Tuesday, February 26, 2013

We Haven't Done A Radio Rave-Out For Awhile ... And Today Just Seemed Like A Good Day To Do One!

re: ON THE RADIO:  
No more Y103.9 - "Greatest Hits Of All-Time" ... the local station that gave us Jim Shea and Jeff James is now "The Fox", a "rebrand" as of 2 pm yesterday, giving Chicago yet another Classic Rock Station. (The Drive, The River, The Loop, The Fox ... thank GOD we now have another place to hear Steve Miller, Led Zeppelin, Bob Seger and John Mellencamp every time we push a button!!! Factor in the incredible volume of music played on WLS-FM by these same artists ... and the seemingly once an hour broadcast of these same tunes on K-Hits ... and you've now got about an 80% chance of hitting one of these grossly over-played artists every time you turn on the radio.) Yep, it just keeps getting better and better.  
This most recent change pretty much eliminates the bulk of the '60's for good now on the Chicago airwaves ... the '50's have already been gone for ages ... the writing is on the wall, people ... despite all of our efforts (and research to the contrary) ... the oldies are dead. (On the plus side the reign of the Tom Kent Take-Over has now officially passed!)
The trend is nationwide ... Scott Shannon just lost of one his True Oldies flagship stations when WAXB - B-107.3FM / 850 AM (in the Danbury, CT area) dropped the station because they were playing too much '60's and '70's music. (That's funny ... we didn't think they played ENOUGH '60's and '70's music!!!) In fact, if you tune into The True Oldies Channel, you'll hear more '80's music than ever ... because that's what the affiliate programmers want us to hear ... and the pressure is on for Shannon to "update" his playlist.   Hopefully Scott will be able to stand his ground on the Internet and still be able to give us a nice mixture of ALL of this music (including some of the late-'50's / early-'60's stuff he plays on Sunday nights.) Here's a man who is not ashamed to declare his love for the oldies.  In this day and age, most radio stations won't even utter the word! (kk)

The "Tom Kent Take-Over" as you like to call it is finally over!  I'm just not so sure the new alternative is any better.  The format that worked best for them was personalities like Jim Shea and Jeff James -- and a mixture of 60s and 70s music, some of which you didn't hear anywhere else.  That's what kept me tuning in.  Like you, I found myself listening less and less.  Now I may not listen at all.
Alan   
It looks like the powers that be finally realized the Tom Kent Take-Over wasn't working.  Nice job, guys ... I've only been telling you that for over a year now ... and all of our readers have echoed that sentiment.  As long as radio continues to program with blinders on, things can't get any better.  We're doomed to the same old, same old, all day long ... on every station we switch to.  On the plus side, I was VERY happy to hear that they're going back to "live" deejays on The Fox ... that alone may breath some new life into the station.  With four Classic Rock stations to choose from in Chicago, somebody's got to bring SOMETHING different to the table to snag listeners.  Right now, that distinction belongs to The Drive ... they go out of their way to present creative programming and specials ... and they do it very well.  They LOVE the music they play ... and they've been tops with the listeners in this category for some time now.  Another rocker with a weak suburban signal may not have much of a chance capturing a share of this audience.  And, based on what Jim Shea often told us of Y103.9's listening audience, they've kissed the "soccer moms" goodbye forever with THIS format change!  (kk)

More on the changes at Y103.9 here:
  
Hi Kent,
In conjunction with the release of my book "WHN: When New York City Went Country" (Archer Books) on Tuesday February 26, there will be a on air reunion of the WHN staff from the glory days.
Lee Arnold, Larry Kenney, Dan Taylor, Mike Fitzgerald and Jessie (with Gene Ladd doing news) from 9:00 am until 3:45 pm on 89.1 WFDU, which covers the New York market. The broadcast will also be available via streaming audio at http://player.warpradio.com/php/WFDU-FM/
Lots of "forgotten hits", country style, will be played.
WHN switched to country music on February 26, 1973, and remiained in the country format for fifteen years, during that time they became the most listened country station of all time.  
Ed Salamon   

>>>It's not working ... Fans have been leaving WLS-FM in droves since their recent format change. I still don't get it ... they've hired back some of the biggest names from their old roster ... and then they don't let them talk and display any personality during their program ... which consists of the same 200-300 songs by the same 20-30 artists over and over and over again. Gee, I wonder why people got bored listening.   In the latest Arbitron ratings released this week, WLS-FM has fallen to 16th place in overall listeners. In the most desirable demographic (listeners aged 25 - 54), they don't place in the Top 15 at all ... although WJMK-FM / K-Hits HAS creeped in now at #15. Most of us don't even stop by the station anymore to see what they're playing ... because we already KNOW what they're playing ... which is EXACTLY the same thing they played earlier today, yesterday and will play again tonight and tomorrow ... there is no entertainment value or reason to come back. And the ratings really only show a small segment of a specific group of listeners ... a "target group" if you will ... my guess is the REAL numbers are far more dramatic. I don't know of ANYONE who used to listen to WLS-FM that still does. It's really too bad ... "historic" WLS is now just a boring wasteland of wasted on-air talent and an embarrassment to their broadcast legacy. (kk)  
Regarding your post dated 10-01-2012 on WLS-FM, the big shake up:  
I couldn’t agree with your comments and suggestions more. To echo the lyrics of a very popular song done by “Meatloaf”, you took the words right out of my mouth. 
Bill 
The proof is in the ratings ... in fact, their mid-day show has dropped from 5th place to 15th place since they got rid of Scott Shannon ... proving once again what a great, genius move THAT was. Congratulations for a FINE job well done by Jan Jeffries, who has lead the station down the ranks with his "different and unique" formula of broadcasting. Yeah, right. (kk)   

You called it -- I don't know a soul who still listens to WLS-FM anymore. They insulted and then destroyed their most faithful audience -- there's nobody left listening.  
Rick   
Jeffries promised a station unlike anything else in town ... and instead delivered a station EXACTLY like everything else in town ... a complete clone of what he thought was working (without any consideration of what their established audience really wanted to hear.) He insulted his audience ... and disrespected his most knowledgeable and beloved staff by removing Scott Shannon (who, in my opinion helped SAVE the station) and then delegating Dick Biondi to a shift where his greatest audience can no longer listen. And then, instead of an industry leader, he delivered a clone ... and a very WEAK clone at that, being the "new" guy in town. (Didn't he learn ANYTHING from that movie "Multiplicity"?!?!? You make a copy of a copy of a copy and each generation just gets weaker and weaker and weaker.) Yep, that's what we've got here ... Multiplicity-syndrome!!! On what USED to be the most powerful call letters in Chicago. What a shame! (kk)  

In case you missed it, here's our exclusive Forgotten Hits Interview with Scott Shannon from a few months ago when he was first let go from the station he helped to save:  
Click here: Forgotten Hits: EXCLUSIVE: Forgotten Hits Interviews Scott Shannon   

Kent,
Unfortunately, you once again hit the nail squarely on the head regarding WLS-FM. The frustrating thing to me is, here you have a substantial amount of people who WANT to buy their product. We WANT to listen, but we want a reason to listen. Having only lived in the Chicago market (in northwest Indiana) my whole life, and nowhere else, I can tell you, as I'm sure you know, people are loyal here. Whether it be TV, radio, sports, people here are loyal listeners or viewers. But, they are NOT stupid. They will stick with you, but you have to give them a reason to do so. I do exactly as you do. In my car, I have XM. But I drive a truck all day that has AM/FM. And like you, I really don't even punch the WLS button anymore, I would actually prefer to sit through the ads on another station, or even just turn the volume down for a few minutes rather than see which Bruce Springsteen or Journey song they are playing, AGAIN. 
And it's frustrating to think that I, or you, or any number of non radio people, could make that station hum along in a minute. They sit on probably the best known set of call letters in the country, which right away puts them 10 points ahead of anyone else, and they have no clue what to do with it. On top of that, some of the best known DJs in the country, and again, no clue what to do with them.
And what is their idea of original programming? 60s at 6, 70s at 7, 80s at 8. Gee, what visionaries! While you're at it, why not Two For Tuesday, Get the Led Out, Breakfast With The Beatles? Good Lord! 
I have actually found myself enjoying the Sunday morning AT 40 repeats with Casey Kasem, if for no other reason, that show always highlights the sheer number of songs that made it into the top 40 but are ignored today. Sure, some of those songs should be ignored, but listen to AT 40 on Sunday, and there usually is at least one song every Sunday that will give you the Wow factor, one you forgot all about. It's the only time I will turn on WLS-FM anymore. Then promptly at 10:00, back to the same old thing, and I flip away. 
Oh, and I think you're being kind when you say they play the same 200-300 songs over and over. I would have guessed half that number. But again, I don't listen anymore, so you may be right.
Ken Durkel   

From Billboard:  
There was a time radio warranted critics; people who evaluated and analyzed what happened at our stations. Newspapers in most major cities generally had a person tasked with covering the ins and outs of local radio and TV. But today, that position has all but disappeared.
In some cases that’s likely due to struggles in the newspaper industry that have led to less local content and personnel. But in many instances, the radio critic was an easy cut to make because the medium just isn’t as captivating as it used to be. At least, that’s what three remaining local media critics seem to indicate.
“Everyone listens to radio. Even now listener penetration is over 90%, but no one writes about it,” New York Daily News radio and TV writer David Hinckley says. “It may be cliché to say this, but radio’s not glamorous and sexy. TV has its visual thing, while people think of radio as background.”
Time Out Chicago media blogger Robert Feder, who covered radio and TV for the Chicago Sun Times for many years, says the problem is that there isn’t enough local news about the media to cover; a fact that played a big role in his leaving the paper. “There was no longer enough content to sustain a daily column about local radio and TV. Because of the cutbacks and consolidation in radio there was not enough going on.”
That led to Feder reinventing himself with his new blog at Time Out Chicago, covering a wider variety of local media than radio and TV. “I defined media much more broadly to include newspapers, Internet, print and magazines. If I had to depend solely on radio and TV it would be impossible.”
One topic that used to fill many columns for radio critics was the comings, goings and attention getting antics of radio hosts. But as the industry moved further toward national syndication there’s been less about that subject to cover. Atlanta Journal Constitution TV / radio writer Rodney Ho says, “There’s not as many local personalities and a lot more syndicated hosts. I’m not as interested in [Premiere syndicated morning host] Elvis Duran. I prefer covering local folks.” Feder agrees, calling Ryan Seacrest “the embodiment of
corporate radio. He’s a pro, but he’s not Howard Stern.”
Feder adds that great hosts once drove the medium’s appeal to listeners. “Radio, particularly radio in Chicago, used to be defined by personalities, and that was a large part of what made radio such an attractive and vibrant part of people’s lives. But those personalities are gone.” And the remaining hosts are muzzled by PDs, whom he says have more control of what goes over the air than ever before. “Program directors are now calling all the shots. They control, to a dangerous degree, what a personality can do on the air. It’s no longer a performance the way it was.”
That leaves both Feder and Hinckley wondering about the future of radio hosts. “[Arbitron’s Portable People Meter] seems to be driving or at least reinforcing the pre-disposition that broadcasters already had toward less talking and more music on the radio. So you wonder if there will be another generation of radio personalities or if there is no market for them,” Hinckley says.
He also sees the movement away from local, high-profile hosts having implications on radio’s relationship with the audience. “The cutback in personalities and homogenous sounds of voice-tracking put some distance between the listener and what’s on the radio. It probably makes sense for the corporate bottom line, but I don’t think it has served the listener.”
As an example he points to Cumulus’ recently launched country station WNSH (Nash-FM) New York, which he tuned in to when he learned of singer Mindy McCready’s death. While he realizes the station is currently running without hosts, he was surprised to not even find a produced drop-in talking about the artist. “They just stayed with their pre-programmed format. That’s a real disappointment.”
Feder says the bottom-line focus of many broadcast companies is what’s really behind the changes in radio. “It’s not about how can we capture the imagination of our audience or how can we serve them anymore. It’s about how can we monetize it and create a new revenue source.” He believes that attitude is fueling a lack of innovation in the product, resulting in less interesting items to write about. 
OK, so what exactly are we saying here? We ALL know and acknowledge what's wrong with radio ... and yet we're just choosing not to address it and fix it?!?! How is THAT best serving the public??? What's the deal?!?!? (kk)  

"They don't do dedications anymore, do they?"

It was Thursday, my wife's birthday, and she was musing about what people do to send their greetings. She'd gotten the requisite Facebook messages from friends and family, but she's an old radio hand, too, and for some reason it occurred to her that she doesn't hear song dedications on the radio the way she used to. "They don't do dedications," she repeated. "They don't really say anything."

Yep. Music stations follow the research; they shut up and play the music. When they talk, there's practically no interaction with the audience. That's all moved to social media, but there's no interaction there, either; It's mostly blandishments to enter contests or tune in for the next segment. Birthday dedications? Are you a Kardashian? No? Sorry, then.

Oh, I'm sure some stations still do dedications. (Art Laboe's still on the air, right?) But the old connection is missing. And maybe there's nothing radio can do about that, because there are other ways now to publicly proclaim whatever greetings you want to proclaim. Twitter, Facebook, Vine, YouTube -- you can get an international audience for your message, for free. Can't stop that train.

But you can still engage listeners more than you do, just by doing what radio used to do all the time. You don't necessarily have to take dedications, but you -- music or talk stations, especially talk -- CAN put listeners on the air, as callers, as clips submitted online, or by calling out their names for whatever reason. It's funny: People can make their own podcasts, their own videos, they can stream, but there's still a thrill to hear your name on the air on a real radio station, and to hear your voice there. Maybe that'll go away, too, but you should take advantage of that while it's still a thing. In a way, there's something special about radio that arises from how easy it is to do all the other stuff -- anyone can do a social media post or a YouTube video, but talking on the radio, even as a caller or as a name read out over the air, isn't as ubiquitous.

And you can use your station website for that, too. Your listeners are making YouTube videos and podcasts and posting Instagram photos? Why not make room for them on your site? You can have them submit their work and you can post it there -- embed codes make that extremely easy. Again, anyone can post stuff at YouTube, but to get the added exposure from their favorite radio station and the association with that brand is what you can add that someone else can't.

This is all to say that radio may be losing the exclusivity it had, and that might be permanent, but there's still value in the brands and personalities that still rattle around the old boneyard. And if there's any hope of retaining that value, stations and shows need to get more of that personal connection to the consumer. Look at it as if radio is the local Main Street shop and new media are the big box stores at the edge of town, moving in to eat up market share. (Funny how that works, considering consolidation left most of radio in the hands of companies who are definitely not Mom and Pop and not local, but hang with the analogy anyway, because it's not about ownership, it's about market position) If you're the Main Street shop, you can't compete on price or selection, but you CAN compete on service and relationships. Pandora, Spotify, Rdio, etc. have a wide selection of music and customization, but your friends won't ever say "hey, I heard you on Spotify," not even if they download your playlist. A computer can program and serve up music, but it takes a human to offer human interaction. For now, at least. Artificial intelligence is getting pretty good.

It isn't quite there yet, though. (Hello, Siri.) So, use the tools you have at your disposal to get that personal connection going again with your listeners. It's not just all social media, although that's important. It can be as simple as putting people on the air to answer a topic question, or talk up a song, or ... well, dedications are so 1972, I suppose, but you can do that, too.

Perry Simon 
Radio dedications were a big part of programming way back when ... and we still have a few here in Chicago (although some of the best ones have been tampered with.)

Of course to do a dedication show you have to have a "live" deejay ... and let's face it, there are less and less of those around. Checking the Billboard article from above, a country station couldn't even be bothered to break in with a live update on the death of Mindy McCready ... yet here in Chicago, we heard that on virtually every station, non-stop, country or not. (The same thing happened when breaking news hit about the death of Michael Jackson a few years ago ... all these pre-programmed, syndicated shows COMPLETELY missed the boat on that one ... probably the biggest music news story of the decade!)

We used to have two excellent all-request shows here in Chicago ... Dick Biondi's Friday Night Request Show conjured up music you haven't heard in 40-50 years ... some of which even I'D never heard on the radio before!!! Jeff James used to do a great "Saturday Night At The '70's" show, too, filling in with listener requests along with some obscure, long-forgotten '70's hits. (Y103.9 used to do the "live drive at five" on weekdays, too ... a full hour of requests that ALWAYS brought one or two surprises to our delighted ears.) Over at WLS-FM, Danny Lake did a similar all request show on Saturday Nights ... I'm honestly not sure if he still does that anymore or not with all of the changes going on over there ... I rarely even stop by the station anymore while button-pushing in the car because of what they've done with their play list!

Tom Kent does several request shows ... nationally syndicated ... but I've been disappointed more than a few times. While Kent tries to engage the callers in friendly, clever banter, I've also heard him not have the song requested by the listener on more than one occasion ... the most disappointing time being when a listener requested "Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean ... this record was #1 for five weeks in 1961 ... how does an oldies station playing "the greatest hits of all-time" not have a copy of THIS one?!?!? Worse yet, I've heard listeners call in and ask him to play something that the station probably would have played within the next hour anyway ... what a waste of a phone call! The whole idea of an all-request show is to hear something DIFFERENT!!! (Unfortunately, this way of thinking plays perfectly into the hands of the consultants who insist they're giving the listeners exactly what they want ... or else why would they keep asking for it?)

Honestly, a nationally syndicated show is a GREAT idea ... now you'll get more variety than ever (as long as you've got a well-stocked play list of material to draw from). Somebody in Oklahoma will probably want to hear something different than the next caller in New Jersey ... and so on ... maybe even a few regional and obscure hits might find their way to the airwaves again. (Does Dick Bartley still do this??? He was a master at it) ... and, truth be told, there probably isn't anybody better poised in the country to do it now than Scott Shannon ... think of the all-request show HE could do! Go on the air LIVE for six hours on Saturday Nights and take nationwide requests from your True Oldies listeners ... if nothing else, it'll give you a clearer picture of what they REALLY want to hear. (I could be wrong ... but my guess is it won't be "more '80's"!!!)

Casey Kasem used to do his "long-distance dedication" as part of his American Top 40 Countdown every week ... but honestly an entire show running Saturday or Sunday Night playing nothing but requests would STILL be a big listener success. (Mason Ramsey does this on RockAndRollHeaven.net, too.)

But in order to do this right, you've GOT to have the resources and play list to fill these requests. If Biondi didn't have a record, he made it a point to bring it and feature it the following week! (Jeff James used to go out and BUY the record if he had to to fill a request!) Now that's dedicated programming ... and a commitment to doing it right and putting the listener first. (I remember ages ago when John "Records" Landecker was doing mornings on WJMK and he took listener requests ... most via email ... for a half hour every morning. Unfortunately, it was at 5:30 AM ... so you had to get up REALLY early to hear it ... but he played some GREAT, long-forgotten stuff on that program!)

Interaction with the readers is ALWAYS a good idea ... plus it gives the radio station valuable feedback as well. And in this day and age, quick editing to make sure the best phone calls go out on the air is a breeze. Give the people what they want and they'll continue to tune in and listen.  (Plus who doesn't like to hear their own voice on the radio?!?!)  With Internet Radio playing anything and everything, the listener request show shouldn't be dead ... it should be THRIVING!!! (kk)
Posted by at

Monday, February 25, 2013

Monday Morning Memories

Some of your recent comments ...  

re: KICKING THE WEEK OFF WITH SOME REVOLUTIONARY, GROUND-BREAKING NEWS!:  
A Los Angeles judge Friday (February 22) granted Jermaine Jackson's name-change request to "Jacksun." The Jackson 5 singer said the change was for artistic reasons and not representative of any estrangement with his family.  
-- Ron Smith
OK, glad we got THAT revolutionary piece of news out of the way!!! (Isn't he the same guy who named his daughter Jermajesty?!?!?) 
In a related note, to the best of my knowledge, plans to retitle the Johnny Cash / June Carter and Nancy Sinatra / Lee Hazelwood track have been put on hold. (kk) 
  


re: THE EAGLES:
Thanks for the comprehensive review of the Eagles documentary. The cursory blurbs I've been reading about it in the entertainment press have done little to make me want to devote the three hours to watch it, but the "warts and all" story has me intrigued. I know that peyote in the desert story inspired at least one future program director to try it himself.
The Eagles story once again shows how distribution of songwriting credits can lead to discord, especially when every member contributes on some level. Bands like U2 and R.E.M. split the credits equally on every song, which cuts back the squabbles considerably, but with the Eagles it was very gray. We recently had a talk with Don Felder, who got a credit on "Hotel California" and a few other songs, but as the new kid in town was generally left off. Here's what he said about it:
"I'll just say we all contributed to every song. No one made up the guitar parts that I played but me. Everybody brought their particular talent to each recording. And it was really an unusual circumstance to have five people in a band that every one of us wrote, sang, and played. And any one of us could have and had previously fronted their own band."
You'll find the full Songfacts interview with Don Felder here:  
http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/don_felder/  
Be Well, 
Carl Wiser  
www.songfacts.com
Don Felder's book is a GREAT read ... highly recommended. There is no question that Frey and Henley took control of that band ... but look at their track record. (Randy Meisner, complaining about how they put their names on his #1 Hit "Take It To The Limit", referred to it as the "change a word, take a third" incident. He claimed that they literally changed one line of his song ... that everything else was intact as he brought it to the band ... but then each took one-third of the song-writing credit. In fact, when Meisner re-recorded the song for his solo album a few years later, he changed the lyric BACK to the way he had originally written it!!!) Of course, Glenn Frey today tells a completely different story ... but it's exactly this kind of thing that makes the Showtime Documentary such riveting stuff. (kk)  

Kent:
I happened to read your article about the Eagles recently. Most people don't know that Irv Azoff was really the "business mind " that kick-started the Eagles along with REO, Dan Fogerlberg and so many others.
Before moving to L.A. and starting his musical empire, Irv Azoff was a partner in the Blytham Booking Agency which was headquartered in Champaign. If you wanted to work in the Champaign or Southern Illinois clubs during the late 60's and early 70's, you had to go through Irv Azoff ... he controlled all the work in central and southern Illinois.
Chicago agents would book their bands through Irv in the Central Illinois clubs and campus bars, Irv in turn would book his Central Illinois talent into Chicago and suburban clubs. One hand washes the other. (Remember ALLSTAR FROG or the ONE EYED JACKS?)
If Irv liked you, you worked. I remember sitting in his office when I was 18 years old as a member of the SOUL MACHINE (he was in his early 20s I believe ) ... he had a bank of phones, and they were ALL lit up ... amazing.
Once technology got to the point that sound systems could accommodate "large" audiences, Irv was one of the first managers / promoters to get his bands in stadium venues.
He was quite a promoter for the time, and because of his amazing skills, many of those bands became household names, and he got rich in the process.
I know Jimy Rogers and I talked about Irv quite a bit when we got the Mauds back together in 2000.
I'm sure many of the other band leaders from that era could add some stories.
What an entrepreneur!
Quent Lang      

Hi Kent, 
I'm part of a combination of two bands here in Minnesota that does an Eagles tribute show. 
I don't say that to give us a plug as much as to talk about the fact that we've been doing this for a couple years here, and it never goes away. Both bands do other projects, but the Eagles tribute seems to always be on our calendars.
I am always amazed, and I don't really know why but I am, that we can go back to the same places and keep selling this thing out. We have three nights of it coming up in St. Cloud, MN, in May and all three nights sold out in 22 minutes. Gees, we aren't even the Eagles!
We do the show in the twin cities as well and we've sold it out for two nights two different times in less than six months.
Yes, we do it well and work very very hard at it, but those songs just never quit resounding with folks.
Pure, perfect Pop. We have many folks that come to the shows who have seen the Eagles many times and come to our shows every time we do them. What an amazing band they are.
If you are interested, I think you can find our promo video for the show at www.fabulousarmadillos.com
Even after doing their songs on top of all the times I listened to them as they came out, I still love doing the shows. To me New Kid In Town is a perfect song, arrangement, recording, and performance both musically and vocally.
Bill   

And this just in from the "Strike While The Iron's Still Hot" Department, courtesy of Tom Cuddy ... (one can only hope that the official dvd release of the new documentary will follow right behind!) kk  

Rhino Releasing Box Set of The Eagles' 70's Catalog  
Rhino Records has chosen the Eagles as the next artist to receive the big box set treatment with the March 19 release of Studio Albums 1972-1979.

It's hard to imagine that there are any classic rock fans that don't already have at least one or two of these albums, if not the whole run, but this is a great way for newcomers to Eagles fandom to start a collection. Just throw in Hell Freezes Over (for the four new tracks) and Long Road Out of Eden and you'll have a complete collection of the Eagles in the studio.

The albums included in the set:
 
Eagles (1972) 
Desperado (1973) 
On the Border (1974) 
One of These Nights (1975) 
Hotel California (1976) 
The Long Run (1979)
   
No reason for me to buy this one ... I've already got them all ... and without any "extras" (and I don't believe there is much to choose from "in the vault" with The Eagles ... in fact, on a previous box set, all of the so-called "extras" were just they guys goofing around in the studio, no real music ... although I HAVE to believe that SOMETHING must exist ... because "The Long Run" was originally intended to be a two-record set), even at a special, discounted price, I feel good about the collection I already have. 
One Track that I really feel SHOULD be included is "Get You In The Mood", the original B-Side of the "Take It Easy" single ... because that track has NEVER appeared on CD before.  (Seems to me if you're going to do a "complete" collection, this track ought to be there ... although, in all fairness, they are referring to this release as the studio album collection.)
It'd also be cool to hear an early rendition of "How Long", a song featured in the documentary that The Eagles never recorded because songwriting buddy J.D. Souther wanted to include it on his first solo album.  The band resurrected the song for their "Long Road Of Out Eden" CD a couple of years ago ... and they did a very credible "live" version on the special.  (kk)


re: CHUBBY CHECKER:
CHUBBY CHECKER DIDN'T MIND THIS ONE!  
"Get the honey, junior?"  
Maybe he was asked? 
There's a great (1980) old movie called FATSO starring Dom Deluise and Ron Carey. They had their own version of WEIGHT WATCHERS. They called their diet group THE CHUBBY CHECKERS (big poster of heavy Chubby and slimmer Chubby on stage at their meetings). If you wanted to over eat , you called your sponsor, your 'chubby checker' to talk you down. HILARIOUS MOVIE!  
The 'fatsos' crack and go on a 'bender' -- 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar9HNDDcMgQ  
(really gets moving just after three minute mark)  
"DID YOU EVER SUCK THE JELLY OUT OF A JELLY DO-NUT, FILL IT WITH REESE CUPS, AND MELT IT IN THE OVEN?"  
And here's another one ... a little longer with a funnier beginning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUhO2GDit2c  
-- RENFIELD  
By the way, here's an intersection in Wildwood.


And, speaking of The Philly Sound, songwriters John Madara and David White were profiled recently on a 60 Degrees' Radio Special called "Philly Fillies: The Music of Madara and White) ...  

Here's a little blurb sent in by John Madara himself! (You can "click to listen" below!) kk      

On-Demand Special: 60 Degrees' Philly Fillies (The Music of Madara and White)
Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:15:29



10 years before Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff became known for creating The Sound Of Philadelphia, there were other guys on the block making popular music that defined the city. There were the Cameo / Parkway record labels, and also the writing / producing team of Johnny Madara and David White. Their best known hits include the rock and roll classics At The Hop by Danny & The Juniors, You Don't Own Me by Lesley Gore and Len Barry's 1-2-3.


Madara and White also wrote and / or produced many great girl group records for artists who are now considered One Hit (or even No-Hit) Wonders - The Pixies Thee, The Sherrys, The Secrets and Maureen Gray. Even though they may have only scored single hits, there is a wealth of great recordings by these artists that are highly coveted by girl group fans - records that were originally overlooked as the British Invasion swept through the US and crowded them off the charts in the mid-1960’s.

Today on 60 Degrees, we will be taking an extended look at these groups, along with Cindy Scott (Sundray Taylor) and The Sweet Three. In addition, we have some of the best known songs by Madara and White as performed by Joey Heatherton, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield and Annie Markan.


The Secrets / The Boy Next Door / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound


The Sweet Three / Big Lovers / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Sherrys / At The Hop / Pop Pop Pop-Pie / Bear Family

Dusty Springfield / You Don't Own Me / Stay Awhile/I Only Want To Be With You / Taragon

Lesley Gore / Don't Call Me, I'll Call You / The Mercury Anthology / Mercury

Annie Markan / Un Deux Trois (1-2-3) / EP / Mercury

The Pixies Three / Cold Cold Winter / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Bobbi-Pins / Why Did You Go? / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

Ann D'Andrea / Johnny's Back In Town / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

Joey Heatherton / Live And Learn / Joey Heatherton / Hip-O Selects

The Secrets / The Other Side Of Town / Growin' Up Too Fast / Mercury

The Secrets / Hey Big Boy / Growin' Up Too Fast / Mercury

The Secrets / Learning To Forget / 45 / Philips
The Secrets / Here He Comes Now / 45 / Philips

The Secrets / Oh Donnie / 45 / Philips

The Secrets / He's The Boy / 45 / Philips

The Secrets / He Doesn't Want You / 45 Philips

The Sherrys/ Pop Pop Pop-Pie / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Sherrys / No No Baby / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Sherrys / New Cha Cha Cha / Pop Pop Pop-Pie / Bear Family

The Sherrys / That Guy Of Mine / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Sherrys / Saturday Night / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Sherrys / That Boy Of Mine / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

Maureen Gray / Today's The Day / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

Maureen Gray / I Don't Want To Cry / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

Maureen Gray / Come On And Dance / Party Lights / Collectables

Maureen Gray / There Is A Boy / Party Lights / Collectables

The Pixies Three / Birthday Party / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Pixies Three / 442 Glenwood Avenue / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Pixies Three / Gee / Our History / Crystal Ball

The Pixies Three / The Hootch / Our History / Crystal Ball

The Pixies Three / Orphan Boy / Our History / Crystal Ball

The Pixies Three / Love Me, Love Me / Our History / Crystal Ball
Joey Heatherton / When You Call Me Baby / Joey Heatherton / Hip-O Selects

Cindy Scott / I Love You Baby / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

Cindy Scott / In Your Spare Time / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

Cindy Scott / I've Been Loving You / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

Cindy Scott / Time Can Change A Love / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Sweet Three / That's The Way It Is / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Sweet Three / Bluer Than Blue / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Mellow Moods (The Sweet Three) / Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Hurt? / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Sweet Three / I Would If I Could / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound

The Sweet Three / Don't Leave Me Now / Those East Coast Girls / That Philly Sound  

(By the way, you can read OUR interview with John Madara here):




re: THIS AND THAT:

A couple of weeks ago we ran a really cool shot of FH Reader Merrell Fankhauser performing with Dean Torrence on our website. Now comes word that you can view that performance as it happened on Merrell's excellent "Tiki Lounge" program! Read on:

Below is a link to Merrell Fankhauser's TV show "Tiki Lounge" featuring Dean Torrence and The Surf City All Stars in Concert Feb. 9, 2013. Merrell joins the band for three songs on the encore! Tiki Lounge can be seen in San Luis Obispo county on CH 2 every Sunday at 7:30 pm, in Santa Barbara county on CH 25 every Sunday at 6:30 pm and on Maui CH 52 every Friday at 8:00 pm. and in Michigan various channels & times
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYAOWTi4KPM&


Hi Kent,
If you haven't seen it, the next time you have 48 minutes you'll want to watch this 1966 episode of Robin Seymour's Swingin' Time featuring lip synch performances by The Rationals, Wayne Cochran, Jerry-o and The Magnificent Men (whose two singers came from the Del-Chords - their 'Everbodys Got To Lose Someday" was a big Pittsburgh dance club record).  
http://bedazzled.blogs.com/bedazzled/2013/02/swingin-time-complete-episode-9-10-66-with-the-rationals-the-magnificent-men-wayne-cochran-more.html  
Ed Salamon  
A rare one indeed ... I wonder if they've got more of these posted. A GREAT chance to see Wayne Cochran perform. He's been all over our FH pages of late thanks to all the "Last Kiss" focus. (kk) 

And, speaking of vintage music television shows ... check THIS out!!!  

Now THIS is really cool! We've been talking about "Shindig" and "The Lloyd Thaxton Show" and some of these other vintage music shows that we were able to enjoy when we were growing up ... and now comes word that PBS is going to start running old episodes of "Hullabaloo"! Check this out!

PBS to Run a Hullabaloo Retrospective As Part of Their My Music Series

 


PBS will once again dip back into the 60's for the latest in their My Music series, shown during pledge drives, with Hullabaloo: A 60's Flashback.
Hullabaloo ran on NBC from January 12, 1965 to August 29, 1966 highlighting some of the biggest acts of the day from Petula Clark to the Rolling Stones. The show also featured the Hullabaloo Dancers which included future stars Michael Bennett and Donna McKechnie who went on to direct and star in A Chorus Line on Broadway.
The PBS will include complete song performances, starting with the joyful pop harmonies of Herman's Hermits (Can't You Feel My Heartbeat), Sonny & Cher (I Got You Babe) and The Four Seasons (Working My Way Back To You).
The sixties' folk-rock sounds include the million-selling Mr. Tambourine Man by The Byrds, Eve of Destruction, a #1 hit by Barry McGuire , the Pete Seeger-penned If I Had A Hammer sung by Trini Lopez, You Didn't Have To Be So Nice by troubadour John Sebastian with The Lovin' Spoonful and the classic anthem California Dreamin' by The Mamas & The Papas.
Rebellion-fueled rock was part of the scene too, as represented by The Bobby Fuller Four (I Fought The Law), The Animals (It's My Life), The Outsiders (Time Won't Let Me), Nancy Sinatra (These Boots Are Made For Walkin') and Paul Revere & The Raiders (Kicks).
The program premiers nationally on March 2. Check with your local PBS affiliate for an exact time when the show will air. 
-- courtesy of Tom Cuddy   

Last week we gave away two free tickets to see the hit Off Broadway Musical "Forever Dusty" to lucky Forgotten Hits reader Don Rehrer. Now comes word from producer and cowriter Jon Vankin that they've got a couple of special shows coming up:  

Hey, Kent!
Our latest bit of news about the show is that March 14 AND March 28 (both Thursdays) will be Sing Along shows. We did one earlier this month for our 100th performance and everyone had such a great time we thought we'd see if we should make it a regular thing. It's really a lot of fun. It's the exact same show, except the audience is encouraged to sing along with the cast during the musical numbers and the lyrics are projected on the back wall of the set.  
All the best,  
Jon  

One of our readers had the chance to catch the show in New York this weekend ... and here's what he had to say:   

Hi Kent, 
I'm in New York for activities coinciding with the release of my new book "WHN: When New York City Went Country". My wife and I went to see Forever Dusty today. 
The show played to a far from capacity but very appreciate audience and deservedly so, in my opinion. As an oldies fan who is often critical of works based on pop music history, I felt the play did a great job of distilling a complicated story. Two of the five performers were understudies, but I find it hard to believe that the primary players could do a better job. The singing (by all) and playing was first rate. I guess they couldn't license "Silver Threads and Golden Needles", because another song ("Island Of Dreams") was used when that would have been the better fit IMHO . Star Kristen Holley Smith, who is also the show's co-writer, came out after the show to mingle with the audience! My wife rushed me away before I could congratulate her on a great performance.  
Thank for featuring Forever Dusty in Forgotten Hits. Otherwise I might not have gone to see it. 
Ed Salamon  

And, speaking of Forgotten Hits tickets winners, congratulations to Paul Castiglia of Bloomfield, New Jersey.  He and his wife will be attending this year's 2013 Monkees Convention Friday Night, courtesy of Charles Rosenay and Liverpool Productions.  It sounds like an absolutely AMAZING time!  Full details are available here:  
Click here: Monkees Convention Davy Jones Memorial 2013
Paul knew that Peter Tork was born on February 13th, Micky Dolenz was born on March 8th and that the reason there were only three birthdays but  four Monkees is because Davy Jones and Michael Nesmith both SHARE the same birthday, which is December 30th.
Paul also knew that infamous pianist Liberace DESTROYED a piano with a sledge hammer on an episode of The Monkees!  (kk)  

Congratulations are also in order for our FH Buddy Tony Hatch! We just heard that he will be inducted into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame this June. (Tony had eight of his songs featured in a recent musical called "Shout!", a fun romp thru the '60's that we thoroughly enjoyed!)  

Here's the complete story, courtesy of FH Reader Tom Cuddy:   

Songwriters Hall of Fame to Induct Tyler & Perry, Jones & Gramm, Souther, Two More

The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced their 2013 inductees on Friday, naming writing teams from iconic rock bands, a master of the southern California sound, the man who gave Petula Clark her sound and a woman who wrote big anthems in the 80's.

This year's inductees are, with a list of some of their biggest hits:



  • Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith
    • Walk This Way
    • Toys in the Attic
    • Back in the Saddle
    • Draw the Line
    • Rag Doll (with Holly Knight)
    • Dude (Looks Like a Lady) (with Desmond Child)
    • Love in an Elevator
    • Livin' on the Edge (with Mark Hudson)
    • Cryin' (with Tyler Rhodes)
    • Crazy (with Desmond Child)



  • Mick Jones and Lou Gramm of Foreigner
    • Feels Like the First Time (Jones only)
    • Cold As Ice
    • Hot Blooded
    • Double Vision
    • Head Games
    • Dirty White Boy
    • Urgent (Jones only)
    • Juke Box Hero
    • Waiting For a Girl Like You
    • I Want to Know What Love Is (Jones only)



  • J.D. Souther
    • Best of My Love
    • Faithless Love
    • Victim of Love
    • The Heart of the Matter
    • Heartache Tonight
    • New Kid in Town
    • How Long
    • Simple Man, Simple Dream
    • Prisoner in Disguise
    • You're Only Lonely



  • Tony Hatch
    • Downtown
    • Call Me
    • Don't Sleep in the Subway
    • I Couldn't Live Without Your Love
    • I Know a Place
    • My Love
    • The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener
    • A Sign of the Times
    • You're the One
    • Colour My World



  • Holly Knight
    • Better Be Good to Me
    • Love is a Battlefield
    • Invincible
    • The Warrior
    • Love Touch
    • Obsession (with Michael Des Barres)
    • Rag Doll (with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry)
    • The Best
    • Never
    • Slow Burn
Hall of Fame Chairman Jimmy Webb said of the inductees "Each of our 2013 inductees has been responsible for captivating the world with their creativity for decades, serving up a rich variety of songs for our global soundtrack. We are looking forward to celebrating their contributions at our Annual Awards Gala."

The induction will take place on June 13 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York.

Those who were nominated but did not make the cut were:

  • Lindsay Buckingham, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks
  • Jimmy Buffett
  • Elvis Costello
  • Ray Davies
  • Vince Gill
  • B.B. King
  • Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart
  • Jeff Lynne
  • Bobby Womack
  • Bobby Braddock
  • Don Covay
  • Randy Goodrum
  • Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter
  • Bob McDill
  • Rick Nowles
  • Linda Perry
  • P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri
  • Rod Temperton

The biographies of each of the inductees from the Songwriters Hall of Fame's press release is after the cut.

Tony Hatch: 
Multifaceted British songwriter, producer, arranger, conductor and pianist Tony Hatch is credited for his musical contributions both in the UK and US, with his international hit for Garry Mills in 1960; “Look For A Star.” The song launched Hatch’s career and provided him with a platform to write and produce for hit artists on both sides of the Atlantic, including Bobby Rydell with “Forget Him,” and The Searchers with “Sugar And Spice.” Hatch’s most significant relationship as a songwriter, arranger and producer was with Petula Clark, which yielded classic British Invasion pop hits including “Downtown,” “I Know A Place” and “My Love.” He had huge success with Chris Montez and “Call Me,” which launched the song as an album ‘must’ with covers later by legendary artists including Frank Sinatra, Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, George Shearing, Astrud Gilberto and Eliane Elias. Hatch continued to write songs with his wife at the time, singer Jackie Trent, which included her #1 UK hit “Where Are You Now.“ The duo also wrote Clark’s “Don’t Sleep In The Subway,” “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love,” “Colour My World,” and “Sign Of The Times” and “Joanna” for Scott Walker. Hatch has also composed TV theme songs; most notably for the Australian soap Neighbours and the UK soap Emmerdale, now in its 40th year.

Mick Jones & Lou Gramm:
Foreigner’s legendary songwriting partners, Mick Jones and Lou Gramm, have together propelled an arsenal of ten multi-platinum albums and multiple Top 30 hits. Universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world, the band is responsible for some of the greatest rock anthems of our time, including the worldwide #1 hit, “I Want To Know What Love Is,” which today remains as one of the 25 most performed songs in the ASCAP catalog. Other iconic songs include “Feels Like The First Time,” “Cold As Ice” and “Long, Long Way From Home” from their self-titled 1977 debut album. Major songs in the Jones and Gramm catalog include “Juke Box Hero,” “Hot Blooded” and “Waiting For A Girl Like You.” A multi-talented and multi-dimensional “musician’s musician,” Jones has also written songs such as “Bad Love” with Eric Clapton and “Dreamer” with Ozzy Osbourne, and produced records for others including Billy Joel’s Storm Front and Van Halen’s 5150. A Grammy® and Golden Globe-nominated songwriter, Jones is the winner of the prestigious British Ivor Novello songwriter award for the song “The Flame Still Burns,” from the soundtrack Still Crazy. In the late 80s, Gramm released two solo albums to critical and commercial acclaim entitled Ready or Not and Long Hard Look, respectively, which produced several Top 10 hit singles including, “Midnight Blue”, “Just Between You And Me” and the Top 40 hit “True Blue Love.” Gramm also contributed a song to the soundtrack for the 1987 movie The Lost Boys, titled “Lost In The Shadows.” In May 2013, Triumph Books will release Gramm’s biography, Juke Box Hero.

Holly Knight:
Holly Knight has had a wild 36-year ride in the music business that ignited when she met songwriter/producer Mike Chapman with her band Spider in 1981. They penned Spider’s single, “Better Be Good To Me,” which music icon Tina Turner recorded six months later on her 1984 album Private Dancer. Knight’s success continued when she wrote the chart-topping, “Love Is A Battlefield” and “Invincible” for Pat Benatar, “The Warrior” for Patty Smyth, “Change” for John Waite, “Baby Me” for Chaka Khan, “Never” for Heart and “Pleasure And Pain” for Divinyls. In total, Knight has written nine songs for Turner, including “The Best” and “Wildest Dreams,” both signature songs for the legend. She also wrote “Love Touch” for Rod Stewart, “Obsession” for Animotion, “Hide Your Heart” for KISS, “Rag Doll” with Aerosmith, “Space” for Cheap Trick and the list continues. Her songs have appeared in movies as varied as Thelma and Louise, Mad Max Beyond The Thunderdome, Stewart Little and Hot Tub Fantasy, and on TV shows such as American Idol, The Voice, 30 Rock, Family Guy, The Simpsons and South Park. Knight’s songwriting has earned her numerous awards including three Grammys® and thirteen ASCAP songwriter awards.

JD Souther:
An architect of the Southern California sound and an influence on modern songwriting, JD Souther has written and co-written many Eagles hits including “Heartache Tonight,” “Victim Of Love,” “New Kid In Town,” “Best Of My Love,” Don Henley’s “The Heart Of The Matter,” and the Eagles hit from 2007, “How Long.” Linda Ronstadt recorded ten of his songs, including “Faithless Love,” “Simple Man, Simple Dream,” and “Prisoner In Disguise.” His hit “You’re Only Lonely” reached the top ten followed by “Her Town, Too” with James Taylor. He has written with Warren Zevon, Paul Williams, Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson, Arthur Hamilton, Roy Orbison, Will Jennings, and Jackson Browne. His songs appear on more than 150 million records worldwide including Hugh Masekela, Bonnie Raitt, Glen Campbell, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Najma Akhtar, George Strait, India Arie, Trisha Yearwood, and Bernadette Peters. Souther has released eight solo albums, including the 2011 collection Natural History, about which Jazz Times Magazine said, “Souther proves his work holds up as well as Dylan’s, Simon’s, or Lennon and McCartney’s.” In 2012 he was cast as a guest star on ABC’s Nashville. Souther has received Grammy® nominations, Academy of Country Music and American Music Awards, 21 ASCAP performance awards, and the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award in 2009. He is currently writing and recording and believes in “music without boundaries.”

Steven Tyler & Joe Perry:
As co-founding members of Aerosmith, America’s greatest Rock & Roll band, the songwriting team of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry have sold more than 150 million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They are the recipients of countless awards including four Grammy’s®, eight American Music Awards, six Billboard Awards and 12 MTV Video Music Awards, among many other honors. With scores of multi-platinum albums, Aerosmith continues to inspire generations to get their wings, to get a grip and to just push play. Their songs remain relevant to this day and they are considered one of the most beloved bands of all time. Aerosmith’s 15th studio album released in 2012, Music From Another Dimension!, features songs penned by both Tyler and Perry, who also served as producers on the album. Tyler and Perry are the iconic songwriters of Aerosmith. Tyler is considered one of rock’s most recognizable and dynamic frontmen and Rolling Stone has called him “one of the greatest singers of all time.” As the electrifying lead guitarist of Aerosmith, Perry has achieved permanent iconic stature in the pantheon of rock, as he was immortalized in 2008 when Aerosmith made history and created a cultural firestorm when Activision released Guitar Hero®: Aerosmith®.



Sounds like The Rascals' Reunion Show is coming to Broadway! (Damn ... another reason to relocate Forgotten Hits to The Big Apple! And I had my heart set on Hawaii!)

Got this news from quite a few readers last week: (kk)




Hi kk, 
Enjoyed your Rick Nelson “What’s My Line” posting. You could see how Rick signed it as Rick but was still referred to as Ricky. I’ve watched many of the old What’s My Line shows and you’ve got to appreciate how John Daly went out of his way to tell the viewer what a fine young man Rick was. It kind of reminded me of how Ed Sullivan went out of his way to tell his viewers what a fine young man Elvis was on his program. 
All of Rick’s music is priceless but you can see why he never was a huge success in the movies. Maybe it’s me but Rick’s acting skills seem to disappear about the time he went from being the irrepressible Ricky to Rick Nelson. It’s most obvious with his comedic attempts as an adult actor who seemed too introverted for comedy. Just my thought. 
Take care,  
Jerry  

From FH Reader Tom Cuddy ... this should be interesting!

Backup Singer Documentary 'Twenty Feet From Stardom' Set for Summer Release  

After Sundance premiere, film is picked up by the Weinstein Company's label Radius 

Several years ago, former A&M Records head Gil Friesen was stoned at a Leonard Cohen concert when he became fixated on Cohen's backup singers. 

The result of Friesen's musings is Twenty Feet From Stardom, a documentary that explores the culture of such supporting singers. Friesen once quipped to its director, Morgan Neville, that the movie was "the most expensive joint I ever smoked," and the final product premiered last week at the Sundance Film Festival.  

"This is a story about people whose fingerprints are all over the music we know but we have no idea who they are," Neville, a self-described "hardcore music geek," tells Rolling Stone. His other credits include Troubadours, Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story and Johnny Cash's America. He is currently at work on a film about the rivalry between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley.  

Friesen, who passed away from cancer in December, saw the final film before his death and knew it would premiere at Sundance. It was purchased last week by the Weinstein Company's label Radius-TWC and, according to Neville, is set for a summer release.


"You could have talked about Nashville, you could have talked about girl groups. . . To me, the interesting story was the rise of these black voices from the church into the studios and onto vinyl," says the director. "What was Lou Reed singing about [in "A Walk on the Wild Side"]? This is what he was singing about."


The film includes interviews with artists who are notable for their use of backup singers, including Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Sting. Many well-known supporting vocalists are also interviewed, including Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Tata Vega, Judith Hill, Claudia Lennear, Gloria Jones and Dr. Mable John.

These performers – who Neville says "can often sing circles around lead singers" – have produced a soulful, harmonic blend for decades, one derived from the Motown, rock and R&B of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. 

"There was really kind of a heyday in the late 1960s and 1970s," Neville explains. "The Brits were coming and they were pale white guys and they thought, 'Hey, if I am really into R&B and soul, why don't I just invite black singers to come onstage with me?'"

In Twenty Feet, Neville also explores the psychology of standing in the shadows of super-stardom and the lack of individual identity – which, depending on the singer, can feel like bliss or purgatory. He also looks at how relatively recent changes in the recording business – including lead singers recording their own backing tracks – caused the backup singer scene to dry up.

"I asked them, 'When do you think it changed?' And one singer said, 'In 1993,'" Neville says. "Hip-hop, grunge in the 1990s – all those things were going on as well as changes in taste, business and technology." What hasn't changed is the talent of these artists – and soon, their story will be told.





Rock pop legend TOMMY ROE at
BB KINGS in NEW YORK CITY ... MONDAY, APRIL 29th
see link below
Back on the world touring stage..and better than ever
Mgt: RICK LEVY MGT 904 8060817
Booking: JOHN REGNA 201 394 5944     
And Tommy's not the only oldies artist hitting the comeback trail ... we just got word that one of your '70's heart-throbs is hitting the road for the very first time in over 25 years!

As a singer, actor, writer, and producer, Shaun Cassidy has enjoyed phenomenal success in almost every facet of  entertainment:
  • His classic hits include “Da Doo Ron Ron”, “That’s Rock n’ Roll”, and “Hey Deanie” and his last performance was at the Houston Astrodome for over 55,000 screaming fans!
  • As an actor he starred on television in “The Hardy Boys Mysteries” and in theatre in NYC and West End productions including “Blood Brothers,” which ran for over a year on Broadway.
  • Shaun is a successful television writer, creating and/or producing some of the most critically acclaimed series of the last fifteen years including “American Gothic” (produced with Sam Raimi), “Roar” (starring Heath Ledger), “Cold Case,” “The Agency,” and “Invasion.”
  • With his 2013 concert series, Shaun will not only perform all his biggest hits, but will take the audience behind the scenes of his fascinating life, sharing funny and intimate stories of the people he’s known and the experiences that have shaped him. Shaun views this show as a gift to the audience that grew up with him as well as an opportunity to engage a whole new generation of fans
 

My local pub, the Abbey Road (guess what the owner’s favorite group is) has bands playing most week-ends with a fair number of Beatles tributes bands, as well as other bands doing covers of great 60’s & 70’s oldies, in the mix. But last night the pub featured a band called the Dreamboats ... http://www.thedreamboatsband.com/ ... who went all the way back into the 50’s doing covers of among others, Chuck Berry (Maybellene), The Coasters (Yakety Yak), Eddie Cochran (Summertime Blues), Bobby Darin (Splish Splash), Buddy Holly (That’ll Be The Day), Jerry Lee Lewis (Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On), Little Richard (Good Golly Miss Molly), Ritchie Valens (La Bamba), and, of course, several early Elvis numbers. 
What was surprising was that the band members weren’t a bunch of old guys, but were four guys in their mid-twenties really enjoying themselves. And the packed house wasn’t just a bunch of seniors staying up way past their bed time, but was a mix of young and old, with everyone loving and dancing to the “when rock was young” oldies.
Yes sir, rock and roll is alive ‘n kickin, in Southern Ontario.
Mike Ogilvie

I COULDN'T WAIT TO WATCH THAT NEW TV SHOW AFTER READING ABOUT IT IN FORGOTTEN HITS ... FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, PREMIERING ON VH1 CLASSIC ...
Sounded really interesting ...
A spin on the ANTIQUE'S ROADSHOW theme.
Instead of the family treasure or unknown gathering dust in a closet or the basement, the 'treasures' are ROCK MEMORABILIA.
I wasn't not sure how interesting it would be to me, but imagined that there's probably a huge audience out there and the 'successful' format already 'broken-in' and familiar to the tv audience.
(and great title, by the way, courtesy of BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD)But then I caught the first show and it was not at all what I expected ...
Co-host, Gary (I GOT BIG TEETH), Dell'Abate, better known as piss-boy ... BA BA BOOEY ... has no 'spark' ... and the other guy is worse.  I WAS BORED!   (not at all the format I was expecting)
((the family 'treasure' was a collection of Mr. T dolls))
RENFIELD
I, too, was very disappointed with the first episode ... it almost seemed like they felt the need to develop some quick street cred by featuring "manufactured" collectibles assembled by Jack White ... but these are NOT the type of collectibles that the average music fan would want to get their hands on for their own personal collections. I do believe it'll get better (and more on track) once they get rolling.  And, I have to admit, I DID laugh at the anatomically correct Mr. T Doll!!!  But even THIS collection was for a very "specialized" audience ... and it very well may be an audience of one ... as in the guy who has collected 200 of these hand-made Mr. T dolls!  (kk)
 
 
 


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