SWEET 16 - This Month Asking The Musical Question ... "Well, Do Ya, Punk???"

 

BONUS TRACK:

Does this one count???

Insights Into ... ANNE MURRAY

Each and every month this year we'll be bringing you interviews that Jeff March and Marti Smiley-Childs have done in their excellent book series "Where Have All The Pop Stars Gone."

One of my personal all-time favorites in this series was their interview with Anne Murray.  (Anne is one of those artists that makes my list of performers I most regret never having seen in concert ... I always liked her music and still listen to it quite often.  I remember feeling sad to hear that she had officially retired when I first read Jeff's and Marti's interview with her.)

As such, I am VERY proud to share this piece with our readers today.  (kk)

That’s very kind of you, Kent. 

Persuading Anne to speak with us took some doing; she initially declined our request because she already had been retired for six years and values her privacy. But when she finally agreed eight months after our initial inquiry, she was conversational, relaxed and spoke candidly about her joys and regrets, answering all of our questions in rich detail. 

We really enjoyed speaking with her, and we’re glad that you recognize her stature as an entertainer and recording artist.

Sincerely,

Jeff, with regards from Marti

She was Elvis' favorite singer ... and she's certainly always been one of mine.

Read on.  (kk)

Insights into … Anne Murray

[28 Billboard Hot 100 singles, 1970–86; two certified RIAA gold]

Anne Murray in the early 1970s (photo by Sherman Hines, courtesy of Anne Murray)

Over the course of Anne Murray’s prolific hit-making career, she had major success as a recording artist, as a concert performer and in television. She recorded 37 studio albums that yielded 80 singles, and she won four Grammy Awards. Two of her singles earned gold records, and Anne’s albums yielded 15 gold records and nine platinum and multi-platinum awards.

During four decades, Anne received dozens of accolades and honors, including three American Music Awards; 25 Juno awards from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, capped with her 1993 induction into the Juno Hall of Fame; three U.S. Country Music Association awards; 16 Academy of Country Music Awards, including “top female vocalist” in nine years; and three Canadian Country Music Association awards, including her 2002 induction into that organization’s Hall of Fame. That’s quite a string of accomplishments for a small-town Nova Scotian who had begun a career as a high school physical education teacher when fame eclipsed her.

Yet she didn’t consider herself a country music performer. She defied all attempts to pigeonhole her into any single radio format or musical style, as demonstrated in the disparate styles of her two singles that earned gold records – the bouncy, country-tinged “Snowbird” and the mature ballad “You Needed Me.” Anne’s success across divergent genres helped pave the way for Crystal Gayle, Olivia Newton-John, Shania Twain, Lee Ann Womack, and Taylor Swift to further blur the lines between country, pop, and adult contemporary.

She has recorded tunes written by a diverse spectrum of writers, including Kenny Rogers, Paul Williams, Gordon Lightfoot, Henry Mancini, Bobby Darin, Dave Loggins, and John Lennon and Paul McCartney. While many of her singles were a godsend to previously undiscovered songwriters, she had a knack for giving new life and a fresh perspective to already well-known songs previously recorded by the Everly Brothers, the Beatles, the Monkees, Dionne Warwick, and Glen Campbell. She became a bellwether for female crossover singers, even though she hadn’t set out to do so.

Introduction to American TV audiences

With sales of her first hit, “Snowbird,” approaching one million copies, Anne was invited in September of 1970 to do a guest spot on the Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, a prime-time CBS television show. 

“Glen had heard ‘Snowbird,’ and he had heard my album, and he wanted me on the show. So I flew to California and walked into the studio scared out of my mind. Before the rehearsals, we went up to Glen’s dressing room, and the producers, the writers, everybody was there with him. Glen asked if I could sing harmony and I said, ‘Yes,’ so he started singing and I just jumped in with the harmonies, and we sang two or three songs. I could see everyone in the room relax, and everybody just went, ‘Oh yeah, oh yeah, this is going to work.’ Glen was so excited that I could do all of this stuff vocally, because he was such a great singer,” Anne said. Beginning with the October 4th episode, Anne was a guest on Glen’s show seven times during the 1970–71 season. “I was a semi-regular on his show for three years, and somewhere in there we decided it would be nice to do a duet album” [Anne Murray / Glen Campbell, which Capitol released in November 1971].

Anne’s passion

“I don’t think I had a passion for teaching. It was just something that was there and available to me. I love sports, and I thought teaching would be something I’d like, but the singing was a whole different kettle of fish – that was my passion. That was something I had to do, like breathing. So wherever I went, even in the school, I would sing with the choirs. There was a music teacher there, and he invited me to come to choir practices and be part of the school choirs. So any chance I could get to sing, I did.”

How stardom affected Anne’s personal life

“I would have a couple of hit records a year, but the record company would want me to churn out three a year, and it got to be too much. I was a workhorse, and I was working all the time. I worked way too hard, because I thought that’s what you had to do. Things suffered, but in those days, it was strike while the iron’s hot, and it just wore me out. If I had it to do over again, I would cut the number of albums in half, to make each one count. I don’t have a lot of regrets, except I wish I had dug my heels in and said, ‘I need some time with my family.’ I never would say that for myself, but I would say it for the family. The family really suffered and there were too many compromises. I kept thinking this is my job, and this is what I have to do, and I can’t stop. My daughter was born when I was at the very peak of my career, and I knew that my kids were going to suffer, and they did.”

Anne’s life since her 2008 retirement

“Forty years is long enough to do anything. I have kids, and now I have grandchildren, and I wanted to have some time with them. I wanted to have time with my kids and get to know them. And for the past several years, I have. I also play golf, and I do whatever I want to do. It was hard at first. It’s hard to retire. I can stop singing, but I can’t stop being Anne Murray, so there are charities, and lots of things that I do to keep me busy, so that’s what I do now.”

Anne Murray in 2015 (photo by Katy Ann Davidson, courtesy of Anne Murray)

The narrative and quotations in this article are excerpted from the book Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? — Volume 3, by Marti Smiley Childs and Jeff March. This material is copyrighted © 2016 by EditPros LLC and may not be reproduced or redistributed without written permission.

You can read Jeff and Marti's complete interview with Anne Murray in their book "Where Have All The Pop Stars Gone, Volume 3," available here:  

https://www.editpros.com/WHATPSG_Vol_3.html

THE ANNE MURRAY HIT LIST

(from Billboard's Pop and Country Charts - stats courtesy Joel Whitburn's Record Research)

1970 - Snowbird  (#8 POP / #10 Country)

1971 - A Stranger In My Place (#122 POP / #27 Country)

1971 - Talk It Over in The Morning (#57 POP / #xx Country)

1971 - I Say A Little Prayer / By The Time I Get To Phoenix (medley with Glen Campbell)  #81 POP / #40 Country

1972 - Cotton Jenny (#71 POP / #11 Country)

1973 - Danny's Song (#7 POP / #10 Country)

1973 - What About Me (#64 POP / #20 Country)

1974 - Love Song (#12 POP / #8 Country) - *Grammy Winner - Best Country Female Vocal

1974 - He Thinks I Still Care (#xx POP / #1 Country)

1974 - You Won't See Me (#8 POP / #xx Country)

1974 - Son Of A Rotten Gambler (#xx POP / #5 Country)

1975 - Uproar (#xx POP / #28 Country)

1976 - The Call (#91 POP / #19 Country)

1976 - Golden Oldie (#xx POP / #41 Country)

1976 - Things (#89 Pop / #22 Country)

1978 - Walk Right Back (#103 POP / #4 Country)

1978 - You Needed Me (#1 POP / #4 Country) - *Grammy Winner - Best Pop Female Vocal / also American Country Music's Song Of The Year

1979 - I Just Fall In Love Again (#12 POP / #1 Country)

1979 - Shadows In The Moonlight (#25 POP / #1 Country)

1979 - Broken-Hearted Me  (#12 POP / #1 Country)

1980 - Daydream Believer (#12 POP / #3 Country)

1980 - Lucky Me (#42 POP / #9 Country)

1980 - I'm Happy Just To Dance With You (#64 POP / #23 Country)

1980 - Could I Have This Dance (#33 POP / #1 Country) - *Grammy Winner - Country Female Vocal

1981 - Blessed Are The Believers (#34 POP / #1 Country)

1981 - We Don't Have To Hold Out (#xx POP / #16 Country)

1981 - It's All I Can Do (#53 POP / #9 Country)

1982 - Another Sleepless Night (#44 POP / #4 Country)

1982 - Hey Baby (#xx POP / #7 Country)

1983 - Somebody's Always Saying Goodbye (#xx POP / #7 Country)

1983 - A Little Good News (#74 POP / #1 Country) - *Grammy Winner - Best Country Female Vocal / also Country Music Association's Single Of The Year

1984 - That's Not The Way It's S'posed To Be  (#106 POP / #46 Country)

1984 - Just Another Woman In Love (#xx POP / #1 Country)

1984 - Nobody Loves Me Like You Do (#103 POP / #1 Country) - duet with Dave Loggins

1985 - Time Don't Run Out On Me (#xx POP / #2 Country)

1985 - I Don't Think I'm ready For You (#xx POP / #7 Country)

1986 - Now And Forever (You And Me) #92 POP / #1 Country)

1986 - My Life's A Dance (#xx POP / #26 Country)

1987 - On And On  (#xx POP / #23 Country)

1987 - Are You Still In Love With Me (#xx POP / #20 Country)

1987 - Anyone Can Do The Heartbreak (#xx POP / #27 Country)

1989 - Slow Passin' Time (#xx POP / #36 Country)

1989 - If I Ever Fall In Love Again (#xx POP / #28 Country) duet with Kenny Rogers

1990 - Feed The Fire (#xx POP / #5 Country)

1991 - Bluebird (#xx POP / #39 Country)

HENRY DILTZ's JOURNAL - April 15th, 1970

They say that timing is everything ...

And, as it turns out this month, we end up with back-to-back MAGICAL MONKEES MOMENTS!!!  (I say, You Can't Beat That!!!)

This time around, Legendary Rock Photographer HENRY DILTZ accompanies THE MONKEES to do the photo shoot on the set of their new KOOL AID ad!!!

(Special thanks again to HENRY DILTZ for allowing us to run these photos exclusively in Forgotten Hits ... and to our long-time buddy GARY STROBL, curator of this incredible collection, for putting these together for us every month!)

HENRY DILTZ'S JOURNAL

April 15, 1970 • Wednesday – Palm Springs desert w/ Monkees

Up at 5:30 AM to drive 2 ½ hours w/ MD (Micky Dolenz). Much movie ideas. (8mm) (P) in sand. Drove home late afternoon to MD’s

 

PM • Phone call Karma – Africa/Masai pics? Hawaii w/ Stephen Stills? (A & JAM came over) I fell asleep waiting for phone call from Gary Burden re: HAWAII

 

*****

 

We're running this one a day early as we've already got the 15th of every month committed to our JEFF MARCH / MARTI SMILEY CHILDS / "WHERE HAVE ALL THE POP STARS GONE" features ... 

Scroll back to see any that you may have missed ... 

and then be sure to join us on the 15th of every month in 2022 for more great artist profiles!

Tomorrow, you'll find their piece on ANNE MURRAY!

MAGICAL MONKEES MOMENTS - April, 1969

Monkees archivist Gary Stobl once again shares some Magical Monkees Memory Moments with our Forgotten Hits Readers ... 

 MAGICAL MONKEES MOMENTS

 

Tuesday This And That

Tossing my 98 cents in here (plus the 4 cents tax) ...

In the late 1950s, my cousin, who is ten years my senior and lived upstairs of me, would give me his 45s when he grew tired of them.
A few examples of what he'd passed down are: "Keep a Knockin'" by Little Richard, "Be-Bop-A-Lula" by Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps; "Rainbow" by Russ Hamilton, and a few obscurities that I can't remember at this moment. 

I had not yet purchased a record on my own. A dollar was a lot of moolah for a kid back then.  Being a professional musician, my dad would scream bloody murder when I played those 45s; he played weddings and parties, and his stuff was mostly middle-of-the-road pop from the 40s and 50s.

In summer of 1960, I was in Miami, FL, for a family event and all that was playing on the radio and in stores and hotels, etc., was a SUPERHIT from Brian Hyland, "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weeny ...," etc.  As soon as I got back home I ran to our local record store, "Little Al's," which was one of the top vinyl shops in the city at the time, and bought a copy (remembering, of course, to snatch a Silver Dollar Survey at the counter.  ;-)

To boost sales of just-released hit LPs, the owners would cover the entire front window (inside) with a couple of dozen copies of "hot" new LPs so you couldn't miss them as you walked by.  One day in June of '66, I walked past that shop, and hanging in the window were about 25 copies of the new Beatles LP.  But the cover was disgusting!  A couple of days later it was gone. Wish I'd have bought about 20 of them.  ;-(
Mike Wolstein

If you read my original FIRST 45’s post, you’ll know that MY very First 45 was “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini,” too … a record that definitely appealed to my then 7-year-old musical tastes.  (Who am I kidding … I STILL love that song to this day … and what a kick it is to have Brian Hyland participating with Forgotten Hits after all these years!!!)

Mine was on the original Leader record label, before the record got picked up by Kapp Records for mass distribution.  (And I wore the heck out of it … the grooves weren’t even black anymore on my copy!!!)

Loved the flipside, too … “Don’t Dilly Dally, Sally” … so much so that I recently featured it in one of our monthly SWEET 16 posts.

http://forgottenhits.com/first_45s

Man … twenty five copies of the “Yesterday And Today” butcher cover on display in a store window?!?!  That would have made for an INCREDIBLE photo op … who knew!!!  Sadly, so many of these copies were recalled by Capitol Records and then “pasted over” with the trunk cover that still adorns copies today.  Those 25 albums in pristine condition today would probably be worth $250,000 to close to a have million dollars today!!!  (And they were probably selling them for $3.98!!!)  kk

 

David Paton is the man behind the classic Pilot song "Magic" that we now unfortunately hear all the time on health commercials on TV.  Before it became an earworm negatively for many, it was just the best song out of the mid-70's. 

He has a new CD out, but you might enjoy this cool video of him doing all the parts of a new song.  His music is uplifting for me always and this is a cool video.

The new Pilot CD:

https://pilot-magic.com/

WLS Clark

 

 

Great track … and a very cool video, too.  Talented guy!  (kk)

 

Kent,

Here's some added info for you on the song PETER RABBIT that you featured on Saturday.

Here in the OKC area, it peaked at #9 for the week of June 23, 1966. It was on the survey right at two months. The flip was a song called ARE YOU READY. Again, here in the OKC area, it was a SMASH hit.

Also, here in OKC, there was a little novelty record called  I WANNA BE AN EASTER BUNNY done by a group called The Singing Reindeer on Capitol. Kent, remember a record from 1964 called RUN LITTLE RABBIT by a group known as The Five Hundreds? It was on Mercury Records and was written by Bobby Darin.

As for the Fendermen, they had a follow-up record alled DON'T YOU JUST KNOW IT, which I liked somewhat better than Huey Smith’s version. Soma was the record label and I heard or read years ago that the name Soma was the name of the record label's owner spelled backwards or Amos.

Another thing concerning your talking about rabbits or bunnies, there were other things related like THE BUNNY HOP back in the fifties, recording artists like Eddie Rabbitt or Bunny Sigler, even some DJ's I believe back in the sixties had an air name (last) of Rabbitt. In fact, I understand that some of their shows were somewhat "hare" raising. (Yech)

And then, while driving along in my car today, I thought of another rabbit or bunny song. Remember John Fred's HEY HEY BUNNY from 1968? Wonder if these rabbit or bunny songs will start multiplying?

Larry

 

Paul Williams' "Waking Up Alone" received quite a bit of airplay here and has been a personal favorite for years and years. The meaning and the impact change as the years go by. I don't know which markets played it, but not long ago I spoke the line "I could get back to the place but not the time" to a new friend who instantly recognized its source.

(Unintentional reference to Mashmakhan)

David Lewis

 

I got to cross one off my bucket list last week.

I was covering the Major League Fishing Redcrest Championship Tournament and Expo in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

I had always wanted to see anything Leon Russell-related in his hometown of Tulsa.

His Church Studio was recently remodeled and is incredibly beautiful.

So many superstars like Clapton, Dylan and Petty have played and recorded there.

I was a week early in going there as there is a huge celebration and concert happening on April 4th to celebrate the "Master of Space and Time's" birthday.

Also, the official Leon Russell Museum in downtown Tulsa is scheduled to open in May of this year.

I guess I will have to go back.

Thank you -
Steve Sarley

 

Joe Messina of Motown's Funk Brothers has died at Age 93.

From Harvey Kubernik, who interviewed Messina in 2002 after the “Standing In The Shadows Of Motown” documentary was initially released …

Joe Messina, hometown of Detroit, guitarist on “I Can’t Help Myself,” “Your Precious Love,” and “Dancing In The Street,” was a jazz musician in his teens, and by his mid-20s he was playing on the nationally televised The Soupy Sales Show, alongside such guests as Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. He was with the label until operations were moved to Los Angeles in 1972.

“Playing on the Soupy Sales TV show was a thrill,” Messina beamed. “I don’t know if my work on that show and with the jazz artists who came on it influenced my Motown work, but it seemed to make that music a little easier to play, after playing jazz. I backed Miles Davis and Charlie Parker on The Soupy Sales Show, but they were limited to six minutes. Those guys can’t play six minutes. They need like an hour. Or longer.” (The only existing film footage of the Max Roach and Clifford Brown group originates from a Sales’ broadcast). Did he know he was playing on a monster smash when he cut “Dancing In The Street?” “No. (laughs). Never expected it. That’s one of the nice things,” he added. “The beat was a little different and everybody automatically started to dance to it.

“Paul Riser was my favorite arranger at the label. His arrangements were very interesting, and at the end, our charts were like little scores. He was very detail-oriented. He could write whatever he said, whereas in the earlier days they would hum the stuff to you and you would have to remember what was hummed to you.

“In jazz, I got to solo all the time. With Motown it was a little restricted, telling you what to do. I played mainly Telecaster. I converted a Telecaster body with a Jazzmaster neck. Because it was smoother. One of a kind.   

“My favorite vocalist was Marvin Gaye. We never associated. We did our tracks and then he’d overdub. Marvin was a drummer and it made it a little bit different. Levi (Strauss) was my guy as well. H-D-H would come in with a chord sheet and say ‘Run this down.’ And we put our little things in there and they would keep it. That was their arrangement. We didn’t know we were donating like that (laughs).”          

 

Stephen Bishop’s new autobiography “On And Off” is now available for preorder thru his website …

 

It took four years to write this book. We included never before seen photos, my songwriting rough drafts, and stories that I've never shared previously. I can't wait for all of you to read it. 

SB

 

https://www.stephenbishop.com/onandoff?utm_campaign=cc51e1bc-5cfe-40df-8917-9e262694ac68&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=21d65cf3-f0e7-4b2d-9a42-9074b072179f

 

kk …

I Wrote To Bobby Rydell, Telling Him I Became An Organ Donor After Hearing His Story About How Julia Saved His Life By Giving Him Two organs. 

He Wrote Back To Me, Telling Me I Made His Day.

Check Out This Jerry Blavat / Bobby Rydell Interview From 10/4/2020 On You Tube. Comes Across Like Two Old Friends Talking About Their Philly Neighborhood ... Best I've Heard So Far. I Have to say BUT ... Cause I Haven't Heard Wild Wayne's Tribute Yet. That Will Be On Tonight. 

If You're Interested, You Can Get It For The Next Two weeks At WWUH.org In The Program Archive Section. 

Also, Today You Wrote About The Animals. Eric Burdon and the Animals Were My Favorite British Group. Don't Tell Anybody. I Think I'm Supposed To Say The Beatles.

FB

I’ve said before that when I heard “House Of The Rising Sun” for the very first time I was mesmerized. I had never heard ANYTHING like that before in my life … and it really didn’t fit in with the pop sounds that were coming over during The British Invasion.  Had NO idea at the time that I was being exposed to The Blues … which probably should be second nature, growing up in Chicago.  But in my defense, I was only 11 years old at the time!  (lol)  kk

UPDATE:

kk …

It Was Fantastic. I Have To Drop Jerry Blavat's Bobby Rydell Interview Down To Second Place.

It Started With Bobby Rydell's First Recording From 1958 On The VICO Label = "FATTY-FATTY."

After Playing All Of Bobby's Hits, It Ended With Some Cover Songs --

"DIANA" (Paul Anka) + "REMEMBER THEN" (Larry Chance and the Earls) + "Little Queen" (Chuck Berry) + "WHAT's YOUR NAME” (Don & Juan) …

33 Songs In 2 Hours.

During The Last Half – Hour, Wild Wayne Played An Interview He Did With Bobby Shortly After His Double-Organ Transplant.

Bobby Rydell Was An Altar Boy At 15. He Was Left-Handed. He Tried Out For Part In "THE GRADUATE." He Toured Australia 22 Times.

FB

And again, if you're interested in hearing this for yourself, you can get it for the next two weeks at WWUH.org in the Program Archive section.  (kk)

And then ...

EAST COAST MUSIC HALL OF FAME TRIBUTE TO BOBBY RYDELL--

kk ...

I Just Watched Another Bobby Rydell Tribute, This One From THE EAST COAST MUSIC HALL OF FAME. No Music. Everybody Telling Stories.  

Just Saw Two Of Your Friends ...

Ron Onesti = He Said He Likes Hanging Out After Shows.

He Said That He Was Talking To Bobby Rydell On The Phone When Bobby Got The News His Father Died.

Dennis Tufano = He Presented Bobby With His ECMHOF Award In 2019 & Sang "VOLARE."

Lots Of Stories = Tony Orlando + Joey Dee + Jay Siegal + Emil Stucchio (The Classics) + Vito Picone.

FB

Now here's an '80's Tour I could get behind ...

Rick Springfield, Colin Hay's Men At Work and John Waite, who enjoyed success as both a solo artist and as a member of The Babys!

(This is the first time Hay has used the "Men At Work" banner since the band called it quits two decades ago.  With a brand new album out to promote, his set will be devoted to featuring tunes from his 1980's band, who scored four quick Top Ten Singles in 1982 and 1983 ... and two of those went all the way to #1!)

Kicking off in August, the tour will visit eighteen cities, the whole thing is being sponsored by Sirius XM's '80's Channel ... and here is the itinerary as it currently stands ...

August 5th – Saint Augustine, FL - The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre
August 6th – Stockbridge, GA (Atlanta) - Stockbridge Amphitheater
August 7th – Raleigh, NC - Red Hat Amphitheater
August 10th – Catoosa, OK - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
August 12th – Newkirk, OR - 7 Clans First Council Casino
August 13th – Irving, TX (Dallas) - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
August 14th – Sugar Land, TX (Houston) - Smart Financial Theatre
August 18th – Gilford, NH - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
August 19th – Atlantic City, NJ - The Borgata Casino Resort
August 20th – Grantville, PA - The Hollywood Casino
August 25th – Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion
August 26th – Toledo, OH - Toledo Zoo Amphitheater'

August 27th – Bay City, MI - Wenonah Park 

August 29th – Phoenix, AZ - Celebrity Theatre
August 30th – Inglewood, CA (Los Angeles) - YouTube Theatre
September 2nd – Lincoln, CA - Thunder Valley Resort & Casino
September 3rd – Las Vegas, NV - Fremont Street Experience (free to the public) 

October 20th - The Hard Rock Hotel - Riviera Maya Mexico 

Ringo Starr has added a number of tour dates and locations to his All-Starr Band Tour for 2022 (making up for long time, as it were, thanks to all the Covid delays.)

And Colin Hay will be part of that one, too.  (Edgar Winter will also rejoin the line-up due to a scheduling conflict with Gregg Rolie.)

After fulfilling their previously announced dates from May and June, the band will take a two month break before returning to the road for these new shows in September and October …

September 23rd – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
September 24th – Atlantic City, NJ – Mark G Etess Arena at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
September 26th – Montreal, Quebec – Place Bell
September 27th – Kingston, Ontario – Leon’s Centre
October 1st – New Buffalo, MI – Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds New Buffalo
October 2nd – Prior Lake, MN – Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
October 4th – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Canada Life Centre
October 5th – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – SaskTel Centre
October 6th – Lethbridge, Alberta – Enmax Centre
October 8th – Abbotsford, BC – Abbotsford Centre
October 9th – Penticton, BC – South Akanagon Events Centre
October 11th – Seattle, WA – Benaroya Hall – S. Mark Taper Auditorium
October 12th – Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Hall
October 14th – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic Center
October 15th – Paso Robles, CA – Vina Robles Amphitheater
October 16th – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theater
October 19^th and 20th – Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico – Auditorio Nacional

And how about the ABBA Movie Event???

For two nights only (May 12th and 14th) you can see this film back in theaters!!!

Sign up here, now, for more details and updates ...

https://www.abbamovie.com/sign-up/?utm_campaign=194003_ABBA%3A%20The%20Movie%20%E2%80%93%20Fan%20Event_231701_SE&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotmailer&dm_i=4YS5,45OZ,1YM2TP,JVHB,1

>>>Meanwhile, The Illinois Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has just announced its new Class of 2022 Inductees … and you’ll find some great names on THIS list, too!  (kk)

Kent,

There's NO doubt all the inductees this year SHOULD be there!  Great top to toe, but I would love to have WLS' top DJ between Biondi and Landecker be next in line as the DJ inducted.  Ron Riley had the DJ chops, delivery and RATINGS to show he belongs in this Hall big time!  #1 from 64-69 period in Chicago!

Clark Besch

Agreed … but my guess is that there are more deejays that have grown in stature over time.  Don’t be surprised to see Art Roberts’ name on the ballot ahead of Ron’s.  And possibly even Clark Weber (who really wasn’t rock and roll at all!), Barney Pip and/or Ron Britain!  Jim Stagg was the go-to guy for rock and roll interviews here in Chicago in the ‘60’s … but during ALL that time, no matter who came and went, Ron Riley provided the solid backdrop of what Top 40 Radio was supposed to sound like … and he sounded EVERY bit as excited as the fans listening … which only intensified OUR excitement in the process.  I rarely missed a show back then, choosing listening to the radio over watching tv most nights.  (But then I’d also stick my radio under my pillow at 9 or 10 o’clock to listen to Art Roberts until I drifted off to sleep, too!)  kk

After Chuck Buell referred a few of his followers to our website to see his response to our recent reality post regarding the state of music today vs. the way it was presented during our era, he received a number of responses that he shared with us …

Reactions sent to me around my today's Feature Story ~~~ 

 

Absolutely spot on – and I, too, feel the same way! 

Thanks for sharing … and to borrow a line from Mr. Magoo … ”You’ve done it again!!”

 

I so agree with that conversation as I grew up with that music and still love it…great talk!

 

Great memories, Chuck ...

I also remember the first record I ordered from Stan's Record Shop in Shreveport, La.  It was "I'll be Forever Lovin' You by the Eldorados.

 

“Call Me, Maybe” got stuck in my head for about three weeks.  I recall liking Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” … haven’t heard that in a coon’s age.  What is the lifespan of a raccoon, anyway?

 

Thanks for the Forgotten Hits blog dialogue.  It brought back great memories.

 

I enjoyed YOUR Grammy Awards piece on Forgotten Hits!  Well done!

 

I learn something new every day with you! 

 

Most of today's music will certainly (hopefully!) be forgotten, Bumpkin ... but never forgetting Tequila, Tom Dooley or the Chipmunk Song!

 

With you, Buell, it just woulda been to have a nice chat every day.

 

You’re right. I enjoyed your story! Like you guys, I also started losing interest in the Top 40 songs in the mid-to-late 70’s.  I liked a lot of disco music – especially Donna Summer … and you know how I feel about ABBA!

 

And you made my day as well!  Great article … feeling the same way about a lot of what you wrote (or responded to) ... and knew some of what you mentioned, but also learned a lot: did not know Larry Lujack ever released a 45!  Was fun to read, CB!

 

Great memories Chuck ...

My first was "HandClappin" by Red Prysock.  It was a great instrumental that I used as a theme song somewhere down the line. I think it was around 1955.

Just in case no one has offered their gratitude for the many public services you offer, allow me to extend my humble appreciation for all the extensive research you invest in your stories!

I share these with you only so you can be re-reassured that others are reading our stuff besides just you and me!  {:~}

Yep!  You and Me, Kent! 

I'll play the Gene Wilder Part and YOU Richard Pryor's Role where you say

You can read Chuck’s complete original response to our observations here:

http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2022/04/chuck-buell-here-and-ive-got-thing-or.html

From my original response to a reader’s comment about music today … and how it isn’t designed for US, but rather for today’s teenage market, just like ours was back in the ‘60’s … along with some new emphasis based on the responses Chuck received …

As for today’s Top 40, I don’t listen to it … and am the first to admit how TOTALLY out of touch with it I am.  Unless a record creates a particular level of buzz, I likely won't know anything at all about it ... or, in most cases, the artist who recorded it.  I don’t plan on watching the Grammys tonight either … didn’t bother with the Oscars last weekend either (other than the nonstop airing of The Slap Heard ‘Round The World!)

It’s a shame because early on, when music became such a HUGE part of my life, I vowed to always stay with it … keep current no matter where the trends went, without every losing sight of the music that I truly love.  But at some point, I gave up … the music became SO angry … you could barely even listen to a song anymore due to the number of bleeped words in what seemed like every line.

Meanwhile, some GREAT music still came thru … thank God SOME artists out there still understand the importance of a real melody rather than a computer produced, repetitive beat.  (I know, I know … we can probably blame that on Napoleon XIV, right???)

My problem isn’t with the Top 40 today … or even the way its calculated … what other measuring tools are there available today to truly ascertain what music is being purchased and listened to.  I get it … it’s the modern way.

(I’ve said it a thousand times before, but back in our day we had to physically get up and leave the house, travel to the local record store and BUY the latest records … and then rush home in the height of wondermint as to what else we might find on the B-Side or the rest of the album.  And, if it WAS an album, all 12 tracks didn’t suddenly show up in The Top 100 the next week … because if you couldn’t buy them, they didn’t rank!)

Worse yet (and, I’ve also said before, perhaps a reflection on the QUALITY of the music being produced today), songs didn’t stay on the charts for a year and a half!  Back in the ‘60’s, a 12-week charter was pretty much the most an artist could hope for.  The market was SO competitive that you’d better already have your next record planned, recorded and ready to go so that the moment your current hit started to slip down the charts, your next record was ready to premier and make its way UP the chart, passing your previous hit along the way.

Plain and simple, it was a much more exciting and inventive time … music trends changed weekly … new ideas inspired other new ideas constantly … and you never really knew for sure what was coming next.

Just as plain and simple, music isn’t like that anymore.  There is absolutely NO comparison to the era we experienced with the way music is presented and processed today.

So NOBODY … and ESPECIALLY Billboard Magazine … should NOT be comparing the accomplishments of these COMPLETELY different eras side by side the way they have been doing for decades now.  It’s not the same set of rules … it’s not the same criteria … and it has absolutely NO place distorting the relative importance of what’s happening today vs. what happened in the ‘50’s, ‘60’s and ‘70’s that still lives on today some 50-60 years later.

How much of today’s music do you think will still be getting played fifty years from now?  TEN years from now???  Do you envision a “Fest For Britney Fans” in our future?  But watch her make The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame!

THAT is my objection … not the process … not the current music … not the latest trends … the fact that anyone would DARE to compare the present methods and era of calculating the against ANYTHING that went down in the past. 

How much of today’s music will last and be remembered down the road?  (And I stand by that point even if Drake charts 300 tracks during his career.  Who will remember half of them?  How many other artists are out there clamoring to record THEIR interpretation of these great “classics”???  And can you even hum three???)

Music from our era was being created by gifted songwriters who have proven their staying power … and it appealed to artists from all genres of music, each putting their own interpretation and spin on what they knew, even back then, were classic songs that would stand the test of time.  Beatles songs were recorded by everyone from 1940’s superstar Frank Sinatra, early rock and roll icon Elvis Presley and even jazz great Ella Fitzgerald … to the great Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and The Chipmunks!  The biggest artists at Motown Records put out an entire album of their interpretations of Lennon and McCartney songs … and these Motown artists are the ones who inspired SO many of The Beatles’ early cover tunes!  A number of great country artists also covered their material.  That’s because EVERYBODY recognized the importance and uniqueness of this material … and I just don’t see that continuing to be a trend based on what constitutes “lyrics” and melodies today.  I don’t really see new artists breathing new life into songs by some of the post-1990 artists to make them “standards” the way we saw tunes developed during our era.  The two spectrums are lightyears away from each other … so trying to compare them (or even SUGGESTING that we do) is ludicrous.

The same can be said for most of the music that came BEFORE the so-called Top 40 Era … and holds true today.  You don't really hear Bing Crosby's music or Frank Sinatra's music anymore ... nor did it last twenty years, much less sixty.  In fact, I don’t think anyone would argue that its relevance disappeared within ten years of its initial popularity.  And sadly, thanks to radio airplay the last 10-12 years, even Elvis seems to be slipping further and further into the background ... he’s almost become a One Hit Wonder due to “Suspicious Minds,” despite placing 200 hits on the charts … and now when it comes to airplay, he’s nearly obsolete … yet without Elvis, there would BE no Beatles. 

When I talk to industry executives today, the most common mantra I hear seems to be "I want to program music to people who are still alive."  How sad.  I can assure you that this music will continue to appeal to each new generation that comes along … because it is “Feel Good Music.”  It will continue to inspire new generations in way today’s music cannot (unless our goal is just to breed another generation of thugs who wish damage on their fellow man … and women.  Today’s music seems to be especially cruel and disrespectful toward women … maybe it’s time for these disillusioned players to spin a little Aretha Franklin, Lesley Gore and – dare I say it – Helen Reddy to instill a little more respect in today’s society!)  Thank God for television commercials and movie and TV soundtracks that are helping to keep our music alive today!  It may be its best hope for survival.

And hey, I admit it … I’ve got a little bit of tunnel vision, too.  For me, pop has always been king … nothing beats a good, catchy melody … but along the way, I also embraced what we now call Classic Rock and, thanks to the wide variety of different music styles that radio presented back then, we also got exposure to country music and R&B … heck, I can even stand to listen to about 50% of those '70's disco songs now … and that’s REAL progress for me!  (lol)  kk

More from Chuck …

And that’s why we call it “Feel Good Music” …

Chuck Buell, Our Pseudo Forgotten Hits Doctor is In with This! …

Nostalgia – that sentimental feeling of longing for the past – can reduce pain perception, according to new research from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Liaoning Normal University.

Participants who were asked to rate their level of pain while looking at nostalgic pictures such as old cartoons and childhood games … or recalled certain odors and smells or tastes of certain foods that triggered old memories … reported feeling much lower levels of pain.

AND they found reminiscing about certain stories and listening to old familiar music can also lower pain levels. So, perhaps a daily dose of Forgotten Hits Stories and Music might reduce those current old-age pain levels we all experience from time to time!

Ah, yes, “Those Oldies but Goodies Remind Me of You,” so “Take Those Old Records Off the Shelf and Give Me Some Good Old Rock and Roll!”

CB ( which stands for “Clinical Boy!” ) 

NOTHIN' wrong with music that makes you Feel Good!!!  (kk)

 

Part of that same debate challenged long-time FH Reader Jack Levin to The Forgotten Hits Challenge ...

 

(Jack has been Beatle-bashing for as long as I've known him ... constantly downplaying their contribution to the music scene and arguing that the entire crux of their popularity was due to Captiol Records spending a million bucks in 1964 on a saturation ad campaign to help launch the band here in America.  It's ludicrous, of course ... and everybody knows it ... and deep down, I believe that Jack knows it, too.  It would just be too difficult now to change his tune after so many years.)

So I offered him the chance to reintroduce himself to the band ... 

>>>Maybe you need to revisit the journey The Beatles took to get to the status they have since attained.  Seriously … devote a week … commit to it and start at the beginning … and watch the progression as you go from “Meet The Beatles” to “A Hard Day’s Night” (their first album of all originals) to “Rubber Soul,” “Revolver” and “Sgt. Pepper.”  And then listen closely to “Abbey Road” from start to finish and tell me that it isn’t a masterpiece.

This is all the same band … the same guys that sang “Love Me Do,” “From Me To You” and “She Loves You” … and the complete metamorphosis into something bigger than even the wildest imaginations could ever have imagined all happened over a period of about eight days a week.

Grant me that one concession … consider it "The Forgotten Hits Challenge" ... give it all a serious listen one more time … in sequence … and then come back to me and name ONE other artist who made that kind of development over the course of a career.

I think you’ll change your tune … and, along the way, enjoy a WHOLE bunch of great tunes you've apparently black-listed along the way as well.  (kk)

 

So, since I knew I was running follow-up commentary to Chuck Buell's piece, I figured I'd ask Jack if he was taking me up on my challenge ... and taking another look with a fresh set of eyes.

 

I can't honestly say that I wasn't at all surprised by his answer ... but I was disappointed by it.  I mean, I just gave him the perfect out to reevaluate the band and, in a perfect world, maybe even say something GOOD about them!

 

But when I asked, this is what I got back ...

 

To be honest Kent, I have no desire to look back at their catalog. I agree with you that they're certainly not the only band to benefit from under the table promotions. In my mind, they rank no higher than the 5th most important band of the British Invasion. I'm not a fan of bland pop music. To me, the most famous thing they ever did was walk across the street together. Some say they saved rock and roll. I say they ruined it. 

I do not own any Beatles albums / 45's / CDs in my personal collection. I know I'm in a minority on this, but I'm a fan of rock and roll, and the Beatles are not a rock and roll band. They were no more than a boy band. 

But thanks for thinking of me.

Jack

LITTLE KNOWN FACT:  I don't know how many of you out there know this, but I believe Jack is the guy who invented the phrase "You Can't Fight City Hall!!!"  (kk)

 

We'll leave ya with a smile ...

 

Oh, for the Cosmic Colorful and Shapeless Gasoline Vapor-induced Images, Kent!

I read with interest in Forgotten Hits the other morning ED#1's response to your shared memory of the "first time you ever bought gas in your life" when he remembered ...

>>>The attendant filled your tank for you, cleaned your windows, checked your fluids and tires and, if your tires were low, filled them with air … which was FREE.  In addition, there were clean rest rooms and, one of my favorite things, they gave away road maps. Back in the seventies I had a CB.  On a trip to South Dakota I was listening to the truckers."

Many years ago, during one hot Rapid City, South Dakota Summer, when I was in High School working weekends and doing fill-in as a "Disc Jockey" at our local radio station ( where everybody in town had a "CB" Radio if they were listening to my . . . ah . . . "CB AM Radio Show! ), for the briefest moment in time, I also had another job as a "Jockey" at another station. I was a "Pump Jockey" at a Gas Station! So I know of which Ed speaks! 

The Guy who owned the service station I worked at was a real stickler for Customer Service and Sales! So, here from the Point of View of a former "Service Station Attendant," from some days even a bit earlier than those Ed mentioned, me!

When a car pulled up and rolled over a small diameter black rubber hose that lay across the driveway by the gas pumps, a bell would 'ding' inside the station.  We Pump Jockeys were then required to stop whatever we might be doing and immediately run out to the driver's side of the car, greet the driver and not ask "What can I do for you?" but rather suggest affirmatively "Fill 'er up, Sir, or Ma'am?!" In most cases they'd automatically say, "Ah, yeah, sure." Ka-Ching! Upsell Sale!

Next while the Pump was pumping gas, we went right to the front of the car, popped the hood, pulled out the dipstick, wiped it clean, reinserted it, pulled it out and if the Oil Level displayed beneath the "Low" mark, return to the driver and tell them they were low on Oil and that I should add a quart! Again, "Ah, yeah, sure." And again, Ka-Ching! Sale! While the Oil was draining, our next move was to wipe all the windows, the headlights and the taillights and check the tire pressure in all four tires!! By that time, the Gas Tank was Full, the Oil Can was Empty, the Windows and Exterior Lights were Clean, the Tires' Air Pressure was Checked and we told the Driver his cost. Taking their cash or credit card, we had to run back in the station, record the transaction and run back to the car with any change or receipt and road map in hand, if requested, and bid our driver a "Good Day!"

When we weren't doing that with every single car coming through, we hoisted cars up on Lifts inside in the Work Bays, changed the Oil and Transmission Fluids, lowered the car, topped off all the other fluids and hand-washed the car, too, if that was ordered as the result of a previous suggestion. Ka-Ching! Sale!  When things slowed a bit, that's when we would fix flats and change spark plugs and the like! Oh, and Clean the Restrooms!

Whew!  It's little wonder this High School Kid held that job with all its "Dinging" and "Ka-Chinging" for maybe three weeks before leaving and appreciating even more the much less less labor-intensive comfort of working on a Hot Summer Day in an Air Conditioned Radio Studio drinking Cokes, eating Snickers Candy Bars and playing the Hit Music of the Day that I loved! I can most assuredly say about that radio job, "What a (Classical ) Gas!"

CB ( which stands for CustomerService Boy!" )