The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame announced this year’s inductees and I’ve got to say that overall (given the choice of options available), I was pretty pleased with many of these decisions … and very surprised by a few others.
Officially being inducted in the Performer Category this year are Tina Turner, Carole King, The Go-Go’s, Jay-Z, Foo Fighters and Todd Rundgren.
I will admit to personally voting for ALL of these nominees (with the exception of Jay-Z), so I find them all to be worthy candidates.
However, I AM a
little bit disappointed that fully HALF of this year’s inductees are already
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame members due to previous inductions … meaning they have
already been recognized for their work, making them "Double Inductees."
(Tina Turner got in as half of The Ike And Tina Turner Revue, Carole
King was rewarded for her incredible streak of hits written with her
then-husband, Gerry Goffin, and now gets recognition for her work as a solo, performing artist, and Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters had previously been
inducted as part of Nirvana.) There are
SO many multiple inductees now that it really pains me to see so many good and
deserving artists continue to be overlooked each year in favor of double (or in some cases
even TRIPLE) inducting someone whose work has already been recognized. Do some “catching up” first and correct some
of your blatant oversights … and THEN double and triple induct as you feel
necessary. Meanwhile, FAR too many
deserving artists still haven’t so much as made the ballot … and it’s an
embarrassment (not to mention a REAL credibility issue) that The Rock Hall
cannot seem to recognize this fact.
All of that being said, we’ve been advocates for Todd Rundgren for YEARS now … and are apparently happier about his finally being recognized than Todd himself! The Go-Go’s make sense, too … and there was never any doubt in my mind that Jay-Z would eventually get in, as hard as The Rock Hall (and Jann Wenner in particular) kept pushing for his induction.
This would also be true of Krafwerk, another Wenner “favorite” who has made the nominations ballot several times before … but was never going to earn enough votes on their own from the voting committee to get in … so this year they’re being given a token award for “Early Influence.” (These guys have got to be the most RECENT “early influence” inducted since The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame began!!! Their one and only hit, “Autobahn,” charted in 1975 ... and I'm not sure I completely understand just who and what they had such an influential impact on. Usually, this category is reserved for rock’s earliest influences dating back to BEFORE rock and roll music was part of the mainstream. Gil Scott-Heron and Charley Patton will also receive Early Influence Awards this year.)
Billy Preston is also receiving (posthumously, unfortunately) a Musical Excellence Award. Again, we have campaigned for Billy for YEARS. Preston’s work dates back to the earliest rock and roll records and tours, having played with everyone from Little Richard and Sam Cooke to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones … plus scoring a couple of #1 Hits under his OWN name!!! His recognition is LONG overdue.
The Rock Hall also found a way to sneak LL Cool J in … another candidate who couldn’t earn enough votes to make it on his own. Randy Rhoads is also being recognized under the Musical Excellence category … and Clarence Avant rounds out this year’s elite, earning the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
Perhaps MOST surprising is the fact that two of the Top Five Vote Getters in The Fan Ballot were denied admission at all! Fela Kuti (who led the Fan Ballot for most of the way until a late sprint by Tina Turner there at the end) and Iron Maiden (who finished fourth) did not make the final cut this year. (Now I will admit that I had absolutely NO idea who Fela Kuti even was … and even suggested that this substantial number of votes could very easily have been one of those American Idol “Vote For The Worst” scams again … but to earn over 500,000 votes and NOT make the list is pretty disheartening. I’m also big enough to admit that even if I wasn’t familiar with his work, the fact that so many others WERE made him good enough for me!)
It’s time to make
room for The Guess Who, Chubby Checker, Tommy James and the Shondells, Pat Benatar, Glen Campbell, Three Dog Night and some of the other artists who consistently make our Deserving And Denied List … and how the hell is it possible that Ed Sullivan
STILL hasn’t been recognized?!?! (kk)
After discussing the results with Rick O’Dell, Program Director of Me-TV-FM, I got this …
Billy Preston’s one of those artists where, when they make it in, you say, “What — weren’t they already in?”
I completely agree with you on your point about artists getting honored multiple times by the Hall while other deserving artists are still waiting on the outside for their first induction.
I’m looking forward to reading the rest of your reaction to the HOF Class of 2021 in your blog.
Rick
We reconnected with our old friend Dave The Rave this past week and it was good to do some catching up.
Dave still does his Relic and Rarities Show on Top Shelf Oldies … and he’s even invited me to stop by on Sunday Night for a little while to talk about our Phil Spector Series. (I wonder if he’ll play my frequent request “My Angel Baby” by Toby Beau?!?!)
Probably not … but what he WILL play are a few Spector tunes … although I can’t promise that we’ll get him to play “Do The Screw” again! (When the Spector Series first ran back in 2008, Dave rose to the challenge and played this rare track on his show. All of this is documented in the series, which you can read here … https://fhphilspector.blogspot.com/ … I think Dave The Rave first appears in Chapter 4-A … https://fhphilspector.blogspot.com/2021/04/chapter-4-a.html)
Hope you can tune in and listen. The whole thing happens THIS SUNDAY NIGHT (May 16th) and I’ll probably come on right around 10:30 PM Eastern.
Complete Details below:
TOP SHELF OLDIES – Relics and Rarities with Dave The Rave
9 pm – Midnight (Eastern) Sunday Nights … and you can Listen Live here: http://topshelfoldies.org/
If anybody out there has a request (the rarer the better!), email Dave PRIOR to showtime at dave@davetherave.com and he’ll try to get some of these on the air. (In fact, you can start emailing at any time now, prior to 9 pm Eastern Sunday Night.)
Fair Warning … you’re going to have a pretty tough time stumping this guy … I have BEEN to Dave’s “No Static Attic” and his collection is really quite remarkable.
In fact, you check out the photos of The No Static Attic from my appearance on Dave’s show several years ago when we counted down The Top 20 Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides of All-Time … http://forgottenhits.com/your_top_200_favorite_forgotten_b-sides
And you can listen to several of his archived shows (including Dave’s 25th Anniversary Show from earlier this year … February 27th, to be exact!), here: http://davetherave.com/ (kk)
Great concert review by Rich Turner of the Kansas show down in Clearwater, Florida … I am just chomping at the bit to get back out there and see live music again … and this sounds like it would be a GREAT concert to add to the list.
Ted
I’m excited, too … but still cautious. Funny, I was talking to somebody about this earlier today. Nearly everybody I know has been fully vaccinated at this point … and a check point upon entry to a theater to show proof of vaccination, followed by a quick temperature check at the door, with socially distanced seating much like Rich described in his review sounds pretty safe right now … but if I’m being completely honest, my answer to the question “Do you feel safe now that you’ve been vaccinated” would have to be “No … I feel safER” … but not necessarily "safe." Still, that’s a start. Here’s hoping we can build from there. (kk)
And, speaking of Rich Turner, this was very nice to see in my email this morning …
Congrats on having now well over 6,000,000 million hits on your outstanding column. I know I've contributed to that number quite a bit since I have been a faithful reader since 2011. Keep up the great work!!!!
Rich Turner
Thanks, Rich … we appreciate ALL of our readers … some of whom have stuck with us for decades now (we must be doing SOMETHING right) … and some who sadly had to leave us through no choice of their own. We’ve covered a lot of ground during these past 22 years and I thank each and every one of you for making the whole thing work. (I’m just the glue that holds it all together … without you guys, there is no Forgotten Hits!) kk
I did not enjoy my Genesis concert experience.
I saw them on the We Can't Dance tour in 1991. Since I have always been a Top 40 song fan, I went to hear songs such as: That's All, Misunderstanding, No Reply At
All, Paperlate, Abacab and Phil Collins’ solo singles. They did not play any of those.
I am sure a true Genesis fan of all of their album tracks loved the show. They did something called 'Old Medley' and played five songs from the 70's. That did not include their only hit in the 70's, Follow You Follow Me.
They played several songs from their current album at the time (I Can't Dance) and those were the best songs of the night.
My suggestion is to look at the set list that they are planning before shelling out the big bucks. I vowed after that night in '91 to stay home next time and listen to my Genesis 45's.
Phil Nee – WRCO
So how cool is this?!?!
Here’s a chance for you to make your own video for Al Jardine’s new “Waves Of Love 2.0” single … and get it posted on his website!
That’s right … Al Jardine wants YOU to make a video for his latest single “Waves of Love 2.0!” … and the winning video will be featured on his official website and shared on Al’s social media pages!
And that’s not all …
The Winner will
also get an acoustic guitar signed by Al, a tour shirt that Al actually wore on
stage (also signed), plus a copy of the rare Record Store Day vinyl releases of
A Postcard from California
and “Don’t Fight The Sea” b/w “Friends” (featuring The Beach Boys)
and signed CDs of A
Postcard from California and “Waves of Love 2.0” (along with a personal
thank you from Al!)
Catch a wave here for all the details: www.aljardine.com/news
I saw this in THE TIMES SQUARE CHRONICLES the other day:
Funny moment on Micky Dolenz’s interview with Bruce Morrow Saturday night on WABC, when Dolenz said he had ramped up his cooking skills during the 14-month shutdown. So much so, he and his wife had talked about maybe opening a restaurant. Fun fact: Micky’s father had a very successful restaurant in Hollywood called The Marquis. Micky, get me a table! …
His new “Dolenz Sings Nesmith” album is out this month and we can’t wait to hear it! (kk)
LOTS of talk this past week (AGAIN!) about some new ABBA recordings. (We’ve been running some variation of this story periodically since 2018!)
Originally, the quartet had reportedly reunited to record two new tracks after four decades to be used in their "Avatar" show … but now, thanks to an interview done last week with Bjorn Ulvaeus and published by The New York Times, it sounds like there could be as many as FIVE new tracks released later this Fall.
Since the success of "Mamma Mia" and their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction, ABBA has managed to stay relevant and in the press periodically for years now. More recently, there was talk of a hologram tour, recreating a live ABBA show with holograms of all four members singing to a live back-up band. (That never happened either … and, quite honestly, I had mixed feelings about it all along. Was it REALLY worth seeing? Would I kick myself till the end of time if I missed it??? However, those plans haven't totally been scrapped yet either ... and with Simon Fuller, the guy behind "American Idol" on board, this could still prove to be quite a successful event.)
And then the pandemic hit and everything ground to a halt again.
But that gave Bjorn and songwriting partner Benny Andersson time to write a few more tunes together … and everything new that was being recorded was held back in hopes of a more significant release.
Could this really be it? Or will these five songs sit again until there are enough to fill a complete album? Or will they use these as part of some television special or new ABBA film documentary that will bring their story completely up to date? (An new ABBA documentary aired last year but it was quite disappointing as SO much material was left out.)
Only time will tell … but I, for one, would SURE love to hear what they’ve laid down! (kk)
Kent,
Two things came immediately to my mind when I read Monday's FH.
You said that you would like to see a MAJOR oldies attraction put together. That one word. I thought firsthand of singer Major Lance. He had a few records that I liked.
Second, you mentioned the retirement of Aaron Neville. When I think of him, I think of a big record he had (locally here in OKC) called OVER YOU. Didn't chart nationally (don't know about the R 'n B charts) but really huge here. The song, I believe, was written by Toussaint McCall on the Minit record label. Flip was HOW MANY TIMES, written by Naomi Neville.
Larry Neal
“Over You” bubbled under on all three major charts in 1960, seven years before he hit #2 with his breakthrough hit, “Tell It Like It Is.” It hit #111 in Billboard, #112 in Cash Box and #113 in Music Vendor … but it is well remembered by serious record collectors. (And you’re right … Allen Touissaaint cowrote the song with Allen Orange.) Joel Whitburn shows the B-Side as being a song called “Every Day” … so I wonder if there was more than one pressing of this record. (kk)
By the way, that
Stagger Lawrence record is online by Spencer and Spencer. You can listen to it
and decide for yourself. The vocal in it
is done by a Stan Freberg sound alike (?)
Larry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMB-g8Awgho
Yes … VERY much like Stan’s work. (kk)
Larry also mentioned a Nat “King” Cole song being used in an Amazon television commercial the other day … and I finally saw it this evening. It’s not a very long clip … but it’s a good tune … Amazon Prime has been digging deep for some of these recently featured song … and “Trouble Ahead” is another non-charting single / album track from the ‘60’s, much like the Chuck Berry tune that was getting all the buzz a couple of months back. (Doing a little research, the song was first featured on Nat’s 1964 album “Let’s Face The Music!” … but the track was actually recorded in 1961 and sat on the shelf for three years.) Catchy tune.
Somebody on their advertising team likely grew up listening to this music at home as a kid … ‘cause I’m a genuine music geek and I wasn’t familiar with either one of these tunes before I heard them in these Prime television spots!!!
Here’s the clip for the benefit of those who may not yet have seen it …
More on “Stagger Lawrence” from FH Reader Sam Ward …
Hi there Kent,
Someone mentioned the novelty break in record Stagger Lawrence by Spencer and Spencer in today's blog entry. I believe that this was Dickie Goodman using a pseudonym, although I'm not positive about that.
Stagger Lawrence used quite a few excerpts of Lloyd Price's Stagger Lee, and the Lawrence in the title is because Lawrence Welk is being impersonated in the record.
Lawrence takes issue with the way Lloyd Price sings the word “clear” in the phrase "The night was clear" and keeps correcting him, and telling him to sing "clearum," much like Stan Freberg said the word “Californium” in his spoof of Lawrence Welk in his double sided single, Wun’erful! Wun’erful!
It's one of those novelty break-in records that just didn't end up being that funny.
Although I thought that Russian Bandstand was kind of humorous, this one just doesn't make it somehow. I'll let FH readers decide.
Still, it is an interesting period piece, putting two of the most unlikely entertainers together, Lloyd Price and Lawrence Welk.
Sam
I, too, have heard that Spencer and Spencer was actually Dickie Goodman … and if you listen to the Lawrence Welk voice on this one, it certainly sounds like him … and while not really a “break-in record” per se, it is a pretty clever way of cashing in on Price, Welk and the Stan Freberg novelty hit, which actually made The Top 40 in 1957. (At this point, Goodman was still recording with partner Bill Buchanan, so this was either a shot at him going off on his own in another direction … or somebody doing a damn good impersonation of this whole comedy genre.)
As Sam says, you can listen and decide for yourself via the YouTube link above. (kk)
UPDATE: According to Joel Whitburn’s “Top Pop Singles” book, Spencer and Spencer is actually Dickie Goodman and Mickey Shorr. While “Russian Band Stand” charted at #91 in Billboard, “Stagger Lawrence” failed to chart in any of the major music trade publications. (kk)
Tom Cuddy sent me this profile of Chicago members Jimmy Pankow and Lee Loughnane …
New Musician Profile: Chicago’s Jimmy Pankow and Lee Loughnane – of the rock band Chicago …
TC
https://chicagotheband.com/news/musician-profile-chicagos-jimmy-pankow-and-lee-loughnane/
Man, what a BEAUTIFUL shot of the band on this site! (kk)
And finally, this from Alex Valdez of The Yellow Balloon …
