Just a few weeks ago
Rewound Radio presented a salute to Dick Biondi, with six hours of vintage
radio from one of the best known DJs in America … andthe
hits just keep on comin!’
We are just one month away
from Labor Day Weekend and the Second Annual WLS/WCFL Rewound on RewoundRadio.
The comments we had from listeners last year were fantastic, and we are using
that energy to bring you “another weekend that’s better” with your favorite
jocks and music from the 60’s, 70’s, and early 80’s … 25 years of Chicago’s
best radio.
Most of the weekend
will consist of “new” shows that we have acquired and polished up for
air. We even have a few “inside radio” stories from those who lived them,
including Lyle Dean and Charlie Van Dyke. Many of the WLS and WCFL DJs
have jumped on board to promote this throwback weekend, including our good
friend Chuck Buell, as well as Kris Erik Stevens, Fred Winston, Chuck Knapp,
John Landecker and practically everyone else who is still with us today.
Go ahead, be a kid
again … and join us for three big days over Labor Day Weekend on RewoundRadio.com.
Ted Gorden Smucker
I cannot believe a whole year has gone by ... how is that
even possible?!?!
Sure can't wait to hear what you've got in store for us this
year.
One of the guys I had talked to (who had about 18 hours of
airchecks from various times at both stations) was Jack Levin, who just
recently passed away ... we were never able to connect and make anything happen
with that ... and now I wonder what will happen with all of those tapes.
So sad.
Again, I feel bad that I couldn't be more involved this year
... but I am absolutely confident that whatever you've put together will
COMPLETELY blow me away!
Really looking forward to this! (kk)
I
did talk with Jack Levin on the phone. I was going to meet with him on
the way to my granddaughter's softball tourney in Evansville, and the day
before I was to meet him, his wife emailed me that he was in the
hospital. That was a shock, but I didn't know he had passed. Very
sad.
The
show is progressing very well. We have had almost all of the WLS and WCFL
jocks that are still with us communicate with us and do some voice
tracks. Almost everyone is very much on board ... some of the DJs have
become good friends from all of this.I now
have around 70 promos from last year and this year that the jocks have voiced
and we have produced.
Ted
That’s right – I forgot that I had passed along your
information to Jack and suggested that he talk directly to you about these
tapes as I knew my schedule would not allow me to commit to pushing things
forward.Who knows … maybe they’ll find
their way into WLS/WCFL Rewound III!!!(kk)
Here's a brand new promo featuring John Records Landecker and Ted Gorden Smucker on this year's WLS/WCFL Rewound: /s/ynzulycfro04btl1hpfkhoziwr5vztpc
Friday, August 4th, marked the 65th
Anniversary of The Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart.(First #1?Why, “Poor Little Fool” by Ricky Nelson, of course!)
It has been the benchmark standard ever since … and is the
most-quoted source for chart information cited today.(Here in Forgotten Hits, we use the consensus
of all three trade publications:Billboard, Cash Box and Record World … when decrying a record’s peak
position.)
The old saying that “It ain’t #1 until it’s #1 in Billboard”
be damned … we have seen over the years that Billboard has missed declaring any
number of deserving hits #1 status.(Stopby tomorrow for a look at
some of the biggest anomalies. We found at least 50 that were denied a deserving #1 berth.)kk
And, speaking of The Billboard Charts, we just got an update from
Paul Haney regarding the brand new Record Research book, bringing the chart’s history up-to-date, 1990 – 2022 …
Hi Kent,
I'm
still in the process of editing the new book. It may take a little
longer than expected. We want to make sure that everything is up to our
exacting standards. We hope to have it to the printer by the end of
August and in stock by the end of September.
Paul
Thanks for the update, Paul. (Earlier, when the book was first announced, Paul told us that it was the largest pre-order item in Record Research's history.)
Now that the Billboard Charts have been split into two volumes ... both of which will now be available in full-color edition ... you can capture the complete chart history of The Rock And Roll Era ... 1955 - 1989 and 1990 - 2022. (kk)
The 1955 - 1989 edition is available now ... the brand new 1990 - 2022 edition will begin shipping in September. You can order and/or pre-order your copies here:
The other day we told you about the insanely generous
bonuses that Taylor Swift passed out to her crew to show her appreciation for
the incredible job they’ve been doing on her mammoth “Eras” tour.
Billboard Magazine ran this story about one of the truck
drivers who was the recipient of a life-changing, $100,000 bonus …
A Concert "Review" from
Chuck Buell?! He hasn't been to a major concert since that Eagles concert in
the Summer of 2018!
Adult Son Craig and I went to see
Rod Stewart in Concert the other night. The first time I have ever seen him and
being a Big Fan of his style, songs and the stories they tell since his Maggie
May days, I felt it was just long overdue.
And what a
Great Night! What could be better than “Two Cool Guys Loose on the Town,”
starting with a pre-concert Rib Eye Steak Dinner with a couple of Beers at a
Great Steakhouse, close-up concert seats similar to watching “from the wings”
and seeing an artist who is a True Consummate, Entertainment Professional! It
was a Wonderfully Memorable Evening for both my Son and me!
Even
struggling just a bit early on, sitting for a moment and after acknowledging
the challenges of performing a show in our infamous Thin Denver High Altitude
Air, he never really faltered keeping his energy present and was solidly “in
voice,” sounding just like he always has while he and his ensemble gave us an
outstanding full-on two-hour show!
He has such
a Super Catalogue of Forgotten Hits and we think he sang them all except for
maybe one! The Audio Production was excellent and at a “Studio Quality Level!”
His six Extremely
Talented Supporting Singers were impressive, contributing beautifully to the
songs they should, danced remarkably to others, also at times individually
played keyboard, drums, including a Big Bass Drum, a couple of violins, a lady
on Harp and had three featured solo spots where they handled a Pointer Sisters
Song, “I’m So Excited,” Patti LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade” and one other
flawlessly displaying that they could handle presenting a show of their own.
Just terrific!
For me
personally, it was truly a “Gold Record” Event!
On a scale
of one to five “Maggies,” I give the whole show Five Maggies!
CB(which stands for Concert Boy)
And, speaking of concerts …
>>>Meanwhile, Timmy sent us this clip of The
Beatles performing at Circus Krone in Munich, Germany,
1966. Incredible quality (both picture and sound) … and something
I’ve never seen before in all these years. You can check it out
here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laQ2CndwCeM
(kk)
AGREED!
As I watched, I couldn't help but see the
white shirt and tie crowd of men surrounding the back of the stage. Just
standing. So. I knew they were not stage crew. Too many anyway. Then when the
concert ended, they moved into positions on the stage to stand shoulder to
shoulder against the crowded audience. Oh yeah! Beatlemania! I forgot.
Shelley
We don’t have plans to see The Happy Together Tour when it
hits our area this year … but after Shelley’s great review and all of the
wonderful things other readers have been saying about it, now I kinda wish we
were.
(Scroll back to last Friday’s post in case you missed it)
What REALLY blew me away in Shelley’s tale was the bit about
Gary Puckett and the Union Gap having to change the lyrics to their big hit
“Young Girl” when they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.In all these years, I had NEVER heard that
story before … or noticed the change … but there it was, clear as day, in the
video that I posted.(With all the
stories about The Rolling Stones having to change their lyrics to “Let’s Spend
The Night Together” … and The Doors refusing to change theirs to “Light My
Fire,” I guess Gary Puckett just didn’t rank up there with “the bad boys of
rock and roll” (Mick and Morrison) to ever have his story circulate.
But still, I have seen Gary Puckett live at LEAST eight or
nine times … and he has never told that story before during any of the shows
that we saw … so it came as quite a surprise.
Like I always say, I will never cease to be amazed by how
much we DON’T know about this music of our era … and how these new discoveries
continue to enlighten us, even some 50-60 years later.While Forgotten Hits often presents the
opportunity to teach others about the great Top 40 Era, I find that I am still
learning something new myself along the way, time after time after time.(kk)
Did you realize that you posted
my Happy Together review last year on August 4th? And now again, one year later ...
Shelley
Nope … I had no idea …
Maybe we should just turn this into an annual event!(lol)kk
Speaking of concerts, we were looking forward to going to the Brian Hyland / Little Peggy March show at The Arcada Theatre on Saturday, August 19th because as an added bonus, Book Author, Viet Nam Vet, Frequent Forgotten Hits
Contributor and current owner of that famed, autographed guitar Jim Nowoc was
going to be there to take part in a very special ceremony.
The plan was for Jim to present that
guitar, with over 200 signatures on it, to Ron Onesti, CEO of The Arcada Theatre, prior
to that evening’s concert event as a donation to the theater, to be displayed in the front lobby from that point forward. (It would have been a very fitting donation, as a number of these signatures
were collected right there at this very theater over the years!)
But I just got word from Brian Hyland that this show, (now called "A Special Salute To Dick Clark,") has been postponed!
No new date for a rescheduled show has been announced yet as of this time ... so we'll have to let you know once we hear more. (The very first 45 I every bought with my own money was Brian Hyland's #1 Hit "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" in 1960, the PERFECT tune to capture the ear of a young, seven year old boy!) kk
We'll pass along more details on this show as they become available. Meanwhile, you can order your copy of Jim's book ... a very interesting life ... here:
Looks like rock and roll retirement may not be all it’s
cracked up to be …
Last week we told you that Paul Simon was bored and wanted
to start doing shows again, provided something could be rigged up to improve
his hearing on stage …
And now this week Lynyrd Skynyrd announced that “maybe we
were wrong” about retiring.(A brand new
Skynyrd box set is on the way, celebrating "Fyfty" years of music together.)
This band has certainly endured their share of heartbreak
along the way.(As recently as a few
months ago, founding member Gary Rossington passed away.He was the last surviving founding member of
the band.)Their tragic plane crash in
1977 cost them Ronnie Van Zant and Steve and Cassie Gaines.Numerous members have come and gone in the
years since, including Ronnie’s brother Johnny.(kk)
Former Kinks keyboardist John Gosling has passed.John was with the band from 1970 – 1978 and
played on their hits “Lola” (#7, 1970), “Apeman” (#33, 1971) and “A Rock And
Roll Fantasy” (#30, 1978)
He joined the band just as they were recording the track
“Lola,” which would turn out to become a quick, big comeback hit of sorts for
them.(Prior to John joining the band, a
lot of the keyboard parts on The Kinks’ recordings were handled by studio
session whiz Nicky Hopkins … or by Ray Davies himself.)During his tenure with the band, he performed
on a total of ten Kinks albums. (kk)
Be sure to stop back tomorrow to read our piece on Certified #1 Hits ... that were NOT #1 in Billboard! (kk)
I
have read and listened to all your comments about your own Happy
Together experiences. Now it is time for me to give mine.
I remind us
that each concert is its own, in its entirety, and can vary, but there
can also be found a commonality from venue to venue. Much of what I saw
and heard, you saw and heard as well - in the same order, in the same
whelp of entertainment. Happy Together is a fast paced,
multi-dimensional presentation, tightly formed to give each observer the
same possibility of consistency and experience.
The
couple who sit next to me are at odds with each other. HE wants to be
here. SHE came only because he wanted to, and he promised a Santana
concert if she came with him tonight. She says to me, "I wish I had your
number. He could have brought you." Remember her reluctance as we
"concert" together.
With an
all-star cast, you open strong ... no matter who starts. The Cowsills
have been the opening act since they started their participation in the
tours. Paul and Bob in their early 70s and Susan who has hit 64 (when I
get older ... ). I only make a point of this because Paul keeps repeating
it over and over, until Susan says, "Just HOW OLD are you?" Paul is
still able to jump and leap around the stage and when Susan removes her
guitar from her shoulder, she joins in with a tambourine and gypsy dance
movements. Bob is saddled at the mic with a guitar, but somebody has to
be lead singer. I marvel at the ways Paul and Susan fly over hurdles to
make it back to their mics just in time to add harmonies. We will see
them at the finale. I wonder if they keep bouncing backstage until then
or if they crash and take a nap.
1. The Rain, The Park and Other Things
2. We Can Fly
3. Indian Lake
4. Love American Style
5. Hair
'Love
American Style' was totally forgotten by these siblings for "decades"
until fans brought it to their attention. "You know you sang that theme
song?!" "Oh, yeah. We did."
'Hair'
is performed with an original video of The Cowsills in long wigs acting
it out and peppered with 60s hair ads for Dippity-Do and Hair Spray
Clips. So fun to see again. GREAT harmonies, and The Happy Together Band
is on point.
The next two
acts will fill in my romantic needs. Even the woman next to me (remember
she doesn't want to be here) goes "Oooooh!" and sings along with both
groups.
The Classics IV are
represented by lead singer Tom Garrett and saxophonist Kevin Lloyd. OH
WOW! Those sax solos are so strong played live! Kevin's interpretation
is mellow, rich and very accomplished musically. To remember each song
and just who you were with at the time is the past flooding over you.
1. Every Day with You Girl
2. Stormy
3.Traces of Love
4. Spooky
'Traces
of Love' never made it past the #2 mark on the charts. So what was this
song that kept it from moving up? One would think it would be another
passionate love song that battled it out. Weeeeellll .... it was 'Dizzy'
by Tommy Roe. Love song? Yes. A younger type of love song that
represented the younger teen-set. I have to admit that at the time, I
would have related better to 'Dizzy' than 'Traces.' Now, 'Traces' has me
hands down.
The Vogues
open with 'Five O'Clock World.' They have spoken that the music is fun
and people used it for their weddings, proms, special events and have
pleasant memories surrounding each of them. Watching the audience melt
into each other's arms or go misty-eyed and smile gives them the rush
that their harmonies give us.
1. Five O'Clock World
2. My Special Angel
3. Turn Around, Look at Me
4. You're the One
No
matter where or when I hear 'Turn Around, Look at Me' (even if I am the
one playing it) I stop, smile and fall into a world of romantic fantasy.
I am a calm smiling happy camper as the Intermission begins.
Gary
Puckett is heading out to open the second act. 'Lady Willpower' is his
opener and as he sings it to the women in front, I see them reach out
and swoon. It is even more interesting when he removes the Union Jacket a
few songs later. They scream! "It happens every time! Do they think I'm
undressing?" I don't know, Gary. Maybe they think you are nude
underneath? I am not condemning them. I remember the time Carl
Giammarese sang 'Worst That Could Happen' to me from the stage of the
Wolf Den. My friend said I looked "Gob-smacked"
1. Lady Willpower
2. Over You
3.This Girl Is A Woman Now
4. Woman, Woman
5. Young Girl
When
Gary went into Studio A to record 'This Girl is a Woman Now,' the rich
piano intro began and then the orchestra came in with a billowing
crescendo and ... Gary did NOT come in with lyrics. He was too mesmerized
by the beauty of the instrumentals and froze listening. This audience
thinks that was funny. Gary thought it was funny at the time, too. Gary
put his lyrics on later. The producer? Well, his sense of humor was not
as sharp as ours.
Remember
the changes/restrictions Ed Sullivan put on several performers? Elvis
had to be photographed from the waist up. The Rolling Stones and The
Doors were told to change their lyrics. He got 50% compliance from that
one. What I did not know was that Gary Puckett and the Union Gap were
told to change the lyrics of 'Young Girl'.
"Cause I'm afraid we'll go too far"
Gary had to change it to: "How can this love of ours go on?"
Oh
man,, I had to confirm this. I brought up the video and WHALLA! It is
true. Also, Gary starts to smirk just before he delivers the line,
catches himself and continues on. Mr. Sullivan, the times they have
a'changed!
I have heard how
many of you have relished in Little Anthony's performances on The Happy
Together Tour. And the reason is that he is back to being his Mr.
Showman and entertaining self. No pretenses, all honesty.
Before Covid,
Anthony was having leg issues and was suffering from intense allergy
problems that were physically miserable. He performed, he sang, but he
was in agony ... no smiles. Tonight, the fun and goofiness have returned
to his stage act.
1. Tears On My Pillow
2. Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop
3. Hurts So Bad
4. Going Out Of My Head
'Going
Out of My Head' sold 4 million records. Listening to Anthony sing this
and all of his songs tonight leaves no question in anybody's mind as to
why. The audience feels his emotions.."You don't remember me, but I
remember you." That is a line that everyone can put in a time and place.
Maybe you never got to say it, but there is a spot inside of you that
feels it.
Anthony hates
'Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop'.
No, really.
He appreciates that we bought the
record, but he hates the song. This is where he can play goofy; dancing
and wiggling around to eradicate his disdain. Immediately, he follows it
with his favorite: "Hurts So Bad". It reminds him of his first love
affair. Something is fishy here, as The Happy Together Band starts
snickering behind their hands and making faces at each other.
"I was 12 years old."
OK.
Got it! This "love affair" side-tracked Anthony from his passion of
basketball (in itself a comical sports choice for "LITTLE" Anthony) and
broke his heart with a pre-teen rejection. It was doomed from the
start.
He was amazing tonight. Spot on vocally! Visually active and entertaining. He made himself a crowd favorite.
The
introduction of The Turtles always makes them sound as if they did
everything but invent bottled water. Mark Vollman and Ron Dante move
around in shadow as the voice drones on. Oh mind you, it's all true and
the bored actions from the stage just intensifies the joke.
1. She'd Rather Be with Me
2. You Baby
3. It Ain't Me Babe
4. You Showed Me
5. Sugar Sugar
6. Elenore
7. Happy Together
Yes,
I will address the elephant in the room. But I have a different opinion
than many of you.
Based on previous Happy Together Tours, what I saw
tonight was primarily staged. No matter the health issues, I think the
show would have looked very similar to what was presented tonight.
Friends of mine agreed. No one around me felt anything but fun and
humor. I saw a show filled with hope and joy.
Mark's
portrayal of 'It Ain't Me Babe' sung as the true Dylan song it is, was
hilarious. And he knew it. Ron's vocals were a hit on all the songs. The
Band introduction was a ping pong match of "Keyboardist with lots of
years of experience: Greg!" Bass player raises hand and says, "No, I'm
Greg!" After relating every band he could think of that Godfrey Townsend
ever played in, Godfrey said to Mark, "Are you going to tell them my
name, or should I?"
The Happy Together Band:
Greg Smith - bass
Chris Camilleri - drums
Manny Focarazzo - keyboards
Godfrey Townsend - guitar/musical director
These musicians were onstage all night, and as such are really the backbone of this tour.
And what do we do when we get to the end? ...
Start all over again.
Bring everyone out and just be Happy Together.
This review will end in 5 minutes
4 minutes
3 minutes
2 minutes
1 minute
THIRTY SECONDS
Bye,
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
NE Correspondent
Forgotten Hits
And here's a quick Happy Together Tour update from Shelley ...
I just
received word from Mark Dawson that The Grass Roots will be added to
the tour for August 5th (Owensboro, KY) and August 6th (Northfield, Ohio)
These are not dates from the original tour schedule, but then neither was CT. More info as I get it.
Shelley
Over the years, they've been pretty good about offering up "substitute" entertainment if and when one of their regular performers had a scheduling conflict. (The Buckinghams have benefited from this situation a number of times in the past.)
If these dates were last-minute adds (on dates that the regular performers thought they were off), this becomes an EXCELLENT way to still give the audience a top notch evening of '60's music entertainment. (kk)
“BREAKFAST WITH THE BEATLES” RADIO SHOW CELEBRATES 40th ANNIVERSARY
THIS DECEMBER, CONCURRENT WITH 60th ANNIVERSARY OF BEATLEMANIA
Breakfast With The Beatles host Chris Carter with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr
Chris Carter Continues
to Host SiriusXM’s National Breakfast With The Beatles & British Invasion Programs
On December 17 of this year, Breakfast With The Beatles will broadcast its 2080th weekly episode during its 40th consecutive year on the air in Los Angeles. This extraordinary milestone is concurrent with the 60th anniversary of the birth of Beatlemania in the US, when “I Want To Hold Your Hand” started receiving regular airplay a few months in advance of the band’s first stateside tour. Breakfast With The Beatles, now on KLOS and hosted by Chris Carter, is the longest continually running Beatles-themed radio program in the world.
Original host Deirdre O’Donoghue created Breakfast with the Beatles (BWTB) in mid-December 1983 on KMET in Los Angeles, eventually moving to KLSX. After O’Donoghue’s untimely passing in 2001, the show was hosted “audition-style” by several guest hosts including Chris Carter who was then overwhelmingly voted-in by show listeners. In 2006, BWTB moved to its current home at KLOS-FM and is heard every Sunday from 9:00 AM to Noon. Shortly after the move, Carter made his SiriusXM radio debut in 2008, bringing BWTB first to Little Steven’s Underground Garage channel and then, in 2017, being chosen by The Beatles Channel to host the show weekday mornings at 8:00 AM ET. This is not simply a re-broadcast of the KLOS show, but a completely separate entity with unique playlists. Add to that Carter’s British Invasion show on SiriusXM (Saturdays at Noon ET, rebroadcast Sundays at 4:00 PM ET on Little Steven’s Underground Garage channel)
and he is playing The Beatles almost literally eight days a week. Chris Carter conservatively estimates he has played The Beatles and Beatles-related songs more than a quarter million times on terrestrial and satellite radio combined, making him an unofficial record holder of sorts.
“It has been an honor to serve as steward of Breakfast With The Beatles all these years,” said Carter, who also co-founded New Jersey-based alternative rock band
Dramarama and served as the band’s bassist for thirteen years starting in 1981. “The music of The Beatles is eternal, and thus, it enables the radio show to endure and thrive. John, Paul, George and Ringo, in a sense, gave me the best job in the world. I have no doubt BWTB will last at least another 40 years, and most likely much longer.”
Over the last four decades, Breakfast With The Beatles has had on its fair share of guests who are integral to The Beatles story and legacy, including Ringo Starr, Sir George Martin, Julian Lennon, Pete Best, Billy Preston, Olivia Harrison, Dhani Harrison, Pattie Boyd, Brian Wilson, Peter Asher, May Pang, Yoko Ono, Klaus Voormann, Eric Idle and Sir Paul McCartney, who described Breakfast With The Beatles as “the Rolls Royce of radio shows.”
“40 years.. crazy! I want to thank you for putting all that work in for us,” commented Ringo Starr before jokingly quipping, “Time you moved on. Just having fun at your expense. Thanks a lot, Chris, and have a great 40-year party on the show. Peace and love.”
Speaking of The Beatles,the latest speculation is that their two compilation albums, 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 are being readied for release in September as THREE CD Sets in order to not only include more classic tracks, but also the newly remixed Threetles version of “Now And Then” that’s been such a buzz of late.
All of the existing tracks would be “cleaned up” to bring them up to snuff with the other recent re-releases put together by Giles Martin, son of long-time
Beatles producer George.
(It’s funny because had there not been a TV campaign advertising an illegal bootleg of Beatles Greatest Hits, these two LPs may have never come to be … but they were quickly assembled and were soon topping the charts three years after The
Fab Four had officially disbanded.)
Will I buy them again … for like the 4TH time?!?!Most likely so!!!(And so will millions of other Beatles
collectors around the globe!)kk
GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT:
If YOU
were going to add a full album (of 13 or 14 more tracks), what would YOU add to
the Red (1962 – 1966) and Blue (1967 – 1970) albums?
Figure
in the fact that the Blue Album will likely include the new “Now And Then”
track.(So does that mean that it will
also include the other post-John tunes that Paul, George and Ringo did
together?“Free As A Bird” and “Real
Love” might warrant a title change to 1967 – 2023!)
I’m
VERY partial to the early Beatles sound … I could easily come up with two
dozen more deserving tracks that would rank as among their best in my
book.(Some because they performed so
well here in America when released as singles there during the initial wave
of Beatlemania.)
I’m
talking about tracks like “Twist And Shout,” “P.S. I Love You,” “Do You Want
To Know A Secret,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” “This Boy,” “I Should Have
Known Better,” “If I Fell,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “No Reply,” “I’m A Loser,”
“Rain,” “Taxman,” “Here, There And Everywhere,” “Good Day Sunshine,” “For No
One,” “Got To Get You Into My Life” and “Tomorrow Never Knows” … ALL absolute
Beatles standards today.
It's a
little tougher on the 1967 – 1970 box set … most of the good ones have
already been captured …
But
there’s still room for tracks like “She’s Leaving Home,” “When I’m 64,” “Rocky
Raccoon,” “I Will,” “Birthday,” “Helter Skelter,” “Sexy Sadie,” “Hey Bulldog”
and “Oh! Darling.”(Plus most of these
tracks are longer and would take up more space on the bonus disc.)kk
Paul
McCartney has been dropping hints about an upcoming tour of Australia for the
last couple of weeks …
And
then officially announced it on Monday (July 31st)
Macca
has just six dates booked as of right now …
Not
sure if that means more dates will be added later … or if this will launch
some level of world tour down the line.
If you
happen to be Down Under, you can catch McCartney at The Entertainment Centre
in Adelaide on Wednesday, October 18th; Marvel Stadium in
Melbourne on Saturday, October 21st; McDonald Jones Stadium in
Newcaste on Tuesday, October 24th; Allianz Stadium in Sydney on
Friday, October 27th; Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Wednesday,
November 1st and at Heritage Bank Stadium in Gold Coast on
Saturday, the 4th of November.(kk)
Meanwhile, Timmy sent us this
clip of The Beatles performing at Circus Krone in Munich, Germany, 1966.Incredible quality (both picture and sound)
… and something I’ve never seen before in all these years.You can check it out here:
Roll Up Roll Up for the Mystery Tour, step right this way …
Join fellow fans on the one & only Magical History Tour, our
41st (!) anniversary presenting tours to Liverpool and London in conjunction
with Cavern City Tour, the Cavern Club and BEATLEWEEK!
Reservations are now being taken for August 19 - August 28,
2024, where we visit every numerous Beatles sites in Liverpool and London,
with a stop in Henley (you could also come for less days, or join us in
Liverpool only).
The annual Magical Mystery Tour to LIVERPOOL & LONDON is
the definitive travel adventure for fans of all ages. Couples, singles,
families & groups take the tour that’s been bringing Beatles fans to the
homes, clubs and all the locations since 1983. You are in great hands with
the original presenters of the annual tour for Beatles Fans, the only company
in the world that has brought thousands upon thousands of satisfied fans and
travelers to the Beatles land on a regular basis for so long. We can supply
endless references, all satisfied travelers. We’ve been officially recognized
by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool for our efforts in bringing fans to the
Beatles’ city!
Join us and be part of the most fun-filled, fab-filled vacation
in history, presented BY fans FOR fans. It’s guaranteed to raise a smile --
you'll have the time of your life! Call or write for a reservation form or
more details.
Cheers, (your host) Charles F. Rosenay!!!, Liverpool
Productions
Email LiverpoolProductions@gmail.com or phone (203) 795-4737
for more details and an application form.
Just a reminder
that 42 years ago today was the launch of MTV (August 1, 1981.)
Until then, we
would hear the music. With the launch, we finally got to see the artists.
Initially the videos were mostly footage of “live” performances, but
creativity came about very quickly in the videos. And the rest is music history.
Gary
Gol-ly, Kent ...
I knew Jack had passed, but was fearing for
Donny after that long post!
Thank goodness he is still around to see
this great remembrance from Laura!
--Bob Frable
As we have learned by
working closely with Pam Pulice on trying to secure funding for the music
licensing in her Dick Biondi film, this can be a VERY expensive part of the
project in order to do things right.
A couple of weeks ago
we ran the link to a trailer about the new Bobby Kimball documentary.It was VERY moving.Bobby lent his voice to many of Toto’s
biggest hits over the years … and little by little, every day, more of those
memories have left him.A sad, sad
tale that needs to be told, quite reminiscent of the excellent Glen Campbell
doc.
They are looking for
donations toward hitting a $30,000 licensing goal.Perhaps you can help.
I, too, was
sorry to hear of Jack Levine’s passing.
Interesting as
we get older, we have a (morbid?) curiosity of knowing when friends and the
“Entertainers,” ( Singers and Actors and such who were a big part of our
everyday lives ) move on. I was looking forward to his contributions as
the new Forgotten Hits “Stars Obituary Manager."
You wrote,
Kent:
>>>“I placed
my ad in The Chicago Tribune looking for old WLS Silver Dollar Surveys (which
is how Jack and I first connected back in the early ‘70’s.)One of the newspaper’s journalists …
interviewed me for the paper. I remember she ran the piece in the
Antiques / Collectors section. (kk)
The “Antiques”
Section?! In the early 1970s?!!YOWZER!
How old was she?! 12?!
But it kinda
explains what’s been said to me now and again over my more later years
. . . “You’ve
been in radio like forever, Buell! Did you know Marconi . . . ?”
CB
Here’s a great new
interview with our FH Buddy Ray Graffia, Jr., founding member of The New Colony
Six, who traces their history thru the ages … and the PAGES … of Klemen
Breznikar’s “It’s Psychedelic, Baby” Magazine!
(or who may find themselves in Europe
this October)
And for the rest of you, just a
little shameless bragging …
Delighted to let you know that
the NEW ENGLISH AMERICAN THEATRE (NEAT) will be presenting an evening of my
plays later this year under the title THE ROAD PLAYS. NEAT
is a prestigious, English speaking company based in Stuttgart
that features actors from all over the Continent.
"A Good Night" and
"Spain" have been done here in the States.
The third play, BROKEN STRINGS,
has never been produced.
This will be the first time my
work has been shared outside of America and it makes me feel downright giddy.
Here's the promo for it. Not bad,
I think. ("Living Legend" may be pressing the point, but who am I to
argue?)
Madonna’s tour is
still on hold as she continues to recover from her unexpected hospital stay …
But she did send this message to her friends and family
earlier this week, thanking them for all their love and support …
Love from family and
friends is the best Medicine.
One month out of the
hospital and I can reflect.
As a Mother, you can really
get caught up In the needs Of your children and the seemingly endless giving …
But when the chips were
down, my children really showed up for me. I saw a side to them I had never
seen before. It made all the difference.
So did the love and support
from my friends. If you zoom into this Picture I am holding, you will see A
Polaroid taken by Andy Warhol of Keith Haring wearing a jacket with Michael
Jackson’s face painted on it. A perfect triangle of Brilliance.
Artists who touched so many
lives, including my own.
I sobbed when I opened this
gift because I realized how lucky I am to be alive. And how fortunate I am to
have known these people and so many others who are also gone.
And Thank you to all my
angels who protected me and let me Stay to finish doing my work! ♥️
>>>As far as I'm concerned, no musical track has
ever captured the spirit of this era better than "White
Rabbit." Much of the other stuff was just unlistenable noise.
(kk)
>>>Would Chuck care to specify which
songs he considered to be "unlistenable noise?"
– Randy Price
>>>That was my quote, actually, not Chuck’s … and
I’m referencing the countless number of never-ending, long-winded jams that
were saturating the market at the time … by any number of artists who seemed to
believe amidst that their own self-indulgence, QUANTITY outweighed
quality. Some of these things went on forever and were just relentless in
trying so hard to be “of the times” instead of setting the tone on their own
terms. I couldn’t listen to it then … and I still can’t listen to it now.
(One example … I am listening to all of The Rolling Stones’ albums in order
during my commute to and from work … and this week happened upon “Their Satanic
Majesties Request.” I defy you to name one redeeming track on this album
other than their hit single “She’s A Rainbow” / “2000 Light Years From Home,”
which are both EXCELLENT tracks in my opinion. I think The Stones were
just trying much to hard to be “of the times” rather than maintain their
identity and contribute TO the times. (kk)
Bill Wyman's "In Another Land" was
one of several other good tracks from that album, and it was released as a
single at the time.
– Randy Price
Yes, and it actually charted (as a solo single, no less!),
peaking at #52 in Record World … but only reaching #87 in Billboard.(Look at me … telling THE CHART GUY how the
record performed … when he can recite this stuff in his sleep!!!)Suffice to say, the clarification was for the
OTHER readers’ benefit, not yours, Randy!
Still, have you listened to this album lately?
Give it a shot … it hasn’t aged well.
Again, I think The Stones were trying to “fit in” to the
current groove of the day … instead of concentrating on what they did best … as
(as I mentioned) “She’s A Rainbow” / “2000 Light Years From Home” is a
most-excellent single.(kk)
>>>Would Chuck care to
specify which songs he considered to be "unlistenable noise?"(Randy Price)
>>>That was my quote, actually, not
Chuck’s … (kk)
Thanx for
clearing that up, Kent ... altho if pressured (and with the benefit of a multiple
choice titles list), I probably would find some that fall into that category
for me, too!
CB
Kent,
I
recall back in 1968 or 69, when a neighbor tried to get me to smoke marijuana
with him, while listening to the long version of Light My Fire by the Doors — claiming
I would enjoy the song more if I got high. I declined and still to this day
recall that incident whenever I hear the long version of that song; and I agree
with you I never indulged in drugs but still can enjoy the music of the 1960's.
Keep
on sharing the memories of the greatest decade of music.
Joe
Cantello
Marietta,
Ga
Kent,
We have similar pencil stabbing stories.
I was in 7th grade choir (mandatory, only
choir I was ever in.)I was being a jerk
and Linda (somebody) next to me stabbed me with a #2. It stuck! It
was in the soft tissue between my thumb and forefinger ... and it was bleeding
like heck. The choir teacher sent me to the nurse, who pulled it out and
put a bandage on it. That night I looked at the wound and could see
graphite very clearly, still in the wound, so I pulled it out with
tweezers. It wasn't until after a month that I noticed the image was
still there. I thought this must be similar to getting a tattoo. Well, at
least the incident permanently set me against tattoos. Then, after six
months, after a year, after five years, after 50 years, it was still there.
Your story prompted me to look today and to my
surprise I could barely see it. Yeah, it is finally starting to
fade. Maybe in another 50 years it will be gone.
I send you this story, not because it is about
a stabbing. No, this is a Forgotten Hits site, and I am writing you about
music.
We were learning to sing, "Walk Right
In," by the Rooftop Singers. Since I remember the song and not the
girl's last name, it must have been an omen ... as I became a radio DJ long
before I got married.
Jon M
Radio. It's a sound idea!
At the time, it sure looked like there was a broken-off
piece of lead embedded in the palm of my hand … I think my mom was afraid I
would get lead poisoning of some sort.But how odd is it that, in both of our cases, the mark still remains
some 50+ years later?!?!?(Maybe one of
the doctors on our list can chime in with an explanation!)
I can’t remember the girl’s name (first or last!) that
stabbed me that day either …
Yet somehow she was still able to leave a mark on me for all
these years!(kk)
Kent,
Some things that first came to my mind while
reading Wednesday's FH ...
First, since school will beginning, one might
say that SCHOOL IS IN. When you mentioned a few sentences later a
"Portable, handheld, user-friendly, etc." reminded me of Frankie
Lymon's I'GOT A PORTABLE ON MY SHOULDER.
I don't know off hand where you got Barry
Manilow's version of I'M GONNA SIT RIGHT DOWN AND WRITE MYSELF A LETTER, but
I'll take Billy William's version any day.
Larry
Oh yeah!(lol)kk
I like it, too …
But I think that the Billy Williams who played for The
Chicago Cubs probably made a longer-lasting impression on me!(kk)
Apparently the only thing stopping CT from
starting school at the beginning of August is that the schools are not all air
conditioned, and not likely to be. It is state law that they need to be in
order to attend through the summer months. Now that I have said that ... I have
six more days of summer school to get through and THEN a two week break before
school starts on the 30th of August.
I am ready to deliver your written rocks,
Kent. It would be cathartic to through them through windows right now.
Shelley
We passed through Pleasant Valley on our way home from
Kansas City just a short while back …
But here’s Micky Dolenz “on the street!”
(thanks,
Timmy!)
How’s this for a resume’?
Asia … King Crimson … Uriah Heep … Roxy Music … Wishbone Ash
… and many, many others.
We’re talking about John Wetton, who we sadly lost in 2017.
A brand new 8-CD Box Set will be released on November 24th,
celebrating the best of his solo career … with other releases expected to
follow.
John Wetton “An Extraordinary Life” 8CD Box Set To
Be Released November 24, 2023
On 24th November, the first in a
series of box sets commemorating the life and music of one of the UK`s most
extraordinary and prolific musicians, John Wetton, will be released.
The “An Extraordinary Life” box set
contains eight newly remastered CDs, featuring the six solo albums Wetton
released between 1980 and 2011. Each album now includes special bonus tracks.
Additionally, two further discs are included which feature a gold mine of rare,
live and unreleased material from the vaults, compiled by John`s archivist,
Rick Nelson.
Housed in a sumptuous 12” by 12”
box, this set includes a 64-page book with an introduction by legendary artist,
Roger Dean and contains comprehensive sleeve notes by Nick Shilton, author of
Wetton’s biography, “An Extraordinary Life”, published earlier this year. The
book also features a raft of photographs taken from the Wetton archive and has
been designed by John’s long-time friend, Michael Inns.
This whole project has been lovingly
crafted and compiled with the full blessing of John`s son Dylan and his wife
Lisa and is endorsed by the Wetton estate.
With a career spanning more than
four decades, John Wetton`s rich baritone voice and accomplished bass playing
has adorned many recordings. In this “An Extraordinary Life” his extensive solo
career is captured for posterity all in one sumptuous box set, making this a
fitting tribute to one of the UK most loved and respected artists.
“An Extraordinary Life”
DISC 1: Caught in The Crossfire
(1980)
DISC 2: Battle Lines (1994)
DISC 3: Arkangel (1997)
DISC 4: Welcome to Heaven (2000)
DISC 5: Rock of Faith (2003)
DISC 6: Raised in Captivity (2011)
DISC 7: New Live and Unreleased Tracks
DISC 8: New Live and Unreleased Tracks
ABOUT JOHN WETTON
John Wetton has a unique place in
British music history. In a glittering career spanning more than 40 years,
Wetton was a member of several influential and much-loved bands including
Family, King Crimson, Uriah Heep, Wishbone Ash, Roxy Music, UK, Asia and
Icon. He also appeared on a host of albums as a guest artist or session
player, including Bryan Ferry, Steve Hackett, Brian Eno, Renaissance and
Galahad. In addition, Wetton had an extensive and accomplished solo career.
The folks working on Taylor Swift’s massive
record-breaking tour certainly know that their efforts are being appreciated.
According to People Magazine, Swift recently
passed out bonuses that totaled over $55 million to everyone (from her dancers
to riggers, truckers, sound technicians and catering, among others) working on
her massive show.
Now that’s “World’s Best Boss” material
right there!!!(kk)
>>>The Gold Records
themselves traveling beyond our solar system and now between 12 and 15 billion
miles from Earth were designed to last between 1 billion and 5 billion years. (
Side Buell Bar: How could they even “calculate” how long they should last much
less that long?! )Chuck Buell
Do we (United States
Government) get our money back if they don't last that long? In the appropriate
rate of exchange of the moment?
Shelley
And, from Tom Cuddy …
Here’s
a FH exclusive!
Pee Wee Herman
met the late Bobby “Boris” Pickett at a NJ fan event called “Chiller.”
“Monster Mash” was one of Pee Wee’s favorites! Photo by Stuart Hersh.
And of course losing Paul Reubens (Pee
Wee Herman) could inspire this track …
It's probably a big part of the reason
every generation since knows this song!(kk)
.jpg)