A day late and a dollar short …
Jann Wenner finally realized it’s best to apologize for his idiotic comments last week to the New York Times. (Or at least that’s what they want you to believe … the statement was issued by Wenner’s book publisher late Saturday night after the shit had already hit the fan and Wenner had been ousted from The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation that he helped to found.
In an official statement, Wenner said:
"In my interview with the The New York Times I made comments that diminished the contributions, genius and impact of Black and women artists and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks. The Masters is a collection of interviews I’ve done over the years that seemed to me to best represent an idea of rock ’n’ roll’s impact on my world; they were not meant to represent the whole of music and its diverse and important originators but to reflect the high points of my career and interviews I felt illustrated the breadth and experience in that career. They don’t reflect my appreciation and admiration for myriad totemic, world-changing artists whose music and ideas I revere and will celebrate and promote as long as I live. I totally understand the inflammatory nature of badly chosen words and deeply apologize and accept the consequences.” (kk)
Meanwhile, Rolling Stone Magazine, the rock music bible that went on to do SO much more, and which Wenner founded back in 1967, has done its part to distance itself from Jann Wenner. (Wenner hasn’t had ties to the magazine since 2019.)
In an official statement, Rolling Stone said:
Jann Wenner’s recent statements do not represent the values and practices of today’s Rolling Stone. He has not been directly involved in our operations since 2019. At Rolling Stone‘s core is the understanding that music above all can bring us together, not divide us.
(kk)
Hi Kent –
The Rock and Roll HOF Foundation has finally had enough of Jann Wenner.
Clive
I’ve got to believe other examples of his prejudices will come out as time moves on … especially in regards to who did and didn’t get nominated … and/or inducted. (kk)
Meanwhile, The Cyber Gods were not kind to us the other day … playing havoc all day long with Chuck Buell’s National Cheeseburger Day piece. (It kept plastering over Monday’s post with quotations from Sunday’s article on Jann Wenner!!!) I’ll bet it took me every bit of TWO HOURS to track down the offending issue that was contaminating our new post … but finally was able to eliminate it about 10:30 Monday Night. And then Chuck's Minute Medley disappeared!!! (WTF?!?!) The post NOW reads exactly the way it was always SUPPOSED to read!
When I let Chuck know, he sent me this …
>>>The Blogger Gods we’re not kind to us again - inserting ALL kinds of copy that was never part of this post. (kk)
Yeah, and I being the only story today, it looks like that Wenner Banner is part of my feature!
Meanwhile, I did some Cyber Digging and found THIS!
That might explain it!
CB
In addition to the major media blitz for the new Rolling Stones album “Hackney Diamonds,” fans can look forward to a new documentary showing the band making the album. No official release date for the documentary as been announced as of yet … but hopefully it will coincide with the release of the album, which comes out October 20th. (Did you pre-order YOUR copy yet???) This one’s going to be big! (kk)
Meanwhile, The Stones are doing their share of publicity as well …
The recording began in 2022 & was remarkably quick.
“We worked fast, but that was the idea. I’m still recovering. It was like a blitzkrieg.”
Keith Richards
Hackney Diamonds is the first album without Charlie.
“There would have been a Rolling Stones without Charlie Watts, but without Charlie Watts there wouldn’t have been the Rolling Stones. He was so tolerant of other people. He would actually stop me from murdering people. The baton being handed over to Steve Jordan from Charlie … that was a very special moment. I think we needed to make a new mark with Steve. To reset the band was important.”
Keith Richards
Hackney Diamonds saw Mick & Keith realign for the first time in years. “Driving Me Too Hard” even written in a room together, like the early years.
“I think we got along on this record really well. Of course we have disagreements about how things should be, but I think that’s pretty normal.”
Mick Jagger
“We’re a weird pair, man. I love him dearly, and he loves me dearly, and let’s leave it at that.”
Keith Richards
The title ‘Hackney Diamonds’ comes from London slang for a smashed car windscreen.
“A lot of the tracks on the album have that explosion. This is a really in-your-face album.”
Ronnie Wood
“Rhythm is the most important thing in your goddamn life. A lot of what you hear ain’t what you hear - it’s what you feel. And that’s a matter of rhythm.”
Keith Richards
Elton John, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga & Stevie Wonder all feature on the record, but it ends with a Mick-Keith duet “Rolling Stones Blues”
“There were six takes total. The one that made the record is take four. And as they went through each take, they moved closer and closer together.”
Andrew Watt, producer
Tom Cuddy sent us this interview …
https://youtu.be/qIFKuhJwKL0?si=mgNS7KSQhtQOoc4l
Me-TV-FM celebrates One Hit Wonders this weekend, featuring dozens and dozens of songs by artists that made their way up the pop charts and then disappeared after one major showing.
Meanwhile, Ultimate Classic Rock has compiled THEIR list of The 40 Biggest One Hit Wonders of All Time … although I’m not sure what criteria they used to come up with it … or even how accurate it is. (The Knack, for example, had two other Top 40 Hits after “My Sharona” exploded in 1979, including a #11 follow-up, “Good Girls Don’t” … so they don’t even QUALIFY as a One Hit Wonder … and yet UCR ranks them at #38 … while The Buggles’ “Video Killed The Radio Star,” which comes in at #1 on their list, was a modest hit at best, peaking at #40 in 1979 … WELL below the chart success of most of the other artists ranked below them. “My Sharona” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Chart for six weeks … yet it ranks 38 places below a record that peaked at #40??? In what universe???)
Several years ago, Forgotten Hits ran a list of The Top 100 One-Hit Wonders compiled by Dee Jay Rich Appell …
You can find it here: http://forgottenhits.com/top_100_one-hit_wonders
(At least this one is based on actual chart performance, rather than just personal favorites … which means that The Knack … AND The Buggles … are nowhere to be found!) kk
FH Reader Frank B let us know that Cousin Brucie had Bruce Belland of The Four Preps on his program last Saturday Night.
I just finished Bruce’s new book “Icons,
Idols and Idiots of Hollywood: My Adventures In America’s First Boy Band” and
I’ve got to tell you, it’s a great read … a real fun remembrance with some great storytelling.
The Four Preps had six National Top 40 Hits between 1958 and 1961 and each of the four original members went on to have storied careers of their own beyond their “boy band” phase.
The bulk of THIS book, however, are the adventures (and misadventures) of The Four Preps and, as I said to promoter Bob Merlis, “Who knew that The Four Preps were THIS cool?!?!?”
HIGHLY recommended. (kk)
Click on the September 16th
link below to hear the whole "two Bruces" thing ...
https://wabcradio.com/podcast/cousin-brucies-saturday-night-rock-n-roll-party/
And click on THIS link to order your own copy of Bruce’s new book …
I promise you, you'll enjoy it!
Micky Dolenz was Chris Carter's guest last Sunday on his KLOS Breakfast With The Beatles program, which was broadcast live from LA's Hard Rock Cafe.
Dolenz talked about his new EP (on 7a Records) of four R.E.M. songs; his LA date on Friday at the Ace Theatre; his forthcoming photo book I'm Told I Had A Good Time (Beatland Books) and his just-out video to "Shiny Happy People.'
DIS
Tom Cuddy sent us this interview with Mike Love of The Beach Boys.
Mike talks about their upcoming appearance at next year’s Stagecoach Festival (normally more of a country music affair) as well as a new documentary being put together that just may reunite the surviving members of the band (Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston) if only for PR purposes. (kk)
It’s not sounding like we should be expecting a 2024 reunion tour for *NSYNC …
Instead, Justin Timberlake will be releasing a new solo album, followed by a major tour … so this new track on the new Trolls movie soundtrack may be all fans will be getting for the time being. (This, too, could change … stay tuned!) kk
In a recent poll held by Total Guitar Magazine, Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” was voted the greatest acoustic song of all time. (Say what?!?! Boy, it certainly doesn’t STAY acoustic for very long!!!) Coming in second was Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” (another big surprise), followed by The Eagles’ “Hotel California” at #3 (which it least HAS an acoustic version), Eric Clapton's “Tears In Heaven” (a beautiful all acoustic song) at #4 and The Beatles” “Blackbird” at #5.
Roger Whittaker, who scored the massively popular Top 20 Hit “The Last Farewell” in 1975, has died.
Whittaker was born in Kenya in 1936 to British parents. When the family moved back to Great Britain (or more specifically Wales) in 1959, Whittaker studied marine biology, graduating with a Bachelor of Science, all the while harboring a love of folk music. His only US hit was actually recorded in 1971 … but not released as a single until four years later, where it became a fluke hit, eventually selling over eleven million copies.
The orchestral opening was used as a lead-in on WGN News for decades! (kk)
Not exactly rock 'n roll, but we lost a great singer and entertainer last Wednesday; Roger Whittaker.
His "Last Farewell" was a beautiful tune, and probably his best known tune, especially in Chicago - the opening bars were used as background for the WGN-TV ID for many years.
One song he did, which wasn't exactly Top-40 material, was one that still gives me goosebumps and even makes me a little misty, is called "Mistral." I highly recommend a listen to that one ... it grows on ya.
I saw him in person at the Auditorium Theater back in the early 80s ... his voice was smooth and very powerful.
He was also one of the greatest whistlers you ever heard. ;-)
Mike Wolstein
It sounds like Kris Kristofferson may be heading into his final days. (Kris has been sick for a while now.)
FH Reader Timmy sent us this link to an article about his current state of affairs.
(I’ll never forget seeing Rita Coolidge in concert a few years ago when she described Kris as her “favorite husband.” Lol)
https://radaronline.com/p/kris-kristofferson-facing-final-days-selling-home-alzheimers/
Katy Perry has sold the rights to her musical catalog for $225 million. (How is this even remotely possible?!?!)
Perry had a string of hits off her “Teenage Dream” album … but seems to have had limited chart success since. (I say this despite the fact that Katy has notched up NINE #1 Singles … boy, was I off!!!)
Perry has spent a total of 33 weeks on top of Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart between 2008 (when she had her first #1 Record with “I Kissed A Girl,” #1 for SEVEN weeks) and 2014, when she had her last. (“Dark Horse,” #1 for four weeks)
Other smashes in between include “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “Last Friday Night” and “Roar.” (I’m sorry, it’s just incredible to think that her catalog could fetch that kind of value … but it turns out she IS a music empire unto herself.) kk
>>>An unconfirmed rumor has been held under the tightest of wraps until it was painstakingly uncovered recently by our FHs Investigative Team Leader, Chuck Buell, that a major toy company is secretly working on a new doll design similar to their Barbie Line of a Special Edition, Limited Time Only . . . "Forgotten Hits Concert Reviewer Shelly!” More details if and when they become available!
(CB - which stands for “Corporate-espionage-spy Boy!”)
Unconfirmed maybe but about time! I can't wait to pick out her wardrobe.
Shelley
>>>I just realized that next year is a Leap Year. (kk)
Yep, it’s true …
And not too soon to make plans for February 29, 2024! I'm already looking forward to it …
For that's the only date that comes around once every four years with which I have an Actual, Official, On-the-Calendar, REAL Birthday!
For real???
How has this never come up before???
For Real!
>>>How has this never come up before??? (kk)
It has. It was in all the Chicago Papers!
This from February 1972 ...
Last week we ran a link to a HILARIOUS series of videos set to the drum break of Phil Collins’ classic “In The Air Tonight.” (#41 in our ranking of THE TOP 3333 MOST-ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME)
