FORGOTTEN HITS

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Helping Out Our Readers

re: Helping Out Our Readers:

>>>Most folks probably don't realize that Phil Everly recorded "The Air That I Breathe" first, prior to the hit Hollies version! (kk)

Albert Hammond actually had it out first, on his It Never Rains In Southern California LP in 1972. Phil followed in 1973.

Tom Diehl

I suppose that would make sense ... since he WROTE the song!!! (lol) Thanks, Tom! You'll find it below. (kk)

I've still got to give MAJOR props to The Hollies for hearing something that just wasn't there in the original ... Albert Hammond's version is about as stripped down as can be ... and the Phil Everly take (featured the other day in Forgotten Hits) really just adds the typically expected Everly Brothers-sounding harmony ... but The Hollies do a full-blown assault on this track, with layers of vocals enhancing the song's richness and fullness. Years later Julio Iglesias would record it again with The Beach Boys providing the background vocals! (kk)
Click here: ? Julio Iglesias The Air That I Breathe w Beach Boys [1984] 1100 Bel Air Place.flv - YouTube

I was reading your fine blog and came across this discussion from 6/14/13 regarding the Youngtones and a song called Come On Baby. This song was put out on the Brunswick label in August of 1958, record number 9-55089. Hope this will solve that little mystery for that Scottish gentleman.

Pete G.

Please thank Glenn Murphy for the question about the New Colony Six and, just in case it would be news to you, Kent, Gerry (Van Kollenburg) told me that “Run” was the flipside of I Don’t Really Want To Go”.

Ray Graffia, Jr.

Thanks, Ray. We featured that A-Side a while back in Forgotten Hits. "Run" doesn't sound like anything else at all that The New Colony Six recorded ... I'm not sure I could have picked it out of a line-up myself!!! (kk)

With all of the freezing rain yesterday and today, I thought this was a good song to play.
Do you remember this song by a group with ties to Wisconsin?
Phil - WRCO

I sure do ... I used to LOVE this song ... can't believe it never charted. I remember buying the whole album for this tune but, as I recall, it was about the ONLY listenable track on the entire LP! I had no idea The Movies had Wisconsin ties.

GREAT suggestion ... and perfect for the deep freeze we've all been in for the past week or so ...

Although I think HALF of our snow has melted now thanks to all the rain. (Much better till it freezes up at night and makes it even more treacherous than before!) And I heard there's supposed to be another polar vortex coming, too ... gotta love it! Thanks, Phil! (kk)

The leader of The Movies was Michael Morgan of the Messengers.

Phil

Wow! I had absolutely no idea! That puts you one up on me!!!

This song always reminded me of "Back When My Hair Was Short" by Gunhill Road ... another GREAT Forgotten Hit you can feature on your program. (When's the last time anybody heard THAT one ... outside of Forgotten Hits that is!!!) kk

Hi,

I found your site while I was looking for an old song online. I wondered if you have any info on a song I think was called "It". It was on the flip side of a 45 record and one side had "The Twelve Days of Christmas With the Cleveland Browns". I'm curious who wrote and performed the song It. I hope you can help me!

Thanks in advance ~

Allison S.

Wow - this is going to be a tough one ... obviously a VERY specialized recording for a very special market ... but we've got a lot of listeners in the Cleveland area so let's give it a shot! Keep watching these pages, Allison ... you never know WHAT we're going to come up with ... we just may surprise you!!! (kk)

And then ... I swear ... not thirty seconds later ...

OK, I found it!!! It was a record put out by Walter and Bennett Elliott ... and I found TWO copies for sale at Gemm.com ... and you can pick up a near mint copy for just two bucks!!!!

Click here: The Twelve Days Of A Cleveland Brown Christmas/It - Elliott Walter&Bennett: LP - GEMM.com
And you can listen to it again here:

Click here: ? It by Elliott, Walter & Bennett - YouTube Thank you so much! You're the greatest. Thanks again!

Allison

Monday, January 13, 2014

Sonny Geraci Benefit Concert Update

We had no Internet Service this morning so I couldn't post this when I originally intended ... but sometimes things have a way of working themselves out ...

Tonight's posting now includes new updates in this RIDICULOUS travesty ... and, by the time the news airs tonight at 10:00 in Ohio, I've got a hunch there'll be even MORE to the story!!!

re: Now That's Just WRONG!!!:

Kent,

I received this post from several musicians. This one is from Chris Montez. I want to pass it on to you. I am so upset about the outcome, but I must believe that there are so many of us who are loud that 'right' will win out.

Shelley

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST FROM Ronn Scala!!!!!

On February 14th and 15th The Gold Flashes Radio Network will be doing a 16 hour marathon benefit show for SONNY GERACI. I am going to try to right a great wrong that happened with the funds that were raised in Streetsboro, Ohio. As most of you all know by now, as of today, NONE of the money raised for SONNY GERACI has been given to his family. This was no fault of RAE, DENNIS, or THE KOCISKO FAMILY. The owner of the Z-PLEX has taken the money ... and has refused to tell or has given the total amount raised to the GERACI family. A police report has been filed against this man. So, with the help of some of the GREAT acts that preformed in Streetsboro, I will do this marathon show in order to raise monies for the Geraci family to help Sonny through this terrible time. There will be LIVE auctions of memorabilia donated by the souls who performed in Streetsboro. Donations will also be accepted. The show will begin FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH at 6 pm EST, and I will be broadcasting LIVE until 10 AM EST on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH. There will be LIVE guests as well as the LIVE auctions throughout the 16 hours of the broadcast. Interested parties may contact me here on Facebook, email me at, champbelts2000@comcast.net, or call me. PLEASE HELP ME RIGHT THE WRONG!!!!!!!.

God Bless -

Ronnie

VERY disturbing news ... I had REALLY hoped this would have been resolved by now.

This came last night from Dennis Tufano, understandably upset (and rightfully so) ... we'll continue to keep you posted as things develop:

Kent -

Just as the posting states, the owner of the venue refuses to release the funds he collected at his venue to the Geraci Family. After multiple emails scheduling the transfer of the funds, he only makes excuses. The case has been given to the Streetsboro Police and the TV stations are covering the situation. This guy even withdrew his donation of the cost of the venue ($5000) and took the money out of ticket sales and put it in his pocket. The lowest of the low is to steal money going to a family in need. He also on his expenses report included a charge of $900 for some horrible steam table pasta and frozen meatballs which was supposed to be for the acts. Nobody ate it but his staff. All the acts complained to us that it was not good. Two days of pasta for $900???? Hello?

So, not only did he "allegedly" embezzle the funds but he took $5900 off his donation to pocket.

I hope he spent it on prayers because he will need them.

Thanks for your concerns.

Dennis Tufano

I also talked with Bob Gaetjens, the reporter whose column we referenced last week when word of this incident went wide. Bob said that he was not giving up on his investigation ... and expected to post an update soon.

Just a few hours later, this article appeared in The Gateway News in Streetsboro ...

Owner ‘Chef’ Bill Thompson turns over reins of Streetsboro’s Stringz & Wingz

Complaint regarding donations sent to prosecutor’s office

by Bob Gaetjens | Editor Published: January 13, 2014

Stringz & Wingz Owner “Chef” Bill Thompson said he’s giving up ownership of the restaurant and entertainment venue at Streetsboro Plaza, effective Jan. 15.
Taking over as owners are current minority partners Steve Mathis and Robert Kale, as well as General Manager Kyle Kendrick, according to a Jan. 13 news release from Thompson.
Kendrick said he's "just an employee" at the facility and isn't becoming an owner.
"There's nothing that's been turned over to me," he said.
Streetsboro Family Days Founder Chuck Kocisko filed a police report Dec. 30, which alleged Thompson hadn’t yet paid to Streetsboro Family Days about $28,726 from a fundraising concert for Streetsboro Family Days regular Sonny Geraci’s family, according to Streetsboro Police Lt. Darin Powers.
Thompson said bad publicity from the event moved him to part ways with Stringz & Wingz.
“That way, [the new owners] can salvage the business,” he said. “I’ve just been dragged through the mud.”
Geraci has been recovering for about 18 months from an aneurysm, and the funds are to be used to help defray medical costs. Powers said the case has been handed over the Portage County Prosecutor’s office.
Thompson said he plans to pay $23,860 to the Geraci family directly sometime this week via his attorneys, bypassing Streetsboro Family Days in the transaction. Thompson said he had earlier planned on donating about $4,796 in expenses that he no longer plans to donate, which accounts for the lower figure he plans to pay the family.

A few comments to the paper criticized "the haters" who seem to forget that Bill Thompson is a family man running a struggling business and perhaps needed these funds to right things in his own world. (WHAT?!?!?) The guy point blank misrepresented himself, took advantage of a family that has already been grieving for a year and a half now and then reneged on not only his original promise to donate an additional $4796 but failing to meet two previously imposed deadlines to turn the money over. Let me get this straight ... we're supposed to feel SORRY for this guy?!?!? (kk)

The haters? You mean the decent, non thieving people of Streetsboro that are angry their donations didn't go where they were supposed to, putting a dark spot on that town? He out right stole ... I'm sorry, borrowed ... the money to get himself out of a jam, thinking he could make it back up with his next big venue. The problem with that is he can't control his mouth or his temper on social media so he's lost a lot of customers. He let his "mini me" Kyle run the place and let's be honest, he's not very personable. The food was great when chef Bill made it, otherwise it was cold.
The truth to this whole situation is Chef Bill kept money that didn't being to him. Pay pal, paperwork, counting money ... all excuses, especially when all the money wasn't accounted for at least two weeks after the event.
The excuses need to stop. He is being sued by his former landlord and has been in trouble for bad checks. Eventually greed catches up with you and you pay the price. The people of Streetsboro are not stupid and are no longer buying the excuses.
get real 6789

Hi Kent,
I have heard that Streetsboro Family Days has given over their part of the fundraising money to Sonny. I can't confirm that and I don't know the amount, maybe you can find out??

As of today, January 13, no money has been given to Sonny's family from Stringz & Wingz. I know it's upwards of $24,000. A police report has been filed and charges are pending with the Portage County Prosecutor's Office.

I also know that all three major TV stations are at Stringz & Wingz right now as I type this so I'm sure there will be something on the news tonight.

I also heard that Streetsboro Family Days plans to donate their start up money for their annual festival to Sonny to try and right this wrong. I don't know how accurate that is either. Maybe someone else can verify.

Here is a link to a news article that was posted online today ... http://www.thegatewaynews.com/news%20local/2014/01/13/owner-chef-bill-thompson-turns-over-reins-of-streetsboro-s-stringz-wingz

It'll be interesting to see if there are any new developments after this story runs on the news tonight. But for right now, people are pissed!!! I know several FH readers made donations to this cause out of the kindness of their hearts to help one of our fallen idols ... and this clown has absolutely NO rights to this money ... he didn't do ANYTHING!!! Stay tuned ... I'm sure there's more to come! (kk)

Sunday, January 12, 2014

The Sunday Comments ( 01 - 12 - 14 )

re: Diggin' The Charts:
Kent,
You were absolutely "right on" when you said that D.O.A. by Bloodrock wouldn't be the typical record one would dance to on American Bandstand. I went and pulled my 45 copy of it and the version that WKY played, needless to say, was the edited version which was 4:15 in length.
Also, it was great hearing GAMES by Redeye. I can't even come close to telling you the last time I heard that one on the radio. Incidentally, when I saw the word Redeye, it reminded me of an instrumental by the Champs out of the year 1960. Their instrumental REDEYE made our local survey here, aka WKY radio. I got it out and as one would say, "play it one more time".
Larry
I would have had to see it to believe it before I EVER would have thought that "D.O.A." could have topped ANYBODY'S Top 40 List ... but the proof is in the pudding as they say. (That's part of what makes looking at these old charts so much fun ... they point out the REALITY of the situation ... not some distorted or "hyped-up" memory!)
As for "Games", one of MY favorites, too ... and a #3 Hit here in Chicago ... where it performed MUCH better than its #22 national chart showing. I've gotta believe this one's worth at least the occasional spin two or three times a year ... wouldn't you agree? (kk)

I really enjoyed the charts you posted today. The one from Hawaii was interesting. What I really got a kick out of was the posting of the song D.O.A. I had forgotten all about that song and I think I know why ... 1971 ... senior year ... LSD ... good trippin song ... maybe too good ...

Stacee

Hi Kent,

The WKLO survey dated January 14, 1961, must have been a typo regarding the year because the Lettermen didn’t even have a contract with Capitol at that date and “When I Fall In Love” on this survey wasn’t a hit until a year later than the date posted on this survey. Now there's some real trivia for ya!

Thanks,

Gary Pike

Actually several astute FH readers wrote in to say that the date on this survey was off by a year ... it was really the January 14, 1962 chart. (You wouldn't believe the number of mistakes we've found on these surveys ... an issue nationwide apparently ... dates ... misspelled artists' names ... incorrect song titles ... some of these are just a mess!!! Evidently not much proof-reading going on at the time!) But thanks for the heads up ... this proves that folks are not only looking these charts over ... they're looking them over with a fine tooth comb!!! (That tells me that we've got another hit on our hands!) kk

Hey Kent,

I just wanted to point out that someone at WKLO still had 1961 on their mind, as that particular survey was for January 14th, 196*2*, but the old year was inadvertently entered onto the survey.I just did a countdown this past week on my radio show of the top songs this week in 1962 (most were on the WKLO survey), and almost thought I made a huge mistake! Uncle T. Jay

LOL ... in the first batch of surveys that Clark sent me I found THREE, I believe, that had the wrong year's date on them ... being so close to the turn of the new year, the staff working on these were probably so used to writing last year's date that it slipped right by them. (On a couple, Clark, or whoever the original owner of the survey was, crossed off or corrected the year ... looks like they missed it on this one!) kk

Hey Kent,

I love the new Saturday feature. I have been playing a few of the notable 'should have been biggers' on my Saturday night program. My two favorite stations growing up were WLS and WISM in Madison, Wisconsin. Both stations featured many local bands and took chances on good records that didn't make a big national splash.

WISM DJ and Music Director Johnathon W. Little is the brother of Jane Little who was in the Underground Sunshine (Birthday). I would love it if someone could find an old WISM chart. Those are kind of rare.

Phil Nee - WRCO

re: This and That:

Kent,

I loved your 18-hour trip through "the wild side."You had several of my favorites, particularly "Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird)" -- the song I've nominated every year (for at least three years) as my choice for No. 1 for Rich Appel's IRS list -- as the song most deserving that "It Really Should" have been a Top 10 hit.I also applaud your inclusion of Jan and Dean's "Ride the Wild Surf," Brook Benton's version of "Walk on the Wild Side" and the Beach Boys' "Wild Honey."The only "significant omission" that I saw -- hah, in my opinion -- was, actually my favorite Dee Dee Sharp song -- the 1963 song, "Wild!" which reached No. 33 on Billboard.
It's worth a listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxRmwvd3jhg
Best,Don Effenberger

Dee Dee Sharp's hit was on and off the list three or four times before I finalized it ... but that youtube link will give fans a chance to hear it now. Thanks, Don! (kk)

re: Up-Coming Shows:

Short notice on this one ... but maybe a few of our West Coast Readers can still take advantage:

Good Evening,

Hope this finds you well!
I wanted to let you know that Micky Dolenz of The Monkees will be performing LIVE in a star-studded benefit concert at The Pasadena Playhouse, on Monday, January 13th at 8 pm. This is a one-night-only special fundraising performance, benefiting The ALS Association - GoldenWest Chapter. In addition to the performances, the evening will include a silent auction and a VIP post-show meet-and-greet. Proceeds will provide critical funding for The ALS Association Golden West Chapter’s mission priorities in care services, public policy, and cutting-edge global research toward treatments and cure.
It's an amazing chance to see some incredible artists, and truly supporting a vital cause.

Info & tickets here: http://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/box-office/special-events/onestarrynight.html
We would be so grateful if you would tweet, post on Facebook, email your contacts, and help to promote this benefit in any way possible.
Thanks for your support!
Jonathan White
Co-Producer, ONE STARRY NIGHT

Sorry this is going up so late, Jonathan ... we're still playing major catch-up here ... but hopefully some of our readers will want to get onboard for this good cause. (By the way Micky's coming back to Chicago in May to the Arcada Theatre ... hoping we can catch up with him there!) kk

Here's the latest word on a couple of Beatles Anniversary Tribute Shows coming up for our East Coast Readers:

Got this from Ron Dante:

Hi kk -

Here is a show that all our friends might like to hear about.

It take place a NYC Townhall on February 8th with a terrific line up.

Ron

AMERICA CELEBRATES THE BEATLES -

All-Star Gala Charity Concert, February 8th

NYC FAB 50 is proud to announce "AMERICA CELEBRATES THE BEATLES," taking place at Manhattan's Town Hall on Saturday evening, February 8. It is one of the star-studded charity concerts being held as part of "NYC FAB 50: Celebrating The Music of The Beatles" 50th Anniversary Celebration.

On February 7, 1964, The Beatles touched down on U.S.soil for the first time. Fifty years later, New York and the NYC FAB 50 Committee will be hosting several celebratory concerts with proceeds benefiting Food Bank For New York City. This once-in-a-lifetime event will "come together" on Saturday, February 8th, 2014, capping off a series of events under the "NYCFAB50" series.

Tickets for "AMERICA CELEBRATES THE BEATLES" will go on sale to the public through Ticketmaster next week, and there will be another special pre-sale exclusively for Beatles Examiner readers. The gala concert will feature veteran music legends, including an artist who had songs written for him by one of The Beatles, a singer whose only hit knocked The Beatles out of the #1 position on the charts, another singer who share the stage with John Lennon in New York at Madison Square Garden and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame who released a single in 1964 titled “I Wanna Be a Beatle.”

Tommy James was admired by George Harrison so much that the Beatle wrote some songs for him to record. Between 1966 and 1969, Tommy enjoyed 14 Top 40 hits. From 1968-70, when artists like Jagger, Fogerty, and Morrison were in their heyday, Tommy James & the Shondells sold more singles than any other pop act in the world, many of them written, co-written, or selected by James. Most memorable were hits like "Hanky Panky," "I Think We're Alone Now," "Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover," "Sweet Cherry Wine," "Crystal Blue Persuasion," "Tighter and Tighter," "Draggin' the Line" and "Three Times in Love." Tommy James has sold over 100 million records, has been awarded 23 gold singles, and 9 gold or platinum albums.

Gary DeCarlo wrote and sang one of the world's most famous rock anthems "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" under the band name Steam. The #1 hit has sold 7 million copies and has the distinction of replacing The Beatles' "Come Together/"Something" single at the top of the charts in 1969.

Melanie was one of the stars of Woodstock, appeared on the Ed Sullivan and Dick Cavett shows, and has sold over 80 million records. She sang with John Lennon on stage at the One-to-One Live in New York City concert at Madison Square Garden in 1971. She is best known for her hits "Brand New Key," "What Have They Done To My Song Ma,” "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)” and The Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday.”

Gene Cornish is the guitarist of The Rascals. From 1965–70, the band recorded eight albums and had thirteen singles that reached Billboard's Top 40 chart. In 1997, as a founding member of the Rascals, Cornish was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Before he was in The Rascals, he fronted his own band “The Unbeatables, who released the single “I Wanna Be a Beatle” in 1964.

Also confirmed for the star-studded evening are such artists as...

Greg Hawkes is best known as the keyboard player for The Cars, one of the greatest rock bands of the late 70s and 80s, but his first band, The Aardvarks, covered Beatles songs. He saw The Beatles in 1964, played keyboards on a record with Paul McCartney, and has recorded “The Beatles Uke,” an entire album of Beatles classics played on the ukulele.

Fred Schneider is the front-man for the world’s most famous party band, The B-52s, who have sold over 20 million copies and scored such hits as “Love Shack,” “Rock Lobster,” “Private Idaho” and “Roam.” The group recorded a version of The Beatles “Paperback Writer,” and Fred recorded a version of Beatles’ buddy Harry Nilsson’s hit “Coconut.” John Lennon loved The B-52s.

Ron Dante was the voice of The Archies. In an era dominated by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, “Sugar Sugar” was the #1 selling record of 1969 in the U.S. That same year, Dante hit the Top 10 with the single "Tracy.” From 1973-1981, Dante was Barry Manilow’s record producer, and even sang back-up on Manilow’s recordings, including the 1974 #1 single "Mandy.”

Walter Egan, best known for the 1978 gold record, “Magnet and Steel” also wrote “Hot Summer Nights” which included such musicians as Nicky Hopkins (played piano with John Lennon) and Robbie McIntosh (from The Pretenders and Paul McCartney). He saw The Beatles live at Carnegie Hall on February 12, 1964!

Marshall Cranshaw played John Lennon in "Beatlemania" and Buddy Holly in the film "La Bamba." The singer/songwriter/guitarist's debut album, "Marshall Cranshaw" was acclaimed a pop masterpiece, and it spawned the Top 40 single “Someday, Someway. Over three decades he has released 13 albums, and has hosted his own radio show, “The Bottomless Pit,” on New York’s WFUV.

Ian Lloyd was lead singer for The Stories in the 70s. With one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in the history of Rock music, Ian Lloyd has been heard across the globe beginning in 1973 with his performance on Stories' #1 hit "Brother Louie" and then "Mammy Blue." Lloyd's vocal credits include Foreigner and many others.

John Ford is the London-born guitarist from the prog-rock band The Strawbs. In 2009 Ford won Best Indie Rock Artist of the Year from the Progressive Rock Hall of Fame, and in 2010, was inducted with the other Strawbs members into the PRHoF. One of his producers was Tony Visconti, who also produced Badfinger and David Bowie (among many others).

Beverly Bremers is the popular singer who hit the charts with the unforgettable song “Don’t Say You Don’t Remember.” She appeared in the original Broadway production of “Hair,” played in the L.A. stage production of “Rocky Horror Show” and is proud to have seen The Beatles live in concert twice in New York.

Randy Jackson is the lead singer, guitarist and leader of heavy metal band Zebra. Jackson grew up in New Orleans listening to The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Legendary Long Island producer Jack Douglas, who produced John Lennon, helped on Zebra's early records.

Larry Kirwin is an expatriate Irish writer and musician, most noted as the lead singer for the NY-based Irish punk rock band, Black 47. He wrote the brilliant play about The Beatles, “Liverpool Fantasy” which was staged in 1986 and he has published several books, including a novel version of “Liverpool Fantasy.”

Siobhan Magnus is the powerhouse singer best known as a finalist on “American Idol” in 2010. She is best remembered for her rendition of “Across The Universe” on a show that featured all music by Lennon & McCartney. Her version of "Helter Skelter" garners rave reviews whenever it's performed live.

Aztec Two-Step released their first album in 1972. Since then, Rex Fowler & Neal Shulman have spent a lifetime making music together as the folk-rock duo Aztec Two-Step, remaining one of acoustic music's

Saturday, January 11, 2014

The Saturday Surveys (1-11)

Three more great charts for your perusal in our brand new 2014 Saturday feature!

First up, a Top 20 Chart from KPOI in Hawaii!!! (How many Hawaiian charts have you seen before?!?!?)

We've told you that Chicago's own New Colony Six were EXTREMELY popular over there ... and here you'll find their latest hit "Long Time To Be Alone" (a song that petered out at #93 in Billboard ... and only climbed as high as #13 here at home) sitting at #8 ... on its way DOWN the chart after reaching #1 a few weeks earlier! (It was this record that allowed the band to fly over to the Hawaiian Islands for a series of shows in 1972, still one of Ronnie Rice's all-time favorite New Colony Six memories!)

Other than that, Hawaii was pretty much in-tune with the rest of the country ... although "American Pie" seems to be inching its way up the chart here rather than the full head-on attack it had nationally.

The Twist was all the rage in Louisville, KY, this week in 1961. You'll find Chubby Checker on top of the chart with his '60's anthem "The Twist", followed at #2 by Joey Dee and the Starliters and "The Peppermint Twist". Checker was climbing the charts with his follow-up hit, too ... "Let's Twist Again" is sitting at #16 in its second week on the chart.

Local group Cosmo had a Top Ten Hit with "I'm A Little Mixed Up", a track we featured AGES ago as part of our "Show Me Your Hits" feature where we spotlighted local, regional hits by artists that never made Billboard's Chart.

Here's a pretty amazing chart out of Oklahoma City, circa 1971.

Check out the #1 Song ... "D.O.A." by Bloodrock ...

This track was banned on numerous stations at the time.
(It IS pretty dark!!! And definitely not the kind of track you'd see the kids dancing to on American Bandstand!!!)
Seeing this one in The Top Five alongside such teeny-bopper fare as "Knock Three Times" by Dawn and "I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family REALLY makes this typically "FM-Only" track stand out even more from the rest of the pack!

Then again, look at the hodge-podge of variety on the radio back then. Those really WERE the days ... when you could hear Bloodrock, Santana and Led Zeppelin all played during the same hour as hits by Lynn Anderson, Jerry Reed and Perry Como!!! (Man, what a different time it was!!!)

Another Forgotten Hits favorite on this list ... "Games" by Redeye, a track that peaked at #27 in Billboard but was already in the WKY Top 20!

All of this week's charts come courtesy of Clark Besch ... thank you, Clark!

Be sure to check back NEXT Saturday for more great Top 40 Memories! (kk)

Friday, January 10, 2014

The Friday Flash

re: This And That:

Big news this week is that David Letterman is trying to get Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to perform together again on the stage of The Ed Sullivan Theater for the 50th Anniversary of The Sullivan Show when The Beatles first appeared on February 9, 1964. (Several other MAJOR events are already planned, including live tribute shows at The Apollo Theater and a Grammy Night Celebration / CBS Television Special called "The Night That Changed America".)

Who would have ever dreamed ... in their WILDEST fantasies ... that 50 years later this hot new "flavor of the month" fad known as The Beatles would still be relevant and able to turn the whole world on its ear with their every move. On January 21st, Capitol Records will release the complete US Collection of Beatles albums as originally released here in America ... album titles like "Beatles '65" and "Beatles VI",
'Yesterday' ... and Today", "Something New" and "Hey Jude" that didn't appear anywhere else in the world ... but album configurations that we grew up with (and wore the grooves out on) throughout the '60's.

Of course it will NEVER be the same without John Lennon and George Harrison ... but a Paul / Ringo collaboration ("All My Lovin'", anybody??? Or how about their duet on "Act Naturally"???) would still be pretty cool to see. (kk)

(The Beatles Live on The Ed Sullivan Show, circa 1964)

I stopped at Barnes and Noble on the way home from work today and the shelves are stocked full with Beatles books and magazines ... once again, people are making money by riding the coat-tails of The Fab Four. FH Reader Dave Barry tells us about another new book (this one written by noted Beatles Historian Mark Lewisohn) that sounds kinda interesting:

Check out the two sentences below I have highlighted in turquoise. My interpretation is that the U.K. release of this book has twice as many pages as the U.S. release. Is that your interpretation? If so, why would I want to buy the U.S. book, knowing that it's heavily abridged?--dB

JANET MASLIN
Published: December 11, 2013
On Oct. 12 or Oct. 13, 1961, Paul McCartney and John Lennon visited the Hôtel de Beaune in Paris, near the Seine, to have their hair cut by a friend. Mark Lewisohn, billed on his book jacket as “the world’s only professional Beatles historian,” may know more about this seminal pop-cultural event than anyone else on the planet, including Mr. McCartney. The budding Beatle might have been too caught up in the moment to remember its exact details. Mr. Lewisohn has had some 50 years to parse them.
TUNE IN
The Beatles: All These Years, Vol. 1

By Mark Lewisohn
Illustrated. 932 pages. Crown Archetype. $40.
In “Tune In,” the first installment of a projected three-volume history of the Beatles, Mr. Lewisohn describes how Jürgen Vollmer, a photographer then friendly with the Nerk Twins, as those two Beatles sometimes called themselves, obliged their wish to look less Liverpudlian and more Left Bank bohemian. So he cut Mr. McCartney’s hair first into what Mr. Vollmer called a Caesar style and what the guy on the other end of the scissors called “a kind of longhaired Hitler thing.” It looked better when it grew in.
Cuttings from both Beatles’ hair were stashed under the bed; their present-day eBay value is incalculable. The next morning the hotel concierge found the mess and was furious. “She would not be the last to scream over the Beatles’ hair,” Mr. Lewisohn writes.
And Mr. Lewisohn is not the first to describe that screaming. But he is the most scholarly and painstaking, and he is the most serious historian to have examined the Beatles’ lives and work. The results can be dubious at times, when the minutiae becomes too microscopic or when he assumes that what he has not uncovered cannot be known. As for romantic entanglements, for instance, during that same Paris sojourn, Mr. Lewisohn writes about Lennon, “It isn’t known if he and Paul got l’amour in Paris.” It probably is known to Mr. McCartney, who has cooperated with Mr. Lewisohn on many of his other Beatles projects. But Sir Paul stayed mum on this one. “Tune In” is liable to be approached slowly and suspiciously. It’s an opening salvo that doesn’t get beyond 1962. This edition, with text that runs 803 pages (lengthy notes and index are extra), turns out to be an abridgment of a two-volume version that was published in Britain and is nearly twice as long. And much more expensive. (That version is available by mail order from Britain; it hasn’t come out in the United States.) The most eager readers have little choice but to tackle both versions, a maddening battle plan. And this abridgment could have been short enough to be more approachable. But it is not: Mr. Lewisohn’s sometimes arrogant emphasis on research trumps his desire to make “Tune In” reader-friendly.
Still, the intrepid reader who enters the portals of “Tune In” is probably in the presence of slow-gestating greatness. The finished history promises to have monumental stature, and this warm-up may turn out to be its most revealing installment. Mr. Lewisohn executes the difficult trick of introducing five major characters — John, Paul, George, Ringo and Liverpool — and patiently establishing each before their paths cross. It is invaluable to view each band member as a separate individual, as in the case of Richy Starkey, a.k.a. Ringo Starr, who is the brashest, sexiest and sickliest of the four before he becomes a Beatle, three-quarters of the way into “Tune In.” It’s also eye-opening to read Mr. Lewisohn’s revisionist versions of the most widely propagated myths about band members’ early years, especially when it comes to Lennon’s romanticizing of his mother. “Tune In” pays close attention to the many American influences on the young pre-Beatles. (Was Lennon’s early group the Quarry Men or Quarrymen? Of course Mr. Lewisohn has a footnote for that.) They hit adolescence just as rock ’n’ roll records became buyable, and “Tune In” keenly chronicles the favorites that they would draw on or recycle, even for their name: Beatles was a play on Buddy Holly’s Crickets, simple as that. And he astutely points out that they had to experience their own versions of Beatlemania to inspire it later: Holly and Elvis Presley drove them wild.
George Harrison never forgot the sight of Eddie Cochran at a live show, brushing back his hairdo and murmuring “Hi, honey” to an adoring fan. Mr. Starr, after seeing Johnny Ray dropping postcard photos of himself out a hotel window, knew this was the life for him. If there is one overall point that “Tune In” makes emphatically, it’s that the Beatles didn’t happen by magic. They envisioned a highly original goal and then fought toward it, every step of the way.
Once readers get over the hump of tuning in to “Tune In” and accepting that it must be read at a very leisurely pace, Mr. Lewisohn’s nuances can be fully appreciated. He captures the internecine struggles and bonds that were so important to forming the band’s winning formula. There is much illuminating biographical material on both Brian Epstein and George Martin and keen insight into why they became essential to the Beatles’ success.
Then there are the extra Beatles, about whom much misleading information exists. These were teenage boys, after all, and they had friendships and rivalries. Mr. Lewisohn provides an in-depth explanation of why the bassist Stu Sutcliffe brought out Mr. McCartney’s possessiveness about Lennon, though Sutcliffe’s girlfriend, Astrid Kirchherr, had a strong influence on the band’s early look. As for Pete Best, the drummer who is one of many contenders for the moniker Fifth Beatle, Mr. Lewisohn treats him harshly. The book presents detailed evidence that he was recruited in desperation when the band needed a drummer for its stint in Germany and dismissed for two good reasons: he couldn’t keep a beat, and Mr. Starr was better.
“Tune In,” which starts out as a doorstop and evolves into a rich cornucopia for those with the patience to stay with it, concludes suspensefully on the last night of 1962, with the Beatles on the brink. The text’s last words, from Lennon: “It was just a matter of time before everybody else caught on.” And one last, welcome word on the final page: “Intermission.”

re: Saying Goodbye:

McCartney, of course, wrote, produced and performed on The Everly Brothers' 1984 comeback hit "On The Wings Of A Nightingale" (#50), not a bad track but not one I've heard played in memory of the recently departed Phil Everly ... so we'll run it here today in Forgotten Hits ... along with Macca's comments about losing Phil:

Phil Everly was one of my great heroes. With his brother Don, they were one of the major influences on the Beatles. When John and I first started to write songs, I was Phil and he was Don. Years later, when I finally met Phil, I was completely star-struck and at the same time extremely impressed by his humility and gentleness of soul. I will always love him for giving me some of the sweetest musical memories of my life.

-- Paul McCartney

From Vintage Vinyl News: Paul Simon also noted the Everlys' impact on the Beatles – as well as on his own duo with Art Garfunkel – in a 2004 Rolling Stone article. "The Everly Brothers' impact exceeds even their fame," he wrote at the time. "They were a big influence on John Lennon and Paul McCartney and, of course, on Simon and Garfunkel."

Got this from our FH Buddy Fred Vail ... and he's right ... when you see the accumulated list for the year, it REALLY has an impact. Today we remember some of the artists we lost in 2013.

This past November, I read an article that approximately 550 to 600 World War 2 veterans -- all members of 'the greatest generation' -- are dying on a daily basis. Proportionately, 2013 - 2014 has taken it's toll on dozens and dozens of some of the greatest pioneers of pop, rock, and rockabilly music. So far, in 2014, we lost one half of what could easily be called the greatest duo (and certainly the most influential) in the history of rock and roll, Phil Everly. We also lost one of the most noted lead singers, Jay Traynor of "Jay & The Americans" and lately of "The Tokens."

2013 took a far greater toll. We lost hundreds of singers, musicians, songwriters and a few key non-performer legends, perhaps, most notably Grammy Award winning producer / engineer Phil Ramone, "Crawdaddy" creator / publisher / author Paul Williams, impresario / promoter Sid Bernstein (95 years old and still snubbed by the RRHOF), Bobby Martin, producer / engineer and one of the architects of "the Sound of Philadelphia," producer / engineer Andy Johns (Stones, Hendrix, Rod Stewart, Clapton, Zeppelin), "Shindig" host / radio deejay Jimmy O'Neill and the incomparable 'star' of WLS and WCFL Radio, Chicago's Larry Lujack.

When we read about these fallen trailblazers in Forgotten Hits -- every few weeks or a few times a month -- it does not hit you like seeing them all in one place.

But below are 'some' of the folks who influenced our lives with their musical contributions.

RIP:

"Forgotten Hits" regular and friend, Alan O'Day (that one REALLY hurt - kk)

Former Mouseketeers and hit makers "Annette" and Dick(y) Dodd (The Bel Airs and Standells)

Patty Andrews (The Andrews Sisters)

"The Singing Rage, Miss Patti Page"

Marshall Lytle (Bill Haley and The Comets)

Bob Engemann (The Letterrmen)

Lou Reed

Bobby Blue Bland

Jewel Akens

Eydie Gorme

Richard Street (The Temptations)

Bobby Rogers (Smokey Robinson and The Miracles)

Jim Sundquist (The Fendermen)

Stanley Knight (Black Oak Arkansas)

Ray Manzarek (The Doors)

Floyd "Buddy" Mc Rae (The Chords / "Sh-Boom")

Reg Presley (The Troggs)

Leroy Bonner (Ohio Players)

Rick Huxley (The Dave Clark Five)

Ken Hodges (Spanky and Our Gang)

Robert "Bobby" Smith (principal lead singer, The Spinners)

Marvin Junior (The Dells)

Virgil Johnson (The Velvets)

Richie Havens

Shadow Morton

Tony Sheridan

Claude King

Peter Banks ("Yes")

Eydie Gorme

Clarence Burke (Five Stairsteps)

Joe Kelly (Shadows of Knight)

Drummer Tommy Wells

Gordon Stoker (The Jordanaires)

Marshall Sewell (The Edsels)

Alvin Lee

JJ Cale

Billy Adamson (The Searchers)

Pete Haycock (Climax Blues Band)

Allen Lanier (Blue Oyster Cult)

Doug Grasser (Ohio Players)

I'm sure there are a number of you out there who can add to this list --and, sadly -- there were dozens more including a number of additional musicians and songwriters.

We owe a debt of gratitude the wonderful musical legacy they left us.

Fred Vail

Treasure Isle Recorders, Inc.

Music City, USA

Right off the bat you can add these names to the list:

Sammy Johns ("Chevy Van")

Larry Verne ("Please Mr. Custer")

Bobby Parker (who we interviewed a couple of years ago in FH ... and very likely was screwed out of the royalties for the popular '60's song "You Got What It Takes", a hit for both Marv Johnson and The Dave Clark Five) Bobby also recorded the hit "Watch Your Step", the guitar riff from which John Lennon said inspired him to write The Beatles' #1 Hit "I Feel Fine". (It's always sounded a lot more like The Allman Brothers' "One Way Out" to me!!!)

Country Singer Jack Greene

Noel Harrison

Apple Records artist Jackie Lomax

Hugh McCracken (guitar whiz session player)

Emilio Pericoli (Al-Di-La)

Tompall Glaser

Marvin Rainwater (he spoke with Forgotten Hits many moons ago)

The legendary Slim Whitman

and Country Superstars George Jones and Ray Price

as well as (in addition to legendary DJ Larry Lujack), our FH Buddy "Wild Bill" Cody

Yep ... a VERY tough year for saying goodbye. (kk)

re: Diggin' The Charts / The Saturday Surveys:

Kent,
I thoroughly enjoyed looking through the radio surveys of other radio stations here in the country and to see what records made the surveys and which ones didn't that would turn out to be big hits on a national level.
You mentioned that the song GEORGIANNA was big in Chicago and didn't make the national charts. You said you didn't understand that. Many years ago, a man in record promotions told me that the question could be answered in one word and that one word was PAYOLA. I have had record promotion men look at weekly surveys and would and or could tell which ones were considered to be of the PAYOLA type. Who knows? Would be interesting to know just how many copies were sold at the various record shops in Chicago.
Finally, I learned something today. I was familiar, though not all that much, of the singing group Dave, Dee, Dozey, Beaky, Mick and Tich. I did not know they recorded the song BEND IT. That particular song by that group didn't chart here in OKC. However, a local group which called themselves the Noblemen did record it. For the week of March 16, 1967 here in OKC, their version of BEND IT peaked at #2. It was on CJL record label with a flip called STOP YOUR RUNNING AROUND.
Larry Neal

I have ALWAYS loved the song "Bend It" and it got a TON of airplay here in Chicago despite never making any of our local charts. (Even WIND used to play the heck out of this one.) My Mom loved it, too, and bought (and played) the 45 ... a couple of us kids bought copies, too.

I didn't learn until many, many years later that Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich recorded two DRASTICALLY different versions of the song ... we covered this AGES ago in FH (and I'll have to dig through the archives to see if I can find that piece) as apparently some folks thought the version we featured the other day was perhaps a little too "suggestive" for its time. To this day, I still don't get it ... and thought this song should have been a MONSTER hit here. (It never charted in Billboard and only spent one week at #100 in Cash Box. Back home in Great Britain (where these guys were a HUGE success), it peaked at #2. GREAT track as far as I'm concerned. The song that DID chart for them was the infinitely inferior "Zabadak" from 1968. Go figure. (kk)

UPDATE: No need to go digging through the ancient 2002 - 2006 archives ... I found highlighted excerpts up on the current website after all. You can check out this article, posted after Dave Dee died in 2009:

Click here: Forgotten Hits: Dave Dee Dies

I'm reading Mac Gayden's autobiography "Missing String Theory," and in one chapter he writes about his hit song "Everlasting Love." He states that the record (original Robert Knight recording) reached Number 13 on Billboard, and would have reached the Top Ten if Monument Records had agreed to buy a full page ad in Billboard . They refused, and the record stalled, then dropped. Have you heard of this kind of situation?

David Lewis

Unfortunately yes, and although not openly talked about in outside circles, apparently it was a fairly common practice exercised by all of the major publishing trades at the time. (Suffice to say that payola was NOT confined to radio stations and disc jockeys!!!) In fact, word is it still continues to this day, just in different "work around" formats. There has long been talk about which artists have gotten the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nod in the past based on which record labels bought the $25,000 tables for the awards ceremony. Makes you wonder if ANYTHING was real back then. How do you truly trust ANY of the chart information when you know that tactics like this were going on behind the scenes.

And don't miss our brand new weekly feature, The Saturday Surveys, spotlighting charts from around the country. Be sure to check back tomorrow to see this week's edition! (kk)