Friday, March 2, 2018

The Friday Flash

Sergio Mendes:
Oops!  I did it again!   

>>>A number of tunes were performed in Spanish … but the rhythmic beat was infectious … you couldn’t help but feel yourself move during his set. (kk) 
Yikes! It's Portuguese, not Spanish!  
Kristy


Kent, 
In your review of Sergio Mendes' show, you said he sang a few songs in Spanish.  I always thought, since his group is Brasil '66, that his other language was Portuguese, the language of Brazil, but in all these years, I never verified it.  Could you please verify the other language? 
I read your updates every day ... keep 'em comin'. 
Jon M 
40-year radio DJ in St. Charles
Radio. It's a sound idea!  
Yeah, I blew it … and the funny thing is I went back and forth on this one … and then just decided that Spanish was probably the more “universal language” that a good percentage of his audience would be able to understand.  My bad … shoulda done the research instead of trusting my gut.  (It has since been fixed.)  kk

Hi Kent -
Thanks so much for the review of the  'Sergio Mendez concert". 
What a time it was when Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass and Sergio and Brasil ’66 brought on their special sound of music.   
It brought back memories when WCFL Top 40 sheets featured fans and where they bought their records. I was one who was chosen with my photo on the sheet saying " I buy my records at "The Cermak Plaza Record Shop"!!  And as a prize, I got a copy of Herb Alpert's "Lonely Bull" Album!!!  What a thrill!
Keep up your FANTASTIC Forgotten Hits site ...
Carolyn

Hi Carolyn!
It wasn't the WCFL Survey ... they didn't switch over to Top 40 until late 1965.  It was the Top Tunes of Greater Chicago Chart ... the big, full-sized 8.5 x 11 sheet that was printed in red ink and distributed at record stores all over Chicago and the suburbs.  (In fact, Jim Peterik just mentioned this sheet a few weeks ago!)
And, believe it or not, thanks to our FH Buddy Ron Smith, we found the copy of this survey that has your photo on it!!!  Enjoy!  (kk)



Gee Whiz, is there anything you don't know!! LOL
My maiden name is Fiedler (pronounced feedler) and it was from my senior year in 1963.  Good Grief, where does the time go??!!
I may have a copy but it would take me awhile to try and locate it. I am a pack rat at heart. 
Keep up the Great Work!!
Carolyn

And, of course, the folks on THIS list are gonna want to see the front of that survey sheet, too ... from January of 1963!  (kk)

 
Thanks for sharing your review of the Sergio Mendes concert.
I was out of town. Would have loved to be there. 
Let me know if he’s coming back.
Neal Sabin / Me-TV-FM

kk:
Wonderful piece on Sergio Mendes. As we have discussed over the years, the name of the game is to be in it for 50 years, not 15 minutes. 
In 1966 and '67 I saw Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and one of the early concerts by Brazil '66 at Fairfax High School in West Hollywood at our school's gymnasium. Herb's gig was a benefit for earthquake relief in Mexico. Herb, a Fairfax High alum, had close ties with our 1964 - 1970 principal, James Tunney, who was also an NFL referee and official who worked a slew of Super Bowls.  
As a Child of Hollywood, I still am, my books and writing underscore this ongoing reality, those two concerts steered me further to the discovery of other A&M Records recording artists like Chris Montez, the Sandpipers, Burt Bacharach,  and the Baja Marimba Band with Julius Wechter, the marimba player with the Tijuana Brass.  In the process I became aware of arranger David Angel who in 1967 worked on Love's "Forever Changes" with the influential engineer / producer Bruce Botnick.  These seminal records pointed me to jazz stations like KBCA-FM in Los Angeles.  
I await the long form documentary currently being  produced on Sergio's fascinating career.   
In 2014, I interviewed the legendary engineer / producer Bones Howe for my book "Turn Up The Radio! Rock, Pop, and Roll in Los Angeles 1956 - 1972." Bones offered some stellar comments about AM radio in 1966 and Sergio Mendes and the recording session of "Mas Que Nada" that you and your readers might enjoy. 
BONES HOWE: The radio world in L.A. was the Wild West. Everybody was after everybody else’s ratings. Believe me … It was like a baseball game, and KHJ wanted to crush KRLA. One of the ideas behind KHJ was that the music keeps coming. So, except for the little short commercial breaks, they butted those records one up against the other, and talked over the intros and did promos over intros. Which is why you got to hear an extra song or two per hour, and a lot of good stuff. [Deejay] Real Don Steele’s talk and intros were like pieces unto themselves. I’d tune in just to hear them!
I met Bill Drake, who programmed the RKO chain and consulted on the playlist. He had been a disc jockey and loved being a DJ, but his thing was that he analyzed format. He was the guy who understood that format had a big effect upon the listening audience. He engineered that Boss Radio format, where the music was going all the time and the commercials were snuck in.  You can’t make good rock ’n’ roll records if you don’t listen to the radio, and I listened to the radio all the time when I wasn’t in the studio. The one wonderful experience is when you’ve heard your own record on the radio, and you know what you’ve done and hear what it sounds like. But, of course, by the time I was doing that, I had done records for Lou Adler and others and heard them on the radio. I knew what to do to make a record sound good on the radio. So that was a key.
Let me tell you what my audience is. It’s four girls in a Volkswagen Bug, listening to the music in a six-by-nine oval speaker in their car, going sixty miles an hour on the freeways. That’s what it’s about. Not about great speakers and hi-fi. Your audience was fourteen - to eighteen - year-old girls, mostly. They were the ones who bought the records.  
None of us really knew the how much influence the transistor radio was gonna have. The transistor radio was for the ball games. Studio guys had the thing in their pocket and an earphone; while they were recording, [they] were really listening to the Dodger game. What you had to do was listen to the radio and know what your records were gonna sound like when they got played. That’s how people went and bought them.
This is how loose AM radio was back then. Herb Alpert and I had known each other. He was sort of on the fringe of the jazz world. I got a call from him in 1966, and he wanted to do a session at Western Studio 3. “I’ve signed this Brazilian band, and I’ve got to do a single record with them. I’m going through the Brazil ’66 songs now, and I’ve got to get through this in three hours.”
So we go into the studio, and we do this song called “The Joker” from a Broadway show. Now, we’ve got half an hour and have to do a B-side. Sergio Mendes says, “I’ve got this song that we do that everybody likes. Let’s put it on the B-side.” [It was] “Mas Que Nada.”
I loved that session. The percussion elements — those were real players, not studio players. The difference between them playing “The Joker” and then, when they got cut loose, “Mas Que Nada” ... it was completely different, and just wonderful. It had so much energy. It carried the other side.  
Jerry [Moss] was a terrific promotion man. He took the “The Joker” record out and played it to a DJ, who said to him, “What’s on the other side?” He spun it. “We’ll put that on the radio.” Can you imagine?  The wonderful thing, later, about FM was that it was much truer to the studio mix than it was on KHJ, coming out of little car radios and all the rest of that. Because it was very squelched, very limited on AM." 
- Harvey Kubernik


FH Reader Tom Cuddy reports the passing of Bill Burkette, the original lead singer of The Vogues ... 

Kent: 
The lead singer of one of my favorite vocal groups of all-time died today (Thursday).  Bill Burkette, the original lead singer of the Vogues, had been fighting cancer.  The band never received the industry recognition they deserved for the many hits they delivered. 
I’m so happy in recent years PBS-TV featured Bill and the Vogues on one of their music specials, so a lot of fans got to see them  for the first time in years and the harmonies were still right on the money.  Their TV version on PBS of “Turn Around Look At Me” was note for note as good as the original late 60s version. 
Here an article for Bill’s hometown newspaper.
- Tom Cuddy
THE PBS performance was nothing short of stunning. 
If you’ve never seen it, check out this clip … I agree that this performance is every bit as great as the original recording!  (kk)
 


The Vogues' Hit List is pretty impressive, too ... after a couple of early pop hits, they kind of reinvented themselves as a soft-rock vocal powerhouse in the late '60's ... 
 
Here are their Top Ten Hits:
# 1 - FIVE O'CLOCK WORLD  (#3, 1966)
# 2 - YOU'RE THE ONE  (#4, 1965)
# 3 - TURN AROUND, LOOK AT ME  (#4, 1968)
# 4 - MY SPECIAL ANGEL  (#6, 1968)
# 5 - TILL  (#14, 1968)
# 6 - MAGIC TOWN  (#16, 1966)
# 7 - EARTH ANGEL  (#24, 1969)
# 8 - WOMAN HELPING MAN  (#27, 1969)
# 9 - NO, NOT MUCH  (#29, 1969)
#10 - THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY  (#29, 1966)
 

Our FH Buddy Barry Winslow of The Royal Guardsmen might be happy to hear about THIS event!  (Hey Barry ... let me know if this is enough to get you to make the trip to Chicago … would LOVE to finally be able to say hello in person!)

Check out all these Snoopy-related goings on at The Elmhurst History Museum over the next couple of months!!!

Watch for Snoopy in the Parade: 
Snoopy and friends will be marching in the Elmhurst St. Pat's Parade on March 10. Keep an eye out for his special dog house, hand-crafted by Elmhurst Heritage Foundation board member Mike LoCicero. See you on March 10!  
Snoopy and the Red Baron opens March 23
The World War I Flying Ace lands in Elmhurst for the first stop of this brand new exhibit from the Charles Schulz Museum in CA. The exhibit features Schulz's comic strip artwork, WWI artifacts, film, models and toys, and lots more. During the exhibit's run, we'll be collecting monetary donations to support Creative Sonoma, an arts program for children that is assisting victims in the aftermath of the Sonoma area wildfires.  More info 
Snoopypalooza offers Spring Break Fun for Families:
To kick off our Snoopy and the Red Baron exhibit, EHM is hosting Snoopypalooza from March 24 - 31 with many FREE and affordable activities for families. Kids will love the Snoopy Scavenger Hunt, Drop In and Draw Snoopy, Science of Flight STEM Party at the Library, and cool Snoopy Craft Time when participants will make aviator goggles and red scarves. Preschoolers are invited for a Snoopy Storytime & Dance Party on March 28 designed for toddlers and their caregivers. More info
April 7: The Peanuts Movie at York Theatre, 9:30AM 
We're excited to partner with Elmhurst City Centre and York Theatre to bring the 2015 Peanuts Movie to the big screen for a FREE showing. Snoopy will be on hand after the movie in City Centre Plaza for photo ops and other fun activities. 
Register Now for April Programs:
April 14: Family Cartooning Workshop, 2 PM –
Professional cartoonist Mark Anderson will be in the Ed Center for a hands-on on experience showing the basics of drawing and writing cartoons. For kids ages 6+ with an accompany adult. $10 per participant. Register online on Eventbrite  
April 22: The Real Red Baron: Manfred von Richthofen & the WWI Aviators, 2 PM –
This program is a must for adults interested in WWI history. Noted historian, author and professor Peter Fritzche from U of I at Champaign-Urbana presents a fascinating lecture on the notorious Red Baron and other flying aces from the Great War. Members FREE, $5 Non-Members. Register online on Eventbrite


Kent,
I was kind of waiting to see what kind of response you were going to get on this, but so far it seems very little. Actually at one point I had half a page devoted to my #1 over rated act, but I deleted it. Didn't feel like going into an extended rant. Besides I'm gonna catch enough grief for this list, so here goes.
#10 Garth Brooks -  I'm not sure if he should be idolized for putting a rock and roll mentality into country, or be lionized for it. To quote Mr. Kotal, I don't see it.
#9 ZZ Top - Almost 50 years of playing the same exact melody.
#8 Eric Clapton - Eric is about as much of a blues performer as I am.
#7 Journey - They were nothing before Steve Perry, nothing afterwards. A decent enough chart performance history, but you'd think based on airplay, that they were a massive hit making machine. They really weren't.
#6 Lynyrd Skynyrd - It's amazing what death by Rock And Roll can do for your career.
#5 Billy Joel - Had HE died in a plane crash, after Piano Man, he'd be a legend.
#4 Led Zeppelin - A band that never heard a blues song they didn't rip off. See #8 above.
#3 Pink Floyd - Still another band you would have thought was a hit making machine. They were interesting while Syd was in the group.
#2 Chicago - If I wanted to hear jazz, I'll listen to the real thing, not the watered down stuff these guys put out. Moreover, they haven't recorded anything interesting in over 40 years. Should have called it quits after Terry Kath died.
#1 The Beatles - Payola is a beautiful thing. However, it's possible without them, we might have not have heard of bands who did provide us with some interesting music.
Let the slamming begin!
Jack Levin

kk …
Remembering Frankie Lymon.
Frank B
Rock and Roll’s not always pretty … and here’s a perfect (and pretty powerful) example.
While the critics seemed to hate it, I quite enjoyed his biopic “Why Do Fools Fall In Love,” shown frequently on cable these days.  There’s a lot of fun to be had during those the two hour presentation (along with the harsh reality of what happened to Frankie along the way.)
The fight between all of his “wives” over the royalty money that would be coming in after Diana Ross cut a cover of his biggest hit is entertaining as hell. 
Watch it for pure entertainment enjoyment … and I think you’ll walk away satisfied.  (kk)

Frank B also send us this EXCELLENT clip recounting the history of the most-played record in the history of the rock era ... you GOTTA watch this one ... https://www.professorofrock.com/portfolio/youve-lost-that-lovin-feelin-the-righteous-brothers/

And here’s a vintage story about another one of our ‘50’s and early ‘60’s favorites …
kk …
Bobby Darin = LIFESAVER
FB

The City Winery has added E Street Band Drummer Max Weinberg to its lineup on April 18th.  Also coming (June 6th and June 7th) is Brian McKnight … and, celebrating their 50th Anniversary Tour, you can check out Tower Of Power for two nights on August 8th and 9th.  (kk)

We can’t wait to see these shows at The Arcada Theatre:
Burton Cummings: Up Close and Personal – March 23rd
NOTE:  A second show has just been added for March 24th!
Bobby Rydell and Lou Christie – April 15th
The Cornerstones of Rock – April 29th (featuring The Buckinghams, The Ides Of March, The New Colony Six, The Cryan’ Shames and The Shadows Of Knight)
Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night) and The Box Tops – May 4th
July 15th – The Arcada Doo-Wop Show featuring Jay Siegel’s Tokens, Larry Chance and the Earls, Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon and Ladd Vance, son of Kenny Vance

And, speaking of Kenny Vance ...

I'm not quite sure how doo-wop purists are going to feel about this one but PBS is airing another one of their infamous TJ Lubinsky / "My Music" pledge-drive concerts tomorrow night.
The concept is simple enough ... vintage doo wop acts performing with modern day artists to help more of this great music to cross over to a new generation.

Some of the show highlights include:
  • "Runaround Sue" – The Virginia Gentlemen with The Del-Satins
  • "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" – The Alley Cats with Jay Siegel's Tokens
  • "Book of Love" – The Tee-Tones
  • "Tonight, Tonight" – The Redondos
  • "You Belong To Me" – The Duprees with Chris Ruggiero
  • "Who's That Knockin'" – The Whiptones
  • "Sh-Boom" – Street Corner Renaissance
  • "1000 Thousand Miles Away" – Street Corner Renaissance with The Heartbearts
  • "The Angels Listened In" – JT Carter's Group with Peter Lemongello, Jr.
  • "The Worst That Could Happen" – JT Morgan and Brooklyn Bridge
  • "Dedicated To The One I Love" – The Lovettes
  • "This Magic Moment"– Justin & James, Charlie Thomas' Drifters, Jay & The Americans
  • "Those Magic Changes" – Johnny Contardo
  • "Oh, Rose Marie" – Freddy Velas & The Silvertones
  • "Come & Go With Me" – The Kingpins
  • "Born Too Late" – The Whatabouts
  • "Lollipop" – Shy Of A Dozen
  • "The Diary" – Kid Kyle
  • "My Prayer" – Frank Pizarro
  • "In The Still Of The Night" – Fred Parris & The Five Satins
  • "Stand By Me" – The Cat's Pajamas
  • "Since I Don't Have You" – The Modern Gentlemen and The Skyliners
  • "Angel Baby" – Gwynne Alden
  • "Looking For An Echo" – Kenny Vance & The Planotones with Entire Cast

Check your local listings for PBS airings in your area.

Thanks for the mention on the new Flock release. Maybe now I can once-again be semi-famous.
Fred Glickstein
Anything we can do to help!  (kk)

kk …
Have you heard about this death. ?
FB

No, I had not … but here’s the way Ron Smith covered it on his OldiesMusic.com website …
Barbara Alston, founder and lead singer of the Crystals on the hits "Uptown" (#12 - 1962) and "There's No Other (Like My Baby)" (#20 - 1962), died February 16 after suffering complications from influenza at a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was 74. The Brooklyn quartet were an integral part of producer Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" -- though not integral enough to keep him from using Darlene Love and the Blossoms on subsequent "Crystals" records, "He's A Rebel" and "He's Sure The Boy I Love". La La Brooks then replaced Barbara as lead on later hits. After leaving the Crystals, Barbara became an actress, appearing on television in "Kojak" and "Hill Street Blues".

>>>Hidden gems and glorious memories!  I am not sure how many of your readers experienced one of New England's greatest Bar Bands and Happy Hour performers on Cape Cod (Summers) and up in Vermont (Winters) from the late 60's to the early 90's.  THE FABULOUS FARQUAHR,  but I sure did!  So what a smile came over my being when I noticed the 40th and last song on the WPGC Survey from Feb 23, 1968 was 'Sister Theresa's Orphanage.'  You continue to amaze with your dedication to the sounds of our lives.  Thank you  (CharlieOFD)
>>>If there's any way you can send me an MP3 of that song tonight, I should be able to feature it in tomorrow's Comments Page ... otherwise, I’ll run it in a follow-up feature.  (kk)
Hooray, I found it!  Sister Theresa's Orphanage was early on, kinda during the Folksie era, on Verve. A better example of their Happy Hour songs are Cloud Nine Motel and My Eggs Don't Taste The Same Without You.  One of two songs I sent you was loved by me but maybe you really had to experience it. If you google Kings of Cape Cod or Fabulous Farquahr, some joyous stuff comes up.  Thousands of New England college kids enjoyed them late 1960's right up until the late 1990's. 
Dan McCarthy is the producer of a documentary called "Kings of Cape Cod," the story of the phenomenon that was the "scene" on Cape Cod from the 60's through the 90's. The coming together of college kids released from the ties of parental control, combined with relatively cheap beer, the magnificence of Cape Cod's beaches and their coming of age partying to the tunes of the Guitar Players at Happy Hours will never be replicated.
Cheers,
CharlieOFD




 


We recently set British DeeJay Geoff Dorsett up with an interview with Andrew Solt, the keeper of ALL of The Ed Sullivan Shows.  (We interviewed Andrew a few years back when the new Rolling Stones series was being released on home video.)
Geoff sent us this sound clip to share with our readers …

And you can read our piece here: 

And, if you haven’t already seen it, here’s a look at The Ed Sullivan Show (a staple for nearly all Americans on Sunday Nights) from BOTH sides of the screen …  
http://forgottenhits.com/forgotten_hits_remembers_the_ed_sullivan_show__from_both_sides_of_the_screen

You’ll find us in Oklahoma for this week’s Saturday Survey … be sure to stop back tomorrow and check it out!  (kk)
Kent,
At the end of today's FH, you mentioned you were going to be spotlighting surveys of Oklahoma this week.
Clark probably has sent you this one already, but I thought I'd send it to you as well and to highlight the songs that came in at positions
#5,13,15,19, 27, 29, 31, 32, 38 (who remembers this one?), 41, and the PIC HIT. These are records in my opinion that probably didn't make most of the other surveys out at the time.
Larry



Well, we have actually featured a couple of these tunes along the way … but you’re right, not many mass-appeal titles at those positions (although I always did like The Turtles’ “Sound Asleep.”) 
You’ll find a totally different chart featured here tomorrow for this week in 1968 … so please check back!  (kk)  

And, finally, Happy Anniversary to Scott Shannon, who celebrates his FOURTH Anniversary today of coming over to WCBS-FM!  (Man, it’s hard to believe it’s been four years already!)


One more tidbit from Frank B on the subject …

kk:
March 2, 2018 --- Scott Shannon's 4th Anniversary at WCBS - FM. 
Scott said he knew about Alan Freed and New York Radio … had no idea how he would make it from Indiana to New York. 
He must've figured it out, cause he's here.
Frank B
Well, he’s made a few more stops along the way between here and there … but hats off to a broadcast legend.  Happy Anniversary, Good Buddy!  (kk)
 

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

SERGIO MENDES




Sergio Mendes put on a couple of very upbeat, high-energy shows at The City Winery last Sunday Night, February 25th.  (We caught the earlier show at 5:00 ... and both shows were complete sell outs.)  The show started a little bit late (around 5:15) and lasted exactly an hour before he came back out for three encores.  Still, we were out the door and picking up our car by 6:30.

What may have been lacking in the overall length of his performance he more than made up for with a non-stop barrage of music, all brilliantly executed by his six piece band.  (Mendes played keyboards the entire night as well and was joined on stage by two female vocalists (one of whom is now his wife, Gracinha Leporace), recreating his trademark sound that made the group so popular in the mid-to-late '60's.

Mendes introduced many of us to the sounds of Brazil for the very first time back then with a string of hits released on Herb Alpert’s A&M Records label.  His unique arrangements of currently popular songs into a Bossa Nova backbeat rewarded him (and Brasil ’66) with three straight Top 20 Hits in 1968 alone:  “The Look Of Love” (#4), “The Fool On The Hill” (#6 - Paul McCartney once told him that this was his favorite arrangement of his song) and “Scarborough Fair” (#14).  (Although “Scarborough Fair” was noticeably missing from the set list Sunday Night, his current outfit performed an excellent version of “Goin’ Out Of My Head.”)

Sergio told of an earlier trip to Chicago back in 1965 where he was performing at a small club and then, while doing a bit of sight-seeing, he happened to stop by another club and encountered there a beautiful singer with a beautiful voice.  He instantly recognized how much that voice could add to his sound.  That young singer’s name was Lani Hall and her voice, along with that of Janis Henson during the hit years, would go on to create the unique blend that defined the signature sound of Brasil ’66 in the ‘60’s. (Hall, of course, would go on to marry Herb Alpert several years later.  We saw Lani and Herb at The City Winery last year.)

Because it was the female voices, when coupled with the smooth, Latin rhythms that became the driving force of their sound, I was a bit surprised by how much Sergio sang during Sunday’s performance … and it really helped to enhance the overall sound.  (A number of tunes were performed in Portuguese … but the rhythmic beat was infectious … you couldn’t help but feel yourself move during his set.  In fact, at one point the band went into a lengthy, jazz-inspired jam and we saw several of the waitresses come back out from the kitchen just to watch the band as things began to heat up on stage.)  He also featured rapper H2O, who kicked things up another notch with his exciting performance.  (Ironically, Sergio mentioned on stage that this is the best band he has ever played with ... yet I can't find their names listed ANYWHERE and I've been searching for two days!!!  You'd think he'd at least give them credit on his website or Facebook page.  This just seems to be way too common place these days where the artists who help you achieve your incredible sound live in concert are not properly credited in the places fans are most likely to look.)  During a quick round of introductions to close the set (I guess I have to learn to tape record these things!!!) it was interesting to note that a few of the players are from Brazil ... and one is from right here in Chicago!

That being said, his musical director was also quite impressive, playing keyboards, flute and sax and also helping out on lead vocals on a few of the tunes featured.

After the first round of hits stopped in the late '60's, Mendes revived the band as Brasil ’77 for a portion of the ‘70’s … (and again very briefly in the ‘80’s as Brasil ’88!) and then came back with a couple of big hits under his own name (“Never Gonna Let You Go,” #4, 1983 and “Alibis” ... one of my favorites and also not performed that night, #29, 1984, both featuring vocals by Joe Pizzulo, accompanied by Leza Miller on the former.

After fielding off a couple of requests for this tune earlier in the show, the band featured their 1966 favorite “Mas Que Nada” as their first encore.  (Surprisingly this record only reached #47 at the time but is perhaps the song they are most identified with today.)  The verses were reworked into a rap which surprisingly worked very well … and the entire audience at The City Winery were up on their feet for this one, a scene we’ve never experienced before at this venue where things seem to always be a bit more mellow and laid back.  (Management was beaming during Sergio’s set … I can assure you they’ll be back!)

They’ll be heading Down Under in April before returning to The States for shows on both the west and east coasts in June and July … here’s their current itinerary should you want to check them out.  (Well worth it!)

Prior to taking the stage, The City Winery Management Team announced that per Sergio Mendes’ request, there would be no photography or video taping allowed during his performance.  They then even went so far as to post signs all over the theater during the first few songs to this effect … and we saw several audience members confronted and told to put their phones away during the show.  (Two professional photographers were also told to pack up their gear!)

Nevertheless, Frannie was still able to sneak a couple of shots … and I’m hoping that she’ll share her review of the concert shortly after she gets out of prison for doing so.  (Just kidding … here they are) …



It was a very enjoyable experience - and highly reccommended.

*****

Also present at the show were long-time Forgotten Hits Reader Kristy White (not one of the original 35 but pretty darn close!) and her son Mitch, who even sprung for backstage passes to Sergio’s “Meet And Greet.”

Here is her accounting of that night’s event, along with a photo of the two of them with Sergio Mendes …

Kent,  
Do you remember the many rants you posted about the sorry state of radio over the last 20 years? While I have not only always agreed with you, I often quote your statistics. Because of that, I started to seek out other music many years ago.

My first discovery was Sergio Mendes, because I remember my parents having one or two of his records. Since then, I've grown to almost exclusively listening to "world music," with a particular love of all things Brazilian. So his show Sunday night was something I looked forward to as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. (Remembering the once in a lifetime opportunity I missed several years ago when Joåo Gilberto canceled his show in Chicago.)

Along the way, I'd turned my musician son Mitch on to Brazilian music, and he also took to it like a fish to water. This show was his Christmas / Birthday gift. He won't be writing a review for you … he has to write a paper on this for the class he missed to go to this show, haha!

Anyway ... first impressions of the show … I was happy to see a full band. I was worried that it would just be him doing songs no one wants to hear. I hate to be cynical, but you never know what you're getting with older artists. We were thrilled when he announced we would be treated to a lot of Brasil ‘66 songs. His wife Gracinha was in very fine voice. The band was phenomenal. The conga guy from "Skookie" IL was my favorite. He killed it. Sergio told us after the show, about three times, that this was the best band he's ever had. He was very adamant about that.

How did I never know that "Never Gonna Let You Go" was a Sergio Mendes song??

 

I'm embarrassed to admit that, but I absolutely loved the performance of it Sunday night. “The Look of Love,” “Mas Que Nada,” and bits of other well knowns, in a medley, were all very thrilling and well done. I was commenting that I really dig H2O's rap send up of his classic songs. I wasn't real crazy about it when the Black Eyed Peas did it, but I enjoyed it last night. I liked that it wasn't over the top, it was very well incorporated. The show overall hit all the right notes, figuratively speaking. It was a perfect mixture of older / not so old songs, highlighting the performers' talents, and getting the crowd up on their feet with a couple encores. We were totally thrilled … plus, sitting eight feet away from him didn't hurt the experience at all!


After the show we had passes for the meet and greet. We were the last in line, so I didn't feel self-conscious as I blubbered to him about what a thrill it was to meet him. Sure, I would also blubber if I ever got to meet Micky Dolenz or Dave Matthews ... but world music is the most important thing in my musical life, so this was different. 


I watched him as he spoke to all the other people ... he was genuine, gracious, not at ALL impatient or trying to hurry anyone along. He listened, he spoke, he touched arms, he took photos, and he smiled, as he does, with his whole soul. It made me smile just watching him. Of course, I introduced my musical prodigy son and mentioned that he's a musician and in college on a full music scholarship. Sergio was very happy to hear this and asked Mitch a few questions and encouraged him to stick with it. He mentioned that his own 24 year old son doesn't want to be a musician, so he was appropriately grandfatherly about his encouragement. He signed my wristband because it's all I had. He tried to find something else to sign for me, but there was nothing around, so he signed it. 


He was incredibly sweet and humble. I told him meeting him was the biggest thrill of my life, and he was actually pretty humble about that. Here's the photo of me beaming ... I should have let him be in the middle, but I was starting to not make sense at this point.





If I had the once in a lifetime chance again, I'd see this show again, exactly as was.
Kristy

Monday, February 26, 2018


The Mike and Micky Show:
I'm not only gonna listen to the band, I'll see them, too. Got my tix.
Jack
It sounds like several FH Readers snatched up tickets the day they went on sale.  I’m thinking that this is going to be a very interesting, one-of-a-kind show … looking forward to it!  (kk)

Jim Peterik:
Got this from FH Reader Tom Cuddy in New York … talkin’ about our Local Hero, Jim Peterik, recently spotlighted in The Chicago Tribune …

Jim Peterik puts a fresh spin on his hits …

We reviewed Jim Peterik’s “The Songs” album when it first came out … I was less than enthusiastic about some of the tracks, all reworkings of Jim’s best known songs … but then Jim insisted I come out and see the show live … and he totally won me over. 
(I believe shortly after that we were the first to showcase his “Caught Up In You” video.)

If you live in the Valparaiso area, you will enjoy this show.  (Ticket information can be found in the article attached to the link above.)  Peterik never puts on anything less than a top-notch performance and even in this stripped-down, acoustic songs-and-stories setting, the power of the music still comes shining through.  Highly recommended.  (kk)

Have you been hearing any of this Quincy Jones spouting off lately?  Called The Beatles sub-par musicians … accused Michael Jackson of stealing several songs from other artists … chastised Taylor Swift for writing hooks instead of songs … and claims that at the age of 72 he dated Donald Trump’s 24 year old daughter Ivanka.  Quincy has since apologized (after an intervention staged by his daughters) for his “vomitofthemouth” comments.  Yikes!  (kk) 

Upcoming Events and Releases:
Classic Rock Legends Wishbone Ash
Hit the Open Road on Spring US Tour
Wishbone Ash, one of the most influential guitar bands in the history of rock, will be coming to the States in April, 2018, on the Open Road Tour. True to its name, the tour will see the band clocking some serious miles as they return to America's Southern swath, from North Carolina and Florida to California. Longtime fans and new converts alike will revel in the group’s signature twin-guitar mastery and powerhouse rhythm section as they present classics spanning their career.
Formed in 1969, Wishbone Ash is gearing up for its 50th anniversary on the heels of a limited-edition deluxe 30-disc box set, “Wishbone Ash: The Vintage Years,” available April, 2018, through Madfish Records while supplies last.
True road warriors, each year these British rock legends log around 30,000 miles, roughly equivalent to circumnavigating the earth. “We are breaking with our usual U.S. tour schedule and hitting the road early in 2018 to take in some cities that we haven’t been to for quite some time,” says founding member Andy Powell (guitar / lead vocals). “The tour will be heavy on Southern dates like North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and then into Texas, Arizona and, finally, California.”
In the fall, the band will return to North America for some Canadian shows. “Everyone is rested and fighting fit, and looking forward to introducing new audiences to wunderkind Mark Abrahams on guitar, while hopefully surprising folks with some tunes from the vaults,” Powell says. 
Abrahams, who replaced 12-year veteran Muddy Manninen last summer, will be trading licks with Powell; he’s already been earning rave reviews from fans on both sides of the Atlantic. Longtime rhythm section Bob Skeat on bass and Joe Crabtree on drums continue to provide the solid groove that is their hallmark.
Through the years the band has delved into various musical genres, from folk, blues and jazz to pedal-to-the-metal rock and electronica. Whatever the style, Wishbone Ash’s hallmark is the distinctive twin-melodic lead guitar interplay that has influenced such bands as Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden and, more recently, Opeth.
“The band basically lives together year-round on the road, so we have a very strong level of communication that translates in our performances and recordings,” says Powell. “We’ve come to an era where the industry has to pigeonhole a band as Classic Rock, Prog Rock, Heritage Rock and so on. The truth is that we have always kept our options open and always relied on the musicianship of the players to lead the way. It’s fun to be stylistically diverse and this has, in its way, contributed to our longevity.”
Wishbone Ash has to its credit 24 original studio recordings, 11 live albums and five live DVDs along with a DVD rockumentary (“This is Wishbone Ash”). Released April 2018, “The Vintage Years” 30-disc box set, three-and-a-half years in the making, is a special collection dedicated to the band's output from 1970 to 1991, including all 16 studio albums, three live albums, eight previously unreleased live shows from 1973 to 1980, a 156-page coffee-table hardcover book and an assortment of memorabilia. Also now available are the first official re-releases in decades of “Twin Barrels Burning” from 1982 and “Raw to the Bone” from 1985, plus definitive editions with all new 2017 remasters.
In 2015, Powell released his musical memoir, “Eyes Wide Open: True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior,” co-written with renowned Irish music journalist Colin Harper and now available in Kindle and Apple iBook formats. “It’s quite an undertaking to put 46 years of being a touring musician in this one band into book form,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot of changes in the music business and the world in general, as you can imagine.”
There is no other rock band in history that has done more with the twin guitar concept than The Ash. Be sure to catch them on the Open Road US Tour in April 2018. Tour dates and more information can be found at
www.wishboneash.com.

Wishbone Ash US Tour Dates
April, 2018:
03 - Harvester Performance Center - Rocky Mount, VA
04 - Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC
06 - City Winery Atlanta - Atlanta, GA
07 - Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts - Melbourne, FL
08 - Skippers Smokehouse - Tampa, FL
11 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
13 - Keys Lounge - Fort Worth, TX
14 - Sam's Burger Joint - San Antonio, TX
15 - One World Theatre - Austin, TX
18 - Rhythm Room - Phoenix, AZ
19 - Railhead, Boulder Station Hotel Casino - Las Vegas, NV
20 - Canyon Club - Agoura Hills, CA
21 - The Rose - Pasadena, CA
22 - The Coach House - San Juan Capistrano, CA
25 - Yoshi's Jazz Club - Oakland, CA
26 - The Fox - Redwood City, CA
For more information:
www.wishboneash.com

And, talking about vintage hard rock band making a comeback, we jut got this email from Fred Glickstein, formerly of The Flock …

NEW DOUBLE CD FROM USA/CHICAGO 60s - 70s CLASSIC MUSIC GROUP - THE FLOCK!!! ~ RECENTLY RELEASED
Flock performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 1969 and has many, many fans in the UK.  
Flock also toured all over the UK and Europe and the U.S. 1969 – 1975, performing at the Bath Festival, UK, Olympia Theater - Paris, FR, and at the Seattle, L.A. and Denver Pop Festivals, sharing the stages with Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and many more!  
Truth - the Columbia Recordings 1969-1970

We heard from June Millington of Fanny last week – she tells us that she and her sister Jean (collectively one half of the original band) have a new project in the works …

Hi Kent –
Haven’t heard from you for a while, but, there's a new cd coming out from the new-ish band Fanny Walked the Earth (that I'm in, both me and sis Jean are half of Fanny) that you might wanna look out for ...
All best!
June
Very cool … I still love playing “Charity Ball” … what a great track!  Keep us posted … especially if you’ve got any live shows coming up.  Thanks, June!  (kk)


Lovin’ The Saturday Surveys:
Just looking at the WKMI surveys you posted …
"Telephone Man" was #1 on that station?  Holy moly!
"Brooklyn" by Cody Jameson ... later revealed to be "Days Of Our Lives"
actress Gloria Loring, years before her smash #1 duet with Carl
Anderson. Produced by Mike Post.
And Narada Michael Walden ... years before his Grammy® win as Producer of the Year ... largely for two one-named albums, "Aretha" (Franklin) and "Whitney" (Houston).
BOB FRABLE


>>>You'll also find Madeline Bell's original version of "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" premiering at #34.  (kk)
Actually, the first version of that song was by Dee Dee Warwick in late 1966, more than a year before the Madeline Bell version was released.
    – Randy Price
I stand corrected.  Dee Dee Warwick’s version premiered in late November of 1966 and climbed to #77 in Record World, 11 places higher than it did in Billboard.  (Of course now I gotta hear it!!! (kk)

(A good song is a good song … and as much as I loved the Madeline Bell version when it came out in ’68, I’ve gotta go with The Supremes and The Temptations on this one … they really classed it up!)  kk

>>>Thank you for featuring the Portraits song Runaround Girl.  That should have been a hit.  A Four Seasons / Happenings sound with a Davie Allan guitar could have been a winner.  (Phil Nee – WRCO)
I just saw I appreciate Phil's comment about “Runaround Girl.”  I probably mentioned sometime in the distant past that I guested on his Saturday night show one night back in in 12/94 when my first book had just come out (and I toured the state promoting it.) 
However, I'll have to correct Phil about the guitar.
That's our guy, John Beilfuss (as John Rondell back then), on guitar and he also wrote the song.
The Portraits did add vocals to two film songs that had tracks cut by studio players, which included Davie Allan, but we played all the tracks on our two 45s.
Gary E. Myers / MusicGem
So now I’ve gotta see if Davie remembers any of that!!!  (His computer has been for major repair so it may take him awhile to get back to us … but I’ll still ask!)  kk

Hi Kent,
It was "Devil's Angels."
(Looking at Phil Nee’s original note, apparently Davie appeared on a couple of other Portrait tracks along the way, too – kk)
I told many people about this, but not sure if I included you …
After three nightmares in a row ("download only" albums and giving featuring credit to uncaring female vocalists on the last two), I am going back to instros. I've started working on a "fuzz extravaganza". Hope to be finished in the summer.
Thanks!
Davie

From our Saturday Surveys Calendar:
>>>2/18/68:  David Gilmour replaces Syd Barrett in Pink Floyd after Barrett, who founded the band, was fired for erratic behavior and out of control drug use.  (kk)
Since you were asking about most overrated artists recently, the above was the beginning of (apologies to FH friend Stu Shea) one of MY top most overrated bands ever.  It's not that I dislike Pink Floyd (I like several of their songs), I just feel they are way overrated.  Much of their material is just plain boring.  You hear about eight songs on the radio and much of their other material is just plain boring, post-Syd. 
I'll throw the Grateful Dead in there, too.  With them, you either get them or don't … and I don't.  With the great following both bands still have, I am obviously in the minority and that's fine with me.  Try listening to their album, "Animals," which Amazon gives a 4.5 star rating.  OMG!
WLSClark

Hidden gems and glorious memories!
I am not sure how many of your readers experienced one of New England's greatest Bar Bands and Happy Hour performers on Cape Cod (Summers) and up in Vermont (Winters) from the late 60's to the early 90's ... THE FABULOUS FARQUAHR … but I sure did!
So what a smile came over my being when I noticed the 40th and last song on the WPGC Survey from Feb 23, 1968, 'Sister Theresa's Orphanage,' made the list, and, of course, as often happens they got Farquahr misspelled … but they were an amazing group with an under-appreciated song writer named Doug Lapham, who had a couple of songs for Ral Donner and a great Dr Demento, offering 'Cloud Nine Motel'.
You continue to amaze with your dedication to the sounds of our lives.
Thank you,
CharlieOFD
P.S. I have that song.
Then send it along and we’ll feature in our next post!  Thanks, Charlie!  (kk)

Hey Kent -
My goodness!  WPGC-AM and FM, Morningside!
There were several Top 40 stations in the Washington area back in the day. None of them had a really great signal, though, and FM just wasn’t geared for rock music at the time.
DC never had that blowtorch AM Top 40 outlet the way Chicago, NYC, LA or virtually any other major city had. ‘PGC was pretty doggone decent, though.
That survey took me back to a really good place!
- Larry Cave
That’s kinda what we’re hoping as we post these charts every Saturday …  We’ve got readers from all over the country who grew up listening to their favorite Top 40 stations back in the day … and as we move from city to city and state to state, our hope is that we’ll rekindle some kind of a “feel good” vibe with each and every stop.  (Looks like we hit home with on this one!)  Mission accomplished!  (kk)

Looks like this week we'll be in Oklahoma for our Saturday Survey Fifty Year Flashbacks!  Speaking of which ...

Here's another one of the greats ...
From this date in '68!  (kk)

[Good luck getting THIS one out of your head today!!!]