Hey Kent!
I'm well aware of the Creative Effort it takes to come up with something like this, especially the volume and variety this list presents! Some Songs and Artists pairings quite possibly came quickly while others took a little more time to match up!
These are Great! And for those of us who remember the times, events and personalities of those early 1970s days, the then-contemporary connections are terrific!
Thanx to Tom Konard for originally conceiving this list; Mike Wolsten for contributing it to Forgotten Hits so many years later; and Kent for appreciating the humor and posting it to share with all of us today!
Fun way to start this April Fools Day, 2023.
And I'm not kidding!
Chuck "Fool" Buell!
For those of you wondering what The Top 40 most popular hits in Chicago REALLY were on April 1st, 1973, here you go …
In 1968 WLS played short versions of the following songs:
Those Were the Days by Mary Hopkin
MacArthur’s Park by Richard Harris
Hey Jude by The Beatles
It has been reported to me that the labels never sent out edits of these songs to the stations. So where did WLS get these edits? Did they make ‘em themselves or did ABC parent make them? And what happened to those single edits? I don’t remember WCFL playing short versions of those nor any other station I listened to. Does someone have copies of those?
The Mary Hopkin song left out the 1st verse …
The Richard Harris song left out the instrumental break …
And the Beatles song, as best as I can remember, left out a verse and did a quick fade at end.
Mike Fiedler
Kent,
At the time of those hits, I had neither yet been appointed the Music Director nor the Assistant Program Manager of WLS so I can't speak to what your reader questions. I don't remember playing "shortened" versions of many songs on-air or not, but if your reader has recordings to substantiate what he's asking about, then perhaps that was done with those records, in particular.
Record companies sometimes did make edits of a shorter version of a song, for instance, the 3:12 Radio Station Single version edited from the 5:33 album cut of "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin, found on the flip side of the longer version single which WLS played in addition to the "time permitting" full 5:33 version. I liked playing the long version when I could because of that great rockin' bridge in the middle that led up to and included what I called the "Zeppelin Fall Off the Cliff" vocal at 4:16 in
(excerpt attached.)
And as far as to whatever happened to any short version single records, they probably have gone the way of many other classic oldie records. I did find a copy of this "double sided" Love Song on eBay for $300.00!
CB
I don’t remember WLS playing shortened versions of the songs Mike mentions above … but I definitely know about “radio station edits” issued for broadcasting purposes. Far too many times I got burned buying what I THOUGHT was the hit single I heard on the radio, only to find an entirely different version on the 45. Three that immediately come to mind are “Reflections Of My Life” by Marmalade, “Beach Baby” by First Class … both of which came with longer versions that were clearly edited for a reason … and, perhaps the most bewildering example of all (from the same 1968 era that Mike is referring to), “I Love You” by People … which was a COMPLETELY different take altogether … not even CLOSE to what was issued on the 45. (Give a listen to this one, Mike, and see if it rings any memory bells! They essentially cut the track in HALF … and recorded all new … and, in my opinion, FAR superior, vocals.)
I’m guessing Mike doesn’t have recordings of these “truncated tracks” … sounds like he’s LOOKING for them. (I don’t doubt that WLS did some of their own edits … they had to do SOMETHING to keep up with WCFL playing these tracks slightly sped up to fit in more music per hour! Lol) kk
HELPING OUT OUR READERS:
After FH Reader Timmy C sent out this photo to a few music fans and friends ...
We got THIS email from Richard Vaniotis …
The alleged weenie wagging incident
But I REALLY like this concert poster that Timmy also sent out last week …
Another milestone that looms large in music history …
WILD
HONEY FOUNDATION, LENNY KAYE AND RHINO RECORDS PRESENT |
|
The Wild Honey Orchestra Nuggets All-Star Band will include Lenny Kaye, Rob Laufer, Andrew Sandoval, Alec Palao, Jim Laspesa, Nick Vincent, Willie Aron, Jordan Summers, David Nolte, Robbie Scharf, Nelson Bragg, and Derrick Anderson. Led by Kaye, Laufer and Sandoval, this crack ensemble will deliver a tight but appropriately gritty backing for a hugely talented ensemble of guest singers, including garage band originals Jim Pons (The Leaves), David Aguilar (Chocolate Watchband) and Evie Sands. With well-timed guest stints by guitar legends like Elliot Easton (The Cars), Johnny Echols (Love), Peter Buck (R.E.M.). this will be rousing exploration of mid-‘60s garage and early psychedelia. Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era is the influential 1972 compilation album of American psychedelic and garage-rock singles that were released during the mid-to-late 1960s. Curated by legendary Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Band guitarist since the early 70’s), the original Nuggets’ liner notes contained one of one of the first mentions of the phrase “punk rock.” The Nuggets series has influenced many generations of rockers from the Ramones to the Lemon Twigs. With Rhino Records releasing a limited Record Store Day version this spring, Nuggets continues to influence young bands across the globe with its visceral garage/psychedelic power with songs like “Gloria,” “96 Tears,” “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night,” “Psychotic Reaction,” “Pushin’ Too Hard,” “Dirty Water,” “7 and 7 Is,” and over 20 more! The show will benefit the Autism Healthcare Collaborative, an internationally recognized non-profit organization committed to facilitating the medical and psychosocial stabilization of individuals and families living with autism. The Autism Healthcare Collaborative provides a
multidisciplinary team approach to the identification and treatment of the
complicated medical comorbidities of autism by connecting medical experts to
families and physicians around the world through medical
videoconferencing. AHC offers innovative solutions for
individuals with autism, across the spectrum and throughout their lifetime,
through comprehensive case management, community outreach, advocacy, and
education. About the Wild Honey Foundation For more information on the Wild Honey Foundation, please go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/183120448393501/ |
Hi everyone,
With all the recent storms in California, especially in Monterey County, Al
Jardine has set up a fundraiser to help SPCA Monterey County evacuate
animals and pets that have been affected or displaced by all the flooding, most
notably in the Pajaro River area.
If you’d like to make a donation, here is the link: https://bit.ly/3nwiJYp
For a $50 donation, Al will send you an autographed postcard and for $100,
you’ll get an autographed CD of A Postcard from California
Feel free to share the link on facebook (or any of your social media accounts)
and thanks for helping our furry and feathered friends!
Spud
All for a good cause … we’ve had some rather severe weather here of late …
Tornadoes ripped through Mississippi while we were down in Kentucky … and we even had to take an alternate route heading home in order to avoid some of the flooded areas in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. A nice incentive from Al to help out our furry friends who cannot fend for themselves. (kk)
Keith Reid, a founding member of Procol Harum, has died.
While the group was best known for their classically-tinged masterpieces “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” and “Conquistador,” it was Reid who provided the lyrics to these heavily orchestrated pieces. (Just a quick glance at the lyrics to either of those tunes gives you some insight into the creative depth of his skill as a lyricist.)
No cause of death was immediately given. (kk)
I know, I know … we’ve beaten the topic to death … but I cannot help but be galled every time I read an article like this one …
Taylor Swift just scored her 189th Hot 100 Hit!!!
(And yes, that is nearly as many as Elvis and The Beatles combined … but STILL not the leader in this category … today, 189 Hot 100 Hits only earns you third place on the list, behind The Cast of “Glee” (with 207 chart hits) and Drake (with 293, or better than 100 more!!! Go ahead … hum three of them … I dare ya!!!)
Anyway, not to diminish her accomplishment (because some truly do consider Taylor Swift to be the equivalent of today’s Beatles), here’s the full scoop …
Meanwhile, Billboard’s new Top TV Songs Chart shows a-ha at #1 with their 1985 Chart-Topping Hit “Take On Me,” thanks to its inclusion in the seventh episode of the HBO Hit “The Last Of Us.” (And how crazy is this??? It has recorded FIFTEEN MILLION Streams since the episode first aired in February!!!)
“Take On Me” did spend one week at #1 back in ’85 … but this is just CRAZY!!! (kk)
Word is The Hollies will be doing a 60th Anniversary Tour of The UK.
Currently consisting of original guitarist Tony Hicks and drummer Bobby Elliott, the band is rounded out by lead singer Peter Howarth, bass player Ray Stiles, keyboardist Ian Parker and rhythm guitarist Steve Lauri.
UK dates include:
Saturday,
September 16th - Blackburn King George’s Hall
Sunday, September 17th - Northampton Royal and Derngate
Thursday, September 21st - Cheltenham Town Hall
Friday, September 22nd - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Saturday, September 23rd - Gateshead The Sage
Sunday, September 24th - York Barbican
Friday, September 29th - Scarborough Grand Hall
Saturday, September 30th - Sheffield City Hall
Sunday,
October 1st - Salford Lowry
Thursday, October 5th - Guildford G Live
Friday, October 6th - Reading Hexagon
Saturday, October 7th - Cardiff St David’s Hall
Sunday, October 8th - Llandudno Cymru Theatre
Thursday, October 12th - Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Friday, October 13th - Stoke Victoria Hall
Saturday, October 14th - Wolverhampton The Halls
Thursday, October 19th - Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall Theatre
Friday, October 20th - Bath Forum
Saturday, October 21st - Cambridge Corn Exchange
Friday, October 27th - Eastbourne Congress Theatre
Saturday, October 28th - Ipswich Regent Theatre
Sunday, October 29th - Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Friday,
November 3rd - Basingstoke Anvil
Saturday, November 4th - Southampton O2 Guildhall
Sunday, November 5th - Truro Hall For Cornwall
Thursday, November 9th - London Palladium
At present, there are no plans to bring the band here Stateside. (kk)
DIDJAKNOW?: I recently learned (in my “The McCartney Legacy” book) that Macca once tried to poach Hollies Drummer Bobby Elliott for Wings?
Neither will say just how serious the offer was but Wings (much like The Beatles early on before they finally snagged Ringo) went thru a series of drummers over the years, never seeming to really “click” with one on a more permanent basis … and, reportedly, after a Hollies show one night in the early ‘70’s, McCartney approached Elliott backstage after the stage and made (what sounds to me like more of a “feel me out” / “let me just throw this out there”) type offer … but Bobby wasn’t having it. A Hollie since Day One (and still with the group today), he opted to stay put where he was, thank you very much. (kk)
The rock group Sweet will be making an appearance at The Arcada Theatre on April 29th as part of their current US tour. The band is hot again with their songs “Ballroom Blitz” being prominently featured in this year’s March Madness campaign (as well as the film “Suicide Squad”) while their Top Five Smash “Fox On The Run” is featured in the latest “Guardians Of The Galaxy” flick. (kk)
Could a Faces reunion be in the works???
Talks of recording new material with original members Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood and Kenney Jones are reportedly underway … and the possibility of a reunion tour to support the new LP are also being discussed.
A brand new book profiling the band, “Tell Everyone – A People’s History Of The Faces,” is due out in June … so awareness will be high for the legendary British band.
Stay tuned for more details as they become available. (kk)
From David Salidor …
Micky Dolenz - whose “Micky Dolenz Celebrates The Monkees” tour kicked off Saturday, April 1st in Orlando - performed two SRO shows at last week's Flower Power Cruise. Peter Asher introduced him at both shows. Several life-long fans said these shows were among his best ever.
(photo by Jodi Ritzen)
More Micky news ...
And The Beatles “Get Back To Let It Be” Exhibit is back at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (man, I’d still love to see this!!!)
Hearing lots about this new film “Spinning Gold” …
And not necessarily in a GOOD way …
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/spinning-gold-movie-review-2023
That being said, the one that I really want to see is the new John Lennon / May Pang “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story” movie! (Betcha Yoko’s not too happy about THIS one … despite the fact that SHE’s the one who set these two up!!!)
In addition to Bob Dylan’s current best-selling book, “The Philosophy of Modern Song,” profiling the meaning behind some of rock and roll’s greatest lyrics, a brand NEW Dylan book will become available in mid-October that provides access to some extremely rare documents and photographs from throughout his storied career.
According to the official press release, “the centerpiece of Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine, is a carefully curated selection of over 600 images, including never-before-circulated draft lyrics, writings, photographs, drawings and other ephemera from the Dylan archive.” It promises to offer ”a close look at the full scope of Dylan’s working life, particularly from the dynamic perspective of his ongoing and shifting creative processes — his earliest home recordings in the mid-1950s right up through 2020’s Rough and Rowdy Ways, his most recent studio recording, and into the present day.”
You can pre-order this new title here: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1734537795/expectingrain-20?&linkCode=sl1&tag=besclaban04-20&linkId=1ad65bf53dff005943b0a26d66aac362&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
More book news from Harvey Kubernik:
The Beatles by Terry O’Neill: Five Decades of Photographs in the U.K.
Due in June;
By Harvey Kubernik Copyright © 2011, 2023
A new photo book with previously unpublished images of The Beatles by legendary photographer Terry O’Neill (July 30, 1938 – November 16, 2019) will be published this spring. The title, The Beatles by Terry O’Neill: The Definitive Collection, arrives in the U.S. on June 13, 2023, via Weldon Owen. The book is called The Beatles by Terry O’Neill: Five Decades of Photographs in the U.K., where it will be published on March 16 via Welbeck.
The 256-page book, notes the publishers, features the Beatles like never before in hundreds of previously unpublished images and exclusive unknown stories of the Fab Four by O’Neill, who had exclusive access to their lives in the studio, on stage, on tour,
For more than 50 years, emerging from the East End of London, Terry O’Neill’s camera chronicled the frontline of fame, in particular the emerging rock stars ‘60s. O’Neill photographed The Beatles and The Rolling Stones when they were both struggling young bands seeking that elusive recording contract in London’s clubs and pubs.
Terry O’Neill is one of the world’s most accomplished and collected photographers whose images hang in national galleries and private homes worldwide.
O’Neill has produced covers for “Time,” “Newsweek,” “Stern,” “Paris Match,” “The Sunday Times Magazine,” and “Vanity Fair” for over six decades. He has been photographing U.S. Presidents, Prime Ministers, rock ‘n’ roll stars, Oscar winners and the British Royal Family since he first picked up a camera in 1958.
His work has informed iconic movie posters, album covers and fashion plates for the world’s top designers. He also discovered supermodels such as Jodie Kidd.
A former jazz drummer himself, O’Neill pioneered backstage reportage photography with the likes of Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry and many others, capturing the stars and bands up close and inside the action.
He witnessed and subsequently lensed a world when the relationship between photographer and subject was unfettered by image-conscious movie studios, controlling record labels, marketers and brand managers.
Interview Conducted By Harvey Kubernik © 2011
Q: What sort of impact did the Beatles and the Rolling Stones have on you?
TO: To be honest, you know, none of us knew what we were doing at the beginning. I didn’t realize the impact of my work at the time. None of the sixties stars took themselves seriously either. I used to hang out with all the rock ‘n’ rollers and the models and meet at the Ad Lib Club at the back of Leicester Square in London every night and talk about what job we’re gonna have to do when this is over. Because we all thought everything was gonna finish and grind to a halt and we’d have to get a proper job.
Mick Jagger joked that he would still be singing at 40. We honestly thought we’d have to get proper jobs. I was going to work in a bank, and Ringo Starr was going to do the same.
I did early shots of The Beatles and the Rolling Stones working for ‘The Daily Sketch,’ and picked up photography along the way. I asked questions about lenses and effects and I just did it. Sixties London was so exciting. But everyday something new happened in England. They’d invent the mini-skirt or there would be a new top model like Jean Shrimpton or Twiggy. There was always something happening. So life was too good to be true and you had all these fabulous girls. It was like being born in heaven Sixties London was so exciting. Every day I was doing something new – Mary Quant one day, Jean Shrimpton the next.
Q: You knew the Beatles and Stones personally and obviously they were comfortable with you and allowed total access. But as photographic subjects early on, and you just had an exhibition of the 1963 Beatles at Abbey Road in 2010 at The Morrison Hotel gallery in New York, what were the bands like early on?
TO: There is a certain naivete about all of the pictures. I mean, all this was a brand new world. You must remember, at the time there had never been any pop pictures, as I call them, in newspapers. And I took all the first pictures of the Beatles and they ended up in this newspaper. It started a whole new world where every paper on Fleet Street started publishing pop pictures, because they found that they sold newspapers. And their music was too special. You just knew it was something. A lot of great music came out of the Sixties as a matter of fact, and the Beatles and Stones were the best of the bunches around.
And every time I saw the Beatles, I could barely hear a word they were saying. And they only did 20, 25 minutes. That’s all they could do because they couldn’t hear themselves. And in the beginning, the Stones were a crude version of a blues band. But they were good. And they improved and now they are great artists. Keith Richard is a major soloist in the world of guitar playing.
Q: And you were drawn a bit to the Stones, Cream, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience perhaps because those bands had drummers, Charlie Watts, Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell, with jazz roots.
TO: They did! I used to sit in sometimes at parties, play at parties, and they were really surprised that I could play so well. You know, from the jazz clubs. Charlie was a great jazz drummer actually.
Q: Who were better subjects to photograph the Beatles or Stones?
TO: Well, I know this sounds strange, but the Stones, really, because they were five different individuals. I mean, it was very hard to get good pictures of the Beatles because they were always surrounded by so many people. Brian Epstein, Derek Taylor. And the Beatles weren’t into doing pictures. Do you know what I mean?
When I first started taking pictures of the Beatles the newspaper people were horrified partially because of the length of their hair, because they were all used to ‘short back and side’ haircuts. And there were these kids who all looked like pre-historic monsters to them. But they were the people at the time.
The Beatles were one of the first jobs I ever did. Then the next was the Stones. We’re all starting together. It’s been an incredible journey. I sort of started at the top. And when I came to America, I thought we’d all have to get proper jobs.
At age 24 the first time I came to Hollywood as a freelance photographer it reminded me of the South of France. It seemed like heaven on earth to me. It was a fabulous place and everyone was so nice to me. Just fantastic. And all the women were great. And they loved the English accent. It was fantastic I’ll tell you.
When I arrived to the States, I had a chance to come to Hollywood and I met people like Fred Astaire and Shirley MacLaine, who threw a dinner for me. And all they wanted to do was talk about the Beatles, Stones, Jean Shrimpton and Twiggy. I suddenly realized this is gonna go on if somebody like Fred Astaire is interested in these people and knew all about them that it was all for real. Being part of the London scene really opened doors for me over there. All Fred Astaire and Shirley MacLaine wanted to hear about was the Beatles and the Stones. That’s when I thought maybe the whole thing would last. When I got back to England and the Beatles had split up. It was ironic.
As far as photographing the Rolling Stones, the Stones seemed more like five individuals. And Andrew Loog Oldham, who managed them, understood. When I worked on a newspaper if I couldn’t get over to his office to photograph someone he’d bring them over to ‘The Daily Sketch’ office and I’d photograph them. Marianne Faithfull came over one day. Can you imagine that happening today? (laughs).
Listen, the paparazzi and the publicists destroyed the type of photography that I do. They forced every star into not letting photographers into their lives, or give them any time. They don’t strike up working relationships with ‘em. It’s awful, really. It’s gonna cause a huge rift in the photographic history of Hollywood for a start. I mean, it’s just gone now. The publicists want approval of everything. The words, the pictures, ‘you can only use this one here and that one there and you shoot it in the hotel room’ or something. It’s a joke.
The paparazzi have made room for a lot of people with no talent. You know, just press a button on a machine and it will take endless pictures on a motor. But digital cameras can’t capture a spontaneous moment like 35mm because of the time lag between pressing the button and taking the shot.
All the digital thing, there is nothing that beats a film negative. There never will be. It’s just not possible. And I feel sorry for young photographers today because today because they’ve got no magazines to be in with any consequence. It’s really killed my style of photography, and to the demise of the great photographic magazines like ‘Life’ and ‘Paris Match.’
>>>It's the Forgotten Hits Book Club, for sure! (kk)
>>>If you continue to print pages like 'Thursday This and That', how am I ever supposed to find time to read these books? (Shelley Sweet-Tufano)
>>>You DEFINITELY still need to find a way to squeeze us in from time to time, too! (kk)
Shelly resorts to trying to find the time to "squeeze" in both!
CB
Thanks, buddy!
(I won't lie ... I grimaced a little bit as I typed that ...
And my voice went up an octave as well.)
HAPPY SPRING, EVERYBODY!!!
(The flurries should stop any minute now!) kk
Another case of fraud in a photo! My fingers are slimmer and my hand smaller. (Does lightning strike these thoughts into Chuck's mind at night?) ROFL
Shelley
The Willie Nelson / Keith Richards legacy continues …
Now this, from Chuck Buell …
CB also points out …
You know, Kent, our whole careers have been based on using Words, whether it’s writing a Blog or being on the Radio.
Do you ever wonder how a common, everyday word was first created a long time ago, put into use and is still used today?!
I came across a piece of vocabulary history about a word we probably use every day!
Interesting . . . . .
