A bit of catching up to do today ...
Everybody’s favorite Girl Next Door, Actress Teri Garr, passed away last week at the age of 79 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.
Garr appeared in the films “Tootsie,” “Mr. Mom” and “Young Frankenstein” (along with a host of others) and was one of the teenage dancers you always saw on those old programs like “Shindig!,” the just written about “T.A.M.I. Show” and Elvis movies and such. (She also played Phoebe’s mom on “Friends!” … and appeared in Elvis’ 1968 comeback television special.)
Very attractive, she always came across as your “sister” … somebody you would always acknowledge as being hot … but when pressed, would counter with “No man, she’s my sista!!!”
She first disclosed being diagnosed with MS in 2002 … and became a bit of a spokesperson to help draw awareness to the disease. The fact that she was able to do so for over twenty years already says something about how far we’ve come to battle it medically.
Always a bright spot whenever you saw her, we’ll miss you, Teri. (kk)
>>>Hanky Panky by Tommy James and the Shondells was a three year old record when that KQV Pittsburgh disc jockey started playing it in the spring and early summer of 1966. (Sam Ward)
The Shondells’ "Hanky
Panky" was NOT a three year old record when it became a nationwide #1 hit
in the summer of 1966. This erroneous statement had been floating around
for decades until it was debunked and finally corrected in Tommy James'
excellent book - "Hanky Panky" was recorded in November, 1964, by the
original Shondells lineup. It was featured as a potential pick hit in
Record World Magazine for the first week of January, 1965. This was the
original, local Snap label pressing, too, where the song title credit is given
to Tommy James (in error).
I do hope Tommy's book is finally made into a movie!
Mike Markesich
The movie is a long time coming, but still in the works.
The original copy that I personally bought of “Hanky Panky” was the first pressing on the Snap label, credited only to The Shondells. Once the record took off nationally, Roulette Records started pressing copies like crazy to keep up with the demand. (I know that I personally couldn’t get enough of this record at the time … I would switch back and forth between WLS and WCFL to see who was going to play it next … at the time, Top 40 was such that a monster hit like this would likely get played once an hour on at least one of those two radio stations!)
I’ve told this story many times before over the years …
My dad had a tool shed on the side yard of our property back in 1966 when this record was popular … and me and my two brothers would prop the radio up in the shed, turn the volume up as loud as it would go and then grab rakes and shovels, pretend they were guitars and mime “Hanky Panky” for any of the other kids in the neighborhood who might be passing by at the time.
Then, knowing that WLS had just played it, we’d switch it over to ‘CFL, figuring that they’d be the ones playing it next … and sure enough, three songs later, there it was again … so we went back into our lip-synching routine. (I didn’t say we were NORMAL kids … but we SURE did love this song!)
Ironically, our old buddy Clark Weber, who was program director at the station at the time, told Tommy James that he didn’t think he had a hit … or possibly even a career in the music business. Boy was he wrong!!! “Hanky Panky” topped the WLS chart for four straight weeks back in the Summer of ’66. (kk)
Here’s that Snap label that Mike Markesich is referring to,
showing Tommy Jackson (Tommy James’ real name) as the composer of the song …
future pressings properly credited Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich) kk
Life Is A Rock was the last song played by Larry Lujack on Super CFL's last day, 3/15/76, right before the waves came crashing in. The personalized version is "and CFL rolled me" just for accuracy.
Jay Grizzle
You can relive it here:
Oldies Music Blogger James Bartlett (who has quoted from our column several times in the past) remembers that last day quite vividly …
Happy to repay the favor, JB!
When radio stations change formats nowadays, it’s signaled by what’s known in the biz as “stunting.” I remember a station about to adopt an oldies format and the slogan “cool FM” that played nothing but the Little River Band’s “Cool Change” for an entire weekend. When an adult-contemporary station I worked for briefly changed to classic rock, it played “Another One Bites the Dust” for two hours before making the switch. It’s become common practice for stations planning to change format in the new year to go all-Christmas at the end of December. The intent is to signal to the audience that something new is about to happen.
Forty years ago today, March 15, 1976, the legendary, decade-long duke-out between WLS and WCFL in Chicago ended when ‘CFL changed from Top 40 to elevator music. They signaled it with a stunt: playing two hours of rolling surf to cushion the transition. But it’s what they did beforehand — what management allowed to happen beforehand — that made the WCFL format change a unique event.
Format changes generally happen with no warning apart from the stunting. WCFL didn’t do it that way. The station announced at the beginning of March that the change would take place on the 15th. It also accepted advertising from competing radio stations seeking to lure the Top 40 audience. Today, station staff often finds out about an impending format change when they’re ushered into a conference room and fired. WCFL didn’t do that, either. Management told the jocks that they would all be fired after the 15th except for afternoon jock Larry Lujack and asked the others not to immediately discuss the change on the air. Most of them obeyed the request, except for morning team Dick Sainte and Doug Dahlgren, who went on the air the day after the announcement and torched the place for 3 1/2 hours before getting yanked.
I can’t find it on YouTube, but I have heard an aircheck of midday jock Bob Dearborn doing his last show on ‘CFL on March 15, 1976. He talked about the change, and in his last break said to his engineer, “Al, hit that button one more time” to jingle into his last record. At 2:00, Lujack took over. The surf was set to come up at 5:00. At 4:40, Lujack played “American Pie” before delivering what he called his “last major address to the nation,” about the format change, in which he mentioned the commercials from other stations and made an endorsement regarding which station people should listen to. And also, “I’m not saying goodbye, because I ain’t going nowhere.” The next day, he was on the air as usual, playing elevator music. He was under contract, and ‘CFL intended to keep him from going elsewhere, although he’d be back on WLS before too long.
I was listening to WCFL 40 years ago today, and I heard Lujack’s address live. I can see myself even now, up in my bedroom at home, listening on my little console stereo, hearing Lujack’s last wisecrack over the surf and then just the surf, before being called downstairs for supper. Young and green as I was, I knew enough (and suspected enough) about how radio worked to feel as though what Lujack did was extraordinary, and I was right. Thanks to old Uncle Lar (and the decisions of WCFL management before the last day finally came), there’s never been another format change quite like the one WCFL made.
I was listening, too, and it was a nice, classy way to go out. (NOBODY expected Lujack to stay at the station and play “The World’s Most Beautiful Music” for long … but the guy was getting paid something like $150,000 a year in 1976 dollars … so he wasn’t going to blow a good thing either. (By the way, $150,000 1976 dollars is about $830,000 in 2024 money!)
And it didn’t take long for something to be worked out, allowing Lujack to return to WLS (and top ratings) once again. (The beautiful music format didn’t last long either … and WCFL has tried numerous things in the decades since, nothing ever even coming close to success.) Their run from 1966 – 1975 against The Big 89 was the stuff radio legends are made of … the two regularly exchanging jocks and position at the top of the listeners’ charts along the way.
You can experience a lot of what that sounded like every Labor Day Weekend when Rewound Radio salutes the WLS / WCFL Rewound. (Boy, radio SURE was fun and exciting to listen to back then!) Kudos to Ted Gorden Smucker and the crew for keeping these great airchecks alive. (kk)
Interesting to see the Super Chart 60 years ago this week. The Kinks’ and The Zombies’ first US 45s are at #20 and #21. Who will win the race? Today (11/2) was the last day for my auction of Cash Box Magazines, with "She's Not There" at #1 on their Top 100. Only time they ever hit #1 other than one week for "Time of the Season" in Record World. That's a rare magazine and chart!
Clark Besch
Despite a nice collection of hit records, The Kinks never hit #1 here in The States. (They had THREE #1 singles across the pond: “You Really Got Me,” 1964; “Tired Of Waiting For You,” 1965; and “Sunny Afternoon,” 1966.)
Others came close: “All Day And All Of The Night” peaked at #2 in 1964, “Dedicated Follower Of Fashion” reached #4 in 1966, “Dead End Street” (#5, 1966), “Waterloo Sunset” (#2, 1967), “Autumn Almanac” (#3, 1967), “Lola” (#2, 1970) and “Apeman” (#5, 1970) all made The British Top Five.
Here in The States, they never got any higher than #5 in the ‘60’s … “You Really Got Me” and “Tired Of Waiting For You” both reached the #5 spot. A 1983 comeback earned them the #6 Hit “Come Dancing” here in America … it didn’t fare nearly as well in the UK. (kk)
Stephen Stills isn’t quite as willing as Graham Nash to say that the three remaining members of CSNY would never perform together again.
Nash publicly stated last week that without David Crosby, there would be no point … as he was the “heart” of the band. (Yeah, I remember Don Henley saying something similar to this several years ago when Glenn Frey died … Henley has probably pocketed about four billion dollars since then with Eagles reunion tours!)
Stills, on the other hand, isn’t so sure …
"I can't be so absolute," he told The Globe and Mail. "There might be a reason for us to sing together. Maybe the upcoming election. But, at this point, it's not about ‘Would we get together.’ ‘Should we,’ is the important question."
Stills and Young performed together recently at a fund-raiser in California. Nash is currently out on the road on a solo tour. Never say never! (kk)
From Jim Roup ...
Birthday greetings to Art Garfunkel, 83, at a Beverly Wilshire hotel event.
And one of Teri Garr, too!
And one more for fun ...
Peggy Lipton (the former Mrs. Quincy Jones) with Lulu! (Lulu is in the midst of her final ten performances over in the UK right now ... she turned 76 years old last weekend. Wish we could have gotten the chance to see her! (kk)
I caught Peggy Lipton with Lulu at a movie premiere in Westwood.
Speaking of which,
Another great piece on the great Quincy Jones
https://www.noise11.com/news/r-i-p-quincy-jones-1933-2024-20241104
Cuckoo Boy - Chuck has done it again with information that will come out of my mouth at an opportune time when a student asks me, "Why do I have to say O'Clock when you ask me the time?" TRIVIA ARE US
Shelley
And from Mr. Buell …
As seen in FHs ~ ~ ~
>>>In November, 1934, The Boswell Sisters had a hit with their song titled, "Rock and Roll.
Alan Freed was 13 or 14 in 1934!
New Rare Historical Discovery …
"Journal Entry
Note to self ---
When I grow up to be a famous Disc Jockey, make claim I came up with the expression "Rock and Roll." Make shocking revelation the rhythmic phrase was influenced by the African-American Expression for Having Sex.
AF. November 1934"
Yeah, clearly the phrase had been around for quite a while before Alan Freed coined it all on his own! (kk)
DIDJAKNOW?: The new lead singer of Blood, Sweat and Tears is Jason Scheff, formerly of Chicago. (Gee, I wonder if they’ll do any of THEIR horn songs during their set?!?!)
We’ll find out … because BS&T are coming to The Genesee Theatre in January!
(The show is being billed as: Blood, Sweat and Tears: Past, Present and Future … and besides the well-known BS&T tracks one would expect to hear a such an outing, “25 or 6 to 4” and “You’re The Inspiration” are also listed in the ad. This should be a good one!!!) kk
Billboard Magazine recently ran a report citing the 81 songs that have debuted at #1 on their Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart over the past 29 years since Michael Jackson first accomplished this feat with “You Are Not Alone” in 1995.
Most on our list may find the list just a little “too modern” … and let’s face it, the charts simply aren’t calculated the same way these days …
But still it serves as a historical tribute to the music and
artists who have been able to pull this off … in some cases, more than just
once!
https://www.billboard.com/photos/billboard-hot-100-number-1-song-debuts-426225/
Speaking of Michael Jackson, have you heard about this new “Faking Michael” Podcast that reportedly offers proofs that some of the vocals on Jackson’s posthumous release “Michael” are not those of Michael himself, duping the public and his record label out of all kinds of money to produce, promote and purchase the album.
A 14-year investigation has led to the 12-part podcast, which Damien Shields has put together. A lawsuit (essentially alleging fraud and forgery) was recently settled.
https://www.billboard.com/pro/michael-jackson-vocals-faked-after-death-podcast-host/
https://www.billboard.com/pro/michael-jackson-sony-music-fake-vocals-lawsuit-settled/
On a somewhat related note, the topic of Frankie Valli lip-synching his concerts has come up again. After maintaining previously that he is exactly where he wants to be, up there on stage entertaining the fans, when questioned about him lip-synching his shows, Valli told The Washington Post, “If I say I'm not, you either believe me or you don't."
However, Ultimate Classic Rock is now running quotes from two members of Rock Royalty on the subject.
Graham Nash told The Washington Post (in the same article where Valli was interviewed), "Frankie Valli is not singing. He's just lip-syncing badly to a tape. As a musician, if you're not singing, you shouldn’t be onstage."
Nash went on to reference his longtime friend Joni Mitchell, and the way she is utilizing her voice in new ways at live shows, instead of sticking to original notes and arrangements.
"She certainly doesn't have the top-end range that she used to have," he said. "But, at the same time, there is a beauty. What we are getting instead of a top range is incredible phrasing in a lower range."
Ann Wilson of Heart had this to say about Valli’s performance …
"Oh, my God. His face is completely still. He looks like he's not even there. I suppose he's not. I think that's the moment when you have to decide whether to walk offstage or not. You really have to look at your morals and go, 'Do I just want to go up there and phone it in, give a bullshit performance because I'm me, or do I take the high road?'"
Sadly, there are too many artists who don’t know when to quit … like the heavyweight boxer craving one more victory. (There’s been a lot of speculation about Don Henley’s voice at The Eagles’ live shows of late as well.)
While we would NEVER condone or encourage these artists to misrepresent themselves and disrespect their fans who are often shelling out hundreds and hundreds of dollars to see them perform live on stage, we DO encourage Paul McCartney to consider ANY means of lip-synching and AI technology out there to (sgt) pepper up his shows. He sounds just DREADFUL … and it’s painful to listen! (kk)
And here’s perhaps another related topic …
After much encouragement from Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend has confirmed that The Who will, in fact, do SOMETHING next year.
"I met with Roger for lunch a couple of weeks ago," Townshend told “The Standard.”
"We're in good form. We love each other. We're both getting a bit creaky, but we will definitely do something next year." (kk)
Looks like Jeff Lynne has added a couple of “warm-up dates” before his final performance at Hyde Park on July 13th of next year.
Lynne will now perform British concerts on July 5th in Birmingham and July 9th in Manchester.
