Coppock's Topics

Here is the first "official" edition of Coppock's Topics ...  
Provided by Noted Broadcaster, Commentator (and Forgotten Hits Reader) Chet Coppock for your reading pleasure. 

Please Note: All views expressed herein are Chet's and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Forgotten Hits ... we just respect his right to view them ... (although I will admit to agreeing that a couple of these are "spot on" ... I'm just not going to tell you which ones!!!) 

Based on the recent flurry of mail we've received, it seems that most of you guys out there are enjoying these, too ... 

So let's get to a brand new edition ... of this new, semi-regular (or, perhaps in Chet's case, IRREGULAR) series!  

***

This simply has to be brought to the dance. While I'll never throw a Michigan Avenue Parade for Tommy Roe, I will say this ... compared to Bobby Sherman, Tommy's either Lennon or McCartney ... or ... maybe ... Elvis Presley.

Speaking of which, I saw Elvis's last concert nearly 40 years ago at Mark Square Arena down in Indianapolis. It was actually tragic. The bloated king seemed baffled, sang one song while reading sheet music, and had to weigh 270 pounds. But ... BUT ... he still had the golden pipes.

There is a common thread that's emerging in this Tommy Roe give and take: if you had Hal Blaine on your side, you were ahead 4-nothing in the first inning.

Would it be fair to state that Hal was a better studio musician than either Duck Dunn or Steve Cropper?

Did Dennis Wilson ever play drums during Beach Boys recording sessions or was it always Hal behind the wheel?

I still love to get up and boogie when I hear Joe Cocker's "High Time We Went."   

If The "1910 Fruit Gum Company" is the answer then just what the hell is the question? 

Am I the only guy who thought the late 90's band "New Radicals" was going to be a defining 21st century group? I loved "You Get What You Give." 

Oh, what I'd give to turn back the hands WAY back and see James Brown or Smokey Robinson at the old Regal Theatre at 47th and King Drive (South Parkway). Or, drift over to 5523 S. State St. to Pervis Spann's Club Boogaloo to see B.B. King or, maybe, Arthur Conley. 

Who among us doesn't miss dancing the Shing a Ling? 

I'm glad you asked that question. The best song Mitch Ryder ever turned out was "Break Out." The song drips of teen aged frustration. 

You know what really made the Rolling Stones? This goes back to the Battle of Hastings. The Stones appeared with Dean Martin on Hollywood Palace in - I'm guessing 1964. After the group did its number, Deano dissed the group on stage, really threw the left hooks. In reality, what Martin really did was tell every kid in America, "Hey, I'm your parents. I hate these long haired London freaks. So, your job, in the name of rebellion, is to embrace them." 

I still get major league "pop" when I hear "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" by the Young Rascals, a song that classic rock radio wouldn’t play if you offered p.d.'s three free nights with Cameron Diaz. 

I admit it. "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" is a fabulous guilty pleasure. 

Was the Shirelles' "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" the first real song about youthful female sexual angst? 

Why is it for every Rod Stewart song I hear on classic radio, I'm required to hear Kansas 17 times? 

Just askin' ... 

Chet Coppock - Notre Dame Football - WLS

Host: Blackhawks Heritage Series  











re: TOMMY ROE ... AND ELVIS!:  
I was fortunate enough to see Elvis three times ... first in 1972 at The Chicago Stadium. (It was essentially the same show released as the "Elvis - Live At Madison Square Garden" album later that same year ... which I bough immediately to help commemorate the event.)

There is no way to accurately describe the electricity that shot through the stadium ... and me personally ... when Elvis took the stage. It was unlike ANYTHING I had ever experienced before ... and I can honestly say that I've only felt that exact same feeling exactly one other time in my life ... and that was when Paul McCartney and Wings played the same venue four years later as part of the very first Wings Over America Tour.

I've seen McCartney at least eight or nine times since then ... and they've all been stellar shows ... but the excitement of that very first time has never been topped.

Likewise with Elvis ... I saw him TWICE in 1977 when he came back to Chicago ... just several months before he died. And, much as Chet described above, he just didn't seem really happy doing the concert ... or even totally into his performance (in fact, he performed one of his most recent hits, "Hurt", TWICE during the same show!) ... but there was no denying the pure power of his voice ... it was PERFECT!!!

Only Elvis could get away with reading the words to his songs as he performed them live on stage ... incredibly, he is even captured live doing this in a couple of his filmed concerts and documentaries ... no other artist's fans could ever be as forgiving. (kk)     

Hi Kent,  
It has been interesting reading the Tommy Roe comments and seeing all of the Elvis connections with some of the musicians he worked with over the years in the recording sessions ... Jerry Scheff, Jerry Reed, Bob Moore, Floyd Cramer, Jerry Carrigan, David Briggs, Hal Blaine, Buddy Harman, Norbert Putnam and, of course, producer Felton Jarvis. Felton had some health problems and Elvis helped pay for some of his medical bills.

Keep up the great work.

All The Best,

Cory Cooper

Elvis Historian  

re: OTHER COMMENTS:  
Hi Kent,
Just checking in with my comments on Chet's. Those of us who were born in or who have lived in Chicago understand the large and some might say "blowhard" personality that is Chet Coppock and you learn to love it or ignore it. I don't really have a problem with his comments, in general.
I do think that he is using your forum for his comments when he really should have his own website to do the kind of "commentary" that he does. You, yourself, have pretty high standards of writing and avoiding personal attacks. It would be different if Chet were saying the last time I saw (fill in a name) and then made his comment. Opinion is opinion and most of us have one. My opinion is if you publish commentary of this kind by Chet, it just encourages a trend to a more negative bent to Forgotten Hits. One of the best things about your site is the evenhanded way that you treat issues and the positive regard you have for the music.
Thanks for all the hard work you do and the time you spend bringing this great music to us.
Tom

Points well taken ... and I appreciate the compliments. A website by Chet devoted to music doesn't make much sense, however ... that's really not his gig ... but there is no question in my mind that his love and appreciation of music ranks right up there with the best of us. Personally, if there seems to be a desire for it, I'd rather give him a column once a week / once a month / whatever that would allow him to spout off and maybe generate some buzz with our readers ... or, at the very least, get the wheels turning.  (Perhaps a weekly, weekend radio program ... with Chet and I playing ... and debating ... our favorites would be a more likely solution ... not to mention entertaining as hell!) All of that being said, with SO many artists on the list now reading Forgotten Hits, the LAST thing I want to do is bite the hand that feeds us ... and makes our publication so unique. So we'll continue to test the waters here and there and see how it goes. If it ever gets too negative, we'll simply pull the plug and let it go at that. (kk)  

Hi Kent.
Long time since I've written, and hope you and family are doing just great.
Was thinking about wearing your shoes regarding the rock-and-hard place situation being journalist, or associate / friend, to those who write in. Very difficult, and I admire your attempt to tackle the uncomfortable position it puts you in.
Seems it's a lose-lose situation. So, were I you, I'd make it as much win-win by asking those who communicate / write to be as adult as is possible in understanding the spot it puts you in, and not "shoot-the-messenger" (not journalism - your hearts is in here). It this possible? Should be interesting, but not an unrealistic expectation at all. In the unlikely event a temper flares, and a relationship is harmed ... I think there's a good deal of information inherent in such circumstances. Let's hope it never comes to that.
A healthy reminder to please "don't-shoot-the-messenger" request I'd hope would remind your loyal readers & hopefully suffice.
Keep fingers and toes crossed for you on that!
Another note: picked-up some albums (saw conversation re: Turtles in FH recently) I hadn't heard in some time, and wondered if I'm not listening long enough, or there's a lack of play on radio. The Turtles (love them), show up with standards You Baby and She's My Girl (great tunes), but seems some stunningly creative stuff (Sound Asleep, You Showed me, Lady 'O - mesh of Howard Kalan's vocals blended with Baroque strings, and stunning melody) seem to not get as much air (also Grim Reaper Of Love, think it was a "greatest hit"?). This stuff being played, and am I just missing it?
Thanks for all the time and heart you put into FH, you know how it's appreciated!
Ron Kolman 

And (since you mentioned The Turtles), here's more from Howard Kaylan ...  

Nice mentions, Kent.  
I appreciate it.

I'm going to call my next band the Full Blown Somethings.

You can tell your loyal readers that an entire chapter of my book is online right now FREE at RollingStone.com

Now, millions can hate me for nothin'.

Thanks,
So says Kaylan~

Can't wait to read it! Thanks, Howard! (kk)  

re: AND FINALLY ...

C'mon, Chet ... you CANNOT tell me that you can make it all the way to the end of this song without singing along!!! (kk) 

Poor Babies

Last night was "Dysfunctional Family Night" at the Forgotten Hits Ranch.

We kicked off the evening with J.R. Ewing's funeral on the reboot of "Dallas" ... and capped it off with the brand new Showtime Documentary spotlighting The Cowsills.

Now I'm not sure television has ever given us a more "challenged" family than The Ewings ... Kardashians be damned ... but this profile of The Cowsills just may have surpassed them last night.  The big difference, of course, is that The Cowsills' conflicts were "real life" ... The Ewings' were scripted TV at its very best ... and there has never been anything real about The Kardashians (including most of their body parts!)

The Cowsills, however, just may be the greatest example of the extremity of love and hate in a single family that I have ever witnessed.

FH Reader Tom Cuddy had just told me about this special the day before ... so I was anxious to see it:

Gripping 'Cowsills Story' Documentary Coming to Showtime  
By Randy Lewis, LA TIMES  
March 6, 2013, 12:00 p.m.    

The new documentary “Family Band: The Cowsills Story,” premiering tonight on Showtime, opens with a compelling scene showing musician Bob Cowsill setting up single-handed for another thankless gig in the corner of a restaurant-bar of an Indian casino. As patrons chat, eat and drink, barely paying attention, he says, “I had four hit records between the ages of 17 and 21 … I did!”

As is obvious in that scene, the Cowsills long ago fell off the radar of most pop music fans, and are remembered today primarily for their hit recording of the title song from the musical “Hair,” which spent two weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969.

Filmmaker Louise Palanker, with lots of unflinchingly direct input from the surviving members of the family group that became the inspiration for “The Partridge Family” TV series, tells a fascinating story of a group that had briefly captured the attention of the pop world, but disintegrated under the iron fist of its manager father, Bud Cowsill.

The film traces the band's story from early days in Newport, R.I., where brothers Bob, Bill, Barry and John Cowsill started their own band after being inspired, like so many of their generation, by seeing the Beatles perform on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Within a few years, they were standing on the same stage, a slightly hipper version of the Osmonds, playing to a national TV audience of tens of millions with their 1967 hit “The Rain, the Park & Other Things.”

To the boys’ chagrin, their father soon insisted that they expand their ranks to include not just their baby sister, Susan, but their mother, Barbara, as well.

“We love our mom,” John Cowsill says, “but I challenge you to find a teenage boy anywhere who wants his mom in his rock band.”

The domineering stage parent is an all-too-common theme in show business, and the Cowsills’ version of the story includes many unfortunately familiar elements: the overbearing father, in this case a career Navy officer who was out of their lives as much as he was in them, whose alcohol use inflamed already volatile relationships; natural parent-child frictions magnified by the glare of the public spotlight; and family tragedies.

Barbara Cowsill died of emphysema in 1985 at age 56, the same disease that claimed Bill Cowsill 21 years later at age 58, less than two months after Barry Cowsill’s body was found in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. Bud Cowsill died in 1992 of leukemia.

There’s also the harsh reality of coming out of an incredibly successful period in their lives to discover they had no money to show for it. “We all started our adult lives in debt,” Bob says. “What happened to the money? It’s a mystery, but suffice it to say our dad mismanaged it and it was gone.”

The 87-minute film is filled with examples of other negative fallout of Bud’s dictatorial control over his kids -- especially Richard, the one child whom Bud refused to allow to be part of the band with his five siblings. Executives at ABC-TV met with them while creating a TV series built on their blueprint -- a mother recording and touring with her brood of boys and one daughter.

“Partridge Family” star Shirley Jones talks to Bob about how they were shown photos of the Cowsills and fully briefed on their life story as that show went into production. Like “The Monkees” before them, the show spawned a life-imitates-art pop-rock group that charted several hits in the real world and produced a bona fide pop star in Jones’ real-life stepson and co-star, David Cassidy.

Among the others Palanker interviewed are musicians Waddy Wachtel and Tommy James, songwriter-promoter Artie Kornfeld, engineer-producer Brooks Arthur and radio personality Cousin Brucie. Clips from a broad swatch of TV shows the Cowsills guested on include some of the '60s most popular programs hosted by Ed Sullivan, Dean Martin, Johnny Cash, Mike Douglas and Johnny Carson.

“Family Band: The Cowsills Story” will run multiple times through March.   

In my wildest imagination, I never expected it to be as blunt and bold as it is.  The documentary tells their sad story of success ... their domineering father all but destroyed the band AND the family ... and the candor in which the family members speak of their hatred for this man will shock you.  (This isn't a fun, "feel good" special.)  It's almost as if The Cowsills made it DESPITE themselves ... because they had very little going for themselves other than pure talent.  To this day, the wear and tear of these events still shows on their faces.   

Along the way, however, The Cowsills gave us some GREAT music.  I fell in love with their first hit "The Rain, The Park And Other Things" the very first time I heard it ... and it topped the charts in late 1967.  The film gives you abbreviated early television appearances by The Cowsills performing this song as well as some of their other biggest hits "We Can Fly", "Hair" and "Indian Lake", another personal favorite that is basically described as "a complete piece of shit" by one of the brothers in the documentary.    

It's all there ... the sad ending of losing Barry Cowsill to Katrina ... and brother Bob the same week that Barry's body was found ... is heartbreaking.  Hearing Susan talk about the physical, sexual and psychological abuse she endured at the hands of her father is devastating ... you cannot help but feel her pain.  And imagine the turmoil endured by the original four boys, on their way to semi-rock-and-roll stardom, only to have their Dad tell them that they need to add both their Mother and their Kid Sister to the band.  (Talk about your cock-block!  Wonder how many teenage groupies THAT eliminated!!!)   

I will admit to being one of those who wrote The Cowsills off as more hype than substance back in the day ... they were just too "cute" and manufactured, I thought, to be taken seriously.  (This coming from a guy who absolutely ADORED The Monkees!!!  lol)  But there was ... and IS ... some real talent there.  These kids could really play and sing ... and just how well they could play and sing is in evidence throughout this special documentary.  To this day, at least three of The Cowsill offspring are still performing, fronting their own bands, as well as getting together on occasion to perform as The Cowsills ... and I've got to tell you, they sound GREAT!  Brother John Cowsill also tours as part of The Beach Boys Band.  (In a somewhat ironic moment, Partridge Family Mom Shirley Jones actually introduces The Cowsills on stage.  The Partridge Family, of course, were based on the success of The Cowsills, who were briefly considered to star as themselves on the musical sitcom until it was decided that they weren't "believable" as a family!!!  lol  Instead, a group of actors were brought in to PRETEND to be a family ... and the formula worked, selling MILLIONS of records along the way and turning Shirley's step son David Cassidy into a major teen idol in the early '70's.)  

Watch for this one on Showtime ... but be prepared ... the ONLY feel-good part of this story is the music.  (kk) 

TOMMY ROE

>>>Several years ago I found Tommy Roe's e mail address and asked him what could he tell me about Studio B in Nashville, as I am very interested in finding out all I could about it. Not only an interest in the stars but I wanted to know about the musicians who backed them as well as the back room staff, (I still do but have to say thanks to people like Tommy I now know a lot more now than I did then) It was from Tommy that I found out the awesome drumming on Sheila was committed to tape by Buddy Harman. (Rockin’ Lord Geoff in England)

>>>I enjoy Tommy Roe's records. That being said, he benefited from having the great Hal Blaine on drums as well as other great session musicians. (Mark)
 

It wasn't just Tommy Roe ... every recording artist that had Hal Blaine play drums on their session benefited from Hal's musical genius - The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, The Mamas & The Papas, The Carpenters, Nancy Sinatra, all of Phil Spector's groups, The Byrds, Jan & Dean, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Vee, Glen Campbell, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Sonny & Cher, The Monkees and of course, Tommy Roe, among hundreds, if not thousands of others. I've interviewed Hal many times over the years (one night after one of those interviews, he brought me along to a recording session at Bell Sound in LA with producer Joe Saraceno, the man who produced Dorsey Burnette ("Tall Oak Tree") and The Ventures as well as creating The Marketts ("Balboa Blue", "Out Of Limits") and The Routers ("Let's Go"). Both of those 'groups' weren't actual groups at all, they were the usual LA session musicians that became known as the 'Wrecking Crew', which besides Hal Blaine also included drummer Earl Palmer). That was one amazing night.

Doug Thompson 

Interestingly enough, we received some conflicting information on this topic. In the midst of all of our Tommy Roe talk of late here in Forgotten Hits, one of the first comments we received was regarding Tommy using Nashville's Studio B and Buddy Harman on his first #1 Hit "Sheila" ... so this connection may have predated some of his other recording experiences if, in fact, he later hooked up with The Wrecking Crew. ("Sheila", if you recall, was first released on the small Judd label a couple of years before he re-recorded it for ABC-Paramount in 1962. Judd Records was founded by the legendary Sam Phillips' brother, Jud Phillips, and based out of Memphis ... they apparently misspelled Jud's name on an early pressing of the label and Judd ... with two d's ... stuck.  As such, most of their recordings were done in Memphis and Nashville.) 

Tommy Roe first cut "Sheila", albeit in a different arrangement, for Judd in 1960. Being a southern boy himself (Tommy was born in Atlanta), it made sense to me that he would have recorded his earlier sides down south ... and not in Los Angeles with The Wrecking Crew. However, since a couple of you seemed so adamant about this connection, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe Tommy teamed up with the members of The Wrecking Crew later in his career.  

I asked him for some clarification ...  

Hi Kent ... 

No problem!   

The 1962 hit version of "Sheila" was recorded in Nashville, produced by Felton Jarvis and recorded at RCA studio.   

The musicians on that session were: Drums - Buddy Harman, Guitars - Wayne Moss & Jerry Reed, Bass - Bob Moore, and Piano, which you don't really hear on the record, was performed by Floyd Cramer. The Jordanaires are singing background. My follow up release to "Sheila" was "Susie Darling." and the same musicians were on that record except for guitar, and that was Jerry Kennedy. 

I recorded "Everybody," and "Carol," at Fame studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and that, too, was produced by Felton Jarvis, with Rick Hall working as the engineer.  The musicians on these sessions were:  Drums - Jerry Carrigan, bass - Norbert Putnam, piano - David Briggs, and guitar - Bobby West, and The Muscle Shoals singers.  

After Muscle Shoals I went back to Nashville and recorded "The Folk Singer" with Buddy Harmon on drums, Henry Strzelecki on bass, Joe South and Jerry Kennedy on guitar, and Ray Stevens on the keyboards, produced by Felton Jarvis and engineered by Billy Sherrill.  

The musicians on "Sweet Pea," Hooray For Hazel," and "It's Now Winters Day" were:  Drums - Jim Troxel and Toxie French, Bass - Jerry Scheff, Guitar - Ben Benay and Mike Deasy, Keyboards - Butch Parker and Mike Henderson. Recorded at Gary Paxtons, and CBS studio in Hollywood.  

The musicians on "Dizzy," "Heather Honey," "Jam Up And Jelly Tight," and "Stagger Lee" were The Wrecking Crew:  Drums - Hal Blaine, Bass - Joe Osborn, Guitar - Ben Benay and Richard Laws, Keyboards - Don Randi and Larry Knechtel, and saxophone - Plas Johnson and Jim Horne. String arrangements were done by Jimmy Haskel and Horn arrangements were courtesy of Mike Henderson.  Background vocals on these records were Ginger Blake, Maxine Willard and Julia Tillman.  The sessions were produced by Steve Barri and engineered Phil Kaye and Roger Nichols. 

Kent this should clear it up. 
Best,
Tommy  

So, as you can see, The Wrecking Crew DID have a hand in Tommy's records ... but this happened much later in his career.  Prior to hooking up with Hal Blaine and company, Tommy had already scored seven Top 40 Hits.  Those Wrecking Crew sessions launched a string of eight more!  Pretty impressive indeed!  

And, speaking of Buddy Harman ...   

Kent,
In today's comments, a reader mentioned that Buddy Harman did the drum work on Tommy Roe's SHEILA. That drew a memory from me in that Buddy Harman had a record that made our weekly top 40 radio survey back in 1960. The song was DRUM TWIST on Warner Brothers records. He wrote the tune and it was b/w an instrumental version of BYE BYE LOVE.

Larry Neal

Buddy Harman was one of those Nashville session whiz-kids who seemed to play on EVERYBODY's records back in the day.  His recording credits include working with  Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Connie Francis, Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Roger Miller, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Marty Robbins, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Eddy Arnold, Merle Haggard and countless others. In fact, Wikipedia says Buddy drummed on over 18,000 sessions, making him the Hal Blaine of the South!  (kk) 

THE TOMMY ROE HIT LIST 

(National Peak in parentheses):

1962 - Sheila  (#1)

1962 - Susie Darlin' (#34)

1962 - Piddle De Pat  (#79)

1963- Gonna Take A Chance  (#94)

1963 - The Folk Singer  (#84)

1963 - Everybody  (#3)

1964 - Come On   (#27) 

1964 - Carol  (#52)

1964 - Party Girl  (#85)

1966 - Sweet Pea  (#5)

1966 - Hooray For Hazel (#4)

1967 - It's Now Winter's Day  (#21)

1967 - Sing Along With Me  (#91)  

1967 - Little Miss Sunshine  (#90)

1968 - Dottie, I like It  (#69)

1969 - Dizzy  (#1)

1969- Heather Honey  (#12)

1969 - Jack And Jill  (#31)

1970 - Jam Up And Jelly Tight  (#4)

1970 - Stir It Up And Serve It  (#27)

1970 - Pearl  (#30)

1970 - We Can Make Music  (#35)

1970 - Brush A Little Sunshine  (#63) 
1971 - Little Miss Goodie Two Shoes  (#104)
1971 - Pistol Legged Mama  (#124)

1971 - Stagger Lee  (#19)

1972 - Mean Little Woman, Rosalie  (#91)

1973 - Working Class Hero  (#67) 
   

Tommy's original Judd Recording of "Sheila"


Some classic Tommy Roe BubbleGum Music!



I always liked Tommy's version of "Stagger Lee", a rock and roll classic.  (For the complete, true story behind this song, be sure to check out the other Forgotten Hits Website!)

Click here: Forgotten Hits - THE STORIES BEHIND THE SONGS