Seems like Summer Fever is breaking out all over right now! (Hey, we've all had SPRING Fever, right??? So why not Summer Fever?!?!)
In addition to our own Countdown of Summer Favorites (for which you can still cast your votes thru next Friday, August 14th), The 60’s Channel on Sirius XM is also polling their audience to determine The Top 400 Summer Favorites of the ‘60’s.
You can cast your votes for up to 50 of your favorites here: https://blog.siriusxm.com/countdown-the-remaining-days-of-summer-with-the-top-400-hits-of-the-60s/ …
And vote for up to twenty of your All-Time Summer Favorites here! http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2020/08/summer-songs-favorites.html
Scott Shannon will be playing back The Top 200 Favorites in OUR poll throughout the Labor Day Weekend on The True Oldies Channel (beginning at Noon on Friday, September 4th, and running straight thru till Midnight on Labor Day Monday, September 7th.)
Meanwhile, Me-TV-FM has been playing lots of songs from our list on their annual Summer Of Me feature … and even The Drive is celebrating “The 97 Days Of Summer” this year with all kinds of Summer Favorites.
Catch the fever … and be sure to cast YOUR votes for your All-Time Summer Favorites! (kk)
And one of those songs that’s scoring very well in our Summer Favorites Poll happens to be “Brandy” by Looking Glass. (We talked to lead singer Elliot Lurie, who also wrote this classic, last week and were able to snag a comment for our Top 200 Countdown … but he’s been busy during the pandemic doing his part to help keep this great song alive.)
First up, a current take of Elliot performing “Brandy” a cappella with the Yonge Guns Quartet:
(He still sounds GREAT, doesn’t he?!?!)
And then here’s a vintage clip of Looking Glass performing their #1 Hit on the Kenny Rogers and the First Edition’s “Rollin’ On The River” television series back in 1972 …
Kent:
Elliot is a terrific guy. Back in the 90s, while I was VP of Programming for WPLJ-FM in New York, I produced a 70s concert at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Among the artists we tracked down: Elliot Lurie, lead singer and songwriter of Brandy. At that time he wasn’t performing, he was a music executive at one of the Hollywood movie studios. Elliot said it sounds like fun, let me reach out to some of the other members in Looking Glass. The band was originally from NJ, so I believe some of the other members were still in the NJ area.
Since they hadn’t performed together in many years, they rehearsed prior to the gig. When they showed up at sound check, they explained that they would play and sing live, but they had brought with them a track from the original recording. They wanted to use just the hook from the recording to enhance their sound because, if you remember the chorus, it featured thick layered harmonies of the hook. And they didn’t want to disappoint the fans, if they couldn’t match it perfectly at the Garden.
It was such a memorable night. I wish we had filmed the concert. Along with Looking Glass, we had Three Dog Night, Andrew Gold, Alan O’Day, Rupert Holmes, the Stories, Robert John, Sonny Geraci (Climax & the Outsiders).
In fact, thanks to Google, I found a picture and story of the NY concert that you ran in Forgotten Hits in 2013.
Tom Cuddy
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-sunday-comments-05-26-13.html
OMG, what a concert that must have been! (Naturally I don’t remember ANYTHING about it … I’ve said before how I’ll be doing research for a new piece and do a Google search to see what comes up … and about 80% of the time SOMETHING than ran in Forgotten Hits will be on the list. It is absolutely UNREAL the volume of things we’ve covered in the past 21 years! Wish I could have been there for this show. Andrew, Alan and Sonny are all gone now … and so is Cory Wells from Three Dog Night. What a great television music special that would have made. (kk)
KENT ...
Did You Know That Today Is "INTERNATIONAL CAT DAY"?
Why Did The High-Fiving Cat Make A Terrible D J?
Because He Kept Hitting " PAWS. "
FB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEtbfzMLVWU
Death by Rock And Roll …
We have lost Jan Savage guitarist for the Seeds.
Jack
The Seeds were big here in Chicago … where “Pushin’ Too Hard” went all the way to #1. Leader Sky Saxon died in 2009. (kk)
In remembering the loss of Jerry Garcia 25 years ago today, I went back into my own library archives and had this joint interview I conducted in 1976.
Sending this out to the universe.
I am not a Dead Head ... saw them six times ... but I really admired Jerry Garcia's commitment to music. And a real groovy interview subject.
Enjoy.
From one who was there.
HK
Jerry Garcia and Harvey Kubernik interview 1976
Harvey Kubernik c 2009
Portions appeared in the August 21, 1976, edition of “Melody Maker.”
Harvey: The West Coast laid the foundation.
Jerry Garcia: I really think the scene out here created the possibility for Woodstock to happen. The Monterey International Pop festival. The thing, the activity, music and people. The set-up was out here.
HK: In a business marked by one-hit wonders and trends, how do you account for your longevity?
Garcia: We’re serious. One of the things you could say about all the bands that came from San Francisco at that period of time was that none of them were very much alike. I think each of us has dealt with it in various ways. Like, Carlos has developed himself into a spiritual being from a completely different kind of person. For me, I know what I’m supposed to do, and I’ll do what I’ll have to do to be able to play. I think almost all the people I’ve known around this area, involved around the music scene, have been faithful to that thing.
HK: Was there any added pressure being a mouthpiece for the community?
Garcia: Everybody knows who they are. No matter what you read about you in the paper, you know who you are. You don’t get any special breaks at the gas station. You can either be sucked in by that stuff, in which case it just eats you, or else just realize there’s a difference between what you read and who you are.
HK: Didn’t you ever feel you represented something special to the honest music community?
Garcia: I always did. I think that the world has changed. I think the United States has changed very visibly in the last ten years. A lot of it had to do with what happened in San Francisco. I can’t say how or why, but I also think it’s affected everything?
HK: Like how?
Garcia: Just all the interest in things like ecology. All the interest in the sense of personal freedom as expressed by all kinds of movements. All these things were designed to free the human. Social overtones. All that stuff. The communal spirit.
Bill Graham: That’s the dilemma a musician has. A musician may think he played a shit set, and the audience out there is going crazy.
HK: Rock and roll has moved into the big arenas. Was that the logical extension from the Fillmore and even the ballroom circuit?
Graham: You can’t get any bigger, Man has reached the largest securable facility. The reason Woodstocks don’t work is that you can’t put up walls. You can put cement around a stadium. Okay, if you want a couple of hundred thousand people, there are no facilities that large except for cocker. It’s been proven that if you can put up a fence to contain 450,000 people, how do you stop the other 200,000?
HK: Have you always liked playing live? You strike me as a workaholic.
Garcia: I like the live experience. That’s where it counts. That’s when music is real. It’s real in that situation. That’s the situation that I feel I have the greatest sense of personal responsibility about. I don’t mind putting out a bad record, but I really hate a bad concert. That really is depressing.
HK: You get into other musical avenues with solo projects away from the Grateful Dead. Has there ever been any conflict or compromise in doing a tune for the Dead or keeping it for future solo endeavors?
Garcia: It’s not judgmental. You can’t deal with it in a yes/no kind of fashion. For example, my band is a band that could best be described as consonance and harmony. Conceptually, everybody in the band thinks pretty similarity. In the Grateful dead it’s a situation in which almost no two people have the same conception musically; which makes it harder. Nobody gets their way. However, what we all respect about that situation is that there is a potential of a larger central viewpoint which none of us, individually, are capable of perceiving, but which we all add to because of the diversity and the conflict.
HK: Did you ever think ten years ago that the Grateful Dead would get beyond the ballroom circuit and that rock and roll would be presented in baseball stadiums?
Garcia: When the Acid Tests were happening, I personally felt “In three months from now the whole world will be involved in this.’ So, as far as I’m concerned, it’s been slow and disappointing. Why isn’t this paradise already?(laughs). My personal feeling has been one of waiting around.
HK: Being an elder statesman in the rock and roll world, how long do you feel you can continue the hectic pace, touring deadlines?
Garcia: I’ve learned that it requires a certain discipline for me personally. And I know I’ll approach it in a certain way. I’ll definitely burn out, and I wouldn’t survive a tour, for example. For me, it’s a matter of surviving. This is the set of givens. You’re gonna be in airports, motels, exposed to any number of strange drugs, strange experiences, intensity of this sort, and so forth. Within that framework how do you stay even? What you do is learn so it becomes a thing of pace, vitamin C, protein. You try and stay alive. That’s a fundamental problem. I’m just the sort of person who deals with things on that level. Once I know things what I have to cope with, it’s just a matter of adjustment. I just hate personal failure, being on stage and going through the changes and playing bad because I’m either not well, tired, too stoned, whatever. To me it’s an aversion therapy thing. It’s the reason I’ve been able to survive.
HK: Jerry, do you have high and low points that you best remember looking back over the last ten years?
Garcia: Well, I can get into that real easy. The worst for use and for me personally was Woodstock. The ultimate calamity. First of all, we were really stupid in the way we dealt with it. It was raining and we went on just after it got dark. There was maximum confusion going on, sound logistics. Really weird. Plus I was high, of course. And I went on stage in a state of confusion. Huge crowds of people over the stage. The stage had sheet metal and stuff on it, it’s wet, and I’m getting incredible shocks from my guitar. Pretty soon I started hallucinating ball of electricity rolling across the stage jumping off my guitar. Meanwhile, all the little citizen band radios and walkie talkies and things with the amplifiers so there’s weird voices coming out of the amplifiers. It’s dark, and you don’t see any audience, but you know there’s 400,000 people out there. Then somebody leans over across the stage, since everyone is ganged up, and says the stage is about to collapse. I’m standing there in the middle of this trying to play music. Then they turn on the lights, and the lights are a mile away. Monster super troopers. Totally blinding, and you can’t see anything at all. Here’s this energy and everything is horribly out of tune, ‘cause it’s all wet, damp and humid. It was just a disaster. It was humbling (laughs).
Kent -
Regarding my previous email to you about the music in the background on that commercial concerning google ... I have seen it again and the background music is Nappy Brown's SHUT THAT DOOR. I swear, though, that the first notes of the commercial could be the same notes from Buchanan and Goodman's FLYING SAUCER (Part I). But Nappy Brown's SHUT THAT DOOR? Come on now. How did they or anyone choose that song for the background?
Larry Neal
No clue … I couldn’t even find that track on iTunes to listen to it! And it never made the pop charts … so how many people even know what this song is?!?! Amazing … but still pretty cool our they’re keeping our music alive. (I still haven’t seen this commercial yet … but am keeping an eye out for it!)
UPDATE: After a little more digging, I’m thinking it’s actually “Open Up That Door,” not SHUT The Door. It still never charted pop … or R&B either for that matter … but I was able to find it on YouTube … and I agree that the beginning sounds like the start of “The Flying Saucer” record … which it very well could be since EVERYTHING on that record was “sampled” from other records.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho3GB0Qn7Mk
In fact, I then found this, identifying EVERY song used on this record … including “Open Up That Door” by Nappy Brown!!!
1. Side One
o "Open Up That Door" by Nappy Brown (saxophone intro only)
o "The Great Pretender" by The Platters (referenced as "Too Real" by The Clatters)
o "I Want You to Be My Girl" by The Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon
o "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard
o "Poor Me" by Fats Domino
o "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley
o "Earth Angel" by The Penguins (referenced as "Earth" by The Pelicans)
o "I Hear You Knocking" by Smiley Lewis (referenced as "Knocking" by Laughing Lewis)
o "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard
o "(You've Got) The Magic Touch" by The Platters (referenced as "Uh-Oh" by The Clatters)
o "The Great Pretender" by The Platters
2. Side Two
o "Band of Gold" by Don Cherry
o "Ain't That A Shame" by Fats Domino (referenced as "That's A Shame" by Skinny Dynamo)
o "Band of Gold" by Don Cherry (again)
o "Don't Be Angry" by Nappy Brown
o "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins (referenced as "Shoes" by Pa Gherkins)
o "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry (referenced as "The Motor Cooled Down" by Huckle Berry)
o "See You Later Alligator" by Bill Haley & His Comets
o "My Prayer" by The Platters
kk
And while searching for this, I came across THIS
amazing clip … of The World’s Most Famous Unknown Band …
Check out these players, most of whom are best known for SINGING their hit songs … who knew they could all play like this when they decided to cut loose?!?!
Ray Stevens, Glen Campbell, Roy Clark, Lee Greenwood, Barbara and Irlene Mandrell, Jerry Reed, Ricky Skaggs … amazing! (kk)
Kent,
I just now saw on television a new commercial (at least I've never seen it before). It was for a type of coffee, I believe. Again, I was paying more attention to the music in the background than the product itself. However, the announcer was telling about the coffee in the way that Eddie Lawrence did the novelty record (Coral) in 1956 THE OLD PHILOSOPHER.
Larry
So much of what we watch these days is either on cable or the streaming services that I don’t see commercials the way I used to. (This is ESPECIALLY true in the summertime when there’s very little network stuff on worth watching.)
I remember countless radio commercials over the years that capitalized on the style of “The Old Philospher” (#33, 1956) … kinda cool to hear that resurrected again! (It definitely sticks with you!) kk
>>>John Records Landecker will be filling in for
Bob Sirott next week on WGN Radio (kk)
As you know, I LOVE WGN radio. Their nighttime shows were awesome before baseball came back into their schedule. Don't get me wrong … I grew up listening to Harry Carey on KMOX in St. Louis and Cardinals baseball (even ‘tho I’m a lifetime Braves fan) and always used "last year's" baseball cards in my bicycle tire spokes to make that motorcycle sound. "So long, 1963 Hank Aaron, I'll soon have 1964 cards."
Still, today, WGN is great for their hometown live talk feel. Sunday nights were fun when Rollye James replaced Rick Cogan for a while and now, Rick never came back, so I’m hoping he's ok. Instead, they have a MUSIC show on now. Have we gone full circle now? It's big band-like stuff, but it's a MUSIC show. ON WGN!?? Maybe John can swing an old 60's/70's rejuvenation of the Boogie Check days at WGN nights? I sure hope so!
Feeling the pain of losing Wayne Fontana today. IF he never did another song besides "Game of Love," he would be legendary. That song is SOOOO cool! I'm gonna say his 4th US single and last ever with the Mindbenders, "She Needs Love" is my next favorite ... it may not be as rocking, but there is such a nice, lush sound to it. I first recorded it off WLS in 66 and wondered why it was never a hit.
As to the Chubby Checker ABCKO set, it looks really cool. We had the Twist 45 and LP as kids. Still frustrated that the Flippers 45 on Cameo is never on these various ABCKO sets.
As I work towards downsizing my record collection, I can share a photo of my sorting process the past few weeks. I am sorting my 45s by alphabetical artist names. I just got ALL of my "E" records together to sort next week. This is the easiest letter yet, as it is only 4+ boxes. Most, I could not sort at one time on my desk.
The 45 in orange and black in the lower left stack was a real oddity for me to see. I have no idea how I got it, but it is the Eagles' Christmas 45 reissued in the 1990 era! How odd.
Altho "Desperado" was never a 45 originally, I found a gold standard 45 with it on it! How cool!
Clark Besch
Dear Kent,
I remember listening to John Records Landecker's final retirement radio program a few years back, so it will be great having him sub for his friend, Bob Sirott!!!
Enjoyed your information on Chubby Checker and the 60th anniversary of "The Twist." I still have my original 45 from 1960 with a white label and I still have my Chubby LP with the checkers cover. That was the rage of the age and people are still twisting!
I know Landecker is in the Hall of Fame but is Bob Sirott??
Keep up the FANTASTIC work!!!
Carolyn
Not to my knowledge, no … but with his background, he should be in the BROADCASTERS Hall Of Fame … what a career this guy has had! (kk)
You’ll find some GREAT stories via this link … well worth checking out:
Here’s the link to a great magazine
article … May, 2020 … Smithsonian Magazine, page 60. It's about George
Harrison's visit to his sister in September of 1963. VERY entertaining and
contains loads of info for the serious Beatlemaniac.
Mike
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/charming-story-george-harrison-vacationed-small-town-america-180974593/
There seems to be a lot of attention being paid to this visit of late … we’ve seen two or three other recent pieces … but this one is exceptionally good. (You’ve got to wonder where they’re still finding some of this stuff after all these years!)
We covered George’s visit briefly in our “Who Played The Beatles Record First In America” several years ago … but this one’s got a whole lot more info. (Frannie and I saw that “welcome sign” a couple of years ago when we were driving to Nashville … VERY cool!) kk
And, speaking of The Beatles, I had this conversation with FH Reader Chuck Buell last week after he sent me this Beatles photo run …
Hey, Kent!
Chuck Buell here behind my Mask!
Thought you might enjoy this updated Abbey Road Album Cover!
Wish I could take credit for manipulating it, but in this case, No!
CB ( which stands for "Chuck BeatleBoy!" )
Actually, I ran this photo a few weeks ago (albeit in black
and white as that’s the way I received it)
I still like the social distancing one that came out a couple of weeks into the pandemic where they’re all stepping outside the crosswalk!
OK ... Your ERA is Black and White!
Can you still adjust the Vertical and Horizontal controls on your TV set?
What?! You also have a third knob for "Contrast!"
Wow.
{:~}
Oh no … we were TOTALLY state of the art in the ‘60’s …
We had one of those 3/color clear plastic screens that went over the tv to show blue skies, pink faces and green grass -
Worked perfectly for about ten minutes a week of Bonanza! (kk)
HA! We had one too! SO distracting!
We all hoped it worked this good!
Maybe that was Lucy's reaction after she realized she too had been Bamboozled!
That flexible tri-color plastic screen was about six - seven years after "Winky Dink's" plastic screen!
("Did you put the plastic screen over the TV Screen so you don't draw all over the TV?!" You can't get those marks off otherwise!" Mom would say. )
"Happy Days," indeed!
CB
Well, Grandma had plastic on the chairs and sofa -
Might as well cover the v screen too! (kk)
Oh my gosh! Hard, and Thick and CLEAR!
And a bit noisy, too.
CB
Thankfully, I was just a young lad at the time. In fact, I chose to sit on the floor! (Can you imagine having sex on top of the plastic seat covers? You thought rug burns were bad!!! Stick to this stuff and you’ll actually tear of layers of skin!!! And probably in areas that you don’t want to talk about!) kk
And, before I forget ... here's one more great Beatles photo … a new one from Mike Wolstein …
