Top Pop Singles - 14th Edition

 

I just received the latest edition of Joel Whitburn's "Top Pop Singles" book ... and it's nothing short of phenomenal!!!  Joel's been bringing us updates now for over 40 years (in fact, this brand new edition has a special photo page of every "Top Pop Singles" book cover he's ever released ... and I have owned (and still own, in some cases multiple copies) of every single one of them!  What an amazing history.

What I love most about Joel's books is that he always finds a new, exciting and interesting way to bring us this information.

New this time around are the songwriters for every charted hit ... as well as a list of every single Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Inductee AND Nominee!  As in recent editions, you get the B-Side of every charted record ... plus THOUSANDS of titles listed as "Classic Songs" by legendary artists, all of Billboard's "Bubbling Under" hits as well as over 750 regional break-out and territorial hits.

Joel has also inaugurated "The '24 Hit' Club" ... a brand new award for 245 artists who have charted a minimum of 24 Hot 100 / Bubbling Under Chart Hits between 1955 and 2012.  You just may be amazed by some of the names that are on this list ... artists who might not immediately come to mind when compiling a list of the most obvious suspects.  (Sure Elvis and The Beatles are here ... as are The Rolling Stones, The Supremes , Elton John, Ray Charles and dozens of others.  But who would have expected to see Luther Vandross, Taylor Swift, Trace Adkins, 50 Cent, Pearl Jam, Marty Robbins and Drake on a list like this?!?!?) 

Many of these artists had careers that lasted decades ... making THESE major accomplishments all that much more impressive:  The Dave Clark Five (27 hits), Gene Pitney (31 hits), Jack Jones (26 hits) and The Marvelettes (25 hits) scored ALL of their hits in the 1960's!!!

How current is it?  Well, today is July 16th ... and the #1 section at the end of the book lists the #1 Record on Billboard's Pop Singles Chart through June 15th of this year!!!  Now THAT'S current!!!

It's nothing short of amazing!!!  In all, 29,126 Top 100 Hits are listed ... add in the Bubbling Under Hits, the Regional Hits and the Classic Songs, and you'll come up with 41,964 total hit songs listed by an incredible 8627 artists.  (Talk about amazing ... Joel has each and every one of these titles in his personal collection, too!!!)

You'll spend hours flipping through it and then (if you're anything at all like me) continue to reference it on a daily basis.  (I don't think a day has gone by in the past 40+ years that I haven't consulted Joel's books for something ... they're indispensable!)

You're not going to want to miss this one ... if you've never bought a Record Research "Top Pop Singles" book before ... or if it's simply time to update the one you've got ... NOW is the time to order! The books are in stock and available for shipping now.  You can pick up your own copy here:

Click here: Joel Whitburn's Record Research | Music & Billboard Charts Data

One More Round Of Your Goosebumps Memories

Even though we officially wrapped up our Goosebumps Memories Series on Saturday, we're still receiving "Goosebumps Moments" from our readers ... as well as comments about and praise for our series ... so we just HAVE to share!!!

Here are a few recent stragglers ...

re:  GOOSEBUMPS MOMENTS:  
Hey Kent.
Hope I'm not too late on this.
My Goosebump memory takes place in the desert of New Mexico, on one of those roads where you could go 100 miles without seeing a town. On road trips, I would flip around to different radio stations to hear how the rest of the country was broadcasting, but when you're in the middle of nowhere, there's not much of a signal. After a particularly long stretch, I spotted something that resembled a city, so I hit the scan button looking for signs of life on the FM dial. It stopped on an oldies station that was in break (running a promo, so I knew the format). I said to my companion, "Maybe they'll play that song 'Vehicle'." About 90 seconds later, the break ended, and those trumpets blared. Out of the hundreds of songs in their library, they picked the one that was the soundtrack to my journey exactly when I wanted to hear it. In that moment, I connected with all those Bruce Springsteen songs.
Many years later, I had the pleasure of asking Jim Peterik about the song, and he told me that he wrote it to impress a girl who became the woman he is still married to. I was happy to hear that the song meant as much to him as it did to me that day.
Be Well,
Carl Wiser
www.songfacts.com  

I've already sent in a goosebump moment but I really should have included this one:  The first time I saw "Woodstock" and Ten Years After took the stage. I'm Going Home" really blew me away!  
wfisch  

As a radio program director in the 70s, I had the opportunity to hear a lot of records before most people and the ability to put the ones that gave me goosebumps, (and felt would do the same for listeners) on the radio. Some of those include "The Streak" by Ray Stevens, "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone, "Telephone Man" by Meri Wilson, "The King is Gone" by  Ronnie McDowell (yeah, I liked novelty records :)) and "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" by Meat Loaf. Those are all among the gold record awards hanging on my wall.  At that time, most of my contemporaries were in radio because they loved music and wanted to share the music they loved with others. 
Ed Salamon

Since Fred Vail pointed out the fact that I mentioned the Beach Boys were left out of my Goosebumps list because they were too obvious I feel compelled to mention them. Gees, he noticed my name. Fred has become a hero of mine since I really always have been a Beach Boys fan. 
Surfin' came out first, but Surfin' USA really was one of my goosebump moments. I remember the first time I heard it on my transistor radio when I was supposed to be asleep.  The radio was a replica of a coke machine. When it came on I just wanted to crank it up 'cause it sounded so much more rock and rolly than anything else at the time. You had both a Hammond organ solo and a great surf guitar solo and those fabulous vocals. 
Yes, of course I bought it. And played Shut Down all the time, too. 
For me there were just lots of great moments with Beach Boys and Beatles albums.  
I gotta say that I probably still play more Beach Boys stuff than Beatles, though, but I don't love them any less. 
Yes, Good Vibrations was one too. I had a crush on an older girl down the block. I was walking by her house the first time I heard it. They had a great stereo and it came blasting over the radio and I ran up the steps and stood outside the screen door. She saw me and invited me in to hear the rest of it. 
I also remember that it got so much air play in it's chart run that I actually started to get sick of it. Wow!!! 
Of course that feeling went away and it's in my music favorites folder. 
Bill 
'Believe it or not, here in Chicago "Shut Down" was the bigger hit, peaking at #2 while "Surfin' USA" stopped at #6.  There was a time when you'd still hear BOTH songs fairly often on our radio stations.  (Of course now we don't have ANYBODY focusing on the great music of the '60's anymore.) 
I'm going to go to Beach Boys purgatory for sure after saying this but for me, "Good Vibrations" never lived up to all the hype.  There was SO much press about the recording process (both the time and the expense) that when I finally heard it, I just wasn't all that impressed.  Yes, it was different ... but I just didn't care for it all that much.  Still don't.  I always thought "Heroes and Villains" was the more inventive of the two.  My favorite Beach Boys song from that era is "Do It Again" ... and it's still probably one of my Top Three All-Time Beach Boys favorites.  It was just SO cool to hear them return to their original sound after playing around with all these new sounds. 
For me, The Beach Boys were always more of a "singles" band ... The Beatles delivered the full, complete package.  There are very few Beach Boys albums I can listen to all the way through without some degree of cringing ... but there are some exceptions ... "Pet Sounds", of course ... and "Sunflower" (which has become my favorite over the years).  I still like the critically-panned "Beach Boys" album on Epic from 1985 ... and thought their latest, reunion album "That's Why God Made The Radio" was one of the strongest things they've done in decades.  (That's why it was SUCH a disappointment to hear that they weren't going to record a follow-up ... I think it could have been AMAZING!!!)  kk  

I did the "Hike For Hunger", too. But we didn't run (except downhill for a short time to pass up some slowpokes). 
My last mile it was "Twenty-Five Miles" from Edwin Starr that kept me going. ("I'm so tired. But I just can't lose my stride." Poor rhyme, but a great thought.)  
-- Ron Smith   

>>>In 1966 the biker movie "The Wild Angels" starring Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra hit the movie theatres and my uncle Ray, who rode a groovy little motor bike, went to see the flick and he ran out and purchased the soundtrack. When mom dropped me off at Grandma's house to visit, I went upstairs and picked the lock to my uncle Ray's bedroom to get into his Regular and Lime English Leather and Hi Karate and Jade East colognes and read his Hot Rod, Car Toons and Surf Toons  magazines and I saw that cool LP and placed the record on the stereo and when the song "Blues' Theme" began it was beyond goose bumps! It mutated me into another person! That was my introduction to the genius of Davie Allan & The Arrows. Today is July the sixth, two-thousand and thirteen and I still ride every fuzzed out note of that song as I did the first time I laid ears on it! Then forty plus years later I heard Davie Allan & The Arrows "The Stranger" and it was so beautiful I put the headphones on and put the repeat play function on and laid in bed that night and cried from the emotions it stirred up from within me. Talk about goose bumps! Then came "Mood Swing" right after that release and I got those wonderful goose bumps that still rise up every play of that tune. If the readers on this website "Forgotten Hits" want to spend two dollars today on a wonderful gift to themselves then go to Amazon or any search engine site that sells his tunes you prefer or go to www.davieallan.com (entire CD) and get "The Stranger" from "Restless In LA" & "Mood Swing" from "Moving Right Along" and those two instrumentals will convince you that Davie Allan's namesake should be worldly wise as famous as any top rated guitar player on this planet. He is so melodic and beautiful. It is very touching and fabulous. I will guarantee the goose bumps will pop up. If it don't move you then there needs to be a serious soul check!  (vibramutant)

Kent,
When I read messages like this one, it makes it even harder to deal with the fact that "Retrophonic 4" is the last Arrows' album in physical form!
Thanks for posting it,
Davie

That would be a great show of 'Goosebump' memories.  It would be really cool if Forgotten Hits readers could read their own 'Goosebump' story.  That could be a future show that we could send for air in your area as well.  Let me know if you are interested. 
Phil - WRCO 
P.S.  I interviewed Louise Harrison for this weekends show.  It was great fun!  This month marks the 50th anniversary of her brother George visiting her in Benton, Illinois. 

I think a Goosebumps Memories show would be a HUGE radio hit ... pre-record several stories and then even have listeners call in with some of their own.  We could probably do a feature on WRCO first with a replay on WRLR here in Chicago, which could be streamed worldwide.  Hey, maybe even a simulcast!!!  (The wheels are ALWAYS turning, guys!!!)

Here's another link to our Beatles feature that talks about this major "Beatle In Benton" event. (kk)

Click here: Forgotten Hits - Who Played The Very First Beatles Record In America?  
As well as a link to see the entire "A Beatle In Benton" video!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kF0dnVRBCg
And here's a vintage shot from the past of FH Reader JD Stone (aka Doc Rock) from the time HE interviewed Louise Harrison for his radio program!

>>>I finally saw this rockumentary  "Searching for Sugar Man". Let me tell you, if you like good music, please rent it. It is a story about Rodriguez, a man who had two albums out in the States in the early 70's and never made it, but was reviled as a living legend in South Africa. A few musicologists track him down after 25 years and in 1998 he finally received a hero's welcome in South Africa. If you love music and a great story please rent this movie!!!!!!!!!! It gave me goosebumps!  After the movie, my friend Ivan and I went downstairs to learn more about him. He seems to be doing well and playing concerts all over the world. I am so glad for this humble man.  Now for the exciting ending ... in reading about him, I found out today, July 10th, is his birthday ... how's that for karma!   HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIXTO RODRIGUEZ ... you now have two more fans!  (Mike De Martino)   
>>>I've been hearing quite a bit about this film lately but still haven't seen it.  Yours sounds like a pretty glowing recommendation!  Thanks, Mike!  (kk)   
We also heard from Tom Cuddy, who referred to "Searching For Sugarman" as a "Must See" film ... and then THIS note from Alex Valdez of The Yellow Balloon ...   
Kent and others; 
You all should see the movie "Searching For Sugarman". 
It is a feel good movie about someone who really deserved recognition. It will satisfy anyone with a heart. The guy sounded like James Taylor or vice versa, but lyrically superior to others of the day IMHO. 
I think the good brother that commented on the film earlier this week did not intend the word "reviled" to describe the South African sentiment for Rodriguez. Better stated, he was held at a level higher than Elvis. When you have an album that is over 40 years old, and even the little kids can recite all the lyrics, it must be something.  And the real kicker is that the artist has no idea that his album is huge. Again I say , this story is one of a kind and unbelievable to say the least. Five stars I give it. 
Alex Valdez  

And Alex has more to say about another one of our goosebumps comments ...  

>>>Something to go along with the 'Goosebump' song was when you first heard an MOR song on a AC radio station (usually when you were in your parent's car)  that you became a fan of but had to keep it to yourself, as it wouldn't be 'kool' to let your friends know! I loved 1968's  "Les Bicyclettes De Belsize" by Engelbert Humperdink but no way I could let my friends know about that one. I would enjoy to learn if others had 'secret songs'.  (John)  
Go ahead John, I'm with you. Les Bicyclettes De Belsize is one of my all time favorites. In fact, I used to practice voice to it, as Englebert could sing his ass off. I got to where I could mimic it pretty good. "Winter World Of Love" was another favorite for practicing. 
As it turns out when I go outside to my backyard I look up the hill at his house which is less than a mile away. I hear he goes between the crib in England and here. So don't be ashamed he truly is a great voice. 
Alex

Hey Kent,

Reading your comment about you, Mark and Dave singing "She Loves You" for Grandma ... that would have been a great 8mm moment!!!

But then you mention having to get a haircut and that sparked a childhood memory for me as well. My Aunt Lou always used to cut my hair. She was a part time beautician and always cut everybody's hair. Anyways, I remember being at her house when the Beatles made their second appearance on Sullivan from "Miama Beach" (as Ed would say) and I was getting a haircut of all things!!! My Ma would have none of that long haired shit either!! 

However, I did have a Beatle wig!!! And here's that picture again to live on forever on the FH website!! Looks like I couldn't figure out whether I wanted to be Lennon or Roy Clark ... lol!!! 

Mike

Good Afternoon Kent,

I am truly overjoyed by your spectacular "Goosebumps Moments" series ... it broadens our knowledge and introduces us to newer music we may have missed. Heck, some of the PBS specials have heightened my appreciation of songs by seeing the artists perform their hits and learning a little about them. "Then He Kissed Me" comes to mind and how young La La Brooks was at the time (I may have that wrong but seeing the interview and hearing the song again moved it way up on my personal favorites playlist.) As well as Ronnie Spector being able to sing her five favorites absent studio control.

We all have our own personal playlists and we all create our favorite song mixes either on Tape, CD, or Ipod playlist, and it got me to thinking there are many songs which I consider 'related' I.E. House of the Rising Sun / Honky Tonk Woman.  One of my favorite cassettes has the Cow Bell start of Honky Tonk Woman kicking in as House fades away. I consider them a match made in Music Heaven. I often 'pair' songs up. Another example would be Big Yellow Taxi / Tar & Cement ... very much related. My daughter went to LMU in LA and we went to establish her in her dorm with the help of my Brother and Sister in law who live in Calif. The entire trip I couldn't get those two songs out of mind, trying to imagine the natural beauty of the California coast in the fifties and what it was at the time, ribbons of highways despoiling the natural beauty that was, and the songs resonate that loss.

I am getting off track, but what I am proposing is another "Hook" to energize and engage your readership by having them come up with their own favorite Song Pairings.  It gets the mind and memory working and is basically what the site is about enjoying 'our' musical memories and shared experiences.

Have a great weekend,

CharlieOFD

I'll bet our list could come up with some real good "blends" ... and there are some really creative deejays out there who live for this kind of stuff.  I, too, would try to get creative when making tapes to listen to in the car ... what fit well with what.  Might be an interesting topic somewhere down the line.  Thanks, Charlie ... and for the kind words, too.  Our Goosebumps Series seemed to really hit the spot with many of the folks on our list.  (kk)   

Kent,

That was a very good piece you wrote for Saturday's goosebumps finale. There is something so deep and meaningful about shared experiences through the bond of music, and FH has helped thousands realize what you said about our parallel lives. Thank you for doing this.

David Lewis     

Kent,

What an exceptional issue of Forgotten Hits ... you really are capturing the pulse of the music biz through the Top 40 years.  When you listened to the radio over the years, a Top 40 station was like reading Forgotten Hits ... you may hear Led Zeppelin, The Rip Chords, Bill Pursell, and Skeeter Davis all on the same station and during one shift.  Sometimes chart numbers didn't always reflect the popularity of a song, as it may be a group's first hit, or they were possibly building momentum or catching on with their second hit, or maybe a group released a great song but it wasn't received as well because people were burning out on the group, their sound, or a format.  Bottom line: great music survives and rises to the top as a classic.  A perfect example of that was "Old Time Rock & Roll" by Bob Seger ... it topped out at #28 in 1979 in Billboard and went on to become a Classic.  Forgotten Hits gets more interesting to read with every issue!
Thank-You,
Tim Kiley 
Thanks so much, Tim, for the kind words ... and you're absolutely right ... for YEARS all of this great music was able to survive and be presented side by side without all the radio segregation going on today.  As such, the listener was exposed to the full gamut of musical styles on the landscape ... British Rock, Hard Rock, Soft Rock, Easy Listening, Country and Western, Rhythm and Blues, Surf Music, Soul Music ... every bit of it came at us every day ... and somehow it all fit, contributing to a well-rounded station and a well-rounded and appreciative listener.  And that is EXACTLY the message we've been trying to convey now for the past fourteen years in Forgotten Hits.  Because those of us who were there at the time remember ... and remember just how magical it really was.  Throw the talented deejays into the mix who were allowed to express their personality on the air (rather than just give the time and call letters every fifteen minutes) and you had a formula that kept people tuned in all day and all night long.  Radio today doesn't seem to have a clue ...  or, more accurately, really doesn't seem to care.  They program to the occasional listener who only tunes in for 10-20 minutes at a time, with no regard for those of us who would listen all day long if there were only something worth listening TO!!!  Thanks again.  (kk)  

Wow Kent ... 
Your summation of the Goosebump moments segment gave me Goosebumps! 
What a lovely way to bring it home.

Thanks -

Stacee

It's because we're connected ... all of us ... and Forgotten Hits has just become the power source that keeps those feelings going on inside us.  Thanks, Stacee!  (kk)

The Sunday Comments ( 07 - 14 - 13 )

re:  SONNY GERACI:  
Kent,  
This morning, 7/10/13, Sirius 60's on 6 stated that Sonny Geraci is in the medical center and they are asking for prayers for his recovery.  Is this new info (as in a relapse) or repeat?  I don't know enough about Sirius to know how often (or if) they automatically repeat programs.  How awful that I am so suspicious of any radio broadcast now.  So, can you fill us in correctly?  
Shelley J. Sweet-Tufano  
We just ran an update a week or two back courtesy of David Zane, Sonny's guitarist, and it sound like Sonny was on the mend and in great spirits ... even talking about singing again ... so this is sad and discouraging news if it's true.

I asked Dennis Tufano (former lead singer of The Buckinghams ... and no relation to Shelley Sweet-Tufano) if he could fill us in ... his reply is below, along with information about a fund-raising concert coming up to help with Sonny's medical bills ... check it out.  And, to all the artists on the list, if you think this is something you might be interested in supporting and appearing in, please let us know and we'll hook you up with the necessary parties to do so. (kk)  

Kent -  
This announcement is from one yr ago!!! Why XM / Sirius just started announcing this is weird!  
He's not in Intensive Care but in Recovery and doing as well as can be expected. One day at a time!  
I just spoke with Rae, Sonny's Assistant, and she says he is getting better but it's a slow recovery as all brain related recoveries are. I spoke with Sonny a month ago and he sounded real good. He has some confusion on details but that will clear as he gets better. You might direct fans to Sonny's FaceBook page where his kids have been posting updates once in a while.  
Also, There is a Benefit / Birthday Celebration planned for Sonny in November 15 & 16 in Streetsboro, OH, at The Z Plex located at 1543 State Route 303, Streetsboro, OH. 44241 Tickets: $35 per person / $60 per couple -- discount tix will be offered for attending both days!  I will get contact numbers from Rae and pass them along to you.  
If you would post the announcement that would be great! They can use the added financial support to cover the extended medical expenses incurred. We are looking for musicians, singers, etc., that would like to participate.  I believe air / hotel / food would be covered for the acts that are available. Thinking that your site connects to so many entertainers and fans that it would be perfect to alert everyone about the event. There will be bands to back up acts ... all they need is charts in advance. Each act would do a short set of their material and then sitting in and jamming with all for the sake of Sonny's healing!!!! I will also get you an updated act list as it comes together. So far, Ron Dante, Terry Sylvester, myself, Jimi Sohns and many more waiting for availability.

And how about Shelly Sweet-Tufano? I've never met her, I don't think. Wonder which Tufano Clan she belongs to!!!!

Hope this finds you in good health and spirits. Thank you again for all you do for MUSIC!!! I confess that when I check out your pages I get a bit overwhelmed by all the knowledge being shared. WOW!

Be well.

Thanks for your help!

Dennis

VERY happy to help out with this, Dennis ... would love to see a big turn out for this celebration.  Again, artists on the list interested in participating should drop me a line and I'll do my best to connect you with the proper parties.  Let's celebrate the great music by this great artist ... and do some good with helping out his family, too.  (kk)   

re:  RECENT AND UP-COMING SHOWS:   
Now that the 4th of July holiday weekend is over, I'm back to working crazy hours again ... typically 12-16 per day ... so we missed a couple of interesting-sounding shows this past week.  Tuesday Night Susan Cowsill appeared at The Filament Theater in the city and, also that night, Blood, Sweat and Tears did a show in Elk Grove Village.  If anybody was able to attend either of these performances, we'd love to hear from you.  

After watching Susan Cowsill perform on the recent Cowsills documentary, I think this would have been an interesting show to see. 

As for Blood, Sweat and Tears, it's hard to imagine them sounding anything at all like the music we grew up with anymore.  I did speak with one fan who attended this show ... but his only comment was "It was a nice night to sit outside and listen to music" ... nothing further.  Guess he's just following that age-old adage "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all"!!!  (kk)   

I saw the latest incarnation of the Fabulous Thunderbirds Friday night ... very disappointing. The band has no stage presence ... it shuffled through its set, had no choreography and seemed anxious to get the hell off stage.  A couple of sharp harmonica solos were the only strong elements.  
Chet Coppock  
I know a couple of people who were really looking forward to this show and, from what I've heard, they were equally disappointed.  One guy has seen The Fabulous Thunderbirds half a dozen times before ... and left half-way through their set this time around.  And on the big 4th of July Weekend, too.  What a shame.  (kk)   

Hi Kent,
I know this isn't really 'oldies', but I worked the GooGooDolls / Matchbox 20 concerts at Ravinia last week - great shows! Rob Thomas came onstage with the GooGooDolls and did a really good version of Tom Petty's 'American Girl' on the 4th of July. I was really impressed, even tho I'm not that familiar with the GooGooDolls' music. If you haven't been there you should check it out. Some good shows. Www.ravinia.org. Brian Wilson, Chicago, Ian Anderson, etc. coming up.  Also at Ravinia, Steely Dan, Heart, Journey, Willie Nelson, Alabama ... come out and picnic. It's really a nice place, but get there early if you plan to spread out on the lawn. It gets pretty packed for those concerts.  
Marlene  

Ravinia is a BEAUTIFUL place to see a concert ... but you're right ... you'd better get their early if you're doing the lawn-thing.  I'm not especially fond of their parking situation there either.  (kk)  

Hi Kent -

Hope all is well, I read all the time ... just never seem to have the time to respond.

I have been DJing parties all over the country plus doing all my radio shows. Last year I was the DJ for the opening of Fashion Week in London ... very cool. I want to say if your readers get to see the Rascals they will love the show. All great friends are also on the Happy Together Tour this year. Wait till you hear the new Mark Lindsay CD. The release party will be in the fall in New York. All the stations that are running the Rewind Show have copies of it but there will be some remixing done and a few word changes and then it will be released for all to enjoy. Mark sounds like he is in his prime. We have become pretty close and talk a few times a week. I did an interview with Chuck Negron from Three Dog Night and it may be the wildest video interview I have ever done. Chuck and I have been friends since 1971 so we really got crazy.  It's on YouTube under JimmyJayEvents (all one word). Other great video clips there also. Congratulations are in order by the way to Gary Puckett, who will become a grand father in December.

Keep doing what you do and I will check back more often, I promise.
Jimmy Jay

www.rewindshow.com

Thanks, Jimmy ... so good to hear from you.  Hoping to catch the Happy Together show when it hits Chicago ... a GREAT line-up this year.  It's been awhile ... Thanks for checking in with us!  (Be sure to check out the Chuck Negron clip Jimmy's referring to above ... fun and interesting stuff!)  kk  
Click here: Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night) Rewinds with Jimmy Jay. Very - YouTube  

re:  THE BEACH BOYS:

Hey Kent ...

Lots of interest in my two interviews with Ian Rusten and Jon Stebbins, co-authors of the Beach Boys in Concert, who tell the story behind those stories. Their book is a rare mix of tracking the chronology of their show-by-show, city-by-city, live performances with the in-real-time unfolding of what has become the history of America's greatest rock band.

This is an EXCLUSIVE ~ PODCAST with Jon Stebbins and Ian Rusten, authors of the just released Beach Boys In Concert book, on Badman, Bad Times and BeachBoysMania.

New Podcast with Jon Stebbins, co-author of The Beach Boys in Concert:  

Click here: Pray For Surf: EXCLUSIVE ~ Podcast with Jon Stebbins, author of just released Beach Boys in Concert book, on Badma

The Complete History of America's Band On Tour and Onstage

Jon Stebbins talks about the extensive research he and Ian Rusten undertook to produce what may become

the future textbook on the show-by-show, city-by-city history of the Beach Boys.  Jon gives his unique perspective on the elegance of Surf's Up, the Beach Boys' rise & fall & rise, which album and song he'd use to introduce the Beach Boys to new listeners in the future, the spiritual dimension of their music, the often unrecognized greatness of their early albums ... Jon is both a Beach Boys expert and a life-long, in-real-time, fan.

Phil - Pray For Surf

Click here: Pray For Surf

 

Speaking of The Beach Boys ...

 

OK, this one kinda scares me ... but I still want it just the same.  

Coming out on August 27th (which just happens to be my birthday ... you know for any devoted Forgotten Hits fans out there who might be wondering what to get me this year!!!), it's a brand new 6-CD set called "Made In California" ... and promises over 60 never-before-released tracks by The Beach Boys.  Capitol Records has combed the vaults for this one.  (My concern is that this about the fourth or fifth time they've combed the vaults ... what worth listening to could possibly be left?!?!?  MOST of The Beach Boys' outtakes that I have heard were never commercially released for a reason ... yet there's still some part of me that just HAS to hear it for myself!!!)  Plus the packaging sounds AMAZING!!!

More details here on Amazon.com:  Click here: Amazon.com: Made In California: Music     

 

re:  THIS AND THAT:   

Kent ...

Last Saturday my friends, Billy & Sue, went to see the Rascals at Jones Beach - here in New York.

They brought me back a T-Shirt.
Top = The Rascals
Middle = Four individual pictures of the Rascals
Bottom = Once Upon A Dream
I have no report on the show ...

I just wanted to brag about my new T-Shirt.
Frank B.

Sounds like your friends Billy and Sue made out better than the couple that BJ Thomas sang about! 

Send me a picture of you in the shirt - and tell them to write me a review of the show - and I'll run them both next weekend!  (kk)

>>>I guess Arsa has proven KAKC to be the big FIRST Bread winner with the song reaching #6! (Clark Besch)

Dismal Day made it to #2 on KAKC on December 10th of 1969.

Tom Diehl

It's not a bad track ... a GREAT opening cut from their first LP.  I cannot help but wonder if this up-tempo tune had hit across the board what Bread's fate may have been, had they not been so iron-cast in the soft-rock, ballad mode ... because some of their up-tempo stuff is really very good, too.  (kk)

Hi -
Because we are Jimi Hendrix fans (plus Janis Joplin & Elvis Presley), have a look at our new song about them ... 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw7HYI-L66I   
Regards
Philip Feinstein  
(Australia)  

Here is yet another very cool outtake from The Wrecking Crew documentary, this time featuring Billy Strange. 
http://www.wreckingcrewfilm.com/billystrangebeachboys/index.php  
David Lewis 

Tom Cuddy sent us this brand new interview with Michael Nesmith in Rolling Stone, talking about his recommitment to The Monkees:  
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/q-a-michael-nesmith-on-his-recommitment-to-the-monkees-20130710

And here's more on Mark Lindsay's recent collaboration with Brian Wilson ... 
http://www.examiner.com/article/rock-n-roller-mark-lindsay-discusses-his-debut-collaboration-with-brian-wilson  

Speaking of The Monkees, Rhino Records is offering a special outtake clip from their brand new "Present" deluxe edition release.  You can check it out here: 
We're premiering another previously unheard track at Monkees.com - a never-before-released alternate mix of "Little Red Rider." Tune in here.  

Congratulations to DJ Stu Weiss, celebrating his second anniversary on OldiesYourWay.com ...  
Monday, July 8th, made it two years since I moved my show to www.oldiesyourway.com

I am now on three times a week.

Friday night 7:00 PM till 3:01 AM  is "The Pop Shoppe".

It's an 8 hour mixture of music from the 50's and 60's with a touch of the 40's.

Every other week writer / singer / star of stage Ed Rambeau joins me at 8:30 for a history of the music he has sung over the years.

I even have a special portion at midnight for 90 minutes that I call "Midnight Country" with the real classic country oldies from the 50' and 60's plus earlier years too.

Sunday night 11:00 PM till 2:01 AM is The Sunday Night Doo Wop Party.

Stay up late!!!!!

Plenty of great Doo Wop classics to end your weekend before starting your work week.

Tuesday night 10:00 PM till 12:01 AM is my newest program "Return to Bleecker Street". Remembering the great folk music that we listened to in the 1960's plus a touch of earlier years plus some of today's folk singers too.

DJ Stu

Note:  All times are eastern!!!!! 

And, speaking of radio shows, you can catch a good one later tonight ...  

This is Ronnie Allen inviting you to join me for my next "YesterYear Countdown" radio show. That  show will be heard on Internet radio station www.wyyr.com (YesterYear Radio) this Sunday, July 14, at 7 PM Eastern Time.   

I will be presenting the top 25 national hits from the second weekend of July 1954, which is 59 years ago.

To access the show, please click on the following link when the show starts airing or any time thereafter. (Clicking prior to that will simply display the information about the upcoming show).  
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thebigbands/2013/07 /14/ronnie-allens-top-25-countdown-2nd-sunday-of-july-1954  
There is hardly any early 50s music being played nowadays. Yet the years that I present on these shows (1950 through 1955) truly represent the Golden Age of pop music: occurring between the Big Band Era and the start of the Rock and Roll Era. Many of the recordings on these countdowns have deservedly become classics. They were from a time when most of the hits that were popular were tuneful ones that you could sing, hum, whistle, enjoy and remember.    

I have done seven previous "YesterYear Countdown" shows. To hear any of those shows, please click the link below.

Listen to any of the seven previous YesterYear Countdown shows
A brand new "YesterYear Countdown" show is presented on the second Sunday of each month.

Thanks to all of you who have send me feedback on those shows. It is so much appreciated!

-- Ronnie Allen  

Hi Kent,

As a radio fan, if you haven't already seen it, you might be interested in the Facebook page on WHN radio, which was inspired by my new book "WHN: When New York City Went Country". If you like it, be sure to "like" it,  as new posts are added periodically.

www.Facebook.com/WHN1050

All the best,

Ed

Kent ...

I was just thinking that I played this song so many time in the Jukebox it would've been cheaper to hire Fred & the group to come and sing it live!
Frank B.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFLj5n3vJNw  

Hi Kent,
I've been sending your FH site link to friends in CA, as things are always so interconnected.  I sent the blurb about the Standells to a friend who used to book the Syndicate of Sound.  He responded with something related to Johnny Rivers' "Realization" album that you had mentioned last week ... so I sent him your blurb about Realization, along with the FH link. Then, he responds back about being with a band that used to open for Burton Cummings.  

It was nice to hear the Lettermen song in today's "goosebumps" posting ... I always liked that song ... too bad that the "romantic slow dance" song style has taken a "back seat" to most of today's more direct songs.   There will always be romantic love songs, but that carry-over from the 40's, through the 50's  (like with Dion and the Belmonts doing "Where or When") on through to the Lettermen, was a nice counterpoint to other rockin' songs.

Carry on.  I know there are at least three of us here in Davis, CA, that get your blogs ... my friends Marti Childs and Jeff March, who have written a couple of 60's books. Billy Fair    

Weird how all this stuff connects together ... I love it!  (kk) 
 

re:  THANK YOU!:  
Earlier this week we thanked the Forgotten Hits Reader who turned us on to Box, the file-sharing service we're now using to put music up on the website.  (Would you believe DivShare STILL isn't working properly?!?!?  I'm beginning to wonder if it'll EVER be back up again ... or if they've simply thrown in the towel.  What a shame ... we've relied on their service for YEARS!!!) 
Meanwhile, I am happy to report that Marie has started up her own oldies music blog again ... It's All In The Grooves ... and couldn't be more pleased than to pass along her website information.  This is EXACTLY the kind of stuff our readers are looking for ... so check it out (and then be sure to bookmark her site).  (kk)
http://itsallinthosegrooves.blogspot.ca/  

re:  CLIP OF THE WEEK:  
Kent ...
This is a real "Oldie but Goodie"!  
Frank B.  
Click here: The Zimmers "My Generation" - YouTube

Unfortunately, that actually IS our generation!!!  (lol)  Fun clip 'tho! (kk)  

re:  TWO MILLION HITS:   

Got this from Dolores Erickson (well, not exactly ... it actually came by way of FH Reader Bill Hengels) regarding our recent milestone of passing two million hits on the website: