Saturday, November 21, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Helping Out Our Readers
Some
rather unusual ... and more difficult requests this time around
...
But
that's ok ... we're up to the challenge.
Let's
see if any of you can help solve some of these
mysteries.
(Besides,
we haven't done one of these in awhile!)
re: Helping Out Our Readers:
Let's kick things off with a little success story
...
Hey Kent,
I stumbled upon your blog somewhat randomly, but I hope
you can appreciate the request. Awhile back, on 97.1 The Drive, Bob Stroud would
do his Rock n Roll Roots Salute on Sunday mornings, and he had this intro that
he played before the show. It was the coolest thing, and my family and would
listen to it on the way to church. Especially after my mother died, it became
even more of a tradition. I’ve been searching for the audio to this intro (in
the beginning, there was nothing but rock … ); for ages, and I was hoping that I
would be able to get the audio MP3 or video or something for my older brother
for his birthday in November. I know this is a long shot, but any leads you can
provide would be extremely appreciated.
Cheers,
Jane
I went right to the source on this
one. That montage ran for YEARS on Bob Stroud's "Rock And Roll Roots" radio
program ... so I asked him if might not be able to share a copy (and help make
somebody's day.)
From what I've since been
told, Stroud was kind
enough to share this with me you.
So, Happy Birthday to your brother ... and here's
hoping this rekindles a memory for you as well. (kk)
Hi
Kent,
Thank you so, so, so much for the
email! I did receive it on Friday of last week and I’m so thrilled. My brother,
the birthday boy, will be absolutely
ecstatic.
Have a great
day!
Cheers,
Jane
Hi Kent,
I ran across your website and thought you might know about Richard
Gardner.
I'm helping a friend, Daniel Tyler Pohnke, look for him. He is his
biological father. We were told he passed away a few years ago in
Houston.
He was with the Coastliners for a short period of time in the 60's
and with the Buzz Bone band in the 70's.
He copyrighted one song called "Too Pooped To Pucker" under the
name Richard Dayton Gardner.
Any help you could give would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Kathy Brantingham
Thousand Oaks, CA
I'm not at all familiar with any of this but,
believe it or not, we have reunited long-last family members before in Forgotten
Hits so I'm willing to give it a shot. We've got some pretty long-reaching arms
in music circles these days ... so if anybody out there is able to help make
this connection, please get back to me so that I can pass the information
along.
Thanks! (kk)
Good morning Beatles people,
Can anybody out there help make this Beatles fan's
dream come true?
I received the following email from a man I met at a
nostalgia show last month. His last name is Hall, so I can likely assume that
his sister’s name would have also been Hall at the time of this event. Can any
of you help him give his sister the ultimate birthday present when she’s 64? I
will provide his email to anyone with information that can assist him. Thank
you!
Jennifer
Dear
Jennifer,
HELP
PLEASE ...
My
sister, Karen, is a Beatle Freak! She entered a write-in
Beatle contest hosted by radio WABC New York. This contest was a "send in the
name of your favorite Beatle" contest. John was my sister's favorite, but in
the end, she felt bad for the other three so she sent in their names as well.
My
sister listened for the winners every night, but ...
tragedy!!! She missed one night.
That night our phone started ringing and all her fellow Beatle fanatics
were calling to congratulate her ... BUT SHE MISSED JOHN LENNON'S ANNOUNCING HER
NAME OVER THE RADIO!!!
CAN YOU HELP ME? I would love to supply her with a
recording of John reading her name. This year she turned 64. I made her a "When
I'm 64" card, sent her valentines, a bottle of wine, and 64 red roses. I would
love to top it all with her hearing John read her name over the radio.
DOES
ANYONE ON THE PLANET KNOW WHERE THERE MIGHT BE A RECORDING OF THAT TIME WHEN THE
BEATLES WERE ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS OF THE CONTEST? IT IS THE GREATEST
DISAPPOINTMENT IN MY SISTER'S LIFE. PLEASE CONTACT ME AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU
CAN FIND IT, OR IF THERE ARE ANY LEADS.
Gratefully,
Younger Brother Eric
A pretty tall request to find somebody who just happened to be
listening to that EXACT radio program at that EXACT time ... and also happened
to have a tape recorder rolling ... but hey, we'll give it a shot! We've found
numerous people who used to tape their favorite radio programs back then ... and
let's face it, the early days of Beatlemania was a pretty crazy time ... it was
almost non-stop Beatles Broadcasting back then ... and nobody wanted to miss a
thing.
If you can tell us the name of the deejay who hosted this program
... and approximately when that year this would have aired, perhaps we can
narrow it down a bit ... but my guess is that unless you listened specifically
to WABC and remember a contest like this (or maybe even ENTERED this contest),
we're not going to be able to make this connection. But as I said before, I'm
game for the challenge ... so come on, readers, let us hear from you. Thanks.
(kk)
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Thursday This And That
re: P.F. Sloan:
Hey kk!
Did anyone notice the timing of P F SLOAN's departure?
Hey kk!
Did anyone notice the timing of P F SLOAN's departure?
Ironic!
If this is not the eve of destruction ... then what the heck is it?
Lookin' 'round boy!
Vibeman
We lost a true legend in P.F. Sloan! What great songs he wrote solo & with Steve Barri. RIP
We lost a true legend in P.F. Sloan! What great songs he wrote solo & with Steve Barri. RIP
Ken
His hit list is quite impressive ... he certainly helped provide the Soundtrack to the '60's!
(Here's the list of hits Wikipedia ran) kk
| Year | Song | Original artist | U.S. Hot 100 | Other versions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | "Kick That Little Foot Sally Ann" | Round Robin | 61 | |
| "Summer Means Fun" | Bruce & Terry | 72 | Fantastic Baggys (1964); Jan & Dean(1966) | |
| "One Piece Topless Bathing Suit" | The Rip Chords | 96 | Jan & Dean (1966) | |
| "Unless You Care" | Terry Black | 99 | #2 in Canada[8] | |
| 1965 | "(Here They Come) From All Over the World" | Jan & Dean | 56 | #9 in Canada |
| "I Found A Girl" | Jan & Dean | 30 | #2 in Canada | |
| "Eve of Destruction" | Barry McGuire | 1 | #1 in Canada, #3 in Britain,[9] The Turtles (1970 – #100); P.F. Sloan (1965); The Grass Roots (1966); D.O.A.(1982); The Screaming Jets (1997) | |
| "Let Me Be" | The Turtles | 28 | #14 in Canada, P.F. Sloan (1966) | |
| "Take Me For What I'm Worth" | The Searchers | 76 | P.F. Sloan (1965) | |
| "Child of Our Times" | Barry McGuire | 72 | ||
| "The Sins of a Family" | P.F. Sloan | 87 | Murray the K (1965) | |
| "Little Liar" | Terry Black | - | #10 in Canada[10] | |
| 1966 | "A Must to Avoid" | Herman's Hermits | 8 | #3 in Canada, #6 in Britain[9] |
| "You Baby" | The Turtles | 20 | #11 in Canada, The Grass Roots (1966);The Mamas and the Papas (1966) | |
| "Where Were You When I Needed You" | The Grass Roots | 28 | #12 in Canada, Herman's Hermits (1966), The Adult Net (1989, #66 in Britain)[9] | |
| "Secret Agent Man" | Johnny Rivers | 3 | #4 in Canada, Mel Torme (1966); The Ventures (1966 – #54); Devo (1979),Bruce Willis (1987, #43 in Britain),[9]Blues Traveler (1995) | |
| "Only When You're Lonely" | The Grass Roots | 96 | ||
| "Can I Get to Know You Better" | The Turtles | 89 | ||
| 1967 | "Another Day, Another Heartache" | The Fifth Dimension | 45 | #41 in Canada |
| "Things I Should Have Said" | The Grass Roots | 23 | #9 in Canada | |
| "Wake Up, Wake Up" | The Grass Roots | 68 | #18 in Canada |
Got this obituary from long-time FH Reader Blossmwrld ...
Hi Kent ...
I am sending this along.
P.F. Sloan made some important contributions to the music world with some great classics. To quote Billy Joel, "They don't write them like that anymore."
P.F. Sloan, the songwriting great behind classic singles like Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" and Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," died Sunday evening after a short bout with pancreatic cancer, according to multiple news sources.
He was 70. "Phil was a key element on the music that became the sound of the Sunset Strip. Phil was a true prodigy, signing his first record deal with Aladdin Records when he was 13," Sloan's reps said in a statement.
"P.F. Sloan's 'Eve Of Destruction' was an anthem for a generation. It is as relevant now as it ever has been." After recording his debut single "All I Want Is Loving" / "Little Girl in the Cabin", the still-teenaged Sloan got a job with music publisher Screen Gems, who hired Sloan to work with the surf rock duo Jan and Dean. Sloan then moved to Dunhill Records, where he wrote hit songs for artists such as Herman's Hermits, the Turtles, the Searchers, the Grass Roots and Barry McGuire.
McGuire was the recipient of Sloan's best-known song, "Eve of Destruction," a catchy single that predicted the anti-war protests and civil rights movement surfacing in the U.S. during the 1960s. "Eve of Destruction" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. Bob Dylan once said of "Eve of Destruction," which was originally penned with the Byrds in mind, "There are no more escapes. If you want to find out anything that's happening now, you have to listen to the music. I don't mean the words. Though, 'Eve Of Destruction' will tell you something about it." Sloan was also a singer, recording a handful of solo albums over the past decades. In 2014, Sloan released his last album, "My Beethoven," as well as his memoir, "What’s Exactly the Matter With Me?"
Hi Kent ...
I am sending this along.
P.F. Sloan made some important contributions to the music world with some great classics. To quote Billy Joel, "They don't write them like that anymore."
P.F. Sloan, the songwriting great behind classic singles like Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" and Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," died Sunday evening after a short bout with pancreatic cancer, according to multiple news sources.
He was 70. "Phil was a key element on the music that became the sound of the Sunset Strip. Phil was a true prodigy, signing his first record deal with Aladdin Records when he was 13," Sloan's reps said in a statement.
"P.F. Sloan's 'Eve Of Destruction' was an anthem for a generation. It is as relevant now as it ever has been." After recording his debut single "All I Want Is Loving" / "Little Girl in the Cabin", the still-teenaged Sloan got a job with music publisher Screen Gems, who hired Sloan to work with the surf rock duo Jan and Dean. Sloan then moved to Dunhill Records, where he wrote hit songs for artists such as Herman's Hermits, the Turtles, the Searchers, the Grass Roots and Barry McGuire.
McGuire was the recipient of Sloan's best-known song, "Eve of Destruction," a catchy single that predicted the anti-war protests and civil rights movement surfacing in the U.S. during the 1960s. "Eve of Destruction" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. Bob Dylan once said of "Eve of Destruction," which was originally penned with the Byrds in mind, "There are no more escapes. If you want to find out anything that's happening now, you have to listen to the music. I don't mean the words. Though, 'Eve Of Destruction' will tell you something about it." Sloan was also a singer, recording a handful of solo albums over the past decades. In 2014, Sloan released his last album, "My Beethoven," as well as his memoir, "What’s Exactly the Matter With Me?"
Here's a nice piece on P.F. Sloan, written by Jim Bessman ...
Bessman also wrote a real nice piece on Allen Toussaint ...
re: Johnny Sings:
>>>This is supposed to be the ONLY time Johnny Carson sang in public! This show is at Kiel Opera House in St Louis in June, 1965, when Johnny Carson hosted the Tonight Show. The Rat Pack were playing Vegas, but visited Carson for this wonderfully entertaining performance. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Carson, and to top it off Quincy Jones was conducting the Count Basie band, and he is visible in the background.
(DJ Stu Weiss)
Regarding Johnny Carson singing only once "in public" ... not really. Carson also quite famously sang "Our Love Is Here To Stay" as a duet with Pearl Bailey on "The Tonight Show." That live recording was later issued on vinyl as a track on the Casablanca "Magic Moments from 'The Tonight Show'" LP package.
Gary Theroux
You'll catch the song right after the seven minute mark ... but the dialog leading up to it is probably even MORE entertaining! (Pearl Bailey telling Carson that she doesn't need the microphone because she started singing before there was electricity is hysterical!!!)
And here's a link to the album Gary is referring to ... a VERY abbreviated clip from the song "Our Love Is Here To Stay":
re: More Wild Wayne Interview Snippets:
As long as FH Reader Frank B keeps sending us interesting factoids about some of our favorite pop stars, we'll keep running them.
Here are just a few more from the Wild Wayne archives ...
Kent ...
Here are a couple of Wild Wayne's Interview Quickies ...
Interview Date: April 2, 1977: Joey Dee
Joey told Wild Wayne that he was doing background vocals. He wasn't supposed to sing lead on "Peppermint Twist." They were having trouble with this recording session so they asked Joey to give it a try. He did it and it worked.
Interview Date: January 11, 2004: James Darren
James told Wild Wayne that the calliope sound on his hit "Goodbye Cruel World" was actually a woman's voice played back at faster a speed.
James lost the best Rock Record Award to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in 1961.
The late Gene Pitney and Wild Wayne were friends. They both come from Rockville, Connecticut. Gene's nickname was "The Rockville Rocket." That's why it was no surprise to me when Wild Wayne said that the singer he interviewed most was Gene Pitney, nine times over the years.
Interview Date: September 7, 1980
The late Gene Pitney and Wild Wayne were friends. They both come from Rockville, Connecticut. Gene's nickname was "The Rockville Rocket." That's why it was no surprise to me when Wild Wayne said that the singer he interviewed most was Gene Pitney, nine times over the years.
Interview Date: September 7, 1980
Gene Pitney was talking about his first Hit "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away in 1961.
Gene was working nights (as a movie usher) and weekends (in a gas station).
Gene was working nights (as a movie usher) and weekends (in a gas station).
Gene had no intentions of recording this song. He just wanted to make a demo and shop it around
for sale. It cost $30.
In order to save money, Gene sang every part and played every instrument.
He couldn't sell it so Gene recorded it himself. It took a long time to be a hit ... at least six months
before it got any play on the radio.
for sale. It cost $30.
In order to save money, Gene sang every part and played every instrument.
He couldn't sell it so Gene recorded it himself. It took a long time to be a hit ... at least six months
before it got any play on the radio.
Gene sang at every dance and sock hop he could find in order to promote the record. It wasn't easy. I say it paid off in the long run. He had a great career.Frank B.
I was never much of a Gene Pitney fan ... I mean I liked the obvious hits ... "A Town Without Pity" (#11, 1961); "Only Love Can Break A Heart" (#2, 1962); "It Hurts To Be In Love" (#6, 1964); and "She's A Heartbreaker" (#16, 1968) ... and I think "I Wanna Love My Life Away" is a GREAT record. (It did much better here in Chicago than it did nationally, peaking at #8 on the WLS Silver Dollar Survey (compared to a #39 showing in Billboard). It did a little better in Cash Box where it peaked at #31.
One of the best interviews I ever heard was done by Plash Phelps of then XM Radio, shortly before Gene passed away. I found him to be totally entertaining, very honest and interesting ... and quite fun to listen to ... and I've liked him all that much more ever since. Sadly by then it was too late and he was gone.
I've talked to several artists who toured with Gene back in the '60's and all of them have told me what a great guy he was ... a real fun guy and a non-stop cut-up. I wish I would have appreciated him more while he was still with us.
Here's his first chart hit ... and one of my favorites ... "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away".
And YOU can listen to Wild Wayne, too ... here's the link ...
http://wildwaynerocks.com/
Then again, talking about great album covers, Forgotten Hits Reader Guy Arnston sent us this link honoring the classic Herb Alpert album "Whipped Cream", released again on vinyl in honor of its 50th anniversary.
re: On The Radio:
Chicago Broadcasting Legend Dick Biondi is moving to weekends this week on WLS-FM. The 83-year-old Biondi still has an INCREDIBLE legion of fans, many of whom have been unable to listen to their hero when the last regime at WLS stuck him on the late shift, starting at 11 pm.
The hope is that Biondi's loyal listeners will tune in again on the weekends at the more listener-friendly broadcast times of 6 am - 10 am on Saturdays and 7 am - 10 am on Sundays. (Damn!!! A seven hour work week?!?! Who wouldn't go for that?!?!?)
Here's a listen live link ... http://www.947wls.com/
And, keep watching these pages for an announcement about a brand new, very special True Oldies Channel / Forgotten Hits Weekend ... more info to come! (kk)
Chicago Broadcasting Legend Dick Biondi is moving to weekends this week on WLS-FM. The 83-year-old Biondi still has an INCREDIBLE legion of fans, many of whom have been unable to listen to their hero when the last regime at WLS stuck him on the late shift, starting at 11 pm.
The hope is that Biondi's loyal listeners will tune in again on the weekends at the more listener-friendly broadcast times of 6 am - 10 am on Saturdays and 7 am - 10 am on Sundays. (Damn!!! A seven hour work week?!?! Who wouldn't go for that?!?!?)
Here's a listen live link ... http://www.947wls.com/
And, keep watching these pages for an announcement about a brand new, very special True Oldies Channel / Forgotten Hits Weekend ... more info to come! (kk)
re: The Shangri-Las:
Kent ...
11/16/2010 = The Shangri-Las, Lou Reed and Al Kooper are among those enshrined in the Long Island (New York) Music Hall of Fame.
Marge use to work as a bartender in the bar around the corner from my house.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKpPqBDuYQE
Frank B.
Here's a follow up story from Entertainment Tonight in 1989 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQB8mYd-ozo
This has been a pretty big story the last several years ... and there's WAY too much of this going on in the music industry. It is SO obvious that the young girls on stage couldn't POSSIBLY be the original Shangri-Las, but Richard Fox owns the legal right to the name ... and maintains that he can put ANYBODY of his choosing up on stage and call them The Shangri-Las.
Most annoying (and we probably see this at least thirty times a year) is when these "fakes" refer to "their" hit record ... or make comments like "when we recorded this" ... when nothing could be further from the truth. Sadly, SOME people in the audience are fooled ... or, worse yet, have been duped into buying tickets for something that isn't the real deal ... and it's a shame. (kk)
And here's a classic clip from "I've Got A Secret" featuring Betsy Palmer, Bess Myerson and Robert Goulet ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9WA5I2t26w
Too cool! (kk)
Kent ...
11/16/2010 = The Shangri-Las, Lou Reed and Al Kooper are among those enshrined in the Long Island (New York) Music Hall of Fame.
Marge use to work as a bartender in the bar around the corner from my house.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKpPqBDuYQE
Frank B.
Here's a follow up story from Entertainment Tonight in 1989 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQB8mYd-ozo
This has been a pretty big story the last several years ... and there's WAY too much of this going on in the music industry. It is SO obvious that the young girls on stage couldn't POSSIBLY be the original Shangri-Las, but Richard Fox owns the legal right to the name ... and maintains that he can put ANYBODY of his choosing up on stage and call them The Shangri-Las.
Most annoying (and we probably see this at least thirty times a year) is when these "fakes" refer to "their" hit record ... or make comments like "when we recorded this" ... when nothing could be further from the truth. Sadly, SOME people in the audience are fooled ... or, worse yet, have been duped into buying tickets for something that isn't the real deal ... and it's a shame. (kk)
And here's a classic clip from "I've Got A Secret" featuring Betsy Palmer, Bess Myerson and Robert Goulet ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9WA5I2t26w
Too cool! (kk)
re: This And That:
It's time to promote our FH Buddy Paul Evans' Christmas Hit "Santa's Stuck Up In The Chimney" again ... now closing in on TWO MILLION VIEWS!!!
It's time to promote our FH Buddy Paul Evans' Christmas Hit "Santa's Stuck Up In The Chimney" again ... now closing in on TWO MILLION VIEWS!!!
To my "Oldies" community friends,
It will soon be Christmas programming time and I wanted to remind you all about "Santa's Stuck Up In The Chimney". Now with over 1,866,000 You Tube views!
(I used to chase 1,000,000 record sales. Now I'm chasing 2,000,000 You Tube views!)
Thanks for the plays and for clicking on the video. You've all influenced my life.
Paul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=557tQC86thA
Speaking of Christmas Music, one of the holiday shows we saw last year was Matthew and Gunnar Nelson at The Arcada Theatre. At the time, they promised that they would absolutely have their brand new Christmas album finished in time for this year's holiday season.
And they kept their word.
Here's an article we found on RollingStone.com ... http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/matthew-and-gunnar-nelson-ready-this-christmas-holiday-album-20151116
The blend of their voices is truly incredible. We'll be picking up THIS CD in a couple of weeks! (kk)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=557tQC86thA
Speaking of Christmas Music, one of the holiday shows we saw last year was Matthew and Gunnar Nelson at The Arcada Theatre. At the time, they promised that they would absolutely have their brand new Christmas album finished in time for this year's holiday season.
And they kept their word.
Here's an article we found on RollingStone.com ... http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/matthew-and-gunnar-nelson-ready-this-christmas-holiday-album-20151116
The blend of their voices is truly incredible. We'll be picking up THIS CD in a couple of weeks! (kk)
From Tom Cuddy ...
Meet Man Who Discovered Elvis in Essential New Sam Phillips Book ...
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/meet-man-who-discovered-elvis-in-essential-new-sam-phillips-book-20151116
He also sent us this Billboard link where Carly Simon FINALLY admits that at least ONE verse of "You're So Vain" was written about Warren Beatty ... something that was speculated about from Day One!!! (No big surprise here!)
Hard to pay much attention to this after she's denied it for nearly 45 years ... and then recently revealed the secret of the song's inspiration to winning bidder Dick Ebersol, who swore he'd take the information to the grave with him ... but with a brand new 2-CD set coming out, why not drudge it all up again???
http://m.billboard.com/entry/view/id/148451?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily&utm_term=Daily_Digest_MWF
Meet Man Who Discovered Elvis in Essential New Sam Phillips Book ...
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/meet-man-who-discovered-elvis-in-essential-new-sam-phillips-book-20151116
He also sent us this Billboard link where Carly Simon FINALLY admits that at least ONE verse of "You're So Vain" was written about Warren Beatty ... something that was speculated about from Day One!!! (No big surprise here!)
Hard to pay much attention to this after she's denied it for nearly 45 years ... and then recently revealed the secret of the song's inspiration to winning bidder Dick Ebersol, who swore he'd take the information to the grave with him ... but with a brand new 2-CD set coming out, why not drudge it all up again???
http://m.billboard.com/entry/view/id/148451?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily&utm_term=Daily_Digest_MWF
I remember when THIS album cover had everybody talking ...
But somehow Carly doesn't look quite as appealing today ...
http://www.soundstagedirect.com/herb-alpert-whipped-cream-other-delights-180-gram-vinyl-records.shtml?cyEmail=guyarnston@sbcglobal.net&utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Herb+Alpert&utm_content=Epic+Vinyl+Newsletter!!+Gift+Ideas+%28Adele,Zeppelin,Nirvana,Jazz,Sinatra,Soundtracks%29&utm_campaign=New+Release+Mailer+November+20 Perhaps some of you have seen this album cover before (???) Ya know, I kinda like it! (kk)
The very first BOX TOPS dates are now booked!
The very first BOX TOPS dates are now booked!
Re-formed five years after passing of Alex Chilton, original founding members BILL CUNNINGHAM (bass, keys, vocals) and GARY TALLEY (guitar, electric sitar, vocals) with Rick Levy (guitar, vocals), Barry Walsh (keys vocals), Ron Krasinski (drums), plus HORN SECTION
JAN 9 - GRAND CASINO - Shelbyville, IN
JAN 23 - GRAND FALLS CASINO - Larchwood, IA
FEB 6 - PEABODY AUDITORIUM - Daytona Beach, FL
MAY 28 - CANNERY CASINO - Las Vegas, NV
Thanks -
RICK
Way before it became the Red Sox theme song, Sweet Caroline was overplayed [especially at karaoke] with the ba ba ba's and so good's. The reason the Red Sox picked it was because it was so well known. They could have just as easily picked Build Me Up Buttercup or Brown Eyed Girl. However, the fact that it was inspired by New Englander, Caroline Kennedy, possibly gave that song the edge.
Mark
Kent;
I have often wondered what Paul McCartney was smoking when he turned out the dishwater-dull "Silly Love Songs", a tune so listlessly hopeless it clobbers the senses.
It seem unthinkable to me that this song writing genius would waste his time on an effort best described as a musical "train wreck." However, what's worse is that John Q. Public actually bought the sucker.
There are so many solo efforts by Paul I can hear non-stop such as "Junior's Farm and "Nineteen Hundred Eighty Five."
The unanswered question: how much memorable material would McCartney and John Lennon have turned out if they had not broken ranks in 1969 - 70?
Meanwhile. has it really been 35 years since John was gunned down? I still recall ABC's Howard Cosell announcing the death of John on Monday Night Football in December, 1980.
Silly Love Songs? Can't we all just groove to "Harper Valley P.T.A?"
Chet Coppock
I have often wondered what Paul McCartney was smoking when he turned out the dishwater-dull "Silly Love Songs", a tune so listlessly hopeless it clobbers the senses.
It seem unthinkable to me that this song writing genius would waste his time on an effort best described as a musical "train wreck." However, what's worse is that John Q. Public actually bought the sucker.
There are so many solo efforts by Paul I can hear non-stop such as "Junior's Farm and "Nineteen Hundred Eighty Five."
The unanswered question: how much memorable material would McCartney and John Lennon have turned out if they had not broken ranks in 1969 - 70?
Meanwhile. has it really been 35 years since John was gunned down? I still recall ABC's Howard Cosell announcing the death of John on Monday Night Football in December, 1980.
Silly Love Songs? Can't we all just groove to "Harper Valley P.T.A?"
Chet Coppock
Paul has turned out some drivel over the years ... and he's had some "lucky" #1's with songs that, in hindsight, hardly seem deserving. ("Hello Goodbye"? "Get Back"? "Let 'em In"? "Ebony And Ivory"? And, according to many "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey" and "Silly Love Songs".) (Not all of these have aged well either!) But the guy sure knows how to create a memorable hook ... no matter how hard you try, it's nearly impossible to get ALL of these songs out of your head once you hear them!)
You're right ... December 8th is right around the corner ... hard to believe that John has now been gone nearly as many years as he was with us. (Ditto Elvis Presley!)
We've been talking about the new Dion / Paul Simon duet ... and recently posted a link to the new video. Now this from Dion's Facebook page ... courtesy of FH Reader Frank B ...
We've been talking about the new Dion / Paul Simon duet ... and recently posted a link to the new video. Now this from Dion's Facebook page ... courtesy of FH Reader Frank B ...
Jeez ... even THESE guys look better than Carly Simon!!! And they're both considerably older!!! (kk)
Hi Kent -
Being a huge Cory Wells fan, it was with much anticipation that I wanted to read the review by Rich Turner of the "new" Three Dog Night and the incorporation of David Morgan into the mix. I am glad to hear they have found someone to fill Cory's shoes -- and, as you know, they are very big shoes to fill, considering his vocal prowess. Enclosed is a video of Michael Grimm singing "Try A Little Tenderness", the artist that I thought Danny Hutton was going to give a listen to and consider after Cory Wells' passing. I wasn't familiar with David Morgan, but I am glad to hear Danny Hutton and Three Dog Night are able to continue their legacy as their record speaks for itself. By the way, one of the unsung heroes of the band is lead-guitarist Michael Allsup -- and after all these years and all those riffs, you can tell by his incredible guitar playing and smiles, he is still enjoying himself. You talk-about seamless and stellar playing -- he delivers -- and "we ain't talkin' Domino's!"
https://youtu.be/y_IbyC7x75E
I see where Burton Cummings is again returning to the Orleans in Las Vegas this January for the third year in a row. I saw a few concerts last year and I must say his was the best -- and believe me I saw some good concerts -- but the night we caught his show in Vegas it was the best performance I have ever seen of his career and I have seen him over his entire career. I never thought he would top his performance when I saw him when he was 17 and performing with his first band, the Deverons, but he did. You wonder why he still sounds so good, certainly one of the reasons now is that he takes care of his voice.
As with Vegas, He is performing Thursday, January 14th, then taking a one night break, and then again performing the following Saturday and Sunday. I wish Sam Boyd would talk him into breaking out the white baby grand and three back-up soul-singers for part of the show to capture a bit of his first solo album. That is just one of the fun things of watching Burton Cummings perform ... he can sing demanding material such as "American Woman" and "Hand Me Down World", then slide into an oldie and then hit you with some jazz like "Shiny Stockings." Even Ray Charles had a nice compliment for him when he heard Burton perform "That's Enough." Looking forward in January to seeing Winnepeg's rockin' blue-eyed soul-brother -- now where in the hell are the Raelettes when you need 'em! https://youtu.be/P3xywfslSkw
In closing, want to hear one Chuck Berry's most under-rated songs?
Try this one:
https://youtu.be/mc7oGWgeA8s?list=RDmc7oGWgeA8s Peace,
Tim Kiley
Wish we could see Burton Cummings in Vegas ... that would be awesome! I know he enjoys playing there (but confided that things are done in a much stricter, timely fashion ... your show has to start and end a VERY specific times because they want to get the patrons out of the theater and back out on to the casino floor.) Burton likes to let the spirit of the music move him ... regardless of how long that happens to take on any given night. And there isn't a harder working guy out there ... he's typically drenched by the third song!!! In many of his online videos he looks like he just stepped out of the rain forest! (lol) But absolutely one of MY all-time favorites, too. (We've seen him four times in the last three years!) And, he was cool enough to record this little ditty for Forgotten Hits ...
Hi Kent -
Being a huge Cory Wells fan, it was with much anticipation that I wanted to read the review by Rich Turner of the "new" Three Dog Night and the incorporation of David Morgan into the mix. I am glad to hear they have found someone to fill Cory's shoes -- and, as you know, they are very big shoes to fill, considering his vocal prowess. Enclosed is a video of Michael Grimm singing "Try A Little Tenderness", the artist that I thought Danny Hutton was going to give a listen to and consider after Cory Wells' passing. I wasn't familiar with David Morgan, but I am glad to hear Danny Hutton and Three Dog Night are able to continue their legacy as their record speaks for itself. By the way, one of the unsung heroes of the band is lead-guitarist Michael Allsup -- and after all these years and all those riffs, you can tell by his incredible guitar playing and smiles, he is still enjoying himself. You talk-about seamless and stellar playing -- he delivers -- and "we ain't talkin' Domino's!"
https://youtu.be/y_IbyC7x75E
I see where Burton Cummings is again returning to the Orleans in Las Vegas this January for the third year in a row. I saw a few concerts last year and I must say his was the best -- and believe me I saw some good concerts -- but the night we caught his show in Vegas it was the best performance I have ever seen of his career and I have seen him over his entire career. I never thought he would top his performance when I saw him when he was 17 and performing with his first band, the Deverons, but he did. You wonder why he still sounds so good, certainly one of the reasons now is that he takes care of his voice.
As with Vegas, He is performing Thursday, January 14th, then taking a one night break, and then again performing the following Saturday and Sunday. I wish Sam Boyd would talk him into breaking out the white baby grand and three back-up soul-singers for part of the show to capture a bit of his first solo album. That is just one of the fun things of watching Burton Cummings perform ... he can sing demanding material such as "American Woman" and "Hand Me Down World", then slide into an oldie and then hit you with some jazz like "Shiny Stockings." Even Ray Charles had a nice compliment for him when he heard Burton perform "That's Enough." Looking forward in January to seeing Winnepeg's rockin' blue-eyed soul-brother -- now where in the hell are the Raelettes when you need 'em! https://youtu.be/P3xywfslSkw
In closing, want to hear one Chuck Berry's most under-rated songs?
Try this one:
https://youtu.be/mc7oGWgeA8s?list=RDmc7oGWgeA8s Peace,
Tim Kiley
Wish we could see Burton Cummings in Vegas ... that would be awesome! I know he enjoys playing there (but confided that things are done in a much stricter, timely fashion ... your show has to start and end a VERY specific times because they want to get the patrons out of the theater and back out on to the casino floor.) Burton likes to let the spirit of the music move him ... regardless of how long that happens to take on any given night. And there isn't a harder working guy out there ... he's typically drenched by the third song!!! In many of his online videos he looks like he just stepped out of the rain forest! (lol) But absolutely one of MY all-time favorites, too. (We've seen him four times in the last three years!) And, he was cool enough to record this little ditty for Forgotten Hits ...
The recruitment of David Morgan sure seemed to happen quickly ... Cory was barely gone and already Danny was back up on stage with somebody else ... that one has left my head spinning a little bit. Granted, I'm sure they didn't want to have to cancel any bookings ... but stepping into a role like this must have taken so serious rehearsal time ... which makes me wonder if Cory was sicker for a lot longer than we've all been led to believe. As I stated earlier in the week, I found Cory's voice to be the strongest of the three over the past couple of years of appearances ... and there may come a time (a free concert perhaps?) where I'd go see Morgan and Danny Hutton just for curiosity's sake ... but I think I'll be a lot more inclined to see Chuck Negron instead as I've always felt that it was HIS voice most closely associated with the sound of Three Dog Night. (kk)
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Tuesday This And That
re: Billboard's New List of the Biggest Hits
and Biggest Artists of All-Time:
>>>Not enough space here to even BEGIN a debate about how ridiculous this list
looks, even with the benefit of nearly 60
years of hindsight ... but definitely fodder for another day!
(kk)
I agree Kent (full disclosure: I am a rapid Beach Boys fan) ... The Beach Boys long-term influence on music (as well as the nations emotional status) is far greater than their #30 spot on the list. Their songs and sounds will far out distance most of the list.
I agree Kent (full disclosure: I am a rapid Beach Boys fan) ... The Beach Boys long-term influence on music (as well as the nations emotional status) is far greater than their #30 spot on the list. Their songs and sounds will far out distance most of the list.
Phil
Again, my biggest objection to a list like this is the fact that it's not
comparing apples to apples ... the criteria for a "hit record" drastically
changed from decade to decade. How do you compare a hit like "Yesterday" by The
Beatles (which spent an average of 12 weeks on the national charts, four of them
at #1) with a song like "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO, which charted for 68
weeks, six at #1? In 1965, a legitimate hit record stayed on the charts for
about 10-12 weeks ... by 2011 (when "Party Rock Anthem" first charted), it was
not at all uncommon for a record to stay on the charts for a year or more.
That's party because the '60's were so INCREDIBLY competitive that artists were
releasing three, four or five singles per year ... and, in some cases, as many
as two or three albums as well ... while today the competition isn't nearly as
severe and an artist can take up to three or four years to deliver their next
release. Plus how many more people might have bought "Yesterday" (which doesn't
even make The Top 100 List) had they had access to it for downloading ... or in
an age where YouTube views counts toward a record's point total? It's apples
and oranges ... and SOME method of continuity MUST be applied to put together
such a list. (Jewel's "Foolish Games", Nickelback's "How You remind Me" and
LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live" bigger than "I Want To Hold Your Hand"??? Even
recent monster hits like "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen and "Blurred Lines"
by Robin Thicke ... bigger than "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston???
Seriously?
If you break things down to "The Forgotten Hits Era" (roughly 1956 - 1985,
thirty years of Top 40 Hits), the new Top Ten Biggest Hit Records of All-Time
become:
1. THE TWIST - Chubby Checker (1960 and 1962) 3
(combined)
2. MACK THE KNIFE - Bobby Darin (1959) 9
3. PHYSICAL - Olivia Newton-John (1981) 10
4. YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE - Debby Boone (1977) 10
5. HEY JUDE - The Beatles (1968) 9
6. BETTE DAVIS EYES - Kim Carnes (1981) 9
7. ENDLESS LOVE - Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (1981) 9
8. TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT - Rod Stewart (1976) 8
9. THEME FROM "A SUMMER PLACE" - Percy Faith (1960) 9
10. LE FREAK - Chic (1978) 6
(Weeks at #1 on the Billboard Chart follow each entry in red)
Even here you can see a bit of a shift as THREE records from 1981 each
spent 9 or 10 weeks in the #1 spot ... a feat virtually unheard of before. "Le
Freak" (with six weeks at #1) outranks "Night Fever" by The Bee Gees (which had
eight weeks at #1 that same year) and "Shadow Dancing" by baby brother Andy
Gibb, who spent seven weeks on top of the chart.
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" (seven weeks at #1 ... and the record that
launched Beatlemania and the entire British Invasion) sits at #45, behind Paul
McCartney solo hits like "Silly Love Songs" (#37) and "Say Say Say" (#41). In
fact, McCartney has THREE hits in The Top 100 ("Ebony And Ivory" is the other
one at #73) while The Beatles only have two. ("Hey Jude", #10 and "I Want To
Hold Your Hand", #45). And the COMPLETE disregard for Elvis is TOTALLY
unacceptable. Billboard was charting the hits WAY before they released their
first Hot 100 Chart in August of 1958 ... at the very least, recap "The Rock
Era", long designated as records released beginning in 1955 when "Rock Around
The Clock" (also missing from this list) forever changed the way we listened to
music.
Madonna bigger than Elvis? And Mariah Carey nipping at his heels? And how
does Janet Jackson rank higher than her brother Michael when Michael
revolutionized the music world with his MAMMOTH string of success in the early
'80's? It just doesn't make sense. Again, it's because the points are fairly
accumulated to represent the shifts in music and purchasing over the past sixty
years. But hey, Billboard is considered to be "The Music Bible" ... so who are
we to argue??? That'd be like us saying we don't always agree with the act
inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ... and we would NEVER dream of
doing that!!! (kk)
After looking at that Top hit list, I have concluded
that people buy a lot of rubbish! Also, I’m not sure how some of this stuff is
calculated. I don’t know if a comparison of purchases from 1960 coincides with
2015. There are more than 100 Million more people around today. I would have to
see the variables.
Ken
Tom Cuddy sends us THIS list ... another Billboard Magazine ranking, this
time combining the overall point total accumulated by both singles and albums
points ...
The ranks are based on a new tabulation Billboard
released last week. It combines an artist’s performance on both the Hot 100
singles charts and the Top 200 album charts from 1958 through last
month.
Tom
re: The Rock And Roll Hall Of
Fame:
Another interesting take on who should be in there ... courtesy of FH
Reader Frank B ...
re: This And That:
Kent ...
Can you believe it's the 30th
Anniversary of the Golden Boys!http://www.courierpostonline.com/story/entertainment/2015/11/10/rydell-and-pals-serve-up-50s-hits/75531782/Frank
B.
Wow! Incredible. Of course these guys first started hitting the charts back in 1958 ... so even MORE amazing that 30 of their 57 years have been spent doing these "Golden Boys Reunion Shows"!!!
Wow! Incredible. Of course these guys first started hitting the charts back in 1958 ... so even MORE amazing that 30 of their 57 years have been spent doing these "Golden Boys Reunion Shows"!!!
Check out this hit list ... 41 Top
40 Hit between them!:
# 1 - 1959 - Venus - Frankie Avalon (#1)
# 2 - 1959 - Why - Frankie Avalon (#1)
# 3 - 1960 - Wild One - Bobby Rydell (#2)
# 4 - 1959 - We Got Love - Bobby Rydell (#2)
# 5 - 1959 - Tiger - Fabian
(#3)
# 6 - 1960 - Volare - Bobby Rydell (#4)
# 7 - 1963 - Forget Him - Bobby Rydell (#4)
# 8 - 1960 - Swingin' School - Bobby Rydell (#5)
# 9 - 1959 - Bobby Sox To Stockings - Frankie Avalon (#6)
# 10 - 1958 - DeDe Dinah - Frankie
Avalon (#7)
# 11 - 1959 - Just Ask Your Heart - Frankie Avalon (#7)
# 12 - 1959 - Turn Me Loose - Fabian (#8)
# 13 - 1959 - Hound Dog Man - Fabian (#9)
# 14 - 1958 - Ginger Bread -
Frankie Avalon (#9)
# 15 - 1959 - A Boy Without A Girl - Frankie Avalon (#10)
# 16 - 1962 - The Cha-Cha-Cha - Bobby Rydell (#10)
# 17 - 1961 - Good Time Baby - Bobby Rydell (#10)
# 18 - 1959 - Kissin' Time - Bobby Rydell (#11)
# 19 - 1960 - Sway - Bobby Rydell (#12)
# 20 - 1959 - This Friendly World - Fabian (#12)
# 21 - 1962 - I'll Never Dance Again - Bobby Rydell (#14)
# 22 - 1958 - I'll Wait For You -
Frankie Avalon (#15)
# 23 - 1960 - Togetherness -
Frankie Avalon (#15)
# 24 - 1961 - The Fish - Bobby Rydell (#16)
# 25 - 1961 - That Old Black Magic - Bobby Rydell (#17)
# 26 - 1963 - Wildwood Days - Bobby Rydell (#17)
# 27 - 1960 - Ding-A-Ling - Bobby Rydell (#17)
# 28 - 1962 - I've Got Bonnie - Bobby Rydell (#17)
# 29 - 1960 - Don't Throw Away All
Those Teardrops - Frankie Avalon (#19)
# 30 - 1960 - Little Bitty Girl - Bobby Rydell (#19)
# 31 - 1961 - Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Rydell and Chubby Checker
(#20)
# 32 - 1961 - I Wanna Thank You - Bobby Rydell (#21)
# 33 - 1960 - Where Are You -
Frankie Avalon (#22)
# 34 - 1963 - Butterfly Baby - Bobby Rydell (#22)
# 35 - 1962 - You Are Mine -
Frankie Avalon (#26)
# 36 - 1959 - Come On And Get Me - Fabian (#29)
# 37 - 1959 - I'm A Man - Fabian (#31)
# 38 - 1960 - About This Thing Called Love - Fabian (#31)
# 39 - 1976 - Venus (Disco) -
Frankie Avalon (#32)
# 40 - 1960 - String Along - Fabian (#35)
# 41 - 1959 - Swingin' On A Rainbow - Frankie Avalon (#39)
Ron Onesti has booked Frankie Avalon for an appearance at The Arcada
Theatre next May ... check out the COMPLETE list of upcoming shows hitting our
area between now and the end of the year at the end of today's posting!
(kk)
From The Golden Boys to The Rat Pack ...
DJ Stu Weiss just sent us this vintage clip from 1965 ...
This is supposed to be the ONLY time Johnny Carson sang in
public!
This show is at Kiel Opera House in St Louis in June, 1965,
when Johnny Carson hosted the Tonight Show. The Rat
Pack were playing Vegas, but visited Carson for this wonderfully entertaining
performance. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Carson, and to
top it off Quincy Jones was conducting the Count Basie band, and he is visible
in the background. http://biggeekdad.com/2011/02/birth-of-the-blues/
Hey kk!
Couple of things ...
The group "Steam" ... that was another street name for
PCP (Angel Dust) back in the day. They were on the Arthur Smith Show in
Charlotte, NC, in the heyday of their prime hit. So if the book is
discombobulated, maybe it should be! I really love that tune until the drunken
football team enters in and ruins it! Don't get steamed at my opinion! Gary
Glitter was the quarterback perhaps. They later crashed the Hey Jude sessions
and Journey's Lights offering.
And Walter Egan ... with his new hip replacement I
wonder if a magnet will stick to his buttock now? He's a surf guitarist which
makes him great in my heart of hearts!
Vibeman
Will anyone ever decipher what Davie Allan
is yelling into his pickups on
"Cycledelic"?
Kent,
While watching a football game on television,
they played a commercial I have never seen before. It was for Amazon with the
background music being TWEEDLE-DEE. I believe it was Lavern Baker's version in
lieu of Georgia Gibbs' version. I can only imagine that the younger viewers have
no idea where that song came from.
Larry
Larry
Don'tcha just love it when
these pop up? Hopefully a younger audience, hearing these tunes for the very
first time, will seek them out and download a ditty as catchy as this one!
(kk)
Kent,I had posed this
question for another internet forum, but had tepid response.In a world where many popular classic tunes are considered
unlistenable nowadays because of their continued overplaying on the radio, there
are some songs I have come across where I can't stand hearing them like I once
could because of overkill from another source.
This could be from use in multiple movies or
commercials, or that it is regularly heard on a TV Show, or is used at darn near
every sporting event or venue in the country.What
once-great song(s) do you and your readers now despise, not because of overkill
on the radio, but because of another form?Here
are a couple of mine to start:• Hang On Sloopy
-- The McCoys: Blame the hating of this song because of *THE* Ohio State
University making this *THE* song their marching band plays after darn near
every play when *THE* Ohio State Football team plays a game. Not to mention the
frequent spellings of O-H-I-O during the chorus.
• Sweet Caroline -- Neil Diamond: You can thank the
Boston Red Sox and their fans for ruining this song for me -- making this their
official 7th-inning stretch song, and the insertions of sung BA-BA-BAHHH's and
"So Good, So Good, So Good" during it's chorus.Others???Uncle T.Jay
I can't make it past the third note
on "Sweet Caroline" anymore ... and I used to love that song. Between the very
situation you describe above (and fans seems to LOVE singing along with it in
this fashion now ... no matter how or where it's being performed ... it's like
these "add-ons" have become part of they lyrics) and the fact that Neil admitted
lusting after a then twelve-year-old Caroline Kennedy as his inspiration for
this tune (OK, lusting is MY word and not his ... but still, I find it rather
creepy!), I find it difficult to listen to this song in ANY fashion
today.
The first live concert I ever saw
was Neil Diamond at Chicago's Civic Opera House back in 1970 ... this was a LONG
time ago (back when Neil used to actually SING his lyrics instead of recite
them) and I was a big fan at the time. Really until about 1972 I enjoyed most
of what he did ... but then his vocals became over-the-top dramatic readings
instead. Still, post 1972, I'll admit to liking "Forever In Blue Jeans" and
"Yesterday's Songs" ... but not many others. I do, however, to this day
consider "Tap Root Manuscript" and "Beautiful Noise" amongst my favorite albums
of all-time. (kk)
Kent ...
Wild Wayne just played this interview ...
Interview Date: August 1 , 2005 = Jack Scott
In 1958 they were playing "Leroy" on the radio. Jack said it was doing well ... sold about 250,000 copies. Cincinnati DJ wanted to flip it over and play "My Own True Love. He even called Joe Carlton (the label owner) in New York and told him he was making a mistake pushing fast side ... ballad would be a bigger hit. Joe Carlton told him not to do it.
DJ went ahead and played "My Own True Love." He was right.
"Leroy " was a #11 Billboard hit ... "My Own True Love" was a #3 hit.
Frank B.
In 1958 they were playing "Leroy" on the radio. Jack said it was doing well ... sold about 250,000 copies. Cincinnati DJ wanted to flip it over and play "My Own True Love. He even called Joe Carlton (the label owner) in New York and told him he was making a mistake pushing fast side ... ballad would be a bigger hit. Joe Carlton told him not to do it.
DJ went ahead and played "My Own True Love." He was right.
"Leroy " was a #11 Billboard hit ... "My Own True Love" was a #3 hit.
Frank B.
re: Three Dog Night /
Ribfest:
FH Reader Rich Turner told us last week that he was still planning on
attending this year's Ribfest down in St. Petersburg, Florida. Three Dog Night
was scheduled to appear and, despite the recent death of founding member Cory
Wells (and to quote one of their big hit records), "The Show Must Go On".
Then the official announcement came through the other day ... Danny Hutton
had named David Morgan as Cory's official replacement in Three Dog Night.
Rich sent us this concert review along with a ton of photos, some of which
are shown below.
Kent,
Here is my review of the Three Dog Night concert I saw
just last Saturday, November 14th, at our annual Ribfest event here In St.
Petersburg, Fl. Along with them I will mention the other bands on the bill that
day.
It was simply a beautiful day weather-wise with the
temperature at around 80 degrees under a completely cloudless blue sky. And that
was actually about five degrees cooler than it had been over the previous five
or six days. Yes, Florida in November is hard to beat! 25,000 fans certainly
enjoyed that.
The music started off at 12:15 PM with Robby Steinhardt
playing the music of Kansas. Steinhardt played the violin and was an occasional
lead singer of a couple songs per album back in Kansas' heyday. He left the band
in the mid-80's, rejoined ten years later and left again in 2006. He lives down
here in the Tampa Bay area and after the first time he left Kansas, he joined up
with local guitarist Rick Moon to form the well-known local group Steinhardt -
Moon Band. They had a few successful years around here in the late 80's until
Robby rejoined Kansas. Flash-forward fifteen years and I guess Steinhardt was
looking to get back on stage again. He joined up with Tampa Bay area legends
Stormbringer, whose lead guitarist just happens to be ... yes, Rick Moon and
presto ... the Robby Steinhardt band. This was their first gig playing together.
Stormbringer is one of our most well-known local bands
and have been playing together in the area for close to twenty years. They
specialize in classic rock from the 70s and 80s and many times when a rock and
roll legend comes to our area and they need a backup band, Stormbringer takes
the gig. Just last year this was the case with Mark Farner. Stormbringer has
always incorporated Kansas songs in their set list and with the Rick Moon
connection they were perfect for the gig.
So we heard about an hour of Kansas songs with
Steinhardt playing the violin and singing backup vocals along with the lead on
one song. Everything else was Stormbringer. Steinhardt is probably in his mid
60s and looked pretty rough ... still has his big wild hair and beard, and
probably has gained another fifty pounds and appeared healthwise to be somewhat
out of shape. Several times he had to sit on a speaker to catch his breath and
even played his violin from that perch a few times. Stormbringer presented their
usual outstanding musical approach to Kansas music but disappointingly in my
opinion for them was not even given a mention by Steinhardt even though about
95% of what we heard was Stormbringer. IMHO should have been billed as
Stormbringer featuring Robby Steinhardt playing the music of Kansas. Great
sounding show ending of course with Carry On Wayward Son.
Next up at 2:00 was .38 Special, which, in my opinion,
should have been the headliners and closed the show. What followed was an hour
and a half of high-energy rock and roll in the middle of the afternoon with no
light show. .38 Special is led by their one original member, lead vocalist and
guitarist Don Barnes, although two other members have been with the band for
over 25 years, lead guitarist Danny Chauncey and keyboardist Bobby Capps. The
group is rounded out by Gary Moffatt on drums (who has been with the band for
close to 20 years) and recent addition Barry Dunaway on bass. Long-time original
member Donnie Van Zant was forced to retire a couple of years ago due to health
issues and apparently has not been replaced. He was always a very entertaining
presence who brought a good Southern Rock vibe to the band along with
contributing background vocals, rhythm guitar and an occasional lead vocal. I
think he's missed.
The band opened with the same song that they have
opened up every show with for the last twenty years, Rockin' Into The Night. In
general, their setlist has not changed much over the years, maybe modified
slightly here and there. In the middle of the show they do a medley of ten of
their hits, which I personally think is a great idea. Some fans don't approve of
the medley form and would rather hear the entire song but I say it's better to
hear some of the tune and hear more songs than to have to cut a few out due to
time constraints. So basically through the entire show you probably heard 20 -
22 songs and just about every song they recorded that made the Top 40. They
closed with the two songs you hear on classic rock radio constantly, Caught Up
In You and Hold On Loosely. A very entertaining and rockin' show and even though
.38 Special has played these same songs at every show for years and years, they
still made them sound fresh and appeared to be having a good
time.
At 4:00 and 5:00 we had performances by a couple of
tribute bands, one named China Grove playing Doobie Brothers music and
Supernatural, playing Santana music. Except ... it turned out to be the same
band playing the music of both bands. I need to give a shout-out to the lead
singer (whose name escapes me) who was outstanding. He sang Tom Johnston songs,
Pat Simmons songs and Michael McDonald songs and made each one sound very
similar to that particular singer. How he can sound like Johnston singing Long
Train Runnin' and then, on the very next song sound like McDonald singing What A
Fool Believes, was very impressive. And then when the band came back out as
Supernatural (after changing their shirts and adding some hats and the guitarist
put on a Carlos Santana wig and mustache) the singer sounded just like Gregg
Rollie ... and even Rob Thomas when they played the hit Smooth. Whether you are
a fan of tribute bands or not, you had to be impressed by the versatility and
playing of the band. An excellent decision by the promoters to place them
late in the afternoon to give concert goers time to get their ribs and
beer, although the beer was flowing constantly from 11 AM till almost closing
time.
At 6:30 it was time for America to hit the stage. After
a fifteen minute delay, they finally hit the stage while the instrumental
Miniature was playing so you were reasonably certain that Tin Man was going to
be the opening song since those two tunes open the Holiday album. And Tin Man it
was followed by You Can Do Magic and then Don't Cross The River. Let me just say
this right now: this is not your daddy's America. This band now ROCKS! Two new
additions in just this past year, Ryland Steed on drums and Bill Worrell on lead
guitar have brought much-needed new energy to this band. I'm not here to
criticize former long-time members Willie Leacox and guitarist Michael Woods but
their retirement (?) is the best thing that could have happened to this band.
No, they are not Metallica now, but the show is much more rocking with these
guys pounding the skins and wailing away on the guitar. Even Gerry Beckley
mentioned more than once to keep your eye on Bill Worrell because he will be a
superstar someday. And speaking of Beckley, the band is, of course, still led by
him and Dewey Bunnell. And longtime member Richard Campbell is still playing the
bass guitar and contributing the very important background vocals. However I
would be remiss not to mention this ... Gerry Beckley's voice seems to have some
issues. Everybody sitting around me were commenting on this. It was quite rough
and he had a hard time hitting any kind of high notes and this affected not only
his lead vocals but the harmonizing that went on with the entire band. Now I saw
America just last year here at the Capitol Theater in Clearwater and his voice
was just slightly off then but nowhere near as bad as it was during this show. I
really want to give him the benefit of the doubt because I knew that this was
America's sixth show in six days, which nowadays most bands never attempt to do.
Maybe his voice was shot from all those performances in a row and rather than
cancel in front of over 25,000 people their belief was On With The Show. Anyway
I was wondering if any of the Forgotten Hits readers or even you, Kent, who
might have seen the band in the last year or so had noticed the same thing about
Gerry's voice. Just curious. Maybe the fifteen minute delay had something to do
with that. Who knows?
Anyway America played all the hits and several key
album tracks (probably around twenty songs). They finished up with the usual
three ending songs and that is Sandman (and wow did this rock with Worrell just
jamming on the guitar), Sister Golden Hair (another song heard millions of times
on radio) and finally with A Horse With No Name. Hopefully America can hold onto
Bill Worrell and Ryland Steed for a few years. They really have helped make this
the best sounding version of America you will ever hear and see. Hopefully Gerry
can get his voice issues straightened out.
And now for the headliners, Three Dog Night (or is it
Two Dog Night or even One Dog Night?). By now everybody knows that longtime and
original lead vocalist Cory Wells passed away just a few weeks ago and it was
questionable as to whether Three Dog Night were even going to continue. Well I
am here to let everyone know that continue they did as I witnessed their
performance here Saturday night. Before the band came on stage an announcement
was made that "This show is being dedicated to the memory of Cory Wells and
Jimmy Greenspoon." The group came out and who do we have here? Well, I see, of
course, Danny Hutton and some new guy standing next to him and the next to him
is longtime bassist and singer Paul Kingery. About four songs in the new guy was
introduced as David Morgan and yes, he was singing the Cory Wells leads. Anyway
I'm getting ahead of myself here.
The group opened up with Family Of Man sung by the
entire band and then came One Man Band, again sung by the entire band with the
one verse sung by Hutton. Next up was one of the two hit songs that Hutton
originally sang the lead on, Back And White. And now we had the introduction of
Morgan and he sang Never Been To Spain. How did it sound? If your eyes were shut
you would have thought it was Cory Wells up there. Great performance. Next up
was perhaps my favorite Dog song, Out In The Country. A great, just great group
vocal. Everybody on stage contributed to this tune. Now would be a good time to
mention new keyboard player Eddie Reasoner, who took over following the death
of original member Jimmy Greenspoon last April. He did a great job, especially
on this song and also sung background vocals. The band is rounded out by Paul
Bautz on drums (who has been in the band over 20 years) and original lead
guitarist Mike Allsup.
At this time Hutton made the announcement that tonight
all we are going to play is songs that made the Top 40. Nothing else. And so the
hits came ... Shambala, One (sung by Paul Kingery who sounded very similar to
the long-departed Chuck Negron), Sure As I'm Sitting Here (Morgan), An
Old-Fashioned Love Song (sung by Hutton), Let Me Serenade You, Liar, Mama Told
Me Not To Come and Celebrate among a few others. The band left the stage after
Celebrate and then came back for two encores. Before the first Hutton said just
for one song we are backing away from the Top 40 announcement and we are
playing this song for the tragedy that happened just the night before. It was
called Prayer For The Children and it was simply a beautiful a capella version
sung by the entire band. This was absolutely one of the highlights of their show
and possibly of the entire day. It sounded outstanding, which proved, if nothing
else, that this band of performers can sing. Then, of course, the finale with
Joy To The World sung by Danny Hutton. It turned into a huge sing-a-long with
the entire crowd. An then they were done.
Final opinion: with David Morgan contributing the Cory
Wells vocals, this band can prosper a few more years, although they are getting
a little long in the tooth. One suggestion I would have would be to allow Paul
Kingery to contribute a few more of the Chuck Negron vocals (because lets face
it, Chuck ain't coming back). He did a great job on One and probably would have
sounded better than Hutton on Old Fashioned Love Song and / or Joy To The World.
Fun fact; when Kingery joined the band in 1996 as the bassist, who did he
replace? None other than Richard Campbell the current bassist for America. It
would have been cool if Campbell had come out to join the Dogs for a few songs
but, alas, he did not. I did want to mention that at no time during the
performance was Cory Wells name even mentioned by Danny Hutton which really
surprised me. I thought he would say something about the passing but no. Just
the mention by the announcer before the band hit the stage.
The show wrapped up at 10:00. After seeing six bands
(I'm counting the tribute band twice) and almost ten hours of music by bands
playing absolute complete sets, I was extremely musically satisfied. And what
did it cost? The amazing price of just $20 admission. A great time was had by
all!
Rich Turner
Safety Harbor, Florida
That sounds like one hell of a line-up for twenty bucks, Rich! What a
great day of music!
Quite honestly, I think it's pretty unlikely that we'll go see Three Dog
Night again now that it's down to just Danny ... but at some point, curiosity
may get the better of me, especially if David Moran sounds as good as you said
he does. I find it completely unacceptable that Danny wouldn't recognize his
40+ year partner from the stage, especially coming so closely after his
passing.
Chuck Negron is coming to The Arcada Theatre next spring with Mark Farner
of Grand Funk Railroad ... now that's a show I WOULD like to see.
As for Gerry Beckley, I have always loved his voice ... but he has been
struggling for several years now to not only hit the high notes but also keep
the tonality of what we've come to expect when we hear him sing. I've mentioned
several times that he's trying so hard now that it comes across as fake and
affected ... and quite nasal if I'm being totally honest.
We get it ... we've ALL gotten older since your first hits some 40+ years
ago. We'll cut you some slack if you just get to those notes on your own, even
if they don't sound exactly the same. (There are times where you almost feel as
if he's trying to do a Gerry Beckley impersonation!) America is also appearing
at The Arcada later this month ... we're on the fence on that one, having seen
them SO many times over the years. But again you've piqued my curiosity with
your comments about their rockin' new band. Time will tell. (kk)
Meanwhile, enjoy some of Rich's pictures from his all-day concert event
...
Above two: .38 Special
Danny and David, Three Dog Night
Danny Hutton
David Morgan
America: Dewey and Gerry
Dewey Bunnell
Gerry Beckley
re: Passing On:
Heard about this yesterday from a coworker ... and FH Reader Tom
Cuddy just sent us the Rolling Stone Magazine clipping ...
P.F. Sloan, 'Eve of
Destruction' Songwriter, Dead at 70 -
Singer-songwriter
penned hits for the Turtles, Jan & Dean, Herman's Hermits and
more
P.F. Sloan, the songwriting
great behind classic singles like Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" and
Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," passed away Monday night after a short bout
with pancreatic cancer, the musician's representative confirmed to Rolling Stone. Sloan, who was born
Philip Schlein, was 70.
"Phil was a key element on
the music that became the sound of the Sunset Strip. Phil was a true prodigy,
signing his first record deal with Aladdin Records when he was thirteen,"
Sloan's reps said in a statement. "P.F. Sloan's 'Eve Of Destruction' was an
anthem for a generation. It is as relevant now as it ever has been."
After recording his debut
single "All I Want Is Loving" / "Little Girl in the Cabin" for the Aladdin
Records label, the still-teenaged Sloan got a job with music publisher Screen
Gems, who hired Sloan to work with surf rock duo Jan & Dean; Sloan is heard
on that group's 1964 hit, "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena." Sloan then moved
to Dunhill Records, where he penned hits for artists like Herman's Hermits, the
Turtles, the Searchers, the Grass Roots and Barry McGuire.
It was McGuire who was the
recipient of Sloan's most enduring song, "Eve of Destruction," an ominous,
apocalyptic and catchy single that prophesized the anti-war protests and civil
rights movement percolating in the United States in the mid-Sixties. Despite its
political undertones, "Eve of Destruction" hit Number One on the Billboard Hot
100 in 1965.
Bob Dylan once said of "Eve
of Destruction," which was originally penned with the Byrds in mind, "There are
no more escapes. If you want to find out anything that's happening now, you have
to listen to the music. I don't mean the words. Though, 'Eve Of Destruction'
will tell you something about it."
"I was a
songwriter and my record label really didn't want me out there in the public,"
Sloan told Rolling
Stone in 2014. "The label
thought if I knew how popular I was, I'd want more money. I was literally
destroyed three months later. The label told me to sign away everything I'll
ever earn and earned and sent out word that I was persona non grata. They wanted
to destroy me and this kind of music. They thought Bob Dylan was an idiot and a
communist."
Sloan was also a singer in
his own right, recording a pair of albums of Dunhill (1965's Songs of Our Time, 1966's Twelve More Times) alongside a
handful of other solo LPs spread across the past decades. However, after
branching out on his own, Sloan claimed the music industry shunned him. "I
wasn't taken seriously as a talent," Sloan told American
Songwriter. "Except by Dylan. Dylan told me that the word was out and they
were out to destroy me." In 2014, Sloan released his last album My
Beethoven as well as his
memoir, What’s Exactly The Matter
With Me?.
Sloan took part
in the Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music
Festival, the first ever rock
music festival that took place in the Bay Area in June 1967, a week before the
Monterey Pop Festival. The singer-songwriter was also the subject of a song
titled "P.F. Sloan," penned by fellow songwriter Jimmy Webb.
Read more (and catch some cool
videos of some of Sloan's best-know hits) here:
I expect you know Kent but just in case you don't -
Charlie
Dick, the widower of Patsy Cline and the man who kept her legacy alive over the
years, died earlier on Sunday the 15th at the age of 81. Dick was a linotype
operator for the Winchester Star in Winchester, VA, when he went to a 1956
concert by Cline. The two met and hit it off right away, marrying the next year.
They had two children, Julie (born 1958) and Randy (born 1961). Their marriage
was rough at times, Dick said they were both hard-headed and hot tempered, but
not as rough as was portrayed in the 1985 biopic Sweet Dreams. They remained
married until Cline's death in 1963 in a plane crash. After Cline's death, he
used the contacts from being with Patsy to enter the record business, working as
a record promoter. He remarried in 1965 to Jamey Ryan but they divorced in 1970
after having one child. Throughout his life, Dick remained involved in
protecting Cline's legacy, including the boom in interest in her recording
output that was spurred by the 1980 film Coal Miner's Daughter and the 1985
Cline biopic. He worked with Hallway productions on two documentaries on Cline's
life that he dedicated to setting the record straight on their marriage and her
career to counteract some of the inaccuracies in Sweet Dreams. He also was
active on the fan circuit.
Take
care,
Rockin' Lord Geoff (In
England)
Who?
Hoh.
Who?
Hoh ... read on ...
Edward “Fast
Eddie” Hoh, age 71, passed away Saturday, November 07, 2015, in Westmont, IL.
An American
rock drummer who was active in the 1960s, he played the drums on several
well-known rock songs and albums, including those by Donovan and the Monkees. He
also performed at the seminal 1967 Monterey Pop Festival as a member of the
Mamas and the Papas touring band.
In 1968, he
participated in the recording of Super Session, the highly successful 1968 Mike
Bloomfield / Al Kooper / Stephen Stills collaboration album.
Hoh first
became known around 1964 on the Los Angeles club circuit as a drummer for the
Joel Scott Hill groups the Strangers and the Invaders. Hill recorded several
singles and the Strangers were an opening act for the 1964 T.A.M.I. Show,
headlined by the Rolling Stones and James Brown. His flurry of activity came to
an end by the early 1970s and has since remained out of the public
eye.
-- submitted
by Ken Voss
Again, I ask
... who???
Kent ...
On 10/16/2015 George McCannon III died.
I can see you shaking your head, Kent. Who
the heck is this guy?
He's a local Connecticut talent. He recorded a
version of Roy Orbison's "Lana."
The rest comes from a 5/19/1991 interview he
did with Wild Wayne ...
For ten years George was the announcer for Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars.
George talks about this one tour when Paul (Ray Hilderbrand) and Paula (Jill Jackson) were the headliners.
Ray decided to quit and went home to Houston, Texas. What to do?
For ten years George was the announcer for Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars.
George talks about this one tour when Paul (Ray Hilderbrand) and Paula (Jill Jackson) were the headliners.
Ray decided to quit and went home to Houston, Texas. What to do?
For one night Dick Clark became Paul and sang
with Paula.
For the rest of the three month tour George
McCannon III played the part of Paul.
George's biggest hit came in 1970 ... "Birds
Of All Nations."
George told Wild Wayne that Glen Campbell and The Wrecking Crew backed him up on this one.
George told Wild Wayne that Glen Campbell and The Wrecking Crew backed him up on this one.
Not bad, if
you don't compare it to Roy Orbison.
Frank
B.
re:
Up-Coming Shows:
LOTS of great
entertainment coming our way between now and the end of the year
...
Check out THIS incredible
list! (kk)
THE
ARCADA THEATRE:
November 21st -
Christopher Corss
November 25th - Carl
Palmer
November 28th -
America
December 1st - Todd
Rundgren
December 5th - Michael
McDonald (Christmas and Hits Show)
December 6th - The
Lettermen (Christmas Show)
December 11th - Felix
Cavaliere's Rascals (Christmas and Hits Show)
December 13th - Ronnie
Spector's Christmas Show
December 18th - The Ides
Of March (Christmas and Hits Show)
purchase tickets: www.oshows.com
THE
GENESEE THEATRE:
November 17th - The Brian
Setzer Orchestra (Christmas Show)
November 22nd -
Christopher Cross
December 4th - Richard
Marx (Forgotten Hits Free Ticket Give-Away ends Friday, November
20th!)
December 8th - Michael
Bolton
purchase tickets: http://www.geneseetheatre.com/events/all
THE
RIALTO SQUARE THEATRE:
December 6th - Tony
Bennett
buy tickets: http://www.rialtosquare.com/box_office.asp
THE
CITY WINERY
November 29th - Eric
Burdon and the Animals (sold out ... add your name to the wait
list)
December 7th - JD
Souther
December 13th, 14th, 15th
and 16th - Los Lobos (Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees)
order tickets: http://www.citywinery.com/chicago/tickets.html#/page/6
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