Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Lots Of Catching Up To Do ...

And we'll try to do exactly that over the next few days ... 

If the death rate slows down a bit, of course ...

My God, what is going on?!?!

We didn't even have time to run our salute to Judith Durham before another great Australian female voice was silenced.

We shuffled a few things around and devoted yesterday's page to Olivia Newton-John ... and naturally we're still getting a ton of  mail about her passing ...

And then on Tuesday we lost Lamont Dozier, one third of one of the greatest songwriting teams in the history of popular music.

Holland-Dozier-Holland provided the backbone (and the backbeat) of the Sound Of Motown for YEARS ...

The sheer number of pop and soul hits they produced is beyond reproach.  (Fred Bronson ran a list of their 50 Biggest Pop Hits one time ... and it'll flat out blow you away ...

"Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," "Come See About Me," "Stop! In The Name Of Love," "You Can't Hurry Love," "I Hear A Symphony," "You Keep Me Hangin' On," "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone," "The Happening," "Reflections," "Back In My Arms Again," "My World Is Empty Without You," "In And Out Of Love" and "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart" for The Supremes; "I Can't Help Myself," "Reach Out, I'll Be There," "Baby, I Need Your Lovin'," "Bernadette," "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" and "It's The Same Old Song" for The Four Tops and other Motown Classics like "Please Mr. Postman," "Heat Wave,""How Sweet It Is," "Jimmy Mack," "This Old Heart Of Mine," "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" and "Nowhere To Run" ... and literally dozens and dozens more.  Their songs will live on till the end of time.  (kk)

MORE:  https://theseconddisc.com/2022/08/09/in-memoriam-lamont-dozier-1941-2022/

Tom Cuddy was the first to tell us that Australian singer Judith Durham, lead vocalist of The Seekers, had died at 79 on Friday, August 5th …
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/06/judith-durham-australian-singer-and-vocalist-of-the-seekers-dies-at-79

 

It is with overwhelming sadness that Musicoast Pty. Ltd. and Universal Music Australia announces the death of international music legend Judith Durham, aged 79. After a brief stay in the Alfred Hospital, Judith was admitted to Palliative Care on Friday 5 August, where she passed away peacefully that evening. Her death was a result of complications from a long-standing chronic lung disease.

On behalf of Keith Potger AO and Bruce Woodley AO, Athol Guy AO said, “Our lives are changed forever losing our treasured lifelong friend and shining star. Her struggle was intense and heroic - never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share.”

Judith's beloved sister Beverley Sheehan spoke of the closeness they shared throughout life, including their love of music. "Judith's joy for life, her constant optimism, creativity and generosity of spirit were always an inspiration to me".

Judith’s family has asked for privacy at this time.

Judith Durham passes at 79. Australia's Crown Jewel.

Man, this is really accelerating. 

In 2014, Judith Durham and The Seekers concluded their farewell concert tour. It's clear from the fan videos (taken in Australia and London) that they were in great form for their 50th anniversary, and at long last an official DVD is available!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZuA8LvTWNY

David Lewis

I just got the biggest shock of my life.
We lost a beautiful, gifted music talent yesterday, at age 79.  I'm saddened beyond comprehension.
There are no words ...  ;...-( 

Rest in Peace, Judith. You were the best.
Mike

Actually, we received DOZENS of emails about Judith’s passing, which really surprised me in a way … 

I wasn't aware so many people would even know her by name!  So this truly is an honor so see her revered in this way.

 

One of the more detailed ones is below:

Judith Durham, Lead Singer of The Seekers and Australia’s Folk Music Icon, Dies at 79

Judith Durham, Australia’s folk music icon who achieved global fame as the lead singer of The Seekers, has died. She was 79.

Durham died in Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Friday night after suffering complications from a long-standing lung disease, Universal Music Australia and Musicoast said in a statement on Saturday.

She made her first recording at 19 and rose to fame after joining The Seekers in 1963. The group of four became the first Australian band to achieve major chart and sales success in the U.K. and the United States, eventually selling 50 million records

International hits included “The Carnival is Over,” “I’ll Never Find Another You,” “A World of Our Own” and “Georgy Girl.”

Durham embarked on a solo career in 1968 but recorded with The Seekers again in the 1990s.

“This is a sad day for Judith’s family, her fellow Seekers, the staff of Musicoast, the music industry and fans worldwide, and all of us who have been part of Judith’s life for so long,” said The Seekers’ management team member Graham Simpson.

Her bandmates in The Seekers — Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley and Athol Guy — said their lives had been changed forever by losing “our treasured lifelong friend and shining star”.

“Her struggle was intense and heroic, never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share,” they said.

Tributes flowed for the beloved singer, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing Durham as “a national treasure and an Australian icon.”

“Judith Durham gave voice to a new strand of our identity and helped blaze a trail for a new generation of Aussie artists,” Albanese wrote on Twitter. “Her kindness will be missed by many, the anthems she gave to our nation will never be forgotten.”

In her home state Victoria, Premier Dan Andrews said Durham had conquered the music world both in Australia and overseas.

“With her unique voice and stage presence leading The Seekers, the band became one of Australia’s biggest chart toppers,” he said.

THE SEEKERS HIT LIST:

1965 – I’ll Never Find Another You (USA - #4 / UK - #1)

1965 – A World Of Our Own  (USA - #19 / UK - #3)

1965 – The Carnival Is Over (USA – #100 / UK - #1)

1966 – Someday One Day  (USA – #143 / UK - #11)

1967 – Georgy Girl (USA - #1 / UK – #3)

1967 – Morningtown Ride (USA - #41 / UK - #2)

1967 – When Will The Good Apples Fall (USA – #106 / UK – #11)

1968 – Emerald City (USA – xx / UK - #50)

It was later announced that Australia was honoring Judith Durham with a State Funeral, "to honour the life and contribution of a true icon of Australian music." 

We didn't have time on Tuesday to run the Olivia Newton-John Hit List ... 

So here's a quick look at her chart history on the Billboard Pop Charts ...

THE OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN HIT LIST

1971 - If Not For You - #25

1974 - Let Me Be There - #6

1974 - If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - #5

1974 - I Honestly Love You - #1

1975 - Have You Never Been Mellow - #1

1975 - Please Mr. Please - #3

1975 - Something Better To Do - #13

1976 - Let It Shine - #30

1976 - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother - #30 (tag-along B-Side)

1976 - Come On Over - #23

1976 - Don't Stop Believin' - #32

1977 - Sam - #20

1978 - You're The One That I Want - #1 (with John Travolta)

1978 - Hopelessly Devoted To You - #3

1978 - Summer Nights - #5 (with John Travolta)

1979 - A Little More Love - #3

1979 - Deeper Than The Night - #11

1980 - I Can't Help It - #12 (with Andy Gibb)

1980 - Magic - #1

1980 - Xanadu - #8 (with The Electric Light Orchestra)

1981 - Suddenly - #20 (with Cliff Richard)

1981 - Physical - #1

1982 - Make A Move On Me - #5

1982 - Heart Attack - #3

1983 - Tied Up - #37

1984 - Twist Of Fate - #5

1984 - Livin' In Desperate Times - #31

1985 - Soul Kiss - #20

1996 - The Grease Megamix - #25 (with John Travolta)

From John Travolta ...

 
I had the pleasure of meeting Olivia Newton John many years ago when I played celebrity tennis. Saddened to hear about this lovely lady. #RIPOliviaNewtonJohn
 

Kent,
I am so sad upon just hearing the news of Olivia Newton-John’s passing today. The announcement of her death brought back fond memories of seeing Olivia at the Genesee Theater on August 25, 2017 (sitting next to you, courtesy of Forgotten Hits). This was a rescheduled concert due to Olivia’s health struggles. As I entered the theater with my wife Barbara, I wondered what we were about to witness from a woman who was in the midst of a decades long battle with breast cancer. 
I have been a huge fan of Olivia since the early days of her career and worried that this, my first chance to see her in concert, might be understandably disappointing. It took only seconds into the concert to have my fears wiped away. 
Olivia was outstanding! Her voice was strong and clear, and she related to the sold-out crowd in a warm and sincere way. I remember turning to you between songs and stating “This is really good” and seeing your head nod in agreement. Yes, I am surely biased given my decades long crush on Olivia, but this concert was absolutely wonderful. Later, I was so happy and felt so validated when you ranked this as your top concert of the year.
The entertainment world lost a great woman, singer, and actress today. I will miss her.
Bob Verbos
It was an outstanding show ... and I'm not sure I can even begin to narrow down the best words to describe Olivia ... courageous, fearless, determined ... sweet, sensitive, incredibly talented.
We were originally supposed to be able to go visit with Olivia backstage after that show at The Genesee, but the word came down that all backstage access had been cancelled ... she needed to rest after the concert ... and who could deny her that.  She came out and gave an A+ performance, despite whatever else she may have been feeling healthwise.
Again, just SO glad we had the chance to see her one more time.  (kk) 
 
From a 2014 interview that Harvey Kubernik did with Russ Regan, who signed Olivia Newton-John to a recording contract at Uni Records, that then became MCA ...  
 
“I then heard a song by Olivia Newton-John, ‘If Not For You,’ in 1971, that was written by Bob Dylan. It was previously recorded by George Harrison in 1970 on his All Things Must Pass album.  I heard her version on an acetate. Somebody brought it to me. I heard it and made the deal. I paid $25,000.00 for that record and was second guessed. That’s a whole other story. I loved it and I was put down for buying it. ‘She’s too plastic, beautiful and will never happen.’ So, I said, ‘She’s beautiful, she’s not plastic and it’s gonna happen big time.’"      
 
Sam Tallerico told me that when Olivia's first record came out, the general consensus was that she'd probably be a One Hit Wonder ... maybe a little too beautiful to be taken seriously ... but boy, she sure proved them wrong.
Between 1971 and 2010, Olivia Newton-John made 42 appearances on Billboard's Hot 100 Pop Chart.  Five of those records went all the way to #1. She had a total of fourteen Top Ten Hits and made The Top 40 28 times.  Not a One Hit Wonder by any stretch!  (kk)    
 
Chuck Buell sent in this short video of one of his favorite Christmas ornaments!!!
 
Here's one that actually has Sound!
And It will long be one of my Favorite Ornaments displayed Year-Round on my Office Desk Shelf.
CB

Good Olivia reading ...
https://variety.com/2022/music/news/olivia-newton-dead-grease-xanadu-1235336152/

https://theseconddisc.com/2022/08/08/in-memoriam-olivia-newton-john-1948-2022/#respond 

https://bestclassicbands.com/olivia-newton-john-obituary-cancer-8-8-22/ 

https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/olivia-newton-john-i-honestly-love-you-forever-number-one-1235124389/#recipient_hashed=fa7e92da6f6e66bffcf0bcbf863670c6eb37d7159eb4d0ea1e44fecd5ec87eeb

You'll find another, more international ONJ Hit List here ...

https://www.noise11.com/news/dame-olivia-newton-john-dies-at-age-73-20220809

And you'll find lots of celebrity tributes here ...

https://bestclassicbands.com/olivia-newton-john-tributes-john-travolta-8-8-22/

The Rolling Stones finished up their SIXTY Tour last week with a performance in Berlin, Germany.  Noise 11 is reporting that during the 14 shows of the European leg they played a total of 38 different songs (many as voted on by their fans of the city they were heading to next as to what song they’d most like to hear them perform.)

Below, they show the set list of their final show …

Along with a recap of the hit list featured throughout this jaunt …

Street Fighting Man (from Beggars Banquet, 1968)
All Down the Line (from Exile On Main Street, 1972)
Tumbling Dice (from Exile On Main Street, 1972)
Rocks Off (from Exile On Main Street, 1972)
Out of Time (from Aftermath UK edition, 1966)
Fool to Cry (from Black and Blue, 1976)
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (from Let It Bleed, 1969)
Living in a Ghost Town (single 2020)
Honky Tonk Women (single 1969)
You Got the Silver (from Let It Bleed, 1969)
Happy (from Exile On Main Street, 1972)
Miss You (from Some Girls, 1978)
Midnight Rambler (from Let It Bleed, 1969)
Paint It Black (from Aftermath US edition, 1966)
Start Me Up (from Tattoo You, 1981)
Gimme Shelter (from Let It Bleed, 1969)
Jumpin’ Jack Flash (single, 1968)

Encore:
Sympathy for the Devil (from Beggars Banquet, 1968)
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (from Out Of Our Heads, 1966)

The 38 songs performed on the SIXTY tour were:

14 times (every show):

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
Honky Tonk Women
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Midnight Rambler
Miss You
Out Of Time
Paint It Black
Start Me Up
Sympathy For The Devil
Tumbling Dice
You Can’t Always Get What You Want

13 times:
Gimme Shelter
Living In A Ghost Town
Street Fighting Man

8 times:
19th Nervous Breakdown
You Got The Silver

7 times:
Happy

6 times:
Slipping Away

5 times:
Lets Spend The Night Together

4 times:
Wild Horses

3 times:
Angie
Like A Rolling Stone

Twice:
Beast of Burden
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking
Dead Flowers
Get Off My Cloud
Rocks Off

Once:
All Down The Line
Bitch
Fool To Cry
I Wanna Be Your Man
Out of Control
Ruby Tuesday
Sad Sad Sad
She’s A Rainbow
Sweet Virginia
You Got Me Rocking

(Looks like “Brown Sugar” never made it back into the set list!!!)

What’s next for The Rolling Stones?

Well, they have already been hinting new music …

And don’t rule out ANOTHER tour down the line either.  They had a BLAST this time around (and made a ton of money, too, which is ALWAYS a motivating factor!)  kk

REMINDER:  Their new 4-part documentary series premiered on Epix this past weekend … and should now be available On Demand.  (We watched Part One Sunday Night, spotlighting Mick Jagger, and it was quite interesting.  They packed a lot of wallop into a one hour episode.)

And last week The Stones released a newly-restored, never before seen version of their “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” video …

Here's the story behind this clip, courtesy of Bob Merlis …

The Rolling Stones and ABKCO Music & Records Inc. have just released the official music videos of The Rolling Stones performing “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”

 

Originally produced in 1968, the videos have been faithfully restored in 4K resolution. The video releases are two different versions of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (one with makeup and one without), directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg (The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, Let It Be) and were shot over the course of a single day at Olympic Studios in London during the spring of ’68.

 

The first version, featuring a makeup-free Stones, has the distinction of incorporating a completely unique version of the song (vocals and all other instruments), whereas the version with a makeup-clad Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts utilizes a fresh Jagger vocal take over the backing track from the single.

 

You can watch the “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” original music video directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg WITH makeup below …


To watch the original “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”  music video directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg (sans makeup), go here: 

https://abkco.lnk.to/jjfnmPR   ... or here ...

https://the-rolling-stones.lnk.to/JJFSansMakeupPR

 

Michael Lindsay-Hogg explains: 

 

“We shot the one without the makeup first,” explains Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who got his start directing episodes of the British music TV program Ready Steady Go! where he began working with the band. “They were great. As we were doing it, I felt there was an ingredient missing, although at that point I didn’t know what it was. We had a small meal break and I saw Brian Jones sitting by the makeup table and sort of playing with the colors — putting it on his face and then wiping it off — and I thought, ‘Huh. That’s a real interesting look.’ And so I said to Mick, Keith, Charlie and Bill, ‘Just go over there to the makeup table and see what it’s like if you put some stuff on your face — either stripes or eye makeup, or full-face glitter, whatever strikes you.’”

 

Lindsay-Hogg continues, “They worked with our very bright makeup person Linda DeVetta and they kind of got into it. After about an hour they looked different, especially Keith and Brian. Then we found the big, space alien glasses. We got something much better than we might have had, left to our own devices. It crystallized what it should be. It’s one of those serendipitous moments where all the things that might have gone wrong, didn’t.”

 

Lindsay-Hogg notes, “The director of photography, Tony Richmond, and I thought there’s another way to light them as well, because it was kind of general performance lighting on the first one we shot in the early afternoon. In the second version, we shot them in these shadows. It was much more to do with shadows, and Mick coming in and out of light, and that whole little walk he does at the beginning. We put that together, and that’s the one they liked best because it had a slightly decadent feel to it.

When I edited them and played them back, they loved the videos. I’d hate to think they didn’t, because then I went on to do their videos for 15 years.”

 

Long before the advent of MTV, music videos (then referred to as promotional films, or “promos” for short) were few and far between, with very limited outlets to air them. The most popular bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and The Who, made these “promos” did so with the intent of allowing broadcast in several different countries without the bands having to travel to perform in TV studios where there were “genuine security issues” according to Lindsay-Hogg, who directed videos for all three acts. Top of the Pops, the aforementioned Ready Steady Go! in the UK, Shindig!, Hullabaloo and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the US were early participants in broadcasting such materials. The Rolling Stones, who were already international superstars by the mid-1960s, now had another tool to help push a single such as “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (UK #1, US #3) into the upper echelons of the charts.




Hi Kent,

I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed Shelley J Sweet-Tufano's review of her Happy Together experience. While I saw a version of this tour somewhere around 1985 or so in Baltimore, I haven't seen it since … and I miss it.

My version included Herman's Hermits (sans Herman), Spanky and Our Gang and the Mamas of Papas (Spanky McFarlane replaced Mama Cass), and Gary Puckett. (Gonna say that Puckett came off as arrogant, but such as life.)

Anyway. please pass on my gratitude to Ms. Sweet-Tufano for such a wonderful review. It made me feel as if I was there next to her!

Blessings on you and your family.

Jim Hill

Some good feedback on Shelley’s very thorough review … which is getting noticed!  (I just saw the whole thing posted on The History Of Rock And Roll Facebook Page, too!!!)  kk

 

I just had to write in and to let you know how much I enjoyed Shelley Sweet-Tufano's review of the Happy Together tour. Thanks to her writing, I felt like I was THERE! 

Sam Tallerico

OK, I'm sensing a bit of a theme here ... 

HAH!  Great "Happy Together Concert Review" from Shelley Sweet!  What a night she and the rest of the crowd had!  It’s like I was there, too!

Chuck Buell

(aka CB – Concert Boy … sorry, man, I just couldn’t resist!!!)

OK, now that's just flat out AMAZING!!!  Three reviews of Shelley's review ... and EVERY single one of them said she made them feel like they were there.  (You just can't write a review better than that!)  Congratulations, Shelley ... I think we've made you a star!!!  (kk)

Chuck’s flying into Chicago next week to attend this big DJ Forum that they’re holding over at The Des Plaines Theater … a GREAT chance for us to finally meet in person … and also hang out with some of the biggest jocks in Chicago radio history.  (I honestly don’t know if there are still any tickets available for this thing or not … will have to check on that.)  But if you’re a radio geek like me … or a guy like Chuck who actually spent a good chunk of his life on the air entertaining people, this is going to make for a REALLY fun afternoon.  Put on by The Museum of Broadcast Communications and hosted by Wendy Snyder, we’re looking forward to listening to GREAT jocks like John Records Landecker and Tommy Edwards (both WLS legends), Gary Burbank (WLW), Steve King (WLS, WIND, WGN), ‘Cousin ‘Brucie’ Morrow (Sirius, WABC), Kris Erik Stevens (WLS, WCFL, KQV), Bob Stroud (WLUP,WDRV), Connie Szerszen (WIND, WJMK, WJEZ, WJJD, WUSN) and Dyana Williams (WHUR, WBLS, WRQX) reminisce about the golden age of rock radio.  (All proceeds benefit the MBC)

I was hoping to finally meet Kris Erik Stevens, a long-time Forgotten Hits Reader, at this event, too, but found out that he won’t be there live but rather via a video clip … which he has graciously shared with us below, so that WE could share it with all of you!  (kk)

Hey Kent ...

A ton of great stuff in this week’s Forgotten Hits ... and a lot of info on the Labor Day weekend Rewound Event …

I suspect I can hear it via the internet...

So glad we connected, and you made me aware of all these Windy City broadcast events. 

I’m told I’m one of the elite jocks who managed to work for both WLS and WCFL.  As I recall, John Rook lured both Lujack and I to come to CFL to take away the #1 Ratings position that WLS had enjoyed for many years. 

After my departure from LS, I went to WMYQ in Miami and loved it.  But when Rook called ... and the money was right, I returned to Chicago for an evening gig on Super CFL ...  It was a fun and redeeming event to kick WLS in the ass!

Shortly thereafter I departed for LA ... in what turned out to be an excellent career move and my own business in Los Angeles.  Never looked back ...

My Web site has some pix plus a WLS aircheck on The WORK page of my website: www.kriserikstevens.com

Also (just a quick fyi) ... my part in the ‘Broadcast Museum’ event will be via Video Appearance ... in fact, I just finished a 6-minute video for the Broadcast Museum event ... check it out when you get a chance on my website, as it’s posted there, too.

Had I known about that Radio Forum in Chicago earlier, I’d be there ... but I’ll take a raincheck on meeting you in person ... should I return to Chicago or its drinks on me if you come to LA ...

Should be fun!

Kris Erik

Kris has been a voiceover guru ever since … just check out the list of credits on his website … simply amazing.  Odds are you’ve heard his voice HUNDREDS of times over the years without even knowing it!   WTG, Kris!  (kk)

And, since he brought it up, we’ve been lining up more and more WLS and WCFL jocks to participate in Rewound Radio’s Labor Day Weekend salute to these two great Chicagoland stations.  (Man, we can’t wait!)

Here are two brand new promo clips recorded for the event … one from Kris Erik Stevens (who actually worked at BOTH stations) and one from Bill Taylor, a ‘CFL jock from the early-to-mid ‘70’s.

SOAPBOX MOMENT:  While rounding up DJ’s to participate in the Rewound Radio Labor Day salute, we have run into a couple who have politely said no … and we have to respect that decision (although I can’t imagine for a minute why they wouldn’t want to acknowledge and take part in a program saluting the most exciting time in their lives … and in Chicagoland Radio in general.)

It makes me wonder just how many of these former jocks realize what a profound and lasting impact they made on our lives - radio was IT at the time - and we couldn't get enough - and all those voices became an extra part of our DNA.  Sure, we all had our favorites, and we tuned in to who we liked best - but the impression was so strong that it carries on to this day.

 

Many jocks may sometimes feel like they were just "doing their job" at the time ... or even that "a job's a job" ... but when you have millions of listeners tuning in and hanging on your every word, how can that NOT make an impact? Those glory days of radio are long gone ... today, if you’re listening at all, radio is barely more than just "background noise" while you're multi-tasking doing a dozen "more important" things – barely even listening until something just happens to catch your ear.  (That's why I'm such a big fan of all these "WOW!" songs!!!)

 

But back then, it was EVERYTHING.  For 25 years I thought I was the only kid out there outsmarting his parents by sneaking the radio under my pillow at night when I was supposed to be sleeping and listening to Art Roberts or Barney Pip until I finally really did fall asleep.  Come to find out there were MILLIONS of us out there doing the exact same thing ... and we have heard from SO many of them over the years of producing Forgotten Hits.

 

Too many of DJ's today don't realize this.  That doesn't mean they owe us anything - far from it - you have already enriched our lives in ways you cannot even comprehend.

 

But don't pooh-pooh it - don't brush it off as "just something I did" -  because it was SO much more than that - and I believe you felt that way, too, at the time you were doing it.


I get the whole idea of "Don't live in the past" ... I've been told more times than I can count to "stop living in the past" over the years ... but I will NEVER give up these memories ... as this is what shaped me into who I am and what I love.  And I'll betcha I've got a little over six million Forgotten Hits Readers who would stand beside me in that statement.  (kk) 

 

From Ted Smucker, who has been my main contact since I climbed onboard to keep this tribute going strong ...

Update on WLS / WCFL Rewound ….

And the hits just keep on comin’.   

Just when we think we have found all of the good quality airchecks that could possibly be out there, someone else comes up with another gem.    

Last week we were working with Kris Erik Stevens on producing some promos for WLS / WCFL Rewound.  I mentioned that while we have a good quality WCFL aircheck of him, we didn’t really have anything that was “camera ready” to air from WLS.  Kris dug around in the boxes in his basement and came up with a full one hour studio quality aircheck of him from 1970.  This aircheck is a “Golden Egg” in my book, and we will be sharing it with everyone over the long Labor Day Weekend.  Thanks Kris, and all the others who have contributed to this project.   

Aircheck handlers include Tom Konard (RIP), John Troll, Art Vuolo, Bill Shannon, Tim Brown, Mark Yurko, Rick Rumick, Greg Barman, John Celarek, Don Beno, Dave Gross, Bob Jones, Scott Childers and more.   Contributing DJs are Chuck Buell, Kris Erik Stevens, John Records Landecker, Jeff Davis, Tom Kent, Bill Taylor, Johnny Driscoll, as well as a few others who are planning on being a part of this by lending their voice to this labor of love.   

A Big 89 and Big 10 Salute to Steve Brelsford, our Promo Producer, for his expert touch.  Steve is a long time jingle collector, and knows just exactly what to do with them.  Promotional consideration from Tim Brown at Midwest Radio Memories on FB, and Pat Piper, producer of The Museum of Broadcast Communications’ Rock Radio Revisited, which is coming up this weekend in Des Plaines.   

Also, A VERY SPECIAL THANKS to Kent Kotal from Forgotten Hits, who put us in contact with many of these WLS and WCFL DJs and what they have to offer.   

And naturally, Allan Sniffen, Proprietor of Rewound Radio, and Jon Wolfert at JAM.  KUDOS!

Be sure to schedule WLS / WCFL Rewound on your calendar … playing back all Labor Day Weekend on RewoundRadio.com and on TuneIn, under Rewound Radio.

I'll be meeting Ted this Sunday as well as this big DeeJay Forum. 

Can't wait!  (kk) 

There’s an impressive amount of top pop and rock singers who are 80-years-old this year!

***Paul McCartney

***Brian Wilson

***Paul Simon

***Chubby Checker

***Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night)

***Graham Nash

. . . and there was a gifted 80-yar-old singer-songwriter from the 60s who made a rare national TV appearance this weekend.  Tommy Roe performed two of his smashes on Mike Huckabee’s weekly show. He sounded terrific and looked great!

Tommy plugged his autobiography “Cabbagetown to Tinseltown & Places In Between”.

It came out in 2016 and is still available through Amazon.

Below are the links to Tommy’s performances, filmed in Nashville this past Friday.

-Tom Cuddy

“Dizzy”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwpfISoPVXU&ab_channel=Huckabee%27sJukebox

“Sweet Pea”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssxvd25bC_4&ab_channel=Huckabee%27sJukebox

Damn, Tommy looks and sounds great!  Thanks so much for sending! 

I know that he really doesn’t want to tour anymore – but an occasional TV appearance like this would probably be a big thrill for both Tommy and his fans!  (kk)

Another artist who has given up the touring aspect of his career is Paul Simon ..

But don’t rule out one-off performances by this guy either!

A couple of weeks ago he showed up at the Newport Folk Festival (for the very first time ever, I might add!) …

And then last week he was Billy Joel’s surprise guest at his monthly Madison Square Garden show! 

If these 80-year-olds can just pace themselves (who would want the grueling traveling aspect of touring at this age anyway?!?!  That’s why I can’t understand why guys like Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson still choose to live on the road for a good portion of the year!)  kk

And finally this from Chuck Buell ...

 


Then there's Kent and Chuck who talk a good game about Forgotten Hits but

never had a Hit Song themselves!

CB!

 

(Much more coming later this week!  In fact, we've already got brand new posts scheduled for the next thirteen days!!!)  kk

Olivia Newton-John

 

The news of Olivia Newton-John's passing yesterday wasn't shocking ... 

But it sure was sad.

Long a favorite of ours, Olivia had been battling cancer for many years now ... and put up a pretty brave and successful fight, seemingly beating the disease several times, only to have it return again.

She immediately caught our attention when, in 1971, she released her first American Hit Single, a cover of Bob Dylan's "If Not For You." (#23)

I fell in love with that song when I heard George Harrison cover it on his "All Things Must Pass" album ... and since he wasn't going to release it as a single, I was especially pleased to hear Olivia do so a few months later.  And what a beautiful voice she had.

She turned the world on its ear for the next several  years to come, causing all kinds of controversy when she started winning armloads of Country Music Awards.  (How does a girl singer from Australia who came out of nowhere deserve the right to take home all of these AMERICAN Country Music Awards?!?!)  The Country Music fans were outraged ... but there was no denying her appeal ... she was just so nice and so sweet, most of those same fans were won over in the end.

But Olivia didn't stop there ... 

She was scoring hit after hit on the pop charts, too.  (Unfortunately, she lost me for a few years there ... too many wispy ... some might say wimpy ... ballads ... although I DID like "Have You Never Been Mellow," a #1 Hit in 1975.  The WORST of the batch ... for me anyway ... has to be "Please Mr. Please," a song I don't EVER need to hear again in this lifetime ... yet it, too, went to #1 [in Cash Box], as did "I Honestly Love You," another non-favorite.)

That all changed a few years later when Livy took on the role of Sandy in the mega-hit motion picture "Grease."  When she vamped into the leather-clad hot chick at the end of the film, she just oozed sex ... and her squeaky-clean, girl-next-door image changed overnight.

All for the better, I might add.  "Grease" spawned three more hit singles:  "You're The One That I Want" (#1, 1978) and "Summer Nights" (#3, 1978), both sung with co-star John Travolta, and "Hopelessly Devoted To You" (#3, 1978), a solo hit written especially for the film ... and probably my all-time favorite ballad of hers.

Most of Olivia's hit music thereafter had more of an edge to it ... 1981's "Physical" (and its still fun-to-watch-video-to-this day) spent an incredible TEN weeks at #1 ... and other hits like "Deeper Than The Night" #11, 1979), "Make A Move On Me" (#4, 1982), "Heart Attack" (#3, 1982 ... now THERE'S a Forgotten Hit for you!) and "Twist of Fate" (#5, 1984) all showed a much edgier side of her singing style.  In between, she made a couple more films, most notably (and not necessarily for GOOD reasons!) "Xanadu" ... but it, too, gave us the title hit, recorded with Electric Light Orchestra (you've gotta wonder who came up with THAT concept!!!) and a #5 hit in 1980, "Suddenly," a #20 hit in 1981, recorded as a duet with British Teen Idol Cliff Richard, enjoying a comeback of his own at the time here in The States where, for some strange reason, he never caught on his first time around, and yet another #1 Record, "Magic."

I was fortunate to see Olivia perform live twice in concert ... first back in the early '80's (when her singing partner for the three above-mentioned duets was some young singer named Dennis Tufano!) and again a few years ago when she did a comeback tour (some might say a goodbye tour) of hits at a time when her cancer was in remission and she just wanted to come out and see, thank and entertain her fans again.  BOTH were excellent shows ... and I'm so glad I had the chance to go.  (We named her 2017 show at The Genesee Theatre our #1 Concert of the Year.  You can read that review below.)

It was impossible not to like Olivia Newton-John ... there was just something so sweet and relatable about her that she touched every heart she ever crossed paths with.

No, I wasn't shocked to hear of her passing yesterday ... but I will be sad about if for a long time to come.  (kk)

 

'60's FLASHBACK:

#1 - Olivia Newton-John   ( August / The Genesee Theatre)
If for no other reason than pure courage and commitment to her fans, I’d have to rank Olivia Newton-John’s show at The Genesee Theatre this past  August (after a three month postponement when her breast cancer returned) as a worthy candidate for our Forgotten Hits Show Of The Year.

But there’s so much more to it than that …

She just took charge of the stage and gave a command performance as good as any I’ve ever seen, basically spitting in the eye of ANY ailment that might have prevented her from doing otherwise and putting the fans ahead of any and all distractions she may have been feeling to put on the show of the year, taking the audience along with her on an incredible journey through her incredible career.

Every phase of her career was showcased … from the early country hits like “Let Me Be There” to the “Grease” soundtrack tunes like “Hopelessly Devoted To You” and her two duets, “You’re The That I Want” and “Summer Nights” … to “Xanadu” hits like “Magic,” the title track and another duet, “Suddenly” … to her ‘80’s #1 Smash “Physical” (presented with an entirely new interpretation that I absolutely LOVED) to an “unplugged” acoustic segment that while somewhat out of character really raised the benchmark as to what this girl can do.

I said it that night in the audience … “It’s going to be tough for ANYBODY” to beat this performance as Show Of The Year” … she won it hands down and deserves every bit of this honor.

From our original review …

We caught the Olivia Newton-John concert on Friday Night at The Genesee Theatre.  This was her rescheduled show after a three month postponement due to the return of her breast cancer.  (Honestly, I was concerned that she should be out performing at all ... but it just goes to show what a trouper she is ... she is a very brave woman with a lot of faith in the healing process and her loyalty to her fans who brought tickets literally all over the country to see her is unmatched.) 

Her show at the Genesee was only the second one she's done since postponing those dates back in May ... and she was nothing short of brilliant.  She looked and sounded AMAZING ... and played a perfect 90 minute set packed with hits to a packed and enthusiastic and appreciative theater of fans.

She kicked things off with three hits from her film "Xanadu," starting with the #1 Hit "Magic" followed by the title track and then the duet she originally did with Cliff Richard, "Suddenly."

After "Deeper Than The Night," the entire group ensemble (which consisted of Mark Beckett on Drums, Dane Bryant, her Band Leader on Keyboards ... which included an absolutely huge grand piano, Marlen Landin Chapman on Background Vocals, Kerry Marx on Guitar, Matt McKenzie on Bass, Steve Nieves on Horn, Sax, Flute, Percussion, Background Vocals ... and, as Olivia pointed out, just about everything else and Steve Real y Vasquez, Background Vocals ... and Olivia's Male Duet Partner on hits like the aforementioned "Suddenly" and the still to come "You're The One That I Want") came forward, center stage, and did an "unplugged" set of some of the country material that first launched Olivia's career here in the States including "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)," "Don't Stop Believin'" (no, not the Journey song ... the one that Livvy released several years earlier that virtually never gets played anymore despite its very catchy chorus!), "Have You Never Been Mellow," "Please Mister Please" and "Let Me Be There" (which is essentially "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" all over again.)  She hit some incredibly high notes during this little mini-set, proving that despite any medical setbacks she may be dealing with right now, she's still got her chops ... some of these had to be tough to hit 40 years ago when she was in her prime!)

To close the set, she did an amazing, acoustic "bossa-nova" version of "Physical," which was the biggest hit of her career.  This is a pretty bold move and a bit of a gamble for ANY artist ... but let me tell you, it worked PERFECTLY in this new arrangement and the crowd absolutely loved it.  (She should consider re-releasing this track ... it just might find a whole new audience in the process!  After all, we're all a bit older now ... and this sounded SMOOTH!!!  Plus, the lyrics that sounded so risque back in 1980 are pretty tame by today's radio standards!)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPhvx_rkfrs

She talked a little bit about some of the alternative healing procedures and medicines she was exploring and then played a couple of tracks she had written that were designed to project a more pro-active state of consciousness that would do more to save and protect our planet environmentally ... these worked extremely well with the accompanying videos.

And then it was time for "Grease"!!!

Olivia brought the house down when she and her male duet partner, Steve Real (who also took the male lead in "Suddenly" earlier in the evening), sang "You're The One That I Want" ... the entire audience was up on its feet.  (Is there ANYBODY out there who hasn't seen "Grease" at least 20 or 30 or 50 times?!?!)  She next did the film's ballad "Hopelessly Devoted To You," which brought some members of the audience (male and female) to tears.  Next, she brought out Didi Conn, who starred with Olivia in the film as "Frenchie" nearly 40 years ago.  Didi had flown in from New York City ... and looked great in her Pink Ladies jacket.  Together they launched a full-on audience sing-along to "Summer Nights," easily the highlight of the evening.  EVERYBODY participated, again with the entire audience up on its feet, singing and clapping along.

She closed her show with "I Honestly Love You," a #1 Hit in 1974 ... and then returned for an encore of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," accompanied only by her pianist / musical arranger Dane Bryant.

I've seen Olivia in concert before and I can honestly say I've never heard her better ... a remarkable achievement in light of all she's been going through these past few months.

As I write this, today is August 26th ... and let me tell you ... it is going to be next to impossible to top this show as our Concert Of The Year ... this was just an OUTSTANDING evening of entertainment.  Olivia Newton-John ... we honestly love you.  (kk)

Monday, August 8, 2022

1972 SURVEYS - August 9th - Oklahoma

 

A bit of a shake-up in this week's Top Ten on Tulsa, Oklahoma's KAKC chart!!!

THREE new entries make their way into The Top Ten for the first time while the Top Three experience HUGE chart jumps to create a new Leaders Board.

"You're Still A Young Man" by Tower Of Power leaps from #6 to #1 in its fifth week on the chart, Bread's "The Guitar Man" climbs from #8 to #2 and Barbra Streisand's "Sweet Inspiration" / "Where You Lead" medley jumps six spots from #9 to #3.

Meanwhile, Al Green's "I'm Still In Love With You" holds at #4 while last week's #1 hit, "Brandy" by The Looking Glass, takes a tumble to #5.  (In fact all of last week's Top Three Hits find themselves in considerably lower positions this week as Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" falls from #2 to #8 and "Goodbye To Love" by The Carpenters drops from #3 to #10.)

New Top Ten entries include "Motorcycle Mama" by Sailcat (we've seen this record ALL over the charts in the past few weeks ... here in Tulsa, it's still climbing, moving up from #11 to #6), "Rock And Roll, Part 2" by Gary Glitter is up eight spots, moving from #15 to #7 and "Hold Her Tight" by The Osmonds moves up three places from #12 to #9.

But the big chart action isn't confined to just The Top Ten ...

"Black And White" by Three Dog Night moves up ten spots from #22 to #12, "Saturday In The Park" by Chicago climbs nine places from #29 to #20 ... and the BIGGEST mover of the week belongs to Mac Davis, who's "Baby, Don't Get Hooked On Me" is about to establish him as a major star.  It moves from #30 to #19, a jump of eleven places.

New on the charts:  "Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays, "Play Me" by Neil Diamond, "The City Of New Orleans" by Arlo Guthrie and "Tight Rope" by Leon Russell.  

All-in-all, a pretty exciting chart!

Sunday, August 7, 2022

Milestones

Today, August 7th, marks the day in 1961 when a Forgotten Hit song by Barry Mann debuted on Billboard’s Top100 that asked the Musical Question 

“Who Put the Bomp in the bomp bah bomp bah bomp” along with the “ram in the rama lama ding dong!”

Actually, the Man who wrote it was Barry Mann himself along with co-writer, Gerry Goffin! 

It was Mann’s only hit, but one that became a Top Ten Song in 1961! 

Why? 

I think because it was just a Really Fun Nonsensical song that poked a little fun at lyrics of some of the other Hit Songs of that era!

And, it is Fun to sing along with! Go ahead! Join in! It’s right here!
 

                                                                  
CB 
( which stands for "Uggah Chuckah Bucka in the Bucky Bah Buck Buck” and “Chuck Buella Buella is a Ding Dong!” )  
 
 
"Who Put The Bomp" may have been the only hit song Barry Mann had as an artist,
But Mr. Mann (don'tcha just love that!) was no stranger to the pop charts ...
 
Not by ANY means!
 
Barry Mann wrote or cowrote dozens and dozens of songs (many of them with his wife, Cynthia Weil)
that became hits for other artists ...
 
Hits like:
 
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "Soul And Inspiration" for The Righteous Brothers
"We Gotta Get Out Of The Place" for The Animals
"On Broadway" for The Drifters
"Walkin' In The Rain" by The Ronettes and Jay and the Americans
"Here You Come Again" by Dolly Parton
"Blame It On The Bossa Nova" by Eydie Gorme
"My Dad" for Paul Petersen
"Kicks" and "Hungry" for Paul Revere and the Raiders
"Rock And Roll Lullaby" for B.J. Thomas
"Patches" by Dickey Lee
... and SO many more
 
So while "Who Put The Bomp" could be classified as a novelty hit ...
And it WAS a hit ...
There was a WHOLE lot more to Barry's abilities than this! (kk)  
 
We've had a couple of other major milestones this past week, too ...
 
Maybe not as big as "Who Put The Bomp" ... but ... well, YOU can be the judge of that!!!
 
August 4th marked the 64th Anniversary of the very first HOT 100 Chart in Billboard Magazine.
 
You can read their salute to their own anniversary here ...
 
https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/hot-100-64-years-fun-facts-ricky-nelson-lizzo-1235122282/#recipient
_hashed=fa7e92da6f6e66bffcf0bcbf863670c6eb37d7159eb4d0ea1e44fecd5ec87eeb 
 
Now while we've been pretty vocal about how Billboard's lack of acknowledgement to all the early hits of the rock era that came
BEFORE August 4th, 1958, and are now continuously being ignored, there is absolutely NO doubt as to the lasting impact the 
premier of this Hot 100 Chart has had on the industry.  It is, without question, the BENCHMARK by which ALL of the hits have  
been measured ever since.
 
Tying into that whole concept of "Will you still need me ... when I'm 64" ... I personally have little use for the charts today and the
way they're calculated ... but then again our focus here in Forgotten Hits has always been more of the rock and roll / pop music 
era of 1955 - 1985.  (We recently expanded that thru 1989 to better coincide with the new Record Research book that tabulates 
the hits for this time period.)
 
And, speaking of Record Research, they're running a special sale in honor of this 64th anniversary ... 
 

 
 
 
The full two pages of the "Hot 100" of August 4, 1958, are shown in Billboard Best Sellers & Hot 100 Charts: 1950s. 
The Top 10 of the same chart appears in America's Greatest Hits 1940-2015.   
All Charts Books are 15% off in celebration of the man who inspired so many others to have a heart for the charts.
 
 
August 4th and the Beginning of Record Research - A Memory from Joel ...​

“It was a cool, rainy evening in September of 1965, when I began researching my records. From my shelves of Billboard magazines, I pulled out the issue dated August 4, 1958, and turned to the first-ever “Hot 100” chart. I opened a sealed pack of 3” x 5” cards, took out a card, a ballpoint pen and wrote “Nelson, Ricky” on the top line, “8/4/58” on the second, “Poor Little Fool” on the third and “1” on the fourth. My first card was the first #1 hit on the “Hot 100.” I catalogued every artist and song on that chart on individual cards. I followed those songs, chart after chart, circling the highest positions that they reached, later dubbing these their ‘peak positions.’ With every new song entry that I added to the cards I had already created, my fervor grew for researching and collecting. On each card, I was building an artist’s history on the “Hot 100” chart. These cards would be a guide as to what was missing from my collection of 45s. From that night, I was compelled to chronicle the charts.

“At that time, I did not know any other Billboard subscribers or anyone who shared my definite obsession for collecting records. I could not imagine that my ‘record researching’ would ever be seen by eyes other than mine. It was the love of sports that led to my discovery of Billboard. 

I was 12 years old, waiting with my mother for the Greyhound bus back to Menomonee Falls. It was a special treat when Mom would venture with one of us six kids to Milwaukee for a day of shopping at Gimbels. Next to our bus stop was the magazine stand where I first spied Billboard. Scanning the magazine from back to front, I was captivated by an ad for baseball card vending machines. I loved collecting baseball cards, seeing the color photos on one side and the organized player statistics on the back, and ultimately, completing a set. Mom graciously purchased the Billboard. Back home I studied the issue, cover to cover, with the music charts overwhelming my curiosity. My hard-earned newspaper delivery wages would not be spent on a baseball card vending machine but on a subscription to Billboard magazine.

“Fast forward a dozen years or so: my attention to baseball was surpassed by my playing of basketball on the semi-pro Menomonee Falls Badgers; I worked in sales in Milwaukee and spent my lunch hours at record shops not far from that bus stop; and the best part, I was married to Fran and we had a baby girl. And on that fateful night, the “Hot 100” was electric with the sounds of the British Invasion, Motown, Surf Music, Folk Rock, Girl Groups and more. How could I know that what I was jotting down to satisfy my own curiosity would be shared worldwide and endlessly referenced — and, that five decades later, my compulsion to create data would still be going strong as the longest tenured licensee in Billboard history. 

And so, the story continues …”

 
More fun Hot 100 reading here:
 
And long-time FH Reader Ed Kelly tells us about a very special anniversary in HIS life ... 
 
And one that ALSO touched the hearts of millions of fans around the country ...
 
Friday, August 5th, marked the 65th Anniversary of American Bandstand ... and we are celebrating throughout the year.  
The show pulled 20 million viewers a day, aired 5 days a week, 2-1/2 hours everyday.  
The best and only book I recommend is Bandstand Diaries. You can purchase a copy at Bandstanddiaries.com. 
AB aired in 1952 in Philadelphia and nationally beginning in 1957. 
Thank you, Kent.  
Ed Kelly
 
And Ed was one of those Bandstand dancers we watched on TV every week!
(And I'll betcha they played "Who Put The Bomp" more than a time or two along the way!!!) kk
 
I also got this from FH Reader Mike Wolstein ...
 
Hi, Kent - 
I may have missed this entry by a few days, but better late ...
I just realized that on August 3rd, 1987, 35 years ago, I discovered a brand new "sound" in Chicago radio, which lasted for quite some time, while going through some changes in its later life.  It was quite different from what were used to
hearing.
At 5 PM that afternoon, WMET 95.5-FM changed formats, and the "new sound" was kind of interesting. 
The station was called WNUA (NU Age), and the format was made up of new agey-style music, some "smooth jazz", and it was a cool place to learn about music you'd rarely hear, if at all, on "pop" radio.
The first piece they played was by David Sanborn, the second by Milwaukee jazz singer Al Jarreau; the one that really got me hooked was the third piece, by a cool Canadian a capella group called The Nylons, who I saw live many times. I was hooked.
Incidentally, one of the DJs was a fellow named Rick O'Dell.  ;-)
After a while, the format changed a bit, and they eventually disappeared. It was an interesting venture into pop music.
Mike
 
And, of course, Rick O'Dell today programs Me-TV-FM's great line-up of music.
DON'TCHA JUST LOVE IT WHEN ALL THIS STUFF JUST COMES TOGETHER!!!
kk