We've got a few submissions from Chuck Buell in today's column … but THIS is the one totally cracked me up!!!
Bill Gates once reportedly
compared the computer industry with the auto industry and said, “If Ford had
kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving
$25 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."
In response to Bill's comments, Ford allegedly said:
If Ford had developed technology
like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following
characteristics:
1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash ... twice a day.
2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new
car.
3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have
to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the
car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some
reason you would simply accept this.
4. Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car
to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall
the engine.
5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five
times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent
of the roads.
6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be
replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation"
warning light.
7. The airbag system would ask, "Are you sure? “before deploying.
8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and
refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned
the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.
9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to
drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same
manner as the old car.
10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine
off.
When all else fails, you would call "customer service" in some
foreign country and be instructed in some foreign language how to fix your
car!
In radio news, congratulations to Jim Kerr, who just signed a five year extension with WAXQ in New York, extending his New York broadcasting career to an unprecedented 47 years, all this coming after stints at WDAI and WLS-FM here in Chicago, WKNR-FM in Detroit and WORJ-FM in Orlando, where he started his radio career at the age of 14!!!
Kerr began his run doing mornings in New York back in 1974. Along the way, he could be heard on 95.5 WPLJ, Hot AC Mix 105, Smooth Jazz CD 101.9, WQCD, Country 103.5 WYNY and Y107. He joined WAXQ in 2002 … and can now look forward to calling this home through 2026. WTG, Jim! (kk)
And Rob Feder is reporting that Chicago’s own Yvonne Daniels has just been named (posthumously) to The National Black Radio Hall Of Fame in St. Louis. (Feder describes Daniels, known as “The First Lady Of Chicago Radio,” as “A trailblazer for women and minorities over her 35-year career in broadcasting. She broke barriers at WYNR and WCFL before she became part of the first all-woman radio team at WSDM in 1967 and the first woman hired as a music host at WLS in 1973. Following stints at WVON and WGCI, she hosted mornings at WNUA until her death in 1991. Daniels was inducted into the Chicago-based Radio Hall of Fame in 1995.)
We certainly spent a fair amount of OUR time listening to her (especially during those WSDM days), which was our favorite radio station for quite awhile there. We love ya, Yvonne! Congratulations on a lifetime of work anyone would be proud of. (kk)
Meanwhile, Happy 7th Anniversary to Scott Shannon at WCBS-FM in New York City …
(OMG, has it REALLY been seven years already?!?! Amazing!!!)
kk:
I wonder if Cousin Brucie knows about this?
FB
And Happy 6th Anniversary to Me-TV-FM, who just keep adding affiliates across the country, sharing their Timeless and Memorable Music with millions, playing songs you haven’t heard in DECADES!!! (They’re up to seven affiliates now)! Kk
And this from FH Reader Bob Verbos …
Kent,
While trolling around the AM dial in the middle of the night, I found a good place to hear oldies hits. It’s 750 AM from Toronto, Canada, and goes by the name of ZOOMER Radio. It reportedly has the widest range in Canada. They play oldies overnight, but I listen every weekday morning on the web. At 10 am eastern (9 am central) they count down the top 10 from some year in the 60s or 70s, and then at 11 eastern / 10 central they play the next 11.
They also do the 60s at 6, 70s at 7, and 80s at 8 (all Eastern Standard
Time). Similarly to the morning shows, host Robbie Lane plays lots of hits you
don’t hear on most radio stations.
It’s great to hear a variety of songs, not just the regular overplayed stuff, and the dj gives interesting background information.
There are, of course, a sprinkling of Canadian artists, and you hear songs by the Guess Who, Gordon Lightfoot and others I have not heard here in Milwaukee.
This is a really good station for fans of the oldies. Give it a try- I bet you’ll like it!
Bob Verbos
I’ve heard about this station before and think we may have even featured them at some point … but I haven’t been good about following up on this myself. (It’s tough when guys like Rewound and Me and WCLF Chicago are already playing all the things I wanna hear! Lol)
Funnily enough, I suggested programming of The '50's at 5, The '60's at 6, The '70's at 7 and the '80's at 8 about 20 years ago ... thought it would be a GREAT way to mix things up (and shake things up) over the same, boring monotonous programming that defined our existence on oldies radio at the time. Glad to see that somebody out there is proving that this format works. (Think about it ... even if you just did it Monday - Friday ... at 5, 6, 7 and 8 am and then again at 5, 6, 7 and 8 pm ... you could feature the hits from THAT day for EACH year of the decade. And listeners would know WHEN to tune in and what to expect. (At 6 am on Monday's you're going to get an hour's worth of the biggest hits from THAT day in 1960 ... at 6 pm, you'll get the same thing from 1961 ... and so on throughout the week ... and you could still do recaps on the weekend so listeners would still have a chance to catch up on any episodes (or specific years) that they may have missed during the week.
THAT is what's called Appointment Radio ... and people WILL come and listen at the appropriate times if it's done right. (And we can help you with that!)
As you know, I am always open to a new station playing great music and coloring outside the lines! It's the very foundation on which Forgotten Hits was built! (kk)
Our FH Buddy Randy Price, curator of The Super Charts running every Sunday this year in Forgotten Hits (and also featured every Saturday afternoon so far this year on Sam Tallerico's Lost And Found Oldies Show) has his own radio special coming up …
Here are all the details …
On Tuesday, March 9, starting at 8 p.m. ET, I'll be celebrating my 10th Anniversary at Top Shelf Oldies (www.topshelfoldies.org). It'll be a 3-hour show featuring mostly rare stereo oldies, including some of my "Randy Remixes," and will include a sneak preview of an upcoming batch of new CD releases on the Hit Parade label. After Tuesday, the show will be archived at
http://www.ramtownlive.com/randyontheradio.html
and on Mixcloud at https://www.mixcloud.com/randypny/.
– Randy Price
A funny moment from PR-pasha David Salidor:
I went out to eat last night for the first time in months and as I sat down, I heard the first record I ever worked on, Gilbert Sullivan’s "Along Again, Naturally." Then I heard Chicago's "If You leave Me Now," then the Doobie Brothers and so many more I instantly knew. I finally asked the waiter what channel or service this was and I swear to God, he said, it was Pandora, and The Tony Orlando Station!
DS
It’s amazing the range of artists Pandora will include to try to fit the genre of what you were originally looking for.
We’ve been listening to The Dave Clark Five Station at work lately, which, although shown as Pandora Radio, is also offered thru Sirius / XM. I’ll bet for every DC5 song they play, you’ll hear at least 35 others by any wide variety of artists.
At first, it was all British Invasion acts, so (as you can imagine) I was in heaven … until suddenly we were hearing all of these HORRIBLY rerecorded versions of Herman’s Hermits song … NOT sung by Peter Noone (which is the very definition of the sound of Herman’s Hermits) … VERY badly performed and executed. I couldn’t STAND it … I finally had to complain (and even notified Peter of this blasphemy!) I told him, “C’mon, man, you WORK for Sirius / XM … SURELY there must be SOMETHING you can do to get this corrected … it’s a frickin’ EMBARRASSMENT to you and your career. And, if THAT doesn’t work, then at least send these guys a Greatest Hits CD so they play the proper versions of your hits!!!”
Soon, this same station was encompassing ALL kinds of ‘60’s music, British and otherwise … lots of Rascals, Gary Lewis and more … a lot more Beatles but still very little by The Dave Clark Five, which is what drew me there in the first place.
And, they were still playing quite a few embarrassing remakes by the likes of Chad and Jeremy, The Buckinghams, The Mindbenders and more.
But … within two weeks … they were playing ALL of the original Herman’s Hermits hits!!! In fact, in one five hour shift, I heard EIGHT tunes by these guys … and they were ALL the original hit versions.
So I guess a bit of bitching and complaining DOES work every now and then. (I let Peter Noone know that all was apparently right in the world again ... at least as far as Herman's Hermits music was involved anyway ... seriously, it would be in no one’s greater interest than HIS to have this matter rectified … so I am happy to report that it is.) kk
Been hearing SO many great songs in commercials again lately, all helping to keep our music alive. There’s an AWESOME, very psychedelic ad running for Adobe Photoshop that uses The Rolling Stones’ hit “She’s A Rainbow” … you can hear “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” (done in a sort of Herb Alpert-style) on another ad running now … the Chuck Berry / Amazon “It Wasn’t Me” thing (as well as the Shaggy tune of the same name), of course, that keeps coming up … but also new ads featuring Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love,” “Landslide,” “Wild Thing,” "Homeward Bound," “Born To Be Wild” and several others ... even "newer" stuff like Smash Mouth's "All Star." Seems that everything old is new again … and new generations are discovering this music every step of the way. It’s timeless. (kk)
I am happy to report that the EXCELLENT Bert Berns Documentary that we told you about last year is FINALLY available for viewing On Demand. (If you’re a ‘60’s music fan, you’ll definitely want to check this one out!)
On-Demand Run Starts This Month For BANG! The Bert Berns Story
“BANG! is a documentary that simply needed to be made.” - Variety
BANG! The Bert Berns Story, the much-celebrated music documentary tells the story of one of music’s true renaissance men who dominated the charts and met the mob. For the first time in three years, BANG! will be widely available to on demand viewers starting this month.
View BANG! Trailer: https://youtu.be/XgynAk4SQ-Y
The film premiered in 2016 at SXSW and was universally acclaimed thereafter on the film festival circuit. A brief US theatrical release through Abramorama in 2017 earned it a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film includes on-screen commentary from Van Morrison, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Ben E. King, Solomon Burke and others. It chronicles the life of one of the most important songwriters, producers and label chiefs of the 1960s whose hits include “Twist and Shout,” “Hang On Sloopy,” “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Here Comes The Night” and “Piece Of My Heart.” He died at the age of 38, before the decade was out. In the film, his life is explored by such music industry fixtures as Ronald Isley, Cissy Houston, Andrew Loog Oldham, Betty Harris, Mike Stoller, Doug Morris, Joel Dorn and Carmine “Wassel” DeNoia.
“There’s some juicy stuff here …
If you love the music Berns made, you’ll love this movie. – NY Times
BANG! The Bert Berns Story will again be available on demand starting March 2 through Giant Pictures and Abramorama Selects. Viewers may find on the platforms in the territories noted below.
Apple TV (iTunes) - USA, UK, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Eastern Europe, Portugal, Greece, Africa, Caribbean, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland
Amazon - USA and UK
Google Play and YouTube Rentals — US, UK
Major US Cable Providers
Until just this past decade, Bert Berns had been relegated to obscurity, his very existence known only among the cognoscenti of hardcore record collectors and old school music industry veterans. Awareness of Berns dramatically increased in recent years in what The New York Times called “the Berns boomlet.” It began in 2014 with publication of the acclaimed Joel Selvin-authored biography Here Comes The Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm & Blues (Counterpoint Press). Selvin, in fact, wrote the narrative thread for Bang!. The Broadway bound musical Piece of My Heart – The Bert Berns Story originally premiered Off-Broadway in that same year in an extended run called “stunning” by The Village Voice and “gorgeously tuneful” by The New York Times. Berns was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 by Stevie Van Zandt (Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, The Sopranos, Little Steven’s Underground Garage on SiriusXM) who is, not coincidentally, the film’s narrator.
“The film unfolds like a Hollywood noir…BANG! is sure to stir your emotions and stick in your head for some time.” – NY Observer
Over the course of his tragically brief career, Berns managed to write and produce numerous groundbreaking hits on both sides of the Atlantic and founded Bang, one of the most successful independent record labels of all time, the home of hits by Neil Diamond, The McCoys, The Strangeloves and Van Morrison. Shout Records, Bang’s sister label, yielded hits for Freddie Scott, Erma Franklin and other R&B greats. Bert Berns is the only songwriter in history whose work has been recorded by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Animals, Them and Led Zeppelin.
“The new high-water mark for music documentaries.” – Glide Magazine
BANG! The Bert Berns Story was executive produced by Sid Ganis and produced by Michael B. Borofsky and Brooks Arthur. Brett Berns, Bert’s son, co-directed with Bob Sarles who also edited the film. Sarles is an Emmy-nominated film and television editor and documentary filmmaker. He co-edited the Peabody Award winning documentary series Moon Shot and directed and edited Sweet Blues: A Film About Mike Bloomfield; Fly Jefferson Airplane; John Lee Hooker: Come And See About Me; Feed Your Head: The Psychedelic Era and Soulsville.
“The film recounts the way Berns charged and hustled his way into the music business, shaping the sound and business of pop along the way… BANG! also serves as an unintentional eulogy for an era of pop that recedes into the history books.” – Rolling Stone
More from CHUCK BUELL, who sent us this “Jump Out Of A Moving Car” piece after we ran this photo sent in by FH Reader Mike Wolstein …
Wild Buell Hickock
He expressed it as "Just My Personal Music Opinion" ... which he then sent to several people on HIS list, generating some more responses.
In response to my Music Opinion I shared with you last week, regarding how the music of OUR day compared to the music of today, at least ours didn't want to make us want to jump out of a moving car, our younger Son Chance busted me with this!
I wonder what song was on THAT radio?!
HA! Pretty Funny!!
In Fairness, it got me to thinkin' ...
Might have been any one of these!
In no particular order or ranking ~~~
“I Want My Baby Back”
“Teen Angel”
“Tell Laura I Love Her”
“Leader of the Pack”
“Dead Man’s Curve”
( what was with this obsession with Teenage Death?! )
“They’re Comin’ to Take Me Away, Ha Ha”
“Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight”
“Downtown” by Mrs. Miller
“Tiptoe Through the Tulips”
“Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”
“Beep Beep”
“Mr. Custer”
“You Can’t Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd”
“Something Stupid”
“Surfin’ Bird
And of course, the worst Earworm of the era . .
“It’s a Small World After All!”
Whew!
And I played 'em all on my Radio Shows of the Day! I apologize.
But thanx, Son!! You warm the cockles of my . . . “Achy Breaky Heart!”
And then, after THAT piece circulated (and Chuck received a significant response), we got this …
Wow.
Responses to my "Just a Personal Opinion" emailbag” of a few days ago about "Songs That Made One Want to Jump Out of a Moving Car" (Today's Songs . . . and, yeah, Songs in Our Day too, we're rediscovering!)
“Hey, Chuck!" several responses began, you didn’t mention ~~ ”
"Last Kiss"
"Honey" and
"Pink Shoelaces,"
Or those “Animal” Songs like,
"Disco Duck"
"Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" or
"Barking Dogs Jingle Bells”
And that Large Pocket Pak of “Bubblegum Songs” which include,
"Yummy Yummy"
"Chewy Chewy"
"Simon Says, and
"Little Willy!"
Altho, I think, those last ones were at least still “nice” melodically and rhythmically …and nowhere near as obnoxious as the aforementioned titles above!
You know .., "Just an Opinion . . ."
CB
Oddly enough, I got into a similar conversation with Rick O'Dell of Me-TV-FM the other day, that went something like this (when I unashamedly admitted that I had been a life-long Bee Gees Fan!!!)
Hi Kent:
A short note of thanks for mentioning our features in your blog yesterday.
Talking about the Bee Gees, it’s interesting that the anti-Bee Gees backlash seems to have all but dissipated with the passage of 40+ years since Saturday Night Fever. And I really wonder how much of a true backlash it was. I suspect it was a loud minority of radio listeners who were leading the charge back in the day.
At the same time, one song that doesn’t seem to have been able to overcome the backlash is Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life.” A case could be made that it was the biggest song of the entire ‘70s decade, but its airplay today is next to zilch. And, within our generation, it still gets met with a fair number of eyerolls this many years after it ruled the charts.
Really enjoyed your “Cool Clip #1,” too. The group was nearly unrecognizable at that point in their career.
You and Frannie have a good weekend.
Rick
Oh, the backlash was VERY real ... and then, of course, all the rock stations jumped onboard to help seal the fate of disco ...
But I am definitely looking forward to this weekend's Bee Gees salute. Have always been … and will always be … a HUGE Bee Gees fan.
Listening today, too, to hear all the great Chicago groups.
As for “You Light Up My Life,” every decade always seems to have one … Debby Boone’s hit was just the ‘70’s version of Bobby Goldsboro’s hit “Honey” from the ‘60’s … which also still induces involuntary cringing today, some fifty years later! (kk)
I was wondering more about what music research on the station’s end was indicating about listeners’ attitudes toward Bee Gees’ music changing. I’ve been in the business long enough to know that, even before social media, the loudest voices out there don’t necessarily reflect the feelings of listeners as a whole. (John Gehron would be a great one to ask about this.)
Rick
I think it was more of a radio station gimmick than anything else ...
A way to lure in listeners who were tired of hearing so much Bee Gees music everywhere else ... it really was inescapable at the time.
And, of course, this pandered to like-thinking listeners, who helped to spread the word about listening alternatives. The Bee Gees themselves said they had to take themselves out of circulation for a while, he backlash had gotten so bad. That’s when they started writing and producing more music for other artists like Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick and Diana Ross … and even baby brother Andy Gibb, although he was part of the backlash, too. (kk)
And this was an interesting news week ...
When was the last time Dr. Seuss and Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head made headlines?!?!
A liner that I wrote as heard this morning on my “Non-existent, In My Mind Only, Fantasy Forgotten Hits Chuck Buell Radio Show” ~~
“Hasbro Toys recently announced they will drop the titles, “Mr.” and “Mrs.” to their beloved Potato Head Toy to make it a one “gender neutral Potato Head."
Today, after getting backlash about that decision, Hasbro said “Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head aren’t going anywhere and will remain MR. and MRS. POTATO HEADS!” (true)
In recognition of whoever who came up with that half-baked idea, Hasbro announced they are going to release a compatible new toy “we’re sure the Kids are going to love just as much!”
“MR. DOODIE HEAD!”
Somebody! Cue Dee Dee Sharp!
cb
News You Can Use Today, Tomorrow and Sunday:
Check out this Keith
Emerson Tribute Concert airing live later today!
The Official Keith Emerson Tribute Concert and Tribute Concert Online Reunion
“In May 2016, I was invited to be part of a fantastic tribute concert event at the El Rey theatre in Los Angeles. So many great artists turned out to be part of this history making event. It's pretty amazing, and I feel very honored to have been part of it.” - Brian Auger
“Blistering performances of Emerson, Lake & Palmer... the affection for the originals is unmistakable and the sound is exceptional.” - Record Collector
“A prolonged demonstration of exceptional virtuosity and showmanship.” - Uncut
“Emerson would surely have applauded this display of thunderous reverence” - Mojo
Join us Friday, March 5, at 12:00 pm PST (USA) / 8:00 pm GMT (UK) for an up-close-and-personal reunion with the artists who performed at the famed El Rey Theater in Los Angeles in May of 2016 celebrating the life and music of legendary keyboardist / composer Keith Emerson.
This special event will be hosted by Mark Thompson (Radio Hall of Famers Mark & Brian Show) and will give fans the opportunity to hear these artists’ stories and personal experiences working with Keith and to see sneak previews from the upcoming Keith Emerson Tribute Concert DVD slated for worldwide release on March 11.
Watch the New Trailer: https://youtu.be/1yhKWgrv2x0
Guests will include:
Jordan Rudess, Steve Porcaro, Gregg Bissonette, Brian Auger, Karma Auger, Jeff
“Skunk” Baxter, Steve Lukather, CJ Vanston, Marc Bonilla, Philippe
Saisse, Troy Luccketta, Aaron Emerson, Jonathan Sindelman, Rachel Flowers, Joe
Travers, Terje Mikkelsen, Ed Roth, Mike Wallace, Mick Mahan, Rick Livingstone,
Travis Davis, Mari Kawaguchi, and album cover artist Jerry LoFaro.
The event will be free to watch on www.alerttheglobe.com and Facebook Live.
The DVD/CD Concert Set will be digitally released in HD on March 11, 2021. DVD copies will be available starting March 19, 2021. The expanded 4-disc set will include not only the concert, but also interviews with the artists, tribute speeches and an extensive photo gallery with many never-before-seen photos from the Emerson estate.
Pre-orders available at: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/fanfare-for-the-uncommon-man-the-official-keith-emerson-tribute-concert-2cd-2dvd-edition/
All proceeds from the DVD will be donated to the Keith Emerson Fund at the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation to increase awareness of this debilitating disease. To find out more information or to make a donation to the charity please click here: https://dystonia-foundation.org/friends/keith-emerson-fund/
There certainly has been a lot of press regarding this Saturday Night’s rebroadcast of the 1965 Murray The K “It’s What’s Happening, Baby” television special running on PBS, thanks to My Music host TJ Lubinsky. (It airs here in Chicago at 7 pm local time … check your local listings for air times in your area) We’ve already mentioned it a couple of times and gotten a good response, including an email from FH Reader Johnny Holliday, who hosted the original program. (He’ll appear on this special presentation as well.)
Here are a few more items that passed my way over the past couple of days …
Check out the links that direct you to Pledge Drive Merchandise
We’ve been spreading the good word about the fact that Murray The K’s It’s What’s Happening, Baby TV special is back this Saturday, March 6, after a 56 year absence.
If you grew up listening to Murray The K, as did so many, the memories are enduring.
Thanks to Dennis Elsas, himself a legendary NY dj (WNEW-FM and now on WFUV), we’re able to share with you an official MTK Record Review Board membership card.
And, thanks to my own closet, I’m also sharing a photo of a Murray The K official Submarine Race Watchers sweatshirt … and thanks also to Lila Voci for modeling it.
Bob Merlis
Getting in the mood for Saturday’s show with a couple of Murray The K interviews …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCzgc7oc5lU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC-H8awm2k
Frank B
And here (courtesy of Tom Cuddy) is the interview that John Records Landecker did with TJ Lubinsky earlier this week ...
And check this out …
Our FH Buddy, Journalist and Author Harvey Kubernik, is not only reporting music industry news, he's making music industry news!
Harvey’s been a VERY busy boy of late …
Check out all of this that he’s currently got going on …
(We’ve already been talking about quite a few of them!)
This Saturday Night, March 6th, PBS-TV will broadcast a television special hosted by famed New York deejay and television personality Murray the K (Kaufman), called "It's What's Happening, Baby," featuring performances by Martha & The Vandellas, Dionne Warwick, Herman's Hermits, Cannibal & The Headhunters, Marvin Gaye, Chuck Jackson, The Supremes, The Righteous Brothers, The Four Tops, The Miracles, and Ray Charles.
During 1978, Harvey
Kubernik co-produced and hosted "50/50," the landmark weekly
television music and interview program from Theta Cable in Santa Monica,
California, broadcast on the milestone Z Channel in Los Angeles and Manhattan Cable
in New York. Murray the K was a guest for a full episode. Cynthia Kirk, the
music critic of "Variety" at the time, praised "50/50," and
wrote "on a par with The Midnight Special."
"BANG!" The Bert Berns Story, the
much-celebrated music documentary telling the story of one of music's true
renaissance men who dominated the charts and met the mob, will be, for the
first time in three years, widely available to "on demand viewers"
starting March 2 through Giant Pictures and Abramorama Selects.
Harvey's interview with
Bert Berns's son, producer/director Brett Berns, and his co-director and film
editor, Bob Sarles, is a full chapter in Harvey's most recent book "Docs
That Rock, Music That Matters," published by Otherworld Cottage
Industries, and named by Barney Hoskyns co-founder of Rock's Back Pages to his
2021 list as "Essential Reading."
And HBO will debut Tina Turner's documentary on
March 21st. The new issue of "Record Collector News" magazine is out
with Harvey Kubernik's cover story implementing his 1975 interview with Tina
and the group narrative story behind her Phil Spector produced and Jack
Nitzsche-arranged "River Deep, Mountain High" Gold Star Recording
Studio session. The musical influence of Ike and Tina Turner are also examined
in "Docs That Rock, Music That Matters section on the epic "Gimme
Shelter" documentary.
IN OTHER NEWS: The new March, 2021, issue of
"Shindig!" the popular UK music monthly's cover story on the Mamas
and the Papas' debut LP incorporates Harvey Kubernik interviews with Guy
Webster, Michelle Phillips, Lou Adler and Bones Howe.
"Ugly Things" magazine now has
Kubernik's multi-voice narrative examination of the Johnny Cash/Bob Dylan
friendship and music relationship up on their website: http://ugly-things.com/johnny-cash-live-at-san-quentin-returns-and-a-1975-interview/. (Kubernik's Dylan/Cash article
was subsequently listed on the well-regarded Bob Dylan news website, www.expectingrain.com).
In Late February, "Music Connection"
featured Kubernik's article on The Band's new deluxe edition re-release of the
"Stage Fright" album: https://www.musicconnection.com/kubernik-the-band-stage-fright-50th-anniversary.
Last Friday, Harvey's "Music Connection" article brought you into the legacy of Island Records and their "Volume One Vinyl Series." Harvey now reminds us about the just released, highly acclaimed Bob Marley box set "Songs of Freedom: The Island Years." See https://www.musicconnection.com/kubernik-bob-marley-island-records.
This Friday, "Music Connection" will spotlight Harvey's article on Leonard Cohen and the 50th anniversary of his "Songs of Love and Hate" album, and Kubernik's interview with Michael Posner on his new book on Cohen "Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories" published by Simon & Schuster in Canada in late 2020. Kubernik is the author of a 2015 book on Cohen, "Everybody Knows."
During March and April,
"Music Connection will exhibit interviews by Harvey with John Mayall,
Travis Pike, Marianne Faithfull, Allen Ginsberg, and Merry Clayton.
March 4th is Bobby Womack's birthday, and the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee was the subject of a profile by Harvey in
the February 18, 2021 edition of BestClassicBands.com at Rock Hall Inductee Bobby Womack:
R&B Legend, Friend of Rock Stars | Best Classic Bands
AND THIS JUST IN: On October 19, 2021,
Sterling/Barnes and Noble will be publishing the Harvey Kubernik and Kenneth
Kubernik book on Jimi Hendrix, "Voodoo Child."
Yowzah!!! (And I can barely keep up with my email!!!)
WTG, Harvey! (kk)
And, in addition to MORE comments and announcements from our readers tomorrow, you can look forward to another 50th Anniversary Super Chart on Sunday ... and a special 50th Anniversary Salute to the first Ali-Frazier Fight, which took place on March 8th, 1971!
Baby Steps:
OK, so we now know WHERE it’s gonna be …
https://fhphilspector.blogspot.com/
But we’re still working out WHEN it’s gonna be!!!
(My guess is we’re still at least a month a way … but I’m working on it every spare chance I get.)
It’s huge … it’s awesome … and it’ll be worth the wait …
(Plus I wanna do it right)
But you may want to click on the link now and bookmark this site so that you have it in your favorites.
(Click the PHIL SPECTOR heading right under Phil's picture to see our very first post!)
Trust me, we’ll let you know when to head over there …
But progress IS being made …
Even if it’s only baby steps right now. (kk)
The Last Word:
And one more from Chuck Buell to end today’s segment, too …
Chalk this up to our “A Little Good News Department” …
An announcement came yesterday that the U.S. will have enough vaccine doses for every U.S. adult by the end of May.
So I guess this WILL happen!
I finally got my first vaccine Wednesday Night (it took every bit of six weeks to get the appointment … and then, once I had it, they even called to see if I wanted to come in a day earlier!) We’ve kicked things into high gear here in the Chicago area, even dedicating huge public arenas like Wrigley Field, Soldiers Field and The United Center to mass process qualified candidates. In fact, the doctor who did mine (which was done by a pharmacist at a Walgreens store) said that he felt that within two weeks, they’ll be waiting for people to come in rather than the other way around.)
Next shot is on the 31st … and I see SO many things already being relaxed in many other areas … some states even lifting the mask requirement (which I am just convinced is an accident waiting to happen … I fully expect brand new spikes in these areas, thus defeating all of the good the government is doing with these vaccines … but time will tell if I’m right … and there is absolutely NOTHING I can think of that I would rather be more wrong about!!!)
Let’s just hope we’ve turned the corner on this. Granted, the vaccines are still, for the most part, unproven … but hopefully now that we have a starting point, more can be done development-wise to help combat any new strands of this that may materialize in the years to come.
It’s a horrible way to live … I doubt that we’ll ever really know ALL of the complete details as to how this got so out of hand … but right now we all need to focus on the positive and the solution … and get back as close to normal as we possibly can.
‘Nuff said. (kk)
OK … Maybe just a LITTLE bit more to say …
Sounds like some of our rock stars have also been thru the vaccination process …
Brian Wilson, Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper (who HAD Covid), Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton (who should have been moved to the front of the line after donating a million dollars for covid research), Steve Martin, Arnold Schwarzenegger (it is NOT a tumor!), Paul Stanley, Tommy Shaw and many others have taken to social media to post about their vaccination experience … and encourage others to do the same.
Best prognosis for a return to touring and concerts looks to be late fall, 2021, as of right now … obviously subject to review as things move forward. Much as I miss it, I’m not quite ready to put myself in that crowded auditorium with a bunch of strangers whose health situation isn’t clear. (Maybe proof of vaccination, temperature taking at the door, and mask wearing at the event will become the new standard.) Right now, we’ll just have to wait and see. (kk)
And how about this funny from Frank B …
