Thursday This And That

WAY behind on your emails this week ... 

But I was able to pull a few things together in time to put on another installment of

THURSDAY THIS AND THAT:  
Got an extra $25 Grand you don't know what to do with? Well, then you might want to check out this eBay auction:  

Polaroids of the original prints taken by The Beatles personal photographer Tom Murry also there is a personal inscription from Tom Murry himself.
Click on the link below to view this item:  
http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Beatles-Polaroids-1969-Pictures-Of-Picture-By-Tom-Murry-Himself-/130873897761?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item1e78b13321   

Now this is kinda cool ... if you happen to have access to a TV this afternoon ... Memphis Music Hall of Fame is in Jeopardy!  
(Well, Actually it’s “On” Jeopardy! Scheduled to Air Thursday, March 28)  
Memphis, TN … The recently launched Memphis Music Hall of Fame is in a category unto itself …  
a Jeopardy! category, that is. 
The Memphis Music Hall of Fame is scheduled to be category on the hugely popular, nearly-50-year-old game show. The show is scheduled to air today, Thursday, March 28.

The Memphis Music Hall of Fame category on Jeopardy! will present five questions … or we should say, “answers” … relating to some of the 2012 inaugural inductees into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, who include many of the greatest musicians in history. Inductees for 2013 have yet to be announced. The Memphis Music Hall of Fame category will air during the critical “Double Jeopardy!” round of the March 28 program.

Publicists for Sony Pictures Television, producers of Jeopardy!, of course, would not confirm whether a “Double Jeopardy!” answer appears in the Memphis Music Hall of Fame category, or whether knowledge of such possible Hall of Fame inductees as Elvis Presley or Isaac Hayes actually help the three contestants seal a Jeopardy! victory. Viewers will have to tune in for those answers.

The Memphis Music Hall of Fame was launched in 2012, with a November 29, 2012 Induction Ceremony. The Hall is administered by the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum. Twenty-five inaugural inductees were inducted the first year, and include (in case you want to study up for the Jeopardy! program) Jim Stewart & Estelle Axton, Bobby Blue Bland, Booker T. and the MGs, Lucie Campbell, George Coleman, Jim Dickinson, Al Green, W.C. Handy, Isaac Hayes, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmie Lunceford, Professor William T. McDaniel, Memphis Minnie, Willie Mitchell, Dewey Phillips, Sam Phillips, Elvis Presley, Otis Redding, The Staple Singers, Rufus Thomas, Three 6 Mafia, Nat D. Williams, and ZZ Top. The 2013 inductees will be announced in late Spring, and inducted in Fall, 2013. Additional information about the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and its prestigious inductees is available at www.memphismusichalloffame.com.

Jeopardy! debuted in 1964, and was created by Merv Griffin. On September 10, 1984, it returned to television as a daily syndicated series featuring current host, Alex Trebek. For additional information about Jeopardy!, visit www.jeopardy.com. Since its debut, the syndicated version has won a record 30 Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award, and both TV Guide and GSN have ranked it as the second greatest game show of all time. Each episode features three contestants, and, unlike all other TV game shows, Jeopardy! is unique in that host Alex Trebek reads a category answer, and contestants must, then, phrase their response in the form of a question. For example, should Trebek state, “This city’s legendary musicians changed the musical complexion of the world forever,” a winning contestant, of course, would buzz in and respond, “What is Memphis?”

When I was on jury duty a couple of weeks ago, confined to the waiting room, I watched "Jeopardy" for the first time in YEARS ... and was surprised how well I did, playing the game mentally. (I actually kicked ass that day ... and shocked myself!) I was especially pleased to see the final answer of the game be something to the effect of "Not only their longest single, but this Beatles song also spent the longest amount of time at #1". Every contestant knew the answer to be "Hey Jude" (which was also a bit surprising, seeing how young they all were.) This is the final round where you wager a portion of your winnings thus far and the guy in the lead (who had a pretty commanding lead) was challenged by the closest runner up who wagered ALL of her earnings and thus was able to double her money. That put her within a couple of hundred dollars of the leader. Incredibly, even though he got the answer right, he had only put $4 on the line!!! (Cracked me up!) He still managed to win the game with something like $13,000 ... but he had to be panicking when he saw her catch up so quickly!

Neat to see the brand new Memphis Music Hall Of Fame, a fairly new organization, rank high enough on the list for this kind of special treatment. Kudos to Jeopardy for keeping things fun and interesting. (kk)     

John Madara would get a kick out of this -- I'm glad I now know the correct lyrics to "At The Hop." I always thought they were singing "......wet your lips and get your chicken......" (Let's not even go there!) 

Recently dug "Happy And Me" by Don and the Goodtimes on YouTube. It's not one of my favorites from '67, but a couple of people mentioned soundalikes - no one cited The Beach Boys, who obviously have a very strong influence on Don Ciccone and friends' pop style.

Click here: Don & The Goodtimes - Happy And Me (1967) - YouTube

Bobster   
Don Ciccone enjoyed his greatest success with The Critters ("Younger Girl", "Mr. Dieingly Sad", "Bad Misunderstanding", "Don't Let The Rain Fall Down On Me") and then later as a member of The Four Seasons (that's Don singing along on their '70's comeback hits "Who Loves You" and "December, 1963".)

Joel Whitburn's book shows Don Gallucci as the lead singer of Don and the Goodtimes, NOT Don Ciccone.  (That one just didn't sound right to me!)  
"Happy And Me" (not a bad song ... but this is the first time I've ever heard it) spent all of one week at #98 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart in 1967.

Meanwhile, Don Ciccone is still out there performing ... and is still in great voice, too! You can check out his website here for all the latest performance information: Click here: Don Ciccone - Home

(I tried to contact him this week for more updates but his email address bounced back at me ... hoping we can still track him down as I LOVE The Critters material!)  kk

Hi Kent,

I'm a recent reader of your website and it is now a daily must. Keep up the great work!

I can't believe no one has mentioned this before in your on-going discussion about the chalypso. ABC Paramount 9816, released in 1957, was a song called Chalypso by Billy Duke and His Dukes. I remember it as a kid when my older brother and sister played it and I'm sure the Dukes appeared on Bandstand (probably when it was still a local Philly show). I have a copy and it still sounds great. A quick search on U-Tube turned up Chalypso Love Cry by the Ike Turner Orchestra on Tune Town 501. It doesn’t sound that great but does have the calypso beat.

Click here: IKE TURNER ORCH. - CHALYPSO LOVE CRY - TUNE TOWN - YouTube

Walt Fisch

We have a former American Bandstand dancer on our list ... was hoping that we might hear from him on this! (kk) 

Hi Kent,

Thank you for the information on the Zombies! I did see Rod Argent perform with Ringo's All Star Band one year when he did "She's Not There", my favorite Zombies song!!! As for your question about having any videos of American Bandstand with any of John Madara's dance crazes and Bruce Pollacks comments on the Twin Tones and their song "Jo -Ann", I do have a VHS tape of an original AB show taped in December 1957. The tape includes Dick playing the Twin Tones version of "Jo-Ann" and commenting that they would soon be guests on the show. They had a stroll dance on and a cha cha from Billy and Lilly's hit " Lucky Lady Bug". I got the tape from Dave Fries, who was the original President of the American Bandstand Fan Club. I have lost touch with him but he sent me photos and articles on a lot of the regular dancers on the show. I have the 45 rpm RCA of Jo-Ann in my juke box! Just a little more TRIVIA ... Carolyn THE BEST OF BOND IS NOW AVAILABLE ON OLDIES.COM ... Sean Connery, Casino Royale, Die Another Day, The Living Daylights, Dr. No and more View this email in your browser Shop Faster with The Best of Bond Diamonds are Forever (Special 007 Ed.) $11.98 on SALE List Price: $26.98 You Save: $15.00 (56%) From Russia with Love (Special 007 Ed.) $9.98 on SALE List Price: $26.98 You Save: $17.00 (63%) The Living Daylights (Special 007 Ed.) $7.98 on SALE List Price: $26.98 You Save: $19.00 (70%) You Only Live Twice (Special 007 Ed.) $6.98 on SALE List Price: $26.98 You Save: $20.00 (74%) For Your Eyes Only (Special 007 Ed.) $7.98 on SALE List Price: $34.98 You Save: $27.00 (77%) Moonraker (Special 007 Ed.) $7.98 on SALE List Price: $34.98 You Save: $27.00 (77%) The World is Not Enough (Special 007 Ed.) $5.98 on SALE List Price: $34.98 You Save: $29.00 (83%) GoldenEye (Special 007 Ed.) $6.98 on SALE List Price: $19.98 You Save: $13.00 (65%) License to Kill (Special 007 Ed.) $5.98 on SALE List Price: $19.98 You Save: $14.00 (70%) Goldfinger (Special 007 Ed.) $7.98 on SALE List Price: $19.98 You Save: $12.00 (60%) Tomorrow Never Dies (Special 007 Ed.) $7.98 on SALE List Price: $19.98 You Save: $12.00 (60%) Dr. No (Special 007 Ed.) $6.98 on SALE List Price: $19.98 You Save: $13.00 (65%) The Man with the Golden Gun (Special 007 Ed.) $6.98 on SALE List Price: $14.98 You Save: $8.00 (53%) The Spy Who Loved Me (Special 007 Ed.) $6.98 on SALE List Price: $19.98 You Save: $13.00 (65%) Skyfall $25.73 List Price: $29.98 Casino Royale $12.98 List Price: $14.98 Don't forget to pick an absolutely FREE item to add to your online order Quantum of Solace $12.98 List Price: $14.98 Thunderball $12.98 List Price: $14.98 On Her Majesty's Secret Service $12.98 List Price: $14.98 Live and Let Die $12.98 List Price: $14.98 Octopussy $12.98 List Price: $14.98 A View to a Kill $12.98 List Price: $14.98 Die Another Day (Lenticular) $7.98 on SALE List Price: $19.98 You Save: $12.00 (60%) Die Another Day $12.98 List Price: $14.98 Sean Connery 007 Collection, Volume 1 (Dr. No / From Russia with Love /... $21.48 List Price: $24.98 Sean Connery 007 Collection, Volume 2 (Thunderball / You Only Live Twice /... $21.48 List Price: $24.98 Roger Moore Ultimate 007 James Bond Ed., Volume 1 (Live and Let Die / The Man... $21.48 List Price: $24.98 Roger Moore Ultimate 007 James Bond Ed., Volume 2 (Moonraker / For Your Eyes... $21.48 List Price: $24.98 Bond Books & Magazines Cinema Retro "Movie Classics" Special Ed., Issue #4 - Dr. No Tribute Issue... $14.98 Cinema Retro: Essential Guide to Movies of the '60s & '70s - Volume #8, #23... $9.95 List Price: $11.99 James The Spy Who Thrilled Us: A Guide to the Best of Cinematic James Bond $14.98 List Price: $16.95 Pocket Movie Guide #2 - Goldfinger $5.98 on SALE List Price: $7.95 You Save: $1.97 (25%) For Your Eyes Only - Ian Fleming + James Bond $29.95 List Price: $34.99 The Incredible World of Spy-Fi - Wild And Crazy Spy Gadgets, Props And... $7.95 on SALE Spy File - International Spy Museum $2.98 on SALE List Price: $9.95 You Save: $6.97 (70%) Roger Moore - My Word Is My A Memoir $5.98 on SALE List Price: $14.99 You Save: $9.01 (60%) Bond CD Soundtracks Best of Bond... James Bond (50th Anniversary Collection) $12.97 List Price: $14.97 Best of Bond... James Bond (50 Year, 50 Tracks) (2-CD) $25.72 List Price: $29.97 Thomas Newman Skyfall (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) $10.42 on SALE List Price: $11.96 David Arnold Casino Royale [2006] [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] $10.42 List Price: $11.96 Bond Limited Edition Prop Replicas James GoldenEye Limited Ed. Prop Replica $449.98 James Goldfinger Tracking Devices Limited Ed. Prop Replica $379.98 James SPECTRE Ring Limited Ed. Prop Replica $200.98 James Solitaire's Tarot Cards Collectors Ed. Prop Replica $25.98 Browse all Movies & TV Shows Available on OLDIES.com Clearance DVDs New Additions Coming Soon Top Sellers Recent Additions And this from Gary Renfield ... James Bond drove an Aston Martin, didn't he??? Now that's how you sell cars !!!!

Jeff March has sent us some more great memories from yesteryear in his on-going "This Week In Music" Facebook postings. In fact, this time a few of my favorites are featured:  

"Born Again," the 13th and final single by rhythm and blues duo Sam and Dave to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, made its debut on March 22, 1969. David Porter and Isaac Hayes, who wrote most of Sam Moore and Dave Prater's hits, also wrote this song and produced the recording session. The track, which opened with a few lines of repartee between the duo, was a gently swaying, melodic love song. "David [Porter] was the lyricist, and Isaac [Hayes] was the composer and arranger, and if you want to talk about the Memphis sound, it was Isaac Hayes' sound. He IS the Memphis sound. Isaac Hayes was the MAN -- he was the Quincy Jones of Stax," Sam Moore emphatically told us for "Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? -- Volume 2." Released on the Atlantic label, "Born Again" hit No. 27 on the soul music chart but reached only No. 92 on the Hot 100, and remained on the chart for three weeks.

One day in 1967 Larry Henley of the Newbeats knocked on the apartment door of his friend Bobby Goldsboro and asked him to listen to a demo of a new song that Bobby Russell had written. A few weeks later when Goldsboro was contemplating songs to record for a new album, he remembered Russell's song but decided to try an arrangement that differed from the demo version. "We recorded it and after the first take, the musicians came into the control room to listen to the playback. I'd never seen them do that. They're standing there looking like 'I don’t believe this.' I said, 'Man, I think we just cut a monster here,'" Bobby told us for "Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? -- Volume 2." The song they recorded was Bobby's huge hit "Honey," his 14th chart single, which made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 23, 1968. More than a year had elapsed since his prior appearance on the chart. In only three weeks "Honey," on the United Artists label, hit No. 1 on the pop, country and adult contemporary charts. It retained its grasp on the top spot of the Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks, and spent a total of 15 weeks on the chart.

"The Tijuana Jail," the Kingston Trio's third chart single, made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on March 23, 1959. The song, written by Denny Thompson, is a tale of the arresting consequences of gambling illegally in Mexico, worsened by inability to pay bail. The Capitol Records release peaked at No. 12 -- thereby becoming the Trio's third-highest ranking single among all their releases -- and remained on the chart for 13 weeks. The rollicking tune captured some of the energy of the trio's legendary cabaret performances. "Dave [Guard] always wanted to be a musician. But Bobby [Shane] and Nick [Reynolds] were entertainers more than they were musicians. Bobby and Nick just loved to entertain," the Trio's manager, Frank Werber, told us for "Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? -- Volume 1" (http://www.editpros.com/WHATPSG.html). The only Kingston Trio songs to rank higher than "The Tijuana Jail" on the chart were "Reverend Mr. Black" (No. 8 in 1963) and, of course, "Tom Dooley" (No. 1 in 1958).

"I Need Your Help, Barry Manilow," the last of singer Ray Stevens' 27 chart singles, made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 24, 1979. Musical humorist Dale Gonyea wrote the song parody about a guy suffering the pangs of a midlife crisis, hoping that Barry Manilow's songs can help lift him from the doldrums. Ray Stevens arranged and produced the recording, with lush orchestration reminiscent of many of Barry Manilow's tunes. The picture sleeve of the single, with a high-contrast photo of Ray playing a piano against a dark blue background, mimicked a Barry Manilow album cover. The recording, on the Warner Bros. label, reached No. 49, and remained on the chart for eight weeks. "I've been very lucky. I’ve been able to make a living and make a career out of something that I really enjoy doing. And not everybody can say that," Ray told us for "Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? -- Volume 2." 

"Sunday For Tea," Peter and Gordon's 13th chart recording, made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 25, 1967. The song was written by John Carter and Ken Lewis, members of the band called the Ivy League. John Burgess produced the recording session, with musical accompaniment under the direction of Mike Vickers, who played saxophone, flute and guitar with Manfred Mann. Burgess was a prolific recording producer who also worked with Freddie and the Dreamers, Matt Monro, Adam Faith, the English Congregation, as well as by Toto. The recordings he produced for Peter and Gordon included "Lady Godiva," "I Go to Pieces," "There's No Living Without Your Loving," "A Stranger With a Black Dove" and "Knight in Rusty Armour." Released by Columbia in the U.K. and by the Capitol Records label in the United States, "Sunday For Tea" rose to No. 31 and remained on the Billboard chart for six weeks. Even though the duo's Gordon Waller continued writing songs into the early 2000s, he never learned to read or write music. "I don’t actually write the notes, but I write down the chord changes. I find that with song writing, if you can’t remember the bloody thing, it probably wasn’t worth doing," the brutally honest Waller told us for our first book, "Echoes of the Sixties" (http://www.editpros.com/echoes_ebook.html).     

"Surround sound" home audio systems with as many as eight discrete channels have become so commonplace that many people can scarcely remember that high-fidelity sound systems and recordings once were available only in monaural -- one channel. The first commercial two-track reel-to-reel tape recordings were released in 1954, but engineers labored to develop a system capable of recording two discrete stereophonic channels in the V-shaped grooves of vinyl records. In 1957, a company called Westrex developed a recording system that emerged as technically superior, and it gained traction when a small label, Audio Fidelity Records, released the first commercial recording using the Westrex system; Dixieland jazz music was on one side of the record, with train sound effects on the other. That demonstration recording was convincing. On March 25, 1958, the Recording Industry Association of America approved and adopted the Westrex system as the standard for stereophonic recordings, paving the way for record companies to release stereo albums and audio equipment manufacturers to respond to new consumer demand for stereo gear.    

Buckinghams drummer and leader John Poulos, who had a persistent heart murmur, died on March 26, 1980, just five days before turning 33 years of age. After the Buckinghams disbanded in early 1970, all of them had remained entertainers except for John, who shifted into talent management. "I miss John and the friendship we had, but every once in awhile when I’m performing I could swear that Jon-Jon Poulos was back there playing right along with me, shooting me that big Jon-Jon smile, just like the old days. Thank you, John. We made it, thanks to you," original Buckinghams lead singer Dennis Tufano told us for "Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? -- Volume 2."     

When Elvis Presley was recording for Sun Records, his career first was managed by guitarist Scotty Moore, and then by a country music disc jockey named Bob Neal. The man who subsequently guided Presley to his greatest success was an entrepreneurial promoter from the Netherlands named Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk -- who changed his name to Tom Parker when he immigrated to the United States. He became involved with music promotion, and in exchange for helping country music singer Jimmie Davis' successful Louisiana gubernatorial campaign, Parker was bestowed the title of colonel in the Louisiana state militia. The orbits of Parker and Presley eventually intertwined, and on March 26, 1956, the two signed a one-page contract that declared Parker as Presley's "sole and exclusive advisor, personal representative, and manager in any and all fields of public and private entertainment now known or hereafter coming into existence." Parker managed Elvis for the remainder of his life.  

You can catch Jeff's daily Facebook postings here:

Click here: Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? | Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/WHATPSG    

And, speaking of The Kingston Trio, Jeff had an interesting tidbit to share with us about that 7-Up commercial we ran the other day ...

Our book "Pop Stars, Volume 1" makes reference to the Kingston Trio 7-Up commercials. Especially cool was the fact that Buster Keaton produced that series of 7-Up spots.

Best regards, 
Jeff     

Hey Kent - 
Have you checked out this label yet? It seems there might be hope for our long lost music to see the light on cd. 
Mickey  
Real Gone Music - News    

Then again there are also some very cool brand NEW releases coming out on vinyl for National Record Store Day this year!

ABKCO SETS RECORD STORE DAY RELEASE OF ROLLING STONES AND ANIMALS 

VINYL EPS INCLUDING TWO TITLES NEVER BEFORE AVAILABLE IN U.S.!  

New York, NY – ABKCO Records has announced the release of three collectable and limited edition EPs by The Rolling Stones and The Animals in conjunction with this year’s Record Store Day, Saturday, April 20, 2013. ABKCO is proud to support the efforts of over 700 independently owned record stores in the U.S., and hundreds of similar stores around the world. The three EPs, out in celebration of Record Store Day, highlight milestone releases in the careers of the Rolling Stones and the Animals, both of which are celebrating their respective 50th anniversaries, and are destined to be sought after by collectors for whom vinyl is treasured.

ABKCO's Record Store Day offerings include:

THE ROLLING STONES - FIVE BY FIVE (EP) – This five track EP was initially released, only in the U.K., in August, 1964 and marks the first time FIVE BY FIVE has ever been released in the U.S. in its original 7” vinyl format. The EP contains mono mixes of songs recorded during the band’s June, 1964 sessions at the legendary Chess Studio in Chicago. It features the original compositions "Empty Heart" and "2120 South Michigan Avenue" (address of Chess Records) as well as Stones' versions of songs originally recorded by Solomon Burke, Chuck Berry and Jay McShann.

SIDE ONE: 1. If You Need Me 2. Empty Heart 3. 2120 South Michigan Avenue

SIDE TWO: 1. Confessin’ the Blues 2. Around and Around

THE ANIMALS – THE ANIMALS IS HERE (EP) – This mono release was originally pressed and distributed, only in the U.K., as a 7” E.P., towards the end of 1964. THE ANIMALS IS HERE includes the band’s first three chart hits in the U.K. and U.S. -- “The House of the Rising Sun,” “Gonna Send You Back to Walker” and “I’m Crying” in the U.K./ "Baby Let Me Take You Home," and the aforementioned "I'm Crying" and "The House of the Rising Sun" in the U.S. This is the first vinyl release of the EP in the U.S. In lieu of the original 7" format, ABKCO opted for a 10” inch vinyl for better audio fidelity. Iconic British Invasion producer Mickie Most handled the production of these historic tracks at Kingsway Studios in London and the E.P. charted at an impressive #37 in the U.K. upon release. The single, “The House of the Rising Sun,” hit #1 on both the U.K. and the U.S. charts and established the band as one of the era's top contenders.

SIDE ONE: 1. The House of the Rising Sun 2. Gonna Send You Back to Walker

SIDE TWO: 1. I’m Crying Baby 2. Baby, Let Me Take You Home

THE ANIMALS – THE ANIMALS ARE BACK (EP) – This is another “U.K. only” mono release that features production by Mickie Most. production helm which was first made available in October of 1965. Also recorded at Kingsway Studios in London and released in October, 1965, it was originally pressed and released on 7” vinyl. Record Store Day will mark the first time this EP will have been released in the U.S. on vinyl, this time in 10” format for optimal audio quality. THE ANIMALS ARE BACK (EP) hit #14 on the U.K. charts and features the much sought after “U.K. only” single version of “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” (#2 U.K.); “Bring It On Home to Me,” (#7 U.K./#32 U.S.) and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” (#3 U.K./#15 U.S.). Also featured is the early Burdon/Price composition, “Club-A-GoGo.”

SIDE ONE: 1. Bring it on Home to Me 2. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

SIDE TWO: 1. We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place 2. Club-A-GoGo

This from Tom Cuddy regarding another sad passing ...   
Deke Richards, 68, who as part of the songwriting and producing team known as the Corporation was responsible for many of the Jackson 5's early hit songs for Motown Records, died Sunday at a hospice in Bellingham, Wash., of esophageal cancer, according to a statement from the Universal Music record label. Richards and the other members of the Corporation — Alphonso Mizell, Freddie Perren and Motown founder Berry Gordy — created and shaped the Jackson family band's first three No. 1 hits: "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "The Love You Save." Richards went on to write additional songs for the group, including "Mama's Pearl" and "Maybe Tomorrow." He also co-wrote "Love Child" for Diana Ross and the Supremes, as well Ross' solo "I'm Still Waiting." Other recording artists for whom Richards produced or wrote songs include Bobby Darin and Martha Reeves & the Vandellas. More recently he helped assemble several Motown box sets.
Complete article here: Click here: LA Times - PASSINGS: Deke Richards
 

  

  

Helping Out Our Readers

HI KENT,
JUST A QUICK HELLO ... READ YOUR E-PUBLICATION ALL THE TIME. HAVE BEEN RETIRED FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS AFTER GETTING LAID-OFF BY CLEAR CHANNEL. WANTED TO MENTION A RECORD I USED TO LISTEN TO YEARS AGO BUT CAN'T SEEM TO LOCATE IT FOR PURCHASE. IT'S CALLED CHERRY PIE BY CHARLES CHRISTY. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HEAR ANYTHING ON IT. I AM PRETTY SURE IT WAS ON THE HANNA-BARBERA LABEL. KEEP UP THE GREAT COLUMN!THANK-YOU,
TIM KILEY  
I don't see this one charting and I'm really not familiar with it ... but I'm sure some of our readers are. 
Doing a quick check of the obvious places, I found a bunch of copies on eBay ...  
Click here: cherry pie charles christy in Music | eBay ... they seem to fall in the $5 - $15 range and a couple offer the "buy it now" option.

It looks like Gemm has a few copies, too ...

Click here: Charles Christy Vinyl Records, CDs, Charles Christy Albums, Rare Charles Christy Music

And, the ever-reliable Tom Diehl even came up with a digital copy for us, so that WE can enjoy it, too! (kk) 

Kent:

Just discovered the website a few weeks ago, reading up on the current postings and starting to catch up on the older ones (currently up to July of 2009).

Anyhow, with all of the more recent talk of how bad the "C" or "C.C."-owned stations are and what some of these independent and internet-only stations are doing to preserve the heritage of AM radio stations of the past (that played it all from the Hot 100 -- or at least dayparted it), would it be possible to create a list of terrestrial and non-terrestrial stations that still "get it"?

Perhaps if we have a running list of Forgotten Hits-Certified stations, we can support them through listenership and, in the case of non-commercial or for internet stations that depend on donations, we can possibly help keep them financially stable.

I know of some great terrestrials that still do live local programming with thousands of songs in their playlists, some great college and public radio stations that have occasional programs do the same, and some great internet non-profit websites that do the job better than these companies who own 80% of the stations in the USA. I won't list the ones I know right now, but with the power of apps like TuneIn Radio on smartphones and Roku boxes, just about all of these trend-bucking stations / websites can be easily heard by your audience.

T. Jay Dexter

Somewhere in Colorado

We did something similar to this several years ago, trying to find the best oldies radio stations across the country so that as our readers traveled to new cities, they could know in advance which stations to tune into in their rental cars! (lol) Unfortunately today with so much syndication and repetition, the ONLY viable means to hear TRUE variety seems to be on the Internet ... but sure, I'm all for building a "certified stations list" ... only thing is it'll require me to do a WHOLE lot of listening of my own before I can endorse it ... but if readers want to submit their favorite choices, I have no problem with passing them along. (Maybe we'll even add a "Listen Live" Links page to the website so you can click on to one of these stations and listen while you're reading Forgotten Hits!!! And then, in a perfect world, these stations can do the same thing for us by placing a link to our page on their website(s)!) kk 

And how weird is THIS?!?!? I no sooner pasted your email and received this from another FH Reader: 

Kent,

I found a radio station! WLNG 92.1 out of Sag Harbor on Long Island. It advertises as the only oldies station for Long Island / Rhode Island. Might as well add Connecticut to that list. It could be a foster child to Forgotten Hits. If there were more of these stations you would have to change your website to Unforgottenhits.com. I heard 'Party Girl' by Bernadette Carroll from 1964 on my way home from work. That had followed 'Revolution' by The Beatles, and 'I Got A Brand New Pair of Roller Skates, You Gotta Brand New Key'. Now ... whose idea was it to put that ONE male voice in 'Party Girl'? Is it really needed?

Shelley 

And one more from just the other day ... 

Silly me forgot to bring some CDs with me on my three hour road trip to Louisville Sunday morning. As a result, I was forced to navigate thru a myriad of radio stations trying to find something listenable. I did hear the unedited version of Jet Airliner on some classic rock station. However that wasn't today's treat. Going thru Jasper, Indiana, maybe about 30 minutes east of Evansville, I picked up a station I think was 91.5 FM. It was a public radio station. The call letters were WJPR. I may have been able to listen for 15 minutes or so, before it faded out. In that short of time, I heard, How Do You Do, by Gerry & the Pacemakers, I'll Be Doggone, Marvin Gaye, River Deep Mountain High, Ike & Tina Turner, I'm Gonna Make You Love Me, Supremes & Temptations and Any Day Now, by Elvis. I've never heard Elvis' take on the Chuck Jackson hit. If I could find an oldies station like that, I'd be willing to put up with Helen Reddy & Chicago. I have to tolerate far worse now. I heard Rock And Roll band, by Boston twice. On the plus side, no Journey. Maybe there's hope out there after all.

Jack  
They're out there ... they're just nearly impossible to find ... especially on the terrestrial radio dial. (A lot more choices on the Internet.) But isn't it a treat when you DO finally stumble across something like this? Imagine that ... joy and pleasure listening to the radio again ... what a concept! (kk)  

Kent:

I came across an interesting situation regarding Gary Lewis & The Playboys' "Sure Gonna Miss Her" (1966). I was a bit too young to recall the song at the time but remember hearing the song from the early 1970's on. I decided to purchase the original Liberty 45 on ebay and was confused when I played it! A totally different song - NO Hal Blaine drums for one thing. I'm guessing what happened is they must have re-recorded it for a Greatest Hits - Playboy's album (maybe before Gary went into the service?) DJ's most likely were using the Greatest Hits album by the 1970's and it's the album version that I became a fan of! I think this maybe one of the few times when the original hit recording was actually NOT as good as the album version!

John Evanich III 
Maybe somebody out there can shed some light on this one. Gary Lewis rerecorded all of his hits over the years ... but I wouldn't think so for a greatest hits album this early on. Any ideas? (kk) 

Kent:

I'm still a relative newbie to your website, I see that you and your following has been pretty good in trying to find lost songs ... so I figured I'd give one of mine a shot.

I have been trying to find a title and artist for a song that was played frequently on CKLW / AM 800 in Detroit / Windsor in the mid to late 70s. Since I only heard it on the Big 8, it's more than likely a Canadian Content (CANCON) song that they would play to satisfy the CRTC (Canada's FCC equivalent) rules for stations "North of the Border".

The song opens up with a lazy synthesized keyboard intro, then what sounds like a two male singers singing "Dreamin(g), Just Dreamin(g)" -- the words the group sings the most in the song.

The opening lyric is:

Lonesome Days / Lonely Nights / I just have to dream of you if you write.

It may be right / It may be wrong / To say I love you and win my song in the sun

The words come by so easy / And the music sound so sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

I have never found any song title even close to that by a 70's duo in Joel Whitburn's books, and Shazam can't recognize it. I have been looking for a copy of that song in the clear (I taped it twice off the Fuzzy AM radio broadcast) for nearly 35 years now. Perhaps someone who was a regular CKLW listener back then might know the song which seemed to "peak" in the summer of either 1975, 76 or 77.

Thanks for your help.

"Uncle T. Jay" Dexter

Grand Junction, CO  
I looked in my CHUM Chart Book and didn't see any titles listed for "Dreaming" or "Just Dreaming" that might have matched up to your mystery song. However, we DO have quite a few Canadian readers on the list (include several former Canadian dee jays) so maybe one of them can point us in the right direction. Stay tuned! (kk)  

Hi Kent -

Helen here. I saw your piece on Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee ... and I wanted to know if Bobby tried to help Sandra with her drinking? He cared so much about other people, but I've never read anything about him helping her. And about Sandy never marrying again ... it made me think of one of George Jones' songs ... "there's nothing better once you had the the best." Why did Bobby divorce he's Andrea?

Thank you so much,

Helen Chalker  
Wow! I had to think about these a little bit, as it's been a while since we revisited our Bobby Darin Series. (Lots of folks seem to be discovering Forgotten Hits anew again lately!) Let me see how well I can do here, going strictly from memory.

Sandra Dee started drinking most heavily after Bobby insisted she be seated at a "ringside seat" for every performance he made. Soon she started to drink to pass the time. Quite often, things became heated between the two ... Sandra was watching Bobby doing essentially the same show night after night after night and, to a degree, had put her own career on hold in order to do so. Soon she became resentful. I've never seen anything about Bobby trying to get her help with her drinking ... instead, quite the contrary seems to be true. He would belittle her for her weakness and often used it as a slam against her in these heated arguments, many of which took place backstage or when Bobby got home from his concert. He wanted Sandy to be his biggest fan ... and was very controlling in that way.

Sandra, although she did come to resent Bobby's iron-clad hold on her, to her dying day referred to him as "the love of her life" ... so no, she never remarried. And honestly, I believe Bobby also always loved Sandra ... but had so much else going on in his life that he wasn't always able to show it.

Near the end of his life, he married Andrea ... and then almost immediately tried to get out of that marriage. As the sickness overtook his body, Bobby became delirious and irrational ... he felt that everybody close to him was trying to harm him in some fashion, including his new bride. He simply wanted out ... and died shortly afterwards.

We STILL don't have the complete article posted on the site yet. (I swear if I took six months off to work on nothing else I'm not sure I could finish it!!!) But I'll try to look around this week and see if I can find some specific excerpts as they relate to your questions. If I get REALLY ambitious, I may even publish them in the next week or two!!! (kk) 

It seems like new people are discovering the Forgotten Hits Website every week ... here are just a couple of recent emails we received ...  

I just happened upon your site's discussion of Bobby Fuller this AM. Here' some add'l info that I did not see there:

KRLA Surveys from www.oldiesloon.com:20 - Bobby Fuller Four - Let Her Dance JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, 1965

32 - LOVE'S MADE A FOOL OF YOU - BOBBY FULLER FOUR MUSTANG APRIL 9 - 15, 1966

19 - MAGIC TOUCH - Bobby Fuller Four AUGUST 13, 1966

JB 
Yes, Bobby charted quite successfully in LA ... moreso than on the national charts. (Here in Chicago his two biggest its were "I Fought The Law" (#4, 1966) and "Love's Made A Fool Of You" (#20, 1966).

His death remains of the great rock and roll mysteries of all time. (kk) 

You can view our take on things right here:  
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Bobby Fuller  


You have 'A Fool Such As I' peak position as #1 - on both Billboard & Cash Box charts it peak at #2.

Also you should mention that Rosemary Clooney hit 'Hey There' b/w 'This Ole House' was a 2-sided #1 hit

'This Ole House' replaced 'Hey There' as the #1 record on Nov. 6, 1954.

K Eben  
So noted ... although "A Fool Such As I" DID hit #1 on the Record World / Music Vendor chart ... so technically we're still ok. What I meant by "Hey There" and "This Ole House" is that BOTH sides of the record ultimately made it to #1 ... kinda like "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog", a pretty much unheard of achievement. We cut the list off at 1955 to better represent The Rock Era (pretty much defined as everything AFTER "Rock Around The Clock" ... but "Hey There" / "This Ole House" was SO huge of a hit, we felt it deserved at least a mention. (In my book, it deserves more than just an "honorable mention" ... but certain compromises had to be reached when compiling the final chart.) Glad you're enjoying Forgotten Hits! (kk)    
Click here: Forgotten Hits - The Top 200 BIGGEST TWO-SIDED HITS of All-Time  

It's true ... rarely a week goes by where we don't hear from one or two people discovering Forgotten Hits for the very first time. It may be one particular article that drew you here ... but once you landed and browsed around, you were hooked! (And that's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, we like it!!!) Last week, in fact, we heard from George Tomsco of The Fireballs (by way of Jeff March, one of the authors of all of those great "Where Have All The Pop Stars Gone" books.) I know we did a short mini-series on The Fireballs way back when but this is yet another piece missing from the FH archives. (If any of our readers happen to still have this one, please forward it along.) I DID, however, find this neat piece from Barry McGuire, who responded to a short blurb I had written about The Fireballs' big 1968 Hit "Bottle Of Wine":  

'60's FLASHBACK:  
>>>The Fireballs staged another comeback in 1968 with the feel-good rocker "Bottle Of Wine". (It went all the way to #9, becoming their second biggest hit of all-time!) Sounding NOTHING at all like their other records, it had, instead, a Barry McGuire / New Christy Minstrels feel to it ... yet, despite its Top Ten Status and it's catchy sing-along chorus, you don't hear this one a whole lot anymore on the oldies stations. (kk)

Hi Kent,
Well, to be totally honest, the first time I heard Bottle of Wine, I really thought it was me singing it, too, but I couldn't remember recording it ... lol! And then when the song became such a mega hit, I really wished it had've been me that recorded it, but alas, here am I, alive, healthy and enjoying every minute of my life in my 75th year.  
Barry McGuire  
www.trippinthesixties.com   
LOL ... this song ALWAYS sounded like a Barry McGuire / New Christy Minstrels song to me ... in fact, at the time I would have SWORN that that was YOU singing it!!! (Let's face it ... it didn't really sound like ANYTHING else The Fireballs had ever recorded ... but it put the band back in The Top Ten for the first time in four years!)  
Quite honestly, by 1968, The New Christy Minstrels sound wasn't in keeping with the so-called "hit" sound of the day ... yet this record seemed to borrow HEAVILY from your tried-and-true musical school book and became a monster hit in the process.  Always great to hear from you ... thanks, Barry! (kk)

As We Neil Before You This Monday Morning

... No ... that's not a typo ...

Because this morning we're bringing forth five GREAT examples of Forgotten Hits written by none other than Neil Diamond (all recorded by other artists) ... plus, as an extra special bonus, one by Neil himself!

Now we ALL know that before he started his own recording career, Neil pounded the pavement as one of those so-called Brill Building songwriters, trying to place his wares with any available or interested artist who just might be the one to help open the door that would ultimately make him rich and famous.

We ALSO all know that Neil's songwriting career blasted off into the stratosphere when The Monkees cut their #1 Hit "I'm A Believer" (a tune Diamond had written and intended to record himself) in late 1966 ... it topped the charts for seven straight weeks at a time where The Monkees were actually more popular than The Beatles.  (Neil would score another defacto #1 Hit some 22 years later when UB40 took his decades-old composition "Red Red Wine" to the top of the charts in 1988!)

But in between that time, some other artists recorded some great Neil Diamond material that just seems to have fallen by the wayside over the years ... so today we present five of them for your consideration.

First up ... "My Babe" by Ronnie Dove, a #40 Hit in 1967.  Actually this one came along right at the end of Ronnie's hit streak.  Between 1964 and 1967, Dove hit The National Top 40 a dozen times ...but it would be THIS record that ended that run of good fortune.  Too bad ... because I always thought it was a pretty good tune.



Also in 1967, Lulu cut "The Boat That I Row", a record that charted in several areas of the country before everybody in radio flipped the record over and started playing "To Sir With Love" instead.  Honestly, on the one hand, it was a good move ... the title track from the smash Sidney Poitier movie went on to reach #1, stay there for five weeks and, on many charts, wound up being the biggest record of the year!  However on the OTHER hand, it's really too bad ... many of us think that "The Boat That I Row" deserved to be a hit in its own right.



After Neil Diamond reluctantly gave away "I'm A Believer" to The Monkees (he had wanted to record it himself, thinking that this might be the one that ultimately broke his own career), Monkees Musical Mastermind Don Kirshner promised Diamond that he would get The Monkees' next single, too, as compensation for his selfless, generous move.  (Honestly, I don't think anyone has ever heard Neil Diamond complain about the royalty checks he received when the #1 Group in America cut his song and took it to the top of the charts for a couple of months!)  True to his word, Kirshner made sure that Diamond got what he had promised him ... and he did ... and, before anyone knew what had hit them, "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" also made its way to top the charts.  The Monkees would go on to record a few other Neil Diamond tunes along the way ... and, back in the day when virtually EVERYTHING they recorded got radio airplay (thanks in large part to these songs being featured as part of their weekly television series, typically in the musical madcap romps that ended each episode), we all fell in love with Neil's "Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow", too.  Never officially released as a single here in The States, radio played it like one ... so we're sure this one will sound good to your ears again after all these years!



Probably my FAVORITE Neil Diamond forgotten non-hit (by him, anyway), has got to be "Sunday And Me" by Jay and the Americans.  Neil knocked it out of the park with this one, completely capturing the Jay and the Americans sound while still holding true to his own sound and identity.  Although it climbed to #18 nationally in 1965 (this was Neil Diamond's first MAJOR hit on the pop charts), you NEVER hear it anymore ... and that's a shame ... because it's a GREAT song.  (I'll bet you play it more than once today yourself!!!)  We last featured this in our series "A Month Of Sundays" many years ago ... and it got a great reaction then, too.



Finally, we've got a beautiful track by Vic Dana, another artist (like Ronnie Dove) that you might not typically think of in the Neil Diamond vein.  But Vic nailed it when he cut "If I Never Knew Your Name" back in 1970 ... and this one snuck into The Top 40 at #39.  (Here in Chicago it was a major hit, reaching #7!)



ONE FOR GOOD MEASURE:  You can't salute the music of Neil Diamond without featuring at least SOMETHING by Neil Diamond himself ... so I've chosen his #8 Hit from 1967, "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon".  Once he broke thru with "Cherry Cherry" in 1966, Neil hit The National Top 40 an incredible 30 TIMES between 1966 and 1980.  I understand that all these years later, radio can't play them all ... but THIS one deserves a spin once in a while.  (Urge Overkill did an outstanding rendition of this song in the cult movie classic "Pulp Fiction", too!)



Hopefully you found a few diamonds in the rough today with our very special Neil Diamond feature salute.