Monday, September 23, 2024

A Monday Morning Quickie

I first started collecting records as a 13 year old kid in the summer of 1968. Listening to AM Top 40, my first love was the so-called Bubblegum genre, especially the ones on the Buddah record label. Within a year or so, my musical horizons expanded, but I still also love a good bubblegum song. To me, the bubblegum era is basically 1968-1971. The second LP I ever bought was Chewy Chewy by the Ohio Express and the third was Yummy Yummy Yummy, also by the Ohio Express. I turned 14 in November, and on my birthday, my parents bought me my fourth album, The Beatles. To this day and over 2,000 albums and CDs later, I still love a good bubblegum song.

Here are my 20 favorites and I have ranked them … but that could change at any time:

1 / Sugar Sugar - The Archies

2 / Dizzy - Tommy Roe

3 / 1 2 3 Red Light - 1910 Fruitgum Company

4 / Chewy Chewy - Ohio Express

5 / Down At Lulu's - Ohio Express

6 / Tracy - Cuff-links

7 / My Baby Loves Lovin' - White Plains

8 / Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes - Edison Lighthouse

9 / Little Willy - Sweet

10 / Mercy - Ohio Express

11 / Easy Come Easy Go - Bobby Sherman

12 / I'm Gonna Make You Mine - Lou Christie

13 / Beach Baby - First Class

14 / Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye - Steam

15 / Alice Long - Boyce And Hart  (1st 45 I ever bought)

16 / I Woke Up In Love This Morning - Partridge Family

17 / Red Rubber Ball / Cyrkle

18 / Simon Says - 1910 Fruitgum Company

19 / Yummy Yummy Yummy - Ohio Express

20 / Sweet Pea - Tommy Roe

Shout-out to Tony Burrows, Dean Kastran and the great Ron Dante

Rich Turner

Largo, Florida

Yours was the last ballot we received before we closed the polls on Saturday …

Now, the final tabulations have been done … and I can tell you that MOST of your selections DID make the final list of Top 40 Favorites.

(As to WHICH ones … and in what order … well, you’ll have to be listening to Phil Nee’s “Those Were The Days” radio program on Saturday Night, October 5th, to hear the final results.  We’ll also run the countdown the following day, on Sunday, October 6th, on The Forgotten Hits Website.)

https://wrco.com/

Thanks to everybody who joined in on the fun … just over 9000 votes were cast and I can confidently say that we’ve got our clear-cut winners list ready to roll!  (kk)

Here’s a chance to complete your Cash Box book collection at half the cost!!!

Record Research is running a Half-Off Sale thru the end of the month for ALL of their Cash Box-related books … chart recaps as well as the charts themselves.

Check it out … and start saving money NOW!!!

https://www.recordresearch.com/?s=cash+box+charts

>>>Beatles on Shindig! - According to “Shindig” producer Jack Good, en route to London to tape show segments, the famous foursome – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Hamilton and Ringo – will probably do four numbers on the program and perform with the other entertainers.

Wow, what a versatile guy! A great actor AND lead guitarist for the Beatles!

– Randy Price

Well, you know, he DID play Hank Williams that year!!!

Guess the ABC Brass were really on top of the whole Beatles phenomenon … nearly nine months later!!!  That gaffe came directly from their own press release! (lol)  kk

Art Garfunkel and his son Art Garfunkel, Jr., are releasing an album of duets in November.  Titled “Father & Son” (named after the Cat Stevens song, which they also perform on the album) is the latest collaboration between the two.  (Art, Sr. sang four guest duets with his son on Art, Jr.’s most recent album “Evergreen.”)

[Art, Jr., who was born James Garfunkel in 1990, adopted the name Art Garfunkel, Jr., for his musical career.  An earlier solo album, “Wie Du: Hommage an meinen Vater,” featured German covers of Simon & Garfunkel classics.]

The first single being released from the new album is a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.”  Other songs featured on the new release include remakes of the songs “Blue Moon,” “Vincent,” The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” Simon and Garfunkel’s “Old Friends,” the Everly Brothers classic “Let It Be Me,” “Nature Boy,” “You Belong To Me,” “Here Comes The Rain Again” and the aforementioned “Father And Son” (along with a few others.)

Garfunkel, Jr., says: “This is truly a father-son project … it’s all about this unique connection.  We recorded a dozen of our most cherished songs. I brought more of the 80s influences into the project, and my father brought more of the Great American Songbook – wonderful songs from the 1940s and so on. These two influences came together in a pretty exciting way. Overall, it’s definitely an expression of our bond.”

Art, Sr., adds:  “It felt like a dream. It was simply quite wonderful. I love working with him. I like to say my son is a better singer than I am. I mean, I’m pretty good… but he is better.” 

I’m going to definitely have to check this out! (kk)

https://youtu.be/DJUD96Bwe6U?si=o3UgCSDz9Ojkc6oQ

And here's the single:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkV5RShJ-xs&t=178s

Also from Tom Cuddy …

Peter Frampton performed “Glad All Over” (a Dave Clark Five Cover) at The Met in Philadelphia …

https://youtu.be/txdzAM5MPvo?si=d0AOqx7lZuuOZiTp

A few more photos from Jim Roup …

This time around … Burton Cummings!

Here’s Burton in front of the now gone Tower Records on Sunset.

And more Burton, also in a long gone record shop in the Valley.

And, since you mentioned it, here’s Brian "Flipper" Kelly and his wife at Chasen's in West Hollywood.

Jim

The Boss just turned 75!  Check out this beautiful collection of photos of Bruce Springsteen, taken over the years …

https://morrisonhotelgallery.com/search?q=bruce+springsteen

From Uncle T. Jay …

(for all you Disney Rock Fans out there!)