THIS AND THAT:
As we continue to look back fifty years with our weekly Super Charts, so, too, does Ultimate Classic Rock, who this week spotlights not only the biggest hit of Carole King’s solo career (the two-sided hit single “It’s Too Late” / “I Feel The Earth Move”) but also 101 albums of note from 1971 that should be on everyone’s radar. (A quick tally tells me that I only have 23 of these LPs in my own personal collection … So I guess I’ve got a bit of catching up to do!)
King, by the way, is still in 6th place in this year’s Fan Poll for Induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. (kk)
Darlene Love will be appearing on Cousin Brucie’s program this evening.
FH Reader Frank B. brings us up to date …
kk …
Cousin Brucie Update …
CAT FIGHT: La La Brooks vs. Darlene Love.
I heard a La La Brooks interview a week ago. ("HE'S A REBEL" / Crystals)
La La said that Darlene Love needed the Crystals --- the Crystals didn't need Darlene Love.
She also said that Darlene was in her late 40's with two kids.
FB
Spector used Darlene Love as an uncredited lead vocalist many times over the years … kind of a shame, as she didn’t get the proper recognition she deserved until many years later.
As for her age, Darlene was all of 21 when her first solo hit charted. (“Today I Met The Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” #35, 1963) … just three months shy of her 22nd birthday … so I’m sensing some VERY sour grapes on La La Brooks’ part after all these many years!
You can read more about BOTH of these legendary female vocalists in our Phil Spector Series, of course. (Now we just need to get La La, Darlene and Ronnie Spector to read it!!!) kk
https://fhphilspector.blogspot.com/
Frank also sent us this vintage posting by Roger McGuinn, former guitarist in Bobby Darin’s back-up band, prior to forming The Byrds.
A VERY cool piece of history, for sure …
>>>Nupercainal
Google it and look at its application nowadays. Only a rare mention of sunburn - but almost always used for hemorrhoids, with occasional mention of other rashes.
https://www.drugs.com/mtm/nupercainal.html
David Lewis
Ouch! Lol … too funny! I guess it’s still attacking “the burn,” ‘though, right??? (kk)
kk:
After you told me about it, I watched Brian Hyland on "TO TELL THE TRUTH."
Only one wrong guess = $250 divided by 3.
Do you remember?
I seem to remember a story from years ago ---
Newspaper story about songwriter of "BIKINI SONG" having died. It was a mistake. Turns out the guy was lying to his wife about writing the song. Very bad idea.
Wife will go out and spend the expected royalties .
FB
I DO remember something about that … and it was Ron Dante who told us that the whole thing had been a mistake. (He was very close with the songwriters of this tune, Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss.)
Somehow this guy who claimed to have written the tune, was getting credit for being Paul Vance (at least within the members of his own immediate family), while the REAL Paul Vance was quite shocked and upset to read his OWN obituary in the newspaper!!!
According to Wikipedia (a quick source but not necessarily the most reliable one … we already found at least THREE mistakes in this article alone!):
Paul Vance read about the death of another man, Paul Van Valkenburgh, who claimed to have written "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" under the name Paul Vance. The impostor had explained his lack of royalty payments for the song by claiming that he had sold the rights as a teenager. Vance, the song's true co-author, has earned several million dollars from the song since 1960, describing it as "a money machine."
Lee Pockriss, the song’s cowriter, passed away a few years later in 2011. (kk)
For more on this story, check out this article …
https://www.steynonline.com/10532/itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie-yellow-polka-dot-bikini
From Tom Cuddy …
More info (and the duo’s recording of “Blackbird”) from their new tribute album to the music of The Beatles …
Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr: This iconic duo’s new cover of "Blackbird" elevates the song’s Civil Rights origins to great heights
Kent,
Tomorrow (Sunday, April 18th) will be the 7th anniversary of the
death of Deon Jackson. I rewrote the piece I did before his birthday back
in January. Hope you can fit it in.
Mike Wolstein
=================
There's been a lot of great material written about Deon Jackson's musical
career. I'm recalling bits and pieces from our 38-year friendship.
Deon Jackson, born January 26, 1946, spent his early life in Ann Arbor,
Michigan, and 42 years in Chicago.
In March of '76, I got a phone call from a friend who managed a few local pop and
blues artists. He suggested I stop by Myron & Phil's restaurant in
Lincolnwood, IL., and check out the fellow who was performing at the piano bar.
I walked in and instantly recognized him from his 1966 LP cover as Deon
Jackson.
There were a few people at the piano bar. Deon asked for requests, so I asked for "Love Makes the World Go 'Round." He was somewhat surprised, but happy to hear my request. He said, "You know the song?" I replied that I liked the tune, and remembered it hitting the charts for a few weeks in early '66.
Deon's routine consisted of pop
tunes by Sinatra, Lou Rawls, and many other 50s and 60s pop artists. Once in a
while he'd do some light rock. His favorite male vocalist was Tony Bennett.
I wondered how he'd ended up there. He'd spent a few years playing clubs in New
York City before coming to Chicago. You
never knew who you'd run into at Myron & Phil's; I'd met boxer Ernie Tyrell
(Tammi's father), Jack Brickhouse, comic Marty Allen, and others. I had a
wonderful surprise one night in 1978, when I overheard the woman next to me at
the piano mention that she was from Toronto. Deon asked for requests, and she
asked for "I'll Never Smile Again," which was a huge hit for the
Platters. I turned to her and said, "I love that song." She replied, "Thank you. I wrote it." The woman was Ruth Lowe, who wrote several
songs, many of which were hits for Frank Sinatra. Sadly, she passed on three
years later. It is said that the songs she wrote for Frank Sinatra helped
greatly in rocketing his career.
Around 1981, after he'd finish playing at M & P's, we'd meet up at a place
on Lincoln Avenue called Earthquake McGoon's Saloon for a drink and to
mingle. On nice nights we'd take our drinks out onto the sidewalk and stand
around chatting with the other patrons. One evening, we noticed lots of
stylishly-dressed people coming out of the building next door to the bar, and
some were singing R&B tunes ... but not just "singing" like WE
did, but these people were GREAT. Turned out that the building was Curtis
Mayfield's Curtom Records, and these were known recording artists! Sometimes
we'd sing along with them, out on the sidewalk. Eventually, the Earthquake's
crowd learned of Deon's musical background, so he'd bring his portable piano
into the bar and sing for the customers.
Deon moved from M&P's Lincolnwood to their new, second location in Highland
Park, around 1981. During that time, I'd been hanging out across the road at
WVVX 103.1 FM, between midnight and 3 AM, during their "All Night
Oldies" show, which ran from midnight to 5 AM, Saturdays and
Sundays. I became friends with three different DJs over a period of about
three years. Once in a while, we'd discuss record collecting on the air. The second of the three fellows who DJ'd the
show was Bill Dahl, who writes R&B and blues columns for the Illinois
Entertainer and other music publications.
While at the station one night, I
mentioned that Deon was playing piano at the restaurant across the road, and
Bill became interested in doing an interview with him.
Deon agreed, and one night I brought him over. Bill put the station on backup
and did a 20-minute interview, which was soon run on WVVX, and was also
published in the Illinois Entertainer, among other publications. It can still be found on the Net.
From there, Deon went to work playing piano bar at "Billy and
Company" on Milwaukee Avenue in Wheeling.
One night in 1982, a nice young guy walked in and sat down next to me at
the piano bar. During a break, he asked Deon if he could play the piano.
Deon said "Sure," and the young man sat down and blew us away with his
talent. Later on, he'd bring a guitar with him, and he and Deon would
play and sing together. There was nothing musical this young fellow couldn't
do.
His name was Mark Eskin. I don't
have to elaborate on Mark. He was a
phenomenon. I miss him a lot, as do thousands of his other fans. I didn't find
out he'd passed on until "Danzman" told me, a month after the
funeral. I was shocked and saddened to lose a good friend like Mark, and
I felt terrible to have missed the service.
At one point, Deon and Mark went to a recording studio, where they cut an
acetate; Deon wrote a simple tune, which took him a few minutes to write.
Over the following years, Deon
played and sang at various establishments and provided entertainment for various
private affairs.
In 2007, I coerced Deon into calling Dick Biondi on the air so that Dick could
"interview" him; it aired on March 22nd.
Prior to his passing, Deon had been working as a student counselor at
Wheaton-Warrenville South High School. He'd occasionally play piano and sing
for the students, who all loved him. Helluva nice, talented guy.
R.I.P., De.
A nice story about Deon, which was done in 2014, can be found here:
http://www.soul-source.co.uk/_/soul-articles/2014-don-davis-and-deon-jackson-by-rob-moss-r3025
HELPING OUT OUR READERS:
Hi Kent,
I recently came across your website which had Dotty Daniels write a comment about her record 'I'm Alone' / 'The Casual Look' on AMY.
I am trying to locate a copy of the record for my collection and wondered if you could help with any contacts which could possibly help look out for one.
I'm twenty-four years old and writing from the North of England - any help would be appreciated. I adore the “No Hit” songs and this track in particular is one of my favourites and I would love to add it to my collection.
Thank you for asking your readers.
Look forward to chatting soon,
Jordan Wilson
Hi Jordan!
We really don't sell records ... but I have asked a couple of folks on our list who do to see if perhaps they can help you out.
Coming up empty so far ... but stay tuned ...
We really have a pretty good
success rate on this kind of stuff! (Anybody got a copy for sale?) kk
