The Saturday Surveys (April 21st)

4-15-68 - WQXI - Atlanta, Georgia 

As could be guessed, Atlanta's top 40 station's list in 1968 was top heavy on RNB music.  In fact, I doubt you will see another top 40 survey in this year's FH feature to have so many soul records in its top 20 list.  

It is doubtful many of you have even heard the #1 song here by Ollie & the Nightengales.  Beginning as a top gospel group in Memphis, this group soon found its way to recording secular music for Stax Records, like other gospel bands of the era.  Their "I Got a Sure Thing" knocked the Wicked Pickett off the top this week in 1968 in the ATL.  

This survey featured QXI's album of various hits for sale.  Alike last week's KIMN album, both (and many others) were on the Take 6 label and featured some of the same recent hits on them -- but no bonus 45s.

-- Clark Besch

Ollie and the Nightingales (originally The Dixie Nightingales) got as high as #73 on Billboard's Top 100 Pop Singles Chart.  It's not a bad song ... just not necessarily what one would consider #1 material when stacked alongside some of these other major '60's R&B artists.  (Talk about your reverse discrimination ... it looks like The Beatles, Johnny Rivers, Simon and Garfunkel, The Rascals and Bobby Goldsboro are the only white faces in this week's Top 20!)

THIS WEEK IN '68:  

4/15/68:  Aretha Franklin records “Think” … it will reach #7 on the pop charts a couple of months later

4/19/68:  John Lennon and George Harrison leave Rishikesh, India, two weeks earlier than originally planned, disillusioned with their studies under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.  (Paul and Ringo had already returned home earlier.)  Soon after all four Beatles would renounce their association with The Maharishi.

4/20/68: The Rolling Stones record “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”

Deep Purple perform in concert for the first time in Jastrup, Denmark.  Four months later their version of “Hush” will debut on the US Charts.

4/21/68:  Tom Jones performs “It’s Not Unusual” and “Delilah” on The Ed Sullivan Show.  (Despite extensive checking, I could not find official documentation as to just how many socks he had stuffed in his pants for this performance.)

Thursday This And That

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:

Just saw your note on the six singles that were recently “inducted” into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  I’m not sure if you’re aware that the Hall of Fame already did something similar to this back in 2004 when they presented their list of “The 500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll.”  They just recently added another 160 titles to that original list.  You can find a list of all the songs here: http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/halloffame.htm 

We have noted that original 500 list under each title in our most recent Top Pop Singles book.  In fact, I just noticed that we did note those additional 160 R&R Hall of Fame songs in our most recent Top Pop Singles book, so they must have been added a while ago.

Thanks!

Paul Haney / Record Research

kk: 
You mentioned that "Rocket 88" by Jackie Breston (1951) is considered by many to be the first Rock and Roll recording. 
That's true. There are others to consider.
Wild Wayne thinks that "The Fat Man " by Fats Domino ( 1949 ) is the first Rock and Roll recording. I think its Bill Haley's recording of "Rock Around The Clock" ( 1955 ). Because of the movie "Blackboard Jungle,"  this song is better known than the others.   
As far as the first song inductees into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, I can't believe that "Earth Angel" by The Penguins and "In The Still Of The Night" by The Five Satins and "Rock Around The Clock" weren't included in the class of 2018. 
Frank B.

Frank also sent us these highlights from the induction ceremony, courtesy of WCBS-FM.  (The HBO television special begins airing on May 5^th.)

https://wcbsfm.radio.com/blogs/maura-omalley/watch-highlights-last-night-s-rock-hall-induction-ceremony?utm_source=second-street&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email+008

Thanks, Kent. Finally! After being overlooked and misunderstood by the keepers of the keys, it looks like the door to the Rock and Roll Hall is opening for some more of the originators of the genre. It’s about time. Tommy Roe

Long overdue, for sure.  Hopefully they will continue the tradition and recognize more of the innovators while there are still some of us around to remember and appreciate them!!!  (kk)

You Don’t Own Me:

Classic interview with John Madara. Great to see it again. 
Carl Wiser

www.songfacts.com

Great stuff, kk 
Chet Coppock  

Hi Kent - 
What a FANTASTIC edition of  Lesley Gore and "You Don't Owe Me."  I enjoyed reading all of the ‘insights' from not only Lesley Gore but the composers, Madera and White!!   
It is truly one of Rock n Roll's Anthem Songs that will live on forever. 
And adding the You Tube versions of the various artists that performed  this song was an added treat!!  
I was fortunate to see Lesley Gore perform 'You Don't Own Me" at a Wheeling Summer Fest when she was appearing with Lou Christie on the same bill.  
THANK YOU AGAIN......  
Carolyn

Lesley and Lou toured together frequently – they also did some recording together.  (Never got the chance to see this pairing … too bad as I’m sure it was a GREAT show!)

I’m hoping Lou will share a memory or two with our readers … stay tuned!  (kk)

The Lesley Gore song "You Don't Own me" DOES have the Women's Lib Movement idea behind it, but it was a pretty innocent idea at the time, IMO.  I suggest that Lesley herself really had no idea of treating the song as an anthem, especially considering she followed that hit with these lyrics in "That's the Way Boys Are" … and next up was "Maybe I know that he's been cheatin' but what can I do?"  
So, if you wish to put the great song talked of ( and don't get me wrong, I love the songs of Lesley) up on a pedestal, you must follow with the several songs saying it was OK for boys to treat her badly???
Lyrics from "That's the Way Boys Are":  
When I'm with my guy and he watches all the pretty girls go by
And I feel so hurt deep inside, I wish that I could die
Not a word do I say
I just look the other way
'Cause that's the way boys are
That's the way boys are  
When he treats me rough and he acts as though he doesn't really care
Well, I never tell him that he is so unfair
Plus, he loves me and I know it
But he's just afraid to show it
'Cause that's the way boys are
That's the way boys are  
Clark Besch

I see your point … but this also makes “You Don’t Own Me” stand out as even MORE revolutionary.  The fact that female artists were willing to sing these types of lyrics and condone this type of behavior is pretty eye-opening.  You just don't think of this type of attitude as being reflective of the times.  "You Don't Own Me" drew a line in the sand and basically said, "I'm not putting up with your shit anymore."  It marked a HUGE step forward in women standing up for themselves and demanding a little bit of R-E-S-P-E-C-T.  (kk)

This And That:  
MICKY DOLENZ, prepping for his upcoming June tour with Michael Nesmith (The M&M Tour) will appear at next weekend’s (4-27-28) EC Comic Con in Secaucus, New Jersey, and will be presented with the key to the city from its Mayor, Mayor Michael Gonnelli, at a Micky / Make A Wish event.
Dolenz will also sing the National Anthem on Sunday, July 1^st, at Citizens Bank Field in Philadelphia, as the Phillies play the Nationals.

Kent: 

We had Chubby Checker on WOR Radio in NYC today.  The co-hosts of Len Berman and Michael Riedel were talking about last weekend’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in Cleveland and were upset that Chubby was still not inducted ... so they arranged for Chubby to call in to talk about the HOF and an upcoming Long Island, NY appearance with Mary Wilson and Martha Reeves.

I have attached a recording of WOR’s interview with Chubby. 

Tom Cuddy 

Nice tribute to our FH Buddy Scott Shannon in AdAge …

http://adage.com/article/media/shower-a-dj/313107/

Before you get your tickets to see The Bay City Rollers, you'd better ask Ron to confirm who is in that band, Kent ... from what I've read, there have been multiple bands recently touring by that name ... something that's occurred with a bunch of groups over the years, as you're well aware.

BOB FRABLE

Yeah, I did a bit of checking online myself trying to pin down the line-up with no real success.  We saw Kyle Vincent perform as a “former member of The Bay City Rollers” a few years ago … he told me later that he was something like the 21^st Roller and was in the band about a minute and a half … still, he’s an incredible entertainer with a GREAT voice and he put on a very entertaining show, also handling the lead vocals for Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods.  (I don’t think Kyle’s involved in this show but it’d be cool if he was.)

It’s definitely a “buyer beware” situation … but it’ll also be a fun-filled evening of feel good music … so I think we just may risk it and go.  (kk)

And Vintage Vinyl News is reporting the end of The Searchers, one of the best harmony bands to come out of The British Invasion …

Add another artist to the growing number who are going into retirement.
The Searchers have announced that a performance on March 31, 2019, will be the last for the group. Frank Allen, who has been a member since 1964, made the announcement in the new Searchers Newsletter, saying that he and John McNally, who has been a member since their 1957 start, made the decision for a number of reasons.
For Allen, it was the travel, but much more than just being away from home. "For some time I have become increasingly weary of the travelling side of the life we have led for more than five decades. It reached the point where I no longer wanted to get in a car. When I am at home I drive only if I have to. If I dine out in London, I take the tube these days. A few paltry local miles a day when necessary is enough for my needs and if or when I eventually downsize to a new home it will be within walking distance of an underground station."
He did suggest that McNally carry on with the group and just replace him but, with John being 76, "I don’t think he has the heart to take on such new responsibilities at this time of life. It’s a shame. I think he could have presented the band in a different way and make a great success of it."
The two originally decided to close thing up by the end of 2018 but further discussions between McNally and their promoter, Alan Field, added a final solo tour which went through the end of March of the next year. Even a very lucrative final tour of Australia had to be turned down.
The decision has also been made to not sell the name or license it to any other musicians, just in case they want to, no matter how short of a time, come out of retirement.
Allen finished "So let’s look on the bright side. We still have nearly a year to go during which we can all look back on some wonderful times and enjoy a few more evenings together. John and I, along with Spencer [James, who joined in 1986] and Scott [Ottaway, who joined in 2010] of course, hope to see you at another concert very soon. Let`s make this final year something special."
The Searchers originally formed as out of a Liverpool area skiffle group in 1959 by McNally and Mike Pender. They had their first hit with "Sweets For My Sweet" (1963 / #1 U.K.) and went on to hit the U.K. top ten with "Sugar and Spice" (1963 / #2 U.K. / #44 U.S.), "Needles and Pins" (1964 / #1 U.K. / #13 U.S.), "Don't Throw Your Love Away" (1964 / #1 U.K. / #16 U.S.), "When You Walk In the Room" (1964 / #3 U.K. / #35 U.S.) and "Goodbye My Love" (1965 / #4 U.K. / #52 U.S.). In America, their only top ten was "Love Potion No. 9" (1964 / #3 U.S.).

The end of another era …

To Our Valued Patrons -

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share that after 18 wonderful years bringing you live performances by some of the most talented names in music and entertainment, we have announced our final run of shows in the current Times Square location. As a result of escalating rent, we are being forced to close our doors at the end of April. While we are in the process of selecting a new location in Manhattan to relocate the venue, we wanted to curate a special closing week celebration to thank you all for your support over the past two decades. None of this would have been possible without you and we are eternally grateful! 

The celebration will consist of performances by Rick Ross (4/23), Slick Rick & Doug E Fresh (4/25), El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico (4/26), George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (4/28), and Buddy Guy (4/29), who will be headlining the final B.B. Blues Club show. See below for the current schedule and ticket links.

All shows scheduled beyond the April 29th closing date will be moved to various venues throughout the city.  The weekly Sunday Gospel Brunch featuring The Harlem Gospel Choir will give their two final performances on April 22nd & 29th, and we are currently working with the group to find a new home for their weekly residency which will be announced shortly.  Lucille's Grill, located inside the venue, will remain open until April 29th and will feature sets by club favorites B.B. King Blues Club All-Stars, Jon Paris, A Decade of Soul, and more.

We look forward to celebrating the past and looking toward the future with you all. Your patronage means the world to us and we cannot thank you enough. We will see you soon! 

Sincerely,

The B.B. King Blues Club & Grill Family 

This breaks my heart!! I love the BB King trips. Going in on the train, a night of great artists at BB’s, a beautiful hotel, and a train ride home next day. NO!!!! 

Shelley J Sweet-Tufano

While I’ve never been there, we have been able to give tickets away to special shows held at BB King’s New York several times in the past for our East Coast Readers.  It’s a shame to see any long-standing venue like this close its doors simply because they can no longer afford to keep them open … proof again the big business trumps any sentimental attachment again and again.  Too bad … but it does sound like they’re trying to present these shows in other venues … so hopefully they can still keep things going for a little while longer.

How fitting, though, that it’ll be Chicago Blues Legend Buddy Guy who does the last performance.  (kk)

Harvey Kubernik’s Summer Is Gone is an anomaly in a jungle of Jim Morrison tomes. While other literary endeavors focus on exploiting the folklore, Mr. Kubernik reveals the bare-bones of the Doors of perception. There is an old saying, “When you have the choice of printing the truth or the legend, print the legend.” Wisely, Kubernik veers away from mythology and gives the back story from insiders’ points of view, of the people who were there, who were now and present in that time that we shall never see again.

-         Jan Alan Henderson, author of Crypt 39, Speeding Bullet, Behind the Crimson Cape (the cinema of George Reeves), contributor to FilmFax Magazine, Cult Movies, and American Cinematographer 

 “Harvey Kubernik's newest book The Doors Summer's Gone gives the reader a more intimate knowledge - no holds barred - at times into the life and times of The Doors.    

    “Through the eyes and pen of Kubernik and his very many interviewees, I feel as I have been transported back to the magical years of the mid- to late '60's. 

   “Kubernik's last two books, his literary anthology Inside Cave Hollywood & 1967 A Complete Rock Music History of the Summer of Love shows all that this prolific writer ain't just whistlin' dixie.  Don't say that I'm not warnin' ya 'all.  This is some great human stuff, man!”   

Carlos "Cake" Nunez, former 'scribe for fLiPSiDE Fanzine (who is currently doing research for his upcoming autobiographical book about his experiences and friendship during his Punk Rock college days (1984 - 1987 and his eventual hook-up with fLiPSiDE Fanzine (1990 - 1999)

I’m actually reading this book right now and it’s really quite fascinating.  Once again Harvey has taken key elements from the interviews he’s done over the past 40+ years and woven them into a very descriptive perspective of The Doors, both musically as personally. (For those of you keeping score, Kubernik is averaging a new book about every 13 days now … I don’t know how the hell he does it!!!  But he has a wealth of material to draw from, having had his hands in every aspect of the music business for the past several decades.)

The book is brilliantly put together and even the most casual Doors fan will enjoy the fly-on-the-wall memories who were there from the beginning and caught these guys performing in the clubs before and after their first record was ever released.  The way the band grew in fan appeal (and mythical proportions) is unbelievable.  Highly recommended.  (kk)

Chuck Negron, formerly of Three Dog Night, will be joined by fellow vintage pop rock group "The Box Tops" at the Arcada Theatre on Friday, May 4. Audiences will leave the co-headline whistling the soundtrack of the 60s and 70s, re-living classic hits such as "Joy To The World," "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)" and "One" as well as "The Letter," "Cry Like A Baby" and "Soul Deep."

Chuck has been captivating audiences for over five decades with his iconic four octave range, unique humor and brilliant storytelling. His latest 2017 solo album, “Negron Generations,” features his two youngest daughters as well as original Three Dog Night drummer Floyd Sneed. Chuck recently announced his return to the highly successful "Happy Together Tour 2018," hosted by The Turtles. From his first single at age 15 to today, Chuck has learned that music transcends all barriers and differences that people might have: “That’s the power of music.”

In 2015, original bassist / vocalist Bill Cunningham and original guitarist / vocalist Gary Talley teamed up with veteran music industry bandleader / manager Rick Levy to bring the Box Tops music back to waiting audiences. The Box Tops' set list highlights their hit records and, equally importantly, Memphis music of the 60s, especially some of the songs that influenced the members as young teens growing up in such a musical hotbed. The show is complete with horns and promises musical history that is HIP!

Tickets for the 8:00 pm show are available at oshows.com.

We’re looking forward to this one … should be a great night of music.  (We saw The Box Tops and Chuck Negron perform together on The Happy Together Tour a couple of years ago.)

By the way, the revised edition of Chuck Negron’s incredible biography “Three Dog Nightmare” is now available.  There are eleven new chapters and over a hundred new photos, bringing the story up to date.  You can order your autographed copy here:

http://www.chucknegron.com/shop/#!/Three-Dog-Nightmare-4th-Edition-Book-*PRESALE*-Signed-by-Chuck-Negron-Ships-Early-December/p/93479653/category=17954031

You Don't Own Me

After seeing Ann Wilson, formerly of Heart, perform one of my all-time favorite songs from the '60's (and any OTHER era for that matter) at the PBS Soundstage Taping at The Arcada Theatre, I decided to resurrect my interview with John Madara, one of the song’s writers, for the benefit of those of you who may have missed it when it first ran way back when.

YOU DON'T OWN ME, the torchy ballad sung by LESLEY GORE, went all the way to #2 on The National Charts (and TOPPED the charts here in Chicago) back in early 1964.

In hindsight, YOU DON'T OWN ME has come to be referred to as perhaps the very first anthem of the Women's Liberation Movement.  (Yes, that means that LESLEY was "roaring" eight years before HELEN REDDY picked up the idea!) Keep in mind that this was an era where other Girl Groups and Female Artists were singing things like I CAN'T STAY MAD AT YOU (by SKEETER DAVIS) and HE HIT ME (AND IT FELT LIKE A KISS) by THE CRYSTALS. I couldn't help but wonder if that was the ORIGINAL intent of these lyrics when the song was first written.

JOHN MADARA: Our original intent was to write a song with a woman telling a man off ... "don't tell me what to do, don't tell me what to say." Though we didn't realize it at the time that it would become a woman's anthem, it definitely was our intention to have a woman make a statement. I believe when Joan Jett's recording came out, there were a lot of articles written regarding the lyric content as a "woman's liberation" song, and has continued to make the same statement through the years with the many films it has been in, i.e., "Dirty Dancing," "Hairspray" and the featured song in "The First Wives Club," which, of course, was a story about wives getting back at the ex-husbands.

kk / FORGOTTEN HITS: Was the song specifically written with LESLEY GORE in mind? Quite honestly, up to THIS point, her hit songs leaned toward more straight ahead, feel good, up-tempo pop ... (although I guess she DID enjoy some good-natured / mean-spirited revenge with JUDY'S TURN TO CRY!!!)

JM: "You Don't Own Me" was originally written for Maureen Gray, but at an A&R meeting at Mercury Records in 1963, we played the song for Quincy Jones, who was also on the A&R staff at Mercury. He loved the song and thought we should play it for Lesley Gore at a forthcoming Mercury Records convention at Grossinger's Resort in the Catskills. At the convention, we got a chance to play it for Lesley by the pool with a baritone ukulele. She loved it and wanted to hear it with a piano. We got to play if for her later that day with a piano and she just loved it so much.

kk/FH: Were you there at the recording session when she laid down this track?

JM: Quincy told myself and David White (EDITOR'S NOTE: DAVID WHITE was JOHN's co-writer on this track) to go meet with Klaus Ogerman, who was the arranger on all of the Lesley Gore records, and dictate to him our arrangement ideas. Several weeks later David and I showed up at A&R Recording Studios for the session, driving up from Philadelphia to attend. We showed up while Quincy was recording "You Don't Own Me." After listening for 10 or 15 minutes, Quincy said to myself and David "What do you think?" So we told him that there were quite a few things that we wanted that were not in the arrangement. Quincy, in his kindness and his affection for us, stopped the session and told Klaus to let us come out there and make the necessary changes, which we did, which were piano, strings, additional modulation in the ending and Lesley's vocal performance, which was great but just needed a few changes. When we were finished, it was the way that we would have produced it ourselves. At the completion of the session, Quincy played all of the cuts from the forthcoming album, and all of the people in the studio picked "You Don't Own Me" to be the next single.

kk / FH: Well, it's a GREAT record ... no question about it ... and one of my all-time faves!

JM: Thank you, Kent, for printing the truth behind the hits. As Al Kooper said, it means a lot!

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH: 

Here is what LESLEY GORE had to say about the recording of YOU DON'T OWN ME ... we found these quotes in The BEAR FAMILY Box Set of her MERCURY RECORDS recordings:   

I met John Madara and Dave White up at the Catskills (New York) hotel Grossinger's. I was up there doing a record hop, gratis, for a disc jockey by the name of Gene Kay at WAAB in Allentown. I was sitting at the pool on, I think it was Saturday -- the day I was going to perform -- and John and Dave came up to me with a guitar, took me into a cabana by the pool, and played me "You Don't Own Me." I told them they had to meet me in New York on Monday, to see Quincy and play him the song, and we were in the studio probably a week and a half later. It is much to Quincy's credit that he could see what was really involved in that song, because his edict, as far as I know, was to keep me in "It's My Party" territory -- keep it light, keep it frothy, keep it young. You can't hold back a seventeen-year-old woman ... she has got to find a way to spread her wings -- and this was a song that allowed me a little bit more freedom vocally. The beauty of that song is that the verses start in a minor key, and then, when you go into the chorus, it goes into the major, and there's such a sense of lift and exhilaration. After seeing how powerful that is, it became a method I've used on a number of occasions.

DIDJAKNOW?: Although YOU DON'T OWN ME was originally written for MAUREEN GRAY, she NEVER actually recorded the song!!! (I guess once LESLEY GORE recorded the definitive version, everybody kinda figured "What's The Point"?!?!?!!)

But the truth is, the song keeps coming back!  Used in movies and television commercials (most recently Toyota and the NFL have been all over the tube with this tune.)  

Here are just a few clips for your enjoyment ...

And, of course The Blow Monkeys cut an unusual version that was used in the “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack …

But that’s not the first (or last) time this song was used in a movie …

How about this version sung by Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and Bette Midler from the move “The First Wives Club” …

Here is the Grace remake from a couple of years ago … updated yet still retaining all the feel and magic of the original (with a dash of hip-hop rap thrown in for good measure!)

Ann Wilson’s version leans toward the heavy metal side … but I could not find a clip online (even though there are several videos posted from her recent appearance at The Arcada.)  They didn’t have it on iTunes either … so you’ll have to seek this one out for yourselves in order to give it a listen.  (kk)

Tuesday This And That

For the first time, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has begun inducting songs that revolutionized the music industry.  It's a brand new category called The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Singles and the first six inductees are all by artists who are not IN The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  

Little Steven Van Zandt worded it this way: 

This category is a recognition of the excellence of the singles that shaped rock 'n' roll, kind of a rock 'n' roll jukebox, records by artists not in the Rock Hall … which is not to say these artists will never be in the Rock Hall … they just are not in the Rock Hall at the moment.

We all know the history of music can be changed with just one song, one record. In three minutes we suddenly enter a new direction, a movement, a style, an experience. That three-minute song can result in a personal revelation, an epiphany that changes our lives.

The first inductees in this new category (listed alphabetically by song title) are:

"Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf  (1968)
"Louie Louie" by The Kingsmen (1963)
 "Rocket 88" by Jackie Breston and his Delta Cats (1951)
"Rumble" by Link Wray and his Ray Men (1958)
"The Twist" by Chubby Checker  (1960)
 "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum (1967)

We have long campaigned for the induction of The Kingsmen and Chubby Checker, as these records truly did change the face of music at the time … and the course of music thereafter.  I suppose we can take some comfort in knowing that they have finally (at least in some way) been recognized for their impact by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

The Kingsmen single-handedly ushered in the era of Garage Band Rock with their 1963 anthem, “Louie Louie” (which, one could argue, was a precursor to the Punk Rock Movement of the ‘80’s) and Checker’s record, “The Twist,” kicked off a dance sensation so big that it actually went to #1 TWICE … the only record in the Rock And Roll Era to do so … first when the kids picked up on it in 1960 and then again nearly two years later when it became all the rage at the adult discotheques that had sprung up all over the country.

The same would be true of "Rocket 88," often regarded as the very first Rock And Roll Record.  It sparked a change in the way Rhythm and Blues Records were recorded and promoted, which soon gave birth to what we now all call Rock And Roll.

Steppenwolf (“Born To Be Wild”) actually have been nominated for induction before but didn't make the cut.  While "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" is, without question, one of my favorite songs of all time … as well as one of the greatest recordings of all time … I'm a little bit surprised to see it inducted in the very first round.  Likewise, "Rumble" … Link Wray has been nominated before and fans have long lobbied on his behalf in the way of petitions to The Hall … but there are probably more deserving instrumentals that should have been recognized first.  (Still, "Rumble" does have a very unique sound and, in a way, created a new genre of music at the time.)

Rolling Stone Magazine (aren't they really the same thing as The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame???) have published lists in the past of The Top 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time … but the fact that this new category will only honor artists NOT inducted is its greatest selling point.

How do these six records rank on the Rolling Stone List?

#457 – The Twist
#130 – Born To Be Wild
#57 – A Whiter Shade Of Pale
#54 – Louie Louie
Apparently “Rocket 88” and “Rumble” weren’t deemed significant enough to make Rolling Stone’s list.

See the full list here:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407

Congratulations to all of the artists who helped change the course of music … and to all of this year's regular inductees as well.  

The edited television event (one awkward and unusual highlight included Dire Straits inducting themselves into The Hall!!!) will begin airing on HBO on May the 5th.  (kk)

Speaking of HBO, have you seen the seen the new 3 1/2 hour Elvis documentary "The Searcher" yet?  Pretty incredible stuff, much of it from a perspective not often shown in regards to The King's legacy.  Excellent commentary throughout … and quite a bit of it from the late Tom Petty (which is kinda eerie in a way.)  Petty even performs Elvis' hit "Wooden Heart" during the film's closing credits.

A great choice of music in crystal clear sound … some incredible photos and film footage (with special attention paid to his 1968 NBC Singer Comeback Television Special … I especially liked the way they cut back and forth between Elvis' original recording or performance of a given song and them jumped ahead to show his rejuvenated take for the TV cameras in '68 … VERY well done.)

Highly recommended (and available on HBO On Demand) … definitely worth checking out.  (kk)

Huey Lewis is experiencing severe hearing loss and has cancelled all of his tour dates for 2018.  (So sad to hear this … we LOVE Huey and were hoping to see him again this year!)

Doctors believe that Lewis may be suffering from Meniere's disease, a disorder of the inner ear that (in addition to hearing loss) can also cause vertigo, tinnitus and the feeling of pressure.  According to The Mayo Clinic (where Lewis has been treated) it can lead to a permanent loss of hearing.

Huey posted this message to his fans:

Two and a half months ago, just before a show in Dallas, I lost most of my hearing. Although I can still hear a little, one on one, and on the phone, I can’t hear music well enough to sing. The lower frequencies distort violently making it impossible to find pitch. I’ve been to the House Ear Institute, the Stanford Ear Institute, and the Mayo Clinic, hoping to find an answer. The doctors believe I have Meniere’s disease and have agreed that I can’t perform until I improve. Therefore, the only prudent thing to do is to cancel all future shows. Needless to say, I feel horrible about this, and wish to sincerely apologize to all the fans who’ve already bought tickets and were planning to come see us. I’m going to concentrate on getting better, and hope that one day soon I’ll be able to perform again.
Sincerely,

Huey

Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery, Huey … we love ya!  (kk)

Ron Onesti just booked The Bay City Rollers for a show on Sunday, September 23^rd.  (We may just have to go to this one … I wonder who’s even in the band anymore!!!)  Tickets go on sale tomorrow at noon at The Arcada Online Box Office:  www.oshows.com  (kk)

I have a concert April 29^th with Lou Christie, Gary Lewis and The Vogues. If it is still snowing then … I am still going! I’ve had it! I need sunshine even if it is from stage lights!

Shelley

Lou was telling us on Sunday that he had just spoken with some friends in Minnesota who had 19” of snow!!!  (We had more today along with the cold temps … c’mon already!!!)  kk

THE BAY CITY ROLLERS HIT LIST:

1975 - Saturday Night  (#1)

1976 - Money Honey  (#7)

1976 - Rock And Roll Love Letter  (#28)

1976 - I Only Want To Be With You  (#8)

1976 - Yesterday's Hero  (#49)

1977 - You Made Me Believe In Magic  (#7)

1977 - The Way I Feel Tonight  (#19)