August 4th

The Beatles didn't release any singles from their White Album when it was released last November ... which paved the way for a number of cover versions to make the charts in their wake.

The most successful one here in Chicago seems to be Underground Sunshine's version of "Birthday," which leaps up six spots from #10 to #4 this week.  (It will be a much bigger hit here in Chicago than it will nationally, where it topped out at #19 (and only #26 in Billboard.)  The fact that these guys are from Wisconsin probably didn't hurt either.

Other big movers this week include Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue" (#18 to #9), "Get Together" by The Youngbloods (#39 to #30) and "Green River" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, which climbs fifteen places from #35 to #20.

The first Beatles solo single (if you can call it that ... it's essentially John and Yoko in bed in Toronto with a bunch of visitors singing background) "Give Peace A Chance" also moves up an impressive eleven places (from #28 to #17).

Premiers of note include "Lay Lady Lay" by Bob Dylan, a rare Dylan song where you can actually understand the lyrics ... and his voice sounds pretty damn good on this one, honestly ... "Easy To Be Hard" by Three Dog Night, another song from the "Hair" soundtrack, made over for pop radio, "Did You See Her Eyes" by The Illusion (one of the many bands touted over the years as "the next Beatles" ... for the record, this was their one and only hit), "Keem-O-Sabe" by Electric Indian and, coming in at #40, a song that will top several year-end charts as the biggest hit of 1969, "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies, a "cartoon band" that was the brain child of Don Kirshner (who evidently figured he'd get less back-talk from these animated television stars than he did from The Monkees!)  Led by long-time FH Member Ron Dante, the song has proven timeless ... and there hasn't been a day gone by since 1969 when this record hasn't been played on the radio somewhere ... and quite often, several times a day!





Other artists taking advantage of The Beatles not releasing their own single from The White Album include Chubby Checker ("Back In The U.S.S.R."), The Five Stairsteps ("Dear Prudence") and Arthur Conley and Marmalade (who both cut "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.")  Over the years, of course, several other covers would be recorded of songs like "Blackbird," "Mother Nature's Son" and "Helter Skelter."

THIS WEEK IN 1969:  

July 30th - The Beatles assemble at Abbey Road Studios to see what they could piece together in the way of a medley to include on Side Two of their new LP.  Although several of the songs weren't finished yet (and which segments to use and in what sequence hadn't been determined either), the meeting was more of a "feeling out" session to see what was doable.  The plan had been all along to construct some type of medley to fill out side two of the new album.  (At the time, they were referring to this as "The Long One" for lack of a better name.)  Before they wrapped things up that night, they had come up with the following rough outline plan:  You Never Give Me Your Money / Sun King / Mean Mr. Mustard / Her Majesty / Polythene Pam / She Came In Through The Bathroom Window / Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End. 
At least now they could clean up and add any little bits necessary to help the continuity flow between each track.  "Her Majesty" was ultimately dropped and then added as a "hidden track" on the original LP pressing ... but other than that, it seems that even at this early stage they had a pretty good idea of what the final medley was going to sound like.  Once they added "Here Comes The Sun" as Side Two's opening track, followed by John's as yet unrecorded "Because," The Beatles had created perhaps the perfect album side.  

July 31st - Elvis Presley opens at The International Hotel in Las Vegas for a four week engagement.  Several of these shows are recorded for future release.  It is all part of the master plan to relaunch Elvis’ career, that began with his NBC television special that ran last December.  It is reported that Elvis was paid one million dollars for this four week stay.

Elvis' last appearance in Las Vegas was back in 1957 ... and this is his first live show of any kind since 1961.  Celebrities are in the audience throughout his stay ... but opening weekend attendees include Johnny Cash, Liberace, Tom Jones, Herb Alpert, Dick Clark, Cary Grant, Fats Domino, Burt Bacharach, Pat Boone, Paul Anka and The Beach Boys.
While in Las Vegas, Elvis will also attend shows by Barbra Streisand, Nancy Sinatra, Ann-Margret and Tom Jones.

And, speaking of The Beach Boys ...

August 1st - Beach Boy Carl Wilson is indicted in Los Angeles for failure to perform his required community service as dictated by his status as a conscientious objector to military service and the War in Viet Nam.  As it turns out, Wilson did, in fact, report to The L.A. County Hospital as planned on his appointed date and time.  However, instead of acting as an institutional helper as required, he chose instead to conduct music classes for handicapped patients at the hospital. 

August 2^nd – Bob Dylan attends his Ten Year High School Reunion in Hibbing, Minnesota, but leaves early when a drunk at the party tries to pick a fight with him.

Once Upon A Time ... In Hollywood

My original intention this morning was to run a full review of the new Quentin Tarantino movie "Once Upon A Time ... In Hollywood" ... but schedule-wise, I never had the time needed to do so.

Fortunately, two of our Forgotten Hits Readers DID send in THEIR reviews this week ... so I am now able to lead with those and then just offer some brief commentary of my own at the end of this piece.

Going in, you need to know two things ...

#1 - You're about to read some somewhat "mixed reviews" here ... but to me, that's one of the cool things about doing it this way. 

And "B" (I just LOVE when people do it this way), you're going to find some SPOILERS ... so if you haven't seen the movie yet (or simply don't want to know), please be advised.  (I will run a SPOILER ALERT headline where they appear so that at least you have the option to divert your eyes and skip over them.)

First up, Clark Besch:

Just a quick warning in advance ... I mention some things about this film, but I don't give much away about the story below.  However, there ARE a few SPOILER ALERTS, so please be advised going in.

We went to see this film Sunday afternoon and let me tell you, it's pretty cool to step into 1969, even in an area I did not live near.  

The music and KHJ airchecks blaring throughout was great to hear -- especially the obscure songs.  The LENGTH of the soundtrack songs as used varied from about three words of Chad & Jeremy's "Paxton Quigley" to nearly the full songs of "Son of a Lovin' Man" and "Bring a Little Lovin'"!! The soundtrack list that Kent ran the other day does not include many other songs that played roles in the film.  

For example, there was a 4th Raiders song and The Stones' "Out of Time" gets a long run as well ... as does the Mamas and Papas' "12:30."  There is also a funny scene with "Snoopy Vs the Red Baron."  

The Heaven Scent jingle is played and I love that little tune still after a million AM radio plays back then.  Neil Diamond gets a couple of songs in the film.  

The one song that did NOT fit the time frame was Joe Cocker's "The Letter," a 1970 hit.  

Altho Buffy Sainte-Marie sang "The Circle Game" in the film, I believe Joni Mitchell's rendition would have been better for this film.  Dee Clark gets an oldie play, but why not stick in "Light my Fire" or "My Little Red Book" instead?  

KHJ's main Boss Radio jingle gets at least three plays along with the great DJs of the time, Robert W Morgan, Real Don Steele and Humble Harv (who I did not remember hearing when I saw this).

Without spoiling the movie plot, I would greatly suggest reading what happened in the 1969 Sharon Tate murders by the Manson clan.  I only knew the basics, so it would have been much better, had I been "informed" on everything that happened.  Where reality and fiction meet is sometimes hard to tell, as many things (like TV shows) were real life things.  

They did a good job of finding actors who LOOKED like the actual people that were a part of the REAL Manson story.  How about Joey Heatherton?  She looked EXACTLY like her 1970 look.  Michelle Phillips and Mama Cass get nice portrayals as well.  Even the dog food dropped out of a can resembled the same muck we fed our cats in the same way in the 60's.  I'm not even sure that the main character, a Rick Dalton, is even the MAIN character!

The gruesome part is truly gruesome, but I won't add anymore there. 

The TV western the film's star is in is MUCH like any of the early 60's B&W shows like "Branded," "Rifleman," etc.  There's TONS of cool TV traits, movie connections and various terms in the film dealing with the 60's, often underlying to be found by those who wish to dig in their memory banks.  Also quite a few ironic twists, of which I probably missed many.  

The songs were fit in nicely to what was happening in the story, such as "Out of Time" and "Straight Shooter."  By the end, I was almost thinking some things were done on purpose, but they may have been invented in MY mind and may NOT have been anything intended.  It was like the Paul is Dead clue syndrome!  Was it just me or did the film's director play KHJ AM radio throughout the film, yet late when things took a turn, you see a radio dial being turned on the FM dial with Vanilla Fudge playing "You Keep Me Hanging On."  Was this the subliminal ending of AM radio to FM?  Was I just imagining things?  Naming one of the girls "Pussycat" was a bit like "Hell's Angels on Wheels," who I believe had a girl with the name "Mattress back."

One great thing with the film was the use of REAL records and the characters playing records that actually were the correct labels for the time (Raiders on Columbia and Mamas & Papas Dunhill.)  I see why Paul Revere & the Raiders were throughout the film now.  Of course, Terry Melcher produced these songs and he was the one to NOT give Manson his recording chance that led to ... whatever happens in the film (or doesn't.) 

It's funny but the TV show being watched by "the ranch gang" was the Raiders' Saturday afternoon bandstand show, "It's Happening" (complete with the correct theme being played), while in the supposed targeted ill-fated house, their "Something Happening" album is played, featuring music included on that album.  Kind of a cool twist.  You won't see cassette decks or 8 tracks blaring, but you WILL hear AM radio's glory days and music from reel to reels, which I enjoyed immensely.

If you get there early, you might get the free fake "fanzine" (ala the "That Thing You Do!" one) that has faux stories on the stars and the music and cigarette ads.  It was funny to see all the cigarette smoking that went on (just as it DID back then) and then walk out of the show and see three people congregated smoking outside.  There was nothing like unfiltered cigarettes!  Times have changed.

After watching the disappointing music film revolving around 1964-67 Laurel Canyon in LA last week, I feel like "Once Upon a Time" was almost MORE realistic and could have been the one called "Echoes from the Canyon."  I think about what could be used in such a film revolving around 60's Chicago.  Imagine a film scene starting with Jim Sohns screaming out "Oh Yeah!  Everything's gonna be alright this morning" by the Shadows of Knight.  If only gangsta Chitown was in the 60', right?  Haha.  

Anyway ...

It's a pretty cool film and at 2 hours 40 minutes, you get your money's worth of entertainment and great 60's music!  

P.S.  Once you have SEEN the film, here's a great cheat sheet on who played what person and who that person was in real life and what happened to them all.  Do NOT look at this until seeing the film. 

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-which-characters-are-based-on-real-people.html/

 

Next up ... Phil Nee ... 

 

I went to Once Upon A Time In Hollywood last night and totally loved it.

Unlike the recently reviewed Yesterday, the characters are very memorable and likeable.  The movie is very long, but it did not seem like it.  I would have turned around and went to see it again.  

This movie was funnier than I expected it to be.  I was impressed with the old cars on the street, the can labels in the cupboards, the clothes and KHJ radio playing through the movie. 

The fantastic soundtrack sounded so good.  There are songs in the soundtrack that I have discovered for the first time.  When I was a youngster, I loved the t.v. western Lancer. 

Most people don't remember it because it only lasted for two seasons.

I found it incredible that they used that forgotten show as a part of the story line. 

All of the performances are good.  Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate is breathtaking.  Mike Moh plays Bruce Lee, and he hails from Verona, Wisconsin.

You and I don't always see eye to eye when we review movies.  I am pretty sure you will give this a Forgotten Hits

thumbs up!

Phil - WRCO

 

The film has been playing to nearly unanimous rave reviews ... it even got a seven minute standing ovation after the premier.  All of the press seems to be heralding it as perhaps Quentin Tarantino's greatest achievement.

 

I hated it.

 

And, once again, I went into it with the highest expectations and anticipation.  The idea of melding fiction with the real-life experience of the Manson Family / Sharon Tate murders was intriguing at the very least.

 

But I found myself sitting there waiting for something ... ANYTHING ... to happen to make me feel invested in the film ... and 2 hours and 40 minutes is a LONG time to sit there if this is what you're feeling.  (Truth be told, I started to keep track of time ... never a good sign ... and didn't have my first real "connection moment" with the film until we were 55 minutes in.  That's an hour I'll never get back!)

 

Yes, the soundtrack is brilliant (although at times annoying ... if you're only going to feature four words of a song, why include it at all?  In addition to Clark's example, I would include Neil Diamond's "Kentucky Woman" as another.)  In fact, the music editing was very abrupt on several occasions ... and including Joe Cocker's version of "The Letter" was an obvious flaw to me as well ... although the average film goer isn't going to notice something like that.  (Still, since so much of the music featured came from 1966 - 1969, why not just use The Box Tops' bigger hit version instead?)

 

As for the story, I hated it ... or perhaps more so wondered where it was.  Quentin Tarantino is either spot on or off by a country mile ... and there just doesn't seem to be any middle ground with him.  I guess my best characterization would have to be that I always feel like Quentin is laughing considerably harder at his own jokes than anyone else in the room.  He has a tendency to ramble on FAR longer than he needs to on many occasion, a trait that has provided the low point in several of his other films as well.  (Nothing's going to ever top "Pulp Fiction" for me, where I don't think there was EVER a dull moment of even 30 seconds!)

 

And it's a shame ... because Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt both put on Oscar-worthy performances.  The film is shot in a way that really captures the look of that era ... and the attention to so much of the detail is outstanding ... yet it just never drew me in.  I kept waiting for something to grab me ... and it never did.

 

The character profiles of DiCaprio's and Pitt's roles were well developed and well defined ... but there wasn't really anything new brought in to the stereotype Hollywood has-been story.  Margot Robbie IS stunning as Sharon Tate ... but I don't think she had more than eight lines of dialog in the entire film!  She was used more as a "prop" than a character in the film.

 

Yes, the Bruce Lee scene was funny and entertaining ... but we saw THAT in the preview.  The standout scenes for me were the ones between DiCaprio and ten year old Julia Butters ... these were the moments that meant the most to me.

 

So the reader may ask, "How can you point out and praise all of these significantly important things and still give the film a negative review?"

 

Because the movies for me have always been about escapism ... I want to go off some place else for a couple of hours and be entertained while I'm there.  I never felt that way with this film.  There were long, drawn-out stretches that were actually painful to sit through.  (Seriously, did we need that much background on Leo's trip to Italy to film spaghetti westerns?  Although I will say that on the flight back to Hollywood, he looked to be the spitting image of 1969 Tommy Roe!  It was uncanny!)

 

And yes, the actors portraying the incidental sideline characters were amazing ... I, too, would single out Steve McQueen, Mama Cass, Michelle Phillips and the incredibly beautiful Joey Heatherton, who dated our FH Buddy John Madara back in the day ... something that gnaws at me every time I think of it!  lol

 

Throughout the film I kept thinking to myself, "I can't give this movie anything higher than a '2' rating ... I wanted to but just couldn't ... I was that put off by it.

 

But then ... SPOILER ALERT ... when they drifted COMPLETELY off reality the night of the Sharon Tate murders, that was it for me.  DON'T TIE IN SUPPOSED REALITY AS THE BACKDROP TO YOUR FILM AND THEN PRESENT ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE REALITY OF THAT SITUATION!!! 

 

SPOILER ALERT:  If the whole motive of the twist of the story was to present "What would happen if the Manson Family murderers went to the wrong house that night by mistake?" ... meaning that everybody else that died that night gets to live ... then this is NOT a film or premise that I can support.  People DIED that night ... REAL people ... and to present any other fantasy doesn't lessen that reality.  (I immediately down-graded my ranking to a "1".)

 

END OF SPOILER ALERTS:  If any or all of this appeals to you, see it and draw your own conclusions.  I can only tell you that I left the theater feeling totally let down and disappointed.   (kk)

The Ides Of March 55th Anniversary Party ... And An Introduction To Colin Peterik's Brand New Band, The Brooklyn Charmers

Our Rock And Roll Weekend continued on Sunday, July 28th, when we attended a very special "By Invitation Only" party thrown by Jim, Karen and Colin Peterik at The Jam Lab celebrating:

A) The 55th Anniversary of The Ides Of March

B) The CD Release Party for The Ides Of March's brand new CD "Play On"

C) The live, video shoot for the very first single from the brand new CD, "Friends Like You" and

D) The first-ever, live performance by The Brooklyn Charmers, Colin Peterik's Steely Dan Tribute Band 

And what a completely fun-filled, exciting day it turned out to be.

First up, the video shoot.

The new Ides single is phenomenal ... give this thing a shot with a little bit of airplay and they've got a hit on their hands.

Featuring the incredible Mindi Abair wailing away on saxophone, this things rocks along at a real, feel-good pace ... great vocals and great instrumentation throughout.  (I'd love to play it for you right now but since the CD doesn't officially get released until August 16th, I hesitate to do so.)  However, the moment the video is released, you can be guaranteed seeing it here in Forgotten Hits.  (In fact, depending on the final edit, you may even see me and Frannie IN the video!!!)

It was done as a live-action shoot, with the full band playing along live to the pre-recorded track, with lots of groove dancing by Mindi and Jim ... as well as the entire group of spectators surrounding the stage.

As you can see, Jim is in full metal jacket (or would that be full silver metallic attire, from head to toe) ... we were at the ELO concert the night before and didn't see this much glare and glitter in their entire laser light show!

After a second run through (Jim asked for a bottle of water between takes ... and I half expected to hear him squeak "Oil Can") ... the crowd broke up a bit to enjoy a beautiful spread of tacos and margaritas, during which time Jim's son Colin's band set up on stage for their first-ever, live performance as a band, The Brooklyn Charmers.  

The band, consisting of Colin Peterik (keyboards and vocals), Kevin Campbell (bass and vocals), Frank Minella (guitar and vocals), Sean Briskey (guitar and vocals) and Alex Zeravica (drums and percussion) have got the Steely Dan sound down.  (Look out, Deacon Blues ... there's a NEW band in town!)  They played a solid hour set of some of the most intricate jazz-infused rock you're ever going to hear.  (I've gotta say that it is just SO amazing to see this youthful group of like-minded musicians, so skilled in their craft and tackling ... and appreciating ... music of this caliper ... and then executing it with such precision.  Their first official gig will be October 12th at the Q Bar in Glendale Heights ... it's sure to be a sell-out so get your tickets early if you live in the area!) 



At the end of the night, all of the guests were presented with a copy of the brand new Ides Of March 55th Anniversary CD ... and let me tell you, it's HOT!!!



In addition to Mindi Abair (who, I must say, is not bad for a girl!), other guests include Cathy Richardson (current lead vocalist of Jefferson Starship), Bo Bice (current lead vocalist of Blood, Sweat and Tears ... and former American Idol Runner-Up), Tom Doody of The Cryan' Shames, Mark Farner (formerly of Grand Funk Railroad) and David Pack (former lead singer of Ambrosia.)  This one's a keeper!!!

And, as yet ANOTHER Forgotten Hits Exclusive, Jim has given us a few copies to give away to our loyal readers. 

That's right, friends ... you can  

WIN IT BEFORE YOU CAN BUY IT!!!

Just shoot me an email (kk@forgottenhits.com) and put IDES OF MARCH in the subject line and we'll register your name for a chance to win a copy of "Play On," the hot new Ides Of March CD release.

(Yes, that's us ... hawking CD's as usual ... but this one would be a real prize to add to your collection ... so get your entries in today!)

[Special Photo Thanks to Kristie Schram as credited, Chris May for the shots of me, Frannie and Jim, and Frannie Kotal for the shot of me and Jim, both dressed in our Sunday bests] 

 

Concert Review: Jeff Lynne's ELO

One would think that if you filled the stage with thirteen extremely talented and accomplished musicians and vocalists, you would pretty much be assured that they would be capable of producing a sound bordering on perfection ... and, in this case, you would be right ... perhaps even EXCEEDING perfection a time or two (or ten!) along the way.

Now give that same incredible mass of talent the Jeff Lynne songbook to perform and the results are nothing short of magic ... and there's nothing strange about it!!!

For the second year in a row (after a 35+ year hiatus), Jeff Lynne and his remarkable Electric Light Orchestra returned to the Chicago stage to perform an array of hits that were mesmerizing in every conceivable way ... sonicly ... visually ... spiritually ... and all of it precision timed to coordinate sight and sound that reached down deep to touch your mind, your heart and your soul.

Simply put, it was nothing short of a 90-minute life-changing experience ... even if you HAD seen them the year before!

(We named Jeff Lynne's ELO our #1 Concert Experience of 2018 ... and I swear they were even better this time around ... perhaps because they're doing more dates and have had the chance to gel together a bit more ... perhaps because their own confidence has escalated, knowing that what they are producing is one-of-a-kind showmanship you just aren't going to find anywhere else.)
https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2018/08/concert-review-jeff-lynnes-elo-allstate.html   

The venue this time around was The United Center ... which can be questionable on occasion when it comes to sound ... but all of the planets were perfectly aligned Saturday Night as Lynne and company took to the stage (after an opening set by George's son, Dhani Harrison) and blew us away, song after song.  (We opted for mezzanine seats rather than main floor for this show and were glad that we did ... those folks on the floor didn't sit down for one song during ELO's 90 minute set!  Meanwhile, we had a perfect view from our vantage point and only felt obliged to stand for the necessary ovations the group deserved throughout the night.) 

Other than "Strange Magic" (and, thankfully, no "Xanadu" this time around) the set featured some of the biggest hits of the '70's and early '80's (with a couple of new tunes sprinkled in for good measure.)  An especially emotional moment came when Dhani Harrison was brought back out on stage to perform "Handle With Care," the song his father performed with The Traveling Wilburys (which also featured Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison.)  Video footage of the supergroup played on the screen behind them as they performed a letter-perfect live version of this classic tune.  (My God ... can you imagine if The Traveling Wilburys had ever toured?!?!?)

Check out this incredible set list:

THE COMPLETE SET LIST: 
Standin' in the Rain
Evil Woman
All Over the World
Showdown
Do Ya
When I Was a Boy
Livin' Thing
Handle With Care
Rockaria!
Last Train to London
Eldorado Overture
Can't Get It Out of My Head
10538 Overture
Shine a Little Love
Wild West Hero
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Telephone Line
Don't Bring Me Down
Turn to Stone
Mr. Blue Sky 
Encore: 
Roll Over Beethoven

It was a remarkable show, start to finish ... and, believe it or not, after tomorrow, the U.S. Tour will already be over. (The laser light show and constant video images projecting behind them made this a sight and sound to behold.  We took some video but even as exciting as it is to watch, it doesn't do the whole experience justice.  Here's a video we found on YouTube from last year's concert in Chicago that gives you at least SOME idea as to the spectacle before you when watching a Jeff Lynne / ELO concert.):

July 28th

Wow!  The Rolling Stones only took three weeks to top the WLS Hit Parade Chart with their latest release, "Honky Tonk Women."  (It went from #30 to #10 to #1!)

Johnny Cash's latest, "A Boy Named Sue," seems poised to hit the top of the chart as well ... this week it moves from #30 to #18 in its third week on the chart.

Tom Jones jumps ten places with "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" (from #35 to #25.  Ironically this record and the one by The Youngbloods at #38 ("Get Together") were both first originally released in 1967 but didn't make a dent here in Chicago.  Now all of a sudden they're some of this week's Pick Hits!



I'm also REALLY lovin' the new Creedence Clearwater Revival single, "Green River," which premiers at #35 this week.  Incredibly, CCR would release THREE albums of new material in 1969 ... "Bayou Country," "Green River" and "Willie And The Poorboys" ... and between them, those three albums would produce FIVE National Top Five Singles:  "Proud Mary" (#1), "Bad Moon Rising" (#1), "Green River" (#2), "Down On The Corner" (#3) and "Fortunate Son" (#4).

THIS WEEK IN 1969:  

July 22^nd – The soundtrack to Elvis Presley's NBC "comeback" television special receives a gold record.  

Also on this date, The Band recorded "Up On Cripple Creek" in New York ... and Aretha Franklin is arrested for disorderly conduct after creating a disturbance in a Detroit parking lot.  Aretha posted $50 bail … and then ran down a road sign while leaving the police station.  (As far as I know, there were no costume changes at the police station)  

July 24^th – Actress / Singer Jennifer Lopez is born

(I wasn't there ... but I don't think she looked like that then!!!)  

Also on this date, Paul McCartney recorded a demo of his new song "Come And Get It" to give to Apple Records' recently signed new band, The Iveys.  Paul plays all of the instruments on the demo (a practice he'll use again for his first solo LP) and it sounds nearly identical to the version that would eventually come out as a single some six months later, by which time The Iveys had changed their name to Badfinger ... and the song had been commissioned to be used on the soundtrack for "The Magic Christian" film, which starred Ringo Starr and Peter Sellers.

July 25^th – Neil Young performs live with Crosby, Stills and Nash for the very first time when they played The Fillmore East in New York.  He will be a “sometime member” of the group for the next 40+ years

Also in concert that night ... Led Zeppelin in Milwaukee!

July 28th - Elvis attends Barbra Streisand's appearance at The International Hotel in Las Vegas, where his own show will open in just three days!

The Friday Flash

Hi Kent- 
ELO is performing in Minneapolis this evening!
So bummed I won't be attending, but most of the guys in ELnO, the tribute band I play in, have super nice seats for tonight's show!  
A few days ago, the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper ran a story about ELO's upcoming  visit to the Twin Cities, and featured a photo of our band!  That's my '72 Gremlin, and me in the driver's seat ... and yes, we ALL  wear Jeff Lynne wigs and shades whenever we play. Such fun music, and the crowds love it! 
Mike Lane

How cool is that?!?! Congrats!
We're going to the show here in Chicago tomorrow night ... and we can't wait.  Last year's concert was absolutely one of the best shows we've ever seen.  (And then the tribute band The Orchestra, featuring former members of the various incarnations of ELO, returns in November (the 21st to be exact) to perform at The Genesee Theatre ... and we're hoping to go to that one, too!)
Just can't get enough of that Jeff Lynne music!
I don't know if you guys tour or not, but if you're ever heading out to Chicago, please let us know as we would love to check it out!  (kk)

kk:

Every morning around 6:15 AM on WCBS-FM they have a "BRAIN BUSTER QUIZ." 

Today's question:  Identify This Person

1 - Wild Fire

2 - Casablanca

3 - Boat Movie

Identify this person. 

Why, it's the birthday boy himself, Scott Shannon!

1 - He had a group called Wild Fire.

2 - He worked for Casablanca Records.

3 - He said we don't need to know about Boat movie.

We should check into this one.

FB

Happy belated birthday to our FH Bud Scott Shannon!  (I don't know anything about the boat movie ... and I doubt that he'd tell us!!!  lol)

Light the candles and get ready to sing!

(Wait ... better grab that fire extinguisher first, just in case!)

Happy Birthday, BossJock!  (kk)

 

Frank also sent us this:

Someone Call Mark Lindsay: Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” Soundtrack Revives Paul Revere and the Raiders  

https://www.showbiz411.com/2019/07/25/someone-call-mark-lindsay-quentin-tarantinos-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-soundtrack-revives-paul-revere-and-the-raiders?fbclid=IwAR3cff1ah0iDtnNDV_ARJ73lLE0sH4a3fgRv4WcXBQ792CeaYnR-S3fqv7U

That's a KILLER soundtrack!  (Most of Quentin Tarantino's movies feature an amazing array of music.)  

This is something else we're hoping to squeeze in this weekend.  (Between ELO on Saturday Night and an Ides Of March live video shoot on Sunday, this weekend is jam-packed musically ... but we DEFINITELY want to see this movie ... stat!  It's already receiving rave reviews ... and received a seven minute standing ovation after a special screening earlier this week.  This is gonna be a hot one, folks!  (kk)

 

Hi, Kent - 

Since you mentioned that Gary Strobl is a reader of this blog, I thought I might toss in a hello to him and show off a bit of his great artwork.  

On September 6, 2014, I proudly wore one of his NC6 shirts to the Route 66 car show in Berwyn, where I first met my friend, the incredible Pam Pulice (in the background of the pic) at Dick Biondi's booth.  

I bought that shirt at the Chicagoland Record Show in Hillside in 1983, when they brought in all of the local Chicago bands and set up tables so the guys could sign autographs and meet the collector crowd.

Every Chicago area group you could name, big and small, from the NC6 to the Buckinghams to the Ides and the Flock were represented there. Mike Bush filmed the show, and Bob Sirott reported it for WBBM-TV.  It was a blast!  It's on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B505M0mpFnU
Mike Wolstein

Yep, I was at that convention and it was incredible.  (The precursor to The Cornerstones Of Rock and all the Rock And Roll Roots CD release parties I guess!  Mike Bush did a hell of a job putting that all together.)

We've run this clip several times in the past so I'm just posting the link today ... but if you're a fan of Chicago music from the '60's, you've got to check this out (in the unlikely event you haven't already watched it a dozen times like I have!!!)

I've known Gary Strobl for 40 years ... GREAT guy who used to make all kinds of fashionable rock t-shirts back in the day.  (I've worn quite a few of them myself over the years!)

He's been out in LA for quite a while now ... but I hope we get a chance to visit on his next trip home to Chicago.  (kk) 

 

>>>How can we possibly NOT give this guy a copy of Mark’s new book, Supreme Glamour?!?!? (kk)

Really?!

That would be so . . .  ah . . . Supreme!

CB ( which stands for "Celebrated Book!" )
 

Thursday This And That

Hi Kent, 
I remember my friend Ken Ferino calling me up a few days before the Led Zeppelin show and asking me if I wanted to join him.   We agreed to meet over there and get tickets the day of the show.  No ticket service and the price was either $3.00 or $5.00.  There were no seats.  You either stood, sat on the floor or found yourself in one of those strange pods. The Kinetic Playground was either an ice skating or roller skating rink before it became a concert venue.  I went on Saturday night and Zeppelin played three sets.  I lived in Chicago and got home at 4:30 in the morning. 

The third set, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant asked if they could play some Everly Brothers songs, but the crowd still wanted to hear the songs from the first album.  What a shame!  Jethro Tull was an impressive live band.  That summer I also saw BS&T, Jefferson Airplane, War with Eric Burdon and even Iron Butterfly at the Kinetic Playground.  As a result, I've never been able to enjoy a rock show in a stadium.
Robert Campbell, thanks for rekindling the memories.
Tom Carroll 
Scroll back to Monday's post if you happened to miss Robert's 1969 Led Zeppelin review.  (kk) 

Hi Kent, 
I have a few corrections to your blog from Sunday July 21, 2019 ... since I assume you always want it right! ;-) 

>>>July 19^th – With keyboardist and lead vocalist Stevie Winwood already recording and touring with the super group Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group announces that they are breaking up.  Winwood will go on to form Traffic … and then have quite a successful solo career as well.  (kk) 
Traffic was formed in 1967 when Winwood, still a teen but already a veteran of the Spencer Davis Group, hooked up with Jim Capaldi, guitarist Dave Mason, and saxophone and flute player Chris Wood. When Blind Faith quickly disbanded after just one short tour, Winwood reformed Traffic and recorded what became "John Barleycorm Must Die,” released in 1970. 

>>>July 20^th - In Spring Hill, Tennessee, Jimmy Buffett marries Margie Washichek at the St. Joseph Chapel.  (kk)
Jimmy Buffet was married in St. Joseph Chapel at Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL in 1969. I am a graduate of Spring Hill College, attending between 1971-1975.  Spring Hill is a Catholic college founded and run by the Jesuit order. 

St. Joseph Chapel - Spring Hill College - Mobile, AL

Me - 1974
Mike Stineman
Thanks, Mike – We ALWAYS want to get it right … and our calendar information comes from a variety of sources, sometimes as many as twelve different ones at any given point in time … so I’m not even sure where the Jimmy Buffett information came from.  I scoured the internet Sunday Night looking for SOME type of validation for your Mobile, AL, reference and came up empty … so I’m just going to have to take your word for it since you went there and I’m sure it was at some point a topic of discussion.  (Thanks for sending us the cool 1974 pic!!!  I love it!)
As for the Steve Winwood / Traffic mix-up, I have amended this copy to read that he “re-formed Traffic” after the break up of Blind Faith.  I really should have known better about that one since we covered the formation of Traffic during our 1967 FH series a couple of years ago.)  kk

WLTL celebrates Mick Jagger's 76^th birthday on Friday, July 26, 2019, from 12 – 2 pm CT with two hours from The History Of Rock And Roll. Hour one features The Rolling Stones in the 60s, then hour two continues into the 70s.
Hear the stories from Mick Jagger along with a timeline of Stones music. Plus, Elton John and others add their comments about the Stones.
WLTL streams online: http://www.wltl.net/listen1.html 
Thanks,
Mike Baker  
The Forgotten 45s

Howdy Kent ...
First off, I love all of those terrific baby pics.  So adorable!  Thanks for sharing and congrats to all of the Grandparents!
I am enjoying the Moon Landing pictures, some of which I have not seen before and even the ones that I have seen, I still find it all so mind boggling ... we actually landed and walked on the moon 50 years ago!!!  It never gets old!  I like the 50th anniversary commemorative patch, too.  I want to get one for my grandson.
Amazing pictures of Mary Wilson, Nesmith, Dolenz, Mathers and Dow.  It's fun to see them now and what they look like.  It makes me feel like I am not alone in my journey.
I was thinking of seeing movie "Yesterday," but decided against it. I had seen "Slum Dog Millionaire" and you are right ... the script writers don't seem  to have developed the lead character into the portrayal of much of a personality, which is so unlike the Beatles themselves.  This seems to be how the movies of this genre are.  Although I would have liked the music, I feel it would be a let down. 
However, I enjoyed "Rocket Man."  That movie had a lot of substance and was overseen by Elton himself. WTG, Elton ... You have a hit!
Thanks so much for your dedication to your blog.  It is always of interest and rocks big time.  
Sandy

The other day we told you about John Stewart’s recording of “Armstrong” shortly after the moon landing fifty years ago.
Well, FH Reader Gary Strobl just sent this one-of-a-kind photos from photographer Henry Diltz’s personal journal.  (Where ELSE are you gonna see this kind of stuff?!?!)

Check it out below ...

Hello Kent,
Here is Henry Diltz's journal entry for July 24, 1969.
John Stewart & Chip Douglas recorded "Armstrong" at Bell from 12-6 and then they added strings that evening at Harmony.
GB:  Gary Burden
CD:  Chip Douglas
CF:  Cyrus Faryar
JS:   John Stewart
MS:  Michael Stewart
RK:  Russ Kunkel

Listen to the tune here:  1969_482 - John Stewart - Armstrong - (45)) 
This is the original version.   
Keep up the great work!
Live, Laugh & Dream,
Gary 

Thanks for helping us remember all those Forgotten (?) Hits.
Love and peace ...
Michael Bowers 

And … going for the “win” … why, it’s Chuck Buell!!! 

Hello, Kent!
Thanx for sharing my Sad Supreme Story I experienced some years ago in which I was the Victim of the Vanishing Supremes LP.

You suggested to co-author Mark Bego that maybe you two could get Mary Wilson to sign a copy of her new book, "Supreme Glamour," for me as a consolation!

Well, if so, perhaps that would stop all those Famous Supreme Forgotten Hits from reverberating throughout my head, like ~~~

“Where Did My LP Go?”

It’d be nice to have it ~~~

“Back in My Arms Again!”

But I’ve pretty much given up hope that ~~~

“Someday We’ll be Together Again!”

Even tho ~~~

“My World is Empty Without It!”

But to you, Kent, and your suggestion ~~~

“You Keep Me Hanging On!”

If I did get a signed copy of Mary’s book, that would definitely be  ~~~

“The Happening!”

Chuck Buell
 
How can we possibly NOT give this guy a copy of Mark’s new book?!?!?  He won a copy of Mark Bego’s cookbook … and then shared the results of several of those recipes with our readers … so this would be a REALLY cool way to say “Thanks.” 

But that doesn’t mean that YOU can’t still win a copy!!!
Drop me an email at kk@forgottenhits.com and show “Supreme Glamour” in the subject line and we’ll enter your name in the drawing.
I believe we’ll have somewhere right around half a dozen copies to give away (and this is a VERY nice coffee table book to boot!), so don’t miss out on YOUR chance to snag a copy. (Very special thanks to David Salidor, Mark Bego and Mary Wilson for this awesome Forgotten Hits promotion!)
kk