I spent the whole weekend working on THE TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME Countdown and keep running into the same snag, again and again and again.
To help illustrate a fair percentage of the songs being featured, I have been uploading YouTube clips ... all of which properly transfer as they should ... all appear visually when you look at the preview ... all are there as they should be when you look at the code ... but then when you go to save the file as a prepost at least half of them disappear!!! And then have to be reloaded again (and, quite often, multiple times!!!)
Do the math, people ... if we count down 50 songs at a time, this series will last for about 70 days. Each set of 50 songs takes about one hour to post, if they post properly ... which they rarely do. Now add another half hour to go back in and fix that which has disappeared ... and we're very quickly up over 100 hours to knock this out ... (and I don't have 100 hours between now and October 4th, which is our hopeful launch date!)
So if ANYBODY out there can tell me what I may be doing wrong (although I don't think it's me because, as I said, everything appears properly until the final save), I would GREATLY appreciate your help (as it will greatly improve the amount of time needed to finish this off!)
So PLEASE ... if you are able to offer some constructive advice on how to solve this issue once and for all, get back to me as soon as you can ... because I'm as anxious to see the final list as all of you are!!! (kk)
And now on with the show ...
After our "This Week in 1969" segment ran on Sunday, we got THIS from FH Reader Jack Levin ...
When Paul McCartney dies, will anyone believe it?
Jack
Kinda like when you see a dead possum on the road ... I'm always thinking "Yeah, right ..." (kk)
One LP Cover that did it for me as a kid more than “Whipped Cream” was “Sugar” by Nancy Sinatra!!! Whew!
Ken
Oh yeah ... we've featured THAT one a few times here before, too! (kk)
Lots of press hot on the heels of the 50th Anniversary of The Archies' hit "Sugar, Sugar" hitting Number One ...
From Tom Cuddy ...
50 Years Later, The Archies' 'Sugar, Sugar' Is Still 'Really Sweet'
https://www.npr.org/2019/09/20/761616330/50-years-later-the-archies-sugar-sugar-is-still-really-sweet
Andy Kim dropped in on the morning gang at Zoomer Radio Toronto this morning and talked about his career, and about "Sugar, Sugar."
Here's a clip from his hour-long interview ...
Some guy from Tennessee asked him to talk about the famous session with Jeff Barry, Ron Dante, Toni Wine, and Ray Stevens - and he gladly talked about it in detail (confirming everything Toni and Ron have reported previously) - but that portion of the interview is not included in this clip.
Here's the clip about the recording session ...
Ron Dante has discussed "Sugar, Sugar" with our readers more times than I can even count ... including this most recent post, timed to coincide with the recording reaching #1 on The WLS Hit Parade ...
https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2019/09/sugar-sugar.html
I was going through some old issues of The Illinois Entertainer and thought you might like to see this article from April, 1976.
I was going through some old issues of The Illinois Entertainer and thought you might like to see this article from April, 1976.
Yes, I remember it well ... and tuning in from time to time just to see if Lujack might say something funny, interesting or sarcastic ... but he pretty much played it straight while playing "The World's Most Beautiful Music." (Hey, he had a contact ... and they were paying him a WHOLE lotta money ... but you know deep down that both Uncle Lar and the radio station were hoping that WLS would come up with a deal that would free them both of their contractual obligation ... which they ultimately did. Lujack would retire from The Big 89 a decade later.) kk
Hi, Kent ...
I'm really enjoying all of the conversations that take place on this site, as they are really fun, and especially informative!
I don't claim to be a "expert" regarding the introduction of the Beatles to the US, but I do have a few tidbits that might
be helpful.
I was listening to Dick Biondi on a Friday in February of '63 (the 20th, I believe), which MAY have been the first time he
played "Please Please Me" on WLS. I say "MAY" have been because I truly have no idea how many times he played it
during the time period between Feb. 15th and the 25th or so ... we just know that it hit the WLS chart for the weeks ending March 8th and 15th. There are at least two YouTube videos (audio only, of course) of Dick's show, where he announces and plays the song. So at least we know it happened before May 2nd, which was when he left WLS. Unfortunately, the only person (other than Dick or Gene Taylor, the GM) who might be the most qualified to verify when the promo 45s were delivered to WLS would be promoter Howard Bedno who, sadly, passed away a number of years ago.
Dick Clark obviously had a good ear for discovering potential hits, too. 8000 copies of "She Loves You" were pressed by Swan Records of Cincinnati in late 1963. It didn't sell, and 6000 of them were recycled. After the Beatles made it to the US, that 45 sold millions of copies. It's pretty easy to find on 45, but it has to have the black and silver label. The original had a reddish-on-white label and is extremely rare. Bootlegs abound.
Capitol Records of CANADA released 170 copies of "Love Me Do" as a 45 single very late in 1962. I read that only about
90 copies sold. I wonder which Canadian rock station played it, if at all. Back then, CKLW, Windsor, the hottest rock station in Canada, an American station with its studios in Detroit and transmitter in Canada (thus the Canadian call-sign), might have played it. "The Rise and Fall of the Big 8," that station's documentary video, makes no mention of this subject. Nevertheless, I think CKLW would have been qualified as a U.S. station. And, any Canadian station with an even low-power transmitter, would blanket the northern US at night, and someone would have sat up and taken notice. Maybe. Ringo was on drums on that early Capitol of Canada version ... this was before Andy White sat in for him (which then became the "hit" version of the tune).
So, Dick played the Fab 4 here first, and the Canadian release of 1962 makes for a great detective project.
Mike Wolstein
Actually this topic has come up before, too ... and we finally relented and acknowledged that a Canadian radio station was likely to be the first station in North America to play The Beatles ... but technically not the first deejay in America / The United States to do so.
But even that came allowance after much debate.
Somebody from the station "clearly remembered" playing The Beatles' record first ... but when pressed to identify it, his answer was something like "You know ... the one with the harmonica" ... which descibes "Love Me Do," "Please Please Me" and "From Me To You" ... so technically it could have been any one of those three ... and he couldn't be any more specific ... nor could anyone produce any air logs or surveys showing that the record had been played. Still, I conceded that it was at least conceivable that Canada played them first in North America, because they were far more influenced by all things British at that time than the US was. (It seemed as if virtually NO ONE from Great Britain was having success on the US Charts, other than a few exceptions like The Tornados and Laurie London back in 1958.) kk
You can catch another chapter of this research here, which we addressed back in 2010 ...
https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2010/12/special-beatles-edition.html
Re-reading it now, there is still not enough here to conclusively determine that Canada played The Beatles first ... but, as I said, I will concede that it is a possibility ... we just can't document it conclusively one way or the other. (kk)
Long-time Forgotten Hits Reader Ken Voss has just published the latest edition of his Jimi Hendrix Newsletter, Voodoo Child (#111).
If you'd like a copy, drop me a line and I'll be happy to forward it along. (kk)
Meanwhile here are a couple more interesting Hendrix links:
The first, one and only german Jimi Hendrix-Website!
Hey, JIMI HENDRIX Fans, why not stop on by my HENDRIX Website, to keep up on the latest info, meet fans etc.
Here goes: www.Hendrix-Fans.de
Eckhard B.
spezializing in ...
spezializing in ...
JIMI HENDRIX - The Music, Man and Messag
HENDRIX & MARSHALL FOREVER !
The first, one and only german Marshall Vintage Amp Museum
New Video: Marshall Vintage-Amp Museum -``Tour``!
Click here:> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtt29xSX0NM
This video was taken at the Marshall Museum in Friedland, Germany, on August 19th, 2016. The video shows many of the vintage Marshall amps from over the years.
The museum was set up for a wedding reception and later that evening four great bands played there. All the amps seen in the video are 100% functioning. There is no other place on earth where a guitarist can sample every classic and vintage Marshall at full volume.
Highly recommend a visit.
Have fun!
Eckhard B.
Hendrix-Fans.de
Marshall-forever.de
And, once again, exploring the full gamut of musical choices ... we move from Jimi Hendrix to Mr. Rogers!!!
We'll be looking forward to the new collection of Mister Rogers's songs. Holly Yarbrough (Glenn's daughter) recorded a CD a few years ago covering several of these same songs. Here's a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQuet_nHDr0
Still playing MAJOR catch-up here (thanks to the Top 3333 Countdown list) ... speaking of which, there'll be limited postings between now and the launch of this new feature on the Essential Classic Rock website here in Forgotten Hits so that I have at least half a chance to prepare for this. Meanwhile, watch for two more "Guest Concert Reviews" from our resident East Coast Critic Shelley Sweet-Tufano over the course of the next two days.
Here are some articles that FH Reader Tom Cuddy sent us that we never got around to sharing ...
Here's an interview with Rod Argent (who, along with Colin Blunstone, is currently touring with Brian Wilson, giving fans the one/two punch of The Zombies and The Beach Boys!)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimryan1/2019/09/03/rod-argent-of-the-zombies-on-the-50-years-since-odessey-and-oracle-music-of-the-beach-boys-and-current-tour-with-brian-wilson/amp/
And then there's THIS interview with Tina Turner ...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/theater/tina-turner-musical.amp.html
Tom also shared this news about a show we are REALLY looking forward to seeing ... The 50th Anniversary of The Beatles' White Album, featuring Christopher Cross, Todd Rundgren, Micky Dolenz, Jason Scheff (formerly of Chicago) and Joey Molland (of Badfinger) ...
Monkees / Badfinger / Nazz Supergroup Gets Back to ’68 by Touring Beatles’ ‘White Album’
https://variety.com/2019/music/news/beatles-white-album-tribute-tour-todd-rundgren-micky-dolenz-1203343830/
The show scheduled for The Arcada Theatre on Tuesday, October 1st, sold out immediately ... so I am happy to announce that a SECOND show has been added for December 2nd.
We cannot wait to see this one ...
In addition to performing some of their favorite tracks from The Beatles' White Album, each artist will also be performing some of their OWN hits as part of the show.
There are still a few tickets left for the December 2nd show (but you'd better act quickly) Meanwhile, Tom's link also highlights some of the other stops along the way. (kk)
And, once again, exploring the full gamut of musical choices ... we move from Jimi Hendrix to Mr. Rogers!!!
We'll be looking forward to the new collection of Mister Rogers's songs. Holly Yarbrough (Glenn's daughter) recorded a CD a few years ago covering several of these same songs. Here's a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQuet_nHDr0
Still playing MAJOR catch-up here (thanks to the Top 3333 Countdown list) ... speaking of which, there'll be limited postings between now and the launch of this new feature on the Essential Classic Rock website here in Forgotten Hits so that I have at least half a chance to prepare for this. Meanwhile, watch for two more "Guest Concert Reviews" from our resident East Coast Critic Shelley Sweet-Tufano over the course of the next two days.
Here are some articles that FH Reader Tom Cuddy sent us that we never got around to sharing ...
Here's an interview with Rod Argent (who, along with Colin Blunstone, is currently touring with Brian Wilson, giving fans the one/two punch of The Zombies and The Beach Boys!)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimryan1/2019/09/03/rod-argent-of-the-zombies-on-the-50-years-since-odessey-and-oracle-music-of-the-beach-boys-and-current-tour-with-brian-wilson/amp/
And then there's THIS interview with Tina Turner ...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/theater/tina-turner-musical.amp.html
Tom also shared this news about a show we are REALLY looking forward to seeing ... The 50th Anniversary of The Beatles' White Album, featuring Christopher Cross, Todd Rundgren, Micky Dolenz, Jason Scheff (formerly of Chicago) and Joey Molland (of Badfinger) ...
Monkees / Badfinger / Nazz Supergroup Gets Back to ’68 by Touring Beatles’ ‘White Album’
https://variety.com/2019/music/news/beatles-white-album-tribute-tour-todd-rundgren-micky-dolenz-1203343830/
The show scheduled for The Arcada Theatre on Tuesday, October 1st, sold out immediately ... so I am happy to announce that a SECOND show has been added for December 2nd.
We cannot wait to see this one ...
In addition to performing some of their favorite tracks from The Beatles' White Album, each artist will also be performing some of their OWN hits as part of the show.
There are still a few tickets left for the December 2nd show (but you'd better act quickly) Meanwhile, Tom's link also highlights some of the other stops along the way. (kk)
Just wondering if anyone can steer me to a list of songs that peaked in the fall. (Books won't help me unless they're in Braille.) <grin>
Thanks for any help.
Bill Scherer
We've had lists of The Biggest Songs of Summer up on the website for years now ... but Fall / Autumn is a completely different matter.
I'm sure they must exist somewhere but without a bit of checking, I'm afraid I can't point you in the right direction.
But perhaps someone else on the list can ... so we're posting this as part of our on-going Helping Out Our Readers segment. (It'd be easy enough to compile from Whitburn's Pop Annual Books ... but, to the best of my knowledge, those aren't available in braille!) kk
Congratulations to Svengoolie (aka Rich Koz) for making The Justice League! (Hey, why not ... he's already got his own comic book!!! lol)
We had the privilege of hanging with Sven at the Freddy Cannon concert a couple of years ago ...
So our salute to Berwyn now includes The Ides Of March, Svengoolie ... and ME!!! (Morton West Graduate, 1971)
The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ran a special tribute page for Ric Ocasek of The Cars last week. You can check it out here: https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/cars?utm_campaign=Marketing&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Y6cvPU6BLBXFCQdZa1ldhUUUWln3ySDw4s1m23uklxr492niueGDClGEjL44M_50RN4nhFBxqBsTJRLyYda1xt6QT_A&_hsmi=76905317&utm_content=76905317&utm_source=hs_email&hsCtaTracking=50b535c9-d926-4113-9004-7b7c43d36cb6%7C7ee3861c-0d47-4ea0-9d59-afeb21d33048
Counting a solo hit for Ocasek and bandmate Bejamin Orr, The Cars have EIGHTEEN songs that made our TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS List ... and ten of those made The Top 1000.
We'll be unveiling the complete list shortly ... so stay tuned for more details! (kk)
