Saturday, January 8, 2022

January 8th - Today Phil Nee Remembers Elvis Presley (with a little help from those who knew him)

For this week’s segment running on the 8th of January (Elvis’ birthday), I have unarchived a few cuts about Elvis from those that knew him or worked with him.

We would often play Elvis albums in my home growing up.  I learned how to imitate him and won a grade school talent show. 


One of my many regrets is that I did not try harder to get a ticket to see his last show in Madison, Wisconsin in June of 1977.   


Over the years, several people who had a real-life Elvis connection have joined me on the program to share some of their first hand memories of Elvis.  

 

Today we feature a few.

 

This first is part of my interview with Ray Walker of the Jordanaires.  He quit his teaching job to join the group in 1958 and started recording with Elvis.


 

Joe Esposito was a member of the Memphis Mafia, the inner circle of Elvis' friends.  He died in 2016.   The interview with me on WRCO dates back to 2011.


 

Cut Number 3 comes from country music legend Ronnie Milsap who joined me in 2007 to talk about his influences and working with Elvis.


 

Jerry Reed was my on-air guest in 1995 and talked about how Elvis came to record U.S. Male and Guitar Man.


 

Elvis stories have always fascinated me.  He lived a unique, one-of-a-kind existence that really nobody else could possibly relate to … nothing like this had ever happened this big before.  (I remember reading interviews with The Beatles who were thankful that at least they had each other to bond with “inside the bubble” … because they were all going thru the same thing at the same time.)  To try and take that on alone had to be overwhelming.  Seriously, what sense of reality could Elvis possibly have had??? 

 

I was fortunate enough to see Elvis perform here in Chicago a couple of times.  

The first time was back in 1972 … and just a few short weeks after his appearance here, the “Elvis Live At Madison Square Garden” album came out, which virtually replicated the show that I had seen here in Chi-Town.  The electricity that filled the stadium that night is indescribable … it was the first time I had ever experienced anything like it.  It was just the utter awe of who he was … and then all of a sudden, there he was, right up in front of you, singing up a storm.  I’ve had similar moments at concerts over the years … but NOTHING can compare to what it felt this very first time.  (I saw him again right near the end … it was kind of an odd show, and Elvis DID seem a little out of it that night.  For some reason, he sang his recent hit “Hurt” twice with no explanation as to why … which was ok with me because I always liked his version! Lol)


 

(That's probably MY all-time favorite Elvis song!!!) kk

Be sure to listen to Phil's "Those Were The Days" radio program tonight on WRCO from 6 pm to Midnight!

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Friday, January 7, 2022

Analyzing This Year's REWOUND RADIO Countdown

REWOUND RADIO COUNTDOWN ANALYSIS:

Welcome to our first ever analysis of the Annual Rewound Radio Countdown of Fan Favorites.

I have been listening to (and highly recommending) Rewound Radio for nearly two decades now.  While I wasn't there for their very first countdown 24 years ago (Forgotten Hits didn't come along until a full year later ... we launched Thanksgiving Weekend of 1999), I have listened to this countdown every year since I have known of its existence.  In fact, I look forward to that week between Christmas and New Year's every year because I know I am going to be treated to ... and enjoy the widest range of music variety imaginable each year ... and I am never disappointed.

Rewound has always prided itself on playing the songs that most other radio stations have forgotten about right alongside the biggest hits we all remember.  Their motto of "It's not how old it is ... It's how GOOD it is" is one that resonates well with our readers.

Rewound Radio: Instant On!

This year, we decided to take a closer look at what makes up this year's Year-End Chart.

(Having done our own countdown of THE TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME a couple of years ago, I know first hand what it takes to put something like this together ... and I tip my hat once again to Allan Sniffen and his incredible crew for yet another job well done.)

For starters, here is a link to the final countdown of this year’s Rewound Radio Fan Favorites …

2021 Top 2948 Voted Songs.pdf (musicradio77.com)

This is the COMPLETE list of songs nominated by Rewound Radio Listeners … 2948 songs in all!

Some further chart information and analysis can be found below, courtesy of FH Reader Frank B, who sent us these stats pertaining to the countdown …

HERE ARE THE SONGS THAT MADE EVERY COUNTDOWN, 24 YEARS IN A ROW (1998 - 2021)

SHE LOVES YOU / Beatles ( 2021 # 22 )

I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND / Beatles ( 2021 # 17 )

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN / Led Zeppelin ( 2021 # 14 )

AMERICAN PIE / Don McLean ( 2021 # 11 )

IN THE STILL OF THE NITE / Five Satins ( 2021 # 9 )

LIGHT MY FIRE / Doors / ( 2021 # 8 )

GOOD VIBRATIONS / Beach Boys / ( 2021 # 6 )

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER / Simon & Garfunkel / ( 2021 # 4 )

SATISFACTION / Rolling Stones / ( 2021 # 3 )

HEY JUDE / Beatles / ( 2021 # 1 ) --- Has come in at #1 23 out of 24 years. Only missed one  year, when RAG DOLL by The Four Seasons came in at #1.

Out Of 2948 Songs, 458 Artists Had More Than One Countdown Entry.

Here are the Top Ten Artists, their peak position in the countdown, and the number of songs for each that made the list …

NUMBER TEN / #157 / RESPECT = Aretha Franklin --- 13 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER NINE / # 70 / DAYDREAM BELIEVER = Monkees --- 14 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER NINE / # 175 / TAKE IT EASY = Eagles --- 14 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER EIGHT / # 128 / BACK IN MY ARMS AGAIN = Supremes --- 15 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER SEVEN / # 193 / TINY DANCER = Elton John --- 16 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER SEVEN / # 16 / AQUARIUS - LET THE SUNSHINE IN = 5th Dimension --- 16 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER SIX / # 5 / RAG DOLL = 4 Seasons ---17 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER SIX / # 74 / STAYIN'ALIVE = Bee Gees --- 17 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER FIVE / # 53 / SUPERSTAR = Carpenters --- 18 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER FOUR / # 52 / SUSPICIOUS MINDS = Elvis --- 29 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER THREE / # 3 / SATISFACTION = Rolling Stones --- 33 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER TWO / # 2 / GOD ONLY KNOWS = Beach Boys --- 36 Countdown Songs.

NUMBER ONE / # 1 / HEY JUDE = Beatles --- 94 Countdown Songs.

What Can You Say About The Beatles That Hasn't Been Said Before?

FB

As I said, I look forward to seeing and hearing these results every year.  Rewound Radio does an EXCELLENT job of bringing us a wide selection of musical variety every single day … it truly is a joy listening to this station.  It STILL makes me feel good to hear a song I haven’t heard in a while (sometimes in DECADES!) just pop up in their random rotation.  I can’t offer enough kudos to Allan Sniffen, who oversees this whole operation with an unquestionable love for this music.

That being said, with a countdown of this size, here are a few observations, spoken as a fan …

We have run numerous Reader Polls over the past 23 years in FH.  One of the reasons that we don’t run annual countdowns is that you essentially have the same people voting from any given year to year.  (We typically leave about a ten year gap between our countdowns so as to allow some lesser-known songs to perhaps gain in popularity, whether it be thru use in advertising campaigns, movies, etc., or just a new generation discovering these tunes.)  This ten year gap on something like Favorite TV Themes, for example, also allows some new shows to make the list that maybe our “regular audience” didn’t appreciate as much in the ‘80’s and beyond.  (Let’s face it … the art of the perfect tv theme song has been greatly diminished over the years.)  That’s why something like the Theme from “Friends” could become such a big hit on the pop charts as “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts.”  (Well, that … and the fact that it really IS a great song!!!)

One thing I noticed about this year’s list is that 17 of The Top 20 Songs ALSO made The Top 20 the year before.  (The sheer fact that “Hey Jude” has been #1 for 23 of the 24 years this countdown has existed shows some need to “shake things up” a little bit!) In fact, eight of The Top Ten  songs this year were Top Ten repeats, albeit in a slightly different order.  That being said, the fact that only TEN songs have made the list all 24 years of its existence is a bit shocking … when you have this many great songs to choose from, I would have thought that easily 200-300 ... and maybe even 500 songs would be “repeat offenders” … after all, that’s the way most radio station playlists are developed, isn’t it???

One HUGE surprise was that the top new debut this year went to “Get Back” (likely due to the intense campaign pushing the new Disney+ Series.)  How this song didn’t make The Top 3000 the previous year is beyond me … that means it didn’t generate ONE SINGLE VOTE in 2020!!!  This year it earned enough support to premier at #76.

The other really cool thing about this countdown is that with nearly 3000 titles to choose from, a song can literally jump … or fall … by over 1000 places within the countdown!!!  (A couple of these tunes made moves of over 2000 places in just a single year!!!)  This is a good indicator of the listening and airplay trends of the past year.

Here are some of the most amazing and dramatics Leaps and Falls on this year’s countdown:

“Heroes and Villains” by The Beach Boys – up from #1220 in 2020 to #118 in 2021, a leap of over 1100 places!

“Classical Gas” by Mason Williams - #1620 in 2020 and #147 in 2021 … a jump of nearly 1500 spots

“As Tears Go By” by The Rolling Stones – up from #1440 to #179 – up 1260 spots

“Pleasant Valley Sunday” by The Monkees - #2076 to #221 (1850 places)

“White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane - #1645 to #235

“Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac - #2085 to #241

“Twist And Shout” by The Beatles - #1545 to #243

“Moondance” by Van Morrison - #1532 to #246

“Night Fever” by The Bee Gees - #1432 to #254

“Rock Your Baby” by George McCrae - #2323 to #270

“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” by Vanilla Fudge - #1525 to #274

“Reflections” by Diana Ross and the Supremes - #1905 to #286

“Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations - #1791 to #290

“Same Old Lang Syne” by Dan Fogelberg - #2420 to #301

“Sunshine Of Your Love” by Cream - #1734 to #305

“Galveston” by Glen Campbell - #1470 to #323

“Please Mr. Postman” by The Carpenters - #2434 to #329 (2100 places!)

“The Look Of Love” by Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66 - #1370 to #337

“Instant Karma” by John Lennon - #1779 to #341

“Come And Get These Memories” by Martha and the Vandellas - #2213 to #344

“Sunny Afternoon” by The Kinks - #1982 to #345

“This Boy” by The Beatles (#2502 to #347)

“Gimme Some Lovin’” by The Spencer Davis Group (#2465 to #354, another 2100 spot mover!)

“Solitary Man” by Neil Diamond - #2469 to #358 (ditto!)

“Time Passages” by Al Stewart - #2155 to #391

“Mission Bell” by Donnie Brooks - #1809 to #397

“Kiss And Say Goodbye” by The Manhattans (#1449 to #406)

“Stop Look Listen (To Your Heart)” by The Stylistics - #1580 to #409

“Love Train” by The O’Jays - #2168 to #415

“Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show” by Neil Diamond (#2055 to #418)

“Woman Woman” by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap (#1960 to #420)

“A Pirate Looks At Forty” by Jimmy Buffett (#2192 to #425)

“More Love” by Kim Carnes (#2070 to #429)

“Me And You And A Dog Named Boo” by Lobo (#2485 to #430)

“You’re The One” by The Vogues (#2016 to #432)

“Green Grass” by Gary Lewis and the Playboys (#2058 to #435)

“Touch Me In The Morning” by Diana Ross (#2253 to #436)

“Hello Again” by Herb Oscar Anderson (#2486 to #440) – I’m not quite sure I get this one!  In fact, I don't even for sure if I know this tune!!!  And  when I tried to find it on iTunes to give it a listen just to be sure, I couldn't find it there either!  (I was finally able to hear it on YouTube ... and no, I have NEVER heard this song before in my life!!!  So a #440 showing is quite a surprise indeed!)  Then again seeing Adele come in 50 spots lower with "Rolling In The Deep" also shows you the diversity a countdown like this has to offer ... that song came out in 2011.  (Turns out Anderson was a VERY popular New York Disc Jockey and this was the theme song to his program ... so New York listeners are far more familiar with it than us Midwest kids.  The whole premise of the Rewound Radio Countdown has always been the Top 77 Charts put out by New York's WABC Musicradio back in the hey-day of Top 40 Radio ... so it all makes a little more sense now.  Why the sudden rise of over 2000 spots is still a bit of a mystery, however!)

“The Twelfth Of Never” by Johnny Mathis - #1858 to #442

“Elenore” by The Turtles - #1775 to #449

“Evil Woman” by ELO - #2509 to #450

“I Can Hear Music” by The Beach Boys - #2489 to #457

“Strangers In The Night” by Frank Sinatra - #1962 to #459

“Friday On My Mind” by The Easybeats (#2456 to #482)

“Up The Ladder To The Roof” by The Supremes (#1798 to #484)

“It Don’t Come Easy” by Ringo Starr  (#2457 to #486)

… and that’s just The Top 500!

Of course there were also mammoth moves in the OTHER direction …

Taking a look at the bottom of the countdown …

“Wildfire” by Michael Martin Murphey fell from #507 to #2948, a drop of nearly 2450 places!

Looking at more of the most dramatic falls from grace, we’d have to include:

“Hello Mary Lou” by Rick Nelson - #606 to #2927 (more than 2300 places)

Now THAT'S a shame ... what a GREAT song to fall out of favor!

“Hush” by Deep Purple (this one’s got to be the most dramatic … it fell from #172 to #2924, a drop of over 2750 places on a list that only includes 2948 titles!)

“Silly Love Songs” by Paul McCartney and Wings (#497 to #2914)

“Theme From ‘New York, New York’” by Frank Sinatra (#769 to #2864)

“I Could Be So Good To You” by Don and the Goodtimes (#725 to #2845)

“Superstar” by Murray Head (#840 to #2840 … a fall of exactly 2000 places)

“Soul Deep” by the Box Tops (#194 to #2819 – better than 2600 places!)

“I’ve Been Hurt” by Bill Deal and the Rhondels (#570 to #2816)

“Little Deuce Coupe” by The Beach Boys (#642 to #2801)

“Blue On Blue” by Bobby Vinton (#624 to #2787)

“Topsy, Part II” by Cozy Cole (#402 to #2764)

“More Today Than Yesterday” by The Spiral Starecase (#203 to #2757)

“I Want You Back” by The Jackson Five (#926 to #2750)

“Make It With You” by Bread (#486 to #2731)

“#9 Dream” by John Lennon (#664 to #2730)

“ABC” by The Jackson Five (#761 to #2716)

“Lotta Love” by Nicolette Larson (#710 to #2702)

“Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” by The Bob Seger System (#366 to #2682)

“It’s The Same Old Song” by The Four Tops (#701 to #2680)

“White Room” by Cream (#461 to #2658)

“I Believe In Music” by Gallery (#535 to #2637)

“Promises” by Eric Clapton (#938 to #2613)

“The Happening” by Diana Ross and the Supremes (#521 to #2611)

“Wake Up Everybody” by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (#514 to #2600)

“Rhapsody In The Rain” by Lou Christie (#795 to #2599)

“You’re The One That I Want” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (#647 to #2575)

“You Really Got Me” by The Kinks (#412 to #2565)

“Palisades Park” by Freddy Cannon (#758 to #2555)

“Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs (#450 to #2549)

“Happy” by Pharrell Williams (#913 to #2547)

“All Shook Up” by Elvis Presley (#968 to #2492)

“Kokomo” by The Beach Boys (#771 to #2485)

And “At The Hop” by Danny and the Juniors (#634 to #o2482)

Radio programmers may want to pay particular attention to this portion of the list to see which songs may have fallen out of favor with your listeners.  (That being said, I am VERY surprised by some of the titles on this list that took this big a tumble!)  kk

****************************************************************************************************************************************************

Listen every chance you get here:  Rewound Radio: Instant On!

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Thursday, January 6, 2022

Thursday This And That

From:


Today is January 6, 2022.

 

Sixty-four years ago today in 1958, Chuck Berry was in the Recording Studio of Chess Records in Chicago and recorded one of his most famous and quite possibly one of the most recognizable songs in all of music history, his partly autobiographical, “Johnny B. Goode."  When the song was released a little less than three months later, it went on to chart nationally in the top ten of both the Billboard R&B and Pop charts.

 

Imagine what he might have thought if a Future Chuck Berry had come to him while he was in the studio that day and told him that his song would someday be included on a couple of Gold Records and launched into space on not just one, but TWO, future spaceships (the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 which were launched in 1977.)  “Johnny B. Goode” would be included as one of the 27 songs in a collection of music, images, and sounds all selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth and intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form who may come across them to thereby have a special aide to help them conclude what our Earthly civilization was, or is, like! 


Earth’s Greatest Hits / “The Sounds Of Earth”
















How to Play The Golden Record


Here now is a Great Mashup Tribute to Chuck and Johnny I think you’ll enjoy!


 

CB ( which stands for “Chucky B. Buell!” )

Berry was, indeed, writing and singing about himself in “Johnny B. Goode.”  (The original lyric said “Oh My, how that little colored boy could play” before his management team convinced him to change it to “country boy”!)

It may very be the standard of rock and roll music … the definition if you will. 

Chuck Berry was the Grandfather of Rock And Roll … and his music will live on forever.  (kk)

 

David Lee Roth has cancelled his entire Las Vegas Farewell Residency due to Covid-related matters.  (His New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day shows were cancelled last week … but now comes word that ALL scheduled appearances have been officially cancelled.)

A post by Roth on his social media simply states:  “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Las Vegas.”  Meanwhile, Roth’s management team issued the following statement:  “Due to unforeseen circumstances related to COVID and out of an abundance of caution for those working and attending the shows, all of David Lee Roth’s scheduled farewell performances at the House of Blues Las Vegas have been officially canceled.”  (kk)

 

From Ultimate Classic Rock this Nirvana / Nevermind update:

A district court judge in California has dismissed a child-pornography lawsuit filed by Spencer Elden, who was photographed as a baby for the cover of Nirvana's 1991 album, Nevermind.

The lawsuit from August claimed that the band "knowingly produced, possessed and advertised commercial child pornography depicting Spencer, and they knowingly received value in exchange for doing so."

Judge Fernando M. Olguin ruled that the case be dismissed on the grounds that Elden's legal team failed to meet a Dec. 30 deadline to file an opposition to the Nirvana estate’s request. Elden now has until Jan. 13 to file a second complaint, at which time, according to paperwork viewed by Spin, the court will “grant defendants’ motion and give plaintiff one last opportunity to amend his complaint.” The Nirvana estate then has until Jan. 27 to reply to the new filing. If Elden's team does not meet the Jan. 13 deadline, Elden will not be able to file again.

In a statement last month, the Nirvana estate maintained that not only has Elden profited from his role in the album's cover art but that the statute of limitations for a federal child-pornography lawsuit has almost certainly already expired. The suit is valid only 10 years from the point that a victim "reasonably discovers" it, and the estate claims that Elden was familiar with the photograph's notoriety before 2011, when Elden was 20 years old.

"Long before 2011, as Elden has pled, Elden knew about the photograph, and knew that he (and not someone else) was the baby in the photograph," the statement said. "He has been fully aware of the facts of both the supposed 'violation' and 'injury' for decades."

Additionally, the estate asserts that Elden's lawsuit, if successful, would then criminally implicate every owner of Nevermind. "Elden's claim that the photograph on the Nevermind album cover is 'child pornography' is, on its face, not serious," the band wrote. "A brief examination of the photograph, or Elden's own conduct (not to mention the photograph's presence in the homes of millions of Americans who, on Elden’s theory, are guilty of felony possession of child pornography), makes that clear."

To celebrate the 53rd anniversary, The Beatles' Rooftop Concert is coming to select IMax theaters across the country on Sunday, January 30th.  (It'll be one showing only beginning at 3 pm Eastern / 2 pm Central / 1 pm Mountain and Noon Pacific)

From The Fest For Beatles Fans ... 

Disney has just announced this very exciting news for Beatles fans everywhere! On January 30th (exactly 53 years later to the day) a 60 minute film, The Beatles: Get Back - The Rooftop Concert makes its Theatrical Debut exclusively in IMAX! Tickets are available now through the IMAX website.   

To celebrate the anniversary of the landmark performance, select IMAX® theaters will host the screenings with a filmmaker Q&A and give away exclusive mini-posters. The Q&A will be broadcast via satellite simultaneously to all connected IMAX locations. “I’m thrilled that the rooftop concert from ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ is going to be experienced in IMAX, on that huge screen,” says director/producer Peter Jackson. “It’s The Beatles’ last concert, and it’s the absolute perfect way to see and hear it.”  

“Ever since Peter Jackson’s beautiful and illuminating docuseries debuted, we’ve heard non-stop from fans who want to experience its unforgettable rooftop performance in IMAX,” says Megan Colligan, president of IMAX Entertainment. “We are so excited to partner with Disney to bring ‘Get Back’ to an entirely new stage and give Beatles fans everywhere a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch and hear their heroes in the unrivalled sight and sound of IMAX.”  

The concert, which features in its entirety in Peter Jackson’s original docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back,” will be optimized for IMAX screens, digitally remastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Remastering) technology. Tickets for the Exclusive IMAX Event Screening and Filmmaker Q&A on January 30, 2022, are currently on sale at: tickets.imax.com.  

Showtime is 3:00 PM EST / Noon PST. Apparently, Peter Jackson's talk will be live. If your local IMAX is not showing it, try contacting them and ask for it. If enough people contact them, they may add it. 

In other Beatles / Get Back news, it looks like the DVD and BluRay versions of the entire Disney+ "Get Back" 8 hour docuseries will be released on Tuesday, February 8th.  (kk)



Ron Romero of The Illinois Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has just announced that The Museum is now accepting nominations for the Class of 2022.  (Charter Members will have the final vote in February.)

More information here (as well as how you can become a Charter … or Lifetime Member) …

Nominations for 2022 Hall of Fame

 

Membership | Road To Rock

Thanks, Kent, for the terrific post on Status Quo today!! You posted everything I sent you AND an extra video of Down Down! Looks great!! 
BTW, when I mentioned the hits total, I was referring to the U.S. Top 40, which is what is used mostly for chart hits vs. the Top 75 in the UK.  The Beach Boys were pretty much done by the mid/late 80's after "Kokomo" hit #1 in 1988, and only had 4 Top 40 hits in the 70's ... Chicago had several hits in the late 80's, but were done by 1990 really.  Meanwhile, Status Quo had 15 chart hits in the 90's and another 11 from 2000-2010!! This just shows again the popularity and chart power they had in the UK.  They also had 32 hits in Germany and 23 in the Netherlands.
Thanks again, Kent!!!
Alan
Rockin' All Over The World

Hi Alan - 
Glad you liked the piece ... it was really all your doing!!!  (lol)  Please share it with your legion of worldwide Status Quo fans.  (As you know, these guys don't get much press here in The States (or anywhere near the credit they deserve!)
As to the Beach Boys / Chicago comparison, I considered whether or not to comment long and hard before I did and ultimately decided I would only because it needed to be an apples to apples comparison.  (Comparing their Top 40's to Status Quo's Top 75's isn't a fair analogy, especially since you alluded to the fact that in Great Britain, The Top 75 is the equivalent to America's Hot 100.)  While I wouldn't consider Status Quo's 57 Top 40 hits nearly equal to The Beach Boys' and Chicago's combined total of 70, it is STILL an impressive statistic indeed.  And your mention of how Status Quo has continued to chart impressively in the 1990's, 2000's and beyond is certainly a noteworthy observation that needs to be pointed out ... which I am very happy to do here today!  (Imagine that ... Status Quo hitting the pages of Forgotten Hits three days in a row!!!  lol)
Anyway, I appreciate your passion for the band ... and can't even begin to imagine the time and expense you've invested in seeing them and singing their praises ... kudos to you for sure in this regard.
Again, please spread the word ... any Status Quo fan group would be proud to see you campaigning for their rightful spot in The History of Rock And Roll.  I really don't understand why they never caught on here ... you'd think America would have learned its lesson after ignoring The Beatles those first two years!!!
Thanks again for your article.  (kk)

Hi Kent,
Glad you felt the post for Status Quo was a worthwhile venture!  Let us know what you think of "The Quo" after you listen to the CD you ordered.  Like Alan and I have said before, the is NOTHING like seeing Quo IN PERSON !!!  And all the cool cities in the UK which really make it so special.  You will have to seriously consider going with us the next time we go - whenever that will be, considering this miserable pandemic.
So much to see in London alone.  In addition to the usual "must-see" sights and experiences like Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Big Ben (not Roethlisberger... lol), Parliament, Tower of London, British Museum, London Eye, Windsor Castle, etc. etc. etc., there is Harrod's (a world-famous department store - worth a visit if only for the fabulous food court which serves literally everything), the centuries-old Pubs (many of which we have visited, which can't be beat for their fish and chips, steak and ale pies, and a variety of cheap but delicious food, the fireplaces and in general the camaraderie of mingling with Londoners).  And, of course, a trip to the "zebra crossing" at Abbey Road Studios is an absolute must!  Where millions of people have taken (and photographed) the walk every day, 365 days a year, since August 8, 1969 (my 16th birthday), when the famous album cover picture was taken and immortalized forever.
And, of course, a side trip to Liverpool is a MUST!  Only a short 2 hour and 15-minute (200 mile) train ride from London, where you can see all the Beatles sites including the homes where they grew up, a ride on the "Ferry Cross the Mersey," the Cavern Club, Penny Lane and Strawberry Field among others.  I even have a good Liverpudlian friend there named David Bedford who has become a prolific Beatles author on especially the early days of the Beatles (before Ed Sullivan).  Check out his wonderful book "Liddypool."  You won't be able to put it down! See the link below.
Thanks again for the Quo post, and start packing your bags for your long-overdue first trip outside the U.S. to where the British Invasion started!
Nick Frankart

kk:

REGARDING KEN KOJAK RAPPAPORT 1960's JUKEBOX REVUE --

I Talk To Kojak On The Phone All The Time.

Tonight's Show = Top 20 Countdown January 4, 1964.

I Helped Him With A Few Shows.

He Wanted To Interview Me. I Told Him Nobody's Interested In Hearing What I Have To Say.

FB

Hey Kent: 

Happy New Year and many more.

A question for you ...

I saw the list of what was called “Billboard’s Official Top 20 of 1971” on FH.

In what system does “Tired Of Being Alone” by Al Green end up #12 for the year when it only peaked at #11 on Billboard?

Ken Freck

Just one of MANY anomalies we have seen on Billboard’s Year-End Charts over the years … but incredibly, it’s true.  (See Billboard’s 1971 Year-End Chart below)

It has happened FAR too many times for these year-end charts to be taken seriously.

Perhaps the worst extreme was in 1965, when they named Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs’ hit “Wooly Bully” the #1 Song of the Year, despite the fact that it never even made it to #1 during the course of the entire year. 

Now I get it that if you go by accumulated points during the course of the year, some #2 records will earn more points than a record that spends only one week at #1 ... but “Wooly Bully” didn’t even spend the most weeks at #2 that year … that distinction belongs to “A Lover’s Concerto” by The Toys.  (3 weeks at #2 vs. 1 week for Sam’s Pharaohs.)

And no how, no way will you ever convince that Sam’s two weeks at #2 earned more points than The Rolling Stones’ FOUR WEEK RUN at #1 with “Satisfaction,” the song that is most universally accepted as The Biggest Record of 1965!  (Likewise for “Yesterday” by The Beatles, also a four-week #1 record.)  Other MAJOR hits from ’65 include “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” by The Righteous Brothers, “Downtown” by Petula Clark” and “My Girl” by The Temptations.  Does ANYBODY out there really believe that “Wooly Bully” was a bigger chart hit than any of these tunes???

Even Billboard’s own #2 peaks offer better material:  “Like A Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan, for example.

Most progressive point systems allow for a distribution of reverse points for each peak position … it’s not quite as simple as #1 = 100 points, #2 = 99 points, etc., as these points have to be weighted … hitting #1 is a much greater achievement than hitting #2 … making the Top Ten is a much greater achievement than peaking at #11 … there are also usually bonus points awarded for hitting The Top 40 … but using even the most BASIC points analysis, let’s take a look at:

WOOLY BULLY vs. SATISFACTION

Wooly Bully peaked at #2 (99 points) and stayed there for two weeks (so 99 x 2 = 198 points)

It spent 9 weeks in The Top 10 (10 points per week) = 90 points

It spent 14 weeks in The Top 40 (5 points per week) = 70 points

It spent 18 weeks in The Hot 100 (1 point per week) = 18 points …

Or 376 points overall.

Satisfaction peaked at #1 (100 points and stayed there for four weeks, so 400 points) …

That’s already more points than “Wooly Bully” earned in its entire chart run!

Now add in “Satisfaction”’s 9 weeks in The Top Ten, 12 weeks in The Top 40 and 14 weeks on the chart and that tally rises to 564 points … no contest.

Looking at “Tired Of Being Alone” (which, as you mentioned, peaked at #11 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart) … and only stayed there one week … in fact, in Joel Whitburn’s book, he lists it at #100 for the year … and it’s only the 6th best #11 peak showing for ’71)

For the record, it finished at #32 in Cash Box for the year and did not make Record World’s Top 20 Biggest Hits of the Year list (which is all that they published in 1971.)  In Dann Isbell and Bill Carroll’s book “Ranking The ‘70’s” … which uses a much more sophisticated version of the progressive point method I mentioned earlier … it is ranked at #57 for the year.  To put that into the proper perspective, “Ranking the ‘70’s” awards it 2345 points for its #57 showing.  Their #12 Record of the year … “Gypsys, Tramps And Thieves” by Cher … earned 5737 points … or nearly 250% more points than the Al Green hit.

By absolutely NO measurement should this song have wound up as the 12th Biggest Record Of The Year in 1971!!!  (kk)

Speaking of the charts, Paul Cashmere of Noise 11 is taking Billboard to task in much the same way WE have been for the past decade or so, indicating that the charts as they are currently compiled don’t mean much anymore in the way of accuracy.

He brings up very some good points in his latest rave out here …

The ARIA Chart, It Has Become A Joke - Noise11.com

Kent,

Thanks for posting that song by the Addrisi Brothers. Always did like that song.

I don't know if you know or remember that duo there reminded me of their record back in 1959 called CHERRYSTONE on Delfi Records. I vaguely remember them lip-syncing that one on Bandstand.

Larry Neal

“Cherrystone” was their first chart hit … it reached #62 in 1959.  And then they just seemed to disappear for ten years!!!

Their greatest claim to fame came as songwriters … most famously for writing “Never My Love,” a #1 Hit for The Association in 1967.  (The Addrisi Brothers would cut their own version ten years later … but it fizzled out at #69.)

“We’ve Got To Get It On Again” was their biggest chart hit as a duo (#15, 1972), but “Slow Dancin’ Don’t Turn Me On” (#18, 1977) was a close second.

My personal favorite of their recordings is a song called “I Can Feel You” … it was the follow-up release to “We’ve Got To Get It On Again” and only got played on WCFL here in Chicago (where it went to #20.)  Nationally, it bubbled under in both Record World and Billboard … but did reach #90 during its two week run in Cash Box.

It’s featured here today.  (kk)



Harvey Kubernik talks about the upcoming tour featuring Micky Dolenz of The Monkees and Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals ...

http://ugly-things.com/felix-cavalieres-rascals-and-the-monkees-micky-dolenz-spring-2022-tour/  


LEFT BANKE’S STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, A 1986 RELEASE FROM THE BAROQUE POP PIONEERS, TO BE AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE ON CD  FOR THE FIRST TIME ON FEBRARY 25, 2022.  Includes six bonus tracks featuring the return of original member Michael Brown.  Package features new liner notes from Scott Schinder


The Left Banke arrived in 1966 with their hit singles “Walk Away Renee” (ranked #222 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list in 2004) and “Pretty Ballerina,” which put them on the forefront of the genre now known as Baroque Pop. Founder Michael Brown left the band before their second album (The Left Banke Too — featuring “There’s Gonna Be a Storm,” the title of the long out-of-print and collectible anthology of their Smash Records repertoire), going on to involvement in other influential groups including Montage, Stories, and the Beckies.
In 1978, original members Steve Martin Caro, Tom Finn, and George Cameron reunited to record tracks for Finn’s new publishing deal. The tracks would emerge in 1986 in the U.S. as Strangers on a Train, and in the U.K. under the title Voices Calling. 
Flash forward to 2001. Brown, who’d remained an active songwriter, invited Caro to lay down vocals on new material he had written in hopes of sparking a Left Banke resurgence. The tracks were circulated to industry insiders, but were not heard by the public at large. Six bonus tracks from the 2001 sessions now augment the Strangers on a Train reissue, making it a cohesive document of not only the last Left Banke album, but what exists of what could have been another.
All of it is available on CD for the first time worldwide from Omnivore Recordings, due out February 25, 2022.
The new issue is produced for release by Daniel Coston, Scott Schinder, and Grammy® Award-winner Cheryl Pawelski, with new liner notes by Schinder and restoration and mastering by Grammy® Award-winning engineer Michael Graves at Osiris Studio. Strangers on a Train presents the culmination of this groundbreaking band, whose influence is not only still felt, but heard.

Track Listing:
            1.         Strangers On A Train
            2.         Heartbreaker
            3.         Lorraine
            4.         Yesterday’s Love
            5.         Hold On Tight
            6.         And One Day
            7.         You Say
            8.         I Can Fly
            9.         Only My Opinion
          10.        Queen Of Paradise
                       Bonus Tracks:
          11.        Airborne
          12.        I Don’t Know (2002 Version)
          13.        Until The End
          14.        Buddy Steve (Long Lost Friend)
          15.       Meet Me In The Moonlight
          16.       High Flyer

Pre-order link: www,omnivorerecordings.com/shop/the-strangers-on-a-train

Kent,
I may have mentioned this to you before, but I'll never forget when I drove by the theater where THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE was playing, they had on the overhead marquee THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY BALANCE.
I did enjoy the Royal Guardmen's version that you posted. Played it twice to be exact.
Clark mentioned Landecker of putting his finger on the needle of a turntable to prove he was playing an actual record. Kent, as far as I know, no radio station here in OKC has a turntable in their studio or building. In fact, some of the young interns (meaning persons working for no money) have no idea what a turntable is. Or a cart machine for that matter.
Larry
I think I've told this story before but many years ago my then teenage daughter came into my music room where I was recording cassette tapes from my vinyl records because I had an important phone call.  I tried to hear whoever it was on the other end of the line but couldn't because the music was just too loud ... so I asked her to take the record off.  She had absolutely NO idea what I meant or how to do that.  She had never played a record before in her life ... EVERYTHING was tapes or CD's.  I said "Just pick up the arm with the needle and set it down real softly on the stand" ... again, just a blank stare, followed by a shrug of her shoulders ... and then out the room.  I had to apologize to the caller while I shut the record off myself.
It's funny how something that seems SO elementary to us today (because that's the technology we grew up with) could be so foreign to someone from the next generation.  (Kinda like Austin Powers putting the record needle down on his CD on his little portable record player!)
When you stop and think how many times our ways of listening to music has changed in our lifetimes ... from your parents' very fragile 78's to 45's (with the little plastic spindle filler) to 8-tracks and cassettes to CD's and now to streaming ... it really is quite remarkable.  (kk)



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