Clark just reached "the big 89" ... and sent in this little clip to commemorate the event!
Let’s go back of mid-September of 1961 when I first played this jingle ... and at the time I wondered if I would live to be 89 ...
Bingo, here we are!!!
Clark
As we do every year when the new Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees are announced, here are a few more of your thoughts and comments on this year's batch ... and those who for whatever reason have been left behind ... again ...
Hi Kent ...
I tend to agree with most of your assessment of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame nominations.
While I am not sure about Whitney or Notorious Big, I am sure about Benatar, Rundgren and The Doobies. I also agree about The Guess Who, Three Dog Night, etc. ... it's been too long. And MC5 "Kick Out the Jams Mother 'Cluckers'" ... go figure that one out! What you said was funny and probably true. Anyhow, Judas Priest and T. Rex are very recognizable names for many ... they may get in this year.
I am not really wild about the nominees this time. Maybe next year there will be a better selection.
Sandy
Unfortunately, that's kinda what we say EVERY year when these announcements are made. It's like twenty years ago The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame became the "Wait Till Next Year" Chicago Cubs! (kk)
Tommy James deserves it and not because of his "feel good" music, but because "Crimson & Clover" reinvented a career that didn't even NEED reinventing. He produced it and started a whole new thing. And it blossomed again!
As to Al Kooper, he could be inducted easily. You should ask him what he thinks BS&T's second LP would have been like had he stayed. Maybe "Kooper, Stills and Bloomfield"???? "I Can't Quit Her" and "Just One Smile" on BST1 are fabulous!
Clark Besch
Tommy incorporated SO many different styles into his music over the years ... kicking off with the bubble gum pop of "Hanky Panky" thru more sophisticated stuff like "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Mirage," into flat out rock and roll like "Mony Mony" ... followed by one of the premier songs of the psychedelic era, "Crimson And Clover" ... right on up thru the gospel-tinged feel of "Sweet Cherry Wine" and the pure beauty of "Crystal Blue Persuasion" ... it truly was an eventful journey ... and he's STILL making great music today ... and selling out theaters everywhere he plays! (By the way, ALL of those titles made our TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME List ... as did "She" and "Draggin' The Line." If THAT'S not Rock And Roll Hall of Fame worthy, then I don't know what is!)
And Al Kooper's name has come up any number of times over the years ... he is absolutely deserving, even if it's in the "sideman" category. He has left his mark on everything he's been involved with. Long a Rolling Stone Magazine favorite, you'd think he would have been inducted YEARS ago! (kk)
Kent:
This is just a
thought about the Rock Hall of Fame ...
I actually think there are too many
inductees. This should be a high standard: artists who changed the way
that we looked at music and our lives forever.
So: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis, The Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix,
Crosby Stills Nash (and Young), The Supremes, Aretha ... and many more:
sure.
But one-hit wonders, and also rans ... no.
James Fairs
We've raised this point in the past before as well. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should be a shrine to the true elite ... I remember remarking years ago that when you break it all down, you've got Elvis and The Beatles ... and then everybody else ... because you HAVE to have a second tier of artists (and you've listed some of the best) ... but I don't think this necessarily means you need to induct six new artists every year simply for the sake of "meeting your quota." There HAS to be something deserving or revolutionary about these acts to maintain any sense of credibility.
For YEARS we campaigned for artists like Chicago, The Moody Blues, The Hollies, Yes, Hall and Oates, Neil Diamond, Genesis, The Zombies, Heart, ELO, John Mellencamp and The Ventures, all of whom FINALLY got in.
But today we've gone WAY beyond that "second tier" of artists ... and, in many cases, well beyond the SIXTH tier, too! But like ANY Hall of Fame, you're bound to breed controversy with each new reveal ... and hey, who doesn't love to bitch about it! (lol) kk
Hey Kent,
Ok ...
It's that time of year to get my two cents in about the R&R Hall
of Fame.
I was just looking at the complete list of winners. Some of
the artists in there make me want to say "REALLY?" I can't believe how
some had only one hit.
To add to your list of overlooked
artists, here are some of my picks: Foreigner, Blood, Sweat, &
Tears, Grand Funk, Kansas, Huey Lewis, Eric Carmen, and Casey Kasem. The
Spinners have been nominated before, and should be again. Over and out.
- John LaPuzza
ALL of those artists have made our Deserving And Denied "Honorable Mentions" list in the past ... and are all still good suggestions for consideration.
I'm hopeful that with Jann Wenner now out of the way, perhaps this new administration will seek to right some of the wrongs that have transpired over the years. I've often suggested a "mass induction" of about twenty acts as a means of reconnecting with the rock and roll world at large. Hold a special ceremony ... sort of a "Look, We've Fucked Up ... But We're Trying To Make It Right" deal where they mass induct all of the obvious oversights ... and then set the bar back to zero so that moving forward everyone's back on a level playing field again.
And then do away with this "We have to induct so many acts per year" mentality ... and concentrate on only inducting those worthy of such an honor. In order to do so, I think more weight has to be given to the fan vote. Then ... and only then ... can The Rock Hall re-establish their original goal ... and be viewed with any sense of respect. Ten years ago I suggested that they needed to re-invent themselves. With all these recent changes, they now have the opportunity to do so. (kk)
I
recently ran a chatroom game where I named an artist some people argue
SHOULD be in the Hall of Fame, and players named a song by that artist.
I had three pre-selected songs, and you earned an 'extra point' for
matching one of my songs. Two of the artists on the nominations list were in that game.
I'll have another such game in a couple of weeks and at least one more act on the "nominations list" will be in that game.
Among the artists I used are the following:
America
Pat Benatar
Chubby Checker
Doobie Brothers
Fifth Dimension
Grass Roots
Guess Who
Tommy James and Shondells
Monkees
Paul Revere and Raiders
Neil Sedaka
Three Dog Night
Turtles
DIonne Warwick
Johnny Rivers
Poco
Marvelettes
So ... those are MY thoughts ...
Brad
And perhaps this bit of good news will come to be in light of their recent nomination.
From FH Reader Tom Cuddy ...
We could see a DOOBIE BROTHERS / MICHAEL McDONALD Summer in 2020
The Doobie Brothers are hoping to reunite with Michael McDonald in 2020.
Founding member Patrick Simmons tells us that discussions are under way for a summer tour welcoming back the voice of the band's late 1970s hits "Taking It to the Streets," "Real Love" and "What a Food Believes."
Patrick Simmons says The Doobie Brothers are hoping to reunite with Michael McDonald in 2020.
"I think it's still kinda coming together, but we're thinking of going out with a guy named Michael McDonald. The three singers, together, doing all the songs of all the years of The Doobie Brothers. In the works, anyway, at this time."
Courtesy of the Premiere Radio Networks
Now THAT'S a show I wanna see!
And, speaking of great shows ...
Yesterday we mentioned some of the great shows coming to Chicago over the next few months.
The Ides Of March / Mark Farner / Bo Bice / Cathy Richardson show next Saturday (the 26th) at The Genesee Theatre ...
The Fab Four Concert at The Arcada Theatre on Friday, November 1st ...
And Booker T. Jones at The City Winery on November 14th.
Interested?
Drop me a line STAT and we'll throw your name into the running! (kk)
