https://www.facebook.com/188969771138765/photos/a.250395518329523/2550176898351362/?type=3&theater¬if_t=page_highlights¬if_id=1574460001557856
kk …
The Dovells were in Dallas the day that Kennedy was assassinated.
I know that Bobby Vee and Dale & Grace were also there.
FB
I can’t believe I went thru November 22nd without so much as a mention … thanks, Frank. (Although the folks on this website apparently need to “do the math” … Kennedy was assassinated 56 years ago, not 55.) kk
Here is an interesting follow-up piece to this … although I SERIOUSLY doubt the Lee Harvey Oswald part … but what an AMAZING line-up of talent for one incredible show …
http://4d5rpm.blogspot.com/2012/10/dick-clarks-caravan-of-stars-1963.html?m=1
kk:
If you scroll down to WEIRDER YET, it says that Lee Harvey Oswald bought a ticket for this Dick Clark Show.
FB
Some interesting insight from the folks who were there … but I’m totally not buying the Lee Harvey Oswald part. Still a fascinating read. (kk)
CHRISTMAS IS COMING (NOTE FAT GEESE!):
Hi Kent ...
One more good read to digest.
We had TJ's special recorded (DVD'd) since it played here at 2 am ... went to watch it a few days later and some other program took it's slot ... hot was an understatement! ... so hope to catch it again during normal hours.
We (The Royal Guardsmen) were hoping to make the show. A friend of mine, Chick Pallata, was working with TJ trying to get a slot ... (I think Chick did some narration / announcing for him on this one) ... but just wasn't in the cards this year ... maybe next.
Speaking of Christmas songs, I was thinking about "Blue Christmas" by Seymour Swine ... LOL. Man, I get tickled just thinking about it.
I was driving down Briley Parkway in Nashville the year it came out and had to pull the car over I was laughing so hard ... great record for sure. Probably a two in the morning wild tracking session ... lol.
Hope you can get some down time, Bro. Do have a super blessed Thanksgiving and stuff yourself good, my friend.
Talk to ya soon -
Barry
Yeah, I love that version of “Blue Christmas,” too … great holiday idea (and you can tell THEY’RE having a good time as well, based on all the laughing in the background!)
I think you guys definitely deserved a spot in TJ’s special … and I hope he continues to expand this thing and make it an annual event. (They mixed up the air time here in Chicago, too … we reported 7 pm, which is what all the advertisements said, and then it came on at 8 instead, which means I would have been missing the entire last hour of the program had I set it up to record. I do hope to tape it next time, however … and edit out all the pledge drive stuff. I know they need to do this to raise funds … but this was absolute OVERKILL for this program … took a good part of the enjoyment out of it for me … and, I’m sure, most others. One guy wrote in to say that he kept flipping back during the pledge drive to watch other programs … only to find out that he missed a song or two along the way because every time he switched back to PBS the drive was still going, so he switched away again.)
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours … and to ALL our Forgotten Hits Readers. (kk)
And then this from Barry ... Some interesting insight from the folks who were there … but I’m totally not buying the Lee Harvey Oswald part. Still a fascinating read. (kk)
CHRISTMAS IS COMING (NOTE FAT GEESE!):
Hi Kent ...
One more good read to digest.
We had TJ's special recorded (DVD'd) since it played here at 2 am ... went to watch it a few days later and some other program took it's slot ... hot was an understatement! ... so hope to catch it again during normal hours.
We (The Royal Guardsmen) were hoping to make the show. A friend of mine, Chick Pallata, was working with TJ trying to get a slot ... (I think Chick did some narration / announcing for him on this one) ... but just wasn't in the cards this year ... maybe next.
Speaking of Christmas songs, I was thinking about "Blue Christmas" by Seymour Swine ... LOL. Man, I get tickled just thinking about it.
I was driving down Briley Parkway in Nashville the year it came out and had to pull the car over I was laughing so hard ... great record for sure. Probably a two in the morning wild tracking session ... lol.
Hope you can get some down time, Bro. Do have a super blessed Thanksgiving and stuff yourself good, my friend.
Talk to ya soon -
Barry
Yeah, I love that version of “Blue Christmas,” too … great holiday idea (and you can tell THEY’RE having a good time as well, based on all the laughing in the background!)
I think you guys definitely deserved a spot in TJ’s special … and I hope he continues to expand this thing and make it an annual event. (They mixed up the air time here in Chicago, too … we reported 7 pm, which is what all the advertisements said, and then it came on at 8 instead, which means I would have been missing the entire last hour of the program had I set it up to record. I do hope to tape it next time, however … and edit out all the pledge drive stuff. I know they need to do this to raise funds … but this was absolute OVERKILL for this program … took a good part of the enjoyment out of it for me … and, I’m sure, most others. One guy wrote in to say that he kept flipping back during the pledge drive to watch other programs … only to find out that he missed a song or two along the way because every time he switched back to PBS the drive was still going, so he switched away again.)
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours … and to ALL our Forgotten Hits Readers. (kk)
Hey Kent ...
Just found this again ... from The Mike Douglas Show, 11/24/67 ... first time the song was aired.
Man, that was a while ago my friend!
Anyway, not sure if you'd seen it.
Have a great Thanksgiving Bro!
Barry
This is GREAT!!! No, I have never seen it before ... so cool to see. (Adding it to my Christmas favorites list.) Thanks, Barry! (kk)
>>>I thought the PBS Christmas Special was great but I wish I would have taped it so I could edit out all of the pledge breaks. I swear it seemed like they’d play three songs and then break for pledges. (Ed)
Yes, I did that. I clipped the pledge breaks out and it turns out each pledge was about 10 minutes long! If you are like me, you likely have been inundated with junk mail claiming PBS will go out of business if I don't support them. I do, but not at those prices.
Clark Besch
Somebody over at PBS needs to do a little bit of research … I’m willing to bet you that they would sell three times as many DVD and CD collections if the price was more reasonable … which would earn them MORE money in donations because they’re not selling anywhere NEAR that amount at the prices they are currently asking. (Do the math … if 2000 people bought them at $450 per set, they’d earn $900,000. But if 10,000 people bought them at $150 per set (because that, to me, would be a very fair price and still an opportunity to support the station), they’d earn$1,500,000 … and extra $600 Grand! Time to evaluate, people … you’re cheating yourselves in the long run! (kk)
SCIENCE PROVES OB-LA-DI, OB-LA-DA IS THE PERFECT POP SONG
Nice indeed, but most prefect song ever? No way.
This list is crap. Red Red Wine isn't even the original … and Hooked On A Feeling was done THAT way by Jonathan King before Blue Swede did it that way a couple years later.
Clark Besch
Sure, Ob-La-Di is a great song … but the most perfect pop song ever? I don’t think so. I can easily come up with at least a couple thousand before I’d reach this one on my list!
Frannie
NEW RELEASES:
Paul McCartney dropped a brand new single last week … you can listen to it (or download it) thru these various links …
https://paulmccartney.lnk.to/HomeTonightInAHurry?utm_source=dotmailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=16816_Home%20Tonight%20%2F%20In%20A%20Hurry_231828_US&dm_i=4YVO,CZ4,MA7NV,15IK,1
I love the fact that Paul is still old school enough to release an A-Side and a B-Side!
The tracks were recorded during the making of his “Egypt Station” album and while they don’t even come close to measuring up to the incredible catalog of music he has created over the years, the do fit in well with the sound of McCartney today … which was good enough to take “Egypt Station” all the way to #1 on Billboard’s album chart. It will also be available as a limited edition Record Store Day / Black Friday exclusive double A-side 7-inch picture disc single when it becomes available on November 29th.
Another new release comes with bittersweet news.
Jeffrey Foskett, a long-time member of any number of various incarnations of The Beach Boys and Brian Wilson, has released what could likely be his last album.
Titled “Voices,” you’ll find Jeff in GREAT voice throughout these tracks …
But along with the announcement of his new LP, Foskett also announced that in early 2018, he was diagnosed with Anaplastic thyroid cancer. Billboard Magazine reports that “Surgeries and treatments have led to the loss of a vocal cord and essentially the versatile voice with the soaring upper register that helped add authenticity to any harmonic situation he encountered” no longer exists.
You can sample BEAUTIFUL renditions of songs from the LP like “Everything That Touches You” (the old Association song), “The Warmth Of The Sun,” “Good Vibrations” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” all songs that he supplied the high end harmonies on with The Beach Boys for four decades, and covers of oldies classics like the Buddy Holly tunes “True Love Ways” and “Heartbeat,” “I Say A Little Prayer,” The Mamas and Papas’ hit “Twelve Thirty” and “Laughter In The Rain” and “I Shall Be Released” on iTunes or Amazon Music.
Bob Merlis tells us about a brand new Sam Cooke collection that will feature ALL of the recordings he did for Keen Records after “going pop” in 1957. This 5-CD Box Set will be released on January 24th to help commemorate the 90th Anniversary of Sam Cooke’s birth … and it looks absolutely amazing. (Would LOVE to add this one to my already extensive Sam Cooke collection!) For the record, Sam would have turned 90 on January 22nd, 2021, but this is going to be a year-long promotion of releases … and this is one hell of a way to kick it off!
Bob sent us this promo piece to share ...
ABKCO is kicking off a year-long celebration of the upcoming 90th anniversary of Sam Cooke’s birth starting this January 24 with the release The Complete Keen Years (1957 – 1960), a remastered and extensive 5-disc set.
The Complete Keen Years (1957 – 1960) collects Sam Cooke’s body of work as he began releasing secular albums, stepping away from the Soul Stirrers where he found great success as a gospel singer. Cooke had been releasing and dominating the gospel sales market over the six years previous to “You Send Me” and “Summertime” being released. Within this newly remastered collection are his unique versions of standards alongside performances that showcase his songwriting skills. Sam Cooke defined himself as a voice ahead of his time elevating the sound of soul at the turn of the decade.
The now timeless “You Send Me,” Sam Cooke’s 1957 Keen Records debut, was a landmark recording on multiple levels. Composed by the artist, it was his very first #1 record and groundbreaking in no uncertain terms: a pop record by a gospel great that created the template for what would come to be known as “soul.” Cooke’s easy manner, bell-clear intonation and truly spectacular vocal ability set him apart from all others in both pop and R&B. This holds true today, on the eve of his 90th birthday, just as it did at the dawn of his secular career.
Sam Cooke was very much at home in the recording studio and the many tracks he cut over the course of nearly three years for John and Alex Siamas’s Keen label reflect his massive talent at a turning point. The Complete Keen Years, sourced directly from recently recovered original master tape reels, offers an unparalleled listening experience thanks to years of painstaking research that has yielded tracks from the original tape reels from which Cooke’s Keen albums and singles were mastered in the late 1950s and early 1960s. For The Siamas brothers, the record label was second to their primary business providing aircraft parts to the aerospace industry. Sometime after the label shuttered, the original masters went missing. It was fortuitous that a search of an airplane hangar yielded the tapes and now, for the first time in more than five decades, they are again the source for this precious Sam Cooke material.
The Complete Keen Years (1957 – 1960) offers the Sam Cooke aficionado an opportunity to experience all of Cooke’s Keen album and single tracks for a comprehensive overview of his time at the label. The 5-CD set includes the content of his five originally released Keen LPs plus multiple bonus tracks, a total of 65 tracks in all. Also included in this box are rare photographs and ephemera from the Keen archives, expanded extensive session information alongside voluminous, insightful liner notes by writer Michael Corcoran.
The first volume of the set offers the thirteen tracks that comprise Cooke’s 1958 LP debut for Keen, simply titled Sam Cooke also known as Songs By Sam Cooke, presented in mono, as originally recorded and released. Beyond the glorious “You Send Me,” the album includes “Summertime (Part 2),” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “That Lucky Old Sun” and “Danny Boy.”
The second album in the set includes the entirely of the 1958 release Encore that includes such Cooke-interpreted standards as “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive,” “When I Fall In Love,” “I Cover the Waterfront, ”and “The Gypsy.” As with Sam Cooke, orchestral backing is by Bumps Blackwell. The cover depicts the singer swinging with jazz musicians behind him, which is the perfect illustration of the sound of the album.
Sam Cooke’s 1959 salute to Billie Holiday, Tribute to The Lady, is the Complete Keen Years third disc, also offered in mono as originally recorded and released. This session covers a select group of songs from Billie Holiday’s catalog including “God Bless The Child,” “I’ve Gotta Right To Sing The Blues, “Good Morning, Heartache” and “Crazy She Calls Me.” Sam Cooke found his voice not by imitating popular singers but weaving his own interpretation of songs made notable by others. In the essay by Michael Corcoran, he refers toTribute to The Lady as an essential look at how Sam Cooke found his voice:
“Like Lady Day, Sam had a pretty voice too honest to be cute, sending the words on paper through a spiritual journey before coming out of a mouth fluent in both sorrow and triumph. But he didn’t sing songs her way.”
As with every recording, Sam Cooke put every note in a place all his own.
The aptly named Hit Kit, when originally released by Keen in 1959 was a compilation of the singer’s most popular songs and they comprise the first 12 tracks on the Complete Keen Years fourth disc including the original mono versions of “Only Sixteen,” “Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha,” “Win Your Love For Me” and “You Were Made For Me.” Those are augmented here by 9 bonus tracks including six rare stereo Keen singles.
The Wonderful World of Sam Cooke is the box set’s fifth disc. It was Cooke’s last album release for Keen and takes its title from “(What A) Wonderful World,” written by Cooke with Lou Adler and Herb Alpert; the latter music industry legends were on staff at Keen at that time. Highlights include “That’s Heaven To Me,” “You Were Made For Me” and “Almost In Your Arms (Love Song From “Houseboat”).”The six bonus tracks include both a “gospelized” and the originally released versions of “Steal Away” and “Deep River” plus non-LP tracks “One Hour Ahead of the Posse” and “So Glamorous.”
Sam Cooke would have been 90 on January 22nd 2021.
The Complete Keen Years (1957 – 1960) tracklist
Disc 1 - Sam Cooke - originally released on Keen in 1958
1) You Send Me
2) The Lonesome Road
3) Tammy
4) Ol’ Man River
5) Moonlight In Vermont
6) Canadian Sunset
7) Summertime, Pt. 2
8) Around the World
9) Ain’t Misbehavin’
10) The Bells of St. Mary’s
11) So Long
12) Danny Boy
13) That Lucky Old Sun
Disc 2 - Encore - originally released on Keen in 1958
1) Oh, Look at Me Now
2) Someday
3) Along the Navajo Trail
4) Running Wild
5) Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive
6) Mary, Mary Lou
7) When I Fall in Love
8) I Cover the Waterfront
9) My Foolish Heart
10) Today I Sing the Blues
11) The Gypsy
12) It’s the Talk of the Town
Disc 3 - Tribute to The Lady - originally released on Keen in 1959
1) God Bless the Child
2) She’s Funny That Way
3) I’ve Gotta Right to Sing the Blues
4) Good Morning Heartache
5) Tain’t Nobody’s Bizness (If I Do)
6) Comes Love
7) Lover Girl (Man)
8) Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off
9) Lover Come Back to Me
10) Solitude
11) They Can’t Take That Away from Me
12) Crazy She Calls Me
Disc 4 - Hit Kit - originally released on Keen in 1959; 9 bonus tracks
1) Only Sixteen
2) All of My Life
3) Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha
4) Blue Moon
5) Win Your Love For Me
6) Lonely Island
7) You Send Me
8) Love You Most of All
9) (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
10) Little Things You Do
11) Let’s Go Steady Again
12) You Were Made For Me
13) Lonely Island (Single Version) [Bonus Track]
14) Win Your Love For Me (Stereo) [Bonus Track]
15) Almost In Your Arms (Theme from Houseboat) (Stereo) [Bonus Track]
16) Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha (Stereo) [Bonus Track]
17) Little Things You Do (Stereo) [Bonus Track]
18) Only Sixteen (Stereo) [Bonus Track]
19) Let’s Go Steady Again (Stereo) [Bonus Track]
20) With You (Stereo) [Bonus Track]
21) Ee-I-Ee-I-Oh a/k/a Ee-Yi-Ee-Yi-Oh (Stereo) [Bonus Track]
Disc 5 - The Wonderful World Of Sam Cooke - originally released on Keen in 1960; 6 bonus tracks
1) (What A) Wonderful World
2) Desire Me
3) Summertime, Pt. 1
4) Almost in Your Arms (from “Houseboat”)
5) That’s Heaven to Me
6) No One (Can Ever Take Your Place)
7) With You
8) Blue Moon
9) Stealing Kisses
10) You Were Made for Me
11) There I’ve Said It Again
12) I Thank God
13) Steal Away (Album Version) [Bonus Track]
14) Deep River [Bonus Track]
15) One Hour Ahead of the Posse [Bonus Track]
16) Ee-I-Ee-I-Oh a/k/a Ee-Yi-Ee-Yi-Oh [Bonus Track]
17) So Glamorous [Bonus Track]
18) Steal Away (Single Version) [Bonus Track]
HELPING OUT OUR READERS:
Hi again, Kent,
Thanks for clearing up the mystery about the Potliquor song, Cheer, from the spring of 1972. It really amazes me that that song only reached number 65 on the Billboard charts, but it was top ten in Chicago.
A friend of mine who goes by the name of Steve Summers presents a one hour oldies show called The Oldies Time Machine which airs on a number of small community radio stations. One of the most interesting items of the show is the radio station survey in which Steve plays a song that was featured on a local radio station's survey that either didn't make the Billboard charts at all, or ended up very low on the charts.
A few weeks ago, he played a song that was originally recorded by the Coasters called “When She Wants Good Lovin'” from around 1957. The song sounds a bit like their hit “Searchin'.” But apparently a Chicago group called the Chicago Loop covered the song in the late sixties and I'm just curious to know exactly when it was out and how high this song got on both the WLS and the WCFL charts.
I'm sorry, but I like the original version of the song better … but I must say I always loved the Buckinghams and the Cryan’ Shames. In fact, I like their version of Sugar and Spice much better than the Searchers’ version.
Anyway, Kent, you take care, and have a great rest of the weekend.
All the best,
Sam Ward in Canada
Hi Sam!
The Chicago Loop covered this song as "(When She Needs Good Lovin') She Comes To Me" ...
It charted for one week on WCFL as a "Hit Bound" track on the survey dated December 1, 1966 ...
It fared a little better on WLS, premiering three weeks earlier (11/11) and rising to #30 in its four week run.
I can’t really say that I especially liked this tune ... it was just ok to my ears … but it truly has become a Forgotten Hit ... even in this neck of the woods.
That being said, the Chicago Loop version doesn’t really qualify for your friend's show based on your description ...
"(When She Needs Good Lovin') She Comes To Me" made Billboard's Top 40, peaking at #37. It did even better on the Record World Chart, where it peaked at #33. (On Cash Box it only made it to #44.)
The Coasters’ original version, however, didn’t chart in Billboard or Cash Box at all … and only reached #76 in Music Vendor during its five week run.
We've run this track before in Forgotten Hits ... but I think this inquiry warrants another spin!
And hey, tell your friend Steve about Forgotten Hits …
I think he might really enjoy what we’re doing here! (And I’d be happy to plug his show!) kk
We've run this track before in Forgotten Hits ... but I think this inquiry warrants another spin!
And hey, tell your friend Steve about Forgotten Hits …
I think he might really enjoy what we’re doing here! (And I’d be happy to plug his show!) kk
>>>I swear that Clark Besch must have the largest collection of radio-related newspaper clippings on the planet! (kk)
Probably not, but for WLS and WCFL, I have a LOT!
LOVED the Kris Stevens ones you ran the other day!
Here are a few early 70's race track photos with Kris (aka Cris OR Dris?) and Chuck. (CB stands for "Car Boy" in this case!) Jim Croce must have wrote his song "Rapid Roy, the Stock Car Boy" after him a year later!
There's a Chase "lead singer" buddy of Jim Peterik's driving, too, in this event, but Rapid Chuck WINS the checkered flag! Looks like Chuck and NOT Terry was singing "I've got to get it on, I've got to get it on, etc" while nudging Terry for first place. Not sure anyone could hear Chase at a car race, could they?
Clark
Here is the late, great FH'er Bill Hengels’ great recording of Jim Croce doing the song “Rapid Roy,” live at Harper College, 2/2/1973
I miss Bill … he was a GREAT, regular contributor to Forgotten Hits and loved and appreciated all that we did here. We would run into each other at least a couple of times a year at local concert events and, despite all he went thru healthwise over the years, was ALWAYS in great spirits when it came to anything to do with music, surveys, etc. He made me several special CD’s based around Forgotten Hits features like our Top 20 Greatest Psychedelic Songs and Local Hits … Motown stuff … all inspired by our pieces published on the site. Great guy. (And we were the very first to announce the deal he made with Ingrid Croce to get those Harper College tapes released … a GREAT edition to the Jim Croce library. (kk)
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW:
If a number of radio stations around the country refused to play Sam and Dave’s “Hold On! I’m Comin’” when it was released in April of 1966, how is it that they found no problem playing “Get Ready … ‘cause here I come” by The Temptations, which was charting at the same time???
And if John, George and Ringo tried to persuade Paul not to release his first solo album for fear it might interfere with sales to The Beatles' "Let It Be" album, how come it was OK for John to release his "Instant Karma" single and have it go head-to-head with the "Let It Be" single?
See ... THESE are the kinds of things that keep me up at night. (kk)
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY:
And Happy Anniversary to US, too!
Tomorrow marks EXACTLY Twenty Years since the very first issue of Forgotten Hits went out by email to a select list of 35 subscribers. (I guess you could say we’ve grown a bit since then!)
Be sure to stop back tomorrow to join in the celebration …
And sincere thanks again to all of you who have helped to keep this thing going and allowing us to share more memories than we could ever begin to count during this time. (kk)
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW:
If a number of radio stations around the country refused to play Sam and Dave’s “Hold On! I’m Comin’” when it was released in April of 1966, how is it that they found no problem playing “Get Ready … ‘cause here I come” by The Temptations, which was charting at the same time???
And if John, George and Ringo tried to persuade Paul not to release his first solo album for fear it might interfere with sales to The Beatles' "Let It Be" album, how come it was OK for John to release his "Instant Karma" single and have it go head-to-head with the "Let It Be" single?
See ... THESE are the kinds of things that keep me up at night. (kk)
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY:
And Happy Anniversary to US, too!
Tomorrow marks EXACTLY Twenty Years since the very first issue of Forgotten Hits went out by email to a select list of 35 subscribers. (I guess you could say we’ve grown a bit since then!)
Be sure to stop back tomorrow to join in the celebration …
And sincere thanks again to all of you who have helped to keep this thing going and allowing us to share more memories than we could ever begin to count during this time. (kk)
