Thursday This And That

It's November 11^th ...

Happy birthday to all-time Chicago music legend Jim Peterik!

Mike Wolstein

Happy Birthday, Jimmy!  You've been entertaining us now for 55 years ... and it all still feels as new and exciting as ever.  Thank you for that!  (kk)

 

Yours was a heartfelt, honest and brilliant review of The Monkees concert …

Thank you!

DIS

 

A timely submission from Chuck Buell …

 

Chuck Buell bringing one back from Fifty Years ago Today!

"Theme from 'Shaft,' Number One on this date, November 11th, 1971

CB ( which stands for "CRASH Boy!" )

 

The debate over when to start playing Christmas music is another polarizing topic. 

We have listeners wondering why we are not already playing any holiday music on one of our stations.  When we do start, we always seem to get a few complaints. 

Our sister station usually starts playing Christmas music on December 1st and goes to 100%  in the second week of December.  The FM 100.9 format usually features about one Christmas song per hour, beginning December 1^st, and that increases to about 50% in mid-December and 100% a couple of days before the holiday.  

Another complaint is that Christmas music stops after Christmas Day.  There are those that wish it would keep playing for a few more days. 

As a jockey of these songs, I feel like Scrooge.  Having no choice but to hear these holiday classics over and over, I am very tired of them before Christmas and can't wait to go back to the regular formats on December 26th. 

A clergy person once told me that in their opinion, Christmas music should be played over the 12 days of Christmas.  It should start at Christmas and should end with the epiphany on January 6th!

Phil – WRCO

My personal feeling is that Christmas / holiday music has become SO overdone it is no longer enjoyable to listen to … I’ve OD’d after a couple of hours, especially once the repeats kick in (which they do FAR too often in my opinion.)  There are others who listen to holiday music all year long … and as long as stations are providing this option, the faithful will come.  (O Come All Ye Faithful!)

I grew up with a Christmas song per hour beginning the Day After Thanksgiving when all the shoppers started the venture in earnest, which typically continued thru to about the second week of December.  Then, for the two weeks before Christmas, it would escalate to maye two or three songs per hour.  By Christmas Eve (and maybe even after 6 pm the day before that … on Christmas Eve Eve), a lot of stations would go full-bore Christmas Music … and continue right thru to about 6 am the Day After Christmas, where either regular music would resume ... or the station would start plugging their Year-End Countdown by featuring a song per hour from whatever (The Big 89 of 1969!)

This was always enough for me (and I didn’t feel like I was being pummeled the entire time.)

That being said, there are over 20 Holiday Channels on Sirius XM alone … so if you WANT to hear Christmas Music … even for just a song or two … the option always exists to click over and hang around as long as you like (or until the second of the eight Feliz Navidad’s they’re going to play that day … and EVERY day for about 45 days straight ... comes around again!  To me, that’s the best of both worlds … A True Listeners’ Choice!  (kk)

 

I COULD be encouraged to listen to novelty Christmas songs, which was the main character in many of the 60's late December occasional Christmas "extras" that we heard like The Chipmunks, Bobby Boris Pickett and the great "Snoopy's Christmas” by The Royal Guardsmen.  Between all of these current holiday stations, they seldom play the 45s that were novelty tracks that we LIKED hearing back when.  Maybe throw in some OBSCURE Christmas songs that programming SHOULD play because they are great but were not hits.  Saturday's Children had two Christmas songs, The Blues Magoos, The Beatles’ Christmas Records or Three Wise Men by Gene Cotton (my fave.)

Clark Besch

There certainly were a lot of novelty Christmas songs around when we were growing up.  Today you only hear but a few of them.  (This is where a program like the Gary Theroux / Wink Martindale annual Top 100 Christmas Songs Countdown are so entertaining.  You won't find a wider variety of Christmas music anywhere else.)  I've always loved the Dr. Demento Christmas albums … they offer a great variety of tracks in this regard … everything from “I Wanna Hippopotamus For Christmas” (which you DO hear now and again) to The Three Stooges’ “Wreck The Halls” (which you don’t!)  kk

 

Incredibly, it looks like ABBA will have their first US Top Ten Album EVER when the new Billboard Chart comes out next week!

Despite regular Top Ten showings around the world, it just never happened here in America for some reason.  (Even their #1 Hit “Dancing Queen” couldn’t help them turn the trick.) 

ABBA had six Top 10 albums in Australia, including two number ones, five number one albums in the UK and seven number one albums in Sweden but failed to ever make the Top 10 in the USA.

Their previously highest charting LP here in The States was an album that was actually called “The Album,” which peaked at #14 in 1978.  (The biggest hits from that LP were “Name Of The Game” and “Take A Chance On Me.”)

Their new LP, “Voyage,” is expected to come in at #1 on the British Chart as well, where it outsold the balance of The Top 40 Best-Selling LPs COMBINED!!!  Advance sales were phenomenal … and downloads of the first three pre-released “singles” tracks passed 50 million combined.  Quite amazing for a band that hasn’t existed for the past 40 years!!! (kk)

 

Hey Kent!

I just got my copy of Joel Whitburn's "Top Pop Singles 1955-1989" and the enhancements are fantastic! And thanks to FH, I knew about it in advance, so saved some bucks by pre-ordering.

Based on your rave review of "Hollywood Eden," it looks I'll be shelling out some more cash. Hey, save some pennies for the upcoming release of my own book, a partially obscured back cover tease attached in the photo below. 

Title: "Who Does He Think His Grandfather Is?" 

Also, I love reading the readers' comments and agree that there's been a noticeable decline in variety on Sirius' 'Decades' channels. Same ol' same ol'. The countdown shows are mostly the only things worthwhile on the platform lately.

FH has helped me find some worthwhile internet programming, I'm particularly liking Jeff James' "Windy City Wednesdays" on Huntley Community Radio.  In a pinch, there's http://www.mixcloud.com/LAFOS rebroadcasting old 'oldies' shows. LOL 

Thanks, Kent Kotal, and keep up the good work!

Sam Tallerico

Hey, I listen to nearly every single one of those LAFOS rebroadcasts!!!  SO much variety and ALWAYS good for a second spin!

Now I can’t wait to read your new book!!!  (You’ll have to send me a personally autographed copy!)

“Hollywood Eden” is worth every penny you’ll spend on it … and the new Whitburn book is OUTSTANDING as well!  (I bought both the color and black and white version.  I thought about buying only the black and white book and then hanging one of those transparent color screens over each page like they used to make for our old TVs, where you had a strip of blue for sky, a strip of red for facial skintones and a strip of green for grass that you taped right on to the glass … and which worked GREAT for about four minutes of Bonanza every week (and then made you absolutely nauseous if you tried to watch anything else!!!)  But Top Pop Singles was absolutely worth springing for the one-of-a-kind deluxe edition.

Thanks Sam … great to hear from you!!!  (kk)

Kent -

I thought I'd pose this trivia question for you.  It was today's Final Jeopardy question, and the category was 1970's pop songs.  Slam dunk, right?  Not so much.

What song followed "Bohemian Rhapsody" at #1 on the UK charts and had a title that was contained in the lyrics of that song?

The answer was "Mamma Mia" by Abba.  I didn't know that. but neither did any of the contestants.

Jeopardy is getting hard.  I guess they're tired of all those huge payouts.

Ed #1

I wouldn’t have guessed that either … and had to look it up just to be sure it was true … and it is.

1975 was a strange year for #1’s in The UK, who have always embraced reissued tracks … they rank right up there at the top of the chart when competing with the current flavors of the week when it comes to pop music trends.

So “Bohemian Rhapsody” topped the charts for nine consecutive weeks beginning on November 29^th, 1975, and was then knocked out of the #1 spot by ABBA’s “Mamma Mia” on January 31^st, 1976, which remained at #1 for the next two weeks.  (ABBA would have two more #1 Hits in 1976 with “Fernando,” two weeks at #1 and “Dancing Queen,” six weeks at #1.)

Earlier in 1975, “Stand By Your Man,” a 1968 Hit by Tammy Wynette, re-entered The British Chart and went all the way to #1 for three weeks in May.  David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” topped the chart for two weeks in November.  Elsewhere during the year, The Bay City Rollers had two #1 Hits (“Bye Bye Baby,” their remake of The Four Seasons classic, which spent SIX weeks at #1 and didn’t even make a dent on the US charts, and “Give A Little Love,” which held down the #1 spot for three weeks in July.)

And when I say diversity, I mean diversity … ALSO #1 that year was Telly Savalas’ version of Bread’s hit “If” ... while Bread's OWN version failed to chart!!!  (kk)

 

Best Classic Bands did a nice tribute to Johnny Rivers for his birthday on November 7^th, after which Harvey Kubernik sent me this …

 

I REALLY DON'T FOLLOW THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES, BUT SOMEONE RECENTLY TOLD ME JOHNNY RIVERS IS NOT IN IT. 

GUESS THEY NEVER HEARD THESE TERRIFIC RECORDINGS LOU ADLER PRODUCED, OR SAW HIM LIKE I DID AT THE WHISKY A GO GO AND THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL. 

IN 2014, I INTERVIEWED JOHNNY AND THANKED HIM FOR THE FIFTH DIMENSION RECORDINGS ON HIS SOUL CITY LABEL AND BRINGING US SONGWRITER JIMMY WEBB. ALSO, CHECK OUT JOHNNY RIVERS’ VERSION OF OSCAR BROWN, JR.'S "BROTHER WHERE ARE YOU." HE ALSO ISSUED SOME COOL SIDES ON AL WILSON.   

HK

Johnny Rivers on The Monterey International Pop Festival   

© Harvey Kubernik 2007 and 2021

Johnny Rivers: Driving north on Highway 101 I had never seen so many VW buses

painted with paisley and flowers, cars, trucks, and lots of out of state license plates.

People were from everywhere. The vibe was very mellow and kind of the theme of 

the whole thing. It was a gathering of tribes and hadn’t really gotten to the wild hippie

stage yet. The ‘Summer of Love’ was the summer that came after that. It wasn’t going

to be frantic, out of control, but everyone digging on the music. Because there was such

a variety of music. Six weeks before Monterey I had done the Hollywood Bowl with 

Buffalo Springfield, the Seeds and the Supremes. 

Jimmy Webb was in my band for Monterey on keyboard and we worked on my set 

and the charts before we went up there. Hal Blaine, Joe Osborn and Larry Knechtel 

were not available for rehearsal ‘cause they were booked up. But what we did do was

stay at the Highlands Inn just south of Carmel, and got one of those banquet rooms 

the day before, and it was the first time we ever played that stuff. They just clicked 

and the first time they ever played together earlier in the studio was my record ‘Mountain 

Of Love.’ After that they started working together all the time. 

The Friday lineup was the Paupers, The Association, myself, Eric Burdon and the Animals,

Lou Rawls, and Simon and Garfunkel. Paul Simon came around in the evening just before

the Paupers played to all the performers asking everyone to make sure they did not go

over their allocated time limit because he didn’t want to cut his own set with Art short,

because of curfew.  

At Monterey I knew a lot of people like Bones Howe, with the Association, who was also

my engineer. Lou Adler introduced me. I opened my specially constructed 45-minute set

for the festival with a slow version of the Beatles’ ‘Help.’ I felt a spiritual connection with

John (Lennon). At the festival I also did ‘Memphis,’ ‘Mountain Of Love,’ ‘Midnight Special,’

two Jimmy songs, ‘Do What You Gotta Do’ and ‘Tunesmith,’ and we ended the set with

‘Baby, I Need Your Lovin’,’ ‘Poor Side Of Town’ and ‘Secret Agent Man.’      

I had a bunch of Ravi Shankar’s album because the record labels World Pacific and 

Liberty shared the same offices. After listening to part of Ravi Shankar’s performance,

a friend of mine suggested we have lunch, and we then drove 26 miles to a restaurant

Nepenthe in Big Sur. The coastline drive was spectacular.  

At Monterey I saw Clive Davis jump out of his seat watching Janis Joplin. I was standing

in the wings of the stage, and after that, man, he was on her like a cheap suit.  

Backstage there were several long picnic tables that had food where we all sat around

and talked. What’s interesting is that Otis Redding was so soft-spoken and low key, so

were Booker T and all the MG’s, but when Otis hit that stage, he exploded like an atomic

He literally reached out and grabbed the audience. Show-wise he was my favorite of 

anybody on that show. He was wearing a green suit and tie, such a contrast from all 

the hippie stuff everyone wore. 

When Jimi Hendrix came out, I was standing in the wings next to Lou Adler, and the 

fire marshal was there, and that whole entire stage is made out of wood. The walls, 

ceiling, floor, wood. It’s still exactly the same. When Jimi pulled out that lighter fluid, 

threw his guitar down, pulled out these matches, the fire marshal started to run out 

on stage, and Lou actually grabbed him by the arm, and told him ‘It’s OK, it’s just part

of his act.’ 

Lou calmed him, because the guy was just gonna grab Jimi on stage, And, the guy kinda

stepped back, for a split second, and thought Jimi was gonna fake lighting the guitar,

but then when it actually went up in flames, he flipped out! He went running looking

for a fire extinguisher. Jimi kind of sat over it like he was having sex with the guitar, 

and a roadie came out with a big towel and threw it over the guitar and dosed the guitar

out.  

After the Monterey International Pop Festival everyone ran to San Francisco after that.

It was almost too late. I mean, there were a lot of interesting groups coming out of there

… Quicksilver Messenger Service. I had scouted Big Brother before the event. A&R man

Nik Venet, who produced my first album, was at Capitol and had something to do with

Quicksilver signing to the label. 

But I wish there had been more of the blues, and the Motown element, John Lee Hooker

and people like that featured at this thing. When you got down to it, the highlights were

the acts that were still playing the blues. Otis Redding, Janis Joplin and Big Brother. I loved

Lou Rawls. He was always great. Again, Lou came out with a suit and tie, kind of an old

jazz and blues guy. How can you not love him? He was always a great entertainer. 

Blues Project were excellent. 

John Phillips and Lou Adler worked well together, and you have to give them credit. 

Not only did they pull it off but they did it in good style. It came off without a hitch, 

man.”   

High on my list of books I need to read is the Paul Evans autobiography, “Happy Go Lucky Me.”

Paul just sent me this review written by our FH Buddy Gary Theroux, who Paul says helped him get some of his fact straight while writing his book …

 

I just got through reading Paul's book -- which is probably the best musical autobiography I have ever read. Not used to crafting prose, Mr. Evans wasn't quite sure if he could even author a book -- but after pouring his heart and soul into this effort, the resulting volume is proof positive that Paul Evans is a first-rate and totally honest storyteller.

The book is packed with first hand and thoroughly researched insight into New York's legendary Brill Building songwriters and publishers; how timeless hits came together; the eye-opening adventures of a jingle writer/singer/producer; various ventures into rock, pop, country and jazz plus a whole lot more. "Happy Go Lucky Me" is an essential addition to the libraries of anyone seeking insight into what life was like and remains for anyone fully committed to a career in popular music.

Gary Theroux

 

I am humbled by Gary’s remarks

Paul

Can’t wait to read it, Paul!  (kk)

 

Terence “Astro” Wilson, lead singer of the reggae / pop band UB40, passed away on Saturday, November 6^th, after a short illness.  UB40 topped the US charts twice with their remakes of Neil Diamond’s “Red Red Wine” in 1988 and the Elvis classic “Can’t Help Falling In Love” in 1993.  Scoring primarily with remakes of older songs, they also hit The Top Ten with their versions of “The Way You Do The Things You Do” (#6, 1990, first done by The Temptations) and “Here I Am” (#7, 1991, originally a hit for Al Green.)  “Red Red Wine” was first released in 1984, when it went to #34.  It was a longer mix of the tune that topped the chart four years later.  In between, they also charted with Chrissie Hynde doing a cover of Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe.”  (kk)

 

Paul McCartney is out everywhere promoting his new Lyrics books.  (I guess he was on Howard Stern’s show yesterday, although I didn’t hear it) … but nearly daily one of Paul’s memories makes the music trades.

One that caught my eye (I haven’t started reading these books yet … still too many ahead of it, including Paul Evans’ bio mentioned above) was for his song “Too Many People,” always one of my favorites and the lead-off track to Macca’s “Ram” album.

It’s never been much of a secret that the track was designed to take a jab at his former songwriting partner, John Lennon … John had gotten a few digs of his own in along the way after the break-up of The Beatles (although the best one, “How Do You Sleep,” hadn’t come out yet as it was Paul’s “Too Many People” that fueled that one … even in dispute, the two inspired one another in a “friendly competition” sort of way … but Paul’s explanation kinda cracks me up … especially the part about the “piss off cake!!!”  (Now that’s better than Jimmy Webb and Richard Harris leaving THEIR cake out in the rain!!!)

 

Paul told BBC 4:

 

“This song was written a year or so after the Beatles break-up. At the time, John was firing missiles at me with his songs, and one or two of them were quite cruel. I don't know what he hoped to gain, other than punching me in the face … the whole thing really annoyed me. I decided to turn my missiles on him, too, but I'm not really that kind of writer, so it was quite veiled. It was the 1970s equivalent of what might today be called a diss track. 

 

"The idea of too many people preaching practices, it was definitely aimed at John telling everyone what they ought to do.  I just got fed up being told what to do, so I wrote this song.  The first verse and the chorus have pretty much all the anger I could muster, and when I did the vocal on the second line, 'Too many reaching for a piece of cake,' I remember singing it as 'piss off cake,' which you can hear if you really listen to it.”

In the interview, McCartney also admitted that some of the lyric was directed at Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, too … You took your lucky break and broke it in two” reportedly started life as "Yoko took your lucky break and broke it in two" before being changed. Again, it was the couple’s perceived preachiness that irked McCartney.

"The thing is, so much of what they held to be truth was crap.  'War is over' … well, no it isn't. But I get what they were saying … war was over if you want it to be. So, if enough people want war to be over, it'll be over? I'm not sure that's entirely true, but it's a great sentiment.

"I had been able to accept Yoko in the studio sitting on a blanket in front of my amp … I worked hard to come to terms with that, but then when we broke up and everyone was now flailing around, John turned nasty. I don't really understand why. Maybe because we grew up in Liverpool where it was always good to get in the first punch in the fight.”

Looking back all these years later, McCartney says that his rivalry with Lennon after The Beatles' breakup was “a bit weird and a bit nasty,” stating that his “heart wasn't really in it” when it came to the diss track.

Referring again to “Too Many People,” Paul said "It's actually a fairly upbeat song … it doesn't really sound that vitriolic.  If you didn't know the story, I don't know that you'd be able to guess at the anger behind its writing.”

Harvey Kubernik tells us …

BETTE MIDLER TO RECEIVE THE 44TH KENNEDY CENTER HONORS FOR LIFETIME ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS  

By Harvey Kubernik  (© Copyright 1978 and 2021)

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced this summer the selection of five Honorees who will receive the 44th Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements. 

Recipients to be honored at the annual national celebration of the arts in Washington, D.C. are: operatic bass-baritone Justino Díaz, Motown founder, songwriter, producer, and director Berry Gordy, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, legendary stage and screen icon Bette Midler, and singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.

“The Kennedy Center Honors celebrates luminaries whose art and creativity have enriched us beyond measure,” stated Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein. 

“An artistic tour de force and America’s Divine Miss M, Bette Midler has enjoyed an unrivaled and prolific career, entertaining millions with her wondrous voice and trademark comedic wit.” 

“This year’s Honorees represent the unifying power of the Arts and surely remind us of that which binds us together as human beings. These artists are equal parts genius, inspiration, and entertainment,” said Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter. 

“On December 5th, feting these extraordinary people and welcoming audiences back to our campus. We look forward to shaping an even more exciting Honors program and broadcast with CBS-TV and the producers based on the success and newfound innovations of our 43rd Honors earlier this year.” 

“I am stunned and grateful beyond words,” said the Divine Miss M. “For many years I have watched this broadcast celebrating the best talent in the performing arts that America has to offer, and I truly never imagined that I would find myself among these swans.”

As one of the world's most beloved entertainers, Bette Midler has garnered accolades across all facets of show business. Midler’s expansive body of work has spanned nearly six decades across different genres, eras, and media. She has been recognized with four Grammy Awards®, two Academy Award® nominations, three Emmy Awards®, two Tony Awards®, three Golden Globe Awards, and nine American Comedy Awards. One of the best-selling female singers, her albums have sold over 30 million copies worldwide.

Bette Midler performed in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on March 11, 1973, as part of The Divine Miss M Tour. Additionally, she was among the guest cast appearing in a video tribute for 43rd Kennedy Center Honoree, Midori.

In addition to her career as a performer, Bette Midler is active in various social causes and in 1995 founded the New York Restoration Project, an open space conservancy and New York City’s largest private land trust. NYRP is dedicated to protecting and preserving community gardens and other green spaces throughout all five boroughs, and in collaboration with the New York City Parks Department, has planted over 1,000,000 trees in New York City.

With her fresh and audacious perspective, Bette Midler is a living legend.

You can read Harvey’s complete article and interview here:

Bette Midler — SSDL (sportsstoriesdl.com)

Looking over some of the stuff you’ve covered recently …

Turning back the clock to 1971?  MAN, I would LOVE to relive the days when a new Stylistics 45 was hitting the AM airwaves.  What great music!

Jethro Tull's new song that you featured is a bit boring.  Ian's voice has certainly changed quite a lot with age (as expected).  However, that Steppenwolf package looks more complete than MOST boxes like that.  Looks awesome!

When one watches the Sonny and Cher ‘Beat Goes On’ video, imagine how great that song is and yet they use ONE camera (not very well shot, either, as they have it on wrong person singing often) to make this???  Imagine the expensive videos today and still something as simple as THIS one was effective, IMO, back in 67 just as much.

Clark Besch

 

Hard to believe but …

 

Vinyl Outsells CDs for the First Time in 35 Years
https://www.spin.com/2020/09/vinyl-outsells-cds-for-the-first-time-since-the-mid-80s/

 

I would like to take at least PARTIAL credit for that … 

It's ALL in the marketing strategy ...