Friday, March 2, 2018

The Friday Flash

Sergio Mendes:
Oops!  I did it again!   

>>>A number of tunes were performed in Spanish … but the rhythmic beat was infectious … you couldn’t help but feel yourself move during his set. (kk) 
Yikes! It's Portuguese, not Spanish!  
Kristy


Kent, 
In your review of Sergio Mendes' show, you said he sang a few songs in Spanish.  I always thought, since his group is Brasil '66, that his other language was Portuguese, the language of Brazil, but in all these years, I never verified it.  Could you please verify the other language? 
I read your updates every day ... keep 'em comin'. 
Jon M 
40-year radio DJ in St. Charles
Radio. It's a sound idea!  
Yeah, I blew it … and the funny thing is I went back and forth on this one … and then just decided that Spanish was probably the more “universal language” that a good percentage of his audience would be able to understand.  My bad … shoulda done the research instead of trusting my gut.  (It has since been fixed.)  kk

Hi Kent -
Thanks so much for the review of the  'Sergio Mendez concert". 
What a time it was when Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass and Sergio and Brasil ’66 brought on their special sound of music.   
It brought back memories when WCFL Top 40 sheets featured fans and where they bought their records. I was one who was chosen with my photo on the sheet saying " I buy my records at "The Cermak Plaza Record Shop"!!  And as a prize, I got a copy of Herb Alpert's "Lonely Bull" Album!!!  What a thrill!
Keep up your FANTASTIC Forgotten Hits site ...
Carolyn

Hi Carolyn!
It wasn't the WCFL Survey ... they didn't switch over to Top 40 until late 1965.  It was the Top Tunes of Greater Chicago Chart ... the big, full-sized 8.5 x 11 sheet that was printed in red ink and distributed at record stores all over Chicago and the suburbs.  (In fact, Jim Peterik just mentioned this sheet a few weeks ago!)
And, believe it or not, thanks to our FH Buddy Ron Smith, we found the copy of this survey that has your photo on it!!!  Enjoy!  (kk)



Gee Whiz, is there anything you don't know!! LOL
My maiden name is Fiedler (pronounced feedler) and it was from my senior year in 1963.  Good Grief, where does the time go??!!
I may have a copy but it would take me awhile to try and locate it. I am a pack rat at heart. 
Keep up the Great Work!!
Carolyn

And, of course, the folks on THIS list are gonna want to see the front of that survey sheet, too ... from January of 1963!  (kk)

 
Thanks for sharing your review of the Sergio Mendes concert.
I was out of town. Would have loved to be there. 
Let me know if he’s coming back.
Neal Sabin / Me-TV-FM

kk:
Wonderful piece on Sergio Mendes. As we have discussed over the years, the name of the game is to be in it for 50 years, not 15 minutes. 
In 1966 and '67 I saw Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and one of the early concerts by Brazil '66 at Fairfax High School in West Hollywood at our school's gymnasium. Herb's gig was a benefit for earthquake relief in Mexico. Herb, a Fairfax High alum, had close ties with our 1964 - 1970 principal, James Tunney, who was also an NFL referee and official who worked a slew of Super Bowls.  
As a Child of Hollywood, I still am, my books and writing underscore this ongoing reality, those two concerts steered me further to the discovery of other A&M Records recording artists like Chris Montez, the Sandpipers, Burt Bacharach,  and the Baja Marimba Band with Julius Wechter, the marimba player with the Tijuana Brass.  In the process I became aware of arranger David Angel who in 1967 worked on Love's "Forever Changes" with the influential engineer / producer Bruce Botnick.  These seminal records pointed me to jazz stations like KBCA-FM in Los Angeles.  
I await the long form documentary currently being  produced on Sergio's fascinating career.   
In 2014, I interviewed the legendary engineer / producer Bones Howe for my book "Turn Up The Radio! Rock, Pop, and Roll in Los Angeles 1956 - 1972." Bones offered some stellar comments about AM radio in 1966 and Sergio Mendes and the recording session of "Mas Que Nada" that you and your readers might enjoy. 
BONES HOWE: The radio world in L.A. was the Wild West. Everybody was after everybody else’s ratings. Believe me … It was like a baseball game, and KHJ wanted to crush KRLA. One of the ideas behind KHJ was that the music keeps coming. So, except for the little short commercial breaks, they butted those records one up against the other, and talked over the intros and did promos over intros. Which is why you got to hear an extra song or two per hour, and a lot of good stuff. [Deejay] Real Don Steele’s talk and intros were like pieces unto themselves. I’d tune in just to hear them!
I met Bill Drake, who programmed the RKO chain and consulted on the playlist. He had been a disc jockey and loved being a DJ, but his thing was that he analyzed format. He was the guy who understood that format had a big effect upon the listening audience. He engineered that Boss Radio format, where the music was going all the time and the commercials were snuck in.  You can’t make good rock ’n’ roll records if you don’t listen to the radio, and I listened to the radio all the time when I wasn’t in the studio. The one wonderful experience is when you’ve heard your own record on the radio, and you know what you’ve done and hear what it sounds like. But, of course, by the time I was doing that, I had done records for Lou Adler and others and heard them on the radio. I knew what to do to make a record sound good on the radio. So that was a key.
Let me tell you what my audience is. It’s four girls in a Volkswagen Bug, listening to the music in a six-by-nine oval speaker in their car, going sixty miles an hour on the freeways. That’s what it’s about. Not about great speakers and hi-fi. Your audience was fourteen - to eighteen - year-old girls, mostly. They were the ones who bought the records.  
None of us really knew the how much influence the transistor radio was gonna have. The transistor radio was for the ball games. Studio guys had the thing in their pocket and an earphone; while they were recording, [they] were really listening to the Dodger game. What you had to do was listen to the radio and know what your records were gonna sound like when they got played. That’s how people went and bought them.
This is how loose AM radio was back then. Herb Alpert and I had known each other. He was sort of on the fringe of the jazz world. I got a call from him in 1966, and he wanted to do a session at Western Studio 3. “I’ve signed this Brazilian band, and I’ve got to do a single record with them. I’m going through the Brazil ’66 songs now, and I’ve got to get through this in three hours.”
So we go into the studio, and we do this song called “The Joker” from a Broadway show. Now, we’ve got half an hour and have to do a B-side. Sergio Mendes says, “I’ve got this song that we do that everybody likes. Let’s put it on the B-side.” [It was] “Mas Que Nada.”
I loved that session. The percussion elements — those were real players, not studio players. The difference between them playing “The Joker” and then, when they got cut loose, “Mas Que Nada” ... it was completely different, and just wonderful. It had so much energy. It carried the other side.  
Jerry [Moss] was a terrific promotion man. He took the “The Joker” record out and played it to a DJ, who said to him, “What’s on the other side?” He spun it. “We’ll put that on the radio.” Can you imagine?  The wonderful thing, later, about FM was that it was much truer to the studio mix than it was on KHJ, coming out of little car radios and all the rest of that. Because it was very squelched, very limited on AM." 
- Harvey Kubernik


FH Reader Tom Cuddy reports the passing of Bill Burkette, the original lead singer of The Vogues ... 

Kent: 
The lead singer of one of my favorite vocal groups of all-time died today (Thursday).  Bill Burkette, the original lead singer of the Vogues, had been fighting cancer.  The band never received the industry recognition they deserved for the many hits they delivered. 
I’m so happy in recent years PBS-TV featured Bill and the Vogues on one of their music specials, so a lot of fans got to see them  for the first time in years and the harmonies were still right on the money.  Their TV version on PBS of “Turn Around Look At Me” was note for note as good as the original late 60s version. 
Here an article for Bill’s hometown newspaper.
- Tom Cuddy
THE PBS performance was nothing short of stunning. 
If you’ve never seen it, check out this clip … I agree that this performance is every bit as great as the original recording!  (kk)
 


The Vogues' Hit List is pretty impressive, too ... after a couple of early pop hits, they kind of reinvented themselves as a soft-rock vocal powerhouse in the late '60's ... 
 
Here are their Top Ten Hits:
# 1 - FIVE O'CLOCK WORLD  (#3, 1966)
# 2 - YOU'RE THE ONE  (#4, 1965)
# 3 - TURN AROUND, LOOK AT ME  (#4, 1968)
# 4 - MY SPECIAL ANGEL  (#6, 1968)
# 5 - TILL  (#14, 1968)
# 6 - MAGIC TOWN  (#16, 1966)
# 7 - EARTH ANGEL  (#24, 1969)
# 8 - WOMAN HELPING MAN  (#27, 1969)
# 9 - NO, NOT MUCH  (#29, 1969)
#10 - THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY  (#29, 1966)
 

Our FH Buddy Barry Winslow of The Royal Guardsmen might be happy to hear about THIS event!  (Hey Barry ... let me know if this is enough to get you to make the trip to Chicago … would LOVE to finally be able to say hello in person!)

Check out all these Snoopy-related goings on at The Elmhurst History Museum over the next couple of months!!!

Watch for Snoopy in the Parade: 
Snoopy and friends will be marching in the Elmhurst St. Pat's Parade on March 10. Keep an eye out for his special dog house, hand-crafted by Elmhurst Heritage Foundation board member Mike LoCicero. See you on March 10!  
Snoopy and the Red Baron opens March 23
The World War I Flying Ace lands in Elmhurst for the first stop of this brand new exhibit from the Charles Schulz Museum in CA. The exhibit features Schulz's comic strip artwork, WWI artifacts, film, models and toys, and lots more. During the exhibit's run, we'll be collecting monetary donations to support Creative Sonoma, an arts program for children that is assisting victims in the aftermath of the Sonoma area wildfires.  More info 
Snoopypalooza offers Spring Break Fun for Families:
To kick off our Snoopy and the Red Baron exhibit, EHM is hosting Snoopypalooza from March 24 - 31 with many FREE and affordable activities for families. Kids will love the Snoopy Scavenger Hunt, Drop In and Draw Snoopy, Science of Flight STEM Party at the Library, and cool Snoopy Craft Time when participants will make aviator goggles and red scarves. Preschoolers are invited for a Snoopy Storytime & Dance Party on March 28 designed for toddlers and their caregivers. More info
April 7: The Peanuts Movie at York Theatre, 9:30AM 
We're excited to partner with Elmhurst City Centre and York Theatre to bring the 2015 Peanuts Movie to the big screen for a FREE showing. Snoopy will be on hand after the movie in City Centre Plaza for photo ops and other fun activities. 
Register Now for April Programs:
April 14: Family Cartooning Workshop, 2 PM –
Professional cartoonist Mark Anderson will be in the Ed Center for a hands-on on experience showing the basics of drawing and writing cartoons. For kids ages 6+ with an accompany adult. $10 per participant. Register online on Eventbrite  
April 22: The Real Red Baron: Manfred von Richthofen & the WWI Aviators, 2 PM –
This program is a must for adults interested in WWI history. Noted historian, author and professor Peter Fritzche from U of I at Champaign-Urbana presents a fascinating lecture on the notorious Red Baron and other flying aces from the Great War. Members FREE, $5 Non-Members. Register online on Eventbrite


Kent,
I was kind of waiting to see what kind of response you were going to get on this, but so far it seems very little. Actually at one point I had half a page devoted to my #1 over rated act, but I deleted it. Didn't feel like going into an extended rant. Besides I'm gonna catch enough grief for this list, so here goes.
#10 Garth Brooks -  I'm not sure if he should be idolized for putting a rock and roll mentality into country, or be lionized for it. To quote Mr. Kotal, I don't see it.
#9 ZZ Top - Almost 50 years of playing the same exact melody.
#8 Eric Clapton - Eric is about as much of a blues performer as I am.
#7 Journey - They were nothing before Steve Perry, nothing afterwards. A decent enough chart performance history, but you'd think based on airplay, that they were a massive hit making machine. They really weren't.
#6 Lynyrd Skynyrd - It's amazing what death by Rock And Roll can do for your career.
#5 Billy Joel - Had HE died in a plane crash, after Piano Man, he'd be a legend.
#4 Led Zeppelin - A band that never heard a blues song they didn't rip off. See #8 above.
#3 Pink Floyd - Still another band you would have thought was a hit making machine. They were interesting while Syd was in the group.
#2 Chicago - If I wanted to hear jazz, I'll listen to the real thing, not the watered down stuff these guys put out. Moreover, they haven't recorded anything interesting in over 40 years. Should have called it quits after Terry Kath died.
#1 The Beatles - Payola is a beautiful thing. However, it's possible without them, we might have not have heard of bands who did provide us with some interesting music.
Let the slamming begin!
Jack Levin

kk …
Remembering Frankie Lymon.
Frank B
Rock and Roll’s not always pretty … and here’s a perfect (and pretty powerful) example.
While the critics seemed to hate it, I quite enjoyed his biopic “Why Do Fools Fall In Love,” shown frequently on cable these days.  There’s a lot of fun to be had during those the two hour presentation (along with the harsh reality of what happened to Frankie along the way.)
The fight between all of his “wives” over the royalty money that would be coming in after Diana Ross cut a cover of his biggest hit is entertaining as hell. 
Watch it for pure entertainment enjoyment … and I think you’ll walk away satisfied.  (kk)

Frank B also send us this EXCELLENT clip recounting the history of the most-played record in the history of the rock era ... you GOTTA watch this one ... https://www.professorofrock.com/portfolio/youve-lost-that-lovin-feelin-the-righteous-brothers/

And here’s a vintage story about another one of our ‘50’s and early ‘60’s favorites …
kk …
Bobby Darin = LIFESAVER
FB

The City Winery has added E Street Band Drummer Max Weinberg to its lineup on April 18th.  Also coming (June 6th and June 7th) is Brian McKnight … and, celebrating their 50th Anniversary Tour, you can check out Tower Of Power for two nights on August 8th and 9th.  (kk)

We can’t wait to see these shows at The Arcada Theatre:
Burton Cummings: Up Close and Personal – March 23rd
NOTE:  A second show has just been added for March 24th!
Bobby Rydell and Lou Christie – April 15th
The Cornerstones of Rock – April 29th (featuring The Buckinghams, The Ides Of March, The New Colony Six, The Cryan’ Shames and The Shadows Of Knight)
Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night) and The Box Tops – May 4th
July 15th – The Arcada Doo-Wop Show featuring Jay Siegel’s Tokens, Larry Chance and the Earls, Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon and Ladd Vance, son of Kenny Vance

And, speaking of Kenny Vance ...

I'm not quite sure how doo-wop purists are going to feel about this one but PBS is airing another one of their infamous TJ Lubinsky / "My Music" pledge-drive concerts tomorrow night.
The concept is simple enough ... vintage doo wop acts performing with modern day artists to help more of this great music to cross over to a new generation.

Some of the show highlights include:
  • "Runaround Sue" – The Virginia Gentlemen with The Del-Satins
  • "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" – The Alley Cats with Jay Siegel's Tokens
  • "Book of Love" – The Tee-Tones
  • "Tonight, Tonight" – The Redondos
  • "You Belong To Me" – The Duprees with Chris Ruggiero
  • "Who's That Knockin'" – The Whiptones
  • "Sh-Boom" – Street Corner Renaissance
  • "1000 Thousand Miles Away" – Street Corner Renaissance with The Heartbearts
  • "The Angels Listened In" – JT Carter's Group with Peter Lemongello, Jr.
  • "The Worst That Could Happen" – JT Morgan and Brooklyn Bridge
  • "Dedicated To The One I Love" – The Lovettes
  • "This Magic Moment"– Justin & James, Charlie Thomas' Drifters, Jay & The Americans
  • "Those Magic Changes" – Johnny Contardo
  • "Oh, Rose Marie" – Freddy Velas & The Silvertones
  • "Come & Go With Me" – The Kingpins
  • "Born Too Late" – The Whatabouts
  • "Lollipop" – Shy Of A Dozen
  • "The Diary" – Kid Kyle
  • "My Prayer" – Frank Pizarro
  • "In The Still Of The Night" – Fred Parris & The Five Satins
  • "Stand By Me" – The Cat's Pajamas
  • "Since I Don't Have You" – The Modern Gentlemen and The Skyliners
  • "Angel Baby" – Gwynne Alden
  • "Looking For An Echo" – Kenny Vance & The Planotones with Entire Cast

Check your local listings for PBS airings in your area.

Thanks for the mention on the new Flock release. Maybe now I can once-again be semi-famous.
Fred Glickstein
Anything we can do to help!  (kk)

kk …
Have you heard about this death. ?
FB

No, I had not … but here’s the way Ron Smith covered it on his OldiesMusic.com website …
Barbara Alston, founder and lead singer of the Crystals on the hits "Uptown" (#12 - 1962) and "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" (#20 - 1962), died February 16 after suffering complications from influenza at a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was 74. The Brooklyn quartet were an integral part of producer Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" -- though not integral enough to keep him from using Darlene Love and the Blossoms on subsequent "Crystals" records, "He's A Rebel" and "He's Sure The Boy I Love". La La Brooks then replaced Barbara as lead on later hits. After leaving the Crystals, Barbara became an actress, appearing on television in "Kojak" and "Hill Street Blues".

>>>Hidden gems and glorious memories!  I am not sure how many of your readers experienced one of New England's greatest Bar Bands and Happy Hour performers on Cape Cod (Summers) and up in Vermont (Winters) from the late 60's to the early 90's.  THE FABULOUS FARQUAHR,  but I sure did!  So what a smile came over my being when I noticed the 40th and last song on the WPGC Survey from Feb 23, 1968 was 'Sister Theresa's Orphanage.'  You continue to amaze with your dedication to the sounds of our lives.  Thank you  (CharlieOFD)
>>>If there's any way you can send me an MP3 of that song tonight, I should be able to feature it in tomorrow's Comments Page ... otherwise, I’ll run it in a follow-up feature.  (kk)
Hooray, I found it!  Sister Theresa's Orphanage was early on, kinda during the Folksie era, on Verve. A better example of their Happy Hour songs are Cloud Nine Motel and My Eggs Don't Taste The Same Without You.  One of two songs I sent you was loved by me but maybe you really had to experience it. If you google Kings of Cape Cod or Fabulous Farquahr, some joyous stuff comes up.  Thousands of New England college kids enjoyed them late 1960's right up until the late 1990's. 
Dan McCarthy is the producer of a documentary called "Kings of Cape Cod," the story of the phenomenon that was the "scene" on Cape Cod from the 60's through the 90's. The coming together of college kids released from the ties of parental control, combined with relatively cheap beer, the magnificence of Cape Cod's beaches and their coming of age partying to the tunes of the Guitar Players at Happy Hours will never be replicated.
Cheers,
CharlieOFD




 


We recently set British DeeJay Geoff Dorsett up with an interview with Andrew Solt, the keeper of ALL of The Ed Sullivan Shows.  (We interviewed Andrew a few years back when the new Rolling Stones series was being released on home video.)
Geoff sent us this sound clip to share with our readers …

And you can read our piece here: 

And, if you haven’t already seen it, here’s a look at The Ed Sullivan Show (a staple for nearly all Americans on Sunday Nights) from BOTH sides of the screen …  
http://forgottenhits.com/forgotten_hits_remembers_the_ed_sullivan_show__from_both_sides_of_the_screen

You’ll find us in Oklahoma for this week’s Saturday Survey … be sure to stop back tomorrow and check it out!  (kk)
Kent,
At the end of today's FH, you mentioned you were going to be spotlighting surveys of Oklahoma this week.
Clark probably has sent you this one already, but I thought I'd send it to you as well and to highlight the songs that came in at positions
#5,13,15,19, 27, 29, 31, 32, 38 (who remembers this one?), 41, and the PIC HIT. These are records in my opinion that probably didn't make most of the other surveys out at the time.
Larry



Well, we have actually featured a couple of these tunes along the way … but you’re right, not many mass-appeal titles at those positions (although I always did like The Turtles’ “Sound Asleep.”) 
You’ll find a totally different chart featured here tomorrow for this week in 1968 … so please check back!  (kk)  

And, finally, Happy Anniversary to Scott Shannon, who celebrates his FOURTH Anniversary today of coming over to WCBS-FM!  (Man, it’s hard to believe it’s been four years already!)


One more tidbit from Frank B on the subject …

kk:
March 2, 2018 --- Scott Shannon's 4th Anniversary at WCBS - FM. 
Scott said he knew about Alan Freed and New York Radio … had no idea how he would make it from Indiana to New York. 
He must've figured it out, cause he's here.
Frank B
Well, he’s made a few more stops along the way between here and there … but hats off to a broadcast legend.  Happy Anniversary, Good Buddy!  (kk)