A nice New Year’s message from Al Jardine’s main man …
Sending you good vibes and the warmth of the sun in 2023 –
Happy New Year, everyone, and thanks
for all your support of Al Jardine this year!
Enjoy these two new very-cool interviews / reviews of A Postcard from
California (thanks Jim & Jim):
https://becomingthebeachboys.com/2022/12/26/al-jardines-a-postcard-from-california
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimryan1/2022/12/29/al-jardine-on-a-postcard-from-california-reissue-help-me-rhonda-and-sloop-john-b/
SPUD
With all our year-end stuff going on, we missed celebrating Burton Cummings’ 75th Birthday on December 31st …
But FH Reader Mike Wolstein (a HUGE Burton Cummings fan) made sure to share some of his memories with our readers …
12-31: Happy 75th birthday to Burton Cummings, one of the most talented, all-around musicians who has ever been part of the music world. His voice has incredible power and range and is instantly recognizable.
He plays numerous instruments (piano, drums, guitar, flute, and who-knows-what else!) He never ceases to impress me.
My first experience with Burton and the Guess Who was at the SIU Arena, October 9, 1970. They'd just released "Share the Land" a short time prior to that show, and it blew us all away. They performed slow ballads and hard-driving pieces, but the one that always got the audiences going full steam was their lengthy rendition of "American Woman".
Saw them again at Washington Park in 1975, with Sha Na Na. Great show!
My #1 memory of Burton and his group is from 1976, when the guys appeared at a record shop in the Rush Street area after their concert at McCormick Place. There was a pretty good following there. After a while, the crowd thinned out a bit, and the guys decided to leave. I asked Burton if I might walk along with him (they always stayed in a hotel on Michigan Avenue, not far from the Rush Street area.) He said OK, and it was one of the high points of my musical life.
A theater in Winnipeg has been named for Burton (see below.) He deserves it!
Happy Birthday … and Happy New Year, Bud!
Mike
Burton has been
honored in so many ways back home in Canada (yet snubbed here by The Rock And
Roll Hall Of Fame year after year after year.) It's absolutely criminal!
I know the theater named after him is something he is especially proud of. (He told me the folks up there refer to it as “The Burt!!!” lol)
A GREAT guy who has kept MILLIONS of us entertained for decades now … and, like you said, just an EXTREMELY talented guy.
We love ya!!!
(Coincidently, we ran an interview with Burton’s former bandmate, Randy Bachman, on the 31st of December … one year after we ran Phil Nee’s interview with Burton himself in honor of his 74th birthday!) kk
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2022/01/phil-nee-those-were-days-featuring.html
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2022/12/phil-nee-interviews-randy-bachman.html
Brian May is the latest rock start to be knighted …
He received his honor on December 30th. (Sadly, The Queen could no longer be there to knight the Queen guitarist … so King Charles had to perform the honors, his first since taking over the throne.)
May joins Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Barry Gibb, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Van Morrison and Ray Davies of The Kinks with British Knighthood, now earning “Sir” Brian May as part of his title. (kk)
If you haven't already seen it, I can highly recommend the new Dionne Warwick Documentary that is running on CNN.
There have been a few of these Dionne profiles now over the past several years, but what I especially liked about this one is that most of the story is told in Dionne's own narrative, featuring clips to back things up as they move along - most of which we haven't already seen a dozen times before.
It's a well done profile of a remarkable talent. A bit eccentric? A bit. An over-the-top Diva? For sure. But man, what a voice! (And who knew about her Snoop Dogg connection! lol) kk
And, speaking of great musical programming this past week, did you happen to watch
The Kennedy Center Honors?
Gladys Knight was one of those honored … and I’ve gotta say that Garth Brook performed an absolutely outstanding version of Gladys’ big #1 Hit “Midnight Train To Georgia.”
Tom Cuddy sent us this link to a CBS tribute:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZcr-XPlcXw
Tom also tells us that while Mariah Carey seems to garner all of the Christmas Music headlines, she actually came in FIFTH in over Christmas sales and streams this year, with just under two million units.
Ahead of her were Nat “King” Cole (2 million sales and streams), Michael Buble (2.4 million), Bing Crosby (2.4 million) and Pentatonix (!?!?!) with nearly 2.6 million!!!
(Pentatonix placed 92 songs in the Top 10,000 Christmas Songs list … more than any other artist!)
Here’s the rest of the story:
https://www.billboard.com/pro/how-pentatonix-became-most-popular-holiday-act/
I was listening to WGN last night, but a bit foggy and tired because I got covid after three years of being very careful. Anyway, I think Landecker was on (before 10) and was saying that the station only played that sick Mariah Carey song 180 times, while the top played song was "Sleigh Ride" at 600+. Maybe he was reading some other station’s stats, because WGN doesn't really play songs much. "Sleigh Ride"? I can’t even think what that sounds like! Covid must be affecting my head.
Clark
Trust me … “Sleigh Ride” got played PLENTY! And The Ronettes’ version closed the year out in The Top 20! (kk)
Kent,
In today's FH, when I saw the question WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEAR'S EVE?, I thought of the Orioles' version from way back in 1949, which was released in November of that year. Also, I am not sure without checking, I think Nino & the Ebbtides had a version on Madison records but again, don't know for sure.
Larry
Nino and the Ebb Tides did, in fact, record the tune (although it never charted.) According to Wikipedia, Margaret Whiting was the first to record “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” in 1947 … but it was Sonny Til and the Orioles who first charted with it two years later when it reached #9 on Billboard’s Best Selling Rhythm And Blues Records. It continues to be a holiday favorite, having recently been recorded independently by American Idol contestants Katharine McPhee, Clay Aiken and Fantasia … as well as Donny Osmond (my favorite version), Barry Manilow, Norah Jones, Kacey Musgraves and Steve Perry, to name just a few. (kk)
And, speaking of last year’s big winners, The Rolling Stones take the top spot as the Top Earning Act of 2022 with just under $51 Million, thanks in large part to their “No Filter” Tour, which had a gross of $44.5 Million, earned in just three months of touring the US. (It’s only the first week of January and they’re already teasing a 2023 tour!) This box office take pushed The Stones ahead of Taylor Swift (who did not tour in ’22), placing her second with just under $39 Million, the majority of which came from royalties from record sales and streams. Coming in third was Harry Styles ($36.5 Million.) The Eagles were fourth with $27.5 million, nearly 75% of which came from touring) and Drake came in fifth, with just under $24 million. (By the way, just in case you were wondering, The Beatles earned $15 million in 2022, all in sales and royalties. Guess the money Capitol Records invested in them back in 1964 ended up paying big dividends for these guys, too!)
Speaking of which …
Kent,
You proved my point. It was $40,000 in 1963 dollars well spent, as we approach 60 years since Dick Biondi played Please Please Me, to the sound of one hand clapping. Assorted other radio stations did the same later on in 1963.
What changed?
Money.
Had some record company spent that kind of money on your band, on me, or anyone else, and not the Beatles, they'd be who? We could have been the biggest draw then since Elvis. It's an investment that has paid off handsomely over the years, but it's all hype. To me the Beatles come in at a poor 6th, if that, as far as top UK bands from that era.
Jack
It’s the argument that can’t be won … so I give in … you’re right …
They were a bunch of no-talent hacks who just got lucky because Capitol spent a few bucks to advance their career.
The fact that they went on to write and record timeless classics that will outlive all of us like “Yesterday,” “Michelle,” “In My Life,” “Hey Jude,” “Let It Be,” “The Long And Winding Road,” “Here Comes The Sun,” “Something,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “A Day In The Life” … and record albums like “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Revolver,” “Rubber Soul” and “Abbey Road” had absolutely NOTHING to do with their success or their longevity some sixty years later. It was ALL financed hype that did the trick.
(I’d just love to see the long-lasting, timeless stats on
the other six British bands you found to be more talented … and by that I mean
“all ‘round” talented in regards to their total contribution to music as a
whole ... and improvement of the quality of that music in as brief a period of time ... and the longevity of it today, some sixty years later ... and just how revered and revolutionary it's still viewed by today's standards.)
But hey, it’s a new year … so you win! Feel better??? (kk)
Kent,
I found it great that yours, mine and Phil's top hits chart of 72 all included two songs in our top 15 for the year!
My #1 "Long Time to be Alone" and #3 "Go All The Way" both made you guys' Top 15, too. Yet, neither were on Casey's Top 80.
At least SOME comfort for Ray Graffia and his band. They got #14 on mine, too.
Ray lamented the WLS Big 89 of 69 only having one hit, #60 - "Things I’d Like To Say" - in the airplay this weekend on Rewound Radio. I had to say that WLS always seemed to snuff locals on their year end charts. Imagine spending four weeks at #1 and "It Could Be We're In Love" was only #42 for year of 1967???
The SIX had FOUR hits in ‘69 worthy of the WLS chart. Even in the original Reel Radio broadcast back when, they played the entire hour before and some after and on both ends of the airing was the current hit, "Barbara, I Love You," which ended the year at #2 on my chart.
I guess we need a "Super Chart" compilation! Don’t include Casey's because I think all three of us might agree that seeing Roberta Flack's song at #1 makes me more than cringe.
Clark Besch
Hey, The New Colony Six topped WLS’ Listener Poll two years in a row (1968 and 1969) as Chicago’s Favorite Local Group … so certainly that’s SOMETHING!!! (lol)
And, if you checked out our official 1972 Chart Compilation that we ran on January 1st, you saw that Roberta’s hit came in in 4th place, behind Nilsson’s “Without You,” Don McLean’s “American Pie” and Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Alone Again (Naturally).” (We based our chart on an accumulation of ALL of the national trades, Joel Whitburn’s Record Research Rankings and Dann Isbell and William Campbell’s “Ranking The ‘70’s” Year-End Chart … and DID include some Super Charts stats as well.)
Like most years, any of these Top Four Songs could have finished at #1 (and probably did, depending on which chart you happened to be looking at!) Still, a good representation of the biggest hits of that year. (kk)
UPDATE: On the point system we used to compile THE TOP 72 of ’72, “Alone Again (Naturally)” beat “American Pie” by exactly ONE POINT!!! It finished 21 points ahead of Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” however … so a sizeable spread.
When I see that Nome, Alaska, chart and think -- so many great songs here, it makes me feel lousy to think that the AT40 year end chart had so many dismal 45s in the year end chart.
I don’t remember seeing greats like KNOM's #10 Dialogue, #16 Pieces Of April, #17 Stone In Love With You, #26 Alive, #28 Sunny Days, #37 I Wanna Be With You, #39 What Would The Children Think.
1972 should NOT be remembered for "First Time," "Candy Man," "Daddy Don’t", "MY DING A LING," "Rockin’ Robin," "Popcorn," "Cherish" (Cassidy).
It SHOULD be remembered for the New Colony 6’s incredible "Long Time To Be Alone."
Clark
>>>Who would have thought that Country Music would be so big in Alaska that they'd actually have to run TWO Top Charts each week in order to meet the Pop and Country demand?!??!! (kk)
Kent,
I worked in Alaska at several small-town stations during 1974-75 and 1980-811.
We were the only stations that could be received in town. Therefore, at one of the stations, we ran multiple formats. MWF were Pop. TTS were Country and Sunday was MOR. The combined HOT and Country charts might just have been the station's way of covering both their audiences.
Jon M
Radio. It's a sound idea!
And for you Radio Station Music Survey Collectors leaving town today ... from WAY up North to Alaska ... grab a copy of this one and "Don't Leave Nome Without It!"
CB ( which stands for "Collecting Boy!" )
>>>The list of musicians
and music people we lost in 2022 is staggering … and sadly, with a week of the
year still to go, it’s almost to be expected that we may see a few more before
the end of the year. (kk)
And sure enough, the death of long-time television journalist Barbara Walters made headline news everywhere. Even at the age of 93, it was still as sad shocker to hear.
And then came word that on New Year’s Eve Anita Pointer, one of the Pointer Sisters, passed away from cancer, leaving only sister Ruth as a surviving member of the group.
I always enjoyed the music of The Pointer Sisters … who seemed to reinvented themselves several times along the way of their very successful career.
Early hits like “Yes We Can Can” (#11, 1973) and “Wang Dang Doodle (#61, 1974) almost had a “novelty” feel to them while “Fairytale (#13, 1974) actually won a Country Vocal Group Grammy in 1974. (Elvis reportedly LOVED this song.)
1975 gave us hits like “How Long (Betcha Got A Chick On The Side)” (#20) and “Going Down Slowly” (#61), that had a much more R&B sound.
A cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire” gave the girls their first #10 Hit (#2) in 1979 and “He’s So Shy” (#3) and “Slow Hand” (#2) followed it into The Top Five.
And then they took on a more driving R&B sound with uptempo hits like “Automatic” (#5, 1984), “Jump (For My Love)” #3, 1984, “I’m So Excited” (#9, 1984) and “Neutron Dance” (#8, 1985. Their last Top Ten appearance was for singing background vocals on the Bruce Willis single, “Respect Yourself” (#5) in 1987.
In all, they reached Billboard’s Pop Top 40 seventeen times, with eight of those making The Top Ten.
Their album “Steppin’” remains one of my personal favorites.
A couple of interesting links to share …
Related to the above, here is Ultimate Classic Rock’s Year-End Final “Those We Lost In 2022” column …
UCR also celebrates what will be the 50th Anniversary of THESE fifty albums first released in 1973 … (how many of these did YOU own at the time???) …
And finally, this is your last chance to register for your chance to win a copy of Davie Allan’s new CD “Turn It Up!” … twelve great new tracks from “The Fuzz Master” … along with twelve vintage tracks from albums past.
Just shoot me an email with Davie Allan in the subject line and we’ll register you in our latest drawing … for YOUR chance to win a copy of Davie’s new CD (and an AUTOGRAPHED one at that!!!)
Good Luck! (kk)
