Every Once In A While We Get It Right

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE WE GET IT RIGHT:

It doesn't happen very often ... but every once in a while we get a potent reminder of just how powerful this music that we love really is. It touches us in different ways ... and sometimes it speaks directly to us ... we may interpret a song one way on any given day based on our mood at that moment in time ... and at another time ... in another mood ... that same song may cut through to our very soul.

One of our Forgotten Hits Readers shared such a story with us this past week. Our point here is certainly not to capitalize on, exploit or sensationalize someone else's grief ... and we share this with you only because the parties concerned
gave us permission to do so ... but rather our intention is to simply prove again why music is such an important part of our lives ... it can provide the soundtrack to memories that will never leave us ... it can heal us when we're down and need it most ... it can make us laugh, smile and dance ... or cry. It is when it speaks to us personally that it is the most powerful ... and THAT is the purpose of today's piece.

Last week, after we had a little fun with Alan O'Day's #1 Hit "Undercover Angel" ... and featured the title track from his brand new CD, "I Hear Voices", I received this very moving email from one of our Forgotten Hits Readers:

Kent,

We lost our little granddaughter two weeks ago. Alan's "I Hear Voices" is just what we needed to hear this morning. I'm sharing this delightfully uplifting song with her grieving parents.

Please pass this on to Alan and let him know there are no coincidences. This tune arrived at just the right time.

Thank you, Alan, for all the music; and thank you Kent for Forgotten Hits!

David

Naturally, I was touched ... it turns out that David and I have granddaughters about the same age. After my response to him, I forwarded his note on to Alan O'Day, whose track, "I Hear Voices", we featured the other day on The Forgotten Hits Website along with what we considered to be a pretty humorous response to another reader's question about Alan's #1 Hit "Undercover Angel." We could have NEVER known or even suspected that that tongue-in-cheek piece could have led to something like this.

***

David:
What does one even say at a time like this??? There really are no words.
Don't EVER underestimate the power of music ... it touches us all in different ways ... and sometimes, when it's really magical, it speaks directly to us ... If somehow, someway ... even in the SMALLEST way ... and if only for a matter of seconds ... Forgotten Hits helped to relieve some of your pain today ... it makes everything else we do seem that much more worthwhile.

I know it's personal ... and naturally I'll respect your wishes ... but your little note today speaks VOLUMES as to just how powerful music really is. I passed along your email to Alan O'Day ... and I'll forward his response to you when he replies. Just know that your letter touched each and every one of us today.
kk

Kent,

Your email forward from David, and your own comments, made me feel proud and humble. Just as he feels my song was a timely gift, his sharing, through you, is a gift to me at a time I'm facing some personal challenges. May I ask you to share this with him, including:

David, I never had children of my own, so sometimes I see them with a "songwriter's perspective", as beautiful visitors sent to teach us about life, as we teach them. I've been lucky to write songs for other people's kids (the Muppet Babies TV show and National Geographic's Children's Videos). I don't know you or your family, but I do know loss; of course that was part of the reason for the song. I send my heartfelt condolences to all of you, & please know that your note touched me deeply.

Gratefully,

Alan O'Day

***

Thanks, Kent.

There truly are no words. Bad stuff is happening all around us. Our daughter and her hubby are getting through their tragedy slowly; it'll take a long time for sure. They've shown strength and maturity I know I didn't possess at their age.

75% of the people you meet on the street have stories of tragedy and pain happening either now or in the past. The other 25% just haven't had theirs hit them yet.

The music and the stories you share on FH help me, and others, get through this middle-age muddle. Many thanks for choosing that particular track today. I saw an online article today that mentioned Alan had done a gig here in Nashville just a few weeks ago. Hopefully he'll do another soon, since it seems he's in and out of town pretty regularly these days. The music is always touching us with great power ... and Alan is so right about kids. They are sent as our guests for just a short time. We don't own them. They teach us an awful lot if we're paying attention.

David

***

>>>75% of the people you meet on the street have stories of tragedy and pain happening either now or in the past. The other 25% just haven't had theirs hit them yet. (David)

Incredibly, three days after receiving David's last email I got a call from my brother Mark out in San Francisco. He had spent ten days in a hospital there about a month ago where they ran a battery of tests trying to figure out why he was having such bad abdominal pains. After being released for three weeks only to have the pains worsen, he went back in, where THIS time they diagnosed him with pancreatic cancer! How on earth they missed this a month earlier is beyond ALL of our wildest imaginations ... but THEIR take on it is that what was believed to be just a small cyst on his pancreas has now developed into a massive-sized, inoperable tumor. The prognosis is not good ... only about 2% of patients recover from this stage of cancer. Untreated, life expectancy is about 8-12 weeks ... with successful chemotherapy, that could stretch to 8-12 months ... but still an INCREDIBLY short amount of time when weighed against the fact that they didn't even know that this existed a month ago.

Many of our readers have come to know Mark in some fashion through our Forgotten Hits Newsletter. We don't ask for your prayers often, but we ARE asking for them today. We recently reran the article about Jimmie Rodgers' miraculous surgery from two years ago ... a success his whole family believes to be a result of all the prayers they received from Jimmie's many fans around the world. Maybe between all of us we can pull off another miracle. Mark's daughter is scheduled to get married this August ... and he really needs to be there for that. Perhaps we can rally together and inspire him to fight this as best he can in order to best enjoy whatever time he has left. And who knows ... Mark just may prove to be one of those 2% that rebounds from this horrible thing. (And why shouldn't he be??? SOMEBODY's gotta fill those spots!!!)

Meanwhile, I know that you'll all understand that I'll be cutting back on Forgotten Hits for a while. I just feel that my heart's not really in it to give you a quality product at this time. I'll post what I can, when I can ... but most of my energy is going to be spent in other areas for a while.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our cause over the past ten years ... you'll never know how much it has meant to me. I appreciate each and every one of you ... and need your support more than ever today.

I helped him brush his teeth way back when ...

maybe through your prayers I can help him with an even bigger challenge today.

Second Hand Rose

And, since we mentioned Barbra Streisand's "Second Hand Rose" yesterday ... and, since we haven't featured ANYTHING by Babs since one of our readers went all "pond" on us about mentioning the size of her nose ... apparently something that NOBODY else ever noticed or mentioned before ... I figured it'd be a good time to resurrect one of her earliest chart efforts.

After cracking The Top Five with her debut chart hit, "People" (from the musical "Funny Girl", the story of Fanny Brice) Barbra kept the ball rolling by cutting Fanny's own 1922 hit "Second Hand Rose" the following year. Unfortunately, it was not met with the same success, stalling at #32. Barbra wouldn't crack The Top Ten again until early 1971 when "Stoney End" found its way up to #6 on The Billboard Chart. (Ironically, I heard a disc jockey just the other day refer to "Stoney End" as "the closest Barbra Streisand ever came to recording a rock and roll song.")

Streisand hit her stride as both a singer and an actress in the '70's ... "The Way We Were" and "Evergreen (Love Theme from 'A Star Is Born')" ... both title songs from the box offices smashes that Barbra also starred in ... set off a string of 16 Top 40 Hits that stretched to the end of the '80's. Since then Streisand's recordings and appearances have been scarce ... these days, you seem to be more likely to find her in the "political" arena than up on the stage performing ...
in fact, in the past 20 years she's only made three films: "The Prince Of Tides", "The Mirror Has Two Faces" and her hysterical turn in "Meet The Fockers" ... but there is no denying the impact she made on the popular music scene across the previous three decades.



BTW: Ed Pond, who inspired The Forgotten Hits Catch-Phrase "Don't Go Pond On Me", has been a dedicated Forgotten Hits Reader ever since this initial incident. In fact, he's a frequent contributor to our forum and has become quite a good friend and supporter of our little publication. And, he was able to fulfill his Babs Fixation when a couple of Streisand's concerts aired on television recently! (To this day, he still believes we missed our opportunity to become millionaires by NOT marketing "Don't Go Pond On Me" / Forgotten Hits T-Shirts!!! lol)

***

We got a TON of comments from you guys again this past week ... so thanks for that!!! We'll spread 'em out over the long, holiday weekend, including a few of the more "timelier" ones here today!

re: GOLDMINE MAGAZINE:
>>>There ain't ONE person 25 years old reading a PHYSICAL version of Goldmine. (Big Jay Sorensen)
Big Jay Sorensen needs to give Dave The Rave another call and ask him just who "Stereo Tom" is! Better yet, let me tell ya ... he's a TWENTY-FOUR year old fan of oldies music who has NO PROBLEM reading a physical version of Goldmine! I doubt that will change by the time I turn 25!
-- Tom Diehl

... and, speaking of Dave The Rave ...

re: BE SURE TO LISTEN TO DAVE THE RAVE ... ON WIBG!!!:
Just a note to all of you select media moguls and friends of mine. Relics & Rarities is returning to terrestrial radio NJ airwaves this Saturday Night from 7 - 9 pm eastern time on the new WIBG-FM, 94.3 out of the Atlantic City - Wildwood NJ area. The show will contain some non-chart tunes in the mix but tends to be a lot more familiar sounding than what previously aired on my XM show. I think you will all love what you hear as the airwaves will come alive on WIBG-FM 94.3 on Saturday nights. Eventually this show will take calls and instant requests. Thanks to all who have been a help or an inspiration along the way or just loves the music as I do. Please check out the show between 7-9 pm Saturday nite via their live stream or visit Atlantic City and listen on the radio. www.oldies94wilw.com Dave the Rave
Congratulations, Dave ... we'll most certainly make it a point to listen!!! (kk)

... and, speaking of WIBBAGE ...

re: WIBG:
Last week we told you all about the big Wibbage Reunion ... well, thanks to Sam Lyt, audio of this special event is now available for your listening enjoyment!!!
Pictures and audio from last Wednesday's Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia luncheon saluting WIBG and the original "Good Guys" air staff can be found here. Sam Lit
President / CEO
Hy Lit Radio Technologies Inc.
www.HyLit.com
Check out the WIBBAGE Good Guys (from left): Ray Gilmore aka Sean Casey, Don L. Brink aka Scotty Brink, Jerry Stevens, Frank X. Feller, Rod Carson, Dean Tyler, Bill Wright, Sr. (and Sam Lyt was the MC of the whole event!)

re: ALSO AIRING THIS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND:
Y103.9's running their "Songs Of Summer" Weekend ... hmm, shouldn't we at least have had just a taste of Spring first?!?!? Jeez, we've had maybe four or five spring-like days so far this season!!!

Scott Shannon's doing his "Favorite Party Songs" Weekend on The True Oldies Channel

and this just came in from our buddy Frank out in New York!!!
Kent ...
I think your readers will be interested in hearing some of this music. Here in New York, WABC is a talk radio station. " Rewound", the annual Memorial Day special - where WABC (770 AM) would devote 12 hours to original tapes of music, jocks, jingles and ads - from WABC's golden age as America's flag-ship top 40 radio station, won't be heard on the broadcast air this year. Johnny Donovan, who was a top 40 jock on WABC - back in the day and works there now as an engineer, still put a new 12 hour " Rewound " together. You can listen over the internet at wabcradio.com. It will be available starting at 4 PM Eastern Time, on Friday.
Here's this years lineup:
Bruce Morrow, 1974, hours 1 & 2; Dan Ingram, 1971; Bob Lewis, 1964; Harry Harrison, 1976; Johnny Donovan, 1974 and Roby Yonge, 1968; Morrow, 1963 and Lewis, 1965; Ingram, 1971; Ingram, 1972; Jay Reynolds, 1974; Ingram, 1970.
At WCBS-FM, # 1 Songs of the 60's, 70's, 80's on wcbsfm.com
Happy Memorial Day.
Frank B.
Now THAT sounds like a LOT of Memories for Memorial Day ... and probably more like what we're accustomed to hearing this time of year. Thanks, Frank!!! (kk)

re: MAC ARTHUR PARK:
>>>I had never heard the pre-Richard Harris version before. Oh my lord; what a wonderful job! (Rich)
>>>I hadn't heard it before either ... sometimes it's nice to hear the original concept of what the songwriter had in mind ... and it's clear that Webb had this one pretty well thought out in advance ... and WITHOUT all the orchestral craziness going on, it almost comes across as MORE powerful as it forces you to listen to the lyric a little bit closer ... his crescendos on the piano are really all we need to know where the emphasis is supposed to be. (kk)
At the time Jimmy was doing the album with Richard Harris, our Canterbury label was spending many hours at "Sound Recorders" Armin Steiner's studio. Each day we would come in Armin would play us the days work that Jim had laid down and we would listen to all the different phases of Macarthur Park as it went on. It was quite a project utilizing all available session people they could muster. Carol Kaye, Tedesco, Randi, Knectel, Deasey, hell everybody was in on those sessions. We would use those players as well so they would go get a sandwich and come back to work ... it was crazy. I can't say I was crazy about the song at the time but the magnitude of the production was mindblowing. My most memorable impression was the very last note on MacArthur Park, it was sooo high and my good late friend Patrice Holloway was the only girl for the job. The backup singers were always my faves, Darlene Love, Brenda Holloway and her sis Patrice were a goosebump experience to watch work. One never knows what these things end up being historically, I wish I had thought about taking pictures back then.
Alex Valdez
The Yellow Balloon

Upon hearing Jimmy Webb's original version of MacArthur Park, Mrs. Rock And Roll Never Forgets remarked it would be a fabulous song if it were sung in a foreign language and you had no idea what the singer was saying. After hearing Richard Harris' take again, I'm thinking Jim Steinman pretty much lifted that arrangement for all of his productions with Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler. I'm also left to wonder why Jimmy Webb didn't release his own works. His voice isn't necessarily unpleasant. Finally I don't recall how many years ago Mrs. Rock And Roll Never Forgets gave me this birthday card, but I though it would fit in with the topic.
Jack (Rock And Roll Never Forgets)

More of your comments coming up tomorrow in our Forgotten Hits / Sunday Comments Page ... including some of your "American Idol" feedback!

Hope everyone has a happy, fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend!!! Thanks for spending just a few minutes with us this morning!

L. David Sloane

Before most of America fell in love with her as Karen McKenzie on television's "Knot's Landing", Michelle Lee cracked the pop charts with her 1968 hit "L. David Sloane" ... a call back to an earlier era that was somewhat reminiscent of the Barbra Streisand hit "Second Hand Rose".

Although it never charted here in Chicago, I remember liking this one when it was out ... so SOMEBODY must have been playing it!!! (Odds are, I caught Michelle singing and dancing on a television variety show or two as well!)

It didn't make much of an impression on the national charts either, peaking at #52 in Billboard and stopping at #60 in Cash Box ... but it's a nice memory of what Michelle Lee was doing BEFORE she came to be known as a popular television actress!







ANOTHER CRITIQUE: We first featured this song several years ago in Forgotten Hits ... probably around 2001 ... and sent a copy out via email as a wav file. In order to be able to present an MP3 copy for the website, we turned to the ever-reliable Tom Diehl ... who had THIS to say about this record:
This is just about the worst song to ever come out of the 60's ...
When I was 14 or so, my parents bought me an ebay lot of 600 45's for Christmas ... the seller shipped the wrong batch to me but since I couldnt open them until Christmas, which was a few months later, I was stuck with them. Inside were multiple copies of a lot of horrible records ... well, I liked some of them, but I didn't need 47 copies of "Painted Tainted Rose" by Al Martino or 29 copies of "L. David Sloane" by Michele Lee! I kept very few records from that batch! I kept one copy each of the various Al Martino 45's, some Eagles reissues
and a few others that I can't recall. Most of the 45s in the boxes hit the garbage trail pretty fast. "L. David Sloane" and it's follow up (of which I seem to recall there being 12 copies of in the boxes) were not among the ones I kept! Even if I found this song in stereo I don't think I could enjoy it!
-- Tom Diehl

Sharing A Laugh With Alan O'Day

We featured one of Alan O'Day's new tracks, "Your Song Sucks", during our week-long feature "New Music From Some Of Your Old Favorites" a couple of weeks back ... and then just this past week Alan was kind enough to share with our Forgotten Hits Readers his original "studio apartment demo" of "Easy Evil", a song that I fell in love with back in the early '70's when I heard former Steppenwolf Lead Singer John Kay's version on WBBM-FM, Chicago's then-leading soft-rock station.

All this recent attention to Alan's music prompted a couple of you folks out there to share a thought or two with us.

How cool that Alan O'Day allowed you to use his demo for "Easy Evil" on your website. It's a great song ... and that version sounds good enough to release EXACTLY "as is" ... I wonder why he never released it.
Kelly

I've always loved that song ... and I'll betcha I've played Alan's demo version at least a dozen times this week already. And you're absolutely right ... his little "studio apartment mix" sounds like a hit single to MY ears, too!!! (lol) I wondered if he ever recorded his OWN version of this track for commercial release ... or if it never made it past the "demo" stage ... and, if not, which was HIS favorite version of this tune ... so I asked him. I got this from Alan when I sent him a copy of your note (kk):

Dear Kent, Cc Kelly,
Thanks so much for the compliment and the question! Glad you enjoyed Easy Evil.
No, I was still writing songs for other artists back then, although in hindsight, I wish it had been included on my first album, "Caress Me Pretty Music", circa 1973, produced by Dallas Smith. But since I was not thought of as a big success at that time, there was concern about investing any more money on that album.
My favorite version, for selfish reasons, is John Kay's, featuring Richie Podler's great production chops. I feel it was the style most true to the demo, partly because I played electric piano and contributed that "sucky" effected drum part on Kay's session. BTW, to be honest, when I digitized the original analog mix to send you, it sounded somewhat dull by today's standards, so I threw a bit of eq and compression on it.
Don't tell!
Alan

And then this ...
A question for Alan O'Day: The Book Of Rock Lists mentions Undercover Angel as one of the best songs about masturbation. Is that really what the song is about?Jack
I sent your inquiry on to Alan for an answer, wondering if you were right on the money with this assessment ... or perhaps just a beat off ... and here's what he had to say:
Kent,
I got a large industrial strength laugh out of your question at the end of your email!
Here's my official response: Return with us now, to those thrilling days of double meaning songs!
I don't want to piss Jackoff ... haha ... but this question has been asked of me often through the years. The Book of Rock Lists may have gotten their Rocks off with that editorial opinion ... however, they were wrong.
I still am not comfortable being specific, as I wrote Undercover Angel to be a romantic fantasy song and I was thrilled that so many pre-teens and kids felt the innocent childlike vibe of the record (while their parents looked askance ...).
But if one is determined to find a sexual connotation, it might help to know I have referred to this song as a "nocturnal novelette".
'Nuff said, except thanks to Jack for the question.
Alan
Thanks, Alan. Suffice to say (especially in THIS context) that you really whacked it out of the park with "Undercover Angel" ... it topped the charts back in 1977!!! And it's a true gem. Tell me ... speaking as an accomplished songwriter ...is this one of those that just kinda came to you all at once in one big spurt ... or, creatively speaking, did you have to massage it for a while in order to properly
polish this pearl? (All-right, all-right, enough already!!! Before we get dismissed as just another FINE example of jerk-off journalism, we're going to go watch our favorite episode of "Seinfeld" now!!!) kk
Forgotten Hits ... let's face it ... you're not gonna find THIS kind of questioning ANYWHERE else on the web!!!



By the way, Alan's latest CD, "I Hear Voices", is a WHOLE lotta fun to listen to. One of my favorite tracks from the album happens to be the title track. You can pick up a copy of the new album from Alan's website: Click here: Alan O'Day, Songwriter

MacArthur Park

Our recent comment about generally liking the FIRST version we ever hear of any given song ... regardless of how many OTHER versions may, in fact, exist ... has already inspired a couple of comments from our readers ... here's another one!!!

We tend to favor the versions of songs that we grew up listening to. That's certainly true for me except for one exception. As I learned the true origins of some 60s rock classics, I have since discovered the original blues versions of songs, and I tend to like the simplicity of them. One original worth checking out is Jimmy Webb's version of MacArthur Park. I've only heard it once and found it far better than Richard Harris' over produced take. Forget Donna Summer's cover.
Jack

Incredibly for me it was the exact opposite. I never could STAND Richard Harris' over-the-top, over-produced version of this so-called classic (nor will I EVER understand the whole "someone left the cake out in the rain" attraction) ... but, although it goes COMPLETELY against my character, I absolutely LOVED the Donna Summer remake. To MY ears, she completely reinvented the song. (Maybe what I like MOST about it is that it's about as different an interpretation as could possibly be imagined ... kudos to whoever came up with the concept!) As for Jimmy Webb's original version, I'd never heard it before so I couldn't honestly comment ... but we DID find a copy at Amazon.com, so let's leave it to the listeners to decide!!!

We've debated the "cultural value" of "MacArthur Park" many times now in these pages over the past several years ... today we're just going to let the music speak for itself. Suffice to say, the line on this one seems to be pretty well-drawn ... either you LIKE it ... or you HATE it ... there doesn't seem to be ANY middle-ground when it comes to your affection (or lack thereof) for "MacArthur Park"!!!

In keeping with our trend these past few days, we've got another "Triple Play" here for you again today ...

First up, the Jimmy Webb original ... followed up by the #2 Richard Harris Symphonic Version from 1968 ... and then we'll dim all the lights, sweet darlin', and put on the 1978 Donna Summer chart-topping take. Enjoy!

The Letter

Yesterday's comment about generally liking the FIRST version we ever hear of any given song ... regardless of how many OTHER versions may, in fact, exist ... has already inspired a couple of your comments ... we'll look at two of these today in Forgotten Hits.

I must say, the Rose Colored Glass version, to me, is the single worst version of the song ever created. It is just horrible. Chart position means absolutely nothing. It just means the record company threw more money behind it. I know of thousands of absolutely killer tunes that didn't get anywhere NEAR the hot 100 charts ... it doesn't make them bad records for not charting!

The Opheus version is the best, and Hootie's is pretty good but not great, to me. I wouldn't lose any sleep if the original session master for the Rose Colored Glass version got destroyed in a flood or a fire ...
Tom Diehl

And the more I listened to all three versions yesterday, the more I liked the Rose Colored Glass version!!! Just goes to show you why music has such universal appeal ... it speaks to all of us differently ... yet still unites us all the same! (kk)


Kent -
Thank you for the thinking person’s notes on Can’t Find the Time. I grew up in New England and surely my first exposure to the song was the Orpheus version. And yes, following versions always seemed to pale to me having been imprinted at an early age by the Orpheus ballad. By the way, Orpheus’s earlier song, Brown Arms in Houston, is also lovely.

But let me offer up another song where all three interpretations appeal to me. And that is: The Letter. It was the Box Tops' inaugural hit in mid-1967. It was followed by the Ann Arbor-based Arbors slower tempo, lush sounds version that was released a year and a half later. And then, of course, the iconic Joe Cocker came out a year after that with his indelible rockin’ version. Three very different interpretations of the same song and I like / appreciate them all. By the way, when was the last time you heard the Arbors on the radio? -jsl

Amazingly, I never liked The Box Tops' version of "The Letter" ... it topped the charts here in Chicago for six consecutive weeks back in 1967, so clearly I was in the minority on this one!!! lol Ironically, I liked ALL of their other hits right out of the box (top) ... but my opinion on this one has never changed. It also seemed to be played more than any other song on the radio at the time ... part of that may simply have been the pure stature of its hit status ... but I also believe that because the song clocked in at under two minutes, it was an easy one to sneak it virtually ANYWHERE if there was an on-air gap to fill. (I can't tell you how many times I heard this song lead into the newscast back in 1967.) It's STILL one of the most-overplayed oldies on the radio and, as I said, my affection for it hasn't grown any stronger. As such, I was COMPLETELY blown away by The Arbors' version, a song we've featured a few times here in Forgotten Hits (and we played it during our last appearance on Jim Shea's Radio Show, too!) It's an absolutely AMAZING vocal arrangement that completely reinvented the song ... and, when Joe Cocker did his rocked-up, soulful live version the following year, it was yet another complete reimagination of what was (by then) a classic tune. Great example, John ... three DISTINCTLY different interpretations of a song that couldn't be any more unique.

And, just like we did yesterday with "Can't Find The Time" ... the song that inspired these comments ... we'll feature all three of these versions of "The Letter" here today ... again, an EXCELLENT example of how many different ways an artist can interpret any given song ... or should I say any GOOD song ... proving that "The Letter" has the depth ... and the legs ... to pull this off successfully THREE times!!!







DIDJAKNOW?: "The Letter" was written by Wayne Carson Thompson, who also played guitar on The Box Tops' recording session. He didn't particularly care for the finished version, stating that the record was too short and complaining to producer Dan Penn that "The boy don't sing high enough." When Penn added the airplane sound to the recording, Wayne Carson Thompson clearly thought that Penn had lost his mind. He hadn't ... several weeks later it became one of the biggest records of the '60's ... and The Box Tops went on to record ... and have hits with ... a few other Thompson compositions, including their follow-up release, "Neon Rainbow" (#24, 1967), "Soul Deep" (a #13 Hit in 1969) and "You Keep Tightening Up On Me" (their last chart hit, which peaked at #74 in 1970). Thompson didn't do too badly either ... a few years later, he won a Grammy for cowriting the Elvis Presley / Willie Nelson Hit "Always On My Mind".

Can't Find The Time

We've covered this topic before ... typically, we all end up liking the version of any given song that we heard first ... regardless of whether or not it was the first version, remake or whatever ... as far as we're concerned, THAT'S the way it's SUPPOSED to sound in our minds ... and it's pretty rare that anybody improves upon that first inspired moment.

Now don't get me wrong ... it DOES happen from time to time ... but honestly, looking back over the past fifty five years of rock and roll, it doesn't happen all that often. (I'll never forget John Lennon's quote during the post-Beatles days when he commented, "Nobody's ever improved on 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' for my money" ... and then proceeded to record an entire album's worth of rock and roll remakes himself ... not really improving on any of HIS favorites either!!! lol)

Well, today I think we've found the ULTIMATE "Exception To The Rule" ... and it's a song that has proven to be a Forgotten Hits Favorite ... despite the fact that it was never really a bonafide hit for ANYBODY!!! (Regardless, I believe that once you give these a listen, you'll agree that EACH subsequent release improved upon the version that preceded it ... and that it absolutely SHOULD have been a hit for SOMEBODY!!!)

Back in 1968, Boston's Orpheus first released their version of "Can't Find The Time" ... but it was barely noticed, peaking at #88 in Cash Box Magazine and "Bubbling Under" at #111 in Billboard.

A year and a half later, MGM gave it another shot ... and this time it climbed to #72 in Cash Box and hit #80 in Billboard ... still not a very impressive chart run.

But it was a good song ... so, in 1971, Rose Colored Glass picked up the tempo a little bit and came up with a #53 Hit in the process. THIS is the one that I first fell in love with here in Chicago, where it peaked at #15 ... that slight increase in tempo made ALL the difference in the world to THESE ears ... yet the song STILL couldn't crack The Top 40 nationally.

Although you would hear both of these versions on rare occassions, the song pretty much went forgotten. When we first featured it in Forgotten Hits back in 2001, the reaction was overwhelming ... you guys LOVED hearing it again (or discovering it for the very first time) ... and, despite a seemingly genuine affection for the Orpheus version from our readers in the Boston area (who remembered quite vividly hearing it on the radio in their neck of the woods way back when), the REST of you pretty much preferred the Rose Colored Glass version hands down.

In 2000, Hootie and the Blowfish recorded THEIR much-improved version for the soundtrack to the Jim Carrey film "Me, Myself And Irene". Truth be told, it was one of the FEW highlights to this film ... and by NOT releasing it as a single, I feel that Hootie and the Blowfish missed out on yet another sure-fire Top 20 Hit at the peak of their career. (Their track "I Go Blind" from the "Friends" TV Soundtrack got played like a single but was never released as one ... I feel certain that it, too, would have been a Top Ten Smash had it been marketed this way. Instead, it pretty much single-handedly pushed the "Friends" Television Soundtrack album to platinum status ... of course the title tune, "I'll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts didn't hurt either!!!) And I believe that their killer version of the old Bill Withers' tune "Use Me" also manages to surpass the original ... but this, too, was never released as anything more than a CD Single "Bonus Track".

Today, we've got all THREE versions of "Can't Find The Time" to share with you. Listen to them in the order in which they were released ... and see if you don't agree that you CAN improve upon a good thing ... every once in a while!!!

FOR THE RECORD: Despite what I said earlier, I really DO like John Lennon's versions of "Stand By Me" and "Just Because" from his "Rock And Roll" LP ... but I don't think EITHER one of these truly surpasses the original recordings by Ben E. King and Lloyd Price!


AND, SPEAKING OF DISCOVERING NEW FAVORITES: It's always fun when we hear from readers who are discovering some of this great music through our newsletter ... but it is ESPECIALLY fulfilling when I get to see the reaction on Frannie's face when SHE hears some of these tunes for the very first time. Since moving here in 2000, she's been deeply indoctrinated to the Chicagoland music scene through songs like "It Could Be We're In Love" and "Upon The Roof" by The Cryan' Shames, "I Will Always Think About You" and "You're Gonna Be Mine" by The New Colony Six and "L.A. Goodbye" by The Ides Of March, songs that were pretty much ignored by Texas radio when she was growing up. When we first featured the Orpheus and Rose Colored Glass versions of these songs several years ago, she was also hearing these for the very first time ... apparently NEITHER of these versions ever got airplay down in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. Her VERY positive reaction was immediate ... and they've been amongst her all-time favorites ever since ... overshadowed only by the Hootie remake from 2000!!! (Honey, I think you're gonna LOVE today's Forgotten Hits Feature ... 'cause you get all three!!!)

Hey Lawdy Mama ... And Another Forgotten Hits Exclusive!

Early hard-rockers Steppenwolf hit The National Top 40 nine times between 1968 and 1974. They seem to be represented daily on both oldies radio and the classic rock stations by their first two hits, "Born To Be Wild" (one of the most OVER-played songs on the radio today ... not to mention its complete saturation in movies and television ad campaigns) and "Magic Carpet Ride", both of which became #2 national hits in 1968. Most of their OTHER Top 40 Hits, however, have been ignored by radio for YEARS.

You'll hear "Rock Me" every great once in a while on the really good stations ... it became their third straight Top Ten Hit when it peaked at #8 in 1969. But other tunes like It's Never Too Late (#35, 1969); Move Over (#16, 1969); Monster (#23, 1970); Ride With Me (#31, 1971); Straight Shootin' Woman (#20 1974) and today's featured Forgotten Hit, Hey Lawdy Mama (#21, 1970) can't seem to find their way back to radio at all anymore. (Ironically, after "Sookie, Sookie" scored so well on our Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides Poll, we started to hear THAT one every once in a while again ... and that was a B-SIDE ... it seems that even an album track like "The Pusher" gets played more often today than some of these bonafide hit singles!)

Today, we're here to remind you of "Hey Lawdy Mama", a song that JUST missed The Top 20 back in 1970 ... certainly THIS one deserves a spin every now and then!!!



YET ANOTHER FORGOTTEN HITS EXCLUSIVE!!!
About a week or two ago, we featured the John Kay solo record "Easy Evil" in one of our Comments Pages.

Kay, of course, was the lead vocalist for Steppenwolf, who hit The National Pop Top 40 nine times between 1968 and 1974 ... and I used to LOVE hearing his "new" sound with the soulful groove of his latest solo record.

Incredibly, the song flopped, climbing only to #92 in Cash Box and failing to make Billboard's Top 100 at all. I've always felt that it certainly deserved a better fate than that!

During our recent feature of this tune, it came to our attention that "Easy Evil" was written by Forgotten Hits List Member Alan O'Day ... something I had never known before! I asked Alan if he would please share a few memories with our readers about this song, always one of my early '70's favorites. I couldn't help but wonder what the inspiration was for this one. And how did this song get into the hands of John Kay? (I mean, let's face it ... Alan O'Day music and Steppenwolf music aren't often mentioned in the same breath outside the pages of Forgotten Hits!!! lol) Was this one of his earliest breaks as a songwriter? And, was there, perhaps, an Alan O'Day version of this song that we could share with our readers? Quite honestly, ANY background information that Alan was willing to share would be appreciated. And he just came through in spades!!!

Not only do we have a brief history of the song to share with you today, but we have the EXTREMELY rare Alan O'Day DEMO of this song as originally recorded back in 1970! Here's the scoop ... in Alan's own words ...

Kent,
I'm pleased about the interest in "Easy Evil", which garnered around 50 different releases, circa 1970-1973.

I wrote the song loosely based on a hot relationship I was having with a rather experienced & creative young lady, who pretty much played me like a violin!

I played & sang the demo in my apartment bedroom "studio" (Sony reel-to-reel 4 track, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Rhythm Ace Drum Machine, Shure SM57(?) mic, etc.). I added "reverse reverb" to the drum machine by recording the pattern with my mic across the room, then turning the reel of tape over in the machine & playing it backwards while tracking the other instruments & vocals.

Among those recording the song were Dusty Springfield, Sarah Vaughn, Peggy Lee, Nancy Wilson, Captain & Tennile, Tony Orlando & Dawn, & yes, John Kay (of Steppenwolf). I was told that Elvis Presley had done a demo on the tune shortly before his demise, but I have no way of verifying that. (For the record, Artie Wayne, then a professional manager at Viva Music, was responsible for getting 6 or 7 of the covers on Easy Evil, including John Kay and Tony Orlando and Dawn.)


BTW, the song's success lasted longer than the relationship!

My best to all your readers.
Chordially,
Alan

EXCELLENT!!! Thanks SO much, Alan ... now sit back and enjoy this "evil" little tune!!!

Jesus Is A Soul Man

As I look over the list of some of the Forgotten Hits we've featured over the past ten years ... and think about some of the ones that got an especially good reaction ... I cannot ignore THIS one ... a #28 Pop Hit from 1969 that probably hasn't been played on the radio since.

"Jesus Is A Soul Man" by Lawrence Reynolds was another one of those VERY unlikely pop hits ... with a real Southern / Gospel feel to it, it most likely clicked because (once again) it didn't sound like ANYTHING else on the radio at the time. (All I know is that to this day, some 40 years later, I STILL get this one stuck in my head ALL of the time ... despite literally NEVER hearing it played anywhere since!)

I remember covering this song back in 2000 and being unable to turn up ANY
information on this guy ... and, quite honestly, the Internet isn't any kinder nine years later!!! But it's a GREAT little track and I wanted to see if I could jar a few of YOUR memories, too, this morning!

Give a listen to "Jesus Is A Soul Man" and see what YOU think!!! (Chances are you'll STILL be singing it DAYS from now!!!)



BTW: Johnny Rivers also cut a version of this song and included it on the B-Side of his "Into The Mystic" single in 1970. Incredibly, when we ran this song nine years ago, more folks on the list seemed familiar with the Johnny Rivers version than the HIT version by Lawrence Reynolds!

Fresh As A Daisy

This week we're going to feature some more of what we call "Good Old Fashioned Forgotten Hits" ... spotlighting a few tracks that you probably haven't heard on the radio in AGES!!!


We'll kick things off with a personal favorite of mine that garnered a HUGE, favorable response the last time we featured it several years ago.


"Fresh As A Daisy" became a #38 Cash Box Hit for Emitt Rhodes back in 1971.
Dismissed by many as a Paul McCartney-wannabe, I'll admit to ranking his self-titled solo album amongst my all-time favorite LPs.

Just as McCartney had done on his first solo album, Rhodes played all of the instruments and handled all of the vocals himself ... and there is no question that he was heavily influenced by McCartney and The Beatles. (Being born and raised in Hawthorne, California, you'd also have to include Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys amongst his musical and inspirational idols ... in fact, while still part of the group The Merry-Go-Round, who scored two minor national hits in 1967 with "Live" and "You're A Very Lovely Woman", the band performed a VERY impressive cover version of "California Girls" with their A&M label boss, Herb Alpert on trumpet. You can listen to the audio of that venture here:
Click here: YouTube - Herb Alpert-California Girls ...
unfortunately, the VERY cool ... and extremely colorful video that originally accompanied this tune ... from a live appearance on The Hollywood Palace, I believe ... has apparently been deleted from YouTube!!!)

For MY money, "Fresh As A Daisy" was absolutely a "Can't Miss" hit ... but somehow it still did. Although it managed a #38 showing in Cash Box, it failed to make Billboard's Top 50 ... and it never charted here in Chicago either, despite ALL kinds of commercial airplay for the LP from which it came.

Give a listen and see if this one rings any bells ... and see if you, too, agree, that this absolutely SHOULDA BEEN A HIT!!!

Jimmie Rodgers - Part 3

Besides the incredible "Hit List" we featured the other day tracing Jimmie Rodgers' pop chart career, three of Jimmie's B-Sides also received several of your votes in our "Favorite, Forgotten B-Sides" Poll a couple of years back. In addition, Rodgers ALSO had a Two-Sided Hit place in our Top 200 Biggest Two-Sided Hits Of All-Time Countdown when Secretly / Make Me A Miracle came in at #162. (We featured that barely-remembered B-Side yesterday ... while "Secretly" peaked at #4 on both the Billboard and the Cash Box Chart, "Make Me A Miracle" climbed to #31 in Cash Box on its own! Rodgers recorded his own remake of "Secretly" in 1978 ... and it actually hit Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart, peaking at #46!)
"The Long Hot Summer" was the title song from the 1958 film starring Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Anthony Franciosa, Orson Welles, Lee Remick and Angela Lansbury. (How's THAT for an incredible cast?!?!?) It began climbing the charts on its own strength just as its A-Side, "Oh-Oh, I'm Falling In Love Again" was making its final descent. Because "The Long Hot Summer" never rose above #49 in Cash Box Magazine (and, inexplicably stalled at #77 in Billboard), it became eligible for our special Favorite B-Sides Poll.

Coming close to disqualification was "Waltzing Matilda", the B-Side to Rodgers' 1960 Hit "T.L.C. Tender Love And Care". It peaked at #41 in Billboard all on its own, one position away from elimination. (In order to qualify as a "Favorite, Forgotten B-Side", the A-Side of the record HAD to be a National Top 40 Hit ... but the B-Side could NOT be a Top 40 Hit on its own.) Just as strangely, this side failed to chart at all in Cash Box.

"Waltzing Matilda" was an old Australian Folk Song that I remember singing in grade school (and learning the literal translation to each Australian slang term used in the song ... I couldn't even BEGIN to tell you what it means now!!!) The song rose to popularity when it was used in the 1959 film "On The Beach",
starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins ... and shows once again the diversity of different musical styles that Jimmie Rodgers introduced us to in the early days of Rock And Roll.

Finally, the flipside of Jimmie's 1967 "comeback" hit "Child Of Clay", a personal favorite of mine that we featured at the beginning of this series, was nominated ... and, as such, Rodgers' version of "Turn Around" earned some of your votes in our B-Sides Poll. This one's a folk music standard, first introduced by Harry Belafonte back in 1959 on his "Love Is A Gentle Thing" album.

***

Here's what some of you had to say about Jimmie's movie theme "The Long Hot Summer", a #49 hit in 1958 (and the flipside of his Top 20 Hit "Oh-Oh, I'm Falling In Love Again") after our B-Sides Series ran.

Here's one I eagerly flipped over way back when, since I was (and am) a movie nut. In fact, I MAY have bought it for The Long, Hot Summer. As you know, I was no child when this one came out and my tastes leaned more towards melodic ballads than bouncy pop tunes so this one gets my vote. Jimmie seemed an odd choice for a major motion picture theme song, but he sure did it well.
Hil (TheOneBuff)
Jimmie made a few film appearances himself ... and was reportedly due to begin filming another motion picture the morning after he was attacked back in 1967. There certainly have been STRANGER choices to sing a movie theme!!! Here is yet another case where the EXPECTED A-Side ... the theme to a major motion picture ... wound up on the B-SIDE of the record instead!!! (We saw a few examples of this during the course of our B-SIDES Series!) Thanks, HIL. (kk)

For me, nothing by Jimmie outranks "The Long Hot Summer." The combination of that song and the opening scenes of the film make for an unforgettable audio-visual experience.
Jerry Osborne

((((Kent))))
Thank you so much for "The Long Hot Summer". I LOVE that song, and the movie is one of my favorites.
Shirley

***

After our series started, we heard from Ronnie Allen, who sent us a link to an interview that he did with Jimmie shortly after his surgery:

Kent, I look forward very much to your Jimmie Rodgers tribute. I was the first person to do a full-length interview show with him after his life-saving "miracle" surgery in 2007. It's on my Radio Page:

Ronnie's Radio Page ..... http://www.jerseygirlssing.com/RonnieRadioPage.html

This is one incredible man!

Ronnie Allen

I also received some VERY special Jimmie Rodgers Memories, courtesy of our recuperating buddy, Fred Vail, who asked us to share these stories with our Forgotten Hits Readers:

1957. There are not too many years of rock's 'golden era' that can match that singular year. Think about it: Elvis makes his final appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and purchases "Graceland." Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel form "Tom and Jerry." Pat Boone stars in two films, "Bernardine" and "April Love." Bo Diddley records "Hey, Bo Diddley." John and Paul meet at St. Peter's Church in Liverpool." "American Bandstand" premiers on television, and, while it can't quite be considered a 'rock' classic, Leonard Bernstein completes his work on "West Side Story."
Not a bad year for great singles, either. Elvis scores with "Jailhouse Rock," "Teddy Bear," "Loving You" and "All Shook Up." Pat Boone scores with "Bernardine," "Love Letters In The Sand," "April Love" and "Don't Forbid Me." Sonny James and Marty Robbins crossover from country to the pop charts with "Young Love" and "A White Sport Coat." The Everlys hit with "Wake Up Little Susie," Jerry Lee Lewis contributes "Great Balls of Fire," The Crickets amaze us with "That'll Be The Day," Little Richard gives us "Lucille" and "Tutti-Frutti," and Sam Cooke delivers "You Send Me." Roulette Records artist, Buddy Knox, scores with "Party Doll," and a label mate, James Frederick "Jimmie" Rodgers bursts upon the national scene with his chart topping "Honeycomb."
I was an eighth grader at Starr King Elementary School in Sacramento in the fall of 1957 when Jimmie had his first #1, "Honeycomb." In the midst of all the great rock and roll songs -- to say nothing of the great 'pop' icons who were still having hits like Doris Day, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra and others, here was this very refreshing new talent singing about how the 'Lord made the bee and the bee made the honey." It was different. It was distinctive. It was pop, it was folk, but one thing was for certain: it was a smash.
I was already a huge Elvis, Ricky Nelson and Pat Boone fan and a member of their respective 'fan clubs.' I called the radio stations faithfully to request their latest release, not that I really had to. All were 'automatic' adds at the local radio stations. But when you were a member of their fan club, you would do anything and everything to support your favorite 'star.' By the fall of 1957 I'd already scored my first major interview for my elementary school paper, meeting Ricky and David Nelson on the set of television's "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet." I'd also started working as a radio 'gopher' and teen news announcer at KRAK Radio, then a 50kw Top 40 station serving Stockton and Sacramento.
When I heard Jimmie's hit record I knew I'd have to find a way to interview him. And I could hardly wait for a follow-up single. I didn't have to wait long. Another #1, "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," managed to stay in the Top 100 for over twenty weeks the later part of 1957 and well into 1958. Then, a succession of other hits: "Oh, Oh, I'm Falling In Love Again," "Secretly," "Are You Really, Really Mine," and others. By that time, however, I had joined Jimmie's fan club -- run by his secretary and assistant, Merry Stevens, and -- on a trip to Los Angeles with my folks in '58 -- I made it a point to visit her at their fan club office on North Highlands Avenue, south of Sunset Blvd.
As all of us "Forgotten Hits" readers know, it was an era of hit singles. It was all about the '45.' Albums often contained a hit or two, but were also made up of 'filler' tunes. You often felt a bit disappointed when you paid $3.99 for an album - a lot of money for kids who typically made fifty cents to a buck allowance -- only to find one or two tracks you really enjoyed.
With Jimmie, however, I began to get into the entire album, not just the hits. That's where Jimmie's folk sound really came through. Songs like "Woman From Liberia," "Waltzing Matilda" "Froggy Went A Courting," "Soldier, Won't You Marry Me," and "Black Is The Color of My True Love's Hair." These songs became favorites of mine and fifty+ years later, merely reading these titles evokes wonderful memories of a era when our passion for music denominated our lives. We could hardly wait to get out of school so we could rush home to tune in "American Bandstand." We waited patiently for our favorite singer or group to come out with a new single or album.
Sometimes, we were a bit disappointed but not so with Jimmie. His songs -- and the distinctive sound he brought to them -- never let me down. I knew I had to interview Jimmie and when I heard he was coming to the California State Fair in August of 1958, I got my chance. I called Merry and she arranged for me to meet Jimmie and his wife, Colleen, at the Sacramento Inn. My friend, Bob Jones, accompanied me and we had a wonderful visit. We even met their two poodles, "Honeycomb" and "BeeBee." The interview was my first published feature in my high school newspaper, The El Caminian, shortly after I began my freshman year.
Over the next year or so I entered several contests that Jimmie's fan club put on from time to time. We were asked to write a story about our favorite song or we'd get 'points' for mailing out post cards to radio stations requesting Jimmie Rodgers songs. I'd get periodic notes or autographed photos from Jimmie from time to time and when I learned he was to appear at the Venetian Room of San Francisco's world famous Fairmont Hotel, I called Merry once again, asking if she could arrange for me to see Jimmie. The arrangements were made and my Mother and I drove over to San Francisco to attend the concert. Since San Francisco was my home town, and since we would always stay with my Grandmother at her home on Guerrero Street, we would not have to rush home to Sacramento immediately after Jimmie's performance.
The Venetian Room was one of the top showrooms on the West Coast, much like the Empire Room at New York's Waldorf - Astoria, or the Coconut Grove Ballroom at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Ernie Hecksher and his Orchestra provided the music -- it was a big band, not a combo -- and everyone from Nat "King" Cole to Ella Fitzgerald, to Cab Calloway to Pat Boone played the room. There were two shows, a dinner show at 8 PM and a cocktail show around 11. It was a suit and a tie affair. Everyone dressed up if they were going to The Fairmont. My Mother and I were escorted to our seats by the Maitre de, and they were right near the front of the room, just to the right of the stage. The menu offered everything from salads and sandwiches to full dinners.
An evening at The Venetian Room was not a 'cheap date.' It was expensive by late 1950's standards, and we were very careful what we ordered. If I recall, my mother had a house salad and I had a sandwich. Still, the bill, with 'cover charge' and gratuity, was probably in the twenty-five dollar range. That sounds like a pittance today, but in 1959 and 1960, it was a lot of money!
After we'd finished our meal and the waiters had bussed the tables, the audience was ready for the show. Jimmie came out decked in a black tux. He did all his hits and some of those equally familiar folk songs. Jimmie had this distinctive curl in the middle of his forehead and it was his trademark, so to speak. His gracious smile, his warm voice, his friendly demeanor filled the room. Then, just as I was getting into the show, it was over.
Merry had arranged for my Mother and I to meet Jimmie between his two shows but first we had to 'settle up' with the waiter. It seemed forever for the check to come. Finally, my Mother got the attention of one of the table captains and asked for our check. "Oh, I'm sorry for your wait, Mame, Mr. Rodgers has taken care of it," was his reply. Jimmie's kind gesture became a conversation topic for years. My mom and I always joked about the fact that we had made it a point to be thrifty at the dinner show, not knowing we could have ordered anything on the menu and Jimmie would have graciously picked up the tab! :)
My Mother and I had a wonderful visit with Jimmie that night at The Fairmont and the memory of that dining experience is fondly remembered fifty years later. My Mother and Father are gone now, as is Jimmie's first wife, Colleen. I can't begin to recall what Jimmie and I spoke about that night but I'll always be deeply indebted to him for the generosity he showed a sixteen year old fan and his Mother.
I caught up with Jimmie several times after that evening. One was his 'comeback' performance at the Coconut Grove Ballroom in Los Angeles after he had recuperated from his December, 1967, beating on the Hollywood Freeway. There he was, up on the stage, wearing the familiar black tux, and sporting the spit-curl. I was managing The Beach Boys then, so when the check came, I gladly paid for my own meal!
Jimmie also recorded an album with Jimmy Bowen in Nashville. It was in the late 70's. I visited him briefly at the recording studio -- and we spoke to each other once or twice since he's been living in Branson -- but that evening at The Venetian Room in San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel fifty years ago -- remains one of my favorite remembrances of my fifty-two years in radio and records.
Fred Vail
Treasure Isle Recorders, Inc.
Nashville, TN
"Music City, USA"
Thanks, Fred ... my guess is that reading this will stir a memory or two for Jimmie, too!!! (kk)