We've been receiving a ton of Christmas Greetings this year ... so we're sharing as many as we can with our readers before the holiday is fully upon us.
First up ... one we've received about a dozen requests for this past week alone ... it's a Texas Christmas Favorite ... and one of ours, too!
It's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Vince Vance and the Valiants. (The better-known song of the same title by Mariah Carey has been ALL over the radio this season ... and it's a GREAT track. In fact, our daughter won the solo on that one when her school chorus performed it as part of their Christmas Program this past week! Yay, Paige!!!)
The Vince Vance track has been circulating for years ... but one of our readers points out that Vince was NOT the first artist to do it ... Vince Vance & Valiants - All I Want For Christmas Is You - a Dallas favorite - not the same as the Mariah Carey classic Although I love the version of this song by the Valiants, many might not remember it was first sung by Johnny Maestro and Larry Chance. Thought you might enjoy this version also. Carrie
And let's not forget a couple of FH Holiday Favorites from last season ... you can find Davie Allan's "Fuzz For The Holidays" on his website ... it includes "Winter Song", a rare VOCAL performance by Davie!
Hey Kent ... All of us in The Rip Chords want to wish you and our Forgotten Hits friends a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thanks for all of your support these past years! We're looking forward to more years of the best rock and roll there is ... the kind we all love and talk about here at Forgotten Hits. Here's our newest Holiday song ..."HOT ROD HOLIDAY" ... which is included on the new Collectables Records CD, "CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA". Happy Hot Rod Holiday Everyone!!! The Rip Chords ... Richie Rotkin Arnie Marcus Mitch Schecter Freddy Brog Bobby Scammell
And Freddy Cannon was spreading HIS holiday cheer last year, too!
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW to watch a rare CHARLIE GRACIE PBS CHRISTMAS SEGMENT from a few years back. Philly's first rock 'n' roll star performs "Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me" and "Jingle Bell Rock." Enjoy! (By the way, that's radio legend Harvey Holiday who's hosting this program.) Charlie Gracie, Jr. Click here: YouTube - Charlie Gracie Christmas
From the CD, "Season's Greetings Philadelphia", check out Tommy's music video for his song, "Kinda Christmasy". Produced, mixed & engineered by George Manney @ Geo Sound Studios in Philadelphia. Video produced by George Manney. http://www.GeoSound.org Available online at iTunes & CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sgp "Season's Greetings Philadelphia" 18 song holiday compilation promises to be fun for the entire family featuring all Philadelphia artists including Marah, Tommy Conwell, Buzz Zeemer, Rolling Hayseeds , Mark Boyce Combo, Eltro, John Flynn and 10 other great artists. Mostly Originals. All tracks C-Produced by George Manney. A Record Cellar release.
Here's a couple more from Steve Knuettel ... First up ... Dion's take on "Jingle Bell Rock" ...
Followed by "A Not So Merry Christmas" by one of your FH Favorites, Bobby Vee
As a long time lover of pop music I’ve always been curious about the story behind the song. Knowing that many of you feel the same way, I’d like to share the story behind “I Lose it When I Hear 'White Christmas'", a new song that I wrote with Toni Wine (“Groovy Kind of Love”, “Candida”), which is on the Tony Orlando and Dawn “Reunion” album. In 1995, after 20 years of being in the music business as a singer, songwriter, producer, being an exec at April-Blackwood, Warner Brothers music, and running Irving / Almo, I had become too weak to even hold a guitar. Finally, I could no longer work at Allan Rinde’s legendary Chinese restaurant in Hollywood, Genghis Cohen, [which I named and hosted off and on for ten years]. When I kept falling down in the street, I knew that something was seriously wrong with me! I was uninsured, and was facing this crisis all alone. My two closest friends, Allan Rinde, was spending more and more time in Nashville with his fiance, Toni Wine … and Patti Dahlstrom had moved back to Houston to teach music and critical thinking at the Art Institute of Houston. I had taken to wearing all black, as I stumbled around the back streets of Hollywood, hoping I wouldn’t see anybody that I knew. I felt, for the first time in my life, that I had reached the end of the road. Fortunately, Patti was in town for a conference, and came over to visit. I didn’t want her to see me broke and broken … but now I’m glad I did. She convinced me to swallow my pride, and seek help from social services, which saved my life! I went to the USC medical center for two days of tests, and they kept me for three weeks. It was a few days before Christmas, I was in a ward with many who were far worse off than me … and we did our best to keep each others’ spirits up. Somehow, I lost my phone book, and the only numbers that I could remember was my Mother's, who had moved to West Virginia, and that my long time friend Alan O’Day, who was on his way out of town. It’s a policy of most hospitals to send as many patients home for the holidays to be with their family and friends as are able. Soon, I was the only one left in the ward, since I had nowhere else to go. One lonely night, as I sat feeling sorry for myself, I heard a group down the hall, singing Christmas carols. I followed the voices to the childrens' ward … where I heard the joyous sounds of “Jingle Bells”. It was the Salvation Army, passing out toys and candy, and singing to the kids, who were confined to their beds. I joined in on “Silent Night”, “Jingle Bell Rock”, and “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer”, but when they started singing “White Christmas” tears started running down my face and I had to sit in another room to compose myself. This song, written by Irving Berlin, always brings back memories of family and friends in a snow covered New York City, blanketing me with emotions. Ten years later, I told Toni Wine (whom I’ve known since she was 14) this story ... and showed her some lyrics I had written that night: “I Lose it When I Hear 'White Christmas'”. She loved it, but wanted to make the story more universal. Over two writing sessions, which we started on Irving Berlin’s piano (which Toni bought many years ago), here's what we came up with …
”If you want to hear the Tony Orlando and Dawn recording click: http://artiewayne.com/I_Lose_It.html If you like it, please feel to share it with a friend … if you love it, however, feel free to share it with your entire address book! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and best of holidays, from Artie Wayne On The Web ENJOY TO THE WORLD! Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne from his forthcoming book, “I Did It For A Song” http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Thanks, Artie ... this is a GREAT story and a very beautiful song. (Tony sounds a little bit like Randy Newman on this one!) And it's a magnificient arrangement, too. It's from the recently released Tony Orlando and Dawn "Reunion" album, available now through Amazon.com. (kk)
Thanks Kent ... glad you like. Michael Omartian arranged, produced it and played piano on it.
Regards,
Artie
Well, it's OFFICIALLY my Favorite New Christmas Song of 2009!!! Been playing it over and over again ... wtg, Artie!!! (kk)
We'll have more Christmas magic coming your way tomorrow ... stay tuned!
Sounds like we just may have found our next "hot topic" ... based on the number of emails that continue to come in on this subject ... Enjoy!!!
re: HEAVEN SENT: Interesting topic. I always thought Heaven Sent was a distinctive fragrance that topped most others, many of which smelled more like insecticide. I actually convinced a girl in college to start wearing it. Yes, it's still for sale. And, according to Fragrance.net, has been since 1936: http://www.fragrancenet.com/heaven-sent-perfume/dana/womens-fragrances/wf/en_US/01147?cur_letter=H I notice there's also a vanilla Heaven Sent. Interesting, since another girl I knew in college wore vanilla cologne. My past is catching up to me. - Ron (not THAT Ron) Smith
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW WHY THE MELODY TO HEAVEN SCENT IS SO CATCHY? OK, I THOUGHT SO ... SO HERE GOES. IT STARTS ON A MINOR CHORD AND THEN GOES TO A SUB DOM. MAJOR (THINK BRIAN HYLAN / "SEALED WITH A KISS"). THEN IT SCOOTS THROUGH A SERIES OF CONSONANT MEDIANT RELATED PROGRESSIONS (SOUNDS LIKE HEAVEN). THEN IT GOES TO THE ROOT IN MAJOR FOLLOWED BY THE RELATIVE MINOR. (THINK "GEE WHIZ" / CARLA THOMAS). ALL THIS I GOT FROM ONE QUICK LISTEN. THE CHANGES ARE ANGELIC AND HAVE A PLEASING EFFECT ON THE LISTENER. THE WORDS HELP, TOO. IF YOU THINK THIS ALL A COINCIDENCE, YOU'RE WRONG. JINGLES WERE VERY CAREFULLY THOUGHT OUT AND I SPENT LOTS OF TIME TRYING TO CAPTURE THE MAGIC WITHOUT STEALING A MELODY. HOWEVER,YOU CAN USE THE SAME CHORDS ... OR, EVEN BETTER, SEVERAL TRIED AND TRUE PATTERNS. ANY GOOD SONG / JINGLE WRITER KNOWS WHEN SOMETHING WORKS. ON SOME OCCASIONS, AN EXISTING SONG IS FOUND THAT FITS A COMMERCIAL, LIKE CLAIROL DID WITH MY RECORDING OF "SHE LETS HER HAIR DOWN". IN EITHER CASE, THE WRITER DID A GREAT JOB. (I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT THERE WERE QUITE A FEW JINGLES THAT I SANG AND PLAYED ON. MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT IN THE SAME DAY YOU MAY BE CALLED UPON TO SOUND LIKE THE BEACH BOYS IN THE MORNING AND RAY CHARLES IN THE AFTERNOON. I DO HAVE SOME VERY INTERESTING STORIES.) REGARDS, DON (YOUNG) ALBANO And Don will be sharing some of those stories ... and some of his music ... with our readers real soon. Thanks, Don! (kk)
Hi Kent, Am I not finding the Heaven Sent jingle on your page for downloading? I REALLY want to get an MP3 of the classic version Rob says he sent, but I can't find anything to click on. Can you send it to me, please? HOWEVER, when trying to figure out where to hear the jingle, I did click on Jeff Lemlich's Limestone site and then clicked on his "Garage Hangover" site where Gary Myers' Portraits group has a great biography on this long lasting history. Possibly more exciting to me was finding the latest entry of the Five Bucks (later Byzantine Empire). If you do not know this USA / Dunwich records recording act, you NEED to read about them, and more importantly, listen to some of their 45s. Just GREAT pop rock stuff! I contacted Bruce Kerr years ago when researching the USA records catalog and he had some good info of which much is in the article as well as local top 40 charts. Finally, I am happy that the Five Bucks got some recognition on the recent Sundazed USA Records CD release. I wish they had the rights to the other 45s, but it is still good to get a song out there from this outstanding band! WLSClark Ironically, we just received a note from Gary Myers about this same piece ... more info below for those interested in reading it ... For whatever interest (if any) it might be, here is an article I wrote that was just put online by the garagehangover site: http://www.garagehangover.com/?q=Portraits Gary E. Myers / MusicGem
re: MORE "COMMERCIAL" APPEAL: I don't know if you've covered this one yet, but while we're talking commercials that turned into pop songs (or even commercials that didn't but should have; e.g., Heaven Sent) it's worth mentioning "Come to the Sunshine," which Harpers Bizarre released in 1967 and (according to Whitburn's Top 40 Hits), peaked at #37. I don't know if Harpers recorded the commercial itself, but it was certainly done in their style. The product being pushed was called Sun-In, and is still being sold; it's a weak bleach that puts lighter streaks in your hair. The commercial's lyrics differed significantly from the song adaptation, but sheesh, they still stick in my mind: Come to the sunshine! Throw some light in your hair and swear it's the sunshine; (Goofy British voice: "The sun did it!") It's the sunshine; You know they won't know it isn't the sun. I swear, in the summer of '67 that commercial came on every twenty minutes on WCFL. The song itself was decent, but I liked almost everything that charted for Harpers Bizarre. And it makes me wonder: What other commercials became pop songs back in the day? Jeff Duntemann Colorado Springs, Colorado
"Come To The Sunshine" was Harpers Bizarre's follow-up single to their Top 20 smash cover version of Simon and Garfunkel's "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)". It didn't chart here in Chicago ... instead we awarded "hit status" to their NEXT single, a GREAT reworking of the old Cole Porter tune "Anything Goes". It's funny but I don't remember "Come To The Sunshine" from the "Sun In" commercial ... but I am familiar with the song ... so it must have been played here to some extent, even though it never made our local charts. Thanks for sharing, Jeff! (kk)
Hi KK: I enjoyed the discussion and playbacks of the "Heaven Sent" radio ads. I more or less ignored them at the time because they were repeated so much. Now I appreciate how creative they were then. These days I don't seem to hear any ads as much fun. The subject brought to mind a couple done in 1967 / 68 by SFs Jefferson Airplane for Levi's Jeans. I think they sound hilariously trippy considering how straight laced AM radio was in those days. From the 2400 Fulton Street compilation I'm attaching them here Enjoy! John B. Krug Yes, you can turn me on! I'm on the radio! Surf City Sounds Plus: http://www.Live365.com/stations/johns805?play
Happy Holidays to All! The Heaven Sent jingle reminded me of a Local (Boston) jingle for getting Gas Heat, maybe it was Oil Heat. It was called the Montreal Express, about the cold wind coming down from CANADA, and how to fight it off by using the companies fuel. I haven't heard it for quite a long time, perhaps one of your readers has a version to share. Isn't wonderful all the ways we can enjoy our music these days! I hope all your Christmas wishes come to pass. Charles Right backatcha, Charles! Being a Chicago Boy, I'm not familiar with this ad campaign ... but I'll betcha some of our East Coast Readers are! Let's see what comes back! (kk)
Jade East was a 60s icon. Who could ever forget it. Just ask any girl or guy from the 60's. As a female I loved to smell this stuff on my guy. Was there a jingle for this one? Carrie I don't remember a specific jingle for this one ... but we certainly seem to have found some "commercial appeal" with this latest topic! (lol) kk
Hi Kent I seem to remember another fragrance being advertised back in the late 60's on either WLS or 'CFL. It was called ''Windsong'' by Prince Matchebelli [sic]. The jingle mentioned ''and her Wingsong stays on my mind'' or something on that order. Its been a long time ago! LOL! Also there was an ad for H.I.S. jeans and slacks. It went something like ''the guy in the know,the guy on the go, goes H.I.S.,H.I.S.,H.I.S ... !!!" This all stirs up lots of good memories. Keep up the great work! Kay That Windsong melody is another classic ... I had forgotten all about it but it came back IMMEDIATELY at the mention of this perfume! Unreal the subliminal effect these ads had on us growing up! Thanks, Kay! (kk)
Click here: YouTube - windsong And check THIS one out ... another instant commercial classic!!! (Betcha can sing every word!!!) Click here: YouTube - Prince Matchabelli TV Commercial - 1970s And speaking of H.I.S. jeans, be sure to give a listen to those Levi's commercials above courtesy of John Krug and The Jefferson Airplane ... makes you want to run right out to the store and pick up a pair!!! (lol) kk
In thinking about radio jingles that became pop songs, I unexpectedly recalled a jingle for Ken-L-Ration dog food from the early-mid 1960s. It was played to death on TV, and I'd think anybody who could hear at all in that era would remember it:
My dog's bigger than your dog!
My dog's faster than yours!
My dog's bigger 'cause he eats Ken L Ration,
My dog's better than yours!
I vaguely remember a song with the same melody as the commercial that was played (a little) in the Chicago markets called "Doggie Named Leroy," of which I recall only a couple of lines:
I've got a doggie named Leroy He can beat any dog any old time. Me and my doggie named Leroy We just play around. La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la la-la (woof! woof!) , etc.
I looked around online for anything on it, and the only mentions were in connection with WLS, so it may have been a local garage band. Interestingly, the Wikipedia writeup on Ken-L-Ration states that the jingle was adapted from a Tom Paxton song called "My Dog's Bigger Than Your Dog." So we may in fact have a song adapted into a commercial and then adapted back into a pop song!
Jeff Duntemann
Colorado Springs, Colorado I definitely remember that one!!! I found an old LP from 1989 that features 55 different commercials ... they seem to be somewhat categorized by product: Soft Drinks, Breakfast Cereals, Beer, Cigarettes, Cars, Shaving, Skin and Hair products ... and then things like Alka Seltzer, Rice-A-Roni, Hawaiian Punch, Ajax Laundry Detergent and several others ... and your Ken-L Ration commercial appears on there, too! Nowadays, we mute all the commercials when they come on ... or folks Tivo through them!!! Back then, in the pre-technology days, we'd all just sing along! (kk) Click here: YouTube - TV Land Retromercial for Ken-L Ration!
Hi Kent, I really enjoy your Forgotten Hits website. I don't even know why I started receiving it, but I'm glad I did. I have three commercials that I'd be glad to send you if you are interested. One is by The Moonglows, The Ten Commandments Of Hair Care (Protein 21 Shampoo). It's a series of four Radio Commercials. The second is a Stan Freberg Commercial for "Terminex", Titled Terminex Termites. The Third is a commercial for BP Gasoline - There Coming To Tow Me Away, Ho Ho, Hee Hee Haw Haw. Anyway, if you want them, should I zip them and send you a link, or send them to you by E Mail. Arnold Kirkbride Send 'em in, Arnold! Obviously, this has turned into another hot topic around here lately! Glad to hear you're enjoying Forgotten Hits! (kk)
I'll send the commercials one at a time as MP3's. The first one is The Ten Commandments of Hair Care (Protein 21 Shampoo). I'm pretty sure it was from 1970. It's in four parts, four separate radio spots. The group, for those who never heard of them (The Younger Crowd), were The Moonglows, a popular R & B Group in the 1950's. Their most popular songs were "See Saw" & "We Go Together". Actually the tune is the same as one of their later songs - The Ten Commandments Of Love. Arnold
Funny stuff! Hard to believe this is from the '70's!!! I would have figured this to be much older to cash in on this sound. (And let's not forget the track that The Moonglows are BEST known for: "Sincerely" from the dawn of The Rock Era.) kk
This commercial is actually not the original radio commercial, but a sample of the commercial from one of Stan Freberg's Albums. It's still the funniest radio commercial I've ever heard. I can't find the 3rd commercial, so this is all for now. Arnold Thanks, Arnold ... I'm hoping the other one turns up soon ... we've devoted quite a bit of space in these pages to Napoleon XIV and "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haa!" (kk)
I just found it ... Here it is!
Arnold
Hey Kent,
Loved hearing "Heaven Sent" just as much as everyone else did. Here in Omaha, we listened to WLS when the signal came in at night and their jingles (both commercial and for the station itself) are legendary.
So ... how about featuring "The Greatest Jingles of All Time"? What do you think? We can all submit favorite jingles -- hopefully with plenty of audio clips from the past. That's something that radio has lost -- many of its great commercial and station jingles.
Gary Emenitove (a jingle lover!) I think we may have already started this without even realizing it!!! lol Like I always say, I never know where our next hot topic is going to come from ... I sure didn't expect it to be THIS one ... but hey, it sure looks like everybody's havin' fun!!! (kk)
re: BEST SELLING ALBUMS ... OF THE DECADE ... AND OF ALL TIME!!!: >>>As for "Dark Side Of The Moon", I don't think it's really fair to reduce its chart-life to just 14 years when it's been selling enough copies to consistently make the list for all 36 years that it's been available ... honestly, how is THIS not the biggest selling album of all-time? We keep hearing how Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and The Eagles' original "Greatest Hits" LPs were the ones constantly changing places at the top of the All-Time Best Sellers List ... but these two haven't sold enough copies on a consist enough basis to stay on the catalog chart for that duration, have they? They may have sold bigger numbers INITIALLY ... and certainly "Thriller" sold millions more after Michael Jackson's passing ... but I cannot help but wonder where "Dark Side Of The Moon" stands in the total scheme of things ... anybody know for sure??? (kk) Kent,
The RIAA Web site has a page listing the all-time top selling albums in the U.S., based on its gold and platinum certifications: http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTop100. The numbers in the left-hand column are the millions in shipments the RIAA has certified for each album. (Note that most double albums are credited with two sales for each unit sold.) Dark Side Of The Moon is currently No. 22 on the list, certified for 15 million units shipped (compared to 29 million for Thriller and The Eagles / Their Greatest Hits).
– Randy Price Doesn't it strike you as just a little bit odd that "Dark Side Of The Moon" has sold enough copies each and every week for 36 years to stay on the best sellers chart yet only ranks 22nd overall? I would have certainly expected it to be in The Top Five! Like I said, I understand that these other LPs sold more initially but most of these have had a comeback or two at best ... NOT a consistent run on the charts the way DSOTM has. Forgetting whatever "Dark Side Of The Moon"'s initial sales are for a minute ... and just calculating say 20,000 copies a week for the past 36 years (enough to keep it on the charts that entire duration) would put this at about 37 1/2 Million Copies PLUS the millions it sold when it was first released. For those of you who have not seen this before, this is a very interesting link ... Page One shows LPs with 10,000,000 in sales or better ... a pretty darn impressive list to say the least. FH Reader Dwight Rounds mentioned the other day that The Beatles' White Album ranks as their biggest seller because it achieved DOUBLE sales status as a two-record set (which also puts Pink Floyd's "The Wall" ahead of "Dark Side Of The Moon".) This, too, doesn't seem quite fair ... I mean you couldn't really buy one album without the other, could you??? It might be time to officially re-evaluate the way these sales are calculated, don'tcha think??? (kk) Kent,
Don't forget that the RIAA certifications are done only periodically at the request of the record companies, so they may or may not correspond to actual retail sales. Also, in the case of Dark Side Of The Moon, it was No. 1 on the Billboard album chart for only one week, while Thriller was No. 1 for 37 weeks, so Dark Side's steady sales over time might not have been enough to overcome that initial difference. Furthermore, the Jackson and Eagles albums have sold consistently over the years, perhaps not always at the same level as Pink Floyd, but the difference between being in the lower regions of the Top 200 (or the Catalog Album chart) and being just below the radar was probably not that significant.
– Randy And I agree that overall "Thriller" and "The Eagles' Greatest Hits" have sold more total copies if only because the initial volume was so much greater than Pink Floyd's album ... but it seems to me that "Dark Side Of The Moon" should have been slowly chipping away at all these LPs ranked above it simply by being a consistent seller for the past 36 years. Joel Whitburn's latest "Billboard Albums" book shows "Dark Side Of The Moon" at 15 times Platinum ... doesn't that translate to around 30 Million Copies sold??? (kk) No, 15 time platinum for a single album / CD translates to 15 million copies SHIPPED (including those that are on record store shelves or in warehouses and haven't yet been sold over the counter or online).Also, don't forget that the album charts did not reflect actual unit sales until 1991... before that, they were based on reports submitted by record stores or one stops, which may or may not have been accurate representations of actual units sold.
– Randy That's right ... GOLD status signifies half a million copies sold, Platinum is the benchmark for a million sales. (Remember a few weeks ago when we ran the quote about Soupy Sales claiming that HIS single, "The Mouse", sold a million copies?!?! When the disbelieving interviewer questioned him on this, Soupy admitted that he still had 990,000 copies in his basement, should anybody need a copy!!!) kk
>>>I'll sheepishly admit to owning SIX of the decades Top Ten Best Sellers! (kk) Easy for you to say. I have two: Beatles and Norah Jones ... and I had a copy of Linkin Park that I found on my cul-de-sac, but it was recorded from someone's computer, and had laid in the street for a few days, and wouldn't play all the way through, so I threw it away. Long live CD stores. Guy Arnston in Algonquin Yeah, but good luck finding them!!! Everything seems to be online now ... although you still can't beat a visit to Rolling Stone Records in Norridge, Illinois, once or twice a year! I hadn't planned on divulging my six "owns" but (since I've been asked by at least six or seven other readers already), I, too, have The Beatles and Norah Jones in my collection ... along with BOTH Eminem LPs, Britney Spears and *NSync ... now how's THAT for a mixed collection of pop?!?!? (kk)
After looking at the Top 10 Albums of the current decade, except for the Beatles Album which is really 60’s Music, all I can say is the Human Race is in big trouble!!!! What a pile of #%$###@^& Ken
re: INSTRUMENTALS: >>>1. Liechtensteiner Polka - Will Glahe (instrumental) or Lawrence Welk (vocal) Ed Erxleben I never considered the Will Glahe version to be an instrumental ... my 45 of the song certainly has vocals all over it! Tom Diehl
speaking of which ... >>>I remember the 45 having a deep purple label ... maybe that was part of my fascination with it!!! (kk)
London records -- all of my copies (and I once had seven copies that I bought as part of a record store's liquidation many years ago, of some 25,000 45's) ... had a blue label ... though the Canadian pressings may have had a deep purple label. Tom Diehl I think you're right, Tom ... as soon as I read your email I vividly remembered a VERY deep, dark blue record label on this one. (kk)
Kent ... I was thinking about compiling a list of songs recorded as instrumentals that were also recorded with words. For example: You Can't Sit Down, Theme From A Summer Place, Red Roses For A Blue Lady, Never On Sunday, Moon River. You get the idea. What do you think? Frank B. Go for it ... and there are TONS more ... I never knew "Sleep Walk" even HAD lyrics until Gary Pike of The Lettermen sent it to me a few weeks back!!! In fact, I'll bet a good percentage of instrumental hits also had lyrics, whether we knew it or not. (Look how "Am I The Same Girl" surfaced all those years later for "Soulful Strut", even though Barbara Acklin had it out as a single at the time. "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", "Music To Watch Girls By", "Love Is Blue", "Last Date", "Stranger On The Shore", "Grazing In The Grass", "Exodus", "A Taste Of Honey" ... and those are just a few off the top of my head that made our Top 50 Favorites Countdown ... ALL these songs had lyrics ... hokey lyrics, perhaps ... but lyrics none the less!!!) kk Hey Kent ... I thought it would be fun to start a list of songs, recorded as instrumentals plus recorded with words. I did it off the top of my head, without using the computer. I checked my Billboard Book a couple of times to verify my picks. - Sleep Walk (Kent gets credit for this one) - Theme From A Summer Place - You Can't Sit Down - Red Roses For A Blue Lady - Moon River - White Silver Sands - Don't Be Cruel - Hearts Of Stone - Tonight - Around The World In 80 Days - Beyond The Sea - Hang On Sloopy - The Happening - Exodus - Melody Of Love - Memphis - Theme From Love Story - Only You - Ghost Riders In The Sky - Mack The Knife I'm sure your readers can add to my list. Maybe we can get somebody to play the list, when it's finished. Love to hear the instrumental back to back with the version with Lyrics. Frank B. And you know there are dozens and dozens and dozens more ... actually, that might make for an interesting special one night! (kk)
re: EVERYBODY POLKA!!!: On the subject of polkas ... In Heaven There Is No Beer by Clean Living actually made the Billboard charts in 1972 (a polka!!). It made it to number 49. Our local record shop always posted the chart from Radio Doctors out of Milwaukee and it was top 10 on that survey, (after all we are in Wisconsin). Perhaps in the future we could countdown rock and roll songs with a polka tempo. For example ... Mr. Spaceman - the Byrds Yellow River - Christie Phil Nee Wrco
re: ROSES ARE RED: This week's piece regarding the song "Roses Are Red" by Paul Evans reminded me of this interview clip from Bobby Vinton. David Lewis
>>>According to Fred Bronson's book "The Billboard Book Of Number One Hits", Vinton was about to be dropped from the brand new Epic Record Label after his first two releases flopped. (These releases could best be described as "Big Band" music ... Vinton first fancied himself as a band leader, not a singer.) "When they came back, they said the band just wasn't making it. I said, 'I can sing a little, and there's a song you're throwing away that really sounds like something I would hear on the radio.'" Since they agreed that they did, in fact, owe Bobby another recording session, they let him cut two more songs, including "Roses Are Red". (kk) The only thing wrong with this story is that "Roses Are Red" was actually Bobby's fourth 45 on Epic ... and the one released prior to it was also a vocal record that definitely does not sound like a big band record. I'm attaching a copy of his version of the song "Well I Ask Ya". -- Tom Diehl Well, it's HIS story, not mine!!! (lol) Again, sometimes the LEGEND is FAR more interesting than the truth!!! (kk)
re: ERIC WOOLFSON: Kent, Sorry to hear about the passing of Eric Woolfson. (Alan Parson Project) They did music after our own heart, and we were fans. Lettermen, Jim and Gary Pike I think he had a GREAT voice ... and Frannie and I were big fans of their music as well. (kk)
re: THE BEACH BOYS: Another reminder from our friends at Endless Summer Quarterly ... WINTER 2009 - Endless Summer Quarterly, Featuring : The TODAY! Session Outtakes The Winter 2009 edition of ESQ is now available; it features Craig Slowinski's well-researched session outtakes from the Today! album to coincide with the re-release of Today! and Summer Days [And Summer Nights!!] on vinyl (from the Capitol Vaults); Phil Miglioratti's reflective article on the Beach Boys transitional recording years from 1968 to 1970; Pet Sounds Safari concert highlights, pictures and fan testimony!
A week or two ago we told you about a brand new DVD that Billy Hinsche was making about touring with The Beach Boys in 1974 ... We kept pressing him for more details ... and he's FINALLY ready to spill!!! (lol) Check out the link below ... and find out how YOU can obtain a copy of this hot new release. (There's even a "Sneak Peek" video link on the website.) Billy Hinsche - 1974 DVD Sounds, great, Billy! (kk)
I've heard about Billy's new DVD but not seen it yet ... I saw some links to "Little Honda" when I watched the preview of this DVD. Interesting ... I was not aware that a very YOUNG Terry Garr was in the Hondell's video of the song. Always loved her legs:) One Beach Boys version of the song (there were two), shows Carl Wilson on a bicycle in a short humorous skit about the song. The driveway he starts in is Dennis Wilson's old Benedict Canyon home where he lived with his first wife, Carol, and her son, Scotty, whom Dennis adopted and loved as his own. Those were fun, fun, fun days on Benedict Canyon ... Dennis Wilson lived next to, or right up the street, from Cary Grant and his wife, Dyan Cannon. I spent a lot of time in that home in the mid-60's. You never knew who would show up there. Steve Boone was also a guest. Dennis and Carol were always gracious hosts. Can't believe that Dennis Wilson would have been 65 on December 4th. Carl Wilson's birthday is Monday. He would have been 63. Two tragic loses cut down far, far too early in life. But the legacy, and the music, lives on!. Fred Vail
re: HEADING DOWN THE BEATLES PATH (OR WOULD THAT BE THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD???): Happy Holidays! "BEATexpo 2009" was awesome -- thanks to all the fans, guests, exhibitors, bands & our great staff! It was great seeing so many old friends. Hope we can do it again next year! Looking ahead: January 15: "Twist & Shout Dinner / Dance Party" with "The Beatle Forever Band" at San Martino's Ristorante in Yonkers, NY. Reservations (914) 779-5300, Info (203) 795-4737. (our 1st one here!) February 5: "Twist & Shout Dinner / Dance Party" with "The Beatle Forever Band" at Aldario's Restaurant in Milford, CT. Reservations (203) 874-6096, Info (203) 795-4737. (our 3rd time back!) February 19-21: "Weekend of LOVE 4" - Las Vegas vacation for Beatles Fans to see the Cirque du Soliel LOVE show + other Beatles bands, attractions & activities. Reservations or Info (203) 795-4737. February 28: "R-I-N-G-O ... it's B-I-N-G-O for Beatles Fans!" Downtown Stamford Holiday Inn. Reservations or Info (203) 795-4737. THIS WILL BE GREAT! RESERVE YOUR SPACE! March 28: "The Beatles Tribute Cruise" with Beatle bands, guests, parties and great activities (it's like a convention on a cruise-ship!). Reservations or Info: http://www.BeatlesTributeCruise.com. (we're not involved with this cruise, but they're friends, so we're throwing them our support!) August 23-September 1: "Magical History Tour" - Liverpool & London. Info (203) 795-4737. August 21-September 1: "Magical History Tour" - Liverpool, London and Hamburg. Info (203) 795-4737. And don't miss the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's New York Annex / John Lennon exhibit ... it closes on January 3rd!
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah, one and all! I think this holiday edition of “Meet the Beatles Fans” will bring a smile to your face, no matter how busy and stressed you are these days! Why??? It’s about a Second Gen Fan who is cooler than cool!!!! Meet Ann Bandolik!!! Ann is a musician, student, writer, adventurer, and “George girl.” She is a Beatles fan, within and without … an ardent supporter of “Every Little Thing” Beatles. I met Ann two years ago at the Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans, and ever since then, we’ve been e-mailing and chatting and comparing stories about Liddypool, John, George, music, English classes, and you name it! Ann is bright, witty, and supremely musically accomplished, and her Beatles story includes a face-to-face encounter with Dhani Harrison! (She held his beer for him.) You won’t believe the people she’s met and the musical feat she performed at The Beatles Story in Liverpool. Read on, and enjoy! (And, as always, thanks to Tim Coulter at http://coultergraphics.comfor making this and every feature groovy.) http://www.ontherockbooks.com/meet18/AnnBandolik.html Jude Southerland Kessler http://www.ontherockbooks.com/ Ever wonder how The Beatles will be remembered long after we're gone? (Ever wonder if the historians will even come close to getting it right???) Here's a GREAT clip, send in by FH Reader Ed Andrews:
re: TOMMY JAMES: Hey Kent. Our brand new Tommy James interview is up. I love this one. Be sure to check out the story (which I'm sure you've heard in various forms) about "Crimson and Clover" and WLS:http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/tommy_james/ Be Well, Carl Songfacts.com This is a good one, Carl! I've been waiting for Tommy's book for close to two years now (and have had it pre-ordered for quite some time) ... can't wait to read it. James was HUGE here in Chicago ... Hanky Panky, Say I Am, It's Only Love, I Think We're Alone Now, Mirage, Mony Mony, Crimson And Clover, Sweet Cherry Wine, Crystal Blue Persuasion, Ball Of Fire, Draggin' The Line, I'm Comin' Home and Nothin' To Hide ALL hit The Top Ten here ... and seven of those went all the way to #1!!! (Hanky Panky, I Think We're Alone Now, Mirage, Mony Mony, Crimson And Clover, Crystal Blue Persuasion and Draggin' The Line ... 'cause I knew some of you would ask!!! lol) kk re: JIM PETERIK: One of the sales guys at work handles the Hammond / Suzuki Organ Company account ... and was invited to their company Christmas Party last week ... where the entertainment was none other than Jim Peterik of The Ides Of March and Survivor fame. He was able to pose for a picture with Jim and one of the owners of our company and sent it along to share with our Forgotten Hits Readers. In "Where's Waldo" fashion, see if you at home can "Pick Out The Rock Star" in this photo!!! Thanks, Dean! (kk)
re: AIN'T THAT COOL?!?!?: More and more people are discovering The Forgotten Hits Web Page!!! This week's visitors included Johnny Tillotson and Andy Kim! Hopefully, we'll soon have stories to share from both of these recording legends. Meanwhile, we're finding ourselves mentioned in some pretty stellar company lately, too ... check these links out!
CONGRATULATIONS! You made it into the list of The Best Websites of 2009!!! Click here to pick up your reward!
More great stuff planned for next week (if I can pull it all together in time) ... including more new Christmas music ... and a piece that I hope you will all find "Commercially Appealing"!!! Stay tuned! HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!
re: ON THE RADIO: Long-time Chicagoland Radio Personality Jonathan Brandmeier has been let go by The Loop (three months early from the sounds of things). Johnny B. was one of the biggest names on radio for the past 30 years, but he now finds himself (like so many of us) amongst the unemployed. But unlike the rest of us, he's got the means (and the talent) to have some fun with this whole situation ... check out his new video (pretty scathing ... and pretty profane ... but, without a doubt, ALSO some of the most spot-on, accurate commentary on the state of radio today ... and the idea that "personality" simply isn't part of the program anymore. You're preachin' to the choir here, Johnny B!!!) Truth is, love him or hate him, this is a HYSTERICAL clip! If you haven't seen it yet, you've got to check it out ... and if you're an unemployed jock who's devoted the better part of your life to keeping radio fun and interesting, you will TOTALLY relate!!! (And kick yourself for not thinking of this first!!! lol) I mean, how can you argue with lyrics like these: “Johnny B.’s the best and he’s got awards to prove it. But now the suits say it’s cheaper to play music. Hey, monkey, push a button and play another song. Talent on the radio just doesn’t belong. Enjoy this crap while you can ’cause it won’t last long. It’s the last time I raise a ship from the dead. Now I’m gonna watch it sink all over again.” You gotta see it and hear it to appreciate it ... Click here: YouTube - JOHNNY B "UNEMPLOYED MO FO"
Seems like some hearty congratulations are in order for our radio buddy Scott Shannon ... check out THESE news clips! SCOTT SHANNON GOES "NATIONAL" WITH THE BIG-MARKET CITADEL STATIONS, AS VP / PROGRAMMING: Scott tells me he’ll be working “primarily with the major-market music stations, but will be available to work with all Citadel properties, on an as-needed basis.” So call him an in-house consultant who’s already got a very full workload at WPLJ, New York (PD and morning host) and the Citadel Media-syndicated True Oldies Channel (one of the loves of his life, now on 66 stations). Turns out Scott’s been working with Los Angeles classic rocker KLOS (95.5) – and the results are strong enough for CEO Farid Suleman to give him the VP / Programming title and the opportunity to “assist program directors at Citadel’s major-market stations with overall programming and content decisions.” L.A. manager Bob Moore says Shannon’s been “the architect of the new direction at KLOS, which has propelled the station to its highest ratings in the past 20 years.” Scott famously took onetime beautiful-music WVNJ, Newark (100.3) from broom-closet status to top 40 winner as New York’s Z100, in a miraculous feat of “worst to first.” He later journeyed to Los Angeles to do “Pirate Radio” KQLZ and returned to New York in 1991 at hot AC WPLJ (95.5). CITADEL BROADCASTING CORP. has named Hot AC WPLJ / NEW YORK PD and morning co-host SCOTT SHANNON as VP of Programming for the company. SHANNON will remain PD at WPLJ and will continue to program CITADEL MEDIA's TRUE OLDIES CHANNEL while adding duties assisting CITADEL's major market PDs with overall programming and content direction. "SCOTT is one of the preeminent radio programming talents in the industry and we are very fortunate to have him as part of our company," said CEO FARID SULEMAN. "He has been instrumental in recent successes and innovations at several of our stations as well as the network." "SCOTT's contribution to radio are legendary and his success are many," said WPLJ and WABC-A / NEW YORK Pres. / GM STEVE BORNEMAN. "He is a proven resource for us and simply the best music programmer in the industry today. During the last 12 months, we’ve been able to elevate WPLJ to some of its highest ratings ever, clearly positioning us as one of the leading stations in NEW YORK. I’m delighted about his new position and know he will continue teach us all how it’s done. WTG, Scott! Clearly your work has not gone unnoticed! You pretty much single-handedly saved the oldies on terrestrial radio ... and now you're taking over the rest of the broadcasting universe! Congratulations! (And if you ever need a hand programming The True Oldies Channel, I AM available ... and for a whole lot less than what Johnny B.'s gonna want!!!) kk
Meanwhile, Hit Parade Radio is moving forward at a stepped-up pace right now, too, thanks to the acquisition of Liz Doyle, who'll now serve as Vice President of Operations for the network. With a stellar track record behind her, John Rook is anxiously awaiting the results of what Liz will do to help market this exciting new format, catering to the demographic that traditional radio has chosen to ignore for decades now. Greetings from Dallas. I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Liz Doyle, the new Vice President of Operations of Earthworks Entertainment’s, Hit Parade Radio. The first quarter of 2010 we are introducing our newest programming network, Hit Parade Radio. It targets the largest and fastest growing demographic group in America; 45+ year old adults, 70 million people and 28% of the population. This demographic is also the most underserved radio audience as well. Hit Parade Radio is the creation of John Rook whose programming successes are well known at dozens of stations nationally including WLS-Chicago; WCFL-Chicago; KFI-Los Angeles and KABC-Los Angeles. John brings a wealth of experience and a gifted feel for what attracts radio listeners. The on air talent is anchored by Larry Lujack and Wink Martindale. Larry, the first “SuperJock” in the US started his career in 1958 and is best known for his work on WLS and WCFL in Chicago. Inducted into the Illinois Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in June 2002, the Radio Hall of Fame in November 2004 and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in April 2008, Larry Lujack is a magnet for radio consumers. Wink Martindale is the recipient of many awards including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His voice is one of the most recognized in radio. He also has hosted several syndicated TV shows and numerous game shows nationally. LuJack and Martindale bring their experience, unique personalities and style, knowledge of music and ability to communicate to Hit Parade Radio. Hit Parade Radio offers a great format along with state of the art digital and marketing support. I invite you to listen for yourself by clicking on www.HitParadeRadio.com or via Wi-Fi, our latest and greatest method of digital delivery. I look forward to talking with you about Hit Parade Radio and your market needs and how we can help you achieve them. Sincerely, Liz Doyle Hit Parade Radio www.HitParadeRadio.com This Friday night I'll be celebrating 8 years on the Internet with topshelf oldies. After I tell you this weeks schedule, I'll reminisce about the past a bit. This week I'll be featuring a little bit of everything from my collection. The program is on from 7 PM till 3:01 AM over www.topshelfoldies.com I'm saving 9 PM for a couple of special things. Of course it's country music at 12 AM on Midnight Country. I'm thinking back to when I was a kid and wanted to be a Dee jay. I remember my old Wollensak tape recorder. I did my show on that little machine but I was the only one who heard it. Back in 1960 / 61 I was a weekly guest on a folk music program called "Folklore with Lorrie." The host was George Lorrie and I used to preview different folk albums that George gave me to listen to. When I went into the service I was doing oldie shows in 1961 at the Service Club at Fort Dix, NJ. I was playing music from the 50s which were starting to be called oldies. I always ended my show with a new song that just came out called "Good Goodbye" later renamed "So So Long". The song was by The Bob Knight Four and I still sign off my show with that theme song today. When I came out of the Army, I spent many hours being MC of folk concerts at a place called The Community Cultural Centre in Brooklyn, New York and in the summer we moved the weekly concerts outdoors to a place called Sea Side Park. I was instrumental in getting some great people to sing for this non-profit organization. My old buddy George Lorrie did a concert for us. Besides being a Dee jay, he also sang. I had folk singer Barbara Dane, Tom Glazer, The Beers family, The Bergerfolk and several others did me the honor. I also did MC work in Prospect Park for local bands from the area. As time went by, it was suddenly the 1980's and I was on a weekly country music program in Elizabeth, New Jersey with Freddy the German Cowboy. I had a 15 minute portion of his show and I always made it seem like a big production. A couple times Freddy couldn't make it so he let me do the entire show. We later moved to WCNJ-FM in Hazlet, New Jersey. This was non-commercial radio and Freddie was paying for it as he reminded everybody that he owned The Blue Ribbon Inn. You must try mama's home cooking and especially her pierogies. When Freddy moved to this station he bought a block of time Monday through Wednesday at midnight. Our theme song was "Just hooked on country" which I fell in love with and use on my country portion of The Pop Shoppe every week. Now Freddy was on Monday. I had Tuesday to myself and Freddy was on Wednesday. I programmed all 3 programs and learned a lot in those days. There was time open earlier in the evening and I got the job of filling in any free time. I started something called "Return to Bleecker Street", a folk music show. Some weeks I did specials of different artists like Jane Olivor / The Surpremes and so many others. It was 1985 and I started fooling around with "The Pop Shoppe". This name actually came from a round robin tape club that I had been running. One day Freddy had enough with this station that just didn't cover enough area for him. The management liked the response to my show "The Pop Shoppe" so they let me stay on. In spite of the limited coverage the station offered, I was there for several years. Eventually several of the Dee Jays left to help start a new station in Freehold / Howell, NJ. It was there that I met Hattie who sits in for me when I take some rare time off my show. Our Program Director Dlanna eventually left and started topshelf oldies. In 2001 I joined her Internet station. I've been here ever since. The web site for topshelfoldies is www.topshelfoldies.com My address isdjstu43@verizon.net And that address can be used to contact me during my show or anytime. Remember this is my 8th year celebration. You must be here this night because I don't want to be alone. Yours sincerely, Stu Weiss / DJ STU Congratulations on eight years, Stu! It's clear that you take a lot of pride in what you're doing ... and enjoy it, too! (We got this out too late to plug Friday's show ... but hearing you tell your story was well worth it all!) kk
And I've got to hand out some VERY special props to Y103.9 FM here in Chicago ... they just keep expanding their playlist ... it is a CONSTANT joy and surprise to hear some of the music that's been cropping up on there lately ... and it's clear that jocks like Jim Shea, Jeff James and Tom Kent really know, love and appreciate this music. You can catch their stream here: Click here: Y103.9 - Homepage (I mean, if you're going to advertise "The Greatest Hits Of All Time" then you might as well play as many of them as possible! They've even added a "Vintage Vinyl" feature, which allows them to play '50's music for the first time ever ... ALL ideas we've been promoting for YEARS now!!! WTG, Y103.9!!!) kk
But a great big "OOOPS! Of The Week" Award goes out to Greg Brown over at WLS-FM ... the other day on his weekday feature of playing a "#1 Song From This Date" he TOTALLY mixed up his "Believers". Acknowledging the fact that The Monkees had the #1 Record on this date in 1967 (which they did, with their chart-topper "Daydream Believer") he then proceeded to play "I'm A Believer" instead ... which was released the PREVIOUS December (as in 1966) ... and didn't hit #1 until December 30th of that year. Watch it, Greg ... the people who listen who know their oldies will catch you on this kind of stuff!!! You just GOTTA do your homework! (kk)
All the very best to you in 2010!
