Helping Out Our Readers

re: HELPING OUT OUR READERS:
Hello there.
I just can't figure who did this one! Can you?
Here are the lyrics:
Take another ride and then I promise we'll be more than friends
Come with me, I love you.
My machine is guaranteed to satisfy your every need.
Come with me, I love you.
My machine was designed, with especially you in mine.
Fairy tails can come true, ______ me and you.
I heard it on WPGC out of Washington DC. I don't think it's "Small Faces" or "People." This one is driving me crazy.
Thanks!
Mike Boyle Sr.
AKA Spirit Sound
Not ringing any bells with me, Mike, so let's put it out to the list and see what THEY come up with. Hopefully we can not only solve the mystery but also find you a copy of the tune! (kk)
By the way, if you're a fan of The Psychedelic Era of Rock Music, be sure to check out our series on the web page ... it is now our MOST-VIEWED PAGE!!!
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Top 20 Favorite Psychedelic Songs

WHO ARE THE TWO ORIGINALS IN THE 1910 FRUITGUM CO.? IS THE ORIGINAL LEAD SINGER IN THE GROUP? ANY IDEA WHAT HAPPENED TO MARK GUTKOWSKI? WASN'T HE THE LEAD SINGER FOR 1910? I'M SEEING THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME ON SATURDAY.
THANKS ...
MIKE
As far as I know, the only original member currently performing with the band at this time is Frank Jeckell. (Drummer Floyd Marcus was with them until just recently but no longer tours or performs with the band.) The 1910 Fruitgum Company have a number of appearances coming up and are performing as part of some of these oldies / bubblegum package tours, too. Let us know what you think of the show. We've got a couple of these guys on the list and they recently contributed to a piece we did spotlighting their 1968 Hit "Goody Goody Gumdrops". (I probably hear most often from Floyd and Mick Mansuelo, who I believe is their current music director.

Here in '60's FLASHBACK style is a brief excerpt from that piece:

The 1910 Fruit Gum Company were one of the PREMIER Bubblegum Bands of the late '60's. Unlike many of the other artists signed to the Buddah Record Label, these guys were, in fact, a complete band and (for the most part anyway) played on their own records. (Many of you will recall that it was Chicago's own Shadows Of Knight who performed much of this material as Buddah's "House Band" ... with Joey Levine on lead vocals.)

Artists like The 1910 Fruit Gum Company, The Ohio Express and The Lemon Pipers regularly hit the top of the charts in the late '60's with "Feel Good" pop songs like "Simon Says", "1, 2, 3 Red Light", "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy", "Down At Lulu's", "Chewy Chewy" and "Green Tambourine" under the guidance of bubblegum whiz-kids Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz. The 1910 Fruit Gum Company consisted of Frank Jeckell on Guitar, Floyd Marcus on Drums, Mark Gutkowski on organ, Pat Karwan on Lead Guitar and Steve Mortkowitz on Bass. While all of the guys sang and wrote their own music, studio musicians (and guest vocalists) were used on some of their later recordings.

In quick succession, the band scored five Top 40 Hits: Simon Says (#2, 1968); 1, 2, 3 Red Light (#3, 1968); Goody Goody Gumdrops (#31, 1968); Indian Giver (#4, 1969) and Special Delivery (#31, 1969). May I Take A Giant Step and The Train just missed, peaking at #45 and #52 respectively. In addition, THREE of these hits ... Simon Says, 1, 2, 3 Red Light and Indian Giver ... sold over a million copies each ... rare for a bubblegum group back in the day! We are fortunate to have both an original founding member of The 1910 Fruit Gum Company on our list ... Floyd Marcus ... as well as a member of the CURRENT band, Mick Mansueto. Each of these guys have agreed to share a few words with our FH Readers today!

For me, the period from around 1964-1970 was a great time for music. Of course the Beatles arrived, and there were the Stones, The Young Rascals, all the wonderful Motown artists, besides The Jefferson Airplane, The Buffalo Springfield, Vanilla Fudge, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Blood Sweat and Tears, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix. I mean, what other period included such an acceptance of such a diversity of styles, sounds, along with great song writing.The group that became The Fruitgum Company started out not only covering a wide variety of artists but also began doing original songs. My Uncle Sol (my dad's twin brother) had hits with songs he had written, including "Till Then" by The Classics and The Mills Brothers and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Nina Simone and later, The Animals. My Dad put up the cash and my uncle, along with his partner, Bennie Benjiman, took us to Dick Charles' studio in NYC. We recorded four of my originals. Jeff Katz and Jerry Kasenetz got hold of the demo and came to see us. They of course liked the band, but already had a hit with "Little Bit Of Soul" by the Music Explosion, so they had different plans for us. We didn't set out to be a Bubblegum band. We weren't those kind of kids, but after negotiating with Jeff and Jerry we decided to take the ride. Like other successful producers of that era, Super K had a good plan. They knew the market. Parents didn't want their 12 year old kids listening to Hendrix, The Stones, or Dylan. Jeff and Jerry knew their market. "Simon Says", "123 Red Light" and "Indian Giver" all achieved gold. Remember when a gold record was at least 1 million record sales? With all the 'heavy' music out then, talking about drugs, sex and rebellion, it made parents uncomfortable. Most parents were aware of what was going on. Remember the older entertainers like Sammy Davis wearing Nehru jackets and beads and some letting their hair get a little longer? Bubblegum music became an alternative to the serious, political, sexual, drug music of the period. A certain part of the public was ready for music that was just fun, without thought provoking content. That's what Bubblegum music represented. A departure from that music.
Floyd Marcus (original member of The 1910 Fruitgum Company)

Hi Kent,
Thank you for your interest.
Goody Goody Gumdrops is a very happy song. Frank Jeckell does the lead on it these days and we re-recorded a number of the hits with a little more energy than the originals. We are doing well and performing wherever we can. We will be heading to Vegas again soon and have a number of gigs lined up for this season. The act consists of original member and founder, Frank Jeckell, his friend and partner Mick Mansueto on lead vocals, Glenn Lewis, Bass player and vocals, Bob Brescia, keys and vocals, Oscar Dominguez on keys, and Phil Thorstenson on Drums and vocals. We are alive and well and looking to get to the UK for a tour ...
Thanks so much for the help.
Mick,
WWW.1910FRUITGUMCOMPANY.COM

A revamped version of The 1910 Fruit Gum Company (with original member Frank Jeckell) are still recording and performing today. You can find ALL of the latest information on these guys at their official website: Click here: 1910 Fruitgum Company During their hey-day, The 1910 Fruit Gum Company toured with big name acts like The Beach Boys and Sly and the Family Stone. (Remember ... this was a time when ALL this great music was heard side-by-side on the radio! And really, why not??? These guys had three Top Five million selling hits under their OWN belts!!!) We also found a great bit of trivia that's sure to make you smile in an interview that Floyd Marcus did with Carl Wiser, our buddy from Songfacts:
Before we became the Fruitgum Company, we used to do everything from Hendrix and Cream and The Rascals, and Motown, and Steppenwolf, and The Stones, Marvin Gaye. We did all of that. We did Vanilla Fudge, for instance. And there was a time when we came to a town and Vanilla Fudge was supposed to be playing at this venue, and they cancelled, and who do they put in there but The 1910 Fruitgum Company. So when the local DJ announced that we were going to perform, there was a lot of booing. They didn't like the fact that Vanilla Fudge "You Keep Me Hanging On" was going to be replaced by us. But the DJ was a nice guy, and he happened to go out and he said, "Well, give these guys a chance. You know, really." And we decided to do "You Keep Me Hanging On" because we had done it a long time. And by the time we got through that and did a few other songs, we really surprised the audience. We won them over and they were really on our side.
(You can read the COMPLETE Songfacts / Floyd Marcus interview here):
Click here: Songfacts Interviews: Floyd Marcus (1910 Fruitgum Co.)

DIDJAKNOW?: The 1910 Fruit Gum Company first formed as "Dr. Jeckell and the Hydes". It makes sense ... since the guitarist / founding member's name was Frank Jeckell!!!

re: THE DIAMONDS:
I recently picked up a batch of 45s on ebay, included was a later one by the Diamonds (and i believe Dave was out of the group by this point), called Woomai-Ling ... it sounds very very similar to one of their earlier hits (you'll recognize what it sounds like IMMEDIATELY) ... and take a look at the name of the guy that wrote the song!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeWx2D6ala8
I'll attach an mp3 to this message of another later Diamonds record that i do not have the 45 of -- and have been looking for one for over two years now! Another one of their later mercury 45s (in fact the one released right before Woomai-Ling) called You Short Changed Me -- if any Forgotten Hits readers have You Short Changed Me on 45, i would be willing to purchase the disc from them for a reasonable price...alas, i'd rather not turn Forgotten Hits into Oldies Music Classifieds...so people should contact me directly at tomd1685@aol.com.
-- Tom Diehl
After all the help you've given us helping to track down songs, it seems like the LEAST we can do is try to find one for you!!! Anybody who may have a lead on this should contact Tom direct at the email address given above. (kk)



re: HIT PARADE RADIO:
John Rook just sent us word that Hit Parade Radio is now up and streaming ... and Wink Martindale joins Larry Lujack as part of their broadcasting staff. (And word has it that noted Dallas DJ Chuck Brinkman isn't far behind!) You can Listen Live here: Click here: Hit Parade Radio
Effective today Hit Parade Radio is streaming a sample of the music we will be providing starting in September. More than 3,000 hits, many from the 50's through the 70's not heard on radio today will be heard 24/7. Visit our www.hitparaderadio.com website, click on "Listen now" and enjoy.
John
EARTHWORKS ENTERTAINMENT’S HIT PARADE RADIO SIGNS WINK MARTINDALE
Addison, TX – (Market Wire) June 2, 2009 – Earthworks Entertainment, Inc. (EWKS-PK), announced today that it has signed an agreement with Wink Martindale whose radio / television career is among the most celebrated in the entertainment industry and has earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Hit Parade Radio’s John Rook said, “As a radio personality Wink inspired many young broadcasters during his successful stint on KFWB and KMPC in Los Angeles and his nationally syndicated radio broadcasts. As a host of numerous game shows, Wink also had success as a million selling recording artist. His personal friendship with many of show businesses biggest names and appearances on many of the nation’s top TV shows, including Jay Leno’s Tonight Show provides Hit Parade Radio with a wealth of entertainment value.”
Earthworks Entertainment’s Steve Humphries adds, “Wink Martindale is one of a kind with a unique style that will be heard as the afternoon drive personality on our 24/7 Oldies Radio Net scheduled to debut in September of this year”
“In the first 12 to 18 months, we expect more than 100 stations will affiliate with Hit Parade Radio and will generate more than $5.0 million in revenue.” www.hitparaderadio.com
Adults 50+ represent seventy million people - 28% of the entire population. Demographic trends associated with the aging of Boomers, plus gains in longevity will grow this market to over 106 million by 2015.
The demographic of today that supports talk radio hungers for the songs and recording artists who provide memories of better days. This music is only available from Hit Parade Radio!
The only 24/7 satellite-delivered radio format that targets the 50+ audience … with the greatest hits of the '50s through the '70s.
This is EXACTLY the demographic that we keep talking about that traditional terrestrial radio is ignoring ... it'll be interesting to see how all of this catches on ... there are some VERY big names attached to this new format ... and John promises that you'll hear some songs on THIS radio station that you haven't heard on the air in 30 or more years! With an initial playlist of something like 3100 songs (as opposed to most other radio stations with 200-300 ... or the rare exceptions that program 1100-1500) that's almost a certainty! Stay tuned for more details ... but you CAN "Listen Live" now for a taste of what is to come. I tuned in for just a little while the other night and heard The Everly Brothers followed by Bill Withers followed by The Temptations ... followed by "In The Middle Of An Island" by Tony Bennett and "I Wanna Get Next To You" by Rose Royce ... now THAT's variety!!! (lol) I LOVE IT!!! (kk)

And then just that fast comes the official Chuck Brinkman Press Release! Larry Lujack has a HUGE built-in audience and will be a welcome addition back to our morning routine ... and Wink Martindale sounds EXACTLY the same ... man, has this guy aged at all?!?!? Brinkman was HUGE in Dallas for YEARS ... sounds like he'll be maning the shift between Uncle Lar and Wink ... as The Hit Parade Radio schedule starts to take shape.
EARTHWORKS ENTERTAINMENT’S HIT PARADE RADIO SIGNS CHUCK BRINKMAN AS PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF 24/7 OLDIES RADIO NETWORK
Addison, TX – (MarketWire) June 3, 2009 – Earthworks Entertainment, Inc. (EWKS-PK) announced today that it’s Hit Parade Radio, Inc’s. 24/7 Oldies Radio Format has signed an agreement with veteran Oldies Programmer Chuck Brinkman, which is scheduled to debut from Dallas in September 2009.
Hit Parade Radio, Inc’s President John Rook said “Chuck is one the nations top programmers at the highly successful KLUV-FM in Dallas for Steven Humphries (then EVP/COO of TK Communications the owner of KLUV), now the CE0 of Earthworks and then later with owner CBS/Infinity. In one of the more competitive radio markets, for 15 years Brinkman kept KLUV-FM in a dominant position in the Dallas market.”
Earthworks CEO Steven Humphries commented “I’m delighted to be working with Chuck again, as we did incredible things together at KLUV. Chuck is perfect to head up the Programming of Hit Parade Radio. In addition to the programming duties, Chuck will also hold down the mid-day on-air position at Hit Parade Radio” following Superjock Larry Lujack and preceding Wink Martindale.
Brinkman’s career spans 40 years of broadcasting experience. He first worked with Hit Parade’s John Rook at ABC’s KQV in Pittsburgh in the 1960’s. Chuck and Rook were instrumental in introducing the Beatles to America in 1964 when together they toured, became friends with and vacationed with the British sensations in the Bahamas’s.
Company management expects to sign more than 100 stations in the first 12 to 18 months, which will generate more than $5.0 million in revenue for the Hit Parade Radio Network.
And so it grows ... keep us posted, John!

re: BOB LIND:
I'm sending this to the more cultured, refined and sophisticated people on my email list. If you're getting it, either that describes you, or you have me buffaloed into thinking it does.
Some of you know this; some of you don't.
My publisher Lulu Press, just selected my novel, EAST OF THE HOLYLAND for a featured spot on Amazon.com. This means somebody's taking me seriously -- as an author, not some guitar player who wrote a book.
Based on only a few reviews, it's currently enjoying a five-star rating (the highest a guy can get)!
That's good news to me because it means more people are going to be able to get their paws on it and become aware of what a heavy-duty literary lion I am. It's an honor and I'm proud of it.
The bad news is that in order to make a profit, Amazon has to elevate the price into the stratosphere.
So the bottom line is this: I know a lot of you are supportive of my work. Some of you have already bought the novel and others have told me you're planning on it. If you ARE planning on it, I urge you, please don't pay those Amazon prices. It's expensive enough on Lulu. The online publishing business is tricky. Like Burger King, they fry up the books to order, so they have to charge considerably more than bookstores do. That can't be helped. But I don't want to see anyone pay more for it than he / she needs to.So if you do decide to buy it, go directly through Lulu (http://www.lulu.com/content/hardcover-b ... nd/5953502)
You'll still be paying more than you would for a novel at Barnes and Noble, but the Lulu price is a little more humane.If you've already read HOLYLAND and have strong opinions about it one way or the other, please post a review on the Amazon board. Or at least read the reviews others have posted. Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/EAST-HOLYLAND-Bob-Lind/product-reviews/B002ACKLWI/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
And BTW, don't feel you have to say all sweet and gooey stuff about it. Even bad reviews help because they promote exposure and online debate.
Just read it first.
Anyway, this Amazon posting comes at just the right time. Sales were slowing down and I was beginning to think it was dead in the water.
Love to you all,
Bob Lind
Meanwhile, in addition to his new "Successful Author" title, Bob is also still writing and producing some great NEW music ... there are about a dozen recent demos and samples on his website ... we recently featured one of OUR favorites, "Wrong Again" as part of our "Brand New Music From Some Of Your Old Favorites" feature ... (and his manager recently sent us another brand new track ... but, unfortunately, wouldn't give us permission to share it with our readers!!! What a jyp!!!) That's OK ... you can check out some of the OTHER new stuff right here: Click here: Bob Lind Playlists - Songs & Lyrics Page (kk)


re: DIGGIN' FORGOTTEN HITS:
"Forgotten Hits" is, for me a "must have", and one of the best websites ever. I will look forward to your posts whenever you are able to get them out. Thanks so much for what you do.
Anita

Kent,
I'm am so very sorry you are having emotional pains in your life. But be aware that you have thousands of Forgotten Hits family members here for you. Be assured, my prayers are with your, brother, you and your family.Your Forgotten Hits blog is GREAT! Through it, I feel like I know you. Your blog fills a HUGH hole in the universe. I know your heart is hurting, but sometimes doing something like Forgotten Hits is just what it takes to get you through each day.
John Conatser
Thanks, John ... and to all the others who continue to write. We'll do what we can to keep in touch ... we all share a common bond with our love for this music ... and I've never found anything stronger than the music to keep me going. (kk)

>>>My feeling is that anybody coming to MY page is part of the team of folks we've put together to help keep this great music alive ... and it's going to take each and every one of us to make that happen. (kk)
I appreciate you so very much and, in fact, you are mentioned very prominently in our Links page in the Jersey Girls Sing website ... and have been for the past couple of months. Here it is: Links to Our Music Family
But I intend to do more. When I promote shows my shows in the future, I will mention both privately and publicly. You are so right, it is a community. And without people who share our passion then music would not continue to thrive.
I appreciate what you do and will do all that I can to help the cause. My Record Page is getting a lot of his, I am sure, from your readers.
Ronnie
Thanks, Ronnie, and please know that I sincerely appreciate that. My point was more that I would have been happy to run a link to this guy's new site in our next Leftovers Page (and, in fact, had already planned to do so) ... it really wasn't necessary to poach OUR list and make it look like we were passing along subscribers' names. (As it was, I received a couple of angry emails from readers to this effect.) I would MUCH rather prefer to put the link out there and then if folks on the list are interested in checking it out, let them go there for themselves and see if it might be something they like ... no differently than the links to MY sites that you have up on your web page ... hopefully, some of your visitors will be interested enough in the oldies community to see what we're all about, too ... and then make their OWN decision as to whether or not they want to subscribe or come back for another visit. (kk)

Hi!!!
Big KISSES allllllllllllllllllllllllllll over you. MWAH!!! Mwah!!! xxooxoxoxo!!!
Thank you so much for putting back "I've Got a Never Ending Love For You" by Delaney & Bonnie, you are the best. I appreciate this so much. This song touches my life.
X O,
Pat H.
You're welcome ... glad I could make your day. (Gee, I'm used to getting this kind of lovin' from the dog when I walk in the door but not for posting a song!!! lol) kk

A Year Has Come And Gone Since We Last Talked About Billie Joe

OMG ...


Can it REALLY already be The Third Of June ...


AGAIN?!?!?

Soon Soon?!?!?

As we ALL know by now, just another sleepy, dusty Delta day.

Last year, inspired by a series of comments that ran on Ron Smith's EXCELLENT www.oldiesmusic.com website, we revisited this Bobbie Gentry classic ...

In fact, we even tried to track Bobbie down ... without success ... the people "in the know" that we WERE able to come across pretty much told us that she doesn't necessarily WANT to be found ... whatever THAT means!!!

But I thought we'd revisit this topic again today ... so please join us on what just may become our annual pilgramage to Choctow Ridge ... y'all remember to wipe your feet!

***

Incredibly, it has now been exactly 43 years ago since Billie Joe McAllister jumped off The Tallahatchie Bridge. Hopefully many of the jocks on this list will honor this anniversary by spinning Bobbie Gentry's HUGE #1 Hit sometime today. (Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we could get EVERY radio station in the country to play "Ode To Billie Joe" at EXACTLY Noon today ... so that no matter WHERE in the world you were at that given moment, you could click on your radio and hear it?!?!?) Actually, quite a few of the jocks picked up on this last year and featured this very special musical anniversary on their programs ... I mean, this song was HUGE ... literally EVERYBODY out there was trying to analyze (and over-analyze) the meaning ... we wouldn't see anything like this again until Don McLean came up with "American Pie" a few years later!

Here are just a few of the comments we received last year (along with a few updates):

It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day ... Ron Smith

Yep, here in Chicago I was out bailing cotton and my sister was bailing hay. -- Chicago Mike

Y'all remember to wipe your feet ... --Ron Smith

haha!! a few of us will get that ... love it!
Frannie

YOU ARE THE BEST!
SCOTT SHANNON

High tide too!
Austin Roberts

If I remember right, 43 years ago today was just another sleepy delta day.
Mark
Actually, it was DUSTY, too!!! (lol) kk
I knew there was another adjective that went in there but couldn't think of anything but sh***y!
Mark
LOL ... yeah, that'll work!!! (lol) kk

and I STILL hate that song!
Clay Pasternack

you have toooo much extra time on your hands ………….. Stan Burkat

Kent -
I used it as a Quick Drop - Thanks - I know it wasn't meant solely for rockandrollheaven - but used it anyway - hope it goes well - Mason
Go for it, MASON ... as you can see, we hit on a nerve again with this one ... this truly has become Billie Joe McAllister Day today!!! (kk)

Check out the email below … Chris --- aka Chuck Adams --- was one of the jocks at Virginia’s WGH when I was the AM Newsman back in the 60’s.
-- Eric AuCoin
"It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty, Delta day. I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was bailin' hay" .... "A year's come and gone since we heard the news 'bout Billy Joe ..." which means that today would be the 43rd anniversary of Billy Joe McAlister's jump off the Tallahatchie Bridge. And whatever happened to that Nice Young Preacher Brother Taylor? ... or Bobbie Gentry, herself? Didn't she marry a millionaire and go into early retirement? Four Grammys for 1967: Best female vocal performance, Best contemporary female performance, Best new artist of 1967, Best Accompaniment Arrangement (for Jimmie Haskell). I was on my honeymoon in August, 1967, driving up the Maryland, Delaware, NJ coast, listening to WABC-AM, and that song got so much air play, I swear we heard it once an hour!
Chris Astle
Between our two AM powerhouses (WLS and WCFL) I think we really DID hear it at least once an hour back then!!! It was so COMPLETELY different than ANYTHING I'd ever heard before ... it REALLY stood out. One of the reasons this song worked so well is because Bobbie Gentry was the "real deal" ... born in Chickasaw County, Mississippi and raised in Greenwood, Mississippi. As I recall, Gentry had a couple of minor chart hits (including a couple of duets with Glen Campbell) and then, if I'm not mistaken, later married novelty singer Jim Stafford ... a pretty wild relationship from what I've heard!!! One of MY favorite Forgotten Hits was Fancy, a #31 Pop Hit in 1970, which was later covered (and QUITE well, I might add) by Country Superstar Reba McEntire. (kk)

Is Bobbie Gentry still living?
Tim Kiley
Yes, she is ... but I believe she's been "retired" for quite some time now. And, apparently, wants absolutely NOTHING to do with ever discussing this song again! Through our last tribute to this song, we were able to track down a few associates, friends and relatives of Bobbie Gentry ... ALL of whom pretty much told us that she does not WANT to be found. (kk)

Hey Kent,That's my kind of email. -- Guy

lol ...
it WAS the 3rd of June, another sleepy dusty delta day. I was out shopping for cotton clothes (and my husband was pitching a fit) oh by the way
shar

I DO remember. I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was baillin' hay.
-Chet

Hey Kent ...
I always loved that Bobbi Gentry!
Her hair style really got to me when I was a kid!
I'm sure many other future musicians back then had her album cover hung up on the wall like I did!
Mitch
You KNOW it!!! Yep, she was HOT!!! (lol) kk

Every year, on June 3rd, I mention to a few friends that "It was the 3rd of June" ......
David Lewis
Far more significant for me, I guess, was the third of September ... THAT day I'll ALWAYS remember!!! (kk)

HAHAHHAHAHAA
Eileen

lmao
CPass

No WAY it could be that long ago!! That is just SICK!!! lol But - thanks for the info, Kent. Unbelievable. lol
Shirley

OH MY .............. I hadn't heard because I WAS OUT CHOPPIN' COTTON AND MY BROTHER WAS BALING HAY!!!!
Gerri

I'd help you celebrate ... but I'm too busy passing the biscuits.
Jack

Kent,
Great to hear from you ... It is good to know someone is keeping the Oldies spirit alive.
George

Why do I think of Robbie Benson when I hear this song? Didn't they make a movie out of this song or something?
CGals
Yes, he starred in it ... and, although I personally have never seen the film, I believe he did full-frontal nudity!!! (kk)
I wouldn't have seen that .... I was watching it on pre-cable TV, like ABC or something. Nooooo nudity there!
CGals

And that was the song that knocked the Cryan' Shames out of the number 1 slot on the Chicago charts after weeks of being there! Jim Pilster still mentions it!
Marlene
There was NO way of stopping THIS record ... it had MONSTER HIT written all over it! (kk)

Here's some of the dialog posted on Ron Smith's Oldies Music Website last year:
Reminds me of the time a frog was put down my back at a picture show .... I think I'll go get me some biscuits -- Chuck Pattillo

A year has come and gone since we heard the news 'bout Billie Joe. I think I'll pick some flowers up on Choctaw Ridge and throw them into the muddy water off the Tallhatchee Bridge. Ironically, the real Tallahatchee Bridge -- which collapsed in 1972 -- was over water so shallow people routinely jumped off without drowning. But then, Billie Joe never had a lick o'sense. -- Ron

Right, Ron. Pass the biscuits please. -- Ronnie Allen
And Ronnie I'll think I'll have another piece-a apple pie. :) -- Linda G
Get it yourself. There's five more acres in the lower forty I got to plow ...
-- Ron Smith
Well, I think it's just a dang shame about Billie Joe anyhow ... Linda G

Hey, I saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge ... Lorne
Well now nosy Brother Taylor, you must've seen me and Billy Joe throw somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge ... ;) -- Linda G
Well, I'll be pleased to keep quiet about it if you make me a nice dinner on Sunday ... -- Brother Taylor

The ubiquitous question yet again ... Somewhere along the way since 1967, did Bobbie Gentry ever hint as to what she had in mind that they threw off the Tallahatchie bridge? I know they made a movie that really trashed the song and the mystery, and I'm surprised she let that movie fly. But somewhere in 41 years did she hint? Or was it just a Stanley Kubrick salute where she had nothing in mind and let guessing go on forever? -- Centerfield
I don't believe she's ever said for sure, but she had something in mind. Because Bobbie has pointed out that the song is really about how the girl's uncaring family never notices her relationship with Billie Joe and how his death affects her. Personally, I think Billie Joe "had her several years ago when she was still quite naive"-- oops, wrong mystery. -- Ron Smith
This is something that I've thought about SO many times over the years ... and I wonder if anybody else out there heard it and remembers it ... it has been etched in in my memory since the day of its original broadcast back in late summer / early fall of 1967 ... Jim Stagg (on WCFL) had Mark Lindsay (of Paul Revere and the Raiders) on his show (via telephone) one afternoon ... "Ode To Billie Joe" was the biggest song in the country ... it was ALL everybody was talking about ... and Stagg asked Lindsay what HE thought had been thrown off The Tallahatchie Bridge. Mark responded that he thought it was flowers ... and the rest of that day ... and for a few days afterwards ... whenever Stagg would play "Ode To Billie Joe" on his show he would play a tape loop of "It was flowers ... flowers" after Bobbie Gentry sang that line!!! In all these years, I've yet to meet ANYONE who remembers hearing this ... but it is clear as day in my mind ... because NOBODY knew for sure what it was (even the movie didn't make it clear!!!) ... so for Jim Stagg to proclaim this to be the answer to the mystery was HYSTERICAL!!! (It was simply Mark Lindsay's interpretation ... at best!!!) I was hoping that perhaps Clark Besch had a copy of this conversation in his massive tape collection but we never heard anymore about it. Does this ring a bell with ANYBODY out there?!?!?!? (kk)
Kent,
Very cool story! Altho I had heard it might be flowers, I do not have a tape of the Raiders item you talk of. I do have Stagg mentioning they would be on "The Stagg Line" in a day or two when playing "Too Much Talk", but that would be the next year. It would be fun to have. In the summers, WCFL did not come in well in Dodge City.
Good luck,
Clark

TODAY'S MUSIC:
Can't spend the whole day talking about "Ode To Billie Joe" and then not PLAY it!!! Here's Bobbie Gentry performing one of the BIGGEST (and most talked-about hits) of the '60's!!!

(And a great YouTube clip, too, of Bobbie performing the song on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour!!!)

Click here: YouTube - Bobbie Gentry - Ode To Billy Joe

BTW: Just to show you how serious we are about today's anniversary, this Forgotten Hits feature was posted at EXACTLY 6:03 AM this morning!!!

A Couple Of Quick Updates

Just a quick dash-off this morning ...

re: THE NEW COLONY SIX:
Last night's New Colony Six appearance at The Schaumburg Public Library was cancelled due to stormy weather ... the date will be made up THIS THURSDAY NIGHT (June 4th), same time, same place ... just wanted to pass this information along to any list members who may have been planning to attend.

... and, speaking of upcoming shows, it sounds like you can catch some REALLY good ones here ... check this out!!!

re: UP-COMING SHOWS:
Hey Kent ...
Here's some very cool info I thought the readers of Forgotten Hits would be interested in.
There's a small town in New Jersey called Bordentown. In this beautiful town of Bordentown is a great oasis called "THE RECORD COLLECTOR". This is not only the finest record store around for Vinyl, CD's and collectibles ... it's also a great showplace. The owners John & Sue have been producing amazing live shows ... in the store ... with the help of great local DJ, Randy Now. They call it "The Living Room Concert Series".We recently saw Peter Tork and his band perform there ... and last Friday night I took in an amazing performance by Kate Taylor and her fine Guitarist Bill Derby.
Here's a link to their website: http://www.the-record-collector.com/
There are some great shows coming up there and some of the F.H. readers in the PA, NJ, Delaware, NY area may want to check out their upcoming schedule.
As a matter of fact, we're playing there on Saturday October 3rd and we're planning a great "Beach Party" that night ... complete with Palm trees!!!
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords
Sounds like a GREAT place to see a show ... and a VERY interesting line-up coming up ... please keep us posted ... and if any of you ARE in the area, check it out and let us know what you think! (kk)

re: JIMI HENDRIX:
A forthcoming book by a former roadie for Jimi Hendrix claims Jimi's 1971 death was not accidental. James "Tappy" Wright says Jimi was murdered by his own, soon to be ex-manager. Tappy says Michael Jeffery confessed the crime to him while drunk a year later (two years before Feffery himself died in a plane crash), saying, "we went round to [the] hotel room, got a handful of pills and stuffed them into his mouth... then poured a few bottles of red wine deep into his windpipe." Jeffery reportedly collected on a 1.2 million pound life insurance policy after Jimi's death.
Ron Smith
There has been SO much speculation about Jimi's death over the years ... but this is the first time I've heard THIS version!!! (Saw this on PopEater yesterday, too ... of course as with so many of the facts surrounding Jimi's life and death, there are VERY few insiders left around to prove or disprove any theories ... and even some of the closest to him who have spoken out over the years have changed their stories from time to time ... but all this press SHOULD help fuel book sales ... and hey, that's the name of the game, right???) By the way, our Forgotten Hits Salute to Jimi Hendrix is now posted on The Forgotten Hits Web Page for the whole world to see ... you can find it here (kk):
Click here: Forgotten Hits - Jimi Hendrix

... And here's one to get the wheels turning this morning ...

re: THE GREAT DEBATE:
Kent,
How would you describe the difference in oldies and classic rock? My guess is that oldies are mostly singles, and classic rock more the FM album cuts. Classic rockers probably consider themselves more sophisticated than oldies fans. There are also a lot of people who use the term "classic rock" because it sounds better. Who defines what songs are "classic"?
Dwight Rounds
Interesting topic ... so I'm going to put this one out to the list ... I have a hunch we'll get some interesting answers both from oldies and classic rock music fans ... as well as from some of the jocks on our list who play BOTH varieties of this music! (I've told the story of being at the Soundstage taping a few years back when America performed ... after playing their "Classic Rock" Hit "Sandman", Gerry Beckley announced, "That's not oldies ... that's Classic Rock" ... and then the band launched into their wimpy hit "Muskrat Love" ... after which Beckley remarked "Note to self: do NOT use the Classic Rock line and then perform 'Muskrat Love'" lol) Yes, there IS a difference ... and America is one of the many acts that "cross over" to both genres. It'll be interesting to get your guys' take on all of this! (kk)

re: PHIL SPECTOR:
I was trying to remember where I'd seen that Phil Spector booking photo before - now I think I got it figured out ...
Diana

TOOOO funny .... and eerily true!!! (lol) kk

Phil has asked his wife, Rachelle, to place the Alhambra, California mansion where he shot Lana up for sale. She will also place his rock 'n' roll artifacts in storage. The home, once worth $1.3 million (he paid $1.1 million), is now only worth about $800,000, though its notoriety might fetch it more. The money will be used for pay for his appeal.
Ron Smith

Dave Somerville and The Diamonds

A month or two back we were discussing the fact that one of our readers had seen The Diamonds in concert ... and whether or not this was, in fact, the REAL Diamonds performing that night.

After a number of comments and conversations surrounding this topic since then, I was pleased to receive a phone call from Dave Somerville, the original lead singer of the band, who explained the legalities of just what's going on here!!!

Dave explained to me that several years ago he sold the rights to the name "The Diamonds" to the artists who are currently out there performing under that name these days. (In fact, he ALSO told me that at one time there were as many as FIVE different groups performing in concert as The Diamonds ... talk about confusing the public!!!)

The group our reader saw is the group who currently has the LEGAL use of the name ... generally, fourth and fifth generation members of the group. (Somerville also mentioned that things might be a little bit less confusing ... and misleading ... if the group performed as "Gary Owen's Diamonds" instead, making it clear that he is NOT a member, as it sounds like any number of times each year fans in the audience are screaming things out like "Where's Dave?" or "Where's Diamond Dave"!!! lol)

Quite honestly, it shouldn't be too hard to find Dave ... he's been performing non-stop for 55 years now. During our phone conversation, he told me:

DAVE SOMERVILLE: I haven't had a day job in 55 years. I just shared the bill with Bobby Rydell ... and this is after coming back from Hawaii where I performed mid-ocean shows for two weeks. In recent months, I've been to Hawaii, Australia, Spain, South Africa and then back to Vancouver, performing literally all over the world ... and it seems like it's getting BIGGER. This music isn't fading out ... it's more popular than ever."

FORGOTTEN HITS: Sounds like a tough way to earn a living!!! (lol)

DS: Yeah, it is ... but SOMEBODY's gotta do it! (lol)

Dave also did over 400 shows in Branson where he performed for two years ... and he's having the time of his life. It seems like NOTHING gets this guy down!!!
DS: "You know, NONE of the original members of The Diamonds owned the name ... that was something our manager screwed us out of ... but you don't want to hear THAT story ... it's too depressing."

As for his original singing partners, bass singer Bill Reed passed away a short while back and tenor Ted Kowalski and baritone Phil Levitt are both retired electrical engineers living in Toronto, without any further musical aspirations.

DS: The original group didn't play any instruments ... we just went up there and sang. The NEW version of The Diamonds are up there playing instruments and singing and dancing."

While The Diamonds are probably BEST remembered for their 1957 #2 Hit "Little Darlin'", they actually hit The National Pop Charts eighteen times and scored Top 40 Hits with their versions of Why Do Fools Fall In Love (#16, 1956); The Church Bells May Ring (#20, 1956); Love, Love, Love (#30, 1956); Soft Summer Breeze (#34, 1956); Ka-Ding-Dong (#17, 1956); Zip Zip (#36, 1957); High Sign (#21, 1958); Kathy-O (#37, 1958); Walking Along (#19, 1958); She Say (Oom Dooby Doom), #12, 1959; One Summer Night (#22, 1961); and their #1 Cash Box Hit, "The Stroll" back in 1958.

Somerville says he started singing "serendipitously ...how's THAT for a word" in the hallways, never dreaming it would turn into a life-long career. He also directed me to YouTube, where a number of Dave Somerville videos are posted. (Check out the one called "Dave Does The Diamonds"!!!)
Click here: YouTube - Dave Does The Diamonds

All in all, a very nice, happy and humble man who has been able to enjoy life to the fullest doing what he loves to do the most. (Yes, we agreed that it's sometimes a drag when REAL life gets in the way ... but all in all, "I've been able to live my dream ... and I don't know TOO many people who can make THAT statement!!!")

For a REAL enjoyable listening experience, be sure to check out Dave's CD, "On The 1957 Rock And Roll Greyhound Bus" ... it's a fun look back at what it was like to be out on the road in the earliest days of Rock And Roll, alongside some of the biggest stars of this golden era. And Dave's in fine voice as he covers not only some of The Diamonds' biggest hits (Why Do Fools Fall In Love, The Stroll, Silhouettes, Church Bells May Ring, Ka-Ding-Dong, Zip Zip, High Sign, Daddy Cool and Little Darlin' are ALL here) but also shares some fascinating tales (along with some musical tributes) to Chuck Berry, The Drifters, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers and many others. Man, we would LOVE to see this show live ... but it also makes for some GREAT listening entertainment ... more details are available on Dave's website:
Click here: Welcome to Diamond Dave Somerville's Rock & Roll Greyhound bus

Meanwhile, here's a track ... and a musical history lesson ... from the CD ... proving once again how Dick Clark helped to write The History Of Rock And Roll!!!

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