The Ides Of March Christmas Show is tonight at The Arcada Theatre …
And there are still plenty of great seats available.
(We’ve seen this show several timeS over the years and I can
highly recommend it.)
Ides
of March Christmas at The Arcada Theatre on Dec 18, 2021 8:30 PM (etix.com)
Not only do you get a great assortment of Christmas Music
(old, new and original) but you also get their greatest hits in the rock set
that follows.
Click on the link above to purchase tickets if you’re
looking for something really awesome to do tonight. (kk)
The Arcada also just booked Shaun Cassidy for June 19th. Shaun sold out The City Winery for two nights
recently … and I’m told this is a really good show. (We missed it the last time he was here.)
Those tickets are now available here:
Also tonight, according to Frank B:
Frankie Valli will appear on Tony Orlando’s
radio program … and Mickey Dolenz visits Cousin Brucie … all on WABC. (Cousin Brucie’s show airs from 6-10 pm … and
Tony Orlando follows from 10 pm til Midnight.)
FB
Yesterday we told you about the Estate of James Brown
selling his catalog and likeness for $90 million … which TODAY sounds like
chump change after the announcement of Bruce Springsteen’s new $500 MILLION
DEAL with Sony Music!!!
Yes, in a trend that seems to be the way for not only
preserving the legacy of these artists and their life’s work in music, but also the means to provide the financial security for their next several
generations of heirs entitled to share any portion of their fortunes, more and more artists seem to be investigating securing their financial futures by way of their personal catalogs of music.
Springsteen truly IS The Boss in this department, even
eclipsing Bob Dylan’s deal from earlier in the year for approximately $400
million. Springsteen has spent his entire career with Columbia / Sony Music and
has been well-rewarded for his incredible output during this time. (Album sales of Springsteen music in the US alone
reportedly tops over 75 million copies.) When
one considers the HUGE financial investments being made by these music
conglomerates like Sony and Universal Music, all based on future revenue this
music will generate (there really is no immediate payoff from their
perspective), you’ve really got to wonder how many years it will take before
anybody sees any return on their investment.
(On the plus side, it also helps to guarantee that this music will long
outlive all of us, even if that means by way of commercial ads, movie
soundtracks or catalog compilations thru the end of time.) Kinda makes you wonder what the catalogs of
Jagger and Richard … or Paul McCartney, already a long-time investor in music
copyrights, will go for should they decide to pursue a similar path. (kk)
Clark Besch mentioned Dick Bartley’s official retirement
earlier this week … Dick was a fixture on Chicago radio for YEARS … and then
again for many years more in syndication.
A few other “local deejays” made the news this week, too …
Mitch Michaels will celebrate his 50th
anniversary on Chicagoland radio this Monday (December 18th) … and
I’ve been listening to him for every one of them, over a variety of stations …
including The River (his current home), as well as stops along the way at WXRT,
WLUP, WCKG, WDAI, WKQX, and dating all the way back to his stint with WGLD,
which is where he launched his Chicago radio career.
He told Robert Feder “The station was on the floor of an old folks’ home — the Oak Park Arms
Hotel in Oak Park — which I always thought was an unusual place for a rock
station. There was a fire escape in the
program director’s office and the door out faced east. I’d go out there for
smoke breaks and just look at the Chicago skyline at night, knowing that’s
where I really needed to be.”
(Growing up in
Berwyn, I was driving thru Oak Park all the time … once you got near The Oak
Park Arms, the signal was so strong it knocked out everything else … actually
intensifying the sound of your radio!)
Mitch (a
sometime contributor to FH) released his memoir, “Doin’ The Cruise: Memories
From A Lifetime In Radio And Rock And Roll” in 2017. (Yet ANOTHER Book I still have to read!!!
Lol) He recently became a big part of
the discussion regarding who first flipped Rod Stewart’s single “Reason To
Believe” over and started playing the B-Side, “Maggie May,” instead. Mitch says he was singled out on a television
appearance by Stewart many years later.
Mitch also was one of the celebrities feeding us questions when we saw
Priscilla Presley appearing at The Arcada Theatre Several years ago.
Congratulations
on your First Fifty, dude … That’s quite a milestone!!! (kk)
Thanks,
Kent ...
It
blows my mind!!!
MM
Another radio great (and sometime contributor) Bob Sirott
just signed a new two-year deal with WGN to stay on as Morning Man (although he
was able to reduce his shift to 6 – 10 am starting on January 3rd.) Bob has been a fixture of Chicagoland radio
and television since 1973 … and has always been one of our favorites. Congratulations, Bob! (kk)
And Pat Cassidy, who has spent the last 21 years at WBBM
Newsradio here in Chicago is calling it a career. (He’s actually been on the radio for the past
51 years, starting in 1969 at WEXI in Arlington Heights, IL!)
In an email to his colleagues, Pat said:
I will miss all of you, our loyal listeners, and the energy of a
breaking news story. I will not miss waking up at 2:30 for 51 years or seeing
the hideous picture on my work ID each morning at the front desk. I’m a very
lucky guy who is ending a long, charmed career on top. I have good health, a
loving wife, a beloved daughter and daughter-in-law with two adorable
grandchildren to watch growing up, family, dear friends, golf and fishing
hobbies, and my beloved Galena.
Peace and Love,
Pat Cassidy
P.S. On January first I’ll hold a private ceremony to destroy my
alarm clock!
And, since we’re talking Chicago radio,
I’ve just GOT to include this email from Chuck Buell, a staple at WLS, The Big
89, in the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s …
Here’s Chuck
Buell with a WLS Studio Viewing Follow-Up ...
Mike
Wolstein related in Forgotten Hits yesterday that “Back in our teen
years, we used to hop on the train, go downtown, and watch the WLS DJs through
the glass window at the Stone Container Building, home of WLS.”
Every now
and again, someone like Wolstein, mentions watching us WLS Air Personalities
performing our Shows on the Air through the Famous Large Picture Window just
across a Narrow Hallway from the Main Studio.
For those
who have, here’s a memory of doing that as a Kid; for those who haven’t or
didn’t have a chance to do so and may have wondered what it was all about,
here’s what one might see. In this case ( circa mid 1960s ), Clark Weber
on the Left and Ron Riley on the Right!
And here’s what it looked like when anyone on the Air had to “Run Down the Hall for a Personal Moment!”
Larry Lujack
hated being watched like “an animal in a zoo” so he’d more often than not pull
the large curtains inside the Studio closed, cutting off all “viewings!” When
those who did make a special trip to WLS see their caustic “Superjock Radio
Hero,” only to be faced with a big window of view-blocking drapes, he would open
them for a very short period of time so their trip was not a total
disappointment. Yes, the Grinch did have a Heart!
CB ( which
stands for “Curator Boy!”
We toured the studio a few times when I was a kid … and I was able
to see some of the ‘LS jocks live on the air (although my visits were always limited to the
day time, so I most likely saw jocks like Bernie Allen or somebody like that … I never made it
down there at night … I guess they must have still let people in the building,
even in the evening (???)
I know we were disappointed a couple of times, too, when they told
us they weren’t letting anybody upstairs anymore. (I think WCFL did something similar for a
time … because I seem to remember some guys getting invited INTO the studio,
schmoozing with the DJ on the air … and then, when he went back to the mic … so
the legend goes … they made off with the station’s complete set of WCFL
Surveys, never to be seen again. After
that I heard they stopped letting fans in … but this could also all be urban
legend at this point in time!)
I mean it’s not quite like watching Rob Petrie broadcast for 100
hours straight on the air or anything … but it WAS a pretty cool thing to
see! (kk)
And, speaking of radio, Radio Research Analyst Sean Ross says “It’s
Time For Radio To Play The ‘60’s Again!” … and even cites Me-TV-FM as being one
of the stations doing so successfully.
(Hey, WE’VE been saying that for 23 years now … it’s infectious, Feel Good Music … and you WILL win over a brand new audience by exposing them to it.)
Then again, do you really need any more
proof of this connection than the recent flood of people buzzing about The Beatles’ “Get Back”
film … or the outpouring of love after the passing of Michael Nesmith of The
Monkees??? (kk)
Why Classic Hits
Should Play the ‘60s Again – RadioInsight
And we just heard about a show coming up next May (the 19th,
to be exact!) in Champaign, IL, featuring The New Colony Six, Jay Siegel’s
Tokens and Herman’s Hermits, featuring Peter Noone! (Now how’s THAT for a line-up?!?!)
And yours truly just may get involved as one of the show’s guest
MC’s!
More information as it becomes available. (And how cool is it that ALL of these artists
are part of The Forgotten Hits Family!!!
It’ll be a GREAT chance to see everybody again, Covid-permitting!) kk
From Tom Cuddy, a recent interview with
Cat Stevens (Yusuf), talking about the 50th Anniversary release of
his “Teaser And The Firecat” album … and John Lennon!!!
Harvey Kubernik tells us that we
celebrated another anniversary this past week …
December
16, 1966, marks the debut of The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s first 45 RPM on
Track Records "Hey Joe" B/W "Stone Free." (55 years ago today)
Harvey’s new book on Hendrix (“Voodoo Child,” written with
his brother Kenneth) is all the rage right now.
(And Harvey, I actually started reading it this week myself!!! See, I toldja I would get to it
eventually!!! Lol)
It’s a beautiful package and it’s been earning rave reviews from
all who got there before me! (kk)
>>>We
recently told you about the ceremony commemorating Elvis Presley’s fund-raising
efforts for the USS Arizona. (In fact, there was even a television
special made about it!) kk
Did
anyone ever see this? I must have missed it, even tho I put the info out
ahead of time. I sure WANTED to see it!
Clark
I wanted to see it, too … but also missed the first
showing.
Hopefully there will be some rebroadcasts in the not too
distant future. (As of right now there
are no scheduled airings here in Chicago.)
kk
A newly restored and revamped edition of The Band’s final
concert film, “The Last Waltz,” will hit the streets on March 29th
next year.
Approved by Director Martin Scorsese himself, the set
includes a 4K restored version of the 1978 film supervised by guitarist Robbie
Robertson. It’s presented with a new cover along with 5.1
and alternate stereo soundtracks, two audio commentaries, a new interview with
Scorsese, a 2002 making-of documentary, outtakes, promotional material from
the original release and an essay by critic Amanda Petrusich. The standard
edition includes a single Blu-ray disc, and another version contains
a 4K UHD disc with the movie in Dolby Vision HDR.
More
Christmas Music …
Although I’ve got to warn you these aren’t for everybody …
unless you want to slow your Christmas down to a complete crawl! (lol)
LOFI HOLIDAY MIXTAPE, VOL. 2 OUT
TODAY FEATURING LOFI MAKEOVERS OF CLASSIC CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAY FAVORITES BY
CHET BAKER, ELLA FITZGERALD, FERRANTE & TEICHER, KAY STARR, THE SUPREMES
AND THE TEMPTATIONS
UMe/uCHILL ALSO OFFERING
UP SLOWED + REVERB MIXES OF SEASONAL STAPLES BY THE LIKES OF BURL IVES AND
BRENDA LEE TO MELLOW OUT YOUR HOLIDAYS
Classic Christmas songs and seasonal favorites by the legendary
likes of Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Ferrante & Teicher, Kay Starr, The Supremes, and The Temptations have
been radically transformed with Lofi makeovers for UMe’s Lofi Holiday Mixtape Vol. 2,
out now (December 17th) digitally everywhere.
Listen here: https://LoFiHoliday.lnk.to/MixtapeVol2
Following on the heels of last year’s inaugural mixtape, UMe has once again
thrown open the doors to their hallowed holiday catalog and invited some of the
best names in the Lofi scene to create a series of inspired remixes. The result
is the new seven-track collection which features evergreen songs like “White Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Silent Night” and “(Everybody’s Waiting For) The Man With
The Bag” reinterpreted with downtempo beats, woozy,
hip-hop-esque samples and hypnotic loops, creating something uniquely of today
yet oozing with nostalgia.
The Lofi
Holiday Mixtape, Vol. 2 opens with UK-based producer Mondo Loops’ remix
of Kay Starr’s iconic version of “(Everybody’s Waiting For) The Man With The
Bag,” which has been dramatically slowed to the point that Starr’s chipper
vocals are now husky and deep and the jaunty tempo replaced with a mellow and
mesmerizing beat. The reworked rendition also includes newly recorded
instrumentals and ethereal effects to present the beloved song like never
before. Spoonbeats,
part of a collective of Lofi producers out of Mexico, and L.Dre from Los
Angeles both take on classic cuts from The Supremes. Spoonbeats remix
of “My Favorite Things”
keeps the orchestral strings of the original intact but turns it into a
beat-laden instrumental, while L.Dre takes a different approach on “White Christmas” and
uses the vocals as a jumping off point to completely alter the song by speeding
up the vocals which float over a thumping beat and effects-filled loops. Fellow
Los Angeles-based producer LOUALLDAY provides
the lion share of remixes and injects The Temptations’ “Silent Night,” Ella Fitzgerald’s “O Come All Ye Faithful,” Ferrante & Teicher’s “Ave Maria,”
and Chet Baker’s
“Winter Wonderland” with his trademark blend of chopped vocals,
instrumental loops and hard-hitting hip-hop beats.
The mixtape is the second volume from uChill, UMe’s lean-back
content artist channel. For the holidays, two digital holiday albums and
several playlists have been created for the Lofi and slowed + reverb spaces.
The recently released Slowed
+ Christmas, Vol. 1 includes 17 classic Christmas songs
from Brenda Lee, Burl Ives, Kay Starr, The Ramsey Lewis Trio and
others getting the TikTok-approved slowed + reverb treatment in this
first-of-its-kind collection guaranteed to provide mellow vibes to your holiday
season. Stream it here: https://Stream.lnk.to/SlowedChristmas
For those looking for more Lofi holiday remixes, the Lofi Holiday Mixtape, Vol. 1 released
last year, features additional songs from Ella Fitzgerald and The Temptations as
well as from Billie
Holiday and others remixed by international festival
fixture, Canadian DJ/producer BLOND:ISH;
"the queen of Lofi," Dutch producer eevee; and a bevy
of up-and-coming producers from the Lofi scene, including Auxjack, Hyphen, Kuji, Somni, Roelo and V.Raeter. The mixtape
is available to stream at all streaming services or can be experienced with the
accompaniment of animated Yule log visualizer videos on the UMG Christmas Music
channel to help ratchet up the digital coziness factor and usher in the
holidays.
Enjoy here: http://lofiholiday.lnk.to/mixtapePR
Lofi Holiday Mixtape, Vol. 2 Track
Listing
1. Kay Starr – (Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With The Bag / Mondo Loops
Remix
2. The Temptations - Silent Night / LOUALLDAY Remix
3. The Supremes - My Favorite Things / SpoonBeats Remix
4. Ella Fitzgerald - O Come All Ye Faithful / LOUALLDAY Remix
5. Ferrante & Teicher - Ave Maria / LOUALLDAY Remix
6. Chet Baker - Winter Wonderland / LOUALLDAY Remix
7. The Supremes - White Christmas / L.Dre Remix
And, leaving you with a
smile for this weekend …
Hope you have seen how Shaq treats Chicago
legendary songs! I see this on ESPN and MeTV a lot.
Clark Besch
Ha!
Funny stuff! I have NOT seen this
before. Are there more in the
series? (kk)
