FORGOTTEN HITS: Tuesday This And That

Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Tuesday This And That

We've been missing in action for a few days in the way of NEW posts ...

So we've got a bit of catching up to do in today's TUESDAY THIS AND THAT edition!

50 years after Jim Morrison’s death, where is his 1967 Shelby GT500?

This article popped up today in my weekly car newsletter.

We need more car stories in FH.

Robert Campbell

https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/50-years-jim-morrisons-death-1967-shelby-gt500/

Cool article … if totaled, it was likely scrapped. (Not sure how many people would have made the connection to Jim Morrison at the time.) If not, it should be in one of those car museums. If not, it may have changed hands numerous times over the years between collectors … but you’d think there’d be some record of that. Still, a VERY interesting perspective on yet another mystery surrounding Jim Morrison’s life. (Hmm … kinda like Eddie Wilson’s car in Eddie And The Cruisers!!!)

More car stories? Bring ‘em on (if they’re as good as this one.)

Otherwise, we just have to settle for more car tunes … or cartoons, I guess! (kk)

Kent,

The Harvey Kubernik assemblage on the Doors you featured in Forgotten Hits on July 3rd, the 50th Anniversary of the passing of Jim Morrison, was as fine a piece of music journalism as I have ever read. Really remarkable. Thank-you to Harvey Kubernik for an excellent job, and to you and Forgotten Hits for providing the venue at which it was presented.

I thought you would get a kick out of this story I recalled Burton Cummings featured in his blog a few years ago on his meeting Jim Morrison.

Thanks Again,

Tim Kiley

https://medium.com/@burtoncummings/a-night-to-remember-e44180a5ec01

A night to remember if there ever was one. Thanks, Tim.

(I’ve heard Burton tell this story before … but I couldn’t think of a more perfect place to run it again!) Passing your kudos along to Harvey. (kk)

kk:

Please tell Tim I really appreciate his words. Means a lot. I do the forensic work and try and take the readers / viewers into new terrain. I've known for over 50 years the engineer and the producer are just as important as the recording artists documented.

Deejay Dr. James Cushing has stressed to me, "It's not nostalgia if you are delivering new information." The poet / actor Harry E. Northup also reinforced that my work / expedition, mostly culled from first-hand observations from a 60 year journey of devotion, is the antithesis from a lot of music journalism and reporting these days. I feel with this multi-voice narrative text on the Doors and the forum FH and yourself provided for the band, that this is a chronicle that will be praised and studied for decades. We both hit the ball over the fence and know many people will be reminded about the Doors' legacy and as well as being introduced for the first time to their catalogue. Mission accomplished.

Harvey also writes …

RIP Vic Briggs of Eric Burdon and the Animals and Co-writer of "Monterey"

Let us not forget the musical contributions of Vic Briggs who, during 1966 – 1969, was a member of Eric Burdon and the Animals.

From my interview with Vic Briggs - Harvey Kubernik ©2012 - Portions appeared in the book A Perfect Haze: The Illustrated History of the Monterey International Pop Festival by Harvey and Kenneth Kubernik

“We loved the album John Handy Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Before Monterey Pop, we did a college tour and we worked up some pretty outlandish stuff. John Coltrane’s ‘My Favorite Things,’ songs by John Handy, and Eric [Burdon] singing a lot of road stuff, like ‘Tobacco Road’ and ‘Hey Gyp.’

“On our first tour, we played at the Monterey Fairgrounds on March 22, 1967. The police came and knocked on our hotel door and gave us a full on, sirens-blaring-escort to the fairgrounds. We then heard from Eric that he was trying to get us on the bill for the Monterey International Pop Festival. My head exploded. I was so excited.

“We went on stage and kicked off with ‘Everyday I Have the Blues,” the Jimmy Witherspoon thing that was our standard opening number. It took off and it felt good. After an extended version of the Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It, Black,’ was witnessed by Brian Jones sitting right down in front. We went into ‘Gin House Blues,’ then presented our homage to San Francisco to an authentic California crowd.

“We played ‘San Francisco Nights’ a couple of times in Italy, just for the sake of getting it onstage and being familiar with it. And this was the first time we knew that an audience would get it, and that it was gonna make a big splash at Monterey. We finished with ‘Hey Gyp,’ complete with psychedelic guitars and a long vocal improvisation from Eric, and the crowd roared their approval.”

Vic Briggs RIP ... Sad to learn that Antion Singh Meredith / Vic Briggs has left us. Short fight with cancer. We corresponded regularly - a truly good friend

Hey kk …

Have you heard about this one?

Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson Set for Central Park ‘Homecoming’ - The New York Times

This is the first round of a series of " SUMMER CONCERTS ."

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/arts/music/central-park-homecoming-concert.html

Lead story in Forgotten Hits today (kk)

You Out Scooped Me Again. L-o-L !!
Great Minds Think Alike.

REMINDER (1): You can help celebrate Ringo Starr’s 81^st Birthday this Wednesday –

It all takes place at 12 Noon … as in YOUR local time … everywhere in the world!

You can follow along with all of the festivities on either:

Ringo’s Facebook page
Ringo’s Instagram

On a Beatles-related note, Jack Black’s Tenacious D has put together their own, new version of the Abbey Road Medley … which really has to be seen and heard to be appreciated …

We’ll all have a brand new Elvis Presley streaming channel to enjoy in 2022.

A brand new deal has been inked between Elvis Presley Enterprises and Cinedigm and it’s all free. (Sirius/XM has had an Elvis Channel for years now, but you have to be a paid subscriber to access it.) Cinedigm is launching a dedicated Elvis Presley Channel that will feature Presley’s 1968 comeback television special, “Singer Presents … Elvis” as well as “Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite,” “Elvis By The Presleys,” home movies and other dedicated specials profiling similar artists from this era like Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash. Special programming, features and documentaries will help to populate the channel … along with TONS of Elvis music. More details are still to come … but the channel is hoping to launch in early 2022. (kk)

https://nypost.com/2021/06/30/elvis-presley-getting-free-streaming-channel-in-2022/

Hi there, Kent and FH readers,

I read with great interest the countdown of the number 1 songs on July 4th from 1955 to 1985 that you posted on July Fourth.

I have a copy of the Casey Kasem Bicentennial American Top Forty program from the weekend of July 4, 1976, in which Casey presented the number 1 songs on July 4th, from 1937 through 1976. That was a most interesting program and I remember listening to it at the time.

I don't know what the statisticians of A-T 40 did differently to come up with their slightly different results. Both lists are in total agreement until the year 1961.

On your list, Tossin' And Turnin' by Bobby Lewis is shown as the number 1 song, but on the American Top Forty count down, the number 1 song for July 4, 1961, was Quarter To Three by Gary U.S. Bonds.

The following year, 1962, was different as well.

Your list showed The Stripper by David Rose as the number 1 song on July 4, 1962, but on Casey Kasem's countdown, the number 1 song was I Can't Stop Loving You by Ray Charles.

I just find this interesting.

I mean, you would think that the number 1 song on July 4th of each year would be a definite thing, and there wouldn't be discrepancies like that.

By the way, the rest of the years totally agreed with your list, although for 1966, before playing Paperback Writer by the Beatles, Casey played Strangers In The Night by Frank Sinatra. I'm not sure whether that was just filler, or whether that song was the number 1 song on the easy listening charts. Was there an easy listening chart back in 1966? I think there was.

Anyway, I just found this interesting and I hope that you and your readers did as well.

Sam Ward

I think I can answer all of your very observant questions.

One of the things that I never liked about the Billboard Charts is that they always showed their chart date as “For Week Ending …” This meant that the magazine issue date was always different than the chart it contained. (For example, on the 1961 chart, the magazine date was July 3^rd but the chart date was “For Week Ending July 9^th)

As time has passed, it has become VERY confusing as MOST sources now list the chart date (not the magazine date) as the date of that chart, which technically is incorrect. Meaning the Hot 100 Chart for July 9^th, is REALLY a date that began on July 3^rd (which was the magazine date.) However, again and again, we see the “end date” shown as the date of the chart … with no reference to the fact that that date was, in effect, its “expiration date.”

Confused yet?

The reference source that we used when compiling our list of #1 Songs on The 4^th of July came from Joel Whitburn’s book “Billboard’s Top 10 Singles Charts.” Knowing that JOEL knows Billboard’s chart dates were always based on “week ending,” when I looked up 1961 it showed “Quarter To Three” at #1 (for the second week) on the chart he dated July 3^rd … so I naturally assumed that that was the chart for the week ENDING on July 3^rd, meaning that the very next chart (dated July 10^th) would be the chart that included The 4^th of July … and THAT #1 Record was “Tossin’ And Turnin’” by Bobby Lewis.

Looking at the ACTUAL Billboard charts, I see now that I made an error in this regard. Issue Date July 3^rd / Chart Date Week Ending July 9^th does, in fact, show “Quarter To Three” by “U.S. Bonds” (that was the way the name was shown on the record at the time) at #1 … so I have since corrected this in my posting.

As if THAT isn’t convoluted enough, the actual Billboard chart for “The Week Ending July 7^th, 1962” shows “The Stripper” by David Rose at #1. “I Can’t Stop Loving You” by Ray Charles last held down the #1 spot on the chart that ended June 30^th … so in THIS instance, it is Casey Kasem’s chart information that is wrong. (Now get this … in Whitburn’s “Top 10 Singles” book, he SWITCHED his date methodology back to the chart ending date for the 1962 charts … the exact OPPOSITE of the format he used the year before!!!) With no distinction being given, ANY reader would have jumped to the same (wrong) conclusion … making this truly a case of you can’t tell the #1 Record without a score card!!!

So my information on THAT date stands “as is.”

As for 1966, “Strangers In The Night” was the #1 Record in the Country on the chart dated “Week Ending July 2^nd, 1966) … “Paperback Writer” took over that position the very next week (Week Ending July 9^th), making it the official #1 Record on The 4^th of July that week.

And, for the record, Billboard started their Easy Listening / Adult Contemporary / Middle Of The Road / Soft Rock chart in 1961and your guess was correct … “Strangers In The Night” topped THAT chart on The 4^th of July, 1966. (In fact, it held the #1 position there for seven straight weeks.) Why Casey would just arbitrarily jump to a completely different chart in the middle of his Top 40 Pop Hits countdown is anybody’s guess. (By the way, Sinatra topped Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart FOUR TIMES during 1966 … first with “It Was A Very Good Year” for a week in February, then with “Strangers In The Night” (for seven weeks during June and July), then with “The Summer Wind” for a week in October and finally ending the year with “That’s Life,” which topped the last weekly chart of 1966 and stayed there for two more weeks in 1967.) The closest this chart came to reflecting the pop side of things would have to be “England Swings” by Roger Miller, “The Ballad of The Green Berets” by S/Sgt. Barry Sadler, “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” by Petula Clark and “Winchester Cathedral” by The New Vaudeville Band. Plus, of course, Sinatra’s two big chart-toppers that year, “Strangers In The Night” and “That’s Life.” (kk)

Thought about you the morning of the Fourth of July, Kent, as I was selecting my Wardrobe for the Day and this Vintage late 1960s memory came to mind.

I selected my Singular, Special Shirt that only comes out once or twice a year! The Fourth of July and maybe a Local Summer Beer Festival!

And my Vintage Shoes for only once a year on July Fourth!

Now, lest you think I actually BOUGHT these runners, I did not!

(Plus, this gives me the rare opportunity to use the word, "lest!" )

Sometime in the late 1960s, maybe early 1970s, there was a movie about a big city ( Chicago, maybe? ) bicycle messenger and package delivering company, the name of the movie which escaped me long ago. A promotional tie-in was to give some of us On-Air Chicago Radio, Pre-Forgotten Hits Spinners, a pair of free Red, White and Blue shoes like the ones the bike riders wore in the movie.

Who was I to turn down a free pair of such nifty shoes! And as seen in the movie! So, I guess that makes them around 50 years old or so, and with their extremely low mileage, they're still in Great Shape! And, yes, I can slip into them and wear them for an afternoon or so without discomfort!

BTW, they were made by Adidas. I can personally tell you, their specialty shoes have come a long way since I first put these puppies on a little over five decades ago!

Walk a Mile in My Shoes!

Keep on Chuckin'!

The new Beach Boys “Feel Flows” Box Set has been pushed back to an August 27^th release date. (Sorry to hear that, as I was really looking forward to this one … but then again it’s now coming out on my birthday … so that’s kinda cool!!!)

Harvey Kubernik tells us all about it … right here …

https://www.musicconnection.com/kubernik-beach-boys-feel-flows-box-set/

REMINDER (2): The Beach Boys Channel is back for the summer on Sirius/XM … Channel 105

REMINDER (3): This Saturday Night (July 10^th), The Arcada Theatre launches its Grand Reopening with The Chicago Experience, the premier local Chicago Tribute Band … and it’s not to be missed!

These guys are great! (I have described them before as performing the hits of Chicago better than the BAND Chicago does in concert!!!)

This is a General Admission Event … and tickets are only $15 each (including the service charge) … so why not come out and join us for a GREAT night of entertainment.

And then, the very next day (Sunday, July 11^th), it’ll be Herman’s Hermits featuring Peter Noone taking the stage. This is ALWAYS a great show. Peter is one of the best oldies entertainers out there and it’s impossible not to have a good time at one of his concerts. There are still a few tickets available for this oft-rescheduled show, too … so you may want to jump on that.

And finally, Ron has announced the Grand Opening of his new Des Plaines Theater musical arena … and what a way to open!

Kicking things off on Friday, September 3^rd, it’ll be a double bill of Firefall and Pablo Cruise, two of the biggest recording artists of the ‘70’s. (We’ll be there for THAT one, too!)

Tickets and more information for all of these great shows (and many more coming up now that we’re back to rockin’ live) can be found here:

https://oshows.com/

After seeing the mannequin in Chuck Buell’s post-4^th of July piece on Monday, we got this from FH Reader Bob Frable …

I KNEW they made 'em like that! I knew it ... I knew it ...

--BF