I love it!
Tom Cuddy sent me an article about the impending retirement of Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond and Paul Simon where the writer (Roger Friedman) speculates that this will leave The Rolling Stones (with a combined age of 700) as the oldest act still out there touring!
He also speculates that for Simon’s final shows, to be held at Madison Square Garden in New York, he will be joined for the final time by Art Garfunkel. (I guess if it’s going to happen anywhere, THIS would be the place.)
Hopefully the whole teary event will be filmed and televised so that the rest of the world can enjoy it, too. Stay tuned!
Kent,
The Fab Four put on a wonderful show Friday night and we (my wife and I) want to thank you again for the tickets.
We had the opportunity to meet the boys backstage for a quick photo shoot and quite frankly I had “goosebumps” with my mind going back 54 years ago when my folks let us watch the Sullivan show. My Dad commented on their “long hair” but my six brothers and sisters and I were just so mesmerized by the music. Many years later my Dad admitted that he thought they were pretty cool guys and liked their sound.
The audience on Friday seemed really into it … they knew all the words and probably the thing that I remember most was an early 20’s guy who was with his parents singing and clapping along to the great songs. Gives me a good feeling that the Beatles will continue on with the younger generation. There will never be anything like them.
Thanks again for a special night.
Jay Grizzle
The Fab Four put on a wonderful show Friday night and we (my wife and I) want to thank you again for the tickets.
We had the opportunity to meet the boys backstage for a quick photo shoot and quite frankly I had “goosebumps” with my mind going back 54 years ago when my folks let us watch the Sullivan show. My Dad commented on their “long hair” but my six brothers and sisters and I were just so mesmerized by the music. Many years later my Dad admitted that he thought they were pretty cool guys and liked their sound.
The audience on Friday seemed really into it … they knew all the words and probably the thing that I remember most was an early 20’s guy who was with his parents singing and clapping along to the great songs. Gives me a good feeling that the Beatles will continue on with the younger generation. There will never be anything like them.
Thanks again for a special night.
Jay Grizzle
It is IMPOSSIBLE not to enjoy the show these guys put on … and it was great to see Beatles fans of EVERY age out in the audience that night having a ball. DEFINITELY something you want to see if they’re coming to your area. (Here is a copy of their upcoming tour list):
Over the next five months, you can catch The Fab Four in Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Oregon, Ohio, Washington, DC, New York, Colorado, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Louisiana, New Jersey and Kentucky. You’ll find all of the details at the website link referenced above. (kk)
Thanks to our FH Buddy (and Arcada Theatre Photographer) Luciano Bilotti, we’ve got a few more pix to share with you today. (Thanks, Lou! Good stuff!)
I attended the Arcada show on Sunday with the Cowsills, the Grassroots and Gary Puckett. Not sure if the show was sold out, but it was close.
The show opened with the Cowsills ... and they sounded great. Their harmonies were spot on, even when doing songs that were not theirs. They got the crowd up and happy. There was a lot of on stage bantering going on between them. Sometimes it was hard to understand who was saying what to whom. They were having a lot of fun on stage. Anyway they got the night off to a strong start.
Then the Grassroots performed. I thought they would have been the final act. They performed admirably. Mark Dawson sounded great. There was a lot of communication with the audience. One thing I did not agree with Mark saying that the audience in the balcony were the "cheap seats". There is nothing cheap about those seats. I personally choose the balcony as there is a better view of the stage. And the seats are nicer than the folding chairs on the main floor. Anyway I also wished they would have performed more of their hits as opposed to singing some songs from other artists, but they did a good job with the songs they performed. I think they have a more extensive catalog of their own songs they could have performed.
The final act was Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. Let me preface the following by saying that Gary did say at the beginning of their set that he was under the weather and that he would do his best and the show must go on. I admire him for trying and doing his best. However, for me, the performance seemed a little disjointed.
They started out showing on the video screen Gary singing some of their hits from the 60's. Not sure why they did this, but this is how it started. The show had a lot of talking between the songs. It seemed like more talking than singing. Gary also seemed to be having a lot of difficulty with the equipment and kept fiddling with it. And they also performed more of other artists’ songs than their own. There also was also a lot of audience participation prompted by Mr. Puckett. I am all for having a good time, but I want to hear the artists perform, not the audience.
All of the artists would be available after the show for pictures and autographs. Not sure that Gary should have done that as he was not feeling well. He probably should not have taken the chance and make things worse for himself or someone else. I also wish there could have been more promotional items for sale besides just some cd's. Just saying!
After Gary and the Gap were done, I felt less excited than after the Cowsills were done. Again, perhaps all of this was due to Gary not feeling well. I would gladly go to another show in the future and hope it would be a better performance. I feel that if the night ended with the Cowsills performing, the night would have ended on a higher note.
Most of these artists will probably stop performing in the next three to five years. Let’s go and see as many of these artists as we can and show them our appreciation for what they have contributed to our lives. Let's face it, they are getting older just like we are.
A.W.
I had asked Ron Onesti Friday Night who the headliner would be on Sunday and he told me Gary Puckett. The Cowsills nail it EVERY time I’ve ever seen them … it’s always a great, fun show of feel-good music … and as many times as they’ve done this, they seem to still be having fun up on stage, too. We have probably seen them five or six times over the past few years and they’re never in the much-deserving headline spot. (Heck, I’d love to see them do a full hour show!!!)
A few years back, they did a special Christmas Show at The Arcada that was a lot of fun. They all dressed up in their Ugly Christmas Sweaters … (well, I thought they were ugly!!!) and mixed in Christmas standards with a complete set of their own hits and covers … a VERY enjoyable show.)
I had really wanted to see this show but was told it was a sell-out. I wish they would bring more of these “package” shows to our area so we get a chance to see a wider variety of our favorite artists, even if this set-up does limit them to their five or six biggest hits. (kk)
By the way, Club Arcada (Ron’s third floor 1920’s Speakeasy) has Motown Legend Martha Reeves performing there every night, Thursday thru Sunday, as part of his Valentine’s Week concert series. Special dinner packages are currently available. More details at www.oshows.com.
The O’Jays announced on the CBS Sunday Morning program that they would be retiring in two years. Incredibly, two of the group’s founding members, Eddie Levert and Walter Williams, are still performing with The O’Jays today, some 60 years after the group was first formed at Canton McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio. (Amazing!)
Again, if you get the chance to see these guys on “Live From Daryl’s House,” do yourself a favor and check them out … they are in top form for this appearance, filmed just a year or two ago. (kk)
Monkee Micky Dolenz taped an appearance for Ray Stevens’ CabaRay in Nashville last week; performing “I’m A Believer,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “Last Train To Clarksville.” The show will air in April.
David Salidor
Kent –
IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT!
OF COURSE I HAD TO CHECK OUT ANOTHER TIME BY SAGITARIUS ON YOU TUBE … THEN I HAD TO LISTEN TO MY WORLD FELL DOWN BY THEM ... THEN THE OTHER VERSIONS LIKE THE ORIGINAL BY THE IVY LEAGUE AND THEN ANOTHER VERSION BY THE BUFFOONS. (YES, THE BUFFOONS. NEVER HEARD OF THEM, YOU SAY? WELL, I HAD TO DO SOME CHECKING! THEY ARE A DUTCH GROUP IN THE VEIN OF THE TOKENS / ASSOCIATION. FOR PEOPLE CURIOUS, LISTEN TO "TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY" AND "GOODBYE MY LOVE.” SO MUCH MUSIC … SO LITTLE TIME!
LOVE YA –
MIKE DE MARTINO
Our Saturday Survey feature is exposing folks all over the country to "new" music they may have missed the first time around ... LOTS of regional hits here for your enjoyment. Be sure to check it out EVERY Saturday in Forgotten Hits! (kk)
Our Saturday Survey feature is exposing folks all over the country to "new" music they may have missed the first time around ... LOTS of regional hits here for your enjoyment. Be sure to check it out EVERY Saturday in Forgotten Hits! (kk)
Herman's Hermits' version of Where Were You When I Needed You is definitely a "should've been" hit!
And honestly, this is the first time I've ever heard P.F. Sloan sing.
He was fabulous!
BOB FRABLE
kk:
Every time you mention Tommy Roe it makes me think about the song he recorded about the Kentucky Derby horse, instead of all his hits.
Good luck to him in his retirement years.
FB
You’re thinking of "California Chrome," which we Sneak Peeked in Forgotten Hits a few years ago. I love the fact that he wrote a follow-up piece covering whether Chrome won the race or not! That way he would still get airplay either way! Lol (That's Tommy ... always thinkin'!!! lol) kk
We heard from quite a few of you about the passing of Vic Damone yesterday.
While not a rock and roller (or really even a big part of our typical FH Era), Vic was a FINE singer who did score a Top Five Hit in 1956 with his beautiful reading of “On The Street Where You Live.” Between 1947 and 1953, he placed four other hits on Billboard’s Top Ten Best Sellers List, including the #1 Hit “You’re Breaking My Heart (1949). (His winning Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts Program in 1947 launched his career and earned him a recording contract.) He was one of Frank Sinatra’s favorite singers and actress / singer Diahann Carroll was one of his five wives. (kk)
