bobby wrote with his partner Tommy Boyce back in the day ... 

>>>Local act The Astronauts climb fourteen places to #21 with "Tomorrow's Another Day", a song that would be covered by The Monkees the following year for their first Colgems album.  (kk)

Also covered in 1966 by Chicago's own Shadows of Knight on their "Back Door Men" album!

Clark Besch

Which was cooler ... The Monkees doing a Shadows Of Knight song ... or The Shadows Of Knight doing a Monkees song?!?!?  (kk)

Have you had a chance to catch any of this year's IRS Countdown?  Thanks to all of the Forgotten Hits Readers who voted in Rich Appel's annual poll, seeking out the songs that oldies fans believe really shoulda been Top Ten Hits.  This year's results were interesting as usual ... and terrestrial radio would do themselves well to taking a look at what listeners REALLY want to hear ... 'cause it ain't "Jack And Diane", "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Take The Money And Run" six times a day ... EVERY day.

Rewound Radio is still playing assorted tracks as part of their regular programming ... and we've picked a few of our favorites to feature here today as well. 

From The Top 104 ... how about ...

1 - Can't Find The Time - Orpheus

2 - Nothing But A Heartache - The Flirtations

4 - Shame Shame - The Magic Lanterns

7 - Morning Girl - Neon Philharmonic

22 - Yellow River - Christie

41 - The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore - The Walker Brothers

56 - Early In The Morning - Vanity Fare

60 - Suavecito - Malo

88 - Who Do You Think You Are - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods

95 - Fool If You Think It's Over - Chris Rea

A couple of Bobby Rydell clips, courtesy of FH Reader Frank B ...

Kent ...

Bobby tells his story with tears in his eyes.
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBobbyRydell/videos/vb.197885396960931/532496230166511/?type=2&theater

And here, Bobby makes his acting debut on the "Danny Thomas Show" in an episode called "The Singing Delinquent."

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

Kent ...

Here's this week in history with Big Jay.

http://wcbsfm.cbslocal.com/2015/04/11/this-week-in-history-frank-nancy-the-eagles-lionel-richie/

Now that Pat St. John is gone, do you think that Scott Shannon will take over his time slot (3-6 PM)?  Scott's only on for four hours (7-11 AM) on Sunday morning.
Frank B.

Not a chance.  Scott's got the #1 Morning Show in New York City, the biggest market on the planet.  (When you account for his Sunday Morning show, you're overlooking is HUGE weekly contribution to the station.  And the Sunday Show ... I'm assuming you mean "America's Greatest Hits" ... is a syndicated program that plays all over the country ... it even airs here in Chicago, but on Saturday's at 7 am for three hours ... meaning that it's not really his "regular" timeslot ... I'm sure it airs at different times ... and on different days ... all over the country ... kinda like Casey Kasem's old "American Top 40" program.)  Speaking of which, doesn't Scott sound more and more like Casey every single day?!?!  Not so much on his regular WCBS Morning Show ... but there are times when I hear him on the weekends where I actually do a double-take when I hear how much he sounds like Casey!!!  (kk)

Speaking of good radio, we've been raving about the vast selection of music featured on Chicago's brand new Me-TV-FM.  I wonder if this new law (should it take effect) will impact just what we hear in the future.  (I still say the main reason we hear the same songs by the same artists, day in and day out, all day long, in EVERY single city across the USA, is because SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY the people programming these stations are getting a piece of the pie, earning royalties in some fashion, which is why they're all suggesting the same "classic hits" be played from coast-to-coast.  I just need somebody to go out there and PROVE it so the saturation will finally stop!!!)

Anyway, typically only the songwriters have been able to earn royalties for the years and years of airplay the songs they wrote continue to get played on the radio.  The artists themselves stopped receiving royalties for their contribution AGES ago.  (Think about how many MILLIONS of times some of these songs have been played, all the while the artists not receiving a dime!)

Well, new legislation may change that ... and rightfully so. 

FH Reader Ken Voss sent us this article from Billboard Magazine.

Read on ...

'Fair Play, Fair Pay Act' Introduced, Seeks Pay from Radio Stations 

By Ed Christman | April 13, 2015 4:44 PM EDT Billboard magazine 

The U.S. music industry is attempting yet again to get artists paid for master recordings and performance rights when their songs are broadcast. Will terrestrial radio cave?

The U.S. music industry is attempting yet again to get terrestrial radio stations to pay artists for the right to broadcast sound recordings.
Today, four members of Congress --  House Democrats Jerrold Nadler, John Conyers Jr. and Ted Deutch and Republican House member Marsha Blackburn -- introduced the "Fair Play, Fair Pay Act of 2015," which, if passed, would require terrestrial radio stations to join satellite and internet radio and in making payments to performers for their broadcast on radio. In addition, the act would also require all forms of radio to pay master recordings royalties on music made prior to 1972, and do away with any grandfathering under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act which allowed certain older digital services to pay discounted rates. (That grandfathering clause is currently the subject of a lawsuit from SoundExchange against Mood Media.)
"The bill is designed to return the music licensing system to a basic principal of Fair Play, Fair Pay," musicFirst Coaltion executive director Ted Kalo said during a press conference held in New York on Monday (April 13).
Nadler, who is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Sub-Committee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, said the bill was creat As it is now, the airplay system is “antiquated and broken,” allowing certain radio companies avoid paying any remuneration to rights holders.ed to right a “great injustice.”
The Free Radio Alliance issued a statement against the legislation, writing: "The performance tax legislation introduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler is mostly a patchwork of past proposals, which have failed to pass Congress previously. It’s ironic that the only thing the music industry seems to be able to agree upon is taking more money from others, like radio stations, for themselves."
Because the U.S. doesn’t pay artists when their songs are played on the radio, they also do not receive compensation when their songs are played in other countries. The only other countries other than the U.S. which do not pay a master recordings royalty on terrestrial radio broadcasts are North Korea, Iran and China. “That’s a list that speaks for itself,” said recording artist Roseanne Cash, one of about a dozen artists adding their support for the bill. “Since we export more music than we import, our economy suffers,” Cash added.
Other artist-advocates included Martha Reeves, Duke Fakir of the Four Tops, Elvis Costello, Ronnie Spector, Cyndi Lauper, Martha Wash of The Weather Girls, Marshall Crenshaw, Gloria Gaynor, Nona Hendrix, Ray Parker Jr., Cassandra Wilson and Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Group.
Reeves noted her music gets played all over the world, and people assume the artists are rich because of that. “I don’t mind being an oldie-but-goodie,” said Reeves of The Vandellas, “but it would be good to get paid.” Reeves' former labelmate Fakir that in 1909, when the Copyright Law was passed, only songwriters received compensation -- because artists hadn’t yet begun recording music.
“When the car was invented, they paved the streets,” Fakir said. “But we artists are still stuck in the f---ing mud… I am here because I truly can’t help myself.”
While all radio forms pay songwriter performance royalties, only satellite and internet radio also pay master recording performance royalties to rights holders, thanks to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Some services like Sirius XM and Pandora interpret that requirement as to exclude recording from before 1972 recordings, the year master recordings received copyright protections under the law. Recordings made prior to 1972 are protected by state law, according to the music industry, and various elements of the industry are challenging Sirius and Pandora in court on this issue. (Sirius XM lost an important case related to this point late last year in California. That ruling's wider repercussions are still being worked out.)
Every previous legislative effort at the royalty been beaten back by the radio industry and its powerful lobby. The last time the industry attempted to secure a terrestrial royalty was in 2009, when the Performance Rights Act was introduced. The new bill has been written to pre-empt some rhetorical tactics used by the radio industry in the past to defeat new legislation. For one, stations that make less than $1 million in revenue will only have to pay $500 a year in performance royalties, while college radio stations will only have to pay $100. “Large corporations won’t be able to hide behind the claim” that this kind of royalty payment would put smaller radio stations and college radio stations out of business, Nadler said.
Previously, radio complained about the economy, asserting that they simply couldn’t afford to pay performers. But as far as the radio industry is concerned, “it's never the right time,” Nadler said. “What other industry says, ' We can’t afford to pay our workers; We want them to work for free,'” he cracked. “We got rid of that argument here in the U.S. in 1865," referencing the abolition of slavery legislated by the 13th Amendment.
SoundExchange president and CEO Michael Huppe noted to Billboard, “A lot of things [around] copyright law are pretty complex, but this bill addresses an issue that is as simple as it gets: that artists should get paid when their songs are broadcast.”   

In honor of music legend Joe Cocker's recent passing, Marshall Blonstein's Audio Fidelity is releasing his 1969 album, “With A Little Help From My Friends”, on hybrid SACD. The critically acclaimed album is one of those rare debuts that really captures an artist at their prime. The album is strong and confident and in many ways peerless and impossible to classify for it's a little bit of rock, blue-eyed soul, blues and pop rolled into one soulful rasp of a voice that results in a profound listening experience.

Cocker's voice is bolstered by some very sharp playing by an impressive list of British rock luminaries including Henry McCullough, Albert Lee and Jimmy Page, Guitar; Chris Stainton, Tommy Eyre and Stevie Winwood, keyboards, and Procol Harum's organist and drummer: Matthew Fisher and the late B.J.Wilson.

Besides the classic Beatles cover tune the album includes brilliant interpretations of material from Bob Dylan and Dave Mason as well as three originals. Cocker performed his radical re-arranged version of “With A Little Help From My Friends” at Woodstock and the tune was included in the popular “Woodstock” documentary film. In 2001 his totally gospel fueled rock 'n soul re-harmonization of the Beatles classic was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

1 Feeling Alright

2 Bye Bye Blackbird

3 Change In Louise

4 Marjorine

5 Just Like A Woman

6 Do I Still Figure In Your Life?

7 Sandpaper Cadillac

8 Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

9 With A Little Help From My Friends

10 I Shall Be Released

Produced By: Denny Cordell for Tarantula Productions

Mastered for this SACD by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio

For more information: www.audiofidelity.net

Hey Kent,
I just saw a "Best of Saturday Night Live" repeat, featuring that funny skit of the recording session of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper". Will Ferrell, whose sole purpose was as a cowbell player, never fails to crack me up, and if you keep your eye on the other musicians, it sure made drummer Jimmy Fallon, crack up, too! The first time I ever really noticed a cowbell in rock n roll music was when Ringo's ringy cowbell was part of the hit, "You Can't Do That". It really added to the drive of the music and lyrics. Have cowbell songs ever been discussed in Forgotten Hits? It might be fun to read everybody's favorites. There are many lists of the best cowbell songs on the internet, but what does "the best" really mean? My top five favorites are "You Can't Do That", "Incense and Peppermints", "Time Has Come Today", "We're an American Band", and "Oye Como Va". I have a top ten list, too, but I think five songs are enough to start things off, if FH readers are interested.
- John LaPuzza

Our FH Buddy Bob Stroud does a daily program (Monday thru Friday) on The Drive (97.7-FM Chicago) called "Ten At 10".  Each day he picks either a particular year or a particular topic and then plays (as you can probably imagine) ten songs from that great year, artist or theme at 10 am every weekday.  (The program is then repeated ... yep, you figured that one out, too ... and 10 pm every night.)

The subject-matter can range from anything to anyone to any place, which is what makes it always a fun show to listen to (or, as we like to call it, "appointment radio".)  A while back, he did a Ten at 10 salute to "cowbell songs" ... in fact, I've heard it a couple of times now ... and all of your selections typically make the cut.  (This program is sometimes run in "marathon form" over the weekend, too, recapping many of the individual programs one might have missed due to daily hassles like, you know, going to work and stuff.)

In any event, you can Listen Live here:  http://wdrv.com/  ... and be sure to check out Bob's Sunday Morning Program "Rock And Roll Roots", too.  It airs from 7 - 10 am on Sunday Mornings. 

As for another Forgotten Hits Poll, we're still trying to keep up with all of your Soul Favorites ... we even ran some more of your suggestions this past weekend in FH. (kk)

Saw your post in reply to my e-mail in Forgotten Hits this AM and now I'm dying to know YOUR potato chip songs.  'Did She Mention My Name?' by Gordon Lightfoot is another of mine.   I know what you mean about not wanting to spoil them, but they're indelible anyway because I've heard them so many times.

Patti

I don't think I can do it!  There are literally HUNDREDS of songs like this for me that I'm passionate about.  Maybe one week we'll run a few each day to see how many of these tracks push YOUR buttons, too!  (kk)