Kent,
I LOVE the Super Charts ... but have to question Randy's point system when I saw "Happy Xmas" debut at 59 today in 1971. I knew Billboard was always HORRIBLE at placing Christmas songs properly on the Hot 100 like they should have, so I checked it out.
First, an interview with Richard
Carpenter regarding the new book we’ve been raving about …
And then also their commentary on the new
Brian Wilson documentary, “Long Promised Road” …
Robert Feder is reporting that Don
Cornelius will be honored with an induction into the 2022 Chicago TV’s Silver
Circle Award next May.
From Feder’s column …
Don Cornelius, who
created, produced and hosted the long-running and culturally influential dance
music show “Soul Train,” will be honored posthumously with the Chicago TV
industry’s highest honor.
Cornelius is one of eight notable broadcasters chosen for
induction this spring in the Silver Circle of the Chicago/Midwest
chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
He and the other 2022 honorees were announced Sunday at the
virtual 63rd annual regional Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards.
Cornelius, who was born on Chicago’s South Side and graduated from
DuSable High School, worked as an announcer at WVON Radio and hosted “A Black’s
View of the News” at Weigel Broadcasting WCIU-Channel 26 in the 1960s before
launching “Soul Train” there as a local daily show in 1970. It entered national
syndication in 1971. Cornelius died in 2012.
--Robert Feder
Billboard Magazine is reporting that The
Rolling Stones’ No Filter Tour grosses topped $2.5 BILLION …
Yeah, I think they can be persuaded to
tour again! (kk)
kk …
Last Week They Had A Book Signing In
Connecticut. Wild Wayne Was Kind Enough
To Send Me An Autographed Copy Of The Book "GENE PITNEY - THE SINGER : THE
SONGS, THE SONGWRITERS," Signed By David McGrath (The Author), Lynne
Pitney (Gene's Widow) and Wild Wayne.
This Book Is So Good That I Couldn't Wait To
Tell You About It.
I'm Half Way Through The Book.
--- CHAPTER ONE = March 18, 2002 - Gene's
Induction Ceremony Into "THE ROCK & ROLL HALL of FAME" - Waldorf
Astoria - New York City
--- CHAPTERS 2 – 32 = Each Chapter Is The
Title Of A Song Gene Recorded.
--- Frankie Laine Advised Gene To Record A
Song That Was A Flop For Him. It Became
One Of Gene's Biggest Hits.
--- Gene Recorded A Song That Was First
Recorded By Neil Sedaka, But Never Released.
Neil Knew It Would Be A Hit. Neil Had Just Signed With A New Label and They Refused To Release A Song They Didn't
Record. Big Hit For Gene. He Used The Same Track That Neil Used. (Now Neil Can Say That He Played Piano On
Gene Pitney Song!)
--- Gene Pitney Had To Settle A Copyright
Infringement Lawsuit With A Catholic Priest Named Cayet Mangiaracina Over A
Song He Wrote. It Cost Gene Over A Million Dollars In Royalties. The Two Songs Weren't Really Alike. It Was
Easier To Give The Priest Co-Writing Credit Than Go To Court.
--- Gene Pitney Recorded Two Songs With His
Name In The Title.
This Book Is Highly Recommended . I'll
Probably Have More To Say About It.
I'll Get Back To You After I Read The Second
Half Of The Book.
FRANK B.
I’ve heard really good
things about this book … will have to add it to my Summer Reading List …
because that’s about the time I’ll finally get to it!!! But still, I WOULD like to read it.
UPDATE #1: I ordered this book from Amazon last night!!! (lol)
It’s funny because on
the surface I can say that I never really was much of a Gene Pitney fan … but
then when I look at his list of hit songs, it’s hard to stand by that statement
because I really AM a big fan of several of his hits … both songs that Gene
recorded as well as songs that he wrote for others and then gave away.
Several years ago after
Gene passed, Sirius/XM deejay Phlash Phelps ran an old interview with him and
it was entertaining as hell. And the
stories I’ve heard from other artists who toured with Pitney back in the day
say that he was the consummate practical joker … ALWAYS in for a laugh and
having a good time. I will have to pick
up a copy of this new book! (kk)
THE GENE PITNEY HIT LIST:
(my personal favorites
are noted with an asterisk (*) … and as you’ll see, there are quite a few of
them on this list. (kk)
1961 – I Wanna Love My
Life Away (#31)*
1961- Every Breath I
Take (#27)
1961 – A Town Without
Pity (#11)*
1962 – The Man Who Shot
Liberty Valence (#4)*
1962 – Only Love Can
Break A Heart (#2)*
1962 – If I Didn’t Have
A Dime To Play The Jukebox (#49)
1963 – Half Heaven,
Half Heartache (#12)
1963 – Mecca (#12)
1963 – True Love Never
Runs Smooth (#21)
1963 – Twenty Four
Hours From Tulsa (#17)
1964 – That Girl
Belongs To Yesterday (#49), Gene covering a song written by The Rolling Stones!
1964 – It Hurts To Be
In Love (#6)*
1964 – I’m Gonna Be
Strong (#9)
1965 – I Must Be Seeing
Things (#26)
1965 – Last Chance To
Turn Around (#12)
1965 – Looking Through
The Eyes Of Love (#23)*
1965 – Princess In
Rags (#32)
1966 – Backstage (#24)
1968 – She’s A
Heartbreaker (#16)*
Gene also wrote the
hits “Hello Mary Lou” (for Rick Nelson), “He’s A Rebel” (for The Crystals) and
“Rubber Ball” (for Bobby Vee)
UPDATE #2: The book has since arrived so I thought I'd do a little investigating. Being totally honest here, after reading just the first six pages, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to enjoy and finish this book ... I am SINCERELY hoping it gets better and the tone changes from "seriously gushing fan" to a more fact-based overview of Gene's career. In six pages, there are at least three or four instances where he has already repeated himself in terms of opinion ... I prefer a more factual approach. Now granted, I'm still at the "Introduction" phase so I'm hoping he's simply setting the stage for covering actual events in Gene's life and professional career ... but I am already having a hard time getting past the gushing.
That being said, I DO have to point out this one dedication in the Acknowledgements section that kicks off the book:
"This book only became a book because of the kindness of the musical giant Jim Peterik. What a star he is! What a songwriter he is!"
VERY cool ... and I'll have to ask Jimmy what his connection was to all of this. But those simple comments also give you some insight as to author David McGrath's writing tone. Imagine this escalating 600% when it comes time to talk about his REAL hero and you'll get some sense of what I'm talking about when it comes to my concerns reading forward.
But hey, I'm a trouper ... and Frank has said some excellent things about it ... so I'll soldier on and keep you posted. (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!)
Well, here’s a look at
the plaque that now sits at the site reminding visitors of Elvis’ efforts and
good will. (kk)
A special statue unveiling ceremony was
held on Sunday in at Frank Sinatra Park in Hoboken, New Jersey, celebrating
what would have been Ol’ Blue Eyes’ 106th birthday.
FREDA PAYNE & MARK BEGO AT OSCAR’S IN PALM SPRINGS
“Band Of
Gold” singer FREDA PAYNE appeared at Oscar’s in Palm Springs, performing and
signing copies of her new Yorkshire Publishing book BAND OF GOLD - A MEMOIR,
written with Mark Bego.
Seen here are Bego and Payne
As I’ve said before, this is a GREAT track that I likely wouldn’t have discovered without you, so thanks again, Sam! (In the Spirit of Christmas, we’ll feature it again today, too!!!) kk
And, as we inch closer and closer to the holiday, we thought we’d share some great Christmas Music with you today … courtesy Ume …
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS …
CLASSIC CHRISTMAS SONGS FROM THE BEACH BOYS, BING CROSBY, BURL
IVES, DEAN MARTIN, ELLA FITZGERALD, FRANK SINATRA, THE JACKSON 5, JIMMY
DURANTE, MARVIN GAYE AND NAT KING COLE RECEIVE FIRST-EVER OFFICIAL VIDEOS FOR
THE HOLIDAYS
UMe’S LATEST HOLIDAY VIDEO OFFERINGS JOIN A HOST OF SEASONAL
AUDIO DELIGHTS, INCLUDING OFFICIAL HOURS-LONG PLAYLIST, A HOST OF THEMATIC
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS, AND MUCH MORE TO HELP SOUNDTRACK YOUR HOLIDAYS AND TURN UP
THE JOY
This holiday season, UMe has
once again teamed up with legendary artists and estates to create official
animated videos for some of the most beloved holiday songs in the Christmas
canon from the likes of Bing
Crosby, Burl
Ives, Dean
Martin, Ella
Fitzgerald, Frank
Sinatra, The
Jackson 5, Jimmy
Durante, Marvin
Gaye, and Nat
King Cole. Most of the animated videos were produced by Fantoons Animation Studios,
with Ella Fitzgerald’s “Sleigh
Ride” created by the team at Pixel Park; The Jackson
5’s “Santa Claus Is
Coming To Town” animated by Troy Browne and Chaz Bottoms, with
puppets created by Adam
Kreutinger and operated
by puppeteers Alex Griffin and Jayden Libran; and
Marvin Gaye’s “I Want To
Come Home For Christmas” directed by Tim Fox and
animated by Daniel
Crossan. The videos span a variety of styles and themes and feature
animators from all over the world putting their unique spin on the holidays.
In addition to the animated videos, several engaging lyric
videos have been created for The
Beach Boys’ “The
Man With All The Toys,” Bing Crosby’s “Do You Hear What I Hear”
and “It’s Beginning
To Look A Lot Like Christmas,” Dean Martin’s “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,”
and Nat King Cole’s “The Happiest Christmas Tree,”
which are perfect for holiday gathering sing-alongs.
WATCH/SHARE BING CROSBY’S “I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS” &
“THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY”
WATCH/SHARE BURL IVES’ “RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER”
WATCH/SHARE DEAN MARTIN’S “I’VE GOT MY LOVE TO KEEP ME WARM”
WATCH/SHARE ELLA FITZGERALD’S “SLEIGH RIDE”
WATCH/SHARE FRANK SINATRA’S “HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS”
WATCH/SHARE THE JACKSON 5’S “SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN”
WATCH/SHARE JIMMY DURANTE’S “FROSTY THE SNOWMAN”
WATCH/SHARE MARVIN GAYE’S “I WANT TO COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS”
WATCH/SHARE NAT KING COLE’S “O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL”
WATCH/SHARE THE BEACH BOYS’ “THE MAN WITH ALL THE TOYS” (LYRIC
VIDEO)
WATCH/SHARE BING CROSBY’S “DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR” (LYRIC VIDEO) &
“IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS” (LYRIC VIDEO)
WATCH/SHARE DEAN MARTIN’S “BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE” (LYRIC
VIDEO)
WATCH/SHARE NAT KING COLE’S “THE HAPPIEST CHRISTMAS TREE” (LYRIC
VIDEO)
“UMe has created a series of videos for many of UMG’s most
cherished and enduring holiday hits as we partner with our artists once again
to continue this tradition,” says Bruce
Resnikoff, President and CEO of UMe, the global catalog company
of UMG. “This year’s videos were created by directors and artists from around
the world and embody the holiday spirit as these timeless songs have been
reinterpreted in creative new ways.”
In the video for Bing
Crosby’s “I’ll
Be Home For Christmas,” viewers are taken on a Christmas voyage
through the perspective of several generations of hopeful, hardworking family
members, from the turn of the century to 1970s NYC to modern day, as they
attempt to make it home for the holidays, while Bing serenades throughout the
decades. In “The Little
Drummer Boy,” a similar theme is told as a boy, away from his
family, makes a meager living cleaning up backstage nightly. On a particularly
depressing evening, as Christmas is fast approaching and the distance from his
family becomes all the more somber, the boy transforms some rusty buckets and
pails into a drum kit and the theatre, strewn with Crosby references, and its
inanimate inhabitants come to life as he offers his sole and modest gift of
drumming. In Burl
Ives’ “Rudolph
The Red-Nosed Reindeer” a new chapter is added to one of the
most famous Christmas tales of all as Rudolph Jr. saves Christmas after the
blinking Neurological Observational Sensor Equipment (N.O.S.E.) malfunctions,
forcing Rudolph to spring into action just like his famous father.
Dean Martin is recruited by
Santa and Mrs. Claus to handle Christmas duties while they sneak off for a
tropical vacation in the hilarious video for “I’ve Got My Love To Keep You Warm,” which
features Dean brought to life through an ingenious mix of photo collages and
‘60s-era animation. Meanwhile, in the video for The Jackson 5’s “Santa Claus Is Coming Town,”
a delightful hybrid of puppetry and animation, Santa more than embraces his
duties and saves the world by gleefully delivering presents and the Christmas
spirit around the globe to magically transform people and the areas that need
his help the most. Ella
Fitzgerald’s “Sleigh
Ride” takes viewers on a striking visual adventure around the
globe with many “Easter Eggs” to be found along the way from throughout Ella’s
career.
Written and co-directed by David Calcano of Fantoons, the video
for Frank Sinatra’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
beautifully tells Calcano’s personal story, which is really the universal story
about missing home and family during the holidays after leaving one’s country
in search of a better life, in his case leaving Venezuela for the U.S. The
video, which states in the credits is “Dedicated To Those Who Had To Leave
Their Home … Looking For A Better Life,” has gone viral in Latin America and has
struck a chord with people around the world who have been sharing their own
stories in the thousands of YouTube comments. Jimmy Durante tells
a different kind of story in the video for “Frosty the Snowman” which features a
larger than life Frosty in this modern, whimsical take on the classic tale. The
video for Marvin
Gaye’s poignant “I
Want To Come Home For Christmas” takes on a more solemn and
serious tone as Gaye, depicted as a cab driver during the holidays, drives
around the city and helps veterans, as the light on his taxi reads, get “home
for Christmas.” Written and recorded in 1972 about supporting America’s
prisoners of war and told from a soldier’s perspective, the song was released
posthumously in 2019 on the Motown / UMe album, You’re the Man. The video
premiered on Veteran’s Day in partnership with the Paralyzed Veterans of
America.
To celebrate the unifying spirit of Christmas, Nat King Cole’s “O Come All Ye Faithful”
has brought together 20 different visual styles from artists all over the world
to tell “The Greatest Story Ever Told” with their distinctive interpretations.
The story of the birth of Christ has been uniquely illustrated by 27 artists
from 15 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, India, Japan, Kenya,
Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, USA and Venezuela.
For those looking for more holiday entertainment, The Ed Sullivan Show’s Official YouTube
Channel will be adding classic performances to The Ed Sullivan Show holiday playlist from
its archives of seasonal favorites all month long, including “The Christmas Song”
by Dolores Gray,
“Baby’s First Christmas”
by Connie Francis,
“Jingle Bells”
by Shari Lewis and
her adorable sidekicks, Lamb
Chop and Charlie
Horse; cherished standards “Ave Maria” by Joselito, a medley
by Sandler & Young singing “Do You Hear What I Hear? / Silent Night
/ O Holy Night,” the Mexican Boystown Choir with “Auld Lang Syne;” and a
holiday-themed medley from Bobby
Sherman. The videos also will be available here: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheEdSullivanShow
These videos are just some of the many ways that UMe is
celebrating its unmatched Christmas catalog and helping to turn up the joy this
holiday season. A variety of new thematic digital collections are available to
stream now on your favorite streaming service and include the “Christmas For Kids” series,
which features classic Christmas songs specially curated for children of all
ages from the likes of Bing
Crosby, Burl Ives and Peggy Lee; “Christmas Carols” from
Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, Nat
King Cole, and 98°;
a pair of George
Straight “Strait
To Christmas” collections, “Classics” and “Holiday Jams;” and a
variety of other sets from Dean
Martin (“White
Christmas,” “Let
It Snow”), Nat King Cole (“Joy To The World”), and 98° (“Festive Christmas”).
Also available for your streaming pleasure is UMe's Christmas
playlist, which features some of the most popular songs and artists across the
holiday music canon, pairing timeless classics with contemporary favorites. The
hours-long –and ever-expanding – playlist is available now for streaming on
Spotify and Apple. Listen here: https://stream.lnk.to/ChristmasPR
uDiscover Music is also getting into the
spirit with their just launched holiday hub which includes a variety of gift
guides for all types of music lovers, eclectic playlists and the memorable
stories behind classic holiday tunes.
Visit it here: https://www.udiscovermusic.com/christmas/
OK, these are pretty cool! Check out this Dino clip …
Forgotten Hitter Chuck Buell sends us all his Special Holiday Greeting Card from "The Top of the Nation, "The Mile High City," "5,280 Feet Above Sea Level," and "4,700 Feet Above Chicago" ---
CB ( which stands for “Card Boy!” )
Christmas Music came roaring back on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Chart this week, too.
Mariah Carey is poised at #2 with last year's chart-topper "All I Want For Christmas Is You" ... it is likely to take over the top spot again next week, effectively breaking Chubby Checker's 60 year record of topping the pop charts TWICE with the same record when "The Twist" went to #1 in both 1960 and 1962. Meanwhile, other classic Christmas fare (and a few new tracks) also make the list this week.)
For example:
Brenda Lee sits at #3 with "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" followed by "A Holly Jolly Christmas" (Burl Ives, #5), "Jingle Bell Rock" (Bobby Helms, #6), "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" (Andy Williams, #10), "Last Christmas" (Wham, #13), "Feliz Navidad" (Jose Feliciano, #14), "Sleigh Ride" (The Ronettes, #17), "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" (Dean Martin, #18), "The Christmas Song" (Nat "King" Cole, #20), "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" (Perry Como, #21), "Underneath The Tree" (Kelly Clarkson, #24 - NEW), "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)', Darlene Love, #25, "Happy Holiday / The Holiday Season" (Andy Williams, #26), "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" (Gene Autry, #27), "White Christmas" (Bing Crosby, #28), "Santa Tell Me" (Ariana Grande, #30), "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" (Michael Buble, #32), "Run Rudolph Run" (Chuck Berry, #34), "There No Place Like Home For The Holidays" (Perry Como, #37), "Merry Christmas" (Ed Sheeran and Elton John, #72), "Christmas Tree Farm" (Taylor Swift, #74 - NEW), "Pick Out A Christmas Tree" (Dan and Shay, #79 - NEW) and "I'll Be Home For Christmas" (Camila Cabello, #97 - NEW)
That accounts for 24 Christmas songs (both old and new) in The Top 100! (Ironically, we started off today's sheet talking about the times when Billboard wouldn't chart Christmas records alongside the most popular hits in the land ... even if they were!!!)
My guess is that there'll be even more next week ... and the week after ... until the holiday officially passes. But how cool is it to see that folks out there are gobbling up tracks by the likes of Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Perry Como and Andy Williams??!?!! (kk)
