The Buckinghams

Hi Kent,
Nick and I would love to share with you and your loyal Forgotten Hits Readers two songs from The Buckinghams' latest CD, "Reaching Back." The cuts are "I'll Never Say Good Bye" and "Love Is You" and we'd love for you to feature these as part of your "Brand New Music From Some Of Your Old Favorites" website feature. “Reaching Back” is a gift back to the fans who’ve been loyal since the 60s. We began touring fulltime again back in 1982, and, at the suggestion of our road manager, Susan Rakis, we were the first classic rock artists to do “meet and greets” after concerts. Through the years, fans have asked, “can you record some new music but make it sound like the great songs you gave us in the 60s?”. With that as incentive, I wrote 8 new songs for “Reaching Back” and with Nick Fortuna on bass, Bob Abrams on lead guitar, Bruce Soboroff on keyboards, and Tom Scheckel on drums, “Reaching Back” takes you back to the sounds from the 60s. Life was easy, as every week America would tune in to Ed Sullivan’s “Really Big Show”, Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” and the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour to watch The Buckinghams.
We'll be performing some of our new songs from "Reaching Back" in and around Chicagoland next month. We're headlining The Chicago Hitmakers Show, which will consist of two concerts set for Friday, May 29th at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, and Saturday, May 30th at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, Indiana. We'll be joined on stage by our friends The Ides of March, featuring the exceptional Jim Peterik, and the Rock & Roll Live Wikipedia, Ronnie Rice, formerly of The New Colony Six. We're also set to play for the Multiple Sclerosis Society benefit, the North Shore Wine Tasting Festival, to be held at the Cuneo Museum on Sunday, May 3rd. More info on all of our upcoming shows is available at www.thebuckinghams.com
I also wanted to take a moment to share what two of the former Buckinghams are doing in May. Dennis Tufano is appearing in Las Vegas, May 17th, at the South Point Casino for a great cause — it’s the Bobby Darin Lifetime Event, benefiting the Children’s Heart Foundation, plus it’s the 50th anniversary of Mack the Knife. Marty Grebb is set to perform a concert of the group Chicago’s hits, three evenings in the Philippines, joined by Chris Pinnick, Kenny Cetera, and Tim Scott, with special concert opener, Anna Grebb, Marty’s daughter.
On behalf of all of The Buckinghams, we just wanted to say thanks, Kent, for your support of all the great Chicago musicians, and for the great memories daily on Forgotten Hits.
Carl Giammarese
The Buckinghams
Thanks, Carl ... and thanks for sharing these two new tracks. The "Reaching Back" album, in addition to recreating the sound of The Buckinghams of the '60's on some brand new material ALSO features newly recorded remakes of the band's biggest hits ... you'll find brand new versions of Kind Of A Drag, Don't You Care, Hey Baby, They're Playing Our Song, Susan and Mercy, Mercy, Mercy as "bonus tracks" on the new CD ... VERY faithful renditions of your favorite tunes, brought up to date in a contemporary way that still manages to pay homage to the sounds we all grew up loving back in the '60's.
(By the way, regarding those original recordings from the '60's ... rumor has it that the complete Buckinghams Columbia catalog is about to be released as Sony digital downloads in the not-too-distant future ... we'll keep you up to date on THESE developments, too!)
And, when you stop by The Buckinghams' website, be sure to check out Carl's new SOLO release, too.
Click here: The Buckinghams - Home Page




Very special thanks to Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna of The Buckinghams (as well as Dawn Lee Wakefield, their publicist) for their help in putting together today's special "Brand New Music From Some Of Your Old Favorites" feature.

New Music From Henry Gross, Bob Lind, Al Martino and Alan O'Day

Here is a quick update from a couple of the other artists on our list:

Here's a ballad, "If You Were Mine", that Mason Ramsey has been getting strong response to. I'll be playing it myself tonight ... on the Joe Cocker show in Clearwater FL.
Henry Gross
Click here: The Official Henry Gross Website
Yep, we've been listening to this one, too. Can't wait to hear the new CD. (We've been proud to feature brand new music from Henry Gross' last three CDs ... and THIS track is coming to you before the latest album has even finished recording!!!) Thanks for sending, Henry! Hope you guys had a GREAT show!
kk



The NEW stuff that Henry Gross sent to us is absolutely ROCKING! I'm going to go see Henry when he performs in concert with Joe Cocker in Clearwater, Florida, in April. It's exciting to be one of the only radio stations out there playing brand new music by many of these artists like Henry Gross, Rick Derringer, Wayne Fontana, Barry Whitwam, Felix Cavaliere, Carl Giammarese and several others. The comments that we're receiving from our listeners are typically "This NEW STUFF sounds like the GREAT Stuff from the Old Days of Radio!!!" I can only imagine that this is how it felt to be breaking some of this music when it first came out in the 60s and 70s. It is something that you have, Kent, when it comes to this newsletter, that I have for Radio and Entertainment and that these guys have for their music and artistry ... a little thing called PASSION. I'm building ... and I very much appreciate the help in hauling a few of the blocks.
-- Mason Ramsey
Click here: RockandRollHeaven.net


We were especially pleased to hear from Bob Lind, who gave us permission to use ANY of the demos he recently posted to his website ... we picked THIS one ("Wrong Again") .. but you can check the rest out right here:
Click here: Bob Lind Playlists - Songs & Lyrics Page



Kent,
Thanks for keeping us in the loop.
How formal do the recordings need to be? Can you use some of my demos?
You'll find them on the web page ... use whatever you like!
Bob
Nice to hear some of this new stuff, Bob ... readers will find a dozen demos posted on Bob's website ... check it out ... and it looks like Bob is off to Jolly Ol' England later this year for some concert appearances, too! (kk)


And many of you will remember the brand new track sent into us by Al Martino a few weeks back ... it's got a nice "country feel" to it ... and we got quite a few compliments when we featured it last time. Here it is again ... "Trying To Find My Way" ... not a bad tune for this 82-year-old youngster!!! (lol) Al tells me he's still hoping to put together an album and has been working on new material. (kk)




Finally, one more goodie from Alan O'Day. We featured a couple tracks from his latest CD, "I Hear Voices" a few months back. There's a little bit of EVERYTHING on this LP ... as Alan himself describes it:

Kent,
The new album includes the "retro-rockers" "My Rock And Roll Shoes", co-written with Artie Wayne, and "The Thing About A Ring", which is a bit of an Elvis tribute in its style. "Sylvia Funky" and "Blow My Blues Away" are the main "blues harmonica" tunes. "Guide Me" & the title song are "faith based". And the surprises are "Please Don't Believe Me" (re: child abuse) and "Your Song Sucks" (a live novelty number).
Thanks so much, Kent!
Alan O'Day

There's truly something for EVERYBODY on this new CD ... and we've elected to go with "Your Song Sucks" this morning ... the one response NO artist on this list EVER wants to hear!!! Alan has some fun with this one ... and I think YOU'LL enjoy it, too! (He told me that he wrote the song as his tribute to all the songwriters out there who have experienced some form of this 'reality check' ... including himself!" lol) The new CD is available on iTunes, & CDbaby ( http://cdbaby.com/cd/alanoday2 ) ... and be sure to check out Alan's website, too! Click here: Alan O'Day, Songwriter
Check out some of the new music ... along with a few videos ... here:
Click here: Alan O'Day, Los Angeles, United States - myrecordlabel.com

We're Going "All Out" Today With A Brand New Rip Chords Track!!!

Staying in "Surf Mode" for one more day, we're happy to feature some brand new music by The Rip Chords!


These guys have certainly done THEIR part to help keep surf music alive in the new millennium ... this is their THIRD new release since 2004 and I can only tell you that the band sounds as good ... or better ... than ever.


In fact, we've been telling you about the brand new Rip Chords CD release, "Cobra Beach" for a couple of weeks now ... thanks to the guys, we'll be giving away a couple of copies as soon as the CD becomes available in June ... so, if you haven't already done so, be sure to register YOUR name in order to be eligible for this great give-away prize!

Meanwhile, Rip Chords Guitarist Mitch Schecter just sent us a track called "All Out" to "Sneak Peek" for you this week as part of our very special Forgotten Hits / "Brand New Music From Some Of Your Old Favorites" feature ... it's a rocker that they'll be adding to their live set list this summer.

Check it out here first ... before you can even buy it!!!

Hey Kent ...
Here's a Sneak Peek from our upcoming CD, "Cobra Beach" for you. The song is called "ALL OUT!" , and it's a 60's styled garage rocker ... which will be featured in our live show this year. You can use it in your "Sneak Peek" feature. Thanks!
The new CD will include 11 tracks ... including 8 new tracks ... 2 remakes ... and another "Lost Richie & Arnie Gem" from 1959!
"Cobra Beach" was an instrumental on our 2005 CD, "Shut 'Em Down Again", on Collectables Records ... and this time we have included a kickin' live version of it to close the new CD, followed by the rare Richie & Arnie track as a Bonus track.
The beautiful cover is being designed By David Beard of Endless Summer Quarterly ... I don't have the artwork for the CD jacket yet so, in the meantime, I've sent you a photo from Vegas that you can use. By the way, the new CD will be released on my label, Home Room Records, this time around. It will be available online and at our shows after June ... but, I'd like to give away 2 copies to 2 lucky "Forgotten Hits" members before you can even buy it ... so let's do a contest!
Thanks for all of your support!
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords

(click photo to enlarge)

Like it??? Well, you can register to win a copy ... or go ahead and pre-order your very own "guaranteed" copy of the brand new Rip Chords CD by sending an email to: theripchordsband@yahoo.com ... Mitch promises to pass along the order info to anyone who sends them an email. Once the CD is officially released, it will be available on I-Tunes and CDBaby.com as well as directly from The Rip Chords via mail or at their live shows. (By the way, their previous two CDs, "Shut 'Em Down Again" and "The Rip Chords ... NOW!", can be ordered through Collectables Records at www.oldies.com)

Surf City All Stars

The past couple of days we've featured "New Music From Some Of Your Old Favorites" that paid homage to The Beach Boys ... so we're ESPECIALLY thrilled this morning to bring you a track that actually features two of the former members of "America's Band", The Surf City Allstars!!!

In fact, today's track features Al Jardine on lead vocals performing a Beach Boys Classic. He and David Marks ... who rotated Beach Boys membership in the earliest days of the band ... along with Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean ... have been performing for years now as The Surf City Allstars and the Legends of Surf Music. They've also been recording some new material that we hope to be sharing with you shortly. Today's track comes from their recent "live" CD.

I can only tell you that we were VERY pleased to receive THIS email the other day from David Logeman:


Hi Kent -
David Logeman here with the Surf City Allstars and the Legends of Surf Music. Your "Forgotten Hits" site is very interesting. Maybe we can help each other. I used to drum for the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean. Same goes for all the members of the Surf City Allstars. We still work with Beach Boy Al Jardine, Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean, and Beach Boy David Marks. However, we are interested to promoting the Legends of Surf Music with the Allstars. If you can see a way to help promote us, I can get you tracks with these stars singing on them from our LIVE CD and some new recorded stuff. I can also set up interviews with Al, Dean, and David as long as it is promoting our show. Please go to our site and check us out. What do you think?
Attached is an old favorite with a new twist. It is "California Girls" from our LIVE CD with Beach Boy Al Jardine singing lead with the Surf City Allstars.
This CD can be purchased on our website: http://www.surfcityallstars.com
We are giving a FREE CONCERT at 5:00 PM on Saturday, May 9th, in North Myrtle Beach, SC at 2nd and Main St. We are inviting all the fans to come have a great time with the Surf City Allstars and the LEGENDS OF SURF MUSIC: Original Beach Boy Al Jardine, Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean, and Original Beach Boy David Marks, performing all the Greatest Hits. Thank you so much for your help!
David Logeman
SURF CITY ALLSTARS LEGENDS OF SURF MUSIC
http://www.surfcityallstars.com



Not a bad version of "California Girls" at all!!! ... and, of course, we've talked about The Surf City Allstars before in Forgotten Hits ... as I recall, a couple of our readers were even wondering how to get themselves one of the REALLY cool Hawaiian shirts shown on the website! (And, quite honestly, I've liked everything I've heard Al Jardine do since leaving The Beach Boys ... his "Live In Las Vegas" CD recorded during The Beach Boys Family And Friends era is OUTSTANDING and features special guest appearances by Wendy and Carnie Wilson, Al's son Matt and others.) We're ALL about keeping the music alive here ... so thank you for your contribution. And believe me ... our readers would LOVE to read Forgotten Hits Interviews with Al Jardine, Dean Torrence and David Marks ... ALL of whom come up regularly in our pages. Thanks, David! (kk)

And, Speaking Of New Releases ...

Yesterday we featured a couple of tracks from the brand new Denny Flannigan CD "Don't Need No Reason To Party". Flannigan, as many of you know, was a former member of The Moonrakers, probably Denver, Colorado's most famous (and best-loved) local band of the '60's.

We also featured a track by co-Moonraker Veeder Van Dorn a while back, who recently recorded his Beach Boys Tribute song "Three Brothers, A Garden And Love." Well, there's NO question how influential The Beach Boys were to The Moonrakers ... yesterday, we featured The Moonraker's version of "Be My Baby", featuring Carl Wilson on guitar and co-produced by Brian Wilson ... and now we just received a nice note from Van Dorn along with a track he's been playing around with ... what he calls "The Moonrakers Edge Remix" of The Beach Boys' tune "Getcha Back". (This is one of MY favorites, too, Van Dorn! Believe it or not, it actually came out in 1985, not 1972, when The Boys Of Summer took this up to #25 on the Cash Box Chart!!!) We've got BOTH of these tracks for you today in Forgotten Hits ... proving again that MANY of these artists we grew up loving are STILL making GREAT music today!
As you know I have a Beach Boy Tribute song out now called "Three Brothers, A Garden, and Love" ... and it's selling pretty well on eBay with a lot of interest coming from Japan. I thought you might like to hear the attached "remix" or what they call a "treatment" that I produced ... (not for sale ... just 'for fun') ... it's one of my all time Beach Boys favorite songs called "Getcha' Back". The song only went to number 34 or so back when it was released, and then just disappeared, and when I heard it again recently on a compilation CD after all those years, I got excited about it all over again. I'll bet you remember always turning the radio WAY up when it came on back then. I don't remember the exact year but I think it was around 1972. I sang along with it and added some extra vocal and drum tracks and adjusted it a little ... if you play the 'original' and then play my 'remix' you'll notice some differences. If they put it out now, with my new 'Moonraker Edge' on it, I think it could be a BIG hit for them now, like it SHOULD have been back then. What do YOU think?
Veeder Van Dorn
The Original Moonrakers
Formerly managed by Roger Christian






The Moonrakers were all the rage in Denver back in the '60's ... although they never officially had a national hit, their records always found their way to the top of the KIMN Charts ... and they seemed to be the opening act for virtually EVERY big name that passed through town. (Yesterday we featured a vintage newspaper clip from the time they opened the show for The Dave Clark Five!)


Watch for more Moonrakers tracks next time we do our Local Hits / Show Me Your Hits Series ... and don't forget to send us YOUR nominations for some of the biggest regional hits that the rest of the country missed out on! Meanwhile, it's great to hear that both Denny Flannigan and Veeder Van Dorn are still out there making GREAT music after all these years!



REMINDER: We just received an "official" confirmation from Mr. C. that they ARE going to replay the episode of The Flip Side Show on which we appeared last December. If you're able to check it out, please do so ... here's a Listen Live Link: Click here: The Flip Side Radio Show - Home
It airs this evening from 7-8 PM Central Time.

Brand New Music From Some Of Your Old Favorites

It's funny how things work out sometimes... I have been holding this piece for a couple of weeks now, originally intending to include it in the next "Leftovers" Page ... which will be coming to Forgotten Hits Subscribers later this week by email, by the way. But circumstances changed ... things got delayed (as we went through a stretch where email became more troublesome!) ... so I decided to hold off just a LITTLE bit longer and give it the spotlight treatment it deserves here on The Forgotten Hits Web Page instead. And, as things ultimately worked out, (which they so rarely do!!!), it turns out that the timing couldn't be better. Inspired by these new tracks submitted to me by Denny Flannigan and Wild Bill Cody, we've talked with a number of the artists on our list and they've agreed to share some of their new music with our readers ... in many cases, before you can even buy it!!! Truly "Sneak Peeks"!!! We're calling it "Brand New Music From Some Of Your Old Favorites" ... and today we kick things off with some of great, new music by an old local Denver favorite! Enjoy!!! (kk)

YES!
It finally happened, after years and years of begging and pleading to PLEASE record this tune, my all time music idol growing up (Denny Flannigan of the Moonrakers), has recorded AND released Bumble Boogie! It was originally done in 1961 by B. Bumble & The Stingers. To my knowledge, the only rock and roll group besides them that even could touch the song was the Moonrakers, and it was the song they opened and closed their shows with!
Denny's just released CD btw is called "DON'T NEED NO REASON TO PARTY" by Denny Flannigan & The Suns of the Beaches, recorded down south where Denny calls home, San Felipe, Baja Mexico. The entire CD is incredible ... you need to order a copy today and enjoy it for years to come!!!
In fact, here's one last tune from Denny Flannigan's new CD "DON'T NEED NO REASON TO PARTY" by Denny Flannigan & The Suns of the Beaches.
This particular song is the last song on the CD, and to my knowledge was recorded in the late 60's in Hollywood, California. Here was yet another tune made famous by the Moonrakers in Denver, Back in the day, Denny sang the lead to this song and would have women swooning and nearly fainting like other major teenage idols of the time. If you grew up in Denver, you'd probably have to agree he was without a doubt Denver's only home grown rock 'n roll chick magnet. Guys like me in other garage bands wished we WERE Denny Flannigan!
Well, catch your breath and let me give you the line-up on this song originally written by Phil Spector. (BTW, when you listen to it, the Moonrakers created their own "wall-of-sound"). The line-up included the ENTIRE original Moonrakers group with Denny on piano and singing the lead, Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys was playing the Rickenbacker 12 string and also added to the vocals, Bob Webber played lead guitar / vocals, Van Dorn played rhythm guitar / vocals, Joel Brandes played bass, and Bob MacVittie played drums. Oh and one sidenote, the song was produced by Roger Christian, Brian Wilson and Richard Russell. It does have a Beach Boy feel to it doesn't it?
As the story goes, the recording had been all but lost, until last year when a copy of it mysteriously showed up on ebay! Denny spent a small fortune, grabbed it, cleaned it up, and the rest is history.
Again, enjoy ... and if you get a chance, please pick up the entire CD, it is great with some live cuts and incredible tracks, it's a party waiting to happen for your ears!!!
"Wild" Bill Cody
Honestly, I think it's got more of a Byrds-feel to it than a Beach Boys sound ... but this is Brian Wilson's ALL-TIME favorite song ... so it is VERY cool that they were able to salvage this one and finally get it out for the public to hear!!! Thanks for sharing ... hopefully, this will whet the appetites of some of our readers who'll want to grab a copy for themselves ... and this is where you can do that!!! Click here: Denny's new CD-DON'T NEED NO REASON TO PARTY
Once you read the "stories behind the songs", you're gonna wanna pick up your OWN copy of this hot new CD right away!!! Special thanks to Denny Flannigan to allow us to share these "Sneak Peeks" with our Forgotten Hits Readers!!! (kk)

Hi Kent,
I enjoy your column and love keeping ’up to date’. Kudos to you for keeping our memories alive of all this great music from 'back in the day ...' You've done a great job! You do such a good job with your presentation and I would be complimented to have you feature two of my songs and any other information you think appropriate. We've had lots of publicity and airplay surrounding the new CD ... and, as always ... ya never know!
Best Regards,
Denny Flannigan
http://www.DennyFlannigan.com
http://www.NameThatTuneBaja.com
Wild Bill is a great promoter and has always been one of my best fans. His enthusiasm jumps off the page. He is a one of a kind very special person. How lucky for a guy like me to have him for a fan. It’s very humbling when you are such a big part of people lives that you’ve touched and a gift that I have never taken lightly. The stories behind many of these songs are really interesting. Be My Baby, for instance, was lost for over 40 years and one acetate surfaced at a flea market and then made it’s way to ebay. There are some fascinating stories behind some of these songs and if you skim the following link it would be quicker than my retelling them here. . .
http://namethattunebaja.com/details_denny.lasso?-token.page=dnnrtp
We’re getting great reviews so far with very a unique and environmentally safe packaging that seems to be the first of it’s kind. While we haven’t even had a release party, the art on the cover and backside are so beautifully portrayed and representative of where we live that it is selling basically on looks and to people who know me. So the whole package is what we are actually presenting.
The Arches, built by the four states in Baja, are considered the gateway to the Sea of Cortez and the promise to promote tourism. At any rate, most people see it and buy several copies to send to friends and family. The packaging is unusual and I haven’t seen anyone else use it. It is totally “Green” ... recycled, recyclable cardboard, no plastic trays. There is a lot of local history not only from Colorado but from our travels that have led us to San Felipe.
I also never intended airplay but rather wanted to make a San Felipe ‘Memento’ CD. We are, however, getting played on two stations and have a great review coming out in 4 weeks in Mexico Living Magazine which I will also forward to you. At this age, you just don’t try to go for the gold any more but like Chuck Berry says, ‘You Never Can Tell.‘
Again, I enjoy keeping up with your music, info and items that I would never have heard about had it not been for you and Forgotten Hits. By the way, I know HOW MUCH WORK YOU DO! Thanks from all of us out here! And thank you again for your interest in my new project ... I would be flattered to have you handle this as you see fit and share some tracks with your knowledgeable, music-loving readers. This should be interesting and great fun! We are on CD Baby, iTunes (in the very near future) and this can only help us. Thank you again for your help and experience creating such a great site and for the interest in my new CD! Please let me know if I can help you in any way.
Denny

Bumble Boogie by Denny Flannigan and The Sons Of The Beaches


Be My Baby by The Moonrakers ... featuring Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys ... and produced by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian

'60's FLASHBACK: We've talked about The Moonrakers quite a few times in the past here in Forgotten Hits, thanks in large part to their #1 Fan, Wild Bill Cody. In fact, way back when, we even covered the time the band opened for The Dave Clark Five ... but Denny just sent us a vintage newspaper clipping from that era that he recently received from a fan ... and passed it on to us to share. Check this out!!!
Hi Kent,
A fan just sent me this clipping from the Rocky Mountain News when the Moonrakers opened for the Dave Clark 5 in Denver in the mid 60‘s. Things have changed a bit since then.:-) It really makes you realize that you are lucky to still be alive and making music.
Thought you’d get a kick out of it..
Regards,
Denny Flannigan

(click photo to enlarge)

Tin Tin

Here’s a One Hit Wonder that has TRULY become a Forgotten Hit.

Despite peaking at #16 in Cash Box Magazine and #20 in Billboard Magazine in the Spring of 1971, "Toast And Marmalade For Tea" by Tin Tin has been all but ignored and forgotten by oldies radio.

Sounding an awful lot like The Bee Gees of this era … and for good reason: the track was produced by Maurice Gibb ... Tin Tin would never have another American Top 40 Hit.

Keyboard Player Steve Kipner would go on to enjoy some personal success in the ‘80’s … he wrote "Hard Habit To Break" for Chicago and both "Physical" and "Twist Of Fate" for Olivia Newton-John ... and all three of those records would go on to make The Top Five on The National Charts.

WAGE$ OF $PIN ... An Update

We've been talking about the new Shawn Swords / Paul Russo film documentary "Wages Of Spin" for nearly two years now. In fact, one of our earlier postings on this subject can now be found right here on this web page:
Click here: Forgotten Hits: THE WAGES OF SPIN

The film examines in great detail the early Rock And Roll Music Scene, particularly as it relates to Philadelphia and the phenomenon known as "American Bandstand" ... and, specifically, Dick Clark, payola, and how the game was played back then.

It's been making the rounds on the Film Festival Circuit for quite a while now ... and late last year was to be offered for purchase "Just In Time For Christmas Gift-Giving" ... at the last minute, however, copies of the film were pulled back for re-editing, refunds were sent, and the promise of a new release schedule was to be forth-coming.

We heard from a number of folks on our Forgotten Hits List, who were amongst those who had ordered the film and then received refunds ... and several others are now asking "When, Where and How do WE get a copy???"

A recent Film Festival showing in Philadelphia (attended by many of that cities stars from this era) spurred even MORE interest in this film ... and Shawn Swords tells me that the controversy has now even made the front page of the online edition of "The National Enquirer"!!!
Click here: DICK CLARK PAYOLA SHOCKER - Celebrity News Gossip - National Enquirer
UPDATE: Apparently The National Enquirer thought the story big enough to include it in their newstand / street edition!!! We just received THIS clipping from Producer Shawn Swords:

(click on photo to enlarge)

Meanwhile, here are some recent comments we've received ... along with some from film producers Swords and Russo.

Dear Kent,
I have read the many comments here over the past few weeks about the eagerly-awaited documentary "Wages Of Spin." So last week it was a special pleasure to do a one-hour interview show with the filmmaker who created and directed that film: Mr. Shawn Swords. Unlike most of my interviews which are by phone, this one was in-studio. Also participating was Shawn's producer, Blake Wilcox. This show is my first interview ever with a film director!Shawn's previous film was the documentary about rockabilly great Charlie Gracie. It was called "Fabulous." The title was the name of Gracie's second smash hit and also describes the critical acclaim that Shawn and his associates received for that work. And it was that film that inspired the one which I am now writing about. "Wages Of Spin" is a fascinating, revealing and critical documentary about the Philadelphia music scene from 1952 to 1963, examining the history of "American Bandstand," Dick Clark, payola and the teen idols of the day. Many music personalities appear in it including legendary deejay Jerry ("The Geater") Blavat, producer / songwriter Artie Singer and the aforementioned Gracie. The film presents a comprehensive history of "American Bandstand," which actually had its origins as a Philadelphia radio show. When it arrived on TV as "Bandstand," the host was an avuncular gentleman named Bob Horn. (He neither was nor looked like a teenager.) The show and Horn were very popular but, pretty soon, there was trouble in paradise. Ultimately it led to Horn being replaced by Dick Clark. The interview and the film focus on the fact that, among other things, Dick Clark did not merely PLAY the hits on "Bandstand" (which eventually became "American Bandstand"): he also MADE them and in many cases OWNED part or all of the publishing of some of them. Also, as Shawn and the film point out, artists appearing on the show often were required to do something that is NOT GENERALLY KNOWN and may raise a few eyebrows. Recording artists appearing in Shawn's film, in addition to Gracie, include Frankie Avalon, Connie Francis, Fabian, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys, Chubby Checker and members of the Dovells, the Crests, the Comets and the Orlons. The film was recently exhibited at the Philadelphia Film Festival and will soon be on national TV and possibly in select movie houses as well. You will probably be surprised by many of the revelations contained in this interview, which are presented in much more detail in the carefully-researched film itself.
Here's the film trailer, which is also its first minute and 54 seconds:
"Wages Of Spin" trailer
To access this Shawn Swords show or any of my previous ones, please use the this link:
Jersey Girls Sing! -- (www.jerseygirlssing.com).
When that home page comes up, please click the "Ronnie Allen Theater" (the name has a yellow background) in the picture on the right-hand side. That will bring up my index page. Please click on "Ronnie's Radio Page," which will bring you to the archived shows. The Shawn Swords show is the first one listed. All other shows are in reverse chronological order.
Ronnie Allen

Hello Kent ...
I checked out Ronnie Allen's interview with Shawn Swords. Very interesting. Here's what puzzles me. I found out about Alan Freed & Payola back in the 50's. Why is it I'm just now finding out about Dick Clark's dirty deals? Why did it take so long to reveal all this information? For example Artie Singer said Dick Clark wouldn't play " At The Hop, " unless they gave him 50% of the publishing rights. I understand that at the time they were doing business with each other, nobody wanted to talk about it. Maybe 10 years later you'd free to talk about it. What are your thoughts ?
Frank B.
Actually, I think people have been buzzing about Dick Clark's "behind the scenes" deals for quite some time now ... watching the WHOLE film and seeing some of the side deals and arrangements he had going on will surely leave you scratching your head. Certainly there HAS to be some resentment to the fact that Clark walked away from the whole payola scandal clean as a whistle and unscathed ... and went on to thrive in nearly EVERY business venture that came his way ... while other, often more influential personalities saw their careers crash and burn. Perhaps things have been kept quiet out of respect for the GOOD he has done for the music industry ... and lately, probably more so because of his failing health ... but to TRULY appreciate the scope of his dealings, you've just GOT to see the whole film. Did he really do anything that every OTHER deejay in America was doing at the time??? Probably not ... but very, very few ever went on to achieve anything even reasonably CLOSE to the national fame and attention that Dick Clark enjoyed ... he truly became a household name. Honestly, I don't expect much will ever come of these revelations ... but it's an interesting history lesson as to how the game was played back then. (kk)

CHUBBY CHECKER, CHARLIE GRACIE, STEVE CALDWELL (Orlons), MARC STEVENS (Dovells), JOE TERRY (Danny & Juniors) dj JERRY BLAVAT and several original American Bandstand dancers joined 200 theater patrons at the INTERNATIONAL HOUSE in Philadelphia last night (April 1st) for the official premiere of WAGES OF SPIN, the new documentary which chronicles the Philly Music Scene (1952-1963), the American Bandstand Era, Dick Clark, Payola and more! Producer Shawn Swords is working with a Los Angeles based company for a tv airing later this year!
The dean of Philly rockers, Charlie Gracie and wife Joan were all smiles as they visited with the son of one of Philadelphia's greatest disc jockeys, Joe Niagara, III. Joe Niagara was one of the golden greats of radio in the 1950s and 60s (remember the album "Crusin' 1957?") and an icon in the Philly Tri-State region for years ... on WIBG, WCAU-FM and later at WPEN. Known as the "Rockin' Bird," Joe passed away in 2004 and is sorely missed! The occasion was the premiere showing of WAGES OF SPIN -- the all new documentary which chronicles the Philly Pop Music Scene (1952-1963), the American Bandstand Era, Bob Horn, Dick Clark --- including Clark's role in the payola scandal.
Charlie Gracie, Jr.

Pictured (Left to Right): Executive Producers Paul Russo and Shawn Swords, Joe Terry (of Danny and the Juniors), Marc Stevens (of The Dovells), Steve Caldwell (of The Orlons) and (front) Charlie Gracie ... at the Philadelphia Premier of "Wages Of Spin"

Hi Kent!
Regarding Dick Clark and the payola scandal of the late 50’s, the thing was that Dick admitted he was doing it. He was upfront about the labels and groups that he owned or co-owned where as the others lied about their involvement. One of the more obtuse ways of dj’s making legal money in those days was before putting the record on the stations play list the dj would contact the label and book the artist at their current appearance fee knowing that they would be a big draw in a matter of weeks. Perfectly legal but a bit shady!
Clark Weber

Kent:
What film are you referring to here? I'd like to see it!
Wild Bill
It's called "Wages Of Spin" ... and we've been talking about it for almost two years now ... it's an in-depth look at the early days of Rock And Roll (and the Philadelphia Scene in particular). A number of artists have spoken out on the record for the very first time in this riveting documentary. It also tells the REAL story about what you had to do to get on American Bandstand ... and how Dick Clark walked away from the whole payola scandal pretty much unscathed ... while MOST guys lost their reputations and /or their careers. Bottom line is ... as a radio guy AND a music fan, you'll LOVE it!!! Producers Shawn Swords and Paul Russo are both Forgotten Hits List Members and the film was made ready for sale as the PERFECT Christmas Gift-Giving Solution for that Music Fan on your list ... then pulled back at the very last minute for more alterations and additions. I'm not sure if the FINAL version is available yet for ordering on line or not ... as I've seen that it's making the rounds at film festivals across the country again ... not something you'd typically do if the film was available for purchase. My best suggestion is to check back frequently with Shawn's Character Driven Films website and watch for updates. (kk)

Check here for "Wage$ Of $pin" updates: www.characterdrivenfilms.com

This film has had its share controversy and debate all along ... let's face it ... Dick Clark is a National Institution ... so, as can be expected, there's been outcry to both "Leave the poor guy alone" on through "It's about time somebody told the REAL story." Here are just a few excerpts that have it our Comments Pages these past few months:

In fact, here's one of the very first announcements we published:
New Documentary, First To Take An Honest, Comprehensive Look At Music Industry During "American Bandstand" Era, Coming Soon!
*****The producers who brought you the popular 2006 made-for-PBS documentary: "CHARLIE GRACIE: FABULOUS!" are coming back with another project sure to raise some eyebrows:
"THE WAGES OF SPIN!"
The program will primarily focus on DICK CLARK and the Philadelphia Music Scene during the era of "American Bandstand." This will be a no holds barred look at how the system worked ... the rules of the game -- how careers were created or shattered, depending on one's willingness to play!
CHARLIE GRACIE, MIKE LOVE and BRUCE JOHNSTON (Beach Boys) FRANKIE AVALON, LEN BARRY, FABIAN, CONNIE FRANCIS, CHUBBY CHECKER, JOE TERRY and FRANK MAFFEI (Danny & Juniors), MARC STEVENS (Dovells), STEPHEN CALDWELL (Orlons), DICK BOCCELLI (Comets), DAVE APPELL, BOB MARCUCCI, ANDY WILLIAMS, ARTIE SINGER and scores of others will appear.
More Info Coming!
This new Documentary Examines Payola During Bandstand Era-Dick Clark ... here's a brief trailer that's been making the rounds:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOhV3ZiCBU0&eurl=http://www.characterdrivenfilms.com/trailers.htm
submitted by CHARLIE GRACIE, JR.
When Frannie and I made our trip out to the East Coast back in November of 2007, we first heard about this film thanks to Paul Russo, owner of Cool Scoops Ice Cream Parlor, who is also the Executive Producer of the film. Clips were already starting to show up on YouTube back then, building anticipation for this revealing documentary. Over the past four years or so, we’ve talked with a number of people about putting together an in-depth expose on Dick Clark for Forgotten Hits ... although everyone agreed that such an expose needed to be done ... and said that they would LOVE to read it ... NOBODY that we talked to was willing to speak “On The Record” about him, a tribute to just how POWERFUL a man Dick Clark really is. This clip illustrates exactly that … a love / hate, bittersweet relationship … honestly, we can’t WAIT to see this film.
(NOTE: At the time that this Comments Page first went out, I talked with co-producer Paul Russo, who told me that even HE hadn’t seen the final cut yet … so we may be a LITTLE ways away from seeing it … but this one is SURE to ruffle a few feathers and show us some things that perhaps MANY folks have long suspected … but VERY few people have been willing to talk about.)
UPDATE: Shawn Swords DID ultimately send me a "screening dvd" of the film ... but from what I understand, a number of changes and edits were made to the film AFTER the version that I was privileged enough to see. Meanwhile, "Wages Of Spin" was shown at any number of Film Festivals around the country in the year-and-a-half in between ... and, as we mentioned earlier, a "home" dvd version was planned for Christmas, 2008, but then pulled back for further edits. (kk)

Hey Kent --
It is certainly about time that the whys and wherefores of Dick Clark and American Bandstand saw the light of day. I was (and still am) a Bandstand fan, and certainly respect all that Dick has done on TV. However, back in the 80's, I used to hang out with Joe Bennett (of "Black Slacks" fame) and he told me that when he appeared on Bandstand, at the end of the show, he would get his appearance check, endorse it, and hand it back to the show producer. That was the way it was done, and if you wanted to be on A.B., that's the way you did it. I read Dick's autobiography several years back, and one thought kept running through my mind ..... "I wish he would have told the real story, you know it'd be a lot more interesting!!"
Jim Pritchard / Gladstone, OR
(aka "Jim Southern" to at least dozens of old radio fans back in the 60's.)
This seems to be the most common story told ... you'll hear it throughout the "Wages Of Spin" film ... sounds like "Standard Operating Procedure", American Bandstand-style in the '50's and '60's ... and artists went along with it because of the HUGE audience an appearance on Dick Clark's show could bring them. While nearly everyone interviewed tells the same story, MOST agree that this "arrangement" was "worth it" ... for the exposure that this could bring them. (kk)
Things must have changed by the 80's from the 60's because I got my check from American Bandstand for union scale and so did my other band members. It was something like $80 or so. I still have the check stub somewhere in my storage hell. I remember some other shows back in L.A. where we had to give the money back because they were just starting out and needed the money. I guess that was a way to get around the payola. Later on I wondered if the shows had made a deal with our manager and kicked him back our take, as that was another thing that happened to some people.
alex valdez
yellow balloon

Friends and industry insiders advise of an up coming television documentary being planned about the recording industry of the late 50’s and 60’s in the final stages of production at PBS. When aired it is expected to concentrate on the red hot city of Philadelphia during a time when Dick Clark’s American Bandstand broadcasting live each weekday exercised great power over the careers of many recording artists in that era. Said to be a no holds barred look at how the system worked -- the rules of the game -- how careers were created or shattered, depending on one's willingness to play, this expose will air what has long been talked about in private by industry insiders but unreported to the public at large.
John Rook

Hello Again, Kent!
I hope you'll share this update with your readers!
I just had to respond to some of the comments by your readers and questions about whether or not Dick Clark will appear in the "Wages Of Spin." By the way, I hope you like that title. I suggested it to the producer, Shawn Swords and he went with it! I'm not usually good at stuff like that, but it just seemed to fit. Shawn and his crew are doing a marvelous job on this film, as they did with my dad's documentary: "Charlie Gracie: Fabulous!", shown on PBS in late 2006. No, Clark was not interviewed for this piece.
The "Wages Of Spin" is the perfect sequel to my dad's film -- where the whole issue of Dick Clark, "payola" and his "silent partnership" with Cameo-Parkway Records came up. My dad is one of the centerpieces of this story as well, in-so-much as he was arguably the first (or at least one of the first) artists to challenge his record company for lack of royalty payments. This was unheard of at that time. After three big hits with Cameo ("Butterfly," "Ninety-Nine Ways" and "Fabulous") and three others that made the Top 20 in England, my dad filed suit against the label and won -- settling with them out-of-court for $50,000 in 1958. At that time, my dad still had NO idea of Clark's connection to Cameo Records, but by suing the label, he unknowingly cut his own throat. From that day forward, airplay for my dad's future releases on Coral and Roulette was minimal at best. During the Congressional hearings into "payola" a year and a half later, Clark admitted to collecting at least $7,000 on my dad's #1 hit, "Butterfly," a song he had NO hand in writing! This scenario was repeated many times over with other hits as well ... "At The Hop," "Sixteen Candles" and more! One of your readers, Carolyn, was correct when she implied that Alan Freed took the hit! Congress chose to make an example of Freed, while Clark, who was involved in everything they investigated, was let off the hook! He did have to relinquish his interests in music publishing companies, record pressing plants and other areas that were blatant conflicts of interest. It was that or give up his position as host of "Bandstand." By that time, Clark had amassed a fortune worth millions.
Kent, having written all of this, I must add that my dad never had words with Dick Clark. The few times we saw him in recent years, Dick was always congenial and still the consummate professional. This film is not meant to be a "hit piece" on the man, nor does it challenge his role as the "perfect host" for "American Bandstand." Yet, Clark often left out the fact (conveniently?) that Bob Horn was the show's original host. It was a local Philly show from 1952 through 1956. Horn was wildly popular with teens and built the program into a powerhouse. Clark took over when Horn was convicted on a couple DUIs and was later charged with statutory rape. He was never convicted of the later.
This film by Shawn Swords will attempt to tell the full story of how "American Bandstand" worked -- not the sugarcoated version Clark has recounted through the years. Many worthy and talented artists saw their careers "deep-sixed" if they dared to challenge the rules. This documentary is as much about them as it is about Clark and "Bandstand."
Charlie Gracie, Jr.

Part of our obligation (and mission, for that matter) is to always present BOTH sides of every story here in Forgotten Hits ... in the hopes of ultimately arriving at "The Most Accurate Truth." I had heard that there was quite a bit of a fuss when "Wages Of Spin" was shown at the Wildwood Film Festival this past summer ... and please understand that I realize that this film was EXPECTED to ruffle a few feathers in the industry ... especially there in "Dick Clark Country" ... in fact, if anything, it was DESIGNED to do so ... and, in the process, shed some light on the way business was conducted ... at least the MUSIC business ... at the onset of Rock And Roll. One point is made VERY clear during the course of watching this film ... Dick Clark was NOT a squeaky-clean business man ... nor was he in any way "innocent" of what practices were going on around him. Now I don't know that ANY of this will come as a great shock to any of the music fans out there ... but one has to remember a couple of things about the earliest days of rock and roll:
A) THIS is how business was conducted back then ... plain and simple ... and EVERYBODY was doing it ... this has been confirmed and reiterated by ALL of the people who were involved in the music scene back then ... not that this makes it "right" (and, clearly Congress did NOT feel it was right!)
and
B) Rock And Roll would have NEVER advanced to the degree that it did, nationwide, WITHOUT Dick Clark.
Sure, there were random deejays here and there playing artists like Elvis and some of the R & B hits to their local audience ... but Dick Clark brought this music to the nation via his American Bandstand Television Program. Every day the artists and the dancers came right into our living rooms ... Bandstand truly captured the hearts of the teenage nation.

This film attempts to tell what is believed to be the REAL story of this early Rock And Roll era ... and, without quesiton, this is a story that MUST be told and SHOULD be told ... we, as music fans, can NOT lose sight of the fact that Dick Clark did more good than harm when it came to advancing rock and roll music as an art form.

Were some rules broken and some deals made along the way??? ABSOLUTELY ... but rock and roll VERY well may have died a quick and quiet death WITHOUT folks like Clark around to help spread the word ... and "suck in" a nation of teenagers hungry for all these new sounds. All of a sudden it didn't matter where you lived ... rock and roll music came and spoke to YOU, right in your living room ... right out of your radios. Could it EVER have advanced to the degree that it did WITHOUT Dick Clark and American Bandstand? I just don't see how it could have.

My feeling is, however that this documentary OWES it to the public to present
BOTH sides of that story ... and, if it does, then I think it's a film that will stand the test of time ... and may even help to rewrite some of rock and roll music history. Throughout the film, those interviewed share their "mixed emotions" about dealing with Clark ... with a "Damned if you do, Damned if you don't" attitude. You pretty much HAD to go along with the way business was conducted if you wanted to have a hit ... but NOBODY was in a better position to GIVE you a hit ... and ASSURE you of the exposure you needed to HAVE a hit ... than Dick Clark. And that, in a nutshell, is the WHOLE story. (kk)

Hey Kent,
Thanks for the input.
I'm sure Shawn will get back to you as quickly as he can. As you know we are about to embark on a Philly Debut of a film that tells a story unlike one told before. The good news is that it's a film of facts based on the Congressional Hearings. So many people are interested in hearing the story now. Most of the idols in the film are scheduled to see it in Philly at the Premier for the first time, making it an even bigger event. It is a historical piece that deserves to be told and the fun part of the film is that it is told by the idols who lived it.
Here's a very lame analogy:
Dick Clark was the King at that time in musical history. His throne was in Philly. His Kingdom, the World of TV.
As the Kingdom grew, so did the riches of the King.
The problem was that not all the King's Court shared in the Kingdom's wealth ... with even some of the servants not getting their fair share. The King ruled and his Court generally took the hit.
Yes ... without men like Clark and Horn and Freed and Lit and Niagara ... Rock and Roll might have faded into the musical sunset ... BUT ... after the dust settled, only Clark remained standing. Why? Interesting? Historic!
The Wages of Spin!
Paul Russo / Executive Director
Wages of Spin

Some of Clark's subordinates acted as "fall guys" during those hearings, taking the blame (and the punishment) for Dick Clark's sins ... some even doing time in the process. Dick Clark was well-insulated and walked away virtually unscathed ... and built a television and music empire unlike any other in the decades that followed. The producers feel that he should be accountable for those sins ... and THAT is the real purpose behind this film. Casual music fans may be shocked to hear the details of some of Clark's handlings and dealings ... others will simply nod their heads and say "It's about time" ... but EVERYONE watching the film will be mesmerized by the unveiling of this story ... and, as such, it will appeal to music fans of all ages and all generations ... for we ALL grew up with Dick Clark in our living rooms. (kk)

Hi Kent -
This is Shawn Swords, The Director/ Producer of the upcoming "Wages of Spin" documentary.
I would like to address some of the postings and declarations that I have read in your publication and add my feelings on some of these issues and address some other issues in regard to Dick Clark and how I perceive him.
Thanks to a meeting that I believe you helped to initiate, Paul Russo and I were able to speak with John Madara, who told you the "true" story behind the song "At The Hop". We talked about several issues including his relationship with the song "At The Hop" and Artie Singer. I am not really sure who contributed what to the song because there are so many different accounts of who did what but, it seems like John contributed the most to the creation of the song. I think he wrote most of it and that his recollection of the genesis and trajectory of "At The Hop" to when it played on Bandstand is probably the most accurate. There are varying accounts on whether Clark actually made any suggestion at all about changing the name to "At The Hop" but, one thing is certain ... he got a big part of the copyright. I also, believe that Clark sent one of his emissaries to extort part of the copyright from Singer. I really don't think Singer took the song to Clark for several reasons, one of which is that Clark probably had hundreds maybe thousands of songs bought to him by record company reps who were willing to assign whatever it took to get the record on American Bandstand. Clark and his underlings knew what songs were making noise and had potential and could be very selective in the songs that they wanted to solicit. They probably initiated most of the interactions as far as getting a piece of a song or in some cases all of the song in exchange for airplay ... either way, it is payola. If Clark or one of his underlings asked for something of value in exchange for airplay, it is extortion. If Clark or one of his underlings accepted anything of value that was proposed initially by a person who had an interest in getting the record on American Bandstand, it is commercial bribery. There really weren't well defined laws on this practice so, while some of these practices may have been common and not illegal, they were still deceptive and unethical. Clark never said on the air "Hey boys and girls, please go out and buy this hot new record from this hot new group from Philly because every time you buy a record from a record pressing, publishing or record distribution company I have an interest in, it will contribute to my own self enrichment." That candor wouldn't have went over well with the General Public.
One of the important points I would like to illustrate is that American Bandstand wasn't Clark's personal platform to play songs and expose artists he had an interest in. He really was deceiving the public. He was supposed to be playing songs based on merit and a level playing field. A lot of entertainers who should have been on the show never got on the show because Clark was leaning on songs and artists he had an interest in ... and these are proven facts. Congress commissioned a study during the payola investigations that illustrated definitively that Clark was favoring songs he had a financial interest in. He had an interest in something like 30 music related companies. Several artists obviously launched careers on American Bandstand but a lot of them benefited from Clark's relationship with The Independent Record Labels in Philly and other record industry reps who were willing to assign cash, gifts or copyrights to Clark. Over a two year period in the late 1950's, Dick Clark played Duane Eddy songs more than he did Elvis' songs. Duane Eddy is a great musician and worthy of much praise ... but he wasn't Elvis. Clark had a financial interest in Duane Eddy and, of course, none in Elvis. According to congressional testimony during the Payola hearings in 1960, an artist named Ronnie Hall and his manger were given an audience with Tony Mammarella, who was The American Bandstand Producer. He and his manager were told that if they were to pay 500 dollars and assign the copyrights to I believe two of his songs, that he would get an appearance on Bandstand. I think the songs were something like "Why Can't It Happen To Me" and "Suddenly It Happened". Did you ever here of those songs? Maybe if he would have paid the Clarkola (Congressional attribution) and assigned the copyrights, you would have. Interesting note to this scenario is that around the time of The Congressional Payola Hearings Clark allegedly called Tony, who was one of his best friends, and asked him to be the fall guy for his payola activity. Tony had to resign his position as producer of Bandstand. I could go on for hours on the deceptive and sometimes illegal practices Clark was involved in, but that is what our documentary is for.
Let's get back to John. John said something like "Artie wanted to be Bernie Lowe". According to Artie, Bernie Lowe pushed him out of Cameo so that Joe Niagra could come in as a silent partner. Joe Niagra was a very popular DJ in Philly at the time and a person who would be of great benefit to Cameo because of his notoriety and airplay. Artie and Bernie were partners in that voice studio and were supposed to be partners in Cameo. There was also another partner. I know a lot about Bernie Lowe because he was a central figure in our last documentary, Charlie Gracie "Fabulous", and I have five years of research and interviews to substantiate my familiarity with Bernie. Bernie was one of Clark's cronies and primary benefactors of his proximity to Clark. Bernie "assigned" 25 percent of Charlie's "Butterfly" Publishing Rights to Clark as a gesture of good will and friendship (I am being facetious).
I know a lot about Bernie so I am going to side with Artie on this one. Artie probably did rip John off and take more credit than he was due for "At The Hop', but that does nothing to detract from the fact that Clark extorted a nice chunk of "At The Hop" from Artie in exchange for Airplay. We were trying to illustrate Clark's malfeasance and avarice, not who authored "At The Hop". Also, John said something about "finding it hard to believe Dick Clark would play a record if he didn't own a piece of it". John is a very intelligent man and knows the inner workings of the music industry now and then as well as almost anyone alive. He knows the real score with Clark and how he did business. You can't slight John for his loyalty and perhaps he has had a great relationship with Dick Clark, but Dick screwed a lot of people out of a lot of royalties they would have received from those copyrights and that is a fact! Dick rarely did anything for anyone during his time as Host of American Bandstand while it was transmitted out of Philly without some sort of cost. When Dick was forced to diverse himself of his music business interest or lose Bandstand, he took the money from his ill gotten gains and went West to greener (pun intended) pastures and head of one of the most lucrative Independent TV Production Companies ever. This all comes out in the documentary and a lot more ……
Shawn Swords

Like we said, "MUST Viewing" for ANY music fan out there.

(For more information regarding the circumstances surrounding "At The Hop" and John Madara's, Artie Singer's and Dick Clark's involvement with this song, be sure to read our piece on The Forgotten Hits Website:
Click here: Forgotten Hits - John Madara's Greatest Hits)

Interestingly enough, the basis for The National Enquirer article referenced above seems to be the quotes that Artie Singer made in the film ... quite honestly, the article as written could have been based SOLELY on the two minute trailer, as it doesn't go into much greater detail than that. It also erroneously credits Singer as being a member of Danny And The Juniors ... and for having written "At The Hop" ... a couple of points that John Madara went to GREAT lengths to debunk during our series.
I talked extensively with John during our interview process as to the circumstances leading up to Singer claiming part-ownership of the song's creation. If Dick Clark did, in fact, suggest the rewrite that turned "Do The Bop" into "At The Hop", which, in turn, turned it into a #1 Hit, I can certainly find reason to believe he felt entitled to SOME form of compensation for this effort. By the same token, Singer (as the PUBLISHER of the tune) admits on film that the trade-off was both necessary and worthwhile to make "At The Hop" the hit it became ... and that he'd make the same deal again in a minute. I even went so far as to suggest to John Madara that perhaps since Singer was giving up half of his share of the publishing rights, he felt that he had to add is name to the songwriting credits just to recoup some of those losses. Sadly, Artie Singer isn't with us anymore to further enlighten us ... he left us last year ... so his comments stand "as is" in the film.
In any event, if you haven't seen this series before, it certainly makes for some
interesting reading ... be sure to check it out at the link above! (kk)

Do The Bop - The ORIGINAL Version Recorded By John Madara with Danny and the Juniors

At The Hop - The #1 Smash Hit remake by Danny and the Juniors