Here's to a Chicago Institution ... congratulations, Bob!
Tom
It was so great to celebrate Bob Stroud's 40th anniversary show with him Sunday morning. Living in Lincoln, Nebraska, I wasn't there for the early years of Bob's success story, like many of you were. I met him via Dick Bartley around 2004 or so, when I helped with a couple of his Roots CDs. My friend, FH'er Mike Hartman, sent me some airchecks of Bob's show and I realized he had an affinity for 60's Chicago music AND radio that I shared. When I visited him in 2006 at the Drive, he was kind enough to guide me and Mike thru downtown Chicago and over to the House of Blues, mentioning his recent viewing of the Raspberries reunion there. We had a burger at Ed Debevic's so I could be insulted. It was great!
He was great to talk with and the most impressive (besides his broadcast voice) was his friendly down to earth attitude. We often talked about our music heroes like Todd. He sent me a stack of his old Todd fan club papers -- still got ‘em ... also radio surveys and memories from his Kalamazoo days as a record store fan.
The summer of 2006, Mike and I went to see him perform as the then-current Cryan’ Shames lead vocalist. That group having been my fave band of all time, he had some big shoes to fill that night. He did great. I got to meet the Shameless Girls (Shames fans) and dance with everyone, as Bob and Hooke guided us thru all the Shames hits and I also got to meet now-long time friend Jim Peterik, where we talked 60's obscure Ides tracks. Bob was nice enough to sing lead on the Ides' "Roller Coaster" for me, too. I've seen him sing lead on "You're Gonna Be Mine" with the New Colony 6 as well. For a time, he lost his singing voice, which was a tough stretch he struggled greatly with, but was able to solve, eventually. It was always great talking with him.
Bob rolled thru the Roots CDs and dropped out of the Shames line up with original voice, Tom Doody, returning to the fold. During Bob's four years with the band, he was able to resurrect "Young Birds Fly," which the others never did live normally. In the meantime, my friend Mike was able to send me tapes of his shows spotlighting Chicago bands like the Buckinghams. After he got married and had a boy and ended the CD series, we didn't talk as much, but I still get to see how his life has grown thru Christmas Card exchanges, letting me see how little Stevie has grown so fast over those years. I hope he kept his promise to me to bring Stevie up on a diet of Shames material. Thanks for "Up On The Roof" on Sunday's show!
All that brings us to 40 years over Chicago airwaves -- over both FM and AM stations. Think of it ... Biondi didn't even last that long in one market. He left, came back, left, came back. Bob STAYED all 40 years! Like Dick, Bob spotlighted Chicago 60's talent like no one else in those years. THAT makes him extra special for me. He kept the "Chicago Rock" ball rolling thru his shows, appearances and CDs. First time Chicago hits on CD one after another, decade after decade. SOME were simply a mono version never on CD, BUT the way we heard it on WLS and WCFL when they were hits. Not enough can be said for this true hero of Chicago radio and rock. His shows interviewing the Chicago bands that time might have forgotten otherwise, were favorites for many of us.
Sunday's show DID have too many commercials (just like when Biondi complained and got fired over ages ago), but when I heard the PSA for "free radio" Sunday on Bob's show, it made me think about how great free radio has been for us all for a century. I so much prefer the radio under my pillow ways that continue today for me in this period of pay-radio. It was great to hear all his Roots CD songs featured again and, like Kent, I am lucky to have all 12 versions (some were attained from Mike and two from Bob himself back in 2006). They have been out of print so long NOW that THEY are worth money. We could get a mint if we sold all 12 as a set, Kent!
If you think about how hard it was to get such popular tunes licensed from so many labels, it is a true testament to the work involved in EACH one. He had some special friends working on the inside that helped so much, but when we talked about "the list," and one would get approval, you could just SEE the big smile on his face thru his emails. EACH win was huge, because he (like me) loved almost EVERY tune he got on each CD. SO many times, he was turned down for 3 or 4 or 5 straight CDs and then, one day, he would GET that song for the next one. FINALLY! Can you imagine how great that feeling is when you tried everything for years and then, the ship comes in?
He would track down artists to see if they had masters, sometimes. SO, if you think making those charity CDs were easy pickin's because it was for charity, it was NOT easy at all. Bob loved giving "The Stroud Crowd" these songs that were often requests for the series. When I heard him playing these on Sunday, I was so often taken back to those times when "I played the HELL out of that record." With every CD release, those tough ones kept making it harder and harder to secure MORE for the next one, but he still made amazing wins, even thru volume 12. When he finally got a CD ready to sell in stores, you can imagine that the Borders unveiling parties were both celebrations and feelings of relief! Sadly, Borders could not last nearly as long as Roots did. Nowadays, I wonder what was the song that got away from him and how much money he and the various stations made for charity. Any idea, Bob?
Bob's show this weekend when he traveled chronologically thru his moves from location to location "on the dial" was fascinating. It must have been some five years ago now, when he emailed me saying he was hanging up his rock 'n roll (roots) shoes "next year." Instead, he has persevered in these mostly failing radio industry years and gone to the top of his market. Sunday, he mentioned hoping he could do some more years behind the Roots mic. Bob, we sure hope you do. “The Stroud Crowd" all have their own personal favorite memories of you and no matter how many years, you continue to remind us of our fave times and music, you will always be a true part of our hearts!
WLS Clark Besch
I remember several years ago when The Drive auctioned off a complete set of Rock And Roll Roots CDs for charity … I’d venture to say it’d be damn near impossible to put together a complete collection today, due to their limited release numbers and targeted marketplace. Too bad … there are still some real gems on there that you just can’t find anywhere else.
It has been a journey … and I am glad to have been along for the ride. We love ya, Bob! (kk)
We ran an email from Ron Dante in this week’s Sunday Comments Page … and then received this link from FH Reader Tom Cuddy to share …
We ran an email from Ron Dante in this week’s Sunday Comments Page … and then received this link from FH Reader Tom Cuddy to share …
Good interview! (kk)
Dennis DeYoung has been getting in lots of interviews to promote his new CD release … all of the world as we saw last week.
Here’s one more, just sent in to us from Tom Cuddy …
And here’s a link to another track from the new album that’s been getting a lot of attention lately …
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT:
Hi Kent,
Thanks for the plug for Record Research!
Just a small correction ...
The upcoming book release is the Cash Box Top 100 Charts of the 1980s. It should be out by late July.
Paul
Boy, I REALLY blew it on that one, didn’t I?!?! (And I pre-ordered this book back on May 9th so I certainly should have known better!) This is ESPECIALLY dumb and embarrassing for me A) for not looking it up in the first place and B) because I remember remarking how absolutely cool I thought this new cover was!!! Damn! In any event, it has since been fixed and the correct information is now up on the site.
And here’s another link to Joel’s site, showing not only this new release and special discount offer on his Top Pop Singles, but literally dozens and dozens of other great releases to round out your Pop Music Library. (kk)
And speaking of music-related books …
Hi, Kent -
The discussion of Little Richard's passing and R&B in the ‘50s brought back my memory of a very important book that I read back in the mid-80s that was a killer ... "Honkers and Shouters" by Arnold Shaw. Shaw was heavily involved in the
music business during the post-war era and tells the whole story of what was going on. It's a powerful history and a must-read for pop music aficionados.
Mike
The discussion of Little Richard's passing and R&B in the ‘50s brought back my memory of a very important book that I read back in the mid-80s that was a killer ... "Honkers and Shouters" by Arnold Shaw. Shaw was heavily involved in the
music business during the post-war era and tells the whole story of what was going on. It's a powerful history and a must-read for pop music aficionados.
Mike
And since we're now all members of The Forgotten Hits Book Club, I've got to tell you that after our discussion last week with David Salidor about his pristine copy of the Let It Be / Get Back book that came with the original British pressing of The Beatles' "Let It Be" album, I just HAD to go out and try to find another one for myself!!!
And, I'm happy to report that I was able to do so on eBay ... found what is described as (and by all photographs would appear to be) a "Like New" copy in Great Britain which will be on its way to me by the time you're done reading today's posting! Gonna be SO great to add this back into my collection again! (kk)
Geez, Little Tommy's book is awesome in just the first ten pages!
I had no idea he was so much like me at an early age growing up in Kansas! SOOOO many of same ideas for becoming radio star -- which I never did, despite ten years on public radio playing 60's music. GREAT book and I haven't even gotten to him leaving Kansas yet! Trying to read four books at once and as a slow reader, it's not going well.
Clark Besch
I never ran a review of Tommy Edwards’ book … but that was because, for the most part, I found it boring and very disappointing.
Since you brought it up, I’ll share some of my feedback here …
Tommy is a GREAT storyteller …. VERY entertaining with a GREAT sense of humor … but so little of that comes across in his book that I felt cheated. Folks not familiar with his illustrious career will NOT get to see what a great guy he is based on the way he presents himself in these pages.
He seems to place his time with The Chicago Bulls as equally satisfying to his time spent on WLS (and a few of the other big rock stations here in town) … and maybe it was. Anybody’s who has watched “The Last Dance” documentary (is there anybody out there … ANYWHERE … who hasn’t?!?!) already knows this was the most exciting time in Bulls baseketball history. But in the process, he seems to downplay the importance of his own role in Chicago radio history and I cannot help but feel as if he’s selling himself short.
Sure, Lujack was the superstar … but without Li’l Snot-Nosed Tommy as his foil, “Animal Stories” would have NEVER been as funny and successful as it was.
By the time they returned to Real Oldies 1690, Lujack was “guesting” on Tommy’s show … but the chemistry was still there, even if they were still thousands of miles apart. Tommy and Larry together were magic … but separately, it was Lujack who earned all the praise and respect … and I’ve just got to believe that that has to eat at Tommy a little bit, even after all these years.
That being said, (SPOILER ALERT if you’re still only ten pages in!) his chapter near the end of the book looking at Larry’s last days is about as emotionally charged as anything you’re ever going to read. I was totally choked up hearing some of the inside track. Although I’ve never met either of them personally, I was able to live vicariously through Ron Smith and John Rook, who kept me filled in on all the good stuff. If Tommy had put that kind of care into some of the other subjects he covered along the way, it would have made for far more interesting reading.
And this leads me to what I find to be the most frustrating part of Tommy’s book …
FAR too many times he will start to tell you a story and then pull back by saying that he “can’t reveal the details,” thus leading us down the path and then pulling the rug out from under us. Honestly, why mention it at ALL if you’re NOT going to tell us the story?!?!? I, for one, can vouch that these little bits don’t work well as “teasers” … if you’re FINALLY going write a book to tell your story, TELL YOUR STORY. Most of the players are gone now anyway … you’re not really going to offend anybody (or risk a lawsuit if that was your concern.) Only you can offer “fly on the wall” perspective that the rest of us can only dream about … so spill it!!! (This was ESPECIALLY frustrating when you already KNEW the rest of the story and Tommy held back anyway!!! Ron Britain, anybody?!?!?) And no mention whatsoever about the Steve Dahl / Larry Lujack confrontation? It’s not a “tell all” book if you don’t tell all!
I guess I just expected so much more … and feel bad that the REAL Tommy Edwards rarely showed himself, allowing readers to get to know him a little better … because I think they REALLY would have liked them if they had only been given the opportunity to do so. (kk)
In the late 60s we traveled up to Lake Geneva to attend the shows at the Majestic Hills Theater on many of the weekends during the summer months. It seemed like just about every band with the exception of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones played there.
For years I have been scouring the internet for information on this incredible venue, but it just isn’t there. There is very little available.
During the summer of 2015, my buddy was traveling to my house for a visit. He had stopped in Milwaukee and was heading down the road to Rockford. He stopped for breakfast in a little cafe in Clinton, WI. As he walked out, he grabbed a copy of The Beacon, a small local newspaper, and threw it in his car without looking at it. We always pick up these little papers when we travel, and quite often we send them to each other to pick up on the local flavor of the towns we go to. When he got to my house, he threw it on my desk and I never got around to looking at it. After he left I happened to pick it up and was amazed that the cover story was ... ”Chasing Ghosts At Lake Geneva’s Majestic Hills Theater.“ I contacted my friend and he had not noticed this. He was also well aware of my search for information on this venue.
The story was written by a young reporter by the name of Gregory Harutunian and for someone who wasn’t around when this happened, he did a pretty damn good job of researching the report. As far as I know, this is the most comprehensive information available on this venue.
After reading the article, I contacted the reporter as well as the publisher of the paper, who turned out to be the former manager of the local CBS affiliate and they were both helpful in getting me a PDF file of this specific issue. Unfortunately, it appears to be trapped on my iPad and the file appears to be too large to send. The other interesting thing is that I am quoted in this article and I never talked to the reporter until after the story was written!
In 1968, the same friend and I attended the infamous Who show at Majestic Hills, along with about six other friends. It was pouring rain and everyone had to pack into the large building. There were no sidewalls around the building and typically the crowd could overflow out into the yard. The bands set up three across on the stage with the headliner in the middle and the opening acts on each side. That way they didn’t have to waste time taking down and setting up the equipment between shows. Everything was set up and the opening act tore down while the headliner started.
The opening act on this night was The Grim Reapers / Fuse. I’m not sure if the name change had occurred yet. As we all grew up in the same neighborhood and went to school with the band members, we were invited up on the stage for The Who’s show. We literally sat on Tom Peterson’s amp, about eight feet from John Entwhistle. We were somewhat apprehensive at the end of the show as we knew they were going to tear up the stage, but it wasn’t too bad. Also, they had a box of Who tee shirts up on the stage with The Who logo on them. This was before they figured out they could sell them for money. We all managed to get Who tee shirts which, as it turns out, were very tight as those guys really aren’t that big.
One of the best shows I’ve ever been to. If I can figure out how to separate these two pages out of the PDF file, I will send them as well.
Robert Campbell
Hi Kent,
Man, one more informative read. Thanks for all your hard work, my friend. Hope you have a super Memorial Day.
(Loved the "Curses Foiled Again," too ... LOL
Bless ya -
Barry
Man, one more informative read. Thanks for all your hard work, my friend. Hope you have a super Memorial Day.
(Loved the "Curses Foiled Again," too ... LOL
Bless ya -
Barry
Kent:
It's funny you should feature that copycat track from back in Sir Elton's salad days. I've no doubts he supported himself "faking" the original hit artists, especially since his own early records, "I've Been Loving You" and "Lady Samantha," were flops.
The first time I heard the latter was as a cover version on Three Dog Night's 1969 Suitable For Framing album.
I have several of those UK Music For Pleasure LP's myself. Music For Pleasure was actually a subsidiary of EMI, which owned publishing rights to many of the recordings they mimicked. The label regularly cranked out nearly identical versions of the hits of the day using popstar wannabes. Some I thought were even improvements on the originals ... and much better than some re-recordings by original artists that I've disappointingly found on quite a few Canadian made cd's over the years. Hallmark was another "fake" moniker, a division of Pickwick. Back in the late sixties, such LP's could be had for as little as 13'11 (13 shillings, eleven pence), with 12 songs costing not much more than one original single. That was about $1.67 US back then. They were a bit better than the two-sided Hit Records label's "fakes" that I bought as a preteen for 29 cents at the local five and dime in North Carolina. Lol! I might be, as Ian Anderson put it so eloquently in my favorite Jethro Tull song, "Too old to rock and roll, but too young to die".
Mike Gentry
Yes, Three Dog Night’s version of “Lady Samantha” was the first to reach us here in The States. They covered Elton’s “Your Song,” too … and were reportedly unaware that he was planning on releasing as his own single. (It blows the Three Dog Night version away!)
It's funny you should feature that copycat track from back in Sir Elton's salad days. I've no doubts he supported himself "faking" the original hit artists, especially since his own early records, "I've Been Loving You" and "Lady Samantha," were flops.
The first time I heard the latter was as a cover version on Three Dog Night's 1969 Suitable For Framing album.
I have several of those UK Music For Pleasure LP's myself. Music For Pleasure was actually a subsidiary of EMI, which owned publishing rights to many of the recordings they mimicked. The label regularly cranked out nearly identical versions of the hits of the day using popstar wannabes. Some I thought were even improvements on the originals ... and much better than some re-recordings by original artists that I've disappointingly found on quite a few Canadian made cd's over the years. Hallmark was another "fake" moniker, a division of Pickwick. Back in the late sixties, such LP's could be had for as little as 13'11 (13 shillings, eleven pence), with 12 songs costing not much more than one original single. That was about $1.67 US back then. They were a bit better than the two-sided Hit Records label's "fakes" that I bought as a preteen for 29 cents at the local five and dime in North Carolina. Lol! I might be, as Ian Anderson put it so eloquently in my favorite Jethro Tull song, "Too old to rock and roll, but too young to die".
Mike Gentry
Yes, Three Dog Night’s version of “Lady Samantha” was the first to reach us here in The States. They covered Elton’s “Your Song,” too … and were reportedly unaware that he was planning on releasing as his own single. (It blows the Three Dog Night version away!)
Three Dog Night were infamous for finding material by then-unknown artists and songwriters and turning them into MAJOR hits for themselves with new arrangements performed by their killer back-up band.
I’ve told the story before about how I saw a relatively still unknown Elton John open for Three Dog Night in concert many years ago (had to be late 1970 / early 1971) … so they still had enough faith in EJ to invite on to what I’m sure was one of the biggest tours happening at the time. (For awhile there, there wasn’t ANYBODY bigger than Three Dog Night, especially on the concert circuit.)
While I haven’t read Elton’s autobiography yet, my understanding is that he has always been extremely grateful to the band for helping to launch his music here in The States. (kk)
Ron Onesti will be doing another one of his live “Artists On Lockdown” shows this Friday (May 29th) at 6 pm Chicago time.
Ron tells us:
Hello from Onesti Entertainment! We miss you, and hope to have an update on our re-opening plans very soon.
If you saw my interview with Carmine Appice last week, you were treated to several "backstage stories" with Carmine. Who knew Prince was booed at his first gig??
Mark your calendars for Episode 2 of Hangin' and Bangin', Friday Night , May 29th at 6:00PM. This is a free broadcast! Join in and send your questions! To join the show at 6:00 PM on May 29th, simply CLICK HERE or visit the Artists on Lockdown Facebook Page.
Ron will be LIVE on Facebook for an Artists on Lockdown event, featuring brothers and legendary drummers Carmine and Vinny Appice … together in an intimate conversation with The Arcada Theatre's Ron Onesti!
Carmine Appice is an Author and original drummer from Vanilla Fudge. Carmine also formed the band CACTUS and toured with Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osborne, Ted Nugent and Jeff Beck.
Vinny Appice is best known for his work with Dio, Black Sabbath, and Heaven & Hell. In 2017, he was inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History for his contributions to heavy metal drumming. (kk)
And, speaking of preserving our live concerts, this just in from Shelley Sweet-Tufano …
Kent,
I received a reply from one of my State Senators. He thanked me for sending the petition and reminded me that he only knows what we want if we tell him. He asked if he could keep in touch so he could relay information and progress on getting money for Save Our Stages. If every state sends this out, it will become hard to ignore. Please continue to spread the word … and encourage others to contact their senators to help support this great effort.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
Click the link provided on this webpage and it will automatically forward to your State Senators. (It doesn’t get any easier than this!!!) Just add your name to the petition and send it along. SO many people have been affected by this pandemic … we need to get back to normal … but NOT at the expense of additional health risks if we’re really not ready to do so. No vaccine … no cure … and thousands and thousands and thousands of new cases being reported every single day.
At least this send the message to help the artists and venues in need to rough it out during these extremely rough and unparalleled times. (kk)
UPDATE: Here in Chicago, Robert Feder tells us that WKQX-FM’s Morning Man, Brian Haddad (along with Co-Host Ali Mattacola and Producer Justin Nettlebeck) raised over $36,000 just prior to Memorial Day Weekend (last Thursday and Friday) by doing a 34-hour “Save Our Stages” Marathon (Radiothon??? I guess so, right? When Jerry Lewis did it, we called it a Telethon!!!) Per Feder, funds will support the Chicago Independent Venue League, representing 34 performance sites affected by the pandemic. (Here is the link to donate.)
Like so many others before them, The Doobie Brothers have postponed their 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour with Michael McDonald due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. (New dates will be scheduled for 2021)
"This decision has been made with the health and safety of the Doobie Brothers’ fans, crew and local employees in mind," the band said in an official statement.
The original tour was due to kick off on June 9th and marked the first time Michael McDonald would be performing with the band since 1996. (The Doobie Brothers’ long-overdue induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was also postponed earlier this year.) Concert plans included a career retrospective along with some new music that the band had started recording before the “Stay At Home” order was dictated. McDonald was to join Doobies Founders Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons as well as long-time guitarist John McFee (plus an assortment of other former players rounding out the live act.)
If everything goes according to plan from this point forward, next year’s tour will kick off in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 17th, 2021, and wrap on October 21st in New Orleans. Some shows have been outright cancelled, including Mount Pleasant, MO, Sioux City, IA, Boise, ID, Albuquerque, NM, Little Rock, AK, Bossier City, LA and Memphis, TN. Other venues have changed with a few new shows added. (The Doobies were scheduled to land here in Chicago on August 8th … that show will now take place on August 29th, 2021.
The complete show itinerary as it currently stands is listed below:
July 17th, 2021 – Coral Sky Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL
July 18th – MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre – Tampa, FL
July 21st – Daily’s Place – Jacksonville, FL
July 23rd – GA Ameris Bank Amphitheatre – Alpharetta, GA
July 24th – Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
July 26th – PNC Music Pavilion – Charlotte, NC
July 2th – Walnut Creek Amphitheatre – Raleigh, NC
July 29th – VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre – Virginia Beach, VA
August 1st – PPL Center – Allentwon, PA
August 2nd – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
August 4th – BB&T Pavillion – Camden, NJ
August 5th – Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY
August 7th – Darien Lake Amphitheatre – Darien, NY
August 8th – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview – Syracuse, NY
August 10th – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY
August 12th – Xfinity Center – Mansfield, MA
August 14th – Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH
August 15th – Mohegan Sun – Uncasville, CT
August 26th – Budweiser Gardens – London, ON
August 27th – Budweiser Gardens – Toronto, ON
August 29th – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – Tinley Park, IL
August 31st – Minnesota State Fair – St. Paul, MN
September 2nd – DTE Energy Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI
September 4th – S&T Bank Music Park – Burgettstown, PA
September 5th – Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre – Toledo, OH
September 8th – Riverbend Music Center – Cincinnati, OH
September 9th – Blossom Music Ceter – Cuyahoga, O H
September 11th – Ruoff Home Mortgage Center – Noblesville, IN
September 12th – Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, MI
September 14th – Starlight Theatre – Kansas City, MO
September 15th – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre – St. Louis, MO
September 27th – Pepsi Center – Denver, CO
September 29th – USANA Amphitheatre – Salt Lake City, UT
October 1st – Spokane Arena – Spokae, WA
October 2nd – White River Amphitheater – Seattle, WA
October 5th – Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre – Ridgefield, WA
October 8th – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre – Chula Vista, CA
October 9th – The Forum – Los Angeles, CA
October 11th – Save Mart Center – Fresno, CA
October 13th – Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA
October 14th – Toyota Amphitheatre – Wheatland, CA
October 16th – Chin Pavilion – Phoenix, AZ
October 19th – Toyota Music Factory – Irving, TX
October 21st – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – Woodlands, TX
October 23rd – Smoothie King Center – New Orleans, LA
Billboard Magazine is running an interesting article this week spotlighting former “Best New Artist” Grammy Winners who wouldn’t have been qualified to participate in that category under the new criteria established this year. (Truthfully, their criteria wasn’t always crystal clear in years past either. For example, in 1987, Richard Marx was disqualified from the Best New Artist Category because he had contributed one track to a soundtrack album the year before … yet Shelby Lynne WON the Best New Artist Trophy in the year 2000 for what was actually her SIXTH album!!! (Toldja it’s been crazy!!!)
Perhaps the most interesting disqualification would have come in 1969 …
Under today’s rules, a “Super Group” does not qualify as a New Artist “if one group member has had a previous Grammy nomination or if any group members were ever prominent in a previous eligibility year as a group.”
Thus, Crosby, Stills and Nash (who won the Best New Artist Award in 1969) would not be eligible by today’s standards. (It’s a bit ridiculous in and of itself, really … Crosby had been in The Byrds, who received a Grammy Nomination for Best New Artist in 1965! … and Stills had already had sizeable chart hits with Buffalo Springfield, as had Graham Nash with The Hollies.)
The other artists they beat that year included Chicago, Led Zeppelin and Oliver, each of whom had one other Grammy nomination that year in other categories … and Neon Philharmonic, who had TWO!!! Chicago and Led Zeppelin have since been inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame … and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy. Neon Philharmonic’s One Hit Wonder “Morning Girl” has LONG been a Forgotten Hits Favorite … and Oliver had some pretty good success with his movie / show tunes, “Good Morning Starshine” and “Jean” (from “The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie.”)
Of course the most FAMOUS Best New Artist fiasco HAS to be Milli Vanilli … who were later forced to give their Grammy back when it was revealed that they hadn’t sung a single note on their “Girl You Know It’s True” album. (Their story has been wiped clean from the Grammy History Books, as though they never even existed!!!)
You can read the whole article here:
Of course, in that same issue, Billboard is running another one of those stories that I just LOVE to share …
Check out this headline:
Future Now Has the Fourth-Most Billboard Hot 100 Entries Ever
(He lands 13 songs on the latest Hot 100 from his new LP, 'High Off Life.')
Billboard goes on to report:
In the history of the Hot 100, which dates to its Aug. 4, 1958, inception, only three acts boast more entries: Drake (222), the Glee Cast (207) and Lil Wayne (163).
Future becomes just the ninth act to tally at least 100 career Hot 100 entries, and, as he moves up to fourth place, he passes the totals of Nicki Minaj, Elvis Presley (whose career predated the Hot 100's launch), Kanye West, Chris Brown and Jay-Z.
Here's an updated look at the artists with the most Hot 100 entries in the chart's history.
Most Billboard Hot 100 Entries
222, Drake
207, Glee Cast
163, Lil Wayne
110, Future
109, Nicki Minaj
109, Elvis Presley
107, Kanye West
101, Chris Brown
100, Jay-Z
97, Taylor Swift
91, James Brown
88, Eminem
81, Justin Bieber
75, Ray Charles
73, Aretha Franklin
71, The Beatles
207, Glee Cast
163, Lil Wayne
110, Future
109, Nicki Minaj
109, Elvis Presley
107, Kanye West
101, Chris Brown
100, Jay-Z
97, Taylor Swift
91, James Brown
88, Eminem
81, Justin Bieber
75, Ray Charles
73, Aretha Franklin
71, The Beatles
In 2020 alone, Future has charted 20 songs on the Hot 100, the fourth-most this year, after Lil Uzi Vert (36), and DaBaby and Lil Baby (25 each).
Of course the only 100+ charted hits that were actually earned the HARD way (you know, having to actually put a single out and have people go to the store to BUY it, one record at a time … and not an entire LP’s worth of tracks counting on The Hot 100 Chart) would be Elvis … who has already been cheated out of his 28 OTHER Top 100 Hits that came before Billboard renamed their chart “The Hot 100.”
Now on the plus side, he’s not QUITE as big as The Cast From “Glee” yet … he’ll have to double his tally to beat them (and we ALL know what a long-lasting, positive and permanent effect THEY had on the History Of Rock And Roll) … but I just felt it only fair to point out yet ANOTHER Popular Artist who has had over 100 hits that you have probably never even heard of before … you know, all things being equal. (kk)
[barf!]
What oh, please, oh, please, is the #1886 Elton John song? I can't make anything work this AM! … and I'm a huge EJ fan ... you could've named all his songs (except for 'Crocodile Rock' and 'Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting') and I'd have been happy. But I'm gonna be eat up with this all day until you tell me. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.
Patti
Elderberry Wine …
Disappointed??? (kk)
I'm just grateful you told me. Thanx!
Disappointed?! Nah!
You're really ambitious with this and I bow to your superior fortitude. I'm always doing something with music ... making lists ... but that'd be a little over the top for my patience. Have been doing it since high school and have a steno book to prove it!
Thanx for keeping on keeping on. What a lot of people don't understand is that this isn't something you can help. I'd need a 12-step program to get off music.
Thanx, again. I really, really appreciate it.
And God bless us, each and every one!
Patti
Elton placed 44 songs in The Top 3333, three of which (“Tiny Dancer,” “Your Song” and “Rocket Man”) made The Top 100 … 19 of these made The Top 1000 … yet on careful review after all the votes were tabulated, we still found a few titles deserving of making the list. Unfortunately, they were never even nominated so they never stood a chance.
The one that jumped out at me immediately as soon as I heard it (after the countdown was completed) was “Amoreena” from his “Tumbleweed Connection” album.
While not one of his better-known tracks, the title may not be instantly familiar or recognizable to the casual Elton John fan … but I guarantee you that you’ve heard it NUMEROUS times over the years. (While there were no big hit singles released from this album, “Come Down In Time,” “Country Comfort” and “Burn Down The Mission” all made The Top 3333. (“Amoreena” even made the “Rocketman” soundtrack … but never earned a nomination in our quest to determine the very best of the best!) kk
By the way, thanks again to everyone who stopped by for our Classic Rock Countdown over the Memorial Day Weekend ... and to Phil Need for doing such a great job of counting them down! (kk)
I, for one, am sick of people whining about how good the music was 50+ years ago. Of course it was. It was the music we grew up with. Each generation before, and every generation since feels the same way about the music they grew up with. You've mentioned, more than once, that you don't remember anyone getting nostalgic about music from 1920 back in 1970, whereas in 2020 you certainly see folks wax nostalgic about music from 1970. Using my age (70) as a benchmark, someone born in 1900 was not as likely to be alive in 1970, as someone born in 1950 is today. Neither of my parents and only one grandparent made it to the age I am now.
I, for one, am sick of people whining about how good the music was 50+ years ago. Of course it was. It was the music we grew up with. Each generation before, and every generation since feels the same way about the music they grew up with. You've mentioned, more than once, that you don't remember anyone getting nostalgic about music from 1920 back in 1970, whereas in 2020 you certainly see folks wax nostalgic about music from 1970. Using my age (70) as a benchmark, someone born in 1900 was not as likely to be alive in 1970, as someone born in 1950 is today. Neither of my parents and only one grandparent made it to the age I am now.
Essentially, we have it easy. We can listen to music at home, at work, or in the car. In the Chicago area alone, there's probably 100 am/fm stations. Not all play music, but there's more than just top 40. Add in streaming, blogs, internet radio, and satellite, there's a lot more to choose from. Personally, I have no clue why anyone would listen to a commercial station. I have no clue why anyone would seek out a top 40 station, unless you're a teen.
Remember, the average 45 rpm buyer, in 1970, was a teen age girl. Nothing has changed in 50 years, except that teen aged girl is now a grandmother, and she has other priorities besides hearing about zit cream, Heaven Sent perfume and hair coloring. The teen age boy with hair down to his shoulders is lucky to have any hair at all. Sure, hearing Kiss, Led Zeppelin and Ted Nugent brings a smile to his face, but then it's back to the grind.
Now we come to the commercials that use classic rock songs for their music bed. The first one I remember hearing was for a chewing gum that used Let's Hang On. (The flavor lasts longer). It was a novelty back in 1965/6. Remember ad execs are now Baby Boomers, and they want something the consumer can identify with. What would be better than a classic rock song? Now when you hear the song on the radio, you think of the product, too. Even as late as 1970, it was still generally thought that Rock And Roll was a passing fad. People would age out of top 40. They were right, we have.
Again, I've heard too many people mention what's on the radio today is pure crap. Can you say you sound like your parents? It sounds like crap, because it's not meant for you, anymore than Elvis, or the Beatles were meant for your parents. Some of you had open minded parents who tolerated the new top 40 music, because they saw the enjoyment we got out of it. For some of us, like Kent, myself, and much of the FH readership, it's more than just something we like to do in our leisure time, it's even more than a hobby for some of us.
The entertainment industry has changed in one hundred years … and if any of us are still around in 50 years, it will be even more unrecognizable. We are not the same people we were in 1970, why should the music be different?
The entertainment industry has changed in one hundred years … and if any of us are still around in 50 years, it will be even more unrecognizable. We are not the same people we were in 1970, why should the music be different?
Truth be told, there were a lot of junk songs 50 years ago as well, and we didn't have a choice of stations. Some hit songs then, have not aged well. Why do so many of our kids enjoy the Beatles, the Stones, today's (5/24) birthday boy Bob Dylan and more? Part of it is we have taken it upon ourselves to expose them to the music we grew up with. My parents didn't, although I know more about Sinatra's music then my mom ever knew. I would wager that many of our parents were not music fanatics like many of us are/were. If they liked a song, maybe they bought the album. However, record stores did not open at midnite so they could buy the new Sinatra release.
In short, there's lots of great new music out there for your listening and dancing pleasure. Go and look for it.
Jack
My argument isn’t about the music from the 1920’s … it’s the fact that new people every day are discovering the music we grew up with in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s and loving it just as much as we did … because it plays to a common denominator … good music is good music. There’s a melody … catchy or not … the lyrics can be deep and thought-provoking ala Dylan and Springsteen, or they can be completely mindless and fun like “Gimme Dat Ding.” It doesn’t really matter in my book … it’s the CONNECTION this music makes with each new audience that discovers it.
Are people still connecting with the music Frank Sinatra made in the ‘40’s? Sure they are … if you’re Michael Buble … who has since introduced this style of music to a whole new audience as well. Does it have the far-reaching power of a Rolling Stones song like “Satisfaction” or a Bob Seger song like “Old Time Rock And Roll” or even a Bon Jovi tune like “You Give Love A Bad Name?” No … it doesn’t have that mass appeal that bridges generations. That doesn’t mean it isn’t good music … check out my comments from Sunday talking about the unusual choice of music used in the Netflix series “Dead To Me.” Where else are you EVER going to hear these songs anymore? Even oldies stations don’t play them because they’ve become “too dated.” (I remember the owner of Eric Records telling me a few years ago that when he puts together each new compilation, he plays to an audience of “people who are still alive.” Great marketing strategy … they’ll probably be willing to shell out more money than those who have already left us)!
Rewound Radio has built their whole reputation with the concept of “It doesn’t matter how OLD it is … it’s how GOOD it is” … and, as you point out, there are PLENTY of songs that just don’t sound good anymore … they haven’t aged well … and, in many cases, the whole style and arrangement feels ancient. I don’t think you can program a radio station anymore with the philosophy that if it was a Top 20 Hit then, it deserves to be played today … far too many of them simply don’t hold up.
But that doesn’t mean you should limit yourself to the same 200-300 songs simply because they’ve “tested well.” For TWENTY YEARS now I’ve been saying DON’T insult your audience by thinking they can’t handle more than these few songs. We DO remember the songs we loved back then … and would LOVE to hear some of them again, mixed in with the stuff you’re already playing. Mix it up a bit … and maybe we won’t get sick of some of the songs that we have loved for years simply due to the overexposure of beating them into our heads for years and years and years.
Here's a perfect example …
Out of the clear blue sky, my oldest stepdaughter (37 in July) sent me this clip over the weekend … I have absolutely no idea how she even came across it …
All I know is that she was absolutely blown away by it … and she knew that I’d love it, too.
She was right …
What a GREAT rendition of one of my all-time favorite songs.
(We used to do this one back in the day … and never sounded anywhere near this good! Lol)
To me, this simply offers further proof again that the Classic Rock songs from OUR youth are being discovered and embraced by new people all the time. (In fact, years ago she asked me to burn her a Classic Rock CD’s to play at her wedding reception … something to make everybody “feel good” while they’re enjoying the party.) Because when it’s good, it’s good! (kk)
