MAJOR congratulations are in store for Tommy James and his long-time manager Carol Ross, who are getting married on April 5th!!! Both have been Friends of Forgotten Hits for a couple of decades now … and we couldn’t be happier for them.
Tommy’s wife passed away after a long illness a couple of years ago. (Carol lost her husband in 2011.) The two first met and started working together back in 1987. (Carol is also a regular on Tommy’s Sirius XM weekly radio program, “Getting’ Together with Tommy James," along with ANOTHER long-time friend of FH, Dave The Rave!)
We couldn’t be happier for the two of you … congratulations again! (kk)
The on again / off again Bachman-Cummings Reunion Tour is apparently ON again …
Now that Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings own the rights to The Guess Who name, it seemed only logical that they would tour again behind that banner.
But Randy’s been in the middle of his own reunion tour with Bachman Turner Overdrive … and Burton has hit the road again with his own band this summer …
So it sounds like the actual Guess Who reunion won’t take place until next year.
But boy, it sounds like they’ve got quite a show planned …
In an interview with American Songwriter Magazine, Randy spelled it out …
“Burton is finishing up his stuff this year, I’m finishing up my BTO stuff, and we have a plan for 2026 to be The Guess Who, where we do a set list of about 30 hit songs, and it’s probably gonna be a two or three-hour Springsteen kind of marathonic show. And we’re all geared to do that in 2026. It’ll be the unveiling of ‘The Guess Who are back.’”
GREAT news for those of us who have been waiting for this to happen since their last planned outing was cancelled due to Covid. (We had second row seats for that one … hope we can be anywhere NEAR as lucky this time around!) kk
More details here: https://search.app/Tn1cceDB6F3dpGsJ9
Our condolences go out to all the fans who THOUGHT they were seeing Kiss’ final live performance back in December of 2023. After a huge hub-bub as to who would and wouldn’t appear in Kiss make-up that night, the band played what was believed to be their final set together … and then announced that the music of Kiss would live on forever through a new avatar show, capturing the band at its peak.
Except NOW, they just booked a new series of shows in Las Vegas, scheduled to take place in November of this year. Kiss (featuring Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer, Tommy Thayer and Bruce Kulick) will perform (sans make-up) on the 14th, 15th and 16th of November at The Virgin Hotels in Vegas. (We also hear that Gene Simmons’ solo tour has been cancelled, reportedly due to poor ticket sales.)
Interestingly enough, Kiss sold the rights to their name, their likeness and all of their music as part of the avatar deal … so I’m not quite sure how they’re getting away with this legally … but it’s more the MORAL angle that I take issue with. Duping and deceiving your life-long fans is never a good thing … and now asking them to shell out big bucks to come see you AGAIN is really a bit despicable in my mind. (kk)
Regarding Elvis, back at Christmas '63 a card arrived from Elvis and The Colonel. That was due to my dad doing a few weeks of pre-production work on MGM's, "It Happened at The World's Fair" in Seattle. Sorry to say the card was thrown out years ago! 😡 He got a briefcase with his initials on it from The Colonel, too.
Jim Roup
Also from Jim …
Happy Birthday 🎂! Chaka Khan, seen here at Spago.
And how about one more of Nick Lowe …
And Timmy sent us this great movie poster … from a film I’d never even heard of!!!
>>>We’ve just posted a list spotlighting the Top 200 Biggest #1 Records of the '70's. It's shown from a unique perspective ... because all of the points are tabulated based on the TOTAL number of weeks each record spent at #1 in all three major trade publications. (Billboard, Cash Box and Record World.) You can now view our latest effort, THE TOP 200 #1 HITS OF THE '70's, here: https://fhtop200no170s.blogspot.com/ (kk)
It's not that those entries near the top are any good; it's that there was so little competition of any quality. The demise of quality music is illustrated perfectly with this chart.
David Lewis
Focusing ONLY on the #1 Hits is not the right way to tabulate all that went on in the ‘70’s … but we made the criteria clear when we set out to compile the list … so at least it’s accurate in that regard. (I made it a point to show all of the other records that hit #1 that decade as well, just because it was such an extensive list.)
What amazes me in hindsight is just how big “You Light Up My Life” really was … NO other record in rock and roll history even came close to accumulating 31 weeks on top … not even Beatles hits like “Hey Jude” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand” or Elvis hits like “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Hound Dog.” Even a MONSTER record like Percy Faith’s “Theme from ‘A Summer Place’” couldn’t do it … and yet, big as it was, you rarely hear the Debby Boone hit anymore these days. (Not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with that!!!) It’s kind of like the “Honey” of the ‘60’s I guess!
Unfortunately, this list grossly overshadows HUGE hits from that decade like “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “American Pie,” “Love Will Keep Us Together,” “It’s Too Late,” “Silly Love Songs,” “Close To You” and “Maggie May,” all of which likely would have placed higher if we took into account the total number of points they accumulated utilizing their complete stats for the decade.
(Just for curiosity’s sake, I looked at Bill Carroll’s mathematical list compiled for his “Ranking The ‘70’s” book and “Joy To The World” came in at #1, followed by “You Light Up My Life,” “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” “I’ll Be There” by The Jackson Five, “Knock Three Times,” “Le Freak,” “Reason To Believe / Maggie May,” “American Pie,” “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” It paints quite a different picture, don’t you think?)
Bill’s research puts “Night Fever” at #25 for the decade (I don’t agree with that one … I think it deserves its #2 ranking), while “Shadow Dancing” FAR outweighed Andy Gibb’s “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” … yet it came in at #18 on Bill’s list. “My Sharona” shows at Bills #27 hit for the decade while “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” doesn’t show up until #63.
In reality, no one list is more correct than the other … they each reflect the methodology used to present the data. (kk)
Meanwhile, take a look at this incredible line-up of stars coming to Asbury Park back in 1969 … thanks for sending us a copy of this ad, Timmy! (kk)
Check out this great new piece on The Monkees, courtesy Micky Dolenz and The Guardian …
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/mar/24/micky-dolenz-on-the-madness-of-being-in-the-monkees
Harvey Kubernik sent us this great quote in honor of session bassist Carol Kaye’s 90th birthday (DON’T refer to her as a member of The Wrecking Crew … she HATES that description!!!)
In November, 2023, I spoke with Carol Kaye after interviewing her for a music documentary about her remarkable studio career. Carol is heard on thousands of recording sessions, including Ritchie Valens' “La Bamba,” Chris Montez's “Let’s Dance” and many of Phil Spector's productions, including the Crystals' "Then he Kissed Me.” She is heard on thousands of sessions on bass and some on guitar with Quincy Jones, Brian Wilson, Bumps Blackwell, and Lee Hazelwood.
I asked if she met any of the Beatles.
Carol put down her fork, and replied, "Paul McCartney called me many years ago when he found out I played on the 'Good Vibrations' sessions. We traded picks."
The Official Carol Kaye Web Site
He She and Me on the heat of the dance
Hey, WE are grooving and smokin'! (Kent, I lumped us all together as "WE". Now you needn't worry about which one is you!) And as far as my hair goes, Chuck ... my life WAS over ... naturally curly long hair in the 60s???
Nice dancing with you two. I had no idea someone would copy our act and make a film. (my story and I'm sticking to it)
Shelley
Shelley also has some sad news to share ...
As for Bobby, we heard it from you first, but then also saw it posted. (This very well may be the reason that Bobby never got back to us when we approached him for comments during our Top 40 Favorite Bubble Gum Songs series, where he placed THREE songs on the list: "Julie Do Ya Love Me" (#33), ""Little Woman" (#35) and "Easy Come, Easy Go" (#37)
Bobby is 81. (kk)
Lindsey Buckingham is reportedly back in the studio with Mick Fleetwood, working on a track for Mick's upcoming solo album. (Although Fleetwood is still hopeful that Stevie Nicks may join them for a track, Stevie seems adamant that there can be no Fleetwood Mac reunion without Christine McVie, who passed away in November of 2022.) Stevie, meanwhile, is being inducted into the Pollstar Hall Of Fame next month. This will be her SECOND induction, as she is already enshrined as a member of Fleetwood Mac. (kk)
And, since we're talking radio, here's one more quick reminder to tune in to Rewound Radio tomorrow for Part Two of their Dee Jay Hall Of Fame salute to Fred Winston! Noon to 3 pm Eastern Time
More from Ted Gorden Smucker ...
Hello Kent,
I wish to remind you and your readers that Part 2 of our very special DJ Hall of Fame is being presented this Saturday, March 29th, on RewoundRadio.com. Our radio friend Fred Winston’s birthday is coming up this weekend, and he is being saluted with an audio special that my friend Bill Shannon and I have been working on for some time. Part 1 was on last Saturday and since then, we have heard from this man’s friends from all over America. I talked with Fred after the show aired a few days ago, and he mentioned that his past co-workers came out of the woodwork to wish him the very best, and he was overwhelmed.
The Rewound Radio DJ Hall of Fame feature is known for its efforts to bring back the music and the personalities of Top 40 Radio by allowing us to present unscoped recordings of our favorite radio stations and DJs, just as they were heard live on the air decades ago. We bring you those shows with the original news, music and commercials, so look out, as you may find yourself wanting to search out a great deal on a new 1979 automobile. In fact, many people have likened this to listening on their transistor radio to their favorite station so many years ago.
So whether you are a former co-worker, family member, or a fan of Fred Winston, we invite you to tune Saturday from 11am-2pm (Central Time) to RewoundRadio.com. You will hear Fred during his “Chicago Days” on a variety of stations.
This week, we start with him in a way you probably have not heard before, hosting a country show on WMAQ. Following that, you will hear Fred reunited with his old WLS cohort, Newsman Lyle Dean on WFYR. After a number of format changes, WCFL made a run for the Adult Contemporary listeners, and Fred was hired as the new morning man. You can hear his first show on former competitor AM1000 from back in 1981.
Following that, “The Big 89” came calling, and we have proof with a morning show from 1987 featuring Catherine Johns, Jim Johnson and Les Grobstein from the News and Sports Desks. After leaving WLS, Fred later hosted mornings on The Point - WPNT. Our last full length recording features Mr. Winston in the afternoons on Oldies 104.3WJMK from 2005. We wrap things up with a brief run-through of the WLS Rewind from 2007, where Fred returns again to grace the WLS microphone, high atop his donut cushion.
Join us this Saturday to celebrate Fred Winston, Birthday Boy, with many of his friends, including Lyle Dean, Chuck Britton, Catherine Johns, Scott Childers, and Kipper McGee, just to name a few.
There are a number of ways to get there.
1. RewoundRadio.com (Click on the Cell Phone Icon)
2 I-Heart or TuneIn Radio (Search “Rewound Radio”)
3. Ask Alexa to “Play RewoundRadio”
As Fred says, "See you on the radio".
Ted Gorden Smucker
60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
3/28/65 – Little Anthony and the Imperials and Bobby Vinton appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show”
