Big Bumper sheet, Kent, well done!
I will throw
my two pence worth into the argument about the Hall of Shame. Look how easy
that flowed … I put in fame and my spell checker corrected me lol.
Our mutual
friend has recorded more RnR tracks than all the latest band of nominees put
together. My question is, When is Freddy Boom, Boom Cannon going to be inducted? He knows rock n roll the others have only
ever read about it!
Take care,
stay safe, cause Rockin' Lord Geoff (in England) said so.
Geoff Lambert
Kent
(kk):
Just wanted to
let you know that I have reached out to The Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of
Fame as well as a few other organizations that support The Rock Hall throughout
the year. These additional organizations have been 'invited' to reach out
to The Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in support of The Induction
of 'Tommy James'.
I have contacted:
Sherwin-Williams, Yum Brands, Sirius-XM, Apple Music,
Hard Rock International and BMG)
I have also contacted:
a. The
Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - Trustees members
b. The
Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - Foundation members
c. The
Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - Committee members
d. The
Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze members
I trust that The Cleveland Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will be responding ASAP.
I will forward
to you any / all responses, as they come in.
L J
L J Coon
starrtrac6@aol.com
Here is a copy of what
I have sent them …
February 6, 2022
The Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame
Union Home Mortgage
Plaza
1100 Rock and
Roll Boulevard
Cleveland,
Ohio 44114
216.781.ROCK
(7625)
Dear Rock
& Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio,
Please take
the time out of your very busy day to review the following and respond.
I am very
interested in finding out The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland,
Ohio’s overall reason / reasons for Not inviting Rock n Roll Artist of 53 years,
Tommy James, into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio?
a). Is there
an overall reason that Tommy James is not being inducted into The Rock
& Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio?
b). Is there
something that he hasn't accomplished over his 53 year Rock n Roll career that
would explain why he is not being inducted into The Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio?
c). Is there
something additional that he needs to accomplish and that is why he is
not being inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio?
d). Is it
simply that Tommy James needs to be nominated by one particular individual and
that is why he is not being Inducted into The Rock & Roll
Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio?
In closing:
Can you please
take the time to respond to my inquiry or forward to those offices that can
respond in detail ...
Why is Tommy
James NOT being Inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland,
Ohio?
Thank You so
much for all that you do
Kindest
Regards,
L J
L J Coon
I appreciate your support, LJ … please DO let us know if you ever
receive a response or explanation … as it certainly doesn’t make ANY sense to
any other rock music fan out there on Planet Earth as to how Tommy continues to
be ignored and denied his proper and deserved place in The Rock Hall. (kk)
UPDATE: LJ - You may want to expand your contact list to include The Rock Hall's Corporate Office in New York. (Boy, it SURE would be great to know the names of all of the members of the Nominating Committee ... and those who are authorized to vote in their annual selection process.) Please keep in mind that The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame located in Cleveland is strictly the MUSEUM ... and they have absolutely NO say whatsoever as far as who gets nominated or inducted. I have had NUMEROUS conversations with them over the years ... and believe me when I tell you, most years all of those employees are scratching their heads much the same way all us music fans do each year when the new nominees are announced!!! Still, I applaud your efforts ... and am curious to see if you get any response at all! (kk)
Regarding R&R HOF Voting ...
Will somebody please put a fork in this mess!
Ken Freck
Hornets
- Give Me A Kiss - Vip: 25004 DJ
A Kiss or a Kick?
What the???
Please tell me this was recorded as a joke, as
in "meant" to be funny. Even The Chipmunks could not have saved it.
Shelley J
Sweet-Tufano
Or … were The Hornets really just 25 years ahead of their time,
ultimately inspiring The Rutles?!?!
Who knows …
But I think this was 100% a legitimate recording designed to cash
in on the hot sound of the day which, like I said before, was quite a
ridiculous idea being that Motown had already CREATED a hot new sound of their
own. (Even crazier … the Motown acts
were among The Beatles’ own favorites prior to them coming over here to The
States!)
Maybe turnabout is fair play???
The Beatles covered their share of Motown tunes in the early years … as
did so many of the other first wave British Invasion acts! (kk)
Regarding "Kind Of Hush," I'm not sure
Peter Noone's argument is correct on that either.
The writers of "Hush" are Geoff Stephens and
Les Reed, two British and relatively well known writers and producers.
Who do you think would have access to their song
first, the Hermits or some 12 year old nobodies from the US? Also, the Hermits’ version was released way
earlier.
I think the real question is why didn't Stephens
push it as a single for his New Vaudeville Band?
Ken
Both versions of “There’s A Kind Of Hush” came out in February of
1967. I have NO idea how Gary and the
Hornets had access to this tune … or “Hi, Hi Hazel” either for that matter, as
that one was recorded by The Troggs!!!
As for Stephens recording it with his New Vaudeville Band, that’s
an EXCELLENT question. Geoff wrote SO
many great songs for other British artists.
If he had planned on having a recording career of his very own, I don’t
know why he would have given away ANY of these tunes!!!
(Then again I look no further than The Buckinghams, who scored four
Top Ten Hits in one year thanks to the pen of James Holvay, who was a member of
the local band The Mob. Instead of
recording these tunes with his OWN band, he gave them to The Bucks because he
felt they fit THEIR style more than his own.
Chicago Rock history might have been totally rewritten had he opted to
keep these for himself! (kk)
>>>Concerning the Ballad of Davy Crockett being number
2 on 5-5-55, did you know that Bill Hayes is still alive and still appears on
Days of Our Lives soap opera? That’s what I call longevity! (Bob Verbos)
I found Bob's message about Bill Hayes' "Davy Crocket"
story quite amazing to think he is still alive and acting.
Considering I was born less than a year after this big hit, I
think my brothers woulda rewritten it: "Scarred up a baby brother later
that yarr"
THIS was Billboard's #1 while the one I know better, Fess
Parker's was #5 and Tennessee Ernie Ford also #5. I have the Parker with pic sleeve.
THIS country version by Ford is much better enunciated than the
others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ACYcD1ce5E
Meanwhile, Walter Schumann's version might be fun for many to
hear because it sounds like what Monty Python used as a model for
"Lumberjack Song"!!!!! It reached #14. (Below #29 on 5/5/55
date). Be sure to listen to first 30 seconds to realize how close they
are in sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AitVuN6Hfe0
Clark Besch
I enjoy looking over Clark Besch's weekly chart. He was a true 'breakout station' without a transmitter!
As a chart geek, I love to compare and contrast against what was
happening locally in my area (New Haven, CT).
WAVZ was the big gun, messy sounding at that time, a total opposite of the fast
'n' tight sounding shotgun jingle bellowing flamethrower they would evolve into
by 1972/'73.
Looking at the Billboard Top 10, nearly all of the songs listed
had already peaked weeks earlier on WAVZ; most were off the Weekly Top 60
(Mamas & Papas, Mindbenders, Lovin' Spoonful & Gary Lewis ... James
Brown had peaked at #1 two weeks earlier and was on the way off the chart at
#12 … ditto for Percy Sledge (#28) ... Bob Dylan peaked at #6 and was off the
survey two weeks earlier.
WAVZ Top 13 (well, they were Lucky 13!)
1. Strangers In The Night - Frank Sinatra
2. Paint It Black - Rolling Stones (#1 previous week)
3. Sweet Talkin' Guy - Chiffons
4. Red Rubber Ball - Cyrkle
5. Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love) - Swingin' Medallions
6. Cool Jerk - Capitols
7. I Am A Rock - Simon & Garfunkel
8. Barefootin' - Robert Parker
9. Oh How Happy - Shades Of Blue
10. I'm A Roadrunner - Jr. Walker & All-Stars
11. Opus 17 - Four Seasons
12. It's A Man's Man's Man's World - James Brown
13. Younger Girl - Hondells / Critters
WAVZ played both versions of "Younger Girl, alternating them, according to
those former jocks and listeners older than thou...
And...
Since we are looking back at 1972 on Forgotten Hits, my 3rd grade
class was dancin’ (during our daily 45 min. lunch break) to 45s I, and a few
other 45 hounds brought in for spinnin'. This was my #1 fave spin in Feb.
'72 and my all time fave by these go'gous gals):
Mike Markesich
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twv90OrOBmI
After studying these charts for many years, it has become pretty clear to me that the national charts were typically a week or two behind the curve in most instances. Things typically happened much quicker on the local radio level … but it was those sales and airplay spikes that ultimately drove the national charts.
In talking with Sam Tallerico (who did
the Lost And Found Oldies Show for YEARS!), he pointed out, too, that by 1972
the charts became a bit more “generic” from coast to coast, as less stations
were taking chances programming anything other than the “proven hits.” Gone were the days of promoting local talent
(like WLS and WCFL did in the mid-to-late ‘60’s.)
In fact, Sam told me …
I DO
miss the Super Charts. I appreciate the effort you put in posting the different
city surveys, but around 1971, the charts got more homogenized, showing fewer
regional hits, so they got kinda boring. Interesting that the WABC chart you
posted was very similar to the CKLW Big 30 -- but from a month earlier! It
underscores how WABC chased trends, while the Big 8 often started them.
Sam
That was the big thing
in the mega-exciting ‘60’s …
Every Top 40 Radio
Station worth its salt wanted to be the one to break the latest, greatest and hottest hits … (as we saw recently, even going to great lengths to obtain British copies of songs not yet released here in The States ... and then airing them as "exclusives") ... but then, by the early-to-mid ‘70’s, we saw charts listing fewer and fewer
hits, really reducing their playlists, and only sticking with the songs that
had proven to score well with other Top 40 stations across the country. (Factor in somebody like ABC, who had DOZENS
of outlets spread out all over the US, and pretty soon radio started to turn into
the repetitive monster we’ve been trying to stamp out for the past 25 years!)
For me, the music wasn’t
as interesting or inventive either … it
just all kind of blended together (or would that be “blanded together”???) and
radio wasn’t as exciting anymore. Couple
in the incredible growth of FM radio, playing full-length 8-minute cuts without
advertisements for pimple cream and most of us flipped over to that OTHER dial
on our radios. And once FM Radio became
available in cars, it was pretty rare that we’d venture back to the AM Dial!
This is why 1972 is the
last year we’re going to 50 Year Flashback to … I found the music of 1973 and
1974 the worst of the modern rock era … so for me, there’s very little to
celebrate there. (kk)
Speaking of 1972, Noise
11 is reporting that Jethro Tull’s new album “The Zealot Gene” has debuted in
The Top Ten in The UK, giving the band its first Top Ten Album in 50 years! (Their last Top Ten Album was “Living In The
Past” in 1972.)
>>>Interesting to see Todd Rundgren involved again in this upcoming Beatles Tribute Tour … although it’s no secret what a HUGE Beatles fan he is. It’s just that he made our sheet a week ago in conjunction with his upcoming tour with Daryl Hall ... and now he's going out on the road with THESE guys!!! (kk)
By the time Todd gets to Chicago, the Beatle
tour is over and he's teaming as a "guest" with Daryl Hall on April 1
at the Auditorium.
Ken Voss
And in the meantime, Daryl is recording a new album with Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics!!! (No rest for the wicked!) kk
Endless Summer Quarterly
has few leftover copies of their Winter 2021 issue available for individual
purchase.
This issue spotlights
Carl Wilson, who would have turned 75 on December 21st. (We lost Carl in 1998)
You can order your copy (while supplies last) here …
Chicago Legend
Syl Johnson has passed away.
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2022/02/06/chicago-blues-soul-legend-syl-johnson-dies-at-85/
https://www.bear-family.com/johnson-syl-talkin-bout-chicago.html
Clark Besch
Although Johnson did have nine national chart hits, none of them
ever really established him as an artist to be reckoned with.
(In fact, five of those nine never made it past #90 on the charts!) His biggest solo hit came in 1975 when his
version of “Take Me To The River” peaked at #48 in Billboard. (As such, I’m not convinced “legend” is a word that
would normally be used to describe him.)
He was actually born in Holly Springs, Mississippi … but was raised
in Chicago. Incredibly, his brother,
Jimmy Johnson, died just a couple of days before Sylvester did. (kk)
>>>BTW, I
haven't checked lately, but KIMN's 950 station in Denver with
different call
letters WAS playing top 40 oldies within last 10 years and we do get it here in
Lincoln some. (Clark Besch)
He's right.
From 2008 to 2015, under owner Lincoln Financial, they were KRWZ,
"Cruisin' Oldies 950." LincFi sold its stations to Entercom (since merged
with CBS Radio, forming Audacy) just before the end, then within months Denver
sports-team owner Stan Kroenke picked it up, and transitioned it to its current
sports-talk and live-games format, which just changed again to be dominated by
VSiN, a sports-gambling-oriented network featuring legendary former CBS-TV host
Brent Musburger!
--Bob Frable
From Gary Theroux, writer and executive producer of the new History
Of Rock And Roll Series running on stations all over the US right now …
Coming up next
weekend (February 12 and 13) on THE HISTORY OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL: “The Number One Hits of 1967.”
You’ll hear
all 18 chart-toppers from that monumental year along with a few notable
also-rans.
Also: Insightful comments from Howard Kaylan and
Mark Volman (of The Turtles), Mick Jagger (of The Rolling Stones), Ray Manzarek
(of The Doors), John Lennon (of The Beatles), Mike Nesmith (of The Monkees),
Frankie Valli (of The Four Seasons), Bob Cowsills (of The Cowsills), Mama Cass
Elliot (of The Mamas and The Papas) and even from Frank Sinatra!
Featured, too,
is a profile of Tommy James (“I Think We’re Alone Now.)
If you’d like
to hear THE HISTORY OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL on your favorite radio station, call them
and say so! And then have them contact G
Networks for all the details.
My all-time favorite year in music, hands down … this will be MUST listening for me!
Lots of "Tommy Talk" here lately, too, with his latest snub by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. (Seriously ... WHAT are they thinking?!?! I like LJ Coon's idea above ... tell us WHY he doesn't qualify in your minds so we can at least TRY to understand it ... because nobody who knows ANYTHING about music will ever be able to justify his omission otherwise!)
If you can’t find The History of Rock 'n' Roll on your local radio station, you CAN stream it on Me-TV-FM thru
Audacy.) kk
