According to Chuck Buell, our resident Forgotten Hits Historian, we missed a key anniversary the other day ...
Sunday, August 20th, was “National Radio Day,” the day that recognizes the great invention of the radio and present-day prime conveyor around the world of the Great Songs known and loved as “Forgotten Hits.”
While the first commercial radio station is historically well-known to be KDKA in Pittsburgh which, in the evening of November 2, 1920, broadcast the returns of the Harding-Cox presidential election, a Detroit radio station aired what is believed to be the first radio news broadcast shortly before that on August 20th, 1920. "8MK". Operating with an amateur radio license, it began its daily broadcasts as the "Detroit News Radiophone." Today, that radio station is known as WWJ, Detroit.
Perhaps more important than that is that the first Forgotten Hit ever played on a radio is credited several years prior to even that to inventor Reginald Fessenden, who received hundreds of patents in various fields most notably ones related to radio.
On December 24, 1906, he broadcast the first transmission of speech and music by radio from a transmitter he built in his garage in Brant Rock, Massachusetts, when he read a passage from the Bible and played that Famous Old Forgotten Hit, “Oh, Holy Night” on a violin.
This event is considered to be the beginning of AM Radio and an integral part of the later creation of Kent Kotal’s “Forgotten Hits” website and without which, beginning as a Junior High Schooler at KRSD-AM in Rapid City, I would not have had the lifelong radio career that I did!
But because no one owned a radio at the time of Fessenden's historic broadcast, the number of listeners to his original broadcast was estimated to be only a small unknown number of shipboard radio operators along the Atlantic Coast.
However, that soon changed for future radio stations as upon their discharges, four then unknown shipboard radio operators would soon make radio listening measurement history . . . Radiomen First Class Howard Hooper, Peter Pulse, R. B. Arbitron and Harry Neilsen.
OK, I might have made that last part up about those radio operators, but still . . .
Happy Radio Day to all my Former Radio Show Listeners Far and Wide!
And . . . "Thanx for listening!"
CB ( which stands for “Calibration Boy!” )
It's our common love of radio that bonds us together ... The Forgotten Hits Family. We all have our lifetime favorites ... but no matter where (or when) we grew up, we all experienced it together. SO cool that we were able to eventually meet up here. (kk)
AUGUST 20 = "NATIONAL RADIO DAY" & AUGUST 21 = "NATIONAL POET DAY" --
TO MY FAVORITE D J's ...
I Put August 20 & August 21 Together ...
And Here's What I Came Up With ...
Alan Freed & Don K. Reed Would Play My Platters On The Radio.
I'd Also See Them At Concerts When I Use To Go.
Bad Boy Brooklyn Billy. Sometimes He Can Be Silly.
Lots Of Fun, With This One.
Dr. Bop Plays Oldies Non - Stop. Warning:
He Rocks On Wednesday & He's Mellow On Sunday Morning.
Glen Fisher Gets Credit For Our Oldies Survival ---
With His " DOO-WOP REVIVAL."
Kojak = Birthdays + Promos + Hellos. His Interviews Are Best.
He'll Even Play Your Requests.
Wild Wayne = He Hosts The Country's Longest Running Oldies Show.
Trust Me ... I Listen Every Week & I Know.
FRANK B ( Poet & D J )
Damn, Frank ...
You're a poet ... and I didn't even know it!!!
(Of course today they call that Rap Music.) kk
The Rolling Stones have taken out a very clever ad in a UK Newspaper teasing the release of their brand new album next month …
Teasing under the heading “Hackney Diamonds … Specialists in Glass Repair, opening September, 2023,” the ad reads: “Our friendly team promises you satisfaction. When you say gimme shelter, we’ll fix your shattered windows.” (And just in case those references weren’t quite subtle enough, the ad also has the Rolling Stones tongue logo at the top of the page ... and the tag line “Est. 1962” at the bottom. (In another “wink-wink,” the 60th Anniversary gemstone is a diamond.)
Speculation is that the new LP will be called “Hackney Diamonds” … and that more ads will follow (and in more places) as we get closer to the release date. (kk)
Anybody else happen to stumble across The Monkees Marathon that aired this past weekend?
While channel surfing Saturday Morning I happened across something called Catchy Comedy TV (a channel I didn’t even know I had!) and there they were, running 24/7 throughout the weekend. I found myself flipping back to it, rewatching some of my favorite episodes. (They aired the entire series over the two days) kk
Speaking of the Monkees, Micky was on “Good Day Sacramento” the other day!
MICKY DOLENZ ON GOOD DAY SACRAMENTO, 8-17-23
https://www.cbsnews.com/gooddaysacramento/video/mickey-dolenz-joins-us/
Here’s a classic Micky shot …
Young Micky Dolenz with Bob Hope and Danny Thomas!!!
Chuck Buell doesn't just keep track of OLD events ...
He also keeps tabs on current news events that are happening TODAY!!!
A significant three-day meeting of high profile leaders from five major emerging economies known as the BRICS summit begins in South Africa today. This closely-watched gathering of influential BRICS members includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and host nation South Africa.
So, in the interest of helping to promote Compatible World Harmony, here for their meeting breaks enjoyment is my “Chuck Buell BRIC Summit Minute Medley!”
CB ( which stands for “Compatibility-Encouraging Boy!” )
More Chuck ...
So, last night, Linda and some of her Tennis Teams Ladies had a “Girls Night Out” and went to a Karaoke Bar!
Before the evening was over, they were up on stage singing Garth Brooks’ “Friends In Low Places!”
Now I know you don’t know any of them (except Linda and she’s hidden behind the group), but I thought you might find it of some passing interest to see the video I produced for them. The original goes on for about 4-plus minutes, so I edited it down to just a minute for you!
It’s attached! Be sure to watch it to the end!
Hope you find it Fun!
CB!
From Harvey Kubernik …
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Roxy Theatre and its enduring relevance, the GRAMMY Museum® announces its newest exhibit, The Roxy: 50 Years On The Sunset Strip, which explores the club’s origins and rich musical history.
A media announcement from the GRAMMY Museum® describes the event:
The exhibit will offer visitors a front-row view of the many musicians that played onstage, the celebrities who mingled upstairs at On The Rox (the Roxy’s VIP space), and the eclectic details of the Rocky Horror stage show and movie.
The exhibit launches at the GRAMMY Museum on September 15th, 2023, with a special film screening, a rooftop reception, and a Q&A with Lou Adler and his sons Nic and Cisco. The exhibit will run through January 7th, 2024.
“'I look forward to experiencing and sharing with the public the 50 years of Roxy history as memorialized by the GRAMMY Museum,” said Adler.
“The Roxy and the Sunset Strip are deeply embedded in music history, and 50 years later, the Roxy continues to be a club where music’s most exciting moments still take place,” said Jasen Emmons, Chief Curator and VP of Curatorial Affairs at the GRAMMY Museum.
“This exhibit highlights Lou Adler and the Roxy’s ability to tap into the cultural zeitgeist and lets visitors dive into the rich world of one of the most historic and beloved locations in Los Angeles.”
The origin of the Roxy can be traced to a late 1971 rude awakening Adler received at the nearby Doug Weston's Troubadour club when Carole King was making her debut at the West Hollywood nitery.
The reliable club manager, Robert Marchese, was not present the night when Adler, King's manager, and owner of Ode Records, was informed twice that his name "wasn't on the list," and curtly dismissed by a Troubadour doorman.
Lou mentioned the incident to his friend and mentor, Elmer Valentine, founder of the Whisky A Go Go with Mario Maglieri, and they decided that the Sunset Strip needed another venue, a rock club.
"I never went to Chuck Landis' strip club, The Largo, but certainly was aware of Candy Barr and Miss Beverly Hills being up on the marquee," reminisced Adler in a 2008 interview I conducted with him inside his Malibu office.
"The only time I went into The Largo was the day that Elmer and I looked at possibly buying it. It became the Roxy Theatre."
On September 20th, 1973, Lou Adler and Elmer Valentine, along with Peter Asher, David Geffen, Bill Graham, Chuck Landis, and Elliot Roberts as advisors, opened The Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip. Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers initiated the club with a three-night stand, playing two shows every evening, and The Roxy quickly became one of the city’s premier clubs.
In March, 1974, The Roxy debuted the U.S. theatrical production of The Rocky Horror Show, which two years later became the cult classic film produced by Adler, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and continues to be in distribution since its release.
A 50th anniversary for the Roxy will be feted with two nights of Neil Young, September 20th and 21st. Both shows will benefit charities the Painted Turtle and Bridge School. Lou has also curated a Live at the Roxy album that features songs recorded from the venue. Tracks by Young, Bruce Springsteen, the Ramones, Brian Wilson, George Benson, Emmylou Harris, and Warren Zevon are included in the compilation.
On September 24th, reggae artist Stephen Marley revives the 1976 set list by his father Bob that was issued as Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Live at the Roxy.
The Roxy: 50 Years On The Sunset Strip highlights the Los Angeles institution’s legacy through artifact displays including Roxy memorabilia from Lou Adler’s archives, an original film, and photographs.
Exhibit highlights include:
Sixty photographs of performers such as Cheech & Chong, The Clash, the Go-Go’s, Guns
N’ Roses, Bob Marley, Mötley Crüe, Patti Smith, Neil Young, and Frank Zappa.
Candid behind-the-scenes photos of celebrities like Jack Nicholson at On The Rox.
Photos from the original production of The Rocky Horror Show and movie.
Historical Roxy memorabilia from Lou Adler’s archives, including original invitations for the Roxy’s opening night and to the debut of The Rocky Horror Show; the original membership application for On The Rox, including key given to members; and the white upright piano from On The Rox that was played by Elton John, John Lennon, and Bruce Springsteen, among others.
An original documentary short film, featuring interviews with Lou Adler, his sons Nic and Cisco, Peter Asher, and David Foster, whose first gig in Los Angeles was as the keyboard player for The Rocky Horror Show.
For more information regarding advanced ticket reservations for the exhibit, please visit www.grammymuseum.org.
Lou Adler penned the Afterword of my 2008 book, Canyon of Dreams: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon.
In the pages, Lou wrote, "For me it's been an incredible journey, a life lived by simply traveling on Sunset: starting in Boyle Heights, through Echo Park, Silver Lake, Los Feliz into Hollywood, Sunset and Vine going in and out of Laurel Canyon, and continuing West on Sunset.
"The Sunset Strip ends at the Rainbow, and hopefully by that point you reach what you've been looking for, personally and artistically, and if you're lucky, you get what is at the end of the proverbial rainbow."
As for the legacy of Adler's music venues, Lou mused in a July, 2023, interview with Steve Appleford of The Los Angeles Times. "Oh, I think we’ll be here forever.
"It may turn into a building that houses the Roxy and has apartments. Whatever’s going to happen to Sunset Boulevard we’ll sort of go along with it, as long as there’s always a Rainbow, a Whisky and a Roxy.”
I was in attendance the night Adler and Co. opened the Roxy in September. 1973.
Over the subsequent decades, some of my favorite live shows Lou booked in the room were Bob Marley & the Wailers, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Nils Lofgren, Captain Beefheart, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Chuck Berry, Eric Carmen, Dion, Jimmy Cliff, Robert Palmer, Flo & Eddie, Little Feat, the Crusaders, Smokey Robinson, Brian Wilson, Talking Heads, Cheech & Chong, Peter Gabriel, Muddy Waters, and Tina Marie. One delighted fan quipped after Tina's performance, "Girl, they can retire that stage."
My brother Kenneth saw Bill Evans, Weather Report and Pat Metheny at the Roxy.
Lou Adler is identified inextricably with the musical culture of Los Angeles and Hollywood. His fingerprints and commercially successful pop music retail endeavors have been heard nationally and internationally for over two thirds of a century.
With an uncanny feel for the public’s tastes and mood, Lou Adler has been at the forefront of launching such national and international trends related to rock oriented genres; independent production, “boutique” record labels, live recordings, the singer-songwriter, surf and protest music, festivals, charities, films, comedy … theater and live music venues.
A lifelong Angelino, he has been honored by the Mayor and City Council of Los Angeles for bringing recognition to the City of Angels. In fact, by popularizing California pop culture, he did as much as anyone to entice the music industry to shift its base in the 1960s from New York to Los Angeles.
Lou Adler received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 6th, 2006.
Adler produced the music and guided the careers of Jan and Dean, Johnny Rivers, the Mamas and The Papas, Spirit, and Carole King, as well as the comedy of Cheech and Chong. His productions include The Mamas and Papas’ “California Dreamin’,” Scott McKenzie’s “San Francisco (Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair),” Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction,” Sam Cooke’s “(What a) Wonderful World,” and the ground-breaking multi-platinum, multi-GRAMMY Award winning Carole King’s Tapestry album.
As a multi-Grammy winner, he has produced 18 Gold and Platinum albums, including some of the biggest selling albums of all time; he has produced 33 Top 10 singles and co-written three Top 10 songs: “Honolulu Lulu,” “Poor Side of Town,” and “(What a) Wonderful World.”
Highly recommended is "Lou Adler A Musical History," an album issued last decade.
Also happening on September 15th …
BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) will present Billy F Gibbons, the centerpiece and one third of ZZ Top, with its coveted Troubadour Award during a private reception at BMI’s Nashville office on Monday, Sept. 18th. The prestigious accolade recognizes a songwriter who has made a profound impact on the creative community as their craft continues to set the pace for generations to follow. As the chief songwriter for ZZ Top, Gibbons’ credits include iconic hits such as “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” “Cheap Sunglasses” and “La Grange,” the lead single from ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres album that catapulted the trio into mainstream success fifty years ago.
“With a career spanning several decades, Billy has penned an array of timeless hits that have left an inedible mark on the music industry,” BMI’s VP of Creative Nashville, Clay Bradley said. “His ability to craft lyrics that resonate with audiences across generations is a testament to his songwriting prowess and he is the epitome of what the BMI Troubadour Award represents.”
Dubbed “Nashville’s most glorious low-key party” (Rolling Stone), the night will include unforgettable tribute performances and commemorative speeches by special guests during cocktail reception and dinner. Gibbons joins the ranks of past Troubadour Award recipients including John Hiatt, John Prine, Robert Earl Keen and Lucinda Williams. Falling on the eve of AMERICANAFEST, the night serves as a homecoming for BMI’s Americana family of artists and is sponsored by George Dickel Bourbon and WP Global.
Gibbons has been an essential part of the American musical landscape since ZZ Top’s formation in 1969. Regarded as one of the world’s finest guitarist players, ZZ Top’s signature sound can be credited to Gibbons’ distinct style that has resonated throughout all genres. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band has released 15 studio albums while selling more than 50 million records worldwide.
Someone on your list might be interested in this.
It all happened at the concert I reviewed in White Plains, NY
It’s a signed guitar raffle!
All proceeds are supporting “Service Dogs For Heroes.”
This guitar was signed on the night of the Freedom Concert at The Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY, just before the concert started.
The guitar is signed by Tony Orlando, Jay and the Americans, Bobby Wilson, Dennis Tufano, Charlies Thomas’ Drifters, Just Nuts, The Chiclettes and our host, Dennis Nardone.
From Clark Besch …
Check out this photo from a greeting card I got. What a picture!!!
>>>Did you watch that video of Ray Hildebrand performing “Hey Paula” on The Ray Stevens Show? It’s a hoot! (kk)
I did … and I also watched the "college reunion" video with the REAL Paula. They were a blip on the rock and roll radar -- only on the charts in 1963 -- but their #1 song continues to be a favorite on what's left of the "Oldies" stations.
Tim Kubat
Ending today on a feel-good high note …
Several Years ago, Linda had the opportunity to travel and perform for a few years as part of the internationally known and acclaimed group “Up With People.”
Recently, a few members and friends of her former casts were in Tucson and during one of their signature small and casual, personal sit-around-a-room gatherings where they laughed, sang songs and reminisced about their days traveling and entertaining together, they soon agreed that they've all had pretty good lives overall. Today, some are in their own groups and play and sing at all kinds of events, clubs and other functions still.
Out of this recent get together, and utilizing their collective and extensive music and production skills, a song was born acknowledging their “Good Life” feelings. I've had a chance to hear it and I think it’s pretty good!
So, in the interest of starting your day off on an uplifting and positive note as Up With People have always been known, I wanted to share this exclusive with you, too.
It’s attached.
I hope you have a Wonderful Day and also take a moment to recognize the Good in Your Life too!
CB
