>>>
So … is anybody out there feeling particularly excited about this year's list
of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nominees???
(kk)
I know that I’m not.
In fact, I don’t know if I’ll even
vote this year … as I can’t find five acts that I consider deserving of such an
honor.
Def
Leppard??? Devo ??? Janet Jackson (again)? John Prine (rock and roll?) Kraftwerk
(again)? LL Cool J (again … and again and again … since this guy has NEVER
earned enough votes to gain induction, why does he continue to show up on the ballot? Hasn't your committee already spokenon this issue? Or, if this is yet another Jann Wenner thing, and you feel THIS strongly
about him, then just put him in and be done with it … because honestly NOBODY
CARES!!!) MC5 (again?) Radiohead? Rage
Against the Machine? Roxy Music? Rufus featuring Chaka Khan? (Sure, I love ‘em … and they’re hometown …
but Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame worthy???
They haven’t gotten in so far!) Stevie
Nicks (OK, maybe I can see this one … although she’s already in with Fleetwood
Mac. Is her solo material considered
that revolutionary? I’m not so
sure. To me, it’s just an extension of
what she’s always been doing … so why should she be singled out twice at the
expense of worthier artists who continue to get overlooked? Still, if I was gonna vote, I’d probably vote
for her in a “lesser than fifteen evils”
sort of way). The Cure? The Zombies?
(I was supposed to interview The Zombies last year had they gotten in …
but they didn’t and then everything sorta fell apart. It would be cool to see them make it, as they
were a pretty revolutionary act from The British Invasion … so they’d get my
vote.) And Todd Rundgren … the ONLY
artist on this ballot to make our DESERVING AND DENIED List from many moons
ago. (Yes, he would get my vote … and if
I HAD to pick five, then in addition to Todd and The Zombies, I’d probably go
with Stevie Nicks, Rufus and Janet Jackson … but more because I’ve enjoyed
their music than because of anything that I feel impacted and changed the face
of rock and roll … which is what this organization was SUPPOSED to be all about
back when it started. Needless to say,
they’ve strayed a little bit from that premise and mission statement over the
years!) Still, I don’t feel strongly
enough about these five to actually go over to the website and cast my
vote. Maybe I will later on … but right
now I’m just going to let all of this soak in first.
In
the meantime, if YOU want to cast your votes, you can do so here:
Kent,
You asked if anyone
was particularly interested and excited about this year's nominees to the
RRHOF.
What is the correct
and proper way to say HO-HUM?
Larry Neal
Every year when the new list of
nominees comes out I try to remain unbiased by reflecting back on the original
premise of this organization … and, with that thought in mind, I have to ask
you … is there ANY name on this list that took music to a new level? Did some of them create good music? Yes, of course they did. But did they change the course of
music??? I just don’t see it. (And by that thought alone I have to ask
again … for like the 20th time … why isn’t Ed Sullivan on this
list?!?!) kk
I guess it's time for the annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
debate. It's music's version of baseball's hall of fame debate. The difference
is, the rock hall doesn't care what a sleaze you are.
The way I see it, a case could be made for a couple of
nominees, but until past slights have been corrected, the only one I see who
deserves it, is Todd Rundgren ... not so much as having hit records, but as a
producer and easily a forerunner of DIY music. He showed that by cutting out a
band, an engineer, and producer, and doing it yourself, a performer doesn't
have to sell millions of albums.
Speaking of millions of albums, certainly Def Leppard sold
that and more, but what distinguishes them from any number of hard rock / heavy
metal bands from that era? A case could be made, but I vote no. If they have a hall of fame for quirky bands,
I'd vote Devo in, but that's not good enough. Maybe it's because they're from
Ohio. I can't even think of any solid reasoning behind this.
Janet Jackson? She, too, sold a gazillion records. Madonna
is already in. After that, all the other Prima Donnas, aren't any different.
Well, Janet did show us her boob. I suppose that's worth something. No way.
I like John Prine, and he’s a Chicagoan, too! But just
because I like him, isn't enough. Besides, aren't there enough new Bob Dylans
already enshrined? Sorry, John.
A case could be made for Kraftwerk ... at least they
brought something to the party. Every electronic dance band owes these guys. Is
one hit enough? Probably not, especially in lieu of who's not inducted.
L.L. Cool J? You got to be kidding. This has to be a case
of sucking up to the hip hop community. Besides, he's failed three times
already. Is Will Smith far behind? NEXT!
MC5 is a definite maybe. Certainly garage rock at it's
finest. Punk before it was called punk. I wouldn't object to their selection,
but it's not gonna disappoint me if they don't get in.
Radiohead could have a chance, but it’s way too early, again
in lieu of who's not in. I think this is more a critics’ choice. Let's see if
the music holds up over the years. Ditto for Rage Against The Machine.
Roxy Music is a borderline call. Had they been as
successful here, as they were in the UK, they'd be in. Certainly on the front
line of art / glam bands. I don't think it's enough to put them over the top.
Rufus makes three acts, with ties to the Chicago area nominated
this year. That's gotta be a record of some sort. Can Jim Peterik be far
behind? There are more deserving soul groups than Rufus.
If Stevie Nicks wasn't already in as part of Fleetwood Mac,
I'd say yes. In defense of her, she did write about half their charted singles.
She'll get in.
I like the Zombies, too. But this is a case of second and
sometimes third tier acts of a genre, now being nominated. Is Freddie & the
Dreamers next? They at least created the only dance I know how to do. Of course,
Chubby Checker isn't in either.
Let the debate begin!
Jack
It has gotten to the point that I
actually dread the announcement of new nominees. I’ve got to tell you, I’ve grown tired of our
annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame bashing … but they make it so damn easy!!!
That being said, since our very
first Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Series ran back in 2007, 22 acts that made our
original Top 40 Deserving and Denied and “Runners Up” Lists have been inducted
… so while it took a little longer than it should have in many … ok, most …
cases, they did eventually earn their rightful place in the Rock Hall.
That being said, The Rock And Roll
Hall of Fame seems to have found a niche in not inducting many of these
deserving artists until it is too late.
Linda Ronstadt, for example, was eligible for induction since 1992 … but
didn’t get in until 2014, by which time she had Parkinson’s Disease and could
no longer sing.
And how about passing over The Dave
Clark Five for a year, only to have Mike Smith pass away in the meantime before
they were rightfully inducted after being snubbed for a rap act instead the year
before. I’m sorry, but I’ll never
forgive The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for that one.
At least the past few years have
brought us some long overdue inductions like Yes, Chicago and The Moody
Blues. These “slow but sure” inductees
made me feel at least a glimmer of hope that The Rock Hall was trying to mend
their evil ways.
But this year’s list doesn’t have
one stand-out act among them … not one act where, universally, every music fan
can say “YES!!! They belong! They are finally being recognized.” And that’s a shame. (kk)
Talk about a couple of guys who belong in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ... Deserving and Denied ... And Then Some!!!
What could be better than a PBS Soundstage Television Special featuring Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman … or a tour featuring Bachman and Cummings performing together again with a full rock band?
What could be better than a PBS Soundstage Television Special featuring Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman … or a tour featuring Bachman and Cummings performing together again with a full rock band?
Well, how about BOTH?!?!?!?
After our comments ran in our Sunday
Comments Page, we received word that the dynamic duo are, in fact, planning to do BOTH … the tv show AND a tour … and are in the process of lining
up dates and venues now.
When we first revealed this amazing
news several months ago … a Forgotten Hits exclusive, by the way … we were told
that APA, the agency that books both artists individually, had been looking for
venues to host the tour being planned for next summer, 2019. Naturally, I immediately contacted Ron
Onesti, close personal friends with BOTH artists, to see if he could secure
some dates for The Arcada Theatre. (It
has been Ron’s personal mission to reunite these two one more time before they
officially hang up their rock and roll shoes … and who better to bring them to
Chicagoland?!?)
Ron will be personally involved with
the Soundstage show, as he is now our Chicagoland spokesman for these PBS musical
events … and several of these shows have now been filmed at The Arcada Theatre
in beautiful downtown St. Charles, IL.
So I’m sticking with our original
story, despite denials we’ve received from both camps … but solidified even further
by this announcement from APA themselves:
Bachman / Cummings –
SUMMER of 2019
2019 will see, for the
first time in a long time, a reuniting of the two original talents of The Guess
Who – Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings. Along with a full band, Bachman
Cummings will play all the hits of The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive
(BTO), along with their solo hits (Burton had multiple hit songs on the
Billboard Top 100).
We have a deal in
place for Bachman Cummings to film a PBS Soundstage special, which will then be
aired at a national level. This will be a huge marketing tool for the
tour.
I
dunno … it all sounds pretty legit to me … maybe just something they're not ready to announce to the world yet until all of the pieces are in place ... but I, for one, can’t wait to see these two
together again. (Maybe they’ll even do a
couple of tunes from their “Jukebox” CD, released back in 2007!) kk
Now here's an interesting and unusual album concept ...
Capitol Records (UME) has announced a new 18-track CD of songs Glen Campbell recorded for "The King," Elvis Presley.
The original concept was to have Glen record what were effectively demos (although these were fully produced studio creations) in the style of Elvis Presley that The King could use as a guideline for recording these tracks himself at a later date ... which is exactly what he did on 12 of the 18 songs. These were used primarily on his movie soundtracks but still, it's going to be pretty cool to hear Campbell's original "guideline" tracks. (The CD even features a posthumously created duet of Elvis and Glen singing the gospel tune "We Call On Him," which kicks off the album.)
You'll find more details here:
FH Reader Tom Cuddy sent us this sad
but true, interesting observation from Don Henley of The Eagles, courtesy of
Premier Radio Networks …
Though
the Eagles are enjoying great success on the road (they played Madison
Square Garden a couple of times this week), Don Henley says he
knows that would not be the case if they recorded new music.
Don
Henley, in an interview with Australia 's The Sunday Project, on if the Eagles
will record new music:
"There's
a thing in the music business called ageism and if we made the best album we'd
ever made next week and put it out next month they probably wouldn't play it on
the radio."
The
Eagles' last studio album was 2007's Long Road Out of Eden.
Up
next is another compilation -- Eagles Legacy -- a 12-disc set for
release on November 2nd. –Courtesy of Premiere Radio Networks
-Tom
Cuddy
While I agree whole-heartedly with
Don Henley’s assessment … and it’s a REAL shame that the music business has
come to this … that just brings to light, more than ever, the INCREDIBLE fact
that 76 year old Paul McCartney just had the #1 Album in the Country … and
earned hundreds of millions of YouTube views in the process of his promotional campaign. Pretty frickin’ amazing! (kk)
Tom also sent us this interesting
article on the new Bradley Cooper / Lady GaGa remake of “A Star Is Born,” which
pays tribute to the legendary Roy Orbison.
(We haven’t been able to see this yet … Frannie’s trip to the hospital
this past weekend wiped out all other plans … and, for those of you who have
asked, yes, she’s finally home now (after a four day hospital stay) and doing
well after emergency gall bladder surgery.
We’re all very happy to have her home and out of pain!
Interesting to see that, just like they did with Elvis, a Royal Philharmonic "sequel" album of Roy Orbison tracks is in the works! (kk)
A
Star is Reborn: Roy Orbison Reemerges With a Surprise Tribute in Bradley
Cooper’s Hit Musical
https://variety.com/2018/music/news/roy-orbison-tribute-a-star-is-born-1202971833/
https://variety.com/2018/music/news/roy-orbison-tribute-a-star-is-born-1202971833/
Hi Kent,
Ran across this video and thought you, Chuck Buell, and some of your readers would enjoy a bit of WLS history. I worked at a radio station years ago that J.J. Jeffrey and his business partner Robert "Doc" Fuller co-owned in Colorado. They were great to work for!
Peace,
Tim Kiley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc13-8rdxqg
This is really quite a line-up of major deejays: Chuck Buell, John Landecker, J.J. Jefferies, Larry Lujack, Bill Bailey, Fred Winston, Gary Gears were all prominent voices her in Chicago during this era. Fun to see this again … thanks for sending. (kk)
And, thanks to an astute Forgotten Hits Readers, we are happy to report that another mystery has been successfully solved ...
>>>Around about 1966 I was in a garage band and we
covered a great song that was a regional hit in the NY - NJ area. All I can
remember is the first line of the lyrics and what I recall about the title. The
first line was “You’ve been talking to my girl and I don’t want you to” and I
believe the title contained the word “talk”. I’m hoping you or one of your
readers can help me identify the song and the artist. Thanks.
(Frank Jeckell, Founding member of the 1910 Fruitgum Company)
I must've missed Frank
Jeckell's initial call-out for a song lyric.
>>>Wondering if you've
gotten any hits on my lyric search "You've been talking to my girl and I
don't want you to". Thanks. (Frank Jeckell)
First tune that
immediately popped into my head was "Stop" by the Moody Blues. Might not be the tune in question, but the
first lyric is:
So you talk to my girl when I don't want you to, want you to
So you talk to my girl when I don't want you to, want you to
It's up on youtube, along
with a cool unreleased alternate version.
As zillions of tunes
spin 'round inside my noggin 24-7, I'm sure I'll think of another at some
point.
P.S. - Frank, any tapes, like rehearsals, or demos in existence for your pre-1910 combo, Jeckell & the Hydes? Would love to hear anything!
P.S. - Frank, any tapes, like rehearsals, or demos in existence for your pre-1910 combo, Jeckell & the Hydes? Would love to hear anything!
Mike Markesich
This
is a new one on me ... it went to #89 in 1966 in Record World ... but only
spent one week at #98 in Billboard. Could this possibly be the tune
you’re thinking of, Frank? (kk)
That's it! Thanks and thank your reader.
I heard this song when
it was first released and even though it never got much chart action, I fell in
love with it and did it with my band at the time. We called ourselves the
Felonious Monks and we wore monk robes when we gigged. LOL Been
looking for this one for a very long time and I'm happy now that I've got it
again. :-)
Frank
Here’s
some news that will definitely make Dave The Rave a happy camper!
In 1966, Richard &
the Young Lions released a 45 that was a regional hit first in Seattle and then
spreading quickly to the midwest and east coast.
Within about a year and
two more 45 releases, the band broke up, seemingly to be forgotten.
However, fans of garage rock would not let the band be forgotten, and in 1999,
after decades of not playing together or even knowing what happened to the band
members, things came together allowing them to reform and eventually record
again. It became the project known as "the album we never got to
make." Now, almost TWENTY years after THAT moment, we have that
album released on CD. I just got my copy and believe me, it was worth the
wait.
Released on Stevie Van
Zandt's Wicked Cool Records and with notes by my buddy and band drummer,
Mark "the Twig" Greenberg, and original 1972 Nuggets LP liner notes
written by Lenny Kaye, this "album" gives us a glimpse of what
R&YL could have been in 1966/7. Besides two original 45s in pristine
sound and two new versions of two group 45s, there's loads of original tunes
and a few covers. When I heard these songs, visions of the Leaves, Yardbirds,
early NC6, Magicians, Litter, early Buckinghams, Spencer Davis Group, Balloon
Farm, ? & Mysterians, Shadows of Knight and more classic 60's garage bands
came to mind. Richard's vocals are great. The playing is
AWESOME. I especially love the guitar work. There's so much going
on in these tracks that it would be hard to imagine the band doing them live.
Beside the core group of four providing vocals, drums, bass and guitar, an
additional ten artists add their talents to the nine newly recorded
tracks. And get this … this is Volume 1 only! Volume 2 will come in
time.
It only took 52 years to
get an album released and 18 years to get the recorded tracks here to
fruition! That's what I call taking time to get it right. Believe
me, they DID! Fuzz, hot vox organ, wailing harmonica, groovy 60's lyrics
(including an "Open Up Your Door" tribute written by Stevie VZ!),
GREAT guitar layers and even some brass at times are all coordinated into a
1966 / 2018 masterpiece. Too bad it wasn't on vinyl, too, as the pics and
graphics are owed better than a CD booklet can give.
You can order this new
slice of 1966 here:
Their website:
And, you can buy a way
cool video history DVD of the band there, too!
Clark Besch
