The big story of the week, of course, was the announcement that Aerosmith was retiring from the road and cancelling their Peace Out Tour. (Never saw that one coming) And it’s really kinda sad because I know they wanted to make one last trip around the world to say goodbye and thank you to all their fans. (It probably would have been a nice cash-grab, too! Lol)
I hate the idea that Steven Tyler, who has one of the most distinctive and remarkable voices in rock history, injured himself to the point that he can no longer use his very unique instrument.
(Perhaps in a controlled environment, we’ll find that there are still things he can do … not requiring him to stand up on stage and scream for two hours every night … and then endure the rigors of the road.)
I hope so … because EARLIER in the week, before the big announcement was made, Joe Perry was talking about the possibility of some new Aerosmith music.
In addition to working on some new material, they were also going thru the vaults to see what else might be sitting around that would be worth taking another look at, ala The Stones, in a reimagining sort of way.
With their deluxe Greatest Hits CD out now, the farewell tour (and the live album that likely would have followed it) permanently sidelined, an album of brand new material before they hang up their saddles for good might make for the perfect exit ... their Permanent Vacation, if you will.
This band has come back from other major hurdles before … and actually proved to be even MORE successful in the ‘80’s than they were in the ‘70’s … and that’s really saying something! (You guys ranked 22 of their songs on our list of THE TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME … including THREE that made The Top 100: “Dream On” (#9), “Sweet Emotion” (#22) and “Walk This Way” (#79).
Now granted, those were all hits from the ‘70’s … but right behind them were “Dude (Looks Like A Lady),” “Janie’s Got A Gun,” “Love In An Elevator” and “Cryin’,” all of which made The Top 1000.
The Aerosmith Hit list is below …
THE AEROSMITH HIT LIST:
1973 – Dream On (#59) – original single, short, edited version
1975 – Sweet Emotion (#38)
1976 – Dream On (#6) – reissue, but as the longer, LP version best known today
1976 – Last Child (#21)
1977 – Walk This Way (#10)
1977 – Back In The Saddle (#38)
1977 – Draw The Line (#42)
1978 – Come Together (#23) – Aerosmith’s first movie song hit – a cover of The Beatles’ tune from the disastrous film “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band)
And then, after nearly a ten year break in the action …
1987 – Dude (Looks Like A Lady) #14
1988 – Angel (#3)
1988 – Rag Doll (#17)
1989 – Love In An Elevator (#5)
1990 – Janie’s Got A Gun (#4)
1990 – What It Takes (#9)
1990 – The Other Side (#22)
1993 – Livin’ On The Edge (#18)
1993 – Cryin’ (#12)
1994 – Amazing (#24)
1994 – Crazy (#17)
1994 – Blind Man (#48)
1997 – Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees) #35
1997 – Hole In My Soul (#51)
1998 – Pink (#27)
1998 – I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing (#1)
2001 – Jaded (#7)
Imagine my surprise when I came home from work the other night and found a package containing two of these sitting on the counter …
They’re from iHeart Radio’s Tom Cuddy, who also enclosed this note …
Hi Kent –
It’s a huge gift to us music lovers that you continue to find the passion and the time to pump out Forgotten Hits!
THANK YOU!
The parts of FH that I look forward to the most are The Friday Flash, The Sunday Comments and This And That … in other words, the comments columns.
I had these T’s made for you and your wife.
Tom
Ironically, we made similar shirts some 20+ years ago … so it was VERY cool to receive these along with your kind words.
We’re coming up on the 25th Anniversary of Forgotten Hits … I know, I can hardly believe it myself … and have never lost the passion Tom refers to in presenting it to you (although I will admit it’s sometimes a bit harder to keep up with things now than it was 25 years ago … but I attribute that to the world OUTSIDE Forgotten Hits … and not to our love of sharing all this great music and all our great memories.)
So thank you, Tom … and all of the rest of you who have stuck with us or climbed onboard along the way. It truly is appreciated. (kk)
Hmm … maybe we should go into business selling these! Make a few bucks! (lol) kk
This upcoming weekend’s Chicagoland Fest For Beatles Fans is turning into QUITE the event.
Recently announced was a live Zoom Q&A with Beatles’ film directors Peter Jackson and Michael Lindsay-Hogg. This in addition to live appearances by Micky Dolenz and Randy and Tal Bachman … Billy J. Kramer, Freda Kelly, Chris O’Dell, former Wings members Lawrence Juber and Steve Holley, Bruce Spizer, Terri Hemmert, Jude Kessler and many, many more. A Splendid Time Is Guaranteed For All!
More details here: https://www.thefest.com/2024-fests/chicago-august-9-10-11-2024/
Look for Micky, Randy, Tal, Billy J., Lawrence and Steve to join Liverpool on stage Saturday Night for an all-star concert event.
And, speaking of new/old music, Tom Cuddy sent us this about Chicago’s newly released Kennedy Center Concert from 1971, back when all of the original members were still onboard and building their remarkable career … https://ultimateclassicrock.com/chicago-at-the-kennedy-center-for-the-performing-arts/
Recorded on September 16th, 1971, in Washington, D.C., the band already had three albums (well, six really … they were ALL double LP’s!) under their belts.
Lots of great tracks on this one … songs that were new then that have gone on to become absolute classics … along with several long-forgotten album cuts from their more experimental period: Tuneup and Band Introduction / "Dialogue" / "Loneliness Is Just a Word" / "In the Country" / "Poem for the People" / "A Hit by Varèse" / "A Song for Richard and His Friends" / "Lowdown" / "Goodbye" / "Beginnings" / "Make Me Smile" / "So Much to Say, So Much to Give" / "Anxiety's Moment" / "West Virginia Fantasies" / "Colour My World" / "To Be Free" / "Now More Than Ever" / "Fancy Colours" / "Saturday in the Park" / "Mother" / "It Better End Soon" / "I'm a Man" / "Free" / "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (Free Form Intro)" / "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" / "25 or 6 to 4"
It'll be released as both a 3-CD set and a 4-LP vinyl edition. (kk)
A while back we told you that Herb Alpert was releasing his 50th album … and going back out on the road!
Here’s more on this story from Tom Cuddy …
https://www.stereogum.com/2274438/89-year-old-herb-alpert-announces-50th-album/music/
(Man, what a cool pic!!!)
And, speaking of cool pics, did you ever see the cover to his "Whipped Cream" album???
(Nah, I'm just kiddin' ... I wouldn't do that to ya again!!!) kk
Our buddy Sam Tallerico put together another great group of songs to feature on this week’s Forgotten Hits Super Charts show.
You’ll hear British Invasion acts Peter and Gordon, The Dave Clark Five, Chad and Jeremy, Billy J. Kramer and, of course, The Beatles … along with several “Lost Oldies” soul tracks, Lesley Gore, Ronnie Dove, some movie and radio clips from back in the day … all put together in a most entertaining way.
You can listen now via the link below …
Or go to the website and have literally dozens of previous shows to choose from. (In addition to Sammy’s salute to The Super Charts, he also did his regular LAFOS Show this week as well as a brand new “Power Pop’n Cherry Bombs” program.
You’ll find all of them accessible thru the link above. (kk)
And speaking of The Dave Clark Five, Clark Besch just sent us this …
My bro MixerRog has spun magic and he said I could share it so it is attached here. I've heard SOOO many stereo mix attempts at DC5's "Anyway You Want It" that were always messy and such. THIS is quite magical ... maybe not as much reverb/echo as the 45, but the power is here and clarity of split music and vocals just astounding. It is WORTH hearing … THE most rocking 2:30 music ever!
Clark
The Dave Clark Five’s were recorded so loud the distortion on the 45’s often took away from the beauty of the recordings themselves.
They typically sounded a little better (cleaner) on the LP’s (particularly their Greatest Hits LP) … but this is a GREAT, overlooked Forgotten Hit if there ever was one …
A Top Ten Smash from the end of 1964. (kk)
And, while we’re still in British Invasion mode, Clark also sent us this clip, airing throughout the Olympics broadcasts …
Have you seen the Uber commercial with The Beatles?
Been playing during Olympic coverage.
Probably put them back on top of charts 60 years later???
Clark
Hey, these days you never know …
*NSync’s “Bye Bye Bye” was used in the opening sequence of the new Deadpool Wolverine movie, which broke all kinds of box office records a couple of weekends ago … and was downloaded enough times the following week to put it back on Spotify’s streaming chart at #32!!! So you just never know! (kk)
Have you seen this clip?
The film seems to be chock-full of hits … Madonna’s “Like A Prayer,” The Platters’ “Only You” (!!!) and Eric Carmen’s “Make Me Lose Control” all experienced significant streaming increases this past week. You’ll also hear music by Green Day, Huey Lewis and the News, The Goo Goo Dolls and more. (Yeah … but is the movie any good??? The trailer looks frickin’ awful!) kk
Record Research has a site-wide mega sale going on right now …
30% off EVERYTHING on the site … thru August 20th!!!
This is an EXCELLENT opportunity to fill any of the holes in your library collection … or replace some of the worn-out, dog-eared copies you’re currently ruffling thru!
Only their newest release, Top Pop Annual, 1950 – 2023 is excluded in the sale ..
So be sure to check it out NOW!!!
https://www.recordresearch.com/?mc_cid=459bf82daf&mc_eid=d5785dc612
Do you know what song is often credited with being the most common “Ear Worm?”
My :40 edited version of that 60-year old song is attached!
C'mon! Let's all sing along together!
CB ( which stands for "Choir Boy!" )
Choir Boy!
I love that ear worm! Now if we would only REALLY listen to it and act accordingly, it would be a WONDERFUL world after all. (which brings up two more songs immediately)
Shelley
I love "I’ve Got The Best Of You." It was a hit on KEYN-FM Wichita when I was growing into FM radio and i have taped off the station from then.
Clark
Mike Wolstein reminds us of two sad anniversaries from this past week …
We lost Jimy Sohns two years ago today (7-29-2w) :-(
And Jerry Garcia would have been 80 years old this past Thursday (8-1)
Here’s another great interview with Micky Dolenz … very well done …
https://shanleyonmusic.blogspot.com/2024/07/a-talk-with-micky-dolenz.html
Sean Ross did a recent piece posing the musical question:
What is the oldest song in your format?
(You may be surprised by some of the answers. For starters, pictured in the article are Led Zeppelin and Britney Spears … and early on, one station reports that they are still playing Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.”)
Now I’m sure we’re talking “mainstream radio” here … because there are ALL kinds of excellent oldies stations to be found online. An interesting side question might be “Who still listens to mainstream radio … and how old are you???” (kk)
https://radioinsight.com/blogs/276063/what-is-the-oldest-song-in-your-format/
In a separate article, Sean also reports hearing a Canadian station (CJNE) segue Percy Faith’s “Theme from ‘A Summer Place’” into Boston’s “Feelin’ Satisfied!!!” (Even I have to consider that one pretty extreme … but also pretty cool and creative!) No Limits Programming … I love it! (kk)
Kent,
I don't know how many of your readers are familiar with the singer Terry Noland, but he passed away yesterday (July 29th) in Moore, Oklahoma, a suburb somewhat of OKC. He was 85.
Back in the late fifties, he had such records as THERE WAS A FUNGUS AMONG US, OH BABY! LOOK AT ME, and HYPNOTIZED (recorded by the Drifters.) I had the pleasure of talking to him years ago and interviewing him. His real name was Terry Noland Church and he recorded for Brunswick Records.
Larry Neal
I’m not familiar with him … he may have been more of a local talent (although I do see that he charted for exactly ONE WEEK in Music Vendor Magazine only with a track called “Party Baby” in 1958. It got to #81.)
The hit version of “There Was A Fungus Among Us” here in Chicago was by Hugh Barrett and the Victors in 1961. It made The Top Ten on The Top Tunes of Greater Chicagoland Chart … and went to #14 on the WLS Silver Dollar Survey. (kk)
Shortly after the induction ceremony welcoming Cher into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, a brand new Greatest Hits Collection will be released. (In fact, the deluxe “Forever Fan Edition” adds 18 more tracks to the mix, including some real rarities that have never made their way to CD before.)
More details (along with complete track lists) can be found here:
Carrie Underwood is returning to American Idol … as a JUDGE and mentor this season. (She’ll replace Katy Perry, giving the panel a significantly country slant this year … Lione Richie has often explored his country music roots both with The Commodores and as a solo artist.)
And yes … retiring Steven Tyler used to be an American Idol judge, too. (Maybe HE’S the guy who should consider returning to the fold … he was entertaining as hell when he was on the program! And we REALLY got to see his sensitive side!) kk
A closing smiler from Timmy …
Hey, wait a second ... how did THAT get in here?!?!?
What the ...
