The Monday Comments

re:  More Praise For The Mamas and the Papas:  
Just finished reading your exhaustive - and, truly informative special - on The Mama And The Papas.  
Always one of my emotional favorites ... loved reading it. Whenever I hear "California Dreamin'" on the radio, boy does it take me back.  
Clearly a classic; the production and recording values on that record standout for sure. One of my Top 5 ever! Certainly timeless ... it sounds as good today as back then. Thanks -  
David   

Hey, Kent -  
How come we all said "Papa John" and "Mama Cass" but nobody ever said "Papa Denny" or "Mama Michelle"?? 
Just throwing it out there ...  
- Larry Cave  
50yearsagoonthehot100.blogspot.com   

Hi Kent -  
THANK YOU for all the information about The Mamas and the Papas.  
I just thought that  their name was perfect for them. Like you said their music will live on forever. And that John Phillips was a great arranger. I think Michele mentioned this a few times over the years.  He could take "any song and make it sound great!"   
I enjoy them on my Juke Box and Bose ...  
Carolyn   

Back in 1986 or early '87 our group, the Showvinistics, opened for the John and Mackenzie Phillips, Denny Doherty and Spanky McFarland version of "The Mamas and the Papas." This was at a place called Red Creek, where we did our own shows but often opened for famous groups brought in by the owner, such as the Neville Brothers, Big Joe Turner, The Persuasions and Gary "U.S." Bonds -- very eclectic, for sure.  
I had the opportunity to sit and talk music for about a half an hour with all four members of the Mamas and Papas, especially Denny and Spanky. John would contribute occasionally but it is Mackenzie that was most memorable on this occasion. She would interject something about every three minutes -- in a giggling type of gibberish! Everyone seemed to either ignore these outbursts or understood them. I never understood one word. Even when she said goodbye (I think) I was clueless as to what she said, but it was with a giggle and a smile!  
Lots of good information from the others though, who were very friendly and loved talking music.  
Danny Guilfoyle   

"If you can believe your eyes and your ears," Riley and Weber discussing if Cobra or Winky are members of the Mamas & Papas like Kent says they are.  
Clark Besch

Great conversation about the Mamas & Papas ... I don't know how you keep track of all this stuff.  
Cheers,  
CharlieOFD    

re:  What's The Name Of That Song?:  
Good selection ... many others even ...  
Unchained Melody  
Superstar by the Carpenters  
Mark the Shark   

You left out the most obvious one of all ...

Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers

Tom

The toughest part of doing a SWEET 16 is you are truly limited in your selections ... there can only be 16 tracks ... but you're right, "Unchained Melody" probably should have been included.  (Also not making the final list were "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin, "Hocus Pocus" by Focus, "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" by The Beatles, "Baba O'Reily" by The Who, "The Ballad Of The Green Beret" by S/Sgt Barry Sadler, "Space Oddity" by David Bowie, "The Lord's Prayer" by Sister Janet Mead, "Fingertips" by Stevie Wonder, "Train In Vain" by The Clash, "The Great Airplane Strike, 1966" by Paul Revere and the Raiders, "Danny's Song" by Anne Murray, "Land of 1000 Dances" by Cannibal and the Headhunters, "Sunshine Superman" by Donovan and about two dozen more.

I'm telling you, this is a GREAT radio special for somebody ... you could easily put together a three hour program featuring songs like these ... and I'll bet our readers could come up with several more.  (kk)

[I was going to run a copy of "Unchained Melody" here ... but what's the point?  Turn on ANY oldies radio station in America and you'll hear it within the hour anyway!!!]  kk 

Hi Kent -

Don't forget The Jive Five and their tune "My True Story"!!

By the way, how high did it get Billboard? When in doubt, ask the Master.

Carolyn

"My True Story" reached #3 in Billboard in 1961.  Here in Chicago it only climbed as high as #18 on the WLS Silver Dollar Survey.  (kk)   

How could you leave out the one that doesn't even use the title in the song??   
"Let Her Cry For She's a Lady" ... which in reality was "Wildfower" by Skylark, which had David Foster playing keyboards.  (See David's pregnant wife singing back-up below.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9bJJNUdXEs
Greg Campbell

Like "Sunshine Superman", the title is never actually uttered ... but at least its implied ... a key line repeated throughout the song is "She's a free and gentle flower growing wild."  Still, it absolutely qualifies!

Let's continue to build this list.  Memo to Phil Nee (or Scott Shannon if he's interested) ... wanna put together a three hour special?  Heck, Scott could even do this as a specially-themed "America's Greatest Hits" feature!  (kk)

Hola Kent,  
You struck a nerve with that subject.  Perhaps the most notorious song in that category is 'Unchained Melody' sung by many but most notably by the Righteous Brothers. Many a music lover was stumped to 'Name That Tune' when the song was played.

My favorite song search occurred in 1988.  I was a 3rd shifter and awoke on the couch with "I Want To Know What Love Is" on the TV as part of the Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary Concert. I loved the song but being groggy all I could remember was seeing Phil Collins on stage, a lot of smoke in the air, and that 'rhapsody' playing on the television. I had to have that song.

I was married with two kids by then and not as into the music scene ... all I could remember was Collins and the song. I asked a few younger people and they told me Collins was in Genesis, a band unknown to me.  I was in a mall and a muzak version of the song was playing so I approached a young girl (I would be arrested today for doing that) and inquired what the name of the song was being played.  She was a little confused at my request but told me that it was Foreigner. So thought that the name of the song was Foreigner, sung by Phil Collins and Genesis.

I went to my local music shop and asked for the song from the clerk, who straightened me out by telling me Foreigner was the name of the group and sold me a CD with the song on it. I was feeling out of the loop ... I was now a 'family man' and all my music was from before I was married, but that song re-awoke my enjoyment of music and led me to come to appreciate groups who came along after the early 70's.  I know it is only important to me but I just wanted to share it with the readers who may have had similar re-awakenings after getting married.

Cheers,

CharlieOFD 

One that drove me crazy came a few years later (1996 to be exact).

I kept hearing the song "Don't Speak" by No Doubt and just HAD to have it.  I must have visited a dozen record stores trying to find that single but it was nowhere to be found.  Turns out it hadn't been released as a single ... and, in checking Joel Whitburn's "Top Pop Records" book right now, I see that it was the first album cut to every hit #1 on the Billboard Chart.  (In fact, it stayed there for 16 WEEKS ... and charted for an incredible 63 ... that's a year plus!)

I did eventually find the track on a CD Promotional Single ... and ended up buying the album as well.  Again, not a "what's the name of that song" experience ... but more of a "how the hell do I get this record?!?!?" experience.  Thanks, Charlie!  (kk)

re:  This And That:  
From FH Reader Tom Cuddy ...    

THE TEMPOS: Vocalist Mike Daye Has Died  
Mike Daye, who sang lead on The Tempos' original version of "See You in September," died on Tuesday. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he was 83. He was born Michael Lazo and used Daye as his stage name.   
The 1959 recording enjoyed a second life on the American Graffiti soundtrack.   
Bob Miranda, whose group The Happenings revived and rocked up the song in the summer of '66, tells us, "Those guys were an influence. I don't know if we would have picked up that song if we hadn't heard [their] version."
 
And check this out ...  

We've seen this talked about in a few places now ... but FH Reader Tom Cuddy was the first to send it in ...    

Word of what will be one of the biggest classic rock concerts in history has leaked as the L.A. Times is reporting that Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roger Waters and Neil Young will join forces for a three-day festival at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California on October 7th, 8th and 9th. That's the site of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which gets under way today (Friday).   
If all goes according to plan it will be Dylan and the Stones on the 7th, Macca and Young on the 8th, and The Who and Waters on the 9th. This will be the first time since 2012's Concert for Sandy Relief - 12-12-12 - that McCartney, The Stones, Waters and The Who will all have been on the same bill, albeit different nights.  
Though nothing is 100-percent firmed up, Young's manager, Elliot Roberts, tells the L.A. Times, "It’s so special in so many ways because you won’t get a chance to see a bill like this, perhaps ever again. It’s a show I look forward to more than any show in a long time.”   
The official announcement is expected in early May.   

In your Record Store Day section, the picture of the stereo system brought back memories of working in the electronics dept of Monkey Wards (membuh' them?) in 1986 for Christmas $ for my kids.  We sold a similar unit, and I think I sent at least one of them out of the store.  I wanted one so badly, but couldn't wedge it into the budget.  Imagine my delight when we got MP3 players & digital music!  Count me out as someone who longs for vinyl ... I'm thrilled with the many ways we can obtain and store music now.   
Patti  
And music today is certainly a lot easier to carry around, too!  (lol)  I replaced most of what I could with cd and digital versions on my music ... just so much cleaner sounding (although some will argue that this is one of its biggest drawbacks ... it's just too "processed" of a sound.)  I don't mind ... I LOVE this music ... and want to hear it in its cleanest form.  (kk)  
[BTW, I'm sure I'll get a TON of mail about THAT comment!!!]

The Fest For Beatles Fans, 2016, was an incredible two-day experience of learning (for me) and enjoyment. 

Peter Asher, Chad and Jeremy put on an amazing production. Billy J Kramer and Mike Pender together, and separately.  Mark Hudson in technicolor extremism. Steve Holley from Wings, Gary and Adam from Elephants' Memory. Music, artwork, photography, memories! So much in so little time.

Shelley

Yes, quite an incredible line-up indeed ... I'm hoping most of these artists will make it to the Chicago show this summer!  (REALLY looking forward to seeing Peter Asher performing with Chad and Jeremy ... we caught Peter and Gordon several years ago at one of these and it was absolutely outstanding!)  kk

http://www.thefest.com/2016-fests/chicago-august-12-13-14-2016/    

 

Thank you ... and congratulations to Lou Christie ... who is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of "Lightnin' Strikes" topping the charts and selling a million copies in 1966. (In fact, he's had some commemorative coasters made!  Check out this photo!)

SWEET 16 - What's The Name Of That Song???

I can't even imagine how many people must have walked into their favorite record store back in the day, trying to buy that hot new record they heard on the radio, "I Love The Flower Girl" only to be disappointed because they couldn't find the record on the shelf.

Or how about "They'll Stone You"?  "Don't You Worry 'Bout Me"?  "Feelin' Groovy"?  Or that timeless hit "Stop Children What's That Sound?"  Almost a reverse psychology I guess with some of these ... how to get people NOT to buy your record ... simply by confusing the hell out of them!

Today, as part of our latest SWEET 16 feature, Forgotten Hits salutes those GREAT songs that confused the heck out of the record buying public because the TITLE of the song never appears anywhere in the lyrics!!!

The Friday Flash

The Mamas and the Papas  
I enjoyed reading the Mamas and Papas story again this morning. 
Jim Hendricks, an original member of The Big Three and The Mugwumps, lives nearby and we always talk about him when we pass his house on Cages Bend Road. He wrote "Summer Rain" for Johnny Rivers, and also "Long, Lonesome Highway" for Michael Parks. It's no surprise that Johnny Rivers was an original investor in The Monterey International Pop Festival, considering his close friendship with John Phillips and gang. 
David Lewis   

Hi Kent -

Great reading your "Revisited Mamas and the Papas" again!!

They were in my Top Ten of favorite groups. Too bad they only lasted a couple of years.

By the way, how did they get their name? I think that was part of their success.

When in doubt, ask the master!

Carolyn

As is usually the case, the road to becoming The Mamas and the Papas made several stops (and pairings) along the way.

John Phillips first scored success with The Journeymen, which also included Scott McKenzie who would record John's "Summer of Love" / Flower Power anthem "San Francisco".  Although primarily a trio (the missing third was Dick Weissmann), his second wife Michelle would also sing with the group from time to time.  Meanwhile Mama Cass was singing with a group called The Big Three while Denny Doherty was one of The Halifax Three.  All of these groups worked in the early-to-mid '60', playing the folk rock circuit, a very popular musical trend at that time.

Denny and Cass first met when they both joined The Mugwumps, a group that also included John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky, who would go on to form The Lovin' Spoonful.  (Again, listen closely to the lyrics of The Mamas and the Papas' big autobiographical hit "Creeque Alley" and you'll hear this whole thing play out in about three minutes!  lol)

After leaving The Mugwumps, Denny teamed with John and Michelle to perform as The New Journeymen, more so to fulfill contractual obligations after the original group had already split up.  In 1965, they maxed out their American Express Card (also part of the "Creeque Alley" lyric) and took off for the Virgin Islands to work on new material.  It was around this time that John Phillips discovered The Beatles (thanks to some prodding by Denny who, after playing him a Beatles album, told John "Write songs like this."

Cass Elliott (who had a longtime crush on Denny) joined the trio and fought for a spot in the group ... but John was reluctant to let her in because she went "against type" and the image he was shooting for.  There was no denying the magical blend of their voices, however ... in fact an early incarnation of John, Michelle, Cass and Denny was called "The Magic Circle" and, after their first recording session for Dunhill, they toyed around with the idea of keeping that name for their first record release.

After working up some new tunes in The Virgin Islands (including "California Dreamin'", "Go Where You Wanna Go" and "Monday Monday") they relocated to Los Angeles to try and make it in the heart of the music scene.  (Their friends The Byrds and The Lovin' Spoonful were now hitting the charts and they felt that THEY should be able to do so, too.)  In the end, it was the blend of their unique voices (and the fact that this "sound" was created by two guys and two girls) that prompted them to rename themselves "The Mamas and the Papas" ... and the rest, as they say, was history.  (It has also been suggested that the inspiration came from The Hell's Angels, the infamous bikers group who referred to their ladies as their "mamas" ... and there just may be a fair amount of truth to that!)  Their first release (and most of the early promotional material put out to announce the band) listed them as The Mama's and the Papa's ... but the apostrophes were soon deleted and they remained The Mamas and the Papas from that point forward. 

John Phillips not only wrote all their big hits but The Mamas and the Papas were also very successful covering (and rearranging) several other pop tunes like The Beatles' "I Call Your Name", the Motown Hit "Dancing In The Street", The Shirelles' hit "Dedicated To The One I Love", a very slowed-down version of "Do You Wanna Dance" and several others like "My Girl" and "You Baby".

When all was said and done, the whole wild ride lasted just over two years ... yet their music lives on forever.  (kk)

Have any stock copies of Go Where You Wanna Go ever turned up? I've only ever heard of promotional copies being issued, along with a picture sleeve, and both of those sell for hundreds of dollars because so few of them exist.  If you want to have a great collection by the group featuring all of their original single mixes as well as the ABC solo sides by the group members, all in their original single mixes, I highly recommend this collection from Real Gone Music:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0176TW0AK

They really outdid themselves with this one.

-- Tom Diehl

Despite owning their complete collection through various means and compilations, I went out and bought "The Complete Singles Collection" anyway, just to have all of the singles, in their original mono mixes, in one place.  (Dunhill notoriously issued single edits, in some cases drastically different versions and mixes, all the time.  It was infuriating to hear the song on the radio, commit it to memory and then pick up the album and have it sound completely different that what had been etched in your mind, whether it was a change in the orchestral backing or even something as subtle as the line "becoming a reality" being edited out of "Creeque Alley" at the end.)

I don't know if "stock" copies of "Go Where You Wanna Go" existed ... there seems to be a lot of debate on this issue.  Even finding a rare promo copy is virtually impossible.  The catalog numbers for this single and "California Dreamin'" were only two digits apart ... 4018 to 4020 ... so it wasn't out on the market for very long.  It very well may have been sent to radio stations only to see if they could get a buzz going on this brand new group.  It failed but the follow-up piece was SO drastically different, it demanded your full attention the very first time it came on.  (Here in Chicago "California Dreamin'" was ranked as the #1 Single of 1966 on WCFL, topping their chart for four weeks ... as well as spending another three weeks at #2!)  Meanwhile "Go Where You Wanna Go" became the first big hit for The Fifth Dimension a year later ... yet, despite this fact, today you are FAR more likely to hear The Mamas and the Papas' version (if it's played on the radio at all.)  kk

Hey Kent, 

Thanks for all the interesting info on the Mamas and the Papas in Wednesday's FH, and for putting to rest what I always suspected about "I Saw Her Again".

When I heard the song for the very first time, I just knew Denny came in early with "I saw her ... " and the strings basically covered the mistake. I did like the finished product, though.

Another song I'm thinking turned out the same way is Kenny Loggins' "I'm Alright". Just past two minutes into the song, he sings, "I'm ... I'm alright". I like the way it ended up, too, but what do YOU think?
- John LaPuzza 

https://youtu.be/1rmPckNvD3E

Wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that that was a mistake ... then again, maybe he was just trying to recreate the effect of The Mamas and the Papas record!  Either way, I agree ... a GREAT song and a GREAT break that sets up the next chorus.  ALWAYS one of my favorites!  (kk)

I saw The Mamas and the Papas at the Palomino in 1988 with Scott McKenzie replacing Denny Doherty, Spanky McFarlane replacing Mama Cass and MacKenzie Phillips replacing Michelle. It was a very good show, including Scott's big hit and a couple of Spanky's. Michelle joined them on the closing song. 
Gary E. Myers / MusicGem
I got to see them twice in the latter stages of their career.  For the first show (an outdoor Italian Festival type deal held in the parking lot of a shopping center!) the group featured Scott McKenzie (subbing for John Phillips), Denny Doherty (who still sounded great), Spanky McFarlane (covering for Mama Cass) and an unknown fourth who sang Michelle's old background harmonies.
The second show was WAY classier, held at The Drury Lane Theater in Oak Brook, featured John Phillips back on guitar and vocals (he did a "new" solo number that night that I have been searching for for over thirty years ... I don't think it was ever officially released but he was in GREAT voice that night and this song obviously had a big impact on me), Denny Doherty, Spanky McFarlane and MacKenzie Phillips ... pretty much a killer line-up for what was probably the early '80's.  I've never seen Michelle or Cass ... SO hard to believe that Michelle is the only one left.  I can still listen to ALL of their music to this day and never get tired of it ... certainly among my all-time favorites, too.  (kk)

Although I put a lot of research into the 1997 3 CD box set THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS: THEIR GREATEST HITS AND FINEST PERFORMANCES, your piece in Forgotten Hits included details even I did not know.  
I remember attending Cass' funeral, seeing John and Michelle exit the church wrapped in each others arms and hearing one Mama Cass hit after another featured on L.A.'s Top 40 radio stations.  It's sad that those very stations -- which played "Make Your Own Kind of Music," "It's Getting Better," "New World Coming" and "Dream a  Little Dream of Me" so many times -- wouldn't even consider airing one of those tracks today -- despite the fact that they sound better than anything they are running currently.  
My 3 CD box set, which is now out of print (even though copies turn up on eBay and amazon from time to time), included not just all the hits but virtually everything the group recorded for Dunhill -- which wasn't really all that much.  I reserved the third CD for the quartet's solo work, leaning heavily on Cass' output as she was the most prolific and successful of the group members as a soloist.  
Michelle was a problem on that solo disc as her solo A&M singles weren't all that great.  I represented Michelle then with some of her rare lead vocals with the group.  That disc allowed me to reissue John's terrific "Mississippi" but I was hard pressed to find anything else on his solo "Wolf King of L.A." album even one tenth as good. It appears that, except for "Mississippi," John was simply too strung out during the production of that LP to even approach his former level of creative quality.  I wound up including "Pacific Coast Highway" as John's other solo track as it was the best of his other solo album cuts.  
One would have thought that Denny, as the Mamas & Papas' usual lead singer, could have gone on to great solo success, but he didn't.  I represented Denny's solo work with two obscure cuts from his equally obscure solo album.   It's really Cass who shines on that third disc with not only all her solo hits but her best solo LP tracks, some of which were tunes made famous by other artists ("Easy Come, Easy Go," etc.)  
Your Forgotten Hits piece mentions The Mamas & Papas' only live release: their Monterey Pop Festival performance, which was, indeed, a huge disappointment.  Rather than include any of that, I licensed a sampling of soundtrack clips from the group's "Ed Sullivan Show" appearances.  Now THOSE were very good!  
Gary Theroux

Wow, thanks, Gary ... coming from you that means a lot.  Denny did some solo work under the production of FH Member John Madara after the group split but you're right, he never really made much of an impact on his own.
Cass' solo hits were great ... thanks to Me-TV-FM, we get to hear quite a few of them again.  (My personal favorites will always be "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" and "Make Your Own Kind Of Music".  I don't know if you watched that show "Lost" but the first time we ever saw the inside of the infamous hatch we caught Desmond playing Cass' "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" and I will ALWAYS associate that song with that scene from that day forward.
I've searched high and low for both the John Phillips song I heard at the concert mentioned above as well as Michelle's versions of "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "Me And Bobby McGee."  We'll never know just how big of a solo career she might have had, had she been able to release these tracks as singles ... especially since today she is pretty much perceived as just "beautiful, meek-voiced Michelle", making little in the way of a contribution to the group's overall sound.  (With voices as powerful as Cass' and Denny's, it had to be hard to compete ... and with Papa John writing all the hits, Michelle seemed to be the only one who didn't fill a necessary niche ... other than "just stand there and look beautiful"!!!  (kk)

Jan and Dean  
Thanks for posting that link to my book.  Here's a better link, where the price seems to be more reasonable, if you want to substitute it:  http://www.amazon.com/When-Get-Surf-City-Friendship/dp/031237691X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Thank you for honoring Jan.  We who knew and traveled with him think about him all the time.

Bob Greene   

>>>For any who never heard the original version of Jan & Dean’s “Popsicle”, it was by The Todds on the Todd label from 1962. It may be on you tube.   (Ken)

>>>Not sure if this is it or not because in one place it's identified as "The Todds" and in another as "Gene and the Pearls"!   (kk)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOYGDQ5dH-s

Not only did The Todds record Popsicle first (and your youtube link IS the correct version, by the way), the group also recorded the song Tennessee first. Tennessee would become Jan and Dean's second single for Liberty. Both tracks were written by Buzz Cason and Bobby Russell, who were members of The Todds along with Bergen White. 

Tom Diehl

Sound like Jan and Dean were doing a fair amount of listening to The Todds themselves!!! (lol)  kk

I couldn't help but wonder ... is this the same Bobby Russell as the FAMOUS Bobby Russell?  (Honey, 1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero, married to Vicki Lawrence Bobby Russell???)

Yessir. He and Buzz Cason and Bergen White worked together a lot over the years. Tomorrow I'll try to remember to send you some other tracks Bobby and Bergen did together.  You should try to contact Bergen for comments too ... I know he is fairly active on Facebook. Buzz Cason could probably be reached for comment as well.  Check out these 34 pages of records Bergen worked on, and tell me info on some of these wouldn't make for a good interview.
Tom
http://www.45cat.com/45_search.php?sq=Bergen+white&sm=re
 

I did a show with Jan and Dean back around 1980. It was weird, because Jan was almost a total vegetable backstage, but once he got onstage, he automatically went right into his act and sounded great. Then, when they finished and he came backstage, he was totally out of it again.

Dean Milano

I get the feeling that he was almost "programmed" to perform because they knew there was a limited window of opportunity for him to be focused on the task at hand.  The fact that this material was so familiar to him probably helped. 

If you haven't read Bob Greene's book "When We Get To Surf City", do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.  A GREAT read and a VERY touching account of the whole Jan and Dean "comeback" scene.  (Hey, use the discounted link provided by Bob himself above!)  kk

In 1996 we played an event for the Rancho Los Amigos rehab facility and Jan Berry was there.

He had apparently been getting regular therapy there.
Gary E. Myers / MusicGem

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Lots of Chicago talent last night:  Cheap Trick, Chicago, Steve Miller.  Kudos to the city of music!

Clark Besch

 

Great Hall of Fame review by Ron Onesti - I saw Danny's acceptance speech on your site the following day and you could tell he was truly touched to have been included - and misses his former bandmates.

Maria

Danny's speech was especially emotional, sincere and heartfelt ... it shows just how blessed he truly feels to have had the career he's had ... how sad that somebody like Peter Cetera doesn't seem to appreciate any of it ... this is the connection that got him where he is today ... and has allowed him to spend his entire career entertaining the world with his incredible music.  Set it aside for a night, dude ... and enjoy and celebrate the magic.  (kk)

 

Hey Kent, 

First of all, I agree with 100% of what you say about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame selection process. I read Ron Onesti's review of the induction ceremony, and it sounded like a good time for all, especially when Danny Saraphine got to rejoin Chicago. I've always been hoping that water could flow under the bridge and that somehow he could get back in the band.  

I was a jazz drummer most of my teenage years and early twenties, so rock bands with horn sections were very appealing to me. There were several out there that put a dent in pop music. The ones that come to mind are Chase, Tower of Power, Ides of March, Dreams, and Lighthouse, but there were only two that achieved super stardom, namely, Chicago and Blood, Sweat, & Tears. Now that Chicago has made it into the Hall, I sincerely hope that SOMEDAY, B,S&T will be considered for the honor. 

- John LaPuzza

I agree that both of these groups belong in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ... but cannot help but wonder (due to the way the organization continues to "pick and choose" which members are actually being inducted) that if it ever comes to this, if founding member (and the guy who came up with the whole horn-rock concept in the first place) Al Kooper will be included.  He was famously fired from his own band after the release of their first album.  The group then inserted lead vocalist David Clayton Thomas and that's what turned on the hit-making machine.  We've talked to Al about this several times before in Forgotten Hits ... and, while he feels he'd most likely be excluded (in much the same way that he's never mentioned in conjunction with discovering and first producing Lynyrd Skynyrd all these years later) he should, at the VERY least, be inducted for all his "sideman" duties over the years.  ("Like A Rolling Stone" anyone???)  kk

 

The Buckinghams

I really appreciate your help.  ForgottenHits60s ... a fantastic blog!
Bill Hofstetter
Nashville, TN

 

Kent -

Saw The Buckinhams videos on your site! We have all those videos on my FB page: "Facebook.com/Dennistufanosings”

Would you pass this on to your readers?

Hope to see you May 1st in Skokie for the Cornerstones of Rock Show!!!! It would be great to see you man! Be well.

Best to you and Frannie :)

PS I still can’t find The Dating Game and The Midnight Special with Tufano and Giammarese!

Dennis

Well, let's put the word out on those two ... maybe some of the readers can help.

Hoping to make the Skokie show ... plus I've never been to this venue.  Hope to see you and all the guys there!  (kk)

 

By the way, DJ Rockin' John and Forgotten Hits Reader Joanie Baker will be interviewing Dennis Tufano this Saturday night at 6 pm Chicago time ... here's  "Listen Live" link.  The show will also be archived for those (like me) who won't be around to hear it the first time it airs.  (kk)

Click http://wort-fm.org/listen-live/ on Saturday, 6 pm CDT.
 

 

This And That

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KryO3-XnCq4&nohtml5=False
Kent ...

Frankie Valli meets Bob Dylan.
When I bought this 45, you had to connect the dots on the record sleeve ... if you couldn't figure out who was singing.
Frank B.

 

 

Yeah, and in all my years of record collecting and mail order record sales it was virtually IMPOSSIBLE to find a clean one that hadn't been written on or "connected"!  (lol)  kk

 

Monkee MICKY DOLENZ was interviewed last week at Sirius / XM by Bruce Morrow. Dolenz talked about the new Monkees album, "Good Times", out in June on Rhino and their 50th Anniversary tour beginning next month.

 

I got an announcement from Amazon earlier this week that the new Monkees LP has been moved up in the schedule ... so I'm guessing all issues have now been resolved regarding the track line-up.  Sounds like a really fun LP.  (kk)

 

>>>Speaking of commercials which run in the background songs from days gone by, last night here on television I saw one for the first time. Can't remember the  product or whether it was a local or national commercial, but the song in the background was WORRIED MAN but it wasn't the Kingston Trio singing it.  (Larry)

Kent,

Larry might be referring to this Pitney Bowes spot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X8ScSNsQV4&feature=youtu.be

– Randy Price

 

It sounds like the long-running court dispute over copyright infringement on the Led Zeppelin classic "Stairway To Heaven" is back on again.  (We've run several clips in the past showing the Spirit tune written by Randy California that sounds suspiciously similar to the FM Classic Rock staple.) 

Led Zeppelin has been found guilty a few times in the past of putting their name on material that they "borrowed" from other artists, most notably blues artists and tracks like "Whole Lotta Love".  I guess they've just made so much money off this music that a little kick-back after all these years seems somewhat insignificant ... but it's still wrong!  (kk)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/04/12/led-zeppelin-members-face-trial-in-stairway-to-heaven-copyright-infringement-lawsuit/

 

Record Store Day

 

Looks familiar ... but what are those things on the bottom shelf???

Bill Hengels

 

submitted by Stu Weiss

Record Store Day is tomorrow

 

This Weekend In Forgotten Hits

Also tomorrow is our latest SWEET 16 FEATURE ... don't miss it!  (This is another "traveling weekend" for us so I'll try to send a reminder out before we leave ... and there will be no Sunday Comments this week. Be sure to check out our brand new SWEET 16 ... a fun little feature called WHAT'S THE NAME OF THAT SONG???)

The 2016 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony

As promised, here is Ron Onesti's recap of his own personal experience at this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony.

The full piece will appear in tomorrow's edition of The Daily Herald where Ron has a regular column (see link below) ...

But Forgotten Hits Readers get to read it FIRST right here!!!  

Rock Hall Induction … A report from Brooklyn   

CHICAGO and Cheap Trick bring Rock and Roll pride to Illinois

  

As it is every year, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction class is a hot topic of discussion that usually goes in either or both of two directions.  The debate gets heated when the conversation becomes more about who is NOT in the hall, rather than who is.  Those musical greats who have not yet been inducted are discussed, defended and fought over reminiscent of those “My dad is bigger than your dad” days in the school playground.   

For me, I take it for what it’s worth.  I am happy for those who ARE selected, and do not spend much time complaining about who is not.  I thoroughly enjoy my time when I go to Cleveland to visit the Rock Hall, and there are plenty of inductees I am happy for.  Don’t get me wrong, there are many groups I can plead a case for, and I could justify their place of honor as much or more than many current inductees.  But really, in the end, it’s all entertainment, not very scientific, and like life, a bit unfair.  

If you have read my column before, you may remember last year’s report from Cleveland as I attended The 30th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies (if you haven’t, go to dailyherald.com and look it up, it was a VERY cool night).  I recently attended this year’s edition, and it was a very special evening.  It was a quite emotional and long awaited induction of three bands in particular that I not only have had the privilege of working with, but also have been blessed by their friendship over the years.   

CHICAGO, Cheap Trick and Deep Purple were honored this year, along with Steve Miller and N.W.A.   

Of the thirty-one past induction ceremonies, only four have been held in the Hall’s home town of Cleveland.  The others, as it was this year, have been held in New York City, except for twice in Los Angeles.  This edition was held at The Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn, and not at the semi-usual location of Madison Square Garden.

Lars Ulrich, the famed drummer from the metal - supergroup Metallica was the first to welcome the eighteen-plus thousand in attendance.  His job was to induct English heavy metal band Deep Purple.  Taking full advantage of his opening spot, he spent all of twenty minutes outlining all the reasons why Deep Purple was to be awarded this coveted honor.  He saluted keyboardist Jon Lord, who passed away in 2013.  I really appreciated the fact that Ulrich congratulated all fourteen members of the band that circulated through the band over the years.

Purple pioneers Ian Pace, Ian Gillian, Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale all were there; however Hughes and Coverdale were not invited to perform the three-song medley at the event.  And Ritchie Blackmore, the controversial guitarist who came up with that famous “Smoke On The Water” riff, did not attend due to differences with the band.  

Blackmore not being there was a real shame, I thought.  If you were a child of seventies’ rock, the first lick you learned was that opening riff of “Smoke On The Water”.  I was in sixth grade when the air guitar was born for me, and that was the song that birthed it!  And when the band played “Smoke” after another megahit, “Hush”, I found my air guitar skills were thoroughly still intact.

Steve Miller was next up.  I have never met the man, outside of being in the audience with him at another awards ceremony for an organization I sit on the board for, Little Kids Rock.  I was interested to hear him speak and try to find out what kind of guy he is.  I was excited because the very first 45 rpm record I bought with “my own” money, was “The Joker” by the Steve Miller band.

I found out a few things I didn’t know about him, such as the fact that he was from Milwaukee, grew up musically in San Francisco with Boz Scaggs, played the famed Fillmore club one hundred and twenty nine times, came to Chicago to learn the blues (the band was actually named ‘The Steve Miller Blues Band’ until it was shortened for simplicity), and that guitar pioneer Les Paul was his godfather and taught him his first chord when little Steve was only five years old!  He seemed humble and laid back, as he challenged the Rock Hall to honor more women and to bring more music to schools.

After the show, however, he strongly criticized the Hall for its poor treatment of the performers, saying that he just did it so as not to disappoint the fans.  “They gave me two tickets, for me and my wife.  When I asked the about my band and their wives, the said it would be ten thousand dollars apiece. I was furious,” Miller said.

But man, when his distinctive voice and somewhat poetically distorted guitar belted out “Fly Like An Eagle” “Rock’n Me” and “The Joker”, the place went crazy!  It was interesting to note that “The Steve Miller Band” was nominated as a solo act rather that an entire band, and that his Greatest Hits album sold over thirteen million copies, more than The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album.

Next up, definitely a controversial selection, hip-hop heavies, N.W.A.  Rap superstars Ice Cube and Dr. Dre (the first certified billionaire rap artist) led the group on stage, recalling those formative years in Compton, a city plagued with crime near Los Angeles.  Their messages and music were in response to the excessive gang violence and alleged police brutality of the eighties, and reflected the racial strife of the time.

They acknowledged the presence of diversity within the Rock Hall, and encouraged more.  Ice Cube sent out a message to KISS band member Gene Simmons who was quoted as saying, “Rap doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame.  It’s not rock.”  “Rock and Roll isn’t a specific genre,” Cube said.  “It is a spirit, a combination of all forms of music.”  In subsequent interviews, Simmons begged to differ.

Sheryl Crow then performed an acoustic rendition of the Eagles’ classic “New Kid In Town”, remembering Glenn Frey, the Eagle who had recently passed away.  It was a serene moment.

“Matchbox Twenty” frontman Rob Thomas had the honor of inducting CHICAGO which was for me, the moment of the night.  CHICAGO was MY band.  It was the first band that I really got into, listening and learning every cut on every album, from seventh grade until today.  “Their first three albums were DOUBLE albums, and they had the guts to name themselves after a city that was the center of the Blues, and Rhythm & Blues.  That takes guts,” Thomas said.

Actually the moment started earlier that day for me.  Original drummer, Danny Seraphine, asked me if I was available to join him and his family for breakfast at the Waldorf-Astoria.  What a cool thing to do!  Danny and I have been close friends for a long time, and he was one of the main reasons why I attended the ceremonies.  You see, he was excused from the band over twenty-five years ago, citing irreconcilable differences.  When the band welcomed Danny to be a part of the ceremonies, he became very emotional.

Five of the seven original members were in attendance.  Rob Thomas and the band itself acknowledged guitarist and vocalist Terry Kath, who died of a gun accident in 1978.  Kath’s daughter Michelle was on stage with the guys, another classy move.  The other band member conspicuous by his absence was former high-pitched lead singer, Peter Cetera.  Band differences kept him from attending, another heart breaking moment of the evening.

It was nice to hear sax player Walt Parazaider thank veteran Chicago disc jockey Dick Biondi, and also credited Doc Severinson, the former “Tonight Show” band leader for helping to keep the band together after Kath’s tragic death.  Jimmy Pankow thanked the Hall for “Welcoming them into their home”, and Lee Loughnane thanked his three ex-wives for “Making it necessary for him to keep working!”

All the guys got to say a few words, but when Danny took the mic, he was not short on emotion, or on expletives, for that matter.  “I’ve been waiting twenty-five years to play with my band,” said a choked-up Seraphine.  After a long acceptance speech, the monitors started saying “wrap it up”.  Danny hoisted the trophy above his head and proclaimed, “Screw you, I have been waiting too long for this moment!’  (I THINK he said, “Screw you”.)  

I was so happy for him.  I knew how important this was for him, and I wouldn’t have missed being there for the world.  It was incredibly cool to be on “the inside” of that whole emotional rollercoaster.  The band then played “Saturday In The Park” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” and “25 or 6 to 4”.  It was magical as I ripped a vocal chord or two.

Certified southern rock star Kid Rock then took the stage to induct the boys from Rockford, Illinois, CHEAP TRICK.  He described the band as “A garage band with punk, soul, a pop heartbeat and Beatles ambitions.”  It was fabulous to see all four original members together, probably for the last time, as drummer Bun E. Carlos has been out of the band for a few years now, with legal battles coming in between him and his childhood friends.

Vocalist Robin Zander, another good friend of The Arcada, entered the stage in a white zoot-suit and big hat, and Tom Petersson did nothing but grin while speaking about his organization benefiting autism.  Guitarist Rick Nielsen, in his own animated fashion, presented Steve MILLER with a guitar shaped like a MILLER BEER logo.  “I’ve been waiting years to give this to you,” He said.

They commenced with the final set of the night, aptly so because their songs “I Want You To Want Me”, “Dream Police” and “Surrender” literally brought down the house.

David Lettermen Show alum Paul Shaffer led the finale, as he does almost annually.  All the inductees, except N.W.A. (never really found out why they didn’t perform at all) came back on stage for the final number. As happy of an occasion the ceremonies were for all in attendance, I thought it was ironic that the finale was Trick’s hit, “Ain’t That A Shame”.  Maybe it was a subtle message regarding the absence of band members that should have been there, founding members who had passed away, and inductees less than enchanted with the honor.

-- Ron Onesti

President / CEO of The Onesti Entertainment Corporation

Read Ron's past columns in The Daily Herald here ...

http://www.dailyherald.com/topics/Ron-Onesti/