When Dolly Parton announced that she was going to make a rock and roll album to justify her recent induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, boy, she wasn’t joking!
The list of artists helping her out on this new CD represent a very large percentage of The Rock Hall's top notch inductees.
Titled “Rock Star,” Dolly’s new LP will feature cover versions of rock classics (many performed alongside the original artists who made them famous the first time around) as well as a few originals (like the track “Rockin’” that she performed at her own induction ceremony a few months back.)
Immediate talk singled out “Satisfaction” (performed with Mick Jagger and The Stones), Journey’s “Open Arms” (performed as a duet with former Journey lead singer Steve Perry), Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” (a song Dolly has been performing in concert for YEARS now … but this time around with involvement from both Robert Plant and Jimmy Page!, Prince’s “Purple Rain,” Lynyrd Skynyrds’s “Free Bird,” “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” (likely performed with Elton John) and now newly disclosed tracks featuring Miley Cyrus (“Wrecking Ball”), Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr (“Let It Be”), a newly updated version of Dolly’s big hit “I Will Always Love You” and appearances by Steven Tyler, John Fogerty, Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Simon Le Bon and more. (This may have to be a double CD … she’s also mentioned Pink, Cher, Debbie Harry, Annie Lennox and Brandi Carlisle as potential duet partners! And there may be more to come!)
This is going to be a big one, folks … and, from the sounds of things, the real deal when it comes to Dolly's take on rock. (It just may end up being the biggest album of Dolly’s long career … and she’s recorded 48 albums up to this point!!!)
No release date has been mentioned yet … but stick around for more details as we get ‘em! (kk
Lots of press this past week about Paul McCartney’s new phot book coming out in June. (Preorders are being accepted now)
These are photographs that Paul took himself during the very first wave of Beatlemania in late 1963 / early 1964 … shots of the fans, the other guys and the cities they visited, all being published for the very first time.
(I offered to help plug the book … you know, give a buddy a hand in trying to raise a little extra cash … the book sells for $75 … and I know he can use the money.) In the words of the official press release …
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In 2020, an extraordinary trove of nearly a thousand photographs taken by Paul McCartney on a 35mm camera was re-discovered in his archive. They intimately record the months towards the end of 1963 and beginning of 1964 when Beatlemania erupted in the UK and, after the band’s first visit to the USA, they became the most famous people on the planet. |
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"To look at the love and the wonder of what we went through that's captured in a lot of these photographs is the whole thing. It's what makes life great" - Paul McCartney
The photographs are Paul’s personal record of this explosive time, when they, The Beatles, were inside looking out and were the ‘Eyes of the Storm’. |
In addition to the coffee table book, those willing to pay MORE than the $75 to see the photos can do so live at a special exhibition running at The National Portrait Gallery in London.
Again, quoting from the official release:
Paul’s photographs will be displayed for the first time at the reopening of the National Portrait Gallery, London in the unprecedented exhibition, Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm. At a time when so many camera lenses were on the band, these photographs will share fresh insight into their experiences, their fans and the early 1960s, all through eyes of Paul McCartney. This exhibition provides a uniquely personal and never-before-seen perspective on what it was like to be a ‘Beatle’ at the start of ‘Beatlemania’. The exhibition will run from 28 June until 1 October 2023, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
And look for a very special Tribute To "The Music Of Paul McCartney" fundraising concert. The event marks the 18th annual edition produced by live music entrepreneur Michael Dorf. Scheduled for March 15th at New York’s Carnegie Hall, the list of headliners include Graham Nash, Bruce Hornsby, Natalie Merchant, Peter Asher, and Lyle Lovett. The 2023 edition celebrates McCartney’s legacy with live performances from his vast songwriting catalog. A variety of ticket packages are available, ranging from $55 for general admission, to $375 for one of the best seats in the house with a ticket to the after-party, to some in the low four- and five-figures (it is, after all, a fundraiser!) offering even more unique benefits ... musicof.org.
Other announced performers include Bettye LaVette, Glen Hansard, Sammy Rae, Jonathan Russell of The Head and the Heart, Lake Street Dive, Allison Russell, Ingrid Michaelson, the Cactus Blossoms, and Shovels & Rope. (kk)
And, talking about your tribute concerts, check out this one, just announced today ...
A Grammy Salute to The Beach Boys, the latest in a series of “Grammy Salute” specials, will tape Wednesday, Feb 8, three days after the 65th annual Grammy Awards are held in Los Angeles. The live concert special will feature John Legend, Brandi Carlile, St. Vincent, Beck, Fall Out Boy, Mumford & Sons, Weezer, Hanson, Charlie Puth, LeAnn Rimes, My Morning Jacket, Norah Jones, Pentatonix, Lady A and more, paying tribute to The Beach Boys. It will tape at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will air on CBS later this year. Tickets, starting at $75, are available through Ticketmaster.
More info here:
https://www.grammy.com/news/beach-boys-grammy-salute-2023-lineup-john-legend-brandi-carlile-st-vincent-beck
Buy tickets here:
https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09005E25981B2624
How they came up with THAT list of artists to pay homage to the harmony-driven Beach Boys ... America's band ... leaves me a little bit perplexed ...
It'll be interesting to see how many of them are truly up to the challenge ... but hey, how can you NOT watch?!?! (kk)
Missing from Gary's list of aging musicians:
Huey "Piano" Smith - 89
Jean Knight - 80
Corky Laing - 75
All have birthdays today (1/26)
Jack
Former Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and the estate of keyboard player Ray Manzarek have sold their copyright interests in The Doors’ catalog to Primary Wave. (The shares of lead singer Jim Morrison and drummer John Densmore were NOT part of the purchase.)
Although an official purchase price was not announced, the word “BIG” was used several times during the announcement.
It just seems to be the way things are done these days … what a great investment in yourself as an artist if it happens to pay off big! (kk)
kk ...
Billy Joel Paid Tribute To Late Guitarist Jeff Beck At His Recent (86th) Madison Square Garden Residency Concert By Performing "PEOPLE GET READY," The Curtis Mayfield Classic Covered By Jeff Beck & Rod Stewart On Beck's 1985 "FLASH" Album. Joel Delegated The Vocals To Three Of His Band Members, Each Singing A Lyric.
FB
Keyboardist Dean Daughtry, a founding member of The Atlanta Rhythm Section (and one of the musicians who split off from The Classics IV to create the new band) passed away yesterday (the 26th.)
Dean had been in poor health for quite some time. When I saw ARS a few years ago, he needed help making it to the stage and did not look well at all. Still, he played his heart out that night, letting it be known that there was no place else he would rather be than up on stage, sharing his music. (He had since stopped performing with them for health reasons.)
Daughtry cowrote the band’s two biggest hits, “So In To You” (#5, 1977) and “Imaginary Lover” (#7, 1978). The sound of his keyboard helped define the band, who are probably best remembered for their guitar-driven assault. The band alluded as much in their official statement after Dean’s passing:
“While ARS is known to be a guitar-centric band, just listen to the recordings and you’ll realize the contribution that Dean brought to the band. From the first chord of “So In To You” and the introduction to “Imaginary Lover,” he left his imprint on the band’s recordings. For 49 years he never missed a gig, until his health forced him to retire a couple of years ago, cutting short his goal of 50 years. He was like a Bulldog, but his friends knew him as “OX.”
The music of The Atlanta Rhythm Section brought me a great amount of joy over the years … and will continue to do so for (hopefully) many more years to come. (kk)
Mitch Ryder has done a serious update to his 1966 hit “Devil With A Blue Dress On” … with a little help from a few friends …
The MITCH RYDER Classic “DEVIL WITH A BLUE DRESS ON” Gets A Sonic Update Courtesy Of STOOGES Guitarist JAMES WILLIAMSON & Punkabilly Stars THE BRAINS & STELLAR CORPSES!
Since its release in 1966, Mitch Ryder’s “Devil With A Blue Dress On” has become an American rock soul classic, the kind of song that spans generations of music fans and possess that rare power to unite people of all ages, creeds and background in the desire to get up and dance! Back in 2019, Mitch recut a new version of the song along with fellow Detroit alumni James Williamson, who declared at the time, “I love Mitch Ryder and I love ‘Devil With A Blue Dress On.’ Always one of my favorite songs. I had fun playing on the track. The finished version with Mitch sounds really current. Wow … just killer!”
Now, that same track is getting an entirely new sonic makeover courtesy of two punkabilly bands known for taking the hits of yesteryear and transforming them into smokin’ hot slabs of high energy aural assaults! Just like their work on tracks by The Platters, Lloyd Price, Robert Gordon with Linda Gail Lewis, Sonny Burgess and others, The Brains retain the heart of Ryder’s “Devil With A Blue Dress On” including his soulful vocals but brings a whole new twist to the song that you’ll have to hear to believe!
Be sure to check out the recut video for the song directed by in-demand video director Vicente Cordero of Industrialism Films!
I was never a very big Mitch Ryder fan back in the day …
But then we had the chance to see him in concert a few years ago and he completely blew me away …
A VERY dynamic performer even today. (Made me wish I could have seen him in his prime! Now I can only imagine.)
MY favorite version of “Devil With A Blue Dress On” belongs to Shorty Long (who would have EVER expected it … the guy whose biggest hit was “Here Comes The Judge!!!”
But Shorty does an exceptional bluesy version of this tune … most likely the way it was originally intended to be done. (Sadly, it never officially charted … “bubbled under” only in all three trade publications.)
If you haven’t heard it before, check it out! (kk)
>>>Talk about being out of touch and disconnected with reality … (Timmy C)
>>>Well, it certainly isn’t Top 40 Rock and Roll … and despite being from Nashville, it isn’t exactly Country either. What we’ve got here seems to be a chart from Nashville’s premier Adult Contemporary radio station (although a FEW legitimate pop songs have seemed to “cross over.” Hard to say what most of US would have considered this play list to be back in 1967 … but what it most definitely ISN’T is “The Sounds of Modern America”!!! (So much for truth in advertising!) WLAC was a 50,000 watt powerhouse beaming out of Nashville, Tennesee. Today, it still broadcasts with 50,000 watts of power as a talk radio station. They first signed on the air in 1926 and two years later became a CBS Radio affiliate (which it clearly still was on this 1967 chart.) Surprisingly, according to Wikipedia, evenings in the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s, WLAC was one of the country’s premier Rhythm and Blues stations (!) They spent the ‘60’s playing “Middle-Of-The-Road” music during the daytime … and, in the ‘70’s flipped to a Top 40 Format in an effort to compete with WMAK for the teenage audience. (WMAK is the station that I would listen to while I was down there … eventually became home to Scott Shannon, which provided a HUGE boost in his career climb up the DJ Ladder.) kk
It's surprising they even printed a chart. No one ever saw it. They were still airing Arthur Godfrey in the mornings to compete with Don McNeill's Breakfast Club on ABC - and the music they played in the afternoon was a mix of pop standards / MOR / and whatever else that wasn't either rock or country. The big money was the nighttime R&B.
David Lewis
Kinda surprising, as that would have been a TOTALLY different audience.
It sounds like the R&B thing could have provided their niche … but it also sounds like they only broadcast it for an hour a night!
I have heard high praise for their four night time DJs ‘tho! (kk)
WLAC was very much into "Block" programming to the extreme, with opposite audiences day and night. They extended the R&B show at night when it took off, so it eventually ran for several hours and had a huge following in the Deep South and the Industrial North.
DL
Some more interesting insight into Ross On Radio's "Lost Factor" analysis ...
A work in process ...
https://radioinsight.com/blogs/247796/the-last-word-on-lost-factor/
kk –
Bowzer's Doo-Wop Party Volume XX1 At Mohegan Sun Casino on 1/15/23 …
The Whole Show = 1 Hour & 44 Minutes.
They Left Out Final Act ... Chubby Checker Twisting!!!
Did Jerry Blavat Want Hy Lit Murdered? Two Men Interviewed. I Never Heard About This Story.
Apparently The Geator Was Hanging Out With Some Shady Characters. Maybe This Was A Local Philadelphia Story.
FB
Makes me wonder if Chubby was sick that night and couldn’t perform (???)
He was supposed to be here again not that long ago but the show got cancelled due to Covid concerns … I honestly don’t know if they ever rescheduled it or not … will have to check on that.
All I know is that when I saw him a few years ago at The Genesee Theater, he was amazing … the guy’s still got it (and is in better shape than just about ALL of us!!!) kk
‘60’s FLASHBACK
From our concert review of Chubby’s show, December 30th, 2017 …
A quick intermission to allow for a set change, Chubby Checker came out with his own, self-contained band … and let me tell you something … Chubby has got himself a REAL rock band … these guys were smokin’ and not in ANY way, shape or form slighting the presentation of Checker’s music … these guys ROCKED with some incredible guitar and sax solos thrown in throughout the performance.
Chubby Checker turned 76 years old last October and I swear he looks, sounds and moves like a man less than HALF that age on stage. (He has obviously taken VERY good care of himself!!!) Truth be told, he looked and sounded AMAZING and, paired with this killer back up band, COMPLETELY turned the show around in all the ways I truly hoped he would.
His set moved rapid fire, at first with very little conversation, as he ran through a few of his hits and other hits from that era (including a nice tribute to Fats Domino, who recently left us. By now I’m sure you’re all familiar with the story of how Dick Clark’s wife renamed former chicken plucker Earnest Evans “Chubby Checker,” making a play on Fats Domino’s name and the rest, as they say, is history.)
Checker was a HUGE part of the Philly scene and, thanks to Dick Clark and shows like “American Bandstand,” was quickly piped into living rooms all over America. (Even today the bulk of his back-up band hail from Philadelphia as Chubby remains true to his roots some sixty years later!)
Early on in the set, Chubby ventured out into the audience to sing and twist with a few of the spectators while he performed "Slow Twistin'" … and he held court over the crowd throughout the evening, having us sing the missing lines in at least a dozen tunes … everything from his biggest hits … to the closing theme of The Mickey Mouse Club!!!
It made for a fun night of entertainment (although for me the sing-along thing wore a little thin pretty quickly … as stated here before, we came to hear YOU sing … not provide half the vocals for you!!!)
He poked fun at his early 1964 Hit “Hooka Tooka” when, after singing a couple of choruses, admitted “That’s a dumb song.” (It is … but he made it fun all over again!)
Since it was the week between Christmas and New Year’s, I thought he might bring out his version of “Jingle Bell Rock” out of the mothballs again but that didn't happen. He did, however, offer words of encouragement to the audience as one year ends and another one begins to “fight the Devil every day … every time you see him in the mirror,” suggesting that rather than “turn over a new leaf” for 2018, “FIX the leaf you’ve currently got … and make things right.” It wasn’t done in a preachy way and truly felt sincere. Chubby is a very “likeable” character … and I do believe he may have gotten thru to a few people in the audience.
He brought a young girl up from the audience to “shake what you’ve got” during his version of “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (although I think she was willing to do a WHOLE lot more shakin’ than Chubby may have bargained for!) and a couple of other times, pulled girls from the front row up on stage to dance with him.
It was a great show (which even featured a new track called “Changes” that really showcased Chubby’s voice and the band’s ability as musicians … I downloaded it immediately as soon as I got home. With a rock band that strong, I wish he would have also done “Harder Than Diamond,” a track that got some FM Rock Radio airplay back in the ‘80’s.)
Naturally he closed the show with “The Twist,” which he then rolled into “Let’s Twist Again,” a solid one-two punch to end the show.
The crowd loved him … and when he went out into the lobby to sign autographs and pose for pictures, the line of fans was ridiculous! EVERYBODY wanted to meet and shake hands with Chubby Checker, who promised he would stay till the very end … “until EVERY fan got what they wanted in the way of a picture or an autograph” … “I’ll be here till they lock the doors ‘cause that’s what I do for my fans” … and I believe he did just exactly that.
This was a GREAT show that easily could have stood alone without the disappointing downer of the two opening acts. Chubby's still got it ... and he knows EXACTLY what to do with it. Highly recommended if he happens to be coming out your way! (kk)
A couple of photos of Chubby Checker, taken by FH Reader Tom Apathy, who saw Chubby’s show in July of 2016 … thanks, Tom! (kk)
In Late Summer of 2021, I shared here with you an amazing synchronized “Hand Jive” Group consisting of Six Performers which I had added a Great Forgotten Hit, “Hand Jive” to as its musical background.
Today, I thought you might like to see a similarly remarkable performance by 128 performers seated in … wheelchairs!
This was originally presented as part of the farewell ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games. I did not add anything to this one.
Both Performances are Attached.
CB
And this from FH Reader Tom McBrien …
And who can forget their First 45???
http://forgottenhits.com/first_45s
http://forgottenhits.com/more_of_your_first_45s
http://forgottenhits.com/even_more_of_your_first_45s
http://forgottenhits.com/omg_can_you_believe_it_even_more_of_your_first_45s_memories
