For decades now we’ve been hearing about how Elvis Presley
was offered the lead role, playing opposite Barbra Streisand, in her production
of the remake of “A Star Is Born” … but that Colonel Parker nixed the deal
(primarily because he feared that Elvis would always be seen as receiving “second billing” due
to the fact that this was a Streisand-produced film ... and he just couldn't allow that to happen to "his boy.")
Others have debated for years how a film of this stature may
have turned Presley’s career around.
(Elvis’ last big hits came in 1972 and 1973 with “Burning Love” reaching
#1 and “Steamroller Blues” hitting #10.)
Quite honestly, by the time the film finally got made in 1976 … (he was first
approached about it in 1974) … Elvis was in deteriorating health and having
substance abuse issues. A year after its
release, he would be dead.
But had he made the film (ironically, playing a washed-up
rock star strung out on drugs!!!), what might a major role like this have done
to resurrect his failing career? (Look
what the ’68 Comeback Special did … and “Aloha From Hawaii,” both of which
showed Elvis looking at his very best.)
A recent edition of Ultimate Classic Rock offers up some “Behind The Scenes”
information that spell out why this union was never meant to be. (In the end, Kris Kristofferson took the
role.) kk
Why
Elvis Presley Didn't Wind Up in 'A Star Is Born' (ultimateclassicrock.com)
Ultimate Classic Rock also takes a brief look at the 50th
Anniversary “Let It Be” box set, which we could not endorse because of the
wealth of material left in the vaults from these January, 1969, sessions. (Instead, we get 4-7 versions of the same
songs that were already on the original LP!!!)
Here is their take:
The Beatles' final release is expanded to
five discs, including a remix of the original 1970 LP, two discs of rehearsals
and sessions and, best of all, Glyn Johns' fabled 1969 mix of the Get Back album that was shelved and
eventually replaced by Let It Be.
This isn't the deep
dive of previous Beatles boxes; it barely skims the surface of material
recorded in January 1969 as the band tried to salvage fracturing relationships. But it pieces together
some of the best parts for a new look at history.
(Makes me wonder if Garry Berman unsubscribed from THEIR service,
too!!! Lol) kk
SNL got in their dig regarding the film on the last new episode of 2021 …
In an episode that once again eliminated the live audience
due to a surge in Covid activity (several cast members apparently tested
positive this past week as well ... and several others declined to appear), Guest Host Paul Rudd
said that they would fill their 90-minute time slot by
airing new sketches that had already been taped earlier in the week as well as classic sketches (such as Andy
Samberg and Justin Timberlake’s “Dick In A Box”) that had previously aired.
“It’s gonna be
a little like that new Beatles documentary. A lot of old footage, but enough
new stuff that you’re like, ‘OK, mmm - yeah, I’ll watch that.’”
--Paul Rudd
Chuck Buell is back with a new set of lyrics to the hit song
“Signs,” (updated to the state of affairs, circa 2022)
A Follow up from Chuck Buell ~~~
This is not meant to be political or
to take a stand on one side or the other. It’s just an observation on a Current
Fact of Life, sung to the tune of the song “Signs,” which has been going
through my head the last few days bordering on being an earworm!
So here now, come sing along with me
with these updated “Signs” lyrics for the 2020s ~~~
“Now, hey you, mister, can't
you read?
You got to have a shirt and
Mask to get a seat.
You can't even drink, no, you
can't eat
You ain't supposed to be here
…
The sign said, "You've
got to have a Vaccination Card
To get inside …
Sign, sign, everywhere that
sign.”
CB ( which stands for “Chorus Boy!”
)
(Reference: Original Lyrics) …
“Now, hey you, mister, can't
you read?
You got to have a shirt and
tie to get a seat.
You can't even watch, no, you
can't eat
You ain't supposed to be here
…
The sign said, "You've
got to have a membership card
To get inside …”
Sign, sign
Everywhere a sign”
With Covid numbers spiking again … and new strands taking
over every month … I think we’ll be wearing masks for the rest of our lives …
we just can’t seem to get ahead of this thing.
Honestly, if getting a new vaccination shot every six months helps ward
off every new migration of this virus, count me in. Having a sore arm for a couple of days still
beats pushing up daisies!!!
Sorry if this comes across as negative, but SO many events are being cancelled again … sports teams are having 40% of their players unable to play because of positive Covid testing … it all really makes you want to play it safe and stay indoors, binging all the great television series you’ve missed over the year!!! We’re closing in on Episode 100 of “Boston Legal” right now … and that’s after watching all eight seasons of “The Practice,” which launched the show!!! (I’m still not quite ready yet to take on 17 years of “Dallas,” however!!!)
By the way, I have come to the conclusion that any visitors deemed NOT crazy enough to become Crane, Poole and Schmidt clients most likely just walked across the parking lot to see if they could earn a spot on either "The Price Is Right" or "Let's Make A Deal!" (kk)
UPDATE: Brian May of Queen is the latest rock celebrity to contract the Covid-19 virus. Warnings on the news about the rapid spread of the new strand (Omicron) throughout the world is downright scary … it’s escalating at a rate faster than the original strand of CoronaVirus that first hit us in May of 2020. Concerts, Sporting Events, Broadway Shows, television filming … even the ball drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve have all been affected. It has once again become a scary time … and it doesn’t seem to matter where in the world you live.
Doctors worldwide need to pool their efforts to nail this
thing down, contain it and eliminate it … but it is spreading so fast that I
don’t know just how we get a handle on it.
May says he went through seven days of hell before he started to feel
relief, two days of which he described as two horrendous days” — likening his illness to
“the worst flu you can imagine.” Even being, as he described it, “Triple-Jabbed”
didn’t help against this new strand. But
he also admitted that, feeling safe, he and his wife attended a birthday event
without a mask … and that within two days, eight other people at the party tested
positive for Covid.
May is convinced that without the “triple jab,” he might not
have made it …
“I can’t
emphasize to you enough: This is not the response my body would have made on
its own. It’s making this response
because I’ve had three Pfizer jabs. And I beg you and implore you to go get
jabbed if you’re not already — ‘cause you need the help. I lost one of my very
best friends to COVID very early on — in six days, it killed him. It could have
done me the last six days, but it didn’t because of the jabs. And I despair seeing these people protesting
against the vaccine, protesting against their rights being violated because
they might have to wear a mask. Jesus
Christ, guys. Our parents fought through wars and had their civil rights kind
of knocked away. All anyone’s asking is for you to play your part to try
and unite against this invader — and it’s a nasty thing, and it isn’t finished
yet.”
I see the New Colony 6's "Long Time to Be Alone" lurking under
the Super Chart this week, 50 years ago, at #103. Although it would peak in January of 1972, in Billboard and the like, it was in week four on top of my personal chart
and would be the #1 song of 1971 for my charts. It would also rank as the #14 song on WCFL this coming
week ... and still be moving up. Sadly, WLS chose not chart the song, likely causing
much lost sales, as WLS covered so much of the national airwaves. Bad
move for my fave station.
WLS Clark
It remains my all-time favorite New Colony Six
track …
And DEFINITELY worth another spin here today! (kk)
kk –
Micky Dolenz Still Wasn't Able To Talk To
Cousin Brucie Last Night.
On December 25th, WABC 77 AM bill
be presenting "COUSIN BRUCIE's TOP 50 CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN" FROM 6 to
10 PM.
FB
See, now I don’t feel
so bad …
Micky’s blown ME off
for interviews in the past, too!
(And I’m no Cousin
Brucie!!!) kk
From Frank B …
kk …
You want to hear author David McGrath say something bad about a Gene Pitney Hit? Turn to page #179 / chapter #24 ...
Gene tries R&B. Art Talmadge, co-owner of Musicor Records, tells two R&B writers that they're not allowed to talk to Gene Pitney.
This time Gene approached them.
You won't believe me …
As I write this, WABC-77AM is playing "TOWN WITHOUT PITY."
FB
I finally had a chance to check page 179 - and
let me tell you that is one of my all-time favorite Gene Pitney songs!
(Author David McGrath prefaces the chapter
with the line: "Worst Gene Pitney Hit
Ever!")
Not in MY book!!!
In fact, that's the one that finally convinced
me to listen to some of his older stuff.
If I had to pick my Top Five Favorites, they'd
have to be:
#1 - A Town Without Pity
#2 - It Hurts To Be In Love
#3 - (I Wanna) Love My Life Away
#4 - She's A Heartbreaker
#5 - Only Love Can Break A Heart
As you can see, I never went for his
over-the-top dramatic stuff!
But a good pop song is a good pop song ...
period! (kk)
I should also probably mention my All-Time
Favorite NOT Gene Pitney Song …
Gene’s voice was SO distinctive and so unlike
any other that you’d hear on the radio … he truly did have a unique style that
was all his very own …
So the first time I ever heard “Black Is
Black” (not knowing who it was, of course), I was completely knocked out by
this great new Gene Pitney record! I
looked everywhere to buy it, but could only find it by an artist called “Los
Bravos.” I was totally bummed out … I
wanted the Gene Pitney record I was hearing on the radio!!!
But, of course, it WASN’T Gene Pitney at all …
and the Los Bravos record (my favorite at the time) went all the way to #2 on
the national charts in 1966. To this
day, I still say it sounds EXACTLY like Gene Pitney singing. (What a GREAT follow-up to “Backstage” this
would have been! Lol) kk
Also from Frank B., is more proof that this great music is being passed down and discovered by new generations …
Check out this 18 year old kid named Chris Ruggiero, singing “You Belong To Me” with The Duprees …
FH Reader Mike Wolstein sent in these photos …
Ran across these online today ... never
saw them before.
Mike
Harvey Kubernik tells us …
According to Deadline, filmmaker
Martin Scorsese is slated to direct and produce a biopic about the Grateful
Dead’s Jerry Garcia, starring Jonah Hill — who is also attached as a producer.
Writing the film are Scott Alexander and Larry
Karaszewski, a longtime writing duo who also wrote Ed Wood and The
People vs. Larry Flynt. Other producers of the film include Grateful Dead founding
members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann, drummer Mickey Hart, and
Garcia’s daughter Trixie Garcia.
Thanks to this cooperation between the band
and production, Apple / Scorsese will be able to use the Dead’s entire music
catalogue in the movie.
Though there’s no word yet on what exactly the
film will include, it’s impossible to deny that the band has a very rich
history, and any part of it would make for a fascinating film. From their role
in the counterculture of the 1960s to their iconic appearance at Woodstock, the
band has no shortage of great stories. It’s also fitting for Apple, which has
been building up its library of originals with music documentaries — and
Scorsese’s next film, Killers of the Flower Moon.”
In 2017 Scorsese produced the Grateful Dead
documentary Long Strange Trip.
Scorsese has a longtime history with the
Grateful Dead.
For more on this whole deal (including Harvey’s hands-on
dealings with Garcia and Allan Arkush), drop me an email and I’ll forward you
Harvey’s piece. (Too long to run here.)
kk
By the way, Harvey and Kenneth Kubernik’s brand new Jimi
Hendrix book, “Voodoo Child,” made The Year-End Top Ten List on Richard Williams’
list. (Williams is one of England's legendary music
journalists and an acclaimed author.) You
can read some of the best bits on his well-read and respected site, thebluemoment.com.
But I CAN tell you about this!!!
In 2014, I interviewed guitarist / arranger / record
producer Don Peake about his studio life with the Monkees. I asked about his
endeavors with the group. It was Mike Nesmith who asked Don to meet the
Monkees.
“Mike
Nesmith hired me to be ‘his guy,’ because he was kind of misunderstood and
ignored. I had evidently some meetings with him. He came to me and said, ‘Look
... We’ve got the Boyce and Hart thing going, but I’ve got some songs I want to
express myself and I need solid musicians and good arrangements.’ And so I
became his arranger. Mike Nesmith was a good musician. I just did my thing. I’m
like a worker bee.
"Mike
said, 'Don, I want you to write these charts.’ So I get out a big book of paper
and start writing arrangements for the band ... ‘cause I know how they are
going to play, because I know these kinds of musicians. And I absolutely make
these songs so that they sound like Mike’s songs. My job was to communicate to
these musicians how I wanted it to sound so it would be perfect for Mike.
“I
had my experience (as lead guitarist) with the Everly Brothers from 1961 - 1963,
and was very conversant with small combo. I was a band player. And the Everly
Brothers were those fabulous Bordeaux Bryant songs, amazing songs. I had played
on Rick Nelson records in the old days with James Burton. Proto-type country
rock. He was the first.
“I
remember ‘Mary, Mary.’ I remember ‘Sweet Young Thing.” I remember ‘Gonna Buy Me
a Dog,’ and ‘You May Just Be The One.’
“And
I hired Mike Deasy and I hired Glen Campbell. I’m the guy who hired Glen to come
in. I’m still not sure, and it’s as little foggy for me as to who played the
beginning of ‘Mary, Mary.’ I don’t know if it was Glen or Mike
Deasy. I think Jim Gordon was playing on some of those sessions.
“On
the Monkees’ dates I would sometime pick up a guitar and sometimes I would not.
But I was always the guy standing up on the podium. I was the leader. And Mike
depended upon me to communicate in musical terms and on paper what he could
not. He had some B-sides, you know, we busted him out. I was
thrilled to be doing it with him.
“I
remember Mike actually brought us out on stage with them one time. They
put up a curtain so we were behind on what is called a scrim. And the audience
could not see us. It was probably an early promotional event to for the TV
show. It was me and Mike Deasy. Maybe Jim Gordon. We were playing and they were
lip-syncing to us. There was a big audience. Clearly, I was not going to
stay behind the curtain like that.
“But
we made some good records and he was a wonderful guy. We made some great
records and he got to express his music his way. All the Monkees were all more
than able singers. And they could play. But as I have said, my relationship was
with Mike. And so I didn’t hang with the other guys. We made our records. And
they made their records. By the third LP, they played every instrument.
Their voices were good and they had to learn how to play. I loved Hank Cicolo,
the engineer. RCA was a great room. I had known Lester Sill from years earlier,
including playing on Phil Spector sessions. I believe that’s the way it is in
this industry, you know. There’s a kind of a continuum and it’s we’re all on
this kind of string. And we’re the best of string that keeps the pearls that
makes the necklace.
“My
life as an arranger and player is easier when the tune is good. And there were
a lot of good tunes. The Monkees’ catalog continues and they can go out
because it’s the songs. Yes, there was good singing, but longevity has to do
with the song. Yes, there are good performances and yes there are certain
records where performance means a lot, but truly the thing that makes something
memorable is the song. I had great fun on those sessions.”
Congrats to FH Reader/Contributor Paul Evans, who’s having a GREAT Holiday Season …
Hi guys and
gals,
Amazon is using my "Happy
Go Lucky Me” on their ad for their new Amazon Photo on the internet and on
Amazon Prime. If you’d like to check it
out, click on this link: https://youtu.be/gtL0B_--sLI
So now my book, Happy Go
Lucky Me, is getting terrific reviews and my song, "Happy Go Lucky Me”
is back on the air - as a commercial.
I’m having a great Christmas
season and I wish you all the same.
Another Christmas Tune, this time from our FH Buddy James Holvay. (We recently featured his GREAT new track “Sweet Soul Song” and got a great reaction to it … man, I LOVE this song!)
Here he is doing a couple of traditional tunes that I think
you’ll like …
And from our British Bud Geoff Lambert …
