Labor Day Weekend ... Summer's Over

A Reflection from our in-Resident ... ah ... Reflector, Chuck Buell ...

The Kids are Back in School . . .'

The last Summer Bar-B-Que has Bar-B-Qued . . .

Rewound Radio’s Labor Day Weekend Special has Come and Gone . . .

Stores are selling Halloween, Thanxgiving, and Christmas Decorations.

Summer is Unofficially Officially Over.  [ sigh ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But it’s not all sad . . .   

 

I will not miss . . .

 

Mediocre Ice Cream eaten from a Wet Paper Cup with a Wooden Spoon that tastes like a Medical Tongue depressor!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally judging that Famous Fashion Disaster worn by others, Sandals with Socks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Holidays’ Forecasts that say, “Possible Light Afternoon Showers!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And . . . Public Unisex Bathrooms!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For we now have now entered September, the month those Forgotten Hits sang about last Spring and was what then a time far off in the future.

 

And now with about 290 Days until the beginning of Summer 2024 in my mind, and that there are others who look forward to September for their own personal reasons, here’s my “Summer’s Over Chuck Buell Minute Medley.”

 

 

CB ( which stands for “Contemplation Boy!” )

 

THIS AND THAT: 

We heard the rumors all day long ... but nothing to OFFICIALLY announce the death of Gary Wright.  Even late Monday night, most of the headlines read that he "reportedly died"

 

But when we saw postings by some of his friends saying goodbye, we pretty much knew it was true ... and official.

 

After co-founding the rock band Spooky Tooth, Gary made quite a name for himself as a session keyboardist ... and buddied up with George Harrison, who produced some of Gary's solo tracks once he went off on his own.  (Wright returned the favor by playing on some of George's albums, including "All Things Must Pass.")

 

Wright hit pay dirt three times on the pop charts, first hitting #1 with his debut solo single, "Dream Weaver" in 1976.  He followed that up with a #2 showing for "Love Is Alive" later that year (from the same album.) 

 

And then five years later he was back in The Top 20 with the #16 Hit "Really Wanna Know You." 

Gary had been having health issues for the past few years, having to cancel several gigs along the way (including one appearance that we were supposed to see as part of Jim Peterik's annual World Stage show.)  He also made several appearances over the years as a member of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band.

I remember seeing Gary Wright for the very first time on The Dick Cavett Show when he was booked as the musical guest (at George's urging) during an appearance by George Harrison, who had come on the program to promote the upcoming "Concert For Bangla Desh" concert soundtrack album.  (George "mysteriously" sat in with the band during Gary's performance.)

One of the lines that cracked me up that night as George kicked into full promotional mode was when Cavett mentioned something about having John and Yoko on his program recently to promote something THEY were doing (most likely John's "Sometime In New York City" album), George responded by saying, "Yes, I've learned a lot from the Lennons."  (kk)

 

Did you get a chance to listen to any of the WLS / WCFL Rewound Labor Day Weekend radio special?

Kent ...

I couldn't turn it off!  

I've been running it around the clock since Saturday morning on my little neighborhood FM station here in suburban Detroit.  It is a freaking masterpiece!  ART

Art Vuolo Jr.

Radio's Best Friend

Due to a constantly changing and evolving schedule this past weekend,, I got to listen to a lot more of it than I thought I would be able to.

My favorite hour was at 5 am Chicago time on Monday ... my alarm went off as it always does ... but since there was no work this past Monday, I was able to just lie there in bed and listen to the whole hour.

Of all things, it was an hour of Robert E. Lee filling in for vacationing Art Roberts, now doing mornings at WCFL ...  an hour I probably wouldn't even have bothered with when it first came on back in 1971!

However, I was astounded and transfixed ...

It was proof once again that back then, there was no etched-in-stone, set-formula that radio had to follow ... and in the course of the SAME hour ... the SAME hour mind you!!! ... I was able to hear ...

The Donnie Elbert version of "Where Did Our Love Go," one of my favorite Forgotten Hits, "Don't Say You Don't Remember" by Beverly Bremers, "Cherish" by David Cassidy ... a commercial for one of the great cult-favorite movies "Harold And Maude," the JERRY LEE LEWIS version of "Me And Bobby McGee," Roberta Flack's soft and sensuous take on "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," "Stones" by Neil Diamond, a Coca Cola commercial sung by Tammy Wynette (!), another GREAT Forgotten Hit, "Five Hundred Miles" by Heaven Bound (which flopped nationally but went to #5 on the WCFL chart ... I don't think WLS even played this one!!!) ... followed by my all-time favorite New Colony Six song, "Long Time To Be Alone."  Before the hour was over, Robert E. Lee also played "Kiss An Angel Good Morning" and the track "Tomorrow" from the then brand-new, debut Wings album!!!

Throw in a couple of oldies ("It Hurts To Be In Love" by Gene Pitney and "You Were On My Mind" by We Five) and the ONLY bona-fide, current Top 40 Hit played the entire hour was Don McLean's "American Pie!!!"  In the meantime, listeners were treated to ALL of these obscurities in THE SAME HOUR, exactly as it was first broadcast on December 21st, 1971!!!  Pretty frickin' amazing!!!

 

    UPDATE:  I just HAD to know how all of these rarities fared on The WCFL Survey back then ... that was just SO many obscurities in the same hour!

    "Where Did Our Love Go" by Donnie Elbert peaked at #3 on the WCFL chart (and #15 nationally); "Don't Say You Don't Remember" reached #4 (#13); "Cherish" hit #3 (#3); "Me And Bobby McGee" went to #25 (#40); "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" never actually charted on 'CFL (#49 in Record World ... but only #76 in Billboard);  "Stones" to #7 (#10); "Five Hundred Miles" #5 (#79); "Long Time To Be Alone" went to #13 (#93 ... and I remember the back of an old WCFL survey showing it in The Top Ten in Hawaii!) and "Kiss An Angel Good Morning" #9 (#19).  (The national peaks for each of these records is shown in red ... again, proving that WCFL was charting its own course, REGARDLESS of what the national trades were promoting as "the hits.")

    Talking with Ted Gorden Smucker during the weekend broadcast, he reminded me that next year marks WLS' 100th Anniversary ... so all kinds of really cool options exist to make for a very special celebration.  Can't wait!!!  (kk)