Friday, August 7, 2015

The Friday Flash

Another EXTREMELY LARGE Edition again this week ...

Thanks to all of you who continue to write and share your musical memories with us ...

 It's what Forgotten Hits is all about!


re:  On The Radio:  
Kent ...  
Looks like Scott Shannon will be around for awhile.  Scott also said that WCBS-FM is #1 again.    
Do you think that means a raise for Scott ?  
Frank B.  
http://wcbsfm.cbslocal.com/2015/07/30/scott-shannon-contract-extension/
We couldn't be happier for Scott ... he has helped to rejuvenate the station, drawing in a brand new batch of listeners (including you!) while reaching another milestone in his long and illustrious career.  Meanwhile, the CBS-FM affiliate here in Chicago is doing fine, too ... K-Hits (104.3 FM ... which airs Scott's "America's Greatest Hits" program on the weekend) has jumped into The Top Five (although Robert Feder suggests that they may have helped their own cause by boosting listenership through a device known as Voltair, an audio-processing device that boosts the detection of encoded broadcast signals by Nielsen Audio’s Portable People Meters.)  Feder goes on to say that at a national webinar for radio clients in July, Nielsen Audio said it did not support the use of Voltair, but stopped short of banning it.
Meanwhile, WLS-FM (going through some turmoil of their own of late) drops to #12 with a 3.2 share ... and Me-TV-FM holds at #24 with a 1.8, moving ahead of The River (#33 with a .8 share).  Another personal favorite, The Drive, is doing fine at #9 with a 3.5 share.  (kk)  

Chicagoland Radio and Media is reporting that brand new WLS-FM Program Director Brian Thomas, who took over the reigns on Monday, has already received HUNDREDS of emails from listeners (and former listeners) campaigning to have Dick Biondi reinstated as the evening host of the station so they can tune in and listen to this broadcasting legend again.  (Former programming genius Jan Jeffries banished Biondi into the VERY late shift, thus preventing his legion of fans from being able to tune in and hear his program on a regular basis.)  With the departure of John Records Landecker on Friday, Thomas will be looking for a permanent host for the 7 pm - Midnight spot.  It was announced that Jeff Davis (broadcasting out of California, I believe) would host this slot in the interim while Thomas looked for Landecker's replacement.  Fans want Thomas to know about Biondi's loyal following here in Chicago.  CRM reports that Thomas should already be well aware, having grown up in Lansing listening to Dick Biondi on Chicago Radio during his hey-day here in Chi-Town. 

Meanwhile, Chicagoland Radio and Media also has an aircheck of Landecker's final show, which you can listen to here:  http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/multimedia/audio/7544-john-records-landecker-s-final-wls-fm-show-7-31-15  (Sounds like Landecker went out in fine form, reverting to many of his '70's features that made him a household name ... and radio legend ... back in the day.)  Best guess at this time is that you won't be missing John's voice for long ... sounds like he may soon be going the Podcast route, like so many of his contemporaries these days.  (kk)

>>>Talk about WLS big-wigs  (kk)
Thanx for the inclusion in Forgotten Hits regarding that Vintage WLS Air Personalities TV Interview Clip that I submitted to you last week!  
Hey! That was no "big wig!" That was my real everyday "70s' Hair!"  {:~}  Oh, and accompanying contemporary Moustache!  
What was most interesting to me about that clip was that when I was watching that "70s Me," it was actually like watching somebody else! Very weird!
Here's something else strange ... I went to a oldies record store here in Denver yesterday that specializes in hard-to-find records. Nothing was alphabetized!"
Chuck Buell
Actually, I had to look twice ... when I first saw it, I thought it was a reunion of the cast of "Anchorman"!!!  
That was the '70's WLS A-Team line-up for sure ... thanks for sending, Chuck ... I certainly enjoyed it.  (FH List Member Connie Szerszen probably did, too!  lol)  kk

>>>Although based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, KDKA's 50-Watt Signal could be heard as far as Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, New York and the Canadian province of Ontario ... and that was just during the day.  At night that signal would reach nearly the entire eastern half of North America!  (kk)
Hey Kent, 
KDKA must've had one heck of an antenna to reach so far on 50 Watts! Please don't take this as a slam - be glad we all read so closely ... and are really paying attention!
We love Forgotten Hits!
David Lewis  
That really doesn't make a whole lot of sense, does it?  Once again, that's what I get for trusting Wikipedia ...
KDKA operates on a clear channel and broadcasts a news / talk radio format. News and spoken word programming has been a central feature of its programming from its beginning. The station's 50 kilowatt signal can be heard throughout central and western Pennsylvania, along with portions of Ohio,West Virginia, Maryland, New York, Virginia and Kentucky, and the Canadianprovince of Ontario during the day. At night, it reaches much of the eastern half of North America
Wiki also tells us ...
KDKA (1020 kHz) is a radio stationlicensed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Created by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on November 2, 1920, it is the world's first commercial radio station, a distinction that has also been challenged by other stations, although it has claimed to be the "world's first commercially licensedradio station": WWJ in Detroit, Michigan (also a CBS Radio station), lists its "First Air Date" as August 20, 1920. KDKA is currently owned and operated by CBS Radio.
KDKA enjoys grandfathered status as one of six remaining stations east of theMississippi River that have call letters beginning with K. Three of them are in Pittsburgh, the other two being KDKA-FM (KDKA's sister station) and KQV, as well as KDKA's longtime sister station KYW in Philadelphia (though the KYW callsign has in the past been used in Chicago and Cleveland); KFIZ in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; and KTGG Spring Arbor, Michigan (though in that instance, it was due to a clerical error at the FCC).

Hello!
If you are interested in reel-to-reels, I have an antique reel of the Dave Biondi show. You can take a look here:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/151764161736?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
I am antiquatedantics on Ebay. Thank you for your time.
Sean Morris


>>>It was such a nice surprise to hear Forever Autumn by the Moody Blues on Monday at around 9:10 am on Me-TV-FM. I actually have the album and soundtrack from War of the Worlds (I believe it's a collectors' item and quite rare) where some of the songs are narrated by Richard Burton. Nice change of pace and music format.  (Bob from Bolingbrook)

I also love the "War of the Worlds" album and "Forever Autumn."  The original version was first done in 1972 by writers Vigrass & Osborne.  They gave us two great 45s that year:  "Men of Learning" and "Virginia."  You can find their version of "Autumn" on the B side of their semi-hit "Men of Learning."
Both 45s have the CSN feel with "Virginia" having a guitar riff stolen from the Fabs' "Two of Us"  and ending with a very cool moog segment.
"Men of Learning" seems to be unavailable thru youtube and I don't have time to record it right now.  BUT, a great song and Billboard charter.
Clark Besch

I heard "Forever Autumn" on Me-TV-FM the other day, too, and have to agree with Bob from Bolingbrook that it's a great song.  Love it!
And you didn't mention Graham Nash performing "Cathedral" at the Arcada concert the other night.  For me, that was the highlight of the show!
Frannie
 
Hiya bud ...
As you may know, I do a weekly feature on my website and feature this week's hits -- one week in the '60s, one for the '70s and one for the '80s. And I also do the Number one songs from the Easy Listening (AC) charts and R&B charts.  So this week, I saw that "Save Your Heart For Me" was No. 1 on the Easy Listening Special Survey in Billboard.  With your permission, I'd like to LINK to your 2009 story about whether or not Gary actually sang on his records. I will give you credit of course. 
I loved this set of articles about Lewis.  His was the first concert I ever saw ... it was in 1966 at Steel Pier in Atlantic City. I had won a contest for getting the most new customers for my paper route. I was in 8th Grade at the time.  I never looked back, as I've seen or even interviewed some of the biggest stars of our time. 
Hope all is well. I'm still doing weekends on CBS-FM. We are a hair away from being No. 1 in the NY metro in the coming weeks. Amazing how altering the music a few years forward was the magic potion the station needed to gain the younger demos. I can't argue about whether it is right or wrong ... it just IS. I miss the '60s and early '70s stuff as much as John Records Landecker does, but it sure is working out quite well for CBS-FM 2.0. Had they evolved faster ten years ago, Jack never would have been necessary ... but perhaps it needed to happen to bring the BRAND name back to life. I still have fun. And I'm still ME on the air. 
Thanks for your time ... and still invaluable resource for our music.
Here is a link to MY most recent post: http://bit.ly/1OiSXto 
Thanks bossman!
All the best.
Enjoy the big shows this summer in Chicago-land.
BE BIG!
Big Jay Sorensen
Thanks, Big Jay!  I check out your site quite often ... and this is a particularly good posting.  FH Readers will enjoy the link above.
ABSOLUTELY feel free to use our Gary Lewis piece!  I appreciate you helping to spread the word.
Yes, WCBS-FM is back on top again ... I think we ALL wish we could find a happy medium of a musical blend that would please everyone ... I can honestly say that Me-TV-FM seems on track to do so here in Chicago.

Then again, you'll continue to find that this most definitely is NOT the case on most terrestrial radio ... check out this email we received this week ...

Kent,  
My wife and I just  spent a week in upstate New York (Saratoga Races and Cooperstown).  The trip was fantastic, but the radio was horrid!  We have been long time Sirius subscribers listening to 60s at 6 and Underground Garage roughly 80 per cent of the time.  They play a few songs quite a bit, but always (especially Garage) mix in some obscure titles.   However with our rental  car we were forced to listen to what you call the 'classic hits station' mix.  In six days the only songs I heard from the 60s were by the Beatles ... and I heard Hey Jude three times!  Not one song by the Stones or Elvis.  Some 70s ... Fleetwood Mac, Linda Ronstadt, and The Eagles ... and lots and lots of 80s crud.   When we got in our own car back in Omaha, my wife said, "Lets hear some decent music."  We were both overjoyed to hear Mark Lindsay's voice belting out the long version of Hungry.  Today's classic hits radio truly does stink ... I'm not getting rid of Sirius anytime soon.  
Thanks for the great site ... I check you out daily.  
Randy M

If you're a radio buff like me, you are going to THOROUGHLY enjoy this clip sent into me by Art Vuolo.  At 22 minutes, it'll take a little while to get through ... but I promise you a good time every step of the way.  (It's all part of the article linked below)  kk

Dear Family & Friends: 
I was honored to be featured in a special profile by Jacobs Media, based here in the Detroit area.  Respected radio consultant Fred Jacobs, his brothers Paul and Bill, along with their Chicago rep, Mike Stern, showcased yours truly in a piece that I am very proud to share with you.
Simply use this link: http://wp.me/p1JoKy-55C
It's a quick read, complete with video which you may have seen before.  Your comments would certainly be appreciated.
With Love & Appreciation,
ART

re:  Paying It Forward ... And Helping Out Our Friends:
Forgotten Hits Readers on our local list received an email blast yesterday regarding the very first Restoration Concert being held at The Historic Arcada Theatre THIS SATURDAY NIGHT (August 8th), starring the incredible COMMODORES!!!  (Live in the Chicagoland area and NOT part of our special "Locals" List?  Drop me an email to find out about special events, upcoming concerts and ticket give-aways ... and we'll add you to the list!)
Tickets are only $25 Each ... and the proceeds will go toward helping to renovate and restore The Historic Arcada Theatre.  (Buy an entire row of 12 seats for just $350 and Ron will recognize your party from the stage ... AND even name the row after you!!!)
If you have ever enjoyed a show at The Arcada Theatre, this is a way of giving back.
Or, if you don't live in the area or cannot attend the concert ... but have been living vicariously through all of our reports and concert reviews ... and just want to see this place continue to grow in stature ... and would like to help support Ron's efforts to do everything he possibly can to help keep this great music alive ... then please visit www.oshows.com for ticket information ... or email him direct at ron@oshows.com to make a donation to the cause.  (By the way, if you happen to be free tonight, The Arcada is presenting Vanilla Fudge with Nazareth ... should be a VERY "heavy" show ... if you know what I mean!  Forgotten Hits has a 20% discount ticket offer running right now ... just go to the OShows website (link above) and type in the code FHITS20 and you'll get 20% off your entire ticket offer!)  kk

We also heard from Jim Peterik this past week who, after receiving numerous requests to do so, is recording an album of his best known tracks performed acoustically.  He's looking for help to fund the recording of this album ... and is offering some VERY interesting incentives for folks willing to donate to this cause.  Check out his email below ...

To all my dear friends and colleagues:
I am reaching out to you to personally announce my new PledgeMusic campaign to fan / friend fund my first ever unplugged solo project Eye Of The Writer. 
I'd like to invite you all to see the presentation my team and I have put together to show you the scope of this project ... and the incentives I offer.  
Log into: PledgeMusic.com/jimpeterik.
For more check out my Facebook page. Officialjimpeterikfacebook.
Any assistance you can give me by your support and spreading the word to your friends would be beyond awesome. 
This project is also benefiting St Jude Children's Hospital. Not only are they doing awesome work, but it was Jimi Jamison's favorite charity.
I would like to reach my initial goal as soon as possible to harness the excitement I am feeling about this acoustic presentation of my biggest songs and a few brand new ones.
I feel so fortunate to have Fred Mollin producing ... and of course Larry Millas engineering. 
I'd love to have you on board. 
Thanks sooo much!
Warm Regards ... and Keep Rocking!
Jimbo 

More on this unique opportunity ...

SURVIVOR’S JIM PETERIK DIGS INTO HIS FIRST EVER UNPLUGGED PROJECT  
EYE OF THE WRITER – THE SONGS OF JIM PETERIK
~ WILL BE EXECUTED VIA PLEDGEMUSIC CAMPAIGN ~


New York, NY (August 5, 2015)—Survivor founding member Jim Peterik has been intensely busy over the last year, with the 2014 release of his autobiography Through The Eye Of The Tiger: The Rock ‘N’ Roll Life Of Survivor’s Founding Member (BenBella Books), and 50th Anniversary of his band The Ides of March, which recently released their 5-disc boxed set Last Band Standing – The Definitive 50-Year Anniversary Collection in April (Ides Of March Records).
Most musicians would be ready to take a break, but not the powerhouse that is Peterik! The singer-songwriter / guitarist is readying Eye Of The Writer – The Songs Of Jim Peterik – an unplugged CD and companion DVD that spans material from across his rich career. For his FIRST EVER unplugged release, Peterik is working with esteemed producer / arranger Fred Mollin, who is noted for his successful unplugged series of recordings with Jimmy Webb, Kris Kristofferson, Barry Mann, and Johnny Mathis, among others.
The project will delve into both Peterik’s Survivor and Ides of March repertoire, and his solo work / achievements as a songwriter. Potential selections include the Grammy Winning, Oscar Nominated Rocky III anthem “Eye Of The Tiger,” 1970’s #1 Ides hit “Vehicle,” Survivor hits “High On You,” “Is This Love,” and “The Search Is Over,” and smash cuts he’s written made famous by other artists, such as .38 Special’s “Hold On Loosely,” “Rocking Into The Night,” and “Caught Up In You,” and Sammy Hagar’s #1 hit “Heavy Metal.”
There’s one more component to this very special release: he’s inviting his fans to be a part of creating this album via PledgeMusic. 
A $35 donation to the PledgeMusic campaign will net a signed copy of Eye Of The Writer, along with a signed photo and an “Access Pass,” – an offer from PledgeMusic with a digital download of the album and access to behind-the-scenes updates during the course of the project’s creation. A donation of $2,000 will earn a custom song written and demoed for the donating fan.
However, the real prize is “The Ultimate Peterik Fan Experience,” in which a fan is invited to co-write a song with Jim, attend the final recording session, and perform the song onstage with him at a venue to be determined. Topped with a signed guitar from Jim’s personal collection, and Jim’s hand-signed original framed platinum copy of the “Eye Of The Tiger” single as originally presented to the band by Epic/Scotti Brothers Records. hand-signed original platinum framed copy of Eye Of The Tiger as originally presented to the band by Epic/Scotti Brothers Records, this high end reward is exclusively reserved for fans who donate $25,000.
"I am so pumped about this project and excited for you to be a part of it,” says Peterik. “I love the idea of my fans and friends in essence acting as my record company- having input- seeing behind the scenes and getting some cool stuff in exchange. It's the new reality of how to make a great record- and make a difference. Here's to the fun and great music we will make- together.  Cheers!”
50 years in making, Eye Of The Writer – The Songs Of Jim Peterik will serve both as a unique retrospective of Jim’s outstanding career, and a very special gift to the fans for being there for the ride.
Check out the PledgeMusic campaign here:  http://www.pledgemusic.com/jimpeterik
re:  Recent Passings:  
Kent,  
I am sure you probably already know this, but singer Cilla Black passed away this weekend at the age of 72 from natural causes. I had to get out her 1964 hit YOU'RE MY WORLD and I played it three times in a row. I hadn't heard that one in years. I am sure several of your other readers will also email you on this. 
Larry 
Yes, we heard from quite a few folks regarding Cilla's passing.
While never the break-out star here in America that she was back home in England, Cilla was probably best known as one of Brian Epstein's proteges ... and for her one big hit here in The States, "You're My World".  Originally a hat-check girl at The Cavern Club where The Beatles played regularly, once it was discovered that she could sing (with a very powerful voice indeed) Epstein convinced her to change her name from Priscilla White to Cilla Black and the rest, as they say, is history.
Partial to Hal David - Burt Bacharach songs, Black charted 21 times in The UK.  (I should point out that a few of those hits came courtesy of the pens of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  ("Love Of The Love" hit #35 in 1963 and "It's For You" went to #7 in 1964.)  She hosted her own television show in Great Britain for years. (In fact, Paul McCartney composed the show's theme song "Step Inside Love".)
"Love Of The Loved" was one of those songs that Lennon and McCartney gave away ... yet it WAS one of the tracks they auditioned for Decca Records with prior to signing with George Martin and Parlophone.  (kk)





And the official word from Ron Smith's oldiesmusic.com website:
British singer and television host Cilla Black was discovered dead Sunday morning (August 2) at her summer home in Estepona, Spain. She was 72. An investigation is ongoing but it is believed she died of natural causes. Born Priscilla White in 1943 in Liverpool, Cilla worked as a hat check girl at the city's famous Cavern Club where she became friends with many of the up-and-coming stars, including the Beatles. Invited to perform from time-to-time, she caught the eye of many, including the promoter of the Casanova Club, who hired her to perform, songwriter Bobby Willis -- who eventually married her (he died in 1999) and Beatles manager Brian Epstein, who signed her as one of his clients. A magazine article mistakenly called her "Cilla Black" and she decided to use that as her stage name. Signed to the Beatles' label, Parlophone, in 1963, Cilla's debut with "Love Of The Loved" three weeks later was inauspicious (#35). But her follow-up with the Dionne Warwick tune, "Anyone Who Had A Heart," soared to #1 in England and was followed by the chart-topper "You're My World" -- both in 1964. Cilla was signed to Capitol, the Beatles' label in America, as well, though "You're My World" proved to be her only top 75 hit in the states (#26 - 1964). In the U.K., however, she amassed nine more top ten records, including "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (#2 - 1965), "Conversations" (#3 - 1969) and "Something Tells Me" (#3 - 1971). In 1968, she hosted her own variety TV series for the BBC entitled "Cilla." It ran 66 episodes over the next 8 years. She appeared in "Cilla's Comedy Six" and "Cilla's World Of Comedy" as a actress for the network in 1975 and 1976. She also hosted the shows "Blind Date" for eight years and "Surprise Surprise" for seven years for London Weekend Television. Her autobiography, "What's It All About," was published in 2003.

I am so very sad to hear about her physical passing. I remember an interview I did with Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach during their "Painted By Memory" recording sessions.  Elvis and I took a "Cilla break" after I complimented him on his 1994 cover of her recording of "Step Inside Love."  "We all rooted for Cilla in Liverpool when she had a new record," Costello volunteered.  
The last time  I talked to Paul McCartney in Studio City, California, at Good Earth restaurant, we chatted about Cilla. He briefly discussed his tunes and arrangement on her rendition of "Step Inside Love" and "It's For You" done with George Martin.  She was the vocal messenger and really delivered the Lennon / McCartney message. 
Cilla blew me away when she sang "It's For You" on a British television program, "The Music of Lennon and McCartney." When Paul left the restaurant, he smiled, thumbs up, "Good one, lad!"   Please view Cilla recording "Alfie" live in London studio with Burt Bacharach. He really pulled a vocal out of her. A clinic on arranging.

We also lost Lynn Anderson this past week.  Lynn topped the US Charts with "Rose Garden" back in 1971.  More from the Official Forgotten Hits Grim Reaper ...

Country star Lynn Anderson, best remembered for her crossover hit, "Rose Garden" (#3 - 1971) died Thursday (July 30) of a heart attack near Nashville at the age of 67. Born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, she grew up in Sacramento, California, where she won 16 national equestrian titles. Lynn was the daughter of singer / songwriter Liz Anderson, who wrote Merle Haggard's country hit, "All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers" (her father was songwriter Casey Anderson). Through her parents' contacts, she was able to obtain a recording contract with Chart Records in 1966. After country hits with 1967's "If I Kiss You (Will You Go Away)" and "No Other Time" the following year, she joined the "Lawrence Welk Show" on TV and, in 1970, graduated to Columbia Records and pop fame with "Rose Garden." Though she never broke the pop top 60 again, she amassed 60 country chart records in 24 years, including #1 tunes with "You're My Man" and "How Can I Unlove You". She was named "Top Female Vocalist" twice (1967 and 1970) by the Academy of Country Music and "Female Vocalist Of The Year" in 1971 by the Country Music Association.
-- Ron Smith
"Rose Garden" topped both the Cash Box and the Record World pop charts ... and held down the #1 spot on Billboard's Country Chart for five weeks as well.  (kk)

re:  This And That:
Kent ...
Nobody can lick the King Of Rock & Roll ... unless you buy his stamp.
Elvis' 1993 commemorative stamp already holds the record for most sales.  Lets see if Elvis can beat his own record.
Frank B.
http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2015/pr15_041.htm 
Yep, I've been waiting for this one!  Wanna get the special "45" edition, too ... as well as the limited edition CD!  (kk)



Frank B also sent us this fun video from Wild Wayne's website ...


Speaking of Elvis ... could Glen Campbell have been his guitarist instead of James Burton?  I dunno ... I think by this time Campbell was already well-established on his own!  (kk)
Don Henley’s First Solo Album in 15 Years – CASS COUNTY

to be Released September 25, 2015

​“CASS COUNTY TOUR 2015” to Launch October 3


Don Henley will launch the “CASS COUNTY TOUR 2015” on October 3 in Phoenix, Arizona, following the September 25 release of CASS COUNTY, his fifth studio album and first solo album in 15 years. Each ticket ordered online through the primary ticket outlet will receive a CASS COUNTY deluxe CD.  Ticket buyers will receive an email notification to confirm the delivery details for their album. Singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin will open on all the dates. A full listing of all the tour dates can be found below.
Tickets will go on sale to the public Friday, August 7 at 10 AM for the concerts in Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; Nashville, TN; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Port Chester, NY; San Francisco, CA; Toronto, ON; Washington D.C. Tickets will go on sale to the public Saturday, August 8 at 10 AM for the concerts in Detroit, MI; Grand Prairie, TX; and Santa Barbara, CA. Tickets for the Los Angeles concert at the fabulous Forum go on sale Saturday, August 14 at 10 AM. Advanced tickets will go on sale to American Express® Cardmembers beginning Monday, August 3 at 10 AM.
CASS COUNTY, named for the northeastern Texas county in which Henley was raised, will be available as a 12-song standard CD and digital album, as well as a 16-track deluxe version, which will be available on CD, digitally, and a double disc, 180 gram Vinyl LP.  The track listing can be found below and a sneak peek of the album can be seen here. The album is being released in the U.S. through Capitol Records.
A super deluxe version of the album will also be available in Don Henley’s official online store, including a 50 page booklet with exclusive photos, collector postcards, deluxe CD album, and as a deluxe Vinyl (2-Disc 180 Gram). A limited number of bundles will also be offered, including a T-shirt and 12 x 12 lithograph. 
Fans who preorder CASS COUNTY on iTunes will instantly receive downloads of “That Old Flame” and “Take A Picture of This.”

CASS COUNTY TRACKLISTING
Deluxe - CD, Digital & Vinyl:
1. "Bramble Rose” (featuring Mick Jagger & Miranda Lambert)
2.  "The Cost of Living” (featuring Merle Haggard)
3.  “No, Thank You”
4.  “Waiting Tables”
5.  “Take A Picture of This”
6.  “Too Far Gone”
7.  “That Old Flame” (featuring Martina McBride)
8.  “The Brand New Tennessee Waltz”
9.  “Words Can Break Your Heart”
10. “When I Stop Dreaming” (featuring Dolly Parton)
11. “Praying for Rain”
12. “Too Much Pride”
13. “She Sang Hymns Out of Tune”
14. “Train In The Distance”
15. “A Younger Man”
16. “Where I Am Now”

Standard – CD & Digital:
1. “Bramble Rose” (featuring Mick Jagger & Miranda Lambert)
2. "The Cost of Living” (featuring Merle Haggard)
3. “Take A Picture of This”
4. “Waiting Tables”
5. “No, Thank You”
6. “Praying for Rain”
7. “Words Can Break Your Heart”
8. "That Old Flame” (featuring Martina McBride)
9. "When I Stop Dreaming” (featuring Dolly Parton)
10. “A Younger Man”
11. “Train In The Distance”
12. "Where I Am Now”

CASS COUNTY was produced by Don Henley and Stan Lynch, who also co-wrote 11 of the songs on the album, and represents both Henley’s roots and the next stop on his creative journey.  He says, “I was born and raised in Texas. I'm a Southerner and a Texan. So this is a natural progression for me. It's who I am and where I come from.” 
Recorded primarily in Nashville, Tennessee, and Dallas, Texas, the album includes guest appearances from Merle Haggard, Miranda Lambert, Mick Jagger, Martina McBride, Jamey Johnson, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill and Dolly Parton. When asked about making the album, Henley exclaimed, “I can truthfully say, I enjoyed making this record more than any record I’ve made in my career because of the people who participated.”
Don Henley, both as solo artist and as a member of the Eagles, has received many accolades, including eight GRAMMY Awards, numerous gold and platinum records and performed sold-out concert tours worldwide. A respected, popular and critically celebrated musical artist, Henley is a founding member, vocalist and songwriter of the Eagles that has become one of the most influential bands in America. Henley’s solo career is acclaimed with such hits as Dirty Laundry, Heart Of The Matter, Boys Of Summer, The End Of The Innocence, and All She Wants To Do Is Dance. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, and will receive the 2015 Kennedy Center honors later this year, as a member of the Eagles.
Henley’s career as a musician and activist continues to evolve.  In 1990, he founded the Walden Woods Project (www.walden.org), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting the historic woods in Massachusetts where author/philosopher Henry David Thoreau first championed the concept of land conservation.  The Project, celebrating its 25th anniversary has protected vast tracts of Walden Woods from the threat of commercial development, has created a highly acclaimed environmental educational initiative for students (www.worldwidewaldens.org), and maintains the most important library of Thoreau-related research material in the world.  In addition, Henley founded the Caddo Lake Institute in his native East Texas, a privately operating foundation to act as an "ecosystem-specific" sponsoring entity, underwriting local wetland science and conservation education including cultural and ecological research and monitoring. Henley also co-founded the Recording Artists' Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group formed to represent the interests of recording artists. 
In the decades since the release of her debut album, GRAMMY Award winner Shawn Colvin has released a string of superlative albums and established an enduring reputation as one of America’s great live performers. Her lasting appeal is due in part to her willingness to lay herself bare in song coupled with a wry wit and mesmerizing guitar playing. Her forthcoming album Uncovered (Concord Records, Sept. 25th) is the long-awaited follow-up to fan favorite Cover Girl. On Uncovered, Colvin shines with sublime sensitivity, casting new light on an exquisitely curated collection of songs from some of the most admired writers in popular music history including Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Graham Nash and Robbie Robertson. Eagles guitarist Steuart Smith (who produced Cover Girl) re-teams with Colvin to craft unhurried, rich renditions of these compositions, each one loving and heartfelt; an elegant tribute by a masterful interpreter.

CASS COUNTY TOUR 2015:
3-Oct - SAT - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre
5-Oct - MON - San Francisco, CA - The Masonic
7-Oct - WED - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
9-Oct - FRI - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
13-Oct - TUE - Denver, CO - Bellco Theatre
15-Oct - THU - Dallas, TX - Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
17-Oct - SAT - Atlanta, GA - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
18-Oct - SUN - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
2-Nov - MON - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre 
3-Nov - TUE - Port Chester, NY - Capitol Theatre
5-Nov - THU - Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall
7-Nov - SAT - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre Detroit
8-Nov - SUN - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre
10-Nov - TUE - Toronto, ON - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
12-Nov - THU - Philadelphia, PA - Academy of Music
Visit donhenley.com for more information

Now THAT'S a show I'd like to see!!! ...

 BOTH of these in fact!  (kk)

PETER CETERA, CHICAGO FRONTMAN AND SOLO STAR, COMING HOME - ONE-NIGHT-ONLY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th, AT THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE in Aurora, IL

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001aXetEDeaELX4px9S2TG8fdniwQegYj7qoXUkPCgCW0R0-E5i-dQ89pW1iBicXmb5gZO1-ydp-tN4YlQ8LQ4V4pL3j2490FdED6jjOiwgtw5sU1yh4RzfjpzMpmmKvDKaI46lX5gHEV66QRFHPj3OgPlLfWDMSMOP_dxBSXBnPpxuRfV6D4ymwM9Mx_efIaRJ&c=CXzDfY23Zl7pFMCiNQbH5SPQiJCbFVVtOwXMVspAoNlzBfR1kZv6Vg==&ch=21WQVnViXBFDltJGjrDNxDUAztT681DwDuzfpmPVWQ14TTWc3rS45Q== http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001aXetEDeaELX4px9S2TG8fdniwQegYj7qoXUkPCgCW0R0-E5i-dQ89pW1iBicXmb5gZO1-ydp-tN4YlQ8LQ4V4pL3j2490FdED6jjOiwgtw5sU1yh4RzfjpzMpmmKvDKaI46lX5gHEV66QRFHPj3OgPlLfWDMSMOP_dxBSXBnPpxuRfV6D4ymwM9Mx_efIaRJ&c=CXzDfY23Zl7pFMCiNQbH5SPQiJCbFVVtOwXMVspAoNlzBfR1kZv6Vg==&ch=21WQVnViXBFDltJGjrDNxDUAztT681DwDuzfpmPVWQ14TTWc3rS45Q== 

AURORA, IL, July 31, 2015 - With his unmistakable tenor voice, legendary songwriting skills and bass guitar chops to boot, Chicago frontman and solo star Peter Cetera defines an entire era of American rock music.
Penning and singing lead vocals on Chicago's first No. 1 single "If You Leave Me Now," Cetera propelled the group into the worldwide spotlight. His power ballads like "Baby, What a Big Surprise" and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" drove Chicago to become one of the best-selling American rock bands of all time, second only to The Beach Boys.
But Cetera's success didn't stop when he left Chicago. After releasing his self-titled album in 1981, the star dominated the airwaves with a string of chart-toppers, including smash hits "Glory Of Love," "The Next Time I Fall" with Amy Grant, "One Good Woman" and more, all still rockin' the radio to this day.
Get ready to welcome Cetera back to his home town Chicago when he performs one-night-only at Aurora's Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Friday, September 4 at 8 p.m. To purchase tickets, go to ParamountAurora.com, call the box office, 630-896-6666, or stop by the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001aXetEDeaELX4px9S2TG8fdniwQegYj7qoXUkPCgCW0R0-E5i-dQ89vsRdCYjOmwYd1hwLHh51YBBjI5jdBVpy2I7iU-VWPXWklY8eVTARxUOqpk0iuSqv6YCAQeO8zA_lYkz-qVuayVvivb-lWzrqoWbLWJuJbNcQxG-yrMBpZBoD5b9GosnXUI4vKJuYv8pTtiAkXWdoCQ=&c=CXzDfY23Zl7pFMCiNQbH5SPQiJCbFVVtOwXMVspAoNlzBfR1kZv6Vg==&ch=21WQVnViXBFDltJGjrDNxDUAztT681DwDuzfpmPVWQ14TTWc3rS45Q==
A Medley:  
"Hard to Say I'm Sorry" "You're the Inspiration" & "Glory of Love"

More about Peter Cetera
Peter Cetera was born and raised in Morgan Park on Chicago's far South side. In December 1967, Cetera arrived early for a show to watch a band called The Big Thing. Impressed by their use of a horn section combined with rock and roll, Cetera left his band The Exceptions to join The Big Thing, which soon changed its name to The Chicago Transit Authority, and eventually shortened it to Chicago after complaints by the CTA.   
Their first self-titled debut album The Chicago Transit Authority was released in 1969. The follow-up album, Chicago, vaulted the band to popular status throughout the world, with "25 or 6 to 4" the first major hit single with Cetera singing lead vocals. Chicago is also notable for featuring Cetera's first songwriting effort, "Where Do We Go From Here?"    
As the 1970s progressed, Cetera would become a prolific songwriter, contributing the hits "Wishing You Were Here" (#11) and "Happy Man" from the 1974 album Chicago VII. His biggest singing and songwriting accomplishment with Chicago came in 1976 with their first worldwide No. 1 single, the ballad "If You Leave Me Now." Cetera's next composition in 1977, "Baby, What A Big Surprise" (#4), also became a major hit and cemented the band's status in the late 1970s as a "ballad band." In 1982, the album Chicago 16 (#9) featured the hit single "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," which went to #1 in the charts. 
Cetera left Chicago in 1985 and has since enjoyed a hugely successful solo career. His first solo single, "Glory of Love," the theme to the movie The Karate Kid, Part II, was a No. 1 hit in 1986 and was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. Other solo career highlights include multiple albums, collaborations with artists like Amy Grant, Cher and Chaka Khan, and composing original songs for TV shows like Baywatch. 
Now out of Chicago longer than he was in, he dislikes discussing his years in the group, saying, "It's like talking about your ex-wife." For more, visit petercetera.com.  

And, speaking of Don Henley ... there's a petition going 'round asking The Kennedy Center to honor ALL of the members of The Eagles in their upcoming ceremony.  You'll find all the details here, courtesy of Vintage Vinyl News ...
http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2015/08/petition-started-to-allow-felder-leadon.html?utm_source=VVN+Music+E-Mail+Subscribers&utm_campaign=f720836f9a-August+4%2C+2015+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3a4dfe0b50-f720836f9a-89761121

We've been hearing rumors of this for quite awhile now ... but, according to this exclusive report filed by Alan Duke (by way of Tom Cuddy), it's apparently official ...

Exclusive: Helen Reddy Diagnosed With Dementia, Enters Nursing Home 

By Alan Duke

Singer Helen Reddy has been diagnosed with dementia and has moved into a Los Angeles nursing facility, interrupting what she hoped to be a career comeback, Lead Stories has learned exclusively.
Reddy, 73, rose to fame with her 1972 smash "I Am Woman," which became an anthem for the growing women's movement in the United States.
While one source says the progressive illness is in its early stages, marked by Reddy "asking the same question every few minutes," another source suggested the symptoms were more advanced. She would forget where she put something and then suspect someone stole it, the second source said.
Reddy became a resident of the Motion Picture and Television Fund's Samuel Goldwyn Center for Behavioral Health in Woodland Hills, California, in June, both sources confirmed.
Reddy had been attempting a comeback this year, but her failing health forced her to cancel a concert planned for June 11 in San Diego. Her management kept the real reason secret, announcing that the show was "cancelled due to a scheduling conflict."
She did perform at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas for several nights in January. She earned great reviews for the Vegas shows.
"I am really in a very, very happy place," Reddy told a radio interviewer in January.
Reddy, who co-wrote "I Am Woman," earned a best female pop vocal performance Grammy for the record. She followed up with a dozen Top 40 hits over the next five years, including "Leave Me Along," "Angie Baby," and "You and Me Against the World."
A native of Australia, Reddy was helpful in launching the singing career of Olivia Newton-John.
She put her career on hold for more than a decade to return to Australia in 2002 to help care for ailing family members. She decided to return to the United States and the concert stage in 2012 after realizing she still had her voice when she sang for her sister's 80th birthday.


Ken Cee posted this photo of Lake Shore Drive on FaceBook the other day, with the caption "throwing shadows just about five" - and I was wondering if anyone has devised a game where photos provide clues to rock lyrics. Could be fun!

David Lewis
Well, I'll be the first to admit that I NEVER would have gotten this one!!!  (lol)  Interesting idea 'tho!  (kk)

August 3, 1965
I remember this day 50 years ago for an unusual reason.  I was nine years old and sitting in our basement in Dodge City, Kansas, recording songs off KOMA in Oklahoma City.  We had just gotten back a month earlier from OKC, where I was just getting my chance to use the reel to reel machine to record my own tapes off radio following in my brothers' footsteps.  I had the bug for radio and top 40 music completely by this time. 
In OKC, we got the chance to meet the KOMA DJs at a Gary Lewis concert and also went to see Roger Miller there.  We visited the KOMA station as well.  I was enthralled by KOMA and the other cool stations.  I began listening to Dale Wehba's "Sing-a-Long Survey" countdown show of the top 40 hits and began typing lists of them!  Over the years, I have collected many of the originals.
Over Halloween we came to Lincoln to visit family and I got to hear KLMS do their countdowns and found "Mr. Moon" by the Coachmen at the top. 
In November of '65, WLS would soon become my favorite station and my love of the British Invasion and Chicago music grew from that. 
It was 50 years ago today!!!  I was sitting there ready to spring on a new Beach Boys record that Bobby Davis will tell you is #39 this week and then he plays #1 during a static filled period of the evening.  They were also playing songs from the Beatles' new "Help!" LP.  The OLD "Louie Louie" just jumped from off the chart to #6 this week (check it out on the survey!). 
Why do I remember the Beach Boys recording so well?  For one thing, Bobby Davis had given this very long spiel about KOMA over the song's intro, but in my haste to get a new song recorded later on, I taped over most of his banter.  I was so mad about it.  I hope someday, like with the Nixon tapes, we will be able to recover what was under the current song recorded on the tape and reveal what I had before.
Also, it was the day before my mother's 41st birthday.  She passed away just two months ago , just before reaching the age of 91. 
August 3, 1965:  a great day in my history.
Included:  two KOMA tapings from the day and the then current survey plus a typed and original copy of a KOMA chart just weeks earlier
Many thanks to all of you.  Every one of you has made my journey even more bright with memories!
Clark Besch







Cool stuff, Clark ... interesting to read about YOUR Gary Lewis Concert and Big Jay Sorensen's Gary Lewis concert in the same edition of Forgotten Hits!!!  No question how much this music meaned to you then ... and now!  Thanks for sharing!  (kk)

Buried somewhere (probably in a box in the garage behind eight million other things) I have EVERY episode of this program on VHS video tape ...
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-beach-boys-endless-summer-program?CID=examiner_alerts_article
-- courtesy of David Beard

Hey Kent, 
Thanks for featuring Freddie and the Dreamers' hit, "A Little You" on Monday's FH. Like you say, it is a GREAT Forgotten Hit, and I'll bet you KNEW I was going to say something about it. :-) 
The song was included on the band's best album, "Do The Freddie", and it just so happens to be my favorite hit of theirs.
The guitar work was provided in the studio by Tom Jones' wonderful guitarist, 'Big Jim' Sullivan. The vocal track was sung by Freddie and his bassist, Pete Birrell (not doubled by Freddie, like some people think). Freddie's voice does stand out, which it should. I still say he had one of the best vocal instruments of the British Invasion. His glasses were not part of a costume, as he was near-sighted, but I didn't know until today that he wanted frames that looked like Buddy Holly's! I once saw a video of the band introducing "A Little You" to a live audience, but it has disappeared from space, so here's one of a pro guitarist going through the many chords, while the song plays in the background. I'm glad he knows what he's doing!
- John LaPuzza 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=A_cG93TthHM

Our friends at Vintage Vinyl News ran this story last week, celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the Billboard Charts ...
Included is a list of every #1 Record to spend ten or more weeks at the top of the charts.  (kk)   

Dear Kent,
Denny Diante here.  Wanted to send you  link to my website to share with your readers ...  
dennydiante.com  
Thanks, 
Denny 
Happy to do so, Denny ... QUITE a resume you've got there!!!  (lol)  Glad you're enjoying Forgotten Hits!  (kk)

British DeeJay Geoff Dorsett shared some links to some of his recent interviews.  (I swear this guy has talked to EVERYBODY over the years ... and, for some crazy reason, he wants to talk to ME, too!!!  I can't stop thinking "We are not worthy! We are not worthy!")  kk
http://www.softrockshow.co.uk/interviews/item/96-fred-vali


JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE FREEDOM: ATLANTA POP FESTIVAL 2CD/2LP OUT AUGUST 28
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church Documentary To Premiere On SHOWTIME® On September 4
Documenting The Historic July 4, 1970 Performance In Front Of His Largest Ever U.S. Audience

August 3, 2015 – NEW YORK,  About 100 miles south of Atlanta, next to a field just outside the town of Byron, there stands a plaque erected by the Georgia Historical Society marking the location of the Second Atlanta International Pop Festival, where from July 3-5, 1970, “Over thirty musical acts performed, including rock icon Jimi Hendrix playing to the largest American audience of this career.” Despite the overwhelming attendance (estimated to be 300,000-400,000), the festival and Hendrix’s performance in particular, has not received its due in terms of historic importance and impact until now.
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church, a new documentary film about the music legend’s Atlanta Pop set and the circumstances surrounding it, will debut on SHOWTIME on September 4 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Experience Hendrix L.L.C. and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is releasing the DVD and Blu-ray version on Oct. 30, which will feature bonus content not included in the broadcast version.  The film documents the massive festival hailed then as the ‘Southern Woodstock’ and recognized now as the last great US Rock Festival.  The film presents the story of how rock music’s burgeoning festival culture descended en masse to the tiny rural village of Byron, Georgia and witnessed Hendrix’s unforgettable performance.
The film details the efforts by Atlanta promoter Alex Cooley to create the definitive music festival.  Cooley secured such talent as Bob Seger, BB King and the Allman Brothers, but Hendrix was the critical component he needed to elevate the three day festival to a major cultural event.  Electric Church features interviews with Hendrix’s Experience band mates Billy Cox and the late Mitch Mitchell as well as Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, Rich Robinson, Kirk Hammett, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, festival organizer Alex Cooley and many others.  The film contains breathtaking, color 16mm footage of Jimi Hendrix’s Independence Day appearance, a mere ten weeks before his untimely passing.  Standout performances include such Hendrix classics as “Hey Joe,” “Voodoo Child (Slight Return),” “Purple Haze,” as well as confident, compelling versions of songs such as “Room Full Of Mirrors,” “Freedom,” and “Straight Ahead” that had not yet been issued by Jimi on an Experience album, but were intended to be part of the album he was working on that summer. “The Star Spangled Banner,” played against a backdrop of exploding fireworks, is another highlight, which Cooley recalls as having “knocked peoples’ socks off.”
The audio release Freedom: Jimi Hendrix Experience Atlanta Pop Festival, which Experience Hendrix L.L.C. and Legacy Recordings will put out on Aug. 28, includes six performances not seen in the Showtime documentary.  This will be available as a 2CD set and also as a 200-gram 2LP vinyl set.  The first 5,000 vinyl units will be individually numbered.
By the beginning of the 1970s, Jimi Hendrix was unquestionably one of the most exciting rock musicians of his generation, having captivated the world with his highly stylized approach to blues guitar. In Electric Church, Paul McCartney freely admits to worshipping him, adding, “We all played guitar. We all knew a bit. But he seemed to know more than us.”
Jimi Hendrix put the rock festival concept on the map with his blistering performance at California’s Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, headlining 1968’s inaugural Miami Pop Festival, and providing the soundtrack for the counterculture with a dazzling set at Woodstock in 1969.
His performance at the Second Atlanta International Pop Festival was not only significant on a musical level, but also in terms of socio-political dynamics. The organizers were keen to push back against the cultural divide that was very much in evidence in the Deep South. It was assumed that rural audiences would not take kindly to “long-hair” bands, and that black and white artists could not comfortably exist on the same bill; Atlanta Pop set out to challenge those beliefs. Hendrix’s music and message of universal love made him the ideal artist to represent that pushback, and, appropriately, was the first act booked for the festival.
In the sweltering Georgia heat, amongst intimidating bikers who were hired as security, hundreds of thousands of mostly young music fans descended upon the festival grounds, eventually knocking over fences and leaving the organizers with no choice but to declare it a free event. Law enforcement, not equipped to handle such crowds, adopted a hands-off policy with regards to crowd control, drug use and nudity. Against incredible odds, the event proved to be largely peaceful. By the time the Jimi Hendrix Experience took the stage on the evening of July 4, the audience swelled to more than 300,000. 
Massive, anarchic music fests in the U.S., unencumbered by high ticket prices and corporate sponsors were soon to be extinct, and the Atlanta Pop Festival was the last of this dying breed. Glenn Phillips (Hampton Grease Band) says, “This was, certainly in retrospect, sort of the end of an era, and a great end to an era. It was a powerful moment.”
The Atlanta festival footage in Electric Church was shot by Steve Rash, later known for directing such Hollywood films as The Buddy Holly Story and Can’t Buy Me Love.  Rash intended for the footage he and his team were filming to be used for a documentary in the vein of Woodstock.  When a deal couldn’t be secured, virtually all of the film lay undeveloped inside Rash’s barn for over three decades. The full-color film stock held up remarkably well, and makes for a transcendent viewing experience.
Bill Mankin, who worked on the construction and stage crews for the festival, provides liner notes for theFreedom package, describing his first-hand account. He explains, “At the center of the vortex was the master magician on guitar: the personification of a life lived fully and wildly, with no boundaries, no limitations, and aiming for the stars at light speed.”   

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Freedom: Atlanta Pop Festival 2CD/2LP VINYL (release date: August 28)
Disc 1
   1)      Fire
   2)      Lover Man
   3)      Spanish Castle Magic
   4)      Red House
   5)      Room Full Of Mirrors
   6)      Hear My Train A Comin’
   7)      Message To Love
Disc 2
   1)      All Along The Watchtower
   2)      Freedom
   3)      Foxey Lady
   4)      Purple Haze
   5)      Hey Joe
   6)      Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
   7)      Stone Free
   8)      Star Spangled Banner
   9)      Straight Ahead   
   
   Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church DVD/Blu-ray (release date: October 30)
Contains performances of three additional songs not included in the broadcast version of the film, and other never before released Hendrix bonus content JimiHendrix.com 
LegacyRecordings.com

Above supplied by Bob Merlis ... who also sent us this great Ponderosa Stomp news release ...

The 2015 Ponderosa Stomp — the twelfth edition of the New Orleans festival celebrating the pioneers of rock, soul, and blues — is proud to present five legendary female R&B icons, all of whom profoundly impacted the soundtrack of the civil rights era. 
Booked by Stomp founder and visionary Ira “Dr. Ike” Padnos and his fellow musical experts of the Mystic Knights of the Mau Mau, the five “Sisters of Soul” are set to perform Oct. 2-3. They are: 
• Irma Thomas, known far and wide as “The Soul Queen of New Orleans”; 
• Brenda Holloway, the fledgling Motown label’s first West Coast artist and the United Kingdom’s reigning “Queen of Northern Soul”;
• Barbara Lynn, the triple-threat singer, songwriter, and guitarist from the Texas Gulf Coast; 
• Mable John, the soul and gospel firebrand who blazed trails with Motown, Stax, and the Ray Charles organization; 
• Betty Harris, “The Lost Soul Queen” who recorded with legendary producers Bert Berns in New York and Allen Toussaint in New Orleans.
With a line up like this, this "Sisters Of Soul" set is sure to shine!
Brenda Holloway, Mable John, and Betty Harris are performing Friday, Oct. 2, while Irma Thomas and Barbara Lynn round out Saturday, Oct. 3.  
Irma Thomas expressed excitement about performing in her native city and reconnecting with the Stomp. “I go back quite a way with The Ponderosa Stomp,” she said. “I was on one of the symposiums a few years back, but I’ve never actually appeared as a performer, so this is going to be very special for me.” Her comments underscore the raison d’être of the Stomp, “I certainly appreciate the fact that The Ponderosa Stomp keeps featuring those of us who were active in the early days and are, obviously, still alive. It’s very important, and even if I weren’t a performer, I’d still be very appreciative of what they’ve done over the years.” 
New to the Stomp, Brenda Holloway remarked, “I’m certainly looking forward to my first Ponderosa Stomp and my first trip to New Orleans. I’m so happy to be part of it especially since Mable John and Barbara Lynn are my idols. And Irma Thomas? You don’t have to be Brenda Holloway to love Irma Thomas. Everybody loves her!” 
Barbara Lynn, still living in her hometown of Beaumont, Texas, emphasized her close relationship with Irma Thomas and the others. “She’s not just an old friend; we’re more like sisters. We’ve shared the same stage and the same hotel rooms. I met Brenda when I lived in California years ago and she had me laughing as soon as I met her. And you can say that I’m a real Mable John fan, while you’re at it.”  
The grande dame of this year’s Stomp, Mable John, at 85, is making her much-anticipated debut at the festival. “I was supposed to play it the year Katrina hit and I promised ‘Dr. Ike’ I would come back whenever he wanted me to. We took a rain check, and I’m happy to be part of it after all this time.” The sister of the famed Little Willie John, Mable was born in Bastrop, La., so her performance marks a return to her roots. With a doctorate in divinity, the Rev. Dr. John now serves as pastor of the Joy In Jesus Evangelistic Outreach Ministry in Westchester, Calif. She is a fan of the Stomp’s other “Sisters of Soul,” noting, “I worked with Irma Thomas at the Porretta Soul Music Festival in Italy and with Barbara, too. Brenda and I were both on Motown at the same time and I’m just crazy about her.”  
Though equally as talented and deserving, Betty Harris never enjoyed quite the same limelight as some of her peers, but her following has grown over the years, both at home and abroad. “The Ponderosa Stomp audience is very knowledgeable and appreciative,” she said. “I met some wonderful fans from Australia when I played the Stomp years ago and they’re coming back this year.” Harris hailed Irma Thomas, who contributed backing vocals to some of Harris’ New Orleans sessions, as “a great, original entertainer.” She also has shared bills with Barbara Lynn, whom she singled out as “one of the first female guitar-playing singers who could really hold an audience.”  
All five singers will be showcasing their respective catalogs in depth. Irma Thomas, who recorded “Time Is On My Side” before the Rolling Stones, commented, “I’m often asked about performing ‘Time Is On My Side.’ Sometimes, when I did it in the past, I was asked why I was covering the Rolling Stones, but I think The Ponderosa Stomp audience is one that is fully aware that it was the other way around.” Irma can also be counted on to perform “It’s Raining,” which was featured in the film Down By Law, “Wish Someone Would Care,” “You Don't Miss A Good Thing (Until It’s Gone),” “Good To Me,” “Take A Look,” “Hittin’ On Nothing,” “Two Winters Long,” “Breakaway,” “Ruler Of My Heart,” (later covered by both Otis Redding and the Rolling Stones as “Pain In My Heart”), and the eternal “(You Can Have My Husband But Please) Don’t Mess With My Man.” 
Barbara Lynn also had a close repertoire encounter with the Rolling Stones. The Brits recorded “Oh, Baby We Got A Good Thing Going,” on their album Rolling Stones, Now! with its composer’s blessing. “I was elated when Mick Jagger called me back then and told me,” she recalled. “I was really excited they were doing my song.” Of course, her signature tune is “You’ll Lose A Good Thing” which was recorded in New Orleans at Cosimo Matassa’s J&M studio. The song is based on a poem she wrote to a long-ago boy friend, warning, “If you should lose me, you’ll lose a good thing.” Playing her renowned left-handed guitar, Lynn is joined on the session by Mac Rebennack, aka Dr. John. Her song “(Until Then) I'll Suffer” also was a massive R&B hit. Lynn also notably covered Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel” in 1963 and enjoyed significant chart success with her version.  
The breadth of Mable John’s secular music career is unequaled. When she recorded for Motown, her backing singers were the Supremes. Her catalog includes the Isaac Hayes-David Porter composition “Your Good Thing Is About To Come To An End,” which was a hit for Stax; the autobiographical “Able Mable”; and “Bad Water,” which she recorded as one of Ray Charles’ Raelettes. She promises to perform “No Matter How She Done It,” as heard on the soundtrack of the feature film Honeydripper, and also will reprise her Twenty Feet From Stardom performance of the gospel standard “I Will Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving In My Heart.”  
Brenda Holloway’s catalog, of course, includes her breakthrough hit “Every Little Bit Hurts,” which earned her slots on both Motown’s Motortown Revue and Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars. She hit again with “Just Look What You’ve Done” and went on to write and record “You Made Me So Very Happy.” Her version of the latter broke into the Top 40 and was later covered successfully by Blood, Sweat & Tears. Brenda Holloway is a recipient of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award. 
Though a native of Orlando, FL, Betty Harris is associated with New Orleans because she recorded in the Crescent City with producer Allen Toussaint and worked with Lee Dorsey. However, she first hit the big time with her version of Solomon Burke’s “Cry To Me” (also recorded by the Rolling Stones) and then “His Kiss,” both produced by New York studio legend Bert Berns. Her New Orleans recordings include “Nearer To You,” “Mean Man” “There’s A Break In The Road” and her duet with Lee Dorsey, “Love Lots of Lovin’.” In addition, she’s heard with Memphis soul great James Carr on “I’m A Fool For You.” Like Brenda Holloway, Betty Harris is a revered figure in the UK’s Northern Soul circle. 
The talent lineup performing at The Ponderosa Stomp is, arguably, the most ecumenical aggregation of culturally significant roots-music performers ever assembled. Its two nights of concerts are like having an infinite supply of quarters to play the world’s most thoroughly curated rock ’n’ roll jukebox, stocked with “all killer – no filler” music that delivers a nonstop, high-energy rock ’n’ roll experience. The collective booking of Irma Thomas, Barbara Lynn, Brenda Holloway, Mabel John and Betty Harris — R&B aristocrats all — only confirms just how special this one-of-a-kind festival really is.  
The 2015 Ponderosa Stomp takes place Oct. 1-3, 2015, with daytime events throughout and concerts on Friday and Saturday nights at the Rock ‘N’ Bowl™ in Uptown New Orleans.
You can purchase Ponderosa Stomp ticket online here: http://ow.ly/LmMAB


Kent,
Something that came to my mind while reading today's FH ... Bob mentioned that actor Richard Burton narrated songs on the Moody Blues album talked about. I don't know if it made your survey there in Chicago, but Richard Burton in 1965 had a record called MARRIED MAN which did make our local radio survey. It was from the Broadway production "Baker Street", released on MGM records. I forgot all about it until I saw Burton's name in FH.
Larry
That's what we're here for, Larry ... keepin' those memories alive!  (kk)

Hey Kent,
Here's a clip I think you and your readers might like to watch.  
From The Four Preps in Concert 1989 (the billing was "The Four Preps":  Three Golden Groups In One ... it features Bruce Belland, Ed Cobb, David Somerville and Jim Pike singing the hits of The Four Preps, The Diamonds and The Lettermen. And finishing up with SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW. Enjoy their magic!
David Somerville is gone and so is Ed Cobb. I filled in for Bruce Belland for while in this group when he was recovering from quadruple heart bypass surgery.
Gary Pike
We told you Forgotten Hits was giving you "the big one" today ... this clip clocks in at just over 33 minutes!  But you won't find the likes of these incredible singers sharing the same stage very often ... so definitely worth the viewing time, once you've got the time to do so.  Thanks, Gary!  (kk)

Kent - 
For your "Other Delights," try this Pet Clark 1964 video.  She could have been the "Whipped Creme" Lp cover girl, IMO ... AND could sing, too!  You can really tell how her voice has grown from her youth days and is about to bring Tony Hatch a batch of hits.  What a voice! 
She SINGS "Lonely Bull" here, just to give you the Alpert feel.  Her stage act is still in the Brenda Lee vein (she sings "I Will Follow Him" as some proof of the sound of Brenda, even tho it was not one of Brenda's hits).  For some reason, she sings her older hit  "Romeo" partly in English here too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm4lW6wbHkc  
Clark  
Another long clip ... but a great profile of Petula right before she broke big and became an international superstar.  (kk)

And one final thought ...

Music is like candy ... throw the rappers away.
Frank B.
Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)