Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Stuck In The Middle (of the Week) With You

The Rolling Stones will do a live streaming promotional piece this morning, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, to announce their new album “Hackney Diamonds.”  (Fans can watch live on YouTube at 9:25 am Eastern.)  This promo clip was released on Monday Morning …

Timmy sent us some photos of Gary Wright with George Harrison to share …

Their bond solidified during the recording of George’s “All Things Must Pass” album, when George came to his defense during a Phil Spector session. 

Wright would later recall the incident this way …

Producer Phil Spector’s voice rang out from the control room into the studio where all the musicians were: 'Wait a minute, wait a minute; who’s that on the Wurlitzer piano making all those mistakes?' Devastated and utterly embarrassed, I meekly raised my hand and said, 'Sorry it’s me, Gary. I’m still learning the structure of the song.' George immediately walked over to me and said consolingly, “Take all the time you need, we’re in no rush.” He was so kind at that moment; I immediately felt a rapport with him."

They would go on to play on each other’s albums for several years to come.  (kk)

kk …

I Just Got A Call From DJ Kojak …

Larry Chance, Lead Singer Of The Earls, Died ... 83 Years Old.

Kojak's 1960's Jukebox Revue Was Going To Be About Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil.

It has been Canceled ... Remember Then Radio Shutting Down For 24 Hours.

FB

I got the chance to visit a little bit with Larry Chance when he and The Earls played at The Arcada Theatre a few years back.  A very good, well-seasoned performer, who really knows how to play to the crowd.

Yes, The Earls only had one hit … but it was a big one … and “Remember Then” has gone on to be the theme song for more than a few oldies radio programs.  (kk)

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2018/07/doo-wop-concert-review-part-1-featuring.html

Here's my tribute to Larry Chance ...

Larry's Gone - His Music Will Live On.

Don K. Reed Will MC a Concert That's Heavenly.

Larry & Willie Will Sing "LIFE IS BUT A DREAM" / A Duet We'll Never Forget / 

One Fast & One Slow - That Much I Know.

The Platters Will Sing "REMEMBER WHEN" After Larry Sings "REMEMBER THEN."

We'll All Sing "CRY-CRY-CRY" As We Look Up Towards The Sky.

Larry Palumbo & Larry Chance Will Sing "I BELIEVE" At The Heavenly Dance.

My "EYES" Are Full Of Tears. 

Although We Never Met, I Feel Like I Know You All These Years.

As Larry Sings "REMEMBER ME BABY" I Say For Sure --- Not Maybe.

FRANK B.

Proud Member Of The Larry Chance Fan Club

About a month back we told you about Bruce Belland’s fascinating -- and very funny -- memoir Icons, Idols and Idiots of Hollywood, noting it would be coming out in September. The book is now available … and one of those stories is, of course, about the creation of The Four Preps’ most resonant hit, “26 Miles (Santa Catalina).” Bruce was inspired to write the song years before he and co-composer Glen Larson authored it. His family hadn’t yet moved to Southern California from Chicago but 10-year old Bruce, a Chicago Cubs fan, found out the team spent spring training on the island before the war. The Cubs, like the island, was owned by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley. 

 

Once Bruce relocated to Los Angeles (West Hollywood, be specific), his obsession with Catalina grew, as it was visible from the beach where he body surfed as a young teen.  After The Four Preps came together for a talent show at Hollywood High and were signed to Capitol Records, the fabled island became the subject of the group’s breakthrough hit shortly thereafter. 

 

In 1958, the Preps’ record had a 20-week run on Billboard’s chart and reached #2 and stayed there for three weeks.  Records that kept it out of the top spot were “Sugartime” by the McGuire Sisters, “Catch A Falling Star” by Perry Como and “Don’t” by Elvis Presley just before he was drafted.  The Four Preps, by the way, all served (together!) in the Air National Guard. 

 

Things are about to come full circle: this Saturday, September 9th, Bruce returns to the island to participate in The Catalina Museum for Art and History’s 70th Anniversary gala, at which he’ll be signing copies of Icons, Idols and Idiots of Hollywood, with sales to benefit the museum. 

 

Bruce’s close relationship with Catalina is underscored by this photo of a recent visit to the Museum’s Four Preps / 26 Miles display that is part of its permanent exhibition.  He composed the song on the ukulele in the center and that’s him, second from right, with his fellow Preps. We’ve pasted the book’s one-sheet below. 

 

Bob Merlis

 


I just started reading Bruce’s book and am thoroughly enjoying it -

He’s a great storyteller 

(Who knew The Four Preps were this cool!!!)  kk

I knew when I was a kid, based on hearing “More Money For You and Me"

Bob

 

A very sincere “Thank You” to each and every one who played a part in making WLS/WCFL Rewound a reality again in 2023.  Labor Day Weekend was truly a Labor of Love Weekend as people all over the nation helped to make this happen.  

Whether you are a listener, a radio personality, a tech person, a music person, or just one who loves to have fun, we hope that WLS/WCFL Rewound and Rewound Radio made you smile as you felt your memories come back to life in 2023.  Thanks for being a part of this “virtual radio reunion”.

Hope to “see” you all again next year.

Ted Gorden Smucker

I was able to listen to considerably more of the weekend than I thought I would be able to … and am already thinking about things we can do NEXT year to make things even more exciting!  (kk)

I read in Forgotten Hits this morning where Ted Smucker told you ~~~

 

"Next year marks WLS' 100th Anniversary."

 

Wow, I did NOT realize that!

 

A Century of Moos, Moo-sic, and Moods!

 

C Dah-B!

 

It's True!!!

Radio station WLS — for “world's largest store” — was started by Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 1924. Their first broadcast was on April 12th of that year.  

Four years later, Sears sold it to the Prairie Farmer newspaper, which made its Barn Dance a national hit.

Labor Day itself was the day I was able to put Rewound on and have it playing in the background while I "worked(?)" around the house. 
Of course I loved the music, but was so able to fall into the realm of "past lives" that I needed to remind myself that it was NOT the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Nixon was NOT president, and (looking at the sky) there was not a 40% chance of rain. Do they even use percent anymore when talking about weather? It seems it was hip and vogue and then died a quick death.
Shelley

Oh and I received an email from my former boyfriend that day ... the one I mentioned in the Peter and Paul review. Really a throwback day. I better be careful who I mention from now on. There are some people I do not want to pull back in.
Emoji

 

What I really enjoy about these flashbacks is the deejay patter ... and the commercials and references to products and places that don't even exist anymore.  The music I can listen to anytime (and let's face it, AM Radio was pretty repetitious in that regard) ... but the little gems that aired BETWEEN the music were every bit as fascinating for me.  (Do we REALLY have to wait a whole year again now till this happens again?!?!)  kk

ACTUALLY NO ... EVERY Saturday Rewound Radio features the DJ Hall Of Fame, playing vintage clips by some of the most famous jocks in Top 40 Radio History.  And then, immediately afterwards, Allan Sniffen does his live show.

Things kick off every Saturday at Noon Eastern ... and run for about three hours before Allan takes over.  Check it out!  Chicago wasn't the only city playing great Top 40 Radio!  (kk)

DOLENZ'S BREAKFAST WITH KLOS' CHRIS CARTER AND KTLA'S SAM RUBIN
Micky Dolenz is set for Chris Carter's KLOS' Breakfast with The Beatles on Sunday, September 17th. This show will be broadcast from LA's Hard Rock Cafe on Hollywood and Highland; and then, Dolenz will also appear as a guest of KTLA's AM show, Wednesday, September 20th, with Sam Rubin.

DIS



I went to a pool party over the weekend and the music being played was on a Pandora Deep Cuts Station or something like that. You could kind of tell by the sound of the songs which band recorded them, but you had no idea as you could not see the iPhone screen in the bright sun. So my guess is that I did not own any of these albums.

After about four hours of this, two songs came on that I was familiar with back to back … A Town I’d Like to Go Back To and The Warm by The Cryan’ Shames.

The songs did not sound exactly right and I went over to the speakers in order to hear them better. Sure enough, they were not the exact same songs recorded on the albums and singles.

My question is …

Where do these songs come from?

They are obviously unreleased recordings and how do these internet music apps acquire them?

Robert Campbell

Wow, I have no idea … but we have long discussed this fear here in Forgotten Hits that the people PROGRAMMING these stations have become so young that most of them have absolutely connection to the music … and wouldn’t know if they were playing the right version or not. 

And the fact that so many of these “alternate takes” now find their place on to new CD releases and compilation sets as “bonus tracks,” that somebody not paying attention (or simply using the “shuffle” feature) could just as easily program the wrong tracks for broadcast.  (Just for the heck of it, I looked at my copies of The Cryan’ Shames albums and checked to see if any alternate take bonus tracks were included … and only “The Warm” is featured in both its LP and 45 variations … nothing extra noted about “The Town I’d Like To Go Back To.”

Anybody else got any ideas on this one???  (kk)

Johnny B remembers one of his encounters with Jimmy Buffett …

Jimmy Buffett on the Jonathon Brandmeier Show Live at the Skyline Stage Navy Pier - Chicago!  

Jimmy rolls up on his bicycle at 7 AM, walks out to the jampacked audience, and plays "Stumpo El Bando" where Parrottheads try to see if Jimmy can remember and play his own songs!  He did and he didn’t!  The show ends with Jimmy singing one of his classics! 

It was one beautiful crazy Chicago morning, with one of the nicest human beings and entertainers I've had the great pleasure to know!  He will be sorely missed.

n  Johnny B
.... "our lives change like the weather, but a legend never dies" -- Jimmy Buffett


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKq39UiYj7s

Timmy also sent us this photo of Jimi Hendrix, playing at a KRLA-sponsored gig in 1969 …

 


A weird one ...

What other musicians are onstage with Jimi here?

Timmy

 

Which inspired some more dialog along the way …

 

The bass player looked like Carl Radel and it looked like the back of Delaney so I looked up “Delaney and Bonnie KRLA event with Jimi Hendrix” and found this:

 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AI98lPqyG4

 

A few more pics from the same gig …

 




I asked our resident Jimi Hendrix expert, Ken Voss (who publishes the awesome online Jimi Hendrix newsletter/fanzine "Voodoo Child") if he could she any light on this concert event ... and here's what he came back with ...

 

The date was actually March 30, 1969 ...

Hendrix jams with Delaney & Bonnie at their concert at the Teen Expo concert at the Hollywood Paladium, doing “Room Full of Mirrors” and an untitled blues jam. Jimi was using a borrowed Strat from a Fender booth. He is jamming with Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, which included Carl Radle on bass, Jim Gordon on drums and Bobby Keys on sax.  

Hendrix historian Dave Pearcy tells the story (two parts) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_RJx8nrAx0  &  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p-GhHJLtB8

 

Thanks, Ken!  (kk) 

 

Kent,

I don't know about you, but when I saw and played CB's September songs, the first one I thought of was Neil Sedaka's CALENDAR GIRL where September lights up when she's sweet 16. Also, somewhat Jimmy Durante's SEPTEMBER SONG in 1963.

Larry

And a belated Happy Birthday to Freddy Mercury (who would have turned 77 yesterday)

(courtesy of Mike Wolstein)