Tuesday This And That

This Thursday (February 23rd) marks the EIGHTH Anniversary of Me-TV-FM Radio ... the little station that could ... and did.

Starting with just a weak signal and broadcasting in Chicago only (where you usually had to contend with the station fading in and out a good percentage of the time), Me-TV-FM has grown into a worldwide streaming network with listeners literally around the world enjoying their unique brand of programming.  (We've been touting these guys since Day One ... and they just keep getting better.)

Me-TV-FM proved what WE'VE been saying for the past 25 years ...

The music fans out there DO remember all of these great hits they listened to growing up, well above and beyond the same 200-300 songs that MOST oldies stations had been playing for decades.  Me met the challenge and programmed outside the box ... and now you're likely to hear just about anything on their station ... heavy on the 60's and '70's ... with just the right mix of '50's and '80's ... but ALL Timeless and Memorable Music.

The listeners and the fans have spoken ...

We LOVE our Me-TV-FM!!!  (kk)

There just seems to be no end to these lately ...

Sunday’s death announcements included Munch, Comedian / Actor Richard Belzer, who entertained us for decades as both a stand-up comic and in his dramatic role on “Homicide: Life In The Streets” and then “Law And Order,” where his character John Munch lived on.

No cause of death was given.  Belzer was 78.  (kk)

I also received several emails on Sunday from readers who had heard that Chuck Jackson had passed away … but checking numerous times over a period of several hours, I could not find an official confirmation of this.  (Chuck is/was [?] 85 … so it wouldn’t be a total shock … it was just especially sad that this could have happened so close to Burt Bacharach’s passing.  Burt, of course, wrote Chuck’s biggest hit, “Any Day Now.” [#12*, 1962])

*Please Note:  Here is another instance where there was a sizable chart discrepancy as to the size hit “Any Day Now” really was.  Cash Box charted the record at #12, listing it for 17 weeks.  Music Vendor pegged it at a #15 peak during its 15 week chart run … while Billboard only listed the record for 12 weeks and showed it stopping at #23.  Personally, I would definitely consider this to be a Top 20 record. 

Although he charted a total of 37 times, he only had one other Top 40 Hit … and that was his first release, “I Don’t Want To Cry.”  It, too, performed better in Cash Box and Music Vendor than it did in Billboard, peaking at #24, #25 and #36 respectively.  Cash Box again charted the record the longest … 12 weeks, compared to only 7 in Billboard.  (kk)

UPDATE:  I did see a post early Monday Morning stating that Chuck had died ... but it, too, was unconfirmed.  And then the news services finally picked up on the story, saying that Chuck had actually died back on the 16th ... so the word is now official.  (See, we knew that if we just hung in there long enough, notification of his passing would come any day now.)  kk

Kent,

I was just told that singer Chuck Jackson passed away a few days ago at the age of 85. I always did like his follow-up to I DON'T WANT TO CRY, IT NEVER HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE. And of course who could forget ANY DAY NOW?
Larry

"It Never Happens In Real Life" peaked at #46 in Billboard as the follow-up to Chuck's break-through hit "I Don't Want To Cry."  (This record actually DID perform better in Billboard than in the other trades, where it topped out at #79 and #85 ... again a HUGE discrepancy as where this record placed on the charts.)  kk

More from Tom Cuddy ...

https://bestclassicbands.com/chuck-jackson-obituary-singer-2-20-23/ 

and ...

https://www.showbiz411.com/2023/02/20/rip-the-great-rb-singer-chuck-jackson-hits-included-i-keep-forgetting-any-day-now-age-85

Much as I love and admire Roger Friedman's work, I would beg to differ with his assessment of Chuck Jackson's career here ...

"I Keep Forgettin', "Any Day Now" and "I Don't Want To Cry" hardly qualified as "major, major hits" ...

Jackson's version of "I Keep Forgettin'" stalled at #48 in Cash Box (and again fared even lower in Billboard, peaking at #55.)  It was Michael McDonald's version that put this song on the map and everybody's radar.  McDonald scored a Top Five smash with this tune in 1982 after breaking away from The Doobie Brothers and making this his first solo chart hit.

It also doesn't help that Friedman spelled Scepter Records' name wrong in his article.  (Jackson's releases were actually on the Wand record label, a Scepter subsidiary.)

And, speaking of Burt Bacharach ... and Tom Cuddy … I also received THIS from Tom ...

One great songwriter paying tribute to another …

Here are Jimmy Webb’s thoughts on Burt Bacharach passing …

“Baby It’s You” by The Shirelles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKgkDxnG9Z8

is one of the first songs I remember that Burt Bacharach composed.  His music deeply affected me.  I could hear his classical training in the cadences, polyrhythms, and arrangements. I was 15 and I was hooked on Burt. He was my school. Bacharach and David were the pinnacle I aspired to. 

 

I studied him and them.  I learned about chords from listening to Burt’s songs on the radio.  I tried to write like him (listen to my song “The Girl’s Song” by The Fifth Dimension).  He was integral to my informal songwriting education. 

 

When I was 22 years old and had several hits under my belt, I sent Burt a letter and told him that my songwriting success was born from listening to him. I told in that letter how much I respected him and owed him. 

 

Years later, an acquaintance of mine visited Burt in his NYC apartment;  he shared that my letter was hanging by the fireplace in the living room!  My hero, my teacher had my letter framed!  

 

Not too long ago, in LA at a George Martin tribute, I was backstage along with Burt as we waited to go on.  I asked, “Is it true you have my letter over your fireplace?” He answered, “I sure do.”  I put my arm around him, and we sat quietly in our world of song.  We were kindred souls that traveled the same road.  It was a moment of peaceful silent sharing.

 

As life model, a fellow traveler in this creative world, he was something stable and important that I could hold onto.  I am bereft at the thought that he isn’t with us anymore.  But in the same breath, what a mark he -- and Hal and Dionne -- made on the world!

JLW

Boy, fans of Del Shannon are in for a REAL treat ...

Edsel Records has put together a 12-CD Box Set of ALL of Del Shannon's collected recordings ... 

 

Everything from his first hit "Runaway" through his recordings produced by Tom Petty.  (Shannon was rumored to have been considered as Roy Orbison's replacement in The Traveling Wilburys after The Big O passed away.)

The Box Set, titled "Stranger in Town: A Del Shannon Compendium," covers ALL of Del Shannon's chart hits and features material from all of the various labels he recorded for after leaving Big Top ... including Amy, Liberty, ABC / Dunhill, United Artists, Warner Brothers and MCA.  And, in addition to some of his posthumously released sessions, you'll also find a dozen previously unreleased tracks in its offering. This box is REALLY going to be something ... and it's later out this week! 

As Del himself might say, "Hats Off To Edsel!"

You'll find the complete track listing here:

https://theseconddisc.com/2023/02/20/hats-off-to-del-shannon-in-new-12cd-box-set/   (kk)

Hi Kent –

I just uploaded this little piece to the Dick Biondi FB page, but not everyone visits that site … so, here ya go.

Hope you and your readers like it.
Mike
=====================================================

ON THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 23RD, 1963, DICK BIONDI PLAYED A RECORD THAT WAS BROUGHT TO WLS BY THE FOLKS AT VEE JAY RECORDS, A SMALL CHICAGO LABEL THAT HAD PRODUCED MUSIC BY MANY WELL-KNOWN GROUPS OF THE 1950S AND EARLY 60S.  THE RECORD WAS BY A GROUP WHOSE NAME WAS UNKNOWN ANYWHERE BUT IN THE U.K.:  "THE BEATTLES" (THAT WAS THE WAY IT WAS SPELLED ON THE LABEL).

DICK PLAYED THE TUNE, CALLED "PLEASE PLEASE ME," ON HIS SHOW THAT EVENING AND BY DOING SO, HIS ICON STATUS WAS BUMPED UP BY A FEW NOTCHES.  (THOSE "BUMPS" DIDN'T ARISE UNTIL THE "BEATTLES" FINALLY BECAME NOTICED HERE, IN FEBRUARY, 1964, ON THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW.)

THE TUNE GOT LITTLE  ATTENTION. DICK DIDN'T GIVE UP: HE KNEW THE "BEATTLES" WERE SPECIAL, AND AFTER AIRING THE TUNE NUMEROUS TIMES, IT HOPPED ONTO THE WLS SILVER DOLLAR SURVEY FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 8, 1963, AT #40. THE NEXT WEEK IT JUMPED TO #35, AND THAT ENDED ITS RUN. 

AS WE SAY, THE REST IS HISTORY.

kk:

Kathy Young was Cousin Brucie’s guest on Saturday Night –

Here are some of the new things that I learned --

The First Song That Kathy Young Sang Around The House (at 5 Years Old) was "HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW?"

And, When She Was Just 5 Years Old, She Already Knew That She Was Going To Be A Professional Singer.

"A THOUSAND STARS" Was #1 On Her 15th Birthday.

Kathy Married One Of The Walker Brothers & Moved To England -- They Were Very Popular There.

She Got Divorced & Moved Back To The U.S. … Then Got Married For The Second Time & Became An Orange Grower.

Divorced For The Second Time And Then Went Back To Music To Earn A Living.

In 1993, A Promoter Contacted Her Manager ... Said He Wanted Her On A Planned Rock & Roll Show.

She Called Promoter ... Sorry, Too Late For This Show ... Maybe Next Year.

Wait A Minute ... Somebody Dropped Out Of The Show ... Kathy Young Was Hired As Their Replacement.

June 3 = Kathy Young's Next Show In Pittsburgh.

Kathy Young's First Professional Show Was In San Pedro, California.

She Showed Up ... But The Innocents Were Nowhere To Be Found.

Turns Out They Were In A Car Accident On The Way To The Show …

So The Safaris Backed Her Up.

Don't You Just Love A Happy Ending?

Probably More Than You Wanted To Know About Kathy Young.

Cousin Brucie Says It Sounds Like A Movie & She Should Write A Book.

By Now, You're Probably Sick Of Hearing Me Talk About Cousin Brucie ...

But on 2/18/23, Cousin Brucie Interviewed Kathy Young. She Said She Was 15 Years Old When "A Thousand Stars" Was # 1.

Next Week (on 2/25 23), Cousin Brucie Will Be Talking To Dodie Stevens. 

She Was 13 Years Old When "Tan Shoes & Pink Shoe Laces" Was A Hit (1959) -- 

And She Was 8 Years Old When She Made Her First Recording, "MERRY GO ROUND."

What's Next ... "BABY SITTIN' BOOGIE?"

FB

Noise 11 posted this piece about a duet recorded between Dolly Parton and Olivia Newton-John.  It's a cover of Dolly’s 1973 #1 Hit “Jolene,” a track that Olivia had also recorded earlier in her career.

In their words:

Dolly Parton wrote ‘Jolene’ and recorded the song on May 22, 1973, in Nashville at RCA Studio B. The song became Dolly’s second number one country hit in the USA.

Olivia Newton-John recorded the song in 1976 for her ‘Come On Over’ album. It was released as the final single off the album and reached no 29 in Australia and no 11 in Japan.

Olivia Newton-John’s final recording was a re-recording of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene,’ performed as a duet with Dolly Parton.

Two such distinctive voices … this is just beautiful.  (kk)

We made our first-ever stop at Cane’s for a quick dinner the other night –

Not much to choose from really … the only thing on the menu is chicken strips!!!

You just have to decide if you want 2, 3 or 4 … or 3 spread across a bun as sort of a “fake” chicken sandwich! 

(Judging by the length of the line at the drive-thru every time we’ve ever passed by, we figured we must be missing something really good … and rather than face the wait of that ridiculous line, we decided to dine in instead.  Now that we have, I can honestly say that I'm not quite sure what the appeal is … and, as far as chicken strips go, I don’t think theirs would even make my Top Five list.)

In fact, the only reason I’m mentioning it at all is NOT because of their “fine cuisine” … but rather because of the decor and atmosphere we experienced while “dining in.”

The first thing you notice when you walk in the place is three very large, silver disco balls hanging from the ceiling, all lit up and spinning under special lighting.

Then, in the corner, is a portrait of Elvis, circa 1973 …

But over the sound system, it's the music of AC/DC that is blasting!!!

Talk about diversity!!!

The soundtrack stayed classic rock the whole time we were there … everything from AC/DC to Pat Benatar to The Clash and a few other of the tried and true Classic Rock Artists one would expect to find on our TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME list.

Just an odd mix of atmosphere, to say the least.  (Too bad the food wasn’t better … we might be inclined to visit again!) 

Or maybe not …

The clientele was young and very loud – there was a table of 20 (!!!) right in the center of the room, completely filled with probably high school-aged kids … and most of the other tables were occupied with more of the same … a rather rowdy crowd for a Saturday Night fast-food place, especially if you're just a couple of old folks ducking in to grab a quick dinner.  Hard to carry on a conversation in these surroundings!

I just think we’re more likely to drive thru Popeye’s next time we’ve got the urge for chicken strips … closer, faster and a whole lot tastier!  (But I WILL mix the AC/DC / Elvis / Disco mix!!!  Lol)  kk

HITTING THE POST:  For as long as we’ve been doing this, we have striven to maintain a 6 am Chicago Time posting time for all new material … but are finding this harder and harder to maintain these days due to personal schedule changes.

So, moving forward, our NEW goal is to post at 7 AM Chicago Time instead.  Unfortunately, this means that “early risers” will have to wait an our longer to digest each morning’s edition of Forgotten Hits … but it WILL make life just a LITTLE bit easier on this end.  (Unfortunately, it ALSO means less proof-reading time for me as by 7 am, I am already a good ways into my commute to work … but we’ll fix things on the fly as needed when we get home each night.)

For consistency’s sake, even pre-posts will now have a 7 am post time.  (The Sunday Comments typically went up at 7 am anyway, so you won’t see much change there.)

Sorry for any inconvenience this may present … but it’s all part of our evolving schedule change … and we’re trying to adapt as best we can.  (kk)

A final smiler from Chuck Buell …

A doctor walks into the exam room and meets a husband and wife sitting there.

 

"What seems to be the problem?" the Doctor asks.

"Well, every time my husband opens his mouth, he can only sing," says the wife.

"OK. I'd like to hear that from your husband," says the doctor.

The husband shrugs, opens his mouth and sings,

 

"Well, she's all you'd ever want, She's the kind I like to flaunt and take to dinner,

But she always knows her place. She's got style, She's got grace, She's a winner. She's a Lady."

 

"Interesting," says the doctor. "Let's try it again."

The husband once again opens his mouth and sings,

 

"What's new, Pussycat? Whoa, whoa, What's new, Pussycat?"

 

"Hmmmmmmmmm. Once more, please," says the doctor.

Again the husband opens his mouth and sings,

 

"My, my, my Delilah. Why, why, why Delilah? I could see, that girl was no good for me, but I was lost like a slave that no man could free."

 

"Well, I think I've heard enough," says the doctor.

 

"Well? What's the diagnosis?" asks the wife.

"I'd say it's an acute case of TJS … Tom Jones Syndrome," says the doctor.
"Is it rare?" asks the wife.

"It's not unusual." the doctor replies!

 

(And yes, you WILL be singing these songs in your head all day long!!!) 

The Sunday Comments ( 02 - 19 - 23 )

The Decades Channel ran a Dick Cavett episode the other night that featured Raquel Welch, promoting her then-new movie “Kansas City Bomber.”

It’s really kind of amazing what you USED to be able to say on television … so sad that the world has since lost its sense of humor …

It used to be a much funner place to live back in the day.  Although I can ALSO see how much of this can be regarded as degrading and demeaning … something Raquel had to live with her entire life, simply because she was beautiful.  But, that being said, she also capitalized on that beauty … and turned it into a lifelong career.  (I’m sure that more than a few “perks” came along with the fact that she was charming and beautiful!)  kk

In fact, Tom Cuddy sent us THIS pic of him and Raquel from the ‘70’s … along with a little story to go with it …

I worked with Raquel Welch three times over the years.  One time, she was scheduled to do a phoner with our morning show at WPLJ / New York and the staff URGED me to convince her people to have Raquel come visit the station. Our crew was super excited about the possibility of meeting Raquel in person!

Raquel's publicist asked us to pick up the cost of transportation from her hotel to the station at 2 Penn Plaza. I offered to pay for a cab for her and her flack, but she said only a limo was acceptable, so we arranged a limo. Her visit was terrific. She was charming and happy to talk about her career and her latest project.

The next day the limo company called and said Raquel ended up taking the limo out for the entire day and they wanted the station to pay for it. I said no, because our arrangement was transportation for the morning show appearance only. It appears that Raquel had used her considerable charms and charisma to convince the driver that we had approved of her using the limo all day so she could enjoy some NYC shopping!

Tom

Still, I imagine there are worse ways to spend a morning! Lol

Raquel has a little bit of that "deer in the headlights" look in this pic ...

But still, how many of us can claim to enjoying this experience?!?!

Thanks, Tom!  (kk)

kk …

The Bobby Darin Fan Club Is Reporting Death Of Stella Stevens. 

She Was Bobby's Love Interest In "TOO LATE BLUES."

Saturday Night 10 PM Eastern WABC 77 AM Is Airing Tony Orlando's Tribute to Burt Bacharach.  His Special Guest Will Be Dionne Warwick.

FB

Sad, but true.  Another sexy ‘60’s siren passes.  (I’ll always remember her most for her role in the original Jerry Lewis film of “The Nutty Professor” … which is evidently how FH Reader Timmy C remembers her, too!)

He sent us this photo and article …

Stella Stevens, Hollywood Bombshell Who Yearned for More, Dies at 84
She starred alongside the likes of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lewis. But she wanted to direct and write, and she felt held back by industry sexism.

Stella Stevens with Jerry Lewis in a publicity photo for one of her best-known films, “The Nutty Professor” (1963) Credit ... Photofest

A color photo of Ms. Stevens -- blond, in a brown dress and sitting on a laboratory counter with her legs crossed. Behind her is Jerry Lewis, with a comical expression, leaning over the counter with his eyeglasses perched on the end of his nose.

Stella Stevens, whose turn as an A-list actress in 1960s Hollywood placed her alongside sex symbols like Brigitte Bardot, Ann-Margret and Raquel Welch, but who came to resent the male-dominated industry that she felt thwarted her ambitions to be more than a pretty face, died on Friday at a hospice facility in Los Angeles. She was 84.  Her son, the producer and actor Andrew Stevens, said the cause was Alzheimer’s disease.

Ms. Stevens was among the last stars to emerge from Hollywood’s studio system, an arrangement that guaranteed her work but, she often said, also limited her creative aspirations. She won a Golden Globe in the “most promising newcomer” category for her role in “Say One for Me” (1959), a musical comedy starring Bing Crosby and Debbie Reynolds, but felt coerced into joining the cast of “Girls! Girls! Girls!” (1962), an empty Elvis Presley vehicle.

Like Ms. Welch, who died on Wednesday, Ms. Stevens was ambivalent, if not outright indignant, about being cast as a Hollywood sex symbol. She described herself as introverted and bookish, and she sought to work with auteurs like John Cassavetes, who cast her as the female lead in “Too Late Blues,” his 1961 drama about a jazz musician (played by Bobby Darin).

“I wanted to be a writer-director,” she told the film scholar Michael G. Ankerich in 1994. “All of a sudden, I got sidetracked into being a sexpot. Once I was a ‘pot,’ there was nothing I could do. There was nothing legitimate I could do.”

She worked with many of the top directors and actors of the 1960s. She starred as the love interest of the title character, a timid college professor who undergoes a personality transformation, in “The Nutty Professor” (1963), which Jerry Lewis wrote, directed and starred in; “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father” (1963), a romantic comedy directed by Vincent Minnelli; and “The Silencers” (1966), a spy spoof starring Dean Martin.

In between, though, she had to take a series of mediocre roles in mediocre movies, and critics came to view her as a star who was perpetually kept away from realizing her full potential.

Two exceptions came in the early 1970s: She acted opposite Jason Robards in “The Ballad of Cable Hogue” (1970), a comic western directed by Sam Peckinpah, and as part of an all-star cast assembled for “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972), joining Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters and Gene Hackman in an overturned ocean liner.

By then her sex-symbol days were fading, and Ms. Stevens hoped to have the time and reputation to become a director. But female directors were almost unheard-of at the time, and her attempts to get support for what she called “a marvelous black comedy” that she wanted to make met repeated dead ends.

“Every man I’ve gone to for four years has smiled at me and then double‐crossed me,” she told The New York Times in 1973. “Every man I’ve talked to in every office in this industry has tried his best to discourage me from directing. They don’t want me to find out it’s so easy because it’s supposed to be terribly hard.”

Stella Stevens was born Estelle Caro Eggleston on Oct. 1, 1938, in Yazoo City, Miss., though she often told interviewers she was from a town called Hot Coffee, a nearby community. Her agent said anything sounded better than “Yazoo.”

Her father, Thomas, worked for a bottling company in Yazoo, and her mother, Estelle (Caro) Eggleston, was a nurse. When Stella was still young, they moved to Memphis, where her father worked in sales for International Harvester.

Stella dropped out of high school at 15 to marry Herman Stephens. They had one child, Andrew, and divorced in 1956. (She later changed her surname to Stevens because, she said, it was easier for people to pronounce.)

She worked with many of the top directors and actors of the 1960s, but she also had to take a series of mediocre roles in mediocre movies.

She returned to school after the divorce and earned a high school diploma. She enrolled at Memphis State College, now the University of Memphis, with plans to become an obstetrician.

She also took up theater. A role in a college production of William Inge’s “Bus Stop” brought an invitation to audition in New York, and by 1959 she was in Los Angeles, on a three-year contract with 20th Century Fox.

She finished three movies in six months, including “Say One for Me,” but the studio dropped her soon after. With a young son to feed, she took an offer from Playboy to pose nude for $5,000. After the shoot, she said, Hugh Hefner, the magazine’s publisher, would pay her only half and told her that she had to work as a hostess at the Playboy Mansion to earn the rest.

Before the photos ran, she signed a new contract with Paramount. She asked Mr. Hefner to cancel the magazine feature, but he refused, and she appeared as Playmate of the Month in the January, 1960 issue, a few months before winning her Golden Globe.

“People don’t realize how horrible men can be toward a beautiful woman with no clothes on,” she told Delta magazine in 2010.

Her relationship with Playboy remained complicated. Despite her anger at Mr. Hefner, she posed nude for the magazine two more times. She then sued Mr. Hefner and Playboy in 1974, citing several instances of invasion of her privacy, but the case was thrown out because the statute of limitations had expired.

In 1998, Playboy named Ms. Stevens 27th on its list of the 20th century’s sexiest female stars, just behind Sharon Stone.

In addition to her son, Ms. Stevens is survived by three grandchildren. Her longtime partner, Bob Kulick, died in 2020.

Despite her career’s post-1960s fade, Ms. Stevens remained eager to work. She turned to television and had roles in some 80 episodes over the next four decades. Most of them were guest appearances on shows like “Murder, She Wrote,” “The Love Boat” and “Magnum P.I.,” though she was also a member of the regular cast of several shows, including the soap opera “Santa Barbara.”

When she did return to film, it was often for soft-core erotic thrillers and campy horror movies, like “Chained Heat” (1983), in which she played a prison warden, and “The Granny” (1994), in which she played a wronged grandmother who comes back to life to get revenge on her scheming family.

She eventually did get into the director’s chair, for “American Heroine,” a 1979 documentary, and “The Ranch,” a 1989 comedy starring her son. She also wrote a novel, “Razzle Dazzle” (1989), which featured a thinly fictionalized version of herself.

“I don’t feel I’ve been successful yet,” she told The Vancouver Sun in 1998. “I’m still waiting to be discovered. I see myself as a work in progress. I keep trying to work and improve and do things I’m proud of.”

 

How cool is it that Raquel and Stella both appeared in Elvis movies?!?!

And Bob Kulick, referred to above as “her longtime partner,” played lead guitar for both Alice Cooper and Meatloaf!  They lived together from 1984 until his death in 2020.  (kk)

 

Hi Kent,

Charlie Ricci recently stated that Glenn Miller had the first "gold record" with "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and he's technically correct (see attached photo).  Prior to the formation of the RIAA's official program, record companies often awarded their own gold records.  Of course, the companies used their own accountants to verify sales, which is what eventually prompted the RIAA to assign independent accounting firms to keep the companies honest.  Unfortunately, this led some labels (such as Motown) to not open their books and participate in the RIAA program until years later.

So Perry Como did indeed receive the very first "official" gold record.  (And yes, I knew that "Disco Lady" was the first platinum single.  It was one of my favorite songs as a 10 year-old in 1976 … and I still love it to this day.)

Paul Haney

Record Research

 

I kind of suspected this might be the case. 

 

And I’m glad you mentioned the Motown thing …

 

I almost got into that when I wrote my first response, but ran out of time.

 

Motown often DECLINED gold record status as the label didn’t want their artists to know how many copies they were selling … and, more importantly, how much money they were earning for the label … for fear of them potentially wanting a bigger (and more rightful) share of the pie.  For all of Berry Gordy’s accomplishments, this policy certainly casts him in a different light.

 

Interestingly enough, you initially had to sell ONE MILLION COPIES of a single in order to earn a gold record.  That was later changed to just 500,000 copies in order to qualify.  Album certification wasn’t based on number of copies sold but rather the wholesale amount of money sales generated … so even if you took the “wholesale” price of a $12.98 “list price” album, which would be around $4.98, you really only had to sell about 200,000 copies of that album to qualify, which isn’t very impressive at all in the scheme of things.  (As you’ll read below, this criteria was also changed over the years.)  And, quite unfairly, a double record set earned TWICE as much in the way of sales because they were counted as two LP’s purchased.  (That’s why The Beatles’ White Album ranks so high on the all-time list, ahead of other albums by them that actually sold more copies.)

 

The criteria for certification has changed over the years, making it somewhat difficult to equally rank and compare sales from the bygone era of physically having to get up off the couch, get into your car and drive to a record store to purchase a record to then bring home to play … vs. today being able to lie in bed and download an entire album’s worth of material from your hand-held phone and listen to it immediately.

 

From the ALWAYS reliable Wikipedia (of course I jest!) ... but in this case the official and accurate report, here is how the certification is broken down … and has changed over the years, according to the RIAA Foundation:

 

A Gold record is a song or album that sells 500,000 units (records, tapes, and compact discs.) 

The award was launched in 1958; originally, the requirement for a Gold single was one million units sold and a Gold album represented $1 million in sales (at wholesale value, around a third of the list price.) 

In 1975, the additional requirement of 500,000 units sold was added for Gold albums.  

Reflecting growth in record sales, the Platinum award was added in 1976, for albums able to sell one million units, and singles selling two million units.  The Multi-Platinum award was introduced in 1984, signifying multiple Platinum levels of albums and singles. 

In 1989, the sales thresholds for singles were reduced to 500,000 for Gold and 1,000,000 for Platinum, reflecting a decrease in sales of singles. 

In 1992, RIAA began counting each disc in a multi-disc set as one unit toward certification. Reflecting additional growth in music sales, the Diamond award was instituted in 1999 for albums or singles selling ten million units.  Because of these changes in criteria, the sales level associated with a particular award depends on when the award was made.

 

Streaming of Rihanna’s music enjoyed a 140% spike after her appearance at The Super Bowl Halftime Show.

 

Not that she was any type of a slouch BEFORE her concert aired …

 

In the week prior to her appearance, music where Rihanna was featured as the main featured artist experienced just under 26 million streams.  In the week since, that number skyrocketed to a little over 62 million streams.

 

Leading the pack were “Umbrella” (#1 for seven weeks in 2007) followed by “Diamonds” (#1 for three weeks in 2012.)  Through 2018 (the most recent Whitburn book published), Rihanna has had ELEVEN #1 records on The Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart.  Others include “SOS” (#1 for three weeks in 2006), “Take A Bow” (2008, 1 week), “Disturbia” (2008, 2 weeks), “Rude Boy” (2010, 5 weeks), “Only Girl In The World” (probably my favorite by her, #1 for one week in 2010), “What’s My Name” (featuring Drake, #1 for one week in 2010), “S&M” (with Britney Spears, 1 week, 2011), “We Found Love” (#1 for TEN weeks in 2011) and “Work” (2016, another pairing with Drake, #1 for nine weeks)

 

Here's a scary article I came across last week ...

 

Is this how future generations are going to view the music of The Beatles?

 

https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/5-famous-beatles-songs-werent-singles.html/

 

Some of my favorite lines:

 

Some of The Beatles’ songs that became huge hits are mostly forgotten today.

 

Of “A Day In The Life”:  Much of the song’s lyrics revolve around mundane things like going to the movies or combing one’s hair. The music turns horribly sinister at several points in the track. Perhaps the song is about how so many horrible things lie behind banality.

 

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” proves The Beatles could rock hard, even though they also gave the world a lot of cute songs like “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Michelle.”

 

>>>Rainbow’s “Since You’ve Been Gone” (one of my VERY favorites!) appeared in the commercial plugging the new “Guardians Of The Galaxy, Volume Three” movie, which ALWAYS feature great ‘70’s music as part of their soundtracks (with a few surprises like this one)  kk

 

I agree that Since You Been Gone is a great song … however, the version by Head East has always been more popular around here.  They were a midwestern group that played many shows in Wisconsin.  I think it is a better version, however, both are good.  I look forward to finding out the rest of the Guardians soundtrack.

Phil – WRCO

 

Head East’s version performed slightly better on the charts than Rainbow’s (I didn’t realize that they recorded it first until I looked it up this morning!) … but Rainbow’s version really rocks … and that’s the one I heard first (which inspired our band to perform it as well.)

 

While doing a bit of research of my own, I found this posting from ten years ago, acknowledging Russ Ballard for writing and first recording this song.  (I see that part of my information is incorrect in that post … Ballard was the guitarist in Argent, Rod Argent’s band after The Zombies split.  He was NOT part of the Zombies’ line-up.)

 

And we DID find the Brian May version mentioned way back then, too.  Now THAT one rocks!!!  (Both are featured here today)  kk

 

‘60’s FLASHBACK:

Since You Been Gone was MAYBE played on US Classic Rock radio stations; not sure. I assume this is the same [England] Rainbow group that barely made US Top 40 in 1981.  At least the Polydor / Mercury record labels make sense. Pretty good song, I feel! Maybe a UK hit, maybe even a Japan hit, since that is where I found it on audio  CD! 
Jersey John

This is a GREAT song ... in fact, I used to play this one with my band Blind Spot in the '80's ... The Rainbow version is actually a cover of a song written and first recorded by Russ Ballard of The Zombies ... whose version never charted ... but it was a modest US Hit for Rainbow (#56 in Cash Box, #57 in Billboard) in 1979 ... and it got a TON of play here in Chicago on the Classic Rock stations.  You still hear it once in a while, alternated with the Head East version, a #46 hit the year before.  (Although Head East had the bigger hit version, it seems to be the Rainbow version that is best known ... and they do a KILLER rendition.  Possibly because of Ritchie Blackmore's involvement ... Blackmore, of course, best known for his time with Deep Purple.)  kk

Thanks, Mr. K! Yeah, I noticed the song writing credit (what isn't in Japanese) didn't match any Rainbow members. Thanks for the Chicago radio info, too!
Best,
John

I wasn't really familiar with the Russ Ballard version so I downloaded it to check it out.  

Sounds like everybody stayed pretty true to the original ... and, to my ears, any one of these COULD have been a hit.  According to Wikipedia, it was also covered by The Brian May Band ... now THAT might be an interesting one to hear ... which featured Cozy Powell on drums ... Powell also played drums on the Rainbow version.  (Maybe Tom Diehl can put his hands on that one for us!)  Versions were also recorded by Clout, Cherie Currie, Master Blaster and Impellitteri.  The Rainbow version was also featured in a T-Mobile commercial, filmed at Liverpool Street Station in London, England in 2009.  (kk)

This is all I could find ... a live version from 2009.
Tom

This'll work.  Thanks, Tom!  (Wikipedia also says that May has professed his love for this song numerous times over the years ... and even called it one of his "desert island discs" ... and he's not the only one.  In a VH-1 "Best Hard Rock Songs Ever" poll, "Since You Been Gone" came in at #82!!!  Not bad for a non-Top 40 classic!)  kk

UPDATE:  By the way, in our own poll of THE TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME, “Since You’ve Been Gone” by Rainbow came in at #833.  The Head East version didn’t make the list.  (kk)

 

From the ever-thoughtful Chuck Buell on Friday …

 

Today is "National Random Acts of Kindness Day!"

 

For my Main Act of Kindness Today, I'm coming over to your house and snapping these Spindle Adapters in all your 45s!

HA!  

CB!

 

And, speaking of Chuck Buell, curious minds want to know …

 

How come our buddy Chuck Buell didn't sign his message "CB, which stands for Chinese Balloonboy"?  ;-)
Mike

Happy Birthday, Yoko

Clark Besch tells us that today is Yoko Ono's 90th birthday.

Now Yoko's voice, at best, is an acquired taste ... and one I've just never developed a craving for (much like brussel sprouts ... I'm and adult now, dammit ... so I don't HAVE to eat them if I don't want to!!!)

Still others credit her with inspiring bands like The B-52's for their '80's style of music.  ("Love Shack" still has a little more melody to my ears, however ... and is minus the traditional shrieking we came to expect from Ono's own recordings.)

One comment that always comes back to me was when, during the height of the original pandemic, the CDC made the announcement that some strand of the Covid virus may be with us "for some time to come" ... and some comic (Bill Maher perhaps???) equated that news to finding out that the new Yoko Ono CD came with six bonus tracks.

Anyway, Clark says that when he saw the birthday news, he was somehow inspired to send in THIS clip (for some inexplicable reason) ... 

Which, of course, inspired ME to post THIS clip ...

For the record, Yoko actually DID have one record that fell one spot short of making The Top 40 (in Cash Box anyway) ...

Her 1981 hit "Walking On Thin Ice" (which is actually quite listenable ... and became a bit of a dance hit in the clubs) peaked at #41 (but only climbed to #58 in Billboard.)

A far cry from her usual fare ...

By the way, "Juanita Banana" by The Peels ALSO made it to #41 (in Record World ... #59 in Billboard) ... I first discovered this track when Dickie Goodman used it in his "Batman And His Grandmother" cut-in record ...

While Mrs. Miller's version of "Downtown" (Tony Hatch had to be SO proud!!!) got enough novelty airplay to climb to #82.  (kk)

 

And, from Mike Wolstein ...

THE FRIDAY FLASH

I was in a meeting at work Wednesday afternoon when I got the news about Raquel Welch's passing.

 

Naturally, I had to share the news with the other four men in the room, expecting each to be quite shocked by the sad news of the passing of not only a cultural icon, but also of one of the most beautiful women in the world ... but only my co-worker Brian acknowledged it ... and even then, only by saying exactly what I was already thinking:  "She was, for a certain age group, the most beautiful woman in the world" ... to which I replied, in my usual, smart-asstic way, "Well, she was no Ruth Buzzi" ... which, of course, got a bit of a laugh from the others in the room.

 

Imagine my surprise then when I got home later that night and found THIS clip of Raquel Welch ... AND Ruth Buzzi ... exchanging beauty tips on an episode of "Laugh In" from the early '70's!!!  (There are some things you just can't plan!!!  lol)  kk

 

 

>>>"CATCH A FALLING STAR" / PERRY COMO - First Song Ever To Receive A "GOLD RECORD"  (FB)

>>>‘Tis true …  From the official RIAA Certification site:  The very first Gold Award was earned on March 14, 1958 to Perry Como for his hit single, “Catch A Falling Star.”

Kent, 

I've read over the course of many years that the first gold record went to Glenn Miller for "Chattanooga Choo Choo" in 1941. It sold well over a million copies. What am I missing here? Do I have poor sources? Thanks for the great website.  

​Charlie Ricci

Since the RIAA wasn't even founded until 1952, I would have to say yes, you have a poor source on this one.

(Now that's not to say that the RIAA didn't backtrack at a later date and award gold record awards to other records with proven sales of over a million copies ... this very well may be the case ... but the first OFFICIAL Gold Record Award was given out to Perry Como's "Catch A Falling Star," as documented on their own website.)  kk

Best Classic Bands ran a piece on B-Sides this past week, written by Jeff Tamarkin, which is worth reading ...

https://bestclassicbands.com/double-sided-hit-singles-10-12-199/

(Of course, we know a thing or two about B-Sides as well … several years ago we compiled a list of the 200 Biggest Two-Sided Hits Of All-Time … along with an additional list of your Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides that DIDN’T make their mark on the charts.)

It’s been picked up by countless radio stations over the years for special weekend programming (and still runs on Me-TV-FM at least twice a year) … SO many great B-Sides that we’ve never forgotten.  (Still one of my favorite quotes from our original series was something to the effect of “SURE I played the B-Side … I PAID for both sides, didn’t I?!?!”)

The scene from “Diner” is also quoted again in the BCB article …

And it provides another PERFECT excuse to run links to our lists again (kk) …

http://forgottenhits.com/the_top_200_two-sided_hits_of_all-time

http://forgottenhits.com/your_top_200_favorite_forgotten_b-sides

I don't usually make song requests, but it's time SOMEBODY did ...

I met Don Grady (second from the left on this LP cover) years ago, when I went to his house for a job.  He was one heck of a nice guy.

Timmy

 

Happy to fill this request, Timmy!

 

Alex Valdez, lead singer of Yellow Balloon, has been on our Forgotten Hits list for ages now, and still chimes in from time to time.  (By the way, did you know the B-Side of their hit single “Yellow Balloon” was “Noollab Wolley” (which is “Yellow Balloon” backwards … which is exactly how it was played!!!  Guess there was no mistaking the hit side of THAT record!)

“Yellow Balloon” made it to #25 in Billboard in 1967 … and was a #12 Hit here in Chicago. (I know I certainly loved it … and still do!)

 

Here you go, Timmy … another INSTANT REQUEST!!!  (kk)

 

Actually, balloons have been ALL over the news lately …

 

Chuck Buell sent in a week’s worth of material about the Chinese balloon we discovered a week ago or so … (you'll find a brief sampling below) ...

 

And now this from long-standing FH Reader and contributor Ed Erxleben …

 

I'm watching on the news about fighter jets scrambling to take down mysterious balloons, and I realized that Nena's 1983 song was coming true!!!  According to Nena though, 95 luftballons are not yet accounted for.

Ed Erxleben

 

 

EXCLUSIVE!

Just released!  The First Photos of the contents of the Chinese Balloon   

that was shot down by the United States earlier this afternoon!

 

 

Here are the Latest Chinese Balloon Details from the Chuck Buell International News Department!

Due to recent International Events, DoorDash has reluctantly discontinued their new and innovative Delivery Service.

 

 

From Chinese Intelligence ...

 

"Just ... relax, everyone.  They're Americans.  They'll never ... look up ... 

 

Check our previous Surveillance Photo ... "

 

( I'm having so much fun with this event! ) 

 

I was recently commissioned through an Official Global International United States-East Asian Worldwide Partnership Conglomerate for my “CB S-Eye-ns” Company to create this sign for an unnamed third party to be placed at a strategic yet undisclosed location somewhere in China.

 

 

All’s well in the World Today for at least this moment!

 

CB!

 

WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT HIM!!! --

kk ...   

One Of Cousin Brucie's Fans Said That Huey "PIANO" Smith Died 2/13/2023.

Cousin Brucie Talks To Kathy Young On Saturday.

Tonight (2/15/23) from 8 - 11 on REMEMBER THEN RADIO, DR. BOP Plays

All Jim, James, and Jimmy Singers. 

I Requested Jim Stephans & Safaris = "IMAGE OF A GIRL" / 1960.

FB

The news is apparently true ...

I found this posting from Rolling Stone ... 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/huey-piano-smith-new-orleans-rock-pioneer-dead-obit-1234680295/

 

While "Don't You Just Know It" was Huey's biggest hit, he also wrote the hits "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu" and "Sea Cruise," two rock and roll classics.  (kk)

 

As mentioned the other day, it's tough to go a day lately without some type of celebrity death announcement.

 

Yesterday it was former All Star (and World Series Champion), major league catcher (and baseball announcer) Tim McCarver who left us.

 

I remember him most from The St. Louis Cardinals, with whom he broke into the Majors in the early '60's.  (He helped propel The Red Birds to The World Series in both 1964 and 1967, with The Cardinals coming home World Series Champs both seasons.)   He was traded to The Philadelphia Phillies in 1969 (in a deal that also included Curt Flood and Dick Allen.)

Although he at first balked about joining the team, he would win three more National League East titles with The Philles before retiring in 1980, at which point he immediately took a seat in the broadcast booth, a spot he occupied for the rest of his career, eventually calling games for The Phillies, The Yankees, The Mets, The Giants and The Cardinals ... as well as nationally being in the booth for 23 World Series and 20 All-Star Games!

Then, later that same day, the official announcement was made about Bruce Willis suffering from dementia (sadly, an announcement we have been expecting for over a year now after Bruce stopped accepting acting roles.)  He has entertained us in SO  many ways over the years ... whether as goofball detective David Addison on "Moonlighting" or as tough guy action hero John McClane in the long-running series of "Die Hard" movies.

We become more and more aware of our own mortality with each passing day as SO many of our lifetime heroes have left us these past few years.  Please remember to treat every day as a blessing ... they're now more precious than ever.  (kk)

 

In honor of their 60th Anniversary, The Kinks have announced a new anthology series that will unveil over the course of the next few months.

On March 24th, "The Journey - Part 1" will be released, with songs hand-picked by founding members Ray and Dave Davies along with Mick Avery, who joined the band in 1964, just in time for their first hey-day.  

 

The Kinks first exploded as part of The British Invasion, scoring nine US Top 40 Hits between 1964 and 1966.  They came back strong in the early '70's with a more sophisticated sound on tracks like "Lola," "Apeman" and "Victoria" ... and then ran up a brand new string of hits in the early '80's with "Come Dancing" and "Don't Forget To Dance."

This is much more than a "greatest hits" collection, however ... although naturally classic tracks like "Waterloo Sunset," "Celluloid Heroes"  and "A Rock And Roll Fantasy" will also most likely appear.

From the promotional release:

The Kinks have sold over 50 million records worldwide and have been streamed over a billion times; they have achieved five US Top 10 singles, nine US Top 40 albums, seventeen UK Top 20 singles and five UK Top 10 albums, with four albums certified Gold. Among numerous honors, they have received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Service To British Music and have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame. Multi-award winning, legendary frontman Sir Ray Davies is widely recognized as one of the greatest British songwriters of all time.

 

Here is the track list for the first release:

CD 1

Songs about becoming a man, the search for adventure, finding an identity and a girl:

1. You Really Got Me (UK#1, 1964)

2. All Day And All Of The Night (UK#2, 1964)

3. It’s All Right (1964)

4. Who’ll Be The Next In Line (1965)

5. Tired Of Waiting For You (UK#1, 1965)

6. Dandy (Germany#1, 1966)

7. She’s Got Everything (1968)

8. Just Can’t Go To Sleep (1964)

9. Stop Your Sobbing (1964)

10. Wait Till The Summer Comes Along (1965)

11. So Long (1965)

12. I’m Not Like Everybody Else (1966)

Songs of ambition achieved, bitter taste of success, loss of friends, the past comes back and bites you in the backside:

13. Dead End Street (UK#5, 1966)

14. Wonderboy (1968)

15. Schooldays (1975)

16. The Hard Way (1975)

17. Mindless Child Of Motherhood (1969)

18. Supersonic Rocket Ship (UK#2, 1972)

19. I’m In Disgrace (1975)

20. Do You Remember Walter? (1968)

CD 2

Days and nights of a lost soul, songs of regret and reflection of happier times:

1. Too Much On My Mind (1966)

2. Nothin’ In The World Can Stop Me Worryin’ ‘Bout That Girl (1965)

3. Days (UK#2, 1968)

4. Last Of The Steam-Powered Trains (1968)

5. Where Have All The Good Times Gone (1965)

6. Strangers (1970)

7. It’s Too Late (1965)

8. Sitting In The Midday Sun (1973)

A new start, a new love, but have you really changed? Still haunted by the quest and the girl:

9. Waterloo Sunset (UK#2, 1967)

10. Australia (1969)

11. No More Looking Back (1975)

12. Death Of A Clown (UK#3, 1967)

13. Celluloid Heroes (1972)

14. Act Nice And Gentle (1967)

15. This Is Where I Belong (1967)

16. Shangri-La (1969)

And, speaking of new releases, here’s a name you probably weren’t expecting to hear again … 

 

Classic Rock Legends Blues Image Featuring Mike Pinera

Rides Again with New “Next Voyage” and Tour! 

Blues Image rides again with a new album “Next Voyage” forthcoming and tour. The album features original guitarist and vocalist Mike Pinera, and includes the greatest songs from his history with Blues Image and Iron Butterfly, revisited with orchestra and horn section and is produced by Michael Franklin, who also produced Jon Anderson “1000 Hands, Part One” and Robby Steinhardt “Not In Kansas Anymore.” In Franklin’s tradition of special guests, the album features Pat Travers, Jonathan Cain from Journey, Charlie DeChant, and others. Also, Michael and Tim Franklin have toured as members of Blues Image for 30 years. 

Blues Image is an American Blues Rock band formed in Tampa, Florida in 1966 by singer-guitarist Mike Pinera. Blues Image became the house band at the club Thee Image, which featured bands like Cream, Grateful Dead, and Blood, Sweat & Tears. The band moved to Los Angeles and signed with Atco Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in February, 1969. Their second album, “Open” (April 1970), included the hit single “Ride Captain Ride.” Written by Pinera and Skip Konte, the song has been used in many films. Pinera left the band to join Iron Butterfly in the fall of 1969. 

Watch the promotional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScX8brFuG68&lc=UgxMCaCcafmaf7v5a9Z4AaABAg

Current Blues Image line-up
Mike Pinera - Guitar and vocals
Tim Franklin - Bass and vocals
Eddie Metz, Jr.– Drums,
Michael Franklin - Keyboards & Vocal

Special Guests
Pat Travers - Guitar
Jonathan Cain of Journey - Wurlitzer
Charlie DeChant - Saxophone
Tommy Calton - Guitar
Steady Joseph – Percussion
Randie Paul soloist on Love is the Answer
Suzie Park soloist on Something to Say
Naomi Bradshaw soloist on Pay My Dues

Horns
Brian Snapp - Tenor and Bari Sax
Charlie DeChant - Tenor Sax Solo on “Ina Gadda Da Vida”
Charlie Bertini-Trumpet
Brian Scanlon-Trumpet

Woodwinds
Jerrv Kalbe - Oboe. Flute & Clarinet on “Ride Captain Ride”.
Charlie DeChant- Flute solo on “Ride Captain Ride”.

Strings
Chamber de Solar
Cello Section leader Paul Fleury
Violin Section leader Olga Kopakova

Choir
Randie Paul
Suzie Park
Naomi Bradshaw
Shopia Hudson
Heather Rice
Michelle Amato
Nana Franklin

Recorded and Mixed at Solar Studios Orlando, Florida
Matt Brown – Recorded, Mixed and Mastered
Horn Arrangements Brian Snapp and Michael Franklin
Orchestrations and Arrangements Michael Franklin
Produced by Michael Franklin
Orhontuul Banzragch - Illustrator
Tom Lupo | Space Coast Pictures – Graphics

Special Thanks- Kurzweil Music, Spectrasonics, IK Media,| Oriolo Guitars ,
TM & Copyright Franklin Music Group Solar Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved

Released on SolarMusic.com

Kent –

In regards to CB's Fashion Designers Minute Medley at the end of Sunday’s FH, I am sure there are quite a few more that could have been selected, but the first two that came to my mind were Gerry Granahan's NO CHEMISE PLEASE from 1958 and a group called the Beavers with SACK DRESS, also from 1958.

Larry

 

From David Salidor, Micky Dolenz's East Coast PR Guy, comes this news ...

Hey, Kent - 

Just announced: 

Micky Dolenz will join Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, February 27th.

Micky will discuss his forthcoming tour ‘The Monkees, Celebrated by Micky Dolenz,’ set for April, where he will perform The Monkees’ triumphant third album, 'Headquarters.'

Dolenz will also reflect on the generational impact of The Monkees' music and will exclusively announce a new project.

Dolenz last appeared on the show sitting in with The Roots on 9/24/15.

dis

Man, this is GREAT news!!!  (I am really looking forward to seeing how Micky performs "Headquarters" on his own!!!)

And honestly, he SHOULD be appearing on a program like "The Tonight Show" every seven years or so!!!  lol  (kk)

 

Bruce Springsteen, whose 2023 tour is already underway, has added a number of new dates to the list ... including a stop here in Chicago at Wrigley Field on August 9th.  (It'll be a madhouse in and around Wrigleyville THAT day!!!)

 

Here is an updated list, taking us into December ... and more dates could conceivably be added ... (kk)

 

February 18th (tomorrow) – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
February 21st – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
February 25th – Portland, OR – Moda Center
February 27th – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
March 2nd – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
March 5th – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
March 7th – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
March 9th – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
March 12th – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun
March 14th – Albany, NY – MVP Arena
March 16th – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
March 18th – State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
March 20th – Boston, MA – TD Garden
March 23rd – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
March 25th – Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
March 27th – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
March 29th – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
April 1st – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
April 3rd – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
April 5th – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Apr 07 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Arena
April 9th and 11th – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena
April 14th – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center

And then The Boss goes overseas ...

April 28th and 30th – Barcelona, Spain -­ Estadi Olímpic
May 5th, 7th and 9th – Dublin, Ireland – RDS Arena
May 13th and 15th – Paris, France – La Défense Arena
May 18th – Ferrara, Italy – Parco Urbano G. Bassani
May 21st – Rome, Italy – Circo Massimo
May 25th and 27th – Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Johan Cruijff Arena
May 30th – Edinburgh, UK – BT Murrayfield Stadium
June 11th – Landgraaf, The Netherlands – Megaland
June 13th – Zurich, Switzerland – Stadion Letzigrund
June 16th – Birmingham, UK – Villa Park
June 18th – Werchter, Belgium – TW Classic
June 21st – Düsseldorf, Germany Merkur Spiel Arena
June 24th, 26th and 28th – Gothenburg, Sweden – Ullevi
June 30th and July 2nd – Oslo, Norway – Voldsløkka
July 6th and 8th – London, UK – BST Hyde Park
July 11th and 13th – Copenhagen, Denmark – Parken
July 15th – Hamburg, Germany – Volksparkstadion
July 18th – Vienna, Austria – Ernst Happel Stadion
July 21st – Hockenheim, Germany
July 23rd – Munich, Germany – Olympiastadion
July 25th – Monza, Italy – Prato della Gerascia, Autodromo di Monza

And then back to U.S. soil ...

August 9th – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field*
August 16th and 18th – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park*
August 24th – Foxborough, MA – Gillette Stadium
August 28th – Washington, DC – Nationals Park
August 30th and September 1st – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
Sepember 7th – Syracuse, NY – JMA Wireless Dome
September 9th – Baltimore, MD – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
September 12th – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena  

Before a quick trip across the border ...

November 3rd – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
November 6th – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
November 8th – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
November 10th – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
November 14th and 16th – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
November 18th – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre
November 20th – Montreal, QC – Centre Bell

Before coming back home to close things out ...

Novmber 30th – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
December 4th and 6th – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum
December 8th – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center

Keep watching these pages for any changes.  (kk)

Stephen Stills will team up (once again!) with Neil Young to perform at a fundraiser for Autism Speaks on April 22nd at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.  (This has been a pet project of Stephen and Kristen Stills for several years now.)  And this time, they'll be joined on stage by David Crosby's son.  (David passed away earlier this year.)  Graham Nash had previous commitments and, as such, isn't able to join his former comrades for this event.  Stills' son Chris as well as Lukas Nelson (son of Willie) are also scheduled to perform ... and more high-profile, surprise guests will be announced as we get closer to the concert date.  (As I type this, Judy Collins and Sheryl Crow have now announced that they are also onboard.)

And finally, several new releases were announced yesterday for this year's Record Store Day (April 22nd) ... including (for the first time ever on vinyl) the soundtrack to the 1972 Ringo Starr movie "Blindman" (Ringo does not perform on the soundtrack ... in fact, near as I can remember, he doesn't speak a single word in the entire film!!!  Oh yeah ... the OTHER thing I remember is that it was absolutely AWFUL!!!)

ABKCO is also releasing The Rolling Stones' LP "Beggar's Banquet" on a really cool looking blue, gray, black and white swirl vinyl.

And, not to be outdone, Paul McCartney is re-releasing a vinyl edition of his 1973 #1 album "Red Rose Speedway."  (Hmm ... new releases by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr ... on the same day as ABKCO, a company founded and formerly owned and managed by Allen Klein ... this is all just a little bit too surreal for me!!!)  kk