Today’s the day that Jefferson Airplane receive their Star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Accepting the star on behalf of the band will be Grace Slick, Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen. John Densmore of The Doors will be a guest speaker.
The ceremony kicks off at 11:30 am Pacific Time and will be streamed live exclusively at walkoffame.com
More info here: https://walkoffame.com/press_releases/jefferson-airplane-to-be-honored-with-a-star-on-the-walk-of-fame/
Jefferson Airplane are the 2737th star to be so honored. They follow Mama Cass Elliot, who we told you about last week, who earned star number 2735 on October 3rd … https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2022/10/thursday-this-and-that.html
(So who fell in between these rock legends with Star #2736??? Wouldja believe American Idol #1 Kelly Clarkson?!?!? Sorry … didn’t mean to cheapen the moment!) kk
Love those KPOI charts. LOTS of great obscure stuff always. That Ranji 45 I love. It was top 10 in Omaha on KOIL, too!
Clark Besch
Here's your chance to sound off, readers ... drop Sam a line and let him know what you think ... and then be sure to listen to LAFOS (his Lost And Found Oldies Show) to hear your comments read on the air.
(For me, 1972 was the last great year for Top 40 Radio. When we picked our 40 favorites a few weeks ago for Phil Nee's Those Were The Days program, I had a hard time narrowing my list down from over 100. But 1973 / 1974 were two of the most BORING years musically in my opinion ... too much schmaltz. There was a bit of a rebound in 1975 ... and then Disco hit. My Top 40 Era really runs from about 1955 - 1956 to around 1980 (and maybe 1985) ... but we have expanded our horizons over the years of doing Forgotten Hits. Think about it ... even a song from 1985 is already 37 years old now!!! (kk)
Kent,
You mentioned the tune "Mah-Na-Mah-Na" by Piero Umiliano in today's FH.
For the week of August 14, 1969, it made its initial appearance on our weekly top 40 survey as a HIT BOUND RECORD. It eventually peaked at #12 for the week of September 4 as you can see.
Now when it made its initial appearance, the word SOUNDTRACK was listed under ARTIST. However, from that point on, the artist was designated as DALE & EFFIE. These were two characters created by mid-day DJ Don Wallace. The listening audience really didn't know better.
Larry Neal
Excellent composition on Art LaBoe this morning.
Thanx.
More on Art Laboe from Harvey Kubernik ...
You don’t replace people like Art Laboe. His reach was monumental. He was a disc jockey, program director, concert promoter, label owner and more.
From an article written by Neil Genzlinger and Annabelle Williams:
Art Laboe, D.J. Who Popularized ‘Oldies but Goodies,’ Dies at 97
A familiar voice on the California airwaves for almost 80 years, he saw the appeal of old rock ’n’ roll records practically before they were old.
Art Laboe, the disc jockey who as a mainstay of the West Coast airwaves for decades bridged racial divides through his music selections and live shows, reached listeners in a new way by allowing on-air dedications and helped make the phrase “oldies but goodies” ubiquitous, died on Friday at his home in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 97.
An announcement on his Facebook page said the cause was pneumonia.
Mr. Laboe worked in radio for almost 80 years. In 1973, The San Francisco Examiner was already calling him the “dean of Los Angeles rock ’n’ roll broadcasting,” and he would be on the air for almost a half-century more after that.
He started in the business as a teenager during World War II, working at a San Francisco station, KSAN, before gravitating to KPMO in Pomona and KCMJ in Palm Springs. The idea of a disc jockey with a distinctive personality had not yet become the norm in radio — at KCMJ, a CBS affiliate, he was mostly an announcer doing station identifications and such between radio soap operas — but for an hour late at night he was allowed to play music.
He featured big bands, crooners and other sounds of the day. But as tastes changed, his selections changed, and sometimes he was at the front edge of the evolution. In 1954, by then working in Los Angeles, Mr. Laboe “was largely responsible for making the Chords’ ‘Sh-Boom’ (sometimes cited as the first rock ’n’ roll record) an L.A. No. 1,” Harvey Kubernik wrote in his book “Turn Up the Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll in Los Angeles, 1956-1972.”
He also saw the appeal of “oldies” practically before they were old. Around 1949 he had started working at KRKD in Los Angeles, selling advertising by day and playing music in the wee hours. He thought an all-night restaurant, Scrivener’s Drive-In, might be interested in advertising on his all-night show, so he paid a visit and sold the owner, Paul Scrivener, some spots. A few months later, Mr. Scrivener made a suggestion.
“‘You know, that show’s pretty good,’” Mr. Laboe, in a 2016 interview with The Desert Sun of Palm Springs, recalled Mr. Scrivener saying. “‘Why couldn’t you do that show from my drive-in?’ So I did.’”
Mr. Laboe issued the first volume of his “Oldies but Goodies” series of compilation albums in 1959. It stayed on the Billboard chart for more than three years, and many more volumes followed.
He would broadcast from the restaurant (he moved to KLXA and then KPOP in this period), stopping by cars and asking the occupants to pick a song from a list.
“At the bottom of the list,” The San Francisco Examiner wrote in 1973, “were a half a dozen ‘oldies’ titles — songs at that time no more than three years old — and when this portion of the list began to show the heaviest action, Laboe wondered if there might be something to this.”
And, speaking of Oldies But Goodies, here's a quick smile from Chuck Buell:
I know! I know!
I wrote reviews for both Gary Puckett and Herman's Hermits this spring and summer, BUT I just HAD to go to Tarrytown, NY, to see them again before they depart for areas out-of-reach. Gary is now in the UK at the start of his tour there and HHSPN won't be back in New England for at least six months! So, everyone on this page totally understands the necessity of my jaunt, and the resulting review.
The concert, being on a Sunday, meant a late-night drive home in order to be at school on Monday. Then, a former co-worker asked me for potential substitute opportunities and WHALLA! I can return home on Monday morning and take that day off. I just love when a plan works without me having to plan it.
Fall is the perfect time of year to visit the historic Tarrytown Music Hall and relive The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The leaves are not to be as beautiful as other years, but the weather is tremendous, with outside seating continuing at the sidewalk cafes. Joe Mirrione plays emcee as the "Stars of the Sixties" series is one of his creations. He takes surveys at all his Praia Entertainment concerts, asking for the audience to tell him who they want to see in his shows. If tonight's sold-out concert is an indication, then the idea works.
Gary Puckett's opening is an on-screen collage of TV appearances presenting snippets of his Union Gap hits. The audience enthusiastically remembers and begin their applause as the current Union Gap is silhouetted on-stage, at the ready. Gary appears with the one-line intro of 'Young Girl' and continues into 'Over You' ... with a little help from his friends in the audience. We all, at least, know the two words OVER YOU. We are transported back in time, once again, to the songs that brought us together then, and still do now. Tonight, Gary has the time allotted to sing much of his first album. This album was purposely a collection of popular songs of the day, so that The Union Gap would have a good chance at a first album hit, the idea being that adding others' songs to their hits would increase sales. It worked, and it is fun to hear Gary's interpretation of songs by Neil Diamond, Sonny and Cher and Glen Campbell.
Let me get serious for a moment, with a warning about one of Gary's recordings. A golden retriever dog breeder was having no success with the breeding of two of his dogs. They tried something outlandish and played a 45 record for this pair steadily for two days. Yes, our parents were also known to have been subjected to this in our own households. The result with the golden retrievers was that they successfully reproduced a fine litter of pups. So, PLEASE, be cautious when playing 'This Girl Is A Woman Now'. Yes, that is as serious as I am going to get here.
Gary gave a great performance tonight, and the audience loved him. Jamie Hilboldt, Woody Lingle and Mike Candito are wonderful musicians and back-ups as The Union Gap. Their set-list for tonight:
Over You
Lady Willpower
Kentucky Woman
You Better Sit Down Kids
By the Time I get to Phoenix
This Girl is a Woman Now
Home
Let's Give Adam and Eve Another Chance (requested from the audience)
Woman
Young Girl
As Gary held onto ending notes for impressive periods of time, the audience jumped (some literally) at the chance to applaud him. Gary signed autographs during intermission and the line was longer than the length of time between acts.
When comparing jewels, you should compare diamonds to other diamonds, rubies to other rubies, etc. In music, the jewels are each different, unique and priceless. So, when 'Vindaloo' signals the opening of HHSPN, we do not expect a repeat of the first act of jewels. None-the-less, we have a jewel presentation called ACT TWO! NOT second act, same as the first. Rephrasing your lines here, Peter.
The songs were ones that were expected, and yet ... there was a freshness in the presentations. Maybe it was security in knowing you have free reign of your audience. This is what I mean: There was only one security guard for the stage. Peter told the audience that was because "There's no one IN this audience who COULD rush the stage." OK! That would certainly put my mind at ease, performing. However, I am thinking: "Bet I still could!" And if the rest of the audience is seat-bound, I wouldn't even have to hurry. I can see myself prancing leisurely down the aisle. The Banned seem to feel this security as well. Vance and Billy wiggle their arses during 'Daydream Believer' and feel free to still kick it up during 'Just A Little Bit Better'. Now I know that none of these antics are new, BUT now that they only need a one-man security team, they are free to taunt us with abandon.
The musicianship has gotten even better. Billy's intro to 'Jezebel' is arguably outstanding. Vance's solo playing on 'Leanin' on a Lamppost,' along with partnering up with Rich on 'Listen People' and Billy on 'Mrs. Brown,' exhibits an increase in their ability to make more of these same songs than they did before the shut-down.
I have received and viewed many reactions to this concert as being "the one to beat". Yes, indeedy! I encourage every performer on stage tonight to try and achieve that AND I certainly hope I am in the audience when they do! Peter's charm, ability to hold the audience in his hand and security of his talent raised the bar higher. Their set list:
Into Something Good
Wonderful World
Love Potion Number 9
Dandy
A Must to Avoid
Ring of Fire
Daydream Believer
All My Loving
Sea Cruise
Just a Little Bit Better
Silhouettes
Listen People
Ferry Across NJ
Doo Wah Diddy
Jezebel
Glad All Over (cut short to jump into)
Leanin' on a Lamppost
Jumpin' Jack Flash
Can't You Hear My Heartbeat
Mrs. Brown
Henry VIII
There's a Kind of Hush
Peter also signed autographs after the show, and although I am surprised it happened, I am thrilled to say AUTOGRAPH LINES ARE BACK! Safe travels, Gary, and happy safe ventures to HHSPN.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
the correspondent who at last got to travel out of state
From Tom Cuddy …
Graham Nash on
longevity, 'new' album with David Crosby and smoking pot at 80
https://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2022/10/11/graham-nash-david-crosby-smoking-pot/stories/202210110035
I can’t imagine too many people out there ever figured that the heavy metal band AC/DC would someday be teaching kids their ABC’s … but apparently it’s true!!!
https://www.noise11.com/news/ac-dc-approve-childrens-book-20221013
Latest songs on the block? Joey Ramone’s catalog, which just went for ten million.
Primary Wave (who recently purchased the rights to music created by Stevie Nicks, Alice Cooper and Def Leppard) picked up the publishing rights. (This would seem to be a rather limited audience to me for this one … how often do you hear a song by The Ramones these days??? Then again, maybe that’s exactly what they’re trying to change!) kk
We’ve got some royally good stuff coming up in Forgotten Hits, kicking off with a back-to-back salute to Billy Joe Royal beginning tomorrow with a FRIDAY edition of Phil Nee’s “Those Were The Days” interviews with Billy, followed up by our monthly “Insight Into” feature from Jeff March and Marti Smiley-Childs “Where Have All The Pop Stars Gone” that spotlights Billy as well.
On Sunday, it’ll be this month’s SWEET 16 feature, followed up on Monday with our weekly Coast-To-Coast 1972 Survey Sweep, this time with a stop in Tennessee.
After that, Chuck Buell gives us a little “Something” special, as well as another one of his Music History lessons.
