We were fortunate enough to be seated with a guy by the name of Damian Rico at the Eric Burdon concert the other night. Damian is an EXCELLENT photographer who is sharing some of his work with our Forgotten Hits Readers for the first time today. (You'll find not only a couple of shots from the Eric Burdon show here ... but also a couple that he took of Felix Cavaliere the last time he performed at The Arcada Theatre.) Ironically, we're going to see Felix at The Arcada tonight, so these shots are especially timely. Tickets are still available for the Felix Cavaliere show through The Arcada Online Box Office at www.oshows.com ... Jay and the Americans are the opening act so this should be one heck of a show! (kk)
Photos courtesy of Damian Rico, The Times /
www.nwi.com<http://www.nwi.com
(Thank you, Damian! Great stuff!) kk
My wife and I saw Eric Burdon in 2014 just before we got married. He looked old (I commented how it looked like it could be my dad on stage), could barely move (as if he has arthritis in his neck, like my wife does) and he had a stool to sit if he needed it though he stood for most of the show. Vocally, the man was on fire! He was able to let out screams like it was 1965 all over again. I have to wonder if maybe you caught him on an off night. I'd hate for one negative review from an off night to cause him unjust lost concert ticket sales ... hopefully others who saw him recently can chime in with their comments to show if they're warranted or not.
-- Tom
I read your review of Eric Burdon. I guess that’s a risk we take whenever we attend a concert by an elderly performer. They can’t all be Tony Bennett!
Rick
Kent ...
Sorry to hear that Eric Burdon has lost it.
9/4/1964 = The Animals make their U.S. concert debut at New York's Paramount Theatre. (Thanks, Ron Smith ).
I was at that show. They were booed. Wrong setting. Oldies show. Nobody knew who The Animals were at that time. I must admit , in time, they won me over. Tony Williams & The Platters are my favorite American Group. Eric Burdon & The Animals are my favorite British Group. I even bought Eric's last album.
After reading your review, I think I'll go with past memories instead of going to see them one more time.
Frank B.
Please understand that I don't write a review to steer people away from seeing a particular act (unless it's one of those "buyer beware" situations where the act isn't really who they're represented to be ... which happens FAR too often these days.) But I look at it as my responsibility to report fairly and accurately on what I see when I go to these shows. Music fans all over the globe now respect the reviews they read in Forgotten Hits because they know ... good, bad or otherwise ... they're going to be HONEST representations of what happened up on that stage on that particular night. (Even the guy I went to the show with ... who LOVED the concert and participated in many of the numerous standing ovations awarded throughout it ... told me later that I was right ... my review was right on the money ... he had just gotten wrapped up in the experience of finally being able to see Eric Burdon live.) And that brings up another good point ... MY opinion doesn't mean diddley (Bo reference intentional) ... LOTS of people were giving Burdon standing ovations throughout the show ... so obviously THEY were having a great time and enjoyed what they were seeing ... as such,it's quite likely that my opinion was in the minority. Still, folks have come to depend on honest and accurate reviews from Forgotten Hits ... so I'm not going to say that I liked something simply because of my admiration for this artist and what they've done in the past ... my reviews are based strictly on the show I saw on any given night. (In fact, I added the whole Animals tag at the end because I have so much respect to what they brought to the musical scene.) And Tom is also right ... ANY artist can have a bad night ... it happens ... and I also tried to stress in the review that Eric Burdon gave it his all ... he just didn't have the vocal prowess to pull it off. Maybe he was sick or had been sick ... I dunno ... because I also agree with Tom that in 2014 he sounded GREAT ... and his newest album is proof of that. (kk)
Kent ...
I just read Ron Smith's report that John D. Loudermilk died. He was 82 years old.
This is one of the many songs he wrote. I was wondering if you ever heard Eric Burdon & The Animals' version of this song?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5DH3uK2PWA
Frank B.
No I hadn't ... thanks for sending. (I tend to prefer the uptempo version.) I have always loved the Nashville Teens' hit version ... but I'll tell you what ... one of the best versions I've ever heard performed was by Chicago's very own Ides Of March. (kk)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYGQdkEHt_4
Speaking of John D. Loudermilk ...
John D. Loudermilk:
We lost another great songwriter this past week ... this is from Diane Diekman's Country Music Newsletter ...
John D. Loudermilk (1934-2016)
The writer of such songs as "Tobacco Road," "Indian Reservation," "Abilene," "Break My Mind," "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye," "Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)," "Talk Back Trembling Lips," and "Waterloo" has died. John D. Loudermilk, 82, died September 21. A native of Durham, North Carolina, he lived in recent years in Franklin, Tennessee. Earlier this year, due to his failing health, his friends honored him with a tribute show at the Franklin Theatre. Performers included Emmylou Harris, Bobby Braddock, and Rodney Crowell. John was a member of the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame and was inducted in 1976 into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He told The Tennessean in a 1961 interview about his songwriting, "I'm looking for the most different thing I can find. Everybody's writing 'I love you truly.' You've got to find something new. I talk to drunks at the bus station, browse through kiddie books at the public library and get phrases from college kids and our babysitter. You've got to be looking all the time."
Tommy James and the Shondells:
Tommy James & the Shondells belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
I interviewed them on my internet radio show about fifteen years ago ... extremely nice guy.
Me, The Mob And The Music is a great book about his career.
Mark the Shark
Tommy is a VERY nice guy who is truly appreciative of the fan support that has afforded him a dream career for the past 50+ years. Continuing to ignore him is a GROSS oversight by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ... and a PERFECT example of why the general public has absolutely NO respect or interest in their choices anymore. (kk)
Here are a couple more photos from that show, courtesy of Luciano Bilotti (he also took the .38 Special shots featured below ... thanks, Lou!) kk
Tommy James & the Shondells belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
I interviewed them on my internet radio show about fifteen years ago ... extremely nice guy.
Me, The Mob And The Music is a great book about his career.
Mark the Shark
Tommy is a VERY nice guy who is truly appreciative of the fan support that has afforded him a dream career for the past 50+ years. Continuing to ignore him is a GROSS oversight by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ... and a PERFECT example of why the general public has absolutely NO respect or interest in their choices anymore. (kk)
Here are a couple more photos from that show, courtesy of Luciano Bilotti (he also took the .38 Special shots featured below ... thanks, Lou!) kk
Thanks for the tip of the hat to The Crystal Blue Band, Kent! Proud to have been a part of this history!
Mike Vale
Tommy James' manager Carol Ross-Durborow wanted to more clearly explain the delays in getting Tommy's movie made. (I know we're all anxiously waiting to see this thing show up in movie theaters ... but obviously there is a WHOLE lot more to getting a movie made than just a great storyline and a best-selling book!)
Hi Kent -
The biggest stars and producers and directors in Hollywood can tell you it takes years to get films made ... there are so many variables and people involved ... it took us two years to find the right screenwriter who Tommy felt would stay close to the book ... and, because he was a 'bankable' writer, he had other commitments and we had to wait until he completed his other projects ... same with getting a director, etc. etc. The money people use the term bankable and want bankable people involved in a project to somewhat guarantee a good film.
Tommy James' manager Carol Ross-Durborow wanted to more clearly explain the delays in getting Tommy's movie made. (I know we're all anxiously waiting to see this thing show up in movie theaters ... but obviously there is a WHOLE lot more to getting a movie made than just a great storyline and a best-selling book!)
Hi Kent -
The biggest stars and producers and directors in Hollywood can tell you it takes years to get films made ... there are so many variables and people involved ... it took us two years to find the right screenwriter who Tommy felt would stay close to the book ... and, because he was a 'bankable' writer, he had other commitments and we had to wait until he completed his other projects ... same with getting a director, etc. etc. The money people use the term bankable and want bankable people involved in a project to somewhat guarantee a good film.
You have to understand that from the minute the book came out there were people who promised the world and who said they could get the biggest names to be involved ... so we listened and we waited and we waited, not knowing the movie business politics. Over time, those people came and went ... and then we were approached by other folks with virtually the same scenario.
Then, finally, we were introduced to producer Barbara De Fina, who gave us a lesson on movie making and continues to do so ... the long, hard task of finding the right people continues. We finally found the right screenwriter and waited several months till he finished the screenplay ... then went back and forth with rewrites, etc., until everyone was satisfied.
Now is the task of getting a director ... and again it will take time due to other commitments these people have ... plus the necessary time needed to read the book and screenplay and then all of the back and forth of negotiations ... oh, I didn't even mention how long that takes with lawyers on each side going back and forth for months!
Barbara De Fina, our producer, also produced Goodfellas, Casino, Cape Fear, The Color of Money, Hugo and many other films ... she certainly knows the business ... especially having been married to Martin Scorsese! ... so she has been keeping us levelheaded. At times, the waiting becomes extremely frustrating, especially for Tommy, so he is keeping busy working in the studio on his new album and also preparing to have his own show on Sirius / XM radio ... so this helps.
I appreciate your support ... and for helping to put the word out there. It is frustrating for me, too ... ... but we know we are in good hands now.
Carol
Thanks, Carol, for the clarification. All of us Tommy fans have been chomping at the bit to see his great book made into a major motion picture ... but I certainly understand everybody wanting to get it right. (I think most would agree that Clint Eastwood probably wasn't the most preferred candidate to direct "Jersey Boys" ... and I don't think Frankie Valli was all that thrilled about the results of his vision either ... but now we're stuck with the end result of that venture for the rest of our lives!)
So we'll do our best to remain patient ... please keep us posted about any movie news, Tommy's new album ... and his new Sirius / XM radio show. (Who knows ... maybe we can even "sneak peek" a track from the new LP once he's got it ready to go!) kk
Roy Orbison:
Speaking of new biopic's FH Reader Bob Merlis tells us that Roy Orbison's life story will soon be coming to the big screen, too ...
The life story of the legendary Roy Orbison, whose career and personal narrative were fraught with struggle, setbacks, triumph and tragedy, is the subject of The Big O: Roy Orbison, now getting underway. The Big O: Roy Orbison is the first Orbison Estate authorized dramatic musical biopic; the film is being produced by Marty Katz (The Great Raid, The Four Feathers, Reindeer Games, Titanic, Lost in America), Alex Orbison and Roy Orbison Jr. with Wesley Orbison serving as Executive Producer along with Chuck Fleckenstein and Ron Moore. Alex, Roy Jr. and Wesley are the late icon’s surviving children whose Roy’s Boys LLC has overseen their father’s legacy in the years following the 2011 death of Barbara Orbison, the star’s widow and mother of Roy Jr. and Alex.
Ray Gideon and Bruce Evans are teaming to write the screenplay based on the story by Alex and Roy Orbison Jr. Among a long list of credits, Gideon and Evans were responsible for writing the scripts for Stand By Me, Starman and Mr. Brooks, the latter title also directed by Evans. They are represented by David Styne’s Wicked Curve with Harold Brown of Gang, Tyre, Raymer & Brown handling legal representation.
Upon revealing the project, expected for a 2018 release, Alex Orbison commented, “Our father’s life story has an undeniably cinematic quality to it. We feel that the telling of it is in extraordinarily capable hands with Bruce and Ray and the overall team will bring The Big O finally to the screen.”
Roy Orbison was born in Vernon, TX, in 1936, with his the family moving to Wink, TX, where the teenage Orbison pursued music, playing guitar and singing rockabilly and country. He first made his mark on the national music scene in 1956 with “Ooby Dooby,” released by Sun Records where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Charlie Rich were his label mates. His breakthrough came with his string of hits for Monument, starting in the early ‘60s.
Touring constantly in both in the US and abroad, he headlined over the Beatles in the UK. Top 10 hits of the era included “Crying,” “Only The Lonely,” “In Dreams,” “Dream Baby,” the number one single “Running Scared” and the massive international chart topper, “Oh, Pretty Woman.” The mid ‘60s was an emotionally turbulent time when his wife Claudette died in a motorcycle accident and his sons Roy DeWayne Orbison and Anthony King Orbison perished in a house fire. At the end of the decade he met and married German-born Barbara Anne Marie Wellhöner Jakobs, mother of Roy Jr. and Alex.
A career slump ended when David Lynch showcased his music in Blue Velvet, sparking new interest which led to his celebrity-studded live television concert special Roy Orbison & Friends: A Black & White Night. Among those “friends,” were Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, k.d. lang, Bonnie Raitt and others.
He was part of the Traveling Wilburys, along with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and George Harrison, whose debut album went triple platinum. He spent much of 1988 working on his solo comeback studio album Mystery Girl, produced by Lynne. But before the album’s release he died unexpectedly from a heart attack at the age of 52, not present to witness the tremendous success of “You Got It,” his first Top 10 single in 25 years.
Alex Orbison, pondering his father’s life, soon to be the subject of this dramatic film mused, "My dad's story is a fantastic journey. He was so inspiring as a person because, after everything had been through, good and bad, he still had a positive outlook on life and was kind and wonderful. This movie will mirror a Roy Orbison song: having triumph and tragedy, sometimes losing the girl and sometimes getting the girl, and ending on a high note.”
royorbison.com
.38 Special:
We also saw .38 Special this past weekend ... first time for us ... and they rocked the house at The Arcada.
Their first encore was a song I was unfamiliar with called "Chain Lightning" (thanks, Frank, for letting me know the title of this song!) ... a GREAT track that evidently was never released as a single. The special effects were awesome, too ... thunder, lightning, the sound of rain coming down on a smoke-filled stage ... really something to see and hear ... so we wanted to share this track with you today ... along with a couple more of Lou Bilotti's photos ...
Then, finally, we were introduced to producer Barbara De Fina, who gave us a lesson on movie making and continues to do so ... the long, hard task of finding the right people continues. We finally found the right screenwriter and waited several months till he finished the screenplay ... then went back and forth with rewrites, etc., until everyone was satisfied.
Now is the task of getting a director ... and again it will take time due to other commitments these people have ... plus the necessary time needed to read the book and screenplay and then all of the back and forth of negotiations ... oh, I didn't even mention how long that takes with lawyers on each side going back and forth for months!
Barbara De Fina, our producer, also produced Goodfellas, Casino, Cape Fear, The Color of Money, Hugo and many other films ... she certainly knows the business ... especially having been married to Martin Scorsese! ... so she has been keeping us levelheaded. At times, the waiting becomes extremely frustrating, especially for Tommy, so he is keeping busy working in the studio on his new album and also preparing to have his own show on Sirius / XM radio ... so this helps.
I appreciate your support ... and for helping to put the word out there. It is frustrating for me, too ... ... but we know we are in good hands now.
Carol
Thanks, Carol, for the clarification. All of us Tommy fans have been chomping at the bit to see his great book made into a major motion picture ... but I certainly understand everybody wanting to get it right. (I think most would agree that Clint Eastwood probably wasn't the most preferred candidate to direct "Jersey Boys" ... and I don't think Frankie Valli was all that thrilled about the results of his vision either ... but now we're stuck with the end result of that venture for the rest of our lives!)
So we'll do our best to remain patient ... please keep us posted about any movie news, Tommy's new album ... and his new Sirius / XM radio show. (Who knows ... maybe we can even "sneak peek" a track from the new LP once he's got it ready to go!) kk
Roy Orbison:
Speaking of new biopic's FH Reader Bob Merlis tells us that Roy Orbison's life story will soon be coming to the big screen, too ...
The life story of the legendary Roy Orbison, whose career and personal narrative were fraught with struggle, setbacks, triumph and tragedy, is the subject of The Big O: Roy Orbison, now getting underway. The Big O: Roy Orbison is the first Orbison Estate authorized dramatic musical biopic; the film is being produced by Marty Katz (The Great Raid, The Four Feathers, Reindeer Games, Titanic, Lost in America), Alex Orbison and Roy Orbison Jr. with Wesley Orbison serving as Executive Producer along with Chuck Fleckenstein and Ron Moore. Alex, Roy Jr. and Wesley are the late icon’s surviving children whose Roy’s Boys LLC has overseen their father’s legacy in the years following the 2011 death of Barbara Orbison, the star’s widow and mother of Roy Jr. and Alex.
Ray Gideon and Bruce Evans are teaming to write the screenplay based on the story by Alex and Roy Orbison Jr. Among a long list of credits, Gideon and Evans were responsible for writing the scripts for Stand By Me, Starman and Mr. Brooks, the latter title also directed by Evans. They are represented by David Styne’s Wicked Curve with Harold Brown of Gang, Tyre, Raymer & Brown handling legal representation.
Upon revealing the project, expected for a 2018 release, Alex Orbison commented, “Our father’s life story has an undeniably cinematic quality to it. We feel that the telling of it is in extraordinarily capable hands with Bruce and Ray and the overall team will bring The Big O finally to the screen.”
Roy Orbison was born in Vernon, TX, in 1936, with his the family moving to Wink, TX, where the teenage Orbison pursued music, playing guitar and singing rockabilly and country. He first made his mark on the national music scene in 1956 with “Ooby Dooby,” released by Sun Records where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Charlie Rich were his label mates. His breakthrough came with his string of hits for Monument, starting in the early ‘60s.
Touring constantly in both in the US and abroad, he headlined over the Beatles in the UK. Top 10 hits of the era included “Crying,” “Only The Lonely,” “In Dreams,” “Dream Baby,” the number one single “Running Scared” and the massive international chart topper, “Oh, Pretty Woman.” The mid ‘60s was an emotionally turbulent time when his wife Claudette died in a motorcycle accident and his sons Roy DeWayne Orbison and Anthony King Orbison perished in a house fire. At the end of the decade he met and married German-born Barbara Anne Marie Wellhöner Jakobs, mother of Roy Jr. and Alex.
A career slump ended when David Lynch showcased his music in Blue Velvet, sparking new interest which led to his celebrity-studded live television concert special Roy Orbison & Friends: A Black & White Night. Among those “friends,” were Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, k.d. lang, Bonnie Raitt and others.
He was part of the Traveling Wilburys, along with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and George Harrison, whose debut album went triple platinum. He spent much of 1988 working on his solo comeback studio album Mystery Girl, produced by Lynne. But before the album’s release he died unexpectedly from a heart attack at the age of 52, not present to witness the tremendous success of “You Got It,” his first Top 10 single in 25 years.
Alex Orbison, pondering his father’s life, soon to be the subject of this dramatic film mused, "My dad's story is a fantastic journey. He was so inspiring as a person because, after everything had been through, good and bad, he still had a positive outlook on life and was kind and wonderful. This movie will mirror a Roy Orbison song: having triumph and tragedy, sometimes losing the girl and sometimes getting the girl, and ending on a high note.”
royorbison.com
.38 Special:
We also saw .38 Special this past weekend ... first time for us ... and they rocked the house at The Arcada.
Their first encore was a song I was unfamiliar with called "Chain Lightning" (thanks, Frank, for letting me know the title of this song!) ... a GREAT track that evidently was never released as a single. The special effects were awesome, too ... thunder, lightning, the sound of rain coming down on a smoke-filled stage ... really something to see and hear ... so we wanted to share this track with you today ... along with a couple more of Lou Bilotti's photos ...
The Monkees:
More photos and clips from The Monkees show at The Pantages Theater in Hollywood last week featuring Michael Nesmith's last appearance with the group ...
Kent -
For you and your readers, here are three shots form The Monkees in L. A. @ The Pantages Theatre -
Thanks,
DIS
And from Vintage Vinyl News ...
http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2016/09/set-list-michael-nesmith-plays-his.html
re: Felix Cavaliere:
Kent,
My wife and I saw Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals at Harvest Fest at the Wisconsin State Fair Park last night (Saturday). Felix and bandmates put on a lively and entertaining show which had members of the baby-boomer dominated audience up and dancing. I saw Felix about fifteen years ago at Summerfest and, despite his age, Felix was much more animated during this show.
Felix bounced out on stage wearing a Wisconsin Badger fleece top and saluted the Badger win over Michigan State with a verbal salute and the big W with his hands. This immediately energized the crowd and drew our favor. Felix and the band played most of the Rascals' hits, with bandmates handling lead vocals on those hits originally sung by Eddie Brigati. The band also played portions of several several 60’s classics as inserts / extensions of their own songs.
Felix was in good voice but often shortened his singing, excusable given his age. The crowd seemed to particularly enjoy “Groovin'”, “People Got To Be Free”, “A Girl Like You” and especially the closing song, “Good Lovin'” which had everyone on their feet.
If Felix comes to your town, I recommend you “Come On Up” to see them “and have a good time”.
Bob Verbos,
New Berlin, WI
Actually, we're seeing him tonight at The Arcada Theatre. (Jay and the Americans are the opening act.) We've seen Felix a few times now ... and he's been a Forgotten Hits List Member for about ten years ... so maybe we'll even get the chance to pop backstage and say hello. Looking forward to the show. Thanks, Bob! (kk)
Photos courtesy of Damian Rico, The Times / www.nwi.com<http://www.nwi.com
re: Sweet 16 ... The "Sweet Dreams" Edition:
Kent,
Enjoyed the DREAM songs you featured today in FH. I know there were lots of songs that didn't make the cut but before I scrolled down to see what you posted, the first one I thought of was Neil Sedaka's 1963 THE DREAMER. Was that one on your list that didn't make it? Was that Roy Orbison you posted? If it was, it wasn't the original studio version? You know having all these songs about dreams, one of course has to go to SLEEP. Always did like that Little Willie John record.
Larry Neal
That was the Glen Campbell hit remake version from 1971. (You may recall that he had back-to-back hit singles with remakes of both this Roy Orbison tune and Conway Twitty's "It's Only Make Believe", which made it all the way into The Top Ten.) kk
Wow ... how could we leave out that One Hit Forgotten Oldie I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night by The Electric Prunes?
Always great to review these emails!
Bob Morrow from Bolingbrook
Same old story ... the Sweet 16 concept only allows us to feature sixteen tracks! But yes, that would have been a good one ... and one of your All-Time Favorite Psychedelic Songs! (kk)
http://forgottenhits.com/top_20_favorite_psychedelic_songs
Although Patsy Cline is one of my all-time favorite songstresses, I still prefer Tommy McLain's version of "Sweet Dreams". Beautiful!
Dube
Me, too. I got to interview Tommy about a zillion years ago when Forgotten Hits was brand new ... unfortunately all of that is lost due to the numerous computer crashes that have happened since then. (Now THERE'S a track that would sound good on Me-TV-FM!!!) kk
Great stuff!
Chet
re: This And That:
Talk about shows we want to see ...
Just got this from FH Reader Tom Cuddy ...
Seems that Van Morrison has a brand new album coming out ... and will be touring the US as well ... with Tom Jones also on the bill! http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-van-morrison-tom-jones-20160925-snap-story.html
Leon Russell has rescheduled his shows at The City Winery.
Russell was scheduled to appear for two shows last October but was forced to cancel these shows after being taken to the hospital with a heart attack. Tickets for those shows will be honored for is April 10th and 11th appearances. And, you can even purchase tickets for a special "Meet And Greet". More details here ...
http://www.citywinery.com/chicago/catalogsearch/result/?q=leon+russell
Hi Kent -
I was surprised that Ron Howard could have used people like Billy J. Kramer, Gerry Marsden and Cilla Black, who was still alive at the time he started on this movie and had recorded some John and Paul songs ... we were all there and had a close connection to the Beatles.
I don't understand him using Whoopee Goldberg, Sigourney Weaver and Elvis Costello ... it seemed odd to me.
And not a single mention of all the English tours they played in every city and town in the U.K. ... and their Christmas Shows in London. Maybe they will be part of the DVD which you mentioned about the songs they gave away.
Billy J. Kramer
More Billy J.Kramer news was revealed by Vintage Vinyl News this week. Billy and I had talked a little bit about his hand surgery but we tried to focus our interview more on the music and some of his upcoming appearances and recent releases.
Meanwhile, Tom Cuddy sent us this link to the VVN article ...
http://m.vintagevinylnews.com/y4zszpc/articles/18099/Billy-J-Kramer-Details-Health-Crisis
Here is a copy of the statement Billy posted on his Facebook Page ...
I have kept a secret regarding my health. I had a minor surgery on my right hand and unfortunately caught a staff infection which put me in hospital for twelve days in all. I was on a drip of antibiotics for a few months. It was scary but I have made a full recovery and would like to say thank you to everyone who helped me recover and helped me keep my spirits up. I have so much gratitude have such great people in my life.
Billy
Speaking of The Beatles, they were dethroned this week by Garth Brooks ... he is now the #1 Artist with the most albums to sell ten million copies or more! (Amazing!)
Kent -
I always get a kick out of "forgottenhits" and appreciate the hard work you do to be accurate.
I have to laugh about all the claims about being the first station to play a Beatles record.
In 1963, I was doing evenings at KTEO in San Angelo, TX, and "Please, Please Me" / "From Me To You" was on our playlist in the late summer. I played one side or the other about two times and I know I wasn't the first at my own station to do that. I contend that no one will ever be able to prove they were first, because in 1963 nobody cared!
To add additional Beatles stories to the archives, Capitol had first choice to release the early Beatles hits, but instead let EMI farm them out to Vee Jay and Swan. I know a fellow here in Portland named John Gilmore. His father was a name that should be familiar to most of the real serious oldies collectors, Voyle Gilmore. Voyle was a key producer (Sinatra, Kingston Trio, Four Preps) and a V.P. at Capitol in the 60's.
According to John, Voyle was sent back to NYC to escort the Fab Four on their first trip to the U.S.A. During the four days they were together, they had a lot of conversations. Among the topics was how the finances worked, who got paid what and all that other money stuff. John Lennon determined that the Mop Tops were not getting a fair share from EMI (Capitol's parent company) so when he returned to the UK, he headed for the EMI offices.
He proceeded to make it known to management in no uncertain terms that things had better be set right and right now! EMI knew that now that the Four had conquered the U.S., there would be real serious money coming in so they jumped through the proper hoops and soothed the ruffled feathers of John as best they could. As soon as John left the building, they were on the phone to Voyle to chew him out about giving away their "secrets". To which Voyle replied "All I did was quote them chapter and verse out of the company policy handbook, that YOU wrote. It ain't my problem".
Another story involves the head man at Capitol (Bob Livingston as best as I can recall). When EMI would ship their releases to Capitol for their consideration to release or not, the Capitol senior managers would gather at a staff meeting to listen and decide. Of course they passed on the early hits so EMI could then place them with other labels.
The morning came when "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was introduced at the meeting. About halfway through the song, Livingston jumped up and left the room. This puzzled everyone, so later that day, Voyle came across Bob in the hallway and asked him why he left so soon. Bob replied that he hurried down to the accounting office to tell them to get ready, because "all hell was about to break loose and money would be pouring in". How right he was.
Kent, these are stories that Voyle Gilmore's son told me so I consider the source reliable.
Jim Southern
WSLR - Akron / Cleveland
KMOR - KNAK - Salt Lake City
KKOP-FM - Los Angeles ...
and several lesser stops along the way
Speaking of disc jockeys, we got this from one of our favorite WLS jocks (and FH Buddy) Chuck Buell, who received a bit of notoriety recently when one of the submissions he made earned a spot on the brand new 2017 "The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said" calendar ...
There's a Day Desk Calendar called "The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said," a daily collection of actual Misquotes, Confusing Statements, Strange Signs and a whole lot more. As noted on their box, they sell around five million calendars a year.
re: Sweet 16 ... The "Sweet Dreams" Edition:
Kent,
Enjoyed the DREAM songs you featured today in FH. I know there were lots of songs that didn't make the cut but before I scrolled down to see what you posted, the first one I thought of was Neil Sedaka's 1963 THE DREAMER. Was that one on your list that didn't make it? Was that Roy Orbison you posted? If it was, it wasn't the original studio version? You know having all these songs about dreams, one of course has to go to SLEEP. Always did like that Little Willie John record.
Larry Neal
That was the Glen Campbell hit remake version from 1971. (You may recall that he had back-to-back hit singles with remakes of both this Roy Orbison tune and Conway Twitty's "It's Only Make Believe", which made it all the way into The Top Ten.) kk
Wow ... how could we leave out that One Hit Forgotten Oldie I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night by The Electric Prunes?
Always great to review these emails!
Bob Morrow from Bolingbrook
Same old story ... the Sweet 16 concept only allows us to feature sixteen tracks! But yes, that would have been a good one ... and one of your All-Time Favorite Psychedelic Songs! (kk)
http://forgottenhits.com/top_20_favorite_psychedelic_songs
Although Patsy Cline is one of my all-time favorite songstresses, I still prefer Tommy McLain's version of "Sweet Dreams". Beautiful!
Dube
Me, too. I got to interview Tommy about a zillion years ago when Forgotten Hits was brand new ... unfortunately all of that is lost due to the numerous computer crashes that have happened since then. (Now THERE'S a track that would sound good on Me-TV-FM!!!) kk
Great stuff!
Chet
re: This And That:
Talk about shows we want to see ...
Just got this from FH Reader Tom Cuddy ...
Seems that Van Morrison has a brand new album coming out ... and will be touring the US as well ... with Tom Jones also on the bill! http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-van-morrison-tom-jones-20160925-snap-story.html
Leon Russell has rescheduled his shows at The City Winery.
Russell was scheduled to appear for two shows last October but was forced to cancel these shows after being taken to the hospital with a heart attack. Tickets for those shows will be honored for is April 10th and 11th appearances. And, you can even purchase tickets for a special "Meet And Greet". More details here ...
http://www.citywinery.com/chicago/catalogsearch/result/?q=leon+russell
Hi Kent -
I was surprised that Ron Howard could have used people like Billy J. Kramer, Gerry Marsden and Cilla Black, who was still alive at the time he started on this movie and had recorded some John and Paul songs ... we were all there and had a close connection to the Beatles.
I don't understand him using Whoopee Goldberg, Sigourney Weaver and Elvis Costello ... it seemed odd to me.
And not a single mention of all the English tours they played in every city and town in the U.K. ... and their Christmas Shows in London. Maybe they will be part of the DVD which you mentioned about the songs they gave away.
Billy J. Kramer
More Billy J.Kramer news was revealed by Vintage Vinyl News this week. Billy and I had talked a little bit about his hand surgery but we tried to focus our interview more on the music and some of his upcoming appearances and recent releases.
Meanwhile, Tom Cuddy sent us this link to the VVN article ...
http://m.vintagevinylnews.com/y4zszpc/articles/18099/Billy-J-Kramer-Details-Health-Crisis
Here is a copy of the statement Billy posted on his Facebook Page ...
I have kept a secret regarding my health. I had a minor surgery on my right hand and unfortunately caught a staff infection which put me in hospital for twelve days in all. I was on a drip of antibiotics for a few months. It was scary but I have made a full recovery and would like to say thank you to everyone who helped me recover and helped me keep my spirits up. I have so much gratitude have such great people in my life.
Billy
Speaking of The Beatles, they were dethroned this week by Garth Brooks ... he is now the #1 Artist with the most albums to sell ten million copies or more! (Amazing!)
Vintage Vinyl News reports ...
Move over Beatles, there's a new record holder in town.
Garth Brooks' album The Ultimate Hits has been certified Diamond for sales of ten million or more copies, the seventh time one of his albums has received the honor. Brooks passes the Beatles who have six and is two ahead of Led Zeppelin with five. No other artist has more than two Diamond awards.
Brooks' Diamond Award albums:
Brooks' Diamond Award albums:
- Double Live (21 million)
- No Fences (17 million)
- Ropin' the Wind (14 million)
- Sevens (10 million)
- The Hits (10 million)
- Garth Brooks (10 million)
- The Ultimate Hits (10 million)
For comparison, The Beatles' six Diamond albums:
- The Beatles (19 million)
- The Beatles 1967-1970 (17 million)
- The Beatles 1962-1966 (15 million)
- Abbey Road (12 million)
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (11 million)
- 1 (11 million)
Kent -
I always get a kick out of "forgottenhits" and appreciate the hard work you do to be accurate.
I have to laugh about all the claims about being the first station to play a Beatles record.
In 1963, I was doing evenings at KTEO in San Angelo, TX, and "Please, Please Me" / "From Me To You" was on our playlist in the late summer. I played one side or the other about two times and I know I wasn't the first at my own station to do that. I contend that no one will ever be able to prove they were first, because in 1963 nobody cared!
To add additional Beatles stories to the archives, Capitol had first choice to release the early Beatles hits, but instead let EMI farm them out to Vee Jay and Swan. I know a fellow here in Portland named John Gilmore. His father was a name that should be familiar to most of the real serious oldies collectors, Voyle Gilmore. Voyle was a key producer (Sinatra, Kingston Trio, Four Preps) and a V.P. at Capitol in the 60's.
According to John, Voyle was sent back to NYC to escort the Fab Four on their first trip to the U.S.A. During the four days they were together, they had a lot of conversations. Among the topics was how the finances worked, who got paid what and all that other money stuff. John Lennon determined that the Mop Tops were not getting a fair share from EMI (Capitol's parent company) so when he returned to the UK, he headed for the EMI offices.
He proceeded to make it known to management in no uncertain terms that things had better be set right and right now! EMI knew that now that the Four had conquered the U.S., there would be real serious money coming in so they jumped through the proper hoops and soothed the ruffled feathers of John as best they could. As soon as John left the building, they were on the phone to Voyle to chew him out about giving away their "secrets". To which Voyle replied "All I did was quote them chapter and verse out of the company policy handbook, that YOU wrote. It ain't my problem".
Another story involves the head man at Capitol (Bob Livingston as best as I can recall). When EMI would ship their releases to Capitol for their consideration to release or not, the Capitol senior managers would gather at a staff meeting to listen and decide. Of course they passed on the early hits so EMI could then place them with other labels.
The morning came when "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was introduced at the meeting. About halfway through the song, Livingston jumped up and left the room. This puzzled everyone, so later that day, Voyle came across Bob in the hallway and asked him why he left so soon. Bob replied that he hurried down to the accounting office to tell them to get ready, because "all hell was about to break loose and money would be pouring in". How right he was.
Kent, these are stories that Voyle Gilmore's son told me so I consider the source reliable.
Jim Southern
WSLR - Akron / Cleveland
KMOR - KNAK - Salt Lake City
KKOP-FM - Los Angeles ...
and several lesser stops along the way
Speaking of disc jockeys, we got this from one of our favorite WLS jocks (and FH Buddy) Chuck Buell, who received a bit of notoriety recently when one of the submissions he made earned a spot on the brand new 2017 "The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said" calendar ...
There's a Day Desk Calendar called "The 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said," a daily collection of actual Misquotes, Confusing Statements, Strange Signs and a whole lot more. As noted on their box, they sell around five million calendars a year.
From time to time, I'll contribute things to them that I've come across, and was featured once before in one of their previous editions.
My most recent submission to them was selected to appear on September 19, 2017. It was a Sale Price Sticker I saw in my local Michael's Store!
Of, course, I should probably stay out of their store for a while now!
CB (which stands for "Calendar Boy!")
Speaking of famous Chicago DJ's, I got this note from FH Reader Frank B ...
Kent ...
Happy 86th Birthday, Harry Harrison.
Harry went from WCFL (Chicago) to WCBS (New York).
Kent, did you ever listen to Harry Harrison -- or was he before your time?
Frank B.
WAY before my time ... a quick checked shows him at WCFL in 1953 and 1954 so being a newborn, I wasn't listening to the radio yet! (And WCFL didn't switch over to Top 40 until late 1965 so they wouldn't have been on my radar anyway until about 1963 or 1964 ... and then only because they used to broadcast The Chicago White Sox game on the radio.) But he certainly is a well-known name on the New York dial, where he really made his mark ... according to Wikipedia he became one of the WMCA Good Guys in 1959 and stayed with the station through 1968. He then moved to WABC from 1968 - 1979 before finally landing at WCBS-FM in 1980, where he continued to broadcast through 2005. (Looks like he was there when the station flipped to Jack-FM ... but then wasn't around when they switched back to Oldies a short time later.) Still a VERY well known name in broadcasting, however ... so Happy Birthday, Harry! (kk)
Our FH Buddy Joel Whitburn just recorded a Podcast for Billboard Magazine, reviewing how his "hobby" turned into a 50 year career of keeping music fans' bookshelves stocked with the history of the music charts. You can catch the whole thing here: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/podcasts/7511387/chart-beat-podcast-with-billboard-chart-historian-joel-whitburn?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Billboard%20Chart%20Beat&utm_term=billboard_chartalert
And, speaking of the charts, Cash Box Chart Guru Randy Price has some new charts posted on his Cash Box website ...
Kent,
The Cash Box Chart Archives at cashboxmagazine.com now include the Country and R&B charts from the 1940s and '50s. I am hoping to add the '60s charts by the end of this year ... and the subsequent decades will be added as time permits.
Here are the direct links to the main pages for Country and R&B:
Cash Box Country Charts: http://98.130.35.56/archives-c.htm
Cash Box R&B Charts: http://98.130.35.56/archives-r.htm
-- Randy Price
Congratulations to Me-TV-FM, up in the latest ratings book again ... and now pulling ahead of K-Hits during certain broadcast hours. (I'm telling you ... another little tweak here and there and they could be the "leader of the pack" when it comes to oldies programming!)
Have you listened to their stream yet?
Here's the link once again ... tune in let us know what you think ...
http://metv.com/metvmusic/
Normally I have no sympathy for music fans who cry in their beer about some slight, real or imagined, regarding their fave rave. I'm a fan, but I do not live and die for them. (I had a customer who did).
In the case of the Kennedy Center honors, I think their complaints are justified. There's a couple of different scenarios at play here.
To begin with, you have the original four Eagles ... Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon. Now they would share the rights to the Eagles name equally. Felder would not, unless they gave him a partial share, but I'm thinking he was more or less a hired hand.
Now Joe Walsh is far bigger name than Don Felder. I've often wondered what was in it for him to join the band. The freedom to make his own solo stuff? Maybe he liked the band camaraderie, but didn't want to make the executive decisions, like the James Gang. They certainly wouldn't have given him a full share, especially if Felder did have a partial share, and then they'd have to give Timothy B. Schmidt a partial as well. That would dilute Frey's and Henley's interest.
The next possibility is that Meisner and Leadon were bought out and partial shares were given to Joe and Tim, and maybe Felder, giving Henley and Frey even a bigger share. The other possibility is that Walsh, Schmidt and Felder were all hired hands. It depends how the contract reads. Many a time these contracts have more holes then Swiss cheese. This is why entertainment lawyers make the big bucks. In short, these Eagles fans are justified in that Meisner, Leadon, and Felder were all an integral part of the band, with two technically still probably part owners of the name.
Maybe someone out in FH land knows more about the legalese than I do. Don Henley doesn't answer my emails, even when I name drop Forgotten Hits.
Jack Levin
Kent ...
I learned from you and Wild Wayne that Elvis and the London Philharmonic Volume # 2 will be coming out next month.
Read this in the newspaper ...
A brand new Elvis biopic is ready to go.
Weinstein Television has struck a deal with the Estate of Elvis Presley to shoot an 8 to 10 part biopic about the King and they'll have access to all of Presley's possessions including his Graceland home. Priscilla Presley said "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Weinstein on this show and tell the story of how Elvis changed the culture of music and initiated a revolution that changed the world."
Frank B.
Got this from a brand new Forgotten Hits Reader who discovered our site via the link shown below. (Yeah, there was quite a bit of buzz going on here for awhile regarding Dion's claim in his new book that HE was the one who lost a seat on the plane that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper!) kk
In reading Mr Allsup’s comments (http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2011/07/ouch-dion-buddy-holly-controversy-raves.html) denigrating Dion’s general contribution to the music of the time (Dion is in the R&R Hall, Mr. Allsup is not) or Dion’s guitar playing (as a guitar player of 50 years myself, I consider him quite good) I had to comment. Mr. Allsup sounds pissed, and maybe he has the right to be. If Dion is rewriting history, then he should be called out. However, Allsup’s “Heads Up” bar, trying to cash in of the coin toss quite weakens his right to indignity at Dion’s “transgression”.
Bill Gannon
Lots of buzz this week about Bruce Springsteen's new book ...
"Writing about yourself is a funny business" -- Bruce Springsteen
From the iBooks ad:
We loved reading "Born To Run" -- it's honest, entertaining, and full of the kind of affecting real-life stories that've made Bruce Springsteen a rock legend. Springsteen's memoir is packed with revelations about the music scenes of the '60's and '70's and the players who've left their mark on his music. He shares hard-won discoveries about family, love, success and self-awareness. You can also get a companion album featuring many songs that Springsteen writes about in the book.
Read it first on iBooks
Film Festival Screening Schedule Set For BANG! THE BERT BERNS STORY
Bang! The Bert Berns Story tailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDBuIhj8AWM
“Must see” - Billboard Magazine
“The new high-water mark for music documentaries” - Glide Magazine
“A remarkable story of hustle and heartache.” - Best Classic Bands
Over the course of the next few months, BANG! THE BERT BERNS STORY is set to screen for multiple film festival audiences in the US, Canada, UK and Europe. The biographical documentary, which debuted at SXSW this spring, tells the story of one of the most important songwriters, producers and label chiefs of the 1960s. Until quite recently, Bert Berns had been relegated to obscurity, his very existence known only among the cognoscenti of hardcore record collectors and old school music industry veterans.
The film was produced and directed by Brett Berns, Bert’s son, and co-directed with Bob Sarles who served as editor. The younger Berns is a lead producer of the Broadway-bound musical Piece of My Heart – The Bert Berns Story, which ran Off-Broadway in 2014. Sarles is a Primetime Emmy nominated film and television editor and documentary filmmaker. He co-edited the Peabody Award winning documentary series Moon Shot, the ABC documentary The Story of Fathers & Sons, and directed and edited Sweet Blues: A Film About Mike Bloomfield; Fly Jefferson Airplane; John Lee Hooker: Come And See About Me; Feed Your Head: The Psychedelic Era and Soulsville.
Stevie Van Zandt, who inducted Berns into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, provides the film’s narration which was written by Joel Selvin, author of Here Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues (Counterpoint Press). BANG! The Bert Berns Story chronicles the brief life of a musical genius whose hits included “Twist and Shout,” “Hang On Sloopy,” “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Here Comes The Night,” “A Little Bit of Soap,” “Tell Him” and “Piece of My Heart.” Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Van Morrison, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, Cissy Houston, Ronald Isley, Andrew Loog Oldham and Wilson Pickett are among those who appear in the film, produced by Michael B. Borofsky and Brooks Arthur with Sid Ganis as Executive Producer.
Berns, unlike his music business contemporaries, was equally at home producing American soul artists in New York as he was working in London during the height of the British Invasion where his songs were covered by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals and Them. His relationship with the mob made him a controversial figure even before his untimely death in 1967 at the age of 38. He founded Bang Records, which was acknowledged as the hottest label in the business and the home of hits by Neil Diamond, The McCoys, Strangeloves and Van Morrison. Bang’s Shout subsidiary label yielded hits for Freddie Scott, Erma Franklin and other R&B artists.
The film represents the culmination of a ten-year struggle by Berns’ children, led by Brett to bring their father’s story to the screen. This run of film festival screenings will provide audiences with insight into the life and work of “the greatest songwriter and record man you never heard of.”
Scheduled Film Festival screenings for Bang! The Bert Berns Story
(Check festival websites to confirm screening times and locations)
Sept 22 Athens International Film Festival (International + European Premiere) - 7:30 PM / Odeon Opera 2
23 Athens International Film Festival - 7:30 PM / Danaos 2
24 Boston Film Festival - 12:30 PM / Boston Pubic Library
24 Doc ‘N Roll Film Festival UK - 2 PM / Dukes at Komedia, Brighton
26 Milwaukee Film Festival - 7 PM / Times Cinema
28 Athens International Film Festival - 7:00 PM / Odeon Opera 2
30 Milwaukee Film Festival - 12:30 PM / Oriental Theater #2
Oct 01 Vancouver International Film Festival - 8:15 PM / VIFF @ Vancity Theatre
2 Vancouver International Film Festival - 3:15 PM / VIFF @ Rio Theatre08 Queen City Film Festival - Cumberland MD - 4:05 PM / Cumberland Ramada
10 Buffalo International Film Festival - 5:30 PM / North Park Theatre
11 Vancouver International Film Festival - 6:00 PM / VIFF @ International Village 8
11 Mill Valley Film Festival - 6:15 PM / Sequoia 2
13 Mill Valley Film Festival - 8:45 PM / Century Larkspur
27 San Diego Jewish Film Festival - 7 PM / Lawrence Family JCC
www.bertberns.com
www.facebook.com/bangthebertbernsstory
Speaking of famous Chicago DJ's, I got this note from FH Reader Frank B ...
Kent ...
Happy 86th Birthday, Harry Harrison.
Harry went from WCFL (Chicago) to WCBS (New York).
Kent, did you ever listen to Harry Harrison -- or was he before your time?
Frank B.
WAY before my time ... a quick checked shows him at WCFL in 1953 and 1954 so being a newborn, I wasn't listening to the radio yet! (And WCFL didn't switch over to Top 40 until late 1965 so they wouldn't have been on my radar anyway until about 1963 or 1964 ... and then only because they used to broadcast The Chicago White Sox game on the radio.) But he certainly is a well-known name on the New York dial, where he really made his mark ... according to Wikipedia he became one of the WMCA Good Guys in 1959 and stayed with the station through 1968. He then moved to WABC from 1968 - 1979 before finally landing at WCBS-FM in 1980, where he continued to broadcast through 2005. (Looks like he was there when the station flipped to Jack-FM ... but then wasn't around when they switched back to Oldies a short time later.) Still a VERY well known name in broadcasting, however ... so Happy Birthday, Harry! (kk)
Our FH Buddy Joel Whitburn just recorded a Podcast for Billboard Magazine, reviewing how his "hobby" turned into a 50 year career of keeping music fans' bookshelves stocked with the history of the music charts. You can catch the whole thing here: http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/podcasts/7511387/chart-beat-podcast-with-billboard-chart-historian-joel-whitburn?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Billboard%20Chart%20Beat&utm_term=billboard_chartalert
And, speaking of the charts, Cash Box Chart Guru Randy Price has some new charts posted on his Cash Box website ...
Kent,
The Cash Box Chart Archives at cashboxmagazine.com now include the Country and R&B charts from the 1940s and '50s. I am hoping to add the '60s charts by the end of this year ... and the subsequent decades will be added as time permits.
Here are the direct links to the main pages for Country and R&B:
Cash Box Country Charts: http://98.130.35.56/archives-c.htm
Cash Box R&B Charts: http://98.130.35.56/archives-r.htm
-- Randy Price
Congratulations to Me-TV-FM, up in the latest ratings book again ... and now pulling ahead of K-Hits during certain broadcast hours. (I'm telling you ... another little tweak here and there and they could be the "leader of the pack" when it comes to oldies programming!)
Have you listened to their stream yet?
Here's the link once again ... tune in let us know what you think ...
http://metv.com/metvmusic/
Normally I have no sympathy for music fans who cry in their beer about some slight, real or imagined, regarding their fave rave. I'm a fan, but I do not live and die for them. (I had a customer who did).
In the case of the Kennedy Center honors, I think their complaints are justified. There's a couple of different scenarios at play here.
To begin with, you have the original four Eagles ... Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon. Now they would share the rights to the Eagles name equally. Felder would not, unless they gave him a partial share, but I'm thinking he was more or less a hired hand.
Now Joe Walsh is far bigger name than Don Felder. I've often wondered what was in it for him to join the band. The freedom to make his own solo stuff? Maybe he liked the band camaraderie, but didn't want to make the executive decisions, like the James Gang. They certainly wouldn't have given him a full share, especially if Felder did have a partial share, and then they'd have to give Timothy B. Schmidt a partial as well. That would dilute Frey's and Henley's interest.
The next possibility is that Meisner and Leadon were bought out and partial shares were given to Joe and Tim, and maybe Felder, giving Henley and Frey even a bigger share. The other possibility is that Walsh, Schmidt and Felder were all hired hands. It depends how the contract reads. Many a time these contracts have more holes then Swiss cheese. This is why entertainment lawyers make the big bucks. In short, these Eagles fans are justified in that Meisner, Leadon, and Felder were all an integral part of the band, with two technically still probably part owners of the name.
Maybe someone out in FH land knows more about the legalese than I do. Don Henley doesn't answer my emails, even when I name drop Forgotten Hits.
Jack Levin
Kent ...
I learned from you and Wild Wayne that Elvis and the London Philharmonic Volume # 2 will be coming out next month.
Read this in the newspaper ...
A brand new Elvis biopic is ready to go.
Weinstein Television has struck a deal with the Estate of Elvis Presley to shoot an 8 to 10 part biopic about the King and they'll have access to all of Presley's possessions including his Graceland home. Priscilla Presley said "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Weinstein on this show and tell the story of how Elvis changed the culture of music and initiated a revolution that changed the world."
Frank B.
Got this from a brand new Forgotten Hits Reader who discovered our site via the link shown below. (Yeah, there was quite a bit of buzz going on here for awhile regarding Dion's claim in his new book that HE was the one who lost a seat on the plane that took the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper!) kk
In reading Mr Allsup’s comments (http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2011/07/ouch-dion-buddy-holly-controversy-raves.html) denigrating Dion’s general contribution to the music of the time (Dion is in the R&R Hall, Mr. Allsup is not) or Dion’s guitar playing (as a guitar player of 50 years myself, I consider him quite good) I had to comment. Mr. Allsup sounds pissed, and maybe he has the right to be. If Dion is rewriting history, then he should be called out. However, Allsup’s “Heads Up” bar, trying to cash in of the coin toss quite weakens his right to indignity at Dion’s “transgression”.
Bill Gannon
Lots of buzz this week about Bruce Springsteen's new book ...
"Writing about yourself is a funny business" -- Bruce Springsteen
From the iBooks ad:
We loved reading "Born To Run" -- it's honest, entertaining, and full of the kind of affecting real-life stories that've made Bruce Springsteen a rock legend. Springsteen's memoir is packed with revelations about the music scenes of the '60's and '70's and the players who've left their mark on his music. He shares hard-won discoveries about family, love, success and self-awareness. You can also get a companion album featuring many songs that Springsteen writes about in the book.
Read it first on iBooks
Film Festival Screening Schedule Set For BANG! THE BERT BERNS STORY
Bang! The Bert Berns Story tailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDBuIhj8AWM
“Must see” - Billboard Magazine
“The new high-water mark for music documentaries” - Glide Magazine
“A remarkable story of hustle and heartache.” - Best Classic Bands
Over the course of the next few months, BANG! THE BERT BERNS STORY is set to screen for multiple film festival audiences in the US, Canada, UK and Europe. The biographical documentary, which debuted at SXSW this spring, tells the story of one of the most important songwriters, producers and label chiefs of the 1960s. Until quite recently, Bert Berns had been relegated to obscurity, his very existence known only among the cognoscenti of hardcore record collectors and old school music industry veterans.
The film was produced and directed by Brett Berns, Bert’s son, and co-directed with Bob Sarles who served as editor. The younger Berns is a lead producer of the Broadway-bound musical Piece of My Heart – The Bert Berns Story, which ran Off-Broadway in 2014. Sarles is a Primetime Emmy nominated film and television editor and documentary filmmaker. He co-edited the Peabody Award winning documentary series Moon Shot, the ABC documentary The Story of Fathers & Sons, and directed and edited Sweet Blues: A Film About Mike Bloomfield; Fly Jefferson Airplane; John Lee Hooker: Come And See About Me; Feed Your Head: The Psychedelic Era and Soulsville.
Stevie Van Zandt, who inducted Berns into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, provides the film’s narration which was written by Joel Selvin, author of Here Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues (Counterpoint Press). BANG! The Bert Berns Story chronicles the brief life of a musical genius whose hits included “Twist and Shout,” “Hang On Sloopy,” “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Here Comes The Night,” “A Little Bit of Soap,” “Tell Him” and “Piece of My Heart.” Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Van Morrison, Solomon Burke, Ben E. King, Cissy Houston, Ronald Isley, Andrew Loog Oldham and Wilson Pickett are among those who appear in the film, produced by Michael B. Borofsky and Brooks Arthur with Sid Ganis as Executive Producer.
Berns, unlike his music business contemporaries, was equally at home producing American soul artists in New York as he was working in London during the height of the British Invasion where his songs were covered by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals and Them. His relationship with the mob made him a controversial figure even before his untimely death in 1967 at the age of 38. He founded Bang Records, which was acknowledged as the hottest label in the business and the home of hits by Neil Diamond, The McCoys, Strangeloves and Van Morrison. Bang’s Shout subsidiary label yielded hits for Freddie Scott, Erma Franklin and other R&B artists.
The film represents the culmination of a ten-year struggle by Berns’ children, led by Brett to bring their father’s story to the screen. This run of film festival screenings will provide audiences with insight into the life and work of “the greatest songwriter and record man you never heard of.”
Scheduled Film Festival screenings for Bang! The Bert Berns Story
(Check festival websites to confirm screening times and locations)
Sept 22 Athens International Film Festival (International + European Premiere) - 7:30 PM / Odeon Opera 2
23 Athens International Film Festival - 7:30 PM / Danaos 2
24 Boston Film Festival - 12:30 PM / Boston Pubic Library
24 Doc ‘N Roll Film Festival UK - 2 PM / Dukes at Komedia, Brighton
26 Milwaukee Film Festival - 7 PM / Times Cinema
28 Athens International Film Festival - 7:00 PM / Odeon Opera 2
30 Milwaukee Film Festival - 12:30 PM / Oriental Theater #2
Oct 01 Vancouver International Film Festival - 8:15 PM / VIFF @ Vancity Theatre
2 Vancouver International Film Festival - 3:15 PM / VIFF @ Rio Theatre08 Queen City Film Festival - Cumberland MD - 4:05 PM / Cumberland Ramada
10 Buffalo International Film Festival - 5:30 PM / North Park Theatre
11 Vancouver International Film Festival - 6:00 PM / VIFF @ International Village 8
11 Mill Valley Film Festival - 6:15 PM / Sequoia 2
13 Mill Valley Film Festival - 8:45 PM / Century Larkspur
27 San Diego Jewish Film Festival - 7 PM / Lawrence Family JCC
www.bertberns.com
www.facebook.com/bangthebertbernsstory
Goldenlane Records To Release Ike & Tina Turner “The Complete Pompeii Recordings 1968-1969” 3-CD Set – Sept. 23, 2016
During a fascinating career that was as triumphant and groundbreaking as it was erratic and turbulent, Ike & Tina Turner became one of the most prolific recording duos of their time. Between 1960 and 1970 the pair cut wax for at least 10 different record labels resulting in nearly 70 singles and some 20 albums. Bear in mind, this was accomplished while the duo toured regularly both here and abroad (reportedly averaging some 300 shows a year), made innumerable television appearances, and managed to raise a family. “The Complete Pompeii Recordings 1968-1969” 3-CD set features material they released through Pompeii Records from 1968 and 1969 which resulted in the three complete albums represented here in mini sleeves that duplicate their original LP jackets along with informative liner notes, photos, and much more!
During a fascinating career that was as triumphant and groundbreaking as it was erratic and turbulent, Ike & Tina Turner became one of the most prolific recording duos of their time. Between 1960 and 1970 the pair cut wax for at least 10 different record labels resulting in nearly 70 singles and some 20 albums. Bear in mind, this was accomplished while the duo toured regularly both here and abroad (reportedly averaging some 300 shows a year), made innumerable television appearances, and managed to raise a family. “The Complete Pompeii Recordings 1968-1969” 3-CD set features material they released through Pompeii Records from 1968 and 1969 which resulted in the three complete albums represented here in mini sleeves that duplicate their original LP jackets along with informative liner notes, photos, and much more!
The 3-CD box set will be available starting September 23 from Goldenlane Records, a division of Cleopatra Records, Inc.
Track List:
DISC 1
1. Bet'cha Can't Kiss Me (Just One Time)
2. Ain't Nobody's Business
3. It Sho Ain't Me
4. Too Hot To Hold
Track List:
DISC 1
1. Bet'cha Can't Kiss Me (Just One Time)
2. Ain't Nobody's Business
3. It Sho Ain't Me
4. Too Hot To Hold
5. A Fool In Love
6. I Better Get Ta Steppin'
7. Shake a Tail Feather
8. So Fine
9. We Need An Understanding
10. You're So Fine
DISC 2
1. Cussin', Cryin' And Carryin' On
2. Poor Little Fool
3. So Blue Over You
4. Nothing You Can Do Boy (To Change My Way)
5. I'm Fed Up
6. You Got What You Wanted
7. Make 'Em Wait
8. Beauty Is Just Skin Deep
9. Thinking Black
10. Black Beauty
11. I Better Get Ta Steppin'
DISC 3
1. Thinking Black
2. Black Beauty
3. Ghetto Funk
4. Blacks' Alley
5. Getting Nasty
6. Black Angel
7. Funky Mule
8. Philly Dog
9. Scotty Souling
10. Up Hard
11. Nuttin' Up
12. Freedom Sound
To purchase “The Complete Pompeii Recordings 1968-1969” 3-CD Box:
http://flyt.it/ IkeAndTinaTurnerBoxCD
Man, what a COOL looking album cover!!! So this has to be that "in-between" time before Ike and Tina came back in a VERY big way with "Proud Mary" but after the unexpected failure of "River Deep, Mountain High". Billboard doesn't show any charted Pompeii hits for the married duo so these are almost like "lost tracks" that slipped thru the cracks some how ... probably VERY collectible for Ike and Tina Turner fans. Check it out at the link above. (kk)
Kent ...
Just read some of your comments.
Since "Superman" and "The Fugitive" are two of your favorites as well as mine, we keep watching them over and over again.
I was wondering if you do the same thing I do. I have to recite the whole intro, every time.
SUPERMAN = "Look Up In The Sky -- It's A Bird, It's A Plane" ---
THE FUGITIVE = "A Q.M. Production, starring David Jensen as Dr. Richard Kimble, innocent victim of blind justice."
Kenny Vance (The Planotones) has been on the sick list for the last two years.
Man, what a COOL looking album cover!!! So this has to be that "in-between" time before Ike and Tina came back in a VERY big way with "Proud Mary" but after the unexpected failure of "River Deep, Mountain High". Billboard doesn't show any charted Pompeii hits for the married duo so these are almost like "lost tracks" that slipped thru the cracks some how ... probably VERY collectible for Ike and Tina Turner fans. Check it out at the link above. (kk)
Kent ...
Just read some of your comments.
Since "Superman" and "The Fugitive" are two of your favorites as well as mine, we keep watching them over and over again.
I was wondering if you do the same thing I do. I have to recite the whole intro, every time.
SUPERMAN = "Look Up In The Sky -- It's A Bird, It's A Plane" ---
THE FUGITIVE = "A Q.M. Production, starring David Jensen as Dr. Richard Kimble, innocent victim of blind justice."
Kenny Vance (The Planotones) has been on the sick list for the last two years.
Kenny just finished a studio album. He will be premiering it on "Wild Wayne's Memory Machine" sometime during October. He's not ready to do live shows yet.
I know it's a little early but here's a sneak peak at a partial lineup for 1/15/2017, "Bowzer's Rock and Doo-Wop Show" at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
Headlining = Jay Black and Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon plus Bill Haley's Comets (Sax and Drums original members) and Jay Siegal's Tokens.
More to come.
Frank B.
I won't say that I've NEVER run through the narrative introductions to those two classic shows. (lol)
Speedy recovery to Kenny Vance, long a list favorite.
And that Rock and Doo-Wop show sounds amazing ... and it'll only get better from there. Way to go, Bowzer (who is also a Forgotten Hits Reader and contributor)! (kk)
I know it's a little early but here's a sneak peak at a partial lineup for 1/15/2017, "Bowzer's Rock and Doo-Wop Show" at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
Headlining = Jay Black and Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon plus Bill Haley's Comets (Sax and Drums original members) and Jay Siegal's Tokens.
More to come.
Frank B.
I won't say that I've NEVER run through the narrative introductions to those two classic shows. (lol)
Speedy recovery to Kenny Vance, long a list favorite.
And that Rock and Doo-Wop show sounds amazing ... and it'll only get better from there. Way to go, Bowzer (who is also a Forgotten Hits Reader and contributor)! (kk)
