An evolving story from over the weekend ...
This all really started last Thursday (July 10th) ...
With the Manchester arena already packed with fans, Jeff Lynne’s ELO cancelled their performance Thursday Night due to illness. (Lynne was already performing with a broken hand … but this was a completely unexpected surprise, especially since the venue was already packed with fans waiting for the show to begin.)
Lynne’s appearance the night before did not win rave reviews. Fans posted that he did not look or seem well, stating that he had to be helped onto the stage. He was missing his cues, forgetting words and almost collapsed. They had to bring him a chair and even at that, he was struggling to stay on it. (He did not look well in the photos I saw of his opening night appearance either.)
Their farewell appearance is scheduled for this Sunday Night (July 13th) at Hyde Park … it’s a superstar show of sorts to say goodbye with opening acts Dhani Harrison, The Doobie Brothers and Steve Winwood also sharing the bill. Hoping he’s healthy and able to bid adieu to his long-standing British fans before he hangs it up for good. (kk)
UPDATE: Jeff Lynne ended up cancelling his final performance as well ... a real shame as this was supposed to be his last live appearance ever. Fact is, he is evidently much sicker than originally indicated. The official word put out by the press is that "Jeff has been battling a systemic infection and is currently in the care of a team of doctors" and performing would be the worst thing he could do right now. (Doctors advised Lynne that "performing is simply not possible at this time.")
This didn't just come on overnight ... Lynne really should have cancelled ALL of his appearances with the hope of being able to reschedule them once his health improved. Doing this last minute cancellations (especially with a stadium filled with fans who have already paid for travel expenses, hotel room, parking and ELO souvenirs) was just not the smart or respectful way to go. It seems to me that all of this could have been avoided, especially since he wasn't well enough to perform and had injured his hand to boot. In hindsight, better PR should have come into play.
All of that being said, we wish him well regarding recovery from whatever this is that has knocked him out of commission. As I said, he must be REALLY ill ... and I know he wanted to face his British fans one last time before hanging things up. (Jeff's first comeback concert was also at Hyde Park so this farewell performance would have brought things full circle.) By the way, that first concert is available on video ... and it is outstanding. ELO were one of my favorite bands of the '70's and Jeff is a brilliant songwriter and creator. We wish him well regarding all of his health issues. (kk)
Rich Gardner was so impressed with our coverage of his new series of WLS books that he his making an INCREDIBLE offer to Forgotten Hits Readers only … read on!
Dear Kent,
I wanted to extend a huge thank you for the excellent blog post you put together about me and the WLS Music Survey series on Forgotten Hits. It's truly an honor to be featured on your site, which I've admired for its dedication to preserving music history.
I especially appreciate you highlighting the WLS survey collection and sharing the link to my interview with Bob Sirott on WGN Radio. Getting the word out about these books and the passion behind them means a great deal, and your platform is perfect for reaching fellow music and radio enthusiasts.
Your personal touches, like reminiscing about Bob Sirott and even picking up one of the WLS commemorative coins, made the post even more special.
It's clear we share the same love for this era of radio and music, and that connection makes your endorsement incredibly valuable.
I've updated my website, and FORGOTTEN HITS readers can now receive $10 off each book, with a limit of 9 books, by using the coupon code “wvetspoptop” when making a purchase. The coupon is currently valid through July 19, 2025.
Thank you again for your generosity and for helping to keep these musical memories alive!
Warmly,
Rich Gardner
That’s right, folks … for ONE WEEK ONLY you can purchase ALL nine books at $10 off each book by using this special coupon code.
NOW is the time to grab ‘em! That link again is:
A tall task for sure ... maybe as you narrow things down, our readers can help you track down the most obscure of the obscure! (lol)
Because these charts were only associated with a radio station for a VERY short period of time, odds were that a great number of these obscure tunes never saw the light of day in the way of airplay at the time. The stations that were playing Top 40 music during this era were typically working from their own lists ...
But I wish you all the luck in the world! (Actually, that Dana Sisters song isn't all THAT bad!!!) kk
Speaking of charts …
Loved the 1955 Super Chart. Did not know most of the songs, but liked seeing all the different charting versions and there were so many Bill Haley ones on that chart!
Clark Besch
And more from Clark on WLS …
ALSO, later tonight, the great decades long Cincy DJ, Dusty Rhodes will play his own WLS Summer 1962 countdown show using old clips and jingles and such! Well over 60 years of great DJ work and still sounding fabulous in Cincy! Dusty writes:
The summer of '62 as heard on WLS, Sunday night (7/13) 6 pm - Midnight EDT on Kentucky, The Oasis, wherethemusicwent.com and Delhi Township's Z98fm.com. I'm told the Oasis is also available on the iHeart app. "Alexa, play the Oasis 97.7."
And, you can listen to the John Landecker / Bob Sirott exchange from the other night here (without a lot of the clutter that hampered the live broadcast):
Awwwsome, Kent!!! Two radio legends!
>>>This July, 1955 chart also boasts three versions of "Unchained Melody," a song The Righteous Brothers would resurrect some ten years later with great success. (It, too, found a new audience when it was used in the film "Ghost" in 1990.) kk
1955 is also remembered as the time when four versions of "Unchained Melody" were on the pop charts at the same time. Well, the fourth one was in May and only appeared for one week - but the other three stayed around twenty weeks from April through August. Opera singer Todd Duncan sang it in the movie, but that version wasn't released as a single.
David Lewis
Billboard charted FOUR versions of "Unchained Melody" in 1955, three of which made their Top Ten list: Les Baxter (#2), Al Hibbler (#5) and Roy Hamilton (#9) ... pretty impressive! June Valli's version peaked at #29. (kk)
Great Ringo interview here in The New York Times …
Read or listen to the interview here. →
And, speaking of former Beatles, Ringo’s bandmate just announced his next North American Tour, kicking off September 29th in Palm Desert, California, and wrapping up November 25th after two shows here in Chicago. (A complete list of tour dates is shown below, subject to a few likely additions as we get closer to the launch.)
Paul McCartney Got Back Tour Dates, North America 2025
September 29th — Palm Desert, CA @ Acrisure Arena
October 4th – Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium
October 7th – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
October 11th – Denver, CO @ Coors Field
October 14th – Des Moines, IA @ Casey’s Center
October 17th – Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Stadium
October 22nd – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
October 29th – New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center
November 2nd and 3rd – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
November 6th – Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle
November 8th – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
November 11th – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
November 14th – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
November 17th and 18th – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
November 21st – Hamilton, ON @ TD Coliseum
and November 24th and 25th – Chicago, IL @ United Center
A special memorial service was held last weekend for friends and family of Brian Wilson ...
Just got this news release from Micky Dolenz’s team …
MICKY DOLENZ is set to resume his well-received SONGS AND STORIES tour next month, August 11th, in Ocean City, New Jersey, and will continue with additional engagements in Rhode Island; Cleveland; Connecticut; Phoenix; Hawaii; Philadelphia; Boston; Jacksonville; Ft. Lauderdale; and Palm Springs.
The first half of the tour, which began earlier this year, has received wide-spread praise in the media with Dolenz telling audiences of his exploits with the likes of The Beatles; Elton John; Jimi Hendrix; and Stephen Stills.
He’s also released MICKY DOLENZ LIVE AT THE TROUBADOUR, which set the stage for the ensuing tour. It was his first live album in seven years. The Troubadour show was also a benefit for Make-A-Wish, which Dolenz has supported vigorously throughout the years.
Dolenz said in Goldmine: “The Troub was the go-to place for me and my crew in the day. We were there all the time. In fact, I remember spending two years there one night.”
People Magazine said of the show: “It’s a celebration of beloved Monkees classics peppered with anecdotes from his singular life in music, ranging from parties in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon alongside fellow legends like Joni Mitchell, Jim Morrison and David Crosby, to his eyewitness account of The Beatles at work on the 1967 masterpiece Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
Dolenz said of the show: “I've always been chatty in my shows over the years. I've done little segues between some of the songs. For years, I would go into ‘Johnny B. Goode’ out of nowhere. I loved doing the song, but I noticed people would look up at me and be like, 'Why is he covering an old Chuck Berry tune?' That’s when I started to tell the story. Before The Monkees, I had a band called Micky and the One-Nighters. It was a cover band, like everybody had. We used to do 'Johnny B. Goode,' and that was my audition song for The Monkees. That was the song that got me the gig. So, I’d tell that story, and the song would get a much better reaction — because then it was like, 'Whoa’.”
“I’d tell other stories, like seeing Jimi Hendrix in New York City and inviting him to open for The Monkees. My music director and I were both pleasantly surprised by the reaction. I have stories with Elton John and Stephen Stills, and some others up my sleeve. And with all these stories, the punchline, so to speak, is the song.”
Guests have included Paul Shaffer (at NY’s City Winery) and in LA Laurence Juber (Wings).
Next year is also the 60th
anniversary of The Monkees and Dolenz predicts some surprises in-store.
Dolenz, who just turned 80, is set for next year’s Flower Power Cruise, which
will launch in St. Kitts and Nevis.
For additional information, go to www.MickyDolenz.com
And if you didn’t listen to Micky’s interview on the Billy Corgan Show, it’s worth tuning into here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZqAS6mWQeo
An update to Dann Isbell’s book “Ranking the '60s” is in its final stages.
The project, taken over by William Carroll (who has done several other books of this nature for all us chart freaks out there!), will have greatly expanded information about all of the songs contained. He’s calling it “Version 2.0” … and the new book will contain information regarding all of the charted singles, albums, writers and producers … MUCH more information than what was available in the original edition.
This will bring the ‘60’s chart information recap closer in line to what Bill did with his “Ranking the ‘70’s” book …
That shows the following detail for EVERY record to hit the charts:
Entry Date, Peak Date and Exit Date – Weeks at Peak, Weeks in the Top 10, Top 40 and Total Weeks Charted. This information is followed by the writers, the album source (if there was one) and the name of the Producer(s). ALL titles are then ranked overall for the decade, with a point score assigned to every entry.
(Shocker: The #1 Hit of the ‘70’s according to this method was NOT “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone, even though it spent ten weeks at #1 that year, but “Joy To The World” by Three Dog Night, which logged only six weeks at the top but accumulated more points during its chart run.)
More information as we get closer to a publication date. (Meanwhile, you can order all of Bill’s previous books thru Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Ranking-70s-Version-2-0-Compilation/dp/B0C47LSG6Q
Now we know from previous comments made over the years that many of you bought into the Hip Pocket Records phase back in the day …
But did any of you actually WEAR these as earrings?!?!?
Check us this ad Timmy sent us …
Apparently, these discs were manufactured from 1967 – 1969 and included a number of major hits …
You can still find these on eBay from time to time … but I’m not sure what you’d play them on!!! (kk)
https://www.ebay.com/b/Hip-Pocket-Records/176985/bn_7023413638
https://nostalgiacentral.com/pop-culture/fads/hip-pocket-records/
A career-spanning greatest hits package is coming from Cat Stevens this September.
His new memoir will also be released that month. Both are titled “Cat On The Road To Findout”
Greatest Hits tracks include: “I Love My Dog,” “Matthew & Son,” “Here Comes My Baby,” “The First Cut Is The Deepest,” “Lady D’Arbanville,” “Trouble,” “Where Do The Children Play?,” “Wild World,” “Father And Son,” “Tea for the Tillerman,” “Don’t Be Shy,” “If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out,” “The Wind,” “How Can I Tell You,” “Morning Has Broken,” “Moonshadow,” “Peace Train,” “I Want To Live In A Wigwam,” “Sitting,” “Can’t Keep It In,” “Foreigner Suite (Excerpt),” “The Hurt,” “Ready,” “Oh Very Young,” “Another Saturday Night,” “Majik Of Majiks,” “Banapple Gas,” “(Remember The Days Of The) Old Schoolyard,” “(I Never Wanted ) To Be A Star,” “Just Another Night,” “Last Love Song,” “Butterfly,” “Heaven / Where True Love Goes,” “Maybe There’s A World,” “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” “Thinking ‘Bout You,” “Roadsinger,” “Gold Digger,” “Dying To Live, “Blackness Of The Night,” “Grandsons,” “Miles From Nowhere,” “On The Road To Find Out,” “Father And Son,” “Here Comes The Sun (Acoustic),” “All Nights, All Days” and “Take The World Apart.” (kk)
And here’s a new book you might be interested in … it’s available now …
BUZZ ME IN: INSIDE THE RECORD PLANT STUDIOS OUT NOW
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The Backstreet Boys are headed to The Sphere … and man, they’re working hard to get there!!! (All that choreography had to be a lot easier to pull off thirty years ago when they were just first making the scene!!! Lol)
Remembering Johnnie Johnson on his Birthday 🎉 🎂 July 8th! His piano work with Chuck Berry led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! July 8th was Beck's birthday, 🎂 too!
And Happy Birthday 🎈🎂!, to Richie Sambora! Here is Richie arriving at The Roxy for a Blues night jam that included Eric Clapton,Buddy Guy,John Lee Hooker and Richie Hayward. George Harrison was said to be a no show! 🎸😔
Jim Roup
