Friday, March 25, 2016

Coppock's Topics

Kent, 

Random thoughts after enjoying one of my great guilty pleasures ... buying secondhand CD's at Reckless Records on Broadway Ave. 

I find it criminal that Paul McCartney has to wage a legal war to regain his share of publishing rights to the Beatles catalogue. 

I also feel a degree of sadness when I think about the still youthful Rascals all but giving away the rights to their library for a quick score in the early 70's. 

Why didn’t The Strangeloves just name "I Want Candy" "We Wanna Be Bo Diddley?" 
I've always dug the fact that George Thorogood pays homage to Bo in his brutally rugged cover of "Who Do You Love?  

Do you remember a piece of junk by The Lemon Pipers called "Jelly Jungle (of Orange Marmalade)"? 
I honestly believe hearing this sappy hunk of slop qualifies anybody for two years of Freudian therapy. 

Am I the only guy left who thinks the O'Jays "Love Train" actually sounds better now than it did in 1972? 

If you want to appreciate the genius of the Staples Singers, flip on youtube and catch them lip syncing "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me). The song is damn near as good as "Respect Yourself." Meanwhile the "Respect" cover done by Bruce Willis in 1987 insults the credibility of a remarkably meaningful song.  

Every time I hear Chuck Berry's classic "Carol" I hear the guitar riffs of a late 60's and early 70's Keith Richards. 

I still love "Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)" by the Pet Shop Boys. Techno pop at its best. "Opp" was also the sound track we used for "Bears '86" and "Bears '87" shows I did on Fox 32 some 30 years ago. 

Which song  is a better song for truly get-down-with-your-bad-self love making: 
"I Only Have Eyes For You" by The Flamingos, 
"Miracles" by Jefferson Starship 
or the intoxicating "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye?
I'll hang up and wait for caller 15.  

Chet Coppock   
Host: Chicago Blackhawks Heritage Series



Sorry, man ... I just couldn't resist!!!  (kk)

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Thursday This And That

Great News About A Great New Release!:
PERFECT timing for the PERFECT follow-up piece.
We've been telling you about the brand new Joel Whitburn / Record Research book "America's Greatest Hits, 1940 - 2015", listing every Top Ten Billboard Pop Chart from that time period.  Folks who've already received their copy are raving about the wealth of information contained in these pages ... and we'll be giving away a free copy (courtesy of Joel) this weekend to one lucky Forgotten Hits Reader.  (GREAT response to this one ... we've heard from readers we've NEVER heard from before!!!)
And, right on the heels of this release comes news of the soon-to-be-released companion piece, "America's Greatest Albums, 1956 - 2015" ... Billboard's Top Ten Album Charts.
You can order BOTH books through Joel's website ... and at a specially discounted price right now, too!
 
 
Threesomes:
>>>Our listeners can probably come up with some GREAT threesomes ... first three lead-off tracks from an LP.  If you guys want to put together some of your all-time favorite threesomes, we'd be happy to run them.  The tracks have to have been the first three tracks on a new, commercially released LP (greatest hits collections don't count, nor do live LP's).  This could become a VERY interesting topic ... and just might get some folks to dig out their albums again!  (kk)
Mine would be the first three cuts from "Abbey Road" being "Come Together" "Something" and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." A lot of people dismiss "Maxwell" (including John Lennon, who was so disgusted he didn't even participate on the record) but I like it! That was the first time I'd heard a Moog synthesizer. For that reason alone it's worthy of inclusion.
- Larry Cave

  50yearsagoonthehot100.blogspot.com
 
This And That:
Robin Leach (yes, THAT Robin Leach) talks about the relaunching of The Righteous Brothers in this great interview with Bill Medley ...
 
That was a great Jim Shea video. 
"The Next Awesome thing is right around the corner, man!"
Thank you for sharing this with us today, Kent.
David Lewis
Jim's was the very first radio show I was ever on, dating back to our Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame expose several years ago ... I used to really enjoy listening him in the mornings and we did several projects together after that ... he was (and hopefully still is) a big fan of Forgotten Hits.  We haven't seen him in a few years now, especially since he's gone down to Florida to continue his education.  We ALWAYS hate to see somebody so gifted in radio be out of radio through no choice of their own ... but I think everyone would agree Jim will be serving "the greater good" in this new career.  (I remember years ago when Larry Lujack and Tommy Edwards reteamed to do the morning show at Real Oldies ... and Larry was reading a story about Mother Theresa's latest life-changing adventure and then paused for a moment afterwards and said something to the effect of "I know we think we serve a lot of people being on the radio ... and we do ... we reach a large audience and we have some effect ... but then you look at all that Mother Theresa has done over her lifetime and stop for a moment to consider how much of OUR lifetime has been spent telling listeners to dial 1-800-Mattress."
When I first played the video for my wife, I said "Kind of a different side of Jim, eh?" to which she immediately replied "No, that's EXACTLY Jim ... that's EXACTLY who he is."  (It's hard to watch without getting a little choked up and teary-eyed, especially KNOWING the guy!!!)  She said "He has just always been true to himself ... whether it's cracking jokes on the radio ... or playing piano at our table in some funky little bar that was supposed to be holding open mic night but then cancelled it without any of us knowing ... or talking about his new career, hopes and dreams ... he has always been "just Jim" ... true to himself and a kind-hearted human being."  Every bit of that comes out in that short seven minute clip ... so I'm happy to have been able to share it with all of you.  (Scroll back to Tuesday's "This And That" page if you missed it.)  kk
 
Heard from several Forgotten Hits readers about this one ... sounds like fans are anxious to pick up Bobby Rydell's new book featuring his life story ... 
 
TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS - The Bobby Rydell Autobiography 
From Rise to Superstardom through Alcoholism and Life-Saving Double Transplant Surgery, the ‘Justin Bieber of the Camelot Era’ Releases His Candid and Compelling ‘Tale of Second Chances’  
 
http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=22732581&msgid=2319327&act=YIYQ&c=125369&destination=http://randexpr.com/clients.php?id=75
 
“Crosby, Sinatra, Como, Damone, Lawrence, Darin, and — in a different idiom — Frankie Laine, Johnnie Ray, and even Elvis Presley. To be such an artist takes more sweat, strain, intense devotion, and dedication than most people can conceive of. Bobby Rydell is that type of artist.” —FRANK SINATRA, JR.
 
PHILADELPHIA (March 22, 2016) From his vivid childhood on the fabled mid-20th-century streets of South Philadelphia, to his reign as the Justin Bieber of the “Camelot” era, his battles with alcoholism, and his lifesaving double-transplant surgery, multi-talented entertainer BOBBY RYDELL has one hell of a story to tell. 
 
On May 4, Bobby will share his incredible tale as he releases his candid and compelling autobiography, TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS: A Tale of Second Chances (Doctor Licks Publishing, 249 pp., $16.95).   
Co-written with award-winning musician-author-filmmaker Allan Slutsky (Standing in the Shadows of Motown), TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS not only tells the story of Bobby Rydell, but that of American pop culture through the past six decades. In its pages, Bobby writes of his encounters with such giants of 20th century show business as Frank Sinatra, Ann-Margret, The Beatles, Red Skelton, Jack Benny and Dick Clark, whose Philly-based American Bandstand helped make Rydell the world’s biggest teen idol in the years between Elvis Presley’s army induction and the advent of Beatlemania. A time when Frank Sinatra called Bobby his “favorite” pop singer.   
But TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS also is a very personal — and often-painful – story. Bobby delves into the darker and more dramatic aspects of his life, including the death of his beloved first wife, Camille, his decades of alcohol abuse, and the last-ditch transplant surgery that saved his life.   
Among other topics covered in the book:   
The circumstances of how Bobby lost his virginity in a Hollywood hotel suite at the age of 17.   
How a Philadelphia mob boss helped him take a movie acting job.   
His becoming, at age 19, the youngest-ever headliner at New York’s legendary Copacabana nightclub.   
How The Beatles paid homage to Bobby in one of their biggest hits — and how the Fab Four’s emergence as a global phenomenon all but killed his career.   
Humorous, tragic, fascinating, inspiring and always entertaining, TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS stands as one of the most important non-fiction books of 2016.   
TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS (Doctor Licks Publishing) will be available May 4, 2016 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and book stores throughout America.   
TEEN IDOL ON THE ROCKS: A Tale of Second Chances
By Bobby Rydell, with Allan Slutsky
Doctor Licks Publishing
Softcoverǀ 249 Pages ǀ ISBN 978-0-9973851-0-6| $16.95 
Official website: www.bobbyrydell.com  
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/BobbayRydell
 
Gotta love this quote!
I've been telling you about this new series of Uncut Magazines spotlighting "The History Of Rock And Roll" on a year-by-year basis ... and I'm making my way through 1967 right now when I found this quote from Mick Jagger ...
"It's alright leaping about the stage at 20, but when you get to 25, 26 ..."
By the way The Stones (still going strong) are currently touring South America ... and you can expect to still see Mick Jagger, at the age of 72 , still "leaping about the stage" for most of the show!  (kk)  
 
Here is an interesting article about the state of radio today and how it effects musicians and the listeners.
http://www.examiner.com/article/capitalism-gone-awry-how-legislation-killed-the-music-industry-and-radio
So now you know about Clear Channel Communications.  Now read about CBS.
End of an era: CBS to sell its historic radio divisionhttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-cbs-announces-cbs-radio-sale-20160315-story.html
CBS Corp. is poised to exit the radio business that it helped create.
Eighty-eight years ago, the company's founder, William S. Paley, bought the nascent Columbia Broadcasting System, and those radio stations became the nucleus of a budding broadcast empire.
But on Tuesday, CBS Chairman and Chief Executive Leslie Moonves said the company was exploring strategic options, including a sale or spinoff, of its entire radio division.
“The aim here is to unlock value for our shareholders,” said Moonves, who made the announcement during an investor day in New York.
wctietz
LOTS of talk this past week about the future of CBS Radio ... it'll be interesting to see where this all lands.  Radio as we knew hasn't been the same for decades now ... that's why it's so exciting when a new station like Me-TV-FM kicks up and mixes up the playlist a little bit.  More people listen online now via the Internet than ever before because variety is king ... and yet despite this very obvious shift in filling those desires, terrestrial radio still doesn't get it ... and continues to program to the consultants instead of the listeners.  Too bad ... most of us grew up experiencing the pure joy of listening to the radio ... hearing our favorite songs and artists ... AND deejays.  (kk)
 
Kent,
Thanks for telling us FH readers that Lee Andrews passed away. News like that is never seen here in our local papers and or radio / television.
One thing that has somewhat fascinated me through the years is why a record sometimes re-charts years later after it's initial appearance in Billboard. For example, you mentioned Gogi Grant's re-charting of THE WAYWARD WIND in 1961. Kind of curious why Era Records did that. I am sure there was a reason or reasons.
Larry
One place to ALWAYS get the latest oldies news (good, bad or otherwise) is Ron Smith's EXCELLENT OldiesMusic.com website.  (We've officially dubbed him our "Grim Reaper" because he always reports the latest rock and roll casualties with a brief bio of the artist.)  You should make this part of your daily reading as well.  (Unfortunately most of the news of late has been sad in nature ... we have lost SO many beloved artists already this year.)
 
Here's his post on Lee Andrews: 
Arthur Lee Andrew Thompson, lead singer of Lee Andrews and the Hearts, died Wednesday (March 16) in his native Philadelphia at the age of 79. Born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, (his father had sung with the Dixie Hummingbirds), he was raised in Philadelphia, where he formed the Hearts quintet (originally called the Dreams and later, the Dreamers) in 1952 while still in high school. First recording for Reco-Arts and Rainbow Records, they then moved on to Mainline Records (which sold their masters to Chess), as “Long Lonely Nights” (#45 Pop, #11 R&B - 1957) became a doo-wop staple. It was followed by “Tear Drops” (#33 Pop, #3 R&B) the following year and “Try The Impossible” (#33 Pop) on United Artists Records in 1958. Lee moved on to a solo career on Swan and then Cameo Records before semi-retiring and opening a local dress shop. His son, Ahmir Thompson became known as Questlove and served as drummer and producer for the Roots, who charted three times themselves in the late ‘90s. The Hearts and the Roots were inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance’s Walk of Fame in 1992.
-- Ron Smith
 
Diane Diekman files these country music updates in her latest newsletter ... 
 
For the second time, Kenny Rogers, 77, has postponed his upcoming Tulsa farewell show due to health issues. The Kenny Rogers' Final World Tour: The Gambler's Last Deal was originally scheduled at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on January 28. Tulsa World reports it was rescheduled to April 7 due to his health, and the date is now July 14. Linda Davis will join him for that show. Kenny has not offered details on his health struggles.

Songwriter Jimmy Webb is commemorating the 80th birthday (April 22) of his friend, Glen Campbell with a special edition of his national touring show, Jimmy Webb: The Glen Campbell Years. It is a multi-media concert that includes virtual duets and stories of how songs such as "Galveston" and "Wichita Lineman" were created. The pair shared more than 100 collaborative recordings. "I created this show to honor my friend and collaborator," Rolling Stone Country reports Webb as saying. "I know Glen would want us to concentrate on having a good time and enjoying the music." The performance will be May 3 at Nashville's City Winery, and three of Glen's children--Ashley, Shannon, and Cal--will be part of the show.

March 25 is the scheduled release date for the Hank Williams biopic, I Saw the Light. Tom Hiddleston, who plays Hank, tells Taste of Country how musical director Rodney Crowell gave him a key piece of advice: "Before you do anything else--before you think about sounding like Hank, playing like Hank--learn the songs. And learn them for yourself. Find out what they mean to you." Hiddleston says, "Essentially just to invest myself in the meaning of those songs, and then come see him again in a few months' time, and Rodney would work on modulating tone and rhythm. But initially, the simple work was actually just to mean it ... because that was the only way I think I was ever gonna translate the power of his music to people."

The Florida Strawberry Festival in Tampa Bay had to do without Tanya Tucker this year. She was scheduled to perform on March 11, but was admitted to the hospital due to complications from bronchitis. "I never want to postpone or cancel a show," Tanya, 57, wrote on Facebook. "However, if I am going to perform for the fans who spent their hard-earned money on a ticket, I want to give them the best performance possible. Right now, I am just not able to do it." CountryRebel.com reported that John Anderson would take her place. The Florida Strawberry Festival has been an annual celebration for over 80 years. Tanya's hospitalization is of special concern because her brother died from pneumonia several years ago.

You can subscribe and get all the latest country news by dropping Diane an email at
diane@dianediekman.com ... be sure to tell her that Forgotten Hits sent you!
 


Todd Rundgren's BOX O'TODD Limited Edition Live Box Set To Be Released
 
 
Los Angeles - Purple Pyramid records will be releasing a special limited edition collector's box titled BOX O'TODD featuring previously unreleased live in-studio recordings from the early '70s by legendary guitarist / songwriter / producer, Todd Rundgren! All shows were originally broadcast on the radio at the time.

This unique box features both stripped down solo performances by Rundgren as well as full band recordings with The Hello People, and includes some of Todd's most well-known songs including “Hello, It's Me,” “I Saw The Light,” “It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference” and many more!

In addition to three full-length CDs, the box set comes with a 20-page booklet featuring a full set of insightful liner notes by Dave Thompson and full color photos plus a signature guitar pick, 3 collectible pins, and a backstage pass!



Track List:

DISC 1 - Live From Philadelphia 1971 with the Hello People (originally broadcast on WMMR-FM)
1. Banter & Soundcheck
2. Believe In Me
3. Lady On The Terrace
4. I Got My Pipe
5. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
6. Rock All Over Again
7. Everybody In The Congregation
8. Broke Down & Busted
9. Tonight I Wanna Love Me A Stranger
10. Ooh Baby Baby
11. Hold Me Tight (Excerpt)
12. Before I Grow Too Old
13. Be Nice To Me
14. I'm Feelin' Better
15. The Ballad (Denny & Jean)

DISC 2 - Ultrasonic Studios 1972 with the Hello People (originally broadcast on WLIR-FM)
1. Broke Down & Busted
2. Georgia Swing
3. Outside Love
4. Piss Aaron
5. A Dream Goes On Forever
6. I Saw The Light
7. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference
8. Feels So Good to Be Alive
9. Mad Red Ant Lady
10. Blaze
11. Lady On The Terrace
12. Slut

DISC 3 - Counterpart Studios Cincinnati 1973 with Utopia (originally broadcast on WKRQ-FM)
1. Intro
2. I Saw The Light
3. A Dream Goes On Forever
4. Piss Aaron
5. Lord Chancellor's Nightmare Song
6. Hello It's Me
7. Banter
8. Utopia Theme
9. Black Maria
10. Hungry For Love
11. The Ikon (Segments)
 
Download on iTunes: http://flyt.it/ToddRundgrenDig

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Should The Go Go's Have Stayed Gone Gone?

 
The Go-Go's have announced their farewell tour.
The group will perform 18 shows in August to bring down the curtain on a 38-year career.
In a statement shared by Rolling Stone, the "Our Lips Are Sealed" band says, "We are gearing up for one last blast of a summer tour. We feel so lucky and so grateful to have had the incredible support of our fans for so long. We can't wait to get out on the road and give the people what they want: some loud, fast music and a great party!"
Longtime bassist Kathy Valentine, who left the group several years ago and took legal action against it, will not be on hand for this trek.
The tour begins August 2nd in Clearwater, Florida; other dates include August 13th in New York's Central Park and the hometown finale at L.A.'s Greek Theater on August 30th.
A quick show of hands please ... seriously ... has ANYBODY out there really missed them?!?!?  (kk)
 
The GO GO'S?  I never missed them!
Mike 
 
Hi Kent,  
Hope all is well.  
Has anybody missed the Go-Go’s?  
They played their part. As the 70s wound down, rock music was essentially arena rock (represented by albums and not singles) and disco. Punk rock had been the natural reaction to this as the kids set out to make their own music; often pressing up their own recordings for sale / distribution at venues. But punk hit a ceiling and couldn’t go mainstream.  
Enter new-wave and a re-emergence of pop in all the major markets – the US, UK, Australia and Germany. So titles such as “Careless Whisper”, “Cruel To Be Kind”, “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me” and “Vacation” were pop sounds that could have easily been recorded in the early to mid-60s.  
The Go-Go’s toured the UK before they were famous, recorded the Fun Boy Three’s “Our Lips Are Sealed” as their first hit and wrote “Surfin’ And Spyin’”, which was recorded by the Ventures. Production was handled by the great Richard Gottehrer (one-third of the Feldman - Gottehrer - Goldstein writing and production team and co-founder of Sire Records).  
New wave ended and the era of the 45 was finally put to rest by an industry eager to make the kids fork over $12 or so for a full CD, the format that took over. I miss new wave and, although they were not the best the genre had to offer, because of their involvement, I miss the Go-Go’s.  
Best regards,
Mike Edwards
 
HEY KENT,
JUST FELT THE NEED TO RESPOND TO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THE GO-GO’S. I HAVE TO SAY, I’M NOT THE BIGGEST GO-GO’S FAN IN THE WORLD, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR AT LEAST ONE THING. MYSELF AND A FRIEND ARE HUGE MUSIC FANS. WE GET TOGETHER ONCE A MONTH AND ALWAYS TRY TO COME UP WITH A MUSIC THEME WE CAN DEBATE.
ONE THEME WE DISCUSSED WAS, “THE BEST THREE SONGS TO START OFF AN ALBUM.” WE CAME UP WITH U2 - “JOSHUA TREE”, (“WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME”,”I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR” AND “WITH OR WITHOUT YOU”); EURYTHMICS - “REVENGE”, (“MISSIONARY MAN”, “THORN IN MY SIDE” AND “WHEN TOMORROW COMES”) AND, FINALLY, THE GO-GO’S - “GOD BLESS THE GO-GO’S” (“LA-LA LAND”, “UNFORGIVEN” AND “APOLOGY”.) 
GRANTED, THE GO-GO’S SONGS HAVE NOWHERE NEAR THE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF THE OTHERS BUT THEIR THREE SONGS TOGETHER DEFINITELY ADD TEN MILES AN HOUR AS YOU GO CRUISIN’ DOWN THE HIGHWAY.
I’M SURE YOUR READERS COULD COME UP WITH MANY OF THEIR OWN.
“THANKS” SO MUCH,
GARY
Interesting concept ... I like it.  (Of course the wheels IMMEDIATELY started turning for me ... and I think you're right ... our listeners can probably come up with some GREAT threesomes ... first three lead-off tracks from an LP.)  The VERY first one I thought of was The Bee Gees' "Spirits Having Flown" album ... "Tragedy", "Too Much Heaven" and "Love You Inside Out" ... three INCREDIBLE tracks that all went to #1. (Of course Capitol Records did a pretty good job of packaging "Meet The Beatles" for US release, too ... "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "I Saw Her Standing There" and "This Boy" ... it doesn't get much better than that!)
If you guys want to put together some of your all-time favorite threesomes, we'd be happy to run them.  The tracks have to have been the first three tracks on a new, commercially released LP (greatest hits collections don't count, nor do live LP's).  This could become a VERY interesting topic ... and just might get some folks to dig out their albums again!  (kk)
 
FOR THE RECORD:  The Go Go's knocked out six quick Top 50 Hits between 1981 and 1984 ... "Our Lips Are Sealed" (#20, 1981); "We Got The Beat" (#2, 1982); "Vacation" (#6, 1982); "Get Up And Go" (#50, 1982); "Head Over Heels" (#10, 1984) and "Turn To You" (#28, 1984) ... and then Belinda Carlisle went on to have six more as a solo artist (including four that made The Top Ten:  "Mad About You" (#3, 1986); "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" (#1, 1987); "I Get Weak" (#2, 1988) and "Circle In The Sand" (#7, 1988) ... so they definitely made their mark on the charts.



Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Tuesday This And That

re:  More Tommy: 
Hi Kent:   
Was just going to mention that Tommy Roe said Brinsley Schwartz covered His song Everybody. The Group featured a young Nick Lowe.   
Ken      

You did a great job with the Tommy Roe interview.  He has always been one of my favorites.  I have great memories of spending time back stage with him at a few different venues (a couple of which I was the m.c.)  Once here in Richland Center I got the chance to sit in a back stage dressing room with Tommy, Bobby Vee, and the Crickets.  They were all talking about different experiences while touring England and meeting people like Jeff Beck and the Beatles.  I was the the only non-musician in the room and a big mouse in the corner.  Looking back now I wish that I would have had a recorder with me.
We played Memphis Me in the Country format from his from his Devil's Soul Pie album and it got a great response.  It is a very good song.   Thanks again for the good reading about an under rated artist.  Did you ask him about appearing in an episode of 'Green Acres' ?
Phil - WRCO
 
"Memphis Me" is a GREAT track from Tommy's most recent CD.

No, "Green Acres" never came up ... but I did see several references to it while doing my research.  (Never was a big fan of that show but now I'll have to look for this episode!)  kk


 

OK, NOW I remember why I didn't watch "Green Acres"!!! (lol) God, that's awful!!!  (kk)
 

 
re:  This And That:  
Olivia Newton-John's boyfriend, missing for nearly eleven years, just showed up in Mexico.  (I have ALWAYS had a funny feeling that he was still alive ... and just staged an incredible deception!  Did the fact that his boat was named "Freedom" seriously not tip anybody off to this sooner???)  Details are still sketchy and I'm sure we'll all learn more as the week goes on.  (kk)  

Chicago fans of former Y103.9 Morning Man Jim Shea, who disappeared from the airwaves a few years ago ... but under perfectly legitimate circumstances to go back to school ... might be interested in this very powerful, short documentary put together by some fellow students of his down in Miami, Florida ...  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPc_fZQsA9I  
Wow ... powerful stuff ... here's hoping you find everything you're looking for (and can still keep a sense of humor about it all) 
Thanks, Jim ... you've given many of us here in Chicago some great memories.
As I once told Al Kooper, "Next time you're in Chicago, pizza's on me" ...
To which he replied, "Well, all right ... but don't send me the cleaning bill."
kk    

RIP, Gogi Grant.  
Of course Gogi Grant is from MY era. I was 21 when The Wayward Wind hit.  
This was the kind of music I listened to the most as rock and roll was still in its infancy.  
I just wanted to add that The Wayward Wind always gets mentioned and Suddenly There's a Valley hardly ever does, even though it was her first top ten single.  
Gogi was a pure singer and did some albums as well as most pop singers did back in the day. They were usually not intended for anything except album sales. Times have certainly changed in that regard.  
As a movie person, I also remember fondly that when Warner Brothers filmed The Helen Morgan Story, they decided Ann Blyth's lovely soprano wasn't quite right for the role and they tapped Gogi to sing all the songs Miss Morgan was famous for, most notably "Why Was I Born", a personal favorite. It's attached.  
Hil  
Gogi Grant's first chart hit, "Suddenly There's A Valley", topped out at #7 in late 1955.  "The Wayward Wind" went all the way to #1 and stayed their for eight weeks a few months later.  (It recharted at #50 in 1961.)  
"Why Was I Born" isn't really my cup of tea ... is it just me or does her voice remind you a little bit of Doris Day on this one?  (It's kind of the exact OPPOSITE of that whole "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it" credo that was right around the corner.)  kk




And you can add Lee Andrews to the list of artists we've lost in 2016 ... Lee Andrews and the Hearts hit The Pop Top 40 three times between 1957 and 1958 with "Long Lonely Nights" (#29, 1957, which they performed on the fifth national episode of "American Bandstand"); "Tear Drops" (their biggest hit, which peaked at #20 in 1958) and "Try The Impossible" (#32, 1958).  Lee was also the father of popular Roots Drummer Questlove.  (kk)



Did you enter to win your free copy of Joel Whitburn's latest chart book, "America's Greatest Hits"?  It shows the weekly Top Ten Pop Charts for EVERY single week, beginning in January of 1940 right on through the last week of December of 2015.  
It's a must have for every serious collection ... and you can win a copy by simply dropping us an email with the words "America's Greatest Hits" in the subject line.  We'll pick one lucky winner and award them a copy of Joel's latest book. But you'd better hurry ... 'cause we're picking that winner next week!   
By the way, Joel's got some great discount offers going on right now on his website ... check it out here: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/258004/e84d269e83/1243000293/698b321b8e/  
(kk)   

The new Hank Williams biopic starts this weekend. (I can't believe it's going up against the Superman / Batman movie!!!)  But I still wanna see it.  (Might have to make that part of our Easter Weekend!)  
When I was ten years old my dad took me to see "Your Cheatin' Heart", the Hank Williams Story starring actor George Hamilton in the starring role and Hank, Jr., providing all the music on the soundtrack.  (Incredibly young Bocephus was all of fifteen years old when he cut his daddy's catalog for the film!)  Man, I was hooked ... played the heck out of that LP.  And while the movie was never very highly regarded by critics, I LOVED it.  (Years later John Boy of The Waltons played Hank, Jr., in the movie about HIS life ... another great film in my book.)

FH Regular Frank B. tells us, however that the whole story still isn't being told.  (kk)  

Kent ...  
Add this story to the "Bobby Fuller Mysterious Death File."
Frank B.  
http://nypost.com/2016/03/20/how-did-country-music-star-hank-williams-really-die/  
The Bobby Fuller Mystery ... or the inspiration for "Weekend At Bernie's???"  (kk)


The other day we talked about the Pray For Surf interview with Mark Moore, author of the new book "The Jan And Dean Record".  Here's the "missing link" from that article ... http://prayforsurfblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/prayforsurf-interview-mark-moore-author.html


Brian Wilson and his band will dust off "Pet Sounds" one last time in honor of the album's 50th Anniversary ... http://www.examiner.com/article/brian-wilson-s-pet-sounds-50th-anniversary-world-tour?CID=examiner_alerts_article   

Hi Kent -  
I saw Brian Wilson's schedule for his "Pet Sounds Tour" and the Chicagoland area was not included. Any possibility he may add a show in this area?  
When in doubt ask the master ...  
Carolyn  
As of right now, no ... no Chicago-area stop is planned.  (As of right now, Wilson has 74 dates booked worldwide.  In all fairness, Brian has been here several times over the past two years so this may be his way of allowing the show to be seen in other areas.)  But never say never ... this is a VERY big deal ... so if a Chicago date IS added, we'll be sure to let our readers know!  (kk)


The Latest News From Lightning Strikes Music...
"Spring Ahead With Lou Christie"
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001nR-ic1D_j6mLH9L4UEDXvUhJpojB08exoHlgsjrg0qBscKuOyPFx6YdvvQ15VaV7cNRGEeK6z0xGFImE1azQPwpbM_dBOHLNtUHDSPZMSXZXixO5Il2PSc58XNInw6FAxxXmjlvv5VPFQULakuzl6s0Ik8KqYPX-ppp8F1ctIjg=&c=tRJwmlQ5Fay73tZL29a8c0E1evcD4UUuPGzEgDwinudKi8mmrom-VQ==&ch=Bb2Dn5vdLN49PZHmf7metmuGPGp0MokPMi6hq-hmri5Uz1MBC_kxLg==




"DRIVE-IN DREAMS'
LOU'S LATEST SPECIAL FOR SIRIUS-XM RADIO












Lou has another great special airing on Sirius Channel 6, 60's on 6.
Here are the scheduled times...
remember all times are "Eastern"
Monday - March 21 - 5 PM
Thursday - March 24 - 1 PM
Friday - March 25 - 11 PM
Sunday - March 27 - 9 AM

Lou Sketch


Lou's 2016 Tour Schedule is still being formulated but here is a sampling of some of the places where he will be appearing. Be sure to check with the local venues before making travel plans.








April 16, 2016 - Bear's Den - Seneca / Niagra Casino - Seneca, NY (Tickets Now On Sale)
May 1, 2016 - State Theater - New Brunswick, NJ (Tickets Now On Sale)
June 5, 2016 - New Jersey PAC - Newark, NJ (Tickets Now On Sale)
July 4 - July 14, 2016 - Tour of Italy
September 10, 2016 - NYCB Theatre @ Westbury, Westbury, NY (Tickets Now on Sale)
September 22, 2016 - Victory Theater - Evansville, IN
November 5, 2016 - Proctor's Theater - Schenectady, NY
December 3, 2016 - Villa Roma - Catskills, NY
December 14, 2016 - Heinz Hall - Pittsburgh, PA
New dates are always being added to the schedule and will be included in your next newsletter.
Old Pix
over the shoulder


TOM PETTY WITH MICKY DOLENZ ON ‘TOM TALKS TO COOL PEOPLE’  
Dolenz discusses his career; his solo work; his Monkee-days, as well as their upcoming 50th Anniversary tour and new album Good Times.  
The show will be broadcast on Tom Petty Radio / Channel 31  
Upcoming show times include:  
Tuesday – March 22  
10 am ET / 7 am Pacific  
8 pm ET / 5 pm Pacific  
Wednesday – March 23  
9 pm ET / 6 pm Pacific  
Thursday – March 24  
11 am ET / 8 am Pacific  
Friday – March 25  
6 pm ET / 3 pm Pacific



FH Reader Tom Cuddy sent us these stories ...


Carole King will perform her landmark 1971 album, Tapestry, in its entirety for the first time ever in London's Hyde Park on July 3rd.  
Although Beautiful, the hit musical based on her life, is playing on London's West End, this will be her first show in England's capital in more than 25 years. Don Henley will be the opening act.  
Tapestry has sold more than 25 million copies and won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1972. Among its hits are "You've Got a Friend," "I Feel the Earth Move" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow."   
Now THAT'S a show I'd love to see!!!  (Maybe they'll film this one like they did the Jeff Lynne / ELO Concert a the same venue!)  kk


The Go-Go's have announced their farewell tour.
The group will perform 18 shows in August to bring down the curtain on a 38-year career.
In a statement shared by Rolling Stone, the "Our Lips Are Sealed" band says, "We are gearing up for one last blast of a summer tour. We feel so lucky and so grateful to have had the incredible support of our fans for so long. We can't wait to get out on the road and give the people what they want: some loud, fast music and a great party!"
Longtime bassist Kathy Valentine, who left the group several years ago and took legal action against it, will not be on hand for this trek.
The tour begins August 2nd in Clearwater, Florida; other dates include August 13th in New York's Central Park and the hometown finale at L.A.'s Greek Theater on August 30th.
A quick show of hands please ... seriously ... has ANYBODY out there really missed them?!?!?  (kk)