Thursday This And That

The Eagles have extended their stay at The Sphere (again) and will now perform weekends thru February of next year.  (It’s supposed to be quite the spectacle!)

Dates still to come include: Friday, October 11^th; Saturday, October 12^th; Friday, October 18^th; Saturday, October 19th; Friday, November 1^st; Saturday, November 2^nd; Friday, November 8^th; Saturday, November 9^th; Friday, December 6^th; Saturday, December 7^th; Friday, December 13^th; Saturday, December 14^th; Friday, January 17^th; Saturday, January 18^th; Friday, January 24^th; Saturday, January 25^th; Friday, February 14^th; Saturday, February 15^th; Friday, February 21^st and Saturday, February 22^nd.

(Rumors of their residency extending thru 2050 have not been confirmed.)  kk

After over a year of negotiating followed by a considerable amount of consideration, Pink Floyd finally sold their music licensing rights to Sony Music for $400 million.  This includes their complete recorded catalog as well as their name and likeness.  The deal apparently does NOT include the band’s songwriting rights.  Still, a big chunk of money for an amazing catalog of music.  (kk)

Kelly Clarkson will take part in the induction of Foreigner at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Ceremony on October 19^th.  (It sounds like she’ll even be performing with the band!)  While I could say “American Idol” has finally made its mark, this actually happened a YEAR ago when Carrie Underwood performed as part of the tribute to George Michael! Also since announced ... Jennifer Hudson!  (Who would have ever thought?!?!)

Meanwhile, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has also just announced that Billy Idol, Jack Black and Wolfgang Van Halen will be joining the presenters and performers at the ceremony as well.  Again, it all airs on October 19^th on Disney+  (kk)

Neil Young and Stephen Stills teamed up together to play a set in Lake Hughes, California, at Neil’s Annual Painted Turtle Fundraiser last Saturday Night (October 5^th).  Dubbed “Harvest Moon: A Gathering,” the concert benefited not only The Painted Turtle, a summer camp for children with life-threatening and chronic illnesses, but also The Bridge School, an organization Young has been involved with for decades.

Their set featured examples of their solo work, their time together in Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, their short-lived Stills-Young Band era and then dipped all the way back to their Buffalo Springfield Days of 1967!  (kk)

Here is the complete set list … 

"Long May You Run"; "Human Highway"; "Hung Upside Down" (a Buffalo Springfield track not performed by either artist since 1967); "Helplessly Hoping"; "Field of Opportunity"; "Helpless"; "Love The One You're With"; "Heart of Gold"; "Harvest Moon"; "For What It's Worth"; "Bluebird"; "Vampire Blues"; "Rockin' in the Free World"

And, talk about your “hearts of gold,” Dolly Parton has announced that she is personally donating one million dollars to the hurricane victims of Helene, which has been tearing through the South Eastern United States claiming at least 225 deaths and registering damage totaling into the billions of dollars.

This is not the first time that Dolly has dipped into her own personal bank account to help out a good cause … and we salute you for your compassion.  (kk)

There is an EXCELLENT four-part Pete Rose documentary running on HBO right now.  (I’m sure it’s available on demand … and probably thru Max as well.)

They’ve done an INCREDIBLE job of documenting video and audio footage, capsulizing Rose’s entire remarkable career … and, of course, the downfall (as well as Rose’s complete arrogance about the whole situation … until he realized that he was NEVER getting into The Baseball Hall Of Fame.

In light of his recent death, one can hope that they may judge him only by his record-breaking stats at some point and finally admit that those statistics belong in the proper context of display in Cooperstown, even if they come with the asterisk disclaimer that explains why the STATISTICS are in The Hall Of Fame, even if the man himself is not.  (kk)

Hi there Kent,

You nudged me to do something last Saturday night that I NEVER would have dreamed I would do!

Well, I actually decided to listen to Phil Nee's Those Were The Days show on WRCO in Richland Center, Wisconsin, just to learn which songs made the Bubblegum Top 40, and am I ever glad I did.  

Phil's show was very professional and very well done.  So having heard the show once, I am probably going to check out some of his future shows, just to see what a regular show of his is actually like. 

Just as a side note, I finally learned how to properly pronounce your last name.  My speech synthesizer always put the accent on the first syllable for some reason, so that's how I always pronounced it.  But the accent is actually on the second syllable which is interesting.

He has obviously been doing these shows for some time, because he had quite a few interviews with many of the recording artists that had recorded these classic bubblegum songs, even recording artists like David Cassidy that are no longer alive.  By the way, I share a birthday with him.  

I was never really into the bubblegum genre, recognizing what it really was, songs aimed squarely at preteen girls like my sister Tina, who would sometimes play Sugar Sugar by the Archies for two hours at a time, and her bedroom was next to mine.  Then I'd discovered that she had been gone for one of those two hours and had left her small record player on repeat.  I did have to turn the volume down on at least two songs though ... Yummy Yummy Yummy by the Ohio Express and Quick Joey Small by The Kasentz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus.

However, I must confess to having bought four songs that made the Bubblegum

Top 40 when they were out ... the two Tony Barrows songs, Love Grows Where

My Rosemary Goes by Edison Lighthouse and My Baby Loves Lovin' by White

Plains, Dizzy by Tommy Roe and I Think I Love You by the Partridge Family.

There were no real surprises on the count down except for perhaps #40, Sunshine Girl by Parade, which has always been one of my favorite songs. 

However, whenever I've seen that song categorized, it's been listed as Sunshine Pop and not bubblegum. Naturally, what songs should be considered bubblegum music and which songs should not is very subjective, and each person will have their own opinion about that.

I actually started writing an E-mail to you back on August 26th with the AccuRadio Bubblegum Channel on in the background, but the E-mail was interrupted by some company and I never finished it. 

The first song I heard was Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow by the Monkees.  The next song I had almost forgotten about, Heartbeat, It's A Love Beat by the Defranco Family.  Other songs that I've heard include I'm Telling You Now by

Freddie and the Dreamers, I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight by Boyce and

Hart, She'd Rather Be With Me by the Turtles, which I don't agree with, Rock Me Gently by Andy Kim, Little Willy by Sweet, Come On Down To My Boat by Every Mother's Son, Like To Get To Know You by Spanky and Our Gang, which I disagree with as a bubblegum song, and Love Will Keep Us Together by The Captain and Tennille.

Then, last night, I listened to that channel for three hours and I heard some other songs that I would agree with their classification as bubblegum songs, but other songs I did not agree with at all.  

To me, Can't You Hear My Heart Beat and I Can Take Or Leave Your Lovin' by

Herman's Hermits are bubblegum songs, but This Door Swings Both Ways and

What A Wonderful World are not. The channel played a lot of Gary Lewis and the Playboys songs, and I remember hearing in an interview that Gary was very disgusted and offended that his songs were being placed in the bubblegum genre, because he never thought of those songs that way at the time.  He didn't like that designation of his own material at all.

Other interesting songs that the AccuRadio bubblegum channel played last

night included: Hungry by Paul Revere and the Raiders, which I don't agree with at all, and they also played Indian Reservation (The Lament of The Cherokee

Indian) by the Raiders.  They played practically all of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap's songs, which I don't personally consider bubblegum, and Billy, Don't Be A Hero and Who Do You Think You Are by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, which I agree with the bubblegum designation.  They also played Which Way You Going, Billy by the Poppy Family, which I am a bit on the fence as to whether it's a bubblegum song or not.

This has all been very interesting.  Tommy Roe put three early Beatles songs on his list of bubblegum songs, and although I don't agree with him, I can see where he's coming from with these songs.  

Anyway Kent, thanks for nudging me into listening to the Those Were The Days oldies show on WRCO FM.  This may be something that I start doing on a regular

basis now thanks to you.

All the best,

Sam Ward

 

When I was first approached about putting together a Bubblegum Favorites List, I was concerned that SO many of these songs before and after the real Bubblegum Era were now being reclassified as bubblegum.

To me, Bubblegum Music was very deliberately launched by Buddah Records ... they were even proud enough of this designation to label it as such ... and market these records (primarily by acts like The Ohio Express, The Lemon Pipers and The 1910 Fruitgum Company) to the preteen and early-teen audience.   (Keep in mind, music was getting pretty heavy by mid-1968 ... but there was still a whole audience out there with money to spend on 45's!)

When I saw the wide range of songs that were being nominated, I decided to abandon my own criteria for what I considered is or is not bubblegum music and let the readers decide.  The votes would ultimately determine what was right ... and if you listened to the whole countdown, you heard that the range pretty much ran from 1966 thru about 1971.

Sunshine Pop was another label ... I always just called it "Feel Good" Music ... and feel many of these acts contributed to the rock and roll landscape in a way that is deserving of recognition into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  

I'm talking about acts that you and I agree are not necessarily bubblegum like Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Turtles, Tommy James and the Shondells and more ... but still made their mark on the music scene during this era.

As for Phil Nee, he has always done a great job of bringing our countdowns to life ... and I think this was an especially good program.  Those vintage interviews REALLY made this work ... I was captivated by each and every one of them.  Unfortunately, the shows aren't archived for podcasts ... so if you didn't hear it, you guys missed a good one!  (kk)

Hi, Kent -

I never really think of the songs on your terrific list as "bubblegum."  To me, they're just good-time rock \n\ roll -- fun, exciting music which lifts your spirits every time you hear it.  

A 1985 example would be Katria & the Waves' "Walkin' On Sunshine."  I can count almost every one of the tracks on your list as a personal favorite -- and nearly every one turns up in one or more episodes of THE HISTORY OF ROCK 'N' ROLL WITH WINK MARTINDALE.  The two hour weekly series is the 2024 Communicator Awards first place gold trophy winner for broadcast excellence.  Chicagoland listeners can hear THE HISTORY OF ROCK 'N' ROLL Sunday mornings on ME-TV-FM.  

If your favorite station isn’t carrying THE HISTORY OF ROCK 'N' ROLL each weekend and you're in North America, call the station and tell ‘em to contact Ralph Riley of United Stations at 972-562 3381 (ralphriley@unitedstations.com). Inquiries from elsewhere in the world should be directed to Jessica D'Agostin at Radio Express 818-295-5800. And if you're not near a broadcast station carrying THE HISTORY OF ROCK 'N' ROLL, you can always listen to it online via such sources as Cleveland's legendary CLEOldies.com (https://onlineradiobox.com/us/northcoastsgreatesthits/...) -- which carries THE HISTORY OF ROCK 'N' ROLL Saturdays 10 AM-Noon; repeated Sundays 11 AM-1 PM EDT.

BTW, maybe somehow I fell off the Forgotten Hits mailing list.  I haven't received one in quite a while.

All the best,

Gary Theroux

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJWP3E_CjLI&t=48s

There is no more list per se ... everything is posted right to the website these days (and has been for YEARS now ... so you've got a WHOLE lot of catching up to do!!!)

Our 60 YEARS AGO TODAY series kicked off on November 22nd of last year ... and we haven't missed a single day since ... so scroll back and take a look at all that you've missed!  (kk)

I mentioned seeing the newly released Paul McCartney and Wings documentary “One Hand Clapping” over the weekend … which we quite enjoyed … and then Timmy sent me another review (not by him, but uncredited) that also sings its praises.  (I will say this … I don’t know that at the time I took Wings all too seriously as a band … I figured they could never live up to the legend that McCartney had laid down before them … and that everything they were doing was completely under his directive, knowing that anything he didn’t particularly like, he could always fix in the studio himself later on.  This included much of Linda’s keyboard playing and vocals.)

But I’ll tell you what … this film shows just how incredibly good they really were … INCLUDING Linda!  When they finally launched their Wings Over America tour a couple of years later, I was at all three shows at The Chicago Stadium … and they rocked solid throughout.  This was an exceptionally tight rock and roll band with very strong vocals.  And by this time, McCartney was hitting his stride somewhat regularly.  (Consider that between 1973 and 1976, McCartney and Wings had released “Red Rose Speedway,” “Band On The Run,” “Venus And Mars” and “Speed Of Sound.”  Those four consecutive albums gave us the #1 singles “My Love,” “Live And Let Die,” “Band On The Run,” “Listen To What The Man Said,” “Silly Love Songs” and “Let ‘em In” … plus the Top Ten Hits “Helen Wheels,” “Jet” and “Junior’s Farm” ... not a bad little track record if I do say so myself!!!  (kk)

This weekend, I saw the film "One Hand Clapping," made by Paul McCartney and 1974-era Wings. I hope many of you were able to see it as well. Much to my surprise, the film started with 2024-era Paul telling us all about what we were about to see and how much he enjoyed the music from Wings.    

I had always believed that Paul never released this film in the 1970s because he didn't think the music was good enough for release.   If that is true, then Paul was wrong.  As soon as Wings started the first song, "Jet," you could tell they would rock.  This mini-concert at EMI Studios on Abbey Road was fun, rockin', put a smile on your face, and enjoy type of stuff.   Many of Wings’ now classic songs, such as "Band on the Run," "Live and Let Die," "1985," and "C'Moon/Little Woman Love," were performed.  Paul, alongside Linda, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, and Geoff Britton, looked like they were having the time of their lives, and we were allowed to sit in and enjoy right alongside them. 

Paul also treated us to some numbers where he was at the piano — "My Love," "Suicide," and "I'll Give You a Ring" were great, but my favorites were "Bluebird" and "Maybe I'm Amazed."   Actually, the "One Hand Clapping" version of "Maybe I'm Amazed" is now my favorite version of that song.  I used to like the Wings Over America version the best, but it has been officially bumped out of the #1 position. 

You get to see cameo appearances by Geoff Emrick and Howie Casey (who does an amazing sax solo on Bluebird with Paul almost standing on top of him).  

Just when you think the party is over and the credits start to roll (and one guy in the theater actually got up and left), Paul returns and talks about the "Backyard" footage.  This second part was just as much fun as the first.  Paul sits with his guitar in a grassy area behind EMI studios and plays some of his favorite songs, including "20 Flight Rock," "Peggy Sue," and a big hit at the theater where I was in St. Louis, "Sweet Little Sixteen."   Sure, Paul mixes up the lyrics, but it is all part of the intimacy of feeling like you are right there with him behind Abbey Road.  

The entire show ran a little over an hour and was so much fun that I wish it was longer.   My biggest complaint, as I am sure is the biggest complaint of everyone who saw it, was that the footage has not been cleaned up at all.   It looks like a bootleg of a bootleg.  Was that the look Paul was going for?  The screen was blurry, there were "halos" around the people, and all of the colors were dull.  Has the original film been lost to time and has nothing to work with?  Did they borrow someone's bootleg copy and make a copy using a VHS player?  I do not understand how this could be released in such poor shape.  Maybe I am just spoiled by Peter Jackson's treatment of Get Back.  I hate that this Wings footage looks so bad because I want it to be preserved for the future.   

However, I can't be too upset over it.  I would rather have crappy-looking Wings footage than no Wings footage.  And the sound was great. I just hope someone can clean up this film before it goes on Blu-Ray or streaming.  Paul and his bandmates deserve to look the best. 

It is no longer showing at theaters, but if you haven't gotten the album and you like Paul McCartney, you have to get it!

Apparently, a girl named Sara (aka Starshyne) wrote this review.  She’s quite the Beatles fan!  Timmy sent me a link to her website:  http://www.meetthebeatlesforreal.com/

McCartney’s new tour is now underway.  (I’m not quite sure I understand the purpose of him performing “Now And Then” as part of the show … but hey, if it ends up generating a few more nickels for the clearly strapped ex-Beatle, so be it.)

Actually, it plays as a very nostalgic moment for Sir Paul …

And the video that accompanies the performance is well worth watching …

A point not lost on FH Reader Clark Besch, who says …

Sir Paul sang the new Beatles song last night!  Shaky voice now, but still very cool to hear a new song that is somewhat a Beatles tune!  Sound here is really quite good, surprisingly!  Besides, the video is awesome and needs to be seen more.

A new film documenting the week that John and Yoko co-hosted “The Mike Douglas Show” is making the rounds and will premier in selected theaters around the country on what would have been John Lennon’s 84^th birthday (October 9^th)  It will see home video release on November 26^th.

Far from being just a “clips show,” the documentary delves deeper into the hand-selected guests that appeared with John and Yoko that week during their highly-publicized political period.  The film was overseen by both Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon.  (I remember racing home from school each day that week to see it … and had numerous bootlegs of some of the songs they performed that week, including one of the best versions of “Imagine” I’ve ever heard, backed by Elephant’s Memory.  The clips of Lennon performing with his long-time idol Chuck Berry have also made the rounds for the past 50+ years.)

With this film and the recently released documentation of Lennon’s “Live Peace” Rock and Roll Festival (not to mention the mega-expensive, deluxe reissue of his “Mind Games” album), John Lennon is back all over the music news once again.  (kk)

Speaking of The Beatles, you can celebrate the 60th Anniversary of The Beatles Coming to the US with Bob Eubanks’ “Backstage with The Beatles” at Smothers Theatre on Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus on Sunday, October 20 at 2 p.m. 

This is a chance to take a behind-the-scenes look at The Beatles with Bob Eubanks and the legendary Beatles tribute band Ticket to Ride, who will join Eubanks on stage, bringing stories to life through the band’s iconic and beloved music. 

“I am really looking forward to going back to Pepperdine with my one-of-a-kind live Beatles show,” says Bob Eubanks. “I’ve got some great new stories.” 

Discover never-before-seen photos and listen to seldom-heard stories about the Fab Four from Bob Eubanks, the only living person to have produced The Beatles concerts all three years they toured America. In 1964, Eubanks borrowed $25,000 on his house to present The Beatles to Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl. Eubanks then produced two shows in 1965 at the Hollywood Bowl, one show in 1966 at Dodger Stadium, and one final show in San Francisco in August of 1966. This upcoming performance offers a unique way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Beatles arriving in the United States. 

Tickets are available now and priced starting at $25.50 – $48 for the public. These prices include all ticket fees. Discounted tickets are available for groups, Military, Wave Associates, and Pepperdine faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

To purchase tickets, call the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts box office at (310) 506-4522 or visit the Bob Eubanks' “Backstage with The Beatles” event page.

>>>The Beatles record the B-Side of their next single, "She's a Woman." Just before the session, Drummer Ringo Starr gets his driver’s license.  (kk)

And soon after began his Signature Driving Drum Beat!

CB

On October 4^th, singer/songwriter and soul music legend Otis Redding was posthumously awarded a star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame.  His is the 2791^st star on the infamous walkway.

His daughter, Karla Redding-Andrews, accepted the award on behalf of her late father.  “He loved his wife, he loved his family, he loved his children, and he loved his fans around the world.  Today, we honor not just the music, but the incredible man behind it.” 

Redding’s biggest hit also came posthumously … “Dock Of The Bay” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart for four weeks in 1968, shortly after the plane crash that took his life.  He is regarded by many as one of the greatest performing artists of the rock and roll era.  (kk)

What are  the odds of hearing TWO different Bobby Darin tunes as part of series television soundtracks in the same week???

Well, last week we were treated to "Mack The Knife" in Episode Three of "Tulsa King" and Bobby's version of "Call Me Irresponsible" in Episode Two of "The Penguin!"

All of that (coupled with the Bobby Music I listened to at home on my own) made last week a Darin Delight!  (In fact, yesterday, we celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the start of filming of Bobby's new film "That Funny Feeling" ... with new wife Sandra Dee.)  kk

60 YEARS AGO TODAY:

10/10/64 - The Summer Olympic Games (XVIII) open in Tokyo, Japan

Also on 10/10, comedian Eddie Cantor died