All kinds of 4th of July Weekend radio specials going
on …
But this one caught our ear ...
Sirius XM’s 70’s on 7 Channel kicked THEIR holiday weekend
off YESTERDAY already!!! (Siriusly … FIVE DAYS EARLY!?!?)
They’re playing down (again and again and again and again
and again and again and again and again) The Top 1000 Songs of the ‘70’s, as
voted on by their listeners.
As is usually the case with countdowns such as these, you’ll
find the most interesting tracks in the BOTTOM six or seven hundred before all
of the obvious choices kick in.
But I’ll tell you what …
I listened for a little while on the way into work yesterday
… and they were only in the 960’s … and some of these “favorites” were mind boggling!“Stick Up” by Honey Cone???“Jungle Fever” by Chakachas?!?!?That song is actually somebody’s
FAVORITE?!?!(Although I have to it
admit that it WAS cool to hear it … because it’s not one that typically gets
played a lot … and, to top it off, they played the LONG version!!! [I didn’t
even know there WAS a long version!]LOTS more moaning … or perhaps more fittingly, bang for your buck!)kk
Kent,
I enjoyed your blurb in today's FH about Wheel
Of Fortune.
As a former contestant (I was on in January,
2020), I experienced first-hand how Pat Sajak uses his wit and humor to help
myself and fellow contestants relax when the cameras are on.
Believe me - it's a much different situation
when you're trying to figure out puzzles and you know millions of people are at
home yelling at you from their living rooms. Anybody can tell contestants how
many Rs are in a puzzle and what the wheel landed on ... I'm hoping Ryan
Seacrest is able to make the same connection with the contestants like Pat can.
Back in the 80s, Wheel used to have a daytime
version, which Pat also hosted. After he left, a couple hosts filled his role
until that version was cancelled in 1991. As much as I'm skeptical about Ryan
taking over, I wish him success for the future of the show.
Colin Donahue
VERY cool!
I have always considered myself a pretty good player … at
home, of course, without the pressure and the lights … and I will admit to
yelling at contestants during nearly every episode I’ve ever watched!(lol)
But what everybody reading this wants to know is … how’d you
do???Did you win any money???
And how’d you manage to get on???(kk)
Mark Volman Event Alert
At: BOOK SOUP – 8818 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069
On 07/18/2023 – 7:00 pm – Mr. Volman is scheduled to autograph
copies of his new book!
>>>89 year old
Frankie Valli got married last week!(kk)
And the Guy's Ten or
So Years Older Than Us!
"My Eyes Adored You,"
"Sherry!" "I Can't Take My Eyes Off You!" You know Who
Loves You!" "Can You Come Out Tonight?!"
You're no "Rag Doll!" You're
my "Candy Girl!" And you make me "Walk Like A
Man!" "Let's Hang On to What We've Got!"
You can choose wherever we go on our
Honeymoon because I'm sure it'll be "Oh, What a Night!"
89 year old Frankie Valli got married last
week to 60-year old ( you want to do the math or me?! ) Former Actress and
afterwards the Senior Director of Marketing at CBS!
We all should have a photographer who can make us
all so good at those ages!
CB!
Postings over the next several days may be scarce ...
So all of you please enjoy a fun (but safe!) 4th of July Weekend! (kk)
David Salidor tells us
that MICKY DOLENZ WILL BE A GUEST AT THIS WEEKEND'S COMIC CON AND COLLECTIBLES
EXTRAVAGANZA IN BOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS (June 30th – July 2nd)
Also
there will be Sirius' Michael des Barres, who interviewed Dolenz earlier
this year for Little Steven's Underground Garage.
And, the
"fifth"-Monkee Bill Chadwick will also be at the event.
I am cleaning, exercising and listening to Lou
Simon on Sirius. He just got a phone call for a request. They want a Skeeter
Davis song. When he asked which song, the answer was "End of the World!"Lou Simon then said, "THAT'S MY FAVORITE
SONG OF ALL TIME!"
Honest!
Shelley
Well, it’s one of MY favorites, too … and I know you won’t
want to hear this but I definitely prefer the Skeeter Davis version to Herman’s
Hermits’ …
I dated a girl in High School whose all-time favorite song
was “End Of The World” by Herman’s Hermits … in fact, it was the only version
she knew.She was shocked to hear that
someone else had recorded it.
Herman’s Hermits “bubbled under” with their version (as the
B-Side to their #1 Hit “I’m Henry The VIII, I Am” in 1965.)It reached #113 in Cash Box during its two
week run and spent a week at #141 in Record World.It failed to chart in Billboard at all.
But I also happen to know that it’s one of Peter Noone’s
favorite records as well.
Years ago he told me:
FH: In concert you
most often cite THE END
OF THE WORLD as your favorite HERMAN’S HERMITS recording. What are
some of your other favorites?
PN: I'm Into Something Good, for its pure
pop honesty ... and No Milk Today, which is the PERFECT Herman record.
Another
one of PETER NOONE's
personal favorites is the HERMAN'S
HERMITS recording of THE
END OF THE WORLD, the old SKEETER DAVIS song. It was
released here in The States as the B-SIDE
to their chart-topping hit, I'M
HENRY THE VIII, I AM back in 1965 ... and it seems to remain
both a fan favorite as well as a PETER
NOONE favorite. (DIDJAKNOW?:Despite
being one of their biggest U.S. hits ever, I'M HENRY THE VIII, I AM was NEVER
released as a single back in England!!!)
PETER NOONE: Let me give you a little
background on Herman's Hermits’ recording of The End of the World –
Early
days in The Heartbeats, Keith Hopwood and I (he was a telephone engineer and I
was still at school) listened to the Skeeter Davis version and learned the
chords and some of the words and added it to our repertoire. We also
learned I'll Never Dance Again (a Bobby Rydell B-Side, I think) and many other
songs that no other local bands played. I believe that I'll Never Dance
Again and The End of the World were actually discovered by the original singer
of The Heartbeats (Malcolm something) and I would like to commend him for his
excellent taste in music and also for not showing up that fateful night when I
replaced him forever.
I
doubt if much of Herman’s Hermits’ version resembles the Skeeter Davis version
because after a song gets played live a lot it usually becomes a hybrid, which
is why some oldies acts completely miss the plot and forget to listen to the
original recordings. I wonder why it ended up as a B-Side anyway.
We usually used one of The Hermits’ written songs for the B-Sides. The
B-Sides were always left to The Hermits and we did what we could and I am proud
of all of them except Truck Stop Mamma and I walked out of that session because
Herman cannot sing about a Truck Stop Mama.
Hi, Kent!
First off, Sunday's second public showing of the Dick Biondi Film was very
good! Had about 150 people, and some great music provided by Joe Cantafio
and others.The next public showing will
be in July, in Southern Michigan.
While reading your entries regarding "Here Comes Summer," I'd like to
toss in an opinion: it's a nice tune, and Jerry Keller's version deserved the
sales and attention it received. However, I'll stick my two cents in and
say that I think the Dave Clark Five's
version, which, I'm pretty sure was a B side, was much better. I think
it's smoother and has a nicer feel to it. Just my opinion.
Lastly, on the subject of "High School USA," I figured I'd toss that
1958 Chuck Berry EP cover photo of Von Steuben High School your way. I believe
it was taken by Leonard Chess' wife. I used to sit on that concrete stoop
every morning.
Mike Wolstein
Actually,
The Dave Clark Five's version of “Here Comes Summer” was released as the A-Side of the single in both the UK and
here in The States, where it “bubbled under” at #135 in Cash Box only.(It made it up to #44 in Great Britain.)
Kent,
In talking about RUB IT IN, remember singer
Layng Martine's version of about a year later in 1971? With all this
"rubbing it in", it reminds me of the calamine lotion the Coasters
used in POISON IVY.
Larry
I have never heard Layng Martine’s version … but see that it
charted at #49 in Record World in the Fall of ’71.(It only reached #65 in Billboard … yet
another of those really weird chart anomalies.)
Layng’s version came first … in fact, he’s the guy who wrote
it.(Craddock didn’t have his run up the
charts until 1974.)
Much like “Here Comes Summer” described above, The Dave
Clark Five also recorded this song, although it never charted on either side of
the pond.(Actually, this came out as
Dave Clark and Friends, which included Dave along with DC5 vocalist Mike Smith …
but this sure doesn’t sound like Mike singing lead on this one.)
Although the DC5 certainly proved they could write some
pretty phenomenal hits of their own, they also had to be one of the top remake
bands of the ‘60’s … and, quite possibly, of all time.
Their versions of “Do You Love Me,” “I Like It Like That,”
“Reelin’ And Rockin’,” “You Got What It Takes,” “You Must Have Been A Beautiful
Baby” and “Over And Over” (their only official US #1 Record) often out
performed the original versions of these tunes!They remain one of my all-time favorite bands to this day.
And I like your idea about “Poison Ivy” … what a great
two-fer that would make!
(Don’t believe me?Well, spin ‘em for yourself below!)kk
>>>I just read last week that Vanna White gets paid
$3 million a year to turn letters on the Wheel Of Fortune … while host Pat
Sajak will be walking away from a job that pays about five times that!!!(kk)
Do you know how much Ryan Seacrest will make to
host "Wheel of Fortune?"
Just asking . . .
Rumours, Rumours , Rumours ~~~
Seacrest also makes $15 Million Dollars to host
"American Idol." And if "Wheel" were to
have given Sajak a raise for another season had he not decided
to leave, then 15 Mill would be a Good Deal!
Just saying . . .
CB
It’s just insane … I mean, c’mon … it’s fucking
HANGMAN!!!Seriously, I was playing that
in third grade!!!(Kudos to Merv Griffin
for not underestimating its mass appeal … the show’s been around for over forty
years now.)
I think I’ve just overdosed on Ryan Seacrest over the past
decade or so … in fact, I hold him personally responsible for today’s
unemployment rate … how many jobs does this guy need, for God’s sake!!!
Not that we watch it that much anyway (“Wheel of Fortune”
airs here in Chicago at 6:30 pm and I am rarely home from work that early) –
but the very fact that Ryan Seacrest will be hosting it a year from now (quite
possibly without Vanna) makes me think I won’t be tuning in at all
anymore.(Vanna has a year left to go on
her contract … meaning she’ll be out of time just as Pat Sajak retires.Will they use that as an excuse to completely
revamp the show???)
Now THAT might be interesting …
How cool would it be to see Ryan Seacrest hosting …
And Brian Dunkleman turning the letters?!?!(kk)
UPDATE:Since we're talking rumors here, rumor has it that Seacrest
will pocket $28 Million a year for taking over the Wheel Of Fortune hosting
duties … or about TWICE as much as Pat Sajak was being paid.Yeah, Vanna … you need to go in there and
demand a raise!!!(kk)
In what reportedly may have been Elton John’s final British
appearance at Glastonbury last weekend, he pulled out all the stops.
Just check out this set list!!!
Pinball Wizard(the first time he has performed this song
live since 2009)
The Bitch Is Back
Bennie and the Jets
Daniel
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues
Philadelphia Freedom
Are You Ready for Love
Sad Songs (Say So Much)
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
Until I Found You (Stephen Sanchez cover, performed with Stephen Sanchez)
Your Song
Candle in the Wind
Tiny Dancer (with Brandon Flowers)
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (with Rina Sawayama)
Crocodile Rock
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
I’m Still Standing
Cold Heart
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me
Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time)
Man … would THAT have been the show to see!!!(kk)
The Rolling
Stones' Forty Licks, the album that gathered together fully three
dozen of the most enduring and anthemic songs from the group's peerless
career and added four then-new tracks to their incredible story, is to be
released digitally for the first time on July 26. Two days later, it will
be available, again for the first time, in a lavish, limited edition
four-disc, 180-gram black vinyl version, housed in a wide spined gatefold
sleeve. At the same time, Stones fans will also have an opportunity to
stream new Dolby Atmos versions of the album’s 40 tracks.
Forty Licks
was initially released in September 2002 to celebrate the Stones' 40th
anniversary and to mark the beginning of their massive Licks tour.
This global spectacle, mounted on the breathtaking scale that only the
Stones could muster, crossed the globe over the next 14 months, playing 117
shows and became the second highest-grossing tour in history up to that
time.
The
collection, which times out at over two and half hours, includes no fewer
than 20 (US) Top 10 singles of which 13 broke into the Top 5 and 7 going
all the way to #1 including “Satisfaction,” “Miss You,” “Brown Sugar,”
“Paint It, Black,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Get Off Of My Cloud” and “Angie.” UK
chart stats for Forty Licks tracks are quite similar with 20 Top 10
singles, 16 Top 5 singles and 7 #1s. The list of UK chart toppers includes
“The Last Time,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “It’s All Over Now” as well as
“Satisfaction,” “Get Off My Cloud,” “Paint It, Black” and “Honky Tonk
Women.”
Following
its initial release, Licks would sell seven million copies
around the world, and has since come to be seen as the definitive anthology
of the band's recording career. It was, uniquely, the first collection to
bring together landmark recordings from all points in their unrivalled
songbook, from their early days via Decca UK and London US (ABKCO Records)
through to the establishment of their own Rolling Stones Records.
With the release of Forty Licks,
longtime Stones fans and newcomers alike can enjoy a retrospective
featuring the 1960s hits that made the band icons of successive
generations.
Full track listing below
Record One:
1.Street Fighting Man
2.Gimme Shelter
3.(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
4.The Last Time
5.Jumpin' Jack Flash
6.You Can't Always Get What You Want
7.19th Nervous Breakdown
8.Under My Thumb
9.Not Fade Away
10.Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
Record Two:
1.Sympathy For The Devil
2.Mother's Little Helper
3.She's A Rainbow
4.Get Off Of My Cloud
5.Wild Horses
6.Ruby Tuesday
7.Paint It, Black
8.Honky Tonk Women
9.It's All Over Now
10.Let's Spend The Night Together
Record Three:
1.Start Me Up
2.Brown Sugar
3.Miss You
4.Beast Of Burden
5.Don't Stop
6.Happy
7.Angie
8.You Got Me Rocking
9.Shattered
10.Fool To Cry
Record Four:
1.Love Is Strong
2.Mixed Emotions
3.Key To Your Love
4.Anybody Seen My Baby?
5.Stealing My Heart
6.Tumbling Dice
7.Undercover Of The Night
8.Emotional Rescue
9.It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It)
10.Losin' My Touch
Hi there, Kent,
Frank B has just totally blown my mind. Never in a million
years would I have expected to find a video on YouTube with the RNB group the
Five Sharps singing Stormy Weather live on a Boston TV show.
There are quite a few copies of the record on YouTube and, although
the original Jubilee label, #5104, is extremely rare, the record has been
bootlegged numerous
times. Apparently, there was a fire at the Jubilee record
plant, and all of the 45 RPM versions of that record were destroyed, so all
that were left were 78s, and all of them were cracked. But to actually
see a video of the Five Sharps singing live was just totally amazing.
Little Walter is gone now, but he had a tremendous love and enthusiasm for
early RNB music. In fact, he always loved playing his original 45s,
rather than his clean sounding CD versions of those old songs. "Old and
scratchy,
that's how I love 'em" he used to say. Anyway, thanks Frank
B, for making me aware of this incredible vid from 1980.
I wonder if anyone will ever come up with any vids of Charlie and
Ray. They were an openly gay RNB duo when normally that wasn't ever advertised,
not back in the fifties, but they rocked hard and were often presented on Alan
Freed's rock and roll shows in 1954 and '55.
Anyway, Kent, it's amazing that even this type of information that
would interest very few fans of oldies is sometimes available on your website, which
is truly amazing.
Keep up the great work!
Sam Ward
When it comes to doowop gems, Frank B is the man … so glad
this recently discovery found a spot in your heart.(kk)
Rumors of
Little Peggy March’s death have been circulating for about a week now … but
I’ve yet to find anything confirmed online.Peggy is due to appear at The Arcada Theatre with Brian Hyland on August
19th … so hopefully she is alive and well and ready to perform!(kk)
Harvey
Kubernik talks to both Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman about what it was like
working with Frank Zappa …
Howard Kaylan
once told me that he was fortunate to have met two geniuses in his lifetime …
John Lennon and Frank Zappa.(That’s
high praise indeed!)kk
We’ve been
hearing for nearly a year now that AM Radios are going to be eliminated in cars
…
But now comes
word that ALL radios may be eliminated!!!(You already can’t get a cd player!!!And now this?!?!)
Not sure I
understand the logic here … especially since nearly every car manufacturer
gives you 3-6 months of Sirius XM for free to try and get you hooked on
subscribing to their service!
I don’t
believe consumers will go for this (unless everything is now going to be geared
around wireless streaming thru your cell phone … which, quite honestly, I do a
fair amount of when I want to listen to Rewound Radio in the car for long
drives!)
This year’s Kennedy Centers Honorees include Barry Gibb and
Dionne Warwick.
The ceremony will take place on Sunday, December 3rd,
and be televised on CBS.(Other honorees
include comedian Billy Crystal, hip-hop queen Queen Latifah and opera star
Renee Fleming.)Gloria Estefan (recently
honored by her induction into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame) will act as host of
the televised event.(kk)
A document officially dissolving the partnership of The
Beatles (signed by all four members five years after they had already split) is
going up for auction and is expected to sell for right around $500M.(As I type this, only one bid has been
entered … and that one’s for $100,000.)
(Who knows … you might get it for a steal at $350,000 if you
act quickly!!!)
Or, you can just look at it here … for free!(kk)
Harvey Kubernik tells us about a brand new 7-CD Box Set featuring
Stax Records demos … 146 tracks in all, 140 of which have never been previously
released.
Along with Motown and Atlantic Records, Stax posted some
pretty impressive stats during its 1960’s and 1970’s run … 167 tracks that made
Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Chart along with 243 tracks that made their Top 100
R&B Singles Chart.(kk)
This
Past Weekend Cousin Brucie Talked To Paul Anka.
Paul
Just Got Back From A European & Asian Tour ... Will Be In New York In
November.
Paul
Starts His Podcast In About 1 Month.
He
Also Has A Documentary In The Works … Should Be Ready About 9 Months From Now.
And,
They Are Developing A Broadway Play Based On Paul Anka's Career.
All
In All, I'd Say That Paul Anka Is A Busy Fellow. No Signs Of Slowing Down.
FB
P.S.At 8:30 AM On 6/24/23 I Was One Of First 3
People Watching The Debut Of A Brand New Five Sharps Video.Check Out "STORMY WEATHER" By Five
Sharps. Rare Recording & Interesting Story. They Were Singing On Boston
Morning Show. Little Walter Tells The Story Before They Sing The Song.
Paul Anka has
been performing here every year for the last several years now at The Arcada
Theatre … and has shows coming up at both The Arcada and The Des Plaines
Theatre in November.These are always
very elaborate, Vegas-type shows, performed with a small orchestra … and they
always sell out.Anka is pure class on
stage … and this year’s theme is called The Seven Decades Tour, meaning Paul
will be performing music from every era of his career.
Between 1957
and 1982, Paul Anka hit The Top 40 a staggering 35 times … and I have long been
a fan of his music.(We saw him at one
of the Arcada shows a few years back and he was outstanding.)kk
It seems our conversations are being overseen
by higher powers???
Paul Anka is coming to Mohegan on November 4th
... so let's see what songs he chooses to sing and whether I can confirm your
statement about 'It Doesn't Matter Anymore.'
Whom shall we talk about next?
Shelley
I’m sure this will be a very expensive ticket -
But it truly is like Las Vegas landed on their stage …
A show definitely worth seeing at least once.
(Sadly, despite our seemingly inspiration powers, it’s
still too late to get The Beatles, The Beach Boys or The Monkees back
together - but boy what shows those would be!)kk
The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Monkees? I
tear up thinking about it.
I saw The Beatles at their second Shea Stadium
concert. Never saw ALL Beach Boys nor Monkees. Various incarnations of
both.
Just looked
at prices. Ticket prices not bad, but when you go to check out, the added fees
double the price.
Shelley
Anka tickets at the Arcada are $119 (plus fees) – which really
isn’t bad – there are also special VIP packages available.(This is money well spent for an incredible
show)
I’ve told the story many times before about having the chance
to see The Beatles perform at old Comiskey Park (White Sox Park) in 1965 … but
cousins had an extra ticket and invited me to come along … but my dad nixed the
idea because it would required him to make an hour and a half round trip to
come pick me up the next day … so I missed my one and only chance to see them.
Have seen McCartney close to a dozen times, Harrison twice
and Ringo at least three or four times … but never John … and of course all of
these were solo shows.
Never saw ALL of The Beach Boys together either … although I’ve
seen some version of them at least another 12-15 times.And same for me with The Monkees … seen each
of them solo … seen all different kinds of pair-up versions, but never all four
together.(By the time Mike thought it
might be cool to tour as a Monkee again, Davy was already gone.)
Thankfully, we have the music and the videos and the
memories to keep their memory alive.
kk
…
If
I'm Reading It Right, Starting In 2024, You Must Use A Certain Percentage Of
Minorities To Be Considered For Academy Award.
So,
If You Were Going To Make A "GODFATHER" Or "HOLOCAUST" Type
Movie, Which Doesn't Call For Minorities, You Would Be Forced To Use Them If
You Want To Win Academy Award.
How
Would That Work?
FB
You know,
that’s a very good question … and one I don’t have an answer for.We seem to be so hell-bent on
overcompensating these days, that all rhyme and reason has been thrown out of
the mix … as has America’s sense of humor.It’s a shame, in a way … not that all of these groups don’t deserve fair
and equal representation moving forward … but trying to undo any past
injustices … or holding people accountable for something they may have said 15
– 25 – 40 or even 60 years ago – hardly seems fair either.What’s done is done.
And moving
forward, if someone DID want to make a new film documenting historical events,
it would be a real shame to put for the expense and the effort to tell a TRUE
tale without having to alter it by being swayed at the enticement for a reward
for all your efforts.The world truly
has lost its sense of balance.(But then
again I just read last week that Vanna White gets paid $3 million a year to
turn letters on the Wheel Of Fortune gameboard … while host Pat Sajak will be
walking away from a job that pays about five times that!!!)No wonder things are as fucked up as they are
today!!!(kk)
This week’s
Forgotten Hit award goes to Sirius XM’s “70’s on 7” channel.
Now all of
their decade channels (60’s, 70’s and 80’s) regularly run weekly countdowns of
the biggest hits “this week in 19xx-something,” so it’s not surprising to hear
a forgotten gem every now and then during one of these broadcasts.(By the same token, invariably you’ll also
hear a few head-scratchers … like “How on earth did THAT song make The Top 40?!?!?”)
But when you
hear a “Wow” song during regular broadcasting hours, it’s a real treat … and
last week 70’s on 7 played “Rub It In” by Billy “Crash” Craddock, a Top 20 Hit
from 1974 that otherwise seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth.
Billy was an
early rock and roll, charting with his first hit in 1959 when “Don’t Destroy Me”
went to #77 in Cash Box (#94 in Billboard for one week)Like Conway Twitty (and eventually Billy Joe
Royal), he went on to launch a very successful country music career, charting
41 times on Billboard’s Country Singles Cart.34 of those made The Top 40 … and THREE of them (including this one)
went all the way to #1.
“Rub It In”
is one of those feel-good, party tunes (with just enough innuendo to perk up
your ears and listen.)When’s the last
time you heard THIS one???(kk)
