Watch The Rolling Stones pay tribute to Charlie Watts
kk …
First Show In St. Louis
FB
LOTS of live clips out
there right now from The Stones’ first show in St. Louis … you can probably see
half the show if you scout around a while!
(kk)
A Conversation with Gary Lewis
Tom
Cuddy
This sounds like a GREAT show … Gary Lewis and the
Playboys, Dennis Tufano, original lead singer of The Buckinghams, Lou Christie
and The Cyrkle! Now THAT’s a ‘60’s Show Spectacular!
(kk)
And here’s a 2018 interview Best Classic Bands ran
with Randy Bachman, in honor of his birthday …
Randy
Bachman of the Guess Who & BTO: Interview | Best Classic Bands
Kent,
You got my curiosity aroused on NIGHTS IN
WHITE SATIN, at least here in the OKC area. For the week of January 18, 1968,
it made its initial appearance on our local top 40 radio station's weekly
survey in song position #47. That is out of a playlist of 50 records. Now for
the week of February 8, it dropped off the survey. Then, for the week of
February 15, it again made the survey in song position #45. A couple of weeks
later, it peaked at #7. Eventually fell off survey.
Larry Neal
Wow, that’s a pretty
impressive showing for 1968! MOST places
it didn’t hit the top of the charts until its re-release in 1972. (It kinda sounds like The Moody Blues had a similar
situation not unlike The Hollies where they created a phony name to include ALL
of the members of the band, probably more for publishing and production credits
more than anything else.)
While The Moodies may
not necessarily be considered a singles band, they actually did pretty darn well
on the pop charts, scoring thirteen Top 40 Hits dating back to 1965’s “Go Now”
(when they actually WERE more of a blues band) thru 1988’s “I Know You’re Out
There Somewhere” … and three of those made it into The Top Ten. (kk)
Pop and Country singer
Sue Thompson passed away yesterday at the age of 96.
Sue reached The Top 40
six times on the pop charts with hits like “Sad Movies Make Me Cry” (#5, 1961),
“Norman” (#3, 1962), “Two Of A Kind” (#25, 1962), “Have A Good Time” (#27,
1962), “James (Hold The Ladder Steady),” #17, 1962, and my personal favorite, “Paper
Tiger” (#18, 1965.)
Performing on stage
since the age of seven, Thompson teamed with country singer Don Gibson for a
string of country hits in the 1970’s.
(kk)
YORKSHIRE PUBLISHING SET TO RELEASE MEMOIR “BAND OF GOLD” FROM SINGING STAR FREDA PAYNE AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR MARK BEGO ON NOVEMBER 2, 2021
While
Freda Payne is best known for her 1970 Number One hit “Band of Gold” and her
1971 Grammy nominated album, Contact,
her story is an inspiring adventure, lived alongside the “who’s who” of the
show business world including Duke Ellington, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Sammy
Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey, Omar Sharif, Quincy Jones, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Lewis,
and Sarah Vaughn.
Additionally, this frank and highly entertaining memoir features
an introduction by another friend, the late Mary Wilson of The Supremes.
Freda had Duke Ellington wanting to hire her, Motown Records
President Berry Gordy, Jr. offering her a recording contract, but she had her
own path to travel. “When I look back at my life in show business, I
have to say, ‘I’m a survivor,’” says Freda. “As I have been writing
this book, it has facilitated me looking back at some of the opportunities I
have had, and some of the choices I have made. I am happy to have so
many wonderful friends throughout my life.”
In Band
of Gold , Payne not only recounts her rise to stardom on
Broadway, records, and television, but “names names” about her exciting affairs
as well. “When I am in love with someone, that is ‘it,’” she
claims. “I was so in love with Senator John Tunney. I was
in love with Quincy Jones, too. I was so in love with
him. Those were my three big love affairs: Quincy Jones,
Eddie Holland, and John Tunney,” She also reveals discusses her affairs with
Bill Withers, Teddy Pendergrass, and more.
Freda’s co-author, Mark Bego, is a writer Publisher’s Weekly has
called “The Prince of Pop Music Bios.” He has authored over 65 books
that include two New
York Times best-sellers and is considered the best-selling
biographer in the rock and pop field. His subjects have included some of
music’s biggest names including Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel
and most recently Elton John; as well the hit cook book Eat Like A Rock Star, and Supreme Glamour — his
Number One hit best-seller with Mary Wilson of The Supremes.
According to Bego, “I have known Freda Payne since the 1970s,
when I was the Nightlife Editor for CUE magazine
in New York City. I then knew her socially for several years, and we
always talked about working on her memoir. It was after Freda
contributed a recipe to my 2017 cookbook, Eat Like a Rock Star, that we decided the time
had come to write this book. We had a ball working together, and it
was such a natural move to have our mutual friend, Mary Wilson, write the
Introduction to the book. Freda has an absolutely fascinating story
to tell, and I am so happy be her co-author for this project. She is
extremely talented as a singer and actress, and she has lived the excitingly
glamorous life of a true star.”
BETTER
LATE THAN NEVER
We were unable to
attend The Dick Biondi Birthday Bash a couple of weeks ago and asked Arcada
Theatre Photographer Luciano Bilotti if he might be able to send us a few
photos from the event that we could share with our readers ..
But it turns out HE
wasn’t there that day EITHER!!!
However, he DID connect
me with photographer Jim Summaria, who covered the event that night …
So thank you, Jim, for
sending these along …
And thanks again to Ron
Onesti for hosting this grand event … hopefully the one that finally pushed Pam
Pulice’s project over the mountain top to get this documentary made. (We’re waiting to hear about a PBS airdate …
and will let you know as soon as we do!)
kk
Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals
Special thanks again to ALL who have donated to this cause over the years to get this Dick Biondi Documentary made. (kk)
