Today we pay tribute to Kent's all time favorite song, 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' by Procol Harum. It has been 55 years since that record was first heard around the world.
In 1992, I had the pleasure to interview Keith Reid on my radio show. He was a non performing member of the group but went to all of the recording sessions and many of the concerts. He wrote or co-wrote all of the lyrics for the band up until 2017. During the interview, which was done to promote the album Prodigal Stranger, we talked about the group's history.
When you look at all the artists who were fortunate enough to have recorded TWO memorable hits, PROCOL HARUM has to leap right up near the top of the list.
Their hits "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" (#3, 1967) and "Conquistador" (#16, 1972) are two of the finest examples we could come up with ... making them BOTH definitely worth another spin here today. (kk)
Greg Kihn was born on July 10th of 1949. While the Greg Kihn Band had its biggest hit in 1983 with a song called Jeopardy (#2 Billboard), I feel that their first hit The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em) was one of the best songs of the 80's. It only made it to #15 in Billboard, however, it was the song of the Summer of 1981 around here.
I spoke with Greg in 2013 just after reading Forgotten Hits and the subject was 'goose bump songs'.
I still think that's one of the greatest lines I've ever heard in an interview ... Greg Kihn explaining how his 1981 Hit "The Breakup Song" became a hit all over the world ... "because the lyrics "uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh" translate exactly the same in EVERY language."
Yes, "Jeopardy" may have been the bigger hit ... but I'm with Phil on this one ... my personal favorite has got to be "The Breakup Song!" (kk)
And, of course, you can't do Greg Kihn's version and not do Weird Al's parody!!!
Carlos Santana collapsed on stage Tuesday night (July 5th)
about 55 minutes into his set.(Santana had
previously postponed a Las Vegas Residency when he had to undergo an emergency
heart treatment last December … and was now out on the road with Earth, Wind
and Fire when this latest incident occurred during their show at The Pine Knob
Music Theatre in Michigan.)A statement
released later said the famed guitarist was suffering from heat exhaustion and
dehydration.Their appearance on
Wednesday (July 6th) in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania was postponed but
will be rescheduled.Carlos is expected
to rejoin the tour in Noblesville, Indiana tonight. (July 8th)
We have had an extreme heat blast here in the Midwest of
late ... The National Weather Service had released high heat index warnings for
Tuesday, the night of the incident, with actual temperatures reaching the upper
90’s and heat indexes well over 105.As
some of these artists increase in age (Carlos is 74), this becomes another risk
of touring and performing at these outdoor venues.(Like Covid itself hasn’t been enough of a
deterrent these past couple of years!)Here’s hoping Santana is past this latest health crisis and can complete
the rest of the tour without incident.(The two Superstar Acts are scheduled to perform at Milwaukee’s
Summerfest on Sunday, July 10th.)The Miraculous Supernatural Tour wraps up on my birthday (August 27th)
in Tampa, Florida.(kk)
UPDATE:Carlos’ wife
Cindy issued this statement on Thursday (July 7th):
Hi Everyone!
Carlos & I thank you so much
for your prayers, love, care & concern for him!
Please know that he’s resting
and doing very well!
He was diagnosed with heat
exhaustion & dehydration …
It was 100 degrees on stage and
114 under the lights so that, coupled with not enough water, is what caused the
issue. He’ll be as good as new soon!
Thank you again and we love you!
Cindy & Carlos
Here's a great interview with Mike Stoller … one half of the
hit-making songwriting team of Leiber and Stoller … who knows a thing or two
about writing hit songs … including quite a few for a guy named Elvis Presley …
Regarding your mention of Sha Na Na, I figured I'd toss one
of my experiences your way ...
I saw them perform live down at Washington Park in 1975,
where they opened for my favorite group, The Guess Who.
Double pleasure! I don't have specific memories of the show, but I do
remember that it was great!
In the summer of 1990, I attended an outdoor concert at
"Beloitfest" (Wisconsin) with my girlfriend, who knew Jon Bauman. It
was at a park just north of the border. Jon was performing with a backup
group whose name I don't recall, but they were very good.They did a nice mix of doo-wop stuff.
The opening act was 50s legend Bo Diddley. The look he gave me as I took his
picture gave me the chills. ;-)
After the show, we stopped at Jon's tent, and he asked us
if we'd like to meet up for drinks or whatever at the motel he was staying
at.
YES!!
Before he went in to get into street clothes, I asked for a
picture with him. I love this shot. ;-)
When he came out, I got another shot ...
We met Jon at the motel restaurant and sat with him and
chit-chatted into the wee hours. l learned a lot about him.
He played classical piano, wrote music, and did all sorts
of cool things. All-around helluva nice guy. Who knew he was so talented?
I'd love to link up with him again.
Mike Wolstein
I think I saw Sha Na Na a total of three times over the
years … by this point, Bowzer was definitely the focal point of the group.(I was just a fan … and they put on a very
entertaining show.)
Many years later when Jon Bauman was trying to get The Truth
In Music Act passed around the country, he contacted me and asked for the help
and support of Forgotten Hits.(To this
day, I don’t know who made the connection … all of a sudden we just hooked up …
and for about two years we ran regular progress updates in the newsletter.Jon would send us the latest info as more and
more states climbed onboard to help protect the oldies music fans out there who
were spending their hard-earned money to see, in many cases, a bogus group that
had absolutely NOTHING to do with the original artists they grew up loving on
the radio.)Today, I think nearly every
state in the union has adopted his program.(It was so funny to see Bowzer on TV, addressing Congress and letting
his point be known.)
That whole concept is MUCH harder to enforce these days now that
SO many of these great artists have left us.In some cases, the “namesake” has been passed along (or sold) to another
act who now carry the legal right to the use of the name.In many other cases, it may be a second or
third generation offspring out their just trying to keep the legacy alive.It’s just gotten harder and harder to see the
real deal anymore … and we’ve softened quite a bit in this regard, too, coming
to the realization that ANYTHING designed to keep this great music out there
for new generations to discover and fall in love with is a good thing.The use in TV commercials, movies and
television shows seems to be at an all-time high … and new fans are being
converted on a daily basis … and THAT’S the most important thing in my mind.(kk)
I saw the ELO / Spaceship concert at Madison
Square Garden in NYC. Can't believe it was 44 years ago ... but it was an
amazing concert … and the show and visuals and music just stunning. I did
manage to see Jeff Lynne and the "new" ELO at Madison Square again
two years (maybe three) back; it was a great show, but it still baffles me that
he let his musical director the show introduce the band. Odd for sure.
Wow ... time really does fly!
David Salidor
Jeff Lynne’s last two tours of The States
rank right up there with the best shows we have ever seen in our lives.The entire band was top-notch and the
presentation was exceptional.
For what these tickets cost, I don’t know
that we need to see him a third time …
I think I’d rather savor the memory of
the two incredibly perfect shows we have already witnessed and leave it at
that.(kk)
No offense to Henry Diltz, but "The Partridge Family" just
may have been the most vapid thing on television, ever!
I would be amazed to learn how much of a following it had among
people of colour (and I once admitted to you that a Black boy I knew as a kid
admired Cassidy!)
And how the show ruined Cassidy's career as a real-life musician
is well-documented ...
It's weird that given its wholesome image, it didn't become a
staple of Saturday morning TV (and yes, I am aware that a version of it was
made by Hanna-Barbera years later ... even Bill and Joe knew those characters
were 'toons)
I even avoid the series years later on Antenna TV, the
full-of-vintage-series side-channel of stations like WPHL in Philly!
--Bob Frable
It’s
funny you mention the lack of “color” (and soul, for that matter) conveyed by
the milky-white Partridges back in the early ‘70’s … because this very issue
was addressed at the time which led to an episode called “Soul Club,” which
featured Richard Pryor and Lou Gossett, Jr.!
The
premise was that due to a booking mix-up, their manager, Reuben Kincaid, set
the group up to perform in a Detroit club that was expecting The Temptations.Too late to make other arrangements, The
Partridges agreed to go on … and then performed a song called “Bandela,” which
always struck me as more of a Mexican or Latin tune than anything resembling
Soul Music or an African Rhythm.
Still,
there was quite a bit of buzz about this episode when it first aired … and many
years later, TV Guide named it one of TV’s 100 Best Episodes of All Time.(I don’t know if I’d go THAT far!!!The whole thing seemed very forced and
contrived … but hey, who knows … this may be where Bob’s friend developed his
first appreciation of David Cassidy!!!Lol)kk
How
much would YOU pay for a one-of-a-kind pressing of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The
Wind?”(Certainly not a million bucks …
but this IS an interesting article and new marketing concept!)kk
After
numerous allegations and accusations that some of the vocals on the posthumous Michael
Jackson release “Michael” are fake, three tracks have been removed from all
streaming services from this LP.
A fan-driven
court case begun eight years ago claimed the vocals on three songs featured on
the album were done by a session singer and NOT The King Of Pop as represented.If this was in fact the case, neither Sony
Music OR Jackson’s family could state for certain if this was, in fact, Michael
Jackson singing on these tunes.(I’m
guessing that Milli Vanilli were also ruled out as suspects.)As such, in 2018, a judge ruled that since neither
side could state with all certainty whether the vocals were real or fake, he
dismissed the suit.
Yet the
controversy continued … so this week Sony Music decided to remove the three songs in
question:“Monster” (featuring 50 Cent),
“Keep Your Head Up” and “Breaking News.”Still, in doing so, Sony Music and The Jackson Estate are making it
clear that they are NOT admitting that the vocals are fake.In a joint statement released, they said “We
should point out that the removal of these three songs has nothing to do with
their authenticity. The Estate and Sony Music believe the continuing
conversation about the tracks is distracting the fan community and casual
Michael Jackson listeners from focusing their attention where it should be – on
Michael’s legendary and deep music catalog.”
Court documents
backing up this statement read as follows: “Because Sony Music, MJJ Productions
and the Jackson estate lacked actual knowledge of the identity of the lead
singer on ‘Breaking News,’ ‘Monster,’ and ‘Keep Your Head Up,’ they could only
draw a conclusion about that issue from their own research and the available
evidence.Under these circumstances, our
representations about the identity of the singer amounted to a statement of
opinion rather than fact.”
(I guess if
you’ve got an original copy of the LP, you should hang on to it … as it may
soon become quite a collectors’ item!) And what about poor 50 Cent?!?!He thought he was singing with Michael
Jackson!!!Right now that track may be
worth less than his namesake!(kk)
From
Tom Cuddy …
Members of Chicago
present Brian Wilson with a birthday cake backstage on his 80th …
The other day we told you about Bob Lind’s return to The Luna Star Café in North
Miami, Florida …
Well,
now he’s doing this radio spot to help publicize the gig … and you can tune in
and hear all about it this Sunday …
FRIENDS AND FANS:
This coming Sunday, July 10,
I'll be doing Michael Stock's Folk and Acoustic Music show on NPR to promote my
upcoming gig at the Luna Star Cafe.
I always have a great time
with Michael. He'll be interviewing me and I'll be singing three or four
songs from my newest album (Something Worse Than Loneliness).
The show starts at 2 pm Eastern
Daylight Time and you can listen live anywhere in the world you happen to be by
clicking this link: https://www.wlrn.org/radio
You recently mentioned that our Pop Annual book
only contains the hits from the Hot 100. While that used to be the case,
the past couple of editions have also included all of the Bubbling Under hits
for each given year (in rank order.)BTW,
we hope to update that book again in the next year or so (the most recent
edition covers 1955-2016.)
Paul Haney
Record Research
Wow!I had to look it
up for myself!I guess the edition(s) I
had been referring to predated this change.(Although I know Joel did send me a copy of the updated version, running
through 2016, my go-to book only goes through 2005 … which more than serves my
needs.Plus, it’s a WHOLE lot easier to
handle at the smaller size and lesser page count!!!lol)
Honestly, it’s a tough call … once we committed to covering
the music of 1955 – 1985 (give or take a few years in either direction,
depending on the artist!), there really hasn’t been a need to look at the
biggest hits of any of these post-period years.(I think now that Record Research has split their encyclopedias into two
volumes, we will rarely, if ever, pick up the book covering 1990 – 2022 … but
it’ll still be nice to have handy as a reference.I just can’t bear the thought of looking at
four solid pages of Drake entries!!!)Thanks for clarifying, ‘though … I truly had no idea you guys had
expanded the playing field to include all the “bubbling under” titles!)kk
Scott Paton, who used to work for American Top 40 and became
close friends with Andy Gibb, tells us about a new book on Gibb’s life that is
apparently already creating quite a buzz.(There’s a five page excerpt in this week’s issue of “People Magazine” …
and there’s already been some talk about turning it into a biopic.)kk
Take it away, Scott!
Dear Kent,
I wanted to give you a heads-up on the
first-ever biography of Andy Gibb, just out this past week. “Arrow
Through The Heart” is the work of Matthew Hild, a professor at the Georgia
Institute of Technology and author of several books on Southern Labor history.
This is his first foray into pop culture, and his prowess in research served
the story well.
I’m not plugging the book here in any
official capacity, but Andy Gibb was a friend of mine, and over the course of
the past two years, Matthew has become a good friend, too. And I’m
certain that a lot of your readership would enjoy this bio, be they fans of
Andy, the Bee Gees or that late-‘70s era of music that is now seeming so long
ago.
I will definitely have to check this out.Thanks for the heads up, Scott!(kk)
Moments before the U.K. government
forever changed, MICKY DOLENZ (who was in town for the London Film and Comic
Con) was a guest on the show Good Morning Britain (7/7/22)
DS
I just heard that Micky is also coming to The Des Plaines Theatre for a show in November. (November 20th to be exact!)
I may have to check this one out if he's still doing his salute to his former bandmates. I have seen nothing but GREAT reviews for this new show. (kk)
Now THAT'S not something you expect to hear!!!
In back-to-back television commercials Thursday Night, we heard The Chordettes' "Mr. Sandman" and The Drifters' "This Magic Moment." (In fact, we heard that last one a couple more times before we went to bed.)
While it's a nice surprise to hear both of these tunes being used in current ad campaigns, the COOLEST part is that they're being heard by a wide audience of viewers who may not have been familiar with them before.
Our music is still alive! (kk)
And, speaking of surprises ....
You can add THIS one to the WOW! SONGS list ...
WOW! SONGS:
The Thing – Phil Harris (‘50’s Gold on Sirius XM)
Phil Harris did a little bit of everything back in the 1940's. He co-hosted a radio program with his wife, Alice Faye ... acted in the movies and on television ... he was a comedian, a drummer and even a band leader ... and, between 1946 and 1951 he was also a successful recording artist, placing three songs in The Top Ten on Billboard's Best Sellers Chart ... including this one, which went all the way to #1 for four weeks just before Christmas in 1950. (Now when's the last time you heard THIS one!!!) kk
