Congratulations are in order to Denny Tedesco, whose documentary film “The Wrecking Crew” has just been added to The National Film Registry for Preservation.
I know what a long, hard road this was to get this film made and distributed and finally released … and it really is a landmark piece of work. We offered our endorsement for over ten years before everything finally clicked … so this honor is well deserved. (We told everybody we could from Day One about this film and how it needed to be seen ... so I, too, am proud to have made ANY contribution, no matter how small it may have been, to its success.)
“The Wrecking Crew” captures a critical moment in rock and roll history ... and was made with love and affection for not only the work of Denny’s father, Tommy Tedesco, but of ALL of the artists who came to be known as The Wrecking Crew. (OK, well maybe not Carol Kaye ... but we'll consider her a member regardless of what she has to say!) These musical contributions shaped the sound of the '60's, the most exciting period in music history ... and we couldn't be prouder of you for receiving this honor.
In the words of The Library Of Congress, the chosen films were selected “due to their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage,”
Congratulations, Denny … you deserve it! (Now I wanna go watch it again!!!) kk
Kent,
I was blown away. I could never even have thought what happened was possible. Never on my radar.
So glad you were there at the beginning. Who knows, maybe we’ll get a new life. People are still finding it.
Denny Tedesco
Here's a timely tie-in from Jim Roup ...
Remembering the great drummer Hal Blaine on his birthday 💐🎂!!! February 5th. Seen here at a Beatlefest in Los Angeles.
We are at a loss for words here on the east coast after reading about the passing of Gary Theroux. Gary lived and worked with us in CT and yet none of us knew he had passed. There were no Beatle Fan Fairs or conferences here in the past six months and we were all busy with other projects that did not require us contacting Gary. I have now started contacting others who are passing on the word. It must have been very heavy for his wife and family and has kept them from reaching out and sharing. In grief we are joined.
Shelley
I will miss talking to him about the one thing we both loved the most. Even the shortest ten minute conversation would quickly grow to an hour as each of us were spurred on by another factoid or memory that we just had to share.
I think the last time he and I spoke on the phone it was in regards to the Joel Whitburn collection possibly going up on the auction block. It was the last thing either of us wanted to see happen but even between the two of us we couldn’t come up with a solution to save this one of a kind library of music. Thankfully, right now it is still owned by Joel’s daughter Kim Bloxdorf and Record Research is now offering select books from their massive library as a “print on demand” feature. I am hopeful that somehow, someway a home can be found for this incredible collection of music. (kk)
From Gary's wife Joan ...
Hi Kent,
Thanks so much for your wonderful tribute to Gary. He loved having conversations with people like you who shared his knowledge and appreciation of music. He was one of a kind and we miss him very much.
Some sad news regarding Barry Gibb's health of late ...
Tom Cuddy sent us this posting from Barry's son ...
More from Shelley ...
Speaking of corrections, here's one of our that we fixed on the site as soon as we were made aware of it ...
But it's posted here again, just in case anybody missed it. (kk)
NOTE: A CORRECTION WAS POSTED TO THE WEBSITE BUT JUST IN CASE ANYBODY MISSED IT, HERE IT IS AGAIN …
>>>Also on 2/4/66, The Nashville Tennessean reports that Johnny Cash will file a $25-million defamation of character lawsuit against the Ku Klux Klan, which has circulated messages demanding boycotts of his concerts, falsely believing he married an African-American woman. (Wait .. say WHAT??!?!?!) Cash's wife was country legend June Carter ... who was white!
kk:
That lawsuit was about JR's first wife Vivian Liberto, NOT June Cash.
Vivian Distin (née Liberto, formerly Cash; April 23, 1934 – May 24, 2005) was an American homemaker and author. She is notable as the first wife of singer Johnny Cash and mother of their four daughters. She inspired his first hit single "I Walk the Line".[1]
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, she grew up in a Sicilian-American household and was raised Catholic. She married Cash in San Antonio, but they separated after several years. In 1965, Cash, who was already well known, was arrested for drug possession. She stood by him during this time, and photographs of her were widely publicized.
Between 1965 and 1966, she faced discrimination due to her racial identity after white supremacists classified her as Black based on her appearance in the photos. At the time, interracial marriage was illegal in many places, and white supremacists claimed her marriage to Cash was unlawful. As a result, both she and her husband experienced harassment, and he was boycotted in the South for a year until his manager provided documentation confirming her classification as White.
Harvey Kubernik
Harvey also recollects “The Day The Music Died” …
https://bestclassicbands.com/buddy-holly-ritchie-valens-big-bopper-2-2-21/
Here’s a link to Billboard’s “Forever Number One” salute to Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night. (These guys had THREE #1 Hits in Billboard … and four others that topped the charts in Cash Box and Record World, for a total of SEVEN #1 Hits in all! (kk)
Lamonte McLemore, one of the founding members of The Fifth Dimension, passed away on Tuesday, February 3rd.
Harvery Kubernik sent me a nice tribute and lengthy interview with Bones Howe, The Fifth Dimension’s producer, which I will gladly forward along to anyone who requests a copy.
From Harvey’s introduction …
LaMonte McLemore (September 17, 1939-February 3, 2026)
By Harvey Kubernik
LaMonte McLemore, a founding member of The 5th Dimension and a longtime celebrity and sports photographer whose images appeared in publications including Jet magazine, died Tuesday morning, February 3rd, at his home in Las Vegas, surrounded by his wife of 30 years and family. He was 90. LaMonte died from natural causes following a stroke suffered several years ago.
With The 5th Dimension, McLemore helped bring a polished, genre-blending sound to American pop and soul in the late 1960s and early 1970s, scoring era-defining hits including “Up, Up and Away” and “Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In.” The group won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year twice — first for “Up, Up and Away” (1968) and again for “Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)” (1970). Both recordings were later inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame (“Up-Up and Away,” 2003; “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In,” 2004).
The “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” medley topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks in the spring of 1969, becoming one of the signature recordings of its generation. Other mega-hits included the Number 1 Hit “Wedding Bell Blues,” and the iconic “Stoned Soul Picnic,” amid seven Gold albums and six Platinum RIAA-certified singles. In 1991, The Original 5th Dimension received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Born September 17th, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri, McLemore served in the United States Navy, where he trained and worked as an aerial photographer — an early chapter in what became a lifelong parallel career behind the lens. He later pursued professional baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ farm system, one of the first African Americans to participate, before settling in Southern California and turning his attention to music and photography full time.
McLemore co-founded The 5th Dimension in Los Angeles, joining Billy Davis Jr., Florence LaRue, Marilyn McCoo, and Ron Townson. Known for his warm bass vocals and easygoing presence, he helped anchor the group’s sophisticated harmonies and modern pop sensibility, which broadened the palette of soul and R&B on mainstream radio. They appeared on major television variety shows of the era and toured internationally, including a 1973 State Department cultural tour that brought American pop music behind the Iron Curtain.
Outside the recording studio, McLemore built a distinguished reputation as a photographer, with work spanning entertainment, sports, and editorial portraiture. His images captured many of the defining figures of 20th-Century popular culture, and he contributed photography to Jet magazine over the course of multiple decades.
McLemore and The 5th Dimension also reached new audiences in recent years. Their musical performances were featured in Questlove’s Oscar-winning documentary ‘Summer of Soul (... Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),’ which revisited the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival and its enduring musical impact.
In 2014, he co-authored with Robert-Allan Arno the autobiography From Hobo Flats to The 5th Dimension: A Life Fulfilled in Baseball, Photography, and Music, reflecting on a career that moved effortlessly between the stage and the camera.
McLemore is survived by his wife, Mieko McLemore, his daughter Ciara, (adopted) son Darin, sister Joan, and three grandchildren.
“All of us who knew and loved him will definitely miss his energy and wonderful sense of humor.” - Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.
A nice memorial piece can be found in The Second Disc posting:
https://theseconddisc.com/2026/02/06/in-memoriam-lamonte-mclemore/
A few more Happy Together Tour Dates have been added to the itinerary ...
Shown below are only the new dates added since we last updated the list on January 20th ...
July 22nd – Costa Mesa, CA – The Pacific Amphitheatre
August 1st – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theatre
August 8th – Northfield, OH – MGM Northfield Park
August 11th – Grand Rapids, MI – GLC Live at 20 Monroe
August 13th – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
August 15th – Lima, OH – Crouse Perf. Hall at Veterans Memorial Civic and Conv.
Ctr.
August 22nd – Huber Heights, OH – The Rose Music Center
August 26th – Effingham, IL – Effingham Performance Center
August 27th and 28th – Shipshewana, IN – Blue Gate PAC
Once ALL dates have been finalized, we will run the completed list of dates. Shows kick off May 26th in Jacksonville, FL. (kk)
When Paul Simon returns from The European leg of his “A Quiet Celebration Tour,” he will perform several new dates here in The States as well …
A Quiet Celebration Tour Dates:
June 4th – Frost Amphitheater – Palo Alto, CA
June 7th – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA
June 9th – Rady Shell at Jacobs Park – San Diego, CA
June 12th & 13th – Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
June 16th – Starlight Theatre – Kansas City, MO
June 18th – PNC Pavilion – Cincinnati, OH
June 20th – Meadow Brook Amphitheater – Rochester Mills, MI
June 23rd – Blossom Music Center – Cuyahoga Falls, OH
June 25th – RBC Amphitheater – Toronto, Canada
June 27th – Tanglewood – Lenox, MA
June 30th – BankNH Pavilion – Gilford, NH
July 3rd – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts – Bethel Woods, NY
July 5th – The Mann Center – Philadelphia, PA
July 8th – Forest Hills Stadium – Forest Hills, NY
July 11th – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek – Raleigh, NC
July 13th – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park – Atlanta, GA
July 15th – FirstBank Amphitheatre – Franklin, TN
July 17th & 18th – Ravinia – Highland Park, IL
A Quiet Celebration 2025 setlist:
Set 1 (Seven Psalms, 2023 complete performance):
The Lord
Love Is Like a Braid
My Professional Opinion
Your Forgiveness
Trail of Volcanoes
The Sacred Harp (with Edie Brickell)
Wait (with Edie Brickell)
Set 2:
Graceland (from Graceland, 1986)
Slip Slidin’ Away (from Greatest Hits, Etc., 1977)
Train in the Distance (from Hearts and Bones, 1983)
Homeward Bound (from Parsely, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, 1966)
The Late Great Johnny Ace (from Hearts and Bones, 1983)
St. Judy’s Comet (from There Goes Rhymin’ Simon, 1973)
Under African Skies (from Graceland, 1986) (with Edie Brickell)
Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War (from Hearts and
Bones, 1983)
Rewrite (from So Beautiful or So What, 2011)
Spirit Voices (from The Rhythm of the Saints, 1990)
The Cool, Cool River (from The Rhythm of the Saints, 1990)
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (with Edie Brickell)
Encore:
Father and Daughter (from Surprise, 2006)
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (from Still Crazy After All These Year, 1975)
The Boxer (from Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water, 1970)
Encore 2:
The Sound of Silence (from Wednesday Morning 3AM, 1964)
When will it end?!?!
Now that Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings have done their first show as The Guess Who (after finally acquiring the rights to the name late last year), two other original members, Jim Kale and Garry Peterson, have filed a suit to try and recoup some of the money they lost when all of their Guess Who dates were cancelled last year.
Peterson and Kale claim they suffered millions of dollars in losses after lead singer and songwriter Burton Cummings (who owns the publishing rights to the Guess Who’s biggest hits, including “American Woman,” “These Eyes,” and “No Time”) pulled his performing rights agreement with BMI. It was a bold and radical and somewhat desperate (but effective!) move, which disallowed ANYBODY to perform these songs without his explicit consent. (This allowed him and Randy to perform them … and radio stations to play their music … because THESE outlets had his “permission" to do so. However, the “fake, bullshit Guess Who,” (his words, not mine … but a pretty accurate description!) headed up by Kale and Peterson with a substitute guitarist and lead singer were DENIED permission to perform these songs, thus effectively shutting them down.) [Who wants to go see the “fake” Guess Who if they can’t even perform any of The Guess Who’s hit songs?!?!] Brilliant – but costly in revenue. Still, Cummings had had enough by this point and went to this extreme to finally shut them down once and for all. Kale and Peterson had nothing to do with the writing of these hit songs, all attributed to Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman.
Peterson and Kale had no choice but to cancel their scheduled tour … and now claim they lost millions in the process. In their new lawsuit, the pair now claim that BMI misinterpreted the termination’s effective date and that a notice period that had not yet expired, meaning their concerts did not need to be cancelled. The lawsuit accuses BMI of “breach of fiduciary duty, negligent misrepresentation, intentional interference with contractual relations and fraud.” It seeks compensatory damages estimated at several million dollars, to be determined at trial, as well as punitive damages based on what it describes as BMI’s “willful, oppressive, fraudulent, and malicious” conduct.
BMI has released a statement as follows:
“There is no merit to this lawsuit. BMI responded accurately and in accordance with the information provided to us by SOCAN, the foreign society that represents the copyright holders. We stand by our response.”
The Cummings – Bachman “reunion” tour (cleverly billed as the “Takin’ It Back” tour), played their first show as The Guess Who in Niagara Falls on January 31st. We are anxiously (and not so patiently!) awaiting more US dates to be announced. (kk)
On the other side of the coin ...
Twisted Sister abruptly cancelled their 50th Anniversary Tour when front man Dee Snider resigned due to health reasons.
According to Noise 11, Snider, now 70, "has been dealing with degenerative arthritis for years and has undergone multiple surgeries simply to remain stage ready. Even then, he was often limited to performing only a handful of songs at a time while in pain. More recently, Snider discovered that the same intensity he brought to his life’s work has also affected his heart, leaving him unable to continue performing at the physical extremes that defined his career." It is unlikely that the band will try to go on without him. (kk)
Also cancelling his upcoming tour was Neil Young. (Neil was scheduled to perform this summer in the U.K. and Europe.) Within the past week we’ve reported on cancelled tours by Young, Twisted Sister and Alan Parsons. (Kinda shoots that whole “age is just a number” theory all to hell, doesn’t it??? Young turned 80 last November.)
On his website on Friday (2/6) Young posted:
“I have decided to take a break and will not be touring Europe this time. Thanks to everyone who bought tickets. I’m sorry to let you down, but this is not the time.”
The tour was scheduled to begin on June 19th and run thru July 16th. Young’s shows were to include headlining concerts and festival appearances across France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy with Elvis Costello and the Imposters appearing as his opening act on many of the dates. No official reason for cancelling was given. (kk)
In other news …
Change of Date … Venue Still To Be Determined …
The M60 Monkees Fans Convention has been rescheduled to September 5th, with details to follow, including the exact location, tickets, and hotel options.
The original date was a conflict, so the NEW DATE is confirmed for SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th.
Location: Bridgeport, CT, the same city as the 1st convention where a Monkee - PETER TORK - actually appeared for the first time in history 44 years ago.
What to expect: A full day & night of bands, guests, vendors, and so much more.
MORE DETAILS COMING SOON.
EXACT LOCATION, TICKETS, & HOTEL OPTIONS, & MORE INFO SOON.
Proudly presented by Charles F. Rosenay!!! Facebook Event Page Coming Soon.
Email: MonkeesFanConvention@gmail.com Phone: (203) 795-4737
Photos (x2)
And, speaking of The Monkees, we got this from Tom Cuddy …
The Monkees ‘Best Song of All
Time’ Became a No. 1 Hit Twice
https://parade.com/entertainment/the-monkees-best-song-of-all-time-became-a-no-1-hit-twice?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=topic%2Fentertainment
Just to clarify … “Daydream Believer” was NOT their biggest hit of all time … that distinction belongs to “I’m A Believer,” written by Neil Diamond, which topped The Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart for seven weeks as 1966 turned into 1967. “Daydream Believer” was voted The Best Monkees Song Of All-Time by the Readers of Rolling Stone. It, too, hit #1 in 1967, and stayed there for four weeks. Anne Murray’s version, released in 1979, only climbed as high as #12 on The Billboard Hot 100 Chart. It DID hit #1 on their Adult Contemporary Chart, which I guess is why they’re referring to it as a two-time #1 … but that accomplishment doesn’t carry anywhere near the weight of a Hot 100 #1 Single … so the information cited is a bit distorted as it doesn’t really compare apples to apples.
Still, it was nice to read that Michael Nesmith (who was sometimes critical of Davy Jones’ work with The Monkees) considers it to be HIS favorite Monkees song, too.
In a 2012 interview with “Rolling Stone Magazine,” Nesmith named “Daydream Believer” as his favorite Monkees song.
“The sensibility of the song is John Stewart at his best, IMHO,” Nesmith said. “It has a beautiful undercurrent of melancholy with a delightful frosting, no taste of bitterness. David’s cheery vocal leads us all in a great refrain of living on love alone.”
Some of his resentment toward Jones mostly likely came from his feeling that Davy was hired as the lead of The Monkees and the other band members were simply put in place as his “side men.” (We’ve covered this topic numerous times before in Forgotten Hits … the series was originally built around Jones but if you look at the statistics, it was Micky Dolenz who snagged the majority of the lead vocals and hits for the band. I always felt it a little bit heartbreaking that Michael Nesmith waited until after the passing of Davy Jones to “rejoin” the band … and go back out on tour again with Micky and Peter … and then an extended tour with Micky as The Mike And Micky Show.)
That being said, The Monkees also managed three OTHER #1 Hit Records during their short reign of the pop charts. Their debut single, “Last Train To Clarksville,” was a runaway hit before the series even aired its first episode. This, like “I’m A Believer,” was sung by Micky Dolenz. Both “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” and “Valleri” topped the Cash Box and Record World charts but fell short in Billboard. And both of THESE were sung by Davy Jones … which I guess really DOES give Davy more #1 hits than Micky had! (kk)
More Micky news from David Salidor …
Micky Dolenz starts his '60 Years of The Monkees' tour, Thursday, February 12th - Solana Beach at Belly Up
https://coachellavalleyweekly.com/micky-dolenz-to-play-the-plaza-theatre-sunday-february-15-2026/
Also from Timmy, this classic story about Frank Zappa ...
In 1966, Frank Zappa appeared on The Joe Pyne Show, a confrontation-style talk show known for its aggressive host. The interview is legendary for one of the most famous comebacks in television history, though no complete recording of the broadcast is known to exist today.
Joe Pyne, a conservative broadcaster and WWII veteran who used a prosthetic wooden leg, immediately attacked Zappa’s appearance. Pyne opened the interview by saying, “So, Frank, you have long hair. I suppose your long hair makes you a woman!”
Without hesitation, Zappa retorted, “Well, Joe, you have a wooden leg. I suppose your wooden leg makes you a table.”
The exchange became one of the most famous moments in television talk show history. It captured the cultural clash of the 1960s in a single sentence, with Zappa calmly dismantling an attempted insult using wit instead of outrage. Decades later, the line is still quoted as one of the quickest and most devastating comebacks ever broadcast on live television.
Timmy
And Clark Besch sent us this very cool vintage ad …
Hope you got to go to THIS game!! Great team AND a Super Bowl-like halftime show!
The Harlem Globetrotters, live and in person 12-5-1968 in Madison, Wisconsin! (with The Cryan' Shames at halftime!!!)
Tickets a little cheaper than Sunday's game upcoming, I THINK?
We've been telling you about the upcoming Paul McCartney documentary airing on Amazon Prime later this month (Friday, February 27th ... after it makes a "one night only" showing in specially selected theaters on the 19th) ...
Well, now it turns out that there will also be a new soundtrack release in conjunction with the film.
You can preorder it now on Amazon. Here is the track list ...
1 - Wings – Silly Love Songs (Demo)
2 - Paul McCartney – That Would Be Something (2011 Remaster)
3 - Paul and Linda McCartney – Long Haired Lady (2012 Remaster)
4 - Paul and Linda McCartney – Too Many People (2012 Remaster)
5 - Paul McCartney and Wings – Big Barn Bed (2018 Remaster)
6 - Paul McCartney – Gotta Sing Gotta Dance (from his James Paul McCartney television special, 1973 ... first commercial release)
7 - Wings – Live and Let Die (from the concert film Rockshow)
8 - Paul McCartney and Wings – Band on the Run (2010 Remaster)
9 - Wings – Arrow Through Me (Rough Mix - new release)
10 - Wings – Mull of Kintyre (2016 Remaster)
11 - Paul McCartney – Coming Up (2011 Remaster)
12 - Paul McCartney and Wings – Let Me Roll It (2010 Remaster)
And a closing smiler from Chuck Buell …
One evening at Home with Kent and Frannie ~~~
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