PHIL NEE - August 20th - Forgotten Hits from 1972

Today we feature some forgotten hits from 1972 and clips to go along with them from my interview archives at WRCO.    

 

Although WLS in Chicago failed to chart it, Hot Rod Lincoln by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen rose to number 9 in Billboard in the Spring of  '72.  It was recorded by several others, including Johnny Bond ... however, it is the Commander version that is best known today.  

 

I was surprised to learn during my 2007 interview with guitarist Bill Kirchen that he had only recently learned to play the guitar when the song was recorded.

 

 

I had the chance to chat on the air with Commander Cody (George Frayne), who told me a few tidbits about the band's history.

 

In 1972 we may have heard Austin Roberts singing songs on Scooby Doo or Josie & the Pussycats ...

 

But he was also on the radio in the Fall of '72 with a song called Something's Wrong With Me.  

 

Austin joined me in 1998 to talk about his career.

 

Batting cleanup today is  Betty Wright.  

 

She first hit the Top 10 in Billboard during early 1972.  She also had a Top 10 in 1978 with Dance With Me.  

 

Her song Clean Up Woman is truly a Forgotten Hit.  

 

I talked with her on WRCO in 1993 about her career.

  

WLS may have refused to play "Hot Rod Lincoln," but WCFL sure did ... in fact, it went all the way to #2 on the Super 'CFL Chart!

We traced the history of "Hot Rod Lincoln" many years ago in FH ... 

Here's a link for those who may not have seen it ...

http://forgottenhits.com/the_stories_behind_the_songs

Austin Roberts was one of the first artists we met and got to know when I first started doing Forgotten Hits ... just a super nice guy.

I love his hit "Something's Wrong With Me" (#9, 1972), a big seller for him and second only to his #6 hit a year later, "Rocky," (which I'm not nearly as fond of!   lol)

I loved the Arkade song "The Morning Of Our Lives" from 1971, too ... it got a lot of airplay here in Chicago on the soft rock stations at the time (although it never really became much of a hit, peaking at #60 in Billboard.)  Austin was part of this group before his solo career took off.  (He has also done some writing with Bobby Hart over the years.)

Betty Wright charted 23 times between 1968 and 1981 ... "Clean Up Woman" and her duet with Peter Brown ("Dance With Me") were by far her biggest hits.

 

Be sure to listen to Phil Nee's THOSE WERE THE DAYS radio program tonight … and EVERY Satuarday Night on WRCO ... 6 pm – Midnight (Central):

WRCO AM FM Radio Richland Center Wisconsin

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