After about 34 hours of sorting through the now THOUSANDS of
emails we've received since the new computer went up online, I've come to the
conclusion (realization?) that I can't POSSIBLY read through all of this stuff
AND try to put out a "current" edition of The Sunday Comments. (As I type this, there are
literally over 2100 still to go!!!)
So (for right now anyway) I've narrowed things down to that which (hopefully) still really matters ... and concentrated on those for today's posting.
Next week our EXCLUSIVE Interview with Al Kooper will be running in Forgotten Hits ... hopefully that will buy me some of the necessary time needed to continue scouring through the rest (without trying to get something "new" up on the site every day.)
In the meantime ... here's the latest and greatest (with a few "oldies but goodies" thrown in for good measure.) Enjoy!
So (for right now anyway) I've narrowed things down to that which (hopefully) still really matters ... and concentrated on those for today's posting.
Next week our EXCLUSIVE Interview with Al Kooper will be running in Forgotten Hits ... hopefully that will buy me some of the necessary time needed to continue scouring through the rest (without trying to get something "new" up on the site every day.)
In the meantime ... here's the latest and greatest (with a few "oldies but goodies" thrown in for good measure.) Enjoy!
re: UP-COMING SHOWS:
Our FH Buddy Ron Onesti has got some GREAT shows coming up at
The Arcada Theatre between now and the end of the year.
September 4th - Lindsay Buckingham (in an intimate one-man
show)
September 7th - Kenny Rogers
September 14th - Three Dog Night
September 21st - Kansas
September 21st - Kansas
October 6th - The Original Crickets
November 2nd - Asia (featuring all four original
members)
December 7th - Air Supply
December 15th - The Diamonds Christmas Show
New shows are being added all the time.
More details on the website:
Click here: The Arcada Theatre
Great edition, Kent! Keep plugging -- it's worth it!
By the way, Jimy Sohns' 66th birthday is 8/24, and we're celebrating it on that Saturday, 8/25, with a live appearance of the Shadows of Knight at Blues Bar in Mt. Prospect. We're expecting some pretty interesting guests, so come out and be recognized!
Click here: The Arcada Theatre
Great edition, Kent! Keep plugging -- it's worth it!
By the way, Jimy Sohns' 66th birthday is 8/24, and we're celebrating it on that Saturday, 8/25, with a live appearance of the Shadows of Knight at Blues Bar in Mt. Prospect. We're expecting some pretty interesting guests, so come out and be recognized!
Best of luck with the on-going
recovery.
Rick Barr
Rick Barr
Sounds like a blast ... count me in. Hoping some of our
"Local Heroes" will join in on the festivities.
I talked to Jimy a couple of months ago when we were putting
together our Top 20 All-Time Favorite Garage Bands Series (where The Shadows Of
Knight pretty much kicked EVERYBODY else's ass) ... sooner or later, we'll get
those final results up on the website, too! (kk)
I went to see Tommy Roe's concert in Gray, TN ... what a
show ... he was fantastic! He did most of his hits, including some lesser
charting singles, but he didn't do The Folk Singer (I don't blame him), Come On
(one of my personal favorites, which he could've done in a medley with
Everybody), Party Girl (another one of my favorites), It's Now Winter's Day (for
obvious reasons -- it must've been about 85 outside), Sing Along With Me, Little
Miss Sunshine, Jack And Jill, Stir It Up And Serve It, Pearl, We Can Make Music,
and Mean Little Woman, Rosalie, out of his charting singles. There are a number
of earlier things I like by him as well, which he'd probably never do. He did do
Every Time A Bluebird Cries, which is one of my favorites. He said it was on his
greatest hits album that he was selling (on cassette!) but had ever been
released -- well, it was, but it was a non charting single where it was actually
the B side of the record. I'll send a more detailed review later, I'm still in Tennessee, about to
head home to New York.
Tom Diehl
Sounds like a GREAT show, Tom. (We've been trying to persuade a couple of the local Chicagoland promoters to book Tommy for a show here in Chi-Town ... I just know there'd be an audience for him.)
His new CD is EXCELLENT, too! You can check it out on Tommy's website: Click here:
The Official Tommy Roe Web Site
Meanwhile, there are a few more Tommy Roe dates coming up in the next couple of weeks ... Do yourself a favor and check him out if you happen to be out Iowa way ...
Meanwhile, there are a few more Tommy Roe dates coming up in the next couple of weeks ... Do yourself a favor and check him out if you happen to be out Iowa way ...
AUG 31 - Diamond JO Casino .. Dubuque,
IOWA
SEPT 1 - Winnavegas Casino .. Sloan.
IA
SEPT 2 - Induction into Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Hall
of Fame .. Lake Okoboji, IA
Here's another recent piece on Tommy's big comeback:
Here's another recent piece on Tommy's big comeback:
Click
here: June 17: Tommy Roe, Rick Levy in PV Concert Hall | StAugustine.com
Here's the latest on the Dick Clark and American Bandstand Celebration:
On Monday, August 6th, there is going to be an unveiling of a commemorative plaque sidewalk inlay of Dick Clark, American Bandstand and the "Regulars" and the 55th Anniversary Celebration of the First National Broadcast of American Bandstand.
Tickets are $55.00.
Here's the latest on the Dick Clark and American Bandstand Celebration:
On Monday, August 6th, there is going to be an unveiling of a commemorative plaque sidewalk inlay of Dick Clark, American Bandstand and the "Regulars" and the 55th Anniversary Celebration of the First National Broadcast of American Bandstand.
Tickets are $55.00.
The times are as follows:
6:30 AM - 8:30 AM
6:30 AM - Unveiling Presentation
7:00 AM - Anniversary Celebration
Thanks!
Eddie Kelly
AB Regular (59 - 61)
Eddie Kelly
AB Regular (59 - 61)
Speaking of Dick Clark, here's a GREAT piece sent in by FH
Reader Gary Theroux that I thought was lost forever after the crash ...
But we were able to pull this out of our old email ...
Enjoy!
re: DICK CLARK'S PLAYHOUSE:
Hi, Kent -
Imagine having Dick Clark's money -- and using it to buy a one-bedroom house that looks like something straight out of "The Flintstones." While all know Dick had a great love for oldies, how many of us suspected it went back THIS far!
Check out Dick's digs.
And note also what appears to be a complete absence of anything at all in it even remotely related to music!
Gary Theroux
(EDITOR's NOTE: All commentary below comes from the architectural publication in which these photos originally appeared.)
A Real Man Cave
An iconic celebrity needs an equally impressive home, and that is exactly what television legend Dick Clark had. The 82-year-old’s Malibu retreat home is for sale. The house looks just like the Flintstones’ home in the famous cartoon.
Sitting on top of a very steep hill, the specially designed home is on the market for $3.5 million but it’s appearance from the outside is not the biggest selling point it has to offer. The unusual architectural retreat has huge glass windows in every room which give amazing views of the nearby Pacific Ocean, Channel Islands, Boney Mountains and Serrano Valley.
An iconic celebrity needs an equally impressive home, and that is exactly what television legend Dick Clark had. The 82-year-old’s Malibu retreat home is for sale. The house looks just like the Flintstones’ home in the famous cartoon.
Sitting on top of a very steep hill, the specially designed home is on the market for $3.5 million but it’s appearance from the outside is not the biggest selling point it has to offer. The unusual architectural retreat has huge glass windows in every room which give amazing views of the nearby Pacific Ocean, Channel Islands, Boney Mountains and Serrano Valley.
Although the
property only has one bedroom, it boasts two bathrooms and looks like a cavern
throughout the whole house.
The cave-like structure and high ceilings
add to the Flintstones feel as does the log burning fireplace and wine
cellar.
Set in a 23-acre estate the luxury and
extrovert home is an architectural marvel and is classed as one of Malibu
landmark buildings.
The listing agent describes it as “art as architecture at its finest.” They said it is ”Truly exceptional and one-of-a-kind from within and without. The architecture of this home seamlessly marries form and function. The interior space is extremely voluminous and features an expanse of glass to capture the views from every room of this home.”
The owner of the property is Dick's widow, Kari.
The late television and radio legend is best known for hosting long-running TV shows such as American Bandstand, the game show Pyramid, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve.
He is also known for his departing catchphrase, “For now, Dick Clark, so long,” which he said while doing a military salute. Clark suffered a stroke in 2004 but returned to host his New Year’s Rockin Eve show on December 31, 2005 with a shaky performance and slurred speech.
In 1973 he created the American Music Awards show which he continued to produce every year.
re: QUEEN:
EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE GREATEST VIDEO HITS BY
QUEEN ~2-DVD SET OUT AUGUST
28~
New York, NY (July 30,
2012)—Over three hours long on two DVDs, one of the greatest visual bands in
rock history will get their due on August 28 when Eagle Rock Entertainment, the
world leader in visual music, releases Greatest Video Hits by Queen.
Upgraded digitally in
DTS 5.1 Surround Sound, with added commentary from lead guitarist Brian May and
drummer Roger Taylor, this 2-DVD set packages Queen’s pioneering and
groundbreaking video history into a seamless whole.
33 videos deep, this is
the first time that this collection will be released in one
package.
Heavy on the early
days, the first disc spotlights Queen in the 1970s, when the music video as an
art form began to emerge. It includes the iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another
One Bites The Dust,” “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions,” as well as
“Flash,” from the 1980 sci-fi film Flash Gordon. From the freezing
backyard shoots of “We Will Rock You” and “Spread Your Wings,” to the visual
masterpiece that accompanies “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Queen was already showing off
the various ways that they visually wanted to represent their
music.
The 1980 years are
represented on Disc 2, from 1982’s Hot Space album through 1989’s The
Miracle. With the advent of MTV in the US, Queen proved they could be as
creative visually as they were on record. The ’84 “Radio Ga Ga” video was hailed
by both film and music critics alike for its referencing of the original 1927
cinematic milestone Metropolis by Fritz Lang. From the spoofing of
Coronation Street in “I Want To Break Free,” to children replacing the band
members in “The Miracle,” Queen put their stamp on the music video in the best
way they knew how – offering something fresh and different every
time.
Queen burned so
bright it created a legacy that continues today. From its self-titled 1973 debut
to its fitting finale 1995’s Made In Heaven, the band set precedents
within rock music that will never be equaled. Singer / songwriter / pianist /
guitarist Freddie Mercury (1946-1991), bassist John Deacon, May and Taylor
meshed like magic and the results will be seen, heard and deeply felt on August
28.
Eagle Rock will
also release the Freddie Mercury documentary The Great Pretender on DVD
and Blu-ray September 25.
Track Listing
Disc
#1)
Bohemian
Rhapsody
Another One Bites The
Dust
Killer
Queen
Fat Bottomed
Girls
Bicycle
Race
You’re My Best
Friend
Don’t Stop Me
Now
Save
Me
Crazy Little Thing
Called Love
Somebody To
Love
Spread Your
Wings
Play The
Game
Flash
Tie Your Mother
Down
We Will Rock
You
We Are The
Champions
Disc
#2)
A Kind Of
Magic
I Want It
All
Radio Ga
Ga
I Want To Break
Free
Breakthru
Under
Pressure
Scandal
Who Wants To Live
Forever
The
Miracle
It’s A Hard
Life
The Invisible
Man
Las Palabras De
Amor
Friends Will Be
Friends
Body
Language
Hammer To
Fall
Princes Of The
Universe
One
Vision
Evidently as part of their new deal with Apple and iTunes, The Beatles agreed to allow them to issue their own compilation collection to be sold as downloads on their website. This truly is an unprecedented event ... but this is, after all, the digital age ... and folks buying music today are "cherry-picking" the tracks they want. Maybe this is a new and interesting way to get some of this music out there to potential new fans.
The collection is called "Tomorrow Never Knows" (after the closing track on The Beatles' "Revolver" album) ... and the entire collection can be had for only $7.98. The complete track listing is as follows:
Revolution, Paperback Writer, And Your Bird Can Sing, Helter Skelter, Savoy Truffle, I'm Down, I've Got A Feeling, Back In The U.S.S.R., You Can't Do That, It's All Too Much, She Said She Said, Hey Bulldog, Tomorrow Never Knows and The End.
Incredibly, with a minimum amount of fanfare, the album debuted in The Top 40 on iTunes Best Sellers Chart!
(And, by the way, for the record, "Here Comes The Sun" ... a George Harrison tune ... remains the most-downloaded Beatles song since they opened up their catalog to the service. (In fact, Beatle George has TWO songs in The Top Ten ... "Here Comes The Sun" (#1) bookends the list with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (#10). In between you'll find the obvious ("Hey Jude", #2, "Let It Be", #3, and "Yesterday", #8) some surprises ("Twist And Shout", #6, "Revolution", #9, and "Blackbird" #5) and a couple of modern day classics ("Come Together", #4, and "In My Life", #7.)
re: NEW BEATLES ALBUM:
When is the last time (if EVER!!!) there was a brand new Beatles album being released and you DIDN'T hear anything about it in advance?!?!?Evidently as part of their new deal with Apple and iTunes, The Beatles agreed to allow them to issue their own compilation collection to be sold as downloads on their website. This truly is an unprecedented event ... but this is, after all, the digital age ... and folks buying music today are "cherry-picking" the tracks they want. Maybe this is a new and interesting way to get some of this music out there to potential new fans.
The collection is called "Tomorrow Never Knows" (after the closing track on The Beatles' "Revolver" album) ... and the entire collection can be had for only $7.98. The complete track listing is as follows:
Revolution, Paperback Writer, And Your Bird Can Sing, Helter Skelter, Savoy Truffle, I'm Down, I've Got A Feeling, Back In The U.S.S.R., You Can't Do That, It's All Too Much, She Said She Said, Hey Bulldog, Tomorrow Never Knows and The End.
Incredibly, with a minimum amount of fanfare, the album debuted in The Top 40 on iTunes Best Sellers Chart!
(And, by the way, for the record, "Here Comes The Sun" ... a George Harrison tune ... remains the most-downloaded Beatles song since they opened up their catalog to the service. (In fact, Beatle George has TWO songs in The Top Ten ... "Here Comes The Sun" (#1) bookends the list with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (#10). In between you'll find the obvious ("Hey Jude", #2, "Let It Be", #3, and "Yesterday", #8) some surprises ("Twist And Shout", #6, "Revolution", #9, and "Blackbird" #5) and a couple of modern day classics ("Come Together", #4, and "In My Life", #7.)
re: THE
FORGOTTEN HITS (E) BOOK CLUB:
Kent,
Just a quick note to let you know I've released new, updated Kindle and Nook versions of my oldies calendar book, "Eight Days A Week: Births, Deaths and Events Each Day in Oldies History." Yes, the deaths of Donna Summer and Robin Gibb are in there, along with hundreds of items not in the printed copy. And I've released them at a special price -- just $4.99.
If anyone is interested, they're available at:
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Eight-Days-Week-History-ebook/dp/B005FNGHQI/
Just a quick note to let you know I've released new, updated Kindle and Nook versions of my oldies calendar book, "Eight Days A Week: Births, Deaths and Events Each Day in Oldies History." Yes, the deaths of Donna Summer and Robin Gibb are in there, along with hundreds of items not in the printed copy. And I've released them at a special price -- just $4.99.
If anyone is interested, they're available at:
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Eight-Days-Week-History-ebook/dp/B005FNGHQI/
Nook: http://bit.ly/oIxBz0
-- Ron Smith
Great news, Ron ... and pretty
darn current, too! You can download your copies at either of the links above.
(kk)
And, speaking of digital versions of classic books, the Joel
Whitburn Collection is now ALSO available as digital
downloads:
Kent,
Here are a few comments about our newly released Top Pop Singles and Pop Annual eBooks:
"I take them everywhere with me," "so convenient on my computer," and "fun to have on my iPad." Instantly view them on your computer or other reader device, excluding Kindle. Simply create your new account at our new eBook store, download the appropriate free reader software, and purchase and download your colorful eBook!
The rint book that I can't wait for is our all-new Hit Records 1954-1982, coming in September. This is the 1st-ever complete history of the Music Vendor and Record World charts. You'll find 1000s of hits and artists that appear in this book but not in my Top Pop Singles book!
Take advantage of our 1st-ever 'Buy 1, Get 1 for Half Price' on over 20 great products! Now you have even more reasons to catch up on your reading, put together a party playlist or spruce up your music collection.
Joel Whitburn
I've been chomping at the bit, waiting for the new Record World /
Music Vendor "Hit Records" release, too ... can't wait to see it and add it to
my collection. Complete details on all of these at the links above. (kk)
Meanwhile, Joel has just announced a brand new eBook title ...
Our
beloved book of old, Pop Hits Singles & Albums 1940-1954, will
very soon be an eBook! Until its fast-approaching release, save $10 when you
pre-order! For
the first time ever, have instant access on your computer, tablet or smart
phone, to this golden era of pop! Special to the eBook: featured albums are in
color!
Pop Hits eBook is currently in production. When it is soon released, you will receive an email notification that the eBook is available for download. The eBook file download will then appear in your account in your eLibrary at our eStore. Order now! Sale ends when book is released.Pop Hits is actually four books in one: an A-Z artist section of all charted singles, an Annaul section ranking all singles by peak position in the year of their popularity, a Top 10 Charts section shows each week's Top 10 hit songs, and an Album section lists by artist every charted album and all its tracks. Plus, a chronological listing of all #1 hits and a host of rankings and special sections!
Remember, when this eBook is released, the sale ends. So order now and save!
Pop Hits eBook is currently in production. When it is soon released, you will receive an email notification that the eBook is available for download. The eBook file download will then appear in your account in your eLibrary at our eStore. Order now! Sale ends when book is released.Pop Hits is actually four books in one: an A-Z artist section of all charted singles, an Annaul section ranking all singles by peak position in the year of their popularity, a Top 10 Charts section shows each week's Top 10 hit songs, and an Album section lists by artist every charted album and all its tracks. Plus, a chronological listing of all #1 hits and a host of rankings and special sections!
Remember, when this eBook is released, the sale ends. So order now and save!
re: DORIS
DAY:
Kent,
Enjoyed reading the info about Doris Day. Two things that
immediately came to my mind.
First was the Shirelles' later rendition of EVERYBODY LOVES A
LOVER and I don't believe it was mentioned on your
website but in 1958 I always enjoyed her song TUNNEL OF LOVE from the movie of the same name. A movie I might add I
have never seen.
Larry Neal
The Shirelles did all-right with their version of
"Everybody Loves A Lover", too ... it got as high as #17 in Cash Box Magazine in
early 1963. (There's just something "peppy" about the Doris Day version, a #6
Hit in Cash Box five years earlier.) "Tunnel Of Love" was her follow-up hit ...
it reached #43. (kk)
I enjoyed your segment on Doris Day this morning. My all time favorite song that she sang is "I'll Never Stop Loving You."
Welcome back, Kent.
Carrie
"I'll Never Stop Loving You" was Doris' first "Rock Era"
chart hit in 1955. It hit #15 on Billboard's Best Sellers List ... and ALSO
came from a movie. (In this instance, "Love Me Or Leave Me"). kk
Hey Kent,
Hey Kent,
First of all, glad to note your resurrection
...
Second, in reading the piece about Doris Day, it reminds me of the
film she did in the late sixties called “Where Were You When the Lights Went
Out”, in which we did the title song of the same name in the opening credits of
the movie. It’s a fun movie about the power blackout they had in New York City
in the sixties which lasted somewhere around 12 to 24 hours. I don’t know if
anyone else ever recorded it. If you still have a copy of the “Lost hits” CD I
sent you a few years ago it’s on that disc.
Again, happy to see that you're back and active.
Lettermen / Reunion,
Gary Pike
I sure do still have that CD ... so we're featuring this track
today, too. (In fact, here's a YouTube bonus of the opening credits!)
Click here: Doris Day: Where Were You... opening - YouTube
Click here: Doris Day: Where Were You... opening - YouTube
Ahh, the infamous New York City blackout of 1965 ... I forget how
many births they ultimately attributed to folks left in the dark for twelve
hours with nothing left to do but get it on! And this wasn't just confined to
New York City ... something like 30 million people were left without power, all
throughout the east coast (and even parts of Canada) (lol)
Hi Kent,
Lou and I are happy to hear
your website is up and running again. I liked your little article on Doris Day.
When I was a little girl, 'Que Sera, Sera' was one of my favorite songs. I
remember walking down the street in Chicago singing that song when I was about 7
years old. Looking forward to reading more
postings.
Que Sera Sera is one of those songs that
our parents sang to us ... and then we learned it and sang it ... and many of us
then sang it to OUR children (maybe even as a lullaby ... or when the kids were
going through an especially tough time) ... and they, in turn, are now probably
singing it to THEIR children. It's yet another example of what we refer to as
"timeless classics" ... songs that had an effect on our lives. How can radio
continue to ignore some of these very special moments that we've ALL
shared???
Does it belong in heavy rotation? No, of course not ... but boy, what a "Wow Factor" song this would be if it came on four or five times a year!
Does it belong in heavy rotation? No, of course not ... but boy, what a "Wow Factor" song this would be if it came on four or five times a year!
If any of our readers are unfamiliar
with "Keep Rockin' Magazine", please check out the link above. Liz and Lou do a
great job of helping to keep this great music alive ... it's all very near and
dear to our hearts (and you won't meet a better couple!) Visit the link above
and you can subscribe to their monthly online newsletter. (kk)
re: THE BEACH BOYS:
Hi Kent,
Just posted a new podcast with Fred Vail on Pray For Surf - it was
an wonderful, engaging conversation with a true Beach Boy historian who became
friend and family to the Beach Boys. Non-stop back stories!
Phil
Blog post @
Podcast @
New Podcast!
Fred Vail opens his memory archives and shares some of the untold story behind the backstories of the Beach Boys career
The untold (plus "up close and personal")
stories behind ... the first Concert album, lights out at the final mastering of
Pet Sounds, @ 52:45 from Candix to Capitol Records, @ 55:30 - a different
perspective on Murry Wilson, @ 57:00 - the three critical mistakes in Beach Boys
history, @ 69:30 - Glen Campbell + Hal Blaine and the Jan & Dean Command
Performance + writing Warmth of the Sun in a hotel room, @85:00 - the forerunner
to Brother Records, @ 88:30 - the Philly radio station (WFIL) that did not add
some music, @98:30 - California Beach Boys landmark monument . . . @ 103:00 -
Beach Boys get the last laugh!
Eric
Carmen sent a heart-felt tribute to Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys to Bob
Lefsetz, which Bob ran in his daily column several weeks ago. It was so good
that we're rerunning it here:
I, for one, have discussed, many times, with many people, the idea that
Brian Wilson is, perhaps, the Mozart of our generation. I love the Beatles. I
love the Stones. I love the Who and the Byrds. But "Pet Sounds" and "Sunflower"
blew my mind. There are moments on those albums that transcend anything I have
ever heard before. My Dad's sister was the first woman George Szell
ever hired. She retired, after forty-three years, as the senior member of The
Cleveland Orchestra. I grew up as their "mascot." I got to sit on stage while
the greatest symphony in the world rehearsed at Severance Hall. Very heady
stuff. I hid in a cello case, one day, and caused the entire orchestra to stop
rehearsing to look for me. It was a very special childhood.I had the
great honor to tour with The Beach Boys, both as part of The Raspberries in
1974, and as a solo act in 1976. I can remember standing in the back of the hall
listening to them play "Surfer Girl" every night, and, literally, getting tears
in my eyes every time they came to a stop after ... "Do you love me, do you
surfer ..." Then the spotlight would hit Al Jardine as he would sing ... "girl."
It was really an odd feeling to be brought to tears, almost every single night
by such a simple song.We stayed in the same hotels, on tour, and I
remember walking past one of the Beach Boys hotel rooms, and hearing them
rehearsing a cappella vocal parts. It stopped me in my tracks, and I walked
backwards, literally stunned, listening to the complexity and beauty of those
vocal harmonies. To this day, I have never heard anything that could
compare.McCartney has been very generous in his admission that "Pet
Sounds" inspired him to push the Beatles to create "Sgt. Pepper." He thought the
Beach Boys were kicking his ass. He's also acknowledged the fact that he thinks
"God Only Knows" is, perhaps, the greatest pop song of all time. As a huge fan
of both the Beatles and the Beach Boys, I can only say that it is surely
genius.
Anyone who has ever listened to the "outtakes" of Brian directing the studio musicians during the "Pet Sounds" sessions knows what a genius Brian was. He took instruments that never had been heard on "pop" songs" and blended them into the vocals, unlike anything we had ever heard before. Clarinets, bassoons, french horns, baritone saxes. Every singer in the Beach Boys was an instrument. Mike Love was a baritone sax. Carl Wilson, a french horn, Al Jardine occasionally a banjo, or a trumpet.
No other band in history has ever influenced me as much as the Beach Boys. Brian stands alone as the genius of my generation, even though I, like many others, was late to catch up with him.
I challenge ANYONE to listen to "This Whole World" (which changes keys every 8 bars) or "Until I Die" and find anything comparable in pop music. But you don't have to delve into the "modern" Beach Boys to find pure genius. Just listen to "Warmth Of The Sun, " circa 1966. I had to go back and do my homework to hear the genius stuff Brian created BEFORE "Pet Sounds."
To me, there has never been anyone, not even The Beatles (and I LOVE The Beatles) that could match the sophistication and brilliance of Brian Wilson in 1966.
I've always loved John and Paul, and Burt Bacharach, and Goffin and King, and all the other great songwriting teams that churned out hit after hit during the time I grew up. But nobody, and I mean NOBODY, could match the brilliance of Brian Wilson, who not only wrote the songs, but arranged and produced them. He didn't have a George Martin to help. It was all Brian.
I met Darian Sahanaja, when I was living in L.A. He's the leader of the Wondermints, who are now Brian's backing band, and prominently featured on the current Beach Boys tour. I heard a demo tape he had made, that included a song called "Tracy Hide", which, to me captured the essence of what Brian was doing during the "Pet Sounds" era. It was startling to hear Darian nail Brian, right down to the bass sound.
It's no coincidence that Darian ended up being Brian's musical director, and a driving force on the "Smile" album. I've also had the supreme pleasure of having worked with Mark Linnet, the superstar engineer who has been archiving every Beach Boys recording, and turning analog to digital for two decades. If you haven't heard the "40th Anniversary Pet Sounds" recording that Mark remixed, you have a real treat in store for you. I heard things in that remix that I had NEVER heard before, not even after listening to "Pet Sounds' a thousand times.
The world takes its toll on very sensitive people. I've seen it many times in my forty years in the music business. The more brilliant and sensitive, the more likely you are to be a basket case by the time the managers, agents, record labels, etc., get done with you. Very few people I have known have escaped being bludgeoned by "the business." Brian is no exception.
All I can say is I've never met a serious songwriter or musician that doesn't understand that Brian is a genius of the highest magnitude in a time of multiple geniuses. Mick and Keith. John and Paul. Page and Plant. Clapton and Bruce.
To me, there will never be anyone that can compare with him, and, by the way, that in no way diminishes my esteem for Mike Love, who, truth be told, was HUGE, and underrated in the whole Beach Boys paradigm. And Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine are not exactly "chopped liver", either. I've known all of them and each one possessed more talent than anyone I hear on the radio these days.
I've got my tickets to see them next Wednesday. I wouldn't miss it for the world. You don't often get the chance to hear genius these days.
Eric Carmen
Much like we did back in 2008, Lefsetz also wrote a column acknowledging some great Beach Boys tunes you may have missed over the years, due to the periods of time when The Boys fell out of favor with radio. (We had all of this planned as part of our "official" review of the new Beach Boys' album "That's Why God Made The Radio" ... but all of this, too, was lost ... today we're featuring whatever we could recover in time to catch this week's Sunday Comments Page)
Here are links to our original Beach Boys Series from 2008:
Anyone who has ever listened to the "outtakes" of Brian directing the studio musicians during the "Pet Sounds" sessions knows what a genius Brian was. He took instruments that never had been heard on "pop" songs" and blended them into the vocals, unlike anything we had ever heard before. Clarinets, bassoons, french horns, baritone saxes. Every singer in the Beach Boys was an instrument. Mike Love was a baritone sax. Carl Wilson, a french horn, Al Jardine occasionally a banjo, or a trumpet.
No other band in history has ever influenced me as much as the Beach Boys. Brian stands alone as the genius of my generation, even though I, like many others, was late to catch up with him.
I challenge ANYONE to listen to "This Whole World" (which changes keys every 8 bars) or "Until I Die" and find anything comparable in pop music. But you don't have to delve into the "modern" Beach Boys to find pure genius. Just listen to "Warmth Of The Sun, " circa 1966. I had to go back and do my homework to hear the genius stuff Brian created BEFORE "Pet Sounds."
To me, there has never been anyone, not even The Beatles (and I LOVE The Beatles) that could match the sophistication and brilliance of Brian Wilson in 1966.
I've always loved John and Paul, and Burt Bacharach, and Goffin and King, and all the other great songwriting teams that churned out hit after hit during the time I grew up. But nobody, and I mean NOBODY, could match the brilliance of Brian Wilson, who not only wrote the songs, but arranged and produced them. He didn't have a George Martin to help. It was all Brian.
I met Darian Sahanaja, when I was living in L.A. He's the leader of the Wondermints, who are now Brian's backing band, and prominently featured on the current Beach Boys tour. I heard a demo tape he had made, that included a song called "Tracy Hide", which, to me captured the essence of what Brian was doing during the "Pet Sounds" era. It was startling to hear Darian nail Brian, right down to the bass sound.
It's no coincidence that Darian ended up being Brian's musical director, and a driving force on the "Smile" album. I've also had the supreme pleasure of having worked with Mark Linnet, the superstar engineer who has been archiving every Beach Boys recording, and turning analog to digital for two decades. If you haven't heard the "40th Anniversary Pet Sounds" recording that Mark remixed, you have a real treat in store for you. I heard things in that remix that I had NEVER heard before, not even after listening to "Pet Sounds' a thousand times.
The world takes its toll on very sensitive people. I've seen it many times in my forty years in the music business. The more brilliant and sensitive, the more likely you are to be a basket case by the time the managers, agents, record labels, etc., get done with you. Very few people I have known have escaped being bludgeoned by "the business." Brian is no exception.
All I can say is I've never met a serious songwriter or musician that doesn't understand that Brian is a genius of the highest magnitude in a time of multiple geniuses. Mick and Keith. John and Paul. Page and Plant. Clapton and Bruce.
To me, there will never be anyone that can compare with him, and, by the way, that in no way diminishes my esteem for Mike Love, who, truth be told, was HUGE, and underrated in the whole Beach Boys paradigm. And Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Al Jardine are not exactly "chopped liver", either. I've known all of them and each one possessed more talent than anyone I hear on the radio these days.
I've got my tickets to see them next Wednesday. I wouldn't miss it for the world. You don't often get the chance to hear genius these days.
Eric Carmen
Much like we did back in 2008, Lefsetz also wrote a column acknowledging some great Beach Boys tunes you may have missed over the years, due to the periods of time when The Boys fell out of favor with radio. (We had all of this planned as part of our "official" review of the new Beach Boys' album "That's Why God Made The Radio" ... but all of this, too, was lost ... today we're featuring whatever we could recover in time to catch this week's Sunday Comments Page)
"Angel Come Home"
"L.A. (Light Album)"
If you start with "Pacific Ocean Blue", you won't get it. But this delivers the pure Dennis Wilson essence, even though he didn't write it. Doesn't it sound just like a surfer past his prime who's been abandoned by his honey who got tired of his slacking ways?
Meanwhile, it was written by Carl (and Jeffrey Cushing-Murray), and his background vocals add sweetness to his brother's rough...whew!
I've played this record after every breakup, whether initiated by myself or my ex-significant other. Now you will too.
"I Was Made To Love Her"
"Wild Honey"
Speaking of Carl Wilson...
Yes, this is the Stevie Wonder song, but with Carl out front it's more than a cover.
"Girl Don't Tell Me"
"Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
You know how we've all got a favorite track, even though it wasn't a hit? Like "Every Little Thing", my favorite Beatles cut. This is my favorite Beach Boys cut. It reminds me of summer, of regret, it's wistful, it brings me right back to what once was and will never be again.
When I was twelve, I went to Camp Laurel-wood, the t-shirt spelled it with a hyphen, but we always wrote it as one word, "Laurelwood". It was run by the New Haven Jewish Community Center, and being from Fairfield, half an hour away, I was new blood. And I'm good in those situations. It's when my 360 degree personality comes out most. Not often enough today.
Actually, this was my third and final year at Laurelwood. I was well-established. And in that music-mania era, I brought along my Beatle and Beach Boy records, and at the very first social, I dropped the needle on "Do You Wanna Dance?", the opening cut on "Beach Boys Today!" and I stole Jimmy's girlfriend Jill just like that. Really.
And it lasted all month. But when I called her that December, the rumor was true, she'd gone back to him. Which on one hand was o.k., on the other when I hear "Girl Don't Tell Me" I remember one of the best summers of my life.
"Come Go With Me"
"M.I.U. Album"
Yes, the Del-Vikings song. But I hardly knew it, it was a hit in the fifties.
Get past the nonsense intro, stay until you hit the vocals... You just want to join in. Al Jardine makes this track, the same way he did with "Help Me Rhonda".
"Farmer's Daughter"
"Surfin' USA"
My first Beach Boys album was "Today!" And then "Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) I became so enamored of the band, became such a fan, that I then went back and bought what came before, which is quite a chore when you're twelve and cash-challenged.
My first catalog album was "Surfin' USA". I'll spare you the tale of trying to comb my hair like Dennis Wilson's on the back cover, but will tell you my father used to make fun of me, singing ""Tell the teacher we're surfin'..." at opportune moments, having heard me play it ad infinitum. Then again, when we did get to Los Angeles the following summer he did drive me to Malibu on a cloudy day and rented me a board.
But that summer, of '65, we went on vacation with the Sheketoffs to Atlantic City. And one night, on Steel Pier, we did go to see "Girls On The Beach", where Brian Wilson sat by a campfire and...
Didn't sing "Farmer's Daughter". But every time I think of this song, which I can sing note for note in my head, I remember that evening, all of the above.
Yes, there were tons of farmer's daughter's jokes. But I was too young to either hear them or understand them.
People think Barry Gibb has the most famous falsetto in rock. But really, it's Brian Wilson. It's just that Brian's is so natural, they don't realize it.
"It's About Time"
"Sunflower"
"I used to be a famous artist
Proud as I could be
Struggling to express myself
For the whole world to see
I used to blow my mind sky high
Searching for the lost elation
Little did I know the joy I was to find
In knowing I am only me"
"Sunflower" is the album where the rest of the boys stepped up. Especially Dennis, it includes his composition "Forever" and the opening cut "Slip On Through" and "Got To Know The Woman" and he even had a hand in writing this.
But so did Carl. And Al. And Bob Burchman, whoever that is.
And Carl sang it.
You're famous, successful, THEN WHAT?
But as insightful as the lyrics are, when "It's About Time" breaks down at 1:18, you'll experience the sheer joy of music. That airy feeling with the music swirling inside your head when you believe you've just experienced the most beautiful thing in the world.
"Funky Pretty"
"Holland"
Not as good as an album, "Holland" gained notoriety and success as a result of the afterthought hit, "Sail On Sailor". Still, "Holland" was very satisfying.
And by this time, Carl Wilson had become the glue that kept the band together. He built his reputation on these later albums, where his voice soared. Listen at 2:42, you'll get it.
"It's O.K."
"15 Big Ones"
From the comeback that was not.
It was painful listening to this album, except for this. Which is the legendary Beach Boys sound, Mike Love shines.
"Marcella"
"Carl and the Passions - "So Tough""
After "Sunflower" and "Surf's Up", this album could not have been more of a disappointment. "Pet Sounds" was packaged with it to try to give value, divert attention. But then, just when you were wincing, at the end of side one, came this.
You've got to listen on the big rig, experience the stacked choir. It's truly the voice of the angels. You listen in awe.
"Feel Flows"
"Surf's Up"
Brian Wilson has brought "Marcella" back from obscurity by featuring it regularly in his concerts. His fans resurrected "'Til I Die". First Don Was, and then everybody else. But if you bought this album back then, it was clear "'Til I Die" was the masterpiece. But you had no one to discuss it with. It was not a hit single and despite the hype, I never found another person who owned the album. It was my own secret treasure. But now it's everybody's, and that's fine with me.
Yes, "Surf's Up" was seen as a comeback. There was an article in "Time". I loved it, but it was not as good as "Sunflower" and most people still thought the Beach Boys uncool, sixties relics, this was just before their live show gained traction and became a major attraction.
But many have never heard this gem. Once again propelled by a Carl Wilson vocal.
In the album era, it wasn't a hit and then filler... Hell, despite the label trying, there was no hit at all from "Surf's Up", but here I am talking about it forty years later.
I drove to E.J. Korvette in blistering heat. I stopped at the Merritt Canteen for a hot dog thereafter, stashing the album in its bag under the seat so it wouldn't warp.
And then got home, broke the shrinkwrap and dropped the needle.
Today's music is hard and edgy. Maybe it's apropos for the times. Where everybody's fighting for a piece of the pie. Where you have to mortgage your future to go to college. But even though the sixties had ended by time "Surf's Up" was released, we were still in an era of personal development, of exploration. You'd put on this record and drift...
I'm drifting right now.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/p6HcZ8
"L.A. (Light Album)"
If you start with "Pacific Ocean Blue", you won't get it. But this delivers the pure Dennis Wilson essence, even though he didn't write it. Doesn't it sound just like a surfer past his prime who's been abandoned by his honey who got tired of his slacking ways?
Meanwhile, it was written by Carl (and Jeffrey Cushing-Murray), and his background vocals add sweetness to his brother's rough...whew!
I've played this record after every breakup, whether initiated by myself or my ex-significant other. Now you will too.
"I Was Made To Love Her"
"Wild Honey"
Speaking of Carl Wilson...
Yes, this is the Stevie Wonder song, but with Carl out front it's more than a cover.
"Girl Don't Tell Me"
"Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
You know how we've all got a favorite track, even though it wasn't a hit? Like "Every Little Thing", my favorite Beatles cut. This is my favorite Beach Boys cut. It reminds me of summer, of regret, it's wistful, it brings me right back to what once was and will never be again.
When I was twelve, I went to Camp Laurel-wood, the t-shirt spelled it with a hyphen, but we always wrote it as one word, "Laurelwood". It was run by the New Haven Jewish Community Center, and being from Fairfield, half an hour away, I was new blood. And I'm good in those situations. It's when my 360 degree personality comes out most. Not often enough today.
Actually, this was my third and final year at Laurelwood. I was well-established. And in that music-mania era, I brought along my Beatle and Beach Boy records, and at the very first social, I dropped the needle on "Do You Wanna Dance?", the opening cut on "Beach Boys Today!" and I stole Jimmy's girlfriend Jill just like that. Really.
And it lasted all month. But when I called her that December, the rumor was true, she'd gone back to him. Which on one hand was o.k., on the other when I hear "Girl Don't Tell Me" I remember one of the best summers of my life.
"Come Go With Me"
"M.I.U. Album"
Yes, the Del-Vikings song. But I hardly knew it, it was a hit in the fifties.
Get past the nonsense intro, stay until you hit the vocals... You just want to join in. Al Jardine makes this track, the same way he did with "Help Me Rhonda".
"Farmer's Daughter"
"Surfin' USA"
My first Beach Boys album was "Today!" And then "Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) I became so enamored of the band, became such a fan, that I then went back and bought what came before, which is quite a chore when you're twelve and cash-challenged.
My first catalog album was "Surfin' USA". I'll spare you the tale of trying to comb my hair like Dennis Wilson's on the back cover, but will tell you my father used to make fun of me, singing ""Tell the teacher we're surfin'..." at opportune moments, having heard me play it ad infinitum. Then again, when we did get to Los Angeles the following summer he did drive me to Malibu on a cloudy day and rented me a board.
But that summer, of '65, we went on vacation with the Sheketoffs to Atlantic City. And one night, on Steel Pier, we did go to see "Girls On The Beach", where Brian Wilson sat by a campfire and...
Didn't sing "Farmer's Daughter". But every time I think of this song, which I can sing note for note in my head, I remember that evening, all of the above.
Yes, there were tons of farmer's daughter's jokes. But I was too young to either hear them or understand them.
People think Barry Gibb has the most famous falsetto in rock. But really, it's Brian Wilson. It's just that Brian's is so natural, they don't realize it.
"It's About Time"
"Sunflower"
"I used to be a famous artist
Proud as I could be
Struggling to express myself
For the whole world to see
I used to blow my mind sky high
Searching for the lost elation
Little did I know the joy I was to find
In knowing I am only me"
"Sunflower" is the album where the rest of the boys stepped up. Especially Dennis, it includes his composition "Forever" and the opening cut "Slip On Through" and "Got To Know The Woman" and he even had a hand in writing this.
But so did Carl. And Al. And Bob Burchman, whoever that is.
And Carl sang it.
You're famous, successful, THEN WHAT?
But as insightful as the lyrics are, when "It's About Time" breaks down at 1:18, you'll experience the sheer joy of music. That airy feeling with the music swirling inside your head when you believe you've just experienced the most beautiful thing in the world.
"Funky Pretty"
"Holland"
Not as good as an album, "Holland" gained notoriety and success as a result of the afterthought hit, "Sail On Sailor". Still, "Holland" was very satisfying.
And by this time, Carl Wilson had become the glue that kept the band together. He built his reputation on these later albums, where his voice soared. Listen at 2:42, you'll get it.
"It's O.K."
"15 Big Ones"
From the comeback that was not.
It was painful listening to this album, except for this. Which is the legendary Beach Boys sound, Mike Love shines.
"Marcella"
"Carl and the Passions - "So Tough""
After "Sunflower" and "Surf's Up", this album could not have been more of a disappointment. "Pet Sounds" was packaged with it to try to give value, divert attention. But then, just when you were wincing, at the end of side one, came this.
You've got to listen on the big rig, experience the stacked choir. It's truly the voice of the angels. You listen in awe.
"Feel Flows"
"Surf's Up"
Brian Wilson has brought "Marcella" back from obscurity by featuring it regularly in his concerts. His fans resurrected "'Til I Die". First Don Was, and then everybody else. But if you bought this album back then, it was clear "'Til I Die" was the masterpiece. But you had no one to discuss it with. It was not a hit single and despite the hype, I never found another person who owned the album. It was my own secret treasure. But now it's everybody's, and that's fine with me.
Yes, "Surf's Up" was seen as a comeback. There was an article in "Time". I loved it, but it was not as good as "Sunflower" and most people still thought the Beach Boys uncool, sixties relics, this was just before their live show gained traction and became a major attraction.
But many have never heard this gem. Once again propelled by a Carl Wilson vocal.
In the album era, it wasn't a hit and then filler... Hell, despite the label trying, there was no hit at all from "Surf's Up", but here I am talking about it forty years later.
I drove to E.J. Korvette in blistering heat. I stopped at the Merritt Canteen for a hot dog thereafter, stashing the album in its bag under the seat so it wouldn't warp.
And then got home, broke the shrinkwrap and dropped the needle.
Today's music is hard and edgy. Maybe it's apropos for the times. Where everybody's fighting for a piece of the pie. Where you have to mortgage your future to go to college. But even though the sixties had ended by time "Surf's Up" was released, we were still in an era of personal development, of exploration. You'd put on this record and drift...
I'm drifting right now.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/p6HcZ8
Here are links to our original Beach Boys Series from 2008:
And for more trips down memory lane, may we suggest ALL of the following EXCELLENT books by Bob Greene ... they're each a time-capsule diary of the era in which we all grew up hearing these songs for the very first time as they were happening. Bob captures the excitement of the era ... and our own innocence. ALL are highly reccommended.
A while back we told you about a new group of Beach Boys offspring calling themselves California Saga. (In fact, they even opened the show for The Beach Boys at The Hollywood Bowl!)
Here's a short piece Endless Summer Quarterly Publisher David Beard put together on the band:
Kent:
These photos
were taken during the sound check for the Good Morning America / Beach Boys appearance
in Central Park. Forgotten Hits reader Stuart
Hersh captured the photos.
Jeffrey Foskett
conferring with Brian Wilson before the show
Al Jardine
confirming touching base with Brian before the
telecast
Jeffrey Foskett
confirming set list with Mike Love prior to the GMA
broadcast
Brian Wilson
moments before the GMA live mini-concert
- submitted by Tom
Cuddy
re: IN OTHER OLDIES
NEWS:
Kent,
We are delighted to announce Bob Wilson has accepted the invitation of the nominating committee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame to join us in paying tribute to recording stars of all genre's.
Bob Wilson: In the early 70's Bob Wilson took over the programming of LA's KDAY, where he helped launch the career of radio's celebrated Wolfman Jack and developed syndicated radio shows featuring the Beatles, the Beach Boys along with many of the top recording stars of the day. Bob's founding of Radio & Records created the industry leader for news and music information not only in the United States but worldwide. R&R moved to profitability quickly, Wilson extended the franchise into the convention business, attracting attendees from all over the world with its unique keynote speakers (David Geffen, Clive Davis, Marshall McCluen) and individual radio format sessions and the big superstar Saturday night dinner show, that over the years featured, Dolly Parton, The Spinners and the Eagles entertaining the radio and music execs. Bob Wilson brings a wealth of expertise to the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
http://www.hitparadehalloffame.com/nominatingcommittee.html
John Rook, creator
Hit Parade Hall of Fame
The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame continues to pick up some of the most credible music experts out there ... as such, most of their inductees are much more "on target" than that OTHER Hall of Fame organization, who seems more determined to honor the obscure, head-scratching artists than those that actually BUILT the foundation of rock and popular music. Another recent nominating and voting member is Scott Shannon of The True Oldies Channel, who's been furthering the cause and memories of this great music for decades now. WTG, John! (Next you need to get Joel Whitburn on the list!) kk
Paul McCartney opened the Olympic ceremonies ... and now it sounds like Pink Floyd will close them!
http://wcbsfm.cbslocal.com/2012/08/02/pink-floyd-to-play-the-olympics-closing-ceremony/
Kent,
We are delighted to announce Bob Wilson has accepted the invitation of the nominating committee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame to join us in paying tribute to recording stars of all genre's.
Bob Wilson: In the early 70's Bob Wilson took over the programming of LA's KDAY, where he helped launch the career of radio's celebrated Wolfman Jack and developed syndicated radio shows featuring the Beatles, the Beach Boys along with many of the top recording stars of the day. Bob's founding of Radio & Records created the industry leader for news and music information not only in the United States but worldwide. R&R moved to profitability quickly, Wilson extended the franchise into the convention business, attracting attendees from all over the world with its unique keynote speakers (David Geffen, Clive Davis, Marshall McCluen) and individual radio format sessions and the big superstar Saturday night dinner show, that over the years featured, Dolly Parton, The Spinners and the Eagles entertaining the radio and music execs. Bob Wilson brings a wealth of expertise to the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
http://www.hitparadehalloffame.com/nominatingcommittee.html
John Rook, creator
Hit Parade Hall of Fame
The Hit Parade Hall Of Fame continues to pick up some of the most credible music experts out there ... as such, most of their inductees are much more "on target" than that OTHER Hall of Fame organization, who seems more determined to honor the obscure, head-scratching artists than those that actually BUILT the foundation of rock and popular music. Another recent nominating and voting member is Scott Shannon of The True Oldies Channel, who's been furthering the cause and memories of this great music for decades now. WTG, John! (Next you need to get Joel Whitburn on the list!) kk
Paul McCartney opened the Olympic ceremonies ... and now it sounds like Pink Floyd will close them!
http://wcbsfm.cbslocal.com/2012/08/02/pink-floyd-to-play-the-olympics-closing-ceremony/
I was also able to resurrect another piece I feared
lost forever ... some great commentary regarding one of rock and roll's originals, Bill
Mack ...
>>>Hi, I am Bill Mack's daughter, Kim Davis. Your blog brought tears of joy and sadness. I miss him so much! Thank you for your kind words! I just wish that he would have been included into the rock and roll hall of fame. It breaks my heart. Again, thank you. (Kim Davis)
Hi Kent -
>>>Hi, I am Bill Mack's daughter, Kim Davis. Your blog brought tears of joy and sadness. I miss him so much! Thank you for your kind words! I just wish that he would have been included into the rock and roll hall of fame. It breaks my heart. Again, thank you. (Kim Davis)
Hi Kent -
This response is to Bill Mack's
daughters' response.
Bill Mack was a true
American musical pioneer. His electric bass licks were booming and he was swept
up in the fast lane of "go cat go" and he went. His sacrifices and endurance to
the rigors of the road took a personal toll. That road was just a rough and
rocky path then and the delta blues men and pickin' hillbillies who had smashed
it down perhaps never envisioned those who would combine both of their sounds
and follow them up that scant trail. He has earned his rightful honor to be
placed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before those who traveled in
comparison that road he helped hack down for them. Paved with his very blood,
sweat and tears and the barrages of that lifestyle against his mindset and
emotions he rode the
highs
and lows of the Rock - N - Roll roller coaster of fame in an era
when no one knew the hazards of it's lack of safety. The police, the townsfolk,
the signs of those times were far less tolerant of the lifestyle as he was a
part of the foundation sound of real Rock - N -
Roll.
As a Bluecap and as a pioneer
bass man Bill Mack should be
enshrined.
Not just because of Bill Mack's
non-inclusion do I not take the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame seriously but
because of the many snubs that organization has done to the true pioneers of the
genre of Rock - N - Roll and their replacement musicians that kept and still
keep bands alive and kicking in a arena where all the odds are against their
survival.
They say..."It's a long way to
the top if you wanna Rock - N -
Roll!"
Bill Mack took the top of one
such mountain and stood and looked down but what he saw were the scattered
bodies and broken dreams lying all around down below and looked up and
said....
"Thank You Lord for Your grace
& mercy brought me through!"
Although he reached heights of
Rock - N - Roll, it was just the musician's Hamburger
Hill.
Bill being snubbed by Cleveland's
RRHOF only means he joins ranks with all the best who are not in there. The
unsung heroes of R - N - R get no medals. They get no magazine covers. They are
not a household word. They are not causalities either. They are the undecorated
veterans reflected in Deep Purple's lyrics in "No One
Came".....
"Well I've come and I've
gone before you wink an eye
No one ever cared enough to say goodbye
The money's good and the time you have
Fun and games galore
But you spend your money and lie in bed forgotten
And you wonder what you did it for?
No one came from miles around
And said.... "Man who's he?
No one ever cared enough to say goodbye
The money's good and the time you have
Fun and games galore
But you spend your money and lie in bed forgotten
And you wonder what you did it for?
No one came from miles around
And said.... "Man who's he?
Boobie VanHouten /
Vibramutant
re: FUNNY:
From FH Reader (and noted bass player) Bob Rush:
LOL ... yeah, I'm sure Paul McCartney got this all the time! (lol)
kk
And this from FH Reader Billy Hinsche ...
(Made ME laugh!!!)
re: KINDA COOL:
Our FH Buddy Alan O'Day sent us this cool clip of Mr. Rogers ...
autotuned! (Actually this sounds pretty cool!) kk
By the way Alan, I've been hearing "Undercover Angel" like crazy
here in Chicago lately!
Click here: Mister Rogers Remixed | Garden of Your Mind |
PBS Digital Studios - YouTube
This is truly a very special piece of work.
Alan
This is truly a very special piece of work.
Alan
It IS very cool! And even cooler that PBS
is getting behind this to attract new, young viewers. (kk)
re: WELCOME
BACK:
Hi, Kent,
I'm glad to see that your terrific site is back up and running.
What a huge headache that crash must have been.
Best regards,
Jeff March
Hi Kent
Hi Kent
Sorry I havent been around the internet much in the
last few years. My computer is not working so I am at the library relaxing. I
always enjoy your research and the fun facts and interesting things you have to
say about the oldies, as well as the interviews and feedback of musicians /
singers and readers.. You are a true oldies fan. As I am finally getting caught
up a bit on things. And I wanted to let you know that I liked your Summer Oldies
list of top songs. You did a great job by taking a survey and putting the best
summer songs in order. I commend you for being so diligent. Thanking you for the
wonderful oldies column you put together for the internet folks.
Love and Peace -
Sandy (Blossmwrld)
Oldies fan from NJ.
(not sure if you remember me- I won your contest for
being best able to describe what psychedelic meant to your daughter awhile back)
ps. I was sorry to hear about the loss of your
brother, Mark. My condolences to you and your families. I wanted to thank you
too for sharing a part of yourself with all of us readers on the remembrances of
you and your brother. It was meaningful for me to hear about your lives and your
sincere and heartfelt memories. I will remember you in my prayers. Take good
care and God Bless.
Best regards
What a sweet letter ... thanks, Sandy, you made my day. We have
seen how much Forgotten Hits has meant to our readers as a result of our own
recent computer problems. (I was going crazy ... this is what I DO!!!) You
don't know what you've got ... until you lose it ... kinda worked BOTH ways in
this instance ... so I sincerely appreciate the outpouring of love and support
that's come back our way since "The Crash of 2012"! (kk)
Speaking of which ...
Kent ...
In the years to come, when we look back at Forgotten
Hits, we'll have to put it this way ...
"Before the Crash of 2012" ... or "After the Crash of
2012."
Frank B.
Frank B.
Sad but true! We've ALL had computer crashes of one sort or
another ... but this one was really quite devastating. Thanks to generous folks
like you, we're slowly on the mend, rebuilding what we can. (And I know ... I
owe you the complete Bobby Darin Series!!! Incredibly, with over 1800 archived
articles submitted, this one has yet to show up ... so if ANYBODY out there
still has a copy (it ran for an entire month!), please let us know.
(kk)
Hi Kent.
Very glad to hear that Forgotten Hits is
on the way back. It is always an interesting read and the only place that really
covers the in-depth elements of 60s music.
Best of luck with the new site!
Mickey
Hey Kent,
Glad you've managed to get your site back
together again,
Paul Evans
Congrats KK ... music will
prevail!!!
DJ Chet in
Buffalo
Hey Kent -
Hey Kent -
Welcome Back, my friend!
I've been shaking from withdrawals for the
last few weeks waiting for your return. LOL
I'm so sorry you had the computer fail
sometimes technology in all its splendor ... SUCKS!!!!!
I've been a member of FH almost from the
start, and thoroughly enjoy all aspects of the site. As an old radio DJ, I
thought I knew almost everything about oldies ... but I was gladly mistaken to
find out I didn't. The quality of the people on this site with the knowledge and
memories of music is absolutely incredible. I am impressed every week by your
tireless dedication to keep our memories alive, and I must say I learn something
new every week.
Welcome back and keep up the great
work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pete Garrison
Thanks for the kind words, Pete ... I
really do appreciate it. And I'll be the first to admit that I, too, learn
something new every week doing Forgotten Hits!!! It's been my great pleasure to
bring it to you for nearly 14 years! Yeah, we just hit a major bump in the road
... but we're doing what we can to get things back on track ... and sincerely
appreciate the support shown by our readers. Hopefully all of this means that
there are lots more great Forgotten Hits to come! (kk)
And VERY special thanks
to Rick Barr, Clark Besch, Larry Boyington, John Cogswell,
Vic Flick, Arnie Karr, Mike Ogilvie, and Carl Wiser, all of whom sent in donations this week to help keep Forgotten
Hits up and running. We sincerely appreciate your
support.
(Drop us a line if you, too, would like to help contribute to the cause.)
(Drop us a line if you, too, would like to help contribute to the cause.)
re: NEXT WEEK IN FORGOTTEN
HITS:
Our EXCLUSIVE Interview with Al
Kooper. Don't miss it! (kk)
