Thursday, January 7, 2010

More Of Your Commercial Favorites Tomorrow ... But First A Word From Our Sponsors ...

aka ... YOU Guys!!!

As I've said many times before, you just never know what the next "Hot Topic" is going to be here in Forgotten Hits ... but apparently you guys are liking THIS one, so we'll stick with it for a few more days.

Here are a few of the comments we received this week ... along with a sneak peek of what's still to come ...

Hi Kent,
I listened to the jingles this morning. Do you ever get writers block? You are so faithful in doing this blog and your readers / listeners surely respond with many words and things to say back to you.
Carlene
It's that inter-active aspect that helps to make Forgotten Hits so unique ... check out the email below! (kk)

Wow - it's interesting that after all the years all the lyrics to "Happiness Is" come back instantly. And only at Forgotten Hits would the writer join in the conversation when the Kent commercial was brought up. I don't recall hearing Bobby Sherman's take on this, but I do remember hearing the Ray Conniff version on the radio. The Ray Conniff group's recordings were always engineered with an unmistakable, full sound that was easy to listen to. The TV spot sounded the same. By the way, did you also spot the Eddy Rambeau record on the WKYC chart?
David Lewis
I love looking at these local charts from around the country ... sometimes it gives you a much clearer picture of what was really popular than the national trades would often indicate. (FH List Member Clark Besch just sent me a couple of surveys from KPOI in Hawaii from the early '70's for another piece I'm working on ... incredible to see Chicago's New Colony Six at #4 in HAWAII with a record that peaked at #93 in Billboard ("Long Time To Be Alone", 1972) ... in fact, that chart-showing beats its Chicago Radio countpart ... the record peaked at #13 here in Chi-Town ... and ONE of our Top 40 Stations didn't even play it!!!)

Hey Kent,
I have a CD that I got years ago, not sure where, maybe Collector's Choice (?), but it is called Things Go Better With Coke, Sixties Coca-Cola Commercials 1965-'69. This disc has 60 different tracks including the 2 American Breed tracks you featured. Also on this disc are many Forgotten Hits favorites like Jan and Dean, Boyce and Hart, Freddie Cannon, Gary Lewis and many more including many great English groups of the same time period.I was just wondering if you had this same disc or had ever heard of it before. There's some very rare stuff on it. I'll try and get a scan made of the front and back cover. The front is a great Big Daddy / Rat Fink type cartoon that is very fitting for the time. I'd be interested to know if there are other discs like this out there. This one seems to have been released thru a company called McCann - Erickson, Inc. NY, maybe an ad agency or commercial production company. Don't know.Needless to say I'm enjoying the Ad Nauseum very much!!
Thank You,
Eddie,
Orange, CT
I've seen several versions of this CD over the years ... every once in a while a new one will surface that features a few tracks not previously available ... the one I have is simply called "Coca-Cola Commercials" and appears to be a British import. It, too, has 65 tracks: in order - two by The Seekers, Fontella Bass, two by Tom Jones, Petula Clark, Jay and the Americans, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, Jan and Dean, Freddy Cannon, two by Gary Lewis and the Playboys, two more by Petula Clark, two by The Supremes, The Troggs, two by Lee Dorsey, Lesley Gore, The Vogues, Roy Orbison, The Drifters, Ray Charles, Nancy Sinatra, Joe Tex, The Moody Blues, The Fortunes, two by Lulu, two by The American Breed, two by Jay and the Techniques, two by The Box Tops, The Bee Gees, The Tremeloes, two by Aretha Franklin, three by Sandy Posey, one each by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and then a solo spot for Marvin, The Brooklyn Bridge, two by B.J. Thomas, Carla Thomas, Jerry Butler (and then one by Carla Thomas AND Jerry Butler!), two by Vanilla Fudge, two by The Moody Blues, two by Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin (and then one more solo spot by each), two by Boyce and Hart, two by The Fifth Dimension and two by Gladys Knight and the Pips. I've got a hunch this is the same CD you're referring to, but with different packaging.
Thanks, Eddie! (kk)
Yeah, basically the same with a few differences. The back cover and inside front cover lists a few that aren't on the disc, but I see them in your list. Must be multiple variations of this out there.
Thanks,
Eddie,
Orange, CT

Hi Kent -
"Happiness Is a Kent" (Kotal) Forgotten Hits Newsletter!
The two song are different songs. I do believe I also heard the jingle "Happiness Is" song on a Ray Conniff or Readers Digest album. The one I was referring to was off one of my old Association CD's put out I think in 1984 called "Songs That Made Them Famous". I also have this song on my old scratchy 1967 LP "Insight Out". This Association album features their big hit "Windy".
The song was written by The Addrisi Brothers, Dick & Don. The brothers also wrote The Association's #2 hit "Never My Love".
I always thought their own two mini-hits, Billboard #25 "We've Got To Get It On Again" and #20 "Slow Dancin' Don't Turn Me On" fell into my own They Should Of Been Bigger Hits category.
Give "Happiness" a listen and see if it sounds familiar.
Take care.
Jerry jfk

Great stuff today … certainly I’m not biased or anything …
Any chance you could include a link to order Book of Days, in case anyone reading wants to after seeing this?
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&ISBN=9781435104709&ourl=Book%2Dof%2DDays%2FHarvey%2DSolomon&cm_mmc=Google%20Product%20Search-_-Q000000630-_-Book%20of%20Days-_-9781435104709
Thanks….
Rich Appel
Happy to, Rich ... (of course a mention or two on YOUR radio program would be kinda nice, too!!! lol) kk

>>>Cherokee Indian Iron Eyes Cody (Rich Appel)
WASN'T HE REVEALED (many years later) TO BE ITALIAN? NO INDIAN AT ALL?
Renfield
Yeppers!!! We found several websites corroborating Cody's true ancestry, a fact that became public knowledge many years after these famous ads ran. (Incredibly, a website called IronEyesCody.com, which sells a collectible Iron Eyes Cody doll, perpetuates the myth by talking about what a famous Native American he was!!! Meanwhile, "Snopes" has a whole page dedicated to Cody, under the banner "Was Iron Eyes Cody" a True-Born Native Indian". (The answer, by the way: "False".)

Here are a couple of other excerpts we found along the way:
Iron Eyes Cody was born Espera DeCorti on 3 April 1904 in the small town of Kaplan, Louisiana. He was the son of Francesca Salpietra and Antonio DeCorti, she an imigrant from Sicily who had arrived in the USA in 1902, and he another immigrant who had arrived in America not long before her. Theirs was an arranged marriage, and the couple had four children with Espera (or Oscar, as he was called), their second eldest.
As a teenager, he changed his surname to Corti, following in his father's footsteps and, in 1924, after his father's death, Espera moved to Hollywood changing his name again from Corti to Cody. "Iron Eyes" began working in the motion picture industry, representing himself to the world as an Indian. He went on to achieve a full career as an actor, appearing in well over a hundred movies and dozens of television shows across the span of several decades.

This from the ever-reliable Wikipedia:
Iron Eyes Cody, born Espera de Corti (April 3, 1907 - January 4, 1999) was an American actor. He was recognized for portraying Native Americans in Hollywood films. Near the end of his life, his Italian ancestry was made public. In 1995 he was honored by the Native American community for his portrayals.
Cody was born Espera de Corti in Kaplan, Louisiana, a son of Antonio de Corti and his wife, Francesca Salpietra, immigrants from Sicily. They had a local grocery store in Gueydan, Louisiana, where he was raised.
In some of his earliest acting credits, Cody was listed as Tony de Corti. He and his two brothers, who were also acting, changed their surname to "Cody". Tony Cody then claimed to be part Cherokee and Cree.
Cody began his acting career at the age of twelve and continued to work until the time of his death. He appeared in more than 200 films, including The Big Trail (1930), with John Wayne; Sitting Bull (1954), as Crazy Horse; Nevada Smith (1966), with Steve McQueen; A Man Called Horse (1970), with Richard Harris; and Ernest Goes to Camp (1987), with Jim Varney. In 1953, he appeared twice as Chief Big Cloud in Duncan Renaldo's syndicated western television series, The Cisco Kid.
He was most famous for his "crying Indian" role in the "Keep America Beautiful" public service announcement in the early 1970s.[1] It was an ecology commercial in which an Indian (Cody) sheds a tear after some trash is thrown from a speeding car and lands at his feet. The announcer, William Conrad, of Bullwinkle and Cannon fame, memorably declares: "People start pollution; people can stop it."
The Joni Mitchell song "Lakota," from the 1988 album, Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm, features Cody's chanting.[2]
Cody had a cameo in the 1990 film Spirit of '76.
In 1995, the Hollywood Native American community honored Cody for his contributions to Native American life. [3]
In 1996, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported his Sicilian heritage, but Cody denied it. He lived all his adult life claiming he was Native American and supported Native causes. Cody and his wife Bertha, who was Native American, adopted several children, all Native American.
Cody died in 1999. He was interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California. He was survived by his adopted son, Native American flautist Robert "Tree" Cody.
Thomas King named and created a character based on Iron Eyes in his novel Green Grass, Running Water.

But apparently nobody ever told the folks running the Iron Eyes Cody Doll Website about his TRUE heritage!!! Here's THEIR opening statement:
Iron Eyes Cody was, and still is, one of the most famous Native American Indians since Geranamo. Iron Eyes Cody passed away in January of 1999 at the age of 94 years old. The Indian with the tear in his eye, and the Indian that was in the world famous environmental commercial for the organization Keep America Beautiful.
Click here: Iron Eyes Cody Doll

SNOPES dispelled the rumor some time ago:
Click here: snopes.com: Iron Eyes Cody

Oh sure ... and NEXT you'll be telling me that the Native Indian Group Redbone, who topped the charts with their hit "Come And Get Your Love" back in the mid-'70's were really The Vegas Brothers, Mexican Americans who first appeared as part of the "house band" on "Shindig" back in the mid-'60's. (Oh wait ... we burst THAT bubble several years ago in Forgotten Hits, too!!! lol) kk

Coming up in Forgotten Hits:
More from Rich Appel ...
Back in 2002 he polled his readers for their all-time favorite commercials for his Hz So Good Music / Radio Publication ... and we'll have those results right here in Forgotten Hits ... along with an EXCLUSIVE Interview that Rich did with Jake Holmes (a guy who knows a thing or two about "jingles").

And, in true commercial fashion, here are a few plugs for some of the OTHER things Rich has got going on:

You can order his latest book, "Book Of Days, The '70's" here:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&ISBN=9781435104709&ourl=Book%2Dof%2DDays%2FHarvey%2DSolomon&cm_mmc=Google%20Product%20Search-_-Q000000630-_-Book%20of%20Days-_-9781435104709
(Be sure to check out the '60's edition, too ... it's Fab AND Gear!!!)

You can get his Hz So Good Newsletter (MUST reading, by the way), by sending an email here: rich.appel@hzsogd.com
(Just be sure to tell him that Forgotten Hits sent you!!!)

And, once you're on the list, you can vote for YOUR favorites in this year's I.R.S.
Countdown (as in "It Really Shoulda ... Been A Hit"!!!) Send your votes and nominations to the same address above. (Come on, guys, this is RIGHT up our Forgotten Hits alley!!! In fact, you'll find a couple of nominations for two over-looked Addrisi Brothers hits in one of the emails above!)

And, you can listen to Rich Appel on the radio here:
http://www.ghtradio.com/personalities_appel.htm
(these days, every other Sunday, 10 am - 2 pm EST [with ‘polkus interruptus’ 12 noon - 1 pm EST] … although I won’t be back until Sunday January 24th)
and
http://www.wrnjradio.com/personalities.php
(every Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm EST … although I’m on vaca this weekend, so back Saturday January 16th)
Where we hope he'll SHAMELESSLY return our plugs with at least half-a-dozen mentions of The Forgotten Hits Newsletter!!! (lol)

Rich tells us ...
You'll hear more Forgotten Hits on the GHT show, but both feature at least one weekly reading from Book of Days, songs for famous birthdays and on-this-day events. The GHT show also features “American Top 4,” the countdown of the 4 hottest hits this week in pop music history (as in, the biggest upward moves).

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Wednesday, January 6, 2010

'70's Ad Favorites

I mentioned the other day that I've been reading "The '70's Book Of Days", written by Harvey Solomon and Rich Appel ... the follow-up piece to last year's "The '60's Book Of Days" (which we absolutely loved, too!)


The book is the collaborative effort of two guys near and dear to our hearts. Harvey Solomon has had his work published everywhere from The Boston Globe to The Los Angeles Times ... from AdWeek to Variety ... heck, he's even written for the television series "Law And Order" ... and Rich Appel publishes the oft-mentioned (in these pages anyway!) "Hz So Good" Radio Newsletter, as well as hosts his own weekly radio show as a deejay ... and he's written the liner notes for countless album and CD releases. Now without question, these are some pretty impressive resume bullet points to be sure ... but what REALLY gives these guys "Street Cred" in OUR book is the fact that BOTH of them are also loyal and faithful Forgotten Hits Readers!!! (lol)


Anyway, with all that we've been doing here in FH lately regarding your "Commercial Favorites", you can only imagine my surprise when I reached Page 122 of their new '70's tome and found their "Shortlist" of THEIR favorite commercials from the '70's!!!


We dug a little bit deeper and now provide some audio and video accompaniment to some of their impressive list of:


"LOTS OF SPOTS: FAMOUS COMMERCIALS FROM THE '70's"

June 28, 1976: As the commercial goes, there's something about an Aqua Velva man. In this case it's something rather bizarre, as the after-shave's most recent pitchman is Detroit Tigers rookie pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych. With his frizzy blond curls and wild on-field antics, he brings a welcome, entertaining aspect to the grand old game -- talking to both himself and the ball between pitches, grooming the mound on his hands and knees, shaking the hands of infielders after good plays. Tonight an announcer calls him "the most interesting player since Dizzy Dean," and "The Bird" is the word from coast to coast. Voted AL Rookie Of The Year, he shares a cover of "Sports Illustrated" with "Sesame Street"'s Big Bird and becomes the first athlete to grace the cover of "Rolling Stone". ("America's Hottest Baseball Card") Unfortunately, This Bird flies off too quickly, as a torn rotator cuff and wildness ends Fidrych's too-brief career in 1980.
(I couldn't find the Mark Fidrych spot ... but you've just GOT to remember THIS one!!! lol)

Aqua Velva men weren't the only spokesmen on TV in the '70's. Here's a sampling of some of the decade's most memorable advertising moments:

Keep America Beautiful: Cherokee Indian Iron Eyes Cody paddles his canoe past smokestacks and debris-infested waters, a single tear rolling down his weathered face. (1970)

Alka-Seltzer: An inmate (George Raft), disgusted by the lousy chow, pounds his cup and leads his fellow mess hall prisoners in a thunderous chant or "Al-ka-Selt-zer, Al-ka-Selt-zer!" (1970)

Coca-Cola: Young folks of all colors and creeds gather on a sunny mountainside to sing the praises of the soft drink, to the bubbly tune of "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing." (1971)

Quaker Oats: Two young brothers suspiciously eye a box of "Life" Cereal, refusing to try it 'til they test it out on their chubby-cheeked, picky three-year-old brother: "He likes it! Hey, Mikey!" (1972)

Crest: Talking teeth lament the departure of fellow member Harold, felled by the owner's excessive "caramels, jaw breakers, pizza pies ... If only we'd been brushed." (1972)

Xerox: After a rotund Franciscan monk painstakingly hand-letters a parchment sheet, his superior asks for five hundred more. The monk buses to his local copy shop, and upon returning with the goods, his superior exclaims "It's a miracle!" (1975)

Dannon Yogurt: A choir of old men sings as scenes pass of weathered Russians smiling and dancing, closing on one who's eating. A voice-over tells the audience, "Temur Vanachu thought Dannon was really fine yogurt. He ought to know. He's been eating yogurt for 105 years." (1976)

Polaroid: Sparring lightly with Mariette Hartley, actor James Garner lauds a camera "so simple to operate, even a woman can use it." (1977)
(These two made DOZENS of these ... here's another goodie!)

BASF Cassette Tapes: An unlucky soldier receives a tape from home with bad news: his girl's found another, his brother. As he sits stunned, a sergeant snaps, "Play it again, John." (1979)

Coca-Cola: Glowering Pittsburgh Steelers' lineman Mean Joe Green chugs the soda bottle offered by a young lad, to whom he gratefully tosses his jersey. (1979)

Incredibly, we'll have even MORE of your favorites TOMORROW in Forgotten Hits!!!
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

AD Nauseam ???

Not yet, evidently ...

This hot topic continues here in the new year ...
with some more of your most recent Favorite Commercial Comments!

Regarding popular commercials, don't forget to note the great success Gary Loizo of the American Breed had with jingles for Coke.
Rick Barr, New Colony Six
I just happen to have TWO of The American Breed's "Coca-Cola" Commercials in my collection ... here you go!





























>>>We did a commercial for Mr. Norm's Dodge to get a free van and that's on the end of some album as it runs off towards the label, but I don't know which one. (Dennis Tufano)
Kent,
Here's the jingle Dennis speaks of. The LP pictured is full of drag strip stuff at Ubly Dragway. The Buckinghams jingle is 20 seconds that show up on the end and beginning of the LP side which runs a full 13 minutes of drag stuff similar to the Capitol Records series of Lps. Note it sold for $1 then. Now, it would bring $100 probably.
WLSClark











That's assuming you could ever even FIND a copy!!! (lol) This has to be a pretty rare collectible indeed! (I sent a copy of the jingle to Dennis Tufano to jog his memory a little!) kk
Thanks, Kent! Haven't heard that in, well, a long time! Ahhh the energy!!!
Have a great New Year! See you in January.
Dennis

Dennis Tufano will be appearing along with The Cryan' Shames and Ronnie Rice on January 29th at The Wentz Concert Hall at North Central College in Naperville, IL. The concert is a benefit / fund-raiser for The Naperville Education Foundation. For more information, click on the link below:

http://www.naperville203.org/community/YuksforYouth.asp

And check out THIS vintage clip of The Buckinghams, circa 1965 ... it dates back to before their OWN hits starting racing up the charts!

Click here: http://dennistufano.blogspot.com/



>>>Was there a jingle or commercial used for the song 'Happiness Is" by The Association??? (Jerry)

>>>Hmm. Happiness is the taste of Kent, and I do mean the cigarette so don't think I'm losing it here. I don't know who sang the commercial. I remember a Ray Conniff singers version of the song. Wikipedia notes: A special version of the song "Happiness Is" was recorded for use in a TV commercial for Kent cigarettes, prior to the ban on TV advertising of tobacco products. (Mister Hil)
>>>I suppose for some of us non-smokers out there "Happiness" COULD be Kent ... and his Forgotten Hits Newsletter!!! (lol) kk

Hey Kent,
Okay – here’s the scoop on the “Happiness Is” commercial for Kent Cigarettes – from the writer.
I wrote “Happiness Is” with Paul Parnes (Elvis – “The Next Step Is Love”, Me -“Santa’s Stuck Up In The Chimney”).
It was originally recorded by Ray Conniff and charted on Billboard. The singers on the Kent commercial were studio singers with an arrangement à la the Conniff recording.
At the time, cigarette commercials were allowed on radio and TV, but they couldn’t equate cigarette smoking with good feelings. The advertising agency figured that the song was popular enough so listeners would just hear the melody where the words “Happiness Is” belonged, hear the commercial’s lyric, “the taste of Kent”, and put them together subliminally - Voilà, “Happiness Is the taste of Kent”.
The commercial ran for three years plus.
Want to see one of the commercials? I’ve got it as a favorite on my You Tube site. Here’s the link to the commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=cd1mp3#p/f/6/33fSU2Q_ZUY
Enjoy it and have a great new year,

Paul Evans

One version of the "Happiness Is" song was by Bobby Sherman. It was a pick hit on the WKYC survey of March 11, 1966, but it only made it to their top 44 for one week, at # 43 on March 18.
Doug
NOT the same song as recorded by The Association then ... theirs was written by the Addrisi Brothers (who had also given them their #1 smash "Never My Love".) Neither the Ray Conniff version OR the Bobby Sherman version ever made the national charts ... so this is one of those songs that may be BEST remembered as a television commercial! (Of course this particular release was also about three years before Sherman exploded on the pop charts ... I think he may have even still been doing "Shindig" at the time!) However, now that I've heard it a few times again, I seem to remember this one as kind of a television variety show staple ... seems to me whoever was performing it adapted the lyrics to fit their own particular agenda (or the theme of that particular program.) Give it a listen and see if this one doesn't sound just a little bit familiar to you, too! (kk)


























Wow ... check out the regional hits on THIS chart!!! Always cool to see what was being played in other parts of the country circa 1966! (kk)

Hey Kent,
There were quite a few artists who covered “Happiness Is” and come to mind. (The Mariachi Brass.) And yes, Paul Parnes and I wrote many, many versions. I remember that we wrote one for Arthur Godfrey and another for jazz artists like Clark Terry and Chico O’Farrill (“Happiness Is Different Things for Different Jazzmen”), a Christmas version, a Country version, and who knows what else. But the best (for my co-writer and me) was Count Basie with the Alan Copeland singers. Joe Williams was there – as was I. Every time that Mr. Basie made a clinker – the studio audience (and it was packed) oohed and aahed. Pretty funny.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any of the tracks digitalized. However, my original demo was cleaned up and released in a Sanctuary compilation, “The Paul Evans Songbook”. My music equipment is down right now, Kent, but if you think your audience would be interested in the original demo, just let me know and I’ll shoot it to you as soon as my music toys have been put back together. If you don’t think so, that’s not a problem for me at all.
Paul
PS “Santa’s Stuck Up In The Chimney” has now climbed to 133,000 views – with the holiday season behind us. A good, new holiday novelty song? We’ll see where the You Tube views can take it. I’m hoping that the song will come to the attention of a CHristmas compilation producer. That would be a terrific boost for the song.

I think our readers would LOVE to hear the original demo version, Paul ... we've been VERY fortunate in being able to air several of these rarities over the years ... ALWAYS interesting to see where these recordings first came from!!! So please, by ALL means, forward us a copy once you're up and running again and we'll be happy to share it with the list! (kk)

Watch for MORE of your Commercial Favorites coming tomorrow in Forgotten Hits!

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Sunday, January 3, 2010

The Sunday Comments ( 01 - 03 - 10 )

re: HAPPY NEW YEAR:
>>> Not too many great New Years Songs. Here's my favorite New Years Song.
(Frank B.)
My favorite New Year's song is "Happy New Year" by Beverley. This song, written by Randy Newman, was released in 1966, with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Nicky Hopkins among the musicians. Beverley is also the female voice you hear saying "Good morning Mr. Leitch, have you had a busy day" in the middle of Simon & Garfunkel's "Fakin' It".
Doug




























Kent ... Happy New Year.
Here's the perfect song for 1 / 1 / 2010.
Frank B.
YouTube - after new year's eve'The heartbeats

Congratulations, Kent, on 10 years of Forgotten Hits and I want to wish all FH readers Happy New Year. Let's do it again next year.
Jack (Rock And roll Never Forgets)

Got this from Gary Pike of The Lettermen:
To My Dear Friends:
Our 2010 Contract:
After serious & cautious consideration ... your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2010!
It was a very hard decision to make ... so try not to screw it up!!!
My Wish for You in 2010:
May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy
May the problems you had forget your home address!
In simple words ...
May 2010 be the best year of your life!!!
Happy New Year!!
Gary Pike

And this from Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon!
WE WISH EVERYONE A HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR IN 2010!
SINCERELY,
FREDDY AND JEANETTE CANNON

HAPPY NEW YEAR ... !!!
Trade Martin
(Here's my new ringtone for 2010!)




























re: LOL:
OK, this one cracked me up:
IS IT OKAY TO TAKE "LONELY CHRISTMAS" OFF MY MP3 PLAYER YET?
The artist is particular and I don't want to insult him ...
(I AM a fan of the song though ... good work) ...
(gary) RENFIELD
LOL ... thanks, Gary ... yeah, we can all put it away for another year. With OTHER Christmas songs receiving in excess of 180,000 plays this year, the single-digit airplay of "Lonely Christmas" isn't going to register on ANYBODY's "Favorites" List ... but hey, I like it, too!!! (lol) kk
the first few times it came around ... i kept scratching my head trying to figure out who was singing ... lolit fits seamlessly in the xmas rotation ...
gary


re: WILL ANYTHING REALLY CHANGE IN THE NEW YEAR???:
Kent,
I hope you do not decide to start the New Year off with more childish views of that Herb Alpert LP cover you (and I) love. Maybe you should take a new angle in 2010 like the one attached.
WLSClark

re: DECADES:

Kent,

Nice one. I printed it out for the intro to my class for this spring. Next time, could you start at 1900? That's where we start.

hehehehehe

Shelley / CT

Thanks, Shelley ... I wanted to at least ACKNOWLEDGE the turn of yet another decade ... it's been one heck of a musical joy-ride for much of the past sixty years ... and let's face it, NONE of us REALLY know what's in store for us next. I guess a few other websites picked up on our mini Musical History Lesson, too ... we heard from a few folks who have posted our musings on their own web pages! (kk)

re: TOP TEN FAVORITES:
I just got this note from John Madara:
Wolfman Jack's Handwritten Top 10 List:
https://www.wolfmansolidgold.com/?mid=700058&a=101554&s=asotvchat Wolfman Jack is no longer with us, but his HAND SELECTED favorite songs of all time will live on forever! Wolfman Jack's son, Tod Smith, found a handwritten list compiled by Wolfman Jack, and he wants to share those songs with you!

re: NEIL SEDAKA:
Being that you brought up Neil Sedaka, I wanted to send you my all time favorite from him. He wrote this song after watching Connie Francis read her diary. He asked if he could read it and, after her refusing to let him, he decided to write the song. Did you know he is the cousin of Eydie Gorme?
Carrie
Yep, another great Neil Sedaka Forgotten Hit ... his first chart hit (#14, 1959) yet NEVER played on the radio anymore (or very many of his others either for that matter.) Sedaka was inspired by his crush on Carole King to write his first Top Ten Hit "Oh Carol" later that year. (That one went all the way to #5 in Cash Box Magazine ... and hit #1 here in Chicago!) Sedaka's Connie Francis connection includes her hits "Stupid Cupid" and "Where The Boys Are", both of which Neil wrote for her over the years. First time I've ever heard any mention about his being Eydie Gorme's cousin ... will have to look into that one! (Actually, in checking about half a dozen different websites, I found mention of this "fact" on exactly ONE ... I figured something THIS big would have received much more press ... so, for right now anyway, we'll call it a "rumor" until we can get a more substantial confirmation. Anybody out there able to shed any more light on this???) kk


























Neil's already got a number of dates booked for 2010 ... here's a current list ... and be sure to check back to his website often to see if he'll be appearing anywhere near you any time soon!

Click here: Welcome To NeilSedaka.com

Meanwhile, here's another GREAT "forgotten" diary song ... we encourage SOMEBODY on the list to play THIS one on their show this week!!!


























re: THE MONKEES:
There's still a little bit of buzz going around regarding a full-blown Monkees reunion this year ... including the participation of Mike Nesmith! Here's a little blurb about Mike from Flexquarters ... along with a link to a very funny Davy Jones Interview ... check it out!
A possible Nez sighting this year: Michael Nesmith -- a Houston native, film producer and former memberof the Monkees -- will receive the Warren Skaaren Lifetime Achievement Award
http://www.thewrap.com/article/tarantino-become-honorary-texan-12152
On December 30th, singer Mike Nesmith of The Monkees turned 67 and singer Davy Jones of The Monkees turned 64. Happy Birthday, Guys!!!
Speaking of Davy Jones, he opens up to Strange Dave about his private life, responds to recent tabloid reports that his brand new 32 year old wife assaulted him, slams TMZ, calling its lawyer owner "gay", dishes dirt on The Monkees, trashes The Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame and other bands that are actually in The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, stating that they should be "ashamed"of themselves for being a part of an organization that has denied entry to so many other great rock bands, accuses bands like The Byrds, The Beach Boys and The Turtles for employing session musicians and not having each band member perform on every single recording, pokes fun at Paul Revere, Peter Noone and other artists in the oldies touring circuit that Davy performs live with, revealing that he's often put on the bill last because he's the one most likely to survive!
http://strangedaveshow.podomatic.com/player/web/2009-12-10T19_32_07-08_00
Actually, some pretty funny stuff ... give it a listen if you have a chance! He pokes fun at his Monkees-mates, too, and flat out denies that he'll participate with any sort of reunion shows in 2010, preferring instead to do his OWN thing. We'll see ... we've heard THAT one quite a few times over the years, too ... usually right before a Monkees Reunion Tour is announced!!! (kk)

re: THE PIED PIPER:

Kent,

I was thinking I was just reading in FH about Artie Kornfeld, no? Maybe I am senile, but I thought it was here?? Anyway, his days with the Changin' Times (a duo -- him and Steve Duboff) had a nice little run in late 65 and early 66 and they wrote and did the first version of "The Pied Piper", a big hit shortly for Chrispian St. Peters. Here's a few photos, a label scan and article IF I was correct. Sorry if I am thinking wrong.

WLSClark




We've covered Artie Kornfeld quite a bit recently in Forgotten Hits ... but I think you're confusing us with Artie Wayne's Oldies Music Page ... in fact, Artie sent us a nice "teaser" about his upcoming "Pied Piper" piece but we already had other stuff scheduled to run ... so it never hit our pages (until now!) Anyway, click the link below and head over to Artie's page for (as they say) "The Rest Of The Story" ... along with some GREAT music video clips featuring the Changin' Times' original version, the Crispian St. Peters' Top Five Smash ... and even a rarely heard Del Shannon version of this '60's classic!

Kent ... How ya' doin'?

Although Artie Kornfeld, “The Father Of Woodstock”, and I have been friends since the ’60s, until recently I never asked him about the story behind some of his biggest hits as a songwriter. In 1966, he had “The Pied Piper” which made it to number four on Billboard’s Charts, which was one the most optimistic protest songs of the era … now here’s the story behind it.


“The song, “The Pied Piper”, was the result of my being an avid reader since pre-natal period.”, says songwriter / producer Artie Kornfeld (“Dead Man’s Curve, “The Rain The Park, and Other Things”).

“I remember Paul Simon telling me how he wrote the “59th St. Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” while driving into the city. I was heading into Manhattan to write with my dear friend and co-writer Steve Duboff. I was the Director of A and R at Mercury and had a three hour demo session booked for a young folk rocker named Jonathan. We were scheduled to cut three songs.

I made my way to the city in my “Dead Mans Curve” Corvette that Donny Kirshner gave me an advance to buy, when DMC went top 5. I kept a tape recorder in the car. As I drove towards the 59th Street Bridge I thought of the Fable about a mythical Pied Piper who, through music, rid his Nation of the Bad Rats that had the children living in fear. There were no freedoms and no expression allowed. The lyric and skeleton song came 1, 2, 3, so fast!


By the time I reached the office-studio Duboff had a dynamo melody on the way. We sat, as my production session was an hour away. I turned the lyric almost anarchistic saying follow me as I promise to rid the earth of The Rats that had us going into Viet Nam. I had the sort of vision I knew the way out!!"

For the rest of the story, exclusive pictures, and three versions of “The PIED PIPER” including The Changing Times, Crispian St. Peters, and Del Shannon’s version visit:

http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/artie-kornfeld-and-the-story-behind-the-pied-piper/


Regards,

Artie Wayne

http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne


re: DIGGIN' FORGOTTEN HITS:
Kent,
Is it POSSIBLE?? Another 360 times around our old sun? What a ride. Thanks for all the 'memory jogs' on my Tape of Life ... music has always been with me, starting when my Dad, a co-worker of Dick Clark at the time at a Utica New York radio station, bought me my own record player and a disc by Vaughn Monroe, "Paper Moon" when I was about 2. They tell me I used to sit over in a corner and spin it so much and sing along with it every day that even though they always knew where I was, it drove them crazy listening to that one song over and over so they had to get me another record / toy. (I'll have to ask my mother why they didn't show me how to flip it over and play the other side ... lol.)
Anyway, I found a pretty good track of that song and perform it for my gigs in Retirement homes and and Alzheimer Facilities ... a LOT of the folks remember Paper Moon, and Nat King Cole covered it too, or maybe it was Vaughn Monroe who "covered" Nat's release. Whatever, there are so many memories that all of us have of this song or that song, and what I love about your newsletter and your work is the way you dig into the past for us, and find the truth about how things really were back in our earliest musical years, like your coverage of the Bobby Parker story and told us readers about the songs he wrote that got stolen and became big hits for them but he never got much notice, and on the other side of the 'happy' coin, your coverage of many Beach Boys stories and the comments that come in from people who knew them and worked with them like Fred Vail, are always fun to read.
Most important to me personally, Kent, is that your newsletter with your 'features' and the input from your readers has helped me chuckle on many rainy days since I've been reading it.
Happy New Year 2010 from a real fan,
Veeder Van Dorn
Thanks, Veeder ... that means a lot! (kk)

And this ... from a brand-new reader ...
Hi, Kent, Bob Rashkow here, referred to Forgotten Hits by Clark Besch. Really
enjoyed your Top 20 Psychedelic Hits survey. Hope to revisit soon. My birthdate is 12/56 so although I started following Top 40 (on Super CFL and to a MUCH lesser extent on WLS in Chicago) in January, 1968, I was a little too young to
appreciate the "full effects", but have since, especially thanks to the internet, gotten more and more caught up, from the completely immodest testosterone of Richard & The Young Lions to the incredible electric psych-sound of The Last Word. Besch and I both love 6Ts Chicago pop but I will say
1) I prefer the longer "Crimson &> Clover", possibly because I never got to hear it until I bought a re-pressing 45;
2) The Montanas (and San Jose's "Stained Glass" among many others) were simply the Be-All-End-All of groovy, beautiful music;
and 3) Well -- I already forgot; but I loved some of the choices that were made and some of the descriptions of psychedelia.
Oh yeah, I remember! Sagittarius' "My World Fell Down" which I MAY have heard for the very first time in 1974 when a dj on the Lake Forest College radio station played it. It always reminded me of The Mamas & Papas. Their one dabble into "fluorescent paint" would absolutely have to be the mind-boggling, almost masochistic "12:30".
Groove on!
BR
Welcome aboard, Bob! Our Top 20 Psychedelic Favorites list is STILL the most-visited part of our web pages (which ended 2009 with around 112,000 visits, by the way, thank you very much!!!) "My World Fell Down" is one of MY all-time personal favorites as well ... STILL can't believe that's Glen Campbell on lead vocals!!! Who knew!!! Anyway, if you haven't seen this incredible series yet, you can check it out here:
And, if you browse around long enough between the two web pages, I think you'll find plenty MORE of interest, too.
I mean, that's what Forgotten Hits is all about ... providing SOMETHING for EVERYBODY ...

(well ... ALMOST everybody!!! lol)






Childish, eh?!?!? I'll show you CHILDISH!!!!!
Posted by at

Friday, January 1, 2010

Decades

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

As we begin a brand new decade, let's take just a moment to look back at how music has changed over the past sixty years.

When the 1950's began there was no indication that we were about to embark on a rock and roll revolution. Quite the opposite, in fact. The first #1 Record of the new decade was "I Can Dream, Can't I" by The Andrews Sisters (with Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra). The Andrews Sisters were no strangers to the pop charts, having already scored a number of hits for over the past decade by this point. This particular song was itself a remake of an old Tommy Dorsey Hit from 1938 ... certainly nothing new there! (The '50's "officially" opened with Gene Autry's Christmas Classic "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" on top of the charts, a position it assumed on New Year's Eve. The first NEW #1 Record of the new decade belongs to The Andrews Sisters as cited above.)

Things mosied along for the next five years ... revolutionary Disc Jockeys like Alan Freed started to play more and more R & B Records on his program while most of mainstream America listened to hits by Teresa Brewer, The Ames Brothers, "If I Knew Your Were Comin' I'd've Baked A Cake" by Eileen Barton, Perry Como, Nat "King" Cole, Patti Page, Mario Lanza, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Johnnie Ray, Eddie Fisher, Jo Stafford and Les Paul and Mary Ford, ALL of whom topped the charts during 1950 - 1954.

But then, right around the middle of 1955, Bill Haley and his Comets rocked our world with "Rock Around The Clock" and what became known as "The Rock Era" from this point forward, was roundly ushered in, the likes of which we had never seen before. This was no longer our parents' music ... THIS music spoke to US personally ... it was made FOR us (and pretty soon it would be made BY us) ... a whole new generation ... a musical EXPLOSION if you will ... had begun.


Of course, before he "rocked us" Haley had also "rolled us" the year before with "Shake, Rattle And Roll", a #7 Pop Hit, but NOTHING up to his point made the universal, world-wide impact that "Rock Around The Clock" did ... and, by 1956, the first #1 Song in the Nation featuring the newly accepted "pop culture" phrase "Rock And Roll" in its title became the unlikely distinction of Kay Starr when "Rock And Roll Waltz" reached the summit in February of that year.

But this was just the beginning ... two months later, America discovered Elvis Presley and, over the next three years, The King would top the charts again and again and again with hits like "Heartbreak Hotel", "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You", "Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog", "Love Me Tender", "Too Much", "All Shook Up", "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "Jailhouse Rock", "Don't", and "Hard Headed Woman".

Rock and Roll was EVERYWHERE ... and artists like Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Platters, Pat Boone, Paul Anka, The Everly Brothers, The Coasters, Ricky Nelson, Lloyd Price, Frankie Avalon, Conway Twitty, Bobby Darin were burning up the charts. Suddenly, TEENAGERS were buying most of the records ... and movies and television quickly reflected (and adapted to) this change in what we wanted to see most.

A good percentage of the public resisted ... they called it all a "fad" and pronounced that it would "NEVER last" ... but here we are, some 55 years later STILL talking about it, still listening to it, still writing about it and (best of all) still enjoying it. Rock And Roll Music CONTINUES to drive and influence each new generation that discovers it. Every piece of music and every artist that caught our awareness back in the '50's has gone on to influence every artist that's come along since, with each of these NEW artists putting their own "spin" on things, inspiring the next wave of where music was headed.

Sure, we've bended it and twisted it and turned it inside out since then ... analyzed it and dissected it ... we've added a little bit of this and a little dash of that ... we've added bells and whistles and frills ... strings and horns ... we've funked it up, "hipped" it up (and "hopped" it up), and stripped it all back down again to the very bare essentials that got us here in the first place ... but rock music is STILL the driving force in music today ... and it will never die.

A look at the chart as we enter the new decade of 2010 isn't going to show us anything new or revolutionary regarding what's going to become the next big musical trend in our lives ... it just doesn't work that way. We don't KNOW what the next craze will be ... and that's what helps to make all of this so new and interesting and exciting. Even after all these years, rock and roll music is still evolving!

When the '60's started, the "next phase" didn't hit until 1964 when The Beatles (followed by the rest of The British Invasion) first hit our shores. But there was a WHOLE lot more added to the musical spectrum of the 1960's than just the contributions of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones ... the '60's gave us the most diverse sounds in hit music we've ever experienced ... radio played British Rock, Motown, Atlantic and Stax Soul, Bubblegum, Folk, Surf Music, Protest Music, "Feel Good" Music, , Psychedelic Music, Hard Rock, and The Singing Nun ... and they played it ALL side by side!!! We have never experienced a time in radio programming this "uncategorized" since.

The '70's began with a lot of pop / teen-idol wannabes dominating the charts: The Jackson Five, The Osmonds and David Cassidy and the Partridge Family all scored #1 Hits early on ... before singer / songwriters like Carole King, James Taylor, Elton John, Harry Chapin and Jim Croce began to offer something just a little bit deeper, capturing the hearts of quite a few of us in the process. Country rock and acoustic rock moved to the forefront, thanks to artists like The Eagles, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and America ... but, like it or not, (for better or for worse!), the '70's didn't TRULY explode until disco hit in 1975 ... and even THAT didn't prepare us for "The Bee Gees Revolution" of 1978!!! In between, hard rock and heavy metal became the viable alternative for those of us who just couldn't get into the whole gold chains / platform shoes / and light-up dance floors disco scene and, thanks to the new FM dial, where most of us were getting our music fix from this point forward, we've pretty much had our choice of "segregated" music ever since.

1980 began with a wide variety of sounds coming out of our radio ... disco's "last gasp" with KC and the Sunshine Band at #1 with "Please Don't Go"; this hit was followed by chart-topping hits by Blondie ("Call Me"), Lipps, Inc. ("Funkytown") and Diana Ross ("Upside Down"), all attempting to keep that disco-groove going just a little bit longer. Billy Joel was trying on a little mainstream "punk" for size with "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me", Pink Floyd was topping the charts with some album / art rock by way of "Another Brick In The Wall" while Queen went ALL the way back to the rock-a-billy sound of the '50's for THEIR huge #1 Hit "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". Who would have EVER guessed that little Michael Jackson (who was one of the MAJOR musical factors of the 1970's, alongside his brothers in The Jackson Five but was now all grown-up and dancing to his own beat) would dominate the decade with his solo career, giving us the likes of "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough", "Rock With You", "Billie Jean", "Beat It", "Thriller", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Smooth Criminal" ... transcending ALL genres of music, appealing to ALL races, creeds and colors worldwide with a phenomenon we hadn't seen since the mid-'60's.

In the 1990's the girls finally had their say ... top artists of the decade included Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, Alanis Morissette and Shania Twain. By the end of the decade, radio was touting the "New Pop Revolution" thanks to artists like Britney Spears, *NSync, The Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera and Hansen. "Feel Good Music" was back on the radio and music was fun again. And, before it was over, we also caught our first wind of rap and hip-hop, a sound and style that would go on to dominate the first decade of the new millennium.


Today, a lot of us don't listen to so-called "modern" music anymore ... we've been turned off by the anger and language of what constitutes "musical expression" these days. We've reverted back to the sounds we loved growing up ... some for nostalgic reasons ... others because you just can't beat a good melody, a beat you can dance to and lyrics that DON'T have to be bleeped-out at least once every sentence. It's a real pleasure to hear some of today's kids, aged 7-15, programming the music of OUR generation into their birthday parties and get-togethers ... and singing along with every word.

We've seen and heard a lot these past sixty years. The next big thing? I don't know ... NOBODY really does ... and, quite honestly, it really isn't fair to speculate. Will we see music go back to a "simpler" sound? Or will some brand new phase that hasn't even been invented yet delight a good number of us? All of this remains to be seen.

Welcome to 2010 ... who knows what the Musical Gods have in store for us!!!
Posted by at

Thursday, December 31, 2009

The Final Comments Page Of 2009

re: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!:

As 2009 draws to a close, I'd like to throw out one more round of thanks to all of you out there who kept Forgotten Hits going for another year ... our TENTH!!! ... along with a New Year's greeting from one of our readers:

Kent ... I think there are a lot of great Christmas Songs. Not too many great New Years Songs. Here's my favorite New Years Song.
Frank B.

YouTube - Orioles - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve (original version)

And, as 2009 draws to a close, we look back at some of those that we've lost these past 365 days ... all of whom touched our lives in some way:

Kent ...

The R.I.P. / Rock in Perpetuity Archives have been updated and now include our musical heroes who passed away in 2009. http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/rip-rock-in-perpetuity-archives/
Wishing you Peace, Love, and Happiness in 2010!

Artie Wayne

re: LOOKING BACK AT THE PHILLY SOUND:

THE PHILLY SOUND BEGAN ON THE WINGS OF A BUTTERFLY!

DECEMBER 30, 1956 --- DECEMBER 30, 2009: THE "PHILLY SOUND" TURNS 53!
CHARLIE GRACIE and the birth of the "Philly Sound" are synonymous!
Signed to the newly formed Cameo Record Label, Charlie entered the Reco-Art studio in downtown Philadelphia on DECEMBER 3OTH, 1956 to record the Lowe / Mann compositions, "Butterfly" and "Ninety-Nine Ways." By March of 1957, "Butterfly" went straight to the national Number 1 position, while "Ninety-Nine Ways" reached Number 11.
CHARLIE became the first native born Philly artist of the Rock 'n' Roll Era to become an international success. Other hits followed for him in the U.S. and U.K: "Fabulous," "I Love You So Much It Hurts, "Wanderin' Eyes" and "Cool Baby." THE PATH WAS NOW CUT FOR SO MANY OTHER GREAT PHILLY ARTISTS WHO FOLLOWED -- a list that boggles the mind!
Says Charlie: "I was happy to be there at the beginning and grateful to God that I'm still active today. Where the years have gone ... I just don't know! When I was 10 years old, my dad encouraged me to pick a guitar out of a storefront window on SOUTH STREET (Hey Orlons!). Who knew it would lead to a 59-year career that would take me around the world many times? What foresight that man had!
Charlie's new CD with Graham Nash, Al Kooper, Peter Noone, Keb Mo and more will be out by the Spring of 2010! His 2010 Schedule will soon be posted --including a Five Week Tour of the UNITED KINGDOM and FRANCE!
www.charliegracie.com
AND LOOK FOR SOME UPCOMING CAMEO - PARKWAY REVIVAL SHOWS IN 20I0 -- with CHARLIE GRACIE, DEE DEE SHARP, THE TYMES AND THE ORLONS -- STAY TUNED! Enjoy!

Charlie, Jr.

And, speaking of Charlie Gracie and the Philly Sound ...

Kent,

Check out the new mummers benefit song online: http://www.reverbnation.com/clutchcargo"

Watch "The Mummers Strut (More Than A Tradition)"

Performed by: Tony Luke Jr. & The Tacony Funk Machine

with Charlie Gracie (R&R pioneer), Rocco Notte (The A's, Clutch Cargo), Barry Warhoftig (Hot Club of Philly), Su Teears (of Clutch Cargo), Chip Roberts (Lives in Crises productions), Winkle (American Dream), Dave Humphreys, George Manney (Clutch Cargo), Skip Denenberg

Written by: Skip Denenberg

Produced, engineered & mixed by: George Manney

Asst. engineer: Tommy Stinson (Guns N' Roses-Replacements)

Chip's guitars Recorded at: Geo Sound

http://www.GeoSound.org

A Clutch Cargo Production

http://www.clutchcargomusic.com

Mastered by: Peter Humphreys - Masterwork Recording

Have a Great New Year!!!

George Manney


re: MORE OF YOUR COMMERCIAL FAVORITES:

>>>Was there a jingle or commercial used for the song 'Happiness Is" by The Association??? (Jerry)
Hmm. Happiness is the taste of Kent, and I do mean the cigarette so don't think I'm losing it here. I don''t know who sang the commercial. I remember a Ray Conniff singers version of the song. Wikipedia notes: A special version of the song "Happiness Is" was recorded for use in a TV commercial for Kent cigarettes, prior to the ban on TV advertising of tobacco products.
Mister Hil
I suppose for some of us non-smokers out there "Happiness" COULD be Kent ... and his Forgotten Hits Newsletter!!! (lol) kk


Hey Kent,

Pepsi made a whole bunch of great commercials back when, thank you Joanie Sommers, Del Shannon, et al. However, one that remains in my head, but I'm not sure who it was for, was Billy Joe Royal letting go and really bringing life to some telephone operators, and some other folks. I think it showed BJR singing on top of a hill. Anyway, I can still see it vividly in my memory banks.
Jim Southern (aka chuckwroste)

Anybody out there able to help out with this one??? (kk)


I don't know if this is useable for Forgotten Hits ... but, if you have the time, take a look, and let me know what you think. You were doing commercial songs ... I recently got the dvd's of THE PAPER CHASE (tv series) ... and during the theme song (Seals and Crofts), I kept wanting to sing the lyrics to the FOLGERS COFFEE commercial. They both Youtube ... but the Folgers version in my head doesn't seem to be there ... it almost sounds in my head that one of the incarnations of Folgers could have been done by Seals & Crofts ... although I'm sure they didn't. ARE THE SONGS SIMILAR? Maybe one inspired the other?

I COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG AND LOOK STUPID ... BUT HEY ... WHAT CAN I SAY ... THAT'S ME!

Renfield

I didn't watch "The Paper Chase" on television ... didn't quite get the movie either (despite a fair amount of critical acclaim) ... so I'm not familiar with this theme ... however, I DO seem to remember Seals and Crofts doing a Folgers commercial. Does this ring a bell with anyone else out there??? (kk)


re: HELPING OUT OUR READERS:

Note the attached ad from Billboard in early 1965. "Leroy" (adapted from the Ken-L-Ration commercial, which in turn was adapted from a Tom Paxton song) was sung by a 9-year-old girl. And she got her picture in Billboard! I'm wondering if Norma was the youngest artist ever to chart on Billboard (including the Bubblers).

-- Jeff Duntemann

Colorado Springs, Colorado

We featured this track back on December 26th ... scroll back to give it a listen! As for your question regarding the youngest artist ever to chart in Billboard, we deferred to Joel Whitburn on this one! (kk)

Hi Kent,
As far as the youngest artist to ever make the Billboard “Hot 100”, I believe it would be “Jordy”. He is a French boy that was 5 years old when he hit with “Dur Dur D’Etre Bebe! (It’s Tough To Be A Baby!)” in 1993. There were younger artists to appear on recordings such as “Baby Sittin’ Boogie”, however, as the sole artist, he would be the youngest. A 6-year-old girl from Texas hit the charts with “Dear Mr. Jesus” in 1987, however, the artist is listed as “Powersource”.
Happy New Year, Kent!
Joel

>>>F.Y.I. The name "YOUNG" was first used by AM-CAN records in 1963 on my recording TWELVE TO SEVEN (Don Young)
How cool is that ... I never would've guessed that Don Young and Donny Young were the same person ... in fact, all of the info I had found on the internet had led me to believe that Donny Young was a pseudonym for Johnny Paycheck (and it was, but apparently not in this case ... and what a nice surprise to discover that, too). From Twelve To Seven is one of my favorite records of all time ... and one I'm still looking for on 45 rpm, too. My question for Don is, "Was there ever a B side to the single? Everyone I know with a copy of the record has a one sided promotional copy." Tom Diehl




Hi Kent,

Happy New Year!

"12 to 7" was released as a one sided record for air play promo only. The B side was called "Please Tell Her For Me". I have the master of that side but never got a 2 sided record. Since we did make some local charts with "12 to 7", it is possible that they exist. Please pass this on to Tom Diehl.

All the best

Don Albano (Young)

>>>I have a very good friend looking for "Somebody New" by the Riverias. He has searched all over and went thru each GoldMine publication and still no luck. Please let me know if you ever hear of one of the listeners finding this song. I tried I-Tunes with no luck. (Vic Morrow)
>>>Let's just post it here, Vic, and see what comes back from our readers. (kk)
This one's also on the WLS ONLY CD's!
Ed Erxleben
I checked my Rivieras' Greatest Hits CD and didn't see it listed there so my first thought was that it might be by the R&B '50's Group The Rivieras ... never thought to check our local charts ... but I see now that "Somebody New" went to #32 on WLS in 1965. Thanks, Ed! (Those WLS Only CDs have come into good use here lately!!!) kk

Tom Diehl sent us a copy as well:

Here's the Rivieras song (a very nice tune, indeed!)

Tom









More on the local charts ... and the local guys below ...

re: GLORIA:
I guess there will be times when we have to agree to disagree. Total respect for you Kent , BUT to say that "Gloria" by The Shadows of Knight creamed the version by "Them" is the epitome of Chi-town bias. We are all entitled to our opinions, and I'll probably inspire some hatred from your demographic, but I've got to speak up. Van Morrison and Them put some grittiness in their version that no group can reproduce. The Shadows of Knight obviously thought so, and not to take away from their effort, did a very good and close cover, but the sandpaper is missing from it. Their version is more commercial, but the "Them" version is the real Sho Nuff. All of this writing is of course my humble opinion.
Alex Valdez
Yellow Balloon
When I say that The Shadows Of Knight's version of "Gloria" creamed the Them version, it's more than stating my opinion ... the fact that the original version peaked at #71 while The Shadows' remake soared all the way to #7 nationally would indicate that this was the feeling of MOST of America back in 1966. That's taking nothing away from Them's "gritty" version ... it's simply stating a fact that the MAJORITY of record buyers out there found The Shadows Of Knight's version to be more "commercially acceptable" ... and rewarded it as such with its considerably higher chart showing. (That being said, the whole reason The Shadows Of Knight tackled the song in the first place is because WLS disc jockey Clark Weber HEARD the appeal in the Them version but just didn't think the majority of the listening audience would accept this cruder version ... he told The Shadows Of Knight's manager that if HIS group cut the record in a cleaner, more listener-friendly manner, he would put it on the air. They did ... HE did ... and "Gloria" soon topped the charts here in Chi-Town (as well as several other radio markets.) Safe to say mainstream America just wasn't ready of Them at the time ... as Van Morrison went on to enjoy quite a successful career here in The States. (By the way, we steered clear of any "Gloria" discussions LAST week thinking that ANYTHING Gloria-related would have to be followed by "in Excelsis Deo"!!!) kk

And, speaking of our local guys ...

re: THE NEW COLONY SIX:
One of the publications we print at work is The Saint Viator Alumni Newsletter ... and this new Winter 2009 / 2010 Edition features a short article on The New Colony Six's appearance at a recent fund-raiser held at the school. It's always neat to see something about The NC6 in a publication other than ours!!! (lol) Of course they ALSO erroneously referred to Ray Graffia, Jr. and Bruce Mattey as the only two "original members" of the band ... which isn't EXACTLY the case ... but these guys have been together so long now that the CURRENT version of The New Colony Six FAR outlasted ANY of the "hit-making" versions back in the day ... speaking of which ...
With regards to "The New Colony Six", I recall them being on some of the shows we were on when touring the midwest. At the time I guess I paid them no real attention as we were intoxicated with what we were about and the business at hand. As of late I've been Youtubing listening to their songs, and I have to say
that they had some kickass songs. Whoever wrote them had real skills, and the harmonies are spot on. So you can chalk up some sales of their CD's to me. All of this writing is of course my humble opinion.
Keep up the good work Kent, and have a great New Year
Alex Valdez
Yellow Balloon
For some reason, the impact of The New Colony Six seems to have been diminished in hindsight over the years ... but during the '60's, they scored more Top 40 Chicagoland Hits than ANY other local act ... an incredible 17 in all ... and they STILL sound great today. We did a month-long spotlight feature on the band a few years back and introduced music fans all over the country to some GREAT music that many of them had missed the first time around. (Nationally, only three of their hits made The Top 40: "I Will Always Think About You", #22, 1968, "Things I'd Like To Say", #13, 1969 and "I Could Never Lie To You", #40, 1969, meaning that most music fans never had the chance to enjoy many of our local favorites like "I Confess", "Love You So Much", "Can't You See Me Cry", "Roll On", "Long Time To Be Alone", "I'm Just Waitin', Anticipatin' For Her To Show Up", "You're Gonna Be Mine", "I Want You To Know" and "Treat Her Groovy", all of which made ... or JUST missed ... our Local Top Ten.) And, addressing one of your other comments, these guys wrote ALL their own songs ... pretty impressive indeed! (kk)

Here's one of MY personal favorites ... and one that ABSOLUTELY shoulda been a bigger hit, circa 1967!!! (kk)






















re: MORE ON / MORON RADIO:

Forgotten Hits has made me acutely aware of the problems facing oldies stations today and I’ve been working on a several ideas to help revitalize the genre and expand the current playlists.
Regards,

Artie Wayne

http://artiewayne.com


Kent -

You did an excellent job of capturing the current state of radio in your recent "Moron Radio" piece.

Far too many of us have experienced the logic of these so-called "know-it-all" programmers and consultants first hand -- and watched 30+ years of on-the-air experience evaporate into thin air.

I'm with you -- kudos to anyone out there trying to make radio interesting again!

Jack Ross


re: DIGGIN' FORGOTTEN HITS:
I thoroughly enjoy 'sharing' my memories with the "FH" readers -- and reading about their contributions and memories in return. You've assembled a great group of folks ... and their regular contributions only confirm the great job you're doing.
May 2010 be healthy, prosperous and blessed for you and the family. I'm looking forward to the opportunity of meeting you 'live and in-person' one of these days:) Fred Vail

Hi to my friends in the Oldies community!
“Santa’s Stuck Up In The Chimney”ended the holidays with over130,000 You Tube Views!
A big “Thank you” to all of you who played “Santa’s Stuck” during the holidays. There’s no doubt that you helped move the numbers.
Thanks again, and I wish you all a peaceful, healthy, and a successful 2010.
Paul Evans

Click here to see the video one mo' time!

Click here: YouTube - Santa's Stuck up in the Chimney


Kent …

How ya’ doin’?

Once again I want to thank you and your Forgotten Hits readers for making 2009 one of the best years I’ve ever had. Not only did the hits on my blog, Artie Wayne on the Web, exceed 1,380,000, but the views on YouTube last week of my Michael Jackson song “Little Christmas Tree” (Clinton / Wayne) topped 100,000!
Looking forward to more of your stimulating excursions into our collective musical past and wishing you all the best for 2010!
Regards, Artie Wayne

http://artiewayne.com


Hi Kent!
Now, during the 12 Days of Christmas, I want to wish you the very best of everything in the New Year! -- And to thank you for the wonderful FORGOTTEN HITS site! It's so informative and SUCH FUN -- and yes, there was a long ago day when I once wore "Windsong" perfume (may still have it in some old drawer somewhere).
Remembering the past just makes the present so much richer. That's what FORGOTTEN HITS does for so many of us. Thank you for all you do!
Connie Szerszen, "Top Rock Girly Jock"

Thanks, Gang ... what makes Forgotten Hits work is the participation of SO many music fans around the globe ... we can all come here for a few minutes each day, if only as a brief diversion from the real world, and share our memories and love of this music together in an atmosphere where you know we're all here for the same reason and purpose. Thank you all again for the past ten years! (kk)

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