Jim Keltner can probably best be described as a "drummer's drummer."
Having performed on solo albums with both John Lennon and George Harrison ... and drummer alongside Ringo Starr at any number of live events ... not to mention sitting in with the likes of everyone from Bob Dylan to Joe Cocker to Gary Lewis and the Playboys to The Band ... Keltner has carved out a legacy career for himself as a key player in the history of rock and roll ... but far too often as a faceless, behind-the-scenes entity, preferring instead NOT to seek out the limelight but rather let his drumming abilities speak for themselves.
Our FH Buddy Harvey Kubernik put this piece together in honor of Keltner's 80th Birthday this past April 27th ... and we are happy to share it with our Forgotten Hits Readers today. (kk)
My dear friend
drummer / percussionist Jim Keltner celebrates his 80th birthday today. I
don't think people realize how many of our favorite recordings he has
played on the last 60 years.
I first met him in 1970 at Lucy's El Adobe Cafe in Hollywood after seeing him
drum with Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and Mad Dogs & Englishmen. I must have interviewed him three
dozen times since 1979 for articles and a slew of my books. I've always
been grateful for his support of my literary work and very thankful for
his music and recording business navigation tips and nutritional
guidance. I've been cataloging my archive and pulled out some of our
interviews. If you dig The Band, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Delaney,
Bonnie and Friends, John Lennon, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Phil
Spector and Leonard Cohen, check out some of our dialogues.
Gary
Lewis was studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and on his lunch
hours he would come into the music store I was working at, Berry and
Grassmueck. One day, he asked me if I would give him drum lessons. After
a few lessons, he told me he going to go up front with the guitar and I
want you to be my drummer.’ I went from $85.00 a week to $250.00 a week.
A big jump. More than triple. One of the first things I did was go down
to Felix Chevrolet on Figeroua near the L.A. Coliseum and buy a ’65
Daytona blue Corvette Sting Ray.
I
joined Gary Lewis and the Playboys after ‘This Diamond Ring’ put them
on the map. I played on the next single and album and then did a couple
of tours. We did the ‘Hullabaloo’ TV show. We played Hawaii, we did
‘Shivaree.’ We did a KRLA banquet on December 8th of 1965. And we did Las Vegas, Oakland, ‘9th
Street West’ on KHJ. We did ‘American Bandstand’ with Dick Clark and a
Coca-Cola commercial. We did ‘Where The Action Is,” and a couple of
beach movies.
Until
Gary Lewis, I had been pretty much playing jazz. I was playing at
Sherry’s on the Strip, a night club on Sunset Boulevard with Don Randi.
Snuff Garrett from Liberty Records made me shave my mustache and get a
professional haircut. Then he took me to meet Leon Russell at the
studio. Leon was from Tulsa, and I loved that, because that’s where I
was born. I didn’t realize I would be following in the footsteps of the
great session studio drummers Earl Palmer, Hal Blaine and Jim Gordon.
Leon Russell was the first record producer and arranger I ever worked
with. I was very fortunate to have him as the first producer I came in
contact with because Leon always had a slightly different musical angle
that he came from. I think Leon was always looking for something a
little bit out of the box. I didn’t know that at the time. Hal Blaine
was there, by the way. And I thought he was there to play tambourine.
But in actual fact, Hal was there just in case I couldn’t cut it.
(laughs). I was coming from Don Randi, six nights a week playing at
Sherry’s. And I thought I was on top of the world with that gig. It was
the closest thing to jazz that I could get. Not hardcore jazz, but jazz
enough to make me have a great time and feel like I was really playing.
At
the beginning of the Gary Lewis ‘Just My Style’ recording session, Leon
said, ‘Don’t play any fills. Not even one fill.’ And I understood that
instinctively. I thought, ‘This is the way rock ‘n’ roll singles are
made.’ He asked for a fill just at the beginning. And I did it.
Then
he said, ‘Can you do that backwards?’ And, I thought, ‘Oh yeah. I can
do that. That’s cool.’ So I played the fill backwards and opened the hi
hat in the intro. He liked that a lot. So right away we made a
connection there. During the playback he turned to me and said, ‘You’re
gonna be a great rock drummer.’ And
I remember at that moment I felt a real confidence. Right around that
time I had begun to realize that playing rock ‘n’ roll was not just for
morons. You really had to know what you’re doing.
I
always marveled at how Hal (Blaine) and Earl (Palmer) could do it so
easily. It never occurred to me that I wouldn’t be able to do that. And
then when you are confronted with it, you realize it is not for the faint
of heart.
I
came from the jazz world. I came up at a time when, as Charles Lloyd
says, ‘Giants roamed the earth.’ And bassist Albert Stinson, my best
friend, was already one of those giants, barely out of his teens. I
learned so many things from Albert. Way too much to talk about and how
he affected my life. I used to hang on every word. The first of several
geniuses who I was so fortunate to have in my lifetime.
In
spring and summer of 1968, I was playing with the Charlie Smalls Trio.
Charlie sang and played piano, and he wrote ‘The Wiz’ a few years later.
Wilton Felder was the bass player and we had two great girl singers. We
worked the Daisy Club in Beverly Hills several times. We were scheduled
to play the night Robert F. Kennedy was shot. Kennedy was coming to the
Daisy that night for his victory party.
At some point, I noticed our band break was taking too long. I asked
Wilton, who was sitting in the back reading his bible, what he thought
was going on? ‘How come we’re not playing? He said, ‘I don’t know.
Everyone is up in the coat room.’ They were gathered watching a little
television. Someone came out and said, ‘It’s over for tonight. Bobby
Kennedy has been shot" … I don’t remember anything else after that.
The
very next day they talked about Sirhan B. Sirhan, and his address in
the Altadena-Pasadena area was in the newspaper. He lived nearby. Two
streets down. I called out to my wife Cynthia, ‘Hey, the guy who killed
Kennedy lived on Howard Street.’ And then in an article they mentioned
he worked as a box boy at Weidner’s health food store on Lake Street.
And I’m going, ‘What? I used to stumble over him on weekends as he was
bent down stocking the shelves in the little aisles. It bowled me over.
What kind of weird coincidence is that? I’m supposed to play for Bobby
Kennedy that night and the guy who is the box boy at my health food
store takes him out!
In
October of 1968, I got a call to sub for Jimmy Karstein at Snoopy’s
Opera House, a little club in the valley, with Delaney and Bonnie. At the
time I was recording with Gabor Szabo and playing gigs with him at
places like Shelly’s Manne-Hole in Hollywood and The Light House in
Hermosa Beach. Then in February ’69, they asked me to do Delaney and
Bonnie’s ‘Accept No Substitute’ album at Elektra.
Leon
played piano on everything but ‘When This Battle Is Over,” which was
Dr. John, Mac Rebbenack. It was a song Mac wrote with Jesse Hill. There
was a fusion of the Southern people beginning to play with the
Hollywood cats. Everyone at the time was being influenced by that scene.
George Harrison loved the Delaney and Bonnie LP when he heard an
advance acetate of it and tried to get it on Apple Records. Delaney and
Bonnie had tremendous magic and chemistry. I was playing with Delaney
and Bonnie at Thee Experience club on Sunset and Jimi Hendrix came in
two different nights to jam with us.
Then,
in 1970, a bunch of us did Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Jimmy
Gordon and I played drums together. It was a very strong band and the
record that came out was very successful.
By
that time, I had played with Leon quite a lot and knew his style. It was
real easy to play with Leon in those days. He played very percussive,
and with an amazing gospel feel. In 1972, we did Leon’s big hit, ‘Tight
Rope,’ from his ‘Carny’ album.
Around
that same period I played on Dave Mason’s ‘Alone Together’ LP on Blue
Thumb Records. The producer was Tommy Li Puma. I always loved Dave’s
playing and singing. I also really liked the way Jim Capaldi played with
Dave in Traffic. Jimmy Gordon played on ‘Only You Know and I Know’ and
interestingly, I had played on Delaney and Bonnie’s version earlier. On
‘World In Changes,’ I got to play my ride cymbal that I had just bought
from Pro Drum Shop on Vine. It was a cracked K. Zildjian that Tony
Williams had traded in for a new one while he was in town with Miles
Davis earlier.
Carl Radle, Jesse Ed Davis and I had recorded some Dylan tunes with
Leon as the Tulsa Tops, which we did at Leon’s home studio in North
Hollywood. ‘A Hard Rain Is Gonna Fall’ is my favorite. Later, while I was
living in London, Leon called me and asked if I could come to New York
to record with Dylan. We did ‘Watching the River Flow’ and ‘When I Paint
My Masterpiece’ on March 17th, 1971. A couple of years later,
I played with Bob on his recording of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’ that
we did on the big sound stage at Warner Bros in Burbank. Roger McGuinn
played pump organ on that session and to this day I cry when I hear
Bob’s version. It’s been covered so many times, but Bob’s is the only one
that gets to me.
In 1971, I did the ‘Bangla Desh’ studio single with George Harrison and
Phil Spector at Wally Heider’s Studio 4 in Hollywood and that August we
all did the two Bangla Desh shows in New York. And it spawned a great
live album set that George and Phil put together.
To me, music from that era, from everywhere was special. Don’t forget,
it was very early on. The Beatles had just changed everything, The Rolling
Stones were starting to change things, and English rock started to have a
big effect on American rock ‘n’ roll, even though they were taking cues
from our roots music. And it was right at the beginning of the FM
thing. FM became very popular, and there were albums to be played
instead of just singles. So a whole lot of things started changing.
The
music, which was now being written more by the artists instead of
outside writers, really began to resonate with the people. That period is
genuinely thought of as an unusually fertile time for great
songwriting.
Jim Keltner and Harvey Kubernik Interview on The Band June, 2017
I met the Band through my dear friend and the amazing bassist, Carl
Radle. We were with Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Leon Russel was the
producer and arranger. We were all from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Carl took me up to Sammy Davis, Jr.’s house high up in the Hollywood
Hills where the Band were doing their second album for Capitol. They had
a studio set up in the pool house. I think they had an eight-track
machine. Carl knew Levon and the guys and he was the one who turned me
onto the Music FromBig Pink album. That album blew my
mind. I listened to it all the time. I thought they were all Southern
guys. And it was kind of a shock when I met them. Levon was the only guy
from the South.
If you are a singing drummer you have a great advantage. I’ve always
played to the vocal and I found out that Ringo and countless other
drummers, I’m sure, do as well.
Levon was able to push or pull the groove anyway he felt it by singing
and playing at the same time. The way he felt space was magnificent. His
biggest influences were the blues bands he heard as a young man. The
geniuses from the Delta and around where he was from.
So to hear that Big Pink LP and then go to a couple of tracking
sessions in Hollywood for their next album and to hear Levon singing and
playing with one of the greatest singing bass players, Rick Danko, who
always made me wanna cry. Such a sweet soulful voice. And Ricjard
Manuel was the voice that sounded like it was coming straight from
heaven. Garth Hudson, creating a totally unique sound for the Band. His
keyboards seemed to have a voice just as soulful and timeless as Rick
and Richards, And, of course, those epic songs and perfectly formed
guitar parts and solos of Robbie Robertson.
In 1989, Ringo had Levon and me and Rick Danko playing all together on
his first All Starr Band. We had Billy Preston and Dr. John on keys, Joe
Walsh and Nils Lofgren on guitars and Clarence Clemmons on tenor sax.
Every night was such a treat to hear all those guys doing their solo
spots. Rick and Levon doing “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Weight, and “
The Shape I’m In.”
I was in New York in July, 1969, with Delaney and Bonnie. One night I
ended up at the Hit Factory, I think, could have been A&R studios.
John Simon and Robbie and the guys were mixing The Night They Drove Old
Dixie Down. They had recorded the track a few weeks earlier at Sammy
Davis’ house in L.A.
I can’t even begin to describe what that scene was like. I was sitting in the back on a couch, watching
this happen. There were four of five pairs of hands all over the studio
console. The song seeped into my soul so much so that later when I
would hear it on the radio and remember that evening with those guys as
they mixed it, I would just cry. It still gets to me when I hear it.
Levon
makes you believe this guy Virgil Kane and his deep southern pride. I
am so glad I met Levon as early on as I did. His good-hearted
soulfulness helped change my outlook on music and people. I will never
tire of hearing the Band play and sing those great songs.
“All Along The Watchtower’ was always one of my favorite songs to play
with Neil Young. Amazing song. Playing it with Neil was always a huge
amount of fun because of the way he plays. The song just allowed him to
soar, completely fly. And it allows for a big, massive wide beat. It has
so many powerful elements. Playing it with Bob Dylan was the ultimate,
of course.
Jim Keltner and Harvey Kubernik on Bob Dylan’ Trouble No More box setand the 1979 - 1981 Dylan tours
I received a phone call from Bob wanting to know if I’d like to hear
his new album and maybe go on the road with him. I wasn’t really much
interested in touring, but I always loved playing with Bob.
Earlier in the seventies, the recordings I did with him like ‘Watching
the River Flow’ and ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ for the Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid movie were so good, I just had to go see what he was up to now.
So I went over to his studio in Santa Monica to listen to the album. I
was put in a little room with a chair and some speakers. There was a
box of Kleenex on the table next to me, and by the third song I started
to cry and cried practically all the way through the end of the tape.
When it was finished I went upstairs to a room where Bob was typing. I
told him ‘Wherever you’re going, and whatever you’re going to do I want
to go do it with you.’
I didn’t realize at the time, of course, what an effect it would have on my life.
I loved the rehearsals for the tour. The first one was 9/11/79.
Every day the most incredible fresh food was delivered for lunch.
Occasionally, Bob’s longtime boyhood friend, Louie Kemp, [Kemp
Fisheries] would send these big card board boxes of fish ... salmon, lox,
and smoked fish. One big box contained a huge smoked trout. I, to this
day, have never tasted anything so fantastic!
Bob assembled a stellar cast of musicians and singers. Tim Drummond,
one of my very favorite bass players, [guitarist] Fred Tackett, Spooner
Oldham on organ, and one of the greatest Gospel piano players I ever
heard, Terry Young.
And the incredible singers: Clydie King, Helena Springs, Regina
McCrary, Carolyn Dennis, Mona Lisa Young, Gwen Evans, Mary Elizabeth
Bridges, and Madelyn Quebec.
We ran through all kinds of different songs. His brand new ones from Slow Train
and even some old classics like ‘All My Tomorrows’ by Sammy Cahn and
Tommy Edwards’ ‘It’s All in the Game.’ We even played a very cool
version of ‘The Ballad of High Noon’ from the movie with Gary Cooper and
Grace Kelly. The idea was to get used to playing together without
running the show into the ground.
Playing Bob’s music in front of so many people on the road was a very
powerful experience. I didn’t know it at the time but I eventually
realized that we had all been part of one of Bob’s most important and
creative periods. The last concert was 11/21/81 in Lakeland, Florida.
I’m thankful to have played a part. Not only because of the music and
the band and all of the people involved but because my life soon changed
from a very destructive path I was on to working hard at keeping my
family intact and to be able to continue playing music with the lights
on. No longer dim and ready to go out.
I
was staying with Eric Clapton at his home in Surrey when the phone rang
early one morning. I picked it up since I was the only one awake. It
was Phil Spector. He asked if I wanted to come down and play. So I said
‘sure.’ I borrowed a drum set from my good friend Colin Allen, who was in
a band Stone The Crows. He helped me out a lot in those days. At John
Lennon’s studio in Ascot the first song we cut was ‘Jealous Guy.’ Then
later we did ‘I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier Mama.’ I felt as if I was in a
dream, especially later during playback in a room with John, Yoko, Phil
Spector, Klaus Voorman and Nicky Hopkins all listening.
In 1971 we recorded the ‘Bangla Desh’ single with George Harrison
and Phil Spector at Wally Heider’s Studio 4 in Hollywood. That August
we did the two Bangla Desh benefit shows at Madison Square Garden in New
York.
In 1973, John’s ‘Rock and Roll’ album started out with the big band
that Phil Spector put together in L.A. Hal Blaine and I did double drums
on that.
I ended up on Leonard Cohen’s ‘Death of a Ladies’ Man’ sessions by virtue
of my association with Phil. He always gravitated toward the great
songwriters and singers. I wasn’t that familiar with Leonard at the
time. But just the fact that Spector was producing was enough for me.
Gold Star was one of those magical rooms. It was four doors down from
the famous Drum City on Santa Monica Boulevard. Local 47 Musicians Union
was just south of Gold Star on Vine Street. And Pro Drum Shop was
directly across the street.
On the Cohen sessions I went into Gold Star and after a while,
sitting behind my drums, at one point was wondering where Leonard might
be.
I was looking to the front, having been set up in the middle of this
huge band. Phil always liked that kind of set up. It certainly worked
for him many times.
As I was messing with my drums, I saw a hand come up near my hi hat
cymbal on my left side. I looked and this hand was holding a tooth pick
with a smoked oyster at the end. I looked further around and it was
Leonard. I had never seen him before but I instinctively knew that it
was him. Dressed immaculately. He had a suit on. He was a dashing cat in
those days. A sophisticated type of dude. And that just sealed the deal
when he handed me that smoked oyster. And then he handed me one of
those little tiny paper cups with some Chivas Regal scotch. I thought,
‘This is really friggin’ cool.’ We all got a little tipsy but not
smashed.
Hal Blaine and I had a ball playing double drums on the Cohen
sessions. Don Randi was there as well. I played in his trio at Sherry’s,
a jazz club on Sunset. I loved playing with Don. I considered that I
had really made it when I got that gig at Sherry’s. Six nights a week on
the Sunset Strip.
Jesse Ed Davis, who was one of my all-time favorite guitar players, is
on the Cohen album. He was the go to guy on a lot of records in those
days.
One of the fun things about playing for Phil was that he would always
have a percussion section: Terry Gibbs, Emil Richards, Gene Estes,
Julius Wechter and Bob Zimmitti, among others.
After Cohen’s ‘Death of a Ladies’ Man’ dates, I continued working with
Phil at Gold Star on the Ramones’ ‘End of the Century’ album, and the
Paley Brothers. By 1979 I joined up with Bob Dylan for recording and
touring.
I wish I could have played more with Leonard. I have always played to
the vocal - that breaks the session drummer rule - but that’s always what
I’ve done. I love hearing a provocative lyric in my headphones. The
greatest part of that for me is that sometimes I can get real emotional
and even cry. Later, I met Leonard’s son Adam and played on one of his
albums.
I have to admit that I was deeply saddened when I heard
about the death of Naomi Judd, the mother half of the extremely successful mother / daughter duo,
The Judds, who burst on to the country music scene in 1984 and put together a string of
hits.
I was a bit perplexed by the statement initially issued by daughters
Wynonna (the other half of the hit-making duo) and actress Ashely Judd … (this was one EXTREMELY talented family!) ...
“Today we sisters experienced a tragedy.
We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness,” the statement
said. “We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we
loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.”
Her husband of 32 years, Larry Strickland
(also a singer, who at one time sang back-up for Elvis Presley) said that “no
further details about her death will be released” and asked for privacy to give
them time to grieve.
The Judds had such a distinctive sound …
there has always been something special about the blend of family harmony … it
set this duo apart as being quite unique … let's face it, there hasn’t really ever been another mother /
daughter pairing that ever achieved anywhere near the kind of chart
success and worldwide love that these two did.(This was
the kind of thing The Cowsills and The Partridges could only dream of!!!) And even looking at things from Wynonna's perspective, who the heck sings hit records and tours with
their Mom?!?!
I always thought that Wynonna had one of
the best voices out there … and some of her solo work still ranks amongst my
favorites.(When Mother Naomi first
announced that she was leaving the road due to an ongoing battle with Hepatitis
C in 1991, Wynonna kicked her own solo career into high gear and quickly put
together a string of country hits, some of which crossed over to the pop charts
as well.)
Ironically, The Judds just recently made
a return to performing together, making an appearance at this year’s CMT Music
Awards last month.In addition, The
Judds were slated to be inducted into The Country Music Hall Of Fame this
past Sunday (May 1st) and then were going back out on the road
together for an arena tour this fall, their first together in over a decade. Everything just seemed to be at a brand new high for them ... the world was once again theirs to conquer ... and die-hard fans along with everyone else alike couldn't have been happier.
Everyone, apparently, except Naomi Judd.
Something about the timing of her death
just didn’t seem right.And the girls attributing
it to “mental illness”??? What was up with that?
It’s no secret
that Naomi battled serious bouts of depression … she even wrote a couple of
books about it.Was the pressure of all
that was now on the line simply too much for her to bear?Maybe she didn’t really want to step back
into the limelight. Did her team around her not see this? Seriously, upon hearing this for the very first time and for it to happen at such a key career crossroads is really quite distressing. Perhaps she thought it was simply too late to back down from all these new commitments. A very emotional Wynonna and Ashley accepted the award on Sunday Night ... and the general consensus seems to be, without anybody saying anything, that Naomi committed suicide rather than face the pressure of starting her career back up again at the age of 76. Could it all have been avoided simply by saying no?
The Judds caught everybody’s attention
with their 1984 release “Mama, He’s Crazy,” a song that went straight to #1 on
the country charts.Thirteen more #1
Hits followed, including each of their next seven releases.(Their first chart hit single was a reworking
of Elvis Presley’s tune “For The Heart,” which The Judds released as “Had A
Dream” at the end of 1983.It peaked at
#17 on Billboard’s Country Music Singles Chart.)Other stand-out #1 Classics include “Why Not
Me,” “Have Mercy” and “Grandpa, Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Old Days.”The number of awards they won is staggering …
Grammys for Country Vocal Duo of the Year, the CMA Single Of The Year Award, the
ACM Song Of The Year Award, a Best Country Song Grammy, often taking home
several of these honors on more than one occasion.(Collectively, The Judds won nine Country
Music Association Awards and seven from the Academy of Country Music. They
earned a total of five Grammy Awards together plus Naomi won a sixth Grammy for
writing their 1991 hit “Love Can Build a Bridge.”(And DIDJAKNOW? that The Judds performed at the 1994 Super
Bowl Half-Time show?!?!)
The fact that Naomi lived as long as she
did after her Hepatis C announcement is really quite remarkable. Just a few years after she first went public with her diagnosis, reports were that she was battling the
disease successfully and it was, in fact, in remission.Prior to her country music career, Naomi worked for years as a nurse (which some suspect may have been the root
cause of her Hepatis C infection in the first place.) THAT might have been the more likely cause
of death we had all been expecting, but she reportedly beat the disease
in 1995 ... and, to the public anyway, has seemed to have been in good health ever since.The fact that her daughters were
blaming her cause of death on “mental illness” leads to all kinds of
speculation.Despite their best wishes,
I’m sure the truth will come out sooner rather than later. After all, the speculation is already circulating.
For the longest time I hoped the two might
perform together again, but other than the rare one-off for a special occasion,
it never really came to pass.Fortunately, I had the chance to see The Judds perform a couple of times
before Naomi retired from the road … and was able to see Wynonna’s solo show a
couple of times as well.
After Mother and Daughter stopped
recording together, Daughter Wynonna kept things rolling with four #1 Hits of
her own, including my favorite, “No One Else On Earth,” which crossed over to
the pop charts as well in 1992.
Daughter Ashley has starred in numerous
films over the years and most recently had a serious leg accident when she fell
while hiking in The Democratic Republic of The Congo.
The Judds were an extremely talented
family who never gave up.Collectively,
they all battled their demons and any falling outs they may have had along the way all seemed to be minor and
quickly resolved. It sounds like Naomi Judd still had one final demon she could not overcome. It is sad that the
world has lost its chance to see the duo perform one last time.(kk)
After our May Day Celebration …
OMG! What a trip!
Paul
Also from Paul ...
>>>I just wanted to let you know how
much I enjoyed your 4 part series on Paul Evans.Several years ago I received an email from
Warren Cosford (Program Director of CHUM in the 70s) who had sent me Paul's
demo of "I Gotta Know."It
absolutely blew me away. I suggested to Warren that Paul should get with
the powers that be at Presley and release this as a new single much the same
way the DJ did with "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" when he did the mix
with Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand. I also asked Warren to please
tell Paul how much I really enjoyed his duet. Warren responded with,
"Why don't you tell him yourself" and sent me his email
address. We corresponded back and forth for a little bit and I have to
tell you that Paul was one of the nicest artists I have ever had the pleasure
to talk to. I still believe he should talk to someone at Presley.
It is simply too good not to be shared with the public and besides, both
parties could enjoy the royalties. Just my two cents worth.
I am ordering Paul's book today. Thanks
for keeping these great memories and songs alive.(Bill Tietz in Dallas / Ft. Worth)
Hi Kent,
I’m having "fun with music" again. 😋
To Bill Tietz,
I recorded the “duet” with Elvis when I had
just gotten competent on my home music equipment. I was really confused when I
found that Elvis had recorded “I Gotta Know” at the same tempo and in the same
key as my original demo. I managed to put them both together (you heard the
result) but I was warned to be discreet with whom I could send the “duet” to -
the Presley organization was VERY litigious.
I did manage to show the idea to my friends
that had any connection to RCA but I never seemed to be able to get the idea to
the powers-that-were. When that idea failed, I suggested to anyone who would
listen, an album of Elvis demos followed by the Elvis masters, with no success.
And now, of course, contacting Sony/BMG is well beyond my ability.
Oh, Bill ... where were you when I needed
you?
Thanks, Bill, for your kind words and good
thoughts,
Paul
PSI
still have my original demos of “The Next Step Is Love” and “Something Blue.”
Here’s Paul’s original demo of “The Next Step Is Love.”This is the take that won Elvis over in the
first place.(kk)
Kent,
Your inclusion of the WCFL Obit in today's
Forgotten Hits is a real coincidence for me. I spent all day yesterday
listening to eight hours of WCFL's final rock 'n roll day.
I was converting the show from my analog tape
into a digital file and telescoping (removing) most of the songs to cut its
length to around an hour.
I had just started working for WLS-FM's
engineering department when the end came for 'CFL. Several of us had
wandered into the AM studios just before Lujack started his goodbye
speech. I remember someone remarking that, "This is NOT a good thing
for us [WLS]. Instead of bouncing between AM stations, now the kids will
learn to search for music on the FM dial -- when we play something they don't
like. They probably won't return to the AM dial for music."
The victory was indeed hollow.
Jon Morgan
It was the end of an era, for sure … and WCFL sure gave them
a run for the money there for a while.(I know we constantly switched back and forth the minute one of the
stations went to commercial or newsbreak … or played a song we weren’t
especially fond of … back then, you’d just spin the dial … or, if you were in
the car, push the next preset button … in the hopes of finding something
better.)It was SUCH an exciting time in
radio … I am SO glad I got to experience it all first hand.(kk)
I am still playing it safe regarding COVID,
but hope to see what Ron has done at the Arcada. I envy the amount of
information you put in your blog ... I'd have given up after a year!
Quick observation ... I find it hard to skim
your blog when I am short of time. Even with the color changes, it is
hard to discern the topics as I run past them. I don't have a solution,
but would welcome something that would help delineate topics. Does this
make me "complaining" boy Buell?
JM
40-year broadcaster
When I first started doing Forgotten Hits in late 1999 and I
saw that the reaction to it was pretty good, I thought to myself, “Well, maybe
I can keep this up for about five years” … because it was key to me to keep it
interesting and relevant … and I figured that by five years’ time, we’d have
covered just about everything you could possibly cover in regards to oldies
music.
But the list just kept on growing … and more and more disc
jockeys … and artists … started participating.I would have NEVER guessed that 2022 is now our 23rd year of
doing this!!!
I still say it’s because of our mutual love of this music …
to quote Me-TV-FM, this “timeless and memorable music” that will just never die
… and continues to grow as more and more people discover it.The participation of our readers is key …
I’ve always said that I’m just the glue that holds it all together … I provide
the forum for ALL of us to share our memories and talk about how much this
music means to us.
Putting together more and more “specialty” shows for weekend
radio has kept it fun for me, too.Doing
the year-long salute to 1967, my favorite year in music EVER … this year with
all the special “guest” columns … as long as I can keep it entertaining for you
out there … AND me … who knows how long we can keep it going on!!!(Hey, I’ve been saying that I’m going to
start cutting back for ten years now … and then all of a sudden see that I’ve
posted something new for 21 days in a row again!)
As for topic titles, we’ve done it both ways.One thing I’ve found about keeping it more of
a constant flow is it just might make you read something you otherwise might
have skipped over, only to find out that you really enjoyed it because it
struck a nerve or maybe it wasn’t something you had thought about or considered
before.Quite often, those turn out to
be some of the best comments we get!
So yeah, I’ll keep going back and forth on this.(A good percentage of our readers read it
every single day – others try to catch up on the weekends or as free time
becomes available.We try to keep it
digestible … but believe me, I know how easy it is to fall behind.I swear if I take just one night off, I’ll be
in here for six hours on a Sunday trying to catch up to all the mail!)kk
By the way, you can listen to Larry Lujack’s Sign-Off
Address To The Nation (as well as literally HUNDREDS of other classic radio
airchecks) here:
The Beach Boys kick off their 60th Anniversary
celebration on June 17th with the release of a greatly expanded (and
newly cleaned-up and mixed) edition of perhaps their most complete Greatest
Hits Collection yet …
“Sounds Of Summer’ will now be spread out over THREE CD’s
featuring a total of EIGHTY tracks … every Top 40 Hit the band every had plus
just about every key album track you’d ever want to own in cleaned-up
sound.(Yes, I WILL be buying some of
these songs for the 15th time again, just to be able to listen to this
all the way through as a stand-alone tribute to one of the greatest bands that
ever existed.
A variety of special editions will also be made available,
including a limited edition, individually numbered 6-LP set packaged in
rainbow-foil slipcases!
Planned release configurations include:A 3-CD softpack (featuring the tracks as
listed below); a 1-CD remastered edition of the original compilation; a 6-LP
Super Deluxe Edition pressed on 180-gram black vinyl (standard); a 6-LP Super
Deluxe Edition, also pressed on 180-gram black vinyl (but released as a numbered,
limited edition with a rainbow foil slipcases and four lithographs, exclusive
to online store); a 2-LP remastered edition of the original compilation
(standard weight vinyl); a 2-LP remastered edition of the original compilation
(180-gram vinyl with tip-on jacket and a lithograph, exclusive to online
store); and a Digital Edition (including a Dolby Atmos presentation of the
original 30-track album.)
Of the 80 tracks, the new release will premiere 24 new mixes including two first-time
stereo mixes, plus 22 new-and-improved stereo mixes, including
some which have employed current digital extraction technology to present mono
tracks into stereo for the first time.
Seriously, how can you beat this collection?(And where are you going to get more bang for
your buck???You can pick up all 80
tracks for only $30!!!Heck, you
couldn’t DOWNLOAD ‘em for that!!!)
The Beach Boys, ‘Sounds of Summer: The Very
Best of the Beach Boys’ Expanded Edition Track Listing
Disc 1
1. California Girls (1965)
2. I Get Around (1964)
3. Surfin’ Safari (1962)
4. Surfin’ U.S.A. (1963)
5. Fun, Fun, Fun (1964)
6. Surfer Girl (1963)
7. Don’t Worry Baby (1964)
8. Little Deuce Coupe (1963)
9. Shut Down (1963)
10. Help Me, Rhonda (1965)
11. Be True To Your School (Single Version) (1963)
12. When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) (1964)
13. In My Room (1963)
14. God Only Knows (1966)
15. Sloop John B (1966)
16. Wouldn’t It Be Nice (1966)
17. Getcha Back (1985)
18. Come Go With Me (1978)
19. Rock and Roll Music (1976)
20. Dance, Dance, Dance (1964)
21. Barbara Ann (1965)
22. Do You Wanna Dance? (1965)
23. Heroes And Villains (1967)
24. Good Timin’ (1979)
25. Kokomo (1988)
26. Do It Again (1968)
27. Wild Honey (1967)
28. Darlin’ (1967)
29. I Can Hear Music (1969)
30. Good Vibrations (1966)
Disc 2
1. All Summer Long (1964)
2. Good To My Baby (1965)
3. This Whole World (1970)
4. All I Wanna Do (1970)
5. Disney Girls (1971)
6. Kiss Me Baby (1965)
7. Let The Wind Blow (1967)
8. Forever (1970)
9. Sail On Sailor (1973)
10. Long Promised Road (1971)
11. Cotton Fields (1970)
12. Pom Pom Play Girl (1964)
13. Wind Chimes (Smile) (1966/1993)
14. I Went To Sleep (1968)
15. Farmer’s Daughter (1963)
16. Let Us Go On This Way (1977)
17. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone (1972)
18. The Night Was So Young (1977)
19. Marcella (1972)
20. You’re So Good To Me (1965)
21. Aren’t You Glad (1967)
22. Baby Blue (1979)
23. It’s About Time (1970)
24. Roll Plymouth Rock (1966/1993)
25. Surf’s Up (1971)
Disc 3
1. Add Some Music To Your Day (1970)
2. It’s Ok (1976)
3. Goin’ On (1980)
4. San Miguel (1969)
5. The Warmth Of The Sun (1964)
6. Everyone’s In Love With You (1976)
7. All This Is That (1972)
8. California Saga (1973)
9. Feel Flows (1971)
10. Wendy (1964)
11. Girl Don’t Tell Me (1965)
12. Let Him Run Wild (1965)
13. All I Want To Do (1968)
14. Susie Cincinnati (1970)
15. Vegetables (1967)
16. Time To Get Alone (1969)
17. Where I Belong (1985)
18. I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times (1966)
19. Little Bird (1968)
20. Til I Die (1971)
21. (Wouldn’t It Be Nice To) Live Again (1971)
22. Friends (1968)
23. Devoted To You (1965)
24. Can’t Wait Too Long (1968)
25. California Feelin’ (1978)
With both the Mike Love / Bruce Johnston version of The
Beach Boys AND Brian Wilson (with Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplain) out touring
this summer, a full-blown concert tour / reunion just wasn’t in the cards.(And we all remember how well that 50TH
Anniversary Tour worked out!!!)
But that doesn’t mean these guys will be loafin’!(The celebration doesn’t end here by any
stretch!)After “Sounds Of Summer” makes
its mark as the CD set to be listening to “all summer long,” this fall will see
the next release from the band’s on-going series of full album reissues with
ALL kinds of bonus tracks, alternate takes, live cuts and more.Next up:“Carl and The
Passions - So Tough” (1972) and “Holland”
(1973).There are also plans
for a television tribute special … as well as a brand new, feature-length
documentary.
For the best and most complete coverage I’ve seen on all of this,
be sure to check out this Second Disc posting …
Joe Marchese brings up a good point when he mentions that
nothing from The Beach Boys’ reunion album, “That’s Why God Made The Radio” is
being included in the new set.A
revamped “Beach Boys: 50 Big Ones” 2-CD set to commemorate their 50th
Anniversary included the title track!Now we’ve got ANOTHER new package, offering up half again as many
tracks, and it’s nowhere to be found … and that just doesn’t seem to be right …
it certainly has earned its spot up there with The Beach Boys’ most
recognizable tunes!(See, that’s why
I’ve got to keep buyin’ ‘em … each new release leaves off something you had
before, forcing you to hang on to EVERY edition!LolThey’re no dummies!!!)kk
Speaking of The Beach Boys, here's a SMILER from Mike Wolstein ...
How true, how true!!!
Hello Kent,
I finally just got caught up with my Forgotten
Hits addiction ( I was way behind ) and just wanted to let you know how much I
enjoyed your 4 part series on Paul Evans.
Several years ago I received an email from
Warren Cosford (Program Director of CHUM in the 70s) who had sent me Paul's
demo of "I Gotta Know.") It absolutely blew me away. I
suggested to Warren that Paul should get with the powers that be at Presley and
release this as a new single much the same way the DJ did with "You Don't
Bring Me Flowers" when he did the mix with Neil Diamond and Barbra
Streisand. I also asked Warren to please tell Paul how much I really
enjoyed his duet. Warren responded with, "Why don't you tell him
yourself" and sent me his email address. We corresponded back and
forth for a little bit and I have to tell you that Paul was one of the nicest
artists I have ever had the pleasure to talk to. I still believe he
should talk to someone at Presley. It is simply too good not to be shared
with the public and besides, both parties could enjoy the royalties. Just
my two cents worth.
I am ordering Paul's book today. Thanks
for keeping these great memories and songs alive.
Bill Tietz in Dallas / Ft. Worth
We’ve heard from about four or five readers now who have
ordered copies of Paul’s book after our interview ran … you’ll enjoy it!
And you’re right … he’s a SUPER nice guy.
In fact, he’s STILL talking about how much he enjoys Tommy
Roe’s new song “80” …
Congratulations
to Tommy Roe. I loved the song - the idea. “80” - One for our side! Who says we
can’t?
Thanks,
Tommy.
Paul
Evans
And here’s Tommy’s reply …
Thank you, Paul ... and yes, we Rock On ‘til
our last breath, and count our blessings with every new song we write.
And thank you, Kent, for sharing your readers’
comments.
I posted your link on my Facebook and Instagram
sites and got really good response as well. Thanks again for you post.
T.
MICKY DOLENZ is at the Chiller Theatre this weekend, but he also
began his tour with Rascal Felix Cavaliere last weekend at the American Music
Theater in Lancaster, PA. For more dates go to his website:
https://mickydolenz.com/
(photo by Tom Honan)
Lots
of talk this past week about Paul McCartney’s new US Tour (Got Back) and some
of the songs making the set list this time around …
Dhani Harrison has resurrected his father’s Dark Horse
Records and will be reissuing some of the label’s releases from the ‘70’s,
including artists like Ravi Shankar (‘Shankar Family & Friends’ and ‘Ravi
Shankar’s Music Festival from India’), Splinter’s ‘The Place I Love’, ‘Harder
To Live’ and ‘Two Man Band’, (Naturally!!! I just bought expensive imports of
these three Splinter albums a couple of years ago!) Henry McCullough ‘Mind Your
Own Business’, Stairsteps ‘2nd Resurrection’, ‘Attitudes ‘Attitudes’ and ‘Good
News’, Keni Burke ‘Keni Burke’ and Jiva ‘Jiva.’
George
Harrison created Dark Horse Records after Apple Records stopped releasing
product.In addition to releasing his
own album on his new label as Apple Records was slowing down. He released his
own album, ‘Thirty Three and a Third,’ in 1976 and continued to sign other
artists.
But
it’s not all nostalgia … Dhani, who now runs the label, has already signed artists
like Billy Idol and Joe Strummer. (kk)
And check this out ...
Mal Evans, longtime roadie and companion of The Fab Four kept diaries of all their comings and goings ... which are now going to be released in book form! (Talk about a unique, fly on the wall perspective!!!) Mal was their sidekick and confidant throughout Beatlemania, serving as both roadie and road manager beginning in 1963 and carrying on right up thru the Apple Records years, working as their personal assistant. (He even produced Badfinger's "No Matter What" single for the label!) He remained close with the Fabs right up until his untimely death in 1976 when he was shot dead by California Police after pointing a rifle at them (reportedly while on Valium and confused)
Noise 11 is reporting that the estate of Mal Evans has teamed with Beatles scholar
Kenneth Womack, PhD, to publish the biography of Mal Evans sourced from
his diaries, manuscripts and photographs.
Mal Evans diaries were discovered in a publishers basement in New York in 1986 and returned to his family. The Estate of Mal Evans has now teamed up with Beatles scholar Kenneth Womack, PhD, to see these memoirs published. (Under the HarperCollins Dey Street Books banner, Womack is expected to develop the diaries into two volumes for release in 2023 and 2024.
(Womack has already authored other books on The Beatles, including "Solid State: The Story of Abbey
Road" and the "End of the Beatles and John Lennon, 1980: The Last Days
in the Life.")
“What I’ve discovered in this archive is more than I could have ever
truly imagined,” says Womack. “I am honored and thrilled to present this
biography and accompanying materials with the historical integrity that
they deserve.”
The first volume of the book, which will feature the full-length biography, will be
published in 2023. A second volume, with the Evans’ diaries,
manuscripts, and numerous other artifacts, to be published in 2024. (kk)
Carl
Giammarese of The Buckinghams was Cousin Brucie’s guest on last Saturday
Night’s program … and Frank B. was there (as always!) to give us a recap …
kk …
Carl Was Impressed With The Way Cousin Brucie Pronounced His
Last Name = Giammarese.
The Buckinghams Will Be On 44 of 57 Stops Of The "HAPPY TOGETHER
TOUR" This Year.
Carl Said He Loves Singing All The Old Hits.As A Writer, You Want To Know That You're
Able To Write New Material.
Carl & Lisa McClowry Did A Duet Version Of "DON'T YOU
CARE."They Also Co-Wrote “I WILL
LOVE YOU FOREVER." Carl Said It's Getting A Lot Of Plays On Spotify.
Carl Said A Tornado Passed Through His Neighborhood A Few Hours
Before He Talked To Cousin Brucie -- Was This Near You?
FB
We had some REALLY bad storms here last night.
(Ironically, I talked to Carl a couple of times Saturday afternoon ... he told
me he was so busy getting things ready for the Happy Together Tour that he
forget to even mention the Cousin Brucie appearance.The Buckinghams were asked to step in at the
very last minute when Chuck Negron dropped out. I think this may be the
8th or 9th time they've been on the bill.)
You still hear the music on the radio every single days some
55 years later … quite amazing … and the fans just love seeing it being
performed live as part of this superstar tour.They had a few conflict dates due to prior bookings but they’ll make
every Happy Together show they can.(If
I’m not mistaken, one of the places they WON’T be on the bill is when the shows
comes thru Chicago!Happy Together will
be back at The Genesee Theatre on August 6th.)kk
From Carl:
As you know, we are on the Happy Together Tour
This Year. It came to us late because we are replacing Chuck Negron. We already
had nine dates booked during the summer, so we had to work around them.
As always, it’s a great tour to be a part of.
Right now, it is playing 53 dates and we will play on 44 of them.
I’ve attached the schedules
Best,
Carl
2022Buckinghams Happy Together tour schedule
Date
City
Venue
Wed
Jun
1
Clearwater
FL
Ruth
Eckerd Hall
Thu
Jun
2
Jacksonville
FL
Florida
Theatre
Fri
Jun
3
Biloxi
MS
IP Casino
Resort & Spa
Sat
Jun
4
Hiawassee
GA
Anderson
Music Hall
Sun
Jun
5
Melborne
FL
King
Center for Performing Arts
Mon
Jun
6
Daytona
Beach
FL
Peabody
Auditorium
Wed
Jun
8
Charleston
SC
Charlston
Music Hall
Thur
Jun
9
Durham
NC
Carolina
Theatre of Durham
Fri
Jun
10
New York
NY
Palladium
Time Square
Sat
Jun
11
Westbury
NY
Theatre at
Westbury
Sun
Jun
12
Lowell
MA
Lowell
Memorial Auditorium
Wed
Jun
15
Quakertown
PA
Univest
Performance Center
Thu
Jun
16
Jim Thorpe
PA
Penn's
Peak
Fri
Jun
17
Staten
Island
NY
St. George
Theatre
Sat
Jun
18
Northhampton
MA
Calvin
Theatre
Sun
Jun
19
Lynn
MA
Lynn
Auditorium
Fri
Jul
8
Lincoln
City
OR
Chinook
Winds Casino Resort
Mon
Jul
11
Sacramento
CA
Crest
Theatre
Tues
Jul
12
Jacksonville
OR
Britt
Pavilion
Thu
Jul
14
Tucson
AZ
Tucson
Music Hall
Fri
Jul
15
Las Vegas
NV
The Smith
Center
Sat
Jul
16
Scottsdale
AZ
Talking
Stick Resort Ballroom
Sun
Jul
17
Costa Mesa
CA
Pacific
Amphitheatre
Sat
Jul
30
Wallingford
CT
Toyota
Presents Oakdale Theatre
Sun
Jul
31
Wilkes-Barr
PA
F.M. Kirby
Center for the Arts
Mon
Aug
1
Ocean City
NJ
Ocean City
Music Pier
Tues
Aug
2
Englewood
NJ
Bergen
Performing Arts Center
Wed
Aug
3
Syracuse
NY
Landmark
Theatre
Fri
Aug
5
Manistee
MI
Little
River Casino Resort
Sun
Aug
7
West Allis
WI
Wisconsin
State Fair - Main Stage
Tues
Aug
9
Rochester
NY
Kodak
Center
Wed
Aug
10
Kettering
OH
Fraze
Pavilion
Thu
Aug
11
Nashville
TN
Ryman
Auditorium
Fri
Aug
12
New
Buffalo
MI
Four Winds
Casino Resort
Sun
Aug
14
Northfield
OH
MGM
Northfield Park
Thu
Aug
18
Shipshewana
IN
Blue Gate
Performing Arts Center
Fri
Aug
19
Aurora
IL
Paramount
Theatre
Sat
Aug
20
St.
Charles
MO
The Family
Arena
Sun
Aug
21
Kansas
City
MO
Muriel
Kauffman Theatre
Tues
Aug
23
Louisville
KY
Kentucky
State Fair
Wed
Aug
24
Effingham
IL
Effingham
Performance Center
Thu
Aug
25
Des Moines
IA
Hoyt
Sherman Place
Sun
Aug
28
Deadwood
SD
Deadwood
Mountain Grand
Mon
Aug
29
Grand
Island
NE
Nebraska
State Fair
In
addition, The Buckinghams have Cornerstones shows booked for Milwaukee’s
Summerfest on June 23rd, The LaPorte Civic Center in La Porte,
Indiana, and then back at The Genesee Theatre on October 1st, all
featuring the very best of Chicago ‘60’s Rock with The Ides Of March, The
Cryan’ Shames, The New Colony Six and The Shadows Of Knight.(kk)
May 2nd would have been Leslie Gore's
76th birthday. She was one of the great pop vocalists of our time.
Her song, "Immortality", which came out in 1975, after her huge run
of hits had ended, was one of her best, and contained lyrics that appeared to
be a message which stated that she knew she wasn't going to be around for a
long time. I find it a bit spooky to listen to those lyrics, knowing that
she'd passed on at a very early age (68, in early 2015) from lung cancer.
Maybe it was just a coincidence.
And May 4th would have been Dick Dale's
85th.
I got a call from Pam in August of 2016 telling me that Dick was playing at
Durty Nellie's in Palatine. We up met there, and it was a wild (and very
loud) show.He was 79 years old at the
time and still played like it was 1958. After chatting up the audience
and tuning his guitar, he said "OK, now I'm going to make your ears
bleed!”He wasn't kidding.
What was surprising was that the turnout was much smaller than you'd expect. I
estimated maybe 150-200 people.
Mike Wolstein
Now this is interesting …
For the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band show
coming up at Chicago’s City Winery on July 16th, it looks like
they’ll be doing one set of their greatest hits along with a second set of Bob
Dylan songs!
Then, on August 24th, it’s Jim Peterik’s Guitar
Madness, where Jim will talk about his INCREDIBLE guitar collection (valued
into the millions of dollars based on the Me-TV Collectors’ Choice program we
saw.)Wow … I didn’t even know about
this one!
Jim and the rest of The Cornerstones Of Rock guys will be
performing October 1st at The Genesee Theatre as well.Relive the music of our local heroes … The
Buckinghams, The New Colony Six, The Cryan’ Shames, The Ides Of March and The
Shadows Of Knight!
But just check out some of the artists who will be appearing
…
La La Brooks, original lead singer of The Crystals, Lou
Christie, The Cyrkle, The Grass Roots, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Jay and the
Americans, The Lettermen, Bobby Miranda, original lead singer of The
Happenings, Peter Noone and Herman’s Hermits, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap,
Shades Of Blue, Dennis Tufano, original lead singer of The Buckinghams …
Be sure to get on their mailing list to stay updated for any
shows that may be coming to your area.(kk)
And, speaking of tours, The O’Jays have just announced their
final tour …
Once we have the official dates and cities, we’ll pass the
information along …
But for right now, we have only received this press release
statement …
Soul/R&B Legends The O'Jays Celebrate 60 Years
With Final Tour!
Last Stop On The Love Train! Coming Soon To A City
Near You!
After more than 60 years
electrifying people all over the world, the mighty, legendary, R&B / Soul
kings The O’Jays are set to embark on their final tour! Featuring original
members Eddie Levert Sr and Walter Williams Sr, who have been singing together
for over 70 years!
The O’Jays are touring history, a
connection to an era and a sound that formed the soundtrack for the lives of
several generations. In 1972, Gamble & Huff, a team of producers and
songwriters with whom the O’Jays had been working for several years, signed the
group to their Philadelphia International label.
With this magic formula, often
called The Sound of Philadelphia, The O’Jays scored their first number 1 and
million-selling song, “Backstabbers:, followed by more chart-topping pop and
R&B singles including “Love Train,” “Put Your Hands Together,” “For The
Love of Money,” “I Love Music,” “Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love),”
“Livin’ For The Weekend” and “Use Ta Be My Girl.”
This success propelled The O’Jays to
be the first black vocal group to perform in arenas throughout America during
the 70s and 80s. Eddie Levert Sr, Walter Williams Sr, and Eric Nolan Grant, who
joined the group in 1995, continue to thrill fans today.
“The reason that this is our last
tour is because, between Eddie and I, our ages will be over 160 years old by
the end of the tour. I will be 60, and Eddie... you can do the rest of the
math. But really, we wanted one last tour to say goodbye to our friends,
family and fans, and ride The Love Train together, one last time.” - Walter
Williams Sr
“I was thinking that I would quietly
retire, but our fans and my body weren’t having it ... The love and physical
benefits of performing keeps us on the younger side of our age. This tour is a
celebration of all of our lives and the struggles and joys that got us to
today. It is time for us to say goodbye and we would like to do it in
person. Please come join us as we play the music we have shared together over
the past 60 years, one last time.” - Eddie Levert
Throughout their career The O’Jays
have achieved 10 Gold albums, 9 Platinum albums and 10 #1 hits. It’s been a
long journey but thanks to the fans the LOVE TRAIN is still going strong!
The O’Jays were inducted into the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. They were inducted into the Vocal Group
Hall of Fame in 2005 and honored with BET’s LifeTime Achievement Award in 2009.
In 2013, they were inducted into The Official R&B Music Hall of Fame.
Please don't miss this train at the
station 'Cause if you miss it, I feel sorry, sorry for you
Even Robert Feder was spreading the word last week about
this year’s Illinois Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees …
Radio legend John Records Landecker, who’s
currently hosting evenings at Nexstar Media news / talk WGN 720-AM, and WXRT 93.1-FM, the Audacy adult album alternative station, are among the
2022 inductees to the Hall of Fame of the Illinois Rock and
Roll Museum on Route 66. This year’s
other honorees are Styx,
Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, DanFogelberg,The New Colony Six, Jim Peterik, Dennis DeYoung
and Mercury Records. The second annual Hall of Fame ceremony will be
June 5 at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet. (Here is the link for tickets.)
Honestly, for what this is and what it
can do, that’s really not a bad price!My first thought was I want to keep my CD’s in their jewel cases with
all the photos and liner notes … but it sounds like this is really more just a
way to scan in all of your music into one place … and 5000 full length CD’s is
one heck of a lot of storage!(kk)
Just
finished reading your blog. You are too kind. For me to be mentioned in the
same breath as my heroes Duane Eddy and Bobby Vee gave me goose bumps!
I
loved your alternative book title … Paladin's another hero.
FYI,
the book is now available at Amazon. Didn't figure on so many book titles beginning
with "No Strings Attached" but at least mine is literal. Just
requires a little scrolling to find it.
Thanks
again for the support.
Hope
to see you somewhere along the way.
Jim
I started reading through Jim Nowoc’s “No Strings Attached”
this weekend and am quite enjoying it.
The chapters move thru rock and roll history in
chronological order … and having also grown up here in Chicago, there are so
many relatable parallel places and experiences that I can immediately connect
to.(I’m especially enjoying some of
these earlier chapters as I didn’t connect to music until the 1964 British
Invasion.Jim’s a few years older than
me so he was there from the beginning and got to experience “Rock Around The
Clock,” Elvis Presley and American Bandstand first-hand as they were happening.)
Of course the journey of his now infamous guitar play into
some many connectable paths … imagine being able to meet so many of these
artists that were so influential and inspirational to you as a youngster and
then decades later, being able to relate these experiences as they sign your
keepsake.(Again, I can relate … I am
CONSTANTLY amazed and reminded about how fortunate I am to have been able to
meet and interact with so many of MY music idols from back in the day.)
I can only recommend that you pick up a copy if you made a
similar journey down the path of discovering and falling in love with rock and
roll music.
I agree with Ed#1 that SURFIN' HOOTENANNY
should have been a bigger hit than what it was.
As for Giorgio, his only record here in OKC
was his charted song of LOOKY LOOKY (on Atco) from 1969.
And when you show surveys from different
towns, I always like to see what records were played on their surveys that
weren't on ours (OKC)
Larry
I wasn’t quite as knocked out by Al Casey’s “Surfin’
Hootenanny” as you guys were … but it didn’t exactly tank … “Surfin’
Hootenanny” made The Top 40 in both Music Vendor (#38) and Cash Box (#39) … it
only failed to achieve Top 40 status in Billboard, where it peaked at #48.(kk)
>>>Speaking of Tommy Roe in today's
FH, years ago and I think maybe I still have it, I had (have) a copy of SHEILA,
except it is misspelled. It is spelled SHIELA. I also have his original
recording on Judd. Always did like the records that Tommy Roe put out. My
favorite is probably the one he recorded for EVERYBODY.(Larry)
We were IN OKC when Everybody was out and it was
the main 45 I bought there!
Clark Besch
>>>You are right about when there
were two rock and roll stations being in the same market, that some records
were played on one station and not the other. I can't really think of too many
examples here in the OKC area, but one I do know is that the Music
Explosion's LITTLE BIT OF SOUL was played on
both KOMA and WKY. But their follow up, SUNSHINE GAMES, was played only on
KOMA. Most of the Uniques’ records were played only on KOMA.(Larry)
Yes, but often KOMA and WKY agreed MUCH more than
WLS and WCFL did with charting and airplay, IMO.
Clark
And here’s a fun one from Geoff Lambert’s weekly music sheet
…
Did you know Jimmy Plant, Jimmy Page and John
Bonham from Led Zeppelin met Elvis on May 11th 1974?
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Bonham were in Los Angeles for
the launch of their record label Swan Song. The night after the launch party at
the Bel Air Hotel, the three attended Elvis Presley's concert at the Forum. At
some point, Elvis must have been alerted to the presence of the rock group in
the audience because during the show - which was taped and later released on
record as 'Live in L.A'. - he can be heard saying to his band, 'Wait
a minute. ... If we can start together, fellas, because we've got Led Zeppelin
out there. ... Let's try to look like we know what we're doing, whether we do
or not'. Jimmy Plant also revealed a funny turn near the end of the evening.
'At that meeting, Jimmy Page joked with Elvis that we never sound-checked - but
if we did, all I wanted to do was sing Elvis songs', Plant said. 'Elvis thought
that was funny and asked me, 'Which songs do you sing?' I told him I liked
'Love Me' -- 'Treat me like a fool / Treat me mean and cruel / But love me'. So
when we were leaving, after a most illuminating and funny ninety minutes with
the him, I was walking down the corridor. He swung 'round the door frame,
looking quite pleased with himself, and started singing that song: 'Treat me
like a fool ... ' I turned around and did Elvis right back at him. We stood
there, singing to each other'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORYYee94OhU
If
you’d like to subscribe, drop him a line at geoff.lambert@btinternet.com
