THE SUNDAY COMMENTS ( 02 - 20 - 22 )

Loggins and Messina are reuniting for two shows only (at The Hollywood Bowl) on July 15^th and 16^th.  Billed as “Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin’ In, 2022, the duo will perform their entire first album together from just over fifty years ago.  (In fact, this is the pair’s first performance together in Los Angeles in nearly fifty years as well!)

Although no long-range plans are currently being entertained to continue the reunion or add shows (both artists both have bookings as solo acts beyond this point), one can never underestimate the success of such an event.

The fact that they got together as a duo at all was just a lucky happenstance.  Messina was brought in to produce a then-unknown Kenny Loggins’ first album, who was signed as a solo artist to Columbia Records.  The pair found that they worked so well together that they would just form a duo on the spot and released the album as “Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin’ In.”  It sparked a string of six studio albums together, three live sets and four compilation releases.

Loggins would go on to have a remarkable solo career after the two split in the late ‘70’s.  Kenny became “King of the Movie Themes,” scoring hits with “I Believe In Love” from “A Star Is Born,” “I’m Alright” from “Caddyshack,” “Footloose” from … well, you can figure THAT one out for yourselves, (his hit “I’m Free” also came from the “Footloose” soundtrack), “Danger Zone” from “Top Gun,” “Meet Me Halfway” from “Over The Top,” “Nobody’s Fool” from “Caddyshack II” and “For The First Time” from “One Fine Day.”

Together, Loggins and Messina hit The National Top 40 three times:  “Your Mama Don’t Dance” (#4, 1972), “Thinking Of You” (#11, 1973) and “My Music” (#13, 1973) … and just missed with “Watching The River Run” (#41, 1974)

I have seen both artists perform as solo acts and it has always been a good show … but the chance to see them for the first time performing TOGETHER would be the ultimate experience all these years later.  Let’s hope they continue to consider the possibilities.  (kk)

 

This item JUST missed the deadline for Thursday’s This And That column …

 

Sad times are back …

We lost Sandy Nelson on Monday, the 14th, and P.J. O'Rourke (SNL) yesterday, the 15th.   ;-)
Mike Wolstein

For an EXCELLENT profile of Sandy Nelson, I suggest reading “Hollywood Eden” by Joel Selvin … and outstanding book by any standards.

Nelson had three quick Top 40 Hits between 1959 and 1962.  (“Teen Beat,” #3, 1959; “Let There Be Drums,” #7, 1961; “Drums Are My Beat,” #29, 1962)  Then, in 1963, he lost part of his leg in a motorcycle accident ... but even THAT didn't stop him!  Session work helped to fill out his time … and then, in 1964, he recorded a new version of his first hit (now titled “Teen Beat ‘65”) and hit The Top 40 again, peaking at #37.

Nelson was part of what became known as the “Hollywood High” crowd in the late ‘50’s, hanging out with Jan and Dean, Phil Spector, Bruce Johnston, Nancy Sinatra and others.

He died on Monday, February 14^th, after a long illness.  (kk)

 

I also just got word that Mike Rabon of The Five Americans passed away on February 11^th.  Mike talked with Forgotten Hits quite a bit when his book “High Strung” first came out in 2012.  (It really IS a fascinating look at how this small band from Texas took off virtually overnight to become one of the top selling acts on the charts in 1966 and 1967.)

Unfortunately, it, too, is now long out of print … but if you can find a copy, it is quite an enjoyable read.

The Five Americans scored four quick Top 40 Hits between January, 1966, and August of 1967:  “I See The Light” (#26), “Western Union” (#5), “Sound Of Love” (#24) and “Zip Code” (#36).  A fifth hit, “Evol, Not Love” only went to #51 nationally but was a big hit here in Chicago (#7) in the Spring of ’66.  (kk)

 

‘60’s FLASHBACK:

I talked to Mike when The Five Americans were voted in as one of Forgotten Hits Readers’ All-Time Favorite Garage Bands.  (That short conversation can be found below.)

Prior to that, however, we talked after we ran a lengthy review of his biography.  (This, too, is presented again in ‘60’s FLASHBACK fashion)

#17 - THE FIVE AMERICANS

One of my favorite groups from the mid-'60's, The Five Americans could seem to do no wrong for a while there, scoring five straight hits in 1966 and 1967. 

"I See The Light" (#26, 1966), "Evol - Not Love" (#51, 1966); "Western Union" (their biggest ... and a #5 hit in 1967); "Sound Of Love" (#24, 1967) and "Zip Code" (#36, 1967) kept these guys (yet ANOTHER garage band from Texas) on the charts and on our radios. Any one of these tunes would sound GREAT coming out of our radios again in 2012, too ... maybe this special countdown will inspire a couple of jocks on the list to step outside the box and play a couple of these for a change.  (Your audience will love ya for it!!!)

In fact, we're featuring two of them ourselves ... first, my personal favorite "Evol - Not Love" which, while failing to make The National Top 40, was a #7 Hit here in Chicago ... and then the crowd-pleaser "Western Union". (Tell me THAT one wouldn't get your audience going if you gave it a spin!!!) kk

It's kind of funny watching our pop heroes being introduced by some of the biggest names in show business ... many from the previous generation of viewers, like Jack Benny and Steve Allen ... but that's the way it was done back then. These guys were VERY savvy entertainers ... and they knew they had to offer something up for the kids to enjoy in order to build their audience and maintain credible ratings. Thanks to YouTube, we get to see some of these vintage performances again. (kk)

‘Western Union’ and the follow-up ‘Zip Code’, the Five Americans’ greatest hits, are much more pop than garage but don’t in any way diminish their standing with garage rock fans and collectors. One listen to ‘I See The Light’ clearly demonstrates why. The Durant, Oklahoma, group recorded several excellent songs, including ‘Evol Not Love’ and ‘Good Times’.  

Mike Dugo / 60sGarageBands.com  

Talk about bridging the generation gap ... in 1967, The Five Americans paid tribute to an older form of mail communication (with "Western Union") as well as the latest in postal technology, "Zip Code"!!!

There seems to be a discrepancy as to where these guys hailed from. (I'm showing Texas, which is also what Steve Allen says in the video above, but Mike Dugo says Oklahoma.)  So I dug a little bit deeper ... and the band's official website (run by lead singer Mike Rabon)  explains:

The Five Americans first met in Durant, Oklahoma, at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 1962. Under the leadership of Mike Rabon, they formed a group called the Mutineers. They played local beer joints and various frat dances until the summer of 1964. Mike suggested that they go to Dallas and try and make enough money to pay for tuition for the following fall semester. They achieved some local notoriety in a dive called the Pirate's Nook. There they were "discovered" by a local label called Abnak Records. John Abdnor, president of the label, took them under his wing and provided them the resources to write and practice original songs. In only five short years, The Five Americans were the first to achieve what no other group in Texas had done -- sell millions of singles and albums.

Click here: The Five Americans

We heard back from Mike after we told him about their ranking in our Top 20 All-Time Favorite Garage Bands Countdown ...

Hi Kent,

Thanks for getting in touch. As founder of The Five Americans, I would like to say thank you to all those great fans out there who voted us into your top twenty and a big thanks to forgottenhits.com for continuing to carry the flame for those of us who tried so hard to please so many all those years ago. Here's a picture of The Five Americans on American Bandstand.

All the best,

Mike Rabon

The Five Americans

What I DIDN'T know is that Mike was also part of the group Gladstone, whose hit "A Piece Of Paper" we have featured previously in Forgotten Hits ... a GREAT track that I'm sure stirred a little bit of controversy back in the early '70's.  

http://forgottenhits.com/your_top_50_all-time_favorite_garage_bands

Mike also has a new book out recounting his whole experience with The Five Americans ... it's available here:
Click here: Amazon.com: High Strung (9781608300471): Mike Rabon: Books    (kk)

OUR ORIGINAL FORGOTTEN HITS REVIEW (from 2012) 

HIGH STRUNG by Mike Rabon ... A Memoir from the founder, lead singer and lead writer of THE FIVE AMERICANS (Aberdeen Bay - available thru Amazon.com ... Click here: Amazon.com: High Strung (9781608300471): Mike Rabon: Books)  

I couldn't wait to read Mike Rabon's book, especially after talking with him briefly for our All-Time Favorite Garage Bands Series.  

EVERY review I read ... bar none ... raved about Mike's story ... and, I have to admit, it grabs you right from the get-go.   

Chapter One deals with every thought that crossed his mind while he contemplated suicide, high on some unknown substance that, to this day, he still can't identify. It's chilling to read him mentally consider ... and then dismiss ... each potential suicide method before finally coming to his senses and putting it off for at least another day.  

Then, in Chapter Two, he starts from the beginning, going back to his childhood, his first guitar and his love for music ... and this pattern continues throughout the book. Each alternating chapter shows Mike in his "today" world of the early-to-mid-'70's, post-Five Americans success, when living was nothing more than drug-induced shambles ... followed by the exciting story of the band making it ... and ultimately scoring five straight Top 40 Hits in 1966 and 1967.  

It's an interesting technique ... and it holds you spellbound as you watch what "could have been" quickly spiral and dissolve into what sadly became of Mike Rabon, junkie.   

Ripped off by his manager and record company (who, in this case, were one and the same), it sounds like he never really had a chance ... and he ultimately lost it all.  

Along the way, he shares some interesting tidbits about rock and roll life in the '60's ... appearances on all of the hot TV shows ... creating HUGE hit records like "Western Union" (and how they came up with the dit-dit-dit concept to the song) ... believe it or not, the original lyrics had the word "stop" after every line, mimicking an actual Western Union telegram before they came up with the "sound" idea of typing out a telegram instead, thus creating the song's greatest hook. He even admits to writing their follow-up hit song "Zip Code" "on demand" to keep the communication theme going, something that I had alluded to in my Five Americans bio in our Garage Band Series without any basis of "fact", just observation and speculation ... it's especially interesting to see that I called it right! (lol)  

Mike describes in glorious detail the downfall of Abnak Records (and the sleazy, behind-the-scenes story of its owner, John Abdnor, Sr., who also acted as the band's manager, and his son, Jon Abnor, Jr., who went on to have a Top 20 Hit for the label as Jon and Robin with "Do It Again, Just A Little Bit Slower" ... another one of my Forgotten Hits favorites.  Robin ... real name Javonne Braga ... would go on to marry James Wright, one of The Five Americans!)  The story behind the "colorful" lawsuit between Abnak Records and AM Powerhouse KLIF Radio in Dallas, who refused to play or chart their second hit record "EVOL, Not Love" because Abdnor, Sr. had given the exclusive "first play" rights to a competing radio station in town, is fascinating! 

You'll read how Mike had his throat slit by a drug-crazed hooker ... and how he "broke his face" in a reckless highway accident. You'll read how, despite a pact agreed to by all five members of The Five Americans that drugs would NEVER play a part in their career, Rabon ended up a hopeless junkie, desperate and willing to go through just about any measure to make one more score. (He even tried dealing drugs at one point in time ... but found that he was using more than he was selling ... pretty tough to turn a profit that way!) 

In between it all is a fascinating look at "making it in the '60's" ... and the interplay between Mike's two storylines makes this a "can't put it down" read.  

All-in-all, highly recommended ... but with some reservations ... be sure to read our "IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING" observation below before purchasing.   

IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING: 
Do some fact checking before you write a book!!! Get your timelines right ... check and double check before you commit it to print.  

As good as this book was, it nearly lost me in the second chapter. That's where Mike Rabon described one of the "most vivid memories" of his life ... getting his own record player in 1953 and plopping down the brand new Elvis records "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Hound Dog" on his little turntable ... and being absolutely mesmerized by the colorful Sun Record Label spinning round and round.   

Absolutely, positively 100% false ... and I've got to be honest with you ... when I read something like this, it makes every word I read afterwards questionable in my mind. If he got something as simple, obvious and well-documented as THIS wrong, what OTHER kinds of mistakes are going to pop up throughout the book that I also probably shouldn't believe?!?!?  

"Heartbreak Hotel" and "Hound Dog" BOTH came out in 1956, not 1953 ... and they both came out on the RCA Victor Record Label, not Sun. In fact, "Heartbreak Hotel" was Elvis' first RCA release after the label purchased his contract from Sam Phillips for the then staggering sum of $35,000. 

What's really scary to see is that a good percentage of Mike's book is off by the same three or four year timeline.  

According to "High Strung", Mike partied in Dallas with Paul and Linda McCartney in 1974, where they were renting rehearsal space for their American tour ... even though McCartney and Wings toured America for the very first time in 1976. 

Mike was also driving around in 1974 listening to the Fleetwood Mac album "Rumours" non-stop on his 8-track player ... three years before the album was actually released. Even the most casual reader will begin to wonder if Mike Rabon got three year advance copies of EVERYTHING!!!  

And, quite honestly, it's difficult to believe MOST of what he remembers in his non-stop drug-induced stupor ... if he was even HALF as fucked-up as he presents himself to be, I don't know how he could possibly remember a thing ... much less in such colorful detail!!! 

It's also hard to imagine that the chick famous for her plaster-caster penis collection (which included the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon and Jim Morrison) would recognize Mike Rabon from the nameless, faceless band The Five Americans in a Dallas bar ... and want to add HIS cock to her Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame collection. Granted, The Five Americans had five straight Top 40 Hits between January of 1966 and September of 1967 ... but I doubt that there's an educated Forgotten Hits Reader out there who can name all five of them without looking it up ... much less identify them by name from an album cover photograph in their hey-day, let alone seven years later in a dark bar!  

Yet, despite ALL of these distractions, I have to admit that Mike has written a fascinating book. It's well-written, never dull and tells the tale of almost having it all ... only to wind up down and out in the gutter, down to your last quarter. Having ... and losing ... everything, including your fame, your fortune and your personal dignity is not a story that Mike is proud to tell. However, it shows again how drink and drugs can destroy your very being ... and for that reason alone, it deserves digestion by any up-and-coming rock and roll wannabe ... or anyone who ever dreamed of what fame and fortune and success might be like in the music business ... it's not a pretty picture (and hopefully serves as a "wake-up call" to a few folks out there.  

The good news is that, thanks to his family's intervention, Mike DID clean up his act and was able to pull things together, ultimately following in both of his parents' footsteps by becoming a school teacher.  I have to believe that he would be the first to admit that he is one of the fortunate ones who made it through the storm ... and lived to tell about it.    

As stated earlier, the reviews for this book have been exceptional ... every one I've read praises the way Mike tells his story ... and he's a GREAT storyteller. I just wish he had spent a little more time getting his facts straight ... as it would make so much more of this believable.  
Still, I cannot help but recommend this book ... it offers some fascinating insight into trying to make it in the '60's. I have to believe that MOST bands coming up in this area were manipulated and mistreated by their managers in much the same way that Mike and The Five Americans were ... and that's a shame. On the plus side, many, many years later it sounds like John Abdnor Sr.'s wife finally sent some legitimate royalty money their way ... and how often does THAT happen?!?!? (kk) 

Mike Rabon, lead singer/writer for the 5 Americans has passed away.  The man behind the big 60's hits "Western Union," "Zip Code," "Sound of Love," "I See the Light" as well as the band Choctaw in the 70's.  Some GREAT music he helped produce. 

He was a school teacher in his home state of Oklahoma after the band became no more.

A great talent and Okie good guy!  Rest in peace, Michael

https://www.praterlampton.com/obituary/Michael-Rabon

Clark Besch

 

Hi Kent -

Thanks for posting that picture of Ringo, Joe and their wives.

You are so right ... their wives could be twin sisters!  And I LOVE that RINGO is growing his hair long!!!!

Hope he tours again with his All Star Band. I have seen him perform and he makes

great choices for his band!! 

Peace and Love (as Ringo would say),

Carolyn 

Ringo and His All-Starr Band ARE touring again this summer … but unfortunately (as of right now anyway) no plans for a show here in Chicago.

(And Joe Walsh isn’t one of the “all starrs” this time around either … I think he may be out on the road with The Eagles during some of this time.)

The line-up does include, however, Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart, Greg Bissonette and Edgar Winter. 

 

We ran the story last week along with this comment from Ringo:

“I can’t wait to get back out on the road and play.  This is the longest I’ve been off the road in years – up until 2020, I was touring every year with the All Starrs – and I’ve really missed it. Making music in the studio has been great, and it certainly saved me during the pandemic, but nothing beats playing live with great musicians in front of an audience. I love my fans and they love me and it’s going to be wonderful to be peace and loving and playing for them again.”

The tour dates that have been announced so far include:

May 27^th and May 28th, 2022 - Rama, Ontario – Casino Rama

May 30^th - Canandaigua, NY – CMAC

June 2^nd - Boston, MA – Wang Theater (with The Avett Brothers)

June 3^rd - Worcester, MA – Hanover Theater

June 4^th - Gilford, NH – Bank of NH Pavilion (with The Avett Brothers)

June 6^th, 7^th and 8^th - New York, NY – The Beacon Theatre

June 10^th - Red Bank, NJ – Count Basie Theater

June 11^th - Easton, PA – State Theater

June 12^th - Providence, RI – PPAC

June 14^th and 15^th - Baltimore, MD – Modell Lyric

June 17^th - Lenox, MA – Tanglewood

June 18^th - Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Arena

June 19^th - Philadelphia, PA – Metropolitan Theater

June 21st - Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union Live

June 22^nd - Atlanta, GA – Cobb Center

June 24^th - St Augustine, FL – The AMP

June 25^th - Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock

June 26^th - Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall

Will they be adding any more shows?  Unknown at this time … but you can always find more up-to-date information at www.RingoStarr.com  (kk)

Speaking of The Eagles, it was announced last Thursday that Deacon Frey (Glenn Frey’s son) will NOT be making the tour this time around, sitting it out due to an “unspecified illness.”  The 28-year-old’s return will be based on “his recovery and doctor’s recommendations.” No other details were provided.

The show kicked off yesterday in Savannah, Georgia.  (kk)

Eagles 2022 Tour
February  19th – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena (yesterday)
February 21st – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center (tomorrow)
February 24th – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
February 25th – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – FLA Live Arena
February 28th – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
March 2nd – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
March 4th – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
March 17th – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse+
March 19th – Chicago, IL – United Center
March 22nd – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse
March 24th – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
March 26th – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
March 28th – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center+
March 30h – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
April 19th – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
April 21st – Buffalo, NY – KeyBank Center
April 23rd – Belmont Park, NY – USB Arena
April 25th – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
April 28th – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
April 29th – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
May 14th – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
May 16th – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
May 19th – Austin, TX – Moody Center
May 20th – Austin, TX – Moody Center

May 25th – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena
Jun 17th – Arnhem, Netherlands – Gelredome
Jun 20th – Liverpool, UK – Anfield Stadium
Jun 22nd – Edinburgh, UK – Murrayfield Stadium
Jun 24th – Dublin, Ireland – Aviva Stadium
Jun 26th – London, UK – Hyde Park

And Paul McCartney has just announced HIS 2022 tour dates …

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2022 Thursday 28 April - Spokane,WA - Spokane Arena Monday 2 May - Seattle,WA - Climate Pledge Arena Tuesday 3 May - Seattle,WA - Climate Pledge Arena Friday 6 May - Oakland,CA - Oakland Arena Friday 13 May - Los Angeles,CA - SoFi Stadium Tuesday 17 May - Fort Worth,TX - Dickies Arena Saturday 21 May - Winston Salem,NC - Truist Field Wednesday 25 May - Hollywood,FL - Hard Rock Live Saturday 28 May - Orlando,FL - Camping World Stadium Tuesday 31 May - Knoxville,TN - Thompson Boling Arena Saturday 4 June - Syracuse,NY - Carrier Dome Tuesday 7 June - Boston,MA - Fenway Park Sunday 12 June - Baltimore,MD - Oriole Park Thursday 16 June - East Rutherford,NJ- Met Life Stadium

 

MORE INFORMATION

 

“I said at the end of the last tour that I’d see you next time. I said I was going to get back to you.  Well, I got back!” Paul McCartney

 

Following more than a year of speculation, Paul announces the GOT BACK Tour,  a 13-city return to U.S. stages, kicking off April 28th with Paul’s first ever show in Spokane, WA and running through to June 16th in East Rutherford, NJ.   PRE-SALE INFORMATION: PaulMcCartney.com presale tickets for the GOT BACK tour will be available on Tuesday 22nd February at 12pm local time. Fans signed up to PaulMcCartney.com newsletter will receive an exclusive  password ahead of the pre-sale.   American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the  general public beginning Tuesday 22nd February at 10am local time.   Tickets for all GOT BACK tour dates will be on public sale  Beginning Friday 25th February at 10am local time.

 

GET TICKETS

 

All the best!

 

PAUL McCARTNEY.COM

 

>>>It seemed like nearly every commercial that aired during The Big Game featured a song by an artist that played a big part in providing the Soundtrack To Our Lives … we’re talking about DOZENS of tracks and snippets … and that doesn’t even include The Half-Time Show!!!  (kk)
I noticed that too to my delight!  Next year instead of betting on the game, I should propose a pool on the number of "forgotten hits" that make it to the commercials.  Maybe break it down by decade or something.

Ed #1

 

I have always enjoyed the nice write-ups you’ve done on the Chicago 60's bands and sounds that I have seen from time to time in your blog!   

Yep ... I’m still doing my WINDY CITY WEDNESDAY on 101.5 and anytime you wanna stop by, just let me know - -

And yes, SNL@THE 70'S still rocking on Saturday nights - -  every week that goes by we’re getting some new listeners.    

Take care, buddy!

Jeff James

You can listen to BOTH of Jeff’s shows here:

https://huntleyradio.com/hcr/

And be sure to send in YOUR requests for Chicago’s only live Saturday Night Request Program!  (kk)

 

Wikipedia lists Gene Pitney's "Blue Angel" (not the Roy Orbison hit) as

written by Roger Cook. Would that be half of Cook and Greenaway? The

following year that Cook relocated to Nashville, where he'd write several more hits, like Crystal Gayle's "Talking in Your Sleep." He is still the only Briton in the Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame!

--Bob Frable

It sure is.  Gene Pitney recorded a few Cook and Greenaway compositions along the way, including “Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart,” a hit TWICE for Pitney, first as a solo artist in 1967 and then again as a duet with Marc Almond in 1989.  (Must be that British connection again!)

“Blue Angel,” which didn’t chart here in The States, was a #2 Hit in Australia. Although it only peaked at #39 in the UK, it became a concert favorite at his shows outside the US, where fans turned it into a bit of a sing-along.

This one was a Roger Cook song all the way.  (He even produced Pitney’s record.)  kk

Kent,

I was lucky to see Gene Piney at Summerfest in Milwaukee in 1998, in what may have been one of his last performances in the Midwest. I recall Gene’s voice was as strong as ever as he sung hit after hit, and even sang songs he wrote but did not record like Hello Mary Lou. Gene’s stage presence was not great- he basically just stood and sang and did not appear especially comfortable-but the large crowd was nevertheless thrilled by his performance. I’ve always thought of my decision to attend this concert as a fortunate one.

Bob Verbos

I was never a big enough fan to consider going to see him in concert ... but I can appreciate his voice now much more than I did at the time.  And, from what I've heard, Gene LIVED to perform.  He ALWAYS put on a top notch show on stage.  (kk)

>>>And Mike Wolstein sent us this trip down memory lane …   (kk)

That's some cool stuff Mike sent in.  We heard ALL of those except WKBW (same dial position as KOMA in OKC) and WHOT, where Big Jack Armstrong was also at one time, I believe.

Great stuff, Mike!!!

As to Sugarloaf, I think I have four edits of Green Eyed Lady on vinyl ... 

There's the long eight minute LP version, the 5+ and 3:33 versions, BOTH of which were out on 45 when it was a hit and also a 2:58 DJ mix.

Clark Besch

“Green Eyed Lady” is one of those songs I’ve never gotten tired of hearing … love both the long and the single edit … just a great song all the way around.  (Their live rendition that I posted the other day from just a short while back was performed flawlessly … great track.) 

And when it comes to Two Hit Wonders, it doesn’t get much better than “Green Eyed Lady” and “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You!!!”  (kk)

 

Kent,

First, I enjoyed seeing Mike's Verification of Frequency from WKY 930 here in OKC. When I was on the air one was made for a listener of mine who picked up my show in Australia.  That's when I was working for KOMA.

As for the songs that are Venus related, don't forget that Frankie Avalon had a disco version in the late 1970's.

Again, as for actor/singer Bill Hayes, I knew that he had recorded WRINGLE WRANGLE. You may or may not know that actor Fess Parker (Davy Crockett) also recorded THE BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT as well as WRINGLE WRANGLE on Disneyland records.

Larry

Yes, I never quite understood how Bill Hayes’ version of “Davy Crockett” performed better on the charts than Fess Parker’s did, especially since Parker was in the “Davy Crockett” film … and would then go on to star as Daniel Boone on television!

Keep in mind that this was back in the day where the same song recorded by a variety of artists would often share a chart position until one of those versions broke out of the bunch to clearly lead the pack.

In Billboard, Fess Parker’s version of “Davy Crockett” peaked at #5 on their Best Sellers Chart in 1955.  “Wringle Wrangle” (released two years later … and from the film “Westward Ho, The Wagons!,” which ALSO starred Parker), peaked at #12 on their Best Sellers Chart.  (It went to #21 on their then-called Top 100 Chart.)

Bill Hayes (obviously also an actor) took his version of “Davy Crockett” all the way to #1 on Billboard’s Best Sellers Chart … and it stayed there for five weeks.  His version of “Wringle Wrangle” topped out at #33.

Tennessee Ernie Ford and somebody named Walter Schumann also charted with the Crockett theme.  Hayes’ version topped the Cash Box Chart for EIGHT weeks.  His version of “Wringle Wrangle” also performed better there, peaking at #12.   Parker SHARED that #1 position for two of those eight weeks in Cash Box … and both his and Hayes’ version of “Wringle Wrangle” also shared the #12 position.  (To my earlier point, Tennesee Ernie Ford shared the #1 spot for two weeks, too, until Bill Hayes broke away from the rest of the pack.)  The Voices of Walter Schumann even got credit for one week on top in Music Vendor!  (kk)

 

Check out this Cash Box chart sent in by Randy Price, Guru of all things chart-related.

You’ll find no less than ELEVEN artists sharing the #1 position for “The Ballad Of Davy Crockett” for the week of May 7^th.  Hayes, Parker and Ford get stars for their “hit” versions … while Tex Stewart, Steve Allen (!), Burl Ives (!), Mac Wiseman, Irving Fields, Rusty Draper, The Voices Of Walter Shumann and even JAMES BROWN (seriously??? For real?!?!) all get credit for recognized versions of this early rock mega-hit.  (kk)

 

Not the same James Brown. This was James E. Brown, who played Lt. Ripley "Rip" Masters on Rin Tin Tin.

For "[The] Ballad Of Davy Crockett," all four artists were listed on the Music Vendor chart for two weeks in late May 1955, when the song was #9 and #10.

Walter Schumann was listed on the Music Vendor charts for two weeks in April, 1955, when the song was #2 and #1. His name was then removed for the next two weeks before it was added back for the two weeks in May.

– Randy Price

Wow, all these actors crossing over to singing careers on the pop charts.  (And certainly they weren’t the only ones.)  It was a different time in music for sure.  Thanks, Randy!  (kk)

Kent,

Here's a scan of the Music Vendor issue when "Ballad Of Davy Crockett" was #1 and W. Schumann was listed as an artist, along with B. Hayes, T. E. Ford and F. Parker. Note that, unlike Cash Box at the time, Music Vendor did not specify which version(s) were best-sellers, although I believe they listed the artists in order of popularity of each version.

– Randy Price

Hi Music Lovers,

AN UNEXPECTED ENDORSEMENT FOR “Happy Go Lucky Me – a Lifetime of Music”

It has just been nominated for the 2022 ARSC Awards for “Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research.”

The Association for Recorded Sound Collections is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and study of sound recordings.

When my publisher asked me to write a book about my 60+ years in the music business, who’d have thought (other than my wife) that it would get reviewed as well as it has and be nominated for its Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research?

Certainly not me

A great big “Thank You” to all of you who have let me know that you enjoyed HGLM,

Paul (Evans)

I'm sure by now you're receiving all the press announcements of Record Store Day, 2022. While they published a "complete list":  https://recordstoreday.com/PromotionalEvent/585 ...

I found one item missing from the list. They are doing a Jimi Hendrix release.

“Angel (Take 7)” b/w “Message to Love”

 

Recorded at Hendrix’s newly created recording facility, Electric Lady Studios in 1970, “Angel (Take 7),” makes up Side A of this exclusive 7″ single white vinyl release. The track is being released for the first time and will be included as part of the 3CD/DVD Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision package due out in June.

Side B includes the previously unreleased “Message to Love” that was recorded in 1970 at New York Pop Festival at Downing Stadium on New York’s Randall’s Island. 

Ken Voss

 

Happy 82nd Birthday to William "Smokey" Robinson This Weekend!

Imagine a world where we never heard Smokey Robinson's songs or voice? 

Last century I was invited to the Bel-Air mansion of Berry Gordy, Jr., the founder of Motown Records for an interview. I asked BG about his first impression of Smokey Robinson. 

"Smokey Robinson ... My first impression was he was great, a great poet, but he didn’t know how to really write songs, or put songs together. When he learned how to put stuff together and he really understood, Smokey was incredible. When I turned down his first 100 songs, he got more excited with every song. I said, “This guy has to be either crazy or one of the most special people I’ll ever meet.” He was incredible. He turned out to be one of the most special people I ever met.

So now Smokey has succeeded at the cycle of success. It takes a lot of character, because you are tempted along the way. The cycle of success is a vicious cycle. It takes you into places. People offer you things never offered before. To succeed and be successful is tough so it takes a lot of character. You got to keep your same values. So Smokey has done that."

Harvey Kubernik

 

And a final smile from Mike Wolstein … 

 

Lawrence Welk would have been turning over in his grave.

I still laugh when I watch this rendition of "One Toke Over the Line" by this young couple.

The New Gospel?

Mike

I’m sure that’s EXACTLY what they thought.  (Talk about clueless!!!)

We’ve run this clip before … but it’s certainly worth another look.

 

And the REAL one’s not too bad either!!!  (kk)

GREAT STUFF COMING UP IN FORGOTTEN HITS …

 

Tomorrow our Coast-To-Coast 1972 Survey Journey stops in New Jersey …

 

And then you’ve just GOT to check out our special 2/22/22 celebration on Tuesday …

 

(That’s a WHOLE LOTTA 2’s!!!)

 

And WE’VE got a whole lotta 2’s, too!!!

 

It’s a countdown that’s second to none … or, perhaps more accurately, second to ALL …

 

You’ll have to just stop back and see for yourself.

 

It all kicks off at 6 am … and runs straight thru to 6 pm … and you won’t want to miss it! (kk)

PHIL NEE: Remembering Gene Pitney

Gene Pitney was born February 17th of 1941.   

I had the chance to catch him on the phone in 1994 and I asked the future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member about the start of his career and the songs he wrote for other artists.

"Hello Mary Lou" was always one of my favorites.  I'm sure it would have been a hit for Gene Pitney as well ... but Ricky Nelson took it over the top and made it his very own, going all the way to #1 here in Chicago as the A-Side ... nationally, it was "Travelin' Man," the flip side, that topped the charts.  Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Statler Brothers also made notable recordings of these songs.  Pitney also wrote the hits "He's A Rebel" for The Crystals and "Rubber Ball" for Bobby Vee.

Gene Pitney was very popular in the United States, but his success in Europe and other countries was even greater.

"Love My Life Away" was his first big hit as an artist.  It, too, enjoyed much greater success here in Chicago (#8) than it did nationally (#31).

"Blue Angel," released in 1974, was a very popular record in England ... yet never charted here in The States.  For several decades Gene's career seemed to be much bigger in Europe than it was here at home.  (In fact, when The British Invasion hit and established American artists were finding it difficult to get their songs played on the air, Gene was having the exact opposite effect overseas where his records were making The Top Ten on a regular basis.)

And that popularity continued for decades to come.  In 1989, Gene topped the British Charts with a remake of his 1967 hit "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart," this time recorded as a duet with Marc Almond of Soft Cell.

The big hit The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was not used in the film of the same name.  I asked Gene Pitney about the history of the song.

Gene Pitney still earned a #4 pop hit with "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" despite it not being used in the film.  ("Town Without Pity," his prior hit, WAS used in the film of the same name ... and was even nominated for an Academy Award.)

A Gene Pitney biography (by David McGrath) was released recently.  McGrath worked for Pitney for twenty years and was essentially his right-hand man ... but still writes the book more from a fan's perspective.  The title of each chapter is also the title of one of Gene's best known songs ... and insight into the history of the recording is given for each entry ... along with "factoids" about this material.  While annoying at times, it IS an interesting look into Gene Pitney's career.  17 Top 40 Hits tells the story of just how popular he really was back in the '60's.  A unique voice, to be sure, with some GREAT hits along the way.  (kk)

GENE PITNEY:  1963 - 1967

While Gene Pitney's career may have been waning a bit here in The States during this era when the artists of The British Invasion were dominating the charts, he didn't miss a beat with his British fans, where his records regularly made The Top Ten.

Here is a chart comparison of Gene's hits, 1963 - 1967 ...

1963 - Half Heaven, Half Heartache (US - #12 / UK - xx)

1963 - Mecca (US - #12 / UK - xx)

1963 - True Love Never Runs Smooth  (US - #21 / UK - xx)

1963 - Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa (US - #17 / UK - #5)

THE BEATLES HIT AMERICA

1964 - That Girl Belongs To Yesterday (US - #49 / UK - #7)

1964 - Yesterday's Hero (US - #64 / UK - xx)

1964 - It Hurts To Be In Love (US - #6 / UK - #36)

1964 - I'm Gonna Be Strong (US - #9 / UK - #2)

1965 - I Must Be Seeing Things (US - #26 / UK - #6)

1965 - I've Got Five Dollars And It's Saturday Night (recorded with George Jones and released as George and Gene) US - #97 / UK - xx

1965 - Last Chance To Turn Around (US - #12 / UK - xx)

1965 - Looking Through The Eyes Of Love (US - #23 / UK - #3)

1965 - Princess In Rags (US - #32 / UK - #9)

1966 - Backstage (US - #24 / UK - #4)

1966 - Nobody Needs Your Love (US - xx / UK - #2)

1967 - Just One Smile (US - #64 / UK - #8)

1967 - Cold Light Of Day (US - #83 / UK - #38)

1967 - Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart (US - #130 / UK - #5)

*****

Be sure to listen to Phil Nee's THOSE WERE THE DAYS radio program tonight on WRCO ...

WRCO AM FM Radio Richland Center Wisconsin

Just click on the 100.9 headphones and start streaming!

Send him an email request if you like …

Or just let him know how much you’re enjoying his new weekly feature in Forgotten Hits!

 

UPDATE:  I talked with Phil yesterday and he was still in the hospital at the time ... but very optimistic about being on the mend and coming home soon. 

Why not drop him a line and let him know you're thinking of him ... send along your Get Well Wishes and let him know how much you are enjoying these vintage interview segments.  You can email him at PhilNee@WRCO.com.

If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears

This month, we wish a happy birthday rock-a-versary to "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears," complete with soon-to-be-censored toilet cover, released 2-14-1966. When the Mamas and Papas subsequently appeared on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" I was a dancer on this episode and during the '66 season when the show was still shot in black and white in the ABC-TV studios on Vine St. and Fountain Ave. I also danced on "Shebang!" and attended "Shindig!" tapings in 1965 and '66.  

-- Harvey Kubernik

Harvey Kubernik Interviews with Michele Phillips, photographer Guy Webster, producer Lou Adler and engineer Bones Howe  

[Please Note: This article first appeared in Music Connection on December 16th, 2020, as an anniversary opaque yellow vinyl edition of The Mamas and the Papas' first LP was released - used with Harvey's permission] 

On January 29, (2021-kk),the Geffen / UMe record label is set to release the Mamas & The Papas’ If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears on black vinyl. The album will also be available on opaque yellow vinyl exclusively at uDiscover Music and Sound of Vinyl.

Considered one of the best pop-rock albums of all time, the 12-song 1966 debut showcases the exquisite pop sensibilities and impeccable harmonies of Cass Elliot, Denny Doherty, John Phillips and Michelle Phillips. Reaching No. 1 on the Billboard album charts within months of release and spending more than 100 weeks on the chart, the Lou Adler-produced gem opens with the No. 1 hit “Monday, Monday” and includes “California Dreamin’,” which hit No. 4 on the Billboard singles chart.

Album Cover Courtesy of Geffen/UMe

While best known for its two hits, If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears features a mix of originals and covers that captivated fans and critics alike. The album is included in the top 100 of the influential reference guide 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

In their pursuit of pop music perfection, the Mamas & The Papas were signed to Dunhill Records by Adler in 1965 and disbanded shortly after their performance at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival, where “Monday, Monday” was first performed live.

In between, the foursome embarked on what has become a storied career during their brief time together. Contributing to their status as pop culture icons were unforgettable performances on The Ed Sullivan Show, including the John Phillips penned classic “Monday, Monday,” their interpretation of Lennon & McCartney’s “I Call Your Name” and “California Dreamin’” co-written by John and Michelle Phillips.

Both vinyl reissues will include the original Guy Webster-shot cover photo, which was censored at the time for showing a toilet. First issued on February 28, 1966, If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears opens with the chart-topping ode to the first day of the work week, followed by the upbeat, bass-heavy rocker “Straight Shooter.”

On “Got A Feelin’,” co-written by Denny Doherty and John Phillips, a ticking clock underscores the melancholy vibe that someone is cheating; “Go Where You Wanna Go,” “Somebody Groovy” and “Hey Girl” round out the original compositions with the musical and lyrical flair that defined their style. The Mamas & The Papas also brought their easy-listening harmonies to Leiber & Stoller’s “Spanish Harlem” and Bobby Freeman’s “Do You Wanna Dance,” while gently rocking to The Turtles’ “You Baby.” Cass Elliot’s rollicking cover of Billy Page’s “The ‘In’ Crowd” first done by Dobie Gray, closes the album.

---

LP

Side A

1. Monday, Monday
2. Straight Shooter
3. Got A Feelin’
4. I Call Your Name
5. Do You Wanna Dance
6. Go Where You Wanna Go

Side B

7. California Dreamin’
8. Spanish Harlem
9. Somebody Groovy
10. Hey Girl
11. You Baby
12. The “In” Crowd

---

After leaving their respective folk groups, the Mugwumps and the New Journeymen, in New York, singer Denny Doherty and singer-songwriter John Phillips formed a new group with John’s wife, Michelle, and Cass Elliot. The four were initially known as the Magic Circle before they settled on the Mamas and the Papas.

Signed to Dunhill Records by record producer Lou Adler, the band released its first single, “Go Where You Wanna Go,” in 1965. “California Dreamin’” hit the charts soon after, and their debut LP, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, landed at number one on the Billboard Top 200. “Monday, Monday” was the third single from this momentous debut, and garnered the foursome a US number-one hit.

---

In 1966 I danced for a brief season on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. One afternoon at the ABC-TV studios on Vine Street and Fountain Ave. in Hollywood, Bob Lind and the Mamas and the Papas were the booked guests. Even though both acts were lip syncing to their current hit records on our popular AM radio station KHJ, I thought what I was hearing live in the studio was absolutely marvelous.

The sound of our city revealed in Jack Nitzsche’s arrangement of “Elusive Butterfly” and the Adler produced “California Dreamin’.”

In my 2014 book, Turn Up The Radio! Pop, Rock and Roll in Los Angeles 1956-1972, I reflected on the meteoric triumph of the Mamas and Papas.

“Their trajectory from clean-cut folkies to acid-addled pop aristocrats is both a cautionary tale — be careful what you wish for — and a validation of pure talent and ceaseless ambition. Their reckless indulgences have long since passed into tabloid infamy. What is worth celebrating, of course, is their singular weave of melody and harmony that soothed the ear like velvet. How it came to be is the quintessential Los Angeles story.”

“In 1965, I tried to sign the Mamas and the Papas to GNP Records,” talent scout and record producer/songwriter Kim Fowley recalled to me in a 2008 interview.

“I got a phone call from Cass Elliot, who I had met through James Hendricks, a songwriter. I hung out with her. She smoked pot. I didn’t. She wanted to know how the town worked.

“Gene Norman at GNP was my boss. I really respected Gene. I was A&R there at the time. [I told him,] ‘I just discovered a new band.’ ‘What do they want?’ ‘Two hundred and fifty dollars a month, plus they will do clerical.’ ‘No new artist is worth two hundred and fifty a month.”

“So I called Nik Venet, who was at Mira Records, and I was going to be involved in the music publishing. Nik helped produce ‘Hey Joe’ by the Leaves on the label. They sang over the telephone. Nik had previously met John when he was in the Journeymen, a Capitol Records act. John Phillips has a great gift for harmony in his songwriting. Nik was going to take them over to Mira the following Monday for a 3:00 pm meeting to see Randy Wood, who dated my stepmother. He was formerly with Vee-Jay Records. Nik gave John a check for $150.00 to hold them over until the meeting. They called up, looking for some grass to calm themselves down, and Barry McGuire didn’t have any. This is just before Barry hit with ‘Eve of Destruction.’

“Then Lou Adler met the group through Barry, and he signed them on the spot for three grand. They never showed up for that Mira meeting and Nik said, ‘Somebody must have grabbed them.’

“I saw John Phillips a year later at a listening party for ‘Daydream’ by the Lovin’ Spoonful. I said to John, ‘Why don’t you pay back Nik Venet the $150.00 that he gave you that was going to carry the group over until that Mira meeting?’ John then sent the check to Nik, who framed it and never cashed it. I loved the records Adler and Bones Howe subsequently did with them.”

---

Born in 1933 and hailing from the Boyle Heights section of East Los Angeles, Adler wasn’t planning to enter show business when he started writing songs with friend Herb Alpert.

The first four songs they did together were recorded by artists, Sam Cooke, Cowboy Copas, and Sam Butera from Louie Primas band. Adler and Alpert did a demo of a tune and took it to Bob Keane at Keane Records who offered the duo A&R jobs working with producer Bumps Blackwell.

Adler lived in 1957 with Cooke in Hollywood at the Knickerbocker Hotel. He also resided with Sam in an apartment on Saint Andrews Place in Los Angeles where George McCurn, Lou Rawls and Bumps Blackwell hung out.

In 1959, Sam, Adler and Herb Alpert wrote “(What a) Wonderful World,” a hit single for Cooke in 1960, later covered by Herman’s Hermits. Adler toured with Cooke as a road manager and attended Sam’s sessions at RCA studios.

“Sam taught me a language on how to speak with musicians, not only verbal but sign language as far as where to go musically,” Adler told me in a 2008 interview for my book Canyon of Dreams: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon. He penned the Afterword, too. From 1958-1960 Adler lived in Laurel Canyon on Lookout Mountain Drive.

“Sam taught me where the drummer would go and when to layout. That was a language I had to learn and also the communication between producer and engineer. I had no musical or recording experience, so between Bumps and Sam is where I learned.”

Adler saw Cooke every Christmas and on their birthdays. Sam, along with the Everly Brothers played at Adler’s June, 1964, wedding to actress/singer Shelley Fabares.

On December 11, 1964, Sam Cooke was shot to death at a motel in downtown Los Angeles.

“Sam is never talked about as a human being,” Adler emphasized. “He’s mentioned as the great soul singer that he was and the instrument that he had, and the fact that everybody from Otis Redding to Jackie Wilson emulated him, followed him. He was just a great human being, a great guy, a great buddy with a wonderful sense of humor…”

Adler’s business acumen would then give us Johnny Rivers, the Mamas and Papas, Spirit, Merry Clayton, and Carole King, as well as the comedy of Cheech and Chong.

---

“One song that is Laurel Canyon-specific that John (Phillips) wrote is ‘Twelve Thirty [Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon].’ A lot of the first songs of the Mamas and the Papas were written before I ever got to them. The music was polished. It wasn’t raw. They looked raw, that’s back to the album cover, Can You Believe Your Eyes and Ears? What that meant was ‘that sound was made by these people?’ John was never raw. He went to West Point. He came out of the Hi Lo’s and the Four Lads.”

“John Phillips was a great guy, smart, but he was power crazy, you know,” photographer Nurit Wilde told me in a 2008 interview.

“John was the person who wrote the songs and directed the group. I don’t know if John needed the applause but Cass certainly did. She had issues and wanted validation and was very talented. I met her earlier in New York when she was in The Big Three. Cass was a mensch. The ‘den mother’ thing was much more when other people were around. She was a sensitive person. The weight was really an issue. Michelle didn’t seek the spotlight.

“I loved Denny’s voice and Cass’ voice. Michelle was perfect for that band. I went to some of the recording sessions at Western Recorders. I thought John was tremendously talented. I knew Denny from Canada before he was in the Mamas and the Papas, and he was more of a laid-back person. Denny lived on Appian Way in Laurel Canyon. He had a beautiful house. I had a very short fling with Denny. We were friends and not really anything else. Sometimes I felt that he felt he was over his head, that he couldn’t cope with some of the stuff.”

“The Mamas and the Papas were the informed calm before the incoming easy coast storm of 1966 and '67,” suggested record producer and author Andrew Loog Oldham in a 2020 correspondence. “It didn't matter if your parents were next door: they were weaned on the same.

“I’d met Lou Adler in Santa Monica California at The TAMI Show in late ' 64,” ruminated Andrew in a 2007 dinner interview we had.

“He was managing the hosts, Jan & Dean and I was there with the Rolling Stones. We became fast friends. About a year later I was in LA recording the Stones at RCA; Lou asked me to come down to his Dunhill records office on South Beverly Drive. In his office were four quite ordinary, very special folk. John Phillips, Michelle Gilliam, Denny Doherty and Cass Elliot.

“They sang about a dozen songs to the accompaniment of John's acoustic guitar. They sang their whole career ‘California Dreamin',’ ‘Monday, Monday,’ ‘I Call Your Name,’ ‘Creeque Alley.’ I heard ' em all. Lou smiled. ‘Whadja think?’ I thought a lot.

“I knew my mate had his Mick and Keith in one and that was what was important. The group was almost a backdrop to what Lou and John were about, changing the name of the game and keeping it interesting.

“I know about the hits. The national anthems, the weavings as in ‘Creeque Alley’ of the Mamas and the Papas’ journey. But my total unabashed fave, the one that brings a lump to my throat and makes the pop hairs stand up on my hands is ‘Twelve Thirty.’ The transition from New York City, ‘everything there was dark and dirty’ to the Canyon is just not only magical but real, and that was the art of John Phillips. The production, of course, is a result of the sonic marriage of Adler and the group. It’s their ‘Mother’s Little Helper.’”

---

When Universal studio owner and sound innovator Bill Putnam came to Hollywood from Chicago in 1957, his first competition in town was Radio Recorders, which he had attempted to purchase. As United Recording was being developed and built, Studio B at United was complete, with two reverb chambers, a mix-down room, and mastering rooms, one of which had stereo.

In 1961, Putnam bought Don Blake’s Western Recorders, located next door on Sunset Boulevard. Engineers Bones Howe and Wally Heider came to United.

In 2008 I conducted an interview with the legendary engineer/producer Bones Howe.

“When Bill Putnam bought Western, he walked me down the street to see the building. Studio 3 was in the building. When Putnam opened his studio, the first thing he did was that he got a new Grampian cutting head [that] you could pump a lot of volume into. You could really pump a lot of voltage and signal into it, and it would cut a much hotter 45 than the Altec head that everybody else used for cutting LPs and 45s. UREI was the development company, and a different division of United Recording. They developed a 1176 limiter, which I ran and did all the test runs on. He had a prototype, and gave it to me in the studio to use. United just became the place to record.

“I was in the room with Lou when he first heard the Mamas and the Papas. It was in the back room at Studio 2 at Western Recorders. John had a guitar and sang four songs for us. The mix of those four voices was so amazing. You didn’t need to do much in terms of enhancement. We doubled their voices up, but it really was a great sound.

“When I was an engineer, I was there to serve the producer and the music. I never lost sight of that. I did what I was told, except I found ways I thought benefited the performance of the musicians in the studio. I made suggestions, like putting Cass and Michelle on one side and Denny and John on the other side. ‘Let’s do it this way and see how it works.’ Those became concrete formats, because what I found out is that if you put the guys close enough together, they’ll play better. Not only that, the sound will be better, because the sound doesn’t have to travel as far to the other microphone. It’s all about an ensemble sound.

“[Drummer] Hal Blaine was on everything, Larry Knechtel, and Joe Osborn . . . I discovered Joe doing those Johnny Rivers records with Lou Adler. Joe Osborn played the bass the way I thought, as a jazz player, rock ’n’ roll players should play the bass. Joe and Hal, together, really had the lock and the feel. That’s kind of how I built a rhythm section.

“Sometimes Lou would ask me about guys. Like on ‘California Dreamin’.’ He did not want to put a saxophone on it. He didn’t want a guitar solo. John [Phillips] said something about a flute. I said, ‘Bud Shank is in the back room doing a session. Bud Shank will play.’ Lou said alto flute, and Bud had [one]. I asked Bud to come into Studio 3 for our session, and he made it in one or two takes.

“When you put a rhythm section together, it has to be a rhythm section. It’s got to be a section and be able to communicate in such a way that they play together. That’s what those guys did. For me, they were the best, and I heard rhythm sections from the East and they always sounded disconnected. I always give Lou credit for being my production mentor.

“During the ‘I Saw Her Again’ session, I didn’t erase the previous vocal, and the playback went: ‘I saw her again . . .’ Lou said, ‘That’s great!’ At that moment, I understood trusting your gut.”

“That’s all John’s amazing arranging,” explained Adler. “You could hear it in the old Journeymen albums, the group that he was in before, which included Scott McKenzie and one other fellow [Richard Weissman]. Even then, his arranging was too far-out for folk music. I mean, you couldn’t listen to it and say, ‘This is a folk group.’ He was doing such far-out things. Grittier.

“I think the key element is the vocal arranging of John and his songwriting, without a doubt. And three very trained voices, musically, and the determination on Michelle’s part, who is not as musical as the other three. The individual styling of Cass is something out of the twenties or forties, like Tin Pan Alley. The style of the Mamas and the Papas was once described as ‘the girls chasing the boys’—vocally, that is.

“When you heard the result come over the speakers, it didn’t matter what you went through to get it. The job of a producer is part psychologist, part catalyst—certainly [on] the music end. It’s a lot of things. You’re locked away in a studio for quite a while, and in the case of the Mamas and the Papas, these four people exposed every so often, you have to be a psychologist at that point.”

---

Over this century I’ve done a few interviews with Michelle Phillips. In 2007 we chatted.

“I was born when we were living in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles in Aliso Village. Lou Adler is from Boyle Heights, too. I first started listening to radio station KFWB at Thomas Starr King Junior High School, and then while attending John Marshall High School.

“John and I had never heard ourselves sing with anything more than one guitar when we went to audition for Lou. So, when he put together Hal Blaine, Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel, and engineer Bones Howe, when we heard ourselves with a band, it was amazing! It just inspired us more and more. And you know, I think we were very lucky that we picked a lot of good material.

“I think that we put a lot of energy into making the material great. John was such a perfectionist, and so was Lou. That was a big romance. John and Lou were perfectly suited for each other. They bounced off each other. They really appreciated each other’s gifts.

“When we were starting our first album, I suggested we do a Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller song, ‘I’m a Hog For You Baby,’ that I knew from the Coasters. When I sang it for them, they all laughed at me. ‘Oh God, you’ve got to be kidding.’ But they’d never heard it. And you know what then I sang the Shirelles’ ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ for them. And John went, ‘I don’t know . . .’ [So I said,] ‘Okay. I got another one. ‘Dedicated to the One I Love.’ I sang that for John, and it was like his eyes lit up and his head exploded. And he responded. ‘I like that. Let’s get the lyrics and the key for it.’ Then he took that record, and made it his own. You know, it doesn’t sound like anything the Shirelles did. John took that song, and he knew what to do with it. He knew how to arrange it and make it a wonderful record for us.

“The stuff that we decided to cover was great. I mean, if you listen to our version of ‘Dancing in the Street,’ or ‘My Girl,’ or the Beatles song, ‘I Call Your Name,’ those are great covers. Because John knew that, with our vocal blend, we could make those songs great. Listen to the backgrounds in ‘My Girl.’ I know the Temptations did a fantastic version of it, but you gotta listen to our version of it, too.

“We decided to do ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me,’ that was really a song that had been co-written by a friend of my fathers, Fabian Andre, when we were living there in Mexico City.

“When Fabian died on New Year’s Eve of ’66, I found out about it in ’67, and I told John. ‘Oh my God! He wrote one of my favorite songs, ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me.’ We started to work it up. It just sort of happened, you know? What if I didn’t know Fabian had died? That song had been a hit before. It had been a hit twice. But we brought it back and gave it a whole new life.

“When John gave you a part, you had to learn these incredibly difficult parts. He would say things like, ‘You’ll thank me for this someday.’ He would keep us in the studio, doing take after take until it was perfect. We would already be complaining an hour before we finished. ‘But that’s the perfect take, John! It’s not going to get any better than that.’ ‘Yes it is. And there was just so much material.

“I came home one day in 1966 or ’67 and turned on the television, and a special from Vietnam was being broadcast. The camera panned across this audience of soldiers and marines who were fighting in Vietnam. There is such a look on their faces. This is just right in the middle of this horrendous war, and you can see it just etched on their faces. Then the camera pans across them, and there is this huge banner that says ‘California Dreamin’.’ That just shook me to my core. It became a destination anthem. I’m the co-writer of that song.”

During 2008 and 2014 I did a series of interviews with one of rock’s early innovators, photographer Guy Webster who took the cover of the Mamas and the Papas debut LP and traveled with the group during their short career.

My brother Kenneth and I wrote, captioned and assembled the only collection of Webster’s photos in Big Shots: Rock Legends and Hollywood Icons published in 2014.

“I started working with the group with Lou Adler, who discovered and produced them. Lou called me and said, ‘Barry McGuire is sending over this group and he wants us to listen to them.’ So I went into Lou’s office at Dunhill Records, and in came the four Mamas and Papas and they were visually very interesting. Michelle Phillips. Gorgeous girl. Everybody wanted to fuck Michelle. She was it. Cass was wonderful. I knew Cass really well and we were close friends. And Denny was great. What a voice. So Lou and I were the only two people in the office and they started singing ‘California Dreamin’, and Lou and I looked at each other and locked eyes. Oh my God! That is it. We just saw money signs. I went to every recording session Lou did with engineer Bones Howe.

“I did the front cover of their album, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, in the bathroom of a house that was rented at the mouth of Franklin Canyon. In 1966, we were sitting around and I think it was Cass who pulled out some grass from tin foil and lit it with all the windows and doors closed. And we were supposed to shoot our album cover. And we were all really stoned. I couldn’t set up my tripod.

“So I said, ‘We gotta shoot something.’ And in that apartment was that 1920s and 1930s bathroom with all the tile. I put them in the bathtub and I set up my tripod and my big two-and-a-quarter camera and shot that picture. And in that picture for the album cover, shot with my wide angle lens, was the toilet. I had no idea when we produced this and neither did Lou. You can’t put a toilet on the cover of anything and sell it at Sears or one of those chain stores. They will not allow it. So Lou came up with a great idea, to put a little sticker on the shrink-wrap that said, ‘Including ‘California Dreamin’.’ And that covered the toilet. Kid opens it up and there it is.

“It became one of the most controversial album covers of its day which pleased us to no end   I became best friends with the Mamas and the Papas. John Phillips was from another world. You see, John Phillips became a hippie, but he wasn’t. When I first met him, he was not a hippie. He was a bright folk singer who could write beautiful songs. John Phillips and I could be friends. The group was educated. John and I could talk philosophy, religion, and politics. I think John helped Lou and Lou brought John into the modern world of music publishing.

“I was also with Lou and the group at the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival as the official photographer for the festival and the program. The police were so nice there. I took the photo of the cop with the flower.”

“I loved The Mamas and Papas,” lauded SiriusXM deejay Rodney Bingenheimer in a 2020 telephone call we had.

“The harmonies in the studio blew my mind! I will always remember the session for ‘I Saw Here Again.’ We all know there is a ‘mistake’ in the singing when Denny comes in early. We were all around the console watching Lou Adler and Bones Howe creating magic. Lou and everyone in the entire room immediately voted to keep the ‘mistake’ on the master recording.

“I liked John Phillips. He and Michelle always had the best New Year’s parties when they lived in Bel-Air. The photographer Ed Caraeff and I witnessed the debut of Jimi Hendrix at the Whisky a Go Go and later we drove Jimi in Ed’s car to their house. Michelle was everybody’s dream. I will never forget the time when they were on The Ed Sullivan Show and you had to fall in love with her. Mama Cass was always very friendly, and went out of her way to treat street people just like the celebrities who were around. She always talked about the Beatles who we both worshipped. John Lennon was her favorite. Denny was quiet. I didn’t see him much.

“I was at some of their TV show tapings, including Dick Clark’s Where the Action Is. On one episode I was sitting beneath Michelle as they sang on a boat. I also saw the group at the Monterey International Pop Festival. The publicist Derek Taylor really hooked me and Ed Caraeff up.”

On April 27, 1966, after a Hollies’ press party event was held on Sunset Blvd. at Liberty/Imperial Records in Hollywood, Rodney Bingenheimer invited Graham Nash of the Hollies to attend a nearby Mamas and Papas recording session of “Dancing Bear” at Western Recorders. Graham then met and talked at length with group member Cass Elliot.

In a 2014 interview, Graham detailed his encounter to me.

“I only went with Rodney to see Michelle. But Michelle, Denny and John Phillips were doing an overdub in the studio, and Cass was outside the studio. I started talking to Cass. You know the truth is there’s a part of me that really believes none of this would have happened without Rodney. Incredible music has been made from that moment.”

During the afternoon of April 28, 1966, matchmaker Cass picked up Graham at the Knickerbocker Hotel and introduced him to David Crosby at her house in Laurel Canyon. Crosby subsequently connected Nash to Stephen Stills, and Crosby, Stills and Nash was formed.

“We were staying in Hollywood at the Knickerbocker and she picked me up around noon in her convertible Porsche,” recollected Nash. “I said, ‘where we going?’ ‘We’ll be there in five minutes. Don’t worry.’ And drove me up to Laurel Canyon and I met Crosby. And once again, my life has never been the same…”

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Harvey Kubernik, Michelle Phillips, Lou Adler, Kenneth Kubernik Monterey International Pop Festival Symposium 2012 at The Silent Movie Theatre West Hollywood, CA. Photo by Heather Harris

In a few of my conversations with Michelle Phillips, Lou Adler, Andrew Loog Oldham, and Guy Webster, I asked about the Monterey 1967 event.

In 2012 Lou, Michelle, myself and my brother Kenneth did a Q. and A. session on stage at The Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax Ave. in West Hollywood celebrating our book The Illustrated History of the Monterey International Pop Festival.     

Adler, along with John Phillips of the Mamas and Papas forever altered world culture and music in 1967 with the Monterey International Pop Festival. It not only helped bring prominence to Jimi Hendrix, the Who, Janis Joplin and Otis Redding, but popularized a whole new generation of rock ‘n’ roll recording artists who were now here to play and stay.

On April 9, 1967, Paul McCartney flew in from Denver, Colorado, to Los Angeles in a Lear Jet owned by Frank Sinatra. On arrival Paul visits the Bel-Air mansion of John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and Papas, a pad above Sunset Blvd. formerly owned by actress Jeanette MacDonald. An aristocracy has paired the hymnists from the international pop underground along with Mama Cass Elliot and record producer Lou Adler. Paul plays guitar and strums and sings “On Top Of Old Smokey.”

That night, McCartney is quickly invited to join the advisory Board of Directors, which is planning the Monterey International Pop Festival. Adler and Phillips had just formally taken over the planning of the non-profit event, now scheduled in just two months.

“The motivation came that night at John and Michelle’s with Cass, Paul McCartney, myself and a couple of others; our conversation went to rock 'n' roll as an art form, like jazz,” stressed Adler.

“John and I were both aware of the Jazz at the Philharmonic recordings. Someone said, ‘They aren't taking rock 'n' roll musicians seriously.’ Rock 'n' roll was always viewed as a fad that would be over by the summer…but now it was more than just music, it was a lifestyle.

“McCartney’s first recommendation simultaneously along with Andrew Loog Oldham that same day was to book the Jimi Hendrix Experience since they were tearing up England at the time. We looked at Paul beyond an act. Beyond somebody that was singing on stage, as a composer. He was somebody not writing just hits, but great songs. Like ‘Michelle.’

“At John and Michelle’s home, McCartney watched cartoons on the television set, improvising a score for what was on the screen. Paul never came to one of our recording sessions, but (George) Harrison came by a couple of times. You’re fans of everybody’s records. And once again getting back to Monterey, that’s what brought those people together…that they had been fans of everyone in the other groups. And got a chance to cross and ask those questions like ‘How did you get that sound on that record?’”

“As for the Monterey International Pop Festival, John and Lou were smart, they built an infrastructure to draw talent,” underlined Michelle.

“They got the names. It was going to a good cause. What Lou and John did was that they got every person they knew to bring in somebody that they knew. It really gathered energy and momentum. Every time the phone would ring it would be Andrew Loog Oldham calling from London. Kinetic energy. He was so helpful and he wanted to be here so much and be part of it. He loved Los Angeles and he loved Lou and John. They were all very good friends, and Derek Taylor, and there was nothing like this transatlantic energy that grew every single day. Enormously exciting.”

“I was in self-imposed exile from the UK,” admitted Andrew Loog Oldham.

“In late '66 the Rolling Stones had returned to England for a rest after four years on the road. The drugs were working for and against us. I started getting calls from the fuzz warning me about Brian Jones and the condition he was in driving his Rolls-Royce up and down the Kings Road. The party was starting to be over. It was definitely over when I got warnings that I was about to be busted. So I let my bottle go and fled England for Los Angeles. The Monterey International Festival production office was on Sunset Strip in Hollywood.”

It was Andrew Loog Oldham who telephoned Phil Walden who was Otis Redding’s manager to secure Otis for Monterey. Walden then in turn dialed Atlantic Records’ Jerry Wexler to see if the festival was kosher. Wexler explained to him how logical it would be and Walden wisely then consented.

“When Otis came on stage you forgot about the logistics. We knew we were taking one small step forward for mankind. Phil Walden, his manager, was in heaven. He knew he'd just graduated from buses to planes. Phil Walden was one of the greatest managers of his time. His enthusiasm, his pure chicanery, his belief, his service to Otis was an example to the game.

“These white kids in the audience were in school. We all grew from the diversity presented in those three days. Monterey Pop gave service; it still does. I remain oh, so proud I was there and was a small part of it. Otis; the Who; Jimi Hendrix... every time I think of the music I remember the sea of faces and the rhythm of one of the crowd.

“On so many levels the Monterey International Pop Festival began what is still with us today.”

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In my 2020 book Docs That Rock, Music That Matters, I talked to Oscar-winning documentarian D.A. Pennebaker about his movie Monterey Pop that captured the action.

“Bob Rafelson (The Monkees TV show, HEAD) called me up and he said ‘would you like to do a film of a concert in California?’ And I thought about it and I had just seen Bruce Brown’s Endless Summer, which is not about surfing at all, but all about California. Every kid out of high school the one thing they wanted to do was get to California, and Endless Summer didn’t hurt.

“I saw Rafelson once, maybe, but he was never involved. It was always Lou Adler and John Phillips that I dealt with. And we flew up with Cass (Elliot) to see the place and I looked at it and it was this tiny place. I had no idea what was going to happen there. I had never seen a music festival at all. Not even Newport, so I didn’t know what to expect. It had a really nice feeling to it and I loved Monterey and it’s a lovely place. And I sort of thought, ‘well these guys know what they are doing.’

“John and Lou. John was a total genius. He was part Indian and had a mystical view on everything he did. And he hadn’t been playing music for long. The Journeymen a couple of years before the Mamas & Papas. Everything he was doing was like he’d been touched and as long as the spell was there it just flowed out of him. I loved John. He was marvelous.

“Lou knew what he was doing and I knew he was a real good sound mixer ‘cause I had listened to some of the stuff he had done but I knew they were hatching a real interesting game. Which was from the beginning get rid of the money. That was the big thing. Get rid of the money. And I could see that that was gonna make it work. It was a very Zen thing. But I can see that, and later I saw what happened at Woodstock, and I really didn’t want to get involved with that at all. One of the producers of Woodstock saw the film of Monterey Pop and wanted to do a festival.”

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In one of my dialogues with Michelle Phillips I wanted to know her feelings about the ongoing popularity and continued interest of the Mamas and the Papas catalogue.

“Why does our music still resonate and have influence? I’ll tell you what I think. I think that we put a lot of energy into making the material great. John was such a perfectionist. And so was Lou. That was a big romance. John and Lou were perfectly suited for each other. They bounced off each other. They really appreciated each other’s gifts. John and I had never heard ourselves sing with anything more than one guitar when we went to audition for Lou Adler. So when Lou put together Hal Blaine, Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel, and engineer Bones Howe, when we heard ourselves with a band it was amazing! It just inspired us more and more. And you know, I think we were very lucky that we picked a lot of good material.

“As far as the Mamas and the Papas always connecting and in a way Mamas and Papas music is comforting to them. You know what I mean? They can go back into their childhood and say, ‘That was the music of my era.’ And, ‘California Dreamin’’ has surpassed any kind of era. And I think ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’ has done the same thing. It was just licensed for a Marc Jacobs commercial.

“More than a year ago I got a phone call from a political activist who asked if I would agree to let ‘California Dreamin’ be the theme song for the ‘Dream Act.’ ‘We want to call it the ‘California Dream Act.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but are you going to license it?’ ‘But we don’t have the money to license it.’ So I said, ‘I’ll call Universal and see if I can get them to waive the licensing on it.’ So I called Universal, the President of Licensing. ‘You know, I think we outta give them this. I feel very strongly about this and I would like to just give it to them.’ And the John Phillips estate was called.

“And it’s so much fun for me to see and hear ‘California Dreamin’ being played around these political ads. The Dream Act that enables children of Latinos who came here. I was so happy to be a part of it. Why does our music still have influence and resonate? I don’t know but I am very lucky it does.”

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(Harvey Kubernik is the author of 19 books, including Canyon Of Dreams: The Magic And The Music Of Laurel Canyon and Turn Up The Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll In Los Angeles 1956-1972.  Sterling/Barnes and Noble in 2018 published Harvey and Kenneth Kubernik’s The Story Of The Band: From Big Pink To The Last Waltz. For summer 2021 the duo has written a multi-narrative book on Jimi Hendrix for the publisher.

Otherworld Cottage Industries in July 2020 published Harvey’s 508-page book, Docs That Rock, Music That Matters, featuring interviews with D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, Albert Maysles, Murray Lerner, Morgan Neville, Curtis Hanson, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Andrew Loog Oldham, Dick Clark, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Travis Pike, Allan Arkush, and David Leaf, among others.    

In 2020 Harvey served as Consultant on Laurel Canyon: A Place In Time documentary directed by Alison Ellwood which debuted in 2020 on the EPIX/MGM television channel. Kubernik’s writings are in several book anthologies, most notably The Rolling Stone Book Of The Beats and Drinking With Bukowski. Harvey penned a back cover endorsement for author Michael Posner’s book on Leonard Cohen that Simon & Schuster, Canada published in October 2020, Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories: The Early Years)