Some of our "hitbound" records are doing very well in Augusta, Georgia, thank you very much! (It seems only appropriate that we would make Augusta our last August stop!)
Bread's "The Guitar Man" sits at #1, just ahead of "Everybody Plays The Fool," "Baby, Don't Get Hooked On Me," "Rock And Roll, Part 2" and "Black And White." (Interestingly enough, here in Georgia, "The Happiest Girl In The Whole USA," "Alone Again (Naturally)" and "Brandy" are all on their way DOWN the chart, each having fallen out of The Top Ten.
However, we do have a few new surprises to review.
Coming in at #4 is "I've Got A Thing About You Baby" by Billy Lee Riley. (It was last week's #1 record!) This has got to be a southern thing ... as this record only made it to #93 in Billboard ... and it didn't do so until November!!! (It did chart for TWELVE WEEKS in Record World, however, premiering in mid-September ... but in all that time, it never actually made The Top 100, peaking instead at #103.) And honestly, I just don't hear "#1 Hit" on this record!
Future Teen Heartthrob Rick Springfield has the #19 record with his first US Chart Hit, "Speak To The Sky" ... while Chi Coltrane's "Thunder And Lightning" premiers at #36 this week. (This one's always been a Chicagoland favorite!)
Boy, I am getting more and more excited about next weekend’s
WLS / WCFL Rewound Radio Labor Day Weekend Salute …
I have seen an outline of some of the segments that they are
intending to run and I’ve gotta tell you, these are some GREAT clips … and,
during the 66 hour broadcast damn near 85% of these clips run about an hour in
length … so you’re going to get a REAL good feel for what Top 40 Radio sounded
like in the mid-to-late 60’s and early ‘70’s, from a Chicagoland perspective.
All of the music has been restored to pristine sound … and
you’ll hear the original radio station jingles, original commercials and bits
and pieces of news broadcasts … and what a line-up of talent they’ve found to share!!!
Everything from the expected (Larry Lujack and Tommy Edwards
doing “Animal Stories”) to a snippet of Dex Card counting down The Silver
Dollar Survey to Larry Lujack’s first show on WCFL, circa 1967, as well as his
first show from his return to WCFL in 1972, Dick Biondi’s first show at WCFL,
Bob Sirott’s 17th Anniversary Salute to WLS as well as 30-60 minute
airchecks from the likes of Fred Winston, Joel Sebastian, Jim Stagg, Gary
Gears, Barney Pip, John Landecker, Chuck Buell, Jeff Davis, Jerry Kaye, Yvonne
Daniels, Clark Weber, Bob Dearborn, Tommy Edwards, Ron Riley, Scotty Brink,
Kris Erik Stevens, Ron O’Brien, Ron Britain, Tom Kent, Steve King, Dick
Shannon, Bob Hale (from 1960 no less!!!), Art Roberts, Bill Taylor and more.
And, on Monday at noon (11 am Central), you’ll hear the
INCREDIBLE music montage that Tommy Edwards put together for WLS’ 1984 New
Year’s Eve Countdown … expanded by Scott Childers to now run thru 1989 to show
case WLS’ rock and roll years on the AM dial.
We’ll continue to update you as to some of the show times
(unfortunately, most of these are still tentative at this stage … but they’re
starting to nail down some of the final details as we get closer to showtime.)
We realize that nobody can listen to all 66 hours … but we
can hopefully point out some highlights along the way to make sure you at least
have the chance to listen to some of the very best stuff … so stay tuned!!!
Meanwhile, two more recent promos we were able to capture,
from Fred Winston and Jeff Davis!(kk)
More from Ted Smucker, with whom I have been working
collecting some of the many promos and drop-ins you’ve been hearing both here
in Forgotten Hits and on Rewound Radio leading up to the big event … these will
continue throughout the long, holiday weekend …
We are
getting down to the wire (or wireless) with WLS / WCFL Rewound on Rewound
Radio.Labor Day Weekend will mark the
unofficial end of summer, and we will celebrate it with a sixty six hour “Blast
from the Past.”
Over the
past eight months, we have been harvesting old Chicago Radio Airchecks from
folks all around the U.S., over the Internet, as well as pulling from my own
private collection. What we have found is that most collectors in the
“aircheck community” are more than willing to share their golden gems with
others of like mind. This communal approach to our mutual interests is
helping us to shape up one of the most comprehensive presentations of Top 40
Radio talent and music from the Windy City’s WLS and WCFL. This is
fortunate, as many of us had thought some of these voices of the past were
gone, except for the replay in our memories.
Long
time friends of nearly 40 years, and brand new friends of 40 days, have
contributed in this effort by volunteering their special talents of producing
promos and restoring audio, merely because of the love of the medium.
We’re also lucky to have tremendous support from those that are cyber-talking
this event on Facebook, and on their blogs, such as this one. Let’s not
overlook the amazing co-operation of the air talent of WLS and WCFL, as a dozen
of these folks have stepped up and recorded voice tracks to assist in promoting
this special event and even submitting airchecks of themselves from over 50
years ago.
But hats
off to the proprietor of Rewound Radio, Allan Sniffen, who’s love for the
medium has given us the platform to display these NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens)
over a long three day period. (These may not be true NFTs, but I wanted
to use that in a sentence just once!) A hearty “Top 40 Salute” to one and
all.
The most
asked question we’ve had is, “How do I listen to this?”
3. Amazon devices such as
Fire TV and Alexa. Say, “Alexa, play Rewound Radio on I-Heart
Radio”
4. TuneIn Radio Ap and
search Rewound Radio
All in
all we are anticipating a great weekend as we playback these two iconic
stations.
Ted
Gorden Smucker
Hey, Kent!
Remember when we were in our teens and we thought
it was so cool when our Birthdays happened on a Saturday?! Like yours
does this year?!
Then when we were 21+ Young Hot
Shots and we could party on a Saturday night with Real Purpose?!
And then as more years went by and instead of showering around 8 PM to head out
at nine for the first stop at the latest local sensory overload clubs of the
night, we now think seriously of going to bed around nine!
With no real expectations of celebratory sensual physical activities!
That being said, I just want to wish you a very~~~
And here's your Special' Buell
Boy Birthday Card!'
CB ( which stands for "Cheers! Boy!"
)
Also from Chuck …
You know, Kent, in yours and my
Chicago Weekend Reports about the "Rock Radio Revisited'' event, we
mentioned the places where we enjoyed some great Food and Beverage, Ed
Debevic’s 50's Chicago Diner, Johnnie’s Charcoaled Italian Beef, and even Jimmy
Buffet's Margaritaville Restaurant, but I don’t think we included the highly
appropriate Restaurant and Bar we just happened across for our end of day Adult
Beverages on Saturday … the highly appropriate restaurant and sports bar,
the Radio Room! It was a very nice place even though the Manager,
when I asked, did not know just why it was named that!
You'd think, if anybody he'd
have, or find, an answer for, it'd be me!
Perhaps he didn't realize who I used
to be. {:~}
CB ( which stands
for Former "Celebrity Boy!" )
>>>With Shelley's Skill Set in
writing her very detailed “Reviews,” too bad she couldn’t have been with us on
this particular Adventure of ours to record and help protect our otherwise
fragile reputations!(Chuck Buell)
>>>Yeah, we really need to put
together a Forgotten Hits outing … for years, we’ve talked about doing a big
meet-up at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland –
But I’ll tell you what … a trip downtown to
see the sites in Chicago and a fun dinner at Ed Debevic’s would be an absolute
BLAST!!! (kk)
Thank you for the compliment.
So many sassy responses to choose from! I
pushed them all away to reply: "I agree."
I wish I could travel more. Opportunities may
be opening up, but the cost has arisen exponentially. (Thank you, math teachers,
for that one!)
However, I could only record what actually
happens. "Protect our otherwise fragile reputations"? Sassy responses
are trying to return so I will sign off with ... you didn't make the news, so
at worst, you were under the radar.
Shelley
On second
thought, with Shelley Sweet-Tufano’s Skill Set in writing detailed “Reviews,” I
can’t help but think it was probably a good thing she wasn’t with us on this
particular Adventure of ours!
Chuck
Hello, Kent -
I'm still here and I still check out your
stuff.
I had to comment on Johnny Mathis, who is
about to become my age in September, 87.
Just wanted to say that his music career
extends far beyond the world of the top singles. He was and still is, as far as
I know, a concert singer. During one stretch in his career, he put out a bunch
of albums not intended for radio play but aimed at his legion of fans. He sang
everything, covering anything that was ballad material. I bought them all. I
think they'll stick the tag "Legend" on him.
Hil
Interestingly enough, we can continue our discussion of Great Geezer
Balladeers (lol) thanks to this recent article in Billboard Magazine,
spotlighting Engelbert Humperdinck!!!
Incredibly, Engelbert is hot on the charts again thanks to
the use of his song “A Man Without Love” in the new Marvel series “Moon
Knight!”It sounds like he has retained
all of his vocal chops as well, as he hit the #86 mark in age.
This is a GREAT Billboard article and interview … and I love
the humility he exhibits while explaining the period where he was waiting for
his first hit to come … an eventuality that he never gave up hope on … he just
KNEW he was destined to be successful as a vocalist!
… while we examine the ENGELBER HUMPERDINCK HIT LIST below
as well …
Well, prior to his recent big comeback that is … I mean, now
the guy’s a Tik-Tok star!!!(kk)
THE ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK HIT LIST
1967 – Release Me (US - #3 / UK - #1) - #1 in Great Britain for six weeks, long enough to prevent
The Beatles’ “Penny Lane” / “Strawberry Fields Forever” from topping the chart
there!
1967 – There Goes My Everything (US - #20 / UK - #2)
1967 – The Last Waltz (US - #21 / UK - #1)
1968 – Am I That Easy To Forget (US - #11 / UK – #3)
1968 – A Man Without Love (US - #13 / UK - #2)
[that’s FIVE straight Top Three Hits in a row, for those of
you who are counting]
1968 – Les Bicyclettes De Belsize (US - #22 / UK - #5)
1969 – The Way It Used To Be (US - #24 / UK - #3)
[and then two more Top Five singles as well … before his
first “miss” … miss??? A #15 record is a miss???]
1969 – I’m A Better Man (US - #35 / UK - #15)
1969 – Winter World Of Love (US - #13 / UK - #7)
1970 – My Marie (US - #24 / UK - #31)
1970 – Sweetheart (US - #35 / UK - #22)
1971 – When There’s No You (US - #36 / UK - #xx)
1971 – Anther Time, Another Place (US - #40 / UK - #13)
1972 – Too Beautiful To Last(US - #75 / UK - #14)
1976 – After The Lovin’ (US – 5 / UK - #xx) – his FIRST big
comeback of sorts … nearly fifty years ago!!!Lol
1999 – Quando Quando Quando(US = #xx / UK - #40)
That’s FOURTEEN US Top 40 Hits!Not too shabby, ol’ boy!!!! Not too shabby at
all!(kk)
With the Elton John / Britney Spears single finally available,
Billboard also examined his penchant for duets … including a number of times that he has remade some of his OWN hits with other artists!
For all they hype surrounding the Britney
Spears collaboration, I’m just not hearing “hit” on this one … yet I probably
will be, just because of the iconic nature of the two artists who produced it …
it would make for a HUGE comeback record for Britney after all her literal
trials and tribulations over the past several years.(kk)
Speaking of hype, lots of talk about the
next Beatles reissue box …
At one time, the thought was that Apple
would do a combo box set featuring music from both “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver”
… but it looks now like they’ve settled in on a “Revolver” only box (which, of
course, paves the way for a “Rubber Soul” box set just in time for Christmas
gift-giving for 2023!)
Although an official release date has yet
to be announced, it is believed the “Revolver” box will be out in November …
and fans are already speculating as to what “cleaned-up” tracks they may be
able to replace their bootlegs with!Apple is expected to make an official, formal announcement in
September.(Better get my pre-order
money ready now!!!)
In addition, Bruce Spizer has just
published a new book that DOES encompass the ”Rubber Soul” / “Revolver”
sessions (and all the singles recorded and released during this time period)
THIS might be a good one to add to the
Spizer library collection as The Beatles turned the corner with their work on
these two LP’s.(Even George Harrison
used to say that in his mind, the two album sort of lumped together … it was
just a very creative and fruitful period in their careers as writers and
recording artists.)Incredibly, they
continued to tour right up to the time of “Revolver”’s release … although it
was virtually impossible then to reproduce the sounds they were making in the
studio on the live stage.(Performing
has come a long way since then!)
A couple of related articles you might be
interested in on this topic …
Former Rascals Felix Cavaliere and Gene
Cornish have teamed up again for a series of shows on the east coast.(You may recall that it was during the last
pairing of these two original members of The Rascals that Cornish had a heart attack on stage
and had to be rushed to the hospital, thus ending his part of the reunion and collaboration!)
But that was 2018 … and Gene is ready to
perform again.(Gene’s book, “Good
Lovin’” My Life As A Rascal” is an entertaining read … we interviewed him a few
years back about that one. I have yet to
read Felix’s new biography, “Memoir Of A Rascal” … I can only assume that each
of these two founding members were complimentary enough to each other in print
to want to go back on the road together again after all these years!!!
Lol)
Too bad Eddie and Dino don’t want
to take part … their “Once Upon A Dream” stage show was outstanding … and I
just know they would be playing to packed houses again if they chose to
resurrect it.
Felix has been out on the road doing
shows with Micky Dolenz of late … put this new tour (named the “Time / Peace”
tour, after The Rascals’ first Greatest Hits album) is sure to attract many of
the same fans again to see half of The Rascals reunited.(kk)
The Rolling Stones and ABKCO Music &
Records Inc. have released the official music video for “We Love You,”
originally filmed in 1967. The Peter Whitehead-directed “promotional film”
(as videos were referred to in the pre-MTV era) has been newly restored in
4K. The “We Love You” video includes visual references to the infamous
Redlands bust of February 1967, involving Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and
singer Marianne Faithfull, the subsequent criminal trial, as well as the
drug bust of Brian Jones later that same year.
Recorded
at Olympic Studios in the summer of ’67, “We Love You” has Brian Jones on
Mellotron, Nicky Hopkins on piano, and backing vocals by John Lennon and
Paul McCartney, who were returning the favor just after Jagger and Richards
had contributed vocals to The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love.” Thinly
disguised as a blanket statement of love, the song is actually an
anti-authoritarian anthem (“You will never win we / Your uniforms don’t fit
we”), sung by Jagger over droning, Moroccan-influenced music.
The dragging chains and prison door sound effects that begin the song and
are illustrated in the video were inspired by the February 12, 1967, police
raid of Keith Richards’ home in Redlands, West Wittering, Sussex. Leading
up to this event, British tabloid News of the World had published a series
of sensationalistic stories about the drug use of pop stars, including Mick
Jagger who then sued the paper for libel. News of the World tipped off
authorities to a party at Richards’ Redlands residence where it was
believed that drugs were to be present. Marianne Faithfull, who had just
come out of the bath inside the home the moment 18 officers showed up,
quickly covered herself in a fur rug. A trivial quantity of controlled
substances was found, but Jagger, Richards and art dealer Robert Fraser
were still charged with major drug offenses and all three were handed
draconian prison sentences that June. The two Stones were bailed out
pending appeal, which they won, after spending one night in prison. On the
day Jagger and Richards were released, Brian Jones and his girlfriend were
arrested on charges of drug possession. This series of events is thought to
be the spearhead of a generational rift in British culture, where older
journalists working with the authorities had an adversarial relationship
with younger musicians; life-altering consequences hung in the balance of
this clash of values.
In the time between the February Redlands bust and the court proceedings,
Jagger, Richards, Jones and Jones’ girlfriend Anita Pallenberg escaped the
unfolding media circus by visiting Morocco. The trip was an inspiration for
the general sound of “We Love You”; Jones in particular fell in love with
the music of the North African nation, leading him to produce Brian Jones
Presents the Pipes of Pan at Joujouka by the Master Musicians of Joujouka
the following year.
Filmmaker Peter Whitehead -- a Liverpool native who had directed The
Rolling Stones tour documentary Charlie Is My Darling Ireland 1965 -- captures
the ridiculousness of the band’s legal situation in the video for “We Love
You.” Richards plays a judge, whose wig is composed of rolled up tabloids,
while Jagger and Marianne Faithfull participate in a mock trial, inspired
in part by the 1895 trials of poet / playwright Oscar Wilde. A fur rug,
plausibly the one Faithfull wore, is presented as evidence, just as it was
in the real courtroom. An October ’67 issue of The Evening News and Star
with the front-page headline “DRUGS: BRIAN JONES GETS NINE MONTHS” can be
clearly seen in another part of the video. Whitehead bookends the trial
with footage of the band recording at Olympic Studios in London circa ’67,
often enhanced by visual effects.
In the 1960s, there were very few television programs where music videos
could be played. BBC’s Top of the Pops refused to give “We Love You”
airtime, with the rationale that it was not suitable for the show’s
audience. TOTP’s producer denied the theory that the video was banned by
the BBC; regardless, very few people were able to see it upon its initial
release. “We Love You” was still a #8 single the UK, while it was released
as the B-side to “Dandelion” in the US, hitting #14 on the Billboard Hot
100.
This announcement follows The Rolling Stones and ABKCO’s 4K release this
month of both versions of the “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” music video, directed by
Michael Lindsay-Hogg in 1968.
I remember the big buzz around “We Love You” at the
time (delegated to the B-Side of The Stones’ 1967 single “Dandelion,” but still
charting on its own to #50), was the fact that John and Paul sang some of the
background vocals (after Mick appeared seated at the feet of The Beatles in
their “All You Need Is Love” video / live broadcast.(It was also considered to be yet another bit
of following The Beatles’ trend in its wake.)
Not a great song (by any stretch) it IS
pretty amazing to see this thing finally come out some 55 years later!
I have been totally digging and
rediscovering The Stones of late … kicking myself a bit now for not taking part
in their 60th anniversary tour … and since Frannie’s never seen them
before (and they still apparently put on one killer, kick-ass show) we may just
have to start saving up now … because you just KNOW they’re going to come back
around again.(They simply had too much
fun … and made too much money … not to!!!)
The new “My Life As A Rolling Stone”
documentary series has only helped to fuel the fire … so I think a Stones
concert may very well be in our future next year!(kk)
More background and insight from Harvey Kubernik, who
talked to Rolling Stones Producer Andrew Loog Oldham about recording The
Beatles and The Stones!
It was Andrew Loog Oldham who introduced Whitehead to the Rolling Stones, and made an earlier and seminal hookup of John Lennon and Paul McCartney to his band.
In a 2012 for Record Collector News magazine, Andrew Loog Oldham talked about Whitehead, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
“Sean Kenny, the maverick Irish stage
and set designer, who worked closely with Lionel Bart on many of Bart’s musicals like Oliver!Sean was the resident art director at the Mermaid Theatre. Sean recommended the director Peter Whitehead to me.
“Whitehead had done this film Wholly Communion on beat poets at the Royal Albert Hall. Sean had heard about it, I had not. I offered Peter two grand and said 'Can you start on Friday?' he could, he did. Peter spoke from the upper ranks, and his demanding questions carried weight.
“Then I spent more than a few
grand more because I had to make it look like a
film. The credits and slow- motion stuff and
mixing the soundtrack with Glyn Johns.”
During
a 2000 interview we conducted, Andrew discussed
the Stones and Beatles connection that he initiated
that resulted in John and Paul singing on “We
Love You.”
“I
worked as a press agent for the Beatles, Chris
Montez, Bob Dylan and the Little Richard / Sam
Cooke / Jet Harris tour before I met the
Rolling Stones. I worked for fashion designer
Mary Quant in 1960 when fashion was the pop
business - the only pop Britain had.It was a time
when American Cinema gave us hope and attitude,
and the pill gave us time and disposable
income.
“Let
us look at the bottom line, Brian was a
passionate man who would not take a
"no" on behalf of his lads and that
is how we got to hear the Beatles’ music. End
of story. My book Stoned celebrates the
few months I worked for the Beatles and
applauds the Brian I experienced and worked
for.”
During 1963,
Andrew worked for a handful of months doing
publicity for the Beatles. He was a very key
component in the launch of “Please Please Me”
and placing the lads into newspapers and
musician-themed periodicals like Beat
Instrumental.
In his autobiography Stoned, Andrew has
a wonderful anecdote about Lennon and McCartney concerning
their “I Wanna Be Your Man” song given to the Stones. Andrew
suggested a tune for his band from the songwriters when he
saw them coming out of a taxi in Soho after they were honored
at a Variety Club luncheon at the Savoy Hotel in central
London.
He then guided John and Paul to the Stones’
basement rehearsal room down below Ken Colyer’s Studio 51
jazz club in Great Newport Street off Charing Cross Road
after informing them he was looking for a record for the
Stones’ next single. John and Paul taught Andrew’s group “I
Wanna Be Your Man,” they had just been written but not done
themselves.
During 2009, I interviewed
sound engineer Andy Johns who worked on some recording
sessions with Andrew Loog Oldham on the Stones Their
Satanic Majesties Request album at Olympic. Johns shared
a memory of the “We Love You” and “Dandelion” dates.
“I didn’t do
that many sessions on Satanic Majesties
Request. Just a few. It was bizarre. And
I thought it was pretty silly stuff. You got
Bill Wyman out there playing vibraphone? And
some other bizarre instrument that Charlie
(Watts) was playing. It was just a very poor
attempt to compete with Sgt. Pepper’s.
"Andrew Loog
Oldham was still around but not very much. The
last time he was present was during the ‘We
Love You’ and ‘Dandelion’ recording sessions
at Olympic when the cops showed up at the
door and Mick was smokin’ a big joint.
“These are a
couple of Bobbies in uniform. And Mick was so
brilliant. He puts this joint behind his back
and says, ‘Andrew, what we need on this are
two pieces of wood bein’ hit together in
unison. Like claves.’
‘What about
these,’ offered the Bobbies, as they
voluntarily pulled out their truncheons.
"So, he
escaped by puttin’ them on the record. And
Andrew was spraying the control room to cover
up the smell. At the time the Stones were
having vast hassles with the cops and another
bust would have been the end for them. So, it
was a very narrow squeeze. Jimmy Miller their
next record producer later gets me in on Sticky
Fingers, which was about half done.”
Look who’s got a new album coming out!!!
Why it’s none other than Ben E. King,
former lead singer of The Drifters, who went on to enjoy a very successful solo
career.
From the official press release:Ben E. King’s influence as both a songwriter
and performer is undeniable. Beginning with his tenure in the legendary vocal
band The Drifters, where he sang lead on such classics as “There Goes My Baby,”
“This Magic Moment” and “Save The Last Dance,” and on through his solo career
highlighted by timeless treasures such as “Stand By Me” and “Spanish Harlem,”
King crafted a singing style, soulful and smooth, that continues to echo today.
Recently a group of friends and admirers
have lent their talents on a set of recut versions of King's most beloved hits,
creating a cross-temporal collaboration like no other! King's voice sounds as
good as ever on this collection which features funky bass icon Bootsy Collins
breathing new life into “Supernatural Thing, Part 1” while up-and-coming
R&B artist Bette Smith joins blues guitar phenom Ronnie Earl on a rousing
version of "Stand By Me!" Bringing some Latin flavor to the mix,
flamenco guitarist Rafael Riqueni steps in for an inspired take on the classic
“Spanish Harlem.” All of this and more can be found on Supernatural Soul,
which is available now on all formats including both CD and vinyl!
There are some great tracks on this new
CD as Ben E. King reinterprets some of his biggest hits.(He’s even got a Drifters Medley thrown in
for good measure!) You can stream these tracks thru your
usual devices thru the links above.(kk)
And a couple of weeks ago we told you about
the new album coming from The Cowsills.(Suddenly, it seems like everything old is new again!!!I love it!)
You’ll find more details on this new
release here:
CNN Films
Documentary DIONNE WARWICK: Don’t Make Me Over Premieres With Legendary Music
Artist Dionne Warwick To Ring In The New Year Jan. 1, 2023 ON CNN
Written,
Produced, and Directed by Dave Wooley & Directed by David Heilbroner
The new CNN
Films documentary, DIONNE WARWICK: Don’t Make Me Over, will
premiere Sunday, Jan. 01, at 9:00 pm ET & PT, exclusively on CNN. The
award-winning documentary feature, which is written, produced, and directed
by Dave Wooley and directed by David Heilbroner, will broadcast
with limited commercial interruption on New Year’s Day, 2023.
Ms.
Warwick’s own velvet-toned voice largely tells the story of her music and life
for the film, underscoring her creative and cultural legacies during six
decades of an extraordinary career. The film explores her stunning range
of musical styles and versatility. Her career has soared despite dramatic
upheaval within a fickle industry, and flourished through multigenerational
social change. Along the way, Warwick has earned six Grammys, amassed an
astonishing array of global solo and duet hits, and remains a stalwart advocate
and ally for racial equality and justice, women’s rights, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Speaking on
behalf of the filmmakers, Dave Wooley said, “Working on DIONNE
WARWICK: Don’t Make Me Over has been a true labor of love. We
wanted to make a film that people wouldn’t just see…we wanted viewers to feel
transported. This is the story of a transformational, global icon.”
DIONNE
WARWICK: Don’t Make Me Over blends archival footage with personal
photographs, and newsreels of Warwick’s career.
Her grace,
grit, and singular talent are reflected upon in exclusive interviews with her sons, Damon and David
Elliott; music legends Burt Bacharach, Clive Davis, Snoop
Dogg, Gloria Estefan, Barry Gibb, Berry Gordy, Elton
John, Cissy Houston, Quincy Jones, Alicia Keys, Gladys
Knight, Melissa Manchester, Olivia Newton-John, Smokey
Robinson, Carlos Santana, Valerie Simpson, and Stevie Wonder; as
well as commentary from former President Bill Clinton, philanthropist and
designer Kenneth Cole, amfAR HIV/AIDS research advocate, Kevin Frost;
and Rev. Jesse Jackson.
The film
also includes the backstories behind the blockbuster hit songs: “That’s What
Friends Are For,” “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?,” “Alfie,” “Heartbreaker,”
“I Say A Little Prayer,” and so many more.
“Dave Wooley
and David Heilbroner have created a beautiful tribute that shows the enduring
impact of Dionne Warwick. Her trailblazing, humanitarian legacy extends
beyond her exquisite songbook, and she’s had a lasting cultural influence,”
said Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and
content development for CNN Worldwide, on behalf of CNN Films.
During the
New Year’s Day premiere, DIONNE WARWICK: Don’t Make Me Over, will
stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com and CNN OTT and mobile apps
under “TV Channels,” or CNNgo where available. The film will also be
available On Demand beginning Monday, Jan. 02, to pay TV subscribers via
CNN.com, CNN apps, and Cable Operator Platforms. While watching the film,
viewers can interact with others across social media platforms by using the
hashtag #DontMakeMeOver.
Dionne Warwick in NYC, 2022
Photo by Tom Cuddy
I was
sad to learn of the passing of Sam Gooden, a founding member of The
Impressions. One of the best concerts I ever saw was in the early eighties when
The Impressions re-united and were booked at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.
I later encountered Sam in February, 2000, at the memorial for Curtis Mayfield
at the First AME Church in South Los Angeles.
