Today’s the day …
Today, Thursday, September 9th, (Which Would Have Been His 80th Birthday), Has Been Declared
"Otis Redding Day" By The State Of Georgia -
HAPPY 80TH BIRTHDAY TO OTIS REDDING
Otis Redding would have turned 80 years old today, September 9th. To honor the beloved soul singer’s everlasting legacy, the State of Georgia has declared today as “Otis Redding Day” throughout the state. The Otis Redding Museum will also unveil a new collection of memorabilia chronicling Redding’s life, legacy, and influences on the world with handwritten notes, unseen photos, and more.
For
more information, please visit The Otis Redding Foundation website.
In addition, Rhino Music is also introducing several releases that
showcase the music that made Redding a legend in the 1960s and continues to win
over younger generations. The Big O’s legacy is stronger today than ever with
his songs earning more than three billion (and counting) streams worldwide. And
now, fans have a new way to hear some of Redding’s biggest hits as Rhino
introduces new immersive Dolby Atmos mixes for seven of his best, including
“These Arms of Mine,” “Pain In My Heart,” “Love Man,” “That’s How Strong My
Love Is” and “I’ve Got Dreams To Remember,” along with his two holiday classics
“Merry Christmas Baby” and “White Christmas.” All seven tracks will be
available today, Thursday, September 9, on all streaming platforms that feature
immersive audio.
Also born on this date: Dee Dee Sharp (1945) and the late, great
Billy Preston (1946)
Today also marks the 50th Anniversary of
the release of John Lennon’s “Imagine” album, considered by most to be his
crowning achievement as a solo artist.
(September 9th, 1971)
More here: John
Lennon Imagine Turns 50 - Noise11.com
And, of course, the date 09/09/09 looms large in
Beatles history as well, as this was the date that newly remastered versions of
their complete album catalog was first released on CD. (It is also the date that launched the
interactive Beatles Rock Band game, all the rage there for quite a while!)
Incredibly, at this point their music was not yet available on iTunes or
any other downloading services … that wouldn’t finally happen until a year
later. (kk)
And here's more on the 50th Anniversary of The Doors’ “L.A. Woman” album …
Kinda sad … but also kinda cool …
It looks like B.J. Thomas’ wife Gloria is selling off
some of his personal belongings to fans, collectors, museums, etc. And, this will be handled on an on-going
basis with new items going up for sale or auction every week.
We got this notice from FH Reader Phil Nee …
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For those of us out there who wish to believe that there must be some method to their madness, we now present a quick music history lesson on The Billboard Hot 100 …
Billboard
Explains: The Hot 100 Chart | Billboard
(Be sure to check out the accompanying video)
The
short version of Layla reminds me of a d.j. years ago that I worked with.
He was terrible at backtiming. He had a minute and a half before a
newscast and quickly pulled a record and slapped it on the turntable. He
proceeded to play Richard Harris' MacArthur Park, which clocks in at 7:21, and
did a quick fade before the news.
I
have not seen the commercial with Big Rock Candy Mountain, however, the artist
associated with that song is Burl Ives. We have had requests for that
version.
Phil
>>>Here is your K-Tel version of
Layla (Phil Nee)
That edit is only 15 seconds shorter than the
original Atco 45 edit.
– Randy Price
Hi
Kent:
Do
people remember that the first 45 issue of Layla from early 1971 was 2:40 or
there about? I bought it. The next year they issued the full cut, but I
remember hearing the short version pretty much in '71.
Ken
Yes, we actually talked
about that.
When “Layla” was first
released as a single (in 1971), it was the much shorter version without the
whole instrumental ending that makes up the greater portion of the song. It pretty much failed, peaking at #50.
Then, nearly exactly
one year later, Atco re-released the single with the full-length LP version
this time … and it went all the way to #10 … and it’s been on the radio
non-stop ever since. (In our TOP 3333
MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL-TIME Poll, it finished at #3, right
behind “Hotel California” (#2) and “Bohemian Rhapsody” (#1) … and just ahead of
“Sweet Home Alabama” (#4) and “Gimme Shelter” (#5) … you can’t seem to go a day
without hearing every single one of these on the radio!)
We’ll be talking more about
this topic in an upcoming edition of Forgotten Hits. (kk)
Ray Graffia, Jr. of The New Colony Six shared this conversation with us between he and Illinois Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Founder Ron Romero after the induction ceremony last week. (The New Colony Six are on next year’s ballot of nominees) …
Guys,
What an honor to have you play last
night at the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66’s Hall of Fame
Induction. We have had nothing but good feedback from the night.
You sounded great!
We are sorting through photos and
videos and will post and tag you on them.
Soon we will again start the process
for next year’s induction. Actually, we started the nominations that will
continue into late this year ... and I can tell you that NC6 has been nominated
again!
Thanks for the great music!
See everyone soon. Be well.
Thanks again,
Ron
President and Founder
Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on
Route 66
Thank you for the note above and know that it was
indeed, for me, just a wonderful night, Ron, and that reflects my:
- happiness
for those who made the inaugural induction
- sorrow
that we, like more than a few others, did not exceed our onstage time
limit -- ;o)
- anxiety
driving back north knowing that my alarm clock was going to demand getting
up about four hours after getting into the garage
- elation
over the responses to our two tunes
- meeting
Kevin Cronin, others whose names I have already misplaced in my ever
diminishing memory bank plus Jimbo's wife
- sharing
the stage again with all the Ides whose efforts, along with the Bucks,
have kept me, Ronnie and Bruce with events to play, rehearsals together
and mini travel opportunities outside of Arbortech (my biz - sold 6-1-21
to Hubbard-Hall but where I still have a desk in our shop up in Johnsburg,
IL at least through the next three months)
- seeing
and chatting with Dennis Tufano again, with whom I last shared a stage at
the Carl Perkins Theater down in Jackson, TN, a few years ago when each of
us was honored to represent our music
- meeting
many of those whose tunes I knew and loved but mainly and some ONLY
through covers by white artists
- reliving
times with the DJs and stations through the videos and some
person-to-person yadda yadda yadda before and after taking the stage
- hearing the incredible skills of The Millennials and seeing the passion that I too had and still have but find it far more difficult to express these days due to the aging process
By blind copy of this note, I am letting my literal and extended family, those Colony founders (all of whom remain alive I might add) with whom I remain in occasional rather than frequent contact due to all (but me) having departed from the Midwest, plus the guys who are and have been, most now for more than 30 years, New Colony Sixers, read this summary of my thoughts on the night.
Blessings to you, Ron, and please share this with everyone else whose work is leading to completion of the Museum, including the laborers, your staff and, of course, the donors with financial wherewithal to provide more financial support than I can afford! Maybe one day before my time of departure to wherever, if anywhere, we wind up in an Afterlife, NC6 will be honored with induction. Ray, Sr., the current lineup, both the founders and other past Colony members already into that Afterlife, will all be smiling should that ever occur.
Until the next time we see each other or correspond again, Mr. Romero ... thank you and peace,
Ray
P.S. I attached a few mementos from the
early days along with a couple of more recent photos of the current crew for
grins. Note that it's been many years that NC6 consisted of seven members,
hence I had to and DID finally find at least one picture featuring Chuck Jobes
and another with our current "7th" member (but all equal), Mike
Hanko! Any pics you have of the band from a couple days ago will feature
only six of us due to Greg Favata being overseas, therefore missing the event!
And then this from Ron
Romero …
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Don’t miss your
opportunity to nominate one of next year’s candidates! (kk)
You can catch Micky
Dolenz on the Rock Solid Podcast with Pat Francis …
https://art19.com/shows/rock-solid/episodes/f8a7a775-61e8-4f98-ba55-31a96e7fb7dc
Speaking of which, The Monkees Farewell tour kicks off tomorrow in Spokane, Washington. Reports are that their series of rehearsals
in Burbank went off without a hitch. In
fact, one of the witnesses on hand said that "Micky's at the top of his
game; he sounds better than ever."
(Sure, having a great album like Dolenz Sings Nesmith, which came out in
May, can't hurt.) They will also be including
the newly reworked version of "Circle Sky" into the new show.
They hit Chicago on November 5th with a show at The Rosemont Theater. (Hmm … I wonder if I’ll be at that show???)
And, we were assured that the new Andrew Sandoval Monkees Day-By-Day book will be shipping shortly. (kk)
>>>It just so happened that when “I
Want To Hold Your Hand” hit #1 Stateside on January 25th, the boys
were in Paris when they got the announcement
(kk)
Here's another case of published date vs.
week-ending issue date.
True, the issues of Cash Box and Music
Vendor in which "I Want To Hold Your Hand" first jumped to
the #1 position were dated January 25 (it hit #1 in Billboard a
week later), but that was a week-ending date, so it's likely the Beatles were
notified of their #1 status up to a week prior to January 25.
– Randy Price
I wasn’t referencing it
so much as a specific date as much as a timeframe tying into the mention of The Beatles having
been in Sweden with Joey Dee and the Starliters and then, when flying home to
London, being spotted (and later signed) by Ed Sullivan for three appearances
in early 1964. They continued to tour
Europe, of course, in the meantime but were notified by telegram by Manager
Brian Epstein and Producer George Martin while there in Paris that they had officially
hit #1 in America.
My reference was more
to the fact that after boldly stating that they wouldn’t come to America UNTIL
they had a #1 Hit, it was quite a coincidence that they achieved that #1 JUST
before their already scheduled first television appearance on Sullivan’s program, which would
have brought them to America regardless.
Pinning things down to
a more specific timeframe, here is the chain of events that transpired between
The Beatles’ appearance in Sweden, their flight home to London where they were
spotted at the airport by Ed Sullivan and his wife, their subsequent trip to
Paris, the announcement of their first U.S. #1 Record, and their first trip to
The States to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9th, 1964 …
all backed up by Mark Lewisohn’s EXCELLENT Beatles diary, “The Complete Beatles
Chronicle,” a day-by-day history of the band’s career highpoints.
Interestingly enough, The Beatles spent exactly one week in Sweden, recording a live radio program on October 24th, 1963 and then performing concert appearances (two on October 25th, two on October 26th, THREE on October 27th, One on October 28th and one on October 29th. On October 30th, they taped a television appearance for the Swedish Pop Show “Drop In,” which then aired locally on November 3rd. (On the morning of the 31st, they flew back to London, where they received their first pandemonium airport reception of screaming fans. THIS is where The Sullivans witnessed the crowd reaction, after which Ed Sullivan contacted Beatles Manager Brian Epstein and booked the group for THREE appearances on his Sunday Night television program … without ever even hearing them sing a single note! (If you recall, Ed Sullivan thought there must be some royalty landing at the airport as he was waiting to take off ... he couldn't even imagine in his wildest dreams that there could have been THIS kind of reception to welcome home a rock band!)
Incidentally, there is absolutely NO mention of sharing the bill with Joey Dee and the Starliters is shown on this Swedish itinerary in Lewisohn's book ... kinda makes me wonder just a little bit as to what REALLY went on over there!
On January 14th,
1964, The Beatles departed London for Paris, where they actually received a
lukewarm reception.
Quoting from Lewisohn’s book:
“Upon returning to
their suite at the George V Hotel, they received a telegram carrying advance
news of the following week’s singles chart in Cash Box, one of two American
record-industry journals: ‘I Want To
Hold Your Hand’ had jumped from #43 straight to #1.
“This, above all else,
was the breakthrough for which Brian Epstein and The Beatles had been waiting. Apart from isolated incidents, no British act
had ever broken through in the USA.
After just three days, ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ had sold 250,000
copies across The States … by January 10th, sales had topped one
million. By January 13th, it
was selling 10,000 copies an hour in New York City alone.
“And all this was
happening just days before The Beatles’ visit to New York, set up three months
previously, to appear on nationwide television via The Ed Sullivan Show. The coincidence … for it was nothing more …
was truly fantastic.”
So yes, The Beatles
were notified about two weeks prior to the January 25th issue date
of Cash Box Magazine by way of an advance chart showing what their record’s
movement would be … which again raises even MORE suspicion regarding how and when these
charts were compiled, that they could possibly even KNOW what the next trend was going
to be so far in advance.
I think this was a
pretty safe one, however … “I Want To Hold Your Hand” was on its way to
becoming one of the biggest and fastest-selling singles of all time. (kk)
Hi Kent,
I was so sorry to learn of Tom
Konard’s passing.
Tom had graciously given me many
of his air checks and audio programs, photos and more for our Dick Biondi
documentary. I’ve been emailing Tom for months, thinking he was again
having computer problems. To learn of his passing is a shock. An
incredibly nice man, I was honored to know him and will always be grateful for
his help illuminating the Biondi legacy.
As
someone who has dedicated the past seven years to telling Dick’s story, I’m
thrilled about our “Dick Biondi Big 89! Birthday Bash” at the Arcada Theatre on
September 19, 2021. Thanks to the generosity of Ron Onesti and the many
artists who are performing to help finish the film, this is an opportunity to
pay for licensing, color correction, audio balancing, legal fees, and all the
necessary finishing cost of making a documentary film. As you can
imagine, we are so excited to see the end in sight!!
This
film is about how radio was back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, with interviews by
the musicians, deejays, and the fans, and Biondi himself, and demonstrates the
impact of one voice that cut through the ether and touched our hearts.
“The Voice That Rocked America” will be broadcast on PBS in the near future,
and we can’t wait to share it with you!
Please
join us for this incredible all age show! Bring your family and friends
as we reminisce about Dick Biondi and celebrate his birthday with the music he
promoted and loved by Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals, The Buckinghams, The Ides
of March, The New Colony Six, Jimy Sohns of The Shadows of Knight, Rosie and
The Rivets, Hot Rocks Rolling Stones Tribute Band, The Cave Dwellers, Blues
Hall of Fame drummer Merle Perkins, hosted by Ron Onesti and Scott MacKay.
When is
the last time you saw a lineup like this one? The V.I.P. Experience is a
private pre-show party with the artists, wine and appetizers, sound check and
lots more! Please come out and help us bring the Dick Biondi film to
audiences. Tix are available at https://www.arcadalive.com/upcomingevents/
Pamela
Enzweiler Pulice
Director
The Brian Wilson Greatest Hits Live! Tour is on now. (It hits Chicago by way of The Genesee
Theatre on October 23rd, currently the last scheduled stop on the
tour.)
Brian will be joined by former Beach Boys Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin
and together they’ll be performing a barrage of Beach Boys classics such as:
California Girls; Dance, Dance, Dance; I Get Around; Little
Honda; It’s OK; Do It Again; In My Room; Surfer Girl; Wouldn’t It Be Nice; Sloop
John B; God Only Knows; Sail On, Sailor; Barbara Ann; Fun, Fun, Fun; Don’t
Worry Baby; Add Some Music to Your Day; Little Deuce Coupe; Darlin’; Feel Flows;
Long Promised Road; Help Me, Rhonda; Good Vibrations; Surfin’ U.S.A.; Fun, Fun,
Fun; Love and Mercy and more.
In addition, Wilson has just launched a new Timeline website featuring
outtakes, demos, rehearsals and live clips that have never seen the light of
day by way of commercial release.
You’ll find more details on all of the above here:
Brian
Wilson 'Greatest Hits Live' Fall Tour Starting 8/29 (rockcellarmagazine.com)
>>>These
Songs were Banned from the Radio for the Weirdest Reasons (Brian Depolzo)
In
Chicago, WLS banned "Eve Of Destruction" and "Society's
Child" despite their popularity.
Banning
a record because of misheard lyrics seems to reveal the dirty minds of the
censors. In 1948, Spike Jones' "By The Beautiful Sea" was
banned from radio, despite being #1 in sales in Chicago, for the lyrics "then
up for air." You can look up for yourself what the censors thought
they said.
By
the way, there is one record on Brian's list that is so awful that it ended my
streak of collecting Hot 100 #1 records. I will not mention it here so as
not to give it attention it doesn't merit, but radio not playing this record is
not censorship, it's simply good taste.
Ed
#1
OK, so now I'm dying to know ...
Why was "By The Beautiful Sea"
banned??? (kk)
Some
misheard the lyric “then up for air” as “then up her ass” …
I
tried to find some documentation of this somewhere and found this on AllMusic …
AllMusic Review by Ned
Raggett [-]
Given the sheer range
of Jones' music over many years, a totally definitive compilation is probably
out of the question, so this two-disc effort makes a conscious decision to
steer away from Jones' later (and arguably much sappier) work, as well as
mostly sidestepping the failure of the Other Orchestra. But it's all for the
good, because Musical Depreciation Revue, another success from the Rhino
Records crew, makes for a great introduction to the maddeningly wonderful work
of Jones and his various crews of City Slickers. All the legendary jaw-droppers
and head-scratchers are here -- "Der Fuehrer's Face," "All I
Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)," "Cocktails for
Two," the manifold classical parodies -- plus plenty of odder and
less-known efforts. There's even a true lost number, "By The Beautiful
Sea," which in a precursor of the "obscene or not?" lyric wars
of later generations was withdrawn because the line "then up for air"
was heard as "then up her ass." Rhino's remastering job does the best
it can with the original source discs and generally succeeds quite well, while
a slew of photos and notes (from a perfect one-two team of Cub Koda and Dr.
Demento) gives plenty of interesting background detail. They also make a really
good case for Jones and his crew being the unheralded forebears to George
Clinton and the Parliament/Funkadelic empire. It may sound strange, but
consider: a core central personality who acts more as conductor and ringleader
than individual performer, a rotating lineup adjusting and trying out different
things over the years, and an emphasis on musical ability and nutty humor in
equal measures. Jones may never have tried for the mothership, but in his own
way he found his groove, and given all the non-musical noises he turned into
music, who's to say he didn't help invent sample-based music as well?
Since you mentioned musical hypocrisy - in re Brian Depolzo's comments ...
I will never understand "Baby It's Cold
Outside" being "risque".
I saw this a short while ago, and it really hits
home.
Mike Wolstein
Mike also sent us this one …
Hi, Kent.
Response to the thing about Hall & Oates'
"Rich Girl" (I may have mentioned this in the past): That tune
was NOT about a girl, but a guy named Victor Walker, who had some kind of
involvement with Sara, who was apparently Darryl Hall's girlfriend back then.
Hall changed the title from "Rich Boy” to "Rich Girl" to
"honor" this man.
I don't know the
exact story, but I know who the guy is, and would like to meet him some day.
His brother, Ray Walker, owns the chain of Walker Brothers Pancake Houses all
over the Chicago area.
There are many versions of this tale, but the
one I clipped below may have contained an untruth, so ... this way we avoid
trouble.
Mike
Yes, we’ve covered this one a time or two in the past. (And Frannie and I laugh about it every time we visit Walker Brothers Pancake House for breakfast on Sundays, wondering if we'll run into Daryl Hall there!) Get your inspiration from wherever you can find it, I guess, right? In 1977l, 1“Rich Girl” became Daryl Hall and John Oates’ first (of six) career #1 hits. (kk)
The Zombies
strike again with another commercial from the Album Odessy and the Oracle! The Zombies'
“This Will Be Our Year” serves as the soundtrack of a back-to-school ad from Kohl's.
Mike De Martino
“Some Things Are Just Timeless!”
Cousin Brucie’s Palisades Park Reunion Concert LIVE! at the
PNC Bank Arts Center
kk:
Looking Back At Cousin Brucie's Last Show.
FB
Drum Legend CARMINE APPICE & FERNANDO PERDOMO Form New Music Duo And Release The All-Instrumental Powerhouse Album ENERGY OVERLOAD On Cleopatra Records
Drummer
extraordinaire, composer and producer Carmine Appice has joined forces with
multi-instrumentalist and rising studio star Fernando Perdomo to form The
Appice Perdomo Project, whose debut album ENERGY OVERLOAD will
be released September 24, 2021. The first single, “Rocket To The Sun,” dropped
this past week on August 31st.
“I had a ball writing
and recording with Fernando,” says Carmine Appice. “What a great talent
he is. He is awesome on every level, as are the songs on Energy
Overload! Adds co-musician Fernando Perdomo: “Carmine and I were introduced
to each other roughly one year ago by Tom Dowd’s daughter, Dana. We instantly
hit it off musically, sending files to each other and co-writing. Within the
first six months, we had more than an album’s worth of material written,
arranged and recorded. We had a blast making the music on Energy
Overload. It is our hope that the energy that was created for this record
is contagious to those that listen to it.”
Carmine Appice is best
known for co-founding Vanilla Fudge, Cactus and King Kobra. As a drummer and
composer, he has worked extensively with Ozzy Osbourne, Rod Stewart and Ted
Nugent, and remains on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Drummers of
All-Time list.
Fernando Perdomo, the
son of Cuban immigrants, quickly launched a successful career as a
multi-instrumentalist, producer, and session musician upon moving to Los
Angeles in 2012. He was recently featured in the film ECHO IN THE
CANYON, where he recorded and performed with Eric Clapton, Brian Wilson,
Jakob Dylan and many others.
VIEW THE VIDEO FOR THE
SINGLE “ROCKET TO THE SUN”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV6oedEi5pY
The name Charles F. Rosenay is well known
amongst Beatles aficionados …
For decades now, he’s been putting
together Liverpool and Beatles History Fan Tours. Prior to that, for 25 years he published the
Beatles fanzine “Good Day Sunshine” … and has hosted more celebrity memorabilia
shows than I can count over the years, always drawing big names to these events
for “Meet and Greets” with fans of Pop Culture.
These include specialized Beatles Conventions and music festivals.
Another not-so-hidden passion has been
Charles’ love of Horror Movies … and he’s just written a book on the subject.
More details below …
Beatles Festival Promoter Charles F. Rosenay!!! Releases His Book
Charles F. Rosenay!!! is best known
to Beatles fans for all his promotional efforts and productions over the past
four decades. Since 1978, he has presented Beatles conventions and festivals.
Along with musical events, he published a magazine on The Beatles called Good Day Sunshine for
25 years, and, since 1983, he has organized and hosted the annual Beatles Fans
Tours to Liverpool. For as long as he can remember, he has been asked to write
a book on The Beatles, or on his adventures through the years as a Beatles
aficionado, expert, and promoter. He has just published his first book, and
although it’s not exactly a Beatles book, nor a memoir of his experiences, there
is enough Beatles content to make it a welcome addition to any fan’s
collection.
The pop culture book is titled The Book of Top 10 Horror Lists.
It contains lists of favorite monster movies, actors, and other themes from 100
celebrities, a number of whom are closely related to The Beatles.
Charles called on many of his
long-time friends in The Beatles universe to be part of this special book.
Included in this unique collection are such people as original Beatles
drummer Pete Best;
John Lennon’s sister Julia
Baird; Beatles friend and author Tony Bramwell; TV
Personality Clay
Cole, who had The Beatles (on video) and The Rolling Stones on
his same 1960s telecast; Gary
Van Scyoc of Elephant’s Memory, who played with John
Lennon: actor Eddie Deezen, who starred
in the film “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”; Stephen Friedland, who recorded “King of
Fuh” under the name Brute
Force, which was released on The Beatles’ Apple label; Robert Zapata,
drummer of Cannibal and The Headhunters, who opened for The Beatles on their
second U.S. tour; and Angie
McCartney, who married Paul’s Dad.
There are also chapters from such
Beatles contemporaries and rock & roll artists as singer Gary Puckett, Phil “Fang” Volk of
Paul Revere & The Raiders; Kasim
Sulton of Utopia; Woodstock legend John Sebastian of
the Lovin’ Spoonful; Mitch
Schecter of The Rip Chords; Ron Dante of
The Archies; Vince
Martell of Vanilla Fudge; Buzzy Linhart;
songwriter Bobby
Hart; Dennis
Dunaway from the Alice Cooper band; Greg Hawkes and Elliot Easton of
The Cars, ELO’s Bev
Bevan; Jane
Wiedlin of the Go-Gos, Fred Schneider of the B-52s,
Rock &Rroll Hall of Famer Little
Anthony, disco diva Gloria
Gaynor and Micky
Dolenz of The
Monkees.
Other pop culture icons
include William (Star
Trek) Shatner, Butch (Eddie
Munster) Patrick, Ruth (Laugh-In) Buzzi, actor Ed Asner, Bill (Lost in
Space) Mumy, and
so many others.
Along with the Beatles tours and
events, Rosenay!!! is also the creator and organizer of the annual Dracula Tour
to Transylvania, a “vampire vacation” that brings fans to the land of Vlad the
Impaler and Dracula. That spun off his GHOSTours to Europe, week-long travel
experiences for lovers of the supernatural. Charles has acted in several horror
films and shorts, and was also the founder of Connecticut’s largest and
scariest indoor haunted attraction, “Fright Haven,” which still operates in
Stratford. So it isn’t such a stretch that horror turned out to be the theme of
his book.
How exactly did this unique book
come to be? For a few years, Rosenay!!! wrote an online newsletter called
“National Horror Happenings,” which was read by thousands worldwide. A special
feature of that column was an occasional Top 10 List from a celebrity.
Rosenay!!! would invite well-known and not-so-well-known notables, many of whom
were his friends, to contribute a list. In most cases it was their favorite
monster movies. Others, however, contributed their lists of favorite genre
actors, scariest scenes in horror films, funniest scary movies, sexiest scenes
in horror, and so many other interesting themes. Within a short time, there
were memorable lists from actors, rock stars, authors, athletes, horror icons,
directors, producers, scream queens, radio and TV personalities, and other pop
culture luminaries.
When the pandemic hit, all of what
Charles did, he could no longer do. A party DJ / MC / entertainer by trade,
there were no longer events where he could perform. He was no longer able to
book live bands, as there were no longer gigs. All the international tours, including
his “Magical History Tour,” which brings American fans to the Beatles’ land
every summer in conjunction with Beatle Week, were now postponed. With a little
extra time on his hands during quarantine, Charles started to assemble, edit,
and write introductions for all those Top 10 Lists. He called on a friend,
Janet Davis, also from Connecticut, to proofread what he had written and
accumulated. Davis became his Assistant Editor, and the book had, as John sang,
“Come Together.” He realized that there were about 80 or 90 lists in the can,
and his goal was to reach 100, which he did in just a short time.
More than just lists, every
submission is a list plus additional comments as to why the choices were made.
Often hilarious, sometimes thought-provoking, but always fascinating, the lists
run the gamut from brief, fan-based opinions straight through to thesis-worthy
chapters on the horror aspects of Shakespeare’s work.
Not only are there lists from a
Beatle, a McCartney, and a Lennon relative, there are also lists from a
Karloff, from “Star Trek”’s William Shatner, from respected thespian Ed Asner,
from one of The Monkees, from a Munster, from a Woodstock legend, from a
Baseball Hall of Famer, from three Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, and from many
famous names one would never know were “monster mavens.”
Charles has always been a fan and
follower of horror, pop culture, and Top 10 Lists, commenting, “Who doesn’t
love a Top 10 List? They’re short, they’re fun, and we always want to see if
our choices match. In this book, 100 celebrities reveal their Top 10 favorite
monster movies and themes.” He adds, “You won’t believe the actors, singers,
musicians, horror figures, writers, film-makers, artists, composers, disco
divas, sports figures, and others who are horror buffs and “monster mavens!”
Rosenay!!! asks, “Will your favorite
horror films show up on any of their lists?“
At over 300 pages including photos
and illustrations, The
Book of Top 10 Horror Lists has been published in hardcover
and trade softcover by BearManor Media, and is available on Amazon and from the
website: www.BookOfTop10HorrorLists.com.
I love it!
(A final smile from FH Reader GJ Kubat)
